Malt Mission 2011 #399

Ardbeg Provenance 1974 Bottle #1605

Islay Single Malt Whsky

54.7% abv

+/- £1000

+/- $1200 (USD)

I featured Ardbeg twice in the first month of this malt mission over four years ago and I am fortunate enough to get to taste this piece of history in the run-up to Malt Mission #400

Bottled in 1998, this is the US edition of the legendary Ardbeg Provenance series (geeky bits HERE) that reportedly made people shit their pants upon first tasting it. Seriously, this is a story that has been relayed to me by an enthusiast and I cannot think of any reason why someone would lie about doing such a terrible thing to their Joe Boxers. And soiling oneself is a pretty good reassurance to the naysayers that the Glenmorangie takeover in 1997 was going to be a very good thing, if sometimes requiring a change of underwear.

Ardbeg is probably the king of the cult distilleries in terms of attracting the most diehard fans and quasi-religious followers. They have the Ardbeg Committee, they have dedicated fan sites (Tim's Ardbeg Project), and past bottlings have, as noted above, made grown men shit their pants.

I was fortunate enough to be on Islay recently and distillery manager Mickey Heads explained to us how many people spend the night at the distillery to be sure to get Feis Ile bottles (and sell them online?) the following morning. Now, I love whisky, and I really like Ardbeg, but sleeping over in Islay rain?

Finally, a big thanks must be extended to the amazing Jazz Dentist. Not only did Peter set aside a sample when I last visited Dram Central Station before leaving New York, but he had prepared it in a wee bottle to take home for my wife, the Ardbeg freak of this family. I hope he won't mind me saying that he has also undergone his last chemo treatment and is that much closer to his dram to celebrate THE END of what he calls "this whole business."

Whatever drop you choose, Peter, may it taste not of heaven, but of earth.

For more distillery info, or to see all Ardbeg whiskies tasted since the beginning of this blog, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

All the sweetness of aged quality ex-bourbon casks emerge first, coconut shavings, marshmallow, coffee cake, vanilla custard, followed by the expected tide of magic markers, latex, plasticine, fishtanks, and finally, algaic peat, but maintaining a creamy sweetness throughout.

A tease of brown sugar before an strange brew of cocoa, smoke, mustard and toffee. Otherworldly flavour development. Oh my. Just sinking its nails into my cheeks with peach, honey, barbecue sauce, and salty tears. May these sensations never end.

SUMMARY:

A big whisky for a big occasion. A liquid that today might be underappreciated quaffed over the Ardbeg stand at some FEST or LIVE or MESSE, where superficial impressions make lasting ones. This whisky is really all about a complexity that only makes itself known with patience, attention, and respect. Respect your whiskies this dramming season be it at Limburg, WhiskyFEST Chicago, or Spirit of Toronto. Thanks again, Peter.

Malt Mission #396
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Malt Mission # 400

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Malt Mission 2011 #396

Big Peat
Islay Blended Malt Whisky
46% abv
£34
$85 (USD)

Welcome to March! I haven't seen you since 2010. I have to get back on the horse and gallop towards the 400 landmark!

I am sure by now you have already met or read about Big Peat. Brought to you buy the good people at Douglas Laing & Co., he was released back in September 2009 and has since received word-of-mouth acclaim and awards from Whisky Magazine (World Whisky Awards) for Best Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, Best Peated Malt Whisky(Daily Dram) 2009 by the Malt Maniacs, and Jim Murray called it Best Vatted Malt in his 2011 Whisky Bible.

Apparently, Fred Douglas Laing senior loved Port Ellen and thus invested heavily in casks from the now shuttered distillery decades ago. This legacy has left an emotional attachment to this distillery for his offspring with every nose of a Port Ellen likely reminding them of their father's goodnight kisses.

The vatting includes several anonymous malts but Bowmore, Ardbeg, Caol Ila, and the increasingly rare Port Ellen are all named in the mix with the youngest whisky coming in at 5 years old, the oldest at least 26.

Thanks to Kirsty and Fred for the sample and I will see you for a dram this weekend at WhiskyLIVE London. For other Douglas Laing bottlings enjoyed on the Malt Mission dig deep into this whisky blog's past.

TASTING NOTES:

Tarry, with some toffee, candied lemon, raw salmon, and a generally sweet core.

Salty and sweet, even more tarry than the nose suggested, earthy, but with only gentle smokiness wrapped in toffee and orange.

SUMMARY:

Extremely enjoyable drop that is at once industrial and sooty but equally confectionary with sweetness, creating a very well balanced whisky in a very 21st century package.

For other opions, JSMWS tasted Big Peat HERE, Whisky For Everyone HERE, Whisky Boys HERE, and Dramming share some tasting notes. In the medium of moving pictures, Ralfy shares his thoughts HERE and Dickie P and Fred Laing share a few HERE.

Malt Mission #395

Malt Mission #397
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Malt Mission #399

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Malt Mission 2009 #360

Just back from a week of whisky peddling in Florida. Yes, whisky. In Florida. In August. Amazing.

I have done this before (Malt Mission #62, Malt Mission #308, North American Adventure #5) and I am going to do it again. I am going to taste two drams in one malt mission. It just makes sense in this case. And I am on the road again all next week so the doctor has got to see as many patients as possible while in the office.

Both of these puppies are from Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh's Speciality Drinks/The Whisky Exchange and the first thing that must be said is that the packaging is fabulous. Each of these drops are vattings of dozens of casks and are intended to last a full calendar year in market. Released in April 2009, it is reported that these drops will be joined by a 30yo in the coming months. Probably good as the 25yo is already all sold out.

Port Askaig is, well, a port on the Sound of Islay half way up the east coast of the island where one can grab a CalMac ferry to the mainland or over to Jura. While the town itself has no distillery, it is nearest Caol Ila and then Bunnahabhain.

Port Askaig 17yo
Islay Single Malt Whisky
45.8% abv
£50

TASTING NOTES:

Sweet smoke, citrus bubblegum, ginger, vanilla and shortbread.

Coal, grapefruit, more bubblegum, and increasing ashiness. Salmon. Some more citrus, bitter like peels, then Apple sweetness and some pepper add to the ever-present smokiness.

SUMMARY:

Just back from Florida and I find a glass full of citrus. Nice. Loved the nose, maintaining a youthful character among some signs of age. A chewy drop for those that enjoy their peat with plenty of orange, grapefruit, and agave nectar sweetness to keep things interesting. Not overbearingly phenolic, but relentless in its smoky grip.

Port Askaig 25yo
Islay Single Malt Whisky
45.8% abv
£75

TASTING NOTES:

Sour lemon candy, sweet vanilla, roast chicken, very ripe canteloupe, boiled white rice, and a gently smoky, wood driven core.

Sprite, tar, hickory, salmon. Upon swallowing, oak impressions expand and grow increasingly drying. White grapes, magic marker, and raw potato flavours are all found in the long, woody finish.

SUMMARY:

Blind, one would be hard pressed to guess just how old this drop might be and rather than adding rich creamy tannins we often find after 20+ years, this drop remains fruity, tight, and dry.

OVERALL:

To be fair, neither of these are overly complex drams for extensive nosing, tasting and revisiting. These drops are for dramming, and dramming ye shall do. For £75, you really can't beat the price for a 25 year old whisky, but I would probably prefer to spend my money on the 17yo for flavour. But what do I know? The 25yo is already sold out so let the marketplace be the judge.

Malt Mission #356
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Malt Mission 2009 #359

Laphroaig 18yo
Islay Single Malt Whisky
48% abv
£64

$95 (USD)

Replacing the Laphroaig 15yo in April of this year, Laphroaig 18yo has already found avid followers even while attracting the increasingly tired complaint that "whisky is expensive." Probably doesn't help that when this bottle was announced the suggested price was about £10/$20 less than what it currently fetches on shelves around the world. But with only 7500 cases of this stuff produced per year and demand quite high, I imagine the unforseen inflation is simply the market's natural response. A shame it doesn't really work the other way.

See my whisky blogging brothers' reviews at Edinburgh Whisky Blog, TWEBlog, Whisky for Everyone, and WhiskyFun.

Recent Laphroaig releases have been taking the iconic label in slightly new direction and this one St. Patrick's Day feel on the tube, no?

John Hansell has some words on when it will arrive in the USA HERE.

For more distillery info or to see all Laphroaigs had on the mission, click HERE. Big thanks to GS for sharing the drop.

TASTING NOTES:

Sweet, creamy, and spicy. Toffee, vanilla, some melon, dried apricots, and a warming smokiness with an extra little whiff of burnt cardboard. Sooty. Fresh overall impression weighted by smoke and a permeating sweetness.

Slap of peat smoke with some grassy characteristics. Honey, Nutella, and toast cooked above a smoldering campfire. Great oily texture as it fades with all the coal and iodine one might expect.

SUMMARY:

No big surprises here. Sweet and smoky, aged and balanced. Quaffable even at 48% abv, and this should be enjoyed in big sips. A great addition to the standard range that will not disappoint the FOL anoraks and might even recruit a few more fans to the iconic distillery .

Malt Mission #356
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Malt Mission 2009 #357

Ardbeg 17yo
Islay Single Malt Whisky
43% abv
$£ variable

Ardbeg 17yo was a whisky revered by whisky lovers everywhere, a phenomenon that only increased when it was discontinued. Subsequent releases have satisfied the mourners, but Ardbeg 17 remains a malt martyr.

Have a bottle? Don't open it! I found a few of these bottles for their original prices (in USD) when I first moved over here. I now notice that The Whisky Exchange is asking £200 for a bottle. Wow. Our bottles will taste even better knowing that they are worth over 5 times what I paid for them. Cheers to that!

For all more distillery info or to see all Ardbeg had on the Malt Mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Soft and seaweedy, a vanilla and malt interplay that reminds of oatmeal cookies. Cereal notes with boiled kale and smoked gouda.

Soft again, sweet and oily. Some banana and applesauce before a dark and heavy weight of peat upon swallowing. Brightens up with some lemon but all the while maintaining that gentle rumble of peat smoke. Shorter finish than might be expected but typical Ardbeg length with that unique peatiness sticking around for ages.

SUMMARY:

Toronto Islands (Centre Island, to be precise), south shore. Most readers will not get that reference, but this Ardbeg is like finding a secluded spot near the city to enjoy the sunset not quite in silence, but seemingly so with the out-of-sight-out-of-mind phenomenon; you can still hear the hum of the metropolis but nothing you can see or smell or taste would indicate that it was, all the while, lurking behind you.

Not the big bad Ardbeg one might imagine, but at no point NOT Ardbeg. Elegant, wonderful, beautifully restrained stuff.

Malt Mission #356
Malt Mission #358
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Malt Mission #360

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Malt Mission 2009 #356

Bowmore Maltmen's Edition
Craftman's Choice
Islay Single Malt Whisky
54.6% abv
£150

I think I will do another string of Islay whiskies this "week" on the Malt Mission. I tasted many incredible drops while on Islay earlier this month but unfortunately I am quite anal about having a controlled environment for tasting if I intend to post them on this blog so I took very few notes. This is one I visited twice however, thanks to the kindness of Eddie and the ladies at the visitor centre. Thank you for your hospitality!

Bowmore is one of the last distilleries to still have a traditional floor maltings and one of only 6 (Balvenie, Bowmore, Highland Park, Kilchoman, Laphroaig and Springbank) to still use it for producing about 20% of it's malted barley needs. The malting process takes 5 days from steeping to kilning so the maltmen selected 5 casks to be vatted and bottled as their choice. The casks are all from 1995 producing a 13 year old malt whisky.

TASTING NOTES:

Canned fruit, prunes, plums, dry tobacco and grape juice. Sherry. Apple tobacco in a hookah.

Beachy. Sandy and salty with suntan lotion, jojoba, cocoa butter, papaya and banana. Spice comes through, too, with orange zest, cloves, and a hickory smokiness that sets the whole thing down on a bbq for dinner.

SUMMARY:

Rich, sweet, and beautiful. A very enjoyable drop that maintains the natural Bowmore characteristics while allowing the sherry influences to take the flavours in exciting new directions.

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Malt Mission 2009 #355

Bruichladdich 2001
The Resurrection Dram
46% abv
£35
$80 (USD)

Launched in November 2008, the Bruichladdich Resurrection Dram is sure to stand out on your whisky shelf. Do not stare directly at the bottle (or canister) for more than two seconds.

Called the "resurrection dram" because it is made up of the first spirit produced after re-opening under new ownership in 2001, this is a limited release of 24,000 bottles and is a slightly peatier version of typical Bruichladdich (10ppm).

The distillery notes say "In 2001 when BDC started distilling Bruichladdich at first the peated malt BDC could secure was 10ppm which BDC distilled for part of 2001 until it could procure the traditional specification of 3 to 5 ppm for Bruichladdich. This release has been selected 100% from the 10ppm distillation and therefore makes this quite a rare bottling , and may never be repeated as most of the 2001 vintage has been or is being used in the multi vintage bottlings (3D series , Infinity , Rocks , Waves and Peat)"

Good responses to this bottling from the always reliable Whisky Notes can be found HERE. Another report from the over-prolific Ralfy HERE. If you can watch more than 3 of his Whisky Review videos and not feel, well ralfy, then I will send you a bottle of whisky. Seriously! Although the muck up at Loch Fyne is absolutely classic, my fave is the one at Glen Gyle where poor Pete Currie has to patiently put up with this self-important whisky nerd with a tripod in his face. Watch for the eye-roll in Part 2, "So, so we'll just carry on..." Amazing.

At least the guy has links on his site... to himself. (*note- in the months following this post, Ralfy added external links. An extensive and valuable list, but I can't shake the feeling that he may have missed one...)

For more distillery info and for all Bruichladdich had on the Malt Mission, click HERE.

Tasted with AW and AF.

TASTING NOTES:

Fresh berries, strawberry cream tarts, honey on toast, cake mix. Lightly fudgy and sweet, with milk chocolate and a floral (violet-y) peat. More suggestion of fruits, perhaps tropical, or dried ginger and apricot with a chlorinated whiff of smoke.

Choco biscuit, wafers, fresh fruits like red grapes and plums, synthetic fruit like bubble gum(Juicy fruits) or shampoo. A gentle spice increases with a slight bitterness of unripe fruitskins.

SUMMARY:

Let is get some air before jumping in to your glass and you will be rewarded. It has to be said that first impressions were not great (baby sick, grape skins, wet dog) but after time we all were throwing out “this is like a lollipop”, “immensely fruity”, and "wonderful to nose”. A complex dram for such a young age (7 years). The fruitier, more typical (whatever that means with a distillery that has releases 40 bottlings per annum) Bruichladdich aromas were there, just buried under an old-school smoke, similar to Brora, that added a farmy element to be loved by some and loathed by others. Just like the stark bottling design.

Malt Mission #351

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Malt Mission 2009 #354

Bunnahabhain 1988 17yo
Malt Trust

Islay Single Malt Whisky
53.3% abv
$55

Just back from a brilliant stretch spent in Scotland for work. Yes, I get to call traipsing across Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dufftown, Campbeltown and Islay "work". I get to call spending my days with Andys Weir and Forrester, David Sole, David Stewart, Charlie Maclean, Richard Paterson, Pete Currie, John Campbell, Jim McEwan and Duncan MacGillivray (among others) "work". Still blows my mind and I remain so very grateful to be such a lucky sumvabitch.

And it seems I better get back to the Malt Mission before someone steals my format even further (Really?). I appreciate all the "where the hell are you?" emails and comments and promise I have been kept busy and far away from a laptop. But I have plenty of treats to share and am determined to get more than a handful out before the end of the month. It will happen, or my name isn't Dr. CaskStrength.net!!!

Independent bottler Malt Trust was founded in 2006 by Florida-based Joel Gosler, a former William Grant & Sons USA employee. I tried to get more information online with little luck so Pat McCarthy at the excellent Bayway Liquors put me in touch with Joel directly. Unfortunately, he didn't divulge much more information so all I've got is that David Bromige designed the label. Great. I am sure that is exactly what you were after.

For all Bunnahabhains had on the Malt Mission, click HERE.

Tasted with IM. His notes appear in quotes.

TASTING NOTES:

Chocolate, cherries, sherry and toffee. "All you smell in this is all the sherry notes". Vanilla and sherry-soaked oak. Pecan pie and char on a bbq.

Bitter and rooty, agnostura and Campari. Barely sweet but some chocolate. "Yeah, my mother's chocolate that tastes like dust and earth." Yeah, the kind of chocolate you stole from the counter when your mom was baking. "Regretfully." Water helps a touch with toasted almonds, burnt pine nuts, and cinnamon.

SUMMARY:

Sherried whisky? Totally. A friendly price? Yeah. Bunnahabhain? Not really.

Malt Mission #351
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Malt Mission 2009 #353

Bunnahabhain Darach Ur
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
46.3% abv
£33

Hi. Long time no see.

I know I promised a "week" of Islay whiskies and while these few past and few forthcoming posts are all Islay malts, they certainly have not been posted over a week. I want to get Dr. Whisky up to frequency he once had, I really do. Any tips? Advice? Serge, how the hell do you do it? I bow in the presence of all new whisky bloggers (Whisky for Everyone, Cask Strength, Edinburgh Whisky Blog, and many others) who in one way or the other followed in my footsteps/appeared in my wake but have proceeded leaps and bounds beyond what I am currently doing. Keep it up, lads; the world needs independent voices preaching the gospel of whisky. And your presence makes me feel less guilty for considering money-generating options to motivate increased activity on Dr. Whisky...

This duty free bottling of Bunnahabhain takes its name from the gaelic term DARACH UR, "oak new" and I couldn't find any good pics to steal online.

Duty Free-only bottlings are an increasingly popular item for distillers as they allow for a global reach of a single product without needing a huge production. I saw a few fun bottlings at the duty free when in the UK last week and I look forward to travelling to Scotland in July and rekindling my affinity for smuggling bottles overseas.

TASTING NOTES:

Heavy, damp, weighty aromas. Morning breath, browned slices of apples after too much exposure to air, prunes, honey, and dried spilled Strongbow.

Rich and sweet, woody and raisiny with a blast of toasty oak and vanilla. Nice full bodied flavour with a little lime and then maple syrup as it slowly erodes into a sweeter, gentler finish.

SUMMARY:

Organic, earthy, and slightly off-putting on the nose. Full bodied and sweet on the palate with a real emphasis on tannic influence. A wholly unique Bunnahabhain and not one to be ignored.

Malt Mission #351
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Malt Mission 2009 #352

Bunnahabhain 1997 10yo
"Heavily Peated", cask 5366
Signatory Vintage
Islay Single Malt Whisky
60% abv

The peaty spirit being produced at Bunnahabhain (boonahawvin) is called "moines" and the contents of this puppy are of that variety. Some have hypothesised that some of the no-age statement peaty/islay brands on the market with mystery contents are actually some of this peaty Bunnahabhain. Very possible, Watson.

For more distillery info or to see all Bunnahabhains had on the mission, click HERE.

This was a wedding gift from BK. Thank you, you lovely Japanadian, bass-playing goalie.

TASTING NOTES:

Cranberries, plums, soil and salt. Faint eggy notes with gummy bears, sour cherries, and a general fruitiness that is quite appealing.

Cigarette butts and Halls lozenges, brownies, burnt crispy bits of cheese under the broiler, custard, raisins, and a puff of exhaust. Lengthy finish of sweet sherry and tarry smoke.

SUMMARY:

If you have been narrow minded enough to call Bunnahabhain the boring Islay malt, then it is about time you revisit it. Not that this is outstandingly delicious whisky, but it is outstandingly stand-out-ish. And those who like 'em down and dirty will drool over this sold out gem.

Malt Mission #351
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Malt Mission 2009 #351

Islay Mist
Blended Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£16
$22 (USD)

Here begins a string of Islay whiskies to be tasted here on the malt mission and as "good cheap whisky" (and variations) is currently the most popular search bringing folks to Dr. Whisky, I figured I would start with a good, cheap whisky.

I sat at my laptop for a stretch of time this afternoon just looking over blogs and e-publications' responses to whisky events and/or tastings I have done for work in the past few months. Thank you all for you kind words and support of our family company.

Then, as I sat at a friend's book reading thinking, "I am laughing, I am feeling his words, I understand what he is saying", it occurred to me that as genius as I thought his short story was, I will not remember it accurately nor will I ever really KNOW what he was saying.

This impasse, I thought, is similar to that which lies between me presenting a Scotch 101/5-dram tasting and some blogger/writer/journalist/podcaster/chef attendee later responding to it with lines like "the peatiest barrels are the sherry ones" and "Japanese Scotch is increasingly popular." I did not directly convey these fallacies but I have no doubt that the attendee heard them.

Then I thought, if I feel this communication breakdown THERE then it must exist HERE, between what I have been taught/told/shown/tasted and what I know/think/observe/opine.

So a few minutes ago I pointed and clicked through a few whisky websites in my browser and realised/reaffirmed/noted that all these representations are spoiled by our pea-brained human influence that 100 Ian Buxtons, a vibrant Whiskypedia, and a reborn Michael Jackson could never remedy.

And then, just two seconds ago I sipped a single cask Bunnahabhain (thank you, BK) and thought of .... nothing

And I understood.

Islay Mist from MacDuff International is comprised of Laphroaig, some Speyside and Highland malts whiskies, along with some grain whisky. I used to buy a lot of this when I lived in Edinburgh.

TASTING NOTES:

Seaweed and key lime pie. Shortbread, shaving cream, and salt water. Good grain presence, too, adding backbone.

Malty, smoky, salty like black olives, luscious vanilla sweetness pressed hard against peat smoke.

SUMMARY:

Could drink this in large, satisfying sips. Very well constructed. The good malt presence adds a chewiness and depth that along with the clear medicinal Islay influence makes this a really satisfying dram with a distinct peaty tang. Great value for that Islay urge.

Malt Mission #350

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Malt Mission 2009 #337

Bunnahabhain 1979 28yo
Single Malts of Scotland
Islay Single Malt Whisky
46% abv
£80

The northernmost distillery on Islay (map), Bunnahabhain is also arguably the least well known. That is not to say it doesn't deserve to be better known but rather that the distillery has for generations been a quiet workhouse for some of the greatest blended whiskies in the world while consistently producing a well-loved 12yo without the backing of million-dolalr marketing campaigns or promotional pushes.

Hey, BUNNAHABHAIN is pronounced BOONAHAWVIN

For more distillery information and to see all Bunnahabhains had on the mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Butter and bread, celery and butterscotch. Damp cloths, maybe even sweaty socks.

Luscious old American oak influences that absolutely hit the spot. Creamy, sweet and savoury, croissants, almonds, and red grapefruit. Hot finish with more of the Italian sugared almond Ending on wood, like resiny pine.

SUMMARY:

A whisky that exists in two clear dimensions, or at least across two extremes: the sweet and the sour. And all the more fun for it as not a single note is "off", although most are "odd". Great discussion dram to share with friends. And the speed at which it seems to have sold out is a testament to its quality.

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Malt Mission 2008 #260

Port Ellen 21yo 1982/2004
Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask (OMC)
for the Islay Whisky Shop
Sherry cask 477, 182 bottles
$£ Price unknown £$

After 260 Malt Missions, is my palate tired or my tastes more refined? How about after 100 whiskies in a single day (yes, spitting... for most of them)?

Yesterday was unlike any day I have ever experienced, and experience was something that the likes of Mario G and Sukhinder S continuously reminded me that I had in short supply. From a 17-flight judging panel of 54 whiskies in the afternoon to a seemingly never-ending night of everything from Compass Box's original Hedonism through Scott's Selection Longmorn-Glenlivet 1971 to Samaroli's Ardbeg 1973 (Fragments of Scotland) it was a long day that tried my nose and palate in ways I never thought possible. It would be unfair to call it hard work, to the reader it would no-doubt sound like a backhanded boast, but what I am acknowledging is my humility, ALL OF OUR necessary humility in the face of this ever-generous spirit. Additionally, I have yet more evidence that I have no justification to 'score' whiskies outside of blind tasting competitions where any score is only relative against its competitor. I have so much more to say about Thursday February 28, 2008, but I haven't the words... or more importantly, the time.

Port Ellen was founded in 1825, closed after 1929 only to be reopened in 1967 (after some modernisation and renovation), silenced in 1983, and fatally closed in 1987. Today the distillery provides malted barley to Caol Ila and Lagavulin (and others?). The world of whisky connoisseurs have mourned this lost distillery and still sing its praises with every sip supped from finite supplies.

Big thanks to TF for bringing over the bottle and thanks to DB and RA for inviting me for the day, SS, MG, JG, GG, and more for the unforgettable night. Cheers and happy leap year!

TASTING NOTES:

Salty, slightly rubbery, and spiced with sherry. Smoked mussels, salt and dried fruits. Damp, humid, dusty, like desperately mid-night drinking from that glass of water that has been sitting beside your bed since last week. Moldy tobacco, sherry, and fish. Funky and odd but incredibly inviting.

Waves of smoke throughout. Soft red delicious apples, bruised. Sherry, pepper. A new fire, paper and shreds of bark. Very burnt, charred, but coated in cake icing.

SUMMARY:

Totally fun and chewy and worthy of communal drinking with conversation, debate, and differing opinions. That is what whisky enjoyment should be all about, not solitary scientific organaleptic consumption and evaluation, as much fun as that sounds...

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Malt Mission 2008 #257

Bowmore 1985, 21yo
Islay Single Malt Whisky
Single Malts of Scotland
59% abv
£60

From a distillery owned by the company that brought us the McClellands malts from last week, this a single cask offering from the former "Sherriff's" Bowmore distillery. Bottled by the folks at Speciality Drinks (who were nominated for a Drammie... no, not THESE Drammys), the Single Malts of Scotland have limited availability but are loved by most who are able to taste their wares. From odd to awesome, good single cask bottlings are things to be cherished and enjoyed.

Hey, it's almost March. Time to start looking into booking and planning for Feis Isle 2008?

All Single Malts of Scotland bottlings had on the mission can be seen HERE. For Bowmore distillery info and all Bowores had on the mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Grainy and outdoorsy, organic. Horse stables. High abv is gentle, comes off as bakery sweetness, vanilla cakes. Smoked ham, Mr. Clean, and apple juice.

Ashes, soot, dry manure in a damp horse paddock. More pork, pancetta, and chewing the leather straps of new baseball glove. An odd chocolate mint kind of flavour comes out after some time and the finish is chewy, sweet, smoky, and oaky. Does not go quietly into the night.

SUMMARY:

Blind, one would be hard pressed to guess the age and the odd mix of flavours would have even the keenest nose struggling to pinpoint the source distillery. But it works, and takes water well. Water exposes smoke, burnt bits of pastry, and wet hay. A charming oddy.

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Malt Mission 2008 #256

Auld Reekie 12yo
(Vatted) Malt Scotch Whisky
Duncan Taylor and Co.
46% abv
£22

Had a series of mystery malts from McClelland's last week and will start this week of smoke and peat with another unknown malt from independent bottlers Duncan Taylor & Co. This Auld Reekie whisky is a new expression (Jan 2008) and replaces the 12yo that was sold for a while(and was actually made up of mostly 15yo Caol Ila). This is not a single malt but all the constituents are from the island of Islay. Blended malt, vatted malt, or what DTC has gone for: Islay Malt.

The city of Edinburgh acquired the affectionate nickname "Auld Reekie" back when chimneys spewed coal and wood smoke in the heating of its inhabitants' homes. At this same time Edinburgh had become a 'hot-bed of genius' that "coincided with drinking on an unprecedented scale."* There were 8 licensed whisky distilleries but Hugo Arnot, in his "History of Edinburgh" (1779), estimates that there were over 400 illicit stills operating in Edinburgh. Scottish Enlightenment, perhaps, but Auld Reekie was reekin' drunk.

Today, Edinburgh still has a reek about it, but it is the heavenly sweet aroma of barley mashing blowing in from the west(North British), not chimney smoke. In whisky terms, Islay is the capital of smoke (peat) and this release captures that character. I know the Hallowe'en font of the bottle text is a bit off-putting for some, but I am sure this whisky could scare a few folks. Let's taste.

* - Charles Maclean, "Scotch Whisky: A Liquid History" p. 62 (1988)

TASTING NOTES:

Lemon meringue, smoke, honey, sesame snaps, more smoke. The peatiness definitely leads, but there are plenty of sweet aromas in there as well.

Simultaneously gentle and explosive. Coal, butter and flour roux, lemon zest, gummy fruits, some sea salt, and a touch of spicy cinnamon like gum, Big Red. Long coppery finish with peat, earth, wood and a lingering saltiness. Some minutes later, public swimming pool impressions still linger.

SUMMARY:

Pretty exhilarating stuff. A pick-me-up quality about it among clouds of peat and industrial smoke. Relaxing but recharging and the abv is at an ideal level for both high drinkability and impact. A quality drop that deserves a better label, in my mind.

Malt Mission #255
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Malt Mission 2008 #255

McClellands Islay
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£14
$31.85(CAD)
$20(USD)

Another week come and gone on the malt mission and my eyes (third eye?) still burn from celebrating the Drammie win on Wednesday. I understand yours might, too.

Today we will have the final malt in the regional series from McClelland's, whiskies created to represent four regions of whisky production available in many global markets and priced fairly.

Can you name all distilleries currently in operation on Islay? *

For all McClelland's had on the mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Earthy, tarry, some chamomile and clementine skins. Gentle smoke, mineral like mud, and a touch of dog poo.

Soft and smoked, like dutch cheese. Burnt bits of pizza crust, with a lovely core of honey and chocolate, Toblerone. Long charred finish, like crispy belly of pork or burnt cheese dripping out the side of a calzone or something.

SUMMARY:

The angriest of the McClelland's lot, but still quite easy drinking and packs more punch than its price point. A little sweet, a little thin, and a little dirty... brings back memories of teenagehood... A good cheap whisky for that Islay mood.

* - Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin, Laphroaig.

Malt Mission #251
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Malt Mission 2008 #250

Smokehead Extra Rare
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£34

Another week come and gone on the Malt Mission. 250 drams later and I am still loving it. Hope you are. Thanks to The Scotch Blog for posting THIS this week(look forward to Drammies results next week, Wednesday), thanks to YOU whiskynerds for reading, and thanks to you youtubeturds who have helped this video we made get over 15,000 views. Have a great weekend.

I have quite literally had no time for Dr. Whisky this week. Sorry for thin posts as of late, will be back on form soon. We had the original Smokehead back at Malt Mission #72. This "Extra Rare" version is an exclusive for World Duty Free (for now) and we can assume the contents are a little more, um... rare. For more info on Smokehead Extra Rare see Whisky Grotto.

TASTING NOTES:

Yum and wow. Active and exhilarating. Sweet with booziness. Burnt and cheesy. Saganaki (Greek Flaming Cheese)! Very winey, salty, some fresh raw salmon, celeriac, all trapped in a musty closet of peat smoke.

Candied, kind of soapy, and quite smoky. Wine gums, lemon scent dishwashing detergent, green jelly beans, Nesquick. Late nuttiness with smoke persisting among sweet, synthetic orange juice; Sunny D?

SUMMARY:

A departure from the original release of Smokehead, and I would love to know what element in this release makes it "extra rare". Distillery source? Age? Type of cask? Marketing decision? It doesn't, and shouldn't really matter. It is about flavour. I enjoyed the nose, but for me, while certainly smoky and heady, this relies too much on the cleaning-agent characteristics with the cocoa, fruit, and smoke being overpowered by a "lemon fresh" janitor's closet.

Malt Mission #246
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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
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Malt Mission 2007 #185

Bunnahabhain 1979 27yo
The Single Malts of Scotland
Islay Single Malt Whisky
46% abv
£55

Fifteen drams to the landmark Malt Mission #200. I still laugh when I look at older posts and remember how excited I was when I thought we would see Malt Mission #30. Thanks for helping me keep this going. And thanks for reading.

It's Friday. As of late last night I have three sets of mates in town. I have written about Bunnahabhain before and have nothing new to say today... well, there's always something. I am not sure if I have said this before but Bunnahabhain (the name of the town that sprung up around the distillery) means 'mouth of the river' but the distillery sources its (hard) water from Margadale spring.

For past posts and more info on Bunnahabhain see THIS. Other bottlings from The Single Malts of Scotland can be seen HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Woody, oaky, even cedary. Oily undertones. Halloween candies, the caramel ones, perfect for late October. Fruit flavoured bubblegums. Quite restrained and not overly expressive. When I add water the aromas become more metholic with more synthetic sweetness.

Yummy mix of sweet and savoury erupts with energy, and is quite sexy overall. Fruit cup and Yorkshire pudding. Pepper, mint, and even wisps of peat. Lingering flavours of oatmeal raisin cookies, butter, and coal.

SUMMARY:

An oddball, but deliciously drinkable. And what a price for the age! But I do wish it would DO more. It seems to strike a few tasty notes and resonate, but without much flavour movement. Always fun to dig out some peatiness in a Bunnahabhain, too.

Malt Mission #181
Malt Mission #182
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Malt Mission 2007 #184

Bowmore 1985 21yo
The Single Malts of Scotland
Islay Single Malt Whisky
59% abv
£60

We have had a few drops from The Single Malts of Scotland on the mission (others can be seen here) and I am always interested to see what other treasures (or turds) Sukhinder and the team at Speciality Drinks/The Whisky Exchange have gotten their hands on. The Single Malts of Scotland range is seemingly ever expanding and the good news is I have a few more of their products lined up in the run-up to Malt Mission #200 and beyond. Good news for me, I suppose.

Bowmore is one of those distilleries that I have heard equal amounts of people commend and condemn. This sort of polarity of opinion is something I absolutely love about Scotch whisky. Sure, it's not for everyone, but also every one is not for everyone. What an incredibly diverse spirit.

After tasting two offerings from Bruichladdich this week, here is a distillery that actually condensed their standard line of releases. After a thorough review of their products and how they are sold, Bowmore redesigned their packaging in 2007 and actually reduced the number or expressions in their range. One thing their research showed them was that although Bowmore did brilliantly at Duty Free, they were suffering on bar shelves. The redesign of their packaging attempted to remedy this by eliminating the loops and swirls on the label and making the text for 'BOWMORE' clearer and more pronounced.

For more distillery info, or to see other Bowmores had on the mission, click HERE. Tasted with MC visiting from Canada. His impressions appear in quotes.

TASTING NOTES:

First nosing actually gets my tummy grumbling. Honey and butter on toast. Estery (crabapples and hard pears) and phenolic(sea salt, bacon, and smoke), with Bowmore smells of cleaning agents, this time countertop sprays. Chips n' vinegar, lime. Some smells of the forest, trees, oak, pine. "Mmm... I like nose."

Energetic and quite smoky. Again with the cleaning agents and medicinal notes so common to Bowmore. Peat and barley drive the flavours with some sweet honey and vanilla notes interwoven with other sweets, licorice, toffee, etc. "I want to say chicken, but it doesn't actually taste like chicken." You mean the salt and pepper, KFC type flavour, or... "No, it is more the way it FEELS. You know how chicken is flavourful but not heavy? Doesn't really make any sense. Don't write any of this. Stop typing!" Long perfumy finish with some sweetness, peat, ash, and medicinal creams. "Not a strong aftertaste but it's persistent, it really lingers."

SUMMARY:

"I like this whisky, there is a brief moment where it is bitter, not unpleasant, but, I dunno. I still like it."
21 years and 59% abv? Amazing to have remained so high AND to still be so pleasant on the nose and palate considering the high abv. Unique and unusual but has matured well and flavours all compliment eachother in a pretty pleasant balance. Price-wise, this beats the (old) propietary 21yo by about £100. Great whisky for turning-back-the-clock season.

Malt Mission #181
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