Monthly Archives: December 2015

A.D. Rattray, Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar dram # 12 – A.D. Rattray’s “Bank Note” 5yo

 

Regions – a blend of regions – ABV – 43%

Something totally unexpected in this Advent Calendar – a blend. But then again, you never supposed to know what to expect. Every day a surprise, right?

This blend is as inexpensive as $20/bottle (1L) at K&L and up to $40 in stores located elsewhere (I’m looking at you New Jersey).

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015As you would expect in a blend, this is a mix of malt whiskies and grain whiskies.  However, this has 40% malt whisky and 60% grain whisky.  Normally the ratio is closer to 80/20 (grain to malt). So we should hope for a little more quality here.

I’m just going to jump right into this one.

Scotch Whisky Advent CalendarOn the nose — Very grain forward yet there’s a nice Apfelkuchen (apple cake) note that comes at you quickly.  A bit of uncooked biscuit dough, spiced cookie dough.

It’s a sweet bread blend, to be sure (not the disgusting sweet bread which is made from meats but actual sugary sweet breads).

Scotch Whisky Advent CalendarIn the mouth — Much of the same in the mouth as it is on the nose but now with the addition of a hint of peat.

Mouthfeel is the same as you’d expect from Johnnie Walker Black. Some hints of spice and Szechuan chiles.

Finish — Shortish with lasting spice on the sides of the tongue.

In sum — Perfectly inoffensive and easy drinking but nothing you’d need to spend some you time with. The is to be poured when you’ve got a big group of people over and they want “a Scotch.”

Glenrothes, Glenrothes, Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar dram # 11 – Weymss Malts “Kumquat Cluster” Glenrothes Sherry Butt # 3343

 

Region – Speyside – ABV – 46%

Scotch Whisky Advent CalendarDram # 11 brings us a Weymss Malts whisky entitled “Kumquat Cluster” which is a 21yo Glenrothes single sherry butt, cask # 3343.

Based on the color, which is fairly light, I’d have to say this is a refill butt.

There is a joke in there somewhere. I’ll leave you to that.

The Glenrothes and I normally do not get along. The spirit character usually doesn’t sit with my palate but I know they have a great following.

Though, truth be told, I do wish their OB bottlings were at a higher ABV. They’re usually at 40% or 43%, chill filtered and with caramel color added. I think if they slowly moved to 46%, they’d do a great job bringing their followers to the world of non-chill filtered and no-caramel color added whiskies.  The grass is greener on this side, people.

Still, they put out a host of whiskies, various vintages, that people go head over heals for. They must be doing something right, right?

Back to the whisky at hand though. As an independently bottled cask of The Glenrothes, this, I would hope, offers something that the OB releases do not offer. At first glance, it’s 46% NCF and no caramel color is added. That’s a start. At 21 years of age, this will be the oldest Glenrothes I’ve had to date.

Let’s see what happens.

Scotch Whisky Advent CalendarOn the nose — Citrus laden melting caramel cubes.  Some attic wood and a hint of sour milk (in a good way, trust me on this one).  Pecan pie filling, young strawberries, Alpha-Bits cereal sans the marshmallows, a hint of Ovaltine.

The attic wood tells me this is a Glenrothes but everything else just falls into place so nicely.

Scotch Whisky Advent CalendarIn the mouth — Now I see where they got the Kumquat Cluster name. It’s like drinking fresh kumquat juice, skin and all.

A touch of pepper, lots of malt, hints of fresh and dried figs, date rolls (sans almond), mint tea, some Chinese Five Spice to boot!

Finish — Long, malty, citrusy, hints of pepper.

In sum — Cracking whisky. I was really dreading this one but, wow, I was impressed. This is a whisky I’d reach for on a daily basis. Quite nice indeed.

Islay, Islay, Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar dram # 10 – Samaroli “Islay” 9yo, cask # 80006

 

Region – um, Islay – ABV – 43%

Unnamed Islays seems to be the way things are going now when it comes to independently bottled cask of Islay whisky. Most, based on comparisons to “Original Bottlings,” or “Owner Bottlings,”  seem to be Caol Ila, Ardbeg or Lagavulin if you’re really lucky. All I’ve tasted have been great <shameless plug> including the 3, soon to be 4 “Undisclosed Islay” Single Cask Nation releases </shameless plug>.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015This one is the first, however, that I will taste that is not bottled at full cask strength.  Another 43% ABV for this Samaroli.  Samaroli = elegance in my mind though I’ve rarely seen anything lower than 45% ABV until now.

Let’s see what happens with this 9yo at 43%:

On the nose — Soft peat wreathed in lavender rests on a bed of licorice nibs. Heather to the fore with gorse in the distance.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015Some iodine and hospital beds make themselves known as does beach pebbles and blue slate.

A flinty minerality brings me in to sip…

In the mouth — Initial pepper sting that sticks to the tip of the tongue as the oily build dances about mid-palate. If I had to guess, I’d say this is a Caol Ila.

Very edgy stuff, not rounded in any way, which is nice. You get the softness from the lower ABV but the edginess from the youth of the whisky.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015Think flint stones (not Flintstones) meets burnt brush and driftwood meets seaweed and burning peat meets dandelion jam and lavender with a hint of lemon rind.

Finish — Lasting, citrusy and sooty

In sum — What a way to enjoy a younger Islay whisky. Though I normally prefer the brash in-your-face-ness of young Islay whisky, the water tamed it to the perfect just-sit-and-relax ABV. My initial reaction was “another 43% whisky from Samaroli, really?” However, this was simply loverly whisky. I enjoyed the interplay between youth and elegance (by way of lower ABV).

Glen Moray, Glen Moray, Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar dram # 9 – A.D. Rattray Glen Moray 8yo, Cask # 900029

 

Region – Speyside – 64.8% ABV (holy moly!)

Glen Moray is one of my favorite Glens.  It is too oft overlooked. Here in the US distribution seems to a bit sporadic so therefore few really know about the brand on this side of the pond (when compared to the Glenfiddichs and Glenmorangies of the world).

Scotch Whisky Avent Calendar 2015One thing I did not expect with this particular Glen Moray was the strength that it was bottled at. Normally, Glen Moray fills their casks at 63.5% (like the majority of distilleries out there).  However, if this was casked at 63.5% how could the bottling strength be 64.8% at 8 years of age? They must’ve filled this cask at a higher ABV.

Both Tamdhu and Glenfarclas fill at around 70/71% (and Kilchoman does the same on occasion). Perhaps Glen Moray fills at a higher ABV on occasion, too? Looks like I have some investigation in front of me!

Anyway, all that aside, I have a whisky to review.  Here we go:

Scotch Whisky Avent Calendar 2015On the nose — Thick yet stinging sherry presence.  Huge peppery note on this which tells me it’s a sherry butt rather than a hogshead. Look at that! It IS a butt. I like big butts. I can not speak untruths.

Back to the scents (and my senses): potpourri, picked walnuts, cola syrup, New Chuck Taylors, tart plum, wood charr, apple tarts.

Man, I can go on and on here. This is a very expressive and impressive nose!

Scotch Whisky Avent Calendar 2015In the mouth — Requires. Water. I’m. Dying. Here.

Screw it, let’s give another sip: I guess that first sip killed the complaining taste buds because sip # 2 was not a death sentence!

I will add water but, before I do I find a sweet yet herbaceous quality to this whisky and notes of party balloons and sweet rub spices.

Scotch Whisky Avent Calendar 2015With the addition of water: Raspberry fruit leather, actual leather, watermelon covered in smoked salt, Raspberry jolly ranchers or, better yet, Red Hot Dollars (which are raspberry in flavor and not hit at all). Cherry pits and apple skin (granny smith).

Finish — Long and peppery at the back of the throat.

In sum — This whisky needs, nay, loves water. It’s a bit of a water rat. Without it, you’ll likely burn to a crisp. With it, maybe bringing it down to 58% or so, it a raspberry charmer. A bit red fruit focused but very tasty.

Craigellachie, Craigellachie, Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar dram # 8 – Weymss Malts “Dark Treacle Fondant” Craigellachie 12yo, Cask # 900095

 

Region – Speyside – 46% ABV

Having one of the more difficult distillery names to pronounce, Craigellachie is a massive distillery located in the distillery-rich Speyside region of Scotland –  just a few miles from the Aberlour distillery.

This powerhouse produces 4.1 million litres of spirit per year (!!). After having toured the distillery this past May, I was surprised to see more references to the Dewars blend throughout the distillery as opposed to references to the actual distillery name itself. Then I reminded myself that the purpose of this production house was not for Single Malt (even though they just released some age statement whiskies – 13, 17, 19 & 23 years old). No, the purpose of Craigellachie is to provide malt whisky for your various Dewars products.

If you ever find yourself in Scotland, be sure to check out the Craigellachie distillery. Its massive production house factory-like feel acts as a great counterpoint to more classic style distilleries such as GlenDronach, Aberlour, Glenmorangie and many others.  After your visit to the distillery, head over to the Craigellachie Hotel for a dram or four.

IMG_6528On Advent Calendar Day # 8, we’ve got another malt bottled by Weymss Malts. And wouldn’t you know it? It’s a Craigellachie.

This one is titled “Dark Treacle Fondant.” Have a think on that name while we pour the whisky into our glasses.

One the nose — Oh, that name is so suggestive. It smells of cake fondant!  There’s even this waxy-like texture in the nose and the scents start off with dark chocolate and toasted brazil nuts.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015I am then hit by the smell of sweet barbecue sauce on the grill on the day you re-open your outside cooking apparatus.  Hints of licorice and hazelnut nougut rubbed with confectioners sugar.

In the mouth — Highly decedent stuff. While the mouthfeel is not super thick, the flavors sure are.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015Let the laundry list begin: Molasses,  Nutella, dark chocolate, rubber tires, burnt applesauce, old-school lickable stamps (the sticky side), fruit cake, candied orange peels, cloves, on and on, and on and on, and on and on (was that last bit grammatically correct? Was any of this grammatically correct?)

A little spice at the back of the throat: tell-tale sign of sherry butt matured whisky.

Finish — Really just a fading version o the favors I go on the palate.

In sum — If you like your sherried whiskies, the one would be right up your alley. It ticks all the boxes. The more I drink Craigellachie, the more I like it.