Dear Whisky Customers
We are well into larger weather, but someone has to do the dirty job of tasting new whiskies, and I can tell you that there are some interesting bottlings due to be released onto the market. I spent an interesting couple of hours in the company of Andrew Grey of Bruichladdich tasting their forthcoming releases and generally chewing the fat. Although we may have had a few professional disagreements in the past, it was nice to hear that one?s opinions are highly regarded throughout the industry. This is mainly down to the fact that I have no secret agenda or party line to tow and I would like to think that any comments I make are truthful and hopefully helpful.
While on the subject of being truthful, I have had several people within the industry agree with the comments that I made in the last issue of the newsletter with regard to the whole Scotch Whisky Association v?s Bruichladdich and Compass Box, and they have ALL agreed with what I have said but for several reasons would not be able to come out in print and say it themselves, which goes to show how powerful and far reaching the influence the SWA reaches.
Anyway that is enough ego stroking for now. I know that you all want to know what is up Bruichladdich sleeves!
BRUICHLADDICH ? THE NEXT CHAPTER
One of the criticisms I have levelled at Bruichladdich/Murray McDavid is there obsession with cask finishing (or enhancement as they like to say) and Andrew was candid in the reasons why. The big problem is that getting hold of top quality sherry casks is now becoming a very expensive business, and Bruichladdich decided to look for cheaper alternative casks, and with Mark?s network of contacts in the wine trade it is allowing them to do just that. Although I will still stand by my comments, that if it?s a great spirit, you just want to taste it uncluttered by finishing. My case in point being the superb 17 year old. Superb spirit matured in Bourbon oak and tasting good!
So what did this tasting show? Well there is no let up on the enhancing, but the key point is that they are getting more experienced at doing it and that means less heavy handedness (like the third edition 20 year old). Apparently in the beginning Jim McEwan had to be dragged kicking and screaming to look at these casks, which is not a surprise as Jim is a traditional whisky man, through and through. But, now. He?s fully converted and is as happy as a kid in a sweety shop!
Bruichladdich 7 year old ?Waves 46% ?TBC
Bourbon/ Malmsey Madeira Cask
Stocks of the 10 year old are now coming to an end as they are reaching the point at which the distillery was almost silent. So this 7 year old made from malt peated to 20ppm represents a three month period when Jim Beam Brands were running the distillery continuously in order to attract a buyer, and for two of those months they were using medium peated malt as apposed to the more usual lightly peated. I was a bit suspicious of it being finished in Madiera cask after not enjoying the 3rd edition 20 year old, but this time they have got the finish absolutely spot on.
The peat is evident on the nose from the word go. Thankfully there is very little influence from the Madeira cask ? It just hovers in the background adding a touch of smoke, rich coffee/ toffee fruit and roasted ginger. Quality wise it reminds me of the very young Ardbeg, but judicious use of the Madiera cask has given it an added edge. On the palate, again the peat open the proceedings, which is softer than the nose suggests, slightly medicinal with a whiff of smoke and coastal fruit. Finally the Madeira fruit comes through on the finish. Obviously this is very young, but there is no ?off the still? notes and it is crisp and clean with soft peat and an extra dimension given to it by the Madeira cask. Highly recommended!
Bruichladdich 12 year old 46% ?TBC
Bourbon
Why replace one age statement with one when you can do two. Marketing? Maybe, but this one is for the purist and when they are both exceptional good, I?m not going to argue!
Ah, I love this nose. Classic Bourbon oaked young Laddie! With those familiar aromas of honeysuckle, green apples and coastal notes. There is a touch more complexity that the old 10 year old. It develops a lovely creamy vanilla and light toffee notes along with a touch of orange/ tangerine fruits. Dry on the palate, initially quite salty with the honeysuckle and vanilla fruit laced with a delicate spice. Softer and a bit more rounded than with less of the ?Sauvignon-esque? character of the 10 year old, and much more spicier, but it retains the lovely crisp nature which makes it such a good aperitif whisky.
Bruichladdich Links 14 year old Royal Liverpool Hoylake 46% ?37.95
Bourbon/ Rivesaltes (Grenache)
The latest bottling in the links series is a stunner! It has a wonderfully complex nose. The vanilla oaked Laddie is wrapped in a delicate blanket of dried fruit, light coffee and spice. It has a lovely balance with no component over powering the other. Quite creamy with coastal notes wafting in. Soft and smooth on the palate, again a superb balance between the vanilla oaked Laddie and the Rivesaltes finish. Superb complexity with oodles of spicy, delicate, dried orange fruit, fudge and dates. All the flavours are well integrated and it finishes with lashings of coastal notes.
Bruichladdich Infinity Second Edition 46% ?TBC
Bourbon/ Rioja
The first edition contain malts that were peated to around 13-15ppm, whereas the second edition is peated to 20ppm
Initially on the nose it is very winey and faintly astringent, but once these vague red wine aromas have passed it is actually quite pleasant. It has loads of earthy/ bog myrtle, peat, charcoal, a touch of TCP and gentle, delicate fruit and smoke. On the palate however it is frankly disappointing. It opens up with a mouthful of winey tannins and wood followed by loads of evolving peat flavours, moving from softly smoky peat through to vegetation/ bog myrtle peat. But, the problem is that it seems hollow and it left me cold. There is a distinct lack of fruit and depth, and it certainly doesn?t have the charm of the 7 year old.
Port Charlotte 5 year old ?PC5 Evolution? 67% ?TBC
Fresh Sherry
Peated to 40ppm
Finally some of this amazing sprit will see the light of day, probably around September time. The plan is to do a yearly release of numbered bottles, with the first release being limited to 6000 bottles world wide. It will be bottled at cask strength, somewhere around the 66/7% mark, and is going to be an instantaneous collectors edition, so if you would like a bottle, please let me know as soon as possible, and I will put you on the shortlist. Once a price has been set I will let you know.
So what does it taste like ? my notes read as follows. Wow, wow and thrice wow! ? This is stunning, loads of luxurious, silky sherry fruit aromas lift from the glass. Complex and inviting with loads of stinky bog myrtle peat, smoke and brine. This has buckets of character with honied malt and a cereal note. The palate is equally luscious with honied sherry fruit, Bowmore-esque smoky-peat and tangy fruit. This has been matured in casks of the highest quality, no off notes, just luscious, juicy fruit finishing with lazy smoke, coal tar and coastal notes. Water mellows the sherry intensity on the nose brining out a coffee/ spice note and emphasising the earthiness. Whilst on the palate it brings out a mellow light orange/ apricot and citrus note. Just barley noticeable on the finish is a touch of new make spirit, just to remind you how young it really is, but it is brief and only really noticeable if you have had the opportunity to taste this remarkable spirit in its formative years. It has a lovely length and exits with a mouthfilling smokiness.
So what of Octomore I hear you say. Well the word is that it may be released next year. Bruichladdich decided that one at a time is probably the best way. Also they haven?t quite decided how it is going to be released. They have so far produced three batches so far, the first was peated to 80ppm, the second at 120ppm and the third at a monstrous 200ppm! Apparently Jim prefers the 80ppm batch and the release may come all from that batch, or it is a possibility that they may well put together a vatting. Which ever way they do it, It will certainly be a treat.
ARDBEG
While on the subject of all things peaty, Ardbeg has recently released a new age statement of its malt that dates back to the take over of the distillery by Glenmorangie. Now proudly 8 years old, they have called it ?Still Young?. As you will recall I rated the previous bottling, the 6 year old ?Very Young? very highly and was looking forward to seeing how the malt had evolved, and I have to say that I wasn?t disappointed. In actual fact I took the opportunity to taste it against the old 10 year old, 17 year old and the 24 year old Kidalton. I have never been a fan of the 10 and 17 year old, and thought it was time to re-taste them and see if I was being unduly harsh on them.
The Kidalton, which is now unavailable was glorious, being only very lightly peated it showed amazing depth of sexy, luxurious apricot and orange fruit. Just like tasting the underpinning of great Ardbeg. Then onto the 10 year old, and I?m afraid to say that my opinion of it hasn?t changed. It was muted, one-dimensional and rather vague. The 17 year old again didn?t excite me. It had obvious maturity, a vague fruitiness, a bit of spice and loads of linseed oil, but practically no peat or smoke. Frankly my dear, it?s quite dull.
Ardbeg 8 year old ?Still Young? 58.3% ?36.95
Clean, rounded aromas of smoky-peat, coastal bonfires, coastal fruit, along with a note of rubber wellies, fisherman?s friends, oily orange fruit and tarry old rope. The nose is displaying a lot more depth; it is mellower, a lot less ?in your face?. On the palate it has a lovely complexity, opening with peat smoke, oily rubber notes and Arbroath smokies. Very intense and mouthfilling, still youthful but it is monumental in its intensity ? Powerful peat, smoke, coal, blood oranges and oily kippers fill the senses. Two years has made a huge difference. It is mellower, more rounded, but it still has more front than Jordon!
As with all cask strength whiskies I like to taste them neat to begin with and then add a drop of water to see how the character evolves. However sometimes it kills the nose stone dead, just like it did with this one. It brought out a soapy, earthy, vegetal note ? which wasn?t unpleasant, just a bit disappointing. However on the palate it adds sweetness and brings out a menthol/ eucalyptus note and a touch of vegetation. It reminds me of a classic British sports car. Looks good, is fun to drive, but being British inevitably it would be a flawed beauty. So here it is flawed, yet beautiful, and maybe its flaws make it more real?
BENROMACH GOES ORGANIC
Gordon & MacPhail, proprietors of Benromach distillery has launched Benromach Organic Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky. Hand made by just two men [and a dog!] at Speyside?s smallest working distillery. This is the first bottled single malt whisky released to be fully certified by the Soil Association.
The whole process ? raw ingredients, distillation, maturation and bottling ? is certified 100% organic to the rigorous standards set by the Soil Association. Using pure spring water from the nearby Romach Hills and the finest Scottish organic barley and organic yeast, the spirit was then filled by hand into selected virgin American oak casks. These virgin casks are made from natural wood from wild growing forests. The trees are not sprayed with pesticides or any other form of chemical prior to or after felling.
The first limited batch has now been released and is bound to become highly collectable, and we have been allocated a very small number of bottles. Thus if you would like a bottle, please contact me as soon as possible.
Benromach Organic 43% ?28.95
The nose opens with sweet charred oak aromas plus fresh fruit notes (bananas and pineapples). This is followed by an earthy toasted note. It is quite sweet and rich on the palate with vanilla and toffee flavours along with a hint of green apples, orange peel and a rich resinous note. A drop of water brings out gorgeous, sweet malty aromas along with a perfumed note. There is a touch of creamy toffee and peaches. On the palate, like the nose, it emphasises the malty sweetness, but brings out a touch of dried fruit (sultanas and raisins).
OK, that?s it for now. Short and sweet, I think. If you have any comments or would like to place an order, please get in touch in the usual way.
Sincerely
Chris Goodrum