Rediscovering The Classics: Laphroaig 10 Year Old

Gin cocktails at Evil Eye

Tonight's review is of an absolute classic. This whisky is self-defining, iconic and unique. What I like most about this whisky is that it gives me a feeling that can only be given by a few things. I get the feeling every time I travel to York. I love York; it has the perfect combination of historic architecture, excellent pubs and nostalgic value. It is like the feeling of coming home when I get Bangers and Mash at the Lendal Cellars or a pint of Yorkshire Terrier at the... er... Yorkshire Terrier. A trip to Jorvic and the Cathedral before a cocktail at Evil Eye Lounge and a browse of the beer selection at The Bottle on Stonegate makes for a very happy Angus.

I get the same feeling everytime I climb the Berwin hills behind Llanrhaeadr Waterfall back home. The spray off the falls and the rugged terrain are reminiscent of a time before man etched his face on the Earth. Like York there is a feeling that everywhere should be like this and everything will be alright. It is a feeling that in unclouded by worry or unnecessary detail, a feeling about enjoying the moment.

Llanrhaeadr

Tonight's whisky is the unapologetic Laphroaig 10 Year Old. Every time I drink this whisky I am filled with a feeling of calm. Laphroaig isn't a whisky trying hard to impress, it is a whisky that forces the drinker to come to it on its own terms. Its Marmite attitude can make it unapproachable for some drinkers but as soon as you come to terms with its balls-out confidence it becomes the most rewarding of all whiskies. I think it is unarguable to say that Laphroaig is a whisky hero. When I drink it I don't worry about how it is made. I don't care about cask selection or the slightly troubling small print 'mit Farbstoff' (with colouring). I couldn't give a damn about ABV or PPM, when I drink the Laphroaig 10 it is about coming home to what whisky is really about - the greatest drink on the planet. So without any further ado here's my tasting note to add to the legions of others shouting its praise. Slainte!

Laphroaig 10 Year Old
40% - Distillery Bottled
Nose: An island harbour protected behind the stormwall; the sea laps at a peaty shoreline. Amongst this intense maritime character there is a sweet citric character that plays with the earthy peat.
Palate: Peat bog followed with peat smoke. There is a marshmallow sweetness and a nutty undercurrent that provides flavour beyond simple peat notes.
Finish: Almost beer like with hops and gentle smoke. Lastly there is a fire that remains in the belly seething like Smurg on his treasure.
Overall: Such a characterful nose followed by a playful palate. The finish has the fire all good whiskies have burning underneath. The Laphroaig 10 is a masterclass in character development. Time for a second glass!

Rediscovering The Classics: Talisker 10 Year Old

Some readers of this blog may have noticed that there haven't been many posts this week. Unfortunately I have been taken sick. Drinking, and even the thought of drinking, has been far from my mind. My greatest affliction is an unwillingness to seek help, I come from the school of thought that insists all illness is just a sniffle and people should just 'man-up' and get on with life. The extremity of this became apparent to my girlfriend when I took a fortnight to go to the doctor's when I went down with a rather nasty case of tonsillitis. It wasn't until I realised my tonsils had turned black and were leaking pus did I surrender and took my 'cold' to the doctor. The most horrid part of any illness is the point at which you can't face a drink. Whisky may cure a cold but stomach infections, tonsillitis and chicken pox lay outside of its glorious remit. So having not tried anything new this week I thought I'd talk about the single malt that started it all...

I've drunk whisky for quite a long time, beginning with Drambuie before progressing to Famous Grouse. However the first single malt I tried was the almighty Talisker 10 Year Old. One of my Dad's favourites, it was an introduction to a whole new level of whisky drinking. For years Talisker was my absolute favourite to the extent that my friend Rob and I took a day to train and bus hop to Skye then hike nine miles to the nearest pub for a Talisker 18 Year Old. Talisker was my earliest benchmark for judging whisky. It has a ferocity coupled with flavours that for me define whisky. Although I now appreciate many different whiskies for their different complexities I still have a soft spot for my old favourite. Here's to Talisker!

Talisker 10 Year Old
45.8% - Distillery Bottling
Nose: That trademark black and white pepper with kippers, melon and apple following, closed with ashy coal smoke.
Palate: The smoke continues straight on to the palate with a vanilla sweetness and peaty pepper.
Finish: Malty, long and spicy with waves of gentle smoke.
Overall: A classic malt indeed, excellent with haggis, perfect all year round. I find it pleasing that no matter how many whiskies I try, I still enjoy a good Talisker. Slainte.

The Full Monty... The Laddie 10

Nudity is a bizarre concept. On one level it is fragile, vulerable and open. On another it is knobbly, gangly and bloody funny. Nudity in art becomes a representation of the human form, of our animalistic desires and of being laid bare for judgement by God. Going starkers in public is simply hilarious. There is nothing like watching people streak across sporting grounds being chased by clumsy men in fluorescent jackets until the inevitable rugby tackle and pile-on.

I think, particularly in Britain, the embarrassment and self-awareness about nudity makes the juxtaposition of the beauty of it and its comic potential all the more evident. More disturbing perhaps is the insatiable desire of our society to consume near-naked images of 'perfect' bodies on billboards, in magazines and on the TV, yet still possess an innate fear of being seen naked ourselves. I would argue that this is an issue that needs addressing and one I agree with Gok Wan on.

The only place where nudity seems to be commonplace is men's showers. Due to a broken boiler I have had to shower at the gym recently. The gym in question has doors for its showers yet men still shower with the door open and sit around texting stark-bollock-naked afterwards. This is a scenario where I don't quite understand nudity - if there is a door use it. I completely understand if there is no door, but if there is, use it.

Lately I got the chance to try the new ten year old Bruichladdich, the Laddie 10. This Bruichladdich is unpeated and unlike most Bruichladdich, it isn't finished in an array of casks and hasn't had anything 'progessive' done to it. It is essentially a naked Bruichladdich. It is also my favourite Bruichladdich to date. The full monty...

Laddie 10
46% - 10 Years Old - Bottled by Bruichladdich
Nose: At first cheddar, weirdly enough, followed by nuts, melon and lemon. With time; kiwi, heather and white pepper announce themselves in a very eclectic nose.
Palate: Light, creamy and fruity with wheat cereal notes that I get in the Organic bottling.
Finish: Fairly spicy with good length. A solid end to an interesting and well constructed malt.
Overall: It's great to see a Bruichladdich that not only represents the work of the distillery since 2001, but also showcases how fantastic it can be without tassels and adornments. I hope this is the direction the distillery goes down because it offers a very rewarding, tackle-out, future.

Proof reading: Springbank 100 and Glenfarclas 105 Proof

My source of true happiness

I am someone who enjoys a certain robust-ness (if I can coin the word) about life. I've always trekked, climbed and crawled through the Great Outdoors, I like hearty rustic meals and I drink whisky (cue nodding approval). Of course, this is not to say I don't enjoy the finer things in life, like fine cuisine; wines of the Loire valley; and newsnight, but nothing brings me home like rain; bangers and mash; and a glass of cask-strength whisky. The immediate assumption that can and maybe should be made is that I am over-compensating. A scrawny lad inclined towards trivia and unable to drive testosterone enhancing cars needs something to bolster his faltering masculinity. Hanging from ropes and swigging Scotch might seem like a pathetic attempt at a fetish lifestyle, but it is my hook. The thing I hang my somewhat bookish and overly-curious lifestyle on. The thing is if you tell someone over a massive pub lunch that you throw your life to the hands of Fate as a hobby whilst simultaneously chucking back Scotch like the tomorrow you implore you will never experience you can just about compensate for a failure to understand what Manchester United is.

The problem with this mindset is that I become more and more inclined to do stupid things for the sake of respect from men who can place a spherical object at the back of a net, whilst drinking stronger and stronger whisky whenever possible to show off my liver's ab muscles. The day when I finally combine the two could be quite interesting. So... what is it about cask-strength whiskies that appeal so much aside from their testosterone enhancing properties? Well for me they add weight to a whisky, if you drink a cask strength whisky you tend to know about it. The flavour hammers you like a mallet made of lead. Better still that higher ABV pulls the flavour through with a rabid intensity. But I think what is most appealing is attempting to identify flavours through a haze of spirit. Today's review is the Springbank 100 proof and the Glenfarclas 105 proof. Two 10 year old cask strength whiskies offering very different things. Now pass the toad-in-the-hole and that kayak.

Springbank 100 Proof
57% - 10 Years Old
Nose: Butterscotch and marzipan accompany the rhubarb and grape I get from all Springbank whiskies, with a dash of dried apricot and a whiff of tobacco to finish.
Palate: Dried apricots, peat and spice layer on top of burnt toffee notes.
Finish: Robust and going down fighting, a hot mix of toffee and smoked chili.
Overall: This whisky tastes like Springbank invaded. Every thing I could want from Springbank with a fierce heat to match. Now I just need to get some of the 12 year cask strength...

Glenfarclas 105 Proof
60% - 10 Year Old
Nose: Elderflower and caramel give way to chocolate raison and then to fruit bowl notes with an organic freshness present throughout.
Palate: Very alcoholic, honey and malt with a clear sherry presence, takes to water very well.
Finish: A blend of sherry and mead, becoming silky when water is added bringing out lemony notes.
Overall: Big, fresh and fruity, I think this high ABC beast actually benefits from plenty of water, does my manhood hang in the balance because of this dastardly confession?