November '11

My Dear Friends and Esteemed Guests,

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, I begin this month’s letter with a note of gratitude: thank you all for helping me to make some warm and wonderful memories over plentiful drams of some of the best whiskies known to mankind - each made better by the fellowship of like-minded connoisseurs and seekers of endless whisky wisdom.  We’ve shared many laughs and raised some ruckus along the way, and all in the spirit of the Spirit that’s graced our tables for the last five+ years.

And though our regular events must, as all good things tend to do, be at an end for a time, I am sure there will be the odd event that will draw us together again en masse.  Until then, let’s all celebrate the memories, and the friendships we’ve shared, and lift, as often as possible, a glass to one another.  Life is short, be sure to embrace and celebrate it fully!

November brought us together to delve into the Balvenie in great detail.  The event was made better, in my humble opinion, by the first-hand experience I acquired in my recent trip to Caledonia.  I must admit that there is something in the air over there that makes the whisky just so enjoyable, but I concede that our own tasting came in a damned close second.  Balvenie has never been a stranger to our table, but this month’s focused review seemed to bring it nearer to our hearts than ever.

First up was the Balvenie DoubleWood.  Aged for 10 years in first fill and refill American Oak barrels, and then finished for two years in ex-Sherry butts, the DoubleWood is a veritable giant among whiskies.  Rich and well rounded, the DoubleWood is ripe with fruit and soft Sherry notes.  On the nose, we discerned honey and vanilla, a certain nuttiness and warm spices.  The palate was won over by this smooth, mellow dram’s sweet sherry, almond praline, and hints of cinnamon.  The DoubleWood has historically earned around 7.9, but this month it did better, pulling its overall average up to an 8.0, tying the Nectar D’Or and Lagavulin 16 on our List.  You will recall that we left some of this to linger in our glasses, and over time it developed into the most luxurious crème brulee.  Oh thou versatile wee rascal!

The Caribbean Cask 14 year old was next.  Once again, Honeyed fruit notes and orange citrus toyed with our olfactory receptors.  Oak and spice tickled the nose, and a certain hint of rum was evident underneath it all.  It was a true champion on the palate however, with its tropical sweetness and toasted oakiness.  It was remarked that, for the lover of both whisky and rum, there could be no other drink!  The finish was long and warm, with the signature Balvenie spice lingering.  The Caribbean Cask emerged well up in our rankings, earning a tie with the Talisker 10, currently holding the top spot among all the “younger” single malts.  Well done, laddie!

The 15 year old Single Barrel was the next specimen under (or rather, in) our glass.  Aged the entire 15 years in ex-Bourbon barrels, this whisky truly shined.  Fragrant with vanilla and light florals, and the sweet perfume of dry oak, we eagerly advanced to the tasting.  Rich and complex, malty and sweet vanilla notes danced on our tongues.  The cinnamon and allspice notes were there, but delicate.  The finish was long and complex, bringing along satisfying notes of anise.  We awarded this well developed dram an 8.1, only marginally behind the Caribbean cask.

Last up came the 21 year old Port Wood.  This one earns a respectable “Wow!”  Raisins and over-ripe apricots backed with a light nuttiness toyed with our senses.  In the mouth, this peg was creamy smooth and silky.  Rich, ripe fruits typical of a sherried whisky, filled the mouth - but every flavor was brighter.  Sweet honey and holiday pie spices mingled with that ever present nuttiness; pecan stuffed dates rolled in brown sugar, perhaps?  The finish was long and soft, and left us eager for more.  In return for the wonderful gift the 21 year old Port Wood gave us, we awarded this whisky our top spot overall, with a well-earned 9.1, topping both the Glenmorangie and Macallan 18 year olds.

To every thing there is a time and a season, and the season for our Third Thursday Club now closes on its Autumn.  But I am assured that I will see you all again in due time.  Until then, may your days be filled with good cheer, and may your glass always be more than half full...

       Sláinte,

      

October 2011

My Dear Friends and Esteemed Guests,


I write this letter with great excitement, my trip to the well spring of our beloved water of life so imminent.  The quick task of hanging spooky decorations, dolling out candy, and then putting away those same decorations, which has consumed my time these last few days, is now done, and I can turn my attention back to the Club.  So before I run off to fair Caledonia, let’s review our October tasting.


I have to say that I rather enjoyed focusing on a single distillery; it provided the opportunity to learn more about regional and historical influence on the distillery and its product (and made my research time much less intense!).  This month we focused on the Macallan.  In future months it may be easier to detect the core characteristics of the distillery and to explore the development of those traits over time in the barrel, but with Macallan we were somewhat limited to only two vintages of each of the traditional sherry cask and oak varietals.  Well, perhaps that was enough…


Although we could not taste it here, the Macallan’s new make, most indicative of the distillery’s “true spirit”, is said to be a clean, green fruit, malty whisky, fat / oily in the mouth, with a long finish.  How did it evolve under the guidance of the Master?


Our first tasting was of the Macallan 10 year old Fine Oak.  This pale colored whisky sports 43% ABV, but presented its alcohol to the nose and palate like something much stronger.  The whisky was otherwise light in flavor, with crisp, green fruit and pine notes.  There were hints of cereal, but the wood seems to have made these dry and ethereal.  The finish lingered, with a predominant oakiness.  Water helped this dram, making it more approachable all around.  Our most estimable panel of judges awarded this dram a 6.6 overall score, placing it in the bottom third of “The List”.


Macallan’s 12 year old was up next.  This sherried whisky is no stranger to our table, having been sampled in November ‘10 and July ‘11, and probably again in the dark years prior to our recreation of “The List”.  Perhaps there was a bit of recency bias, having just stepped away from the drier, crisper 10 year old, but upon taking a peg off this dram a resounding “oh, yes!” arose from the crowd.  This dram was noticeably darker, and presented to the nose with richer, deeper fruit notes.  It was smooth, perhaps oily, in the mouth, with fruitcake emerging immediately; dried sweet fruits like figs or dates.  Where the oak’s light nuttiness was like walnut, this was more clearly chestnut.  The finish was brown sugar sweet with the consistency of molasses.  We provided this a 7.9, which is a considerable step up in the rankings.


The 15 year Fine Oak came next.  Although many of the same notes experienced in the 10 year old were present here as well, the extra aging went a long way to round these out.  The result was a much more approachable whisky: very light ethereal notes on the nose, with orange peel and caramel emerging.  Still oaky, but now the apples were cider and the pears, stewed.  Caramel and malt come forward on the palate as well.  The finish, while long, seemed lighter than the 10’s.  The lesson learned is, if you are going to drink the Fine Oak, go for the extra aging!  We scored this specimen a full point higher than its younger cousin, with a 7.6.


Our last up, and only for those willing to sport the extra few quid, was the Macallan 18, aged in traditional sherry butts.  We also tried this whisky in July ‘11, and with the same result.  A magnificent spirit, wrapped in warm, rich fruits, with a lingering sweet, but not overbearing, finish.  The whisky had a rich oiliness in the mouth and the bouquet was complex and deep, with ripe fruits and molasses.  Moist cake notes rose on the palate, with figs and raisins, and a hint of smokiness on the way down.  A wonderful balance between the distillery’s fat, fruity, and oily style and the effects of the wine barrel it ages so long in.  We provided an 8.9 to this dram, which leaves it squarely tied for our top spot among the whiskies we’ve tasted over the last two years.


I’m very much looking forward to bringing back stories of my trip to the Balvenie Distillery when we meet to taste their whiskies in November.  Until then, my warmest regards,
 

       Sláinte,

      

post script: you can review the list on our site by clicking the “The List” icon.

July 2011

My Dearest Friends & Esteemed Guests,

August is upon us, and our last tasting of the current series will be here before we know it (and there will be Talisker!).  This summer has been a wonderful one, full of glorious sunshine, free of too much rain and therefore the much dreaded lawn mowing, and alive with vacations, get-aways, and, of course, the occasional dram.  Before we bring it to a close however, let us reflect on our July tasting...

Once again we crossed multiple regional lines during the event, and once again introduced a fine specimen of an older vintage whisky.  

The first of our samplings was the Macallan 12 year old, Sherry Oak.  Macallan proved a tasty dram.  The pale gold color led us to believe it would be lighter and show more oaky flavors.  Deceptive mistress!  Sherry and dried fruits were immediately nosed, with hints of toffee.  She was creamy with sherry's typical rich fruitiness balanced by hints of cedar (perhaps sandalwood?) and a touch of smoke, proved Macallan a well balanced dram.  We assented to scoring the Macallan 12 year old a respectable 7.3 overall.

Next up was our vintage expression, the Macallan 18 year old.  What a difference a little age makes!  It has been written that the 18 year mark is the perfect age for most drams, and the Macallan 18 lives up to the promise.  Fruits and wood spice once again play on the nose, but the wood has gone on to develop more citrus and vanilla notes.  A hint of cinnamon teases the senses.  On the palate, cloves and oranges come to the fore, and the finish presents more smoke than does its younger cousin.  Rich and succulent, we were pleased to provide the Macallan 18 with a tie for our highest score ever, a well deserved 9.0.

Oban 14 has always been a solid performer, and July was no exception.  The golden, "Gateway to the Isles" dram is malty and full bodied, with a particularly maritime flavor.  The salt-spice comes through, with a hint of lemon citrus and a whiff of smoke.  It finishes smooth and long, leaving a bit of spice behind.  Our perception of Oban could have been much worse following the Macallan 12, but it held its own, in fact it improved over its last scoring, earning itself a solid 7.6 in August.

Last up for the evening, and a bit out of place amongst the other samplings, was the Laphroaig 10 year old.  It is a shame that more of us prone to Islay's phenolic frenzy were not present, as I'm sure a more full debate over the charms of Laphroaig's medicinal qualities would have ensued.  As it was, we spent our time in debate over whether "bandaids" or "iodine" more aptly captured the (somewhat disdained) essence of the stuff we were drinking.  Laphroaig's unique character scored very well with about a third of our tasters, and extremely poorly with the others, rounding out a 6.9 average for the evening.

Eager to step away from my keyboard and into the summer a little longer, I shall stop here, but remain ever yours, sincerely,

   Sláinte,

    

June 2011

My Dear Friends & Esteemed Guests,

I must begin, as so often these days, with an apology for my tardiness in sending along this reflection of our last evening together.  I rest assured however, that the recent beautiful weather and the festivities surrounding our Independence Day weekend kept you otherwise enjoined and therefore you did not overly miss my commentary.

Another light session, we set out with eight attendees in search of scores for three whiskies and for a first hand exploration of an older vintage.  We ended up, by happen-stance, enjoying a string of truly fine whiskies!

The first to be tasted was Glenmorangie 10 year old "The Original".  At 10 years old, the Original turned out to be the toddler of the evening, but it still made an excellent showing!  Light, clean and delicately spicy (hints of sandalwood and cedar) marked this whisky, distilled in the tallest stills in Scotland.  Vanilla and light citrus came through as well, and this was attributed to the fact that the aging of the 10 year old is done exclusively in ex-Bourbon casks.  The finish was short and to the point, leaving the taster wanting another.  The Original earned a 7.0 overall, though I venture it would have done better had its competition not been so spectacular.

Next up (for those willing to pay the extra $10) was the 10 year old's older brother: the 18 year old "Extremely Rare".  The extra aging is evident right from the start with this sample of the amber bead showing a very long-legged intense gold color.  After 15 years of maturation, approximately 1/3 of the spirit that will end up in this bottle is aged for another 3 years in Spanish Oloroso casks.  This whisky is then married back together with the whiskies aged for 18 years in American Oak, to produce a smooth, rich, full bodied version of the 10 year old.  Dried fruits and sherry notes pleased the palate, and the finish was long and rich.  This delicious dram found its way to our hearts scoring the evening's - and our club history's - highest score of 9.0.  Outstanding!

Thanks to a clerical error, our next whisky was the Highland Park 18 year old.  What a wonderful surprise to stumble upon.  It's been written that the 18 is the best year for Highland Park, and I think our panel would agree (and this is certified by comparing to the Highland Park 12's standing score).  This specimen was a rich golden color in our glasses, and showed nice legs.  On the nose it was heather and honey, with the Highland Park signature hint of smoke.  The palate displayed an interesting balance of flavors, though none stood out on their own: honey (again), lightly floral, cinnamon, and finishing with light smoke and spice (ginger?) on the way down.  The HP earned a 7.6; a full 1.1 points higher than its younger cousin.

Last up, and for good reason, was Islay's Lagavulin 16 year old.  Lagavulin holds the reigning lead on "The List" (up until tonight's Glenmorangie 18, that is) at 8.1.  As always, each dark, swirling glass of Lagavulin delivered a robust, smoky, and somewhat medicinal experience.  Iodine, salt and seaweed arise from the well peated malt, followed by a deep sweetness that lingers into the finish.  Words aren't adequate to describe the complexity of this dram, and the reader is urged to go get a glass at their earliest convenience!  Tonight we gave this peat monster a 7.8, which, undoubtedly due to the comparators, will have a negative impact on its overall average, and therefore standing.

I would be hard pressed to achieve the same level of excellence at our next tasting, but the line-up appears rather impressive in its own right!  Please do what you can to attend our tasting on July 21st.  Until then...

Sláinte,

May 2011

My Dear Friends & Esteemed Guests,

Rochester’s version of Summer must finally be upon us.  The rain has begun to let up, the first East End Fest was just held, and an abundance of competition for our attention has begun its depreciatory effect on attendance at our tastings.  I am personally looking forward to being able to spend more time shooting for birds (in either the clay or one-under par varieties).

Foreknowledge of declining summer attendance is precisely why we turned our attentions, for the current series, back to the basics and to rebuilding The List [note that the List is posted on the website, which you can get to via the links below].  We began in April using an alphabetical approach, and continued this in May with our tasting of a “D” and two “G’s”.

Our first whisky was the Dalmore 12 year old.  Dalmore (Gaelic for “the big meadowland”) is a Highland whisky produced in the north of Scotland overlooking the Cromarty Firth.  It’s just about 20 minutes south of Glenmorangie and, in many ways, is similar in style.  Dalmore’s still houses are anything but the norm.  Their stills are flat-topped and their lyne arms extend out the side of their stills, each of which is a different size.  These apparent oddities are the drivers of Dalmore’s complexity; and it was clear in our tasting that this complexity is much appreciated.  The sherry casks used to mature the whisky were evident in the mahogany color and sweetness on the nose.  Oranges, marmalade, and warm spices came through clearly.  The palate was rich and fruity, perhaps fruitcake, with plenty of citrus and a hint of vanilla.  Dalmore took the night for us, scoring a 7.5 overall.

The next two drams have graced our table before, long ago, during our “Battle of the Glens”.  Together they are the number 1 and number 2 selling whiskies in the world and are to be honored for having opened the world markets to Single Malt Scotch.  Without these fellows, we would not be meeting, and I would not be sharing this newsletter!  That said, they did not perform as well overall as one would expect, though a few of our attendees scored them quite highly.

The Glenlivet 12 year old (Gaelic for “Glen of the River Livet”, Livet being the Gaelic for “a smooth place”) was up first.  The first licensed distillery, and only allowed to be called THE Glenlivet, is the number one selling whisky in the US, and number 2 in the world.  It is a full bodied whisky, clearly made to appeal to a broad consumer segment, no (or damned little) peatiness, and aged primarily in oak.  Clean and simple on the nose, showing some maltiness and a hint of sweet spice, it is clearly a delicate malt.  We found a light sweetness and plenty of vanilla, honey, and citrus on the palate.  The Glenlivet earned only a 6.3 overall, placing it last in our assessment.

Our final peg of the evening (well, the last one we officially tasted anyway) was the Glenfiddich 12 year old.  Glenfiddich (Gaelic for “Valley of the Deer”) is the number 1 selling whisky in the world; it was opened in 1886 and is one of the very rare distilleries to remain, to this day, in the hands of the family of its founder, William Grant - the man who, five years after opening Glenfiddich, opened the Balvenie on the same plot of land.  Glenfiddich owes much of its success to being the only distillery that did not cut back production during the US Prohibition - they believed the market would explode once Prohibition was lifted, and they were right!  The Glenfiddich comes to us much as the Glenlivet did: medium-bodied, clear and clean, fresh and lightly fragrant, malty.  It is distinctive and well balanced, with rich fruits (we remarked that the Glenlivet showed more citric fruitiness, whereas the Glenfiddich were softer, more sugary fruits; pears or peaches).  A trace of peat arrives in the finish.  We scored the Glenfiddich a 7.3.

I leave the country for a week beginning tomorrow, so will be incommunicado until just before our next tasting.  I am planning on offering, for a slight extra price, a more advanced whisky along with the standard slate during our next tasting.  If you are be interested, be sure to attend - and if you can, let me know of your interest in advance so K---- and I can make the appropriate arrangements!

       Sláinte,

April 2011

My Dear Friends and Esteemed Guests,

April’s results must begin with a very wet welcome, having accumulated the most rain Rochester has ever seen in one month.  No doubt you’ve probably recognized that the water from Heaven is not as good, when consumed for a prolonged period of time, as our water of life ...that is, whisky.

We returned this month to the basics, tasting whisky without all the frills and education, in an attempt to begin rebuilding “the List”.  We have quite a few new regular attendees now, and it is only fitting that we re-establish our scores based on the new collective pallet.  The benefit of having completed our last few learning cycles is that they ought to have better educated us as to what to expect from the glass, to better appreciate the nuances of our favored dram, and to help up along our all important quest for the perfect whisky.  Now let us put our dogs to the hunt!

It seemed only fitting that we begin our journey at the beginning: with an A, a B, and a C...

Aberlour 12 was first up.  Founded in the Speyside region by James Fleming in 1879, Aberlour (Gaelic for ‘mouth of the noisy burn’) uses water that has filtered through granite and layers of peat.  They procure their barley, basically un-peated, from a central malting company.  This dram was medium bodied, and amber gold with ruby highlights, indicative of its time spent in sherry casks.  Fruity and winey, the Aberlour was a good representative of a traditional Speyside - a fine balance of sweet and spicy, red apple, but with a bit of stale alcohol noticeable until water was added.  The Aberlour made its debut at our table this month, scoring a moderate 7.0.

The Balvenie Double Wood was next up.  Since its first appearance at the Third Thursday Club, the Balvenie has gone on to become a favorite dram among many of our regulars.  The distillery was founded by William Grant in 1892, five years after he established the Glenfiddich.  Full of body and medium gold in color, it is clear that care has been taken in the preparation and maturation of this whisky.  The most traditionally made of all single malt Scotch whiskies, at least 10 years in ex-bourbon American oak, and another two to three years in ex-sherry casks provide the Balvenie with a mellow richness and a complexity that sets it apart.  Sweet, almost fruitcake like notes appear on the nose.  This is followed by rich, soft fruits on the pallet, pears perhaps?  There was a hint of alcohol present - enough to provide a warming effect, but not as evident as in the evening’s first glass.  The Balvenie scored a respectable 7.8 this month, a tick behind its usual 8+ rating, but enough to take the evening.

The Cragganmore has also filled our cups before.  Cragganmore (Gaelic for ‘great rock’) was founded in 1869 by John Smith, the son of George Smith who founded the Glenlivet Distillery.  Cragganmore uses flat-topped, T-shaped lye pipes (the pipes at the top of the first still that capture and carry the distilled vapors to the second still).  The resulting increase in reflux of condensate into the boiling wash is credited with producing the Distillery’s unique flavor profile.  Few or no sherry casks are used in the maturation process, and the dram comes to the glass pure gold in color, medium bodied, and complex.  Sweet florals, vanilla, and a honeyed oakiness are characteristic of the peg.  Lightly smoky (perhaps incense?) and with hints of malt, the Cragganmore finishes long and light.  The 12, though complex and generally well received, has seen better days with us.  In April, it took only a 6.9, but it’s a scrapper and I expect it will rise again in some future tasting.

Happy belated Easter to you all, and best wishes for a drier, warmer Spring than we’ve seen so far.

And until next month, when we return to the regular Thursday meeting and the next few letters of the alphabet, I bid you,

       Sláinte,

  

February 2011

My Dear Friends & Esteeemed Guests,

It seems so long since we met, but February is a short month, and time tends to fly as the days stretch and the weather perks up. I am glad to report that our last meeting was our most well attended ever. We had thirty people in attendance, twenty seven of whom sampled and scored Scotland’s finer wares. And, lest I forget, there is a free tasting at our beloved Old Toad on Wednesday, the 9th of March at 3:00 PM. Please be sure to let Kevin know if you plan to attend.


I would be remiss not to mention - in advance of the occasion - that March’s meeting is NOT a formal tasting; it is a social gathering (as much as I love entertaining, I must take a month off each year and simply celebrate the whisky without all the research, collateral development, and requisite fanfare). Furthermore, this will be the first time in the five plus years of our association that our gathering has fallen on a “holiday”. However serendipitous it appears, the first such occasion being St. Patrick’s Day, it is never-the-less a challenge to find a place to gather amid all the revelry and madness. Never daunted, we will do what we can!


We complete the last of our Nosing Course in February. I am sure you will agree with me when I assert that it was worth the wait to get to the (non Islay) “Islands”. Defying clear classification, the Islands region is, technically, part of the Highlands. Each island seems to have its own characteristic; a certain oily, maritime character being the common thread. There are a few Coastal Highland whiskies that exude the olfactory and tactile reminders of the sea, and these are sometimes grouped together with the Islands’ drams. The more sheltered among the (currently) seven whisky producing island distilleries, such as Arran and Tobermory, produce a more genteel dram, but these are the exception; note that Tobermory also produces Ledaig, a clear example of the peated Islands style. From the more wind-swept and adventurous of the islands come whiskies as salty as any dog ever to have sailed the Seven Seas, and at least one that will ignite a wild fire in your belly!


The particular scents we went after at the February tasting included Malty and Citrus, both of which we put our noses to before. These are introduced during malting and fermentation, respectively. “Grain-like”, “biscuit”, and “burnt” are some expressions along the Malty scale, and a certain cake-like sweetness may be found. Citrus needs no explanation, “lemon” and “orange” are present so often that it would be redundant to discuss the scale any further here. We have also nosed and discussed the Smoky range on more than one occasion, but it is important to remind the reader that “salty” actually arises on this scale. The introduction of “saltiness” may come at one of two places in the production process: the first is during kilning of the malt, where the smoke of the burning peat may introduce the flavor. The second is during maturation, where salty sea air interacts for years with the precious liquid stored in quietly slumbering casks. There are some passionate debates relative to which of these is the more probable cause, but I, for one, am content that the effect happens at all!


We enjoined to test three samples, the first of which being my personal favorite - and the source of some consternation over the impact of its domineering character on the rest of the tasting. Talisker 10 year, “The lava of the Cuillins”, has been a constant favorite among our members - even taking second place among our Best of the Best. The best way to characterize this dram is to reminisce of bonfires on a summer evening on an ocean beach. And it’s easy to see why The Isle of Skye is home to both this whisky and to the Viking MacLeods… Talisker 10 scored a 7.8, clearly continuing its tradition of leadership.


Our next expression was Oban 14 year. This coastal whisky is, as much in the glass as in the town it is named for, “The Gateway to the Isles”. There is something of a beautiful marriage between Highland and Island styles in this whisky, which invokes rich sweetness and fruits, with sea-salt, spices, and a peaty smokiness that fill the mouth. Oban took our second position, earning for itself a respectable 7.3 overall.


The last glass was Highland Park 12 year, although a few were pleased to receive the 18 year as a result of the sheer size of our crowd draining the available reserves. The famed whisky journalist Michael Jackson touted this as “the greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whisky”, but it has never received quite so nice a reception at our events. Highland Park is in fact a very well-balanced malt, with sweetness and smokiness in proportion, a high level of maltiness on the palate, and a heathery, teasing finish. But this subtlety may be just “on the fence” enough to belie the almost magical skill of Highland’s Master Distiller. Perhaps this is a dram better sampled on its own, the result of our tasting being a somewhat disappointing 6.5.


We will begin, after March’s brief reprieve, to re-score “The List” - so tragically lost in the sinking of our prior web site. On the bright side however, there has never been a better excuse to sip a dram with good friends and enlightened aficionados!


Until then,


Sláinte,