Tastes

This new permanent release from Compass Box is all about malt whiskies aged in casks that previously held Spanish wine. The biggest component (40%) is Craigellachie matured in a sherry butt, but there’s a significant chunk (25%) of Teaninich that came of age in a red wine barrel. First flavor on the nose is peanut skins, an association that always comes to mind when I’m drinking Sherry cask Scotch. Further exploration reveals aromas of chocolate milk and vanilla. In the mouth it feels weightier than its 43% strength, with a silky texture that oozes flavors of caramel and chocolate Bourbon biscuits. The medium length finish unspools caramel candies and milky coffee, with a light spicy zing that probably comes from a Highland blend component aged in heavily toasted French oak casks. Overall, it’s a well balanced blend that delivers a Sherry cask experience at a very reasonable price, especially when you consider the premium that Compass Box often commands. I didn’t pick out any obvious influence from the red wine casks, but they are clearly well suited to whatever role they are playing. Salud!

Given the glowing consensus here from the cream of the whiskerati, I put aside my skepticism about yet another Highland Park NAS and dug out the sample I received from @PBMichiganWolverine, ignoring all the more rarified stuff that I still haven’t got around to. But by Odin’s beard, was it was worth it. The nose was a totally unexpected mix of heather, pears, clementines and lemons, plus a Pick-N-Mix bag of pear drops and sherbet lemons. First impressions upon tasting were of a rich, toffee drizzle, not unlike the one that graced my post-Yom Kippur honey cake last night. Further contemplation revealed a milky underlayer that evoked a quick hit of pistachio ice-cream and a sip of tea with Carnation Milk. The finish is long and super spicy. The palate is far less complex than the nose, but it’s altogether a delightful dram at a reasonable price. The only downside is that I now have to pay more attention to Highland Park.

Another treat pulled from the sample stockpile, this is the oldest Cairdeas I have tried to date. The nose is outstanding: warm apricots and plums, heather, leather-bound books, smoked meats and a touch of mint. In the mouth, there’s peppery peat, menthol, sweet raisins and a gentle chocolate note. So far, outstanding. The only thing that knocks it back a star for me are the dry tannins in the finish, which is otherwise long and peppery. That oakiness is the hallmark of the quarter casks and the one characteristic of the Laphroaig stock that I don’t really care for. Whenever I encounter them in Laphroaig, I find they dominate the finish and break the reverie from what preceded it. If you’re okay with that, then this is a five-star whisky. For me, it’s merely great.

Second time I’m trying this and my original notes stand.

This is the third iteration of the standard bearer of Bruichladdich’s peaty Port Charlotte range, and it’s bottled at a higher ABV to the original in my collection, at 50% instead of 46%. The new edition also throws wine barrels into the mix, with a quarter of its whisky coming from second fill French wine casks. The nose is smoked meats, the palate sweet and chewy, the finish peppery. A wonderful step up from the original.

This was one of the standout surprises of the eight or nine whiskies I tried last night at a Bruichladdich event. There’s a floral, Pinot Gris note to the nose. The flavors mingle lemongrass and hay before turning creamy. The finish is long and peppery. A lovely summer’s dram, with a color to match a sunny day.

A wine barrel finish on a very old whisky is often like a bad paint job on a neglected classic car, a clumsy attempt to cover up the shortcomings of the original cask. But it’s forgivable when it’s done by Bruichladdich for a couple of reasons. One, the management is transparent about the fact that the whisky they inherited when they restarted the distillery was mostly knackered. Two, the guy who led its revival had a background in the wine industry, so it’s fair to assume they know what makes a good wine cask. Yet even if you didn’t know any of the above, it’s hard not to love Black Art. Although the distillery is atypically secretive about the mix of casks in the blend, there’s no disguising the wine influence. From nose to tail, the flavors of old red wine are deeply integrated into the spirit. It would make for a rich and delicious nightcap. I also tried the new 6.1 version, which is just as good. It’s a little sweeter and softer, with chocolate notes.

Bruichladdich is one of the leading proponents of the idea that the provenance of your whisky ingredients matter and this release aims to showcase barley sourced from a local farm on Islay. It’s light and lemony, with a long citrus finish. How much of that is due to the barley rather than the many other variables in its production I cannot say, but it’s delicious and worthy of 3.5 stars.

The first of eight or nine whiskies I tried last night at a Bruichladdich event is a lovely dram for easy everyday drinking. There’s a touch of peat, but it’s light by Islay standards. I think I prefer this to the old 10. Easily a 3.5.

Digging through my backlog of samples, I was happy to discover a Springbank that I didn’t recall trying previously. I got aromas of walnuts, pine, orange rind and black tea on the nose. The first sip tasted huge, an intensity of flavor that felt like cask strength rather than 46%. There’s orange rind and black tea again, but also dark chocolate. On the finish, there’s an interesting cheesy note at the end that I loved. A drop of water opened everything up, leading to a long, dry peppery finish with more dark chocolate. Another Campbeltown classic.