On Second Thought... Mortlach 16yrs

Olives, The Office and quite surprisingly gin, are all things I tried initially and wasn't completely won over by. They didn't offend me in anyway, indeed it would be quite a spectacle to see an offensive olive - but they didn't instantly bowl me over and make me scream out in jubilation. They didn't seem to be a missing component from my otherwise satisfactory life. To side track; Irn Bru is something that I had never tried until recently, and now I cannot imagine what sick and twisted world I was living in without it. However, I could have gone on living having never tried olives, The Office or gin again, and died happily not knowing what joy they could bring. What I am rather cackhandedly beating at, is that these things required a second try. I now positively adore olives putting them in any meal they can feasibly go with or clash with. I crease up in mirth during any awkward moment in The Office and I drink gin with a religious tenacity. So from all of this I should of course learn to try things at least twice before I give up on them. So the other day I gave the Flora & Fauna Mortlach 16 year old bottling another go. Mortlach as a rule fails to wow me so it took some audaciousness to prioritise this dram over others I perhaps feel would more imminently impress me. Nevertheless I gave it another shot. I'm not sure if it was because the bottle had been open a little longer, or the company I was with at the time or if it was a genuine change of opinion, but this time I was much, much more impressed and who knows maybe Mortlach is a drink that could rival other whiskies I would more readily jump to...

Mortlach 16 Years Old
43% - Flora & Fauna (Diageo Range)
Nose: Vimto surprisingly annouced itself first followed, rather pleasingly, by dried apricot that became a part of a fruity sherried character. On a second pass a floral dimension morphed into fresh apricots.
Palate: Stewed plums and plenty of spice give this whisky the body it needs to satisfy.
Finish: Classic sherried whisky here: wood and dried fruits. A fitting conclusion.
Overall: The apricot character was not something I had noticed the first time I tried this whisky, but it is what has made me reconsider Mortlach. Expect a bourbon-finished Mortlach review soon by way of comparison.

English Summer Rain - Snow Grouse

Our rather wet summer holiday
in the British Isles

There is something quintessentially British about commenting on the weather. It permeates all conversation. You can be discussing the ins and outs of post-modern thought and still get round to that awfully horrid twenty minutes of rain last Tuesday. Furthermore it is profoundly British to complain about the weather during the summer. We could have weeks of sunshine but it will be the downpour at the end that we remember. Unfortunately, I remember the good weather all too well. In fact I have a very accurate memory of sitting at work listening to the air conditioning stuttering to a wheezing halt as the task of cooling a room reaching solar temperatures became all too much for it as it had the temperature control equivalent of a cardiac arrest. As I sat there mopping a torrent of sweat from my scalding brow, I craved everything from water to an ice bath, and had I been aware of it, I would probably have begged for a chilled whisky. Except I know better and know that outside of a cocktail that would never work. Famous Grouse, of course, disagree. They have produced what they have, very originally, christened the Snow Grouse. The concept is a grain whisky that you chill before you serve. Despite being all too aware of the novelty value that this whisky would of course have, I was very cautious. Nevertheless I had to try it and wasn't completely disappointed. It offered a very spirity drink that was refreshing but I thought could have offered more. I would like to have seen some extreme louche effect from non-chill filtration and some more complexity and, although I think that it offered a new approach to whisky, I just feel that if Compass Box had done it I would be much more impressed.

Snow Grouse
40% - No Age Statement - Bottled by Famous Grouse
Nose: Medicinal here with notes of wet paint. I also got the TCP I never get but everyone else does from Laphroaig. Finally this smelled more of vodka than whisky.
Palate: Very creamy with a solvent edge.
Finish: Creamy again with sultanas and bananas.
Overall: A novelty most definitely but fun for it. Interesting but I wouldn't buy a bottle. Goes well with scones surprisingly.

A Rye Smile - Sazerac Rye

American and Irish whiskey have always been a struggle for me. Initially out of an ill-informed prejudice born out of an ignorance of the Redbreasts and Van Winkle's out there and too much focus on the Jameson's and Jack Daniels of the world. Both Jameson's and Jack Daniels almost ruined whiskey for me. However the second problem I face is that however much I may appreciate the whiskey, I find the flavour of both Irish and American to be too sickly for me and even half a glass makes my stomach tighten. So for me American and Irish whiskey will always have to be a rare pleasure enjoyed in moderation, but this is not to say I will give up on them. Today's review is of the charming Sazerac Rye whiskey. This, like the Redbreast 12 year old, made me rethink whiskey and I would go as far to say that I could happily manage two thirds of a glass of this fine rye whiskey.

Sazerac Rye
45% - No Age Statement
Nose: Old fashioned English marmalade dominates the nose with marzipan and barley sugar playing the underscore.
Palate: Plenty of citrus fruits, in particular satsuma, with a gentle almond quality.
Finish: Very dry with notes of herbal remedies.
Overall: A lively, vibrant and spicy rye whiskey that will put a smile on your face!

What whisky turns your head? Laphroaig Quarter Cask and Arran Amarone Cask Finish

We all get that subconscious desire to turn our heads when we catch something out of the corner of our eye when we are shopping. For some it is the cut of a dress, for others it is the tabloid red of a 'sale' sign, and for others it is a shop in the midst of a riot. There is always something we have a material weakness for. A weakness that operates from our peripheral vision and forces our eyes to turn and our wallets to shed weight like a celebrity on Strictly. I have a few myself: Winegums, HMV sales, coleslaw and of course... Whisky!

So what is it that turns our heads when we are staring at a shelf of whiskies? This is a question I always ask myself, often the answer is fairly simple. For example, when I discovered cask strength whiskies it was the ABV that pulled my eyes to the bottle like a liquid magnet, likewise the old sherry finish whisky has turned my head a few times, but for me, it is something original that makes me look at a bottle and think, 'I need to drink that', and believe something is missing from my life until I do. The thing is, finding something original, or to be more precise, original and worth investing time and money in, can be quite difficult. Two whiskies jump to mind that have done this for me since I started taking the nectar of life. One is very well known the other perhaps less so, but it isn't ambiguity that attracts me to whisky, its weirdness. The first is the Laphroaig Quarter Cask. Aged in smaller casks, the whisky inside gets much more contact with the wood and hence ages faster (in a way). This simple idea really appealed to me when I first started drinking whisky and to this day I still think it is the best jump in quality for the smallest price gain you can get in the whisky world. The other whisky is the Arran Amarone finish. I did a vertical tasting of the Arran range and it was the Amarone that made me think, 'this is different', and that is no criticism of Arran's other malts that I also enjoy immensely. So the question is what whiskies turn your head?

Laphroaig Quarter Cask
48% - No Age Statement
Nose: All that medicinality and seaweed you'd usually associate with Laphroaig but with a fantastic scent of rum truffle, nuts and a slight flame of sulphur.
Palate: This is a strong mix of flavours: chili, seaweed, salt and tar. Not for the faint hearted!
Finish: Cigar smoke creates a fug here with a gentle, sweet miasma of cola floating behind, and such a long finish for such a well priced whisky.
Overall: Powerful flavours here, everything a Laphroaig should be: mean, unrelenting and uninterested in your opinion. A great whisky at amazing value.

Arran Amarone Cask Finish
50% - No Age Statement
Nose: This is incredibly potent and quite literal. It smells like chocolate and raisins with a slight afterthought of cherries. Very intriguing.
Palate: Fairly sweet with those notes from the nose carrying through, in particular that chocolatey flavour.
Finish: Smooth unsurprisingly with its sweetness, with a fruitiness adding complexity.
Overall: A cask finish that really works with the whisky, creating strong obvious flavours. A match made in heaven.

Have your cake and eat it too - Auchentoshan Valinch

There is a dilemma that grabs us all whether we be outgoing or introverted, big or small, rich or poor, animal, vegetable or mineral. We all at some point have to choose between two desserts. I am by nature a very impulsive person and in no way do I look far enough into the future when making decisions. I couldn't count the amount of times I have had to do a week's food shop on £10 because I have decided that I should try multiple new beers or take a holiday that I can't afford. I would like to say that this is out of some carpe diem worldview or out of an unashamed consumerist appetite but I would be lying. Like many or even most people I would like to have my cake and eat it - and then a slice of yours.

So we've all been faced with the option of two puddings and have had to choose between them be they cake, ice cream or pannacotta. For me, the decision between a coffee cake and a quality victoria sponge is the worst I could be forced to make. Then I was presented with a mind-blowing compromise, and it comes served up in a Glencairn glass. The whisky is the Auchentoshan Valinch, a new bourbon matured release that is bottled at cask-strength and named after the pipette used to draw whisky out of the cask. This reinvisioning of the Auchentoshan Classic has a lot going for it. Oh and I forgot to mention… it tastes of two desserts.

Auchentoshan Valinch
57.5% - No Age Statement - Ex-Bourbon Cask
Nose: Creme brulee is the first desert to arrive in abundant quantities followed by our second, the subtle, yet thoroughly present lemon meringue pie. Finally there is a nutty quality with hints of ginger and cinnamon biscuits.
Palate: Very bourbon influenced here with a citric element that rises towards the roof of the mouth.
Finish: Clean, the high ABV is very real here and cuts to a lingering nutty woodiness.
Overall: Warms the stomach and combines two desserts on the nose. An excellent aperitif whisky.

The Lost Distilleries Chapter 1: Brora

Rarity comes in many forms: Anne Widdecombe’s sex appeal, the skeletons still in Ryan Giggs' closet and Boris Johnson’s self-awareness. Rarity in whisky is often synonymous with collecting, a divisive trait among whisky lovers. To collect or to taste, that is the question? The compromise of course is both but - alas, few of us can afford such a luxury. My approach has been to collect tastings. I try to add as many new whiskies to my collection of tasting notes and this way at least I don't have to invest in a cellar. Even better for me is that there are more whiskies than I could possibly taste. The Benriachs, Longmorns and Tullibardines still elude me, as do many others. Hence it has become my noble quest to taste as much of the whisky that this planet can provide for me. However, I couldn't just set about this quest, this mission, this journey without adequate preparation and planning. There have to be priorities. Some whiskies knocking around today may not be in ten, fifteen, twenty years and at least if they are, they are going to be rather pricey and probably locked and bolted in someone's vault. Although I am sure I am capable of an Ocean's 11-style heist to free such whiskies from the dastardly collectors, I have neither the will nor the want.

Brora Distillery

So my priorities are the whiskies of the Lost Distilleries. These distilleries fall into a tragic chapter of the Scottish whisky saga. In the eighties thanks to the damn economy (déjà vu anyone?), many distilleries had to be closed. The reason was often because the distillery didn't contribute to a major blend or didn't have the tourist appeal of another (Rosebank being a good example here). So this led to perfectly good or dare I say it perfect whisky falling out of production. Port Ellen, Rosebank and Brora are just a few examples of these. Of course 30 years down the line, some of the better whiskies have aged rather nicely and have become very popular indeed, hence their rarity. Brora is the one that became my initial target, as I had already tasted Port Ellen thanks to my girlfriend's vain fixation with her namesake. Then came the day that I had the opportunity to help host a fine and rare tasting, and top of the list was Brora - and I would not be disappointed.

Brora 30 Year Old
54.3% - Bottled 2010 - Distillery Release
Nose: Tobacco and chlorine intermingle first with light peat following. Caramel and treacle then take to the stage with phenol dancing in the background. Next raspberry and fruit compote enter stage left with an encore of nettle.
Palate: The smoky embers of a beach-side fire provides structure whilst there are layers of flavour including white pepper, roasted peaches held together with a slight acidity.
Finish: Soft and creamy with dry sherry wood and peach. The finish continues in waves, softness then fruit comfit recurring.
Overall: An enthusiast’s malt, complex and intriguing. Rare and collectable it may be, but this is a whisky for drinking. Now where are the dregs of that bottle?

The Calm After The Storm - Glendronach 12 Year

It's been a surreal few days here in London with all the disorder, panic and mayhem. The night was full of the sound of more sirens than usual, the news coverage was feverish, and the politicians had to go back to school early. Of course the pertinent but predictable questions will now be asked. Why did this happen? (The answer isn't political apparently although surely the question is?) Could the police have done more? And what would the News of World have had to say about it? The news coverage was a juxtaposition of 'Broken Britain', I use that term loosely, and the 'Big Society' where people came together to rebuild communities. Twitter became a weapon of the rioters and a tool of the Cleanup Wombles. And now as things start to calm and the analysis sets in, it seems only fitting that we should have a whisky whilst we wait out the repetitious cawing of the press to finish as the heads start to roll.

The whisky I have chosen is one I always enjoy and always forget why I enjoy it. It is from the great Highland distillery of Glendronach. For me it is an armchair whisky. The kind you can sit back with and relax. It fills you up and warms you. Something a little calmer than the past few days.

Glendronach 12 Year Old
43% - Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso Cask matured
Nose: Autumn fruits is certainly the word here, dried apples and bananas follow closely behind with roasted peaches lending a gentle presence.
Palate: The fruity quality keeps coming again and again with a sweetness and a creamy mouthfeel.
Finish: Actual sherry here with trifle to boot. The finish is thick, creamy and long, the reason why I love this whisky so much.
Overall: The nose and flavour are all top standard here, but it is the finish that makes me drop my jaw in awe. Please try the 12 year or any of their other bottlings, all are worth a dram!

(And for your entertainment... http://photoshoplooter.tumblr.com/)