Malt Mission 2007 #146

Benromach Peat Smoke
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
46% abv
£26

Another Speyside week on the Malt Mission. Sure, its a Bank Holiday Monday and Notting Hill Carnival, but there ain't no rest for the whik-sy. Well, sort of. Today's malt has been guest-tasted by JM and some of the Benromach info is blatantly lifted from author and historian Gavin D. Smith. View his site HERE.

"Back in 1983 the old Distillers Company Limited closed nine distilleries in an effort to cut over-supply and lower the level of the 'whisky loch.' Two years later, the firm went on to shut a further ten distilleries. Some of those silent distilleries are long gone, buried beneath retail and residential developments, but others have happier tales to tell. Tales of restoration and revival.

One such distillery is Benromach, built in 1898 on the outskirts of Forres, close to Elgin. Benromach closed in 1983, but was saved from oblivion by the internationally renowned Elgin-based independent bottler, wholesaler and retailer Gordon & MacPhail, who purchased the site in 1993 and set about reviving the distillery. It was subsequently reopened by HRH the Prince of Wales in its centenary year."

Benromach Peat Smoke uses the same intensity of peating as Laphroaig, 55 ppm. Gordon & Macphail has been produced a batch of peated malt annually and this one, matured in first-fill bourbon casks, is from 2000. It serves as a peated counterpart to the Benromach Traditional, a great value malt that has not yet appeared on the mission, but that I have used at tastings for years.

I tasted this at the Whisky Fringe, and tasted it with JM and Beth at the OddBins Wine Fair. They liked it and brought a bottle back to Canada with them. Again, these tasting notes are theirs.

TASTING NOTES:

Mineral water with a squeeze of lemon/lime, peat, iodine, wet steel, cantaloupe, damp organic (compost-y)

Nice thick, oily mouth feel. First banana popsicles or sorbet, mellowing into dry toast, salty soda crackers, then big peat. Grainy, dirty fresh spinach flavor. Evaporates and takes all the moisture out of my mouth. Feels like I drank a big bottle of cheap table chardonnay or ate a big bag of salty ballpark peanuts in the shell. Beth says the roof of her mouth feels like she scraped it on dry bread.

SUMMARY:

Mood whisky for sure. Not something I'm going to have more than one or two of at one sitting, but enjoyable and interesting just the same. It seems much simpler and more straight forward than the first time I had it, must have been influenced by something else that I'd been drinking that day... it was a wine and spirits fair, after all. Beth says it's her favorite in my collection right now (weird).

Back to Dr. Whisky typing now, fresh and fruity with great characteristics of bourbon maturation and waterfalls of peat. But I agree with JM, there is something about the dryness that works against the initial sumptuous mouthfeel. Overall, a tasty and well-priced treat from the happy-to-experiment Gordon & Macphail, and worth noting that it was really enjoyed by a woman who "doesn't like smoky whiskies".

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Malt Mission 2007 #163

Isle of Arran
Cream Sherry Cask finish(Gonzalez byass)
Island Single Malt Whisky
57.5% abv
£39.99
$78(USD)

Another one of Arran's gazillion finishes... and, to be fair, many of them have turned out pretty darn well.

We've had Arran on the mission before, but it is always a treat. And we are always ready to try more as the results from this new distillery have been very promising since opening in 1995. Arran was the first distillery on the island bearing the same name since Lagg distillery closed in 1836. The stills are similar to those at Glengyle(Campbeltown) and their washbacks AREN'T oregon pine but larch and Norwegian spruce. Whistle melody here... "she once had me," etc.

Short on time so short on words. Let's get down to business...

TASTING NOTES:

Big toffeed sweetness, sherry, candy apples. "Coffee Crisp"(a very Canadian tasting note brought to you by JM) Chocolate milk. Cereal, and a slight vegetal element. Glue. Quite gentle on the nose for the abv%.

Slightly punchy, but some really wimpy punches. Sugar in tea, balsa wood, freshly baked cookies, apple cider, flower gardens. A caramelised element as well. Turns toasty as burnt sherry flavours resonate through the finish.

SUMMARY:

Sweet, but remarkably pleasant. Autumnal whisky, whisky for when its not quite warm enough for a shorts or young bourbon-cask Speysiders, but not quite cold enough for woolly jumpers or heavily sherried peat monsters. October, trick-or-treat whisky.

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Dr. Whisky Wins Drammie!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

Dr. Whisky was nominated BY YOU and voted for BY YOU and WAS AWARDED the 2007 Drammie award at The Scotch Blog. Sure, my passion for whisky and talking/typing about the stuff is what drives this whisky blog BUT as a non-cash-generating/ad-free blog, your emails of kind words, compliments and questions give me the motivation I need (some days more than others) to keep this thing going. Winning a people's choice award like this only gives me more fuel and I have every intention of keeping this resource alive as long as the whisky world can use it. THANK YOU!

it has to be done, and this is MY show so no one can cue the music and pull me offstage...

Thanks to:
My Mama and Daddy
Kevin Erskine, The Scotch Blog and Inebrio
Mark Gillespie (who linked and mentioned Dr. Whisky in Whisky Cast episode 91)
Ingvar Ronde and The Scotch Whisky Yearbook 2008
Kris Gilmartin (author of the article on Dr. Whisky that appeared in the Scottish Sunday Post in June)

Thanks to mad-blogging linkers: Sku of Sku's Recent Eats, Malthead, Rocksoff.se, V at Scrapple from the Apple, 't Veemgericht, Emily at Waiting for Dorothy, Douglas Blyde at The Daily Wine, Jysmith at A Perspective and A Jeremiad, Dunford at Bread Party, Cigar Jack, Kristof, Darren Turpin's The Genre Files, Islay Weblog, Armin Grewe (IslayBlog), Johan (WhiskyGrotto), Home of Whisky, Stephen Rowe (Food & Plastics), Inebrio, Sweasel.com, Mattias (WhiskyBlogg), Discover Whisky, Dave and Thomas, The Avondale Evening Mail, Home of Whisky, Whiskymagazin, The World According to Patrick, Chris Taylor (Taylor & Company) Red Hare (Eclectic Elephant), Will (Nose Palate Finish), Chris Bunting (Nonjatta), Colin Ligertwood (For Peat Sake), Colin Campbell (Whisky Blog), Jay Williams' Aphoristic Subplot, all you nuts at EUWOLS, Naresh at Sound of the Cinema, and any more I am forgetting(sorry), who have all linked to Dr. Whisky.

Thanks to loyal returning readers everywhere and to EVERYONE who has forwarded links to friends and colleagues via word of mouth, email, Facebook, web fora, etc.

Thanks to Neil Berrie and Arthur Motley at Royal Mile Whiskies
Friends and folks who have helped me taste drams over the past 14 months, MH, JM, RM, SK, EK, TF...
Dominic Roskrow, Misako Udo, Ian Buxton, Serge Valentin, Gavin D. Smith, Charlie Maclean, Robin Laing, Annabel Meikle, Dave Broom, Tim Forbes and Sukhinder and Raj Singh for being so constistently supportive and forthcoming with information

Those who have sent me/helped me source whiskies:
The Whisky Exchange (Colin(ex-man), Duncan, Matt, Alex, Chris, et al.)
Royal Mile Whiskies (London and Edinburgh crews: Michael, Stuart, Alex, Steve, Alaric, et al.)
Scotch Malt Whisky Society (Cath, Lesley, Jenn, et al.)
Alex and Jane at The Spencerfireld Spirit Co.
Andy Forrester (formerly ofJon, Mark, and Robbo, and Cellar Trends)
Mark Watt at Duncan Taylor
Barry and Barry at Premium Bottlers
Folks at Destilerieas Liber
Robert Ransom and George Grant at Glenfarclas
Iain Baxter, Elaine Mitchell and Derek Sinclair at Inver House
Neil Macdonald at Chivas Brothers
Billy and Alistair Walker at BenRiach
Ashok Chokalingham at Amrut
William Grant and Sons
Andrew Torrance at Morrison Bowmore
Katy Windsor at The Famous Grouse
Alex Bruce at Adelphi
Lizzie James, Deanna Killackey and Wendy Krone at Beam Global
Richard Paterson, Dave Robertson, and Margaret Nichol at Whyte & Mackay
Iain Weir and Alison Spowart at Glengoyne/Ian Macleod Distillers
John, Gregg, and Robbie at Compass Box Whisky
Nick Tilt, Tim Forbes, et al at Speciality Drinks
Marcie Hume who helped me make this video (go watch it! Help us break 20,000 views!)
Anne Knudsen for finding interesting bottles in her travels in the Far East, Espen Knudsen for challenging me to start this mission and Kristin Knudsen for putting up with it.

***Never sent liquid support to Dr. Whisky, why not do so today? I see you lurking on these pages(Diageo, Gordon & Macphail, etc.)... cough up some 'spiritual' support. It is a win-win, mate. Find my email in DEAR DOCTOR on sidebar***

And if I have forgotten you or if you feel you deserve a thank you, then THANK YOU. I raise two bottles to all of you... and proceed to pour them over my head.

Malt Mission 2007 #177

Glenfiddich 12yo, Caoran Reserve
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
40% abv
£28

I have been reading Robin Laing's new book The Whisky River and although I am not finished, I recommend it highly. Like Andrew Jefford's excellent "Peat Smoke and Spirit" (which I have quoted and praised before) that tells the stories of Islay whisky heritage as the author takes us on a journey around the island, "The Whisky River" tells of author, musician, and whisky-lover Robin Laing's adventures in Speyside, Scotland's undisputed heart of malt whisky production. Robin's journey through the distilleries (and more) that decorate the Bens and Glens of the Scottish highlands around the river Spey is told with such care for language and subject that reading it's inspired pages can be, well, inspiring. Interspersed with poetry and song, the book is the work of a man who can accurately and affectionately be called The Whisky Bard. I think there is as much to enjoy about it for the whisky nerd as the whisky newbie. Put this on your Christmas whisky (related) wish-list.

So we are starting two islay-themed weeks with two islay-themed whiskies yesterday and today. This stuff is from Glenfiddich in Dufftown, the 'capital' of Speyside, but finished in casks that once held Islay whiskies. Robin writes that this expression brings "a peatiness that might once have been more evident in the character of Glenfiddich [...] in the days when peat was the fuel throughout Speyside, or during the Second World War when coal was difficult to get."

Welcoming over 80,000 visitors per year, Glenfiddich was the first distillery to open a visitor centre and one of the last to still offer a standard tour free of charge. All Glenfiddichs had on the mission can be read HERE.

Tasted over breakfast with JM and his mother, Michelle.

TASTING NOTES:

Tree fruits, vanilla, oak and malt. Very Glenfiddich at the heart... but around the edges bung cloth, damp towels or wine cellars can be detected. There are hints at more as it is initially quite closed and pretty challenging. Water brings out new aromas of sweet smoke and rounds out the initial vanilla and pear smells.

Starts quite sweet in the mouth, dates and oats. There are also waves of musty smoke that intermingle with almonds and compost. Strange that is it simultaneously juicy and dry. Earthy finish that is just long enough to let you digest the experience and short enough to get you reaching for another sip.

SUMMARY:

Very enjoyable flavour ride. Although there is nothing wrong with the standard 12yo, it is safe to say that it is just simple, good, clean Speyside whisky. This stuff goes one step beyond adding a dimension that turns an any-time-of-day dram into evening romantic. Nice stuff.

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Malt Mission 2007 #109

Dalwhinnie 15yo
Highland Single Malt Whisky
43% abv
£27
$68.70(CAD)
$50(USD)

Some would approach Dalwhinnie and be convinced that it is the quintessential Scottish distillery. With twin pagoda roofs that can be seen from the motorway (A9), isolated in a glen surrounded by mountains, Dalwhinnie is the coldest inhabited settlement (less angel's share lost!) and the highest distillery in Scotland* situated 1073ft above sea level. The name itself also implies a history of whisky trading as Dailchuinnidh (roughly pronounced 'Dalwhinnie') means 'the plain of meetings'; the area was the junction of three cattle droving roads.

The famous distillery architect Charles Doig made some improvements on the distillery after some financial problems put the original owners out of business after only one year of operation. The stills fell silent after a fire in 1934, fired up again in 1938 and then a few short breaks for refurbishment in 1986 and 1992-95. These distilleries are high maintenance affairs!

Dalwhinnie is the 'Central Highlands' selection in the original 6 Classic Malts range (the other Highlander is Oban). It is apparently around the 20th most selling single malt worldwide and #4 out of the 6 Classic Malts. Dalwhinnie finds its way into Buchanan's, Black & White, and Haig blended whiskies.

* - Braes of Glenlivet (Braeval) is actually the highest at 1165 above sea level, but it is currently mothballed so Dalwhinnie holds the title.

TASTING NOTES (Like yesterday, this whisky will be guest tasted by JM... no, not Jim Murray) :

Chocolate chip cookie dough, Caramilk bar, angel food cake, red (cherry
flavored) Kool-Aid

Pleasantly light and sweet, flavor isn't immediate but grows nicely like sucking a Werthers hard candy, powdered sugar, and wood (cherry blossoms maybe), organic peanut butter, homemade rum balls, leaves mouth dry like an Italian wine (a Chianti maybe?)

SUMMARY:

Satisfactory. Very straightforward, gentle and easy to drink. Starts smooth and sweet but finishes with some definite malt and oak "whisky" characteristics. Nice entry-level whisky but too much like candy for my tastes.

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Malt Mission 2007 #108

Caol Ila 12 yo
Islay Single Malt Whisky
43% abv
£27
$58.90 (CAD)
$45 (USD)

Caol Ila (pronounced kull-eela or like THIS) means 'Sound of Islay' as it overlooks the narrow strip of water of the same name that lies between the islands of Islay and Jura. The phallic stills have a great view of Jura's Paps (mountains so named because of their resemblance to a pair of breasts), enough to keep them well excited over the years. It is one of two operating Islay distilleries owned by Diageo.

Built in 1846 and located on the north shore of Islay, near Port Askaig, Caol Ila's stills have fallen silent three times in its history: 1930-37, 1941-45, 1972-74. Like other Islay distilleries Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich, when Caol Ila was built by Glasgow businessman Hector Henderson it created a full community of its own. Henderson went out of business in 1857 and the distillery was purchased by Bulloch Lade & Co. The Distillers Company Limited (DCL) took over management in 1927. Production continued with a few silent spells until 1972, when the entire structure of the distillery was demolished. A larger distillery was built, some say rather brusquely, and production resumed in 1974.The old warehouses remain and bear the large black letters of the distillery name.

For many years, Caol Ila was the unsung workhorse of Islay distilleries and therefore doesn't enjoy the same celeb status that its neighbours in Bowmore and down on the south shore of the island do. It is the largest distillery on Islay and one of the largest that Diageo owns. The bulk of its output goes to blends and since 1999, they have produced whisky with unpeated barley for a few months each year, until recently used exclusively for blending (now some of this stock is released as Caol Ila 8 Unpeated). Caol Ila was available as a part of the Flora and Fauna series launched in 1989 as a 15 year old. In 2002 the 12, 18 and Cask Strength that we most commonly find on shop shelves were launched.

This whisky will be guest-tasted by my good friend JM who lost his truck but kept his life in an unfortunate car accident recently. The following are his impressions.

TASTING NOTES:

Salty sea air, peaty and smoky. Fresh air-dried bed sheets, sliced pear, granny smith apple peels.

Watery in the mouth but viscosity seems to increase with time. Instant smoke like a sudden wind change at a campfire, numbing and medicinal like Buckley's cough syrup, chewing on a Popsicle or lollipop stick, envelope glue.

SUMMARY:

This stuff inspires a lasting burn that leaves mouth and tongue tingly and sensitive like an hour after a trip to the dentist. Outdoorsy and rough even for a peat freak like myself.

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Malt Mission 2007 #122

Glenmorangie 10
Highland Single Malt Whisky
40% abv
£25
$48.15(CAD)
$40(USD)

Hard to believe it took over 120 Malt Missions to finally taste Glenmorangie. Sure, we had one at a tasting in Canada (HERE), but that doesn't really count as part of the Malt Mission proper. There is a huge whisky world out there and I hope to tick 'em off one at a time.

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 on shelves these days as they pioneered the resurgence of the method over a decade ago. 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. It is the biggest selling malt in Scotland and is slowly creeping up on Glenfiddich for the No.1 spot in the UK.

Glenmorangie comes from the part of Scotland that, for me, makes the tastiest malt whiskies. The stretch between Inverness and Wick includes (or included) closed distilleries Ben Wyvis and Millburn, demolished distilleries Glen Mhor and Glen Albyn, The Dalmore, Teaninich, Balblair, Brora(closed) and Clynelish, and Old Pulteney. I realised this some time ago when on the Black Isle it occurred to me that my desert island malts were all within reach in either direction and that there was nowhere else in Scotland I would rather be for sunrise, scenery, and single malts. On another personal note, I will never forget spending a terribly depressing and lonely Christmas(2003) with a good friend and a1-litre bottle of Glenmorangie 10. Spirits were certainly lifted.

Tasting notes from my mate JM. All whiskies Jed has tasted for the mission can be found HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Orange rind, marmalade, bitter green grapes. Dry Chardonnay with hint of ocean air and lots of vanilla oakiness.

Heavy velvety mouth feel that doesn't coat, it reminds me of 2% milk or thin turkey gravy. Light and sweet, marshmallow spread (Fluff). Now wood and some smoke, lasting and tangy like hard cheese (parmesan).

SUMMARY:

Very easy to drink, none of the more offensive whisky qualities that may repel some drinkers. Definitely encourages another glass...

Back to Dr. Whisky talking now, Glenmorangie is a spectacular whisky that should never be overlooked or taken for granted. Being one of the very few malts that is made from hard spring water, coastal and lightly peated, aged in only the finest bourbon barrels, Glenmorangie is a unique and sophisticated whisky that will equally satisfy at noon or at midnight. The Artisan Cask expression is currently at the LCBO but has been discontinued so do try some (if you can afford it) if you haven't already.

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