Tag Archives: Peppery

Cold Winter, Kilchoman

The Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society vs. Kilchoman Binny’s Single Cask vs. Kilchoman Royal Mile Whiskies Single Cask

Dear readers, I’d like to introduce you to the new kid in town: Kilchoman.

Kilchoman is Islay’s newest/youngest distillery with whiskies currently no older than 3 years of age.  Their style is similar to that of the heavier/smokier/peatier whiskies that come from Islay.  It’s actually the first distillery to be built on Islay in 124 years or so.  Also, the folks at Kilchoman grow their own barley (the distillery is set on a farm, by the by…) as well as malt their own barely in the tradition floor malting way.

So, what do we have today?  Two whiskies.  Both single casks.  Both cask strength.  One is from Binny’s out of Chicago then other is from Royal Mile Whiskies out of the UK.  A big thanks goes out to David H. for the sample. You may remember David from his guest post many months back regarding his trip to Scotland.

Binny’s Single Cask (ex-bourbon) – 61.1%ABV

On the nose — A one-two-three combination punch of heat and soot and lemons.  This whisky is going to put up a fight.  Cool, cool.

Let’s see what you got, punk!

Wet cardboard?  What?  You got more?

Oh, some interesting notes of sassafras and even a bit of agave.  Braggart!

What else?

Banana peels, pie crusts and green apples.   Hmpf, now you’re just showing off.  Let give you a taste.

On the mouth — Whoa, hot-head…  slow down!  This is our first date!  Don’t make me tame you with water.  I will and don’t think I won’t.  I put you into this glass, I can drink you out!

Let’s start again.

Oh, you’re just a sweetie at heart aren’t you?  I’m tasting sugared lemon hard candies and some salted butter cookies.

Listen, you’re from Scotland, not the tropics… put the toasted coconut shreds away, will you?

Finish — You’re medium in length (you are only three after all, nothing to be ashamed of) but you offer up a nice bit of pepper in the finish.

Well met.  Well met.  Good form!

Royal Mile Whiskies (ex-bourbon) 61.7%ABV

On the nose — Ok, you wanna start some $#!+ too?  Let’s see what you’re made of, whipper-snapper!

Oh, you’re a bit of a softy.  Nothing like you’re punk-ass brother.

Melted butter and perhaps a few notes of chocolate fudge.

Also, no offense but, you’re a nut!  Walnut to be exact…

You’re peaty, just like your brother but you also wreak of wax and green olives.

On the mouth — What in the world am I tasting here?  You’re a bit of a shape shifter.

Soot and tea and sweet powdered candies (pixie six and fun dip).

Marmalade & toast, you’re trying to butter me up now, aren’t you?

Finish — Smarties.  Medium length and sugary.

In sum — This was a fight to the finish.  Aside from me, I have to say that the Royal Mile Whiskies single cask was easily the victor here.  A whisky that seems to be mature beyond it’s mere three year life span.

Each whisky is nice in it’s own way but I wish I had a full bottle of the Royal Mile Whiskies one…  Both of these will put a spring in your step and give you the energy you need to face the cold winter!

As an aside, after I wrote this post up I realized that Jeff at Scotchhobbyist.com had already done a Kilchoman vs. Kilchoman post (albeit two different ones than I just did).  His post and tasting notes are fantastic, be sure to check his review out!

All You Need Is Love, Bruichladdich, Cold Winter, Need To Bundle Up, Port Charlotte

Port Charlotte 8yr Single Cask – Bottled by the SMWSA – Cask number 127.1

Islay region – 66.5%ABV – $85 (no longer available – only 231 bottles available)

Years ago, my father (now divorced from my mother) did something crazy.  He gave up his apartment, bought a 25′ foot sail boat, rented a spot at a local marina a lived life on the water.

He cracks me up.  He could live in a pick up truck in a parking lot if he had to/wanted to.  This is a man who lives the saying “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade”.  What a man!

Back to the boat and marina:

Growing up, I’d see my dad every weekend.  When he lived on the boat I had the great opportunity to experience the ocean air, the beach and a shit ton of dead horse-show crabs, fish, seaweed, etc….  The sights, the smells, the water, it was a great time and I looked forward to every weekend.

Tasting this whisky brought me back to that time in my life; in his life.  I’ve said it before – one of the most beatiful things about whisky is that it can transport to back in time through smell and taste memory.  A wonderful, wonderful thing.

On the nose — I’m instantly transported to a hot summer day at the beach by the docks – salt air fills my nose as does engine exhaust (though mild).

Brine and soot abounds.

Sweet vanilla and even some citronella.

Hints of baby sick.

With water: those baby sick/sour milk notes are much more prominent (almost makes me wish we had a little baby in the house again).

A touch soapy now too.

On the mouth — Like squeezing a hot pepper and lighting the oil spray on fire.  In my mouth. Sweet fancy Moshe, this is some hot stuff!

An extra tiny sip before I add water unearths some peat smoke and a sooty exhaust pipe (and a dash of sweet  honey & jam).

With water (bringing it down to about 58%ABV): Oof, that’s better!

Berry jam from the start then some cooked butter.

Creamy vanilla and a soft mouth feel (it was tough to tell the mouth feel before… when my mouth was on fire).

Finish — Long finish with an odd mix of briny green olives and honey – two layered flavors.

In sum — This one will put hair on your chest or make your boobies bigger (for the ladies out there).  While I’m not sure either is a good thing, my point is that this is some powerful, powerful stuff.  However, it’s right up my alley.  Even though drinking this reminds me of summer days on the shoreline of Connecticut, it’s thoroughly enjoyable in the wintertime and man, do we have a winter here in CT in 2011!!  The snowiest January on record!!

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

Brora 30yr 2009 release

Highlands region (Brora is now mothballed, used as a visitors center for Clynelish) – 53.2%ABV – £245 – not available in the US – Master of Malt has it here.

Brora has quite a history and is a malt that is very sought after.  Serge Valentin (of Whiskyfun! fame), a true Brora devotee, wrote a great piece on the history of Brora here on Connosr.

Connosr, by the way, is a wonderful and vibrant whisky community.  If you’re not a part of it yet, sign up here.

It was based on Serge’s passionate recommendation that I looked further into Brora.  Thank you Serge!

Thanks to Master of Malt, I was able to choose this as a whisky blogger’s freebee from their Drinks by the Dram selection as long as I posted on it.  Thank you Master of Malt!

Ok, enough of the plugs, let’s get to work…

On the nose — Light and soft, yet upfront with notes of peat smoke and a good deal of smoked salt.

Herbal tea – chamomile mostly.

Medicinal – almost reminds me of fresh band-aids.

The peat is ever present here and there’s a peppery prickliness to this.

Even under these peaty & medicine notes I can detect some fruits – banana (peel) & peach skins.

A good deal of vanilla that somehow went undetected until about a minute into nosing this.

On the mouth — Creamy entry followed by fire – very hot stuff!

Hotter than I expected at 53.2%.

Let’s try this again and see if I need to add a wee bit of water…

Apples – fresh ones at that – and etrog (like a lemon, less intense yet much more fragrant).

Very waxy and still medicinal.

The herby/grassy quality I got on the nose carries through here.

“All-sorts” licorice candies.

Honey mustard.

Less smoky on the palate as compared to the nose.

Did I mention this is delicious?

Some dried fruits in there, mostly fig.

Finish — Mint notes appear, some almond & a tad more licorice.

Lingering.

In sum — My first Brora and, I’m in love.  The style of this whisky is quite unique.  I love the older, more elegant peat in this.  This is black tie whisky.  I’d love to pair this stuff with some nice chocolates.  A treat, through & through!

An everyday dram, Let's celebrate!, Takin' It Easy, Usquaebach

Usquaebach – a review of their three standard expressions

Delving once more into the world of the unpronounceable names.

Well, there’s the ever famous YHVH (you can see the Hebrew to the left); the Tetragrammaton (or unpronouncable name of G-d… sorry folks, it’s not pronounced Yahweh.  Like I said, it’s an unpronounceable name).

But, this is not a religious site it’s a whisky site so let’s talk about unpronounceable names of whisky.

A while back we discussed Ardbeg’s Airigh Nam Beist (pronounced Ari Nam Baysht).  And, let’s not forget the Ardbeg Uigeadail (pronounced Oo-g’dal, or so I’m told).

Today we’re faced with USQUAEBACH (gesundheit!) blended whiskies.  Some people pronounce it as “Oosk’eh-bah”.  Some say “Us-quay-batch”.  I’ve even heard this brand referred to as “Whisk-ay-bay” (which I think is the way speakers of Gaelic may say it).   Either way, the pronunciation I hear most in the US is “Oosk’eh-bah” so, until I am told otherwise, that will be how I pronounce it.

So, what is Usquaebach?  Other than the Gaelic way of saying “Water of life”, it’s a blended whisky brand out of the Highlands which has recently be re-launched here in the US with three standard expressions: Usquaebach Reserve, Usquaebach 15yo vatted malt whisky and Usquaebach Old-Rare.

Usquaebach Reserve blended whisky – 43% ABV

On the nose — A pleasant nose filled with notes of pears and charcoal.

Beat up Chuck Taylors and maybe even some white pepper.

A grainy sweetness fills my nostrils as does the scent of heavily used pencil erasers.

On the mouth — Light mouth feel.

Grassy and flowery.

Slightly salty and hints of citrus hit the front of the tongue.

Finish — A peppery finish, medium in length.

In sum — Dangerously easy to go down the gullet yet nothing overwhelmingly magical about it.  A pleasant blend.

Usquaebach 15yo vatted malt whisky – 43% ABV

On the nose — Hot sauna stones in a wooden sweat lodge.

Incredibly saltily smelling.

Mushroom & barley; earthy yet hints of honeysuckle and cucumber sauce.

Wow, those mushrooms come back in full force with a thin backbone of smoke, very subtle smoke.

On the mouth — Peppery entry with cured meats and vinegar – very foodie.

A touch of jasmine.

Browned lemons and freezerburn.

Grassy notes – farm hay on a hot summer’s day.

Finish — Medium finish with what I’d swear is very mild green olive but others would disagree…

In sum — A very enjoyable vatted malt with nearly too much meatiness but just enough for me to be OK with it.  There’s a fine line for me on the “meaty”malts and this one walks it quite well.  I had this whisky as part of a tasting event I did for 20 some-odd people and I kept going back to it.  Very enjoyable stuff.

Usquaebach Old-Rare blended whisky – 43% ABV

On the nose — Fun-fun-fun nose filled with dark roasted coffee beans and hot peppers.

Spiced fruits and stewed prunes.

Dates and chewy date bread.

On the mouth — A slithery smooth mouthfeel (did I just use the word slithery because Conan the Barbarian is on TV right now and Conan just killed that big-ass snake?  Could be…).

Something slightly coastal about it.

More coffee, a bit lighter than the nose.

Raisins, simple syrup and cream sherry.

Apples and peppers (like on the nose).

Finish — Beach pebbles, dates and sea air – a lengthy finish

In sum — A fantastic blend.  Beautifully balanced with lip-smacking sherry notes.  A bit of a warmer-upper – perhaps best on a cold early spring night.

Over all, I think each of these three whiskies has a time and a place.  The “Reserve” is a good any day dram (not to be confused with an everyday dram though).  The 15yo is an impressive malt that goes well with rich foods and good company.  And lastly, the Old-Rare is a celebratory dram.

You can find the Reserve here.

You can find the 15yo here.

You can find the Old-Rare here.

Special thanks goes out to Noah Goldstein for the samples!

All You Need Is Love, Arran, Summertime

Arran Machrie Moor Peated Malt Whisky (plus a way to win a full bottle for yourself)

Islands Region – 46%ABV – £39 (soon to be released in the US this March, 2011) – Limited to 9,000 bottles for this first release.

I’m going to skip some of the preamble today as I think the most important parts of today’s post is the review (of course) and the details of an exclusive giveaway below!

Special thanks to Andy Hogan for the sample and for working with the JSMWS on this great giveaway!

While I did say I’d be bypassing some of the preamble, that still does imply that there will be a little of it for you to read.  Just what is the story behind Arran’s naming of the Machrie Moor??   Here’s what they tell us:

“On the west coast of the Isle of Arran lies a windswept and mystical peat bog called Machrie Moor. Bronze Age stone circles and standing stones are strewn across its barren, undulating terrain. One of the stone circles is known as Fingal’s Cauldron Seat, where sits a stone with a carved hole. The legendary warrior giant Fingal is said to have tethered his favourite dog Bran to this stone. This peated expression of the Arran Single Malt perfectly captures the rugged beauty and lore of the landscape. Unleash the legend that is Machrie Moor.“

Well, roar (or, woof)!!  Let’s try this stuff:

On the nose — Salted & sooty chimney pipe (chim-chimney-chim-chimney-chim-chim-ka-booze).

Root-like vegetables and very grassy.

Perhaps even a little salted fudge – YUM!

After a minute of so, the peat is not as sooty.  Rather, it’s adding a really nice earthy tone to the whisky – sort of like a brackish stream snaking it’s way through a field of wild-flowers.

Additional notes range from lemon zest to shortbread dough (unbaked).

Very salty/coastal nose.

On the mouth — Oh yeah – just the right amount of peat gives a great brush-fire flavor in the mouth.

Baked apples, even apple-sauce.

I can’t shake the feeling of campfire/brushfire out of my head as I sip this.

Very comforting and bringing me to my childhood happy place.

Lemons galore – lemon marmalade and cream custard.

Salted and a touch peppery (just a touch).

Chewy mouthfeel and, as we get into the finish…

Finish — There’s a superb butteriness here, salted butter that creeps up and does not wish to leave you.

Added to that are hints of apricot, warmed margarine and bread.

In sum — I don’t often talk about color or how the whisky looks in the glass (E.G. legs) but I have to say, the legs on this whisky are gorgeous!  A wonder to look at.  For me, I encounter the same wonderment when watching a Guinness form it’s head – that beautiful head!

This whisky has legs and knows how to use them.

A thoroughly enjoyable treat.  Very salty stuff!  I’d imagine chocolates would go wonderfully with this whisky giving you that salty/sweet goodness many of us seek out.

Peated to a level of 14ppm, the folks at Arran knew what they were doing!!  Enough peat to add some dimension to the whisky, enough to give the peat/smoke-heads something to get excited about yet not so much so as to overpower all of the natural beauties of Arran Malt whisky (Apples, butter, lemons & a superb saltiness).  A nice late summer, near dusk type dram.

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The fun part – a way for you to win a full bottle of the new Arran Machrie Moor and signed by the Master Distiller – James McTaggart!! –

Yes, thats right.  We here at the JSMWS worked closely with Arran and they were kind enough to partner up with us on a very exclusive giveaway.  A full bottle of Arran Machrie Moor peated whisky signed by none other than James McTaggart, Arran’s Distillery Manager!!

“How do I win a bottle!?” you ask.

“Easy.” says all of us at The Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society.

We’re looking to reach 1100 followers on our Facebook page.

If you’re already a fan, cool.  You’re currently in the running.

If you’re not yet a fan, click here to join and get in the running.

Do you know someone who loves whisky?  Ask them to join The Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society Facebook page.

The quicker we get to 1313 people, the closer we’ll be to announcing, perhaps you, as our winner of this great whisky.  The lucky person will be picked at random and named on the Facebook page.

Welcome to the Facebook group and good luck!!