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Whiskies #382-387: Scotch Malt Whisky Society Winter Tasting

August 13, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Whiskies #382-387: Scotch Malt Whisky Society Winter Tasting. Royal Automobile Club, Sydney. $85.

Since Whisky a Day only recently located from Perth to Sydney a month ago, the first SMWS tasting event was locked into the calendar. Excellently hosted by the SMWS Australian Cellar Master Andrew Derbidge, last night’s tasting was an overview of six of the Society’s latest releases.

Whisky #382: 64.54 Sweet and Tart, Subtle and Delicate. 10 year old bottling from Mannochmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 56.3%.

Colour: Pale straw.
Nose: Pine needles, wood chips, and sherbet.
Palate: Tangy lemon, peppery spice, with some cheesecake flavours to round off.
Finish: White pepper with a long, salty tingle and generous warmth around the mouth. Like the sensation of sucking the lemon after you’ve just downed a shot of good tequila. The oily warmth lingers longer than the flavours, but in a comforting way.

Whisky #383: 35.133 Mediterranean Maharaja goes Americana. 20 year old bottling from Glen Moray Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 55.8%.

Colour: Rich honey.
Nose: It’s a very bourbon-ish nose which hits you immediately. Fennel and spiced mead; sweet oaky notes with some time in the glass.
Palate: Spiced honey, cocoa, sultanas and spiced fruit toast.
Finish: Quite a short, drying finish with some savoury biscuit notes.

Whisky #384: 46.25 Soft, Elegant and Intensely Creamy. 21 year old bottling from Glenlossie Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 46.4%.

Colour: Pale apple juice.
Nose: Fresh apples in a wet hessian sack. Ok, so I got fresh apples and I separately got some wet hessian notes, but seeing as the tasting was being conducted in the Royal Automobile Club where anoraks abound, I thought I’d better combine the two descriptors and really turn the wankiness up to 11. My eminent whisky tasting neighbour Dave picked up notes like walking past a makeup counter through a department store.
Palate: Baked pears, some sweet caramelised flavours too. A cool, creamy mouthfeel; reminds me of fruit salad atop a freshly baked pavlova.
Finish: Passionfruit syrup and vanilla ice-cream. Very light and delicate.
Comments: This was my favourite whisky if the night. Quite a low ABV for a cask strength bottling, but it’s just so easy to drink and keeps begging you back for more. So much so that I ordered a bottle so I could do precisely that.

Whisky #385: 119.14 Raspberry Imperial Stout. 11 year old bottling from Yamazaki Distillery. Japan. ABV: 53.9%.

Colour: Wow. Deep rich toffee. I started enjoying this one long before I picked up the glass.
Nose: It’s a huge sherry bomb, simply divine. It reminds me a lot of the nose you get from some Glendronach malts, particularly the Glendronach Allardice 18 year old and Glendronach 21 year old. Though it’s more intense and syrupy than you’ll find say on the Glendronach 15 year old.
Palate: Syrupy Christmas cake spice, oily mouthfeel. Yes that sounds quite stereotypical for a malt matured in ex sherry casks, but boy is this a fine example of the style. An amazing drop. Some dark chocolate and cherry notes come through too.
Finish: Paradoxically for a syrupy whisky, the finish is quite drying. Huge legs on the glass.
Comments: In a blind tasting, I would have picked this to be a Speyside malt as it is a fine example of the sherried malts so often produced from that region. Yamazaki have done brilliant work with this one.

Whisky #386: 66.66 Ginger Makes Fred Smile. 10 year old bottling from Ardmore Distillery. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 61.9%.

Colour: Pale translucent copper; almost a rosey tinge.
Nose: Flame grilled steak, salted caramel and smoked salmon.
Palate: Smoked ham hock and beef jerky. It’s smokey with a hint of fruity sweetness; reminds me of a slice of juicy pineapple on the BBQ.
Finish: Super long and sumptuous.
Comments: Matured in a first fill white wine hogshead, which is both quite unusual but also an amazing choice for this malt. I enjoyed it so much I ordered a bottle on the spot.

Whisky #387: 3.234 Scallops Cooked on a Puffer Shovel. 16 year old bottling from Bowmore Distillery. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 57.5%.

Colour: Pure gold.
Nose: Caramel popcorn is the first thing that hits. Orange chocolate and soft straw notes too – like a handful of straw thrown on a campfire.
Palate: Salty blackcurrant pastilles and caramelised bacon. Hmmm, bacon… *drool*.
Finish: A building meaty saltiness with a very long, mouthwatering finish.
Comments: An Islay malt from Bowmore that has been perfectly matched to a refill sherry butt to produce those delicious caramelised meaty flavours. Though I think the nose is the winner here, simply divine. Some would say that there’s lots of smoke here both on the nose and on the palate, and they’d be 100% right…for me the smoke is there in droves, but it somehow takes a back seat to the amazing array of other flavours and aromas that are layered here.

Whisky #381 – 2014 Lagavulin 12 Year Old Limited Edition Cask Strength Single Malt

August 10, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

2014 Lagavulin 12 Year Old Limited Edition Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 54.40%. Tasted at my good mate Kiwi’s place, $130 (bottle).

Colour: Crisp, crystal clear gold.

Nose: Sweet meaty notes, like bacon and maple syrup. Light sweet smoke, camphor, buttery prickly ash.

Palate: Sea salt with a buttery lemon tang. Caramelised shellfish, like the flavours you get when you’ve grilled lobster tail or fresh bugs on the BBQ. Full flavoured without being overpowering.

Finish: Quite a long, salty and drying finish; some mocha notes too. With time in the glass the finish also seems to deliver some more smoke & flavours more akin to the Lagavulin 16 year old, yet in a more delicate way. Some residual warmth; powdery cocoa & oaky vanilla notes in the slow, gentle fade.

Comments: A much more crisp and nuanced dram than the Lagavulin 16; a lot less smoke but there is still the expected element of Islay peat that you would hope from a Lagavulin. It’s been matured in American oak rather than ex Sherry casks like its 16 year old stablemate, and bottled at a natural cask strength of 54.4%.

I have to admit I took a while to taste this one, which involved topping up the glass a number of times. In part because it’s quite a smooth yet multi-layered dram that seems to reveal just a little more with each sniff or sip, but also partly because I was enjoying it so much and it’s so easy drinking that I simply got blissfully distracted from the task at hand.

Whisky #380 – Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 6.3 Cask Strength Single Malt

August 3, 2015 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 6.3 Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 64.00%. Tasted at my good friend Kiwi’s place, $298 (bottle).

Colour: Brilliant deep golden.

Nose: Sweet, cool smoke. Vanilla sponge cake, raspberry & dark chocolate. Like the faint whiff of a fireplace burning in a distant cabin on a crisp winter evening in the mountains.

Palate: Intense yet crisp; salty and smokey. Salted caramel and smoked cod. Lemon sorbet notes too; tangy yet a hint of sweetness.

Finish: Long and full. A zesty and salty tang, gently tingling the front of the palate while the flavours linger all around the mouth.

Comments: Octomore 6.3 was a much anticipated expression from Bruichladdich, representing their first release utilising barley grown on the island of Islay. Due to Islay’s harsh climate, the yield from this crop was quite low, so I don’t see this being a movement that Bruichladdich will make for all of their production, but will likely continue for special expressions like the Octomore 6.3. And geez, this is a pretty special dram.

This barley was peated to 258ppm, which is ridiculously high. To put this in perspective, the Octomore 6.1 (which previously held the mantle of the world’s peatiest malt) contains 167 phenol parts per million, whereas a run of the mill Ardbeg 10 year old contains around 55ppm.

Right after tasting the Octomore 6.3 I re-tasted the Octomore 6.1, which is a whisky I came to appreciate more and more over the past 12 months (read: 3 bottles worth). Looking back now, my initial tasting notes from last September don’t do the Octomore 6.1 justice (perhaps because I’d also tried another half dozen whiskies that day). I love the 6.1’s smooth, chocolatey and smokey notes that build, with some delicious caramelised char-grilled meaty flavours. It’s a slightly smoother drop than the 6.3, which is a little more upfront. That said, both Octomores are very much slapping you in the face and bursting with flavour.

Overall, I think I prefer the 6.1 as it’s a little more balanced, but the 6.3 is a brilliant expression with a slightly fuller flavour. Which is a little like comparing two top end Ferraris and saying that one has slightly more horsepower than the other, when in reality you just want to enjoy two magnificent creations of impeccable pedigree.

Three Whiskies with Sirloin & Smoked Cheddar Sauce

June 13, 2015 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Three whiskies with sirloin and a smoked cheddar sauce…it’s a mouthwatering way to spend a quiet night in. Long time readers will know that I love my whisky (obviously) but also fine food and cooking, so the step from tasting a Whisky a Day to exploring whisky & food pairings is a logical one.

For this exercise, seeing as I’m a novice at pairing whisky with food I decided to cook one meal and try it with three contrasting styles of whisky to begin exploring what flavours might work together. I’ve got a fantastic cut of sirloin, then I made the sauce using a smoked cheddar from the Margaret River Dairy Company along with some cream and a few other goodies. These are all whiskies I’ve tasted before, which was a deliberate choice as I’m already familiar with each dram and know what to expect, plus I figured to taste a whisky for the first time and consider the food combination as well might be overcomplicating things a little. So without further ado, let’s get tasting!

Gordon & MacPhail Reserve Highland Park 15 Year Old Single Malt – Exclusively Bottled for Dram Full (Cask No. 4255): The fruity vanilla notes get a bit drowned out by the rich smokiness of the cheddar and salty char-grilled goodness of the steak. But surprisingly, they then come through like a wave. Even when taking a sip of whisky while still having some steak and sauce in my mouth to let the flavours really get to know one another, it’s not a comfortable union. It’s almost like the cheese and whisky are playing tug of war for the attention of my tastebuds. When the cheddar cuts through you get more alcohol notes without the whisky flavour. I love this whisky on its own, but it doesn’t really work with the food here.

Edradour 12 Year Old Caledonia Selection: A much better match – the rich sherry and caramel notes of the whisky balance out the sharpness of the cheddar beautifully. It doesn’t have the alcohol heat come through like the Highland Park. The sweetness complements the charring on the steak brilliantly as well. The Caledonia was the only whisky that I had to go back to get a refill…which should indicate how much I enjoyed this combo!

Kilchoman Machir Bay Single Malt: I have to admit I wasn’t quite sure how this combination would go – a char-grilled steak; a sharp aged cheddar sauce; and then the smokiness of an Islay malt. Does it work? Absolutely!! I think that perhaps because the Machir Bay has some slightly sweeter notes compared to other Islay malts, it definitely works with the steak and smokey cheddar combination. I noted in my original review last year that it didn’t have the peatiness or the meatiness of the really great Islay malts, but for this particular setting with some other dominant flavours it actually compliments the steak and sauce beautifully.

Overall comments: I love my steak, usually accompanied by a big ballsy red wine with lots of flavour and rich fruitiness. We’re lucky here in Australia to have some absolute ball-tearers when it comes to red wine, so the notion of having a whisky with a big juicy steak was a step into the unknown. I think the Edradour Caledonia was definitely the pick of the combinations, though the Kilchoman Machir Bay was a close second. Maybe the sweetness and rich, caramelised fruitiness of the Caledonia was akin to some of the bold, fruity red wines I’d usually go for? To test this theory, as always I might just have to continue the research…

Whisky #359 – Pig’s Nose Blended Scotch Whisky

December 29, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Pig’s Nose Blended Scotch Whisky. Speyside, Lowlands & Islay, Scotland. ABV: 40%. Tasted at The Glenmore Hotel (Sydney), $9.50.

Colour: Slightly cloudy light gold.

Nose: Honey sweet straw notes.

Palate: Very thin; tastes like it’s been watered down. Faint cloves, herb & notes. Watery honey is the best way I could describe it.

Finish: Insipid, short, thin.

Comments: The label waxes lyrical about the whisky’s signature smoothness and how it’s “soft as a pig’s nose”. If this was a cut of meat it’s hardly a fine fillet or cutlet, rich and full flavoured – it’s more like all the lips and arseholes minced together to form some semblance of a sausage that when consumed seems to fill you up but leaves you quite unsatisfied and even a little unsure whether you’ve eaten real meat.

Whisky #358 – Ardbeg Uigeadail Single Malt

December 28, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Ardbeg Uigeadail Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 54.20%. Tasted at home, $8 (50mL miniature bottle).

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: After initially just a heap of peat smoke, with a swirl around the glass it gives off some smoked BBQ meat flavours.

Palate: Briny, tangy flavours with a healthy tingle on the tip of your tongue. Lots of peat but there’s a slight hint of some sweet smoke flavours too.

Finish: Long, lingering peaty finish, almost a touch chocolatey.

Comments: Not quite as in your face as other Ardbeg expressions, a little sweeter but still loads of smoke.

Whisky #344: Douglas Laing’s Old & Rare Port Ellen 30 Year Old Single Malt

December 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Douglas Laing’s Old & Rare Port Ellen 30 Year Old Single Malt (distilled December 1979). Islay, Scotland. ABV: 52.6%. Tasted at my friend Nathan’s place, a very generous share from the whisky fiend.

Colour: Very pale liquid gold.

Nose: So complex. Sweet meaty smoke; like you’ve thrown some green leaves on a campfire that’s flame-grilling a big juicy steak.

Palate: Meaty, citrus and smooth subtle smokiness. So smooth.

Finish: A gentle, sweet smoky tingle that gradually fades.

Comments: Only the second time I’ve been privileged enough to try a Port Ellen, with their malts being one of the most sought-after of all the defunct distilleries. And I can see why, this is amazing and amazingly complex, yet has a subtlety that some other Islay malts can’t even come close to. Outstanding.

Whiskies #337-339: Kilchoman New Spirit Vertical Tasting

December 19, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Kilchoman New Spirit Vertical Tasting. Tasted at home, $45 (set of 3 x 50mL bottles).

One of the greatest challenges facing any young distillery is how to get cashflow in the first few years while you’re waiting for your spirit to mature into “whisky” – in Scotland this period is a minimum of three years. While many distilleries produce other spirits that don’t require maturation (and thus can be sold immediately) – such as gin or white rum – the folks at Kilchoman decided to release a sample of their new spirit aged at One Month, One Year and Two Years.

This is essentially exactly the same new spirit that has come off their stills, however it has been bottled after spending varying lengths of time maturing in casks. So it should make for an interesting and truly vertical tasting.

Kilchoman New Spirit One Month. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 63.5%.

Colour: Clear, very pale straw.

Nose: A medicinal prickle.

Palate: Very dry mouthfeel; sharp peaty straw-like flavours too.

Finish: Brash, peaty and strong. The heat lasts longer than the flavour and buzzes mainly at the front of the tongue.

Kilchoman New Spirit One Year. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 63%.

Colour: Pale dull gold.

Nose: Smoother than the One Month. Almost a bit of creaming soda. But with lots of smoke.

Palate: Intense smoke and peaty dryness.

Finish: Salty, smoky and tangy. A more satisfying buzz around the mouth.

Kilchoman New Spirit Two Years. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 62%.

Colour: Pale dull gold – not much different to the One Year.

Nose: Creamy and peaty again, but almost a bit floral too.

Palate: It’s definitely started to soften compared to the One Year – there’s still a bucketload of peat as you would expect, but it’s much more refined.

Finish: A dry, briny finish, quite long.

Overall comments: Very interesting to taste the same spirit at three different stages of its maturation. With regards to the colour, there was a noticeable change from the One Month to the One Year, but surprisingly very little difference from the One Year to the Two Year. On the palate the softening from the rawness of the One Year to the cool smoke of the Two Year was interesting. They’re all still very young, but a fascinating comparison to see the maturation journey of a Kilchoman whisky.

Whisky #305 – Laphroig 18 Year Old Single Malt

December 3, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Laphroig 18 Year Old Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 48%. Tasted at The Ben Nevis Hotel (Glasgow), £…can’t recall.

Colour: Island golden shower.

Nose: Peaty iodine notes dominate. Typical Laphroig.

Palate: Strong smoked meat flavours, but somewhat softer and somewhat of an oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Front of your tongue – it doesn’t dominate & fill your mouth like a younger Laphroig.

Comments: By this stage of the night my ability to accurately and creatively describe the whisky was diminishing almost as rapidly as the pounds from my wallet…in hindsight? Quite similar to the Laphroig 10 and Quarter Cask, but much smoother.

Whisky #298 – Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 5.1 Cask Strength Single Malt

November 30, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 5.1 Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 59.50%. Tasted at Òran Mór (Glasgow), £15.20.

Colour: Deliciously golden.

Nose: Lots of peat (obviously), medicinal, quite meaty too. Also reminds me of the smell of freshly sawn camphor that my dad used to cut up for wood turning.

Palate: Peat smoke, lots of it. Fresh onion too.

Finish: Drying peat & smoke flavours naturally. Also some subtle raspberry flavours in the fade, like you’ve just eaten some Allen’s red frogs.

Comments: Not as meaty on the palate as I was hoping for, given the teasing of the nose. Overall? It’s very good, but not spectacular. Maybe I’m being a bit harsh, but it’s probably because I had such high expectations of the Octomore 5.1 given other outstanding reviews and friends who have tried it.

Whiskies #278 & 279: Jim McEwan Masterclass at The Oxford Hotel

November 5, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Jim McEwan Masterclass at The Oxford Hotel, Leederville, $50.

What a privilege to have one of the doyens of whisky touring Australia to impart his wisdom, wit and charm as he led us on a journey through Bruichladdich and the history of Islay. On top of that, Jim raised over $11,000 for the Red Cross through donations received at his engaging masterclasses. An amazing night – bagpipes, laughter, touching stories, dancing on tables, a history lesson and we got to try some outstanding whisky too. As it’s getting to the pointy end of Whisky a Day, I had previously tasted four of the Bruichladdichs on offer here so I won’t cover those again, so I’ll focus on the Islay Barley and the Black Art.

Whisky #278: 2006 Bruichladdich Islay Barley 5 Year Old Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 50.00%.

Colour: Very pale straw.

Nose: Camphor, soft oak & straw notes.

Palate: Malty, not peaty at all.

Finish: Long; lingering warmth and tingle.

Comments: This expression is produced with 100% Islay grown barley. Even the name of the farm is on the tin – nice touch. According to Jim the last time 100% Islay barley used was 1914. Overall it’s pretty decent, but not my pick of the night.

Jim holding court and leading the room in a boisterous version of the Scottish national anthem

Whisky #279: Bruichladdich 23 Year Old 1990 Black Art 04.1. ABV: 49.2%.

Colour: Dark luscious toffee.

Nose: Muscatelles, lightly charred oak, dried fruits. Smells amazing.

Palate: Salted toffee, charcoal flavours. Meaty without being peaty.

Finish: Medium to long, quite a soft finish – not as intense as the Islay Barley.

Comments: No one knows the recipe or what casks are used except Jim – so it’s only appropriate that it bears the moniker “black art”. Really liked this one! Sensational, the clear standout of the night’s tastings for me.

This is apparently the traditional way the Scots say slàinte!

Whisky #241 – Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC10 Heavily Peated Single Malt

September 18, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC10 Heavily Peated Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at my mate Gordy’s place, $0 (Gordy asked for assistance finishing his whisky before he moved house. I was happy to oblige).

Colour: It’s like a dark Jesus Christ! Sorry, dropped my phone as I was typing that. It’s like a dark varnished timber floor.

Nose: Oh yes it’s heavily peated. Charcoal beef patties.

Palate: Big peat, but not a lot of smoke. Quite a dry mouthfeel. It’s got lots of flavour, but it’s not super intense.

Finish: Smooth briny peat. Quite a long finish, but as it’s not a super intense flavour bomb of peat it’s actually quite a gentle long fade.

Comments: Smoother than I was expecting. Not as meaty and intense as the “heavily peated” moniker had suggested, but still quite a lot of peat and quite tasty.

Whisky #235 – Kilchoman Winter Release 2010 Single Malt

September 16, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Kilchoman Winter Release 2010 Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $16.

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Gentle smokey notes, like smelling a small grass fire from a distance.

Palate: Thin entry, toasted peat flavours abound.

Finish: Quite dry; briny smokey flavours in the fade. Medium to long finish.

Comments: Much lighter than your average Islay, it certainly tastes quite young. Not surprising given Kilchoman are still an emerging distillery and this was one of their earlier releases.

Whisky #222 – Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 6.1 Cask Strength Single Malt

September 8, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 6.1 Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 57.00%. Tasted at my mate Joel’s place, $0 (courtesy of my trusted whisky tasting lieutenant).

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Meaty peat aromas, almost a bit musty.

Palate: Lots of peat & smoke; not as complex as I was hoping. Still a fantastic taste though!

Finish: Campfire smoke, hint of mint maybe? Looooong finish.

Comments: Despite its reputation as the peatiest whisky in the world, it didn’t taste as big and peaty as I had expected. I enjoyed the nose quite a lot, in fact I’m really starting to appreciate the peaty whiskies that also have a charcoal meaty kind of aromas and flavours. The Octomore is an interesting beast, one that I want to explore in more detail. Might have to organise another whisky tasting…around at Joel’s place again of course so I can have some more!

Whisky #221 – Laphroig PX Cask Single Malt

September 7, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Laphroig PX Cask Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 48.0%. Tasted at my mate Joel’s place, $0. (No, this wasn’t just me rocking around to Joel’s place and getting stuck into his whisky, I brought a couple of bottles of my own too!).

Colour: A striking, dark gold.

Nose: Much softer than other Laphroigs; there is a touch of sherry.

Palate: Ah there’s the peat. The sherry notes are lost, but it seems to have softened compared to your average Laphroaig.

Finish: Oaky peat notes. Medium to long finish. Maybe a slight hint of sweetness in the fade, but it’s very subtle.

Comments: The Laphroig PX has undergone triple maturation – firstly in ex-bourbon barrels, then American oak quarter casks, then finally in ex Pedro Ximenez casks. I’m not convinced it adds a lot flavour-wise, but the time in PX casks maybe softens the whisky a little. The PX is generally only available in duty free stores, and while it’s a good whisky I’m not about to book an overseas trip just to pick up a bottle.

Whisky #219 – Laphroaig Cairdeas Cask Strength Single Malt

September 5, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Laphroaig Cairdeas Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 51.20%.

Colour: Candlelit amber.

Nose: Strong smokey aromas, smoked meaty flavours.

Palate: Short oily smooth entry with hints of sultanas, very quickly fades to some smokey meat & peat flavours.

Finish: Smokey flavours at the front half of the palate, not as powerful as I was expecting – a good thing mind you, smoother. Quite a mouth-warming sensation in the fade.

Comments: Bam – peat bomb. It has more depth of character than other Laphroig’s I’ve had before. I like it.