2015 | Whisk(e)y Apostle: Proselytizing the way of the malt

Ardbeg Perpetuum

May 19, 2015 / Richard / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky / Stands Out

Ardbeg Perpetuum Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
47.4% ABV
$100
Website

What the Distillery Says:
It has been 200 years since Ardbeg single malt whisky was first distilled on the Scottish island of Islay and 15 years since the legacy of this cult whisky was safeguarded by the foundation of the Ardbeg Committee.

The future of the Distillery was guaranteed in 2000 when it formed one of the most passionate and devoted whisky fan clubs in the world with the creation of the Ardbeg Committee – to ensure “the doors of Ardbeg never close again”. Today the Committee has 100,000 members in over 130 countries and Ardbeg Day has become a global annual event.

To mark these memorable events, at this year’s Ardbeg Day on 30th May 2015 with a ‘Past, Present and Future’ theme, committee members will have the opportunity to buy tickets (£199 per person) to attend the celebratory London event held at The Vinyl Factory, commemorating the Distillery’s bicentenary and be amongst the first to taste Perpetuum, the new limited edition.

Ardbeg Perpetuum is inspired by the many styles, ideas and quirks of fate which have influenced Ardbeg over time; it combines different styles, flavours, dreams and trials. Connoisseurs will taste a never-ending, rich and enticing combination of classic Ardbeggian notes and incredibly creamy flavours.

Dr Bill Lumsden, Ardbeg’s Director of Distilling and Whisky Creation, said: “Ardbeg’s character has endured for 200 years and we hope it will continue for centuries to come. The 2015 Ardbeg Day anniversary bottling, Ardbeg Perpetuum, celebrates this milestone year with a recipe that includes some very old and young Ardbeg, silky Ardbeg from bourbon barrels and some spicy Ardbeg from sherry casks. The resulting expression combines classic notes of dark chocolate and treacle with sea-spray, peat smoke, vanilla and a hint of sherry casks, to create an unforgettable single malt with an aftertaste that is never-ending.”

Ardbeg Perpetuum is a deep amber-coloured single malt, containing the unmistakable Ardbeggian aroma of tar, soot and pine resin, with dark chocolate, treacle and sea-spray. Its intense taste juxtaposes peat smoke and spice with creamy vanilla and milk chocolate notes, followed by a never-ending aftertaste of linseed oil, a hint of sherry cask, creosote and tar.

What Richard Says:
Nose: This is a very nice riff on the Ardbeg nose. The standard bottlings, not the limited releases. Tar with hints of licorice. Wet pine needles come through as it opens up with dark fruits a bit of cinnamon too.
Palate: A thick smokiness lays on top of layers of creme brulee and chocolate chips.
Finish: The finish is layers of dark chocolate and burnt out campfire.
Comments: This smells amazing and tastes even better. It hits all the high points that make Ardbeg a great malt without some of the recent limited releases’ influence bringing it down. Ardbeg fans should love this. Although, those not big fans of Ardbeg aren’t necessarily going to change their opinion based on this one.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Ardbeg for sending us a sample to review.

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Blue Hanger 10th Release

May 15, 2015 / Richard / Review, Scottish Whisky / Stands Out

Blue Hanger Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
10th Limited Release
45.6% ABV
$99.99
Website

What the Blender Says:
Arguably one of the world’s most fashionable whiskies, Blue Hanger 10th Limited Release makes its debut this month thanks to San Francisco’s Anchor Distilling Company and Berry Bros. & Rudd Spirits of London. Limited to only 4,398 bottles, this new variant of Blue Hanger, which is exclusive to the U.S., is comprised of one butt of Bunnahabhain 1987, one hogshead of Bunna Moine 2007, Mortlach 1997 and Bunnahabhain 1988, two hogsheads of Westport 1996, and three butts of a 2007 blended malt comprised of Bunnahabhain, Glenallachie, Glenfarclas, Glengoyne and Tamdhu.

This blended malt whisky is named after William “Blue” Hanger, the Third Lord Coleraine, a loyal customer of Berry Bros. at the end of the 18th century. Considered one of the best-dressed men of his day, his nickname came from his preferred clothing color. Blue Hanger was originally a blended Scotch whisky intended for the diplomatic export market in 1934, but disappeared for a period of time until 2003 when Doug McIvor, spirits manager, began his experiments in vatting malts. His objective from the beginning has been to create the best blended malt possible from existing stock.

The initial release in the U.K. of Blue Hanger in November 2003 ran to a mere 700 bottles and was a vatting of only two single malts: Glen Grant and Glenlivet. The first commercially available blended malt assembled by McIvor, Blue Hanger immediately secured a devoted following, which has led to each subsequent release being eagerly anticipated by whisky enthusiasts around the world.

“The ethos of Blue Hanger is to create the most balanced, complex and textured small batch blended malt whiskies possible from our diverse cask reserves,” says McIvor. “This 10th limited release exudes deep fruity aromas with hints of vanilla, leather and oriental spices. Behind the bursting apple and melon skin fruitiness is a delicate peat-smoke imbued by the Islay malt content that becomes more evident on the creamy palate as it swells. The finish is long lingering, fruity and spicy.”

TASTING NOTES
Color: Pale golden
Nose: Bright; banana skin, fresh apple, hints of violets, creamy with new leather and firm smokiness
Palate: Complex, fruity with evolving texture and emerging smokiness
Finish: Long lasting with spice and lingering peatiness

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sweet round fruitiness with bananas foster, Granny Smith apple peel and wild flowers.
Palate: There is a lovely interplay of mild smoke and sweetness that evolves into a briny worn leather note.
Finish: Mild dry tartness of medium length with just a bit of smokiness sticking around.
Comments: Blue Hanger is one of those things I’ve read about and wanted to try for years. When I heard the U.S. was getting an exclusive release I had to grab one. Note that each release is very unique and really are only similar in branding name only. This 10th release is very enjoyable and more than worth the $100 but admittedly I can’t compare it to any of the prior 9 releases because I haven’t had access to them to date.
Rating: Stands Out

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Glendalough Double Barrel

May 12, 2015 / Richard / Irish Whiskey, Review / Average

Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey
42% ABV
$29.99
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Glendalough Distillery, Ireland’s first craft distiller, is leading an exciting Irish whiskey revival with the American release of its new Double Barrel Irish Whiskey. Available in leading bars and retailers in New York from February, this hand-crafted small batch spirit is a new caliber of Irish whiskey, boasting unique richness and complexity in a category dominated by mass production.

This truly new, unique style of Irish whiskey was born of a wild Irish streak, said Glendaloughs USA Brand Manager Donal Gallachoir. Like the fiercely independent, Irish monk, St. Kevin whose image graces every one of our bottles, we are carving our own way with the Double Barrel. This whiskey represents a distinguished sociability—it dares to stand out in a world of copycats and ‘same old’ styles.”

Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey brings new life to a 19th century style of Irish whiskey that would be familiar to your grandaddy. Hand-distilled in a Coffey still from a mash bill of malted barley and corn, the whiskey gains its distinctive complexity from gentle, steady aging that is aided by the country’s mild maritime climate. The double-aging process combines three years and six months in first-fill American oak bourbon barrels, then graduates to six months in first-fill Spanish Oloroso sherry casks. Before bottling, the cask-strength whiskey is cut with water sourced from the surrounding Wicklow Mountains.

The Bourbon barrels impart deep, robust chocolate and caramel notes, lightened on the palate with fruity, nutty notes from the Oloroso casks. The subtle nose is rich with the dark, fruity notes of Christmas pudding, and a sweet and creamy palate resounds richly with honeyed sweetness returning to dry fruit and a gingery, golden finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: A light delicate floral note with a fresh grassy back.
Palate: Creamy and light. The flavors are delicate and fruity with a wisp of the sherry barrel influence.
Finish: Almost non-existent.
Comments: Light seems the best way to describe this whiskey. It’s not harsh like an overly young whiskey but it is exceeding subtle and coy. Drinking it goes down almost like water.
Rating: Average

We would like to thank 451 Marketing for providing us with a sample for review.

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High West Campfire

April 17, 2015 / Richard / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review / Stands Out

High West Campfire Whiskey
Batch No. 6, Bottle No. 2576
46% ABV
$65
Website

What the Blender Says:
How to Enjoy:
Neat, on ice or even great in cocktails.

The Name:
One morning at the Bruichladdich distillery B&B, my wife and I smelled peat in the air – the great ladies that made our meals were simmering a bottle of peated whiskey and sugar! Later that night, they brought out dessert of ripe honeydew drizzled with the peated syrup. That was the most unusual, delicious and memorable ending to a dinner I’ve ever had. The combination of melon and sweet smoke really worked – so (naturally…) I thought why not mix sweet bourbon and peat? The main flavor (or melody) is sweet honey from a ripe bourbon. The enhancing flavor (or harmony) is floral fruity spice from a mature rye whiskey. The accent (Satchmo’s gravelly voice!) is smoke from a peated scotch whisky. The proportions? Top secret.

Back Label Story:
I was going to write something cheesy about cowboys, campfires, and whiskey but I figured you might be more interested in how CAMPFIRE WHISKEY® came to be. One morning at the Bruichladdich distillery B&B, my wife and I smelled peat in the air – the great ladies that made our meals were simmering a bottle of peated whiskey and sugar! Later that night, they brought out dessert of ripe honeydew drizzled with the peated syrup. That was the most unusual, delicious and memorable ending to a dinner I’ve ever had. The combination of melon and sweet smoke really worked – so (naturally…) I thought why not mix sweet bourbon and peat? Worked for me! The main flavor (or melody) is sweet honey from a ripe bourbon. The enhancing flavor (or harmony) is floral fruity spice from a mature rye whiskey. The accent (Satchmo’s gravelly voice!) is the smoke from a peated scotch whisky. The proportions? Top secret. So…as the sun sinks low and the cold settles in, grab a bottle of CAMPFIRE WHISKEY and gather round a blazing fire to warm up, wind down your day, share stories, and deepen friendships. One taste of this sweet, spicy and, yes…smoky whiskey, you’ll know how it got its name. We like to enjoy CAMPFIRE WHISKEY® with s’mores…or good-looking strangers. If you find yourself in Old Town Park City, you ought to come visit the High West Distillery and Saloon and get a taste of our Western hospitality and our crowd-pleasing victuals.

David Perkins

Technical Details

Sweet: A straight bourbon whiskey from:
•75 percent corn
•21 percent rye
•4 percent barley malt (Source: from the old Seagrams plant, then called LDI now MGP)

Spicy and floral: A straight rye whiskey from:
•95 percent rye
•5 percent barley malt (Source: from the old Seagrams plant, then called LDI now MGP)

Smoky: A blended malt Scotch whiskey: made of 100-percent barley malt that has been peated (Source: We can’t say, but we can say it is not from Islay!)
•Age of the whiskies: all are 5 years or older
•Proportions of the component whiskies? Top secret!

Sensory Notes:

Nose: Floral, fruity, bright and spicy. Caramel and butterscotch. Light smoke and smoldering wood from a campfire the morning after. Jasmine, chai tea, sandalwood, leather, tobacco, pine resin and toasted bread.

Taste: vanilla, honey, toffee with some nice fruit, blueberries and black cherries. Chai spices – nutmeg, cinnamon and orange zest. Salty caramels. Tobacco. Gentle smoke!

Finish – Long, sweet, spicy, and smoky!

What Richard Says:
Nose: The rye jumps out on the nose with a light handed smoky back note that wisps in.
Palate: Rich vanilla cream, toffee crisp, black tea, wintermints, cracked black pepper and cinnamon dolce lattes.
Finish: Black pepper and slightly medicinal. Fading notes of oiled leather and old tobacco.
Comments: When I first read about this frankenwhiskey I thought it would be some experimental thing that would really suck. Tasting it I find it very interesting, pleasant and highly drinkable. It’s definitely a mood kind of whiskey but tasty and well put together.
Rating: Stands Out

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Glenfiddich 21 Year Old

April 14, 2015 / Richard / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / Average

Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 Years old
Cask Selection 32
40% ABV
$200
Website

What the Distillery Says:
We use casks that once contained premium Caribbean rum to finish our 21 Year Old expression. It’s the details that matter. This expression spends four months finishing in Gran Reserva barrels selected by our Malt Master, adding to its distinctive and complex flavour.

Experience an intense and vanilla sweet aroma, floral with hints of banana, followed by a soft, lively taste with lime, ginger and spice and a complex and exceptionally long ending.

Our rum finish releases layers of intensity and sets this 21 Year Old apart from other whiskies.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Vanilla wafers, toffee, a grassy floral note, cedar lined humidors, almonds and a little nutmeg.
Palate: A little thin and underwhelming but there are some nice redeeming notes of cocoa powder and fruit.
Finish: Dry and rather short.
Comments: The change on this some years back to non-Cuban rum casks was not for the better. This is a pleasing enough dram but there isn’t anything exciting about it. It would benefit greatly from a lack of chill filtering and 3 to 6 more points of proof.
Rating: Average

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