Empty are the elm tree lined streets of Fredericton where the only sound is the wind, at times, shrill like a wartime London air raid siren. Unlit storefronts, empty mud parking lots, deserted Victorian houses converted into government offices, and a silent Saturday morning market is all that remains of this once bustling college town.
These March gusts portended an enemy invasion of my hometown: COVID-19. This infectious interloper arrived one, otherwise, ordinary day. Even here in this tiny township, the coronavirus has breached our defences and attacked two people on the university campus, where red brick Georgian architecture took hold and never let go.
I still have a job, still get paid, but I know so many people around me who have no money coming in because their job is gone, as one business after another is shut down by the insidious onslaught of this horribly virulent intruder. Everyone needs a job and has financial obligations to meet. I really feel for the unemployed, and if this goes on too long, I may be joining their ranks. These are times of fear and economic devastation not seen since the Great Depression. I now understand my great uncle Arthur's distrust of banks, his avoidance of debt of any kind and paying for everything in cash. The Great Depression scarred him forever.
We all know the real threat of COVID-19 is more than just economic, it threatens our lives. It's all to easy to slide into a state of fear and paranoia that brings out the worst in all of us like hoarding and snitching on neighbours. We may lose our jobs, money and endure calamitous financial hardships, but more important is our health and protecting the lives of loved ones, yours and mine. We must be vigilant in maintaining social isolation from others, washing our hands and all the health recommendations from our government's public health branch.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, May 13th, 1940.
But, most of all, we must remember that we will get through this. There will be better days ahead. In this time, I often think about Winston Churchill during WWII and his absolute refusal to surrender to his own fears, but insisted that the heinous pestilence Hitler represented would be defeated. In WWII there were no winners in terms of human suffering. All civilian populations of Europe suffered horribly, whether they be German, French, British or whoever. London was bombed with terrible consequences, but so too were the Germans (e.g. Dresden '45), the Japanese (e.g. Hiroshima & Nagasaki, 1945), and everyone else held in the cruel grip of war. But, all those nations rebuilt and while many died, many survived and lived to see another day.
On May 13th, 1940, Winston Churchill addressed the wartime House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom:
"We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be."
You and I also have to wage war against COVID-19 by sea, land and air. Do your best and remember Churchill persevered because he would never surrender. You and I must do the same!
Lately, I have been sampling quite a few single malts from independent bottlers. Why? The answer is simple. They offer an opportunity to try single malts from obscure distilleries that often end up in famous blended Scotch whiskies. The range of flavour profiles is astounding and the chances of discovering a diamond in the rough for a fraction of the price of a similar quality malt released by the big multinational drinks companies is pretty good too!
Independent bottlers just seem to be hitting it out of the ballpark for me as of late. Because they typically do not own a distillery, they buy the new make spirit that is excess or unwanted by distilleries. Sometimes these spirits have a flaw or are a bit off in terms of the house style of a distillery and so they find a home with the independent bottler. These bottlers are generally old firms that have a huge inventory of casks in all shapes and sizes, and experienced staff who sample the spirit regularly till its deemed ready to bottle. Expert wood management coupled with the right amount of aging and good judgment can transform an otherwise mediocre spirit into a thing of beauty.
What I have before me is a bottle from the independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail. While they do own a distillery (Benromach), the bottle before me is not from there. They have purchased some spirit from a little known distillery, Miltonduff. Miltonduff is a Speyside distillery that has been in operation since the early 19th century. Today, it produces about 4 million litres a year and most of the production is destined for eventual inclusion as the malt whisky component of the well-known, blended Scotch, Ballantine's Finest, which by the way, I absolutely despise. Ballantine's flavor profile can be summarized as Alpenweiss box wine, Fresca and black pepper, suitable as windshield washer fluid only. If I had known this tidbit of how Miltonduff is used, I probably would not have picked up this G&M release. But, such is fate. Sometimes we make decisions (career, marriage, purchase a Mercedes, etc.) without being fully informed.
Gordon & MacPhail have several different 'ranges' of releases. Some expensive and rare and others not. I opt for the latter. The Miltonduff 10 year old is from the Discovery range. The aim of this range is to serve as an introduction to the portfolio of classic Scotch flavor profiles: 'sherry', 'smoky' and 'bourbon.' Our little ol' bottle of Miltonduff is the 'sherry' representative. I am surprised as Ballantine's Finest is not a sherried dram. But, then I remember in such a blend Miltonduff is one of a great many single malts, and who knows the proportion of malt. Miltonduff might be only added in relatively small amounts to the blend in comparison with other single malts.
Age Statement
10 years.
Price (in Canada)
$110 (so, not exactly cheap)
Format
700ml.
Closure
Cork stopper.
Color?
Natural! No E150a.
Chill-filtration?
Yes. I confirmed this with Mr. Bill Somerville, Brand Ambassador for Gordon & MacPhail in Canada.
ABV
43%
Nose (undiluted)
Distinct sherry, cracked leather, vanilla, summer flowers of roses and peonies.
Palate (undiluted)
A dry, rich, sherry bomb, exotic milk chocolate, hint of mint and spices, fruitcake, rum cake, raisins and toffee.
Finish (undiluted)
Medium length of chocolate, waxen raspberry, melted caramel, dry oak, black grapes.
General Impressions
This is good! The price is not cheap, but I have absolutely no buyer's remorse.
This bottle exhibits impressive complexity when you first open the bottle. However, once the bottle has been open a while, the oxidation makes it more sherried and less complex. Still a good dram for sure, just not as complex.
While the youngest whisky in the bottle is a mere ten years, it certainly seems to have others that are far older. Gordon & MacPhail have accomplished what they set out to do, namely present a classic sherried Speysider. Frankly, I prefer this release to its peers: Glenfarclas 12 and GlenDronach. It might be a little less refined than say Macallan 12, but I really need to do a side-by-side to decide. If you like sherry bombs with interesting nuances, you will love Miltonduff 10 years. Highly recommended!
Hepburn's Choice is a line of single malt releases put out by the independent Scotch whisky bottler Hunter Laing. This product line always features 46% ABV, non-chill filtered, and natural color. Even more interesting is that the bottles are poured from a single cask. The bottle I have is one of 420 poured from a single cask. And the best tidbit, I save for last: the price is not bad. Quite reasonable actually for a single malt with the aforementioned attributes.
Earlier this year, I picked up another in this series, namely a 10 year old Linkwood, which was truly amazing. I went back to the liquor store and bought up the remaining four bottles. I reviewed it on YouTube, but never got around to posting it on here. That was a spellbinding, quintessential Speysider. Well worth seeking out, if you can find it.
Distillery
The Teaninich Distillery was established in 1817. Currently owned by Diageo and the massive quantity of malt produced (10 million litres annually) is mostly used as an ingredient of Johnnie Walker Red Label.
Region
The distillery is located in the Highland region of Scotland.
Category
Single Malt.
Independent Bottler Hunter Laing have bought up some of the new make spirit of the Teaninich distillery and supplied the casks the spirit is aged in.
Age Statement
9 years (distilled in 2008 - bottled in 2017).
Finish (undiluted)
Sour white grape/wine gums. Lemon meringue pie, limes and a grapefruit pith bitterness.
General Impressions
This is a light whisky that showcases bitter and sweet white wines/grapefruit pith. It's a different type of malt. The grapefruit pith bitter notes mostly on the finish may put some people off, but I kinda like it. When I first opened the bottle, I was not impressed with that bitter finish, but the oxidation that transpired over a couple of weeks took that bitterness down sufficiently such that you can really enjoy it.
While it is 46% ABV, I wouldn't add water. Works nicely neat. The lack of chill filtration and artificial color contributes to the complexity of this malt.
Again, the price point is really reasonable for this malt and this factor makes it worth trying. If you are looking for something different and wondering what some of the ingredient malts of Johnnie Walker Red taste like, try Hepburn's Choice 'Teaninich 9 years.
Sam lived across the street in a Dijon mustard yellow stucco, three-storey walk-up, whose horseshoe arched windows were trimmed in provencal blue paint. He was about to turn in for the night when he happened to gaze through his bedroom dormer and see a dim light on in Rick’s Café Américain. He had seen the bar keep, Sacha, snap the lights off when they closed earlier. With a big sigh, Sam thought a moment, and rather than retire for the evening, headed back downstairs and across the street to the Café.
“Boss, what’s wrong?”
Rick, seated at a table next to the piano, grunted something unintelligible, and stabbed a finger at the iPad that lit up at his touch. “Why me? Sam? Why?,” Rick asked.
Sam glanced at the iPad. It displayed an email, but before he could read it, Rick continued. “I got my Heritage Tree DNA results back and their not good . . . I’m a match with Ilsa.”
“A match?” Sam left school at 16 and played piano full time on a riverboat. Being a geneticist was not a possibility on the bayou, but Sam had a good idea what Rick was hinting at.
“Yeah, we’re related.”
Sam read the email that contained the DNA test results. “But, Boss it says you and her shared a common ancestor ten generations ago on your father’s side.”
“We are related. That’s the end of it. I been really bad. C’mon Sam, you know . . . that’s sick. But, I’ll show them sons a bitches!” Rick pointed at the bottles lining the back of the mirrored bar. “Gimme that one!” Realizing he was bellowing at Sam, he lowered his voice, and whispered “that one.”
Sam had no clue what bottle Rick wanted, but made a random grab anyway, and set a bottle of Bowmore 18 years old single malt down on the table. Rick was busy tearing open a new DNA test kit, in the semi-darkness of the bar, all the while muttering “I’ll show 'em, I’ll show 'em,” as bubble wrap fell all around him. He poured the Bowmore into his tumbler, with a Q-tip, he swabbed the inside of the glass, and then dropped it into the specimen container. Sam sent it out by courier the next day because he feared the use of the local courier service would soon be banned. This is not outside the realm of possibility thought Sam, given the fact that a Nazi Major Strasser had arrived in town to investigate the recent murder of two German couriers and the disappearance of their precious cargo: Letters of Transit. But, that's a story for another day.
A month or so later, Rick got a new Y-DNA 37 test result back that said:
Rick Blaine Y-DNA Test (AKA: Bowmore 18yrs Single Malt Scotch Whisky)
Price
Reasonable considering it is an 18 year old single malt Scotch.
ABV
43%
Artificial Color?
Yes.
Chill Filtration?
Yes.
Wood Management
A combination of ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks.
Closure
Cork stopper.
Distribution
Widely available.
Region of Scotland
Islay.
Nose (undiluted)
Fragrant, sherry, light smoke, slight peat, seaweed. Orange peel, orange chocolate. Solid oak and malt notes.
Palate (undiluted)
Fruit forward, like a Napa Valley Cabernet, delivering cherries, black grapes, toffee, salted caramel, brown sugar, molasses, which is accented by a light treatment of peat and smoke.
Finish (undiluted)
Good length. Red wine Bordeaux, bacon, vanilla, raisins, cigar smoke.
General Impressions
The stereotypical Islay single malt Scotch is a peat and smoke blast, and then, well more peat and more smoke with maybe some black pepper for good measure. Bowmore 18’s DNA contributes to a departure from the aforementioned stereotype. This Islay malt is sweet, soft, the peat and smoke is delicate, restrained and even muted by the aging in Oloroso sherry casks. With a rather modest phenolic level of 35 ppm, it’s the sherry notes that dominate the peat and smoke of Islay. Not the other way around, as one would normally expect of an Islay malt.
Bowmore 12 and 18 are very different malts for this reason. The 12 is peated, briny and of the sea, so to speak. There can be no doubt of it’s regional origin, Islay. But, if someone told me in a blind tasting to guess the ancestry of Bowmore 18 I would have thought the Highlands.
Criticisms? Bowmore 18 takes no chances. It’s a gentle malt, balanced to the point of being a bit boring/flat if you are into powerhouses with higher ABV’s or seeking complexity. I really think had this whisky been non-chill filtered and no artificial color, we would be tasting more complexity. Most 18 year old single malts will wow you in taste and complexity. Bowmore 18 does not. Nevertheless, very drinkable and my bottle disappeared quickly as I sampled and pondered it’s lack of nuance.
So, if you are relatively new to whisky and want to try an inviting, balanced, easygoing single malt with an 18 years age statement, Bowmore 18 fits the bill. If you consider yourself a serious connoisseur of malts where emphasis is placed upon complexity, power and the glory of single malt, well, you be best to pass on this. And now, back to the story . . .
Sam looked over the new DNA test results and said, “Mr. Richard, I don’t see Isla’s name here. You’re good. Just some distant relatives Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Port Ellen, whoever she is.”
Nose Strong pickled beets, ginger, chilli peppers, oak, vanilla
Palate Herbaceous, pine cones, ginger, ginger root, strong pungent raw honey, celery stalk.
Finish Sour dough, pickled turnip, ginger root again, faint root beer, just too much ginger again.
Conclusion Not impressed. Spearmint gum fans would like this. A little stale smoke, but just nothing great here. Adding a few drops of water did not help. Nominal peat and smoke and very very little sherry. The bourbon casks dominate with ginger notes. Just not liking this.
Not recommended. People who like Glenkinchie 12 might like this, but I am not a fan of that malt either.
"So, get this," Roger peers closer at the two day old New York Times, as he is too vain to get glasses, and continues. "The Clemson Tigers won the national college football championship right?"
"Yup," I say only wishing I could have watched some of it, but family and work life is very busy at this point for me or should I say unbalanced. I envision a retirement where Saturdays are devoted to college football and Sundays to NFL. Haven't broached that retirement vision with my Significant Other though. Gotta have dreams, aim high they say.
"Trump fetes the team at the White House. This is what he says: 'We ordered American fast food, paid for by me. Lots of hamburgers, lots of pizza.' He bought Wendys, Burger King and McDonalds! I mean for chrissakes. It's the White House."
"They are college students. He's giving them what they want. When I was 21, a burger was the centre piece of my diet." No doubt, Roger would be thinking foie gras on a baguette with white pepper should be served to a winning football team, but this just reinforces for me that Roger and his democrats are out of touch with Main Street. If Obama served burgers and fries the Times and the New Yorker on his rustic coffee table would have headlines celebrating such a move as in touch with college and ordinary people. Trump does it and liberal heads explode.
"What's gonna happen after the Super Bowl? Have Hooters or Twin Peaks cater the White House reception for the winning team?"
'Limousine liberal' Roger and I didn't see eye to eye on politics, but I didn't help bridge the gulf with my view that Trump is really an acolyte of Andy Kaufman, performing the greatest performance art act of all time. Fortunately, sitting between us on his chic farmhouse coffee table that Saturday afternoon were two bottles of Macallan 12 Double Cask capable of mediating our political differences.
So, here's the deal. In the last couple of years, I have not been a fan of The Macallan distillery because for a time they had stopped distributing in Canada age statement whiskies and had moved to a color scheme of younger, inferior but still high priced malts. Think the NAS '1824 Series' with the Gold, Amber, Ruby and Sienna releases. Gold was terrible and Sienna was the only impressive one of the lot, but super expensive. Macallan also put out a 10 year old Fine Oak that was horrid and well borderline rancid.
The Macallan is owned by the Edrington Group who I think have really been suffering from a case of identity crisis. Can't really commit fully to age statement whiskies and so release some no age statement stuff but still hold on to the old 12 year sherry wood and some age statement Fine Oak stuff.
So, I found myself at Spec's, a huge liquor retailer in Houston, in early December. I was there for an NFL game at the generous invitation of my cousin and her husband, Greg. Sitting on a shelf amongst all the brands preening for my attention was The Macallan 12 year old Sherry Wood. I bought it, got it back to my cousin's house, pulled the cork poolside and had a sip. It was boring. A balanced, pleasant but oh so boring. No zing, no panache, nuthin'. Americans love Macallan. I mean really love it. Huge sales in the USA.
Christmas arrives in Canada and Greg, up here for a visit, gifts me a bottle of The Macallan Double Cask 12 years from Texas. I smile, accept graciously thinking 'ahh shit this will be another super boring malt.'
But, it's not. This Double Cask is the Clemson Tigers of the 12 year old malts.
Edrington takes new American oak and sends it to Spain. There they build the casks. Obviously, the newly made casks have not held bourbon. Instead, the virgin American oak is filled with sherry for a while. Not sure how long the sherry is in the barrel because of highly guarded proprietary secrets of Edrington, plus we are not exactly chummy, me a lowly conservative blogger and them a high minded multinational.
In any case, the sherry is eventually emptied out and the casks are shipped to Speyside. At the distillery, in goes Macallan spirit. Thereafter, These seasoned sherry casks now holding Macallan spirit are blended with other Macallan spirit that aged in their traditional European oak. What you end up with then is a malt aged partly in American oak and then European. Hence, double cask. Let's have a taste friend:
The Macallan 12 years 'Double Cask'
ABV
43%
Age Statement
12 years
Category
Single Malt
Region
Speyside
Nose (undiluted)
Sherry for sure, but its rich, high quality, red fruit, and then the oak and vanilla.
Palate (undiluted)
Nice balance between sherry and oak; the oak is unique and complex. Spices of thyme and tarragon come to mind. High quality oak for sure. Creamy notes too. English cream follows the sherried entry onto the palate. Not as sherried as the sherry oak 12 years.
Finish (undiluted)
More cream, wood char, limestone oddly enough but totally in a good way, spring water, red apple and some nutmeg.
General Impressions
This is really good! It has restored my faith in the brand. So excited was I upon discovering this fine malt, I went to my local liquor emporium in Canada and bought two more bottles. One night I open one of those and have a dram and to my dismay it is toned down, flatter, thinner, and much less complex. What has happened? I am baffled. Looking at the bottle bought in Canada I see it is bottled at 40% whereas the American release is at 43% and that in my opinion makes a big difference. Look closely at my photo above of the two bottles and notice the differing ABVs. Why the discrepancy? An industry insider says bottling ABV levels are according to regional tastes. Another insider says its all about taxes. Some regions tax higher ABVs higher. So, those high tax regions sometimes get lower ABV malts to keep the price a little less.
Damn!
I hold the American bottle up to Roger as proof Trump may indeed be making America great again!
After many years of going to the gym, lifting weights, treadmill and even a few aerobics classes, I have burnt out. I can't do the gym anymore to the point where I would pull into the parking lot with a feeling of dread and say 'screw it', and head back home.
Maybe it's age too. I am not as energetic as I once was nor as ambitious about my health, career or anything for that matter. But, I do know I have to keep doing something or all my ailments (diabetes, etc) will go into overdrive. So, I have taken up walking mostly in parks and around my neighborhood. Sometimes, I can cajole Roger or Keith to do an hour long walk, but other times I am on my own.
During today's walk I was pondering what nip of whisky would be fitting for combating the chilly weather following my leafy jaunt. Couldn't be peaty. I just was not in the mood for a lot of peat and smoke. Sherry? Port? For sure! A heavy mouthfeel, velvety, yeah. My mind sifted through possibilities like Macallan 12, Glendronach, Balvenie, and then I thought those are expensive (well not Glendronach but the others are) and so I came upon another contender that excited me: The Spice Tree.
While it is not a single malt, it can hold its own against these more expensive age statement single malts. The Spice Tree is a blended malt, a combination of Clynelish (60%), Teaninich (20%) and Dailuaine (20%) malts that make for a brilliant Scotch whisky. Also an affordable spirit too! I am worrying about my pocketbook, in addition to my health, as I get older too. I am not yet watching Coronation Street, but who knows what my interests will be as a senior.
The other added bonus with The Spice Tree is that, unlike Balvenie, Macallan and others, here we have a non-chill filtered and no artificial color spirit, which I really think it contributes great complexity of flavour. While it does not have an age statement, this whisky delivers a solid flavour with texture that tells me the master blender made sure to have just enough older malts in the mix. This is no simple dram. The other reason for the complexity is the ABV at 46%!
Category
Blended malt. Price
Very reasonable.
Age Statement
None.
Closure
Cork stopper.
ABV
46%
Nose (diluted)
Earthy, sherry oak, Bordeaux wine, roses.
Palate (diluted)
Creamy, heavy English cream laden with red berries and spicy currants, warm cinnamon rolls, rich and velvety, vanilla, claret, truffles, a very dry Bordeaux.
Finish (diluted)
Drying cranberries, tangy, some wild honey mixing with the Bordeaux.
General Impressions
As you have probably figured out, this is really good whisky. Good price, good ABV level, good everything! Clynelish is the core malt here and you really taste it. The sherry and the casks it came from is done to perfection here.
A word about water. You will note that my tasting note is based on diluting the spirit with some water. I really think to a double pour you need about a teaspoon of water. This whisky improves with water and neat is not optimal.
My hour long walk is over and now I can enjoy this dram having finished this post.
Yeah, I know it's been a while since my last post. What can I say? Part procrastination, and part I dunno. Anyhow, I'm back and a big thank you to those readers who reached out to me via email since my last post in May asking if I was alright. Don't worry, this kid is alright! Ok, are you ready? Let's go and check out Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch Red Rye Finish!
Diageo, owners of the Johnnie Walker brand, are always rolling out brand extensions. Some are a success, some are not (e.g. Explorers' Club). Blenders' Batch is another attempt by this multinational, billion dollar plus, publicly traded company to inject some excitement and spontaneity in to their well established brand. And, how they have done that is by taking blended Scotch spirit, aged exclusively in first-fill bourbon casks, and then 'finishing' (fancy word for transferring to another type of cask) the spirit in of all things ex-rye casks. I must say I was intrigued. Scotch whiskies are usually finished in port pipes, Sauternes, and even Barbaresco (a mysterious Italian red). So, when I heard Diageo had come up with the idea of a finish in red rye casks, I was interested. Intuitively, I thought rye casks could compliment blended Scotch spirit that had been raised in ex-bourbon casks.
Launch Date
2016
ABV
40%
Closure
Metal twist off cap
Format
750ml bottle
Age Statement
None
Production Notes
A blend of three grain whiskies along with malt whiskies from Cardhu and the now defunct Port Dundas. As I mentioned above, the spirit was aged in first fill bourbon casks before being finished for up to six months in ex-rye casks.
Nose
Apples, cinnamon, a floral sweetness and some caramel.
Palate
Honey crisp apples, caramel crisp, apple crisp, a citric note of grapefruit and orange is present and of course some spiced rye appears.
Finish
Oak, vanilla, spiciness with herbs like mint and tarragon, a wee grainy with some slight smoke.
General Impressions
I was really surprised by this blend. Frankly, quite impressed. I particularly like the influence of the rye casks on the spirit. The rye imparts spiced rhubarb and a dry note. Really like this for the price. I would imagine it would perform well in a cocktail too!
Worth a try! I wouldn't hesitate to buy again when low on funds.
Here's my YouTube video review of this blend:
Thanks for your patience and I will endeavour to post more regularly!
I gotta leave work. Leave this soul crushing drudgery behind till tomorrow.
You ever get that feeling that you were meant for so much more in life and one day it dawns on you that . . . shit . . . this is it! WTF? I didn't sign up for this. But, actually I did. Ahh well, life's regrets and before we know it, we got bills, overhead, whatever we wanna call it and a guy can think he is kinda trapped.
I have a real button-down type of occupation and some days I think, how did I get here? And, I know I am not a victim because I put myself here. Some good decisions and some bad ones. But, if I have learned something, I can tell you this: every time I do something for the money I always regret it.
Ok, enough of the rant. Just had to get that stuff off my chest.
I have left work now. I am on the Woodstock Road that snakes next to the St. John River. I am half tempted to pick up Roger and just drive west! West to where? I dunno? Just drive man and we will find the answer on the road. Eventually, I discard that idea as I pull into his dusty blue gravel driveway. It's about 5pm with the sun in the western sky slowly sinking behind his red brick ranch style house.
"You look like you could use a drink," Roger opined from behind his smoking barbecue. He leisurely turns over some chicken legs and reaches for the water spray bottle to shoot down the flames. Santana's Soul Sacrifice plays on an unseen radio.
I head into the house through the back patio screen door and open the liquor cabinet. I survey the most eclectic collection of spirits ranging from Swiss absinthe to Croatian plum brandy. I am not that adventurous, but I do want something different. I scan in search of something new, strange, unpredictable, unsafe, but from Scotland. My gaze comes upon: Craigellachie 13.
Aged 13 years? What kind of a single malt is aged 13 years and then released? In the marketing world 13 is regarded as unlucky, which is why there are so few whiskies with a 13 year age statement or 13th floor elevator buttons in nearly all hotels.
The Craigellachie distillery has been around a long time, like back to 1891 I think, but the reason I had never heard of it is because up until about 2014 the distillery's output was sold almost entirely for blends like Dewar's and even some White Horse. Alright, maybe an independent bottler or two prior to 2014 managed to pinch some stock and release it, but the bottom line is that there was not a lot of single malt available from this distillery. That all changed in 2014 with the release of a 13 year old, a 17 year old and some others.
Region
Speyside
Category
Single Malt
ABV
46%
Chill Filtration?
No.
Artificial Color?
Depends on what source you consult. Some say yes, some say no. I don't have a definitive answer.
Price
Very reasonable!
Nose (undiluted)
Sweet notes of dandelion and hay.
Palate (undiluted)
Creamy body builds to a weighty delivery of honey, butterscotch and golden barley. Buttered toast with brown sugar. Grassy notes with white pepper!
Finish (undiluted)
Bacon smoke, drying, malty, marmalade, chilli powder and a slight but distinct sulphur note that strangely works!
General Impressions
I gotta hand it to Roger. He always teaches me something new. I never heard of this single malt. It's an odd malt in the sense that it is non-chill filtered but I am pretty sure it has artificial color (e150a) added, and at the same time has a great above average ABV of 46%. Speaking of 46% ABV, it really calls for some water. I recommend a teaspoon to a double pour.
This is a classic Speysider. Golden honey with spiced marmalade.
Lynyrd Skynyrd's Freebird is playing now on an old transistor radio. Maybe it is a sign.
A good friend of mine (though I would never tell him I consider him as such, given my faux-British stiff-upper lip adoption caused by filling my teen years binging on Fawlty Towers, The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin and Churchill documentaries) did gift me for my birthday a bottle of Aultmore 12 years Single Malt.
I had seen this bottle as a newcomer to the shelves of the local liquor store, but wasn't keen on buying a totally unknown commodity. I mean who has heard of Aultmore? I did a quick internet search and learned that this distillery is basically a source malt for what goes in Dewar's blended whisky. Not the strongest lineage in the whisky world. I mean we all know about Highland Park, Macallan and others, but Aultmore? The name sounds like a medical condition. I can just imagine my near centenarian doctor with his bifocals low on the bridge of his beak as he peers at me with clear disdain and says with a hint of Lanchashire, "you've Aultmore of the privates m'boy and it has spread to the lower GI tract."
Not expensive, but not the cheapest 12 year old single malt. It is priced moderately and does boast on its packaging non-chill filtration and no artificial colour. Plus it weighs in at a hefty 46% ABV so that could augur some complexity of flavour or disaster. As you know friend, only one way to find out.
Region
Speyside
Category
Single Malt
ABV
46%
Artificial Color?
No!
Chill filtration?
No!
Wood Management
Ex-Bourbon casks. Not tasting any ex-sherry casks. Don't believe any are used.
Nose (undiluted)
Floral notes of dandelion, roses, apple blossoms, honey sweetness and butter. Very balanced and pleasing drawing you in again and again.
Palate (undiluted)
Powerful burst of graprefruit and pears. Honey, fruit cup syrup (in a good way!), golden wheat, barley, vanilla, banana, English cream and custard.
Finish (undiluted)
Cream, lemons, sea salt, limes. The flavors linger a long time!
Add Water?
Yeah, you could but you would rob yourself of the wonderful complexity of this single malt. When you have no artificial color, no chill filtration and a higher ABV, that is a recipe for greater complexity and you get it here!
Peer Review
If you like Chivas Regal 12, 18, Dalwhinnie and Glenfiddich 15 Solera you are gonna love Aultmore 12.
Conclusion
Friend, I love this stuff!
It's affordable, non-chillfiltered, no artificial colour and a high ABV of 46%. All of these factors plus the Master Blender's tremendous talent in never letting this malt taste hot or fiery makes it a must buy. Amazing that a whisky devoid of smoke, peat and sherry can be so good, but it is. Put it on your list! It's good for what ails you! Especially if you contract Aultmore of the privates!
Winter has arrived in my part of the world. Shoveling snow can seem like such a chore, but after I get it done, I like a nice blended Scotch to take the chill away. A whisky that is not too complicated, expensive or needing my attention.
"Hankey Bannister" reminds me of other low end brands like "Passport" and "Banknote." They try, in an unsubtle fashion, to appear to be the choice tipple of the affluent, but come off as looking cheap and about as classy as that old green bottle of Paco Rabanne cologne that sat in your Dad's medicine cabinet during your entire childhood.
I reached for a bottle of Hankey Bannister because, in spite of the lack of cachet and 'buzz,' (which I always try to ignore in the mainstream spirits press) I just had to know what such an old brand offered its current loyal customers.
You see, when I first got into drinking whisky and initially enthralled with it, it was the blends that hooked me. Teacher's, Famous Grouse, Black Bottle and Islay Mist to name but a few. To my palate at the time they were wonderfully smooth and not overwhelming in flavors that was the case with many single malts. But with time, the quality of blends has been in decline (e.g. Black Bottle, Teacher's) and I also acquired a taste for the single malts. So, I always have a had a soft spot for blends.
Price
Very reasonable for a 12 year age statement.
ABV
40%
Chill Filtration?
For sure!
E150A
Yip!
Wood Management
Aged for 12 years in ex-bourbon casks.
Nose (undiluted)
Soft, sweet, dandelion, vanilla, very subtle smoke.
Palate (undiluted)
Crisp honey, vanilla, gold oats and syrup, white cake bread, sweet barley and toffee.
Finish (undiluted)
Balblair malts and young grains contribute grapefruit notes but no bitterness. A little hint of ginger and a nice puff of smoke at the very end.
General Impressions
I really like this blend!
Takes me back to my first steps into whisky with good blends. This is an impressive blend. It is not complex, but I was not expecting any English garden maze of flavors. However, there is a nice transition in flavors and texture. At first sip it is sweet, but dries by the finish. Initially it is sweet honey, but by the finish there is grapefruit and lime zest.
Reminds me a lot of Chivas Regal 12 years. I would take this over that.
20,000 bottles released to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the distillery.
Price
Varies widely, but in New Hampshire I paid $60. Reasonable but I have seen some very high prices elsewhere in excess of $100 (not reasonable).
Wood Management
Aged exclusively in refill bourbon casks. No ex-sherry casks involved.
Nose (undiluted)
Without water, the aromas that lift out of your glass are delightful. Minty, hickory wood, seaside bonfire, hint of banana and lemons too. Add water and these aromas are blurred.
Palate (diluted)
You really have to add some water given the 48% ABV. With a little water you will get big time salt, loads of hard, coarse salt, custard and of course smoke and peat. There are green minty notes with wet wood smoke too.
Finish (diluted)
Dry zing of black peppercorns, dry ginger, camphor, menthol and phenolic notes abound.
General Impressions
This is a bold expression from the Lagavulin distillery that serves up lively peat and smoke, lemon zest and banana, plus some wood char. It is really comparable in taste to Ardbeg 10 or Laphroaig Quarter Cask.
Lagavulin 8 years is a youthful, robust peat bomb in a glass. Do not think of this whisky as a younger version of Lagavulin 16 years. They are very different whiskies.
Definitely peat and smoke fans of Islay malts will enjoy, but if Islay malts are not your cup of tea, then probably best to avoid this expression and opt for something that is gentler like an easy going blend (Islay Mist, White Horse, etc.). Personally, I prefer a more refined taste of the 16 year old Lagavulin, but that is a different malt all together given the aging in sherry casks and much older malts.
Chivas Regal 12 years old
They are two titans of the 12 year age statement blended Scotch whisky category. One is Johnnie Walker Black. The other is Chivas Regal.
I like both.
I like Chivas for the honey sweetness, spices and apple notes. Sometimes I just want an old friend along while we watch the game. Don't have to make much chit chat. Chivas won't let me down.
Black Label is spicy cinnamon and caramel, accented with smoke due to the blending malts Talisker and Caol Ila. Black Label is caramel while Chivas is honey. Each has its time and place. While Johnnie Black is more complex and probably is the superior dram in the category, it is invariably more expensive, often when I am light in the wallet, which makes Chivas (often on sale) a lot better company.
Category
Blended Scotch Whisky
Core Malts in Blend
Strathisla, Glen Grant, Glenlivet, Glenburgie, Braeval, and many others.
Distribution
Widely available in over 151 countries.
Format
750ml
ABV
40%
Artificial Color?
Yes.
Chill Filtration?
Yes.
Closure
Plastic twist-off cap. A little bit cheap and disappointing, and not in keeping with the fancy, but dated (e.g. thistle and castles) packaging and design.
Age Statement
12 years - no grain or malt whiskies less than 12 years and certainly some are older.
Style of Whisky
Classic Speyside
Nose (undiluted)
Vanilla, reserved oak, citrus, sliced apple.
Palate (undiluted)
Wild honey, spiced pumpkin pie, caramel, English cream, sugar pie, maple syrup on pancakes. Sweetness is not cloyingly so.
Finish (undiluted)
While it is a short finish, the flavors are: lemon meringue, lemon zest, touch of smoke, slightest of slightest hint of peat, a sweetness that transitions to sour (but in a good way), and finally black pepper. A distinct black pepper.
General Impressions
I like this blended Scotch. It does not suffer from the all too common flaw of being too grainy. It is honey and sunshine in a glass. Virtually no peat or smoke, but that's ok.
I think the novice Scotch fan will really like Chivas Regal 12 years because it is balanced with no off-putting flavors. In this regard, whisky newbies may prefer this over Johnnie Walker Black Label that has much more smoke and spiciness that novices may not enjoy.
When you factor in the price point, often on sale, how can you turn down an old friend?
Nose (undiluted)
Splendid! Luxuriant! Floral! Bouquet of apple and cherrie blossoms. Nice honey sweetness.
Palate (undiluted)
Honey, peanut brittle, marzipan and baklava with a swirl of peat, dark red sherry and a flourish of smoke. Delightful briny water and peat (Talisker and Caol Ila for sure!) flourishes against the honey background.
Finish (undiluted)
Long. Lingering subtle waves of sweet peat that mingle with Swiss milk chocolate. Nice accents of black pepper, Kosher salt and bergamot teas.
Green Label, a blend of four great single malts, is superior to a lot of 10 and 12 year old single malts out there on the market. Do not fear the 'blended malt' moniker somehow being inferior to 'single malt.' Cragganmore and Linkwood are honey and syrup like malts that pair with the peat, lemon zest and surf brine of Caol Ila and Talisker. These are all great single malts on their own, and when combined together here, deliver a complex and delightful taste.
When they relaunched Green Label in 2016, the bottling I had was rather flat in taste. Just a boring honey Speyside style. Now, a year later, it appears the Master Blender and team have spiced things up with what I suspect is a lot more Talisker and Caol Ila in the mix. Vast improvement.
Production Notes
Unchillfiltered and no artificial coloring.
Nose (diluted)
Mildly antiseptic, loam earth, smoky, road tar.
Palate (diluted)
Salty sea water, brine, iodine, ginger sweetness, big peat and black sooty smoke.
Finish (diluted)
Ginger, kippers, smoked mackerel and sharp peppercorns.
General Impressions
This is priced a little less or right along side inexpensive, entry level single malts. For the price, you are going to receive a big peat, smoke and peppercorn tasting malt with sweet ginger to boot.
If you like Ardbeg, Laphroaig and other malts of Islay, you will like this non-Islay malt that competes with the aforementioned distilleries.
For those of you who do not like the taste of peppercorns, peat and smoke with a twist, and much prefer honeyed, salted caramel fair with some sherry that is typical of Speyside and the Highlands, then Ledaig is not for you.
For me, I like Ledaig when in the mood for good peat, sweet smoke, beach fire notes, this is a great ship to take me there.
If Johnnie Walker Black was a fellow, he would be a young, lean, angular jawed, recent MBA grad, full of ambition with his career mapped out in exhaustive Montblanc detail on a coffee shop napkin, should you care to ask.
Got an expensive car lease that you impulsively plunged into during the sunny honeymoon period with your ex-gf, and now, under the gathering sombre clouds of insolvency, you are desperate to escape? Johnnie actually knows someone, who knows someone, who wants that overpriced and unreliable German automotive piece of revenge, launched against us because our grandfathers won the War. After a volley of texts, email, and countless lattes, you will find yourself, an offender released from the Mercedes Benz Finance debtor's prison.
Seated next to Johnnie, in a gray Philadelphia Eagles poncho, is Glen, or more precisely Glenfiddich 12, and he likes fishing, Coors Light and football. Everyone likes Glen, particularly the ladies. He has an interesting opinion on everything from Ford truck lift kits to what kind of industrial glue, wax and gold metallic paint is used to maintain Trump's pompadour!
And sitting across from these two characters at the coffee shop/ bookstore / consignment art gallery, or hunting ground for a Friday night date, is Jura. He's got the J.Crew catalogue thing goin' on a little too much with the green merino wool v-neck, the golf ball white Brooks Brothers button down underneath, and of course ironed safari beige khakis. Are we in church or trying to meet ladies in a coffee shop / bookstore / avante garde nude interpretative dance theatre troupe gallery or whatever the hell this place is? C'mon Mr. Rogers !!!
What can I tell you about Jura? He's frugal. Cheap to hang out with, but damn, the 25 cent tip he leaves behind is a bitter reminder to the waitress that it is a cold world out there just like February's icicles lining the metal awning beyond the cafe's storefront window.
Category
Single Malt Scotch
Price
Cheap price for the 10 yr single malt category.
Region
Island (Jura) Age
10 years
Closure
Cork stopper ABV
43% (depending on market, may be 40%) Production Note
Aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks, unpeated.
Palate (undiluted)
Creamy, banana, oak, melon, honey, coconut and white cake bread. Faint marine/dulse note (even though the malt is not peated, maybe the bogs covering much of the island transfer some peat/phenolic notes into the natural water supply used by this distillery). Wood smoke / kippers.
Finish (undiluted)
Tight green apple, slightly acidic green pepper, unripened melon, bitter lemon seed and orange pith. Some mackerel and wet wood smoke too.
General Impressions
Jura delivers the goods for the price, but just barely. The grapefruit pith and lemon rind finish is simply too bitter to be pleasant leaving this malt unbalanced and wanting. Maybe it needed more time in the cask. Or maybe the spirit needed some time in sherry casks to soften the citrus bitterness. I suspect so.
For what you paid, you receive a very basic malt. No complexity, no intrigue, no excitement. Maybe sometime you may want a simple Maritime style whisky that will not break the bank.
You are not being wowed. Your friend is not Highland Park 18 doing an in-store poetry reading, that attracts a circle of fluttering ladies like moths to a flame.
Instead, Jura is a strait-laced / law abiding fellow, who by turns can be a little taciturn, which makes it hard to attract bees since there is little honey sweetness once the finish arrives or when he opens his mouth to speak. I mean, he is not willing to accept some sherry casks and peat into his personality. Need I say more? He would be more charismatic if he would adopt the easygoing world view of Glen. As a friend, you accept Jura's risk-averse nature for what it is, a decent character, who by turns is a little bitter and astringent.
Cheers!
Jason Debly
P.S. Glenfiddich 12 is typically priced lower than Jura 10 yrs "Origin" and does not present any of the bitter grapefruit pith notes. However, Glenfiddich 12 is not particularly smoky or marine-like in the style of Jura. If you want the nautical and sea-like style around the same price point, then please consider Old Pulteney 12 years.
Palate (undiluted)
Creamy port, dark chocolate, light spiciness of berries, fig and pecans. The body is light!
Finish (undiluted)
Herbaceous, mineral water notes, grapefruit, blood oranges and apricot.
Finish is long.
General Impressions
At 46% ABV you are probably thinking it is going to be a little fiery and hot. Not the case here! The master blender has done a wonderful job in delivering a balanced, textured and not over the top dram. There is a spiciness on the palate, but it is gentle. The body of this malt is fairly light unlike it competitor like Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 12 years that is heavier and a wee jammy. What sets this port wood finish malt apart from other port finished malts is how it starts with traditional port flavors (fig, strawberry, nutmeg) and then becomes surprisingly citrusy with grapefruit and apricot. A real transition that works very well! A lot of port finish malts start with those typical port notes and build from there as would be the case with Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban or the far more expensive Balvenie 21 year old port wood.
You could add water certainly and you should experiment. I am just am hooked on the neat taste of this malt.
Between now and New Year's this will be my dram to warm me from the cold winter!
"Yesterday, my boss swung by my office and told me to come see her."
Keith paused, let out a triumphant belch, crushed his can of Schlitz upon his blue jean thigh and then continued.
"I was thinkin' . . . ahh shit, not the Lara Croft saga again."
Earlier this year, he had pinned to the gray fabric partition of his cubicle, a movie poster of the fictional video game character, the voluptuous British archaeologist/explorer, who passes her time ducking poisonous blow darts while trekking through ancient, dangerous tombs and ruins. His white pressboard cubicle bookshelf was also adorned with Lara Croft figurines striking feisty action poses with big guns drawn, firearms that is.
Have I also mentioned he is 46 years old, a genius software coder, who lives in his mother's basement, and is my one of my best friends? And, what does this say about me? Leave that for another post.
Anyhow, to Keith's utter bewilderment, someone in the office took offence to his cinematic poster and action figure selections. HR invited Keith to a windowless meeting room where they laid out the complaint. In response, he invoked nonsensical freedom of expression arguments. He also protested, in vain, that no one complained about his Star Wars figures: bikini clad Princess Leia entwined with Jabba the Hutt.
In any event, his employer proffered what they termed a 'compromise.' Either he make the poster and offending figurines disappear or he would be disappearing from the software company's payroll quicker than an arrow flies from Ms. Croft's crossbow.
"I still had Lara as my screensaver, and thought that maybe the boss was gonna whine about that."
His defiance reduced to a computer screen in sleep mode was not wise, and any attempt to warn him was dismissed with a wave of his pudgy mitt that clasped a fresh replacement to the recently compacted Schlitz can. He had moved on to Old Milwaukee.
"Turns out, it was not about that at all. She has a new idea for an app she wants me to work on. It had nothing to do with the Tomb Raider."
Keith seemed to be trying to conjure up another belch, but his gastrointestinal tract would not cooperate. Instead, my Chinese friend momentarily grimaced in effort while his lower lip quivered kinda like Jabba the Hutt.
"What's the app?" Roger asked while making braised Provençal beef.
We were in his sunny country kitchen and he was at his island gas grille expertly stirring sauce in one pan, and searing chunks of beef in another. Amidst the steaming pots and hissing frying pans, he would nonchalantly toss a dirty pot into the double sink from where he stood, a distance of about ten feet. He had worked in Brussels, Lyon and his native Lancashire, not to mention a few places in the New World.
"She wants me to develop a whisky tasting note app."
. . .
The braised Provençal beef was rib sticking fare of chunks of seared beef in a dark sauce that had duck fat, pre-glazed carrots, oven dried tomato, artichoke and turnip. Between this French dish, the tannic-of the soil red Bordeaux, and the crackling fireplace next to the kitchen table, I was listening without really understanding as Roger explained the recipe that Saturday afternoon in cold December.
Eventually, I could no longer follow the conversation of spices, repeated braising at certain intervals, the changes in pans, and oven cooking temperatures, to the point that my mind set sail on a river of Bordeaux and eventually came to the shore of whisky apps, no doubt inspired by Keith's tale of self-inflicted workplace woe. And then a thought came to mind. Maybe I should rate them all and let you know the best whisky app available.
. . .
The Best Whisky App of 2016
Here at Jason's Scotch Whisky Reviews, I and my team of testers (Keith and Roger) have spent the past month downloading every available whisky app onto our respective smartphones and computers in hopes of discovering the best whisky app for you. I am happy to report that after surveying the marketplace, paying close attention to cost, availability, absence of software glitches, and a multitude of other performance metrics, we can report with authority that the best whisky tasting notes app is the:
"Whisky Bottle"
Whisky Bottle
Every whisky app has its strengths and weaknesses. What we were particularly impressed with was how well the Whisky Bottle performed in areas where wifi was not available. The display performed consistently. Software updates were never a concern. The label on each single malt Scotch bottle we tested provided us clear, easy to understand text, the name of the distillery, age statement, ABV and capacity (e.g. 750 ml). Now, we must admit the font chosen by some brands took a little bit of getting used to, like take for example the bottle pictured above. The "Dalwhinnie" script was a little different and not as simple as say the 16 point Times New Roman font that you might see on other bottles like say Johnnie Walker Black, but with a little time and possibly a libation or two, we were able to adapt.
Because we did not need wifi or a data plan to operate the Whisky Bottle, that meant it was very mobile. Park benches, even in the rain, were no problem. The interface display, namely the label did degrade somewhat during testing in a heavy downpour at a local park. The ink on the label did seem to run a bit, but we just moved to the trees and under those mighty branches, the display significantly improved. Plus it became more user friendly as the bottle was less slippery!
Software updates were naturally not a concern. No patches needed here. One's personal identity was not exposed to hacking, unless he downloaded too much of the Whisky Bottle content at the office Christmas party, and then started hitting on the waitress who happens to be his neighbor's daughter. Then a user's identity or reputation could be put at risk.
During our extensive testing we were comforted by not having to have access to an adequately charged smartphone to operate the Whisky Bottle. While USB power cords, adapters and electrical outlets were not needed, there was one accessory that was a must: the Glencairn glass. Without this user interface device, operation of the Whisky Bottle attracted stares from onlookers in restaurants, bars and the park we were in. This in turn drew the unwanted attention of the police, who unceremoniously pulled out handcuffs when we explained we were doing field testing.
Armed with a Glencairn glass, one can operate the Whisky Bottle with relative ease and develop tasting notes very quickly in real time. A case in point, here is the tasting note produced by a bottle of Dalwhinnie when accessorized with a Glencairn glass:
Dalwhinnie 15 years Single Malt Scotch
Nose (undiluted)
Vanilla, apple blossoms, pears.
Palate (undiluted)
Apple peel, bruised apple sweetness, salted almonds drizzled with wild honey, lemon zest and barley toys.
Mid-to-Late Palate (undiluted)
Spices emerge, baking soda, thyme, rosemary and walnut.
Finish (undiluted)
Drying malt, pencil lead, graphite, white oak, balsa, part your lips and breathe and you will taste smoke and remnants of heather.
The Whisky Bottle, with Glencairn add-on, allows the user to draw their own conclusions and general impressions. We found this much more readily accepted by the user than to rely on someone else's opinion, or sorting through endless Facebook and Twitter feeds. With respect to Dalwhinnie 15 years, our testers had the following impressions:
Very sweet whisky that is devoid of sherry and peat. Fortunately, it does transition mid-palate to become dryer, but overall a pretty sweet dram. Newbies to whisky will certainly like this Highland Malt and prices tend to be good, so it is worth seeking out!
Cheers!
Jason Debly
P.S. If you don't like the Whisky Bottle app, as it is costly on a per bottle basis, try downloading a You Tube app and watch our review for free!
