Meditations on Stay-At-Home Fatherhood and also Glen Spey 21 year old 1989 (Diageo 2010 Special Release)

Today's four meditations:

Your child's excretory proclivities will be of boundless interest to you and your partner, but no one else.

---

Your arm muscles will adjust as your child gets heavier and heavier.  Soon her 25 pounds seem normal, while infants who weigh 15 pounds are almost dangerously feather light.  You begin to think, I'm getting so strong!  Then you go back to the gym to start lifting again and you discover, no you are actually not stronger.  You are weak.  You only have Dad Strength, a currency useless with everything else in life.  Meanwhile your back muscles are fucked.  Sorry dude.

---

You will now treasure every time you can go to the bathroom alone.  Sometimes, half the reason you go to the gym is to hand your daughter off to the child care brigade so that you can utilize the fitness club's dirty-ass latrine in semi-peace, serenaded by gray matter curdling pop-dance beats.  Otherwise, enjoy the challenges faced by your own excretory proclivities at home as your infant crawls between your ankles while you are upright or attempts to climb into your lap while you are in a state of focused repose.

---

FACT: Every time you are unable to stop your child's weeping 10% of your soul dies.  It exits the body through the sternum and vaporizes in the troposphere.  The good news is that, thanks to math, your soul will never be reduced to absolute zero.  Unless you run for public office.

---

Today's single malt:

This whisky has appeared on this blog before.  I reviewed a sample of it in April 2012.  It was referenced again in January 2013.  And then in May of this year, I mentioned it was the bottle I opened to celebrate Mathilda's first birthday.  It gets so many mentions because I enjoy it thoroughly, and also because I often repeat myself.

Part of this whisky's charm, and why it's probably difficult to compare it to other Glen Speys, is due to its creative maturation.  Back in 1988, someone at Diageo for some reason thought it would be a good idea to season 20 to 30 virgin American oak casks with sherry before filling them with newmake.  The mix of the new oak with the sherry and the fruity Speyside malt is a hell of a thing.  I'm not sure if anyone else has released something like it since.  Especially anyone named Diageo.

Distillery: Glen Spey
Owner: Diageo
Age: minimum 21 years (1989 - 2010)
Maturation: new American oak seasoned with sherry

Region: Speyside (Rothes)

Alcohol by Volume: 50.4%
Limited Release: 5844 bottles

NEAT
The color is a reddish gold.  The nose starts with rye and corn.  Or is that my nose interpreting the oak's influence as rye whiskey and bourbon whiskey?  Then there's lime peel, nutty sherry, and almonds in toffee.  There's a note that exists somewhere between cookie dough and Play-doh.  Then milk chocolate, pencil shavings, pipe tobacco, and roasted coffee beans.  Vanilla bean and incense.  Hints of honeydew.  The palate has a whole bunch of ripe fruits in sugar: think loquats, apricots, and tangerines.  Wood spice, like an oaky old rye.  Baklava with rose water syrup.  It gets more floral (definitely roses) with time.  Cigar tobacco.  A subtle bitterness appears, but I'm not sure if it's from the spirit or oak.  It finishes floral and sweet, citric and toasty (both grains and oak).  Vanilla, halvah, toffee, tangerine-ish citrus, and a hint of tropical fruits.  Some drying tannins.

WITH WATER (~43%abv? I don't know, I had a foot cramp mid-hydration and lost track of how much water I added but I never add water to this whisky anyway and run-on sentence.)
Lots of maple and vanilla in the nose.  Some tropical fruit, but also a bit of wood pulp.  The palate is very tannic, bitterer.  There's tart grapefruit, vanilla, some nuts, some pencils.  The finish is woody.

At times it's as if someone mixed a little old rye or high-rye bourbon into well aged Speyside.  Not only does it work, but damn this thing sings.  The oak, the sherry, the spirit all combine into something that's both pretty and muscular.  BUT, I concur with MAO, do not add water.  Neat only.

Also, this was released back when Diageo's annual special releases didn't cost as much as a mortgage.  In fact, this one went for $150ish in some areas -- I found it for $120ish in the UK -- but it still stayed on many retailer shelves for 3-4 years.  Considering how many lesser whiskies sell out much quicker while being more expensive and less limited, and considering how many great reviews this got (from MAO, Sku, Murray, and Serge), it took considerable effort for the hoard-happy whisky community to avoid cleaning this out years ago.  And I am thankful for it.

Availability - Still lingering around in a couple dozen specialty shops around the world

Pricing - $150-$250

Rating - 91 (neat only)

The Spring Whiskies: Old Taylor 6 year old Straight Bourbon (1991 bottling)

To all the folks who lust after Stitzel-Weller dusties, y'all can have 'em (except maybe leave a single Old Fitz for me somewhere).  My preference is for the stuff National Distillers used to make.  If you want to read about a man falling in luff with ND-era Old Taylor, see my post from March of 2014.  Also, I encourage you to read that post for more information and good links about Old Taylor.  Today's post will focus just on this particular bottle.

This particular bottle, found in a neighborhood liquor store, cost all of $12.19 before tax.  The bottle itself is from 1991...

...which means that this was likely from the last batches of the old label old version of Old Taylor.  After this it was replaced by an all-Beam version of OT.  Like my 1987 bottle, this one lists both Frankfort (ND's home of Old Taylor and Old Crow distilleries) and Clermont (Beam), KY.  It also has the National Distillers UPC prefix 86259.

But unlike my beloved 1985 and 1987 bottles this bourbon was bottled at 40% ABV, rather than 43%.  And that, as I shall now demonstrate, makes a difference.

OLD TAYLOR 6 YEAR OLD STRAIGHT BOURBON, bottled in 1991
Owner: Beam Inc at time of bottling
Distilled by: National Distillers
Brand: Old Taylor
Distillery: possibly at Old Crow Distillery, some older spirit may be from Old Taylor Distillery but that's very doubtful in this instance
Location: Frankfort, Kentucky / Clermont, Kentucky
Mash Bill: ???
Age: minimum 6 years old; though it has been suggested by Michael Jackson that 10+ year old whiskey is in the mix
ABV: 40% ABV
Bottle year: 1991

Its color is dark gold.  The nose leads with cinnamon, rye, and vanilla custard.  Small perky highlights of dried blueberries, raspberry candy, and tangerines appear from time to time.  Then there's barrel char, bubblegum, jasmine, and denim.  With 30+ minutes in the glass, the whiskey picks up more rye-ish spices and a lot of caramel.  The palate is charry, slightly bitter, slightly sweet.  And watery.  There's a hint of soap, though that's due to bottle oxidation as I've found with all of my dusty Old Taylors; if I don't empty the bottle in two months, the soap demons come to take it away.  There's a very rich vanilla note which is met by cayenne pepper, tart berries, and tart citrus.  Time in the glass makes it slightly fruitier and bitterer.  The finish is simple but of decent length.  Sweet, floral, peppery.  The palate's berries sweeten up here.  The soap note shows up briefly.

I didn't add water due to the palate's thin nature, but I have put it on the rocks during a couple hot weekends.  With ice, it turns into a refreshing vanilla and halvah sipper.

The noses on these dusty Old Taylors leave me wonderfully prone to superb superlatives.  They're my favorite bourbon sniffers, and one of my favorite whisk(e)y smells overall.  (I can confirm the gorgeous aromas also show up in National Distillers' Old Grand Dad bourbons too.)  I don't know if this is due to decades in the bottle, or that this stuff used to smell this great back in the '70s, '80s, and '90s.  I've never smelled anything like it in contemporary whiskies.

On the other hand, the palate was disappointing, even discounting the soap note.  OT was excellent at 43% (and 50%) abv, but Beam seems to have broken it by reducing it to 40%.  In my stash there's an '89 that's 43% and a '90 that's 40%.  So it seems as if Beam tried to stretch out the last of their ND stocks during the final couple of years.  A bummer indeed.  It's not terrible, but it falls far short of the nose.  I might just finish off the last couple ounces on the rocks the next time the heat jumps above 90ºF.

Availability - Happy hunting!

Pricing - ???

Rating - 82 (gained a couple points by working well on the rocks, but if the palate had matched the nose then this would have been near 90)

WTF Is This? Ardbeg Perpetuum.

BOOM!  Almost-Relevant whisky.  Yes, this is still Diving for Pearls.  For those who have been reading my rambling for years know much of this Ardbeg intro, but for those who are newish...

As recently as three years ago, Ardbeg was one of my Top Five favorite distilleries.  They could do no wrong with their regular range of Ten, Uigeadail, and Corryvreckan.  I didn't find their Ardbeg Day events annoying and I eagerly awaited their annual special releases.  But then we each went or separate ways.  To adapt to demand and shortages or fiscal demands, Ardbeg changed the recipes of Oogy and Corry.  The whiskies got younger, the oak/wine got louder, and the balance couldn't hold.  What once was the best peated whisky on the market became just pretty good.  Meanwhile, I grew up.  The aggressive marketing began to read as circus barker gibberish and their special releases provided diminishing returns.  For instance:
Ardbeg Alligator - Woo hoo!
Ardbeg Day - Almost as good as Oogy!
Ardbeg Galileo - Someone screwed up, right?
Ardbeg Ardbog - Not bad, but $110?
Ardbeg Auriverdes - Who cares?
Ardbeg Perpetuum - No.

Usually when these special releases come out, LVMH's marketing team buries some information about the actual whisky contents within their storytelling.  But this year, they and Bill Lumsden are playing especially coy about Perpetuum's content.  They say it is “inspired by the main styles, ideas and quirks of fate which have influenced Ardbeg recipes over time. It combines different styles, different flavours, different dreams and different trials, all skilfully married together in a melange of the very best Ardbeg has to offer.”

So it's mystery meat.  $110 mystery meat.  Thanks to the Orange County Scotch Club, I was able to try the stuff and then I pirated a sample.

Distillery: Ardbeg

Owner: LVMH

Age: NAS

Maturation: one would assume so

Region: Islay

Alcohol by Volume: 47.4%
Release Year: 2015
Limited Bottling: 72,000

Tasting Notes:
Color - Pee.  Which usually means urine for a good time.

Nose - More burnt and mossy than the Ten.  Then cinnamon rolls, if fact there's a lot of cinnamon (cassia) in here.  New tires, ocean / seashells, and Laphroaig-y band-aids.  Eggy sulfur hits first, later it becomes struck match sulfur and singed tennis ball fuzz.  With 15-20 minutes of air, a new oak note develops, then totally takes over by the 25 minute mark.

Palate - Burnt and bitter (but good bitter).  Black licorice, mint, sweet basil, and a little bit of white sugar.  Between the burnt note and something meaty, it reminds me of Balcones Brimstone at times (though better).  Moments of hazelnuts and nutty sherry.  A curiously thin and watery texture.

Finish - Charred ribs, sugar and cinnamon, peat, rubber, and cheap cigar smoke.

Reflections:
1.  In Ardbeg's own description they're admitting this is a garbage pail whisky.  And that's not necessarily a bad thing.  There are some very good garbage pail whiskies (see the late Longrow CV).  But this is what they went with for the distillery's 200th anniversary?  Really, Ardbeg?  Why don't you show a little pride and release a cask strength version of the Ten?  You know, "This is us now, two centuries in, at full power. Deal with it."  It doesn't even have to be ten years old.  Just make it all bourbon cask, bottle it at 60%abv, and even bitter old Diving for Pearls would buy a bottle.
2. On the nose, I could do without the eggy sulfur, but I didn't mind the matches.  The new oak note was out of whack with the rest.  The palate was good and the finish was actually better.  But the very thin mouthfeel was strange.  That was the only thing that stood out when I first tried it at the club event two weeks ago.  I found that thinness again this time.  It was so watery that I didn't feel the need to add more.
3. As decent as the good parts are, overall the whisky is nothing that Ledaig can't do better, regularly.
4. In fact, it's nothing that Ardbeg's own regular range doesn't do better, regularly.

And again, #4 is the main problem.  The perpetual problem, if you will.  Each year the special release comes out, and each year it fails to top their regular cheaper stuff.   Exclusivity -- which is what I assume Ardbeg Day geeks are paying for -- does not equal quality.  So, if you're shilling out $100-$130 in order to hoard, flip, or brag about young brown liquid, then that's your financial decision (though you may want to read this).  But if you're thinking about buying Perpetuum to drink, then you can find much better whisky for less money, and some of those better bottles will still say Ardbeg on the front.

Availability - Unsurprisingly still available at many specialty retailers

Pricing - $100-$130, though much more on the secondary market

Rating - 81

The Spring Whiskies: Glenlivet Nadurra 16 year old, batch 0309H

Ha HA! I did take a picture
of this one.

Man, the last time I reviewed the Nadurra was way back during this blog's first few months of whisky reviews.  I'm not even sure which batch I had reviewed.  Things have changed since then.

I've always thought Nadurra was in a league separate from Glenlivet's 12 and 15 year olds, sort of like Glenfiddich's Distillery Edition compared to its own 12 and regular 15.  But I actually like Fiddich's 12 and 15, while I cannot say the same about Glenlivet's 12 and 15.  In fact, it's difficult to name any official 10-12yo single malt that I like less than the current Glenlivet 12.

Unlike some of its younger brethren, Nadurra 16 is all ex-bourbon barrel stuff.  In some batches, one can find really good casks in the mix.  While I've heard that recent batches (from 2013 and especially 2014) didn't match the quality of earlier ones, I can neither confirm or deny that possibility.  What I can confirm is that as of 2015 the age statement has gone away and the prices have risen.  Meanwhile, there are now NAS cask strength bourbon barrel batches, NAS cask strength sherry cask batches, and 48%abv batches of both for duty free.  Recently I had a glass of the CS sherry stuff and found the nose to be better than the palate, though with air the palate improved.  But overall it wasn't good enough to inspire me to buy a bottle.

Wow, that last paragraph was a mess.  I'll move on.

This bottle of Nadurra was from batch 0309H, which means it was the eighth batch overall and was dumped together in March 2009.  The bottling code on the back of the bottle shows April 2009.  And on the front it has the old Nadurra label.

Brand: The Glenlivet

Ownership: Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard)

Region: Speyside (Livet)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Maturation: American (ex-bourbon) oak casks

Age: minimum 16 years

Batch: 0309H (batched in March 2009)

Bottled: April 2009

Alcohol by Volume: 55.1%

Colored? Possibly

Chillfiltered? No

NEAT

The color is a medium gold; there appears to be less e150a here than in Glenfiddich's Distillery Edition.  The nose begins very fruity: exotic tropical stuff, overripe peaches, clementines, and ripe honeydew.  Over time the fruit notes become more floral.  Meanwhile there are also notes of salted caramel ice cream, toffee pudding, and key lime pie, along with brief moments of vinyl raincoats and barrel char.  The palate is fruity up front too, more like lemon and lime zests.  It's thick and (wood) spicy.  Puddings, hard candies, and lollipops surround a roasty malt core.  Time in the glass reveals smaller notes of salt, burnt grains, and black peppercorns.  The long finish has rich vanilla and caramel, along with black cherry soda and lime lollipops.  This sweetness is met by a hint of spicy rye spirit and black peppercorns.

WITH WATER (~43%abv)
In the nose the tropical fruits recede, giving way to oakier things like barrel char, caramel candy, and toffee.  The clementine oranges are still in there.  As is a note that I can only describe as Mathilda's all natural baby wipes (some combo of cucumber/chamomile/licorice root).  The palate reads almost like a sweet and simple floral bourbon.  Lots of wood spice and caramel.  It finishes floral as well.  Also some powdered ginger, cinnamon, and char.

I reeeeeeaaaaaallllly like this batch, but until this official tasting I had never added water.  While it's acceptable whisky at 43%, it's much better when neat.

Some folks might find it to be too much on the sweet and fruity side.  Perhaps the oak gets a little loud sometimes.  And it's not the most complex thing.  But d-a-m-n do I dig it.  It smells and tastes delicious.  I wish Glenlivet hit this sweet spot more often.  And, you know, I don't really have any commentary other than that.  Recommended.

Availability - (all 16yo batches) still easily found at most specialty retailers

Pricing - (all 16yo batches) a wide range, from $60 to $90

Rating - (this batch only!)  89

The Spring Whiskies: Glenfiddich 15 year old Distillery Edition (2013)

Because I drink seasonally, I employ strategery when opening my bottles.  For instance, I don't open Octomores or Ardbegs in the summer because I don't crave soot and smoke in warm weather.  On the other hand, I don't open up light fruity whiskies in the winter since that's when I want heavier darker things in my glass.  Thus, it was a Spring of The Glens here.  My spring whiskies were two Glendronachs, one Glen Spey, one Glenlivet, and one Glenfiddich.  I reviewed the two Glendronachs last month; I'm making the Glen Spey last a long time; the review for the Glenlivet will be later this week; and I'll be damned but the 'Fiddich is all gone except for today's salvaged sample.  Hell, this big cork topper is all that's left of the bottle.

Yes, I never did review my winter whiskies.  I'll be sure to do so right in the middle of summer, at the least appealing time.

Anyway, back to the Glenfiddich.  As per my request, my lovely wife picked up a one-liter bottle of Glenfiddich 15 year old Distillery Edition from the duty free shop in OR Tambo (Johannesburg) Airport last December.  It's really one of the only whiskies of interest in a travel retail market full of overpriced NAS one-offs.

I reviewed the 15yo Distillery Edition last April from a purchased sample.  This time it's from a much larger and reliable source.  In the concluding section of last year's review I wrote, "Finally, an adult whisky from Glenfiddich", "a Glenfiddich that can easily compete with other upper echelon Speyside/Highland malts", "it's a real whisky and it's good to know what Glenfiddich can do", and that Oliver Klimek was right about something.  After obtaining my own bottle would I find those same statements to be true?  Or did that liter of whisky just magically and quickly vanish on its own?

Photo borrowed from last year's post because
I didn't even think to take a pic of my own bottle.

Brand: Glenfiddich

Ownership: William Grant & Sons

Region: Speyside (Dufftown)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Maturation: a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks
Age: at least 15 years old
Bottle Code: L3

Alcohol by Volume: 51%

Colored? Probably

Chillfiltered? No

NEAT
The color is reddish-orange gold.  There's quite a bit of (mostly American) oak in the nose, right up front.  Stuff like vanilla ice cream, Cow Tales candy, and milk chocolate.  Then dried apricots, canned peaches, black licorice, and lime juice.  Smaller notes of Pledge furniture polish, dried grass, something green like dandelion stems, and maybe some moss.  While plenty of caramel and vanilla live in the palate, there's also vibrant floral esters throughout.  Then milk chocolate, orange candies, and a hint of salt.  A peppery note builds with time.  The finish gets more orangey and floral than the palate.  I also found the canned peaches, caramel candies, and lemon candies.  To counter that are some tight tannins and a whiff of smoke.

WITH WATER (~43%abv)
At first the nose is silenced.  But gradually notes of canned peaches, lime zest, caramel, dried grass, and moss appear.  The palate is much more peppery now.  It's also thick and sweet.  Big notes of lime and oaky caramel, along with a hint of ginger.  The finish is also sweeter and still holds on for a while considering the added water.  Oranges, limes, and barley are what make it up.

The nose is very complex for a Glenfiddich, to which we can probably thank the higher ABV and lack of chillfiltration.  But it drinks so easily at 51%abv and that's where it wins.  That's why this one-liter bottle was drained much too quickly.  It's very rich without being very complex.  It holds up well with water, but I prefer it without.  Compared to last year's sample, my bottle had a little less sherry and a little more US oak.

Otherwise, everything else I have to say confirms my first review.  This is highest quality product in Glenfiddich's regular range and it's a shame it's not part of their regular range in the US.  While the 12yo and 15yo are very good values, the 15yo Distillery Edition is very good whisky.  As long as they keep selling these 1L bottles via travel retail, this will always be my first choice at duty free shops.

Availability - Everywhere except for the US

Pricing - this bottle was $70 for the full liter, otherwise 700mLs will run about $60-$80 with int'l shipping

Rating - 87 (neat only)

WTF Is This? Glen Gyle 8 year old Vatted Malt Whisky

This is Glen Gyle whisky, but it is not made at Glengyle distillery.  It is instead a Loch Lomond-owned brand of vatted Highland malt whiskies.  Because Loch Lomond would not sell the brand name to Glengyle's owners once the distillery reopened, Glengyle had to name their whisky something else.  They went with Kilkerran, the name of the nearby church.  Glen Gyle is an older small sparsely distributed brand, so the Glengyle / Glen Gyle issue seems on the surface like a weird dick move on the part of Loch Lomond.  Or......did Frank McHardy and company really just want to name their whisky after a church?  If anyone knows more information about this situation, please let me know.  I'd be happy to remove my "dick move" comment if it's unwarranted.

There's almost nothing online about Glen Gyle, other than the Glengyle/Kilkerran situation.  There were a few bottles in online auctions.  There's a mostly blank page in Whiskybase.  Here are some better bottle photos.  And that's it.  There's no additional information about it in any of my whisky books.  If you know more about this whisky, please let me know and perhaps together we can fill in the blankety blanks.

I do know one thing, I'll never have the opportunity (or desire) to do three Loch Lomond products in one week again!

Sample was from this very bottle

Brand: Glen Gyle

Current Ownership: Loch Lomond Distillery Co.

Type: Scotch Vatted (or Blended) Malt

Age: 8 years
Bottling year: I'm guessing late '80s or early '90s

Alcohol by Volume: 43%
(Sample purchased from Southern California Whiskey Club)

Its color is very gold considering its age, perhaps thanks to e150a?  Lots of fruit upfront in the nose: lemons, limes, and pineapple.  Then caramel and marzipan.  Gradually the esters steer towards roses and grapefruit.  Hint of hot cereal.  Also a tiny bit of blended Irish whiskey coarseness.  But overall, the whole nose is quite vivid for a 43%abv 8yo.  The palate is very sweet and malty.  Lots of lime.  Hints of peat and wood smoke.  Tannins gradually creep in, drying things out.  Vanilla and dusty sherry funk show up later on.  After a half hour, it's all bread crust, toffee, and pineapple.  In the finish it's citrus, more vanilla, and caramel.  Simple but inoffensive.  Smoke settles into the aftertaste.

Wow, that was unexpected.  I like this whisky.  I'm not sure what happened to the brand, and I seriously doubt they could get the quality whiskies they'd need for it, but if they could recreate this it would be great in the $30 range.  Loch Lomond Co. could actually have a hit on its hands.

I think there's some older stuff in the mix, maybe some old underproof sherried casks.  The subtle smoke is exactly the sort of thing I like in a number of Highland malts.  Though I remember reading somewhere that Glen Gyle contains Loch Lomond whiskies, either they're buried beneath stronger stuff or the distillery used to make better whisky than they do now.

So, if anyone out there has had Glen Gyle 8yo or knows more about it, please share in the comment section.  Thanks!

Availability - Auctions?

Pricing - ???

Rating - 84

Where's the Love? Loch Lomond Batch 1 That Boutique-y Whisky Company Single Grain Whisky

Well this is a nice little triangle, isn't it?  In one corner, there's the oft troubling messy whisky from Loch Lomond.  In the next corner is the indie bottler whose samples (sold by their own retailer) always come out weirdly.  AND!  This is an NAS single grain.

Some random trivia:
--Loch Lomond is often cited by Tintin fans as Captain Haddock's booze of choice.  Well, it ain't this Loch Lomond.  Captain Haddock was introduced in 1940.  The distillery wasn't built until 1965, with production commencing in 1966, and the whisky not entering markets until around 1970.  So the make-believe character was drinking make-believe whisky.  Blistering barnacles!
--Loch Lomond distillery is not a member of the Scotch Whisky Association.  So that's kinda punk.
--There's a hand-knitted stuffed stegosaurus next to my computer right now and he's trying valiantly to make it look like he's not interested in what I'm typing.

Distillery: Loch Lomond
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company

Independent Bottler: That Boutique-y Whisky Company (TBWC)

Age: damfino

Maturation: yes

Type: Single Grain
Region: Highlands (Western)

Alcohol by Volume: 52.4%
Limited Release: 191 bottles
(Sample purchased from Master of Malt by Tetris and donated to D4P. Thank you!)

NEAT
The color is gold.  The nose is......unique.  I've never smelled a whisky like this, grain or malt or blend.  At first it was pine sap, citron, and lychee.  And then WHAM, this huge note of mango seed.  Having gnawed on my share of mangos (awesome in salsa, btw), I've discovered this intense sourness when I get to that that big-ass seed in the middle.  This whisky smells like that flavor.  While that scent doesn't go away entirely, some caramel and cinnamon join it after some time.  Kristen found a butterscotch note when she sniffed.  The palate has a mellower version of the mango seed thing.  There are larger notes of Red Hots candies, burnt wood, and especially fresh ginger.  The usual blah grain note is well hidden under all of this excitement, but it does gradually emerge.  And along with it comes an ever growing note of juniper.  Soon it's just juniper, ginger, and mango seed.  And that is exactly what carries through in the finish: juniper, ginger, and mango seed.

WITH WATER (a little below 40%abv)
The nose mellows out.  Citron, mango seed, caramel, cinnamon, and now some bread crust.  My first note about the palate: "barrel-aged gin".  Juniper, lime, ginger, mango seed, cinnamon, sugar, and caramel.  The finish doesn't change much other than getting sweeter.

I swear this is barrel-aged gin.  And I was about to write a whole big paragraph about it since I though I was being so original, but then I discovered that someone on Master of Malt's site already made this same observation.  So click here (and scroll down to the User Reviews) for the guy or gal who discovered it first.

But unlike the person who left that review, I kinda like this stuff.  Not necessarily as a whisky, but instead as an experience.  While I'd be totally happy to hate on TBWC and Loch Lomond, I can't here.  This is weird enough to be cool.

Unfortunately, it seems to be totally sold out.  It does make me wonder how Loch Lomond's grain whisky fares in general.  MoM has an 18yo single cask of LL's single grain, but $140 for 18yo grain whisky?!  No thanks.  If you've had any experiences with Loch Lomonds single grains, let me know in the comments below.  This one was a hoot!

Availability - Sold out?

Pricing - was €47.50 or £37.95 two years ago

Rating - I don't really know how to grade this.  I dunno, 80?