Tag Archives: Citrus

An everyday dram, Caol Ila, Let's celebrate!, Master of Malt

Single Cask, 30yo Caol Ila bottled by Master of Malt

Islay region – Master of Malt Exclusive Single Cask bottling limited to 154 bottles – 57.4%ABV – £99 | €111

Yay!  The whole “get a free sample of whisky using the JSMWS sample code at the Master of Malt website during checkout” works (details on that program can be found here).  I’m not here to push Master of Malt right now, not really.  I’m just reviewing one of their whiskies and letting you know how I ended up getting a sample of their new Caol Ila single cask whisky.

I am a patron of Master of Malt as well as Royal Mile Whiskies, The Whisky Exchange, SCOMA, Shoppers Vineyard, Abbey Whisky and many, many others… not trying to show favoritism here… I shop them all.  My whisky purchasing business gets spread all around as I want to help keep all of these stores up and running.

So, to continue with my story…

While spidering the MoM website, I uncovered some great deals so I took my own advise and used the “JSMWS sample” code in the shipping instructions during my last purchase to Master of Malt.  Lo and behold, what did I find in the box along side some Hanyu, Aberlour and Arran I bought?  A fun little 3ml sample of this 30yo Caol Ila single cask, that’s what!

So, it all worked out in the end.  I got some fancy whisky bottles and a shiny, bandy-new sample of Caol Ila.  Lucky for me because this is a well chosen cask of whisky!

On the nose — More smoky than expected with this one being as old as it is… perhaps it’s the pepper attack that grabs my nose’s attention which is then followed by a smoke burst that makes it seem more smokey than it actually is.

Let’s give this another go.  Incredibly fruity – sugared tropical fruits.

Vanilla creams and lemon pepper.

Tobacco and fig ice cream (topped with fresh figs) – hungry yet??

On the mouth — Soft – bloody f&%king soft entry (!!) and filled with salted sugary goodness.

Aged rum – this actually reminds me of some aged cask strength rums I’ve had.

Nowhere near as smoky as the nose suggested.

Smoked salt on pineapple (fried pineapple).

Peach Melba.  Fabulous.

Herbed incense.  Hot now, salty too.

Finish — Long, longer, silken and warm with peaches.

In sum — A luxurious Single Cask of Caol Ila.  Wonderfully composed, balanced and just a damn, damn tasty dram!  Powerful yet soft and elegant.  An any occasion dram – perhaps a dram to enjoy ASAP!  Before it sells out!

A World of Discovery, Port Ellen, Summertime

Signatory Port Ellen 1982, Bourbon Cask #1202, 26 years old

Islay region – 54.1% – $339 | £? | €?

An out of the blue voicemal:

Marshall (this voicemail is completely paraphrased): “Hey Joshua, Marshall here, just checking to see if you might want a sample pour of some Port Ellen the LASC just got”

I was busy setting up a tradeshow booth so I sent a text:

Joshua: “As ‘The Dude’ would say: Does the Pope shit in the woods? Hell yes!”

The back and forth goes on from there but there are too many expletives and references to “Jewish English” that would make my reproducing of the entire transcript too risque for the JSMWS blog.  No shit.

Special thanks to Marshall and the LASC for the “bad-a$$ F&#$ing great pour” sent to me!

On the nose — Lemon soap suds & sweaty canvas sneakers.

Bright smoke.  Burning, salty driftwood.

Chamomile tea and a bushel of hay on a very, very humid summer’s day.

After a while the bourbon influence is very noticeable with scents of cinnamon and vanilla even fresh corn.

After this, it gets a bit dank and dewy.

On the mouth — The ABV is barely… wait a sec.  Wow, this is really…really heating up on me.

Oh crap!  This goes from oily, soft and sweet then onto being thin, hot and fiery in a matter of 6-7 seconds…

Let’s have another go at this:  Grassy, earthy, flinty, almost electric.

It starts off with freshly bitten plum then moves into pink lemonade.

This is evolving with every single sip.

Soapy, like on the nose and growing into sugary tart Sweetarts.

Honeyed teas and salted, baked lemons.

Finish — Lasting and evolving, hot, spicy and lemony sweet.

In sum — Nicely balanced.  I really dug the way the flavors exploded and evolved with every second.  A late summer’s night dram if you have a shit ton of cash to spare!  Very enjoyable.  For the $$ tag on this one, I can spend less on another whisky that can also be enjoyed on a late summer’s night.

All You Need Is Love, Autumn, Cold Winter, Glenfarclas, Need To Bundle Up

Glenfarclas 25yo – memories in a glass

Highlands region – 43%ABV – $125 | £86 | €100

I’ve mentioned in the past that one of the things that drew me to whisky was not the enigmatic smells; the delicious and complex flavors or what drinking enough of it does to your body and brain.  No, what really pulled me in were the memories and feelings the smell, taste and experience could provide.

Like how smelling lilacs reminds one of the joys of new life in the springtime.  The way the sound and feel of crunching leaves underfoot brings you back to your childhood days when you first discovered the colors and smells of the season – or perhaps the first time you made a scarecrow…

Whisky can bring you back to those good times in your life – times which comfort you or bring a yesterdays’ smile to your face…  What’s more, whisky can put back, in the front of your mind, your memories of discovery and learning and exactly how it all felt.

There are a few whiskies in particular that do this for me:
•    Lagavulin (instant thoughts of a campfire in the mountains with my dad)
•    Ardbeg (a warm California beach at lowtide and a lemonade stand where I made $4.50 which was a lot of money back in 1978)
•    Glenfarclas (Thanksgiving, Sukkot (which is the Jewish/Biblical holiday the US fore-fathers based Thanksgiving around) and perhaps the feeling I get during passover – it’s the warmth of family and the savory/sweet smells in the house.  Just lovely).

I’d never had the Glenfarclas 25 until now.  The 12yo, 15yo, cask strength 105 and the 40yo are all lovey-dovey malts if’n you ask me.  So, I have to expect that this will fall right into place.  I’d like to thank the nice chaps and lasses at Master of Malt for the Sample.  Much appreciated!

On the nose — Rubber bouncy-balls and cranberry sauce (tin can and all).

Strawberry preserves, warmed honey and a hint of smoke.

Spicy and loaded with vanilla and wintery baking spices.

A very rounded, supple nose.

On the mouth — The texture is like watered down honey.

Sweet and nutty.

A potpourri of flavors (mainly the contents of a wintry potpourri).

This is like drinking a season…

More bouncy-balls and citrus spice.

Finish — Warming, soothing and filled with rum cakes!

In sum — There’s something so very comforting about the Glenfarclas whiskies I’ve had and this one did not let me down.  Round, warm and inviting; this is one to sip on while your spacial lady or special man friend is away.  It’s like imbibing a hug.  I will say, however, that the Glenfarclas 15yo is still my favorite.

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Cold Winter, Lagavulin, Let's celebrate!

Lagavulin 21yo – a stunningly magnificent Scotch Whisky!

Islay Region – 56.5%ABV – $895 (750ml) | £575 or €684 (700ml)

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday… To the JSMWS blog!

That’s right people, today is the one year anniversary of the Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society’s blog.  It’s hard to believe that it’s only been a year since the blog was started.

We celebrated the birth of the blog with an Islay malt – the Ardbeg Uigeadail.  Even though the newer version is slightly different than the one I reviewed, I still can not drink that whisky without thinking of the combination of seaweed, leather, blood and raisins.

Being that the blog was birthed on Islay peat, I thought it’d be a good idea to celebrate the anniversary with Islay peat.

Folks, what I’m about to share the details of has to be the finest whisky I’ve had to date.  Plain and simple.

On the nose — This is 56.5%ABV?!  Insanely soft on the nose.  Not quite sure where to start as this nose seems to be filled with a bazillion different scents…

Instant sweetness – dark brown sugar and black strap molasses.

Sweet cigars, smoked dates (is there such a thing?) and fresh sea air yet something a bit musty or dusty about it.

Warmed and sticky chocolate fudge – I can practically smell the fudge soften!

This is just plain brilliant!

Oysters on the half-shell as well dried and salted whitefish.

Driftwood, salty capers and warm salted carmel.

The nose is incredibly dense and rich and purely decedent.

On the mouth — Much more tannic/dry than expected.

Fantastic smokey attack accompanied by Mineola oranges and powered sugar candies.

The smoke attack turned into a “sweet blast” which then turned quite peppery.

Some more of the oyster notes I got on the nose but now it’s transformed into smoked oysters.

Sugared and dried figs as well as vanilla pods.

Dusty attic furniture, a very active humidor, dates mashed with demerara sugar, nutmeg and cloves.  Fresh potting soil.  The list could go on and on and on…

Finish — Long and nutty with traces of fried walnuts, green olives and a honeyed oakiness.

In sum — Do you have an extra $900 or so?  If so, buy a bottle STAT.  This is the ultimate in smoky celebratory whisky.  I had this one to celebrate the one year anniversary of the blog.  A well chosen dram for the occasion.

If I had a full bottle, I’d save the next dram for my oldest daughter’s Bat Mitzvah.  Yup, I’d wait 9 years to pour this again.  It’s worth the wait.

Unending thanks goes out to Stephen L, Marshall N, the LA Scotch Club and the Green Bay Packers.

Let's celebrate!, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime, Suntory - Chita

Suntory Chita – Single Grain Japanese Whisky

Japan – 43%ABV – ¥8400

A few weeks ago I was in Seattle on business.  For a couple of evenings while there, I had the opportunity to have dinner and drinks at a great place called Liberty Bar.  Liberty specializes in sushi (pretty damn good sushi at that – well, I can vouch for the vegetarian rolls…) and fine spirits of all kinds including Japanese whisky, Pisco, Scotch Whisky, American Whiskey, Mezcal… the list can go on and on.

While I was at Liberty, Andrew, one of the proprietors and reader of of the JSMWS blog, introduced me to some super fine spirits.  And this one, the Suntory Single Grain Chita whisky, was one of them.  Thanks again, Andrew!

I was quite impressed with the Chita and wanted to share the good word on it so I reached out to my friend Yoshi Morita for a review sample.  Yoshi was kind enough to send me some and now I can share my thoughts with you – ヨッシー、ありがとう！

I will soon be posting the details regarding my Seattle trip and my full whisky experience while I was there.  It was an amazing ride for me and my palate!

For now, let’s get to this whisky!

On the nose — Sweet oranges – even orange creamsicles.  Better yet, baby aspirin.

Fresh grains and farm hay.

Even a little farmy or, better yet, “farm catty”.  What do I mean?  It’s like sticking your nose in a farm cat’s neck and taking a whiff.

I’m a cat guy and I’ve known some farm cats, what can I say?

Smelling the taste of endive spears now…

In general, there’s a fresh produce feel to the nose – a mix of many scents to form one solid “produce” scent.

Very pleasant nose.

On the mouth — Back to the oranges, perhaps tangerines better describes the flavor of this.

Like drinking silken pantyhose or a licking velvet – that’s what the mouthfeel is like.

A bit salty (hello, unexpected!).

Finish — Medium in length with a few more of those “produce” notes.

In sum — The nose is great!  While in flavor it’s not incredibly complex, it’s completely delicious.  Very drinkable, very easy going.  Lovely for the summer time and I imagine you could mix this quite nicely with some Chambord and perhaps a little Grand Marnier with a few other components to make a super fruity funtime drink.

Just for fun, let’s see how badly Google translates my tasting notes into Japanese:

スウィートオレンジ–もオレンジ色のcreamsicles鼻について。いっそのこと、赤ちゃんのアスピリン。新鮮な穀物やファーム干し草。少しでもfarmyまたは、いっそのこと、”ファーム斤”。私は何を意味するのですか？これは、サーバーファームの猫の首に鼻を貼り付けると匂いを取るようなものです。私は猫の男だと私は私が言うことができるいくつかのファームの猫を知っていた？つの固体”生産”の香りを形成する多くの香りのミックス-今エンダイブ槍の味を嗅ぐ…一般的には、新鮮な、鼻に感じる生成ありません。非常に快適な鼻。

口の中で-このページのオレンジには、おそらくより良いみかんこれを説明しています。口当たりがどのようなものだ-絹のようなパンや好みベルベット飲むように。ビット塩味（こんにちは、予期しない！）

仕上げは-中数の組み合わせと長さがこれらのノート”を生成する”。

要するに-鼻が素晴らしいです！味では信じられないほど複雑ではないが、それは完全においしいです。飲用、非常に簡単に非常に行く。夏ラブリーおよび私はあなたが超フルーティーなfuntimeの飲み物を作るにいくつかの他のコンポーネントと非常にきれいいくつかシャンと、おそらくほとんどグランマルニエこれを混在させることが想像してください。

And now from the Japanese back into English:

Suuitoorenji – creamsicles orange on the nose too. Better yet, a baby aspirin.Hay, grain and farm fresh. Farmy little or, better yet, “Farm loaf.” I do you mean?This is like taking a nose to smell and paste the farm cat’s neck. I am a cat man and I knew some of the farm cats can I say? One solid “production” of fragrance mix to form the smell of many – now smell the taste of endive spears … In general, fresh produce not feel my nose. Very pleasant nose.

In the mouth – in orange on this page are perhaps better illustrates this orange.What is the taste – like drinking bread Miya Yoshi silky velvet. Bit salty (Hello, unexpected!)

Finishing – these notes are a combination of the number and length of the “Generate.”

In short – a great nose! The flavor is incredibly complex, but it is completely delicious. Drinking, go very easy. I am very fruity and your lovely summer funtime Shan and some very clean and some other components to make a drink, please imagine that most probably a mix of Grand Marnier it.