Alberta Premium Dark Horse, 45%

Posted on 14 May 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Yesterday was the second of four Canadian Twitter Tastings in which Davin de Kergommeaux’ book is discussed, followed by a one-whisky Twitter tasting. The whisky is kept a secret until after the tasting so everybody goes in blind.

The added fun for me is that you can barely get anything else from Canadian Club or Crown Royal in The Netherlands which means we don’t have a clue to what Canadian whisky is about. This series remedies that a little bit.

Yesterday’s discussion was mostly about the current state of Canadian whisky based on history. What would have happened if the Americans weren’t so in love with Canadian whisky and if prohibition had not happened. Also some other questions came by, of course, and it turned out to be a very interesting evening.

The whisky then:

Alberta Premium Dark Horse

Alberta Premium Dark Horse

Sniff:
It has a weird scent at first, overly sweet and rather cloying. Then I start getting plums, minerals, some rubber and basalt. Also spent matches, thick brown sugar with hints of bitter lemon and lemon curd. There’s also a bitterness that tastes a bit plant-like. Someone said hops, but that didn’t quite cut it for me. After a while I get some licorice and salmiac.

Sip:
The sweetness is really thick, almost liqueur-like. There’s also some spice but at first, it’s mostly syrupy with caramel sauce, brown sugar and molasses. Plum juice, vanilla and red cinnamon, and maple syrup. It builds up some added heat after a few seconds.

Swallow:
The finish throws the plums around a lot more still, and has the first real note of rye for me. Very typical. Here I start getting more floral hints that others picked up earlier. It’s fairly long and very different.

I don’t think I have had a whisky before that tasted like this, which makes me kind of like it. The combination of regular (column still) rye and pot still rye, the mix of ages and the high use of rye might have something to do with this all.

The thickness and sweetness makes it taste like a liqueur, but it still has enough depth and kick to make it very interesting. I like this one a bit better than last week’s Lot No. 40. Add the fact that this stuff is $ 30 in Canada and it’s even more incredible.

Alberta Premium Dark Horse, 45%, Alberta Distillers. Not available outside Canada.

Posted in - Canadian Whisky | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Old Pulteney 1991-2009, 56.7%, cask 3643 – Gordon & MacPhail Reserve for Van Wees

Posted on 13 May 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

A single cask Old Pulteney from a refill sherry butt, bottled for Van Wees and I believe some liquor shops through the Netherlands (The Specialist’s Choice, I think). Don’t mind if I do…

Anyway, you don’t come across sherried Pulteneys all that often, unless you can find the travel retail lighthouse series, or the previous series with boat numbers. I remember those not being all that awesome, those boat ones.

This 17 year old comes from a refill butt that was rather active, if the colour is any indication. I picked it up on a whim when visiting The Old Pipe, a liquor store with a huge whisky selection that I haven’t visited for way too long. They now have a beer shop as well as the port and whisky emporium.

Old Pulteney

Old Pulteney. Image knicked from WhiskyIsrael.co.il

Sniff:
Fruity, waxy, resinous with a tiny hint of rubber. The rubber wears off when you let it breathe for a few minutes. Then I get orange and sherry notes with leaher and furniture polish.

Sip:
Sharp on my lips, but rather gentle further down the hatch. It does build up some heat though, with pepper, and a rich sweetness. Tropical fruit with wood, leather, pine resin and furniture polish again. Also some white pepper for heat.

Swallow:
The finish is very smooth too, with a tiny amount of white pepper that fades slowly. The fruitiness is gone quickly with dry wood and leather lingering longer. Strangely enough, I get some fresh herbs all of a sudden, mint maybe.

At first I wasn’t too big a fan of this one and it sat quietly gathering dust on my shelf. Since I picked it up for notes and some random whisky drinking, it has started to dwindle quickly, since it is a rather tasty dram. Nothing life changing of course, but one of the better sherried Pulteneys I’ve had.

Old Pulteney 1991-2009, 56.7%, cask 3643 – G&M Reserve for Van Wees. Used to cost about € 70 I think.

Samples available.

Posted in Old Pulteney | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Dutchsky, 43%, 3yo, barrel #1 – Brouwerij De Molen

Posted on 10 May 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Another brewery that tries their hand at distilling and finally something from the Netherlands. Dutchsky is their take on making a grain whisky, aged in a former beer barrel.

While ale casks are all but unheard of, I understand why they do it, since they should have plenty of those lying around the premises. What I also like is that they didn’t use any caramel colouring (lovingly called ‘brown dye’ by Ralfy), nor was the whisky whisky chill filtered before bottling. It looks like they got all their pawns in the right place to become a distillery too.

Dutchsky

Dutchsky

Sniff:
There is a weird acidity that I normally associate with Geuze beers (this might be because of the beer barrel, or because the beer barrel use is highly suggestive). There’s a touch of oak and vanilla, yeast and lemon. Shammy leather but also something like wet newspaper or carpet. Strange.

Sip:
Very gentle and smooth with a feeling of carbonization to it. Creamy with hints of pepper that turns a bit dry with vanilla, fanta, lemon and beer.

Swallow:
Here that wet carpet thingy turns more to linoleum with lemon, yeast and wax.

I’m having trouble liking this whisky. The paper/carpet/linoleum is not something I enjoy and I’m not sure what causes these flavours. Maybe the cask wasn’t as empty as expected, or there was yeast in there still. Anyway, it’s a nice gimmick and I really, really applaude one of my favourite breweries getting into distilling. I am, however, glad that I didn’t buy a full bottle.

Dutchsky, 3yo, 43%, beer barrel aged, barrel #1 is available at Drinks & Gifts at € 49.95, but she also sells samples for around € 10

Posted in - Other Distilleries | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Ambassador, 40%, bottled in the 1980s

Posted on 9 May 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

A random old blend I picked up since I thought it would be a typical blend for the era. The slogan ‘Scotch at its lightest’ is a bit of a giveaway on how people liked their booze in the 1980s and I thought it would be interesting to taste it.

I tried it a few months ago when I took the bottle to Maltstock (where only one person drank a glass of it) and then I thought it was a very one dimensional ‘sal ammoniac’ flavour. It’s used in the Netherlands to flavour liquorice. It’s a very acquierd taste which I have never seem to have acquired. I thought to give it a whirl to see what it really is about.

Ambassador Deluxe Scotch Whisky

Ambassador Deluxe Scotch Whisky

Sniff:
Very light with scents of grain and a hint of chemicals, probabkly the sal ammoniac thingy (we call it salmiak). It does have a hidden layer of slight complexity and warmth. The complexity can also be read as: there is more than just the chemical bit.

Sip:
Gentle and young, with a hint of cream. That salmiak thingy is back again too, with liquorice and I get the feeling some sherry casks are involved in this blend too. It does have some fruity flavours hidden around somewhere. Also vanilla, white pepper, but all very thin.

Swallow:
The finish isn’t too bad either, with creamy vanilla, summery and light with a hint of earthiness.

Well, what can I say. It’s not a bad whisky. It’s just very uninteresting, or at least on par with regular blends. I prefer this to JW red, but I prefer almost everything to that. Not a bad buy for about € 25 or so.

Is it that staple from the 1980s? Maybe, I think so but it is lighter than most blends from that era that I’ve tried. Still a pretty good representation.

Ambassador, 40%, bottled +/- 1985. Should be around € 30 in auctions.

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Lot No. 40, 43%

Posted on 8 May 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

One of the first Canadian whiskies I’ve ever tried and only the second review of one on the blog. The first one was a not so great Crown Royal Original. Now another one originally from Corby Distillers that started in Corbyville, but is now distilled by Hiram Walker Distillery in Windsor Ontario.

There isn’t much info about the whisky to be found immediately but I know (from Davin’s post) they stopped making it in the early 21st century and last year saw the re-release of it.

I tasted this whisky as part of a four week ‘program’ in which we do a Twitter Tasting of one whisky every week. That tasting (on Sunday at 9 pm CET) starts with a discussion of Davin de Kergommeaux’ book ‘Canadian Whisky‘. The writer himself does a quick Q&A before we taste the whisky. Yesterday was the first of those sessions and it started with a barrage of questions on processes, grain selection and brand consistency.

Lot No. 40

Lot No. 40

Sniff:
The whisky has a scent of really thick and creamy rye, sweet and spicy. It does have a bit of an oriental feel to it because of those spices and the sweetness. It’s incredibly rich, but slightly one dimensional before you add water. There’s sawdust, buttery popcorn and a hint of donuts. With water you get a more layered scent with something floral and more fruity in it.

Sip:
Sweet and velvety. Rich and peppery. Light and rye-y. I can go on for a while. There’s a fruitiness in it that’s also thick with things like mango and papaya. Syrupy and a little acidic. It again has that popcorn and butter thing going on. Clove and cinnamon too for spiciness.

Swallow:
A not too long finish that is a bit sharper than I expected with pepper, a hint of salted licorice. Slightly fruity too with baked apple and cinnamon.

It turns out this whisky was Lot No. 40, the re released version from 2012, bottled at 43%. Apparently the whisky involved is mostly 7 to 8 years old with some older ones and younger ones for the bigger flavours. I don’t know how the ages are spread over the base and flavouring whiskies.

A rather nice dram made out of 100% rye (of which 10% is malted). It has a very rich feel that is quite appealing. I did find the buttery popcorn note something to get used to and it didn’t appeal right away. But, all in all a nice dram that has something to offer if you want to look for it and toy around with a drop of water.

Lot No. 40, Hiram Walker Distillery, 43%, 2012 release. Not found in Europe but should be around € 35.

The project is hosted by Johanne McInnis who spread the samples so a lot of thanks to her. Tune in next week on Sunday at 9pm under the #DavinTT hashtag for the next discussion!

Posted in - Canadian Whisky | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Balblair 1975, 46%, 2nd release

Posted on 7 May 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The last whisky from the Balblair Twitter tasting. A 1975 release, probably to make us all fall in love with the distillery (and who wouldn’t if they’re this generous!).

Apparently they released batch 1 a few years ago and this one late 2012. The question by quite a few Twitter-tasters was why they watered it down to 46%, but I can see why you would do that. Some more bottles, more affordable, that kind of stuff.

Anyway, it would be nice to taste this kind of stuff at cask strenght, but I think those chances are getting more slim by the year as the popularity of whisky keeps increasing and old whisky gets more rare.

Balblair 1975 at Master of Malt

Balblair 1975 at Master of Malt

Sniff:
Old. That’s the first impression. Not in a negative way, far from it. But this certainly has some age to it, which mellowed it nicely over the decades (almost four of them). Leather and lots of oak (also in a good way). Slightly peppery still, with dry vanilla, Chesterfield arm chairs, and library with leatherbound books. A slight hint of varnish, pepper and a little touch of salt. It’s a fino cask which gives it a rather typical sherry note. Very delicious.

Sip:
The goodness continues onto the palate with reine claude plums, wood and pepper and that fino sherry hint. I can’t describe that in more detail than ‘fino sherry’. A little syrupy still and I get some strawberries with aged balsamic vinegar. Dark chocolate and molasses too.

Swallow:
Hints of fino sherry still, with the addition of pear, grilled pineapple with those library and old books from the nose. Balsamic vinegar and fruit, pepper.

This whisky is spot on in every way. The fino sherry isn’t too in-your-face but if you pay attention you get that goodness. There’s fruit, there’s spices and the wood is never overpowering. Absolutely stunning and one I might buy for my birthday or another special occasion. As you might imagine an almost 40 year old whisky costs quite a bit but compared to any other distillery this comes in very cheap at £ 207.40.

Balblair 1975, 2nd release, 46%, available at Master of Malt for £ 207.40

Posted in Balblair | Tagged | 2 Comments

Balblair 1990, Islay cask 1466, 50.4% – OB for Master of Malt

Posted on 6 May 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

At first I was a tad confused by this whisky. An Islay cask used for a Highland whisky? What are they doing over there? It turns out this isn’t so rare at all with all kinds of distilleries doing this, most famous is Balvenie and Balblair has done it before apparently.

Anyway, most Highland whiskies can handle a bit of peat so that should be okay. It’s nice that this one is released for my friends at Master of Malt and I was happy to taste it in the non-Master of Malt twitter tasting last Thursday.

Sniff:
Slightly peaty indeed with some hints of both peat and smoke. Vanilla and oak. Slightly drier than the 1995 release, but that can be because of the higher age or the peat smoke. The peat does close it off a bit and it needs some time to breathe. Some spices, with the familiar Balblair fruitiness. Apple, cinnamon, hay and unripe pears. Also some lime zest.

Balblair 1990 at Master of Malt

Balblair 1990 at Master of Malt

Sip:
The palate is slightly more peppery than I expected, with the light hints of peat and smoke returning. Apple and pear again with crushed black pepper. It’s slightly salty too, to my surprise. Never expected that. Dry smoke with yellow fruit and some spices too.

Swallow:
The spiciness continues here, with red cinnamon (the spicy kind) and pepper. Some oak followed by apple, lemon and lime with some dry wood smoke. It lasts quite a while!

While this is a slightly different beast than the previous Balblair it is very nice to taste how their spirit holds up to a bit of peat and smoke infused wood. A very interesting twist that turns out remarkably delicious.

The peat seems to be not overpowering but restraining at first and you have to try a bit more to actually find the flavours. Still, when you give it a few minutes this baby starts revealing all its deliciousness. So, highly recommended as well!

Balblair 1990, Islay cask 1466, 50.4%, OB for Master of Malt. Available only at Master of Malt for £ 124.95.

Sample provided by Balblair and Alemic Communications

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Balblair 1997-2012, 46%

Posted on 3 May 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Yesterday the guys at Alembic Communications (Lukasz from the Edinburgh Whisky Blog) and Balblair hosted another Twitter Tasting. Like in 2010 when they went for the first Balblair Twitter Tasting I was happy to be included. And also like in 2010, I never bought a bottle of this distillery, which I really cannot understand. They’re fantastic and they’re fairly cheap, especially to current standards.

Anyway, the 1997 was the first whisky to be tasted yesterday and also the youngest. That made me realize we were in for a luxurious evening. The other drams were the 1990 Peated cask bottled for Master of Malt, and the 2nd batch of the 1975. Those will be reviewed in following posts.

Balblair 1997 at Master of Malt

Balblair 1997 at Master of Malt

Sniff:
At first I got lots of vanilla and a hint of spices, slightly peppery and some tumeric. After that more vanilla, white oak and then the fruit explosion starts. Pear and grilled pineapple with a bit of charring on the edge. After that I got dried coconut, dried banana and honey. All I could think of that combined that is cruesli. After a few minutes it gets a bit dried and goes to the spices a tad more. The mountain of yellow fruit rules this one.

Sip:
The palate is light and has hints of white pepper. I goes thick very quickly with a very syrupy sweetness and some wax. The waxiness is like the peel of a Granny Smith apple. Honey and fudge are present too with a hint of sweet ginger. Again, after a few minutes the spices gain some ground but this dram is mostly about fruit. Pineapple, pear, apple, dried banana.

Swallow:
The finish is great and again fruity and waxy with syrup and honey, and white pepper.

This whisky is an incredibly fruit but very Highland style dram. The waxiness I got was reminiscent of Clynelish and Glenmorangie. The fruitiness is typically Balblair. And all that combined is utterly delicious. Add to that that this is rather affordable…

Balblair 1997, 2nd release, 46%, OB, available for £ 53 at Master of Malt

Posted in Balblair | Tagged | 2 Comments

Whiskylunch 2013

Posted on 2 May 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

On April 21st a couple of friends and I went to partake in the annual Whisky Lunch hosted by our local liquor shop and restaurant ‘De 5e smaak’ (the fifth flavour). I went there last year as well, with my father in law but he couldn’t make it this year because of his golf competition.

The biggest difference with last years event is that I took way more notes there than I did this year. I decided it was time to have some fun instead of always being ‘on the clock’. Not that I get paid or anything, but my focus has shifted a bit.

Whisky to warm up:
Adelphi Fascadale 12 year old. A nice and surprisingly fruity Clynelish bottling. It did have a bit of the Clynelish greasiness and waxiness, but the focus was heavily on the fruit. First fill bourbon barrels would be my guess. A lovely dram.

1st course:
Smoked salmon with a whisky glaze, bannock bread and tiny raw asparagus. The whisky accompanying it was a 12 year old Bowmore by Berry Brothers and Rudd. The salmon was great with the heavy flavours of the bannock bread counteracting the salty flavours. The whisky was an easy pick since Bowmore and smoked salmon always work.

Whisky: ****, Combination: ****

2nd course:
Fresh and rather chunky paté of at least pork and beef, an orange marmalade and rocket. I personally don’t care much for rocket but the orange and paté was a match made in heaven. Absolutely loved it. The whisky that was served was a 19 year old Springbank, again by Berry’s. The whisky was heavy, but so were all the flavours in the dish. The orange was incredibly sweet without becoming sugary, so it did a bit to offset the thick paté and booze. Good stuff!

Whisky: ****, Combination: ****

3rd course:
Two preparations of lamb with sheppard’s pie, and Jerusalem Artichocke (I had to look that up). With it came a seven year old Glentauchers. The lamb was great with the table being divided which preparation was better. The whisky was a bit less so. It didn’t show much depth and in general was considered ‘not so good’. Still pretty okay for a seven year old, but I don’t really see why this was bottled.

Whisky: *, Combination: **

4th course:
Lemon curd tarte with merengue, served with a sauce of lemon and ginger. The whisky was Wemyss’s Ginger Compote. An easy pick since a very deciding flavour is in the name. The tarte was absolutely terrific with a rather large blast of acidity from the lemon (I love lemon). The sauce had ginger in it which I barely picked up, mostly because the whisky had blown all ginger-appreciating taste buds to smithereens. It did match quite well though. I still, however, don’t really know why there was vanilla ice on the plate though.

Whisky: **, Combination: ***

So, concluding: The food was great. I love the restaurant and should go there more often. The first three whiskies were good too, but the latter two I wasn’t a big fan of. Still, the combination with food, drinking whisky with friends and all that is reason enough to book a ticket next year. A great afternoon was had by all!

Posted in Bowmore, Clynelish, Glentauchers, Springbank, Undisclosed | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lagavulin 21, 2012 edition, 52%

Posted on 1 May 2013 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

This was the dram I was waiting for. The one that made me say “I am going to this tasting, no matter what. I tried the old Lagavulin 21 from a couple of samples a few years ago and a new one was spectacular news. Until you heard about the equally spectacular price, that is.

I heard from my father in law (and others) that a single cask 19 year old was part of the warehouse tasting and that was a stunning dram, so everybody was hoping the new 21 year old would be anything like that.

Lagavulin 21 (sold out at Master of Malt)

Lagavulin 21 (sold out at Master of Malt)

Sniff:
At first I was surprised by how timid it was. It might have to do with the previous dram, that belter of a Kilchoman. I got hints of light peat and lightness in general. The feeling was light I mean, the scens themselves were rather heavy. Leather and Lapsang Souchong tea. A little tar and fishing nets. Also lemon and blood orange, for added freshness. Some iodine too, and some spices, but I can’t really pinpoint which.

Sip:
Light and lemony, with lemon curd too. There’s some peppery heat in there with mostly white pepper. Also heather, peat and smoke, a touch of salt and brine as well. The tea flavour is back again but not so much Lapsang Souchong as Earl Grey. Very gentle with me searching for the heavier Lagavulin flavours. Some are there, some aren’t.

Swallow:
Tea, heather and a long lasting sense of dry, cracking leather, peatsmoke and a bonfire. Charcoal maybe. The lemon is present too.

This dram is so much more gentle than I expected that, at first, I had trouble really appreciating it’s complexity. I had to taste it again and I think it’s place after the Kilchoman wasn’t optimal. I do think, compared to the earlier release from 2007, this one is too gentle. I understand older whisky tends to get that way, but I feel that for a € 500 bottle I have to work too hard to find the flavours I like and appreciate it.

Having said that, it still is a damn delicious dram, but maybe just a tad too light.

Lagavulin 21, 2012 Diageo Premium Releases, 52%, around € 500 I guess.

Thanks to Rob for letting me take my leftovers in a sample bottle. I was driving so couldn’t finish anything and I really wanted to try this one again!

Posted in Lagavulin | Tagged , , | 1 Comment