Category — Whiskey

I recently had the opportunity to try the new single malt offering from The Balvenie, one of Scotland’s famed Speyside distilleries.  The limited edition 17-year-old Balvenie Madeira Cask was aged in traditional American oak whiskey casks before being transferred to barrels that previously held fortified Madeira wine.

This isn’t the first Balvenie expression that matures in fortified wine barrels.  The 12-Year DoubleWood matures in sherry casks, while the 21-Year PortWood finishes, as the name implies, in port casks.  Being a fan of the latter, and anticipating a tasty harmony of fruit and spice, I was eager to try The Balvenie Madeira Cask.

Nose
Rich, deep and complex. Warm spice, including cinnamon and nutmeg, with hints of vanilla and soft dried fruit.

Taste
The first sip is oaky, sweet vanilla that gives way to deep spices and raisin, along with more dried fruit flavors.

Finish
Very long, somewhat soft finish that continues the pleasantly balanced trend of fruit and spice with a bit of sweetness.

All in all, The Balvenie 17-Year Madeira Cask is an exceptionally balanced expression rich in spice and dried fruit, with subtle notes of sweet, honeyed vanilla.  You can taste it’s maturation process, moving from American oak (sweet vanilla) to Madeira casks (spice, dried fruit), and neither overpowers the other.  At $120 a bottle, it’s not an everyday whiskey, but you could sure drink it like one.

Stats:
- 43% Alcohol by Volume
- $120

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With the holidays upon us, we’re likely to receive a few misguided gifts, like tacky sweaters or anything that’s not distilled, aged and potable.  With this in mind, The Balvenie is offering the chance to win a unique prize that’s more your style: a Scotch whiskey nosing and tasting kit.  The kit contains 24 separate aromas and a dedicated nosing guide, as well as other essential whiskey tasting tools.  The lucky winner will also receive a Balvenie hipflask, perfect for your boring office holiday party.  Click to enter the sweepstakes.

In more Balvenie news, the newest addition to The Balvenie 17-Year-Old range is finished in casks that once held Madeira Wine.  With “deep, luxurious aromas that translate into an equally rewarding flavor of spice and dried fruit,” The Balvenie 17-Year-Old Madeira Cask received a rating of 90% from Malt Advocate.  I’m eager to try it, as I’m already a fan of The Balvenie’s 21-Year-Old Portwood finish.

When drinking this whiskey or any whiskey, check out The Balvenie’s Warehouse 24.  It’s a members area featuring what they call the “Whiskey Shelf,” in which users can log their entire whiskey collection online and create detailed tasting notes and ratings. You can add any malt you like—not just The Balvenie—and see how other people are rating whiskies.  I’m sure I’m not the only overzealous drinker to thoroughly enjoy a whiskey only to forget everything I tasted the night before.  Warehouse 24 has the potential to solve this surely rampant problem, but still takes some initiative by the imbiber.

Rye whiskey is back, and in a big way.  The recently released 2010 edition of the Whisky Bible, the prominent whiskey book by Jim Murray, has named Kentucky’s 18-year-old Sazerac Rye  as the finest whiskey on the market.  It edged out Scotland’s second-place Ardbeg Supernova—which has dominated the awards for several years—and a relative newcomer to the mix, third-place Amrut Fusion from Bangalore, India.

Jim Murray described Sazerac’s 18-year-old Rye as “reaching previously unknown heights,” and mentions that by being named the world’s top whiskey, Sazerac 18 has “set the bar for rye whiskey, and it will be fascinating in forthcoming years to see what is bottled to at least match it.”

Regarding Amrut Fusion, Murray said, “It makes no matter where in the world a whisky is made. If it is magnificent, then it stands a chance of being recognized in the Whisky Bible Awards. Amrut has been bottling astonishing whisky for a few years now. But this particular bottling just made my hairs stand on end. It is hard to find a whisky with better balance. India has unquestionably arrived as a whisky nation.”

While many rare, expensive whiskeys comprise the winners, there are several inexpensive, household names representing various categories.  For example, Johnny Walker Black Label was named best blended Scotch aged 5-12 years, and Jim Beam Rye was awarded best rye aged 10 years or younger.

The full list of winners includes Murray’s top-rated whiskeys from a pool of nearly 4,000 bottles.

Recently I mentioned the wine and spirits auction at Christie’s, which included the prized Bowmore Trilogy and other rare whiskies.  The results are in, and the buyers of these fine spirits have racked up quite a bar tab.

The Bowmore Trilogy led the way at more than $21,000, and a Macallan 55 year old in a Lalique crystal decanter, of which only 420 were produced, sold at over $13,000.  Meanwhile, a bottle of Redbreast 15 went for a modest $84, a number I’m more familiar with.  All whiskies auctioned off are listed below, complete with sale price. 

Ardbeg 12 yr (OMC bottling) — $180 
Auchentoshan 37 yr old — $240 
Benrinnes 1989, Glen Garioch 24 yr old — $240  
Bowmore Trilogy — $21,600
Bowmore 1957 — $2,640
Bowmore 1964, Fino Cask — $2,880
Bruichladdich 1986 — $240   
Compass Box Monster & Canto Cask 46 — $180
Glenlivet 1943 — $1,800
Highland Park 24 & 34 yr old — $600      
Knockando 1977 — $540 
Ladyburn 1973 — $600  
Macallan 1946 — $5,040   
Macallan Millenium 50 yr old — $5,760   
Macallan 55 yr old, in Lalique — $13,200   
Mortlach 50 yr old — $2,280
Redbreast 15 yr old — $84
Springbank 37 yr old (Dun Bheagan) — $420   
Tomintoul 40 yr old — $360

[via What Does John Know]

The Auchentoshan Distillery was founded in 1800 and is located just north of Glascow, Scotland.  It is one of only three active distilleries that remains in the Lowlands region, with Bladnoch and Glenkinchie being the others.

Auchentoshan features a line of single malt whiskies aged 10 to 21 years, plus no age statement offerings that include its Classic, Three Wood and Select options.  Auchentoshan’s Three Wood is a triple distilled scotch whisky matured in American bourbon oak barrels and finished in Spanish Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.

On the Nose

On the nose the different casks come into play, with the clear presence of sherry and some underlying notes from the American oak.  The Three Wood reveals malt and dried fruits, plus a hint of zesty orange and some vanilla.

The Taste

Drank neat, you’ll find lots of sherry oak, with toffee, malt and a bit of acidity. The finish is long and gentle, with plenty of fruit and some oaky sweetness.

Mixing

While certain scotch cocktails like the Rusty Nail or Rob Roy certainly have their place, I usually drink my scotch neat.  But adding a couple ice cubes or a dash of water can really open up the spirit, either reinforcing flavors or introducing new ones to the mix.  With a bit of water, the Three Wood maintained roughly the same flavor profile, but its sherry oak flavors were softer and more subdued, while more sweet vanilla came to the front.

Overall

Auchentoshan Three Wood is a complex malt with lots of depth that derives much of its flavor and aroma from the sherry oak casks in which it finishes its maturation.  Fans of scotch and sherry alike should give this spirit a look, and though it’s certainly not a starter scotch, it’s a good foray into whiskies with sherry/port/Madeira finishes.

Stats

-43 percent Alcohol by Volume
-$55 for a 750ml bottle

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In October Japan’s Suntory Limited launched its Hibiki 12-year-old whiskey in the United States.  This is good news for U.S. drinkers.

Hibiki 12 Year is a blend of more than 30 handcrafted malt whiskies from the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries.  These malts are matched with grain whiskies of the same age that feature a touch of malt matured in Umeshu casks, which were used to age Japanese plum liqueur.  This blend is then topped with a vintage whiskey aged more than 30 years.

I recently sat down with a sample of the highly touted Hibiki 12 Year to test its mettle against other whiskies of the world.

On the Nose

The Hibiki opens with lots of fruit, including oranges and berries, plus a hint of plum, presumably imparted by the plum liqueur casks.  Oak and sweet vanilla follow.  The bouquet gives something new each time you hover over the glass for another sniff.

Taste

On the palate Hibiki is very soft and mellow with oak and delicate, sweet malt flavors, complemented by citrus and pineapple. A bit of spice comes out, but everything works very well together, with no flavor overpowering another.  The finish is very gentle and stays on the palate, with spice flavors intensifying toward the end.

Overall

At just 12 years old, Hibiki is well-rounded, smooth and downright quaffable.  And considering that its blend of more than 30 whiskies comes from just two malt distilleries, it’s a feat of whiskey engineering not to be overlooked by those loyal to Scotland.

Stats

-43 percent Alcohol by Volume
-$55-$60 for a 750ml bottle

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On rare occasions Christie’s auction house does something that makes me pay attention, like hock pricey bottles of hooch.  On November 14, Christie’s will auction off upwards of $2 million worth of wines and spirits, including select bottles of whiskey, cognac, armagnac and champagne, plus the very rare 1964 Bowmore Trilogy.

The Black, White and Gold Bowmore whiskies were aged below sea level at Bowmore’s Islay distillery for 42, 43 and 44 years, respectively. For their trouble, the trio of bottles is predicted to sell for up to $24,000.

Other highlights include a 100 year old armagnac from Baron de Sigognac, estimated at up to $3,000, and a ceramic demijohn of British Imperial Rum sourced from the last remaining stores of the Royal Navy, estimated to go for $4,500 – $6,000.

Opportunities to procure such fine spirits are scarce, so isn’t it time to cash in your kid’s college fund and invest in your future.

[via Duncan Quinn]

Last night I tried Crown Royal Cask No. 16 for the first time.  Admittedly, I was a bit hesitant, as I’m no fan of Crown Royal.  Sure it comes wrapped in purple velvet that feels great against my beard, but you can’t hide mediocre whiskey behind purple velvet.

Crown Royal Cask No. 16 keeps the velvet but trades purple for black and ups the flavor ante over its flagship friend.  Cask No. 16 is a blend of more than 50 whiskies aged in French oak cognac casks.  The oak casks impart some sweet vanilla and fruit notes that are pretty pleasant.  Drank neat it goes down very smoothly, but much of the rye bite you expect from a Canadian blend is lost.  Although, during the long finish it ditches some of that sweetness for a bit more rye.

All in all, I liked the stuff and might order a glass after a nice dinner, but I don’t plan on plunking down $100 for a bottle any time soon.  Call me old fashioned, but I like my whiskies to assert themselves and growl at me a bit as they go down.

Have you tried it?  Let me know your thoughts below.

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This month Japan’s Suntory Limited introduced its HIBIKI 12 Year Old whiskey to the United States market.  HIBIKI whiskey was first seen by many Americans in the film Lost In Translation, in which actor Bill Murray touted the brand for Japanese TV.

From Suntory…

As a fitting way to encourage worldwide brand-building, Suntory has planned a special US launch expanding the global popularity of the 12-year-old class in the global blended whiskey market.  This new offering brings together all of Suntory’s whiskey making expertise and blending craftsmanship for whiskey enthusiasts around the world.

About HIBIKI 12 Year Old
HIBIKI 12 Year Old boasts unique characteristics that no other 12-year-old whiskey in the world has to offer.   A superior blend of over 30 handcrafted, specially aged whiskies, HIBIKI is Suntory’s original blended whiskey.

The Art of Blending
To create HIBIKI, Suntory selects malt whiskies with extraordinary qualities that spring naturally from the crystal clear waters and warm climates surrounding the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries.  These carefully selected malts are then blended with a variety of Japanese grain whiskies that feature a touch of malt matured in Umeshu casks — special casks that have been used in the long-term aging of Japanese plum liqueur.  Finally, the blend is topped off with a superlative vintage whiskey aged more than 30 years.  The artistry of blending is combined with bamboo charcoal filtering, a unique process which gives HIBIKI its distinctive sweet and mellow flavor.

The HIBIKI Aging Process
The malt whiskies in HIBIKI are matured 12 years or more and are perfectly matched with mellow grain whiskies of the same age.  Once the whiskey has been aged in white oak casks it is then allowed to mature in Umeshu casks. The use of these plum liqueur-seasoned casks creates a unique bouquet of fruity aromas and a velvety soft texture, two characteristics that are unique to Suntory whiskey. The addition of venerable malt aged more than 30 years strengthens the full bouquet, resulting in a clean, full bodied flavor.

Tasting Notes
On the nose, HIBIKI opens with a fruity bouquet of plums, raspberries and pineapples, followed by sweet honey and vanilla. On the palate, a soft and mellow sweetness makes HIBIKI a whiskey best enjoyed straight.  The finish is long, clean, sweet and spicy. As for color, HIBIKI shines with brilliant amber hue that’s tinged with a warm hint of gold.

Packaging Highlights
The exquisite HIBIKI bottle has 24 facets, representing both the hours in a day and the ancient Japanese calendar, in which a year was divided into twenty four parts. Suntory uses a unique Japanese paper for the HIBIKI label.  The texture of the Echizen paper, or “Washi” in Japanese, is achieved through the careful application of traditional Japanese paper-making techniques. The Japanese symbol on the label means HIBIKI, a word that holds many positive meanings in Japanese, one of them being “Harmony.”  Suntory chose HIBIKI to express the exquisite balance of this whiskey, born of the harmony of malt on malt.

It will be interesting to see how the brand fares in the competitive U.S. market, but any discerning whiskey drinker should be happy to see more quality products invade the states.

Stats:
43 percent Alcohol By Volume
$55-$60 for a 750ml bottle

The Manhattan, a classic cocktail and a favorite among serious drinkers, is a great way to pass the time.  Traditionally composed of rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters, the Manhattan is a perfect drink to enjoy on a cool fall day.  Or any day.

But with the onset of fall, one might elect to change up the tried-and-true Manhattan to create a drink even more indicative of the season.  By using tawny port in place of sweet vermouth, the traditional Manhattan becomes a bit more complex and warms the soul as it soothes the thirsty drinker.  Subbing orange bitters for Angostura bitters adds a zesty citrus note to the drink, which balances nicely with the buttery, oaky flavors imparted by the port.

Tawny Manhattan

2 ounces rye whiskey
1 ounce port
2 dashes orange bitters

Stir all ingredients with cracked ice until cold.  Strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with an orange twist.