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Enjoying Scotch Whisky and a few other things

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Glen Grant 16 year aged Single Malt Scotch Whisky

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Intense, ripe orchard fruits, lingering finish….. These are the words imprinted on the bottom label of the lovely bottle of Glen Grant 16. After you drink a lot of whisky (variety, not quantity) particularly scotch, you do see the finer scotch whiskies have a distinctness about them and within their own line each one acts differently. Glen Grant is a newcomer to the States and has a long history with a few owners, originally family, but since the 1970’s corporate ownership has dominated. It is a line of whisky started in 1840 in Rothes, Speyside, Scotland in the UK and was most noted by it’s second owner James Grant who at the ripe age of 25 became its purveyor and visionary. Now corporately owned, it has been introduced into America with a 10 year and a 16 year offering. I tasted both of these at the SMSWA event in Washington D.C. this past fall and really liked them. I thought the 10 to be a great entry or starter scotch for someone and the 16 to be a scotch truly enjoyed by those who imbibe scotch regularly.

Recently I found a bottle of the 16 available in DC. I snatched it up, despite its $70 cost because I am so desperate for variety of scotch and I do remember it being good, $70 good….not so sure, but like I said, desperate for variety.

When nosing this, you do notice a very clean fresh fruit nose. It’s a very bright and cheery nose, quite enjoyable. The affect on the tongue is equally refreshing! Mouthfeel is just right, a bright burst of fruit and alcohol hit you mid-palate but do not overwhelm. I would say this is a very young acting 16 year old. Much like a teenager but fully developed no doubt. I think this same spirit aged a few more years would be incredible. But fruit is forward, and very refreshing in this whisky. I’d say this would be great with strawberries or something tart like kiwi.

The finish is very nice, lingers, and really makes you want more. Being that my relationship with this bottle is new I don’t know quite how to feel about it. I do feel it has a special place though. The more I try it, the more I like it and feel this would, though great now, is strong enough to age at least four more years. I really think I have found a new favorite scotch!

And if you were wondering about cigar pairings, I would not pair this with more than a mild-medium cigar. You really are not going to find a cigar with flavor to match this one so keep it mild so the two do not clash. I’d recommend a smooth Davidoff or Montecristo with this one. If you are paying for this bottle and smoke cigars I’m sure you are not a stranger to those names.

Cheers!

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Gordon & Macphail’s single malt scotch whisky

I finally got back to one of my favorite Washington, DC liquor stores, Pearson’s, which is off Wisconsin Avenue. The choices are always fun because they do not stock typical offerings that most stores do, especially the Virginia ABC stores… (where selection sucks)

So I was happy to see among several offerings this Gordon and Macphail’s 10 year single malt. I have enjoyed several of their offerings but never a “standard” like this one. I actually enjoy not knowing which distiller they purchased their product from. This mystery malt sat either in a Speyside warehouse or in Elgin at G&M’s warehouse. Regardless, someone distilled it and G&M claimed it. It’s that simple.

What isn’t simple is the complexity of this dram. It is very nice, balanced, and has great mouth-feel. The fruit that comes off the nose is nice and I rather enjoyed it without water. After adding water a few more notes open up in the nose and as for taste, it smoothed out like a lake in the morning.

The cost of this was exactly 42.99 USD. I believe it to be priced about right (nothing you can do about taxes) and I believe it is distinct enough from the likes of Balvenie and Macallan to set in among your scotch offerings. I would call this a daily drinker but I rather think it special. And so, only a twice or so a week dram. I can always rely on Grant’s as my anytime dram.

You could enjoy a cigar with this, but, I’d reserve this as an aperitif or a dinner dram. I’m not an advocate of drinking great scotch with cigars because inevitably, one will win out and the other will be non-present.

So if you are lucky enough to pick up one of these, I would encourage you, I think it’s worth a try!

Cheers!

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Up In Smoke – 1/9/2012

This update brings you 6 cigars that I smoked recently. The first two are part of Nat Sherman’s Bench collection and can only be found at the flagship store in NYC. I picked up 3 to sample when I was in NYC recently and I’m glad I did. The first one I smoked was labeled “SAM” because that is the gentleman’s name who works at Nat Sherman who really liked this blend. I think I scored one of the last ones (these are limited edition cigars evidently). It was a very mild smoke, it was the first one smoked that day so I enjoyed it for what it was. The second one I smoked was more of a medium smoke and had some very balanced and mature characteristics. You could tell there was some real quality, aged, leafs in this one. While this cigar did not knock me off my feet, I could probably smoke this cigar all day long. For a good write-up on this series please go to this link http://michaelherklots.blogspot.com/2011/11/nat-sherman-bench-collection-has.html

Verdict – Nat Sherman Bench series is worth exploring. Unfortunately you will need to stop by the NYC store on 42nd to get these for now.

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Next up is the Liga Privada offering called the Undercrown. This was developed after the rollers were asked to stop smoking their favorite Liga cigars due to supply concerns. The senior rollers then altered the blend and substituted some leafs that were in larger supply. The result was a product that caught the attention of ownership and ended up being a regular product. A true product of the rollers, not the usual product development crew. I really enjoyed this cigar! It was sitting in my humidor for about a month when I smoked it. The dark San Andres maduro wrapper fools you into thinking it will be a powerful cigar. It is actually a medium smoke with very smooth delivery. I could smoke this cigar every day and you might want to try this one out for a “go-to” cigar if you liked balanced, medium cigars. I smoked the Belicoso which cost around $8.From what I understand, it is all Nicaraguan.

Verdict – Like it, will buy again.

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And now for a kick! Four to be exact, the Four Kicks from Crowned Heads is a Dominican Republic cigar with Nicaraguan and Ecuador tobaccos that delivers a smooth, balanced tasting cigar at full strength. This to me is a unique blend and it offers the cigar smoker who wants the full strength but would perhaps like something more refined or balanced in flavor. I typically like more flavors than this cigar was giving me, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t going to please you.

Verdict – I wouldn’t hesitate to smoke this one and will buy again.

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So this Cohiba extra vigoroso showed up in a monthly shipment that I belong to. The write-up on it promised quite a bit in flavor and I was excited for a full strength cigar with sungrown top leafs from the tobacco plant. The top leafs of the tobacco plant tend to have more flavor due to the chemical reaction received from nutrients travelling up top. There are actually two different leafs blended that are top leafs (they are in the filler) and then they are mixed with a Connecticut binder. So, you can read up on this one if you search for it. This is NOT a cheap cigar, goes for around $12.

Verdict – Pass. Seriously. There are better cigars at cheaper prices. If you want to impress however, have at it. They look nice and the name recognition is undeniable (even though they are not real Cubans).

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1968 was a great year. Not that I remember, but I spent nine months of it developing into a bundle of joy. Though my dad probably did not smoke a cigar, he was a Camel (non-filtered) smoker for most of his life, I can’t help but think of how many dads have smoked a Macanudo cigar in America to celebrate their newborn. To me, Macanudo is the archetype golf cigar. Maybe one smoked after a merger or opening of a new Casino. This 1968 offering has a beautiful San Agustin wrapper and the leafs picked are all aged and smoke smoothly. This is as strong as a Macanudo gets. The cigar was good, but it’s really not my type.

Verdict – buy to impress or to please almost anyone.

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Grant’s Family Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky – my thoughts

So you like Scotch do you? Then I imagine you would have no reservation sharing a glass of inexpensive blended scotch whisky?

All kidding aside, I do drink inexpensive blended scotch whisky on occasion! My first whisky that I actually drank on a regular basis was Ballantine. Then I graduated all the way up to Johnny Walker Red. After a few years of drinking blended whiskies I ventured into the single malt world and I admit, I pretty much prefer single malt scotch. The thing about drinking single malt is that I tend to get my head wrapped around the spirit, trying to dissect and figure out what makes it distinguished from another single malt. So there are times when I just don’t want to think, I just want to drink.

Enter Grant’s Family Reserve Blended whisky. I first saw this whisky somewhere, not sure, but it was the only scotch they had. That will probably say something about the establishment! So, hence, not exactly memorable. I could have had Jack Daniels, or some other common whisky but thought I must know what this Grant’s is about. I do remember thinking, not bad, and I’m sure I had a couple and I did not drown it in ice! Since then I’ve learned that this is one of the most popular scotch whiskies in the world! Sold in over 180 countries! And has been around since 1898. In sales I believe it is behind Johnny Walker (Red) and I think Dewar’s. I personally think it is equal to if not better than both of those offerings.

The taste of it is complex but it should, being the result of 25 single malt and grain whiskies, the base being Girvan grain whisky. The tasting notes from the distiller highlight Pear and spring fruits. Ok, like a lot of tasting notes I find, I just nod and say, ok. Sometimes I can totally taste or nose what they are saying, the other 50% of the time I just nod. Though nosing is important and quite enjoyable on some whisky’s, this whisky is for drinking!

As you can guess, this is an affordable scotch! And if you need a house scotch you should try this one out. If you are someone who actually mixes scotch (gasp) with other items then this might be a great staple for you. I have not tried the 12 year and up on this brand because it is not available in my area and I’ve never seen it at a tasting. The Master Blender for Grant’s also, just happens to be, the Master for The Balvenie. Now that should mean something.

As an aside, this is my 100th post! Wow, a lot of typing and wondering if anyone would ever read this stuff! Well, if you are reading this I hope you enjoy!

Cheers!

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Johnny Walker Green Label – A farewell

My fairest child, I have no song to give you;
No lark could pipe to skies so dull and grey:
Yet, ere we part, one lesson I can leave you
For every day.

Be good, sweet maid, and let who will be clever;
Do noble things, not dream them, all day long:
And so make life, death, and that vast for-ever
One grand, sweet song.

Charles Kingsley – A Farewell

The news of Johnny Walker Green Label being discontinued shouldn’t upset too many people but I think it’s a little sad to lose the only label in the JW line that I recommended people try. Where else can you get a blended scotch of high quality (all Malt, no grain) scotch? I’m sure there are several but I’m not a blend guy, mainly single malts. When you drink a dram of Green Label you are drinking Talisker, Linkwood, Craganmore, and Caol Ila products at once. Quite an affordable blend and unique experience.

Efficiency and product trimming has evidently hit the JW line and the Green Label must be the weak link. If I had my way, I’d discontinue Blue….. So Diageo probably knows their market and this must seem like a good move on paper. They are evidently sponsoring a final “official” tasting that you can apply to be at on their Facebook page.

The first time I ever bought the Green Label was a few years back while in St. Thomas. The costs were supposedly lower, not sure about that, so I bought a bottle there. I think it’s a very drinkable dram, nothing extremely special but a good everyday or with guests that you don’t want to pull out the “good” stuff for. For myself, it’s just a bit of nostalgia that the brand is going away, so I may stock up for no good reason but to have a “rare” product one day.

If you are a regular Black label drinker and have not tried the Green, I would encourage you to try this one. Unlike your Black label, this one does not have any grain whisky in it. On top of that I’d say its finish is nicer and more complex. If you only drink Red label, please switch to Black!, and you too will notice a large difference in quality.

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Cheers to you Green Label! And Farewell!

15

Highland Park 15 Single Malt Scotch Whisky

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In luxury items there is fierce competition these days, and then there are those items that defy competition due to their superiority. Highland Park whisky is one of those products. In fact the 18 year was bestowed “best scotch in the world” by one reviewer. There is a virtual sea of scotch whisky products these days and much of it really good. Highland Park has always been a standard since I’ve been into serious whisky but for some reason I’ve evaded buying my own bottles. Today I corrected that mistake. The ABC store had the 12 and 15 year on sale. I grabbed the 15 year for around $67. When I last tasted the HP products it was with Martin Daraz on a whisky cruise in Washington D.C. It’s amazing how different the mouthfeel is on these two.

The 12 year is all over your tongue like a young spirit without rest. The 15 year actually shows a completely different and mature behavior and lays down the softest, lightly peated fruit. You might even be mistaken to call this an Islay scotch. The mouth feel is one I like, it has a viscous, oily finish that I find goes really well with a cigar.

Some say that this (Highland Park) is just too much to pay for whisky but if you enjoy premium products you owe it to yourself to try Highland Park, even the 12 year is very nice. I’m going to enjoy this bottle over the holidays this year. I hope you find a spirit you enjoy also.

Cheers!

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theScotchlife’s top 3 Scotch Whisky and Cigars picks of 2011

At the end of this year I thought it would be a good time to figure out which products I enjoyed most this year. One of the reasons I started a blog was to chronicle what I was drinking or smoking so that I could reference it later. The problem is I haven’t been able to faithfully chronicle everything. I’d say I’ve missed 25% of what I’ve enjoyed, some of it made it at least to my twitter account @theScotchlife but I would say it caught 98% and it is very hard to read through 1K+ tweets!

So, picking a top 3 of a product to me is very difficult and I would preface this with this may not be the best products by themselves but are elevated by association of an event, or their value.

In the area of Scotch it is quite easy because I spent a weekend in Vegas sampling an array of 40 year plus aged scotch offerings from The Macallan, Bowmore, Dalmore, Glenfarclas, etc…. and the most memorable dram I had was the Bowmore from 1969. Having a dram that is equal in age to ones self is memorable and immensely reflective. It’s hard to figuratively characterize life in a drink, but with that Bowmore from my birth-year, I think it comes awfully close. There is something very special with super-premium aged scotch, it isn’t like your every day scotch, and your life should be as good as it!

So, the #1 is the 1969 Bowmore. I believe it went on sale this year in the U.S., six bottles total if memory serves me correct for around 14K a bottle?

#2 scotch whisky of my year goes to Ardbeg. Yes, I also had this tasty sample from 1974 at the very same Nth show in Vegas and to have an Ardbeg these days from that era is very special. I do enjoy the regular Ardbeg line as well and have Corryvreckan and Uigeadail in-house currently. The ’74 is quite different though, and superior to the current range.

#3 In order to give credit to something that isn’t in the $10K range I would like to give credit to The Balvenie 17 year range of scotch. I have spent some time in acquiring the line, it is difficult since most of it is out of production. My biggest prize came by a friend snagging a bottle of the original Islay Cask in an auction in the UK. This has been replaced by the Peated cask which is good but not as good as the original Islay cask. I would also comment on the rest of the Balvenie line that is available currently, I simply think it is a crowd pleaser from the Doublewood to the Portwood. You just can’t go wrong unless you demand higher alcohol content. I think the flavors should more than make up for it though.

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In the cigar category I think it is even harder! There are so many good cigars out there and the availability of super-aged premiums like scotch are not as readily available to me. On top of it, I’m finding price really does not always mean quality in the cigar world. In fact, the only expensive cigar I’m going to site is the Diamond Crown cigar.

#1 cigar of the year, yes, the Diamond Crown. This is a super-premium cigar and was made to be a cut above the norm. This is typically a $20 cigar so it is not very often I smoke one and there is usually a good reason why I do! You should treat yourself to one of these.

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#2 cigar of the year is…… Alec Bradley’s Tempus (original). I really was taken by the smoothness of this cigar, its complexity and roundness, and price! Yes, this is a sub $10 smoke typically and it is so worth your time and money! It does smoke like a dream and AB seems to be on a roll. I had to mention this cigar because for the value its hard to beat, a good second or “like” this cigar would be a Brick House cigar.

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#3, is, well, this is hard, I have smoked probably no less than 300 different cigars this past year, and after a while, they all seem to cross over each other at some point. I am going to go back to a cigar I smoked a long time ago and wrote glowingly about it, the La Flor Dominicana “double ligero” line. I smoked a large gauge one and I have a thinner, Churchill especial version that I hope to smoke by the new year. This is a BIG smoke and you should enjoy this with a nice steak dinner or big pasta dinner. Just smelling this one is driving me crazy, the spice that comes off of it is really amazing.

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I can’t help but add a little “honorable mention” to Don Pepin Garcia’s blue label as well as Padilla’s Habano. These two I really thought of a lot while comparing cigars this year.

As with any “top” list, there are always some that you wish could mention but I think most people realize that in scotch and cigars there are so many excellent offerings available these days. I think that you will enjoy these, if you haven’t already, and with the exception of the rare scotch offerings you should be able to find them.

I am looking forward to another year and there are so many exciting products coming down the pike, I personally have several new cigars resting in the humidor that I have never tried and I am particularly excited about trying the new Nat Sherman lines. I picked up several cigars at the NYC Big Smoke last month and will be firing them up soon. As far as scotch, I am looking forward to the Balvenie release of TUN 1401 batch 3 in the U.S. and Ardbeg’s Alligator to finally crawl over the pond. I’ve also heard some brand Ambassadors speak of new offerings coming out soon and I am planing on getting out to my local Virginia distilleries this year and explore their products. With any luck I will make it to a good whisky fest this year also.

I hope this year has been a good one for you!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays!

John

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The Balvenie Caribbean Cask

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I make it no secret that I do appreciate Balvenie products and this 14 year aged Balvenie that was finished in Caribbean Rum casks is the perfect Christmas time scotch! The inspiration for this product is the 17 year Rum cask that came out a few years ago which was a one-time offering. This product which has been out for about a year, is evidently to be a regular offering for Balvenie. Like most of Balvenie’s regular offerings, the soft vanilla-honeyed notes are now joined with some spicy sweet ones from the previously used rum casks. The ABV rate is 43% and is easily enjoyed neat.

If you are wondering what to get that scotch lover for Christmas, Hanukkah, (pick your holiday) then I feel very confident in suggesting this product. This would also be great as an aperitif!

Cheers!

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The Macallan tasting event at Ibiza

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On a blistery cool evening in DC The Macallan put on a tasting at Ibiza which is best described as a night club that is in a more distant area than most events around the nations capital. It was too my surprise that these tastings had multiple times on the evening but that went into disbelief when I saw how large this event was. The setting itself screamed “nightlife” and you were just wondering when a DJ was going to pop out, Macallan poured and a mob dance break out.

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Instead of the DJ there were multiple servers swimming around with trays of tasting glasses and a stage set up with a large LED screen and Iconic looking bottles of Macallan lined up. Then out popped the DJ, er, well Martin Daraz actually. Now having seen Martin before at work, I knew that the right guy was sent to a large crowd that was probably hoping the DJ would show up. Martin is highly entertaining and extremely well informed. I actually wish more large brand distillers could follow Macallan’s lead. This was a very well done event and I think everyone went away knowing, as many do, how well Macallan products taste and are presented.

There wasn’t anything presented at this event that I wasn’t familiar with but because of the well execution and sheer entertainment value of Martin I left with a smile on my face. If you have not had The Macallan products, which I don’t know how you could avoid such a task, you owe it to yourself to try out their 12 year offering which is quite ubiquitous. The Macallan is one of those rare products that although found almost anywhere you go, is always worth the pour.

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