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theScotchlife

Enjoying Scotch Whisky and a few other things

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June 2013

Fathers Day Scotch Whisky

This is a public service announcement for Americans. Many will go out and buy dear old dad a bottle of whisky this weekend to thank him for the years of pain and suffering you have put him through. The only problem is you have no idea what to buy him. You think he likes Scotch whisky?

Ok. Now if you know the brand he likes just buy that. Don’t get all fancy or try to one up your brother and get him something terribly different. Now if you are taking a stab completely in the dark you had better choose wisely. First off, dad may be too kind to grimace at the bottle of J&B if he only drinks Famous Grouse. However, I’d recommend a crowd pleaser like The Macallan or Glenfiddich (the 12 years aged or no age statement is fine, in other words the cheapest).

Want to spend less? Grants or Ballantine’s could work. I honestly would drink them.

So if your Dad is a big scotch whisky drinker, and blogs about whisky, wink, wink, nudge, Nudge! You might want to go in on a bottle of Bruichladdich Octomore. Any of them!

This has been a Scotchlife PSA. You can go back to your regular programming.

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Glenmorangie’s Extremely Rare 18 year aged Single Malt Scotch Whisky

I was reading a fellow blogger’s notes on this product and it reminded me that I had yet to open the one I picked up this past November. I’m glad his comments spurred me to open it! While Glenmorangie is not a BIG scotch whisky it is a quality one.

Extremely Rare 18To me, the Glemorangie line falls into the “approachable” category for non-whisky types.

Light, fruity, almost a dainty touch of fragrant flowers flowing from the most beautiful waterfall in your dreams. That’s what “Glenmo” is to me. A far cry from the gritty, earthy, peat that is heaped upon fires in Islay on whisky such as Ardbeg, Laphroiag, Bowmore, etc….. So once in a while I let me “flowery” side run free for a dram or so and this 18-year-old Glenmo was perfect!

To me this is the perfect complement to a well made dessert or after dinner cheese plate. It just screams with flavors that a great Chef can work with. It’s a 43% ABV whisky that has an influence of Oloroso Sherry Cask that really does a great job. If a whisky can be described as pretty, this is it. Pretty as in Princess Kate pretty. Descriptive enough?

This is a whisky I will bring out sparingly, most likely to try with a special cheese I have found or due to me finding time to whip up a Crème brûlée! Glemorangie’s notes and accolades for this whisky can be found HERE.

Cheers Kate!

Kate-Middleton-542648-1-402
Kate Middleton’s Biography.com profile picture. Doesn’t she look like “The Whisky Woman?”
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Bowmore 100 Degrees Proof Scotch Whisky

20130610-201724.jpgSo recently on Islay I spent a few minutes in the Bowmore Gift Shop. What to buy? I can only fly back with so much whisky and I have the opportunity to go through “Duty Free!” You always wonder how much whisky can you get back into the States and since I was carrying precious whisky I didn’t want to push the limits. I ended up with this monster, Bowmore 100 Degrees Proof. Bowmore at 57.1% ABV is quite an experience.

The nosing of this product alone is a warning in itself. Though in the nose you can smell some amazing things if you linger long enough, you feel like you are about to experience a powerful and peated whisky. To me, this is a serious whisky. You don’t pick this up because you want a challenge, you pick this up because you appreciate what Bowmore does and you want to see what happens when you go full throttle on their product.

Well, it delivers! It delivers a sort of burnt sugar (that is still burning) as you drink it. It’s so hot that it flares up in your esophagus. Yes, I drank it neat. Then, I added water. Adding water to it brings out the peated barley quite forcibly. The water magically releases the malted and peated barley and just sets it free! You also get a nice rush of salty ocean air from Loch Indaal. The added water does not “water” down this whisky, it releases it. The taste is markedly different and really approaches what this spirit should taste like. Far be it from me to dissuade you to drink this at full strength, but, if you want the true spirit of Bowmore you will find it after adding some water. Oh, if you are wondering why the 100Proof moniker?! Well, that goes back to testing rum rations on ships, mixed with gun-powder. Yep, at full strength, this whisky tastes that powerful! It’s marketing….. so, if you are into Bowmore and want to see what a full cask strength taste is like, here you go!

The finish is warm, lingering, and full. If you are a Bowmore fan and love a full expression whisky, this is it. Bowmore’s notes are here.

Cheers!

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Ardbeg 10yr Single Malt Scotch Whisky

This whisky has been written about so many times I feel like I’m saying,me too, but I think it only proper to review it. I have had TEN out many times but have never really purchased a bottle many times. Typically I shoot for the special releases of Ardbeg which I invariably end up paying way too much for due to their availability.

But today they had a sale on the TEN and my inner Islay was saying do it. So I did. I had the Ardbog (not a misspelling) special release yesterday and it was simply marvelous. I really expected a bit more peat in it though, but it’s really polished. The TEN is a lighter side of Ardbeg. Still delivers lots of peat and pepper on your palate but really is a good daily drinker for those of us who prefer some peat in our whisky.

Fire anyone?
Fire anyone?

So when I decided to take a photo of this precious one, I thought I’d find a nice patch of green grass to complement the green bottle.I happened to walk by my fire pit, or Chimnea. I had placed some small wood in it already and thought, yes, it is only fitting for a peaty “fired” malted barley whisky to be placed in there. So there you go.

So tasting this expression is unmistakable Islay peat. It is really a level tasting experience. The spirit is consistent from taste to swallow and your first couple of sips will be formative. After a few your buds become numb and you notice more of the flavors. Overall a fine whisky…. just don’t make it your first Scotch whisky. At 46% ABV you may want to add water, I find it pleasing neat however.

If it makes you want to eat bacon, you are normal.

Their web-site is quite nice!

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