Glen Keith 19 year old 1995 Signatory for Stoller Wines, cask 171202

This week, I'm reviewing the four single malts from last week's whisky event. The event went very well and the food was great.

I started the event off with a single American oak cask of a (former) mothballed distillery, Glen Keith. It was bottled by the Signatory folks, and was selected for retail by Stoller Wines, an Illinoisan distributor. The bottles were sold exclusively(?) at the Binny's locations.

This is only the third Glen Keith I've reviewed here. I found the other two (including another 1995 from Signatory) to be just fine. Nothing exciting. Proper whisky. Probably a cinch to blend. Nothing I'd run out and purchase, though. But this bottle did come from my collection. I swapped a much younger bourbon for it. And I thought it would be a good way to start an event with an approachable Speyside. Hopefully.

I don't think I took pictures of any of these bottles beforehand
and am waiting for photos of the event. In the meantime,
here's some clip art.

Distillery: Glen Keith
Ownership: Pernod Ricard
Independent Bottler: Signatory
Region: Speyside (Moray)
Age: 19 years (November 1995 - March 2015)
Maturation: Hogshead
Cask#: 171202
Bottles: 239
Alcohol by Volume: 56.1%
Chillfiltered? No
Caramel Colorant? No

NEAT
The nose is big on hay and Nillas (like a cask strength Canadian blend). Orange peel, barley and lager follow. Some basic alcohol fumes, apple juice and a hint of lemon. The palate first comes in all citrus and floral. Then extra-sweetened toothpaste. It's mildly malty with some heat and caramel candy. An anise note floats in the back. In later sips, there's a slightly bitter char note. The main note the finish is Sweet. Just plain ol' sweet. Some heat. Some grain. A lengthy cayenne tingle.

WITH WATER (~46%abv)
The nose picks up a soft farmy note. Then citronella candles, vanilla, and underripe peaches. Some subtle dusty and herbal notes too. A phenolic/medicinal note shows up in the palate for a moment. (Found this curious note during the event too.) But the whole thing gets much louder with the dilution. Much sweeter and bitterer. More lemons, actually cheap limoncello. And a hint of plastic. Limoncello, vinegar, heat, grain and woody bitterness in the finish.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
"Mmmmmeh," goes the bored cow? The Glen Keith is fully okay when neat. But it's nothing one can't find elsewhere, often. Though, it's a bit too sweet for me. It gets loud and weird when water is added. And I like it better that way. If it wasn't for the woody bitterness and vinegar in the finish, I'd be more excited about it. So I'd recommend it with limited dilution, but I don't know if I'd really recommend it at all. At least it had a good price tag.

MAO, always the relevant one, reviewed this whisky a year and a half ago. Always the enthusiastic one, he was more keen to it than I. He found some of the citrus notes and the vinegar thing, though I think its fruits treated him better. If anyone else has tried this whisky, please share your thoughts on it in the comments section below.

Still not that impressed with Glen Keiths, yet. I wish I'd started the event off with a more convincing whisky. At least the other three were MUCH different in style.

Availability - At Binny's, though I think it may have finally sold through
Pricing - it was $70
Rating - 80 (with water)

Bourbon and Rye Day Friday: Heaven Hill 6 year old Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon (2016)

I love this stupid picture

We are definitely entering a new bourbon era when even Heaven Hill starts dropping age statements from their classics. Now many of us recognize how great it was to have a 6 year old, high ABV, quality bourbon available for $10-$12. In fact now that I've typed it, I can't believe it was once true (like, as of a few months ago). But the new HH BIB is still a BIB, and I think it remains south of $15. But, yeah I know, it's not the same. This is another(!) review from one of my whisk(e)y bottles. This of the once (and hopefully) future 6yo BIB. Most of this bottle's contents found a home in Manhattans and Old Fashioneds.

Distiller: Heaven Hill
Brand: Heaven Hill
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Region: Louisville, Kentucky
Maturation: New American oak
Age: at least six years
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
Bottle Code: F167 615 27
Bottling Year: 2016 (I think)

Alcohol by Volume: 50%

Its nose starts off with a sharply defined pine note, that gradually gets edged aside. There's almond extract, dried cherries and sesame oil. Then pears and grassy green herbs. Hints of rye whiskey and cucumber skins. It gets a little bigger as it's aired out. The palate is warm, rather than hot. It's nutty, has some wood spice, a cherried (dude, lazy) sweetness. There's a chili pepper heat that expands with time. A hint of tartness shows up to keep things interesting. The finish has a simple sweet oakiness. Nutty and peppery. Hints of vanilla, corn, salt and smoke. Cherry lollipops show up later on.

It's also quite good in Manhattans and Old Fashioneds, turning them sweeter than expected.

I may have said about other Heaven Hill products, but as a long-time scotch drinker, I'm shocked by the quality-to-price ratio here. I can't even think of a $30 scotch with this level of potency and reliable character. Personally, I like this BIB better than Even Williams White Label. (Wait, where are you going? Hey, I had a really bad experience with my last bottle of EW BIB.) Anyway, if you can still find this 6yo version for $10, I highly recommend it. Hell, I'd buy it for twice that, but don't tell anyone.

Availability - shrinking as it (EDITED) may be getting replaced by an NAS version, or the distillery has momentarily halted distribution
Pricing - $10-$15
Rating - 82

Ardmore 14 year old 2002 Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength

I did mention, back in January, that I was going to have to start opening up more Ardmore bottles from my stash. So, I did. The good news about this Ardmore is that it's currently for sale (overseas), having been released back in December. A relevant Ardmore, how about that? It's also one of the few sherried Ardmores I've seen since I became a Ardman.

I've been hesitant to buy Ardmores distilled from 2002 and later because 2002 was the year the distillery switched over from direct-heated stills (they were amongst the last five distilleries to utilize that old practice) to regular steam coil heated stills. The Ardies I've had from this new era have been uninspiring, though that may be due to the fact that most of them are super duper young.

So yes, this is another review from one of my own bottles!

Distillery: Ardmore
Region: Highlands (Eastern)

Independent Bottler: Gordon & MacPhail
Series: Cask Strength
Type: Single Malt

Age: 14 years old (July 1, 2002 - October 27, 2016)

Maturation: three refill sherry hogsheads
Casks: 935, 936 and 938

Alcohol by Volume: 57.5%
(Sample from bottle's midpoint)

NEAT
Its color is a medium gold. The nose has waves of both medicinal and sugary peat. In fact it's peatier than officially bottled Bowmores. Salty beach notes. Lots of dry sherry. Creamy vanilla pudding. Ham. Lemon juice. After 30 minutes, the peat retreats, revealing toffee and milk chocolate notes. Surprisingly big sherry and big peat notes in the palate. Berry syrup and mint leaves. Fresh ginger and a nice peppery bitter bite. Dried berries and currants in the finish. Plenty of black pepper. Dry red wine and softer peat.

WITH WATER (~46%abv)
Now the sherry backs off in the nose. Anise, citronella and roses. Salty subtler peat and roasted grains. Cherry shisha. The palate is both sweet and bitter. Slightly tarry. Sherry, ginger, peppercorns, pencil lead and burnt notes. It finishes salty and ashy. Sherry, apricots and pencil lead.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
This whisky is big big big stuff. It's, by far, the most sherried Ardmore I've had. The palate is very loud and the nose is always entertaining. Dilution drastically shifts the nose, but is equally as enjoyable. I'm not a fan of the pencil lead note that comes out in the palate, so I prefer it neat, overall.

It's been a fun Ardmore ever since I opened it, though it's a much different whisky than the early '90s Ardmores I adore. This difference seems to caused by the casks rather than any changes in the distillate. It will probably appeal to fans of recent Ardbeg Uigeadails and some of the sherried Ledaigs, but probably not to drinkers looking for subtlety. I'll enjoy this whisky for its own charms (thus the nice score), but I do prefer the bourbon casks from the previous decade.

Availability - European retailers
Pricing - I think this was less than $85, with shipping included
Rating - 86 (neat only)

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 3 Single Malt Whisky

The first time I experienced a Balvenie Tun 1401 I concluded that my scoring system was all screwed up. The whisky was so good, I realized I'd been handing out too many 90+ scores. Here was a genuinely A-grade whisky. The nose, the palate, the finish, all were worthy of hyperbole. Unfortunately, at that time the whisky retailed for $250. I refused (and continue to refuse) to spend $250 for any sort of liquid, so I never bought my own bottle of 1401. Now of course, that price seems quaint. Batch 3 is being flipped on the secondary market for four figures.

Thankfully, I have samples of four of the nine 1401 batches. Batch 3 seems to have received the greatest plaudits, and look I have (or had!) a sample of that very whisky.

Since it was my lovely wife's birthday this weekend, I've chosen to review this special whisky in honor of her.

Distillery: Balvenie

Ownership: William Grant & Sons
Region: Speyside (Dufftown)
Type: Single Malt

Age: damfino

Maturation: 7 ex-bourbon casks + 3 sherry butts
Limited Release: US release, 1800 bottles
Release Year: 2011

Alcohol by Volume: 50.3%
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? Hopefully not
(Two-ounce sample purchased at a bar long before prices got crazier)

NEAT
Its color is a reddish mahogany. The nose starts with dusty musty moldy dunnage casks. Cocoa and toffee. Tropical fruit and honey around the edges. Figs, rich tobacco and dried apricots. The palate has plenty of kick to it, considering how old the casks were rumored to be. Lots of stone fruits and bitter chocolate. Lime candy, toffee and a surprising malty note. Hints of smoke and dunnage. A huge finish. Loads of limes, grapefruits, cloves and bitter chocolate. Balance of salt and sweet. Hints of dunnage and metal.

Just a teensy bit of water...

WITH WATER (~46%abv)
Vanilla, tobacco and oak spice in the nose. Smaller notes of toffee, honeycomb and dunnage. Lots of drying tannins on the palate now. More dark chocolate and cracked pepper than before. Limes, mint and a slight hoppy note. The finish is tangy, peppery, sweet, citrusy and still very long.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
The "dusty musty moldy dunnage casks" note has become the direct line to my heart. I just love it. This batch of 1401 has it. Meanwhile, those three sherry butts totally overwhelm the seven bourbon casks. This is rich old sherry cask whisky through and through. It sticks the landing well too with its endless finish. It's definitely more than one step better than the Tun 1509 I've tried.

Curiously, it didn't take to water very well. All the oak compounds seemed to rush to the surface. It got less complex and lost most of its singular charm.

When neat, this is excellent whisky. But.

Perhaps I set my expectations too high. I thought this was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime 95+ pointer. But it never busts through its big sherry character into something more singular. It's comparable in quality to the better 1990s GlenDronach single oloroso casks. There are some single sherry cask Springbanks that can match its quality. And I might even take this Whisky Doris Bunnahahbain over it.  That all being said, this is grand whisky, a real treat, something you won't regret having paid the original price tag for. If you've got, treasure it. If you don't, I wouldn't mourn what you're missing

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - $1000+
Rating - 91 (neat only)

Bourbon and Rye Day Friday: Larceny Very Special Small Batch Bourbon

Heaven Hill's bargain Old Fitzgerald BIB wheated bourbon has been getting phased out for some time. It appears to be getting replaced by John F. Fitzgerald Larceny Very Special Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Or, Larceny, for short. Like Old Fitz BIB, Larceny is distilled by Heaven Hill, using a mashbill with wheat (rather than rye) as the secondary grain. But Larceny is NOT bottled in bond. It swings at 46%abv and has no age statement. And it's 50-100% more expensive than Old Fitz BIB.

NAS?

The official website has this weird quote: "Larceny was hand selected by the Master Distillers to have a taste profile of a six-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey."

So it's....not(?)....technically six years old? And what exactly does a "six-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey" taste like? There have been a lot of "six-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys" throughout time, and they all have had their own taste profiles. And why six years old? And how old is this stuff really?

SMALL BATCH?

The original Larceny marketing brochure mentions 75 or fewer barrels per batch, while some reviews reference 100 or fewer barrels. For major bourbon producers this probably does qualify as a small batch. Plus it's nice that there's some sort of number attached to the batch size, even if it's 15,000-20,000 bottles wide.

BIAS?

I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary wheated bourbons. (Note my lament over my last bottle of Maker's.) I didn't mind Heaven Hill's Old Fitz BIB when it was around. Dusty wheaters are different story. I adore Stitzel-Weller's Old Fitzes. In any case, I'm approaching this tasting with an open mind. I'd like to like a current wheated bourbon.

Distiller: Heaven Hill
Brand: John F. Fitzgerald Larceny Very Special Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Region: Louisville, Kentucky
Maturation: New American oak
Age: ???
Mashbill: I've seen 68 corn / 20 wheat / 12 malted barley; and 75 corn / 20 wheat / 5 malted barley
Bottle Code: A0756

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
(Sample from my father-in-law's bottle)

NEAT
The nose leads with caramel, char and bargain maraschino cherries (Red 40 standing by). There's also plenty of corn and stewed fruits. With time, a dandelion note moves to the fore. The palate is pretty easy, no burn and no complexity. It's sweet, like icing and the aforementioned cherries. A little floral note. Some halvah, corn, wood and black pepper. A little more heat in the finish. Mild char and wood spice. It gets VERY sweet with time.

WITH WATER (~40%abv)
The nose gets very grassy, and picks up a slight barbecue note. Still full of corn and char. The palate gets grainier and the oak dissipates. There's a good sweetness to it and some tart citrus. It finishes leaner and more peppery. A little acidic and bitter.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
It's a very easy drink that improves with a little water. Not terrible on the rocks. Would probably serve decently in cocktails. Can't say I'd buy a bottle of it, but I wouldn't turn away a free pour. It's something you can drink and forget, thus it's an improvement over all of my Maker's experiences. I don't recommend it sipped in a Glencairn glass. Pour it in a tumbler, give it a splash of water and don't expect much.

Availability - Everywhere
Pricing - $20-$35
Rating - 78 (with water)

Awesome Whisky Event Alert: Blind Lady Tavern, April 11th!

UPDATE! This event has now sold out. No more tickets will be sold. Thank you!

After hosting whisky shindigs throughout Southern California for a few years, I'm back and ready to start up the whisky events again, this time in lovely downtown Columbus, Ohio. My co-host, Matt E., and I have put together an evening quite unlike other the other whisky events in town.

Join us at Blind Lady Tavern on Tuesday, April 11th, for whisky and dinner. Tear into some hush puppies and short rib. Oh yes, and dark chocolate brownies from MY OVEN. ALL CAPS.

And there will be whisky. Full one-ounce pours of four very different single malts. Three different types of casks. Everything at full strength. And maybe a surprise pour to celebrate selling this event out.

As you know, I am not a rep. I'm not here to sell whisky. I do these events to make sure you have a unique whisky experience, get some fun learnin' in and enjoy an awesome night.

There's very limited seating at this event, and we have just a few tickets left. If you're in the Columbus area and are feeling hungry and thirsty, take a look at the flyer below. If you have any questions, please email the address above OR drop me a line at this blog's email address, and we'll get back to you ASAP.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Bowmore 14 year old 1996 AD Rattray cask 2873, BevMo exclusive

Believe it or not, here's my second consecutive review of a whisky I actually owned. Yay!

Once upon a time, the big BevMo retail chain sold AD Rattray bottlings that were exclusive to their stores. And then suddenly...they stopped. Amongst those BevMo selected ADR single casks were at least two Bowmores. As I mentioned in Monday's post, I've found AD Rattray's Bowmores to be consistently great. So I was willing to drive 45 minutes towards the Inland Empire to buy the final bottle of this particular whisky. It had been sitting on the shelf for more than three years waiting for me.

Curiously, this whisky was distilled on the same exact day as Monday's Bowmore. And I didn't realize that until just now. Let's see how it compares...

Distillery: Bowmore

Independent Bottler: A.D. Rattray
Region: Islay, Scotland

Age: 14 years (March 27, 1996 - August 4, 2010)

Maturation: ex-bourbon cask
Cask number: 2873
Bottle count: 239
Exclusive to: BevMo

Alcohol by Volume: 54.8%
Chillfiltered? No
Colored? No
Sample from my bottle, somewhere around the bottom third

NEAT
I can immediately tell by the nose, this is a different creature. It's beachy: seashells, seaweed and sand. It's a little grassy with a soft but bright peat note. Rubber tires, anise and wet sheep. The palate is hardcore. Super nude. Dingy, dirty, ashy and brimming with herbal bitterness. A soft fruity sweetness lingers in the background, until some citrus leaps forward in latter sips. Some smaller notes of basil leaves and anise. Its simple finish is salty and sooty. Plenty of heat. Sweet fruit in the back. Gets bitterer with time.

WITH WATER (~46%abv)
The nose has moved from the beach to the horse stall: hay, manure and apples. Soft smoke. Anise and chlorine. The palate is super bitter. But good super bitter. By that I mean rooty and herbal. A bitter liqueur minus the liqueur. Lots of peat and salt. Its shorter finish is sooty and bitter, until a nice sweetness rolls in to balance things out.

WORDS WORDS WORDS
If you've had a bunch of indie Bowmores, you've likely come across some that feel as phenolic as the Kildalton distilleries' products, despite Bowmore's technically lower peat levels. This one comes across Ardbeggian at times (as in the unadorned versions of the Ten), or similar to the better versions of Kilchoman. While this cask lacks the balance and beauty of cask 960034, it gets serious points for framing well the Bowmore spirit without making it feel too raw or underaged. This was probably from a third-fill cask or a well-abused second-fill. If you have this bottle sitting in your whisky hoard—and why is this gathering dust after 6 years?—and you're a peathead, you'll dig this. If you enjoy a minimum of oak in your malt, this is your jam. If you're looking for grace, go to church.

Availability - Happy Hunting?
Pricing - I think I paid all of $60 for this. Oh, the days...
Rating - 88