Review 198: Bruichladdich The Laddie Ten

Review 198    

1/11/13

Bruichladdich The Laddie 10 Year: 46% abv

Background: This is a pretty exciting occasion for KCM. This will be our first Bruichladdich review, which is exciting for a reason. Bruichladdich, around since 1881, is an Islay distillery that chose not to take the path of Laphroaig or Ardbeg, and is classically non-traditional in their style. Bruichladdich is truly a craft distillery, producing a large number of variants of whiskies, with a limited number of mainstays. Most Bruichladdich’s are unique bottlings that last a short amount of time. This however, is a newer release in an effort to solidify Bruichladdich’s core range of offerings. With a unique, blue pastel color adorning the bottle and canister, this one is hard to miss. Along with that, it is bottled at 46%, is natural color, and un-chill filtered. You’ll find that most Bruichladdich’s are found in this form. This is also aged in Bourbon oak casks, and is NOT peated. That would be considered unusual for a lot of Islay distilleries. So let us find out what this bad boy is like!

Straight

Nose: The nose is strong and vibrant, displaying notes of oak, molasses, vanilla and caramel. The oak is fresh and intense, and coupled with a young, bold maltiness, makes this malt very compelling on the nose. In addition to the oak, a bit of cedar is also noticeable. There is an expected saltiness that really floods the aroma as the whisky starts to open up, and in addition is a very earthy, vegetal smell. There is a red apple note that complements some of the sweet notes in the whisky, with a slight instance of kiwi and green grapes. Despite the explicit mention of not peat in this malt, there is definitely a smoky, earthy peat-like aroma that emanates from this whisky. A little bit of cinnamon flavor in the nose adds to the spiciness. There is a little bit of honey that also becomes prevalent.

Arrival: There is sweetness and maltiness in the arrival, with a slight zest of peat and spiciness. This is a very balanced whisky, bringing out a wide range of flavors. There is a little bit of sugarcane, candy sweetness, and rum-like flavor leading into the body. Vanilla is also prevalent here.

Body: The body contains a good blend of maltiness, spiciness and peat flavor. There is some distinctive seaweed and pepper that can be tasted in the body. There is rum-like sweetness and honey in the  body.

Finish: The finish has some sweetness, maltiness, and oak to it. There is a fantastic blend of molasses, caramel, malt and vanilla that contributes to the complexity in the finish. Along with this, prepare to find some yeasty, wheat-like flavor as well. There is a raw, peaty flavor in the finish. The finish does contain a little bit of apple to it. There is a lot of saltiness that also contributes to a beautiful sense of balance. There is a very vegetal flavor that comes into the finish.

With Water

Nose: There is a lot more maltiness, vanilla, and creaminess to it. This is starting to smell like a sugar cookie, in all honesty. There is more of an alcohol-like smell, with clove spice coming through that was not as obvious as before.

Arrival: The arrival is more sweet after adding water. The oak intensity has subsided, with a slightly pine-wood bitterness.

Body: There is more peat smoke in the body than there was before. There is a balanced blend of spicy complexity in the body, although the body is still a little shallow.

Finish: There is more spiciness in the finish, akin to allspice. There is also a bit more mintiness in the finish as well. There is also a tart, different cranberry flavor in the finish now.

Final Comments: For a first flagship ten year old, this whisky kicks ass! One of the most interesting aspects of this whisky is seeing how a non-peated whisky can be influenced by peat in the environment and peat exposure to the water. So distinctively can you find the salty, peaty atmosphere in this whisky, it is hard not to imagine yourself on the shores of Islay. This whisky is the definition of balance, complexity, and overall uniqueness. And if you don’t like the salty, intense complexity of this whisky, just add a little bit of water and let it sweeten up. This might not be a beginner’s whisky, but if you like a more vegetal, earthy, coastal whisky, this should be a staple in your cabinet.

 

Why you’d buy it: You just should.

Why you wouldn’t: Probably something to do with communism I imagine.

Score: 9.5/10

Review 173: Isle of Jura 10 Yr

Review 173

8/19/13

Isle of Jura 10 Year: 43% abv

Background: Isle of Jura is a single malt Scotch whisky off the…well…the isle of Jura, to be frank. Jura is not the most climactic of all places when you put it in perspective, netting at 142 square miles of land with one road, one pub, one distillery, and a population of 188 people. You could say then, that the people of Jura are probably pretty well familiar with each other. Despite my seemingly scathing remarks of Jura, pictures show it to be a fairly gorgeous island, not unlike most of Scotland’s landscape. How about the distillery, though? The good people of Jura had self-entitlement to distil liquor until 1781, where authorities decided that they needed a license. In 1810, Jura distillery was founded. At some point, the distillery was mothballed, only to be rebuilt in 1960. Currently, Whyte and Mackay own Jura. Jura yields a yearly capacity of about 2.2M liters a year, produced by 4 tall stills. This particular whisky is their 10 Year offering, netting 43% abv and what looks to be natural coloring. This particular Scotch has been a mystery for me for as long as I’ve owned it, because I can’t seem to place my finger on whether or not I like it. Today I do a formal review.

Straight

Nose:  The nose, on immediate visitation, relays flavors of both citrusy white wine and some amount of corn and light grain. This nose gives the impression that the whisky is fairly young, with a light, fresh smell to it. There is a slight hint of maltiness in the nose, but it is overwhelmed by misplaced smells of other grains. There isn’t a strong sense of woodiness dominant on the nose (with exception to the odd sawdust smell that you get if you spend enough time with it), but there is a consistent nuttiness that comes through. If you dig deep enough, there is almost a slight hint of sherry to it, but it smells coincidental, not intentional. There is a subtle seaweed/sea salt type implication to the whisky, but it doesn’t come through like your Old Pulteney’s would. Overall, it is a mellow nose with some interesting flavors, but it is flat and shallow flavors that come through. There is not a lot of intensity to the nose.

Arrival: The arrival starts off sweet, making it seem as if there was some play from a sherry cask that might not have been assumed before. There is a hint of maltiness, caramel, and then with enough time, some salt and pepper that burns through. There is a sweet vanilla that contradicts a sense of saltiness, with some mixed berries and orange marmalade to accompany the flavor. There is a sense of tartness that comes through, akin to sweet lemon candy flavor.  The arrival is bold and complex, and certainly a respectable entrance into this whisky.

Body: This is where you might start losing the familiarity of single malt Scotch. There is not maltiness to be found in the body. There is a strong sense of salty nuttiness that is very prevalent (maybe almonds). The body is not very climactic, which can be common after a big arrival, and especially leading into this finish. There is some sense of corn that comes through in the body, almost reminiscent of soft bourbon flavor.

           

Finish: There is a confusing mixture of flavors coming out of the finish, most unfortunate of which is the sense of burnt wood that reminds me a lot of the Dalmore 12 we just tried. The corn-like grain flavor persists into the finish, with somewhat of a fluoride-like aftertaste that acts as the last flavor standing. Other than that and some light citrus flavors, with the small hint of sherry coming through, Jura falls flat in the finish. I don’t think this finish is what it could be, and with such a promising arrival, it’s disappointing to see it come to this conclusion. The finish is short and what lasts is bitter and strained. We are still waiting to see how water may help make this whisky better.

With Water

Nose: After letting this Scotch marry with some water for a few minutes, you will find in the nose that the barley starts to come through more. There are still very similar notes as before, but some confectionary subtleties start to emerge as well. There is a slight pear-like scent that can be found, as well as a small amount of green tea smell.

Arrival: The arrival, after water, is smooth and sweet, with similar flavors as before. The sherry, mixed with some lime tartness, is a prevalent sweet and sour combo up front, with some herbal notes later on.

Body: The herbal, grassy flavors bleed into the body, presenting it with a little more character than before. All the same, the body is still pretty subtle and short, just dying off from the arrival.

           

Finish: The finish has not been salvaged from the addition of water. There is still bitterness to be found in the finish. It also comes across as slightly vegetal. The slight burnt flavor seems to reside quite a bit in this instance, and there is a bit more malt richness to carry through, but it seems compromised by an almost plastic-like flavor. This is just not hitting the right way.

Final Comments: I would like to start by saying I have nothing against the Isle of Jura or its people (all 188 of you). I think the fact that they have a distillery to represent them is excellent, and Jura does have some great representation in terms of bottlings. Personally, I am not a fan of the 10 Year, and I don’t want to drink more of it. It is unique, it has a nice arrival, and it has some complexities to it. I would recommend trying this, for anybody who wants to learn more about single malt Scotch, but I have a bottle of it that I’m not too keen on killing off. That being said, I will continue to do experiments with this bottle and learn more about it. Bottom line, this is not on the top of my purchase list, and as a casual drinker, I wouldn’t put it on the top of yours either.

 

Why you’d buy it: You like trying new things, even if you’re told not to

Why you wouldn’t: You listen to the advice in my reviews (poor judgment call, if you ask me)

Score: 7.0/10

Review 115: Macallan 10 Yr

Review 115

12/10/12

Macallan 10 Yr Fine Oak: 40% abv

Macallan. Macallan is among the more well-known Scotches in the world. Generally speaking, if you compare Macallan to Glenfiddich or Glenlivet, you’ll generally pay more per year with a Macallan. Does this mean much of anything? No. Macallan has several lines of whisky. Two kinds of Macallan 10 Yr exist. This one is labeled as the “Fine Oak” variant. So let’s talk briefly about what kinds of oak are used in this Malt. 

This whisky actually blends three kinds of oak influences: European oak “seasoned” w/ sherry, American oak “seasoned” w/ sherry, and American oak “seasoned” w/ bourbon. I put quotations around the seasoned because I’ve never heard anybody use this before, but I’m fairly sure that’s the same as aging something. After all, they probably aren’t sprinkling on some dried bourbon flakes, I imagine. So what do you get from this? 

The nose provides a good grain note, malt, sherry, raisons, vanilla, slight lemon citrus, nutmeg, wheat, and light fruits. The nose doesn’t appear to be overly complex, but it contains some enjoyable aromas. The arrival on this whisky, once tasted, provides a a few tasting notes. Among these flavors, you get sweet fruit, light citrus, vanilla, a mild tartness, grain, and even some buttery character. The taste adds with smooth vanilla, grain, malt, wheat, barley, orange, and mild pepper. The body hits with a hugely grainy palate, but dissipates quickly. The finish comes in and introduces the sherry to the palate, with big raison and soft cocoa notes, sherry, malt, vanilla, toffee, butterscotch, wheat and caramel. The finish is medium in length, and misses on great complexity. 

This whisky isn’t horribly complex, as you might be able to tell, but it does do a number of things better than Glenfiddich or Glenlivet would with their youngest statement, including perfect blended balance, defined flavors, and smooth quality. This truly is a great beginners Scotch, but lacks in complexity.

Score: 8.25/10

Review 101: Glengoyne 10 Yr

Review 101

10/20/12

Glengoyne 10 Year: 43% abv

Glengoyne is a unique distillery, or at least advertises themselves as such. They really like to promote the fact that they dry their barley by air, as per their slogan, “The pure taste of malt”. What does this mean? Well lots of methods of drying barley exist, including peat. I’m also happy to report that their whisky doesn’t have any caramel colorant, and at 43% abv, this whisky certainly approaches a craft presentation. So what does the “pure taste of malt” tastes like. 

On the nose, you will get a strong, grainy smell right up front. There is a ton of malt character to it, with barley sugar, wheat and mild oak right up front. There is a vegetal quality to the smell, which starts to approach a smell of subtle fresh cut grass, and contains a slightly floral scent. This natural grain and greenness is complimented by sweet champagne, sugarcane, vanilla, green apple and pear. Because of this wonderful smell, the taste was an encouraging following. And it is. 

The arrival is mellow at first, with vanilla, slight ginger zip, and big malt flavor. The arrival was crisp and light, but grainy. Now the taste is big. It is hugely malty, wheat-like grain, and then a ton of spices. The spicy notes include hutmeg, cumin, mint, and after water, subtle pepper. There is also sherry, slightly mellowed banana, and cream. It is really enjoyable. From here, the finish is very complex, holding light tartness, and sweet lemon. 

The malt is most prominent here that lasts for a long time. There is also vanilla, green apple, pleasant sherry, and mint. There is also a sweet cake batter-y like sweetness, and it becomes dry at the end of the finish, with some cinnamon. So this a fantastic malt whisky, and water mellows it out. It is very well balanced, with a great amount of flavor. Recommended for the price. 

8.5/10

Review 73: Glenmorangie The Original

Review 73

6/28/12

Glenmorangie The Original: 43% abv

This is a single malt Scotch, and one of the better 10 year old Scotches on the market. And when we start introducing more Scotches as reviews, we will try to make it very evident that there is indeed a correct pronunciation and most people screw that up. Glenmorangie is pronounced like an orange would be: like Glen-M-Orange-ee. At ten years, any Scotch is young, as a Scotch tends to mature fully at about 25 years of aging. So how does such a young Scotch compare to the rest? 

Well, on the nose, you get sweet aromas of honey, pear, white grape, molasses, and a sugary character. We also noted an odd presence of agave that you might find in a tequila, but it was faint. Now the taste, that become more complex, citing vanilla notes, malt, honey, wheat, slight mixed berries, light melon character, and hints of creaminess and spiciness to compliment the rest of it. 

The taste is fantastic, but still lacking in the deep complexity you'd expect from a quality Scotch. It is younger though, so it doesn't absorb all the oak character that it should, but retains a certain youthful freshness to it. The finish contains honey, agave, ginger, apple, some sweet maple notes, cherry and even some almonds as well. The finish is long and enjoyable, and we really liked basking in it's complexity and presence. This is a young Scotch, but it's one of the best, fighting 10 year olds like Macallan with a lot of flavor and presence.

Score: 9.0/10