Essentially you pressurize a bottle, one that has a bit of whisky at the bottom, with a hand pump and then rapidly depressurize it. That vaporizes some of the whisky, which you then inhale. I’m not sure how safe it is but it’s remarkably clever. And the patrons seem to love it!

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.

Hopefully he got to enjoy a little of the Chivas Royal Salute… since he won’t be getting the opportunity to do so for a long long while.

Earlier this month, Glenfiddich auctioned off a 55 year old Scotch that fetched £46,850 (approximately $72,632 USD) and set a European record. It was one of the 15 bottles of Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve (the first to be sold), named after the oldest living Scot. Put into cask 1955 and bottled last month, it was estimated that the bottles would go for 30,000 and 35,000 pounds – it exceeded that price (fortunately for Water Aid, who gets the proceeds).

photo credit: qiaomeng

I suspect the move has to do with sales. Johnny Walker Black and Red are quite affordable at $26 and $20 a bottle respective. Johnnie Walker Blue lives in that “luxury” realm of scotch at $160 a bottle. Then you have Johnnie Walker Gold at $70. Then you have Johnnie Walker Green at around $50 a bottle. To the novice scotch drinker or gift giver, you can either go inexpensive with Red and Black or you go up the luxury spectrum and consider Gold at $70 or Blue at twice the price. The $50 price point gets lost.

I’ve tried each of the five, most recently I tried the Green, Gold and Blue in one sitting. I can’t honestly say that the Green stood out above the others in any meaningful way and at $50 I don’t know if it’s particularly memorable, I’m sad to say. While I’m always sad to see anything be discontinued, I’d be lying if I said I’d miss it but you can always try to make your own!

It contains Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood with each being at least 15 years old.

As it turns out, I was just a few hundred feet from a Los Angeles institution – the Edison. Fortunately for me, that was our next stop. Opened in 2007, it’s a steampunk theme nightclub inside the Higgins Building. The Higgins Building was LA’s first power plant, so there’s a bit of history there as well.

What’s amazing about the Edison is that the front of it is a little unassuming. It’s down an alley and it doesn’t betray what lies beneath, as the Edison takes up the entire basement area. When you walk in, the steampunk themed decor is magnificent. Walking down the stairs is a treat in and of itself, especially if you were like me and had no idea what to expect.

The first thing you notice is the bar… the next thing is how enormous the whole area is, much bigger than you’d expect, and then you see the projection screen playing movies from a bygone era. If you want to see what that’s like, here’s a cool virtual tour that gives you a feel for the place.

And of course, we had some scotch there.

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)

There are expensive bottles of scotch… and then there are expensive bottles of scotch you could actually buy (well, if you had two hundred grand). When it comes to the most expensive scotches, they’re usually extremely rare and not available in stores.

This is the most expensive bottle available in a retail store, in this case it was the duty free shop in Singapore’s Changi Airport. This bottle was available in 2002 for $39,000; making the $200,000 sale price an appreciation that beats the stock market quite handily. There were, of course, only 12 of these bottles ever produced.

This breaks the previous retail record of $188,000 set just three months ago in London for a bottle of Dalmore 64.

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.

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)