Tag Archives: Smoke

Exclusive Malts – Bowmore 11yo – 53.6% ABV

April 10, 2013 Jewmalt

Islay region – 53.6% ABV– US only — Price: unknown at this point.

Day 3 of my Exclusive Malts reviews.

On this day we travel to Islay to visit the Bowmore distillery, one of Islay’s most beautiful distilleries.

Most of my favorite bottlings of Bowmore are independent bottlings (a great example was Master of Malt’s 26yo Bowmore – holy crap, that was an amazing, amazing, amazing whisky).

Let’s see how this one plays into the I-prefer-indy-Bowmore-bottlings-playbook…

On the nose – Big, smoky, meaty with hints of spent match sticks and balsamic vinegar.

Damp and smoldering (?) cardboard and, deep in the background, UK parma violets, lavender and chrysanthemums.

Burning tires and hints of chicory. Balsamic reduction and beef ribs and spent cigars.

This is a big man, male chauvinist pig of a whisky. In an Archie Bunker sorta way, I dig it so far!

On the mouth – Damp wood, earthy forest floor, farmyard barn on a rainy spring day.

No heat at all and a great mouth feel! Campfires and damp tents. Wow, this is truly yummers.

Chocolate covered pastrami on rye. Like the sandwich has been bronzed in chocolate.

If you could bronze with chocolate (I guess it’d just be called “chocolated” then, right?)…

Boozed raisins, dates and sulphured figs.

Finish – More of the sulphured figs (add to that apricot).

In sum – Please don’t be scared of this word “sulphured” as this is not a sulphur-y whisky. Go to your local health food store and buy sulphured dried fruit. You’ll see what I’m talking about.

This is a massive whisky that has the digestive feel of a fernet branca. End on a good note, end your evening with this one.

Thanks again to the folks at ImpEx for the sample!

Cold Winter, Let's celebrate!, Mackinlay's

How I almost ended up in jail or, my review of the second release of Whyte and Mackay’s “Mackinlay’s” replica whisky from the Shacklton Expedition

February 11, 2013 Jewmalt

A mixture of Speyside & Highland region whiskies – 47.3%ABV – $175

The video below was recovered at the end of last week, one month after my trip to Antarctica.

Found by the Antarctican police (also known as Intersouthpol) and then released by the Antarcticaian natives, the video is here for your viewing pleasure.

This video is my review of the second release of Shackleton whisky or, Whyte and Mackay’s Mackinlay’s replica whisky:

If you’re interested in my written review, I was able to save enough of the liquid to write down my notes.

They are as follows:

On the nose — Flinty, coastal and smelling of goarse flowers (?) and then more earthy wild flowers. Biscuity and touches of lemon water, cold sweet cream butter.

Maltiness that verges on a Belgian beer (*verges*, it’s not quite there).

Very briny and notes of crushed pineapples abound!

On the mouth — Massive smoke, lemons bars, fig newtons minus the fig.

Still malty and with a great mouth feel.

Oddly sweety and peaty (the sweetness, like the first release) reminds me of Pop Rocks (maybe it’s the zippy feel on the sides of my tongue).

This is a great winter-warmer-upper! Briny still and the oily mouth feel makes my mouth happy.

Finish — Lasting, zesty.

In Sum — A fine, fine whisky. I’ve said this before but, if Richard Paterson got it right in his replication (and if anyone could, it’d be him), then the original Mackinlay’s whisky was a cracker!

Grab a bottle. It’ll warm you up!

An everyday dram, Cold Winter, Lost Spirits

American distillery Lost Spirits fourth cask of Leviathan I – heavily peated single malt whiskey

January 30, 2013 Jewmalt

California – 53% ABV – $50 (sadly now sold out but you can get Leviathan II for $50. You may want to hop on this as these casks render less than 200 bottles each).

Today will be the third exploration into a bit of an oddity amongst American whiskeys. What makes Lost Spirits Leviathan so unique? Though I’ve touched on that previously, let’s review it again:

Well, it’s a single malt to start. (Yes I, like everybody else’s uncle and their respective monkeys, read the NY Times article about the surge in the American single malts.) Beyond being a single malt whisky Leviathan is:

Peated to 110ppm (only Islay’s Bruichladdich can claim a higher peat ppm with their Octomore)
Matured in a late harvest Cabernet cask (few people have even heard of this style wine)
Single cask, cask strength, non-chill filtered, no colors added… the whole she-bang that whisk(e)y aficionados/anoraks/geeks look for in a whisk(e)y.

Maybe “oddity” is not the best descriptor. Maybe they’re a bit of a loner and a rebel. Yeah, that’s better.

You may have already read my review of Cask # 1 and/or Cask # 3. Here are my notes for Cask # 4:

On the nose – The nose is noticeably malt-forward but the maltiness has a deep, dank cellar-like malted barley quality.

Almost humid in scent.

As with Cask # 3, we’re getting some Horse Hindquarters Here (a triple H, different than HHH a la “Pump Up the Volume”).

Mezcal-like in my book with the burnt quality (not so much peaty but burning smoke).

Whoa. Grape “Bonkers” candies.

Heavy on the strawberry-jam-like sniffyness.

Dark millet cookies/biscuits minus any addition of cardamom powder.

On the mouth – Barrel char mixed with sweet red table wine.

Fleshy bits upon the peach pits (much like cask # 3).

I have to say that I’m very happy with the mouthfeel. Oily, tongue coating and rich.

Nowhere near as smokey in flavor as it is in scent. Very fruity, woody and winey with smoke around the edges reminding the dear drinker that yes, this is a peated whisky.

And finally, some over ripened mango right before some tannin-y dryness kicks in…

Finish – Lasting and now some sweetened spicy notes emerge and dance about on the center of the tongue.

In sum – What can I say about this whiskey? Well, it is very much a mood whiskey and a whiskey I could find myself in the mood for quite often.

While it is a big ‘ol peat monster it’s not trying to be Scotch whisky. It really is it’s own animal and stands alone (and quite tall) in the US Single Malt whisk(e)y arena.

Lost Spirits, Summertime, Takin' It Easy

Lost Spirits Leviathan I, Cask #3

November 21, 2012 Jewmalt

California – 53%ABV – $55 (solid pricing for single cask, cask strength whiskey!)

As I begin to write about this 3rd cask of Leviathan from Lost Spirits Distillery (Leviathan being a single malt whiskey from California peated with Canadian peat to 110ppm), I immediately began to wonder what to lead off with.

Sure, I could go right to the review but if I did, I’d be remiss in telling you that having looked at the awesome still at Lost Spirits, I was in some way reminded of Trogdor the Burninator.

Wait, come again? You’ve not heard of Trogdor the Burninator? I feel I must enlighten you:

(Yes. I am still sort of 9 years old…)

My bit of fun off to the side now, seriously, check out the Lost Spirits still. It’s a stunning work of art (that creates some fine juice).

Let’s review the whiskey!

Nose — Pushing initial thoughts of Mezcal out of my head and I find this to be a very grain-forward whiskey. All upfront we have horse feed, barley draff and peated mash all ready to be turned into wash/beer.

It’s also very barn-yardy (to be expected with younger, peated whiskies).

Let’s not forget the fruits, shall we? Milk chocolate covered strawberries. Perhaps a touch of marzipan and peach pit.

Quite easy to nose at 53% ABV! Smokey, for sure, but there’s a charred wood quality here, too.

Palate — Big and juicy and fruity! Tons of red berries, still getting some of those peach notes (the flesh right by the pit: tart yet over ripe).

Back to the barnyard-like notes. In fact, and this note was pointed out to my by a good friend, there’s a touch of horse-hind.

Put your nose up to a horse and, bam!

Warming, comforting, almost a bit too fruity (if that’s possible).

Finish — Fruity notes increase as does a building spice along the sides of the tongue.

In sum — Beyond the individual notes, taking the macro look and as previously reported, this is a very unique spirit! While I thought the first one I had was a touch more balanced, this one was insanely enjoyable. This to me is a summer dram. Yes, it’s smokey & peaty, but the fruits and grain have their hands on the wheel with this one. I’d love to have a dram of this while hanging out in a field of grains, reading a book.

Special thanks to BD for the official ample sample!

Cold Winter, Glen Moray

Glen Moray 2yo peated spirit, Batch #1 Cask #141

November 5, 2012 Jewmalt

Speyside region – 60.6%ABV – 20ml bottle – £18 from Royal Mile Whiskies but expect to get a different cask, cask #141 is sold out.

“…if only you applied yourself…”

“…you could do so much more if only you tried harder…”

“…you’re not living up to your full potential…”

“…seriously, why do you spend so much time in the bathroom?”

Many of us can likely identify with some of the above statements. Just think of your time in middle school, high school, etc… and it might all come back. Heck, I know my teachers have used at three of the above statements on me (I’ll let you choose which three).

Why do I bring this up? Well today we’re reviewing potential whisky, AKA spirit. This juice is only two years old. Like a student with great potential this spirit is young and raw and gives you a good glimpse (if you spend time with it to try and understand it) as to what it *could be* given a few more years of maturity.

Let’s dive in.

On the nose – The smoke is insanely obvious on this one so let’s not talk about it right not. I want to discover what’s ‘neath the peat smoke and there *is* a lot to discover here.

Off the bat I smell candy-style bananas (think Now and Laters).

Salty, green veggies and dirty socks (in a nostalgic way).

Apple skins, burnt as they were.

Now, I think, we can’t ignore the peat influence. Burning tires and smouldering stuff. Ivory soap, minus the soapiness (even though it’s full of smoke, there’s something clean in here).

Hay and barnyard (but it’s slight) and unripe red berries.

On the mouth – Yes, this is 60.6% ABV. Yes, this is spirit and not whisky but it is engaging, satisfying and so full of potential.

It all comes back to that classic Glen Moray mouthfeel. Luscious and indulgent in its creaminess.

Malt, cream ale, peat smoke galore.

Bananas, butter cream candies and lots of salted apple-y goodness!

More notes to follow in coming years of maturity…

Finish – Apples and peat smoke with a briny edge to it. A surprisingly long finish!

In sum – I really love the direction of this spirit… let me carry that further, I really love the direction that Glen Moray is going in.

Adding this to their lines of single casks and wine cask fully-matured whiskies, Glen Moray is starting to tell a new story. They are not just a supermarket malt, there is true character in addition to the known quality. Hear me now, within a few years, if done right, Glen Moray can and will prove themselves to be a true luxury malt.

Special thanks to IA for the sample!!

Jewmalt Whisky Reviews