Category Archives: Moods/Seasons

A World of Discovery, Ardbeg, Autumn, Cold Winter, Need To Bundle Up

Ardbeg Corryvreckan – Malt Advocate’s Whisky of 2009

Islay region – 57.1%ABV – cask strength – 750ml bottle – $79-89 | £60 | €66

Such a strange thing.  You know, when I first got into Scotch whiskies, it was the peatier ones that drew me in.  I wanted to do nothing more than drink brimstone.  The peatier, the better.  And when I first started drinking whisky, that’s all I could taste; until, that is, I started “tasting” whisky rather than “drinking” whisky.

Once I started “tasting” whisky I had a tough time getting past the smokey peat – all I could taste was smoke so I figured I branch out and try ANY whisky as long as it had NO peat.  I abstained from peat for a bit more than a year and during that time I really began to hone my tasting skills (I’m still not a professional by any stretch of the imagination but I can hold my own.  At least, that’s what I tell myself…).  I was feeling good about my whiskying (is that even a word? My guess…no).  So good that I decided to branch out a bit more and reintroduce myself to peat, slowly but surely.  I started with Dalwhinnie, sprinkled  in some Springbank (great Campbeltown malt!!), Highland Park, then winter finally came back to New England and I decided to get back to the big peat – Ardbeg!

Tasting the Ardbeg 10yr again after going through so many lighter Speyside & Highland whiskies was like a reawakening!!  I was able to start pulling out the citrus notes, the tea leafiness, brine — this was a whole new experience for me!  My eyes were reopened.

Fast forward a year and a half or so and we get the announcement from John Hansell of the Malt Advocate that Ardbeg’s Corryvreckan got the prestigious Best Single Malt of 2009 award.  I have so much respect for John Hansell and much of what he says has helped and continues to help me choose the direction I take on this fun-ass whisky journey.  This being said, I had to get some Corryvreckan for myself and see what this was all about.

So, here we go.  Ardbeg Corryvreckan, 2009 Single Malt of the year:

Initial whiff — Even though this is 57.1%ABV, I had no problem jamming and keeping my nose in the glass.  Sweet smoke, big smoke but very sweet, briney (think sushi roll seaweed), lots of citrus, the smell of freshly tarred cut tree-limbs, telephone poles on a hot summer day (sorry for that one but growing up we had a telephone pole at the end of our driveway and there was some tar on it and during the summer it had a smell that was similar to what I’m smelling here).  Very complex.  Pleasant and making me reminisce of days gone by (this is what whisky is all about!!).

On the mouth – Sweet & bitting smoke, oily but not as much as the Uigeadail, iodine, wet ropes, back to the citrus, maybe some figgy stuffs?

Finish – Lasting, bubbly, like boozy seltzer, getting grassy (is this the stuff that made up the peat?).  A big smokebomb but so much more!

In sum — No where near as angry a malt as the Uigeadail.  Though close…  So the question is: is the the best single malt of 2009?  The great thing about whiskies and the tasting thereof is that it’s all up to you!  For me, yes.  It’s quite apparent that Ardbeg knows what they are doing.  They’re making damn good whisky.  This is my favorite whisky released in 2009 (that I’ve tasted).   Was it the best single malt I’ve tried in 2009?  No way.  Enjoy toward the end of Autumn or on a cold-cold night.  Bundle up, grab your favorite book and let yourself be taken away!

Autumn, Cold Winter, Glenfarclas, Need To Bundle Up, Takin' It Easy

Glenfarclas 15yr – Spicy, fruity…damn good dram!

Highlands – 46%ABV – 70cl – Not available through US stores – Master of Malt has it for £36 | €42

One thing that really bugs me is UK only or, better yet, non-USA bottlings of whisky.  My anger is not directed toward the UK in anyway, it’s directed at US law.  Specifically when it comes to the US *NOT* accepting foreign bottles which are 700ml (or, 70cl). They have to be 750ml.  Why?  It seriously does not make sense to me.  If you can clue me in, please, do!  Email me – I have to know what the dumb-arse reason is.

People in the US are missing out on so many good whiskies (or paying too much in shipping from the UK/EU to get them) due to US law regarding 70cl bottles.  One of the many drams us yanks are missing out on is the Glenfarclas 15yr.

The Glenfarclas 15yr is one of the better sherry finished drams out there – it benefits from all of the good things about sherry (rich fruits & spice) without being too winey, though, there is wine there for sure.  Many folks in the UK/EU refer to this as the ultimate Christmas Cake dram.  Jason over at WHISKYhost gives an excellent description of what Christmas Cake is actually like (if you’re a Jew like me, who has never had Xmas cake, you’ll benefit from this post).

Initial whiff – Wine soaked raisins, cinnamon (lots of it, almost like the smell of Big Red Chewing Gum), white pepper, extremely fragrant & masculine (in a very feminine, perfumey kind of way…)

On the mouth – Rich & decadent, oily, coating & spicy, very spicy.  Chewy, like chewing on taffy, malty sweet

Finish – Like the energizer bunny, it keeps going! A bit tannic, wine from the nose returns, the sides of my tongue have been tingling for some time now.

In sum – This is the first and ONLY Glenfarclas I’ve had.  Here in the US we have the 12yr, 17yr, 21yr and (I think) the 25yr.  And there are, of course, many others in the ‘farclas line but of all the Glenfarlas’ out there, this is the one I’ve read about the most so I went for the dram toughest to get in the US and I did not regret it one bit!  I prefer to enjoy this on a colder night.  Perfect for Christmas or, maybe good for the eighth night of Chanukah 😉  Nice cold weather stuff.

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Autumn, Need To Bundle Up, Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey, Takin' It Easy

Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Batch 29

Denver, Colorado, USA– 47%ABV – 750ml bottle – $45 | £64 | €78

I first had the pleasure of tasting Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey at WhiskyFest in NYC.  To see my review of that event, please pop over to Whisky Israel (then pop back here to read this grand review!).

At WhiskyFest last year I was hopping around from table to table; so little to do, so much time… scratch that, reverse it.  Carrying on — I had a boatload of tables to visit during the event!  I’ll be quite honest in stating that, while I had interest in visiting the Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey booth, if I missed them, I missed them.  This was not because I didn’t have the interest, I was simply more focused on Scotch whisky rather than American whiskey.

So there we were, going from this table to that, from that aisle to this aisle… our heads were spinning – it was quite an experience!  We were on our way to the Old Pultney/Balblair booth when my buddy Jeff stopped me and said “Josh, you’ve got to try this $hit!!”.  I saw that he was at the Stranahan’s booth and I said to myself that I could at least scratch these guys off my list (and then get to Balblair already!!).

The nice man at the booth poured me a wee bit and I sniffed… Wow… This is not like any other American Whiskey I’ve ever nosed before!  I continued with the next step (umm, the tasting of course) and wham-o!! My friend Jeff said exactly what I was thinking: “Dude, it’s like liquid banana chips!”  And it was.  Absolutely delicious, these guys nailed it and made something so very unique from all the other American whiskies I’ve every had.

This being said, by hook or by crook, I had to get a bottle.  And that I did.

Now, before I go on I will tell you that I do not know what batch number(s) were being served at WhiskyFest NYC but I can tell you that what I bought was very different from what I had at the fest.  Not in a bad way — at all (though I do wish I could find the banana chip batch.  I’ve got an email into them already so once I find out, you will find out).

Initial whiff – Berries, off the bat.  Some cinnamon, a little banana peel, spices (for my Jews out there, reminded me of Havdalah spices).

On the mouth – Quite spicy but wildly smooth.  Mouth coating, banana (whole banana, not chips), vanilla, lots of vanilla and a little oak which surprised me as this stuff only stayed in barrels for two years.

Finish – Here’s where it gets really interesting and a bit… “R” rated (but hey, we’re all over 21, right??). Directly after the swallow, the most interesting taste came up on the back sides of my tongue.  I asked the drummer of my band to corroborate… we both got the amazingly strange taste of Marijuana in our mouths!  As if we were with Bill Clinton, not inhaling, and taking a hit off of a pipe (or “bowl”, to use the parlance of our times…).  So odd!  It brought me back to the good ‘ol days…  The finish made my mouth felt like it was at a Whitesnake concert circa 1988

In sum – This is quite amazing stuff and I liked the fact that my batch was so very different than the batch at WhiskyFest.  It’s like trying single cask scotch whisky, every cask tastes very different.  That being said, for this batch, I think I would suggest to drink it in a relaxing type mood or when cuddling up with a book, a wife, a husband, etc…  Enjoy this year round but try it in the late fall time when the leaves are changing (if that happens in your neck of the woods).  L’chayim/Slainte/Cheers!

A World of Discovery, Balblair, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime

Balblair 1997

Highlands – 43%ABV – 70cl (non-US) –  £29 | €34

I’ve got a couple of twitter buddies from the Holyland (one of them being Gal from Whisky Israel) who, knowing that I’m into the sweeter drams, suggested this one to me. They’ve not steered me wrong yet so I decided to listen to their suggestion and pick up a bottle.

This one is not available in the US because it’s not a 750ml bottle, rather a 70cl (or 700ml). Why the US will not accept bottles at the 70cl volume is just ludicrous and beyond me. Luckily, there are some good shops in the UK that do ship to the states so I got my bottle anyway. Ha, take that America!  In your face!!

Initial whiff — Pineapple, right away. Some sweet melon, think casaba and a little bit of spice, like a gum drop spice.

On the mouth — Waves of fresh fruit. So refreshing. Really, unlike any sweeter dram I’ve ever had. These are all tropical fruits (no apples, pears, etc… that you usually get from American Oak). Oakiness comes through now but does not overtake.  This is like a drinkable, tropical fruit salad.

Finish — Medium-long, spicy, some oak and the tiniest hint of smoke (?? could be in my head).

In sum — This stuff is so refreshing, you could forego brushing your teeth at night (or in the morning, if that’s your thing) and just get a dram of this stuff!

Port Ellen, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Port Ellen 1978 24yr 2nd Release

Islay region – 59.35%ABV – cask strength – 700ml bottle – $?? | £?? | €?? – I could not find this one available anywhere.  It was bottled in 2002 and limited to 12,000 bottles.  My guess is that it was in the £250 range (which is more like $450 to my fellow yanks out there).

I consider myself very fortunate to have met so many interesting and kind people in the wide world of twitter.  I could go on naming names but I wont.  I will say, with regards to this tasting, I need to thank one of my twitter friends: Keith from Whisky Emporium.  He and I did a sample trade and my sample was this lovely and rare Port Ellen expression.  Keith, thank you.  If you’ve not visited Whisky Emporium yet, please do.  There are lots of great tasting notes, glass suggestions for different malts, whisky & food pairings, whisky & chocolate pairings, etc…  He’s got a very robust & unique site.

With regards to Port Ellen, it’s really one of the few Islay distilleries that I basically know nothing about.  Rather than focus on the distillery, I will focus more on the whisky itself.  If you’d like some information on the Distillery, here is a link from The Whisky Exchange with more info.

I will say that this stuff was so unique (especially given the style of the whisky itself, as you will read below, and it being an Islay malt) that I do plan on finding out more about Port Ellen and the history of expressions.  And, if my funds take a huge turn for the better, I may even buy some of this stuff.  I can tell you that Port Ellen whiskies are rare and uber-expensive!!

Initial whiff – Wow, this noses more like a Cambeltown – Grassy/flowery peat, fruity, definite hints of sea breeze.  Maybe a little bit of the smell of an electrical charge, metallic (not Metallica, though this stuff does rock) in a way.

On the mouth – Nearly undrinkable without water.  Some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on, I’m sweating here… I need a little water.  Ahhh, much better.  Back to the fruits (think citrus – oranges & kumquats), grassy again, malty, waxy mouth feel, lots of smoked seafood here (yes, this coming from a vegetarian (I used to eat fish)), tar (sans feathers) and very delicate peat.  It is 24 years old after all.  It seems the peat has lost much of it’s fight or, better yet, it’s compromised with the other elements.  Very complex and quite yummy!

Finish – Long, the fruits stay but now the peat is a wee bit stronger.

In sum – This stuff is worth it’s weight in gold.  It’s an Islay in Campbeltown’s clothing.  Of all the regions, I do love Campbeltown the most.  Extremely complex, lots of salt, fishy peat & yummy citrus.  Because of the lighter style (read: more delicate peat with the addition of salt & fruits) I would suggest this one in the spring or summer time when you just want to take it easy or feel refreshed.  Good luck finding some though!!