July 2019

Knappogue Castle 12 Year Marsala Cask Finish

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Knappogue Castle 12 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Marsala Cask Finish

46% ABV
$62-$70
Website
Knappogue Castle 12yr Marsala Cask Finish

What the Producer Says

The Knappogue Castle Cask Finish Series is a range of single malts finished in the finest wine casks. The Marco De Bartoli limited release is matured in bourbon barrels for a minimum of 12 years, then further aged in casks from the renowned Marsala Winery. Made exclusively from malted barley, distilled in copper pot stills, this expression is non-chill filtered and bottled at 92 proof.

Nose: Mix of dried fruit, mocha, and vanilla.
Taste: Juicy, savory and light, leading to fruity notes.
Finish: Hints of fruit and dry oak.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Malted barley, raisins, dried apricots, marsala wine, honey, baked apples with caramel, vanilla, hints of leather, fresh cut hay and smoke.
Palate:  Thick rich mouthfeel, raisins, marsala, bit of honey, notes of caramel and vanilla, canned pears, apricot, nutmeg and clove.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with baking spices and marsala.
Comments:  This was a first for me – a marsala cask finish (although I enjoy cooking with marsala wine). Maybe the cloudiest bottle I’ve ever bought, which I don’t mind (on the contrary!) The marsala influence is a bit strong; borderline too much. I prefer where the cask finish is a little lighter. I quite often get raisins with sherry cask finishes, but this was more ‘raisiny’ than anything else from recent memory.

Rating: Stands Out

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Kilchoman Sanaig

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Kilchoman Sanaig

46% ABV
$70 – $75
Website
Kilchoman Sanaig

What the Distillery Says

Sanaig, named after an inlet on Islay’s rugged Atlantic cost, is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in both sherry and bourbon barrels. This sherry cask scotch whisky is matured in a high proportion of oloroso barrels (70%), imparting a balance of dried fruits, dark chocolate and rich peat smoke into the spirit.

CASK TYPE: BOURBON & SHERRY
PEAT LEVEL: 50 PARTS PER MILLION

NOSE: Fragrant heather, raisins, pear and orange peel with waves of stoned fruits, mixed spices and rich peat smoke
PALATE: Over ripe plums, red cherries and hints of citrus give way to rich barbeque peat smoke, toffee, oak and dark chocolate
FINISH: Mouth-coating mixed fruit, caramel, cinnamon and clove with layers of brown sugar, spices, peat smoke and lasting sweetness

What Gary Says

Nose:  Peaty with dark fruit notes, raisins, a bit of sherry, lemon meringue, a hint of bbq sauce, smoked meat and fresh hay.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel at the start, tart cherries, raisins, lemon custard, vanilla, honey, sharpening with some pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long with vanilla and peat smoke trailing.
Comments:  This was my favorite of the three Kilchoman whiskies included in the Flaviar tasting box. More fruit notes, more depth – still plenty of peat and smoke but they’re not hogging the spotlight. I would really love to try this with more age.

Rating: Stands Out

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Kilchoman Machir Bay

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Kilchoman Machir Bay

46% ABV
$55 – $63
Website
Kilchoman Machir Bay

What the Distillery Says

Machir Bay, our signature peated single malt, is a vatting of Kilchoman matured in both bourbon and sherry casks. Named after Islay’s most spectacular beach, the high proportion of bourbon barrels create a distinct balance of classic Islay character and fresh floral complexity. It has a vatting of approximately 90% bourbon barrels and 10% oloroso sherry casks.

CASK TYPE: BOURBON & SHERRY
PEAT LEVEL: 50 PARTS PER MILLION

NOSE: Lemon zest, vanilla and distinct coastal influence give way to floral intensity, juicy peaches, pears, and wafts of rich spices
PALATE: Bursts of tropical fruit and dried sultanas, warming smoke and waves of honey, malt, butterscotch and rich sweetness
FINISH: Sherry-soaked fruit, cracked black pepper and sea salt. Long-lasting with layers of citrus sweetness and maritime peat smoke

What Gary Says

Nose:  Peat with some citrus fruit, cantaloupe, lemon peel, cut grass, green wood, earthy with some smoke and a hint of sea air.
Palate:  Starts sweet, berries in vanilla cream, honey, peat rolls in and sharpens with some pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderate in length with gentle spice and peat.
Comments:  In terms of color, this is a very light dram. A bit better balanced than the Sauternes cask finish – a bit less intense with the peat and not quite as sharp. More fruit notes, and a bit less of the sea air.

Rating: Stands Out

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Kilchoman Sauternes Cask Finish

/ / Islay, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Kilchoman Sauternes Cask Finish
2018 Limited Edition

50% ABV
$95 – $100
Website
Kilchoman Sauternes Cask Finish

What the Distillery Says

Sauternes Cask Finish, a limited edition release of just 30 casks, is on its way around the world, hitting shelves any time from Monday 1st October 2018.

The Sauternes Cask Finish follows a range of wine cask releases we’ve bottled over the previous five years. This latest offering differs in that it was initially matured in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred into fresh Sauternes hogsheads for five months prior to bottling. This finishing period allows the caramel and vanilla influence of bourbon barrels to be accentuated by the buttery sweetness of the desert wine casks. Meanwhile the classic peat smoke and citrus character of the Kilchoman spirit brings a distinct depth and punch to the whisky, emphasised at the increased strength of 50%.

We have previously favoured full-term maturation for our wine cask releases, bottling fully matured Port, Madeira, Red Wine and Sauternes editions every other year since 2013. The Sauternes Cask Finish approach has arguably provided a more balanced character, combining both the maritime peat smoke and tropical fruit typical of Kilchoman with the softer buttery floral notes characteristic of the Sauternes casks.

As with all recent limited editions, a neck tag details the number of bottles (10,000), casks, ages and cask types used in the vatting; in this case, the Sauternes Cask Finish is a combination of thirty 2012 bourbon barrels married in Sauternes wine casks for five months before bottling.

Anthony Wills Kilchoman Founder and MD, “The full-term wine cask maturations that we’ve released in the past have been hugely successful, but we wanted to show a more measured approach this time around. The five month Sauternes finish has allowed a more subtle sweetness and buttery character to be imparted into the spirit while maintaining the fresh fruit, citrus and vanilla notes so typical in Kilchoman releases.”

What Gary Says

Nose:  BAM! Peat smoke smacks you immediately, earthy, vegetal, a bit of sea air mist with hints of vanilla, caramel, lemon, and some sulfur in the back.
Palate:  Starts off sweet than really warms and sharpens quickly; honey, subtle vanilla, orange cream candies, caramel before a peaty, peppery bite; bit of water delays the sharpening and brings the caramel and orange notes out front a bit more.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with peat smoke and pepper spice.
Comments:  This was the first Kilchoman in a flight of three I received in a Flaviar tasting box.  I selected the flight as I’d never spent any quality time with Kilchoman, so what better way to learn!  This is definitely a peaty dram, but not in the typical Islay peaty way; I don’t get the iodine or medicinal notes. Quite a cutting, aggressive whiskey; a little unbalanced for my taste. The sauternes finish is hard to pick up.

Rating: Average

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J. Riddle Peated Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review /

J. Riddle Peated Bourbon

45.5% ABV
$45
Website
J. Riddle Peated Bourbon

What the Distillery Says

Two James Spirits is proud to announce the release of our newest spirit, J. Riddle Peated Bourbon. This unique spirit pairs the sweet robust flavor of corn bourbon with the elegant smokiness of single malt whiskey. The mash bill possesses subtle notes of vanilla, buttered popcorn, sea salt, fresh cut grass and light smoke. What started off as an experimental mix of grains developed into a delicious bourbon unlike any other on the market. Distilled on-site from 79% Michigan Corn and 21% Scottish Barley and aged in full-format 53-gallon new American oak barrels, we are excited to release our first barrels and for you to savor and enjoy!

What Gary Says

Nose:  Funky, wet leather, cardboard, buttered popcorn with celery salt, malted barley, freshly cut green wood, hints of vanilla, cornbread, and odd vegetal notes.
Palate:  Sweet entry of butterscotch, vanilla, a soured grain note, caramel, earthy peat sneaking in with some tame ginger, a hint of clove and creamed corn.
Finish:  Moderate in length, drying with lingering peat and creamed corn notes.
Comments:  This is an odd dram, reminding me more of an American single malt than a bourbon. I like peated whiskey, but if your frame of reference is Islay scotch whisky, this isn’t anything like that. The peat is there, but it is different – more earthy/vegetal than sea air/brine/coastal. Plus only a fraction of the grain is malted with peat – so it is much less intense. The corn is quite evident. On the nose, I wouldn’t have guessed this to be peated, but it shows up more on the palate. It is a very interesting pour. I had to make several passes at it, as the aromas and flavors didn’t jump out as being things I get in whisk(e)y – which for me is intriguing.

Rating: Stands Out

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