...where distraction is the main attraction.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Laphroaig 10 year old, 40%abv version (distillery mini, 2016)

Yes, it's time to taste my rent from my very own square foot of Islay. This mini was presented to me, along with the coordinates of my plot (and a flag, I think), when I checked in at Laphroaig distillery three years ago.

This also marks the first time I've reviewed the classic Laphroaig 10yo at its lower European market strength of 40%abv. Because of its low alcohol content, I had it batting leadoff in this week's Laphroaig lineup (see here and here for the other two whiskies).

Distillery: Laphroaig
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Maturation: ex-bourbon barrels
Age: minimum 10 years
Bottled: March 2016
Alcohol by Volume: 40%
Chill-filtration? Yes
Caramel colored? Yes

NOTES
What's most surprising about the nose is its lack of the familiar iodine-seaweed-medicinal whiff. Rather it's very close to the barley, fresh and biscuity with honey and green apples. The peat is leafy and herbal with a teeny bit of toasted seaweed. Hints of honeydew and elephant exhibit eek out after 10 minutes. While the palate is smokier than the nose, it feels watery in the mouth. Salt, pepper and sugar in the background. A little bit of dried oregano and marinated banana peppers. It finishes with a "seaweedy truffle salt" per my notes. It's also smoky and sweet with a moment of dried herbs.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This was so disappointing, I didn't continue the lineup until I finished this pour because it would have gotten bulldozed by the other Laphroaigs. Though I enjoyed the nose's youth, its notes could have come from a decent young malt from many other distilleries. The palate is damned close to peated blend territory with its heavy filtration, colorant and dilution. Where's the Laphroaig in this Laphroaig?

All that being said, I would never dump this down the sink. It serves its whisky purpose without offending, though its lack of offense is sort of offensive.

Availability - All over Europe
Pricing - €30-€45
Rating - 79

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Laphroaig Càirdeas 2014 Amontillado Cask Finish

Winter arrived a month-and-a-half early this year, so the recent jumble of Ledaig, Lagavulin and Laphroaig reviews feel very appropriate. This week it's all whisky from Bessie Williamson's distillery. On Monday I reviewed 2019's limited edition Càirdeas, today it's the 2014 edition.

Yes, there have been some gaps. I've reviewed the 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019 releases and referenced the 2016. I remember drinking the 2018 (Fino finish) but perhaps I consumed it without taking notes. Oh, the humanity!

Anyway, the 2014 edition keeps up the fortified-wine-cask-finish Càirdeas approach begun in 2013 and continued thereafter. Amontillado is usually not a sweet sherry, rather it tends to be dry and nutty. (And, oh geez, I'm beginning to fear the 2020 edition will be PXed.) Hopefully this Amontillado goes well with Laphroaig's spirit...


Distillery: Laphroaig
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Age: ???, though probably less than 10 years
Maturation: bourbon casks first, then a finish in Amontillado-seasoned hogsheads
Batch: 2014
Alcohol by Volume: 51.4%
Chill-filtration? No
Caramel colored? Probably
(from a bottle split)

NEAT
The nose smells of new sneakers, from the sole to fresh laces. There's also seaweed, hot tar and an old greasy engine. Meanwhile, there are all sorts of curious fruity things going on: melons, watermelon Jolly Ranchers and a hint of amaretto (not Amontillado). The palate has a curious dirty smokiness to it. Not only is it not Laphroaig-ish, it's not even Scottish. It reminds me of of Säntis or Aecht Schlenkerla. Like burning pine needles and wood chips, burnt vegetable oil. After 20-30 minutes it shifts towards familiar territory with nutty sherry, tart apples, fresh ginger and anise. It finishes with the piney smoke, brine, almonds and tart apples.

DILUTED TO ~48%abv, or < ½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose holds plastic, apricots and a gentle smoke. Smaller notes of mint leaves, dried cherries and cinnamon trail behind. The palate stays burly. The peat heads closer to southern Islay, being herbal, bitter and briny, but there's also a decent sweetness in the background. The finish keeps its good length, and mostly matches the palate, adding a little more ginger.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This Càirdeas is more of a thinker, a forehead wrinkler, than the 2019 edition. At first the palate presents something different, a little difficult but fascinating, then it changes course and becomes a reliable Laphroaig. The nose is more consistent, but also less exciting. There are no gloopy or grapey sherry notes, for which we have the Amontillado to thank. Overall it's a good alternative spin on Laphroaig, but I don't think I missed much at the time of its release.

Availability -
Secondary market

Pricing - ???
Rating - 86

Monday, November 25, 2019

Laphroaig Càirdeas 2019 Triple Wood

In the days before Select, Four Oak, Brodir and their woody siblings, the Triple Wood expression was the caskiest of the official Laphroaigs. For those new to Triple Wood, here's how it goes: the distillery takes <10 year old bourbon cask Laphroaig, then gives it a series of brief finishes in small quarter casks, refill sherry butts and first fill sherry butts. The result is usually a very mellow and sugary thing with moderate peat.

I lost interest in Triple Wood, as I have with most of Laphroaig's recent output. Then they went ahead and intrigued me by releasing a cask strength version of the Triple for 2019's Càirdeas (an annual release that tends to be both good and well-priced). Because the regular 3W has a 48%abv, the Càirdeas release would have needed to be a real bruiser to set it apart. Sure enough, it has the second highest abv, 59.5%, of any official Laphroaig release.

My sample of Càirdeas 2019 — courtesy of Mr. MAO — was tried head-to-head with the other two Laphroaigs being reviewed this week...



Distillery: Laphroaig
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Age: ???, though probably less than 10 years
Maturation: bourbon casks (one) then quarter casks (two) and sherry casks (three)
Batch: 2019
Alcohol by Volume: 59.5%
Chill-filtration? No
Caramel colored? Probably

NEAT
It has a bright bold nose. Flowers and chocolate, baby. Specifically very dark chocolate. Mint candy and peated peach Jolly Ranchers. Almond extract meets manure. No element overwhelms another. The very nutty palate has just the right amount of sweetness. Fresh ginger + lemon juice, and a seaweed-y umami note pumped up with Laphroaig 10yo CS power. It finishes with lemons surrounded by a very dense smoke, a sprinkle of cocoa in the background. It has a subtler sweetness and saltiness than the palate.

DILUTED TO ~48%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
It's become a very different whisky. I'm getting s'mores in front of a gorgeous bonfire, on the nose, complete with toasted marshmallows, milk chocolate and graham crackers. A little bit of toffee in there too. The palate has shifted to more of a dessert whisky, though a bitter smoke keeps it in balance. Brisk notes of limes and dried herbs, as well. The finish matches the palate, though the sweetness and bitterness mellows out.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Though nuanced whiskies are preferred in these here parts, this beast won my heart. The volume has been turned waaaay up on the casks, spirit, smoke, sweets, alcohol, the whole thing; and as result it appeals to the senses much more than the most recent batch of Laphroaig's 10yo Cask Strength. For a different take see MAO's review of the same whisky. His enthusiasm for the whisky is more muted than mine, though as he notes, this Càirdeas takes to dilution very well, probably improving it. I'm glad he shared his whisky with me. Whenever I go back to buying scotch bottles again, I will certainly consider buying one of these.

Availability - Available at many specialty retailers in the US
Pricing - $60 to $90 as of this post's date
Rating - 89

Friday, November 22, 2019

Glendronach Cask Strength, batch 3

Here's a thing. The ABV of each Glendronach cask strength batch:


Batches 1-5 were bottled by Billy Walker's Benriach Distillery Company. Batches 6-8 were bottled by Brown-Forman. What exactly is B-F doing differently? Younger whisky and/or fewer old casks in the mix? Different part of the warehouse? Different sized casks?

I'm not sure what's going on, but it's curious. Luckily, batch six and seven did continue this series's high quality. Now let's go back to the earlier stuff.

Batch two was pretty darn good, though it fell short of the first batch. Time for Batch #3.


Distillery: Glendronach
Ownership at time of bottling: BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd
Current Ownership: Brown-Forman (ugh)
Region: Eastern Highlands (on the edge of Speyside)
Age: ???
Maturation: a mix of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks
Batch: 3
Bottled: 2014
Alcohol by Volume: 54.9%
(Many thanks to Eric S for this sample!)

NEAT
The nose is big on sherry (for reals?), opening up bags of dried stone fruits. Citrus zests, anise, mint leaf, saline and carob follow. Maybe a little bit hot. The palate is actually more appealing than the nose. There are chocolates, toffees, wood spice, beef stock and tart cherries. It has a warming, almost smoky conclusion with moments of bitterness and tart fruit.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or < 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose gets beefier, picks up Thai chiles and a simple curry powder. Some cardamom, grapefruit, anise and plenty of heat. Meanwhile, the palate gets a little strange. It's bitterer and saltier. Even a little bit soapy. There's more "classic sherry" raisin notes, milk chocolate and wood spice. The finish is savory, spicy, sharp and soapy.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
As noted above, something weird happened to the palate once I added water. I tried it again three nights later and found similar results. No one else has reported the soapy notes, so perhaps this has something to do with the five years it took me to open up the sample. But just to be safe, I recommend leaving out the water because the whisky is quite good when neat. The palate is its richest element, registering a little beefier and savorier than other batches. To me, batch one still holds its position as the best of the group. To those who have tried multiple batches, what say ye?

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - ???
Rating - 85 (neat only)

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Glendronach Cask Strength, batch 2

I've tried six of the eight Glendronach Cask Strength batches and have found the series to be very solid. Reviews of batches one, six and seven can already be found on this blog, so it's time for a pair of the in-between releases. The first batch was the best by far, so far. Can batches two and three compete?


Distillery: Glendronach
Ownership at time of bottling: BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd
Current Ownership: Brown-Forman (ugh)
Region: Eastern Highlands (on the edge of Speyside)
Age: ???
Maturation: a mix of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks
Batch: 2
Bottled: 2013
Alcohol by Volume: 55.2%
(part of a bottle split)

NEAT
The bold and complex nose is also a bit scattered. There are dried currants, golden raisins, honey, almond butter and apricots (fresh and dried). Cinnamon candy, limoncello and cardamom sit in the background. Notes of new tires, toffee and smoked vanilla beans arise after the whisky sits for 30+ minutes. The palate has a chocolate and malt base with a number of smaller notes floating about: mango, serrano pepper, wood smoke, tart citrus and something industrial. It's sweet but not too sweet, especially as the tart citrus expands. The medium-length finish holds chocolate, tart citrus, serrano pepper and metal workshop.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose is all milk chocolate, limes, clementines, dried oregano and a stony earthiness. Lots of bitter chocolate and cocoa in the palate, as well as lime juice, dates, tar and Underberg. The finish matches the palate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This proves to be two different, though related, whiskies at 55.2% and 46%abv. It's a wild thing at full strength, loaded with character(s) but, for me, it hits all the right spots once it's diluted. Water doesn't open it up, rather it brings focus to the whisky, highlighting its strengths and making it more approachable without dumbing it down. While it doesn't hit the first batch's heights, it's still a very good whisky.

Availability - Secondary market?
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87 (with water)

Monday, November 18, 2019

Powers Signature Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey (bottled 2013)

Powers Gold Label was the first whisk(e)y I ever adored, and I always had a bottle on hand until Pernod Ricard rebooted the Powers line in 2013. Gold Label, a blend, received a new label and bottle shape, its ABV went up 3.2 points and its price jumped 67%. The 12 year old Special Reserve blend was pulled from the market and was replaced by two pot still Powerses, the 12yo John's Lane and the NAS Signature. As I wrote in my review of the newer Gold Label, this rebranding did not acheive the intended result. After two years, Powers' volume sales in the US dropped 33%, while the other six top Irish whiskey brands' volume rose by 28%.

I don't entirely understand what happened next. In 2015, Signature was removed from the market, and Three Swallows took its place. Both were single pot stills, both had no age statement and the price remained about the same. But the ABV was dropped from 46% to 40%. Yes, the pot still was now more watered down than the blend. Meanwhile the "three swallows" emblem and/or phrase had existed on Powers blends' labels in the past, which introduced some potential confusion. Also, Signature's and Three Swallows's packaging was identical, except for swapping out blue for green. Needless to say, I will not be purchasing a bottle of Three Swallows.

But I did buy Signature when a US retailer started slinging it for close-out prices. I'd previously had Signature at pubs, and found it reasonably good enough (and similar enough) to make the blend irrelevant. Now it's time for a proper review.

Brand: Powers (no more apostrophe?)
Style: Single Pot Still
Distillery: Midleton
Region: Cork, Ireland
Age: ???
Maturation: bourbon barrels + Oloroso sherry casks
Bottle code: L317131149 14:55
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Added colorant? Probably

NOTES
Vanilla shortbread and clementines lead the nose, followed by brown sugar and almond extract. Subtler notes of tropical fruit, pickle brine and plaster linger throughout. Yes, its palate is like the current blend, but richer and sweeter with less of an industrial hardness. But at the same time it's simpler. Brown sugar, sea salt and lemon notes lift it up, and it gradually develops a Campari-like bite. The finish goes lighter on the bitter, bigger on the pepper. It's sweet, think vanilla ice cream and lemon sorbet.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
As noted above, Signature is sweeter than the blend, but also less complex. It's less difficult, more friendly. It does have a good thick mouthfeel, thanks to less dilution and no chill-filtration. Yet, I opened this bottle four months ago and it's still more than half full. It sits next to the Knappogue Castle 12 year old single barrel and I reach for the KC first, almost every time. I can't find any enthusiasm for it, aside from the occasional hot whiskey. Perhaps its disappearance wasn't a terrible loss.

Availability - still available at dozens of American retailers
Pricing - $40-$60
Rating - 83

Friday, November 15, 2019

Where's the whisky? And where are the rye barrels? Important questions.

It has recently come to my attention that I drink whisky. Like, ofttimes. On the reg. Et cetera. Since this blog went whisky — and especially since parenthood commenced — I have rarely gone more than two days without a pour. When healthy, I have not gone more than five days without a single drink since.......since.

As of today (Friday), it has been one week since I last consumed an alcoholic beverage. The reasons are threefold. Firstly, I had an awesome whiskey experience a week ago, something I intend to write about shortly, and the body needed a rest afterwards. Secondly, a giant turd of a winter dropped early this year, ushering compounding colds into my home. If I can't trust my nose, then I'm not wasting liver cells. Thirdly, I appreciated the challenge.

After a week away from the sauce have I become a new man, clear of mind, sharp of reflex, calm of temper? Not even remotely. But I did it. Hooray for me. Now I would appreciate a glass of whisky.

Luckily I had Wednesday's Ledaig review in the queue, so there was some sort of content here, because no drinking means no reviews. I mean, Randy Brandy could have posted a review but he's busy doing......doing......what does he actually do?

Speaking of mysteries, where are all the rye barrels? I mean all the rye barrels. Society will never hear the end of bourbon barrel this and bourbon barrel that. Bourbon barrel-aged wine, beer, tequila, rum, brandy, every whisky not made in America, hot sauce, feta cheese and husbands. But what has happened to all the former rye whiskey barrels?

I've seen a few microbreweries age ales in ex-rye barrels. Johnnie Walker did their short-lived rye barrel-finished blend. Glenmorangie did a thing. There's a quarter-cask rye barrel-finished Tamdhu floating around out there (thank you to Jordan for pointing that one out!). But where are the other 99% of rye barrels going?

Does anyone have a lead on this? Am I missing something? Also, for goodness' sake, why isn't rye barrel scotch a thing? It can be done.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Ledaig 11 year old Time IV, TWE Exclusive

TWE stands for The Whisky Exchange, and Time IV stands for Time IV one more Ledaig review!

Hey, where are you going?

Come back!

That was only the first of many many jokes.

Oh well, I guess it's just me and......me this time.

If I remember correctly, TWE's "Time" series focused on the effect time has on a whisky's spirit, using refill casks so that time ≠ oak. Tobermory's peated single malt, Ledaig, was a good choice due its spirit's vibrant character. This particular whisky's color is very very light — which you can't actually see in the bottle pic below — much lighter than that of its sparring partner, last Wednesday's sherried 6yo Ledaig.


Distillery: Tobermory
Brand: Ledaig
Owner: Distell International Ltd.
Region: Isle of Mull
Independent Bottler: The Whisky Exchange (per Whiskybase's listing)
Age: minimum 11 years (???? - 2016)
Maturation: my guess is one refill hogshead
Outturn: 319 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 48%
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? No
(Thanks to MAO, yes that guy, for the sample! See his review here.)

NOTES
The nose is full of yeast and barley, salty ocean air and smoked fish. Then saltines, golden delicious apples, rock candy and cotton candy. Even though the whisky is almost colorless, the palate is not raw. It's mildly tart, mildly sweet and mildly bitter. Salty smoke, sea water and apples. A fruity sweetness builds with, you know, Time. Barley, apples and sea water lead the finish. It's moderately sweet with an almost savory smoke.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
At half its age, this cask could have been a palate killer, but here at age 11 this Ledaig enters maturity without any woody burden. There's a variety of smoky notes and plenty of oceanic character. Gentle sweet and tart fruit notes give it extra dimension at its spot-on bottling strength. Without modern bells and whistles, it probably wasn't the fastest-selling Ledaig single cask, but kudos to those who did pick it up. It's a drinker.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 85

Friday, November 8, 2019

Laphroaig 10 year old Cask Strength, batch 011

The plot escaped me somewhere along the way. I was going to review each batch of Laphroaig's cask strength expression each year.

005 was the weakest batch to date.
006 was better but not quite there.
007 was very good.
I had 008 when I visited the distillery.
I bought 009, then gifted it to a friend.
010......?

Thank the whisky gods (who are otherwise still on their lunch break) that MAO sent me a sample of this year's batch 011. And yes, MAO and I are doing simul-review of this one too! Yay! Here’s his review!

It’s been a very MAO-y week, has it not? You're welcome.

Distillery: Laphroaig
Owner: Beam Suntory
Region: Islay
Maturation: ex-bourbon barrels
Age: minimum 10 years
Batch: 011, Feb 2019
Chill-filtration? No
Caramel colored? Probably
Alcohol by Volume: 58.6%

NEAT
There's a low lemon/citron/citronella rumble in the nose and a bonfire at the beach (like an Ardmore but three times the volume). Eucalyptus smoke and pine needles in the salty air. Charred beef and mustard seed. Brown sugar and Beam-like peanuts arise after a lot of time in the glass. Big smoldering smoky kiln notes in the palate. Then some brine, seaweed, menthol and a hint of bitterness. It's moderately sweet with some cinnamon candy notes. It finishes with smoke, cinnamon, smoke, limoncello, smoke, bitterness, smoke.

DILUTED TO ~48%abv, or 1⅓ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The peat reads greener on the nose, less smoky. A brief farmy whiff. Eucalyptus, mint leaf, lemon and hot sand. The palate becomes sweeter but not as sugary as batches 005 and 006. It also gets brinier and tangier, while staying smoky and lightly bitter. The finish stays a good length with mild smoke, salt, bitterness and tanginess.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
There's nothing technically wrong with this batch. It's neither oaky nor too sweet. There's plenty of salty seaweed things and heavy smoke. But I can't seem to find anything to rave about. The nose is right on, but the palate is, well, fine. Simple and reserved. No "Oh goddamn this Laphroaig Glory" going on.

Per the picture above, this whisky had two sparring partners: the first batch of Ben Nevis Traditional (which it bested) and Westland's Peated single malt. It did not best the Westland, which says something about either Westland or Laphroaig. Or both.

Have I built up my expectations too high for these Laphroaig CS batches? Or is it Lagavulin 12yo CS's fault for being so damned good year after year? I don't know. Batch 011 is good and so is its (pre-tariff) price. But though there is goodness there is no glory.

Availability - Available in many of these American states
Pricing - $60 to $90 as of this post's date
Rating - 86

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Ledaig 6 year old 2004 Murray McDavid

Gonna keep this intro brief:

I'm not a fan of this decade's rash of single cask baby whiskies, and I doubt you'll find anyone who has complained about Murray McDavid's whiskies as much as I. So, I'm setting my expectations low low low low.

My Annoying Opinions is also reviewing this whisky today. I'm curious to see what he thinks of it. I'll link to his post in the morning. And here it is!


Distillery: Tobermory
Brand: Ledaig
Owner: Distell International Ltd.
Region: Isle of Mull
Independent Bottler: Murray McDavid
Age: 6 years (2004-2010)
Maturation: sherry casks
Outturn: 1100 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? probably not
Color added? probably not
(Thank you, Florin!)

NOTES
Whoa, I like the nose. It's very autumnal, with moss and wet leaves. There's also a big figgy note from the sherry cask. Hints of smoked salmon and tennis ball as well. After 30 minutes, these elements all come together creating one solid unit. Similar to the nose, the palate has the autumnal notes and a sherry influence that reads mildly sweet but not jammy. Dark industrial smoke drifts around notes of honey, toffee, citrus and bitter herbs. The smoke registers the loudest on the palate. Minor notes include tart grapes, citrus and a little bit of sweetness.

A bit stunned by how much I enjoy this, I'm digging into the archive to withdraw a sample of a very difficult 6 year old 2005 Ledaig sherry cask by Blackadder for comparison purposes.


Lowering that one's ABV to 46%. Waiting a bit...

Ledaig 6 year old 2004 Murray McDavid, 46%abv
Hey here's some elephant dung in the nose. Cheers! Also burning leaves. Then dried stone fruits, tennis ball fuzz and moss. The dark industrial smoke still leads the palate. That's followed by lemon candy, honey and cayenne pepper. The finish feels longer this time. It's all dark chocolate with a mix of sweet and bitter smokes.

Ledaig 6 year old 2005 Blackadder, reduced to 46%abv
Dark chocolate and gasoline on the nose. Gigantic peatin'. Ocean air and ham. Old rubber ball. A whiff of rotten eggs. Cleaner than the nose, the palate has some good vegetal peat, a nutty note from the sherry cask and herbal bitter liqueur. Its finish is shorter than the 2004's, though it's devoid of sweetness. It's mostly big salty smoke with subtle nutty notes.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Yes, this is good. And I enjoyed it more than the 2005 in the head-to-head. Murray McDavid eschewed its usual awkward cask work which may have been the key to this whisky's success. In fact, kudos to MMcD for pulling this cask before it got all wonky, woody and winey. As it stands (or sits), the whisky is young but it avoids the Mega Mezcal notes baby peaters usually haul out. I wish I'd gotten in on this bottle back in the day (2010!) rather than the 6yo Ledaig I did buy. In any case, thank you, Florin, for sharing your bottle with us!

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 87

Monday, November 4, 2019

Lagavulin 11 year old Offerman Edition

For a few years there was a lot of Parks & Recreation playing in loops on the television  in my living room. Often there was a beautiful pregnant woman sitting across from the television, with interior design magazines and her one cup of tea in hand. Every scene with Ron Swanson was my favorite scene in each episode with my favorite Parks & Rec moment being Ben Wyatt's first sip of Lagavulin (NBC removed the YouTube vid, damn them).

Nick Offerman, the now-bearded gent who played the mustachioed Swanson, loves Lagavulin. The character visited the distillery on the show and the actor stars in YouTube videos for the brand. So successful was this pairing that Diageo gave Offerman the opportunity to create his own Lagavulin expression. Offerman, who seems a more sensitive soul than his character always comes across as humble in interviews, especially during this product's media blitz.

A certain Man With Opinions purchased a bottle of this whisky and sent me a generous sample. (Thank you, MAO!) So today we are doing one of our highly-fêted simul-reviews! Here's MAO's review also posted this morning.


Distillery: Lagavulin
Owner: Diageo
Region: Southern Islay
Age: minimum 11 years
Maturation: ????
Outturn: ???
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? ???
Color added? ???

Since Offerman says he doesn't add water to his whisky, neither shall I.

NOTES
The nose is fruitier than expected, think orange peel and canned peaches. The peat is much gentler than that of its 12-year-old CS sibling, like a soft band-aid smoke floating atop seaside notes. With time in the glass the nose transitions into a bowl of sugary candy and smoked hard caramels. The palate is similar to the nose, walking right up to the border of Too Sweet before some herbal bitterness pulls it back. The peat reads toasty and tangy here. There's also a mix of zippy pepper notes, apricots and vanilla. Tangy woody smoke leads the finish. As with the palate, there's more sugar than salt. Hints of vanilla and dried apricot stay in the background.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This is the kindest, cuddliest Lagavulin I've ever tried. Whether that's a good thing or not depends on one's palate preferences. I appreciated the nose's fruit notes and sincerely wished they came though louder in the palate. The sweetness was a bit of a surprise and required a few sips before I could adjust to it. One wonders if Nick Offerman's love of carpentry had an influence on the casks he chose, as active American oak influence can be found throughout the whisky. Personally, I'll take the 12yo CS's assault and the 16yo's balance over this whisky's sugar. Still, it's a very pleasant drink and bound to appeal to those who don't normally enjoy Lagavulin.

Availability - Mostly in the US, though a few retailers carry it as well
Pricing - $70-$100 in the US, over $250 in Europe (why?)
Rating - 83

Friday, November 1, 2019

Ledaig 19 year old 1998 Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish

Monday: Ledaig 19 year old Oloroso Cask Finish, 46%abv
Wednesday: Ledaig 19 year old Madeira Cask Finish, 51%abv
Today: Ledaig 19 year old Pedro Ximenez Cask Finish, 55.7%abv

Each of these had different "finish" periods. The Oloroso expression spent 13 years in sherry casks, while Wednesday's bottling spent less than a year in Madeira casks. This whisky's PX cask finish lasted two years, so it was neither a quickie nor an extended second maturation.

I'm usually not a fan of PX finishes, but I'm willing to give this a chance because it's a 19 year old Ledaig. Expectations set to: Moderate.


Distillery: Tobermory
Brand: Ledaig
Owner: Distell International Ltd.
Region: Isle of Mull
Age: 19+ years (9 July 1998 - 2018)
Maturation: bourbon casks for 17+ years, then either "almost" or "more than" two years in Pedro Ximénez casks
Outturn: 1650 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 55.7%
Chillfiltered? No
Colorant Added? No

NEAT
The nose begins with fudge and red wine. Salty seaweedy peat. Calvados, damp moss and a hint of gunpowder. Some raw peated spirit in there too. The palate is more metallic and sweet than peaty. It gets tangier by the minute, like a lemony vinaigrette. Sooty peat and mixed berry jam notes build with time. The finish is puckeringly sweet and tangy. Bits of bitter smoke and berry jam linger behind.

DILUTED TO ~46%abv, or 1¼ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
Peated raspberry jam and roses on the nose, with hints of marizpan and the beach. Peaty berry jam again on the palate. It's still tangy and sweet. It's less metallic now and a little bitterer. The finish matches the palate.

Since I did it for the other two:

DILUTED TO ~40%abv, or 2⅓ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose becomes peatier and brighter. Subtler berry and rose notes. A hint of cold kiln. The palate feels very thin. Mild sweetness and bitterness. Mild peat and dried herbs. It's back to the tangy and sweet thing in the finish. A puff of bitter smoke.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This was better than I'd expected, in fact the nose was great throughout. I'm not sure how I feel about the metal and vinegar combo in the palate. At least it wasn't winey. Unlike the other two, this one fares best at full strength, even though it has the highest ABV. Overall, it's probably a near tie with the Oloroso expression.

All three of these Ledaigs were of moderate quality. The wood rarely intruded and the grapes mostly stayed out of the palates. While that is more than one can say for the majority of finished whiskies, I'm glad to have split a bottle rather than shilled out $$$ for an entire bottle, especially at the asking price.

Availability - A few dozen retailers in the US and Europe
Pricing - $170-$200 (ex-VAT)
Rating - 84