The Dram Initiative #007 – Kavalan

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The Dram Initiative #007 – Kavalan With Andrew Ferguson

Event Date:  December 5th, 2013

 

It’s not very often you get to be part of a tasting where a considerable percentage of the great unwashed members haven’t already grossly overindulged themselves and formed some biased opinion on the whisky they are about to try, but this evening was an exception.  Kavalan, a new whisky to the Calgary market, has just started hitting the store shelves; first at the Kensington Wine Market and now at Willow Park.       

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The Kavalan distillery experiences the same quick maturation that Amrut does in India.  The temperatures in the slumbering Kavalan warehouses can be as high as 42 degrees Celsius.  The rate at which the greedy angels imbibe is between 12%-15% annually, as opposed to the Land of Scotch, where the rate is much lower, around 2% annually.  This means drink it or lose it.  This also applies if you sit next to one of our Dram members at a club event, nicknamed “Long Arm Stuart”, but for a different reason.

On the frightfully cold night of December 4, 2013, approximately eight years after this expansive, highly automated Kavalan distillery was built by the King Car Group in the hot humid climate of Taiwan, the Dram Initiative sat down at the Marda Loop Community Whisky Hall to partake in one of the largest organized tasting of Kavalan single malt in the known world (well, at least we believe).  The entrance fee, besides the event fee itself, included one item for the Calgary Food Bank, one of my personal, and the club’s favorite charities.

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The single malts were tasted in this order:

1         Kavalan Single Malt Whisky 40% ABV.  This is Kavalan’s first whisky produced and their bestselling expression.  Matured in New oak, refill bourbon and Sherry casks.  Approximately 3 years old and has Caramel coloring 

2         King Car Whisky – Conductor 46% ABV.  Single malt whisky.  Blend of different Casks.  The first to carry the name of the King Car Group instead of ‘Kavalan’ as their single malt whiskies have all be known as to date.  Created as a well-rounded malt to represent the well-rounded Group, who operate in many industries.

3         Podium – Single Malt Whisky 46% ABV.  Single malt whisky.  Unlike other Kavalan expressions in that absolutely no bourbon or sherry casks were used here.  Only new American oak casks and a few refill casks.

4         Kavalan Bourbon 46% ABV.  Single malt whisky.  Vatting of ex-Bourbon casks and reduced in strength. Provide by KWM.

5         Kavalan Sherry 46% ABV.  Single malt whisky.  Vatting of ex-Sherry casks and reduced in strength. Provided by KWM.

6         Concertmaster – Port Cask Finish, single malt whisky 40% ABV.  First expression of the Concertmaster series.  Matured in American oak casks and then finished in Portuguese (Ruby, Tawny and vintage Port) Port Cask.

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The members enjoyed the first six malts, with number 5, the blended Sherry, the favorite; followed by number 3, the Podium, matured in new American oak casks.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of information provided by the distillery for these first six malts. We know they are all single malts but are unsure of caramel coloring and/or chill-filtration.

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The next four single malts are from the Solist range.  They are comprised of individual casks, bottled by hand at cask strength, without any coloring or chill-filtration.  The name is derived from the word Soloist, as in part of an Orchestra.  The word was changed to Solist as the Taiwanese had trouble pronouncing it.

1         Solist Bourbon 57.1% ABV Bottle 1 of 228 Cask# B080519070, Matured in American ex-Bourbon cask.

2         Solist Vinho     59.2% ABV Bottle 20 of 193 Cask# W080225006, Matured in used American oak wine barrel that has been recharred.

3         Solist Fino        57%ABV Bottle 479 of 505 Cask# S061127001, Matured Spanish Fino Sherry butt.

4         Solist Sherry    58.6% ABV Bottle 286 of 547 Cask# S060710022, Matured in Spanish Oloroso Sherry cask.

The Solist range is what I consider Kavalan’s premier whiskies, and it shows.  It should be noted that the quality of these whiskies can change with the cask.  This evening the Solist Bourbon won the show, but all four of these single cask whiskies were well received and thoroughly enjoyed.

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What the famous Taiwanese-born, Academy award winning film director, Ang Lee, said about recognition within the movie industry, “In Hollywood you chart your life by Oscars”, I believe to be true in the whisky industry as well … you can chart your success by the awards and accolades you receive and Kavalan has been racking them up as of late.

Many thanks to Andrew Ferguson, our guest speaker for the evening, who gave an award winning presentation of these single malts equal to that of any performance given by the actors in the Academy award winning movie, Broke Back Mountain, directed by Mr. Lee and filmed just outside of Calgary here in Alberta.

Thank you to the Kensington Wine Market for kindly adding two new releases of Kavalan to round out the tasting to an even ten single malts. Normally we taste between 6-8 malts for the evening, but life is short, so if you have it … drink it.  Also thanks to the committee and all who helped set up & tear down.

Gan bei! — Mandarin for ……… Bottoms up!

 

Your Humble Drudge,

Maltmonster

 

– Words:  Maltmonster 

– Photos:  Curt

Isle Of Jura 30 y.o. Camas An Staca Review

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Isle Of Jura 30 y.o. Camas An Staca006

44% abv

Score:  89/100

 

Old Juras are getting a little more plentiful on the ground as of late, and I’m more than happy for it.  The recent 1977 was really good.  The 1976 was great.  And this 30 year old Camas An Staca, while not quite in the same league as those two, is certainly a welcome addition to the range.

Don’t expect a vast shearing away from the sort of ‘typical’ Jura profile (i.e. kinda vinous and heavy), but rather expect to see that character softened by time, much like the bourbon-soaked voice of a lounge-y crooner after warming up on a few late night bar tunes (“The Piano Has Been Drinking”, anyone?).  What it boils down to is that this whisky is still completely recognizable as a Jura even at 15 or 20 years further on than most folks are used to seeing it.

But that doesn’t really speak to whether or not there’s quality here, does it?  Rest easy.  This is good whisky.

Generally in reviewing and scoring, we try to remove as much of the subjectivity as we can, while still conceding a little bit of wiggle room for the more intangible aspects of the whisky.  This usually gets buried in the ‘balance’ piece of most reviewers’ scores.  These intangibles will generally be where a reviewer will add or subtract a point (or more) based on things like how this particular malt fares against previous batches; whether or not it lives up to, or exceeds, the distillery’s usual potential; or any other bit of ‘wow’ that shows a little bit of a variance from the distillery’s norm.  In this case we’ll use that little bit of flexibility to simply ratchet it up an extra point or so in recognition of a distillery staying very true to itself while still rewarding the faithful (cause who else but a dedicated Jura enthusiast is dropping this kinda coin?) with something a little beyond what we’ve come to expect from their range (Superstition, Prophecy, Elixir, and other young’uns).  Very nice, Jura…very nice.

‘Camas An Staca’ means ‘standing stone’ in Gaelic.  This whisky was so named for the biggest of eight standing stones on the Isle of Jura.  These stones were laid out in a ceremonial stone circle more than three millennia ago by the island’s early inhabitants in supplication of the spirits.  Or so they say.

Nose:  Leather and deep worn furniture polish.  Spices and lots of ’em (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and the lot).  Almond paste on strong dark fruitcake.  Dates, prunes and raisins (oh my!).  Figgy too.  Lemon notes with moist tobacco.  A mixed bag of dried fruits meets a dusty sort of nuttiness.  Coffee.  A hefty sherry influence here, which in Jura often seems kinda ‘wine-y’.

Palate:  Surprisingly…and pleasantly…sour.  Again with the dark fruitcake notes.  The wine-y / sherry note leads the charge though.  Very lush at first, but dries up like the Sahara sucking back a rain-tini.  Some interesting (albeit almost unidentifiable) fruit notes.

Thoughts:  Good whisky.  Not as great as some from the ’70s, but lovely nonetheless.  Should note…the nose is better than palate throughout though.

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Macallan Travel Series

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themacallanlogo

A nifty, but now sadly obsolete, run of Macallan that came out some time around the turn of the millenium, I think.  The Travel Series was launched as an attempt to replicate the style of vintage Macallan from several decades in the first half of the twentieth century.

The whisky is a novelty, to be sure, but it’s also a neat little insight into the blender’s art.  Man…what skill to be able to recreate these whiskies from age old samples, right?  Ahhhh…but there’s the rub.  Are they accurate recreations?  Well…not having access to those glorious old Macallans from the ’20s, ’30s, ’40s or ’50s, who am I to say whether or not this is a true representation of the style?

At the end of the day though, it doesn’t really matter, because suspension of disbelief is made easier by the fact that these releases retailed for less than $35 a bottle locally.  For that sort of financial investment the free range of imagination will be all I use in the sating of curiosity.  And I’ll consider that well and truly paid for at less than $150 all in for the full suite of releases.  In short…just have fun with it.

While equally lauded (Michael Jackson) and lambasted (Serge Valentin), I’ll happily take the middle road when it comes to throwing marks against these malts.  These are good whiskies.  No, they’re not great by any means, but they are unique…they are well-made…and they are fun as hell.  Think of it like a trip down memory lane…one which you’ve never traveled before.  These malts really do set the imagination to run.  I Love ’em for that if nothing more.

A good mate of mine, J Wheelock, introduced me to these Macallans a few years back when he worked for the brand (Edrington, that is).  For that…and for much, much more…this dram’s for you, J.  Slainte!

T2

Macallan Travel Series – ‘Twenties’

40% abv     500 ml bottle

Score:  86.5/100

Nose:  Somewhat fruitier than expected.  A little bit of apple and peach.  Shortbread.  Tobacco.  Peach is a theme throughout.  Reminds a little of a ’77 Glenisla I’ve tried.  Cherry syrup.  Cadbury milk chocolate.  Nice depth of spice.  Some tart red berry now.  A touch of maple.

Palate:  Immediate disappointment at the thinness of mouthfeel.  Fruity and sweet at first, but dries rather quickly.  Some crabapple.  Slightly weedy floral notes.  Spiced dough.  A bit of very mild peat and smoke at about the three quarter point.

Thoughts:  Good noser.  Not so pleasing on the palate unfortunately.  The flavours are ok, but it’s a featherweight.  Especially as I believe the old style malts to have a bit more heft than this.

T3

Macallan Travel Series – ‘Thirties’

40% abv     500 ml bottle

Score:  86/100

Nose:  Still fruity, much like the ‘Twenties’, but a bit more dry spice now.  A hint of Old Dutch Barbecue Potato Chips (crisps, if you’re UK-centric).  More peat arriving now by this decade.  Spicy figgy notes.  Tobacco, leather and oil.

Palate:  Tobacco.  Chocolate with a dollop of caramel.  Coffee.  Dried fruits.  Chocolate fudge now.  Quite spicy.  Threads of deep dark fruits courtesy of the sherry influence.  Smoked apple skins.  Now a little oakiness.

Thoughts:  Again…better nose than palate.  Sadly, as thin as the average head of hair in a nursing home.

T5

Macallan Travel Series – ‘Forties’

40% abv     500 ml bottle

Score:  88.5/100

Nose:  Peppery peat.  A bit more earthy and smoky now that we’ve hit the ‘Forties’.  Cookie dough.  Quite dry, and almost ashy.  Mincemeat and tobacco.  Slightly barn-ish (maybe horse blanket).  Maybe…maybe…smoked meat of some sort.  Toffee or caramel fudge.  Now there’s more smoke building.

Palate:  Very nice.  Better palate than the first couple, but still anemic.  Like caramel apples for adults.  Slightly peppery and bearing more woody notes now.  A touch of peat and smoke.  Ok…more than a touch.  Kinda tarry.  Arrives with fruits but turns to black coal smoke.

Thoughts:  Not necessarily the most balanced of the quartet, but maybe the most fun.  Some really neat nuances here.  Much more ‘old school’ in character.

T6

Macallan Travel Series – ‘Fifties’

40% abv     500 ml bottle

Score:  88/100

Nose:  A touch of peat and moist tobacco.  Cinnamon, cocoa and vanilla.  A touch of floral notes.  Chewy sweet sherry notes.  A little bit of dust and dunnage warehouse.  Smoked hay.  Yep…still some peat here.  Creamier, fruitier, more depth and more developed than the others.

Palate:  Nice bold delivery.  Feels thicker and more substantial than the others.  A more traditionally gooey sherried Macallan with a heft of very dry cinnamon and clove.  Good long finish with all the right notes lingering.

Thoughts:  Neck and neck with the ‘Forties’ as best of the bunch.  More palatable for the masses too, I’d argue, and closer to the Macallan most folk would now know.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photos:  Curt

 

Kilchoman Machir Bay (2012) Review

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Kilchoman Machir Bay (2012)001

46% abv

Score:  86/100

 

Watching this distillery find itself is a cool experience, and one I hope all lovers of Islay malts are taking to heart.  This is literally us watching whisky history unfolding.  Much as I lord back over details of long gone distilleries, or the stories of the early days of existing ones, future generations will one day contemplate the wee might of Kilchoman.  Think about it…this was the first new distillery on Islay in 124 years.  Obviously that tells you there’s something special here.  Moments like this don’t come ’round often.  Next year will be Kilchoman’s 10th birthday already.  Cool stuff.

I think, throughout all of the previous Kilchoman reviews and features here on the site, we’ve shared enough about the distillery’s wonderful beginnings, so let’s move on to more topical subject matter:  the distillery’s relatively new flagship single malt, Machir Bay.  This whisky was so named for a beautiful stretch of beach along the western shore of Islay, not far from the distillery itself.  It is a young whisky, heavily peated, and already recognizable for its own style.  As we’ve discussed before, peat monsters often work best when served up in their early years, before the big clouds of smoke and heavy peat have had a chance to fade away, and this is certainly a malt that exemplifies that approach.  It’s built on a bedrock of malted barley that has been peated to the same specs as the mighty Ardbeg.  You can expect a big dram from in Machir Bay.

Kilchoman has something to be proud of with this expression.  Indeed, one drunken night outside of Duffies whisky bar on Islay, not long after a group of us lads had toured the distillery, we ran into one of the young men whom we’d seen earlier that day working at Kilchoman.  He remarked (in a thick slurring Ileach accent) that if we came back to see him again at the distillery before we left he’d be sure to it that we got some more Machir Bay.  Arms around our necks, he reiterated his generous offer about 13 more times before we moved on.  Love it.  That’s the sign of Islay pride.  And well-earned, at that.

Oh, yeah…and one more thing, please:  It’s pronounced ‘kil-homan’.  The ‘c’ is silent.

Nose:  Ashy.  Very ashy.  Smoky, yes, but quite surprisingly creamy at the same time.  Very rich in oceanic notes, or shoreline or Maritime…whatever seaside descriptor you like (brine, wet rock, salt water, drying seaweed, fishy breezes, etc).  Quite citrus-heavy.  Salt and pepper.  Vanilla.  Did I mention dry ash?  A touch of smoked ham.  Simple and bold.  Succeeds in spite of (or more likely, because of) it’s relative youth.

Palate:  Ash again.  Salt licorice.  Smoke.  Earthy peat.  Lemon drop candies.  Vanilla.  Wet rock.  Big and peppery.  Granny smith apples throughout denouement.  Tasty and long lasting.

Thoughts:  Islay at it’s youthful best.  A great addition to the Kilchoman range that should only get better as it gets older.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve 2007 Review

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Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve 2007007

46% abv

Score:  93/100

 

One of my best mates is Irish.  He’s fiercely proud of that fact too.  So much so that we have to constantly remind him that it is the Scots that produce 95% of the glorious drams he likes to hoard and sip.  That helps to momentarily take him down a peg or two, but never seems to be enough to wipe the filthy Irish prejudices out of his mouth. 

But every now and again, just to show a little love and solidarity, we have to throw a bit of appreciation at the fine folk from the Emerald Isle.  Without them we’d not have one of the world’s greatest accents, Guinness, Flogging Molly, St. Paddy’s Day parties, Oscar Wilde, Shane MacGowan, James Joyce, Bushmills, Conan O’Brien, Gary Oldman, Dropkick Murphys and so much more.  They also say the Irish invented whisky, which makes ’em gold in my books, so it must just be the present company I keep that seems like rabble.  Such is the nature of searching out your drinking buddies from the likes of Northern Alberta.

Among the greatest gifts the Irish have given the greater whisky world sits one absolutely sparkling gem of almost untouched clarity and brilliance.  That gem is Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve 2007 edition.  The first time I tasted this whisky was literally one of those ‘knock the wind out of you’ surprises.  I simply had no idea Irish whisky could be this beautiful.  It was the aforementioned Irish gent himself who opened that bottle to generously share with a group of eager folk at an early (and now defunct)  incarnation of our local whisky club.  It was a magical moment, wherein a room full of people were simultaneously bowled over.  It’s become one of those touchstone moments in my whisky learnin’.

I want to state something clearly here:  This is a blended whisky.  That’s important.  All blenders rigorously engaged in their craft should stop for a moment and be made aware that something like this exists out there.  If a blended whisky this sublime (Irish, or otherwise) can be created through the blender’s alchemy once, it can certainly be done again.  Maltmonster used these words in a previous write-up:  “Blended whiskey with older grain (23-24 years old) and malted and unmalted barley matured in bourbon and port casks.”   Whatever the mashbill…this is simply great stuff.  Almost untouchable.

Nose:  Pineapple.  Grapefruit.  Mango.  Maybe some peach.  Man…this is fruit on parade.  Deeply rich in tropical notes.  Even deeper than I remember.  But they’re quite well integrated into the whole.  Deep inhalations are VERY rewarding.  Some citrus.  White chocolate.  Yogurt-covered Fun Fruits (anyone remember those things?).  A touch of sweet sugar cookies.  Cinnamon.  Some great spicy bourbon notes.

Palate:  Those same tart and tangy tropical fruit notes.  Like an ‘adults only’ version of Five Alive.  Orange rind.  Lots of spice and a bit of chocolate.  There’s also an oaky note at play. 

Thoughts:  Utterly fantastic.  Far and away the greatest Irish whiskey I have ever tasted.

*(The author would like to state for the record that he loves the Irish and that no Irish or Edmontonians were hurt in the making if this review.  Excepting perhaps the feelings of O’Maltmonster.)

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Isle Of Jura Elixir Review

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Isle Of Jura Elixir001

46% abv

Score:  86/100

 

Just a hop, skip and a leap from the entry level malt in Jura’s core range.  This is Elixir, Jura’s take on a fairly standard twelve year old single malt.  Interesting, really, as most distilleries will release either a ten year old or a twelve year old, but not both.  Jura bucks the trend here with the Elixir falling neatly in step behind the entry level ten year old ‘Origin’.

From what all kindsa interesting folk are saying online (and as per the packaging itself), the name ‘Elixir’ is an homage to the ‘mystical, life-giving properties’ associated with the water springs on this tiny little Hebridean island, with some even suggesting that the water therein is responsible for the islanders’ longevity.  In a feat of death defiance only paralled in the opening pages of the Old Testament, there was apparently even a Diurach who lived long enough to have spun the sun ’round 180 times.  Again from the whisky’s packaging: ‘An ancient gravestone not far from the distillery lies as testament to this tale’.

So, it would seem Jura 1) had a nifty little marketing angle to play with the magical water bit and 2) they wanted to beef up the range with what was apparently meant to be a fruity and spicy addition.  Either way, motivations aside, this is a pretty decent young dram.  And any time you can tag a cool story onto it…I’m all over it.

Elixir is built on a bedrock of bourbon and sherry casks, which makes sense when you taste it.  The malt aligns perfectly with the spices usually plumbed from a bourbon barrel and the fruitier notes leeched from sherry butts.  A ‘best of both worlds’ scenario really.  It’s also a decent dram at a fair price point.

Nose:  Butterscotch.  Werther’s Originals.  Cadbury Fruit & Nut.  Suisse Mocha coffee mix (remember those rectangular tins?).  A hint of sulphur, but not offputting.  Spicy.  Black currants and Brazil nuts.  Heavy and brooding malt, but quite sweet as well.  Much more so than expected.

Palate:  Very sweet arrival.  Chocolate covered ju-jubes…chocolate covered dried fruits.  Wine notes.  Very juicy.  Maybe a touch of smoke.  Still a whiff of brimstone.  Coffee again.  F*cking odd, but delightfully charming.  I should note…follows delightfully well after a piece of 85% cacao dark chocolate.

Thoughts:   Think I’d have prefered a touch less sherry influence, but hey…I’m still happy.  Good whisky overall.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Port Charlotte 10 Review

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Port Charlotte 10211

46% abv

Score:  88/100

 

As with all of the whiskies in Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte range, this is a single malt that boasts a warm welcome familiarity and, quite simply, a wonderfully unique profile.

Uniqueness in whisky is rather scarce, so it’s no small thing to be recognized as standing out from the pack and having an instantly recognizable niche.  Do I inflate Port Charlotte scores because of this?  Possibly, but I don’t really think so.  Unequivocally I stand behind the inherent quality of the malt.  It’s an old school peat-and-smoke-heavy whisky of charm and character.  The Bruichladdich spirit simply works very well with high test peat, as proven by both the Octomore range and the Port Charlottes, so it’s rather easy to get behind it.

This release is Port Charlotte come of age.  We’ve watched the whisky mature gracefully through some exceptional annual cask strength releases named in simple fashion for the initials of the distillate and the age of the whisky (i.e. PC5, PC6, PC7, etc).  This was a release pattern much in line with Ardbeg’s ‘Path To Peaty Maturity’ series from several years back.  When Ardbeg finally reached 10 years, they celebrated with a final ‘Path’ expression called ‘Renaissance’, then strolled confidently onwards with a core range ten year old, aptly titled ‘Ten’, at 46% abv.  Bruichladdich has followed that model to a ‘T’.  On the heels of last year’s PC10, we were rewarded with ‘Port Charlotte 10’, an addition to the core ‘Laddie range and offered up at a respectable 46% abv.  And not chill-filtered.  And free of added coloring.  Brilliant. 

Even better though, is that Bruichladdich has managed to retain the integrity of the whisky even after bringing it down to a more manageable bottling strength.  We’ve seen many times before where the true ‘oomph’ of a dram is lost when the whisky is brought down from a flavour-rich cask strength to a market savvy 40% (give or take).  In the case of the PC series, those initial bottling strengths were massive, hovering in and around 60% abv.  That’s a far cry from this 46%, so to see the whisky retain all of its hallmark beauty is something to be extremely grateful for.  Well done, Team ‘Laddie. 

As of now, January 2014, Port Charlotte is still being produced at the Bruichladdich distillery.  Perhaps this will finally be the year where we really see new owners, Remy Cointreau’s, financial backing at play in helping to get the long-proposed Port Charlotte distillery up and running.  Fingers crossed.

Nose:  Buttery, farmy and peaty in that sort of way with which we’re now quite familiar in Port Charlotte releases.  Some smoke and rubber.  Creamy natural caramels…thick and awesomely gooey.  Salty.  Notes of Werther’s Originals.  Asphalt.  Maybe a distant touch of anise.  Great nose for sitting on a cool, cloudy beach and watching the ocean roll in.  Ideally…beside the pier in Port Charlotte itself.

Palate:  Sweet smoky rubber.  Elastic band and bandaid.  Peaty, earthy and iodine-rich.  A little sharp.  Moving into Longrow territory.  Very nice.

Thoughts:  Port Charlotte coming of age is a beautiful thing to watch.  Enjoying the hell out of this whisky’s growth and development.  A neutered Port Charlotte, to be sure, (we prefer the cask strength PC series), but still a great dram bearing all the nuances of the style.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Miyagikyo 15 y.o. Review

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Miyagikyo 15 y.o.204

45% abv

Score:  90.5/100

 

A few nights back, sitting ’round sharing drams with a bunch of mates, when lo and behold, the tallest and scrawniest of the lot (a fellow we lovingly refer to as the ‘Ginger Buddha’) pops the cork on this l’il gem.  He’d been down to see our mate, Andrew Ferguson, at Kensington Wine Market and been gently nudged in the direction of this malt from the Miyagikyo distillery (under the Nikka brand).  I’m not certain if he did the whole try-before-you-buy thing, or simply picked it up on faith, but either way, those of us in attendance were all amply rewarded for braving the snow that evening.

Lately, more and more, I’ve felt the pull towards the far climes of Asian whiskies.  Amrut, Kavalan, Karuizawa, Yamazaki…the exotic allure is well nigh irresistable.  These malts aren’t simply recreations of that glorious Scottish distillate we all love, but more like a beautiful and resonant variation on a theme.  Atop all of the inherently great characteristics of single malt whisky, levy a heap of exotic spices and off-the-beaten-path fruit notes and you’ll be coming somewhat close to what many of these Asian whiskies generally offer.

This 15 year old Miyagikyo is no different.  It followed hard on the heels of a rather unpleasant blended whisky that night, so it was relatively easy for this one to sparkle in comparison, but subsequent tastings have held up just as well.   Truly a wonderful surprise here from the North of Japan.  I look forward to trying more aged variants as soon as opportunity presents.

Apparently Miyagikyo produces whisky primarily for Nikka’s range of blends, with only a small fraction of their 2 million litre capacity being siphoned off as single malt.  The distillery, near Sendai, was initially founded with a thought to taking pressure off Nikka’s other distillery, Yoichi.  This allows Yoichi to concentrate on single malts, while Miyagikyo pumps out (mostly) blend fodder.  If this malt is any indication of what flows from the stills at Sendai, then Nikka can count itself lucky to have two aces in its hand. 

Nose:  Initial off-the-cork nose…wow!  Just wow.  A lot of great fruit.  Mango…and a few other tropicals.  Maybe a bit of raisin bringing some dark depth.  A touch of smoke swirling with the spices.  Rich, rich sherry notes.  Creamy chocolate and almond.  Paint notes hinting at some age (older casks herein, or just the result of a more temperate clime for accelerated maturation?)  Great, GREAT nose.

Palate:  Dried tropical fruits.  Pineapple and mango.  Dark cherry and wet wood.  Some apple…maybe even over ripe apple.  A touch of smoke again.  Juicy sherry leads to a little bit of a tannic side.

Thoughts:  The palate is a slight disappointment compared to the beauty of the nose.  That 90.5 could maybe be a touch more…maybe a touch less.  Probably more.  After several glasses of this, I’d still like to revisit.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Amrut Kadhambam Review

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Amrut Kadhambam018

50% abv

Score:  90/100

 

In one of the more innovative bits of cask play I’ve seen so far, Amrut has crafted yet another quirky single malt for general release.  Kadhambam means ‘mixture’ in the Tamil dialect, and that mixture they’re referring to is the casks themselves.  By that I mean that this malt got around more than Taylor Swift through Hollywood’s bachelor scene, with flings in alternately rum, sherry and brandy barrels.  As you can imagine, this leads to a very singular whisky.

I imagine some may be led to believe this would be much like a Frankenmalt with a very ‘manufactured’ profile.  Surprisingly, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  While definitely a bit of glorious tomfoolery, this is not a contrived whisky by any means.  Instead it is a case of the whole being more than the sum of its parts.  I like that.  A whisky with good integration where the cohesive whole is treat.

To be fair, this isn’t my favorite of Amrut releases, but it is good.  More than good actually.  Enough so that I squirreled away a couple of bottles for some future rainy day.  Or more likely just for inclusion in a couple of planned Amrut range tastings in future days.  

As you can see by the image above, this particular bottle I’m writing of is from Batch 1, in the days of Amrut’s big coffin box presentation.  Nowadays these releases come in a much more modest and compact presentation.  I’ve yet to try the newer batches, but if you can find one of these originals (limited to just a couple hundred bottles) do grab one.  If not…no worries…this is a distillery which is very dependable in terms of consistency.  I’m sure the newer editions are also likely spot on.

Nose:  Rich and spicy.  Cinnamon, nutmeg and butter.  Marzipan.  Melon.  Cantaloupe.  Cocoa.  Clove.  Orange oil.  Grape.  Spicy bread.  A sort of savoury note.  Putty.  A little bit of a wine note here, I think.

Palate:  Apple in caramel and cinnamon.  Bread.  Anise.  Big syrupy delivery and smooth development.  Creamy toffee and a molasses bitterness.  Over ripe fruits.  More chocolate.  Fruit leather.  Quite drying.  Apples on the finish.

Thoughts & Impressions:  Very well-composed.  The way this one unfolds is quite magic.  If you sit back and think about it, knowing what sort of casks are at play here, you can actually see the influence of all in the finished product.  Quite neat.  Speaks volumes to the skill of Amrut’s blender(s).  

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Pig’s Nose Review

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Pig’s Nose180

40% abv

Score:  71/100

 

There’ve been an awful lot of ‘highs’ in my recent tasting days.  How ’bout we tackle another ‘low’ just to add a little perspective.

You’ve all heard the expression ‘putting lipstick on a pig’, right?  It means simply that no matter how you dress it up, ultimately it’s still a pig.  Hate to say it, but it’s incredibly apt just how well this little analogy applies to Pig’s Nose Scotch Whisky.  The marketing tied to this one says the name comes from the idea that their whisky is as smooth as a pig’s nose.  I’ve touched a pig or two in my time (cue bad jokes) but this is nothing like that.  This is more like the bristles on a warthog.

To be fair, this is a blend, and a cheap one at that.  I wasn’t expecting anything magic here, but I was hoping for something a little smoother.  After all…Sheep Dip (from the same makers) has been really good in the past.  With Pig’s Nose, however, I can only assume a mashbill that contains a hefty grain to malt ratio.  I read a while back something about this having been built on 40% malt, but I don’t buy it.  This whisky seems to be heftily propped up by neutral grain spirit.  There’s a very prevalent alcohol bite that’s not even a bit pleasant.  This needs much more cask time to smooth out some wrinkles.  At a mere five years old this never should have hit the shelves.  Also…it really is boring as fuck.

I should note…I found out after tasting this one that it was put together by the ‘legendary’ Richard Paterson.  I’ll say no more.

Nose:  Waaaaaaaaay too young.  The composition isn’t all that bad, you can tell already, but this is so underdeveloped as to be almost unpleasant.  Tack on a bunch more years of maturation and you might have something here.  Caramel and perfume-like floral notes.  A touch of sugar cookies met with putty and a light dusting spice.  Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal in milk.  A touch of cheap chocolate and malt.  Barest hint of smoke…almost weedy smoke.  I’ll assume some Islay content (most likely Caol Ila, of course) because of it.

Palate:  Vodka.  Seriously.  Harsh and alcoholic.  With burnt caramel (and far too much of it) and sharp, dry, tannic oak.  Again kinda malty and rich in faux chocolate.  Bit of a shudder.  Faint, faint green apple on fade.

Thoughts:  Points for having the nuts to state right up front this is a five year old.  More whisky maker’s should be so forthright to not hide behind the ‘NAS’ option.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt