Tastes

This was one of the highlights for our quarterly virtual tasting with @pkingmartin @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington @ctbeck11 and @Richard-ModernDrinking . Chichibu is one of my favorite distilleries, but unfortunately they are quite pricey and hard to find. Their peated cask seems to be their lowest priced offering, and that too at $230-ish in UK or $400+ here in the US. So, when i do manage to get one, it’s a treat. Aromas are quite muted. I expected a gush of smoke and tar, i guess like an Islay. But the nose is mild. Fruity, a wisp of smoke. But on the palette, it dances with an array of flavors. Now I’m getting a truckload of orchard fruits—-peaches, apricots. And here comes the smoke. It’s not a Lagavulin or Ardbeg style of smoke , but milder. I’d say like a Talisker. Now i know why i love Chichibu. Its because it has that Talisker DNA…and Talisker is one of my favorites. ( hey @Jose-Massu-Espinel …you’re a fan of Talisker, you should try this ). Overall, highly recommended, just a pricey.

Glenmorangie was one of the first single malts I ever had. It’s generally an entry point to single malt introduction, along with Balvenie or Glenfiddich. I’ve not had a Glenmo in ages, and for some reason, was in the mood for a simple down to earth non-peated single malt. This pour is courtesy of @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington This is nice. There’s an oiliness and fullness that I wasn’t expecting. And considering Malaga is a sweet wine, this really isn’t all that sweet. Fruit and oak are jousting for the limelight, neither taking the stage, Glenmo honey is there, but well balanced by some blackberry, peaches, and apricot. All wrapped in a graham cracker crust. This is a nice simple sipper. I’d gladly have a bottle on hand, and offer it to folks that are accustomed generally to bourbon. Don’t expect to be challenged or looking for life altering sips, it’s just a nice summer sipper at a good value and age statement. Thanks @Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington for the pour!

This isnt my favorite JW, that would be the Green, but given very few other options, this isnt bad. Im having this while in the African safari bush—-our trekker pulled over rhe jeep, started a bonfire, and pulled out a few drink options ( coffee, tea, wine, a JW red, and a JW double black). The picture attached is where we pulled over. I went for this, over some ice. Slight peat, just enough to make you know it’s there. Honey, caramel, and cereal are the predominant characteristics. I do get some Caol Ila-esque DNA…but muted. Overall, a solid choice—-one bottle i wouldnt normally buy, but would gladly choose as the go-to option in weddings, parties, and here—-in the African safari game viewing.

Side by side : Modern day Laphroaig 10, 3 cl pour vs a 1990 Laphroaig 10 pre-royal warrant. First up: the pre-warrant I had to let it sit out in my glencairn for a good 1/2 hour, seems as if it just needed some breathing space after being bottled up for over 30 years. But once it got some air, the flavors came alive. The peat is muted. More like a 16 or 18yr old. There’s more fruit on the palette, just balanced better than modern era. If I tasted this blind, i would have guessed its a Laphroaig 18. It’s that refined. Next : modern day Laphroaig 10 I let it air out just as long. For apples to apples comparison, even though I literally just bought this bottle yeaterday. Peat is more astringent. More medicinal. Not better or worse. Just different…more specifically comes across younger, harsher, wearing it peat at the forefront. Gone are the orchard fruits. Conclusion: no contest…pre-warrant is more elegant, refined and balanced. Not sure why. Better cask management? Older stock? @ContemplativeFox suggeted maybe some sherry casking? Not sure… maybe @cascode can provide some wisdom

Finally, a special release Ardbeg that’s actually good, and not just a money grab scheme backed by hype and marketing bullshit. I had a small pour last week at the hotel I was staying in London, but soon after I picked up a bottle for £65. That is not bad for a special release Ardbeg. Nose is ash, dark chocolate, strawberries. Palette to me is where it shines…sticky, smoky, sweet. Milk chocolate, ashy wood, berries, and meaty. If you find this anywhere around USD 75-90, buy. You’ll appreciate it especially if you’re a fan of Uigi. Between Uigi and this, I’d give this an edge. It’s funny how the two unheralded Ardbegs this year were really good…the SmokeTrails ( about £75) and this one. Lesson to take away…when Ardbeg makes 0 to minimal effort in marketing bullshit, buy. If they make a huge bullshit effort, stay away.

Choppy and rough. Hoping it gets better, but it doesnt. Then suddenly, it does! A few weeks ago, we took a fast ferry from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park. If you’ve never been, its a worthwhile excursion if you have the time ( a full day). Yiu see, this national park is about 70 miles out in the ocean from Key West. That means choppy seas. Real choppy. In fact, i was able to count on one hand how many people were not throwing up ( fortunately my daughter and i had no effect). Then it gets worse. 10 foot waves crashing against out ferry, combined with a sudden tropical thunderstorm. I spent over $250 for this? Sitting in the SS VomitBucket ?!? Nothing worse for us Amercians than to see our sparse vacation days suddenly gone to sea sickness. But…all the sudden, it cleared up as we approched the island fortress. Maybe the day is saved. Yes…it is..a day of gorgeous remote island scenary. That’s like this pour. Started so damn rough. Young and medicinal peat. Just harsh. Lemons, light body, medicinal smoke , which didnt seem integrated at all. Added some water. Nope. Still the same. Added a huge piece of ice. Finally! Now we’re talking. Finally my $5 purchase of one dram paid off. Citrus flavors shine, with the smoke much better integrated—-like a young Laphroaig wanna-be. Would I buy a full bottle? No..but i like where they’re going…give it time.

Whats not to like about New Zealand? Gorgeous country with fjords, mountains , beaches, geothermal activity, and of course…Hobbits. But where they were always lacking was in whiskey. Yes…amazing pinot noir wines, but whiskey? Not so much. Sure they had rhe ghosted Dunedin distillery, but honestky, I felt those were too wine driven or weak. Until this one comes along. This is a TWE picked single cask. TWE picks are generally very good—-they have immense buying power and sway. Aromas of Christmas mulled wine ( too bad its June and 80 degrees F here ). Taste of oak, cherries , nutmeg. Really well crafted and solid pick from TWE.

I remember when I first had a Del Bac ages ago. It was their mesquite smoked one. I was a huge fan. And then there were their annual special releases. I happened to get one that was finished in calvados, which was damn good as well. Smoky, apple goodness. I’ve been curious to try the Lost Lantern picks. I can be sure of one thing: it’ll be bold and young. And pricey. Wait, I lied. That’s three things. This one comes courtesy of @ctbeck11 This hits you with a brute force of caramel and honeycomb Then comes the BBQ, not Texas style…maybe sweeter. Is that Carolina or Memphis? Either way, sweet BBQ. Dark chocolate, some pepper. This is good. Look, not every whiskey needs to blow you away. At some point you’ll get jaded. But every whiskey that prices itself over $100 should be really enjoyable to you at least. And to me, this fits that bill. So, the thing with Lost Lantern is that the majority fall into a bold edgy territory. Which is great, if you’re a fan of that distillery. You get to try something that’s at its edges, and may not show up in their regular releases. Some are super hits ( there was a Balcones one that bought down the Seelbach website). Others are weird ( California Sloe gin). So…if you’re going to fork over $120 for these Lost Lanterns, know what you’re getting….edgy, not for everyone. But for those who already are a fan of that distillery. Which is what surprised me here. It’s good…but one is paying a premium for something different from that distillery. I don’t think this was that far off from their normal releases, and probably notches lower than their special annual releases. I like this, and would gladly buy a bottle, but I’d expect it to priced lower since it’s nothing over and above their CS normal lineups and private releases, which are all cheaper. Again a huge thanks to @ctbeck11 for this sample!

I’ve been to Norway several years back. We did Oslo, Bergen , and Lofoten. Lofoten is above the arctic circle, pristine clean, where the rough seas meet the craggy cliffs and small fishing villages. One of the best places I’ve ever been. But, when I think of arctic , single malt doesn’t come to mind. Basic questions come to mind like “where did you get the barley from?” and “ it can’t possibly get warm enough to impart that wood -spirit interaction?” In addition, this is finished in teak casks. Teak?!?! Teak is a hard wood that grows in tropical and subtropical climates. I mean, it’s a gorgeous wood, but I wouldn’t think it’s ideal for finishing a whiskey. In fact, I have a 300 yr old 2 1/2 foot Buddha carved into a trunk of a teak wood. It’s amazing to look at, but I can’t imagine it being used like this. So…is this any good? Yeah. I’m actually surprised how much I liked it. It’s young, I’ll give it that. Maybe less than 10 yr old. I’d say 4-5. But it’s really subtle, like Hibiki. There’s a floral component that comes out, followed by tropical lychees and citrus, and wintermint. Not much of an aroma, but the palette is dancing. For $65, this is a must buy. Hey @Slainte-Mhath you Norwegians were hiding this from us?

Another season, and it’s time for Ardbeg to release something no one asked for, and have it priced absurdly high. Probably released with all the might of marketing pomp and pagentry, enough to give Prince Charles envy of his own pomp and pagentry towards being a paper king. And it turns out that all that hoopla amounts to a disappointing subpar Ardbeg, leaving you to wonder “ I can’t believe I paid all that for this! Should’ve stuck with Corry, 10, or Uigi. That in a nutshell is Ardbeg. Until this one. Thanks to @Richard-ModernDrinking , I got to try this one. We had our quarterly online tasting ( we as in @pkingmartin , @ctbeck11 , and @Richard-ModernDrinking ), and this was one of the pours generously shared by Richard. I generally don’t like Manzanilla. I find it too dry. And I don’t think I’ve ever liked any whiskey finished in manzanilla. But, this was different. Yes, you get the classic Ardbeg smoke on the nose, but the palette is where it shines. Oily, ashy, Resiling wine. It’s a complex pour…salinity, brine, like seaweed salad, with a dose of olives and lemons. Finally! An Ardbeg release without pomp and pagentry, and actually really well made! Unfortunately, this is travel only. So, to buy this, you have to be at an international airport. But if you’re there, pick it up. I paid £70 for this on a recent trip to London. You can’t beat that value for a good Ardbeg. Thanks to Richard again for the pour!