Single Malt Report: The Balvenie 21 year old Portwood

Goodness, it feels like it's been forever since I've reported on a single malt.  So, we'll get to two (or three?) this week.  I'll start with a whisky that was on my previous Dram Quest.  The Balvenie 21yr Portwood.

There have been a few posts here about my struggles with "finished" whiskys.  To me, finished whiskies almost never feel like a complete piece.  The elements often remain separate.  Rarely does the character from the wine cask integrate with the malt.

There is undoubtedly a true art to whisky-making.  A wine-cask-finished major release requires the blender to commingle well over 100 separate casks into a single product with a nose and palate that's not only consistent, but also fits into the company's brand.  The producer likely has to test up to 1000 separate barrels of whisky, with each vessel bringing along its own quirks.  So when this process actually works, it's an impressive bit of craft.

When I find a finished whisky that works, I'm first in line to be one of those momentarily sated consumers.  But those finishes usually don't work for me.  Especially port pipe finished whisky.  I've tried about a dozen, and would rather not sample them again.  Well, except for this one.

I'd first tried it at a Balvenie tasting and was surprised by how well the malt, port, and wood was woven into a single whisky unit.  I shouldn't have been surprised since this whisky had been recommended to me by many folks.  Yet I went into the experience with my grudge against port-ed whisky.  But I found the Portwood so nice that I made sure to pick up a dram in a Master of Malt order.

Distillery: Balvenie

Ownership: William Grant & Sons

Region: Speyside (Dufftown)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Maturation: Most of its life in re-fill American oak, then a short period in ex-port pipes

Age: minimum 21 years

Alcohol by Volume: 40%

The color is dark gold, like a bourbon.  The nose starts with maraschino cherries in a jar of molasses.  Then there's lots of orange zest, fruit punch, ripe stone fruits, and maple syrup.  After about a half hour, it smells of a dessert of bread pudding with a light port.  Great silky body and texture on this one.  Milk chocolate and raisins start the palate.  There's some sweet cream, vanilla pudding, cinnamon, salt, and whole wheat bread with honey butter.  The late-night finish blooms with raisins in honey, citrus and brown sugar, and finally a healthy dose of pipe tobacco.

Yeah.  Seriously, screw water.  I only drank this one neatly.  It needed no assistance.

Balvenie Master Blender David Stewart really is a master of his craft.  The 12yr Doublewood (the original single malt report!) is honeyed, creamy, and easygoing.  The Signature and Single Barrel are less rounded than the Doublewood, but are more interesting for the same reason.  The Carribean Cask is desserty delicious.  The 17yr Doublewood is, well, a 17yr version of the younger Doublewood.  My Tun 1401 experiences have left me speechless.  The 30yr is dynamite.  And now he's made a port-finished whisky that is all of one piece.  I know Mr. Stewart is in the process of retiring but I'm sure he feels good to have brought so many good products to so many happy drinkers.

Availability - Many liquor specialists
Pricing - $140-$160 (US East Coast and Europe), $180-$200 (California), a 47.6% verison goes for 120GBP at Duty Free
Rating - 90

Three whisky events in four days: Part Three

(Part One here)

(Part Two here)

Ulitmately, there was...

MONDAY -- STITZEL-WELLER WITH THE SCWC

There's a new club in town: the Southern California Whiskey Club.  It's the brainchild of Chris Uhde and Michael Ries, two awesome whiskey guys I've met at a number of other booze events.  You'll note the 'e' in the "Whiskey" part of their club name.  Thus Monday night's event was a Bourbon Whiskey meeting.  And not just any bourbon whiskey.  Stitzel-Weller bourbon whiskey.

This was another step in my further education on American whiskies.  A year ago today, I didn't know a darn thing about the aged spirits produced in my country.  My whisky knowledge was (like most of my thoughts) focused overseas.  Since my proper introduction to rye and bourbon last February, my interest in these more local liquors has grown.

So on Monday there I was in the midst of a five part taste-off between old Stitzel-Weller bourbon and its modern compatriots.  It went as follows:

1.  Cabin Still (1989) versus Cabin Still (2011)
2.  Old Fitzgerald BIB DSP KY-16 (S-W) versus Old Fitzgerald BIB DSP KY–1 (Heaven Hill)
3.  Very Special Old Fitzgerald 12yr BHC Louisville 1994 (S-W) versus Very Special Old Fitzgerald 12yr current (Heaven Hill)
4.  Pappy Van Winkle 20yr bottled in 2010 versus Pappy Van Winkle 20yr bottled in 2012
5.  W.L Weller BHC 10yr Centennial Louisville edition versus Jefferson’s Presidential 18yr

Yes, your eyes may be drawn to #4 there.  And for good reason.  Collectors are going absolutely bananas for all Pappy juice.  Especially the known Stitzel-Weller Pappy juice.  Since the Stitzel-Weller distillery closed in 1992, the 2010 Pappy is definitely S-W.  There's a debate as to how much actual Stitzel-Weller spirit is in the 2012.  Much, most, or all of it may be from Heaven Hill's Bernheim distillery.

The Van Winkle brand (as well as the W.L. Weller brand) is currently owned by Buffalo Trace.  The news came out a couple weeks ago that the Stitzel-Weller distillery is actually being reopened......by Diageo.  (Insert cheer or grumble here.)

Back in the day, Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle personally preferred the palate on wheated bourbons -- "a whisper of wheat" they used to say -- so that was the product they focused on at the distillery.  And wheated bourbons are what we tasted at the Monday night event, held at The Daily Pint.

Looking over my notes and thinking back to Monday night, there are two consistent elements to each of the five comparative tastings: the S-W whiskies had brighter, bolder, more vibrant noses while the finishes on the current releases were muted.  Here are my notes:

Cabin Still 1989 -- Bright candied nose. Sweeter than the 2011, but not sacchrine.
Cabin Still 2011 -- Sandier, dustier nose.  Mild palate, a little bit of clay in there.
Old Fitzgerald 1991 -- Maple syrup on buttermilk pancakes. Thick solid palate.
Old Fitzgerald 2012 -- Quite muted. Hay, grasses, grainy notes.
Very Special Old Fitz 12yr 1994 -- Chocolate, maple syrup, and light floral notes.
Very Special Old Fitz 12yr current -- Milder (again), grassy.  A touch sour.  Not as very special.
Pappy 20yr 2010 -- Fills one's skull with the vibrant oaky wheat whisky flavors. Some brandied cherries in there. I prefer this one's palate.
Pappy 20yr 2012 -- Nose is heavier, darker (does that make any sense?). Spices, molasses, bananas.  I prefer this one's nose.
WL Weller 10yr Centennial -- Pretty good, preferred
Jefferson's Prez 18yr -- Decent, but not that memorable

Sorry for those last two.  Socializing had begun in earnest by that point.  I was talking to a nice chap about spirits of all kinds.  That was actually one of the best parts of the event was the laid-back chatty atmosphere.

Chris didn't tell the crowd what we should be tasting nor which whiskey we should like better.  Instead, we all were given the space to sort out what we liked best.  That's exactly how I think events should be run.  Whisk(e)y is a mercurial personal thing.  In my case, I liked the newer Pappy's nose better than the S-W Pappy nose, while I liked the elder one's palate better.  But I liked Old Fitzgerald 1991 the best, even more than the Pappies.  Its nose was insanely delicious, and it didn't taste half bad either!  The Very Special Old Fitzgerald '94 was great too.  I found the contemporary Heaven Hill bourbons to be very mild and largely forgettable, aside from their mildness.

I personally wouldn't drop $100+ on any of these, though I can understand why Pappy would carry a big price in the primary market.  I'll keep my commentary on the secondary market to a minimum for now.  Ultimately, I agree with Southern California Whiskey Club folks; these amber treasures were made to be appreciated by more senses than just sight.  They were created to be tasted.  They were created to be shared.  I mean, it's whiskey, damn it.

Many thanks to Chris and Michael for this great opportunity.  I'm looking forward to the next event!

Three whisky events in four days: Part Two

(Part One here)

And then there was...

SUNDAY -- GLEN GARIOCH & BOWMORE

If you are on the western coast of the United States and Johnnie Mundell is holding a whisky event in your town, be there.  He is and has been a rep for Morrison Bowmore and Campari America.  Like Martin Daraz, he's a hardy Scotsman who can handle a room, weave a tale, educate the mind, and pour whisky all at the same time.  I've been to three of his Bowmore events, one Glenrothes event, and now this Glen Garioch + Bowmore event.  I'm such a fan of this guy that I'm going to stop gushing before this gets awkward.

Too late!

On this particular evening, Johnnie climbed on tables...

...read Burns's "John Barleycorn"...

...and poured the following:

Glen Garioch 1797 Founder's Reserve
Glen Garioch 12 year
Glen Garioch 1994 Vintage
Glen Garioch 1991 Vintage

Auchentoshan Three Wood

Bowmore Legend
Bowmore 12 year
Bowmore 15 year Darkest
Bowmore 18 year
Bowmore Dorus Mor

He had these paired side by side as such:
GG Founders Reserve and Bowmore Legend
GG 12 year and Bowmore 12 year
GG 1994 and Bowmore 18 year
Auchie Three Wood and Bowmore 15 year Darkest
GG 1991 and Bowmore Dorus Mor

I've reviewed a number of these already, in fact I think I've reported on most of the Bowmores multiple times.  The only Garioch that I'd reported on before was the 12 year and I still find it bloody fantastic (maple syrup, vanilla beans, and dried apricots this time).  I'll try to focus on stuff newer to me.

Bowmore Legend ($25, 40%) and Glen Garioch Founder's Reserve ($35, 48%) are both in the 8 year range and carry their youth well.  Legend is a lot better than I thought it would be: some light peat, light on the sweet, and very drinkable neat.  The Founder's carries more oomph, due to its ABV and no filtration.  It's bready and full of cereal notes, some white fruits on the nose and a touch savory in the palate.

Likely my second favorite of the night, the Glen Garioch 1994 ($120, 53.9%) has a gorgeous nose:  a massive hit of salted taffy and butterscotch.  The malty palate has a touch of peat and salt.  The Glen Garioch 1991 (54.7%) isn't available in the states (yet) but was the softest and most graceful of the bunch.  Also lightly peated, there was a similar butterscotch character as well as some citrus juice notes.

The Bowmore Dorus Mor was the biggie, for me.  The limited release Bowmore Tempest bottlings are my favorite official Bowmore bottlings.  They are 10-year-old cask-strength first-fill ex-bourbon-barrel bruisers.  A year ago, a California winery named "Tempest" threatened suit if Bowmore was to release another Tempest whisky in The States.  So Bowmore responded by changing the name of Tempest Batch 4 to "Dorus Mor" on the US bottles.  The Dorus release will be even smaller than the previous Tempests and it's the first by the great Rachel Barrie since she moved over to Morrison Bowmore.  It's going to be released here very soon and it's not going to be cheap.  But it's very good.  I will have an official report on Dorus within the next week or so.

Many many thanks to Johnnie for all these great things!

For part three, we head West...

Three whisky events in four days: Part One

Three whisk(e)y events in four nights.  Pasadena, Costa Mesa, Santa Monica.  What a man won't do for a dram.  I'm sure my innards are positively pickled, so I will attempt a three part recap as I recover...

FRIDAY NIGHT -- ROBBIE BURNS NIGHT (w/ HIGHLAND PARK)!

I had an awesome Robert Burns Night.  I hope you did too!

Though among the thirsty crowd at Beckham Grill in Pasadena, I had to reign in my whisky sampling due to a long drive home at the end of the night.  But there was great food, including haggis:

It looked like a cross between a scarab, a turd, and a baby's head.  Naturally, it was delicious.  A little lamb, a spot of liver, and a few shakes of black pepper.  And there was great company including Martin Daraz, the Highland Park rep responsible for structuring the evening's whisky appreciation.

I had heard so much about Martin and I really enjoyed meeting the man.  He was very honest and candid about the HP malts.  And he IMPRESSIVELY handled a crowd that was sprinkled with non-member hecklers.  Let me emphasize that the interrupters were still relatively sober and though they may have fancied themselves comedians, they just embarrassed themselves in front of Il Maestro Daraz.  Don't heckle a heckler.

Okay enough with the crabbing, onto the booze lineup.  We started with Famous Grouse as an aperitif.  Then we moved to the HP 18 for the toast.  During dinner, I helped pour the 12 and 15.

For dessert there was this:

And this:

I sampled some HP Thor.  But the fun surprise bottle was the Highland Park Bicentenary.  While the whisky wasn't 200 years old, its lifespan was actually 1977-1998.

The Bicentenary was GREAT, though I only had a whisper of it since I had to head out into the rain to drive home carefully.  The Thor was decent, probably could have used some water.  The HP 25 and 30 were magnificent; if you can afford whisky at that price......you lucky ducks.

Full disclosure: this was my first HP18 experience.  While it didn't blow my tastebuds out of my head, I did enjoy its finish better than that of the fancier bottles.  The hubbub and noise and smells prevented me from really digging in.  So I have a full-on HP18 report scheduled for this year and I look forward to a controlled setting.

I'd read some grumbles about the 15-year, but I liked the slightly different character brought about by sherried American oak.  And as usual, the 12 was reliably excellent.

I can confirm to you all that all HP is now using all ex-sherry barrels, each bottling has a mix of first and second-fills.  The distillery grassy-fruited-light-peat character was remarkably consistent from bottle to bottle.  Probably even more consistent than Laphroaig had been during December's once-in-a-lifetime verticale.

Ultimately, this was a lot of sherried whisky in one night for me.  The sherry and the HP spirit merge much better than most (or all?) sherry "finishes" I've tried.  But I'd love to find an indie bottling that was aged in refill ex-bourbon.

This Burns Night made for an excellent whisky social experience.  Thank you Martin for the whisky and the education.  Y'all need to meet this gentleman when he comes to town.

In Part Two, I'll travel South (in both California and Scotland)...

RECIPE: The Hot Honey B.T. (as in Bourbon Toddy or Buffalo Trace)

Yes, this is heresy.  I'm posting a BOURBON recipe on Robbie Burns Eve.

But I do enjoy this beverage.  It's a Hot Honey BT (Bourbon Toddy or Buffalo Trace or something sexual, whatever you prefer).  It's a variation on the Hot Whiskey I love so.

Its origin can be found in a passing comment Forrest Cokely (of Hi Time fame!) made when we were chatting about booze.  I mentioned I like to use Powers and brown sugar in my hot whiskey.  Forrest said that he's used honey when making a hot toddy with Scotch whisky.  That sounded like a good idea to me.  Later that week, I was sipping some Buffalo Trace Bourbon when I really caught its honey note.  The symbolic light bulb switched on.  It's not Scotch, but it is Buffalo Trace.  The night was cold (for Southern California)...  Perhaps I should apply honey to BT to hot water...

Yes, I know I'm not the first to do so.  But here it is.

THIS

PLUS THIS

THE HOT HONEY B.T.

Official Ingredients:

Glass or Large Mug (approx 12-16oz.)
__Boiled Water (at least 2 glasses worth)
__1/4 of a lemon (peel and all, seeds removed)
__4 whole cloves
__1 tablespoon of Honey
__2 oz. of Buffalo Trace Bourbon.

Official Instructions:

1. First, boil the water.
2. Second, pour some of the hot water into the mug or glass and swirl it around, carefully!  Spill it out.  You now have one hot mug.
3. Add the honey to the mug or glass, then add the whiskey on top.  Give it an extensive stir in order to make sure that the honey dissolves a little bit in the whiskey.
4. Stick the cloves into the lemon wedge.  The white pith is the best spot, but if you poke them into the fruit itself, I won't tell anyone
5. Slip the lemon slice into the mug or glass and into the whiskey and honey mixture.
6. Fill the mug with hot water.
7. Give it several stirs to make sure the honey has fully dissolved.  Then give it a minute or two to cool down.  This will let the flavors mingle.  Give it one more stir before indulging.
8. Sip slowly.

Some unofficial notes:

When I first made this, I accidentally (seriously, accidentally) poured 3 ounces of bourbon into the mug.  Holy moley.  I was half asleep before I finished the drink.  So, at your own discretion, you may up the booze.

I've been using Trader Joe's Mesquite Honey.  Works like a charm.  Also, a tablespoon of honey can be a bit on the sweet side for some palates.  I wouldn't use more than that, but anything less than 2 teaspoons may not even make a ripple in the tipple.

Please let me know if you have any variations you prefer!

Taste Off! Buffalo Trace Bourbon vs. Buffalo Trace Bourbon

As soon as Prohibition was repealed, the people needed their bourbon.  With their distilleries dormant for more than a decade, American liquor companies like Schenley Distillers often imported Canadian whisky while their own distillation restarted and the spirit aged.  Schenley Distillers set one of their distilleries aside to produce Ancient Age Bourbon.  Of course, Ancient Age wasn't actually any older than other bourbon on the market, but -- in a reborn market full of very young booze -- a little false advertising went a long way.

In 1812, long before it was known as Ancient Age, the distillery had been named OFC (Old Fashioned Copper) Distillery.  Then in 1909 it was named George T. Stagg Distillery after one of its most famous owners.

In 1992, The Sazerac Company purchased the distillery and renamed it Buffalo Trace, "In tribute to the mighty buffalo and the rugged, independent spirit of the pioneers who followed them westward."  The production has expanded greatly, cranking out many orders of well loved brands such as Blanton's, Eagle Rare, Sazerac Rye, Benchmark, Elmer T. Lee, Ancient Age (still beloved by some), the Antique Collection (including amongst others George T. Stagg, Thomas H. Handy Rye, and William Larue Weller), and Van Winkle.  They also have their fascinating Experimental and Single Oak lines.

(source)

But Buffalo Trace distillery also makes.....Buffalo Trace Straight Bourbon Whiskey.  Originally launched in limited release in 2001, Buffalo Trace Bourbon has since grown to be one of the company's main products.  It is one of the most reasonably priced whiskies they make and also one of the best.

Hell, I'll say this right now.  This is my favorite bourbon by a long shot.

And it shouldn't be my favorite.  While I love rye whiskey and I tolerate corn whisky, Buffalo Trace Bourbon is made from BT's low rye (8%) high corn (80+%) mash bill.  My only explanation: this is well made stuff.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I need to introduce Hi Time Wine Cellars into the mix.

Started in 1957, Hi Time is a family-run wine, beer, liquor, cigar, gourmet, everything-good shop in Costa Mesa.  The Hanson family has built themselves a great establishment with a respected reputation.  It is one of the largest (if not the largest) single point liquor retailers in the country and you will experience the grandeur once you walk the aisles   They have a great helpful staff there (especially Forrest or Trayce), if you ever have any questions or if you're totally overwhelmed by the selection.

A short time ago, the Hi Time staff selected a single barrel (number 56) of Buffalo Trace Bourbon.  The bottlings were sold exclusive through Hi Time at the awesome price of $19.99.  And now they're totally sold out.  Good news though, they're planning on doing another one with BT.

What I have on hand is the official Buffalo Trace Bourbon and the Hi Time Single Barrel Buffalo Trace Bourbon.  It's about time for a Taste Off.

FIRSTLY, THE HI TIME SINGLE BARREL

Did I say "have on hand"? I meant "had on hand".

Distillery: Buffalo Trace

Ownership: The Sazerac Company
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Region: Frankfort, Kentucky

Age: minimum 2 years (other than that I don't know...)
Mashbill: BT low-rye: somewhere around 80% corn, 12% malted barley, 8% rye (this is estimated!)

Maturation: charred white oak barrels

Alcohol by Volume: 45%
Barrel Number: 56

The color is a dark copper, like an old penny that hasn't been scuffed.  The nose is full of sugary candy, bubblegum, and honey.  There's some cinnamon and black pepper from the rye.  A bit of notebook paper.  The smoky charred oak vanillins get bigger with time in the glass.  The palate has a strong note of old school Robotussin (think black cherry + anise + ???).  Folded in with a spoonful of honey is vanilla extract and corn syrup.  Yet, it's not cloyingly sweet.  The finish is a stinger.  Dr. Brown's black cherry soda, brown sugar and Karo corn syrup.  It gets sweeter with time in the glass but it stays hot and strong.  Like a certain blogger.

Damn fine.  Damn fine.  After several tries in bars, Buffalo Trace became my first ever 750mL bourbon purchase.  The fact that it was this single barrel was just a bonus.

NEXT, THE OFFICIAL BOTTLE

Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Ownership: The Sazerac Company
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Region: Frankfort, Kentucky

Age: minimum 2 years (other than that I don't know...)
Mashbill: BT low-rye: somewhere around 80% corn, 12% malted barley, 8% rye (this is estimated!)

Maturation: charred white oak barrels

Alcohol by Volume: 45%

It has the same dark copper color as the single barrel.  There's a great nose at hand.  Black cherry syrup, confectioner's sugar, tropical fruit, corn bread, corn syrup, and bubblegum (think Big League Chew).  With some time there's clementines, molasses, and some leather.  The honeyed palate is softer and drier than the single barrel, but it's also very moreish.  Floral chewing gum, vanilla, simple syrup, and a solid hit of rye.  The black cherry from the nose comes back in the finish followed by some sticky mesquite honey.  It's a sweet conclusion, but more of buzz than a sting.

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So, which was better?  Well, it depends on what one values most.  Their palates were mostly equal.  The official bottle had a deeper, more varied nose, while the Hi Time bottle had the bigger bolder finish.  For me, between these two, there isn't a clear cut winner.  Instead, we're all winners to have this opportunity to get excellent whiskey for $20.

Each element works so well.  Despite the low content, the rye is definitely in there, like a seasoning or bitters in a cocktail.  Meanwhile the corn whisky creates a honey-like blanket over the whole thing.  Really, I'm just plum stumped.  Never a corn fan, I may have to reconsider some of the low-rye bourbons out there.

In the meantime, THIS is my house bourbon.  I've got a bottle in case you're stopping by.

Availability - Many liquor purveyors
Pricing - $20-$25, a crazy value!
Rating - 89

Single Malt Ramblings, January 2013 edition

We have returned home.  The termites are (allegedly) dead.  Other than in our souls, the humans remain unpoisoned.  The Reports shall resume, thank goodness.

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Robert Burns Night is this Friday.  Don't forget to celebrate appropriately.  Preferably with others.  Score some haggis if you can.

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I highly recommend this Johnnie Walker Black Label post by Jordan at Chemistry of the Cocktail.  I've been tasting different things in different bottles of JWBL and I thought it was my imagination.  But I've been getting more and more confirmation.  Most recently, I've been noticing more sherry and less smoke (and almost no peat).  Further testing is planned...

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Speaking of more sherry:



The Great Ralf posted this great video on Sherry and Whisky last week.

I've become increasingly sherry-sensitive with my whiskys recently.  And not in a good way.  One method to remedy this, or at least further educate myself, is to explore sherries a bit.  My hope is that will allow me to sort through my issues with ex-sherry whisky finishes/maturation/ACE'ing/etc.  And perhaps I'll be able to dig further into my "sherry" descriptors.

At the very least, it'll be booze.

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I've finally updated my Dram Quest list (on the upper right side of the page).  I've laid down a bit of a gauntlet for myself this time.  The UK shipping issue makes this even more difficult.  But what's whisky life without a few challenges?

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I'll see you around in a few days.  There's some bourbon on the horizon...