SMWSA Cask No. 3.182

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, SMWSA Whiskies /

SMWSA Cask No. 3.182
Islay, Loch Indaal
46.4% ABV
Distilled August 1990
$145
US Allocation: 60 Bottles
Early August 2012 Outturn Release

What the SMWSA Says:
We found quite a bit of fruit on the nose – tinned pears, passion fruit and ‘someone peeling tangerines in the a recently painted hospital’ – in addition we enjoyed lavender, orange blossoms, patchouli, burnt paper, smoky bacon and well-kept stables – quite complex all in all. The palate had Elastoplasts and gauze bandages, star anise, walnut fudge, honeysuckle, nutty tobacco and baklava. Water brought freesias and parma violets, creosote and peat fires to the nose, while the palate became sweeter, developing slightly burnt treacle tart, sugar cane and dark chocolate coated marzipan with some coconut to finish. The distillery was built in 1779.

Drinking tip: A good barbeque or camp fire dram.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Ooooh creamy smokey yummy. Smoked bacon and ripe orchard fruits. I don’t like what water does to the nose on this one. It makes it a little too vegetal.
Palate: Sweet and spicy at first. Lots of honey. The spice is driving me nuts. I know I’ve had it before. It’s hot and peppery like some kind of southwestern Mex-fusion. Water makes it much more floral and peaty.
Finish: The finish plays out slow to a medium length. That honey sweetness lingers and slowly fades into the ember smoke of a camp fire the morning after.
Comments: After seeing the depth of notes the SMWSA puts out I’m a little intimidated. Well, we’ll see how it goes. 😉 [cough]Bowmore[cough] Honestly, assuming I’m correct about the distillery, this is one of the best glasses of malt from there that I’ve ever had. Very nice. This is a busy whisky with lots going on but you don’t get lost in the mix. It all plays very nicely together. Easily a must try dram.
Rating: Must Try

Review sample provided courtesy of the SMWSA and is available to society members through their website or 800.990.1991.

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Whisk(e)y Apostle Goings On

/ / Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky

Some of my content may have seemed a little screwy lately. I started off on run of Irish whiskey reviews and a review of the Old Jameson Distillery coming off of my trip to Ireland. From there I was quiet for a while and then Four Roses, Spicebox, SoCo, and rum reviews popped up. Well, believe it or not I do have a plan in mind respective of when and what I review and what other content gets posted. That grand plan gets a little derailed when I have new product come in. I feel personally obligated to move up reviews of anything I received from producers. They don’t hound me (well some of the PR folks might 🙂 ) but I just feel it’s proper etiquette. That’s what caused the pause in my Ireland segment.

Along those same lines I was invited to be part of a unique program recently and that might delay the rest of my Ireland content just a little longer. Last week I was invited to be a part of the Blogger Sample Program for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America. Was does that mean? Well, plainly put they want me to take a stab at most of the casks they release to their members. For those not familiar with the SMWSA it’s a member’s only organization that sources and privately bottles unique casks at cask strength for their members. For the record I am not a member and I am not pimping for them. Believe it or not I was conflicted about whether or not to accept the offer and if I did what kind of coverage I could provide. Up until now I haven’t reviewed any independent bottlings of single malt scotch. Partially this was because they weren’t as widely available and therefore most of the Whisk(e)y Apostle family might not be able try them. There is also the problem that I lived in Atlanta and now live in Columbia. Georgia and South Carolina aren’t exactly on the short list for most independent bottlers’ distribution. There’s also just so much scotch out there that I haven’t needed to expand into independent bottlings. Really, I’ve still got plenty of the standard line up to review.

So why did I decide to do it? Free whiskey is always hard to turn down. That’s a given. However, it also gives me the opportunity to share part of the wider world of independently bottled scotch with all of you. I’m sure the SMWSA hopes it will drive membership and it probably will. They aren’t known for selecting crap casks. But even with the decision to participate made I was still unsure about what to say. I first considered just reviewing them with tasting notes but giving no rating but that just seemed kind of silly. I want all of you to know what I think about the whiskies and how they stack up to some of the regular stuff you are already drinking. I will however, be tagging the SMWSA reviews as such and giving them their own section in the Review Archive. It would be hard to miss them even if I didn’t. The SMWSA only gives you cask numbers and region of origin by which to distinguish them.

Hopefully, all of you will enjoy the additional content as much as I will. It’s going to keep me on my toes. They release 3 to 5 new whiskies every 3 to 4 weeks. Let’s hope I can keep up! Based on the limited quantities of each cask and frequency of new releases the SMWSA releases will jump ahead of whatever else I’m reviewing unless it is product sent to me by another producer. The first review will post later today and the next three will follow in the next couple of days. I hope you all enjoy!

Drink wisely my friends,

Richard

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Clement Premiere Canne

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Clement Premiere Canne Rhum Agricole
40% ABV/80 Proof
$30
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Produced using selected varieties of sugarcane from Habitation Clément, Première Canne is unique white rum created from fresh pressed sugarcane juice, which spontaneously ferments into an extremely aromatic and flavorful sugarcane wine; and then softly distilled only once to capture the natural aromas and flavors of the tropical appellation of Habitation Clément, following our time-honored tradition passed down from Homère Clément. Première Canne rests for just over nine months in a stainless steel vat and is slowly reduced over time with distilled volcanic spring water, which results in a well-balanced, smooth, super clean, white Rhum Agricole, loaded with character and flavor unlike any other rum in the world.

Volcanic terroir and Clément’s tropical appellation lend Première Canne its exotic bouquet and a sensational palate entry with flavors of cocoa bean, bittersweet chocolate, black tea, and unrefined sugar. The mid-palate brings elements of fresh grass and beans preceding a graceful finish with subtle notes of caramelized sugar.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Raw pre-appellation. It reminds me of a slightly sweet whiskey mash in the washback mixed with a nice merlot red wine. Very funky but not necessarily off putting.
Palate: Very floral and grassy. Very little sweetness for a white rum.
Finish: Dry and vegetal.
Comments: This is my first experience with a rhum agricole, much less one from Martinique. It’s not what I expected at all. It’s like a cross between corn whiskey, white rum, and artisan vodka.
Rating: Stands Out

I would like to thank Shannon Fischer with Handcrafted PR for sending over a bottle for review.

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Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry
35% ABV/70 Proof
$16.99
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Southern Comfort was created by New Orleans bartender, Martin Wilkes (M.W.) Heron in 1874. After experimenting with a variety of fruits, spices and other spirits, Heron struck on the perfect combination creating a one-of-a-kind blend of whiskey, fruit, and spice flavors. The new Bold Black Cherry product carries on Southern Comfort’s heritage as the leader in the flavored spirit category. The combination of dark fruits with Southern Comfort is perfectly served with cola to enhance the rich, complex flavor.

“The launch of Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry continues the brand’s innovation with new flavors which began with Southern Comfort Lime in 2010 and continued with Southern Comfort Fiery Pepper last fall,” said Mark Bacon, VP, Managing Director, Southern Comfort. “We feel Bold Black Cherry will recruit new consumers into the Southern Comfort franchise who enjoy a distinctive flavor profile in their cocktails.”

Infused with natural cherry to deliver an authentic taste that’s smooth and invigorating, Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry has been designed to appeal to a broad age range and meet consumer demand for great tasting flavors that are unique. The brand is confident the new expression will continue to increase relevancy amongst younger drinkers, offering a bolder drink that’s ideal for high energy occasions.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Classic SoCo with a black cherry Halls cough drop dropped into it.
Palate: Creamy, rich, and very sweet. It’s classic SoCo (cherries, vanilla, cloves) with the cherry kicked up.
Finish: Short and sweet
Comments: I like SoCo and I like cherries so inevitably I like this. The cherry they add is a nice riff on classic SoCo. It’s not that sickly overpowering cherry you find in a lot of the recent cherry-whiskey liqueurs. Brown Forman recommends this over ice with Coke Zero. That actually makes a nice “adult” cherry Coke.
Rating: Stands Out

SoCo Bold Black Cherry & Cola
2 oz. Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry
4 oz. Cola
Lemon Wedge
Fill a glass with cubed ice. Pour in Southern Comfort Bold Black Cherry. Add Cola and
garnish with lemon wedge.

I would like to thank Brown Forman for sending over a bottle for review.

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Spicebox

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

Spicebox Small Batch Canadian Spiced Whisky
Lot No: 001372
40% ABV/80 Proof
$19.99
Website

What the Distillery Says:
SPICEBOX Spiced Rye Whisky is an incredibly smooth, aromatic spiced blend of Canadian whiskies aged in bourbon barrels for three to six years. Developed by Master Blender Michel Marcil, SPICEBOX is 100% rye with all-natural flavors of pepper, fruit, nutmeg, cinnamon and three types of vanilla beans (New Guinea, Madagascar and Ugandan). The essence of the aroma and flavor of the vanilla and spices is captured through a cold extraction process and then infused into the distilled rye whisky.

Spicebox Whisky offers a flavor profile that bridges straight whiskies and the newer, sweeter flavored entries. “I created the blend so the aroma and the flavor of the spices is evident on the nose and palate. This blend enhances but not overwhelms the whisky,” says Marcil. “Drinkers who are new to the category really like the flavor profile of Spicebox,” he added.

History: SPICEBOX was inspired by an enterprising Canadian who, during Prohibition, would ship contraband cargo in wooden barrels marked “spices.” Instead of calling it what it was – bootlegging – Canadians referred to this style of business as “exporting”. All was going according to plan until a barrel took a spill and their exporting days were over. But that didn’t stop these businessmen from making a living and enjoying their whisky. Whether it was through Moose Jaw or Windsor, Canadian Whisky still made its way to the US. “Rum Row” and “The Funnel” became some of the busiest waterways around!

In the roadhouses, or blind pigs and speakeasies, along the Canadian side of the Detroit River, hiding the whisky cache was a creative pursuit. Blind pigs bore false floors, hideaway cupboards, secret passageways and secret boxes. It is this True Canadian Spirit to which SPICEBOX Whisky pays tribute.

Nose: Aromatic with scents of vanilla and sweet spices; some malty notes.
Palate: Light and sweet with notes of white pepper and fruit, complemented with notes of vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and black pepper.
Finish: Short and sweet with light white pepper, oak and more vanilla flavor.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Hello vanilla! There are little butterscotch floating in straight up vanilla extract.
Palate: More vanilla and warm cinnamon spiced milk.
Finish: One last quick sweet vanilla drop before it quickly fades away.
Comments: So if I had a little guilty pleasure this might be it. There are a number of things that they blend into this but you could almost call it vanilla whisky. Very tasty.
Rating: Stands Out

I would like to thank The Baddish Group for sending me samples for review.

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