Macallan 7, released in 2004, 40% – OB for Giovinetti & Figli Import

Posted on 10 March 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

A 7 year old Macallan I tried some years ago in Ghent, when my wife took me there as my birthday present. When in Ghent, as a whisky lover, you have to visit Bob Minnekeer’s Glengarry pub and since I was rather overwhelmed with their selection I asked the staff for some recommendations.

Not sure why, but we were on a budget then so we didn’t get to try the Black Bowmore (1cl for € 50) or any whisky of that level. I did take it up to taste the old 30 year old Ardbeg, which was awesome. Also, this little baby.

Giovinetti & Figli is an importer in Italy that is apparently a bit name in whisky over there. I’ve seen their name popping up on several official bottlings, so they tend to do some cask selection as well. Good for them, and if this whisky becomes available to us, good for us too.

I picked up my bottle in Sint Oedenrode, at The Old Pipe. Huge was my surprise to find it after just tasting it in Ghent. Bigger was my surprise to find the bottle only costed € 35 back then. Of course, those times have gone and you have to get out € 100 extra now.

Macallan 7yo. Image from Passie voor Whisky

Macallan 7yo. Image from Passie voor Whisky

Sniff:
Lots of raisins from the rather active sherry cask. Some malt, oak and a hint of dried plums. Sweet, but also a little bit spirity (it’s only 7 years old, after all). It does get a bit more spicy after half an hour or so. Cinnamon, and fruit.

Sip:
Here, it’s more spirity than on the nose. Juniper berries and slightly genever-like. Malt, copper, peach, raisins and barley. The spirity flavour is a good one in this case.

Swallow:
The finish is spicy at first, with the spirit shining through again. Also a tad dry. It does become sweeter with raisins and peach again.

Of course, this being a really young one, isn’t the best whisky you’ll ever have had. On the other hand, for a 7 year old it’s a really tasty dram. I’m glad I ran in to it when I did!

Macallan 7, released in 2004, 40%, OB for Giovinetti & Figli Import, € 130 at Passie voor Whisky

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Lagavulin Lg1, 56.8% – Elements of Islay

Posted on 7 March 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

It’s been ages since I tasted a new one from the guys at The Whisky Exchange / Speciality Drinks Ltd. / Elements of Islay. The bottles have become available at other shops in the meantime, but I just haven’t gotten around to trying any other ones than the ones before the first Bowmore I think.

Of course, they’ve gathered a lot of attention by winning the 2012 Malt Maniacs Awards for their Port Charlotte whisky. But, while I haven’t been a huge fan of all releases, they’ve all been at least pretty good. Some were even really, really good.

Add to that that I’m a rather massive Lagavulin fan (but don’t seem to get around trying those often enough either) and we’re set for the Lg range. Typing this I have to suppress the urge to start looking for more bottles to buy.

Oh, and to add to the NAS discussion. These bottlings are NAS and highly flavour driven. A few good examples of how it can be done too. I personally wouldn’t spend too much on Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila from this range, but Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Kilchoman and Bowmore are all fairly affordable. It is, of course, only half a liter, but you get something that a lot of capable people have selected, so I’m willing to go out a limb here.

Lagavulin Lg1. Done.

Lagavulin Lg1. Done.

Sniff:
The first scent you get is salt, brine, and herring. Well, fish in general. The background to all that is rather heathery and grassy so it’s actually a very Ardbeg like Lagavulin. It does have some iodine, sand and white oak. A tiny hint of vanilla manages to get through.

Sip:
A massive hit of white pepper to start off with. Peat, dry and really sharp. Oak, and salty. I get not so much a coastal feel, like where the distillery is, but more like Port Ellen, where the fishing ships come in.

Swallow:
I could just repeat the ‘sip’ part here. There is nothing new to say except that the flavour sticks around for quite a while and the salt is more pronounced.

While this is a rather simple dram, it is very tasty. I didn’t mind finishing this bottle with a ridiculously big glass yesterday (I always underestimate the bottom end of a bottle). It’s a great whisky for easy drinking and not thinking too much about it. This is sometimes called a ‘session dram’ by people who have drinking sessions I guess.

Anyway a very tasty whisky, and an indie Lagavulin, at cask strength, for about € 45 or so (back then) was a pretty good deal. Also, these are meant for drinking since all except the Pe (Port Ellen) range are fairly steady in price. No use in collecting them.

They’re up to batch four by now, by the way.

Lagavulin Lg1, 56.8%, Elements of Islay. About € 50

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Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition 1986-2002, 43%

Posted on 6 March 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Ever since I tried it for the first time in Café Terminus in Den Bosch, I’ve loved this dram. Back then, the dram (sizeable as it was) set me back € 8, which at the time was a small fortune. After that dram I had another.

A sizeable sample

A sizeable sample

Anyway, I’ve bought a bottle some years ago and finished that. I tried one recently at Hielander Whisky Festival, and now this one. I think it’s the second oldest, but my palate is more fresh than it was in Alkmaar at the festival and already the scent is more impressive.

What this dram boils, as said in the older post, is that it’s the regular one with a finish. But, just like the regular Lagavulin 16, albeit still a great dram, it’s a long shot from what it used to be. That’s what makes it a lot of fun to taste these oldies every now and again. It’s even better if a friend brings along a sample for you!

Sniff:
The scent is rather strong, with quite some orange, blood orange and a gentle note of peat. The regular Lagavulin tea-like scent is there too, with a hint of iodine. Oak is present in a very furniture like way, like old arm chairs.

Lagavulin 1986 DE. Image from Whiskybase

Lagavulin 1986 DE. Image from Whiskybase

Sip:
The texture is rather thick with gentle sherry notes, very PX-y. It turns a bit coarser with the peat and salinity I find typical of most south Islay distilleries. The notes of orange have gone more candy like, syrupy. Tea, iodine, salt, oak, furniture polish.

Swallow:
The finish, at first, has a lot less of the sweeter notes and is very much like the regular Lagavulin 16. It’s not very long and does get a bit sweeter but it’s very ashy and peaty. Coarser even.

This is a really tasty dram. It’s much better than the bottle I had, even while that one was good too. The irony of these whiskies is, with all of the ones I tried, the finish is the weakest part of this one. (The irony being the finish, on a finished whisky).

Anyway, it still a great dram. I should have stocked up ages ago, but I didn’t. Compared to the normal Lagavulin 16 they’re pretty pricy, especially for me still being in Uni. So, recommended if you find it. I think it does about € 150 or so in auctions. (educated guess)

Lagavulin Distiller’s Edition 1986-2002, 43%

Thanks to Tom for the generous sample! (I’ll save you the 20cl bottle!)

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Moonshine, 65%-70%

Posted on 5 March 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Since this is genuine moonshine, illegally crafted somewhere and such, I don’t have much info on what, how, where and when. I obtained this sample quite a few weeks ago but didn’t get around to tasting it yet.

Since I’m drinking more American whiskey over the last couple of weeks, and reading about moonshining in the book reviewed yesterday I thought it was high time I started drinking me some. Now, since the guy who got me this still lives, I have to assume it’s rather safe.

Moonshine

Moonshine

Sniff:
A very sweet version of bourbon. The corn percentage is at 100% the sweetness is easy to explain. The colour indicates the use of wood chips or a cask. Some oak, corn and allspice, albeit lightly. Warm pasties too, and apple pie. The scent is remarkably gentle for something of this ABV. It gets more aromatic the longer it sits. Pretty great.

Sip:
Not too much actual burn, but there’s a certain charcoal like bite it sure has. It gets a lot hotter after a second. The corn comes back in a custard like way. There’s some vanilla too. Baking spices, golden syrup.

Swallow:
The finish is a lot less sharp, the golden syrup goes towards maple a bit more and the pasty from the nose is more pancake like. The corn is still very much present and the finish long. Very bourbony.

While I’m not entirely new to moonshine, this is the first ‘aged’ one. It’s friggin’ delicious. I’m not saying it beats American whiskey as a category, but I can see the need to make some of this yourself. Not sure whether or not it is viable as a product in the USA, where bourbon prices are ridiculously low compared to here, but making some is just fun for the sake of making some.

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The Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining

Posted on 4 March 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

This book has the subtitle ‘How to make and drink whiskey’. This inspired me to immediately order this wee booklet since I had the feeling this wasn’t about to explain to process of Jack Daniel’s or Jim Beam in great detail, but would focus on the ‘home distiller’.

Technically the home distiller doesn’t exist, since that is illegal, but everybody knows how this really works. Anyway, the book.

Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining

Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining

The book is a great read in the way that it is written very informally and with an attitude and opinion. Of course, there is the obligatory piece about the American’s history with booze. In this case it’s rather quickly glanced over with some interesting details. It is, luckily, not an epic piece about all kinds of minutae.

What I enjoyed mostly is that this booklet is not trying to be a formal depiction of facts and history, but it is someone’s view of the whiskey industry, how it came to where it is today and why it is cool to become a part of it. This all is specked with opinions and blunders that were made along the way (calling Georgia Moon aweful to the people who make it comes to mind).

The story focuses less on how the writers started Kings County Distillery in New York, but it does cover it a bit. It would have been nice to get a bit more info on that since that is something every guy can relate too and it just sounds cool to do.

All this is wrapped up in the story of how you can make your own moonshine without it costing the world.

The only part of the book that I found rather tedious was the bit with the cocktail recipes. Of course, I like a good cocktail as much as the next guy, but it felt like they were more filling the book than actually adding to it. There’s some nice recipes in there though, and even some to which I have all the ingredients. They make the recipe bit a lot more fun though, by adding personal stories behind the cocktails.

All in all, this is a highly recommended read and a great change of pace to the million ‘you have to drink these whiskies’ books out there. One the most fun reads I’ve had in months.

The Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining: How to make and drink whiskey. It’s available from all major sellers, but I got mine from Play.com.

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Bowmore 12, 2001-2013, 52.9% – Liquid Library

Posted on 2 March 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I rarely buy bottles from The Whisky Agency, and I have been wanting to do a bottle-share with some for ages. It just doesn’t seem to happen for some reason.

When I did buy a bottle last year, my good friend JP bought one too. Both a Bowmore. We promised each other samples, but since he is not going through way too many open ones and is opening bottles more or less when he buys them, I already got his and he’ll get mine at some point.

Anyway, Bowmore. With the glorious bottling from somewhere in the 90s until now, it’s quickly becoming a favourite too.

Bowmore 12. Liquid Library

Bowmore 12. Liquid Library

Sniff:
Lightly peated, but a lot heavier in other areas. There’s some lemon curd in there, but also nuts, dried lemon, some damp earth. Maybe even mushrooms. Some oak, but not overly so.

Sip:
The palate is crisp, and rather sharp. Lemony, some oak but also quite some spices. Some cinnamon and ginger, lemon, lime even. There’s also a bit of a cocktail like bitterness. Luckily the lime bit doesn’t go into the cleaning liquid spectrum.

Swallow:
The finish mellows out quickly. It’s fairly short even. More malty than I expected, but pretty good.

Although I don’t care for the finish (absolutly not bad, but rather uninteresting) the palate is great. Unlike most Scotches, in which I prefer the nise above all) in this case the palate is the best part. A really good dram, and I think I remember it was nicely priced too!

Bowmore 12, 2001-2013, 52.9%, Liquid Library

Thanks to JP for the sample!

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Bottoms Up!

Posted on 28 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Tonight a couple of friends and I are going to try and get my open-bottle-count down somewhat. Since I’ve been trying to do this on my own last year I found that a) it doesn’t work that well, and b) it’s more fun to do in company.

Part of the line-up is in the picture, but I’ve added a couple more. The variation is rather wild, but that makes for a fun tasting with something new and exciting for everyone. And even if I’ve tried all of them extensively (they’re not almost empty because of evaporation…) I’m really looking forward to having booze with friends.

Some statistics:

  • The age difference between the youngest and oldest is 41 years.
  • There are two closed distilleries.
  • Between the nine whiskies I’ve lined up, there’s 8 different styles/regions.
  • 3 Countries are represented.
  • The highest ABV is 62.3%, the lowest is 43%.
Posted in - American Whiskey, - Blended Whisky, - Japanese Whisky, - World Whisky, Compass Box, GlenDronach, Glenfarclas, Hazelburn, Jim Beam, Karuizawa, Knob Creek, Lagavulin, Old Potrero, Port Ellen | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Auchentoshan 18, Oloroso Sherry Cask, 55.8%

Posted on 27 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Even though I quite like Auchentoshan, and some of their whiskies are really good, I’m nowhere near as fanatical as Mark Dermul. I don’t think anyone is.

This bottling caught my eye in 2006 when it came out. Auchentoshan, from a sherry cask and at cask strength. Not much can go wrong, right? Right. Also, it came in a surprising 750ml bottle, so an extra two drams for me!

Of course, with a whisky that’s usually very gentle, letting it rest in a sherry cask for 18 years is a balancing act that can easily go wrong. Luckily, it’s not a PX one!

This bottling is from a series that also had a bourbon cask at 16 years old and a Bordeaux wine finish at 17.

Auchentoshan 18 Oloroso cask. Image from WhiskybaseSniff:
It’s rather malty and has some vanilla off the bat. It turns towards the sherry rather quicky. The sherry is not overpowering and it gives scents of walnuts and vinegar. Pickled nuts I guess. It’s rather spicy and the fruity kind of sherry. Not really good, but far from bad either.

Sip:
The palate is rather sharp at 55.8%, with the alcohol gives quite the bite. Again, spicy and slightly bitter. The malt is still here, but it’s more gentle. The nuts are too, but far less pronounced.

Swallow:
The finish is going towards the spices more with baking spices. The sherry has a bit of a vinegar like quality again and the nuts are back in full swing (pun intended).

It’s a bit of a strange one, this one. It might have changed slightly over the years that it’s been open, but not so significantly that tasting notes would be way off. The sherry took me by surprise since I expected a more fruity character when I bought this. Then again, this is nice too and I don’t consider it a waste of cash by any means.

Not my favourite, but far from bad too.

Auchentoshan 18, Oloroso Sherry Cask, 55.8%

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Karuizawa Noh, 1995-2008, 63%, Japanese Wine Cask

Posted on 26 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

This was my very first Karuizawa. I don’t remember how I got to a point that I knew about the distillery and wanted their product, but I do know ordering this by phone from liquor shop ‘De Snor’ in Brunssum. Never been there, never bought anything since. I guess it was a bit of a freak delivery that they stocked this all of a sudden. Especially since this was bottled for the Taiwanese market.

The Japanese Wine Cask is something I did not know back when I ordered it, else I might have been a bit more skeptical. I even read somewhere that it was a Japanese Merlot cask, but I’m not sure about that.

Of course, Karuizawa is closed with prices ramping up quickly. This, back in the day set me back about € 85 or so, and according to Whiskybase it is worth about € 100 now. That is based on the last shop that sold it, to their knowledge. I know that if I put my second bottle up for auction, I’d get at least twice that.

Karuizawa Noh. 12 years in a Japanese wine cask. Image from Whiskybase

Karuizawa Noh. 12 years in a Japanese wine cask. Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
There’s a lot of oak, but that’s not uncommon in Japanese whisky. There’s quite some wine influence too, but already veering towards sherry and oak. Not like many other wine maturations I’ve tried. Thick, syrupy with prunes, dates and figs. Some chocolate too.

Sip:
It’s very sharp, even with this bottle being open for almost six years. Bitter and sweet, but mostly bitter. Cherry wood, sour cherries. It doesn’t mellow at all. Cocoa and coffee too.

Swallow:
The finish is rich with the fruit and chocolate continuing here too. Wine, sherry, old oak, maybe even a bit of rotten wood. Very earthy and long.

While this is a weird whisky to say the least, it’s very very good. It’s ridiculously oaky for a 12 year old, and the wine maturation does strange things too. It’s all very mature, but also very youthful since it’s scorching sharpness.

Great stuff though. I really enjoyed my bottle and I guess on Friday, at the Bottoms Up this will go down nicely too. If you find a bottle, and it’s fairly priced, get it.

Karuizawa Noh, 1995-2008, 63%, Japanese Wine Cask #5004 for Taiwan.

Posted in - Japanese Whisky, Karuizawa | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2014

Posted on 25 February 2014 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

While everyone reviews this book right when it comes out in October, I am usually a bit slower since my reading queue is quite long all the time. I am actually glad I got around to reading before the next one comes out, unlike last year.

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2014

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2014

Let’s do a quick review of the contents:

  • The distillery info is ridiculously good, as always. Of course, no one actually reads all of this since there’s no way you’ll remember it anyway. But, when you want to check your facts before hosting a tasting, visiting a distillery or doing a blog post, this is the go-to book. No others come close.
  • The financial data about the year that was is good too. If possible, this is even more stale. I don’t really care about which country in south-east Asia had one percent more growth by value. I read the overview but I just can’t focus on the specific details. But hey, I tried!
  • The articles that are about whisky in general are really interesting. They are written by known whisky writers and those people can write. Kudos there too!
  • In between all the distillery pages there are pages about ‘whisky around the world’, lots of information about blenders and their brands and other small interviews. While I find it very interesting to know about the world of whisky in all its aspects, I do regret that the questions for all interviews are the same. There is no depth and no ‘line of questioning’ that reacts to what’s been said before.

Now, how I generally feel about this book is a bit of a love and hate relationship. I’ve bought them for six years now and will most likely keep doing so for some time to come. But, my problem with it is that the actual reading I do is very, very limited.

The ‘whisky news’ is usually fairly old by the time the book comes out. It’s more like the annual overview of stuff that happened instead of an actual update. Print just can’t keep up with the internet.

My complaint about the interviews from earlier is something that annoys me after I read more and more of them. By now, it’s gotten to a level that I hope it’s changed before I even open the book for page one.

Having said all this, if you do tastings, visit distilleries and want some info beforehand, or just want to know more about distillery history in general, there is absolutely no substitute for the Malt Whisky Yearbook.

Get it from Master of Malt for € 17

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