Tastes

It’s time for another Johnnie Walker Blender’s Batch release: this #3 if you’re keeping track at home, and this one is the 10 year old Triple Grain American Oak. What 3 grains, you ask? It’s barley, wheat and corn. It’s also from 3 distilleries: (ghosted) Port Dundas, Cardhu and Mortlach. Sadly, it’s also chill filtered and has added color to keep everything as mundane as you’d expect from Mr. Walker. It’s bottled at 41.3% and bottles can be found for around $30. This sample was supplied to me by my buddy, @Generously_Paul. Thanks bro! Let’s analyze this new JW, shall we? Well, it’s a shiny gold in the Glencairn and it appears very watery with tons of skinny legs and heavy droplets left behind after a spin. All evidence of the low ABV. The nose is also relatively uneventful: vanilla and honey on the forefront with a little waxy, woody barrel note. There’s no ABV and a slight floral hint if you wait it out. The palate confirms everything on the nose but adds a lightly charred, wood backbone that actually comes off as a bit harsh and peppery. The rest is all honey and vanilla- again with no spice or heat. The mouth feel is light, short and ultimately thin. The entire experience feels watered down, almost boring. Overall, it’s a cheap blend and should be treated as such: make a few cocktails, splash it over some ice or chug it straight from the bottle- it won’t offend your tastebuds nor your wallet. I was hoping for more because some of the Blender’s Batch series have been rather interesting experiments, but this one certainly isn’t. 2.5 stars because it doesn’t push any boundaries and lacks any real focus. Moving on...

How about some festival whisky? The Feis Ile festival plays out on Islay every year around the middle of May and each distillery has their own “day”. They also do a handful of special releases in honor of the festival. Laphroaig does a Cairdeas (pronounced “car-chess”) bottle that’s available at the festival and then slowly released to the whisky market about a month later. This bottle was from the 2011 Feis Ile and is called the Ileach Edition (which is Gaelic for “native of Islay”). There were about 6,000 bottles filled and prices on the secondary market are now going for more than $200 (they were originally $60). The whisky used is 8 year old stock that was fully matured in ex-Makers Mark casks and was bottled at or near a cask strength of 50.5% ABV. That’s it. Clean and simple. It’s a pale, straw yellow in color, oily and makes lots of undefined legs and medium sized drops in your tasting glass. The nose is one of the most floral Laphroaig‘s I think I’ve ever smelled, the smoke is sort of restrained and there’s a creamy, vanilla note mingling with a sharp, minty aspect. The palate releases the charcoal smoke and a highly assertive minerality with hints of burnt oak. The youthful spirit is “in your face”, but it’s still creamy and smooth. The overall mouth coat is on the weaker side, but the finish is medium length and steadily drying with more of the mineral notes lingering on. At its core, this is a Laphroaig-lover’s Laphroaig, if that makes sense. There’s no frills here. I guess it’s aptly named for the Islay natives- they just love their simply peated, earthy whisky and that’s all that this one is. I can appreciate it for what it is, I just wish I could’ve gotten this bottle for its initial sale price because the $225 I paid at auction is way too high. I’m glad I got to taste a piece of Laphroaig history, though, so it’s all good. 4 stars. Cheers.

It’s time for another sample from Tamdhu’s Batch Strength Series: this is Batch 003. This sample was sent to me from my buddy, and Tamdhu fanboy, @Generously_Paul, from Michigan. This has turned into an annual release that has always been non-chill filtered, no color added and, obviously, cask strength. This particular release comes in at 58.3% ABV. Each batch also runs in the $85-95 range and is always a pretty good example of a sherry bomb, single malt. This batch is no exception. It starts out a worn copper in color and is heavily oiled with no immediate-forming legs. It leaves lots and lots of very tiny drops behind after a thorough spin in the glass- as do most high ABV malts. The nose is predictably sherry-forward, with lots of berried fruit such as raspberries and blackberries. Sun dried raisins, fresh grapes and a light citrus note help hide some of the harsher notes from the oak casks and youthful spirit. Bitter chocolate also settles in after time or even a drop or two of cool water. The palate is maraschino cherry juice and sweet sherry wine. The heat is inevitable and ushers in some cinnamon, pepper and a biting mid sip mouth feel. You’re drinking whisky here, and even though the viscosity seems thicker and almost like a cough syrup consistency- it’s still velvety. Dark chocolate undertones really slam the door on the flavor profile at the back end and help cool things leading into the finish. Speaking of which, it’s medium/long and full bodied. Faint oak and sherry wine combine with hints of orchard fruits and more chocolate to leave the dessert profile hanging behind. It’s another fine vintage for the Batch Strength series. Overall, it’s easily another 4+ star release and it’s definitely better than Batch 001. I still think Batch 002 is my favorite to date, with this one being a close second. Batch 004 is now out and I hope to be trying that one soon and I hope it lives up to the lineage of those that came before it. 4.25 stars. Cheers.

Now that the rush to 500 whisky reviews is over, I can refocus and get caught up with everything else I’ve been drinking and compiling notes for. Let’s start with this amazing Jack Daniel’s pour I received from @dubz480 out in Arizona: Heritage SB whiskey. This was a special bottling taken from just 200 hand selected casks, it’s also bottled at 100 proof versus the normal 94 of the single barrel line. It’s a beautiful rich mahogany/copper in color and makes very oily and fat legs after a nice little spin around your glass. It also leaves behind the tiniest of droplets when you’re done playing with it- evidence of the high proof. The nose definitely smells like a typical JD- minus the crazy banana note (and how wonderful that is). There’s clove and some very light dill and traces of all spice if you really give it some time and get down in there. The lingering notes of caramel popcorn and peppered oak really hold it all together- spicy, but sweet...and somehow familiar. The palate comes across as pretty hot, and it should, which allows more flavors to settle across the tongue: spiced oak chips, more all spice and something close to the dessert bananas foster. The heat definitely keeps you focused because if you swallow too quickly it’ll definitely take your breath. The finish is ultra long and steadily warming with a heavy mouth coat that starts out feeling oily, but the constant heat turns it dry. Lingering caramel and buttered popcorn close things out very well. This is hands down the best JD whiskey I’ve ever had. It’s also evidence they need to bottle the standard stuff with an elevated proof- especially if it brings out more flavors than just bananas. Overall, as a Jack Daniels release it’s the 5-star dram of the family- on its own as a whiskey is still a 4-4.25 star one. Yeah, you can find better bourbon a lot easier but that’s water under the bridge. If you are a true JD fan then you need to seek out a bottle or pour of this one. Cheers.

So, you may have noticed that I haven’t written a review in almost 3 weeks. Why? Well, my buddy @Generously_Paul started a whisky review channel on YouTube and asked me to help create some content to help get the channel, Dapper Drams, off the ground. I made the decision to combine my 500th Distiller review and a segment on the channel, called Fresh Takes, simultaneously. This was the bottle I used to kick things off. The video is also live so check it out: https://youtu.be/yncYKtWFxHc Anyway, a little about Serendipity: it’s a blend of very old Ardbeg and some Glen Moray 12. Why would they choose to blend those you might ask? They didn’t. It was an accident at the bottling plant: while bottling Ardbeg 17 back in 2005 the vat operator accidentally dumped the Glen Moray into the vat BEFORE the Ardbeg was done. Well, Ardbeg wasn’t about to dump all that whisky (14,000+ bottles worth) so they bought out Glen Moray’s part and bottled it as a blend for their Committee Members. It was offered at £30 back in early 2006. Needless to say, many bottles have found their way to U.K. retailers and auctions. That’s where I got my bottle for around $170. Serendipity is straw gold and makes some thick, undefined legs in the Glencairn. It leaves behind a watery rim without any droplets after a quick spin. The nose begins with some very faint oak, light sherry and some grape must. There’s little to no smoke, initially, along with no heat- because it’s bottled at 40% ABV. After some significant time, over an hour, the sweetness faded and some BBQ smoke was finally released. The palate is all Ardbeg: BBQ brisket and bacon that seems heavily salted. It’s ultra smooth with some minerality lingering well past mid sip. There’s a tiny amount of zesty lime and a faint sweetness on the back end (from the Glen Moray, I presume). Again, no heat whatsoever, so don’t add water at all (why would you at 40% anyways). The finish is medium length and quite buttery and tame. It leaves behind an oily mouth coat with a little bit of smoke and ash to contend with, but it’s very mild. It’s the dram’s only possible fault IMO. Overall, it’s not the 5 star-surprise, smoked sherry bomb I was hoping for, but the two malts do play well together. There’s one major surprise I discovered about this malt while researching it, but I’m not going to tell you what it is here in an effort to blackmail you faithful readers and followers to check out the Fresh Take video on Paul’s YouTube channel- Dapper Drams. Please go check it out, give it a like and maybe subscribe to his channel. Tell a friend and check out some of the other videos we’ve done, as well. You can even check back often as we try to post a new video every 9-10 days. Thanks. As for a score, well I think it’s easily a 3.75 star dram, and after you find out the secret about this bottle, I think that’s worthy of a .25-.5 star bump. So I’m giving this 4.25 stars. Thanks for reading and following me through my 500th official whisky review. I look forward to 500 more (if my liver can take it, lol). Cheers, my friends.

The newest Cairdeas release is upon us. Since 2008, Laphroaig distillery has released a special bottle in honor of their distillery’s day for the annual Feis Ile festival on Islay. In the early days they simply bottled various aged, standard Laphroaig malt. Then they blended several random age statements together and released those. In 2013 they released their first specialty finished cask- the Port wood version. It’s been their biggest, white whale Cairdeas bottle to date, but in 2017 they began another trend of taking something from their core range and releasing it at cask strength as their Cairdeas bottle. For 2019, they’ve given us the venerable Triple Wood CS. It’s bottled at a whopping 59.5% ABV. Now, the standard Triple Wood usually gets a mixed bag of reviews: some love all the wood influence, some do not. Some people think the cask notes overpower the standard Laphroaig medicinal qualities and campfire smoke. I’ll admit, I wasn’t a fan of the first bottle of Triple Wood I ever bought, but they won me over on the second go around. So, I was anxious to try this beefed up version, although I do miss the days when Laphroaig experimented more for the Feis Ile bottles. The 2019 Cairdeas is surprisingly more amber in color than the standard Triple Wood fare. There’s very skinny legs and tiny drops running around this oily beast. The nose provides the BBQ smoke and band aids you’ve come to expect from th’ frog. Young oak flexes it’s muscle before releasing more subtle flavors like mint, berries and sherry grapes. The palate starts out with some crazy sherry notes- way more than the standard Triple Wood. Way, way more. The higher ABV leads to a more abrasive mouthfeel, but the sweet smoke and sea salt play a delicious role here as well. There’s still a ton of oak to remind you this is the Triple Wood, but the sherry aspect takes center stage and just dances into the recesses of your mouth. It’s quite the performer. The finish is also hot, but sweet and mouthwatering. Heavy wood notes linger on after the sherry fades and an increased warmth will either have you sitting back relishing the power of cask strength whisky or scrambling for some water to tamp down the flames. It’s all about how much you can take. Personally, I really love this version. I was feeling a little uninspired when they announced this because I wasn’t overly impressed with 2017’s Quarter Cask CS. I felt like the regular QC was beautifully balanced and wasn’t improved upon. This CS Triple Wood is still complex, hot as the devil, but sweetened just enough with the sherry cask to make it hit all the right notes. It’s not perfect, the young spirit still holds it back a little, but it’s better than the standard Triple Wood. The fact it’s cask strength and only $10-15 more than the core bottle makes this a nice value for money purchase, too. I give this 4.5 stars and urge fans of the regular Triple Wood to seek it out and buy a case. Normal Laphroaig fans should also snag a bottle or two and just take their time enjoying this beefed up, wood blend beauty. Cheers, my friends.

Tamdhu has found a small place in my heart by offering very solid, sherry cask whisky for quite awhile now. My buddy @Generously_Paul would probably be considered the president of their fan club if such a thing existed. He’s also the reason I receive multiple pours of practically everything they release, so thanks for that my friend. I like to relate to Tamdhu as the discount sherry spot versus Macallan and even Glendronach. They offer similar quality usually at a better price. This is their first NAS cask strength release, which has now grown to four subsequent releases, Batch Strength 001. Its NCF, no color added and bottled at 58.8% ABV. It’s amber and copper in color and makes skinny, oily legs and tiny droplets in your Glencairn when you take the time to rough it up in your glass before a tasting. The nose is standard, Tamdhu sherry with newer smelling vibrant oak in the background. Time will release raspberry purée and a nutty, malty note that’s quite Macallan-esque. The heat blocks any more depth for me, I suspect because I refuse to add water to a 2oz sample. Other reviewers point out that you can go much deeper on the nose and palate if you dilute it to a proper 43-46%. I just don’t like to do that unless I have more whisky on hand, so perhaps next time. The palate is initially like a peppered, sherry wine with cherries, vine-ripened berries, raisins and light citrus. I think I confused any identifying citrus characteristics with the higher heat from the ABV and the blast of oak from the casks used. Again, water is probably your friend here, but I’m a whisky snob and a jerk sometimes and refuse to invite the stuff into my Glencairn willingly. Surprisingly, though, there is a rich, full mouthcoat I don’t usually associate with cask strength whisky. So, that’s a plus. The finish is long, spicy and hot with the predominant flavors being cherry and spiced oak. The youthful spirit is on display with a slight harshness that just wont quit, but I’m playing the whisky tough guy act and letting my eyes water a bit (or maybe it was that Sarah Mclachlan animal rescue commercial playing in the background- I’ll never tell, lol). Either way, a single tear ran down my cheek (1980’s anti-littering, Native American commercial style) before I brushed it away and chased the dram with a slug of bottled water. Yes, I’ll recycle said water bottle, my friends- I ain’t that heartless. Overall, this is another fantastic cask strength bottle from Tamdhu. As I look back over my Batch 002 review, one thing caught my watery eyes- I didn’t get any dark chocolate notes like I did with that batch and for that reason I gotta conclude that Batch 001 isn’t quite as good as its successor. So, that said, this one is 3.75-4 stars, max. It’s good, but I think the second release is better. I’m about to try the Batch 003 soon- maybe they get better every time. Now that would be something worth getting emotional over. Cheers, and thanks for reading this one through.

Ah, home grown whisky. There’s nothing like a locally produced spirit. Virginia Distillery Company is located in the mountainous region of Virginia, Nelson County to be exact, and they’ve quickly ramped up production on their own interpretation of Scottish single malt style whisky. They love Scottish whisky so much that they’ve blended it into their initial releases until their own whisky has matured enough to be released on its own. They take small amounts of Virginia malt mash, blend it with an undisclosed Highland distillery single malt and then finish it for around 8-12 months in a variety of different casks. This particular release is finished in ex-Cider casks from 2 Virginia cidery : Potter’s in Charlottesville and Buskey in Richmond. This release from the Commonwealth Collection is straw yellow in color and makes fast running legs in the taster. It’s watery and leaves behind huge droplets, as well. The nose is primarily orchard fruits and oak. Toffee and vanilla creme candies provide the sweetness, but the caramel comes across as extra sugary and over-manufactured (if that makes sense). The palate is youthful, but creamy as can be. Highland sherry scotch and caramel-dipped apples really shine here and make an oily, warm and mouthwatering dram. It’s right there on the border of being too dessert sweet, but there’s enough heat and alcohol presence to keep it from crossing that line. The finish is medium length, creamy and warm with a pleasant malty aspect that lingers. You can still taste apples and caramel for some time. This release will continue to have successive batches, unlike the others in the Commonwealth Series (IIRC), released every fall- perfect timing and a great way to watch the leaves turn here in Virginia’s Shenandoah Mountains. This is probably my favorite from VDC to this point, although the price is currently too high- $65. There’s currently also a lawsuit between VDC and the Scottish Whisky Association over their use of the Highland nameplate, so I’m wondering if this whole series could just come to an end, especially if their own juice is starting to reach bottling ages and quality. This is a 4-4.25 star dram and if you like cider and wish it had a heavier kick- this could be your jam. Cheers.

Well, after a bit of a hiatus due to family issues, I’m working my way back to writing reviews. I haven’t drank as much over the last 2-3 weeks, but I’ve got plenty of notes to choose from over the last month or so. This was a special sample sent to me from a new trading partner out of Arizona: Whistlepig Single Barrel 13 Year Old Rye. It’s bottled at 112.7 proof and is sourced from Canada instead of the usual suspect- Indiana’s MGP distillery. It was finished in ex-bourbon casks before being sold to a local, Arizona liquor store. Price, I believe, was around $100. It’s a beautiful, copper and amber and looks quite watery for such high proof. Thin legs and heavy drops run down the Glencairn after a vigorous spin. The nose starts out a bit muted, with spice cake, cocoa powder, brown sugar and spicy peppers. There’s an interesting lack of dill note here, which is nice IMO. Letting it set only releases more oak and pepper and causes it to lose the sweeter aspects. Give it 5-6 minutes and dive on in. The palate just shines with complexity: toffee, caramel, tea leaves and barrel wood form a deeply rich thickness. Some lighter citrus arrive around mid sip and provide a little bite. The high ABV is hidden so well- which is something I seem to relate to almost every Canadian whiskey I’ve had. Normally, I think that hurts most Canadian stuff, but definitely not here- this just tastes wonderful. There’s warmth, sure, but it’s so rich and delightful that it just feels perfect. The finish is long and a little biting, and that’s the only point I can take away from a near-perfect score. It just brings things to a slightly shocking end- I was expecting a smoothness that just went on and on, but lingering cocoa and caramel keep the whiskey on your mind (and tongue) and just make you want to go back for more. Overall, this is a gem of a rye whiskey. Delicious, rich and a very rewarding experience. The bite at the end just robs the ending ever so slightly. It’s still a very nice dram. Thanks, @dubz480. Good stuff. 4.5 stars. Cheers.

Ah, good ole home grown hooch. There ain’t nothing better*. This is supposedly the premier, mass produced corn whiskey in the state of Virginia. Belmont Farms is located about 30-40 miles south of Washington DC and they produce all kinds of cheap spirits. They are also contracted to make Tim Smith’s moonshine- he’s the guy from the hit A&E channel’s “Moonshiners” television program. Virginia Lightning is Belmont Farms’ own brand of corn whiskey. It’s bottled at 50% ABV and sells for about $25-28 a bottle. It’s crystal clear in color, because there’s no barrel aging, and it’s even proudly advertised as being less than 30 days old on the label. Oh boy. The nose is exactly what you’d expect: soggy, musty corn and astringent alcohol. There’s a powerful artificial sweetness about it, too. It’s almost like sugar cane. There no need to spend any time looking for anything else, nor should you even bother giving it a proper nosing. The palate is hot, sweet corn. There’s a buttery aspect to it- like it’s been thickened by a simple syrup of some kind. The mouthfeel is heavy- which is not what you want from moonshine. It should feel watery, warm and smooth- especially if it’s a proper, higher proof. The finish is fiery hot with, surprise!, more corn. There’s a cinnamon candy sweetness and heat that lingers, but you don’t really want it to. Trust me. Overall, this stuff is tough to drink. The best thing you can do is cut it with some apple juice and a few cinnamon sticks and try to make yourself a bottle of low grade, “apple pie”.. I actually have sliced up a few lemons and cut it with pre-bought lemonade and pour it over ice like a poor man’s Mike’s Hard Lemonade, and it works halfway fine. At no point should you drink it straight, on ice, or in public for that matter. In fact, leave it on the shelf and buy some real whiskey. 0.5 stars, because you can get drunk off of it. Cheers. * pure sarcasm