Scottish Whisky

Old Pulteney 21 Year

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 21 Years
46% ABV/92 Proof
$110 to $130
Website

What the Distillery Says:
As with the 17-year-old, with this expression we marry together Old Pulteney matured in ex-bourbon wood with spirit from ex-sherry wood casks. The crucial difference, however, is that the ex-sherry wood in this case is made from American Oak (mostly Fino sherries). This adds yet another layer of complexity, depth and character to this truly superb malt whisky.

Colour: Golden amber with straw highlights.

Nose: Full bodied with traces of fruits (apples and pears); slightly fragrant with spicy overtones.

Palate: Sweet to start with a light fruitiness; hints of honey and vanilla followed by a dry finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Smoked oysters, granny smith apples, bailed hay.
Palate: Very dry with notes of oranges and grains.
Finish: Pleasantly smoky with a hint brine laying over a base of polished wood. Long after the glass is empty there’s a aftertaste that reminds me of sashimi, iceberg lettuce, and smoked salmon.
Comments: I’ve never made Old Pulteney a consistent personal dram. I’ve had various expressions over the years and some I liked, others not. Of all the ones I’ve had this expression is my least favorite. I’m a little sorry I started Old Pulteney reviews with this one but it was the sample I was sent. In the $100 plus range of scotch there are a lot of great drams. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of them.
Rating: Average

I would like to thank Lucas with Alembic Communications Ltd for providing a sample for review.

Old Pulteney 21 Year Read More »

Duty Free & Travel Retail Shopping

/ / Bourbon, Other Whisk(e)ys, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky

NOTE:  Richard posted this originally in Nov 2011; as prices and even what is/isn’t available has changed – Gary updated in Jan 2019.

The holidays are once again right around the corner. For most people in the U.S. this means two things…gift giving and travel. So with that in mind I thought I would pontificate on the intersection where those two things meet whiskey. Duty Free/Travel Retail shopping immediately come to mind.

I’m sure that most of you who have done any type of international travel have seen whiskey for sale somewhere. It might be a small duty free liquor section in the gift shop of your cruise ship or a massive store in Heathrow. If you’ve flown out of Cancun then you can’t actually get to your gate without going through the duty free store. The selections may be big or small but how do you know what to buy?

Before we start I want to dispel the myth that if you get it in a travel shop then it must be a good deal. What once was referred to as “Duty Free” shopping has now morphed into “Travel Retail” shopping. That means that depending on where you are, where you’re going, and what you’re buying the items may not be duty or tax free at all. If you see something that you buy all the time at home then you probably have a good point of reference for the relative value of the purchase. However, if you’re picking up a gift either as planned or on impulse you might be surprised to know that the price of the bottle you are looking at may not be that great. In some instances it might even be more expensive. In this age or smartphones and instance wireless internet connectivity I recommend doing a little homework before pulling the trigger.

If it’s whiskey you are after, look to old favorites, exclusive items, or high-end blends. You need to pay attention to pricing though (and if you’re not sure, that’s what smartphones are for). Some travel retail locations (such as near where the cruise ships dock in Grand Cayman) have historically charged more for some standards than you would pay at home.

Next, I would recommend looking at travel retail exclusive bottlings for something interesting. More often than not you will find Scotch in your search for travel retail exclusives. There are also items that started out as travel retail exclusives, can be found elsewhere in the world, but still may not be available in the United States (so despite not being a pure ‘travel retail exclusive’, if it is up your alley – likely will be cheaper to buy there than say in London).  Also, many (not all) now have web-sites where you can check before your trip.  They may still have items in-store that aren’t on their site, or just the opposite (on the site but not in-stock).  But I always recommend a little web-shopping in advance.

Here’s a brief list of some to keep an eye out for:

Laphroaig fans can look for:
Laphroaig PX Cask
Laphroaig Brodir
Laphroaig The 1815 Edition

Johnnie Walker fans can look for whole bottles from their Explorer’s Club Collection, or they have a sample pack with three 200 mL bottles of Gold Route, Royal Route, and Spice Road.

On the American whiskey front, the selection isn’t as broad, although we do really like the Jack Daniel’s Silver Select if you can find it!

A final thought might be a good Scotch blend. Blends have been getting beat up a good bit in the past decade with the growth of single malts. I can’t seem to throw a cork without hitting a single malt snob these days. The truth is blends are good. Some can be very good. They also seem to have a higher tax/duty mark up and therefore offer great buys in a duty free shop. I’ve regularly found Dewar’s Signature and Chivas Royal Salute 21 Year Old for half of retail price. You might only save 10% or 20% on the bottle of single malt sitting next to it. With deals like that maybe it’s time to see how good blends can be. Personally, I always have a good blend at home and if it’s more than $100 you can bet I got it duty free.

I hope some of this might help you in the near future while waiting for your next flight. I want to be clear that this is purely from personal experience. I have no data from expansive international pricing surveys but I travel regularly and I’m always looking for something interesting. Hopefully, on your next layover or trip to visit the family you can find something interesting too.

Oh by the way, most of the shops gift wrap too. 😉

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old

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

Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
40% ABV/80 Proof
$40 to $45
Collectible (Old Version)
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The nose offers a fresh and aromatic experience with a subtle whiff of smoke floating through the air. The taste starts with a light fruit and nut appeal that leads to a spectacular malty sweetness, finishing into a beautifully rich full-bodied, lingering experience.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Slightly smokey and a little sweet.
Palate: Licorice and fennel seed jump out at first. A mild earthy scotch develops with a little peat smoke around the edges. It’s also nutty and a little salty.
Finish: The finish fades to something reminiscent of fresh straw and black pepper with a hint of peat.
Comments: If you go out now and buy a bottle of Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old now this is not what you’ll get. They now bottle it un-chillfiltered and a little north of 46% ABV. I haven’t tried the newer version just yet but I hear it’s a slight improvement over the original. In general I feel that Bunnahabhain gets overlooked in this day of uber-peat obsession. It’s a lightly peated Islay that isn’t going to change your religion or anything but it’s a nice middle of the road dram that’s not disappointing.
Rating: Average

Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Read More »

Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky
47.3% ABV/ 94.6 Proof
$150 to $175

What the Distillery Says:
A meticulous re-creation of the original malt whisky shipped to Antarctica in 1097 by Shackleton to fortify his ‘Nimrod’ expedition, this dram has been a long, long time in the making.

Abandoned to the Antarctic winter in early 1909, three wooden crates of this fine Mackinlay’s malt, originally distilled at Glen Mhor Distillery in Inverness, were buried in the ice beneath Ernest Shackleton’s hut.

Unearthed a century later by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, in 2010 a single crate was flown to Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand for conservation. Heralded as ‘a gift from heaven for whisky lovers’, this original and long-lost malt provided the inspiration and critical insight for our timeless re-creation.

Every whisky is an adventure, but this one more than most. From Glen Mhor to many years lying under Antarctic ice and then journeying back to the land of its birth. And in many ways it is now that the adventure is really just beginning as the discovery and analysis of the original malt an dour faithful re-creation now add an exhilarating new chapter to an already epic story.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Lightly smokey, fresh and citrusy. It reminds me of the smell of my kitchen the next morning after making a bunch of whiskey sours. It’s kind of like lemon but after it’s been left out for a while.
Palate: Lightly sweet and very delicate. This is more of an aperitif than an after dinner malt. It’s rather fruity and very little of the peat and smoke that is in the nose and finish shows up in the palate.
Finish: For such a delicate drink the finish is a surprising peaty smokey little punch. Oak makes a standing ovation too.
Comments: This is a funny little dram. The nose, palate, and finish seem like three different whiskies. It’s very enjoyable and speaks to Mr. Paterson’s skill as a blender.
Rating: Stands Out

My thanks to Patricia Jimenez with The Baddish Group for providing me with a review sample.

Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Read More »

New U.S. Releases – September 2011

/ / Bourbon, Irish Whiskey, Other Spirits, Scottish Whisky

I’m a little late again this month but I have good reason. I reinjured my right ankle and as a result I’ve been medicated and hobbling around. It’s an old injury that actually goes all the way back to fourth grade. My MRI results are pending and it hurts. It is what it is. This is just an excuse on my part. There’s really no good reason why I couldn’t have posted this on time so here goes.

Bruichladdich 10 Year Old
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: 46%
Price: TBD
Bruichladdich is back. Well, they’ve been back. Now they are back with their own 10 Year Old from entirely new production stock.

2011 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
Timeframe: October 2011
ABV: Varied
Price: $70
The whole gang is back again. All five releases are coming back this year. George T. Stagg, Sazerac 18, Eagle Rare 17, William Larue Weller, and Thomas Handy will be available in October.

Bunnahabhain Vintage
Timeframe: 2012
ABV: 43%
Price: TBD
Starting next year Bunnahabhain will be replacing their 18 Year old with a vintage release. For fans of the 18 Year Old you better pick it up while you can!

Elijah Craig 20 Year Old
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 45%
Price: $275
The rub on this one, aside from the price (EC 18 is about $60), is that it’s only available at the Bourbon Heritage Center in Kentucky.

Glen Garioch 1994
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: TBD
Price: $109.99
This vintage release is supposed to showcase a slightly smokier side of Glen Garioch.

Glenrothes 1995
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: TBD
Price: $TBD
This is the newest edition to Glenrothes ongoing vintage releases.

Glenrothes Editors Cask
Timeframe: Winter 2011
ABV: 55.8%
Price: $250
This new limited edition will see only 130 bottlings coming to the U.S. later this year. This one comes from a Spanish hogshead and is cask number 9973.

High West OMG Rye
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 49.3%
Price: TBD
This is a new un-aged rye from High West. It’s 100% rye, 20% malted. High West has caused some controversy in the past but I like their stuff and look forward to giving this a try.

Johnnie Walker Double Black
Timeframe: October 2011
ABV: 40%
Price: No price yet but it’s expected to retail for 15% to 20% above standard JW Black.
Think of this a more heavily peated version of JW Black. Interested? I am. This one was available in travel retail only for a while. I’m glad it’s making to release.

Macallan 60 Year Old Lalique
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: TBD
Price: $20,000
This is the fourth release in the Macallan Lalique series. Realistically for most of the us a $20,000 bottle of scotch is a pipe dream. However, it comes in a really pretty bottle. 😉

The Mackinlay
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 47.3%
Price: $162
This is the recreation Whyte and Mackay did of the whiskey found in the Antarctic that was all over the news a while back. It should be interesting. I’m supposed to have a review sample on its way. I’ll keep you posted.

Oban 18 Year Old
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 43%
Price: TBD
I like Oban but I feel that it tends to be overshadowed by its stable mates. Well, Diageo seems to be giving it a little more attention with the line expansion of adding the 18 Year Old as a permanent addition.

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength
Timeframe: 2012
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
Okay Redbreast fans, the hits just keep on coming. First we got a 15 year release and now we’ll see the original 12 year old coming out in a cask strength version. I’ll definitely be picking some up.

Red Stag Honey & Red Stag Spiced
Timeframe: Early 2012
ABV: 40%
Price: $15
Apparently Red Stag was so popular that Jim Beam decided we need more. Two new flavors are coming to the market next year.

R&R Reserve Canadian Whiskey
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 40%
Price: $14.99
R&R stands for rich and rare. This new value release comes to us from Sazerac. Building on the previously release Royal Canadian and Caribou Crossing Sazerac continues to expand their Canadian offerings.

Temptation Bourbon
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 41%
Price: $22
This new bottling comes from Dynamic Beverages. They are the same folks bringing you Redemption Bourbon and Rye. This is another rebottling of bourbon produced by LDI. This one is from their mashed bill that uses a higher percentage of corn. It’s bottled at about two years old.

Woodford Master Cask Rye
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: TBD
Price: $45 per 375ml bottle
There are actually two releases in this year’s Woodford release. Both are 100% rye triple pot distiller whiskeys. This is a first from Woodford. One is aged in new oak barrels and the other is aged in used oak barrels. This should be pretty interesting.

Glenfarclas Family Casks
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
Not much news here. The Glenfarclas Family Casks have been available abroad for some time. They are finally going to make it stateside late this year or early next year. No word yet on which bottlings or prices.

That is all for September.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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