Monday, March 24, 2008

Message from the Secretary


March 24, 2008

To whom it may concern,

The Doctor will not be in this week.
He is still in Scotland.
He extends his apologies.

Yours,

The Whisketary

ps. Happy Birthday, Daddy.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Malt Mission 2008 #270

Auchentoshan
Auchentoshan 17yo
Lowland Single Malt Whisky

51% abv

£60
$125(USD)

Friday. Ah. Not that it really means anything necessarily lets up...
In Aberdeen now, then Edinburgh for some time and do not expect to be doing much on the Dr. Whisky front. Just a warning, but hope I can surprise myself. And you.

Although it is still typically understood that lowland distilleries triple distill their whiskies, Auchentoshan (awe-kin-taw-shin) is currently the only distillery to do so, apart for Springbank (Campbeltown) in their making of Hazelburn(see Malt Mission #266). In 1941 the distillery was severely damaged in a German bomb raid and is today part of the Morrison Bowmore(Suntory) company.

This whisky spent 8 years in bourbon casks and 9 in casks that held claret from the St. Julien region of Bordeaux. Ah-oui oui. Gouter le nectar. Pardon. Sorry. Shut up.

Tasted in the morning with Ran and Matt. We were hungry as hell.

TASTING NOTES:

Musty, damp towl, and sherried fruitiness. Gets grapey with white and black pepper, a little musk, and vine leaves. Organic sweetness with some spice.
"Port, tawny port"-RM

Quite eruptive , ginger, spicy, wet moss, grass. Late flavours are butterscotch, treacle, toasted almonds, some coconut oil and marzipan.
"the sweetness creeps up."-MH
"Rouses your appetite. Sort of scrubs away other flavours and gets me ready to eat"-RM

SUMMARY:

Unusual nose but strangely appealing. Initial palate is quite hard but the flavours in the mouth that persist are pleasant. With more than half of it's maturing life spent in a bordeaux cask it's hardly a 'finish', but it is unique and that alone could persuade you to try it.
"Drying on the finish"-MH
"Harsh foretatse that then settles down with the drying end note."-RM
Both guys like the addition of water.
I enjoyed the rustic nature of it, it had a mustiness suited for stone caverns.
"A medeival dram."-MH

Malt Mission #266
Malt Mission #267
Malt Mission #268
Malt Mission #269

Malt Mission HOME

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Malt Mission 2008 #269

Auchentoshan
Auchentoshan 10yo
Lowland Single Malt Whisky
40% abv
£24
$46.25(CAD)
$40(USD)

You might not believe it, but after 268 whiskies it IS still possible to have a 'first' on the
Malt Mission. Yup, 268 whiskies and this is our first Auchentoshan. Crazy. But cool. There is a wide and wonderful world of whisky out there. Absolutely delighted that I am still able to explore it one dram at a time.

Yes, a wonderful world of whisky, 41,000 Scottish jobs in the industry, 65,000 across the UK, and worth well over £2.5 billion per annum to the economy... yes, wonderful.

And the industry has seen more excise duty fairness over the past 10 years, years which have coincided with great growth for the industry with many distilling companies launching new bottlings, new packaging, and some even building new distilleries. So things are good for the most heavily taxed alcoholic drink in the UK. Wonderful days.

Well, darlings, not for long.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling (a Scotsman!) announced his first budget yesterday and although much of what it included was expected, there remained a small hope that the impact wouldn't be too drastic. And I suppose it isn't. Whisky received a 6% increase; it's nothing. But it IS considering beer and wine were much more gently hit, and, I would argue, hit in the wrong way. There must be discretion between a pub pint tax and a can of strong lager tax, in my mind. Unless even the holy institution of the pub is falling below the status of drinking and social areas like curb, square, or alley. Is this a reaction against irresponsible drinking? A reaction to all the underage-drinking/rise in female alcoholics/24-hour licensing crises propaganda that has been stirring for the past year? Perhaps.

Now maybe I am crazy, but I don't see folks on the streets and loitering in parks drinking bottles of Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or or Balvenie Rose. Or even Bell's for that matter. Does Tennents Super (also known as 'purple court appearance') have an equivalent of the SWA that spreads the responsible drinking message? For goodness sake, they're called winos for a reason, no?

Now while it could be argued that the industry made a knee deep jump a bit enthusiastically with raising prices, rebranding, building new and reinvesting, etc., this tax hike could hurt whisky's world-wide momentum a great deal. Worst of all, it could hurt hard working people who farm the grain, malt the barley, make the spirit and spread the joys of responsible enjoyment of the spirit. Please remember folks, a cheap bottle of scotch whisky costs £10.70. That is an expensive buzz when there is £2 8% beer, £3 wine, or £4 sherry. AND that £10.70 BEFORE this new budget broke down into £5.48(excise duty), £1.59 (VAT) and 3.63 (whisky). That is 66% tax. And raising it will help British society? Keep hunting foxes, consolidating and deepening public and private debts, and putting up CCTV cameras. Some of us will just have a dram and hope it's all a bad dream.

Read more about the budget and whisky at BBC or wherever else you'd like to.

TASTING NOTES:

Fresh dough, gristy and yeasty. Chinese food element, starchy lemon chicken, cornflour and soy, ginger. Pleasant sour notes of lemon and soft red peppers.

Sweet and sour. Lemon cake with lemon icing. Yeah, very cakey. Vanilla. Cherries. Rounded and beer-like in it's sweet maltiness.

SUMMARY:

Good mouthfeel and quite a complex young whisky, although quite unbalanced. I know it is 10 years old, but it seems younger somehow. Could be the gristy element but there is something undercooked about this, half-baked. There is lots to be found in the nose, and although some of it isn't that pleasant the overall experience is quite refreshing. Great citrus sweetness on the palate with a real distinct maltiness. Probably excellent after a curry or something rich and spicy.

Malt Mission #266
Malt Mission #267
Malt Mission #268
Malt Mission #270

Malt Mission HOME

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Malt Mission 2008 #268


Springbank 1992 15yo
The Whisky Society
52.6% abv

£60


The Whisky Society is a range of premium whiskies from the people that brought you Single Malts of Scotland. As if that range doesn't reach a limited-enough amount of folks, these releases are smaller batch and determined to be for the very few. And although the folks at Speciality Drinks have chosen a name that conjures up ideas of membership and clubrooms, they say neither feature will surround these releases "that showcase the very best single malt whiskies from our stock of maturing casks."

Says the website, "We have created the Whisky Society to share our passion for superb single malts – the best things in life are even better shared - but only a select few will be lucky enough to appreciate these whiskies with us. A tiny handful of the hundreds of casks we taste each year will be selected for bottling and these releases will normally only be available through this website.

There are no membership fees, house rules, general meetings or secret handshakes at the Whisky Society – your bottle of our malt makes you part of a fraternity of discerning malt-lovers who enjoy savouring a special whisky.

The Whisky Society label is our guarantee that the malt inside these bottles represents the very highest quality. We believe these whiskies to be superlative expressions of their respective distilleries and that they will delight aficionados and connoisseurs of outstanding single malt whisky."

Selling on exclusivity, but obviously impinging on THE whisky society. I would argue that indeed 'the whisky society', if it means anything to anyone, means The Scotch Malt Whisky Society an excellent organisation of which I have been a member since 2003. Sure, for now Google still thinks The Whisky Society means SMWS, but for how long? I have seen 'The Whisky Society' climb up the results list over the past two months. No doubt, the kind folks at SMWS find this a bit out of order. And they are certainly justified.

For all whiskies from Springbank distillery had on the mission click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Earthy with a grassy sweetness. Horseradish, tundra, mud. With time the nose gets sweeter with some honey and chamomile, but still very earthy, organic and herbal.

Surprisingly soft impact of big flavour, raisins, breakfast cereal, swells with some spice but cools down nicely, ending with honey and lemon-tinged oak. Really lingers with sweetgrass and cornfields.

SUMMARY:

Well it grew on me. Perhaps my mood, if not my palate, had to adjust. Contains elements of whiskies I love like Clynelish and Balvenie, but is all the while classic Springbank with lambswool and lemon throughout.

Malt Mission #266
Malt Mission #267
Malt Mission #269
Malt Mission #270

Malt Mission HOME


Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Malt Mission 2008 #267


Springbank 1993 13yo
The Single Malts of Scotland

Campbelltown Single Malt Whisky
58.7% abv
£50


It is Tuesday.
Slept like shit. Woke up late. One small screw up after another.
A million things on my mind.
But it could be worse.

It really is a delight to have the luxury of enjoying fine whisky. Please appreciate it.

Right now our lives are really mad. Generally, we tend to keep ourselves pretty busy with work and play but now we have the added planning pressures of relocation(we are leaving the UK), sorting visas and the rest of the logistical crap, selling this flat, securing an apartment in the new city/country, getting this f#&king PhD fit to submit, judging in the IWSC, having no fricking money, planning a wedding (yup, there will be a Mrs. Dr. Whisky), and other things that are none of your business...

I am not complaining. It could be worse.

And it will all be fine. When you have the luxury of spending 10-20 minutes with a fine whisky, time can slow down and the worries of the world can seem that much more manageable. No more bombs to or from Gaza, real democracy for the impoverished and oppressed nations of the world, clean water to drink, folded shirts and matching socks... It is all relative and it is all within reach.

You see those people, pale and pressing past old ladies on the tube. Going nowhere. Fast.

Nose. Sip. Breathe. Repeat.
It is Tuesday March 11, 2008. Life IS beautiful. Slow down and notice it. Measure by measure.

For all whiskies from Springbank distillery had on the mission click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

An energetic little fella with a wide array of aromas. Sweet with butterscotch and pineapple, sour like boiled cabbage, spicy like cloves and tea, dusty, salty, and a little bit smoky. Lime comes out with water along with a seaside earthy-turfiness.
Bit of dog hair or a pair of jeans you have been wearing too long since the last wash.

Clinical with lemon-fresh bleach, but sweet like honey and wine gums, peppery spiciness and more smoke than the nose let on. Great long leathery finish with a persistent honey-toffee sweetness.

SUMMARY:

A pretty high price tag but it is a quality spicy-sweet single-cask Springbank. Sweet, but angry. Perfect.

Malt Mission #266
Malt Mission #268
Malt Mission #269
Malt Mission #270

Malt Mission HOME

Monday, March 10, 2008

Malt Mission 2008 #266

Hazelburn
Hazelburn 8yo
Campbeltown Single Malt Whisky
46% abv
£30*

This is the first release of the triple-distilled and wholly unpeated expression from Springbank distillery that goes by the name 'Hazelburn', in loving memory of one of the 34 lost Campbeltown distilleries. Closed in 1925, Misako Udo's incredibly detailed book informs us that from 1885-6 the old Hazelburn distillery did indeed use triple distillation.

Springbank Distillery has been producing Hazelburn (unpeated) since 1997 along with Longrow (peated to 55ppm) since 1973. This release came with three different labels, paintings of different distillery activities, all commissioned works by Ian Gray. Was followed by a larger production in 2006 in a different bottle.

For all whiskies from Springbank distillery had on the mission click HERE.

* - this was it's original retail price. If you find a bottle today, expect to pay quite a bit more as it is collectible.

TASTING NOTES:

Sweet and estery nose. Caramel and malt. A fruit and cheese board, oaky, sweet and salty. Apples, pears, red grapes, Emmenthal, and brie.

Nice big mouthfeel with a sweet impact, flavours of ice cream and banana at the start, envelope glue and a slice of malted loaf with honey. Great fluid movement of flavours, well-bound and nothing steering in its own direction. More cereal and a grassy freshness to finish.

SUMMARY:

Awakening with flavour and silky in the mouth. A very impressive youngster.

Malt Mission #265
Malt Mission #267
Malt Mission #268
Malt Mission #269
Malt Mission #270

Malt Mission HOME


Friday, March 07, 2008

Malt Mission 2008 #265


Glengoyne Robbie's Choice 1989
Highland Single Malt Whisky

55.1% abv

£220
$500(USD)


Where does the time go? Friday again. Whooosh.

The final bottling from the 'Choice' series from Glengoyne in 2007, this time from the Distillery Manager who has chosen the only ruby port matured Glengoyne in the warehouse. This one also won a silver medal in the 2007 Malt Maniacs Awards.

To see all Glengoynes had on the Malt Mission click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Sweet, inviting and vegetal. Cooked celery, tequila spiciness, rum chocolate-ness... more vegetables with celery seeds, sweet peppers, then fruits with sour cherries, blueberry pie. More and more Rum-my with time. Earthy and spiced.

Whoa, unexpected array from whisky. Rum, chocolate, spicy and silky. So puzzled. No Glengoyne maltiness and flavours not often found by this Doctor. Is this whisky?

SUMMARY:

If you celebrate the unusual you absolutely must try this. I cannot imagine there are many whiskies that compare flavourwise.

Malt Mission #261
Malt Mission #262
Malt Mission #263
Malt Mission #264

Malt Mission HOME

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Malt Mission 2008 #264

Glengoyne
Glengoyne Billy's Choice 1989
Highland Single Malt Whisky
54.1% abv
£120
$270(USD)

Glengoyne warehouseman and engineer Billy's choice is an 18 year old whisky that spent its last 10 years in amontillado sherry casks, casks that held a type of sherry that is lighter than oloroso but darker than fino. This was awarded a silver medal in the 2007 Malt Maniac's Awards.

Have to share something I read in a newspaper sidebar today:

DRAM GOOD
Whisky is said to have many magical qualities and now it has one more--as a weapon against polluted waste sites. A by-product of teh spirit is almost 100% effective in cleaning contaminated ground water, it has been found. It is hoped the technique known as 'Dram' will cut down on the £1.2billion Britain spends each year on clearing waste sites. "This is groundbreaking technology," said researcher Dr. Graeme Paton of Aberdeen University.

Brilliant. And it's called DRAM (
Device for the Remediation and Attenuation of Multiple pollutants).
Congratulations to the research team! Read more on the story HERE, HERE, and wherever else you look.

For all Glengoynes had on the mission click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Heavy, doughy, some sulphur and birch bark. Toffee and some mint in background. Sweet at the core, pleasantly sour at the fore. Eggy and sherried, rum-my, woody, sour apples. Dry nose, if that is possible.

Rich, sweet, sappy. Paper, Dr. Pepper. Black coffee and burnt sugar. A sherried (obviously) finish with oak, chianti, and over-cloved apple pie.

SUMMARY:

For the sherry freaks--not subtle, not Glengoyne, not for everyone. But those who will like it will like it a lot.

Malt Mission #261
Malt Mission #262
Malt Mission #263
Malt Mission #265

Malt Mission HOME

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Malt Mission 2008 #263

Glengoyne
Glengoyne Deek's Choice 1999
Highland Single Malt Whisky

60.9% abv

£62
$150(USD)


Following the successes of the releases chosen by the people of Glengoyne Distillery (Glengoyne Stillman's Choice malts of 2005, the Mashman's Choice of 2006) this is part of the 2007 selection from the warehouseman(Derrick 'Deek' Morrison) engineer (William 'Billy' Edmiston) and the distillery manager (Robbie Hughes). Maybe 2008 will see Tour Guide's Choice, Gardener's Choice, or Iain Weir(Marketing Director)'s choice?

This was distilled January 11, 1999, filled into a refill hogshead that yielded 316 bottles when disgorged September 2007.
For all Glengoynes had on the mission click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Light, lively and somehow smells healthy; barley and raw corn, bean sprouts, vitamin tablets, all stuff found in a health food store. Sweetness of orange syrup in the background with candied apples, almonds, and more.

Chewy and fresh with a great mouthfeel. Oatmeal cookies, vanilla extract, marzipan, challah, and coffee cake all make early appearances. Cinnamon, ginger, and instant coffee flavours come with a tightening in the palate, all finishing with a long breath of fresh oak with surges of spice.

SUMMARY:

Was very impressed by the malty and candied nose, and the spicy palate. Very appetising and complex for such a young spirit, although it is subtle and could fool one into thinking it simple. Not the case with this juvie. Slowly developing in the glass and on the palate. A real pleasure to sit and sip.

Malt Mission #261
Malt Mission #262
Malt Mission #264
Malt Mission #265

Malt Mission HOME

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Malt Mission 2008 #262

Glengoyne
Glengoyne 10yo
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£26
$35(USD)

We have had a pretty wide range of official releases from Glengoyne on the Malt Mission, but we still haven't had the Glengoyne 10yo. Well, Tuesday March 4 (Happy Birthday, Martha), today is your lucky day.

When Ian Macleod Distillers purchased the Glengoyne Distillery in 2003, there was real excitement for the future that could be sensed in whisky shops, the conversations of whisky nerds, and at the distillery itself. The picturesque distillery, complete with pagoda roof, babbling brook, and mountainous (am I exaggerating?) backdrop of Dumgoyne Hill, has been lucky to be in the good hands of a good company of good HUMAN people. Visit their website and email them, you will hear back, I promise. Visit the distillery, and you will BE back, I promise... not just for the beautiful setting, kind staff, and convenient location(1hr from Edinburgh,15 from Glasgow), but for the delicious spirit that they produce there.

This week, we will have the new string of Distillery Manager and Warehouseman's Choice whiskies. For all Glengoynes had on the mission click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Honeyed maltiness, unbuttered popcorn, light and sweet but with a weighty, oaky core.

Luscious mouthfeel. Grassy, grainy, breakfast cereals. A bit of the spice and sour fruit of sherry cask influence. Granny smith apples and cheddar, red licorice, oak and vanilla. Chewy malt finish with more oak.

SUMMARY:

The malted barley flavours are prominent and the mouthfeel is fantastic. Good, clean, unpeated Highland whisky.

Malt Mission #261
Malt Mission #263
Malt Mission #264
Malt Mission #265

Malt Mission HOME

Monday, March 03, 2008

Malt Mission 2008 #261


Chivas Regal 12 yo
Blended Scotch Whisky

40% abv
£19
$42.30(CAD)
$22(USD)

In 1836 James Chivas became a partner in an Aberdeen-based grocer and wine merchant and working with his brother John in 1857, Chivas Brothers was born. Chivas Regal was their flagship blend from 1909 and was finding great success on North American shores. In Canada the brand earned much admiration from whisky distillers and in 1949 Seagram's bought the family of blends. The company subsequently acquired old and built new distilleries in the 20th century helping to give Chivas Regal 12 a dominant position in the whisky market.

The blend is said to contain a high malt content of 40%, mainly made up of Speyside malts (Glenlivet, Longmorn, and Strathisla for sure, and maybe Allt-a-Bhainne, Aberlour, Benriach, Braeval, Caperdonich, Glen Grant and Glen Keith). Today, Chivas 12 is the second biggest selling Premium blend after Johnnie Walker Black.

TASTING NOTES:


Soft and pleasant nose,
vanilla, cut grass, sweet and malty. A touch waxy, with lots of fruit, nuts, and tons of oak character. Great depth and complexity and worth nosing and nosing again. Carob, hazelnuts, salt and a bit of smoke, too.

Floral elements juxtaposed with sweet cocoa bean and a nuttiness that's all wrapped up in a soft woody, earthy smoke. Finish like licking a wooden spoon that mixed cake batter.


SUMMARY:


Give credit where credit is due. Often standard "classic" whiskies (Chivas 12, Dewar's, Glenlivet 12, Johnnie Walker, Bell's, etc.) go undercelebrated and are overlooked when shopping, pub drinking, or recommending. I really enjoyed this, even if the finish was a bit of a bore. It is mature and satisfying whisky, for satisfied and mature drinkers. Takes water, and ice for that matter, well.

Malt Mission #260
Malt Mission #262
Malt Mission #263
Malt Mission #264
Malt Mission #265

Malt Mission HOME