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Chivas Regal 18yo
Blended Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£40
$84.45(CAD)
$70(USD)
The doctor is back in the office and he is determined to get to Malt Mission #300. Beyond that, our future is unknown. Been a few crazy weeks, an absolutely stellar weekend, and the future is a wild ride from London to Edinburgh to Dufftown to Girvan to Edinburgh until we land, at some point, in NYC. Will share more details soon enough, not that it's any of your business...!
I usually hyperlink the description of the whisky above to a defining link, ie. 'blended scotch whisky', but intentionally have not done so today in order to address a current whisky issue that seems so ill-conceived that one cannot help but dig for a conspiracy. But as with anything in this wide world interweb, you can't believe everything you read.
The Scotch Whisky Association(SWA) has put forward a proposal to The Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) that would see a legal change of the terms of scotch whisky. Currently, whisky makers use the terms SINGLE MALT, MALT* and BLENDED to denote the type of scotch whisky
Single Malt= whisky made from MALTed barley and distilled at a SINGLE distillery (Glenfiddich, Glenfarclas, Glenmorangie, etc.)
Malt= whisky made from MALTed barley from more than one distillery (Monkey Shoulder, Oak Cross, Sheep Dip, etc.)
Blended= whisky made from MALTed barley from one OR more SINGLE distilleries BLENDED with spirit made from corn/maize, rye, barley, wheat, otherwise known as grain whisky. So malt and grain whiskies blended together (Johnnie Walker Red, Grant's, today's malt, etc.)
The changes address a few different issues. Of particular interest are two main points.
1) The prohibition of the terms VATTED malt, or PURE malt for a whisky made up of more than one single malt. Proposed term is BLENDED MALT.
2) BLENDED MALT can be named Cardhu, for example, so long as it includes that single malt and "it is clear from the presentation of the product that not all the whisky was distilled at that distillery."
The problems with these proposals becoming law are two-fold:
---to stop consumer confusion, the terms 'vatted' and 'pure' are to be dropped and a new phrase introduced to clarify what kind of whisky this is, ie. to differentiate it from two reasonably understood types of whisky, Single Malt and Blended whisky, ie. Glenfiddich and Grant's. But by using an adjective that already satisfactorily designates a type of whisky("blended") to describe another, the confusion will be immediately increased. The type of malt whisky we are talking about here already has a used and useful classification, MALT whisky, ie. NOT single and NOT blended.
---By the clause in the proposal stating that BLENDED MALTS can use the name of a distillery that is one of its constituent parts the SWA seem to have simultaneously permitted the use of single malt brand power to release inferior and/or cheaper products AND devalued the craft of the nice folks behind Monkey Shoulder, Pig's Nose, Sheep Dip, and Compass Box creations Peat Monster, Oak Cross, Flaming Heart, Morpheus, Canto Casks, etc.
This has stirred up a good amount of chatter in the whisky-soaked corners of the web and has received commentary from the long e-silent whisky e-postle Johannes van den Heuvel (Malt Madness). As I am allergic to Facebook, I may have missed some of the best discussions HERE, and John Glaser (Compass Box) circulated this petition to sign... and read; his prose is much clearer, less inflammatory, and comes without the frantic conspiracy theory speculations (which, as tools in rational debates, are offensive irrespective of their content) that litter Mark Reynier's rants on the subject.
Read Johannes (above) to get up to speed, or The Scotsman. Then sign John's petition and email your thoughts to SWA: info@swa.org.uk or DEFRA: Stuart.Cooper@defra.gsi.gov.uk
Enough for an intro today, I will share few thoughts over the coming weeks, which, incidentally, might only see around five(5) malt missions. Still busy, still transient, still happy.
Not much about bottle history today, but oh well. Look it up, or see all Chivas had on the mission HERE. Tasted with MW and ISM.
* There are variations. Some companies have used the term Pure Malt, Triple Malt, or Vatted Malt.
TASTING NOTES:
Busy but insanely well-integrated. The tightly contained aromas are liberated by a tiny drop of water. Nuts, chocolate, cherries, cherry blossom, fruit and nut dairy milk bars. Some green banana and ice cream cone. Sweet cigar smoke, smell of old books, counterbalanced with fresh lemon.
"Dark chocolate" - Morwenna.
Lots of fruit, lots of oak, vanilla powder folks put on their cappuccinos. Multidimensional and harmonious. Hard to describe the flavour movement, but that is the charm of a blend. This one swells is the mouth, with a great arc of flavour starting slightky smoky and honeyed at the front of the mouth, expanding into the corners, and resting at back and sides of tongue with chocolate and sherried fruits.
"Sweet cigar smoke, old book smell, lemons"- Inder
SUMMARY:
"That was tasty." -Inder
"Tastes goooooooooooooooood. It's doing the trick. From a medical standpoint, Doctor, this was rich enough to be tasted through my cold. It's going down really well. There's no burn on the throat." -Morwenna (with head cold)
A crowd pleaser. Rich and soft with subtle complexity so well meshed that it could be overlooked... that is the art of blending. Anyone can peat their barley or sherry mature their spirit and have a high impact malt. Good blends are elegant and refined and well-suited for any mood. An excellent luxury blend.
Malt Mission #270
Malt Mission #272
Malt Mission #273
Malt Mission #274
Malt Mission #275
Malt Mission HOME
Chivas Regal 12 yo
Blended Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£19
$42.30(CAD)
$22(USD)
In 1836 James Chivas became a partner in an Aberdeen-based grocer and wine merchant and working with his brother John in 1857, Chivas Brothers was born. Chivas Regal was their flagship blend from 1909 and was finding great success on North American shores. In Canada the brand earned much admiration from whisky distillers and in 1949 Seagram's bought the family of blends. The company subsequently acquired old and built new distilleries in the 20th century helping to give Chivas Regal 12 a dominant position in the whisky market.
The blend is said to contain a high malt content of 40%, mainly made up of Speyside malts (Glenlivet, Longmorn, and Strathisla for sure, and maybe Allt-a-Bhainne, Aberlour, Benriach, Braeval, Caperdonich, Glen Grant and Glen Keith). Today, Chivas 12 is the second biggest selling Premium blend after Johnnie Walker Black.
TASTING NOTES:
Soft and pleasant nose, vanilla, cut grass, sweet and malty. A touch waxy, with lots of fruit, nuts, and tons of oak character. Great depth and complexity and worth nosing and nosing again. Carob, hazelnuts, salt and a bit of smoke, too.
Floral elements juxtaposed with sweet cocoa bean and a nuttiness that's all wrapped up in a soft woody, earthy smoke. Finish like licking a wooden spoon that mixed cake batter.
SUMMARY:
Give credit where credit is due. Often standard "classic" whiskies (Chivas 12, Dewar's, Glenlivet 12, Johnnie Walker, Bell's, etc.) go undercelebrated and are overlooked when shopping, pub drinking, or recommending. I really enjoyed this, even if the finish was a bit of a bore. It is mature and satisfying whisky, for satisfied and mature drinkers. Takes water, and ice for that matter, well.
Malt Mission #260
Malt Mission #262
Malt Mission #263
Malt Mission #264
Malt Mission #265
Malt Mission HOME
Chivas Regal 21 yo Royal Salute
Blended Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£85
$168.75(CAD)
$160 (USD)*
Dubbed by the marketing brains "the ultimate gift to powerful people", Chivas' Royal Salute was (apparently) originally blended from personally selected whiskies by Sam Bronfman (Seagrams, who took over Chivas in 1949). This whisky was first created to honour Queen Elizabeth II on her Corontation in 1953. The expression comes in three differently coloured Wade flagons chosen to represent the colours of the Coronation crown: sapphire, ruby, and emerald. It also comes complete with a velvety bag thing with a fancy rope enclosure ready to be used to hold your Scrabble pieces.
This whisky was awarded "Best Blended Scotch Whisky 2003" and received a gold medal at the 2005 and 2006 International Wine and Spirits Competition. This whisky also won "Best of the Best" Scottish Blended Whisky 2005 by Whisky Magazine. Royal Salute has other expressions as well as the 21yo: 100 Cask Selecion and 38yo 'Stone of Destiny'.
Many folks, professional and amateur critics, have said that this whisky goes well with a fine cigar. Could just be the stale, decades-old association of old, premium whiskies matching with tobacco, but it might be worth heading over to Cigar Jack's Cigar Blog to see what stogie would be well-suited to accompany this dram.
In his write up of Seagrams and Chivas in The Whiskies of Scotland, Dr. R.J.S. McDowall quotes a Scottish Divine, writing, "Whisky is one of the best of God's creatures. It is only the abuse of it by man which is evil." At this price it would be hard to abuse, but I think the point is a good one.
* - please remember that in America the prices can vary incredibly. I think they call that FREEDOM.
TASTING NOTES:
Wonderfully complex flavour arrays working on different levels, but soft, fruity, dense, and utterly approachable. Berries, apricots, dried apples, and the sweetness of grains. Barley and rye. Perfumy, grassy. Some mulled wine spice, brazil nuts, almonds and vanilla.
Bright and peppery to start, turning toasty, creamy, and even smoky. Fresh ginger, parsley sprigs, then maple, cinnamon, cloves, apricots again, toasty oakiness, sherry, and gentle breaths of smoke. Long finish that feels weighty, heavy with nut oil and cream, but lifted by the fresh grassiness, fruit, and fragrant smoke.
SUMMARY:
There is a real "old-school scotch" flavour about this, and it is not just the velvet bag and ceramic flagon. I don't use the term 'scotch' very often because to me, 'scotch' is the Chivas or Ballantine's you steal from dad's/uncle's/grandpa's/neighour's booze shelf when you are young and drink it cuz it is strong and makes you feel different, without any regard for the subtle flavour complexities. Silly bag, bottle and all. But this stuff is a delight; soft, complex, incredibly well-integrated flavours, classy and classic. Wintery, fireside ready, and diverse enough to speak to you in any mood. Luxurious. Dense. Wonderful.
Malt Mission #221
Malt Mission #222
Malt Mission #223
Malt Mission #225
Malt Mission HOME
Longmorn 16 yo
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
48% abv
£50
The good people of Chivas Brothers have been kind enough to send me this sample (thank you Neil Macdonald and Sherraine Leung). It is a highly anticipated new release that was officially announced at the beginning of March.
Longmorn was founded in 1894 and means "Place of the Holy Man". There is a belief that the site of the Longmorn distillery was home to an ancient chapel. In 1919, Masataka Taketsuru visited as a student and later founded Nikka Whisky Co., building his first distillery, Yoichi on Hokkaido, Japan, using Longmorn as a model in 1934. Longmorn became part of Seagrams of Canada in 1978 and they switched the coal-fired stills to steam, switched the water source, and replaced the wooden washbacks with stainless steel. Pernod Ricard bought part of Seagrams and took over the Chivas Group in 2001. Known (among those who have even heard of the stuff) for producing rich, massive whisky (try the Gordon & Macphail Longmorn 25yo... you can spread it on toast!), Longmorn has quite a reputation among people in the whisky industry and passionate whisky drinkers. Longmorn is referred to as 'the second choice of all master blenders.'
The launch of Longmorn 16 is part of Chivas Brothers' premiumisation strategy. "Longmorn's positioning at the super-premium end of the malt market, places it in a category that is experiencing strong growth of 17.5%"
Super-premium, design synergy, price points, sector growth, etc... not exactly romantic words to move whisky bottles and inspire whisky drinkers. Like describing one's child as "effecient, showing good growth potential, reliable on deliverables, micro investment; solid return," etc.
Let's drink and leave that crap in the boardroom.
TASTING NOTES:
Jamaican sweets, fried plantain, honey, wedding cake, avocado. Fruits picked too early, unripe strawberries, wild blueberries, hard peaches or nectarines. Really develops in the glass and is startlingly welcoming to deep whiffs despite the %abv. Mocha java. Musty summer house after a winter of neglect. Sweet oak, some leather, menthol.
Very alive in the mouth, first friendly and buttery, then effervescent, then almost bitter or puckering. Awakening my mouth from cheek to cheek. Chilli spiciness. Green, young trees being torn apart, pinecones. Water dulls this effect, but it is one of intrinsic flavour, not alcohol level. Once these impressions leave, it is creamy and sweet. Still in the tropical realm like the nose, now mangoes and green/unripe bananas. Ginger biscuits, heaps of oak and wood tickling the whole mouth. Medium-long finish of dried fruits and spices, figs and cinnamon, some vanilla and oats, and still has that green feeling, now of a felled sapling.
SUMMARY:
Captures a whole realm of flavours from water, coal-fired distillation, different malt, different types of oak, and time. This is certainly a unique dram. It has a gorgeous provocative nose. It is very lively in the mouth, but the leading flavours walk a fine line between fresh assertiveness and tree-sap, rubbing alcohol, or tabasco sauce.
The promotional literature reads "praise has been heaped on this whisky from the moment it was first produced, yet it remains unknown to most malt whisky consumers." I worry that at the current price point, AND as the only official Longmorn release, this great whisky will remain "Speyside's secret", "an unsung hero of malt".
Additionally, I worry that the packaging is quite excessive in an age of ecological awareness and responsibility, and for a whisky that is not going to just sit in a box on the shelf, but, rather, be consumed(it is not a collector's item), such packaging is ultimately wasteful. For example, will the leather bottom of the bottle or the metal/tin neck ornament make it unacceptable for recycling?
Malt Mission #66
Malt Mission #67
Malt Mission #68
Malt Mission #70
Malt Mission HOME
Cask Strength Whisky Tasting (and Morwenna's Birthday)
Saturday March 31
Ian Brooks' place
Toronto
7.30pm - late
Hosted a whisky tasting on Saturday, as we try to do every time we are here in Toronto. A good time was had by all and not a drop went unappreciated. Very happy that so many people were able to come and that everyone had a good time, including the birthday girl and her family. I have received many emails of thanks, and we thank all of you for coming and taking part in the magic of communal spirit consumption.
I should note that there are no professional whisky drinkers in the group, a few aspiring nerds, and a few guests who took some time to warm up to whisky. This is a welcome challenge to Kristin and I and I think it is safe to say that we can now add a few more names to the growing list of converts in our whiskevangelism. I also like to note that despite what marketers tell us in the whisky industry, the room was evenly split between guys and dolls. AND, most importantly, more women liked what we are told are "manly" Islay whiskies than men. Give 'er!
The tasting notes of each expression were noted on a pad of yellow legal paper that went around the room. I thank all the contributors and apologise if I do not use every note. I will credit the notes where credit is due.
Kilchoman New Spirit (50ml)
Islay
63.5%
abv £5
This is new-make barley spirit, something that most people never get to try and it is absolutely fantastic that Kilchoman has decided to release new spirit. Legally, it cannot be called 'whisky' until it has aged in cask for 3 years. This is the way whisky would have been consumed 200 years ago, with no time wasted on aging, just drinking it right off the still.
Kilchoman is a new distillery and has been distilling whisky for just under two years (began in June 2005). The distillery is one of the few that will be able to claim that every step of the whisky making process is taken on site and it is the first new Islay distillery in 124 years.
TASTING NOTES
Salty fish water, dates-in-boiled-oats kind of sweetness, pear flavoured water, pissed-out fire.
"Tastes like a young Laphroaig" - Kristin Cavoukian
"Peardrops? Bollocks!!!" Jordan
SUMMARY
Everyone was very impressed with just how drinkable this stuff was in spite of its strength, but were also surprised by the softness of flavours, a gentle sweetness unexpected by most, from 'immature' spirit. Everyone loved the smokiness. We all look forward to great things from this new distillery.
Chivas Regal 12yo (1750ml) 
Blended Scotch Whisky
40% abv
$90.65(CAD)
In 1836 James Chivas became a partner in an Aberdeen-based grocer and wine merchant and in 1857 Chivas Brothers was born. Chivas Regal was their flagship blend from the 1890s and was finding great success on North American shores. In Canada the brand earned much admiration from whisky distillers and in 1949 Seagram's bought the family of blends. The company subsequently acquired old and built new distilleries in the 20th century.
The blend is said to contain a high malt content of 40%, mainly made up of Speyside malts (Glenlivet, Longmorn, and Strathisla and for sure, and maybe Allt-a-Bhainne, Benriach, Braeval, Caperdonich, Glen Grant and Glen Keith)
The CoolBrands Council (!) named Chivas the UK's coolest whisky brand(2006).
TASTING NOTES:
Vanilla, cut grass, sweet and malty. Applesauce. Mango lassie.
"First time having it and I am pleasantly surprised. The box always gave me the impression that the whisky would taste like dust and 'English Leather', but it doesn't!" - Matthew Cowley
Many commented how it tasted really light later in the night, but this was no doubt because by that point we had already enjoyed 4 cask-strength whiskies.
SUMMARY:
A surprise to many who had stigmatized this whisky in their minds, Chivas Regal proved to be satisfying and widely appealing, although it was the last whisky bottle to be emptied on the night. Mind you, this could be because we had a 1.75L bottle...
North British 1991 (14yo) 
Signatory Cask Strength Grain Whisky
53.3% abv
£33
It is not often that one gets to taste new make spirit and single cask grain whisky on the same night. Adding to the experience is the fact that this particular grain was aged in Californian ex-sherry casks; extremely unusual.
This distillery provides grain for many of the biggest blends(Vat 69, Dewar's, Chivas, Famous Grouse, Isle of Skye, and more), and produces 1.25 million litres a week(!). One of seven remaining grain distilleries in Scotland, and the only one left in Edinburgh.
TASTING NOTES
Honey ice cream, sour grapes, dying flowers, sulphur and sewage.
Forget who said these, "sauna", "library dust", "dirt, earth", "sucking on a tree branch"
"Blood flavoured liquorice" - Brian Kobayakawa
"It makes me feel like I'm going to grow a big funnel/smokestack out of the front of my face--out of which I'll spew fluffy clouds" - Jessie Perlitz
"Matches dropped into a grainfield sparking a grassfire" - Jenn Gaudette
SUMMARY
The "off-notes" (namely sewage and matches) polarized the room. Absolutely loved by many, enjoyed by most, and hated by very few. A highly unusual whisky that was infinitely interesting. Very memorable, and a gorgeous bottle that was highly coveted by the tasters.
Glenmorangie Traditional (100 proof) 
Highland Single Malt Whisky
57.2% abv
£45
Glenmorangie is the best selling whisky in the UK and is pronounced, contrary to the belief of some cocky tourists I met in Scotland two years ago, "glen-moren-jee". Not that I was nit-picking, but they were just so obnoxiously pretentious and I insist on knocking the wind out of anyone who propagates the myth of snobbery that surrounds whisky enjoyment.
Glenmorangie is very proud to boast the tallest stills in the industry measuring in at 5.1m. They can also claim responsibility for the various wood finishes as they pioneered the resurgence of the method in recent years. In fact, the wood management at Glenmorangie is among the most strict in the whole whisky world and is the product of 20 years of ongoing research into slow growing trees and techniques of air drying the oak of particular trees from particular parts of the US, used for particular bourbons before being used to mature the spicy, vanilla rich whisky that we all know as Glenmorangie.
TASTING NOTES
Fresh mint, fennel, vanilla pods, rooibos tea. An effervescent mouthfeel that becomes nicely oily with synthetic orange flavour and white pepper.
"Coating of fur on the tongue." - anon.
"High octane version of the standard 10yo" - Jordan
"Aerosol hairpspray from 1972" - Allison B
"I just really like it" - Brian Kobayakawa, Jillian Rogin
SUMMARY
Dram of the night for many folks, myself included, this is powerful but elegant stuff with great balance of wood and whisky character. Water adds to the flavour experience and increases the beauty of the mouthfeel. Dig it.
Aberlour A'bunadh, Batch 17 
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
60.2%
£32
Taking it's name from the Gaelic for 'the origin', A'bunadh is a batch released whisky that is a vatting of different ages of exclusively oloroso sherry cask matured Aberlour whisky. When we visited the distillery a couple of years ago, we were told that the inspiration for this expression of Aberlour came from a bottle that was discovered in the walls of one of the distllery buildings. It was tested and it was decided to try and create a similar style of Aberlour, traditional and from an era when most distilleries were exclusively aging in sherry casks, and bottle it in an old-style apothecary bottle with a wood stopper and wax seal. This series has been a great success and is currently on Batch 18.
Founded in 1879 by James Fleming, a fire in 1898 destroyed most of the distillery. It was insured and rebuilt at an incredible cost. But it was worth it as the place is still stunningly gorgeous. The distillery remained water powered (it is located at a meeting point of the Lour and Spey rivers) until 1960 and was purchased by its current owners, Pernod Ricard(Chivas whisky family) in 1974.
TASTING NOTES
Fire. Rich with cloves, cocoa, and loads of oloroso sherry. Hot. I need water.
"All I can say is smoooooooth. yum yum." - Joanna White
"Chocolatey, nougat-y, dessert-y smooch" - anon.
"Tasty, a dark cave with a monster lurking inside" - Chuck Erlichman
"Not unlike drinking a brick." - Zack
"Not so subtle." - Jill R.
"It burns. Olive and chocolate. and burn." - Brian K.
SUMMARY
Another that was hit and miss. A whisky that benefits from being 4th in a tasting. Still too spirit-hot to many, but undeniably full of rich sherry and all the good stuff that comes with it. Another cool bottle, to boot.
Bowmore 7yo
SMWS 3.123 "jowl-shaking"
Single Cask Single Malt Whisky
61.6% abv
Always good to end a tasting with something fiery and smoky, and this little beast from Bowmore certainly lived up to those expectations.
Kristin and I used to be on the SMWS tasting panel that considers the whiskies from individual casks in an attempt to determine which ones are good enough to be bottled by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We learned a great deal from the experienced noses at the table and are very grateful to have had the opportunity to take part. Young Bowmores have been very popular in recent years at the society and with independent bottlers. See Malt Mission 18 or Malt Mission 4 for more information on Bowmore and notes on other expressions of this whisky.
TASTING NOTES
"Burning love... and plastic and war and turpenitine" - Zack
"This is the one... send the rest back. ISLAY FOREVER" - Kristin C.
"Ashtray mouth; if you have a need for it, this is where you get it." Allison
"Smokey, peaty, with a hint of maple and A535"
SUMMARY
Smokeheads loved this treat, but they were easy to convince. It is the rest of the room that found something to like in it that was most impressive. Slightly antiseptic in its numbing affect. But lots of character for such a young'n. bowMORE.
OVERALL SUMMARY:
Much fun. Thanks again, all.
Most abstract note:
"LIKE FIREWORKS WITH THE DOPPLER EFFECT"
runners up: "Not unlike drinking a brick", "Rip yer bitch-pants off"
Most Canadian note/comment:
"A HINT OF MAPLE AND A535"
runner up "No, I've got a couple beer"
North American Adventure #1
North American Adventure #2
North American Adventure #3
North American Adventure #4
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