So here we are at mystery dram #7!

“Wait a sec, number seven?!”, you ask.  “Yes, number seven”, I say.  Dram number six ended up being a sample of Ardbeg’s Airigh Nam Beist with the code “L6” on the bottle.  My personal bottle has the code “L8” and supposedly there’s a slight difference in taste between the two.  Though someone I spoke with at Ardbeg says that no one should be able taste any difference.  The “L6” code supposedly meant that the bottle was an 16 year expression, “L7” was 17yrs and L8 was 18yrs.  I wanted to find out if there was any difference so Rick was nice enough to send me a sample of his “L6” Ardbeg.  A post on the possible differences between the “L6” and “L8” Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beisties will follow soon.  Until then, feel free to enjoy my current review of the L8 Ardbeg Airigh Nam Beist.

So, all this being said, we will move forward as if mystery dram number 6 never existed (“these aren’t the droids you’re looking for” – Obi Wan Kenobi) and move onto mystery dram number seven.

As I mentioned in the 3rd post for this “Rick’s Mystery Dram” Series, I’ve decided to make this a wee bit more interesting by sending out a mystery dram to the correct guesser of the week’s mystery dram or, if there has been no correct guess, the sample goes to a commenter (randomly chosen).  Last week, “Tony” won the mystery dram and I look forward to hearing from him as to find out what type of whisk(e)y sample he wants – Scotch or American.

Details on how to win a mystery dram sample (which will be Scotch or American whisk(e)y, your choice) are listed below, after the review.

For previous “Rick’s Mystery Dram” entries :

Here’s Mystery Dram #1 (which ended up being Parker’s Heritage First Edition)

Here’s Mystery Dram #2 (which ended up being Parker’s Heritage Golden Anniversary)

Here’s Mystery Dram #3 (which ended up being Evan Williams Single Barrel, 2000 vintage, barrel # 234)

Here’s Mystery Dram #4 (which ended up being Tonala 4 year Anejo tequila)

Here’s Mystery Dram #5 (which ended up being Wild Turkey Russell’s Reserve, 10 year)

Review time!  And, by the way, this is an American whiskey again.

On the nose — Big easy noser filled with Loads of vanilla and a hint of toasted coconut.  There’s a barbecue sauce quality to the nose and a damn good amount of oak.  Very fragrant, very summery.  Just smelling this stuff makes me want a mint julep.

On the mouth — Nice entry here filled with caramel covered apples.  Decent attack but nothing overwhelming.

Pool water (think chlorine in your nose and Phoebe Cates a la Fast Times at Ridgemont High).  More vanilla and grape soda (a similar grape soda note as I got on the 2nd mystery dram in this series).

A hint of pumpkin spices (cardamom, nutmeg, etc…)

Finish — A good length and the grape soda notes carry through to the end

In sum — An easy drinker.  Perhaps too easy.  You could get into trouble with this one — hot summer day, dip in the pool, a few drams of this, potato salad, veggie burgers, macaroni salad, not enough water, a few more drams, hitting on your cousin’s girlfriend, punch in the eye, somehow you find yourself back in your bed at home, hangover the next morning…  You get the idea (and no, this never happened to me).

Clues —

• Big wood influence with lots of vanilla and some toasted coconut.  Not extremely spicy, easy to nose (perhaps a lower ABV% 43-46%?).
• Good attack in the tasting but perhaps some wheat influence as it was quite an easy drinker.  Interesting chlorine-type note.
• Grape soda notes in the taste and finish (though, admittedly, not everyone may come away with that…).

JMSWS antes up!

For those who attempt to guess – each week I will be sending out one mystery dram (a small 5cl bottle) and the first person guesses correctly wins the dram.  Actually, if there are no correct guesses for the week then a winner will be chosen at random.  You win whether your right or not (like a weatherperson – right or not, s/he still has a job)!

So again, I will be awarding a free whisk(e)y sample every week to one lucky winner (whether you guess correctly or not).

How do I enter to win you ask?

Easy, comment on this post with what you think the mystery dram of the week may be.  It’s that simple.

I will let you choose the type of mystery dram — Scotch or American Whiskey (though that’s all you’ll know about it).  And if you’d like, you can send me your tasting notes and I’ll post them for my readers to guess at.  If you’d prefer the blind tasting to be between just you and me… that’s cool too.