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An Incredibly Pretentious And Undoubtedly Jaded Top 10

A few weeks back I had an email sent my way asking if I had ever posted my top five or ten whiskies, or if there was a way to search the site for this information. The question was intriguing enough to send me back to the matrix I keep of all malts tried (or those I can recall anyway). From there a quick sort on ‘scores’ brought the cream to the top and it was just a matter of throwing a few words and pictures together. All of the whiskies below have been reviewed here on ATW at one time or another, and the photos are all rehashed, but really this is nothing more than a ‘greatest hits’ collection, right? We don’t really expect new material when we buy a compilation album, do we?

Having said that, let’s dive in. And remember…I’m not saying these are the best whiskies in the world; just my favorites so far.

Here they are, in order:

1 Black Bowmore 1964 42 y.o. (40.5% abv) (97/100) – This is such in utterly incomparable whisky. The closest analogy I can draw (and have drawn) is to a smoked glass of Five Alive. The tropical notes here are mindboggling. The sour, sweet, smoky combination is to die for.

2 Ardbeg Double Barrel Cask #1745 (49.0% abv) (95/100) – This one pips cask #3151 (#3 on the list) by a just a smidge. Its light and delicate nature is so paradoxical for an Ardbeg that its anomalous nature makes it unforgettable. Again…rather tropical.

3 Ardbeg Double Barrel Cask #3151 (47.7% abv) (95/100) 130 – The darker femme fatale version of the previously mentioned malt. This one shines through the dark with richer, more sherry-influenced nuances. Seems a little less delicate than its sister cask, but that’s splitting hairs.

4 Ardbeg 1977 (46.0% abv) (94.5/100) – Until a fortuitous meeting with the two Ardbeg listed above on a dark stormy night this was the holy grail of Ardbeg releases for me. Fruity and smoky, complex and almost beyond compare, this one is still a favorite and has some great memories associated with it. Wish I could get my hands on more.

5 Brora 35 y.o. 2013 (49.9% abv) (94.5/100) – Brora continues to climb the ladder of favorite malts for me. I’ve not yet met one I didn’t like, but this one leaves the others in its wake. I went in with high expectations, but even they weren’t high enough to meet this towering beauty. This is a sophisticated whisky that is immediately alluring, but deserves a lot of time to work out the intricacies.

6 Mortlach Generations 70 y.o. Gordon & McPhail (46.1% abv) (94.5/100) – One of the world’s oldest whiskies. I was fortunate enough to try both the 70 year old Mortlach and Glenlivet, but it was the Mortlach with its creaking notes of ancient books, wax and fuel that won me over. Mindboggling that this one survived to this age in the barrel.

7 Amrut Greedy Angels (50.0% abv) (94/100) – Some may attribute personal bias here, but I fell hard for this one. Really hard. This was the first edition, offered up at eight years old, but nosing and tasting like a malt probably two decades older than that. The amount of intrigue and magic Amrut managed to capture at such a young age (relative to Scotch, that is) is simply brilliant.

8 GlenDronach 1972 Cask #711 (49.8% abv) (94/100) – I like this one the first time I tried it. On all subsequent meetings I loved it. Deep, deep resonant sherry, rich in dark stone fruits, notes of tropicalia and spice by the bucket. This is a syrupy, meditative dram. The team of elite Calgarians that selected this cask deserve endless accolades. This is the heights of GlenDronach.

9 Talisker 35 y.o. 2012 (54.6% abv) (94/100) – Tasted due to the generosity of one very kind – and very anonymous – individual, who managed to pull together an incredible night of Talisker for a very privileged few. This is an absolutely incomparable malt. Peat meets sweet meets seabreeze and pepper. Amazingly deep and probably not to be matched by this distillery again.

10 Talisker 20 y.o. 2002 (62.0% abv) (94/100) – Tasted at the same time as the afore-mentioned Talisker 35, this one is much younger, but bottles at a time when there were perhaps older barrels thrown in the mix. ‘Cause let’s face it…a twenty year old should not taste this good. Brilliant, brilliant whisky that shows a playful young heat to go with notes of maturity beyond its years. The 62% abv is misleading. This was an easy drinker. An incredible whisky, to be sure.

Unfortunately, yes…I do realize this list reads like malt porn. Anyone hoping the top ten would include a few everyday affordable malts…well…sorry ’bout that.

Feel free to drop a line or two below sharing some of your favorites malts from throughout the years. I’m looking forward to hearing what lights you up.

Slainte!

– Curt

SMWS 29.109 “Oak And Smoke Intensity” Review

GlenDronach 18 y.o. Marsala Cask Finish Review

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GlenDronach 18 y.o. Marsala Cask Finish

46% abv

Score: 85/100

GlenDronach in all its incarnations is a personal favorite brand of mine. They always keep it exciting and their adherence to a top notch wood policy keeps me loyal and spending money. I’ve found a few oddball single casks that weren’t quite firing on all cylinders (for me, at least), but they were unquestionably the exception, not the rule. Day in, day out the team at GlenDronach puts out great whisky.

While the distillery’s output is typically rather heavily sherried, here we have an 18 year old malt that spent its twilight days in Marsala wine casks. I’m not certain as to the length of finishing period, but the impact is huge. The whisky itself is a shimmering gold/orange/pink colour in the bottle (the likes of which I’ve only ever seen in one or two other malts) and the drink itself is syrupy, bold and fruity. It’s exactly what should be expected: mature and elegant Highland whisky with a big burst of mouthwatering – then subsequently drying – wine fruitiness.

And does it work? Yes. But it’s a close one. The wine is a little too big, to be honest, but like a spinning top or a Weeble, its off kilter quirkiness is enough to keep me engaged, as opposed to turning away. I like this one. More for the nose than the palate, but nevertheless I do like it.

Nose: Big fruity, wine-y nose. Spicy, rich wood notes. Orange zest (and juice!) and maraschino. Some custard and vanilla. Banana peel. A slight nuttiness. Ginger, mild cinnamon and a dash of pepper. A faint floral soap breeze blows across the top of it all. All in all…rather delicate and rather appealing.

Palate: All the wine promised on the nose makes an appearance here. Brace for it. A moment or two in it puckers the back edges of the tongue. Lots of syrupy fruit. Now ginger again and truckloads of spice. Wet oak. Like cognac over poached fruit. Walnut and almond. Leaves behind fruits skins at the back end. A little heavy on the wine, but not so top heavy that it falls over.

Thoughts: Not too harmonious, really, but there is something that works about it all nevertheless. I really, really like the nose, and sorta kinda like the palate.

* Thanks to our mate, J Wheelock, for bringing this one by not too long ago and generously pouring for a crowd of unsavoury sorts.

– Reviewed by: Curt

– Photo: Curt

Brora 25 y.o. (2008) Review

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Brora 25 y.o. (2008)

56.3% abv

Score: 90.5/100

Brora has become my own personal rabbit hole. My red pill, if you will. I was lost to it completely upon first taste (an almost incomparable 2005 30 y.o.), and have continued to fall end over end with each subsequent expression I’ve tried.

Malts like this remind me of the double helix of a DNA strand, intricately weaving together the nuance of spirit itself with the complexity of historical context. Those two pieces become inseparable in whiskies like this and are an intrinsic part of what makes them unforgettable. It’s arguably part of the rationale used in justification of pricing schemes and collectability. Let’s face it, Scotch is a drink built on history and tradition. And Brora has an infinitely fascinating story. Let’s not get too deep into it here, but do head over to our friend Serge’s Whiskyfun site to learn a bit more about Brora’s backstory. Well worth the effort.

For now though, quick and dirty must suffice: Brora was a Highland distillery that last flowed in 1983. It has subsequently been partially dismantled and now languishes dead in the shadows (literally) of the Clynelish distillery, its sister/replacement/pseudo-doppelganger/what have you. The last remaining drops of Brora have crept further and further away from the laymen’s tax bracket, but nearer and dearer to our hearts. Ergo we end up with a bunch of sentimentalists dying to try the malt, but an ever-decreasing chance of that happening. Sad times indeed.

Is this the best Brora I’ve ever had? Nah. It’s exceptionally good, but we’re talking degrees of greatness now. Like trying to pick the greatest quarterback of all time (Tom Brady) from a field of other great QBs, then looking back in prespective to see all of the hundreds of thousands of never-rans that can’t even compete at that big league level. Make sense?

This 2008 Diageo official release was limited to just 3,000 bottles. I feel blessed to have drunk my share. And a little guilty ’cause I probably drank a few others’ shares as well.

Nose: Great nose, built on fruits and more earthy, organic notes. Peat, yes, but faint and very secondary to the dominant profile. Pistachio, marzipan and cream. Apple and orange and lemon. Wet rock, grass and damp barley. A light floral note and wisps of smoke. Closer to Clynelish than the older, peatier Brora I lean toward. Very multi-dimensional.

Palate: Way bigger on the palate than the nose. Oily and thick. Waxy and flinty. More smoke and peat here. A nice toast/char note. Also a dry nuttiness that reminds at once of almond and oaky Chardonnay. Caramel apple and lemon. Popsicle sticks or tooth picks. Quite drying. Leaves behind notes of old cask, herbal tea and green apple.

Thoughts: Not in the same league as the 30s or 35s, but special nonetheless.

– Reviewed by: Curt

– Photo: Curt

Dram Initiative #023 – Silent Stills: Closed Distilleries

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Dram Initiative #23 – Silent Stills: Closed Distilleries

July 18th, 2015

Wow. Eighteen bottles from nine closed distilleries, seventy-six necro-drinkers, six hundred eighty four Glencairn glasses and plenty of Irish insight. All this assembled for one purpose: to drink what was and is no more. If you were lucky enough to be in attendance you can say you drank liquid history.

The evening’s tasting was held in the upper whisky hall of the Marda Loop Community Centre. On tap for the event were whiskies from Banff, Dallas Dhu, Rosebank, Glen Mhor, Pittyvaich, Littlemill, St. Magdalene, Brora and Port Ellen. All these distilleries had one thing in common; they lacked a safe word from their directors or a savior like Jim Murray.

Calgarians weren’t exclusive to this event. Like the biblical plagues of old, swarms of unwashed clockwork orange Edmontonian Droogs rode the QE2 Highway from hell into Calgary prior to the tasting. They came at us from the high Northlands, near the Arctic Circle, fixed on the idea of corrupting our innocence and consuming all the whisky in Calgary. It has been said that they hate us cause they ain’t us. Regardless, we Calgarians showed them grace, tolerance and compassion in allowing them to join our tasting … although I am very glad we had security at the door.

Also in attendance was Andrew Ferguson, better known as the legend of Kensington Wine Market; Dave Breakenridge, Associate News Editor of the upscale & prominent sunshine girl newspaper; along with Rob & Kelly Carpenter, the founders of the Scotch Malt Whisky Association Canada, an association that promotes single cask AGE STATED whiskey and other alcoholic beverages less important than whisky.

Our spirit guide and orator for the evening was none other than the Dram’s own president and whisky dominatrix, Curt Robinson. With a slide show and carefully scripted address, Curt whipped open the doors to each of these long scuttled distilleries just long enough to give us a peek at the rich history which once existed.

It would be fair to say that all the malts were enjoyed, save one sherry bomb, and a few, like the Banff, Brora and Port Ellen, stood out. Detailed tasting notes will follow once Curt has had time to imbibe the samples saved. All the whiskies presented carried an AGE STATEMENT with an average age around 24 years. The fading echo of these nine single malts was consumed in the following order:

1) Rosebank 12 y.o. (Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask) Refill Hogshead Ref #1564
March 1993 – June 2005 50% abv 332 Bottles
Born 1840 Final Production 1993 Property redeveloped 2002

2) Littlemill 21 y.o. (A.D. Rattray) Bourbon Hogshead Cask #560
April 4, 1991 – May 28, 2012 50.6% abv 290 Bottles
Born 1772* Final Production 1994 Destroyed by fire 2004
(*Bushmills was founded in 1608)

3) Saint Magdalene / Linlithgow 24 y.o. (Murray McDavid Mission Gold) Bourbon, Port Finish
1982 – 2006 58.3% abv 446 Bottles
Born 1798 Final Production 1983 Property redeveloped

4) Pittyvaich 15 y.o. (Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask) Refill Hogshead Ref #2390
October 1990 – January 2006 50% abv 340 Bottles
Born 1974 Final Production 1993 Demolished 2002

5) Banff 32 y.o. (Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask) Refill Hogshead Ref# 3521
March 1974 – April 2007 47.8% abv 272 Bottles
Born 1863 Final Production 1983 Destroyed by fire 1991

6) Dallas Dhu 32 y.o. (Gordon & MacPhail)
1979 – 2012 43% abv
Born 1898 Final Production 1983 License to distill withdrawn 1992 Turned into a museum

7) Glen Mhor 27 y.o. (The Cooper’s Choice) Hogshead Cask#1350
1982 – 2009 46% abv 345 Bottles
Born 1894 Final Production 1983 Demolished 1986

8) Brora 25 y.o. (Diageo)
2008 56.3% 3,000 Bottles
Born 1819 Final Production 1983 Dismantled

9) Port Ellen 25 y.o. (Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask) Sherry Cask #4176 KWM
February 1983 – July 2008 54.7% abv 210 Bottles
Born 1825 Final Production 1983 Converted into a malting facility

Sadly these distilleries were all victims of over production during the seventies and eighties leaving Scotland drowning in excess production. Unfortunately, single malts weren’t as popular as they are today resulting in most of the stock being put into blends with little left over for today’s single malt drinker.

To heighten the evening’s drinking pleasure the Closed Distilleries whiskies were enjoyed with the Closed Distilleries soundtrack which included such songs as, CLOSING Time – Semisonic / CLOSE To You – The Carpenters / CLOSER To The Heart – Rush / Don’t Stand So CLOSE To Me – The Police / CLOSER – Nine Inch Nails / CLOSE To You – New Kids On The Block / CLOSER – Kings Of Leon / Get CLOSER – Linda Ronstadt / So CLOSE – Matthew Good. The soundtrack was available for purchase in the lobby after the event.

As a ‘thank you’ to committee members and volunteers who stayed behind to help clean up after the liquidated whisky jamboree, a bottle of Japanese whisky from the closed Hanyu distillery, SMWS 131.2 with the AGE clearly STATED at 13 years old, was swigged, glugged and knocked back, leaving only the green Irish skeleton of a once desired outturned bottle and the unchaste cleaners wanting more.

Shout out to Curt for countless hours dedicated to researching, coordinating and speaking to this tasting. Stephen King couldn’t have done a better job speaking on behalf of these dead distilleries, many thanks!

Also, cheers to the Dram’s full patch and prospect committee members for the hard work in making this tasting happen. Although this was probably our most ambitious event to date it was just another in a line of award winning tastings with more to come. All Dram tasting events are intended to help raise awareness of how good AGE STATED whiskies can be.

Final thoughts and some closing words ………… Let’s hope that the producers of whisky learn from history, so that future whisky drinkers aren’t as lucky as we were.

Your Humble Drudge,

– Maltmonster

– Photos: Pat Carroll

One Million Thanks

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Wow. ATW just hit one million views. That means one million visits by people here solely for whisky chat (and endless drivel, offensive blatherings and inane diatribes). Thanks for reading and thanks for sharing your thoughts along the way. It’s much appreciated, and a huge part of what keeps me sane. Slainte!

– Curt

Port Ellen 25 y.o. Cask #4176 (Douglas Laing OMC) Review

A Malt Lover’s Inbox Issues

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(File under ‘First World Problems’)

A Malt Lover’s Inbox Issues: The Curmudgeonly Moanings Of A Jaded Old Bastard

I realize this may come across a bit like the grumpy old man on the corner yelling at the neighbourhood kids to ‘keep off the lawn’, but there’s a little more to it than just being miserable. Bear with me.

Bloggers in the wider whisky world have a hard enough time staking a claim to respectability without opening the door to yet another questionable practice. So, speaking only for myself, but on a subject that is hopefully near to the hearts of many fellow (amateur) whisky writers, let me wade in on gently, so as to make as few waves as possible.

I could have just continued stomping around here, cave man style, grumbling under my breath and taking my frustrations out on the poor soul at the liquor store trying to pour the latest mangled, honey-flavoured-concoction-in-a-disposable-plastic-cup down my throat, but I figured maybe a more constructive outlet (or at least an outlet that only targets an appropriate audience) might be here on ATW. That’s what a blog is for, right? Sort of an ‘it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to’ thing.

It boils down to one central tenet: I do not want to help you brand ambassadors sell your whisky. It is not my job. And I do not appreciate the ways in which you’ve been going about it lately, filling my inbox with mind-bogglingly assuming sales pitches that don’t even ask if I’m interested in publishing your spiel, before closing with a ‘let me know if you need more for your post’ signature. Why would you think this is a tactful approach? Oh yeah…and have you ever actually read my site? What would make you think I am willing to regurgitate press releases?

Now here’s the deal…I don’t mind the email sent from sites I’ve signed up for. Part of the Ardbeg Committee? Of course I am. Friend of Laphroaig? Yup. Guardian of the Glenlivet? Absolutely. On the flipside, however, I’m pretty damn certain I never signed up for email from these Franken-whisky, cocktail-slingin’ blend houses and such.

Ok, ok, settle down, you say. Breathe deep and suck it up, buttercup. It’s just email. Click ‘delete’ and the problem goes away (at least untuil the next time). The thing is…until you’ve read some of the pushy-toned notes and assuming positions that get sent my way, you have no idea. Typically it goes something like this: Here’s our new product…here are a few recipes we’ve concocted that oh-so-cleverly use said new product…here are some hi-res images for you to use on your site…please let us know if you need more information for your (obviously imminent) post about our product…end transmission.

The lines between industry and consumer are so blurred right now, and lead to so much cynicism in the circles of knowledgeable whisky folk, that following this path seems like the last thing any blogger should engage in. But I’ll stop there. It’s not up to me to tell anyone how to run their site. I’ll stick to saying I don’t want that to be my M.O. around here. It boils down to perception (and some indignation, which we’ll get to in a moment).

I don’t have a lot of interest in those websites that are nothing more than press release aggregators. Quite frankly, it makes them look like industry shills. I can’t help but question intentions when I see this practice, irrespective of how much I like the individuals behind the sites. I simply have to question their motivations and their impartiality. Especially when it comes time to debate any sort of issue with them that comes back to consumer vs producer mentalities.

This very concept of blurred lines between the seemingly independent voices and the industry proper is one of the things that led to whisky demi-deity, Johannes Van Den Huevel, hanging ‘em up and retiring from the Malt Maniacs. Is it just me that thinks it’s a real shame when the founder has to step aside due to his creation becoming distorted? Granted this was one of a few reasons he gracefully bowed aside, but it was an important one.

As always (and going forward), if I choose to assert my opinion on something that seems like a ‘pitch’ to you (i.e. a festival announcement, a book or glassware review, an event notification, etc) rest assured it’s because I elected to do so of my own volition, not because of some bulk mail-out asking me to do a brand’s marketing work for them. Want me to do your sales and marketing for you? Send me an offer letter and a contract. It better be in the six figures and for a brand I support, otherwise please don’t bother.

Anyway…what it boils down to is an open letter to the industry:

Dear ambassadors,

Please do not ask me to help sell your product for you. I will not publish your press releases. And if you have something to send me, please do so in a slightly less assuming and authoritative manner.

I do hope your product sells. Truly. And I do wish you the best. But kindly note that this kind of ground-level-blitz advertising stuff will not be done through All Things Whisky. Ever.

The best you can hope for is that I try your product, like it and share some kind words on All Things Whisky. That does, of course, rest on the assumption that the product is worth spending money on. And no, please do not offer samples. Thanks anyway.

Best of luck,

All Things Whisky

BenRiach 12 y.o. Sherry Matured Review

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BenRiach 12 y.o. Sherry Matured

46% abv

Score: 87/100

Single cask releases from BenRiach will always be the heartsblood of this distillery in my eyes, but it’s truly impressive how consistently enjoyable even the standard expressions are. This 12 year old – an age that generally doesn’t excite me beyond the realms of Islay malts – performs like a budding rock star. Yes, it’s a little shy when held up against some of the other BenRiach expressions we’ve tried to date (dozens), but still puts on a hell of a show.

I’m a huge fan of naked BenRiach – there’s just something about the distillery’s fruity spirit matured in bourbon barrels that works for me – but trying it all wrapped up in a clean sherry blanket is a real treat. Interestingly enough, this one bears all the hallmarks of one of our favorite NAS malts, a’bunadh. But, shhhhhh…we’ll not deign to discuss NAS here for now. Instead, suffice it to say that this one ticks all the flavour boxes, if not necessarily the desire for the pure, unadulterated whomp! of cask strength offerings. So be it. Still a tasty drink in an approachable tax bracket.

Nose: Jammy and sweet. Almost a red licorice. Spicy. Very spicy. Like sharp cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Great berry and stone fruit aromas. Lavender and white chocolate. Soft and smells infinitely sippable. Something about this one hearkens back to gramma’s kitchen.

Palate: Cinnamon sticks and big juicy sherry notes. Jams and jellies. Candies and dried fruits. Crunchy MacIntosh apples and a squeeze of very fresh orange. Juicy and tangy.

Thoughts: Very clean sherry. Nice barrels in this one. Not far off an a’bunadh, as I said, but obviously about 15% less punching power. Maybe like an a’bunadh meets a Balvenie, if you can wrap your head around that one.

– Reviewed by: Curt

– Photo: Curt

Bruichladdich 12 y.o. (Second Edition) Review

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Bruichladdich 12 y.o. (Second Edition)

46% abv

Score: 85.5/100

I’m happy to say my friends and I did our part a few years back, drinking our way through many of the earlier Laddie releases and ensuring the distillery kept the cash flow strong. It’s only now I rue the lack of foresight that might have had us squirrelling away a few of these old releases for future years and tastings. Fortunately I came across a couple bottles of this mid-2000s 12 year old expression recently, and for a very decent price. This ‘Second Edition’ would have been from about five years after the distillery’s 2001 restart, therefore built entirely on stock produced before the McEwan/Reynier era. In other words…most likely very different juice than the teal tin brings us nowadays.

Not sure if any of you are like me, but I find I’ve started to mark the passage of time through my whisky collection and recollections. The speed at which it rolls by is rather alarming when we look back at something like this malt and realize it hit the shelves nearly ten years ago now. Obviously a lot has happened in the Bruichladdich camp in that time, but a lot has gone down in my personal life as well. It’s arguable that this coastal Islay distillery is the one brand that has been most consistently present for me through it all. As I write this, I have tried at least 73 different Bruichladdich expressions. And when held up against the lot, this one holds its own quite well, boasting much more character than most 12 year olds currently on the market.

There is a recognizable Laddie DNA here, despite the different lineage, but this is not a whisky I can really see the current team producing. Hard to put a finger on just what is different, but I’d bet dimes to dollars that this one was a recasking of spirit from dead wood into something more active for its last few years*, and also that there is something in here a little older than 12. Not much older most likely, but maybe some 15 or so. Speculation aside, it’s neat to try a piece of history that speaks to the days before the Laddie machine really stepped it up into high gear.

(*We do know that when Jim McEwan and the gang took over the distillery they spelled out a bunch of barrels they were unhappy with and recasked much of the inherited maturing spirit.)

Nose: Slightly prickly. Nice sweet barley notes. A touch of dust and dunnage. Lemon, orange and honey. Something reminds of old books and old furniture. A very different character than contemporary Laddie, but not better or worse. Less on the butyric side, to be sure. Gets softer and fruitier the longer it breathes (which brings a creamier edge too). Maybe a drop of pear juice. A slight floral overtone.

Palate: Spicier arrival than expected. Like a cinnamon and ginger dusted fruit salad. A fleeting taste of banana cream pie. Still citric. Big grains and woods here too. More coastal on the palate than the nose hints at. By that trait, it is decidedly Laddie. Definitely has some nip to it. A lot of personality for a 12 year old. Leaves behind apple and toothpicks.

Thoughts: Enjoyable as hell, beyond simply being a nostalgia act. An easy drinker, if not a showstopper.

– Reviewed by: Curt

– Photo: Curt

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