Search

theScotchlife

Enjoying Scotch Whisky and a few other things

Open Search
Author

John

theScotchlife.com is about my love of the whisky of Scotland. I do talk about a few other things on it also.

John Barr, continuing

All right. We’re doing the tasting of the today acquired John Barr scotch whisky that we found for a pretty good deal, considering all the other whiskeys were way overpriced. Obviously, the people who operate this liquor store had no clue what John Barr was, so they even asked me, “What is this?” They’ve only sold two of these in the last two years. I was like, “Yeah. Well, you have to know Scotch whisky to know what John Barr is.” It’s a good whisky. By no means a great whisky, but a good whisky. 🥃

So now, I have it and I am tasting it here in Los Angeles. I’ve noticed immediately the packaging has changed. This is a much smaller bottle than the one I had years ago, almost a decade ago. Much more modern packaging. Color looks great. Before I even tasted it, I looked at the label, read the contents, and noticed that it said 40%. So, they’ve brought it down to what I call your entry level Scotch—40% alcohol by volume—which is fine. Just tells me right off the bat, there’s probably not gonna be any amazing things about this, but maybe just a solid blended Scotch whisky.

So I poured it. It spilled a little bit. I just put that on my hands and rubbed it in good, and took a good sniff like I was taught years and years ago. You can tell a lot—most of your tasting is through your olfactory, through your nose. The flavors I was getting just smelling it immediately kind of told me that this is gonna just be a down-the-middle blended Scotch whiskey that probably won’t be special, but should be good.

So here we go. We’re gonna taste it neat out of a hopefully clean hotel glass by Marriott. Swish it around your mouth a bit like Richard Patterson taught me and hold it there a bit. I did that. Yeah, this is just a—I’m gonna say it’s a quality Scotch whiskey, blended Scotch whiskey. It’s an everyday drinker. You could mix with this. I guess you could. You could make, like, I forget what the version of the old-fashioned using Scotch is called off the top of my head, but you can do that and it would be fine.

There is a light oiliness to it—not heavy. Some cinnamon kind of bit to it. Vanilla is not high. But this is a daily drinker and it’s not bad. It’s actually, for what I bought it for—which I think was a good deal here in Los Angeles, where they’ve marked everything up like $20—this is a good deal. This is a good daily drinker.

And that’s about it. That’s the update to the John Barr product which I originally blogged on, I believe, in 2014, and I’ll put a tag in here to that probably. If you see it and you notice it’s considerably discounted and you just want a Scotch whiskey that’s just a drinker—nothing fantastic, right?—that you don’t want to pay a lot of money for, but just to have some Scotch, pick it up. I think it’s a smart choice and Whyte & Mackay is still doing a fine job.

All right, thanks. Cheers.

0

Johnnie Walker Green Label, the blended 15 year old returns

I’m not gonna lie, I’m not even sure how to break the news of a return of green label when it’s been out for quite some time now. But I finally picked up a bottle and gave it a go. It’s really good for what it is, like the old Green Label, and still beats the other JW products for my taste. This would be a good Father’s Day gift for whisky drinkers who are more into known brands. It’s really got a satisfying mouthfeel and roundness to it. I think best neat with or without water. Could also be great mixed as it has some structure to it. In the US it’s about $75. Which I would prefer be about $10 less but I’m just happy to still have scotch whisky in the USA! IF we have a new trade deal with the UK, then the exports to the US should be better!!!! More scotch whisky please!

Yep, I drank it
0

Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch Whisky

For something I’ve been enjoying for a few years now, I thought I should say a couple of words about this guilty pleasure. Yes, it’s a blended whisky, it smells like a young whisky, and tastes, well like scotch whisky will. At 43%ABV, it’s well neat with some water, and would probably make a great mixer. It’s an every day whisky, paying tribute to the Everyman who turns the malt barley on the floors at distilleries across Scotland. In the US, it could be the blue collar whisky, a great reward for a hard days work at the shop, field, or shore. And the best part, it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than many whiskies that are simply not as good. Cheers

0

Laphroaig Oak Select

Intrigued by the marketing that this is a “laid back expression” from Laphroaig, I purchased it.

Married is the proper way to say blended, not to be confused with a blended scotch of different base grains.

I’ve heard from several people over the years that they like whisky, except the smoky and medicinal ones. They are typically referring to whisky from Islay, and “La-Froyg” has quite that reputation. I happen to enjoy the peaty taste, so I’m intrigued by the statement that this offering will “open up the world of Laphroaig for every drinker.”

From the moment I opened the bottle, it was unmistakably Laphroaig. I heated it up in my hands vigorously due to some opportunistic spillage and inhaled the smoky elegance that I personally love. What a great perfume. Trying it neat after nosing, I was expecting a more “laid back” mouthfeel, I was wrong. Very much a Laphroaig, maybe a bit softer, but not significantly.

This is marketed as a summertime dram. Maybe if your summers are in Scotland, but not in summertime in the USA. Especially the mid-Atlantic and southern States. I do enjoy this more with some added water, and I think very good mixologists could do something special with this also. If you really want a summertime scotch whisky (and live in a hot region), look towards the low lands of Scotland or Speyside, especially if you do not enjoy peated whisky.

0

Balvenie single barrel aged 15 years

I’ve long been a fan of Balvenie whisky, and when they release a single cask, Sherry aged in this case, it always draws my attention. The non chilled-filtered lends to a full body and rich product. This bottle is certainly a wonderful product, worthy of a special occasion or just for the serious whisky drinker. It certainly drinks well without ice or water but a splash of good water certainly goes well.

0

Ardbeg WEE BEASTIE

Often my gaze is cast upon the shelf toward the Ardbeg section with a usually unfulfilled expectation of something new from Islay. I’ve grown accustomed to disappointment and just wryly smile and keep searching for something, anything I haven’t seen before. Today was that day! It was in fact a new offering from Ardbeg! What a treasure in these dreadful COVID times!

I don’t often see scotch whisky lower than aged 10-12 years from Islay, the Lavagulin 8 comes to mind, but that is it. I have acquired some less aged Islay sourced whisky but it was usually a great deal of effort for me to find, typically an unexpected discovery, and costly. Yet here it is, the Wee Beastie!

Ardbeg WEE BEASTIE

First, if you are an Ardbeg fan, I’m pretty sure you are going to love this. If you are a fan of Islay “peated” whisky then this will not disappoint. If you do not know what peated whisky means, put the bottle down. You will be starting your Islay whisky tour in the deep end of the pool, you may want to start with a nice Bowmore first and then work your way around to Ardbeg 10.

I love this and couldn’t be happier to have found this. I love to taste scotch whisky through its life cycles (years). Each stage of development bringing a little more nuance. This is a perfectly good non-filtered dram and I’m drinking it neat, no water, and its pleasurable at 47.4% ABV! If you like to add a good bit of water to it, its quite good and reminds me a little of the lemon zest you may get from a Bowmore 12. It’s nice and oily, typically phenolic, and lingers like a good friend. I cannot wait to visit the store again, I’ll be picking up a few of these friends to keep!

Cheers

0

Highland Park 31

On a glorious December day I found myself bargain shopping at the local liquor store. Special discounts were available that I took advantage of, at the check out I peered past the counter and spotted something unique. It was a bottle of Highland Park, single cask whisky. Oh, and is that on sale? Yes, drastically. Joy.

So this is a special bottle just for Virginia. I've been waiting for some time to open it. I chose now. It is splendid! Scotch whisky at about 30 years takes a turn towards being candy like. This one's is no exception. It's exceptional and elegant. I'd say go buy it, but if you don't have it, well….. Cheers

3

Lagavulin 8 Limited Edition

Lagavulin 8

Happy 200th Lagavulin! Though I’m a bit tardy. Of course you have to release something special, so Lagavulin has decided to go its beginnings. For you fans of peat smoke whisky, this is certainly what you have wanted and your longing for just something different to come to shelves in America. If you are curious if this should be the first scotch whisky you taste from Islay, be warned, this is not a tame spirit.

The hallmark of this brand is its intense smoke, so intense it is as if you are standing over the peat as it sets fire and infuses the barley. I love smelling this whisky as much as I like to taste it. The fact that it is a limited edition and eight years of aging has occurred before being arrested in glass is enough to make me pick it off the shelf and actually write a bit about it.

It’s a touch lighter than the typical Lagavulin 16 year that most are used to. But that is all. Its wonderful mouthfeel and richness of lemon and smoke are sublime. “Exceptionally fine” is what Alfred Barnard said in 1886, I do believe he would same the same today.

0

Vacation Whisky – Oban Little Bay and Ardbeg Perpetuum

Little Bay
Oban Little Bay

While on vacation on North Carolina’s shore this  year, I decided to pick up a couple of whisky’s to enjoy. The great thing about leaving where you live is finding whisky offerings that aren’t in your home area. The ABC store I went to in NC had a surprising and wonderful collection, I settled on a Oban Little Bay offering. I’m not a huge Oban fan but it is quite popular. This is a small batch offering so it’s a bit higher on the scale as far as cost but not over $80 USD. It’s not what I’d call a remarkable or distinctive scotch whisky but a good one. In fact, this may be a perfect beach whisky. It’s light on the palate and smooth. It does not have a very strong profile to me at least. It’s a very good sipping whisky or you could even, dare I say, mix it? This would be a good whisky for people who “don’t like whisky” and would like to try something “good.”

Perpetuum
Ardbeg Perpetuum

Since I had to get back to work and leave the family behind, I purchased at home the new Ardbeg Perpetuum. This was the new whisky release on Ardbeg day that for the first time in memory, I missed. But this has shown up in good quantities on Virginia’s ABC. The marketing on the box talks about its unending taste profile, and hence its name. I first tasted it neat, no water, and soon realized why the termed it perpetuum. It does stick to the tongue and linger, at length. When you add water and have more than one offering this sensation did disappear though. I can’t say that I didn’t like this, as I enjoy any Ardbeg offering, but I cannot say that I’m blown away. The best/last Ardbeg I’ve had was the Ardbog offering. And to date, nothing beats the current offering Uigeadail. So Perpetuum is worth a purchase but temper your enthusiasm. It should cost you close to $99 USD.

0

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑