Tastes

I’m always thankful for getting to sample ghost distilleries; they’re neither cheap or easy to come by. This one was sent courtesy of @Generously_Paul. Port Dundas’ demise was a bit different than others like Brora , Rosebank, Karuizawa, etc. While those shut down due to economic downturns and moving away from single malts to blends, this one shut down rather recently in 2011 from a strictly business decision. Diageo decided to concentrate its grain whisky investment into Cameronbridge and not Port Dundas. Diageo leveraged Cameronbridge for blends, gins (Tanqueray) and vodka ( Smirnoff). The rest—-well, Port Dundas went to the wayside a while Cameronbridge flourished. Onto to the tasting:. Unlike @LeeEvolved below, I’m not enjoying the nose at all—-I’m getting a very grain-y industrial aroma. But for me, the palette is where it shines. You gotta let this one sit out a bit. A few drops of water, and flavors open up to a tropical fruit plate. Pineapple and coconut at the onset. Lingering finish. If not for the disappointing nose, a solid 4.5-4.75. I just couldn’t get past the industrial grain scent. But palette is amazing. Without smelling it and simply tasting it blind, I’d not guess this was a grain whisky. Palette for me is steps ahead of the nose. But more importantly, it’s something to cherish—-a ghost isn’t easy to come by, and for that I’m extra thankful to @Generously_Paul.

This what the regular JW Blue wishes itself to be. Add a few drops of water, let it rest and open up, and you’ll be treated to a cornucopia of aromas. You get wool and herbs. First taste is mineral taste, a bit farm-y, hazelnuts. There’s a surprising waxy side as well. That and the farmy taste must be the Brora. This is an excellent blend, and complexity head and shoulders over the Blue. At the level of Compass Box’s high end stuff. It’s not exactly cheap, and I have an issue with Brora being used in a blend...but personal feelings aside, it’s well engineered showcasing a plethora of aromas and layers of taste.

I opened this last night to share with some friends and family. I’ve heard really good things of the 18 yr Albariza, so was hoping this can replicate it, especially considering that 18yr old isn’t available anymore. Personally, I feel there’s a few combinations that work really well—-Peat+port, Peat+PX sherry, and peat+oloroso are some of my favorites. So, with this peat+PX, I went in with high hopes. It’s really good...but I felt as if it was about a few years too much in the barrel. I felt as if the barrel was probably overactive, and ideally would’ve peaked around 17-19yr. But I know I’m nitpicking—-a 22 yr single malt is a luxury in itself. At first whiff, you get the earthy peat, not the Islay medicinal, but more mushroom-y. Followed in taste by a sweet nutty flavor and a smoky aftertaste. It’s damn good...but just a tad over-oaked, in my opinion. If you see the 18, grab it...I’m guessing that may have been the epitome of a good speysider / highlander Peated single malt.

And they’re back (almost) back to form. Just when I was close to writing off HW Midwinter, they came up with their Act 7, which though not to the level of Pre Act 4, is still pretty good. Christmas in a bottle—-mulled wine, nutmeg, allspice and oranges. Well made —and with a bigger portion of their own juice. @Scott_E I know you’re a fan—-this is much better than last year’s Act 6.

The mere words “Japanese whiskey” brings about images of exotic, expensive, and very good whiskey. Good enough to have given their Scottish counterparts a run for their money. But the last few years, it’s been difficult to discern between real Japanese whiskey, and those sourced from Canada, Scotland, and US. In Japan, with regulations being loose about this, one can source whiskey from anywhere, and as long as it’s aged (for unspecified time) in Japan, it’s still labeled Japanese whiskey. So, you think you’re buying a 16 yr Yamazakura ( sounds like Yamazaki...that alone adds a few extra quid), but in reality you’re getting a 16 yr Canadian or American. But, there’s still some pure Japanese made—like -Hakushu ( along with Yamazaki, Yoichi, Chita, and few others). Unfortunately the age statements are rare and expensive, I opened this from my stash last night, with some family over for the holidays. I was in no mood to open my Hakushu 12, 18 or Heavily Peated, so I grabbed this one. I love Hakushu’s aroma—-pine and forests. Taste is peaty, with more of that fresh forest. Sweet finish. If not for having tried their amazing 12, I’d have given this a 4-4.25. But, as good as it is, it’s not there with the 12. Still...really well made, if you’re choosing a true Japanese NAS, this is one of them better bets.

Every year, TWE has a whisky show where in essence they open their doors and you can try millions of pours from mundane to ultra-exotic. Unfortunately, I never made it out to London during that time. But, for this occasion, every year, they choose a few bottles of their own selection for the show. These are always really good, since it’s their representative. Last year, their theme for the representatives was “past”, “ future”, “present”. A bottle was chosen to represent each of those phases. For the “past”, a 11 yr fully Oloroso matured Glenlivet. The “future”, a 43 yr Inverogrodon. And “present”, this sherry matured Ledaig. It also comes in really cool bottles—-last year’s was a hologram label. (This year was a label visible in black light only, I think). So—-marketing aside—-lets get to brass tax...how this all stack up? Salty nose...but you can smell the sherry influence as well. Taste is like salt water toffee. Thick and oily, sweet and salty. Really well made, especially considering the price ($70, I think). If you like Talisker Distiller edition, you’ll love this.

A bit of research provided an interesting history behind this one, which was graciously provided by @jonwilkinson7309. This was a brand started by two guys in Auckland , NZ ( hey @Soba45...your neck of the wood. Well a bit up north). Their first product was rum. They then got an infusion of $21M from a US brand, afterwhich they started this whiskey. They bought this 11 yr old from MGP, and further aged it a whole 28 days (???? Seems odd to me... not a month. Not a week...but 28 days) in charred oak barrels, to provide a smokier flavor. So at first whiff, you get toasted corn. Almost like popcorn. Taste: really corn heavy, a tinge of smoke. I’m not a fan of full corn based whiskey, so take my review with a grain of salt. I find them generally sweet. There’s a slight bitterness at the end, which was surprising, cause it’s not a young whiskey. Anyway, for $35-40, it’s a valiant effort. You can’t do much better at that price tag. Thanks Jon for the pour!

So—-the bad news first : one more hour of a flight delay at Denver. I already had one AD Laws Four Grain for the first hour delay...now this for the second hour. Hopefully no more delays—-two pours is all I can manage Weak nose. Very un-rye. Palette is weak...I was hoping for more punch. If you’re in CO and want to try a local spirit, it’s worth the experience. But don’t waste your suitcase space in picking up a bottle. There’s better ryes there for a fraction of the price.