Tastes

Here’s a new-ish release from Speyside distillery, Aberlour. It’s an NAS bottling that contains whisky from three different types of maturation: American oak, European oak and sherry casks. So, what name did Aberlour settle on for this release? Triple Cask. Very clever, very very clever. This was initially intended to be a European release, but I believe it is now being offered worldwide. It’s bottled at 40% ABV and has added color and chill-filtration. I added this bottle to an international order about a month ago for $32 (70cl). It’s new penny copper in the glass with watery, fat legs and heavy drops and noses like any typical Speysider: sherry fruits, vanilla, green apple slices, caramel swirls and a faint, fresh oak. There’s no indication of heat and giving extra time or drops of water doesn’t open up a thing. Just pour it and get after it. The palate is practically a carbon copy of the nose, with a little more oak barrel presence. It’s slightly harsh at mid sip and turns even more bitter towards the back end. The sherry casks take over the mouth coat at the very end, much like they do on the standard 12, 16 and 18 year old bottles. The finish is medium length and bitter. Warm oak leads to a lingering, but faint sweetness. In the end, this is just another typical Aberlour. There’s nothing offensive about it, but the complexity either doesn’t exist or is masked by bitter oak and low ABV. Stick with the Casg Annamh or the A’Bunadh if you’re a fanboy of this distillery or just want more flavor and impact from your Aberlour. At $32, it’s a great deal if you see it sitting on shelves, but I’d rather spend another $20-30 for a whisky with more depth and/or power. 3 stars with a .25 star bump for the price point. Cheers.

This is a newer, European release exclusive, 10 year expression from Highland Park...and, yes, it has the Viking-theme designation: Viking Scars. (Rolling eyes emoji). This stuff is also so exclusive that they had to shrink the bottles to 35cl to make sure there’s plenty for the crazy high demand. I assume it was also diluted to 40% to help stretch it, as well. The only good part of all this is that I landed a bottle for $18. Appearance-wise, it’s rich gold and really oily, with lots of runny legs and medium-sized, watery drops in the Glencairn tasting glass. The nose seems much closer to an ex-bourbon matured HP than their typical Oloroso sherry stuff. Apples, pears and orange wedges greet you almost immediately. There’s very little smoke, which has become more of the norm with HP recently. Oak tannins and heather round things out and there’s absolutely zero heat or ABV presence, but that’s no surprise really. The palate focuses a bit more on the sherry cask notes: raisins and fresh-pressed grapes mingle with some orange marmalade. It has an oily and warm mouthfeel with hints of salty peat and smoke on the very backend. It’s very thin and sweeter than I expected, since I figured the youthful age would hinder this one and create a more abrasive and maybe give it a new make vibe. But, that’s not really the case. It’s sweet and borderline one dimensional. The finish is short, but vibrant and slightly harsh. Sherry and orchard fruit linger again, but cause it to lean a bit too dessert-like for my tastes. Overall, I don’t know the real reason for this release. Small bottles tend to indicate something more limited, yet highly prized- and this certainly wouldn’t be considered prized. The diluted nature and 10 year age statement feel like they’re just trying to keep up with the Joneses. Oh, so and so has a 10yo release? We need to get in on that. Adding the Viking nameplate is an embarrassing move here, too. Everything about this screams mediocrity, so that’s the fitting score I will give it. 2.5 stars. The price is right, I guess, but I’m not bumping this score just for that. Just move along...even you HP fanboys, there’s nothing to see here. Cheers

Welcome to the Scottish Lowland’s (technically, since Glasgow is considered in the lowland region) newest distillery: Glasgow Distillery. It was founded in 2012 and they released this bottle, called 1770, in 2018. The single malt contained herein is a blend of mostly 4-5 year old juice. This is the first release from the distillery and it was made from whisky aged in ex-bourbon casks before a short, finishing treatment in virgin oak casks. It’s non-chill filtered, but has some added color, and was bottled at 46%. A total of 5,000 bottles were filled and distributed by the distillery through a pre-sale order. Demand was so high that they stopped the bottling at 5,000 and limited buyers to just one bottle per person. They have since upped production and made a second release with a 2019 Vintage declaration on the label and they are also in the process of releasing a peated version of the 1770 line. This is a deep gold in color with very thin legs, while appearing oily with fast-running legs. The nose is grassy and biscuity, with vanilla creams and butterscotch candies forming the sweet aspect. The ABV is well-hidden along with the barrel notes. I expected more wood presence with the virgin oak finishing, but it truly must’ve been quick and meant just to keep the sweetness in check. The palate is orchard fruit prominence: green apples, pears and pressed raisins. Butterscotch candy also adds some depth, even if it is mostly a rich and creamy aspect. By mid sip it begins to turn hot with a drier than expected mouth feel. Some fresh oak appears to finally add a backbone. It never truly reaches a luscious feeling, but it also isn’t overly harsh or abrasive. That’s a promising start to a new whisky from a brand new distillery. The finish is medium length with some wood and pepper spice finally asserting itself, while a very nice orange and blackberry jam flavor lingers into the final moments. It’s delicious and a very pleasant surprise. Overall, this is an exciting start to a brand-spanking new distillery. It won’t wow you with depth, but I gotta think that a 12-15 year old example that’s been matured in quality ex-bourbon casks will offer up some serious complexity down the road. I’m also curious as to how well this stuff will take to some rich, Oloroso sherry cask finishing. Lowland whisky usually pairs well with softer sherry and red wine casks, so I hope this is in the works for Glasgow. I could become another quality, Lowland whisky supplier. This pour, thanks to my buddy @PBMichiganWolverine, is an exciting start and a quality dram. Something tells me a lot of these bottles won’t get opened and enjoyed, however, as it’s the inaugural release and collectors have already hoarded a lot of these away. Sadly, I missed my chance to do this. 3.75 stars. Cheers, my friends.

Svensk Rok translates to “Swedish smoke”, so Mackmyra distillery isn’t trying to be creative with the name of this single malt- at all. This is a peated whisky and they experimented by adding juniper to the end of the smoking process in an effort to add serious spice and florals to the already smoky malt. It’s natural color and non-chill filtered, while bottled at 46.1% ABV and a 500ml bottle cost me $28. Not a bad price, even though it’s a small bottle. It’s pale yellow and makes medium, oily legs and drops while still appearing watery overall. The nose starts out quite medicinal on the smoky aspect. There’s a light, Laphroaig-y band aid note that needs to dissipate before you can pick up other subtle nuances like vanilla, Juniper flower, honey and a very faint brine scent. The palate was surprisingly heavy on the charcoal and cigarettes. The peat stayed strictly mineral and dry. Any florals and sweetness were over washed by the cigarette note, which really made this one a tough for me as I despise that smell. The mouthfeel was rough and abrasive, as well, so the whisky must be quite young. The finish came across as wet cigarettes that linger on and on (which I did not let last very long- I had to chase it with water after 15-20 seconds). Medicinal notes and minerals left everything dry and I couldn’t wait to chase this with another sweet, sherried malt. Overall, this did not suit my palate one bit. I’ve tasted tobacco on many malts before- and while I wouldn’t describe that as an overly enjoyable flavor IMHO, I have learned to appreciate what it adds to most richer tasting whiskies. This cigarette note, however, is an entirely different matter. I just do not like it. Thankfully, this was a small bottle and after I poured a long term sample (that I’ll never knowingly drink lol) and a few more for possible trades- there wasn’t much left so I dispatched the rest of the bottle very quickly. I know I won’t replace this one, but I’d still like to try a few more things from Mackmyra- but I think I’ll stick to unpeated malts going forward. This one gets 1.5-2 stars from me. Cheers.

The final sample I needed from the Glenmorangie travel retail Legends Collection: The Tayne. This bottle pays homage to Spanish sailing ships that transported their wares from the Spanish coast up to Scotland and the U.K. Thanks to my NJ connection, @Richard-ModernDrinking I get to finish this lackluster trilogy off without having to spend another $85-100 to do so. This bottle contains non-age specific juice that was finished in Spanish Amontillado sherry casks. It’s chill filtered, has added color and was bottled at 43% ABV. It’s rich gold in color and makes thin legs without leaving very many drops behind. The nose is ripe raspberries, oranges and dried orchard fruit. There’s a heavy, dry roasted peanut note along with the faintest of oak. The palate starts with more berries and oranges but transitions quickly to cinnamon and paprika spices before a nice, bitter chocolate note rounds things out. It definitely seems much stronger than 43%, but it has to be youthful spirit giving that impression. The finish is long and warm, spicy with a lingering oily sherry note. This is hands down the best aspect of the dram- it just hangs there until you wash it away. Overall, I’m not sure which of the Legends bottles I liked the most. This one lacked any serious complexity, but it was quite palatable- like most Glenmorangie. It seems as though they are never exciting drams- with the exception to the inaugural, Signet bottle. It’s a shame you have to pay $160+ to get to that level with a Glenmorangie, though. This one is a decent, if unremarkable, whisky. 3 stars. Thanks again, Richard. Cheers.

Rebirth of a legendary whisky from the 1960’s: Red Spot 15yo Irish whiskey. This bottle has reappeared in 2018, after Mitchell & Sons passed the old recipe down to Midleton distillery. The Green Spot and Yellow Spot bottles have also reappeared, with a release of Blue Spot due on the horizon. This release is a blend of whiskey that was matured for 15 years in a combination of ex-bourbon, Oloroso sherry and Marsala wine casks. It’s bottled at 46% and runs about $115. It’s amber and warm copper in color (natural) and has oily, thin legs and watery drops. The nose begins slightly nutty and roasted with a hefty waft of cinnamon breakfast cereal creeping in immediately after the pour. After some time, toffee and light oak mingle with apple skins and beeswax. There’s no real hint of heat, even at a robust 46% ABV. The palate sings of all spice, cinnamon and spicy barrel notes. Hints of smoked, ginger marinated beef jerky provide the crux of the flavors on the tongue, with some vanilla and light citrus cooling things off on the back end. It’s moderately rich with a mouth coat that seems thin at times, while oily at others. The finish is long and steadily warming, with cinnamon and caramel leading the charge. Lingering cereal notes keep the flavors balanced, although maybe a little boring, at the very end. It ultimately entices you to go back in for another sip- which is usually a sign of a wonderful whiskey...and this one certainly is. Overall, this is a fine product. The recipe has been recreated wonderfully and it makes me want to taste an old pour of the Red Spot from the 60’s. Good luck finding that, I know, but damn I really want to. Thanks to my buddy, @Scott_E from Long Island, for this generous pour. I went out and bought a bottle several months ago and I think it’s going to be a losing battle if I try not to open the entire Spot range of bottles. This stuff is fantastic. 4.25 stars, although I’d love to see this bottle drop a little in price (again, good luck I know) as I’ve noticed Irish whiskey is finally getting caught up in the whiskey craze and driving prices northward. This seems like a no brainer at $80-85, but I had to pay $117 for my bottle and that’s quite expensive for a 15yo bottle of whiskey. But, I still highly recommend finding a pour, at least, and experiencing this one for yourself. You won’t be disappointed. Cheers.

I think I’m overdue to review another Game of Thrones themed scotch whisky. This is the one I think I was most excited for when the distillery list was officially released: Lagavulin. Now, to be honest, I’m not a diehard Laga fan like, say, Parks & Rec actor Nick Offerman. They have a staple whisky with their 16yo offering and I also enjoyed the 8yo that they released for their 200th anniversary (which quickly became a core range release). Owner, Diageo, also releases a cask strength, 12yo as part of their annual, limited releases and I’d have to say that is my favorite Lagavulin. So, the Game of Thrones release is a 9yo whisky that’s bottled at 46%. I’m sure there’s added color (to make it exactly the same as the rest of the GoT bottles). I do believe it is still non-chill filtered, however. It’s bronze in color and still looks very watery in the Glencairn. It produces a few large drops after a spin, but they tend to stick to the glass. The nose is a meaty, charcoal smoke at first. Some light mint and citrus peel fold around the smoke before turning sweeter than I expected. Fresh cut oak provides a strong backbone here, though. The palate strikes me as overly sweet on the initial sip. I get cotton candy and vanilla creams crowding the smoked beef and lightly abrasive oak and young juice. It seems like the sweet side is fighting with the smoky side- and neither can gain control or a strong foothold. The later batches of the 16yo seemed to have this same issue, albeit the whisky was much more smooth due to the extra maturation time. The finish is long and slightly harsh. There’s a dry smoke on the back of the tongue and lingering vanilla. Overall, I’m not sure I’m a big fan of this whisky. It’s a quality release from Lagavulin, but I tend to like the higher proof or the straight smoky aspect from this distillery. The sherry cask parts seem to overpower the peat in this malt. So, my score isn’t me indicating that this is a subpar malt, it’s just my opinion towards a flavor profile that I don’t prefer from Lagavulin. Give me the 8yo and 12yo CS every time and I’ll be a happy man. This is just a 3.5 star dram for me. I fully understand that your mileage may vary. Cheers.

So, this will be a dual review since I opened a bottle of this for my Fresh Takes video over on @Generously_Paul’s YouTube channel, Dapper Drams. The reason this will be a dual review is because Highland Park released two different versions of this whisky: the original 47.5% version and a reduced ABV 40% version when their 21yo stocks dwindled in 2010 & 2011. I opened the 40% bottle for the video, but I also had an open bottle of the 47.5% from a few months back. First, a little history about the releases: it was originally launched for travel retail in 2007, and in 2009 it won Best Single Malt Whisky at the World Whisky Awards. Well, naturally, demand skyrocketed and left HP scrambling to meet it- so they did the logical thing: the blended casks down to 40% to stretch the whisky and help meet the surge. They returned it to original strength in 2012, and made it a core range release for the UK market, before discontinuing it completely in 2016- as they began to roll out the Viking re-theme and flood the market with more and more NAS whisky. Tisk-tisk. Onto the reviews: HP 21 47.5% ——————— Appearance: deep gold with oily, thin legs and heavy drops. I believe this does have some added color, but I’m almost certain it’s non-chill filtered because of the higher ABV. Nose: leathery, restrained smoke and tropical fruits, butterscotch and toffee and some lively citrus make it pop more on the tongue (the ABV helps here as well) Palate: medium smokiness with juicy, sherry cask notes, heavy tropical and orchard fruits. The oak is more noticeable in the original version than the 40%. The higher proof adds a definite boost in the heat factor, but I still wouldn’t add water. The mouth feel is consistent and luscious, not thick, but it still clings to everything it touches. Finish: medium-length with a lingering sweetness and pepper bite. The smoke is much richer here and really hangs around. Overall: this is a drinker’s whisky. The smoke is everywhere except on the nose. It’s deep and rich with a nice hit of power for a two decade old malt. 4.25 stars. HP 21 40% ——————- Appearance: it’s dark gold (evidence of added color, I think). Watery with fat legs and tons of medium-sized drops chase the legs down into the bottom of the glass. Nose: the smoke is really muted here, obviously so is the heat- it’s borderline weak. Orchard fruits on the nose, whereas the 47.5% version was almost completely tropical. Caramel and toffee make this seem more like a dessert than a whisky. Palate: sherry and more sherry appear from the jump, there’s a rich, chocolate smoke that permeates the entire sip (which is a plus over the higher proof stuff), this one is smoother and creamier, too. There’s zero heat and nothing lingering after you consume the liquid. Finish: short, almost non-existent. Which is where this dram suffers. A quick flash of sherry and smoke and then it’s gone. There’s no heat, no cask notes and nothing left behind. It’s a bit sad IMO. Overall: the palate delivers more complexity over the higher ABV, but the finish is ruined by all the added water to blend it down in strength. It’s not a bad whisky- in fact, it’s also quite good. 3.75-4 stars. Final thoughts: both of these whiskies are a beautiful example of well-aged, Highland Park. They both lack the uber complexity of the 18 year old and the sophistication of the 25, but they still showcase HP’s excellent malt and sherry cask maturation. I had to pay over $250 for both bottles at auction over the last year or so, so don’t expect a deal on either bottle- they’ve long disappeared from shelves and command a hefty price tag. If you’d like to acquire a bottle, I’d say watch the Scottish auction houses and bid on them when there’s an auction with multiple bottles up for grabs. I have seen a few go for $180-200 when there’s a lull in the bidding wars. Pay close attention to the ABV indication and go harder for the 47.5% version. That way you can blend it down if need be. That said, please check out my video uncorking and mini-review on YouTube: Dapper Drams. Maybe tell a friend and like or subscribe. Cheers and thanks for reading this long-winded, dual review.

Duh duh da-da-duh duh. Ah, Game of Thrones. Television that captured the attention of the world for 7.5 seasons, then it became a show that infuriated most fans in its final 3+ hours. Well, whisky conglomerate Diageo had to get their hands in on some of the piles of money this show has raked from every corner of the globe. But how? Whisky releases that are themed to each House/Major Family on the show, and Castle Black/The Wall. That should fetch a hefty haul, shouldn’t it? The good news is that they used 8 solid, scotch distilleries to supply thirsty fans, some of which supplied a new, special whisky just for the Game of Thrones line. The bad news- some of the bottles contained the exact same whisky already released by said distillery- as is the case with this Cardhu. Gold Reserve is already a U.K. market release. They just slapped a Targaryen-themed label on it and re-issued it, although this time it went worldwide. It’s still 40% ABV, chill filtered and has so much added color it looks just like every other Game of Thrones bottle. It’s a crystal bronze in color and appears very watery in the Glencairn. Lots of watery, runny drops form and race back down the ring after a healthy spin. The nose started out heavily on the apples and pears, an artificial fruity note that I found similar to freshly unwrapped, salt water taffy wafted up for the first few minutes, then mysteriously disappeared and left behind standard vanilla and lightly toasted oak and candied malt. Some tropical notes emerged as I went in for the first sip and it reminded me of the song “Rastafarian Targaryen”. (If you haven’t heard this please go to YouTube and watch the Game of Thrones Red Nose Day special from the band Coldplay. It’s quite entertaining and amusing and takes you back to a time before the botched show’s ending). The palate was ushered in by the aforementioned tropical flavors and they are quite enjoyable. More orchard fruits splash across the tongue, typical Speyside sherry cask notes arrive at mid sip, and despite the rather thin mouth coat- this is an enjoyable dram. There’s absolutely no heat involved with this whisky- it’s almost like you’re drinking fruit juice. The finish is short and borderline overly sweet, but as you’ve already come this far, you knew how it was probably going to finish. It’s not bad, mind you- just sweet. As I pondered the whisky for a few moments after finishing the pour, I immediately thought of a great way to describe this whisky: it’s the leftover syrup from a Dole Fruit Cup...with alcohol in it. That stuff is a waxy and thin, fruity and sweet, and quite delicious! I have a couple bottles of this- as I built a few complete sets in case the collectibility went through the roof. (It did initially, but Diageo got wise and flooded the market with more, and drove the demand back down). Thanks to a sample pour from my buddy, @Generously_Paul from Michigan, I’m able to keep my sets intact. Thanks again, bro. I actually picked my bottles up for $32 each and after a quick search I found that the regular Gold Reserve runs about $42-45 online. So, I got a great deal. It gets 3-3.25 stars for flavor and I’ll bump it a bit for the $10 discount I got from Virginia ABC. Cheers, my friends. Now, Cue the music: Game of what now? I'm a rastafarian, Targaryen I got some dragons and they're Very scary and Been here and there and then I've Been everywhere again Rastafarian, Targa... Call me Daenerys Targaryen When you wanna reach me And if you feel the love Then you can call me Khaleesi Got so many names I'm Queen of the Andals Queen of the Meereen Yeah ! You can kiss m' sandals

As I work my way farther back with the Laphroaig Feis Ile Cairdeas releases, I find myself enjoying the history behind the bottles just as much as the whisky itself. This is the 2012 release, subtitled: Origin Edition. It’s named this based on the fact that they used a portion of the blend from the original Cairdeas blends that came before it: aged 13-21 years in ex-bourbon casks. There’s also quarter casked, 7 year old juice providing the majority of the blend. There were 3,000 bottles available the day of the festival and these days you must search the auction houses to find the few that remain. I’ve purchased 2 bottles over the last year or two, one I had to pay $300 to win and the other I snagged, while most bidders were preoccupied I guess, for $159. It’s bottled at 51.2% ABV and isn’t chill filtered or colored. It’s a light straw in the tasting glass and makes some lightning fast legs and thin drops on the rim after a spin. The nose is dominated by leather, bandaids and smoked bacon. There’s a hint of raisin-like sweetness and eucalyptus/aloe gel creating a crazy funk, mixed with earthy peat after an extended rest in the glass. It wasn’t overly smoky and everything seemed muted and well entangled. The youthful whisky didn’t overpower the older stuff, so maybe the exact blended amounts were closer to 50/50 than I would’ve guessed. The palate showcases typical-Laphroaig, meaty smoke and bandaid funk, with earthy minerals. The elevated ABV was also very well hidden- at no point does it seem hot. There was even a citrus and berry sweetness around mid sip- very unexpected. It really was mouth watering and refreshing. The finish was long, smoky and leathery. There was a lingering zest and I had to chase away the medicinal notes with some water after several minutes. It felt like I had wrapped a used bandaid around my tongue after 10-15 minutes. I really wanted that flavor gone at that point, lol. Overall, I love the fact that this bottle contained some pretty old Laphroaig. You gotta think that back before the current whisky craze, distilleries put older stuff out to market a whole lot more liberally just because they wanted things to be as good as could be and didn’t know that they could’ve sold this stuff for a huge mark up if they had just held onto it for another 5-6 years. That same 21yo whisky could’ve been released as a single malt in 2018 as a 27yo with an asking price of $650. And while this Cairdeas isn’t experimental, it is a fantastic representation of Laphroaig and signals their respect and love for fans of their whisky. This one rates a 4.25 rating, with a slight bump just because it has some two decade old juice in it. 4.5 stars. If you’re a Laphroaig fanboy, like me, do yourself a favor and save up and search for these old Feis Ile bottles. They’re really good and have a great story to tell. Cheers, my friends.