Tastes

I feel like I’ve let my South Asian brethren down. I should have my cultural heritage card revoked. Let me explain: my daughter got a B in Accelerated Algebra. If I did that as a 7th grader (granted, she’s in the 7th grade taking 9th grade level math), I’d have a thousand generation of shame bought to my household, followed by a swift beating with a dough roller. Instead, I took the American born South Asian approach…sat her down, and tried to get to the root cause of her B. Talking it out instead of shame and a whooping? That’s a discredit to my kin. But the way I look at it, it’s a life lesson for her. She needs to evaluate for herself where she went wrong, and what she needs to do to course correct. I feel the same can be said of this Garrison pour, sent graciously by @ctbeck11 . Oak and honey…that pretty much sums up the nose and palette. I personally found it a bit too sharp and sweet, a telling sign it was bottled too young, and a heavy hand with sticky honey casks. I was hoping more a balanced pour, but this drinks like a dessert. They’re so good in what they got right, like Cowboy and Balmo, that I felt this one was a bit off-pace for them. It’s theoretically a flavored whiskey, and that is just not my cup of tea…so, maybe it’s me and not them. But I feel it’s okay to have an off product…just need to step back and re-evaluate how you need to course correct. If you like pours on the sweet side, this might be for you. Good to try another Garrison product, especially considering the royal lineage it comes from : the Cowboy. Thanks @ctbeck11 for the pour!

Classic Caol Ila. Such an appropriate dram when it’s barely 15 degrees F outside, and about 8 inches of fresh snow. Campfire smoke, brine, tar…with a nice heft of grilled lemons. Young, but hides its age extremely well. I’ve had 1 or 2 North Stars before, a relatively new IB, but they do seem to pick really good casks, most of which are quite affordable. Thanks @ContemplativeFox for generous pour !

Please forgive me Father, for I have sinned. If I were Catholic, I can merely utter those words, repent, and probably recommit the same atrocity. Round and round, so long as I repent. If I were Hindu, I’d be totally screwed, because there is no repent…Karma will beat my ass in due time, either in this life or the next. If I were Muslim, I can undo my atrocity by doing good elsewhere…and I can have that cycle continue again. I knew Octomore x.1 series are my least preferred. I always lean towards the x.3 or even x.2. But over and over, I buy x.1 , only to utter “ I’m so sorry, I really won’t do it again”. Fortunately, this time, it was only a 3cl sample that I paid for, not a full bottle. This one is 59.9% ABV, aged in ex-American whiskey casks, and peated to 130ppm. Which is freakin high, but anything over 40-50ppm , we mortal humans can’t really differentiate anyway. This really doesn’t offer anything special worthy of its price tag. At about $130-200, I’d really expect more, especially when it so boldly comes out saying it’s a 5yr old. I’m getting the standard lemon, peat and brine. Taste is very standard Islay — salt, brine, lemon zest , muted smoke. Nothing I couldn’t have from your cask strength Caol Ila 10-15yr old, but 1/2 the price. So…even though I’m not Catholic , I’m sorry , I truly repent, and my Lord in heaven, I promise I won’t buy another x.1 . At least until next year, when I’ll re-repent.

To me, Ardnamurchan has become synonymous with good quality and reasonable pricing. Yes, it’s a NAS, but the quality is there, not to mention their commitment to making whiskey using sustainable energy. And they have blockchain technology ! How cool is that? A $10,000 Macallan doesn’t have it ( which it should…those are the most counterfeited), but a $60 Ardnamurchan can afford it? So, this was a pour sent by @jonwilkinson7309. It’s a combination of 50% peated, 50% unpeated; in 65% /35% ex-bourbon / Sherry cask. Nose is citrus and minerals. A bit of wet stone. Light peat comes through on the taste, with pear , grapefruit and a bit of smoke. Really well made—and considering the price, it’s a no-brainer to keep around. Thanks Jon for the pour!

Going through my sample basket ( actually more of a large tub than basket), I randomly picked out this one. So, this is the first biodynamic whiskey; in essence made using barley that has been sustainably harvested using biodynamic techniques. I’ve no clue what that is, and really care less. In the greater scheme of things, having one type of whiskey using a sustainable technique won’t make a dent in our climate change. But, sure as hell counts for publicity and “ I was here first “ bragging rights. But now to what really counts…how does this taste? The overall consensus reviews are middle of the road B / B- average. But personally, to me this borders more on B+. The nose isn’t much…light green apples and grape skins. But the taste comes alive with pineapples, lemon, and an almost tequila-esque agave flavor. Out of all the Waterfords I’ve tried to date, granted only 3 or 4 of their early releases, this is my favorite. There’s a certain clean , crisp element to it that makes it refreshing. I think this will be amazing with a few years on it. It’s not for all…that agave like crispness might not be everyone’s cup of tea. So, I’d recommend a sample first. My sample was only $6, so well worth the experiment.

Wow, this is good. And I’m not saying that because I’ve not had a drink since 3 weeks. A few orthodontic surgeries mandated I stay away from whiskey. As it is, I have only 1 pour a week anyway. I had a small pour of this, and was really amazed. So, this is a 11 year Caol Ila matured in bourbon cask, blended with a 11 year Bushmill, at 40/60 percentage, and then further rested in Oloroso ( not sure for how long). Nose is fresh lemons and a wisp of smoke. But the palette comes alive with smoke and sweet mangos and apricots. The smoke is like cigar…ashy. But that balance of sweet fruits and smoke is amazing. I only had a small 3cl pour, but I’ll be looking for a bottle…seems hard to find though. Highly recommended, if you can find a bottle.

It’s been ages since I gave something 5 stars. I had this blind…so, the 5 stars are truly unbiased. Before we begin…. One of my theories ( I have a lot) is that we as a human race initially survived because we were able to have fermented foods. Now, before you write me off as a nut job, hear me out. Imagine the first humans. It’s just them, and a bunch of wild animals that are stronger, faster, and meaner. Yes, we’re way smarter. But, the very first humans probably had to use more survival skills than smarts. Now, come winter, how are these humans going to survive? Hunting will be a challenge and infrequent. I think a good portion of their diet, in between hunting, had to be fruits…which probably were spoiled or a bit rotten at this point in the season. Rotten fruit is fermented, and a byproduct is alcohol. So, our early ancestor’s ability to survive was in great part due to their ability to have fermented foods, and alcohol. Unlike some of their bigger competition back then. That brings us to today. My wife can’t have alcohol at all. She’s severely allergic to it. Thankfully, her lack of that enzyme (alcohol dehydrogenase) wasn’t an issue for our ancestors. But, where she comes in for today is my asking her to pour me a sample blind. @ScotchingHard was extremely generous to send several unicorn samples….each and every one are hard to find, above my paycheck samples. So, how do I choose? I ask the alcohol allergic wife to randomly pick a sample, and pour it into a glencairn. If it’s over 43%, I ask her to add a few drops water. I’m so glad she bypassed that evolutionary necessity for alcohol dehydrogenase…because that means I can have all these unicorns to myself. Aroma of this is freakin hard to pin down. It starts fruity, then a bit farm-y. Some peat. Clearly, this doesn’t want you to rush things through , but rather sit back and savor it. At first sip…it’s too complex. Fruits like apricots, but a hint of smoke. A bit later, the peat makes an appearance. It’s now full onslaught of peaches and peat. Wow…this is absolutely amazing. I’m guessing it’s a well aged Laphroaig. Or a blend of Laphroaig and Clyneish. But, it doesn’t have that medicinal peat…instead more of a smoky peat. Maybe a mix of Lagavulin, Laphroaig, and Clynelish. An extremely well aged blend of those three…but I know @ScotchingHard didn’t send any top shelf Compass Box style blends….they were all single malts. Now the palette changes again after it’s sitting out …more waxy and smoky, less fruity. This is my WHISKEY OF THE YEAR 2021. I don’t even know what it is, but it’s the single most complex whiskey I’ve had in years. Just to set a baseline, I took the best whiskey I had on my shelf that’s already open—-an Amrut ex-rye single cask, to compare against this. This blew the Amrut out. No comparison. Okay…after 60 minutes of cherishing this slowly, while reading this week’s Barron’s, I finally asked my wife what did she pour. BRORA 37YR. I sincerely want to thank @ScotchingHard …it’s really rare for anyone to share a pour of this unicorn. It’s way above my pay grade, and something I’d never purchase at this price (years ago, I had one pour of a Brora, but that I was able to afford —was about 10-15 years ago). Fitting Christmas pour…hands down an amazing whiskey. It’s hard to justify the $1200 price tag, but if ever an opportunity presents itself, this is a bucket-list pour.

I’m a huge fan of Amrut. I believe they put India on the map when it comes to a global quality whiskey. They’re young (oldest I think is 13), but that Bangalore heat of close to 100 degrees F year around adds years to the maturity. They’re also punchy, in your face type—-like a Balcones or Garrison. This one is 5 years old, matured in ex-rye cask. Single cask, and not very easy to find. I want to say barely over 1000 bottles. Despite that high limitation, the price is a very affordable $80. I generally need water when whiskey goes over 46%. This, I added an ice cube. I truly feel this one needed it. Without water, was too potent for me, and I wasn’t able to get anything but heat and cinnamon. Add water or ice . Let it sit out a bit, and the flavors opened up. I got an unusual pistachio , orange and cardamom flavor. There’s a tinge of spice, but the upfront was definitely pistachio. Personally, I loved it. Probably not for everyone, especially if you don’t like to dilute your cask strength with water.