Ancnoc 12 Year Old Review

Ancnoc 12 Year Old - 40% abv.

Ancnoc (pronounced An-nok) is the name of the whisky produced by the Knockdhu distillery which is located in the Highlands immediately east of Speyside. My introduction to this distillery was via tasting of the Ancnoc 22 year old a couple of times on different occasions. I was very impressed by that malt and gained a desire to investigate the distillery bottlings further. Although I wasn't quite ready to plunk down the cash for the 22, I thought it good to start at the beginning with the well-priced 12 year old.

Ancnoc 12 Year Old - click picture to enlarge

Colour: Gold.

Nose: apples... almost like pie filling. Brown sugar, spices, and pastry dough.  Quite pleasant!

Palate: gentle, malty, a little sweet. Easy to drink and soft yet flavourful with no off-notes. Light vanilla and maybe dried coconut. As it sits in the glass a while, I think a touch of chocolate appears along with a creaminess. Tasty stuff!

Finish: on the short side with spices. Clean.

This is a nice "every day" dram and can be taken pretty well any time or situation. Having tasted the Ancnoc 22 Year Old, I really wish this 12 Year Old were bottled at higher than 40% and with no colour or chill filtration. I feel like this is a good malt that could have been a truly stellar one had that been the case. I have to say that it bothers me when distilleries decide to bottle only much older, more expensive whiskies without colouring and chill-filtration; it makes me feel as though they don't care about the drams that most of the public can and will buy. This doesn't align with my philosophies at all! 

Off my soap box - I don't want to take away from this 12 Year Old. It is good and actually something I'd pick ahead of a number of other older, more expensive bottles.

The Glenrothes 1988 Review

The Glenrothes 1988 - distilled 10/12/1988 and aged until 4/11/2008 - 43% abv.

The Glenrothes is a speyside distillery that has always interested me. I first tasted their whiskies a few years ago in my local store on a customer appreciation day. That day, I tried their Select Reserve and their Alba Reserve and was introduced to their vintage concept. Although known for their sherry-aged whisky, I actually bought the Alba Reserve first.  

I've never owned a sherry aged example of The Glenrothes until recently but had tried a few including but not limited to the 1994 and the 1972.  Now, after hearing recommendations, I decided to score a bottle of the 1988.  With fall coming up, I was recently looking for some more sherry aged whiskies and took advantage of the excuse to try the 1988.

The Glenrothes 1988 - click picture to enlarge

Colour: dark amber.

Nose: candied orange peels. I am almost reminded of Grand Marnier on the nose.  Citrus. Sweet.  WIth a little time in the glass, I am certain I am getting coca-cola... or pepsi? Maybe even a slight hint of coffee but I might be imagining that.  Really is a beautiful, aged Speyside nose. I get some dates on the nose and good body but it is soft. From the nose, I can't imagine this will need more water than the tears from my eyes. This is promising. 

Palate: this is nice! Has the most body of any 'Rothes I've tried so far.  Nice and clean sherry flavours. This is sweet for sure and has the orange peel flavours but accompanied with real, dark honey flavours. I was looking for a nice, sophisticated sherry aged dram and I think I found it.  This is basically 20 years old and I think the age comes through. I think of whiskies in layers when they lend themselves to it and this one moves in layers. The last layer on the palate brings on lovely spices that work their way towards the back of the tounge along with a drying sensation and a continuation of cola flavours. Mouthfeel is good for a Glenrothes as well.

Finish: finishes pretty long but clean as well. 

When would I drink this? I think this will make for a good night after-dinner dram or night cap. Again, something that can be served to someone important to you with confidence and I always enjoy the vintage thing. Afterall, it makes apparent the fact that this whisky will never be back again. Good stuff!

Double Review: Bruichladdich Laddie Classic Edition 01 Review and Bruichladdich The Laddie Sixteen Review

Bruichladdich Laddie Classic and The Laddie 16 Review

Even though I've reviewed a number of Bruichladdich products lately, I felt compelled to do a more detailed review of a couple of the bottles we tasted with Jim McEwan on September 26, 2013. Since nobody pays me or compensates me in any way, I can say and do whatever the heck I want so I am doing this review even though I've done a number of Bruichladdich products. I've never made it a secret - I do like Bruichladdich very much. I'll hit the Highlands or the Lowlands in my next review.

These are two products that fit within the "Classic Bruichladdich" branding and are still available in stores... the Laddie Classic is being replaced with the Scottish Barley Classic Laddie (I guess its Edition 02?). The Laddie Sixteen appears to be headed the way of the Do-do at least until there is sixteen year-old stock that was distilled under the Renaissance - so 4 years away? I am speculating on the fate of the 16 but available evidence points to what I've concluded here.

Here we go...

Bruichladdich The Laddie Classic Edition 01 - 46% abv. 

Colour: mid-gold

Nose: so coastal on the nose!  Coastal salt and freshness on the nose followed by a burst of vanilla pods (yes, vanilla comes from pods).  Rich vanilla with a little sweetness and lemon. Really oozes that pure bruichladdich bouquet complete with a hint of mint/menthol.

Palate: coastal salinity with a rich sweetness and bursting with vanilla.  There is a richness to this I didn't expect due to the coastal nose.  This is also quite fresh. I want to say that I get some pear and kiwi from this too. This is good for any time of day in my book and works as an "everyday" dram. This is definitely something that works for summer if you are looking for a summer dram. I like water in this one and you'll find it can take more than you might think.

Finish: middle length and making it into the upper chest

Comments: A great restorative dram at a good price. If your looking for an all-rounder, this is a good choice. Share this with friends, drink it in the middle of the afternoon, or jump on a dram as a night cap. It has very pleasant flavours and nice complexity and should please many. I'm told this resembles some of the older 10 year old Bruichladdich expressions that the people of Islay used to pick as their dram of choice... never tasted those older expressions of the Ten so I can't tell you but take it for what its worth.

Put shortly: Good, honest whisky.


Bruichladdich The Laddie Sixteen

Colour: nice full gold.

Nose:  This could almost be perfume! This has a true floral quality... I think Jim McEwan talked about being in a garden immediately following a shot of rain. At that time, flowers and plants are at their most fragrant and this does remind me of that. There is a bit of salt in there and with some time in the glass I want to say that I get some pineapple in there (cool!) and there is definitely some lemon. More time (and literally two drops of water) brings out some nice vanilla. This smells like sophistication.

Palate: a raft of herbacious and floral notes flow across the palate accompanied with some sweetness. There is a little menthol here for sure. Its soft and enjoyable - you could definitely serve this to your boss or father-in-law with confidence. There is some pretty solid vanilla, lemon, and honey coming thru and a surprising punchiness for a 16 Year-old. As you spend some more time with it, banana and marzipan come through as well.  Interesting waxy texture too.

Finish: medium length and leaves a tingle on the palate with spices. The spice at the finish makes me wonder if there is truth to the rumour that this was finished in virgin oak between the time the tins and labels were printed and when this was bottled. 

Comparing this to The Laddie Twenty Two isn't fair, but I will say that each reminds me of the other. The Twenty Two does bring a level of maturity that The Sixteen hasn't quite reached. I personally prefer the 22, but I have heard others say they prefer the 16. Its only a matter of taste!

Bruichladdich Master Class Review - Barley to Bottle with Jim McEwan

Bruichladdich Master Class with Jim McEwan

Well, I just had the most incredible scotch experience of my life.  I have been waiting for this for a long time... Jim McEwan was in town at my local shop, Willow Park Wines and Spirits, and he did not disappoint!  The man's complete and utter passion for his craft is incredible to behold and absolutely intoxicating!  I was drunk - with passion.  In fact, I still am and am sitting down with a dram (Octomore 4.2 Comus) reliving the experience with you.

Every now and then, you have an experience that changes things for you.  When it comes to whisky, Bruichladdich brought me to Scotch whisky when I tasted it a few years ago and had to buy it immediately (had tasted others and they didn't capture me). That dram was the 12 Year Old 2nd Edition.  Tonight, I've had that type of experience again as I witnessed the pure heart that goes into Bruichladdich whisky.

By the way, before I go on, I chose the colour of font because I know Jim would love it even though its a bit hard to read.

If you ever get the chance to see Jim speak, do it!  Don't hesitate.  He is a gentleman, he is so funny, he is passionate, and he is pure.  You will have a great time!  Here's a lousy Blackberry photo from the night:

The line up for the night was as shown in the picture below:

Honestly, these drams are all top shelf.  The Laddie Classic oozes coastal character along with nice sweetness and vanilla.  The Islay Barley 2006 is so pure and beautiful (I already drank two bottles at home since it came out and can't get enough).  It really is special whisky with a lovely sweetness, with its floral notes, and with its creamy richness.  The Laddie 16 is so sophisticated and perfumed and really shows what Bruichladdich can be when aged.  I really can't wait to see and hope we get to see some of the beautiful drams distilled by Jim make it to bigger ages like 12, 16, 22, etc.  The Laddie 22, as reviewed previously, is such a classy dram.  Its really the one I think of for those occasions where you must have something special... incredible!  Really.  The Cuvee 640 was a unique and delicious and luxurious dram... you'll see in the shot below that I picked up the PX Cuvee 407 which is not shot at the 640 - trust me, the balance and rich luxury is really enjoyable. The Port Charlotte 10 Year old was really a top-shelf peated dram.  As previously reviewed, I have PC7 and love it and the Port Charlotte 10 may not have the "shock and awe" of that dram, but it is richly smoky and complex and I had to have it.  I wanted something for Jim to sign that he made from the beginning and this was a great choice.

With the bounty of the evening in hand, it was incredible all of the people who hung around after the event was long done to share in the excitement that Jim created.  I am still beaming at home right now.

Thank you to Jim and to Dave Michiels (@Davescotchguy) and to Willow Park for a truly memorable evening and here is to Bruichladdich! Slainte!

Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Distillery Edition Review

Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Distillery Edition - 51% abv. - Non-chill filtered

Every now and then you get to have something that impresses you.  This is one of those times... just as you might start to lose faith in the big, industrialized distilleries you walk into your local shop and taste something like this Glenfiddich Distillery Edition.  I did and had to have it immediately.

Click picture to enlarge

Colour: mid-amber with gold highlights

Nose: first thought is, "wow! this is sweet and fruity."  Come back to it and I can't really describe what I am smelling. Then, I think to look for ideas and come across "banana skins" in a tasting note. I walk over to the kitchen where there are some nice yellow bananas with some brown spots on the skin and pick one up and literally smell one and then smell the whisky.  That's it!  Banana skins!  No B.S.! Well, I guess B.S. after all because its banana skins.  After I get past that, I get sweet raisins - maybe raisin ice cream with some spices.  A little water (like 4 drops) opens up the nose and makes things even more discernible.  Don't rush this... you can spend a while enjoying the nose.

Palate: again, first thought is fruity with a nice complexity. Sweet. This is a nice, sherried dram.  Moves to a spiciness at the back end of the palate. Some vanilla shows up in there along with the fruit.  With water, the vanilla is more prevalent. Taking my time, and going back to childhood memories, I think I actually get bananas in cream with raisins.  Maybe some field berries in there.

Finish: the intensity of the flavour fades quickly but then lingers and extends at the lower intensity making it all the way down to the belly.  This is a long finish.

Comments: This dram is fantastic and a fantastic value. Glenfiddich needs to make more stuff like this - non-chill filtered, more alcohol as required, lots of focus on interesting and big flavours and no industrial tastes. This tastes artisanal but masterfully made at the same time. This is special and makes me think that there might be hope for the corporations yet.  I'd like to see Glenfiddich move their whole line to a no-colouring and no-chill filtering style with higher alcohol as needed.  

Scotch Malt Whisky Society - September 2013 Outturn

Well, I finally did it... I made it out an Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) Canada tasting. My friend, Shaky Byrne, joined me and I must say that it was a good time and an eye-opening experience.

I won't go into a tonne of detail, but SMWS basically has a committee of a few folks who really love whisky and select single casks from a very wide variety of distilleries to bottle unfiltered, with no colouring added, and at cask strength. There's a catch - only members can buy their independent bottlings. Their bottlings are identified with basically anonymous labels (i.e. you won't know where the whisky came from unless you dig deeper) but they do tell you a lot about each whisky's character with both the title and their committee tasting notes. I must say, after having been subjected to a fair bit of marketing nonsense the past few years, their titles and tasting notes are shockingly helpful/accurate (probably because they do the smart thing and rely on a committee rather than on a single palate).  They also have locations throughout the world and hold tastings and such.

I attended their September Outturn tasting here in Calgary and it was my first time trying SMWS whisky or attending one of their events.  It was refreshing because the folks who put it on, Kelly and Rob Carpenter, went to the effort of eliminating the ages, regions, prices, etc. from each tasting note so it truly was a basically blind tasting... just what do you taste, what excites you, etc. about each dram.  Great for conversation in the group and this really plays to what I've said many times in the past - never buy based on age or price.  This is for people with a Passion for Scotch! As you might guess, it also made for a relaxed tasting with no snob factor which is always nice. Check out the selection of drams we tasted in the screen shot below.  

click picture to enlarge

You can access the tasting notes through the SMWS and I will tell you that they do give a really solid idea of the profile of each whisky.  You need to pay attention to the little nuances stated too because I noticed for one of the drams that it had a note to it (that was described in the tasting notes) that was off-putting to me... honestly, its the first dram in a while that I can say I didn't like.  Others in the room actually liked the same one quite a bit so don't get the idea that I am saying anything negative about SMWS, it just was a flavour profile that was good and got to a note that I didn't appreciate.  

The other drams I found were all excellent and very tasty and very unique - in a few cases totally different from anything I'd ever tasted and the kind of thing that made me want to be a member a immediately. Honestly, for a while I felt as if I was in an old fashioned soda and ice cream shop as I noted various flavours like cream soda, coke, cherry coke, ice cream, etc.  If they pump out that kind of individuality every month, it could be a very tasty, exciting, and a bit expensive proposition.  But as Bud Fox's old man in Wall Street said, "Money's only something you need in case you don't die tomorrow."  The variety of unique flavours is staggering and the fact that these are single casks really brings some notes to the fore-front that might only be a whisper in typically distillery bottlings. I should say, at the end of the night, we did get the regional information as well as the ages, etc.  I am happy with my self because my three favourites were the youngest (8 years old), the oldest (30 years), and one in the middle (21 years).  

Anyway, I love flavour and this event brought it to me in spades. 

Tobermory Aged 15 Years Review

Tobermory 15 Year Old - 46.3% abv. - Un-chillfiltered

Remember how I said that the best payment you can give someone is a bottle of scotch? Well, its true.  Last month, I played the part of emcee at my brother-in-law's wedding to his lovely wife. Well, I guess I did a good job because the two of them decided to gift me this lovely bottle of scotch to thank me for my loyal service. My brother-in-law told me that they knew I had a lot of bottles of scotch at home and they wanted to get me something unique, something that I didn't already have. I'll be honest, they ended up getting me something that I never even heard of before I saw this bottle.  In fact, it seems that most people have never heard of Tobermory.  Well, if Tobermory keep making whiskies like this, I don't think that will last for too much longer.

Colour: Deep amber with copper highlights

Nose: I really get sultana raisins along with some really clean sherry notes and Christmas spices.  Some chocolate syrup on the nose too.

Palate: Starts a little sweet and works through some warming spices to a nice tang... this is coastal, after all!  Nice, clean sherry notes followed by some salt.  The sweetness really is a raisin flavour that leads into a chocolate note accompanied by some salt.  This takes middle road between rich and dry.  Altogether pleasant and nice body here!  This has a nice mouthfeel that develops into a gentle drying warmth.  

Finish: Finish is long and carries on the spices and warmth right into my belly.

This is a nice, sherried dram!  Easy to drink and has nice flavours.  Not desert on its own like some Glenfarclas drams are, but is a nice, relaxing night cap.  I think anyone would like this... one to have around if you need to impress a Father-in-law or your boss?  One thing that is cool about this is most people haven't heard from it and it is quite good so folks might get the idea you know what you are doing if you serve this.  Never a bad thing!