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 205: anCnoc 16 Year

Review 205

3/7/14

anCnoc 16 Year: 46% abv

Background: In Review 167, we raved about the affordably reasonable anCnoc 12 Year, and how it made a case as the new staple whisky in your cabinet. Next in line in the anCnoc range is their 16 Year. KCM views this whisky as part of a dying breed, which is why this review is so important to us. At a very reasonable price of about $65 and being 16 Years old, not to mention being 46%, non chill-filtered and natural color, this whisky is truly a phenomenal offering. It is a Bourbon-barrel aged single malt from Heaven. We are wondering if whiskies like this will even exist in the next 5 years. Distilleries are driving up prices and tearing the age statements off of their whiskies for more preferable NAS ambiguity. It starts as limited releases with whimsical names, but distilleries like Macallan have taken it a step further, replacing their standard range with these mysterious no-age whiskies. anCnoc should be praised for offering a Scotch like this. Next step is to review what makes this whisky such a gem.

Straight

Nose: The nose on this whisky is undoubtedly fresh and crisp. There is a similar, beautiful maltiness in the aroma as is present in the 12 Year. That being said, the 16 Year is much more coastal, with a prominent salty seaweed smell layering into the whisky. Interestingly, you can also find a sweet, honeydew and watermelon fruitiness in this whisky, mixed in with some clove and cumin spiciness. Additionally, dry wheat and marzipan also complement the slurry of smells present in this Scotch. The nose is well diversified, complex, and dense. It displays a wide spectrum of aromas that evoke images of tropical paradise.

Arrival: The arrival starts light and soft, portraying a subtle vanilla bean and malt flavor. A slight spiciness will creep into the flavor as the whisky opens up. There is a creamy, buttery flavor in the arrival, with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg coming through later. There is slight fruitiness, with succulent apples and sweet melon that carries into the body. After a few sips, a more salty, peppery flavor becomes pronounced.

Body: The body takes on a blend of salty coastal character and a sweet, fruity flavor. The maltiness is lost in the body and the whisky takes a more bitter, vegetal personality. There is a sound dosage of spices that comes through in the body, with warm cinnamon and cloves.

Finish: The finish ends with a mixture of spices, saltiness, and sweet fruits. It balances well with all of these characteristics, and none seem to over-dominate. The 46% is most pronounced here. The melon character is more prevalent here than in the body, but seems to battle with a peppery, dry finish. There is a dry malty, oak-like character in the finish, with hot spices layering on top. There is an ashy, oak char flavor that works its way into the whisky pretty successfully after a few sips as well.

With Water

Nose: After adding some water, the nose brings out a more custard-like, fruit-yogurt smell, while letting the intense spiciness get a little more bold. There is a little more harsh grain in the whisky at this point as well. Some of the vanilla is pulling through now as well. The whisky is still pleasantly balanced, but the nose seems more harsh now, with a bit more tart sourness in the fruit flavors.

Arrival: There is a much more bold malt flavor in the arrival now, which suits the anCnoc character very well. There is still some spice, and the melon has backed off in the arrival.

Body: The body shows off some beautiful lime flavor (maybe like a key lime pie?), but not in an uncomfortably tart way. This plays along with the gorgeous malty flavor.

Finish: The coastal flavor in the whisky is really coming out now, with the intense spiciness backing off. Between the melon and tart fruits and the sea salt flavors, the balance of this whisky is more enjoyable and the alcohol less noticeable. There is a little bit of smoke that plays into the finish, but it isn’t horribly dominant. It is also a fairly herbal, vegetal finish, containing some fresh mint and parsley. 

Final Comments: This is another wallop of a whisky from anCnoc. There is really an enjoyable, complex whisky with a great spectrum of flavors. It also provides a substantial amount of contrast from the 12 Year. If you get the opportunity to try this, we would recommend it. On the other side of the coin, this can be an intense whisky if you aren’t used to the high content. Again, it is a shame that we feel like teenage whiskies at an affordable price and going extinct, when stuff like this is affordable and amazing. Hopefully we are wrong in that projection, but while this is still available, find it and love it.

 

Why you’d buy it: You like a good well-rounded Highland malt

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You are willing to go for an Old Pulteney 17 Year

Score:  9.25/10

Review 204: Glen Garioch Founder's Reserve

Review 204

3/6/14

Glen Garioch Founder's Reserve: 48% abv

Background: Glen Garioch (Pronounced “Geery”) is a Highland Single Malt Scotch distillery in Aberdeenshire. These guys have been around a while, having been with us since 1797. That being said, here in Michigan, we don’t see a whole lot of them on our shelves. Although Glen Garioch offers a number of “small batch” releases, and what looks to be a standard 12 Year offering, the most common evidence of this Distillery is the Founder’s Reserve No Age Statement whisky. Of all of the statements seen of Glen Garioch, none of them appear to be below 48%. Why don’t we see more of this stuff?! A few observations: at 48% and Non Chill-filtration, this is not a whisky to look away from, not to mention the fact that it is a really affordable buy. Don’t be deterred by the fact that you might not have heard of this whisky. And we’re about to tell you why.

Straight

Nose: This Highland malt displays a very fresh, grainy smell up front, with a very mossy, green smell mixed with the aroma of malt carrying through. Slight vanilla and cookie dough layers on top of the intense grain smell, but is mostly overpowered by a rose water floral scent. The fresh grain and floral scent over-dominates the nose, but pear skin is also noticeable after the whisky opens up.

Arrival: The arrival starts sweet, and then opens up with some intense spiciness. The spiciness includes cinnamon and nutmeg, before leading into a gingery and grassy flavor. There is a slight hint of malt in the arrival, with some herbal flavors as well. After a few sips, the alcohol content of this whisky neat starts to overpower the flavor slightly. There is still some slightly fruity flavor, with grape and pear rind being most prevalent.

Body: As the body progresses, a very green flavor unfolds. There is a some bitter greens and black pepper notes that contribute to a spicy character. The whisky seems young and intense in the body, with some slight citrus zest and mild pear rind.

Finish: The finish becomes malty and contains sweet flavors of vanilla and sugar cookies. There is also some bitter greens and very subtle peat smoke and wood smoke coming through at the end. The finish is dry and fairly complex, contributing a very pure grainy flavor to the whisky. There is an amount of black peppercorn and other spices in the finish, but the higher alcohol content makes it difficult to pick out the complexities.

With Water

Nose: With just a little bit of water, this whisky starts to open up quite a bit. There is a more open fruitiness, with slight lemon and stronger pear notes coming through.

Arrival: The arrival brings on the spiciness a little bit earlier now, with a brilliant mix of sweetness and spice. This plays a perfect balance, and with a bit less of the vegetal greenness that was dominating the whisky beforehand. The whisky still demonstrates a lovely complexity, but balances the whole ensemble a bit better. Some caramel is noticeable after water as well.

Body: The spice in the body is really dominant now, with an almost salty presence. There is still the sugar cookie sweetness in the body, contradicting the spiciness, but it still balances really well. It isn’t as ideal as in the beginning, albeit it maintains an enjoyable status.

Finish: The finish maintains the grainy, vegetal quality from before, while leaving a trail of intense, hot spiciness to enjoy. There is still a major peppercorn and classic Highland malt grain, with a tinge of wood smoke and oak char.

Final Comments: In general, this is what I would describe as a great entry level Scotch for the more mature Scotch drinker. This is the opposite end of the spectrum from your sweet Speyside Glenlivet 12 Year, having earthy, vegetal flavors aplenty and a warm, strong spiciness to enjoy. Although this whisky isn’t necessarily for the faint of heart, it is a very good offering. I think it would be a treat for anybody who had a more eclectic pallet for Scotches. If we ever see another bottle of Glen Garioch in Michigan, there is no doubt we will want to try that one too.

 

Why you’d buy it: You are looking for the complexity and quality of an affordable Highland malt with earthy flavors.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You still haven’t realized that Glenlivet and Glenfiddich aren’t the only Scotch whiskies out there.

Score:  8.5/10

Review 202: Glendronach 15 Year Revival

Review 202

1/25/14

Glendronach 15 Year Revival: 46% abv

Background: This whisky just recently made it into Michigan. At a good price and a good presentation, KCM is more than excited to have this whisky in Michigan. Earlier last year, we reviewed Glendronach 12 Year (Review # 162, 5/25/13), and found it to be a decent alternative at a reasonable price. The 12 Year, as a reminder, is aged with PX and Oloroso sherry casks. The 15 Year, at 46%, is aged in Oloroso sherry casks exclusively. As a result, this is one of the darkest looking whiskies we’ve ever reviewed, but it is natural color. This whisky is rather pricy, so the question is: does this compete well with the other sherry Scotches we can buy on the shelf today, like Aberlour, Balvenie, and Macallan?  Let’s find out.

Straight

Nose: This whisky starts off with an unsurprising portion of sherry prominence and a healthy portion of raison smell, which is rich and flavorful right off of the bat. Contributing to the sweetness is a rich smell of vanilla and caramel, with a dry cocoa in the back. There is some woodiness in it, close to oak and catalpa. To add contrast, some floral aromas add overtones of bitterness to the nose. There is a little bit of rich cherry and apple flavor in the nose, with a subtlety of malt and wheat graininess helping contributing to the aroma. There is some sweet marmalade that accentuates the sweetness of the nose. There is a mild saltiness in the whisky, but it certainly doesn’t present itself as overly dominant. An additional spiciness of clove and cinnamon are noticeable. Finally, a small hint of earthiness is present in smell.            

Arrival: The arrival starts off with a really syrupy mouthfeel, a thick sherry taste, with a hot spiciness. There are rich fruits of apple and raisons, along with hot cinnamon and clove. There is a big presence of maple and molasses on the arrival. There is also a confectionary sweetness in the arrival, almost like cookie dough.

Body: The body is where the spiciness kicks into overdrive. There is a note of apple and sweet sherry, with tart huckleberry adding to the thickness. There is a lot of earthiness and greenness in the body. There is a taste of Angostura Bitters in the body.

Finish: The finish provides a blast of sherry after it resides from the body. There is a large amount of spiciness in the finish, with cinnamon, gingerbread and clove most prevalent. There is a very malty presence here in the finish. A fresh mintiness is noticeable as the whisky fades down. There is a surprising vegetal quality in the finish. The barrel really comes out in this whisky.

With Water

Nose: There is a lot more oakiness in the whisky from before. The spiciness is getting a lot bigger here than before, with clove being the distinguishing smell. A slightly more vegetal note is coming through, with a little bit of burning tobacco on the nose as well. In addition, there is a note of brown sugar available.

Arrival: The arrival is much more grain forward than before, with the maltiness being more forward than before. The spice is in perfect play with the sweetness, with the sherry being in perfect proportion.

Body: The body lends itself to a good blend of grain, spiciness, and sherry. This has a lot going on, and is in perfect distribution.

Finish: The finish is a perfect blend of different flavors, dialing in the medley of spiciness, grain, sherry and saltiness. This whole thing has become much more balanced. The dry spiciness is what tends to last through the finish the most.

Final Comments: This is absolutely what it should be. This is a beautiful blend of spiciness, maltiness, and the fantastic sherry flavor that contribute to a perfect balance. When you first see this spirit, you might be wary that this will be overly sweet and syrupy up front, but it is absolutely not that at all. This is one of the finest examples of sherried Scotch we have yet to try (there are still plenty to be tried, mind you). The complexity is there, and with just a little bit of water, it was hard for us to even focus on tasting notes. My recommendation is if you get a chance to try this Scotch, don’t hesitate. It is worth the money, and we will be trying to make this last.

 

Why you’d buy it: You don’t like the color green.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You don’t like sherried Scotch, and therefore you’re probably a bad person.

Score: 9.75 /10

Review 201: Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon

Review 201

1/19/14

Blanton’s Single Barrel: 46.5% abv

Background: Blanton’s is a bourbon that is distilled at Buffalo Trace distillery. It is owned by Sazerac Company and was launched in 1984. With the very popular Kentucky Derby rooted in the traditions of many distilleries, a nifty horse figurine is placed on every bottle of Blanton’s, with 8 different figurines available (each representing a letter of BLANTONS). Collect them all (or don’t)! This is a high rye bourbon, made from mash bill #2. It is advertised as the first single barrel bourbon bottled, which really offers very little relevance to what this tastes like or if it’s worth your time…so we’ll focus on that.

Straight

Nose: This bourbon starts off with a blend of elegant, sweet, creamy flavors. A medley of berries and cherries, cream and vanilla are huge right off the bat. There is almost a sense of cheesecake in here. A nice smooth custard flavor is noticeable. A subtle oak layers in the nose, with rye coming out more as the whiskey opens up. Along with the rye, more apple and vinegar are showing up in the whiskey as well. The apple is a lot like stewed apples with cinnamon. To contrast the big sweet notes, floral notes are also present in the whisky. There is some brown sugar and cinnamon contributing more to the whisky.

Arrival: The arrival is spicy and rye-forward. There is honey on the arrival with a bit of clove adding to the spicy zing. There are notes of brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg present. There is a definite oak, with some grain. The mouth-feel starts syrupy.

Body: The body is much busier than the arrival, with leather, rye, and wood tannins up front. There is a cherry syrup flavor, followed by apples and cinnamon. There is a lot of spice in the body too.

Finish: The finish is spicy and well rounded, with plenty of rye, oak, and fruit. There is clove, cinnamon, ginger, mint and pepper present in the finish, with some cherry sweetness to close out the rye-driven spice. The finish also contains a bit of the leather character from before. There is a little earthy char flavor in the finish.

With Water

Nose: After adding water, there is much more leather and grain flavor coming through. Along with a slight increase in vanilla smell, a small amount of acetone can be detected in the aroma.

Arrival: The arrival dulls out a lot, containing just a bit of additional spiciness.

Body: The addition of water really kills this whiskey in the body. There is not much to speak of. The whiskey even starts to taste a little young after adding water, getting back to the new-make taste.

Finish: The finish is a little more well-rounded than before, with a slightly noticeable malt flavor becoming evident. A little bit of that new make carries through into the finish, with a residual spiciness but less presence.

Final Comments: Blanton’s fits into a very specific niche. Although Blanton’s isn’t the end all, be all, it is a really solid offering. If you are looking for an easy to drink Bourbon that isn’t as sweet as some of the alternatives, then this is a great alternative. It doesn’t have the complexity to skyrocket it into our top ranks, but it does offer something in balance that can be hard to find in bourbons.

 

Why you’d buy it: You want a nice sipping whisky.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You are looking for something to sit down and think about.

Score: 8.5/10