. . . time well spent with Scotland’s (in my opinion) most uninspiring single malt which is saved by a good cask with Whisky Review 613 – Speyside Malt 20yo @ 54.3% (Lady of the Glen)
Day 17 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar
Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 3rd Edition Day 17 Blog #152 – Wemyss Malts Applewood Bake Invergordon 26 Year Old
Has everyone recovered from their trip to the hospital yesterday? I can almost still taste that Samaroli Islay even now. Well today we are almost doing the polar opposite in pulling out our wee bottle of the Wemyss Malts Applewood Bake Invergordon Single Grain.
As most of you are aware blended Scotch is made up of Single Malt and Single Grain. The percentages are determined by the bottler and the “Single” descriptor in both means single distillery. “Malt” has to be 100% malted barley but “Grain” can be any number of different grains.
The Invergordon distillery is located in the Highlands North of Inverness and was founded in 1959. Another distillery Ben Wyvis was contained within the complex but was closed in 1981. Invergordon has been owned by Whyte and MacKay since 1993 and the bulk of production of course is used for their popular blends and a number of other blended Scotch labels. What makes this fairly industrial distillery so cool is that it boasts its own pipe band.
I love Single Grain especially with a little age on it. The fiery nature of young grain fades away allowing more of the fruit character to complement the complexity imparted by the barrel.
Wemyss Malts Applewood Bake Invergordon 26 Year Old Single Grain aged in a refill butt number 86239 and bottled at the non chill filtration special ABV of 46%. No caramel here either folks.
Color: Pale straw
Nose: Completely delicate in comparison to yesterday. Apple cinnamon dusted fairy floss (cotton candy)
Palate: Chocolate mint chips sprinkled on vanilla bean gelato over a base of stewed apples.
Finish: A delightful creaminess and extension of all the mid palate flavors.
This is absolutely delicious and would make a fantastic dessert dram for any occasion.
I must secretly let everyone in on the sneak peek we had at Andrew Hilton a few weeks ago with a couple of 3rd edition drams. Suffice to say that this particular whisky was the hit of the night.
On this day in the second edition we had the heavily sherried Craigellachie from A.D. Rattray.
Lets see what the esteemed Whisky Lassie is doing with today’s dram here.
Write in and let me know your thoughts on Single Grain whiskies. There have certainly been more available from independent bottlers in recent years and I think the category is fast gaining in popularity. This is especially so when you consider the price point for the equivalent number of years in barrel.
Tomorrow we will be having our annual comparison tasting. It is always amazing to try different barrels from the same distillery, especially from different perspectives. We will also be joined by a special guest but I will save all that for tomorrow.
Until then enjoy your Applewood bake and if you really enjoyed it you can email me at jonathan@secretspirits.com and I will happily direct you to some options so that you can pop one into your liquor cabinet.
Slainte
Jonathan – taster of secrets
http://www.singlemalting.com/category/whisky-advent-calendar-2016/
Christmas is fast approaching and with it comes our recommended last shipping dates to guaranteed delivery before the holidays. Gift Wrapping Available at the Checkout
A New K&L Favorite Japanese Single Cask Whisky Ohishi Single Sherry Cask #1023 Japanese Whisky ($74.99)
Back in May we brought to you Ohishi’s Single Sherry Cask and it was an instantaneous hit. If we ever had any question whether single cask rice whiskies have a place in the market, the Ohishi answered with a resounding, “YES!” Given the enthusiastic response we went back to the well, or in this case the distillery, and were able to procure another barrel of this remarkable spirit. Every bit as good as the last cask, this bottling is so lively and so demonstrative it’s impossible not to become enraptured. Graced with ample notes of orchard fruit, raisins, honeyed nuts, cocoa, brown sugar, vanilla, and touches of earth it sings from start to finish. While packed with flavor, there is a composed presentation here which draws all of its many components into a superlative package with unparalleled balance. If you are a fan of Yamazaki, Hibiki, and Nikka, but are having a hard time tracking them down, then this is an ideal alternative. As with the last cask, there’s little chance this beauty will stay on our shelves long. Add to this the fact that we aren’t sure when we’ll be able to get another, this definitely becomes a must-act opportunity.
Ohishi “‘K&L Exclusive”‘ Single Sherry Cask #1023 Japanese Whisky (750ml) ($74.99)
The Ohishi distillery is located on the banks of the Kuma River, one Japan’s fastest flowing rivers. The distillery was founded in 1872 and produces some of the most exciting whisky coming out of Japan. Ohishi grows at least 30% of the rice that they distill, and the fertile soils and exceptional growing climate make for some of the finest base ingredients available. The strain of rice is called “gohyakumanishi” (meaning “five million stones”), and an organic method of cultivation is utilized that requires the use of koi carp for weed control. The rest of the grain is procured from local farms in Kumamoto prefecture and is of the short grained Mochi variety. The grains are partially malted and then distilled on the traditional Japanese stills before being filled into ex-sherry and brandy casks and aged for a long time time in high-altitude warehouses. This cask brings in a great balanced sherry influence and definitely feels more like Scotch than our single cask from the Fukano Distillery. This cask will likely be the only one we get for a while, considering the recent events in Kumamoto prefecture. Our last cask sold out in a flash, so we can expect this special cask to go very quickly as well.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: December 13, 2016
This magic little cask of Ohishi proves again there is just nothing wrong with rice whisky, nothing at all. The nose is wonderfully fresh and keeps you on your feet for a big dose of fresh cut apple, followed by a deep dark Oloroso note, and sweet caramelized citrus. Subtle yet full of life, the whole thing builds and brings you some lovely hints of funk around these very pretty fruit flavors. The palate is pretty weighty, but balance is the key factor. The freshness isn’t lost at all, and some cocoa and barrel spice along with dark vanilla bean and slight earthy warehouse funk take over. It’s so utterly drinkable it will be difficult to put down, if you know what I’m saying. Beware!
Olivia Ragni | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: December 09, 2016
What I love about the Ohishi is the combination of the beautiful texture you get from distilled rice and the wonderful balance of sherry characteristics imparted from again in sherry barrels. Aromas of white flowers and almonds lead to a soft palate of cocoa, almond skins, toasted walnuts, and raisins.
Day 16 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar
Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 3rd Edition Day 16 Blog #151 – Samaroli Islay 8 Year Old
It’s been pretty cold here in Alberta of late to say the least so it is well overdue for another return visit to Islay the land or warming peat and smoke. Samaroli have done an amazing job with their blending of Single Malts over the years and I like to showcase how well this can be done by popping one or two of their new expressions each edition.
Today we are looking at a blended malt that is a combination of over 99% malt from one distillery. This cask comes under the definition of tea-spooning. This practice is a touch controversial in Scotland circles as some believe that there is no spoon….ing.
When a distillery releases a cask but does not want it interfering with their own sales they can prohibit mention of the distillery and even prevent it from being released as a Single Malt. They do this by allegedly throwing in a teaspoon of another malt into the barrel thereby transforming it into a blended malt. There is a considerable number that theorize the fact that the teaspoon never happens and that only on paper is it considered a blended malt. Of course it is impossible to tell either way as the tiniest dash of single malt from another distillery thrown into an entire barrel will have absolutely no impact whatsoever.
So unlike the Samaroli blended malts where various amounts from a number of distilleries are involved really in this case we are looking at an undisclosed Islay Single Malt for all intents and purposes. Lets see if we can figure out which distillery.
Samaroli Islay teaspoon-ed blended malt. Aged for 8 years in a new American oak Hogshead and then bottled at the Samaroli chosen strength of 43% with no chill filtration or caramel added. A bit of an indicator here is the cask number 1883 which tells us that it is just one cask.
Color: Golden lager
Nose: Team trainer bag, salt shaker and jerky.
Palate: Distinctive bowl of burnt rubber and iodine leaking some organic citrus toothpaste (for the mouth feel).
Finish: Bitter lemon rind among the consistent notes of tanned leather, rubber gloves and medicine cabinet.
The medicinal character even goes so far as to give my palate a bit of a numbing effect and at only 43%. This is a very big whisky and again belies the light color. So you be the judge… spoon or no spoon? Distillery options anyone?
This should satiate even the hardcore Islay fan for at least a few days.
In the second edition on this day we had the Samaroli Benriach 1996 Single Malt which you can revisit here.
Lets see what the Lassie has to say about this Samaroli Islay.
For those of you looking for a bottle of this delicious Islay you can email me here at jonathan@secretspirits.com and I will point you in the right direction.
Tomorrow we are grabbing a ferry away from Islay and heading to the mainland for another visit to the Highlands to discover yet another style of whisky that we love to add in each edition but is largely unknown for lovers of Single Cask Scotch. This will be presented to us by the fabulous team at Wemyss Malts.
Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow
Slainte
Jonathan – taster of secrets
http://www.singlemalting.com/category/whisky-advent-calendar-2016/
Ralfy buys another Clynelish because it’s tasty! For Whisky Review 612 – Clynelish 15yo(2000) @ 46%vol (G&MacP)
Day 15 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar
SCOTCH WHISKY ADVENT CALENDAR 3RD EDITION DAY 15 BLOG #149 – MALT WHISKY COMPANY MACDUFF 16 YEAR OLD
Back in the drivers seat today is Stuart Nickerson from Malt Whisky Company with a bit of a favorite distillery for me. I have had some really good MacDuff whisky over the years and one single cask in particular from A.D. Rattray always stands out for me. Knowing how good Stuart is at picking great casks I have been anticipating this for quite a while.
MacDuff is a Highland Distillery that was originally known as Glen Deveron. You can still find whisky bottled under this name but mostly older casks as even independent bottlers have embraced MacDuff. It was founded in 1962 and is now owned by Bacardi who used the bulk of its Single Malt Whisky for their blends like Dewar’s.
It seems to me that a lot of the independent bottler’s that I work with are finding the merits of using good quality refill casks to allow all of the delicious distillery character to shine through. Today’s whisky is no exception with Stuart choosing a refill cask for this 16 year old MacDuff.
Malt Whisky Company MacDuff 16 Year Old aged in a Refill American Oak Hogshead # 500720 and bottled at the cask strength of 54.9%. No shenanigans involved like caramel coloring or chill filtration here.
Color: Another extremely light whisky which is the norm for refill casks especially American oak. After 16 years however it is a touch darker than the other refill casks we have seen so far. A nice light wedding ring gold.
Nose: Hot buttered rum tropical notes. Pineapple and papaya over vanilla bean sorbet.
Palate: Crunchy fresh breakfast waffle with hints of chunky pineapple and strong Seville orange marmalade sauce dusted with white chocolate flakes. This should be a thing…
Finish: The orange marmalade comes through more strongly than the hint of tropical once we get to the finish. Very fresh and mouth watering. 54.7% is warming and long with just the right amount of bitter orange rind to bring the marmalade note to a delicious conclusion.
Yummo Stuart I know that you guys in the UK love your marmalade but sprinkling in some tropics as well is just crazy. Enough of this frilly Highland nonsense I hear some of you peat inclined saying. Well just because I love you too we will be heading to Islay tomorrow for a dram from those beloved Italians Samaroli.
We can see just how much Johanne loves this MacDuff at whiskylassie.
For those of you that enjoyed this MacDuff, I have good news. We will be getting a very small amount and it will be available for those that act quickly. Please email me at jonathan@secretspirits.com for details.
On this day in the second edition we had the A.D. Rattray Invergordon Single Grain that you can read about here.
I hope you have enjoyed the variety so far as we head into the last 10 days of the calendar which as some of you know is perhaps the best part of the whole experience counting down to Christmas day and hopefully getting more and more family time and fun in along the way.
I look forward to our Islay encounter tomorrow
Slainte
Jonathan – taster of secrets
http://www.singlemalting.com/category/whisky-advent-calendar-2016/
COLLECTORS LOFT
Climb the ladder
If you come and visit us here in Loch Fyne and lift your eyes to heavens, you’ll be able to have a gander at some very special bottles that we keep overhead in our Collector’s Loft. If you can’t make the trip to Inveraray then there’s no need to feel left out – just take a look at some of the collectable bottles we have online!
Next day delivery available on UK orders Worldwide shipping
Loch Fyne Whiskies tel: 0141 427 2919 info@lochfynewhiskies.com www.lochfynewhiskies.com
WhiskyFest Tickets Make a Great Holiday Gift!
More than 350 whiskies Seminars by whisky experts Gourmet buffet
Welcome to you all on this wonderful winter Wednesday. Balvenie, a single malt producer who are known around the world for a luxurious and rich style of honey’d whisky, truly fabulous. However, within their range, as indeed with many other whisky distilleries, there are always a few stranger bottling’s, this is one of those.
Not very typical in anyway that we really know, Balvenie for. Spicy wood notes, lemon peel, angelica root and hints of eastern spices. Single barrel, all sherried delight aged for fifteen years in one of the finest sherry casks that I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning part of. Enjoy!
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Whisky Reviews every Wednesday
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