Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #220


Glenfiddich 1976
Vintage Reserve Selection 2007

Single Malt Scotch Whisky
51.9% abv
£299
$550(USD)


Merry Christmas.

During the week of Malt Mission 200 celebratory posts I wrote about Christmas offers and made an addendum. In that post I asked Santa for the Glenfiddich 1976, a new release from my year of birth carefully selected by David Stewart, Brian Kinsman and six other talented noses (
for more info visit Glenfiddich's page on the selection of the 1976 cask HERE.) Only days later "Santa" emailed me to say that he and the elves would be pleased to make my Christmas wish come true. [Yes, Ian Buxton, this was someone at the Red Consultancy (see Ian's related piece HERE)].

Within the week I had received a sample of the vintage. This morning we opened it with my other Christmas presents. I chose to share this gift with Kristin's brother Espen, another 1976-er (his notes appear in quotes below). The cask was an European oak third fill ex-sherry cask. There are only 549 of these babies available worldwide from the year of the dragon, filled to cask January 16, 1976, and only 33 of these bottles are available in the UK.

For all Glenfiddichs had on the mission click HERE.


Again, Merry Chirstmas... and big thanks to BM for sending the drop.

TASTING NOTES:

Light and fresh, with some mentholic whiffs that hit with strength. Sweet with a very pleasant bitter edge. Fruity (apples) and floral (lillies or something... I don't really know flowers). Like a flowershop, a little bit of vanilla, and "still a bit spirity, spicy." Great development with time in the glass.

Luscious mouthfeel, slightly minty, sweet, "and very smooth". Warming sherry shift upon swallowing, getting more oaky and slightly toasty with fruity sweetness, some orange, apricots and apples, among others. "I just had a teeny bit and it lasts forever. It makes the texture in my mouth... different."

SUMMARY:

A sophisticated old whisky, that is rich but light, tender but strong. Like many great aged whiskies, this cannot be quickly consumed and judged, it demands we slow our lives down and consider the whisky for a good length of time. Charlie Maclean has written that whisky is Scotland's most generous gift to the world and this Christmas season, as ever, we are all infinitely thankful.

Malt Mission #216
Malt Mission #217
Malt Mission #218
Malt Mission #219

Malt Mission HOME



Monday, December 24, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #219


Laphroaig 12yo Oloroso Cask
Islay Single Malt Whisky

53.1% abv

£35


This version of Laphroaig is a World Duty Free(UK) exclusive. Like all Kildalton malts, whiskies on the south coast of Islay (Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Lagavulin), this release has attracted much whisky-nerd interest sparking forum discussion and debate (HERE and HERE, to cite just two).

We bought a bottle on the way out of Heathrow. TO DRINK with FRIENDS and FAMILY. I emphasize this because some complete shmuck(s) have already posted bottles for sale on eBay and the like (I will not put links here). One has a BUY NOW price of £250 and the other has been bidded on and is currently at £145.

I have mixed feelings about collecting whisky as it is, but to each their own. Who am I to judge? But this kind of profiteering is absolutely disgusting. Go buy and collect stamps and baseball cards and Nazi paraphernalia... please leave the water of life alone. DON'T SUPPORT THIS BEHAVIOUR!!! Drink, be merry, and be kind to others.

The kind folks at Beam Global tell me that this 12 year old "was specially selected 1994 Laphroaig – selected by Master Blender Robert Hicks, from 3 ex-bourbon barrels. It was then filled into a sherry butt for 14 months, the same sherry butt which had held the 1974 fully finished Laphroaig (31yo) we had bottled for Maison du Whisky in 2005." (Thank you HK and LJ for answering my questions)

Tasted with SK amongst candles and beer in Oslo (and again this morning with Kristin under more controlled conditions... in bed). For other Laphroaigs had on the mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Very viscous, and I usually don't mention this, but it has extremely slow legs. Big sweet bouquet. Strawberry gum and vanilla tobacco, licorice and cigarette smoke. Coca cola bottles (gummies). Sweet and quite yummy while simultaneously being carbolic/phenolic, smoky. Soft and welcoming. Dirty, angry, and somehow charming. Italian 'confetti', white candy covered almonds.
"Strong, fairly lightish colour. For me it is a very classic peatish, definitely not a blended one. Interesting actually," said Svein. "In a way the taste is de-coupled from the smell. I think. Suddenly it smells, kind of a sweetish, interesting." Salty and dry, suddenly, but still candy/lozenge sweet. "Smells like good memories. It's very sweet, isn't it? Mmm... that smells lovely." - Kristin

Sweet, melons and Sprite. Cashew nuts and Coca Cola. "It is not as peaty as that Skye malt," said Svein. "Talisker," I say. "Yes, it feels lighter but sure, you can feel the peat. The alcohol flavour somehow subdues to the, sort of, the flavour." I find it very pleasant at cask strength. Great, clean initial fruity impact that expands mid-palate with syrupy and oily flavours and textures. Long sweet fruity finish with some ammonia, freshly cut wood, and the taste of the smell of new cotton t-shirts.

SUMMARY:

Kristin says, "Everything you're expecting from Laphroaig but it its just more subdued." An interesting Laphroaig. It is a more refined, elegant Laphroaig.
More Ardbeg than any Laphroaig I have ever had. Kristin enthusiastically agrees, "yes, like drinking in the warehouses at Ardbeg with Stewart, the feeling of positive memories that was brought back with my first smell." Kristin is the peat freak in this family, so her enthusiasm is to be expected with this dram. Espen, her brother, took one whiff ans said, "whew... for advanced users."

It's not worth £250. "Not at all." But worth every penny Laphroaig charges for it at UK Duty Free. Enjoy it, don't pirate it.

Malt Mission #216
Malt Mission #217
Malt Mission #218

Malt Mission #220


Malt Mission HOME

Friday, December 21, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #218


Macallan Elegancia 12 yo
Speyside Single Malt Whisky

40% abv

£28

$55(USD)


Elegancia. Hmm... what could it mean? Is it Scots? Gaelic? Nope; Spanish... naturally.

I can tell you that while the environment where I consumed this whisky provided fun and laughs, grace and dignity were almost nowhere to be found. Indeed, 'elegant' would be an ill-fitting descriptor for the DFDS boat from Copenhagen to Oslo, lovingly refered to as "Danskebåten" by Kristin and her friends, but it sure can be an arseload of fun.

With the sun rising over a frosty Norwegian fjord's shoreline we sat next to a starbord window in pleather chairs. Surrounded by bus-loads of blue-hairs,
the cheesiest versions of jazz standards were squeezed from the bar speakers. Yes, we fell well below the average age, but this whisky made me feel at least 50% less out-of-place. I don't know what that means, but it did.

Launched in 2002, Macallan Elegancia is a Duty Free exclusive matured in ex-Fino and Oloroso sherry casks. My friend MC posted me some back in 2005 in plastic contact lens case. Gotta love him for the thought and creative method, but it did taste a bit like petroleum when it arrived.

For other Macallan's had on the mission click HERE

TASTING NOTES:

Lots of oak, apples and cinnamon, marmalade, breakfast cereal (corn flakes?). Malty, oaky sweetness. Almonds, oranges, chocolate ice cream.

Gentle impact, sweet before gripping with oak. Toasty sherry characteristics with dried fruits before crême brulée and leather glove flavours.

SUMMARY:

Elegant indeed. Lighter than the standard (as opposed to the Fine Oak) Macallan range, but it has a delicate richness... if that is possible. Great nose, soft, clean and tasty with a short-ish finish.

Malt Mission #216
Malt Mission #217
Malt Mission #219
Malt Mission #220


Malt Mission HOME


Thursday, December 20, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #217


Ardmore Traditional Cask
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46%

£25
$45(USD)

Built in the year of the Pattison's blending crash, Ardmore distllery has survived hard times and is still pumping out tasty, tasty spirit.

After 109 years as an operational distillery Ardmore has (finally!?) been released as a single malt by its owners. It has been a darling distillery of the independent bottlers for many years, a quiet workhorse producing over 5million litres per annum, and has been the heart of Teacher's blended whisky for over a century. The distillery has produced both peated and unpeated malts specifically to supply the blending market and this expression of Ardmore is of the peated variety. Further, it has undergone a second maturation, or has been 'finished', in smaller oak casks, traditional quarter casks.

Some of us have heard the phrase 'quarter cask' in reference to a new product from Laphroaig (Malt Mission #128). Since the break-up of Allied Domecq in early 2006, Beam Global has owned both Laphroaig and Ardmore. We can only assume that the treatment of Ardmore Traditional Cask is similar to that of Laphroaig Quarter Cask: Whisky that has spent 5 or 6 years in ex-bourbon hogsheads or barrels that is then transfered to smaller casks where it can be exposed to more oak, absorb more of the flavours that come with maturation and is then released with no age statement, first at Duty Free, then the UK, then the world. Now, I have to wonder, are these quarter casks first fill, or have they perhaps held something before... Laphroaig? Let's taste.

Tasted with LDLJ in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her notes appear in quotes.

TASTING NOTES:

Baked sweetness, flour, butter, ginger and/or cinnamon and brown sugar, some honey and black tea, with a dampness, a kind of moist, earthy, sweet peat smoke. "There is something Laphroaig about it."

Wow, big burst of a smoky impact, slightly fishy, more baked sweetness with canned peaches, "mmm... apples." The big impact becomes gentler upon swallowing into shortbread and a bit of vanilla and bubblegum. But wow, smacks of smoke.

SUMMARY:

A really impressive whisky with a huge peat presence that does not overpower the luscious baked sweetness that lies at the heart of this malt. Line was right, this is very Laphroaig, perhaps they DO use the same quarter casks? Hmm...

Malt Mission #216
Malt Mission #218
Malt Mission #219
Malt Mission #220


Malt Mission HOME

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Get Involved in the Drammies


Discouraged by the state of democracy where you live? Feel your voice is never heard? Get involved in a grassroots voting scheme where you pick the candidates and have a real say in who can become a winner and who can become a wiener... in the nation of Whisky.

Kevin Erskine (The Scotch Blog) is running another year of whisky awards cleverly titled 'The Drammies' (a play on 'The Grammy Awards' or 'Grammies', an American music award). Categories this year include awards for best innovations, marketing, bang for buck, and more.

With the Malt Mission launched January 1 2007, perhaps you should think of Dr. Whisky for the Best New Product (non-whisky) category!!!

Visit The Scotch Blog's Drammies page, get read-up, nominate, and vote!

Monday, December 17, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #216


Grant's Sherry Cask
Blended Scotch Whisky

40% abv
£14

$25.15(CAD)
$18(USD)

I figure that over the coming cRaZy pre-Christmas and New Year weeks I will get through at least 5 Malt Mission posts. They will be irregular, but will be representative of my juletide travels to see friends and family. And January 1 will be the first anniversary of this Malt Mission! Wild. This drop was shared with MC in Toronto.

This is one of Grant's Cask Reserves (we had the Ale cask back at Malt Mission #78). These are variations on the standard Grant's blended whisky that undergo a second maturation or 'finish' in ex-sherry or ex-ale casks. This expression was put in first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry barrels in order to add sweet, warming, sherried and fruity impressions. Let's taste it.

For all William Grant and Sons products had on the mission click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Thin, not in a bad way; tight and compact. Coconut, licorice, and sweet sherry.

Toasty oakiness, toffee, coffee, cinnamon and biscotti. Even an impression of smoke in the finish.

SUMMARY:

Great blend with good depth of character with enough of interest for frequent sipping. Affordable, in fact great value considering the cost of sherry butts these days. Wholly pleasant stuff. I am still tasting its toasty charms minutes later. I imagine this didn't spend too long in the Oloroso cask as it only has accents of sherry and is not dominated by characteristics that might be expected. This is a good thing.

Malt Mission #215
Malt Mission #217
Malt Mission #218
Malt Mission #219
Malt Mission #220


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Friday, December 14, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #215


Ichiro's Malt Ace of Hearts
Japanese Single Malt Whisky

American Oak Sherry Wood
Cask #9004
Dist 1985 Bott 2007
56.5%


First of all, I have no idea how much this stuff costs or if you can even find it where you live. If you can understand THIS then let me know if it offers any information.

Again, no time to say much else today. See Malt Mission #105 for another whisky from Ichiro's card series or Takeshi Mogi's site for info on Hanyu. For other posts on Japanese whiskies click HERE.

This ends three weeks of international whiskies on the Malt Mission and the mission will be active but irregular over the next three weeks. Thanks for reading and have a Happy Merry everything.

TASTING NOTES:

The aromas seem to slide down the nose, you get hit up high and the senses seem to slide their figurative fingers down the edge of the blade-of-steel aromas. Poppadoms, pickle, ginger and sherry. Some smoke, mint, fudge and lager. Complex and busy, like some new flavour of bubblegum wrestling your senses as you wonder, "what is this?" Water opens up a flower shop with dozens perfume-wearing yummy-mummies and a smoke saturated stroller. Evocative, to say the least.

Eruption! Panama! Jump! Ladies and Gentlemen, it's Van Halen whisky!!! Gummi bears, boiling brown rice, fennel, wax candles, flowers and perfume all before the explosion of the abv%. Oak, sherry, cheap advent calendar chocolate, hops, smoker's fingers, all ending in sugar, soot and wet wood.

SUMMARY:

Fun and rockin', this stuff is guaranteed to exhilarate. At around £150 a bottle and packing an exhilarating punch, this stuff is the 1980s poolside-cocaine-party of malt whisky. Dance the night away.

Malt Mission #211
Malt Mission #212
Malt Mission #213
Malt Mission #214

Malt Mission HOME

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #214


Nikka Whisky from the Barrel
Double Matured Blended Whisky
51.4% abv
24F30C
£21
(gift pack shown in image is £32)

Nikka is one of the biggest whisky producers in Japan and was founded by the godfather of Japanese whisky, Masataka Taketsuru. Nikka pioneered the single cask release format in Japan and owns Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries. I have no time to write anything more today. I will update as soon as I get a chance.

Tasted with Tante Anne. Her notes appear in quotes.

TASTING NOTES:

Bubble gum, dry sherry, and a zip of orange zest. Solo. Evaporated milk, sweet caramel chews.
"Smells Japanese. Like old wooden Japanese homes" (She has spent a lot of time in Japan).

Minty sherry oak and plastic bags. Walnuts, raspberry seeds, delicious bittersweet notes like slices of Gala apples. Very dry finish with some pine and a cocoa smokiness.

SUMMARY:

Nose opened up with time and patience and made varied impressions. Water dulled the impact on the palate but helped discriminate between flavours. A very impressive package in a very impressive package. And another rich but affordable Japanese whisky. There is something Aberlour and Teaninich about it.

Tried it as a MIZUWARI and it was gentle, but with a surprisingly complex array of flavours from brioche to cherries to chocolatey smoke.

Malt Mission #211
Malt Mission #212
Malt Mission #213
Malt Mission #215

Malt Mission HOME

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #213


The Tyrconnell
Single Malt Irish Whisky

40% abv

£22

Another Irish today. We'll head to Japan tomorrow.

Named after a racing horse, The Tyrconnel (tire-kon-ill) was the flagship brand of the Watt distillery (1762). It was a bestselling whisky in the US before prohibition and didn't survive into the post-war period. Ireland's only independent distillery, Cooley Distillery, has recreated the brand and it is now the fastest growing Irish single malt and a real award winner, most recently having its 10yo Sherry finish win "Top Irish Whisky for 2007" at the Malt Maniacs Awards.

TASTING NOTES:

Sweet fresh apricots, oats and malt. Slightly phenolic with magic markers and ash.

Big maltiness, rich breadiness that is quite toasty. Grilled cheese sandwich. Hay.

SUMMARY:

Simple, malty, and easy drinking. Feels like it is on the verge of exploding with heights of flavours, but never really takes off. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. Rounded, straighforward, very pleasant and hearty whisky.

Malt Mission #211
Malt Mission #212
Malt Mission #214
Malt Mission #215

Malt Mission HOME

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #212


Tullamore Dew
Irish Whiskey

43% abv

£17
$29.15(CAD)
$25(USD)

Now we'll have a couple Irish whiskies, an under-represented sector of the whisky market here on Dr. Whisky, but the country of origin for many extremely popular and often excellent whiskies.

Tullamore Dew was first distilled in 1829 and takes its name from its town of origin and the initials of an early owner, Daniel E Williams (DEW). After 1887, the line "Give every man his dew" appeared on every bottle. Irish whiskey was extremely popular the world over, but a combination of American prohibition and trade/economic fallout following the Irish War of Independence(1922) effectively killed the prominence of Irish whiskey on the world market. Today, many distilleries and distilling companies have made great strides towards once again becoming a force to be reckoned with on the world whisk(e)y stage. Tullamore Dew is no longer produced at the original distillery in Tullamore, but in Cork. It sells in excess of 2.5million bottles per annum.

TASTING NOTES:

Odd whisky nose. Copper, envelope glue, herbs(basil). Cigarette smokers' breath. Very faint cherries. Polish Vodka-like.

Soft cherry ice cream and vanilla to start, soft, um, dew-y or misty impression upon swallowing that goes from flavours of juicy stone fruits to a drying oakiness.

SUMMARY:

Odd stuff. Very particular. Unlike anything else I've had on the mission.

Malt Mission #211
Malt Mission #213
Malt Mission #214
Malt Mission #215

Malt Mission HOME

Monday, December 10, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #211


Upper Ten
Finest Blended Scotch Whisky

40% abv

£20


Another Monday morning and the third (and final) week of our internationally-themed weeks here on the mission. Hope you continue to enjoy it. Thanks for your emails, comments and links.

This is a blended whisky that, so far as I know, is only available in Norway. Like I have said before, the Vinmonopolet has some unusual malts and blends. But don't let this lead you to believe that this stuff is garbage. It has won awards(in the IWSC beating out Ballantines and Johnnie Walker) and outsells the best selling single malt(in Norway) by a longshot.

It is said that the blend is of superior quality because more money can be spent on its contents rather than marketing and/or promotion due to the fact it is illegal to advertise alcohol in Norway.

Apparently Upper Ten contains whisky from 30-35 distilleries and grain from 3. It has a malt content of 47% (which is VERY high for a standard blend). It is four years old, which means that the youngest whisky is 4 years old but there are considerably older whiskies used. It is a powerful whisky, sweet but full of smoke and malt. The blend originated after the First World War when a "pjolter" (whisky and seltzer) was being consumed as a 'cool', 'hip' cocktail. In 1927 there was a wish to create a Norwegian whisky that could be the whisky base in this cocktail. To match the salty seltzers there was a need for something powerful, a smoky and malty whisky. The ambition of this creation was to be among the top 10 in the list of Norway's most popular whiskies, hence the name.
This has happened: Glenfiddich sells 10,000 litres per year while Upper Ten sells 165,000 litres.

The label reads "Distinctive peaty character," but the funnier bit is this: "Age old Scottish heritage and craftsmanship lie behind the making of Upper Ten Scotch Whisky at its best." I love these kinds of descriptions. What does it mean? What is "age-old (...) heritage"? Isn't heritage 'age old' by definition, that which has been inherited through the ages? In fact, isn't AGE always AGE-OLD and that which is OLD, old due to AGE? I seriously giggle out loud when I read these things, like shampoo bottles: they'll never say, "mediocre, not suitable for daily use, smells like soap," but rather things like, "Used daily, Shampoor helps fight residue building shine and body, leaving hair voluminous and fresh as the spring air."

But back to the Upper Ten label. The bigger blunder here lies in the last three words, "at its best." In the context of the sentence, is this label not telling us that ONLY when Upper Ten is at its best are craftsmanship and 'age-old' heritage responsible; beyond that, it is left to fate... ?! Love it. LOVE IT!

TASTING NOTES:

Very Teachers-like nose, with less toffee: creamy, damp and earthy, with a slightly astringent grain presence. Malt and some smoke are also present along with some salt and pepper, magazine paper and instant coffee.

Bready, malty, surprisingly weighty in the mouth. Smoke, peat, and damp earthiness are balanced against brown sugar and some pepper. A long, waxy finish of damp wood, oatmeal cookies, and some smoke. Long.

SUMMARY:

Rich, smoky whisky with a very long oaky finish that definitely tastes bigger than its price tag, as a great blended whisky should. Excellent, and for under £10 for a litre at Duty Free in Norway this is an absolute steal.

Don't trust the Dr? Need a second opinion? Visit Malthead's Upper Ten review HERE.

Malt Mission #210
Malt Mission #212
Malt Mission #213
Malt Mission #214
Malt Mission #215

Malt Mission HOME


Friday, December 07, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #210


Hibiki 21 yo
Japanese Blended Whisky

43% abv

£90 (20,000 JPY)


Four years in a row has this blended Japanese whisky been awarded a Gold medal in the International Wine & Spirits Competition. Consistent, and consistently great.

Hibiki 17, 21 and 30 are made from spirit from the Suntory single malt distilleries Hakushu(1973) and Yamazaki(1923) and grain distillery Sungrain (I wonder how they came up with the name...)

More info can be found HERE, if you speak Japanese. Chris Bunting's Nonjatta is a great site (in English) for Japanese whisky as is Takeshi Mogi's Japanese Whisky Web. Misako Udo, author of the amazing The Scottish Whisky Distilleries is set to release a book about Japanese whisky distilleries just as soon as she finishes it. For other whiskies from Japan had on the mission click HERE. Have a nice weekend and please stay calm if you must engage the pre-Christmas mayhem.

TASTING NOTES:

Confectionery, candied nose with a luscious maltiness. A sour yeastiness acts in perfect balance to the sweetness. Carmelised, nutty, and really juicy.

Sensual and buttery. Hard peach and pipe tobacco. Dry, spicy oak. Sweet, yes, but with a toasty, smoky, oaky element to keep it all from becoming tart.

SUMMARY:

An absolute delight to stick your nose into, if a bit sweet for some. But it is as if every odour (apart from the more phenolic ones, peat, rubber, etc.) you think of can be ticked off as present. Unbelievably balanced, and dangerously drinkable. Is this to be consumed Japanese-style? Stupidly, I tried it, and it is an absolute waste as a Mizuwari.

Malt Mission #206
Malt Mission #207
Malt Mission #208
Malt Mission #209


Malt Mission HOME

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #209


Ginkgo
Japanese Blended Malt Whisky
46% abv

£52.50

Another odd whisky, this time a creation of indy whisky maverick Ichiro Akuto (Hanyu, Ichiro's Malts) from Japan. Unusual because it is made up of single malts from more than one Japanese distillery. This is odd because it is not the practice of Japanese distillers to trade casks between distilleries and distilling companies like they do in Scotland. I imagine this is a limited release (can there be enough casks to continue the supply?) although the bottle or literature offers on clues as to just how limited. Gavin D. Smith and Tom Cannavan's Whisky-Pages and the Number One Drinks Co. tells us that half of the stock is allocated to Japan and the rest is sold in specialist shops throughout the world.

On the excellent Nonjatta, Chris offers some explanation of the origins of the name 'Ginkgo'. For more Japanese whiskies enjoyed on the mission (more to come tomorrow and next week) click HERE and for more from Ichiro Akuto or Hanyu click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Slightly solvent initially, nailpolish, that opens up with floral aromas up high and sweet butter down low. Edinburgh rock. Clean and grainy with some citrus, plums, plastic bags and envelope glue. Water unleashes more breadiness and citrus, grapefruit (not pink) skin, and the harder solventy edges dissipate.

Rich, toasty, charming... with a dark side. Burnt sugar, toffeed, malty sweetness, some fruitiness in the form of apples, but generally oaky and toasty. Some smoke comes forward late in the development, especially accented by the addition of water. Minutes later there is a herbal, floral element that still lingers.

SUMMARY:

Was not crazy about the unreduced nose, although there was some fruity sweetness , it was generally hard, acetic and aldehydic. Water greatly assisted here bringing out the caramel and toasty barley sweeness. On the palate, water was also an aid in adding width to the flavour impact and opening up some dark, smoky corners.

See Nonjatta for Chris' tasting impressions.

Malt Mission #206
Malt Mission #207
Malt Mission #208
Malt Mission #210

Malt Mission HOME

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #208


McKendric Western Style Whiskey
American Whiskey
45.2% abv
$40

I really haven't had enough (any?) American whisky on the mission. Dr. Whisky is under-representing a large section of the whisk(e)y industry. I will try to remedy this over the next century on the Malt Mission.

Considering the drops we have been having since Malt Mission 200, this phrase has become more difficult to say, but here goes... "and now for something completely different." Hello, McKendric's Western Style Whiskey.

The label proudly states "naturally flavoured and coloured with wood oak and mesquite chips." Apparently this is a grain whiskey [corn(51%?), rye, and barley(pot still?)] that matures in charred new-oak casks like most American whiskey and boubon, and is then 'mellowed' in a style similar to the Lincoln County Process but with mesquite as well as sugar maple wood chips/charcoal. Yee-haw.

So this is probably very young spirit with false accents of age due to wood-chipping...(seems clever to me)... probably not all that different from the whiskey consumed back in the "good ole days", matured as long as the cask(s) saddled to your steed yielded spirit, suffocating the white dog. So the name "Western Style" is probably quite accurate, thus making the word "whiskey" the most dubious on the label.

Tasted with Colin Harvey and his "notes" appear in "quotes."

TASTING NOTES:

"Not subtle." Spicy, cinnamon gum, root beer, spearmint verging on orange Listerine. "Trebor mints." Pretty busy, even complex, but certainly not well-intergrated.

Hot and bothered, angry. Not unlike the nose, really. Cloves, some bbq associations(smoke, coal, burnt rib ends), "sweet and bloody odd." Some leather and hippie incense in the finish, "(chewing sound) Really dry, like chewing on a cinnamon stick"

SUMMARY:

I am torn simply because although I wouldn't run out to taste this again, I would probably accept it if it was offered, would be willing try it with sarsaparilla and lime, and would certainly recommend trying it. Once. Pretty cool bottle, too.

Malt Mission #206
Malt Mission #207
Malt Mission #209
Malt Mission #210

Malt Mission HOME

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #207

Compass
Compass Box Canto Cask 46
Blended/Vatted Malt Scotch Whisky
53.2% abv

$65(USD)


This is part of the Cantos Cask range from Compass Box Whisky Company. These are 16 single cask, cask strength whiskies that are, in effect, variations on a theme, or as John Glaser writes, "a canto within a poem." Using the same malt whiskies (Clynelish, Teaninich, and Dailuaine) Glaser has created 16 unique malt whiskies for different corners of the world. Each bottling has been selected by local importers and have exclusive availability within those markets (thus qualifying for my internationally-themed weeks here on the Malt Mission). This one was chosen by Park Avenue Liquor and is only available in the USA.

A 'canto' is a song or a division of a long poem used by many poets throughout our literary history. Dante uses the form in his Divine Comedy but I have spent more time with another 'infernal' canto-user, Ezra Pound. I have worked with The Cantos of Ezra Pound for years and would be hard pressed to name anything pleasurable after them. Even Pound grew to see them as a failure. They were never decisively completed, and Pound himself admitted he had 'botched' The Cantos, writing in the final 'complete' Canto (116):

Beauty is not the madness
Tho' my errors and wrecks lie about me.

And I am not a demigod,

I cannot make it cohere.

(116/ll.26-29)


Pound uses many different 'tools' available to the poet to construct his epic: different languages, verse forms, musical and ideogram notations, etc. Without getting too ostentatious, but feeling the need to make some connection here, John Glaser has similarly used different tools of whisky-making available to him, creating new forms. For the canto range each cask held the same malt whisky, but for the last 18 months the whiskies were aged in a range of different new oaks, both French and American, toasted to variable levels. For Canto 46, the oak is French and toasted to the level '7' (the range within the Canto series is from 4-9).


Pound's Canto 46 is part of the Fifth Decad of Cantos and addresses themes of usury, banking and credit, economic obsessions of Pound's. 46 follows a well-known Canto, Pound's 'litany against usury', "With Usura":

Usura rusteth the chisel
It rusteth the craft and the craftsman
It gnaweth the thread in the loom
None learneth to weave gold in her pattern;
(45, ll. 37-40)

Enough. Let's get to the whisky and celebrate a product of Glaser's unrusted (and well-priced) craftsmanship. All Compass Box whiskies had on the mission can be viewed HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Dessert at a candlelit dinner. Soft smoky atmosphere with vanilla, and Honey Nut Cheerios. Firm, hard, strong oak presence in a whisky that, in spite of the abv%, allows deep, prickle-free nosing. The inside of a Mars bar, dish-drying towel moisture and scents(sense?) of cleanliness. Lots of oak influence and a touch of cantaloupe (hehe, CANTOloupe... sorry), the seedy bit.

Big bourbony opening with the gorgeous Clynelish shining through, becoming toasty, smoky, and caramelised. Apples and honey, apples with bitter skin, or grapeskin... late flavours of licorice root and honey-sweetened fennel tea. Tingling. Oaky.

SUMMARY:

Single malt whisky snobs of the world, give it up; Compass Box adds (due) credibility to the art of blending and John Glaser has yet to misfire on a single creation (that he let's us taste). Great development in the mouth, engaging. Water is not necessary but unleashes more oily, waxy vanilla notes, perfumy spice like walking past LUSH, and baked elements in the nose as well as adding cumin seeds and peanuts on the palate. Not rich in a traditional sense. If 'rich' can mean a whisky that is oily, spicy, and sherried, this whisky abandons the sherry and allows a small serving (milk on porridge) creaminess, while the spice spits song. That kind of rich. Big and packing a lot of flavour into a very approachable dram. Very much an apertif style malt whisky with the fennel-y pastis flavours enhancing my appetite. But of course, I haven't had breakfast yet, so perhaps anything would rouse an appetite...

Malt Mission #206
Malt Mission #208
Malt Mission #209
Malt Mission #210

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Monday, December 03, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #206


Something Special
Blended Scotch Whisky

40% abv

£25


Another week of international whiskies here on the Malt Mission. Last week focused on two corners of the world that are not necessarily synonymous with "whisky", Kenya and India. This week the focus will start with two Scotch whiskies that exist on an international stage, ie. they are not often found on these shores, then we'll make a mid-week stop at a real American oddity, and then move to Japan. We will keep the focus on international whiskies into next week. Hope you continue to dig it.

Something Special is a "deluxe blended whisky" from Hill Thomson, the makers of Queen Anne. The blending company began in 1793 with William Hill taking up an office in Edinburgh on Rose Street Lane, at the time a dodgy stretch that is now littered with pubs and restaurants, tourists and business people. Hill moved to a more desirable location on Fredrick St and was joined by William Thomson in 1857. In 1884 a third William (Shaw) joined the firm and helped create the successful Queen Anne blended whisky, a slightly peaty malt with a Speyside core. Hill Thomson had interest in Longmorn Distillery and to this day Longmorn is an ingredient in Queen Anne and Something Special. Something Special was created in the first half of the 20th century and, as R.J.S. McDowall writes, "is really worthy of a better name."

Today, Something Special is mainly found in South America and South Korea, two markets where they are lucky enough to have Old Parr 18, Grant's 18 and Buchanan's 18, three brands unavailable in their country of production, and three blends that I would LOVE to get my hands on. Many thanks to Tante Anne who brought me this bottle from Korea. Let's taste it!

TASTING NOTES:

Hard, mineral, and clean corn whisky aroma with some vanilla and peach. Youthful vodka-like astringency barely saved by nutty malt and slight glimpses of stone fruits and whiffs of vanilla.

Smoky start that turns stale and dies mid palate. Some cocoa, but like instant hot chocolate made with too few scoops of powder... watery and only a faint chocolate presence. I cannot describe this as oaky, more like drywall and synthetic fabrics in the finish.

SUMMARY:

I am always suspicious of companies that call themselves BEST CAR RENTAL or AMAZING CLEANERS or PERFECT PLUMBING. In my experience, if you have to use the services of a company that feels the need to evaluate themselves in their company title, something is bound to go wrong.

Something Special this is not. This is a whisky to pour and leave for 10 minutes (at least) before drinking to allow the neutral spirit aromas to fly off. Even still, what remains is nothing to write home about (or fly home with... though I am grateful Tante Anne did). Hilarious retro 1970s bottle is about all this puppy has going for it.

Malt Mission #205
Malt Mission #207
Malt Mission #208
Malt Mission #209
Malt Mission #210

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Friday, November 30, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #205


Amrut Cask Strength
Indian Single Malt Whisky
63.8% abv (Dec 2006 bottling)

£32


It's been an unusual week, and while it may have started on a sour (tasting) note, it has ended on a sweeter one (although that Safari was sickly sweet). Most of us don't think India when we think whisky, or vice versa, but India consumes bucket-loads of whisky. They drink almost 6 million litres of Scotch whisky a year, but that is nothing compared to the total 570-million they down in total. The SWA would argue that most of the 'whisky' consumed in India is not whisky at all.

So when is whisky not whisky? When it is made from molasses and not grain, say the SWA and the EU. They also believe that India has protectionist domestic tariffs that create fiscal discrimination against Scotch whisky, the major obstacle to Scotch whisky reaching its sales potential in the country of 1Billion people. By contrast, Indian spirits have free access to EU markets... so long as they don't call their molasses-based spirits 'whisky'. It has created a slight trade war in recent years that has been quite exciting to follow. I have no more time to write about it this morning, so read up on it yourselves (if you are interested) HERE, HERE, and wherever else you would like to look.

We had the regular Amrut yesterday. Amrut Cask Strength was launched in 2006 and has already sold out of three batches. Love him or hate him, Jim Murray scored Amrut Cask Strength (1st ed., 62.8%) a 94/100.

TASTING NOTES:

Oily and sweet, but somehow dry, full of booze and good news. Vanilla, coffee cake. Some forest floor, like mushrooms and leaves, with lots of oak, too.

!*#£*&%! Hot and exciting. Sweet and sour, dry and chewy. Malted barley, oat cakes, honey, sugar coated breakfast cereals, and a firm handshake of oak.

SUMMARY:

Big. Big oak, big malt, from a big country. Flavours delivered in burly handshakes and firm fistfuls but balanced and very-well structured. Surprising, and delightfully so.

Malt Mission #201
Malt Mission #202
Malt Mission #203
Malt Mission #204

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Thursday, November 29, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #204

Amrut Indian Single Malt Whisky
Amrut
Indian Single Malt Whisky

40% abv

£21
$54.95(CAD)*

NOMINATED in the 2008 DRAMMIES
*Most Under-rated whisky
Vote HERE (before Mar 6, 2009)


According to Indian mythology, when the Gods and the Rakshas/Demons churned out the oceans, a golden pot emerged containing the Elixir of Life, Amrut. Quite appropriately then, Amrut Distilleries produced aqua vitae, uisge beatha, the water of life.

Amrut is a proudly Indian product that has made an impression on the world stage. Made from barley grown in the frontier states of Punjab and Rajasthan in the Northwest of India, malted in Delhi and Jaipur, and distilled in Bangalore, Amrut whisky is young by necessity. The temperatures that the oak-maturing whisky is exposed to are tropical. Additionally, the maturation site in the city of Bangalore is 3000 feet above sea level. Between the altitude and the climate the spirit matures at an accelerated rate AND evaporates frighteningly fast. It is reported that after 3 years, half of the original filling has vanished as "angel's share". Happy, happy Indian angels.

Amrut chooses not to chill-filter their whiskies and have recently released a cask-strength expression in Europe as well. We will try that tomorrow. Bursting onto the whisky scene in Glasgow in 2004, Amrut has been well-received by many drinkers and critics. A friend who works in whisky retail loves to dispense Amrut blind to unsuspecting customers and ALWAYS gets a positive reaction. Let's see how it fares this morning.

* - yes, you can get this at the LCBO.

TASTING NOTES:

Big, vibrant and full of oak and malt. Spice, coca-cola, marzipan, fresh stone fruits, and a dairy element as well.

Fruity and spicy, then sweet and sour with a very pleasant mouthfeel. Oak, some coal, and malt. Paprika, black pepper, honey and almond butter in the finish.

SUMMARY:

Powerful with lots of character it isn't shy to show off. Not elegant but fun and tasty. Its great price and worthiness as a conversation-piece earn it a place on your shelves. Absolutely recommended trying at least once. You can make your own decisions after that.

Malt Mission #201
Malt Mission #202
Malt Mission #203
Malt Mission #205

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Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #203


Hunter's Choice Finest
Blended Whisky*
40% abv

500-/
KES (£3.95)

No, not that Hunter... at least, I don't think so.


Today we will be trying a third Kenyan 'whisky'. A classy way to start the third century of Malt Missions. Monday and Tuesday's drops were from the London Distillers Group and this one is from KWAL.

I put the word whisky in inverted commas because the producers of this spirit call it "whisky" even though it probably has more in common with rum. I am of the belief that whisky should only refer to spirits made from grains, and I am not the only one. The SWA(Scotch Whisky Association) has gone to great lengths to protect the terms surrounding Scotch Whisky, especially in foreign markets, and they continue to do so.


As the top earner in the food and beverage sector of the UK economy and an enormous tax revenue for the state, the governement takes the issue of protecting the product quite seriously (see THIS or THIS). This whisky protection is welcomed by the industry and the SWA. The next frontier is to get international community to agree on similar legal definitions, but producers of molasses-based spirits sold as 'whisky'
in countries in the middle east, China, and
India,
may not be so keen to play along. Keep your eyes on news HERE.

Tomorrow we will venture into the world of a genuine single malt whisky from India. For now, let's get this over with...

TASTING NOTES:

Definite grain whisky presence, which I guess is a good sign. Raw sweet potato, tea, baking soda, medicine gelcaps, electronics packaging, airport washrooms.

Toasty with a vegetal element mixed with the bready sweetness of malted granary loaves. Quite grainy with fried plantains, and a bit of apple cider.

SUMMARY:

By far the best... or most whisky-like... of the bunch. Could use a touch of the synthetic sweetness that overloaded the Safari (Malt Mission #201). Whatever game he was after, the Hunter made a reasonably good Choice. Still, worth avoiding if you can afford to, but safe to accept if dining with friends or colleagues in Nairobi.

Malt Mission #201
Malt Mission #202
Malt Mission #204
Malt Mission #205

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Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #202


Top Secret
Whisky
Blended Whisky*

43% abv

440 KES/- (£3.50)


Top Secret, indeed. Over the past two days I have emailed and called the UK and European offices of the London Distillers Company to ask a few questions about their "whisky" only to find that the offices do not exist. I am told by friends and colleagues that this is not suprising: "The company probably only exists on paper in UK," "probably changes hands every two months," "probably a front," and "that's the way business works in Kenya."

Kenya's agricultural production is reasonably diversified and can provide most of their domestic needs. Because most of the land is arid, only 8% of the country is used for crop and feed production while 80% of the population work in agriculture or in the processing of agricultural goods. Although Kenyan coffee might be familiar to many of us, tea is Kenyas' leading agricultural foreign exchange earner. They are the leading black tea producer in Africa and #4 in the world. But you can't make whisky from tea.

In terms of grains, Kenya produces more than 2million tonnes of corn and about 1.5million tonnes of wheat per annum. But sugarcane production more than doubles those figures. I imagine most of this spirit is neutral sugarcane spirit with a small percentage of grain spirit (corn, maize, wheat).


* - the terms 'whisky' or 'whiskey' are not defined in interntaional law, so I canot guarantee that this spirit is made from barley, or even grain, for that matter.

TASTING NOTES:


Rum spice, some plastic, and nailpolish. Flax seeds, vodka, nylon tents and vanilla fudge.
Sweet and slightly spicy like fennel or caraway.

Sugary, waxy, and not completely unpleasant.

SUMMARY:


More expensive than the Safari whisky enjoyed(!?) yesterday, but certainly not worth it if I was counting my Kenyan Shillings month in, month out. I imagine it's the recipe that is Top Secret and it might, although this is a very slight possibility, even contain as much as 10% grain spirit. Although neither toxic nor completely unpleasant, to be handed a glass a told it was whisky would justifiably raise reasonable doubts in the recipient.

Malt Mission #201

Malt Mission #203
Malt Mission #204
Malt Mission #205

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Monday, November 26, 2007

Malt Mission 2007 #201

Safari Whisky
Safari Rare Premium Blend
Blended Whisky*
40% abv
399/- KES (£3)

Yeah. What the hell is this, you ask?

After the first 100 Malt Missions we had a week of 'international whiskies' (MM#101-#105 in June) and I plan to follow the 200 Malt Mission landmark in the same way. This time it may last more than one week. If this blog was a for-profit enterprise it would probably be a bad business decision to look at obscure international malts and blends in the run-up to Christmas.
But it is not, so screw it. Keeping things interesting for myself is the only way to continue doing this. Hope you continue to enjoy, too.

This is the flagship whisky from African spirits company London Distillers Limited. Their Kenyan-based distillery pumps out gin, vodka, rum, brandy and whiskies that "meet international standards of quality." Safari Rare is "a distinctive blend of high quality clear neutral spirit with natural malt whiskies aged in oak barrels to give a distinct colour, subtle and light engaging flavour."


From Kenya to my nosing glass here in England, from Mombassa to the Malt Mission, thanks to MH.


* - the terms 'whisky' or 'whiskey' are not defined in interntaional law, so I canot guarantee that this spirit is made from barley, or even grain, for that matter.

TASTING NOTES:


Coconut suntan oil, spent fireworks, petrol. Butterscotch, vanilla ice cream sandwiches, green olives, and styrofoam or even silicone.

Vanilla and butterscotch, maple and waxy like lip balm.

SUMMARY:

Upon first whiff I recoiled with a light gag. Not a good start. There were two streams of aromas: one synthetic butterscotch sauce and the other nailpolish, disinfectant, etc. With some time it became slightly pleasant, or at least 60% of the detectable aromas were tolerable. Taste was like a sugar syrup. Unbelievably sweet. Drinkable... although I spittoon-ed every drop.

Malt Mission #200
Malt Mission #202
Malt Mission #203
Malt Mission #204
Malt Mission #205

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Friday, November 23, 2007

The Tops (so far...) Part II


Back in June, after the first 100 Malt Missions, I put together lists of the best whiskies consumed up to that point in different categories (HERE). I want to do the same today, so here are my top whisky picks from the first 200 Malt Missions. Please note I have changed some of the categories from last time.

It must be said that with the price jumps we have witnessed over the past 5 months and with the 10% increases promised to us by the heads of major spirits companies, the best cheap or budget whisky categories become more and more important to more and more people while malts that were in my top picks after 100 Malt Missions may have vanished from the lists below because of these price changes. In fact, the most Googled term that brought folks to the Top Picks after 100 drams was "budget whisky", or something along those lines. So big boys, while premiumisation is the key of the day, please don't forget about us little guys. We'll still be here after the Scandanavians and other Europeans grow tired of overpriced 5,6, and 7 year-old whiskies.

It is so frustrating to be able only to choose among malts I have tasted in the controlled setting of the Malt Mission. I wouldn't want anyone to believe that these are the only whiskies I have enjoyed over the past months. I try to make every malt count, but it's embarassing to be offered a drink at a friends house and ask for a pen and paper, or text notes into your phone, or to ask if you can take some home. Not that I haven't done all three of those things...

I should also add that coming to these top picks was not easy. In fact, the list could differ from day to day. This is part of why I do not score my malts in the mission. I try only to tell the stories of the distilleries, describe the flavour profiles of the whiskies, and leave the rest to you. Nonetheless, here are my choices of the best whiskies. (Note that drops tasted by guests tasters cannot be included in my top picks. Just wouldn't make sense.)


IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES, THE TOP PICS ARE NOT LISTED IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER or RANKING
It was hard enough to settle on 3 per category.
PLEASE NOTE: this is not based on ALL whiskies, this is based on whiskies I have tried in the first 200 Malt Missions.

Top Three Whiskies I Would Reach For RIGHT NOW
Old Pulteney 12
Clynelish 1972, 34yo Single Malts of Scotland
Glenlivet XXV

Best Budget/Cheap Single Malt Whisky (£20-30)
Talisker 10
Old Pulteney 12
Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Best Budget/Cheap Vatted, Blended, or Undisclosed Malt (£15-25)
The Six Isles
Jon, Mark, Robbo (any)
Sheep Dip

Best Budget/Cheap Blends (£10-20)
Black Bottle
Teachers
Whyte&Mackay 12 Premium Reserve

Best Value Overall
Glenlivet 30 Single Malts of Scotland
Talisker 18
Old Pulteney 12

Best Blended Whiskies
Johnnie Walker Black Label
Dewar's 18
Cutty Sark 25

Best Blended/Vatted Malt or Grain
Compass Box Oak Cross
Compass Box Hedonism (older bottling)
Ardbeg Serendipity

Best Standard Bottling Overall (current releases; ie. no single casks, discontinued, etc.)

Old Pulteney 12
Lagavulin 16
Glengoyne 17

Best Single Cask or Limited Release Bottling
Highland Park 16yo, Single Malts of Scotland
Bunnahabhain 33, 1971, Royal Mile Whiskies
Caol Ila 16yo, Single Malts of Scotland

The Three Most Missed (ie. dearly departed, no longer available/being produced, etc.)

Balblair 16
Bowmore 17
Jon, Mark Robbo (any)

Best Overall (irrespective of price, availability, or pride/shame)

Glenfarclas 30
Glengoyne 17
Talisker 18

Hot damn, that was difficult. I feel like I have left out many faves over the past 10 months... oh well. Just reminds me how huge the whisky world is. 200 whiskies? That's nothing! Here's to another 200...

MM200 Celebrations
MM100 Celebrations

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