Whisky Storage: The Samples

I used to store my samples in these:

They work quite well, though you'll need to make your own dividers if you don't want samples bumping into each other.  In order to keep my bottles separated, I fashioned a number of grid-like dividers out of the cardboard boxes Amazon would ship these Snap-N-Stores in.

I had a few boxes of these and enjoyed them a lot.  Made me look all organized and stuff.  But then, last month, an alternative presented itself.

When the Long Beach Antique Market makes its monthly stop near our home, Kristen has been known to peruse it and find some great vintage furniture and decor at decent prices.  I join her, partially for some fresh air, partially to search for baseball cards that I will never buy, partially to look for old nudie mags that I (um) will never buy, partially for a big plastic cup of beer.  Without fail, I usually wind up going through sellers' tchotchkes more than she does.  But this time, I found these:

And these:

My ammunition boxes:

Loaded...

and stored...

...but not until after all the boxes were wiped down and thoroughly sanded.  Don't want to get a splinter under a fingernail when I reach for a Springbank sample.  This new sample storage serves me so well, I almost like it more than the whisky inside.  Almost.

Single Malt Report: Ardbeg Uigeadail versus Ardbeg Uigeadail

Distillery: Ardbeg
Product: Uigeadail
Type: Single Malt
Ownership: Glenmorangie Plc (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy)
Age: unknown other than a mix of young stuff and old stuff
Maturation: ex-oloroso (35-45%) and ex-bourbon (remainder)
Region: Islay, Scotland
Alcohol by Volume: 54.2%

---

An intro

A little over ten years ago, Glenmorangie plc (now LVMH), the new owner of the Ardbeg distillery, was faced with a whisky challenge.  Due to a pair of closings in the '80s and '90s, Ardbeg didn't yet have a consistent library of annual malts to pull from.  In release, they had a ten year (which was sometimes older than ten years), a seventeen year (which was often older than seventeen years), and some well-aged bottlings from the 1970s.  At hand, they had very young malt from their own production, begun in 1997, and much older casks from the previous ownership.  A solution was reached: create a whisky that combined the old sherry-wood-aged whisky with the young ex-bourbon oak whisky.  It was dubbed Uigeadail, named after one of the local water sources, and released to the public in 2003.

(source)

Uigeadail was met with raves.  Year after year, batch after batch, people enjoyed the grace from the old malt and the power from the new malt.

But recently, over the past two years, some of the raves have quieted.  Some have even become gripes. In anorak circles online (forums, Facebook, Twitter), some have declared that recent batches have been disappointing.  These fans felt like they were experiencing a great whisky's fall from grace.

We all knew it couldn't always remain the same.  Eventually Ardbeg was going to run out of that old malt, or salvage the better old casks for exclusive exorbitantly-priced single cask editions.  Also, the new malt was going to evolve as the new ownership worked through the kinks of their production.  Cask technology was changing -- for better or worse, depending on one's perspective -- and the demand for whisky was booming.  Wasn't change inevitable?  And if so, we can only wonder what sort of cask experiments are being used to simulate or supplement the old stuff...

Bottle codes

Every bottle of whisky contains some sort of code printed on it by its packaging facility.  Ardbeg bottles have specific codes that have become something that most collectors eye carefully.

The first part of the code begins with an L, then the numbers follow.  First there's a number that denotes the year.  For Uigeadail it'll be a 3 through 13 (and counting).  The next three digits denote the day of the year, 001 through 365 (or 366).  Then the time is shown.  And finally, three digits representing the bottling facility.

To illustrate, here are the bottle codes for the two whiskys I'm reporting on today:

(from 2006)
L6 242 00:22 4ML

(from 2012)
L12 012 15:44 5ML

Often when referring to Uigeadails, fans will refer to them by their bottling code year, like L9 or L10.  The heyday, the supposed cream of the Uigeadail crop, are the L3s through the L9s.  L10s are still well regarded.  But the L11s have received complaints, as have the L12s.  (Side note: I saw an L13 in a liquor store the other day.)

2006 versus 2012

I've been following the critiques with some interest because I've enjoyed Uigeadail every time I've had it.  Though, since I've never purchased my own bottle, I wasn't certain which years (or Ls) I'd been trying. The rave review I gave Uigeadail last year was likely from an L10 or L11.  But I can't be sure.  Could the old ones really be that much better?

I was able to get my grubby mitts on drams of an L6 and an L12.  Something old, something new.

Personal bias

I came to this tasting with a great fondess for Uigeadail's nose.  It's one of my favorites.  I like to call the whisky Oogy, Oogs, The Oog, or El Oogerino (if I'm not into the whole brevity thing).  While Corryvreckan (Corry, we're on a first name basis) is my favorite Ardbeg, I refer to Oogy as Corry's sexy sister.  She's prettier and smells like soused happiness.  (Corry, on the otherhand, is pale and smells like a peated tirefire.)

I wanted to use this opportunity to try to see where the critiques were coming from.  And I wanted to find out what the Old Oogy fuss was all about.

This report going to look different than the usual Taste Off since I'm detailing them side-by-side:

The whisky on the left is......okay, so I took the picture backwards.  Here let's flip the pic:

Okay, so, the whisky on the left (near the small sample bottle) is from bottle code: L6 242 00:22 4ML.  It was bottled in 2006.  Going forward I'm calling it L6.

The whisky on the right, near the 50mL mini, is from bottle code: L12 012 15:44 5ML.  It was bottled in 2012, so I'll be calling it L12.

Let's drink.

COLOR
L6 - A solid dark gold, unbroken by any highlights
L12 - Noticeably darker, a reddish brown

NOSE
L6 - Unspeakably rich; there are some scents I can't place, but I'm going to try. Wood smoke with cinnamon and cardamom spices right up front.  Then: honeyed peat, shoe leather & polish, and a touch of vanilla beans.  With time there are golden raisins in molasses, sweat, cherry syrup, camphor candles, dried mango, and loquats (which are delicious).

L12 - Has some of the same elements as the L6 but at different volumes and different orders.  It leads with farmy notes from the peat, some ham, and a good whiff of cinnamon vanilla cake.  There are also molasses chews, fig newtons, lemon zest, balsamic vinegar, and fennel.  A big noticeable difference is the prevalence of the familiar sherry note of raisins and prunes......at a level I tend to find in younger sherry malts as opposed to older sherry malts

PALATE
L6 - A pile of charred meat with a basket of fresh fruit in the background.  A candied campfire or toffee pudding next to a bonfire.  Cinnamon sticks in hot cocoa, black pepper, smoked almonds, melon, an industrial oily note, with some brief bitterness.  It's a tremendous merging of malt and cask.  A solid singular statement.

L12 - Very direct peat at the start, and much sweeter.  White fruits, red berries, toffee and brown sugar. More obvious sherry notes again and more of an ethyl bite.  Sweet tobacco (shisha), dry red wine, and a mild bitterness.

FINISH
L6 - The candied campfire returns...  Level upon level of char... ... ... ... sorry got lost... Very sticky, honey-dipped fresh peaches and cantaloupe.

L12 - A little briefer but still bold and long, more drying, mostly peat and smoke.  It actually has a second wind, bringing out shisha, swimming pool chlorine, and a sour lemon tang.

---

SOME THOUGHTS
It's probably no secret which one I enjoyed more.  While the L12 is an excellent dram to pair with some bread pudding by the fire on a rainy night, the L6 is Miles Davis's trumpet on Kind of Blue.  It's Grace Kelly's face in Rear Window.  The L6 is a beautiful experience.  And I was thankful to have had it.

It's a damn shame Uigeadail is no longer at That Level.  Because the L12 has more immediate sherry notes and a riper bite of both peat and alcohol, I wouldn't doubt if there's a lot more young stuff in the mix than there used to be, including some young sherry-matured malt.

While I can still find it for under $60, I'll try to get a bottle......though if I can find an older one, that would be preferred.  It does sound as if we may be seeing some LVMH price increases in 2014.  If The Oog blasts into the $70+ range, then I'd find it difficult recommending it at that price.  Should we doubt that it'll reach $80 in the next two years?  Nope, unless Uigeadail is retired for a different product, which I don't see them doing.  So again, we whisky lovers will be paying more without gaining anything.

As I said recently on a tweet, L12 is very good, but L6 is gorgeous.  If you can find the old stuff (and can afford the "collector" premium) grab it.  In the meantime, the newer Uigeadails make for a very good desserty sherry peated malt for a cold and rainy winter.

Ardbeg Uigeadail L6
Availability - Scarce
Pricing - Whatever the seller asks for
Rating - 96

Ardbeg Uigeadail L12
Availability - Most liquor specialty retailers
Pricing - At $60, hooray!  At $75+, boo.
Rating - 90

For a different perspective, see Chemistry of the Cocktail for his post, also published today!

Single Malt Report: Finlaggan Old Reserve

Drinking Finlaggan is like making love to a partner who has no concept of personal hygiene.   One can't scrub out the Finlaggan funk.  It burrows into the flesh, deeper than soap can reach, leaving the recipient smelling like burnt hair and peated urine.  But......you know......it's still lovemaking.

Much of the word on the whisky street says this is young Lagavulin, though some folks think it may be Caol Ila.  Either way, I don't blame Diageo for not allowing the distillery to be listed.

Back in January, Oliver of Dramming.com wrote a piece on peated whiskies getting higher scores than unpeated whiskies.  It's true, I see it in my own personal whisky ratings.  Peat usually brings with it it's own range of flavors and scents.  It can even help cover up lower quality spirit and casks.  In Finlaggan's case, the phenols either fail to mask flaws or highlight them further.

This is the first whisky I'd ever dumped down the sink.  I'd previously had Kristen dump two other hideous whiskies because I found the whole whisky-fail situation much too tragic.  But I had no issue ditching Finlaggan.  (I'm not alone in this sentiment, the fellas of LAWS feel similarly.) So I was filled with giddy excitement when my buddy Whisky Josh OC brought me a sample last week.

I'd always had a feeling this would be Diving With Pearls's first 0-star whisky.  But would it come to pass?

Brand: Finlaggan
Bottler: The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Style: Single Malt
Distillery: Lagavulin or Caol Ila
Age: YOUNG
Maturation: probably refill ex-bourbon casks
Country: Islay, Scotland
Alcohol by Volume: 40%
Chillfiltered? Yes
Colored? Yes

SAMPLED NEAT because you don't water down the Finlaggan

Color -- Greenish light gold.

Nose -- Peated urine (pronounced with a hard 'I' so that it rhymes with You're Mine).  Turpentine, aka The Turps.  Anise, rubber bands, moth balls, and milk chocolate.  Young (duh) spirit.  Sneaker rubber after it has trampled rotten seaweed.  Snickerdoodle cookies.  After 30 mins... White vinegar. Ink. Cat piss. Lead.

Palate -- Sour peat, vanilla, and tons of limp caramel.  Cloying sweetness.  Plastic ashes attempting to cover up a bland malt wall underneath.  After 30 mins... Diet Sprite. Lots of Nutrasweet. Cigarette ashes.

Finish -- No, it won't. Burnt toast, plastic ashes, loads of unnatural sourness.  Morning-after cigarette throat.  That Nutrasweet thing.  Bitter corn chips.  Bile.  No, forget bile.  Lagavulin surprise vomit burp.

You'll see a number of potentially interesting characteristics in there.  But every time it starts going down an almost-okay street, something hideous steps in the way and exposes itself.

The thing is, though, Finlaggan is a carnival ride.  It's not a zero-star whisky entirely due to its entertainment value.  I'd much rather drink it than Cutty or Dewars -- maybe even more than Red Label -- because of the intensity of its character.  Though, I can't say it is better than Speyburn 10 or Speyside 12 because those malts don't have the luxury of a peat fire blanket to cover their shortcomings.

I love peated whisky, but this......this is suited for whisky hazing.  I'm not saying it's so bad it's awesome.  More like, it's so bad that I will drink it just for the experience.  And so should you.

Availability - Trader Joe's and a dozen or so liquor retailers
Pricing - $18.99 at TJ's (they raised it a dollar?!), $30 elsewhere
Rating - 64

NOT Single Malt Report: Power's John's Lane 12 year old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

First off, a moment of admiration for the coolest sample bottle label ever created:

Proper respect to Eric Sanford.  Thanks to him, I can present an of-the-moment whiskey post!

A prelude:
I love Power's Gold Label blended whiskey.
I like Power's 12 year old blended whiskey.
I love single pot still Irish whiskey.
Power's John's Lane 12 year old single pot still Irish whiskey has found its way to the United States.

John's Lane has been available in Ireland and Scotland for almost two years now.  In fact I was in Heathrow in the Spring of 2011 when the PR push began for it.  Too bad I didn't know what the heck was going on at the time.  The rep at World of Whiskies trying to tell me about it and I was all, "Yeah, but I like Powers and it's $20 at home, why would I pay $60 for this stuff?"  (Just now I sighed aloud.)  Even though he didn't sell me on it, the whiskey has since sold itself and rung up many rave reviews.

Let's back up for two sentences of history:  After a bunch of Irish distillers banded together in 1966 to form, well, Irish Distillers, they moved their production into a single large distillery, Midleton (in 1974).  Midleton Distillery, in Cork, has since grown and grown and grown in a facility with a production capacity FIVE TIMES the size of Diageo's new Roseisle Distillery.

As the whisky-makers in Midleton strive to keep as many of their old whisky brands alive they create separate whiskies by establishing different cuts in the spirit, different maturation processes, different combinations of grains, and a bunch of other elements that they are much too happy to keep confidential.  One of those brands, John Power's and Sons, was always very popular in Ireland when it was being produced at its original home on John's Lane in Dublin.  Under Midleton's watch it has continued to be one of the best (if not THE best) sellers in its home country.

Beyond the big selling blends, Irish Distillers continued to produce pot-still-only (aka Pure Pot Still and Single Pot Still) whiskey in smaller quantities for the folks at home.  But they could only keep that secret in Ireland for so long, especially when that secret goes by the names of Redbreast and Green Spot.  After an international release, the critical and sales success of Redbreast 12 year old enabled additional varieties of Redbreast as well as expansion into other single pot still brands.

And this brand is the one I have been waiting for:

Label: Power's
Style: Single Pot Still
Distillery: Midleton
Age: at least 12 years (up to 14 years)
Maturation: mostly first* fill ex-bourbon barrels, along with some oloroso sherry butts (*though another official site says second fill)
Country: Ireland
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Colored? Likely

In order to get some perspective on the John's Lane whiskey, I sampled it alongside some Redbreast 12yr Cask Strength Batch 1 reduced to 46%.  I've also noticed there are two schools of thought on John's Lane.  One is that it is light bodied.  The other says it is robust.  My opinion sits with the latter.

The color is a dark gold, partially due to some sherry butts, partially due to some caramel e150a.

There's a bold density in the nose that proves to be a challenge to decipher.  Like a tall thick dark brown wall made of brown sugar and semisweet chocolate.  Beneath that are some overripe white fruits and maybe some figs or dates.  A new leather jacket, fresh apricots, and hay.  Scattered baked fruit floating in a caramel fudge lake.  That's the best I can do after spending an hour with two ounces.

With a nice thick texture, the palate is either more basic than the nose or I haven't figured it out yet.  I get baked bananas, dark brown sugar, and a tangy sweetness.  Plus there's an industrial note that one can find in body temperature Power's Gold Label.

The whiskey plants its roots deep, leaving an extensive finish behind.  Spiced baked fruits, caramel sauce, dried grasses and grains.  Maybe a little of that brown sugar too.

Water doesn't help it much.  Whatever mystique and density it had evaporates.  The wall topples and Power's Gold Label is what's left standing, as it gets grainier and blendy.

Like Redbreast 12yr CS (at its full strength), John's Lane is more of a brooder than a casual beverage.  It must be insane at cask strength.  Though, as I noticed when adding water, the Midleton folks have found a good ABV point here at 46%.  I'm firmly of the opinion that this is dense stuff, especially since the reduced Redbreast CS was so light in comparison.  At the same time, I agree with Ralfy's assessment that this is a modern heavily-produced whiskey rather than a lean mean old school whiskey.  But "modern" isn't necessarily a bad thing here since the Irish Distillers have built something sturdy with many levels.

I will study further, with a bottle of my own.

Availability - Starting to arrive in the US now...
Pricing - $65-$75 in US and UK (w/shipping)
Rating - 90 (with an Irish bias)

NOT Single Malt Report: Compass Box Eleuthera

Finally, a throwback Compass Boxer: Eleuthera (the feminine form of the Greek word for "free", thank you Wikipedia).

One of the first of their wide releases (2002-2005), the Eleuthera is vatting of 15 year old Clynelish and 12 year old Caol Ila, both matured in recharred hogsheads.  When their supply of the 15 year Clynelish ran out, Compass Box ended production of Eleuthera. (On a side note, there appears to have been an early version that also included some older Glenlossie.)

Unlike Oak Cross and Spice Tree, this one has some peat in it, thanks to the Caol Ila.  Glaser matched that Islay-er with what appears to be his favorite blending malt, Clynelish (also in Oak Cross, Spice Tree, both Great King Streets, Flaming Heart, and Double Single)  My favorite part of the Eleuthera is, unlike Oak Cross and Spice Tree, it focuses much less on oak creativity and more on the merging of two elements into one.  I'm not necessarily saying it is better than those two, but the focus on the malt is much appreciated!

Company: Compass Box

Type: Blended Malt (formerly known as Vatted Malt)

Distilleries: Clynelish and Caol Ila

Age: 15 years (Clynelish) and 12 years (Caol Ila)
Maturation: recharred ex-bourbon barrels

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? No

NEAT:
Color -- Light amber (courtesy of the refill casks)
Nose -- A nice hit of Limes and freshly cut grass, along with some vanilla cake, and almost fruity peat in the background.
Palate -- There's the soft peat TCP as expected, but there's also a strong belt of cilantro and BBQ sauce. Seaweed, honey, and mint make cameos along the way.
Finish -- More of that cilantro and BBQ combo, then cinnamon, and honeyed peat.

WITH WATER:
Nose -- Peat comes to the foreground, along with a strong gin-reminiscent herbal note.  A little more ocean rolls up as well. The aforementioned limes linger in the back with some Red "fruit drink" (cousin of Purple).
Palate -- Much simpler now.  Veggie peat rolled up in, honey, malt, and cinnamon.
Finish -- Gets sweeter.  Combines the nose and palate resulting in peat, herbs, and cinnamon.

I had twice the amount of Eleuthera to survey (thank you, Florin!), compared to Oak Cross and Spice Tree.  So I lined the first 30mL with the ST and OC in a Taste Off, then enjoyed the second 30mL casually the next day.  As I'd mentioned above, I like how solid and well-merged the Eleuthera was.  I would have thought this was a single malt if I hadn't been told otherwise.

Though Eleuthera isn't in the current Compass Box rotation, it isn't completely gone.  There are at least a dozen online US stores that claim to have it in stock, and most haven't raised the price.  At the same time, it does take some doing to hunt down.  But if you like Caol Ila, Eleuthera will please.

Availability - Getting scarce
Pricing - $50-$70
Rating - 84

NOT Single Malt Report: Compass Box Spice Tree

Yesterday, I was late to the party for Oak Cross.  Today, I'm catching up with Spice Tree.

In 2005, John Glaser's first release of Spice Tree was deemed illegal by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA); "illegal" meaning he could not call it "Scotch Whisky".  Inspired by his background in wine production, Glaser had the idea of doing what many winemakers have done, lining the inside of casks with new French oak staves in order to bring more spicy notes into a product, but within whisky maturation casks instead.  The SWA said this practice did not follow traditional whisky production methods, thus the product could not be Scotch Whisky.  They also said quality was irrelevant.  This sort of ingenuity and adaptation is not allowed, while caramel dye and teaspooning (adding a trace amount of one single malt to another in order to prevent other companies from releasing certain whiskies as single malts) is embraced.  Anyway, Glaser and company had to go back to the drawing board to find another way to get the same result in their Spice Tree whisky, but in a legal fashion.  They did so -- using toasted French oak cask heads instead -- and released new batches three years later.

Similar to Oak Cross, Spice Tree's malts spend the first part of their lives in American oak, a mix of first-fill and refill ex-bourbon barrels.  But Spice Tree's second maturation, more of it occurs in Compass Box's specially designed casks of American oak staves capped with toasted French oak heads:  80% of the maturation casks with this wood combination, the remaining 20% in first-fill former bourbon barrels.  The malts themselves are the same as Oak Cross's: Clynelish, Dailuane, and Teaninch.

A lot of similarities between Oak Cross and the Spice Tree.  So, what are the differences between them that have necessitated two products with two characters and two price points?  Spice Tree puts more focus on Compass Box's specially designed casks.  There are three different toast levels on these new French oak cask heads, a greater quantity of the final product has been influenced by these barrels, and the secondary maturation time is longer.  Plus the bottling has three more ABV points (46 vs. 43).

Let's see how it turned out.

Company: Compass Box

Type: Blended Malt (formerly known as Vatted Malt)

Distilleries: approximately 60% Clynelish, 20% Dailuane, and 20% Teaninch

Age: at least 10 years old
Maturation: see above

Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? No
Official product fact sheet PDF

NEAT:
Color -- Light gold
Nose -- Cardamom and nutmeg lead the spices.  Lots of fruit juices and orange candies, maybe some ginger too.  Strawberry jam, bananas, and toffee pudding with caramel sauce.
Palate -- Mostly sweet with some savory, and a thick texture.  Toffee with cracked black pepper.  Swirls of caramel, cinnamon, and brown sugar along with a subtle whole wheat toast note.
Finish -- Peppers and tannins. An extensive floral peppery buzz in the fore with vanilla beans aft.

WITH WATER:
Nose -- Cardamom with caramelized sugars, citrus fruit, and basil leaves in the summer sun.
Palate -- Vanilla, cracked black peppercorns, honey roasted nuts, brown sugar.  Very rich.
Finish -- Honey, vanilla, and balsamic vinegar.

Indeed, there's more spice in this one.  But also loads of individual fruits in the nose.  It's thicker and richer than Oak Cross, though this one sung better without water.  Oak Cross is a bright all-weather whisky, while this one is more of a brooder......though I'd drink in the summer anyway.

I'm going to conclude by talking about Diageo for a moment.  (Sorry!  But this is constructive!)  As I am working out my Diageo boycott occurring later this year, there are some high quality products for which I'd like to find replacements.  For instance, it'll break my whisky heart to abandon Talisker, but I have glorious (and I don't mean that lightly) independent bottlings of Ardmore to ease that transition.  But what about the Johnnie Walkers I used to adore?  In yesterday's comments, Jordan mentioned he'd be happy to go with Oak Cross instead of Black Label.  Yet what about the great Green Label?  I think Spice Tree is the closest thing I've found as an alternative.  It's not peated, but its lack of filtration and higher ABV give it a denser texture, plus all this fruit and spice are a treat.  And finally, Compass Box is a small business, while Diageo is the largest of them all.  John Glaser is doing an excellent job and I'd rather give him my business.

Availability - Most liquor specialists
Pricing - $55-$70
Rating - 89

NOT Single Malt Report: Compass Box Oak Cross

I'm going to do a trio of Compass Box reports this week.  I think I'm the last blogger in the whisky world to try some of these.  But that's what makes me such a hepcat: arriving after the party is over......amirite?

There are (at least) two great sources of online information on Compass Box.  Firstly, the company's website has data sheets on most of their products and some tasting videos led by the owner, blender grand alchemist John Glaser, wherein some extra details are divulged about the specific whiskies within.  Secondly, I recommend the K&L Spirits Podcast that co-starred Mr. Glaser in a conversation with David Driscoll.  Glaser shares so much info that I've had to do a second and third pass at it.

Aside from their Canto series, Compass Box makes blends.  They have blended grains, blended malts, and high-quality blended whiskys.  Oak Cross is their lowest priced blended malt (usually $10-15 less than Spice Tree).  As it's a blended malt, all three of its ingredients are single malt whiskys.  In fact, if my googling is accurate, they're all Diageo malts -- Clynelish (Highland), Dailuane (Speyside), and Teaninch (Highland).  Glaser's previous job with Diageo must have earned him some fantastic supply connections because I doubt Diageo parts with casks easily......though he does mention in the podcast that by keeping the distillery names off the product he has an better time at securing malts.

For Oak Cross, all of the malts spend the first part of their lives in American oak, then they are married together -- 60% in first-fill Bourbon barrels, 40% in American oak casks with new French oak heads (thus an oak cross) for up to 2 years.

Company: Compass Box

Type: Blended Malt (formerly known as Vatted Malt)

Distilleries: approximately 60% Clynelish, 20% Dailuane, and 20% Teaninch

Age: at least 10 years old
Maturation: see paragraph above

Alcohol by Volume: 43%
Chillfiltered? No
Color added? No
Official product fact sheet PDF

NEAT:
Color -- Amber
Nose -- Peppery orange candies, tropical fruit Skittles, fresh ginger (does ginger smell like it tastes?), and toffee pudding.
Palate -- Big vanilla and apple juice at the start.  Then a little burnt toast and cocoa, followed by apricots and cereal grains.
Finish -- Cherry juice, more of those soft grains, a slight (but very palatable) bitterness.  Mid-length, a little drying.

WITH WATER:
Nose -- Ooh, this did it.  Swims like a champ.  Loads of butter and butterscotch.  Orange Tang, limes, Smarties, and caramel sauce.  Yum.
Palate -- Sticky sweet butterscotch pudding.
Finish -- As often happens when water is applied to whisky, the stamina gets knocked down here.  It's still malty with the tannic drying, but there are also some stone fruits floating around.

As much fun as Oak Cross is when served neatly, I actually enjoyed it more with a few drops of water.  After applying the drips, I gave it 10 minutes to mingle, then it blossomed.  This isn't a dense sophisticated whisky.  That's not the purpose it serves.  Instead, it's a bright soft springtime whisky.

I didn't catch as many spice notes as others have, but I found a whole basket of fruits and candies.  Though I'm still working on the whisky-food-matching thing, Glaser (who knows better than I) recommends it matched with cheeses.  Sounds good to me.

Availability - Most liquor specialists
Pricing - $45-$55
Rating - 85  (water gave it an extra couple of points)