Birthday Booze: Glen Ord 25 year old 1978

I reviewed Glen Ord 30 in 2015, then the 28 year old in 2018, and now the 25 year old...

This Glen Ord Thrillogy was released as part of Diageo's annual once-actually-special Special Releases: the 28yo in 2003, the 25yo in 2004, and the 30 in 2005. It's a darned shame they stopped there. Or rather they didn't. Teenage Glen Ord Special Releases arrived in 2019 and 2022, but were aged in recharred hoggies and wine casks because......?

Enough of dwelling in the recent past! Rather, it's time to indulge in ancient times with one of the last 1978 samples in my whisky closet.

Distillery: Glen Ord

Owner: Diageo

Region: Northern Highlands
Range: Special Release

Age: 25 years (1978-2004)

Maturation: ????????????

Outturn: 3600 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 58.3%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Yep, fruits in the nose! These apricots, kiwis, and mangoes get riper and muskier with time. Mineral/stone notes provide support in the midground, while toffee pudding, almonds, and toasted oak fill the background. Similar to its sparring partner, the 43yo Cadenhead blend, this Glen Ord offers quite the musty dusty palate, focusing on old books and dunnage at the start. Tart guavas and lemons give it a big zing, and there's plenty of earth in the background. It finishes herbal and musty with a touch of lemon and a lllllllllot of length.

It's a bit monolithic at this strength. Time to add water...

DILUTED to 50%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30mL of full strength whisky

The nose starts off......the same? Ah, but then blood oranges and lemonade powder appear with a hint of dunnage in the background. Much of the palate's mustiness is replaced with gentle wood smoke. The blood oranges show up here too, with some bitterer citrus in the back. The finish grows sweeter and tangier, keeping the good length.

More?

DILUTED to ~43%abv, or >2 tsp of water per 30mL of full strength whisky

A simpler nose now, with butterscotch candies, blood oranges, roses, and dunnage. The palate's elements come together well here, with citrus + nuttiness + dunnage. Toasted nuts and sharp citrus fill the finish, with a little bit of dustiness in the distance.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I did not anticipate diluting this whisky, but I'm so glad I did. It wallops at full strength, shines at 50%abv, and balances at 43%. The grand blood oranges mix with the mustiness perfectly, and it never gets too sweet. The 30yo reigns supreme, and the 28yo is probably more complex, but this one may be the most flexible. And it's just damned good stuff, often seeming even older than its stated age. Like me!

Availability - Secondary market
Pricing - I can't look
Rating - 90 (diluted)

Birthday Booze: William Cadenhead 43 year old Blended Whisky

This may be the first time my birthday has approached much too quickly for my liking. Can't I have a few more months??? 

As happens during Earth's solar years, things occurred since the last birthday. My daughters are now both in public school, not too far from my apartment. I jumped onto The Dating Train, then nine months later, I emphatically threw myself from it. It was not a soft landing. In other news, an increasingly gray beard grew on my face for several months before being removed. Travel continued: I enjoyed another two beautiful weeks in Japan in the spring, then Mathilda and I took our first long distance father-and-daughter trip in the summer. My last grandparent, my maternal grandfather, passed away at the age of 95. Ninety-five years. Three decades of cigarette smoking, nearly eight decades of beer drinking, and never a vegetable to be found on his plate. I'm doing it wrong. Happy 45th to me!

The older I get, the more challenging it is to select "Birthday Booze" that's relevant to my age. This appears to be a forever thing. Thankfully, I found a 1970s trio for this week.

In honor of the passing of Mr. Hedley Wright, the chairman of J&A Mitchell (owners of Springbank, Glengyle, and Cadenhead) for sixty years, I'm finishing up my big bottle split of Cadenhead's own 43-year-old blended whisky today. (No, I'm not 43, but I don't have a 44yo spirit other than my own!) The rumored ingredients are: 55% Invergordon and a 45% mix of Glenfarclas and Glenlivet...

pic source

Distilleries: Invergordon, Glenfarclas, and Glenlivet (allegedly)

Bottler: Cadenhead

Type: Blended Scotch

Age: 43 years (197? - 201?)

Maturation: ?????

Outturn: 624 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 44.2%

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Nuts and sugars unite in the nose: walnuts, almonds, and candied pecans meet toffee and caramel sauce. Softer notes of orange oil, mushrooms, and band-aids appear after 30 minutes, then dried apricots and nutty whole grain bread at the 50-minute mark. 

Dusty things, like old books, mild wood smoke, and cigar ash start the comfy palate, followed by sweet oranges and raw almonds. Layers of oak spices and bitterness build in the background.

The finish lingers awhile thanks to all the old oak. It's also dusty and mildly smoky like the palate, with a hint of tangy limes. Despite a big caramel note in the finale, it's not too sweet.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

It wouldn't shock any of us if at least one of the two malt elements had entered "spirit drink" territory below 40%abv, judging just by the blend's ABV. Then the whisky itself proves it. Though the casks feel exhausted, they shan't be shamed, since they've trod a 43-year marathon, at minimum. That old creaky wood produced a very good nose and an easy palate with some charming earthy hints in both. It's older and better than JW Blue Label, so good on Cadenhead for this blend's original reasonable price.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - around €200 in 2019
Rating - 85

Irish Single Malt 26 year old 1988 The Whisky Agency, The Perfect Dram

If you've followed any of the major whisky writers (online or in print) you have likely seen them sing the praises of 20+ year old Irish single malts distilled in the late '80s and early '90s. There's one reason why they do so. The whiskey is delicious. That's the reason. And why is it delicious? Frooooooooooot. Fruit. The fruitiness can be kind of outrageous. One only wonders if Bushmills (oops, I said it) can ever reach these heights, or even a suggestion of this style, again. One need only compare the '80s Bushmills blend with the current version to see that something has been lost even at 3 years and 40%abv.

This is my first review of one of those well-regarded Irish malts distilled in the late '80s, and likely my last. Sourcing something like this has gotten nearly impossible. I wonder if anyone opens these bottles anymore or just flips them while citing Whiskyfun 90+ point reviews. Well, here comes a 90+ point D4P review.

Distillery: Old Bushmills Distillery (maaaaaaybe)
Location: County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Bottler: The Whisky Agency

Range: The Perfect Dram
Age: 26 years (1988-2015)
Maturation: bourbon barrel
Outturn: 201 bottles
Alcohol by Volume: 50.7%
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Oh. Oh baby, the nose. I'll list it in order. Mangoes + peaches + a little bit of guava. Watermelon + jasmine blossoms + apricots. Kiwis. Hints of dandelions and toffee! All those fruits get sugarier with time, and honeys pour in.

It's easier for me to form thoughts about the silky palate. Guava and grapefruit juices mix with honey and a pinch of sea salt. Little bits of menthol, wormwood, and bitter citrus keep things from getting too sweet. There are even herbal and grassy characteristics in the background.

The whiskey leaves behind a tart aura(?!) with a dusting of sugar in the finish. Kiwis, guavas, and bitter citrus peels sink into the tongue, and I'm not sure when the sensation ends.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Heaven for fruit lovers. On the nose, this liquid reads like some beautifully crafted juice. How did barley, yeast, water, and wood turn into this? The palate is more whiskey-bound, complex and perfectly balanced, yet definitely......whiskey. Of course I want more More MORE, but I don't think anyone makes stuff like this anymore, anywhere. Meanwhile, my time machine is in the shop, indefinitely. As always, I encourage everyone to open their bottles and share. Please enjoy together. Cheers!

Availability - Maybe the secondary market, but...
Pricing - ...I won't look
Rating - 92

Teeling Single Pot Still Whiskey, 09/2019 batch

Back when I raved about Irish whiskey, it wasn't regarding the young brash Cooley upstart, rather the Midleton Machine won me over. Cooley's single malts rarely appealed to my palate, which may have cost me some hipster cred.

Today there are many more Irish distillers, and I want to support them, but their prices have kept me away. For instance, I was on the Dingle peninsula for a weekend and saw a few moments of Dingle distillery's construction. I was so excited! And then their minimally-aged single malts came out with $80-$120 price tags. And then I was less enthused. Meanwhile, I've lost interest in all of Midleton's blends, and keep waiting for Bushmills to release some age-stated stuff with a reasonable ABV. Waterford's "Irish Terrior! But Also Lots of French Wine" approach seems to be an oxymoron, and it shows in the whiskey. And then there's Teeling.

I've only had Teeling's Small Batch blend, which works well enough with its rum casks. But really I've only tried versions that used sourced whiskey. Their Single Pot Still expression was the first of their releases to use only Teeling Distillery's spirit. Today's version is (I think) the fourth overall batch. Time for some baby pot still!

Distillery: Teeling
Style: Single Pot Still
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Owner: The Teeling Family
Age: 3-4 years old

Mashbill: 50% malted barley + 50% unmalted barley
Maturation: Maybe ex-bourbon, ex-wine, and virgin oak? Maybe not?
Bottling year: 2019
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Colored? No
(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose starts with some very raw spirit, like a cross between new make and white dog. Essentially grain eau de vie with baker's yeast. Lots of cinnamon with smaller notes of apricot jam and apple sauce.

It's a relatively easy drinker considering its youth, though mostly one dimensional. The palate is heavy on barley, with some golden raisins, Granny Smith apples, and cinnamon. After 20+ minutes a brighter note of lemon marmalade on soda bread appears.

Honey, apples, cinnamon, and peppercorns fill the finish, with a burst of Apfelwein appearing in later sips.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This batch reads like a work in progress, an early revenue generator. One hopes current versions would have a bit of 7-8 year old whiskey in the mix. I haven't run out to buy a bottle because this batch tastes of $30 whiskey, and the current price on this expression is at least twice that amount. The 46%/nc/ncf presentation does keep the whiskey honest, and the spirit withstands whatever casketry was employed. I will root for Teeling's success, but I'll pass on this whiskey unless someone puts it on sale someday.

Availability - specialty retailers worldwide
Pricing - $55-$85 (USA), $40-$70 (elsewhere)
Rating - 77

Gold Spot 9 year old Single Pot Still Whiskey

I still try to keep up with the the Spots even though they aren't my favorite Irish whiskey brand. It all started with Green Spot, then came Yellow Spot, Blue Spot, Red Spot, a bunch of winey Green Spots, and then the limited edition Gold Spot that I'm reviewing today.

The current version of the standard Green Spot does nothing for me, but the Yellow and Red are pretty decent, at an indecent price. Gold Spot sold for less than Yellow, Blue, and Red, while also possessing an elevated ABV, which is potentially good news, but note the past tense of "sold" from the beginning of this sentence. Because the whiskey is "limited" and everyone is trying to wring every desperate penny out of every whisk(e)y bottle, most of the American retailers on WineSearcher have doubled or tripled the SRP on Gold Spot.

I don't know, y'all. Down the hatch!

pic pilfered from
a hacker of drinks

Brand: Spot
Spot Color: Gold
Style: Single Pot Still
Country: Ireland
Distillery: Midleton
Owner: Pernod Ricard
Age: at least 9 years
Maturation: a mix of bourbon, port, sherry, and Bordeaux casks
Bottling year: 2022
Alcohol by Volume: 51.4%
Chillfiltered? No
Colored? Probably
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

As anticipated (see the above list of casks), there's a lot of nose traffic. In one lane there's saline, chalk, kirsch, wet grass, and something vaguely smoky. Next lane over: unripe banana and hints of perfume and steel wool. Then, of all things, hot cotton candy waits in the turning lane. Less crowding in the palate. Pineapple, lime, and cardamom arrive first. Then some dingy fun pot still youth, wrapped up in burlap. And then there's the hot cotton candy again. It's in the finish as well, along with oak spice and sweet citrus.

DILUTED to 46%abv, or ¾ tsp of water per 30mL whiskey

Desserts everywhere! Banana pudding, Rolos candies, and circus peanuts in the nose's foreground. Saline and toasted oak in the background. Toasted oak encircles butterscotch, sweet apples, and pineapples in the palate, with hints of burlap and bitter oak. The circus peanuts return in the finish, hovering over orange peels and burlap.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

I'm not sure all the parts come together in this one, though thankfully all those seasoned casks couldn't kill off the pot still spirit. The whiskey is too sugary and oaky when diluted, but it works at full strength because the fruits provide a foothold. As odd as the cotton candy notes may sound, they were kinda fun; much better than the circus peanuts. It really is a dessert drink, one I'd choose over the Green and Blue Spots, but certainly not at its price point.

Availability - US, UK, and (maybe) Ireland
Pricing - all over the place: $130-$300
Rating - 83 (neat)

Bourbon and Rye Day Friday: Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon, batch 58 "Darth Vader"

I tried one of these Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend batches earlier this year; though I don't remember the batch, it was finished in armagnac, cognac, and sherry casks. Spicy as hell and very sweet, it was reminiscent of a Barrell production, nearly its own unique spirit. Whether it was good or not, I couldn't tell you, but it certainly was A LOT.

Today's bourbon is my second-ever JMCB batch, apparently a well-known one since it sold at auction for $1250 last year. Thankfully, I got in on a bottle split of the stuff for a much lower (prorated) amount. Part of a parcel of Kentucky and Indiana bourbons ranging from 14 to 20 years, allegedly, batch 58 does not appear to have had any alternate cask finishes. The blenders named it, Darth Vader. Will that be the Vader from the end of Revenge of the Sith? Or the Vader from the end of Rogue One?

Brand: Joseph Magnus

Range: Cigar Blend

Source Location: Kentucky and Indiana

Type: Bourbon

Mashbill: ???

Maturation: American white oak

Age: possibly 14 years old

Batch: 58, "Darth Vader"

Alcohol by Volume: 66.17%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Who knew Darth Vader had such a big schnozz under the mask? Waves of maple syrup, Rolos candies, cinnamon sticks, and black raisins fill the nose. Vanilla bean, cut lumber, and Endust spray emerge from behind the sweets after a while. It's a palate cooker at full strength. Once the heat lifts, one may find strata of wood spices, with brown sugar, tart cherries, and Demerara-based rum far beneath. It finishes with bitter chocolate, tart cherries, and barrel char.

DILUTED to ~57%abv, or 1 tsp of water per 30mL whiskey

A bit more focus to the nose here. Maple syrup, vanilla bean, and dried cherries up front, toffee in the back. Much more approachable, the palate offers maple syrup, wood smoke, and brown sugar. Quieter notes of pipe tobacco and black raisins arrive after some time. It finishes up with wood smoke, brown sugar, raisins, and a mild unlit cigar.

DILUTED to ~50%abv, or 2 tsp of water per 30mL full strength whiskey

Almost a different whiskey here. Desserts comprise the nose, like vanilla things, caramel candies, and lemon cream pies. The palate is a mix of wood spices, cassia, tart lemons, and brown sugar. It finishes sweet and tart, with more brown sugar than before.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This ain't no Emo Vader, though the high ABV causes most of the violence. Once diluted, it's a great, straightforward, dessert pour, with 57%abv being the money spot for my palate. There are no overwhelming bitter oak notes nor tastebud-stripping tannins present, which is a pleasant surprise for a 14+ year old bourbon. If your cigar smoking days are far behind you (like mine are for me), no worries, you will still enjoy this brawling bourbon. But don't go into it looking for complexity. Much like the Skywalker Saga, it's best consumed mindlessly.

Availability - All gone
Pricing - ???
Rating - 86

Knockdhu 30 year old 1990 SMWS 115.17

This weekend I matched up a youthful, punchy 10 year old Cadenhead Knockdhu, with a 30 year old from SMWS. The SMWS refill bourbon barrel had enough liquid to fill 161 bottles, but with only 43.2 points of alcohol left. Did some liquored-up angels feast on this cask, stealing the poison and leaving the water behind? Or did some fight remain in the barrel?

Distillery: Knockdhu
Owner: Inver House Distillers (via Thai Beverages plc via International Beverage Holdings Ltd.)
Region: Far East Speyside

Bottler: SMWS

Age: 30 years (15 Feb 1990 - 2020)

Maturation: refill bourbon barrel

Cask #: 115.17, "Flower meadows and lemon groves"
Outturn: 161 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 43.2%

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

Lemons, lemongrass, dried leaves, earth, kiwi candy, and dried rose petals arrive first in the gentle nose. Clementines appear at the 30-minute mark, as do hints of ocean and Sugar Daddy candy. At 45 minutes, it's all apple blossoms and fresh apricots.

The palate is so delicate. White cake with lemon zest and roses. Chocolate donuts and orange peel. Toasty oak, toasty bread, and sweet cherries.

Lots of oranges and Ovaltine in the finish, with some mineral and sweeter notes in the background.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

With such a vivid nose, the whisky surprised me with a palate so fragile that I didn't want to disturb the glass too much. Very pretty stuff, and thankfully not too oaky, this Knockdhu might have been glorious had it been bottled 5-10 years earlier, but I won't carp too much as it's easy drinkin'. Also, kudos to SMWS for a cask name that actually works.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 86