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Glenury Royal 1970 36yo
Highland Single Malt Whisky
57.9% abv
£495
Last night I hosted a tasting where the guests we lucky enough to try whiskies from four closed distilleries including Rosebank, Glenlochy, Dallas Dhu, and Glenugie. This interest in trying and buying rare whiskies has been made apparent in the last decade and has been nurtured by companies like Diageo with their Rare Malts series (1995-2005) and their Old and Rare annual Special Releases, which began in 2001. To prove the growing interest in these types of whiskies it is worth noting that a Talisker 28yo from this first edition of Special Releases was recently sold at auction for £1400 (original price was £500) and their have been 59 of these rare releases to date, many of them selling out very quickly (Lagavulin 21, anybody?)
Glenury Royal, a distillery born in 1825, silenced in 1983, and closed in 1985, appeared as a part of these Special Releases in 2003 with a Glenury Royal 50 year old expression, the oldest whisky in that year's releases and a bottling impossible to repeat. The 2007 Special Release Portfolio also included a Glenury Royal as the oldest whisky in the annual range, and this is it.
Glenurie, as it was known, had a false start in 1825 when it was opened as a fire destroyed parts of the malting and grain storing facilities only weeks later. Captain Robert Barclay Allardyce, the founder of the distillery, was a legendary man with a reputation of eccentricity. He was the Laird of Ury, a local MP, had walked from London to Birmingham in two days in 1799, and was the first man to walk 1000 miles in 1000 hours in 1809. He managed to secure permission to use the highly presitigious 'Royal' suffix by King William IV and Glenury became one of only three distilleries to have that honour. Can you name the other two?*
Tasting notes by TF today. Thanks, mate. I will try to decipher some of his usual Briticisms for the sake of international understanding. And humour.
TASTING NOTES:
Perfumed and floral (roses), hint of Chinese balloons (haven't a clue- ed.) initially. Then pear esters, fresh ginger and a hint of clove. Freshly bitten red apple, then baked apple and a hint of overcooked pie crust (getting a bit Jilly Goolden here, for which apologies). Some nice sweet notes. Very promising.
Carries on the good work of the nose. Medium-to-full weight, plenty of ripe fruit notes, pressed flowers, honey and cake spices, lovely oily mouth-coating texture. Great weight and balance - the oak is a positive presence, but not an intrusive one. This balance allows all the nuances of flavour an equal opportunity to come forward. Somehow the alcohol is not over-powering tasted neat. Long finish that drifts away very slowly with a lovely dance of spices and polished wood.
SUMMARY:
Basically this is a great malt whisky. Pricey, yes: but, given the rarity of releases from this distillery, the quality of the malt and the prevailing collector's enthusiasm for the brand (I don't like that word, but we all have to live with 'em), you'd have to say fair enough.
* Royal Lochnagar and Royal Brackla.
Malt Mission #226
Malt Mission #227
Malt Mission #228
Malt Mission #229
Malt Mission HOME
Old Pulteney 17 yo
Highland Single Malt Whisky
46% abv
£45
$90(USD)
Sorry about the late post. When you see my tasting notes below you will understand why.
In December, Inver House Distillers, owners of "the genuine maritime malt", launched a new website for Old Pulteney and it looks good, has some classy clips, and is easy to navigate. Inver House was awarded Scottish Distiller of the Year in Whisky Magazine's ICONS OF WHISKY 2008. This prize was awarded mainly because of Inver House's relaunching of Balblair as vintages in new packaging, but they have also done a lot for Pulteney.
Canadian company Hiram Walker and Sons, owners of Pulteney from 1955-1961 gave the distillery a makeover in the late 1950s when, in the words of Gavin D. Smith, "many distillers seem to have suffered from an aesthetics bypass." Since acquiring the distillery from Allied in 1995, Inver House has relaunched the brand with new packaging and contents. we have seen Old Pulteney leave the lonely dusty corners of specialty shops and show up on supermarket shelves with increasing sales by huge percentages year upon year. In this household, when the Old Pulteney 12yo is emptied (too often, perhaps) it is always replaced immediately. Delicious, widely available, and priced right. Let's try the 17 year old.
For more distillery information see all Pulteney posts on the mission by clicking HERE.
Last Spring I was invited along to a product launch in NYC for Old Pulteney (17 and 21) in the USA. I could not attend so my friend JW attended in my stead. Some of his notes appear in quotes below.
TASTING NOTES:
Big nose with overall sweetness dominated by fruit... but also kind of fleshy, even sweaty. Tropical with coconut shells and mango and there is an oakiness that is almost dusty, like a carpentry workshop. Some putty, like finger paints and a candied sweetness with creamy, bourbon cask-influenced elegance.
Salt tang begins the flavours in the mouth, then that sweatiness noticed in the nose, becoming fruity and sweet like baked apples and pastry, ending with a honeyed glaze. Kind of charred into the baking tray. The late finish(is there such a thing?) remains fruity and sweet but becomes more and more fleshy, like a sunbather sweating out his/her scented sun cream.
SUMMARY:
It must be said that this dram demanded two tastings as I have had it before and felt quite differently than I did this morning. In the past, when I have had this in the evening I found a slightly sour, rotting aroma and an aggressive, discordant bite in the mouth. Further, the finish had soil, preserved veg/gherkins, and a metallic tinge. So, we have a fruity, honeyed malt with a salt and perfume tang on one hand AND a rotten, bitter tahini and oak fest on the other. BAH! I am torn. Help me, Jason.
Jason said, compared to the 12yo "the 17yo turned things up a bit. Richer, about 10% from sherry casks. I felt it was much like the 12yo but just more intense. There are more complexities I can't really recall now, but definitely a well constructed whisky."
Thank you. But I am not convinced. Third opinion... NURSE!
Had to do a revisit at night, which I haven't done for some time, and Kristin joined me.
We decided "it's alright but its for a very specific evening... that might not happen very often. Very grassy, very earthy. Over-ripe. The 12 is 'wwoooo'. Easy. Pleasant. 17, mmmnnh. Eah. THIS is out there. And out there might be good some nights."
Whoa, dude. I swear she doesn't always talk like that. Shes been on the Pulteney.
Yet more justification for why evaluating and grading is pants. Even with over ten years (between us) of whisky tasting, PLEASE don't take anything we say as BIBLE. It is just FUN. Mere over-educated observations from a small corner of the globe. Goodnight.
Malt Mission #226
Malt Mission #227
Malt Mission #228
Malt Mission #230
Malt Mission HOME
Clynelish 15yo
McGibbons Provenance
Summer 1989-2005
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
46% abv
£38
Douglas Laing's McGibbons Provenance range is divided into the four seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. (Incidentally, you can experience all four in a single day in Scotland, so dress appropriately!) Apparently the 'McGibbons' name comes from Ileachs (folks from Islay) on the Laings mother's side of the family.
As any reader of Dr. Whisky knows, Clynelish is a sweetheart of mine and is really coming into its own as a brand. Diageo released a Distillers Edition of the malt and has already released a second edition. Independently bottled single casks of the stuff abound and they are always tasty (SMWS, Single Malts of Scotland, Douglas Laing, Cadenheads, etc.)
Similar to Malt Mission #65, this particular expression was selected by the members of the Edinburgh University Water of Life Society and Darren Leitch of The Whisky Shop May 19, 2005, back when I was poet laureate for the club, which basically meant that when the crowd of 50 students was well warmed up I would spit some rhymes at them about the water of life.
TASTING NOTES:
Oh yeah, this is right up my alley. Great spread of aromas from rich honey and malted barley to buttermilk pancakes to cans of peaches (with an emphasis on the can) to almonds and figs to salted cod musty oak to single cream and cheesecake. Complex and challenging without ever losing its whisky character. Clynelish, I think I love you, but I want to know for sure...
Taste explodes with intense honey(a benchmark Clynelish characteristic), strawberry Nutri-Grain bars and/or cheesecake, some seaweed drying on the shore, and coca cola gummies. The oaky resin, chinese-style pork, and a faint industrial smokiness adds a counter balance to this immense rich sweetness. The flavours disappear slowly leaving buttery toast and musty oak.
SUMMARY:
Wild thing, you make my heart sing. Another stellar whisky that emphasises the point that 'smooth' is not (necessarily) a desirable feature. Fuck that. This has bite, and teeth, and nails. Yeah. This has everything that I want in whisky, a complex nose, rich malty sweetness with fudge and honey, sherry and oak accents, and a short enough finish that makes me keep the glass within arms reach at all times. This is a dram that makes me say things like "Northen Highlands produce the greatest whiskies," or "Clynelish is my favourite distillery". What do you say?
Malt Mission #226
Malt Mission #227
Malt Mission #229
Malt Mission #230
Malt Mission HOME
Dalmore 12yo 'Black Pearl'
Malmsey Madeira Finish
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£30*
Unrelated to this drop, but BBC Scotland will be airing a documentary on Bruichladdich tonight, January 15, 2007, 10pm. Info shared by the Man in the Grotto.
This expression is not a part of "The New Beginning" revamped line from the Dalmore (12yo tasted yesterday, the rest soon), but was released back in 2005 as a special cask finish for duty free outlets. For all Dalmores had on the Malt Mission and more Dalmore distillery info, click HERE.
This whisky gets a long (two and a half years) finish or secondary maturation in ex-Madeira casks. Madeira is often referred to as "the pearl of the atlantic," but the Romans referred to it as "the purple islands" so perhaps the name Purple Pearl would have been better... and if not better, at least alliterative. Dalmore distillery overlooks the black isle so perhaps that is the source of half of this release's name. Whatever. Let's drink...
* - This is a Duty Free price as this is a duty-free exclusive. If you happen to find it at other retail outlets (and if you search, you might) it will tend to be about £6 more expensive.
TASTING NOTES:
Warm wood, like sanded oak or steamy cedar in a sauna. Pineapple cake, orange syrup or liqueur, zesty and fresh on top, bike tires in the middle, and oaky at the core.
Balanced and well rounded with polished oak and tobacco. Some fibrous fish food as well. Becomes fleshy, slight organic bitterness balanced by brown sugar and mandarins.
SUMMARY:
A deep dram that is better enjoyed in big hedonistic mouthfulls than in short scientific evaluative sips. Overall it is a chewy but zesty, rich and balanced dram, but when you start to pick it apart it begins to look a bit 'off' on paper. Deep, delicious, and to be gulped after a meal.
Malt Mission #226
Malt Mission #228
Malt Mission #229
Malt Mission #230
Malt Mission HOME
Dalmore 12yo
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£35
Going to have a highland themed week here on the mission starting with a few of my favourite distilleries: Pulteney, Clynelish, and Dalmore.
Hard to believe that after a year of Malt Missions I have had only one Dalmore (Malt Mission #24)! Since then, Dalmore has redesigned their packaging and are in the process of redesigning their website, HERE. The new look maintains their unique bottle design and with a minimalist label and the Mackenzie clan's stag head on clear glass, the liquid inside the bottle has taken centre stage.
Master blender at Dalmore Richard Paterson has re-worked the recipe for this 'new' Dalmore using 50% ex-bourbon American oak casks and 50% ex-sherry spanish oak casks. The new boxes are pretty cool, too.
Back in 1967, R.J.S. McDowall called Dalmore "a man's whisky." We can laugh at the old fashioned language, but still in the 21st century Whyte & Mackay (owners of The Dalmore) use adjectives like "masculine" to describe their products in promotional literature and on bottles. Probably not the best way to tap half of the worlds potential market.
TASTING NOTES:
Sweet and spicy, toasty with honey and marmalade. Fresh orange, chocolate millk, tea. Lots of oak with vanilla and a malty sweetness.
Gentle but with great, mouth-filling depth. Turning dark and roasted, chocolate. Long oaky and mocha-ed finish.
SUMMARY:
Soft and mouth filling without being overpowering or too weighty, this is an extremely tasty drop. BUT the question is whether or not the new recipe justifies the £10 price jump on the old 12yo. Whatever the verdict, this is a wonderful highland whisky above or below the £30 mark... although I wish it was below.
Malt Mission #225
Malt Mission #227
Malt Mission #228
Malt Mission #229
Malt Mission #230
Malt Mission HOME
Ballantines 21 yo
Blended Scotch Whisky
43% abv
£80
$168.55(CAD)*
$110(USD)**
Happy Friday.
For background info on Ballantine's blending family and history, see my post for Ballantines Finest (Malt Mission #66). Today, having this classic premium blend makes me want to type about a few other things that might be of interest to some of you: the premiumisation trend and the sad loss of Dumbarton grain distillery(traditionally the grain heart of Ballantines)
The BRIC nations(Brazil, Russia, India and China) are at the core of a new economic optimism in the whisky world, the kind of which has not been seen for decades. The increasing affluence of these populations have created an emerging middle class that wants "the best, and are prepared to pay for it," to quote Ian Buxton in Whisky Magazine (Issue 67, p17). Luxury is the key of the day for those fortunate enough to not only have clean water to drink, but to have clean water to put into their £1000 drams. This small percentage of the market is putting an increased demand on the maturing whisky supplies of Scottish distillers and creating new frontiers for the brand wars.
For some time now Johnnie Walker Blue has been the symbol of whisky luxury, THE premium brand whisky, and in recent years EVERYONE has come out with new premium product to compete: Cutty Sark 25, Dewar's Signature, Chivas Royal Salute and the new 25yo, etc. One reads of Johnnie Walker King George V and 1905 blends. Crown Royal XO and No. 16. Whyte & Mackay 40yo. Royal Salute 38 and Coronation Cask (50yo). Crystal decanters, swords, necklaces and silver cups accompany many of these ultra-premium expressions.
Ballantines seems to have avoided this ornament and cash cropping. Their premium blends (which have been around for decades) have always come in simplest of packages, winning awards and loyal long-term drinkers. No oak boxes or accompanying gauntlets, the 30yo was even sealed with a screwcap the last (and only) time I had it.
Put as many velvet bags and mahogany boxes around my bottle of whisky as you like, it makes it no less a trophy for the rich. Whisky is to be consumed, not hunted, shot, and hung on the wall. And for the industry to be nurturing this gluttonous malt-hunting is greedy and, some would say, short-sighted. It seems certain that it will come back to bite them in their arses later if not sooner. With every boom in the history of the industry there has been a subsequent bust. Now, with millions of pounds being dumped (prematurely?) into silly new user-unfriendly websites, new bottling plants, and new distilleries, the increasingly worrying question to those of us who care about the long-term sustainability of Scotland's national drink is not "WILL there be a bust?", the question is "WHEN?"
Forget Dumbarton today. I will type about that lost distillery some other time.
* - discontinued at LCBO
** - or more. or less (Freedom)
TASTING NOTES:
Artificial grape, grape gum or something, or medicinal grape! like chewable Tylenol for kids? Soft, toffeed and round. Strawberry yoghurt, vanilla with a backbone of oak, and some smoke. Fennel, citrus vitamin C tablets.
Big and deep, cigar smoke, dust, and a rich, pleasant bitterness. Long woody finish with tobacco, kiwi fruit, and citrus. Leather and oak in the finish.
SUMMARY:
Powerful with great depth. A full circle of flavour without being robust. The citrus tang is kept in check with fruit, malt and vanilla, with a pleasant oaky bitterness to add balance. A whisky that sensually weaves flavours through your gums and around your tongue. Classy blending.
Malt Mission #221
Malt Mission #222
Malt Mission #223
Malt Mission #224
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
Pig's Nose 5 yo
Blended Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£18
$30(USD)
Blended for the contemporary drinker by Richard Paterson of Whyte & Mackay, Pig's Nose was originally created in 1977 as a companion spirit to Sheep Dip (which you can vote for in the 2007 Drammies!!!)
Taking its name from the expression "soft as a pig's nose" (the bottle reads "'Tis said that our scotch is as soft and as smooth as a pig's nose"), this blend is designed to be smooth but full of character with a 40% malt content... which is quite high for a blended whisky, not that malt content is a guarantee of quality ("Blending is not all about malt content, it's about balancing the malts you've got"- David Stewart, Wm Grant&Co)
So, smooth but full of character; character, indeed. After all, a pig's nose spends most of its days nosing around in shit, mud, and feed. I bet on some days you could also say that describes the job of a blender, searching for the diamonds among the manure, but it is also how Alex and Jane at The Spencerfield Spirit Co. spend many of their days knee deep in the good stuff tending to their horses on their livery farm in the Kingdom of Fife. Alex Nicol (formerly of Scottish & Newcastle, Glenmorangie, Whyte & Mackay, Laphroaig, and others) and partner in crime Jane Eastwood took these two brands (Sheep Dip and Pig's Nose) from Whyte & Mackay when Nicol left the company a few years ago. If it makes you feel good to support the little guys, these are folks well worthy. Jane and Alex keep a blog of their advetures HERE.
For more on Spencerfield Whisky Co., read Gavin D. Smith's Whisky Pages HERE or visit their website above.
TASTING NOTES:
Soft but rich, lots of cereal notes: oats, rye, malted barley, and a touch of peat (or is it just soil?). Sweet and alluring.
Nice rounded flavour in the mouth, if that makes any sense. Banana bread, shiraz, and a drying sherry element. Spicy, as well, with a smoky element... like the faint whiff of smoke on pub couches weeks after the smoking ban kicked in.
SUMMARY:
Easy-going and satisfying. Very well-integrated flavours without any hard edges. That being said, it is a whisky for whisky drinkers, ie. it is engaging and 40% alcohol by volume so "smooth" it ain't. Tasty it is. Great that in this age of premiumisation there remain some affordable whiskies that don't taste like a pig's arse (which can be quite tasty with some mustard).
Malt Mission #221
Malt Mission #222
Malt Mission #224
Malt Mission #225
Malt Mission HOME
Compass Box Canto Cask 6
Blended/Vatted Malt Scotch Whisky
53.1% abv
£50
As this is effectively the first week in the second year (!) of Malt Missions, I think we will commemorate with an interest of mine: we will celebrate the craft of the whisky blender. This will be a week of blended whiskies (and blended malt whiskies), the whiskies that get such a bad rap from "discerning amateurs" and are rarely given the credit they are due. Never forget that if it were not for the popularity of blends worldwide we would have lost many more Rosebanks, Broras, Port Ellens, Glenglassaughs, Lochsides, Carsebridges, etc., over the years. Bullocks to Blends?
This is the UK release (exclusive to Britain) from the Canto Cask series of whiskies from Compass Box, a series that has been nominated for one of Kevin Erskine's (The Scotch Blog) 2007 Drammies. Go vote for John... and if you feel like it, support Dr. Whisky in the Best New Product (non-whisky) category as well!
We tasted Canto Cask 46 (for the US market) back at Malt Mission #207 where you can find more info about the idea and composition behind the range. This canto is from French oak to a level-7 toast. With the 46, I made comparisons between John Glaser's Cantos and those of Ezra Pound. Without spending too much time, let's see if we can find any resonance between the three Canto 6s in Dante's Divine Comedy and Compass Box's Canto 6.
Critics have attributed Dante's appreciation of symmetry to the thematic alignment of Canto 6 in Inferno, Puragtrio, and Paradiso. They can all be read as political commentaries touching on Roman and regional Italian (1300s) political situations, addressing characters who are just among those who are corrupt, and calling for justice and civic renewal. Okay, it works in a poem, but can whisky EVER be political? Is whisky ALWAYS political? Some would say the the suppression of the production of this spirit, an economic and ecological way to use up excess or inedible grains, in Scotland and America over the past centuries makes it a powerful symbol of freedom in modern times. Some would say, "bullshit! Tear that stillhouse down!"
In Inferno, we have a very Scottish scene: gluttons lying in mud under cold rain and hail. That pretty much summarizes my years in Edinburgh... or at least most of the late Friday nights. Anyways, enough. I am having fun but it must be a bore to read. Moving on, then...
All proceeds from the sale of this whisky are being donated to Cancer Research UK. Please see Compass Box for more whisky stuff. Please see the excellent DanteWorlds(really amazing resource) at The University of Texas for more poetry stuff.
TASTING NOTES:
Immediately varnished, slightly medicinal and pharmaceutical, "and deeper plagues their deadly stores disclose"(C.6, Inferno). Sweet, with some Egg Nog and spice, but "foul steams arise and fill the troubled sphere,"(C.6, Inferno) with loads of a processed earthiness: cardboard, coal, and mosquito repellant. Needless to say the higher abv% initially speaks with the loudest voice, but with time, that alcoholic impression gives way to a sumptous balance of creamy sweetness (peach Campinos) and oaky dryness.
Soft, then hot and sweet, like teething a freshly charred marshmallow off a stick at a campfire. Carmelised shallots, crisy bits of steak fat. Sweet and meaty. Toasty and kind of sherried. Organic black licorice. Very drying with impressions of a wet wood kitchen cutting board. Long and oaky.
SUMMARY:
Another oddity from Compass Box that is challenging, complex, extremely tasty, and remarkably unique. The drying finish weighs a bit too much on the oak for my tastes but this is a whisky that would appeal to those who like dry sherry-type of impressions in their malts. Would be excellent in a (posh) winter-themed cocktail. Totally drinkable straight and at strength, though, just give it a chance for the alcohol to flash-off (ie. let it sit in a glass for a bit).
Malt Mission #221
Malt Mission #223
Malt Mission #224
Malt Mission #225
Malt Mission HOME
The Gordon Highlanders
Blended Scotch Whisky
40%
£16
$28.15 (CAD)
Glad to be back in London to my own bed, my own kitchen, and back to my morning routine. My body has greatly missed my morning malt and the habit was hard to kick... I was even caught sticking my nose into coffee and orange juice at breakfasts. A great time was had and I hope you had a brilliant Christmas period as well.
And Happy New Year!
Yes, it was a year ago that this Malt Mission began, when I was challenged to taste my way through my shelf for the entertainment of a few whisky liking/loving friends, a much needed impetus on a whisky blog that was pretty pathetic up to that point. As far as I am concerned, THAT was the real birth of Dr. Whisky. And now, here we are 250 whisky blog posts, 220 Malt Missions, and a few small miracles later. Yes, I remain somewhat shocked that this is still going strong with ever-increasing numbers of readers and a queue of whiskies to taste over the coming weeks. Some mornings I really do shake my head. Thanks to those who have shared drops over the year and those who regularly visit to see what whisky the doctor is medicating himself with each day. Here's to another year!!!
Launched in 1994, when the British regiment of the same name was amalgamated with another (more history HERE), The Gordon Highlander is a blended whisky from William Grant and Sons and is yet another bottle discontinued at the LCBO, not that I imagine it was a huge seller. And not that sales seem to have any bearing on which whiskies the LCBO chooses to discontinue.
Enough typing for today. Let's taste.
TASTING NOTES:
Floral and fruity with a malty core. Apples and honey, sweet oak and almonds. Some black tea and a touch of sherried spice.
Good density, but very easy drinking. Malt, shortbread, stewed apples, and a pleasant bitter grip of oakiness in the finish with a lingering whiff of roadworks/tar.
SUMMARY:
Nothing earth-shattering, but affordable, good, clean, easy-drinking blended whisky with a nice speyside-y character. Went down well in a rock n' roll basement in Toronto with folks playing terrible cover tunes... and cover tunes terribly.
Malt Mission #220
Malt Mission #222
Malt Mission #223
Malt Mission #224
Malt Mission #225
Malt Mission HOME
