Tag Archives: Figgy Stuffs

A World of Discovery, Autumn, Let's celebrate!, Lost Spirits

Lost Spirits California Navy Style Rum – 68% of ABV Amazingness!

 

Lost Spirits Navy RumRegion – California – 68% ABV – $45

Rum has always been a go-to for me during Passover.  That or Tequila.  As much as I like those spirits I end up missed malt whisky for a solid 8 days of Passover.  During Passover observant Jews are not permitted to eat or drink anything that has been made with barley/wheat/rye, etc… Nothing grain based.

While enjoyable, the above mentioned spirits are simply not whisky and there is no spot-on alternative.  I think, however, I may have just found a spirit that is the next best thing for drinking during Passover.

Note: this is not a kosher for Passover certified spirit but it’s made from Baking Grade Molasses, Evaporated Sugar Cane Juice and Water.  Zero grain so, it’s good for me!

Lost Spirits Navy RumOn the nose — It all starts off with a sweet and damp pack of Winston cigarettes and burning medjool dates which has been tightly wrapped with a a few hundred horse mane hairs.  Does that make sense to you?  After a few sips of 68% ABV rum, it just may!

Lost Spirits Navy RumA New England brush fire on a late October day.  Heavy brown sugar with the scent of some of the nicest brown bread with rum raisins.  Molasses (of course) and a touch anise.  At 68%, it’s so easy to nose though it’s a tad dense yet, in a good way.

A couple more notes before I move to the palate portion of the tasting – toasted oak covered in apple sauce with heavy brown sugar and a touch of cinnamon.

On the mouth —  Pow! Blam! Bash! and a host of other 60’s Batman TV show fight scene words… This punches your tongue and wakes you up.Lost Spirits Navy Rum

Lost Spirits Navy RumYou’d think this were a sherried malt.  While not very oily there are loads of notes that include (though not limited to) figgy pudding, cola cubes, date pits, cherry skins and cigar wrapper (dark).

Bruised strawberries and a slight hint of wintergreen (really?!).  Prune and prune filled butter cookies.  Wow.  Yummy.

Finish — Medium in length with some light brown sugar and more of that wintergreen.

In sum – I’ve had my fair share of rums, most of which were 40-46% ABV.  I’ve had a decent amount of over-poof ones, too.  I’m fairly confident in saying that this is the best over-proof/cask strength rum I’ve had to date.  I could add water to this and I’m sure it’d be a bit of a water rat.  However, it’s so damn good at full cask strength so I’m going to remain a purist.

Well worth your time and attention, people!  Find a bottle.  Find it and love it.

Special thanks to BD for the ample review sample!!

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

1981 Glenmorangie Pride

Highland region – 56.7%ABV – $2699 | £2500 (limited to 1000 bottles)

Yes, yes, I know… the bottle looks like something off of Sephora’s website.  And yes, I’m sure LVMH could have saved a £50-60 (maybe more) putting the whisky into a slightly simpler vessel.

I’m not posting here to talk about the whys & whatfors of corporate marketing.  Yes, I do work in sales & marketing and I understand the whys & whatfors but I’d prefer to focus on the liquid that Dr. Bill Lumsden created, not what the good folks at LVMH have cracked up to sell the stuff – as smart and fancy as it is.

Glenmorangie Pride 1981 is a 28yo whisky that was aged for 18 years in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and then extra-matured exclusively in Chateau d’Yquem Sauternes casks for an additional 10 years before being bottled at 56.7% ABV.  Sounds sexy to me!

Color – Deep gold with tints of green (I don’t always mention color but this is some attractive fluid!)

On the nose –  Thick jams (quince and even some fig).  Black strap molasses and ginger snap cookies (spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon).  Sweet, sweet marzipan.

Damp and earthy.  Man, I am taken by this nose.  This juice demands your attention.  Part of me doesn’t even want to dissect it, I just want to enjoy it as a whole.

But carry on, I will…

The Glenmorangie character is strong here and will not be ignored: Think citrus zest and even some peach; thoroughly ripe and juicy peach.

Walnut oil and even a bit of sauternes-drown golden raisin.

Vanilla extract and in the distance, toasted oak and almonds.

Coming back to the nose after a sip and there’s a very noticeable high lemon note just floating on top of it all.

On the mouth – Thick and insanely mouth coating – it’s invading every part of my mouth (like that scene in The Matrix where the liquid metal is taking over Keanu Reeves’ body until it goes down his throat).

Sticky sweet jams (like the ones mentioned above).  A touch of citrus but not as much as on the nose.

Creamy, creamy but also a bit like thick honey when it starts to crystalize (tiny, tiny sugar crystals throughout the honey).

Speaking of honey, this stuff oozes with it.

Warm apricot jam over toasted almonds.

As the fluid starts to go from juicy sweet to drying on to the finish, booze soaked oak notes round out the flavor experience.

Finish – Long, drying, warm; and sitting like a king on the top/back portion of my tongue is the actual sauternes itself – apricots, peach, nuts and woody tannins.  After a short bit, an interesting watermelon note popped up followed but some of that lemon note I got on the nose.

In sum – I can see why Dr. Bill Lumsden refers to this whisky as his “Pride”.  If this whisky were a college bound student, she would have full scholarships to the Ivy League school of her choosing.  This is so balanced, so well constructed and thoroughly enjoyable.  Pride is as full and robust as it gets (without peat or sherry).

I come back to this over and over again, Sauternes finishes are my absolute favorite.  Done right (like this whisky here), and it’s light years ahead of nearly any sherried whisky I’ve had.

There are only 1000 bottles of this stuff on G-d’s green earth and if you can find & afford one, I won’t say no; I’d accept the gift very graciously :).  However, if you decided to keep the stuff for yourself, I would not blame you at all.

I will suggested, however, that you open this for the most celebratory of occasions but what’s more is that you NEED to open this.  Don’t just buy and collect because NOT tasting this stuff (if you have the $$ to afford it) is doing yourself an injustice.

Huge thanks goes out to David Blackmore for the sample!

A World of Discovery, Autumn, Cold Winter, Highland Park, Need To Bundle Up

Highland Park stole my Hjärta

Islands – 58.1%ABV – cask strength – 700ml bottle – £65

Ah, the Hjärta – a 12yr Cask Strength Highland Park. Available only through the distillery’s website, the distillery & in nordic countries. Which of coarse leaves the rest of the world out (unless you have sources…).

I’ve been lusting after this for some time and now it is in my possession (Mmmmwwwaaa-ha-ha-ha-ha!).

Let’s cut to the chase and go to my thoughts on it, shall we? Yes, we shall:

Color — Old pirates gold

Initial whiff — For 58.1%abv, nowhere near as prickly as I had expected. I could jam my nose in there ’til my “Hjärtas” content (or I run out of oxygen). Licorice, fried pineapple slices, heather, smoke and moldy celery. A bit salty and a wee more grassy

On the mouth — A bit more hot now, spicey, some sherry notes, buttered toast with honey & jam (raspberry), pineapple again and wisps of smoke, peat & figgy stuffs – all in all, a very luscious dram (reminds me of the succulency of the 18yr)

Finish — Long and a bit burny (in a good way), the sherry comes back up, smoke.

In sum — Rumor has it that a 12yr CS may be on the way as a standard expression for Highland Park. If the Hjarta is any indication as to what we can expect – I’ll be waiting with baited breath!!

The 18yr is still king in my book but this is uber nice!  Thanks to the fine gent who helped me get a bottle!!