Review 221: GlenDronach 18 Year Allardice

Review 221

9/16/14

GlenDronach 18 Year Allardice: 46% abv

Background: Here we are, back at GlenDronach distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. After the 12 and 15 Year core offerings is the 18 Year Allardice. The 18 Year is non-chill filtered, natural color, and bottled at a perfectly respectable 46% abv. It is aged in exclusively Oloroso Sherry butts. GlenDronach then, is giving you another option in the world of sherry malts, which seems to be growing in accessibility. The challenge is, can producers like GlenDronach keep up with the demand for sherry whiskies without the ability to obtain good sherry casks due to the reduction in demand for sherry.

Straight

Nose:  In comes the sherry storm, with a torrent of deep, rich fruit aroma that overwhelms the senses. Red grape, raison and vanilla are big players in the nose right off the bat. Small spurts of malt smell become noticeable, but are really dominated by the other flavors. Dried fruits and cranberry are detectable in the nose, with the sense of old oak and floral notes of garden flowers. As the whisky starts to open up, more complexity of sweet honey, apples, and even slight amounts of caramel are present. The nose is definitely rich, but the initial alcohol intensity in the nose tempers down to a less brutish, complex blend of rich sherry malt flavors.

Arrival: As expected, sweet, syrupy arrival takes on the malt. The arrival doesn’t tend to last a long time, with some spiciness, malt, and sweet grapes noticeable. Sweet, candy like (maybe even bubblegum) sweetness is also ever present in the arrival, which makes for a bizarre transition into the intense palate of the whisky. There is an ample amount of vanilla in the arrival. In general, this arrival seems like it lacks the complexity expected, and could be described as sort of flat.

Body: Similar to the 15 Year, the 18 does have a nice, spicy body. The finish is fairly long and enjoyable. A quick dash of heat, with red wine and grapes makes the body more unique. There is something savory about the body, and despite its relative intensity, the fruit flavors are not as pronounced as we’d like.

Finish: Conclude with that semi-savory, scrumptious malty finish. Bitter, burnt oak will become noticeable as you sip on this whisky more. You’ll find a hot, almost thin grapy flavor that comes into the finish, almost in an artificial nature. There is more oak complexity, some slight pine-like flavors coming out in the finish, and just a tinge of cough medicine like flavor. You could argue there is a bit of saltiness in the finish as well, but it doesn’t at all define the whisky.

With Water

Nose: The nose is demonstrating much more floral and somewhat maltier. The sherry has subsided substantially, but some of the complexities are also not as prominent as before.

Arrival: The arrival shows off more complex, well rounded fruitiness, with apple and pear present. There is some soft spices and vegetal notes present. There is a dry woody flavor in the arrival that translates into the body.

Body: After adding water, a much more noticeable, succulent fruitiness is coming forward in the whisky. It isn’t hard to spot the tannins and grape sour flavor coming out of the body, plus allspice and nutmeg, but there is a strained emptiness halfway through the body.

Finish: There are much more manageable spices in this whisky now, with heavy tannins and bittersweet green tea notes. Unripened, tart fruit notes are easily found in the finish, which is sort of unique, but in some ways it actually detracts from the overall flavor of the whisky. There is still soft maltiness and some confectionary notes here. The finish ends up shorter and somewhat less pronounced than before, but does offer up more complexity with better flavors.

Final Comments: This is one interesting whisky. It seems to be battling to get the right things across, but never quite succeeds in doing it. I’m not sure exactly what holds this whisky back, but it just doesn’t have the complexity and balance it needs to be a true winner. The price doesn’t help the equation either. It is evident that there should be better flavors with better quality going on. It doesn’t make this bad by any means, but it does miss on a couple of key components. It seems as if better casks would make this a better whisky, but chances are that won’t be happening. There is something that makes this whisky really suffer, but I’m not sure what it is.

Why you’d buy it: You’re a patron of Glendronach

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You can get their Single Cask whiskies for less, and with better quality and a higher  proof.

Score: 8.25/10

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 216: Ardbeg Ardbog

Review 216

7/1/14

Ardbeg Ardbog: 52.1% abv

Background: Here’s another Ardbeg for the peat lovers out there. Very lovingly named Ardbog, this whisky is another statement from the Islay powerhouse that introduces a different style into the mix. Oddly enough, although you won’t see it on the front of the bottle, the back of the bottle drops a hint that this whisky is 10 years of age. Maybe the expensive tag on this bottle doesn’t sound 10 Year-like? Another unique thing about this whisky that sets it apart is that all of those ten years are spent in ex-Manzanilla sherry casks. Although we have tried a lot of sherried whiskies, Manzanilla is a sweeter, less frequently used variant that has yet to find its way in one of our reviews. A theme of the Ardbog is to emphasize the historical relevance of peat, which explains the surplus of fossils and random artifacts presented on the packaging. Apparently, if you drank Ardbeg during that History final, you might not have failed. In any case, Ardbeg has been active in releasing limited edition variants and now we have to find out if it’s worth your limited budget.

Straight

Nose: Although the nose is initially pretty overbearing, there are some interesting notes that come out without water. There is a grilling smoke smell that emanates from the glass, with savory, meaty flavors present up front. This includes campfire wood and sweet maple. This whisky is in essence completely reminiscent of a family camping trip up north. There is some sweet apple on the nose, with brown sugar and candied bacon also adding sweetness. The sherry presents itself on the nose with a molasses-like, concentrated Cognac and rum smell. There is a tinge of spice in the nose, but it is very subtle. There is also a light cigar aroma in the whisky. Ultimately, the nose is very dense and rewarding, but it can be challenging to extract flavors with the high alcohol.   

Arrival: The arrival is spicy, syrupy, and doesn’t hold back on the peat. There is a really concentrated peat and ash flavor, complimented by the subtle sweetness of the Manzanilla sherry. The spice is close to clove and black pepper. There is some black tea flavor that comes through as well, but it is hard to pick up too much due to the high concentration of alcohol. There is some molasses in the arrival.

Body: The body carries the peaty, ashy flavor from before, but also takes on some salty, briny character in the whisky which is very enjoyable. Salt water is present, but there are also a high level of tannins as well.

Finish: The finish is fantastically peaty, with a strong, dry tobacco and ash finish. There is a grainy character as well, but it is very limited. There is certainly alcohol heat present, and drives a quick finish. The sweetness is not substantial through the finish.

With Water

Nose: The nose certainly doesn’t become tame with a few drops of water. It is very lively still, but reveals some desired complexity in maltiness, light cinnamon and brown sugar, sea salt and

Arrival: The arrival is more pleasant after adding water. Clove, nutmeg and cinnamon become pretty dominant in the arrival, with tea leaves and dried nuts also present.

Body: There is a lot more spice in the body after adding water. The wood is very dominant, and there is dry vegetal notes that take place in the whisky. The peat is very strong in the body, and it tends to be a bit more aggressive after adding water, where the alcohol isn’t just covering the smokey character.

Finish:  The finish still remains relatively bitter, taking on the tobacco, tea leaves, slight sherry and woody notes to it. The whisky is slightly leathery, and the vegetal notes from the body carry into the finish. The finish offers up some complexity in tarry, medicinal notes. Some of the phenolic character is very strongly present in the finish, and dwells.

Final Comments: Admittedly, this is a very tough one for KCM. This whisky has challenging aspects to it, and it presents itself as a very dense whisky, but I can’t seem to avoid the fact that this is lacking in some complexity. When I compare this to Uigeadail, it doesn’t really compare, in all honesty. It is a good whisky, and I really enjoy drinking it. In fact, it grew on me. I was initially pretty disappointed with it, admittedly, but it still lacks in some spark. I don’t believe a fan of sherried peated Scotches would really frown on this bottle, but I just fail to want to pick this over the standard offering. That being said, it wouldn’t hurt somebody to try this whisky, and if you’re a fan of Ardbeg, this isn’t far outside the range of accessible whiskies.

Why you’d buy it: You like the monster peat, high proof stuff, and Laphroaig isn’t your style.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: Ardbeg Uigeadail

Score:  8.5/10

Review 215: Old Pulteney Navigator

Review 215

6/11/14

Old Pulteney Navigator: 46% abv

Background: Now and again, our smaller distilleries will go out on a limb and release a limited edition bottling. Old Pulteney, despite their size, actually does quite a bit of this. Between their extensive travel range and the new releases (they just announced a 35 Year offering), Old Pulteney is a very active distillery. One of their most recent bottlings is the Navigator, a non-age statement whisky aged in a mixture of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. It totes an impressive 46% abv and non-chill filtering, and I can confidently report that it also does not appear to be artificially colored. So while Pulteney has held onto the “craft” spirit of this limited edition bottling, it does raise some questions. Is this just an excuse to introduce a younger whisky into the market? Does this fight toe to toe with the 12 Year? Let’s pour a dram and dig into it more.

Straight

Nose: To start, the nose illustrates a salty, intense flavor to this whisky. The immediate impression is fresh maltiness, young and vibrant. There is some floral, vegetal notes to the whisky, but it is more dominantly a buttery, creamy vanilla smell that comes forward. The briny, sea salt flavor is extremely assertive in the nose, and there is a presence of allspice as well. There is some fruity, candy apple smell that starts to come through after a little bit of time, with a slight sweet sherry note in there. The nose starts to have a slightly sugary smell to it, with light hints of pear and marmalade. Ultimately, the sweet, fruity notes combat with the intensely salty character to the aroma.

Arrival: The arrival doesn’t start off sweet by any means, highlighting the salty, intensely malty character of the whisky up front. There is a vegetal quality to the arrival, with vanilla and oaky notes up front. That same creaminess found in the nose is also fairly dominant in the arrival. With some sour barley grain leading into the body. Refined spice notes of allspice and clove are also a noticeable contribution to the initial flavor.

Body: Once into the body, the introduction of spices and tart flavors becomes more evident. This single malt retains the rich, barley flavor that eludes to how youthful it is. There is also some cinnamon stick and gingerbread in the body, which lasts into the finish.

Finish: The finish is a blast of malt, with salt and vegetal grain notes carrying through. There is some sweetness from the sherry cask that becomes somewhat prevalent. The finish seems to be well dominated by the spirit presence. There is a tinge of sherry in the finish, but it is a weak note which tends to be washed over by the other parts of the whisky. Subtleties of orange and lemon are present as well, which adds some variety to the flavor profile.

With Water

Nose: After adding some water, some rich fruit flavors are coming out, with dark berries and red grapes at the forefront. The whisky is also fairly jammy, while presenting some orange marmalade on the nose. A powdery malt flavor is still present, but the floral, fruity flavors are definitely more prominent now.  As the Scotch opens up more, the orange is becoming a more prevalent flavor.

Arrival: The salt and seawater is still present here, and in no lesser form than before. There is more of a dry, malty presence now. The whole experience is actually slightly more bitter now, with bitter black pepper notes being relatively dominant.

Body: The body retains the bitter, dry notes from before. There is still some creamy, vanilla notes to the whisky, but the bitterness is much more up front than before.

Finish: The finish has some intense spice to it now, but it lost some level of complexity at this point. There is a grassy, green vegetable note that is coming through in the finish now. 

Final Comments: Old Pulteney is definitely a consistently good whisky, whether it be the 12, 17, or 21 Year offerings. This special edition is something of a conflicting story. The quality of this spirit is good, and to some degree, the complexity and uniqueness is also above average. That being said, this Scotch is undoubtedly immature  and there is no getting around that. The harshness, bitterness, and unforgiving intensity is not characteristic of Pulteney, although some of the flavors are. That being said, this can easily be forgiven considering the price of the whisky, but it does seem as if Navigator could have used a few more years of well-rounded aging to bring it to that next level. In either case, this is not poor buy, and as long as the 12 Year is protected from NAS bottling fate, this type of release is certainly welcome.

Why you’d buy it: You’d like to try a young, vibrant Old Pulteney at a good price.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You demand the quality of Pulteney 17 in everything you drink.

Score:  8.25/10

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 213: Highland Park Signatory 18 Year 1991/2010

Review 213

4/18/14

Highland Park Signatory 18 Year 1991/2010: 46% abv

Background: We’re back at independent bottlings with a 18 year old Highland Park. Highland Park, as a reminder, is an island distillery and holds the title of the most northern distillery in Scotland. They have a pretty loyal fan base, and tend to produce a wide variety of whiskies. This one sat in a sherry butt for 18 long years. Sherry butts are 500 liter vessels, and they tend to be less common than hogsheads. This Signatory bottling still has good presentation, having 46% abv, natural color, and no chill filtration.

Straight

Nose: The nose starts off with a good mixture of citrus and grain, with malt being a predominant aroma up front. There is a noticeable peat to the Scotch, with a considerable spiciness in the nose as well. The spice includes nutmeg and gingerbread. There is some vanilla and custard in the nose, with a smooth lemon and orange involved as well. There is some white grape acidity and other light fruits as well. There is some old leather and sawdust aroma, with the addition of light cocoa.

Arrival: The arrival starts off with soft, creamy grain notes, and some definitive citrus notes. The arrival has the smoothness of sweet grain, but doesn’t provide terribly complex flavors.

Body: The body really carries out the citrus, with slight amounts of malt. There is a little bit of agave, with some cinnamon and nutmeg in the body. There is a lot of lemon, lime, and orange in the body.

Finish: The finish introduces some tobacco and peat into it, retaining the malt and citrus notes from the rest of the whisky. There is some custard and spices in the finish as well, which add to the smoky, peaty flavor. There is an introduction of grapefruit in the finish as well. There is a salty coastal character in the finish.

With Water

Nose: The nose seems to be essentially the same after adding water. One difference between this and before water is a subtle raison smell that comes through.

Arrival: The arrival is more complex and citrusy than before water.

Body: There is a little more peat flavor in the body, with intense citrus and coastal notes coming to the front much more aggressively.

Finish:  There is some custard and vanilla in the finish, with a large peaty flavor and orange citrus flavors dominating. The finish is still salty and coastal.

Final Comments: This whisky is an interesting one for sure, but it doesn’t deliver on all fronts. Surprisingly, it is worth saying that the cask quality of this particular whisky might be a little under par in comparison to many others we’ve had in the past, especially for an 18 year old Scotch. Although the whisky does exert some mature flavors, and a relatively decent complexity, it doesn’t seem to be competitive with other bottlings from Highland Park or Signatory. That’s not to say this is a bad whisky. It is still an affordable alternative with an interesting personality, and it is not hard to sip and enjoy. 

 

Why you’d buy it: You’re a fan of Highland Park and want to see more dimensions of their whisky.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: Your expectation for a sherried whisky is in the realm of Glendronach

Score:  8.5/10

Review 207: Ardmore Traditional Cask

Review 207

3/28/14

Ardmore Traditional Cask: 46% abv

Background: Ardmore is an interesting Highland Single Malt whisky. It does a lot of things to set itself apart. Ardmore started in 1898 by William Teacher’s son, in an attempt to bolster stocks for the Teacher’s Highland Cream blended Scotch. Interestingly, Ardmore is still the key single malt in Teacher’s. The “Traditional Cask” Ardmore is a very reasonably priced NAS whisky, but it also tries to contend with the Islay malts by calling itself a peated whisky. Some purists might raise the nose to the statement, but don’t get too indignant before you try this one. Aged in quarter casks, it is fair to say that this is not an old whisky, but it does get bottled at a nice 46%. The question we’re always asking ourselves is: should this whisky be on my shelf?

Straight

Nose: There is no question that this Highland malt means business. If you think this can’t shred with the Islay single malts, you’re sorely mistaken. The first sniff from this glass will greet you with a powerful, thick smoke. It smells a lot like smoked meats and burning fall leaves. The smoke is mossy and earthy, but a little bit different than your traditional Islay peat smell. Along with the smoke, there is a strong vanilla, malt, and some great dark fruit notes in here. There is a subtlety of burning cigar tobacco in the nose as well. There is some allspice and strong oakiness that starts to come out of the nose as well. The nose is very dense and ashy.

Arrival: The arrival starts off with a unique tartness, malt sourness, and some interesting fruitiness. The vanilla and oak are very dominant in the beginning, and there is almost a jammy fruit flavor up front. The arrival is quick, but blasts out the introduction to this single malt effectively. There is a slight, subtle smokiness to the arrival. The smoke basically acts as a good prelude of the whisky to come.

Body: The body is very ashy, with a lot of dense flavor to boot. Dry spices jump into the game as well, bringing out black peppercorn and cloves. More smokiness comes out of the whisky here, but it is still modestly subdued. There is some cinnamon and apple present in the body.

Finish: The finish is where the whisky starts to bring out the peat the most. There is a fresh tobacco flavor, with some woodiness and vanilla coming out as well. The maltiness presides over the entire event, but the fruitiness dies off. There is a large cinnamon aftertaste in the finish that becomes noticeable after a few sips. Although the Ardmore doesn’t take on the most complex finish, it finishes strong and thick.

With Water

Nose: As the whisky gets water, it does not contribute much more to the nose. It is still extremely dense and smoky on the nose. The intensity of the smoke to the whisky is still very prominent.

Arrival: After adding water, the arrival  is very malty and vanilla-dominant. The wood notes are still very dominant in this whisky, which shows off the intensity of the quarter cask.

Body: The body is downplayed a lot after the water was added (it was probably a little too much water). Overall, this acts as a bridge between the arrival and the finish. It is slightly vegetal, and mostly smoky.

Finish:  The vanilla and peat are really on display in the finish. That being said, after adding water the whisky finishes a little cleaner with just a little hint of bitterness that wasn’t present before. It is a botanical-like flavor that is coming out more. The vegetal notes from the body start to become prevalent in the finish as well. There is also just a tad of maple-syrupy aftertaste.

Final Comments: This whisky is a very similar story to Glen Garioch Founder’s Reserve in terms of value per dollar. The whisky is good on its own accord, but when you see the price and presentation, it is a hard one to pass up. This isn’t necessarily a personal favorite, but I would NEVER turn down a glass of this. If you buy this thinking it will be an Islay whisky from the Highlands, you are sorely mistaken. In fact, why would you want that? This offers a much different experience for a much better price. The KCM recommendation is get at least one bottle of this. In terms of the whisky’s flavor? It is a gorgeously earthy, smoky, tobacco forward malt with some interesting contrasting flavors to it. It does not have the complexity to really make everybody happy, but I’m willing to look over that.

 

Why you’d buy it: You understand economics and good taste.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You are an avid Islay peat-head

Score:  8.5/10

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Review 206: Highland Park Loki 15 Year

Review 206

3/14/14

Highland Park Loki 15 Year: 48.7% abv

Background: This is a pretty special review for the KCM crew here. This is the first time we’re reviewing a truly limited edition bottling, albeit this is limited edition in the sense that there was a bottle of whisky that came before it and one that’ll come after it, and they’ll be presented the same, but they’ll be different…somehow. So you might call this a “vintage release without the vintage”. Highland Park Loki is part of their Valhalla collection. The whisky is at least 15 Years old, and bottled at almost 49%, which is a nice thing considering how much you pay for the whisky. Highland Park spends their time telling you about Loki in Norse mythology and how it relates to the whisky, but I’m not going to do that. What I’ll do is tell you how this is a 15 Year whisky at $275 a bottle. Obviously you’ll be wondering, why would I pay that kind of money for such a young whisky?

Straight

Nose: The Highland Park Loki starts off in the nose with a battle between a huge fruitiness and a coastal saltiness. The fruitiness is consistent of HP classic orange marmalade, citrus, green grapes, blueberry, dark cherry and other tropical fruits like bananas. There is a complex oak and malt, coupled with creamy vanilla and custard. This whisky also brings out spicy notes of chai tea, clove and allspice. The whisky also has a profound, deep floral smell to it. In additional, cinnamon apple contributes to a smell of both spiciness and sweet fruitiness. There is a very green, earthly aroma that presents itself in the nose as well. It is almost a mossy type aroma that comes through.

                           

Arrival: There is a lot of malt in the arrival, along with a tart cherry sweetness. Plenty of oak can be found in the arrival, along with a substantial amount of spiciness. The whisky is pretty coastal in the arrival, with a slight amount of saltiness and tropical fruits as well. There is a lot of spiciness in the arrival, with mild black pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and gingerbread coming through.

Body: The body is very strongly herbal, with a  large amount of cilantro and mint coming through, along with an earthy presence as well. There is a strong maltiness, along with green apple, lime citrus, green melon, and body.

Finish: The finish contains the same amount of herbal presence as the rest of the whisky, including the mint and cilantro seen before. There is a lot more of an herbal quality to the finish than in the body. There is also a leathery quality to the whisky in the finish, that would be associated with a much older whisky. The finish is absolutely medicinal, and contains a bitter green tea flavor as well. There is a small amount of malt that fades off with the finish.

With Water

Nose: The herbal and citrus notes are very dominant after adding water. The whisky starts off with a much more potent nose. There is a change of balance, as some of the vanilla sweetness gets lost, and is replaced with an increase in bitter floral notes and coastal saltiness. There is a little bit of graham cracker in the nose as well now.

Arrival: The arrival stills contains some beautiful spiciness, along with some maltiness and herbal notes. The arrival is more mild than before.

Body: The body becomes intensely more herbal than before adding water, with bold flavors. There is also more maltiness, with the sweetness from the whisky becoming more dormant. There is a vanilla wafer flavor that comes through in the body as well now. There is a good amount of woodiness in the body, that bleeds into the finish.

Finish:  The finish is woody, with some old notes of leather and wood polish. It still is hugely herbal. There is a high dominance of woodiness in the finish that seems more prevalent than before adding water.

Final Comments: Wow…this is a whisky which raises the bar. This is complex, balanced, unique, and all around a beautiful statement by Highland Park. The KCM crew believes this whisky has some older whiskies in it by its taste profile, and it contributes to a more mature, complex flavor than you would expect from a 15 Year.  Now, let’s be clear. I’m not going to spend the next few minutes telling you about how this whisky is worth $275, because it really isn’t. The reason it isn’t is because for $200 less you could buy something of marginally worse quality and still have an undoubtedly fantastic whisky. So this bottle is for people who have the money to spend; and if you do, this HP will not disappoint. If you were going to buy a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, this would be a better alternative and you wouldn’t look like an ass.

 

Why you’d buy it: You have a lot of money and want something you can appreciate and use to decorate your mantle.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You’re like most people and don’t want to spend almost $300 on a consumable bottle of liquid that actually does more to dehydrate you than offer sustenance.

Score:  10/10

Review 195: Tomatin 15 Year

Review 195

12/22/13

Tomatin 15 Year: 43% abv

Background: So yesterday, we reviewed the 12 Year old Tomatin. We first started speaking positively about the way Tomatin is bottling their whiskies, and ended on a strongly negative note about the whisky itself. It should be said although certain whiskies are bad, that does not mean we are against the company. That being said, even if we support a company from a theoretical standpoint, that doesn’t mean we will create artificial praise for it. This 15 Year, bottled at the same proof, is similar to the 12 Year. That being said, it is aged in “Traditional” Scotch whisky casks, which I can only assume means bourbon refill casks. We hope to get better results out of this whisky than we did the 12 Year.

Straight

Nose: Immediately, the same raw barley smell comes out of the nose as in the 12 Year. Fortunately, this doesn’t over-dominate the nose. As the whisky opens up, a nice blend of fresh citrus and floral notes are in the aroma. There is also some vanilla-dominant notes, and some crisp malt that is more akin to an anCnoc or Glengoyne than anything else. This is, in my opinion, a better aroma than the raw barley smell. This is definitely still Tomatin though, with a nose containing fresh green apple and lemon zest. A more seasoned oak flavor comes out here, which is promising. There is a slightly Champagne-like smell, with soft herbal and green notes layering into the nose. Overall, it seems like an improvement over the 12 Year.

Arrival: Fresh spiciness greets the arrival. There is still a definite sense of raw grain, and that comes out more in the body. Even still, there is more maturity, more balance, and more spiciness here than in the 12. Slight notes of honey and vanilla come through in the arrival.

Body: The body of this whisky takes on the bulk of the raw grain flavor, while still showing off some amount of spiciness and citrus. This is still the weakest part of the whisky, but at least it gives off a little bit of oakiness.

Finish: The finish is very similar to a softer Glenlivet. I am not a fan of Glenlivet, but there is a fantastic fruit-like freshness in the finish, blending green grapes, green apples, succulent citrus, and some soft herbal notes to get a similar effect without the overbearing sense of artificial fruit sweetness. There is some black pepper and nutmeg in the finish. An intense greenness still shows a prominence as the rest of the flavors mellow out in this whisky. Cloves are a dominant part of the finish. 

Final Comments: This is definitely a step up from the 12 Year. This could be possibly explained by the choice of cask. Tomatin still has a distinctive taste, as we are beginning to understand, that doesn’t really appeal to us. Although we have yet to try the 18 Year, the 12 and 15 lack the same complexity as other whiskies in their price ranges. The quality of casks still appears to be the obvious answer here. All of this being said, the 15 Year is light years ahead of the 12.

Why you’d buy it: There still really isn’t an obvious reason. Brand loyalty maybe?

Why you wouldn’t: Between Glenlivet (never thought I’d say that), Glengoyne, and anCnoc, this doesn’t offer anything better.

Score: 6.25/10