Category Archives: Whisky Reviews & Tasting Notes

Maker’s Mark – The Charm of a Southern Belle

The Charm of a Southern Belle

Deep in the heart of Kentucky, on the banks of Hardin’s Creek, there rests a tiny little burg called Loretto. Aside from downhome charm and quaint Southern beauty, this Marion County ‘city’ offers the world something equally full of heart and character.

That something is Maker’s Mark bourbon.

At once steeped in tradition and forging new paths, the Maker’s distillery is a veritable treasure in the American whiskey scene. The distillery has been producing in its current incarnation since 1954, though under other guises production on site began as early as 1805.

The bourbon we know today is one of premium prestige and affordable approachability.

Maker’s characteristic sweetness, heft (45%) and spice have made it a household name globally, while the bourbon’s unique mashbill (70% corn, 16% red winter wheat and 14% malted barley) allows us a drink that sparkles like a gem in the formidable gold setting that comprises the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

The classy addition of the red wax dipped neck makes this a bourbon sans compare.

One final personal bias I have to add…any bourbon known as a ‘whisky’ and not a ‘whiskey’, for some inexplicable reason, also scores an extra point or two from this guy.

Maker’s Mark – New Make Spirit

Details: Clear as a virgin’s conscience. ABV unknown. AKA ‘white dog’ as American new-make spirit.

Nose: Big raw grains and orchard fruit. Mild waxy notes. Somewhat plastic. Foot-like and alcoholic. Lacks the rich fruity dessert notes of mature Maker’s, but the shadow is there.

Palate: Cherry lip balm and grain liquor. Raw and footy. Definitely needs wood influence. The potential is barely recognizable (again…just hints). Finish is primarily corn.

Verdict: A little aggressive. Not in terms of alcoholic bite or anything, but in a somewhat cloying foot odor that is hard to get around. The spice, vanilla and fruit that so characterizes Maker’s Mark is obviously not here yet due to the lack of wood influence. There is something almost plastic-like in this ‘just off the still’ juice. Not for the faint-hearted.

Maker's Mark Original Red Seal

Maker’s Mark – Original Red Seal

Details: Aged between 6 and 7 ½ years. Rich honeyed-amber color.

Nose: Honeyed fruit. Corn and oak. Rich cherry spice and creamy dessert notes. Hint of toffee and vanilla. Mild Cacao. Wax (think lip balm). Just a hint, fleeting, of something sharp and green.

Palate: Oak carries vanilla and spices. Hint of mint. Honeyed grains and cherry. Finish is corn/grain and oaked cherry.

Verdict: Biggest fruity notes of all. Deep and mysterious. Charming as hell. The fruit marries oh so well with the spice and wood and the vanilla tempers everything beautifully. A must have in any whisky cabinet, methinks.

Maker's Mark 46

Maker’s Mark – 46

Details: Starts off as standard mature Maker’s Mark aged 6 to 7 ½ years. Seared oak staves are inserted into the cask to add a caramelized sugar depth before the cask is resealed to mature for a few months longer. The ‘46’ refers to the batch experiment that finally ‘made the cut’ so to speak.

Nose: Wax (lypsyl). More caramel and vanilla than standard Maker’s, and a touch less fruit. Healthy hint of maple. Fruity, but less cherry than I would expect from this distillery. Dusty corn. Vanilla and a mild nutmeg.

Palate: Spiced corn and youthful fruit. Fades into throbbing popcorn and fruit-tinged finish. Oak holds on a little too.

Verdict: Beautiful variant on the Maker’s Mark standard. Better? In terms of composition…perhaps a touch. In terms of enjoyment…hmmm…tough call. More mature and mellow anyway. Even a few more months in wood in the Kentucky clime allows for a more mature spirit.

Southern Beauty

– Notes: Curt

– Photos: Pat (www.standstillphotography.ca)

1972 Glendronach

2 Replies

TASTING OF TWO 1972 GLENDRONACH
CANADA & SWEDEN

In order to try a repair the rift that exists between Canada and Sweden over the 1994 Olympic games, after Sweden took the gold medal in hockey from us in an overtime shootout and then went on to make a postage stamp with the winning goal on it, I thought it would be appropriate, as sign of good faith, to do tasting notes in both official languages. Please excuse my heartfelt
attempt to translate these notes properly, as some of the meaning might be lost in the translation.

1972 CASK # 718 38 YEAR OLD 51.5% ABV BOTTLE # 313 OF 396
MARCH 2 1972 – JUNE 2010. OLOROSO SHERRY BUTT.

NOSE: Oranges. Varnish. Coffee bean and lavender. Raspberry. Burnt butter.

“Potatis, köttbullar, sill.”

TASTE: Dark chocolate. Bitter tannins. Black pepper and mint.

“Färgade smaksatt vodka.”

FINISH: Long and warming

“Längre än Tiger Woods marrigae löfte.”

ASSESSMENT: Good expression of Glendronach, but it’s hard to get past that one off note of varnish on the nose.

“Detta är bättre än Dolph Lundgren är en skådespelare och mindre störande än att sätta ihop Ikea-möbler.”

1972 CASK # 711 39 YEAR OLD ABV – CASK STRENGTH, ADVANCE SAMPLE FOR KENSGINGTON WINE MARKET. OLOROSO SHERRY BUTT.

NOSE: Fruit explosion. Pineapple, bananas, mango, melons, cherries and oranges. Cocoa and mint.

“Kål renar, inlagd sill.”

TASTE: Melons and prunes. Tannins from the sherry. Raisins, coffee and cinnamon.

“Färgade smaksatt vodka.”

FINISH: Long and fantastic. Begins creamy & spicy, then warms up and fades gently. Little briny at the back end.

“Ungefär lika länge som en Abba-musikalen.”

ASSESSMENT: Complex and balanced older sherry fruit bomb. What a nose! Would put this whisky right between the Black Bowmore and the Glenfarclas 40 year old.

“Detta är whisky att Sedin tvillingarna skulle ha firat med om de hade visat upp och spelade i sista matchen i Stanley Cup-finalen.”

– Sincerely, Maltmonster

ODE TO BLACK BOWMORE

4 Replies

ODE TO………………BLACK BOWMORE

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious whiskies of forgotten lore,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,

As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my liquor cabinet door.

“‘Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my liquor cabinet door

Only this, the famous Black Bowmore.”

To honor the famous Black Bowmore we gathered together again, the infamous gang of four, to taste this thing of lore.

Some of us have tried the Black Bowmore, along with the White Bowmore and the Gold Bowmore, but never have any of us tried all three together in a vertical tasting. We also had a chance, due to one generous sole in our infamous gang of four, to try some older, and equally as good, Bowmore.

So on a wet and dreary night in June we banded together to taste and ponder a few Bowmore and nothing more…

15 YEAR OLD MARINER SCREENPRINT LABLE 43% ABV BOTTLED
APPROXIMATELY 1994 2ND RELEASE OF THE 15 YEAR OLD

NOSE: Oranges and burnt toast. Marzipan. Fudge.

TASTE: Peat. Little fruit. Briny and creamy.

FINISH: Medium to long.

ASSESSMENT: Great expression of a younger Bowmore that was outstanding. Only wish the younger Bowmore of today could be as good.

21 YEAR OLD 43 % ABV PHASED OUT FOR THE 25 YEAR OLD

NOSE: Big old fat juicy peach. Strawberries and Cherries. Honey.

TASTE: Peach & cream in harmony. Buttery. Little mint.

FINISH: Medium. Wee bit a salt at the very end.

ASSESSMENT: Little peat or brine at this age.

25 YEAR OLD 43% ABV BLUE MOONLIGHT OVER BOWMORE & SEA
GULLS CERAMIC BOTTLE

NOSE: Light tropical fruit. Coffee and dark chocolate. Bit floral.

TASTE: Toffee. Licorice. Infused dark fruits. Pomegranates.

FINISH: Medium to long. Fades away nicely.

ASSESSMENT: Rich and complex drink.

30 YEAR OLD 43% ABV BLACK SEA DRAGON CERAMIC BOTTLE

NOSE: Tropical fruit, but less than the 25. Oranges, cherries, melons and apples. Oaky and maybe a bit of charcoal.

TASTE: Cherries and sherry cask imparted spice. Marzipan. Mint and dark chocolate.

FINISH: Medium to long. Brine arrives at the end.

ASSESSMENT: What a great bottle and great expression of a fruity Bowmore. I remember they had a hard time selling these for less than $200 in Calgary back in 2002, If I had only bought more.

34 YEAR OLD 1971 51% ABV BOTTLE # 761 OF 960

NOSE: Earthy. Coffee beans. Tobacco and dark chocolate.

TASTE: Nutmeg. Spicy sherry notes.

FINISH: Medium to long.

ASSESSMENT: Probably mixed one bad cask with a good one or two to hide it.

37 YEAR OLD 1968 43.3% ABV BOTTLE # 683 OF 708

NOSE: Tropical fruit explosion! Grapefruit & orange. Minty sweet Bourbon.

TASTE: Again you get pleasantly assaulted by the tropical fruit. Bananas. Little spice and Briny.

FINISH: Long. Absolutely no peat. Fades nicely with a little salt at the end.

ASSESSMENT: Nose is in the Black Bowmore range. Incredible whisky, was not prepared for how good this was.

42 YEAR OLD 1964 40.5% ABV BOTTLE # 668 OF 827 BLACK BOWMORE
BOTTLED 2007, 4TH AND FINAL RELEASE , VATTED FROM ONLY OLOROSO CASKS

NOSE: Fruit bomb! If you can think of the fruit, you can find it in this five alive fruit cocktail. Milk chocolate. Coffee bean.
Minty and little vanilla.

TASTE: Oranges & cherries. Dark chocolate. Licorice.

FINISH: Long and fades nicely with the memory of the nose.

ASSESSMENT: They state it was a vatting of Oloroso casks from 1964, but methinks that there is a possibility that maybe a bourbon cask was dumped into the sherry cask, as there is some sweet hints of vanilla. The wow factor maybe in order here. What a nose. This whisky could bring any rum child to instant conversion into a whisky man or woman.

43 YEAR OLD 1964 42.8% ABV BOTTLE # 673 OF 732 WHITE BOWMORE, BOTTLED 2008 , VATTING OF SIX BOURBON CASKS

NOSE: Tropical fruits, but much more subtle. Floral. Winey notes. Little oaky.

TASTE: Overwhelming amount of fruits. Vanilla. Oaky and dry.

FINISH: Long. Very smooth and enjoyable.

ASSESSMENT: Past its prime. Would have been better to bottle this a few years earlier.

44 YEAR OLD 1964 42.4% ABV BOTTLE # 156 OF 701 GOLD BOWMORE ,
BOTTLED 2009 , VATTING OF BOURBON AND ONE OLOROSO CASK

NOSE: Melons, cherries and oranges. Vanilla. Touch of smoke.

TASTE: Complex. Nutmeg and sharp ginger.

FINISH: Medium to long. Brine shows up at the very end.

ASSESSMENT: Rich full nose. The most balanced of the three (Black, White and Gold) releases.

The number one rated whisky of the night was the Black Bowmore, the second (was also the first choice of some of the gang) was the 37 year old from 1968, followed by the Gold, then the White and 30 year old.

I know the Black Bowmore was meant to be drank, but I can’t help feeling sad, that once the cork is open you are obligated to finish the bottle within a reasonable period of time, and after this bottle is drained of its contents, the Black Bowmore shall be Nevermore …………….. (Good thing we have a spare bottle)

– Nothing More, Maltmonster

Glenrothes: A Tasting Through The Seventies

1 Reply

GLENROTHES

A TASTING THROUGH THE SEVENTIES

Two from 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, Three from 1979 and John Ramsay (73-87)

1969 saw the zenith of man’s achievements in Apollo 11, Whisky and Woodstock. Enter the seventies. Whisky is booming and single malts are starting to become popular, but great rock stars like Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix are removed from the collective genius that is rock. Whisky and Rock are still at the top but ,like a foreign species invasion, disco and rum are emerging in the void created by the passing of rock superstars and the break up of so many great rock bands.

An Irish political philosopher, Edmund Burke, said it best with this variant quote “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil rum is that good whisky makers do nothing”. Fortunately distilleries like Glenrothes continued to produce fantastic whiskies throughout the seventies. This foresight by Glenrothes to continue the production of great whiskies allowed rock music to once again flourish into the eighties and undo the devolution which was the stain of the late seventies caused by the intoxicated rum driven disco craze.

To honor Glenrothes for their contribution towards the demise of disco the ‘gang of four’, named after a failed attempt to take control of Diageo a few years ago, sat down to a tasting of ten seventies Glenrothes malts. Eight of which were elegant and floral and two sherry bombs. We found all the malts enjoyable and very similar (excluding the two sherry bombs), but only noted our top four.

–

1972 Restricted Release November 2, 1972 – March 26, 1996 43% ABV

NOSE: Tropical fruit, honey and spice.

TASTE: Chewy, dark chocolate, hazel nuts.

FINISH: Medium – long.

ASSESSMENT: I need you, by me, beside me, because when you’re bad, you’re so so good. Run away favorite and number one of the night. Rumor mill – this was removed from Canada because of the levels of carcinogens in the malt. Observation -why is it that every time I like something it’s bad for me?!

–

1972 Limited Release December 5, 1972 – March 29, 2004 43% ABV Bottle # 05091

NOSE: Eucalyptus, apples, herbal.

TASTE: Pears, vanilla and dark chocolate.

FINISH: Short to Medium. Bit oily.

ASSESSMENT: Now it’s all right, it’s ok, just not a good as the other 1972.

–

1973 March 16, 1973 – July 5, 2000 ABV 43%

NOSE: Ripe oranges, pears and honey.

TASTE: Raisins, toffee. Bit oaky.

FINISH: Medium. Very dry.

ASSESSMENT: Won’t you take me to funky town. Not in the top four, but has some nice qualities.

–

30 Year Old Limited Release August 15, 1974 – November 8, 2004 50.2 ABV # 967 of 1134 Bottles

NOSE: Oranges, cherries and honey.

TASTE: Citrus, vanilla and almonds. Malty.

FINISH: Medium. Uber elegant

ASSESSMENT: Oh, that’s the way; uh-huh uh-huh I like it, uh-huh uh- huh. It really is a wonderful malt and finished in the top four.

1975 Vintage Release August 1975 – April 25, 2006 43 % ABV Bottle # 1581 of 3708 Bottles

NOSE: Toffee, cherries, honey.

TASTE: Coffee bean, nutty.

FINISH: Medium. Very soft.

ASSESSMENT: Looking for some hot stuff baby this evening. Just finished out of the top four.

–

1978 Vintage Release November 3, 1978 – July 1, 2008 43% ABV

NOSE: Floral, jammy, cherries and vanilla.

TASTE: Spicy, apples and marzipan.

FINISH: Medium. Soft for the nose and very drinkable.

ASSESSMENT: There’s a party going on right here. Finished in the top four. Could sip this malt all night long.

–

1979 General Release November 24, 1979 – February 13, 2002 43 % ABV

NOSE: Grapefruit, oranges and floral.

TASTE: Apples, sweet, red liquorice.

FINISH: Medium to long. Warming and bit dry.

ASSESSMENT: I love to love you baby. Used to be one of my favorites when it was released, but fails to make the top four in this range taste.

–

John Ramsay Legacy 46.7% ABV # 1228 of 1400 Bottles Bottled 2009 .Vatted from 2^nd fill American oak sherry casks from 1973, 1978 , 1979 , 1982 , 1985 , 1986 , 1987

NOSE: Floral, ripe sweet oranges, vanilla and a trace of mint.

TASTE: Grapefruit, nuts, malty.

FINISH: Medium to long. Demure and understated.

ASSESSMENT: If I can’t have you, I don’t want no other baby. This is good stuff, hats off to the mad vatter. Finished second behind the restricted release 1972

–

1979 Single Cask # 13458 1979 – June 7, 2000 57 % ABV Bottle # 35 of 519 Bottles

NOSE: Oranges, raisins, mellow spice, cinnamon and little sulfur.

TASTE: Chewy, cappuccino. Sticky sweet port.

FINISH: Long and intense.

ASSESSMENT: First I was afraid, I was petrified, kept thinking of the sulfur that Jim Murray had testified. This, in my not so humble opinion, is not a wrecked cask. Has less sulphur than cask #13459.

–

1979 Single Cask # 13459 1979 – May 4, 2006 56.6 % ABV # 96 of 492 Bottles

NOSE: Sharp spice, sulphur, raisins, dark chocolate and bananas.

TASTE: Robust and chewy. Liquorice, raspberry jam.

FINISH: Long. Warming and very intense.

ASSESSMENT: Burn baby burn. Satisfaction came in a chain reaction of chewy spice and all things nice.

– Maltmonster

Springbank In Springbank

Irish Reparation

AUCHENTOSHAN…………IRISH? YES!!!!!!!

Breaking news today from a Hollywood insider that Michael Moore may be buying the screen rights to a story on the Irish claim to Auchentoshan. This unnamed Hollywood insider is quoted as saying “this is a story that will rock the very foundations of the Scottish Whisky Association”.

It’s been long suspected that Auchentoshan and surrounding area were part of Ireland and, in fact, still are. It’s also been said that the Scottish Whisky Association (SWA) has had a history of bullying, suppression, possible buggery and much more (Glen Breton as example). Other non-credible unnamed sources have clearly stated that Dan Brown may be considering writing this sure-to-be-best-selling novel.

To back up the Irish claim to the distillery, the following are the facts and they are undisputed:

1) 500 AD Irish Missionaries return from the Mediterranean region with the knowledge of distillation.

2) 590-600 AD An Irish monk named Mirren, now referred to as Saint Mirren, founded a religious order on the future site of Paisley Abbey very near Auchentoshan. His mission was to save and educate the Scottish heathens in the ways of life and double distillation.

3) 1245 AD The Irish Priory on the site of an old Celtic church founded by Saint Mirren was upgraded to an Abbey, which it remains to this day, the Paisley Abbey.

4) 1516 AD Paisley Abbey, to increase revenues, allows the land where Auchentoshan stands today to be used for unlicensed double distilling. The Irish still retain the secret of triple distillation.

5) March 17, 1817 AD John Bullock & Co. takes control of the land and in 1823 builds a licensed distillery named Duntocher. Duntocher translated (Dun / Tair) from Irish Gaeilge to English means closed fort of the wretched, or prison. Convicted Irish Criminals, called Cons, were conscripted from a town named Leap in County Cork. These short-statured people were referred to as ‘the Cons from Leap’, or simply as ‘Leaprecons’. These Leaprecons, with exceptional long life spans (due to drinking triple distilled whisky) and knowledge of the secret art of triple distillation, were forced to work in the production of whisky.

6) 1830 AD A group of Scottish distillers form with a mandate to; control whisky production, learn the secret art of triple distillation and move the Irish out. This group would later be called SWA. This dark period in time is called the ‘Great Purge’.

7) Friday June 13, 1834 AD John Bullock & Co., under great pressure from the SWA, was forced to dispose of the Duntocher Distillery to Alexander Filshie, a member of the SWA. The Irish prisoners are dealt with and the Distillery is quickly renamed Auchentoshan. Auchentoshan translated (Acht / Tost / Am) from Irish Gaeilge to English means ‘the act of silence over time’. Most Leaprecons buried their valuables and fled for their lives. Rumors say that what few Leaprecons survived the time of the great purge ended up in Campbeltown, captured and forced by the locals to apply their secret art of triple distillation at Springbank.

8) 1940 AD A team of archeologists digging in the corner of the field at Auchentoshan uncover metal pots containing very valuable items, some say treasure. Before the removal process could begin the site was supposedly bombed by the German Luftwaffe. No witnesses can testify to this event, other than hearing loud explosions at night and seeing what could have been SWA employees leaving town. The site of this archeological dig is now under water and serves as the cooling plant for the Distillery.

9) 2008 AD The distillery sold a three sided water container with the word ‘distillation’ on all three sides misspelled with the word ‘distellation’. As we all know, Latin was the preferred language of the Irish monks, and ‘distell’ in Latin means to tell god. We understand the author of the misspelled word may work at the Abbey and may be trying to right the injustice done to the Leaprecons and bring to light the possible bad deeds of the SWA.

As a testament to the fallen Leaprecons, we honor them on Saint Patrick’s Day with a tasting of four different expressions of (Irish) Auchentoshan.

A couple o' fine ol' Auchentoshans

AUCHENTOSHAN 1957

50 YEAR OLD APRIL 15, 1957 – JULY 17, 2007 49.1 % ABV BOTTLE # 45 OF 144

132 GALLONS OF NEW SPIRIT FILLED AT 68 % ABV IN AN OLOROSO CASK #480 AND MATURED IN WAREHOUSE NUMBER THREE (thank you to Andrew Ferguson at KWM for the wee sample)

NOSE: Floral. Marzipan, slight hint of cheese and raisins.

TASTE: Chewy butterscotch, oranges and pecans.

FINISH: Medium. Tart and lingering.

ASSESSMENT: Its ok…but for fifty it’s just not nifty. Sure the old who are not strong do not whither, but they don’t taste any better.

–

AUCHENTOSHAN 1957

50 YEAR OLD APRIL 15, 1957 – DECEMBER 12, 2007 46.8 % ABV BOTTLE # 157 OF 171

132 GALLONS OF NEW SPIRIT FILLED AT 68 % ABV IN AN OLOROSO CASK #479 AND MATURED IN WAREHOUSE NUMBER THREE (thank you to Andrew Ferguson at KWM for the ample sample)

NOSE: Toffee and eucalyptus are battling it out at the start, giving way to cherries and some ripe oranges.

TASTE: Little tart at the beginning then it totally transforms to creamy butterscotch. WOW! Chocolate, melons, citrus fruits and a little black liquorice.

FINISH: long and warming at the end.

ASSESSMENT: Much lighter in color than cask # 480 .Taste this, and be henceforth among the gods thyself, (Thanks Milton) it’s that good

Auchentoshan 1976

AUCHENTOSHAN 1976

28 YEAR OLD HOGSHEAD CASK # 1115 47.5 % ABV BOTTLE # 143 OF 156 CSN CALGARY EXCLUSIVE.

NOSE: Toffee, honeydew melon, cherries and menthol.

TASTE: Butterscotch overload. Chocolate and marmalade jam.

FINISH: Medium to long.

ASSESSMENT: What an outstanding cask. The light triple distilled spirits pick up almost a sherry type influence from the wood interaction. Was told back in 2006 that they only purchased half the cask. Hard to believe they still have some bottles left in 2011.

Auchentoshan 1978

AUCHENTOSHAN 1978

30 YEAR OLD BOURBON CASK MATURED / NORTH AMERICAN OAK 53.4 % ABV BOTTLE # 320 OF 480

NOSE: Kentucky bourbon sweet. Bit of varnish, cherries and oranges.

TASTE: Spice, almonds and oily buttery notes at the back end.

FINISH: Medium. Drying.

ASSESSMENT: This really has a new bourbon favor to it. Let the Bourbon take hold and find yourself floating like a leaf down the Cahulawassee River whilst the genetically compromised hill people gently serenade you with Banjo music from the surrounding hills.

REPARATION

What does the world want as reparation? Well…first they want the Scottish Whisky Association to formally thank the Irish for sharing and teaching them the art of distillation. Second…they want a formal apology to Glen Breton for taking them to court and wasting their valuable time and money. Lastly…we would have the use of the Diageo (Head of the SWA) corporate jet for a week to allow the ATW Associates & Friends to visit Scotland and pay homage to the fallen Leaprecons.

CREDO ELVEM ETIAM VIVERE – THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE

– Maltmonster

The Subversive’s Guide To Sherry Bomb Defusing & Disposal

1 Reply

– BOMB –

THE SUBVERSIVE’S GUIDE TO SHERRY BOMB DEFUSING & DISPOSAL

It occurred to me while on page 124,754 of my personal manifesto that the world would be a better place if more people were disposing of bombs. It was Che Guevara that said “Deje el mundo cambiarle y usted puede cambiar mundo”, which has inspired me through my experiences to help change the world for the better.

There are two schools of thought on defusing a sherry bomb. The old school approach is to cut the foil around the bottle between the neck and the cork, which would allow you to remove the foil around the cork and leave the foil on the bottle. The down side to this is you can cut your finger slicing around the neck.

The approach I like is to take the knife and cut up the side of the bottle, away from your body and remove the foil from both the bottle and the cork. This will allow you to see the cork and see if there are any problems occurring. Also for the benefit of the rum drinkers out there you won’t cut your lip swilling from the bottle using this method.

As for bomb disposal, I think the phrase “many hands or mouths make light work” would apply here. So gather your friends, pour a large dram, repeat your favorite toast (“I drink to your health when I’m with you, I drink to your health when I’m alone, I drink to your health so often, I’m starting to worry about my own!”) and do a world of good and start disposing.

–

Tullibardine 1966

August, 2008. 49.9% ABV. Cask # 3509. Bottle 29 of 246. Bottled for WP – Calgary.

NOSE: Toffee, raisins and chocolate.

TASTE: Very silky, not the usually spice parade. Stewed fruits, maybe a bit jammy and some sweet port.

FINISH: Very smooth and long.

ASSESSMENT: Not a hint of sulfur and quite mellow for an older sherry cask. Very different from the 1966 world edition which had way more spice

1966 Tullibardine

Longmorn 1973

April 30, 1973 – May 26, 2006. Bottled by Gordon & MacPhail. 54 % ABV. Cask # 3650.

NOSE: Coffee, sweet notes and some subtle fruit.

TASTE: Apples and oranges. Fruit cake with a little cinnamon and some marzipan.

FINISH: Long and heavy. Warming at the end.

ASSESSMENT: Bam, green eggs and ham…this is a great first fill sherry bomb. Right in the middle between the silky Tullibarine and the spicy Glenrothes.

G&M Longmorn 1973

Glenrothes 1979

1979 – 2006 56.6 % ABV Cask # 13459 bottle # 246 of 492

NOSE: Sharp hot spice, and yes some sulphur notes in the mix. Raisins and dark chocolate with some bananas at the back end.

TASTE: Robust and chewy. Liquorice, raspberry jam.

FINISH: Intense to say the least. Long and warming.

ASSESSMENT: First things first,rant…get rid of the packaging (not the bottles, love the holy hand grenade thing): heavy, sharp wood edges; bottles fall out; hard to store; almost impossible to get out of the cardboard box. I mean really…who designed this? Some rum lover or a single malt sadist?

This is a single glass per night after dinner drink. Maybe a little long in the cask but still good…but you need to love scary sherry to drink this.

Glenrothes 1979

Port Charlotte – PC5, PC6, PC7 and PC8

3 Replies

Port Charlotte

“It was Jim’s idea,” says Mark Reynier, CEO of Bruichladdich. Mark is referring to the initiative to resurrect the distillery in Port Charlotte. With the closure of the Inverleven Distillery in 2003, Master Distiller Jim McEwan saw an opportunity to purchase the existing equipment before demolition. A team led by Bruichladdich’s General Manager, Duncan McGillivray, ventured to Dumbarton and dismantled the distillation equipment, bolt-by-bolt, and shipped it by barge back to Islay.

Though plans to put Islay’s ninth distillery into production have unfortunately met with delay, for all intents and purposes, this project is still a ‘go’.

For those not in the know, Port Charlotte is destined to be Islay’s next destillery. Pieces are coming together, and it is only a matter of time until whisky flows from the stills in the village of Port Charlotte. From 1829 through 1929 the Lochindaal Distillery produced a peated malt whose resonance lingered long enough to lead to Bruichladdich’s plans of renaissance. The buildings in Port Charlotte are still in tact from a time when the heavy hand of prohibition led to the Lochindaal Distillery being mothballed, however the last known bottling from this distillery was opened and drunk in 1963.

At the time of writing (2011) there is an indefinite hiatus in terms of rebuilding this highly anticipated addition to Islay’s stable of malt producing giants, however, irrespective of this, Bruichladdich has been producing a heavily-peated spirit under the Port Charlotte moniker for a nearly a decade now. Eventually, plans are to shift this production to what will be Islay’s newest phoenix…Port Charlotte.

Though we’ll likely never know what the original malt tasted like, the new Port Charlotte is an instant classic. It is a whisky that is simply unmistakeable. The releases to date are all are young, biting, citric, and carry that hallmark Bruichladdich buttery character. They are all smoky and peaty, with a phenolic character that seems contrary to the declared 40ppm peating level. The heft here makes me think this is a conservative number. Each also delivers a wonderful anesthetic feeling after a couple sips of each (not surprising at this high of abv).

Forgive me for not being able to source a bottle of PCMV (the latest Port Charlotte multivintage vatting, and sadly not available in Canada as yet), but in the meantime…here are the ‘Big 4’:

Port Charlotte PC5, PC6, PC7 and PC8

Port Charlotte PC5 Evolution

Bourbon and sherry casks 63.5% 40PPM 5 y.o. 6,000 bottles

Nose: Black licorice. Peat and smoke. Thistly and green with a touch of new make fruit.

Palate: Prickly on arrival. Caramel, sharp greens, tarry. New make peaks through a little.

Finish: Green apple and waves of smoke.

Balance: Young and sharp, but surprisingly already showing strong suggestions of what it will become.

Impressions: A little Caol Ila-ish, believe it or not. Somewhat fruiter and a little drier than the others in the lineup. Hasn’t quite mellowed with that caramely butteriness typical of the others. Not nearly as balanced as the others, but extremely charming in that ‘dirty girl next door’ kinda way.

–

Port Charlotte PC6 Cuairt-Beatha

Bourbon and Madeira casks 61.6% 40PPM 6 y.o. 18,000 bottles

Nose: Bucketloads of peat and smoke. Butterscotch. Hints of dust. Sharp and salty. Characteristic Bruichladdich butteriness.

Palate: Swirling smoke. Tar and anise. Caramel. Citrus zest

Finish: Neverending. Hints of oak here.

Balance: Deep. Sooooo deep.

Impressions: My favorite of the bunch. The nose, especially, is in a league of its own. Bold, unique, sexy. I adore this whisky.

The Port Charlotte Lineup

Port Charlotte PC7 Sin An Doigh Ileach

American Oak Finish 61% 40PPM 7 y.o. 24,000 bottles

Nose: Sharp smoldering peat and smoke. Pungent woodiness. Enormous caramel sweetness. Freshly picked garden herbs. Cola and citrus.

Palate: Dense smoke. Touch of dill. Mouthcoating.

Finish: Everlasting, but what would you expect? At this ABV and this heavily peated these flavors ain’t going anywhere.

Balance: A little more ‘in-your-face’ than the other two. But I likes…I likes a lot. I concede you’ll likely get a better balance out of the PC6 and PC8.

Impressions: Seems most aggressive of the bunch. Not sure why. Tried this on multiple occasions against the others, and even had concurrence from fellow tasters. Utterly delicious though.

–

Port Charlotte PC8 Ar Duthchas

Bourbon and Madeira casks 60.5% 40PPM 8 y.o. 30,000 bottles

Nose: What else? Peat and smoke. Amplified clean cucumber and hints of dill. Toffee. Cola. Citrus zest. Hint of chocolate.

Palate: Fruitier delivery. Slightly (and I mean ‘slightly’) easier smoke. Sweeter and more caramel. Citrus.

Finish: Ssssssssssmoky and woody. Fruitier finish lingers. Green apple.

Balance: Most balanced so far, but I miss the jagged tors of the earlier releases.

Impressions: A little more complex, but I prefer the more youthful bite. Saying this is my least favorite of the three is really not giving this its fair due, as it is still one hell of a dram.

–

Dissecting these gorgeous monsters is hard. You first have to disassociate the alcoholic burn and peat/smoke components. If you can do that, you’ll still be hard-pressed to find individual characteristics. This is essentially the same whisky at different ages, with different finishes. Logically, they would be fairly similar. The obvious solution would be to add water, but as said before…as soon as we start adding water it becomes hard to know that you’re tasting the same strength as anyone else out there. This sort of negates the review.

My personal opinion is that it’s more logical to simply weigh degrees of flavor and aroma balance and decide which one fits your palate best.

The wait for Port Charlotte’s rebirth is like the wait for ‘Chinese Democracy’, but we’ll be here with glasses raised to Bruichladdich when it becomes reality.

Two Sherried Calgary Exclusives From Springbank and Bruichladdich

Bruichladdich – Redder Still / Blacker Still / Golder Still

1 Reply

STILL WATERS RUN DEEP

Tasting of a series of three one off bottlings from Bruichladdich; Blacker Still / Redder Still / Golder Still

Well in this case the opaque colored glass vessels might hint at the liquid contained inside, but the greater depth of this product is what’s hidden inside. The radically different favors of each bottle share little in common with one another other than they all were born of the Bruichladdich stills.

BLACKER STILL

20 YEARS OLD 1986-2006 50.7% ABV. Limited To 2840 Bottles, Matured in Sherry casks.

NOSE: Burnt caramel, raisins and ham. Light smoke

TASTE: Both tart and sweet. Spice, chocolate. Chewy for sure

FINISH: Intense at first then fades quickly. Medium to long

COLOUR: Deep mahogany

ASSESSMENT: I’m a sucker for scary Sherry, but this Sherry is more aggressive than a Christian Bale Rant. Not the Black Bowmore as someone suggested to me, but is still very good.

REDDER STILL

22 YEARS OLD 1984-2007 50.4% ABV. Limited to 4080 Bottles, Matured in first fill bourbon casks and finished in Chateau Lafleur Pomerol Bordeaux casks.

NOSE: Refreshing fragrant, marshmallow and creamy honey

TASTE: Vibrant oranges. Mulled wine. Tad chalky

FINISH: Long and gets more intense and warming at the end

COLOUR: Copper amber

ASSESSMENT: This has more wine than what was heard from Paris Hilton in jail. Almost needed to break out the cheese for this dram. Was a favorite of one of my neighbors who doesn’t normally like whisky. All in all this whisky is a great example of wine finishing.

GOLDER STILL

23 YEARS OLD 1984-2008 51.0% ABV. Limited to 4866 Bottles, matured in unusual rare squat bourbon hogsheads casks allowing more contact between whisky and wood.

NOSE: Rich malt. Apples and raisins. Whiff of smoke

TASTE: Oaky at first giving way to gentle cream. Soft fruits

FINISH: Medium plus a little more

COLOUR: Straw gold

ASSESSMENT: This works as well as Tom Hanks in the movie ‘Joe Versus The Volcano’, defies description. One for the book of “easier to ask for forgiveness”.

I still think the common denominator with the three releases is that Bruichladdich is still trying, and is still leading the industry with new still and old still made whisky products. So as long they are still producing, they can still count on me to be still buying their product. Still I ponder in the still of the night what Bruichladdich meant when they named these three releases something still other than they were made from a still by a still-person or maybe they meant that they were excited to still be in business with all the big money players still out there.

– Maltmonster

	kallaskander on Psssst…
	Whiskystack on Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength Bat…
	Paul M on Highland Park Cask Strength Re…
	kallaskander on Macallan The Harmony Collectio…
	Brent on Glen Grant 15 y.o. Batch Stren…

All Things Whisky

Breaking The Internet Since 2009

Category Archives: Whisky Reviews & Tasting Notes

Maker’s Mark – The Charm of a Southern Belle

1972 Glendronach

ODE TO BLACK BOWMORE

Glenrothes: A Tasting Through The Seventies

Springbank In Springbank

Irish Reparation

The Subversive’s Guide To Sherry Bomb Defusing & Disposal

Port Charlotte – PC5, PC6, PC7 and PC8

Two Sherried Calgary Exclusives From Springbank and Bruichladdich

Bruichladdich – Redder Still / Blacker Still / Golder Still