Category Archives: A World of Discovery

A World of Discovery, Autumn, Kosher Spirits (not for Passover), Linkwood, Loch Chaim, Whiskies

Loch Chaim Linkwood 17yr Single Cask

Speyside region – 46%ABV – $73 – $92

Here we go again, delving a bit further into the not so wide world of kosher certified Scotch whiskies.

“What would make a whisky not kosher?” you ask.  To make a long story short, whisky matured in a non-kosher wine or sherry cask, to some Jews, renders said whisky non-kosher.  To some Jews, myself included, this is not a relevant statement.

To make a short story long, read this well written piece by Alan L that I’ve been meaning to post for some time now…part 1 and part 2.

You know, I don’t think I’ve met a Linkwood I didn’t like.  So, what about one with no sherry influence?  Let’s see…

On the nose – Oak and oats.

A bit of a vanilla bomb here.

Fizzy white wine.

Sweet and low.

For 43% ABV, this is a bit stingy in the nose!

Dollar store, no-named powdered sugar candies…

Like Smartees with less of a fruity influence, more sugar than anything.

On the mouth – Here we go.

Great mouth feel, coating my tongue with Hostess apple pie goo.

Honey and breakfast cereals (muesli).

Toasty almonds (slight, more of a bitting marzipan note here actually).

Flaky sugar coating (again, from that Hostess pie)

Finish – Short to medium yet nice and warming.

In sum – Yup, it’s true, I haven’t met a Linkwood I haven’t liked and this one is no exception.  A nice whisky for Jew and Gentile alike.  Perfect for a chilly night in lieu of a sherried whisky.

A World of Discovery, Longrow, Summertime

Longrow 10yr 100 proof

Campbeltown region – 57% ABV – $90 | £41 | €49

Starting tomorrow I will begin a kosher whisky series (in celebration of the Jewish new year).  Before that series started, I wanted to end this year with one of the better Campbeltown malts out today – Longrow 10yr 100 proof.

Longrow, for those who do not know, is Campbeltown’s heavily peated whisky.  If you’ve not yet tried a whisky from Campbeltown, that needs to change, STAT.  Maybe this can be your first.

On the nose — I initially purchased this whisky because of Dr. Whisky’s notes on it and I have to say that, with regards to the nose on this one, I agree with him — Salt n’ peppa, limes and Thai food (specifically Ming Com – good Thai places will have this dish but most, likely will not have it on their menu).

Lemons.

Salted grapefruits.

Fantastic peat smoke backbone that many may miss.

On the mouth — Vanilla bean ice cream.

Saltier than most Campbeltown malts I’ve had – wow (I can almost feel the salt crystals growing on my teeth – an obvious exaggeration but, damn, this is salty stuff)!

Orange creamsicle minus the orange.

Thick-ooey-and-chewy whisky goodness.

Earthy smokey notes.

Finish — Looonnnggg, this whisky has staying power (the Dirk Diggler of  Scotch whisky).

In sum — Fun and bright.  A great summery aperitif whisky that is unlike most whiskies out there.  If you want something that’s not the hum-drum, seek this out.  This is also one of those great “hey, check this one out” type whisky like, perhaps, the Master of Malt 26yr Bowmore.  Not due to flavor, due to uniqueness.

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Autumn, Glenglassaugh, Let's celebrate!

Glenglassaugh 40yr

Highland Region – 44.6%ABV – 750ml or 700ml outside of the US (with crystal decanter with 2 cut crystal glasses in a wooden gift box)– $2525.00 | £1400 | €1680

After having tasted the 26yr Glenglassaugh, I could not resist in tasting my sample of their 40yr cask strength whisky (a big, huge, ginormous thanks goes out to Alan for the sample!) – an IWSC trophy winning whisky!

This whisky will be available in the US through Purple Valley Imports (well, through stores who have access to the whiskies they import).  And actually, as I am told to understand, there will only be one bottle allocated to the US for the fair price of $2525.00 (suggested retail price).

You can also get this bottle through Master of Malt and other purveyors of fine spirits in the UK.

I’m not going to blather on any longer, I just need to taste this fancy juice:

On the nose – Youthful nose filled with cherry tarts and fresh citrus notes (think Mineola oranges).

Quince jam – maybe with a bit of strawberry mixed in??

Hot soy latte.

Licorice twists.

Brown sugar oatmeal & fresh oats.

Oaken church pews.

More coffee notes – like lightly roasted, fresh ground beans.

Finally some garlic.

On the mouth – Like liking the inside of a humidor thats got Acid “Liquid” or “Kuba Kuba” cigars (oh, to taste that smell!  Ab-Fab!).

That quince jam from the nose is back and along with it came some gorgeous honey and perhaps some fennel seed.

Cinnamon and indian spices (you name it, it’s in there – wow!).

Finish – The spice remains throughout and a nice fizziness lasts a good long while.

In sum – Ok, my birthday is coming up (sort of).  Remember this date: December 6th!  If you feel so inclined to buy me a bottle of this masterpiece, I thank you. 😉

Truly exquisite.  Layer upon layer of goodness.  Immensely complex and not what I’d expect from a whisky that is older than me (by four years) – youthful yet wise.

One to share with the closest of friends who happen to be whisky geeks/lovers.  One to impress the father-in-law with.

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Autumn, Glenglassaugh, Let's celebrate!

Glenglassaugh 26yr Whisky – 46%ABV

Highland Region – 50%ABV – 750ml (or 700ml outside of the US) – $260 | £150 | €180

After a few days of tasting “spirit drinks”, it’s nice to get onto some actual whisky.  Don’t get me wrong, I very much enjoyed the past three spirits I tasted but, to me, whisky is where it’s at.

Older Glenglassaugh whiskies are, well, old of course, but also very rare and therefore very expensive.  What we have here today, however, is a fairly old Glenglassaugh at a price that’s… not too bad (given the age and rarity of it).  Believe me, I understand $260 | £150 | €180 is A LOT of money for many people (myself included).

Let’s put the money out of our minds for a second and perhaps focus on the whisky itself.  As opposed to their 40yr (that review is forthcoming) and their 30yr expression, this whisky is NOT cask strength.  However, it’s still bottled at the fairly strong ABV of 46%.  Still acceptable, if you ask me (if it were 40%, I may have shuttered a bit but hey, that’s me).

This 26yr old whisky was distilled only 2 years before Glenglassaugh was mothballed back in 1986.  For more history on Glenglassaugh and it’s grand reopening back in 2008, you’ll find links at the bottom of this post to an interview I did with the distillery’s Managing Director, Stuart Nickerson.

Without any further ado, my review:

On the nose – Smells juicy and fruity (think sugared lemonwheels).

Brown paper lunch bags.

Oaky new humidor scent.

The more I nose it, the more prickly on the nose hairs it becomes.

Vanilla and caramels.

More oak but, not over oaked – extremely inviting.

Smoke deep in the background?  Could it be?

On the mouth – Oak and butterscotch.

Buttered cinnamon crumpets (my favorite breakfast treat!).

Such an wonderful balance, very well integrated.

Warmed nuts at a baseball game (on another type of  blog, this statement would mean something quite different).

The mouth feel is pleasant.  Not big and chewy like I prefer but nowhere near like holding water in the mouth.

Finish – Short and nutty with that brown paper bag note I detected in the nose emerging from the palate’s belfry.

In sum – Another celebratory whisky from Glenglassaugh.  Perfect for when the air starts to cool as summer rolls into autumn.  The bottle is both sexy and regal (and can be reused as a decanter).

For Jason of Guid Scotch Drink’s notes, click here.

I recently had the honor and good opportunity to interview Stuart Nickerson (Managing Director of the newly re-opened Glenglassaugh distillery).  If you’ve not yet had a chance to read it, you may want to do so right now. Part 1 & Part 2

A World of Discovery, Balvenie

The Balvenie 17yr Rum Cask

Speyside – 43%ABV – 750ml – $81-140 (another HUGE spread, no shit!) | £62 | €76

Balvenie Week, Day #2.

One thing I’ve mentioned a few times in the past, but failed to mention yesterday, is that there is something so very special happening in New York City this Thursday (August 26th, 2010).  The Whisky Guild is hosting another great “Whisky on the Hudson” cruise that day.

While that is great news in and of itself, the fact that The Balvenie will be hosting a room which is supposed to replicate their “Warehouse 24” back at their distillery is something quite amazing.  Why is it amazing?  Well, there’s going to be over 29 malts to taste including The Balvenie Rose (a distillery only dram), the new 17yr Peated Cask (yet to be released) and many, many, many others.

In addition to what The Balvenie will be offering, there’s going to be over 200 whiskies to taste that night.  Oh yeah.  Let the whisky geekery begin!

For more info and to buy a ticket or three, click here.

While I’ll be reviewing The Balvenie 17yr Rum Cask today, Ian Watson, who works in maltings at The Balvenie, will be telling us what his favorite Balvenie expression is and why:

On to my review of the 17yr Rum Cask:

On the nose – Holy pirate rum influence!

Sugar cane and rock candy.

Burnt Demerara sugar and ginger snaps.

Rubber shoe soles.

Apricots with hints of burnt coconut shreds.

Bartlett pear.

On the mouth – The word here is soft.  Like sipping cotton balls (look that that bunny!  Does it get softer than this?  No, me thinks).

The 2nd 17yr Balvenie I’ve had (the first being the Madeira Cask) and again, this is pure sexy.

The nose is interesting but the palate is where it’s at.

Apple sauce and pure malt.

Sugar babies and brown sugar edible undies (I did say this was a sexy dram, right?).

Finish – Spicy, somehow, in comparison to the palate.

Menthol (slight) and then some pastries or fruit tarts.

Wait, nutmeg creeps up.

Very nice.

Very entertain.

In sum – The nose was interesting but not something I normally look for in a dram.  The palate, however, was delectable.  The finish was mixed but, I liked it.  A conversation piece for sure.  One to enjoy in company whilst you’re geeking out about whisky.