Review: Laphroaig 10 Year Old Cask Strength / Batch 001 / Bot. 2009

Guest reviewer Ripley is back!  His latest peaty review is Laphroaig 10 Year Old Cask Strength / Batch 001 / Bot. February 2009.   I hope you enjoy his contribution to this blog as much as I have!  Please read on:














Right on the top of the bottle, in large font, is "Batch 001" on one line, and "Bottled Feb .09" just below. The first thing I want to say is that this kind of labeling on the bottle is super smart. For one thing, my 47 year old eyes can clearly see it! The other thing is you can compare the bottle in your hands with someone else's review. How often have you found the exact bottling of what you read a review about? It may be my 47 year old eyes, but I can't seem to find any indication on most bottles about dates - so how do you know if you are sipping a 2009 or 2010 bottling, or a 2009 or 2010 release, etc? Of course blog reviews are much more up-to-date than books, which is why I read Jason's blog regularly.

Well anyway, in the case of what is currently available for the Laphroaig Cask Strength, this is it, at 57.8% APV. Batch 002 has not been released yet. The reason they started numbering batches is because in the past, when they had multiple bottlings per year, the Distillery found it difficult to match % APV. This way they don't have to try and match alcohol level of the last bottling, and it is easier all around.

This whisky is not processed, just "barrier-filtered". From their website:

"We mature Laphroaig in seasoned oak barrels, charred before filling to impart a slight sweet vanilla nuttiness. Original Cask Strength Laphroaig is barrier-filtered only just, to remove the small char particles present. This means you will enjoy Laphroaig exactly as we made it."

When I first sampled a dram from my 1st bottle, I went into a hallucinogenic fugue...this whisky just blew me away. Next day, when I sampled another dram, I thought "what was I thinking...". I took a whisky vacation for a week and on my third sample I was seriously in love with this Laphroaig Cask Strength. This only goes to show (for me at least) that you need to spend some time with a whisky to get to know it, and that your taste buds will fluctuate from day to day, week to week, etc.... I think we develop tastes over time, so staying with one bottle for a while, without mixing it up with another, makes sense.

I remember reading an article many years ago. It said that children (and adults) need to taste something at least 7 times before they develop a taste for it or can honestly say they don't like it. I find that quite true in my life.

Water?
OK - this is an Islay, one of the core whisky makers from that wonderful island in Scotland. This is also some seriously powerful whisky - 57.8%! The bottle says to mix it with water in a 2 to 1 ratio, on the website it says "Adding a little water releases a rich aroma of peat smoke with some sweetness and strong hints of the sea.". I find that more than 1/3 water is too much. I haven't tried it with ice, but I will try that next time and add a comment on it. I like starting with 1/3 water and then working backwards to no water, to give you a nice spread on what this whisky is all about and not blow the taste buds on the first few sips. In some ways this is similar to the Quarter Cask, but not as richly sweet, it has more a whiff of elegant sweetness with definitely more peat and spiciness.

Color
A thick, dark golden.

Nose
Swirl and sniff, swirl and sniff, swirl and ...wait a minute here...where's my big wallop of peat? I get hints of rich sweet cake with a distant slight whiff of smoke but I'm expecting CASK STRENGTH PEAT here... Oh, but add a little water, swirl, let it sit for a few minutes and voila: The sweet cake comes closer and the peat smoke starts drifting past your face. Still a little sweet, but not too rich.

Palate
Take a little sip and oh my, there is it, what Laphroaig is all about: Big peat smoke with beautiful Cuban coffee burnt banana sweetness while sitting on a beach chair near the ocean - can the balance get any better - I don't know, but I am in love. And oh this is chewy and grand, and then it knocks you out with spicy pepper.

Finish
There is the recent finish and then the finish finish - for which this whisky has none - it stays with forever...This has got to have the most staying and longest finish of any yet I have tried - big finish with nice after-effects. The peat is the longest sustainer, in fact you feel in in your pores and when you breathe, you taste the peat in your breath. It lingers with you like you are inhaling a distant campfire.

Overall
As I mentioned in a blog response to Jason, "There is something VERY special about this one. I can't nail it on the head but it it is big, beautiful, and complex". There is no other whisky that I thought was worth more money then I paid. I got this one on sale for $50 and then paid $52 for a second bottle. It's about $60 US where I live, and that is definitely OK. I'm on my 2nd bottle, and I still agree with myself!

Ripley

Review: Highland Park 15 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Lately, I have been encountering a number of disappointing blended and single malt scotches.  The suspects:  Glenkinchie 12, Auchentoshan 12, Dewar's 12 and Whyte & Mackay.  In addition to being disappointing, they were a waste of money.  I gave away most of the bottles to friends who aren't that picky about what they drink.  I guess that's one of the hazards of operating a whisky blog.  You can waste good money on poor whisky or scotch.  With this review, I needed a scotch that would remind me of the romance between drinker and scotch that can take place when great spirits are involved.  So, I picked up a bottle of Highland Park 15 years.  I am familiar with Highland Park 12 and 18 years and was confident that the 15 would be a delight also.  I had tried it at a scotch tasting that featured a range of Highland Park bottlings.

Nose (undiluted)
Vanilla, rich peat, slight heather, sherry, lawn grass clippings, damp leaves. The aromas convey a clear message: A rich, luxuriant treat awaits!

Palate (undiluted)
Starts sweet. I can taste the sherry flavors imparted as a result of the time this spirit spent in sherry casks. It must have been good sherry in those casks because I do not taste the spoiled sherry flavors that I encounter in cheap blends like Whyte & Mackay or Dewar’s 12 years. This is choice/top shelf single malt scotch.

Besides the sherry, I am detecting spiced honey that would make Winnie the Pooh swoon with delight. Velvety smooth, yet with texture and an aromatic flavor profile that goes on and on and on like the Energizer Bunny. There is also a citrus component to the flavor profile that appears on the finish. Mid-palate is very aromatic.

Finish (undiluted)
Some fresh navel oranges and smoked salmon dry on the palate. Ohh! This is good! These smokey flavors last a long time, like an echo at the Grand Canyon.

Add Water?
Yes, please do!  A teaspoon to 1 and a half ounces will cause the scotch to become more sweet, marzipan and baklava like in terms of flavor.  I prefer this single malt with a little water.  Tasted neat there is a little hint of alcohol that disappears with water.

General Impressions

I asked Gerry Tosh of Highland Park Distillery for basic information on the 15.  Here is the email exchange:

From: Jason Debly
Email: jasondebly@gmail.com
Country: Canada (Eastern)
Comment: I operate a scotch whisky review blog
(http://jason-scotchreviews.blogspot.com/) and I intend to conduct a review of Highland Park 15 year old. Accordingly, I am seeking any information with respect to aging, distillation details and images concerning this bottling. Please note, I am not seeking a sample, as I conduct an independent review of various whiskies that I profile. If you have any information that you could provide, I may use some of it in my review. Certainly, if this is not a request that you wish to entertain, please disregard this email and do not trouble yourself to respond.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.


Sincerely,




Jason Debly

. . .

Here’s the response I received from Highland Park:

Always happy to help a whisky lover.
All you need to know is this.
Youngest whisky is 15 years old
30% of the casks used are first fill sherry cask
70% of the casks used are refill sherry casks
The big flavour difference is that we are using predominantly using
American oak sherry casks in the 15 where the 12,18 we are mainly using
Spanish oak.

Hope this helps.


G


Gerry Tosh
Head of Brand Education
Highland Park single malt scotch whisky
West Kinfauns Perth Scotland PH2 7XZ
Tel: +44 (0)1738 493611
Fax: +44 (0)1738 493838
Email: gtosh@edrington.co.uk
<>
Web: www.highlandpark.co.uk
. . .

So, first fill sherry casks obviously impart a stronger taste of sherry on the spirit in the casks than say a refill cask. Mr. Tosh also attributes the difference in taste from the 12 and 18 yrs bottlings to the different wood used. American oak!  Here's a link to his video tasting of the 15.

On the web, I have read that the Highland Park 12 and 18 yrs are aged in 90% ex-sherry casks and the remaining 10% in ex-bourbon casks. The Highland Park 15yrs is supposedly aged 50/50 in ex-sherry and ex-bourbon casks.  Judging from Mr. Tosh's email the use of ex-bourbon casks would be inaccurate.  So, in order to clarify this point I posed that question to Mr. Tosh.  Here is his prompt reply:

No worries about the extra question.

Highland park use NO bourbon barrels at all, we only use sherry casks.
We use American oak sherry casks to give it the citrus flavour we are looking for.


Regards


Gerry

Well, just goes to show that you cannot believe everything you read on the web!

In any event, the bottom line is that the 15 year old is less sherried than the 12 and 18 year old editions of this great distillery. And guess what? I like it! For my taste preference, I find the 12 and 18 a little more sherried than I would like. The 15 is more balanced and the vanilla flavor is a delight. It should be noted that most critics would disagree with my opinion. In fact, I think most scotch drinkers prefer the 12 and 18 to the 15.

Value for Money?
I think so. Some may disagree. This is by no means cheap in terms of price. For me, I have no problem paying a steep price if I am getting good quality. I believe that the price is commensurate with the high quality single malt scotch whisky I will taste.

One Problem

I have encountered one ‘problem’ with this single malt scotch. It is incredibly drinkable, so easy to sip that the bottle is disappearing too fast! We all have our crosses to bear, and so I will just steel myself in regards to overcoming this seemingly insurmountable problem!

Bottom Line
Highland Park 15 years is a high quality single malt.  The price is high but reasonable in light of the quality.  This scotch would make an excellent gift for the serious scotch fan.
Cheers!


Jason Debly

Photo credits:  Close up of Highland Park Label by Let Ideas Compete;
Photo of Highland Park Distillery entrance by J_
Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2012. All rights reserved.

Review: Auchentoshan 12 year old - Single Malt Scotch Review

I had this a couple of weeks ago at a whisky tasting.  It was the second one up.  The first dram was from the Glen Scotia distillery and was unremarkable.  The Auchentoshan was very malty and even had some complexity I thought.  So, I made a mental note to buy a bottle and review it.

I bought a bottle even though a friend of mine, James, had mentioned that the Auchentoshan 10 year old was one of the worst single malts he has ever had the misfortune of tasting. 

Price Point
I paid $54 for a bottle.  Very reasonable in my part of the world for a 12 year old single malt.

Nose (undiluted)
A little smoke, very malty, faint pine needles.

Palate (undiluted)
Ridiculously smooth.  Definitely malty.  Cloves, sweet cinnamon sticks and the slightest taste of spices.

Finish (undiluted)
Oak.  Very subdued zing of ground pepper and quite grainy.  How a single malt can be grainy on the finish is beyond me.  Especially odd when you consider grain alcohol does not make up a single malt.

Add Water?
I did.  The results were not an improvement.  It became slighlty bitter.

General Impressions
Not impressed.  I feel like I wasted some money on this scotch.  I expected something more.  It did not live up to my recollection of the scotch tasting.  When I buy a single malt, I expect flavors that are superior to blended scotch in the same price range.  Not true in this case.  I'd take Chivas Regal 12 year old over this any day of the week.

It is not a horrible whisky, just sweet, malty, flat and boring.  There is nothing to this one.  It is an ingredient single malt in Ballantines Finest, and quite frankly, I would also drink the latter over this.

When I compare this 12 year old single malt to other 12 year old single malts, the disappointment deepens.  Highland Park 12, Cragganmore and others are light years ahead of Auchentoshan 12.

Who should buy this? 
If you have never tried a single malt scotch, I could understand trying this as a novice scotch fan and enjoying it.  Why?  Because of the smooth texture, the complete lack of any offensive flavors, virtually no peat flavor (novices rarely enjoy big peat flavors) and just a little spice and smoke on the finish to let you know that you are drinking scotch and not cherry Coke.

Auchentoshan scotch regardless of the particular bottling, is triple-distilled like many Irish whiskies.  The result is a very smooth scotch.  If you prefer Irish whisky over scotch, this may be one you will enjoy.  It shares many common characteristics with Irish whisky like Bushmills.

Auchentoshan 12 year old (which replaced the old 10 year old bottling) is not terrible.  It has no 'bite' or 'roughness' but no memorable flavors.  Again, this is one for someone new to scotch or for the ladies.  Guys, if you are caught sipping this, I and others are gonna wonder where your purse is.

For me, I detected little complexity of flavor whatsoever.  For unabashed scotch fans, who like some intrigue and challenge, skip this Plain Jane and continue your search for a Jayne Mansfield. 

Cheers!


Jason Debly

Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2012. All rights reserved.

Dalwhinnie 15 year old - Single Malt Scotch Review

Dalwhinnie 15 years Highland Single Malt Scotch

Region
Highlands.

Closure
Cork.

ABV
43%

Wood Management
Aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks.  However, Distiller's Editions released by this distillery frequently involve some aging in ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

Nose (undiluted)
Vanilla, lemon, apple blossoms, pears.

Palate (undiluted)
Apple skins, bruised apple sweetness, salted almonds drizzled in honey, caramel, syrup and barley toys.

Mid-to-Late Palate
Spiciness emerges, baking soda, black pepper, but only slightly.

Finish (undiluted)
Drying malt, pencil lead, graphite, oak, balsa, a wee smoke, peat and heather.

General Impressions
Whenever I encounter the flavor profile of Dalwhinnie, the best word to describe a unique aspect of the flavor profile at mid-palate is the word 'heather.' I hate to use a term that I cannot define well. Who eats heather? What does it taste like? Heather is a common, low-lying shrub that goes by the latin name of "Calluna vulgaris." Wikipedia states that it has a characteristic strong taste. Bee hives located near bogs or moorland containing heather tend to produce a much stronger variety of honey. So, when I use the term 'heather' think of it as that taste you experience of the other flavors on steroids so to speak. "Heather honey" is stronger than ordinary honey.

In any event, the heather works beautifully with the honey, cinammon, cocoa, coffee and other flavors (ie. oak) in this Highland malt.

Tasted neat, it's a single malt scotch that starts out silky, very sweet, but quickly develops very rich honey flavors. Nothing bitter or too robust that will put off the novice drinkers.

Dalwhinnie also delivers 'some' complexity of flavor that will set it apart from others. I say 'some' because it is not overly so.

I recommend this as a great gift to all those who want an inoffensive, yet interesting Highland single malt.

Cheers!


Jason Debly

© Jason Debly, 2009- Present. All rights reserved.