Tastes

See multi-review on Whistlepig Vermont Estate Oak 15yo.

See multi-review on Whistlepig Vermont Estate Oak 15yo.

Whistlepig was founded by Apprentice contestant Raj Bhakta in January of 2010. The company and distillery operation are located on a 500 acre farm he purchased 3 years earlier in Shoreham, VT. Successfully securing the services of master distiller Dave Pickerell (Maker’s Mark), Whistlepig began life as a bespoke whiskey producer and finishing agent specializing in rye whiskies sourced from MGP of Indiana and Alberta Distilleries of Canada. Distilling operations began in 2015 after several successful releases of award winning whiskies. This review covers their 15yo Vermont Estate Oak expression sourced from Alberta and finished for 6 months in charred new oak grown locally on their farm. The attraction of the American white oak grown here relates to the ring density of the trees due to the short growing season. They claim this adds additional flavor and complexity to their whiskey over white oak grown much further south. American white oak is also the wood required to age bourbon. Over the last year, I have become a big fan of good rye and can see why it has been gaining in popularity. Rye contains the least amount of sugar of the 4 primary grains used to make whiskey, so if you like dry, then give it a try. I decided to compete this 46% ABV rye whiskey against 3 others without regard to pricing: Col. EH Taylor Straight Rye, 50% ABV; Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye (Jim Murray’s World Whiskey of the Year in 2016), 45% ABV; and Bulleit Rye, 45% ABV. Whiskies were rated in 4 different categories: Nose, Spicy Palate, Dry Palate, and Finish. 10 points were awarded per category (1st- 4 points, 2nd- 3 points, 3rd- 2 points, 4th- 1 point). Taking 1st place on the nose was Bulleit Rye. It exhibited an unusual and unique nose consisting only of baking spices and oaken tannins, with no hint of vanilla or fruitiness that were readily apparent in the Colonel and Whistlepig. I found this to be different and appealing. The nose on the Crown NHR was pleasant but faint in comparison to the other 3. The Colonel and Whistlepig were tie for 1st place in the Spicy Palate category where the spice was greatly enhanced by vanilla, red fruits, and a touch of caramel. Here, a tad of sweetness complimented well and helped to deliver the victory. Bulleit was next in this category with good spiciness, but a little flat. The Crown, again, pulled up last with faint spices and little help elsewhere. For those who like dry over sweet I decided to make things fair by adding the category of Dry Palate. Here, the Crown NHR took 1st place with Bulleit taking 2nd, followed by Whistlepig and the Colonel. In the final category of Finish, again, the Colonel and Whistlepig were tied for 1st with lengthy and satisfying finishes. Bulleit was next and the Crown was last and lacking in robustness in comparison to the other 3. In tallying the points, there was a 3-way tie for 1st place, with the Colonel, Whistlepig, and Bulleit all receiving 11 points and the Crown NHR taking only 7. As a tiebreaker, I decided to add a 5th category called Balance and Likeability, since 2 whiskies were clearly better than the others. So, at the finish line, Whistlepig takes 1st in this category by a hair over the Colonel to secure the overall victory. Whistlepig - 4.5 stars; the Colonel - 4.4 stars; Bulleit - 4.00 stars; and Crown NHR - 3.75 stars. As an aside, I had already tasted all 4 of theses rye whiskies separately, and on several occasions previously.

Found this note recently left over from our trip to western Scotland last September. Only took notes of whiskies that left an impression, and apparently this one did. This 46% NAS double cask is aged in first-fill bourbon before spending its final year PX sherry casks. I do remember the night I drank this, but the memory is faint other than the following: Unique and elegant complex nose (spicy bourbon & fruity sherry) Dry, peppery palate w/ vanilla, fruits, & nuts. Allspice Smooth & dry fruity finish 4 stars

Received this as a house gift at our annual Christmas party of family and friends. We opened it on the spot and I found it to be quite pleasant with a good hint of a bourbon-barrel Islay and not your typical Irish single malt. I only managed a single pour that day and was surprised to see our company had almost polished off the entire bottle, while ignoring much of the expensive stuff. Fortunately, though, a few drams were left to give it a fair shakedown. My views are very consistent with @The_Rev and @Dreaming-of-Islay. The nose is a wonderful combination of mild smoke, malted barley, and a vegetal seaside peat bog. Laphroaig immediately comes to mind but with much less intensity in terms of smoke, medicinal notes, citrus, and brine. At 40% ABV, it hits the palate light and smooth and goes down with the honeyed vanilla ease of a speyside versus a thicker textured pot still. Very drinkable, it’s easy to see why most people would gravitate towards this, but much too loose and watery for my tastes. Would liked to have tried the cask strength version, but doubt I would spring for it. A solid 3.5 stars.

Campbeltown, Sept., 2017 - Scottish Isles Golf & Distilleries - After a stint on the Isle of Arran we took the Lochranza ferry over to the Kintyre Peninsula landing north at Clonaig. The voyage was relatively short but attention grabbing with heavy wind, rain, and fog. I rode above deck to the constant screeching of the ship’s stability alarm sounding over loudspeaker whenever the vessel heeled beyond its safety zone. In each case, the able Captain simply maneuvered into the wind and powerful swells that were pounding us portside. Nothing like harsh elements and a grim looking horizon to make one long for a hefty glass of whisky, but it would have to wait as we were scheduled for a very windy round of golf at the old and venerable course at Machrihanish, situated south on the Mull of Kintyre. Once arriving, we peered out at what many describe as the “best opening hole in golf.” The majestic landscape featured a long sandy beach nestled against the left side of the challenging fairways. In addition, a gathering of area youth could be seen in the distance and this set the stage for what would leave a lasting impression of a region and its people. Maybe 50 or 60 strong, and all donned in black wetsuits, they wallowed and cackled in the Mull’s frigid waters like a rookery of seals at play. Sharing only a handful of surfboards, this was more of a social gathering of both male and female teenagers. Afterwards, we roomed nearby in Campbeltown at a converted mansion that was built in 1882 by distillery owner William McKersie. This was a time when Campbeltown was host to over 20 distilleries and boasted the highest per capita income in all of Britain. Unfortunately, Prohibition and the Great Depression hit America, tastes changed with the times, and now only 3 distilleries remain: Springbank, Glen Scotia, and Glengyle. This seems dire, however, Glengyle is part of a whisky revival and only reopened in the current century. McKersie’s Italianate mansion was built on a hill overlooking Campbeltown Loch and its once teeming harbor. Reasonably maintained, this aged structure is symbolic of Campbeltown itself, and suggestive of some of New England’s old mill towns that once struggled to reinvent themselves. Having a population of under 5,000 hearty souls, the township felt much larger and robust. Adjoining buildings line the narrow streets and alleyways, and the entire population seemed ever present on its sidewalks and in the lively pubs and restaurants. In the center of all this, and only a few streets over from the water, lies the Springbank distillery. Founded in 1828, Springbank is one of only two Campbeltown distilleries to have operated continuously since that period. In 1973 Springbank added the Longrow peated series, and again in 1997 the first distillation of Hazelburn was produced. Both are names from now defunct distilleries. Still independent and family owned through 5 generations of Mitchell family heirs, the company acquired and reopened the Glengyle distillery (Kilkerran Single Malt) in 2000. Our tour of Springbank was like a journey back in time. The dunnage-style warehouses were composed of stone walls and earthen floors. Rainwater is allowed to run down the interior's framework to saturate the dirt below. This gives the air surrounding the casks a mineral mustiness that lends character to the aging spirits. Springbank distillery produces whisky for all 3 labels at this one location and has a capacity 750,000 liters per year. The 2017 run rate was 16% of available output or 120,000 liters. Limited production runs are aimed at a passionate and loyal customer base appreciative of the time-honored whisky making process that includes traditional malting floors and antique aging facilities. A vintage cast iron mash tun and spirit safe both date back over a century and are still in use to help insure consistency. After the tour we ventured over to Cadenhead’s whisky shop nearby to collect our free sample of the Springbank 12yo Cask Strength (outstanding nose, faint smoke, honeyed vanilla, sea salt, dried fruits, viscous, excellent). We spent 4 days in Campbeltown and tried a good variety of local spirits covering all three distilleries. While there, we also golfed a spectacular new links course called Machrihanish Dunes that opened in 2009, and not to be confused with the original course. The golf and the whisky on this leg of our journey were fantastic, but my fondest memory was that of the people. Upbeat and cheerful, they were an ideal example of folks living in the moment and relishing life. Maybe it was something in the water, but more than likely it was something in the whisky. :)

My last bottle of Talisker10 was purchased over a decade ago. I remember it being mildly smoky, and since the regulars here have been giving it high grades, I decided to get reacquainted. This time around, the nose was a pleasant surprise and smokier than I had previously recalled. Only peated to about 20ppm, it impressed me as being closer to its Diageo cousin, and my favorite, Lagavulin16 (40ppm). Both have color added and are chill filtered, but the Talisker is a few shades lighter and less luxurious looking. The nose is an outstanding bourbon-barrel islander that could easily be mistaken for an Islay. Smoke, iodine, toasted barley, nautical mist, seaweed, honeyed vanilla, and lemon citrus all swirling in a sumptuous 45.8% alcoholic brew. The first swig greets the taste buds with peppery effervescence followed by toasted grains, vanilla saltwater taffy, and more citrus all delivered with a light-to-medium viscosity. A medium finish is cinnamon pepper smooth and satisfying with a pinch of caramel. Adding a small touch of water to tone down the spiciness brought out a little more sweetness, but really thinned things out more than anticipated or to my liking. I took a 2nd pour with a pile of ice, the way I normally drink Lagavulin, but this somewhat dampened the spirit’s integrity with smokiness turning slightly metallic. Overall, a great whisky I would rate at a solid 4 stars, and at its price point this could, affectionately, be described as a “poor man’s Lagavulin.” (defense shields going up) :)

I decided to take the Compass Box phenomenological challenge. In addition to their incredible ability to craft new spirits, I have also been intrigued with this company’s level of creativity in design and marketing. They chose “Phenomenology” as this new product‘s name, and the eponym is based on the study of human consciousness and the subjective experience. Their website encourages people to “experience this whisky without preconception and to first describe the ‘phenomena’ of the liquid for themselves, in their own words and ideas.” Around mid December Compass Box will release the actual recipe, but they do concede the creation to be a blended malt consisting of 5 ingredients. The first 2 components make up 72% and 24.5% of total liquid volume, while the remaining 3 parts only account for the final 3.5%. In the glass, the spirit is an ideal gold in color. Testing the legs proves comical because the wave of liquid on the side of the glass refuses to separate and do its job. Finally forming and starting their descent, the threads suddenly come to an abrupt halt in a seeming demonstration of union solidarity. Losing patience, I moved to the nose, and a splendid nose it turned out to be. The first alcoholic whiff of the 46% ABV fluid showed hints of solvent or turpentine. This auspicious beginning had me thinking old wood and/or old spirit. Digging deeper was an absolute pleasure with thick waves of honeyed vanilla followed by a sudden gush of heavy apple and lemon citrus. Now, I’m not usually one to empty out the spice cabinet, but I also found distinct elements of candle wax, bubble gum, and antique wood surrounding a floral bouquet. At this juncture, the concoction already gave me a good clue as to its primary ingredient. Moving to the palate was a continuation of joy. With viscosity matching its legs, it moved across the tongue with the smoothness of silk. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, grapenut custard ice cream on Mom’s apple pie were the themes for this course. Before leaving the dessert table, I also left a little room for lemon cake with almonds. As anticipated, the finish was slightly briny, waxy (Clynelish), and immensely satisfying. The addition of water to this dram would be sacrilegious, but at the risk of death by lightning bolt, I did add a drop to see it haze. I’m going to guess the primary constituent of this whisky to be Clynelish. It’s deeper gold than Clynelish 14yo, and eerily similar to CB 3 Year Old Deluxe (90% Clynelish 24yo), so based on this and other factors, I surmise the Clynelish piece to be approximately 20 years old. Finally, there is a sherry aspect to this expression that could also be attributed to Clynelish (speculative), or one of its other brethren. Now, I’m no phenomenologist, but phenomenologically speaking, this whisky is phenomenal and I rate at 5 stars.

I’m going against the grain on this one. For years, Dalwhinnie was my favorite whisky. So smooth and satisfying it could easily be chugged neat. I guess the same could also be said of the distillers edition as it delivers in very pleasant fashion. In addition, 16 years of double maturation is both honorable and commendable in today’s market. Unfortunately, though, I rate this a slight downgrade to the core expression, which I see as the perfect mix of honeyed vanilla and toasted almonds. The Oloroso finish does add a modicum of complexity to the palate; however, the disruption comes mainly in the nose. Somewhere, in the 2nd part of the process, a touch of something (sulfur?) is introduced adding a tiny wilt to an otherwise vibrant bouquet. This coupled with an increase in cost has this spirit falling a tad out of 4-star territory.