Review 220: Duthies Islay Blended Malt

Review 220

9/7/14

Duthies Islay Blended Malt: 46% abv

Background: This will mark a very distinctive review. This will be the first time reviewing a bottle that actually was born in Scotland. What’s that mean? That means we haven’t seen it in the US and we’re lucky to have the opportunity to sit down and review this one. So Duthies is part of Cadenhead’s, an independent bottler that does 46%, non-chill filtered whiskies. Classic Cadenhead’s whiskies are cask strength, so this is a little less big and bad. That being said, Cadenhead’s doesn’t really do anything to tell us what’s in the whisky…or anything about the barrel…really anything at all. They do tell us it is a natural color, non-chill filtered, 46% Islay blend of single malts, and frankly, that’s good enough.

Straight

Nose: Well the Islay branding doesn’t disappoint, because the classic peat aroma in the nose is very prevalent. Don’t worry though, a balance of sweetness, fruitiness, and delicate grains also contribute to a very equalized whisky. You will find sweet apple and grapes on the nose, sugary by nature, and a good, rich malt to balance it out. Some oil and leather also come out in the nose, with a rich smoky wood smell in the foreground. Oddly enough, you’ll see that there is a light smell of chlorine in the whisky, followed by a little bit of rubber. There is definitely floral notes in the whisky too, with rose water being a major factor.  

Arrival: The arrival starts off with a very oily, peaty blast of flavor. There is no end to saltiness, brine, and thick smoke. The arrival starts off with a pretty tangy, citrus lemon flavor, that transforms into a pretty bold orange flavor which transfers into the body. There is a bulk of sweet barley and honey in the arrival as well. Hot spices are also a big part of the arrival. The whisky has a little bit of cane sugar that couples with the rest of the complexities.

Body: There is a noticeable contribution of mint to the body of flavor. The body keeps the malt and saltiness intact, with a beautiful smokiness that accentuates the whisky. The cane sugar flavor sticks around for the body. There is a deep oak flavor in the body and finish.

Finish: The finish is extremely dry, with sustained saltiness, bold spices, and a steady dose of peat. The mint that was noticed before in the body is still present in the finish. The finish is also relatively savory and has a hint of tobacco smoke to it. Residual oak is noticeable as the finish subsides.

With Water

Nose: Some black peppercorn and creaminess is actually opening up in the whisky now. The smoke is definitely bigger in the nose. There is a bit of a candy-like smell that the water is starting to bring out. There is a different kind of wood that is coming through as well, potentially cedar, as well as a smell of fresh sawdust.

Arrival: The arrival is still a bit tart, with intense sweetness and fruitiness. There is some definite citrus still in the arrival. The salt is still big, with some bitter spices and mintiness.

Body: The mint in the body is much bigger, with a lot of salt, and a subtly of pineapple and other bitter fruits.

Finish: Still a salt monster, the finish gives off bitter oak and smokiness. It is very similar to how it was before, with a bit of honey. The sweetness has dialed down, and the smoke doesn’t last very long. The finish doesn’t sustain the same way as it did before water.

Final Comments: Is this worth your time should you run across it? Absolutely. The peated whisky market is fashionable and booming right now, and because of that prices are kind of getting a little bit scary. What this does as a result is allows for somebody to buy a good quality blended malt whisky without any major branding schemes or marketing nonsense inflating the price of the whiskies quality. This won’t be the earthshattering, complex whisky you might find in other bottles, but that’s okay. For the price, it is a good way of enjoy your liquid smoke without having another mortgage.

Why you’d buy it: You like peat in classic fashion without needing to know who’s giving it to you.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: NOTHING is better than Lagavulin *adjusts monocle*

Score: 8.5/10

Review 211: Bowmore 12 Year

Review 211

4/24/14

Bowmore 12 Year: 40% abv

Background: Welcome back to Islay for another Single Malt Scotch review. KCM tends to stray away from the 40% bottlings, but Bowmore is a distillery we haven’t yet visited, so here’s our due diligence. Bowmore is actually the oldest licensed distillery on Islay, and produces a significant amount of malted barley in house, which is presently an uncommon occurrence. Bowmore also ages a good portion of their whiskies in house. This being said, the Bowmore brand sits in the middle of the peat spectrum, and lacks in the craft presentation that many of their competitors have. Bowmore has a lot of potential for improvement from the get go, but where do they stand in current quality?

Straight

Nose: There is a lot of interesting notes in this whisky. This whisky has an interesting leathery note right off the nose. There is a slight peatiness which compliments the leather notes, along with subtle notes of malt. There is a bit of wood smoke that suggests itself to the senses, but not too . Floral lavender smell is also present along with some perfume-like notes. There are some fruit notes, including over ripened bananas and cherries. You  also find some coastal, salty notes in the whisky, characteristic of the Islay malts. KCM also found this close to the smell of Worcestershire sauce. This is very original in smell, although presumably unappealing to some.

Arrival: The arrival starts off mild, with some burnt sugar, sherry, malt and salty flavors. There is a slightly medicinal character in the arrival, with some oak charcoal flavor as well.

Body: The body has a strong cool mintiness. This mint is very much like mouthwash you might buy at CVS. There is still some malt flavor in the whisky as well. In addition, dark flavors of maple and molasses are both present in this whisky. There is a grainy character in the body, somewhat pushing outside of the barley malt traditional.

Finish: The finish sustains the mint and oak flavors, with a bit of malt and sea salt. There is plenty of mineral notes, and a vegetal, peaty note to the finish as well. There is a leathery, wood char note as well. Although the finish is unique in flavor, there is no dynamics to the whisky. The finish ends on a slightly flat note.

Final Comments: Bowmore is an example of a good whisky with tons of potential. We really enjoyed the unique flavor profile that Bowmore has to offer, and it sits in stark contrast to many of the other Islay Scotches we experience. That being said, the low proof and the presentation of the whisky detracts from the overall quality and complexity. At the end of the day, this does not stay competitive for a lot of reasons. Bowmore also edges on the pricier end for what they give you. Ultimately, this is worth trying, but maybe more of a bar dram than a bottle to own.

 

Why you’d buy it: You want an Islay with a different style.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You don’t buy things with minimum credentials.

Score:  8.0/10

Review 200: Port Charlotte PC7

Review 200

1/18/14

Port Charlotte PC7: 61% abv

Background: Port Charlotte is the “branch” of Bruichladdich that focuses on the heavily peated Scotch of their range. Don’t be confused; Port Charlotte is still distilled at Bruichladdich. It just differentiates their heavily peated products from the rest of them. Even more confusing is the existence of Octomore, another peated Bruichladdich made with extremely high levels of peat smoking, which is normally measured in PPMs (parts per million) of phenol content in the barley grain. But enough about that; more on this specimen. In Review 180, we talked about PC6 and the PC series. This is the next in line, being aged in traditional oak casks for 7 years. It is bottled at a monster 61%. This is bottle 23,717 out of 24,000. Let’s give this whisky a good look. 

Straight

Nose: This whisky starts off with a greatly earthy, grassy peat smoke. The smell of fresh cut grass, wood smoke, and mossiness is prominent in the aroma, with a hint of sawdust. There is a large amount of savory flavor and vanilla, with a huge spiciness to it. An almost sweet and tangy meat sauce smell is present here. A notable floral rose note is also noticeable. To add to the complexity, a slightly powdery cocoa smell layers into the aroma. There is a coastal, saltiness involved with a bit of nuttiness and sweet, fresh maltiness.

Arrival: The whisky, as expected starts off with a hot, spicy arrival. It is surprisingly smooth at first, with a peat and spice coming in later. There is a very salty, seaweed-like flavored feel in there. Because of the high alcohol content, there is not a lot that can be observed here before flavor is lost and taking over by the hot alcohol influence. The arrival also has a significantly bready flavor to it.

Body: The body contains a lot of malt, peat, caramel and oakiness to it. There is some chocolatey flavor in here, with some nuttiness so far. The saltiness becomes very big here, in a pleasant way. There is a lot of crispness in the body as well. Tea and tobacco are noticeable in the body.

Finish: The finish has a significant amount of malt and peat to it, while continuing the coastal, salty theme. There is a bitter, herbal taste present in the finish. Tea tree oil and tobacco are present in the finish, with some spices as well, including peppercorn. There is a little yeast that carries over from the arrival.

With Water

Nose: There is a lot of woodiness after adding water, including dry pine wood. There is some vanilla and honey present. The grain flavor is starting to open up in the aroma now. The alcohol has broken loose in the aroma now, making the smell burn much more than before.

Arrival: There is more sweetness in the arrival than before, with some dry, bitter wood. A lot of honey and vanilla is present. The wood is huge in the arrival.

Body: The body presented a lot more malt and nuttiness. The saltiness and tobacco is still big in the body. There is some tannic flavor in the body, with some oak flavor as well. Astringent citrus is present in the body much more now.

Finish: The finish has become very phenolic and medicinal. It is malty and nutty, but ends on a dry, coastal note that is complex and lasting. There is a strong, minty flavor in the finish. It has a fresh, cooling sensation as the whisky dissipates. The peat and phenol last an incredibly long time in the finish. An interesting presence of corn is also present in the finish.

Final Comments: Port Charlotte PC7 is not an outstanding peated Scotch. It is young and brash, displaying angry fists like a drunken sailor might. It lacks the finesse and complexity we’ve seen with other malts, and for that reason it doesn’t jump forward as exceptional. That being said, what it lacks in complexity and tactfulness, it makes up for in pure, unadulterated bravado and presence. It is truly a big malt and a high strength. It is salty and briny, peaty and savory, and is not afraid to strut its stuff. We’ve enjoyed the many glasses of PC7 we’ve had, even if it isn’t what you’d consider “worth the money”. This is where you might cue the montage with sappy music, I suppose. In any case, it should be interesting to see where the Port Charlotte range evolves and how long it will live.

 

Why you’d buy it: You like the big bold peaty stuff and don’t care about the details

Why you wouldn’t: Something like Caol Ila or Lagavulin has just the right amount of finesse

Score: 8.75/10

Review 191: Compass Box Peat Monster

Review 191

12/10/13

Compass Box Peat Monster: 46% abv

Background: As a huge swing from Spice Tree, Peat Monster takes on a completely differently angle of Scotch with the darker side of peaty, powerful flavor. Compass Box has proven to be good at this kind of thing, too, with their Flaming Heart being a very popular, praised malt blend. This particular whisky sits at 46%, which we are happy about, and is composed of 49% Islay malt, 30% Highland malt, and 21% Island malt. The whisky is aged in virtually all new American oak casks, with 1% being exposed to French oak. And although we have a bottle of this, we decided to open the vile and include it in our Compass Box series. Here are the thoughts.

Straight

Nose:  With a dry, malty peat aroma immediate on the nose, it is clear that this will be a nice one. There is almost a smell of baked bread in the nose, along with a slight saltiness and sea water. There is a strong sense of oakiness on the arrival, which adds an element of intensity. The nose seems almost completely void of any fruitiness, with a very subtle hint of vanilla. Between leather, sawdust, and burnt wood, the dry style of the aroma is noticeable. It appears in this case that the fresh wood has dominated the aroma, because after opening up, it is difficult to pull more.

Arrival: The Peat Monster does not disappoint, with a malty, heavily salty and smoky arrival. It doesn’t taste overwhelming, and has a remarkable balance. There is a strong seaweed-like flavor, with some clove and cinnamon spice really blasting in. The oak is definitely present on the arrival, with a slight savory meatiness developing late in the arrival.

Body: The body takes on more of the salt and smoke body, while adding fresh tobacco into the mix, much like the similar style of Kilchoman. The cinnamon and clove really jump into the body, giving it the type of spicy, but smoky presence. It is so rich in the body, making the whole event more dynamic.

Finish: Getting into the finish, the smoke leaves its lasting impression as the Peat Monster slumps away into the dark abyss. The Monster has left a nice blend of refined saltiness, peat smoke, and smooth malt. In addition, small hints of fruitiness actually start to emerge, perhaps in the wake of the Monster. There is actually an interesting cayenne pepper heat to the finish, which is so unique to find in a whisky. The finish is certainly earthy, with a strangely similar flavor to agave hiding at the back of tongue. There is a slightly medicinal hint to the end of the finish, with a dark, phenol quality to it.

With Water

Nose: Water is a definite favor to the nose. The nose becomes more floral and sweet, adding some sugarcane and grain notes that were harder to identify before. The peat stays strong, due to the higher proof, and the whisky remains well balanced on the nose. There is still no real sign of fruitiness in the aroma.

Arrival: The arrival is much sweeter after adding water,  almost to a disappointing degree. The arrival is more mild and controlled, and the peat backs off substantially. There is more vanilla, and even a little bit of apple

Body: The peatiness is still present in the body, with a grill smoke flavor and some savory notes. The body has declined a lot in comparison to before.

Finish: The spice in the finish is more pronounced, with more allspice than anything coming through, and even some ginger to be noted. The finish tastes almost zesty at this point, with a slightly Italian spice taste to it. The medicinal quality to the finish is also enhanced in the finish, now bringing out a cough syrup like flavor at the end.

Final Comments: Peat Monster is very much like Spice Tree. It is not considered the most complex whisky in the world, and certainly the nose proved to be highly disappointing. That being said, this is a solid offering and offers a unique blend of Kilchoman dry smokiness, and the salty intensity of Laphroaig. It is such a lovely medley of peat flavor that any peat-happy malt drinker would appreciate the hugeness of flavor. It seems like the whisky shouldn’t be exposed to a lot of water, in order to retain the pure, natural flavors that it has to offer, despite how it enhances the nose. Overall, a very solid offering in the world of peated whisky, and worth the buy.

 

Why you’d buy it: A nice, smoky offering from an innovative blender.

Why you wouldn’t: You like more fruitiness to your peated whisky.

Score: 8.5/10

Review 187: Highland Park 12 Year

Review 187

12/7/13

Highland Park 12 Year: 43% abv

Background: Highland Park might be one of the most misleading names of Scotch whisky out there. The first thing you can ask is: Where is it from? Well, we know that Scotland is divided into six whisky-producing regions: The Highlands, the Lowlands, Speyside, Campbeltown, the Islands, and Islay. With this being said, the obvious answer is that HP is made in the Highlands. You’d be wrong though. Geographically speaking, this is still true, but this whisky is actually distilled on the island of Orkney, making it an Island Scotch. In fact, Highland Park holds the record for being the most northern distillery in Scotland. The only other distillery taking roost in Orkney is Scapa. Highland Park whiskies are known for their complex, beautiful bouquet of flavors and prestigious reputation. This is the standard offering, so let’s see how this one represents the brand.

Straight

Nose: The rich, alcohol-forward nose of this Highland Park is fruity and sweet, with a slight suggestion of a malty profile. There is some vanilla and banana right in the beginning, with some caramel and PX sherry overtones as well. To complement this sweetness is the smell of burnt sugar. Some spiciness is prevalent up front, with nutmeg, cloves, and oakiness on the nose. There is a fresh, crisp lemon to it with some grapefruit to follow, followed by a little bit of sweetened strawberry flavor and mild pear rind. There is a little bit of pecan that also hides in the nose. Finally, there is a layer of vegetal aroma which is quite subtle.

Arrival:  The arrival starts off with a nice blend of smoke, caramel, vanilla, and honey. It is a rich, complex arrival. The fruit flavor is a cranberry and red grapes. There is a substantial maltiness that starts to be introduced as the arrival concludes. There is a little bit of burnt sugar in the arrival that becomes pretty dominant.

Body: There is some nice fruitiness in the body akin to succulent red apples. As a KCM first, we noticed eucalyptus in the finish as a nice herbal note. The maltiness is dominant in the body. The body is still astringent and citrusy, a common characteristic of Highland Park whiskies. The sherry flavor is at its max in the body.

Finish: There is a spearmint like flavor that cools the tongue. The eucalyptus note carries into the finish. Some definite cranberry, red grape, grapefruit and orange citrus flavor can be noticed in the finish. There is a definite amount of peat development in the finish that was not as noticeable earlier. The clove from the nose also makes an epic return in the finish.

With Water

Nose: The nose still has a rich sweetness, with more confectionary like sugar smell to it. It has also curbed the burnt sugar smell substantially. The nose is definitely more docile than before. There is brown sugar, and a slightly interesting Catalpa wood present as well. The nose is still very rich, with clove and smoke.

Arrival: The arrival is much thinner than it was before adding water, with a presence of more club soda. There is a slightly floral note in the arrival now as well.

Body: There is a definite note of cocoa in the body. The body is still rich, but has a more crisp, bitterness to it now, with some floral suggestions as well. It is much different than before, and the sherry is much thinner now.

Finish: The cocoa from the body returns in the finish to make a reappearance. There is some confectioner’s sugar, and sugar cookie dough in the finish. There is also a contradicting note of salt. The vanilla is very dominant in the finish as well

Final Comments: Highland Park is a revered whisky brand around the world, having a legendary ring to the name. This practical bottling of Highland Park really starts to show us why. The nose has a great blend of different flavors. There is a substantial amount of the sweetness to the taste, but it is not over-dominant in one area. The complexity and uniqueness of this whisky is above its class in all ways. Without a doubt, Highland Park has made it hard to look towards other brands for a solid all-round whisky. That being said, this whisky does not compete with the likes of Glengoyne, Glen Grant, Old Pulteney, and other malt-forward bourbon casked whiskies. This is a highly recommended whisky for the casual whisky enthusiast, although it might be a little too much for the whisky novice.

 

Why you’d buy it: You know what good tastes like, and the complexity of this whisky is too alluring to miss.

Why you wouldn’t: You are intimidated by bold flavors.

Score: 9.5/10

Review 182: Smokehead Scotch Whisky

Review 182

11/11/13

Smokehead: 43% abv

Background: After a most certainly disappointing experience on the last review (which I didn't bother posting), I decided to start fresh again and to a Single Malt Scotch that I knew wouldn’t disappoint. This is Smokehead, and what an ominous title for a whisky to hold, not to mention the packaging. This bad boy was one of the two peated Islay malts that KCM tried last year. You might be asking yourself about the “Smokehead” Distillery, so let me clarify. This is actually an independent bottling, branded as its own Scotch and distilled in Scotland. Smokehead doesn’t divulge where it hails from, but I get the distinct impression it is Argbeg’s dirty work. It is a smoky one, as you might have guessed. The next question you might ask is “But K, tons of marketing, little information, and fancy packaging, isn’t this just another marketing gimmick then?”. Not exactly. Unlike Pumpkin Face Rum *shudder*, this Scotch actually offers something in terms of value. I’m about to prove it to you.

Straight

Nose:  As soon as you bring the glass to your nose, you will believe. The smell is immediately smoky, rich, and intense, delivering on every promise the title of this whisky has implied to you. The nose is almost chocolatey, it is so rich, with a dark, deep peat smell to it. It is, without a question of a doubt, a beautiful smell. The smell is full of wood smoke, saltiness, and savory notes is prominent. There is smooth, vanilla flavor as well. Specific flavors are not as exposed in the nose, but the whole experience is huge.

Arrival: The arrival is relatively dry, with a slight peppery spice, and some zesty peat coming through. Unfortunately, the thick flavor doesn’t come through true and strong in the arrival. That being said, there is a still a complexity of spice and saltiness. There is some molasses and honey coming through, but a relatively youthful barley spirit taste.

Body: This is where the whisky really shines. The spiciness, saltiness and peat come to full fruition at this point. There is a definite fruity sweetness that comes through, which seems to really differentiate this from Kilchoman, although the two have some commonalities (minus the intense tobacco which you don’t find nearly as much). There is even some peppercorn bitterness in the body, which is not overwhelming, but adds dimension to the whole event.

           

Finish: The finish is an interesting, intense moment with Smokehead. It lasts a long time, and truly brings out a cluster of flavors. The peatiness is there, but the seaweed and salt flavors, with a dark, smoky chocolate are the stars of this show. There is some molasses adding richness, with cloves and allspice adding zest. There is just a little bit of mint as well. This isn’t the most complex whisky, but it is really bold, and it’s quite enjoyable.  

With Water

Nose: With water, the nose brings out intensity of vanilla and sweetness, which starts to balance with the peat quite well.

Arrival: With water, the arrival becomes much sweeter, with some amount of agave and honey coming through, as well as some sugar. Interestingly, as the whisky sits, more wood smoke becomes apparent.

Body: The body mellows out with water, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. The spicy intensity backs off and more vanilla comes to the front. There is still a good amount of peat, but there is a berry fruitiness that comes through.

Finish: The finish is very interesting with water added. There is a different sweetness becoming apparent. There is definitely some fruit sweetness, akin to pears and apples, with smoky caramel and slight tobacco. It is a light smokiness, with heavy overtones at the very end. It becomes nicely savory after a while, like some spicy bacon. This is very subtle though.

Final Comments: Smokehead is inconsistent, to say the least. It is dark and rich in the nose, light and somewhat diluted in the arrival, and then massive in the body. Somebody who doesn’t drink peated whisky might not feel the same way, but in comparison to some of the Laphroaigs and Ardbegs, this lacks some of the intensity. That being said, this is a very decent whisky for the money, and it is something different from your standard offerings. I think what would set this Scotch over the edge would be bottling it at a higher proof. This could even stand to be at 48%. In any case, there is plenty of room for growth, but it is a good start as it is.  

 

Why you’d buy it: You’ve tried the big dogs, and want variety

Why you wouldn’t: It is really hard to compete with Laphroaig 18 Yr

Score: 8.25/10

Review 180: Port Charlotte PC6

Review 180

10/06/13

Port Charlotte PC6: 61.6% abv

Background: Cuairt beatha – the walk of life – I think this bottle is implying that the walk of life includes heavily peated Scotch. I highly support that sentiment. This whisky is of course a single malt Scotch from our good friends at Bruichladdich distillery. Being part of their heavily peated series, it goes under the title of Port Charlotte. Jim McEwan joined the Bruichladdich team in 2001 and started a series of peated heavyweights, called the PC series. PC6 has had exposure to ex-bourbon casks and a Madeira finishing cask as well. The bottle being drunk here is bottle 17,265 out of 18,000. It is 6 years old, as the name (PC6) suggests, and I’m really excited to try it.  

Straight

Nose:  Mmm. The smokey, intense, fragrant smell of peat never fails to excite me. This one is intense in vanilla, an interesting fruitiness, and a smell very reminiscent of pancake syrup. There is also an odd savory note that expresses itself on the top of the glass after some time in the glass. It reminds me slightly of a raw New York strip right before it’s slapped on the grill, which sounds like something you might not want to smell in a whisky, I realize. Don’t worry; it so subtle, you probably wouldn’t even notice. There is an assortment of berry fruitiness that is coming through prominently. This isn’t a dry smelling peat smoke, like you get out of Kilchoman. It is a thick, honey-sweet smoke that doesn’t overwhelm the senses, unless you’ve never smelled a peated Scotch that is. Baked apples with caramel are sort of a secondary notion in the nose. There is an earthy, herbal sense to it that sits in the background of some of the more dominant smells. Toasted nuts and fried bread are noticeable…fried bread, syrup, toasted nuts, and earthiness. Well, this whisky is obviously a funnel cake that’s been dropped on the ground (just a joke). The nose doesn’t display a challenging complexity, but it does have a diversity of flavors.

Arrival: The arrival starts off mellow enough, before quickly becoming excessively hot. If you’re looking for flavor without having added water to this whisky, look quickly. This will numb your tongue before you blink. The peat is assertive up front, but with a sweet, syrupy arrival parallel in prominence. It seems as if the Madeira is pretty dominantly asserting itself up front. Along with some honey, there is a slight citrus bite and some notes of fruits, but they don’t hold a candle to the intense battle the peat and Madeira are having up front. There is an earthy, slightly tobacco-like flavor in the arrival.

Body: The body banishes the initial sweetness, letting an earthy, grassy, and peat-like flavor to dominate. In the body, there is a really intense, but odd sort of quinine flavor that becomes apparent quickly and then dissipates. The body is probably the least eventful part of the whisky.

           

Finish: The finish is lasting, with the peaty, tobacco, and herbal flavors dragging through until the bitter end (ha ha). There is some slight peppercorn, with mild suggestions of sweetness showing dwindling signs of existence. There is orange rind present in the finish, for certain, and some mint and fluoride flavor as well. There is almost a piney, woody intensity in the finish that seems slightly like gin, without the extreme flavor. The finish is very diverse and interesting, without a doubt

With Water

Nose: With a little bit of water, notes of citrus start developing. The syrup-like sweetness has backed off a bit and to some extent, so has the peat. Maltiness is more prevalent, and some intense woodiness and ash smell has developed. There is still a level of sweetness present in the form of soft fruit notes.

Arrival: The arrival has lost some intensity, allowing the drinker to actually take some time and reflect on the taste (a nice feature). It is still peaty, in a zesty fashion, but has a basic element of marmalade sweetness to it. It is extremely earthy on the arrival now.

Body: The body actually takes a less intense and dry approach this time around, with some interesting lemon candy flavor coming through, with slightly floral elements complimenting it. It is better-rounded with water. There is vanilla present as well.

           

Finish: The finish is very much a reflection of how the body transformed after adding water. The balance changes, with the peppery dry/hot mouth feel still existing, but not completely destroying the taste buds. Much of the same flavors are present, with the smoky peat seeming to even out into a pleasant blanket of thick flavor on the tongue. That being said, the finish has become less complex and less eventful. At 61%, I would have guessed it to be a little more forgiving on the complexity side, but just playing with the water to whisky ratio could fix that.

Final Comments: PC6 is an expensive dram, to be sure, especially at the young age of 6 years old. I can’t say it isn’t an experience, and the  Madeira cask finish is very well done in this case. Bruichladdich has produced a ton of fantastic malts, before and after McEwan. This particular malt isn’t a mind-blowing combination of complexity and uniqueness, but I believe it is does pretty well. The nose is inviting and different, and I think for a whisky this young, Bruichladdich does a good job of using the vibrant youth of the grain to make an exciting, yet enjoyable and tolerable malt. The million dollar question, or at least $125 question, is whether or not this is worth the buy. It is hard to say whether or not $125 is justifiable. It seems overpriced for value, but at 61%, at least they aren’t shorting you material. I guess I would say, if you enjoy peated whisky and are running out of “new” alternatives, the PC series won’t treat you wrong, but maybe the Peat Project, their newly released Scotch, will do just the same thing for you.

 

Why you’d buy it: You like the adventurous expressions by Bruichladdich and “want to catch them all”

Why you wouldn’t: It is hard to run across this bottle anymore, and you’ve tasted Peat Project

Score: 8.5/10

Review 159: J.W. Lee's Harvest Ale Aged in Lagavulin Cask

Review 159

5/3/13

J.W. Lee’s Harvest Ale Matured in Lagavulin Casks: 11.5% abv

Background: If you have stayed up to date on our reviews, you will know what this is all about. If you have not, just look down (you don’t have to look far) to Review 158. What you will find is that J.W. Lee’s is a brewery within the U.K. area. This is a barleywine called Harvest Ale, and the last review had the barleywine being aged in refill sherry casks. This beer was so interesting, we simply couldn’t wait to bring on the second variation of this that we had in our stocks. That could be a good or bad thing, because we had high expectations for this beer; rightly so, because this particular beer is being aged in old Lagavulin single malt Scotch barrels. Now, we haven’t reviewed Lagavulin, so I did want to take a minute to remind us what Lagavulin is. Lagavulin is a single malt Scotch made in Islay, which although not foregone, does make it a very peaty whisky. This is what interested us, especially since we thought the last Harvest Ale did contain a lot of peat and tobacco influence in it.

Nose: This starts off as a malty and wheat-like nose, with a slightly more peaty influence than the sherry-casked beer. It is also definitively woody. There is also sense of tobacco here. This beer smells old, not from a maturation standpoint, but as if it was slightly musty and briny. You will find, as a more prominent note, citrus flavors of orange and lemon. If you dig into the smell enough, you will find a sort of chemical aroma, close to wood lacquer. This sounds relatively off-putting, but it isn’t over dominant and we couldn’t find a better way to describe this smell. There is even a small portion of popery SP in it.

Arrival: There is a yeasty, malty arrival to this, more akin to the notion of a barleywine. It is decently sweet, with earthy, grainy tones coming to the forefront. There are still some thick, sweet flavors of honey that go along with the malt, with slight vanilla overtones as well. With a full glass at a chilled temperature, there is an enhanced smokiness to the arrival here.

Body: This part of the beer can be well described as a bridge between the two flavor profiles of the beer, from beginning to end. There is a stronger amount of apple cider here in the body, with some orange citrus as well. While chilled, one can find some vanilla in the body that accompanies the sweetness.

Finish: There is an optimum amount of peat in the end of the body, with the finish brandishing tons of malt flavors. There is, unlike in the sherry edition, some hops and grapefruit notes coming through as well. There are flavors of overly-ripened orange with some sour tang to be tasted. To add to the list of fruit notes that can be found in the beer, pear is also found in the finish as well. As the beer settles on the pallet, a reminiscent flavor of peat can be traced back from the taste.

Final Comments: I would like to propose that this version of Harvest Ale is not nearly as compelling as the last one we tried, which was a shock to us, and it should be a shock. Peated whisky can be some of the most complex, richly flavored, and ostentatious whisky available in the market (not meant in a bad way). So why in the world would this rich, heavy flavor not carry over into the beer like the sherry cask did? Some may propose that the sherry is more sweet and rich, and this will provide a larger sweetness to the flavor. We weren't satisfied with that, so we came up with a different theory. The theory is this: the Lagavulin cask is a highly “name” branded thing. It is like the Lamborghini of the cask world, if you will. Unlike an equivalent bourbon cask, this cask could be reused a number of times before Lagavulin needed to get rid of it. So to buy one from them would cost a fortune. What probably happened with J.W. Lee’s is they ended up getting a cask that was deemed “too worn” from Lagavulin and used that to age the beer. At this point, the oak would have a difficult time pulling flavor from the cask. J.W. Lee’s might also be a more gun shy in over-aging the beer in this barrel, so it would result in an early pull. The end result of this is a disappointingly less compelling beer, although it is adequately tasty and complex. 

Why you’d buy it: You are a Lagavulin fan and freak out at anything with the word printed on it.

Why you wouldn’t: The complexity, nor the namesake, does not warrant the amount of money they ask for the beer, and will leave you partially disappointed.

Score: 8.75/10

Review 154: Ardbeg Uigeadail

  

Review 154

4/5/13

Ardbeg Uigeadail: 54.2% abv

Background: Ardbeg is another Islay Scotch distillery. They are on the southern coast of Islay, and claim to produce the peatiest whisky on Islay, which is a pretty bold claim with all of the heavy hitters out there. The distillery is currently owned by Hennessy, and is one of the fastest growing Islay distilleries at this time. Ardbeg whiskies can be considered extremely fashionable, albeit this is for a good reason. Ardbeg has distilled whisky since 1798, but didn’t start producing commercially until 1815. Ardbeg’s flagship product is the 10 year, but they don’t bottle this like Glenfiddich would. Ardbeg 10 Yr is bottled at 46% abv and is non-chill filtered, so you can tell this stuff is good. Uigeadail, on a different note, is a unique bottling of Ardbeg, aged in sherry casks. In 2009, Jim Murray made Uigeadail the World Whisky of the Year. So this stuff is pretty good. But we don’t trust it from others. Let’s find out for ourselves.

Straight

Nose: The nose here is a complex and dry, and there is some really interesting things happening here. You get the peat and sherry notes pretty instantly, with a very oily, slightly waxy aroma to it. There is a classic briny character to the nose, and even has some gasoline-type smell to it. Keep digging, and you’ll find cashews, rose, cranberry, wood polish, and slight oak. The contrast of these notes is pretty extreme, and this wouldn’t be a beginner’s nose, but it certainly is a revolutionary nose.   

Arrival: This is a brutal start. Not in a bad way, but it is intense. The taste starts hot and spicy, with big cinnamon tastes. The oak tastes come through quickly, with some vanilla and thick oak notes, also cranberry and subtle apple sweetness.

Body: The body comes in with big peat, with the spice notes holding through. There is minor citrus notes, but is overtaken by ginger and dry spice. There is even some apple and molasses sweetness coming through in the body. Finally, you can find some smoked wood notes lingering in the body as well.

           

Finish: The finish is dynamic and smokey, with a big oily mouthfeel. There are still cinnamon and sherry notes from the body. The initial cranberry presence is back from the arrival, and the briny presence is prevalent as well. There is even some minty and gingerbread notes, with the molasses sticking around and black pepper as a residual flavor.

With Water

Nose: After water, the nose is much more balanced. This is an incredible balance, with some honey notes breaking through, the peat starts to blend in, and there is olive oil notes coming through as well. The nose is very pleasant now, and there is not as much burn.

Arrival: The arrival becomes nuttier after water, less spicy, and slightly peaty. The vanilla notes are big. Even after a substantial amount of water, there is no loss of flavor.

Body: After water, the body remains pretty well the same, but there are some berry-like bitterness to it, and also angostura bitters.

           

Finish: The finish, like the body, remains fairly consistent, with a little less spiciness. The finish is still very woody, and adds brininess to it.

Final Comments: Uigeadail is a statement to the maturation of peated whisky in sherry casks, and how good it really can be. It seems like sherry and peated Scotch doesn’t mix, and they absolutely can. This Ardbeg is powerful and complex, and it shows of a different side to a peated Scotch, where the main focus isn’t necessarily how peaty it can be, not to mention the craft presentation Ardbeg puts on all of their whiskies. There is no reason not to try this one, because in effect, you will learn something about Scotch from trying this whisky. At the price, we think this is absolutely a worthy buy, being one of the better Islay’s we’ve had to date. 

Why you’d buy it: It is extremely well crafted and complex, and from a great distillery

Why you wouldn’t: You’re passionate about not buying good whisky

Score: 9.5/10