Tuesday 17 January 2017

SMWS 76.127 Funky Massage Whisky Review

SMWS 76.127 - Funky Massage Whisky - 51.1% abv.

One of the many things I love about the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is that you can access whisky that would otherwise be out of reach for anyone but the 1%. This bottle is a good example of this. My general thought is that SMWS whiskies, if thinking only in terms of price paid versus age, tends to be a little pricier for young whiskies and good value for older whiskies - this older bottle is a good example of that. Although not inexpensive, this is a good value and could never be had at a reasonable price if bottle by the distillery (look up the SMWS codes online if you want to see where this is from).


Colour: Gold.

Nose: Perfumed and oak driven with notes of real navel oranges. The nose has a floral character and a hint of cooling eucalyptus. Honestly beautiful.

Palate: Soft and sweet initially with a orange and moving to a eucalyptus (massage oil) type flavour. The next sip confirms your initial thoughts... this is a nice older dram.  I get sweet orange perfumed with some baking spices on top of chocolate which is than balanced with a  nice woody/eucalyptus note and a (like the SMWS notes say) a distinct sort of effervescence. This is mature whisky.

Finish: Finish does not go right down to your belly and tends to stay up high in the chest and has nice persistence leaving you with that minty/eucalyptus sort of taste and sensation.

Comments: When would I drink this? When you have time to enjoy a dram quietly, drink this one. I generally think this one lends itself better to warmer days or when you feel like a whisky in a lighter style with some class... maybe night cap on those days? It shows its 28 years of age nicely and its 51.1% alcohol with almost no alcohol sensation at all. It's balanced and complex enough while just being damn good. This whisky at this age, if bottled by the distillery, would be multiples of the price the SMWS charge.  If you're looking for a good older dram to just relax with, this is a strong bet.  Maybe this is a massage whisky after all!

P.S. A quick tip with this one... give some time in the glass.  Sip it over at least 28 minutes (1 minute per aged year) and you will see that it changes quite a bit over that period.

Sunday 8 January 2017

Bruichladdich The Laddie Ten - Second Limited Edition Review

Bruichladdich - The Laddie Ten - 50% abv.

I've been away for a while.  I had to take a bit of a hiatus to take care of some business and now, since I think I am done that and its 2017 and Bruichladdich has done a fantastic thing by releasing a trio of new ten year olds (The Laddie Ten, Port Charlotte 10, and Octomore 10) I thought it a good time to start some more posts.  I have a crap-tonne of amazing whiskies in backlog to review so I hope I get to them soon.  In the mean time, hear is my quick notes on the first of the three new tens: The Laddie Ten, Second Edition.  It is a limited release of 18,000 bottles.

Colour: 14 kt. gold.

Nose: Classic Bruichladdich! Honey and lemon, salty marine notes, Islay florals, fruit, and a hint of mint.

Palate: First taste reminds me very much of the first Laddie Ten released from the revival era of Bruichladdich.  That is a good thing. There is a very nice balance of honey and lemon notes along with a marine tang and some crisp fruit. The first time I had this I thought it might be a little mellower than the version put together by Jim McEwan (I thought them to be very close with Jim's a little more punchy and coastal where this ones is a softer version).  This coats the mouth nicely and as you sip it more, you get some more complexity and mid-palate shows a real waxy Wine Gums note along with a very faint smoke (I'd expect this is from the use of first fill american oak barrels which are charred on the inside).

A little water spreads this out a bit and takes things further along the waxy wine gum thread. Maybe you get a little vanilla in there too, but my mind could be playing tricks.

Finish: The finish lingers and leaves me with that marine salty tang, lemon peel, some mint, and some very light, whispy char smoke on the back palate.  

Comments: It reminds me a bit of martini time which gets me thinking about when would I drink this.  I think the answer to that is really any time you'd drink a martini... the sweeter side of this can come out for certain moods which may make it perfectly good in the evening instead of just as an aperitif or the "I just had a long day," kind of dram. Though it is bottled at 50% instead of the 46% of the previous version, I don't feel any more alcohol than the previous version on the palate. I'd also say that, this seems shockingly similar to the previous version as well. Good on the new guy (Adam Hannett)... lovers of Jim's Laddie Ten will not be disappointed!  Hopefully the Ten continues to be solidly in the Bruichladdich line up going forward.