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Jon, Mark and Robbo's
The Smooth Sweeter One
(Original release, 100% Irish Single Malt)
40% abv
£15 pounds(50cl)
$28.99[75cl(USD)]
This year might not be a pretty one for JMR and the East Drinking Whisky Co. Last year was filled with hushed rumours of the departure of Dave "Robbo" Robertson, the 'our story' section of the website has been dormant since 2005, and the events calendar (at www.jonmarkandrobbo.com) has been empty for months.
Yes, we hear official word that all will proceed as normal (Kevin Erskine at the Scotch Blog covered the departure of Robbo, discussed the rumours and got this response) even while the products are getting delisted accross the country(OddBins) and across the globe(LCBO)
Look, I like the stuff and always have. Their bottles have the best cork pop sound in the business. But really, i have always liked the stuff. The attitude was maverick, the packaging was fun, and the liquid inside was tasty. So what went wrong? I am not going to share my thoughts here, but be sure to grab some bottles while you can.
TASTING NOTES:
Nice and light, sweet and sapphron and bubblegum, some lemon. Deeper whiffs yield a strange kind of soapy vanilla, like a gum my dad used to eat called Thrills, apparently a very Canadian thing. Can also smell a bit of rubber, like the smell of the floors in ice hockey change rooms... in a nice way. Getting my nose right in there, it smells a bit like the taste of bison vodka.
Easy drinking indeed. Not much to offend a person. Smooth and not as sweet as one might think. Vanilla and dough sweetness. Brazil nuts and coconut. Something green and herbal, like parsely. Or hops. Oatmeal aftertaste, like the white foamy stuff that builds on stovetop boiled oats. Short and sweet.
SUMMARY:
I should just note that although this is the old version, it was only opened recently (past 3 months).
This will certainly bore some people. But i find it charming in its simplicity. The nose excited much more than the palate can deliver, but it is perfect for a Scottish summer, next to a pint of Deuchars.
I remember it having a creamier mouthfeel, but that must be the other expression with 30% Bunnahabhain. I will have to try some of the more recent version to compare at some stage.
Malt Mission #6
Malt Mission #8
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Malt Mission HOME
Buchanan's Deluxe 12yo
Blended Scotch Whisky
43% abv
£30
$28(USD)
Week 2 of this malt mission. I doubt that when James Buchanan started blending he had any idea of matching his bottling design to a nation's flag colours. If he had, i imagine he would have bottled it in a red bottle with a white label to recognise his country of birth, Canada. Or blue and white for his family's roots in Scotland.
But the tri-coloured format has been of use to the brand's current owners, Diageo, who have commemorated the Columbian and Mexican Independence days (July 20, Sept 16 respectively) by dispersing tri-coloured bracelets to "support Latino pride". Perhaps the tri-coloured format is why Latin markets are the strongest for Buchanan's, rather than, say, Japan and Canada, where you cannot find the stuff.
Might also speak to why Black and White worked for the ghouls in Westminster (Black and White was born out of the 'House of Commons' blend Buchanan supplied Westminster in the 1880s, as the bottle was black and the label was white)
Buchanan's 12 has 50% malt content, with Glendullan, Dalwhinnie, Aultmore, Talisker and Caol Ila finding their way in to each bottle. For more on Buchanan's and other blends in the family tasted on Dr. Whisky, click HERE.
TASTING NOTES:
Peppery at first, delivers this impression to the nose in an unusual way. I would describe it as "up high", if you get what I mean; it is not something you can smell as such, but rather a sensation behind the bridge of the nose... alright, alright, dont laugh at me. Rich flowery speyside warmth opens up in time, and a whiff of smoke hovers above honey and bourbon-y vanilla. The various dimensions become more apparent with time spent in the glass, but in such soft delicate balance that it feels rude to pick it apart.
Whoa, cant type fast enough. Starts with a kiss of sherry and quickly scurries off into sweet and creamy grain whiskies for the middle. Ah, then some smokiness and those sherry flavours again, striking and tweaking like a chords on an organ, more gospel than pipe or cathedral. Toasted oak, dried fruits and tobacco flavours linger, whispering "again... again!"
SUMMARY:
I know I am not be the first to compare this to JWBlack (both blended whiskies, both creators among the 19th century whisky geniuses, same age statement, same depth of flavour) but if one could set up a race in a new market between the two, it would be interesting to see the results. JWBlack is certainly more powerful in terms of impact and delivery, but this tasty tipple is sexy in its sophisticated balance and flavour movement.
OTHERS agree, but please drink responsibly
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Malt Mission HOME
I have decided to use the weekends to have maple syrup in the morning instead of whisky for my Sammy's Syrup Society Maple Mission...
...just kidding.
But I do think it wise to take weekend breaks in this Malt Mission.
Why? Well, a few reasons
(1) To address the complaints, comments, etc. that I receive during the week
(2) To address any other whisky related issue that comes to mind
(3) To give my kidneys a rest (cloudy, cloudy, cloudy...clear!)
(4) To buy myself more time to secure some samples before I exhaust my home supplies...
So today I just want to explain a few things.
There is only one way to drink whisky: the way you like it.
But when i am tasting whiskies with evaluation in mind, I tend to use one of these.
I refuse to use those tulip shaped glasses cuz they look stupid and break way too easily.
I tend to (carefully) nose the whisky at bottled strength first, make some notes, and then tip a fingernails amount into my mouth, just enough to touch all parts of my tongue and then essentialy evaporate. If I want to, I add water at this stage, and nose again. Otherwise I just take a bigger sip doing the Richard Paterson-ish hold-hold-hold thing, make some notes, and call it a day.
I do not provide scores in my notes because I find them confusing and often meaningless. I feel the same way about film reviews that say nothing nice about a film and then give it 3 stars. Besides, there are plenty of other whisky nerds out there providing scores for obscure bottlings that no doubt benefit the collector, the whisky afficianado, and the wealthy.
My hope, as it has always been since I started to enjoy whisky seriously in 2002, is to try new whiskies, learn the ways they operate differently, learn their histories, and to explain all of this to others in a casually educational and fun way.
My notes are meant as introductions to each malt/blend so that whoever reads them can narrow their search for the one or two bottles they might buy in a given year. But I also hope to include enough info to keep the experienced whisky fan interested while turning new drinkers onto the idea of whisky, not JUST Macallan or JUST Ardbeg, but the flavour possibilities that whisky as a spirit can provide.
When I note prices, I include UK prices based on my favorite UK whisky shops (see the links to the left).
When I note Canadian prices it usually means that the LCBO in Ontario carries the item. I use the LCBO as a general Canadian price not to be an Ontario-centric dick, but because the majority of provinces use a state monopoly system with liquor and beer, and Ontario has the best selection and the best prices. Look at British Columbia, Manitoba, or Nova Scotia. American prices (where listed) vary the most, so only use them as a guide.
That is enough for now.
Glengoyne 17 yo
Single Malt
43% abv
£38.50
$89.95(CAD)
$73.00(USD)
NOMINATED in the 2008 DRAMMIES
*Most Under-rated whisky
Vote HERE (before Mar 6, 2009)
Glengoyne is an adorable distillery set at the foot of Dumgoyne Hill. It is also easy to visit as it is about 15 miles north of Glasgow and about half that distance from of Loch Lomond. I know they have spent a chunk of change to accommodate the visitors that cheap flights in and out of Glasgow have attracted by improving the visitors facility. The distillery used to be called Burnfoot of Dumgoyne and took its current name in 1905. Since 2003 it has been owned by Ian Macleod & Co.
Some quick things of note about Glengoyne that make it unique:
-It is officially the most southern Highland distillery as it straddles the
Highland/Lowland line; the distillery and water source are just north of the line, while the maturation warehouses are just south of the line.
-It is one of the few remaining distilleries that use Golden Promise barley(Macallan is another)
-It is completely unpeated
-It is the exciseman at Glengoyne, Mr Tedder(1889-93), who devised the standard for Scottish whisky that it
must be aged in casks for at least 3 years before it can be called “Scotch”
-It is haunted by the distillery manager of 1869-1899, Cochran Cartwright
TASTING NOTES:
Bittersweet and deeply pleasing to me. Chocolate, hard black raisins, Fruit and Nut bar. A little bit outdoorsy, hay and grass and fresh air. Malty yeasty distillery smell is present with some wine oakiness and a good fruity sweetness. Cant wait to taste it.
Oh baby… This is like diving into a cask for explanation of what oak aging does!!!
I get oak first that then explodes in two directions: (1)the flavours of raisins and chocolate, malt and yeast, wine and rum cake, and (2) vanilla yogurt creaminess and almost citric sweetness. It somehow remains light while having a great rich depth of flavour.
Soft sherry characteristics carry on for minutes. Long finish. This dram rocks my world. TGIF…
SUMMARY:
Rare is it that a nose gives and gives like this. So much pleasure and it doesn’t let up the longer and deeper you inhale. Rare is it that a nose matches the palate so closely... but it also takes it to the next level, as it should, giving us an expected oakiness of 17 years melding with these rich scents. They all swirl together in a damn tasty, sherry-heavy, but beautifully balanced whisky.
I seriously cannot fathom someone not liking this. Even crazy peat-freak Europeans or Grammy winning, tee-totaling Mary J Blige.
Look for it at duty free for a real steal(£27), but it is great value at any price.
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Bowmore Darkest 15yo
Single Malt
43% abv
£35
$65(USD)
The oldest distillery on Islay(Eye-la), located in the island's capital, still has its own functioning maltings floor. When we were last there Kristin had a chance to turn the barley and tossed it right in the distillery manager's face. "Sorry, Percy."
People always bitch about Bowmore, “too perfumy,” “too inconsistent,” “not well intergrated,” “has been shit since 19##”, etc. Don’t be swayed by the grumblings. No whisky is for everyone. That would ruin the fun.
TASTING NOTES:
Smells like sweet white wine but turns into sour grapes. Changes with each nosing, complex. A chocolate undertone. Something really assertive and sweet that I cant put my finger on… that smoky perfume everyone talks about with Bowmore? No, it is Fuzzy peach... or iced tea? Smoke is quite hidden but the Bowmore janitor’s closet character is present.
Tastes immediately peaty. Smoky, like sucking a spent pipe, with a sweet marmalade taste. Oh yeah, more sweetness. Fruity. Peachy. Some creamy features, jam and clotted cream. Estery and fruity. Pipe tobacco again, but fresh. Finishes with flashcards of flavours already noted but fizzles nicely, leaving faint and pleasant impressions of wet firewood and molasses.
SUMMARY:
A nice new Bowmore that captures the exotic fruit character of the old 15yo while also incorporating some of the sherried notes of the old no-age-statement Darkest. Doesn’t deliver on the promise of the nose, wont satisfy the sherry freaks, but certainly has the peaty kick that Islay freaks dig. I can see its appeal in having a little something for everyone.Malt Mission #1
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Dimple DeLuxe 15yo (Pinch)
Blended Scotch Whisky
43% abv
£30
$35 USD
[but we buy it for 229- NOK (1L) at Norway duty free]
Well, while we are on the blend section of the shelf, I thought I might as well try another big name for the 3rd bottle in this malt mission.
Haig Dimple (or Pinch,as it is known in the U.S.) is a very high-selling blend, but very difficult to find in the UK. I read that it is the 4th biggest selling deluxe blend in the world. It is well-known for having a high malt content, but even more famous is the dimpled bottle which was introduced in 1893 and became the first patented bottle design (1958). It was seen as a useful shape, once empty, for model ship builders, lamp makers, coin collectors, etc. A new neck closure in 1973 meant an end to the Dimple piggy bank, too small. The classic wire meshing introduced to prevent faulty closures from opening during shipping was also abandoned in the 1970s. In 1988 the net was restored. My mom loves the bottle and tells me she uses an empty one from a Toronto tasting last year as a water carafe at dinner.
TASTING NOTES:
Eek. Bad first impression. Smells of nothing, so one is forced to breathe deeper only to be given a swift uppercut of cheap vodka, or oil paints and turpentine. Let me find nicer descriptors… Sours, crabapples, hand sanitiser… but really not much at all. Some fudge, woodiness, but really very little of note besides sharpness and chemical burn. Not much depth or complexity at all.
In the mouth it feels good. Tastes good too. Goes down with a minor bite like super minty chewing gum. Nice initial richness, toffee apples and Werther’s. No great impact. There is a spiciness of flavour and tongue attack, but generally in an enjoyable way. Yeah, quite nice. A little herbal, green spices. Finish is pleasant with speyside chocolate and a lingering sugary breakfast cereal taste… mini-wheats? Quite long, actually.
SUMMARY:
Well, wow. If asked, both Kristin and I would always say positive things about Dimple, but based on today’s experience I must confess adding ice might be the wisest option. Almost very good. To be fair, probably not worth the money in the UK but I would still recommend it in markets where it is more widely available/cheaper.
Trying it about 10 minutes later it is definitely less edgy with spirit. Maybe let it mellow in a glass before drinking? There is something very likable about it but it certainly doesn’t come easy. Perhaps good things shouldn’t.
There are supposed to be some very good malts in here mixed with some special and rare grains, most notable to my tastes are Cambus(grain), Linkwood(malt) and Clynelish(malt). Whether or not this is still the case is open to investigation…
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Black Bottle
Blended Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£14
$30(USD)
NOMINATED in the 2008 DRAMMIES
*Bang for Buck
Vote HERE (before Mar 6, 2009)
What seems to me to be the natural next step in this Malt Mission is Black Bottle.
Black Bottle is a "real" Scottish whisky, a drink for Scots, both in myth and in fact. Nearly every pub in Scotland will have one on optics, and no man (or woman) holding up the bar across the country will balk when you utter its alliterative name. Until recently(meaning the last 10+ years) it was only readily available in the UK.
From the late 19th century until 1959 Black Bottle was almost exclusively a North-eastern Highland dram for the people. But while tasting Black Bottle when in Aberdeenshire was like getting a passport stamp, the stuff in the bottle allegedly tasted pretty awful. That is until the 1990’s when it was re-created to represent the best of Islay, being made up of 7 Islay distilleries (sorry, no Port Ellen, and some doubt there is any Ardbeg or Lagavulin in it anymore… but lets leave that for now) mixed with Glenrothes and whiskies from up to 3 grain distilleries.
TASTING NOTES:
The nose immediately takes you out of doors, or at least to the open window of a kitchen: yes there is something baking, but the fresh sea air dominates the bready background. The sea air has a real authentic stink with some peat appearing in dirty waves. Lovely and VERY inviting, although certainly not for everyone.
Soft and dissolving in the mouth, but the sweetness I remember from the last time I had it is much more subdued. The foreground is like sourdough with peated barley, ashtrays in the room but not in your face, and now lamb is in the oven. Something lingers that teases just enough to make you want to/need to grab the glass again… Please sir, can I have some more?
SUMMARY:
An absolute bargain that really satisfies that Islay urge, without dwindling your supplies of pricier (and increasingly so) south Islay malts (Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Laphroaig).
One complaint, if I have to have one, is the watery effect on the palate. Could they up the abv? Not chill filter? Something? Who knows…
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Johnnie Walker Black Label 12yo
Blended Scotch Whisky
43% abv
£18.99
$42.50(CAD)
$35(USD)
Loved by everyone from Winston Churchill to Leonard Cohen and happily nosed and tasted on New Years morn by yours truly, Johnnie Walker is a real legend of the whisky world. And thus serves as the perfect first dram in this malt mission...
The flurry of flavours enjoyed in every JWBlack can be attributed to the 40 whiskies(35 malt, 5 grain) that are blended to create this beauty. Formerly known as the Extra Special Old Highland Whisky, Johnnie Walker Black delivers every time I have it.
TASTING NOTES:
Sweet, apples and honey, soft brown pears, custardy cream smell, cakey, lively and fresh in the nose. malted barley and a good whisky smell. Not necessarily a peatiness, but a definite burnt or toasty character about it.
Has grainy assertiveness that keeps you on your toes through a development of flavour that lasts at least 20 seconds. Subtle and constantly changing in the mouth. Starts really sweet, but a nice sweet, like kissing rather than talking about kissing. Moves into oaky territory, winey and grapey with leafy breezes of herbal tastes. Slowly developing long finish of smoky clothes sweetened with a body spray of vanilla, apples and honey (pay attention Body Shop!)
Pleasantly sweet for introductions and then takes you on a pleasant ever-developing flavour ride. Long finish.
(When I added water a fishy salty sourness emerged, like real licorice with rotting carcass. NB- do not cut with water, it is at its best at full strength). But absolutely lovely on tons of ice.
SUMMARY:
It all starts with a great tradition. Innovation in blending passed down through generations. Clever opportunism. Marketing genius. Branding and re-branding. Skill to be able to constistenly blend a tasty whisky for over 150 years. Then finally put it in a sexy bottle to decorate our shelf and you have a world-class knock-out dram.
I can still taste the damn thing.
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Malt Mission #5Malt Mission #6
100% of this blog's readership (yes, all four of you) have complained that I do not post enough.
I know.
The reality is that I am lazy. Additionally, I have the luxury of getting whatever thoughts I have off my chest to my lovely girlfriend, whisky related employers, or whiskynerds at large, so before I bother to make the effort of typing stuff out the desire gets satiated. (Thanks you people!)
SO...
starting in January 2007, I will begin a tasting diary starting with the open bottles on our shelf here at our flat. Now, some of you may think that will be a short-lived exercise. Well, if you have been here (or know us at all), you should know better. By my math, by the month of January already has every day spoken for just from the open bottles on our shelf.
Every morning (when I put on socks) I will nose and taste a malt. I will take notes and then repeat the process at the end of the day before dinner. I will finalise the notes and post a review. Hopefully this will nurture a healthy relationship between me and the blogging life while also potentially nurturing a very unhealthy one between me and the water of life. So begins my Malt Mission.
So Happy New Year!!!
Searching for a particular malt? Try using the search box in the top left corner of this page OR the links under DR.WHISKY's MEDICINE CABINET to the left.
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MM100 Celebrations
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MM200 Celebrations
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Dr. Whisky Wins Drammie!!!
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Malt Mission #391
Malt Mission #392
The simple answer is YES, of course. The problem is, as we taste more and become priviledged enough to try some really dynamite drams from beyond our comfortable price bracket, we begin to develop a taste for the finer things. But are there good whiskies (excluding supermarket brands, etc.) that dont break the bank?
Five Cheap and Tasty Whiskies
that come to mind right now (ie. in no particular order and may change my mind tomorrow):
Jon, Mark, and Robbo - I say Smooth Sweeter One, Kristin says Rich Spicy One, Inder says Smokey Peaty One. The point is just get one. Sublte but dense. Multidimensional in each category. One of the best cork-pop sounds out there. Cheap, (£15-ish) and with the departure of Robbo, one cannot be sure that the stuff will be the same, or even around (!) in 2007.
Old Pultney 12 - on offer often and always worth the full price(£24-ish). Bourbony vanilla nose, creamy and inviting. Soft on the tongue, so whisky virgin safe. Sweet and Salty taste, like licorice, with a buttery toast taste throughout.
Balblair 16 - Taste it and try to guess the price. Seriously. It has coastal rubbery notes, slight salt, oily tones on the nose(chinese cooking?) and vibrantly viscous in the mouth, sweet dried fruits, raisins and spice. Seriously hefty on the bang-for-buck scale.
Compass Box Eleuthera- More expensive(£30), but totally worth it when you learn what is inside. Rich wood spices and buttery vanillas all in the key of smoke. Frickin gorgeous.
Black Bottle - At around £14, you cant do much better to satisfy the peat freak in you. But is does not cover you in smoke, in fact the balance between sweet ice creamy grain and salty, briny, smoked kippers tastes is its real accomplishment. The first time whisky drinker might shiver, but that only means more for you!
and a Cask Strength bonus
Glenfarclas 105- Around £30, but at cask strength worth every pound. Massive but balanced, lots of wood, chocolate, and all things that drive sherry freaks wild.
FOR MORE RECENT CHEAP WHISKY RECOMMENDATIONS SEE "Top Picks" HERE and HERE
ALSO SEE CHRISTMAS PICKS 2008 HERE
Jon, Mark and Robbo's
