tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72267773525260690582012-02-10T18:28:27.033-05:00Jacobnoreply@blogger.comBlogger781100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-33472525254779569192012-02-06T09:00:00.000-05:002012-02-06T09:00:14.507-05:00

I love both of these Laphroaig expressions.  If you like your Scotch boggy and briny, you'd do well with either.  I gave them both the same A- score and happen to have a bottle of each open, so I thought I'd taste them head to head. The peat is stronger in Quarter Cask, both on the nose and in the mouth.  QC tastes young and is probably bottled at the perfect age for maximal peat.  When peat

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-40518583238466309172012-01-29T13:45:00.000-05:002012-02-04T16:24:23.551-05:00

Port Charlotte 7 Price: $90-$130 Strength: 61 % Port Charlotte is Bruichladdich's lovely series of highly-peated, cask strength whiskies.  All of the Port Charlottes originate from the same distillation, so each year's vintage represents a dwindling of the stocks.  The idea is that you can track the whisky's progress through the years of maturation, starting with Port Charlotte 5.  They are

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-42476530921067308162012-01-21T20:09:00.000-05:002012-02-06T09:01:43.742-05:00

Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength Price: $65-$75 Strength: 56.3 % Laphroaig 10 CS is the epitome of Laphroaig, so you'll either love it or hate it: wet rotting logs, iodine and peat, burnt apple pie, Scottish breakfast tea, bicycle tires.  A peat monster, but less peat than Laphroaig Quarter Cask.  A bit hot too, so add some water.  Rich flavor with big winter spices; a great dram for a snowy day.

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-68599297206283806832012-01-15T17:48:00.000-05:002012-02-04T16:20:09.096-05:00

Christmas is always exciting for a Scotch hobbyist.  Among my loot this year was a fantastic gift of a set of 50 mL samples of various Compass Box whiskies.  Compass Box is famous for blending different malts and getting into trouble for what they call their products.  I've probably sampled 1000 whiskies by now, but Compass Box was not among those.  With a dram apiece, I cannot in good faith

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-45760105365823836302011-12-22T18:21:00.000-05:002012-02-04T16:19:28.862-05:00

Highland Park 12 Price: $40-$50 Strength: 43 % If you want to hook a friend onto Scotch, I recommend using Highland Park 12.  While your newb friend may just get "honey", this whisky is nearly unrivaled in terms of complexity and balance while remaining accessible and just flat out enjoyable.  On the nose: soft smoke, sherry, honey nut cheerios, and peat.  The heathery peat is clear but not

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-2096306240181044722011-10-16T20:26:00.000-04:002012-02-04T16:17:01.689-05:00

Singelton 12 Strength:  40% Price:  $25 - 30 I very rarely (never) order Scotch out in restaurants or bars.  The selection in almost every bar invariably consists of Glenlivet 12 and a couple of blends, the price is shockingly prohibitive, and the whisky always comes in the absolute wrong glass.  That being said, at last year's Scotch and Chocolate ALS Benefit, all around master of awesome Sir

Padraichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07375608244875943830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-41792681986017866012011-10-02T13:57:00.000-04:002012-02-04T16:16:00.924-05:00

I recently opened a newer bottle of Ardbeg 10 and found it did not live up to my previous tasting.  It seemed much maltier and younger than I remembered without as much of the wonderful mouth-feel or apple notes.  It still has great smoke and peat though, and I would guess I'd grade this bottle out at about an 89. Doing some research on Ardbeg, I find that the distillery was moth-balled before

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-6237758301979984442011-08-11T10:31:00.000-04:002012-02-04T16:15:42.506-05:00

Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or Price:  $70 - 80 Strength:  46% My first taste of the Nectar d'Or was pretty underwhelming.  It was at Whisk(e)y-a-GoGo this past February, and I'd been looking forward to trying this offering from Glenmorangie for some time.  I've loved everything I've had from the distillery, so it was pretty surprising that this and the Finealta, a lightly peated offering that I was

Padraichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07375608244875943830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-53577266692950928262011-07-16T21:28:00.000-04:002012-02-04T16:13:08.539-05:00

Oban 18 Price:  $90-$100 Strength:  43 % A big, beautiful nose suggests refined oak even beyond the 18 years on the label, and if not for that label I would have guessed this whisky to be at least 25 years old.  Behind the rich, leathery oak is a good amount of raisins and wine cask influence.  The oak and raisin balance well with the traditional Oban flowers and graham crackers.  Ahhh, what a

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-1612530931978629802011-06-24T22:22:00.000-04:002012-02-04T16:11:51.207-05:00

With a population just over 3000 and 7 whisky houses located on the island, Islay's person to distillery ratio had risen dangerously over 400.  In 2005, Kilchoman added an eighth distillery and mercifully brought the ratio back to a manageable 380 or so.  In the United States, we have been fortunate enough to receive two vintage bottlings: the Summer 2010 release and the Winter 2010 release.  

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-55887146528185356212011-06-21T06:03:00.000-04:002012-02-04T16:10:32.954-05:00

Dalmore 12 Price:  $45-$55 Strength:  40% Dalmore comes in one hell of a cool bottle.  The golden stag is in fact taken from the clan crest of the Mackenzies, who once owned the distillery.  The bottle was a "welcome to fatherhood" gift from a good friend who is a registered Mackenzie clansman, as well as a fellow whisky aficionado and parent of a one year old.  So then, this gracious gift hits

Padraichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07375608244875943830noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-82049572907556056272011-05-24T12:56:00.000-04:002012-02-04T16:09:03.209-05:00

Bruichladdich Waves Price:  $45-$55 Strength:  46% Bruichladdich resembles an independent bottler with the wide variety of one-shot bottlings they put out.  Most of their bottles are unpeated, but I think this is a mistake based on their Peat bottling and the fantastic Port Charlotte line.  Besides, how you can you justify distilling on Islay if not to peat the hell out of your whisky (I'm

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-7702076715197654692011-05-04T19:35:00.000-04:002012-02-04T16:06:52.258-05:00

Ardmore Traditional Cask Price:  $35-$45 Strength:  46% I had pretty high hopes for Ardmore as a potential value buy malt.  On sale at $32, it was the least I had ever paid for a non chill-filtered whisky bottled at 46 %.  In addition, the "traditional cask" refers to the finishing of the whisky in quarter-sized casks, which is supposed to accelerate aging by increasing exposure of liquid to

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-43383635058017835862011-04-17T20:39:00.000-04:002012-02-04T16:05:28.245-05:00

Isle of Jura Prophecy Price:  $60-$70 Strength:  46 % The characteristic flavor of Jura is butter.  Now this is a dangerous flavor, as every adventurous six-year-old comes to know.  A thick layer on your dinner roll: good.  A full bite from a stick when Mom's not in the kitchen: surprisingly bad.  With Jura, I've felt their unpeated expressions to be a bit too close to licking a stick of

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-11001567204145835472011-04-10T12:59:00.000-04:002012-02-06T09:02:11.432-05:00

Laphroaig 10 Price:  $30-$45 Strength:  43 % I cannot resist trying a cheap ($30 or under) Islay malt.  Since one expects peat to mellow with age, I have it in my mind that somewhere there is a great quality peat monster for the bottom shelf.  Here are some of the candidates I have tried to date: McClelland's Islay, Bowmore Legend, Black Bottle Blend, Lombard Tidal Ebb, and Finlaggan Old

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-13707142611936861362011-04-03T14:24:00.000-04:002012-02-04T16:00:00.739-05:00

Aberlour 12 Price:  $32-$45 Strength:  43% There are two types of medicinal flavors in whisky: the cherry-flavored cough medicine from sherry casks and the iodine of peated malts.  Not every sherried or peated whisky displays these, and sometimes these notes are pleasant and sometimes not.  Aberlour is well known for its sherried whiskies, and in a good example of such I usually find rich

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-35817219749725791532011-04-01T02:37:00.000-04:002012-02-04T15:58:37.384-05:00

Review:  Speyburn 10 Price:  $25 - 35 Strength:  40% ABV Bargain single malt Scotch is sort of an oxymoron.  You don't necessarily get what you pay for in the Scotch world, but I find often enough there's a decent correlation between price and quality, at least within the price range I'm comfortable with.  So when an actual single malt is regularly priced at about $25 for a fifth* (and as low

Padraichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07375608244875943830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-22107134262814058732011-03-30T18:14:00.000-04:002011-03-30T18:15:36.237-04:00

Go over to Padraic's blog and enhance your appreciation of tea: Tempest in a Teacup As Scotch drinkers, we tend to describe whiskies in terms of various foods, scents, or imagined flavors.  Padraic does this for tea as well, but he also occasionally drops in delightful Scotch references or comparisons, such as with Russian Caravan and Lapsang Souchong. I've included a link to Tempest in a new

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-59514184919848924262011-03-28T08:20:00.000-04:002012-02-04T15:57:34.609-05:00

Lombard Tidal Ebb Price:  $25-$35 Strength:  40 % The nose is pure medicinal southern Islay: peat, smoke, brine, and rubber.  Youthful and malty, and despite the strong flavors a little watery.  That's all good and about what one hopes for in a $25 vatted Islay malt.  At a tasting, I had tried another Lombard cheapy vatted malt, Smoking Ember, and found it smoky with a good amount of peat.  

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-29539962966170269462011-03-25T01:29:00.000-04:002012-02-04T15:56:17.358-05:00

Review:  Glenlivet 21 Archive Price:  $130 - 150 Strength:  43% ABV Every so often, the "good Scotch Fairy" visits our house and brings a bottle of something special.  A few weeks ago, we got our income tax refund, and the "good Scotch Fairy" came and brought  us (well, me) a bottle of Glenlivet's 21 year old Archive, at a steal for about $100.  Once you get past a certain price point, it

Padraichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07375608244875943830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-14961399962893193842011-03-20T08:20:00.000-04:002012-02-04T15:53:37.548-05:00

Ardbeg Uigeadail Price:  $60-$90 Strength:  54.2 % You can imagine the universe of single malt Scotch as a diagram as shown thusly: As this highly accurate, long-researched model shows, there is a low proportion of malts that are both peated and sherried.  Ardbeg Uigeadail fills this space, and it does so beautifully.  On the nose, one is first hit by the classic Ardbeg

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-59885212266908386562011-03-17T00:33:00.000-04:002012-02-04T15:50:54.085-05:00

Review:  Glenlivet Nádurra Price:  $60 - 65 Strength:  59.6 % ABV My wife and I went to dinner with some friends last weekend, and of course, brought along a bottle of single malt, good Scotch being even better in good company.  So, in addition to a rather lovely bottle that the Scotch fairy got for me (an upcoming review, to be sure), we also grabbed a bottle of Glenlivet Nádurra, one I've

Padraichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07375608244875943830noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-63007730292451636712011-03-14T10:43:00.000-04:002012-02-04T15:51:09.608-05:00

Ardbeg Corryvreckan Price:  $80-$90 Strength:  57.1 % Almost all Scotch is aged in casks that previously were used to mature other spirits.  The benefits of this approach include cost savings but also increased freedom to shape a whisky's flavor profile.  Most casks are sourced from American distillers of Bourbon, but a large number also come from sherry, rum, and exotic fortified wine houses.

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-48532169962908186582011-03-06T21:44:00.000-05:002012-02-04T15:46:37.806-05:00

Glenrothes was mostly known to me prior to this year as "the distillery with the funny looking bottles," and one of the distilleries whose names I could never quite figure out how to pronounce.  It turns out, it's pronounced Glen Roth-is, with a short 'o.'  The funny looking bottles are inexplicably a hit with women, and though I'm not sure if it's still the case, the labels were once filled in

Padraichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07375608244875943830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-41118342216470547122011-03-05T20:00:00.000-05:002012-02-04T15:45:09.434-05:00

Old Master's Caol Ila 12 Price:  $90 Strength:  59.8% It can be confusing to peruse a store shelf of independently bottled whiskies such as those put out by Old Master's, Duncan Taylor, and Douglas Laing.  There can be a large variety of ages and prices, and often from distilleries that are closed or don't put out official bottlings.  Search the web and you'll be lucky to find any tasting notes

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-11935861621572582732011-03-02T18:32:00.000-05:002012-02-04T15:43:48.336-05:00

Tomatin 12 Price:  $30 Strength:  40% I always have an eye out for something new, a name I'm not familiar with.  Unknown malts can range from frankly terrible to surprisingly decent, but I doubt much I'm ever going to find that dream of an unknown malt that is amazing in taste and texture, yet only costs $25.  Still and all, I've had several nice surprises:  Gordon and MacPhail's Tamdhu 8,

Padraichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07375608244875943830noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-3539485697799756172011-02-28T20:58:00.000-05:002011-03-01T07:03:58.467-05:00

Rumor has it that Julio's Liquors' annual Whisk(e)y-A-GOGO is getting so big that they are out-growing the name and might go with something like "Whisk(e)y Weekend" next year.  This year had the same all-out tasting blast with over 40 tables but also an exclusive Loch & K(e)y Society tasting the night before. A quick recap of the rules: ten tabs on a wristband, one tab per sample.  However, some

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-12682463322304983732011-02-21T17:21:00.000-05:002012-02-04T15:43:07.771-05:00

Aberlour a'bunadh Price: $60-$70 Strength: 60.6 % Aberlour a'bunadh (I pronounce it "ah-boo-NARRRGGHHHHH", whether that is correct or not) is bottled in cask-strength, numbered batches and non chill-filtered.  I think a little water is necessary for anything over 60 %, and this sherry monster takes it well.  The flavor profile actually changes quite dramatically depending on how much water.  

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-35609528973996340862011-02-11T20:06:00.000-05:002011-03-02T20:40:03.118-05:00

First, a big thank you to Jacob for allowing me to collaborate on his excellent blog! So, as a treat for my birthday, my wife and I drove up to Boston last night to attend an ALS fundraiser.  A worthy cause that also happened to feature Sir Jeremy Bell, and fine Scotch, port, champagne paired with chocolate and fruit. The pairing was low key: here's some liquor and here's some fruit and

Padraichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07375608244875943830noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-56237348362859314432011-02-06T20:23:00.000-05:002012-02-04T15:41:08.590-05:00

Talisker 25 Price: $200-$220 Strength: 57.2 % This bottle represents the best whisky deal I've found, when I stumbled upon the bottle for $90 at Warehouse Wines & Spirits in New York City.  Talisker has one of my favorite distillery profiles of caramel, peat, and black pepper, and the regular 10 and 18 year-old bottlings are both excellent expressions.  The 25 is a reasonable extrapolation

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-68436497547916647352011-02-05T17:40:00.000-05:002011-02-05T17:40:38.998-05:00

I've added a new page to the blog to list all of the reviews that have been posted in order of score.  You can find the link on the right-hand side of the page (The Full Scorecard).

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-14554954299397317522011-02-05T16:46:00.000-05:002012-02-04T15:37:46.134-05:00

Bowmore 18 Price: $85-$95 Strength: 43 % Something wonderful must happen to Bowmore between 12 and 15 years.  The whisky fairy steals into the warehouse some night and sprinkles holy water over the barrels, and the thin, mediocre 12-year-old liquid blossoms into a richly flavored, well balanced whisky.  The notes are largely the same, but in the 18-year-old they reach their fullest expression

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-44771217315646006632011-02-02T14:20:00.000-05:002012-02-04T15:35:36.666-05:00

Springbank 15 Price: $90-$100 Strength: 46 % Springbank 15 is a taster's delight with its mish-mash of strong flavors.  I usually agonize over what notes to assign a whisky, but here they jump out: sherry, salt, grass, cocoa, fruitcake, raisins, nougat.  I'd especially emphasize the cocoa note which makes the palate surprisingly dry for a sherry monster such as this.    Throw in some more

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-53657201589683775802011-01-30T20:44:00.000-05:002012-02-04T15:32:59.872-05:00

Balvenie 21 PortWood Price: $140-$160 Strength: 43 % The Whisk(e)y-A-GoGo (WAGG) is a major whisky tasting held each year at Julio's Liquors.  At the 2009 tasting, something was really working for Balvenie.  I remember trying all three of the SherryOak 17, RumWood 17, and the PortWood 21.  All three felt deliciously rich and sweet, a perfect balance between honey, oak, and sweet fruit, and

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-59552471450621622912011-01-18T08:10:00.000-05:002012-02-04T15:28:56.862-05:00

Oban Distiller's Edition Price: $80-$90 Strength: 43 % Apparently duty free shops sell high quality liquor in one liter bottles, a fact that escaped my attention the one or two times I've been in them. My brother recently traveled to Paris for a Chem Engineering conference, where Scotch is a bit cheaper (Europe in general, that is, not just at Chem Engineering conferences). He returned with a

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-86382913642788306442011-01-18T08:04:00.000-05:002012-02-04T15:27:11.611-05:00

Gordon and MacPhail Tamdhu 8 Price: $25 Strength: 43 % A weekend last fall caught me light in the wallet, but curious to try something completely new. A browse through Yankee Spirits in Sturbridge, Mass (not as amazing a selection as I would have thought) yielded a bargain purchase of an independent bottling of 8 year old Tamdhu. Tamdhu, it turns out, is a recently mothballed Speyside

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-22148914229916995672011-01-16T18:51:00.000-05:002012-02-04T15:25:58.602-05:00

Lagavulin Distiller's Edition Price: $100-$110 Strength: 43 % Before I discovered the world of cask strength, non chill-filtered whisky, Lagavulin DE would have been a surefire A or A+.  It has great complexity and balance between peat and sherry, a long finish, and an overall refinement from 17 years in the cask.  However, I'm now used to the mouth-coating effect of most natural whiskies, and

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-63911000083804857252011-01-16T18:37:00.000-05:002012-02-04T07:51:07.646-05:00

Lagavulin 12 Price: $65-$75 Strength: 57.9 % This cask strength, non chill-filtered Lagavulin is one of the peatiest whiskies I've tried.  The feisty nose gives (in order of importance) phenol, rubber, and smoke, and the mouth-feel is spectacularly oily.  The oiliness is almost distracting and gives the impression of slimy algae or a scum coating on swamp water.  The palate is a little hot but

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-41056409816574243992011-01-10T07:31:00.000-05:002012-02-04T07:48:03.703-05:00

Glenmorangie Lasanta Price: $45-$55 Strength: 46 % There's a good reason I've been so enamored of Glenmorangie since my first tasting of the Astar (a generous wedding gift from the author of this blog): these folks are turning out unique and fantastic Scotch. Today's expression of note, the Lasanta, is aged in former bourbon casks and finished in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks, like many a

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-76739458348604095912011-01-09T08:41:00.000-05:002012-02-04T07:44:50.360-05:00

Ardbeg Supernova Price: $120-$130 Strength: 60.1% So it turns out there is such a thing as too much peat.  And that's sort of a good thing, because I was really worried that if I loved this super-peated whisky, I could never go back to regular old Ardbeg or Laphroaig.   The nose lets you know that There Will Be Peat, but not nearly to the degree that there really will be.  The nose

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-76554110525052959182010-12-20T19:56:00.000-05:002012-02-06T09:02:30.947-05:00

Laphroaig 18 Price: $70-$150 Strength: 48% When Laphroaig replaced their core 15-year-old expression with this, I was excited.  Aged over three more years, kicked up ABV, and non chill-filtered.  And of course, a doubling in price up to the $150 range.  I expected this to be the Best. Whisky. Ever.   So it didn't quite live up to those expectations, but it is still a fine (if

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-22274274787510255092010-12-19T19:23:00.000-05:002012-02-03T21:20:47.505-05:00

Balvenie 17 SherryOak Price: $110-$120 Strength: 43 % I was never more disappointed with a whisky than my first dram of Balvenie 17 SherryOak.  I paid $100 (on sale!) for a well-reviewed whisky from a label I'd otherwise had nothing but good experience, and the result was an over-oaked, bitter and acrid drink.  The good news was that this was a one-time experience; somehow as the whisky was

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-5204780534305093762010-12-19T19:09:00.000-05:002012-02-03T21:18:22.588-05:00

Bruichladdich Peat Price: $50-$60 Strength: 46 % Bruichladdich's peat is of a much different style than its Islay neighbors.  Take one of the Big Three or even a Bowmore or Caol Ila, and the typical experience is like drinking salt marsh water while inhaling a camp fire.  Bruichladdich Peat is a more meaty, earthy peat that does not evoke the sea and dials down the smoke.  Instead, the big

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-51301975029749084622010-12-18T19:36:00.000-05:002012-02-03T21:15:48.075-05:00

Sprinkbank Madeira 11 Price: $80-$90 Strength: 55.1 % Springbank Madeira 11 is one of the "wood expressions" of Springbank.  These might be hit-or-miss, as perhaps the worst single malt whisky I've ever tasted is the Tokaji "wood expression" of Longrow.  The Madeira expression, though, is pretty good.  The whisky was not finished in Madeira casks but rather aged exclusively in Madeira casks.  

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-5786928122964156142010-12-13T20:27:00.000-05:002012-02-03T21:13:53.966-05:00

Bowmore Tempest 10 Price: $85-$95 Strength: 56 % Bowmore is one of those distilleries that is not on my short list of favorites, yet still I end up buying bottle after bottle.  I think the reason is that there is so much potential in this Islay spirit with its medium level of peat, unique floral character, and seaside influence.  I was intrigued to see what a non chill-filtered and cask

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-84014433468218581552010-12-13T20:02:00.000-05:002012-02-03T21:13:39.028-05:00

Ellenstown 10 Price: $55-$65 Strength: 58 % An independent bottling of Islay whisky at cask strength and not chill-filtered.  The whisky forum consensus is that the secret distillery of origin is Ardbeg, but the host of a tasting where this was offered suggested Caol Ila.  Although the taste profile has some resemblance to Ardbeg with its deep smoke, the peat and smoke overall seem too

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-64026883913627400912010-12-07T20:43:00.000-05:002012-02-03T21:09:55.305-05:00

BenRiach Curiositas Price: $45-$55 Strength: 46 % BenRiach produces one of the few peated speyside or highland malts (the only other I can think of is Ardmore).  The peat is strong on the nose, but one can also pick out more traditional speyside notes: honey, clover, and heather.  The whisky is malty and thick, with strong, competing flavors.  Curiositas is not particularly well-balanced 

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-54452227372420458822010-12-06T20:37:00.000-05:002012-02-03T21:08:47.295-05:00

The Black Grouse Price: $25-$35 Strength: 40% Newly available in the United States, this expression of Famous Grouse reportedly contains some portion of peated malts.  I have trouble picking out the peat, but maybe my peat-meter has been irreparably impaired by large doses of Ardbeg.  Still, as with Johnnie Walker Black, I pick up a certain "mustiness" which I suspect owes to the peated

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-51658558135851047042010-12-03T08:02:00.000-05:002012-02-03T21:06:36.505-05:00

Finlaggan Old Reserve Price: $20-$30 Strength: 40 % You can be sure a whisky named "old reserve" is neither "old" nor "reserve".  Similarly so for any of the following descriptors you may find adorning your bottles: fine, finest, rare, best, special, or classic. In any case, I had read good reviews of this elusive young Islay and took the opportunity when in New York City to grab a bottle 

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-75325185077386120812010-12-02T07:17:00.000-05:002012-02-03T21:05:23.826-05:00

Scapa 14 Price: $40-$50 Strength: 40 % There are two distilleries on the Orkney islands north of Scotland: Highland Park and Scapa.  Highland Park puts out great whisky, so I also wanted to try Scapa.  However, aside from sharing an island, the two distilleries seem to have little else in common.  The 14-year-old Scapa has more recently been replaced by a 16-year-old expression (which I have

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-56232538511576855752010-12-01T06:42:00.000-05:002012-02-03T21:04:49.018-05:00

The Famous Grouse Price: $20-$25 Strength: 40 % The Famous Grouse is a top-selling blend, and its ambassadors boast of it having large components of both The Macallan and Highland Park.  The nose reveals the Macallan influence with apricot and other dried fruits.  I was expecting a cheap blend to be much more bland but was pleasantly surprised at both the drinkability and light sweet fruit

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-6049262212156269192010-09-28T07:12:00.000-04:002012-02-03T21:01:04.851-05:00

Glenmorangie Astar Price: $65-$75 Strength: 57.1 % Glenmorangie is working hard to set a trend in the Scotch world by bucking traditional age statements. Many of their offerings today are mixes of various expressions; for example, the Quinta Ruban, the Lasanta, and today's subject of review, the Astar. I don't really know what to make of the lack of age statement. The Glenmorangie rep I spoke

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-11353980220305052762010-08-24T19:25:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:57:58.523-05:00

Isle of Jura Superstition Price: $40-$50 Strength: 43 % Some whiskies take a while to figure out, but not Superstition.  Butter and peat.  Everything else in there is just derivative of butter and peat: butterscotch, smoke, and some seaside.  Superstition is apparently a mix of young and old malts, but based on the price and taste, it is almost certainly dominated by the younger

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-59354472187749111512010-08-07T13:38:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:55:47.056-05:00

Teacher's Highland Cream Price: $15-$25 Strength: 43% It's not usually a good sign when your whisky is aged in months instead of years.  Teacher's Highland Cream boasts of having been aged a full 36 months (which just also happens to be the minimum required to have "scotch whisky" allowed on the label). But I really like this stuff!  A good mix of youthful malt, creamy vanilla, and peat

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-25596517926039178152010-07-19T10:00:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:54:13.733-05:00

Johnnie Walker 12 Price: $25-$35Strength: 40 % I was expecting more from the Black Label.  I was under the impression that there would be a strong Talisker and/or Islay influence in this blend.  Instead, the peat influence is negligible.  Johnnie 12 seems to have more Speyside character to it and is fairly malty.  There is a musty character to the drink as well, which I suspect owes to

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-29912700025252535252010-07-04T07:47:00.000-04:002012-02-06T09:02:48.562-05:00

Laphroaig Quarter Cask Price: $50-$60 Strength: 48 % Laphroaig Quarter Cask is young Laphroaig that is finished in quarter-sized barrels (apparently, a popular way for smuggler's to transport whisky back in the day).  The smaller barrels impart strong oak influence and are supposed to accelerate the aging process.  Combined with the high ABV and being non-chill-filtered, the result is a

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-2921998907257886082010-06-28T08:43:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:46:50.698-05:00

Balvenie 15 Single Barrel Price: $55-$65Strength: 47.8 % Most "single malt" Scotch whisky is actually a blend of barrels, as long as all of the barrels originate from the same distillery.  Some of the complexity of whisky results from the fact that different barrel types and ages are blended together into the finished product.  Nevertheless, it is the task of the master blender to try

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-40196097841413519992010-06-20T17:42:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:43:41.073-05:00

Clynelish 14 Price: $45-$55Strength: 46 % Shown in my Father's Day flask!   I want to like Clynelish 14.  It comes from a coastal highland distillery, is bottled at 46 %, and has a great texture.  Although I don't see anything on the bottle about being non-chill-filtered, it tastes like it must be (and I just looked on Royal Mile Whiskies, and in fact it is non-chill-filtered).  The

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-77384333531278398572010-06-08T21:14:00.000-04:002010-06-08T21:14:35.070-04:00

I'll be honest.  I just haven't been that into Scotch the last few weeks.  There came one day where I became a little bored of the malty flavor and instead reached for a bottle of Bourbon.  And the other day I was even yearning for a nice ice cold aluminum can of Natural Lite. I blame it on the hot, humid weather we've been having in New England lately.  Whisky is best when you want to let its

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-65022520706857490802010-06-05T21:20:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:42:29.761-05:00

Longrow CVPrice: $50-$60Strength: 46 % "What is Longrow?" you may ask.  The answer: "Heavily peated Springbank."  Longrow is distilled at Springbank and even bears the Campbeltown distillery's name on the bottle.  As with most Springbankers, it is non chill-filtered and bottled at 46 %.  The CV stands for "curriculum vitae", which is pretentious Latin for "resume" (which in turn is

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-87243910519465260402010-05-26T19:59:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:40:40.693-05:00

Glenmorangie 10 Price: $35-$45 Strength: 43 % I first had Glenmorangie 10 at a tasting alongside the distillery's numerous finished expressions with funny names (LaSanta, Quinta Ruban, etc).  At the end of the night I thought the 10-year-old was the best of the lot, and a great bargain.  The nose reveals zesty fruit but also lots of malt and some honey.  The palate is soft at first but

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-19085867981185163392010-05-19T20:20:00.000-04:002010-05-19T20:21:08.506-04:00

But not so much for drinking.  I was naturally curious, after tasting several "sherried" whiskies, what actual sherry tastes like.  The answer: like a bottle of cabernet sauvignon with a rotted cork fallen in. Shown here: Dry Sack Oloroso sherry on the left, Macallan 12 on the right.  They are close to the same color. Thankfully, whisky seems to pick up the better aspects of the fortified wine.

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-68341960038114849912010-05-17T07:20:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:33:21.781-05:00

Highland Park 15 Price: $60-$70 Strength: 43% When I was still a Scotch newbie, I went shopping at a local liquor store and stood before their Scotch selection, scared and confused.  The owner saw me and took pity.  He pulled out a dusty copy of Michael Jackson's whisky guide to loan to me, which I read cover to cover.  I was impressed with the reviews of Highland Park (the "great

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-81599648002623149182010-05-09T19:01:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:30:45.182-05:00

Macallan 12 Price: $40-$50 Strength: 43% Sorry, "The" Macallan.  The Macallan is one of the largest names in single malts and is best known for its core line of whiskies aged in ex-sherry casks.  The 12-year-old is a true sherry monster, and the nose of harsh apricot cough syrup can be quite off-putting.  The palate piles on more dried fruit (prunes and raisins), mixed in with winter

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-21139590952580547012010-05-05T08:06:00.000-04:002010-05-05T08:06:26.055-04:00

I usually drink hot tea in the mornings.  I like strongly flavored, rich, robust teas, such as Indian Chai, Irish breakfast, or Scottish breakfast.  However, there is one tea I turn to if I am in the mood for some smoke, which is Lapsang Souchong.  Wikipedia explains: "Lapsang is distinct from all other types of tea because lapsang leaves are traditionally smoke-dried over pinewood fires, taking

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-29924013592182856662010-05-03T07:29:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:28:48.406-05:00

Ledaig 10 Price: $45-$55 Strength: 43% I don't usually pay much attention to color since so many bottles are artificially colored with caramel (I nearly cried myself to sleep when I learned that), but a whisky this light must be all-natural color.  The lightness of the whisky plays a delightful foil to the pungent nose of strong peat, burnt rubber, and car exhaust. Ledaig is distilled

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-26993969028447512682010-04-28T13:25:00.000-04:002010-04-28T13:26:34.307-04:00

I just returned from four days and three nights in New York City, where my family was hosted by my wife's gracious cousin in Manhattan.  I'm not too good at doing cities but we managed to trot our two boys around and see a bunch of sites, including Central Park, the big art museum, the big natural history museum, and The Shake Shack.  While my wife had a list of places to visit, the only must-see

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-83535518000636874882010-04-23T06:37:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:25:29.321-05:00

Springbank 10 Price: $50-$60 Strength: 46 % I have one word underlined in my notes on Springbank, and I am pretty proud of it.  It is thus: grassy.  In all of the Springbanks I have had (about four different bottlings), there seems to be a distillery characteristic that always come through, and it is this salty grass flavor.  Springbank 10 exhibits this more than any of the other Springbanks

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-55392207869268287502010-04-18T10:55:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:21:49.821-05:00

Ardbeg 10 Price: $45-$55 Strength: 46% I was a little disappointed when I cracked the bottle and had my first dram of Ardbeg, as it seemed on first blush like little more than a smoke-bomb for hardcore peat freaks (with an albeit awesome looking bottle!).  But with each subsequent dram I have had, my estimation of it increases.  At this rate I'll be giving it 105 points by the end of the

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-77568076531507319912010-04-14T07:54:00.000-04:002010-04-14T07:57:37.341-04:00

I drink my whisky either neat or with a splash of water.  In my opinion, dropping a few ice cubes in your Glencairn ought to be a gasp-inducing faux pas; the whisky equivalent of ordering a chili dog at a fancy bistro.*  I was therefore highly appreciative of a gift I recently received from my cousin-in-law, shown in my drink below. Those are soapstone rocks, especially useful for keeping a

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-79189683668895137362010-04-11T19:56:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:17:29.024-05:00

Glenlivet 12 Price: $25-$35 Strength: 40% Glenlivet is the Coors to Glenfiddich's Budweiser; that is, the number two common brand that is stocked in every bar.  I do not often go out to a bar or order Scotch at restaurants, but the few times I have asked what is available, the list has always begun with Glenfiddich and Glenlivet. As one might expect from such a pedigree, Glenlivet

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-38597824946866349702010-04-08T06:37:00.001-04:002010-04-08T07:36:08.705-04:00

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-63977577613181455682010-04-03T17:14:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:03:09.110-05:00

Bowmore 12 Price: $40-$50 Strength: 40 % Bowmore is an Islay distillery that produces medium-peated whiskies.  Their entry-level whisky, Bowmore Legend, is a decent bargain (though rumor is that its price is going up) but a bit "cheap Scotch" tasting.  With the 12-year-old, the peat opens up a bit more, especially on the nose.  The nose is particularly wonderful, evoking the sea that is

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-64852852750173418392010-03-31T08:22:00.000-04:002010-03-31T08:25:11.418-04:00

I feel like I'm cheating on my regular liquor store if I go shopping anywhere else, but there is one high-end looking store I often pass on my way to work, and I was curious to see their selection.  It's a nice little shop with a good variety of Scotch.  The clerk bragged that it offers one of the largest selections in Metrowest Boston.  However, the Scotch bottles are all perched high up on

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-37216734430881001242010-03-28T13:45:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:12:55.591-05:00

I wish more whisky was available in 200 mL bottles.  Not only are they so cute, but it allows one to fully appreciate a drink without committing to the price of a full 750 mL bottle.  Pictured above are the 200 mL bottles of the Talisker gift-set, which I purchased for $72.  I have previously plowed through full bottles of the 10 and 18, but I had yet to try the Distiller's Edition.

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-7757738437471975262010-03-24T07:28:00.000-04:002010-03-24T07:28:55.541-04:00

My favorite local liquor store holds an annual whisk(e)y grand tasting event.  Here's how it works: you get in free of charge (though you may optionally buy a $3 tasting glass) and receive a wristband containing 10 tabs.  The store has over 30 tables set up and something like 200 whiskies available, and each tab is good for one sample.  Use them wisely!    This year's event was held on February

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-73273350296446553802010-03-21T19:54:00.000-04:002012-02-03T20:05:37.409-05:00

Balvenie 12 DoubleWood Price: $40-$50 Strength: 43 % Balvenie is sneaky good.  Proof of this is that while I've never considered this Speysider among my short list of favorite distilleries, I've nevertheless managed to accumulate five bottles of various expressions (representing a 12 share of my total whisky allotment).  This particular bottle was a gift from Santa Claus in December 2008.

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7226777352526069058.post-39950318940659351052010-03-19T08:16:00.000-04:002010-03-19T08:16:41.913-04:00

In short: because none of the other Scotch blogs post my notes. Now, I won't pretend my review notes are any more authoritative or worthy than anyone else's.  If anything, they are less authoritative and less worthy.  After all, I am only a few years removed from my days of drinking liquor that comes in plastic bottles. And whereas a professional drinker will find "orange, nectarine, lemon peel,

Jacobnoreply@blogger.com1