June 2014

Balvenie Signature

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside, The Collector's Cabinet /

The Balvenie Signature Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged Twelve Years
40% ABV
Discontinued
Website
Balvenie Signature 12
What the Distiller Says:
The Balvenie Signature Aged 12 Years is a classic marriage of The Balvenie matured in the three most traditional cask types, first fill bourbon, refill bourbon and sherry. Produced in small, numbered batches, each cask used is hand selected by Malt Master David Stewart to ensure he achieves the expression’s unique character of honey, spice and subtle oak. David Stewart crafted The Balvenie Signature to mark his 45th year in the whisky industry.

TASTING NOTES

NOSE Rich and complex with honey, citris fruits and vanilla oak notes

TASTE Rich and honeyed with a hint of sherry fruitiness. A spiciness of cinnamon and nutmeg and a subtle oakiness develop with time.

FINISH Warm and lingering.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sherry and a slightly soured cream.
Palate: Lighter more delicate expression of Balvenie. Light honey sweetness, malty, with heavy cereal notes, and mild play between white pepper and oak.
Finish: Crisp, dry, oaky in a raw, chewed toothpick kind of way.
Comments: This isn’t going to rock your world or anything but it’s a fine introductory malt.
Rating: Average

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Retired Balvenie’s

/ / Richard's Blog

Over the next few days we’ll be reviewing a couple of old (dusty if you’re a bourbon guy) Balvenies. One is the now discontinued 12 year old Signature, itself launch in 2008 to replace the old 10 year old Founder’s Reserve. The Signature was replaced with the current 12 year old Single Barrel. Those Balvenie guys can’t keep still ;). The second is one of the earlier limited releases that came down when David Stewart first started playing with rum casks. It’s the 17 year old RumCask bottling from several years back. Stay tuned!

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Germain-Robin Old Havana

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Germain-Robin Old Havana Alambic Brandy
40% ABV
$105 to $115
Website
Germain-Robin Old Havana Alambic Brandy
What the Distiller Says:
Rich deep fruit, nicely oaked, very very mellow. In 1995, during the cigar craze, we bottled a blend called “For the Lover of Fine Cigars”. When the craze died down, we changed the label to Old Havana, then (2001) decided to use the components for XO production. In 2009, we used the 5 surviving barrels to start a solera. “One of the world’s great spirits”(Mens’ Journal) Armagnac lovers prefer it to the XO. Unfiltered.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich dark stone fruits, honeysuckle, vanilla, toffee bars, and a rich sweetened cream.
Palate: Smooth, refined, not brash at all. This old gentlemen opens to the door to his library and enters with aged grace. Light fruity sweetness, well balanced with the wood and nice spiciness to play well with those cigars you’ve been laying down in your humidor.
Finish: Slightly oaked with nice layers of tobacco, and leather.
Comments: You’ll notice from the picture above that the label is the old style after they changed to Old Havana but before the 2009 solera re-imagining. If you find this grab it because it is truly delicious. If I get my hands on the new version before this one is gone I’ll do a side by side but I wouldn’t worry too much about which version you pick up. I haven’t had a Germain-Robin brandy that I didn’t like. For the record this is probably one of my top three favorite cigar accompanying beverages (along with the old version of Dalmore Cigar Malt[not the newer Reserve] and the Cognac barrel finished Parker’s Heritage).
Rating: Must Buy

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Dartigalongue XO

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Bas Armagnac Dartigalongue XO
40% ABV
$35 to $45
Website
armagnac
What the Distiller Says:
In 1838, under the reign of Louis Philippe, our ancestor Pascal Dartigalongue founded his Armagnac establishment in Nogaro, right in the heart of the Bas Armagnac Appellation, renowned to be the best Cru. Since then, traditions were passed on from father to son. Being hte oldest House in Armagnac, we are understandably committed to produce the best Armagnacs.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich, deep, with dark fruit, and rich sweetness. Creme brulee, orange zest, and stewed stone fruits. This reminds me of some exceptionally old rums.
Palate: Lighter of palate than the nose would belie. The flavors are very muted and slow to develop.
Finish: Clean, slightly crisp and short.
Comments: This is almost light to the point of being bland. It’s more of an aperitif brandy than one to sit with and contemplate into the evening.
Rating: Average

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anCnoc Flaughter

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

AnCnoc Flaughter Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
46% ABV
$85
Website
AnCnoc Flaughter Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
What the Distillery Says:
anCnoc (pronounced a-nock) is a single malt Scotch whisky created using a traditional process that has changed very little over time.

anCnoc is Gaelic for the nearby Knock Hill, and its home distillery is Knockdhu, which means “black hill” in Gaelic. Located on the very edge of Speyside, the Knock estate sits on land rich in peat.

anCnoc Flaughter, one of the first releases from the Limited Edition Peaty Collection, honors the original style of whisky in the region, using natural peat from the land. The peaty range brings the phenol content of the whisky into focus by displaying its PPM (parts per million) level on the bottle. Flaughter is the name of the spade used to remove the top layer of peat, which is richer and more rooty, giving the whisky a heavier, smokier flavor, in this case, with a PPM of 14.8. The 46% ABV allows the house style to shine through.

Tasting Notes
Color anCnoc Flaughter is pale gold in appearance.
Nose Initially smoky and ashy. Underneath, fresh vanilla notes ooze softness and creaminess while a sharper hint of sticky toffee offers a balancing sweetness
Taste A warming and smooth experience; peaty and intense but remarkably rounded, it flickers with hints of fragrant pipe tobacco, orchard fruits, brown sugar sweetness and a slight medicinal overtone. An intensely flavorsome, smoky and smooth finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Dusty and smoky…like an old ashtray but not as unpleasant. Even though the strength is the same, the alcohol comes through much hotter than the Rutter. There is a little of that vanilla cream at the back but it’s hard to find through the soot and alcohol.
Palate: It comes off a little sharp and astringent at first. With time it opens to orange zest and unripened apples.
Finish: Old (used not aged) cigar tobacco, dry, chalky.
Comments: Wow. I could not imagine that the Flaughter and the Rutter could be so different. The Flaughter leaves me wanting to find something else to drink. It’s not awful or anything. It’s more like a song slightly off key. Everything just isn’t jiving with this one. Since they are the same price I would definitely grab the Rutter over the Flaughter.
Rating: Average

We would like to thank Amy with The Thomas Collective for sending over samples for review.

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