2016 November » All Things Whisky

Lagavulin 8 y.o. 200th Annniversary Edition Review

Nov 242016

Lagavulin 8 y.o. 200th Annniversary Edition

48% abv

Score: 87/100

So…you may or may not know, but Lagavulin 8 comes with a big fat ‘what the fuck?’ written all over it. On the one hand, that question is easy to answer. On the other, well…not so easy. This limited edition expression from arguably Diageo’s classiest of brands was released as part of the distillery’s bicentennial celebration. Two hundred years is a doozy of a milestone, and one can only assume the occasion would be met with fanfare equal to the magnitude of the occasion. Well then…why an eight year old?

In the late 1880s, when historian Alfred Barnard visited the distillery, he was poured a dram of eight year old Lagavulin which he referred to as ‘exceptionally fine’. This current 200th year commemorative release was crafted as a way to pay homage to Mr. Barnard’s acknowledgement of the historical quality of Lagavulin. So you see? The choice of an eight year old is somewhat apropos. Well…sort of, anyway. Isn’t this then a commemoration of a milestone decades later than the one you’re actually trying to focus on? Hmmm.

The flip side too is that an eight year old is hardly an occasion-making knockout of a malt, is it? Slightly anti-climactic, if you ask me. If I was the one who had control over teeming warehouses of slumbering Lag I think I would have taken it upon myself to build something a little more…spectacular. Perhaps an 18 year old. Or something to rival the Feis Ile or Jazz Fest releases. But still at a reasonable price point.

To be fair, Lagavulin did release a 25 year old this year as well, also done up in 200 year markings, but it’s price was beyond ridiculous. Of course it was going to be, though, seeing as the 21 from a couple years back retailed at almost $900 Canadian. Ouch. Maybe we’ll just take our affordable eight year old and shut up.

Is it good though? Yeah. Quite. I liked it anyway. And most others I know that have tasted it found it quite decent too. We’ll take comfort in the fact that there is finally another option from a distillery that historically has held to a very limited range.

Nose: I’d guess Caol Ila, if given blind. Burnt rubber. Noses very young, but unflawed. Quite herbal. And smells fresh off the mill. Ocean water and fresh mussels or oysters. Brand new wellies. Citrus. Minerally. Quite sharp. That very typical Lagavulin Band-aid-iness (can that be an adjective now?).

Palate: Sharp and immediately on the attack. Young. Nutty. Smoky. There’s a substantial industrial, dry smokiness here. Burnt seafood. Dry and ashy. Tarry even. Lots of citrus. While the nose hints at the delicate nature of underripe Caol Ila, the palate is much more of an uppercut. Even so…not sure I’d guess this was Lagavulin if I didn’t know better. Well…maybe. Granny Smith apple skins on the finish.

Thoughts: I think this would be great poured over Islay oysters with a squeeze of lemon. Oh, wait…it is. Possibly my new favorite meal. Good malt, not quite great.

– Images & Words: Curt

The Unfortunate State Of Things: Or The Worldhood Of The World As I Know It

Musings 5 Responses »

Nov 222016

Bet you expected another rant on rising prices, NAS follies and shady practices, yeah? Not this time. I tackled much of this recently for a rather bigger audience. An article Ian Buxton published in the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2017 is liberally peppered with my thoughts and quotes (thanks, Ian!). That’s good for me for now. I can’t lie…I’ve been enjoying the smooth sailing of late. Nice not to always be the one rocking the boat. The waves made may only be wee ripples by the time they spread to the wider world, but locally they can be quite choppy.

Anyway…I’m jotting away here for a reason. Thought I would provide a bit of context and a ‘heads up’. 2016 has been a very rough year. I won’t get into all of the personal stuff we’ve dealt with, but the one thing that most affects this site is likely the monolithic shadow of unemployment under which we’ve been living since April. Obviously whisky buying (and cigars, and…) had to be one of the first casualties. It sucks, but that is life. I still have things to say, and whiskies to share the word on, but we may not be able to be too contemporary or relevant. Not that I’ve ever minded being the guy late to the party.

I think what will suffer the most is reviews of lower quality malts and more budget brands. I simply have trouble getting my hands on mediocre whisky. I don’t buy it often (occasionally for reviewing), and now certainly won’t be buying it. I actually have fun writing about some of those lesser quality drams (it gives me an entirely new vocabulary to work with), but this has always been a shortcoming of the site in my opinion.

Things will pick up again, but do be aware that we may try a few new things in the coming year. I’ll see what I can do about sourcing whisky samples to keep things topical, and we’ll tackle some new ideas, I think. Perhaps even a guest writer or two to bring a freshness to the scene. Oh, yeah…and I’ll try to be a little more regular with posts.

Finally…in the interest in full disclosure I want to share the truth. I have little interest in returning to the industry I was previously employed in. And even if I did want it, it will be a loooooooong time recovering. Chances are slim. I have been actively investigating work in an industry I know a fair bit about. Yes…the whisky world. Not sure what that could ultimately mean here, but we’re all adults, right? It should be understood that feeding my kids and keeping the bills paid supercedes all other thoughts and priorities. Hope we don’t find too many conflicts, but only time will tell.

As always, appreciate your engagement. Onwards to 2017.

– C

Amrut Spectrum Review

Amrut No Responses »

Nov 222016

Amrut Spectrum

50% abv

Score: 92/100

I know more than a few out there have been waiting for me to get around to sharing some thoughts on Amrut Spectrum. I think, in fact, even one or two of the good folks behind the brand have been waiting. If you expected a bit of a hook or a slice on this one (i.e. veering away from known territory) you may as well move on. I’ll lay it on the line early here and you can read on or move on as you see fit. The simple fact of the matter is that this is another ruddy brilliant dram from our mates in India.

The story on this one has already made the rounds. Spectrum is a malt matured for three years in ex-bourbon barrels before being shunted for a further three and a half years into casks specially commissioned from alternating staves of five different barrel types: American, French and Spanish oak, as well as ex-PX and ex-Oloroso. Neat, and beyond innovative, really, in an industry heavily governed by tradition and a lack of forward thinking. The resulting profile is one rich in jammy fruit, almost molasses-thick sherried notes and rich, rich, rich helpings of dried fruits and coffee. A couple mates of mine thought sulphur, but I beg to differ. This is just heavily cooked whisky. It’s beyond big and borders on over-cooked. I like that though. I’m a sucker for big sherry, and this fits the bill.

I can’t prepare you for this one. Big, sub-tropical notes, dark fruits, cold coffee, bittersweet chocolate. All in harmony. Lovely and rich. This is a small sipper though. Meant to be enjoyed in wee sips over long hours of contemplation. Not a malt for overindulgence, as the malt itself is an indulgence.

Nose: Dark chocolate and jammy dark fruit. Orange zest. Slight smokiness. Gooey toffee. Furniture polish. Almost a cola note. Coffee. Nougat. Cherry, raspberry and even a hint of reduced blueberry. Or more simply… a mixed berry jam. Cinnamon, cardamom and burnt sugar. Coffee liquor. Candied orange peel. Can’t get over the depth of chewy chocolates, toffees and fruits. Great melange.

Palate: Whoa. Big, dark and bordering on bitter. In all the right ways, that is, being a beautiful balanced tannicity. Smalls savouring sips are the way to go with a malt this deep and immersive. Like an infused Kahlua of some sort. Oily dried fruits and gooey jams. More candied orange, but wrapped in chocolate (anyone tried the Bernard Callebaut chocolates like this?). Cough syrup. Nutty notes and hints of strong, rich rum. Gooey, sticky dessert.

Thoughts: Reminds a tick of some heavily sherries Kavalan, but has definite Amrut DNA. 50% abv is generous, but I want this even bigger…at least high 50s. What Amrut can do in a few short years is simply incredible.

– Images & Words: Curt

Laphroaig 2004 Cask #45 Bottle Your Own Review

Laphroaig No Responses »

Nov 202016

Laphroaig 2004 Cask #45 Bottle Your Own

51% abv

Score: 91.5/100

Laphroaig runs some pretty damn cool visitor experiences for those that make the pilgrimage across the water to Islay. As if you needed more motivation. Even without upgrading to said tour experiences, the good people at the distillery will treat you like family.

In fact, I’ll go step further. It’s arguable that one Islay distillery produces malts I like more, while another does things in a manner I respect more than any other distillery in the world. Having said that…Laphroaig combines those two aspects into one big, beautiful, peaty coherent whole. It’s hard not to love the green and white.

Two of the higher end experiences the distillery offers include the opportunity to sample from three pre-selected casks and bottle your own 250 ml bottle directly from the barrel, replete with cask char residue and all. Now…if you’re a whisky geek and purist as I am (and many of us are), this is the ultimate in both dramming experiences and souvenir hoarding. Couple that with a healthy dosing of peat juice along the three hour journey and man…I don’t know how else to sell it to you.

This malt was one of the three I tried at the distillery. It was a 12 year old malt from a bourbon barrel.

I don’t review whiskies like this in order to aid in buying decisions (obviously), but in order to tell a story. In this case, to tell you that a few of us went to peaty Neverland and had an incomparable experience. You can do the same. And if you do…it will be absolutely unforgettable.

Obviously I drank this on site, but sincere thanks to ‘the bearded one’, aka Danny, for the chance to enjoy this in more meditative environs. Was nice to revisit and take some notes.

Nose: Earthy dram, this. Notes of tea. Sweet but strong vanilla. Mint Leaf candies. Smoked seafood on the shell. Very fresh eucalyptus. A truly organic whisky. Lime…and more lime. Freshly baked scones.

Palate: More lime here. Smoke and peat, as we’d expect. Medicinal (agin…as we’d expect). Minty. Very vibrant. Ashy. Smoky. Salt licorice. Rubber.

Thoughts: A beautiful old school style Laphroaig. We tried three, and all were interesting, but this one had the most harmonious nature about it. Lovely stuff.

– Images & Words: Curt

Redbreast 12 y.o. Cask Strength Batch No. B1/15 Review

Redbreast 10 Responses »

Nov 122016

Redbreast 12 y.o. Cask Strength Batch No. B1/15

57.4% abv

Score: 92/100

I literally could not think of a critical word to throw at this dram if I tried. It’s whiskies like this that make me question what the hell most of the rest of Ireland has been doing for years. And further…makes me very, very excited for what is to come from Waterford in future years.

Let’s face it, Irish whiskey has needed a kick in the ass for years. It has lagged behind Scotch in all senses. But now, having run headlong into a bottle like this, it’s heartening to see just how pristine the drink can be when treated with the care it deserves. This is more than just cask strength Irish whiskey. It’s an absolute fruitbomb marriage of spectacular barrels bottled at the perfect age. I could go on, but it’s really unnecessary. Just buy this whiskey.

Nose: Fruity and floral and doused in rich milk chocolate. Creamy orange and tangerine. Custard and ginger.
A sprinkle of white pepper. Grilled pineapple. Oily jujubes. Soft, clean wood notes. White cake and very mild but balanced spices.

Palate: Huge bourbon-like arrival. Orange fruits. Grilled, caramelized pineapple. Pepper, cinnamon and ginger.
Toasted oak. Threads of vanilla. Still quite creamy. Warm pastry. Very rich, very deep and beautifully mouthcoating. Nice direct tie between nose and palate here.

Thoughts: This is a truly beautiful whisky. Incredible composition and brilliantly vibrant. The fruits are
exceptional. Probably the second best Irish dram I’ve ever tried.

– Images & Words: Curt

Amrut Single Cask #2701 “Bengal Tiger” Review

Amrut 17 Responses »

Nov 082016

Amrut Single Cask #2701 “Bengal Tiger”

56.5% abv

Score: 87.5/100

Alright. Let’s get back to Amrut. It’s been a while, I think. This time a single cask release nicknamed ‘Bengal Tiger’ and bottled exclusively for the Canadian market.

As you all know by now, Amrut has long held a coveted spot in my top-tiered whiskies. Their penchant for unbelievable consistency of quality and unprecedented innovation are second to none. To further illustrate this latter point I’ll be tackling a couple other special releases from the distillery in the next few days. But for now, let’s dig into a malt from Bangalore that sits just shy of six years old this time.

Full disclosure on the part of our Indian friends here: this one is a 2009 vintage bottled in 2015. Unpeated Indian barley strong and bold at 56.5% abv. The cask type says PX-sherry on the label, but I’m pretty certain this was at least partially bourbon-matured. Could be the PX cask was the last bed it slept in.

And like most Amrut releases, this is another very special dram. Rich in fruits, exotic spices uncharacteristic of Scottish single malt and bearing the DNA of Amrut all the way through, this is absolutely prototypical of the distillery. Errr…sort of.

Here’s the rub. And also the thing, I think, that speaks to the value of experience in writing about whisky. This is not meant to be derisive, so bear with me. If this whisky was tasted within the first hundred or couple hundred whiskies I’d tried – or was one of only a couple of Amrut expressions I had tasted – it would likely have scored higher. It’s only exposure to the general category – and Amrut, in particular – plus an awful lot of time (and brain cells) spent building the experience that leads to the revelation that Amrut is usually even better than this.

Pretty gentle criticism, I know.

Nose: Chilis. Leather. Marmalade. Unbelievable amounts of savoury spice. Sugar cookies. Orange macaroons. Candied ginger. A lot cinnamon and heavy bourbon cask notes behind a curtain of dried fruits and mince. Some milk chocolate. Hot cross buns.
Salty dough. Slightly peppery.

Palate: Yep. Amrut. Tannic, surprisingly. Immediately a big spicy arrival. Orange oil. Some raisin, orange and liqueur-soaked fruitcake. Herbal notes. Cinnamon buns. A mix of wines and teas. Chocolate and nut.

Thoughts: Not my favorite Amrut, but man…I have weak criticisms to level at this one. Even the distillery’s weakest are still head and shoulders above most of the industry.

– Images & Words: Curt