Category Archives: Whisky Reviews & Tasting Notes

Kilchoman Inaugural Release Review

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Kilchoman Inaugural Release

46% abv

Score:  88.5/100

 

Here it is.  After much anticipation, the first official whisky produced from Islay’s youngest distillery, Kilchoman.  Gotta be honest too…this is a one-in-a-million success story.  The distillery, that is, not just this expression.  Kilchoman have managed to develop a sweet and unique whisky, the likes of which some distilleries with much more age to their credit are still struggling to come to terms with.

Is it perfect?  Of course not.  No whisky is.  Without question though, I can attest that even at three years old, this is a dram to be reckoned with.  I can’t wait to try this as a 12 year old malt in a few years.

The nose is scrappy and chock full of win.  Sort of a Rocky Balboa fighting spirit from this underdog distillery.  Licorice, iodine, citrus zest, raw smoke and earthy peat lead the charge.  There is a brininess reminiscent of capers and bonfire and maple bacon as well.

Drinking the stuff reveals salt and smoke in healthy doses (which works well, as I healthily dosed myself in Kilchoman!) with cracked black pepper.  Certainly a young and bracing delivery, but offset nicely with some sweetness.  The fade is all crunchy Granny Smith apple and smoke.  Warm and long lasting.

This really is a damn good whisky.  In fact, better than nearly all of the really young malts (under 5 y.o., that is) I’ve tried.  More than holds up to the hype that built early, and promises a very…very bright future.

Perhaps an extra point for being so bloody good at such a young age.  Remarkable.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Caol Ila Natural Cask Strength Review

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Caol Ila Natural Cask Strength

61.6% abv

Score:  91/100

 

On the windswept and storm battered shores of Islay a small peat fire smolders near the treeline.  The Sound of Islay smashes the rocky coasts of Islay and Jura, yet neither rain nor salty sea spray can douse this flame.  A quaich is passed around the fire from person to person.  The warming uisge beatha being sipped from the vessel, named for the rushing torrent which passes between the islands, is ‘Caol Ila’.
Are we on the same page now?
This whisky is quite simply one of the truest expressions of the Islay malt I have ever come across.  Intricate…delicate…immediately identifiable and ferociously intense.  The most challenging thing about this whisky is that even at cask strength of 61.6% abv, it retains that signature Caol Ila delicacy.

My initial impressions on the nose were how subtle this was.  On first pour I honestly could not believe this was over 60%.  The complex delivery of pepper and coffee, malted toffee and chocolate, iodine, salt and citrus is sallied forth on a bed of gorgeous peat smoke.  Discerning these notes takes time and patience in allowing the whisky to breathe.  The intensity slowly builds in the glass until finally it runs over, allowing hints as to just how immense this is.

Slow olfactory development aside, it absolutely explodes on the palate.  Now this is more along the lines of what I expected from an Islay malt at full volume.  This is like gargling diamonds; the utmost beauty but sharp enough to cut glass.  The flavors arrive in tendrils that tickle at the back of your throat before tickling your mind, all the while working to foil attempts at dissection.  Hints of smoked and salted beef…lemon pepper cedar-smoked fish…chocolate with chili pepper…iodine and peat smoke.  There’s a slightly malty edge too.

The finish is stunning, really.  Like nothing I’ve tried.  There are notes that make me think of a dawn fire, lingering with a beautiful burn and fading in a cherry citric barley denouement.

The sheer immensity of this one is mindblowing.  Something akin to pouring salt water over a peat fire to extinguish the flames.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Amrut Fusion Review

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Amrut Fusion

50% abv

Score:  91.5/100

 

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…

No, I’m not sleeping.  All of the adjectives I need for this dram are ‘Z’s.  The Fusion is mindblowing.  (Okay…that one didn’t need a ‘Z’).  This whisky is zingy, zippy and zesty.  I can’t remember being so taken aback by a whisky before this one.

Ever had pop rocks?  Y’know…those fizzy little candies that hiss and tingle and pop on your tongue.  No?

Okay.  Let’s try another approach…

Remember your first orgasm?  That ‘holy hell…what was that?!‘ moment at 12 or 13 when you discovered…well…anyway…you know what I mean.

Can you imagine a whisky that packs that kind of surprise?  That is Fusion.

This deep orange drink is bottled at a hefty 50% abv (hell yeah, Amrut!).  It is the biggest 50%’er I’ve ever tried.  Bold and unique.  Quirky and surprising.  It will surprise your nose and tickle your tongue, literally leaving you with that wonderful anesthetic feeling (numb lips).

The individual notes are not hinted at, but all step up to take their turn at the forefront.  Peat, chocolate, spice (cloves), orange zest (think Grand Marnier), smoked meat (salami?), rum and sherry.  Wow.  The harmony and balance of all of these is magical.

So many ‘fused’ flavors competing for your nose/palate.

Chocolate and spice continue to vie through the finish, which lingers long and warm.  Many, many minutes later as it finally began to fade, I was left with bitter green fruit and a bit of oak.

Amrut Fusion is so surprising, it will make you doubt what you have just tasted and want another glass.   Stunning.  Or should I say…’ztunning’.

I should note…though the Amrut distillery was founded in 1948, it has only been recently that their whiskies have exploded on the world stage.  I truly can not wait to see what comes next for Indian whisky.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Laphroaig Quarter Cask Review

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Laphroaig Quarter Cask

48% abv

Score:  89.5/100

Another monster from the bog.  Laphroaig has done something different here.  In order to replicate whisky distillation and maturation from the days of old, the craftsmen at Laphroaig have finished this whisky in smaller casks to allow greater wood/whisky contact.  The Quarter Cask is aged to about 5 years in bourbon casks before the transfer.

The QC is the ultimate in successful whisky experiment and innovation.  There is simply nothing to rival this.

As you’d expect nothing less from Laphroaig, this is a bottle full of smoke.  Heavy peat, yet smooth beyond its age.  Seems a little raw around the edges as it lacks that certain sweetness you find in some some of the other Islays.  Big fat arrival…long development…finish that lingers almost as long as the beautiful aroma.

This is all smoke (no mirrors, thankfully).  The real deal.  Heavy and lingering.  Massive arrival that develops into something with a bit of heat and…I know, I know…dirt.  Very earthy.  I think I’m getting a touch of anise in there as well.  Typical young peat citric notes are a little buried (surprisingly) by smoke, but present nevertheless.

Definitely a winter whisky, but one that will have you thinking of summer bonfires.  Very raw and overpowering…in a good way.  I can promise you that the smell of this whisky will still be blanketing the room long after your glass is empty.

At ~$50 a bottle, and a brilliant bottling at 48% abv, this is definitely one to snag a couple bottles of if the opportunity presents itself.  One helluva Christmas gift idea too.

         

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Maker’s Mark Review

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Maker’s Mark

45% abv

 Score:  85.5/100

 

Bourbon is a different beast entirely. For those that read my jottings and ramblings, you will no doubt notice that bourbon is far from my mainstay. I appreciate it. I drink it. I occasionally even crave it (is that the sign of a problem?). Nine times out of ten however, I’m probably going to reach for that scotch bottle instead.

Perhaps this is driven by an appreciation for what age can do to whisky (what with most bourbon being younger than most scotch), or perhaps it is simply a bias to pure grains over corn and rye in my glass. Who knows.

Irrespective…it is hard for one, no matter personal bias, to not respect what Maker’s have crafted.

On to the drink at hand: Maker’s Mark. Standard red seal. Age: Anywhere from 6 to 7 ½ years. This age variation will depend upon how climate has stunted or accelerated growth in the warm Southern state of Kentucky. Casks are rotated in the warehouses, periodically checked and bottled according to ‘ripeness’. We, the lucky shopper shelling out our dollars, are then presented with a bourbon in all its youthful charming glory. Bold and fruity. Sweet and spicy.

The nose is dominated by honeyed fruit, corn and oak. Rich cherry spice and creamy dessert notes are carried with a hint of toffee and vanilla. Mild cacao and wax (think Cherry lip balm) as well. Just a hint, fleeting, of something sharp and green.

The palate is defined by lively oak carrying vanilla and spices. A hint of mint and honeyed grains and cherry round it out, while the finish is corn/grain and oaked cherry.

Maker’s is charming as hell. A Southern Belle that is at once unique and comfortably rooted in the tradition of bourbon. Love the big fruit. Love the integration of spice and wood and how the vanilla tempers everything so beautifully. Deserves a spot in any whisky cabinet, methinks.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Pat at www.standstillphotography.ca

Laphroaig 30 y.o. Review

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Laphroaig 30 y.o.30

43% abv

Score:  93.5/100

 

Wow. What a marriage. Simply brilliant interaction between oak and spirit. Here we have a whisky showing young and vibrant notes of every fruit under the rainbow, while at the same time purposefully striding with elegance and grace though the decades.

Tasted twice now in Laphroaig vertical tastings, my initial impressions have been cemented into bona fide opinion (not worth much, I know). Even after a few younger cask-strength expressions in those line-ups, this one wowed the socks off all present.

Picking fruits off the nose here is like shooting fish in a barrel. It is simply too easy. I believe one of The Collective even said something along the lines of ‘everything but mango’. Interestingly enough, blueberries dominate. I don’t believe I’ve ever encountered that before. Other big ‘uns…peach, melon and typically peaty citrus.

Wood influence is forefront. Mature and dusty, waxy and smoky. This is mellow and fruit-rich. Hints of tar and rubber are held at bay by the myriad of fruit. I kid you not…this is like a lightly smoked and salted fruit basket. Someone also mentioned maple, and yeah…kinda. The funny thing is though, the nose keeps changing. Somewhat like a reverberating beat that lets one note take the forefront for a moment or two before receding to allow the next to step forward.

The delivery is fresh home baked breads, caramelized fruit and soft creamy smoke. Clinging and utterly heartbreaking when it fades. One could get lost in this whisky. I only ask for the opportunity to try.

43%. Sigh. Oh…to have this at cask strength…

There are countless gems in the Laphroaig range, but here is the Hope Diamond. Sans curse, of course.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Laphroaig 25 y.o. Cask Strength (2009 Edition) Review

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Laphroaig 25 y.o. Cask Strength (2009 Edition)125

51% abv

Score:  92.5/100

 

By no means can Laphroaig be considered a subtle dram. Its reputation as one of the most defining and polarizing single malts in existence is not without merit. Even the more readily available expressions in the Laphroaig line-up (Quarter Cask and 10 year old) are enough to have some swooning and some bolting. Taking this self-same malt from the isle of Islay up to cask strength (51% abv) only helps to reinforce this characteristic might.

But then again…who needs subtlety? There are enough bland and homogenized whiskies bending the shelves worldwide. Whiskies such as this, with its profoundly jagged and flavor-filled profile, should be embraced and, when the occasion calls for it, revered. There is just no way around it. This is an enormously aggressive whisky.

Nose:  Smoke, licorice and peppered greens. Some lime, mild chocolate and fresh tropical fruit. Sweet unidentifiable fruits carried over, I’m sure, from the Oloroso cask. Dry grainy/cereal notes come through as it opens up and the initial bite retreats a little. There is also a wee bit of caramel adding some smooth sweetness. Tack on the typical Islay profile notes of peat, fishiness and iodine and you pretty much have what I’m getting on this one. Quite a busy one.

Palate:  There is a peppery bite on first sips. An odd and fleeting hint of red licorice as it first crosses the palate. The caramel notes absolutely do not carry over to the palate, however the chocolate does, and carries a hint of honey. A great delicious briny tang puts down roots as well.

Thoughts:  Not a lot one could drink after this in a sitting. Most likely a malt you want to close your evening with.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Port Charlotte PC5 Review

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Port Charlotte PC5

63.5 % abv

Score: 92/100

 

Here it is.  This is where the legacy begins.  Though the Port Charlotte distillery is still (at the time of writing) a far off dream, Bruichladdich has been distilling an enormous, heavily-peated dram under the name of Port Charlotte for a few years now.  The first release, at five years old, is quite logically called PC5.  In this, its youngest incarnation, it shows a little more of the naked new-make spirit than in its successors.  This is quite enlightening for the Port Charlotte enthusiast, as even by the following 6 year old release (yep…PC6), it has moved a decent way along the path to maturity.

I won’t delve too deeply into the history of the Port Charlotte distillery here, so hopefully a few quick details will suffice.   It was originally in operation under the name Lochindaal Distillery, so titled for the loch on whose rocky shores is nestled the wonderful homey little village of Port Charlotte.  Sadly, in 1929, during the zealous age of prohibition, the distillery was closed.  Now…more than 80 years on, plans are on the backburner for the fine folk at Bruichladdich to pull a Willy Wonka and re-open this magic factory.

The logical first question would be, “well…will this be the same whisky as that produced on this site generations ago?”  The answer is a resounding…”we don’t really know”.  The last known bottle of malt from the Lochindaal Distillery became memory almost 50 years ago.

Regardless…where that questions remains unanswered, the follow-up, “is this new Port Charlotte any good?” is an easy one to address.

The answer is yes.  Quite simply, this is bloody brilliant whisky.  Unlike any other and certainly not soon to be forgotten.  Reviews of PC5 through PC8 will all be posted in the coming days, so do have a read to follow this whisky through maturation, but in the meantime let’s get back to the bottle at hand.

Make no mistake, this is a young whisky.  It is sharp and jagged, rough and tough.  It bears a little more fruit and seems slightly less buttery than its elder siblings, but certainly still carries the Bruichladdich signature.

The nose is explosive and overstuffed to near-bursting.  Don’t get too close here…you’ll burn out your senses with too deep a first sniff.  Its heavy handed billows of peat and smoke are met with the aggression of black licorice and a green thistle bite.  As I said, you’ll likely still be able to pick up traces of the new-make character (if you’ve ever sampled new-make) and a vibrant fruitiness, both of which mellow in subsequent releases.  Light dollops of chocolate and a bit of apple round this out in a smoother manor.

The palate is prickly as hell.  Baby steps…small sips encouraged.  Here you’ll get (or I did anyway) some tarry notes, sharp greens and a bit of buttery caramel.  Wow, is this big!  The lingering notes that finish this one are typical of the big bold peated Islay malts…tart green apple skins.  Smoked apple skins, that is.

Surprisingly I find this one has some similarity to cask strength Caol Ila, moreso than its Bruichladdich brethren.  Odd.  Finally, in terms of balance, this isn’t quite as stable as PC6, PC7 or PC8, but please do NOT take that as a criticism.  Balance is not the be all, end all.  This one is probably second only to the PC6 in my books.

Can hardly wait to try this at older vintages.  If you can still find it…BUY IT.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Compass Box Spice Tree Review

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Compass Box Spice Tree

46% abv

Score:  91/100

 

An interesting tale, this one.  Compass Box originally released “The Spice Tree” back in 2005, to what I understand was considerable critical acclaim.  A messy little ado rose with the SWA (Scotch Whisky Association) over the method of maturation, and in turn ended in “The Spice Tree” being deemed ‘illegal’ by SWA standards.  Fast forward a couple of years, technical snafu worked out satisfactorily to all parties, and voila…the re-emergence of a truly enjoyable vatted malt.

Damn.  What a neat little product Compass Box has put together.  A celebration of true whisky production evident in the lack of chill-filtration or artificial coloring.  Brilliantly bottled at a healthy 46% as well.  The whisky itself is a lovely rich golden amber color with thick legs if you give it a gentle swirl in the glass.  Oily and rich to the eye as well as the palate.

First thing to hit the nose is a big spicy sweetness.  Something sort of zesty…perhaps orange rind…a little more tart than the fruit itself.  This is tempered by a bit of vanilla and smoke.  A swish over the palate brings that sweetness right up front and compliments it with some spice and malt.  You’ll find a big oak nuttiness to it, soft vanilla edges and a charred roasted marshmallow flavor.  A little peat smoke rounds out the back.  The finish is long and warming.  “The Spice Tree” is a bit heavier than the other Compass Box products I’ve tried thus far.  This is a good thing.

This whisky, like most in the Compass Box line, sports such a unique profile that it is quite difficult to predict the extent of its appeal, as it is somewhat challenging to draw parallels to other whiskies.  If the opportunity presents itself, do try, and let me know what you think.

Though “The Spice Tree” likely won’t hit the Canadian market for several months, we were fortunate enough to sample it at a recent tasting hosted by Compass Box’s John Glaser.  I fear the price point on this one will put it out of reach for many (just a speculation), but I personally will anxiously be awaiting word on a Canadian release date.

Nice work, Compass Box.

         

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Pat at www.standstillphotography.ca

Port Ellen 1979 (OMC) Cask # 3081 Review

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Port Ellen 1979 (OMC) Cask # 3081

50% abv

Score:  83/100

 

Hm.  What to make of this one.

First things first…I want to know who the hell thought it was a good idea to put Port Ellen in a rum cask.  Seriously.  One of my favorite distilleries (albeit no longer with us) meets one of my least favorites spirits.  As a relative scotch purist, this is one of the most overt blasphemies and bastardizations of a damn near sainted malt I have ever encountered.

Thankfully the rum notes that dominate the nose are nearly invisible across the palate.  (Remember…as we’ve said before…the nose picks up much more than the taste buds ever will).  So, the question is…does the odd nose profile, courtesy of the rum influence, manage to kill this whisky?  Fortunately…no.  I think though, it may have been a battle to the death, with the Islay contender eking a victory out at heavy cost to personal well-being.

What this Old Malt Cask offering gives us is a nose full of wet rubber bands and glue.  Characteristics I find in most aged rums I’ve tried.  The slightly uncorfortable icing on this sweet desert is a fishy and oily tinged layer of briny Islay familiarity.  The smoke and peat has mellowed gracefully by this age, but the fruits that would normally start to assert themselves are being held back by the other, odder notes.  To be honest, this borders on unpleasant, but there are some pleasant notes that work as a saving grace.

As mentioned a couple paragraphs back, the palate is surprisingly bereft of this synthetic olfactory experience.  Here we can see the Port Ellen we love.  It is tarry and rubbery.  Salted cooked greens and lemon pepper at the fore.  A lovely lingering affair that shows little to non of the rum influence.

The maltmonster hooked me up with this one (though he hates these mentions…there is a reason here).  Being as averse to the cane juice as I am, he actually apologized for passing this over.  Though half in jest, I couldn’t help but think he feels as I do.  Keep that sugary distillate away from the nectar of Islay.

Interestingly enough…a while back I tasted a rum that had been matured (or at least finished) in a former Laphroaig cask.  The results were an abomination.  Here we see the effects of reversing the process, and maturing a whisky in a rum cask.  While not an offence to the senses as the rum was, this is not quite the success that may have been hoped for.  Neat to note that both developed a somewhat artificial note to them.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Pat