Tag Archives: Fruity

A World of Discovery, Cold Winter, Need To Bundle Up, Refreshed, Suntory - Yamazaki, Takin' It Easy

Yamazaki Sherry Cask

Japan – 48%ABV – 700ml –  Not Available through US stores | £56 | €55

So, apparently, “Lust” is one of the seven deadly sins.  In Judaism, lust can be attributed to ones’ Yetzer Hara, or basically, ones Evil Inclination.  The Jewish point of view is that all people have good inclinations (Yetzer Tov) and bad ones (Yetzer Hara) and that when one “sins” it’s more like you’ve “missed the mark” or not lived up to your potential.

You must be asking yourself at this point in time — “What in the blue F$%k is this guy talking about!?”

Well, I’ll tell you.  The very second I saw the picture of this bottle of Yamazaki Sherry Cask, I fell in lust.  Yes, I like Yamazaki well enough (I actually like it a lot and you can read my review of their 12yr expression here) but the very second I caught a glimpse of the color of the fluid contained within the bottle well, let’s just say my mouth watered.  A lot.  And I had to get a bottle good and quick.  Does this make me evil?  G-d, I hope not.

Actually, for as much as I “lusted” after it, I got the bottle during Passover and did not open it.  For those of you who do not know, Jews who keep “Kosher for Passover”, we will not drink any whisk(e)y (or have any foods with grains such as wheat, barley, corn, rye, etc…).  While perhaps my Yetzer Hara, or bad inclinations, made me buy this bottle; on the flip side of the coin, my Yetzer Tov, or Good Inclinations, told me to hold off on drinking any until Passover is done and be a good Jew.  If you want to know more about the ins-and-outs of Passover, check it here.  It’s actually a pretty interesting read.

Getting to the point

Anyway, let’s get a bit to the point here: WHISKY!  and a damn good Japanese one at that!  The Yamazaki Sherry Cask was one of my “You did it, you made it through Passover and now you can taste whisky” whiskies and it made me say WOW.  The other was the Springbank 12yr Cask Strength and then on Wednesday April 7th I went to Whisky Live in NYC (the review of that event to coming in the next week).  Ok, back again to my point, Yamazaki Sherry Cask.  Let’s review it now before I ramble on more:

The Yamazaki Sherry does not have an age statement on it but reading around I found that it was matured in first fill Oloroso Sherry butts (tee-hee) for 12-15yrs.  That’s a lot of time sitting in a first fill sherry butts!  I guess that explains the gorgeous deep caramel/rusty blood color.

Initial whiff – Very lush and sweet.  Stewed prunes with a side of Cafe Americano, deep chocolate notes and sweet corn (¿¿ is that the bourbony quality that I found in their 12yr expression ??), cinnamon and spice, lots of dried fruits and they run the gammut.

On the mouth – Chocolate covered tannins, back to the prunes (something sort of slivovitzy here…plums?), lush mouth feel, big sherry but not extremely “winey”, sweet and back to that bourbon quality I got on the nose.  This is like a heavily sherried bourbon!!

Finish – This one stays with you and you’re thankful for it.  Chocolates and a bit of leather, dried fruits and a touch of espresso.

In sum — Can I have some more??  Such a nice after dinner type dram.  While it’ll warm you up if you need it to, those bourbon-type notes will work pretty hard to refresh you in ways you would not expect.  Also, it’s a very easy going-down type whisky, smooth and quite approachable (even at 48%ABV).  This is limited stuff too, only 16,000 bottles and, based on how incredible this is, I think this will go quick.  Get it while it’s hot!

So, Japan, thank you once more!  You never cease to amaze me.  I think I’m turning Japanese.  I really think so.

A World of Discovery, Don Julio, Kosher spirits, Summertime, Takin' It Easy, Tequilas

Don Julio Añejo Tequila

Jalisco, Mexico (Highlands Region) – 38%ABV – 750ml – $39 (from the Duty Free shop), normally about $65

WARNING & DISCLAIMER – For those who keep, this tequila is not certified as “Kosher” or “Kosher for Passover” (I am no rabbi but I think, based on their meticulous process and the fact that Don Julio uses virgin American oak casks, that this may be “Kosher by Nature”, not to be confused with “Naughty by Nature“)

For information on Don Julio’s Cooking, Mashing, Fermentation and Distillation Process, check out this link from Drinkblogs.com

I bought this bottle of Don Julio Añejo more than a year ago while on a business trip to Monterrey Mexico.  Supposedly, Monterrey is a very beautiful city – I had no time to enjoy it, I was either in meetings or in my hotel.  The Duty Free shop had NOTHING for Single Malts so I figured I’d pick up a nice tequila.  I opted for the Don Julio.

If you’ve not visited the Don Julio website, I suggest you do.  There are some great videos of their process, history and tasting notes that I think are really well done.  Check it out.

The Don Julio Añejo has been my drink of choice (with the exception of some wines, the Siembra Azul and Slivovitz) for this week of Passover.  This is truly some delicious stuff.  Not to be chilled, mixed or tarnished with a lime:

On the nose – Juicy citrus fruits, Mandarin oranges, Ruby Red Grapefruit, lime rind and something a bit creamy.  I also smell a bit of strawberry & melon.  While this is fresh & fruity, there’s a warming quality to the nose, not as punchy or peppery as a “silver” or “blanco” tequila that has not had any barrel aging.

Palate — *Big* on juicy, over-ripe honeydew melon!  Oh, good G-d that’s good!  Oak comes through as does some creamy vanilla.  Smooth, buttery and quite chewy.  Lip smacking goodness!

Finish – Continuation of the melon, spicy but again, not nearly as much as the “silver” or “blanco” type of tequila.  Warming from your tongue to your toes.  Butterscotch notes come back up after the swallow; right on the sides of my tongue.  Perfect at 38% ABV if you  ask me.

In sum – I would reach for this any day.  Quite fantastic and on a level of it’s own.  Oh-so refreshing while warming at the same time.  There’s a reason Don Julio is regarded as one of Mexico’s premier tequilas and I just found out why!

A World of Discovery, Glenmorangie, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

The Glenmorangie Collection – Four 100ml bottles

Highlands Region – 43% – 46% – Glenmorangie Collection – (4) 100cl bottles – $49 (could not find sources outside of the US for this collection)

So yes, I write this fun and fancy blog and I have a lot of fun doing it.  Lots of great whiskies to taste; friends I’ve met, great comments, criticisms, etc…  So far, it’s a grand old ride.  In addition to writing this blog, I founded and manage a Malt Whisky Society called: The Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society (I’m not only the president, I’m also a client).

In our most recent tasting event we explored the Glenmorangie range (or at least 4 expressions from the Glenmorangie range).

We had a total of 7 people (including myself, though not pictured) that night and it was a total blast!  The group may have been a smaller one but, what a group we had!  These people are “the salt of the earth”.

While we did not taste the full range, we did get to sample the “Original Ten Years” Expression (at 43%) as well as “The Lasanta” (12yr sherry finish), “Quinta Ruban” (12yr port finish) and “The Nectar D’or” (12yr Sauternes finish) expressions; all at 46% abv.

The last three expressions are “finished” which means that they spent 10yrs in standard bourbon casks then were transferred for an extra 2yrs in their respective sherry, port or sauternes cask for “finishing”.  Basically, the whisky, having spent an extra 2 yrs in casks that have matured these different wines will have imparted to them some of the characteristics & flavors of each type of wine.

For instance, one can expect from a “sherry finish” to taste flavors that range from chocolate to dried fruits (think dates, figs, raisins, etc…).  A “port finish” imparts spicy qualities (think spiced gum drops, cloves, things like that).  Lastly, a “sauternes finish” should impart incredible sweetness (sauternes, being a fine, uber-sweet dessert wine) with flavors of honey & nuts, apricots, oranges, etc…

Glenmorangie is known for it’s soft elegant qualities.  Lots of honey & citrus, butter, etc…  So, imagine some of the above flavors on top of that!  Yum!

Let’s see how it all played out shall we?

The notes below are combined notes from the group as we were on the same page (for the most part) with all of these expressions.  Any stray from consensus will be noted accordingly.

The Original – Ten Years – 43% ABV

Initial whiff — Cirtusy, honeyed citrus candies, slight smoke & pineapples, grassy, vanilla bean ice cream.

On the mouth – Lemongrass, more honey, a bit thin but has a bit of an attack (“softens a touch with a drop of H2O” — John), pecans & oaky vanilla

Finish – (Here’s where tended to differ)  One of us thought the finish was surprisingly long while another thought it was “shorter than an oompa-loompa churning cream & sugar”  (Ok, I threw that analogy in.  It was better than just saying it was a short finish, right?).  I found the finish to be medium in length, a bit effervescent and with the slightest twinge of smoke (hugely slight!).

The Lasanta- Sherry Finish – 46% ABV

I’m going to be blunt and upfront about the Lasanta — I am not a fan in any way.  Maybe it’s my taste buds, maybe not, but…  each time I nose & taste this whisky, all I get is sulfur.  While other people got that too, they seemed to get past it and find other things and ended up enjoying it.  I, however, could not.  I’m not the only one who found this to be a sulfur-bomb, if I remember correctly, Jim Murray did too in his Whisky Bible 2009 edition.  For those of you who know me, you will be very surprised to hear that there’s a Glenmo out there I did not like.  Well, there you go, its out in the open.  Let it stand, too, that this is the ONLY Glenmomorangie I have not enjoyed (and I’ve tasted more than 12 Glenmorangies so far) so, finding one I did not like was bound to happen.  The notes below will be the groups notes, minus my notes:

Initial whiff — Cinnamon, caramel, black plums, pleasant & fruity, a bit sulfury, dark chocolates.

On the mouth – Caramel, figs, a big bite to it, tobacco, not very pleasant (this is not my note), “I think this one needs a bit of time to open up”, “Needs time & water, then, it’s lovely”.

Finish – A spicy finish. Longish and tannic.

Quinta Ruban – Port Finish – 46% ABV

Initial whiff — Spiced Oranges, Cloves, honey & vanilla, “this one will tickle your nose thinking that’s it’s actually Elmo” (Ok, so I threw in another little analogy…  it is a nose tickler, very spicy stuff).

On the mouth – More tannic than I expected, spiced citrus stuffs, honey and vanilla, some good nuttiness follows the nose here, oily mouth feel, coating and chewy.

Finish – Short, left you wanting more, off balance compared to what the nose & palate delivered, though with the addition of a bit of water, a creaminess stays with you.

Nectar D’or – Sauternes Finish – 46% ABV

The notes listed below are my notes from a previous tasting as we were all on the same page here.  The Nectar D’or really delivered and it was quite amazing to see the change in the group once we poured and tasted this stuff.  It truly is call a “Nectar” for a reason.

Initial whiff — Apricot jam, actual Sauternes (no initial whisky scents, pure Sauternes wine; delicious!), loads of vanilla, some coconut and a tad bit of smoke, more like apricot jam on burnt toast (after having scrapped off the burny parts with a butter knife).

On the mouth – My G-d, my mouth instantly started watering.  Very fruity, apricots again, pecans, oak and coconuts.  A bit peppery and some gobs of honey, sugared honey.

Finish – Long, this stuff coats your mouth quite well, in the way back of my tongue the pecans came back.  Quite lovely stuff.

In sum – What a night and ride this was.  I have to say that, in the end, the Original and Nectar D’or shined for the evening.  We tasted these in the order you just read and it was nice to see how this line was built using the basic 10yr fluid then building different flavor profiles on top of that with the different casks.  I don’t think, however, that this collection is a balanced one with the addition of the Original Ten Year bottle.  What I would like to see is a collection of the 10yr, 18yr & 25yr (and, I know this is a pipe dream because the 15yr doesn’t exist anymore but, the addition of the 15yr would be grand!).  Then, in another grouping, the colleciton should be the Lasanta, Quinta Ruban, Nectar D’or and Signet – this does not include a few other current Glenmorangie expressions but, hey this is just my wishlist.

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Glenmorangie, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime

Glenmorangie Quarter Century

Highlands region – 43%ABV – 700ml bottle $750 | £190 | €223

I was hoping to do three ti-pity-top shelf whisky reviews before Passover (the Laphroaig 30yr, The Glenmorangie Quarter Century and one other) but, for many reasons, plans have changed and I am only able to do the two.

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of the current Glenmorangie range.  I think it’s nothing short of brilliant (with an exception or two; I’ll get to that in a later post).  If you’ve stayed away from Glenmorangie in past years, now may be a time to return as they seem to have been born anew.

Today, I will be exploring Glenmorangie’s top dog – The Quarter Century.  Twenty Five years of maturation for this fine-ass fluid.  This whisky has been matured in an array of barrels: Bourbon, Sherry Butts (tee-hee :), my inner 9 year old always chuckles when I see the word butt) and Burgundy Casks.  This being the case, you can imagine that there’s going to be some depth and complexity to this whisky.

Let’s find out:

On the nose — Even at 43%, my nose is getting a little tickled (and I pride myself on having a nose of steel), refreshing, quite the fruit basket – melon, quite some apricot (G-d damn, I love smelling the apricot in a whisky and this is just so, so nice), honeyed toast, a slight whiff of smoke (ever so slight but there nonetheless), a dash of salt (maybe salted macadamia nuts?), jammed fruits, plums & prunes – where’s my rye toast right now – I don’t want to drink this, I want to eat this.

Palate — Oh, wow.  Really wow.  Succulent & lush, quite minty (not the full flavor of mint but the cooling effects of mint), thick creamy honey, almonds, my mouth feels like it’s wearing a hand knit whisky sweater – warming, yet cooled by the mint – quite paradoxical.

Finish — Ever so slight smoke creeps back with a bit of oak and vanilla, honey and back to some of the fruits – now some ginger??  If I didn’t have the natural reflex to swallow, I could keep this whisky in my mouth forever.

In sum — Tasting this reminded me of the time my friend Jeff tasted the Ardbeg Uigeadail.  We were at Whisky Fest in NYC and I brought him to the Ardbeg booth and he tried the 10yr, Corryvreckan, Supernova and the Beist.  Then, they poured him some of that ever so special Uigeadail and he paused for a moment and said, “Josh, I think I just found out why I was born”.

While the Uigy & Glenmorangie Quarter Century are WORLDS APART, I can say I had a moment just like that tasting this stuff.

This is the type of stuff that you break out when your kids graduate from college, become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, when that mother-in-law you hate passes (if applicable) ;)– in other words, enjoy this at the most special of occasions.

You know, after having this stuff (and re-reading what I just wrote above), I was reminded of a great scene in Pineapple Express where James Franco’s character was explaining to Seth Rogan’s character exactly what Pineapple Express was.  Here’s the pot version of the Glenmo Quarter Century for me (Disclaimer: I do not smoke, nor do I promote the smoking of marijuana, I just dig stoner flicks and this scene is awesome!):

Highland Park, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Highland Park 8 year old MacPhail’s Collection

Islands – 43%ABV – 750ml bottle – $35 | £23 | €26

So, I’ll be quite honest when I say the only reason I purchased this is because it said “Highland Park” and it was a $35 dollar bottle.  You may have seen in a previous post that the best dram for me in 2009 was the Highland Park 18yr.  I am a devotee of Highland Park and, for me, everytime I have a sip of their nectar I have a Shehecheyanu moment.  Highland Park whiskies are that special for me.

On top of that, John Hansell of Malt Advocate gave this particular expression a nice little review.  I’ll pay $35 for an 83pt whisky (especially if it’s Highland Park)!! You can check out John Hansell’s review here.

Without any further ado, here are my notes on this fine little dram:

Initial Whiff — Very delicate and quite briny, almost like a slightly intense Scapa 16yr (that review to follow in the coming weeks), oaky, hint of fried pineapple, honeycomb breakfast cereal (does that exist outside of the US??)

Palate — Increasingly fruity, tropical, syrupy mouth feel (can this really only be a $35 bottle??), ever slight earthiness (can’t place it, but the feel the flavor gives me is that of things growing in the springtime – it must be the youthfulness of the spirit), sweet onion, this is a punchy little dram.

Finish — Medium length, just as biting as you’d expect from 43% (though I would have loved to have tried this at 46%), after a minute or two I notice a stronger smokiness in my mouth I did not detect earlier.

In sum — This is not a very “Highland Park” Highland Park.  It’s quite different from the 12yr, 15yr or 18yr.  And while it’s not the most spectacular dram I’ve ever had, I can see myself reaching for this in an instant.   This is a really nice every day dram though, no doubt about it.  Quite well done and oh so worth the price spent (if not more – though don’t tell the kind folks at MacPhail’s, it’ll be our secret.  Just you and me. Ssshhhhh!!)

Continuation of the “In sum” portion of this post — So, I pored myself a nice healthy portion (my guess is about 6.5cl) and I tend to only use the first 2cl of a dram for review.  I’m about 4cl in and, wow, just a really nice dram.  A nice little cracker and so very perfect for the springtime or a cooler summer day.  I’ll take this in place of a cold beer any day – extremely refreshing!  Heck, I’d take this over water (this is the “Water of Life” after all, right??)