Way Too Many Westlands + a Movie, Part 1

Though Westland Distillery's standard range's quality has been wobbly of late, the Seattle producer's single casks are frequently very good to excellent. Yet there comes a point when a distillery fan has too many single cask samples. That moment occurred during the peak Covid era when for some reason I lost my marbles and rounded up 12 samples in two week:

Three years later, I stared at this dainty dozen wondering how and when they were going to be consumed. How about an Ultra Cluster, knocking 12 out in two weeks? Yes, but......that still didn't thrill. I scheduled the reviews anyway, awaiting inspiration.

Then, this weekend it clicked! I was going to watch some '70s Euro-horror flicks anyway. Why not enjoy some whiskies and a movie? Why not, indeed.

Over the next two weeks you should see six posts, each one offering two Westlands and one random movie. Just know that I have higher hopes for the Westlands than for my viewing choices.

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The Shiver of the Vampires (1971, France)

The poster > the film

I am always game for Jean Rollin films, which often offer a vague supernatural story as an excuse to display beautiful women draped in dreamy atmosphere and little else. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Rollin possessed the ability to compose striking visual imagery, so if the flesh doesn't do it for you, then maybe the director's style will.

Unfortunately, The Shiver of the Vampires, early unformed Rollin, offers little of the latter. Inconsistent and problematic acting, actor direction, framing, story logic, story structure, music, and editing plague the film making it look like Jess Franco and Joe D'Amato co-directed. The camera does like leading lady, Sandra Julien (who puts actual effort in), and there's more nudity (female, of course) than one can shake a stick at. Jean-Marie Durand, the leading man, wanders in and out of scenes asking WTF is going on, much like this viewer, but with much better hair.

Verdict - Many better Rollin films out there!

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I really enjoyed the third edition of Westland's Garryana series, so here's #4 versus #5:

Westland Garryana Single Malt, 4th Edition 

Distillery: Westland
Region: Seattle, Washington
Age: 44-75 Months
Mashbill: The five-malt mix + Washington Select Pale Malt
Yeast: Belgian Saison Brewer’s Yeast
Fermentation: 144 hours
Maturation: Ex-Rye (29%), Ex-Bourbon (29%), Garryana (19%), PX Hogshead (16%), and Refill Garryana (7%)
Release: September 2019
Outturn: 3750 bottles
Alcohol by volume: 50%

NEAT

A direct blast of cookie butter, digestive biscuits, graham crackers, and nutmeg fill the nose and never back off. Hints of Granny Smith apple skins and milk chocolate appear later on. Chocolate-covered cherries, cinnamon, and malt lead the palate, with dried cranberries and heat in the background. It finishes with cayenne, cocoa, dried cherries, and cinnamon.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or ½ tsp of water per 30mL whiskey

The nose gets maltier while adding vanilla and dried blueberries. The cookie butter and nutmeg move to the background. Almonds take over the palate, with cookie butter and black coffee in the back. Its finish matches the palate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

The mix of casks looks like it's going to be a hot mess, but it mostly works, probably because the PX cask element was kept low. It's still VERY Westland with all its maltiness, spices, and cookies. It may work best when neat, because the nose glows best in that form. The finish loses some steam, and is a bit brief, but things never get too sweet, which is a pleasant thing to experience in an American whiskey.

Rating - 84

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Westland Garryana Single Malt, 5th Edition

Distillery: Westland
Region: Seattle, Washington
Age: 45-73 Months
Mashbill: Washington Select Pale Malt + Baird's Heavily Peated Malt
Yeast: Belgian Saison Brewer’s Yeast
Fermentation: 144 hours
Maturation: 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Quercus alba (64%) and Virgin Quercus garryana (36%)

Release: November 2020
Outturn: 5625 bottles
Alcohol by volume: 50%

NEAT

PEAT in the nose. It reminds me of PNW's McCarthy's single malt, with its heavy charry smoke, though this adds in burnt pine. Soil, cocoa powder, and charred meat join the pyre, with almond butter and vanilla staying outside. The palate starts and ends with wood smoke and soil. Jasmine tea and vanilla sit in the middle, malt and black pepper in the background. It finishes with salt, wood smoke, and soot.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or ½ tsp of water per 30mL whiskey

The nose becomes simpler: sooty peat, chocolate, and vanilla. The palate holds soot, sugar, chile oil, and a hint of apricot. That soot consumes the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

The blenders had a heavy peat hand this time, and the Baird's malt takes over everything, choking out the Westland maltiness and whatever the Garryana had to offer. It's not a bad whiskey, but it's nearly one sooty note. It could have used some more fruit or spice or salt or something. If you're looking for a young soot-filled peater with more depth and style, Ardbeg Wee Beastie will do the trick. (Yes, I just recommended an Ardbeg in a Westland review.)

Rating - 80

Garryana #4 wins this match! And Jean Rollin loses. Onto the next matchup...

Isle of Skye Blended Whisky from the 1970s to 2010s

The Isle of Skye brand may have been created by Ian Macleod himself in the 1930s. He was a skilled blender, was born on Skye, and the island was home to his clan many centuries earlier. His whisky company (and thus this brand) was purchased by Peter Russell & Co. in 1963, and has remained under that ownership ever since.

Supposedly the Isle of Skye blends' malt elements are a mix of Speyside (think Glens Farclas and Rothes) and Island singles, with Talisker at the core. I qualified that previous sentence because I've never found any actual Talisker in the stuff.

Today's tasting is not going to be particularly helpful to those looking for a view into the brand's contemporary state. I mean, this is still Diving for Pearls. So here's my trio of Skyes:

1. Isle of Skye 8 year old, bottled in the early 2010s. I reviewed this very bottle 11 years ago, and the whisky has sat in the sample bottle for just as long. It's probably in great shape! (43%abv)

2. Isle of Skye 8 year old 5cL, bottled late '80s to early '90s. I found this mini bottle in a Campbeltown shop back in 2016. (40%abv)

3. Isle of Skye 18 year old, Private stock #45, bottled 1970s. Part of a split from a bottle that was opened just last year. Yes, this has 1950s distillate within. (43%abv)

Isle of Skye 8 year old bottled early 2010s 43%abv	Isle of Skye 8 year old bottled late '80s to early '90s 40%abv	Isle of Skye 18 year old bottled 1970s 43%abv
Nose: Pleasant layers of nuts, first almonds, then acorns(!), then hazelnuts. Everything else is pretty quiet, with bits of soil, vanilla-ed grain, and cinnamon rolls here and there.	Nose: Same nutty notes?! More earth, though, and some toasted coconut in the middle. Smaller notes of dead leaves and shoe polish appear later on.	Nose: Heavier and brinier than the other two, though the nutty base remains. Limes and milk chocolate line the sides. Hints of seaweed and oloroso arise after 45 minutes.
Palate: I think I'm getting OBE from my own sample bottle. Who knew? But it is gently sweet, with honey and brown sugar, with moderate notes of oranges and oak spice.	Palate: Oh wow, LOTS of Old Bottle Effect. It's like drinking metal, glass, and dust. And cardboard. Vanilla syrup-coated coal? It gets bitterer with time.	Palate: This one has the thickest mouthfeel of the three. The least OBE, too. Sweet oranges and tart lemons balance out the vanilla and brown sugar, with a sharp peppery bite in the background.
Finish: The sweetness vanishes, leaving behind citrus and oak spice.	Finish: Bitter cardboard and simple syrup.	Finish: Oranges and lemons remain, though the sweetness retreats. A pinch of cayenne in there too.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Isle of Skye 8 year old, bottled in the early 2010s

Odds of Talisker actually being in the blend: 10%

Eleven years ago it lost in a Taste Off with Johnnie Walker Black Label. Today, this version would beat the current Johnnie Walker Black blend. This Isle of Speyside, er, Skye isn't spectacular, but it's quite drinkable on its own. Might even be better on the rocks or in a highball. I don't see any reason to change the original grade.

Rating: 81

Isle of Skye 8 year old 5cL, bottled late '80s to early '90s

Odds of Talisker actually being in the blend: 25%

While I'm not sure if Old Bottle Effect was what ruins the palate, I do like the nose better than the more recent bottling's sniffer. Many minis with this generous of a fill level survive the years, but this one's a bummer.

Rating: 73 (generous)

Isle of Skye 18 year old, Private stock #45, bottled 1970s

Odds of Talisker actually being in the blend: 75%

Considering the whisky's ingredients, as well as JW Black's quality during this era, a drinker could not be disappointed. And it's not of an "old school" style. But this is a blend I'd be happy to sip, in fact I'm enjoying the second half of my sample right now. It's balanced but also quirky and requires no tinkering. It's the clear winner here. I'm sure you're all shocked.

Rating: 85

The Rum Dummy drinks Clarendon 37 year old 1984 Thompson Brothers

After being kicked off this site for trying to be funny and not being funny, I'm back!!!

And there's a good reason too. Kravitz found out that he wasn't very funny either. Last month, a woman left him because he thought he was sooooooo hilarious. Yes, she ditched him for it. He thought he got jokes, but instead he got dumped. It's true! [Ed. note: Dude.]

Also he has a lot of rum samples and, as you can tell, the guy can barely deliver his scotch reviews on time. So I figured I'd grab a 37 year old rum before I get kicked off this site again.

What is the difference between a Clarendon, a Clairin, and a Claritin? I don't know, I am the wrong person to ask. And if I came up with an actual punchline, I'd be sacked again.

Clarendon 37 year old 1984 Thompson Brothers for Auld Alliance, 62%abv

Hot stuff. I think it was aged for 34 years in Jamaica and three years in Scott Land. The Thompsons usually do whisky things, so I don't know where they got a rum cask from. Probably Jamaica.

Nose - Yummy. Milk chocolate, warm toffee, lots of vanilla extract. But there's also something good weird going on behind the pretty stuff. There are rotting black walnuts, olives, root beer, and chicory. And no, I did not add water. Because.

Palate - Mint leaves and black licorice rubbed in the dirt. Lemons. Something milky. It's not what I thought it was going to taste like. It also has a Clement (yes, the Rum Dummy drinks other rums and doesn't understand them either) herbal thing going on. It's very salty and has a kind of bitterness that I've never tasted before. I'd like to add that it doesn't burn like 62%abv. If everything this strong drank this easily I'd already be dead and Kravitz would be calling me The Dumb Rummy.

Finish - It's like licking stones. And there's that weird bitterness, which I kinda like. Burnt coffee and burnt grapefruit?

Yay old rum! But I'm very confused by the process that takes booze from one former brutalized British property, ages it some more in a current brutalized British property, only to sell it in another former brutalized British property. No wonder this liquor is so bitter.

Uh oh. I think that was a joke. Will Diving for Pearls allow me back? Gosh I hope so, because he has Uitvlugt. Uitvlugt! Funny, right? How about Uitvlugt bottled by Murray McDavid?

NOT WHISKY RATING: B

Old Perth 21 year old 1996 Blended Malt (54.9%abv)

One more sherried blended malt and then we can call it a week. Almost six years ago, I bought a bottle of Old Perth 21yo 1996 blindly. I'm not sure why I did that, but luckily the whisky was really good! A few years later, my friends, the Doctors Springbank, bought a 22yo 1996 Old Perth. Like the 21yo, it was a deeply hued sherry cask thing. The sample they provided has been sitting in my sample stash for nearly three years. Sorry, Doctors, for the delay!

pic source

Company: Morrison and Mackay
Brand: Old Perth

Type: Blended (or Vatted) Malt

Distilleries: ???

Age: 22 years (1996-2018)
Maturation: single sherry cask, maybe a hogshead?
Outturn: 283 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 54.9%

NEAT

A big nose on this one, with orange marmalade, honey, oregano, leather, and something metallic right up front. Walnuts and dried currants in the back. There's an industrial side to the palate, with coal smoke and that metallic note. Black walnuts and tart citrus fill the middle, heat and a subtle woodiness stay in the background. It finishes with sweeter citrus, dried cherries, a little bit of smoke, and a lot of heat.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or >1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose calms down and focuses on oranges, walnuts, applesauce, and canned peaches. Meanwhile the palate intensifies, now much oakier, pepperier, and sourer. And, curiously, hotter. It finishes with oranges, lemons, and tannins.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

My palate really prefers this one neat, thought it smells great either way. The whisky's lack of generic sherry cask notes, and the emphasis on citrus and walnuts, makes me think the vatting's ingredients were from bourbon casks, and the finishing vessel was seasoned with a particularly dry Oloroso. It's good, hearty stuff without water added, then gets consumed by the cask(s) once it's diluted. Keep it neat, and enjoy it during mild winter evenings!

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - was probably below £100 five years ago
Rating - 85 (neat only)

"Rich Fruity Sherry" 36 year old 1980 Cadenhead Creations

I had thought I'd scheduled three vatted (or blended) malts this week, but but lo and behold today's 36yo Cadenhead Creation is a blended whisky, which means the grain stuff is present. Though I don't know the ratio of malt to grain, the ingredients are known and I've listed them in the data below. (Hint: It's a Highland Distillers special!)

Ye olde Campbeltown bottler first produced a "Rich Fruity Sherry" blended whisky back in 2013, though that one was all of 20 years old. In 2016, this sequel materialized, darker, older, and more expensive. I matched it up against Monday's 40yo blended malt. Which one came out on top???

Bottler: Cadenhead

Range: Cadenhead Creations

Type: Blended Whisky

Distilleries: Highland Park, Macallan, Tamdhu, and Invergordon

Age: minimum 36 years (1980 - 2016)

Maturation: 2 sherry butts
Outturn: ???

Alcohol by Volume: 44.5%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The fresh, perky nose starts off with loads of bright citrus peels, mint leaf, and basil leaf. Some dates here, a hint of peach skin there. The cask influence expands slowly with coffee, maple syrup, and baking spices. It gets heavier and stickier with time until it's a mix of nocino and port.

Up front, the palate reads woodier and dustier than the nose. Combinations of stone fruits and honeys try to battle back the oak with mixed success as caramel and tingly oak spice rise from beneath. A few lemons appear in the final sip.

The same oak spice, and a puff of wood smoke, lead the finish. It doesn't get too bitter, and some tart citrus liven it up. Sweetness appears at the very end.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Unlike the exhausted casks of Cadenhead's 43yo blend, this whisky's oak stays plenty strong......to the point it makes me wonder how late into the game the two sherry butts were utilized for the four ingredients. Any lovely signs of those old Highland Distillers goodies evaded me. Invergordon may have been the loudest ingredient (aside from the oak), possibly because the malts were underproof. I didn't use any question marks in this paragraph, but this Cadenhead Creation left me with only questions. Stirk's 40yo vatted malt was the clear winner between the two oldies.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - also in the $300 range?
Rating - 84

The Exclusive Blended Malt 40 year old 1977 Creative Whisky Company

Some of David Stirk's best Creative Whisky Company releases were his blends — I'd still love to track down a bottle of the 20yo 1994 blended malt someday somehow — so I recently leapt at the opportunity to be part of a bottle split of CWC's 40 year old 1977 vatting. This oldie came from sherry butts and I'm not sure of its ingredients nor its outturn. At 42.9%abv, some elements needed bottling/blending before they were no longer "whisky", but that doesn't mean it those parts were bad, they just needed some TLC ASAP, and CWC was able to provide that service. And now it's time to run that whisky through my liver.

Bottler: The Creative Whisky Company

Range: Exclusive Blends

Type: Blended (or Vatted) Malt

Distilleries: ???

Age: minimum 40 years (1977 - 201?)

Maturation: sherry butts
Outturn: ???

Alcohol by Volume: 42.9%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

It's like nosing the inside of a gorgeous old cask in a dunnage, an earthy, musty smell that cannot be rushed. The sherry leans towards Palo Cortado or drier Olorosos, so more nuts (walnuts, pecans, Brazils) are present than dried fruits. Candied orange peels sneak in around the edges.

Dunnage and mushroom-ish umami notes lead the palate, with yuzus and limes in the midground. Hints of dates, tobacco, and wormwood float through the background. Oak does edge in slowly over time, but it brings much more spice than generic bitterness.

The long finish offers cloves, dried mint, and yuzu juice, as well as hints of menthol and anise.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This would have been another great bottle to own, and that's not just because the whisky was old. A blend can indeed go wrong when its ingredients have three or four decades on them. The structure may become frail and/or woody bitterness can take over. This vatting was bottled just in time, before those problems set in. So it's extremely drinkable, never too sweet, never too bitter, and a delight to nose.

Up next, a 36 year old blend from another indie bottler...

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - I don't think it was much more than $300
Rating - 88

Mannochmore 18 year old 1990, Special Release 2009

Enjoying a pair of great, young, spirity Mannochmores was one of this week's highlights. Drinking shouldn't be the highlight of a healthy person's week, but who said I was a healthy person?

Time to wrap up the fun with one of Diageo's Special Releases from back in the day when the releases were special. Though an 18-year-old Mannochmore was never going to leap off the shelves, it was nice for the braintrust behind Loch Dhu to offer a proper Mann to the masses.

Distillery: Mannochmore

Ownership: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Elgin)

Range: Special Relases

Age: 18 years (1990 - 23 April 2009)

Maturation: American oak and European oak casks

Outturn: 3210 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 54.9%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

In the nose, the fruits (peaches, apricots, honeydew) mix with florals and honey upfront. Dry sherry nuttiness stays just behind, with hazelnuts, walnuts, and almonds as highlights. The first sip offers a curious burst of Petite Sirah that never returns in subsequent sips. Then tart blueberries, citrus peels, almonds, ginger, and mint take over. French oak-style baking spices arrive later, slowly consuming all else, while also contributing a silky texture. It finishes with blood oranges, mint, lemons, those French oak spices, and a subtle creaminess.

DILUTED to ~46%, or >1 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

Baking spices and apricots start the nose, followed by orange creamsicles, golden raisins, and a hint of sugary pastry. The palate matches the nose here. Oranges and oak spices (cloves and ginger powder) meet mild florals, with the whole thing turning into oranges+ginger after a while. It finishes with cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and lemon peels.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Ah, here are some double standards. You'll note references to oak oak oak oak oak. But I like French oak notes, within reason, so this whisky fits my palate better than all the contemporary US oak monsters. Yet, this isn't as thrilling this week's previous two Mannochmores. It's a very good easy drinker that I wouldn't mind owning at whatever its 2009 price was, but........yeah, it's ultimately all about the casks here, not the Mannochmore.

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - ???
Rating - 86