Stands Out

Isle of Jura Superstition

/ / Island, Review, Scottish Whisky /

The Isle of Jura Superstition Single Malt Whisky
45% ABV/90 Proof
$53
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Jura Superstition – individual yet mysterious. Crafted from a selection of the finest aged Jura single malt whiskies, this spirit has a unique style and character. A reflection of the past, the present and a wonderful Island. A single malt to be sipped and savored with respect.

Color: Deep, intense, rich mahogany with glittering golden highlights.
Nose: Firm and positive, yet forcibly mellow. The long maturation in American White Oak has nurtured this noble spirit although subtle accents of complex phenolic aromas drift attractively in the background.
Taste: These dramatic, complex aromas are carried onto the palate as the warmth of the tongue slowly releases its many mysteries. Spice, honey, pine and peat aromas with a whisper of smoke make a dramatic impact. Thanks to the different ages selected 13 and 21 years old the mystic spirit has been tempered and tamed. Even the driving rain and biting cold winds which are part of the island’s heritage have made their own mark.
Finish: Long, lingering, tantalizing finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: A little sharper and more aggressive on the nose than regular Jura expressions. Peaty and vegetal.
Palate: Jura meet Caol Ila. The delicate Jura nature is still there but there’s and Islay overlay. More Caol Ila that Laphroaig or Lagavulin. Lightly smokey with a sweet toffee creaminess.
Finish: Pine, smoke, and a little salty spice.
Comments: This no age statement Jura is a mix of whiskies between 13 and 21 years old. It’s clearly not an Islay but the peat kicks this dram above and beyond the standard Jura offerings.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to than Laura with The Baddish Group for providing us samples for review.

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Headlong White Dog Whiskey

/ / Other Spirits, Review /

Headlong White Dog Whiskey
40% ABV/80 Proof
$30
Currently Available in Washington and Oregon

What the Distillery Says:
Good things come to those who wait—and also to craft distillers using the finest equipment available, carefully chosen organic ingredients, and the mentorship of an industry giant. We proudly offer you our un-aged White Dog Whiskey “headlong” out of the still. Smooth, flavorful, unexpected.

Tasting Notes
Aromas of frosted peach pastry, buttercream and raisin bran with a soft, silky dry-yet-fruity medium-to-full body and a super smooth, lingering peppery spice, Brazil nut, and grainy flour accented finish. Great purity and balance.

Made from a true bourbon whiskey mash bill (recipe), this unaged whiskey begins its journey to perfection as 100% organic corn, wheat, and malted barley. Un-aged and slowly distilled with precise cuts and handcrafted quality. Non-chill filtered.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Bananas, warm custard, and pina colada.
Palate: Very clean on the palate with a peppery nuttiness and hints of coconut.
Finish: A little spicy heat but it’s a very short finish so it fades quickly.
Comments: This is our first review of un-aged “whiskey” or “white dog” as we call it in the U.S. I love that these folks are making real bourbon out in Washington of all places. I also like the organic angle. It’s even USDA certified on the bottle! I also love that they are making it themselves instead of bottling someone’s bourbon and calling it their own. What I really have a hard time with is this new white dog sub-category all together. Let’s be fair, white dog “whiskey” is really a fancy name for vodka. As such I can’t in good faith review it against other bourbons. It will fail every time. However, I do think that rating it against vodkas is appropriate and as such Headlong kick’s the crap out of the competition. The folks at Woodinville sent me along some recipes that I will post below. Where I’d really like to try this is in a Chi – Chi. For those that aren’t familiar with that particular cocktail, it’s essentially a Pina Colada with vodka instead of rum.
Rating: Stands Out (as a vodka-type product)

We would like to thank Cameron and the folks at Woodinville Whiskey Company for sending us a bottle to review.

Apple Dog
3-4 oz spice or sparkling apple cider
1.5 oz Headlong
Dash Angostura Bitters
Stir with spoon and fill glass with ice.

Headlong n’ a Splash
2 oz Headlong
Ginger Ale or 7-Up
Fill highball glass with ice. Pour Headlong over ice. Top with Ginger Ale or 7-Up to taste.

The White Wedge
2 oz Headlong
1 wedge of Apple or Orange with peel
1 ice cube

Brown Derby
1.5 oz Headlong
0.5 oz honey syrup (2 parts honey thinned with 1 part water)
1.0 oz Grapefruit Juice
Dash Angostura Bitters
Shake well with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

White Manhattan
2 oz Headlong
1 oz Dolin blanc (sweet) Vermouth
1/4 oz Benedictine
2 dashes Reagan’s Orange Bitters no.6
Mix with ice and strain into Pear Brandy rinsed glass.

Green Trellis
3 slices cucumber and 10-12 mint leaves muddle together

After muddled, add:
1.5 oz Headlong
1.0 oz Apple Cider
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail glass

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Dalmore King Alexander III

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

The Dalmore 1263 King Alexander III Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
40% ABV/80 Proof
$200 to $250
Available in select markets

What the Distillery Says:
Wood finishing is very au courant in single malts today, but Richard Paterson, Master Distiller of The Dalmore was one of the pioneers of the trend as much as 40 years ago.

Back in the 1970’s through the 90’s, Paterson began aging his finest malts in a wide range of wine and spirit casks to add subtle shadings and nuance—not to sell individually, but to vatt together to create a sublime malt whisky far greater than the sum of its parts.

Paterson’s palette of woods include French Cabernet Sauvignon wine barriques; Madeira drums; sherry butts from Jerez de la Frontera; marsala barrels from Sicily; port pipes from the Douro; and sweet bourbon barrels from Kentucky. Once matured to perfection, the aged malts were expertly married by Paterson to create the most noble of all The Dalmore malt whiskies… one truly worthy to commemorate a King of Scotland.

Color: Deep, rich amber flecked with reddish highlights when poured into a crystal snifter.
Nose: A spectrum of complex aromas announces the artistry of Paterson’s visionary concept, all driven by the provenance of the casks—vibrant and exciting aromas; full of barely-restrained passion. Exotic, citric and floral notes upfront give way to dissolving layers of black fruit and burnished oak. Given time, the nose continues to evolve.
Taste: The Dalmore 1263 King Alexander III makes the ultimate case for wood finishing of malts with its six different styles of casks specially selected and meticulously combined by Paterson. Aged Oloroso and Madeira provide a backbone of crushed almonds and rich,
citrus fruit flavors. Port and marsala casks add hints of wild berries and fleshy ripe plums, while the Bourbon barrels come across as vanilla and creamy caramel accents. The Cabernet Sauvignon barriques add just a touch of elegance to complete the blend.
Finish: Although not quite as long as the seven centuries since King Alexander III’s reign, a dram of this noble malt lingers on the
tongue, the nose and the soul for hours.

What Richard Says:
Nose: This one is kind of all over the map. That savory sherry Dalmore quality takes a backseat to an intense bouquet of light oak, berries, and wild flowers with just a hint of lemon and lime zest.
Palate: Fruity and muscular with an almost bourbon like vanilla coming through. The palate isn’t nearly as impressive as the nose.
Finish: Dry with a caramel sweetness
Comments: Never (or hardly ever) has a nose promised so much and the palate so under delivered. The first problem is paying $200+ for a 40% ABV scotch. I don’t know who’s idea that was but they may want to rethink that. I think it really negatively effects the palate and waters it down. The King Alexander was a serious let down for me. Like the 15 Year Old Dalmore, the palate doesn’t live up to the nose and finish. However, because the nose is so good, even if I won’t tell you to definitely try this, you should smell it!
Rating: Stands Out

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

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Dalmore 18 Year Old

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

The Dalmore 18 Years Old Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky
43% ABV/86 Proof
$150 to $165
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Blended in the inimitable Dalmore style, combining primary aging in American White oak with finishing in sherry casks, this expression strikes the perfect balance between a forceful youth and the elegance of age.

Color: Reddish-to-dark brown with copper highlights
Nose: Soft hints of pine and lemongrass coupled with spicy cinnamon. Nut aromas from the sherry butts, yielding to chocolate, oranges,
dried flowers and spice
Taste: Delicate oak notes from 14 years in American White oak casks.
Orange and citrus move to the fore, with sweet molasses, chocolate spiced cinnamon, truffles, rosemary and clove flavors from four years in Matusalem sherry butts playing against the sweet smokiness of the malt
Finish: Medium-long, with a progression of lingering dried fruits, spice
and toffee flavors

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sherry heavy and not as sweet (lacking the sweet orange notes) of younger Dalmores. Heavier with a nutty quality and very spicy.
Palate: It reminds me of southern brown gravy. The savory notes come through in that kind of way. It doesn’t taste like gravy there’s just something there that I can’t pinpoint. There is a lot of oak and I get some rosemary and espresso bean too.
Finish: The finish is moderately long and I get a nutty sweetness with some dark chocolate hanging around.
Comments: This is another Dalmore I can’t trade up for. It’ll take the Gran Reserva over this. It’s still a stand out malt but given the price point and some odd palate subtleties I can’t recommend it beyond that.
Rating: Stands Out

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

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Greenore 18 Year Old

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review /

Greenore 18 Year Old Single Grain Irish Whiskey
46% ABV/92 Proof
$100 to $120
Available in select markets
What the Distillery Says:
The Greenore 18 Year Old is the oldest bottling of an Irish single grain whiskey in the world. It follows on from the highly successful Greenore 15 Year Old which was voted the World’s Best Single Grain at the IWSC in 2009 and 2010.

This small batch bottling has been limited to just 4000 bottles; it has no chill filtration and is bottled at 46% alcohol by volume.

By using modern distilling techniques, Ireland’s only independent Irish whiskey distillery has created a whole new expression of Irish whiskey. With the smoothest, sweetest taste of an style of Irish whiskey, we feel this will make it accessible to a whole new generation of Irish whiskey consumers.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Fresh cut hay and honeysuckle. With water it leans toward roasted oats and a hint of cinnamon and bananas. There is also something floral like cherry blossoms but not quite as sweet.
Palate: Citrus notes and an antiseptic quality. With water is opens up nicely to a more buttery, creamy, and sweeter palate.
Finish: Crisp, dry and short by itself. If you add water it actually intensifies the antiseptic quality on the finish but also makes it hang around for a while.
Comments: I’m always rooting for grain whiskey in the same way I do for blends. I feel they aren’t appreciated and maybe not understood as fully as they should be. Greenore 18 leaves me in a quandary. It has a lovely nose all around but the palate blossoms with water and finish shines more without water. I’m sure there’s a perfect ratio of water out there somewhere but I just haven’t found it. I think it stands out but with a caveat. Among grain whiskeys it is a standout and being Irish it’s also something of a curiosity. However, I do think it is a slightly unbalanced drinking experience that would move it more toward average on the spectrum of all whiskeys. That said, it is worth a try if you’re will to understand and appreciate it for what it is.
Rating: Stands Out

We want to thank Cooley for providing us with review samples.

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