Category Archives: Distilleries

A World of Discovery, Refreshed, Tuthilltown

Happy America Day! (plus a Tuthilltown Hudson single malt whiskey review)

Hey y’all – I thought I’d wish my American compadres a Happy Forth of July!  And, in a strange way, wish our northernly neighbors a belated Happy Canada Day.  How are the two connected?  Well, they are connected in many ways, I’m sure, but the only one I care about right now is whiskey!

Recently, I tried Tuthilltown Spirit’s Hudson Single Malt Whiskey.  A single malt that uses 100% Canadian malted barley.  That’s right, the US and Canada joining schwartzes is the best way I can think of – to make great New York whiskey.

Straight to the review now:

Upstate New York, USA — 46%ABV — 375ml bottle – $40 (no non-USA distribution that I am currently aware of though the Tuthilltown Spirits group is now a proud member of the William Grant & Sons family)

On the nose – There’s a huge damp quality to this nose; almost like damp laundry (clean cotton notes for sure).

Sweet honeyed carrots and parsnips.

It actually almost has a corn like quality to it though this IS a single malt with no grain influence.  Must be the interaction with those cute small barrels they use.

Cinnamon (hot cinnamon, like big red chewing gum, not cinnamon as with apples or pears) and candied nuts.

On the mouth – Big cinnamon attack!  The final notes I detected in the nose ramped up with a Big Red freshness that lasted right through to the palate.

Brown sugar sweetness and orangey Jaffe Cakes.  Clove cigarettes.

Finish – A blast of oak and biscuits, quite numbing even at 46%.  My mouth usually only gets this way after a cask strength whisk(e)y (50% or more).

In sum – This is a pick-me-up sort of whiskey.  A nice way to start the day (if that’s your sort of thing) but, most importantly, a nice way to say Happy Birthday America; you sweet & spicy thang you!  And, Happy Canada Day (albeit a few days late) to my kanuckian brothers & sistas to the north!

Macallan

Macallan 13yr Single Cask – Bottled for the SMWSA – Cask number 24.111

Speyside region – 59.7%ABV – 750ml bottle – Exclusive Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America

I am a proud new member of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America (from here on out to be referred to as SMWSA).  I’ve got a few friends who’ve been members for a while now and I was going back and forth; should I join? shouldn’t I join?, etc…

For those of you unfamiliar with the society, the SMWSA is the American arm of the parent society based in Leith, Scotland.  Every month they offer up new exclusive whiskies to their members.  Whiskies you can find NOWHERE else and they are all Single Cask, Cask Strength expressions.  Their whiskies come from over 125 different distilleries (Most are Scottish distilleries but they now include Japanese expressions such as Yamazaki, Nikka and Hakushu).

Back to my becoming a member — again, I was really hemming and hawing over whether or not to join the society.  YES I would have access to these great whiskies but hey, there’s a membership fee involved…  It wasn’t until I started talking to, and began reading reviews from, my fellow whisky blogger Jason of Guid Scotch Drink that I decided to bite the bullet and join.  This is perhaps the tastiest bullet I’ve ever bitten.

For information on the SMWSA including their current whiskies and how to join in on the fun, click here.  If you are outside of the US, click here for international branches.

The first bottle I got from the SMWSA was a 13yr Macallan which was matured in a first fill sherry butt (tee-hee… when will I get past the whole ‘laughing at the word “butt”‘ thing?  Never, me thinks).  This is high octane killer whisky!

On the nose – A word to the wise: give this whisky some time to breathe.  It was bottled at 59.7%ABV so it’s… strong stuff.  It’ll trim your nose hairs if you let it.

After a good 10 minutes, this beauty (and, it IS a beauty) opens up like a lotus flower.  Indian food galore!  Mango chutney, heavy on the ginger.  A hint of green mint sauce with a nice amount of spice.

Then some nice balsamic vinaigrette notes with a side of green plastic toy soldiers.  Banana nut bread, banana peel.  Bananarama.

On the mouth – Sour and spicy cabbage (think Kim Chee) and salted nut mix.

Tremendous mouth feel – chewy but, oh so drying and in a really good way (sherry wine tannins, hard at work).

Nutty goodness.

Finish – Wow, all of those great nuts (think stale filbert minus the saltiness I detected earlier) and bananas keep coming back up; over and over, it’s near endless.

In sum – Quite brilliant, really.  There is so much going on here to occupy my brain and senses but, at the same time, I could find myself easily sipping on this one without even thinking about it.  Scary that a whisky at 59.7% ABV could be an everyday drinker for me!  This whisky made the top place in the SMWSA’s “President’s Choice” list of the April outturn and I can see why.  Fabulous.

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Glenrothes, Springtime

Two Indy Glenrothes – Classic Cask and The Premium Barrel – both single cask expressions

My experience with the Glenrothes whiskies is fairly limited but I have to say, I am a huge fan of Ronnie Cox and the video series he leads on the Glenrothes website.  To check out the video series, Click here and, for each expression, click “Read More” and you’ll find video tasting notes for each whisky (don’t forget to come back!)

I recently received two samples of independent Glenrothes expressions and thought it would be a good idea to review them side by side.  Both are indy bottlings, both are single cask expressions, both are at a reduced ABV; 43% & 46%

The first of these whiskies was one of the strangest malts I’ve had in a while, the other was…pretty good.  Pretty damn good.  One thing I can say, after tasting these two… I want MORE Glenrothes!

Glenrothes 1990 18yr Single Cask – Classic Cask – Speyside region – 43% ABV – 750ml bottle (please note that the picture of the bottle shown is not the actual Glenrothes bottle.  Rather, it is a bottle from “The Classic Cask” collection)

On the nose – Odd nose here, house cleaners – very chemically, nail polish/acetone then toffee enters.

Kumquat citrus nose (but a tad restrained) and vanilla.

After a good while, great dried fruit notes (you have to wait for it a good 6-7 minutes though…).  Shaved chocolate.

On the mouth – Pine Sol, Murphy’s Wood Cleaner, mint/menthol notes, then enters some very soothing caramel notes and Smarties.

A great transformation but those chemical notes are a bit off-putting (and at the same time, those odd notes kept me coming back for more.  It’s like watching a train wreck… you can’t look away!).

Finish – Medium length.

In sum – I really don’t know what to make of it.  If I were to stumble upon my blog and read the notes I just listed above, I would say to myself:  “Self, don’t you ever, ever drink this stuff!”.  HOWEVER, I truly enjoyed this whisky and was sad to see my sample go.  Enjoy this whisky when you are cleaning the house – spring cleaning!

Glenrothes 1996 “The Premium Barrel” Single Cask – for info on Douglas Laing “Premium Barrel” Bottlings, click here – Speyside region – 43% ABV – 750ml bottle (please note that the picture of the bottle shown is not the actual Glenrothes bottle.  Rather, it is a bottle from “The Premium Barrel” collection)

On the nose – Clean and brisk nose with a load of lemons.

Pineapple and a good bit of chamomile tea (very nice!).

Light toffee notes, very faint peat smoke.

On the mouth — Strong effervescent mouth feel, thin mouth feel like cut oil.

Butter and toast (though, not together), fennel (not seeds, fennel).

Grassy, spent matches and electrical charges.  That faint peat smoke comes back.

Finish – Decent length.  About as long as it should be I suppose.

In sum – I really liked the Classic Cask more than this expression.  It’s “oddness” was a huge draw for me.

This one was nice, very nice, but I can picture myself going for “The Classic Cask” expression before “The Premium Barrel”.

A World of Discovery, Master of Malt, Refreshed, Summertime, Takin' It Easy, Tomatin

Master of Malt Tomatin 19yr Single Cask 40% ABV

Highland region – Master of Malt Exclusive Single Cask Tomatin 19yr – 40%ABV –  £60

About 3 weeks ago I posted a review of the Master of Malt Tomatin 19yr Single Cask, Cask Strength whisky.  In that post I told you about a new program I have with the good folks at Master of Malt whereas you can get free whisky samples just by ordering whisky from MoM and using “JSMWS sample” in the delivery instructions in their online shopping cart.

I’ve provided a link after the review for more details on that program.

Truth be told, I am new to Tomatin.  The only expressions I’ve ever had are the Master of Malt ones but if these are any indication as to the quality of their whiskies well, they have a new devotee.

On the nose – Same familiar nose as their Cask Strength version I reviewed a few weeks back.  It’s actually giving me some sting that I was not expecting.  Not with 40% ABV.

Lemons, drying cement, white wine (think Gewürztraminer), refreshing nose, fresh Scotch Tape strips (wow, where the F*** did that come from??  It’s there though).

Sweet & malty, an absolute tease of smoke and a good amount of oak.

On the mouth – Oily entry with a clean flow of honey and malt a touch of cardboard and candied lemon rinds (immensely and increasingly sweet).

Finish – Drying and long with the lemons demanding their presence be know.

In sum – Another triumph for Master of Malt.  A seriously enjoyable malt for those who wish to discover as well as for those just wishing to relax and enjoy the rest of their day (as well as be rewarded for satisfying workday).

If I had a full bottle of this (or two), it would be my go-to summer dram.  This or the Scapa 16yr.

Click here to find out how you can claim you free whisky (and details regarding my relationship with Master of Malt).

Rittenhouse

Rittenhouse Rye 100 Proof

Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey – 50%ABV – 750ml bottle – $20 | £25 | €30

Today I am reviewing one of the more surprising American whiskeys I’ve had to date.  I am normally of the mind set that “if it costs more and is harder to get, the better it is”.  This one breaks the mold for sure (thankfully).

I’ve got here a $20 bottle of kick-ass, high proof, American Straight Rye whisky – Rittenhouse Rye 100 Proof.  Not only is it inexpensive but it’s quite ubiquitous.  You can’t go into a spirit shop (or shoppe) without finding a bottle of this stuff.  And, to me, this is a good thing.

On the nose — Initial few whiffs are very deceiving offering up softer notes of buttered crumpets and dark chocolate.

After nosing is for a bit longer, however, the bite starts to kick in and great vanilla and blueberry notes (yay rye whiskey!) pop as do gingerbread cookies and cinnamon sticks.

A great nose though very stinging (I like that – it lets me know I’m still alive and kicking).

If the ABV weren’t so high I could continue to nose the shit out of this one.

On the mouth — The entry here is soft (yes, even at 50% ABV) and the fluid feels, not tastes, feels like thick Kool-aid drink – take a Kool-Aid packet and add about 10% less water and that’s the feel you get.

Starts off like over-cooked butter then gets earthy.  Fresh soil and crystalized ginger – Oh, this is getting stronger, and stronger – alcohol infused flan – Oh, this is good.

Finish — Long and longer.  Strong and stronger.

In sum — I seriously can not believe that this is only a $20 bottle and was amazed to know that it was named “North American Whiskey of the Year” at the 2006 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and won a World Whisky Award for Best American Whiskey in 2010 — awesome and well deserved.  Another great whiskey from the Heaven Hill family of whiskeys.