Tag Archives: Slight smoke

A World of Discovery, Bowmore, Master of Malt, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime

Master of Malt 26yr Bowmore Single Cask

Islay region – 53.4%ABV – 700ml bottle – Master of Malt exclusive bottling, only 195 bottles – £100

My day… actually, the past few days for me have be rough.  For this reason to that one, just a lot going on and not enough room in my head to think about it all.  This is not a diary blog for me.  This is a whisk(e)y blog so I’m not going to pour my heart out because, you probably don’t give a rat’s ass.  What you do care about is whisk(e)y and I can dig that.  Shall I move on then?  Yes.

Sitting at home, I have an arsenal of 16 whisky samples – it’s like heaven to me.  Check it:

With so much to choose from, I just did not know where to start.  I think I stood in front of my sample stash for about 25 minutes before I made my decision.  My decision to choose the Master of Malt 26yr Bowmore was partially based on the fact that the only Bowmore I’ve ever had was their 12yr expression and I just did not like it (that review to come – sorry Bowmore folks).  I wanted to try something else by Bowmore and I **LOVE** the Master of Malt 19yr Tomatin (that review can be found here).  The other reason is that I’ve got a serious case of spring fever (like you would not believe) and the reviews I’ve read on this expression reminded me of spring or the flavors I’d like to taste in a spring-time malt.

On the nose – You’d never know this was 53.4% Alcohol By Volume.  It’s very easy to nose, and what a strange nose it is!  Soapy and quite flowery, perfect for this time of year.  Very much like Spider Mums (near exact).  Powdered sugar cookies and nail polish.  Really tough getting past that flowery smell though, quite lovely.  Reading the review of this whisky in Guid Scotch Drink, Jason described a Parma Violets candy smell.  Being that the Parma Violets are a candy found in the UK, not the US, I have no idea what they are but, Jason does, click here to find out what they are.  Hint of smoke floating way in the back.

On the mouth – Pure sugary candies!!  Holy $hit!  No need to add water at all – it’s at the perfect strength.  Pez, Cherry Pez, more soap (kids no-tear fruity soap). Fun Dip and Pixie Stix.  Is this whisky?  Yes?  Really??  If R.J. Reynolds came out with this product, they’d be in court in no time flat as people would say it’s too candy-like, “you MUST be marketing to kids”.  Thin mouth feel but coating somehow – like the fluid itself is sugar based.  Powdered sugar.

Finish — Long and fruity, like Beech-Nut gum (fruity like the gum, not the length of flavor as Beech-Nut gums lose their flavor right quick!)

In sum — I read review after review about how fruity this stuff was and I just did not expect it to really be as fruity as it was, and, so amazingly like kids candies it really was.  This is not an every day dram for sure.  For me, I can have this once per year or so…  It’s unique, it’s super cool and complex.  The balance is great and I love the flowery nose.  I just couldn’t see myself reaching for this all the time.

A BIG thank you to JJY for the sample!

A World of Discovery, Glenmorangie, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

The Glenmorangie Collection – Four 100ml bottles

Highlands Region – 43% – 46% – Glenmorangie Collection – (4) 100cl bottles – $49 (could not find sources outside of the US for this collection)

So yes, I write this fun and fancy blog and I have a lot of fun doing it.  Lots of great whiskies to taste; friends I’ve met, great comments, criticisms, etc…  So far, it’s a grand old ride.  In addition to writing this blog, I founded and manage a Malt Whisky Society called: The Jewish Single Malt Whisky Society (I’m not only the president, I’m also a client).

In our most recent tasting event we explored the Glenmorangie range (or at least 4 expressions from the Glenmorangie range).

We had a total of 7 people (including myself, though not pictured) that night and it was a total blast!  The group may have been a smaller one but, what a group we had!  These people are “the salt of the earth”.

While we did not taste the full range, we did get to sample the “Original Ten Years” Expression (at 43%) as well as “The Lasanta” (12yr sherry finish), “Quinta Ruban” (12yr port finish) and “The Nectar D’or” (12yr Sauternes finish) expressions; all at 46% abv.

The last three expressions are “finished” which means that they spent 10yrs in standard bourbon casks then were transferred for an extra 2yrs in their respective sherry, port or sauternes cask for “finishing”.  Basically, the whisky, having spent an extra 2 yrs in casks that have matured these different wines will have imparted to them some of the characteristics & flavors of each type of wine.

For instance, one can expect from a “sherry finish” to taste flavors that range from chocolate to dried fruits (think dates, figs, raisins, etc…).  A “port finish” imparts spicy qualities (think spiced gum drops, cloves, things like that).  Lastly, a “sauternes finish” should impart incredible sweetness (sauternes, being a fine, uber-sweet dessert wine) with flavors of honey & nuts, apricots, oranges, etc…

Glenmorangie is known for it’s soft elegant qualities.  Lots of honey & citrus, butter, etc…  So, imagine some of the above flavors on top of that!  Yum!

Let’s see how it all played out shall we?

The notes below are combined notes from the group as we were on the same page (for the most part) with all of these expressions.  Any stray from consensus will be noted accordingly.

The Original – Ten Years – 43% ABV

Initial whiff — Cirtusy, honeyed citrus candies, slight smoke & pineapples, grassy, vanilla bean ice cream.

On the mouth – Lemongrass, more honey, a bit thin but has a bit of an attack (“softens a touch with a drop of H2O” — John), pecans & oaky vanilla

Finish – (Here’s where tended to differ)  One of us thought the finish was surprisingly long while another thought it was “shorter than an oompa-loompa churning cream & sugar”  (Ok, I threw that analogy in.  It was better than just saying it was a short finish, right?).  I found the finish to be medium in length, a bit effervescent and with the slightest twinge of smoke (hugely slight!).

The Lasanta- Sherry Finish – 46% ABV

I’m going to be blunt and upfront about the Lasanta — I am not a fan in any way.  Maybe it’s my taste buds, maybe not, but…  each time I nose & taste this whisky, all I get is sulfur.  While other people got that too, they seemed to get past it and find other things and ended up enjoying it.  I, however, could not.  I’m not the only one who found this to be a sulfur-bomb, if I remember correctly, Jim Murray did too in his Whisky Bible 2009 edition.  For those of you who know me, you will be very surprised to hear that there’s a Glenmo out there I did not like.  Well, there you go, its out in the open.  Let it stand, too, that this is the ONLY Glenmomorangie I have not enjoyed (and I’ve tasted more than 12 Glenmorangies so far) so, finding one I did not like was bound to happen.  The notes below will be the groups notes, minus my notes:

Initial whiff — Cinnamon, caramel, black plums, pleasant & fruity, a bit sulfury, dark chocolates.

On the mouth – Caramel, figs, a big bite to it, tobacco, not very pleasant (this is not my note), “I think this one needs a bit of time to open up”, “Needs time & water, then, it’s lovely”.

Finish – A spicy finish. Longish and tannic.

Quinta Ruban – Port Finish – 46% ABV

Initial whiff — Spiced Oranges, Cloves, honey & vanilla, “this one will tickle your nose thinking that’s it’s actually Elmo” (Ok, so I threw in another little analogy…  it is a nose tickler, very spicy stuff).

On the mouth – More tannic than I expected, spiced citrus stuffs, honey and vanilla, some good nuttiness follows the nose here, oily mouth feel, coating and chewy.

Finish – Short, left you wanting more, off balance compared to what the nose & palate delivered, though with the addition of a bit of water, a creaminess stays with you.

Nectar D’or – Sauternes Finish – 46% ABV

The notes listed below are my notes from a previous tasting as we were all on the same page here.  The Nectar D’or really delivered and it was quite amazing to see the change in the group once we poured and tasted this stuff.  It truly is call a “Nectar” for a reason.

Initial whiff — Apricot jam, actual Sauternes (no initial whisky scents, pure Sauternes wine; delicious!), loads of vanilla, some coconut and a tad bit of smoke, more like apricot jam on burnt toast (after having scrapped off the burny parts with a butter knife).

On the mouth – My G-d, my mouth instantly started watering.  Very fruity, apricots again, pecans, oak and coconuts.  A bit peppery and some gobs of honey, sugared honey.

Finish – Long, this stuff coats your mouth quite well, in the way back of my tongue the pecans came back.  Quite lovely stuff.

In sum – What a night and ride this was.  I have to say that, in the end, the Original and Nectar D’or shined for the evening.  We tasted these in the order you just read and it was nice to see how this line was built using the basic 10yr fluid then building different flavor profiles on top of that with the different casks.  I don’t think, however, that this collection is a balanced one with the addition of the Original Ten Year bottle.  What I would like to see is a collection of the 10yr, 18yr & 25yr (and, I know this is a pipe dream because the 15yr doesn’t exist anymore but, the addition of the 15yr would be grand!).  Then, in another grouping, the colleciton should be the Lasanta, Quinta Ruban, Nectar D’or and Signet – this does not include a few other current Glenmorangie expressions but, hey this is just my wishlist.

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Glenmorangie, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime

Glenmorangie Quarter Century

Highlands region – 43%ABV – 700ml bottle $750 | £190 | €223

I was hoping to do three ti-pity-top shelf whisky reviews before Passover (the Laphroaig 30yr, The Glenmorangie Quarter Century and one other) but, for many reasons, plans have changed and I am only able to do the two.

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of the current Glenmorangie range.  I think it’s nothing short of brilliant (with an exception or two; I’ll get to that in a later post).  If you’ve stayed away from Glenmorangie in past years, now may be a time to return as they seem to have been born anew.

Today, I will be exploring Glenmorangie’s top dog – The Quarter Century.  Twenty Five years of maturation for this fine-ass fluid.  This whisky has been matured in an array of barrels: Bourbon, Sherry Butts (tee-hee :), my inner 9 year old always chuckles when I see the word butt) and Burgundy Casks.  This being the case, you can imagine that there’s going to be some depth and complexity to this whisky.

Let’s find out:

On the nose — Even at 43%, my nose is getting a little tickled (and I pride myself on having a nose of steel), refreshing, quite the fruit basket – melon, quite some apricot (G-d damn, I love smelling the apricot in a whisky and this is just so, so nice), honeyed toast, a slight whiff of smoke (ever so slight but there nonetheless), a dash of salt (maybe salted macadamia nuts?), jammed fruits, plums & prunes – where’s my rye toast right now – I don’t want to drink this, I want to eat this.

Palate — Oh, wow.  Really wow.  Succulent & lush, quite minty (not the full flavor of mint but the cooling effects of mint), thick creamy honey, almonds, my mouth feels like it’s wearing a hand knit whisky sweater – warming, yet cooled by the mint – quite paradoxical.

Finish — Ever so slight smoke creeps back with a bit of oak and vanilla, honey and back to some of the fruits – now some ginger??  If I didn’t have the natural reflex to swallow, I could keep this whisky in my mouth forever.

In sum — Tasting this reminded me of the time my friend Jeff tasted the Ardbeg Uigeadail.  We were at Whisky Fest in NYC and I brought him to the Ardbeg booth and he tried the 10yr, Corryvreckan, Supernova and the Beist.  Then, they poured him some of that ever so special Uigeadail and he paused for a moment and said, “Josh, I think I just found out why I was born”.

While the Uigy & Glenmorangie Quarter Century are WORLDS APART, I can say I had a moment just like that tasting this stuff.

This is the type of stuff that you break out when your kids graduate from college, become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, when that mother-in-law you hate passes (if applicable) ;)– in other words, enjoy this at the most special of occasions.

You know, after having this stuff (and re-reading what I just wrote above), I was reminded of a great scene in Pineapple Express where James Franco’s character was explaining to Seth Rogan’s character exactly what Pineapple Express was.  Here’s the pot version of the Glenmo Quarter Century for me (Disclaimer: I do not smoke, nor do I promote the smoking of marijuana, I just dig stoner flicks and this scene is awesome!):

Highland Park, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Highland Park 8 year old MacPhail’s Collection

Islands – 43%ABV – 750ml bottle – $35 | £23 | €26

So, I’ll be quite honest when I say the only reason I purchased this is because it said “Highland Park” and it was a $35 dollar bottle.  You may have seen in a previous post that the best dram for me in 2009 was the Highland Park 18yr.  I am a devotee of Highland Park and, for me, everytime I have a sip of their nectar I have a Shehecheyanu moment.  Highland Park whiskies are that special for me.

On top of that, John Hansell of Malt Advocate gave this particular expression a nice little review.  I’ll pay $35 for an 83pt whisky (especially if it’s Highland Park)!! You can check out John Hansell’s review here.

Without any further ado, here are my notes on this fine little dram:

Initial Whiff — Very delicate and quite briny, almost like a slightly intense Scapa 16yr (that review to follow in the coming weeks), oaky, hint of fried pineapple, honeycomb breakfast cereal (does that exist outside of the US??)

Palate — Increasingly fruity, tropical, syrupy mouth feel (can this really only be a $35 bottle??), ever slight earthiness (can’t place it, but the feel the flavor gives me is that of things growing in the springtime – it must be the youthfulness of the spirit), sweet onion, this is a punchy little dram.

Finish — Medium length, just as biting as you’d expect from 43% (though I would have loved to have tried this at 46%), after a minute or two I notice a stronger smokiness in my mouth I did not detect earlier.

In sum — This is not a very “Highland Park” Highland Park.  It’s quite different from the 12yr, 15yr or 18yr.  And while it’s not the most spectacular dram I’ve ever had, I can see myself reaching for this in an instant.   This is a really nice every day dram though, no doubt about it.  Quite well done and oh so worth the price spent (if not more – though don’t tell the kind folks at MacPhail’s, it’ll be our secret.  Just you and me. Ssshhhhh!!)

Continuation of the “In sum” portion of this post — So, I pored myself a nice healthy portion (my guess is about 6.5cl) and I tend to only use the first 2cl of a dram for review.  I’m about 4cl in and, wow, just a really nice dram.  A nice little cracker and so very perfect for the springtime or a cooler summer day.  I’ll take this in place of a cold beer any day – extremely refreshing!  Heck, I’d take this over water (this is the “Water of Life” after all, right??)

Bruichladdich, I'd not drink this one if I were you..., Kosher Spirits (not for Passover)

Bruichladdich 1994 (12yr) Kosher Wine Cask

Islay region – 46%ABV –  750ml bottle – $46 | £35 | €?? (Have not seen this in Euro currency)

So, the folks over at ‘Laddie came out with some bottles which were finished in a kosher wine cask from Mt. Carmel. Rumor has it (an unconfirmed rumor, mind you), this expression was initially distributed in the general New York City area which is 20% Jewish – you gotta love target marketing! I have some friends that keep kosher so I figured, before I suggest a new “finished” dram to my kosher keeping buddies who would normally not touch a dram which has been finished in a non-kosher cask, that I’d give it a go.  I was able to sample this one before announcing to the Jewish world all of the glories of the ‘laddich kosher cask so, let’s begin…

I’m glad I tried first because they never would have forgiven me had I suggested this one.  Many people will say that there is no such thing as bad whisky and I, for one, would agreed.  I would argue, however, that this should not be termed a good whisky; not in my opinion.  Don’t get me wrong, the folks at Bruichladdich have bottled some absolutely amazing stuff just, not this time.

Initial whiff — Lots of spirit here and a dryness hits you right away. Some faint smoke and maybe the smell of daisies – kind of flowery.  Where’s the ‘laddie fruitiness??

On the mouth — This sort of reminds of day old salad or veggies that are starting to go bad. Slight smoke again and a little salty. Still a lot of spirit in this too.

Finish — As dry as a (insert your own dirty comment here) on a slow saturday night. The nice thing here though is that you can tell that the dryness is a winey dryness so, they it nailed here. So, that’s good…

In sum — Sorry folks, this is my first bad review and actually, the first ‘laddie that I haven’t loved.  I would not suggest this one for any mood or season.