Author Archives: antihero7

Whisky & Moose – The Untold Story

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Whisky & Moose – The Untold Story

It’s a simple fact that moose have the best sense of smell in the world. Moose are Mother Nature’s gift to the whisky note writers of the world. Unfortunately these aquatic whisky loving herbivores, with their special olfactory abilities, have been coveted by the whisky industry and have become easy targets for shady brand agents or inbred distillery ambassadors who coerce them into drinking whisky samples, turn them into addicts and then sell them as tasting panel slaves to the Distilleries, SMWS and so called professional writers.

We, here at All Things Whisky, care deeply about the majestic moose and have started a nature reserve called the Wee Moose Sanctuary & Hunting Lodge, which is located in the shadow of the Alberta Rockies. It is the world’s largest natural-habitat refuge developed specifically to meet the needs of the abandoned, outmoded and unloved moose. It is a not for profit loss organization, licensed by Alberta Liquor & Wildlife, with support from such organizations as the:

LVMH – Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, bargain labor wallet division

BHWB – Bow Hunters without Borders

WPC – Wildlife Porn Canada

DHARMA – Department of Heuristics and Research on Material Applications

The moose Sanctuary was designed utilizing more than five square meters of high strength chicken wire, it provides a protected, simulated natural-habitat pub environment. As part of the sanctuary rehab program, the patients are required to perform therapeutic wallet stitching for 16 hours each day, followed by a period of measured controlled alcohol ingestion so that they may provide proper humane tasting notes for organizations or persons in need of professional tasting aid. After last week’s tragic hunting accident there are only ten moose residing in the sanctuary. Together, they form one of the most anonymous influential whisky tasting panels in the world called the Keepers of the Meese.

Moose 008

Tasting Panel Spotlight ………………..Spotlight falls on to the moose known as Little Ikea ……………. Darling and star of the 2009 Swedish Ikea catalog, purchased by an affluent Calgary family and discarded by the nanny in 2010, used as a dog chew toy in 2011, tranquilized & captured by Parks Canada in the bathroom of the Glencoe Club lounge. Parks Canada then released Little Ikea back into the wild for the opening of the bow hunting season. Little Ikea was then rescued by the Sanctuary using a modern humane leg hold trap, cushioned in baby seal skin. After deliberating, Little Ikea Lundgren was taken into the care of the Sanctuary for underverse processing, where he remains to this day.

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The anonymous Keepers of the Meese are currently working on behalf of a well-known rock band whose members just happen to be master whisky blenders. This merry blend of master musicians was sought out by a major whisky brand for their laboratory research in the ground breaking field of flavored vodka and the exposé they did on the life cycle of beer coasters. This collaboration between the band and distillery was not done in a vain attempt to make the brand look cool to attract younger drinkers, but was actually done to raise money to support one the bands favorite charities “ACPTW”, Abused Cocaine Producers of the Third World. Ironically, the band, in doing so much selfless supporting/snorting of cocaine, has completely lost their sense of smell.

These moose also have a depraved sense of humor, as was witnessed at the expense of an unnamed, unkempt Caligula like, fedora wearing writer when they wrote borderline preposterous scores for Ballantine’s 17 and Glenmorangie Ealanta for his yearly publication. They have also been writing overtime to satisfy the needs of the SMWS outturn; after all, do you really think they could find enough funny, non-serious Scots to write witty, attention-grabbing tasting notes? … Irish maybe!

The Moose Sanctuary has also been retained to consult on a new distillery project in Western Canada by lending the Sanctuaries name and reputation to gain shareholder confidence. The consulting duties for the moose would entail an optional appearance at the opening ceremonies, in the event the project were to open. Photo shop use of the consulting team over other successful distilleries.  Team building session at the Las Vegas Pyramid Luxor Hotel & Casino.

We end this irrelevant awareness article with a plea for the safe return of our lost moose named Road Trip, last seen sitting on a water cooler at KWM. Road Trip also answers to RT but is deaf. He is currently off his medication so be very careful when approaching him. We believe he is presently being held by the Canadian branch of the SMWS to provide tasting notes. Take heed the persons holding him are to be considered radical intellectuals with a limited capacity to tolerate alcohol, so be careful not to engage them sober. We are offering up a reward for the return of RT.

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– Your humble drudge & shepherd,

Maltmonster

Brora 30 y.o. 2009 Review

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Brora 30 y.o. 2009barry's place pics 153

53.2% abv

Score:  91.5/100

 

As Brora becomes more and more scarce on the scene, the odds of most drammers having an opportunity to taste it are becoming more and more stacked against us.  It’s a sad fact in a world ruled by free market and supply and demand.

The good news, however, is that we’re in an age of more potential ‘Broras’ than ever.  Not in the literal sense, of course, but figuratively speaking.  Back in its day, Brora was just a peated spirit from yet another Highland distillery, and not necessarily recognized as the legendary elixir it is now often given to be.  As we speak, there are well over a hundred operational distilleries in Scotland and apparently a whole bunch more in the early stages of planning, permitting and construction.  Where I’m going with this?  There are many opportunities to discover the ‘next Brora’.

Any folks out there who may be wanting to approach the flavour profile (as near as I can figure it) but are unlikely so score their own bottles of Brora…I’d suggest maybe saving your money for older Longrow releases.  The oldest OB Longrow released to date has been an 18 year old, but fingers crossed that at some point we see 25 and 30 year variants.  I think they’ll reach a similar profile.  These and maybe Port Charlotte when it finally approaches its early 20s.

For those not in the know, Brora was a Highland distillery that closed its doors in 1983, amid the rash of distillery closures tied to whisky world’s version of the Great Depression.  I’m not sure what the young Brora malt was like at that point, but what little was left to slumber in the warehouses gradually took on a flavour and mystique of epic proportions.  It was also generally bottled at a healthy two or three decades of age.  Rightly or wrongly this is the standard to which Brora is held to today.  You can see the unfairness of holding what we contemporarily think of as a standard Brora (if there is such a thing) in the same league as most other distilleries on the menu, which are usually served up at a whopping old age of…12.  Or if you’re splurging…18.  Hmmm…if all whiskies were allowed to hit 30 years, I’d bet the farm we’d see a lot more ‘Broras’.  Just my speculation.

Anyway…these annual Diageo special releases are probably the most accurate representation of true Brora, as they are a vatting of multiple casks, whereas most of the others you’ll find (if at all) are liable to be single cask variants by the independent bottlers, and highly subject to variations.  Make no mistake due to the rambling nature of my lead-in, though…this is Brora.  And it’s fucking awesome stuff.

Nose:  Much lighter than the only other 30 year old OB I’ve tried (2005 edition)*.  White pepper.  Lightly aromatic farmy, peaty and smoky notes.  Musk.  A perfume-iness meets some floral influence.  Vanilla is fairly up front.  Orange and lemon.  Fresh ground spice (dry, dusty and somewhat exotic…shorthand for ‘I can’t quite put my finger on it).  Paraffin.  Soft, chewy cookies with mild baking spice.

Palate:  Quite some peat and dry pepper are mashed up with some syrupy sweetness.  Anise and flint notes follow in step.  Peat and heat follow a moment or two after that.  Smoky, as to be expected.  A neat little bit of tartness.  Utterly delicious.

*Oops…that was a lie.  I was one of the guilty few at Andrew Ferguson’s place who helped speed up the evaporation rate on a bottle of the 2010 edition.  It wasn’t my fault though!  Blame the Maltmonster.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Cragganmore 10 y.o. Special Edition Natural Cask Strength Review

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Cragganmore 10 y.o. Special Edition Natural Cask Strength440

60.1% abv

Score:  86/100

 

This is a nifty, nifty dram.  Not one you’re liable to find kicking around anymore, to be honest, but there IS still value in reviewing something like this.  It shows you what the distillery has in its arsenal, if only allowed to unleash the big guns with a bit more frequency. 

This cask strength edition is not necessarily a very different whisky from the standard Cragganmore, but it is certainly an amplified version of a familiar tune.  Think of it like high definition IMAX versus an old rabbit-eared black and white TV.  All of those little nuances that so often get drowned out in the white noise of standard bottling strength, chill-filtration and dollops of artificial coloring become the subtleties of an intricate weaving.  It would be a great attestation to distilleries’ confidence in their whisky if all were to release cask strength examples of their distillate. 

Cragganmore is one of the lesser known distilleries in the Diageo portfolio, contributing just over 1.5 million litres of spirit annually, in a fairly innocuous Speyside style.  Standard expressions are few and far between, so speaking to the general profile on the distillery is not something I’m willing to tackle here.  I will, however, try to post a review of the more redily available Cragganmore 12 year old at some in the coming days so there is at least a frame of reference for those out there who may be curious.  Expect a sweet, fruity and slightly floral dram.  In short…nothing really unique.

While I should admit to having a bit of a personal affinity for Cragganmore (simply due to the power of memories seen through rose-colored glasses), I have neither found one I loved nor hated yet.  This special edition is likely as close as I’ve come to embracing the dram.

Nose:  Caramel, toffee and pepper.  Apple and melon.  Cake mix.  Dusty ol’ sherry butts.  Is that smoke?  Unexpected.  Yep…smoky toffee.  Maybe sticky toffee pudding.  Butter tarts.  Crème brûlée and custard.  A little red berry.  Rather tough nose to dissect.

Palate:  Creamy and sweet.  Dried fruits, tart jam and some smoky notes.  A fair bit of sherry influence.  Quite dry.  Figgy.  Dark vanilla threads.  Some spice.  There’s an almost varnish-like note here.  No worries, though…goes well with the oak.  😉  Kinda like over-steeped tea at the back end.  Brings a little bitterness.

Nothing really special in terms of overt inherent quality, this malt is still quite nifty to try, simply in terms of exposure to something new.  An extra point as well just for presentation close to the unadulterated manner we prefer.  I got more enjoyment out of this than the score would suggest.  Just saying.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Glenfiddich 15 y.o. Distillery Edition Review

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Glenfiddich 15 y.o. Distillery Edition177

51% abv

Score:  87.5/100

 

Yes! Yes! Yes!  Even the mighty Glenfiddich, from its soaring battlements and seemingly inpregnable walls, is hearing the battle cry.  The seiging masses below – calling for a less adulterated malt and a more hefty offering – have been bombarding the industry for years now and I would unequivocally argue…are winning.  Here, I believe, is the end result of the efforts of bloggers, vloggers and tweeters (oh my!).

It would seem our voices have carried well enough to get the message across.  This is impressive.  If you’re anything like me, you’re so used to the watered down run-o’-the-mill presentation of the Glenfiddich core range that this will come as a truly welcome gift.  While I do have a healthy level of respect for the distillery, I won’t suggest our relationship at this point is based on anything other than just that.  Respect.

But there’s more to my appreciation of this particular 15 year old Distillery Edition than just it’s presentation.  To me this represents potential.  Knowing as we do just how big Glenfiddich is, can you even conceive of the ‘whisky world’ implications if a distillery as forefront as this were to declare 46% their minimum abv offering?  Sigh.  If only…

Anyway, daydreaming aside, this is a damn good whisky.  It’s not great, but it is an absolutely worthwhile purchase and one to keep on the shelf.  The distillery’s profile is not likely one that will ever truly excite me, but it’s crispy clean fruits and blemish-free veneer make it an easy dram to approach on any occasion for any drinker.  So, while I concede I’m not the biggest Glenfiddich fan, this one does come highly recommended.

Nose:  Caramel apple.  Pepper.  Wow…would not expect this in a Glenfiddich.  Creamy and balanced.  Fudgy.  Vanilla.  Come cocoa.  Nice spices and dried flowers.  Salty dough.

Palate:  Apple slices in chocolate.  Vanilla cream.  Dash of pepper and clove.  Some nice lively fruit notes.  Spicy.  Great mouthfeel.  Pleasant and drinkable.  Oak and apple back notes.  Slight floral overtones.  Nice hold at the end.

Shows there can be more to Glenfiddich than just homogeneity and fat sales.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Cardhu 12 y.o. Review

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121Cardhu 12 y.o.

40% abv

Score:  76.5/100

 

Arguably the most controversial single malt whisky ever to hit the shelves.  While I’d like to see I’m a bigger man than to fuel a dying fire…I’m not.  With that being said…grab your marshmallows  Let’s stoke the flames a little bit longer.  Late to the party, yeah, but the lessons behind this debacle should not be forgotten.

Drinks giant, Diageo, raised the ire of whisky purists the world over in 2003 when, in an unprecedented act of brazen big-boy-gets-his-way rule-bending, they elected to solve a shortage of supply issue for their Cardhu 12 year old single malt  by simply redefining what the boundaries of what malt whisky were.

By the end of 2003 demand for Cardhu had grown to point where the distillery simply couldn’t produce the volume to meet consumer guzzling.  Spain, in particular, apparently couldn’t get enough of this rather middle of the road single malt.  Rather than fall back on one of the more orthodox solutions – increasing production through expansion, raising prices of the existing expression thereby allowing the market to solve its own issues or simply saying ‘tough shit, that’s all there is’ – Diageo decided to try pulling a fast one.  I’m not certain whether this was a deliberate attempt to deceive in an ‘as if the unwashed masses are smart enough to catch on’ kind of way, or if it was a more sinister power play in a ‘we’re Diageo and we’ll do whatever the fuck we want’ sorta deal.  Either way, the results were to be expected.  The populace came out with pitchforks and torches. 

What Diageo had done was to continue releasing a 12 year old Cardhu, but now healthily bolstered by the addition of various other single malt whiskies from the Speyside region, and conceded no change (or very little change, anyway) to nomenclature, packaging or marketing.  They had simply tweaked a word on the bottle from ‘single’ malt to ‘pure’ malt.  Hmmmm.  Dubious?  Yes.  Unethical?  Most probably.  However…there was nothing really in the rules to allow the book to be thrown at Diageo.  This was more a matter of the industry’s vehemently protected integrity on the line.  Ultimately the big boys backed down and Cardhu returned to being a single malt. 

A couple years later, in the settling wake of all of this uproar, the fine (ahem) folks at the SWA finally stepped in and redefined the way Scotch whisky was to be branded.  The appellation ‘Pure Malt’ was no more.  There’s a little more to it, and a bit more long term fall out, but in the interest of brevity we’ll move on.

Let’s talk about this more contemporary Cardhu 12.  I suppose the big question is…was it worth all the headlines?  And the answer, quick to lips, is a resounding ‘no’.  This is a bland, milquetoast single malt if ever there was one.  Simple, boring and…(yawn)…I really can’t be bothered to elucidate more on it quite frankly.  Speyside…predictable…over-processed…uber-branded.  C’est fin. 

Here are some tasting notes…

Nose:  Dried flowers and dust.  Straw.  Dry meadow notes.  A lot of apple.  Very tight, tart red berry.  Mild caramel.  Boring vanilla cream notes.  Biscuits or white bread with honey.

Palate:  Weak and watery.  A hint of apple carried over from the nose.  Kinda like caramel apple with very, VERY mild spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and clove…all muted).  Milk-soggied Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal.  The pinnacle of generic…maybe even edging out Glenfiddich for that honour.

*(I’d love to try this as a straight-from-the-barrel cask strength dram.  Would be interesting to see what it COULD be if not so neutered.)

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

BenRiach 15 y.o. Tawny Port Finish Review

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BenRiach 15 y.o. Tawny Port FinishBenRiach_15YO_Tawny_Port_Finish

46% abv

Score:  85/100

 

So…having just shared a few thoughts on what could almost be considered a ‘sister bottling’ to this release (a GlenDronach similarly finished in tawny port and also dished up at a respectable 15 years old), let’s take a peek at how BenRiach holds up when afforded the same treatment.

I refer to these releases as ‘sisters’ in that BenRiach and GlenDronach are both owned by The BenRiach company.  Having the distilleries elect to release such similarly engineered whiskies is actually quite a stroke of genius.  Particularly for those out there with a knowledge of, or affinity for, these two Speyside artisans.  It allows a rare opportunity to speculate on the merits of the finishing process (and choice of finishing casks) by direct contrast between a couple of familiar and high quality single malts.  Coincidentally or otherwise, these are actually two of my favorite distilleries, particularly in their more aged expressions.  (I find the ’70s were particularly good to both distilleries, with a bunch of great early to mid ’80s ‘Riachs also being rather exceptional).

Now that I’ve highlighted the relationship between distilleries, I should note that the whiskies produced therein are very much unique fingerprints.  BenRiach is a distillery with much less of a bent towards the heavily-sherried than GlenDronach, and possibly a more adventurous approach to single malt alchemy.  The backbone of the malt seems quite sweet and clean in all of the expressions I’ve tried, irrespective of how heavily ‘made up’ some of the individual releases may be (Curiositas, Authenticus, Solstice, etc).  Perhaps that’s what makes the spirit seem so malleable and succesful in so many of its guises. 

This dram was tasted side by side with the afore-mentioned GlenDronach Tawny and absolutely took the higher marks.  The profile is a little broader and more balanced.  Seems a touch sweet for my liking, but all of the individual notes are quite exceptional.  Neat whisky.

Nose:  Pepper and jam.  Chewy white nougat candy (Roman Nougat bars with fruit gums and all).  Chocolate fudge.  Toasted coconut with tangy pineapple.  Dusting of cinnamon.  Damp tobacco.  Notes much like a strawberry perfume.  A bit of grape.  Very sweet.  Great profile, but maybe the sweetness needs to be dialed back from 10 to 6.

Palate:  Grape skins.  Dark dried fruit tannins.  Oak notes.  A bit of chocolate orange and old ginger.  Much less on the palate than the nose.  Coffee and dark chocolate.  Even some milk chocolate.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  BenRiach

Recent Downtime

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Hello, all.

Just a quick note of apology for all of the recent downtime on ATW.  If you’re reading this, obviously the site is up and running, but unfortunately it’s been a very hit and miss couple of weeks, as many of you are aware.

I’m not gonna get into the details (suffice it to say it is/was out of my hands), but let’s just cross our fingers the worst of it is behind us.  I have loads of reviews waiting for publication, but I’ll spread them over the coming days.

Thanks for your patience and for all of the kind words in support.  It IS appreciated.

Slainte!

Curt

GlenDronach 15 y.o. Tawny Port Finish Review

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GlenDronach 15 y.o. Tawny Port FinishTP4

46% abv

Score:  81/100

 

This GlenDronach Tawny Port Finish is not so much a good whisky as it is an interesting one.  

GlenDronach is a Speyside distillery known and revered for the stunning depths of its sherried malts.  Its accolades are many and well-earned, and its trajectory is only on the upswing since the owners (BenRiach) began investing plenty of time, attention and money to bring the distillery back from a five year silence in the late ’90s and early ’00s.  For that, of course, we’re eternally grateful. 

Regular readers will know I’m a big fan of this distillery.  It’s a profile perfectly suited to my proclivity for bold flavours and flawless use of sherry maturation.  Of course there is the occasional dud of a cask with hints of sulphur, but for a distillery so heavily reliant on these barrels, they are surprisingly few and far between.  Marry that standard of excellence with a spate of beautiful older single cask releases in recent years and I find myself in sherry heaven. 

So…having said all of that…to see a GlenDronach release floundering under the weight of this experimental ‘finish’ is somewhat disappointing.  At the risk of offending the purists, at the heart of the matter sherry and port are not dissimilar.  They are both brandy-fortified wines.  The actual ins and outs of regional regulation requirements, maturation processes, fermentation, etc absolutely make these two beverages unique, however I’d be hard-pressed to always be able to identify a port-finished whisky vs a sherry-finished whisky. 

I suppose what I’m driving at is simply an articulate way to voice the following question:  is this whisky’s profile defined primarily by the 15 year old malt itself, or by the finishing period in port pipes?  I ask this in light of one particular fact: that port should be sweeter than sherry, by nature, and this whisky is not nearly as sweet as I’d expect in even the most basic of unfinished GlenDronach releases. 

Just my two cents, folks (and not even worth that).  Either way…not a bad dram, just missing the soaring highs I’ve come to expect from one of the most exciting distilleries out there.

Nose:  Maltier than I’d expect in a 15 year old GlenDronach.  Where are the big fruits?  Some dark breads here and maybe a touch yeasty.  Whole unground nutmeg seeds (milder than the pungent ground spice).  Raisin and caramel.  Fine dark chocolate.  There’s simply not enough going on here.  Kinda disappointing, really.  Expected a lot more fruit.

Palate:  Malty bread notes.  Currants.  Lots of spice.  Maybe some bitter grapefruit.  Citrus pith…with none of the sweet accompaniments.  Some woods and bold red wine notes at the back.  Behind the coffee aroma, that is.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Ballantine’s 17 y.o. Review

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Ballantine’s 17 y.o.061

43% abv

Score:  89/100

 

Fuck.  Seriously.  Can’t tell you how disappointed I am that I can’t come in here with both guns blazing – Yosemite Sam style – and raise a hella pile o’ ruckus.  I desperately wanted to lambaste a certain whisky writer who decried this 17 year old blend as ‘world whisky of the year’ a couple years back.

Let me be explicitly clear:  this is certainly no whisky of the year.  Having said that, I’d be less than honest if I didn’t confess outright that this is a really good blend.  I’d almost guess malt over blend, to be honest.  There are some fabulously clean and pristine sweet/candy/fruit notes that suggest components much older than 17 years too.  I’m not certain as to the bottling date for this particular edition I have, but perhaps it pre-dates the ongoing whisky boom by a few years, in coming from a time when there was enough mature whisky available to the blenders that it was in fact possible to find whisky older than the age statement buried in the vatting.

Either way…just speculation.

The bottle I have in hand (as seen in photo above) is much older than the edition said writer led us to believe was the intoxicating tears of Dionysus.  If there is in fact a WWOTY-worthy release of the Ballantine’s 17, I hate to say it, but this is not it.  I’d love to get my hands on that particular edition, but I’m sure the shelves were wiped clean within hours of the press release.  You’ll notice though, there aren’t a lot of folks out there waxing rhapsodically about how amazing that B17 was from a couple years back.  Hmmmm.  Interesting. 

Finally, I’d like to add that logic (and god knows mine is skewed) tells me that older versions of most any whisky would likely be better for the very reasons listed above, but, of course, with whisky y’never really know.

What it boils down to is that I’ll not go on the offensive here to the degree I initially thought I would, but I am certainly on record doubting the validity of ANY blend earning whisky of the year honors.  Malt snobbery?  Perhaps.  I prefer to call it ‘reality’. 

Nose:  Sweet pears in sugary syrup.  Pink bubblegum notes.  Sugar cookies and biscuits.  Buttery maple syrup.  A little bit of orange.  Clean grains.  Almost Lowland pure and light.  Most distant hint of smoke.

Palate:  Straw and grass.  Anise, ginger and cinnamon.  Reminds a little of a stunning 2007 Jameson Rarest Vintage I tried.  Not quite as exceptional, but some very similar notes.  Also reminds a tick of Ardbeg’s Serendipity from a few years back.

I have a bit left of this one.  Would love to share and solicit some other opinions.  Anyone? 

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

The Naked Grouse Review

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The Naked Grouse417

40% abv

Score:  88/100

 

Ummm.  Yeah.  Not sure what just happened here, but I’m dumbfounded.  This is not a bad Grouse.  It’s not an ok Grouse, nor even a decent Grouse.  This is really, really tasty stuff.

Being honest here.  I generally like this brand less than a good hard kick in the junk.  OK…it’s maybe not that bad, but it’s still certainly far from a hot commodity in my place.  Like most blended whiskies, Grouse is one I have tried oodles of times (yes…that is a proper measure, about as accurate as my interpretation of ‘dram’), in various incarnations, and almost always found to be somewhat repellant (the exception so far being the 12 year old blended malt). 

I like being able to put down my sword and shield for a moment and embrace this one, instead of the continued sparring with the FG brand.  Goes to show you that blanket statements (i.e. ‘Grouse sux’) are the tool of idjits (and yes…I use ’em) and simpletons.

Joking aside, this is a good dram.  If what I’ve read is correct, there is a higher proportion of both Macallan (carrying its sweet high quality sherry influence) and Highland Park (bringing some heft and a slightly malty, smoky edge) here than in the standard offering.  The Naked Grouse is being positioned as a slightly more ‘premium’ blend.  I’m behind it wholeheartedly.  Certainly not your average young blend.  In fact…I think I’ma put a couple of these aside for rainier days.

Nose:  Malty caramel.  Raisin scones.  Buttery, with some nice dried fruits (figs and apricots).  Plum and milk chocolate.  Spiced nuts.  Vanilla.  Just a faint fanning of smoke.  Finally in a Grouse I’m getting those notes of Macallan that should have been front and center in all other editions.

Palate:  Sherried tartness meets sherried sweetness.  Neato.  Almost like a neutered (40%? c’mon) sherry bomb.  Grape juice.  Spices are well-balanced.  As unbelievable as this may seem…there are hints of watermelon.  And a little cantaloupe.  Beautiful accents.  Grape, oak, chocolate and apple.  One of the better blended whiskies I’ve ever tasted.  Lovely stuff.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt