Category Archives: Takin’ It Easy

All You Need Is Love, Autumn, Balvenie, Cold Winter, Takin' It Easy

Balvenie 17yr Madeira Cask – Like a sexy cougar, you come to me

Speyside – 43%ABV – 750ml – $95 – $140 (another HUGE spread!) | £64 | €75

I have been a huge fan of madeiras for some time. Madeira, ports, nice hearty dessert wine…

I loves me a port finished dram but never had a madeira one.

Initial whiff — Spiced dried fruit (imagine a fruity pot pourri), big grapes (not like sherry.  Sorry sherry heads, this is MUCH better than a sherry bomb (I.E. A’bunadh) for me), honeyed oakiness and a side of Kim Chee. Yes, there’s a slight sour & spicy cabbage smell here that I get upon the 3rd whiff. Somehow, it works and it’s nice.

On the mouth — The nose tells you what you’re going to get. I like that. The spice is pronounced here. Grapey but not overly so. It’s chewy too, almost like a spiced gum drop (an orange one, much like the High West Rendezvous Rye I tasted the other day – there’s a little citrus here).

Finish — Honeyed oak with a long spicey vanilla type deliciousness.

In sum — One thing I’d say is, as nice as this drop is, it would benefit from from a higher abv, perhaps 46%? Just to add to the spice,  maybe add a bit more bite…  I liken this dram to a sexy 40 something cougar. Voluptuous, sensual, spicey. This dram knows what it wants and it wants you to drink it. Seductive. Dare I say, even more so than the 21yr portwood. This dram is a hot MILF (Did I just say that?! Yes, yes I did).

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Autumn, Cold Winter, High West, Need To Bundle Up, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

High West Rye – Rendezvous batch 17

Park City, Utah, USA– 45%ABV – 750ml bottle – $35

The first time I had a Rye Whiskey was about 3 years ago in Chicago (3yrs ago, before I even knew how to really taste whiskies).  It was Templeton Rye, the same stuff Al Capone drank – cool!  I remember it being very spicy but, inviting.

Earlier in the week I went to Binny’s in Schaumburg, IL just to see what they had — not really to buy anything but, they always have such a large selection, I just wanted to check it all out and drool a little bit.  And drool I did!  Man-o-Maneschewitz, they have a lot to look at (much of it is a bit overpriced though…).

Binny’s allows you to taste many of their whiskies before you buy (very cool value-added feature of their stores).  Walking through, I saw the Templeton Rye and they had a sample so I asked to try a some.  Quite nice stuff and at $26 a bottle, very buyable.  The salesman, however, suggested that before I buy a Rye, I should try the High West Rendezvous (I can not stand typing that word: “Rendezvous”, so unnatural!).  I did and… wow-wow-wee-wow-wow!! Awesome stuff, hence my buy, hence the review.

Here we go!

The High West Rendezvous is actually a blend of two ryes – a 16yr made from 80% rye and a 6yr made from a bill of 95% rye!  Both of those are well above the standard rye bill of about 51% (the minimum).  Even with the age of the 80% rye (16yrs), I was expecting something so insanely spicey that it’d be too much to handle. O-contrare-mon-frare!  The spice was there but not biting at all.

Initial whiff – Fennel seed (think candied fennel seeds one would get from a good Indian or Pakastani restaurant), cinnamon, maybe spiced pumpkin (or the spices that make up that smell)

On the mouth – Chewy. Chewy sugared gumdrops, the orange ones (I used to be addicted to these gum drops, sucking off all of the sugar until just the chewy goodness was there to masticate), quite a bit of vanilla, maybe some toasted coconut.  This one is all over the place, very nice.

Finish – The spice is mostly gone now, but my mouth is still all a’coat with warmth. Nice oily feel.

In sum – The folks who made this are artisans, plain and simple.  I could drink this any time of the year and in most moods.  This stuff is not available in Connecticut, check their website for availability in your area.  Seek this one out.

Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime, Suntory - Yamazaki, Takin' It Easy

Suntory Yamazaki 12yr – Is there anything the Japanese can’t do?

Japan – 43%ABV – 750ml –  $35-40 | £35 | €41

I bought my bottle of Suntory Yamazaki 12yr more a year ago (it is now gone, sadly) and I broke it out on rare occasions. Not because it’s the most spectacular dram but because it’s so very different than scotch and I’m not always in the mood for it.

Don’t get me wrong, this is some pretty impressive stuff and it makes me want to try more Japanese whiskies. I don’t drink it all the time but when I do, it makes my mouth happy.

Initial whiff — The stuff noses like my dad’s old bourbon (I always loved sneaking sniffs of my dad’s bourbons when I was a kids because it burned my nose and made me sneeze – ah, to be 8 again…). The stuff has an initial bourbon-y element, some sour corn and alcohol. Followed by some honey and dried fruits. Like a scottish bourbon if there were one.

On the mouth — Smooth honey and drying oak. This is one of the driest single malts I’ve ever had. This is a nice thing actually. Oh, some vanilla came through now, nice.  There is a cream soda element to it too (even feels a wee bit effervescent).

Finish — Dry & long. Honey and oak. The sour corn comes back too.

In sum — This is a huge bargain (in the US), well worth the $35 bucks or so that I paid for it.  Though this made me want to try other Yamazakis, the 18yr is about $100 and from what I heard, it’s just not worth the price.  Maybe I’ll find a swanky Japanese joint that has the 18yr and I’ll try it but $100 too much casheesh for me!!  Also, Yamazaki came out with a sherry cask see it here at Master of Malt (plug, plug).  The color on the sherry cask looks like the color of a nice 20+ year rum!

If you want to try some right quick (without buying a bottle), go to a Benihana’s (Japanese restaurant), they have it as a standard malt on their menu.

One thing that still throws me off is that this is not a corked bottle but a screw top. Strange but…cool. Arigato Japan!


All You Need Is Love, Autumn, Benromach, Cold Winter, Springtime, Takin' It Easy

Benromach 10yr – More powerful than a Blackhole!!

Speyside – 43%ABV – 70cl (non-US) – US (in a 750ml bottle) $49 | £29 | €34

The Benromach 10yr is one of the most attractive malts I’ve ever had. Granted, I’ve only been imbibing the harder stuff for 3 years or so. So, I’m new to this wonderful world of whisky…

Like many of you, I read review after review of how spectacular this stuff was and I had every intention of trying some at WhiskyFest NYC 2009 – Sadly, one of the many booths I missed.

It wasn’t until I read Dr. Whisky’s review of the stuff that I finally opened up my wallet and laid down the cash for this baby. It ended up coming on my Birthday – what a birthday it was!

Initial whiff — Sweet warm smoke, honey, sweet peony, penny candy store (hanging out by the butterscotch), damp towel, vanilla, sweet pipe tobacco or, better yet, my Grandpa John’s old pipe collection

On the mouth — Gooey-ooey butterscotch riddled with smoke, root veggies (Dr. Whisky nailed it when he said he tasted stewed carrots – dead on!), fresh soil, leather, more butterscotch – mouth coating and smooth as heck!

Finish — Long, smokey oak, vanilla is back with some nuttiness creeping up.

In sum — This is the ultimate comfort dram. Usually, I like an ABV of at least 46% but I think they nailed it with the 43%. I had two drams that night.

So, here’s where the black hole comes in. I am a total freak when it comes to shows about space, black holes, supernovas (including the Ardbeg Supernova!!)… good sciencey stuff. I was watching a show on black holes the night I opened this up and I found my self completely blocking the outside world and was staring at the legs in my glass as they slowly danced back down to the bottom. I was so taken by this stuff that it took me from my science show! And, that’s really saying a lot. Truly astounding stuff – great effort from the folks at Benromach (even thought I said 43% was dead on, I would love to try this as a cask strength!)

All You Need Is Love, Glenmorangie, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Glenmorangie Nectar D’or

Highlands region – 46%ABV – 750ml bottle – $49-$65 | £41 | €47

The Nectar D’or was the first Glenmo I’ve ever tried and actually, the 2nd bottle of whisky I opened my wallet for.  To this date, it is in my list of top 3 whiskies.

The Nectar D’or was extra matured in Sauternes cask, imparting very fruity, syrupy goodness!!

In March, The Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society will be doing a vertical tasting of the current standard Glenmorangie line.  It’s no secret that there is a warm spot in my heart for their nectars, especially this one.  I’m looking forward to it and to blogging about our thoughts.

Initial whiff — Apricot jam, actual Sauternes (no initial whisky scents, pure Sauternes wine; delicious!), loads of vanilla, some coconut and a tad bit of smoke, more like apricot jam on burnt toast (after having scrapped off the burny parts with a butter knife).

On the mouth — My G-d, my mouth instantly started watering.  Very fruity, apricots again, pecans, oak and coconuts.  A bit peppery and some gobs of honey, sugared honey.

Finish — Long, this stuff coats your mouth quite well, in the way back of my tongue the pecans came back.  Quite lovely stuff.

In sum — Got pancakes? This is stuff is so syrupy sweet. This is one that will alway have a place on my shelf for when I want a treat