Tag Archives: prunes

Armagnacs, Cold Winter, Kosher spirits, Need To Bundle Up

A couple of Armagnacs by Marquis de Montesquiou – VSOP & XO

France – both bottled at 40% ABV

WARNING & DISCLAIMER – For those who keep, these Armagnacs are not certified as “Kosher” or “Kosher for Passover” (For my kosher keeping friends, imbibe at your own discretion.)

Being that Pesach (Passover) is right around the corner I thought it’d be a good idea to review some non-grain alternative distilled spirits.

I’ve reviewed some Armagnacs in the past and, in general, I find Armagnac to be quite a pleasant and complex spirit.  I would not go out of my way to drink some but I’d never turn it down and I’d surely drink Armagnac over most whisky blends (sorry to sound like a whisky snob.  I actually really like blends – especially Compass Box which is in a league of its own.  When it comes to Compass Box, I think the operative word is *love*).

What is Armagnac?  Wikipedia tells us:

“Armagnac (French pronunciation: [aʁmaˈɲak]) is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of Armagnac grapes, including Baco 22A, Colombard, and Ugni Blanc, using column stills rather than the pot stills used in the production of Cognac. The resulting spirit is then aged in oak barrels before release. Production is overseen by INAO and the Bureau National Interprofessionel de l’Armagnac (BNIA).

Armagnac was one of the first areas in France to begin distilling spirits, but the brandies produced have a lower profile than those from Cognac and the overall volume of production is far smaller. In addition they are for the most part made and sold by small producers, whereas in Cognac production is dominated by big-name brands.”

For more information from Wikipedia on Armagnac, click here.

To find out more about Marquis de Montesquiou, click here.

To find out how these Armagnacs fare in a nosing glass, read below:

Marquis de Montesquiou – VSOP – $49.99

On the nose –  Lots of oak influence on this one with waves of vanilla and citrus zest (think Minneola Orange).

Not unlike prunes (boozy ones at that) mixed with red currant.

Some coconut off in the distance with dried mango to the fore.

More dried fruits – like a mixed bag of dried fruits.

On the mouth – Cinnamon ribbon candy followed by white flesh peaches, dried apricots and oodles of vanilla spiced chai.

Middle of the road mouthfeel.  This is quite delicious.

The spice really comes through and there’s a touch of a floral freshness to it that reminds me of a blossoming apple orchard (yet without tasting floral – it’s just a feel).

Finish – Spiced rum cakes, decent length.

In sum – I’m happy to have had this Armagnac.  Fine, refined, balanced.  Perfect as an after dinner drink in place of a Port or Madeira.

Marquis de Montesquiou – XO – $129.99 (suggested retail – could not find an online retail source.  It’s imported by Impex – tell this to your local bottle shop and they should be able to help out)

On the nose –  Full of fresh berries – blue, red an incredibly ripe and juicy.

Spiced berry compote and vanilla bean ice cream – being melted by said compote.

Cantaloupe (?) with anise seed powder sprinkled about.

On the mouth – Much more present in mouthfeel than the VSOP however, the flavors are a bit more reluctant to rear their heads.

Trying another sip…  A much more subtle Armagnac than the VSOP.  The fruits are not here but the vanilla remains.

Touches of brown sugar and waxy, candied orange peel.

Finish – Warming and long.  Burnt potpourri.

In sum – A different animal compared to the VSOP.  If I had to choose (based on flavor, overall experience and price point),  I’d go with the VSOP.

However, this XO does offer you a drink that’ll warm your bones as well as any peaty whisky.

Special thanks to the good people at Impex Beverages, Inc for the samples!

A World of Discovery, Autumn, Glenmorangie, Let's celebrate!

Glenmorangie Margaux Cask – the waiting was the hardest part!

Highland region – 46%ABV – 700ml – Limited bottling 1 of 3551 – $446 | £278 |€325 (I bought my bottle a good while back and did not pay these prices.  My bottle number, by the way, is # 3535)

Where do I begin, and to what do I compare the feelings I had upon opening this bottle so as NOT to make a comparison to my *first time* with a girl and the anticipation some teenage boys, such as I was, feel regarding the prospect?  Aw, crap.  I just made the comparison, now didn’t I?  At least there were no details, right?  Right.

In all seriousness, I’ve had this bottle sitting in my whisky cabinet for a good 2 years (or so) before I went ahead and opened it.  It didn’t stay there because I was planning on keeping it for whisky collecting purposes.  No, it just so happened that I wanted to wait until the right time (whatever that would be) to open and enjoy it.  Thanks to you, I discovered what that special time was and, even though I haven’t gotten there yet, I’m well on my way on what I believe is the right track to attaining that goal.

So, why did I open this bottle if I hadn’t reached my goal yet?  Well, that is all explained in this here post.

Let’s just say that opening it was a thrill.  And to be in the good company of friends who are fellow whisky geeks/bloggers (Jason, Sam, that’s you!) made it all the more special.

Anyone who frequents the blog or knows me personally understands that I’ve basically got a boner for all things Glenmo.  If you’ve not tried their range in a while, I REALLY suggest you give it another go.  Their current line up is very special – even down to their 10yr “Original.”

And shit, if the contents of that bottle didn’t smell like pure heaven…

I’ve used this video once before (for another Glenmorangie whisky) and few drams can be compared to what is being compared in this video but, enjoy!

On to the review…

On the nose — A very un-Glenmo nose.

Wafts of over-ripe grapes.

Delicious prune like notes.

Scents of grass and wild flowers (the little white daisies that aren’t so sweet smelling – very earthy).

Italian herb rub.

Fine red wine for the holidays.

Subtle notes of apples and peach (wine soaked peaches at that!).

Big chunks of chocolate.

Paper lunch bags.

On the mouth — Powerful – like licking a dank dirt floor cellar; musty and earthy.

I wouldn’t want this any other way.

Very tannic, big wine and tobacco.

Lots of dried fruits with a focus on raisins and prunes.

This is really massive and the mouth feel goes back and forth between creamy and peppery.

Finish — Very drying finish, oaky and hints again of that herb-rub I got on the nose.

In sum — Delectable.  Way too big for daily dramming (also, too expensive & limited for it as well).  Handle with care.

This is the elephant in the room. Not to be ignored.

If drinking with friends, the conversation needs to be deep and it should be centered around this beauty or you’re just not giving it its due respect.

A World of Discovery, Autumn, Cold Winter, Eades

Eades Double Malt – Double Post – Speyside & Highland expressions

Moving forward with my vatted malts and blended whiskies series; moving on with the Eades Double Malts.  Last week I posted about their great vatted Islay expression.  I thought, seeing as these are “Double Malts” (the combination of two wine cask finished single malts into one expression) that I’d do a double post today – two different Eades Double Malt expressions.

So, what’s left in their line?  We’ve got a Double Malt Highland expression which is comprised of 50% Clynelish (a 10yr single malt finished in a Chateau LaFitte Bordeaux cask) and 50% Ben Nevis (another 10yr single malt finished in a Grenache Blanc Cask).  We also have their Speyside expression which is 70% Dufftown (a 12yr finished in Red Zinfandel) and 30% Mortlach (a 15yr beauty finished in a Callejo Tempranillo cask).

Special thanks goes out (again) to Pat of the Virginia Distilling Company for the samples!

Let’s start with the Highland Malt:

A Highland vatting of Clynelish & Ben Nevis – 46%ABV – 750ml – $70

On the nose — And odd yet interesting nose we have here…

Off the bat, notes of a wet cinder block.

Malt vinegar & chocolate.

Both vinegar & chocolate notes are slight – as if they were watered down in some way.

Buttermilk biscuits (malty, buttery).

Unripened pears.

Strong vanilla and oaky notes that, given the combination, are reminiscent of a bourbon (or the sweet result of a heavily charred barrel).

Soured milk (perhaps this is the vinegar note better realized?)

On the mouth — Very sweet with notes of english toffees.

Hot cinnamon on pears.

Nutmeg spice (back to that sweet bourbony feel).

Something sweet yet earthy in here.

Finish — Medium length.  Caramels, nicely salted.

In sum — Hmmm… perhaps, like the make-up, I’m a bit 50-50 on this one.

There’s a lot going on with the nose but once sipped on, the palate gets somewhat narrowed down (or funneled) into something a bit more focused.

It sounds like a nice thing but I was hoping for a little joyride like I was given with the nose on this one.

Now for the Speyside:

A Speyside vatting of Dufftown & Mortlach – 46%ABV – 750ml – $70

On the nose — Big, thick nose filled with dates and dark chocolates.

More dried fruits, juicy and nicely chewy (chewy like figs).

Salty and slightly smoked.

Stewed prunes and canned prunes.

Almonds via marzipan.

A dusty attic with no-longer-being-used furniture.

Very happy with this nose, thank you muchly.

On the mouth — Nice mouth feel.

The prunes regain the life they once had and turn back into plums.

That smoke creeps back.

My tongue gets licked back by light hints of leather and perhaps freshly dried tobacco leaf.

After becoming plums, said fruits then get distilled turning into a fairly hot slivovitz.

My mouth is now happy as well.

Finish — Medium length filled with melting chocolates.

In sum — A nice cold night dram.  Sit back and enjoy.

All You Need Is Love, Macallan, Takin' It Easy

The Macallan 18yr

Speyside region – 43%ABV – 750ml bottle in the US, 70cl in the UK and elsewhere – £70 | $90-$120 | €84

Wow to you oh whisky peeps, for a dram was bought by me to have (because the notes, they sounded so good).  Let him who hath understanding wreckon the number of the dram [that turned me on to The Macallan].  For it is a Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America number.  It’s number is twenty-four point one-one-one.  (sorry, my inner Iron Maiden fan could not help himself).

I am so very thankful to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America for helping to open my eyes once more to The Macallan – for that review, click here.

I received a sample of The Macallan 18yr early last week (special thanks to Igal!) and was not sure what to expect.

I’ve mentioned in the past that their standard 12yr didn’t do much for me (again, I’ve not had their 12yr expression in a bit more than 2 years) so I was not expecting much from their 18yr bottling.

After pouring the whisky into my Glencairn, here’s what I got:

On the nose – Plump dollops of sherry notes travel up my nose.  These notes are covered in chocolate and there is more than a hint of oak and vanilla.

Dried fruits are here — think prunes, dates and fig.  The more I smell it, the more I like it.  Leather & suede.  Big grapes appear in the final sniff.

On the mouth – The first thing I get here is sulphur but that is quickly pushed aside (thankfully) to reveal an incredibly smooth chocolate note.

Pipe tobacco and leather jackets.

Root veggies galore!  I’m even getting a hint of beets here – like whisky borscht (it’s slight but, I am getting it).

The smoothness of this whisky is really remarkable and, it’s nice and chewy too.

Finish – Medium length but there are some long lasting bitter notes to it that really offset everything I just smelled and tasted.  This, I think, is a good thing.

Yes, it’s a good thing.

In sum – This oozes of luxury and all things “comfort”.  This is something to break out for Shabbat (non-Jews, Shabbat is the Hebrew word for the Sabbath which many Jews, myself included, treat both as a holy day and a holiday – read here for more info) for sure!