Alexander Murray & Co Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 22 Years 40% ABV $50 (Costco Exclusive)
What the Bottler Says: Mortlach distillery was established in 1823 by John Findlater, Mortlach was the first of Dufftown’s seven distilleries. The distillery has always been held in high regard and is locally thought on, as one of the very best Speyside whiskies. Alexander Murray brings you this rare bottling of Mortlach distilled in 1989, matured for 22 years in oak casks. It is dark golden in color, on the nose is quite subtle with elegant depth. Notes of barley, hints of oaked tannins and dry wood. The palate is smooth and buttery, with a long warm spicy finish. Perfect for any occasion.
What Elizabeth Says: Nose: Cherry oak furniture stored in your great grandfather’s barn. Palate: Swishes well, delightfully smooth. Finish: Strong spicy berry taste but not overpowering. Comments: Yummy. Not complicated at all but sometimes simple is best. Rating: Must Try
What Richard Says: Nose: Fresh butter, apricots, hints of grass, grain, and sherry. Palate: Surprisingly sweet and delicate. Brown sugar crumbles on peaches and cream. Finish: A little harsher than the I would’ve expected after the nose and palate. Oak, rubbery, and very dry. Comments: This one is a Costco exclusive bottled under the Alexander Murray label. Not nearly as aggressive as other Mortlach’s I’ve had but very drinkable. The nose is nice and the palate is great. The finish leaves a little to be desired but at less than $50 you can’t go wrong. Rating: Must Buy
The Balvenie Portwood Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 21 Years 43% ABV $180 – $230 Website What the Distillery Says: To create The Balvenie PortWood Aged 21 Years, a marriage of rare Balvenie is transferred to port casks, or pipes, which have held fine port wines. Here it is sampled regularly by The Balvenie Malt Master to ensure that just the right amount of character is imparted by the port casks, enhancing and developing the single malt whilst preserving its original characteristics. In duty free The Balvenie PortWood Aged 21 Years is non chill-filtered and bottled at a higher strength of 47.6% abv.
NOSE: A perfume of fruity and ripe raisin notes, backed by a nutty dryness
TASTE: Refined with remarkable character, it is creamy and silky with fruit, honey and spice notes.
FINISH: Long, gentle, nutty.
What Richard Says: Nose: Granny’s muscadine jelly, honey roasted peanuts, and stewed cherries. Palate: Creamy but not overly viscous. Fruitcake, allspice, and almond shortbread cookies. Finish: Warm smokey wood finish that lingers a bit but doesn’t overstay its welcome. Comments: This is one of my all time favorite whiskeys. Period. Those favorites I always try to keep on hand. Granted, as scotch prices continue to rise that gets harder but I do my best. This is an absolutely terrific dram. I’ve loved it for years and it never disappoints. At nearly two bills it’s hard to tell you that you must buy it but if it is within your means then I can’t recommend it enough. Rating:Must Buy
I would like to thank Kimberly and Sonia over at the Susan Magrino Agency for sending over a sample to review.
Glenfiddich Age of Discovery Single Malt Scotch Whisky Bourbon Cask Reserve 40% ABV $150 Website What the Distillery Says: This fall, Glenfiddich, the world’s most awarded Single Malt Scotch Whisky, will launch the Age of Discovery Bourbon Cask Reserve, celebrating the intrepid journeys of the most determined pioneers. This release is a toast to the American bourbon industry, which has provided barrels to Scotch distilleries for maturing their whiskies.
The Bourbon Cask Reserve is exclusively aged for 19 years in American oak casks – casks that once traveled great American rivers and now serve as the inspiration for this limited edition release. Some of these rivers – the Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Ohio – all flow into the most famous and important waterway of America’s South: The Mississippi. These were the roads along which hundreds of people traveled over history, ultimately cultivating the land, bringing commerce and industry to the areas around which the cities of the South arose. As the cities grew, so did the American whiskey distilling industry, which used local grains to produce their own distinctive whiskeys most notably bourbon and rye whisky. For many years, these spirits mellowed in barrels as they were carried down the Mississippi River on the great paddle steamers of the 19th century to the bustling port of New Orleans to be bottled and shipped to their final destination. Since bourbon can only be aged in new white oak barrels, these empty casks were and still are shipped across the Atlantic to Scotland where distilleries such as Glenfiddich use them to mature Scotch whisky.
“We were inspired by the journey that takes bourbon barrels from U.S. whiskey distilleries to the Glenfiddich distillery and as a result, this rich, single malt Scotch whisky is 100% bourbon cask matured and is the first time we have used bourbon barrels to fully age a whisky,” said Glenfiddich Malt Master, Brian Kinsman. “This release celebrates the adventurous spirit we share with intrepid explorers, starting with our founder, William Grant, who set out on his own journey to fulfil a lifelong ambition of creating the best dram in the valley.”
Kinsman continued, “Aging this single malt entirely in a bourbon cask has created a spirit that has a balance of spicy sweetness tempered by rich, dried fruit flavors. Its nose consists of toffee and deep citrus notes, balanced by dry, faint smoky notes of oak. The taste is complex and layered with vanilla, fine leather and tobacco, which develops a sweet, velvety mouth feel enhanced by spicy hints of cardamom and nutmeg, which fade slowly into a warm and long finish.”
The Age of Discovery Glenfiddich Bourbon Cask Reserve’s distinctive packaging is adorned with striking illustrations that represent the meandering Mississippi River with each panel displaying a landmark along the casks’ expedition from America to Scotland. The deep blue box and the black glass bottle, embellished with a red cartouche compass, reflects the richness and exclusivity of the single malt whisky that is the reward of the long journey, making it an ideal gift for the adventurous and discerning drinker.
What Richard Says: Nose: Pears, the malty whiff of an IPA, and orange-mint chewing gum. Palate: A hint of sweet vanilla at first, then Christmas spices, old rough leather like a pair of old buckskin work gloves. Finish: Very mellow, wet toothpicks, mint notes, fading to old cigar. Comments: This is a very interesting dram. Personally, if I was going to spend $150 on a bottle of Glenfiddich it would be the 21 year old finished in rum casks. That’s not a knock on this bottle, it’s just not the best Glenfiddich has to offer at the price point. It’s still an interesting iteration and a nice glass of scotch. However, I think this would be more for the Glenfiddich devotee rather than the uninitiated. Rating: Stands Out
I would like to thank Kimberly and Sonia over at the Susan Magrino Agency for sending over a sample to review.
The Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 9 Single Malt Scotch Whisky 49.3% ABV $250 Website What the Distillery Says: The Balvenie, the most handcrafted single malt Scotch whisky, is proud to introduce its latest expression: Tun 1401, Batch 9. This release has been exclusively created for the U.S. market, and follows the hugely successful ‘Batch 3’ and ‘Batch 6’, which were the only other Tun 1401 expressions released in the United States in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Available in limited supply beginning this October, this rare batch includes exceptional and precious liquid from a number of casks specially selected by the industry’s longest-serving Malt Master, David Stewart. David’s first batch of Tun 1401 was released in 2010, for sale only at The Balvenie’s Speyside Distillery.
Inspired by and produced in one of the oldest warehouses at The Balvenie Distillery, The Balvenie Tun 1401, Batch 9 is a skillful marriage of some of the rarest treasures from the distillery’s Warehouse 24. This latest batch of Tun 1401 represents an unrepeatable selection of spirits sourced from eleven traditional whisky casks and three sherry butts, whose ages span a number of decades, and which have all been hand-selected by Stewart. The whisky rested for several months in Tun 1401 – one of the distillery’s unique marrying vessels – to create a single malt that is greater than its already precious parts.
“We’ve identified what we believe to be an unprecedented range of liquids to comprise this Tun 1401 batch from the vast library of very rare whisky currently maturing at The Balvenie Distillery,” said David Stewart, Malt Master for The Balvenie. “The end result is a complex and completely unique marriage characterized by dark fruits and marmalade on the nose. Its richness and smoothness is underpinned with dark chocolate sweetness, delicate honey notes and a distinctly long, spicy finish.” The exceptional quality of The Balvenie is attributed to the unique craftsmanship retained by The Balvenie Distillery. Nowhere else will you find a distillery that still grows its own barley, malts in its own traditional floor maltings, employs a team of coopers to tend its casks, a coppersmith to maintain its stills and has in its service the most experienced Malt Master in Scotland.
Hand-bottled at The Balvenie Distillery in Speyside, The Balvenie Tun 1401, Batch 9 is a limited release with an RRP of $250. The Balvenie Tun 1401, Batch 9 has an ABV of 49.3%.
The Balvenie Tun 1401, Batch 9 Tasting Notes according to Malt Master David Stewart: NOSE: “On the Nose, Batch 9 is an intricate blend of elegant oak, dark fruits and marmalade.” TASTE: “This unique whisky tastes of opulent sherried fruitiness and mature oak tannins balanced with hints of honey and dark chocolate.” FINISH: “The finish has a spicy outburst which lingers on the rich, syrupy finish.”
What Richard Says: Nose: Gorgeous fruits on the nose. Dark and rich with layers of sherry, stone fruits, orange marmalade, and pear preserves. Really sexy. Palate: A more tame version of the nose. Creamy and sweet at first. The sherry is really driving the fruit here. Nice play between a slightly bitter tannic fruity wine and a mellow sweetness. Finish: Heavier on the pepper and oak but fruity jams from the nose and tongue stick around a bit too. Comments: Simply lovely. Oh if it wasn’t 2 1/2 bills I’d be out buying a bottle right now. I can’t say enough nice things about how great this is. On an interesting side note, I’m usually not even in the ball park with the “standard” tasting notes for a given dram but David Stewart’s notes are spot on. I don’t get much chocolate but everything else he lists is right there front and center. I guess after doing a couple hundred of these I’m bound to get one right eventually. 😉 Rating: Must Buy
I would like to thank Kimberly and Sonia over at the Susan Magrino Agency for sending over a sample to review.
Glen Grant Five Decades Single Malt Scotch Whiskey 46% ABV $250 Website What the Distillery Says: Five Decades of Excellence Glen Grant Five Decades is a single malt specially crafted by Dennis Malcolm to celebrate and pay homage to his five decades of experience with Glen Grant. Dennis has hand-selected his favorite casks, which he personally laid down over the last Five Decades (1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s). By marrying together these slowly aged casks, each of which has reached its peak of maturity, he has created a rich yet mellow Single Malt with unusual depth and complexity. This whisky is carefully hand-selected to deliver the distinctive smooth, fruity and rich taste experience for which Glen Grant is renowned.
Scotch Whisky as it Should Be As the scotch category has burgeoned, rival spirits have attempted to differentiate themselves through excessively peaty flavors and exagerated “dark” editions – all gimmicks meant to catch eyes, not taste buds. Glen Grant’s Dennis Malcolm, probably the most experienced master distiller in Scotland, cut his teeth as an apprentice cooper in the distillery in which he is now leading the effort to re-introduce Scotch in its purest form: a beautifully light and excessibly drinkable whisky. As the only Speyside Distillery to bottle every whisky on site, Glen Grant is a fitting face to the scotch category, producing scotch whisky as it should be.
Glen Grant is as famous for innovation as it is for its scotch. The founder, James Grant, was the first to install electric lighting in a distillery, and established the distilleries signature pot stills – some of the tallest in Scotland. These taller stills help achieve the delicacy signature to Glen Grant’s scotches; during distillation, vapors from the fermented solution rise, and taller stills allow the vapor to escape, resulting in a unique light color and easy taste. It is safe to say that the scotch category continues to benefit from this historic distilleries’ progressive, yet respectfully traditional outlook on whisky distillation.
Tasting Notes Appearance: Light golden barley Bouquet: A rich and smooth marriage of vanilla, honey and oroloso sherry Palate: Mouth-feel of orange blossom and honey, intensely creamy, with sweet toffee and mellow raisin fruit Finish: Smooth and fruity lingering aftertaste
What Richard Says: Nose: Sherry jumps out first but not in an aggressive way. It just make’s itself known. There’s a buttery back note hiding behind the sherry. Palate: Nice initial sweetness reminding me of toffee ice cream and poached pears and it transitions into a grain/cereal type flavor. Finish: Subtle but you know it’s there and it has a decent length. Like the quiet gentleman in the corner of the room listening in on the conversation. A creamy oak note is the main bit but it’s not in your face like a whiskey that’s spent too much time in the cask. Comments: Very nice dram. A true standout. It’s not going to change the face of scotch but that’s not really Glen Grant’s thing. They just make damn fine whiskey that you’re never opposed to drinking. Rating: Stands Out
I’d like to thank Nick and the folks at exposureusa for providing me with a sample to review.
