Category Archives: Springtime

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Autumn, Cold Winter, Glenmorangie, Let's celebrate!, Need To Bundle Up, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Glenmorangie Signet – Wonderfully different yet so quintessentially Glenmo!

Glenmorangie Signet

Highlands region – 46%ABV – 750ml bottle – $150–200 | £110 | €134

Hi, my name is Joshua and I loves me some Glenmorangie.  But, let’s back up a little bit, shall we?

Growing up I was a fat kid.  Yeah, that’s me with the man-boy boobs and the feathered cow-lick on the left there.  We’re looking at 1984 – 1985 or so.  I was 11 or 12.  This is the summer I started getting into the Dead Kennedys and got hooked on The Goonies (can’t you just picture me doing the truffle-shuffle?) and Back to the Future.

Why do I bring this up and what does it have to do with Glenmorangie?

Well, it was the summer of 1985 where I ate ‘G-d knows how many peaches’ in one sitting after watching the Cool Hand Luke 50 egg scene just to see how many I could eat (I never did vomit, by the way).  We had 10 peaches and yes, I ate them all (shit, look at that picture of me!).  You see, I love peaches & nectarines.  Always have.  I actually prefer nectarine (they’re like peaches that got a Brazilian wax).

“Dear Joshua, what does this have to do with Glenmorangie?”  Well, I’ll tell you.  Ardbeg is known for peat & lemons.  The Balvenie has their “honeyed” notes.  And, Glenmorangie is known for it’s, among other notes, peach notes.  It’s all coming together now, right?  Love for peaches, love for Glenmorangie… see??

Ok, its a stretch.  I needed a chance to show fat Josh (yeah, right) so, there you go.  Let’s review this.

On the nose – Aero milk chocolate bars.

Wonderful scents of paraffin wax.

Whiffs of recently extinguished candles.

Notes of ripe lush oranges and freshly brewed coffee.

Stewed figs and prune juice.

Underneath all of this lies the juicy peach notes (seeeeee!) that I always search for when having a Glenmorangie.

Finally, some great blasts of pipe smoke (how did I not detect this right off).

On the mouth – Oh, G-d damn.  Brilliant and warming notes of melting chocolate chips with bits of cookie attached.

Whole milk and steamy lattes.

Fine dry wine.

Like some Clarets I’ve had – soft but tannic.

The mouth feel is right up my alley, lush.

Walnut shells and cherry skins.

Finish – Zucchini bread and/or carrot cake with walnuts minus the cream cheese frosting.

There’s a drying nuttiness that pops up about 45 seconds after the swallow.

Yes, this is a nice, long finish!!

In sum – I’ve had many-many a Glenmorangie in my whisky tasting life.  Of all the whiskies I’ve had, I’ve had more expressions of Glenmorangie than any other brand of whisk(e)y.  This expression was as much un-like a Glenmorangie as it was like the quintessential Glenmorangie.  Brilliantly different yet so dead on.  Beyond this, it’s unlike any other whisky I’ve ever had.  A bit of a conundrum but, that’s a good thing.  Kudos/Bravo Glenmorangie and Dr. Bill Lumsden!  If you have the money, this is most likely one of the nicest every day drinkers for you to have.  It’s that good.

Refreshed, Springtime, Takin' It Easy

SMWS 39.74 – Linkwood 19yr Single Cask 47.1%

Speyside region – 47.1%ABV – 750ML bottle – Go here to get a bottle

So, shortly after I signed up to become a member of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (of America) a nice package came in the mail which contained a welcome booklet, a fun and fancy SMWS pin (which my daughters kindly helped in the losing thereof) and four 100ml samples to give me an idea of what I will come to expect from the society’s single cask bottlings.

The four bottles included a Macallan (#24.110), a Highland Park (#4.142), a Bowmore (#3.156) and a Linkwood (#39.74 – this one here that I am about to review).  The society introduced me to Linkwood and for that, I am ever grateful.

The sad thing is that this is not available as a 750ml bottle for the US arm of the Society so I am not able to get a full bottle.  I had to savor the 100ml I got, and savor I did.

Now, you can savor my notes:

On the nose – Delicious salted fruits & salted tomatoes.

Black licorice and candy coated fennel seeds after a good indian dinner.

Brighter fruit notes (think pears and cantaloupe… notes you usually only smell in the younger whiskies).

This is an easy noser.

On the mouth – The entry is as smooth as baby’s behind and chewy as a piece of Laffy Taffy™.

Cedar wood and herbal teas.

That saltiness returns.

Tangerines and a hint of fresh tobacco.

Fennel seeds and a malty & bready goodness that is tough to describe but, it’s there and it’s damn good.

Finish – Slightly numbing the sides of my mouth and lingering like the long goodbye of a chance meeting of an old girlfriend.

In sum – A lovely expression that I could find myself sipping on as a morning pick-me-up (very refreshing!) or as an evening wind-down.  What’s interesting is I chose to read the societies notes AFTER I nosed and tasted this whisky (I did not want to be influenced in any way).  I found that their nose and my palate were very similar but reversed.

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Autumn, Nikka, Springtime

Nikka Yoichi 20yr 1988 Vintage

Japan – 55%ABV – 700ml bottle – $|£|€ ???

No matter where I look, this whisky is sold out.  And, I think I know why  (see my notes below) – here’s what the good folks over that The Whisky Exchange have to say about it:

“A follow up to the incredible Nikka 1987 vintage 20yo that won the World’s Best Single Malt at last year’s World Whiskies Awards, this 1988 is a full-strength mix of both light and heavily-peated whiskies from new oak, refill casks, bourbon barrel and sherry butts – sounds phenomenal.”

Phenomenal??  Hell yes.  A HUGE thanks to The Whisky Wall for the sample!

On the nose — Oh mercy, what an amazing nose!

Very strange notes of baklavah, pipe tobacco (being smoked), kim chee and sherry.

Deep dried fruit (like a fried compote filled with plums and apricots – actually, I’m reminded of a Charoset I had a couple of years back.).

Insanely easy to nose.

A tad spicy and (like many Japanese whiskies I’ve had) some sweet top notes that remind me of bourbon.

Green tea and dark chocolate with elegant peat smoke.

On the mouth — Like chewing on chocolate covered fresh tobacco leaves.

Both salty and smoky (like smoked capers).

Dried dates and papaya.  Floral potpourri.

Stewed fruits then a highlight on sweetly smoked lemons.

Finish — Lasting fruit – every dried fruit imaginable, lovely & lasting.

In sum –– Quite remarkable, really; nearing on ridiculous (or ludicrous) as to how good this whisky was.  The balance is remarkable and at 55%, with the nose/palate/finish combination it’s very drinkable.  Only 3500 bottles were made available and, you guessed it, not in the US.  Feck.

This is a very contemplative dram.  If you can get your hands on some of this, save it for some “YOU” time.  Sit back, enjoy the cool breeze (maybe throw a sweater on, light a fire) and think about “what it all means”.

A World of Discovery, Ardbeg, Autumn, Cold Winter, Springtime

The Great Space [Ardbeg Roller] Coaster

Islay region – 57.3%ABV – 750ml bottle (70cl outside of the US) – £100 | $80-$115 | €120

G-d bless Federal Wine & Spirits out of Boston, MA!  If it were not for them, I’m not sure I would have had my bottle of Ardbeg’s Committee Release of their Rollercoaster.

Those poor folks.

They announced that they were going to be getting some bottles early and was taking some pre-orders for it but did not know how many people may be calling them.  Harassing them for a bottle of this fine whisky.  I, good readers, was one of these people but I did my very best to be as *unharassy* as possible.  They told me they had “X” amount of bottles and “XXX” amount of people looking for one.  To make matters worse, their number of bottles went from a couple of cases down to 18 so now they had the hard job of telling even more people that they could not help them.

Those poor folks.  I hate saying no to anybody.  I feel sorry for them having to say no, to, my guess, a couple hundred people.

Luckily for me I was one of the first 18 people to call so, I got a bottle.  It took them a while to get through it all (my guess, about 3-4 weeks) but they eventually did get their bottles out and made 18 people (including myself) extremely happy.

While I was waiting for my bottle I made an agreement with Gal of Whisky Israel that I would hold off on opening the bottle so’s we could do a live Twitter tasting.

Well, Gal had issues of his own that I’m sure he’ll post about but let’s just say that waiting another 3-4 weeks to open my bottle just sort of… happened.

People who know me know that I am a patient guy.  So, no worries here.  But shit, I wanted to taste this nectar more than the folks who waited in line to taste New Coke way back when.  Thankfully Ardbeg’s Rollerocaster is FAR better that that short-lived shite!

While I did get around to tasting seven Ardbeg whiskies back in May, I only recently had a chance to taste the stuff as a stand alone whisky.

Let’s ride the coaster, shall we?

On the nose – Part of me wishes that this is what oxygen smelled like all of the time.  However, if it did, then nosing this whisky would not be as special as it is.

A very, very sexy nose filled with mature-for-its-age-peat-smoke, a salt lick and olive oil.

Peel the smokiness away and I am now confronted with some strawberry jam and those delicious Ardbegian lemons – the salt carries through the entire nose-capade.

On the mouth – A great entry here filled with savory bacon bits, tarred ropes and chicory.

Oily, like real olive oil in my mouth here, salted pie crust, onslaught of smokey peat, strawberries return and the citrus fruits evolve into something a bit bigger – pomelo!

Charred wood, cherries and tobacco.

Finish – Medium long.  Lovely burny bubbles stay in my mouth for some time and then out of the blue some nice green tea notes.

In sum — Well worth the wait.

A fantastic dram that, although amazingly smokey, is so very fruity for me (Lemons, Pomelo, Strawberries, Cherries).

Also, the peat seemed less of a direct attack on my tongue that I could enjoy this one in the late spring (winter for sure) and the autumn time.

A cracker of a dram that I hope Ardbeg will bring in as a standard expression.

One of the things I love about whisky is that everyone can take something different from them.  Chicory to me may be chipotle to another.  This being said, check out Jason from Guid Scotch Drink’s notes on this beauty – a world a difference but I would still drink the stuff if I got what he wrote in his notes.

Blind Tastings, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Rick’s Mystery Dram series – Week 5 of 10 – Sample #5

Wow, I can’t believe that this series is half way over!  The journey has be great so far.  Rick, thank you.

As I mentioned in the 3rd post for this “Rick’s Mystery Dram” Series, I’ve decided to make this a wee bit more interesting by sending out a mystery dram to the correct guesser of the week’s mystery dram or, if there has been no correct guess, the sample goes to a commenter (randomly chosen).  Last week, Matt L of Houston TX won the mystery dram – and he has requested a Scotch whisky sample.  Matt, it’s on its way to you, thanks for posting your guess!  I hope you keep coming back.

Details on how to win a mystery dram sample (which will be Scotch or American whisk(e)y, your choice) are listed below, after the review.

For previous “Rick’s Mystery Dram” entries :

Here’s Mystery Dram #1 (which ended up being Parker’s Heritage First Edition)

Here’s Mystery Dram #2 (which ended up being Parker’s Heritage Golden Anniversary)

Here’s Mystery Dram #3 (which ended up being Evan Williams Single Barrel, 2000 vintage, barrel # 234)

Here’s Mystery Dram #4 (which ended up being Tonala 4 year Anejo tequila)

Review time!  And, by the way, this is an American whiskey again.

On the nose – A big spicy nose filled with chewy nougats and nuts (the roasted kind you get at a state fair; for my US readers).

Woody spice, orange marmalade…  That chewy nougatty goodness keeps me coming back.

There’s rye in here for sure but it seems as if it’s not a youthful rye, the spice is big but round.

On the mouth – The entry is thinner than water and much spicier than the nose had suggested.  Say huh!?  Not what I was expecting with that lush nougat  and marmalade I got on the nose…

This is an easy drinker but, similar to mystery dram # 2, I found that the drop off from the nose to the palate a bit off-putting.  Spiced oak starts to arrive…

Finish – Wait a sec, the finish is ramping up here. Oh, this is making it worth it.  That woodiness comes back with a vengeance.  It’s getting big here in a real toasted oak sort of way.

In sum – Strange.  If I were to just nose this I would have told you that this is most likely around the 50% ABV range.  Tasting it was another thing completely; I would have said 43-46% (with some sort of a wheat element to smooth out the tasting experience.  After the swallow, however, (and in fact, just prior to it), the spice began to build up and burn so now I’m back to a higher ABV – perhaps in the 50% range.  I liked this bourbon.  The palate left me wanting (a bit) but that nose was great!  A dram of this would be a nice way to unwind and end the day.

Clues –

  • I’m guessing a clear rye influence – perhaps a rye whiskey (or a heavily toasted barrel to add flavor)
  • Thin mouth feel, smooth (perhaps some from the addition of wheat into the mash bill)
  • Powerful finish with a good amount of woodiness

JMSWS antes up!

For those who attempt to guess – each week I will be sending out one mystery dram (a small 5cl bottle) and the first person guesses correctly wins the dram.  Actually, if there are no correct guesses for the week then a winner will be chosen at random.  You win whether your right or not (like a weatherperson – right or not, s/he still has a job)!

So again, I will be awarding a free whisk(e)y sample every week to one lucky winner (whether you guess correctly or not).

How do I enter to win you ask?

Easy, comment on this post with what you think the mystery dram of the week may be.  It’s that simple.

I will let you choose the type of mystery dram — Scotch or American Whiskey (though that’s all you’ll know about it).  And if you’d like, you can send me your tasting notes and I’ll post them for my readers to guess at.  If you’d prefer the blind tasting to be between just you and me… that’s cool too.