Tastes

Bottled 2015. I bought my 1L bottle of this on sale at a Duty Free for around 60 USD back in 2016. I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything on sale at a Duty Free that I actually enjoyed. On cold, windy, rainy evenings, when neither my dog nor I enjoy a mandatory walk; when she does her business, and we hurry back home; she will always get comfort rewarming next to the fireplace. Her fireplace. Every now and again, this bottle of Talisker, young and strong at 57%, tricks me into believing that it can provide the same comfort that her fireplace provides her. This is a soulless, elemental experience from a time before the Earth could harbor life. There’s dirt, mineral ore, and deep fried salt. No fucking fish; or meat; or plant – just frying salt here. That’s the nose. On the palate, there’s a brief remembrance of Talisker 10, except amplified. Lots of pepper, chili, caramel, citrus, and red fruits. But the pleasantness is fleeting, and replaced by this mix of seawater and swimming pool water. The finish claws at the back of the throat with jagged crystals of caramel and minerals. A big helping of water smooths things out somewhat, but only by turning down the volume; it does not give this dram much needed life. This is nothing compared to Talisker 10; but slightly better than Talisker Storm. The alcohol warms me up a little, but everything else leaves me still chilly. Time to snuggle up to my dog, and her fireplace, with a second pour of Ardbeg Kelpie. Score: 0 (forgettable) How much does a bottle cost: Not available where I live. Check travel retail and online stores. $77 on TWE. How much do I think a bottle is worth: $35

Bottled Jan 18, 2017. Mortlach is the savings bond of whisky. Putting it in a cask is a long term investment that has the lowest risk of failure. Original bottlings get shat on, but the older ones are not bad whisky; they are just overpriced, and Diageo’s attempts to doll up the bottles for the luxury market are cringe-worthy. The overpriced official 18 year old was good; I’m sure the overpriced official 25 year old is good, but nobody without bipolar disorder on an epic manic episode will ever buy it; and the current 16 year old is even decent value for money. But, if you really want a full Scotch experience at a fair price, get an independent Mortlach that is old enough to buy alcohol. This G&M 25 year old is actually fairly available. It is more contemplative and gentle than what is typical from “The Beast of Dufftown.” The serving strength of 43% undoubtedly contributes. But there is a mesmerizing rough harmony to this one that can snap you out of a daydream about something else, and have you just as quickly daydream about this instead; like a Corrine Bailey Rae song. Hard and soft, at the same time. Okay, some actual notes. Tropical fruits in gummy bear form, fresh pineapple, and Cara Cara navels – it’s very fresh and floral with an exotic sweetness at the beginning. Chocolate and herbal tea notes develop later on. You have to really move the whisky around in the mouth to get that classic Mortlach burly meatiness, with a touch of ginger and white pepper. The texture is fairly oily and the flavors cling for a soft but longlasting finish. This is an exemplary whisky. Perfectly balanced and perfectly priced. Score: ** (unimaginably good) How much does a bottle cost: $230-270 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $250

Distilled Sep 8, 1998. Bottled Jan 20, 2012 at 58.8%. Matured in first fill bourbon barrels Tormore is an indie superstar. I can’t think of a better example of a distillery that so often has outstanding cask strength IB bottlings and yet does not have a well-known original bottling. Maybe Ben Nevis or Bladnoch? Tormore is highly dependable to be beastly when given the no-BS, cask strength treatment by an independent bottler. This whisky is your grandmama’s lemon meringue pie if you could set it on fire with a lighter. There is a dusting of cocoa powder, sticks of vanilla, and unripe mango. This finishes with vanilla, honey, and loads of alcohol and spice burn. The experience is archetypal Scotch, and reminds me of Glen Grant 18, if it had balls. And that’s not a sexist comment or a knock against Glen Grant 18 – it is the best Scotch according to Jim Murray. But, some situations, you want your company to have chest hair; and, other situations, you don’t. I’ve tried adding water to this, and it doesn’t help. It takes the edge off the alcohol burn, but I admire how this whisky goes all out for the creamy lemon narrative at the beginning, and water just removes that precision in purpose. Score: * (unforgettably good) How much does a bottle cost: $80-120 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $130

$30 for 1 ounce at Jack Rose Sherried whiskies were better in previous years. This is not me being a snob turning my nose up at modern whiskies. This is the truth. Nobody drinks sherry anymore and the casks have run out. Nobody, at the end of their dinner, decides to enjoy an Osborne VORS sherry to cap off the night. No! Not anymore – tiramisu-eating, ADHD-afflicted fucks. The casks that once contained quality, drinkable sherry have become like a wild white rhinoceros. Modern sherry casks, at least the ones used to mature the whiskies that are still affordable, only contain undrinkable sherry, made to season the wood and be dumped, like a zoo rhinoceros miscarriage. Man, that’s dark. But not as dark as Ardbog (Segway!). You take this sherried beast and you compare it to Dark Cove – fuck it, Dark Cove Committee Release – and you can say to the Dark Cove CR, “Ha! You are not sherry matured.” Ardbog still loses out to the very first Uigeadails ever made. Those precious last few remaining wild rhinoceri, I would pay for a pour what they are charging for a bottle of Uigeadail these days. But decoding the bottle code, and just fucking finding and reading the bottle code, is too much effort for me. Ardbog is my lazy-man solution. I can easily read the label, and it takes me back to a time when Ardbeg still had an abundance of quality sherry casks. This swamp creature is heavy, oily, and peaty. Just layers and layers of mud and smoke on top of savory buttered rabbit braised in the juices of wild berries. Minerality like this will make my bones stronger - sodium and iodine. A coastal, dry sherry influence for an Islay scotch is perfection. This is actually not that complex of a Scotch, but it stands out as a young whisky that marries peat and sherry perfectly, and it is so heavy that it feels as if you accidentally spilled some onto the bar countertop, it would make a dent. There are no whiskies like this anymore. Score: ** (unimaginably good) How much does a bottle cost: $250-350 (secondary market only) How much do I think a bottle is worth: $300

Distilled December 12, 2000. Bottled August 2013 at 55.8% ABV. Cask no. 149. 288 bottles released. Craigellachie is one of my favorite distilleries. It is full, fearless, and funky like Springbank. This indie reminds me of Springbank 12 CS. Rich honey, bright fruits, and funky sherry. Craigellachie and Springbank are two distilleries that produce spirit with a little sulfur, so it can mask a little sulfur from suboptimal sherry casks that would ruin other whiskies. Despite the back of this bottle reading “This cask is full of American Oak influence with creamy-vanilla and sweet oak,” I am surprised how much sherriness I pick up. It is sweetly floral and full of berries and raisin. And for the protein, there is honey and redcurrant jelly braised beef stew. Savory, and a little stinky without water. This is a fulfilling meal that is holding in a fart. My complaint is if you add water. This dram will fart. Sulfur will divide by zero. Matchsticks, if you want to be polite about it. Putrid flesh, if you want to be overdramatic and mean about it. There’s citrus on the finish, which is timely. I prefer the Craigellachie 13 original bottling, which is widely available and cheaper. However, this was definitely a characterful and unforgettable bottle. This was my first Creative Whisky Company purchase, and I will be looking for more expressions if the distillery and the price are right. Score: * (unforgettably good) How much does a bottle cost: $80-120 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $95

Bottled in 2017. Arran needs to be highlighted as a distillery that is currently improving. I still have a bottle of Arran 10 from 2013, and it is pretty bad. So, even as recently as 7-8 years ago, this distillery was putting out bad whisky. Now, they are releasing modern masterpieces. The new 10, 14, and 18 year olds I have tried, and they are all great; but it is the 14 that is spellbinding. Precision and complexity. That’s difficult to pull off, but this whisky does that with a delicate balance of cream and green. Vanilla custard. Green apples and citrus with powdered sugar. Kiwi and cucumber with caramel. A welcomed sharp kick of ginger and sage on the finish with the soft oakiness reminiscent of a much more expensive Japanese whisky. When sipping on this dram, it feels like a creation with real intention, like it was authored. When buying, be sure to get the modern appearing bottles. Unlike with most other distilleries, you want to avoid any dusty old-fashioned bottles. Score: ** (unimaginably good) How much does a bottle cost: $70-100 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $150

Bottled in 2017. Deanston, the avant garde Glenfarclas, makes great whiskies at reasonable prices. A cask strength 20 year old exclusively Oloroso matured whisky bottled at 55.5% for under $200? Give me another example. Not even Glenfarclas – if they released this expression, it would be in their vaunted Family Cask line fetching many hundreds to thousands of dollars on secondary. Like many sherried Glenfarclas examples, this Deanston probably uses tired casks, which have been filled 2 or 3 times previously. While, as a result, this expression does not have the dark, brooding sherry flavors of Glendronach, this still knows what it is doing. Whisky has never gotten as close to Werther’s Original as this Deanston 20 year old. Creamy soft caramel. A little raisin; a little swampy. Hazelnuts. Yogurt with dried cranberries and blackberries. Nougats. It’s really going for a sticky, mouthcoating experience, but it won’t get stuck in your teeth. There’s hazelnut coffee and wood spices on the finish. Overall, there’s humility in this whisky. It is not the sherry bomb offered by expensive Glendronachs or Macallans, but it is a well-balanced, well-structured, and a tasty example of good Oloroso maturation, with its earthiness, nuttiness, and dried dark fruits. Werther’s Original is then, what biologists would call, an emergent property. Score: * (unforgettably good) How much does a bottle cost: $150-200 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $185

Bottled in 2017. This is close to a perfect bourbon that doesn't get enough love. It failed to sell out at my local store despite a “highly allocated, one per customer” label. This whiskey is incredibly balanced and smooth. It is very smooth with sweet cinnamon and vanilla; yet it is balanced against undeniable dark chocolate, leather, and oak. This is an NAS bourbon, but it tastes like it’s been aged for 8+ years. This whiskey is on par with Four Roses Single Barrel, and absolutely worth the price of admission. Score: * (unforgettably good) How much does a bottle cost: $50-70 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $70

$24 for 1.5 ounces at Daikaya Ramen This was a great dessert after a bowl of tonkotsu ramen. The orange flavors made this a very unique experience for me, and one I want to go back to. At 7-8 years of age, this had the perfect amount of wood influence - a spicy vanilla and just a touch of dark chocolate bitterness. There is a fair amount of rye spices as well, as the mashbill is 10% rye. The orange curacao barrels infuses just the right amount of clementines and candied oranges. It really provides a needed extra-dimensional jaunt of fruitiness, as I find most traditional bourbons to have a one-dimensional and repetitive fruity profile. The orange liqueur finish, for me, does not take over, and this does not feel at any point like a cocktail or flavored whisky. I know I am still drinking bourbon. If you are a bourbon purist, you will disagree, and find this whisky overpriced even at MSRP. Not that it matters because if you find this bottle, it probably won’t be at MSRP. Unfortunately, Parker’s Heritage is one of those “highly allocated” bourbon releases that is unavailable in bottle form to someone like me, who simply does not care enough to chase bottles. Score: * (unforgettably good) How much does a bottle cost: $90-100 at retail. $250-500 on secondary. How much do I think a bottle is worth: $150