Matt’s Blog

Normally, Balvenie is not a brand that inspires me to great oration.  To my palate, the young Balvenies are so uninspiring that I have never made it to the end of a tasting table.  Richard tells me the 20yo is quite nice and I will make an effort to try that in the future.  However, what whisky geek could pass up the opportunity to blend their own single malt?  I approached this event with unadulterated schoolboy glee and I was not disappointed in any way.

The class took place at Astor Center in NYC and was lead by Dr. Whisky (Sam Simmons, US brand ambassador for Balvenie) and David Mair (Balvenie’s global ambassador).  When I take my seat on the front row, I am greeted by a lovely young woman who offers me some prosecco to “get [me] started.”  Then, as I admire the Balvenie branded tasting diary and the various glasses, bottles, and droppers at each station, both Sam and David come over to introduce themselves.  This is already looking like a good event.

Sam starts by telling us a little about Balvenie Signature 12yo Batch #1 (voted “Best Speyside” in a blind tasting for the New York Times, etc.).  We taste Batch #1 (no longer available, btw).  Sam then hands proceedings over to David for a little history about whisky in general and Balvenie specifically.  I’m not going to get too technical, but a few things stand out about Balvenie as a distillery.  First off, Balvenie is the only Speyside distillery that malts their own barley on a traditional malting floor.  Not all the barley they use is from these maltings, but a good portion.  The fuel for these maltings comes mostly from anthracite (smokeless coal), but they add a small amount of peat for flavor.  Additionally, a portion of the barley used is grown on the premises.  Throw in custom copper pot stills and you have a truly handcrafted product.

“So what does it taste like,” you ask.  Patience, my friends.  Sam somehow convinced the master blender (David Stewart for those taking notes) to part with a few bottles of whiskey that he uses to blend Balvenie Signature 12yo.  This was a real treat, since these whiskies are not commercially available.  Balvenie Signature is comprised of three 12yo single malts: one aged in bourbon casks, one aged in sherry casks, and one aged in refill whisky casks (casks that first held bourbon, then Balvenie whisky).  Although from the same source whisky, each of these spirits have distinctive characteristics.

The bourbon cask produces an amber-colored whisky.  I really enjoyed this.  If Balvenie bottled this, it would be my whisky of choice more often than not.  With a heavenly nose of malt, vanilla, and caramel and a palate that replicates the nose plus maple syrup, this is one for the books.  When comparing it to the Signature, I can find where it lives in the blend.  It seems to be responsible for most of the flavor profile.

The sherry cask gives the Signature most of its color.  This whisky is deep and dark, almost a jewel tone.  The nose is complex.  Notes of black pepper, cloves, tamari, bacon, and celery fill the nose along with a touch of sweetness.  The palate is very powerful and tastes of roasted hazelnuts, Christmas spices and sherry (of course).  On it’s own, this one is a bit much, but it sits nicely in the back of the blend.

Finally, the refill whisky cask is very pale in color.  The nose is remniscent of fresh fruit and licorice.  The palate is overwhelmed with licorice.  Unlike the herbal licorice of an Islay malt, the licorice of this dram is more like a classic Brach’s black jelly bean.

After sampling all this, we had the opportunity to blend our own Balvenie Signature.  You can see mine in the photo above.  This was great fun.  We compared ours to Batch #1, but the intent was to come up with our perfect blend not necessarily to match David Stewart’s creation.  I was feeling pretty good about mine, thinking I could be a master blender some day.  Then, Sam brought out Balvenie Signature 12 yo Batch #2 (available in June for $52.99).  I have to bow to the superior skills of Mr. Stewart.  Mine was good, but his impeccable ability to create a multi-layered masterpiece was awe inspiring.  I could taste the elements of the construction.  Even the candy licorice flavor floated across the palate like a thin sheen of oil on clear water.  However, Balvenie Signature is greater than the sum of it’s parts.  I for one, will be standing at the door when this hits the shelves.

In conclusion, this is the best whisky event I have ever attended.  I gained a greater appreciation for what blenders/distillers go through to create all this wonderful whisky.  Thanks to Sam, David, and the folks at Astor Center for putting this together.  I would love to see more classes like this.

Drink well, drink responsibly.
-Matt

I am not usually into peated whiskeys. However, lately I gave Laphroaig 10 another chance and discovered that it wasn’t so bad after all. I can put down Compass Box’s The Peat Monster and not gag. I can even appreciate the Lagavulin 16 every once in a while. However, I have not been able to handle Ardbeg’s super peaty Uigeadail. My Scottish Gaelic is a bit rusty but I alway thought it must mean “sweat from a sheep’s taint.”*

Among whiskey enthusiasts (or at least whiskey writers), I am in the minority. Uigeadail has won several awards and tops everyones ‘Best of…’ list. It does not bother me to disagree with Jim Murray (author of The Whisky Bible). We have very different taste preferences. But when John Hansell of Malt Advocate gives something a high rating, I usually like it.

So, I decided to take my new found appreciation/tolerance for peat down to St. Andrew’s Bar and take another stab at the Uigeadail. When I attended that class with Ethan Kelley last week, he spoke briefly of pairings and recommended pairing peaty whiskies with seafood and Guinness. Plus, yesterday was the 250th birthday of Guinness. So, I ordered the fish and chips, the Uigaedail and a pint. I brought my friend Levia and her beau along for moral support. Levia tends toward the peaty whiskies and is long-time drinking buddy.

Before starting, I add some water (at 54.2% ABV, it can handle a fair amount of H2O). The nose on Uigeadail is smoky, peaty, and briny with hints of leather and honey. All put together, it smells like a well-worn shoe (perhaps a shoe that you wear while you barbeque on a beach by the North Sea). Normally, my opinion would already be tainted by the strong nose, but I decided to look past my prejudices and keep going. I take a reluctant sip after some fish and a long draw from my Guinness. This is where I would normally be spitting and sputtering and verbally abusing this whisky and anyone who likes it. However, my tastes have changed and the pairings are doing their job. This a bold whisky, firm and almost chewy. There is a sweetness I have never tasted before. I can taste the usual tar, smoke and licorice, but they are balanced and dance on the tongue (although with a heavy step, like a reel or polka rather than a waltz). The finish seems to go on forever. Indeed, I can still taste it the next day.

I can see why this whisky is beloved by so many.  That said, it’s not for everybody.  Uigeadail is kind of an old man’s whisky.  As we age, our tastes tend to change toward bolder, more pungent flavors.  If you are already a fan of dark wrapped cigars or are a regular smoker, this may be a good fit for you.  If you are someone who prefers more subtle flavors, head for Speyside malts or an nice Irish.  Come back to this one later in life.

For those of you who have tried the Uigeadail and totally dig it, you might look for the new Ardbeg Super Nova for an even peatier kick.  I have not tried it yet.  I was waiting until I knew that I could do it justice.  Maybe next time.

*The folks at Ardbeg tell me that it is named after the lake from which the water is drawn. Perhaps sweaty sheep bathe there.