Category Archives: Takin’ It Easy

That’s right. On January 14th, 2011, it was prematurely announced that Ardbeg would be releasing a new whisky: Alligator.

I remember this day quite well as the whisky world was in a tizzy and the folks at LVMH were scrambling a bit (or so I heard). Think of all the time, planning and money spent on marketing to help create the “buzz” and poof… Oh well.

Cats out of bags or no, Ardbeg’s website/online shop was still temporarily shut down due to sales traffic when the whisky was finally released!

Initially released as a “Committee release” (see image on the left), this whisky sold out damn quick! With only 1000 Committee Release bottles here in the US (and I think a total of 6,000 world-wide (please someone correct me if I’m wrong on that number), this $hit sold out right quick!

I was able to get seven of those committee bottles. I sold four (at no profit mind you!) and kept three.

So, what is Ardbeg Alligator? It’s a mixture of 60% Ardbeg 10yo and 40% Ardbeg 10yo (or so) whisky that’s been matured in heavily charred bourbon barrels. The name “Alligator” comes from they type of charring that’s been done to the barrels. The char is so heavy that it resembles alligator skin. Fun!

Now, what I find interesting is that this has been bottled at 51.2%ABV and nowhere on the bottle does it say cask strength. At 51.2%ABV and only being around 10 years old, cask strength should be closer to 58-60%ABV. Ardbeg normally bottles their whiskies at either cask strength or 46%ABV so, why the 51.2%??

Yes, the whisky is damn good at 51.2%. Maybe that was the driving factor – it was the optimum strength to meet the flavor and mouthfeel. Or maybe, it was bottled at 51.2% so that they could bottle more whisky. Or maybe, just maybe, there will be a cask strength version down the road… Only time will tell.

Just so you’re aware, the ABV on both the Committee Release and the new standard bottling as the same: 51.2%ABV. I am told from a few hi-ranking birdies that the juice is the same from the Committee Release to the standard bottling.

Let taste this schtuff:

On the nose – Whoa, I like this one here! Burnt and briny and lemony custard tarts.

Bacon – pure, unadulterated bacon (like walking into a mid-western diner on a Sunday morning?). This smells wonderful.

Bonesucking Barbecue sauce, vanilla and pencil shavings in the background.

Ballpark hotdog mustard.

Rounded, balanced and oh so sniffable!

On the mouth – Big creamy attack full of vanilla then an assault of charcoal ash (with hot embers still in the center).

Lemony sweet and tart – really affecting the sides of my tongue!

More of the pencil shavings I got on the nose (focus on the wood rather than the graphite).

Grilled and burn asparagus.

Tough to get past the creaminess on this one until we get to the finish…

Finish – Drying and medium in length

In sum – Balanced quite nicely, this is a whisky to just drink and enjoy rather than to pick apart. I found this absolutely delectable to sit and relax with and that’s what I suggest here. Work hard then relax with a nice glass of this fine whisky. I can easily drink this every day. Though at $99/bottle (or $139 at some places), it might break the bank…

Balvenie, Takin' It Easy

Balvenie 25yo Single Cask bottled at 46.9%ABV

August 10, 2011 Jewmalt

Speyside – 46.9%ABV – 750ml – $404 (wowza! This was originally about £100/$200 when it was first released 5 years ago)

It’s not secret that I’m a fan of The Balvenie. I’ll be headed there as part of the JSMWS tour this month and have been counting down the days until my arrival there. I was hoping to meet up with Mr. Sam Simmons while I’m out there but sadly, we’ll be missing one another.

In case you missed my video series on The Balvenie (special thanks goes out, once again to Sam on that one), you can check them out here.

The Balvenie has always nailed it with the 15yo single cask series, let’s see what another 10 years and an added $350 dollars does for this whisky…

On the nose — Lemony goodness right up front.

Indian cooking spices; turmeric and a breath of cumin.

This is a nice bourbon fresh nose. Oaky, honey, tangerines. Fresh cotton. Pineapple and mangoes. Ripe banana. Banana peel. I’m almost getting some blue raspberry in there. This list goes on and on…

Pears, bruised macintosh apples.

This is all rounded out by what seems to be lightly salted peanuts (the smell, not the taste).

On the mouth –– Hot and clean (an oxymoron in the adult film community).

Malty. Tannic. Limes.

So far, I enjoyed the nose much more… Let’s take a break, maybe add a bit of water…

Water calms this one down quite a bit.

Cooked sugar and orange butter. Malty. Insanely clean and fresh.

Dried apricots. Toasted coconut. Creme brulee.

Finish — Hot, long finish filled with banana, honey and a touch of apple.

In sum — Oh, you tease! The nose was brilliant. I can not stress that enough. The flavor of the whisky was a bit too shy but water woke her up just enough to make it all worth while. While normally I prefer a higher ABV, I think this one benefited with the addition of water. This is a watch-your-kids-play-in-the-sandbox-on-a-cool-summer’s-day type of dram. I’m not sure I know what that means but perhaps it’s the mix of parental pride and relaxation.

Special thanks goes out to Sam Simmons for the sample (sorry it took me so damn long to post on this one!!)

Cold Winter, Laphroaig, Springtime, Takin' It Easy

Two Laphroaigs, both independently bottled. One from Royal Mile Whiskies the other from Signatory.

August 2, 2011 Jewmalt

This is going to be a sort of cut-to-the-chase review.

More whisky, less preamble.

I’ve got a trip to Scotland to in a few days, lots to review and little time for posting more than notes.

So, two Laphroaigs, both independently bottled. One bottled by Royal Mile Whiskies, one by Signatory. A death match to the finish (pun intended).

Laphroaig RMW 10yo 56.8% (this bottle is no longer available)

On the nose – Smoky and abrasive yet fruity… sort of like a fruit orchard on fire.

Lemon custard pie with a side of honeycomb cereal.

Very aggressive nose – at 56.8% I’d expect so but… it seems somehow moreish in the hot-alcohol-on-the-nose department.

Pears, cinnamon and pepper; in that order.

Lastly, some notes of tinned pineapple… Tin and all.

On the mouth–

Not as smoky as the nose lead on.

Fresh oats and other cereals. Very malty.

Creamy attack loaded with lemons and salted, honey and butter slathered toast.

Finish – nice even, drying finish. Like licking a dry Popsicle stick or tongue depressors.

In Sum – A nice well balanced Laphroaig. Well chosen you choosers of cask! I could easily pour this on a warm summer night or a cold winter day. Sounds odd but very doable! Actually, I’d love to taste this as beer before it becomes spirit. I imagine it’s delicious.

Laphroaig 8yo Signatory 46% $53

On the nose – very similar, if you ask me, to the RMW version except softer (a result of the lower ABV?).

Here’s an unusual one: blueberry bramble.

Rubber gloves and other things that start with the prefix “Poly”.

On the mouth – A watered down version of the first Laphroaig.

Much sweeter, however, and less malty than the first one.

Finish – Not a dry as the previous Laphroaig and that’s too bad.

In Sum – Something tells me that this would be really nice as a cask strength Whisky. I might have enjoyed it more if I went for this before the RMW Laphroaig. Note to self, when reviewing two whiskies side by side and one of them is cask strength and the other not… Start with the lower octane one… That is all.

Special thanks goes out to David H for the samples!

Penderyn, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Two Penderyn Expressions – Sherry & Madeira Wood

July 13, 2011 Jewmalt

penderyn_maderia — This is the Madeira Wood bottling

Wales – both whiskies are bottled at 46%ABV – Sherry Wood can be had for £36 | $70 | €41 – Madeira Wood can be had for £36 | $70 | €41

Shame on me.

I’ve had these two whiskies reviewed for sometime now and, for the life of me, I could not locate any of my notes. I consider myself fairly organized and to misplace my notes pissed me off… just a bit.

Luckily, they have now been found so I can stop kicking myself in the arse.

Also lucky for me (and for you), posting the review of these two whiskies right now is perfect for the season as I found them to be fairly light and refreshing.

They’re a bit odd as well but hey, that’s a good thing. I quite enjoy trying whiskies from different regions and countries as they help to challenge what you think you know about whisky on the whole. Look around the the world-wide-interwebs and you will find reviews of Penderyn that run the gamut. From delicious to not-so-delicious. You’ll find it all.

What I ask of you is that you go into to this (or any whisk(e)y that is new to you) with an open mind. There are a lot of bourbon people out there who hate Scotch whisky; and vice versa. We all need to get out of our comfort zone and try to learn a bit. The following is my blinders-off-assessment of these two Penderyn whiskies and I’m glad that I went in without any preconceived notions as, in the end, I quite liked these whiskies.

Penderyn Madeira Wood

On the nose — Wafts of juniper; fresh & bright. Grinning a grin and stinking of gin.

Light with limes and white flesh peaches soaking in fine muscato wine.

Burning leaves in the springtime – I imagine myself as a little boy using a magnifying glass to light said leaves (this is not smoky in anyway, mind you. The aroma is just bringing back memories).

Far off scents of the railroad.

On the mouth — Light and almost grain-like in flavor (like an aged grain whisky).

Very one-sided with its light quality and bright, sweet citrus notes (think lime leaf and fizzy like seltzer with lime).

Thinnish in mouthfeel.

A touch of honey. Actually, a good amount of honey as we near the finish line.

Finish — Lots of cereal notes – very malty all of the sudden. Honey covered muesli.

In sum — A summery whisky that can be applied to any social situation. I can see a lot of blend drinkers liking this one. Light, sweet, fairly balanced and, simply approachable by anybody.

Penderyn Sherry Wood

On the nose — Similar to the lightness I got on the Madeira Penderyn except there’s no juniper.

It’s all on dark chocolate covered, raspberry nougat chews (if you can imagine a light version of that).

Rain puddles and sidewalk chalk.

It’s got a bite-y little nose on it too; prickily-dickily-doo.

Big-ass bails of hay.

On the mouth — Viscous mouthfeel with a very sherried influence.

Not ooey, sweet and cloying like some sherry bombs; fairly well integrated.

Fruit marmalades (grapefruit, orange and lime).

Thick and chewy but oh so light and brisk in flavor.

Finish — Slightly nutty and tannic (think halved walnuts). Faint notes of rye (?).

In sum — More complex than the Madeira version yet still light and easy going. Like the Madeira, I can picture myself pouring this in a very social setting where both whisky snobs and whisky noobs are hanging out – a easy pleaser.

Special thanks to Luke at Penderyn for the samples!

Glenugie, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Old Malt Cask – Glenugie 1982 – 26 years old

July 12, 2011 Jewmalt

Highland Region – Sadly, I do not know the specific cask number on this one. However, I can tell you that this is a from a refill ex-bourbon cask – 50%ABV – £175 for cask # 4703 from The Whisky Exchange. Update — as of 2 hours after posting this review, this bottling (cask #4703 for £175) is now sold out from The Whisky Exchange! Joyal’s in Rhode Island has some (cask not specified) for $154 – scroll toward the bottom of the page for the listing.

GlenWHOgie? Glenugie, that’s WHO!

Glenugie is one of those lesser known distilleries. It was closed in 1983 (like so many other distilleries) so finding Glenugie whisky is… hard. Here’s a quick histories lesson on Glenugie from my friends at Master of Malt:

“The site of the Glenugie distillery is just south of Peterhead, not far from the River Ugie’s convergence with the sea at Scotland’s East Coast. The distillery was built in 1831 by Donald McLeod and Co on the site of a disused windmill. In 1837, a brewery was established at the site and in 1875 the distillery passed through the hands of Highland Distillers Co Ltd who renovated it and subsequently shut down the brewery. Glenugie opened and closed several times, remaining shut for the majority of the First World War. Glenugie was acquired and reopened by Seagar Evans and Co Ltd in 1937, prior to this time it had had a long stint of silence. In 1956, Schenley Industries acquired Seagar Evans and Co and the distillery went through renovations, including the installation of a further two stills and coal power was replaced by an oil burner. In 1971, Seagar Evans was renamed Long John International and four years later the company was sold to Whitbread and Co. The Scotch whisky industry was going through a relative downturn and Glenugie was, sadly, one of many injured parties, closing, as it did, in 1983. Today the site is used by Score Group Plc and engineering company. Official bottlings are, naturally, lacking, but there have been some independent releases of Glenugie single malt whisky.”

There. Now you are smarter than you were a minute ago. You can thank me later (you should thank Master of Malt too).

Onto the tasting…

On the nose – Sweet ribbon candies, flinty and a touch of salt.

Garlic and spiced kumquat.

Say what? Yup, that’s a crazy mix-em-up but, it works nicely!

Grassy notes with a side of peaches in soaked pinot grigio.

After smelling those wine/peach notes, it’s all I can concentrate on.

On the mouth – White wine all the way.

Think slightly effervescent riesling.

Fresh lemongrass and white grape juice.

A slight breadiness to it.

Mostly though, like a high octane fruity sweet white wine.

Finish – Like a mouth full of Pop Rocks – my mouth is fizzing and popping. I better not drink any Coke here (another reason not to mix whisky with soda!!!)

In sum – Refreshing. Pleasing. Summery. It’s that simple (if you’ve got a spare £175 lying around).

Special thanks goes out to Aron Silverman for the sample!

Jewmalt Whisky Reviews