Malt Fascination

To stay on the same topic of disliking something first and liking it whenever you try it again, Hans Offringa was slightly offended by my rant about JD’s Tennessee Honey. A whiskey liquer I tasted in a hot motel in Fallon, Nevada. Sitting on a bed, drinking it from a paper cup.

I admit that circumstances were not optimal, but I was pretty sure I did whatever I could to give it a proper shot. Still, he brought me another sample last February and I just HAD to try it again in a more appropriate setting.

Nose:
A lot fuller than I remember and it doesn’t have the scent of wet cardboard. Sharper and spicier too which I find surprising for something this smooth. Honey of course, pretty floral. Wood, cinnamon and bread pudding. Rather fruity after a minute with soft and sweet peaches. It does becomes drier and spicier after a few minutes.

Taste:
The palate is still very doughy, like I found it the first time around. It still has the honey/sugar glaze from old fashioned doughnuts. Far, far better than I remember with loads of crusty icing sugar and quite a bit drier too. In a very good way. Tastes more of booze than of syrup.

I really enjoyed a lot of those the last time I was in the States

Finish:

The finish is more in the Jack Daniel’s style with proper whiskey flavours and some wood too. The honey glaze is omnipresent but I find candied lemon rind as well and powdered coconut.

I have to admit, I like this stuff. A lot. It’s not whiskey but it’s a very nice change of pace and I can see this going very well with desserts. Ice cream, pecan pie, that kind of stuff. I also really enjoy the fact that it still tastes quite a bit like whiskey and didn’t give up much quality to add the honey liquer.

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey, OB, 35%, € 30, available at The Whisky Exchange.

Lady Luck. Low rated initially, but actually a rather stunning dram. Was I insane?

Today I was cleaning out my leftover-sample-shelf. Usually, when I taste a sample I leave some for another day, mostly because I don’t want to drink too much and I might spill it (which would leave nothing, if poured at once). This practice netted me a small shelf of opened and tasted samples, probably around 60 or so.

The last couple of weeks on weekend days that we’re at home and the mrs. being pregnant, she likes to go for naps. Which gives me an hour or so to sit my ass down in my (now fairly cramped) whisky room. While I was pondering which dram to drink I decided to ease my thoughts with a left over sample. A plan was hatched to keep doing that until I cleaned them out.

While doing this I came to certain revelations. The most significant (and almost only whisky related revelation) was that my palate is changing significantly. Not only when I think back six or seven years, but also about six months to a year. Some of the other revelations were that I also like absinthe and should try more, and that I should be finishing the baby room or doing something more useful with my time.

This might have to do with the fact that it’s summer now (or what passes for summer in The Netherlands) and maybe a change of interest (peat, floral, fruity and so on).

I found this to be the case today with Compass Box’s Lady Luck and Zuidam’s 8 year old American Oak single malt. When I reviewed them initially I gave them both a single star. Today however, the Zuidam would’ve been three stars and Lady Luck at least four. What the f… happened here?

As I sat pondering this rather blunt but accurate question I realized that this might have to do with expectations, reputations and all kinds of mood related stuff. Sometimes I’m just not in the right mind for a certain dram. Zuidam disappointed me in the past (single malt-wise, their rye and genevers are stunning). I can’t make anything from the Lady Luck rating than a complete screw-up.

What’s even weirder is that this doesn’t happen the other way around. I never taste anything that I loved before that just doesn’t do the trick now. It might be that I’ve gotten used to it after an entire bottle, or that the sample has gone bad, but I never find I have to lower a score.

What does this mean for me and my reviews? Not much I guess. This stuff happens sometimes and while I try to be consistent and reliable, mostly towards myself, I do slip apparently. I might just have to keep samples back and review things I don’t like once more before posting it. Sounds like a not so bad plan, actually. Drinking more whisky…

Diego Sandrin is an Italian whisky fanatic and musician who has a knack for Laphroaig, or so it seems. He experimented in 2008 with a few Laphroaig Cask Strength at 55.7%.

He bought a massive stash of those and finished them in Italian wine casks. His first batch happened in 2008 and were finished in Raboso, Fragolino and Clinto casks for a year. While these have most likely been very interesting drams, I have tried his second batch which came out at the end of 2010 (or maybe very early 2011). These were finished in Carmenere, Lancelotta and a second cask of Raboso.

Laphroaig 10 ‘Lancelotta’, 55.7% ‘Diego Sandrin’
The nose started with some mineral scented smoke. There’s a small hint of iodine, and some more smoke and heather. Pretty standard for Laphroaig, in my opinion. The wine influence becomes very prominent after a few seconds and gives a very full fruitiness with the clear earthiness of red wine. The palate is pretty sharp, rich and full with sweet wine and smoke. The finish is not too long and winds down pretty quickly. I do get a very strong hint of pineapple and smoke after which the wine reappears.

Laphroaig 10 ‘Carmenere’, 55.7% ‘Diego Sandrin’
The aroma of this one is even fuller than the Lancelotta, and somewhat less sharp. More wine influence, more red fruit, with chocolate and a solid earthiness. There’s also a hint of mint. On the palate it was sharper than I expected, with fruit and some licorice root. A little too sweet for me and the wine becomes very prominent after a few seconds. The finish is more smoky than the palate and nose but everything is rather subdued.

Laphroaig 10 ‘Raboso 2’, 55.7% ‘Diego Sandrin’
Very comparable to the previous one, in my opinion with the same full wine influence of fruit and cocoa. The mint is gone, though. It is a bit cheesy, however. A hint of leather pops up too. The flavours I would not be able to distinct between the second one and this one. On the finish it’s a bit sharper, and more Laphroagy. More smoke, pepoper and light fruit.

While I find it a very interesting experiment, I think it’s a bit like what Bruichladdich does with all its weird casks. Interesting, but I understand why Laphroaig doesn’t do this themselves. The whiskies become very interesting to taste a few times, but I wouldn’t buy a bottle of any of them. Kudos for doing cool stuff with whisky, though!

The Scotch Whisky Association: A group of people who try to protect the integrity and interest of Scotch whisky around the world. Or, as they say:

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) promotes, protects and represents the interests of the industry in Scotland and around the world.

In current times they are getting a lot of flak for what they are doing, but also quite some credits. What they do from my point of view:

• Try to ban fake ‘Scotch’ from being sold.
• Protect what can be called Scotch whisky.
• Guard what can and cannot be done to produce whisky.

In a way, I am very glad that such an organization exists. I don’t think it’s quite that important within Europe, since the rules of what can and cannot be sold as Scotch whisky are pretty clear and quite strict. In other parts of the world where counterfeiting products is a more valid business plan, it is far more important. ‘Scotch’ whisky in a can produced in Panama, fake ‘Johnnie Worker’ in China. Such products are sued on copywright and trademark infrigement.

They also try to make rules about what can and cannot be called whisky in Europe. This is where my enthousiasm is decreasing rapidly. They have decreed (and gotten their decree into law) that spirit has to mature for at least 3 years, in an oak cask, in Scotland, bottled at no less than 40% ABV and be made out of grains. For single malt it has to be only barley, and be produced in a pot still. There are also some rules about ABV at the moment of distilling and casking.

What I don’t like is that they also decree what can be done during maturation, which woods can be used and such. A whisky producer is not allowed to use anything else than oak. You cannot add staves to the cask, you cannot use other wood types, you cannot infuse with any other ingredients.

The famous story of Compass Box’s ‘The Spice Tree’ with added staves to the cask seems strange. You cannot add other ingredients, I accept that partially. But a stave is not an ingredient. It is an agent for maturation. It is taken out after maturation. It is still a cask in which the whisky matures. I see absolutely no harm in that. Stranger still is the fact that something completely foreign like colouring caramel (e150a) is allowed.

Then there is Loch Lomond. They have produced Single Malt whisky in a copper still (the old definition) since they opened. Since 2008 the law has changed (thanks to the SWA) from a ‘copper still’ to a ‘copper pot still’. Loch Lomond uses a copper column still. So a brand that produced Single Malt is all of a sudden no longer producing that. What the hell is happening there?

Blended Malt is another one of these weird things they’ve been able to push through. It used to be called Pure Malt, or Vatted Malt. This because it was a vatting of malt whisky. You have single malt, and blended whisky. Now, something that everybody was perfectly okay with has to be called blended malt. A combination of the term which is confusing more people than it helps.

I find that all this nitpicking is prohibiting innovation in the Scotch whisky industry. Almost all innovation has been in wood management with weird casks being used. This is particularly true since most Scottish distillers are terrified of not being able to put the word whisky on a label (Compass Box Orangerie excluded).

Something else that’s strange: While they are killing most agreeable plans within Scotland, they seem to have absolutely no problem with the French (or Corsican) P&M Pure Malt Whisky, which is made from a beer mash that includes chestnut flour. Technically that isn’t whisky, and even further from the definition of malt whisky.

In the USA there are similar rules which in some cases are even more strict, but there the companies are less terrified of the whiskey stigma. Wasmund’s produces Copper Fox Rye. Not Rye Whiskey, mind you! They use refill barrels (not allowed) and apple wood chips (not allowed). What they then do is just not call it whiskey. Problem solved. Highly interesting product (I’ve ordered a bottle from here). Jim Beam does the same with their Red Stag (Black Cherry infused) and Wild Turkey does this with their Sherry Signature.

So in the end I’m not sure whether the SWA is a good way to go. They do a lot of good work but I think they should focus on banning fake and counterfeit products, the misuse of the word Scotch, but not try to prohibit innovation. I think the Scotch whisky industry is in some points far too focused on traditions from 200 years ago. This is of course not only the SWA’s fault, but they’re a big part of it.

Then there is also a lot of discussion that the SWA is more or less an extension of Diageo’s wishes and focuses too much on the benefits to the mega corporations. I don’t like that idea either, but don’t have any concrete examples of it.

On August 3 I started blogging again on this here site. Last year I celebrated the first anniversary with a BYO tasting in our back yard, but this year I want to make it a bit of a bigger happening.

Therefore I am in the middle of getting a location and organizing a barbecue to go with it. To make everything happen I need about 20 guys. The maximum is more or less set at 40, but a few more won’t hurt anyone.

This party will happen on the evening of Saturday August 4th, in Krommenie in a scouting group’s hideout, a 20 minute walk from the train station. All of this will cost each attendee about € 15 and that includes the food, water to flush glasses and such and the location. Inlcuding bonfire in the late evening.

If you are interested, please let me know in email, on Twitter or Facebook or in the comments! I will continue renting the location and hosting the stuff when I hit 20 people.

I need as many people as possible to make this happen. Maybe even turn it in to an annual event!

1. a BYO tasting
2. bbq
3. bonfire
4. loads of cool people
5. loads of good whisky

What else could you want?

Port Askaig is/was a series of Caol Ila whiskies (unnamed, but pretty obvious) from Specialty Drinks Ltd. in London. The momma company of The Whisky Exchange and behind brands like Single Malts of Scotland and Elements of Islay.

About two years ago they released the first 3 whiskies in the Port Askaig range. Very affordable and highly rated in many reviews. At that point in time I didn’t buy any since I had just blown my budget on other stuff. Fortunately, I got to taste some variants here and there and found I especially liked the 25 year old.

A year or so after the initial release they followed the CS, 17, 25 and 30 with a 19 year old at 45.8%. For some reason Talisker’s fallback ABV is gaining popularity with other bottlers.

Nose:
Sharp smoke hit my nostrils first, followed by a medicinal scent of iodine. After that aromas of hay, dry grass and burnt heather were present.

Taste:
On the palate I got a pretty nice surprise of a lot more depth than I expected after the OK-but-not-great nose. Lemon, orange, heather, honey, salt, medicinal smoke. The oily and milky flavours I associate with Caol Ila were present too. It goes back to being standard Islay category whisky with the smoke making a come-back. Peat and heather. I truly reminds me of the windblown shores of Islay.

Finish:
Lemon again, but sweeter. More like lemon curd. Vanilla, grass, heather, smoke, peat and a hint of wood make up the finish. Medium of length means it’s a nice end to a very nice whisky.

This might my favourite of the range so far. I hope there will be more like this since the depth of flavour on the palate is not something I encounter all too often in unnamed Islay whiskies. Especially not in this price range (which is quite affordable for the quality you’re getting).

I have to thank the guys at The Whisky Exchange for sending me a sample, and I have to offer my apologies for waiting more than a year before writing a proper review of this dram!

Port Askaig Harbour, 19yo, Specialty Drinks Ltd., 45.8%, available at The Whisky Exchange for 60 quid.

I found a wee sample of this in my stash and didn’t know I had it. I think I have to thank Govert, the regular Longmorn supplier, for it. I should be deeply ashamed of forgetting such things, I guess.

I wanted to write about the Book of Kells bottlings here, but then I looked closer at the label and found out it was an entirely different series of which I have never heard before. Great. This one was bottled for last year’s Limburg Whisky Fair, in The Dram Taker’s series and distilled in 1963, which makes it 48 years old. Stunning.

Nose:

Image from Whiskybase.

The sherry notes are lighter than expected. Further more it is a very old school whisky with light fruity notes but also shoe polish, leather and waxed furniture. Plums and pickled fruits are present too.

Taste:
The palate has a wee bit more sherry than I expected from the nose with quite some wood and wood spices. Leather, coffee and more and more fruit. Stone fruits to be exact, like peaches, juicy nectarines and apricots. Both dried and fresh.

Finish:
The boat load of fruit is still present, but the feints have a bit of a comeback too. Some chocolate is added to the mix, with furniture polish. Very nice and very rich.

This is exactly why I like old Strathisla. I don’t even think it’s the age that does all the tricks, but I expect old distilling regimes also do their bit. It’s quite feinty, but with all the sherry fruitiness going on it’s exactly right! Stunning stuff!

Strathisla 48, The Dram Taker’s, Gordon & MacPhail, 21-02-1963 – 24-03-2011, 51.8%, single cask #576, about € 300 when it was available.

One of the older Rittenhouses which I bought last year in San Francisco, and decided to properly taste on the 4th of July. Independence day calls for American booze, right?

I already popped the cork once before when Anneke and I told her parents that we were expecting a baby, almost 4 months ago and that was a memorable night. Mostly because of the news, but the whiskey helped at least a little bit!

Rittenhouse is produced by the Heaven Hill Distilleries company, which also makes a massive amount of other spirits.

Nose:
I have the feeling I can smell the barley, rye and corn separately at first. I also find icing sugar, brown sugar, oak and sandal wood. It has a bit of an oriental feel to it. Then I get strawberries, honey and a tad of vinegar. The corn takes a bit of dominance with rye bread. Later some flowers and grass pop up. Rose water I think.

Taste:
Slightly burning like engine oil. Dry and grassy with strawberries, plums and apricot. White grapes, rye and corn bread again. The engine oil bit sounds weird but is actually a very interesting note and makes for a very diverse palate. The taste gets gentle quickly.

Finish:
A slight revival with thick corn and spicy rye. The spices come up now, more than before. They were there however. Slightly dry, very long with straw, and treacle.

A damn fine dram. It has absolutely everything I seek in a rye whisky. Fruit, spices, grains, and lots of interesting other notes. It’s stronger than many other Americans, but still very accessible which makes every sip give you some new flavours.

Rittenhouse 23, 50%, I bought it for $180 or so in some random liquor store last year. It’s also available at De Whiskykoning for € 199.

I almost forgot about this post! And that after a true beer heavy month with even a brewery visit in it. Shame on me!

Emelisse White Label: Ardbeg Barrel Aged Imperial Russian Stout
Very ashy, very Ardbeggy. Great stout background.

Emelisse Espresso Stout
A very very decent espresso stout that ticks all boxes

Jopen Jacobus Rye Pale Ale
A Dutch take on the Farmhouse IPA. A bit more gentle, but more rye like too.

Meantime Coffee Porter
The brother of their Chocholate Porter. I prefer that one, but it’s nice to taste what the difference does.

Emelisse White Label: Glen Elgin Barrel Aged Imperial Russian Stout
Much more smooth than the Ardbeg cask. Almost velvety, which makes it incredibly delicious. An indulgence.

Emelisse DIPA
Very decent Double IPA. It makes me wonder what their TIPA will be like!

Emelisse Imperial Russian Stout
The backbone of the barrel aged versions. The thickness is already there, but the wood contact adds a layer of sweetness.

Struise Brouwers Pannepot Reserva Vintage 2005
Not oxidized, and quite delicious. VERY cheap for 3 bucks.

Birra Del Borgo & Dogfish Head My Antonia
My first BDB beer and a delicious one at that. Wouldn’t mind to have more of those, but 10 bucks is pretty expensive.

Birrifico di Lambrate Ghisa
Another Italian one. Stout, pretty good. Not much to say, but worth trying.

Ramses Shire Stout
I prefer this one Ola Dubh (below) mostly because it’s more wallet friendly. Delicious barrel aged stout.

Harviestoun Ola Dubh 40 Year Special Reserve
Great flavours, but not worth a tenner. The 40 year old Highland Park casks don’t add that much, apart from cash going to the shop.

Proefbrouwerij Prearis Quadrupel
A homebrew by a bar in Brugge. Pretty good flavours. Not too sweet, which I expected.

The Teapot Dram was born out of history. Some years ago the distillery shared drams to employees during the day (coffee, lunch and tea breaks, I believe). If you didn’t want it or didn’t finish it you poured it in a teapot standing on the table. Hence, this dram. Of course, this isn’t that exact dram, but a vatting of several casks, which would have been the case back then too.

Nose:
LOTS of sherry. Of course, this is given away by the color, but still. This should be size 48 bold SHERRY. Quite a bit of cocoa too. Oh, and did I tell you that it has lots of sherry? Christmas cake, candied tropical fruits. Not bad, but not really ‘whisky’. A tad too sherried for me. Oh, a bit of caramel too.

Taste:
Quite sharp (at 58.8% not a real surprise). Fruit, chili pepper and some spices. Cloves, mostly. Something a little nutty as well. And sherry of course. Who’d have thought.

Finish:
The finish is when it starts to balance out a little bit, with a bit of dry wood. Hazelnuts are in the mix here, with the sherry. Quite long.

I’m on two thoughts here. On one hand, it’s a nice specialty Glengoyne of which you don’t see many affordable ones (this one sets you back 50 quid). On the other hand, it’s way too sherried, which I find more GlenGoynes to be. It really overpowers all others flavours and this I don’t like.

Glengoyne Teapot Dram, 58.8%, 50 pounds at the distillery and shouldn’t be hard to get elsewhere.