Category Archives: A.D. Rattray

A.D. Rattray, Bunnahabhain, Bunnahabhain, Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar dram # 23 – A.D. Rattray’s 27yo Bunnahabhain, Cask # 626

 

Region – Islay – ABV – 55.4%

Advent Calendar day # 23.

I can’t believe we’re almost near the end!  This has been a fun ride and I can not thank Secret Spirits enough for asking me to join in on their Calendar review this year.  Thank you, thank you.

A thousand times, thank you!

You know life is good when you can try a new whisky every single day for 25 days.  I hope you properly thanked the person that purchased this calendar for you.

If you purchased this calendar for yourself, well, you’ve been thanking yourself for the past 23 days!

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015Today is especially good because there is a 27yo Scotch whisky in my glass.

If you’re reading this while you’re dramming on the same whisky, ask yourself: what were you doing 27 years ago and what has happened in your life over the past 27 years.

Perspective is a good thing. It helps me to better appreciate what’s in my glass, that’s for sure.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015On the nose — Like drunkly stumbling into a sherry bodega and smashing open all of the casks, this is a massively sherried whisky!

Heavy oak presence. Burnt biscuits, hot dates, toasted walnuts, fig cake, and rubber gloves.

Overly toasted nooks and/or crannies, singed nose hairs (it does sting the nose a bit), first press virgin olive oil, and olive wood.

With water some wonderful bing cherries come out as does a hint of lingonberry jam.

In the mouth — Massive spice on this one.

Like a driver on his way to the hospital with a pregnant wife, the pepper overtakes you! You’ve really got to ease yourself into this mambajamba.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015Jolt cola, fresh peppercorns, fig newtons, more Jolt cola, salted caramels.

Very fizzy on the tongue. Spice along the sides of the tongue.

With water the oak comes out and tannins kick in.

Ugh, it becomes tired with water. Should not have added water…

Finish — (without water) Really bright and still cola-like. Long and peppery.

In sum — Water was a bad choice but hey, life is a series of mistakes you (should be) learn(ing) from. Did I love this whisky? No. It was a little to peppery and focused on the cola notes. Did I enjoy sampling it? Heck yeah. I hope you did, too.

It was a good deal of fun.

A.D. Rattray, Glentauchers, Glentauchers, Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015

SCOTCH WHISKY ADVENT CALENDAR DRAM # 21 – A.D Rattray’s 1992 Glentauchers, Cask # 6042

 

Region – Speyside – ABV – 48.7%

The day that I’m writing this review is the day after I saw the new Star Wars film. I plan on seeing it again tomorrow, and then again a day or two after that. Yes, people, it was that good. JJ Abrams done right by Star Wars and helped me to forget the atrocities that are Episodes 1, 2 & 3.

Wait, this is a whisky blog and not a Space movie blog, right? Right.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015This is the very first Glentauchers that I am publicly reviewing. I’ve had a few in my day but never did get around to reviewing one on this here bloggy blog.

Raise your hand if you’ve had much Glentauchers in your life? My guess is few hands went up.

I’ve had some great ones. Let’s see what this one is like.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015On the nose — Somehow I smell a perfect mix of Kellogg’s™ Frosted Flakes and Post™ Fruity Pebbles. (Time for a supermarket run!)

Grapefruit marmalade on buttery biscuits. A mere hint of peat sits right in the middle, becoming the centerpiece to a peat sandwich with lightly toasted sprouted malt bread.

Finally, we’ve got a little bit of lemon pinwheel here.

In the mouth  — Fizzy-fizzy mouthfeel, quite prickly indeed.  A bit quieter in the mouth. Let’s try a little harder though:

Briny and spicy upfront with some Asian pears, and Jicama (I seem to recall the Jicama note in a previous review).

FNK_Ramos-Gin-Fizz_s4x3A bit botanical now. Almost gin-like with the lack of intense Juniper. Oh! Gin Fizz!

Not too much else going on here.

Finish — Lasting gin-y-ness and fizz on the tongue.

In sum — While very promising on the nose, it seems to fall apart a bit on the palate. It’s saving grace, however, is the wild mouthfeel. Perhaps one of the fizziest feeling whiskies I’ve had in a while.

A.D. Rattray, Auchroisk, Auchroisk, Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar dram # 18 – A.D. Rattray’s Auchroisk 1993, 22yo, Cask # 2789

 

Region – Speyside – ABV – 52.6%

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015Known for its spicy character, Auchroisk is a natural for blends that require a little bit of a spicy or peppery zing to them. The distillery name “Auchroisk” is also known for having a plethora of mispronunciations. As I am told, the true pronunciation is “Oth-rusk.”

There you go! You’ve just learned something new. You’re welcome.

I tend to put Auchroisk, Tormore and Dailuaine in the “these are the spicy malts” category.  And hey, it’s Friday, right? Shouldn’t we have a little spice in our lives on a Friday?

Also, words, words, words, blah, blah, blah… You’re likely in line for the new Star Wars film so I could start writing whatever the heck I want to right now. Maybe even toss in some swear words and dick jokes if the feeling so hits me. No one will care because… oh, wait, you can read this on Dec 19th and thereafter, huh? Ok, ok, on to the review… (darn it):

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015On the nose — It takes a little bit but… Delicately floral, and only hints of chiles. What follows this are notes of lemongrass, kefir leaves, coconut soup!

Melon and citrus infused simple syrup.  Top this off with some hints of crushed almonds.

In the mouth — Here’s where the spice kicks in. Bright and gripping with added softer tones of chamomile, vanilla, honeysuckle, and pipe tobacco.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015Meyer lemon zest with a wonderful almond paste note. This is such a great combination of fresh, spicy, inviting and yet soft.

Finish — Not long enough!!

In sum — Just a wonderfully delicious single cask of whisky. If you’ve ever thought of taking a chance on a bottle of Auchroisk, this’d be a GREAT entrée!

A.D. Rattray, Craigellachie, Craigellachie, Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar dram # 17 – A.D. Rattray’s 2008 Craigellachie, Cask # 900861

 

Region – Speyside – ABV – 58%

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015Today’s whisky is the second Craigellachie in the Advent Calendar however this one is bottled at full cask strength by A.D. Rattray. The first one being a 12yo bottled at 46% by Weymss Malts.

A young sherry cask matured whisky (this at 6 years of age) is likely to excite the senses. Perhaps even wake you up – especially given the ABV of 58%. The youngest Craigellachie I’ve had was 8yo and that, too, was a single sherry cask from A.D. Rattray. It was a killer release.

Let’s see what this one does.

On the nose — Peanut brittle masks the most unusual note of bile upon first sniff.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015After a minute or so, that bile note goes far away and we are now presented with a series of very strong scents such as: leather wallets, grilled apricots, burnt popsicle sticks, cotton candy, hot vinyl seating in a 70’s Chevy Nova, hot wax, and childhood memories.

In the mouth — VERY spirit forward here, almost new make-y. Sour pear, salted licorice, nectarine pit, dry hay on a humid summer day.

I would never have guessed 58% ABV. As youthful as the flavors are, this is a very easy whisky to hold in your mouth.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015A few more notes before we get to the finish — green bar printer paper, printer ink cartridges, and more hot vinyl seating.

Finish — Medium in length, pears and nectarine pit hold out.

In sum — Surely a fun whisky but one that I think would have benefited from a few more years in the cask. The spirit character is great to experience here. However, more time in cask to develop would have been the best choice in my opinion. It’s worth your time in a line up of various whiskies but nothing to just sit and relax with.

A.D. Rattray, Invergordon, Invergordon, Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar dram # 15 – A.D. Rattray’s 1991 Invergordon, Cask # 39033

 

Region – Highlands – ABV – 59.9%

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015You do not have to twist my arm to sample a single cask of Invergordon. No sir, you do not have to do it. I will sample the $#!+ out of a single cask of Invergordon the first chance I get.

Of all the Single Grain Scotch Whiskies, it is Invergordon that excites me the most. I just find their spirit to be lovely, and yet the most robust of all the grain whiskies I’ve had (especially distillate from 1964).

“What is Single Grain Scotch Whisky?” some may ask. It’s simple yet not so simple.  Just as the term “Single Malt Scotch Whisky” is not incredibly direct, nor is the term “Single Grain Scotch Whisky.”

Let’s do this backwards and even color code it for your benefit, shall we?

Single. Grain. Scotch. Whisky is — Whisky made in Scotland from Grain (or Malted Barley for Malt Whisky) at a Single Distillery. Get it? Got it? Good.

Wow, 1991. The year I graduated from High School. The year I quit smoking. The year I got rained out of my only chance to see The Ramones. All of it 24 years ago? Oy.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015On the nose — This one stings the nostrils a bit. *puffs some air into the glass to reveal notes of gingerbread houses held together by hard frosting and hope*

The interesting scent of engine oil acts as a bottom note. Floating above that are very present tinned peaches, sugar cane, candied ginger, coconut shreds, and rubber dish gloves.

Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 2015In the mouth — Tastes like the smell of a good ice cream shop. A chill in the air, fresh dairy, vanilla beans, wafer cones, sugar cones, chocolate nibs, and rainbow sprinkles.

There’s a heaviness to this one, too. Think overheated cooking oil, heavy damp leaves, charred wood, and buckwheat honey.

Finish — Wonderfully long with a slight ginger pepperiness that seems to never leave.

In sum — Another reminder of what Invergordon is my favorite Scotch Grain Distillery. I think I need to spend some birthday/Chanukah money to get my hands on a bottle…