Top drams of 2012

Posted on 29 December 2012 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Just as I did last year, the last week of December is spent on reviewing everything that’s happened during this solar orbit. Yesterday I listed my favorite records of 2012, and today it’s time for the top whiskies.

Again, like last year, I will note the most memorable stuff instead of browsing for the highest scoring dram, since that is too subjective. So here goes nothing:

  • Glenfarclas 1953, 58yo
    I was incredibly surprised (and still am) that I was privileged to taste this. A dram that belies its age and tastes rather fresh, but hugely complex and one you can go back to every day and find new flavours. Stunning, and stunning to be sent a sample.
  • Johnnie Walker Black Label, bottled in 1958
    By far the best blended whisky I tried this year. It has so much more depth than current versions. It will probably give many a single malt a run for its money.
  • Glenturret 1977, Master of Malt
    I got this for my birthday after trying a sample. Absolutely lovely stuff with huge depth and complexity. And one of the fine examples of the very best value for money bottlings from Master of Malt.
  • BenRiach 1976 for the Usquebaugh Society. Image from Whiskybase

    BenRiach 1976 for the Usquebaugh Society. Image from Whiskybase

    Karuizawa 1982 First Fill Bourbon cask, bottled by No. 1 Drinks for TWE
    Maybe the first bourbon cask I tasted from Karuizawa and a stunning one it is. It does show my shift towards bourbon casks, but this should score 5 stars in anyone’s book.

  • Longmorn 1968, Gordon & MacPhail Reserve
    I tasted the entire series of five releases early this year and this is the one I prefer the most. Probably because it’s very Clynelish-y, but old Longmorn is very very good if they bottled it before it got too woody. This one wasn’t, and had all great qualities of Longmorn with fruity and woody sherry, but with an extra touch of beeswax and leather rain coats.
  • BenRiach 1976, Bottled for the Usquebaugh Society
    One of the most recent additions to my collection and I was smart enough to also buy a sample so I could taste it before I popped the cork of the big bottle. Stunning whisky and one of the best BenRiachs I’ve every tried. Fruity, with lots of spices and not tasting too old. They don’t make them like this anymore.
  • Balvenie Tun 1858
    A special release for the Taiwanese market that we had the incredible privilege of tasting at Maltstock. I don’t exactly recall how it tastes, but I do remember it’s damn good. Unfortunately, you can only get it far away, and even then it’s friggin’ expensive.

I probably have forgotten many many drams that I’ve tried over the last 12 months, but so be it. Maybe if I took the time to review my entire notebook or Excel file I might find some others.

I know other memorable drams: Strathisla 48, a lot of Balvenies at a Sam Simmons masterclass, a to be released Springbank by Master of Malt, Benrinnes 14 by the same Master of Malt, other old Longmorns, a lot of drams in Limburg and so on and so forth.

Posted in - Blended Whisky, - Japanese Whisky, Balvenie, BenRiach, Glenfarclas, Glenturret, Karuizawa, Longmorn | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Music in 2012

Posted on 28 December 2012 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Every year I try to look back at things that I’ve found interesting. This is almost limited to booze only, but I still really like to buy CDs. Saying this makes me feel like a dinosaur, but I still play them. Like to feel something when I spend money instead of spending money on downloads or something.

This year I’ve bought 25 records, and I’m still thinking of adding a few more that are on the wishlist. I’m only counting stuff that was released this year. I’ve tried to boil it down to a top 10, which meant kicking 15 out and I don’t think I will ever stop doubting and shifting up and down the list, so here it goes.

First Aid Kit10: First Aid Kit – The Lion’s Roar

A new artist to me, but one that has not been far from the stereo since it’s release early this year. Biggest drawback is that the best two songs are the first two songs. It makes you forget how cool the rest of the record is.

Martha Wainwright9: Martha Wainwright – Come Home to Mama

Someone that has been near the top ten ever since her first record. So far my favorite is her Edith Piaf record, but this one summarizes her other records nicely.

Regina Spektor8: Regina Spektor – What we saw from the Cheap Seats

Someone I’ve learned to love since her previous record a few years ago. Kind of geeky, with exceptionally geeky songs. Absolutely lovely.

The xx7: The xx – Coexist

A bit droning and sounding more depressing than it actually is, this one can be on repeat half a day without getting boring. It helps me concentrate even.

Sharon van Etten6: Sharon van Etten – Tramp

Also something that was released really early in 2012. I never enjoyed the previous records but this one is a bit more epic in it’s approach. I like that.

Lord Huron5: Lord Huron – Lonesome Dreams

Weird, swelling and flowing. It sometimes even sounds rather tinny. I’m not even sure if it’s officially out yet, but it’s on Spotify and I’ve put in a preorder. It got me from the first time I heard a song on NPR’s All Songs Considered.

Mountain Goats4: The Mountain Goats – Transcendental Youth

I’ve liked the Mountain Goats a bit before, but never like this. A stunning record with spectacular songwriting. It feels a bit like a 2012 version of Neutral Milk Hotel’s ‘In the Aeroplane over the Sea’ from 1998.

Patrick Watson3: Patrick Watson – Adventures in your own Backyard

Also a familiar artist that surprised me. I saw him at Lowlands some years ago but his record never got to me. This one, however, is absolutely beautifully written and orchestrated.

Beth Orton2: Beth Orton – Sugaring Season

A fairly recent release. I never liked Beth Orton, apart from her contribution to Leonard Cohen’s ‘I’m your Man’ tribute thingy. This one, however, has that same quality with great lyrics that work very well with Orton’s rather hoarse voice.

Calexico1: Calexico – Algiers

For some reason none of the songs on Calexico’s new record stand out. The records in it’s entirety is absolutely terrific though. It helps that the extra record in the special edition is not just three songs but an entire live set with an orchestra. I love the Americana feeling of Calexico and it transports me right back to the deserts of Arizona and southern California.

Of course the other ones should be mentioned as well so here’s the other 20 something records from 2012 that I haven’t bought yet or just didn’t make the top 10. In no particular order:

  • Grizzly Bear – Shields
  • Julia Stone – By the Horns
  • Kishi Bashi – 151a
  • Anais Mitchell – Young Man in America
  • Shearwater – Animal Joy
  • Best Coast – The Only Place
  • Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas
  • Cat Power – Sun
  • Lambchop – Mr. M
  • The Shins – Port of Morrow
  • M. Ward – A Wasteland Companion
  • Jack White – Blunderbuss
  • The Tallest Man on Earth – There’s no Leaving now
  • Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls
  • The Jezabels – Prisoner
  • Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do
  • Marissa Nadler – The Sister
  • Tindersticks – The Something Rain
  • Olafur Arnalds – Another Happy Day
  • Hillary Hahn – Silfra
  • Cowboy Junkies – The Wilderness
  • Beach House – Bloom
  • Band of Horses  – Mirage Rock
  • Animal Collective – Centipede Hz
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TNT – Left Hand Brewing Company

Posted on 27 December 2012 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The first new beer I’ve tried in ages. I got this as part of my Christmas booze, hoping I would have time to drink it during the holidays (Yes, plural. In the Netherlands we have two days of Christmas). I always forget that I’m always the designated driver and my family lives half the country away.

TNT

TNT

Anyway, this brew is a weird one. It had been sitting at Drinks & Gifts for ages and I never got around to buying it, and Christmas was just an excuse I guess. It’s a Weizen Doppelbock, brewed with Lapsang Souchong tea.

So the checklist. I like

  • Lapsang Souchong tea
  • Weizen beer
  • Smoked beer
  • Almost any beer that starts with doppel, dubble or imperial.

I’m usually not a big fan of Bock beers, but hey, trying can never hurt. It comes in massive 22 oz. bottles so I’ve been working on it for a few hours (in between Baldur’s Gate, diapers, feeding the wee one and such).

Sniff:
On the nose I get mostly the scents of a rather flat weizen beer. There are hints of tea, but more in a ginseng ice tea kind of way than Lapsang Souchong. There’s malty hints, but not barley (which is correct, it’s a wheat beer). There’s chocolaty notes too.

Sip & Swallow:
It’s rather crisp which I didn’t expect. A little dry too with some strange fruity tones. No real big flavours that pop out. The flavours remain forever, which is quite nice, but I still can’t wrap my head around the combination of what’s going on.

It’s a nice experiment, but I have the feeling the tea watered the beer down a bit too much. And they didn’t use the most smokey variety of Lapsang Souchong, which I dislike.

Stats:

  • ABV: 7.90%
  • IBU: 20
  • Malts: Malted Wheat, Premium 2-row, Munich and Chocolate Wheat
  • Hops: Warrior and Perle
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BTC sample 18 – Speyburn 22, 50%

Posted on 24 December 2012 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The final sample of the Blind Tasting Competition. It has been a fun ride with a few highs and many shameful lows. There have been quite a few whiskies for which I scored 0 points. (including this one). Many whiskies were okay, and some were delicious. Apart from the Ben Nevis there were none disgusting.

If the guys who run the competition are reading this: I’m in for next year! One of the most fun things to do during December!

Sniff:

Speyburn - Gordon & MacPhail

Speyburn – Gordon & MacPhail

Light and floral with quite some wood influence. The flowery notes with grass and straw are most the dominant. Heather flowers. There’s a hint of white pepper and I get more vanilla blossom than vanilla.

Sip:
More spicy than I expected with heaps of white pepper. The woodiness makes it a bit sharp and again there’s heather, straw, grass. After a bit it gets very gentle. Very gentle in a puppy kind of way.

Swallow:
The finish is long and rather flavourful. Dried flowers and grass with some lemongrass as well.

I wanted to go for a Linlithgow/St. Magdalene because of the (I thought) obvious Lowlands notes. Unfortunately, that one was not on the list, so out went my guess. I went for a random other Lowlander that I thought was possible. I put in Ladyburn and picked a Rare Ayrshire cask by Signatory. Boy was I wrong.

It turned out to be a 22 year old Speyburn bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in that series that’s only available in the shop in Elgin. So no points for ABV, region or distillery, neither on age. 0 points. Bummer.

Oh, and this is not a bottle I would purchase. Many guys in the competition really liked it but it’s not my cup of tea.

Posted in Linlithgow, Speyburn, St. Magdalene | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

BTC sample 17 – Clynelish 1982, 53.7%

Posted on 23 December 2012 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The penultimate sample in the competition. All chances of winning are long gone but that is nothing I didn’t expect. I like to taste whisky and I can remember drams by description. Remembering by taste is something I find really hard and figuring out which distillery is which based on flavours of drams I’ve never tasted is neigh impossible.

Sniff:

Clynelish 1982 by Malts of Scotland. Image from Whiskybase

Clynelish 1982 by Malts of Scotland. Image from Whiskybase

A little bit strangely meaty, but in those older bourbon cask whiskies that is something I can really appreciate. Just as in this one. Barley, resin and burnt butter. Dried apple as well, with a very good version of cork.

Sip:
Full, rich and warming. Rather dry as well, with dried apple. A certain resinous spiciness that gets a bit sharper if you let it swim for a bit.

Swallow:
The finish gives more red fruit, like strawberry. Very long flavours with cappuccino and creamy caramel on the brink of being bitter.

I guessed it was an Inchgower 1982 by Duncan Taylor I tasted, but it turned out to be a very good Clynelish. Luckily, the year actually was 1982 and that got me most points.

Definetly a stunning dram, and one that I wouldn’t having a bottle of. Or two.

Posted in Clynelish | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

BTC sample 16 – Highland Park 25, 48.1%

Posted on 22 December 2012 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Thinking ahead is what I was doing yesterday. Tonight I can’t taste my sample so I was kind of happy when I thought of that yesterday, so I could take some time for today’s sample too. Unfortunately, I was having such a good time tasting a dram that by 11.20 PM Anneke asked me if I ever filled in yesterday’s guess. Which I forgot. I’m an ass. L’Hollande, zero points.

Sniff:

Highland Park 25

Highland Park 25

Very beefy sherry, with charcoal and Christmas cake (the dough part). Massive amounts of wood. At first I was a bit put off by it, but after a few minutes it started being rather delicious. Stewed dried fruits, plums, sandalwood.

Sip:
Again, the beefy, greasy sherry with European oak. Lots and lots of oak. Raisins, dried plums but I also start getting some balsamic vinegar with strawberries. On the verge of being too beefy sherried.

Swallow:
A long and woody finish. Sandalwood, dried fruits, plums, raisins, everything comes together here. There’s a certain spice mix in there too that I can’t put my finger on. Allspice and then some.

I was going to go for a Longmorn, around 20 years old at about 50% ABV. When I saw the results, I wasn’t too upset, since I would probably have scored about 1 points out of a hundred. I find this very overly sherried for the Highland Park bottlings that I know, which comes as a surprise. A delicious whisky nonetheless, but on the verge of losing it.

The Highland Park 25 is available at Master of Malt for € 183

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BTC sample 15 – Glenmorangie 15, 56.1%

Posted on 21 December 2012 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The end is near and I’ve been gathering at least some points over the last few days. Before that it was utter crap when I finally got to a half decent position. The scores on average are a little bit higher than they were last year, so everybody has a bit more points. Does this mean we’re getting better at this or are the chosen whiskies less obscure?

Sniff:

Glenmorangie 15, 56.1%

Glenmorangie 15, 56.1%

Lots of vanilla cream and custard. Wood and alcohol, but there’s something fresh in the background too. Nutmeg, ginger and other spices and herbs. Lots of bourbon influence and I even think I can taste the bourbon corn sweetness in there. Autumnal with fallen leaves as well, with pepper and caramel kicking in a bit later.

Sip:
Lots of pepper and that bourbon sweetness again. Autumn leaves, vanilla and sweet juicy pears. Very warm, very tasty. Sweet honey and some beeswax.

Swallow:
It quickly smoothes out but does have a sharp edge to it. It’s just not as burning as you’d expect from some cask strength whiskies. Honey deserts, baklava en very, very late there’s a hint of lemon. The beeswax is there again too.

Greta Garbo

Greta Garbo

What I picked up on was the waxy bit and that sent me towards Clynelish. The rest of the profile fit that distillery as well, although it is one of the most inconsistent ones I know. I missed the herbal note that, in hindsight, is present with mint and such. That would have made it a bit more clear I guess.

It turned out to be another SMWS bottle, a Glenmorangie this time. It’s called Greta Garbo, but I don’t know why exactly. I put in the Whiskyman’s Clynelish, 15 years old, 53.5%. I knew I didn’t pick the exact correct one, since the alcohol was too low so in the end I felt kind of dumb for not scoring more points… It would have been in the margin though.

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BTC sample 14 – Ardbeg 11, 55.4%

Posted on 20 December 2012 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Some part of guessing this one right was easy as it could be. Others, not so much.

Sniff:

Ardbeg 11, 55.4%, SMWS. Image from Whiskybase

Ardbeg 11, 55.4%, SMWS. Image from Whiskybase

A big smack of peat. South Islay style. And I don’t mean Laphroaig either. Salty, briny, sea weed. Heavy actually, as in, not so many light flavours.

Sip:
Definetly cask strength. It bites like a mastiff. Peat, heavy style again. salt, tea, a heavy kind of heather. Vanilla, old lemon, some wood and old cracking leather.

Swallow:
The finish is more gentle than I expected and lasts for a very long time. Peat, the heavy heather again and wood.

Lagavulin? Ardbeg? Lagavulin? Ardbeg? Lagavulin? Ardbeg? I don’t know. It doesn’t match any of the more recent Ardbeg bottlings I’ve tried, and with the heavier style I veer towards Lagavulin, but which one could it be then? There’s no bottlings to be found apart form the distillery’s own. I pick the Lagavulin 12 cask strength from last year.

Of course, I should have known, it was an Ardbeg. 11 years old, bottled for the SMWS and called “Man, that’s braw!”. Refill ex-sherry butt could mean anything apart from that we know there has been sherry in there at some point. Ex-sherry usually means it’s been used for whisky before. Refill means that too. So two whisky runs already? Anyway, 55.4%.

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Port Ellen 1982, Berry Brothers & Rudd

Posted on 19 December 2012 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The first Port Ellen I ever tasted, and the first Port Ellen I ever bought. At this Whisky Live Festival in Leiden, in 2007 I saw this at the Berry’s stand and thought I had to try it. A dram was € 5. After that we walked past the Diageo stand and thought if the 5 buck dram was great, how good must that € 10 official bottling be?! Turned out to be nowhere near as good as the Single Cask one. A friend and I decided we both must have a bottle.

There went my first Christmas bonus. By now it’s time to finish the last few drams that are in there, so I poured myself one and wrote some notes. If I think back to that happy day I am both glad and sad. A bit bitter sweet, since back then a dram of Port Ellen was only a fiver, and happy because I was able to taste such stuff before a random Port Ellen is worth a lot more than € 200…

Sniff:

Port Ellen from Berry's. Image from Whiskybase

Port Ellen from Berry’s. Image from Whiskybase

Shammy leather and lemon candy. Classic Port Ellen. Salty peat with grass and sea water, sand rather fierce. Really delicious but something that makes you want to sit down and marvel at it. Lemon grass and parsley at some point when the sweetness goes into herbs.

Sip:
Sharp and fresh, crisp even. Smoke, salt, brine, a bonfire on the beach. Sandy with leather, lemondrops, vanilla and some green herbs.

Swallow:
The finish is really sharp too, but in such a way you want to enjoy that rollercoaster instead of water it down. Lemon, bonfires, charcoal, peat, grass, straw, lemongrass, parsley and lemon zest.

Damn this is good. I don’t think I have tried another bourbon cask Port Ellen that comes near to this. There are some stunning sherry matured or finished ones, but the typical style is more prominent here. I like that. You can taste the distillery character and there is loads, LOADS of that. I handles water rather well too.

My favorite bourbon cask Port Ellen was bottled by Berry Brothers and Rudd, at 56.1% ABV, in 2007 from cask 2850. It’s available from Jurgen’s Whiskyhuis for € 200

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BTC sample 13 – Glenlossie 19, 51.2%

Posted on 19 December 2012 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Well, my ranking took another Stuka worthy nose dive down, but it’s all about the fun, right?

Sniff:

Glenlossie 19 at Master of Malt

Glenlossie 19 at Master of Malt

A whiff of smoke at first, but after that’s gone it doesn’t come back. Grass, lightly perfumed with lemon and daffodil, dandelion, karamel. It gets sweeter along the way with more vanilla and a little alcohol burn.

Sip:
Rather sharp, with thick greasy vanilla. Farm yard style with straw and mud. A bit minerally with hints of iron, apple and apple peels.

Swallow:
Another vanilla kick. Sharp, greasy, a little burning even. It feels a bit restless, to be honest. Grass, flowers, flower stems, plants and dirt.

This one is all over the place. So restless it doesn’t settle on any profile with it going from light to thick and from delicately perfumy to big vanilla. At first I thought I detected some smoke but that must have been a figment of my imagination.

I guessed it was some Arran, 55.7%, 12yo (just because I found two recent bottlings with that data…) but it turned out to be a Glenlossie 19, bottled by Duncan Taylor at 51.2%. Luckily, nobody else guessed the distillery and I think Glenlossie has never been guessed properly before. Blending fodder, especially in this case. I now know what Rob Stevens meant here that it seems nowadays that all casks have to be bottled as a single cask…

So, from 4th to 17th place in two days. Bummer, again.

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