Category Archives: Moods/Seasons

A World of Discovery, Cold Winter, Karuizawa

Karuizawa Cask #3603 from 1964 – a massive 48yo bottled at 57.7% ABV

February 18, 2013 Jewmalt

Japan — 57.7% ABV — 70cl — £8995 | $13929

I spent about a week in Mexico City. You know, work stuff as per usual.

Boy, was it hot down there! About 85 degrees; a nice dry heat. Quite a change from the mid 20 something degrees Fahrenheit and the 30+ inches of snow I had waiting for me at home.

While I was sad to say good-bye to Mexico, I was happy to come home again to the wife and chillins. Also waiting for me at home were three samples. One was a Bruichladdich from a Mr. LZ. Another sample was the new Balvenie 12yo Single Barrel from Mr. AW and, finally, a sample of this here Karuizawa from 1964 (cask 3603).

While I was excited to receive all three, ¡Holy frijoles, was I a happy boy to have received this historical Karuizawa sample! Very much an unexpected package!

At the time of bottling, this was the oldest Karuizawa to ever have been bottled and now I was going to get to taste and review it!

Before I go further, I must thank everyone from Master of Malt for thinking of me (again — remember the sample of 1953 Glenfarclas they sent to me? I do!). Also, a big thanks to Michal Kowalski of Wealth Solutions!

So last night I had made a Facebook status update telling people: “I’m going to have a 48 year old in my mouth tonight. Get your minds out of the gutter, I’m talking about whisky!”

The snark factor on Facebook seemed unusually high as an old school mate of mine (known as “the other Josh”) returned with this image:

After a few comments, David Hartogs (friend, member of Single Cask Nation and occasional guest poster. Note here and here) chimed in with: “What’s the verdict?”

That same old school mate, the other Josh, came back with:

Ah, the Facebook…

Funny schtuff aside, let’s taste some history (not Frank, the Karuizawa):

On the nose — Initially hot to the nostrils but from the go (after the heat) is bitter Mexican chocolate and clementines.

Heated butter, not burnt but heated with bits of dill weed swirling in the near butter boil.

Cracklin’ Oat Bran cereal and burnt sugar. Rotting stone fruits (peach juice turned bad… but in a good way).

Rubber soles on sneakers. Black Pu’er tea (like with the Glenmorangie Ealanta).

Apple sauce (slight note) and boiling berries. Noticeably fragrant mahogany furniture. Cherry cola.

With water the heat is nearly gone. Chocolate covered Werther’s and good, old-fashioned belt leather. Loose leaf paper (like a 5 subject notebook, not copy paper).

More mahogany and apple fritter grizzle. This has become a joy to nose.

On the mouth — Intensely hot on first sip. Almost absurdly hot; like a $2 pistol. Burning rubber, wooden window sills (with fresh, hot lacquer).

I better add a drop of water before my head catches fire.

With water she’s still hot, but fresh with mangoes and mango skin, tinned fruits, window sills (again) lacquer (again), lots of tropical fruits popping about — sort of crazy and not what I expected at all.

Sweet papaya (not the earthy/footy papaya), hints of guanabana and guava paste (??). Aerosol paint and paint caps. Beeswax across the front of the palate, too.

Not oily or viscous in any way.

Finish — Like the fast decay at the end of a song, bitter chocolates leave their echo upon the tongue. Slight touch of dill as well.

WW — Very waxy finish, flat cola, drying and lasting longer now with the water.

In sum — An intensely hot whisky that loves water more than I love whisky. Once given the water she desires, she simmers right down and opens up to tell you her life story.

A whisky experience unlike any other I’ve had to date. If you have the casheesh to buy a bottle, open said bottle and try it without the water. Then, add 3 drops or so to your dram.

The transformation from The Hulk into Dr. Robert Bruce Banner is astonishing.

You might also enjoy Oli’s review on dramming.com

Also, check out the review at guidscotchdrink.com

Serge’s reviews are always a joy to read, too!

Glenmorangie, Summertime

Glenmorangie’s Ealanta – a 19yo Scotch whisky matured in heavily charred Missouri oak

February 13, 2013 Jewmalt

Highlands region – 46% ABV – $109 – $129

Most of my whisky friends know all too well that I am a Glenmorangie junky. Some might suggest I have a bias toward their whiskies.

Replace “Halfling’s leaf” with Glenmorangie’s whiskies in the following audio clip and you’ll see what I’m getting at:

While I’ll admit that Glenmorangie whiskies are among my favorite (though I’ll bol, I would submit that I have no issue announcing when I do not like a whisky they release.

The Ealanta is the fourth is their Private Edition range as well as the oldest in the series (it’s also the priciest one on the series).

Glenmorangie has access to some of the most premium slow-growth oak trees in Missouri and they usually cut the wood, season it for two years, make up casks, send them to Jack Daniels and Heaven Hill so they could make their whiskey THEN those distilleries send the casks to Glenmorangie so they could mature their whisky.

What’s different here is that Glenmorangie sent themselves the new wood and did the full 19 year maturation of their malt whisky (after having charred the casks heavily).

Something tells me that this might be one for the folks who also enjoy good, high end bourbons. Let’s find out..

On the nose – New charred oak goodness!

Actually, what strikes me the most is that there is a zingy zestiness in here that is very rye-like.

Perhaps a little dill, rye seed and fresh cut grass.

That classic Glenmorangie ripe peach note is still present (you can’t beat great spirit). Pencil erasers.

Toasted tangerine skins (sort of like a tangerine black pu’er tea I have).

On the mouth – Insanely silky mouthfeel and, flavor wise is much like that tangerine black pu’er tea I noted above.

Vanilla (slight) and honey (heavy).

Sweetness is to this whisky as a wall of death is to a late 80’s/early 90’s mosh pit. Powerfully sweet, verging on cloying (but not quite there, thankfully).

A touch of salt and black pepper as I chew this one a little more. And now we have some extra dark chocolate as we reach the finish.

Finish – Drying, long and darkly sweet with a mix of tangerine and more dark chocolate.

In sum – While this has obvious characteristics of a whisky from new oak, it also has some other element in here that I just can’t explain. The label says heavily charred oak but the color seems light — maybe there’s a mixture of lightly toasted and heavily charred oak?

Either way, it’s another Glenmo that pushes the envelope again with its focus on different types of cask maturation. Well done.

This is a mid-summer dram for me.

Special thanks to Mr. David Blackmore for the sample!

You may also enjoy the following reviews on this whisky:

Guid Scotch Drink

Malt Impostor

Whisky For Everyone

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!

Fettercairn, Royal Lochnagar, Springtime, Summertime

A pair of “off-the-beaten-path” Old Malt Cask whiskies today…

January 31, 2013 Jewmalt

Challenge

Pronunciation: /ˈtʃalɪn(d)ʒ/

Definition of challenge
noun

call to someone to participate in a competitive situation or fight to decide who is superior in terms of ability or strength: he accepted the challenge
a task or situation that tests someone’s abilities.

Today I was challenged to taste and review whiskies from distilleries I’ve had little, if any, experience with: Fettercairn and Royal Lochnagar.

While I can say with 100% confidence that my physical strength has not been challenged in any way, my nose and palate surely were. Very few people can say they have had whiskies from these from these distilleries and I think I’ve had maybe one whisky from either of these producers.

Fettercairn only recently started releasing whiskies (Fior, a 24, 30 and 40yo) and Royal Lochnagar has a 12yo expression but is mostly used in blends such as Johnnie Walker Blue.

As with all Old Malt Cask bottlings we’re looking at the single cask (yet diluted to 50% ABV).

The provenance of the casks is a bit elusive. They are both ex-hogsheads but the first liquid held in them is unknown as both are 2nd or 3rd fill.

Both whiskies are very light in color.

Let’s dig in and see if I’m up to the challenge!

Old Malt Cask 16yo Fettercairn 50%ABV Single Cask

On the nose – A affront of dusty, sugary lemon flavored American Smarties.

Public pay phones (the smell of the receiver to be exact). Dungeons and Dragons dice. For those of you that don’t the smells of either of those previous examples, think of clean and hard plastics. Not rubbery and pungent but clean and plastic-y.

Green and unripened apples and maybe some watermelon pith. Quite unique.

On the mouth – This one actually tastes exactly like the smell so I’m going to focus on the texture:

Very oily, coating the center of the tongue and zapping the sides of the tongue and cheeks forcing my mouth to water profusely.

Finish – Drying and growing with white pepper-like spice then, drops suddenly.

In sum – This is very much an aperitif whisky, something to welcome friends with. It’s not overly complex but it is enjoyable.

Old Malt Cask 14yo Royal Lochnagar 50%ABV Single Cask

On the nose – Very much an elusive whisky.

You shy pup, come out and play! Ok, ok… I’ll be a bit patient here. (taps fingers, looks at the clock, checks email, posts something cheeky on Facebook…).

Alright. Are you ready for me now, little whisky?

Well, there’s some apple cider vinegar but it’s light in scent. Some malt grist but again, light.

Wait a mo, now you rear your head (did I mention I love that term?). Freshly skinned English cucumbers in Saran Wrap. Cucumber yogurt sauce (aka Raita).

On the mouth – Much like the Fettercairn, this is candied like American Smarties. More apple-like in flavor than lemon-like but there is some lemon in here now that I swish it about.

Tinned fruit cups with a focus on the tin.

Lightly oaked and just a touch of sandalwood. This is almost gin like (minus any juniper).

Finish – Very short finish but drying as well.

In sum – Much like the Fettercairn this whisky is one to start your evening with. It’s way too delicate to have after a meal or other drams.

Special thanks to all of the wonderful people at ISW for their help and samples!

An everyday dram, Cold Winter, Lost Spirits

American distillery Lost Spirits fourth cask of Leviathan I – heavily peated single malt whiskey

January 30, 2013 Jewmalt

California – 53% ABV – $50 (sadly now sold out but you can get Leviathan II for $50. You may want to hop on this as these casks render less than 200 bottles each).

Today will be the third exploration into a bit of an oddity amongst American whiskeys. What makes Lost Spirits Leviathan so unique? Though I’ve touched on that previously, let’s review it again:

Well, it’s a single malt to start. (Yes I, like everybody else’s uncle and their respective monkeys, read the NY Times article about the surge in the American single malts.) Beyond being a single malt whisky Leviathan is:

Peated to 110ppm (only Islay’s Bruichladdich can claim a higher peat ppm with their Octomore)
Matured in a late harvest Cabernet cask (few people have even heard of this style wine)
Single cask, cask strength, non-chill filtered, no colors added… the whole she-bang that whisk(e)y aficionados/anoraks/geeks look for in a whisk(e)y.

Maybe “oddity” is not the best descriptor. Maybe they’re a bit of a loner and a rebel. Yeah, that’s better.

You may have already read my review of Cask # 1 and/or Cask # 3. Here are my notes for Cask # 4:

On the nose – The nose is noticeably malt-forward but the maltiness has a deep, dank cellar-like malted barley quality.

Almost humid in scent.

As with Cask # 3, we’re getting some Horse Hindquarters Here (a triple H, different than HHH a la “Pump Up the Volume”).

Mezcal-like in my book with the burnt quality (not so much peaty but burning smoke).

Whoa. Grape “Bonkers” candies.

Heavy on the strawberry-jam-like sniffyness.

Dark millet cookies/biscuits minus any addition of cardamom powder.

On the mouth – Barrel char mixed with sweet red table wine.

Fleshy bits upon the peach pits (much like cask # 3).

I have to say that I’m very happy with the mouthfeel. Oily, tongue coating and rich.

Nowhere near as smokey in flavor as it is in scent. Very fruity, woody and winey with smoke around the edges reminding the dear drinker that yes, this is a peated whisky.

And finally, some over ripened mango right before some tannin-y dryness kicks in…

Finish – Lasting and now some sweetened spicy notes emerge and dance about on the center of the tongue.

In sum – What can I say about this whiskey? Well, it is very much a mood whiskey and a whiskey I could find myself in the mood for quite often.

While it is a big ‘ol peat monster it’s not trying to be Scotch whisky. It really is it’s own animal and stands alone (and quite tall) in the US Single Malt whisk(e)y arena.

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