Review

Highland Park Full Volume

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Highland Park Full Volume
Single Malt Scotch Whisky

47.2% ABV
$100
Website
Highland Park Full Volume

What the Distillery Says

Some things in life are best enjoyed in their most intense forms. This includes your closest friendships, your favourite songs, and exceptionally intense single malt whiskies. Full Volume is a robust, beautifully balanced whisky, exclusively matured in Kosher certified ex-bourbon casks, rather than our traditional sherry casks. This allowed us to turn up the volume on those succulent creamy bourbon notes. Distilled in 1999, the resulting 17-year jam session of maturation yielded an ABV of 47.2% and was bottled and released in 2017. The intense flavour profile delivers creamy vanilla and light citrus fruits, all balanced out by Highland Park’s characteristic smokiness.

NATURAL CASK-DRIVEN COLOUR (NO ADDITIVES)
Light straw, clear and bright

FLAVOURS: Vanilla | Coconut | Mango | Pineapple | Cedar Wood | Lemon peel | Vanilla pods | Light smoke

Full Volume was created by:

  • Using 100% FIRST-FILL BOURBON CASKS rather than sherry seasoned ones
  • Combining 200 LTR BARRELS and 250 LTR HOGSHEADS
  • Filling 481 CAKS on the 30th March; 29th April; 10th, 17th and 31st August; 7th September – All during 1999
  • Filling at strengths of between 63.6% AND 63.7%
  • Filtered at +4 degrees C

Richard Burton from Kirkwall, was our warehouseman when these casks were laid down – he is still working with us!

TASTING NOTES

Full Volume is a 1999 Vintage, intensely balanced, single malt Scotch whisky. Naturally PALE AND BRIGHT in colour, it delivers a LIGHT PEATY AROMA, punctuated with WARM FRUITY NOTES of exotic mango and pineapple and an echo of cedar wood. Warm and generous in the mouth, a SWEET CITRUS treble of lemon peel perfectly offsets deeper bass notes of CREAMY VANILLA while subtle mid-tones of LIGHT SMOKE maintain an enticing harmony.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Honey malt, peat, heather, grassy, bit of vanilla, hint of sea salt and iodine.
Palate:  Malty vanilla, bit of soft citrus with pears, bit of peat, pepper and a hint of mandarin oranges.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with honeyed peat and pepper spice.
Comments:  I like Highland Park, and did my best to not try to think of this like Highland Park as it would be a departure without the sherried maturation. I didn’t find anything off putting, but for the money, I would be disappointed. Left me unimpressed, although it is an interesting view into the distillate and maturation without the sherry influence. Dangerously drinkable, but a tad forgettable for me.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Aberlour 16 Year Old Double Cask Matured
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

40% ABV
$75-$100
Website
Aberlour 16 Year

What the Distillery Says

Fruity & Deep
With the depth and complexity that comes from being matured for 16 years in a combination of American Oak casks and the finest Sherry butts, this expression’s warm and fruity notes are enriched by an engagingly spicy sweetness.

Colour: Rich golden amber
Nose: Rich scented floral and sweet raisin aromas with spicy nutiness
Palate: Smooth and full with sweet, floral and spicy flavours and notes of plum and gentle oak
Finish: Long, warm, spicy fruitiness

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sherry bomb, fruitcake full of raisins, apricots and plums, cloves, oak, smoke, cigar paper and spent matches.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sweet with dark fruit, plums, raisins, oak, pepper, cinnamon, and clove.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with pepper, sherry and oak.
Comments:  This is a sherry bomb with an oaky edge, and drinks a tad hot to me. Water tamps some of those edges, but leaves a sulfury note – and the finish degrades. That sulfury/spent matches note is something I’ve gotten in nearly every Aberlour I’ve tasted, and it just isn’t in my wheelhouse (sure, give me some worn Band-aids with an Islay single malt and I’m happy, but leave the spent matches please). Outside of that, it has a nice mouthfeel, so if you’re a fan of Aberlour, this probably won’t disappoint (and if like me you’re just not – this probably won’t be the dram that changes your mind).

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Compass Box Tobias & The Angel

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Tobias & The Angel
Blended Malt Whisky

47.6% ABV
$500
Website
Compass Box Tobias and the Angel

What the Blender Says

Made from just two parcels of whisky, which we are unlikely to source again at these ages, Tobias & the Angel is a culmination of two decades of whiskymaking.

We have a long-held reverence for the whiskies of the Clynelish and Caol Ila Distilleries. Ever since Eleuthera, which we created in 2002, we have understood that these two distillery whiskies complement each other exquisitely.

For the label artwork, so great is our esteem for the whiskies in this blend that we looked to Renaissance painting for inspiration.

We’ve chosen TOBIAS & THE ANGEL , a beautiful painting produced at Andrea del Verrocchio’s studio in Florence during the 15th century. As was common at the time, however, TOBIAS & THE ANGEL showcases the talents of several artists. For example, the little dog with its graceful and minutely-observed curls of hair, and the gleaming fish carried by Tobias, were both painted by a young Leonardo da Vinci.

We love the symbolism of the naïve boy and the divine angel. To us this represents the relationship between aromatic smoke, a hallmark of Caol Ila Distillery, and the ethereal fruitiness and complexity of Clynelish.

TOBIAS & THE ANGEL is our latest study of these two unique flavour profiles, and the effects of their combination. Due to the age of the single malts involved, it is also our rarest and most precious. We hope that those able to acquire a bottle might share its contents with other whisky lovers; the Angel to their Tobias.

FLAVOUR DESCRIPTORS: Distant bonfires underlay ethereal herbal and fruit characters, the result of extended maturation.

DISTILLERY SOURCING: A heavenly partnership of Clynelish Distillery and Caol Ila Distillery.

BOTTLING DETAILS: Bottled at 47.6% | Not chill-filtered | Natural colour

RECOMMENDATIONS: We believe this whisky will be best appreciated sipped at bottling strength. However, you may enjoy it any way you like.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, smoky earthiness, herbal with fennel and lemongrass while sweet with vanilla, apricots, mangoes, and faint chocolate.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, fruit salad with peaches, stewed pears and cherries all drizzled lightly in caramel, earthy notes with pepper spice, nutmeg, cinnamon, a bit of a vegetal note, peat smoke and a bit of toffee.
Finish:  Long with peat smoke and toasted marshmallow lingering.
Comments: This is a deliciously complex dram – one I want to savor and pick apart every sniff or sip as it seems to keep showing me something new.  A bit of water amps up the fruit notes on the nose, and does the same on the palate while tamping the earthiness, and giving it a bit of waxiness.  I had the absolute pleasure of sampling this over the course of a couple of weeks, and doing so in a side-by-side setting with the preceding blends Eleuthera and The Lost Blend which I was fortunate enough to have bottles of.  That was a lot of fun to experience the progression moving from Eleuthera, which is a fine dram in its own right, to The Lost Blend – where it is quite similar but more rich and complex, to this which was more than a bit more complex.  This is comprised of parcels from Clynelish (24 yrs old) and Caol Ila (34 yrs old) in 51% to 49% ratios respectively.  If those ages are accurate, it is interesting that the older malt flipped here – as Eleuthera’s components were 15 yr Clynelish with 12 yr old Caol Ila.  For a whisk(e)y geek, I would absolutely encourage you to try to find an opportunity to try this – but the price is such that I couldn’t say anyone ‘Must Buy’.  Personally I’ve never spent this much money on a bottle, but I’m incredibly thankful and fortunate that Richard acquired one and generously shared it.  He shared his take on bottles in these higher priced tiers – not thinking about them simply as whiskey, but as an experience.  From that perspective, if you’ve ever enjoyed a $100 (or more) meal – consider that lasts only for a few hours over one evening, whereas you could enjoy perhaps a dozen such evenings with a 2 oz pour of this gem.  Or fewer while sharing the experience with friends.  This is definitely one I’d savor for an entire evening.

Rating: Must Try

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Ezra Brooks 99

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Ezra Brooks 99
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

49.5% ABV
$25
Website
Ezra Brooks 99 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Luxco announces the latest addition to its award-winning Ezra Brooks family of products: Ezra Brooks 99, a pure, oak-barrel-aged Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey elevated to 99 proof. Charcoal filtered for a smooth, mellow finish, the new Ezra Brooks 99 features the same spicy, ryed-bourbon-mash-bill taste, but with an enhanced flavor profile delivered by the higher proof.

“With Ezra Brooks 99 our goal was to create a higher-proof bourbon without sacrificing the rich notes Ezra Brooks is known for,” said John Rempe, master distiller at Lux Row Distillers. “And we achieved that with 99. The result is a smooth, drinkable bourbon with hints of caramel, vanilla, chocolate and spice. We’re thrilled to introduce Ezra Brooks 99 to bourbon lovers everywhere.”

Ezra Brooks 99 features the distinctive packaging and natural cork closure for which Ezra Brooks is known, along with a prominent “99” proof callout on the label and deep “LUX ROW DISTILLERS” embossing on the bottle’s shoulder.

“When you see Ezra Brooks 99, you’ll see an elegant, upscale bottle that stands out on the shelf,” said Eric Winter, brand manager for Ezra Brooks. “We believe the refined style and honest flavor of Ezra Brooks is amplified in Ezra Brooks 99, giving consumers of the brand even more to connect to.”

TASTING NOTES
Smooth and drinkable with hints of caramel, vanilla, chocolate, and spice.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, salted caramel, toasted oak spice with cinnamon and clove, a subtle chocolate note (water brings out a bit of mint).
Palate:  Caramel corn, cinnamon, black pepper, bit of chocolate and vanilla.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, drying with a sour oak note and cocoa.
Comments:  A bit of water really smooths this out (NOT that I’m suggesting it should be a lower proof, always appreciate seeing higher proof options on the shelf!). A solid high-rye bourbon with plenty of spice. I wanted to see how it held up against another well-respected, non-age stated high-rye bourbon, so pulled some Wild Turkey 101 for the task. I’d guess this is probably younger as there is more corn sweetness, and this is a bit lighter in color – but it has a nice balance between the sweet and spice notes – which lends itself nicely to an Old Fashioned.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Compass Box Flaming Heart 2018

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Compass Box Flaming Heart 2018
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

48.9% ABV
$130
Website
Compass Box Flaming Heart 2018

What the Blender Says

This is our sixth edition of Flaming Heart, a whisky born of oak, smoke and fire.

First released in 2006, Flaming Heart was the first whisky to combine the rich, complex spice of Scotch aged in new French oak with the evocative peat-red smoke of Islay malt.

It created a genre-defying style that was smouldering, spicy, complex – and so popular that we’ve re-released it five more times in the years that followed.

In this 2018 edition, we have reintroduced a subtle sherry-cask influence that adds an additional layer of complexity and richness. A medium smoky-peaty base is enriched by a sweet maltiness and notes of baking spices and dried fruit.

It’s a whisky to enjoy late into the night, perfect served neat or paired with rich cheeses.

FLAVOUR PROFILE: A medium smoky-peaty base is enriched by a sweet maltiness and notes of baking spices and dried fruit. Full on the palate and very long on the finish.
SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS: This is a whisky to enjoy late into the night. Drink it neat or with water, or try pairing it with rich cheeses.
TECHNICAL DETAILS: Bottled at 48.9%. Natural colour. Not chill filtered. A limited edition of 15,050 standard bottles and 800 magnums. June 2018.
LEAD WHISKYMAKER: Jill Boyd, 2018.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Smoke and peat with sherried fruit nuts under a fog of sea air, smoked meats and a touch of iodine.
Palate:  Thick and creamy mouthfeel with peat smoke, stewed fruits – berries, plums, peaches – exotic spice notes with honey and a hint of anise along with a touch of sea salt.
Finish:  Long and smokey with an ashy earthiness and hints of fruit.
Comments:  Flaming Heart is one of my favorite offerings from Compass Box, and probably the brand I’ve bought more bottles of than anything else in terms of Scotch whisky. When I first discovered it in 2015 (although ironically finding a 2012 release!), I bought it based solely on a review I read (this one!) and my experienced lined up with Richard’s.  I probably picked up a half-dozen bottles of the 2015 release over the course of 2 years (never bought more than 1 at a time!), so I did compared my sample of this 2018 edition (thanks Rich!) to that.  Very similar for sure – this has maybe a touch more ash/smoke, and the 2015 has maybe a touch more fruit.  When I did a blind side-by-side, I wasn’t sure I could tell any difference.  If you like smokey, peaty whisky that has a nice balance of fruit and spice – I can’t see how this would disappoint.

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

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