Christmas Picks 2009

When neighbours' stoops, yards, and windows become aglow in white, red and green, when mangers appear in churches, local parks, and Catholic school playgrounds, when you can hear 15 versions of Silent Night in a single visit to Macy's, you know it's that time again.

Perhaps I will do 8 Drams of Hannukah next year but for now, welcome to the third installment of Dr. Whisky's Christmas Picks (2007, 2008).

In the past, this annual prescription had a consistent UK slant (as that was where I called home), focusing on supermarket discounts, UK specialist retailers, etc. This year my recommendations will still use my most trusted UK retailers but that UK bias will be slightly diminished as I live in the USA now and spend less time in Sainsbury and Tesco. This year I have been joined in this tradition of whiskevangelism by new arrivals in the whikyverse who can flush out my Christmas casebook:

Jeff at The Scotch Hobbyist recommends stuff HERE.
Matt and Karen at Whisky For Everyone do a great job of recommending by flavour HERE.
Lucas and Chris at Edinburgh Whisky blog provide an "ultimate" guide HERE.
John Hansell solicited recommendations from What Does John Know?'s cadre of prolific communicators HERE.
Or if you happen to be reading this from your gold encrusted, diamond studded iPhone from a Virgin Galactic flight, THESE Christmas whiskies might be more up your alley.

My Christmas whisky recommendations have always included best offers and sales, so I will try to do that again.

These guys ship nearly everywhere in the world:
The Whisky Exchange
Ardmore Traditional £20 (from £27)
Benromach 10 £24.50 (from £28.50)
Balvenie 12 DoubleWood £25 (from £29.50)
Dalmore 15 £39.50(from £44)
Glenfarclas 25 £82 (from £87)

Royal Mile Whiskies
Ardmore Traditional £20 (from £26)
Glenfiddich 12 Caoran £25 (from £30)
Glenrothes Select Reserve £27 (from £31)
Tamdhu 18 £35 (from £40)
Glenmorangie Signet £100 (from £110)

Binny's (Chicago but ship nationwide)
Balvenie 17 Madeira Cask $110 (from $130)
Glenfiddich 15 Distillery Edition $45 (from $50)
Glenmorangie Astar $75 (from $80)
Imperial 1994, Gordon & Macphail $64 (from $70)
Sheep Dip 1990 $70 (not money-off deals, but you want this stuff)

and if you can, try to grab Compass Box's Orangerie. It is beautifully packaged and will appeal to those who love OR loathe whisky. Think Drambuie without the sticky.

Whisky Gift Packs

Glenfiddich 15yo ($40/$45USD) - You really can't beat the value on this one. Comes with a 50ml of 18yo and a Glencairn glass (value $12 minimum)

Glenfarclas 15yo (£44) - comes with minis of 'Farclas 21 and 25! Win win!

BEST WHISKY CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Membership
Joining the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is worthwhile for any malt drinker and would make a wonderful gift that keeps on giving as newletters, bottling lists, and tasting event listings arrive by mail year round. In the UK, there are members rooms in Edinburgh [Leith Vaults (mentioned in a past Dr. Whisky post HERE) and Queen St.] and London (Greville St.) and they are absolutely stunning venues and great spots to entertain guests... or just yourself.

In the USA, the SMWSA is equally wonderful but operates slightly differently. You still reveive mail and have access to an exclusive list of soctiety bottlings, but it is much more a network of friends, bottles, and events that come to you! Twice a year, the SMWSA tours the country hitting larger cities with the best consumer whisky fairs in the country. They never oversell tickets so there is always room to move, good food to eat, and the Shayne family and friends do such a great job (and are such wonderful people), paying membership to be invited to their tasting events is worth every single penny

BOOKS

The Malt Whisky Yearbook 2010
The most recent edition of the annual must-have from Ingvar Ronde, a book full of enough basics to educate the new whisky enthusiast, enough info entertain the casual whisky drinker, and enough detail to satisfy the real whisky nerds among us. Adn once again, it is so up to date it is baffling. Perhaps in Sweden you can publish from the future? As usual, the book includes detailed bios on all operating (and many closed) distilleries, stats and commentary on the year that was, info on websites (including this one), and an absolutely brilliant section of articles with contributions from the usual suspects. Add to that increasingly in-depth coverage of new Scottish distilleries and single malt distilleries from all corners of this whisky-soaked earth.

This easy to transport and easy to read softcover is part magazine, part book, part distillery guide, part industry report and ALL amazing reading with brilliant new additions every year. In an time when we all believe the internet exists to answer our every inquiry, when a quick search on our phones can help us instantly settle arguments and win pub quizzes (cheaters!), one book renews our faith in the value of the printed page in the digital age. If I could carry Charlie Maclean around in my pocket then I probably would, but until then, The Malt Whisky Yearbook is the only crib a whisky enthusiast needs.

Whisky and Philosophy: A Small Batch of Spirited Ideas
Not for the casual whisky lover, this collection of essays engages those most deeply engaged with the water of life in all its forms. While that is not to say there might not be a little something for everyone, Whiskey for Everyone is about as geeky as a collection of essays about the epistemology of unicorns or the aesthetics of Klingon language, arts and culture. All that being said, this collection was right up my alley and almost every essay managed to be simultaneously fun, interesting, and academic without taking itself too seriously. In fact, the most obnoxiously earnest pieces in the whole collection were the historical or "what is whisk(e)y" sections rather than the articles entitled "The Phenomenology of Spirits: How Do Whiskeys win Prizes" or, "Women, Whiskey, and Libationary Liberation." As if sticking our noses in glasses with friends and discussing the intricacies of recipe, flavour and history of each dram wasn't nerdy enough, here is a book that takes our boozing habits to the most white collar ivory tower of levels. And what fun it is.

99 Drams of Whiskey: The Accidental Hedonist's Quest for the Perfect Shot and The History of the Drink
A very different read than the above, but by no means less entertaining. Written by a celebrated food columnist and blogger (Accidental Hedonist) Kate Hopkins, 99 Drams is a whirlwind trip through the varied world of whisk(e)y (Irish, Canadian, American, and Scottish). The narrative follows a literal trip to varied countries and distilleries and Hopkins somehow manages to fill every vignette with background facts that never bog down the flow or sacrifice her voice from being anything but one of the excited explorer. Perhaps a bit long-winded at times (just look at the title), 99 Drams does manage to keep your attention as an often laugh out loud travelogue love story between a truly relatable narrator and a spirit that intoxicates protagonist, companion, and reader.

Hope this has been of use.
If you have any whisky questions, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Whisky for a prescription.

And hey, have a safe happy merry.

Malt Mission 2009 #373

Benromach 10yo
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
43% abv
£29
$50

When I was in Scotland in July I was in touch with Ian Chapman at Benromach and after a short volley of emails he very kindly invited me to see their distillery. Upon arrival, I was greeted by Ian, David Urquhart and distillery manager Keith Cruickshank.

It is a very unassuming place, and my hosts suited it perfectly. With just two distillers and only 200,000 litres produced per year, Benromach is the smallest Speyside distillery. After a walk around the distillery and warehouses at a relaxed-pace the lads sat me down for a dram, a coffee, and to willingly subject themselves to my interrogations.

They then presented me with the TOP SECRET box that a few whisky writers and bloggers have mentioned and explained elsewhere online. They were launching their first Benromach 10 year old, that is, the first ten year old whisky made entirely of whisky produced under their ownership and were investing in marketing the spirit in a clever and fun way. The whisky was matured for 9 years in a mixture of ex-bourbon (80%) and ex-sherry (20%) and then spent an additional year in sherry butts.

Gordon & Macphail (the Urquhart family) bought Benromach in 1998, a distillery that had been mothballed in 1993. It was reported recently that G&M's profits were halved last year over the previous. Nonethless, the company has increased investment at Benromach and now it is our responisbility to go out and support them. So do it.

To find out which bottle you want to go buy, see all past Benromach posts HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Rich, weighty, and warming with peat. Wet, water-logged soil sweetened with toffee, vanilla, and honey.

Luscious body, wood, malt, grapes, tobacco, apricots, dried apples, smoke, butterscotch... A mouthful of flavours. Stewed carrots, oatmeal, figs, a tannic grip, pine, carob, asparagus... a very complex array of flavours beautifully balanced.

SUMMARY:

A complex mixture of the whisky flavour wheel: sweet, earthy ,oily, woody, with the estery notes you'd expect from Speyside and the phenolic ones you might not. The Urquharts will proudly remind you that you can find nothing like the Benromach distillery in Speyside and, if true, this dram provides the most appropriate representation of that fact. A truly peerless dram.

I have to say that as a 10 year old Speysider, I don't think this has any parallels and would destroy its category at international spirits awards events (if the judges can fight the urge to continually define Speysiders as sweet, light, and floral whiskies). They can be so much more, they have been so much more, and they ARE so much more.

One of the best new releases, hell, one of the best whiskies, I have had the pleasure of drinking this year. Other opinions HERE and HERE.

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Malt Mission 2009 #372

Bladnoch 8yo
Lowland Single Malt Whisky
46% abv
£36

A first! Dr. Whisky has not yet featured a dram from Bladnoch distillery. Well after 370 Malt Missions, it's about fricking time. And appropriate premiere for the distillery as this release is the oldest edition made wholly of spirit produced by the current owners.

Bladnoch had a rocky century since being founded in 1817 by Thomas and John McLelland. Production ceased in 1905, operated intermittently between 1911 and 1937, dismantled in 1941, reopened in the 1950s, came under the ownership of InverHouse distillers in teh 1970s, sold to Arthur Bell & Sons in 1983 and eventually Guiness and United Distillers (the artist eventually known as Diageo) and was mothballed in 1993.

In 1994, Irish developer Raymond Armstrong purchased the distillery buildings (initally as holiday homes for his brother and their wives). Realising the importance of the distillery to the local economy and heritage, Armstrong became determined to get Bladnoch up and running as a distillery again. By December 2000, spirit once again flowed from Scotland's southernmost stills.

Bladnoch is one of the few distilleries that sells casks outside of the industry, ie. to you and your buddies. They are currently filling in to fresh ex-bourbon barrels using their highly peated make (18-22ppm). Click HERE for more info.

On his Bladnoch 8yo post, HERE, Ralfy seems to suggest that the "intrinsic quality" of the spirit is affected by marketing budgets of large companies. Because of this, he says, he favours smaller independent distillers. While I probably agree with his conclusion, I don't follow this logic. Nonethless, I do enjoy following his reviews wherever his rationale rollercoaster takes me. But to suggest that the guys making the liquid at Bladnoch are easier to connect with ("they view you as CUSTOMERS rather than CONSUMERS" paraphrase) than the staff at Glenmorangie or Glenfiddich or Glendullan is a sweeping generalisation and doesn't take into consideration that Bladnoch was operating as a tourist site/museum for years before it went back into production in 2000. That being said, his statement is based in a romantic idealism that is seemingly getting chipped away at more and more every day. The whisky world needs more of Ralfy's rants, Richard Paterson's shameless enthusiasm, and generally more respect rather than the laptop pundits' platitudes about the how the whisky industry is failing us this time, that time, and next time. But I suppose like a new girlfriend, the more we learn about her the more we take her for granted.

Don't know where that came from but there it is. Let's taste!

TASTING NOTES:

Fresh, new makey punch. Lemons, grapefruit, balanced with honey, vanilla, and orchard fruits.

Citric bitterness at first, new make barley sweetness, honey, slight oakiness, pear and apples.

SUMMARY:

Simple, clean, youthful and a good representation of a lowland style.

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Malt Mission 2009 #371

Mackmyra Special : 03
"Small Casks, Big Flavour"
Swedish Single Malt Whisky
48.2% abv
£57

Hi. Haven't seen you since mid-November. How are you? Where are you? I am good, thanks. I am working in south Florida and I am determined to get a few posts our about new/recent releases up starting with this little stunner from Sweden.

Matured in small, specially-made 30-liter casks of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and new Swedish oak, the Mackmyra Special:03 promises to be, as the press literature assures me, "what you have been looking for."

Oh, you flirty Swedes...

Speaking of, Swedish whisky lovers have a real love affair with their native single malt with only 10% of Mackmyra's production being exported. But there are plans to increase that number to 50%... perhaps as the Swedish honeymoon period ends?

So yes, they are getting closer to being available in the USA, American readers. Lars tells me "the plan is to have bottles in Manhattan stores before March 2010." First we take Manhattan, then we take... Boston?

For more Mackmyra info and to see all Mackmyra had on the mission, click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Enticing mix of tar, vanilla, caramel and a fine fudge shop on the nose. Freshly baked bread, butterscotch, and juicy raisins. Increasingly complex with each nosing. Wood chips, pine, cinnamon, a chalky element, and a minty aroma in there as well. More, I am sure of it.

White grapes, sultanas, soy beans, and blueberries, all before a dollop of cream and jam. Full body with a luscious mouth feel and a nice bitter grip. Icing sugar, pear, and a driving oak that is simultaneously sweet and spicy. Balanced sweetness and great development sip after sip.

SUMMARY:

Great texture, very pleasant array of balanced flavours, all entirely quaffable even at 48.2% abv. There is certainly a gristy new make element to it, but that by no means works to this whisky's detriment. As much as the whisky geeks of the world stick to the attitude of "oh, the earlier editions were the best," I think I can say with confidence that this is my favourite Mackmyra yet. Truly individual, never jeopardizing the values of traditional whisky making but successfully displaying innovation and a realised vision of a new frontier for single malt whiskies. Excellent stuff.

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Malt Mission 2009 #370

Honest McGee
"Medicial Elixir"
bot. Oct 31, 2009
Blended American Whiskey
abv% uknown
$¢£ priceless

It's about time that I wrapped up this pentad of American whiskies and what better way to do it than with something terribly unique and wholly unusual. I was intending to feature Parker's latest Heritage release but when Greenback Dollar and Associates handed me this wee bottle of goodness at WhiskyFEST NYC earlier this week I knew that it had to be tasted and shared post haste.

With an attractive matte label of vibrant although muted colours, Honest McGee comes complete with multiple text fonts and sizes, but what the text actually says is what is most intriguing:

"twas when he was serving on the western front of the great war that ol' trenchfoot mcgee first created his corn-based medicinal elixir to soothe the nerves of the allied troops. decades later, his great grandson greenie inherited the recipe and set about honoring his ancestor by bottling the elixir and selling it to rubes at a fair price. hand crafted from a blend of elmer t. lee bourbon, ancient ancient age bourbon, and rittenhouse rye (greenie chose to leave out the trench water), then finished in a cask that once contained alvear carlos VII amontillado, honest mcgee's blended american whiskey is as smooth as a southern gentleman, and as sassy as a southern belle."

Sounds delicious. More HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Grape juice and rich, sweet vanilla notes. Sweet and light with a weighty, oaky backbone. Creme brulee, a touch of sage, and more sweet grape notes like gum or juice powder.

Surprisingly mellow considering it is very likely 45% abv or more, with distinctly toasty characteristics. Raisins, vanillin, and oak strike in a quick, staccato chord of flavour that hints at stawberries, almonds and chocolate but alludes to much more than it actually becomes.

SUMMARY:
Not one to mull over for hours but, man, could I ever make this bottle empty quickly! What it lacks in development it more than makes up for in its drinkability:richness ratio. An interesting drop that takes the flavours of Kentucky into new, grape-soaked dimensions. What could very well have been a dry drop (Ancient Age 10yo + Rittenhouse Rye?) actually becomes a great bourbony bed upon which to let Elmer T Lee show all its sweet fruitiness. Add to that the fact that Greenie takes it all to the next juicy level with the amontillado finish and you have a medicinal elixir worth fighting for. More please?

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Malt Mission 2009 #369

Michter's 10yo, GH-1
Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey
47.2% abv
$75 (USD)

"Michter's: the Whiskey that warmed the Revolution."

In 1753, Swiss Menonite farmer John Shenk joined the American tradition of whiskey making and built a farm distillery in Schaefferstown, PA for "local use". Within four generations the family distillery became a commercial venture (apparently on the back of supplying Washington's troops with liquid courage) and was sold.

After prohibition closed the distillery, a confusing web of tales seems to exist that this author tries to untangle, but the story seems to end the same: "sometime around 1991 everyone just up and left." Today, what was the Michter's distillery is a crumbling, weed-overrun site that scarecely looks like it ever produced anything.

The name "Michter's", however, was sold to Chatham Imports who proceeded to revive the brand with great success.

And goddamn it if this isn't just another example of how hard it is to wrap one's head around the world of American whiskey. Can't wait to finish my American "weeks" here on the mission; I don't have time for invesitgative journalism!

There still seems to be plenty of mystery surrounding the Michter's name and history that scholars far more informed on the topic than Dr. Whisky cannot seem to answer. For more info, check out Cowdery's book, click HERE or HERE, or just have a googlygander yourselves. Geneology in the world of American whiskey can be hard to navigate, but is made somewhat easier by this great online resource from Sku, Complete List of American Distilleries and Brands, which tells us who bottles this liquid (KBD), but gives no info on who produces the sauce. Heaven Hill? Other? Anyone have an idea?

Finally, this past weekend we saw the Michter's range on optic at the Roebling Tea Room in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Not something you see very often in this country so I thought it was interesting and that I would share it with you here.

Now, finally, let's taste.

TASTING NOTES:

Whoa. Vegetal, meaty, oraganic and gingery. Some floral notes but the meatiness persists with lamb and peanut butter, ginger again, green peas and/or soy beans. Brown sugar, clay, muddy autumn leaves, and plasticine.

Kale, vinegar and ice cream truck butterscotch. Strachy, bean-y. Perfumy vanilla. Oaky and spicy on the way out.

SUMMARY:

Firm, fun flavours, unusual ones, too, but jaw-splittingly unbalanced. It would be hard to get me to fill another glass, YES even if I added some Bernheim Wheat, rye, vinegar or applesauce. What is the point in trying to make this more appealing to me? Life is too short to drink whisky I don't enjoy and lord knows there is no shortage of fine drops to drink instead.

Now, I have examined other reviews of this and spoken with several friends about their reactions to the whiskey and although it is quite clear that David and I had a very different reaction to this whiskey than the majority of others, I stand by my (our?) opinion and only slightly reluctantly press "publish", esp in light of all the recent Dr bashing.

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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?

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Malt Mission 2009 #367

Bernheim Original
Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey
45% abv
£50
$45(USD)

Keeping the American theme going with a few more drops from whiskEy country up my labcoat sleeve. Sorry if it takes me weeks to pull 'em out.

Typical of American whiskey, the Bernheim story is shrouded in mystery, some confusion, and even a little intentional deceit. The Bernheim website reads, "Brothers Isaac Wolfe and Bernard Bernheim, pioneering German immigrants with little money and big dreams, established a distillery in Louisville, Kentucky in the 19th century. Since that time, the Bernheim distillery has consistently produced whiskeys lauded for their superior taste and quality." The Heaven Hill website reads, "Heaven Hill produces its whiskies at the historic Bernheim Distillery."

Historic? consistently making spirit? The old Bernheim distillery was demolished and the new one was built in 1992. The whisky is distilled at (the new) Bernheim distillery and is matured at Heaven Hill's facilities in Bardstown, Kentucky. The amazing Sku, who helped me clarify some details about this whiskey (and many others over the years), also points out that this is straight wheat whiskey (>51% wheat), not to "be confused with what in Bourbon lingo is referred to as a "wheater." A wheater is a Bourbon in which the remaining grains, beyond the required corn, contain wheat instead of rye. In a wheater, corn is still the base grain. In wheat whiskey, which is not Bourbon, wheat is the base grain.

Thank you, my west coast malt loving brother!

Tasted with an east coast malt loving brother, David Stewart (no, not that one. Or that one).

TASTING NOTES:

Perfumy, aromatic, like hot tea. Vanilla, chamomile, and fresh mint. Simple and clean with a gentle spice beneath the sweet surface.

Very soft in the mouth, verging on bland. Not much of note happening here. Hmm... Late notes of bread, baguette and then... fin

SUMMARY:

In tasting this with DS, we were both speechless for no other reason than there was next to nothing to say about the flavours in this drop. Light? Clean? Yes, but also boring and inconsequential. Although unique in the world of American whiskey, I think Greenore provides a parallel but this drop doesn't come close to the complexities of oak influence in texture and flavour found in its Irish comparison.

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The Man Who Walked Around the World

Just before setting off to Scotland, friend and colleague Andrew Weir sent me a link to the new Johnnie Walker short film/ad "The Man Who Walked Around the World."

When I first viewed it, there had been 3000 views. There have now been 130,000, I believe the viral will continue to spread, and I feel no shame in sharing the contagion. Oh wait a sec, this one has subtitles. Ha. The one Andy sent me did not. Anyways... Will use this one for those of you who don't speak English, or those who do but cannae speak Scottish.

The video came up over conversation in the Highlander Inn, with a group of visitors to Glenfiddich Distillery, with members of The Edinburgh University Water of Life Society, and over several drops of Grant's 12yo with Robert Hill and David Stewart in the heart of Speyside. We all had different opinions and thoughts. Naturally. And thank god.

What are yours?

On Scottish Soil

In Scotland again and it feels great.

Landed to beautiful weather, good friends, and a killer curry at Kebab Mahal

Walked into an OddBins and a Tesco to take note of the increases of whisky prices across the board since leaving the UK a year and a half ago. Everything is about six pounds more than when I was last living here.

The pubs are still where I left them.

Tomorrow I hope to pop in on the lads at Royal Mile Whiskies in the AM before heading up to Dufftown to spend some quality time at Glenfiddich and Balvenie distilleries and hopefully include a visit with the good folks at Duncan Taylor. I am sure I will get up to some more nonsense before heading back to my home, kjaerste, and bed in Brooklyn on Friday. Unlikely it will include another Malt Mission, but I do plan to down a few while over here.

Have a great week, wherever you are.