Jon, Mark and Robbo'sThe Rich, Spicy One
(Vatted Malt Whisky)
40% abv
£15 pounds(50cl)
$28.99[75cl(USD)]
Dave "Robbo" Robertson was the man who was responsible for creating the whiskies in the JMR line, and the challenge to develop the Rich Spicy One was certainly a match played on his home turf. Let me quickly explain.
Robbo was born at Royal Brackla distillery where his father (Ricky Robertson) was assistant manager. He grew up breathing in the angel's share at Glenlossie, Aberfeldy and Glendullan distilleries. He studied brewing and distilling in Edinburgh and took a highly prized seat, becoming manager at Macallan in 1994, the youngest in the distillery's history(he was 26). He became Master Distiller in 1996 and eventually Global Marketing Manager and brand ambassador. Quite a climb. Obviously a talented whisky guru.
One of his favorite jobs at Macallan, and one he is certainly a master at, was 'creating' whiskies. He developed a series of replicas, bottling to recreate styles by decade(see tomorrow), and the famous Gran Reserva 1979. And that credibility and skill is what he brought to JMR, and particularly the Rich Spicy One.
All Jon, Mark and Robbo had on the mission can be viewed HERE.
TASTING NOTES:
Velvety effect in the nose, so creamy and... low down, if you get what i mean; I can smell it in my teeth. Strong sherry influences. Raisins and dried apples, nutty, and VERY inviting. Toffee and rich melted milk chocolate. A slight citrus presence, like the peels, not the pulp, and when I stick my nose in catching the vapours off the sides of the glass, it is a touch waxy, or even soapy.
I love the way this stuff FEELS in the mouth. Syrupy and chewy. Must be even more so right out of the freezer (taboo? not to these guys). Sweet and spicy. Buttered toast. Cloves and cinnamon. Sherry flavours without any of the oakiness... weird, but good! Develops into a nice nutty finish that fades softly.
SUMMARY:
Makes an impression that is both, um, rich and spicy. Feels so amazing on the tongue and the coconut oil effect lasts, leaving your mouth feeling coated in flavour. Lots of sherry casks, for sure (contains Highland Park, Bunnahabhain,Tamdhu and Glenrothes). An obvious Macallan influence, with similar richness at a much more friendly price. How? Who cares... THANK YOU!
Whenever we have had this stuff about the flat, it has vanished VERY quickly. I blame Kristin, but understand how one serving would NEVER be enough.
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1 comment:
Just bought a bottle of this on the basis of your review and wanted to express my thanks for your contribution towards the enlightenment of a Scotch novice.
To date, my exposure to "good" Scotch whisky is rather limited, but even so, it's almost ruined me for any of the Kentucky bourbon whiskies that used to be my favorite spirits. The tipping point occurred about a year ago when a good friend served me Balvenie Doublewood - it was a revelation! It dawned on me right then that perhaps I had been missing out on one of life's more sublime pleasures.
My efforts at rectifying this situation has led me to try a few other single malts as well as blended varieties. Yesterday evening (after having discovered your blog totally by accident) I scanned the first 80 or so of your Malt Missions and wrote down the names of 3 that sounded promissing but weren't particularly expensive. The JMR "Rich, Spicy One" is the only one of those three that the local vendor had on their shelf, but I'm quite happy with the purchase - this whisky is every bit as good as you described it!
Again, I thank you and look forward to reading about the further discoveries that you've made in the pursuit of your Mission.
Cheers!
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