Scotch Addict

Dalmore is a distillery I’ve become very familiar with, and fond of, as a result of a variety of samples that their PR company has sent me. I was familiar with the name because of the notoriety of “The Nose,” Richard Paterson, and his blog; but it wasn’t something I’d sampled often. That said, I was a fan of their Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve, a smokier rich scotch that would most certainly go well with a cigar. I knew that trying out their Dalmore 18 would be a most positive experience. I was not mistaken.

Dalmore 18 has a very rich amber color that isn’t as dark as a Macallan 18 but pretty close. It’s matured in American white oak for 14 years followed by three years in Matusalem Spanish sherry butts for three years. It’s final year is spent in “upstanding sherry butts,” which I’m not really sure what “upstanding” means (very well behaved barrels?) Either way, what comes out is quite remarkable.

My nose is a little under the weather so I can’t really tell too much outside of a slight scent of almonds and toffee. On the palate, the first note that rings out is that of citrus, one of my favorites when it comes to scotch. There’s a slight hint of sweetness, accentuated by the orange peel citrusy flavor (think the smell a few seconds after you zest an orange, the smell that lingers in the air), but it’s by no means “sweet.” It’s got a bit of a spiciness, similar to but much less in prominence as is in Glenlivet 12, but the finish is mostly caramel and marzipan.

For my next trip to the store, I’m probably going to pick up one of these.

When I think of rum, I usually think of rum and cokes. Or rum in a Pina Colada or a Mojito. What I don’t think of is rum neat or on the rocks… but that’s because I’ve never had double filtered, doubled aged rum. Rum is typically aged for just a year in bourbon oak casks but the Brugal 1888 is a blend of rums that have aged anywhere from five to fourteen years – resulting in a smoother spirit. They are aged first in American white oak barrels followed by Spanish oak barrels. It’s rum by name but aged as long as some Scotch whiskies and that’s partly the reason why a self proclaimed scotch addict is reviewing rum today!

The Brugal 1888 is a limited edition release and a celebration of 120 years of rum distillation – it shows. It’s a rich dark amber color and I have to believe more of that color comes from aging longer in an oak barrel (rather than caramel added later). The nose is sweet and a little spicy but the sweetness is intriguing. I think that because rum is distilled from fermented molasses (or sugar cane), the sweetness is different than the floral fruity sweetness some scotches have (whisky is distilled fermented barley). On the palate it is remarkably smooth compared to almost any rum I’ve had (which is, arguably, a fairly small list) and the age really shows in this regard.

If you’re a die hard whisky drinker, I don’t think this will replace any scotch in your collection. If you want to try something different, the Brugal 1888 is a fun little diversion that introduces a different type of sweetness to your palate.

I think that in order to fully understand this spirit, I’ll have to dry some more.

(Photo: ronsaunders47)

I went from having never heard of Jura a few years ago to having tried several and enjoying them all. My first ever was a Jura 18 that I purchased in Heathrow Duty Free, my second was the Jura 18 followed by the Jura Superstition. I’m now able to add Jura Prophecy to the lineup.

Jura is very much a spiritual and superstitious distillery with much of their work referring to their storied past. Whether or not you buy into the little bit of fun marketing is irrelevant, they make a decent Scotch.

The Prophecy is a blend of their own whiskies and has a distinct medicinal, smokiness that pushes that side of the spectrum. It’s not as strong as a Islay but certainly makes you lean in that direction (it could not be confused for a Speyside, that’s for sure). The nose hints at what your palate will soon experience. The color is light copper, with more orange than yellow, and the finish is long and strong. It leaves your mouth feeling like you just walked into a smoky bar, a bit of that peat smoke but not so much it leaves you dry.

When we visited Scotland a few years ago, I learned that Glenfiddich was one of the most popular brands of Scotch in the entire world. At the time, and it may still be the case now, they were the best selling single malt Scotch. That fact seemed to be reinforced by how frequently we saw Glenfiddich branded tanker trucks rolling through the hills of Speyside.

Located outside Dufftown in Speyside, Glenfiddich is Scotland’s largest distilleries with its own cooperage, coppersmith, and bottling facility (yes, they are one of the few that distill, mature, and bottle all in one facility). There is also, of course, warehouses for maturation and they currently have 26 stills – 10 wash, 16 spirit.

As for the name, they are located in the valley of the River Fiddich, hence Glen Fiddich. But enough with the history lesson, let’s get to Glenfiddich 18 Year Old – a scotch I’ve enjoyed before but most recently last night.

Glenfiddich 18 Year Old

Here’s what Glenfiddich says about their 18 year old:

Remarkably rich aroma with ripe orchard fruit, spiced apple and a robust oakiness.

Richly delivers luxurious dried fruit, candy peel and dates overlaid with elegant oak notes.

Warming. Rewarding. Distinguished.

As you’d expect from a Speyside, the flavors are fruity but you get a hint of spice along the way. On the nose it’s easy to get a strong sense of a wide variety of fruit, from apples to a hint of raisin, some citrus. On the palate, you get all that, plus oakiness to remind you of its age, with a sweetness of vanilla. Finish is long, smooth and warm, with a small nudge of spiciness.

It’s no surprise this has one several medals and is one of the most popular Scotches in the world.

(Photo: hep)

Bowmore is a distillery that hasn’t graced the pages of Scotch Addict all to often not for any particular reason other than there are just so many fine scotches! Bowmore, an Islay, was founded in 1779 and has all the characteristics you associate with Islays. Smoke. Peat. Both in spades.

We had friends visit this past week and, knowing how much of a fan of Scotch I am, brought something they figured I hadn’t tried. Bowmore, in addition to its core range and limited editions, has started a fun series in the travel retail market in which they try to accentuate a characteristics of their scotch. The four editions are:

• Surf
• 12-Year Enigma
• 15-Year Mariner
• 17 Year
• Cask-Strength

Read more…

Very shortly, Dalmore will be releasing the Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve for sale in the United States at around $125 a bottle. In working with their fine PR folks, I was sent a sampling of the spirit before it was available to the public (which is the basis of the tasting notes below) and the spirit lives up to its namesake. Scotch and cigars have always been a fine combination but it usually takes a heartier spirit (or a weaker cigar… but who opts for that!?) to match up to the richness of a tightly bound cigar. The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve was put together with that in mind and I believe it delivers.

The Cigar Malt Reserve is nearly the same rich dark copper/amber color as the Dalmore Mackenzie and slightly darker than both the Dalmore Gran Reserva and the Dalmore 15 Year Old. On the nose it’s sweet dry fruit, mostly raisin, some caramel and even a bit of syrup & butterscotch. It tastes just like it smells with a hint more of honey. No strong peat or smoke, you’ll probably get enough of that when paired with a cigar, and it has a full body that really awakens the palate. There s a little bite on the finish. I didn’t try this dram with a cigar but I imagine it pairs well with one.

Philosophically, I was surprised that Dalmore went to the sweeter, honey side of the flavor profile when building a dram to pair with a cigar – but it makes sense. Pairing is often about accentuating the positives, not letting one aspect dominate another or in dominating one particular flavor profile; they’ve succeeded in creating a dram that uses sweet fruitiness to balance out the smoky tobacco richness of a cigar.

If you don’t smoke cigars, this dram works quite well on its own if you are a fan of scotches that don’t have a lot of peat smoke character. If smokiness is a requisite quality you need in scotch, this one won’t fit that bill.

Update: I had it again the other night (about a month after I first tried it) and my impressions this time were much different. There was still the familiar rich sweetness of butterscotch and raisins, but I got a distinct smokiness I didn’t get before. The oak was also quite strong, which was nice, and there was a definite sea salt flavor mixed in. It reminded me of ocean spray, that salty air. I should warn that I tasted it after eating some mint ice cream about a half hour beforehand, so it might have muddled my palate a bit.

If Scotch were made in the Caribbean, it’d be called Añejo whisky. Añejo means “aged” in Spanish and is most typically used in the naming of tequila, which is made from blue agave. It’s not, however, the only spirit that is aged. Brugal & Co., owned by Edrington Group (which also owns my favorites The Famous Grouse, The Macallan, and Highland Park), produces aged rum in the Dominican Republic. Until recently, you couldn’t get Brugal rum in the United States, despite being made so close to our shores.

So why are we talking about rum on a site called Scotch Addict? Brugal Rum is best enjoyed in the same manner as scotch, neat or with a single ice cube. There are three main expressions – Brugal Rum Blanco Especial, Brugal Rum Añejo, and Brugal Rum Extra Viejo. The Blanco Especial is aged 12-16 months in American oak casks, the Añejo is aged 3-5 years, and the Extra Viejo is aged 5-8 years. It’s the Extra Viejo that is best enjoyed neat or over ice. Brugal recommends that the Añejo be paired with fresh lime juice and a Lemon-lime soda, which sounds absolutely fabulous on these hot summer days.

Santo Libre

1.5 oz. Brugal Añejo Rum
A squeeze of fresh lime juice
Lemon-Lime soda

Pour the rum over ice in a tall glass, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice, and then fill with lemon lime soda. I’m all about trying different spirits and why go with any old rum when you can enjoy one made in the Dominican Republic? Mmmmm… I can’t wait to give this a try.

One of the great pleasures of writing about Scotch all the time is that it gives you a good basis by which to “compare” other spirits. Recently, I had the opportunity to sample a few different expressions from Four Roses Bourbon. Bourbon is a type of American whiskey made in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Bourbon, like Scotch, is a distilled spirit that is aged in barrels but the primary component is corn (Scotch whisky relies on barley malt, rather than corn). Like Scotch, there are a series of rules that are required of spirits carrying the bourbon name. For example, the grain malt has to be at least 51% corn and must be bottled at 80 proof or higher. One big difference between scotch and bourbon, besides the malt used, is that bourbon is aged in new, charred oak barrels and is usually aged briefly (two years minimum and usually less than four years).

The end result is a spirit that has a different character than scotch. It’s a lot like what you’d expect out of a precocious United States versus an Old World Scotland. As you’d expect from a spirit aged longer, 12 year scotches are typically smoother than bourbons aged less than four years. Bourbons typically have less of the oak components you associate with red wines and scotch. They do, however, have their own delightful characteristics that add to the character of the spirit and makes it suitable for many occasions.

Four Roses has a variety of expressions but the three I tried were the Single Barrel, Small Batch, and Yellow. I tried each neat, no ice or water.
Read more…

I was first introduced to the Isle of Jura after a trip back from the UK several years ago. I saw a bottle of the Jura 10yo in the Heathrow Duty Free store and bought it on a whim. All that I knew was that it came from the Isle of Jura and, as a whole, as supposed to be heavily peated like Islays. I knew to expect smokiness, as is the island style, and I wanted it to be a halfway point between a bottle of Bowmore and a Speyside I had purchased (I don’t remember if it was a Glenlivet, Macallan, or Glenfiddich… it has been several years). I was not disappointed in the least.

It wasn’t until later that I learned the more storied history of Jura and their 201 year history (2010 was their 200th anniversary). If you’re wondering why they have such clever names like Jura Superstition and Jura Prophecy, it’s because it ties back to the early 1700′s. You can read about it in their library.

So how is the Jura Superstition? (a disclaimer, I’m now starting to battle seasonal allergies so my nose and palate may be a bit off) It’s got a light smokiness that is reminiscent of their 10yo and it has some underlying floral and fruit notes that I can’t place. It’s got a bit of spice on the palate, not as aggressive as the ginger spiciness in Glenlivet 12yo, and strong rich nuttiness that lingers in the finish and something that I really enjoy.

Oh, and if you do get yourself a bottle, remember to pour it with the Ankh cross in the center of your palm or you’ll regret it.

It’s no secret that the Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year is one of my favorite scotch whiskys. At that price point, under $40 a bottle, it’s something I get to enjoy on a regular basis along with Glenlivet 12. The Balvenie 21 Year Port Wood is like the 12 year’s older, more refined, brother. Whereas the DoubleWood is priced at around $40USD, the Port Wood comes in at a more hefty $180USD. For each bottle of the Port Wood, you could get over four bottles of the DoubleWood; which explains why I don’t enjoy it as much as I possibly can!

When it comes to other finishes at other distilleries, I sometimes can’t tell that it’s been finished in a different cask. Oftentimes it can be a little subtle and unless you have had the non-specialty-finished whisky, you can’t pinpoint origin. Unless port is completely foreign to you, there’s no way you’ll miss the impact of finishing in port pipes. The specific sweetness imparted by finishing in port pipes is very evident on the palate.

The nose has the fruitiness I’ve come to expect from Balvenie, though I couldn’t pick out the raisins from their “official” notes. The palate is influenced by the portwine finish, supporting the fruit I picked up from the nose. The finish has a distinct nuttiness, like the aftertaste you have after chewing on walnuts. It’s also remarkably smooth, something you’d expect from a whisky old enough to be served at a bar.

At it’s price point, it’s an indulgence and not a regular staple, though you would be doing yourself a great service by picking up a bottle for your cabinet. Of the full “regular” range of Balvenie bottles, the only ones I haven’t enjoyed are the Thirty and Forty (aged 30 years and 40 years respectively). I imagine they would bring the same level of enjoyment I’ve come to expect from Balvenie.