Tag Archives: Stewed Prunes

1996 Arran Premier Sherry Single Cask exclusively for the US market

Islands Region – Single cask limited bottling, 165 bottles total (and interestingly low number of bottles from a single cask…), first-fill Oloroso Sherry, Cask # 1785 – 56%ABV – $125 (or so)

Apologies for letting a week or so pass by with out a post/review.  It’s that busy time of year where I’m out on the road; sales calls, trade shows, training seminars, etc…

OK, enough with the apologies, let’s get talking about whisky.  One thing I’d like to call to your attention on today’s post is the title of today’s post.  More specifically, the last five words in the title of today’s post: “…exclusively for the US market”.  While many brands out there seem to focus on special releases for Duty Free, the French market, etc…  Arran seems to be doing a bang up job sending the US some special release stuff.  Most notably, single cask releases.  True, the US did not get any of the “Icons of Arran” such as the Peacock, The Rowan Tree or The Westie.  And no, we did not see the beautiful “Sleeping Warrior“.

However, being that more and more single cask product (E.G. Single Ex-Bourbon, 8yo Sherry Cask bottling and today’s topic, the Premier Sherry Cask) is being sent our way, my guess/hope is that we’ll also start seeing more of the other “limited” releases sent our way – at least a small portion of the bottlings.  Fingers crossed!

A wise man once told me that the Arran spirit is perhaps too light and delicate to do well in a first fill sherry casks for an extended period of time.  This whisky is 15yo and was matured for that entire length of time in a first-fill Oloroso sherry butt.  Hmmm, let’s see how the spirit held up:

Color Really dark – perhaps the darkest I’ve seen in an Arran whisky.  Dark yet translucent, deep brown fluid.  Like an Oloroso sherry.  The picture of the bottle shown above does not do the liquid justice in the color department.

On the nose  Sticky cherry sauce followed by green apples – super fresh and very prominent.

Caramel and coriander notes are found here too.

Sherry soaked angel food cake (if there were such a thing).

Very hot and alcoholic nose.

Celery leaves then something slightly acrid (highly browned fruits perhaps) but yet… fitting and very pleasant in the context.

Water balloons (sans the water) – nice little rubbery notes.

On the mouth Chocolates and chilis and loads (loads!) of stewed prunes and chocolate sauce.

Assorted dried fruits and even a little banana.

Sugared and sweet black plums.

More apples and way in the back, some saltiness and even some notes of plum pudding (and… tobacco??).

Ooey melted caramel.  Really quite scrumptious.

Finish  Lasting warmth and just the right amount of drying.  Salty yet sweet.

In sum There’s a reason Arran has been making headlines and headway within the community of whisky drinks but this is not it.

Actually, this takes Arran in another direction but it only helps to show that the Arran spirit can do well in sherry casks — it can hold its own as a heavily sherried whisky.

I’d suggest this whisky as an after dinner treat.  It’s an indulgence – grab the bottle and a glass, hide yourself away with a book, maybe a warm fire and a little plate of turkish delights and, enjoy some YOU time.

Top notch stuff.  Arran, I tip my hat to you.

Special thanks goes out to Andy H for the sample!

Glenmorangie Margaux Cask – the waiting was the hardest part!

Highland region – 46%ABV – 700ml – Limited bottling 1 of 3551 – $446 | £278 |€325 (I bought my bottle a good while back and did not pay these prices.  My bottle number, by the way, is # 3535)

Where do I begin, and to what do I compare the feelings I had upon opening this bottle so as NOT to make a comparison to my *first time* with a girl and the anticipation some teenage boys, such as I was, feel regarding the prospect?  Aw, crap.  I just made the comparison, now didn’t I?  At least there were no details, right?  Right.

In all seriousness, I’ve had this bottle sitting in my whisky cabinet for a good 2 years (or so) before I went ahead and opened it.  It didn’t stay there because I was planning on keeping it for whisky collecting purposes.  No, it just so happened that I wanted to wait until the right time (whatever that would be) to open and enjoy it.  Thanks to you, I discovered what that special time was and, even though I haven’t gotten there yet, I’m well on my way on what I believe is the right track to attaining that goal.

So, why did I open this bottle if I hadn’t reached my goal yet?  Well, that is all explained in this here post.

Let’s just say that opening it was a thrill.  And to be in the good company of friends who are fellow whisky geeks/bloggers (Jason, Sam, that’s you!) made it all the more special.

Anyone who frequents the blog or knows me personally understands that I’ve basically got a boner for all things Glenmo.  If you’ve not tried their range in a while, I REALLY suggest you give it another go.  Their current line up is very special – even down to their 10yr “Original.”

And shit, if the contents of that bottle didn’t smell like pure heaven…

I’ve used this video once before (for another Glenmorangie whisky) and few drams can be compared to what is being compared in this video but, enjoy!

On to the review…

On the nose A very un-Glenmo nose.

Wafts of over-ripe grapes.

Delicious prune like notes.

Scents of grass and wild flowers (the little white daisies that aren’t so sweet smelling – very earthy).

Italian herb rub.

Fine red wine for the holidays.

Subtle notes of apples and peach (wine soaked peaches at that!).

Big chunks of chocolate.

Paper lunch bags.

On the mouth Powerful – like licking a dank dirt floor cellar; musty and earthy.

I wouldn’t want this any other way.

Very tannic, big wine and tobacco.

Lots of dried fruits with a focus on raisins and prunes.

This is really massive and the mouth feel goes back and forth between creamy and peppery.

Finish Very drying finish, oaky and hints again of that herb-rub I got on the nose.

In sum Delectable.  Way too big for daily dramming (also, too expensive & limited for it as well).  Handle with care.

This is the elephant in the room. Not to be ignored.

If drinking with friends, the conversation needs to be deep and it should be centered around this beauty or you’re just not giving it its due respect.

Kavalan Single Malt Whisky “Solist”, ex-sherry, cask strength

Taiwan – 58.7%ABV – 200ml sample (thanks to Ian Chang of Kavalan for the sample)

For the next two days, Gal of Whisky Israel and I will be sharing our thoughts on the Kavalan range.  While I’m not tasting these whiskies blindly, Gal and I will not be sharing our thoughts on these whiskies prior to our posting them.  Be sure to check out Gal’s notes on this whisky (a link to Gal’s review is listed below my notes).

I haven’t mentioned this is previous posts – the Kavalan range of whiskies are young.  Maturing in Taiwan where it’s hot as hell and humid as can be, the whisky’s maturation process is incredibly accelerated!  Given the weather conditions in Taiwan and the fact that they lose about 10% of their alcohol content every year (as opposed to the average 2% the Scots experience), the folks at Kavalan bottle this whisky at just three years of age (and they still get that beautiful deep sherry color!!).

So, let’s see how quick life in the cask translates to the final bottled product:

On the nose Big thick, rich and fruity nose.

Dried apricots soaked in sherry.

Stewed prunes and household cleaners.

Some interesting notes of buckwheat honey.

Hot sugary cinnamon.

Dark chocolate shavings.

On the mouth Young and hot (get your mind into the gutter, I mean out of… out of the gutter.).

Decent mouthfeel.

Ghirardelli cherry chocolate covered cherries.

Alcohol-logged Lincoln Logs.

Burning dry grass.

Chocolate Necco wafers.

Finish Short in flavor (quick bursts of cherry, honey and oak), long in burn.

In sum The youth in this whisky is obvious though not altogether bad.  I actually quite like the youthfulness.  If you’re a fan of the morning dram, this may be up your alley.  The perfect whisky to get you pumped up to shovel the snow in your driveway – winter is coming and here in Connecticut, it can be a doozy.  Now I know what to sip on when the snow piles up.

Be sure to read Gal’s great notes here.

Eades Double Malt – Double Post – Speyside & Highland expressions

Moving forward with my vatted malts and blended whiskies series; moving on with the Eades Double Malts.  Last week I posted about their great vatted Islay expression.  I thought, seeing as these are “Double Malts” (the combination of two wine cask finished single malts into one expression) that I’d do a double post today – two different Eades Double Malt expressions.

So, what’s left in their line?  We’ve got a Double Malt Highland expression which is comprised of 50% Clynelish (a 10yr single malt finished in a Chateau LaFitte Bordeaux cask) and 50% Ben Nevis (another 10yr single malt finished in a Grenache Blanc Cask).  We also have their Speyside expression which is 70% Dufftown (a 12yr finished in Red Zinfandel) and 30% Mortlach (a 15yr beauty finished in a Callejo Tempranillo cask).

Special thanks goes out (again) to Pat of the Virginia Distilling Company for the samples!

Let’s start with the Highland Malt:

A Highland vatting of Clynelish & Ben Nevis – 46%ABV – 750ml – $70

On the nose — And odd yet interesting nose we have here…

Off the bat, notes of a wet cinder block.

Malt vinegar & chocolate.

Both vinegar & chocolate notes are slight – as if they were watered down in some way.

Buttermilk biscuits (malty, buttery).

Unripened pears.

Strong vanilla and oaky notes that, given the combination, are reminiscent of a bourbon (or the sweet result of a heavily charred barrel).

Soured milk (perhaps this is the vinegar note better realized?)

On the mouth — Very sweet with notes of english toffees.

Hot cinnamon on pears.

Nutmeg spice (back to that sweet bourbony feel).

Something sweet yet earthy in here.

Finish — Medium length.  Caramels, nicely salted.

In sum — Hmmm… perhaps, like the make-up, I’m a bit 50-50 on this one.

There’s a lot going on with the nose but once sipped on, the palate gets somewhat narrowed down (or funneled) into something a bit more focused.

It sounds like a nice thing but I was hoping for a little joyride like I was given with the nose on this one.

Now for the Speyside:

A Speyside vatting of Dufftown & Mortlach – 46%ABV – 750ml – $70

On the nose — Big, thick nose filled with dates and dark chocolates.

More dried fruits, juicy and nicely chewy (chewy like figs).

Salty and slightly smoked.

Stewed prunes and canned prunes.

Almonds via marzipan.

A dusty attic with no-longer-being-used furniture.

Very happy with this nose, thank you muchly.

On the mouth — Nice mouth feel.

The prunes regain the life they once had and turn back into plums.

That smoke creeps back.

My tongue gets licked back by light hints of leather and perhaps freshly dried tobacco leaf.

After becoming plums, said fruits then get distilled turning into a fairly hot slivovitz.

My mouth is now happy as well.

Finish — Medium length filled with melting chocolates.

In sum — A nice cold night dram.  Sit back and enjoy.

Yamazaki Sherry Cask

Japan – 48%ABV – 700ml –  Not Available through US stores | £56 | €55

So, apparently, “Lust” is one of the seven deadly sins.  In Judaism, lust can be attributed to ones’ Yetzer Hara, or basically, ones Evil Inclination.  The Jewish point of view is that all people have good inclinations (Yetzer Tov) and bad ones (Yetzer Hara) and that when one “sins” it’s more like you’ve “missed the mark” or not lived up to your potential.

You must be asking yourself at this point in time — “What in the blue F$%k is this guy talking about!?”

Well, I’ll tell you.  The very second I saw the picture of this bottle of Yamazaki Sherry Cask, I fell in lust.  Yes, I like Yamazaki well enough (I actually like it a lot and you can read my review of their 12yr expression here) but the very second I caught a glimpse of the color of the fluid contained within the bottle well, let’s just say my mouth watered.  A lot.  And I had to get a bottle good and quick.  Does this make me evil?  G-d, I hope not.

Actually, for as much as I “lusted” after it, I got the bottle during Passover and did not open it.  For those of you who do not know, Jews who keep “Kosher for Passover”, we will not drink any whisk(e)y (or have any foods with grains such as wheat, barley, corn, rye, etc…).  While perhaps my Yetzer Hara, or bad inclinations, made me buy this bottle; on the flip side of the coin, my Yetzer Tov, or Good Inclinations, told me to hold off on drinking any until Passover is done and be a good Jew.  If you want to know more about the ins-and-outs of Passover, check it here.  It’s actually a pretty interesting read.

Getting to the point

Anyway, let’s get a bit to the point here: WHISKY!  and a damn good Japanese one at that!  The Yamazaki Sherry Cask was one of my “You did it, you made it through Passover and now you can taste whisky” whiskies and it made me say WOW.  The other was the Springbank 12yr Cask Strength and then on Wednesday April 7th I went to Whisky Live in NYC (the review of that event to coming in the next week).  Ok, back again to my point, Yamazaki Sherry Cask.  Let’s review it now before I ramble on more:

The Yamazaki Sherry does not have an age statement on it but reading around I found that it was matured in first fill Oloroso Sherry butts (tee-hee) for 12-15yrs.  That’s a lot of time sitting in a first fill sherry butts!  I guess that explains the gorgeous deep caramel/rusty blood color.

Initial whiff Very lush and sweet.  Stewed prunes with a side of Cafe Americano, deep chocolate notes and sweet corn (¿¿ is that the bourbony quality that I found in their 12yr expression ??), cinnamon and spice, lots of dried fruits and they run the gammut.

On the mouth Chocolate covered tannins, back to the prunes (something sort of slivovitzy here…plums?), lush mouth feel, big sherry but not extremely “winey”, sweet and back to that bourbon quality I got on the nose.  This is like a heavily sherried bourbon!!

Finish This one stays with you and you’re thankful for it.  Chocolates and a bit of leather, dried fruits and a touch of espresso.

In sumCan I have some more??  Such a nice after dinner type dram.  While it’ll warm you up if you need it to, those bourbon-type notes will work pretty hard to refresh you in ways you would not expect.  Also, it’s a very easy going-down type whisky, smooth and quite approachable (even at 48%ABV).  This is limited stuff too, only 16,000 bottles and, based on how incredible this is, I think this will go quick.  Get it while it’s hot!

So, Japan, thank you once more!  You never cease to amaze me.  I think I’m turning Japanese.  I really think so.