Tastes

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!

There’s nothing better than a free bottle of whisky accidentally delivered to you. This bottle was sent by accident from a UK retailer. Can’t complain …especially when I reached out, and they said to “keep it”. If you’re a fan of Tamdhu, or any Sherry matured whisky, this should be right up your alley. Color is dark. Mahogany almost. Notes of apples and chocolate. Taste is sweet, hazelnuts, pears and chocolate. Really well balanced and mature beyond its 14yr age. Can easily pass for a 18+.

We just got back from a week in the Florida Keys. If you’ve never been, it’s a must go to vacation. You see these pristine turquoise waters, clear as crystal. Best of this is at Dry Tortugas National Park. Even more pristine waters, surrounding a 200 year old fort, and shallow waters full of fish. Then of course there’s the namesake fruit Key Lime. It’s a small 1 to 2 inch little lime that’s yellow on the inside, and a bit sweeter than the normal Persian limes. These limes are everywhere. Key Lime shakes. Key Lime Hollaindaise sauce. Key Lime bread. After one week, you’re done. You can’t possibly see another variation of Key Lime. Or…so you think… We (as in @pkingmartin @Richard-ModernDrinking @ctbeck11 and I ) had our quarterly online tasting. This time, the samples were graciously provided by @Richard-ModernDrinking and @pkingmartin. Next quarter, it’ll be @ctbeck11 and I up at bat. This Springbank sample provided by @pkingmartin was one of the highlights of the evening. Having a 21yr old Springbank is not an everyday thing. And expect to pay up the nose for it. A quick scan shows this one is close to $1000. That’s beyond my budget, as I would think for most people. So, I’m that much more thankful for the opportunity. At first sip…it’s back. Those Key limes. Seriously? In a Springbank??!! Never would I associate the first tasting note of a Springbank as Key Lime. But, yeah…you get a taste of Key Lime, some coconut, and there…there it is…that Springbank funk. This is one of the best, if not the best, rum finished whiskeys I’ve had. That Key Lime - Coconut - Springbank funk is unusual, and in the best way possible. this is beyond my price tag. But thanks to @pkingmartin for the chance to try this unicorn.

Another pour graciously sent by @soonershrinkk, which arrived just in time to have me take the samples with me on a business trip. If you like Springbank, and let’s be honest…who doesn’t, then you’ll like this. Between the three brothers Springbank, Longrow, and Hazelburn , I find Soringbank to be the funkiest, Hazelburn the grittiest , and Longrow balancing just in between the two. But I learned my lesson from last night. Instead of using the hotel paper cup, I went down to the bar, and asked for a proper glass. I have a feeling the paper cup reacts negatively with the high ABV …lesson learned from yesterday’s Balcones. I don’t know which year this sample is from, but I’m getting really well balanced Sherry and bourbon. Each year, I believe the proportion changes. I’m guessing this one is a close 50/50. You get a strong Honey Nut Cheerios backbone, with some citrus…and then finally a wisp of smoke and Sherry. These normally fly off the shelf, and one can see why. Thanks again to @soonershrink for the pour!

Nothing says “I’m a redneck” more than having whiskey from styrofoam cups, sitting in a wife beater T-shirt and gym shorts. That is what I’m resorting to while on a business trip this week., sitting in my hotel room. Fortunately, @soonershrink hooked me up with several samples that came just in time for me to bring over here. I was actually afraid the nazis at EWR TSA security would confiscate all 5 of my samples …and I was ready to pound them down all at once , should it come to that. But fortunately, it met the less than 3 ounce each requirement. So, I’m generally a huge fan of Balcones. But for some reason, this one just didn’t work for me. I got muddled flavors and a harsh bite, as if the red wine was used to cover up the youth. I know I’m the outlier, but this one was one of the few times I didn’t like Balcones. The start of the palette shines with red berries and a sweet oak flavor. But it suddenly turns harsh. I added some water, but I found it got even harsher. Anyway, not every product can be a home run for all. Regardless, was thankful to try it. Thanks @soonershrink for providing a few samples to keep me company here during business travels

If all you had your entire life were hamburgers, hotdogs, and plain spaghetti, you’d be in an awakening when you have masala curry, ceviche , sushi, or schezuan. The overload of flavors will introduce you to a wild ride. I remember in one of Trevor Noah’s standup comedies—-he said as a kid, all he had was some grilled chicken for lunch. But one day, his friend introduced him to curry chickpeas and buttery garlic naan. That opened up a whole new world of flavors and experiences beyond what he was normally used to. That’s like this whiskey here. The Islay casking brings a range of flavors so unique and wild, you sort of wonder if it’s really American whiskey in your glass. Nose isn’t Islay. It’s not American. It’s something else. Sweet, no wait…tabacco shop? Wait. No. Salty sea spray. Palette is just as wild. Ashy, barbecue, some sweet corn…cigars. Wow. This is a must try. It’s my first exposure to Chattanooga, but this experiment of theirs is a home run. I’m not sure if it’s repeatable…a lot has to do with those unique casks they got a hold of. If you see this—-buy on sight. For a mere $65, this is a MUST BUY.

What do you do when you still have 2 hours to go waiting for your flight at London’s Heathrow? Browse the duty free shipping buying chocolates, go to World of Whiskey browsing walls of spirits, and finally, go to an airport bar hoping to see something to try. This one caught my eye. A 10yr old Bushmills matured in bourbon and sherry casks for 6 yrs, and then 4 yrs in pomerol. Pomerol is a Merlot red wine from Bordeaux. So, expect plenty of berries and red currants. Nose is as expected…berries. Specifically raspberries. Palette…berries, coulis, jam. This is an Ireland exclusive. God knows how it made across the channel to London, but I’m glad it did. It’s a bright fruity Bushmills, hiding it’s youth really well. I cant believe this is only 10yr old. I doubt we’ll see this here, or readily find it outside Ireland and some British airports, but if you do, it’s a worthwhile buy. A bit pricey at $100 price tag, but comes across much older and refined.

Business travel is so unlike vacation travel. When you go to a city on vacation, you always have a checklist of places to visit. On my business trip to London last week, I had my list, of which one place I wanted to go to was Cadenhead’s shop in central London. Was purely delusional, all I ever got to see was the insides of the office and the hotel. But, I did manage to visit World of Whisky at LHR before my flight out. There I picked up this bottle. Tons of Cadbury chocolates for the kids, and a bottle of whisky for me. I was particularly looking for something I can’t order online , and wasn’t available in the US. The only two that seemed to fit the bill, and also affordable (less than £100) was this Teeling and Ardbeg’s Smoketrails. I held off on the Ardbeg because I knew I was going to receive a pour from @Richard-ModernDrinking anyway. I had a small sip at the shop, but had a more substantial pour when I popped open my bottle last night. Nose is immediate alcohol and tin fruits. The alcohol smell subsides, and it’s just fruits and bread. I think the palette is where it hits its stride. Fresh pineapples and green apples. A bit of baked pastries. Emphasis is all on freshly cut pineapples. I don’t think I’ve ever had whiskey aged in Amburana. It’s used more for cachaca. But I’m seeing this trend more and more ( Starlight with their bourbon, Whistlepig with the rye). Another exotic cask I guess. This cask seems unique in that it seems to impart a fruity pineapple flavor. Overall, not bad, but not sure it was worth the £75 I paid for it. I think this needed a few more years and maturity. Just didn’t seem as developed.