Tag Archives: Single Malt

Private Tasting

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Black Bull 30A local fellow whiskey enthusiast invited me to his home for a tasting and I enthusiastically accepted. This was a small gathering, including a local pub owner, liquor expert, another enthusiast, the host and me. I was honored to even be included and the lineup was incredible.

We started off by sampling a couple of beers:

  • Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout – nice coffee stout with notes of dark chocolate.
  • Prairie/Evil Twin Bible Belt – this is Evil Twin’s Even More Jesus imperial stout that is spiced like Prairie Artisan Ale’s Bomb! with coffee, vanilla, cacao nibs and chile… this is far less peppery and less complex than Bomb!, but it’s still good with a nice thick, dry dark chocolate flavor along with bitter coffee… the other infused flavors don’t really make much of a showing.

Up next was my first Armagnac and probably my first good brandy:

  • Chateau du St. Aubin Bas-Armagnac – dry, fruity, dark fruits, light wood, sherry finish, beautiful nose, refreshing (per our expert and I agree)… Excellent!

Finally, it was time to sample some whisk(e)y:

  • Mackmyra Special 06 Summer Meadow 2011 – wintergreen, ginger, white pepper, sea salt, white grape, green apple… very nice… may have to look for a bottle next time I’m in Stockholm
  • Glengassaugh The Spirit Drink That Dare Not Speak its Name – this is new make spirit (i.e. unaged) and it was pretty bad stuff… notes of barnyard on the nose and palate… on a positive note, it did give me an idea of what the wood was working on for all that time
  • Bruichladdich The Organic – earthy and sweet with a pure, natural malt profile… notes of dough, spice, ginger, pepper, lemon with a mildly leathery finish… different and very interesting… Excellent!
  • Old Potrero Single Malt Straight Rye – dough, swamp oak (per our host and I agree… thanks for naming that flavor for me), mild spice, honey and sweet tobacco… a different kind of rye… supposed to be old school
  • Glenmorangie 12 Year Sherry Wood Finish 2005 – grape, nice spice and sweetness, long finish, dark fruit, full malt, mild dry cocoa… Excellent… best Glenmorangie I’ve ever tasted!
  • Black Bull 12 Year – bitter caramel, cigar box, white pepper… bold and flavorful… at $45, this is a great buy!
  • Black Bull 40 Year (3rd Release, 41.6% ABV) – grain, more refined, balance of fruit, leather, mild ginger, bitter orange, very mild… I was expecting a lot more… disappointed
  • Black Bull 30 Year – lots of sherry influence, fruity, mild spice, dark fruit, apple, pear, cherry… Best blend I’ve ever had by far!
  • Longmorn 17 Year 1996 (The Ultimate, 57.2% ABV) – spicy, needs water, bold and untamed , fruity, mildly bitter, malty, strong sherry influence, very dark… not too good
  • Aultmore 12 Year 1991 (SMWS 73.12, 58.4% ABV) – spicy, fruity, spreads across the palate, fairly hot, tobacco, dark fruit, mildly sulfurous
  • Glen Grant 17 Year 1988 (SMWS 9.35, 53.9% ABV) – hot, slightly medicinal, fruity, herbal, probably second fill (per our pub owner), a little water opens it up
  • Ardmore 20 Year 1985 (SMWS 66.17, 53.4% ABV) – mildly peated, fruity, sweet, earthy, ashes
  • Glen Scotia 13 Year 1991 (SMWS 93.13, 63.7% ABV) – light fruit, spice, woody, light peat, mildly medicinal, leathery, machine oil (again, thanks to our host for this one)
  • Springbank 12 Year Recharged Sherry Cask 1999 (Springbank Society, 57.9% ABV) – mildly medicinal, fruity, mildly spicy, everything is here and with nice balance, mild peat… Excellent!
  • Brora 30 Year (6th Edition, 55.7% ABV)- bold fruit and spice, amazing balance and complexity, mild peat… Outstanding!
  • Glenlochy 32 Year Refill Butt 1980 (Signatory Cask Strength Collection, Cask #1759, 60.1% ABV) – pure malt, honey, lots of fruit with moderate spice, leathery finish, water really opens it up, fairly ho
  • Port Ellen 25 Year 1982 (Chieftain’s Choice, Cask #1522, 43% ABV) – mildly peated, lots of balance without any boldness, spice, fruit , mild leather… Excellent!
  • Glenfiddich 125th Anniversary Edition – mildly peated, mild spice and fruit, honey… different kind of Glenfiddich and pretty good
  • Laphroaig 9 Year Refill Sherry Butt 2001 (SMWS 29.88, 60.9% ABV) – bold peat, bold spice and fruit, in your face flavor, medicinal with balance… Excellent!

Wow!  What a great lineup of whisky!  The Brora 30 Year was definitely the standout for me and the best single malt I’ve tasted.  Honorable mention goes to Black Bull 30 Year from Duncan Taylor.  It’s too bad that many of these are unavailable, but some of the excellent ones still are, such as Black Bull 12, Bruichladdich The Organic and Chateau du St. Aubin Bas-Armagnac.  These are all worth seeking out!

Balcones V Anniversary Single Malt Event

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Balcones_Fifth_Anniversary_1190342I traveled to Waco, TX today with two friends and fellow Balcones fans to tour the facility and pick up a bottle of Balcones Fifth Anniversary Single Malt. There were two versions available and I sampled both of them:

  • Balcones Fifth Anniversary Single Malt Rumble Cask Reserve Finish – Finished in an ex-Rumble Cask Reserve barrel, this malt added another dimension to their already flavorful single malt. The bright fruit flavors of Rumble were a nice addition to the single malt.
  • Balcones Fifth Anniversary Single Malt Brimstone Resurrection Finish – This is actually a triple wood style release as it was first finished in an ex-Rumble Cask Reserve barrel, then again in the (only one exists) ex-Brimstone Resurrection barrel. There was a slight hint of smoke and the distinct blue corn characteristic coming through as a slightly caramel flavor.

I also sampled Rumble, Baby Blue, Single Malt and Brimstone. While all of them were good, the Rumble was better than any previous batch I’ve tasted… in fact, it was really good. Baby Blue fell a bit flat today, lacking the nice sweetness that it typically has, but still it was good.  Brimstone was like a sweet smokey Texas barbecue, just like I remember. The Single Malt deserves a bit more description, since it forms the basis for the special releases today.

I sampled my own 13-5 batch of Single Malt last night, but the 14-2 batch was quite an improvement with more balance to the woody tannins characteristic of Balcones whiskey. There was more fruit flavor and less heat in this batch (tasted with no water as opposed to the 10 drops necessary to open up the 13-3). Trusting the expertise of Chip Tate, I walked away with a 14-3 batch today. As far as the V Anniversary Single Malt, I bought the Resurrection Finish (designated SMK for sweet smoke on the bottle).

As an added bonus, I picked up a bottle of Balcones Fifth Anniversary Brimstone Resurrection on the way home that was on hold for me at a local retailer in Dallas. Now I’ll have the original Resurrection to sample next to the Single Malt finished in the same barrel.  Brimstone Resurrection is the real winner of the day for me as I’ve wanted a bottle ever since tasting it at the Balcones Event at Trinity Hall last year. All in all, this was a fantastically successful day with respect to whiskey.

Tom’s Scotch Party

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Tom Caughran hosted a Scotch whisky tasting at Total Wine & More in Dallas tonight.  For me, it was their best tasting to date with a nice mix of independent bottlings and a French single malt.  Here’s what he served with some brief notes:

  • Arran 16 Year Old Oak Cask 1997 (Exclusive Casks) – $90

This one was a cask strength bottling (51.2%) with notes of bright fruit, honey, ginger and a woody, bitter finish.  A bit of water exposed some nuttiness.  I’d say it was decent, but I’d pass on this one.

  • Glen Garioch 23 Year Old 1989 (Exclusive Casks) – $130

Another cask strength bottling (54.1%), this one was also fruity with a bit of spice and the fruits carried over into the finish, being joined by a mild nutty flavor.  Water really opened the fruit flavors up and revealed a slight creaminess.  This is a solid whisky, but not worth the asking price.

  • Bruichladdich 20 Year Old 1992 Cask #3793 (Berry’s) – $130

The first peaked whisky of the evening with notes of dried fruit, clover, ginger and herbs.  The finish was herbal and leathery with a touch of cocoa.  The nose was mellow with touches of fruit and grass.  Unfortunately, this was another solid whisky that was overpriced… another pass.

  • Longmorn 20 Year Old 1992 Cask #71735 (Berry’s) – $100

This was only my third Longmorn (the first one was a younger expression, also from Berry Bros and Rudd and the second one was another 20 Year Old from Master of Malt… both disappointing) and it was the first eye opener of the evening.  This one smelled and tasted a bit like bourbon with notes of caramel and vanilla on the nose, then adding dark fruit, lemon and honey flavors.  The caramel carried through to the finish, which became slightly leathery and peppery, mostly of white pepper.  While this one was well done, I’m not a fan of white pepper and that was enough to put me off of this one and on to the next one.

  • Linkwood 15 Year Old 1997 Cask #7182 (Berry’s) – $70

Another nose that reminded me of bourbon, but with a light delicate characteristic.  The taste was also light and fruity with a bit of pecan.  The finish was long and light, eventually adding some spice while the nuttiness lingered.  There’s nothing bitter about this one and the operative word for me was, “delicate.”  I thought this one was fantastic!

  • Imperial 17 Year Old (Battlehill) – $100

The sherry influence was immediately noticeable on the nose.  Flavors of plum, hazelnut and anise were joined by dark berries and sage on the finish, which lasted quite nicely.  This is a big whisky with lots of flavors lining up to be noticed.  None of them overpower the others, which keeps me interested and searching for more.  This is one I’d like to spend some additional time with.  In fact, this one was so good that I was still reflecting on it when the next sample arrived and had a hard time shifting my attention away from it.

  • Strathmill 22 Year Old (Battlehill) – $120

While this was a good whisky, it had the unfortunate distinction of following the fantastic Imperial.  It was hard not to keep reflecting on what had just happened, but I finally managed to focus and give it a fair shot.  I’m glad I did as it was another solid offering.  This was the second, more mildly peated whisky of the evening with a mildly fruity nose and a nutty, slightly medicinal flavor profile.  Also present were notes of marshmallow and nuts as a light and spicy finish was unveiled.  This was my first Strathmill and it was very good.

  • Michel Couvreur Pale Single Malt – $100

I had learned about the two offerings from Michel Couvreur recently and was interested in learning more.  I was pleasantly surprised to see their more expensive offering on the slate tonight.  This was a very unique whisky that reminded me of Earl Grey tea, with it’s notes of lavender, heather, bergamot along with light fruit and ginger.  The lavender was present from nose to finish, providing a consistent context for the other aromas and flavors.  I don’t know if I would want to drink this often, but it might be a nice whisky to have once in a blue moon.  If you like Earl Grey, then you should definitely try this one; conversely, if you don’t like Earl Grey, then I would stay away from it.

The clear winner of the night was the Imperial, which I took home with me.  A complex, bold amalgamation of fruits, nuts and spices, it grabbed my attention immediately and held it throughout the (unfortunate) next pour, which it overshadowed by a mile.

Runner-up was the Linkwood with it’s delicate profile.  I was amazed at how complex it was while remaining delicate and very approachable.  This would be a great summertime whisky for a clear, calm night under the stars with the one I love… except she won’t touch the stuff. 😮

Honorable Mention goes to Michel Couvreur’s Pale Single Malt, which was true to it’s tasting notes of lavender and heather.  The unique flavor profile intrigued me; however, at $30 less I’ll probably have to pick up their Overaged Single Malt.  It’s a blend of sherry casks up to 27 years old and I hear that it’s the better of the two.

Blind Whiskey Tasting

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tastingTonight, I attended a different kind of tasting at Trinity Hall Irish Pub in Dallas.  This one included 4 pairs of similarly styled whiskey, which had to be identified as either the named flagship offering or a specific premium offering.  Here was the lineup:

  • Bulleit Bourbon ($20) or Bulleit 10 Year Bourbon ($35) – The 10 Year is a new offering from Bulleit that was introduced in 2013 and I haven’t read any favorable reviews or received any favorable recommendations on it.  I had tasted their regular Bourbon almost 2 years ago and wasn’t impressed.  I approached the judging by expecting the flavor of the 10 year to reflect it’s age, but I was duped. The 10 Year is worse than the original and a definite waste of money.
  • Crown Royal ($18) or Crown Royal XO ($45) – I’ve not had many Canadian whiskeys, so this was new for me.  The cognac influence of the XO was subdued (as was the general flavor of both whiskies), but discernable. I didn’t find either one very interesting, so I would pass on both of these.
  • Bushmills Black Bush ($30) of Bushmills 1608 400th Anniversary ($100) – This was the most difficult to identify because both of these blends have sherry influence.  Black Bush is finished in sherry casks, while 1608 includes whiskies which have been aged in sherry casks.  For me, the 1608 had an added depth of flavor and richness that caught my attention more.  Both of these were good, but I prefer Jameson 12 Year ($39) or Jameson Gold Reserve ($63) over either of them.
  • MacAllan 10 Year Fine Oak ($38) or MacAllan 17 Year Fine Oak ($150)  – This was probably the easiest to identify even though both of these are good.  I had tasted both of them at a previous Trinity Hall event and this helped as well.  The 17 Year just had enhanced flavors and complexity over the 10 Year, but it’s still not worth the price difference.

If you’re keeping track, then you know that I correctly identified 3 out of 4.  I don’t know of anyone at the event who correctly identified them all (like I said, Bulleit duped everyone with their 10 Year Bourbon by making it worse than their original).  This was a good test of whether premium offerings really offer anything special and it was a fun event to attend.  In general, premium offerings need to be approached carefully.  There are those who will offer inferior products with a premium label (e.g. Bulleit), while others will price their premium offering far too high to make them worthwhile (e.g. MacAllan).  Still others, take mediocre products and enhance them to create mediocre premium products (e.g. Crown Royal).  What you’re looking for is the honest producer who will masterfully or cleverly work to create a superior product that is worthwhile.  The closest example of that tonight was Bushmills 1608… even though it’s not a whiskey that I would seek, the premium blend definitely demonstrated a richness, depth and complexity that I expect in a premium offering.

Glenlivet Tasting

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Glenlivet XXVTonight I attended a tasting event hosted by the great people at Spec’s in Dallas. Pernod Ricard’s Master if Scotch, Craig Vaught, sampled three whiskies from the Glenlivet line:

  • Glenlivet 18 Year – $85
  • Glenlivet Archive 21 Year – $130
  • Glenlivet 25 Year – $400

All of these Speyside whiskies were decent, but none of them were great. The 18 Year was fruity, woody and spicy, but none of it well integrated. The 21 year brought more balance to the flavor profile and improved with a few drops of water. Of particular note is that it pairs well with chocolate. The 25 year had the most pronounced influence of sherry and was quite enjoyable, but it was a toss-up with the 21 (for $80 less). Glenlivet is the top selling brand of Scotch whisky here and its easy to see why: easy name to pronounce and remember, good but not too challenging flavor, age-based progression that’s easy to understand, great history and broad availability. For me, the one Glenlivet that I’m looking forward to trying is their 16 Year Old Nadurra, which is non-chill filtered and bottled at cask strength.

Ranger Creek Rimfire

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Single Malt,
No Age Statement,
46% ABV, $35 (375 ml)

For #8, we’ll add a bit of smoke from Ranger Creek. It’s a single malt whiskey distilled from their Mesquite Smoked Porter and is the 2012 release from their Small Caliber Series.  The porter is smoked over Texas Mesquite before being distilled and aged.  This is the first whiskey of theirs that I’ve tried… here goes nothing.

The color is a golden color, but lighter than the earlier Buffalo Trace. The nose is mildly smoky with a hint of sulphur. It’s also spicy, stemming mostly from ginger and black pepper, but there’s little else going on here. It’s hard to detect the other aromas because they’re so distant: menthol, honey and caramel. This is perhaps the weakest nose on a whiskey that I’ve encountered.

The taste is equally diminished up front, but builds a bit on the way to a finish of dark chocolate (very distinct) and mild smoke (more like flint). Up front there’s vanilla, honey, black pepper and caramel, but the chocolate becomes more and more prominent and the black pepper compliments it well. This is the most chocolatey whisk I’ve ever tasted. Eventually, the finish settles into a spicy, tart and bitter dark chocolate flavor. The flavors that started things off become more and more muted as the pepper in the finish grows and are joined by a mild spearmint. After spending a while trying to figure this whiskey out, I settle into a tart, spicy vanilla entry… a spicy chocolate interlude… and finally a mildly spicy bitter chocolate finish.

This is an odd whisky and the name, Rimfire, hardly fits it. Cocoa Powder might be more appropriate. With an uninteresting nose and a mostly chocolate flavor, this whisky is pretty boring. If you love dry dark rustic chocolate, then I can recommend this; otherwise I would pass. There’s not enough going on here.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan

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Islay Single Malt, No Age Statement,
57.1% ABV, $75

Next up is an Islay single malt from Ardbeg to finish the night.

A nice golden color and a bit of oiliness coats the sides of the glass. One whiff and I’m certain that this Islay and maybe more like Laphroaig than the Ardbeg Ten that I’m used to. Smoke, peat and a hint of iodine rise from the glass. Notes of honey, ginger, apple, straw, lemon and sea salt rise through the smoky vapors. Leaving it I disturbed for a bit allows me to gently inhale smells of grass and tobacco.

The flavors are delayed slightly and then mildly explode into honey, grapefruit, apple, orange, cherry, ginger, cocoa and white pepper and it’s all bathed in mild peat and smoke. The finish is more peat with a mildly leathery wood and mild spice as the salt and sweetness fades. It never reaches a dry mouthfeel, but the mild bitterness is evident. The fruity flavors in the midst of the smoke are lots of fun while the spices keep you attentive. I was expecting more of the oily iodine or sulphur characteristic of Laphroaig, but I don’t detect any… maybe just a hint after drinking several sips and only after the fruits and spices completely fade. No, this is a more refined yet bolder Ardbeg… much less sweetness than Ardbeg Ten with more tangy fruit.

This is a serious whisky that you can’t just casually enjoy. It forces you to engage it with some focus and the attention is well worth it. I wasn’t expecting to like this as much as I do. It’s much better than Ardbeg Ten and probably my favorite Islay to date.

Signatory Fettercairn 15 Year Old 1996 (Vintage Collection)

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Highland Single Malt, 15 Years,46% ABV, $50

Highland Single Malt, 15 Years,
46% ABV, $50

This is #5, so I’m still 6 days behind schedule after this one. I’ll have to go for 2 tonight. First up is a Signatory bottling from a now defunct highland distillery.

Firstly, I’ll note the pale coloring. Although it pours a pale yellow-gold, the nose is moderately bold. There’s lots of honey and straw with notes of ginger, overripe pear, mild tobacco and sea salt.

The taste is fruity and delicate at first, giving way to a gradual build of mildly peppery spice and an equally mild woodiness. The fruits linger all the way through to the finish and fade slowly. Initially, there’s lemon drop, orange, pear, vanilla and apple, then a gradually increasing amount of ginger that is joined by black and white pepper. The peppers are mild, while the ginger is more prominent. The mild sweetness up front is contrasted with a dry, woody and mildly bitter finish. The lingering and soft fruitiness provides good balance as the wood fades. After a while, I notice a bit of brine that is quite complementary along with a really smooth honey flavor… not like raw honey, but more like a creamed honey that goes well with the candy, fruit and spice

This is a very nice whisky and one I might have to pick up (thanks for the sample, Mark E.). Some refer to this as a nice Summer whisky and I get that. I’ll add that it’s quite nice on this cold winter night as well.

Bruichladdich The Laddie Ten

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Islay Single Malt, 10 Years, 46% ABV, $50

With this tasting, I’ve caught up with my advent schedule. This is the entry-level unpeated offering from Bruichladdich and one that I’ve heard a lot of good stuff about.

The Laddie Ten pours golden yellow. Although unpeated, it’s got a definite briny smoke on the nose along with the sweetness of vanilla and honey. It’s a pleasure to sniff the lightly smoky sweet aroma and pick out the fresh cut grass, spicy ginger and pepper, fruity plum and pear with a nice balance between all of them. You still get an image of a grassy island surrounded by seawater.

Moving on to the taste, it’s distinctly Islay with less brine than the nose would suggest, but the sweetness remains: apple, vanilla, honey and sweet lemon. There’s also the mild woody smoke as well as white pepper that carry through to the finish, which is long and mostly dry, woody and leathery after the last of the tart fruits fade.

This is a mild Islay and not at all like the oily experience of a Laphroaig, Ardbeg or Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte offerings. It makes for a good introduction to the style because it has plenty of characteristic Islay attributes without the intensity that Islay lovers adore. Give it a try!

Balvenie 12 Year Old Doublewood

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Speyside Single Malt, 12 Years, 40% ABV, $40

The second whisky is Balvenie’s 12 Year Old Doublewood (there’s also a 17 Year Old now). I’ve had a taste of this before, but I can really spend some time with it this time. Over the aging span this whisky is first put in ex-bourbon casks, then transferred to first-fill Oloroso sherry casks for the remainder of the time (they don’t indicate how long in each).

The color is golden and it’s got a sweet grassy smell with notes of pear, apple, bitter orange, straw, burnt sugar, ginger, green pepper and a hint of smoke. I’m enjoying inhaling this one.

The first sip confirms the fruits and ginger while adding a good bit of peppery spice at the end. There’s also a woody finish with a hint of white pepper. As I continue to sip, flavors of vanilla, honey, orange, plum, pear, apple and ginger develop. The finish becomes a bit sweeter with notes of burnt sugar, but is still mostly bitter wood and mildly hot. The sherry influence becomes more evident after a while but continues to be balanced by a dry tannins and spices. It improves mildly with each sip and keeps me interested and hunting for other flavors. Just a drop or two of water opens up the flavors, but I wouldn’t add more than that. It’s just fine straight and loses just a bit of spicy bite with the water.

This is a very good whisky that I would enjoy again for sure. I think its a good value too at $40. Oh, and thanks to Gene for the sample.