The Collector’s Cabinet

Parker’s Heritage Collection First Edition

/ / Bourbon, Review, The Collector's Cabinet /

Parker’s Heritage Collection Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 1996 vintage
64.8% ABV
Limited Release
$80 to $90

What The Distillery Says:
Parker’s Heritage Collection is a tribute to sixth generation Master Distiller, Parker Beam, for his 45+ years of service to the distilling industry. Hand-selected by Park himself, this first edition has been aging in oak barrels since 1996 and has been drawn from the barrel at cask strength proof. This distinctive style of American Whiskey offers a truly extraordinary bourbon experience. – Best enjoyed with a splash of water.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Wild berry sweetness and caramel come through more than I would expect at this proof. With water I get coconut oil and melon fruit rind with a subtle hint of citrus.
Palate: It opens up with water to a lighter floral bourbon with hints of ripe fruit and licorice.
Finish: Water is a must, at which point this goes down nice and long. It’s very mellow with traces of polished oak and citrus.
Comments: This is not Stagg and at this proof this bourbon really needs a sizeable does of water. There were three different bourbons bottled in this collection for the first release and all are indistinguishable from the packaging except for the different proofs. This one was generally considered the less of the three. I haven’t had the others but this does stand out. However, I would expect more at this price point.
Rating: Stands Out

What Matt Says:
Nose: At first there are the standard notes you would expect from a bourbon (vanilla, caramel, oak).  Just under the standard fare, there is a strong note of apple cider sediment.
Palate: Warming and oily with notes of charred oak, caramel, vanilla and cloves.
Finish: Oak, oak, and more oak.
Comments: Maybe it’s because this was my second dram of the night, but I did not require the amount of water Richard suggests.  I found this one to be much more enjoyable at full strength.  There is a warming velvet complexity that collapses quite a bit with water.  He is right about one thing.  George T. Stagg this is not.  I’ve tried a few of the Heritage Collection bottlings and this is not my favorite.  A little above average, but only a little.
Rating:  Stands Out

Overall Rating:  Stands Out

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Glen Garioch 15 Year

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

43% ABV/86 Proof
Available in the United States and Europe – $45 to $55

What the distillery says:

Honey in color. Medium-bodied with hints of lavender and oak with a syrup sweetness. Long, mellow and very sumptuous finish.

What Matt says:

Nose: Heather, dulce de leche, trace hints of smoke
Palate: Clean palate with honey, vanilla, peat, cardamom, and what I could only assume is sherry.
Finish: Medium-long finish. The peat asserts itself here with a little alcohol and vanilla.
Comments: A very respectable Highland Malt. Fairly typical, which is to say good. Richard sent me this, so I don’t know much about it. I’m assuming that it spent some time in a sherry cask based on the flavor and color. Among the broad spectrum of all whiskies, I would say this is slightly above average, but does not quite stand out.
Rating: Average

What Richard says:

Nose: Tobacco, cedar, orange blossoms and a slight hint of vanilla.
Palate: Spicy and smoky but with a light bit of sweetness.  All of this is layed on a foundation or earthiness.
Finish: The finish gives me a bit of briney peat and alcohol burn.
Comments: I really find this dram uninspiring.  It was the last “blind buy” that I made, meaning bought without tasting or hearing anything about it.  It’s not particulary bad.  It just doesn’t make me want a 2nd dram.
Rating: Average

Overall Rating: Average

UPDATE 1/26/10: As this is now a discontinued version of Glen Garioch replaced with a 12 Year Old we’ve moved this to The Collector’s Cabinet

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Taste of… The Collector’s Cabinet

/ / Matt's Blog, Review, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky, The Collector's Cabinet /

Matt and I have discussed, at length the merits of offering reviews on whiskeys that are no longer available.  The argument against it is that if we review a dram that is out of this world then it would offer nothing to our readers but frustration at not being able to procure such a fine spirit.  This was our stance from the outset of Whisk(e)y Apostle.

As time went by we started thinking about this idea in a different light.  We realized that there is something to offer our readers by reviewing the occasional rare whiskey.  From a collector’s standpoint there are other resources available offering assistance in how collectable or valuable certain whiskeys are but rarely anything on taste. (As a general rule, we here at Whisk(e)y Apostle do not advocate the collecting of whiskey.  It is made to drink after all!)

So if you find a rare bottle of whiskey, how are you to know if it’s worth purchasing for the purpose of consumption?  That’s where we hope to offer what little assistance we can.  Matt and I aren’t exactly rolling in dough so this will not be a regular part of our reviews but we’ll do it whenever we get the opportunity.

To kick us off we thought we talk a wonderful whisky from Compass Box called The Spice Tree.  There is an unfortunate story behind why this great whisky is no longer in production.  I’m not going to reproduce the sad tale here but if you are interested further information can be found on the interwebs (used to be on Compass Box’s website but they’ve revamped it).

The Spice Tree
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Formerly produced by Compass Box Whisky Company
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky46% ABV/92 Proof
Discontinued

What the distillery says:
A natural, deep, gold-brown color and a rich nose with spices such as clove and nutmeg, and sweet stewed fruits. Palate is soft, sweet, deep and rich with a malt whisky fruitiness embellished by rich spice. Very long.

What Richard says:
Nose: Scotch rolled in a warm bourbon blanket?  If I didn’t know what this was it would really keep me guessing.  Water opens up the nose to honey and floral sweetness.  Quite lovely.
Palate: The wood is the first and last thing you taste but not in the way you might think.  It’s not the tired over wooded flavor of an over aged whiskey.  It’s more like carrying your dram on a walk through the forest.  It’s a fresher wood taste.  There is a minor honeyed sweetness that almost hides from you.  The spice there but much more understated than the name suggests.  There are a lot of nutty flavors and at the very end of the palate I swear I get a hint of spearmint.
Finish: Much smoother than I expected but that really is par for John Glasser’s work.  Spice, nut, and wood remain after the palate is emptied.  It’s almost like peppered walnut bark.
Comments: As unfortunate as it is, this is a discontinued product. If you happen across a bottle at a reasonable price I would highly recommend picking it up.  I can’t give it a “Must Buy” because of the scarcity but it really deserves top honors.
Rating: Must Try

What Matt says:
Nose: Fox glove honey, caramel, wildflowers, and cardamom.
Palate: Like drinking a nice cup of mulled cider by a fresh cut Christmas tree.  Wood, evergreen, mulling spices, cooked fruit (apples and apricots).  The ultimate ‘comfort’ whisky.  Complex without being uppity.
Finish: Oak, white pepper, and pecan husks linger with a touch of caramel sweetness.  This whisky is incredibly smooth with very little burn on the tongue or in the throat.
Comments: My official rating for this will be a “Must Try” for the reasons that Richard states above.  However, if you see a bottle of this, buy it.  If you see two, let me know.  I will buy the other one.  I love this whisky and lament it’s passing.  When the last drop falls from my bottle, I will shed a tear.
Rating: Must Try

Overall Rating:   Must Try

Closing Comments: A lot of discontinued whiskeys are phased out due unpleasant factors (Glenmorangie Burgundy Wood Finish) or diminished stocks (Ardbeg 17 Year) but the Spice Tree is the unfortunate victim of politics.  There is little lacking in this quality dram.  If you are fortunate enough to come across a bottle or dram, by all means drink up.

Slainte!

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