Category Archives: Whisky Reviews & Tasting Notes

Octomore 6.1 Review

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Octomore 6.1IMG_6336

57% abv

Score:  87.5/100

 

Bruichladdich’s Octomore is now unquestionably the undisputed heavyweight of peated whisky.  The phenolic levels in nearly each successive release keep creeping ever upwards, redefining the weight classes and changing the face of the sport (whisky drinking) forever.  For a while there Ardbeg Supernova seemed to be an able sparring partner, but these Octomore releases just keep swinging haymakers.  At this point it’s simply no contest.

This particular version of Octomore is the ‘6.1 Scottish Barley’.  It sports a 167 ppm warning on the bottle.  Just hitting the markets as I write this piece is the ‘6.3 Islay Barley’ edition.  That release boasts a scorching 258 ppm on the label.  Those of you familiar with these escalating peat wars will most likely be well aware that there is a vast difference between the phenols in the malted barley prior to distillation, and those that actually end up in the finished product.  In all cases, however, I believe the 258 ppm refers to the peating level prior to distillation.  This is most likely the reason why, even though the numbers for each Octomore get more and more ludicrous, the actual peat- and smokiness never seem to get out of hand.  The end product is still crystalline and pure.  And damn good, I might add. 

Forgive the bias lapse in the previous sentence.  I am an unapologetic peat head.  But you already knew that.

There really is no dud in the Octomore range as yet.  This particular batch is probably one of the weaker ones I’ve encountered, if I’m to be completely honest, but even so it comes in head and shoulders above most other young malts.  Let’s face it…most drams hitting the shelves at a similar age would be outright flops.  Peated whisky is a different story.  And Octomore is yet an even different story.

If you’re a daring soul, and someone who appreciates bold flavours and doesn’t mind dropping between $100-150CA on a 5 year old whisky, give it a go.

Nose:  Crisp smoky bacon.  Earthy.  Saline and heavy in all things related to fire (smoke, ash, char and …well…more smoke, honestly).  Sweet BBQ.  A squeeze of lemon.  Rubber (like a new pair of Wellies).  Anise or fennel.  Cola syrup.  Mint Leaf chewy candies.  At the tail end of a good, long inhalation, you’ll get some butter and cereal notes.

Palate:  Rubber and tart apple.  More peat now, and still smoke, of course.  Lemon rind.  Slightly burnt olive oil.  Ocean-doused campfire ashes (not that I’ve ever had a mouthful).  Walnut, as it fades (almost Chardonnay-ish, somehow).

Thoughts:  The palate is a notch or three below what the nose had me hoping for, but still a rather exceptional five year old.  Let’s not forget that…this is only five years on.  Not my favorite Octomore, but a worthwhile dram nevertheless.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

BenRiach 1999 Cask #40043 Review

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BenRiach 1999 Cask #40043269

55.6% abv

Score:  90.5/100

 

These are the drams I spend my time hunting for.  Whiskies that defy the number on the bottle, somehow fall under what I consider an acceptable budget threshold and manage to bring sexy back to the taste buds.  Unfortunately, in this age of so-called ‘mature malt shortages’, these types of drams are becoming more and more scarce.  The reality is that the premium levied on every additional year of maturity seems to be increasing exponentially faster than my salary is rising.

Much like playing out the grasshopper and the ant scenario (stashing away bottles now for the tough seasons ahead), the distilleries seen to be embracing an old adage themselves: make hay while the sun shines.  They are wringing every drop of profit out of each grain of barley.  It’s up to the discerning consumer to do their homework and suss out the gems.  Caveat emptor, and all that.

You can only imagine then, how much of a treat it is to discover a malt like this one.  A 13 year old single cask of BenRiach bottled at 55.6%, not colored and non chill-filtered.  And to make it even more of a homerun…it came home with me for about $75 Canadian. 

This is an absolute showcase of just what is possible when good spirit goes into an alpha bourbon barrel.  Proof positive that BenRiach, as we’ve long trumpeted, puts out great single casks.  Especially those of clean, mature bourbon barrels.  This is a great whisky at a very ripe age.  Credit to all involved.

Nose:  Touch of toasted coconut.  Touch of pineapple.  Vanilla cream.  Ginger and cinnamon.  Chewy red candy.  Danish pastries.  Toasted meringue.  Cranberry and white chocolate.  Clean warm suede.  Lightly toasted oak.

Palate:  Bold, but soft arrival explodes into flavours.  Grilled pineapple on wooden skewers.  Lemon bars.  Pepper.  Big bourbon notes.  Eucalyptus.  Dark vanilla.  White chocolate over apple slices.

Thoughts:   13 year old whisky has no business having notes like this.  The pseudo tropicals of pineapple and coconut are nuances that belong in much older whiskies from similar casking.  One of my absolute favorite sub-fifteen year old malts.  Glad I have one more bottle put aside for the future.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Port Charlotte Scottish Barley Review

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Port Charlotte Scottish Barley162

50% abv

Score:  87/100

 

We’re on the eve, so to speak, of the release of the newest run of Laddies.  This time, pure Islay Barley Port Charlotte and Octomore.  I’ve yet to try the former, but the latter really is a knockout malt (and peated to an unprecedented 258ppm!  Though, I’m going on record as saying it’s not necessarily any peatier or smokier than earlier editions, despite the boost in phenols).  At some point we’ll get ’round to reviewing these, but in the meantime let’s continue with one of our perpetually-late-to-the-party write-ups of an older edition.  Last year’s Scottish Barley Port Charlotte.

It’s always a treat to engage a new expression of Port Charlotte.  As many of you are likely aware, Port Charlotte is not a distillery, but a brand name under the Bruichladdich banner, produced for a good part of the year at this once-again iconic distillery on the western shores of Islay’s Loch Indaal.  Port Charlotte is the distillery’s middle ground malt, sitting somewhere in between the mild and unpeated (or nearly unpeated, depending on the expression) Bruichladdich spirit and the eyewatering bog beast Octomore.  Make no mistake about it, though, this is a heavily peated whisky. 

For this particular release, Bruichladdich has upped the abv from the previous version’s 46%, and – I can only assume – dropped the average age of the whisky in the bottle, as this certainly seems a bit younger than the Port Charlotte 10 y.o.  While I love that they made the first change, I’m less impressed by the move to NAS.  This makes no sense to me, seeing as how they proudly proclaim Octomore’s five year old designation right on the bottle.  Personal gripes aside, this is a fine dram.  Well-constructed by Mr. McEwan and the gang, and is certainly money well spent.

Bruichladdich has gone on record several times now saying that nothing would change subsequent to the Remy Cointreau buyout, and that they would be left to their own devices.  I’m not convinced.  Yes, they are still knocking out rather frequent releases in their inimitable craft stylings, but these releases seem to be nothing more than minor variations on a theme.  Tweak the abv, adjust the age, declare the provenance, different finishes, etc.  Though the distillery’s modus operandi of blitzing the market with uncountable expressions was often maligned in the ‘presses’ (and I use that term very loosely) I miss the days of infinite cask fuckery and shelves groaning under the weight of countless quirky Bruichladdichs.  It was just a little more exciting, to be honest.  While I think the whisky coming out of Bruichladdich is consistently better overall now, I do mourn the loss of artistic unpredictability. 

And man, do I miss the widespread availability of the untouchable PC cask strength series.  That was Port Charlotte at its apex.

I guess what I’m saying is that this is not the Port Charlotte I fell in love with.  It’s more like a really decent knock-off.  Think Zeppelin with John Bonham vs Zeppelin with Jason Bonham.  One was an absolute megalith.  Towering, thundering and taking the world by storm.  The other was making nearly all of the same sounds, but without the lasting resonance or element of monumental surprise.  

Nose:  Lovely downhome farmyard aromas.  Licorice.  Smoking rubber.  Cola with a squeeze of citrus.  Smoke and peat, of course.  Key lime.  Creamy, buttery caramel.  Port Charlotte is simply unmistakeable.  This is no shocker of a nose.

Palate:  Great, bold delivery (as we’ve come to expect from this range).  Licorice, cola and rubber again.  Wet, smoking piles of hay.  Salty pie dough.  Lemon meringue pie.  Buttery notes and oily mouthfeel.  Long finish.

Thoughts:  This is an end-of-the-night kinda dram.  An absolute sandblasting of the taste buds.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Nikka Taketsuru 21 y.o. Review

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Nikka Taketsuru 21 y.o.070

43% abv

Score:  88/100

 

Been a little bit since we shared notes on a malt from the little island nation.  Japanese whisky is increasingly becoming de rigueur, with opinion leaning heavily in favour, prices soaring and collectors foaming at the mouth for special releases.

This one is not a single malt, but a pure malt…or is it a vatted malt…no, wait…a blended malt.  Oh, whatever.  Let’s just go with what’s on the label.  ‘Pure malt’ it is.  In reality, this is a vatting of single malts from Japanese distilleries (of which, there are certainly not a plethora), with no grain whiskies weakening the impact or diluting the character.  The distilleries?  Not sure, but…Nikka owns two of the eight or ten operational distilleries in Japan, so let’s assume this is a marriage from their two interests: Yoichi and Miyagikyo.  (Ahhhh…Wikipedia…where would we be without you?)

The name ‘Taketsuru’, if you’re curious, is a tribute to the late Masataka Taketsuru, founder of the Nikka distiller and father of the Japanese whisky industry.  Taketsuru combined his bent for chemistry and love of whisky to blaze the trails for what has become arguably the world’s most burgeoning whisky scene.  After studying the art of distillation (and, of course, all other facets of the whisky making process) with the masters in Scotland, he returned to Japan and firmly cemented his place in world whisky lore.

This 21 year old dram was tasted blind recently in a mixed flight of other whiskies.  And no…I could not tell it was Japanese.  Tasting notes, score and thoughts were recorded before the ‘reveal’.  Here you have it…

Nose:  Big sherried nose.  And a very nice one, I might add.  Touch of coal smoke.  Orange marmalade.  Jammy, fruity sherry notes.  A little bit of tea.  Scones with black currants and jam.  Some decent vanilla notes.  Mild spices, in the vein of cinnamon and such.  Dark, earthy and leathery.  Slightly savoury.

Palate:  A wee bit too gentle on arrival.  Ok…a lot bit too gentle.  Pleasant, but kinda like driving a Ferrari and not taking it past 60mph.  The flavours of old whisky.  Deep fruits and a quick note of florals.  Maybe some tart ripe plum (skin and all) and plum sauce.  Chocolate.  Perhaps a touch of smoke again.  Hoisin-like savoury-ness.

Thoughts:  Tasted blind.  Immediately apparent it was a bit of a sherry bomb.  Not so apparent it was a blended malt (utterly seamless, as to be expected).  I initially guessed it at about 20 years old, but certainly did not peg this as Japanese.  All in all…a very well-made whisky.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Balblair Vintage 1989 Review

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Balblair Vintage 1989061

46% abv

Score:  88.5/100

 

I’ve tasted a few, but this is actually the first Balblair written up for the site.  And a good thing it ended up being this one too.  The younger expressions I’ve tried so far have not done much for me, so why not get the party started with one that does turn my crank?

Perhaps it’s just a little bit of dust on the bottle (or cask?) that this Highland distillery needs in order for me to really cotton to it.  And by that I mean maturity of contents, not simply having sat on a shelf for some interminable period.  Or maybe it’s just that this is a particularly fine vintage.  Either way, this 1989 Balblair is really good dram.  A perfect example of what happens when a nice clean spirit run meets good – and none too rambunctious – wood.  The end result is an elegant ‘any time of day’ sort of whisky.  Light, easy drinking and very clean.  As this was tasted blind, I wondered initially whether or not this might be a very naked older Auchentoshan. 

This Balblair was distilled in ’89 and bottled in ’12, effectively making it a 22 or 23 year old, depending on actual dates.  Either way…mature and plucked from the barrel at a great time.  Not much more to say. 

Nose:  Immediately love the profile here.  A light latex paint kind of top note and the smells of older casks and slightly dusty wood (very nice!).  Bread dough.  Creamy custard.  Vanilla and ginger.  Sugar cookies.  Some jam, and maybe a hint of orange and cherry.  Faint smoke (just from cask charring, perhaps?).  A touch of florals.  Lots of clean cask, spicy notes.  Very nice overall.

Palate:  Fruit skins.  Toasted marshmallow.  Vanilla and cinnamon (from a clean bourbon barrel?).  Somewhat drying and almost tannic as it fully develops.  Nice mix of fruity notes:  orange peel, apple and something a little more bland…faint pear, maybe?

Thoughts:  Tasted blind.  I guessed there was some age on this one.  Around 20, I thought (and it seems to be either a 22 or 23 year old, as mentioned).  I also thought this was likely at cask strength.  Wrong there, but it is at a respectable 46%.  I should note…there is more going on on the nose than the palate, unfortunately, but it is a good dram nevertheless.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Mortlach Rare Old Review

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Mortlach Rare Old083

43.4% abv

Score:  84.5/100

 

Diageo has really thrown down the gauntlet with this year’s rebranding of the Mortlach range.  Their challenge, it would seem, is against all reason and common sense.  Sounds like a harsh criticism, I know.  But as many of you will be well aware, what they’ve done, in essence, is (seemingly) arbitrarily premiumized a brand that has never – up ’til now – been known as a premium whisky.  In fact…until the last decade or so, it was almost exclusively a blending whisky, only really ever seen as a single malt in independent bottlings.

So how did they do it?  The answer is…through silence.  They haven’t spoken up to justify the outrageous new pricing strategy.  They haven’t explained the use of ‘rare’ in their naming conventions (considering the distillery’s capacity is nearly three million litres per annum).  The haven’t told us why they’re leaning to 50cl (500ml) bottles in most markets (and dumb, perfume-esque ones, at that).  And most importantly, they haven’t told us what changed to suddenly warrant escalating this distillery into the ‘premium’ whisky category.

Let’s be blunt.  I want to hate the new Mortlach.  If not for all I just said, then at least for being yet another brand leading the foray into the whole NAS camp and cost-jacking the consumer, while blurring the lines of trust between producer and consumer.  And I do hate them for all of this.  At the same time, it is simply foolish to not concede that the whisky is actually quite decent.  Or this particular one is, at least. 

Mortlach Rare Old is the ‘entry level’ expression in the new range.  ‘Entry level’ being relative, as it will run you over $100 in local markets (Canada).  From here things get even more ludicrous in terms of price positioning and assumed value.  As of now, I’ve yet to experience the entire new ‘core’ range from Mortlach, but irrespective of hijinx and shenanigans, I am still curious to do so. 

I will never get behind the concepts employed here (the same malarkey embraced by Dalmore, Macallan, etc), but at the end of the day, good whisky is good whisky, and needs to be assessed as such.  Is the Mortlach Rare Old great?  Nope.  Is it good?  Absolutely.  While I remain skeptical of the both the ‘rare’ and ‘old’ descriptors in the appellation of this one, I am at least pleased to say that the malt itself is much better than my early preconceptions allowed me to fathom.

Nose:  Little bit of apple and pear…and orange.  Touch of pepper.  Notes of cranberry, in its slight tartness.  Very nice clean oak.  Ginger and cinnamon.  Vanilla custard.  A sweet ju-jube kind of candy note.  Vague hint of banana.  There’s something like wet rock here too.  Not quite flinty, but…not sure.  Not unpleasant though.

Palate:  Wood.  Delivery is a lot more restrained than the nose belies, but is pleasant enough, if a little one-dimensional up front.  Apple skins.  Gentle cherry candy notes.  Faint fennel.  Cinnamon raisin cookies.  Hmmm…maybe leather?

Thoughts:  Tasted blind.  I said maybe a mid-ager (12-15 years).  Said it seemed Speyside-ish in the vein of ‘Livet or ‘Fiddich, but with a litte more personality.  After the reveal, I admitted that I’d never have pegged this as a Mortlach.  Seems devoid of all the meatier notes I associate with the distillery.  Good, solid dram either way, though could definitely benefit from a couple extra abv percentage points.  Also…while I concede it’s a decent malt (proven by blind tasting), it was somewhat disappointing to find out this was Mortlach.  Lacks all the character I previously loved in the distillery.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Bowmore Laimrig (Batch 3) Review

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Bowmore Laimrig (Batch 3)036

53.7% abv

Score:  91/100

 

Each time I sit down with a glass ( or two) of this malt I feel like I’m making a big mistake.  Like I should maybe be putting away a few extra bottles for that proverbial rainy day.  I think we’re all familiar with the old parable about the grasshopper and the ant, right?

With the current state of the whisky world being what it is (soaring costs, dipping ages and a steady veering towards no age statement malts) I fear it really is only a matter of time until the ’15’ disappears from the label of this expression.  Or further, that the Laimrig disappears altogether.  Let’s hope I’m wrong on that one, but I think either way it’s time to shelve a few bottles for future days.

Laimrig is a revelation.  A sub $100 release that simply outperforms anything comparable on the market.  Its appeal (at least for me) lies in the intricacies of the marriage of sweet and smoke, and how beautifully it manages to integrate these pieces into such a harmonious whole.  The three main factors at play here are peat + sherry + age.  The smokiness though, for any who may be concerned they may not be peat-conditioned enough for this one, is restrained enough to sit behind the syrupy fruit notes, creating a very broadly appealing dram.  I’ve yet to pour one for someone and have them not like it.  And finally… probably the single greatest asset working in favour of Laimrig is a return to a fruitier style of Bowmore.  This profile is far preferable to the more floral Bowmore we’ve been privy to for the past several years.  Absolutely a move in the right direction for this distillery.

Undoubtedly my favorite  under-20 y.o. whisky out there.

Nose:  Grape juice.  Smoke.  Deep jammy notes and berry coulis.  Well-oiled leather.  Sea spray.  A touch of grapefruit.  Ash and iodine.  Devil’s food cake and cherry pie filling.  Apples and apple skins.  A little bit of rubber.  A savoury, slightly meaty note.

Palate:  Deep, deep threads of smoked dark tree fruits.  Lush and juicy.  Smoky and hinting at a Fisherman’s Friend kind of medicinal edge.  Plum sauce and some dark gooey Asian sauces (hoisin?).  Apple skins and soggy wood.  Oil.  Viscous and rich.

Thoughts:  I adore this whisky.  Slightly different than previous ones I’ve tried, but equally awesome.  A little more on woods and less on fruits, I think, if I had to put my finger on it.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Bruichladdich X4+3 Review

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Bruichladdich X4+3 091

63.5% abv

Score:  82.5/100

 

This is gonna be a hit or miss malt for many, I can imagine.  It simply does not boast a profile that falls in line with most preconceptions of Scotch whisky.  Actually, I’ll go a step or two further and say that this is one of the oddest whiskies I’ve ever tasted.

Imagine mixing young Scotch, old Canadian whisky and citrus-scented cleaning products or polish.  That’s about as close to the profile as I can articulate before we get to actual tasting notes.  For those of you out there with one eyebrow cocked in cynical questioning…relax.  Irrespective of where your mind initially takes you with the above descriptors, rest assured that this is actually a pretty decent whisky.  Albeit very young and aggressive.

X4+3 is Bruichladdich’s infamous X4 spirit (read: quadruple distilled Bruichladdich) that has napped for a brief three years (hence the ‘+3’ in its appellation) in very active barrels.  And I mean VERY active.  The flavour notes imparted by the cask are kinda like a high note held on a very tightly strung instrument.  Struck and left to resonate at an incredible pitch for a very long time.  The abv here, and Bruichladdich’s wonderful adherence to the practice of foregoing chill filtration, ensures this one will be clinging to your teeth and tastebuds for hours after sipping.

As one might expect, an incredibly pure spirit maturing in new vibrant wood means an end product that is razor sharp.  Don’t come into this one expecting a mellow, wizened old dram.  This is meant to be approached as an anomaly in the whisky world.  This is Jim McEwan being Jim McEwan and having a bit of fun in the halls of his Wonka-esque laboratory.  Having said that…it is still infinitely sippable, and very, very sweet.

From the ledger of the good people at Bruichladdich:  “In 1695 Martin Martin, a Hebridean traveller wrote of an ancient powerful spirit, which translates from the Gaelic as “perilous whisky”. he was told by the natives: “one sip and you live forever; two sips and you go blind; three sips and you expire on the spot”. Humbly, and in the typical Bruichladdich spirit of adventure, we have re-created this legendary, quadruple-distilled blockbuster dram.”

Nose:  Incredibly clean, with lots of lemon and lots of vanilla.  Some orange, and definitely grapefruit.  Even pineapple.  Big woody notes (not dissimilar to a Canadian whisky…the old Alberta Premium releases, in particular).  Vanilla ice cream and orange creamsicle.  Chocolate, both milk and white.  Lemon coconut macaroons.  Pine Sol and an almost cut-spruce freshness.  Maybe even a vague hint of mint.  Softer than imagined, though, somehow.

Palate:  Oh wow.  What an arrival.  Enormous, and almost overwhelming.  Citrus fruit, rind and pith.  There’s a tartness and tang here I adore.  Grilled pineapple.  Again…25-30 year old rye (Alberta Premium!).  A lot of wood here.  Spice and sour ju-jubes.  Candied ginger.  Distilled fire.  A lot of syrupy texture.

Thoughts:  Certainly not everyone’s cup of tea (malt), but I kinda dig this profile.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Laphroaig Cairdeas – “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”

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Cairdeas.  A Gaelic word that means ‘friendship’.  The word itself, for those phonetically curious, is pronounced somewhere between ‘car-chess’ and ‘car-chase’ (depending on how thick the accent of the speaker is).  These annual releases from our good friends at Laphroaig were originally launched as an exclusive for that ever burgeoning group of peat geeks known as the ‘Friends Of Laphroaig’.  In recent years, Laphroaig has upped the outturn on these Cairdeas expressions, and they’re now quite readily available in most markets.

Through all of its various incarnations over the years, there’s one thing that has been fairly consistent with Cairdeas: the presentation of a strong natural whisky of high quality and character.  I honestly haven’t regretted buying a single one of  them.  These releases have been a mixed bag of ages and styles, but the Laphroaig profile (earthy, smoky, peaty, medicinal) has been omnipresent throughout.  The subtleties change, of course, but that familiar and homey style we all love remains intact. 

Highly recommended from this guy.

Now…before we get to the whisky…a quick toast…

This one is for all of the whisky folk out there (bloggers and writers and schillers, oh my!) who seem to have gotten just a little too friendly with the industry of late.  Perhaps it’s a testament to the wisdom of Sun-Tzu.  Hmmmm…wish I could believe that. 

 

Laphroaig Cairdeas Master Edition 2010025

57.3% abv

Score:  91.5/100

 

Nose:  This one has the softest nose among these four.  Reminds a little of Laphroaig 18, but jacked up a notch or two.  Smoke, of course.  And peat.  White pepper.  Ginger.  Soft green melon.  Key lime pie.  Green ju-jubes.  A fleeting glimpse of bubble gum.  Slightly minty.  A touch of clean oak.  Wee hint of rubber.

Palate:  Again…soft and beautiful.  Love the candy notes and gentle fruits.  Dry smoke leads into peat, then explodes in sweet notes.  Crisp green pear and MacIntosh apple skins.  Light (very light) orange juice and lemon notes.  The toasted crust of good creme brulee.

Thoughts:  Good balance of old and young.  Aging peat is a thing of beauty.   So much harmony between the nose and palate.  Apparently this is a mix of 11-19 year casks, and you can definitely see the influence of the older whiskies within.

 

Laphroaig Cairdeas Ileach Edition 2011019

50.5% abv

Score:  89/100

 

Nose:  Mint Leaves jelly candies.  Peat and earth.  Smoke, but it’s not quite as big as I’d normally expect.  Iodine.  Brine.  Dark soil.  Lemon rind.  Salt and pepper.  Creamy, soft mild cigar tobacco notes.  A touch of vanilla.  Soft white / green fruit.  Bread dough.

Palate:  Peppery, right off the bat.  Slightly drying too.  Fruit candy sweetness.  Smoke and wet rock.  Nutty, earthy notes.  Dry ginger.  Quite a sweet development throughout.  Wet ash.  Fresh lemon squeezed over oysters on the shell.

Thoughts:  Young-ish, but who cares?  Peat is a hell of a ride when offered up in its youth.  And there are definitely no flaws in the actual whisky here.  A great version from a much-loved distillery.

 

Laphroaig Cairdeas Origin 2012002

51.2% abv

Score:  88.5/100

 

Nose:  Smoke and a very coastal iodine tang.  Salty dough.  Organic, peaty notes.  Damp ash (a fire put out with saltwater!).  Dusty, old wood (maybe dunnage?).  A faint note of peppered greens.  Fresh dill.  Dirt.  Soft caramel notes.   Seems slightly older than the 2011 edition.

Palate:  Pepper leads (with some salty / briny notes as well).  Apple.  Smoked shellfish.  A fair bit of rubber.  Smoked grains.  Licorice or fennel.  More of that peppery bite again.  Ginger.  Dirt and wet rocks.  A mouthful of ocean water.

Thoughts:  I initially fell in love with this one while at the distillery in late 2012.  Happy to report we’re still in love.  It was a treat when this release landed on Canadian shores last year.  I immediately snapped some up.

 

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2014003

51.4% abv

Score:  89/100

 

Nose:  Slightly farmy.  Warm saddle.  Hay and horse blanket.  Zesty…almost savoury (tomato sauce-ish).  Big, clouds of smoke, but very much dampened by the sweetness of the sherry influence.  Peat.  Cinnamon, pepper and ginger.  Notes of good marmalade.

Palate:  Rubber.  Yep.  A fairly hefty amount of smoke and warm rubber.  An odd oregano-like note.  Kinda flinty.  Very dirty Laphroaig (in other words: awesome).  Medicinal notes.  Play dough.  Granny Smith apple.  Quite earthy.  Deep spice, almost chili-esque.  Surprisingly savoury overall.

Thoughts:  Peat and sweet.  Love the marriage of mighty Laphroaig and soft sherry.  This is a heck of a dram.  Wish I knew the age on it. 

 

– Images & Words:  Curt

Aberlour a’bunadh (Batch 47) Review

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Aberlour a’bunadh (Batch 47)010

60.7% abv

Score:  88.5/100

 

A’bunadh is my ‘slipper’ malt.  When I’m cold…this is what I curl up with.  When I have a cold…this is what soothes.  When I’ve had a shitty day and am just hoping for comfort and familiarity…this is where I turn.  When I’m simply craving a damn good ‘suits any occasion’ kind of whisky…this is nearly always the one I turn to.  It’s as comfortable and welcome as the best pair of soft worn-in slippers.  Honestly. 

I recall an incident that happened in the dead of winter a  few years back while I was on my way home from work.  My bus had been slipping and sliding all over the roads in an absolutely horrendous blizzard.  It finally gave up the ghost on a hill about eight or ten blocks from my house, slipping back in the slush and muck to rest horizonally across both lanes, effectively blocking the entire street.  It was dinner time, almost dead-of-night dark and the snow was flying in thick sheets; creating a virtual wall of snow.  The driver opened the doors and offered to let us walk if we preferred, so as not to wait for a tow (nice fella, that one).  Indeterminate wait for the possibility of rescue vs the frigid December hoolie.  What would you choose? 

Well…that 15 minute walk in -25C weather…in snow up to my knees…in dress shoes and good clothes…was one of the most miserable experiences of my entire life.  Interestingly enough though, what lingers more than the memory of numb extremities, frozen eyelashes and aching ears, is the thought of finally trudging up my drive, shaking off the snow on the front steps and heading straight for the front of the fire place with a Glencairn glass half full of a’bunadh.  Canadian winters.  Beautiful misery.

By now a’bunadh should be no mystery to most of you.   If it is, however, please browse some of the previous reviews here on the site.  Suffice it to say, this is a big and bruising cask strength Oloroso sherry bomb.  Small-batch released.  Almost always incredible.  And…a personal favorite.  After a less than stellar Batch 46, it’s nice to see Aberlour back on top with this Batch 47.

Nose:  Moist cigar, or maybe a walk-in humidor. Cherry liqueur.  Mincemeat tarts.  Some shortbread behind all of the spices and savoury notes.  Cinnamon bun dough.  A very pleasant toasted (almost burnt) marshmallow note.  The wood is a little louder than expected.  Brings a little more complexity, and ‘seriousness’ than I expect in the rowdy a’bunadh (if that makes sense).  No shoddy casks buried in here.

Palate:  Beautiful sweet, caramel fruity delivery.  Deep, dark dried fruits.  Orange zest.   Dark caramel.  Roman nougat.  Maraschino.  Toasted pie crust.  Baked apples with cinnamon and nutmeg.  Brown sugar.  Fruit cake.  Figs.  Charred woods.  Apple skins.  Leather.  And FRUIT leather.

Thoughts:  Great balance here.  Nice sweet ride all the way through.  There is plenty of this batch still available on the shelves locally (Calgary) for those who are interested.  I’ll be nabbing another, as mine is now down to the bottom half a bottle.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt