Single Malt Report: Kilkerran Work in Progress 2 (2010)

Over a year ago I enjoyed my introduction to the miracle makers of Springbank.  I lined up a tremendous Taste Off of Hazelburn 8yr, Springbank 10yr 100 proof (UK version), and Longrow CV.  Since then I always spring for a Springbank if I see a bottle at a bar.  And there's always one (or more) of their whiskys in my cabinet, usually a Longrow.

As an introduction to that Taste Off, I posted a little piece about the history of Springbank and Campbeltown in general.

Kintyre Peninsula, Scotland's bait and tackle,
twig and berries, meat and potatoes, rod and reel.
*WINK*
Get it?
It's a peninsula joke.

In the late 1800s, thirty to forty distilleries packed into a little town, Campbeltown at Kintyre's tip.  Campbeltown was then the center of the whisky world.  But overproduction, logistics, and economics changed the whisky power structure in Scotland.  By the mid-twentieth century there were only two distilleries left in Campbeltown, Springbank and Glen Scotia.

In 2000, Springbank's ownership acquired one of the defunct (but mostly intact) distilleries, Glengyle, and began production -- using modified stills from the closed Ben Wyvis distillery -- four years later.  Loch Lomond Distillers owns the rights to the Glengyle name, so the new whisky's name was chosen, as per their website:

Kilkerran is derived from the Gaelic 'Ceann Loch Cille Chiarain' which is the name of the original settlement where Saint Kerran had his religious cell and where Campbeltown now stands.

In 2009 the distillery started releasing their young whisky as a sort of public archiving of the whisky's development (and I'm sure it doesn't hurt to get some revenue out of it too), labeling it "Work in Progress".  So, Work in Progress 1 was five years old, 2 is six, 3 is seven, and this year's 4 is eight, each limited to 12000-15000 bottles.  Once it hits 12 years in 2016 they will expand it to a full release.

Like Springbank, Kilkerran is lightly peated, but distilled twice.  They use Springbank's malt, but with much differently structured stills and fermentation times.  As a result a different whisky is born.

At the end of that post on Springbank last December, I wrote: "Kilkerran is still a baby, but they have released a malt that I will beg, borrow, and steal for before 2012 has finished. "

Done and done.

Distillery: Glengyle

Owner: Mitchell's Glengyle Limited

Brand: Kilkerran

Age: 6 years (2004 - June 2010)

Maturation: ex-bourbon American Oak barrels

Region: Campbeltown

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Limited release: 15000

Please note: This one took a while to wake up, especially the nose.  The palate showed up first, but after 10-15 minutes in the glass the whisky switch was thrown and the nose appeared.

NEAT
The color is a pale amber.  The nose immediately starts with new shoes, leather jacket, and a touch of peat. There's a hint of acetone at its edges which is the only element that belies the malt's youth.  There's some hay and tree bark in there too.  While there's some very subtle vanilla in the background, the main descriptor that I apply to the nose is: Outdoorsy.  The palate holds some surprising peat (both in vegetal form and resultant smoke).  Vanilla, cereal grains, more toffee than molasses, and some white fruit juice.  There's a little bitterness, but its very palatable, think black coffee or baker's chocolate.  The lengthy finish gets slightly sweeter.  The shoes and leather notes return here, as well as the pleasant bitter note.

WITH WATER
More American oak sneaks into the nose now.  Coconut and some white sugars appear.  The leather and outdoor notes are silenced.  Okay maybe there's a little manure.   Yes, in a good way.  The palate gets very creamy and noticeably sweeter.  Brown sugar and fresh grass spring up.  The peat's still there along with a fragrant floral moment.  It's now insanely drinkable.  The finish is shorter, but holds that nice bitter note.  A bit of vanilla is awakened and there's some more grass (live and dead).

This one sits on the other side of the spectrum from Wednesday's Benromach Organic.  Where that one was huge sweet oak syrup, this one flexes more malt and is more outdoorsy (notice how few food-and-drink-related descriptors are in these notes).  Also, something makes this nose feel old fashioned.  Perhaps because it's a little more rugged than most popular single malts.

To use silly shorthand: If Springbank is Springbank's Campbeltown malt, Longrow their Islay-type malt, and Hazelburn their Lowland-type malt, then perhaps Kilkerran is their old school peated Highland malt?  I'd love to line Kilkerran up next to some good Ardmore to see if that theory holds up.  Heck, I'd love to line Kilkerran up next to some more Kilkerran.

Ultimately, this isn't a sweetie, though the sugars show up once water is added.  After doing some whisky review snooping, I've noticed that the newer releases of Kilkerran are getting sweeter and fruitier as the malt ages.  While I wouldn't say no to any bottle of Glengyle's malt, I do like this WIP2 version.  In fact this is really my jam (so to speak).  But your palate may differ from mine.  Remember, I like Lediag, LOVE Longrow, and would bathe in Corryvreckan if I didn't fear it would eat my soul.

Availability - Some liquor specialists (This edition is getting harder to find)
Pricing - $50-$65 (WIPs 3 & 4 seem to be going up in price)
Rating - 91

Single Malt Report: Benromach Organic

Gordon & MacPhail was established in 1895 as an independent licensed bottling agent.  In 1915, John Urquart became the company's senior partner and his family has run the business (from the original location in Elgin) ever since.  With more than a dozen different bottling series (such as Connoisseur's Choice, The MacPhail Collection, Secret Stills, Private Collection, Speymalt, etc.) they remain one of the leading independent whisky botters.  Their continuing success in the whisky business provided them with the means to purchase the mothballed Benromach distillery in 1993.

Benromach began distilling in 1898 (so it's actually younger than its current owner) and has been mothballed twice, in 1931 and 1983.  It changed ownership a number of times in its youth, including four instances over forty years.  It ended up in the hands of DCL (proto-Diageo) in 1953.  As the whisky market underwent significant turmoil in the Eighties and early Nineties, DCL (then United Distillers) mothballed Benromach to stanch its losses.  Then in an act very unusual for the company, DCL/United Distillers sold the distillery to Gordon & MacPhail.  It took five years to get the distillery back in operation and it has been running ever since.

Distillery: Benromach
Ownership: Gordon & MacPhail
Age: older than 3 years, younger than 10 years
Maturation: virgin American Oak
Region: Speyside (Findhorn)
Alcohol by Volume: 43%

This particular bottling is Benromach Organic.  First released in 2006, it was a noticeable effort to differentiate their brand in the Scotch whisky market.  It was the first whisky to be fully certified organic.  As per their website:

The whole process, including the use of the raw ingredients, distillation, maturation and bottling, is certified to the rigorous standards set by the UK Soil Association. The whisky is matured in virgin American oak casks from environmentally managed forests...

Virgin oak can impart an intense influence on a whisky.  Thus I'd bet the malt here is very young; too much time in new oak can crush any sense of the original spirit.

NEAT
The color is bronze with bright orange highlights.  The nose starts with rich rye-like spices (think nutmeg and clove), overripe stone fruits, and lots of toffee.  Peach liqueur, lavender, brown sugar, and dark rum evolve over time.  The palate starts with MASSIVE vanilla.  Sweet spices, whole wheat bread, honey, and caramel sauce sing backup.  It's all very thick and desserty.  It finishes with the vanilla and caramel sauce.  Maybe dulce di leche?  But definitely rummy.  Very sweet.

WITH WATER
The nose leads with toffee and dark rum.  Brown sugar, some malt, basic wood grains, and (since the nose can't technically smell "sweet") the illusion of sweetness.  It's much simpler but still quite nice.  The palate is like the nose, but more malt sneaks out once the water is added.  There's still a bit of brown sugar and molasses sweetness with a snip of black pepper in the back.  Whole lotta sweetness in the finish, in fact it's almost bourbony in its intensity.  The black pepper lingers.

I liked this a lot.  But my opinion isn't shared by everyone.  Please keep in mind this one is a big sweetie.  Untempered by previous fills of bourbon, sherry, or other malts, the oak does some serious syrupy stomping here.

On a side note, I'm a complete hypocrite.  While I've often complained about the wood effect from first-filled sherried-European oak and occasionally griped about first-fill bourbon-American oak, I've found I  really enjoy the wild character imparted by virgin American oak.  Perhaps it's because it reminds me of the best parts of American whiskey, especially straight rye.  I've found Bruichladdich's Organic Multi-Vintage whisky to be less sweet and more malt-forward than Benromach's, so that must have something to do with wood management.  But I do like this one as a dessert whisky.

The reviews on this whisky are all over the map, so I recommend you take a look at these before you run off and try Benromach's Organic syrup whisky:

LA Whisky Society - Did not like it.
Whisky Advocate - Found it mostly......meh.
Malt Maniacs - Mixed
Serge Valentin - Liked
Whiskybase (crowdsourced) - Mixed

The folks from Michael Jackson's Complete Guide were so-so on it, while Jim Murray was positive.

I think many of these folks are reviewing the initial 2006 launch, but I find the vastly different reviews very interesting.  While reading their notes, I wonder if they (or we) drank the same whisky.

I've tried it twice, from the same 750mL bottle (Thank you, Bob!!!) so I can concur that my notes come neither from a mini nor a packaged sample.

Ultimately, there ain't a lot of subtlety in this single malt.  Heck, there's not a lot of malt in this single malt.  But it's a sweetie, if you want a sweetie.

Availability - Select liquor specialists
Pricing - US $65-$75, International $45-$60 (before shipping)
Rating - 86

NOT Single Malt Report: Triple American Taste Off

Hope everyone had a happy and safe Thanksgiving!  Let's do a quick-ish three part American Taste Off:  Old Grand-Dad Bottled in Bond, Old Forester, and Midnight Moon.  (Too bad I didn't have some Old Crow, Old Fitzgerald, or Old Weller!)

I'm drinking all three neat, no water, because I'm an Amurican.  I'm also drinking all three in Glencairn glasses because I'm a communist socialist terrorist.

OLD GRAND-DAD BOTTLED IN BOND STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY

Owner: Beam, Inc.
Brand: Old Grand-Dad
Distillery: Booker Noe Plant
Location: Boston, Kentucky
Mash Bill: High rye, 30% rye
Age: minimum 4 years
ABV: 50% ABV

This is the younger brother of the Basil Hayden's Straight Bourbon (6-8 years).  Same mash bill, same distillery, same company.  Different age, different ABV weight, different bottle, different label, different price.  Basil Hayden, the man, is the "old grand dad" from the label.  I picked up a flask-sized 200mL bottle of this bourbon during a great weekend in Idyllwild.

The color is straight up bourbon gold.  The dense nose is loaded with hazelnuts, tree bark, and hay.  There are some apple skins and Hershey's milk chocolate in there too.  The rye sits in the background.  The palate is full of honey and corn, but some more rye shows through.  There's some Robotussin, corn syrup, cherry syrup, and a light nuttiness.  Corn whiskey lasts the longest in the finish, leaving a sticky sweet residue, along with a hint of amaretto.

Of the two bourbons, I enjoyed this nose better.  It makes a decent Old Fashioned as well.  Otherwise, I don't forsee buying a 750mL of this one.

Availability - Most liquor stores

Pricing - $18-$25

Rating - 71

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OLD FORESTER STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY

Owner: Brown-Forman Corporation
Brand: Old Forester
Distillery: Brown-Forman Distillery
Location: Shively, Kentucky
Mash Bill: 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley
Age: approx. 4 years
ABV: 43% ABV

It uses the same mash bill as Woodford Reserve (a bourbon I do not like).  Brown-Forman also makes Jack Daniel's and Early Times, two more products with unappealing flavors.  So, it's a good thing I had no idea that Old Forester comes courtesy of these folks.  And I happily found a 99 cent mini of it a few weeks back.

The color is a slightly darker browner gold than the Grand Dad.  The nose starts with new sneakers(!), paper, caramel, leather gloves, lots of caramel sauce, zero rye, and a touch of dried fruit.  The desserty palate holds milk chocolate, whipped cream, vanilla, and TONS of butterscotch.  It's sweet but dense and hardy.  Sadly the finish doesn't hold out.  It gets a little odd, very vegetal (celery, lettuce, and kale?) with lots of corn.

I really enjoyed the butterscotch in the palate, but it's too bad the finish goes weird.  While I'm in no hurry to drink this again, I wouldn't mind trying the 100 proof Forester.

Availability - Most liquor stores

Pricing - $13-$18

Rating - 72

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MIDNIGHT MOON

Owner: Piedmont Distillers
Brand: Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon
Mash Bill: 100% corn
Age: 0 years old
ABV: 40% ABV

This is a triple-distilled grain (corn) spirit that is said to be sourced from NASCAR great Junior Johnson's family recipe.  Having had new makes of all sorts, I've never tried an officially bottled product claiming to be moonshine.

It's clear, thus no color.  The nose is vodka, but more sugary.  Some dry grains, hay, notebook paper, and nondescript vegetation.  The palate: vodka, probably from an upper shelf.  There's some granulated sugar in there.  Tapioca pudding.  The illusion of vanilla.  Not much of a finish.  A little sweet.  Vodka.

This is watered-down ethanol.  It is very similar to big label vodka, though one of the better ones.  More Grey Goose than Ketel One.  I've had quite some vodka in my time, more than you can possibly imagine.  And I never drank it for the flavor.

This was also another cheap mini that required a pair of pliers to open.

Then I spilled half of it on the floor.  And was not bummed about it in the least.

Availability - Most liquor stores

Pricing - $18-$22

Rating - This is not whiskey

NOT Single Malt Report: Old St. Andrews 12 year old Blended Whisky

It's a mini.  Another one of this company's minis looks like this:

WTF, you may ask?

It is Old St. Andrews 12-year-old blended Scotch whisky.  Old St. Andrews has been in the blending business for some time and appears to be making whiskys mainly for the kitschy gift market.  (Just see this Google Image Search of their bottles.)  It appears to be more for the people-who-like-mounted-singing-fish rather than anoraks. I make that judgement call only due to their decisions on the presentation aesthetics of their products.

As for the barrel mini that was in my possession?  Firstly, the plastic barrel isn't terribly functional, as it took a pair of pliers to get the cap off the bottom.  Secondly, it doesn't make for easy pouring.  Thirdly, it was 99 cents at Hi Time Wine Cellars.

I will hold off any further design snark because ridiculing the barrel is like making fun of plastic pink flamingos on a front lawn.  It is aimed for a specific market of which I am not a part.

And hey, who knows, the whisky could be good...

OLD ST. ANDREWS 12 YEAR OLD BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY

Bottler: Old St. Andrews Limited
Distributor: Niche Imports
Age: minimum 12 years old
Ingredients: 12 to 18 single malts plus grain whisky, LOTS of grain whisky

I wish I could provide more information, but the company's own website has nothing on the 12yr.  The sales snippets on retail sites tend to push the fact that the whisky was aged in oak (unique!) and that Jim Murray once rated one of their blends highly, seven years ago (unique?).

NEAT
Its color is a bright shiny yellow gold.  The nose leads with apples and light citrus.  It gets woody quickly.  Gradually hints of nuts, Scope mouthwash, and maple syrup arise.  The palate is of mostly grain whisky.  It has that Lauders-esque cheap vodka moment.  There's some plain sweetness and salt.  Some cocoa, burnt paper, some more wood, and a small ethyl bite.  Its finish carries some lemon candy and chocolate, somehow being both sticky sweet and lightly bitter.

WITH WATER
The nose is oaky, gassy, grainy, brown sugary, and vanilla extract-y.  Better overall.  The grains improve on the palate too.  The water smoothens over any weird edges and leaves behind a mildly sweet generic vanilla note.  But the finish turns odd.  Something unpalatable and unnamable created a strange aftertaste that turned my stomach after a couple minutes.

Or maybe it was something I ate.  So I won't blame the 48-hour tummy ache on the whisky.

I felt it was quite interchangeable with Lauder's Finest and, similarly, best left for cocktails.  That's not necessarily an insult since Lauder's is palatable, but Lauder's is also 3 years old (as per its label) while this Old St Andrews is 12 years old.  Both are mostly (I dunno, 80%?) grain whisky.  Also, Lauder's can be had for $10 per 750mL.  Old St Andrews 12yr is much more expensive, but I guess one is paying for the bottle.

Availability - A few liquor specialists, worldwide

Pricing - ??? at $30-$50

Rating - 70

Wife returns from foreign lands, with treats in tow

As mentioned last week, I had a whisky shop in Yorkshire truck a Ledaig 15yr parcel over to Kristen's hotel in Worcester.  I am indebted to her for many things, and I must add this to the list.  She couriered the bottle (box and all) back to me in her luggage with nary a gripe.

Actual bottle shot.

She was also in Wisconsin (twice) and brought us back a cold!  More importantly she brought herself back.  Both times.

Then she was in Australia...

 Where there are birds like this:

They bite people.  Probably just self-conscious about the tail issue.

Then she brought back this:

Buddha approves

First off, Vegemite.

Secondly, The Singleton of Glen Ord.  Diageo bottles three Singletons from three different distilleries: The Singleton of Glendullan (for the North American market), The Singleton of Dufftown (European market), and The Singleton of Glen Ord (Pacific market).  Of the three the Glen Ord is preferred by Serge V, the rest of the Maniacs as a whole, Michael Jackson's Guide, and Jim Murray.  The grand slam is it not?  So when Kristen (bless her) called me from Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport's duty free shop and ran down the whisky selection, the Glen Ord arose as the most intriguing (and affordable) option.  Can't get it here, only out there.  As I keep reading about all of its floral, orange, hazelnut, and chocolate notes, I'm doubting it will stay sealed for very long.

And the Sullivan's Cove Double Cask Single Malt?  Now that was unexpected!  Many thank yous to Chris and Connor for this very nice surprise!  It was an international effort and I/we owe you a drink or two.  In the meantime, shall I pair this with a Vegemite sandwich?

Single Malt Report: Rosebank 21 year old 1990 (Murray McDavid)

Delicate. Fragile. Brittle.

They're synonyms, but their conotations depict increasing levels of vulnerability.  There's more art and pathos in delicacy.  Fragility depicts something whole that has the potential to be shattered if mishandled.  Brittle paints a picture of underlying structural uncertainty, an anticipation of a rendering.

Whisky can take on any of these characteristics, especially as it gets older.  It does not necessarily keep getting better the longer it's confined in the oak.  Harsh edges are refined with barrel time, power becomes grace.  But to a point.  The whisky can become over-oaked or it can be mellowed into silence.  Thus choosing when to bottle a barrel is a cautious science.  Time and nature can be fickle with whisky.  And when the angels descend to take their share, alcohol content isn't the only thing they depart with.

I have a difficult time sussing out elements of gentle whiskies.  Currently my palate is drawn to rollicking young barrel-strength ryes and booming Scotch peat storms.  It wasn't always that way, but one's tastes change.  Twenty-one years ago, I was listening to MC Hammer.  Twenty years ago, I was listening to Poison.  Nineteen years ago, I was listening to Mike Oldfield.  Eighteen years ago, I was listening to U2.  Seventeen years ago, The Who.  Sixteen years ago, I was drinking Coors Light and doing shots of Skyy and Tanqueray.  Et cetera.

---

Its doors shut in 1993 after almost 200 years of production, the Rosebank distillery is now gone; its land sold to a developer and its copper stills stolen.  When it was up and running, Rosebank's stills produced a triple-distilled whisky.  The third round of distillation -- a practice shared by many now-defunct Lowland distilleries -- produced a softer, lighter spirit than that of the usual double-distillation practiced by the great majority of Scotland's whisky makers.  Auchentoshan is the only Scotch whisky distillery that regularly runs a third pass, though Glenkinchie has a spirit that almost mimics the hushed style.  Some Scottish distilleries, like Springbank, BenRiach, and Bruichladdich, produce occasional triple-distilled whiskys, but for the most part, Ireland's Midleton Distillery remains the largest practitioner of this process.

Distillery: Rosebank
Ownership: Diageo
Bottler: Murray McDavid (Mission series)
Age: 21 years (1990-2011)
Maturation: Bourbon barrels
Region: Lowlands
Alcohol by Volume: 54.6%
Limited bottling: 270

This Rosebank, from Murray McDavid, is delicate.  It isn't falling apart, it isn't silent, it doesn't go blank after a couple drips of water.  But it is soft as wilting rose petals.  It was thus a challenge for this writer.

NEAT
Its color is Sauvignon Blanc.  The nose leads with vanilla beans, vanilla ice cream, and bourbon.  Then it's pound cake, ripe peaches, and orange hard candies.  So much comes from the oak and it only intensifies with time in the glass.  The palate, though, is full of malt.  It's sweet at the start, then the ethyl heat rolls in.  Lemon zest, chlorine, some sour fruit candy, a little wood grain, then a tiny bit of vanilla.  Its finish is extensive, probably much thanks to the cask strength ABV.  There's a pleasant sour lemon squeeze, more vanilla, and a gentle wave of flower blossoms.

WITH WATER (approx. 43% ABV)
The nose becomes much more herbal, think juniper and other gin-like notes.  There are ripe peaches and rotting apples, some mild cheese and pencil shavings.  Sweetness and vanilla at the palate's start again. The alcohol still pinches a bit.  Underneath that are fresh oranges and pipe tobacco.  The finish is a bit mouth drying, but very mild.  Some malt and barley sugar, maybe?  It's certainly candied, along with the continuing notes of vanilla and pipe tobacco.

It didn't do much for me at first sip that night.  The presidential election results had been called and the time was closer to midnight than eleven.  I wondered if I was too tired to fully experience this whisky.  Or perhaps this was just too quiet of a dram for me.

But with patience and time, I could see (and smell) its benefits.  It's likely not one of the best recent Rosebank releases, but it left me curious for more of this old gem because just as I was beginning to appreciate this late Lowland rose's delicacy, the whisky was gone.

Availability - Once available only in the UK, but now difficult to find
Pricing - $160-$180 (the cheaper end of this distillery's bottlings)
Rating - 83

The Two Whiskiest Weeks of My Life

Alright, get comfortable.  There's been a lot of whisky had.

The Glenmorangie Taste Off

To begin my recap of these whisky weeks, I should start with my actual blog posts.  The Glenmorangie Taste Off was as educational as any 'Off I've done.  I learned:

1.  I like the The Original a lot more than I used to.  I wish I would have had a bottle of it during our extended summer.  It would probably make for a better summer house malt than Glenfiddich 12.
2.  The Lasanta experience was disconcerting.  I'd enjoyed GlenMo's sherried whisky for years, but having now come back to it after two years of intensive whisky tasting, I no longer felt anywhere near the same level of joy or appreciation while drinking the Lasanta.  Will my palate shift back some day?  Or will the whisky change as consumers' palates and purchases make their own adjustments?
3.  Quinta Ruban mostly supported my continuing issue with port-finished whisky, as well as short-term wine-finished whisky.  I've only experienced one port-ed whisky that felt like an excellent convergence of wine, wood, and whisky (and I hope to report on it before the year is out!), but the rest of the port finishes I've had smell and taste like whisky + low-grade port.
4.  The Astar is an All Star.

A somewhat public whisky tasting

Two weekends ago, I attended an eight-part whisky tasting, mostly consisting of Ian MacLeod's products.

It was here that I had my first sip of the Isle of Skye 8 year.  I was sold on it, quite literally.  I purchased it, promptly, and it awaits its turn as a potential Johnnie-Walker-Black-Label-Killer.  There will be an official Taste Off between the two before the year is out.

We tried a few Chieftain's bottlings, my favorite being their Ben Nevis 13yr 1999 bottling.  It appears as if I wasn't the only fan, as it has sold out at Hi Time Wine Cellars, while K&L has only 5 bottles left.  It had a bit of citrus, white fruits, and flower blossoms in the nose and mouth, along with significant vanilla and brown sugar notes.  My single issue with it is the pricing: the 75-80USD range for a 13yr non-cask-strengther.

We also sampled three Arran single malts, my favorite being the 14yr, full of toffee and honey.  It's priced at $70 at all of my usual haunts.  The price is neither terrible nor super, but the quality is definitely there.  Also, to quote Serge V.: "excuse me but with this kind of quality, I guess they could now start to drop the wine finishes."

The winner of the night was probably Kilchoman Machir Bay, already lauded on this site.  But those above three whiskys (all different styles) provided some good competition.

A flurry of crazy purchases

So, yeah, let's get down to the meaty part.

Two weeks ago, a bunch of carefully planned purchases fell into place.

While my dear Kristen was in the UK for business, I just happened to find a little shop in Yorkshire that sold the now dead-for-eight-years Ledaig 15yr bottling for a reasonable price.  The shop agreed to ship it to Kristen's hotel.  And she couriered it back to me.  I have it!  Woo hoo!  My wife rules.

Pic courtesy of Wright Wine and Whisky Company
my source for this great bottle.

That same day, a shipment of two out-of-production peated whiskys arrived from The Netherlands.  I had been working on getting those to me SINCE AUGUST and now they are in my possession.  I'm keeping them a secret for now, but they've both been mentioned in passing on this site previously.  And I hope they'll be mentioned again soon...

Then, three days later......

Well......I'll just list the text I sent to Kristen:

Your husband drove to Boyle Heights at 9am to rescue two dusty whisky bottles from neglect at a corner liquor store.  And got to work ten minutes early.

I still can't believe I did that.

I can't believe I got to work ten minutes early.

That marks the end of my whisky purchases for the calendar year......

......okay, aside from the bottle of Thomas H. Handy rye I just discovered at a place that shouldn't have had it, at a price they probably shouldn't have been charging if they're hoping to turn a profit.

This past weekend

The whisky continues.  I met up with a bunch of old buddies, including one of my original Scotch mates from the East Coast.  There was a bottle of 2011's Talisker 18yr that had been burning a hole in my whisky cabinet since August '11.  I'd been waiting to open it until my friend (a fan of Talisker 10yr) visited the West Coast.  Open it we did, and a bunch of us did some damage on Saturday night.

On the afternoon before the Talisker-ing, I met up with Florin, a brilliant whisky man and a frequent commenter on this site.  And Oh My Whiskey, we drank some goodness!  We have similar palates when it comes to Straight Rye Whiskey, so that must have inspired him to share a magnificent Virginia Whiskey.  HOLY ABRAHAM BOWMAN AND HIS PIONEER SPIRIT!  People, I am not exaggerating when I say that THIS is the best American whiskey I have ever tried.  It was over 68% ABV, but a very delicious 68% ABV.  Sour Mash Manifesto has a review of it here, SKU has his review here.  Thank you very much to Florin for this and all of the grand whiskies (including a very impressive house vatted malt)!

Now I sit here...

...on Sunday evening, a little tired, a bit under the weather.  My senses have been compromised.  Sleep depravation, un-wise dietary choices, abrupt weather changes, and an almost excess of liquid pleasures have gotten the better of me.  I regret not a thing.

So many more opportunities out there.  I want to be in shape for them.  Thus it's time to dry out and recharge.

Did I mention that I also tried my first Rosebank?