Category Archives: Distilleries

I wonder if you remember the 2012 Drammies where this happened for Single Cask Nation:

I totally remember and am so thankful for all of your votes last year!

To think that we (the Jewish Whisky Company and Single Cask Nation) got an Honorable Mention in the Drammies before we had whisky!

Well, I’m hoping that now that we have whisky we might get top nod. We shall see but you can help!

It’s up to you. You can vote for Single Cask Nation in category # 9 “Most Exciting \ Innovative Whisk(e)y Producer \ Bottler” and help make it happen!

And, if you want to vote for Jewmalt Whisky Reviews in category # 5 “Best Whisk(e)y Information Source ,” I won’t complain!

Below is the press release which gives you all the information you’ll need to vote in the 2013 Drammies.

Thank you for your support!

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It’s with great excitement that ForWhiskeyLovers announces the Call For Nominations for the 2013 Drammie Awards.

The mission of the Drammie Awards is to put the power of “recognition” in the hands of the whiskey consumer.

The 2013 competition commences with a nominating process where WhiskeyLovers can submit their own nomination(s) for any number of 15 total award categories. The fifteen nominating categories are:

Best Whisk(e)y Marketing Campaign of 2012
Worst Whisk(e)y Marketing Campaign of 2012
Best Whisk(e)y Packaging of a whisky released, or packaging redesigned, in 2012
Best New Whisk(e)y Related Product
Best Whisk(e)y Information Source
Best Whisk(e)y Bar
Best Whisk(e)y Distillery Tour
Best Whisk(e)y Distillery
Most Exciting \ Innovative Whisk(e)y Producer \ Bottler
Most Innovative New Whisk(e)y” released in 2012
Best Whisk(e)y Value \ Bang for the Buck
Most Underrated Whisk(e)y
Best Blended Whisk(e)y of 2012
Best New Whisk(e)y of 2012
Best Whisk(e)y of 2012

Nominations will be accepted for three weeks, or until midnight on Friday, February 15th 2013.

Enter your nominations for the 2013 Drammies here.

After nominations are closed, ForWhiskeyLovers will post the top five (5) nominations (those receiving the most nominating votes) for each category on ForWhiskeyLovers.com, and voting will commence to select the category winners. Voting on finalists will be conducted for another four weeks, from Monday February 17th until midnight on Friday March 15th 2013.

The 2013 Drammie Award Winners will be announced on Monday April 1st 2013

Fettercairn, Royal Lochnagar, Springtime, Summertime

A pair of “off-the-beaten-path” Old Malt Cask whiskies today…

January 31, 2013 Jewmalt

Challenge

Pronunciation: /ˈtʃalɪn(d)ʒ/

Definition of challenge
noun

call to someone to participate in a competitive situation or fight to decide who is superior in terms of ability or strength: he accepted the challenge
a task or situation that tests someone’s abilities.

Today I was challenged to taste and review whiskies from distilleries I’ve had little, if any, experience with: Fettercairn and Royal Lochnagar.

While I can say with 100% confidence that my physical strength has not been challenged in any way, my nose and palate surely were. Very few people can say they have had whiskies from these from these distilleries and I think I’ve had maybe one whisky from either of these producers.

Fettercairn only recently started releasing whiskies (Fior, a 24, 30 and 40yo) and Royal Lochnagar has a 12yo expression but is mostly used in blends such as Johnnie Walker Blue.

As with all Old Malt Cask bottlings we’re looking at the single cask (yet diluted to 50% ABV).

The provenance of the casks is a bit elusive. They are both ex-hogsheads but the first liquid held in them is unknown as both are 2nd or 3rd fill.

Both whiskies are very light in color.

Let’s dig in and see if I’m up to the challenge!

Old Malt Cask 16yo Fettercairn 50%ABV Single Cask

On the nose – A affront of dusty, sugary lemon flavored American Smarties.

Public pay phones (the smell of the receiver to be exact). Dungeons and Dragons dice. For those of you that don’t the smells of either of those previous examples, think of clean and hard plastics. Not rubbery and pungent but clean and plastic-y.

Green and unripened apples and maybe some watermelon pith. Quite unique.

On the mouth – This one actually tastes exactly like the smell so I’m going to focus on the texture:

Very oily, coating the center of the tongue and zapping the sides of the tongue and cheeks forcing my mouth to water profusely.

Finish – Drying and growing with white pepper-like spice then, drops suddenly.

In sum – This is very much an aperitif whisky, something to welcome friends with. It’s not overly complex but it is enjoyable.

Old Malt Cask 14yo Royal Lochnagar 50%ABV Single Cask

On the nose – Very much an elusive whisky.

You shy pup, come out and play! Ok, ok… I’ll be a bit patient here. (taps fingers, looks at the clock, checks email, posts something cheeky on Facebook…).

Alright. Are you ready for me now, little whisky?

Well, there’s some apple cider vinegar but it’s light in scent. Some malt grist but again, light.

Wait a mo, now you rear your head (did I mention I love that term?). Freshly skinned English cucumbers in Saran Wrap. Cucumber yogurt sauce (aka Raita).

On the mouth – Much like the Fettercairn, this is candied like American Smarties. More apple-like in flavor than lemon-like but there is some lemon in here now that I swish it about.

Tinned fruit cups with a focus on the tin.

Lightly oaked and just a touch of sandalwood. This is almost gin like (minus any juniper).

Finish – Very short finish but drying as well.

In sum – Much like the Fettercairn this whisky is one to start your evening with. It’s way too delicate to have after a meal or other drams.

Special thanks to all of the wonderful people at ISW for their help and samples!

An everyday dram, Cold Winter, Lost Spirits

American distillery Lost Spirits fourth cask of Leviathan I – heavily peated single malt whiskey

January 30, 2013 Jewmalt

California – 53% ABV – $50 (sadly now sold out but you can get Leviathan II for $50. You may want to hop on this as these casks render less than 200 bottles each).

Today will be the third exploration into a bit of an oddity amongst American whiskeys. What makes Lost Spirits Leviathan so unique? Though I’ve touched on that previously, let’s review it again:

Well, it’s a single malt to start. (Yes I, like everybody else’s uncle and their respective monkeys, read the NY Times article about the surge in the American single malts.) Beyond being a single malt whisky Leviathan is:

Peated to 110ppm (only Islay’s Bruichladdich can claim a higher peat ppm with their Octomore)
Matured in a late harvest Cabernet cask (few people have even heard of this style wine)
Single cask, cask strength, non-chill filtered, no colors added… the whole she-bang that whisk(e)y aficionados/anoraks/geeks look for in a whisk(e)y.

Maybe “oddity” is not the best descriptor. Maybe they’re a bit of a loner and a rebel. Yeah, that’s better.

You may have already read my review of Cask # 1 and/or Cask # 3. Here are my notes for Cask # 4:

On the nose – The nose is noticeably malt-forward but the maltiness has a deep, dank cellar-like malted barley quality.

Almost humid in scent.

As with Cask # 3, we’re getting some Horse Hindquarters Here (a triple H, different than HHH a la “Pump Up the Volume”).

Mezcal-like in my book with the burnt quality (not so much peaty but burning smoke).

Whoa. Grape “Bonkers” candies.

Heavy on the strawberry-jam-like sniffyness.

Dark millet cookies/biscuits minus any addition of cardamom powder.

On the mouth – Barrel char mixed with sweet red table wine.

Fleshy bits upon the peach pits (much like cask # 3).

I have to say that I’m very happy with the mouthfeel. Oily, tongue coating and rich.

Nowhere near as smokey in flavor as it is in scent. Very fruity, woody and winey with smoke around the edges reminding the dear drinker that yes, this is a peated whisky.

And finally, some over ripened mango right before some tannin-y dryness kicks in…

Finish – Lasting and now some sweetened spicy notes emerge and dance about on the center of the tongue.

In sum – What can I say about this whiskey? Well, it is very much a mood whiskey and a whiskey I could find myself in the mood for quite often.

While it is a big ‘ol peat monster it’s not trying to be Scotch whisky. It really is it’s own animal and stands alone (and quite tall) in the US Single Malt whisk(e)y arena.

Glen Elgin, Glen Elgin, Weymss Malts

Wemyss Malts – 20yo Glen Elgin Cask # 2594 “Winter Larder Green”

January 15, 2013 Jewmalt

Speyside region – Single Sherry Oak Cask bottled at 46% ABV

A very short and sweet review for you today. This is one of the more odd single casks of whisky I’ve had. Even more odd than the Old Malt Cask Speyside I had the other day.

A big thanks to the folks at Wemyss for the sample.

I LOVED the Weymss Inchgower known as “The Dunes.” Let’s see what this one brings us…

On the nose — Obvious sherry notes, cola syrup, burnt cherry jam, spiced autumn fruits and heated leather pants (like an 80’s glam rocker’s lower half during the encore at the show).

Ivy school closets and a good deal of wood spice.

On the mouth — A big, huge pungent blast of cola and turning/browning greens. A solid mouthfeel.

A mass of strawberries and a bit of sulfur/spent match stick.

Lots of what I got on the nose but the pungency and strawberries seem to overtake the show.

Finish — Drying toward the end and a lot (again) of what I got on the nose.

In sum — An odd, odd duck and a bit over the top with the pungent aspect. This cask seems to follow suite with The Dunes Inchgower cask I had before in the sense that it’s odd, fun and seems to stand out; but I feel that this cask of whisky might have been better served by being married up with some whisky from an Ex-Bourbon cask to help smooth it all out.

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In other Wemyss news (truly fantastic news, if you ask me): The Wemyss folks will soon break ground on a new distillery in Fife Scotland. Here’s the official press release:

“PRESS RELEASE
9th JANUARY 2013

Wemyss family to build new distillery in Fife

The Wemyss family is delighted to announce that it will shortly begin building a
new single malt whisky distillery and visitor centre by Kingsbarns, Fife, Scotland.

Approximately 6 miles from St. Andrews, The Kingsbarns Distillery will be built within
sight of the world-famous Kingsbarns championship golf course on land which
will be leased from Sir Peter Erskine of the Cambo Estate. The site of the distillery
will be the historic and charming East Newhall Farm steading.

The Wemyss family is being supported in this exciting new development with a
grant from the Scottish Government. It is expected that development of the
existing listed building will begin in early 2013, with a view to beginning distilling
and welcoming visitors a year later.

It is well known that Wemyss family has links with the whisky industry going back
to the turn of the 19th century when John Haig (founder of Haig’s) built his first
distillery on Wemyss land, and since 2005, with the independent bottler Wemyss
Malts. However, it is also the case that the Wemyss family has a historical link
with the site of the new Kingsbarns Distillery as the 7th Earl of Wemyss actually
owned part of the Cambo Estate between 1759 and 1783.

William Wemyss, commented on behalf of the family: “This rare opportunity to
distil our own single malt whisky and develop a new Scotch whisky brand to
support our existing business as an independent bottler will secure the family
interest in Scotch for the next generation. We are delighted to be working with
the Scottish Government, Sir Peter Erskine and Kingsbarns Distillery founder, Doug
Clement, to bring a new distillery and visitor centre to the East Fife area.”

———- END ———-“

A World of Discovery, Speyside Distillery

Old Malt Cask 20yo Speyside

January 10, 2013 Jewmalt

Speyside region – 50% ABV – from a single Oloroso Sherry Butt, 150 bottles for the US. Not sure who got the rest of the bottles from this butt… Maybe a UK/EU Bottling at 700ml?

This whisky reminds me of the theme song to Spielberg’s old cartoon (that I LOVED as a kid/teenager), Tiny Toons.

Here we have single cask of whisky matured in an Oloroso Sherry butt. What would we usually expect from sherry wood?: Notes of dried fruits, leather, chocolate, brown spices, cherry stones, cola syrup, etc… Deep and dark, sometimes cloyingly sweet flavors.

But this cask is breaking all of the rules!

~~“So here’s Acme Acres,~~
It’s a whole wide world apart,
~~Our home sweet home,~~
It stands alone,
~~A cartoon work of art!~~
~~The scripts were rejected,~~
Expect the unexpected
~~On tiny toon~~ adventures
It’s about to start!”

On the nose – A wonderfully peppery nose that has hints of coastal grasses, medicinal throat lozenges, model glue and diaper cream.

A hint of peat perhaps – not smoky at all but an interesting waft of peat and vegetality.

Onion crisps (Funyuns™) malt grist and vinegar. A touch of honey and citrus comes to the fore.

Not an every day sort of nose for me but I am really digging the components. Well put together so far and above all, interesting. Let us carry on, wayward son!

On the mouth – Much more restrained and fruity than expected.

That coastal element comes out again (again with the grasses and now salty beach stones) and reminds me a bit of what I love about the Laddie Ten.

Loads of white pepper and a gooseberry sourness to boot. More onion crisps and a hint of adobo spice.

Very malty, this one. Like a malt beverage cut with 2% white cranberry juice.

Mouth feel is like flat soda.

Finish – The flavors dissipate pretty quickly but some zing remains on the tongue.

In sum – A very interesting whisky that would likely do well in a tasting of many different whiskies. Not my favorite Speyside bottling but the nose get extra points for uniqueness.

It’s whiskies like this that get me excited when looking to explore deeper within a distillery to see what it can offer. This helps to show why single casks are so unique and sometimes quite special. Or, in this case, odd and a ton of fun.

Special thanks to the folks at ISW for the official sample!

Jewmalt Whisky Reviews