Single Malt Report: Connemara Cask Strength Irish Single Malt

Distillery: Cooley
Brand: Connemara
Type: Single Malt
Region: Ireland (Louth)

Age: unknown, likely younger than 12 years

Maturation: American oak, ex-bourbon

Alcohol by Volume: 57.9%

Our first stop on this Whisk(e)y World Tour is in County Louth, Ireland, at the Cooley Distillery.  Cooley Distillery PLC (a relatively young company at 25 years) was the last of the major independent Irish whiskey producers before their sale to Beam Inc last year.  They have a number of great brands:

Kilbeggan - blended whiskies as well as one limited release single malt; now beginning distillation at its own old distillery that had been closed for 50 years.
Tyrconnell - non-peated single malts; In February I reviewed a delicious Madeira-finished juicy malt of theirs.  The Tyrconnell had been one of Ireland's best selling whiskey brands in The States before Prohibition crushed it.  Cooley bought the brand and resurrected it back in the late '90s.
Greenore - single grain whiskey; actually made entirely from corn and aged in ex-bourbon barrels.
Connemara - peated single malts.  As is done in many Scottish distilleries, they dry the malted barley via peat fires, give it a double distillation, then mature the spirit in ex-bourbon American oak barrels.  They don't chillfilter, nor do they colour their product artificially.

Within the world whiskey community, the purchase of the company by big Beam Inc. was met with mixed emotions.  All of Ireland's major whisky producers are now owned by corporations.  Pernod owns Midleton which makes Jamesons, Powers, Redbreast, Paddy, and Green Spot.  Diageo owns Bushmills.  William Grant & Sons owns Tullamore Dew.  Cooley was the last of the independents to sell to a major, which led to many heavy hearts.  But the good news is, with Beam's marketing and distribution power, Cooley will be able to get more whiskey to more people at (hopefully) a lower price to all.

But how about the whiskey?  I'm a big Tyrconnell fan.  I hope to try some Kilbeggan before 2012 is out.  Greenore is a mostly a curio for me since my palate hasn't found a corn whiskey it approves of, yet.  And (via a Master of Malt 30mL dram) this Cask Strength is the first Connemara I've tried.

NEAT:

The lack of added caramel colouring is immediately apparent, as the malt takes on a Pinot Grigio hue.  All similarities to white wine end right there.  This is an insanely hot whisky, flexing its almost 58% ABV braun in all categories.  The nose reflects a different type of peat than the Islays -- sort of cleaner and woodier.  But the band-aids are there, as well as an Atlantic Ocean note.  Underneath that is a little brown sugar, bourbon, white peppercorns, and something a little meaty.  It has a thick texture, which I quickly lost track of once the heat set in.  As I mentioned before, this palate brings intense heat.  It's a white sugar dish full of cinders and burnt paper.  The malty cinnamon finish remains for ages.

I hadn't had a face-numbing experience like this in some time, despite sampling quite a few cask powered whiskies.  I gave the whisky (and my face) time to rest, added enough water to bring the ABV down to about 35%...

W/ WATER:

The nose became a big bushel of hay.  Wood smoke, sweet cream, and bourbon settled underneath.  The texture became creamier.  The peat was most prevalent here on the palate, which held a nice light sweetness, but still had an aggressive cindery kick.  The mouth-drying finish mellowed and held much of the peat and hay.

I recommend this to single malt lovers with a strong palate constitution and a love of cinders, hay, and peat in the glass.

Though I've become a major peat-head who's averse to fancy finishes, I actually prefer the Madeira Cask Tyrconnell to this one.  But something good awaits within this malt.  I'd like to try the regular 12yr 40% ABV Connemara to see if it reveals its flavors more readily.

Availability - Most Liquor Specialists

Pricing - Decent at $55-$60

Rating - 76

Wife returns from Cannes and Husband makes a whisky schedule

The conquering hero hath returned.  And by hero, I mean my wife.  She sailed for France two weeks ago, and the Gauls surrendered upon her arrival.  She did a proper pillage then returned home.

Two weeks.  In Cannes.  For work.

Source

She enters the condo and says, "You didn't do any cleaning, did you?"

She has no idea that I transform into a 12-year-old when she's gone.  There's candy and movies and llamas and marching bands and upside-down trash cans.  Then on the day of her return, there's a mad 3-hour scramble to turn a Dadaist masterpiece back into our condo.  I don't know how socks get into the spice cabinet, but they do.  Anyway, she has no idea what goes down.

Well, she does now.  Thank you, blog.

She opens the bedroom window and says, "It smells like boys in here."  I say, "Would you prefer if it smelled like girls?  And what do you mean boyS?  What do you think goes on around here?"

Let us not dwell on that.

Dwell on this, the Flying Llama.  (Source)

I'll tell you what section of our home remained perfectly organized for two weeks:  The Whisky Cabinet.

This going to be a great month for whisky reportin'.  Tomorrow begins a series on World Whiskies!  I've got yer Irish, Swedish, Dutch, Indian (two actually!), American, and maybe something from the land of the Scots.

If there's any time left over in April, I'll be exploring cheap Scotch blends.  My bottle of Black & White is nearing its retirement (not a moment too soon) and I'm determined to find a quality Scotch blend in the $15-$20 range.

But first, tomorrow, the viski voyage begins on the island to the west of the Irish Sea.

......

......

......

Ireland.  I'm talking about Ireland.

Whisky cabinet situation(s)

This is something I had to document since it will likely never happen again.

As per my vid description:
Seeing this numerical situation in my whisky cabinet weirded me out for a moment. Then I decided to record it. Then I discovered a possible subconscious explanation. Then I confirmed I was a nerd. Then I had a drink.



Bottles 16yr and 17yr will be the first to retire.  Then Bottle 15yr.  The 14yr, 18yr, and 19yr remain unopened.  There are some younger and NAS (no age statement) bottles that you're not seeing, but there's no symmetry to them as of yet.

---

I highly advise against having many open bottles, unless you're "goin' hard" (to quote T-Pain) every night.  With many open bottles you risk oxidation issues for those that are less than half full and more than six months old.  But even worse than oxidized whisky?  Boredom.  There are ways to defend against oxidation (a subject for a future post), but it's tough to fight bottle boredom.  Especially if one's getting bored with multiple bottles.  I've walked a thin line with a couple of mine, so I'll be scaling back how many I have open simultaneously in the future.

If you're getting bored with a bottle you can take a peek at my Bad Whisky post.  To briefly summarize/update, here are some things you should try with the old whisky before opening another bottle:

1. A little water can help out a whisky.  It can change the flavor and scent compounds as well as make the texture creamier.  Start with one teaspoon, then increase if necessary.
2. Match it with foods.  Dark chocolate or salted almonds (or both!) complement sweeter whiskies.  Smoked salmon (or smoked meat *giggle* in general) match nicely with salty or peaty whiskies.
3. Highball.  That's my new thing.  Tumbler + 60% club soda + 40% whisky + very little ice = a decent drink.  And if you want to go batsh*t crazy, stir in two shakes of (non-Peychaud's) bitters.  But go easy on the batsh*t bitters, too much will topple your tipple.

Spend some time with that bottle.  (I'm talking weeks or months, not a 12-hour bender.)  First impressions are pivotal, but palates, preferences, and pleasures change.  If you can't work out your relationship with your existing whisky, it's all good.  There's a planet-worth of oak-aged distillate to be explored.

But remember, you should never bust out another unopened bottle in the midst of disappointment.  A new bottle is a celebration.  Optimism and grand alchemy went into the usquebaugh within.

Something is afoot

LOVE the bizarro video depth distortion on this as it adds to the otherworldly misc-en-scene.



These animals clearly were having a private conversation before she opened the door.  Judging by the combination of bemused and coy looks on their faces, the topic of discussion was either world domination or erectile disfunction.

Cosmopolis is coming

WOW.  I skip one, ONE, Don DeLillo novel and......

I'll let this newly released French (Possibly Not Safe For Work) trailer explain:



Book purchased.

It's a brief 224 pages.  For some reason I skipped it when I heard that it was a lesser DeLillo work.  But lesser DeLillo is better than just about everything else out there.

Back to the movie.  Directed and written(!) by the Canadian maestro Cronenberg (who continues to be on a whole other league planet from everyone else) and co-starring Juliette Binoche, Mathieu Amalric, and Paul Giamatti?!  I was already sold before the teaser, but this thing just sealed the deal.

Here's the link to the official site.

No official US release date, but it's opening all over Europe in May.

I'm as irrationally excited as a person can be after watching a 34 second video.  Seven times.

Single Malt Report: Glenfiddich 12 year old

"No alarms and no surprises please."

-- Radiohead

(and a complete misinterpretation of the lyrics via this out-of-context usage)

The Personal Classics, Part 4:  Glenfiddich 12 year old

Distillery: Glenfiddich
Age: minimum 12 years
Maturation: American (w/ bourbon) and Spanish (w/ sherry) oak casks

Region: Speyside (Dufftown)

Alcohol by Volume: 40% ABV

Glenfiddich was the first single malt for me and (probably) millions of others.  In fact Glenfiddich was the first distillery to market their own single malt worldwide, back in the 1960s.

The Glenfiddich distillery has the largest malt production capacity -- almost 40% larger than Macallan -- in Scotland.  Diageo's new Roseisle monstrosity will probably surpass it by a smidgen once it's fully online.  But Diageo is a $60billion international conglomerate.  And Glenfiddich is still run by the family of the man who built the distillery 126 years ago.

After honing his trade skills at the Mortlach distillery, William Grant and his NINE sons broke ground in Banffshire in 1886.  By the next year the stills were up and running.  And they never sold the business.

In 1892, William Grant & Sons opened up the Balvenie distillery on their adjacent property.  They introduced Glenfiddich's three cornered bottle in 1957, then changed it to the current rounded edge (which allows for a sturdier glass structure) version we know today.  They began marketing their single malt in 1963, then in 1969 became the first distillery to open up a visitor's center.

So, aside from what one thinks of their current product range, a whisky drinker has to raise a glass or two to Glenfiddich and their ownership for being good malt stewards.  Of course, they don't do it for free: the 4,000 cases of single malt sales in 1964 became 120,000 cases/year by 1974.  In 2010, they had 15% of the entire Scotch Whisky Single Malt market share, putting them in first place by a significant amount.  They're expecting to break the 1,000,000 cases/year mark this year.

The 12yr is their flagship bottling and the best selling single malt in the world.  And, aside from mass product proliferation, it's easy to see why.  It's full of steady, smooth, and comfortable characteristics.  To me, it's the most reliable single malt.  I always know what I'm getting in the glass.  Something light and versatile.  And pretty decent.

So, let's give it a taste.

NEAT:

Because the rest of its characteristics are so light, its color is surprisingly dark gold.  Possibly due to non-natural means.  The nose is very mild.  Takes some time to find it.  There's more bourbon present than sherry.  There's a gin-like herbal/mineral element.  Malty, bread-like (not yeast), and little bit of pencil wood.  The palate is lightly fruity (citrus and pears) with some sherried cream.  A good texture for a 40% ABV malt.  The finish is short.  Sweet then sour, with some mocha.

W/ WATER (about 31% ABV)

The nose remains similar.  More of the gin note (juniper?) with some granulated sugar in the distance.  The palate is soft and pleasant.  Sweet cream with malt and sherry.  The finish is brief, drying, sweet, with a slight bitterness.

It also makes for a reasonable highball, as I found out in Vegas last month.  Club soda brings a nice sugary sweetness out of the malt.

I always recommend this over Glenlivet and The Singleton when folks want to move up from the blends to the singles.  It's cheaper than some of the 12yr blends.  It is mild with no odd notes.  It won't blow your hair back, but it is very comfortable and reliable.  A good item to have on hand.

Availability - Almost everywhere

Pricing - Bargain! at $23-$28

Rating - 82

NOT Single Malt Report: Johnnie Walker Green Label

On the way to my car this morning, I saw a small black labrador retriever in mid doggie squat desperately trying to do the doo.  He stretched, bounced up and down, angled to get the right leverage in multiple unsuccessful attempts to void his puppy bowels.  No, I didn't stick around to see if he finally pooped because......what do you think I am, some kind of weirdo?

Unlike that excretorily challenged dog, I pass this nugget along to you with great ease and pleasure.

*the king of segues curtsies*

The Personal Classics, Part 3:  Johnnie Walker Green Label

Type: Blended Malt (formerly known as Vatted Malt)

Distilleries: Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood (and likely more)

Producer: Diaego

Brand: Johnnie Walker

Age: minimum 15 years

Alcohol by Volume: 43%

On one sunny Saturday in late 2004, my new work buddy, Bernardo, invited Kristen and I (along with a few other co-workers) up to his house in Gaithersburg.  While the ladies were all drinking wine (and/or vodka), Bernardo asked me if I liked Scotch.  I responded enthusiastically in the affirmative.

I did indeed like Scotch.  I didn't really know much about it.  I knew Black Label, Dewars (ugh), the two big Glens.  Had heard of Macallan.  But the obsession hadn't started yet.

Then Bernardo brought out a bottle of Johnnie Walker Green Label.  My memory is a little fuzzy after that.  I think we drank half the bottle.  It was fan-f***ing-tastic.  Bernardo, Green Label, and I hung out on the back deck for hours.  THIS, this was the gateway drug.  My relationship with whisky would never be the same.

Bernardo was a couple years ahead of me on the whisky track.  In the months that followed I found Macallan and Oban, much thanks to him.

So, three years later, as I moved to the West Coast, I repaid him by leaving him with a box full of half-drunk bottles of Amaretto, Creme de Cacao, and Midori. 

I'm a f***ing a**hole.

The Whisky

A Blended Malt is different than a Blended Whisky.  A Blended Whisky (like Black Label, Dewars, or Black & White) is a mixture of single malt whiskies and grain whiskies, with greater emphasis on the grains.  Blended Malts (once called Vatted Malts) are a combination of only single malt whiskies.  No grain whisky.  That results in a more expensive drink, but also (usually) a whisky of considerable depth and quality.

In Green Label, the Johnnie Walker brand provides rare transparency into its blending recipes.  It lists Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood as "the key components" (but not necessarily the only components).

Per the box:

Talisker (Skye) - The Power - Wood smoke, pepper, oak, and rich fruits

Linkwood (Speyside) - The Finesse - fruit, flowers, and cedar wood

Cragganmore (Speyside) - The Heart - malty, sweet wood smoke, and sandalwood

Caol Ila (Islay) - The Mystery - rich fruit, drying sea salt, and peat smoke

Those little The's are cute and sorta silly.  For "The Mystery", the box says that Caol Ila is Islay's best kept secret.  In reality, Caol Ila produces more whisky than Lagavulin, Bowmore, and Ardbeg combined and is very possibly the distillery with the most independent bottlings in history.  But whisky romance aside, Talisker is a great malt powerhouse.

The Notes

My favorite Johnnie Walker whisky changes all the time.  Black or Green or Gold.  It's difficult to say since I haven't had Gold Label in a few years.  I posted extensively about my hot-cold affair with Black Label.  And Green Label has become a Rorschach test.  I keep tasting different things in it.  The bottle I have now is peatier than any Green I'd had before.  So I've done composite of notes from separate evenings...

NEAT:

The color, a dark caramel amber.  Both sherry and bourbon barrels show up in the nose as well as sweet cream, salt, malt, black pepper, and apple juice.  The texture is soft and creamy.  The palate is led by Talisker's pepper, then some salt and sherry, a little peat smoke, whipped cream, and more apple juice.  Pepper sticks around in the medium length finish along with the cream and malt.

W/ WATER (about 30% ABV)

The nose gets spicier, think cayenne pepper and ginger.  But it's also malty and buttery.  Brown sugar now leads in the palate, along with cherry syrup and lots of black cherry flavouring.  The finish is "Yummy".  Cookies, brown sugar, salt, and cherries.

I'd been having it neat for so long, I was surprised how well it took to water.  As a fifteen-year old whisky, the price is right and the flavor has been created with some skill.  So I recommend it.  Perhaps it will be your path to Whiskimania too.

Availability - Wide

Pricing - Excellent at $50-$55 (if you find it for less, grab it up!)

Rating - 87