...where distraction is the main attraction.

Friday, June 29, 2018

Randy Brandy drinks......Two Cognacs by Jean Fillioux

Well, Happy Christmas, it's time for me, one Randy Brandy, to ruin your Friday with TWO brandies. And one even comes from a full bottle.


At least it was full when Diving for Perks gave it to me this morning.

The other cognac is from a sample, which is a joke, like the French.


The French are great. They gave us Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados. They also helped American colonists kill the British, which in turn devastated the French economy which in turn led to the beheading of the French king. Wins all around.

Here, to prove I don't hate the French, I'm going to list Five Great Things About The French:

1. French Women - My wife, Brandy, is 5/7s French Huguenot. Which means her father is 7/5s asshole. That's Mendelian law. Look it up.
2. "How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?"
3. They're not British.
4. Um.
5. Nope, can't think of anything else.

I make fun of the French because no one ever has before. It's new. You should try it!

Appellation my ass. Cognac is made from grapes, you idiots.
Jean Fillioux cognac is imported into this fine country by my friends at Heavenly Spirits. Part of that sentence was a joke, like the French. (Again, see my authoritative list above, I love the French, blah blah blah.) The Fillioux family — with five generations of men with the Frenchest names: Honoré, Jean, Michel, Pascal and Christophe — caress the tears of grapes into cognac. Et cetera. I'm already pouring the cognac.

Here are my notes.

Jean Fillioux's COQ, 40%abv

Color: Radioactive Metamucil, which is the natural color of cognac.
Nose: It has a raw eau de vie edge, which is great if you're me. Paint, rope, hazelnuts and dandelions. Calvados? Calvados. Your father's cologne. Actually this probably is my father-in-law's cologne, the drunk.
Palate: Apricots, amaretto, honey, cloves. More of the raw stuff.
Finish: Lemons and dried apricots. Sweet and tart.

Jean Fillioux 1992 Millésimé Grande Champagne, 42%abv

Color: Dark stuff
Nose: Black licorice, pipe tobacco, cherry syrup, orange peels, butterscotch. A tart full of baked apples, cinnamon and figs, with a glass of madeira.
Palate: Berries, oranges, bubblegum. Salty toffee pudding. Oak spice and German apple wine.
Finish: Ginger, tart blackberries and bubblegum. Tangy and sweet.

There were my notes.

COQ has the balls to let the raw spirit flop out here and there. The palate has less thrust than the nose and then finishes prematurely. You love this paragraph. It's really quite pleasant overall though. The paragraph and the cognac.

All 42%abv single malt whiskies wished they smelled like the 1992 Fillioux. Turns me into Randy Romantic. The palate is less of a parade than the nose, but it would be great with dessert, for dessert. Breakfast. I'm so glad Kravitz held onto this sample until the 1992 was almost impossible to find.

Jean Fillioux COQ Grande Champagne
NOT WHISKY RATING: B-

Jean Fillioux 1992 Millésimé Grande Champagne
NOT WHISKY RATING: B+

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Ben Nevis 19 year old 1997 Montgomerie's, cask 186

Another 1997 Ben Nevis today. This time it's from Angus Dundee's Montgomerie's range. I was saving this sample for another month-long Ben Nevis run, but I gave in to peer pressure. Or rather, I will never again have enough Ben Nevis samples for a full month's worth of reviews.

This sample was part of a bottle split I did with Mr. MAO, who reviewed his portion promptly. To get some additional perspective on this whisky, I did a side-by-side tasting with Monday's 1997 Ben Nevis.


Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Montgomerie's (via Angus Dundee)
Age: 19 years old (1997-2016)
Maturation: probably an ex-bourbon cask
Cask: 186
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chill-filtered? No
Caramel colored? No
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
The simple nose starts with lemon zest, barley and a hint of roses. With time, notes of salty ocean air and underripe peaches arise. The palate starts with peppercorns, minerals and oregano. Some fruity sweetness meets a tart buzz. It's a little grassy. Minimalist, again. More stone fruit than citrus in the finish. A dry mineral white wine. More grass.

DILUTED to ~40%abv, or <1tsp of water to 30mL whisky
The nose brightens up. Some good apples, musky melon and honey. Toasted grains. Something dusty. More herbs and zippier pepper in the palate. A tiny bit of tropical fruit sweetness, maybe coconuts and papaya? Hints of flowers and vanilla. It has the same fruit in the finish with a mild bitter pulse. Moderately sweet. Is it subtle or just vacant?

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Another lean Ben Nevis. The oak shows a tiny bit more than Maltbarn's '97, but it's also three years older. There's nothing wrong with it, quality-wise, but it's tough to really cheer it on. It does perk up with water, as the fruits seem to awaken. But then the finish nearly vanishes, which may have to do with the reduced strength. Though I think I like it slightly better than the Maltbarn, it's not enough to give them different ratings. They're both moderate (and lean) Ben Nevii that really could be from a number of other Highland/Speyside distilleries.

Availability - Total Wine y Mas
Pricing - $99.99
Rating - 84 (preferable with water)

Monday, June 25, 2018

Ben Nevis 16 year old 1997 Maltbarn, cask 22

20% of 2018's whisky reviews have been Ben Nevis. AND THAT'S NOT ENOUGH.

So there shall be two Ben Nevis reviews this week.

First off, is a 1997 Nevis sent to me by Sir Florin-A-Lot. I'm pretty sure I still have more unopened spirits samples from Florin than our POTUS has orange hairs on his orange scalp. (I'm allowed to make fun of Trump's hair because my hair is just as sad.) In any case, today's Ben Nevis is a from an ex-bourbon barrel 👍. And it was bottled by Maltbarn, so if it's not farmy I will be very disappointed.


Distillery: Ben Nevis
Region: Highlands (Western)
Independent Bottler: Maltbarn
Age: 16 years old (1997-2013)
Maturation: ex-bourbon barrel
Cask #: 22
Outturn: 91  ← a shared barrel perhaps?
Alcohol by Volume: 53.2%

NEAT
The nose needs a few moments before it reveals itself. At first it's mineral and slightly floral. Then come fresh apricots and urine (also fresh). Then chalk, barley, raw cocoa and confectioner's sugar. As far as barn goes, maybe there's some clean hay. The palate is more expressive than the nose. It's sweet and malty, with lots of pepper and lemony citrus. Not much heat. It get sugarier with time, while holding onto the pepperiness. Peach candy and flower kiss candy in the background. Darker rumblings beneath, like something metallic. Lemons and rock candy in the finish. Minerals and pepper.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or <1tsp water per 30mL whisky
Soft, ripe stone fruits in the nose. Then orange peel and roses. Hints of the hay and chalk. The palate is peachy and sugary with the industrial/metallic thing still in play. Milder pepper. Orange candy. It finishes with peaches, orange candy and a peppery zip.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Serge was rough on this one, going as far as referencing Cornelius Jansen for chrissakes. I have a difficult time believing he doesn't sip a more severe & uncompromising whisky than this one, every other day. Sure, it's not the most cuddly thing, but it's not brutal or raw or even austere (crap, I used that word and it's only Monday).

The barrel was certainly taking a nap during those 16 years, but the bursts of fruit show off some decent slow maturation. There's neither peat, nor Nevis funk, which would have lent it some complexity. It takes water pretty well, in fact I might like it better at 46%abv. There are better bourbon cask Ben Nevises out there, but this ain't no slouch. Anyway, with an outturn of 91 bottles this is loooooong gone.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - was €95ish
Rating - 84

Friday, June 22, 2018

Highland Park 15 year old 1999 Signatory, cask 800198 (Chicago Cask)

We always have a good evening at our monthly Columbus Scotch Club gatherings. It's very casual, folks bring in fun bottles and only one person acts like snobby asshole about whisky (and he looks something like me).

At the end of May's event, Andrew S. told me he'd found a Signatory Highland Park while recently visiting Chicago. Though I no longer follow the vast majority of current releases, I do keep an ear out for non-"Viking" Highland Parks and Signatory things. But I'd never heard of this one. Apparently it's been sitting on Binny's's's's shelves for two and a half years. It was chosen by "Vintage Wines" and B's's site calls it a "Chicago Cask" (while listing the wrong age). What that means exactly, I don't know. But it's a full strength HP ex-bourbon barrel, so count me in for a taste. Thanks, Andrew, for the pour!


Distillery: Highland Park
Ownership: The Edrington Group
Region: Isle of Orkney
Independent Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Age: 15 years (October 15, 1999 - September 1, 2015)
Maturation: ex-bourbon barrel
Cask #: 800198
Bottle: 13 of 201
Alcohol by Volume: 57.6%
Chillfiltered? No
Caramel Colorant? No

NEAT
The nose needs a moment before it opens up. Then it's apricots, yellow peaches and orange peel. It's lightly floral and sugary. Hints of grass, citronella candles and chalk. A little bit of corn syrup and vanilla from the barrel sneak out after 30 minutes. Peach candy and lychee candy on the palate. Lemon, honey and roses. Toasty oak, sweet tobacco and malt. The tingly finish has lemons, honey and cayenne pepper.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1.5tsp of water to 30mL whisky
The nose becomes slightly nuttier. The flowers and fruit are quieter. Some more oak slips in. Grassier and sharper. Smarties candies. The palate gets bitterer. More pepper. Granulated sugar rather than honey. Pine and grain. It finishes bitterer, as well. Tangy. Vanilla and malt.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
A very pretty HP. Easy to sip. No peat, no smoke. Just fruit, flowers and fun. Keep it neat, you won't regret it. Adding water simultaneously silences and clutters this one up. I don't have much else to say other than, here's another great bourbon-cask Highland Park. Now how do we get a "Columbus Cask"?

Availability - Several left amongst the Binnies
Pricing - $129.99, such much?
Rating - 88

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Laphroaig Càirdeas 2017 Quarter Casks

My opinion of Laphroaig's Quarter Cask whisky has shifted over the years, and not in a positive direction. I was happy to champion the NAS Laphroaig Quarter Cask bottlings 6-7 years ago. The whisky was 8-12 years old and the oak was less intrusive than expected, and the whole thing was very good. The current version is......different. I wouldn't doubt the whisky is half the aforementioned age, and the oak is now in fact intrusive. It has become Laphroaig's "craft" whisky, with all the bad connotations that come with the C word. If I were to review the current version it would be only in comparison to an older edition. But I'd have to source both.

In the meantime...

Laphroaig's 2017 edition of their annual Càirdeas release turned out to be a cask strength version of Quarter Cask. Pretty cool, right? Cask strength 'phroaig is a plus. The chance to experience one of their regular range undiluted is also a positive thing. And, to their credit, Laphroaig was open to revealing the actual age of the whisky...

...which is 5.5 years. Which only went to bolster my assumption about the current age of the regular Quarter Cask and its shift in quality. But, I'm always willing to give it a go since the Càirdeases (Càirdi?) tend to be well made.


Distillery: Laphroaig
Owner: Beam Suntory
Product: Càirdeas
Release Year: 2014
Region: Islay
Age / Maturation: 5 years in first-fill Maker's Mark casks, then 6 months in American oak quarter (125-liter) casks
Limited Release: yes?
Alcohol by Volume: 57.2%
Chill-filtration? No
Caramel colored? Maybe

NEAT
Good news everyone, the color is very pale. No extra glow from loaded oak or e150a. The nose is nutty and sugary (like white frosting). The peat reads more toasty than medicinal. Hints of lemon peel, rubber and dried herbs. A vanilla bean note appears, then grows with time. It's young, peppery and herbal stuff on the palate, though the mouthfeel is thicker than Monday's Ardbeg. A brisk herbal bitter bite. Not much heat. Limes, almond butter and charred meat. Gets saltier and sweeter with time. Pepper, sugar, lemon juice and beachy peat in the finish.

DILUTED TO ~48%abv, or >1 tsp water per 30mL whisky
Salted caramels, wood smoke, metallic dust and mint gum on the nose. A wee puff of farminess. On the palate it's vanilla, sugar and dried herbs. Luckily the herbs are the loudest. Also lots of mint and chili powder.....which then becomes smoked paprika in the finish. Then tart citrus and peppery smoke. Slightly less sweet than the palate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
The whisky is fine. I prefer it neat, slightly. It's rare for me to enjoy a whisky's palate much more than its nose, as with this one, though I felt the same about Laphroaig Lore. The vanilla-ness was to be expected, but I wish there were less of it. The finish kinda whimpers out. But, thankfully, it's slightly less sweet than Ardbeg Hooves.

It never feels like 57.2%abv, which is good. But it never really feels like Laphroaig either. Perhaps I've been spoiled by the 2015 Càirdeas, and impressed by the rebound of recent 10yo Cask Strength batches.

Normally I praise Laphroaig for the accessible pricing of the Càirdeas releases, but I'm in no rush to spend $80 on a five year old whisky. I no longer do that for Kilchoman, a small family-run distillery, so I'm less inspired to do so for a large corporate distillery.

My Annoying Opinions, who generously provided this sample (thank you generous MAO!), holds this whisky in slightly higher esteem than I, while the Whiskybase community, as usual, regards it with greater enthusiasm than either of us do.

Availability - Available-ish in the US
Pricing - $80+
Rating - 82

Monday, June 18, 2018

Ardbeg Grooves Committee Release

I've received suggestions to stop reviewing LVMH's special releases because even the most negative review only keeps Lummy's latest bauble bouncing around the atmosphere. And yes, you've read the same line from me every time: Ardbeg ______ Special Release is not as good as any of the core releases. But some people are very nice to me and share pours from their bottles. And, like it or not, these unimaginative annual releases really are something that a good portion of the monied English-speaking single malt world knows of, and may like to read an independent review about before buying a bottle. If I push off this responsibility to someone else, I could be fairly accused of a feckless punt.

how do i know when the Ardblotter kicks in?
Let's dust off and update the old list:
Ardbeg Alligator - Rowrr!
Ardbeg Day - Almost as good as Oogy!
Ardbeg Galileo - Someone screwed up, right?
Ardbeg Ardbog - Not bad, but $110?
Ardbeg Auriverdes - Unmemorable
Ardbeg Perpetuum - No.
Ardbeg Dark Cove - Smells good, but it still loses to Oogy
Ardbeg Kelpie - Sour, bitter and hot. Oppressively poor.
Ardbeg Artein Alligator Grooves - ...

Distillery: Ardbeg
Ownership: Glenmorangie Plc (owned by LVMH)
Region: Islay
Product: Grooves
Age: NAS
Maturation: a mix of heavily-charred ex-wine casks and ex-bourbon casks
Limited bottling: yes?
Bottling year: 2018
Alcohol by Volume: 51.6%
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? No
(thank you to Jonathan M for the sample!)

NEAT
Its groovy color is dark gold. The nose starts off with rubber, chlorine, fresh basil, orange oil and grape candy. Lots of rubber. Tennis ball can. Minor notes of smoked meats. With time, there's some cranberry juice and berry compote. The palate is much sootier and smokier. Small red berry notes scattered about. Dark chocolate, almond cookies, black peppercorns and a hint of tangy citrus candy. It gets sweeter and sweeter with time in the glass. Smoke, lime and sugar in the finish, sort of a smoky mojito? Slight cayenne pepper zip. Moderate length.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 3/4 tsp water per 30mL whisky
A peach, apricot and pear juice cocktail on the nose. Also cinnamon and cardamom. Less rubber and smoke. Salty air, dirty hay. Cat piss (for you oenophiles out there). Aside from some tart berry notes, the palate is reminiscent of the current Ardbeg Ten. A little bitter and oaky, with lots of soot. Grassy and sweet. Much different than the nose. It finishes with the grass and sugar. Bitter smoke and tart fruit. Much shorter.

WORDS GROOVY WORDS
One thing I noticed in the official descriptions of the product is that only some of whisky is from heavily charred red wine casks. The rest is from ex-bourbon casks. Tempering the big oak+wine with standard Ardbeg was a very good idea. This leads it away from getting too fugly, like the Galileo, and brings it closer to the regular Ardbeg style. Still, one can just get multiple bottles of the (better) Ten for the price of Grooves. And thus the annual release problem continues.

But, it isn't a bad product. The nose and palate seem to be from two different whiskies and they're both decent, though it's a bit too sugary for my palate. I prefer it diluted because water pushes the rubbery stuff away and awakens some better fruit notes. BUT I have no idea if the regular 46%abv Grooves will have the same characteristics.

On Wednesday, I'll review Grooves's sparring partner, a thing that's almost current...

Availability - Still around on the primary market? I don't know. Plenty to be found on the secondary market already.
Pricing - $120-$320 (I'm not kidding)
Rating - 84

Friday, June 15, 2018

Arran 8 year old 1998 G&M Connoisseur's Choice

I bought this bottle three years ago. And I'm at a loss to find any more to that story.

Even though I split this bottle's contents with some whisky friends, it's still taking me FOREVER to finish the stuff. I don't remember why. How about let's find out?

Oh, one more thing...  For those who think G&M didn't start bottling some of the Connoisseur's Choice series at 46%abv until a few years ago, may I point to this Arran 8yo and this 36yo Caperdonich from 1968 (yes, the two are easily confused) as examples of G&M going bonkers and leaving an extra three points of alcohol in the whisky.

Distillery: Isle of Arran Distillery
Ownership: Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd.
Region: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Independent Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Range: Connoisseurs Choice
Age: 8 years old (1998-2007)
Maturation: ???
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
(review sample taken from the bottom third of my bottle)

NEAT
The nose is very spirity with a funky edge. Like moldy cardboard box. Wort, yeast. Sugary bits. Fresh lemons and green apples. Pecans. Slightly farmy. The palate is very malty with a light hum of oak underneath. An odd bitterness down there too. Lemony soap. Peppery, but also very sweet. It finishes bitter, warm, peppery and sweet. Decent length to it.

DILUTED TO ~40%abv, or < 1tsp water per 30mL whisky
Quite a shift in the nose. Apples, flowers, orange candy and eucalyptus. It's become a better drinker too. The palate ditches the bitterness, and mellows the sweetness. Grain-forward. Pilsner? Hints of coffee and aromatic fruits. The finish is pleasant but plain. Shorter, lightly tart.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
I've gone through three separate tastings of this whisky for this review, and the notes have been pretty consistent. The first tasting was done without dilution, and I was left wondering why G&M bottled it. Then I remembered the limp Ledaig I reviewed two weeks ago, and wondered why they bottled that one too. Then I wondered, what does G&M do with their lesser casks? Do they swap them with blenders? Or is the Connoisseur's Choice label their final destination?

But then I tinkered with dilution in the next two tastings. Water really made a difference. It's a better drink at 40%abv. It's not awesome, it still feels very young, and it's not on the same planet as the official 10 year old, but it's a decent casual sipper. In fact I'm finishing the bottle's final pour right now, sub-40abv, and it works.

Availability - ???
Pricing - I bought it for $39.99, which is probably why I bought it
Rating - 80 (diluted only)

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Arran 10 year old 2004 Orkney Bere Barley

When it first started up, The Isle of Arran distillery experimented with wine cask whisky releases. As the spirit (and the distillery) matured, the people in charge mostly discontinued the quirky cask approach. In 2004, Arran experimented with running an unknown number of batches of malted Bere barley spirit through their stills. That run has produced two releases so far, a 46%abv 8 year old and today's cask strength 10 year old.

Yes, Bruichladdich and Springbank have both put out Bere barley releases recently, but don't start thinking Arran's a copycat. 'Laddie's first Bere release was distilled in 2006, as was Springbank's Local Barley 11yo, both two years after Arran's run. While Arran may not exactly be a pioneer with this stuff, kudos to them for giving Bere a go. It is difficult to grow and delivers a low alcohol yield. So one might say, that when compared to the mass-produced strains used by contemporary distillers, this old Viking barley can be a bit of a Bere.

Hey, where are you going?


Distillery: Isle of Arran Distillery
Type: Single Malt
Ownership: Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd.
Region: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Age: minimum 10 years (2004-2014)
Barley Strain: Bere
Maturation: ex-bourbon barrels
Outturn: 4,800
Alcohol by Volume: 56.2%
Chillfiltered? No
Colored? No

NEAT
The nose leads with almond butter, soda bread and cracked peppercorns. It has both a gentle floral side and a wasabi edge. Hints of Italian sausage(!) and peach. The nutty note expands with time. Less alcohol heat than expected. But that flips in the hot palate. It's very grassy and earthy. Rocky. Peppercorns and a rugged bitterness. Some generic sweetness. Earth and herbs in the finish. The bitterness gets difficult, as if it's a long over-steeped cheap green tea.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 4tsp water per 30mL whisky
The nose is less edgy. But also just less. Nuts, grains and fruits are quieter. Some dried apricots in there. Very little change in the tough palate. It remains hot, herbal and earthy. Pencil graphite and peppercorns. Tangy and tart, like out of season berries. In the finish, there's earth, peppercorns, graphite and tingles.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
On the plus side, this is not an easy whisky, which offers a change of pace from Arran's often drinker-friendly products. Was that a plus? I don't know. It's very earthy and rocky and herbal. Those are plusses. When neat, the nose is very entertaining, zigging and zagging and burping up all sorts of quirky things.

But there's is no complexity in the palate. And the finish is borderline unpleasant at times. Note, this is coming from a guy who likes austere (oh that word) whisky. I liked Bruchladdich's and Springbank's gambles with Bere better than this. And the 8yo Arran Bere Barley sounds MUCH better than this thingy too. So I'd be happy to try that one, but I don't need to drink this one again.

Availability - Europe here and there
Pricing - $80-$100 ex-VAT
Rating - 76

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Arran 10 year old 2007 James MacTaggart

In 2017, the Arran distillery celebrated 10 years since James MacTaggart became their master distiller. The very day he took the job, in 2007, the owners boinked him on the head, fermented and distilled him, finally pouring his spirit into about 60 first-fill bourbon barrels (he was a large man). After ten years, the barrels started to smell funny so James was poured into 12,000 bottles and distributed to retailers. I chose not to buy a bottle of James because that's disgusting. Spending money, I mean.

Okay, so I did splurge on a 2oz sample
Distillery: Isle of Arran Distillery
Type: Single Malt
Ownership: Isle of Arran Distillers Ltd.
Region: Isle of Arran, Scotland
Age: minimum 10 years (2007-2017)
Maturation: first-fill ex-bourbon barrels
Outturn: 12,000 (limited!)
Alcohol by Volume: 54.2%
Chillfiltered? No
Colored? No

NEAT
The nose leads with a load of fruits, specifically cantaloupe, lemon and white nectarines. A sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar. A dusting of cocoa. Give it 15 minutes... Menthol, cucumber water, canned Mandarin oranges and circus peanuts. The palate holds the citrus, while picking up vanilla bean. Both a mild burn and a chile pepper zing. Malty, while a bit of salt. A lemon note drifts to grapefruit, and back. Maybe a little bit of toasted coconut. The medium warm finish has malt, vanilla, Rolos and circus peanuts.

DILUTED TO ~46%ABV, or 1tbl water per 30mL whisky
The nose is dumbed down. Less fruit, a more generic vanilla. Lemon, cinnamon, caramel. Hints of mint and malt. The palate has a good texture. It's malty and lemony, sweeter. Very tangy. Moments of vanilla and bitterness. Still some heat in the finish. It's tangy and sweet. A little bit of grain and tannins.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Don't dilute James. He's best at full strength. The complexity in his nose is impressive after only 10 years. And I'm a fool for all that fruit. The palate is decent, while the finish is unremarkable. So he does the Nose > Palate > Finish slide. While the first-fill barrels are present, they don't budge their way forward until water is added.

James did well. He turned out to be a €700,000+ release for Arran. Well done, sir. Who's next?

Availability - UK and Continental Europe, and a tiny bit in the US
Pricing - $65-$85 (ex-VAT) in Europe, more expensive in the UK. About $100 in The States.
Rating - 85

Monday, June 11, 2018

Tony

(Photo via Facebook/@PartsUnknownCNN)

I have never felt so devastated by the death of a public figure. Though I didn't know him personally, I experienced heavier bouts of emotion over Friday morning's news of Anthony Bourdain's suicide than I have over the loss of a number of people in my life. It takes me a long time to emotionally respond to a loss, sometimes years. But this time it was different. Some reasons behind my feelings are linked to my own issues, while others are bigger than me.

Though my choices of evening viewing differ vastly from Kristen's preferences, she and I loved Bourdain's productions. It got the point where we just called all his shows "Tony", as in "Wanna watch Tony tonight?" His book, Kitchen Confidential, is still striking, not necessarily for the salacious details, but for the hyperkinetic stream-of-consciousness blast of its final chapter. It's even better when you can hear his gorgeous voice in your head as the words speed by.

Throughout his work, Food was always a front for People. At first it was barely apparent, starting with the sarcastic generalizations in Confidential. But by the time Parts Unknown came out, culinary concerns were an afterthought. Yes, "street food" or "peasant food" is great, but who were these people behind it? Episode after episode, he sat down at kitchen tables with families, ate grandmas' dishes, drank papas' booze, easing everyone into questions about their lives. He made this enormous difficult world feel closer and more human.

It was this progression that was so moving. Though he long preferred to keep his personal life out of the public eye, his development was burningly public.

Before our eyes, a man grew up. The punk became an elder. He showed us something we never really see from public figures, that a man can be stridently, classically masculine and thoughtful and loving and drawn to those who struggle and hurt (see the Massachusetts episode of Parts Unknown and his balls-out support of the #MeToo movement). It was an awakening sadly unique to our time.

I am so thankful Anthony Bourdain invited us to join him on his journey. He was the greatest of guides, and one of my last heroes. May you be in peace, Tony.

Friday, June 8, 2018

Hazelburn 8 year old Cask Strength (bottled 2010)

There was some Hazelburn 10yo left over from earlier in the week, so I was able to compare it to today's whisky in order to get some perspective on these whiskies. They're both spent their time solely in ex-bourbon casks, an approach that worked better for me than the sherry cask flop of the old 12yo.

This 8yo cask strength release seems to have been from a single cask, and may have been bottled exclusively for the American market. It was released back in 2010, but winesearcher says there was at least one retailer still selling it as of last month. Hazelburn is not the sexy sibling of the Springbank family.


Distillery: Springbank
Brand: Hazelburn
Region: Campbeltown
Age: minimum 8 years
Maturation: ex-bourbon cask
Bottle code: 10/426
Outturn: 228 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 56.5%
Chillfiltered? No
Colorant Added? No
(from a sample swap with Jordan of Chemistry of the Cocktail. Thank you, Jordan!)

NEAT
Its color is light straw. So far so good. The nose starts off with anise, orange peel, strawberry jam and cocoa powder. Some roses and cinnamon. The orange peel note shifts to orange blossoms. Not too much burn overall. More marzipan than vanilla on the palate. Very mineral, along with tart citrus and a hint of florals. The sweetness grows with time, while a sriracha zap also develops. The citrus gets sweeter in the warm, salty and peppery finish.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 4tsp water per 30mL whisky
The nose's fruit gets more tropical. Musky melons. Lemons bars, roses and butterscotch. The palate is TART, but good. It has an almost syrupy thickness to its mouthfeel. Still has the minerals and hot pepper sauce. The herbal note grows. A slight burnt note around the edges. Lemons, minerals, herbal bitterness and salt it the finish, which also has that subtle burnt thing.

WORDS WORDS WORDS WORDS
Well, it's my second favorite Hazelburn this week. My take on this bottling sits somewhere between Jordan's and MAO's. It's far from perfect whisky, but the nose is very good with its fruit and botanicals. The palate is a bit narrow. Either water doesn't open it up, or I needed to add more water. I'd definitely drink this whisky again, but another eight years in what was clearly not an overactive cask might have resulted in something very fun. If you missed out on this release, like I did, don't worry. Just go for the regular 10yo.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 82

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Hazelburn 12 year old (bottled 2009, 09/335 code)

On Monday I reviewed the very good OB bourbon cask 10 year old Hazelburn. Today it's the sherry cask-driven 12 year old Hazelburn, which actually preceded the 10 year old on the market, time-wise. This particular batch was from the first year that Hazelburn 12 hit the shelves. I tasted it alongside the current 10 year old. They are two very different whiskies.

Distillery: Springbank
Brand: Hazelburn
Region: Campbeltown
Age: minimum 12 years
Maturation: all, or mostly, ex-sherry casks
Bottle code: 09/335
Outturn: 3900 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Colorant Added? No
(from a sample swap with Jordan of Chemistry of the Cocktail. Thank you, Jordan!)

NEAT
Its color is almost maroon-brown. The nose is cloaked in big rubbery sherry. Some musty dunnage and definite dosage of peat. Dark cherries and milk chocolate meet a heavy green leafy note (parsley?). The palate is woody rather than winey. In fact, it's very woody. Beneath the tree bark and bitter pulp, there are hints of anise, soil and dried herbs. Hot and sweet. On the finish it's wood-run spice, char and bitterness. Lime candy. Sweet. Long but flat.

DILUTED TO ~40%abv, or <1tbsp water per 30mL whisky
The nose improves a little. There's dried herbs, honey, golden raisins, dried berries. The sherry is quieter and nuttier. Bits of earth and peat. At first the palate feels better, but then the violent tannins kick in, stomping down the herbs and lemon candy sweetness. It finishes tannic, sour, bitter and peppery.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
I was going to say this feels like a denser, greener, uglier version of GlenDronach 12, but the spirit is so hidden that this could be any single malt abused by questionable sherry casks. The smothered distillate was from the first Hazelburn runs, but who knows what that would've, could've, should've tasted like. What does show is a significant quantity of peat. But the peat doesn't even feel like it fits in this odd soup.

Dropping this expression and tuning up the bourbon cask 10 year old were wise decisions by the Springbank folks. Of course, that's not the popular opinion. Serge liked this whisky, and 98.6% of whiskybase voters gave it higher scores than I did. But Jordan's take is similar to mine. And we're right.

Availability - a few dozen specialty whisky retailers
Pricing - $90-$105 US, $55-$85 (ex-VAT)
Rating - 73

Monday, June 4, 2018

Hazelburn 10 year old (current edition)

Good news everyone, it's HAZELBURN WEEK!

*boards up the windows as the riots begin*

I've been waiting to do a week of unfutzed-with Hazelburn for almost three years. Really. And now the time has come. I'm starting this week's Hazel trio with the current 10 year old. Its sparring partner is the whisky I'll be reviewing on Wednesday. The 10 year old is a bourbon cask Hazelburn, while Wednesday's is sherry cask Hazelburn.


Distillery: Springbank
Brand: Hazelburn
Region: Campbeltown
Age: minimum 10 years
Maturation: ex-bourbon casks
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Colorant Added? No

NEAT
It has my favorite whisky color: five beer piss. The nose leads with barley, lemon and milk chocolate. Notes of apple peel progress into apple cider vinegar. Wet dog, sand and clay. Hint of rosewater. Faint peat notes. Yeasty. Reminiscent of Tobermory 10. There's also something old school about it, perhaps it's the utter unsexiness. The palate starts off with fuji apples, barley, bran flakes and almond cookies. Very thick mouthfeel. A little bit of heat to it, but not bad. Anise, peppercorns and a mild sweetness. A lime note appears after 15 minutes and keeps expanding. The simple but lively finish has tart apples and lots of barley. Mild sweetness and mild pepperiness.

DILUTED TO ~40%abv, or <1tbsp water per 30mL whisky
The nose becomes more herbal and mossy. Sweeter too. Lemon zest, green apples, white nectarines and a toasty grain undertow. The palate is lean but not mean. Light herbal bitterness, honey and bran flakes. A sprinkling of yeast, drops of lime juice. Kinda beer-y at times. Its finish is sweet and tart. Lots of barley.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This is the best Hazelburn I've ever had. The casks, probably refills, get out of the way and let the (very good) spirit do its thing. At the same time, it's not under-matured. There's just a lot of whisky in this whisky. You'll have to take a look at the notes above to see if this suits your palate. It does well for mine.

It's too bad that a decent 10 year old single malt like this now costs $60+ (whether one buys it in The States or has it shipped from Europe). That's all that keeps me from buying a bottle.

Availability - many specialty whisky retailers
Pricing - $60-$75 US, $45-$65 (ex-VAT) Europe
Rating - 86

Friday, June 1, 2018

Killing Whisky History, Episode 13 - Glenlivet 12 year old, botttled 1986-1988

How about that? Thirteen episodes in and I finally get to a single malt. Bottled in the '80s, this famous Speyside whisky bears little resemblance to the current version. In a very good way.

Now it's time to cuddle up with your loved ones, or coworkers, and watch me drink.