Tag Archives: Tannic

A World of Discovery, All You Need Is Love, Ardbeg, Cold Winter, Glenmorangie, Takin' It Easy

I need your help – and you can win a 5cl sample of Ardbeg’s new Rollercoaster!

Sitting on my whisky shelf is a very nice & fancy bottle of the Glenmorangie Margaux Cask.  I bought this fine-ass bottle after reading this stellar review on the Dr. Whisky Blog

It’s been there for about 1.5, maybe 2 years now.  For one reason or another I decided that this will be a whisky for the most special of occasions.  My only problem is I can not think of an occasion that would merit the opening of this bottle!!  I look at it every single day and long for it but alas, I can not bring myself to open it up.

I need your help!

Any suggestions?  The most innovative/smart/clever one will win you a 5cl sample of the Ardbeg Rollercoaster.  Enter your suggestions in the comments below or on my Facebook page.

(Pass it on) Good luck!

This contest ends May 1st, 2010!  Pass it on and, good luck!

L’chayim/Slainte/Cheers!

Joshua (Yossi)

A World of Discovery, Nikka, Refreshed, Springtime, Summertime

Nikka Yoichi 12yr Japanese Whisky – Holy Complexity Batman!

Japan – 45%ABV – 700ml –  £72

So, in case you haven’t guessed it already, I am not a whisky blogger/reviewer for a living.  I have passions and this is one of them.  I am also a musician; I play bass guitar in a rock band called Kimono Draggin’.

In real life, I am a traveling salesman.  Most of my time away from home (Connecticut) is spent in Chicago, Milwaukee, New York, etc…  Occasionally, however, I do get to go to some really cool and different places (not knocking Chicago, New York or Milwaukeee, I love those towns) such as Montreal.

I was in Montreal this past Sunday & Monday.  What a cool and vibrant city!  First off, everyone in Montreal is a model.  I don’t know how they do it but every one is hot out there.  Very cool.  My extra 15 pounds made me feel like the fattest American in the world.  Additionally, while I was out there I ran into Kirsten Dunst on her way into a vegan restaurant, which was uber-cool.

I ran in to Kirsten (though, admittedly, she didn’t give me this fancy look.  I think she may have been scared that I was paparazzi or something…) on my way to The Whisky Cafe which boasts 150+ malts in stock.  They also have a cigar bar.  I had to go; come on, right!!!  While I was there I got the chance to try a whisky not available in the US: Nikka Yoichi 12yr (actually, Nikka, regardless of age or expression, is not available in the US; a total bust if you ask me)

So here’s my thoughts on this Japanese whisky:

Initial whiffs — Really fruity!! Strawberries, lots of them, pepper, vanilla (it almost noses like the Glenfarclas 15yr, perhaps it’s the spicy pepperiness of it all).  With a dash of water caramel comes through, big time, chocolate & old wooden furniture.

On the mouth – Very thin palate, more like Grappa, effervescent (little bubbles and fast ones at that), plastic shopping bags and white grape soda (if there were a thang).  Again, with a dash of water, it get quite earthy, almost a damp earth quality to it and less thin

Finish – Tannic, very drying, the effervescence remains but with that water, the creaminess carries through.

In sum — There is a lot here – a whole hell of a lot here and each level of tasting had something new to offer.  You could drink this and not think about it but if you set out to taste it rather than drink it well… you’re in for one hell of a fun ride.  Well done Nikka!!

Angry, Cold Winter, Laphroaig, Need To Bundle Up

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Islay region – 48%ABV – 750ml bottle – $39 and up | £27 | €32

So, there is a very interesting story to the Laphroaig Quarter Cask.  Apparently, years ago, before you and I were born (well, maybe not you, or you, or her, but he and me), the good folks at Laphroaig (and perhaps other distilleries) used to use smaller casks for transporting whisky as it was easier to do so by way of the ‘pony express’.

Well, enter the modern world where everything is about how you can ‘save a buck’, and these distilleries chose to use larger casks for transporting via rail & road.

In doing so, what was lost, however, was a quicker maturation process (due to greater contact with the wood, up to 30%) and an added oakiness the extra wood contact imparted.

Laphroaig revived quarter casking for this expression and I have to say I’m quite thankful they did.  In comparison to the Laphroaig 10yr, this Quarter Cask expression has a softer mouth feel and more of a sweetness which both offsets and compliments the amount of peat in this baby.  As a bonus, it’s bottled at 48%!!

Not only is this expression (in my eyes) superior in almost every way to their standard 10yr, it’s only about $7-10 more over the 10yr — a real bargain if you ask me!

Here we go!

Initial whiffs — Smoke, like a furnace blast, rather sweet, orange blossoms and extinguished soy candles, pine, oak, herbal/flowery tea (chamomile perhaps?), rotten bananas – I can almost taste the fruit flies 😉

Palate — Smokey & quite leathery, chewy but smooth in texture & medicinal/herbal, loads of oak (the quarter sized casks have a huge influence here), much better than their standard 10yr expression – the balance is great!

Finish — Long, smoky, drying finish, tons of oak here!  Quite satisfying.

In sum — With all of the medicinal & herbal notes in this baby, she’ll nurse you back to health!  This is like Scottish chicken soup.  Quite warming, even after first sip.  If you’re not a peat head, this is not one for you, this is a peaty one and I think you’d have a tough time getting past the initial smoke blast this one gives you.  If you are a peat head — welcome to heaven!

Side note (or would it be a footer way down here….hmmmm) — The fact that they have a titanium white cork cap kills me.  You’d think, with all of the peat in this one, that the cap would be charred & melted or something.

Autumn, Cold Winter, Glenfarclas, Need To Bundle Up, Takin' It Easy

Glenfarclas 15yr – Spicy, fruity…damn good dram!

Highlands – 46%ABV – 70cl – Not available through US stores – Master of Malt has it for £36 | €42

One thing that really bugs me is UK only or, better yet, non-USA bottlings of whisky.  My anger is not directed toward the UK in anyway, it’s directed at US law.  Specifically when it comes to the US *NOT* accepting foreign bottles which are 700ml (or, 70cl). They have to be 750ml.  Why?  It seriously does not make sense to me.  If you can clue me in, please, do!  Email me – I have to know what the dumb-arse reason is.

People in the US are missing out on so many good whiskies (or paying too much in shipping from the UK/EU to get them) due to US law regarding 70cl bottles.  One of the many drams us yanks are missing out on is the Glenfarclas 15yr.

The Glenfarclas 15yr is one of the better sherry finished drams out there – it benefits from all of the good things about sherry (rich fruits & spice) without being too winey, though, there is wine there for sure.  Many folks in the UK/EU refer to this as the ultimate Christmas Cake dram.  Jason over at WHISKYhost gives an excellent description of what Christmas Cake is actually like (if you’re a Jew like me, who has never had Xmas cake, you’ll benefit from this post).

Initial whiff – Wine soaked raisins, cinnamon (lots of it, almost like the smell of Big Red Chewing Gum), white pepper, extremely fragrant & masculine (in a very feminine, perfumey kind of way…)

On the mouth – Rich & decadent, oily, coating & spicy, very spicy.  Chewy, like chewing on taffy, malty sweet

Finish – Like the energizer bunny, it keeps going! A bit tannic, wine from the nose returns, the sides of my tongue have been tingling for some time now.

In sum – This is the first and ONLY Glenfarclas I’ve had.  Here in the US we have the 12yr, 17yr, 21yr and (I think) the 25yr.  And there are, of course, many others in the ‘farclas line but of all the Glenfarlas’ out there, this is the one I’ve read about the most so I went for the dram toughest to get in the US and I did not regret it one bit!  I prefer to enjoy this on a colder night.  Perfect for Christmas or, maybe good for the eighth night of Chanukah 😉  Nice cold weather stuff.

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.