Whisky Party

Taking place in San Francisco!

For those of you in San Francisco, Whiskies of the World is taking place at the Hotel Nikko on Mason Street on Saturday, March 27, 2010.  The last whisky festival in San Francisco (WhiskyFest) was a doozy and this seems to be a right decent one, too.   The event organizers were kind enough to give WhiskyParty a code for discounted tickets to share with our readers and friends.  Enter discount code: WPARTY8P on the checkout page for an 8% discount on tickets and their Dram Club membership.

(Note.  We don’t get anything from you using the discount code and have not received free tickets from the organizers – but saving 8% is a decent amount for an expensive event, especially at a time like now,  so we asked for a code to share when we posted about the event).

Obviously going around and tasting some fabulous whiskies is an experience in itself (it took me over  a day to recover from the party that was WhiskyFest).  The whiskies on the docket at Whiskies of the World seems to be of a very high caliber, too.  Color me excited to try the Suntory Single Malt Beer.  However, aside from the beverages, there are a few things that I find really special about these events that make it “worth” it for me to go:

1. Sharing a part of my interests and passions with friends who think it’s fun to accompany me to these things.
2. Meeting other individuals from my area who are really into whisk(e)y and potentially developing some friendships that could last.
3. SWAG
4. Having the opportunity to learn from and speak with brand ambassadors, distillers, and master class / seminar instructors.

It is this last perk that really makes these events special.  The seminars being offered at Whiskies of the World offer a bit of the same (I’m a little disappointed that “The Great Whiskey Debate” is being offered again as that indicates that it is more marketing than really spreading education) and a bit of the new.  I’m particularly excited about the moonshine and craft distillers seminars as well as meeting Steven Beal, one of the world’s seven “Masters of Scotch” and a minister at the magnificent Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.  Information from the press release is below.

From the biggest brand names to whiskies that are not even available for sale, there will be a spirit to suit everyone’s taste.  In addition to incredible spirits from every corner of the world, the Expo will also feature seminars conducted by world famous Master Distillers and Brand Ambassadors.  Among those giving seminars are:

David Mays & Simon Brooking (Beam Global) “The Great Whiskey Debate”

Joe Michale (Piedmont Distillers) “Moonshine Renaissance”

Steven Beal (Diageo) “Walking through the Regions of Scotland”

Richard Patterson (Whyte & Mackay) “The Dalmore”

Rick Edwards (Pernod Ricard) “The Glenlivet”

Scot Bush (Templeton Rye), Ralph Erenzo (Tuthilltown Spirits) , Brian Ellison (Death’s Door Spirits) and Fritz Maytag (Anchor Brewing), “Wonders of Craft Distilling”.

If you’ll be making a splash at the event, do let us know.  We’d love to meet fellow WhiskyPartiers – just shoot me an email at WhiskyPartySF at Gmail dot com.

-StrongLikeCask

Tasting Notes from Bloggers We Trust:

• Whiskey Notes thinks that the Littlemill 1990 (Malts of Scotland) is more complex and fruity than other Lowland scotches.
• He calls the Coleburn 1983 (Whisky Agency) “bitter” and “old-fashioned.”
• Whisky Host reviews a Bowmore 26 yo from Masters of Malt.
• Whisky Fun tries two Cragganmores bottled in 1997.  He also tastes three bottles from Knockando.
• Two more reviews of Ardbeg Rollercoaster – The Whisky Exchange gives it a more positive review than most, and John Hansell calls it a little green, but gives it generally high marks.
• Whisky for Everyone has a range of tasting notes from their visit to Whisky Live London.
• The Springbank 18 is almost too complex, says Whisky for Everyone.
• Scotch Hobbyist gives the Caol Ila 18 from Single Malts of Scotland a B+.
• Whisky Israel The Jewish Single Malt Blog has a great review of Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey Batch 29.
• John Hansell finds good value in the “MacPhail’s Collection” – three eight year old whiskies for only $30 each.
• Whisky for Everyone calls the hard-to-find Strathisla 12 a “must have” for sherried whisky lovers.
• Whisky Fun tastes a “mixed bag” of Springbanks.
• Whisky Israel samples the delicious Macallan 18 sherry oak.

Whisk(e)y News on the Web:

• Laphroaig plans on playing up their relationship with Maker’s Mark, whose barrels they use to age their spirit, in a bid to raise their profile here in America.
• The Washington Post has more on the Distilled Spirits Council’s embrace of craft distilleries.
• In his latest deconstruction of obscure tasting notes, Whisky Host tackles “Parma Violets,” which look to be UK versions of Smarties or Necca Wafers for those of you that are stateside.
• John Hansell, after polling his readers, has decided to review the second round of the “controversial” Manager’s Choice drams from Diageo – though only after reviewing some considerably more affordable whisky.
• Things are afoot in Islay.  Looks like Kilchoman has poached a distillery manager from Bunnahabhain.
• Whisky Intelligence has information on new bottlings from Douglas Laing and A. Dewar Rattray
• The Glenrothes is now sponsoring the Whisky Cast iPhone app.

In the early 20th century Suntory Ltd. was primarily an importer of Spanish wines but began to make its own plum-based dessert liquor.  In 1923 its founder, Shinjiro Torri, capitalized on the sizable whisky market and founded the Suntory Distillery in the Vale of Yamazaki, between Kyoto and Tokyo.

Suntory's flagship whisky

Most of their (very lightly peated) barley is imported (from Australia, typically), but the natural water used for Suntory whiskies comes from wells right near the distillery and is relatively hard (ie, has a high mineral content, similarly to Highland Park and Glenmorangie).  While the sizes and shapes of the various stills used at Suntory differ greatly, they are all in the copper pot tradition, and the whisky is distilled twice.  The Yamazaki 12 year old expression comes from whiskies aged in three types of wood: American, Spanish, and Japanese oak.  The result is something not unfamiliar to Scotch drinkers, but at the same time is something unique.

The Yamazaki 12 year old

Abv: 43%

Color:

[DodgyDrammer]: Reflective copper; seems like a little fino sherry influence.

[StrongLikeCask]: A nice full gold. Reminds me of gilded painting frames.

for relaxing times...

Legs:

[DD]: Great; many well-formed beads, slow, a little large, but long.

[SLC]: Super slow to form. Slow to fall. Medium sized.

Nose:

[DD]: Sticky apricots, lemon meringue, cherry penny candies, orange marmalade, cedar wood; with time in the open air it becomes waxy, and some of the dried fruits come into play.

[SLC]: Berries, apple jam, flowers and something(s) that I can’t place (seaweed? grilled or dried fish? crayons?).  There’s also a decent amount of vinegar there.

Palate:

[DD]: Not exactly what I expected coming off of the nose; maltier, bready, and spicier; some dried cranberries; a touch of mint, perhaps.

[SLC]: Short and mostly sweet. Malty. There’s a good amount of spice and fruit. The floral taste from the nose is also here. The taste almost is really just a short beginning that crescendos and transitions extremely smoothly into the finish.

Body:

[DD]: Light-to-medium, with just a slightly assertive mouthfeel.

Finish:

[DD]: Kind of long, big and slightly burning, but pleasant; ending on dried fruits, toffee, and cocoa powder.

[SLC]: Powerful and evolving. Hits both sweet and savory on the tongue, and almost gives you a spicy chili-pepper heat mouth feel. The lingering finish is coating and leaves you with a spicy sweet, almost fruity bubble gum taste.

Overall:

[DD]: A very good single malt; easily fits within the Speyside style, but is still not quite the same as any Scotch. Would have liked more going on with the palate, but nevertheless not a watery or unpleasant product at all. Well worth the $37 I paid for it at Binny’s.

[SLC]: Wow. I have to say that this ranks up there with some of the more interesting drams I’ve had. It seems crazy to write crayons for the nose, but that smell that you get when you first open a new box of Crayola really struck me. This dram is entirely unique, complex and delicious. I’m a little surprised that some of the maritime character I got on the nose wasn’t found in the whisky, but it didn’t really detract from all the wonderful flavors which were there. It’s my first foray into Japanese whiskies, and I am impressed. The way the entire whisky is balanced and fits together demonstrates some amazing craftsmanship. I highly recommend it. I have been looking for a dram to have for dessert, and I may have just found one.

A glass of this Japanese malt

Other Opinions: A range; generally a well-liked malt; the greatest agreement is on the floral nose.

• MN and DB give it decent scores (8 & 7.75) at Whisky Mag.
• Tastings.com finds it “exceptional,” noting a rich, sweet-fruit profile.
• Jason’s Scotch Whisky Reviews finds it “interesting and totally inoffensive,” with malt, chocolate, spice, peat, and honey; he compares this “sweet whisky with drying qualities upon the finish” with Dalwhinnie.
• Drink Hacker gives the fresh-fruit aromas and honey-like palate an A-.
• Scotch Hobbyist likes this “dangerously drinkable” Speyside twin, for its overall pleasure if nothing else.
• Nonjatta doesn’t have much love for the flowery nature of the drink.
• Whisky Israel enjoys both the 12 and 18 year old, even though they are just a wee bit pricier in that market.

While this is not even close to being the best whisky news of the week (that might go to the discovery of hangover-free alcohol – more on that below), I feel obligated to point out that we made Gawker (sort of).  The good folks over in Nick Denton’s empire are calling for a Whiskey (political) Party to compete with the Tea Party and the Coffee Party here in the states.  We heartily endorse their recommendation and volunteer to lead the charge.

Tasting Notes from Bloggers We Trust:

• Cask Strength visits the Berry Brothers Rudd shop and tastes MacDuff 1984, Balmenach 1979, Glen Mhor 1982, and Cragganmore 1987.
• After a visit to Whisky Live London, Cask Strength tastes Lagavulin 30 bottled 2008 and and Lagavulin 12 Friends of the Classic Malts 2008, as well as the Highland Park Saint Magnus and Haakon (long story).
• Master of Malt tastes two single cask bottlings of Hanyu Japanese Whisky.
• John Hansell reviews four releases from GlenDronach.
• Whisky for Everyone enjoyed the Penderyn Port Wood, but thought it might be too rich and heavy for some.
• Whisky Fun samples two limited release Strathmills.  He trashes “the four cheapest scotch, bourbon, canadian whisky and “whiskey” bottles that he could find.  Three expressions of Talisker fare much better.
• Whisky Host reviews the Cragganmore 10 from Diageo.
• Whisky Notes gives the Ardbeg Rollercoaster another mixed review.
• Whisky Notes also reviews BenRiach 1993 sauternes cask and Glenrothes 18 from Single Malts of Scotland.

Whisk(e)y News on the Web:

• Scientists discover that oxygenated booze gives you milder hangovers.  So how long before we see our first hangover-free whisky product?
• John Hansell editorializes about whisky bloggers.
• Get the lowdown on some French whisky in the latest edition of Whisky Cast.
• Whisky Magazine announces the winners of their 2010 World Whisky Awards.
• Whisky 101 for beginners (hat tip to Whisky Host).
• Pernod Ricard’s whisky sales are down.

–Whisky Party

TONIGHT, Tuesday March 2, Bushmills Tasting at the Red Head Piano Bar:

On Tuesday, March 2 we will be partnering with Partners In Health | Stand With Haiti to bring you the Bushmill’s flight! We will be sampling Bushmill’s Black, as well as Bushmill’s Single Malt (10 year, 12 year AND 21 year). Our doors will open one hour earlier than usual, at 6pm and the fun will begin at 6:30. There will be a “Bushmill’s Expert” on hand to discuss the four types we will be sampling. As always, the event is complimentary – however we are encouraging everyone who attends to make a $10 donation to Stand With Haiti…because who doesn’t like feeling all warm and fuzzy after enjoying some Irish whiskeys??

Time: 6:00-10pm

Price: suggested donation of $10 to support the relief effort for Haiti.

Friday March 12, Glenlivet Scotch Dinner at The Saloon Steakhouse:

Join us for a four course dinner in our wine room where we will taste  through all six of the Glenlivet collection to include the rare Glenlivet XXV. Guiding us through the portfolio will be Brand Ambassador Winston Evans. Each guest will receive a pair of Glenlivet Scotch tasting glasses to take home.

Time: 7-10pm

Price: $75, which includes tax & gratuity (making it a real steal, IMO).

Menu:

• Glenlivet 12yr
  • Passed Hors d’oeuvres
• Glenlivet 15yr
  • Mango & Cardamom Glazed Loch Duart Salmon Roasted on a  Cedar Plank with Bitter Greens & Pickled Onion
• Glenlivet 16yr Nadurra
  • Butter Poached Langoustine & Nori Encrusted Wagyu Ribeye with Spicy Japanese Aioli
• Glenlivet 18yr
  • Espresso Painted Rack of Venison, Toasted Barley Cake & Orange Zest and Black Pepper Infused Jus
• Glenlivet 21yr Archive
  • Dark Chocolate & Glenlivet Creme Brulee
• Glenlivet XXV–A Final Toast!

This event will be limited to 25 guests so reservations are required.  For questions or reservations contact the Saloon at 312-280-5454 or email wylie@saloonsteakhouse.com.

See you at Saloon; this menu sounds awesome.

St. George American Single Malt Whiskey

Visit their website, and you could be forgiven for thinking that St. George Spirits in Alameda, California is known entirely for crafting Eaux de Vie.  However the distillery offers a number of spirits, and even played a key role in bringing absinthe back to the America market.  If you are a regular on the cocktail circuit, you’ve probably seen their bottles of Absinthe Verte, the first American absinthe since 1912, featuring a cowbell-playing monkey on a label that looks like a dollar bill, on the shelf of your resident mixologist (curiously, the absinthe is totally absent from their website except for a small promotional poster on their blog).

Since 2000, St. George Distillery has also offered one of the more widely recognized – and easily found, in my experience – American single malt whiskeys on the market.  Sporting a dragon and coat of arms on its label, St. George single malt has a decidedly English look to it (indeed, the first time I saw it on a shelf, at Clancy’s in New Orleans, I thought it was the new St. George’s single malt from the English Whisky Company).  Don’t be fooled, though.  This very nice three year old American single malt, made with barley fermented by a local microbrewer, is a far cry from the typical spirit coming out of the U.K. Nor is it similar to the bourbons and ryes that define American whiskey.  Heavily influenced by the Eaux de Vie that seems to be the bread-and-butter of the distillery, this is a unique whiskey in a style all to itself.

ST. GEORGE SINGLE MALT AMERICAN WHISKEY

ABV: 43%

Color: Light gold with a tinge of green.

Nose: Strong berry fruits.  Refreshing.

Taste: The berry fruits – blueberry, raspberry, blackberry – are just as strong as on the nose. Some honey on the finish.  It’s a light and creamy whiskey that tastes more like a dessert whiskey than a hearty, warm-you-up whiskey.

Overall: It’s a very refreshing whiskey, if a little one-note.  It could use a bit more complexity, but you could easily down three or four glasses without batting and eye.  Above all, I would categorize this as a very “girly” whiskey, and also something of an introductory whiskey.  It’s a good dram to give a friend who wants to try scotch, but is scared off by the high ABVs or smoky peat flavors that are popular today.

Other Opinions:

• At Whisky Magazine, Dave Broom and the late Michael Jackson find it overwhelmingly fruity and more dessert wine than malt.
• American Hooch calls it crisp and refreshing.
• The New York Times did a write up on this bottle 10 years ago when it launched.
• After a lengthy musical discourse, Whisky Fun pits it head to head with its English counterpart.
• Chowhound likens it to a fruit brandy.

Made in California

Made in England

Tasting Notes from Bloggers We Trust:

• Scotch Hobbyist compares the inaugural and Autumn 2009 releases of Kilchoman.
• The Whiskey Exchange reviews Pride of Strathspey 1938 vintage – aka a very old Gordon & MacPhail bottling of Macallan.
• Whisky Host does a head to head of 6 different Ardbegs.
• Whisky Fun tastes three young Ardbegs.
• Amrut NAS (Peated Batch), Amrut NAS (Cask Strength) and Amrut NAS (Fusion) are all reviewed by Whisky Intelligence.
• Whisky for Everyone reviews Caol Ila 12 – calling it a “well rounded, smoky whisky from an underrated distillery.”
• John Hansell has three new scotch reviews up this week: Arran Peacock, Smokehead, and a single post on Glen Grant 10 and Glen Grant 16.
• Three reviews from Whisky Notes: Springbank 18, Glen Grant 1974, and Glen Albyn 1974 (Clydesdale).
• Whisky Israel does a comparison of Octomore 2.1 and Octomore 2.2 “Orpheus.”
• He also tastes Oban 18 and AnCnoc 16.

Whisk(e)y News on the Web:

• Master of Malt has an interesting look at bottling and packaging trends in the whisky industry.
• For those headed to South by Southwest this year, Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey will be sponsoring a music stage at the festival.
• Whisky Cast interviews popular scotch/video blogger Ralfy.
• Jura Prophecy and the Dalmore 18 are headed to the US.
• The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States is setting up an affiliate program for craft distillers.
• Malt Maniacs have updated their Malt Monitor.
• Whisky Host interviews the folks at BenRomach.

Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special Reserve 16: A tasty beverage.

A few months ago, we wrote reviews of  Harviestoun Ola Dubh (“engine oil”) beer after it had been aged in Highland Park barrels that previously held Highland Park  12 and 30 year old whiskies.  The only part of this limited release we were missing was the variety of Ola Dubh that had been aged in barrels previously holding Highland Park 16.  Thanks to my local D&M Liquor Store, I am able to celebrate Harviestoun’s entire catalogue, and present my tasting of the Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special Reserve 16 aged in barrels filled with Highland Park 16.  I was exceptionally excited about this because Matt @ WhiskeyApostle commented that this was his favorite out of the 12 and 30 year – the one that was greater than the sum of its parts.

Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special 16 Reserve

Bottle #: 16894

Bottled: Sept 2007

ABV: 8%

Head: very little cream.  Tan colored.

Body: deep and structured with very few, very fine champagne bubbles.

Nose: roasted cocoa nibs, brown sugar.  Earth and coffee.

Palate: roasted barley, dark chocolate, sweet cherries.  There is a tinge of finely ground espresso.

Finish: This is where the smoke comes in and it lasts.  It’s not outright maritime smoke, it’s not coal, it’s just some good chimney smoke.  The underbelly of it is sweet barley, though potentially that’s just the remnants of the roasted barley on the palate.

Overall:  Wow.  This is tasty.  It’s a sipper, but not half-a-beer type beer.  You can easily sip this in one short sitting and be able to take down all of it.  You really can taste the influence of the whisky, too!  It is smoky, sweet, chewy – I’m sad that it’s gone.  It was well worth the $10.

Other Opinions:

• RateBeer places it in the 98th percentile overall, though the reviews are somewhat all over the place.
• RoyalMile finds the chocolate, smoke, coffee and malt.  They get leather which I did not.
• The Daily Loaf finds many similarities, though they get more whisky influence (I think).
• ThisRound didn’t find whisky and came up with soy sauce (which I missed, but found in abundance before on a Sam Adams Triple Bock).
• BeerAdvocate’s overall is an A-.

If we were all very famous and important whisky writers and people were always asking us what kind of music we like to listen to when we drink, and what our favourite drinking songs are, my answer would probably be an incoherent and lengthy ramble.  But I’ve had this list of great whisky, whiskey, and otherwise alcohol-related music in my head for a while now, and I’ve just finally formalized it on 8tracks.com (a great place for sharing music).

Here’s the playlist:

1. Woody Guthrie [among others...] – Rye Whiskey
2. John Lee Hooker – One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer
3. The Doors – Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
4. The Howlies – Whiskey Night
5. The Pogues – Streams of Whiskey
6. The Skels – Have a Drink Ya Bastards
7. Metallica [among many others...] – Whiskey in the Jar
8. Flogging Molly – Drink and Fight
9. Ramblin’ Jack Elliot – Cigarettes, Whiskey, and Wild Wild Women
10. The Band – Up on Cripple Creek
11. The Clancy Brothers – Whiskey You’re the Devil
12. Willie Nelson – Whiskey River
13. Tom Waits – Jockey Full of Bourbon
14. Bob Dylan [among others] – Moonshiner
15. Phish – Mexican Cousin [okay, a tequilla song, but still appropriate]

Drinking Ardbeg, dancing(?) to Beastie Boys, I think...

I’m fairly certain there are those that will take up issue with the versions of some of the classics on here (Whiskey in the Jar, Moonshiner, Rye Whiskey), and we’d love to hear your dissenting opinions.  In that sense, I could have gone with a more traditionally Irish version (e.g. the Dubliners) of WITJ over the Americanized, rocking Metallica take, but I wanted to break-up the perhaps overly Irish folk-rock slant to this list.  Speaking of which, there is a notable dearth of Scottish songs here– my favourite Scottish bands certainly don’t shy away from drink (e.g. Arab Strap), but they aren’t as explicitly alcohol-oriented in their lyrics.  As far as I know.

Shane McGowan

My co-writers and myself here at the WhiskyParty, much like many drinkers, are big music fans, so we’ll be updating our 8tracks page every now and then to add even more drinking-relevant mixes.  And to that end, please let us know what tunes your tipple so we can keep expanding our range of interest (and perhaps have a sloshy argument about what songs, and which versions, are best).

-DodgyDrammer

We’ve tasted and reviewed both the unpeated BenRiach 12 year old and the heavily peated and awesome BenRiach Curiositas 10 year old expressions, and you can read more about the distillery in either of those posts or in a great tour write-up by Whisky for Everyone.  BenRiach releases only 4,800 bottles per year of this peated 21 year old Speyside, which is also available in the “Classic & Peated” $28 four-pack of 50ml miniatures.  It is non-chillfiltered and retains its natural color.

One of four in the "Classic & Peated" pack: a great value.

BenRiach Authenticus 21 year old peated malt

Abv: 46%

Color: A gorgeous deep golden.

Legs: Kind of big; slow and viscous, but more like cankles.

A glass of the peated 21 yead old Authenticus

Nose: It’s a fruity peat smoke that hits you right away, gently though, and with it comes a truly remarkable fresh scent of rosewater, cucumbers (much like the Curiositas), fresh lemons, and a touch of peach.

Palate: Warm, soft, and estery at first, the burning-ember peat smoke (with some alcoholic punch) jumps right out at you within moments, with some earthiness, but transitions smoothly into cinnamon-baked apples with some oranges.

Body: Full and textured, a bit firm.

Finish: Medium-to-long, with a grass-fire fade.

Overall: One of the best damn drams I’ve tasted in a while, and that’s saying a lot.  From the moment I cracked the bottle, the aromas captivated me.  I couldn’t imagine how good the taste could be after that amazing mixture of peat and fruit and smoke, but the palate delivered a truly unique, textured, and delicious flavour.  It seems, for me, to continue along the lines of the Curiositas, though having undergone an excellent development of those flavours over the course of 11 extra years in the cask.  Winner!

Cost (750ml/US): between $100 and $150 ($125 at Binny’s).  Definitely worth it.

Other Opinions: Other than a general respect for the excellence and balance of this dram, and the peaty smoke of course, tasting notes are all over the place.  I believe the release has varied from year to year, so that is expected.

• MN and DB at Whisky Mag get different notes but give a similarly high score (8.75 and 9) to a 56% abv bottling; an Editor’s Choice.
• Whisky Fun gives the dry, herbal, smoky, and sweet 2007 release an 86/100, and considers the Ardbeg-ness of it.
• Whisky Distilleries gets the “freshness” that I’ve seen in both the Curiositas and this 21 year old, as well as my lemons on the nose, and gives it a well-deserved 19/20.
• Matt at Whisky For Everyone also proclaims this dram, full of “peat smoke and rich sweet fruitiness,” a winner.

An all-natural dram, heavily peated, and aged for 21 years: perfect.

- DodgyDrammer