Must Try

Compass Box Vellichor

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Vellichor
Blended Scotch Whisky

44.6% ABV
$400-450
Website
Compass Box Vellichor Blended Scotch Whisky

What the Blender Says

Vellichor, n – the scent of second-hand bookshops

On discovering this marvellous new word, we began a quest to recreate the fragrance using Scotch whisky. Parcels were considered, identified and pursued. The process can be compared to scouring second-hand bookshops for specific volumes.

Our search met with success when a distiller and bottler in the north of Scotland offered us casks of whiskies which had been blended together in the past, before being returned to ex-Sherry butts for further maturation. Whiskies, like old books, contain their own stories.

We combined these Sherry-matured stocks with bold and mature malt whiskies from the Macallan, Highland Park and Caol Ila distilleries. The aroma is highly evocative for anyone with a fondness for books; the taste evolves and intensifies as any good political thriller or historical romance should.

A tribute to the storytelling potential of blended Scotch whisky, and the atmospheres of our favourite book stores.

FLAVOUR PROFILE
Hints of leather, polished furniture and the crackling dustiness of decades-old pages on the nose. The palate is stacked with sumptuous malty notes, tropical fruit and Sherry character, with a delicate but
persistent peatiness.

SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS
The late whisky writer Michael Jackson recommended some whiskies be enjoyed “with a book at bedtime”. This is one of those whiskies.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Bottled at 44.6% ABV | Natural colour | Not chill-filtered
Blended Scotch Whisky
A limited edition of 3,246 bottles; January 2022.
LEAD WHISKYMAKER: James Saxon.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Leather, candied dark fruit notes of plums and raisins, passionfruit, kiwi, grapes, apple, wood polish, pipe tobacco smoke, soft mulling spices and a hint of underlying peat.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sponge cake with buttercream frosting, cherries, peaches, apples, dates, coconut, nutmeg, bit of ginger, subtle peat and smoke.
Finish:  Long and damp, fruity with tobacco, honey, fruit and a hint of peat.
Comments: A really delicious, complex, balanced and lovely dram with some fruit, sherry, bit of spice, peat and smoke. This definitely has that ‘old library’ aroma that brings thoughts of sitting in an overstuffed, worn out leather chair in a smoke filled, wood paneled lined room – which I’ve only encountered with well aged Scotch whisky.  With over 95% of the components being 23-26 years old (with a splash of some 37 year old Caol Ila), this has the age – but it would be a mistake to think it is simply a function of age. The combining of well aged stocks in just the right proportions takes a deft hand (and better nose and palate!) and few do it nearly as well as Compass Box. I wish this ABV was a bit higher, but it has a lot of intensity where it is at – and losing ABV is a risk with older parcels as well (had Compass Box waited a bit longer, they might not have been able to bottle some of it as whisky – which sounds like just the sorta tricky thing they’d pull – maybe a “This is not ultra aged whisky” with some 40 yr old “former whisky” casks that dipped below the 40% mark?).

Rating: Must Try

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Compass Box No Name Vol 3

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Compass Box No Name Vol 3
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

48.9% ABV
$130 – $150
Website
Compass Box No Name Vol 3

What the Blender Says

Vibrant and expansive, wild yet graceful peatiness
Our series studying heavily-peated malt whisky reaches a somewhat OTT crescendo with this, the third and final No Name.

Since 2017, we have used the same recipe structure to explore different smoky double acts. Whether it was the crème-brûlée-on-freshly-laid-tarmac effect of the inaugural release or the bonfire-in-a-cherry-orchard style of No Name, No. 2, fans of the series have been treated to radically different expressions of smoke.

No Name, No. 3 marks a further point on the spectrum of peat. It is older, wilder and weirder than the previous No Names. Seaweedy and barbecue-scented single malt from the Laphroaig Distillery takes top billing, with malt whisky from the Bowmore Distillery lending compelling hints of mango and pineapple at the very limits of ripeness.

Seashells and sage; pineapple and allspice; smoke that moves in oily waves. This is the perfect whisky for introducing a little drama to proceedings – and a fitting conclusion to our peaty trilogy.

The final whisky in the No Name series champions seaweedy peatiness from the Laphroaig Distillery, enriched by succulent fruit and smoke from the Bowmore Distillery.

FLAVOUR PROFILE: Even fruitier than No Name, No. 2, and almost as smoky as No Name. The peat character is more medicinal than No Name, with a beautiful heathery and tropical fragrance.

A limited edition of 10,794 bottles. July 2021.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Mossy sea air, peat, coastal campfire, subtle fruit notes of peaches and pears, earthy, cracked pepper with a hint of smoked meat and fish.
Palate:  Thick mouthfeel, peaty, vanilla, subtle fruit with pears and mango, smoky with a hint of grilled pineapple and more savory, herbal spices.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with peaty pepper, smoke and honey.
Comments: I didn’t have this to try alongside No Name Vol 1 or No Name Vol 2, but this didn’t seem to strike me as well as either of those for some reason. It is a very nice peaty and smoky dram, with layers of complexity. I suppose with any lineup, one has to be last even if all were very good. Looking back at my notes, I’m not sure I got ‘more’ fruit here as they described. It does open up nicely with a bit of water, bringing more vanilla cream and fruit on the palate.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Springbank 19 yr Single Cask

/ / Campbeltown, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Springbank 19 yr Single Cask
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

57% ABV
$250-$300
Website
Springbank 19 yr Single Cask Single Malt Whisky

What the Bottle Says

Distilled: May 1997
Bottled: October 2016
Cask Type: Re-Charred Sherry
No. of Bottles: 438
An exclusive bottling for Pacific Edge Wine & Spirits

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich and intense, dark fruit, stewed plums, raisins, hint of pineapple, cloves, nutmeg, earthy funk, pencil eraser and sea air.
Palate:  Thick and chewy, dark fruits, black currants, raisins, dates, cloves, nutmeg, earthy/salty note and pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long, peppery with sea air and fruit.
Comments:  Classic Springbank. Intense flavor with a magnificent balance of sweet, savory and earthy – just spectacular (if you like that sorta thing). Water brightens the dram up with the fruit taking more of a citrus slant and still maintaining the lovely mouthfeel. It feels pricey to me, except that seems to apply to damn near everything 18 or more years old these days – so accepting the fact I’m likely just becoming a cheap curmudgeon. I just can’t imagine buying this, and being disappointed after the fact.

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

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Cognac Hommage a Yves & Jean-Noel Pelletan

/ / Other Spirits, Review / ,

Cognac Hommage a Yves & Jean-Noel Pelletan
A PM Spirits Project | Single Cask | No Additives | Cask Strength

43.8% ABV
$400
Website
Cognac Hommage a Yves & Jean-Noel Pelletan

What the Producer Says

We think this is the best Cognac we have ever worked with. We know, we know – of course we think it’s good, it’s our product. But we’re serious…this Cognac is the epitome of everything PM Spirits is about.

Comprised of eaux de vie from one single cask plus a few assorted demijohns acquired by Nicolas over the years, these are the remains of the original plan for PM Spirits – an independent bottler of rare Cognacs. It was a romantic idea full of travels between France and the US, sourcing incredible Cognac, and bottling small lots by hand. It wasn’t practical, however, and PM Spirits eventually evolved into what it is today.

Yves Pelletan started to work full time as a cooper at age 14, learned the ropes of this demanding job and perfected his skills until he felt he was ready to open his own shop in the heart of Grande Champagne in 1973. His son, Jean-Noel, joined the family business in 2002. The work of this father and son team quickly became extremely sought-after in the Cognac region and beyond as they took the art of cooperage to the next level, prioritizing extreme quality over quantity.

We have bottled this as an homage to Yves and Jean-Noel Pelletan, two of only a handful of people to hold the title of Maitres Artisans Tonneliers, the apex of the cooperage profession. Yves and Jean-Noel have been instrumental to my understanding of Cognac and in making the liquid in this bottle taste as awesome as it does

A blend of Cognacs distilled between 1925 and 1965
Bottled in July 2020 • Cask Strength • 43.8% ABV
870 Bottles • No Additives • No Filtration

What Gary Says

DISCLAIMER: I’m a whisk(e)y enthusiast, and not as familiar with Cognac (so read at your own risk!)
Nose:  Grapes, fruitcake, vanilla, leather, allspice, dark fruit, Christmas spices and a bit of molasses.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, sharpens a tad with fruit salad, tart tangerines, raisins, cherries, pepper spice and cinnamon.
Finish:  Long, drying with slightly bitter fruit notes.
Comments:  I tasted this amongst a lineup of various brandies and cognacs, and this was by far my favorite. In fact when I first tried it (and didn’t know any of the details about this marvelous spirit), I thought this might replace Paulet XO as my ‘go to’ – but that won’t be the case. I’m sure that I haven’t appreciated this as much as a true Cognac aficionado would have. It does share some similarities with really old whisk(e)y, notes of leather on the nose, and that creamy mouthfeel. A really lovely dram!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Old Ezra 7 Year Straight Rye Whiskey

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Old Ezra 7 Year Straight Rye Whiskey

57% ABV
$80
Website
Old Ezra 7 Year Straight Rye Whiskey
We would like to thank Luxco and BYRNE PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

ST. LOUIS (Nov. 1, 2022) – Lux Row Distillers announced the newest variant in the Ezra Brooks brand family: Old Ezra 7-Year Straight Rye Whiskey. A limited allocation of 3,000 six-pack cases of Old Ezra 7-Year Straight Rye Whiskey will reach retail shelves across the country later this month at a suggested retail price of $79.99 per 750 ml bottle.

Like other members of the Ezra Brooks brand family, Old Ezra 7-Year Straight Rye Whiskey is distilled using the highest-quality ingredients and charcoal filtered for mellow flavor and a smooth finish. Old Ezra 7-Year Rye features two rye mashbills (51% rye whiskey and 95% rye whiskey), is aged a full seven years and is bottled at full proof (114 proof, or 57% ABV) to deliver a full, complex flavor.

“With Old Ezra 7-Year Straight Rye Whiskey, we’ve delivered a rye whiskey worthy of the Old Ezra label,” said Lux Row Distillers master distiller John Rempe. “This tasty 7-year-old rye offers slightly sweet and oaky tones with hints of vanilla and honey, and it finishes with a warm touch of spice and tobacco. It’s certain to become a favorite among both rye fans and fans of the Ezra Brooks brand family.”

The introduction of Old Ezra 7-Year Straight Rye Whiskey comes on the heels of Old Ezra 7-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey’s recent “Best Overall Bourbon” win at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Like its bourbon namesake, Old Ezra 7-Year Straight Rye Whiskey features a high-end, custom-designed bottle. Its green, jewel-toned label is highlighted by a 7-year age statement and gold and copper foil accents.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, chocolate with toasted orange zest, cinnamon, honey, nutmeg, fruitcake and pipe tobacco.
Palate:  Thick and warm, chocolate with orange bitters, cinnamon, vanilla, honey, nutmeg, bit of anise and clove with tangerines.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with citrus, pepper spice and cocoa.
Comments:  I love rye whiskey around this age range and proof. This one in particular with the various spice notes on the nose left me with the impression of ‘Christmas in a bottle’. Just really nice mouthfeel, those big spice notes you hope for in a rye, and a nice balance with sweetness (and a chocolate note that I don’t get a ton with rye). A bit of water brightens it up, bringing out some mint and rickhouse must, with the mouthfeel transitioning to creamy.

Rating: Must Try

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