Category Archives: Refreshed

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Angry, Ardbeg, Autumn, Cold Winter, Glenmorangie, Kosher Spirits (not for Passover), Need To Bundle Up, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Ⓤ… will not believe the great news that just came out of Moët Hennessy USA for Glenmorangie & Ardbeg

Breaking news!!! This just came across my desk here at The Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society HQ:

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Glenmorangie, Scotland’s Favorite Single Malt

Scotch Announces OU KOSHER CERTIFICATION

New York, June 08, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — The Glenmorangie Company and Moët Hennessy USA are proud to announce that Glenmorangie Original, Scotland’s favorite single malt Scotch whisky, has become kosher-certified by the Orthodox Union (OU), the world’s largest and most respected kosher certification agency. Additionally, its pioneering new expression, Glenmorangie Astar, has also become kosher-certified. Glenmorangie’s sister distillery, Ardbeg has also received OU Kosher certification for its Ardbeg 10yr old expression.

New packaging and promotional materials bearing the “OU” symbol will be distributed nationwide over the next few months.

“At Glenmorangie we take great pride in producing Scotland’s favorite single malt whisky, using the finest Scottish barley and hand selected American white oak casks of only the highest quality. The OU kosher certification will bring our iconic brand to an entirely new consumer base that can now enjoy our products,” Brian Cox, Glenmorangie U.S. Brand Director.

The Orthodox Union rigorously monitors all aspects of production. It supervises the process by which the whisky is created, examines the raw ingredients used to make Glenmorangie and regularly inspects the distilling and bottling facilities to make sure that its standards are met.

“We are very pleased to have Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky become the first major single malt scotch brand to attain OU certification. It was also gratifying for OU to guide the Glenmorangie Company through the certification process and bring this famous single malt brand to the growing kosher market place,” remarked Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, OU Kosher Vice President of Communications and Marketing. “It was rewarding for OU Kosher’s team, headed by Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz and Dr. Avraham Meyer, to collaborate with the Glenmorangie team to bring these renowned products to an ever-growing kosher market place.”

For further information, please e-mail David Blackmore, Glenmorangie U.S. Communications Manager, at glenmorangiepr@mme.net.

PRODUCT NOTES

Glenmorangie Original, is bottled at a strength of 43% ABV and chill-filtered, to enhance the smooth but complex flavors. It is aged for a minimum of ten years in superior quality American White Oak ex-bourbon barrels, made from forests carefully and sustainably managed for the Glenmorangie Company. These casks are filled with the Glenmorangie spirit, distilled to an unparalleled level of complexity, aroma and smoothness in the tallest copper-pot stills in all of Scotland. The result is a smooth yet complex malt whisky, revered and rewarded across the globe for generations. Glenmorangie Original consistently outscores its direct competition, scoring 94 points for the past 6 years in “The Whisky Bible”. Jim Murray, the author of the Whisky Bible and world renowned whisky expert describes Glenmorangie Original as “Complexity at its most complex.”

Glenmorangie Astar, is one of the newest expressions from the famed Glenmorangie Distillery, and is the first whisky in the world to be matured in ‘designer casks’ sourced from selected, air seasoned, slow-growth American white oak.

The creation of Astar began in 1985 and is the brainchild of Dr. Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s Head of Distilling and Whisky Creation. The wood used to mature the whisky is carefully selected, slow-growth, fine-grained American white oak, found specifically in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. The wooden ‘staves’ crafted from the oak is left in the open air to season for at least 24 months. This long wait, coupled with the wood’s inherent porosity, allows the white oak wood to breath and soften, adding the first elements of flavor that will contribute to the final spirit. The staves are ‘coopered’ into oak casks and toasted to contribute further flavors of almond and coconut. The casks are then filled with Tennessee whiskey and set aside to mature for four years, smoothing out any rawness in the wood, and at the same time releasing luscious undertones of vanilla.

These ‘designer casks’ are then ready to be emptied and shipped to the Glenmorangie Distillery in Tain, to be filled with Glenmorangie’s renowned, delicate and complex spirit, uniquely derived from Scotland’s tallest stills. The casks are finally laid down for many years in dark, cool, earth-floored warehouses for a long, slow maturation. Glenmorangie Astar is bottled at 114.2 proof, 57.1% ABV which represents the whisky in its most natural form, and allows the drinker to explore the fullest spectrum of aroma, texture and flavors.

Dr. Bill Lumsden comments:
“At Glenmorangie we are particular. We believe up to 60% of the flavor of the whisky comes from the wood and our quest for the very best wood is unparalleled. It is difficult to sum up years of passion and commitment! But I would describe Glenmorangie Astar as everything a single malt should be – it is the result of an incredible journey: the pursuit of perfection.”

ABOUT GLENMORANGIE

Glenmorangie originates in the Scottish Highlands where, at the Glenmorangie Distillery, it is distilled in the tallest malt whisky stills in Scotland, expertly matured in the finest oak casks, and perfected by the 16 Men of Tain. The distillery was founded in 1843 and is renowned as a pioneer in its fields, uniting tradition with innovation. Most recently, at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Glenmorangie was awarded the prestigious title of ‘Distillery of the Year’.

Today, the company is one of the most renowned and innovative distillers and marketers of Scotch whisky brands worldwide and is part of Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH). Headquartered near Edinburgh, Scotland, the company produces two main single malt brands – Glenmorangie Single Highland Malt Whisky and Ardbeg Single Islay Malt.

ABOUT THE ORTHODOX UNION

The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of North America and beyond, represents the fastest growing segment in Jewish life. The OU is a world leader in community and synagogue services, adult education, youth work through NCSY, political action through the IPA (Institute of Public Affairs), and advocacy for persons with disabilities through Yachad and Our Way. Its kosher certification label, the OU, is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 400,000 products manufactured in 80 countries around the globe.

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Great news, right!?  How very smart of The Glenmorangie Company and Moët Hennessy USA to move forward with certifying these three great, staple Scotch whisky products.

I have come up with a couple of new logos which both Ardbeg and Glenmorangie are free to use (no royalty payments required!):

All You Need Is Love, Master of Malt, Refreshed, Summertime, Takin' It Easy, Tomatin

Master of Malt Tomatin 19yr Single Cask plus FREE WHISKY – a new and ongoing JSMWS exclusive offer

Highland region – Master of Malt Exclusive Single Cask Tomatin 19yr – 57.6%ABV –  700ml bottle – £70 (sadly, this is no longer available from Master of Malt.  However, their 40%ABV version is, for  £60 – click here for that)

On the nose – Clean fresh fruits, buckets of oaky goodness (though not over-oaky in a bad-chardonnay-way), lemon zest, acetone, fresh baked bread (almost like eggy challah), Stella D’Oro “S” cookies.  The nose is bright and inviting – more people should be like this nose…

On the mouth – This whisky is a Master of Malt!  OK, seriously though, this is filled with a ton of malted milk balls (minus the chocolate coating), very sweet and a medium-chewy mouth feel, hoisin sauce.

When I first tasted this I thought it had Glenmorangie sort of profile but now I think my taste buds were off that night.  This whisky has it’s own personality and what a great personality it is.

Finish – Tangy, lasting, the roof of my mouth has a zingy-burned feeling and the sides of my tongue are loving every second of this experience.

In sum — While this is a gorgeous whisky, as I’ve stated above, it’s no longer available.  You may be able to find a bottle through whiskyacution.com or perhaps other whisky auction type sites but, Master of Malt does not carry it any longer.  This was single cask, cask strength stuff and only a few hundred bottles were produced.  I still have about 1/2 of my bottle left and I only break it out for the nicest of occasions.

I know what you must be thinking right now — Joshua, thank you for the tasting notes.  This is all well and good but how do I claim my free whisky!?!?

I’ve been working with Master of Malt on a deal to give my readers something cool; something exclusive and special – FREE WHISKY.  It’s just my way of saying “Thank You” to all of the folks who keep coming back to my blog (and a nice “Welcome” to all of my new readers as well).   Master of Malt agreed to give a free a “Drinks by the Dram” 3cl sample with any order that came through my blog.  All you have to do to claim the sample is, when ordering from Master of Malt, enter the term “JSMWS Sample” in the “Delivery Instructions” box of their online shopping cart. Easy right?  However, if you don’t enter this term into the box, you will not receive your free whisky.  (Note: one sample per order)

While you will not be able to choose the sample, the smart folks at Master of Malt will couple samples with your bottle orders accordingly (E.G. if you buy a bottle of Ardbeg Corryvreckan, you’ll get a 3cl sample of their exclusive Islay 12yr.  Order a bottle of Highland Park 18yr and you’ll receive a free 3cl sample of the MoM exclusive Orkney 12yr whisky — get it?)

While my main reason for agreeing to this arrangement is to help keep you all coming back, you must know that I will be receiving a small commission from Master of Malt on any business I bring to them.  I would not be honest if I did not tell you this.

Last week in my Master of Malt Drinks by the Dram Arran sample tasting post, I told you that Master of Malt gifted some samples to me for review.  I wanted to be upfront about this as my reviews are, and will remain to be, completely independent and not influenced in **any way** be it by free samples or payment.  If I don’t like a whisky, I’m going to tell you.  If I like a whisky I’ll tell you.  My nose, my tongue, my reviews.  It’s this simple.

Additionally, while I am offering you free whisky through Master of Malt, I’ve added in (on the right side of this blog) the online stores I frequent which are also fine, fine establishments.  Just because I’ve made an arrangement with Master of Malt doesn’t mean I wont tell you about any great deals that may come from Shoppers Vineyard, The Whisky Exchange, etc…  In the end, I am here for you – to (hopefully) educate you with my reviews, make you laugh, keep you informed of news in the whisky world and hell, I’ll get you some free whisky too!

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Bruichladdich, Refreshed, Springtime, Takin' It Easy

Bruichladdich 19yr old Black Arts

Ok, before you begin to read my post on this dram, you may want to hit play on the youtube video below (so as to set the mood):

Is it playing?  Good.  Just keep it sort of quiet and in the background.  Umm, a little lower in the volume… there.  Good.

When I was young, about six years in age, my uncle started feeding me music from all sorts of great bands.  Bands he loved and wanted me to love in kind.  Two of the bands stuck out and I still love them to this day.  The Ramones and Black Sabbath.  In fact, the first album I ever owned was Black Sabbath’s Paranoid album.

Let’s put the Ramones to the side for now and focus on Black Sabbath.  Here I was six years old, listening to Black Sabbath and… was I scared?  A bit (I mean, listen to this song for “Peat’s” sake – you do have the video playing, right?).  But mostly, I was entranced.  Even at six, I knew that these guys were on some level beyond any other band I’d ever heard.

As I got older, I became more obsessed with the music of Black Sabbath and (here comes a crazy geek moment) Dungeons and Dragons.  There, I said it.  I was into D&D big time.  D&D, Lord of the Rings, you name it, I was into it.

You must be thinking “Hey Hatton, where are you going with this?” or, “Dude, D&D… seriously!?”

The point I am coming to is that I saw something mystical and magical in this music and those role playing games and sipping on this whisky took me back there.

Yes, nearly 31 years later and I came across this interesting and new Bruichladdich expression called Black Arts and I’m taken back to those things that got me interested in the “strange”.  But, come to think of it, it was not just strange.  It was new, different, unique and artistic – something I think this expression is.

What is Bruichladdich’s Black Arts expression?  First, let’s take a look at their bottle:

You’ll notice a matte black finish on the bottle and cylinder.  This, as I understand it, is a follow up to Bruichladdich’s “Blacker Still” expression.  Just looking at it and I get a creepy-cool feeling.  It’s the type of feeling you get when you’re around a campfire telling ghost stories – the good creepy.  You want more.

And yes, I wanted more.  I wanted to open the bottle right away but, before I did, I took a closer look at the bottle and saw a Star of David on there.  Wait a sec.  Hold you’re horses.  What does this mean?  I don’t know any Jew that works in the Black Arts – What’s going on here!?!?

I did some reading up on what this star meant and found that Bruichladdich says the star is actually “two triangles that represent the reconciliation of the opposites of fire and water”.  In fact, here’s the full quote from Bruichladdich’s product sheet: “Alchemy, the black art, the eternal search for rejuvenation and immortality, gave us whisky.  Gebber the Arab is said to be the first distiller of al-iksir, the water of life, in Persia around 790 AD.” (or, CE and I prefer to say.  C.E. being the Common Era) “The spirits Eau de vie, Aqua Vitae, Vodka, Aquavit, Uisque Beatha all share that same original meaning.  Geber understood that precious metals were hidden in alloys and ores.  By the rearrangement of base metal’s qualities, via elixir, it could be transmutated into Gold.  Elixir also existed as a dry, red powder made from Philosophers’ stone.  If it could turn poor metal into gold – it could give eternal life.  The two triangles that represent the reconciliation of the opposites of fire and water.”

Cool stuff, right?

Speaking of “red powder”, after I poured a dram, I wondered if Bruichladdich found this Philosophers’ stone and put a wee bit into each cask.  The reason I wondered this….well, take a look at the color of this whisky (on your left – click on it for a larger image).

While it may be tough to see here in this picture.  I will tell you that, in person, this fluid is red.  Red whisky.  I’ve never seen anything like this before and, just like when I first heard Black Sabbath, I was entranced.  Just a note here: this is the natural color of the whisky; no color added.

How did they get this whisky red?  Is it the red powder from the Philosophers’ stone?  If you think the answer is “yes” then I suggest you check yourself into an insane asylum.  While you may think the good folks at Bruichladdich are alchemists with all of those great expressions they come out with, this is the real world and they’re using real science here, not alchemy.

So, how did they get it red?  A little birdy told me that this whisky was finished in three red wine casks, one right after the other.  Awesome.

OK, I think it’s about high time I get to the tasting:

Islay region – 51.1%ABV – 700ml bottle – £75 | €94 (this bottle is not available through US stores)

On the nose — 51.1% alcohol be damned! I can sniff this all night with no issues.  Big red fruits!  Raspberry, strawberry, cranberry and some fruit of the more tropical variety — passion fruit & papaya (all of these berries makes me think of my daughter’s book called “Jamberry”).  Wow.  Some nail polish remover notes here, something a bit sour and some over steeped green tea…  I’m in love with this nose!  This is just the right influence of wine on the whisky.  Some spiciness on the nose and a bit of honey (which I did not expect here).  With a few drops of water the fruits get very juicy smelling – almost over ripe.

On the mouth — Great entry here and I’m a bit taken aback.  What a balance!  The fruits are big but dry – like a good & fruity cabernet.  Grassy, fresh hay.  Quite grapey, quite winey.  The mouth feel is nice nothing too special about it though.  Let’s add a few drops of water.  With water the mouth feel evolves into something completely different and beautiful.  I feel like an alchemist turning dried fruits into re-ripened fruits.  There’s something deep in the background that resembles the faintest whiff of smoke but, I dont think this was at all peated.

Finish — Longer and slightly burning.  Wow, increasingly burning and getting stronger by the second.  Cool stuff.

In sum — This is a true artisan’s whisky.  And while some folks thought this dram crossed the line a bit between wine finishes and whisky; to me, the extra finishing was something of pure genius.  What a great marriage between wine and whisky.  While the two whiskies are nothing alike, the mystery surrounding the Bruichladdich Black Arts reminds me of the mysteries around the Glenmorangie Signet.  Two very different whiskies; two very great whiskies.  My hat’s off to the folks at Bruichladdich.  They’ve created a magical dram here.

A World of Discovery, Bowmore, Master of Malt, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime

Master of Malt 26yr Bowmore Single Cask

Islay region – 53.4%ABV – 700ml bottle – Master of Malt exclusive bottling, only 195 bottles – £100

My day… actually, the past few days for me have be rough.  For this reason to that one, just a lot going on and not enough room in my head to think about it all.  This is not a diary blog for me.  This is a whisk(e)y blog so I’m not going to pour my heart out because, you probably don’t give a rat’s ass.  What you do care about is whisk(e)y and I can dig that.  Shall I move on then?  Yes.

Sitting at home, I have an arsenal of 16 whisky samples – it’s like heaven to me.  Check it:

With so much to choose from, I just did not know where to start.  I think I stood in front of my sample stash for about 25 minutes before I made my decision.  My decision to choose the Master of Malt 26yr Bowmore was partially based on the fact that the only Bowmore I’ve ever had was their 12yr expression and I just did not like it (that review to come – sorry Bowmore folks).  I wanted to try something else by Bowmore and I **LOVE** the Master of Malt 19yr Tomatin (that review can be found here).  The other reason is that I’ve got a serious case of spring fever (like you would not believe) and the reviews I’ve read on this expression reminded me of spring or the flavors I’d like to taste in a spring-time malt.

On the nose – You’d never know this was 53.4% Alcohol By Volume.  It’s very easy to nose, and what a strange nose it is!  Soapy and quite flowery, perfect for this time of year.  Very much like Spider Mums (near exact).  Powdered sugar cookies and nail polish.  Really tough getting past that flowery smell though, quite lovely.  Reading the review of this whisky in Guid Scotch Drink, Jason described a Parma Violets candy smell.  Being that the Parma Violets are a candy found in the UK, not the US, I have no idea what they are but, Jason does, click here to find out what they are.  Hint of smoke floating way in the back.

On the mouth – Pure sugary candies!!  Holy $hit!  No need to add water at all – it’s at the perfect strength.  Pez, Cherry Pez, more soap (kids no-tear fruity soap). Fun Dip and Pixie Stix.  Is this whisky?  Yes?  Really??  If R.J. Reynolds came out with this product, they’d be in court in no time flat as people would say it’s too candy-like, “you MUST be marketing to kids”.  Thin mouth feel but coating somehow – like the fluid itself is sugar based.  Powdered sugar.

Finish — Long and fruity, like Beech-Nut gum (fruity like the gum, not the length of flavor as Beech-Nut gums lose their flavor right quick!)

In sum — I read review after review about how fruity this stuff was and I just did not expect it to really be as fruity as it was, and, so amazingly like kids candies it really was.  This is not an every day dram for sure.  For me, I can have this once per year or so…  It’s unique, it’s super cool and complex.  The balance is great and I love the flowery nose.  I just couldn’t see myself reaching for this all the time.

A BIG thank you to JJY for the sample!

A World of Discovery, Balblair, Refreshed, Summertime

Balblair 1991

Highlands – 43%ABV – 750ml (New to the US Market!) –  $124 | Can’t find a source in the UK| €92

“Oh no there ain’t no cure for the summertime blues” – said some guy who obviously never had a Balblair!

If you’re not very familiar with my blog, let me give you the quick, Reader’s Digest version of what I try to do here (other than simply review whiskies): My goal is to try and categorize whiskies by how they would pair with the season we’re in or the mood you’re in.  (E.G. If you looked in the Moods & Seasons section in the top navigation bar of this site,  you may  find that in Cold Winter I might suggest you try some Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist because of the peat and pure body warming effects of that fine whisky.  If it’s a Hot August Night (G-d, I love Neil Diamond!), or the Summertime, you’d find (among other whiskies) the Balblair 1997)

So, in carrying on with this mentality, I will tell you straight away that this Balblair 1991 is quite the Summertime dram.  While it’s only April here in Connecticut, we’ve been enjoying temps of between 70-90deg Fahrenheit – that’s summertime in my eyes regardless of what month it is.

So sit back, relax and enjoy, vicariously through my following review, the newest 18yr Balblair expression – 1991 (then go out and buy a bottle or, read my review of the Balblair 1997 expression and buy that bottle.  Both worth their weight in whisky)

On the nose — Much more buttery than the 1997, the tropical notes are there for sure but there’s something a bit vegetal about the nose (carrot juice?) and quite creamy, strawberries & cream – hints of fresh lemon, freshly mown lawn

Palate — Nice attack (at 43%, it bites a bit more than I had expected), citrus infused butterscotch, a bit sporty and signs of youthfulness (tastes younger than the 18yrs that it is but, in a good way – nice vibrancy)

Finish — Long-esque with some nice vanilla and honey (actually, more like vanilla yogurt with honey, that’s more like it)

In sum — Another great summertime dram from the good folks at Balblair.  This one is very different from the 1997 expression but still quite refreshing.  The extra 6yrs added a nice level of smooth, creamy warmth to it (while still keeping it’s youth; it’s young in spirit I suppose).