Tag Archives: Dried Fruits

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Arran, Autumn, Let's celebrate!

Arran 15yr Anniversary whisky – an 11yr whisky finished in Amontillado Sherry casks

Islands region – 54.60%ABV – $75 – $85 | £49 | €58

Wait a second here… an 11 year old whisky to celebrate a 15 year anniversary?

Why not?  Does it make it a little confusing?  Well, yes – especially when there’s another distillery only bottling to celebrate 15yr and that one is 15 years old.  Now that I’ve explained the difference in the two, you can quit your complaining ’cause I done un-confused yeh 😉

On to the matter at hand — A very limited release whisky to celebrate an immensely momentous occasion.  So limited, in  fact, that there’s only 5,460 bottles to go around.  Interesting that the ABV is 54.60% and that there’s a release of 5,460 bottles total.  Chance?  Luck?  Marketing?  Who knows.

What I do know is that out of all of the Arran whiskies I’ve had to date (up until, let’s say, the end of 2010) this is my very favorite.

On the nose – Ummm… Sherry!  Amontillado sherry – very nutty and rich smelling with obvious notes of dried fruit and a clear focus on raisins.

Corncob pipes.

Thai curry (peanuty massaman  perhaps).

Earthy with notes of freshly chopped wood, ginger and oregano.

This is a very generous nose and, dare I say, spell binding!

Sweetened baked beans with molasses.  Oh!  Brisket!!  (this “meaty” note I am getting is not as upfront and over-powering as what I found on the Sauternes finished Arran).

On the mouth – Big and oily.

Lots of flavors fighting for the foreground (for some reason the mud wrestling scene in Stripes! comes to mind).

Buttered lobster (man, it’s been years since I’ve eaten fish, kosher or no).

Filbert nuts (better yet, Nutella – chocolately and hazelnutty).

Oak.

Ginger and honey.

Finish – Lengthy!  Sour notes come creeping up and those filberts return.

In sum – A delicious dram for happy times!!  Oh, this one will make you smile.  It’s a mood changer (from bad to good, never the other way around).  A sexy bottle & box for a sexy-ass whisky!  Happy anniversary Arran!  You have a lot to celebrate and I thank you for making us a part of that celebration!

A sincere thanks goes out to Andy Hogan for the generous sample!

A World of Discovery, Autumn, Glenmorangie, Let's celebrate!

Glenmorangie Margaux Cask – the waiting was the hardest part!

Highland region – 46%ABV – 700ml – Limited bottling 1 of 3551 – $446 | £278 |€325 (I bought my bottle a good while back and did not pay these prices.  My bottle number, by the way, is # 3535)

Where do I begin, and to what do I compare the feelings I had upon opening this bottle so as NOT to make a comparison to my *first time* with a girl and the anticipation some teenage boys, such as I was, feel regarding the prospect?  Aw, crap.  I just made the comparison, now didn’t I?  At least there were no details, right?  Right.

In all seriousness, I’ve had this bottle sitting in my whisky cabinet for a good 2 years (or so) before I went ahead and opened it.  It didn’t stay there because I was planning on keeping it for whisky collecting purposes.  No, it just so happened that I wanted to wait until the right time (whatever that would be) to open and enjoy it.  Thanks to you, I discovered what that special time was and, even though I haven’t gotten there yet, I’m well on my way on what I believe is the right track to attaining that goal.

So, why did I open this bottle if I hadn’t reached my goal yet?  Well, that is all explained in this here post.

Let’s just say that opening it was a thrill.  And to be in the good company of friends who are fellow whisky geeks/bloggers (Jason, Sam, that’s you!) made it all the more special.

Anyone who frequents the blog or knows me personally understands that I’ve basically got a boner for all things Glenmo.  If you’ve not tried their range in a while, I REALLY suggest you give it another go.  Their current line up is very special – even down to their 10yr “Original.”

And shit, if the contents of that bottle didn’t smell like pure heaven…

I’ve used this video once before (for another Glenmorangie whisky) and few drams can be compared to what is being compared in this video but, enjoy!

On to the review…

On the nose — A very un-Glenmo nose.

Wafts of over-ripe grapes.

Delicious prune like notes.

Scents of grass and wild flowers (the little white daisies that aren’t so sweet smelling – very earthy).

Italian herb rub.

Fine red wine for the holidays.

Subtle notes of apples and peach (wine soaked peaches at that!).

Big chunks of chocolate.

Paper lunch bags.

On the mouth — Powerful – like licking a dank dirt floor cellar; musty and earthy.

I wouldn’t want this any other way.

Very tannic, big wine and tobacco.

Lots of dried fruits with a focus on raisins and prunes.

This is really massive and the mouth feel goes back and forth between creamy and peppery.

Finish — Very drying finish, oaky and hints again of that herb-rub I got on the nose.

In sum — Delectable.  Way too big for daily dramming (also, too expensive & limited for it as well).  Handle with care.

This is the elephant in the room. Not to be ignored.

If drinking with friends, the conversation needs to be deep and it should be centered around this beauty or you’re just not giving it its due respect.

A World of Discovery, Balvenie, Let's celebrate!

Balvenie Portwood 21yr & 21yr Duty-Free – a side by side tasting.

Speyside region — 43% ABV (standard bottling) & 47.6% (duty free only bottling) – SB: $125 | £75 | €88 – DFO: £69 | €81

It’s no secret my love for The Balvenie runs deep.  Their whiskies can be delicate, complex, bold, intriguing, thick and rich, light and peppery, etc…  However, what you can always count on are the “classic honeyed Balvenie notes”.  Unmistakable.

You can find all of my Balvenie reviews here.

A while back Sam Simmons gave me a sample of The Balvenie 21yr Portwood Duty Free expression which is both non-chill filtered and has a higher ABV (47.6% as opposed to the standard 43% — the 43% being chill filtered, by the way).

Sam, thanks again!

I’ve been holding off on posting my thoughts on that whisky as I had not yet posted my thoughts on the standard 43% ABV Balvenie Portwood.  I now have some of that 21yr Portwood.

A big thanks goes out to Andrew Weir for that sample!

There is something so rewarding about The Balvenie Portwood.  Come on folks, this is expensive stuff.  Not an everyday drinker.  You break it out for that special, joyous occasion; or perhaps you buy it for a loved one or your boss.  So, to taste two different Portwood whiskies in one sitting… Man, I felt like I was treating myself to a world class massage — my happy ending being The Balvenie x 2!

Balvenie, me love you long time!

Time to share the experience:

On the nose 43% — Classic honeyed Balvenie nose with a good deal of black pepper notes.  Something astringent here; perhaps a touch of witchhazel.  Black grapes.  Honey peppercorn salad dressing.  Poached pear and a touch of green apple.  Oranges.  A tad salty.

On the nose 47.6% Duty Free — Somehow, even with the higher ABV, the nose is softer here.  Much like the off the shelf stuff but with added elements of salted toffee.  Not as peppery as the standard stuff.

On the mouth 43% — Sweet blessed Benjamin, that’s good!  Big grapes.  A good deal of pepper & bite.  Hot pepper and honey.  There’s a creaminess to this whisky that somehow offsets all of the spicy bits I’m getting here.  Cool.

On the Mouth 47.6% Duty Free — A world of difference in the mouth feel.  Excessively oily.  And, though I really don’t like to use this as a descriptor, Sssssmmmmooootttthhhh!  Buttery smooth.  It must be the non-chill filtering – leaving in all of those great fatty acids! Earthier in flavor, almost mushroomy but still very sweet with the grapes and the “hey-hey and the pretty lady!!” (sorry, my inner Jerry Lewis came out.  Yes, I have an inner Jerry Lewis.  You don’t??).

Deep red fruits – over ripe strawberry, strawberry & rhubarb compote.

G-d, I love this!

Finish 43% — Long with hints of hazelnuts and vanilla.

Finish 47.6% Duty Free — Much more nutty on the finish, lasting vanilla and more honey.

In sum — It’s amazing what 4.6% more alcohol and non-chill filtering can do!  I am not knocking the standard 43% 21yr Portwood – it’s a solid, kick-ass dram but, this duty-free stuff was on a whole other level – especially with the mouthfeel – ah’good G-d y’all!

Both are celebratory drams.  Go ahead, give yourself a happy ending and enjoy some Balvenie Portwood soon!

An everyday dram, Nikka, Takin' It Easy

Nikka Whisky from the Barrel

Japan – 51.4% ABV –  50cl – $40 | £25 | €29

Welcome, my friends, to Desert Island dram-land.

This past Friday I ended the week on with a review on quite possibly one of the worst whiskies I’ve ever had.  I’m not one who normally ends the week on a bad note but hey, whatevs – “I do what I want”

I figured, however, that being that I ended on such a negative note last week that I should start off this week with one of the best whiskies out there – especially for the money.

A solid Japanese blended whisky from Nikka that has a permanent spot on my whisky shelf.

Nikka “Whisky from the Barrel”:

On the nose — Jolly Rancher grapefruit sweetness, big oak (like a baseball bat being stuck up my nose), turmeric, floral and spiced, old books…

Some slight pipe tobacco (while pipe is burning).

The list is going on and on and on…

Taking a break…

A return to the nose reveals holiday cake (OK, Christmas Cake) and artificial chocolate.

On the mouth — Spicy, chewy caramels.

Vanilla, more oak (damp, damp oak).

Last year’s gone-soft Werther’s candies.

Finish — A nice length with lasting vanilla and oak spice candles.

In sum — At 25gbp for 50cl, this is an insane steal. This is an everyday dram for me.  Cracking, powerful, easy drinking and a well crafted cask strength Japanese blended whisky.

I’m not the only one who has a woody over this one —  you can read Jason of Guid Scotch Drink notes here, Gal of Whisky Israel’s notes here (toward the very bottom of the post) and you can read the notes from Whisky for Everyone here.

Double Barrel, Laphroaig, Macallan

Double Barrel vatting of Macallan & Laphroaig

A vatting of Macallan & Laphroaig – aged 8 years – 46% ABV – $80 – $100 | £40 |€45

This is going to be an interesting experiment for sure.  Mixing anything with Laphroaig is a gutsy move.  Laphroaig has such a strong personality!  The Macallan does as well but you usually find the strength in their sherried expressions.  Judging by the color (like a light white wine, say… a riesling), I’d say there is no sherry influence whatsoever.

I think the point of these whiskies is to give the consumer an idea of what two great whiskies can do for and with one another.  My approach, especially with this expression is — which whisky wins!?  Sort of a last dram standing approach.

Let’s see what we get…

On the nose – A very Laphroaigian nose – pungent peat smoke.

Very forward notes of seaweed and bacon (like walking into a Greek diner on a Sunday morning).

Mustard seed.

Some dried fruits…

Apricots & mangos.

Where’s the Macallan in all of this?

Hints, mere hints, of caramel.

On the mouth – That seaweed note I got on the nose is transformed into sea water/brine.

The mouth feel is very nice, oily with a bit ‘o chew to it.

Everything after this gets quiet (understated).

Little notes of honey, vanilla, caramel and even some nuttiness.

The forwardness of the nose is gone completely and from what I can guess here is that these more Macallian notes on the palate are just being over powered by the pungentosity (hello new word!) of the Laphroaig.

Finish – Laphroaig is surely the winner here.

Smoke remains aboard the tongue of the USS Hatton (that’s me, folks) as do the briny/seaweedy notes.

In sum – After tasting this whisky I decided to search out what other people thought of it and I was struck by the notes that Whisky For Everyone had.  We’re on the same page when it comes tho this whisky.  With how strong the Laphroaig is this expression, I would suggest this as a cold evening dram.  Bundle up, drink more, stay warm!

Special thanks goes out to Aron of the SMWSA for the sample!