Scottish Whisky

New U.S. Releases – August 2011

/ / Bourbon, Other Whisk(e)ys, Scottish Whisky

August was a big month for new stuff. Here’s the rundown on what broke through the Whisk(e)y Apostle Fortress of Solitude.

Parker’s Heritage Collection 2011 – Cognac Finish
Timeframe: October 2011
ABV: 50%
Price: $85
This annual release is one of a handful I look forward to every year. This year’s release is 10 Year Old bourbon from the Evan Williams recipe that spent six more months finishing in 2 to 3 year old Limousin oak casks used for cognac. You don’t really see that much finishing in the bourbon category compared to scotch and other whiskeys. This should be very interesting.

Cooper’s Mark Bourbon
Timeframe: Now
ABV: TBD
Price: $25
This was an under the radar find. It’s a independent bottling (source unknown) by Fast Forward Brands, LLC out of Englewood Colorado.

Glenfiddich 1974 Vintage Reserve
Timeframe: September 2011
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
This year’s Glenfiddich Vintage Reserve will be a vatting of 1974 Glenfiddich. This will be the first vatted Vintage Reserve from Glenfiddich. Only 1,000 bottles will be available.

Local 47th Ward Blend Whiskey
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 47%
Price: TBD
Koval in Chicago is adding a blend to their stable of single grain whiskeys. This will be a blend of four grains: malted barley, wheat, oat, and rye.

Buffalo Trace White Dog #’s 2 & 3
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 62.5%
Price: $15.99/375ml
The existing White Dog Mash #1 is seeing a couple of stable mates this fall. Buffalo Trace is releasing a wheated bourbon mash and a rye mash for sampling pleasure.

Drambuie 15 Year Old
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 43%
Price: $56/liter
Have you ever wanted an older, more premium Drambuie? No, me either. However, soon there will be one for you anyway.

WhistlePig “Jr” & White Pig
Timeframe: Spring 2012
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
Sometime in the next 6 months the folks behind WhistlePig 10 Year Rye hope to release a younger version in the 5 to 7 year old range and a white dog product called White Pig. I still have yet to get my hands on the original WhistlePig So I don’t know how exited I am yet but I’m always for more variety in the whiskey.

Collier and McKeel Tennessee Whiskey
Timeframe: Now
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
This is a craft distiller operating out of Nashville. They have a new Tennessee Whiskey (and white dog) on the market. They use smaller barrels for aging similar to what we’ve seen at a number of other craft distillers.

2011 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch
Timeframe: September 2011
ABV: 55.05%
Price: TBD, but most likely in line with the 2011 LE Single Barrel
This year’s release of 3,500 bottles is a comingling of four different bourbons. The component whiskeys will be a 13 Year Old OBSK, 13 Year old OESQ, 12 Year old OESV, and a OESK aged 11 years.

E. H. Taylor Single Barrel
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 50%
Price: $59.99
This is the second release in the E.H. Taylor line. This release is bourbon aged 11 years and 7 months years in Warehouse C, which was actually built by Col. Taylor in 1881. I never got to try the first release so I’ll be looking hard for this one.

Masterson’s Rye
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: TBD
Price: $79
35 Maple is releasing this 10 year old rye. This is another 10 Year old sourced rye. It will be interesting to see how it stacks up to Jefferson’s and WhistlePig.

Hakushu
Timeframe: October 12th
ABV: TBD
Price: TBD
No word yet on which Hakushu releases will hit the U.S. but it will be nice to see this lightly peated Suntory product on the shelves. Note to the Land of the Rising Sun…more whiskeys please!

Isle of Skye 12 Year Old
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 43%
Price: TBD
We’ve had the 8 year old for some time but I’m glad to see more EU exclusives making it across the pond!

Forty Creek John’s Private Cask No.1
Timeframe: Fall 2011
ABV: 40%
Price: $69.95
John Hall is a great innovator in Canadian Whisky. What’s even better is that unlike most of his counterparts in our neighbor to the north, he doesn’t keep all the really good stuff in Canada. I can’t wait to try this one!

That is all for August. I can’t wait to see what September holds!

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

New U.S. Releases – August 2011 Read More »

Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
44% ABV/88 Proof
$125
Available in select specialty retailers

What the Distillery Says:
Matured for the majority of its life in bespoke Oloroso Matusalem sherry butts and bottled at 44% alcohol by volume, the body and character of this extraordinary expression is the perfect complement to a fine cigar. The sherry cask proportion is 70
percent and 30 percent American white oak.

Color: Deep amber gold in colour with glittering highlights.
Nose: Aromas of orange marmalade, honey and citrus fruits abound in sensual profusion.
Taste: The long years spent in the finest Oloroso sherry wood deliver intense notes of crushed almonds, cinnamon and spice to complete the nose of this remarkable expression.
Finish: On the palate creamy vanilla, toffee and sweet pineapples open, followed by rich mango, crushed pear and kiwi fruits. An aftertaste of unsurpassed elegance.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sherry, orange, and a consistent savory note that I find in a lot of Dalmore.
Palate: Sweet, nutty, and a little spicy on the back end of the palate.
Finish: That nuttiness from the palate really lingers. Vanilla and spicy oak through end of a long slow finish. I don’t really get any of the fruit but still a very nice finish.
Comments: Apparently, ever since the refresh of the Dalmore portfolio Richard Paterson keeps getting questions about what happened to the old Cigar Malt. Well, this isn’t it but it is very nice. It’s not quite Dalmore at the top of it’s game like The MacKenzie but it’s still a stand out dram. I’ll have to take some more time with this and pair it up with a few cigars.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Laura with The Baddish Group for providing us a sample for review.

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Highland Park 25 Year

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 25 Years
48.1% ABV/96.2 Proof
$250 to $350
Available at select retailers

What the Distillery Says:
First released in 1998, Highland Park 25 Years Old is a phenomenal whisky; it has a rich amber glow and an unmistakable taste of smokiness and heather honey with, as you would expect from Highland Park, a hint of peat.

The remarkable complexity of this whisky is due in part to the fact that half of it is matured in first fill Sherry casks. These are very expensive and generally used sparingly in the industry. However, they impart maximum flavour; Highland Park 25 Year Old proves it.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Natural colour; dark red golden, clear and bright
What Richard Says:
Nose: Lots of sherry, heather, cherries, and oak. It’s fruitier than I would’ve thought.
Palate: Rich, heavy on sherry and oak but not “too oaky” by any means. Honey and nice peatiness.
Finish: Very smooth and dry with a little lemon zest.
Comments: Highland Park just ages really well. The only thing I’ve had from the distillery better than this is the 30 year old. Price is really the only thing that keeps me from telling you to run right out and buy a bottle. Another knockout dram from Highland Park.
Rating: Must Try

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New U.S. Releases – July ‘11

/ / Bourbon, Other Spirits, Other Whisk(e)ys, Scottish Whisky

It’s been a busy summer. We have a whole mess of new stuff coming in.

Highland Park Earl Haakon
Timeframe: July 2011
ABV: 54.9%
Price: $260
This 18 year old is the third Earl Magnus release. It’s supposed to be a darker take on both the Magnus series and the standard 18 year old. It’s named for Saint Magnus’s “deceitful and murderous” cousin!

HighWest 36th Vote
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 36%
Price: $45
This is High West’s “Barreled Manhattan” celebrating Utah’s vote to repeal Prohibition. It’s 2 parts High West Rye, 1 part sweet vermouth and bitters that was put together and aged for 90 to 120 days in rye whiskey barrels.

Auchentoshan Bordeaux Cask
Timeframe: Summer 2011
ABV: 58%
Price: $75
This limited release is an 11 year old Auchentoshan matured in Bordeaux casks and comes non-chill filtered. You read that right, not finished but fully matured in Bordeaux casks.

Auchentoshan Valinch
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: 57.5%
Price: TBD
This new release is a response from the distillery to long time fans requesting a cask strength, non-chill-filtered version of the Auchentoshan Classic. It gets its name from the pipette used to draw the whisky out of the cask.

Black Bull Special Reserve No. 1
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: 46.6%
Price: $105
This is Duncan Taylor’s newest Black Bull extension. This blend uses a 50% malt to grain ratio like the 12 and 30 year olds. There’s only 978 bottles of this so grab it if you can.

Tomatin Decades
Timeframe: TBD
ABV: 46%
Price: $115
Those familiar with the Parker’s Heritage Golden Anniversary release will be familiar with this idea. To celebrate Master Distiller Douglas Campbell’s 50th year of serve this is mixture of whiskies from all the decades of Mr. Campbell’s career. Only 9,000 bottles worldwide!

Tomatin 30 Year Old
Timeframe: Late 2011
ABV: 46%
Price: $200
This new release is replacing the old 25 Year Old. It will be an ongoing limited release of 2,000 bottles per year.

Kilchoman Spring 2011 Release
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 46%
Price: $65
The latest Kilchoman release is a marriage of three and four year old whiskies aged in first-fill bourbon barrels. The four year old component was finished in oloroso sherry casks.

American Spirit Whiskey
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 40%
Price:
Marketed as an alternative to vodka, this new white dog release comes to us from a Charleston, SC bottler.

Arkansas Young Bourbon Whiskey
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 46%
Price: $24.99/375ml
This one is a new wheated bourbon from Rock Town Distiller in Arkansas.

Laphroaig Cairdeas
Timeframe: Now
ABV: 50.5%
Price: $65
Laphroaig’s latest in this release series is an 8 year old aged exclusively in Maker’s Mark barrels. Apparently, the barrels and warehouse location make this 8 year old worthy of a price tag rivaling the old 15 year old. You’ll have to decide for yourself.

Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve
Timeframe: August 2011
ABV: 44%
Price: $125
This new limited release from Dalmore isn’t a replacement for the old Cigar Malt. Rather this is a whole new expression the vein of other recent limited releases. This one is specifically formulated for cigar pairing. Some of our good friends were nice enough to send me a review sample so I hope to have that posted this weekend.

As always, if we missed or misstated anything please let us know.

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

New U.S. Releases – July ‘11 Read More »

Highland Park 18 Year

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Aged 18 Years
43% ABV/86 Proof
$80 to $100
Widely available

What the Distillery Says:
First released in 1997, Highland Park immediately found favour with whisky writers and enthusiasts all over the world. It is a perfectly balanced single malt with a toffee sweetness and a mouthwateringly smokey finish.

Tasting Notes

Appearance:Natural colour; burnished gold, clear and bright
Nose:Rich, mature oak; top note of aromatic smoke
Palate:Rich, full flavour; honey and peat
Finish:Soft, round and long

The nose of Highland Park 18 Year Old displays characteristic toffee sweetness and an almond nuttiness reminiscent of marzipan. The finish is a prolonged, full, smokey aftertaste.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Dark fruit, sherry, polished oak, heather, buttery sweetness.
Palate: Smokey, rich, kind of oily, sweet and salty playing together, a little nutty.
Finish: Warm, peaty, a little spicy, and hotter than I expected.
Comments: A true classic. This is an amazingly complex whisky. It changes every time I try another dram. To me, this is the best sub-$100 18 Year Old single malt available. I almost don’t want to say that you must buy it because I don’t want to run low.
Rating: Must Buy

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