Tag Archives: Honey

Balvenie, Takin' It Easy

Balvenie 25yo Single Cask bottled at 46.9%ABV

Speyside – 46.9%ABV – 750ml – $404 (wowza! This was originally about £100/$200 when it was first released 5 years ago)

It’s not secret that I’m a fan of The Balvenie.  I’ll be headed there as part of the JSMWS tour this month and have been counting down the days until my arrival there.  I was hoping to meet up with Mr. Sam Simmons while I’m out there but sadly, we’ll be missing one another.

In case you missed my video series on The Balvenie (special thanks goes out, once again to Sam on that one), you can check them out here.

The Balvenie has always nailed it with the 15yo single cask series, let’s see what another 10 years and an added $350 dollars does for this whisky…

On the nose — Lemony goodness right up front.

Indian cooking spices; turmeric and a breath of cumin.

This is a nice bourbon fresh nose.  Oaky, honey, tangerines.  Fresh cotton.  Pineapple and mangoes.  Ripe banana.  Banana peel. I’m almost getting some blue raspberry in there.   This list goes on and on…

Pears, bruised macintosh apples.

This is all rounded out by what seems to be lightly salted peanuts (the smell, not the taste).

On the mouth –– Hot and clean (an oxymoron in the adult film community).

Malty.  Tannic.  Limes.

So far, I enjoyed the nose much more…  Let’s take a break, maybe add a bit of water…

Water calms this one down quite a bit.

Cooked sugar and orange butter.  Malty.  Insanely clean and fresh.

Dried apricots.  Toasted coconut.  Creme brulee.

Finish — Hot, long finish filled with banana, honey and a touch of apple.

In sum — Oh, you tease!  The nose was brilliant.  I can not stress that enough.  The flavor of the whisky was a bit too shy but water woke her up just enough to make it all worth while.  While normally I prefer a higher ABV, I think this one benefited with the addition of water.  This is a watch-your-kids-play-in-the-sandbox-on-a-cool-summer’s-day type of dram.  I’m not sure I know what that means but perhaps it’s the mix of parental pride and relaxation.

Special thanks goes out to Sam Simmons for the sample (sorry it took me so damn long to post on this one!!)

Cold Winter, Laphroaig, Springtime, Takin' It Easy

Two Laphroaigs, both independently bottled. One from Royal Mile Whiskies the other from Signatory.

This is going to be a sort of cut-to-the-chase review.

More whisky, less preamble.

I’ve got a trip to Scotland to in a few days, lots to review and little time for posting more than notes.

So, two Laphroaigs, both independently bottled. One bottled by Royal Mile Whiskies, one by Signatory.  A death match to the finish (pun intended).

Laphroaig RMW 10yo 56.8% (this bottle is no longer available)

On the nose – Smoky and abrasive yet fruity… sort of like a fruit orchard on fire.

Lemon custard pie with a side of honeycomb cereal.

Very aggressive nose – at 56.8% I’d expect so but… it seems somehow moreish in the hot-alcohol-on-the-nose department.

Pears, cinnamon and pepper; in that order.

Lastly, some notes of tinned pineapple… Tin and all.

On the mouth– 

Not as smoky as the nose lead on.

Fresh oats and other cereals. Very malty.

Creamy attack loaded with lemons and salted, honey and butter slathered toast.

Finish – nice even, drying finish. Like licking a dry Popsicle stick or tongue depressors.

In Sum – A nice well balanced Laphroaig. Well chosen you choosers of cask! I could easily pour this on a warm summer night or a cold winter day. Sounds odd but very doable!  Actually, I’d love to taste this as beer before it becomes spirit.  I imagine it’s delicious.

Laphroaig 8yo Signatory 46% $53

On the nose – very similar, if you ask me, to the RMW version except softer (a result of the lower ABV?).

Here’s an unusual one: blueberry bramble.

Rubber gloves and other things that start with the prefix “Poly”.

On the mouth – A watered down version of the first Laphroaig.

Much sweeter, however, and less malty than the first one.

Finish – Not a dry as the previous Laphroaig and that’s too bad.

In Sum – Something tells me that this would be really nice as a cask strength Whisky.  I might have enjoyed it more if I went for this before the RMW Laphroaig. Note to self, when reviewing two whiskies side by side and one of them is cask strength and the other not… Start with the lower octane one…  That is all.

Special thanks goes out to David H for the samples!

Penderyn, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Two Penderyn Expressions – Sherry & Madeira Wood

This is the Sherry Wood bottling
This is the Madeira Wood bottling

Wales – both whiskies are bottled at 46%ABV – Sherry Wood can be had for £36 | $70 | €41 – Madeira Wood can be had for £36 | $70 | €41

Shame on me.

I’ve had these two whiskies reviewed for sometime now and, for the life of me, I could not locate any of my notes.  I consider myself fairly organized and to misplace my notes pissed me off…  just a bit.

Luckily, they have now been found so I can stop kicking myself in the arse.

Also lucky for me (and for you), posting the review of these two whiskies right now is perfect for the season as I found them to be fairly light and refreshing.

They’re a bit odd as well but hey, that’s a good thing.  I quite enjoy trying whiskies from different regions and countries as they help to challenge what you think you know about whisky on the whole.  Look around the the world-wide-interwebs and you will find reviews of Penderyn that run the gamut.  From delicious to not-so-delicious.  You’ll find it all.

What I ask of you is that you go into to this (or any whisk(e)y that is new to you) with an open mind.  There are a lot of bourbon people out there who hate Scotch whisky; and vice versa.  We all need to get out of our comfort zone and try to learn a bit.  The following is my blinders-off-assessment of these two Penderyn whiskies and I’m glad that I went in without any preconceived notions as, in the end, I quite liked these whiskies.

Penderyn Madeira Wood

On the nose — Wafts of juniper; fresh & bright.  Grinning a grin and stinking of gin.

Light with limes and white flesh peaches soaking in fine muscato wine.

Burning leaves in the springtime – I imagine myself as a little boy using a magnifying glass to light said leaves (this is not smoky in anyway, mind you.  The aroma is just bringing back memories).

Far off scents of the railroad.

On the mouth — Light and almost grain-like in flavor (like an aged grain whisky).

Very one-sided with its light quality and bright, sweet citrus notes (think lime leaf and fizzy like seltzer with lime).

Thinnish in mouthfeel.

A touch of honey.  Actually, a good amount of honey as we near the finish line.

Finish — Lots of cereal notes – very malty all of the sudden.  Honey covered muesli.

In sum —  A summery whisky that can be applied to any social situation.  I can see a lot of blend drinkers liking this one.  Light, sweet, fairly balanced and, simply approachable by anybody.

Penderyn Sherry Wood

On the nose — Similar to the lightness I got on the Madeira Penderyn except there’s no juniper.

It’s all on dark chocolate covered, raspberry nougat chews (if you can imagine a light version of that).

Rain puddles and sidewalk chalk.

It’s got a bite-y little nose on it too; prickily-dickily-doo.

Big-ass bails of hay.

On the mouth — Viscous mouthfeel with a very sherried influence.

Not ooey, sweet and cloying like some sherry bombs; fairly well integrated.

Fruit marmalades (grapefruit, orange and lime).

Thick and chewy but oh so light and brisk in flavor.

Finish — Slightly nutty and tannic (think halved walnuts).  Faint notes of rye (?).

In sum —  More complex than the Madeira version yet still light and easy going.  Like the Madeira, I can picture myself pouring this in a very social setting where both whisky snobs and whisky noobs are hanging out – a easy pleaser.

Special thanks to Luke at Penderyn for the samples!

A World of Discovery, Arran, Autumn, Summertime

Arran 11yo Single ex-bourbon cask – Absolute deliciousness.

Islands Region – Cask #650 – 57.6%ABV – $85 | £46

Just over a month ago, the Connecticut chapter of the Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society (or at least a part of it) had the distinct honor of having Andy Hogan of the Arran Malt Distillery host a tasting for us.

Twenty-two people gathered together to taste, experience and explore a collection of Arran’s best whiskies.  We had some people trek a good way to be a part of our tasting.  Joe H from Boston and Stephen M from Providence (and of Malt Impostor fame) both drove about 2.5 hours to join us.  Thanks guys!! Great having you there!  Also, Andy flew all the way from Scotland to be with us – Thank you, Andy!!

Andy did a wonderfully fantastic job taking us through his whiskies; teaching us about Arran as well as the ins and outs of Scotch Whisky in general.  We learned, we laughed, we tasted, we had a blast.  Mr. Hogan brought with him 6 different whiskies: Arran 10yo, Arran 14yo, Machrie Moor (peated Arran whisky), Arran Amarone Cask, a very secret Arran whisky that’s never been bottled (but was totally delicious; perhaps the 2nd favorite of the night) and lastly, this here whisky — an 11yo Single Ex-bourbon cask (first fill).  This whisky was the easily favorite of the night.  I liked it so much I bought two bottles!

Here are my notes:

On the nose – Intense notes of banana peels and salted green apple skins.

A bit of nail polish remover (in a nice way).

Fresh-fresh coconut shreds & chunks followed by spiced anjou pears and lemons.

Delicious warmed rice pudding.  Fresh, uncut green grass.

All of these notes are incredibly strong — this is a no holds barred nose.

I’ll have to take this one by the horns and ride the rodeo.  Next up, the taste…

On the mouth – Chewy, thick, oily mouth feel with loads of warmed caramels and gooseberry jam.

Back to the grassy notes (fresh grass) but there’s a great note of sassafras in here – hey now!

Buttered butter beans and green beans.

Back to the savory chewy/candied notes: candied walnuts, toffee and salted caramels.

An intense malty & oaky note creeps in (not sure how I missed it from the start.  It basically slapped me in the face just now).

A good deal of vanilla as well.

Finish – Very long with notes of malt and the sassafras I got on the palate.

In sum – While delicious, this whisky is not to be taken lightly.  I might suggest it be diluted by a little bit of water if you feel you need it (however it is not required).  To be enjoyed at dusk just as it starts to get a little cooler and almost sweatery.

An everyday dram, Mackmyra, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Sweden’s Mackmyra “First Edition” Single Malt Whisky

Sweden – 46.1%ABV – $53 for a 1 liter bottle in the US – £41 for a 70cl bottle in the UK (please note that the image shown on the right details the UK packaging.  The US packaging is slightly different).

If you’re a whisky geek like me, you might have been (again, like me) tracking this whisky like Aragorn tracks an Uruk Hai leader.  Our “friend”, the Uruk Hai, is situated to the left.

Non-dorks, please go see or read Lord of the Rings to understand the previous two sentences.

Luckily for me (and other US whisky consumers), Mackmyra is officially here in the states!  While we now have this “First Edition”, many other countries have access to a much broader line that Mackmyra offers.

So, what’s the deal with this particular whisky?  According to Mackmyra:

Swedish Oak & Small Casks

“Cold winters, deep snow. Summer nights when the sun never seems to set. Under these conditions, during more than a century, a fiery spiciness has developed in Swedish oak.  Now it generously adds character to the Mackmyra Whisky.”

“Our use of small casks gives time a new meaning. The whisky matures in a more intense manner, and by using different sizes of casks we get exactly the character we want.  Small cask – great taste.”

Mackmyra whisky is matured in an old mine!

“You might have heard about ’whisky on the rocks’ but Mackmyra Whisky is literally stored in the rock. Deep down in the underground we’ve found the perfect environment for our whisky casks. The abandoned Bodås Mine is now filled with gold in liquid form.”

Time to taste said whisky…

On the nose — A very intense nose (like the whisky equivalent of a close talker.  Step back, son!).

Very peppery & spicy yet honeyed at the same time.

Ok, after a couple of minutes the whisky is much more approachable and delicious smelling yet, still quite bright.

If this whisky were a spice girl, she’d be Delicious Spice.

An exotic mix of fruits such as cherries, lychee and banana (perhaps the skins of banana).

A warm summer’s night with cream soda in one hand and toasted marshmallows in the other.

On the mouth — A bit herbal.

A touch of juniper which quickly disappears and is replaced by blackberry juice and a mass of spice.

As spicy as this is, it’s got a very soft mouth feel.

Some unripened peaches and a little bit of pear.

Finish — Spicy, long and a touch fruity (lychee again) and oddly numbing my uvula…

In sum — A very enjoyable whisky, especially on the nose.  Not as complex in flavor (with it being such a little spice bomb).  But hey, this is a young whisky… part of the thrill is the occasional big ‘ol pepper fight you get from them.

The mouth feel, again, is nice and soft and only adds to the simple pleasantness of the whisky as a whole.  This light-bright-fruity-pepper-fight whisky would be fantastic as a warm summer evening dram.  Tasting notes & flavor nuances aside, is this a good whisky?  Yes – I found it to be dangerously drinkable.

Special thanks goes out to Jonathan Luks for the sample!