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Suntory Red or RED Suntory Whisky
Blended Whisky
39% abv (!)
£3.50 (!)*
Today we will look at a whisky from Japan in anticipation of next week which will see us back on the Malt Mission at full strength in an International Malts-themed week.
Why am I tasting this outside of the Malt Mission format?
A few weeks ago I was pointing and clicking through Chris Bunting's informative and fun blog about Japanese whisky, Nonjatta. To be perfectly honest, and possibly politically incorrect, much of what I read on there I find very amusing as it taps into that east-meets-west, cross-cultural confusion, trip to the zoo, "oh, how cute! look what those strange Japanese people do!", kind of way. His presentation certainly helps keep one smiling. Anyways, I came across his notes on something called Suntory Red. I had never seen this stuff and from his description, I could understand why it doesn't make it to these shores. Nonetheless, I was determined to get some.
And I did.
The label tells/warns us that this "masterpiece made with the same traditional craftsmanship as the Akafuda" (Red Label) of the 1930s. Suntory produces most of its whisky for the Japanese market with a small, but growing, percentage reserved for export. This is not one of the exports.
And so I tasted it, but not in the same controlled environment that I usually 'seriously' nose and taste the whiskies in this mission. I spoke the notes into my phone.
*- price based on rough price of 840 yen.
TASTING NOTES:
Seedy, rye, oily, verging on turpentine
Bready, sweet, Listerine freshness, verging on turpentine
SUMMARY:
On a scale of "Try" to "Try to avoid", it depends where you live and what sort of spirit you are, but I say "Try". Once. And as far as I know, that is a pretty cheap drink so far as Japan goes, no? So, when in Rome...
Which brings me back to Nonjatta. Chris tells us that this is likely a whisky made to be consumed as a Mizuwari. Because there are several whiskies on the low-end of the market that fall into this category, Chris has a introduced a series I find absolutely hilarious called the Mizuwari Death Match. After my recent discovery of just how tasty Johnnie Walker Black is on ice, I hope to be able to do this with the real bottom-end blends. Can you imagine High Commissioner VS The Claymore? I look forward to it...
MM100 Celebrations
Malt Mission HOME
There have been a few comments posted that have
congratulated me on leading such a lovely life. A life that allows me to enjoy a small whisky every morning and the time to write about it. Well, thank you. I have no complaints and am grateful daily; Thank goodness, Meharbaanii Hai, baruch Hashem, praise Jesus, Ahumdulillah, Waheguru, etc.
So this morning, after three "work" days (I only do this Malt Mission Monday-Friday) on the wagon, I will sit here with a healthy serving of an undisclosed malt (something decadent, don't worry) to celebrate 100 Malt Missions and try to address a few questions, items brought to my attention, things that pop into my morning mind...
1) Who are you?
My name is Sam. Without sharing too much extraneous detail, I will explain life factors that effect the whisky related folds of my existence and this blog.
I lived in Edinburgh from 2002-2006 where I became turned on to the water of life. I was fascinated by the simplicity of the recipe and the seemingly disproportionate variations of flavours from distillery to distillery, expression to expression, and even mood to mood. I thought it was magical, mystical. Then when I learned the ways that Scottish whisky was interwoven with the monastic histories of the church, the French revolution, the invention of branded advertising, colonialism, U.S. prohibition, the fall of the Berlin wall, etc., I was determined to learn whatever I could. And of course, the way the spirit made me feel had something to do with the growing passion as well. I remember in my first year in Scotland, having 6 drams at a tasting and then going back to my flat where I read some pretty academic stuff for the state I was in, called my brother, and finished an article about Synagogue arson. Good times! The first night I attended the University of Edinburgh Water of Life Society, a whisky club that met a few times per semester and tried different malts, I distinctly remember the feeling of floating home; my head was clear, but I was weightless with inexplicable joy.
Over my years in Edinburgh, I became the poet laureate of the whisky society, a position specifically created for me, and later became the president. With a group of passionate mates (some passionate about whisky, most passionate about passion) we developed the society into a group of 56 (capacity, 2 bottles, 28 25ml servings per bottle) men and women. We planned years of fortnightly tastings, special guests, distillery visits, charity fundraisers, sporting events, and group whisky tours of different regions of Scotland. I met a lot of whisky folks, was able to try many many different whiskies, converted hundreds to the heavenly elixir, and smuggled a good amount of spirits back to the liquor-oppressive regime that is Ontari-Oh-no-you-dont. In that time I worked quite intentionally to develop my knowledge of whisky history, distilleries, and actively worked to develop my senses for tasting. This is really nerdy, I know, but after being advised by two well known whisky personalities that nosing and tasting is highly sensory, but very much a skill of memory association and can therefore be learned, I began smelling and tasting things and saying out loud to myself "apple", or "sweaty shoe", in an attempt to actively create the sensory memory. It is embarassing, but I still do this. I think that is enough of an answer for today.
2) Why are you doing this?
Good question. In practical terms, the malt mission began as a challenge from friends. I had started this blog but posted only three times in six months. I couldn't find the motivation to think of some new 'story' or reason to post very frequently. The internet already has dozens of very good whisky news sites and at least one brilliant commentary site. I didn't want to do a crappier version of those already great sites. I wanted something slightly different and I needed a structure.
For years, I have fielded the questions of friends and whisky drinkers in my proximity. Through the whisky society I became a sort of whisky educator and source of info and recommendation to friends and stangers, to strangers' friends, to friendly strangers. Even as recently as two nights ago I got a call after midnight from a friend in a pub in Edinburgh who had met a tourist who was heading back to his homeland soon and wanted to bring three whiskies. What would I recommend? (for the record, I answered Balblair 1989, Ardbeg Uigeadail, and Glengoyne 17)
So when the challenge arose at New Year's 2007, I decided it might be interesting to just try the whiskies we have open on our shelf, explain their histories, and share some tasting impressions, sort of as a way to convince friends (at that time the only readers of the blog) to come over to our new home in London. As time went on, I decided that I wanted to try whiskies that people actually drink, that WE drink, whiskies readily available, affordable whiskies. Not to knock the Malt Maniacs, but they already address the anoraks with their unbelievably dense website and obscure bottlings. I simply cant compete and would prefer not to be spending time on a redundant site. Additionally, I was happy to try a dozen cheap blends and standard bottlings. In fact, as shown yesterday, most searches that come to Dr. Whisky tend to be searching for Cutty Sark, Famous Grouse, Buchanans, Old Parr, Johnnie Walker, Bells, Chivas, etc. Though there have been quite a few hunting for info on Ardbeg 1975 Cask 1375. It has become a real joy to do this, and great fun working to source and taste new whiskies 5 times a week. And to have so many visitors from so many countries around the world clicking by to learn something new, find out what to buy as a gift, investigating some new release, leaving comments, is really amazing. I love whisky, and I hope whisky loves me.
3) Why don't you score the whiskies you try?
I guess this is a part of trying to be different than other sites online, books, etc. But it also relates to a fundamental flaw I find with grading systems, especially with something as subjective as whisky enjoyment, and that is just how arbitrary it all is. Yes, many people have tried to construct models of evaluation that are very scientific, but then where is the fun in that? How can the spirit have a chance to speak to you? Have you never had a whisky that you thought you didn't like that has just hit the spot? I mean, the whole 'two thumbs up' thing is so vapid. Dull. Tedious. Meaningless. A grade will always be taken out of context and by using only words, impressions, and opinions, I hope to minimize the grade bias. Think of the stir caused when Jim Murray gives a BLEND (woohooo, a blend) 97/100. Does anyone actually know what he wrote about it? Why it rated so well? No. But we all know the score...
(For more on scoring see THIS entertaining piece from the Scotch Blog. Also, Nonjatta faces the scoring the dilemma head-on HERE)
Also, I suppose this has something to do with the social responsibility aspect of this blogging life. Who the heck am I to give a 44/100 to a whisky that dozens of men and women have worked very hard to create, market, and ship to be sold? We are all VERY privileged to be able to enjoy these drinks to begin with, and should be grateful, even for the whiskies we dont like. Don't like it? Don't buy it again. But I refuse to intentionally go beyond the parameters of observation into evaluation and deter others from thinking twice about a given malt or blend with MY opinion, with a grade. Like how a good film review tells you as objectively as possible about the acting, the directing, the film movement, the dialogue, etc., so that even if s/he gives it two stars, you can see that maybe there is something in the directing style (or whatever) that this particular critic doesn't like that I do like in films. I try as much as possible to present some interesting bits about the distillery or the bottling, to note any flavour impressions in a descriptive, fun but not too frilly fashion, drawing a profile, NOT an evaluation of the flavours or "in my opinion this is good, bad, nice, not nice", etc. Forget my opinion. I am trying to find/present the essence of a given whisky considering a combination of history, production, flavours detected and impressions left. Try as I might, the whole process is subjective by default, and as much as I try to keep it objective, the summary (at least) is usually unabashedly subjective.
With this whole scoring thing in mind, Kristin challenged me, so we have a plan to have a tasting one week out of bottles I have already tried, but to try them blind and see what notes I make. The idea would be to compare them to the original notes. Potentially humiliating, but that doesn't really bother me. What, am i going to get fired? The challenge intrigues me.
4) There is no way you wrote all this in the morning.
No. You are right. That is why it is a late post today. Sorry. But I feel grrrreat!
5) Can anyone contribute to the Malt Mission?
Yes please. I would like to invite contributions from people who have found a dram about which they itch to share info and tasting impressions. In fact, I contacted several "professional" whisky folks to have guest tasters for this week of celebration(?), but initially only half of the folks responded, which was perfect for 5 posts, but by the end of last week, I had only 1 contributor. So, I decided to can the idea (Thanks anyways). But if you feel up to it, please send me your notes on something I have or haven't tried. I think it would be fun to have a week of other opinions. No guarantees I will use them tho, okay? If you are desperate to be heard, use this great site, For Peat Sake. Or even be in touch about dram exchange... you mail me some whisky in a wee sampler/mini/contacts container, and I will send you something in return.
Enough for a day.
Contact me about notes or if you have any questions.
MM100 Celebrations
Malt Mission HOME
Still celebrating 100 Malt Missions, continuing to deprive myself my breakfast whisky, so tomorrow and Friday we will celebrate with a few drams.
Today, I will share a few funny and interesting tidbits about the traffic that comes to his small corner of the world wide internot. I will also share what, in my humble and amateur opinion, were the most memorable tipples so far on tasting this trip...
Most popular Google Searches that have directed people to Dr. Whisky:
(pay attention, Diageo... and send rations!)
Buchanan's 12 / Bucanan's Deluxe (other variants)
Grand Old Parr / Deluxe / 18yo (slight variants)
Compass Box, or Compass Box products by name.
Most Entertaining Searches that have directed people to Dr. Whisky:"flatulence is okay"
"skin getting oilier late thirties"
"a long term effect of mixing a banana with a pinapple"
"irish bullocks"
"burnt toast ulcer"
"cleaning mustiness from antique furniture"
"norwegian salmon flatulence"
"getting baby sucking consistently"
"iodine beer suntan"
"this was invented this month in the 1890s, it has contained many flavors even whiskey, peanut butter and ice"
"where to buy distillers yeast toronto"
"doctor Addres. Last name. First name Spain"
"doctor who adventure"
various proper names (inder marwah, matthew cowley, jessica perlitz, marcie hume, david stewart, kristin cavoukian, jon, mark and robbo, vivien immerman, michael hopert, colin harvey, beth and jed musial, johnnie walker, arthur bell, james buchanan, dr. whisky and sam simmons)
and most incredibly/appropriately
"dr prescription for scotch"
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 100 Malt Missions.
Top Three Whiskies I Would Reach for RIGHT NOW
Old Pulteney 12
Ardbeg Serendipity
Glengoyne 17yo
Best Budget Single Malts(£20-30)
Talisker 10 Old Pulteney 12
Glenlivet 15 French Oak Reserve
Best Budget Vatted/Blended Malts (£15-25)
Compass Box Oak Cross
Jon, Mark, Robbo (any)
Sheep Dip
Best Budget Blends (£10-20)
Black Bottle
Teachers
Whyte&Mackay 12 Premium Reserve
Best Value Overall
Ardbeg Uigedail
Old Pulteney 12
Compass Box Oak Cross
Best Blended Whiskies
Dewar's 18
Buchanan's 12
Whyte&Mackay 12 Premium Reserve
Best Blended/Vatted Malt or Grain
Compass Box Oak CrossCompass Box Hedonism (older bottling)
Ardbeg Serendipity
Best Standard Bottling Overall (current releases; ie. no single casks, discontinued, etc.)
Lagavulin 16
Glengoyne 17Ardbeg Uigeadail
The Three I wish would Flow Eternally (ie. discontinued or otherwise unavailable whiskies)
Ardbeg Serendipity
Scapa 12
Clynelish 11, FYOB @ the Whisky Exchange
Best Overall (irrespective of price, availability, or pride/shame)
Highland Park 1976
Glenfarclas 25
Glengoyne 17
That was not easy. Very difficult to settle on answers.
Helps remind me that 100 whiskies aren't really very many, and is in fact only a tiny fraction of what is out there.
Amazing.
These answers will certainly change in time.
Let's move along to another hundred...
Cheers.
MM100 Celebrations
non-Malt Mission posts
North American Adventure
Malt Mission HOME
"The proper drinking of Scotch whisky is more than indulgence: it is a toast to civilization, a tribute to the continuity of culture, a manifesto of man’s determination to use the resources of nature to refresh mind and body and enjoy to the full the senses with which he has been endowed." - David Daiches, Scotch Whisky 1969
Still celebrating 100 Malt Missions (and giving the old liver a rest for a few days).
It has been an educational ride, and I thank you for reading and commenting, and hope you have learned some things, too.
i've learned that the internet is an incredible medium. i've learned that privilege is a small province. i've learned to distinguish between whisky lovers and whisky snobs. i've learned that a percentage of whisky buyers purchase whisky with more consideration for packaging than contents. i've learned that john glaser makes dull whisky dynamite with wood and johnnie walker with ice. i've learned that when corporations in the Dominion of Canada bought Scottish distilleries in the 1970s, they did them no favours. i've learned that price does not (necessarily) affect quality. i've learned that the travelling storyteller we met in Royal Mile Whiskies Edinbugh in 2006 was right, vanillin in the foods we eat and drinks we love is the breast calling out to all of us; the word 'vanilla', appears, in different shapes and sizes, in just under half of the Malt Missions, and in a few of them, more than once per post. i've learned what aldehydes, feints, esters, and phenols are. i've learned that whisky tastes better when you are hungry than when you are full. i've learned that i have much to learn.
Learning is fun.
I have noticed over the months that people search particular questions or terms that make it clear to me what information they are after, and I know that while I could help them with their inquiry, the information they are after just wont be found on my blog.
ex. "How old ledaig", "discontinue bowmore LCBO", "where to buy ________", "a long term effect of mixing a banana with a pineapple" (these are all real. more tomorrow)
Because of this I want to start a Dear Doctor-type of fuction.
Whisky Questions? what, how, why, when, etc.
Leave a comment or click through on my pic in the side column(left).
Happy Tuesday.
MM100 Celebrations
Malt Mission HOME
Thanks to many folks, we have made it to Malt Mission 100... and it looks like we will be able to continue for at least a few more weeks...
Although I tend to taste each dram in solitude it wouldn't be possible without the help and support of others
So today, we say THANK YOU(and I let my liver rest):
Kris Gilmartin (author of the Scottish Sunday Post article pictured on right)
Matt and Mariah for sending me that pic
Misako Udo, Gavin Smith, Charlie Maclean, and Sukhinder Singh for being so supportive and forthcoming with information
Kevin Erskine (who let me contribute in May)Mark Gillespie (who linked and mentioned Dr. Whisky in Whisky Cast episode 91)
Darren Turpin wrote about Dr. Whisky @ The Genre Files
Chris Bunting (Nonjatta), Colin Ligertwood (For Peat Sake), Colin Campbell (Whisky Blog), Sku of Sku's Recent Eats, Jay Williams' Aphoristic Subplot, all you nuts at EUWOLS, Naresh at Sound of the Cinema, and any more I am forgetting(sorry), who have all linked to Dr. Whisky.
EVERYONE who has forwarded links to friends and colleagues via email, etc.
Those who have sent me/helped me source whiskies:
The Whisky Exchange
Royal Mile Whiskies
Vintage House
Andy Forrester (formerly ofJon, Mark, and Robbo, and Cellar Trends)Barry and Barry at Premium Bottlers
Chivas Brothers
William Grant and Sons
Whyte & Mackay
Glengoyne/Ian Macleod Distillers
Compass Box Whisky
Marcie Hume who helped me make this video
Espen Knudsen for challenging me to do this and Kristin Knudsen for putting up with it.
and if I have forgotten you or if you feel you deserve a thank you, then THANK YOU.
I would also like to use this space to ask those major (Glenmorangie plc, Diageo, Pernod/Chivas, Bacardi, Willam Grant & Sons, Morrison Bowmore) and independent (Gordon & Macphail, Benriach, Bruichladdich) companies that lurk on Dr. Whisky, searching these pages each week (I can SEE you), step up and help this blog by sharing or continuing to share press info, samples, etc. As the stats to the right indicate (more data available upon request), thousands of people are using this web resource and your products are getting 'free' exposure. I am delighted to continue so long as I can, so please, play a part (contact info). Cheers.
MM100 Celebrations
Malt Mission HOME
Ardbeg 1972/2000, 28yo
Douglas Laing Old Malt CaskIslay Single Malt Whisky
50% abv
price unknown, my guess is £300
While I am delighted to celebrate Malt Mission #100, I am also pretty pissed off. This morning I wrote a bit of this post, tasted the dram and wrote down impressions. I was going to write a bit more now and post it only to find the original saved post was gone. Argh. To be honest, I am surprised it took this long for something like this to happen. The only other thing I am surprised hasn't happened yet is to spill a dram all over my laptop. Fingers crossed that won't happen until at least MM500.
The good news is that I have about 5ml left in the wee sampler bottle and get to try again. I will be relying somewhat on memory from this morning.
So here we are, Malt Mission 100. Sure, it may not be much to the Malt Maniacs or to Taylor Smisson (of the now discontinued Malt Drinker's Diary), or other crazy whisky nerds out there, but I am happy. I mean, I like Star Trek, but to tell you what stardate Picard lost his father, what a soliton wave is, or to send you a wedding invitation in Klingon is WAY beyond me. This blog has, from the beginning with Johnnie Walker Black, been about sharing information about Scottish whisky in an inclusive, fun, and informative way. I hope it succeeds at that, and continues to do so. My liver feels great.
Over the weekend and next week, as a part of the official centenary celebration, I will share some of the funny searches that have led folks to the blog, I will attempt to make list of my Top Pics(so far), and will dole out the thank-yous that so many of you deserve for forwarding the page to others, posting links on websites, sharing drams, reading and commenting.
Speaking of sharing drams, a big thanks to Michael Hopert sharing a drop of this little gem from his own collection. Prost! Let's taste (again).
This is one of just 222 bottles from this particular cask. It is from the last year of distillation at Ardbeg before being handed over to the Ardbeg Distillery Trust, the first stage of the eventual Hiram Walker take over of the distillery, and one of the last years of 'old, peaty' Ardbeg, when the whisky was still made from barley malted in Ardbeg's own maltings.
For more Ardbeg info see Malt Missions 15, 20, and 70
TASTING NOTES:
Concentrated, immediately rich and sexy. Starburst or Opal Fruits off the top over piles of peat. Leaf fires. Thick and hearty. Gummy. Juicy Fruit sweetness, Thai lime freshness with a meaty heart. Deep fried cinnamon dough. Bloody appetising.
The power potential can be felt immediately in the mouth. So controlled. Amazing. Like a sprinter in ready position, you can feel the liquid's excitement at what it is about to show you. Bursts into a smoked salmon cream spread, more of that synthetic fruit sweetness with a full breath of dried fruits and toasty oak. The organic, mineral, dirty Ardbeg characteristics are also all present. Yard fires in the autumn. Exhale smoke and stone.
SUMMARY:
Even if I tried (and I'm trying!) to get down everything this whisky is doing, I would be doomed to failure. This is a beautiful whisky, full of character. A dram to visit and revisit. It engages you in a sensory conversation that only a fool would rush. With this beauty you would easily spend a beautiful, memorable night, and you wouldn't hesitate to call in the morning.
After I had it this morning, I could still taste the stony peat up to 4 hours later.
MM100 celebrations
Malt Mission #96
Malt Mission #97
Malt Mission #98
Malt Mission #99
Malt Mission HOME
Suntory Red or RED Suntory Whisky 
