Category Archives: Let’s celebrate!

Highland region – 51.3% ABV – 493 bottles – £1399 (or £85 for a dram at Master of Malt)

Forty years old. This whisky is forty years old.

It’s a strange thing to drink a whisky that is older than you. Perhaps what’s even more strange to me is that I will be turning forty this year. It’s actually really messing with me that I’ll be forty. Half way to 80 as it were. Ugh.

I don’t feel forty so, that’s good, right? They say you’re as old as you feel, right? Well, when I think about what happened ten years ago I think about the early 90’s. Not the early 00’s. That’s a bit disconcerting and makes me feel old and a bit disconnected from the new and hip things of the world.

All of my heroes are getting old too! (I.E. Ian Mackaye just turned 51, Jello Biafra is 54, Willie Nelson *just* turned 80.)

Hold on a sec, I seem to be typing myself into a bit of a depressing cul-de-sac here…

Mayhaps it’s best we talk about fun things? Let’s talk about a 40 year old that is way sexier than I’ll ever be. Yup, this Old Pulteney is one sexy beast.

On the nose – Wow. Just wow-wow-wow. Initial thought? Screw nosing and tasting notes, this smells as lovely as can be and all I want to do is stop thinking and enjoy this whisky. The age is there yet it’s lively and juicy and moreish smelling right from the go. Yum.

I suppose I should try to dissect it though – try and get the most out of this and give it the respect it deserves. Begin:

Orange essential oil and savory herbs meets paraffin and the tiniest hint of smoke and what is really tough to explain: the smell of time in a cask.

Let me try to pick it out the time in the cask (good time in a cask, not tiring/tired time)…

Cedar humidors meets old time men’s cologne meets an old study with fine polished wood and leather chairs. Now take those scents and remove the old and tired element from that scenario and there you have it!

Apple slices with cinnamon and orange with touches of clove, filberts and ground nutmeg on the side. Boy, this is really lovely and very hard not to taste!

On the mouth – Very drying upon first sip but the second sip corrects that misstep. Quite ooey with orange syrup, cinnamon and hints of molasses.

Salted black licorice and more of the spiced wood and wood polish element I touched upon with the nosing.

I can’t tell if it’s honied or it’s the mouthfeel that’s tricking me into thinking it’s honied. Nah, it *IS* honied and it’s delicious.

Rhubarb jam/pie filling, moist pie crust.

Finish – Toasted almond slivers and dark chocolates. It lasts and lasts.

In sum – This has to be up there in the category of best of 2013 (best whiskies I tasted in 2013, that is).

This is oh-so-good and obviously, at almost £1400 a bottle, one to break out at the most special of occasions.

Special thanks to LD of Alembic for the sample!!

Bruichladdich, I'd not drink this one if I were you..., Let's celebrate!, Port Charlotte

Two Bruichladdich distillery-only “Valinch” bottlings. One is sublime, the other is like drinking a dead muskrat.

February 22, 2013 Jewmalt

And so it goes with single casks; and so it goes with whisky in general… While many whiskies can be average to really good (in the “non-point-based” scale system or, the “how-was-the-overall-experience?” system) some can also be great, amazing, etc… and every now and again, life changing.

There are also, from time to time, some amazingly bad whiskies out there.

Today I am reviewing two Bruichladdichs and these whiskies are so polar opposite, I thought it’d be great for them to share blog-post space.

Before moving forward, I must say that I have a particular devotion to Bruichladdich. I am so in love with their spirit and their evolving story is something of great interest to me. Also, The Laddie Ten is currently my #1 go-to whisky these days. I consider it to be, perhaps, the best 10yo whisky on the market. Period.

So, let’s start off with the really-really BAD Bruichladdich. It’s called “Coming of Age” and it is one that I got in August of 2011.

Bruichladdich Coming of Age “valinch” bottling. 58.7% ABV – Palo Cortado cask, 9yo

On the nose – A drying, yet previously soaked, coffee filter filled with last week’s, and now moldy, Luizianne coffee.

The musk of a feral ferret that has both the mange and rabies. Also like smelling chocolate covered death. Horrific from the get-go and magnificently so.

Seriously, I never nosed a such a bad smelling whisky, ever. Yet like being unable to look away from a train wreck, I can’t stop nosing it. “It can’t be *that* bad, can it?!” asks me. “Yes, yes it can” I reply.

On the mouth – This is like licking a blood soaked rusty prison shiv. I feel like my blood might mix in. It’s sort of scary.

Flat root beer meets flat cola meets gauze pads loaded with browned and dried iodine and blood.

Hey, great mouthfeel!

My mouth is coated with flavors of a five pound bag of dead mice. Chicory galore and more coffee (albeit OLD coffee).

Finish – Why won’t it stop. It’s endless and surely taking years off of my life.

In sum – The best balanced worst whisky I’ve ever had. Plain and simple. Much like that dead rodent in the walls of your office, this is a conversation piece. I highly recommend you get a bottle if you can find one!

Port Charlotte Prediction “valinch” bottling. 63.5% ABV – 9yo (wine finished? Not enough info on the bottle.)

On the nose – Milk chocolate and warm milk drenched digestive cookies. This was quickly followed everything very vegetal including celery with celery salt and freshly snapped dandelion stems.

Light white wine-like notes mixed with malt and LOTS of it. This is more like a heavily peated Bruichladdich than a lightly peated Port Charlotte (if you catch my meaning).

The final sniff test offers up some lime popsicles. Yum!

On the mouth – Much peatier than the nose offered me. White grapes and a shaker of pepper. Other than this, very similar to the nose. Overly enjoyable.

Elegance without being delicate. Like drinking a female body builder (that still looks like a lady).

Great mouthfeel. Very much one of the things I look for in a whisky.

Finish – Long and peppery and sweet and like a super treat

In sum – When it comes to the peaty treats, this is what I look for in a whisky. It’s got everything.

I pour this only on special occasion and today’s special occasion was comparing it to the abortion that was the “Coming of Age” Valinch.

guidscotchdrink.com’s review of the “Coming of Age” death-whisky is much more flattering than mine…

Cold Winter, Let's celebrate!, Mackinlay's

How I almost ended up in jail or, my review of the second release of Whyte and Mackay’s “Mackinlay’s” replica whisky from the Shacklton Expedition

February 11, 2013 Jewmalt

A mixture of Speyside & Highland region whiskies – 47.3%ABV – $175

The video below was recovered at the end of last week, one month after my trip to Antarctica.

Found by the Antarctican police (also known as Intersouthpol) and then released by the Antarcticaian natives, the video is here for your viewing pleasure.

This video is my review of the second release of Shackleton whisky or, Whyte and Mackay’s Mackinlay’s replica whisky:

If you’re interested in my written review, I was able to save enough of the liquid to write down my notes.

They are as follows:

On the nose — Flinty, coastal and smelling of goarse flowers (?) and then more earthy wild flowers. Biscuity and touches of lemon water, cold sweet cream butter.

Maltiness that verges on a Belgian beer (*verges*, it’s not quite there).

Very briny and notes of crushed pineapples abound!

On the mouth — Massive smoke, lemons bars, fig newtons minus the fig.

Still malty and with a great mouth feel.

Oddly sweety and peaty (the sweetness, like the first release) reminds me of Pop Rocks (maybe it’s the zippy feel on the sides of my tongue).

This is a great winter-warmer-upper! Briny still and the oily mouth feel makes my mouth happy.

Finish — Lasting, zesty.

In Sum — A fine, fine whisky. I’ve said this before but, if Richard Paterson got it right in his replication (and if anyone could, it’d be him), then the original Mackinlay’s whisky was a cracker!

Grab a bottle. It’ll warm you up!

Arran, Let's celebrate!, Takin' It Easy

Arran Premium Sherry Single Cask bottled for San Francisco’s “The Whisky Shop”

December 17, 2012 Jewmalt

Islands region — 54.9% ABV – Single Cask # 96/1517 – $100, bottled for, and sold exclusively through, San Fransico’s “The Whisky Shop”

This sample was sort of an out of the blue one for me. The good folks at ImpEx sent me the sample suggesting that I might be interested in reviewing it.

I knew that Arran had a line of “Premium” Sherry and Bourbon casks but this is the first I saw where they bottled one for a specific store. This practice may be new, it may not be new. Here we have it though, a single premium sherry cask for The Whisky Shop in San Francisco.

I’ve heard of The Whisky Shop but have never shopped there before.

ARRAN-WHISKY-SHOP Like Binny’s, Julio’s and a few others, The Whisky Shop has a reputation for being experts in all things whisk(e)y.

I am curious to taste this one, for sure. Thanks to the good folks at ImpEx for sending me a sample!

Color – Muscato wine (I only mention the color as it seems light for a 16yo sherry single cask)

On the nose – Obviously sherried but no *heavy* sherry notes, I wonder if this is a 2nd fill cask. Either way, it’s smelling quite nice.

Let’s run down the list of scent, shall we?

ARRAN-WHISKY-SHOP1 Candied bacon and the smell of the taste of iodized salt. Cola with a side of Black pu’er tea. I need to point out something I’m not getting, something I normally get with Arran malts: Apples. No sign of that apple sweetness.

Fried dates; more gristle, less dates.

Wait a second!! Wait a *BIG* second! Apple cider vinegar becomes very evident. I am rewarded for my patience.

On the mouth – Fresh apples, bright fruits. Very forward, sweet and bright. This is almost like a high-octane dessert wine (ice wine).

Green grape skins and grape flesh (I know, a long-winded way of saying “grapes”).

Very fizzy along the tongue but a wonderful, even mouthfeel all around.

ARRAN-WHISKY-SHOP4 Some coastal notes as well. Really enjoyable.

Finish – Long and filled with that lovely apple cider vinegar I got on the nose.

In sum – In all honestly, to me, this is not something that those that like sherried whiskies would seek out (as a heavily sherried whisky). However, this is one of the more delicious Arran’s I had (single cask or standard bottling).

Highly recommended, dear people. This is a perfect after dinner drink. Serve in place of dessert wine. The perfect night cap!

All You Need Is Love, Dailuaine, Glen Grant, Let's celebrate!

Two new ‘Old Malt Cask’ whiskies for the US Market: 36yo Glen Grant and a 28yo Dailuaine

December 12, 2012 Jewmalt

I am fortunate in that I’ve had a few new samples of Old Malt Cask sent my way. (Hip Hop Hooray for me!!)

One of the single cask ranges as part of the Douglas Laing family of Independent Bottled whiskies, Old Malt Cask is somewhat unusual as they normally bottle their whisky at 50% ABV rather than cask strength. Though not *that* unusual I suppose as Lombard’s does this as well.

The Old Malt Cask range of whiskies is one that has releases under the brand nearly every month (though the releases get spread out all over so the US might not see new OMC whiskies every month…).

Today we’re reviewing 2 of the four samples I’ve received. Special thanks to the good folks at International Wine and Spirits for the samples!

Old Malt Cask 28yo Dailuaine, refill hogshead, bottled at 50% ABV, 133 bottles – $230 from Binnys.

On the nose – Spicy, industrial, new newspapers, fresh ink.

Old-Malt-Cask-1 Wow, I am smelling New York City on a dry, spring day.

Waft of perfume, new leaves, young flowers black pepper and a bit of pastrami sangwich to boot!

On the mouth – One can only dream of a mouthfeel like this. Much like the 27yo Dailuaine from Master of Malt, just a touch more oily.

Flavor wise, it’s very similar to that same MoM Dailuaine in that the Dailuaine qualities shine like a crazy diamond. Spice, lots of it.

Old-Malt-Cask-2 Raisins in light brown sugar with a touch of brown spice.

Spiced gum drops (minus the sugar coating).

Finish – A lightly spiced, medium length finish.

In sum – Dailuaine continues to impress the living bejebus out of me. I’ve not met a Dailuaine I haven’t liked and this one is no exception.

This is another late summer dram for me…

Old Malt Cask 36yo Glen Grant, Brandy Finished Butt, bottled at 50% ABV, 150 bottles

On the nose – A touch floral but quite nutty (hazelnuts primarily).

Old-Malt-Cask-3 Kefir leaves in coconut soup. Very sweet and light malt, yellow berries, wood spice, seasoned oak.

While not the most complex, it’s still a very, very really loverly nose.

On the mouth – I’ve seen the light! Great mouthfeel!

Light, floral and nutty. The style is somewhat reminiscent of an ex-bourbon Rosebank whisky.

You know you’re drinking an older whisky but this has a vibrancy that let’s itself be known by way of a fizzy-mouthfeel and ripe fruits.

Old-Malt-Cask-4 Also in here we have some chamomile tea, baker’s chocolate and highly salted black licorice.

Finish – Lemoney pie crusts, medium long.

In sum – The cask seems to be less invasive on the spirit than I would have expected. This is a great whisky here. Glen Grant really has true character and they’ve captured it in this here cask.

This is a late summer dram. One to enjoy sometime before lunchtime.

Jewmalt Whisky Reviews