Russell B. Farr's Blog, page 2

Whisky Tasting: Midleton Very Rare 2014

A dram for St Patrick’s Day, from one of Jameson’s less well-known labels. Appropriately, I first stumbled across this in Dublin, ordering it in the hotel bar without comprehending what I was getting (at 16.50 euro a dram, I just equated it to Perth hotel prices). I was immediately blown away, and had to bring a bottle home with me. My impression then, and on subsequent samplings, is that it’s that good. So tonight I’m going to make some notes as I sip away.

Nose: rich floral malty goodness. A bouquet of honey and spring flowers, vanilla and toffee. I could keep my nose in here all day.

Taste: sweet honey goodness, lots of vanilla and toffee, but not overwhelming. Maybe a hint of dark orange chocolate, light citrus, caramel. Smooth, very light and smooth.

Finish: Lingering hints of chocolate, malt, vanilla. Not long but a fair length, though it does mean I’m reaching for the glass again quite soon.

It almost pains me to add a drop of water but for science I do these things…

Nose: richer toffee and caramel. The flowers are pushed right back but light sherry flavours come to the fore. Reminiscent of the Glenfiddich 15yo Solera, but a little more lightly honeyed.

Taste: Malty, jarrah honey, citrus hints. Not better, nor noticibly worse, just differently emphasised.

Finish: Seems to pull up a little shorter, a hint more malty.

My call here: skip the water.

I couldn’t find any certifiably official tasting notes, but there are some at http://www.whiskyintelligence.com/2014/07/irish-distillers-unveils-midleton-very-rare-2014-irish-whiskey-news/

Aroma – Rich, with vanilla sweetness on a layer of oak char from the influence of American white oak ex-Bourbon barrels. A soft floral note introduces the sweet spice of cinnamon, green pepper, and garden mint. Beautifully rounded with hints of green apple and banana. 

Taste – Full, with the sweet spice of vanilla, cinnamon, and liquorice and the flinty note of barley grains. Ripe fruit combines with the charred oak, adding to the complexity. 

Finish – Sweet spicy flavours that linger, fading slowly to leave the last word with the barley.

And I get a lot of this — I thought I’d picked up a little smokiness but dismissed it as being a little out of character with the rest.

Overall this is one of the good ones, well worth every 9+/10 review and for around $250 AUD it’s well worth it. There’s an inch left in my bottle, and I’m looking to save pennies to replace it. A word of warning: I’ve been told that there’s variation from year to year, so what goes for the 2014 may not apply to others.

Whisky tasting: Glenmorangie Companta

I’m fairly new to Glenmorangie, I tried one of their wine finishes some years ago and found it wanting; I’ve since had the Lasanta and enjoyed it a lot, and somewhere along the line had the base expression which left no impression whatsoever. I’ve got an unopened bottle of the ellusive and highly rated Ealanta waiting for the right time. When the Companta came a long a couple of years ago I bought one hoping for greatness. The result is below.

Colour: spectacular red.

Nose: Rose wine, flowers, UHU glue stick, glace cherries.

Taste: cherries and berries and plums, with a hefty alcohol kick. It’s 2% less than last night’s dram, but am getting the spirit coming through stronger. An explosion of slightly tart summer fruits.

Finish: Not as long as I’d like. There’s a little bit of plum remaining, but for something so upfront it fades fast.

and with a drop of water…

Nose: more of the cherries and flowers.

Taste: a little extra sweetness, maybe a hint of vanilla and a demerera sugar coating.

Finish: a slittle sweeter but no longer.

And the official tasting notes: https://glenmorangie.com/en/glenmorangie-companta

Aroma: On the nose, Companta exudes rich, ‘autumnal’ scents of red berries and damp forest floors, with a hint of fragrant woodsmoke complementing notes of aromatic, nutty oak.

Taste: Upon tasting, a spicy palate redolent of cherries and stewed fruits is slowly revealed, as notes of sugared plums, blood orange and rose-hip syrup emerge alongside milk chocolate and brown sugar.

Finish: Companta lingers on with a rich, mouth-coating finish.

The Companta is quite unique in my experience, so much up front (and different) yet so lacking a finish. There’s a lot of interesting here, and I’m willing to believe that someone somewhere lists this as their favourite whisky of all time. That’s not me: it’s an unusual dram, good to drink, but doubt I’ll need to restock when the bottle runs dry. I will try the next special Glenmorangie though, for something different I’m sure.

Whisky Tasting: Laphroaig Triple Wood

Time for some more Islay goodness, from probably my fave distillery. I’ve had a number of Laphroaigs over the years, so will probably go hard on this dram. It has a lot to live up to.

Nose: All the Laphroaig classics: peat, smoke, iodine, dark sugar, with maybe a hint of dried fruit. All the classics, but possibly dialed down a little.

Taste: Dark chocolate, smoked malt, treacle, pepper (though this may be a remnant from dinner), maybe some dried orange or orange peel too.

Finish: medicinal, with bitter dark chocolate and smoke.

It’s been a little while since I’ve had a standard Laphroaig bottling, so I may have to recalibrate my tastebuds, but overall this was fine but subdued. It’s nice, but not really pushing the barrow of “The most richly flavoured of all Scotch whiskies”, not in the same way the Quarter Cask and 10yo Cask Strength do.

and with a single drop of water…

Nose: a little more fruit, a little less peat.

Taste: the smoke comes through stronger, everything else is there but dialed down a little.

Finish: sharper, slightly more bitter chocolate.

And the official tasting notes: http://www.laphroaig.com/whiskies/triple-wood.aspx

NOSE: At 48%, straight from the bottle, the initial flavour is quite sweet with a gentle mixture of sweet raisins and creamy apricots with just a trace of the dry peat smoke at the back, the smoother nutty flavours combine all these flavours into one smooth, syrupy whole. With a touch of water the peat smoke comes to the fore and masks the gentler fruitier notes. Even with the maturation being carried out in 1st fill bourbons, quarter casks and sherry butts, the intense bonfire ash smell of the earthy peat cannot be masked

BODY: Powerful yet with a creamy consistency

PALATE: With no water, a large initial burst of peat belies the slight lack on the nose but is gentled on the tongue by the creamier flavours of vanilla and fruit with just a suggestion of sherry sweetness. With a trace of water the peat reek is gentled, allowing the more complex flavours of citrus fruits and spices to come through. A slight tang comes from the European Oak balancing the creamier American White Oak.

FINISH: Mouth filling and extremely long but balanced by the sweet smooth caramel taste

So I’m getting dark chocolate where they get caramel, but otherwise I seem to be backward (my impressions without water are closer to theirs with).

It’s a tough call, were it not Laphroaig I’d be singing the praises of this dram highly. There’s certainly a bunch to like about the triple wood, wonderful flavours, a long finish that just gets sweeter, and a price point just over $100 that’s just about right. I just feel that it sits a little safe: the peat freaks won’t be challenged, and yet there’s still more peat than a typical peat-avoider would like.

This brings up something else, in that Laphroiag have also done the right thing by the NCF (non-chill filtering) evangelists on this dram, but it in spite of this it seems to bring less to the party than the supposedly chill filtered 10yo. It’s pushing me more to think that it doesn’t really matter, as long as the final dram is good. But then a bunch of what I say above also reads like someone looking for a taste or experience that the dram isn’t, too.

So I guess if you’re looking for something peaty, and with hints of fruit, it’s not a bad drop. It’s no xmas cake, not a hospital ward, nor the aftermath of a bonfire, but brings a hint of each.

Whisky tasting: Hazelburn Sauternes Cask

Tonight’s dram is a sweet little cask strength drop from Campbeltown.

Nose: Big spirit and sweet wine notes, there’s power in here. Butterscotch, dark chocolate, coffee beans, vanilla and dried fruit.

Taste: Strong alcohol leads the charge, this is definitely cask strength. I’m looking for a taste here but all I’m really getting is spirit burn. time to reset my palate with greek honey yogurt and water. Take two: better, caramel, toffee, a hint of smoke that gets stronger, and a hint of tawny port. It delivers the alcohol the nose promised but they are fighting the alcohol.

Finish: Lingering notes of toffee and dark chocolate, not the greatest but pleasant.

I’m going to add a drop of water for the nose, then a splash for the second tasting.

Nose: More of the sweet caramel and toffee notes, more chocolate.

Taste: Much smoother, fruit and nut chocolate.

Finish: Shorter, but I’m willing to please palate fatigue on this. It’s a strong one.

Previous encounters with this dram haven’t been as overpowering, I think because I usually have it after a couple of other drams. I think it needs a retaste in more optimum conditions. It’s sweet, big and not really recommended for a warmish week night.

Tasting: Highland Park 18 year old

Nose: Sweet, raisins, possible sherry, also dry with a hint of acetic, citrus, possibly grapefruit, maybe some demerera sugar tucked away. There’s a lot going on.

Taste: dark bitter chocolate, honey, malt, a little thin. The taste doesn’t quite deliver on the nose.

Finish: quite long, lots of chocolate, a hint of smoke, brown sugar.

And then a drop of water…

Nose: more citrus, more grapefruit.

Taste: Still a little thin, I’m looking for flavours but not really finding them, maybe something herbal or grassy.

Finish: Shorter.

Then I checked the HP website:

http://highlandpark.co.uk/shop/highland-park-18-year-old/

“Lingering layers of sweet honeyed malt, meet characterful dried fruit notes, marzipan and golden syrup, all wrapped up in swathes of our distinctive, subtle floral peat smoke. A whisky, which reveals more layers with every glass you enjoy.”

So I got some of that. It’s a pleasant dram, not overly complex but good for drinking. I think I paid around $150 and it’s probably overpriced at that point given the flavour profile. HP do some great drams, this one’s okay.

Tasting: Ardbeg Uigeadail

Nose: Definitely Ardbeg: smoke, peat, salty, oily, with something elusive on the edges, burnt rubber maybe, smoked fish? I’m looking for a sweet scent but there isn’t one. No fruit, no nuts either.

Taste: Bold, savoury and oily. Hints of kalamata olives perhaps. Spice and pepper.

Finish: Not as long as expected, lots of smoke, pepper, peat, a little vanilla perhaps.

And with a drop of water…

Nose: as above, as well as a little vanilla. Not as strong, maybe due to nasal fatigue.

Taste: Spicier, more pepper.

Finish: Longer, more smoke and spice.

Then I looked at http://www.ardbeg.com/shop/ardbeg-uigeadail.html

I’m not getting the sherry and christmas cake stuff, not initially anyway. When I hold it in my mouth I’m picking up some dry sherry notes, a hint of raisins, a little dark chocolate at the finish. The sweeter notes definitely come later, and with another 5 drops of water.

It’s a pretty drop. With a retail of around $125 it’s very good value. It probably doesn’t need the hype around the Whisky Bible Award, it’s a solid Islay dram on its own merits.

The Whisky Wishlist

What would I buy if I had unlimited monies (note this is not a hint for anyone, but just a place I can put down some thoughts on some whiskies I’m unlikely to get anytime soon).

Almost reasonably expensive

Those around $200-$400. I may get some of these one day in when sudden windfalls and flippant attitude coincide.

Old Pulteney 21 year old
Old Potrero 18th Century Whiskey
Glenfiddich 21 year old
The Macallan 18 year old Sherry Cask
Glenfarclas 30 year old
Talisker 25 year old
Glengoyne 21 year old

 

Quite unreasonably expensive

Pushing around $500-$1,000, and probably involving shipping costs and all that.

Rosebank anything (other than occasional SMWS bottlings)
Laphroaig 25 year old cask strength

 

Well and truly unreasonably expensive

Over $1,000 and too much hassle.

Port Ellen anything
Brora anything

 

WTF OMG how much?

Any whisky over $10,000, just for the experience.

Deserted Island Whisky Case list: Draft 1

This one just some thoughts out loud. Given the scenario of being stuck somewhere deserted (and fairly cool, not a hot desert tropical humidity pit, but maybe a spot in the Outer Hebrides) with a case (6 bottles) of whisky, what would I choose. (The other assumptions are some clear, clean, wonderfully refreshing potable water, and for all but one of the whiskies to be vaguely reasonably commercially available somewhere for under about $250, so there’s no point listing a case of Port Ellen anything.)

Here goes draft 1:

Laphroaig 10 year old cask strength
Glenfiddich 15 year old Solera
The Macallan 12 year old Sherry Cask
Bowmore 15 year old Darkest
Ballantines 17 year old
something from Port Ellen

Some peaty, some smooth, some sherried, and a special bottle for special occasions. At a glance I could swap the Ballantines for an Ardbeg, but think it’d probably give me too much peaty (bearing in mind the Laphroaig is cask strength and probably in a 1L bottle). Realistically otherwise possibly swap the Ballantines for a Highland Park.

Feel free to add your list to the comments.

(Note, there’s no right or wrong answers, so this isn’t a serious argument starter.)

2015: the plan

Here’s the plan. Note, it’s not a plan, a Plan, or The Plan. Just the plan.

I’m hoping to post something here every week or so about music, and similarly something every week or so about whisky. There may be some talk of book things too.

I’m resetting the default for this all to be: harmless personal thoughts/opinions, not for starting arguments. Posts tagged specifically as opinionated rants may be the exception.

Welcome to 2015. Slainte!

A dram or three with G

Took the opportunity last night to have a few quiet drams with the G man.

Bade adieu to my bottle of Longrow Gaja Barolo. Five and a half years in refill bourbon casks, then another year and a half in fresh gaja barolo barrels, maybe a year sitting in Cadenheads in Edinburgh, a couple of weeks in the postal system, a couple more weeks while Oz customs taxed it to hell, then 4 years being slowly consumed in comfort. What impressed me first, and what had me figuratively running the length of the Royal Mile to get a bottle, was how chocolatty it tasted. Not the sweet over confectioned chocolate, but fresh, maybe 50% cocoa, dark but not too dark, with maybe some demerera in the mix. Suffice to say it was pretty darn nice from go to whoa.

G challenged me to find a whisky to pair with a bottle of Chimay Grande Reserve he just happened to have with him. Part of me was thinking go for peaty and sweet against the fruity esters of the ale, but G’s not a big peat man, so narrowed it to the LGB or a Hazelburn Sauternes finish. Went with the LGB and I think it’s a good pairing, each complementing the other without it being an argument for the dominant taste.

Also cracked open the Scotch Malt Whisky Society 25.64, which is a 22-year-old from the sadly no longer distillery of Rosebank. I’d only previously tried the Rosebank 10yo, a lovely light dram full of fruit and flowers. The 25.64 brought some of that to the party, but was a very different drink. Sweet on the nose, not so floral but a hint of aniseed, like liquorice allsorts, and good body though a little short on the finish. I wanted it to linger in my mouth but was gone way too soon. A very subtle dram, I recall describing it as being like 10 different flavours all contributing 10% rather than a couple of dominant ones. G wasn’t so convinced, he likes his bold and sweet Speysiders and this lowland dram wasn’t finding the right notes on his palate. Interestingly, though it’s a weighty cask strength 59%, it really couldn’t take too much water, much more than a splash and the elusive flavours became ninjas. I liked it, but will re-taste before coming to a firm conclusion — it was afterall swimming against all the Campbelltown drams, Belgium ales, and cheap pizza.