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 184: Signatory Longmorn 1992/2010 18 Year

  

Review 184

11/16/13

Longmorn Signatory 1992/2010 18 Year: 46% abv

Background: These are some of my favorite, but perhaps most useless, reviews. This is a limited release Signatory bottling of Longmorn single malt whisky. It is a Scotch from Moray, Scotland. Longmorn started in 1893. Through various change of hands and amalgamations, Longmorn fell under the hands of Pernod Ricard which took over Chivas Brothers. Although Longmorn has a well rated 16 year old variant, we don’t get to see much of it here in Michigan. Most of Longmorn’s stock plays a backstage role in Chivas Regal blended Scotch. Unfortunately for us consumers, that means it is hard to find one. That’s where independent bottlers like Signatory come into play. This 18 Year old is aged in a Hogshead barrel, which I’m confident previously contained sherry (PX maybe?). I normally don’t talk about price in my reviews, but in this case, at $75, this is one of the most competitive 18 year old Scotches I can think of. Unfortunately, a majority of people won’t find this exact bottling, so this might only tell you a little about the quality of Longmorn in general.

Straight

Nose: As soon as you stick your nose in the glass, you get a mixture of complex aromas coming out of this single malt. There is an intense, woody complexity displays itself proudly, with hints of vanilla, huge malty sweetness, and dry fruits. It is the dry fruit aromas sprinkled in with the bold malt that I find truly intoxicating in the nose (no pun intended). There is aromas of cranberry, plums, subtle grape, and some apple in the nose. There is also a slightly vegetal grain note to it (a sort of green note), that hides in the background and just adds a little more bulk to the scent. There is even a bit of agave smell that is present here, which is quite unique for a Scotch. There is some soft sherry that probably goes along with the fruit notes commented on earlier. This would explain the darker color as well. There is some soft spice as well, with a little tickle of ginger on the nose, followed up with gentle nutmeg.  Overall, the nose is incredibly well balanced and enjoyable, with an endless amount of complexity to tap into.

Arrival: The arrival starts off just like the nose: bold and full of flavor. The initial flavor is packed with the same sherry-filled, oak heavy influence that we initially noticed. 46% paid off for this whisky without a doubt. The initial fruit notes include rich cherry, plums, succulent apple and cranberry. This is coupled with a big blast of vanilla and woodiness. There is a definite hot spiciness too, akin to cinnamon and allspice. There is also the maltiness that starts materializing in the arrival, but really making its largest appearance later on. To add to the sweetness, a bit of honey is added in, but fights against the spices and bitter pepper notes that are present in the arrival.

Body: The body is slightly less eventful than the arrival, partially due to how dramatic the arrival actually is. The body has a good showing of maltiness and woodiness to it, but the fruity flavors sort of thin out. Instead, there is a dry, semi-sweet character to the body. There is more bitterness in the body than anywhere else, but it is still very appropriate.

           

Finish: The finish comprises some hot, spicy notes in parallel with more vanilla and malt based notes on the gentler side of things. The spiciness is most dominant in the finish than anywhere else, and tends to overtake everything else, but there is still honey, malt, and wood flavors present as well. The finish is not as long as I would like it to be, and the flavor dies out slightly quicker than expected, but an endurance race between sherry and malt to last the longest. It is dry and has a good amount black peppercorn present. Overall, the finish is probably the weakest part of the whisky.

With Water

Nose: After adding a little bit of water, the Longmorn undergoes a little bit of a transformation. On the nose, a little more confectionary aroma is present, along with a very subtle savory jerky note as well. The malt notes are more prominent after water.

Arrival: The arrival is slightly less intense now, while still having the honey and vanilla prevalent up front. Along with that, flavors of caramel covered apples, cinnamon and nutmeg, and molasses come through in the arrival as well.

Body: The body is still alive and kicking here. The fruits are coming through more in the body now, although the whisky has to be agitated slightly to notice them. The plums and cranberries are big. Otherwise, the body is pretty much the same animal as before.

Finish: What is most surprising about the finish here is that it is even bigger than it was before. The finish lasts longer and has more intensity, bringing forth some of the ginger from the arrival, along with strong notes of honey and wood spices. The finish is still dry, and has a thin mouth feel, but it seems to be more alive after just a little water.  The finish definitely has a more dusty and peppery character now. 

Final Comments:  Longmorn is a fairly off-the-map distillery, but I have to say, I’m more than impressed enough with their whisky. If you were to pin this up against Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, and Macallan 18 Yr olds, this would be undoubtedly the best quality, best value for money, and most unique whisky among them by a large margin. It also tastes like a mature whisky, having more presence of wood and complex flavors that might not be found in a 10 year old whippersnapper. This is a personal favorite, although there is plenty to be desired in terms of complexity. Since this is the only Longmorn I’ve had, I can’t recommend them in all earnest, but I can say I will be buying another bottle someday, without a doubt.

 

Why you’d buy it: You have the chance to.

Why you wouldn’t: You’ll probably not find it anyway.

Score: 9.25/10

Review 145: Laphroaig Signatory 16 Yr 1995/2011 Cask Strength

Review 145

2/23/13

Laphroaig 1995/2011 16 Yr Signatory Cask Strength: 59.5% abv

Background: Signatory has a range of whiskies called the Cask Strength series, and bless them for it. This particular bottling is a Laphroaig, and if you remember Laphroaig, you remember that they’re an Islay distillery and they don’t hold back when it comes to peating their whisky. This particular bottling is no exception, but don’t be afraid by the big numbers or big smokiness. This is a gentle giant, and as far as quality whiskies go, this is among the upper echelon. 

Nose: Campfire, big peat, barbeque, wood smoke, sweet malt, slight salt, subtle white wine, seaweed, phenol, intense, slightly fruity, berries

            A/W: More subtle, fruity, apple, honey, peat starts to calm down

Arrival: Warm, gentle peat, hot spice, ginger and cinnamon, vanilla

            A/W: Sweet, slight smoke, honey

Body: Peaty, fruity, hot cinnamon, caramel, apple, berries, smokey zing

            A/W: Slight peat, honey, slightly fudgy, oily

Finish: Fruity, peat, savory meat flavor, caramel, vanilla, malt, spice, subtle salt, slight sweet sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg

A/W: Peat, honey, well balanced spice, smoke, barbeque, barley, spice, hot cinnamon, slightly bready, yeast, slight fudge notes, hints of tobacco

Final Comments: This is one of the most refined tasting peated Scotches we’ve ever had. It has great balance and complexity, and this only gets better with some water, which comes as no surprise. What is a surprise is how well it holds up without the water. It isn’t harsh; it simply comes through smooth and “clean”, with a peat finish to contradict its smoothness. You might not realize for a second you’re drinking a Laphroaig, but it is a fantastic craft whisky. We’ve tried peated whiskies by Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Kilchoman, Smokehead, Port Charlotte, Caol Ila and many others, but this might be the best one we’ve ever had.

Why you’d buy it: You have the money, and you aren’t afraid to buy an independent bottling of a fantastic peated Scotch.

Why you wouldn’t: You can’t afford it. That’s really the only reason you shouldn’t.

Score: 9.5/10

Review 139: Dailuaine 15 Year Signatory 1997/2012

Review 139

 2/10/13

Dailuaine 15 Year Signatory 1997/2012: 46% abv

Background: Dailuaine (pronounced dale-you-an) is a distillery in Scotland which you may not have heard of, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t big. In fact, Dailuaine has quite a history and background. Dailuaine was founded by a gentleman by the Name of William Mackenzie in 1852, but as of 1865, he died, leaving his wife widowed. His wife leased the distillery to the man by the name of James Fleming, who wasn’t a nobody. James Fleming is actually the founder of Aberlour Distillery. Dailuaine was the first distillery to adopt a pagoda style building for the malt house, and in 1884 had the largest production capacity of any distillery in Scotland. Fast forward, and now Dailuaine has 6 stills, and has around 3.3 million liters of capacity per year. Dailuaine is a Speyside whisky, and is currently owned by Diageo. This means much of their production will go into blends. That being said, independent bottlers like Signatory with snatch up the opportunity at buying a barrel of this whisky should it fit the bill. And this one does. This is part of Signatory’s Non-Chill Filtered collection, and comes in at 46%, with natural colorant. This is the advantage of buying a craft presentation independent bottling. This one is even more special because it was bottled exclusively for Tiffany’s Wine and Spirit Shoppe in Kalamazoo, MI. We here at KCM live in Kalamazoo, so we knew we had to try it. And boy were we NOT disappointed.

Nose: Fresh grain, wheat and malt, slightly grassy, subtle smoke and peat, sweet honey, sweet melon, crisp mild spice, clove, mild vanilla, light, refreshing

            A/W: Grain forward, citrus, apple

Arrival: Spicy, smooth, creamy, vanilla, mild tobacco, fruit

            A/W: mellowed out, vanilla, malt, grainy

Body: Hot spice, bittersweet, honey, melon

            A/W: vanilla, big fruit, apple, custard

Finish: Orange citrus, smoke, light peat, lemon, cinnamon, cloves, kiwi, hot mouthfeel

A/W: Slightly nutty, big orange flavor, still spicy, slight mint freshness, mild seaweed saltiness, earthy, medium length

Final Comments: This is a great expression of a Speyside malt, with a wide variety of flavors but a fruity, light body and a nice spiciness to it. It isn’t as intense as you might find in a Clynelish, but the mild peat flavor to it adds an interesting sort of “zest” to the finish, comparable to a Highland Park 12, but not as defined (and without the sherry influence). It is well balanced and complex, but doesn’t delve outside of what you’d expect from the Speyside character. At 46%, it also takes on water pretty well, and you should not be afraid to experiment with this.

Why you’d buy it: You enjoy a fruity, somewhat spicy malt and want to delve outside of the world of Glenlivet, or you just want to experience slight peat without feeling like you are chewing on burnt wood. Also you love Tiffany’s.

Why you wouldn’t: You are scared of change, or you made a New Year’s resolution to not drink good whisky.

Score: 9.25/10