What is Grappa like anyway? Italian Scotch?

So I previously wrote about rules I kind of follow and used the excellent Laphroig Quarter Cask to introduce you to my style of review and to the importance of the golden rule.  Now, since all rules must be broken, I figured I take a shot of Grappa. Wait.  That come out wrong.  I meant "take a shot at reviewing Grappa."  

Why would I do this?  Well, I travel to Italy every now and then and have had some very lousy grappa that was basically paint-thinner grade.  However, in my explorations, I discovered nicer Grappa like this Grappa di Brunello (made from Brunello grapes which are high grade Sangiovese grapes) which reminded me a fair bit of some scotches and now I think of it as Italian Scotch.  Before I go on, Grappa is a spirit made by distilling what would otherwise be wine.   

Nannoni - Grappa di Brunello - Riserva - Oro Dei Carati

Nose: Quite like grape jam.  Very jammy actually and softer than Grappa's reputation might have you believe.  Sweet on the nose and has the hint of some tones you might pick up from some scotches.  

Palate: thinner than scotch in texture.  The grape-y flavour comes through with significant sweetness on the front end.  Some pretty clear toffey notes there too.  I don't know how they got there but they are.  This reminds me of some bourbon aged whiskies that get a port or wine finish before bottling.  Its different than that, but not as much as some might have you believe.  You get some soft fruit like dates or raisins in there too.

Finish:  the finish is shorter in flavour but seems to last in terms of warmth/heat.

Next time you have the chance to try a nicer grappa, do it.  You may be surprised.

Some "rules" that I follow - Laphroaig Quarter Cask Review

Hello again!

I thought it would be helpful to lay out a bit about how I look at things.  As discussed in my first post, there’s no up-turned noses here - just a passion for these special drams.  Here are some generalities I go buy:

1. The Golden Rule: I never buy based on age or price (thanks for that line, @Davescotchguy. This is really the best thing I was ever taught regarding enjoying the world of scotch whisky).  
• The most impressive products to me are ones where the makers clearly pay special attention to the quality of their product.  Often times, its no-age-statement whiskies that are just as impressive if not more than other much older product and they usually cost a lot less.  However, I’m not blind to the beauty of a perfectly aged and developed single malt!
2. I love everything.  There aren’t really many products that are just plain “bad.”  I tend to talk to things in terms of their flavor profiles, nose, feel, etc.   If I don’t enjoy something, I guess I just don’t get it yet but I don't write it off because I may well get there (a good example: a didn't understand heavily peated malts for the longest time and now I absolutely love them and search them out - even cask-strength ones with massive noses and palates)
3. I don’t rate whiskies.  I don’t like points out of 100, etc.  My preference is to note when, where, and in what conditions I’d really enjoy a particular whisky rather than assign a number.  
• I think there are a lot of whiskies that could be that perfect 100/100 score if it were just had at the right moment for that particular flavour profile. However, you’ll know it when I think something is particularly special and that will be my opinion (i.e. the opinion of someone who isn’t necessarily an expert in the field).
4. Before tasting, I’ll usually have coffee or tea to get prepared and not dull any of the delicious sugars from these drinks.  Before I do a tasting of a cask-strength drink, I usually drink a non-cask-strength dram with a softer profile (usually bourbon aged) as I find it seems to help dull the big alcohol of the cask-strength dram and really get at the flavors in there.  It also helps when the first beverage you are nosing that day isn't a 62.5% abv monster!
5. I am going to try and do one-to-two tasting notes/stories per week.
6. The Golden Rule - Alternative: Whisky is best enjoyed with friends.  I’ve never had a bad time drinking scotch with total strangers nor with friends.  Sharing is a tremendous experience and very good for the soul. 

Laphroaig Quarter Cask - Review

I thought a review of Laphroaig Quarter Cask would be appropriate as a first one and as  a solid follow up to my "rules."   

You'll see why in a minute.  

Laphroaig is really a legendary Islay Distillery.  For those who don't know what Islay is, it is a very small island off of the Southwestern coast of mainland Scotland.  This island is known the world over for its characteristically complex and often peated whiskies.  We can talk more about Islay another time as this is about Laphroaig Quarter Cask.  

Laphroaig Quarter Cask is a heavily peated single malt with no age statement.  Whiskies with no age statement typically don't have an age stated because they are younger than what the general public thinks is appropriate so the distilleries don't state a low age to avoid hurting their sales.  Not everyone follows or believes in the golden rule!  In this case, some research indicates that this particular whisky is aged in standard bourbon barrels for a period of 5 years.  Here is where it gets interesting - Laphroaig then transfers the whisky to specially made Quarter Casks and ages it a further 7 months in those.  The quarter casks are much smaller casks made to resemble the small casks that used to be used for whisky maturation.  I won't go into the engineering theory here (even though I really want to) but a smaller cask means greater surface area (more whisky actually touching the wood inside the barrel) so the whisky should reach a greater maturation in less time.  

After this process, Laphroig bottles the whisky at 48% ABV without chill-filtering and without added colouring.  No chill-filtering leaves the lovely oils in the whisky (its getting more common not to chill-filter) and no added colouring means you get the colour as it should be and don't get any contamination of the flavour from something that should not be there in the first place.  

Click to enlarge.
Laphroaig Quarter Cask - Photo by Marc Girard

Here are my thoughts on this one:

Colour: Beautiful full gold

Nose: the nose on this is beautiful.  Like a camp fire on a damp night.  You get that salty air from the seaside along with some medicinal notes and some sweetness on the nose.  I'm doing this note on a damp and chilly evening and this seems like the perfect time.  Nose a little more and you get that omnipotent smoke... you don't even need to have your nose in the glass to get it.  In fact, as it opens a bit you get the smoke at arm's length!

Palate: what a blinder!  Nice and sweet initially with a slick mouth feel and then followed by an explosion of that camp fire smoke.  It swirls and expands in the mouth.  A total bomb!  Tasting some more, the salty-smokiness subsides to some richer notes like toffee (maybe?).  This definately feels and tastes mature beyond the meer 5 years and 7 months it was aged and I guess that is the quarter cask doing its job.  Tasting some more almost brings in some sweet citrus or lime notes.  Very interesting!

Finish: The finish isn't super long when thinking about the complex sweet/toffee/salt/citrus notes discussed but seems never ending when thinking about that camp fire you now have sitting in your lower chest area and nostrils.  I drank this before bed and a could still smell and taste that camp fire when I went to bed.  As you drink more there is a distinct and lingering flavour of smouldering embers.

Comments:  This is a nice drink!  As you have more, it seems to get the neck and shoulders nice and hot and it also seems to dull the taste buds a bit.  Definately one to finish the night on!  Its a little sad that it dulls the senses after a while because the complexity is so good but that sweet, swirling smoke leaves me feeling totally fine with that!  What a relaxing single malt!

This whisky is a testament to the Golden Rule about never buying based on age or price.  This has no age statement and if you research it, you know its quite young.  It demonstrates maturity beyond its years.  Talking to price, this whisky is what I would consider to be "dirt cheap" (or should that be "peat cheap?") by scotch standards.  I paid $35 CAD for this on sale one day but the regular price is not a lot and would still be well worth it.  

Whisky - The New Testament

Okay, we’ve all been there, we want to pick a great whisky but you get to the store and it doesn’t go your way.  You’d love to know more but right now all you can do is stare at the wall of tins and boxes and different shaped bottles.  You feel intimidated by the folks going thru the section and picking various things and talking about the various products.    

How can that guy know that the $80 bottle he just picked up is worth it?  How can another guy right next to him seem twice as excited about the $53 bottle he picked up?  Wow, this one has a super sexy label but does it taste good?

Marc enjoying a break with none other than Octomore. Yum! - Photo Credit: Julia Hews-Girard

I’m Marc.  I’m a simple engineer with a real passion for whisky - especially scotch.  I was once riddled with all of the questions above and, to some extent, still am.  I am on a journey and exploring the world of whisky, especially Scotch.  I got over my intimidations with the help of a few people including my lovely wife and @Davescotchguy.   I’ve taken in a bunch of classes and tastings and bought all sorts of stuff and have learned and enjoyed a ton!  These days, people at work know of my love of whisky and regularly approach me with THE question: “I want to buy a nice scotch.  What should I get?”  Somehow, I’ve become a go-to resource for people!

I’ve really worked hard to channel what I’ve learned to help these friends and have done so for total strangers at my local store too.  People seem to really take to my uncomplicated, layman’s explanation of the different offerings out there.  So here I am, a guy who hasn’t been in this for a super long time but has a massive passion.  A guy who appreciates to-the-point, layman’s descriptions.  A guy who wants to try to help more than the folks who happen to approach him with a question.  

I’d like to take this page forward by posting whisky tasting notes and stories in the only way I know how: straight forward, passionate, and in a way that anyone will want to partake in the same thing for which I have developed such a passion.  I write notes for myself and love telling stories so I thought, “hey, stop being so selfish and share!”  Hopefully I’ll be able to convince my wife to use her solid photography skills to get some nice images on the page too!

I am no snob and don’t accept that around these fine spirits as they deserve respect and friendliness. In each dram there are the flavors that were put there by the people who crafted it.  What a beautiful thing!

Anyway, enough talk!  Let’s get to some stories and tastings.