Tag Archives: Rose water

All You Need Is Love, Arran, Summertime

The Arran Malt 14yr

Islands region – 46%ABV – $70 | £38 | €45

I’m going to skip the preamble today.  As I type this, it’s Thanksgiving weekend and there’s a lot of family schtuff going on so I’m tired and my time is a bit short.

Anyway, the Arran 14yr is much more exciting than anything I have to tell you.

Here we go y’all:

On the nose — Big, big apples!  Wow!

Lemongrass.

Malty goodness.

Getting fruitier, this time a bit more tropical…mango and star fruit.

Caramel syrup.

A big fat fruity & juicy nose that makes me very happy!

On the mouth — Fizzy-fizzy goodness (however I was hoping for a slightly chewier mouthfeel).

More floral in taste as compared to the nose.

Interesting…  Malt, top notch belgian beer (Duvel, my favorite).

Youthful notes – I’d love to taste what the new make spirit is like, my guess is that it’s strong personality is showing through to the final product.

Cereal notes.

Apple peels.  Dried apples.

Turkish delights minus the nuts.

Rose water.

A nice saltiness here.

Finish — Lasting, still fizzy.  A briny & fruity finish.

In sum — Reminds me of a young Balblair with a set of balls (especially on the nose).  This is a very summery dram.  Bright and refreshing.

A World of Discovery, Highland Park, Summertime

Highland Park 10yr Single Cask – Bottled for the SMWSA – Cask number 4.142

Islands region – 700ML – 750ml bottle – Go here to join the society & gain access to their bottles

So, beyond bottling some fine whiskies, the SMWS (in America) puts on a series of tasting events called “The Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza“.  The “Extravaganza” is now in it’s 17th year.  If you’ve never been to one of their events, you may want to change that, and soon!

Perhaps I can help.  I’ve been working with the good folks at the society and they were kind enough to extend to me a discount code for my readers; specifically for people who are not members of the SMWSA.  Tickets to one of their Extravaganzas, for members, are $120.00ea, non-members are $135.00ea.  If you use the discount code JMS10, all of you non-members can purchase your first two tickets at the member price of $120.00.  Not bad!

For more information on the SMWS events and on how to purchase your tickets, click here.

See below for a full listing of their fall events schedule.  I always jump at a chance to meet my readers so, for those coming to the Boston event, drop me a line: jewmalt [at] yahoo [dot] com – I’d enjoy the chance to talk with you.

Now, onto the review of what I think is a fine Highland Park:

On the nose – Chewy sweets gums like Jujyfruits; the lemon ones specifically (these are also known as wine gums to my friends on the other side of the pond).

Increasingly fruity and altogether tropical (papaya, horned melon, mango).

Very tangy and a deliciously smoked backbone.

Not smoky but smoked; like smoked cheese (interesting, I’ve been finding this note in a few of the whiskies I’ve had as of late.  Maybe I shouldn’t do these reviews on an empty stomach…).

Rosewater chews/Turkish delights.

On the mouth – Hello you little shapeshifter.

I think this is more a transformer than it is a whisky – tons of sweet coconut; both toasted and the milk thereof, salt, nail polish and vanilla.

What started off as a thin mouth feel gets viscous, the taste of the smell of hot plastic milk jugs (tee-hee, I said jugs…).

The smoked quality I got on the nose is gone giving way to some nice sharp cheddar notes but the body now has a smoky tone to it (just around the edges).

Like I said, this is a transformer, not a whisky 🙂

Finish – Makes the mouth water with hints of powdered sugar and the rosewater pops again.

Long and strong like bull.

In sum – Another summer dram with lots to offer.  Very different from any OB Highland Park I’ve had but hey, that’s OK.  It’s more than OK.  It’s wonderful, surprising and welcome.  Thank you single cask whiskies, thank you SMWSA!

As a reminder, a short while back I did an interview with Alan Shayne (President of the SMWSA and an all around great guy).  To read that, click here.

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Glenglassaugh, Let's celebrate!

Glenglassaugh 30yr 55.1% – a true celebratory malt

Speyside region – 55.1%ABV – 70cl Decanter (yes folks, a decanter.) – £390 | €469

I’ll be upfront here.  Many folks out there will not have the chance to try this stuff.  It’s rare and it’s very expensive.  Before you start calling me a Daddy Warbucks I will tell you that I reviewed this dram from a sample.  A big, *BIG* thank you goes out to Alan for the sample!  Cheers He’bro!

Why am I so excited about a bottle I could never afford?  Well, because A) some of you good people out there can swing the squids for a bottle and B) Glenglassaugh is a newly re-opened distillery and if this whisky is any indication as to what we’ll see coming out of their stills & casks, well…  let’s say we should all be excited.

On to the whisky!

On the nose – Light & fruity nose filled with a mist of lemons (better yet, Etrog) and white pepper.

A hints of lovely oak to it.  Sweet flowers and Sharpies (black markers).

Honey salted butter (unmelted butter – a fresh stick).

Black licorice.

Sugar cubes and almond oil.

On the mouth – Fruity – Apples and berries.

Loads of toffee and burnt tea leaves.

Rose water (oh, I love this!).

This is getting hotter by the second — cayenne and jalepeno notes pop in right as it heats up – brilliant.

Black grapes and cherry skins.

The mouthfeel went from oily and chewy but we go quickly over to thin and hot.

Finish – Prickly pears both in taste and feel “prickly” tongue and cheeks.

In sum – I am thankful to have had a chance to taste this stuff.  I was only 6 years old when this was distilled.  That aside, there’s a reason this is an award winning whisky.  Powerful and truly enjoyable Scotch whisky!  Another dram to break out for the most special of life cycle events such as the birth of a child, marriage, bar/bat mitzvah (for my heebs out there), Christening (because I’m an equal opportunity whisky lover), etc…

Last month I had the good opportunity to interview Stuart Nickerson (Managing Director of the newly re-opened Glenglassaugh distillery).  If you’ve not yet had a chance to read it, you may want to do so right now.  Part 1 & Part 2