Dear Whisky Customers
This month I have been immersing myself in white spirits, no not the stuff you clean your brushes with, but Vodka, Gin and Sotol (a type of Mescal). I have realised that there has been a gap in our spirits list for some time and a chance phone call from the Chase distillery in Hereford (more about them later in the newsletter) made me think that now was the time to have a serious look at expanding the range to include these beverages. I must admit that Vodka and Gin is not my usual tipple and my knowledge of them doesn’t extend beyond the well known brands, so I was keen to have a look at some interesting and unusual bottlings.
Now as this is a whisky newsletter I should probably review some whisky, especially as they are a few of you that have no interest in white spirits, so scroll down the page a bit and you will find me tasting notes on some new bottlings by Duncan Taylor.
And finally before I regale you with my findings a bit of news. I’ve been asked to be a judge again for this years Whisky Magazine Independent Bottlers Challenge, which I’m rather chuffed about. Obviously I did a good job last time, so I should receive a box full of samples to evaluate sometime next month and I’ll let you know my findings in due course.
VODKA
HISTORY
The first documented production of vodka in Russia was at the end of the 9th century, but the first known distillery at, Khylnovsk, was about two hundred years later as reported in the Vyatka Chronicle of 1174. Poland lays claim to having distilled vodka even earlier in the 8th century, but as this was a distillation of wine it might be more appropriate to consider it a crude brandy. The first identifiable Polish vodkas appeared in the 11th century when they were called 'gorzalka', originally used as medicines. The name stems from the Russian word 'voda' (or, as the Poles would say 'woda') variously translated as water of life (eaux-de-vie) water, small water or dear little water.
During the Middle Ages, distilled liquor was mainly used for medicinal purposes, as well as being an ingredient in the production of gunpowder. In the 14th century a British Ambassador to Moscow first described vodka as the Russian national drink and in the mid-16th century it was established as the national drink in Poland and Finland. We learn from the Novgorod Chronicles of 1533 that in Russia also, vodka was used frequently as a medicine (zhiznennia voda meaning 'water of life')
The mid - 15th century saw the first appearance of pot distillation in Russia. Prior to that, seasoning, ageing and freezing were all used to remove impurities, as was precipitiation using isinglass ('karluk') from the air bladders of sturgeons. Distillation became the first step in producing vodka, with the product being improved by precipitation using isinglass, milk or egg white.
Around this time (1450) vodka started to be produced in large quantities and the first recorded exports of Russian vodka were to Sweden in 1505. Polish 'woda' exports started a century later, from major production centers in Posnan and Krakow.
In 1716, owning distilleries became the exclusive right of the nobility, who were granted further special rights in 1751. In the following 50 or so years there was a proliferation of types of aromatised vodka, but no attempt was made to standardize the basic product. Types produced included; absinthe, acorn, anisette, birch, calamus root, calendula, cherry, chicory, dill, ginger hazelnut, horseradish, juniper, lemon, mastic, mint, mountain ash, oak, pepper, peppermint, raspberry, sage, sorrel, wort and water melon! A typical production process was to distil alcohol twice, dilute it with milk and distil it again, adding water to bring it to the required strength and then flavouring it, prior to a fourth and final distillation. It was not a cheap product and it still had not attained really large-scale production. It did not seek to compete commercially with the major producers in Lithuania, Poland and Prussia
In the 18th century a professor in St. Petersburg discovered a method of purifying alcohol using charcoal filtration. Felt and river sand had already been used for some time in Russia for filtration. The spread of awareness of vodka continued throughout the 19th century, helped by the presence in many parts of Europe of Russian soldiers involved in the Napoleonic Wars. Increasing popularity led to escalating demand and to meet this demand, lower grade products were produced based largely on distilled potato mash.
Earlier attempts to control production by reducing the number of distilleries from 5,000 to 2,050 between the years 1860 and 1890 having failed, a law was enacted in 1894 to make the production and distribution of vodka in Russia a state monopoly. This was both for fiscal reasons and to control the epidemic of drunkenness which the availability of the cheap, mass-produced 'vodkas' imported and home-produced, had brought about.
It is only at the end of the 19th century, with all state distilleries adopting a standard production technique and hence a guarantee of quality, that the name vodka was officially and formally recognised. Following the Russian Revolution in 1917, the Bolsheviks seized private distilleries, thus a number of Russian refugees took their skills - and their love of vodka - to many parts of the world. One set up his business in Paris, using the French version of his family name, Smirnoff.
In 1934 through his dealings with another Russian émigré the first vodka distillery in the United States was set up. Although not particularly successful at first, this enterprise was sold on again to an entrepreneur who eventually made a hit in the 1950s with a vodka-based cocktail, the Moscow Mule.
Realistically though vodka did not see a great boom in popularity in the West until the 1960s and 1970s when many more brands were launched in the USA and the UK. The timing coincided with the cultural revolution in these countries - the 'swinging sixties'. With a more affluent younger generation and a generally more relaxed lifestyle and the emphasis on adventure and experimentation - vodka's 'mixability' (plus the appeal of some witty and clever advertising) led to its huge and ever rising popularity, which continues today. Vodka cocktails are almost as numerous as those of gin and are seen in the same exclusive circles and stylish bars the world over.
MANUFACTURE
Vodka can be made from many different kinds of agricultural materials. In the EU it is usually produced from grain or molasses. In Eastern Europe it is also produced from potatoes, or rice.
The basis for Vodka is a neutral spirit of at least 96% alcohol by volume (ABV), having been checked that it is of the appropriate quality is either redistilled to produce a pure and flavourless spirit or filtered through activated charcoal which removes any residual impurities and odours. The definition of activated charcoal is that which has been treated either by steam or chemicals to make it more absorbent.
In many cases, the spirit is redistilled once or twice then blended with pure demineralised water, reducing its ABV to about 55% before being filtered through the charcoal. Filtration is done by either pumping the vodka through several consecutive columns of charcoal or, in the case of cheaper vodkas simply seeping it into tanks containing charcoal.
Very pure water is now added to the spirit to give the legal EU minimum ABV strength of at least 37.5%; it is not unusual to have vodkas of up to 50% ABV. This pure spirit drink does not legally require anything adding to it although some producers include additives to improve the characteristics whilst others introduce flavouring by either adding natural essences or by steeping fruits or herbs in the vodka for several days.
THE TASTING
In order to properly asses the qualities of the samples I have been sent I thought that I needed a reference point to begin with. So I began by tasting a leading supermarket brand - Russian Standard Vodka before moving on to what I hoped would be the more interesting ones. To me it tasted pretty much like I expected, sharp and spirity with that slight acetone note. To me it seemed a bit harsh and industrial, but then this is a mass market brand, so that is to be expected.
Gwalia Distillery, Penderyn
Five, Brecon Vodka, 40% £16.95
Called 5 because it is distilled in a five column still. I’d suggested ignoring the horrendous label. It’s trying to look like some kind of funky Scandinavian vodka. I much preferred the original label featuring a welsh dragon, at least it was proud of where it came from and tried to stand out because of this, now it’s trying to blend into the mass of ‘trendy’ vodkas that adorn the shelves…. Shame!
Anyway, packaging aside, it’s what’s inside the bottle that’s important. It’s slightly oily and grainy on the nose. Soft and smooth becoming a touch floral over time. On the palate it is nice and soft and very slightly sweet. It has that crisp, edgy, grainy, spirity character of the Russian Vodka, but without the harsh acetone/nail varnish like note -it’s very soft and smooth. Like the nose it becomes a bit floral and finishes with a slight salty note. Unlike Russian Standard Vodka this is actually quiet pleasant to drink neat and at £16.95 is definitely a bargain.
Flag Hill Distillery (New Hampshire)
General John Stark Vodka 40% £37.95
The interesting thing about this Vodka is that the raw materials are not grain, rice or potato, but apples. According to the distillery it takes three bushels of apples to make three gallons of cider to distil into one 75cl bottle of Vodka. So with approximately 100 apples to the bushel, they believe that there are 300 apples in each bottle. They distil their Vodka three times, then blend it with spring water and finally it is cold filtered through charcoal and bottled by hand.
So why is it called General John Stark? Well it honours a New Hampshire legend. Apparently he was a famous American General that led the first New Hampshire Regiment in the American Civil War and saw action at Bunkers Hill and at the battles of Trenton and Princetown with General George Washington. He also led the New Hampshire forces at the battle of Bennington during the War of Independence. He is also known for his famous drinking toast of “Live free or die; death is not the worst of evils”
So what does it taste like? The nose is quiet dense and soft with hints of citrus, vanilla and botanicals. There are no harsh edges to the aromas and it is balanced by a granity crispness. The palate is dense and has a pleasant sweetness along with a hint of citrus and that granity crispness. Lovely intensity with a slight oily finish.
Leopold Bros
Silver Tree Small Batch Vodka 40% £32.95
Is a family owned and operated small batch distillery located in Denver, Colorado that produces world class liqueurs, flavoured whiskies, rum, gin, absinthe and vodka. What is interesting about their vodka is that it is produced from a blend of potatoes, malted barley and summer wheat.
Master distiller Todd Leopold personally handcrafts every spirit in a 40 gallon hand-hammered pot still that is apparently so small that you can literally wrap your arms around it. This artesian Vodka is distilled seven times, and only produced in small batches rather than by continuous distillation. Each batch fills approximately 300 bottles, and each bottle is numbered by hand according to the batch that produced it.
It probably has the most interesting nose of all the vodka’s – It has almost a whisky-like character with a barley/ cereal note along with a lovely softness/ oiliness and a late earthy note. The palate is very much like the nose with a lovely smoothness and a suggestion of creaminess. It is very long with a definite spicy finish.
Chase Distillery
Tyrrells English Potato Vodka 40% £34.95
In 2007 Will Chase, the founder and managing director of Tyrrells the gourmet crisp manufacturer was crowned the regional winner in the Bank of Scotland’s Corporate Entrepreneur Challenge. He planned to use the £5m interest free loan to build a distillery at Rosemaund Farm, deep in the Herefordshire countryside. After a fact finding trip to America, visiting micro-distilleries he commissioned a handmade 60ft copper still from Germany. Apparently it is so tall that they had to add a tower to their old hop kiln building to fit it in! They believe that it is this height coupled with 42 bubble plates increases the reflux and thus produces the purest of vodka’s. The spirit is distilled three times, reaching an abv of 96%, when it is then cut with purified water from the aquifer beneath their apple orchards. Like the Leopold Bros vodka, the spirit is distilled in batches, with them producing around 3,500 bottles a week.
Will Chase is quoted as saying “We want to educate people in vodka; we don’t want them drinking it with coke.” I’ll definitely drink to that.
On the nose it is big, oily and powerful. Again quiet whisky-like with a lovely citrus note to balance its underlying starchy character. It is extremely clean with a hint of botanicals. On the palate it is soft and starchy, artesian, with a controlled rusticity. Very intense and flavourful with hints of citrus. Lovely length with a good, crisp finish.
So there you have it. Four distinctly different and interesting vodka’s for you to try . And definitely without coke!
GIN
HISTORY
The first confirmed date for the production of gin is the early 17th century in Holland, although claims have been made that it was produced prior to this in Italy. In Holland it was produced as a medicine and sold in chemist shops to treat stomach complaints, gout and gallstones, and to ward off the fevers brought from the East Indies
British troops fighting in the Low Countries during the Thirty Years' War were given this spirit called ‘Genever' – (the Dutch name for Juniper) in order to give them ‘Dutch Courage’ during the long campaigns in the damp weather through the warming properties of gin (the shortened version of the anglicised Geneva). Eventually they started bringing it back home with them, where already it was often sold in chemists' shops. Distillation was taking place in a small way in England, but it now began on a greater scale, though the quality was often very dubious. Nevertheless, the new drink became a firm favourite with the poor, who drank it to seek oblivion from their miserable conditions.
The formation by King Charles I of the Worshipful Company of Distillers, where members had the sole right to distil spirits in London and Westminster and up to twenty-one miles beyond improved both the quality of gin and its image; it also helped English agriculture by using surplus corn and barley.
When King William III - better known as William of Orange - came to the English throne in 1689, he made a series of statutes actively encouraging the distillation of English spirits. Anyone could now distil by simply posting a notice in public and just waiting ten days. Sometimes gin was distributed to workers as part of their wages and soon the volume sold daily exceeded that of beer and ale, which was more expensive anyway
This led to the introduction of the excise license for producers in 1729, at a cost of £20 along with a levy of two shillings per gallon duty. In addition to which, retailers now required a license as well. This almost suppressed good gin, but the quantity consumed of bad spirits continued to rise
In 1730 London had over 7,000 shops that sold only spirits. Daniel Defoe wrote of "the prodigious number of shopkeepers whose business is wholly and solely the selling of spirits". In certain areas, spirits were sold on average from one private house in four.
The abuse of alcohol by the poor became a major problem. Smollett, the 18th century Scottish novelist wrote: "In these dismal caverns ('strong water shops') they (the poor) lay until they recovered some of their faculties and then they had recourse to this same mischievous potion". Lord Hervey declared: "Drunkenness of the common people was universal, the whole town of London swarmed with drunken people from morning till night." William Hogarth in his 'Gin Lane', an engraving of about this period, portrays a scene of idleness, vice and misery, leading to madness and death.
The problem was tackled by introducing The Gin Act at midnight on 29 September 1736, which made gin prohibitively expensive. A license to retail gin cost £50 and duty was raised fivefold to £1 per gallon with the smallest quantity you could buy retail being two gallons. The Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, and Dr. Samuel Johnson were among those who opposed the Act since they considered it could not be enforced against the will of the common people. They were right. Riots broke out and the law was widely and openly broken. About this time, 11 million gallons of gin were distilled in London, which was over 20 times the 1690 figure and has been estimated to be the equivalent of 14 gallons for each adult male. But within six years of the Gin Act being introduced, only two distillers took out licenses, yet, over the same period of time, production rose by almost fifty per cent.
The Gin Act, finally recognised as unenforceable, was repealed in 1742 and a new policy, which distillers helped to draft was introduced: reasonably high prices, reasonable excise duties and licensed retailers under the supervision of magistrates. In essence this is the situation which exists today.
These changes led to more respectable firms embarking on the business of distilling and retailing gin and it became the drink of high quality, which it has since remained. Many companies established themselves as well-to-do manufacturers, in London, Plymouth and Bristol, led by Sir Robert Burnett (London 1770), and Alexander Gordon following close behind.
Gin had been known as 'Mother's Milk' from the 1820s but later in the century it became known as 'Mother's Ruin', a description perhaps originating from the earlier 'Blue Ruin' of the prohibition era in the previous century.
By this time the battle for trade was hotting up between the beer shops and the gin shops. Following the 1820 'Beerhouse Act', beer was sold free of licensing control and 45,000 beer shops - aimed to be the cosy homes from home - had appeared by 1838. Spirit retailers still required licenses and, to compete with the beer shops, they devised the 'gin palaces’, which first appeared about 1830. These were designed to be an escape from home. As home for the poor - who continued to be gin's main supporters - was often a sordid slum, the gin palace was large, imposing and handsome and even luxuriously furnished. By the 1850s there were about 5,000 such places in London and Charles Dickens describes them in his 'Sketches by Boz' in the mid-1830s as "perfectly dazzling when contrasted with the darkness and dirt we have just left."
In the mid-1830s the temperance movement started. Whilst it failed to make a big impact, it did encourage much debate on drink, which was still a problem. Thomas Carlyle wrote of gin as "liquid madness sold at tenpence the quartem". By 1869 this led to an Act licensing the sale of beer and wine (spirits were still licensed). Two years later a further Act was introduced which would have halved the number of public houses in the country, but public opinion was outraged. One bishop stating in the House of Lords that he would "prefer to see all England free better than England sober" and the act was withdrawn.
As reforms took effect, so the gin production process became more refined. So gin evolved to become a delicate balance of subtle flavours, and began its ascent into high society. The Cocktail Age in the 1920s, a spin off from prohibition in America, may have helped to reinvent gin as fashionable, respectable and a sophisticated choice of drink.
MANUFACTURE
Most manufacturers buy raw spirit – usually made from grain, but sometimes molasses or sugar beet, at a strength of not more than 94% abv, distilled in a patent still, generally from whisky distillers in Scotland. A rectifying still is used to distil the basic cereal spirit. This process separates off any residual flavouring elements and aromas in the spirit and leaves a pure spirit at 96% alcohol, almost pure ethanol.
The spirit is pumped into a large copper Pot Still. The manufacturer then adds water to reduce the gin spirit to 45% abv. The botanicals are then added, generally in powdered form or as concentrated oils. These are then left for a period of soaking or maceration.
Steam is then used to heat the still through a coil inside, once the still reaches boiling point the vapours from the botanicals and the pure spirit rise and pass over the swan neck to the condenser, the other side of the wall, where they are cooled into a liquid again. This liquid, or gin as it now is, passes through the spirit safes where the distiller keeps a constant check on the strength and quality of the gin, by using a hydrometer to measure the strength and his nose to check the quality.
As the process starts, the botanicals do not give up all their flavours and come over at the same time, so the first part of the run is passed to a separate vat called the ‘feints vat’. These feints are eventually re-used by returning them to the rectifying still to increase their strength and remove any taint. Feints are never re-used in some gin’s, Plymouth Gin, being one example.
When the Distiller is satisfied about the quality he then switches the flow to the main vat and continually checks the quality for about 6 hours until the gin coming through the spirit safe begins to drop in strength and lose some of its character. Once all the botanicals have given their best flavours the still is switched back to the feints vat. Only this middle cut is kept for bottling.
This middle cut that is kept separate in the main vat, is at this stage about 85% pure alcohol. Since gin does not need to mature it can be bottled right away, however, it does need to be reduced to bottling strength, and this is achieved by adding further amounts of Dartmoor water (Plymouth gin). It is then bottled. For Plymouth gin it is bottled at the Victorian strength of 41.2% abv, a strength that holds the flavour of the botanicals perfectly. A cheaper method of production is to extract the essential oils from the botanicals and add these to the water. This is known as cold compounding, and the resulting spirit can be labeled as ‘gin’ under EU rules, but not ‘distilled’ or ‘London’ gin.
THE TASTING
Just like the vodka I thought that it would be a good idea to have a bench mark, so I chose, Bombay Sapphire, as it is a classic London Dry Gin and probably closer in style (I presumed) to the Brecon Gin. I have to say that the Bombay Sapphire was a bit simple, although there was plenty of coriander, juniper and citrus the alcohol was intrusive and there was a definite acetone note (just like the Russian Standard Vodka) which was off putting. Thankfully the Brecon Gin displayed no acetone character and was far more complex and refined.
Vigne, French Gin – Not Stocking
Very perfumed, overwhelmingly so. Quiet soapy, reminds me of shaving foam! False and frankly horrid with hints of grapes. The palate isn’t much better being soapy and perfumed, with that false citrus shaving foam flavour mingling with botanicals and grape notes. Not pleasant!
Gwalia Distillery, Penderyn
Brecon Special Reserve Gin 40% £16.95
Definitely better packaged than the Vodka. It has an amazing freshness to the nose. Refreshing and very citrusy. Seems very complex with lemon, juniper, coriander and an underlying woody/bark spiciness. Really clean and flavoursome on the palate, tangy and cirtusy initially followed by the nutmeg and cassia bark and liquorice. This is rather enjoyable and has a lovely spicy finish.
SOTOL
Is a type of Mescal, similar to Tequilla only in that it is a distilled spirit of Mexico. Tequilla is made from the Blue Agava, and true Tequilla can only be produced in and around the town of the same name in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco. Sotol on the other hand is made from the Dasyliron wheeleri (commonly known as Desert Spoon, or in Spanish ‘Sotol’). This plant grows in the vast deserts of Chihuahua in the North of Mexico.
Another difference between the two spirits is that unlike the Blue Agave, the Dasyliron does not produce shoots from the base of the plant (hijuelos), rather it germinates from thousands of seeds produced by its flowering stalk (quiote). Due to the lack of moisture in the desert environment incidents of natural germination are scarce thus the owners of the distillery, a company called Vinomex maintains an active nursery, which has a 98% success rate in germination. This along with the difficulty of obtaining a permit from the Mexican government to harvest these plants ensures the preservation and survival of the plant in this area. In fact for each plant harvested, it has to be replaced by two younger ones grown at the distilleries nursery, which must be left to mature (a period of 12 to 15 years). In addition, at least 30% of the wild plants are left unharvested.
HACIENDA DE CHIHUAHAU
The company dates back to the early 1970s, when one Mr Enrique Elias Muller opened a disillery in Las Delicia, Chihuahau to produce Brandy. The Master Enologist Dr Jose Daumas Gil de Partearrollo was enlisted with overseeing the operation. After a period of success in this field he turned his attention to the indigenous Dasyliron plant with the ambition to create a unique spirit that would compete with the top rated Tequillas.
According to the distillery it runs its harvesting operation in the winter months when the plants are under the least amount of stress from heat. For reasons still unknown, this is the only time of the year that successful fermentation can take place. These plants survive extended periods of drought and harsh desert conditions, therefore only the strongest and healthiest survive, thus it is a natural selection process. As a result, the plants used for Hacienda de Chihuahau are the most hardiest and rich in natural flavors and sugars. After harvesting, the Agave is slow cooked for at least 72 hours at an average of 100 degrees Celsius in clay ovens and crushed to extract every drop of the aguamiel. The aguamiel is then fermented for at least 3 days with champagne yeast and distilled in a double column copper still. New French Oak barrels are used for aging Hacienda de Chihuahau’s Reposado and Añejo. In fact they use one whole plant per single bottle of Sotol.
Sotol Plata (silver) 38% £27.95
An intense and youthful nose. Quiet raw (but not unpleasantly so) and bares a passing resemblance to Marc with earthy rose petal, starch and a good pulped fruitiness. Quiet robust, a tad spirity but quiet smooth. The palate is quiet floral and intense with rose petals, earth and a slight earthy/ manure-iness! Youthful but well balanced by a good depth of pulped fruit.
Sotol Reposado (oak aged) 38% £30.95
Intense and wild like the Plata but with a more rounded character from the oak ageing. Earthy and not as starchy. More complex with rose petals and pulped fruit merging with the vanilla and banana wood notes. The palate displays a greater degree of softness and smoothness. The wood notes add more complexity and there is a lovely late peppery surge.
NEW RELEASES FROM DUNCAN TAYLOR
Just to prove I have tasted some whisky this month!
Bunnahabhain 1970 (38 year old) 40.3% £139.95
Cask 4073
My god this is fruity! Buckets and buckets of pure Seville orange, lime, lemon, tangerine, kumquat, mature honey and a touch of menthol. Amazingly fresh for its age with developing mature vanilla/ butter, cut dried grass, hay and fresh barley. The palate is very much like the nose. The oak is a little bit more forward and finally there is a touch of salinity (I would guess this cask has spent a number of years maturing on the mainland). Amazingly oily and luscious. The finish is pure citrus. Ideally I would drink it neat as water doesn’t do a lot for it, maybe emphasising the oak and mature honey, but subduing the palate too much for my liking. Absolutely stunning!
Bowmore 1982 (25 year old) 54.2% £88.95
Cask 85033
A very saline beginning followed by an intensity of medicinal bog myrtle, camphor, iodine, rubber, soot, honey, vanilla and earth. There is a delightful, delicate peat background and a superb depth of all things rubbery and fishy. I love it! The aromas are very robust and have an amazing purity. On the palate it is again salty, but it’s actually very fruity. The peat smoke is quiet dry and gentle and there is initially quiet a bit of wood tannins evident. It’s considerably more mellow than the nose would at first suggest. Superb length with a very herbal/ botanical/ seaweed finish.
A drop of water calms the nose down a bit and allows its fruity character to become more apparent, the iodine and rubber notes just float in the background and allow the amazingly fresh citrus orange notes to take centre stage. On the palate it’s all change, the water brings out a sherberty note along with buckets of once hidden cinnamon spices, clove and nutmeg. Still the botanicals hang in there but the peat and soot have gently drifted off. With this dilution I feel it’s now showing its age and delicacy. What an amazing experience, it’s unusual to find a malt that changes so dramatically with a drop of water. You will just have to try it to believe it!
Mosstowie 1975 (33 year old) 48.4% £114.95
Cask 5816
The nose opens with a lovely crisp, earthy barley note followed by orange, liquorice and very intense vanilla oak. It’s ever so slightly spirity initially, but it soon passes as a huge dollop of mature honey arrives. Over time the oak really begins to take over and it becomes very buttery. The palate begins much like the nose with the crisp barley. It’s full of rounded, soft apricot and orange fruit. The alcohol is a bit intrusive as is the oak, however the length is sensational with buckets of gorgeous summer fruits and a slight soupcon of tannins at the death.
Adding a drop of water ramps up the wow factor considerably bringing out the most delightful liquid honey character and soft, dusty, dry spice notes. The palate becomes quiet unctuous again emphasising the spice, however the finish becomes a tad dry. Like the previous bottling (Cask 5811) I reviewed awhile back it has its flaws but I’m quiet happy to accept them as the overall quality is pretty damn good!
Dallas
Dhu 1981 (27 year old) 53.7% £93.95
Cask 428
This is another in a long line of excellent casks of Dallas Dhu that they have bottled. The aromas just pronounce it to be a classic Highland. Deep, rich and fruity (squishy yellow fruits – technical term that!) with that lovely hard granity edge. Loads of smooth spices bob just below the surface along with delightfully creamy oak, barley and a slight dunnage note. The palate is unsurprisingly soft and delightfully smooth with squishy yellow fruit, apricot, banana and a slight floral note. It’s exotically oily, yet balanced superbly by the granity hard barley and alcohol. Lovely maturity, and don’t forget the oh so gentle spices!
Adding some water it is orange heaven! Pure Seville orange marmalade freshly shredded too! The oak is a little bit more prominent now and it brings out a lovely barley sweetness on the palate. The length is still awesome. A real classic!
MacDuff 1968 (40 year old) 49.1% £112.95
Cask 8550
Monsterously fruity, with that classic Macduff diesel oil note! Yum! The senses are assaulted by waves of blood orange, tangerine and apricot. Followed by very mature honey, wax, earth and a beguiling violet note. Damn it’s amazing; I could swear it has metamorphosed into an old Glenrothes! It’s fabulous, so deep you can practically loose yourself in it or drown! There is no let up on the palate; it’s intense, oily and fruity. There are buckets of gingery wood spices along with toffee and a hint of diesel oil. The alcohol somewhat dominates the mid palate but it leaves a delightful honeyed/ floral finish. A superbly tart finish with a distinct Bourbon-esque note.
Water makes the nose very floral now and really emphasises the orange fruit and crisp barley. It’s still wonderfully deep and fabulous! The palate becomes a tad watery and cardboardy (maybe I’m being a bit over analytical and critical here!) however there are plenty of oils to compensate. Ok it’s a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde malt, but I’m still going to recommend it, just don’t whatever you do dilute it.
Tamdhu 1968 (40 year old) 40% - Not Stocking
Cask 4103
It begins with an intense leafy aromas of fern, bracken, bog myrtle and a touch of menthol, followed by perfumed orange, mature honey, vanilla, a Highland-esque crisp granity note (Yes I know it’s a Spey!) and a slight earthiness. The palate is crisp and granity but balanced by plenty of oils. Quiet floral with orange, barley and a touch of grist. However it all starts to go a bit pear shaped – For such a low abv the alcohol is very intrusive and it develops this odd (not necessarily unpleasant) milky/ lactose note. The finish is very dried out and tannic.
Ok, so not being totally convinced I added a drop of water to see if it would tame the alcohol and oh dear – butter coated cardboard! What a shame.
NEW BOTTLING OF BLADNOCH
Bladnoch 18 year old 55% £47.95
Initially very grassy on the nose – Not freshly cut but old, dried grass, rushes and straw followed by deep, mature orange and lime with hints of honey and caramel. Lovely and rounded with a slight barley note. Dry, gentle and mellow on the palate, the flavours reflect the nose. It’s quiet oily and the alcohol dominates somewhat. A drop of water subdues the alcohol and allows the juicy, delicious fruit to show. Excellent intensity and length with a touch of earth and gin like botanicals. Definitely and old lady!
Well that’s it for another (hopefully) action packed newsletter.
Regards
Chris Goodrum