Black Maple Hill, 47.5% – Kentucky Bourbon Distillers

Posted on 27 December 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Black Maple Hill is one of those bourbon out there that don’t have much info about them to be found. No age, no distillery to be named and only stating an ABV and the fact that it is Kentucky Straight Bourbon on the label.

This dram was discussed a little bit on Twitter when Shai A. asked us if anyone recognized a close up of a fraction of the label (someone did, not me) and then sent out samples to some people for a taste.

Apparently, as it turns out, it’s a fairly affordable bottle but with a rather great and popular product inside it. According to Whiskybase it should set you back only € 25. That is probably the price calculated from dollars in the USA, since most bourbons are a lot more expensive here.

It’s bottled by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, which is a company that has only recently become an actual distillery by reviving Willett. Before that they were more like a lot of other ‘indies’ in the States, blending sourced product from different distilleries.

I’m not sure if it is still in production, since the KBD site doesn’t mention it at all, while it does talk about their other brands.

Black Maple Hill. Image from Whiskybase

Black Maple Hill. Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
There’s a lot of oak at first, and the spices that come from it. Not too sweet with some bread crust and cloves. Some tobacco and moist autumn leaves. Bitter caramel after a couple of minutes.

Sip:
On the palate this dram is fairly gentle with the oak and tobacco returning. Very autumnal with black pepper and pie pastry/dough.

Swallow:
The finish is spicy again with some warming, peppery heat. Dry oak and a certain fruitiness that I cannot pinpoint.

It’s not the most complex of whiskeys but I don’t think anyone expects that from this bottle. There’s enough happening here and at the price it sits it fills its role more than adequately. All in all, a lovely dram and very easily drinkable. Thanks Shai!

Black Maple Hill, 47.5%, Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. Shouldn’t be much more than $ 30 or so.

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Music in 2013

Posted on 25 December 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Ever since I am findable on the Internet I’ve been trying to make lists of all cool stuff that I encountered over the year. Last year’s music and whisky posts are there, as are the posts from years before. I already did this on my previous blog which is no longer in existence.

This listing experience always starts around Christmas, since between then and New Year’s nothing much happens usually. I might find another top notch dram or start liking a new record, but most of the time that will not be ground breaking.

Looking back at my ‘Music in 2012’ post, I do see that I was not paying attention at the end of the year since that list doesn’t make sense at all. The records that should have been in my top ten instead of Regine Spektor, Martha Wainwright and First Aid Kit should be Alt-J, Grizzly Bear and The Old Crow Medicine Show.

Why weren’t they? Alt-J I didn’t start liking until January of this year, but then I played it almost daily. Grizzly Bear was probably in some blind spot since I had that, and liked it, but didn’t realize how good it was until after, and I didn’t even find out about Old Crow Medicine Show’s 2012 record until July of 2013.

Anyway, I hope I don’t botch this list up as much as last year. I don’t think so since, to me, 2013 was a fairly weak year in music. Some records that came out were kick ass, like the following ten, but my ‘honourable mention’ list is very short this year.

Here it goes:

Julianna Barwick

Julianna Barwick

10: Julianna Barwick – Nepenthe

Nepenthe is a nice restaurant in Big Sur, California that we had dinner at some four years ago. Apart from that bit of trivia, this record by Julianna Barwick is really good at its loops and build up. I had to get used to the sounds a bit during the previous album, but this one stuck with me right away. Lovely and atmospheric.

 

Amelia Curran

Amelia Curran

9: Amelia Curran – Spectators

A fairly random singer-songwriter record. At least, that’s how I first saw this. But during the year (this one has been around for a while) I listened to it a lot and really love the vocals. It also feels like a record that questions a lot of things, but that might be just me.

 

 

John Grant

John Grant

8: John Grant – Pale Green Ghosts

Something that took me a couple of before really appreciating it. The GMF song is what initially did it for me. Now, some months after I really appreciate the rest of the record too. Lots of synthesizers behind simple vocals. Great stuff!

 

 

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend

7: Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City

One that popped up rather late and also took me a couple of spins. I didn’t really enjoy Vampire Weekend earlier than this record but here the song writing and music is really catchy. And it doesn’t hurt to have a happy sounding record in my list for a change.

 

 

Of Montreal

Of Montreal

6: Of Montreal – Lousy with Sylvianbriar

The same as with Vampire Weekend, I didn’t really enjoy Of Montreal before this record. This one feels like a modern iteration of Neutral Milk Hotel. Which I love.

 

 

 

Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire

5: Arcade Fire – Reflektor

Another late release. Not as good as The Suburbs or Neon Bible, but still a lot of terrific songs on the album. The only drawback is that the record is too long. It’s a double album, but should have been just one, I think.

 

 

Pokey Lafarge

Pokey Lafarge

4: Pokey Lafarge – Pokey Lafarge

The redneck in me rears it’s head. Over the last couple of years I’ve started to love Americana more and more, and this is one of the better records I found so far. Not exactly country but a mix of different styles. The only bad thing is that, by now I have played this so much that it will probably be a while before I do so again.

 

James Blake

James Blake

3: James Blake – Overgrown

The annual electronic record in my list. Not the only electronic record from 2013 in my Spotify list. The build up of the songs is better than on James Blake’s earlier record, and I even love that one. Especially Retrograde is stunning.

 

 

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

2: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

This had to be in this list, right? My favourite artists for the last decade and this record is a bit of a calm down after Grinderman and Dig, Lazarus, Dig. Great songs and the live versions are even better.

 

 

Valerie June

Valerie June

1: Valerie June – Pushin’ against a Stone

This record is one that I’ve been listening to for quite a while, but I find it in my playlist more and more. The last couple of weeks I think I’ve played it more than once per day so that’s saying something. The voice of Valerie June is something I had to get used to a bit, but by now I love it. Another Americana record that keeps the middle between styles of New Orleans, Tennessee and some Gospel is mixed in there too. Absolutely great!

Honourable Mentions: Volcano Choir, Rhye, Kurt Vile, Oneohtrix Point Never, San Fermin, John Vanderslice, Moonface, FKA Twigs, Night Beds, Willard Grant Conspiracy, Jon Hopkins, Fuck Buttons, Jeroen Kant, Laura Marling, Cocorosie.

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Blind Tasting Competition – After all is said and done

Posted on 25 December 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Another Christmas has come, and another BTC has gone.

After all my nagging halfway through the competition I still think it was a thrill ride. Especially from the view point of it being 18 nice drams, and even from the point of the competition. Not all drams were guessable and I still think the competitive feel would improve with more approachable drams (no Lepanto Brandy, no Strathisla 19xx-197x), but I still had a lot of fun.

This year’s highlights were the Longmorn 23, the Mortlach 1994, the Ben Nevis 15 and the Longrow 16 from a Manzanilla cask. Even though I had way too much to drink tonight I am still conscious about my spending and know that I have to start saving booze money like mad for next year’s  Blind Tasting Competition, Maltstock and a planned week in Scotland with friends. Otherwise I would have already been checking auctions sites for these drams.

So, just before getting into the annuals lists of what was hot and what was not, massive kudos to the hosts of the Blind Tasting Competition, Ewald and Leon. They managed to get some impressive drams through-out the year and surprise me at every step of the way.

I still can barely cope with the fact that I forgot about the analytical half of my brain which caused me to lose a lot of points for a lot of drams. Not that I would have had a chance otherwise, but it wouldn’t have been a degrading 45th place.

Thanks guys! I’m in for next year!

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Blind Tasting Competition 18 – Longmorn 23, 52.6% – WIN

Posted on 24 December 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The grand finale!

After the first year I thought the last dram would be a rather spectacular one. Back then it was a rather spectacular Convalmore by Old Malt Cask. Last year I expected the last one to be the highlight of the tasting competition as well, but it wasn’t. A Speyburn that was okay, but not stellar.

This year I was hoping for something on the level of the first time around. And since I went with my more analytical style of tasting, which I should have done from the get-go, I was hoping to make good on some points.

A great Longmorn 23 by WIN. Image from Whiskybase

A great Longmorn 23 by WIN. Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
At first I’m not sure whether this is a bourbon cask or not. It’s pretty strong on the nostrils so that doesn’t really help assessing. Fairly dry with a lot of baking spices. Wood spices and even some ground acorns. Grilled peach with a little blackened edge comes to mind. I’m going for a sherry cask by the way.

Sip:
Dry and strong, but not too hot on the tongue. There’s some heat on the palate, but nothing overpowering. The dry, and slightly bitter, has more impact. I get red cinnamon, ginger and quite some oaky spices. The sweetness kicks in later, again with the peaches.

Swallow:
The finish shows some oak, and for some reason I have the feeling it’s American. Still sherried, but maybe a finish or an American oak sherry cask, nothing out of the ordinary. The spices are toned down a bit, as is the bitterness. The sweetness is more prominent but very tasty. Not too long on the sweetness, but the lessened dryness lasts quite a while.

So, trying to analyze away here. I’m thinking the ABV is around 52% or 53%. The rather extreme spiciness sends me towards the Highlands or Speyside, but that’s as good a guess as any. Distillery character? No clue. Could be anything I guess. Going for… Uhm… Caperdonich. Gambling the last possible points on the Tony Koehl edition. No clue why. I’m not familiar with Caperdonich from the 90s.

It turned out to be a Longmorn released by Whisky Import Nederland. At 23 years old this sold for under € 100 back then. Unfortunately I am not often in a position in which I can buy bottles without having tasted them first but I really, really regret that with this one. I wish I bought a case of these babies since it is a truly stellar whisky.

Everything is right, from the sweetness to the bitterness, the oak, the spices, and its wintry feel. Bummer, but at I scored some points! 10 for age, 20 for region and 16 for being close on the ABV!

Longmorn 23, 52.6%, 1988-2012, Whisky Import Nederland. Available in Italy for € 275

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Somm

Posted on 24 December 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Last week I watched Somm. Shai, from my ever-expanding circle of whisky-friends from Israel (and the USA) recommended it after he saw me struggle through the Blind Tasting Competition (post on the last dram coming up).

Technically it’s not a movie, but a documentary about four guys wanting to become a Master Sommelier. To become a Master, you already have to be at the advanced level and be invited to the exam.

To do the exam you more or less have to be able to blind taste a wine and find the country, region and sub region it’s from. That means USA -> California -> Sonoma -> Russian River Valley. Oh, and the kind of grape and vintage. Preferably the winehouse too.

Somm

Somm

And then there’s the theory. I  convince myself every now and again I have some sizable THEORETICAL knowledge of whisky. Nothing spectacular like industry professionals, but on an amateur level I seem to suck up random facts and folklore like a sponge. (not the whiskysponge…)

What you need to know for the Master Sommelier exam is stellar. ‘DOC’ wine houses in eastern Romania. The eight distilleries on Islay (nothing special for us geeks, but it would be comparable to know all wineries on Corsica, or something like that). It’s insane.

Anyway, the movie is about that. About how these dudes train themselves with thousands of flash cards and getting together to blind taste wines and described them.

This just might have been the most interesting thing I’ve watched all year and while I am generally not overly interested in wine, I found it a joy to watch as well. There’s a lot to learn, and especially techniques of tasting and describing things to analyze origin and character.

I should do that in the competition. It might work. So, highly recommended for booze geeks out there!

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Blind Tasting Competition 17 – Caol Ila 1982-2006, 26yo, 54.3% – Duncan Taylor Rare Auld

Posted on 23 December 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I got points! 35 of them to be precise. Taking my own analysis from yesterday seriously, I analyzed each bit of the whisky separately. While it didn’t get me anywhere serious, it did get me a lot of points compared to any of the other days. I believe there’s only one or two days that I got 40 or so, so it’s almost a personal high score.

Based on the flavour I sent myself to the wrong distillery, Laphroaig instead of Caol Ila, but scoring a bit does make me happy. If only I did this since the beginning, right?

Caol Ila 26. Image from Whiskybase

Caol Ila 26. Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
I got lemongrass right off the bat, and smoke. Laphroaig it was (to me at least). It isn’t too sweet and has a scent of sand, and marram reeds (the brown grass on sand dunes next to the sea). Some charcoal too and it isn’t too strong, but cask strength.

Sip:
It’s full and rich, with sweet lemon. After a couple of seconds I get oak, and black pepper and chili pepper. It’s rather sharp, above 50% abv. Some soot, smoke, grass and a touch of salt.

Swallow:
The finish is a tad less heavy on the grass. It’s a bit sweeter  with more oak. I also get some barley now and it lasts pretty long.

The lemon and grass combination sends me to Laphroaig right away. The strength I settled for on some 53% to 54%. Then I started looking at Whiskybase. Didn’t have a clue to specifics but I didn’t expect the age to be ridiculously high.

When I saw it was Caol Ila it surprised me since I didn’t get any of that typical greasy Caol Ila-ness. The age was just as big a surprise since it still was a pretty sharp dram, and that doesn’t happen with every cask at 26 years old.

In the end I got 20 points for the region, and 15 for being close on the ABV. Let’s hope tonight brings some points again so we can go out with a minor bang. Or a pop. As long as it’s not a sizzle.

Laphroaig 14, 53.8%, Archives by Whiskybase. That’s what I filled in. What it was:

Caol Ila 1982-2006, 26yo, 54.3% – Duncan Taylor Rare Auld. Around € 110.

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Blind Tasting Competition 16 – Loch Lomond Craiglodge, 9yo, 45%

Posted on 22 December 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

This one is DARK. A really rich, and deep brown. Although it shouldn’t mean anything, it does look very appealing. Stuf you really want to drink since it looks utterly delicious.

I didn’t score any points today and this time I am entirely to blame. I came to the conclusion (after 16 drams in a row) that I’ve been going at it all wrong. I have to admit that I am not really concerned about the competition part of the BTC, but I still would like to score ‘some’ points every now and then.

Why have I been going at it all wrong? What I have been doing is trying to remember a dram that tastes comparable to the one I am having at the time. This means that you take in all factors and you’re no longer concerned with the details.

Today’s dram, for example, is only 45%. I filled out 55%. The only way such a strong dram can taste gentle is by having some serious age to it, but still, 45% should never taste like 55%. Then, why did fill that in? Because the colour and palate of the dram reminded me of a whisky I had years ago. While it helps to remember stuff every now and again, in this situation it should have set alarms ringing that the 10% difference can never be handled by sheer age. 55% is A LOT stronger than 45%.

What did send me wrong is the colour and gentleness. For some reason in a blind tasting I never expect ‘drinking’ strength whiskies. That means that I am trying to explain gentleness in combination with cask strength => age.

In this case, the whisky doesn’t have the depth to be 31 years old, as I guessed. Captain Hindsight, out.

The tasting notes I wrote before I found out what it is:

One of the million brands of Loch Lomond. Image from Whiskybase

One of the million brands of Loch Lomond. Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
A very soupy kind of sherry. Still some whisky in there but you have to strain to find it. Bitter, sweet and ridiculously oaky. There’s shoe polish there as well, and maybe the doughy bit of Christmas Cake, and dates. Also a certain cherry thing going on. Not sure what, but it smells good!

Sip:
Lighter than expected, but starts building on the chili peppers. Stays calm though. Turns a bit sharp but apart from that, and loads of oak there isn’t much happening. The oak is the main instrument of this dram. Heavy, and I can imagine some people not liking this that much. I do, however.

Swallow:
It’s dry, oaky and rather bitter on that bit. Also sweet with sticky toffee pudding. It has a bit of an almond edge.

This is an interesting one. There’s only oak happening, or almost that at least. It reminds me of a Benrinnes I had a couple of years ago that was as dark as this one, or maybe even darker. I don’t know many that were this dark, apart from a Dailuaine that came out in the same series. I know Dailuaine for its bitterness so I’m going for that bottling. With this much oak there better be some age too, since it’s a fairly old whisky.

End of tasting notes.

I should have realized that the lack of depth and the fact that it’s ONLY oak can only be because of it not being a very old whisky. Silly me.

Oh, and why Dailuaine? The bitterness sent me there. I find Dailuaine in many cases to have a beery kind of bitterness that would only be accentuated by the oak. That’s why.

Loch Lomond Craiglodge, 9yo, 45%, 1998-2007, some € 36 according to Whiskybase, but no longer available.

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Blind Tasting Competition 15 – Rosebank 20, 1991-2011, 51.1% – SMWS

Posted on 21 December 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I’m glad we’re getting into more discernible territory regarding the whiskies. I’m still not good at getting it right, of course but at least there’s a chance now. The whisky that set me of on my nagging spree was that Lepanto Brandy cask from Deanston.

Apparently that was picked up since last year’s trip to Scotland that the club did with about 20 guys went to the distillery. Back then they liked it and Ewald wanted to see if it would be recognized.

Anyway, the competition is also seen more as an advent calendar with a competition element, but I’m not totally agreeing with that, since it’s ‘the blind tasting competition’ and not the ‘blind tasting advent calendar’. Plus, an advent calendar has 24 doors to be opened and the competition only 18 drams…

Back to today’s whisky.

Rosebank 20, 1991-2011. Image from Whiskybase

Rosebank 20, 1991-2011. Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Initially a tad thin and grassy, but it turns much more robust and rich, right away. Extremely spicy in a way of a more savory kind of baking spices. Maybe some cardamom? This is absolutely gorgeous. Some chai tea as well. If I didn’t know any better I’d say it’s Japanese. Oaky as well, without it being too much. Holy crap!

Turns much warmer and a bit sweeter as well, with a bit of air. Tarte Tatin, but also toffee, almonds and maybe a whisp of smoke?

Sip:
It’s gentle on the palate, but does build up with a bit of pepper. Slightly dry but with a syrupy sweetness to it that goes in the direction of grilled pineapple. Quite some vanilla if you let it swim for a bit, but the oak keeps it in check, or so it seems.

Swallow:
The finish goes back to what the nose did. Spicy warmth with quite some oak. Also the fruity vanilla in the back, but much less so than yesterday. A long finish too, warming.

I really don’t have a clue what to make of this. There’s a lot of age to it I think, 25 years or so even? Maybe? It’s gentle but it doesn’t feel watered too much so I guess it’s cask strength coming in just under 50%. It does have some bite at least. Now, what to guess?

I ended up going for Cadenhead’s Longmorn 26, at 49.5% I found on Whiskybase. I tried some Longmorns from bourbon casks that had a comparable taste profile, or so my booze ridden memory tells me. This also meant I went completely wrong, and I only got some points for being close on the ABV.

The result, this being a Rosebank, is surprising to me since I didn’t get much of the floral and grassy notes associated with Rosebank, plus Rosebank on a higher age is usually still ridiculously high in ABV (The Rare Malts ones, the 25 year old from 2007).

Anyway, this whisky is absolutely gorgeous and long since sold out of course. Rosebank does that, especially the SMWS ones for some reason. A sort of bummer since I really wanted one. On the other hand, I didn’t have any budget left, and I have enough to last me a couple years, so all is not bad.

Rosebank 20, 1991-2011, 51.1%, SMWS ‘In a secret garden’.

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Blind Tasting Competition 14 – Teaninich 29yo, 1982-2012, 52.2% – Dewar Rattray

Posted on 20 December 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I should make some rectifications to what I said yesterday about the competition not being fun anymore. I discussed it with Ewald, who organizes most of it and came to the conclusion that it’s just the competing part that I stopped caring about. Tasting whisky without knowing what it is is stil fine! (Duh!)

Anyway, I did suggest the range of bottling years should be smaller and the ridiculous ‘Lepanto Brandy’ things should not be there. It’s a competition in which you try to find which distillery a dram is from, and in such cases that is just not possible.

Also, the average score is reflecting the impossibility of what is asked of us. 60% of the participants have not been able to get over 20% of the possible score. Also, even the top scoring people can’t get over 35% of the points (Last year it was 48%, the year before 39%)

Anyway, more about today’s dram. I recently said I was glad there weren’t many overpowering bourbon casks in it yet. Those whiskies that are just vanilla, and a tad of fruit. Today was one.

Teaninich 29(!). Image from Whiskybase

Teaninich 29(!). Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
It starts a bit thin and coarse (quite a bit of alcohol I guess) and lots of vanilla. The ‘vla’ (which is the Dutch kind of custard, with corn starch instead of eggs) just jumps out of the glass. Quite some tropical fruit as well, with pineapple and banana. Maybe even some VERY sweet lemon curd.

Sip:
Thin and dry to start, but turns sweet, juicy and creamy after a sec. Banana and vanilla again, with maybe some toffee as well. The slightest bit of oak with sweetened orange juice. Not too sharp, so maybe some age to it.

Swallow:
Fruit and vanilla, right? Right. Fairly straight forward with the pineapple being more pronounced than on the palate.

This is a dram that is likable but not overly interesting. This happens to me a lot and I have to watch out for those. I tend to go for those active bourbon casks, but lose interest before I’m halfway through the bottle I just blew my budget on. Anyway, interesting for a dram, but not more than that.

For some reason that reminds me of bottlings from The Bladnoch Forum and, to an extent (haven’t tried many of his bottlings) The Whisky Broker. I also found the flavours fitting for what I remember of Cragganmore, so that’s where my guess went.

And then the reveal. One surprise after the other. I guessed a 20 year old Cragganmore and assumed I was on the high side of the age spectrum. Then ‘Is Teaninich in the Highlands?’ I would have swore it was a Speysider. But now I know what it is, I remember it does have a similar fruit/vanilla profile as a 27 year old I finished earlier this year.

But I still can’t deal with the fact that this is 29 years old.

Teaninich 29yo, 1982-2012, 52.2%, Dewar Rattray. Available in Sweden for € 150

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Blind Tasting Competition 13 – Longrow 16, Fresh Manzanilla Sherry, 56.1%

Posted on 19 December 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

By now the competition has lost most of its fun to me. There’s barely any regular cask in this year’s line-up which means it’s ridiculously hard to guess what’s what. For some reason quite some others who score much more points than me. What am I doing wrong?

This one, however, should have been something I could guess much better than I did. One of the few that is a distillery regular, from this era and without some ridiculous type of oak around it.

Longrow 16 from a fresh Manzanilla cask. Image from Whiskybase

Longrow 16 from a fresh Manzanilla cask. Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Pretty sharp and it might be the littlest bit smoky. Not sure again. It’s not a Lagavulin or anything in that league of peat, that’s for sure! Grain and sharp woodiness, slightly sherried I’d say. Some cheese too, or yogurt. Some cinnamon. A strange combination, but not too much depth yet. Opens up nicely after half an hour or so.

Sip:
Dry and a rather bitter woodiness. Chili peppers, with some sweet sherry behind it. It stays sharp for a long while. The dry bit stays for a long while but the flavour of slightly aged cheddar is present too. After half a minute or so, it becomes sweeter, more gentle.

Swallow:
A long finish with not too many interesting things happening. The texture becomes a bit less dry and grainy. The creaminess stays, the cheese is gone after it had some time in the glass.

I’m not sure if I ever had a whisky that improved so massively with some time in the glass. At first I thought it was rather nasty, but it has opened up and grown on me. Pretty nice too.

Oh, 9 friggin’ points by the way. My abv was rather close, but everything else was way off.

For some reason it reminds me of Highland Park’s Saint Magnus. I only tasted that some years ago, when it came out in 2010. Still, the sharpness, the sherry and also that strange note at first would fit the distillery, as far as my palate goes…

I don’t think I have tasted that cheesy bit with a Longrow before. It’s a damn fine whisky but I am surprised by the low level of phenols I picked up. Somehow I’ve recently tasted Springbanks with more peat and now apparently a Longrow with less. What a strange world we’re living in…

Longrow 16, Fresh Manzanilla Sherry, 56.1% (bottled for a German wine trading company). Available in German whisky stores for about € 125

Posted in Highland Park, Longrow | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments