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Take A Bow, Jaxon…

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Sometimes you just gotta share a little bit of ‘awesome’.

A couple weeks back a few of my mates and I braved a whole lot of nasty weather in order to go see one of the world’s greatest rock bands, Pearl Jam. 

The show was killer.  Great setlist…great seats…and some hijinks on the part of yours truly that made it a little memorable (some things we’ll just keep secret).  One of the highlights, though, was another opportunity to see just how well this band connects with its fans.  Just before launching into ‘Go’, from possibly-their-best-album Vs., Eddie gave a shout out to a little man from Calgary named Jaxon Smith.  The gents from PJ had seen a youtube clip of Jaxon beating the hell out of his drumkit with his own rendtion of ‘Mind Your Manners’ from the new album. 

View image on Twitter

The crowd, in a great display of solidarity with their little hometown rockstar, went mad with applause.  Awesome stuff.

Check out a clip here of Jaxon playing along to ‘Go’, the tune PJ dedicated to him, and here to see him rocking ‘Mind Your Manners’, the tune that initially brought him to the band’s attention.

…And here, finally, is a clip of the actual dedication itself. 

Way to go, Jaxon.  You’re awesome. 

Eddie, Jeff, Stone, Mike, Matt (and Boom)…you are gentlemen of the highest calibre.  Cheers.  Can’t wait to see you back here.

We’ll raise a glass (of Kool-Aid) to Jaxon!  Slainte!

 

– CR

– Photo:  Yahoo OMG

Compass Box The Last Vatted Malt Review

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Compass Box The Last Vatted Malt024

53.7% abv

Score:  93/100

 

This is a special dram.  Momentous, really.  One of those whiskies that stands to define a place and time.  That moment (midnight of November 22nd, 2011) can be witnessed here, for those with a bent to history (however recent).

John Glaser’s ‘get in the ring’ approach to whisky making has led to a reputation as sort of the people’s champion of thumbing your nose at authority (or antiquated and self-serving authority anyway).  For this alone, the rebellious side of me will always hold him, and Compass Box, in high regard.  Now, couple that attitude with a damn fine run of whiskies and, well…

We’re fans of Compass Box. Let’s leave it at that.

In 2009, new legislation (‘The Scotch Whisky Regulations’) decreed, among other things, that the term ‘Vatted Malt’ was to be invalidated.  Enforcement of the new mandate was to go into effect as of the back end of 2011.  This semantic reformation, while of negligable impact to some, was monumental to Compass Box.

From the pen of Glaser:  “At midnight on November 22nd, 2011, an era ends.  After that point, it will be illegal for whiskymakers to use the term Vatted Malt to describe a Scotch whisky made from the combination of two or more single malts. From 23rd November 2011, this style of whisky will by law have to be labelled as a Blended Malt Scotch Whisky.  Vatted Malt is a term that has been in use since at least the 19th century.  It represents a style of whisky in which Compass Box specialise, so it has special meaning for us.  Therefore we have decided to take a lead in the education of whisky drinkers about the new legal definitions of the 5 styles of Scotch whisky. We feel that this is an important change to the law that needs to be explained to whisky lovers. As the new laws come into effect, we want to take this opportunity to educate, to look to the future and to help the industry as a whole.”

The Last Vatted Malt is Compass Box’s eloquently expressed response to this new approach.  A commemoration of the end of an era; a final ‘F U’ to the powers that be; and an acceptance of the challenge.  All of which would have been mere ceremony if Scotland’s last vatted malt wasn’t such a phenomenally executed piece of work.

I’ll go one further, and say that this is unquestionably John Glaser’s most impressive offering to date (at least as far as I have been able to taste).  It is a marriage of 36 year old Glenallachie (22% of the malt) and 26 year old Caol Ila (78% of the malt).  And, man…does this work a treat!  One of the most subtlely sublime older peated drams I’ve ever tasted.  A beautiful one-off I’d love to see repeated at some point (albeit under a different name, of course).

Nose:  Gorgeous and rich.  So mature.  So much balance.  So much class.  Smoke and smooth natural caramels.  Creamy sweetness and mildly spiced white bread dough.  Fruit salad in sugar syrup (think canned fruit cocktail).  Now some more mature dried fruit notes.  This is really an astounding nose.  The earthiness of peat has been softened to allow the smoke to show through.  Just the slightest bit of the typical Caol Ila briny citric edge.  Immaculate.

Palate:  Creamy…caramel-y…smoky…fruity…sexy…sassy.  Oh, man…I truly love this whisky.  Fruits in melted toffee.  The perfect harmony struck here between spice, smoke, wood and cereal.  Almost too easy a drinker, even at 53.7%.  I could happily curl up with this bottle and a great book until the wee hours.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Amrut Single Cask #3436 (Bourbon Cask) Review

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Amrut Single Cask #3436 (Bourbon Cask)Single Cask - Bourbon (425x640)

60% abv

Score:  92/100

 

The last, and quite frankly the best (at least in my humble opinion), of Amrut’s lastest spate of single cask releases bound for the European market.  This is a four year old malt matured in an ex-bourbon barrel.

With bourbon barrels only being a couple hundred litres in capacity, and Amrut’s incredibly high angel’s share, what the distillery was left with at the time of decanting was a mere 174 bottles at a massive bottling strength of 60% abv.  The sad reality is that this whisky is simply too damn good to be released in a batch so small.

Here’s hoping Amrut either a) floods the global market with scores of blindingly brilliant single cask releases (like this one), or b) opts to send all of these limited expressions to Calgary.  

I jest.  Sort of. 

Amrut’s single malt whisky is one which has shown itself to be highly malleable.  We’ve seen beautiful symbiosis between the spirit and peat, port, sherry, rum and combinations thereof.  But the true austere beauty of the malt is best shown in all its naked glory when it’s simply left to slumber in an ex-bourbon barrel.  The singular character of Amrut coming of age in the tight-grained spicy ex-bourbon barrels from the US results in an end product so beautifully balanced and clean, I’m left humbled and awed.   

There’s not a lot more to say really.  The whisky does the talking for me, and I’m just glad to have tasted it. 

Nose:  Creamy chocolate.  Almond and nutmeg.  A little bit of orange.  A fine dusting of cinnamon.  Very high quality hardwood (like you’d smell in a great wood-working shop).  Toasted marshmallow and vanilla.  Quite creamy and ‘doughy’.  Very much in the vein of the Herald or Two Continents.  Beautifully balanced nose.

Palate:  A huge delivery of pure Amrut familiarity.  By now, this is an unmistakable profile.  Warm melting Swiss chocolate.  Cinnamon-spiced cocoa.  Orange zest, mint and ginger.  Nice blend of dried spices.  Stunningly vibrant and tangy on the tongue.

In short:  Absolutely beautiful.  I adore Amrut matured in ex-bourbon.  You can see the purity of the exotic spirit shining through.  While I am a sucker for all of Amrut’s innovative and quirky limited releases, this simplicity is Amrut at its best.

(Thanks to Ashok Chokalingam, Amrut Brand Ambassador, for the opportunity to try these single casks)

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo: 

Amrut Single Cask #2712 (Port Pipe – Peated) Review

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Amrut Single Cask #2712 (Port Pipe – Peated)Single Cask- Port Pipe (425x640)

59% abv

Score:  90/100

 

Next up from the recent three malt run of single casks Amrut has just released for the European market…a peated variant matured in a port pipe. 

This isn’t exactly a new idea, but nor is it one that has been executed very often.  Amrut’s take on ‘peat and port’ should be rather interesting, simply due to the spicy and exotic character of their spirit.  There’s a luciousness of fruit that collides with a smoky, ashy character in marriages of this sort.  Something I, personally, find quite appealing, but I concede it can be a bit of a shock to the system for the unprepared. 

Before getting to tasting notes however, just a few thoughts on this release…

Port pipes are large vessels.  Give or take 500 litres, I believe.  The numbers on the packaging (bottle and box) tell the whole story regarding the incredibly unforgiving environmental conditions Amrut is maturing under.  43% of the racked spirit has been lost to evaporation during its four years in the barrel, leaving behind a mere 357 bottles.  This evaporation loss is often referred to as the ‘angel’s share’, as most of you will already know, so it’s not hard to see why Amrut has a malt in their stables called ‘Greedy Angels’, huh? 

I’ve already lauded Amrut’s attempts at transparency in a previous review of their new PX cask, but I want to reiterate…the clarity of information on these releases is well nigh unprecented.  They’re not hiding anything to do with provenance, the youthfulness of their whiskies or the implications of their finances from us.  Check out the images of these three bottles (on each of these reviews here on ATW).  The labels tell tales of the barley being Indian or Scottish; of  the strength of character not to hide behind the shield of an ‘NAS’ brand; and by showing us the loss rate, it’s a little easier to understand Amrut’s pricing tiers (which are entirely reasonable, I would – and have – argue(d).)

All of that aside, this is a really fine single malt.  Unmistakeably unique and absolutely worth hunting down.  The playful interaction between salty iodine notes and big plummy grape notes are a mouthwatering combination, and leave me lamenting the fact that this dram won’t be making the seafaring voyage to our foreign and exotic shores.  Le sigh.

Nose:  A lot of really lovely chocolate.  A fair bit of peat that manages to stand rather independent of the smoke.  Damp ash meets dark earthy soil (very cool nuances here!).  Iodine and grape.  Fresh orange juice.  There’s a dark smokiness, but it’s very juicy, not dry.  I can still pick up on that typical Amrut spicy cereal note even through all of the peat and port.  Surprisingly creamy with a bit of a vanilla skeleton.

Palate:  This is salty dram.  One that has a great meaty/sour mix (in an absolutely pleasant tingling sensory way).  I love it.  Smoked fruits…weird but awesome.  A lot of juicy grape and a bit of citrus.  This carries a similar profile to the BenRiach Solstice (which I also loved, incidentally), but do note…the Solstice was a fifteen year old whisky…while this is only four!

This is single malt for the forward-thinking.  It’s a little outside the norm, and definitely a whisky that will be hard to forget.  Hopefully Amrut will consider adding something like this as a part of the core range, or at least something to be released in small batches in an ongoing basis.

(Thanks to Ashok Chokalingam, Amrut Brand Ambassador, for the opportunity to try these single casks)

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:

Amrut Single Cask #2703 (PX Sherry Cask) Review

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Amrut Single Cask #2703 (PX Sherry)Single Cask- PX (425x640)

56.5% abv

Score:  88/100

 

One of three new European exclusive releases from Amrut.  While I was hoping to nab at least one of each, I guess it wasn’t meant to be.  I s’pose I’ll have to drown my innumerable sorrows in drams of Intermediate Sherry and Portonova.  ‘It’s a hard knock life’, and all that.

In a nifty move that I think others in the industry should follow, Amrut has put a clear and concise little ‘info table’ front and center on their packaging here.  Many single cask releases share several of these details (albeit often spread out all over the label/packaging), but Amrut have gone a step further in a very forthright approach.  Also…again in a step of innovation…they’ve offered up the stats on their maturation loss.  Whisky nerds: delight!  One more bit of trivia for us to engage in endless forum debate over.  Honestly…I love this.  It would be (and will be) a great point of discussion comparing these stats across ages, warehouses and continents.

In the case of this young (4 years, 2 months) Pedro Ximenez-matured Amrut, the total volume loss was 39% of the initial casking.  Wow.  Incredible that a sherry butt (give or take 500 litres) only nets 345 bottles a mere four years after hitting wood.  While the loss of volume by the time of bottling is comparable to a well-matured Scotch whisky, fortunately for us so is the state of maturation.  As is typical of Amrut, this is a whisky aged beyond its years.

Details aside, for those of you who just want to know if it’s good…the short answer is ‘yes’.  Not my favorite Amrut, but a tasty addition to their expansive range.  To be completely honest, however, this one feels just slightly ‘over’ to me.  Like maybe it should have been bottled a few months earlier.  Imagine…a whisky that is merely a toddler in terms of human years as being at the cusp of over-matured.  Having said that…this one still stands tall enough to see over the heads of many others out there.  A solid offering again.

Nose:  Surprisingly, there is a little bit of tart red apple right up front.  I’ve never picked that up on an Amrut before.  Good strong cigar leaf and well-oiled leather.  Sharp chocolate notes.  It’s still easy to pick up malted barley here.  A lot of spices, complexly married into a neat whole.  Sort of reminds of an older Dalmore on the nose.

Palate:  There is almost a meatiness here, met with malt.  Coffee and over-roasted nuts.  Dark toffee and even darker dried fruits.  Burnt orange peelings.  Very tannic.  Very thick.  Apple skins on the finish.  This is heavy and oppressive sherry.  Great late evening drink.

I’m not usually a water in whisky kinda guy, but this one swims very well.  I’d actually recommend a few drops of water to cushion the more overt sherry notes and bring out more of those sublime sweet notes that PX is known for.  A couple drops of water adds even more harmony and balance.  A very different Amrut from what I’m used to.  Neat to see another side.

(Thanks to Ashok Chokalingam, Amrut Brand Ambassador, for the opportunity to try these single casks)

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo: 

Master Of Malt – That Boutique-y Whisky Company

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Master Of Malt – That Boutique-y Whisky Company

Late last year (2012), the good folk at Master of Malt launched a new line of independent bottlings.  Perhaps it was a retaliatory gesture aimed at the creative geniuses behind the Dali-esque naming conventions and abstract tasting notes of the SMWS.  Or maybe it was a shot at Edradour in the way of ‘Aha!  We too can dupe the public into spending much on wee 50cl (500ml) bottles!’  Or maybe, just maybe…it was simply because they had access to some really good whisky and wanted to provide another alternative in the ever expansive market of independent bottling.   

Either way, all three scenarios are met head on with the new brand ‘That Boutique-y Whisky Company’.  The niche here is how utterly ridiculous these bottles look nestled amidst the shelves of austere single malt Scotch whisky packaging.  Each label is adorned with comic book-esque drawings artistically reminiscent of a cross between ‘Where’s Waldo’, ‘Tintin’ and ‘Beavis And Butthead’.  The images are not random bits of artistic tomfoolery, however.  They are rather cleverly reflective of the distilleries captured within the glass, and depict some subtle secrets and whisky geekery, sure to have the whiskily-inclined salivating at unraveling all of the hidden meanings.

Now…much like the old adage ‘never judge a book by it’s cover’, it would be a big mistake to dismiss these releases as novelty items.  I mean really big mistake.  As much as the purists may prefer a more…ummm…elegant outward appearance for our snooty tipple’s daily wardrobe, the simple fact of the matter is as mentioned above:  there is some damn good whisky in these bottles.  As soon as these are naked in the glass, all doubt disappears.  We’ll come to some actual tasting notes and details in just a moment.

A little on the bottings themselves…

Each release is wax-sealed, cask strength and non chill-filtered.  Further, in a rather interesting move…they are also non age statement (NAS) whiskies.  If I understand correctly though, these are not single cask releases.  Rather they are built in small ‘parcels’ to a specific desired quality.  *(If I’m wrong here, please correct me).  Either way…the NAS approach will allow Master Of Malt much greater future flexibility in regard to batch variance.  Rest assured, friends…if any of you are naturally cynical about the whole NAS concept (and I know many of you are, especially in light of the whole 1824 deal) …these are not young whiskies.  You can tell just by nosing.

One other point to note:  While other independent bottlers seem to be struggling for some variety in their portfolios, MofM have managed releases from Port Ellen, Brora, Ardbeg, Macallan, Caperdonich, etc.  Neat stuff. 

At this point I am won over.  Can’t wait to see where they go from here.

Forgive the quality of photos (or lack thereof).  They were thrown together rather quickly in the  shop.

 

Secret Distillery (Batch 1)045

55.4% abv     486 bottles

Score:  89/100

Nose:  Tobacco and raisins.  Cinnamon and fresh scones.  Some floral notes.  Baking spices.  Fudge and caramel macchiato.  Honey.  Creamy caramel with fruit.  Rich, rich, rich.

Palate:  Surprisingly tart up front.  Followed by big, dark intimidating fruitcake notes.  Then some apple.  Think a’bunadh meets amaretto with a wee splash of Southern comfort.

Thoughts:  A neat one.  Both in character and out of character at the same time.  Like seeing this distillery in another dimension.

*Secret Distillery’s real name rhymes with Ben Schmarclas.

 

Macallan (Batch 3)048

43.4% abv     245 bottles

Score:  86.5/100

Nose:  Bread dough.  Nice spices..and lots of ’em.  Some apple pie, heavy on the cinnamon.  Some old library notes.  Buttery sauce.  A little atypical of Macallan.

Palate:  Creamy and spicy.  A fair bit of dry oak.  Over-toasted marshmallow.  Grape skins.  Bitter chocolate.  Fairly tannic.  Zippy with spice and very pleasing apple notes.

Thoughts:  Not a bad whisky, but the low, low abv makes me think this one cooked in the warehouse for a while.  If this is indeed and older dram…I’m a tad underwhelmed.

 

Clynelish (Batch 2)042

50.6% abv     319 bottles

Score:  92/100

Nose:  Lavender and perfume.  Some pepper.  Nougat and honey.  Lemon poppyseed muffins.  A little orange juice.

Palate:  Wow!!  Old wax and dunnage warehouse.  Just extinguished candle.  Oil lamp.  Charred oak.  Some smoke.  Sooooo old school.  Cinnamon.  Apple juice and skins at the back end.  One of the all time great palates.  Loved it.

Thoughts:  Some disconnect between nose and palate, but they are at least complimentary.  The palate though…gad!…extra points for sure.  Just wow!

 

Springbank (Batch 2)053

53.1% abv     450 bottles

Score:  88.5/100

Nose:  Pickle.  Dust and pine.  A bit of peat, yeah.  Flinty.  Winter wood fire.  Clove and pepper.  Pine sap.  So odd…so unique…so intriguing.

Palate:  Now there’s the smoke.  Kinda oily.  Notes that should only be found in older whisky (wonder how old this actually is).  Some great sweetness meets the machine smoke.  Some figgy notes with honey.  Smoked fruit skins.  Pear, apple and currant.

Thoughts:  Very different for a Springbank.  The pine and pickle notes really threw me off, but surprisingly…worked out just fine in this one.  I liked it.

 

Highland Park (Batch 1)047

44.7% abv     241 bottles

Score:  88/100

Nose:  Sweet nose with a great composition.  Tangy jam note.  Peach, orange and lemon.  Warm leather and a very inviting salty note (makes the mouth water just inhaling it).  A touch of oil.

Palate:  Smoke and earthy notes.  Hay.  A mix of green and purple grapes.  Walnut.  Old school heft and some moderately subtle sherry-like tang.  Tart marmalade.

Thoughts:  Balance, balance, balance.  Again…a little out of character, but not too far off the path.  Not bad at all.

 

Bowmore (Batch 2)038

49% abv     292 bottles

Score:  89.5/100

Nose:  Farmy and iodione-heavy.  Rubber, smoke and other such.  Lemon zest.  Damp soil.  Smoky fruits.  Gravel dust.  Dry ash.  Sultanas.  Develops a bit of orange and some creaminess, surprisingly…but only if you give it a bit of time.

Palate:  Oh yeah!  Oily..smoky…earthy, and rich in dark red and purple fruits.  Think Laimrig meets motor oil.  Plum and purple grape.

Thoughts:  A well-earned 89.5.  Maybe even closer to a 90.  This is a neat Bowmore.  These recent profiles that combine jammy fruit notes and industrial oiliness…win.  Just win.

 

Caol Ila (Batch 1)039

45.8% abv     732 bottles

Score:  88/100

Nose:  Prickly and briny.  Peat and smoke.  Sweet and citric at the same time.  Orange oil.  Olives.  Candy sweetness.  A dusting of salt and pepper.

Palate:  Very Caol Ila.  Some melon with citrus.  Toffee and smoke.  Oyster with salt, pepper and lemon.  Wet rock.  Ocean shoreline.  oil.  There are some notes that make me think of Kilchoman (if that distillery’s malt were a little more mature).

Thoughts:  Damn decent Caol Ila, but definitely not the best of the indies I’ve tried.  Particularly liked the oceanic notes and oily saltiness.

 

Look forward to future releases.

Thanks to our mate, Andrew Ferguson at Kensington Wine Market, for the chance to try these. 

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photos:  Curt

Ardbeg 1975 (Connoisseur’s Choice) Review

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Ardbeg 1975 (Connoisseur’s Choice)002

43% abv

Score:  91.5/100

 

Independent bottlings are notorious for their inconsistency.  This is observation, not criticism.  Inconsistency has led to some of the most unique and, in some cases, incredible whiskies I’ve ever tasted.  You are required, by nature, to take a bit of a flyer on ’em, but much like bucking the odds at the track, the payoff can be astronomical.

Now…let’s get down to brass tacks here…

Ardbeg is my favorite distillery.  I don’t even pretend to hide the bias.  Some bottlings are obviously better than others, but if I were to average and weight my scores by distillery, I can’t imagine anyone coming even close to this Islay mecca’s dominance.  Consistently high marks by a nearly unanimous field of writers, critics, reviewers etc indicate I’m far from alone in recognizing the high quality of spirit flowing off the stills at Ardbeg.

Now one of Ardbeg’s great strengths, I think, has always lain in its incredible vatting abilities.  It’s no small secret that early Uigeadails (and maybe later?), bottles of the 17, Lord Of The Isles etc were helped along immeasurably by the inclusion of some older casks in their respective vattings.  I have no idea to what degree that is still going on, but man…there are some nuances and shades in many of the Ardbeg releases that should only be found in mature whiskies, and not certainly not in the youthful peat beasts they keep unleashing of late.

Having said all of that…what happens when Ardbeg isn’t able to do large vattings?  Such as in a case like this one where G&M were responsible for bottling.  Being as there is no cask information on the packaging, I can only assume that this was a marriage of a few Ardbeg casks which this independent bottling giant had in its vast whisky warehouses.  Not certain, but either way…I’ll take it.

Right now we’re looking at a 1975 Gordon & MacPhail release from under the Connoisseurs Choice brand.  Unfortunately the decision was made to drop the abv down to a more palatable strength (ahem…read: watering it down = more bottles released = more profit), but that can be overlooked if the drink is still good.  I’m sure I don’t really need to say it, but with a whisky this old it’s well nigh blasphemy to hobble it.  Let it run.  Let it be big, bold and impetuous.

Getting beyond that initial disappointment though, the whisky itself is an absolute revelation.  Beautifully complex and bearing the fruits of a long period of coming of age.  Each year invested in maturation was time well spent.  This is great whisky, with a particularly fantastic in-sync dialogue between nose and palate.

Here’s to more old Ardbeg crossing our palates soon.

Nose:  Soft and crumbly iced sugar cookies.  Very mild peat and smoke.  Mild lime…mild melon.  Softly spicy.  Is that kiwi fruit?  Not sure, but my mind keeps coming back to it.  Cinnamon.  Faint old dunnage warehouse.  Some salty and peppery notes begin to emerge after a few minutes.  As do some greens.  There’s a savoury note too which I can’t quite put my finger on.

Palate:  So beautifully matured.  The peat is just an ethereal memory here, but the smoke is still there to a wee degree.  A little bit of anise meets mouth-watering sweet fruits white fruits.  Cinnamon cookies.  While I love fiery young peat, this is where my heart lies now.  Older Islay malts are like distilled angel tears.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Glenkinchie Distiller’s Edition (1990) Review

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Glenkinchie Distiller’s Edition110 (1990)

43% abv

Score:  84/100

 

One of only a small handful of Lowland distilleries still in operation, Glenkinchie is famous for being quite typical of the ‘Lowland profile’: light and floral.  I’m very much in collusion that that is exactly what the distillery hits in terms of its general profile.

So, having said that…why don’t we see what happens when they dunk a big ol’ light and grassy bouquet of floral notes into a rock tumbler of a sweet Amontillado sherry cask for an extra year or two.  (I believe this Distiller’s Edition is actually nothing more than their standard 12 year old, re-racked for two years in sherry butts.  However, being as this is an older edition I’m tasting in this review…it would have been their now-obsolete 10 year old re-racked, not the 12.)

This Distiller’s Edition release is part of Diageo’s double-matured variants on their Classic Malts line-up.  Sort of like the darker, evil twin sibling thing.  In some cases…it works incredibly well.  In others…well…it’s always interesting, at the very least.  Let’s give credit where credit is due though, the big boys are working to give us a bit of variety, and that is definitely not a bad thing.

Glenkinchie has never been my favorite distillery, and is actually sort of the malt arch enemy of one particular mate who went to toe to toe against a bottle of the now-obsolete 10 year old one eve…and lost.  I don’t particularly mind the dram, but I also don’t expect to buying it again anytime soon either. 

The double-matured nomenclature is something I halfheartedly scoff at, by the way.  This is simply a more elgant way of saying ‘finished’.  Semantics, I suppose.  Vatted malt argument, anyone?

Nose:  Quite wine-heavy and perfume-y.  Cinnamon bread dough.  Still light, even beneath the swishing waves of sherry.  Tangy notes of fruit toffee and taffy.  Mix of assorted wine gums.  Some spent mulling spices.   

Palate:  A little tart.  A little too much weight in the ‘finishing’ influence.  Apple.  Quite juicy, but dries up like Sahara sucking up a spilled flask.  Some of those perfume-y notes carry right on through to the palate.  Some over-the-top sharp wood notes.

It’s ok, but not much more.  Not my favorite whisky becomes not my favorite finished whisky.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Brora 21 y.o. Rare Malts Review

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Brora 21 y.o. Rare Maltsbarry's place pics 156

56.9% abv

Score:  92/100

 

Let’s do another Brora.  This time from the Rare Malts line released by Diageo (then UDV, I believe…or maybe just having become what is now known as Diageo?) back in the late 90s.

The Rare Malts line-up ran for a decade or so, from 1995 through 2005, before ultimately the decision was made on high to discontinue the branding and concentrate exclusively on the parallel annual releases, which were being bottled to similar standards and strengths.  The Rare Malts releases are now secondary market fixtures, highly sought after by collectors and connoisseurs.  If the opportunity does arise for a taste, do try.  It’s like drinking a piece of history.

Whisky in its late teens or early 20s tends to fall right into a bit of a sweet spot for me.  There’s just something so vibrantly alive in Scotch within this age bracket, yet at the same time they tend to be sophisticated, complex and able to wear the years with grace.  This Brora is no different.  In fact, it’s a shining example of just that.

Any contemporary releases of Brora (while few and far between) are now hitting the shelves in their early 30s, sue simply to the fact that this Highland distillery was mothballed (and subsequently partially cannibalized) in 1983, a solid three decades ago.  Having gone through a couple of the more mature variants recently, it seemed about time to look back a little and see what this distillery can boast of in its younger incarnations.  As it turns out…quite a lot.

This particular release is cask #2758 from 1977, and it’s a different kind of Brora.  Lighter and sweeter than I’d expect.  There’s a home-iness about this one that rings true and rockets it up my list of favorite drams.  Very clean.  Very defined.  Great personality.  It makes me think back to farmhouse kitchens (and yes…when I was wee I did spend a LOT of time in ’em), with a profile hinting at back-to-the-earth farmy characteristics well met with the pleasant memories of home baking.  While those are my immediate olfactorily driven connotations, it ignores the fact that this is a hefty dram at nearly 57% abv.  That should tell you that, while I refer to it as ‘pleasant’ and ‘gentle’, it is certainly not one for the faint of heart.

Great whisky from a distillery we miss very much.*

Nose:  Orange and nutmeg.  Some lovely cherry notes and warm leather.  Fresh hay.  A little peat, yes, but surprisingly tame here.  Soft, gentle and beautiful.  The comfort of warm caramel pudding.  Wonderfully sweet and balanced.

Palate:  Smoke now.  Grainy and farmyard-like.  Citrus tang and some fruit skin flavours and feel.  Anise.  A whiff of eucalyptus.  Bold delivery belies the softness of the nose.  Gorgeous.  Simply gorgeous.  I would think this was older than 21, to be honest.

*Do note…last I read the stills and such were still in place.  One can only dream of a Lazrus act, no?

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Brora 30 y.o. (DL Old & Rare Platinum Selection) Review

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Brora 30 y.o. (DL Old & Rare Platinum Selection)barry's place pics 155

57.5% abv

Score:  93/100

 

Oh boy.

This is a special dram.  Like…really special.  Just sitting down with a few drops of this is immediately one of those truly unforgettable whisky moments.  Being able to do it more than once is like marrying the prom queen.

The concept of Brora fellation is not new.  For years the hype has been building from one of an undercurrent flowing through the blogs and forums to a crescendo of deafening despair for lost opportunities and being born years too late.  It’s ok, friends.  I’m wailing along with you.  It’s whiskies like this that lend credence to the argument that these lost distilleries were something really special.

This 30 year old Douglas Laing (bottled years before the Laing brother break-up) was packaged under the Old & Rare Platinum Selection Single Cask Series.  You always have to wonder whether or not a single cask is the best representation of the distillery, but in this case it doesn’t even matter.  This is a beautiful whisky irrespective of brand, providence, marketability or price point.

Born in the mid seventies (a couple years prior to the birth of your ‘umble narrator), this spirit left the comfort of cask and made for the big time via bottle in 2007.  That a few last bottles lingered on shelves until just weeks ago speaks not to the quality of the whisky in any way, but simply to the sad fact that the powers that be have more intellect than we’re wont to give them credit for, and have priced the dram accordingly.  (About $800CA give or take, if memory serves).  The thing is…money comes and goes.  Whisky like this however?  Well…it just goes.

I should note…a mate of mine with exceptional taste in whisky didn’t find this one quite up to the standards that I did, but it brings me back to one of the greatest sentiments I’ve ever heard expressed regarding differing opinions.  For the life of me, I can’t recall who said it, but I’d love to give credit where credit is due (was it on Connosr somewhere perhaps?).  It went something like this:  “Thank God we all have different tastes, otherwise everyone would be in love with my wife.”

Not 100% certain, but this is quite possibly my favorite Brora yet.  Exceptional.

Nose:  Peat and farmy notes collide up front.  A lot of moist lovely tobacco.  Dark cherry.  Rubber and billowy smoke.  Man…what a glorious collision of peat and fruit…simply magic.  Some mixed fruits atop warm cream of wheat.  Wet rock.  Caramel.  There’s more here, but now I just need to sit back and enjoy with eyes closed.

Palate:  Some impossibly beautifully sweet notes.  Peat and smoke.  A little but wine-ish.  Overwhelmingly intense mouthfeel.  Salt and pepper meet lemon.  Gooey orange and possibly raspberry.  Touch of Amaretto, brings together some sweet fruits and drying nutty flavours.  Wow.  Just wow.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt