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Dram Initiative #002 – BenRiach w/ J Wheelock

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The Dram Initiative Meeting #002 – May 28, 2013Logo (2)

BenRiach Range Tasting w/ J Wheelock

 

Sincere apologies to my companions in the club for my delinquency in getting this posted in a timely manner.  I owe you better than that. 

So…let’s share a few words with the world as to just what we’ve got going on of late in the world of the DI.

A little bit of elbow grease…a lot of passion.  That’s the way most great things in life come to fruition, isn’t it?  The Dram Initiative is no different.  The initial ideas?  No problem.  That part came together rather easily.  The logistics?  Well…that’s the stuff we’re still working through.  It’s amazing how well we’re ironing out any bumps and salving the teething pains.  And I have to be forthright here.  Our members (all 24 right now) have stepped up and supported this project in spades.  From showing up early for set-up…to lingering for tear-down.  From timely event payments…to enthusiastic participation.  From sober insight…to…ummm…less than sober comeraderie.  This is people coming together to make something cool.  We respect that and appreciate it.

From myself and the committee to all members…I thank ya.  We’ve come out of the gates strong, and I can promise you…there is much, much more coming. 

At some point in the future, for the benefit of anyone outside our jurisdiction, but with similar designs, I will put up a feature piece on setting up a whisky club.  It will be an opportunity to share a bit on what we’ve done…how we’ve succeeded…where we’ve struggled…etc.  For any that are curious…hopefully we can help.

Anyway…let’s talk about this night. 

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In the early days of the DI, as the committee was working through plans and such, one of the first distilleries we most wanted to cover/present was BenRiach.  This is a distillery that has been raising its profile (and stocks!) confidently and classily over the past couple of years.  I’ve said it before…their young whiskies are good.  Their old whiskies are great.

 

It just so happens that a good mate of mine, Mr. J Wheelock, made a shift a wee while back from one company to another.  Personally, I think it was a trade-up.  He now works for Authentic Wine and Spirits here in Calgary.  Just a part of his portfolio is based around that brown spirit we know and love so well, Scotch whisky.  Among the brands he represents now – Jura, GlenDronach, W&M, Dalmore, Compass Box – is the one we just spoke of: BenRiach.  A personal favorite.

 

When I approached J about coming out to speak to the club about about a few of his high end malts and personal hijinks, he immediately stepped up to the plate.  The truth of the matter though is that stepping up to the plate is only half of it.  The other half is knocking it out of the park.  Fortunately, my bias and affinity for my friend wasn’t the only factor confirming that that is exactly what happened.  The members’ feedback was overwhelmingly positive.  No surprise there.  The man is damn good at what he does.  He knows his stuff…has passion…and it shows.

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The evening was full of great history and detail on BenRiach, shared knowledge and much back-and-forth on the drams we were tasting and some well-chosen anecdotes and tales from J’s years in the inner circles of the industry.  He had the crowd warm and laughing frequently. 

Between a great flight of malts…good atmosphere…great presentation…and a sense of accomplishment, the committee members were well pleased with the way the night went down.  The smiles on members faces spoke volumes as to their concensus.  If we walked out of the first gathering feeling elated, I think we were positively soaring after this one.  All the peices seemed to come together nicely.  Membership keeps growing, the whiskies are top notch, the company is excellent and the sky is the limit

On to the malts…

This eve was built, not around the core range from BenRiach, but on a bunch of sassy mature single cask releases from the distillery.  All available in the Alberta market either currently or in the none-too-distant past.  I Know the first few, at least, are still out there and available for good prices.  Scoop ’em from their respective stores (listed below in the malt details) before you no longer can.

The first four we tackled as a ‘battle of the casks’, much as we did in the DI #001 meeting for Tullibardine.  After we’d slurped our way through the first four drams of the eve, we took a moment or two to weigh in on the best of the bunch.  I’ll save the grand reveal, and Maltmonster’s tasting notes for the next feature piece here on ATW, which I will try to get posted either later this eve or tomorrow.  Suffice to say…this is a good bit of fun and gets everyone interacting. 

The next four malts of the eve were extremely varied.  Old and sweet, middling and peaty, port and madeira influenced, etc.  I love this sort of range.  It shows the inherent quality of the spirit, but also its flexibility and malleability.  Probably most importantly though…it shows us that the distillery is not resting on laurels.  They’re experimenting…innovating…making it exciting to be a whisky drinker.

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Specs on the evening’s libations:

Authentic Wine & Spirits     1986 – August 2012     Cask #5458

Bourbon Barrel     50.5% abv     Single Cask Release Bottled For Authentic Wine & Spirits, Alberta

 

Co-op     1985 – September 2012     Cask #531

Bourbon Barrel     49.9% abv     Single Cask Release Bottled For Co-op Wine & Spirits, Alberta

 

CSN     1984 – August 2012     Cask #1114  

Hogshead     56.1% abv     Single Cask Release Bottled For CSN Wine & Spirits, Calgary, Alberta

 

KWM    1983 – September 2012     Cask #298

Hogshead     44.2% abv     Single Cask Release Bottled For Kensington Wine Market, Calgary, Alberta

 

KWM     1994 – September 2009     Cask #4810

Madeira Finish Hogshead     57.1% abv     Single Cask Release Bottled For Kensington Wine Market, Calgary, Alberta

 

1977 – July 2010     Cask #1033

Pedro Ximinez Sherry Finish Hogshead     52.2% abv     2010 Annual Limited Release Batch 7

 

1975 – August 2007     Cask #4451

Lightly Peated Port Pipe     53.7% abv     2007 Annual Limited Release Batch 4

 

1984 – July 2010     Cask #4052

Tawny Port Finish Peated Hogshead     51.7% abv     2010 Annual Limited Release Batch 7

 

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Though many of the gang in attendance this eve may have been a little naive to just what this distillery is capable of when they walked in…they certainly weren’t when they walked out.  The opportunity to try a range like this is quite possibly a once in a lifetime for some.  Fortunately, for those in the club, we like smashing limitations like that. 

A great evening full of big laughs, good friends and great drinks.

Many thanks to all who helped us put this together (you know who you are), but most importantly…thanks to J Wheelock.  Look forward to having you back to share some insight into Jura.  And ‘Dronach.  And Compass Box.  And…

To any out there interested in joining The Dram Initiative.  Drop a line.  You know where to find us.  Membership is limited though.  When we reach our upper limit, it will be a waitlist scenario.

Slainte!

 

– Words:  Curt

– Photos:  Curt

Glen Keith 1968 (Connoisseur’s Choice) Review

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Glen Keith 1968 (Connoisseur’s Choice)030

46% abv

Score:  92.5/100

 

Quite a charming old gaffer here. 

Glen Keith is not a distillery we see much of on the shelves, due to its 1999 mothballing, but I’ve tried a couple of nifty little gems from this Speyside secret.  Unfortunately, most of the distillery’s output was destined for the blending halls before the doors were locked and the distillery was quietly put on ice.

From what I’ve read, as of late 2012, extensive renovations are under way at Glen Keith, leading to some excitement (on my part, anyway) over another Lazarus distillery.  Tales of this sort warm the cockles and put a big sh*t-eating grin on my face.  It’s cool to be around while a bit of whisky history is unfolding.  Now here’s hoping that there is long-term sustainability in the cards and that, while i know its primary purpose is to be a blend conponent again, we get to see some more of the whisky hit the market as single malt.

This 1968 Connoisseurs Choice independent bottling is from a remade hogshead.  Seeing as it was bottled in 2010, we’re looking at about a 42 year old whisky…give or take a few months.  In human years…that’s young and spry.  In malt years…that’s older than sands of the Sahara.  When you start counting a whisky’s age in decades, you have to begin to fear the worst: overoaking.  In this case, all doubts are quickly assuaged.  Originating from a remade hoggy, I can only assume there was nothing too active about the wood itself.  Nice smooth and even, in terms of profile.  This is really a lovely whisky.

…And sadly, I believe, long gone. 

Nose:  Paint on wood.  Dunnage warehouse.  Mint.  Hot cross buns and almond chips.  Vanilla.  Orange zest.  Very mellow notes of fruit cocktail in syrupy.  A little bit waxy.  All sorts of neat little nuances to investigate with this one.  The faintest hint of struck match after 30 or so minutes in the glass (but not in that overwhelming suphuric brimstone nastiness kinda way).

Palate:  Juicy…fruity delivery.  Mild and very pleasing.  Fresh home-made mixed fruit pie.  Vanilla cream.  Marzipan and something a little more in the way of a mildly spiced, leathery note.  Soft biscuit.  Beautiful palate. and a very clean dram.

* Thanks to Andrew Ferguson at Kensington Wine Market for this wee taster of Gen Keith.  Andrew gets most of the best whiskies in the city.  Go see him.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Bruichladdich Organic Review

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Bruichladdich Organic110

46% abv

Score:  83/100

 

Even back in my more granola-oriented hippie heyday out on the west coast of Canada, I never truly bought into the whole organic pitch.  What it tended to boil down to was simple:  overpriced, aesthetically-challenged and in terms of quality…negligibly different from the arguably franken-engineered product that otherwise overflowed the shelves at our local grocery.

Let’s be clear…the argument here isn’t against organic, it’s simply questioning the merits, aside from marketability and socio-political motivations.  Everything else is purely speculative.  I assume the powers that be (Reynier, at the time, I’d guess) were embracing this is primarily as 1) a way to show a loyalty to the home turf and 2) because it’s easy as apple pie to sell organic these days.  Yes.  I’m a cynic.

In short…my thoughts are:  organic ≠ better taste.

Hey…no sleight intended.  Remember…this is coming from a relatively liberal thinker and former hippie (granted I’m now much more of a cold-blooded capitalist, but…)

Moving on to the whisky now.  This is actually decent stuff.  No better than most other ‘Laddie releases.  Certainly inferior to others.  But that’s no different than any other distillery’s output.  And if we’re stacking them up that way Bruichladdich gets extra points for creativity, execution and pure balls.

Nose:  Young and grainy.  Maybe even processed cereal would be closer to what I’m trying to get at here.  Lemon.  Oak.  Vanilla.  Cream.  Custard.  Some pepper.  Orange…and a bit more fruit.  Chocolate.  Slightly scone dough-ish.  Entirely pleasant, if unremarkable.

Palate:  Bitey and a touch spirity.  Here are some oaky notes.  Chili heat and more of that pepper.  Licorice.  Barley as it develops.  Gets a little grassy at the back end and more on the woods again.

Not awesome, but it’s alright, I s’pose.  Not my favorite malt profile, but commendable nevertheless.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Glenmorangie Ealanta Review

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Glenmorangie Ealanta016

46% abv

Score:  80.5/100

 

Straight off…this is one of the most contrived of malts I’ve ever tasted.  And while that in and of itself is absolutely forgiveable, I’m not finding myself in a very charitable spirit with this one (no pun intended). 

Let’s face it…there are a lot of rather ‘manufactured’ whiskies out there (cask finished, re-racked, aesthically enhanced, added to, etc).  No issues.  Really, these are nothing more than variations on a theme that play within the rules of their jurisdictions.  It all hinges on how well the integration of these factors works and how natural the finished product ends up to be.  I can’t stress how important that is. 

Now here’s the rub…while it irritates the f*ck outta me how plastic and synthetic the Ealanta is…at the same time I can’t really say it’s a bad whisky.  Damning with faint praise, I know, but it happens to be the reality of the situation.  It’s fresh…certainly vibrant…absolutely unique…and not really poorly crafted, I’d say.  Maybe it’s a case of too much of a good thing.  Like a malt that is over-cooked from a very active sherry cask, here we have far too much of the American virgin oak influence.  We’re now blurring lines between something we’d expect out of Kentucky and something we see labeled as from Scotland.

For the record, this is a 19 year old single malt from Glenmorangie, the fourth release in their ‘Private Edition’ range, and was matured in…as mentioned…American virgin oak casks.  Man…19 years is a looooooong time for that sort of massive active oak influence.

The reality is that this malt is not principally far off from GlenDronach’s 14 year old Virgin Oak.  But to be fair to the ‘Dronach, which I rather liked, this one is way more perfumed and olfactorily cloying.  That simply reinforces the idiom that concept is not all, and the proof is in the execution.

Apparently ‘Ealanta’ is Gaelic for ‘skilled and ingenious’.  Hmmmm.  Ok.  If you say so.  Very modest, I might add.

One last note:  We – my mates and I – for the most part really like Glenmorangie.  I’m not sure if that is an ‘in spite of’ or ‘because of’ all of their tomfoolery type of situation.   The Ealanta, however, is a ‘miss’ in my books.  Not quite on par with the ‘Pride’ debacle, but still a miscalculation (in my ‘umble opinion, anyway).

Nose:  Very redolent of perfume and floral-y alcohol.  Massive notes of bourbon.  In fact…if tasted blindly…I might actually think this was a bourbon.  Spice.  Lots of spice.  Wine-y fruit notes.  Cinnamon hearts candies.  Cherry.  Citrus pith.  Pumpkin scones.  Pastry.  Sugary white chocolate.  Not sure how I can better put it than to say it is a very synthetic nose.

Palate:  Again…this is almost bourbon territory.  Cinnamon and cherry.  Like chewing on wood shavings.  More on the white chocolate.  Some slightly tangy notes as it develops.  Some more fruity ones as it fades.

Incredibly smooth, but too much so.  Like Bambi on ice.  The smoothness is causing the fall.  In short…perfume meets bourbon.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

 

Bowmore Maltmen’s Selection Review

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Bowmore Maltmen’s Selection023

54.6% abv

Score:  91.5/100

 

I love personality in my whisky.  I’ll even forgive a wee flaw or two in a dram, so long as the whisky has enough ‘quirk’ to it to make me sit back in relection and contemplate its uniqueness.  Not that I’m suggesting this Bowmore Maltmen’s Selection is a flawed malt in any way.  Quite the contrary actually.  It is, however, completely unrecognizable as a Bowmore.  Or any Bowmore I’ve ever tried anyway.

I find that consistency of profile in Bowmore through the years is as elusive as a full set of teeth in a hillbilly hoedown.  Not saying this is a bad thing; just noting that I personally would be hard-pressed to tell you what the distillery’s main profile really is.  We’ve seen deep tropical notes, heavy florals, smoky bacon n’ chocolate chips, briny meaty ones and much more.  All interesting in their own right, and all from different eras.  Fun stuff, but what really is Bowmore then?

Well…we certainly won’t answer that question here.  Bowmore Maltmen’s Selection is a humdinger and a headscratcher of a dram.

I first tried this one in late 2012 at the Bowmore distillery on Islay.  I recall not being overly wowed by it.  It was tasted alongside the Springtide, 25 year old and one or two others though.  And, to be fair, this little tasting session followed hard on the heels of a great tour which had culminated in sipping drams pulled straight from the casks in Bowmore’s Number 1 vaults with a few mates and Heather, a wonderful lady who works at the distillery and was our guide for the Craftsman’s Tour.  Perhaps I was an unfairly harsh critic that day.

Anyway…revisiting this one a few months on, and I like it just fine.  It’s a little closer to the heavy industrial oils and tarry notes I’ve met in some of the monstrous output from the folks at Bruichladdich (in particular, an odd Octomore cask sample I tried), but brought down a notch or two in terms of overall might.  Kinda like ‘Hulk Lite’.

The title, if you’re wondering, derives from the fact that the Bowmore maltmen did indeed select five sherry butts which were originally filled on July 13th of 1995.  These butts, numbered 1551, 1552, 1553, 1559 & 1560, are what you’re drinking in this 13 year old Bowmore.  This release was limited to 3000 bottles, and I believe is now, sadly, one of the dearly departed.

Nose:  Rubber.  Smoke and tar.  New bicycle tires.  Figs and mincemeat.  Salty smoked meatiness.  Heavy BBQ sauce (but not more on the salt…less on the sweet).  Char and burning woods.  Old coffee.  Would not peg this as a Bowmore.

Palate:  Wow.  Meaty again.  Cough drops.  Fisherman’s Friend.  Chocolate, deep and dark.  Orange and grapefruit pith.  Smoky and peaty, but also juicy and saucy.  Greasy and oily.  Sharp and biting…but in a good way.  A never-ending finish.  What an odd Bowmore.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Glenmorangie 18 y.o. Extremely Rare Review

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Glenmorangie 18 y.o. Extremely Rare246

43% abv

Score:  86/100

 

Gotta hand it to LVMH.  Their bottles are sexy.  Nice contours…nice labelling…nice colors in the glass.  But, hey…this is malt whisky, not handbags, luggage or jewellery.  Since I’m not one of those folk who think presentation amounts to extra points when assessing or scoring whisky, let’s get on to the stuff that actually matters.

Just an introduction:  Glenmorangie is a Highland distillery from the Northern reaches of Scotland that boasts some of the tallest stills in the industry.  Possibly the very tallest.  This, by nature, lends the spirit a lighter, more estery profile (think fragrant and sweeter on the fruity notes).  The distillery is also famous (or infamous, perhaps, would be a better word?) for their bold pioneering of whisky ‘finishing’.  They have taken the concept to an extreme art form.  Rather successfully too, I might add.

Speaking to this, the 18 year old, in particular…

It’s a rather sad fact that there is not a lot of aged Glenmorangie out there, ergo the ‘Extremely Rare’ on the label.  Hmmm…not sure if that quite aligns with my idea of extremely rare, but…for the sake of getting along…we’ll give ’em a pass, I guess.

This malt whisky spent the first 15 years of its life in bourbon casks, before being re-racked into ex-Oloroso butts, rounding out the light floral nature of the spirit itself with a bit more depth from the sherry influence.

I hate to say it, ’cause it feels kinda like a cop out, but there’s really not a lot more to talk about with this one.  A rather nice whisky with not a lot of fanfare, backstory or personality.

Nose:  Florals up front.  White chocolate sauce.  Kinda perfume-y.  A touch of dust.  A rather blunt dough note.  Ginger.  A touch of peach and mandarin orange.  Vanilla cake with cream icing.  Almost Lowland-ish.

Palate:  Some weedy notes, and rather sharp for an 18 year old.  It’s kinda fruity on the palate, but I’ll be f*cked if I can pick ’em out.  Not as smooth the nose hints at.  Unsweetened grapefruit.  Barleys at the end.  Fades into a slightly bitter grassy note with some over-steeped tea.  Somewhat surprised there is Oloroso at play here.

Not bad, but rather boring.  Would never peg this as an 18 year old either.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Macallan 1824 Series

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The Macallan 1824 Series

 

themacallanlogo

A couple months back I received an invite to an Edrington event for the Macallan.  Unfortunately, however, scheduling conflicts kept me from attending this gala.  By this point, rumour had been rampant for some time that Macallan was about to strip away the numbers from the bottles of their core range and introduce a new series free of the shackles of age statements.  An industry mate and I shared some interesting discussion on this revamp, and when I asked if he’d be attending, his response was something along the lines of ‘yes…I can’t miss the chance to see Macallan put a gun to their head and pull the trigger’.  My paraphrasing, not his exact words.

This malt whisky equivalent of the Budd Dwyer effect was inexplicable as far as both he and I were concerned.  We both understood the effect those numbers (or lack thereof) could have on an entity such as Macallan.

Several months later I can finally brush aside speculation in favor of honest observation.  Forget the bias.  Let’s use our senses to weigh in.

A few thoughts first, though…

Apparently the new 1824 series is built from malts matured in both Spanish and American oak.  This would mean that Macallan have effectively combined the Fine Oak and Sherry Oak ranges, I think.  This last statement is purely subjecture however, as I’ve also heard there is no influence from ex-bourbon casks.  Either way…they now not only have more flexibility in terms of which casks they can bury in their whisky vattings, but also in terms of cask quality management and/or costs.  All, of course, without bowing to the inflexibility of an age statement.  Call it what you like, but ultimately…it’s a form of blank cheque for the Edrington Group to bottle whatever they like, so long as the color stays consistent.

Color.  Yep.  The new range is built primarily on aesthetics.  Hue.  Tint.  Shade.  Call it what you like.  Macallan is building malts to adhere to the colors they label the bottle as (Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby).  Of course the inherent age of the whisky in the casks does, to a degree, help determine the final color (ergo equation, right or wrong, is darker = older = better), but really?  Really?  This is utterly absurd.  And for that reason…we’re gonna dig in and suss out some truth.

Honestly.  I am 100% behind this enterprise as it stands.  Conditionally.  As long as the whisky in the jar stays uniform in terms of quality…give ‘er hell, Macallan.  I’ll climb on board.  In fact, I’m already singing the praises of a couple of these new endeavours.

A bit of editorializing though:  I’ll go on record here as saying I do expect quality slippage.  It’s just the nature of a the beast.  Huge demand in a booming whisky market…no regulation in terms of age requirements or cask quality…and, let’s be honest, desire for profit margin.  All of these are factors that could lead to an eventual decline in what is, out of the gates, a great dram.  I hope I’m wrong.  Please, Macallan…prove me wrong.

As a final note…apparently the blending team sampled an absolutely mindboggling 30,000 casks to ultimately reach the final components that would comprise this new quartet of whiskies.  Wow.  Think I need a career change.

Alright.  Is it just me, or is it getting awful thirsty in here?  Let’s have a drink.

 

Macallan Gold

40% abv

Score:  82.5/100

Nose:  Malty, creamy and just slightly feinty (smells familiar to anyone who has stood close to a spirit safe in a distillery).  Not a lot of sherry influence showing yet, but it is there in a distant dry fruitcake manner.  Citrus and vanilla. A little bit of mint.  Salty uncooked pastry dough.  A touch of over-toasted oak and pepper.

Palate:  Almost immediately drying.  Apple skins.  Grains and toothpicks.  Deep threads of thick pure honey.  Orange.

Thoughts:  Pleasantly sippable.  Though something of a lightweight.  Not bad for the entry-level consumer.  Should note…no off notes, just youth holding this one back.

094

 

Macallan Amber

40% abv

Score:  84.5/100

Nose:  Creamy.  Still slightly malty.  Much more sherry to speak of now, as we’d expect from Macallan.  Some orange rind, or good marmalade.  Coffee and chocolate…maybe a creamy mocha.  Cinnamon.  A little caramel, pepper and ginger…each in dribs and drabs.  Malteasers.

Palate:  Matches (just a far off touch though).  Sweetness develops nicely over the first few seconds.  Raisins.  Citrus furniture polish.  Pleasant, but mild, spiciness.

Thoughts:  Not too far removed from the Gold, but a little sweeter and more ’rounded’.  All in all…quite good.  Not to sound like that one sulphur-obsessed whisky writer we all know, but there is an off butt or two in here.  It’s effect is minimal, and unless you’re sensitive, you likely won’t even notice.

090

 

Macallan Sienna

43% abv

Score:  90.5/100

Nose:  Now we’re getting sweeter and some of those more sassy mature sherry tones.  Nice jammy Oloroso high notes here.  Chocolate and a slight smokiness.  Raspberry and orange (yum!).  Marzipan.  Some mint or eucalyptus now too.

Palate:  Here is that jam-like sweetness again.  Love it.  Spicy.  Eucalyptus here too.  Very nice full arrival with a smooth development from scotch/sherry immediacy into a refined chocolate ganache and red fruit crescendo.  Very drinkable.  Ahem…very.

Thoughts:  With the Sienna, we’ve now moved into the high end.  This is classic and exceptional Macallan.  Hopefully they can maintain this level of quality.

089

 

Macallan Ruby

43% abv

Score:  92/100

Nose:  Awwww…hell, yes!  Cinnamon, orange and dark cherry (my favorite fruit!).  Great jam/jelly sweetness.  Candle wax notes, showing some maturity and nice old casks buried in here.  Nice smells of home baking and spiced stewed fruit.  Chocolate again, but much more ‘high end’ and expensive chocolate.  Heavy toffee, which is gorgeous.

Palate:  Sweet and fruity.  Orange lifesavers.  Cinnamon and slightly over-baked pie crust.  More of those deep, dark dried fruit notes.  Mouthwatering, before slowly drying on the tannins.  An absolutely great oral experience (shhh…keep you comments to yourself).

Thoughts:  Mature and awesome.  Not quite a 93, this is definitely a 92+

087

 

I’ll take a little salt, please.  Something to help me swallow my words.  The new Macallan line-up is good.  Better than good, actually.  Particularly the latter two.

 

– Words, Tasting Notes, Thoughts:  Curt

– Photos:  Curt

 

 

Laphroaig Triple Wood Review

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Laphroaig Triple Wood016

48% abv

Score:  88/100

 

It’s a different whisky world nowadays.  In the early days of illicit whisky production, it’s highly likely the only reason the spirit would have ever seen the inside of a cask was for storage immediately after being made or for ease of transport.  The fiery juice was consumed hot and angry, mellowing be damned.  Over time it was discovered that the effect the wood was having on the alcohol when it was retained for any length of time was favorable.

Many years later (early 1900s), in an age of whisky overproduction, allegations were made that nearly any barrel available was used for whisky maturation.  I’ve even heard nasty, and generally debunked, chatter about Campbeltown distilleries in particular, maturing in old pickle barrels.  Ugh.  Either way…I think at this point the whisky was likely left alone to mellow, barely ever sloshing about (don’t forget…long, long back there was no such thing as a forklift to make ease of cask movement a reality) and when eventually removed from wood, it was quickly bottled.

Creeping a little further down the timeline (present day), we find ourselves in an age where whisky moves from cask to cask with the mobility of a cheerleader through a football team.  Not necessarily a bad thing.  Allows for some really funky permutations of the spirit, by short bursts of influence from other spirits, whereas a prolonged maturation in said cask may be too heavy-handed.

Laphroaig Triple Wood is essentially another young Laphroaig, much in the vein of our beloved Quarter Cask, but further mellowed in Oloroso sherry casks.  Sweet meets peat.  Yum.  Surprisingly it is a tad subdued, but still bloody enormous.  If that makes any sense.  To a Laphroaig drinker, it probably does.

Nose:  Vanilla cream.  Pears.  Creamy sweetness.  Prickly and young, but still seems ‘old enough’ somehow.  Seabreezes.  Lemon.  Nice integration of the whisky and sherry (successful…much like Ardbeg, in that way).  Medicinal and iodine-heavy (of course).  Smoke and peat (again…of course).  Fish and salt.  All told though…still seems balanced and mellowed.

Palate:  A very pleasant sweetness.  Tarry and brilliantly sharp.  Brine and anise.  Eucalyptus and big medicinal notes.  Citric and oily.  Earthy peat.  Smoky, to be sure.  Tangy and saucy.  Burnt woods.  Long, long linger.  Green apple skins on the fade.

I had heard some rather unflattering reviews of this whisky upon release.  Not sure what those folks were drinking.  This is a really enjoyable drink.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Macallan Part 2…From The Fine Oak Expressions

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Ok…we’re nearly at the point of publishing reviews for the new Macallan 1824 NAS series.  Before I get to that little bit of fun however, I kinda wanted to knock out at least one more of these Macallan featurettes.  In a previous piece on the Sherry Oak series, I promised at least two, and possibly three, more runs of tasting notes from the Macallan ranges.  Moving on from the Sherry Oak releases we checked out here, let’s take a peek at a handful from the Macallan Fine Oak line.  Here are a few bits of insight regarding this, one of the main branches of the Macallan tree.

A few decades back Macallan decided to have a little fun.  Or maybe it was a cost-savings venture*.  Not really certain.  Already famous for single malt whisky matured in butts from their own Spanish bodegas, the good folk at Macallan began sourcing ex-bourbon barrels from the US.  These barrels were sherry-seasoned, and whiskies matured in these casks were married with other, more typical, stocks from the distillery.  The result was an entire new range for Macallan that since 2004 has run in parallel with the Sherry Oak releases.

*When you consider the price of American bourbon barrels vs the price of Spanish sherry butts…egads!  We’re looking at a difference of (if rumours are correct) around 1000%.  Ouch.

Anyway…the whisky…starting with the new make spirit as a benchmark…

 

Macallan New Make

Notes:  63% abv.  Crystal clear.

Nose:  Slight nuttiness.  Malty.  Fresh bitter fruit.  Rubbery acetone.  Metallic note somewhere in there.  Oh yeah…and some cereals.

Palate:  Fire water.  With a bit o’ citrus.  Estery.  Please put this waxy young thing into the rock tumbler (ahem…a fine sherry bucket) and knock those edges off.

Thoughts:  Unrecognizable as a Macallan really.  Shows you what the distillery’s wood policy really means.  Cool as hell to see this as a new make.

Bottle Shots 2 026

Macallan 10 Fine Oak

Notes:  40% abv.

Nose:  Dusty oak.  Red fruit.  Barley.  A wee bit dry and mildly figgy.  Orange.  Honeyed woods.  Cereal.  Slightly sharp and thin.

Palate:  Again…disappointingly thin.  And a little sharp.  Really?  This is Macallan?  High notes of citrus.  Oak.

Thoughts:  Simple.  Underdeveloped.  Pleasant, but…simply not ‘my’ Macallan.

 

Macallan 15 Fine Oak

Notes:  43% abv.

Nose:  Some orange and just a touch of white pepper.  Lots of soft creamy vanilla.  Grains.  Some light lavendar notes.  Slightly grassy.  A touch of nutmeg and scone.

Palate:  Pie crust with a touch of spice.  Some oaky notes and strong vanilla.  The top fire-toasted layer of creme brulee.

Thoughts:  Clean.  A definite step up from the 10 y.o.  Quite unassuming, but well-made and refreshingly drinkable.

067 (2)

Macallan 17 Fine Oak

Notes: 43% abv.

Nose:  Green fruit skin.  Hint of ginger.  Caramelized sugars.  Oak peeks through as it opens.  Hay and mellow spice.

Palate:  Fruits arrive with a little more confidence.  Oaky and drying.  Everyone leaves but the woods, which arrived late anyway.  Surprisingly drying.

Thoughts:  Fresh and vibrant.  Wife called this one ‘wintery’.  Hmmm.  Not so sure ’bout that, but…it does have a rather refreshing coolness to it.  Really liked this one.

 

Macallan 21 Fine Oak

Notes:  43% abv.

Nose:  Candied or maybe honeyed.  Rising bread.  Tropical fruits.  Hay.  Slightly floral.  Grains.  Sweet buttery toffee.  Honey and a perfect melange of X-Mas spice.  Wood influence at a perfect age.  Sweet.  Orange zest.

Palate:  Unfolds slowly.  Woods arrive first.  Spice and zest.  Buttery baking and drying fruit.

Thoughts:  A lot more ‘electric’ than the rest of the range.  Great nose with excellent balance.  Palate is a little duller than the nose, but still very good.  This one surprised and charmed me.  More please?

062 (2)

Macallan 25 Fine Oak

Notes:  43% abv.

Nose:  Waxy vanilla.  Green and dill-like (basil?).  Aged bourbon cask notes (ghostly fruit and sweetness).  Caramel apple.  Dusty grain.

Palate:  Sharp green notes and wax carry to palate.  Red fruit skins.  Rich and mouthwatering.  great finish too.

Thoughts:  Not even remotely comparable to the Sherry Oak 25, but hey…am I gonna say no to this?  Hell no.  Another good drink and very indicative of how much quality you can see in older Macallans, irrespective of the big sherry maturation.

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Macallan 30 Fine Oak

Notes:  43% abv.

Nose:  Fruit still seems quite lively.  Vanilla weaving in and out.  White peppered peach.  White cranberry.  Wood shavings.  Grains are strong.  Beautiful restraint.

Palate:  Vanilla carried by mild oakiness.  Bread crust.  Cacao shavings.  Touch of orange.  Fades to a drying finish.

Thoughts:  Don’t think I’d peg this as a 30 y.o.  Mature enough, but definitely wears its years well.  I still gotta go with the Sherry Oak line as a personal preference, but this is bloody great drink in its own right.

 

Alright.  Two rounds down.  Part three will be the Oddballs; a selection of a few slightly more off-the-beaten-path releases from Macallan.  Further…I’ll tackle the Mac Travel series (Twenties, Thirties, Forties and Fifties) as well as the afore-mentioned 1824 series (Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby).  Stay tuned.

Slainte!

 

– Words & Tasting Notes:  Curt

– Photos:  Curt

Dalmore Gran Reserva Review

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Dalmore Gran Reservayep 014

40% abv

Score:  84/100

 

So sayeth the sages: this Dalmore Gran Reserva was a replacement for the Cigar Malt.  If rumours are to be believed (and surprisingly, in the whisky industry, they often are) then the reasons for this replacement were due to a more politically aware viewpoint, forced or otherwise, suggesting that it was inappropriate to market the malt with ‘cigar’ on the label.  Really?  C’mon.  Alcohol and smokes have always been tighter than Tom Cruise and crazy.

Further refutation may lie, I would argue, in the fact that the Dalmore website still offers up a Cigar Malt Reserve.  A higher end version, yes, but obviously the naming convention is still in tact.  Hmmmm.  Can’t always trust the scuttlebutt, I suppose.

Moving on, and keeping our ears to the ground ’round the watercooler…further gossip suggests that this malt is simply a repackaging of the now obsolete standard Cigar Malt expression.  I welcome correction here from anyone ‘in the know’, but I can unequivocably state that I have put these drams head-to-head several times now and there is no comparison.  The Gran Reserva is rather balanced, spicy and pleasant, while the Cigar Malt I found pungent, malty, heavy and cloying.  I should also note this release at 40% abv and the Cigar Malt at 43%.

Anyway…unless my bottle of the CM was a dud, these are most definitely entities unto themselves.  And on record…this one kicks the piss outta the other.

Gran Reserva is a mix of Oloroso and Bourbon cask-matured malts, with the ration skewing more heavily towards the former.  Logically you’d expect sweetness, dried fruits and spice.  Check, check, check.  This is all well met by a very typical Dalmore orange note.  Component casks are between 10 and 15 years of age.  Nice whisky.  I like this one.

Nose:  Doughy.  Some cinnamon and creme caramel.  Vanilla.  Orange.  Fruity Ju-jubes…and/or maybe a hint of Wine Gums.  Nice spice profile.  Pronounced, but not loud.  More like ‘well-articulated’ spices.

Palate:  Orange again.  Very pleasant warm spices.  Chocolate (both milk and white varieties).  Wow…is this ever soft and pillowy.  An easy sipper.

This is a ‘library malt’ to me.  Armchair, Hemingway, Dalmore.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt