Category Archives: An everyday dram

All You Need Is Love, An everyday dram, Springtime, Suntory - Hakushu

Suntory Hakushu 12yo – G-d Bless you!

Japan – 43%ABV – £46 | €54

“Hakushu!”

“G-d bless” said a kind yet unknowing man.  We’ll call him… “Kevin”.  He thought I sneezed when I said Hakushu.  No, that was not a sneeze.  It was me yelling out the name of a Suntory whisky that, with hope, will be available in America this year.

“Kevin” is your typical American who, when it comes to whisk(e)y only thinks of Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, Dewars or Southern Comfort… he has never heard of Japanese whisky.  In fact, if you told him that the Japanese produced whisky, he’d most likely remark, “Japanese whisky?!  I never knew the Japanese made Scotch!!”

Just the facts ma’am —

Only the Scots make Scotch.  Simple fact.  Scotch is a whisky.  Bourbon is a whiskey.  Rye whiskey is, you guessed is a whiskey.  And Japanese whisky is… whisky!  Silly do-do American (sorry to all of my compatriots!)!!

What’s my point here?  Oh yeah, I love Japanese whisky and I find it really frustrating that there is so little of it readily available in the US.  The good news, as I mentioned above, is that Suntory will be bringing Hakushu to the states very soon.  Currently we can enjoy Hibiki (a blended Japanese whisky; the 21yo made my Best Whisky tasted in 2010 award) and Yamazki which is a single malt.  Both are Suntory whiskies.

Hopefully, sometime soon, we’ll get Nikka whisky here in the US.  Until then Suntory’s got our backs.

A special thanks goes out to Yoshi M for the generous sample!

On the nose — Initial reaction: fruity, spicy, grapey, floral, malty and a touch of smoke.

Let’s break it out a bit though… I think we have a case of which came first, the chicken or the omelet.

Many aspects fighting to the fore such as mango and green apple (predominantly).

The floweriness is lovely here too (a bit of jasmine).

This is honeyed as well with a bit of vanilla.

Spiced gum drops.

Lemongrass and black raisins.

Nice and malty.

On the mouth — Much like the nose except there’s a smoked & spiced nuttiness here.

Very malty, gobs of malt – smoked malt (I must stress – this is not an overly smokey whisky).

Fruits abound (they’re all up in this shit)!

Think crabapples and green apple pie.

Smokey still though not overbearing… it’s balancing out the sweet and spice, right nice.

Finish — The finish is all on jasmine tea and spice.

In sum — A wonderfully balanced whisky that can and will hold it’s own against many Scotch whiskies.  This is perfect as an aperitif or as a mid-day dram.  I’m looking forward to this being available in the US.  It’s a keeper, an everyday dram for sure.

An everyday dram, Cold Winter, Jura, Summertime

Four whisky reviews today – tasting the Isle of Jura range!

Isle of Jura.  A lot can be said about Jura but, as you’ll see below, I’ve got a shit ton to cover just with my tasting notes.

This said, let’s hit the highlights shall we?:

  • The Isle of Jura is a small little Isle located east & north of Islay
  • Isle of Jura distillery is the only distillery located on Jura- “On an island just 7 miles wide and 30 miles
    long, there is but one road, one hotel and one distillery.    “
  • People from Jura call themselves Diurachs (Gaelic)
  • Diurachs are a superstitious lot but they make some pretty tasty whisky!

Isle of Jura 10yo – 43%ABV – $35 | £25 | €29

On the nose — Soapy fresh nose, even surpassing a Bowmorian soapiness (slightly soapier than many Bowmore whiskies I’ve had).

Limon™ sweetness of 7UP™ soda with gobs of malt to boot.

Spider mums and an absolute hint of peat smoke.

On the mouth — A decent and slightly oily entry filled with malty notes and a touch of the soap I got on the nose.

Very sweet potpourri, aniseed and toasty oaken notes.

Finish — Peppery and spicy finish with more soap and malty sweet notes.

Isle of Jura 16yo – 43%ABV – $45 | £41 | €48

On the nose — Soft nose; sweet yet salty and strong with a note of licorice.

Soapy yet not as much as the 10yr Jura.

Threads of smoke and spicy citrus.

Candle wax, malty and hay.

Heide brand candy cardboard box (one which previously held Jujyfruits).

Plastic shopping bags too.

On the mouth — Spicy attack from the get-go.

Lipstick and eyeshadow (smell a make-up bag and this is what I’m tasting).

Light (ever so light) peat smoke and some of that hay I got on the nose.

Chewy wine gums, even Jujubees (another Heide brand candy) and fresh tobacco.

Finish — Short finish, slight spice and a touch of that wax from the nose.

Isle of Jura ‘Superstition’ – 43%ABV – $40 | £29 | €34

On the nose — Waft of burnt pricker bushes, peat smoke and rosewater.

Toffee, caramels and fizz candies.

Toasted, nearing burnt, apple skins.

Figgy pudding – there’s even a little mustard seed in here.

On the mouth — Very sweet and a viscous mouth feel.

Back to the fizzy candies and lemon sugar drops.

The peat does not seem to translate to the palate as much as I expected.

Finish — Peppery and sweet yet shorter than that dude from Ron Howard’s “Willow” (do you think Mr. Howard is happy about having his name on that crap movie?).  Granted, that guy was great as Wicket, the fun loving Ewok from Return of the Jedi.  But, Willow!?  Come on folks.  Oop, sorry.  I digress….

Isle of Jura ‘Prophecy’ – 46%ABV – $65 | £50 | €59

On the nose — I like what I’m smelling here.

Smoke and seashells by the seashore.

Oak and soy sauce.

Very nutty with hints of wood shavings.  A tad suphuric but it seems to add to rather than take from (as opposed to many other “match-stick malts” that will go unnamed here).

On the mouth — Sweet peat, peaty and sweet (I see you rockin’ that peat from across the street).

Sugar lemon drops, just like with the Superstition but there’s a general ashiness here that I didn’t find in the Superstition – very appetizing.

There’s more fruit as well.

Perhaps some golden delicious apple and hints of fuzzy peach (unrippened as it were).

Finish — Rhubarb pie, key lime pie, π.  Good length.

And finally, in sum — While I found the 10yo to be a bit one dimensional with all of the soap and sweetness it was enjoyable and very easy going.  One to keep on the shelves as a nice mid-summer dram. Nah, I take that back, there’s a slightly wintery feel to this as well.  Enjoy in front of a fire perhaps with a good book.

The 16yo had a nice balance to it; more enjoyable than the 10yr.  Obviously, it’s older than the 10yr but there’s a maturity there that seems beyond the 16yrs.  Very enjoyable stuff.  A nice mid-day, autumn dram.

I found the ‘Superstition’ to be an interesting one.  Maybe not the whisky itself but my approach to it.  I had a bottle of this a couple of years ago and found it quite one-dimensional; all peat smoke (and odd smoke at that).  Being that this is a lightly peated dram, I’m not sure why I was unable to get past it at the time.  Today’s tasting found it to be more one-dimensional toward the sweet side.  So, where does that leave me (us).  Not sure…  I will say, this may be one that’s better to just enjoy rather than dissect…

The ‘Prophecy’ was really enjoyable, the star of the current range if you ask me.  Can be enjoyed at anytime and in any situation.  Dare I say, an everyday malt??

Special thanks goes out to Lyz Nardo for the generous samples!

An everyday dram, Let's celebrate!, Takin' It Easy, Usquaebach

Usquaebach – a review of their three standard expressions

Delving once more into the world of the unpronounceable names.

Well, there’s the ever famous YHVH (you can see the Hebrew to the left); the Tetragrammaton (or unpronouncable name of G-d… sorry folks, it’s not pronounced Yahweh.  Like I said, it’s an unpronounceable name).

But, this is not a religious site it’s a whisky site so let’s talk about unpronounceable names of whisky.

A while back we discussed Ardbeg’s Airigh Nam Beist (pronounced Ari Nam Baysht).  And, let’s not forget the Ardbeg Uigeadail (pronounced Oo-g’dal, or so I’m told).

Today we’re faced with USQUAEBACH (gesundheit!) blended whiskies.  Some people pronounce it as “Oosk’eh-bah”.  Some say “Us-quay-batch”.  I’ve even heard this brand referred to as “Whisk-ay-bay” (which I think is the way speakers of Gaelic may say it).   Either way, the pronunciation I hear most in the US is “Oosk’eh-bah” so, until I am told otherwise, that will be how I pronounce it.

So, what is Usquaebach?  Other than the Gaelic way of saying “Water of life”, it’s a blended whisky brand out of the Highlands which has recently be re-launched here in the US with three standard expressions: Usquaebach Reserve, Usquaebach 15yo vatted malt whisky and Usquaebach Old-Rare.

Usquaebach Reserve blended whisky – 43% ABV

On the nose — A pleasant nose filled with notes of pears and charcoal.

Beat up Chuck Taylors and maybe even some white pepper.

A grainy sweetness fills my nostrils as does the scent of heavily used pencil erasers.

On the mouth — Light mouth feel.

Grassy and flowery.

Slightly salty and hints of citrus hit the front of the tongue.

Finish — A peppery finish, medium in length.

In sum — Dangerously easy to go down the gullet yet nothing overwhelmingly magical about it.  A pleasant blend.

Usquaebach 15yo vatted malt whisky – 43% ABV

On the nose — Hot sauna stones in a wooden sweat lodge.

Incredibly saltily smelling.

Mushroom & barley; earthy yet hints of honeysuckle and cucumber sauce.

Wow, those mushrooms come back in full force with a thin backbone of smoke, very subtle smoke.

On the mouth — Peppery entry with cured meats and vinegar – very foodie.

A touch of jasmine.

Browned lemons and freezerburn.

Grassy notes – farm hay on a hot summer’s day.

Finish — Medium finish with what I’d swear is very mild green olive but others would disagree…

In sum — A very enjoyable vatted malt with nearly too much meatiness but just enough for me to be OK with it.  There’s a fine line for me on the “meaty”malts and this one walks it quite well.  I had this whisky as part of a tasting event I did for 20 some-odd people and I kept going back to it.  Very enjoyable stuff.

Usquaebach Old-Rare blended whisky – 43% ABV

On the nose — Fun-fun-fun nose filled with dark roasted coffee beans and hot peppers.

Spiced fruits and stewed prunes.

Dates and chewy date bread.

On the mouth — A slithery smooth mouthfeel (did I just use the word slithery because Conan the Barbarian is on TV right now and Conan just killed that big-ass snake?  Could be…).

Something slightly coastal about it.

More coffee, a bit lighter than the nose.

Raisins, simple syrup and cream sherry.

Apples and peppers (like on the nose).

Finish — Beach pebbles, dates and sea air – a lengthy finish

In sum — A fantastic blend.  Beautifully balanced with lip-smacking sherry notes.  A bit of a warmer-upper – perhaps best on a cold early spring night.

Over all, I think each of these three whiskies has a time and a place.  The “Reserve” is a good any day dram (not to be confused with an everyday dram though).  The 15yo is an impressive malt that goes well with rich foods and good company.  And lastly, the Old-Rare is a celebratory dram.

You can find the Reserve here.

You can find the 15yo here.

You can find the Old-Rare here.

Special thanks goes out to Noah Goldstein for the samples!

A World of Discovery, An everyday dram, Linkwood

Linkwood 13yr Single Cask – bottled for the SMWSA – Cask number 39.75

Speyside region – 58.5%ABV – Go here to gain access to bottles from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society

I am delving once more into the world of single cask, cask strength whiskies.  There are a few bottlers out there who offer single cask, cask strength whiskies; Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Duncan Taylor, Signatory… to name the big ones.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is an exclusive group and you need to be a member to gain access to their whiskies.  The SMWS is now probably the only source for Ardbeg & Glenmorangie single cask whiskies (seeing as Glenmorangie now owns both Ardbeg and the SMWS, that would make sense).

Sure, you can try to get a single cask bottling of an 11yo Ardbeg, bottled by Ardbeg but you’re going to pay hundreds of £|€|$ for it.  Or you can get a similar, kick-ass, 11yo single cask, cask strength Ardbeg from the SMWS for $95.  Your choice.

But I digress… Let’s talk about Linkwood!

On the nose — Dank whole leaf tobacco however very sweet smelling as well with hints of maple candies and raisins.

I’m even a getting a minor hint of strawberry – a note I seem to find from time to time but rarely see it in other peoples notes; could just be me.

Burnt wood and perhaps some lemon zest.

Quenepa fruit – very tart.

Really lovely smelling stuff.

On the mouth — Powerful stuff with hints of gunpowder.

More tobacco notes.

More citrus notes and very peppery – really biting.

Burnt caramel and Wasa Crispbread.

Finish — Still biting, almost fizzy.  Lime leaves and more Crispbread notes.

In sum — A nicely balanced single cask whisky.  Yes, it’s first fill sherry but there are very few notes of what you’d commonly find in a sherried whisky (heavy on the dried fruit, and a sometimes cloying sweetness).  That being said, this is uncommonly delicious.  I can enjoy this on in any season however, it’s not an easy drinker – it’s powerful stuff and if you’re up for a challenge, this one is up your alley.  Another yummy Linkwood.

A big thanks to Aron Silverman for the generous sample!

An everyday dram, Old Pulteney, Refreshed, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Old Pulteney both 12yr & 17yr versions.

Highlands region – 43%ABV for the 12yr – $35 | £25 | €30 — 46%ABV for the 17yr – $70 | £45 | €53

Just doing a little side by side today of two Old Pulteney whiskies.

The 12yr is picture right and the 17yr on your left.

The 12yr and the 17yr (both award winning whiskies, mind you) are both, in my opinion, good stand-by whiskies.  Something to keep on your shelf at all times.  These whiskies are perfect for those who are not familiar the juice and nice for those who are and want something balanced, full flavored and easy going.

I just need to remark quickly on the bottle shape as I find it to be most strange.  Almost as strange as their stills look.  But hey, their stills produce some fine-fine spirit so let’s not make judgements upon appearance.  Ok?

On to the nosing…

12yr — A bit forceful (has a bite), yet fresh and inviting.

Honey elements as well as citrus & cream (like and orange creamsicle).

A second nosing offers a salty sea breeze  and some grassy notes.

Fennel seed, vanilla and a good bit of malt.

A fairly balanced nose.

17yr — Much softer than the 12yr; the vanilla is creamier in scent.

This is sweeter smelling – like sweet summer flowers also, pressed flowers.

A good deal of tropical fruits.

Something woodsy in here, like white birch bark.

A bit salty like the 12yr but not oceanic, more like food-type salt.

On to the tasting (with notes on the finish)…

12yr — Big & malty with fresh lemons and very honied.

Nice chewy-ish mouth feel.

Salty, grassy and a touch vegetal (think celery).

Some oak in there (didn’t really get that on the nose).

A good long and dry finish.

17yr — A big voluptuous whisky – toying with my tongue!!

A truly fabulous mouthfeel.

Candle waxiness.

Celery (just like with the 12yr) and big old salt lick.

Baked goods with sweet icing.

Spicy as we get close to the finish.

And, speaking of finishes… A big bruiser of a finish!

Long and creamy however, very fizzy (if that makes sense).

In sum — These are two solid whiskies.  No doubt about it.  I did not do this side by side to pit the two against each other.  I just wanted to see the differences between the two.  Both are perfect summery drams.  The 12yr is light and very approachable  – almost like an aperitif whisky.  The 17yr is more of an after dinner digestive whisky.  I wont lie here though… the 12yr is really the best bang-for-your-buck whisky of the two.  At about $35 (or £25 in the UK)  in many markets, you can’t go wrong with it.

Special thanks goes out to Kathy Lewis-Flanigan for the generous samples!