Whisky2.0

Authenticity in Scotch Whisky

2015-01-17T22:45:00.002-08:00

I read this article in the New York Times during the holiday break at the end of 2014 and it really resonated with me. My first love in Scotch whisky was Bruichladdich and I could never express exactly why it pleased me so much. They really did attract attention on the shelf at the liquor store and the product was good. But there must have been more to it than that.

The more I learned about who they were and about why they made whisky convinced me that it was their authenticity of product and purpose. As a former Marketing professional, I really appreciate a strong brand and they have always been tough to ignore, and perhaps tough to love due to their unusually diverse product portfolio.

The more I discovered that I liked their products, I came to like that Bruichladdich was* owned by people who were passionate about the place (Islay), about the distillery itself and its history, about the people who live in the area, and about having a positive impact on local economy and the planet - and of course, about putting their own stamp on single-malt Scotch whisky.

I find that I really like whisky when it's about more than just what's in the bottle (though as my most recent blog post will indicate, I don't like everything I drink...). I find that I generally like whisky better when it has a solid back-story.

For instance, I also really like the products of William Grant and Sons (you may have had their products: The Balvenie, The Glenfiddich, Tullamore Dew - the latter being an Irish whiskey product), to this day a family owned operation. In this age of massive drinks conglomerates, I find it's amazing that a "small" family-owned company is able to produce the largest-selling single-malt whisky - at least as of 2012 - (The Glenfiddich) and is able to compete with much larger, much more diversified companies.

I don't only drink the products of independently or family -owned whiskies - I'm just saying that I really like it when the little guy can get some traction in a highly competitive market and can use their personality to stand out from the crowd. If the whisky tastes good to me**, I'll keep trying more expressions from them.

* Note: Bruichladdich was acquired by Rémy Cointreau in July of 2012 and they seem to be honoring their statement that they intended to keep it focused on locally sourced and hand-crafted products. I've been enjoying their three different stable product lines and believe that their quality has been maintained, at least as far as I can tell.

** I hope you'll take my statements about whisky brands as a hint that a whisky might be worth investigating. I encourage people to try as many different whisky expressions as they can, so they can learn what they like. There are probably about 2000 different single malts on the market as I write this, and there are a lot of good choices across all styles priced under $100...many under $50. As you can see, there are many reasons to like a product, beyond the obvious (Do you like it?).

The Islay image is from Wikipedia and the attribution is as follows: "Islay topographic map-en" by Ayack - Own work ;Topography : NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM3 v.2) data (public domain) edited with 3DEM and dlgv32 Pro and vectorized with Inkscape ; UTM projection ; WGS84 datum ; shaded relief (composite image of N-W, W and N lightning positions) ;Bathymetry : USGov public domain data provided by Demis (see the approval e-mail and the Demis forum) ;Reference used for the additional data : Magic ;Locator map : Sting's composition of Image:British_Isles_Northern_Ireland.svg, Image:British_Isles_Scotland.svg and Image:British_Isles_Wales.svg (modified) created by Cnbrb under PD ;Note: The shaded relief is a raster image embedded in the SVG file.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

A Tale of Two Whiskies in One Bottle

2015-01-12T20:25:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday my wife was in Trader Joe's and she's in the habit of checking the whisky selection and has a sense of what I like. (Yes, I am very lucky!) She found a bottle of 17-year-old "Isle of Mull" whisky that intrigued me. I told her to get it ($60 is a pretty good price for a whisky that old).

I knew there was only one distillery on Mull: Tobermory. They make 2 different single-malts: Ledaig (pronounced "lah-CHIG") and the eponymous Tobermory. This particular bottle being sold by TJ's was distilled in 1996 and at 17 years old it must have been bottled in 2013 or 2014.

Ledaig is peated, and Tobermory is not...so, which one is in my bottle? Tonight I opened the whisky and it's definitely not Ledaig.

I've never had Tobermory before, and I have to say I don't like it. I'm not proficient at whisky writing (i.e., reviews of whisky, describing the flavors and smells), and so I try to simply decide whether I like something enough to want to have it again. For me, there is no need to score things on a 100-point scale, or even a 5-point scale.

One of my favorite quotes is attributed to Einstein and I think it applies here: "...everything should be as simple as it can be, but not simpler." I only need 2 points on my scale:

I liked it
I didn't like it

I really try to give myself enough of a chance to make a decision. The reason I don't like to have a deep scale is that I find it virtually impossible to compare two different whiskies to each other - they are all so different. How am I supposed to compare an Islay to a Lowland Scotch? Heck, it's even hard to compare two whiskies from Bruichladdich!!

With my system, I do not have to imagine comparing whiskies to each other - only to the scale. If I say I don't like it, I'd politely refuse it even if it were offered to me for free. I don't say "don't like" lightly. I actually have to spend more time contemplating my 2-point scale than you'd think. I think this scale gives me more freedom to enjoy whisky, and more incentive to really ponder what I like, as opposed to what the whisky brings to the glass.

The Hard Way vs. The Easy Way

2014-03-23T12:54:00.001-07:00

I saw this book today and was immediately struck by the fact that, unlike home brewing, home distilling is a seriously dangerous (and in many places, likely illegal) undertaking. If your still blows up, kiss your homeowners insurance goodbye.

I prefer buying whisky: Lots of choice and virtually no danger factor.

Oban 21 at The Albion River Inn

2014-03-06T21:33:00.002-08:00

On my last night at the Albion River Inn, I treated myself to a serving of Oban 21.

I was lucky to have the first serving from a new bottle, number 1,040 of only 2,860 bottles that Diageo will make available.

The whisky (to me) had nutty qualities on the nose (marzipan, hazelnut) as well as pepper, and as I added more water I got dried fruits like cherries and sugar syrup. The combination of fruits and sugar syrup reminded me of a hint of cough syrup. The nose on the finish had lovely complex wood notes (vanilla, leather, tobacco).

Just the facts:

Oban 21 Year Old Limited Edition Single Malt Whisky
Cask strength; 58.5% ABV

Opens up nicely with a bit of water - I got hints of cinnamon as I added tiny amounts of water

Thanks again to Chelsea and Laura for making sure I had a chance to sample this very rare dram!

Whisky Tourism

2014-03-05T11:45:00.001-08:00

You know that stand-up comic who says: "You might be a redneck if..."? Well, if you take a vacation just to drink at a bar with a legendary whisky collection? You might be a serious whisky fan.

I found such a place in Mendocino County, about 120 miles from San Francisco. It's the Albion River Inn. This is the view from my cabin (note: skies are not blue at this time of year!):

Near as I can tell, this is the best time of the year to visit. I'm guessing they don't get many visitors in the rainy season, so the room rates were discounted. Don't worry, you'll spend the savings in the world class bar. That's a joke: The prices in the bar are excellent, so you'd be hard pressed to drink that much.

I have been here since Sunday (2-Mar-2014). I've had:

Talisker - 175th Anniversary bottling

Recommended by our waiter, David -- great choice!

Port Ellen, 8th release

55.3% ABV
Distilled in 1978, bottled in 2008 (29 years old)

Inchmurrin 28

43% ABV
The only expression I didn't care for

I always say you have to try new things...especially at $19.50/serving!

I had never heard of this distillery, so I did some research (on my own blog...)

Turns out Inchmurrin is not a distillery, it's a brand produced at the Loch Lomond distillery

Bruichladdich Black Art 1989

Edition 03.1; 48.7% ABV
22 years old; amazing bronze color; sherry notes prominent on nose; really smooth

If you know me, you know I'm a huge fan of Bruichladdich and so I had to try this nearly-extinct expression. Had to! :-)

Tonight I'm going to have:

Oban 21

It just arrived in the bar yesterday; really looking forward to trying this rare dram

The staff is super knowledgeable, enthusiastic and friendly (another member of the waitstaff, Janet, was very helpful for my wife when she needed to pick a cognac0. Other than the whisky collection, I think staff attributes are the most important metrics in evaluating whisky bars. Also: How Mark Bowery, the hotel's sommelier, finds sources for these whiskies in this county is fairly mysterious. I'm sure some magic is involved. Sadly they don't have their ever-changing whisky (and spirits) list online.

The Albion River Inn restaurant is one of the best whisky bars I've ever been to, and I've been to the Dundee Dell in Omaha, NE (much more whisky but lacks atmosphere and quality food; also, no ocean views). The bar manager, Laura, is amazingly knowledgeable -- there are over 150 Scotch whiskies and she knows a lot about what's available behind the bar. It was her recommendation that made me choose the Bruichladdich, and it was an excellent choice. We had some great conversations about Scotch and I learned a lot.

From what I know, the Albion River Inn has one of the largest retail whisky collections in North America -- and it's right here in California. It's truly worth a visit. This is a place to relax and unwind. Selling point: No cell phone service.

p.s. They also have an impressive wine list, but I don't know wine.

p.p.s. Great food, too.
p.p.p.s. Thanks to Chelsea, the general manager, for the introduction to Oban 21.

008 - Single Grain Whisky - North of Scotland

2014-01-09T13:19:00.002-08:00

Yesterday's post was delayed by circumstances. Will do 2 today but have to slow down. Will run out of Scotch soon. :-)

The distillery for today (like most grain distilleries) has an unfamiliar name: "North of Scotland." Yes, that's the name of a grain whisky distillery.

It is rare to find single-grain Scotch whisky, or I should say "it's rare for me." I got really lucky when I found this one for two reasons: 1) You never see these in stores, and 2) It was priced way to low -- I got it for less than $200 (it should have been twice that...a price that I would not have paid).

Unlike single-malts that have well-publicized names...like Glenlivet, Macallan, Dalmore, etc., but grain distilleries mostly operate behind the scenes in the Scotch world. They are huge factories with names you have never heard of: Cameronbridge, Girvan, and this one (there aren't a lot of them).

I wrote about Scotch Grain Whisky on my old Wordpress blog and I even have a list of the distilleries I could find.

You might hear grain distilleries categorized as Lowland or Highland, etc., but these appellations indicate purely geographical, not stylistic, aspects. In reality there are far too few of these facilities to categorize their products meaningfully. First, they are rarely sold, and second they don't have much flavor. Just kidding. :-)

What's this taste like?

Dark color you would expect from a sherry cask

Honey on the nose
Fruitcake on the tongue
Older than me (distilled in 1964; bottled when 40 years old in 2005)
45.5% abv (91 proof) -- cask strength
Astringency (tart fruits)
Indep. Bottler: "Scott's Selection"
Serious wood notes underneath -- not vanilla-y -- like old maple-coated cedar planks

007 - Green...Johnnie Walker Green

2014-01-07T20:26:00.002-08:00

Since I'm deviating from single-malts for a few days, let's try a blended malt. I have at least two but the one that you are more likely to find is Johnnie Walker Green.

As we saw yesterday, a blended malt results when single-malts from several distilleries are combined. In this case, the blended malt has an age statement: 15 years old -- which means that the youngest component is 15 years old. This whisky is comprised of single-malts from the following four distilleries as described on Diageo's website:

Four signature malts provide the key taste influences for this 15-year-old whisky. TALISKER introduces power and depth of character, CAOL ILA contributes mystery and intensity, and at its heart CRAGGANMORE provides a sweet maltiness, while LINKWOOD adds a final touch of finesse.

Of those four, Linkwood is not generally available as a single-malt. You may see it from an independent bottler, or very rarely from the distillery. The other brands produce multiple expressions.

What's it taste like?

The nose is light and fruity - apples or pears, with something like licorice on the side...perhaps lemon peel.
On the tongue it's a different story -- the peat from the Talisker is there, with some savory spices like pepper. The peat smoke lingers nicely.
Way down I can get oak notes (literally the wood itself plus some leather or damp cigars). Vanilla and its cousins may be there but they don't stand out (to me).
The base is slightly sweet but it's not the first thing you notice. Or the second. :-)
It's nicely balanced.

So this is I think more complex than a straight blend. The grain whisky in a blended whisky is way lighter and it softens the final product. I don't mean to imply that blended whisky or blended malt whisky is inferior. If you like blends, that's what you should drink - no need to apologize for your choice. Similarly for single-malt drinkers...though it's a rare time you'd be asked to defend your choice because there's a bias in that most people assume that single-malts are "better."

It's true that in many cases single-malts are more expensive, but that doesn't mean they would be universally accepted as superior in flavor. Drink what you like.

But aren't blends inferior to single-malts?

There is no right answer here. Everyone's taste is different. No one should say something is better or worse than something else as if anyone else would share their taste. It's your money...buy what you like and drink what you like. All whisky is the result of painstaking attention to detail and almost any brand has devotees that will name it as their favorite.

006 - Great King Street

2014-01-06T20:20:00.000-08:00

And now for something a little different: Today we're tasting whisky, but not a single-malt.

All the first five whiskies were single-malts, but that's only one type of Scotch whisky. In fact, it's the smallest category. With that said, it's growing rapidly relative to the other categories. So, it's slice of the pie is getting bigger, while the pie itself is growing. Times are good in the whisky business.

There are actually five types of Scotch whisky:

Single-Malt

Whisky made from malted barley and produced by a single distillery.

Blended Malt (formerly known as "Vatted Malt")

Whisky resulting from combining the single-malt whisky from multiple distilleries.

Single-Grain

Grain whisky made at a single distillery. Could be based on multiple types of grain as long as it was produced at a single distillery

Blended Grain

Grain whisky resulting from combining the whisky from multiple distilleries.

I have never seen such a beast.

Blended

A mix of malt and grain whiskies.

This is the backbone of the Scotch whisky industry.

Today's whisky is from the last category which is by far the dominant form of Scotch. You know their names like Ballantine's, Chivas Regal, Cutty Sark, Dewar's, J&B, Johnnie Walker, Teachers, Whyte & Mackay, and many others.

My choice for today is also a blend, which is a mix of malt and grain whiskies from multiple distilleries, in this case assembled by Compass Box. In contrast to my recent choices, it is widely available and affordable ($35/bottle).

What's it taste like?

The initial impression on the nose, and on first drinking it, is of Frangelico or a dry Sherry (it's a very nutty mix, with hazelnuts or perhaps walnuts).
It is 43% abv so it's not going to burn your nose with high alcohol vapors.
What lingers on the palate is a very nice vanilla complex, perhaps light butterscotch. The most complete description would be fresh-baked Apple pie.

One thing to keep in mind about the word "blended" is that it doesn't mean what you think it means. Other than rare single-cask expressions like the Littlemill I drank yesterday, virtually all whisky is blended if you use the term colloquially...to mean mixed.

Single-malts are produced day in, day out and yet every bottle tastes the same (to a very close approximation). This sameness is achieved year after year. A bottle you buy in five years will likely taste just like you remember. This is achieved by mixing the liquid from multiple casks of various ages to create a consistent product. The age statement on the bottle, if one exists, reflects the youngest component in the bottle. So, even single-malts are mixtures. But the term "blend" is reserved to distinguish whisky that is either the product of multiple distilleries, or that contains multiple types of grain other than malted barley.

005 - Littlemill

2014-01-05T11:50:00.001-08:00

I'm posting this early today so I can run some errands before the Packers-Niners game.

It's thanks to my whisky friend +Joshua McGee that I even know about Littlemill. Its one of the few distilleries that are in the Lowland region. The Littlemill distillery stopped production in 1996 and was demolished in 2005. I was fortunate to find some Littlemill last year at K&L in Redwood City, CA (from a cask that they acquired for their customers) as well as the 24 years old; single-cask bottle that I describe below from an independent bottler, which I found at Beltramo's in Menlo Park, CA. Now I am always interested in expressions from this distillery since the two I've had have been very different.

Without planning to do it this way, the first four expressions I outlined already in this series are from four of the five Scotch whisky regions. With Littlemill, I will have touched on each of the five official Scotch whisky regions (listed here in alphabetical order):

Campbeltown
Highland
Islay
Lowland
Speyside

I regret mentioning Littlemill because it's not easy to find, and as a result it's not cheap. I generally try to promote the many excellent Scotch whiskies that are quite affordable, lest I give the impression that Scotch is only for people with significant disposable income.

So...how does it taste?

Tree fruit like apples or quince on the tongue
Vanilla and soft oak notes in the nose
49.8% abv (99.6 proof)
Spicy - cinnamon under peppercorns
With water:

Subtle honey sweetness emerges with a mild tartness
Water cuts the heat and allows some of the leather and tobacco (oak) notes to emerge

Notes:

One thing sets many Lowland drams apart is the use of triple distillation (a technique employed commonly in the production of Irish whiskey) because that is rarely seen elsewhere in Scotland. I'll see if I can get Joshua to confirm whether Littlemill used this technique.

Don't confuse triple distillation with the other Irish distillation technique - continuous or "Coffey" stills - that are used heavily in Scotland to produce the grain alcohol that is used in blended whisky.

The effect of triple (vs. double) distillation is that the new-make spirit may reach higher proof levels as it enters the cask, and the flavors may be either lighter or more concentrated, depending on the shape of the stills and on the way they are operated.

I have never had the chance to compare samples from the output of a second (or third) spirit still, but the number of variables is much larger than just the number of stills involved in producing a given finished spirit. All single-malt Scotch whiskies have exactly the same three ingredients: Water, malted barley, and yeast (as well as time, in that they must be aged in oak barrels for at least 3 years) -- yet there are literally thousands of single-malts on the market and they all taste different, despite the fact that most are distilled twice.

004 - Ardbeg Corryvreckan (Committee Bottling)

2014-01-04T20:25:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a story this bottle can tell. It's still packing a peaty punch even 5+ years later.

Back story:

I always recommend to people who are interested in whisky that they should join the clubs that each distillery maintains for its fans. They are free. They are generally informative. Sometimes you get free stuff. Sometimes you get offers you can't refuse. In this case, I got an offer I couldn't take advantage of.

Don't try to stand between me and an exclusive bottling of awesome-sounding new whisky.

Front story:

On a Friday I got a mailing from the Ardbeg Committee detailing their new exclusive bottling of Corryvreckan only for committee members. I called them on the following Monday to see if a US member could buy a bottle. The answer was yes. Then I asked if they could ship it to me. Alas, that was impossible. Made me wonder why they bothered to tell me about the bottling in the first place, frankly. But I don't take "no" for an answer when I want something.

Anyway, I immediately called a buddy who lives in Wales. I got his address and had the whisky shipped to him. He didn't understand the situation and tried to ship the box to me, resulting in the most awesome rejection ever. The bottle came back to him with a sticker on it; reason for rejection: PROHIBITED WHISKY. I still have that sticker. :-)

A few months later, another colleague was on his way to California and was meeting this person for a few days. He agreed to be a mule and bring the bottle in his checked baggage. Almost 6 months after I bought it, I had a bottle that was not supposed to be in my country.

So: Was it worth it?

I do love Scotch. All kinds. This one is one of the very peaty kinds of single-malt. And it's strong: 100° (British) proof (which is 57.1% abv, or 114.2 proof). In my old WordPress blog I wrote about proof. I won't bore you with it here because I already covered that topic elsewhere.

Corryvreckan is a BEAST. Not surprising given that it's named after one of the largest persistent whirlpools on Earth. The peat smoke on the nose is deceptive because while prominent you don't know what phenolic wonders await when you drink it. On the tongue you get sweet maltiness with a big kick of creosote...like the smell of walking along disused railroad tracks on a hot summer day but these tracks are near the ocean and you can also smell the salty sea air. The sweet notes are surprising given how strong this whisky is. As usual, Ardbeg manages to achieve balance, not overusing the peat just for the sake of high phenol ppm numbers. You can still appreciate the whisky underneath the peat, which - I'll reiterate - abounds.

To answer my question: YES. It was worth the effort to get it. This was a very special bottle. Sadly, it's almost gone, now.

The Rube Goldbergian effort to get it was the result of the Byzantine Prohibition-era laws governing the importation of alcohol into the United States. It would be nice if it was easier to get special small-batch bottlings into this country. If you can believe it, this bottle was also partly illegal simply because it's the wrong size (70cl instead of the US standard 75cl). That particular law dates to the 1970s when the US attempted to covert to the metric system. But that's a story for another day.

Pictures of my bottle:

003 - Glenlivet Nàdurra

2014-01-03T21:01:00.001-08:00

So maybe not every whisky has a story. For me, the only thing remarkable about this expression was where it was found -- Costco in Redwood City, CA. Perhaps as a result of finding it there, the price was outstanding. Sometimes you find greatness at a great price.

Just the facts:

16 years old
Cask strength - 59.2% abv (118.4 proof!)
Bottled Dec 2006
Distilled on or before Dec 1990
Region: Speyside
Obtained from Costco (my wife's choice)
Price: $45 or so (an absolute steal)

My notes:

Hella spicy, strong - seriously...not your usual Glenlivet!
Intense pepper, cinnamon oil
Some bitter notes, like coffee
With water, considerable sweetness emerges, like butterscotch or caramel candy -- eventually, after you get past the fire, you can pick these out even without water
I am even getting a cherry cough syrup note in the background -- like after you drink a bit, then you get this note when you exhale

I hear that Nàdurra releases after this had a slightly different recipe. I haven't had a chance to compare them side by side in a double-blind taste test (not that I'd trust my palate to make such fine assessments anyway...) so I can't comment on whether this is better.

What I can say is that this Glenlivet expression is a very interesting whisky, and it is a significant departure from what I usually get from Glenlivet...in a good way! It's another whisky that you could spend an entire evening with a single serving. If you can find Nàdurra for less than $70 (allowing for inflation) -- get it.

002 - Springbank 15 - or...Does every bottle tell a story?

2014-01-02T15:42:00.001-08:00

I got this bottle in late Sept or early Oct of 2011 and I took it our on our trip to Evergreen Lodge near Yosemite. It was my wedding anniversary and my wife and I both like Scotch and wanted to have something good to enjoy in front of the fire while reading a good book. It snowed while we were there so the bottle did get used.

Compared to the Highland Park 21 of yesterday's post, this is a very different dram. It's from practically the opposite corner of Scotland. If you've heard of any whisky from Campbeltown, Springbank is probably that whisky. The 15-year-old expression is a relatively mid-priced choice that represents the style of the distillery very well.

The Campbeltown region, broadly covering the Kintyre peninsula, is one of the 5 official Scotch whisky regions. Though Campbeltown has few distilleries today, in the past it had dozens. Whisky from this region is characterized by briny iodine notes overlaid with peat smoke (not to the same degree as some Islay whiskies, which is another of the 5 recognized Scotch whisky regions, and which is quite close to Campbeltown, as the crow flies).

To my limited nose and tongue, Springbank 15 had some oak notes, primarily tanned leather, and the darker berries/fruits or fruitcake that confirms its stay in Sherry casks. There is also a roughness that I quite like, along with a mouth-watering astringency. With all that said, it's also got sweetness in there which nicely complements the rest of the flavors and helps tie everything together. I think this is an excellent dram to nurse for hours, as it will keep revealing new aspects of itself over time. Recommended.

001 - Highland Park 21

2014-01-01T21:53:00.001-08:00

To close out 2013, I decided to finish a time capsule of sorts.

I think all whisky bottles are time capsules. It's a snapshot in this case of what was going on on the island of Orkney in Scotland in 1986 or earlier. Growing and harvesting grain. The weather across at least one growing season, the skills of the maltman, the miller, the brewer, the distiller, the warehouse manager -- all merge together in my bottle.

The youngest component of this travel retail release in October 2007 was 21 years old. But for me this was also encapsulating one of my earliest infatuations with whisky.

I heard about this particular release on a contemporaneous episode of WhiskyCast and it sounded good (I was already a fan of Highland Park). To add thrill to the chase, it was only available in a few UK airports. But, sadly, I had no prospects for international travel.

Serendipity to the rescue...my company soon thereafter wanted to send one of my colleagues to India to do some training (name withheld). And he planned to go via Heathrow. To make a long story short, he was audibly clanking as he walked to the escalator down to baggage claim at SFO. He had bottles for himself, me and one colleague from work. They were just over $120/bottle, which is a steal given the rarity, age and quality.

So, what did it taste like?

It's a Highland Park, so there is a distinct orange peel or burnt orange nose. The flavor is full of vanilla notes, with oak notes (tobacco, leather), soft maltiness and even some fresh cracked pepper. It is exceptionally well-rounded. I liked it better than their ever-popular 18-year-old.

The bottle I just finished was the first release but I believe they do still make it. If you see it, I highly recommend it.

US National Scotch Whisky Day 2012

2012-07-26T20:17:00.001-07:00

It's tomorrow (it's every year on 27-July...please make a note of it!).

Today, some colleagues and I had reason to drink most of what remained of my bottle of Bruichladdich 12-year-old Second Edition. So, as it turns out, I celebrated a bit early. :-)

As with most pre-2012 Bruichladdich's, this expression is no longer available (it was a limited edition, as were most of their expressions before 2012).

I can recommend it (if you can find it). My buddies loved it. This whisky is remarkably dark in color for a whisky aged exclusively in ex-Bourbon barrels. It is quite smooth...and fruitier than you'd expect from Bourbon wood.

Congratulations to Bruichladdich!

2012-07-23T22:50:00.002-07:00

The transaction is now imminent...Bruichladdich Distillery Company is to become part of Rémy Cointreau. I imagine that Bruichladdich will retain a fair bit of independence, simply because Rémy has no extant spirits properties in the Scotch space.

People know I'm a big fan, not just of Bruichladdich's products but of the way they are made - it's about being local, and being built of, by and for Islay. Great job getting the distillery back to life, and now you'll have the resources to take it to the next level (and the one after that!). Good job...well done, you!

Bruichladdich - Fiercely Independent No More?

2012-07-12T21:51:00.000-07:00

It has been announced (this past Monday), in accordance with French commercial regulations, that Bruichladdich is in talks to be acquired by Rémy Cointreau. I am very disappointed and yet happy at the same time. This sounds like a great fit for Rémy, as they have no whisk(e)y in their spirits portfolio.

I always loved Bruichladdich's products, and their swagger and "do whatever the hell we feel like" and "they're our stills and we'll use them as we damned well please" attitudes (note: not exact quotes). I hope that Bruichladdich's new corporate overlords deliver the financial stability so the distillery can last for centuries, and will refrain from interfering in what has made Bruichladdich special these last 10 years.

I'm drinking a shot of 3D3 in celebration of their good fortune! Slàinte mhòr!

Craft Beer Is Better!

2012-07-08T12:55:00.003-07:00

As a quick follow-up to my post of earlier today, I found out about a craft beer event in San Jose coming up 2 weeks from yesterday: The Summer KraftBrew Beer Fest in San Jose, CA. It's happening from noon until 8:00 p.m. 21-July-2012, on Post Street (between First and Market Streets).

This is the second year in a row that this event has occurred, and it's bigger this year. They expect perhaps 5000 visitors: One reason might be that admission (which includes a souvenir glass) is only $5 (beer and food are extra, of course!). I'm going to try to make it down there. I'll take Caltrain to San Jose Diridon station then light rail to the event. No driving necessary!

There is a special "Zythophile pass" for $50 that includes lots of goodies. BTW, zythophile (pronounced zeeth-o-file) is Greek for beer lover.

Beer Is Good!

2012-07-08T09:58:00.001-07:00

Sorry for a non-whisk(e)y post, but this is timely and what can I say, whisk(e)y and beer are related.

I was having dinner yesterday at my favorite Mexican restaurant in Mountain View, CA (Fiesta Del Mar, Too). My wife was seated facing the street. Knowing that I like beer, my wife figured I'd be interested in a new store called "Jane's Beer Store." (Note: The store is open now, even though its site is still not saying that.)

Well, I wasn't 100% sure about the store (though that name is certainly, um, unambiguous!) so I had to investigate. It's everything the name promises. If you are in the area, go there NOW. To quote Jane's web site:

Jane's Beer Store is a locally owned specialty beer store located in downtown Mountain View. The store offers a wide selection of artisanal craft beers, from smaller local, domestic and international breweries. Beers are sold by the bottle, as well as in larger quantity packs including kegs. Tasty root beers and hard ciders are also featured along with handmade and unique beer accessories, such as cards, bottle openers and coasters.

I found their prices to be very reasonable and the selection to be excellent. I managed to find a beer that I have never had before, and Jane told me a story that made me know that she knows her stuff. I got this Belgian ale from Anderson Valley Brewing Company (and I thought it was a steal at $7.99 for a 22 oz. bottle...and since it's 9.0% ABV) -- Brother David's Double Abbey Style Ale:

I happen to love that brewery ever since I accidentally drove past it (and stopped for a visit -- really nice people) on a road trip in 2010. I used to get kegs of their beer for my last job whenever that beer was available at BevMo (usually the Boont Amber Ale). I have never seen this ale, though, and it was a perfect choice for me because I am really enjoying Belgian-style ales lately. I will update this after I try it.

Special extra bit of news from Jane: The David in the name of this beer is David Keene from the Toronado pub (a beer mecca in San Francisco). If you have never been to the Toronado, you must go. Also, Jane tells me that Anderson Valley Brewing makes a Triple. The Triple is dedicated to David, and David is pictured on the labels of both the Double and Triple.

Ardbeg -- Going Where No Scotch Whisky Has Gone Before

2012-06-23T21:43:00.001-07:00

In their own words:

In short, Ardbeg has placed some Scotch to age in microgravity, and identical samples are aging here on Earth. Actually, it's not really Scotch; it's some molecules that are part of Scotch, in particular some that interact strongly with the oak in which Scotch ages, and it is this interaction which is the subject of the experiment.

The photo above is from the interior of Beltramo's in Menlo Park, CA. You may well be wondering: How did I know that this poster was in the store? There was a rather conspicuous vehicle parked out front. You don't see a Scotch-themed missile every day. Apparently, it's been driving around the Bay Area for a few days now.

Here are the pictures:

Oh, I almost forgot -- as if the Ardbeg missile wasn't attention-getting enough, there was a hottie in a spacesuit, too.

And Then There Were Five

2012-03-27T23:51:00.000-07:00

So, today was the inaugural World Whisky Day, set to commemorate Michael Jackson's birthday. No, not *that* Michael Jackson...the one that wrote extensively about beer and whisky.

I had to personalize this event somehow (and, really, I never need an excuse to buy whisky), so I looked at my whisky collection and realized that I had single-malt Scotch whisky from four out of the five regions: Campbeltown, Highland, Islay and Speyside, but I didn't have any Lowland single-malts. I never noticed this omission before, and today seemed like a great excuse to complete my set. :-)

I stumbled upon the entry for Littlemill on my old blog in a search for Lowland distilleries. I chose this particular expression because it is unique and no one is making any more of it: A fairly rare 21-year-old private bottling was available near me at K&L Wines in Redwood City, CA. It was distilled in 1990 and bottled in 2011 at cask strength (57.1% ABV) under their private "faultline" label.

Lowland malts are unusual for Scotch whisky in that they are typically triple-distilled (in other regions, double distillation is used). Sadly, many of the Lowland distilleries have not fared well over the last 50 years. For the record, I could have gone with Auchentoshan, Bladnoch or Glenkinchie if I had wanted something from a still-operational Lowland distillery; sadly, those three are the last of them.

How did I ever hear of Littlemill? My friend Joshua is an expert in Littlemill and I'm embarrassed to say that, before tonight, I had never had the pleasure. I find it to be a very subtle whisky for one so strong. The light citrus and spice notes are blended such that nothing really is disproportionate. The color is very pale, indicative of its aging in ex-Bourbon casks. You really have to concentrate to pull out pepper (I can't tell if it's black or white), and the undertones of vanilla and caramel from the ex-Bourbon casks are present, but muted, which surprised me for a whisky that is this old. I would have expected the oak to have taken the front seat by now.

I also picked this expression of Littlemill because the dates resonated with me. The distillery ceased operating around the time I moved to the Bay Area. Also, this expression was distilled the same year I was married. Here are pictures of the front and back of the bottle:

If you want, you can get a bottle from K&L. They have locations in California and they may be able to ship to you. I recommend it!

Finally, to Michael Jackson, I raise a glass in your honor and thank you for the fine writing you did to popularize beer and whisky. I wish I could have met you.

Should You Open That Bottle?

2012-02-17T23:54:00.001-08:00

I have heard people say that whisky never ages once you open the bottle (unlike wine, which must be consumed within a couple days, though you can extend that a bit with a fancy decanting system). I was at a whisky bar a couple years ago and the owner had a really expensive bottle that he didn't want to open. He said he wanted to sell the whole bottle -- all at once.

My initial reaction was that this was silly. How much alcohol could escape the bottle for the few seconds that it's open? But as usual, I wasn't seeing the big picture, and was thinking about whisky as if the only important chemical was alcohol. That's so superficial -- besides, isn't alcohol flavorless and odorless? Clearly you drink whisky for the flavors and smells, not the alcohol. Well speaking for myself, that's what *I* do! :-)

This is a weird situation -- on the one hand I'm hearing that whisky doesn't age after it's opened (though everyone agrees that it must be stored vertically!), and on the other hand I'm hearing that whisky "deteriorates" with age. So...which is it? Maybe they aren't talking about alcohol at all!

Over the years I have paid attention as I have opened various bottles. When I brought home my first bottle of Port Charlotte 5, even just opening the can filled the room with powerful, angry smells of peat smoke. Awesome! But those smells were very ephemeral. Today, the smells are still there, but have been greatly diminished.

These most volatile chemicals, that can evaporate at room temperature, fight their way out of the bottle at the earliest opportunity.

So: Should you forgo opening a bottle? In my opinion: NO! Personally, I think that's the best part! I view the life of the product as a continuum, where the highly volatile components gradually step aside and make room for the middle and lower notes that can't be appreciated when the top notes are dominant.

Besides, if you don't open the bottle you have wasted your money, and the product is trapped in there and you can't ever take the journey of enjoying the product as it evolves. Note that I didn't say "ages." Aging only happens in barrels....

Back to the point re: alcohol being flavorless. It is and it isn't. Many of the chemical components of the best flavors around are alcohol-soluble. It's no surprise that they "ride along" with the alcohol when we drink whisky. Why do you think you can pick up everything from hazelnuts to orange peel to cinnamon oil, tobacco, caramel, "Christmas cake" and leather (and peat reek!) in Scotch? Heck, you might even smell freshly cut grass, which may not be tasty despite being evocative. Those chemicals are really there. Many of them are more volatile than alcohol, which means that they boil at a lower temperature. In short: If you open the bottle, they evaporate at room temperature and escape. Poof.

Why Blogger?

2012-02-16T22:49:00.000-08:00

Bye-bye WordPress...

Simple: Google+ integration. Even though I have used wordpress.com for years, I found WordPress' lack of Google+ integration to be very frustrating.

I need a blogging platform that has a social component that is tightly integrated. If I am to succeed as a blogger, it will be because I find a way to connect with my audience which will never happen unless I make it easy for people to share what I write. When I write. :-) WordPress has a great community, but not well aligned with my interests.

Here on Blogger, I can easily use Google+ -- my preferred social network -- to build my audience (as I have time). If you like what you read here, please share it with your social circles and even give me a +1 -- if you think I deserve it.

Hello, Blogger!

As soon as I finish tweaking my DNS, this is the new home of whisky2dot0.com. If you already knew that URL, you might not notice any change other than a new appearance.

I'm not going to delete whisky2dot0.wordpress.com (it's been alive for 3+ years, after all), but all new Whisky2.0 content will be here, on Blogger.

Dreams Come True

2012-02-15T17:46:00.000-08:00

Today I was privileged to sample the Glenfiddich Cask of Dreams. I have been so blessed and have had so many dreams come true that I feel guilty writing about them. Yet, tonight was another dream come true -- because I was one of the first people to taste the Cask of Dreams whisky from Glenfiddich, which was aged in one of the casks that people were invited to sign last year, in San Francisco.

First the facts:

The liquid was carefully hand-selected to fill the eleven casks from a variety of Glenfiddich Scotch that was already 14 to 16 years old. The eleven Casks of Dreams (made of uncharred new American oak) were filled with the liquid and sampled every 3-4 weeks for about 3 months...until Brian Kinsman (master blender for William Grant & Sons) deemed it was ready. Then it was bottled and 3500 of those bottles are already for sale in the US. The bottle strength is 48.8% ABV (just under cask strength).

Note: Uncharred oak is rarely used to age Single-Malt Scotch Whisky because the effect of the wood is so strong that it can be overwhelming in a short time. Due to the strength of the wood effect, you see that Mr. Kinsman had to be careful to not overdo the aging.

This is a US-only expression, celebrating the Glenfiddich fans that wrote their dreams on the eleven casks. You probably want to know the answer to the obvious burning question: How much for a limited edition US-only commemorative bottling? About $100 - if you can find it, grab it. It's awesome. It's selling like hotcakes, so don't wait. You'll regret it.

Now to prove it's real:

The sample I had was unlike any other Glenfiddich I have ever had, including Snow Phoenix. The nose opens up nicely with a little water. You get ripe fruits -- like apricots and peaches -- and you'd think that this had been aged somewhat in ex-Sherry casks, but I am assured that the whisky was aged in 100% uncharred American oak. I also perceived cinnamon and pepper and the finish has hints of tobacco and leather. The nose has hints of walnuts and hazelnuts and there is a pronounced absense of strong vanillins (vanilla, caramel that you might expect in a "typical" Speyside whisky). In my opinion, the Cask of Dreams beats the 15-year-old expression that is otherwise my favorite from Glenfiddich's standard lineup. I tasted the 15 side-by-side with the Cask of Dreams to have a valid point of comparison. You know, for science. :-)

Good news: Glenfiddich is doing a 2012 Cask of Dreams and so you might find this year's casks in a town near you in the coming months. Follow @GlenfiddichMB on Twitter and he'll likely update you on the progress of the casks. New cities this year are Phoenix and Las Vegas, but I don't know the whole list.

BTW, mad props to Brian, our friendly bartender at Fifth Floor Restaurant in the Hotel Palomar off Union Square in San Francisco. Also, it was great to have a chance meeting with Rick Dobbs of the Cocktail Gogo blog who is @martinigroove on Twitter.