Single Malt Report: Springbank Spring Break (Part 2)

To continue from yesterday's report on the revelries...

It was going to be difficult to one-up those first two whiskies (Springbank Rundlets & Kilderkins and Longrow 10yr 1996).  So I decided to shift gears to a distillery whose whisky I'd never tried.

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Glen Scotia 17yr 1991, Murray McDavid - Port Finished

Glen Scotia often sits in Springbank's Campbeltown shadow which is a pity because independent bottlers have been releasing a lot of well regarded whisky from this distillery.

They have a history of ownership switches, closings and openings.  From the Yearbook:

1832 - Founded by the Galbraith family
1895 - Sold to Stewart Galbraith
1919 - Sold to West Highland Malt Distillers
1924 - Duncan MacCallum buys the distillery
1928 - Distillery closes.
1930 - Duncan MacCallum kills himself.  New Ownership.
1933 - Production restarts.
1954 - Hiram Walker buys the distillery
1970 - A. Gillies & Co. buys the distillery
1979 - Reconstruction begins
1982 - Reconstruction ends
1984 - Distillery closes
1989 - Gibson International becomes the new owners.  Production restarts.
1994 - Glen Catrine Bonded Warehouse Ltd becomes the new owners.  Distillery closed.
1999 - Springbank's management help restart the distillery.
2000 - Loch Lomond Distillers now run the place.

With all of these management switcheroos, it's probably difficult to maintain a consistent product or brand.  But with Loch Lomond Distillers running the shop, things are looking up as these newest owners are upgrading all of the production equipment.

Glen Scotia has outlived two dozen other Campbeltown whiskymakers, so proper respects on that.  Although their current production is about as small as Kilchoman's, but their potential capacity is just as large as Springbank's.  So I think we'll be seeing more good stuff from them soon.

Distillery: Glen Scotia

Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Co.
Independent Bottler: Murray McDavid

Age: 17 years (1991 - 2009)

Maturation: ex-bourbon
Finished: Port casks

Region: Campbeltown

Alcohol by Volume: 54%
Limited Release: 693 bottles

Because this was a Murray McDavid release, part of me hesitated before pouring.  Murray McDavid is an independent bottler that loves playing with finishing their releases in all sorts of unusual wine casks.  They call it ACE'ing or Advanced Cask Enhancement.  I had a horrid run-in with one of their Bowmores ACE'd in a Casket not a Cask (ooh, that one's good, I'm going to use that again).  But this Glen Scotia was ACE'd in Port, so......I was willing to risk it.

TASTING NOTES!
The color was a bright but dark amber (I don't even understand that.)  The nose was lovely.  Fresh ocean air, caramel candies, cherry lollipops, and not a hint of that hefty ABV.  The palate was not as candied but kept some of the fruitiness: Cherry lollies, dark berries, cognac, and some hot hot heat.  It had the most epic finish of all the sampled whiskies, an extensive sensation of cognac and cherries.

Another success!  Usually my palate doesn't take to Port finishes, but here it worked well.  Nice crafting by Glen Scotia and Murray McDavid.  And at an excellent price too; a 17yr cask strength limited bottling cheaper than most watered-down official bottles at that age.

Availability - Online UK specialists

Pricing - Stellar at 60-65GBP with shipping

Rating - 86

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I had a wee sip of the Hazelburn 8yr 2002 Sauternes Finish.  I didn't fully dram it for two reasons.  Firstly, I've never had a Sauternes-finished whisky that I actually enjoyed.  Hazelburn has a very light spirit due to its triple-distillation, so I didn't think it could stand up to the sweet wine.  Secondly, the bottle was almost empty.

The high ABV (over 54%) helped silence some of the sweetness.  Though it still felt like a dessert liqueur.  Its dark cherry wood coloring was my favorite feature overall.

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So that leaves us with the Springbank 17yr 1994, Berry's Own.

From the folks who brought you Cutty Sark----

No, that's the wrong way to start.

Berry Bros & Rudd. DO own the Cutty Sark brand, but they also have their hands on Glenrothes.  Let not your opinions of those institutions affect your feelings towards their indie bottlings.  (Unless you like Glenrothes, that's cool.  But you do not like Cutty Sark.  Seriously.)

What I'm trying to get at is that Berry Bros. & Rudd releases great independent bottlings.

Distillery: Springbank

Owner: Springbank Distillers Ltd.

Independent Bottler: Berry Bros. & Rudd

Age: 17 years (1994 - 2011)

Maturation: ex-bourbon, maybe finished with ex-Sherry?

Region: Campbeltown

Alcohol by Volume: 55%
Cask Number: 51

Let's get right to it.

Its color is almost mahogany.  Though the palate seems like it's quite bourboned, methinks the color betrays some sherry finishing.  Or artificial coloring (oh no!).  The nose is full of sticky bourbon and swimming pool, with a little salt (if that can be smelled) and red meat.  The palate is all big fruity malt. Very sugary sweet at the start then progressing to salt in the middle.  It finishes fruity sweet, yet the wood tannins dry out the tongue.

I couldn't find any peat in this one.  Maybe the age and wood mellowed it into silence.  Maybe I'm a sh*tty taster.

This whisky was the least sexy of the four, which isn't a bad thing.  Straight up cask strength Springbank is grand.  And I prefer when the spirit isn't hiding behind fancy finishes.  But where yesterday's Longrow 1996 showed its spirit's muscle and complexity, this spirit seemed to be mostly taking a snooze.  Not bad, but a bit quiet for something at its price.

Availability - Online UK specialists

Pricing - A bit much at 100GBP with shipping

Rating - 82

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So whatever happened to this?

I don't know.  I left before the hazing began.

JUST KIDDING.

We buried the drunken watermelon on the 405.

JUST KIDDING.

I'll keep it a mystery...

Single Malt Report: Springbank Spring Break (Part 1)

It's impressive how much energy one gets from a combination of near psychotic rage and a lack of sleep.  (And if you tittered when you read "near psychotic rage" then you clearly don't know my family.)  This morning, I cranked up my workout to a new high and finished it easily.  In fact, I could go back for a second round.  I could workout and eat all damn day.  And not a drop of caffeine.

That was totally irrelevant to this:

Maybe you need a close up?

This can only mean one thing.  SPRINGBANK SPRING BREAK with the LA SCOTCH CLUB!

This was the second Scotch Club event I've attended.  I'd been looking forward to this one for some time because I loves me some Campbeltown Malt Whisky.

On Saturday, we all met at one of the members' snazzy houses in Sherman Oaks.  There was swimmin' and eatin' and talkin' and drinkin'.  For me there was also a lot of hydratin' since I had an hour long freeway drive back home at the end of the night.

There were six malts on hand:
Longrow 10yr 1996
Longrow CV
Springbank 17yr 1994, Berry's Own
Springbank 10yr 2001, Rundlets & Kilderkins
Hazelburn 8yr 2002 Sauternes Finish
Glen Scotia 17yr 1991, Murray McDavid - Port Finished

I'll report on these per my sampling order.

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Firstly, Springbank 10yr 2001, Rundlets & Kilderkins

I've been salivating like a dopey dog over this since I'd first heard about it.  It was a somewhat experimental Springbank release that they'd bottled this year.  It wasn't released in The States, so I'd been trying to Force Power it from my browser window onto my kitchen table for months.  Without luck.  Then I attempted to figure out the math for getting it shipped here and how I'd pay for it.

But Andy, Prez of the Club, came to the rescue when he brought this to the event.  I went directly to it, ignoring all other bottles.

So what makes this one different?  The Rundlets and Kilderkins.  And what are those cute sounding things?  They're tiny casks.

Approximate Cask sizes:
Tun - 955 litres
Port pipe - 528 litres
Sherry Butt - 491 litres
Hogshead - 250 litres
Bourbon barrel - 200 litres
Quarter Cask - 125 litres
Kilderkin - 80 litres
Rundlet - 60 litres

Smaller casks mean more spirit-to-wood contact which can effect (usually speed up) the whisky aging process.  Plus it brings all sorts of intensified flavors.  I've LOVED the two Quarter Cask whiskies that I've tried in the past.  Y me gusta Springbank también.

Distillery: Springbank

Owner: Springbank Distillers Ltd.

Age: minimum 10 years (9/2001 to 1/2012)

Maturation: Rundlets and Kilderkins!

Region: Campbeltown

Alcohol by Volume: 49.4%
Limited Release: 9000 bottles

Its color is a lovely dark clover honey shade.  The nose doesn't betray too much of the oak contact, that comes later.  It smells of creamy coconut (coconut cream?), vanilla, brash fruity malt, and is very floral. Its thick texture provides a rich sticky sweet palate full of almost rye-ish spices, honey, cherry sauce, and cough syrup (in a good way).  It finishes BIG with cinnamon, vanilla custard, toffee, and vegetal peat at the very end.

This grown man says, Yummy.  That has to be the dessertiest Springbank in history.  It's certainly the most rye-like Springer I've ever had.  To be more exacting, it's like Rye + Honey + Whisky.

Availability - Online UK specialists

Pricing - OK at 65-70GBP with shipping

Rating - 90

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Next up was the Longrow 10yr 1996

Longrow (Springbank's heavily peated brand) put out a 10 year bottling each year from 2001 to 2006 with a birthdate listed (1991-1996).  Since then their 10 years have been bottled without the vintage listed.  This likely gives them the ability to provide the 10 year as needed (perhaps combining vintages) which is important since they're a tiny operation compared to Big Whisky.

I adore Longrow and the 10 year was on my Dram Quest, so here it goes:

Distillery: Longrow (Springbank)

Owner: Springbank Distillers Ltd.

Age: 10 years (1996 - 2006)

Maturation: ex-bourbon and ex-sherry (probably more ex-bourbon)

Region: Campbeltown

Alcohol by Volume: 46%

Its color sits somewhere between light honey and amber.  The nose starts with a quenched peat fire, then oaky coconut, mint, lots of citrus, salt, and maple syrup.  The palate is full of toffee, caramel sauce, wood smoke, vanilla, earthy peat, fruit cocktail juice, and brown sugar.  It finishes strong with that fruit cocktail juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and light peat.

It starts with the juicy, peaty characteristics; then, if you wait a bit, the maple syrup and brown sugar.  For all that though, it's not as much of a sweetie as the Rundlets.  Instead, the mint, smoke, and peat add dimensions to the fruit and sugar notes.  Another great one from the Longrow brand.

Availability - Some US specialists

Pricing - OK at $75-80 (don't pay $100, you can get it shipped from UK for less)

Rating - 91

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I did not sample the Longrow CV because I have a bottle of my own!  And also I had that drive ahead of me.  But I do recommend the Longrow CV.  It was my favorite officially-bottled single malt I tried last year.

I DID drink a couple more of these Campbeltowners.  Stay tuned tomorrow for more......

Fèis Ìle and Ardbeg Day

Once a year, in late May / early June, the Islay distilleries host a massive whisky and music (but mostly whisky) festival called Fèis Ìle.  This year it ran from 5/25 to 6/3 with distillery events from the 26th through the 2nd.  And along with all of the events, every distillery released a very limited whisky bottling in honor of the festival.

There are games and music and tours and demonstrations and classes, but the bloody lucky so-and-sos who attend Fèis Ìle mostly report back about the whisky bottlings.  The rest of us have to experience it secondhand.  We'll see those bottlings priced exorbitantly on UK retailer sites or in auctions starting this week.  I've developed a bit of bitter jealousy about such limited whisky, so I ignore the blogs' tasting notes and prefer to read about the drunken idiocy.

But this year, the Ardbeg distillery did something a little different.  Their honorary Fèis Ìle bottling came in a release at least 20 times the size of everyone else's.  13,000 bottles rather than 600 or so.  It was to mark Ardbeg's day (6/2) to host the festival.  And they named it Ardbeg Day.

AND they held events all around the world to allow folks an opportunity to try and buy it.  These events have games and eats but it's really just a big marketing ploy.  Yet there's free whisky involved, so I was willing to apply myself.

This past Saturday afternoon, I went to the Ardbeg Day release-fest at Hi Time Liquors (OMFG, this shop is awesome, go there now and leave your credit cards at home) in Costa Mesa.

There were pipers.

There was this guy.

There were all sorts of happy whisky lovers.  Some games to play and great food -- including Scotch eggs and mac&cheese made with Ardbeg 10yr.

Oh yeah, and there was whisky.  They were doing mini-pours of the 10yr, Uigeadail, Corryvreckan, and the brand new Day.  The pours were small (this isn't the cheapest whisky), but hypothetically one could go back for seconds (of Corryvreckan, hypothetically).

Some quick thoughts on the whiskys:

Ardbeg 10 year (46% ABV) - I did a report on this back in October, but I hope to do an updated review this month.  I'm a fan of this one -- and it's their only bottling that fits into my budget.  A lot of peat soot and lemons.  Love it.

Ardbeg Uigeadail (pronounced Oo-geh-dahl) - This was my first sip of Oogy.  I foresee another sip very soon.  This is Ardbeg's critical darling (especially with Jim Murray), and understandably so.  There's a nice honey sweet body holding a raging peat bonfire in check.  It weighs in at 54.2% ABV, so it's best enjoyed slowwwwwwly.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan (57.1% ABV) - I have deeply unclean feelings about this one; thoughts that would make the dead blush.  I do not back down from the praise I heaped on it three months ago.  What I'm saying is, I like it.  It's less immediately friendly than the Uigeadail, less sweet, more fresh tar and salt and seaweed and evil.  Me wants.

Ardbeg Day (56.7% ABV) - Since the Corry basically razes the palate, time is needed for recovery.  I hung out with cool people, chatted, hydrated, ate.  After nosing this thing for a half hour, I gave it a go.  It was honeyed like the Oogy, but a little fruitier, a bit salty and very more-ish.  It was pretty good, very bright.  But I may have gone back for seconds of the Darkness.

And, nope, I didn't buy a bottle of the Day as it was out of my budgeted price range.  Here's, more or less, how their pricing goes:
Ten Year - $50-$60
Uigeadail - $60-$70
Corryvreckan - $70-$80
Day - $80-$90

I recommend the Day to those who enjoy the Oog and the Ten.  Or if you need something with more levity than the Corry.  There are still some bottles out there at specialty retailers, but you'll need to do some hunting.

Good on Ardbeg for sharing the joy of Fèis Ìle with a wider audience via the larger release.  I know they didn't do it just out of their good little hearts.  There will be about a million dollar gross from this bottling.  But thanks anyway for the freebies!  I remain a devotee.

Single Malt Report Standings as of June 2, 2012

Good morning.  Here's a new item that I'd like to start posting either weekly or bi-monthly.  It's the SINGLE MALT REPORT STANDINGS!

My methodology uses pageview counts from three different sources in an attempt to suss out which posts are spammer heavy and which ones are getting the real clicky traffic.  Then I apply a very (not) sophisticated algorithm.  And from that I get a Top Ten.

I'll list special mentions and top movers in subsequent standings posts.  Let's see how this first one goes...

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SINGLE MALT REPORT STANDINGS AS OF 6/2/2012 (out of 70 posts):

#11  *Special Mention* Springbank 10-year-old 100 Proof Single Malt
It just warms the cockles of my pickled heart to see so many folks reading this Springbank report.  It's such a small seller and such a grand whisky that a mention was definitely due.

#10  Lauder's Blended Scotch Whisky
Why is this here?  Spammers most likely.  Also, you'll see a number of blends in the Top Ten.  Blends make up 90-95% of the Scotch market, so it's what most folks are drinking.  This one in particular just overtook the Springbank in the standings this morning.

#9  Millstone 8-year-old French Oak, Dutch Single Malt
This may cause some to say, "Huh?"  Its high ranking is partially due to Google image searches for windmills.  Seriously.

#8  Powers Gold Label (Blended Irish Whiskey)
Yes!  I like Powers!  So do other people!

#7  The Macallan 18-year-old Single Malt
Ah, the first of my many rants.  I thought that this one would have driven folks away.  It has not.

#6  The Singleton of Glendullan Single Malt
One of Diageo's big sellers in the US.  I'm sorta apathetic about this single malt.  At its price range sits Glenfiddich 12, Old Pulteney 12, Glenmorangie 10, and Macallan Fine Oak 10, all of which are more interesting and easy drinking whiskys.

#5  The Macallan 12-year-old Single Malt
All of my Macallan posts are pulling decent viewings.  I think people on the Internet like Macallan.

#4  J&B Rare Blended Scotch Whisky
This one held the #3 spot for some time.  The post's popularity may seem odd, but this blend does sell 6 to 7 million cases a year.  Only Ballantines and Johnnie Walker sell more.

#3  The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky
This has been the most popular post on the site for the past two weeks, by a considerable margin.  It's a decent blend.  I bought a 1L bottle of it from Trader Joe's last weekend and The Grouse has since been growing on me.

#2  The Glenlivet 15-year-old French Oak Reserve Single Malt
My most popular report for a loooooong time.  It held a good ranking amongst Google SEO results.  At the time it was an unusually schizo post, but people clicked.  And some stuck around.

#1  Glenfiddich 12-year-old Single Malt
I dare any report to knock this from the top spot.  It has more hits than #2 and #3 combined.  It has more pageviews than #4 through #11 combined.  On the whisky side of things, Glenfiddich is the top-selling single malt in the world.  Short of a disaster in Dufftown, it will remain the best-seller for some time.

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Many Many Many Thanks to ALL of my report readers.  Whether you're here for the Dewars or for the Longrow, Sláinte!  I promise there will be many more boozy reports to come.

The Flailing Writer goes Gardening, Part III

I don't think I mentioned this is the previous gardening post, but I took the shears to our old ferns.  Pruning can be horrifying if one gets emotionally attached to plants, but then one just grabs the blades and gets to it.  Fern, the First and Second, got seriously pruned.  They had looked terrible, and I was supposed to have been pruning every year.  So I did a thorough branch pruning.  And guess what???

This is Fern the First

That brings me joy.  And so does this:

Pepper has two peppers!  They're still new and small, but as of two months ago the plant was mostly dead.  Not all dead.  Mostly dead is slightly alive.

And the tomato plants...?

Tomas Junior, the cherry tomato plant, has at least eight of these guys.

Meanwhile Tomas Senior, the heirloom tomato plant, had been growing up and up and up, creating many blossoms but no fruit......until, a couple of days ago.  I caught a peek of this...

As for Zook, she's been blossoming like crazy without fruiting well.  I did some research and discovered that there are boy blossoms and girl blossoms.  The girl blossoms are the ones that fruit.  It's possible that the boy pollen hasn't been getting into the girl parts at an appropriate rate.  So I performed some plant husbandry.  Manually.

Zucchini money shot!!!!!!!!

That's the update for now.  For all (three) gardening posts, click here.  Happy Friday!

John Jameson, The Man and his Whiskey

The Amazing Story of John Jameson

After an amorous bull had an intimate encounter with his mother, John Jameson gestated within her body for just under 37 months.  When he'd decided he'd gone too long without a drink, he left his mother's womb fully bearded and shoes buckled.

At age 4, John found the offending bull then killed him, f***ed him, and ate him.

At age 6, John started distilling poitín for the local publicians.  Since his 2-year-old sister didn't like the double-distilled result, John created the triple-distillation process.

When an excise officer of The Crown came to the Jamesons' household to collect tax on the whiskey, John killed him, f***ed him, and ate him.

With the need for a larger production facility, the 12-year-old John walked to Dublin, hand-towing thirty carriages of bricks.  Along the way, he stopped in local towns, rebuilding churches, impregnating infertile women, solving crimes, and sharing his whiskey.

Upon arriving in Dublin, John built the Jameson's Distillery by hand.  He welded the pot stills, redirected the Liffey, and blew his own bottles (which thanked him afterwards).

As nationalism grew and conflicts increased between Ireland and Britain, John decided to hold a peaceful conference between Robert Lyons and Prime Minister Archibald Primrose's Secretary of the Summons, George Smith.  With considerable whiskey being poured, the meeting was a rousing success until the drunken Smith declared that the "worst of France's brandy is better than this Mick piss."  John promptly killed him, f***ed him, and ate him.

In an attempt to deal with his anger management issues, John arranged a meeting with Mohandas Ghandi.  John built a sailboat by hand and sailed backwards across the Atlantic, dug the Panama Canal for a shortcut, navigated the Pacific in his sleep, then arrived in India after one day of travel.

Learning extensive meditation, John instantly became non-violent and a vegetarian.  He built an airship and flew back to Ireland.  Now in a great state of calm, he created the Redbreast, Kilbeggan, Tyrconnell, Green (and Yellow, Orange, Red, Blue, and Pink) Spot brands.

After single-handedly mediating the Anglo-Irish treaty, John Jameson swam to the North Pole and has been there ever since, working on improving polar bear breeding success rates using methods deemed "unorthodox" by 10 out of 10 scientists.

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Distillery: Midleton

Brand: Jameson

Type: Irish Blended Whiskey (pot still and grain whiskey)

Current Owner: Pernod Ricard

Age: at least 6 years

Maturation: mostly ex-bourbon barrels, some ex-sherry

Alcohol by Volume: 40%

To many Americans, Jameson's IS Irish Whiskey and it's often shorthand for the Irish drinking experience in general.  I wouldn't say that's the most informed approach, but Jameson's is here in the States and it has dug in deeply.

I used to drink Jameson all the time, mostly because it was Irish and also whiskey.  But I never stopped to consider if it was any good.  The brand influence had overpowered my decision-making process as it had to so many other Yanks.

I haven't ordered it in a bar nor purchased a 750mL bottle of it in many years (thanks to Powers!).  But since it was my first go-to whiskey, I thought it best to give it a proper report -- and bring this Blend Month to a close.

The Tastin':

NEAT
Color -- Trumpet brass (how 'bout them apples?)
Nose -- Oak, laundry detergent, oceanic, vanilla, salt + flower blossoms, apples, maple syrup (after some time)
Palate -- Vanilla + cantaloupe, zucchini bread, a little salt, thin but smooth
Finish -- Short-ish, vanilla, a little sour, sugar cookies

WITH WATER
Nose -- Gets considerably more pungent; oaked rotting apple slices, paint VOC, paper, pears
Palate -- Creamier, brown sugar, fruity, mild
Finish -- Short, vanilla + brown sugar

Recently, I've been seeing some negative reviews for this whiskey.  They were getting me a bit worried and my expectations were set low.  But upon first nosing, those concerns were washed away.  While Jameson is not the best Irish whiskey out there, it's still one of the better choices in its price range.

I found the nose to be more interesting than the palate, which is unusual in my experience with Irish whiskey blends.  I liked it better neat, but some folks might like a little water.  It gets a little sleepy with ice or club soda.

Ultimately it's about one's expectations.  It's no dynamo, but I don't think that's what one is after when purchasing a $20 bottle of triple-distilled whiskey.  So enjoy without guilt and you will appease John Jameson.

Availability - Everywhere
Pricing - Great at $18-21, don't pay $25 or more
Rating - 79

Taste Off!!! Chivas Regal 12yr versus Johnnie Walker Black Label

TASTE OFF!

It's a head-to-head between two heavyweights.

In one corner, wearing the gold & red label, owned by Pernod Ricard stands

CHIVAS

Chivas Regal 12 years old

Brand: Chivas Regal

Ownership: Pernod Ricard (via Chivas Bros. Ltd.)

Distilleries: include the 12 owned by Pernod (especially Strathisla)

Type: Scotch Blended Whisky

Age: minimum 12 years

Alcohol by Volume: 40%

Chivas Regal is currently owned by Pernod Ricard -- Diageo's biggest nemesis (or second biggest, after me) -- and is the fifth best-selling Scotch blend in the world.  This 12yr is the top selling Scotch blend in its age category in Europe and Asia.

The Chivas bros, James and John, were grocers who obtained the Royal Warrant to supply food and goods to Queen Victoria's homes in the 1840s.  Once blended whiskies became legal via license, the Chivas Brothers firm created a smooth blend for their wealthy customer base.

In the early 1900s they created one of the first ultra luxury blends, the Chivas Regal 25 year old, for US export.  It was enormously successful until Prohibition silenced alcohol sales.

After Seagrams purchased the brand in 1949, the 12 year old blend was released to more acclaim.  It became the Rat Pack's Scotch of choice.

Today Chivas Regal's range includes the 12, 18, and 25 year old blends.  The Chivas home and the "Ultimate Chivas Experience" can be found at the Strathisla Distillery's visitor center.

My previous experience with Chivas?  None, actually.  Time to fix that.

In the other corner, representing Diageo, wearing the black and gold label stands

BLACK LABEL

Johnnie Walker Black Label

Brand: Johnnie Walker

Ownership: Diageo

Distilleries: 40 of 'em, including Caol Ila and Talisker

Type: Scotch Blended Whisky

Age: minimum 12 years

Alcohol by Volume: 40%

On the other hand, I have a long complicated history with Black Label.  A real love-hate thing.  But most recently, it's been love.  I posted a very positive report on it in November, please give it a read for the full scoop.  I've mostly brought the Black Label in as a comparative device, a sounding board for the Chivas.  Can the Chivas compete?

Let's Taste Off!

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FIRST, NEAT

Color

Chivas Regal 12yr (CR12) - Pale gold

Johnny Walker Black Label (JWBL) - Considerably darker

Nose

CR12 - Vanilla, herbal, spritely, cocoa, and a hint of bourbon

JWBL - A touch of peat, some grain whisky, sherry, much oakier but pleasant

Palate

CR12 - Tastes younger than 12 years, a little crazier and messier; salty, some vanilla, under-ripe fruit

JWBL - Vanilla, sherry, bourbon, light peat smoke, Nillas, malty, very silky

Finish

CR12 - Drying, sweet, calms down from the palate

JWBL - Moderate, peat first, then fruity sweetness and vanilla

THEN, WITH WATER

Nose

CR12 - Similar to neat, a bit more grains and bourbon, dusty, vanilla

JWBL - Like the CR12 the grains and bourbon come out to play, vanilla, a whisper of basil

Palate

CR12 - Woody, sweet at the start, vanilla, but very quiet

JWBL - Malty, vanilla, grass and hay, mellowed but lovely

Finish

CR12 - Not much, very drying, some vanilla

JWBL - Keeps the moderate length, BIG vanilla

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THOUGHTS, COMMENTS, OPINIONS, ETC...

I was very impressed with how the Chivas held up.  My experience with Scotch blends this month hasn't been that positive.  I've found them pretty mundane for the most part.  The only two new ones I've enjoyed are Famous Grouse and......Chivas Regal 12yr.

On the neat serving, Chivas has a lovely nose.  Its palate is so-so, but it smells delicious.  Black Label holds much more complexity in the palate and finish, but the Chivas can compete nose-wise.

Chivas doesn't swim very well, its palate and finish mostly dropping away.  Meanwhile Black Label can be lovely with a couple drops of water.

So, I recommend Chivas neat.  It's a great starter whisky since it's smooth, mild, and noses very well.  For some more rough-housing, go Black.

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RATINGS

Johnnie Walker Black Label's pricing/rating won't change from its own report, but I'll list it here for official purposes:

Availability - Everywhere!

Pricing - Bargain! at $25, Acceptable at $35

Rating - 88

Here's the call on Chivas Regal 12yr:

Availability - Wide
Pricing - Great at $20-$23
Rating - 80 (but only when served neat)

(NOTE: Please see my updated Chivas 12yo vs. JW Black 12yo Taste Off completed in 2016, if you're dying to find out how the current stuff rates!)