Malt Mission 2009 #368

Four Roses Single Barrel
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
TN 85-4L
50% abv
$40 (USD)

Although Wikipedia tells us that Four Roses was possibly named after original founder Rufus Mathewson Rose, his brother and two sons, Four Roses' website tells the story of Paul Jones, Jr., founder of Four Roses, whose love interest accepted his invitation to a grand ball and showed up wearing, as promised, a corsage of 4 red roses. I guess if we whisk(e)y nerds weren't spending all our online time surfing porn and writing vitriolic comments on whisky websites and fora we could remedy the spread of misinformation. But where would be the fun in that?

Four Roses produces 10 different recipes of bourbons out of 5 different yeast strains and two mashbills (one 60% corn, one 75% corn) at their Lawrenceburg, Kentucky-based distillery. While most of their whiskies are made with a mix of each between 2 to 10 of these different bourbons, this Single Barrel is, obviously, I suppose, made using only one.

From 1957, Four Roses bourbon was unavailable in its country of origin with Yellow and Black label being more easily found in Kyoto than Kentucky.

Master Distiller Jim Rutledge continues to make great whisky: 5 stars from F. Paul Pacult, Gold at the ISC, and Best Bourbon (no age statement) WWA 2008. So the verdict is in. What of any significance could my opinion possibly add?

Tasted as a part of a lovely morning session with DS.

TASTING NOTES:

Big and sweet. Luscious candy fruitiness, Bazooka bubble gum, Watermelon Hubba Bubba, Juicy Fruit. Coconut and gorse, even some baby powder with water.

Dry but chewy with basil, mint, caramel. Sweet and light, floral. Cream soda and maple with time and a pleasant slightly bitter and spicy finish.

SUMMARY:

Interesting and tasty drop that kept insisting I stick and re-stick my nose in the glass and revel in its big, sweet, voluptuous vapours. My only complaint (or perhaps oversight on my part) is that there is no indication of which mashbill this cask is made. They have this cool tool on their website but the numbers on the label (TN 85 4L) seem to have no relationship to the spirit codes but rather to the cask and warehouse number. Would be cool to know which spirit is which, esp as it is single barrel, no?

Malt Mission #366
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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.

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Malt Mission 2009 #340

Longmorn 40yo (1968)
SMWS 7.48
"Cold nights and warm fires"
Single Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky
53.6% abv
£180

Oh, Scotch Whisky, how I love thee...

Had a great night last weekend when I was back in NYC sitting (well, standing) with friends in our apartment and enjoying dozens of different bottles of scotch whisky, single malts, and blends. It really is a spirit that is conducive to group enjoyment and discussion and could warm the coldest winter night or icy heart.

I was very lucky to live in Scotland when I was 26-30 years old and have the opportunity to dive into the history and diversity of this spirit by meeting industry legends and whisky scholars as well as spending days reading and nights responsibly dramming (shhh... it was responsible). I have heard many friends and colleagues say with regret, "I didn't get into Scotch until I was 30" on more than one occasion. One of the hardships of falling in love with single malts in your 30s is coming to terms with the reality the opportunities to try whiskies older than you are few and far between and decrease at an alarming rate. But, of course, older does not mean better.

So love each glass and let each sip impress upon you the weight of years so we cherish those digits on the labels of bottles not as mere numbers but as millions of silent seconds of patient maturation that can sometimes make up for our own rushes to grow up, get married, rush to work, get promoted, and apparently race to the grave. Good whisky waits years to come to us because it can, and does, slow down time for reflection of our years and appreciation of these precious seconds.

Now let's taste a 40yo single malt whisky.

For more distillery info and to see all Longmorns had on the mission, click HERE. For all whiskies from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society had on the mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Molasses and cloves, sherry and mulled wine. Full-on sherry maturation with tons of chocoaltey goodness (esp with a touch of water). A gentle rubbery note lingers in the background with fully ripe brown bananas, rum balls, and Irn Bru.

Chocolate covered raisins, almonds, and coffee beans. Dates, dark chocolate, and vanilla with a touch of soy sauce. Madiera-soaked apples, and a long finish of sherried oak... as expected, I suppose.

SUMMARY:

Put the kids to bed, light the fire, put the dog on your lap, and sip slowly.
OR
Finish dinner, go out on the fire escape, immerse yourself in the hum of the city, and sip slowly.


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Malt Mission 2009 #339

Glen Grant 1973 34yo
The Single Malts of Scotland
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
54.7% abv
£95

No, not THIS Glen Grant, the one that is in Rothes, across from Caperdonich distillery, or what used to be known as Glen Grant no.2 (1898-1965).

Glen Grant is a top selling single malt worldwide and an absolute behemoth pumping out nearly 6million litres per year and now, with 8 new stills being installed by 2010 production volumes could double. Yowza. Currently owned by Camapari, Glen Grant is a #5 single malt brand worldwide although we tend not to hear about it as much as some other top 10 malts.

For more distillery info and to see other Glen Grant's had on the Malt Mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Sweet, spicy and nutty, with dried apricots, dates, and raisins. Apples and ginger, Dairy Milk, and a touch of damp cleaning rag.

Rich and weighty with even more nuttiness, gingery spice, and cakey maltiness. Oak and spice bound by a creamy mouthfeel with scrumptious sherried elements in abundance without ever dominating the spirit itself.

SUMMARY:

Tasty, rich, decadent stuff that to my perceptions really impressed on the palate as once I found the bungy element on the nose, it was hard to shake. So i sipped. And I liked.


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Malt Mission 2009 #338

"Barbeque Sauce" 1990
Wemyss Vintage Malts
Single Cask Speyside Single Malt Whisky
58% abv

Pronounced "weems", Wemyss Vintage Malts is William Wemyss whisky blending company based in Fife, Scotland. Wemyss' ties to the whisky industry go back to the 1800s when the famed Haig distilling family built their first distillery on family land (source).

The company's aims ring familiar in the Scotch Whisky world: "By using the aromas and tastes of the individual whiskies to uniquely identify each bottling, the consumer is able to easily understand what style of whisky is being purchased." Previous attempts (Jon, Mark and Robbo?) to sell whiskies based on flavour profiles have not been long-term successes, but the idea has never been criticised as much as the execution. Perhaps Wemyss can work out the bugs and we'll all be drinking "Apples and Pears", "Smoked Sausages", and "The Almond Tree" before long.

After making lasting impressions on whisky lovers across the world with Douglas Laing and Dewar Rattray, Susan Colville (the artist formerly known as Susan Webster) has brought her knowledge and experience in the area independent scotch whisky bottlers to Wemyss. I thank her for sending over the drops and look forward to seeing her at WhiskyLIVE NYC.

TASTING NOTES:

Sour berries and sweet chocolate sauce over pistachio ice cream. Floral, grassy notes take you on a walk through meadows and a meaty sherried note with a vinegar-like tang brings you into a Spanish kitchen.

The taste is initially all apples and cinnamon but things evolve into sourdough, fresh mozzarella, and red wine. Indeed, the Spanish kitchen has turned Italian. Caramel and marmalade linger in balance and the finish eventually brings toffee and a touch of coffee.

SUMMARY:

An enjoyable Speyside dram that mixes elements of the great outdoors with the dark corners of culinary creation.

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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 2009 #336

Highland Park 23yo (1984)
SMWS 4.128
"Bruised pears on a ground sheet"
Single Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky
52.1% abv
£83

Another "week" here on the mission. Even though I am no longer able to keep posting at a Monday-Friday daily rate, I still enjoy bundling them in groups of five by theme as I have done since the beginning of this mission; sort of mini tastings or flights that help me arrage the order here on the mission.

Now begins a week of independent bottlings.

Although the SMWS website indicates that this is from the region of Campbeltown, I assure you that Highland Park is in the Orkney islands. But that it is only error on an otherwise beautiful revamped website. The re-branding of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society began just before I became their Ambassador in 2007 and they seem to have done an outstanding job recreating the look of the SMWS with new bottles, new fonts, new website and images. Of course, one whisky nerd's opinion is not enough (sorry, brothers and sisters) and only they know if it has been a successful investment of creativity, time, and of course, money.

For all Highland Parks had on the Malt Mission click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Musty and humid, earthy and fruity like apples on the orchard floor. A very perfumy peat, floral and musky.

Begins sweet like some kind of syrup or sweet fruit vinegar reduction. Candied plums and extinguished candles. Turns smoky, or more like exhaust from a generator at a fair. Ends juicy and nutty leaving a real desire for me to have another sip.

SUMMARY:

Even at 52% abv this dram demanded no water before allowing me to fully inhale its aromas. It was also completely palatable at full strength. With a wonderful spread of flavours from cold musty cellars to humid days at the sea balanced with fruit and flowers this initially nosed like an aged blend. To taste, however, showed an utterly unique style of peatiness only available at one distillery, the one the Emperor of Russia and the King of Denmark in 1883 "pronounced it to be the finest they had ever tasted."

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Malt Mission 2008 #315

Glenfiddich Vintage Cask 1977

Cask #4414
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
54.1% abv
£375
$750 (USD)

While Glenfiddich fast approaches becoming the first single malt to sell 1million cases in a single year we begin to see signs of a possible downturn for the booming decade that Scotch whisky has enjoyed. And no, it is not because interest in waning or scotch is losing out some competition with bourbon/vodka/rum, but it is because the planet is producing insufficent food for demand, it is because the poorest people in the world cannot afford to feed themselves or their families, it is because people cannot afford homes they cannot afford, it is because the richest people in the world have invisible money that is vanishing (paradox?). Good times!

So here is a luxury good perfectly suited to be enjoyed as the ship sinks. May all this hardship rekindle a sense of community that has been eroded for so long in western culture and bring us back to the fundamental importance of taking care of one another. So let's share this proverbial bottle and come together.

This year's Vintage Cask release from Glenfiddich was selected from a shortlist chosen by David Stewart and Brian Kinsman of six european oak casks from 1975 and 1977. Both David and warehouseman Don Ramsay were around when this cask was filled (in fact, Don had been at Glenfiddich nearly twenty years at that point!). The other selection panelists this year were authors Gavin D Smith and Walter Schobert, restauranteur Jimmy Bradley, and Russian whisky expert Erkin Touzmohamedov. The cask yielded 450 bottles. Check out the Glenfiddich Channel on YouTube to see the selection process.

For all Glenfiddich had on the Malt Mission and distillery info, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Incredibly clean, a well-dressed gentleman. Raisins, sour plums, cranberries, and honey. Dried fruits with big, sherried french kisses. Water unleashes vanilla ice cream.

Powerful and bready, gorgeous chocolate croissant flavour. Reminiscent of very fine cognac. Big, soul-seducing oak, grapes and cinnamon.

SUMMARY:

An absolute treat. My tasting notes do not do this justice as I simply found it too much of a distraction to type impressions while in its grip. And to put those impressions into words somehow diminished their significance. Silent, contemplative sipping that can assure the battered spirit that the it will persevere. Could be worse.

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Malt Mission 2008 #228

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?

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Malt Mission 2007 #220

Glenfiddich 1976
Vintage Reserve Selection 2007
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
51.9% abv
£299
$550(USD)

Merry Christmas.

During the week of Malt Mission 200 celebratory posts I wrote about Christmas offers and made an addendum. In that post I asked Santa for the Glenfiddich 1976, a new release from my year of birth carefully selected by David Stewart, Brian Kinsman and six other talented noses (for more info visit Glenfiddich's page on the selection of the 1976 cask HERE.) Only days later "Santa" emailed me to say that he and the elves would be pleased to make my Christmas wish come true. [Yes, Ian Buxton, this was someone at the Red Consultancy (see Ian's related piece HERE)].

Within the week I had received a sample of the vintage. This morning we opened it with my other Christmas presents. I chose to share this gift with Kristin's brother Espen, another 1976-er (his notes appear in quotes below). The cask was an European oak third fill ex-sherry cask. There are only 549 of these babies available worldwide from the year of the dragon, filled to cask January 16, 1976, and only 33 of these bottles are available in the UK.

For all Glenfiddichs had on the mission click HERE.

Again, Merry Chirstmas... and big thanks to BM for sending the drop.

TASTING NOTES:

Light and fresh, with some mentholic whiffs that hit with strength. Sweet with a very pleasant bitter edge. Fruity (apples) and floral (lillies or something... I don't really know flowers). Like a flowershop, a little bit of vanilla, and "still a bit spirity, spicy." Great development with time in the glass.

Luscious mouthfeel, slightly minty, sweet, "and very smooth". Warming sherry shift upon swallowing, getting more oaky and slightly toasty with fruity sweetness, some orange, apricots and apples, among others. "I just had a teeny bit and it lasts forever. It makes the texture in my mouth... different."

SUMMARY:

A sophisticated old whisky, that is rich but light, tender but strong. Like many great aged whiskies, this cannot be quickly consumed and judged, it demands we slow our lives down and consider the whisky for a good length of time. Charlie Maclean has written that whisky is Scotland's most generous gift to the world and this Christmas season, as ever, we are all infinitely thankful.

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Malt Mission 2007 #215

Ichiro's Malt Ace of Hearts
Japanese Single Malt Whisky
American Oak Sherry Wood Cask #9004
Dist 1985 Bott 2007
56.5%

First of all, I have no idea how much this stuff costs or if you can even find it where you live. If you can understand THIS then let me know if it offers any information.

Again, no time to say much else today. See Malt Mission #105 for another whisky from Ichiro's card series or Takeshi Mogi's site for info on Hanyu. For other posts on Japanese whiskies click HERE.

This ends three weeks of international whiskies on the Malt Mission and the mission will be active but irregular over the next three weeks. Thanks for reading and have a Happy Merry everything.

TASTING NOTES:

The aromas seem to slide down the nose, you get hit up high and the senses seem to slide their figurative fingers down the edge of the blade-of-steel aromas. Poppadoms, pickle, ginger and sherry. Some smoke, mint, fudge and lager. Complex and busy, like some new flavour of bubblegum wrestling your senses as you wonder, "what is this?" Water opens up a flower shop with dozens perfume-wearing yummy-mummies and a smoke saturated stroller. Evocative, to say the least.

Eruption! Panama! Jump! Ladies and Gentlemen, it's Van Halen whisky!!! Gummi bears, boiling brown rice, fennel, wax candles, flowers and perfume all before the explosion of the abv%. Oak, sherry, cheap advent calendar chocolate, hops, smoker's fingers, all ending in sugar, soot and wet wood.

SUMMARY:

Fun and rockin', this stuff is guaranteed to exhilarate. At around £150 a bottle and packing an exhilarating punch, this stuff is the 1980s poolside-cocaine-party of malt whisky. Dance the night away.

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Malt Mission 2007 #190

Glenfarclas The Family Casks 1958
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
51.6% abv
£665
$1,995(CAD)

Well, I must say it has been an unusual week of dramming. Yes, it has been a privilege to be able to taste my way through 5 decades of Glenfarclas, but, man, has it been different than I expected.

I am a big fan of the core range of bottlings: the 105 is among the best bang-for-buck drops out there, I always recommend the 21yo to folks looking to buy a bottle for their dad/mom/friend/husband/wife who likes whisky(although we have not yet had it on the mission), and the 25yo was one of the best 3 whiskies I had in the first 100 Malt Missions. It seems to me, based on the 5 drops I have had this week, that The Family Cask series is a collection of unique, and sometimes odd, expressions from a consistently excellent distillery. After all, that is the fun in single cask expressions; finding interesting and unusual expressions of whiskies you thought you knew inside and out (I had two cRaZy Bowmores from the SMWS last night, for example). That is what drives malt maniacs to continue exploring the thousands of flavour possibilities available with Scotch whisky.

And they don't come cheap. Only the serious collector, lucky gift recipient, or wealthy whisky lover will be able to participate in the enjoyment of this range. Unfortunatley folks, that seems to be the way things are moving in the whisky world. Look around. There are fewer and fewer good drops between £15-25 and almost every new release that we have seen over the past year comes in at £30+. Don't lose hope. This increasing focus on luxury, this premiumisation of the whole sector cannot last forever(which will dry up first, though? Supply or demand?). For now, stock up on the drops you would most miss if a) they left your market, or b) they left your price bracket. And pray that some friend of yours with money to burn thinks that buying you the Glenfarclas Family Cask 1976(or whatever) would be a brilliant birthday present.

This vintage is one of 455 bottles from a sherry butt. For all Glenfarclas had on the mission click HERE and for other vintages from the Glenfarclas Family Casks click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

I have not mentioned appearance of colour yet this week (and Glenfarclas never adds colour) but I will today: this one is like treacle, molasses dark. And the legs are unusual, they go in all angles, looking more like scars (Freddy Krueger's face) than 'church windows.' Smells of sherry and oak, but believe it or not the aromas go beyond that after nearly 50 years in a cask. I get shellfish, coffee, mint, candied anise, and cinnamon. Smells like a forest, earth, tree bark, mushrooms, decomposition, and fresh herbal/floral breezes. There is some meatiness in there too; raw beef like a butcher's. Water lets out toasty aromas (smoke?) and more caramel or toffee sweetness.

Apples, sherry, toffee and some salt. Even some fresh impressions of flowers and honey. Then comes the dark side: burning wood, varnish, dark chocolate, blood, metal, tobacco, ginger, dark roast coffee, and Guiness. With water these two distinct sides of this whisky's personality bind together in an other-worldly complexity. Pointless to write down desciptors, it is SO active. Coffee or Guiness bitterness lingers through the oaky finish with the faint sweetness of chocolate chip cookies.

SUMMARY:

An old sherry monster, this is a whisky to measure time with. Every nose, every sip, every second spent with this whisky seems to slow down the rotations of the earth. Yes, it is oaky, but by no means has this whisky grown tired in the cask, it is full of flavours (aromas and tastes) and would be ideal during that alone time after the family leaves at Christmas.

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Malt Mission 2007 #189

Glenfarclas Family Casks 1965
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
60% abv
£325
$925(CAD)

Available in Canada through John Hanna & Son and unavailable in the US due to the regulation that bottle sizes must be 750ml (these are 700ml), many of these vintages are selling out as we speak. Several bars have even purchased the whole range. Amazing. Glenfarclas has always been whisky favoured by collectors and the spirit has been praised by many as the best Speyside has to offer.

Glenfarclas is a very conservative distillery. I was going to say 'traditional', but that might be unfair to other 'traditional' but progressive distilleries. At Glenfarclas everything is on a larger scale than normal: their capacity is twice that of Cragganmore or Danwhinnie, they have a mash tun that is 10m in diameter, and they have as many as 13 folks working at the distillery. This last relates to their 'conservatism' as all movement of casks is done manually on rails without the aid of lifts or robots from the future. And there is more: they have a firm policy that says "no" to wood finishes, they limit sales to independent brokers and highly discourage bottling of their whisky by ANY independent bottlers, and they stick to their technique of using sherry butts for the maturation of their whisky despite the fact that this practice can cost up to 10 times as much as using ex-bourbon barrels.

This vintage is one of 417 bottles from a first-fill sherry butt. For all Glenfarclas had on the mission click HERE and for other vintages from the Family Casks click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

A dry but appetising nose with apples, toffee, black pepper, broccoli, and soy sauce. Time in the glass releases more outdoorsy notes along with cinnamon and a touch of sulphur. Water unleashes a faint whiff of smoke alongside stone fruits, carob, and more rubbery notes.

Big and spicy with cloves, raisins, toffee and licorice. Drying and increasingly leathery and woody. Water adds a creaminess to the mouthfeel and allows this stuff to scream OAK, with musty, library/old book flavours as well. The finish is gingery with faint smokiness, walnut and oak flavours that linger for minutes.

SUMMARY:

I think this is as close to smoking (pipe? fresh rolling tobacco?) as I have come with a whisky; all the flavours are there and if you breathe deep enough, you can even get a good cough from it, too. Although I know nothing about cigars, I imagine this malt is well suited to accompany one. Amazingly high abv% for such an old whisky. The result is a concentrated spirit that welcomes both time in the glass and a few drops of water. Quite a good price for such an old proprietary single cask whisky, esp from a distillery who has officially never allowed anyone to bottle their whiskies. Can still taste nuts and oak. Maybe an idea (albeit, an expensive one) for a marinade?

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Malt Mission 2007 #188

Glenfarclas Family Casks 1977
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
59% abv
£210
$565(CAD)

Ah, 1977. The Clash released their debut album, Star Wars opened in cinemas, Jimmy Carter became 39th President of the United States, the Toronto Blue Jays played their first-ever baseball game, and I had my first birthday.

Glenfarclas distillery has been in the hands of a single family for six generations. You will see their pics to the right over the next few days travelling back in time along with our drams. It effectively went John, George, George, George, John(above right), and George(below right) since June 8, 1865.

One of 582 bottles from a refill sherry butt. For all Glenfarclas had on the mission click HERE and for other vintages from the Family Casks click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Soft, buttery nose. Very appetising. Muscat. Honey, bananas, golden raisins with a creamy vanilla-oaky depth.

Gentle entry that perks up (with the help of the abv%) with grape skins and fresh tobacco. Malty, with edam cheese, chocolate covered raisins, and an oaky finish that is not drying but actually quite juicy.

SUMMARY:

The nose is a delight, not overly complex, takes its time to show its inner secrets, showing good age with some scrumptious characteristics. Great range from low to high flavours, if that makes any sense... it is full in the nose. Great depth in the mouth, too, with well-bound flavours and all the charms of age without any interference from overpowering sherry (or bourbon). Another odd expression of Glenfarclas, but I suppose that is the fun of single casks.

Malt Mission #186
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Malt Mission 2007 #187

Glenfarclas Family Casks 1983
Speside Single Malt Whisky
56% abv
£199
$499(CAD)

The Family Cask range from Glenfarclas is wholly unique and there is no other known collection of old and rare whiskies that covers 43 consecutive years from a single distillery. The series surpasses Macallan's Fine and Rare collection which has more and older(1926) bottlings and 25 consecutive vintages, as well as Gordon & Macphail's Glen Grant Vintages (1948-1968).

All of The Family Casks from Glenfarclas have been bottled at cask strength, a practice that most connoisseurs appreciate and one that Glenfarclas helped pioneer in the marketplace when they were the first distilling company to introduce a cask strength whisky to their core range back in 1968 with Glenfarclas 105 (tasted way back at Malt Mission #46).

This vintage is one of just 302 bottles from a refill hogshead. For all Glenfarclas had on the mission click HERE and for other vintages from the Family Casks click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Bittersweet from the start, with a fairly strong alcohol presence, too. Warming, with buttery and oaky aromas. Some baked goods and small bitter berries. Almonds, hot chocolate powder, and bread. Water really sweetens things up offering more exotic fruit, cocoa, and a slight meatiness.

Mouth-filling vanilla initially, then lemon cake, decimated coconut. Very nutty. Water reduces the explosive impact which could be a positive or a negative, depending on your mood. It becomes creamier, more spread-able, and the flavours appear to be more bound together. Long lingering flavours of oak, tea biscuits, with shorter impressions of pasta and crepes, and even sweeter baked goods with water.

SUMMARY:

Tasty, distinctive, and unusual. More complexity and flavour development than the initial nosing might suggest. Stands up to a lot of water. An odd member of the Glenfarclas family, not a George or a John... maybe a Simon? Overall, an odd Glenfarclas, and one for the curious-minded.

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Malt Mission 2007 #186

Glenfarclas Family Casks 1992
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
55.5% abv
£125
$275(CAD)

Totally missed Alcohol Awareness Week (Scotland) last week, October 21-27. The Scotch Whisky Association, Diageo, and many major liquor companies took part while Dr. Whisky remained oblivious. So today my prescription is "be a responsible drinker"; know what health experts think about your drinking habits and please don't drink to get happy. Drink for the social or hedonistic reasons, drink for the flavour experience(s), drink for cultural or religious practice. Drink in moderation. And drink water.

While there can be no doubt that alcohol causes harm in this country, not all liquor sectors can be punished equally at budget time. It cannot be ignored that in 2007 it has been 10 years without a tax hike on spirits in the UK. Scottish whisky has seen a boom in recent years and is showing healthy growth. Naturally, this growth has been largely due to a degree of stagnation in taxation and rather than firing people and closing distilleries, companies are actually hiring more people and building new sites.

We are nervous that if we can't all work to curb binge drinking and promote responsible relationships with alcohol that the tax and duty on spirits, and whisky in particular, will rise and could lead to economic hardships in certain areas of Scotland where the whisky industry plays a very large part in the health of local economies. Taxation is not the only, nor the most efficient, tool for reducing excessive consumption. I believe education can help cure a lot of these problems, and 24h drinking certainly doesn't help send either the right message or cause the right effect. More controls should be put in place in the clubs and bars of the UK. You cannot convince me that a couple of mates tasting the new Glengoyne Burnfoot at their flat in Dundee is more harmful to society than "drink all 8 shots and get a t-shirt" type offers or "2-4-1 alcopops or ciders." Respect your drink and your drink will respect you.

Right, onto our Malt Mission. The threads of many-a-whisky-forum have been buzzing with news and views surrounding the release of Glenfarclas' Family Casks (See THIS, THIS, or THIS). Glenfarclas has released a series of 43 vintages from 1952 to 1994 that they are calling Family Casks and the bottles can be bought individually or as a set. It seems they will be available in Ontario through John Hanna and Sons and in some other select markets around the world where importers have the determination to get some.

Glenfarclas has been distilled on the Recherlich Farm in Ballindalloch by six generations of the Grant family. For more distillery information and to see all Glenfarclas had on the mission click HERE. This particular vintage is from a sherry butt and is one of 669 bottles.

I was honoured to have been invited to the launch of these beauties in September and gutted that I could not attend as I was going to be out of the country. But I was delighted to receive samples from a few casks from Robert Ransom and I express my thanks for both the initial invite and the subsequent drops by post. We will be traveling back in time with Glenfarclas this whole week.

Tasted with MH (who started high school in 1992). His notes appear in quotes.

TASTING NOTES:

Bran flakes, "definitely breakfast cereal, but more like LIDL malt cruchies, to me." Some table polish, orange scented, "the stuff Grandma uses around the house". Perfumy, Flowers by Kenzo. Water brings the chemical polish out even more.

Sweet and dry, honey, a touch of salt, and mealy apples. Green veg, celery. Toasty sherry finish. "A bit nutty at the end, too." Water should be used very carefully, if at all. It brings out a slight marzipan flavour. "For me, the water hurt the nose but I like the taste better now." Honey, slice of orange, and plastic.

SUMMARY:

Matt wasn't sure if tasting first thing in the morning was the best way to evaluate cuz his morning mouth seemed to defend against the abv. In any event, we found this pretty simple and straightforward, and Matt felt the polish aromas really interfered with his experience. This expression has the perfumy elements of Glenfarclas, the polished wood tables, etc., but the standard 15yo has a fuller, rounder flavour to offer.

Malt Mission #185
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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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Malt Mission 2007 #152

Tobermory 1995 12 yo
The Single Malts of Scotland
Island Single Malt Whisky
56.9% abv
£29.99

So I learned later in the day yesterday that The Independent ran an obituary for Michael Jackson and that the Telegraph had done so over the weekend. So no more bitching from me about the lack of attention his passing attracted in the British press. I promise.

This is the first Tobermory (or Ledaig) I have had on the Malt Mission. Tobermory is a distillery on the Isle of Mull, a gorgeous island with adorable towns all within easy reach of the mainland via Oban. Tobermory is one of the nine(9) distilleries still in operation that was built in the 18th century. Originally christened Ledaig in 1798, it was called Tobermory after the town in which it is located. It is, and always has been, the only distillery on the island but has had a split personality since its birth. Bottlings released as Tobermory, about 5% of production, go into an lightly peated 10yo single malt sold in a green dumpy bottle. About 10% of production is released as a heavily peated expression called Ledaig. The rest finds its way into blended whiskies in Burn Stewart Distillers' stable (Scottish Leader, etc.) and beyond.

The distillery was closed many times during its long history. On one of those sad occasions, in June 1930, it was used as a power station and a canteen. Additionally, after the stills were removed it was rented to a local dairy farmer to mature the famed Isle of Mull cheddar, and, according to Misako Udo, was closed down after a hygiene disaster. Let your imaginations run wild.

This bottling is a single cask offering from the ever-expanding line from The Whisky Exchange/Speciality Drinks called The Single Malts of Scotland. Other bottlings in the series tasted on the mission can be found HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Two planes of aromas, can be generally classified as the malty and the sweaty. But there's more at work here. A lot of smells I am personally nostalgic for: Candy apples, salt water and potatoes, Clearasil, Neilson's Jersey Milk, SaraLee chocolate cakes, ginger and soy sauce.

Big chewy maltiness that envelops your mouth but quickly pulls back in, becoming slightly astringent. A drop of water not only mutes the astringency but really opens up a barrel of fermenting fruits and sugar. Medicinal characteristics too, Alka Seltzer, herbal throat lozenges, acetaminophen. Chocolate and berry jam in the medium-length finish with a maritime saltiness, too.

SUMMARY:

Like songs on an old cassette, "Summer Mix 1986", that take you back in time, this dram really transported me. And to be totally honest, I am surprised to have enjoyed this as much as I did. Brilliant island character with a good depth of flavour. Enjoyable in the nose, a challenge on the palate. No, not sophisticated or subtle, but hearty and distinct.

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Malt Mission 2007 #105

Ichiro's Malt Queen of Hearts
Hanyu 1990 (2006)
Bottling 107/324
54.6% abv
£85

I have had fun tasting this international week, but I look forward to getting back to Scotland where my knowledge base is much wider and I wont need to research/spend as much time as I had to this week. Learned a lot though, and hope you learned something too.

This is a single cask, single malt whisky from Hanyu, a distillery that WAS located in the town of the same name on the banks of the Tone river. The Toa company that owned the distillery went bankrupt and stopped distilling in 2000. Under new owners, the site was was completely dismantled in 2004. Ichiro Akuto, the grandson of the founders of the Hanyu distillery, managed to save the maturing stocks and is planning to set up a new distillery.

This is one part in a series of releases on a theme (I think you get it, with the whole deck of cards thing; Queen of Hearts, 2 of clubs, Ace of Hearts, etc.) Other releases tasted at the Whisky Pages. I will taste another soon.

Ichiro Akuto has been quite lucky that the maturing casks are apparently quite good and pleasing palattes the world over. More detailed information on Hanyu at Nonjatta, the site for Japanese whisky (in English).

This particular cask was matured in an ex-bourbon Hogshead and then finished (what's this?) in an ex-Cognac French Oak cask. Again, big thanks to The Whisky Exchange for the taster.

TASTING NOTES:

Alive and energetic. Salt. Licorice. Spicy. Lime and cheescake. Wood, plaster, a building site. Some smoke that becomes more evident with water. As does an apple cider smell with more candied licorice, Bassetts Allsorts.

Soft, but active in all parts of the mouth, exciting. Plaster again, but a lot of oak and sweet pie-like flavours. Pecan pie. Black wine gums, white wine, dry oakiness that rides onto the finish with fresh fennel and some more spiciness. With water it tastes just like a warm pecan pie with cream. Cafe au lait. Pleasant shisha smoke aroma. Finish is more apricot and soft old peach now. Empty glass minutes later has gorgeous filter coffee and brown sugar scents.

SUMMARY:

Exciting, adventurous whisky. Busy and a whole lot of fun to drink and talk about. Great packaging/theme labelling. Comparisons for context? Tough one...toughest one this week! Um, Dalmore, Old Pulteney 17, Cragganmore, and Glenlivet French Oak.
One complaint/question? The screw top. If someone is spending these prices on whiskies, rare whiskies, one hopes they won't be consumed quickly. Do these caps allow more or less evaporation in the bottle? Once opened? Might be a concern for consumers and/or collectors. Am I wrong? Be in touch/comment.

Malt Mission #101
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Malt Mission #104

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Malt Mission 2007 #97

Clynelish 11yo
Straight from the Cask, FYOB (Fill your own bottle)
at The Whisky Exchange, Vinopolis
58.9% abv
£30 (50cl)

Saw the new "Every Year Counts" Glenfiddich ads on telly last night... several times in a 1hr long program. They are part of a £23 million global communications campaign. It was actually a pretty good advert depicting various scenarios intended to parallel the distiller's heritage with those life possibilities that can often take years to realise; learning to play a musical instrument, to tango, to fall in love, etc. It is viewable here. Now onto the REAL daily dram [a playful stab at the mention of THIS blog in a Whisky Mag (issue 64) piece that snubbed the daily efforts of yours truly. Daily? 2 posts in 2007. Dram? pah!].

I have said it before and I stand by it, I have never had a bad Clynelish. Sure, some have been better than others, but I have never had a bad one. This was one of the best.

Moved from its original maturing vessel to a quarter cask in the first half of 2006, this Clynelish sat in Vinopolis for several months, selling half litres at a steady pace. In that time, however, the smaller storage cask was able to impart some wonderful oaky depth to the whisky. It was the second last cask to dry up, but it was up against tough competition as Sukhinder Singh (pictured) manages to source some pretty incredible malts for the Fill-Your-Own-Bottle-Straight-From-the-Cask stuff. There was an amazing Longmorn, a ballsy Caol Ila, an impressive anonymous bourbon, and a sensational Pampero Rum. The new line on cask at the shop is equally, if not more impressive: A young, sherried Ardbeg, dubbed "Quite Young"(ha ha), a bright gem from closed distillery Rosebank, a sherried beast from Speysider Aultmore, and another sensational bourbon cask from Clynelish.

For more Clynelish info, see Malt Mission #23

TASTING NOTES:

Corn, fresh figs, salt, mold on bread. Rich sweetness. Honey, Tiger-tail ice cream(an apparently very Canadian flavour, orange with licorice swirls). Some sherry and match sulphur.

Peppery, English mustard start, then it becomes more subdued; bread with prune jam, a stream of hot honey, salty fruitiness, like prosciutto and melon or ham and peach, or for Kosher and Halal palates, think prune-stuffed olives. Amazing how fresh it all tastes, scratch and sniff Willy Wonka Whisky.

SUMMARY:

When I worked at The Whisky Exchange @ Vinopolis (London Bridge) I looked forward to treating myself to a drop of this vanishing beauty when possible. I sold many bottles of the stuff, especially when I was craving a sip, specifically because I could speak so passionately about it. I am sad that these are the final drops of this particular expression, but am grateful for Colin at TWE for letting me taste the last remains. Always looking for another Clynelish to try...

Malt Mission #96
Malt Mission #98
Malt Mission #99
Malt Mission #100

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