Single Malt Report: Glenkinchie 12 year old

[I had started a non-whisky post this morning, but it turned into a bunch of whining about television.  I'll save that for another day.  Fridays aren't about whine, they're about whisky.]

For our first actual Single Malt report of the year (Windsor was a blend), I'll start down in the Lowlands.

Map from http://www.hartbrothers.co.uk/

The Highlands are higher up on the map and a mostly rocky, mountainous region.  Meanwhile, the Lowlands are lower on the map and generally a flatter smoother area.  Three Lowland distilleries remain active: Glenkinchie, Auchentoshan, and Bladnoch.  Older malts from the closed Rosebank, Littlemill, Ladyburn (great name!), and Interleven distilleries can be found, but for a significant price.

The bigger distilleries, Auchentoshan and Glenkinchie, are near Scotland's largest cites: Glasgow and Edinburgh, respectively.  Meanwhile, the smaller Bladnoch is the most southern of all of Scottish whisky producers.

More than 95% of Scotch maltings produced outside of the Lowlands are distilled twice.  Most of the Lowland malts are distilled three times, much like Irish whiskies.  This extra distillation, along with the almost total lack of peating, results in the smoothest, lightest, and most accessible of scotches.  This has led to their excessively gender-sensitive nickname, "The Lowland Ladies".

If Ladies they be, then I'm going to report on the 12-year-old Glenkinchie broad.

(Update: While several other distilleries are experimenting with triple distillation, Auchentoshan is the only Lowland distillery that is using that practice consistently.  Triple distillation is the original Lowland style, though there are other distillation techniques, like extra long fermentation times, that can lighten and smoothen a malt.)

The Glenkinchie distillery sits in a glen on land once owned by the de Quincey family.  It was built during the first half of the 19th century, but sustained distillation didn't begin until 1880.  While most of Scotland's distilleries closed during the Second World War, Glenkinchie stayed open, powering out malt for wartime drinkers.  It's been rumored that their malts are in the Johnnie Walker Red and Black Label recipes.  They're currently owned by the Diageo monstrosity, which means that 12 year is well exported and can be found in most decent Scotch shops.

The Glenkinchie malts once included a 10 year -- which the 12yr has replaced -- and a 20 year.  Currently their output includes only the 12yr and a Distillers Edition (about 14 years old with an Amontillado finish).  All of their malts are triple-distilled in the aforementioned classic Lowland fashion.

That old 20yr malt is on my Whisky Wish List.  It was bottled at cask strength (over 58% ABV) and spent ten years in a brandy cask.  I don't even have a point of reference for what that smells and tastes like.  Someday...

But, yes, presently let's get in on that Twelve year.

Distillery: Glenkinchie
Age: minimum 12 years
Maturation: Bourbon casks(?)
Region: Lowlands (Eastern)
Alcohol by Volume: 43%

I have yet to purchase that lovely bottle shown above.  Instead, I bought a dram of it from Master of Malt.  I doubt if it's finished in anything but Bourbon barrels since Diageo makes no mention of anything specific, nor does it have any signs of sherry.

Curiously, Diageo recommends that this malt be kept in the freezer.  I say "Curiously" because any heavy chilling of this whisky could cause its feather-light flavor to float away.  I sampled it neat and with water, per my usual routine.

NEAT:
The color is mellow gold, a bit darker than an oaky chardonnay.  The nose is floral and lightly fruity:  Applesauce, Kosher white wine, cereal, white bread, apple juice.  The palate is soft, quiet, creamy, with some tapioca pudding(?), and a little oaked towards the end.  Very light in texture.  The finish lingers longer than one expects from such a light structure.  It drifts along perfumy and polite.

WITH WATER:
No clouding, so though they likely kept the caramel coloring to a minimum, they probably chill-filtered it.  Though the real way to prove that is to stick it in the freezer, as suggested by the distributor.  The apples are gone from the nose.  It remains fresh, bright, and clean.  Maybe a little bit of yeast.  The palate has gotten softer.  It's flowery with cream and sugar.  The finish has vanished aside from some dryness.

My final notes read "such a quiet polite whisky".  I'd venture to say that it's even lighter than the average Irish whiskey.  I would love to do a blind taste test sometime between this and Tullamore Dew.  That would be a fine night.

As for the grading/ranking, this one comes close to the Hazelburn 8yr which also got the 3x distillation treatment.  The Hazelburn is more complex, while this Glenkinchie has more flowers and apples.  This one is cheaper and much easier to find in the stores.

Pricing - $50-$55 isn't unreasonable, but still a little steep.

Rating - 81

Whiskey Ranking update

I've just added a new item in the "Pages" section to the right of the blog entries:

WHISK(E)Y RANKINGS!

I've also updated the Whisky Notes section.

As I've stated on the Rankings page, assigning a grade to a complex liquid is a silly act.  Publicly ranking such liquids is narcissistic, obnoxious, and fun.

Enjoy!

My Year in Whisky (2011)

Most of the major whisky blogs posted their whisky-year-in-review entries last week.  I enjoyed them thoroughly, as I am fully addicted to booze blogs.  These guys (and they are all guys so far) do an admirable job reporting back on their samples of 300 to 1000 whiskies, aged 3 to 60 years, and priced up to $30,000 a bottle.

But if you're looking for the Port Ellens and Broras, Vintage Springbanks, 50yr Dalmores, or Black Bowmores, this isn't the place.  There are a couple dozen sites online that'll give you quality rundowns on those.

The Single Malt Report is different.  I don't have the means to sample such quantity and quality.  Nor do my readers.  I like to sample the accessible stuff, with the occasional wild card thrown in for fun.  (Note: Though, if I'm so blessed to try any of those patrician drams, I promise to report back immediately!)

The most important whisky lesson that I learned last year was that bottle age is a marketing tool.  Just because a spirit has sat in a barrel for 25 years, doesn't necessarily mean that it's better than a different spirit that's been casked for 10 years.  That 25-year-old IS more expensive to produce and is more of a risk for the distiller, but it doesn't necessarily mean that it'll be a better whisky.

There are infinite levels of chemical reactions going on inside those barrels, between the wood and the barley spirit.  The longer they mingle, the more things can go wrong or right.  Some old whiskies mellow out nicely.  Some gain levels of complexity.  Some get over-oaked.  Some lose so much of their youthful energy that they turn to into a sleepy dram.  Some go rotten.  All are expensive due to this investment and risk.

But for some palates, Youth rules.  Ardbeg 10yr, Laphroaig 10yr, Springbank 10yr, Bowmore Tempest are tremendous whiskies that most of their older brothers can't top.  That shorter time period has proven to be an excellent window of time for those specific spirits and woods to interact.

Macallan 18yr is very good but is it three times better than Macallan 12yr?  That's what the price says.  Is Johnnie Walker Blue Label worth two-and-a-half bottles of Gold Label?  Would you trade three bottles of Black Label for Glenlivet 18yr?

My answer to all of those questions is "No".  Your answers may differ.  It's all about full palates and empty pockets.

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Single Malt Report 2011 Lists
(Note: These are not All Time rankings, just recaps from this year's Reports) 

Best Whisk(e)y:
Redbreast 12yr Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
I've heard a rumor from a reliable source that the Midleton Distillery will release the cask strength (57.7% ABV) Redbreast bottling in the US some time this year.  That will be the greatest thing in the history of the universe.  (Okay, that was hyperbole.  But if I get a free bottle...)

Best Scotch Whisky:
Bowmore 16yr 1994/2011 Signatory
Yes, I know this one is tough to find.  But this whisky created a major palate shift for me.  (In fact, all three of my top Scotches were considerably peated.)  This Bowmore awakened my senses to the fact that peated whiskies are more than just peat reek; the good ones have layer upon layer of complexity.  Also, this bottle was the result of a blind purchase from a spectacular whisky shop during a lovely trip to the UK.

Worst Whisk(e)y:
Bowmore 7 year old 2002/2009 Murray McDavid
This somehow became the year of Bowmore.  Not only did they get the Best and Worst, but their whiskies made up more than 20% of my reports.  In any case, these Best and Worst bottlings illustrate the tightrope that independent bottlers walk as they purchase, age, and finish casks.  The gulf between those two whiskies are wide though the barley spirit came from the same place.

Ratings adjustments
--That Ardbeg 10yr is very close to climbing from 3.5 to 4.0 stars, as I've been thoroughly enjoying a bottle of this sooty heater.
--I'm scootching the Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or and the Benriach 16yr Sauternes Finish back down to their original ratings.  I've had them both since the Taste Off, and the slight downgrade is appropriate.
--I also made an edit to yesterday's Windsor Canadian entry.  On hindsight, I'd gotten too excited about the Nilla Wafers.  The lack of balance between the nose and palate isn't the sign of a 3 star whisky.

Whisky mishaps
The East Coast trip went a little askew, whisky-wise.  After overdoing it with the booze and the smoke during the NY drinking experience, all the whisky left me and I was unable to report back.  Also, my "very exciting whisky situation" did not come to fruition, though there's still a chance that it'll come to pass in 2012.

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Finally, I'm setting some new purchase rules for 2012.  I overdid it a bit in 2011.  $50 is my limit for a bottle or mini/sample purchase.  That limit does not include purchases made with windfall money or gift cards.  Happily, this does not alter The Single Malt Report.  I have a dozen reports in the queue, and dozens of additional drams still to report on.

I have also purchased four bottlings that some would view as collector's items or investments.  I say here, after reading volumes about the punishing and unfair world of whisky investments, my bottles are not for sale.  They're for drinking when celebration is called for.

May 2012 be full of celebration for all!

NOT Single Malt Report: Windsor Canadian Whisky

How I have mock'd thee,
Thou plastic-bottled whiskey.
For that, I'm sorry.

(Source)

My in-laws make a pilgrimage to their homeland of Ohio every December 26th.  I have joined them on this excursion for three out of the last four years.  Westerville, outside of Columbus, marks the first stop.  At the second stop, North Canton, Grandpa Bob Perry always has a bottle of Canadian whisky on the liquor cart, without fail.

Seven & Seven is his drink.  Classically it's a mix of Seagrams 7 and 7-Up.  But presently that can encompass any Canadian whisky and ginger ale.

(Source)

Often I spy his Canadian Club (6yrs) and splash some on the rocks while everyone else enjoys their gin & tonics, wine, and American beer.  Upon this year's arrival though I found two big plastic handles (1.75L) of Windsor Canadian.  Mr. Perry offered it up and I accepted.  Tried it neat, on the rocks, with club soda, and with ginger ale.

Windsor is distributed by Fortune Brands, which is aligned with Beam Inc.  It has ZERO online presence.  One Windsor fan created a Facebook page...and that's about it.  Here's a marketing blurb that I found:

A connoisseur's whisky of incomparable quality. A supremely smooth whisky made with waters born in the clean, clean Canadian Rockies. Blended and distilled under strict supervision of the Canadian Government. Supremely smooth. Made with only premium Western Canadian grains and glacial born waters.

Now let's get to some clean, clean reporting:

Producer: Fortune Brands, with Beam Inc.
Brand: Windsor Canadian
Region: Alberta, Canada
Age: minimum 3 years
Blend: corn, barley, and grain whiskies
Alcohol by Volume: 40%

I'll start off by saying that Windsor + ginger ale is scrumptious.  Windsor 'n Ginger.  Dessert in a glass.  Like sugary pastries.  Must have something to do with the mingling of corn whisky and corn syrup.  A Windsor highball (club soda & ice) is very smooth and inoffensive.  But on the final night in North Canton, I did a proper tasting.

NEAT:
The color is very light, like a chardonnay with a little bit of amber.  The nose is surprisingly punishing: varnish, rotten cream, nail polish, old sweat, more nail polish.  It's like sniffing Prohibition-era smuggled Canadian moonshine.  Then a sip to try the palate...

Mmmm.  Ladyfingers (the cookies, not the digits).  Moist angel cake, cinnamon, vanilla custard.  And something else.  I can't put my manfinger (sorry, that sounds wrong) on it.  Another taste.

Nillas!  This tastes like Nillas!  Suddenly, I have Nilla Wafers on the mind.  Even the finish notes say, "Brief w/ more Nillas!"

WITH WATER:
It doesn't cloud (chill-filtering!), but does look oily.  The nose shifts a little, sideways.  Weird sweet old cream, reminiscent of bad Scotch noses.  Very sweet wine.  The palate = soggy Nillas.  The finish still brief and Nilla'ed, but a little bitter at the end.

I'm really glad that I had a chance to try this.  Thank you, Grandpa Bob Perry!

Now how do I rate this?  The palate is much better than the nose.  I'll give the palate a little more weight since it mixes pretty well.

Pricing - 750mL = less than $10; 1.75L = $13-$16; Bargain! (and also, Nillas!)

Rating - 74

Shaving on a Beard: A How-To Video

Happy 2012!

To ring in what's certain to be a hairy year, here's a little How-To video:

Single Malt Report: The Glenlivet 15yr French Oak Reserve (x2)

I’ve had a number of opportunities to try The Glenlivet 15 years old French Oak Reserve single malt during this holiday season.  The first time was at the United Airlines Club at Dulles Airport.  Then at the very end of our long day of flights, my in-laws presented me a bottle of this very same whisky!  The malt at the club’s bar and the malt in the gifted bottle aren’t quite the same so I’m going to do two reports.

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For some history on the Glenlivet distillery, please see my post on their Nadurra bottling.  The Nadurra 16yr is a steady if unspectacular cask strength.  My memory of their 18yr is positive, but not thrilling.  While the 12yr is the very definition of a mediocre whisky and leaves me baffled as to why it’s a bestseller around the planet.

Meanwhile, the 15yr French Oak is unlike its brethren, matured in oak from the Limousin region in France.  Limousin Oak is said to impart strong tannins so it's often used to mature cognac as well as some California wines.

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Distillery: The Glenlivet
Variety: "French Oak Reserve"
Age: minimum 15 years
Maturation: Limousin Oak
Region: Speyside (Livet)
Alcohol by Volume: 40%

Round 1

As previously mentioned I had a reasonable pour of this at the United Club at Dulles.  It was amongst the premium (read: not-free) liquors, but it was only $6, half (or less) of what it would cost at a bar.  The 'tender poured it from a bottle that was at least half full (or half empty), which means that depending on how long it had been sitting there, oxygen molecules may have already started breaking down the flavor compounds thus affecting the stuff in my glass.

Neat:  The color was light, like an extra virgin olive oil with some greenish highlights.  The nose was much sweeter than the 12yr.  Full of sugary cheap red wine, toffee, and brown sugar.  The palate was intensely dry and very oaky.  It was like drinking barrel wood (not exactly a good thing).  There was also some cardboard, malt, tobacco, and dried cherries.  The finish further dried out my mouth.  It was a little creamy, but had a lot of the cardboard remaining.

With water, lowering it to about 30% ABV:  The nose became much more gin-like.  Tanqueray piny, citric, and herbal.  A hint of Boston crème.  The rest of the Boston crème pie crust came out in the palate which was malty and sugary.  The finale was quiet, still very dry, with a little bit of tobacco.

Despite being more interesting than the 12yr, the 15yr seemed more flawed as opposed to the younger whisky’s boredom.  I’m going to chalk some of that up to an older oxidized bottle…

Round 1 Rating – 69

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Round 2

This was a brand new bottle.  Nice and full and sealed.  And quite different as a result.

Neat: I first noticed that the nose was full of pencil shavings.  Then some vanilla, which Limousin Oak often imparts.  Towards the end there’s something between ginger and grapefruit zest.  The palate was much less dry.  It’s still oaky but less aggressively so.  It’s fruitier without being sweet.  Lots of cocoa and malt with a little bit of apple juice.  The baking chocolate finish was also less dry but still brief.

With water:  Everything disappeared from the nose except the Boston crème and herbal gin mentioned in the previous round.  The palate brightened up further: fresh apricots and apples and maybe some almonds.  The finish was but a whisper of cocoa.

As I hope you can tell from my description, this bottle presented a better showing of this whisky.  It cannot match the 16yr cask strength’s complexity and balance, but it’s a step above the 12yr.

Round 2 Rating – 79

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Overall:

Pricing - Good at $35-$40

Rating - 74

True story from the road

Picture this:

Kristen and I are in a hotel room, having set aside a few hours to do some important work.

She needs to take a practice test in order earn a professional certification.  I have a ton of story fixes that I need to make before I can start my script's 3rd draft.

We're seated, facing away from each other, computers on.  Silence.  Twenty minutes go by...

"Awww," Kristen peeps.

I don't turn around. "What's up?"

"Something I really wanted to buy has totally sold out."

"Me too."

"Whisky?" she asks.

"Whisky. And you?"

"A big silver wishbone."

Silence.

"A big silver wishbone?"

"A big silver wishbone."

...and Scene.

Back to work.