Single Malt Report: Springbank 10 year 100 proof (US edition, beige label)

Twenty-one months ago, I had my introduction to the Springbank brands in the form of an official Diving for Pearls Taste Off -- the second one ever and still my favorite.  In that T.O., I tried the Springbank 10 year 100 proof (UK version), Longrow CV, and Hazelburn 8 year.

Now it's time for another Springbank Taste Off, this time whiskies are:

Springbank 10 year old 100 proof (US edition, beige label)
Springbank 15 year old
Springbank 18 year old (2nd Edition)

Though each sample came from a different source and started at a different quantity, they were treated equally.  28 fluid ounces tasted, first neat, then lowered to approximately 39% ABV with water.

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Within a week of that first Springbank Taste Off (in December 2011), I ran out to Mission Liquor in Pasadena to buy a bottle of Springbank 10 year old 100 proof.  Here's a bottle pic from January 2012:

There were two important things about this bottle I did not realize at the time of purchase:

1.)  The 100 proof on the UK edition was 57% ABV since the British measure proof differently than the Americans.  (There's a description of this in that original report.)  Meanwhile, the American edition of the 100 proof bottling goes by US proof standards and is thus bottled at 50% ABV.  I actually knew this at the time, but the sheer excitement of the purchase experience momentarily turned me into a fool (this used to happen more often than I liked, which motivated me to change my whisky purchase approach soon thereafter).

2.)  Having not done enough research into Springbank, I did not realize which bottling I'd actually held in my hand.  At Mission Liquor there was a half case of a newer shiny black label version of the 100 proof.  There were two bottles of this older looking beige label.  My instinct was right to go with the older looking one.  But I should have bought the other bottle too.  The beige labelled 10 year olds represent the first batches of "new" Springbank after the distillery had reopened (after a 10 year closure) and the on-site maltings had restarted.  According to whiskybase, the beige labels were used from 2002 until 2005-2006.  (Keep in mind, these are different that the famous green thistle ones used in the '90s.)  According to Dominic Roskrow's 1001 Whiskies, the "new" version of the 10 year 100 proof began bottling in 2004.  The good news is that I did buy a bottle of it and then saved 2 ounces of it in a sample bottle for an occasion such as this.

Distillery: Springbank

Brand: Springbank
Owner: Springbank Distillers Ltd.

Age: minimum 10 years

Maturation: ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks

Region: Campbeltown

Alcohol by Volume: 50% (100 US Proof)
Bottling Date: between 2004 and 2006
Chillfiltration? No
Colorant? No

NEAT
Color - Amber
Nose - Very young compared to its brethren, and much more industrial. Glue, band-aids, iodine, and rubber cement are first to the party.  Then a big barley note.  Nectarines and apricots follow, then smoked vanilla beans, cow manure, and just-used pencil eraser.  It actually all works together in a crazy symphony.
Palate - In order of appearance: Wood embers, apple skins, molasses, tar, salt, sugar cookies, and a little buttery oak.  Again, the most spirity or rawest of the three, yet the alcohol burn is kept in check.
Finish - Gets a little sweeter here, but remains subtle. Gets maltier too and some lightly bitter piney peat sneaks in.  The industrial notes from the nose mix with the sugar cookies from the palate.

WITH WATER (approx. 39% ABV)
Nice and cloudy!
Nose - It actually gets stinkier with more industrial funk at first, but settles down after a couple minutes. The sealant notes remain, but some wood also shows up, along with eucalyptus.
Palate - More vanilla and sugar.
Finish - Stays strong. Lots of dark brown sugar.

COMMENTS:
Young Springbank brings me joy.  Often when first fill oak and/or wine casks are used for maturation, a lot of those gorgeous grimy notes are covered up.  Here in the 10-100 (US), the oak is present but doesn't intrude.  My nose and taste buds couldn't find the sherry -- which is a positive for me -- so perhaps Springbank used mostly refill casks?

This is hardy stuff but won't decimate one's palate like many high ABV cask strengthers or ultra-high peaters.  Gauging from my old notes, the 7 fewer alcohol percentage points does make this easier to drink than the UK edition but doesn't water down the Springbank spirit delivery.

Springbank did release a 100 proof in 2012.  I know they steer a small ship, but I do hope they keep something like this on the market in the future.

Availability - Happy hunting!
Pricing - if you can find it, it'll be over $70
Rating - 91

The Birthday Booze Batch

The Whisk(e)y:

The Drinkers, the following afternoon:

On Friday, August 23, Kristen and I drove down to San Diego to spend a couple of days with Florin and his family.  Upon our arrival, the pizza was brought out and so was the whisky quickly thereafter.  The first picture is little Picasa-assembled collage of the bottles.  The second picture is of Florin and I, the following afternoon.  That birthday gelato we're eating, it was very good.  The faces you're seeing are those of whisky students who were up until 4:30am drinking studying.

Here were our texts:

Grant's Family Reserve Blended Whisky - MUCH better than I'd expected.  In fact, it's the next blend I'm buying: $14 for 1 liter at Trader Joe's.  I found none of those odd young grainy notes common to all of the blends in its price range (and many of those above its price range).  Instead, it tastes like young Glenfiddich and Balvenie, which is a good thing.

Bank Note 5 year old Blended Whisky (Solera Bottle) - I was enjoying the glass of Bank Note Florin had poured for me, thinking to myself "Man, he's got a really good bottle of Bank Note."  My most recent bottle has been a bit on the hot grainy side, but this one was maltylicious.  My host informed me (around 3am?) that it was his vatting/Solera bottle; he'd been adding single malts to the Bank Note here and there over the past few months.  I may lift that idea.

Teaninch 10 year old Prime Malt and...

Dailuane 10 year old Prime Malt - Two single malts that seemed almost oakless.  Naked malts.  They were crisp and fresh.  They weren't lightweights, but they made for excellent summer drinking.  Kudos to Prime Malt (an old Duncan Taylor brand) for having the confidence in their casks to release them in their all their malt splendor.  There will be further writings about these two as I now have samples.

Glentauchers 16 year old Gordon & MacPhail - I'd never had a Glentauchers malt.  This one doesn't have me running out to drink a second.  It was okay at first, seeming like a simple malt, maybe more like a 12yr starter.  Not sure if it's due to the malt or just some weird refill sherry casks, but the finish gets very odd -- that's all my fuzzy memory will allow.  Anyway, there may be a good reason why Pernod Ricard utilizes it entirely for blends (especially for filling out Ballantine's).

Tomatin 12 year old - More substantial than I'd remembered it to be.  When I'd had it last, about two years ago, it seemed like a plain inoffensive single malt, an easy step up from blends.  But this has more character now, unless Florin was using this as a Solera bottle too.  :)  Just kidding.  For $20-$25, a respectable option.

Kirkland Speyside Single Malt 18 year old Sherry Cask Finish - We matched this up with the Tomatin 12 because Florin was thinking that this unnamed malt was in fact from Tomatin too.  After sampling both, I concur.  Now, technically, Tomatin has been designated as a Highland malt since it sits a little west of the Speyside whisky region borders.  But the palate on this "Speyside" is very very similar to Tomatin.

Fettercairn 15 year old 1995 Signatory - A bracing single malt.  Florin is a big fan of it.  It has a swirl of farmy and floral notes going on in both the nose and palate.  There's also a touch of soap in the mouth as well, but not too much.  Old Fettercairn can be a little divisive, but this bottling was curious in a good way.  Unlike Glentauchers, I'm motivated to explore the distillery further.

(Not pictured) Tuica - A spirity Romanian plum spirit, truly homemade.  Much better than the Kosher Slivovitz I've previously suffered to, since Tuica has an actual nose and is very tasty.  Think ripe plum skins crossed with chili peppers.

(Not pictured) Compass Box Hedonism Vatted Single Grain - My drinking cohort was enjoying this one immensely.  I nosed it a bit, but didn't dive in any further.  I knew I was approaching that moment when I was going to have a difficult time sorting out any new drink.  I'll say this about Compass Box's Hedonism, as per last year's report, it's my favorite Scottish grain whisky and its nose is lovely.

Willett 7 year old Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbon - My first Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbon.  And now I'm hooked on Willett Family Estate Single Barrel Bourbons.  Holy moley.  These Family Estate bourbons seem to have almost vanished from retail shelves, which is a bummer (but not surprising to me now).  They are heavy, dark, powerful, and deeeeee-liciouss.  And I have a sample to review further, at a later date...

Bowmore 21 year old 1982 Prime Malt - This one is special.  I'll be reporting on it in October, along with another Bowmore from the '80s.  It IS full of violets, but it IS NOT full of FWP.  It's quite an intense experience, though.  Proper respects go out to Prime Malt again for letting the whisky be whisky rather than lathering on the oak.  More on this in October.

Many thank yous to Florin for his generosity.  In addition to all the spirits, he and his wife, Maja, opened up their home to us and fed us well.  Enjoying a casual 24th, strolling around sunny Coronado, was exactly what I needed.  Thank you to my friends for all the wonderful gifts!

Birthday Malt Report: Balblair 1978, Round 2!

As stated in last year's post about this bottle, I am only drinking it on my birthday.  And half birthday.  And other times.  Anyway, it was still more than 60% full this year and I wanted to see how/if it changes in the bottle.  Plus it's a clean, honeyed, fruity malt so it suits the late summer.  So it became (or has become) the house malt for my birthday (week).

Also, in last year's post, I moderately bemoaned the fact that my '78 Balblair was the 2008 version, not the 2010 version (the version with the rare Murray/Valentin accolades).  It turns out, had I examined the bottle code, I would have seen that the stuff was bottled in 2010.  I'm sharp.  And now a year older.

Distillery: Balblair
Ownership: Inver House Distillers Limited
Age: minimum 32 years (1978-2010)
Maturation: American oak ex-bourbon barrels
Region: Northern Highlands
Alcohol by Volume: 46%
Chill filtered? No
Caramel Coloring? No

Two quick things:
1.) This was drunk neatly after a 30 minute wait.
2.) I did not read my notes from last year's tasting before composing these notes for this year:

Color - Light gold

Nose - Very aggressive fruits right from the start: tart mango, lemon peel, peach skin, and fresh apples.  But mostly pineapple, and LOTS of it.  A lot of caramel syrup too.  With time, there are more grain and yeast notes, even a teeny bit of barrel char.  Additionally, one may find some hints of whole grain bread, along with pineapple turnovers, and a fruit tart.

Palate - A lot of caramel and vanilla. It's more tart than I'd remembered, as in tart fruits (not fruit tarts).  Okay, also fruit tarts.  Big thick note of salted caramel gelato -- which I also enjoyed this past weekend.  With time, the whisky gets sweeter in the glass.  Orange peel meets watermelon Jolly Ranchers.

Finish - Much longer than the Glen Grant. Sweet without being cloying. Butterscotch, lemon candy, caramel sauce, and (singing the loudest) the watermelon Jolly Rancher candies.

Now I'm looking at last year's notes...

I'll be danged.  Aside from the citrus, there's very little in common.  The vanilla seems to have moved from the nose to the palate.  I didn't get the honey notes this time, instead I found caramel.  But it's clear that the massive fruit notes moved in this year.  I have to say I actually like it more.  I had some struggles last year sorting through the drink, so either it opened up in the bottle or I was on my game.

One final thought on my Balblair 1978.  This '78 set the ceiling for what I'm willing to spend on a single liquor bottle.  If I do let it stay in its original bottle until the next birthday, I may have to end the bottle/oxygen experiment at that point and decant the whisky into a smaller glass receptacle.  While I enjoy this experiment, I also want to make sure I can continue to enjoy the whisky for which I'd shelled out big bucks rather than allowing its nose and palate to perish slowly in an oxidized slumber on my watch.  But then again, will there be any left in a year?  Or even at the end of this week...?

Availability - A few European retailers
Pricing - $200-$220 (w/shipping, w/o VAT) via UK retailers, otherwise $300+
Rating - 93

Birthday Malt Report: Glen Grant 35 year old 1974 The Octave (Duncan Taylor)

Last year, I was the 34 year old boy who had the 34 year old Glen Grant.

This year, I was the 35 year old boy who had the 35 year old Glen Grant.

Distillery: Glen Grant
Ownership: Campari
Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Brand: The Octave
Age: 35 years (1974 - 12 January 2010)
Maturation: refill ex-bourbon for first 35 years, then 3 months in a sherry octave
Region: Speyside
Alcohol by Volume: 48.8%
Chill filtered? No
Caramel Coloring? No
Limited Release: 70 bottles

Why Glen Grant again?

There are (or at least used to be) a number of fairly affordable old indie (Laing, Duncan Taylor, Gordon & MacPhail, etc.) Glen Grants on the market.  For instance, this bottle of 35 year old cask strength single malt was about $140 two years ago.  Today, whiskies half that age (and some of them not cask strength) go for that price.

But more importantly, Master of Malt had a sample of it.  I was on the lookout for a 35 year old dram and they were selling it.  Simple as that.  Anyway, I gave a similar speech last year so let's move along to the boozy part.

Last year's old Glen Grant was very good and noticeably peated.  This year's old Glen Grant was also good, but had no peat and just a little smoke in the finish.

Last year, I gave the big thumbs up to the fact that Speyside/Highland distilleries like Glen Grant used to have their own peated maltings, thus the presence of the light phenolic note on the 34yr.  This year, let me say: Yes, the old distilleries used to have their own malting floors, but Glen Grant closed theirs in 1962 and have been sourcing their malted barley ever since.  And their current source has been unpeated for quite some time.  So I wasn't necessarily wrong last year but......HEY WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE!

I gave this malt and its drinking companion (to be posted tomorrow) 35 minutes in the Glencairn before approach.  And as in all birthday malt situations, water was not added.

Color - Copper (or more specifically, a light gold with slight red highlights)

Nose - Sweet and spicy oak hit first, which is surprising for an oldie.  I'm assuming this comes from the tiny octave cask they used for the finish.  Perhaps they used generously charred American oak before swishing the sherry around?  But after that immediate burst, the nose gets dreamy.  Cinnamon and sugar on buttered toast, then toffee cake, cotton candy, and apricot jam.  And it keeps going...

When my wife whips up a batch of her stunning pie crust, there's always bit of dough left over.  So she puts butter, cinnamon, and sugar inside, then rolls it up and bakes it.  Out of the oven comes The Hobo Roll and it is devoured before it cools.  Who put Hobo Roll in my Glen Grant?

When I was a kid, my mom baked mandel bread (or mandelbrot).  Her version was a simple dough with chocolate chips inside.  After it's baked, cinnamon and sugar are sprinkled on top while it cools.  It is then munched on by happy children.  Who put Mom's mandel bread in my Glen Grant?

Setting aside the intense sense memories, I saw the cinnamon & sugar & dough theme running through.

Palate - Pipe tobacco and leather at the start.  Cinnamon candy and sea salt caramels.  It's very malty and there's still something like cookie dough in there.  After some time, a Glen Grant-esque herbal note peeks out in the background, but then it gets pushed aside by masculine cologne and Orange Crush.  Not bad, but it doesn't sustain the nose's beauty.

Finish - Sweeter here with citrus peel.  And now someone smoked that pipe tobacco.  Maybe some smoked almonds, but it's definitely nutty.  Orange Crush and cologne again.

---

This one started very strongly then gradually slowed down.  The nose may have placed itself in the All-Time Subjective Top Ten, but even though the palate was very good, it couldn't compete.  The finish was decent but not significant.  The descent may be due to the fact that I wasn't crazy about the cologne and Orange Crush combo as it felt slightly off, clashing with everything else in the whisky.  Those quibbles don't stick in my mind that much.  What I do remember most is the joy of the baked treats from my past and present.

Availability - It's all gone  :-(
Pricing - Here's a link to the old good price
Rating - 89

WADD problems

I'm having WADD problems, and chances are likely many of you are too.

Have you been a little more anxious than usual lately?  Financial struggles, conflicts on the job, family trouble, and new relationship challenges can trigger advanced stress levels which in turn will distract you from your evening passion and lead to considerable WADD problems.  And in some instances WADD issues can even be related to trying to get another Handy or even some Dickel.

Whisky Attention Deficit Disorder strikes the best of us.  Sometimes we get caught up in news stories, blogs, and marketing (or is that redundant?).  Sometimes we can't stop chasing the rapidly expanding new bottles or the quickly disappearing old stuff.  Sometimes we feel like we have to stock up before our favorites are gone or double in price.  Or sometimes, SOMETIMES, a certain person puts all of his whisky energy into trying new things to expand and expand and expand his malt experience......and he loses patience with a full 750mL bottle of whisky.  Or all open bottles of whisky that he'd chased after and stocked up on.

Let us pretend that this hypothetical person has a blog called Diving for Pearls and let us use first person pronouns when discussing his WADD.

I have to believe that I'm not alone in having Whiskey Attention Deficit Disorder.  All you whisky bloggers, geeks, reps, writers, experts, self-appointed-experts, and producers have to run into this issue on a regular basis if you're trying new stuff every week.  If you say you've never had it, I won't call you a fibber, but I'll be pretty impressed.

There are usually four or fewer single malt bottles open simultaneously in my home.  I don't actually drink from them enough to polish one off in less than two months.  My quota is a dram a night (okay maybe two) and many of those drams are now from sample bottles.  Some nights, especially in summer, I'm more in the mood for wine or beer or (gasp!) mineral water.  So, I haven't been going to my open whisky bottles often.  So far I've been staying away from opening new big bottles, but I've been noticing that when I have a choice, I tend to head towards the sample stash first.  That act is totally silly since I really enjoy my open Tier 1 and 2 bottles right now.  But I'm so distracted by THE NEW that I need to make a focused effort to relax and appreciate what I have.  Meanwhile, those open whiskies I have sit silently gradually oxidizing (or maybe playing poker when I'm not looking).

The nine whiskies I reviewed in the past two weeks were part of the problem.  Yes, most of them were sampled while I was away from home, but they only enflamed the WADD upon my return.  I'll be returning to two reports a week, at most, unless I'm doing a Taste Off of multiples drams.  A Taste Off takes only one night, so I guess what I'm proposing (to myself) is two new-stuff nights a week at most.

Wow, what a First World Problem.  Actually, the real underlying issue is being satisfied with what I have.  Finding bliss in a moment devoid of new shiny things is my desire.  It's Slow Whisky, but specifically it is Slow Whisky with what is at hand.

No, I do not need to drink more.  I need to appreciate the present and allow the moment to wash everything else away, then maybe my WADD worries will be over.

NOT Single Malt Report: Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey

In late September last year, Kristen and I traveled to Breckenridge, Colorado for the wedding of Andrew (Kristen's brother) and Leslie.  Seriously, with the two of them you will never find a pair of more humble, healthy, good-looking, athletic, warm, and intelligent people.  Actually, add Kristen to that list as well.  Three beautiful people; it's apparently a good idea to have the Midwest in your genetic structure.

Also this:

While in beautiful Breckenridge, we had an opportunity to wander around the town.  The sun was out, the temperature was brisk, the leaves were changing.  It was so nice to have some real weather!

It was here in Breck that we sampled all of the wares from Breckenridge Distillery.  Though there wasn't a bad booze in the bunch, we agreed that the bourbon was the best.  Now I have bottles, one of which was a gift from Andrew and Leslie!  I'd gone through almost an entire bottle without taking official notes.  So, now it's time.

Distillery: Breckenridge Distillery
Type: Bourbon Whiskey
Region: Breckenridge, Colorado

Age: minimum 2 years
Mashbill: 56% corn, 38% rye, and 6% malted barley

Maturation: new American White Oak 53 gallon barrels

Alcohol by Volume: 43%

Sku over at Recent Eats reviewed this bourbon back in June and noted that the current juice in the bottle is distilled in Kentucky.  While the Colorado distillery distills their own stuff, "they haven't marketed any of it yet".  The folks at the distillery shop were very forthcoming and told me the same big-rye mashbill that Sku lists on his site.  But they also told me the bourbon was made there in Breckenridge.

Now, this is an ongoing quirk with many American craft whiskies right now.  We're starting to see bourbons come from all over the country, but many of them are taking stock they've purchased from other distilleries (in Kentucky and Indiana), add their local water, then not being 100% up front (as in listing the information on the up front label) about it.  That's how we're getting bourbon from all over, especially from places that do not have a working distillery.

So one of two things are happening here with my Colorado-purchased Breck bottles:
1.)  They haven't marketed the Breckenridge-distilled bourbon outside of Colorado, but are selling it in Colorado.  Thus my bottles contain actual Colorado Bourbon, or
2.)  Sku's info pertains to the entirety of Breckenridge's current bourbon product.  Thus my bottle contains Kentucky-distilled bourbon with Colorado water added.

I'm leaning towards #2.  Here's why:

The bottle-printed label reads (italics added for emphasis), "A handcrafted bourbon whiskey made at 9600 feet with snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains;" and, "Produced and Bottled by Breckenridge Distillery."  Meanwhile the official website says, "...the perfect Breckenridge snowmelt water used for proofing. The natural minerality of our water source ensures the luscious mouth-feel, depth of flavor, and long finish."

Because there's no reference to the whiskey being distilled in Colorado and there are repeated references to their local water source, I believe they are indeed producing the whiskey in my bottle.  Producing.  As in, the bourbon is from elsewhere, but they use real Rockies water to proof it down.

But the whisky politics ends here because if you arrived at this page the real question you have is, "But is it good?"  The answer is, yes.

NOTES:
It has a deep copper color in the glass.  The nose starts with molasses, lemon pulp, bubblegum, and brine.  Curiously, the malt shows up even at its low percentage.  Also some pencil shavings, maybe something like pork fat mingling with mild rye spice.  But the real big buff rye bursts out on the palate with a zippy zing (technical term).  It's a little tart and a little bitter but nicely so.  There's some salt, cherry cough syrup, black pepper, brine, and a brief mango moment.  It's sweet but never too much so.  The texture is quite silky considering the low-ish ABV.  It finishes with the pepper and salt, black cherry syrup, and a bold tartness.  There's some dryness to match the sweetness.  And the whole experience lingers long considering (again) the 43% ABV.

I'd recommend this neat, BUT this stuff makes a great mint julep thanks to the zing from the rye.

The bottle says that the whiskey has been aged for a minimum of 2 years, thus it can't be called Straight Bourbon Whiskey (which needs 4 maturation years).   (Florin proved the preceding sentence wrong, in the comments section below.) The Breck won't blow your mind with its complexity since it's still a youngin' proofed down to 43%.  But all that rye helps make it a tasty Summer (or Autumn or Winter or Spring) treat.  In fact, could this be the highest-rye bourbon mashbill on the market?

If you're a high-rye bourbon fan you may want to give the Breck bourbon a try if you see it at a bar.  I agree with Sku that $40+ is a lot to charge for a new-to-market 2 year old bourbon, so I'd never shout "Must Buy!" about it.  But I do like the bourbon.

Availability - an increasing number of US retailers
Pricing - $40-$50
Rating - 84

NOT Single Malt Report: Jefferson 10 year old Straight Rye Whiskey(Hi-Time Select)

Okay, so the rye in this one is not technically a US American ("Everywhere like such as.").  It's a Canadian(-American).  And yes, I did report on the official version of this rye six months ago, but I wanted to give the juice another chance.  Since there was some agreement in the comments section that Jefferson's varies batch by batch, I thought I'd go with a small batch that was chosen by hand by the good folks at Hi-Time.

Since this version might not be on their shelves anymore, and since I've already covered a different batch of the rye, and since it's not technically distilled in the U.S. of A. and thus doesn't really belong in this week's lineup, how about we keep this report moving, shall we?

Distillery: possibly Alberta Springs Distillery
Ownership: McClain & Kyne (via Castle Brands)
Type: Canadian Straight Rye Whisky
Region: Alberta, Canada (possibly)

Age: minimum 10 years
Mashbill: 100% rye (along with a proprietary fungus that helps keep the mash from getting sticky)

Maturation: charred white oak barrels

Alcohol by Volume: 47%
Exclusive to: Hi-Time Wine Cellars

(Thanks again to JLR for the sample!)

A summary of my previous experiences with Jefferson's rye:
Zero minutes of wait time: Weird and new-makey, like piney nail polish remover.
Forty-five minute wait: Better, with more oak, chocolate, and fruits, but also thinly textured with something vegetal lurking in the background.

I gave this one 40+ minutes of air again to see what would open up:

NEAT:
Color - Penny copper
Nose - A little pine and farty oak hit immediately.  Parting those curtains, I found pleasant spices like mild pepper, ground cloves, and cinnamon; then fresh cherries, leather, corn chips, and Sauternes.  It has a small case of The Turps, but not alarmingly so.  Also there's an interesting combination of rosewater and body odor.
Palate - Mellow. Light rye-ish spices lead off.  Pine sap, bubble gum, and white nectarines.  There's also something almost peat-like, perhaps Canadian moss?
Finish - Lots of bubble gum and menthol with some lemon peel.  Mellowness.

This is a chillaxing (sorry, brah) rye.  It could have been all that breathing time or it was chosen purposely for its relaxed nature.  The nose held some contradictions but remaining fascinating from start to finish.  The palate is more consistent and more immediately pleasing.  The whole package turned out to be better than the official bottling.

If anyone has a bottle of this Hi-Time Select version open, let me know what you think of it.

Tomorrow, well go back to US Americans and one last bourbon before the scotch comes pouring in.

Availability - Official version can be found at many liquor specialists

Pricing - $30-$45

Rating - 80  (with air!)