Tag Archives: Chewy

Arran, Autumn, Let's celebrate!, Springtime

Arran’s devilish new limited release: The Devil’s Punch Bowl

 

Islands Region – 52.3%ABV – $129 – this stuff is selling out quickly – limited to 6,660 bottles.  Yeah, that’s right.  6,660 bottles.

If I were giving out packaging awards today, Arran’s Devil’s Punch Bowl would win it in a heart beat.  Hands down, this is some of the coolest packaging for a whisky in a *LONG* time.  And it’s not absurd awesome, just awesome-awesome.

Dude!:

And in the open position:

All up close and personal-like:

Even closer and even more personal:

Booga-booga!!

And here is the whisky make up (which, to be honest, is the most important part of the packaging):

Have you fallen in love yet?  Yes or no, here’s my review of the whisky:

On the nose — Classic Arran components:  Fresh apples (though brighter here compared to other Arran whiskies), salty (though slightly less salty than many Arran whiskies) and a touch pungent.

Quite bright, punchy and alive yet a touch buttery.

A strange thought comes to mind: Not sure why but this reminds me a bit of the Macallan 15yo Fine Oak (I rather like that one).  Hmm…

Now a touch of peat sneaks up on me.  Burnt things hither and thither; all natural-like and woody.

Burnt sugar over medjool dates (the sherry components start to come through).  Hint of cherry stones…  A solid whisky so far!

On the mouth — Pow!  Bam!  Kaboom! and other 60’s Batman punch and kick sounds.

Bright and sharp yet not at all hot.

Firm peaty backbone.

Grilled apples, salted.  More burnt sugar.  Honied yet oh, so peppery.

Peppered apple sauce.  A nice mouthfeel.

Finish — One of my favorite Arran characteristics: a good, long finish.  This one is peaty and peppery with a bit of honey and sugar.

In sum —  Well, not what I expected.  Granted, I didn’t know what to expect as I chose to not read reviews or learn too much about this whisky.

On the rare occasions when they do peated whiskies, Arran doesn’t peat much beyond 20ppm.  Knowing this, I guessed correctly that this would not be a peat monster.  I had heard some off-comments about this whisky in that people expected “more”.  Maybe some (due to the whisky name and packaging) expected a fire blast or peat monster.

Me?  I think it’s a well constructed whisky that packs a wallop.  It’s deliciously tasty, invigorating and of great quality.

Well done, Mr. MacTaggart, you devilish dude you!

Special thanks to the good folks at ImpEx for the ample sample!

***But, can I have your whisky? Please?!***
A World of Discovery, Autumn, Cold Winter, Lost Spirits, Need To Bundle Up

Lost Spirits “Leviathan I” American heavily peated single malt whiskey.

 

California – 53%ABV – $55 (solid pricing for single cask, cask strength whiskey!)

Today I’ll be sharing some details on a new American whiskey called “Leviathan I” and the distillery that produces it; Lost Spirits Distillery.  If you’ve not heard of Lost Spirits before, don’t feel bad.  Most folks have not heard of them.  They waited quietly and patiently for their whiskey to mature before they made any large public announcements about their distillery and whiskeys.

Before we start with the whiskey, let’s start with the bottle and the fact that it’s got a wine cork rather than a whisk(e)y bottle cork with the plastic top (see right).  If you’re like me, you save your whisk(e)y bottle corks – you may need one after opening this bottle.

Now, onto the distillery owners.

Bryan and Joanne, owners of Lost Spirits in Monterey County California, came back to their native Cali-roots after a good stint with another distillery they owned; that one in Spain where they made Obsello Absinthe and Port of Barcelona Gin.

Not only did Bryan and Joanne up and move back to California to open a whiskey distillery, these good folks built their still entirely by hand.  Two people, four hands, one giant still with a big dragon head attached:

Yeah, that’s right.  A dragon head.   And what’s more is that the still is located outside… not confined in any building. I’ve not seen anything like this before and I doubt you have either.  Located outside and with a dragon head, it’s like this whiskey is distilled atop the Misty Mountains (where the spirits go now).  Brilliant: 

Now let’s talk about the actual whiskey itself.  This is peated American single malt.  Bryan and Joanne have sourced Canadian peat to peat their California barley to 110ppm.  Then they mature the whiskey exclusively in late harvest “Botrytised Cabernet” casks.  This type of Cabernet, as Bryan taught me, is basically a somewhat Sauternes-like wine.  If you frequent my blog then you know I’ve got a “thing” for Sauternes matured whiskies…

What’s more is every single release of theirs will be release as a single cask, cask strength bottling.  (*Swoon*)  It’s as if they had whisk(e)y geeks like me in mind when the designed this stuff!

Kudos to Bryan and Joanne for doing something so unique in the world of American whiskey!  It just goes to show that craft distilling in the US is growing; not only in the number of US craft distillers but also in the styles of whiskey and the way they produce it.

Now, to taste the Leviathan:

On the nose — Lost Spirits?  More like wild, crazy, wacky spirits.

I would have have never pegged this for malt whiskey.  I’d perhaps more assume this were a Mezcal. (In fact, it’s quite like the Tobala Del Maguey Mezcal I reviewed last year.)  Smoky yet not smoked (if that makes sense), phenolic/carbolic.

Screeching tires on sticky black tarmac.

Wine influence is quite noticeable after a few minutes.  Pungent and sweet red wine reduction and then hints of red wine vinegar.

The sweetness then dissipates to reveal charred swamp ash and an intense bitterness that evolves into what I’d swear is the scent of Manchego cheese.

Like I said, this is wild stuff.

On the mouth — Massive mouthfeel, sweet grape jam flavor to start but this is followed by tropical fruits such as mango and papaya.

Some malty quality comes through but this is still quite Mezcal-like.

Speaking of malty, I’m reminded here of a smoked porter flavor.  I love smoked porters.

I can taste the burning swamp ash.

Very salty/briny if you take the time to notice – a fine quality.

Finish — Like a smoked madeira or some red grape desert wine.  The finish goes on and on.

In sum —  Read the label – 110ppm (phenols rated in parts per million) peated malt whiskey.  Now forget what the labels says.  Do not go into this thinking you’re going to taste an Islay like whisky.

Like any and all spirits, you should go into a dram of this with the mind wide open.  If you do you’ll find that it’s a well crafted whiskey.  It’s not an every day whiskey, for sure, but it’s sort of “yum” in a glass if you ask me.

I’d suggest drinking this when you have time outside (fishing or hiking) or after a moment of completion – maybe once you’ve climbed to the top of that mountain.

Really enjoyable whiskey!

Special thanks to Bryan and Joanne for the sample!

Armagnacs, Cold Winter, Kosher spirits, Need To Bundle Up

A couple of Armagnacs by Marquis de Montesquiou – VSOP & XO

France – both bottled at 40% ABV

WARNING & DISCLAIMER – For those who keep, these Armagnacs are not certified as “Kosher” or “Kosher for Passover” (For my kosher keeping friends, imbibe at your own discretion.)

Being that Pesach (Passover) is right around the corner I thought it’d be a good idea to review some non-grain alternative distilled spirits.

I’ve reviewed some Armagnacs in the past and, in general, I find Armagnac to be quite a pleasant and complex spirit.  I would not go out of my way to drink some but I’d never turn it down and I’d surely drink Armagnac over most whisky blends (sorry to sound like a whisky snob.  I actually really like blends – especially Compass Box which is in a league of its own.  When it comes to Compass Box, I think the operative word is *love*).

What is Armagnac?  Wikipedia tells us:

“Armagnac (French pronunciation: [aʁmaˈɲak]) is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of Armagnac grapes, including Baco 22A, Colombard, and Ugni Blanc, using column stills rather than the pot stills used in the production of Cognac. The resulting spirit is then aged in oak barrels before release. Production is overseen by INAO and the Bureau National Interprofessionel de l’Armagnac (BNIA).

Armagnac was one of the first areas in France to begin distilling spirits, but the brandies produced have a lower profile than those from Cognac and the overall volume of production is far smaller. In addition they are for the most part made and sold by small producers, whereas in Cognac production is dominated by big-name brands.”

For more information from Wikipedia on Armagnac, click here.

To find out more about Marquis de Montesquiou, click here.

To find out how these Armagnacs fare in a nosing glass, read below:

Marquis de Montesquiou – VSOP – $49.99

On the nose –  Lots of oak influence on this one with waves of vanilla and citrus zest (think Minneola Orange).

Not unlike prunes (boozy ones at that) mixed with red currant.

Some coconut off in the distance with dried mango to the fore.

More dried fruits – like a mixed bag of dried fruits.

On the mouth – Cinnamon ribbon candy followed by white flesh peaches, dried apricots and oodles of vanilla spiced chai.

Middle of the road mouthfeel.  This is quite delicious.

The spice really comes through and there’s a touch of a floral freshness to it that reminds me of a blossoming apple orchard (yet without tasting floral – it’s just a feel).

Finish – Spiced rum cakes, decent length.

In sum – I’m happy to have had this Armagnac.  Fine, refined, balanced.  Perfect as an after dinner drink in place of a Port or Madeira.

Marquis de Montesquiou – XO – $129.99 (suggested retail – could not find an online retail source.  It’s imported by Impex – tell this to your local bottle shop and they should be able to help out)

On the nose –  Full of fresh berries – blue, red an incredibly ripe and juicy.

Spiced berry compote and vanilla bean ice cream – being melted by said compote.

Cantaloupe (?) with anise seed powder sprinkled about.

On the mouth – Much more present in mouthfeel than the VSOP however, the flavors are a bit more reluctant to rear their heads.

Trying another sip…  A much more subtle Armagnac than the VSOP.  The fruits are not here but the vanilla remains.

Touches of brown sugar and waxy, candied orange peel.

Finish – Warming and long.  Burnt potpourri.

In sum – A different animal compared to the VSOP.  If I had to choose (based on flavor, overall experience and price point),  I’d go with the VSOP.

However, this XO does offer you a drink that’ll warm your bones as well as any peaty whisky.

Special thanks to the good people at Impex Beverages, Inc for the samples!

Let's celebrate!, Strathlsia

Strathisla 1957 (bottled in 2007), Gordon and MacPhail 43%ABV

Speyside region – 43%ABV – £194

Now ain’t this something here?!  My first 50yo reviewed on the blog…  Big thanks goes out to Red for the sample swap.  A few CL of my precious Glenmorangie Margaux Cask for some of his 1957 Strathisla – seemed fair enough.

Not only is this my first reviewed 50yo whisky (though I have had other 50+yo whiskies before), this is my first Strathisla.  Some of these Strathislas are legendary (or so they say).  I’ve had a few friends that could say nothing more than that they could not fully understand what what going on in their mouth as they sipped it – just odd, great stuff.  Hearing this, I could not wait to taste some.

I’m going to move straight into the tasting notes but, as a bit of a spoiler alert, I loved this stuff!!

On the nose — It’s all about crazy right here.  What stops me in my path is a strong sense of dill weed and chives.  I’ve gotten that note one other time in Master of Malt’s 50yo release…  Wacky.

There’s a sharp, bright and lemony quality here as well.  So far, it doesn’t seem like a crotchety old whisky.

Oak influence is here, no doubt but either it (so far) is not over oaked or the addition of water to bring this whisky to its bottled strength of 43% helped to subdue the uber-dryness that is often associated with old whiskies.

A new (now old) box of M.U.S.C.L.E. men figure type plastic-y notes.

Pouring water over stones in a Swedish sauna with a hint or two of smoke in the background.

On the mouth — Lovely high sweetness here (astro-pops, wax lips… tons of penny store candies).

Quite herbal as well (tough to place all of the various herb type notes but, wow.  really nice).

A fantastic mouthfeel – oily yet a bit fizzy-feeling on the sides of the tongue.  Incredibly fresh.

Part of me doesn’t even want to dissect – I just want to enjoy.  But for you, dear reader, I shall forge on!

Fresh fruit platter with sprigs of parsley thrown about it.

Great notes of light red wines, plum wines and fine armagnac (with just a touch of a petrol quality to it.  A quality I often fine in armagnacs).

Finish — Fruity and a tad salty (just a tad), slight smoke, bright and long!

In sum —  Can not consider myself lucky enough to have tasted a whisky such as this.  The quality is amazing – a delicious and well balanced whisky through and through!  If you can get a bottle, I suggest you enjoy and share and do what these guys suggest:

Serge Valentin of WhiskyFun seemed to love this one too.

A World of Discovery, Autumn, Cold Winter, Glenglassaugh, Let's celebrate!, Need To Bundle Up, Springtime

Tasting three Glenglassaughs – 28yo, 36yo and 37yo single cask, cask strength whiskies

There are many whisky writers/bloggers and statisticians that will tell you that we are in a golden age of whisky.  Sales of the Scotch whisky have soared in 2011 over 2010.  Micro-distilleries are popping up all over the place in the US.  Sales of both Irish and Canadian whiskies are growing by leaps and bounds AND more and more countries are starting to distill and sell their whiskies worldwide (France, Taiwan, Sweden, New Zealand, South Africa… just to name a few).

If you’re a whisky geek/anorak like me, then perhaps you’re equally excited about another aspect of whisky growth – specifically in Scotch Whisky – and that is the reopening of previously closed or “moth-balled” distilleries.  I am, of course, referring to Glenglassaugh today.

Mothballed in 1983, Glenglassaugh was reopened in 2008 and is about to launch their first Whisky expression later this year.  It’s a NAS (no age statement), yet 3yo, whisky simply called “Revival”.  (a review of that is forthcoming)

Three years ago when Stuart Nickerson bought the distillery, along with the facility, equipment, buildings, warehouse buildings, etc… he got just over 400 casks of whisky as part of the deal.  Think about it, just over 400 casks of whisky.  Compare that to some of the larger warehouses that have up to 80,000 casks… only 400 casks?!  Talk about hens teeth!!   And all of those cask are holding older whiskies (doing the math — moth-balled in 1983 and there’s nothing younger than 28/29 years old in that older stock).

Today we’re reviewing some of that old juice  With such limited stock and all of it being “older” stuff, you can imagine that it’s going to be quite pricey.  We’ve got a 28yo, 36yo and a 37yo – all are single cask, cask strength bottlings.  Let’s see what we get from them:

Glenglassaugh 28 year old “Master Distiller’s Select 1983 Sherrywood” – 49.8%ABV – £180

On the nose –  A bit shy on the nose.  I’m going to give this one a little time to open up.  Maybe swirl it around in the glass a bit…

Lightly sweet and a bit peppery and even a tad herbaceous.  This is now opening right for me. That pepper is really coming through and there’s a very jam like quality to the nose (red fruits?).

Added to that are notes I usually associate with Japanese whiskies (mizunara oak and a high sweet note) like green tea (sweetened, however) and pipe tobacco.  Sweet tobacco leaves – fresh.

Some late autumn apples and soft notes of smoke in the background.

On the mouth – Oily and mouth coating.  Warm and melty – reminds me of salted caramels.  Very chewy stuff.

Baked apple is here too (macintosh).

Plastic cafeteria trays and freshly opened CD cases – picking that a part a bit and it’s a flavor that matches the smell of fresh paper and hard plastic (I do like the smell of fresh, new paper).

Imitation chocolate (slight and somewhat spicy like a chocolate Necco wafer).    Also, and I don’t know how I did not find it from the get-go, black grapes.

Finish – Medium long with notes of… taking that back, long!!  The flavors burst back with notes of oak and vanilla and spice.

In sum – Take time with this one.  If I just jumped into it I would have been a bit let down.  Some patience let this one open up in a very nice way.  This is 28 years old so, give it time.  Show it some respect and you’ll be rewarded.  Take a big breath.  Let the crap of the day roll over you.  Pour some of this.  Take another breath and start to enjoy.

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“Aged of 30 years”, 36 year old – 43%ABV (spending 34yrs in a refill hogshead then 2 years in an ex-Sauternes barrique) – £400.

On the nose –  Savory and comforting with loads of marzipan, flaky pie crust and even butternut squash soup.

Autumn leaves both burnt and freshly fallen.

I’m also picking up notes of Naugahyde (pleather) and water balloons.

Menthol too?  There’s some serious notes of 1974.

I’m now getting notes of baked potato, white pepper and chives – This is a very “foodie” whisky.

On the mouth – A bit watery on the attack (sort of like one of those water balloons I detected popped).

Soft in the mouth and less watery on the second sip – spicy too.

Sweet spiced chocolate covered marzipan (almond paste).

Rhubarb pie (minus the strawberries) – sweet and buttery.

Finish – Short finish yet drying.

In sum – No doubt about it – an absolute killer nose.  A joy to jam my sniffer in the glass.  The attack and over all experience on the palate seemed a bit restrained though, at 43%, it is at natural cask strength.  This would be a good one to to enjoy on a cool fall night by the fire with some John Fahey playing in the background.  I’m still thinking about the nose of this whisky.  Stunning.

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Glenglassaugh “Master Distiller’s Select” 37 year old, Sherry Cask – 56%ABV (exclusive to the North American Market) – $599

On the nose –  Aggressive (well, it IS 56% ABV).  Hot, hot tea with a side of biscuit and Seville orange marmalade (course cut).

Balsamic vinegar reduction and a used bookstore.

Some nice bourbon qualities come through – vanilla, pencil shavings (I know I use this note a lot but it’s the first that comes to my mind).

A bit hot on the nose but not overly so.  Just enough to notice (similar to the slight burn I get when nosing Knob Creek 9yo which is bottled at 50%ABV).

On the mouth – Amazing mouthfeel – oily and warm but the flavor is like licking some of those used books I smelled earlier.

Sort of heavenly for me!!  Used book is in my top 5 for favorite scents.

There are other flavors in here to be discovered, however.

Big, bold and spicy, this whisky seems to demand your attention.  A bit winey/tannic and oaky yet still vibrant and engaging with a bit of effervescent zing on the back of the tongue.

Finish – Medium in length, drying in effect and winey and spicy in flavor.

In sum – A massive whisky.  Perhaps my favorite of the three on the whole.  This hits all of my high points and I would love to sip on this then next chance I get.  That being said, I’m currently taking donations.  No amount is too small.  Thanks 🙂

Special thanks goes out to RR for the samples!

Jason over at guidscotchdrink.com also had the 36 & 37 yos and seemed to enjoy them as well.