...where distraction is the main attraction.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

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!

29 comments:

  1. Trader Joe's also had an 18 year old Speyside single malt last year. Since they use the same supplier as Kirkland, it makes me wonder if the distiller is the same. However the Trader Joe's bottle was clearly from an ex-bourbon cask.

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    1. Just noticed Florin called the Trader Joe's Speyside the worst single malts he's ever purchased (in a comment on the Scotch Noob). It must have been bad because he even threw in a Cher reference ("if I could turn back time I would gladly get the Glenlivet 12 or Glenfiddich 12")... though that phrase might predate the Cher song. I found it merely okay but it certainly didn't taste like an 18 year old. Time to see if that Kirkland bottle is still available.

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    2. I was so tempted by that TJ's 18yr, but it was due to price only. A local whisky buddy bought it and texted me, "It's not bad!" the first day. A week later he texted me, "It's not good." Can't imagine why a cask would be so cheap, a little concerning really.

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  2. Good times, Michael! I don't remember last time I stayed up until 4:30 drinking whisky... Also, all whiskies we drank were better than I remembered them, which comes to show once again how much it's all about good company!

    I really liked the farmy-floral notes of the Fettercairn, although there was something metallic in the finish. Didn't notice anything soapy, like you did. However, when looking at my notes from back in April when I opened the bottle, and did not much like it, all I had written was this: "uniquely soapy finish"! My guess is that, with "difficult" whiskies, like Ledaig and Fettercairn, you have to be in the right mood to appreciate them.

    Eric, having tasted both bottles you mention, I found nothing in common between them. The TJ 18yo was undrinkable, hot and barren, it could even cause blindness for all I know, whereas the Kirkland is very nice, although not terribly complex. The soft malt is in the background, and it's all about the high-quality sherry cask finish: elegant, rounded nose, good palate, not overly sweet, but a tad flat due to the low 40% strength, and short finish. Similar in character to the Tomatin 12yo and Macallan Fine Oak 10yo.

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    1. Having rarely seen Fettercairn around California, I decided to pre-order a bottle from the cask selected by K&L. I've heard it's a weird distillery which just piques my curiosity. With the number of Dalmore and Jura bottles on the shelves around here, it's surprising Fettercairn doesn't have much of a presence around here.

      I'll have to look for the Kirkland Speyside.

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    2. I'm with you on this one Eric, I'm excited about that K&L bottle. From the little I tasted, Fettercairn is nothing like Jura or Dalmore - not that there's anything wrong with Jura :) To my taste it best resembles Tobermory/Ledaig, which makes it a divisive whisky. Some will say "who shat in my drink", others will kill for the experience. I credit Michael for calling my attention to the joys of Tobermore/Ledaig, he got it way before I did.

      And what better endorsement for Fettercairn than the fact that Jim Murray singled it out as the one and only bad Scotch distillery out there?

      A Norwegian guy has a whole website about his love for cask strength Fettercairn: collectingfettercairn.blogspot.com

      I'm not surprised we don't see more of it. It's probably the middle child syndrome - Glen Moray suffered of it while under LVMH, Deanston and Glengarioch are just recovering from it under their respective ownerships. Need I mention Tamdhu? I may even add Kinninvie here... As you see, this is the rule, not the exception!


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    3. Whisky is so much better with good company! I don't know how we made it to 4:30. Whisky adrenaline?

      At my local Costco there's a 20 year old Sherry Finish Speyside now, either $40 or $45. Wonder if it's the same distillery?

      Yeah we really don't have much Old Fettercairn out here. I think we'll be seeing more of it (indie-style) in the near future. In the K&L Podcast with Tim Morrison from AD Rattray, it was said that United Spirits sold over a million liters of their whiskies to the independents in order to help pay off the company's debt. There might be some more Dalmore-based blends soon.

      Florin, good point about the middle-child syndrome. I was going add in Tamdhu to that list, but I just noticed you already mentioned that one. I need to try some Deanston. It tends to be priced pretty well out here, but does it taste good...

      And yes, I <3 Ledaig. Especially when they've shat in my drink.

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    4. ...And then there's this: In the World Atlas of Whisky, David Broom writes in passing, under the Fettercairn entry, p.123: "There's an open-topped mash tun, stills with soap grinders on the sides - soap was used as a surfactant to reduce frothing in the wash still but did not add flavor..." So, if I understand this correctly the message is: this: "You guys just pay attention to the taste of heather, thistle and brine that the burn picks by osmosis while gurgling through the glen, to the call of the grouse, and to the smell of freedom from the crisp Scottish air; never mind the lye, soap, and caramel and another dozen such inoffensive but strictly necessary things that we put in your drink, these have absolutely 100% completely guaranteed no effect whatsoever on the flavor!".

      At least it was good soap!

      Now I worry about all that "baby vomit" flavor in some whiskies....

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    5. I seem to recall reading that too. If you've ever accidentally gotten soap in your mouth while bathing (or gotten your potty mouth washed out by mom) then you'll know soap isn't tasteless.

      On the topic of middle-child syndrome, people seem to forget Whyte & Mackay own a fourth single malt distillery. Granted Tamnavulin is just coming out of mothballs so we may eventually see more official bottlings coming out in the future.

      Oh, and before I forget, I just realized that with a bottle of Girvan I own and a bottle of Monkey Shoulder, I can probably make a custom Grant's blend at home. Time to play mad scientist.

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    6. Let us know if you do whip up your own Grant's blend, especially if you can figure how to make a good one with less than 50% malt.

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    7. Since my bottle of 20 year old Girvan is 60.4% ABV (yes it's a bit of a vanilla monster), I figure just adding a few drops to a Glencairn's worth of Monkey Shoulder will have interesting results.

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    8. That's a huge ABV for a grain whisky. Who bottled that one?

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    9. So go for it Eric, play around, and report back. Chop-chop!

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    10. The Girvan 20 was something the Davids found in the Douglas Laing warehouses back in 2011. It's bottled under their Sovereign Single Grains range. There is something pleasantly spicy on the finish but it's not a rye bourbon spice note. It's amazing that 20 years in a barrel didn't make it lose too much to the angels.

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    11. Oh that's right. I forgot they had that one. That was right about the time I started following Driscoll's blog. Hope they keep bringing in the single grains.

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  3. Well, Monkey Shoulder and Girvan (50-50 amounts in a Glencairn glass) got me a very woody blend. In fact I think it ended up a tad bitter. Since I don't think Monkey Shoulder has ex-sherry matured whisky (or a very tiny amount), the oak from the Girvan 20 year old became a lot more prominent under the Monkey Shoulder. The Girvan had been pleasant on it's own so I think the amount of Monkey Shoulder will need to be toned down or I can go the other way and add small amounts of Girvan to the blend.

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    1. Found the problem. Turns out more water really tones down the bitterness and makes it a sweeter vanilla bomb. Since my Girvan was 60.4% I think even a 43% Monkey Shoulder wouldn't lower the ABV that much.

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    2. Nice! Hopefully not too much Girvan was sacrificed in the first part of the experiment.

      I'm actually finding out something similar with a vatting I'm attempting. Only one of the malts is at cask strength and can easily throw the whole thing out of whack.

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    3. It was 50-50 but the amounts were small (about 1 oz. each). I think adding water was the game changer. It was almost as if the water broke the chemical bonds and re-bound them into a cohesive blend. I guess this might be why we rarely see cask strength blends (besides the expense of releasing a cask strength blend).

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    4. I wouldn't doubt it. Still haven't created a halfway decent blend myself, so there must be some art and science behind it.

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    5. Maybe try blending it with one of those Balvenie SB that you mentioned elsewhere instead of Monkey Shoulder. It still keeps it in the family, but it's the "master blender's select". I'd suggest 2:1 Girvan to Balvenie, after watering down the Girvan to around 50% abv.

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    6. A Balvenie 16 yr. Single Barrel and Girvan 20 yr. blend actually came out pretty well (50-50 amounts). Since both spent time in ex-bourbon casks I felt both should be similar in flavor and I was right. The blend had a lot of vanilla on the nose, a very sweet palate, but the finish had the Girvan's spice notes. I'll have to try Florin's suggestion of 2:1 next.

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    7. Great! The Monkey Shoulder is very good, but it's a more robust whisky. It went very well with some AD Rattray Cask Islay blended in, I enjoyed the combo more than each of its parts. But those aged grains needed something more refined. Now how do The Krav or I get a sample? :)

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    8. Yeah, I remember you weren't crazy about the Rattray Cask Islay on its own. A lot of the Peatin' Meetin' reactions to it were pretty neutral. Until I start hearing raves about it, I shall stick to their single casks and Bank Note.

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    9. Nothing wrong with the Cask Islay, just a bit raw/young and not terribly complex. The evening beach fire on the label is perfectly appropriate. A bit steep at $50 or so, you can almost buy a Caol Ila 10yo with that money, which is in an entirely different class. It plays very well with others though!

      BTW, thanks for the info on Prime Malt!

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    10. I wish I could have found more info on Prime Malt. Their whisky-full whisky should be better known!

      Thanks for the clarification about Rattray's Cask Islay. As a vatted malt, it always looks interesting at the store. If it was priced in the Monkey Shoulder range, I would definitely spring for it. But, yes, $50 seems a bit much. I do appreciate that Rattray puts out Bank Note at the great price though.

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  4. As an update, I've noticed on my last trip to Costco a new bottle of Kirkland 18yo. Color and price similar to last year's ($37 or $38 instead of $34). The one change? It's now *Highland SM*, not *Speyside*! Same whisky with revised label - having learned that Tomatin should not be labeled Speyside? Certainly possible!

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    1. I'm thinking you were right about the so-called "Speyside". Tomatin! There's got to be some sort of "Speyside" 18 vs Highland 18 vs Tomatin 18 that can be worked out.

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