Whisky Party

A bottle of George Smith's Finest The Glenlivet 15 French Oak Reserve

The Glenlivet.  Or The Real Glenlivet.  There’s not much I can say about the distillery that hasn’t already been written somewhere.  The distillery was established in 1824 and has generally been killing it since.  So much so that until The Glenlivet fought for it, many whisky brands appended “Glenlivet” to their name just to try and get some positive glow from the brand name affiliation.  Even Macallan did it.   But that was then and this is now.  Does the legend hold?

The Glenlivet 15 Year French Oak Reserve

The Glenlivet 15 French Oak Reserve

Color: a pale, pale gold

Other Opinions:

• Whiskyboys also like the dram, though find more wood than I did.  They all found it sweet, though.
• The venerable Dr. Whisky finds loads in the nose from hippie oils to salty black licorice and contends that everyone will find something different.  Well put.  He also gets the dry finish but finds more in the palate than I do and equated Glenlivet cork popping sounds with flatulence.  Methinks the good Dr. enjoyed the whisky a bit much that night (though truth be told, there is NOT a satisfying pop on my bottle).
• The average on For Peat Sake is a low 78 with descriptors like “Not Offensive” and “too much alcohol”, which frankly confuses me but so be it.
• Peat and Smoke finds oak and spice as well, but agrees on some of the sweeter notes.  He thinks its too sophisticated and complex for a daily drinker.  Take that, stereotypes.

- StrongLikeCask

Late at night Picture of Bowmore 1996 Aged in Chateau Petrus Casks

There are many things that I appreciate about living in San Francisco.  Amongst them are my proximity to two K&L Wines stores and Beltramo’s.  There’s also the Whisky Shop, Bev Mo, Cask, and a slew of other stores that make it even more expensive for me to live here.  I started using Mint.com just to try and stick to a whisky budget.  I stopped using Mint.com to ignore the fact that I am bad at sticking to a whisky budget.

K&LWines  has gotten a new guy in the liquor department by the name of David Driscoll.  How much he loves his whisk(e)y is palatable.

Bowmore 1996 Label

And one of the new initiatives he brings with him is some exclusive casks from A.D. Rattray, and some pretty fun bottlings from Murray McDavid.

Murray McDavid has a pretty nice, though short, history in the whisky industry, and now own the Bruichladdich Distillery.  They are an independent bottler, and K&L got their hands on some of their Bowmore products.  Bowmore is a distillery from Islay, one of the oldest in Scotland (that is now owned by Suntory).  Some of Bowmore’s products could be a great entry for our 40 under $40, but other Bowmore products are some of the most sought after and reach a very high price.  Chateau Petrus is a bordeaux varietal vineyard (Pomerol) in France that is one of the most expensive in the world.  Putting them together seems quite promising, no?  Especially at a price point of under $70 for a 13 year old bottle of whisky.

Bowmore 1996 13 Years Old Aged in Chateau Petrus Casks, Murray McDavid

Non-chill filtered, no coloring, limited release of 1200 bottles.  Bourbon casks and then Chateau Petrus casks.

ABV: 46%

Color: Orange gold with a pinkish hue.

Legs: Small and sloppy.

Nose: Graham crackers, berries, mulled wine, cinnamon, candied dried fruits, and some honeyed sweetness.

Palate: VERY sweet.  Smoke undertones, which is nice.  Creamy trifle is here, too.  First time I’ve found that in a whisky.  The sweetness is a bit much, actually.  There are definitely plums here.  Some berries and stone fruit.  But all of the sweet and none of the tartness.

Finish: The finish is interesting.  It’s fairly short, and not altogether too sweet.  It’s actually fairly spicy with a little smoke.  There’s still the drying sweetness of fruit, but mostly spiciness – cinnamon and pepper.

-StrongLikeCask

Swiss cow early in the morning

Switzerland is known for many things: cows, cheese, neutrality, chocolate, fondue, gold, banking, the Alps, and probably pigtails.  Whisky?  Not so much.  When it comes to liquor, most folks probably know of Goldschläger (the origins of which aren’t even Swiss), but whisky wouldn’t be top of the mind.  Let’s try to change that.

I was lucky enough to travel to Switzerland to celebrate my grandma’s 100^th birthday (she’s awesome, still lives on her own, and remembers all her kids, grandkids’ and great grandkids’ names).  Before going,  I wanted to do some due diligence and try and locate some whisky I could purchase in Zurich Duty Free.  And apparently  I had been spelling whisky wrong.  Really, I was looking for “Swhisky”.

What?!?  That portmanteau, potentially one of the most awesome and terrible words I’ve seen actually exists and represents a real product.  It’s 100% Swiss whisky and it’s award winning.  Their motto, google translation tells me is to “do good and not evil”  Weird for a whisky, but I can get behind that.  Swhisky has several lines – the amazing looking Prestige Collection, the Grand Crus Collection and the Club Collection which contains two releases available in Zurich’s duty-free: Challenger and Skipper.   I was able to pick these up at duty-free, though I was a little dismayed that they run a hefty price.  The company has a whole slew of other releases that I could not get my hands on that have apparently won awards, though they have problems making enough to meet demands.  LonelyPlanet even recently posted a nice article about the company.

Swhisky, Rheingold Cognac and Santis Malt

Liquor in Switzerland is purchased in a grocery store (I did not find a liquor store anywhere).  When I tried to figure out where to purchase and shop for whisky, my uncles had no idea where I could get some except maybe for department/grocery stores.  The selection in those stores was pretty light – though many did carry the Appenzell Single Malt I write of below.  One store I found (Globus) did have a bottle of Ardbeg Lord of the Isles for sale at around 130 Swiss Francs (and I was excited!) but when I tried to purchase it, they claimed the price was a mistake and wouldn’t sell it for less than 400 Swiss Francs.  It made sense – it seems that everything in Switzerland is pretty pricey.  Oh well.

My parents who got to Switzerland before me visited Appenzell, a region of Switzerland best known for its cheese and herbal liquor (which interestingly can’t be imported into the US because they refuse to release all their ingredients).  While there, they found an Appenzeller Single Malt, called Santis Malt – a 100% barley single malt whisky that is aged in ex-beer barrels, and they were kind enough to pick up the 500mL bottle for me as a birthday present.  The packaging of this one is awesome (though once again, the whisky was pretty expensive) and was found in the Appenzell region as well as the Globus store I visited.

Rudlinger Rheingold Cognac

Lastly, though not whisky, I was able to take home a bottle of some amazing cognac.  My uncle maintains a few grape vines on his small farm, and in 2003 he decided to make some of the grapes into cognac.  The bottle is gorgeous – the label is written in sharpie on 24 karat gold leaf (eat that, goldschlager).  And the taste?  Well, let’s just say I’ll be willing to try different cognacs from now on.  The cognac had amazing stone fruits on the nose, and on the palate it was sweet, developed nicely into tartness, and honeyed cinnamon flower petals.  I was extremely impressed.

Anyway, so that’s Switzerland.  It is an amazing place, and though whisky is a bit harder to come by, there are still some surprises to be had.  To close, below is a picture of my Grandma.  When 11 AM rolled around on her 100th birthday, she asked if it was okay if we started drinking wine.  If you’re looking for something to toast later on, raise a dram to her health.  And to yours.

Mamama on her 100th, showing us all how to lean back

As the Major League Baseball season came to a labor strike-induced, premature end, Highland Park was laying down barrells (including many first-fill sherry casks) that would make their way into this small-batch vatting released 16 years later as a Duty-Free-only 1994 vintage edition.  I got mine at Ataturk International, where I also managed to get one of the last of their Laphroaig TripleWood; however, unlike the TripleWood, I don’t think you’ll have a hard time locating these HP vintages once you make your way into any World Travel Retail shop.

Whisky vintaged from the U.N. International Year of the Family

Highland Park 1994

Abv.: 40%.

Color: Gold.

Legs: Viscous but medium-large and not very slow.

Also the U.N. International Year of the Olympic Ideal, and HP distilled this gold dram

Nose: Tropical fruits, coconut; vanilla; fruitcake; honeysuckle; touch of salt.

Taste: Cardamom, banannas in chocolate, and that classic HP marzipan.

Body: Fuller than expected in a 40% bottle, with an enjoyable mouthfeel.

Finish: Sutble dried fruit and spice, medium in length; flambéed.

Overall: Definitely the sweet side of Highland Park, but the sherry spices and the smokeyness poke through.  A nice dram for all; not too light, not too heavy, not too smokey– a touch sweet, but in a dynamic way.  Definitely Highland Park, but definitely a nice variation, too.

Go ahead, just try to pay duty on this bottle

Other Opinions: A nice, sweeter variant of the typically sweet/spicey/smokey Highland Park style.

• ScotchMaltWhisky just repeats the distillery notes: caramel and dark fruit on the nose, and caramel and spices/dried fruit on the palate, with a “lingering, warming smoky finish.”
• The Caskstrength boys like the sweetness that stands out in the usual Highland Park profile, along with the butterscotch on the nose and the slightly spiced palate.
• Gavin & Tom at Whisky-Pages find less caramel than the 1998 vintage but also note the sweetness of the dram and the “bonfire smoke in the finish;” they give it 3 out of 5 stars (“good”).

This past year has been a fantastic, slippery journey, and all three members of WhiskyParty were able to get together recently to recount the 365 or so whisky-soaked days that have passed since we started this blog.  The festivities included finally opening our bottle of Supernova, plus a tasting of the ridiculously good and now extremely rare Laphroaig 30 year old, courtesy of StrongLikeCask.  We’ll add our Laphroaig 30 notes soon, but wanted to start out with our notes on the first release (non-committee) of Ardbeg’s Supernova.  We had purchased the bottle when it first came out and were planning on doing a timely review when we were all together.  Just so happened we were never all together until recently.  So it goes.

Before we post our thoughts on the whisky below, let us just say that we’re honored to be here writing about something we love.  The weblog continues to be a place where the three of us can share our thoughts,  embrace the history of and learn more about whisk(e)y, and stay connected with one another as we continue on our journeys through life.  We did not imagine that others might appreciate our thoughts, and we had no idea of the strength and camaraderie of the whisky community.  It is heartening, uplifting and infinitely rewarding to be thought of as members.  Though sometimes hampered by the prohibitive (at times) cost of enjoying whisky, by our various travels, studies, and starting out in our careers, we are thankful that we always have a place to learn, droogs with whom to drink no matter how far away we are physically, and a passion that continues to unite us as friends.  Thanks to everyone for reading, to everyone for sharing their own thoughts, and for all our friends, families, and acquaintances who let us geek out on our passion for uisge beatha.  We raise a glass to you.

Finally.

Here’s our notes from the ‘Nova:

Ardbeg Supernova

Abv: 58.9%

Color: natural golden flax.

Legs: tiny, tight, and slow at first, but then developing some size and length

Supernovae are "extremely luminous"

Nose:

[Dodgy Drammer] rich, sweet, peaty, and creamy—thousand island dressing? Graham crackers; briny, with mussels in white wine; some fiery cinnamon. Water brings out the fruitcake.

[Srong Like Cask] extremely inviting.  metallic, briny, rusty, smoke, sweet, vegetal (snap peas!), ginger

Palate:

[DD] wow, sensory overload. Remarkable movement, too– from burning coals to even burning-er coals. During our party someone mentioned gingersnaps, I believe—the unwatered palate is definitely gingersnaps. With some water, I get more of the cinnamon, thyme, a rampant peat fire (as if someone set the bog ablaze), some fresh cherries in cream, and then heavily roasted peanuts toward the end.

[SLC] immediate sweetness with strong coalsmoke overtones.  some heather. on a bbq, apparently.  More smoke.  A tinge of cough syrupness.

Exceeding its Chandrasekhar limit

Finish:

[DD] long and strong, with some salt, pepper, and smoke.

[SLC] sweetness, gingersnaps, a lingering candied smoke.  are those cherry pits?

Overall:

[DD] when we were drinking this for fun, it seemed amusing but not serious—someone really couldn’t have spent all those resources making this and charging this much for it, right? It was like a great novelty—awesome at doing what it’s sold to do but nothing else. However, after a session of concentration and assessment, it is a wholly amazing whisky that tests the palates of even the most serious peat freaks. Fuck yeah, Ardbeg.

[SLC] Really delicious.  I’m happy we got this.  If not for an everyday sipper, but for the experience we can share.  It overwhelms the palate a little after a dram.  but it’s extremely satisfying.  It brings a slew of different things to the table, and does what one expects Ardbeg to do: smoke and sweetness balanced nicely.

Other Opinions:

Not beloved, but certainly thoroughly enjoyed across the board; most notes include a vanilla sweet element, an earthy element, and some spices, citing less maritime flavours with bigger, sweeter peat than other Ardbegs.

• John Hansell appreciates the earthy, espresso notes, the building, “lava-like crescendo” of peat on the palate, the balanced underbelly of vanilla sweetness, etc.
• Ruben at WhiskyNotes gets the earthy espresso flavours like John, and the salt and pepper (like me), noting this as “less extreme” than presumed.
• Master of Malt gets lots of spices, among other things.  He suggests you “build up” to it with some other Ardbegs, first.  Good call.
• Matt at WFE informs us that this NAS is essentially an 8 year old bottling, and likes the cereal malt, vanilla, spices, and–wait for it– the peat.

Well, I’m not actually in Chicago to enjoy any of these upcoming activities, but as I’m taking a break, in NY, from excavation and travel (more on that in another post), I got a chance to see what was going on in that town of mine.  This week features some great Binny’s Scotch events, and then the Signature Room hosts a Buffalo Trace dinner.  Also check out Binny’s Fathers’ Day deal on JW Blue for $159 (includes custom engraving).

THE NOSE KNOWS

• Wednesday, June 16, 6:30-8:30pm

Legendary Whyte & Mackay Master Blender Richard Paterson will conduct a seminar in his art, featuring Dalmore 12 year old, 15 year old, Gran Reserva and King Alexander and Isle of Jura 16 year Superstition, plus a surprise. Seating is limited, reservations are required. $20 W/Binny’s Card / $30 non-members.

• Call 773-935-9400 for more information.
• Chicago – Lakeview
• Binny’s Ivanhoe Castle & Catacombs Tasting Room | Chicago | 773-935-9400

COMPASS BOX RETROSPECTIVE

• Thursday, June 17, 6:30-8:30pm

Compass Box Whiskymaker John Glaser is maverick, risk taker and master blender all rolled into one package. He is providing us a unique opportunity to explore the history of Compass Box whiskies through verticals representing a number of the unique whiskies he has created over the last 10 years. These include Peat Monster, Spice Tree, Hedonism and more. Due to the rarity of the whiskies, this tasting will be limited in size and reservations are strictly required. $20 W/Binny’s Card / $30 non-members

• Call 312-768-4400 or email southloop@binnys.com for reservations.
• Chicago – South Loop
• 1132 S. Jefferson Street | Chicago | 312-768-4400

HIGHLAND PARK AND CHOCOLATE

• Tuesday, June 22, 6:30-8:30pm

Highland Park Brand Ambassador Martin Daraz makes his return to Chicago, and this time he is bringing chocolate! Martin will cover a wide variety of topics, from the history of this legendary distillery, to the food compatibilty of Scotch, to what to expect in the future from this Orkney gem, utilizing 12, 15 and 18 year old, as well as the 1981-25 year old Single Cask, and perhaps another surprise or two! This tasting will be limited in size and reservations are strictly required. $20 W/Binny’s Card / $30 non-members.

• Call 312-768-4400 or email southloop@binnys.com for reservations.
• Chicago – South Loop
• 1132 S. Jefferson Street | Chicago | 312-768-4400

BUFFALO TRACE BOURBON DINNER

• Sunday, June 27
• The Signature Room at the 95th (875 N. Michigan Ave.)

Bourbon lovers will barrel their way to reserve a spot at this groundbreaking culinary event! The Signature Room at the 95th and Buffalo Trace Distillery partner to create an exclusive single barrel blend of bourbon and serve it alongside a lavish five-course meal created by Executive Chef Patrick Sheerin. Reception will begin at 6:00pm, dinner at 6:30pm.

• 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
• $75 per person (inclusive of tax & gratuity)
• Call 312-280-0472 for reservations.

Grand Old Parr Aged 12 Years

Where to start with the Grand Old Parr? First, it’s a bottle you’d expect to remember from your grandfather’s shelf.  It’s opaque brown, with scales all over it.  It’s squat and multi-faceted, almost gem shaped.  It brings up thoughts of gilded mirrors and wrought iron fences.  You see it and think you made the score of the year, finding an antiquated bottle in a modern liquor store.  Even it’s name and label bring up thoughts that this bottle would be better suited on an episode of Mad Men than next to all the modern design from Highland Park and Balblair.

Regardless, it is situated there, somewhat hard to find (though under the umbrella of the giant Diageo), and under $40.  Why the name?  Old Tom Parr was an Englishman who lived until the age of 152 (supposedly), didn’t marry until age 80, had an affair and sired a child at 100, and then remarried at age 122.  Basically, he was strong like cask and Charles 1 had him buried in Westminster Abbey.  Old Parr also  comes in 15 and 18 year old age statements (which won Jim Murray’s whisky of the year and highest rating of 97/100 in 1997), though I have not seen these myself.

Color: Orange gold with a hint of yellow sun.

Legs: Slow to form, medium large, medium fast to fall.

Nose: Lots of honey.  Some raisins and cinnamon.  Good citrus – from orange.   Fresh baked biscuits (malt).

Palate: Still sweet.  Lots of malt and some tropical fruits up front, with a really nice hidden smoke that comes through midway through the taste.  The smokiness isn’t too-peaty, it’s nice.  A nod to what what smokier whisky brings.

Finish: The finish comes a bit quickly and is very dry, but after a beat of nothingness, a raisin-y sweetness comes back wearing a peat cape in to really finish up nicely and save the day.

Hello, there!  Sorry for the delay.  It’s not like we’ve just been drinking whisky (though there’s been a bit of that).  Between starting new jobs, going overseas (new Tales from the Cask!), and Treme starting, we’ve unfortunately missed a bit of the blogging.  No big deal, though.  We’re back!

There’s been a lot of chatter around the blogosphere this week:  Big news #1:  Fritz Maytag sells Anchor to The Griffin Group.   Big news #2: An affordable (relatively) 40 year old whisky from Glenfarclas.

Oh, and consider this another reminder that The Whisky Exchange bourbon naming contest continues, we think.  Though I really want to win, after suggesting over 100 names,  I’m going to suggest one last name –  ”Private Vintage Why don’t you give us some clues about the bourbon so we can submit a more appropriate name and possibly have a chance at winning the contest because this is dragging on a bit long and we’re getting sad that we haven’t won yet Limited Reserve Small Batch Select Organic Bourbon.”    Send your own suggestion in to Tim.

Tasting Notes From Bloggers We Trust:

• Dr. Whisky tries a Glenfiddich 1958 Private Vintage.  A “stellar sherried oldie” that we will never try but envy that he did.  He calls it gentle but surprisingly bright.
• WhiskyNotes tries a 27 yo Clynelish from 1982 that he finds biscuits and marzipan and honey and tropical fruits, oh my.
• WhiskyIntelligence tries our 40 under $40 Old Pulteney 12 year old and find it “just right.”  It does however cost him $80 Canadian.  He also has some nice notes on the Longrow 10 yo that combines peat with malt.  And a nose of a distant lumber yard along with some warm bread.
• Gal at WhiskyIsrael tries an independent sherried Highland Park 12 year and finds it delicious.  The peat is less and it’s more viscous.  He likes it better than the 12 year old original bottling.
• WhiskeyApostle turns Japanese and tries the Yamazaki 12 year and agrees with us that it “stands out.”  They also try the Hibiki 12 (and call it stand out) and the Yamazaki 18 year old (which they call a must try).
• John Hansell tries Jura Prophecy, a peated expression,  and finds lime and ‘intriguing’ burnt popcorn… He likes it, but finds less sea influence.  Gives it an 88.  He also tries the Tomatin 18 and rewards it with an 88 and finds all things that sound delicious on a winter’s evening.  He likes the Tomatin 15 slightly less, giving it an 83 and fining a dry oak resin finish.
• Everyone likes the new Glenfarclas 40 year old.  CaskStrength calls is “pull the cork out with your teeth.”  Who wants to go in on a bottle?
• The Edinburgh Whisky Blog tastes through some Balvenies at what seems like a spectacular event.
• CaskStrength goes on a killer distillery tour of Speyside and tries some Royal Lochnagar in part 1 (highly recommended), Balvenie and Glenfiddich in part 2 (finding some of the same Balvenies as EdinburghWhiskyBlog), and an amazing trip to the Speyside Cooperage in part 3 (not tasting notes.  sue me.)
• Lastly, but not leastly, The Casks invents a cocktail; The Roubaix made with Bulleit bourbon.  Impressive and delicious.

Whisk(e)y News on the Web:

• Kilchoman found a US importer.  Get ready for the party.  I believe ImpEx just said, “You’re welcome, America.”
• Jason from WhiskyHost starts up his own blog, Guid Scotch Drink.
• The new WhiskyCast has a killer interview with a retired Suntory blender.
• Master of Malts has an interview with the managing director of Bruichladdich on their new 2010 releases.
• The Edinburgh Whisky Blog asks their community about press releases.   We don’t generally post press releases, though their community likes them so maybe we should.  I bring it up because the last comment by Seonaidh made me laugh:

“Maybe the SMWS should lower their prices instead of indulging in pop-idol publicity stunts? I guess it’s true though that these days they’re more of a money-printing enterprise than a society.  They have some great whisky, but then again, so do Cadenheads.”

• Drinkhacker reviews Michael Jackson’s Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch.  Meta…

–StrongLikeCask

In the world of archaeology it’s excavation season, and as I gear up to leave the country Chicago gears up for WhiskyFest 2010.  So while I’ll miss out on most of the festivities, I’ll be there in spirit.  Here’s a rundown of some of the options that have come across my desk.  Party on, Chicago.

Delilah’s Whiskies Around The World

Monday, April 19th at 6:30 (prompt)

Senior Master of Whisky Martin C. Duffy and Delilah’s very own Mike Miller invite you to a complimentary informal seminar featuring whiskies from Scotland (The Classic Malts & Johnnie Walker), Ireland (Bushmills), Kentucky (Bulleit Bourbon), Tennessee (George Dickel) and Canada (Crown Royal) at the bar that has been nominated for Best Whisky Bar in the World.

Delilah’s (Upstairs)

2771 North Lincoln Avenue; (773) 472-2771; ask for Mike.

Classic Malts Food Pairing at Morton’s the Steakhouse-Schaumburg

Tuesday, April 20th at 6:30pm (sharp)

Join Martin C. Duffy, Senior Master of Whisky, as he hosts at feast for the senses featuring a six course meal paired with the Classic Malt Selection.

Pairings Include:

Reception: Tuna Tartare Canapes paired with the Singleton of Glendullan 12yr.

1) Dalwhinnie 15yr, Central Highlands, with Marinated Baby Lamb Chops

2) Lagavulin 16yr, Islay, with Smoked Salmon & Broiled Sea Scallop

3) Glenkinchie 12 yr, Lowlands, with Gouda and Granny Smith Apple

4) Oban 14yr, West Highlands, with Oriental Sirloin Roll

5) Talisker 10yr, Isle of Skye, with Oysters

6) Cragganmore Distiller’s Edition, Speyside, with Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake

Price is $66.00 (includes tax and gratuity)

RSVP is required. Seating is Limited.

1470 McConnor Parkway

Schaumburg, IL 60173-4378

(847) 413-8771 Ask for Sonia.

Whisky Night at One North Kitchen & Bar

Wednesday, April 21st , 5-7pm

An After work treat! Come, rub elbows, mingle and sample a large variety of whiskies from all over the world right in the center of Chicago’s Loop with distillers and whisky ambassadors!

Featuring the top shelf expressions of Johnnie Walker, The Classic Malts, Bushmills Irish Whiskey, Bulleit Bourbon, Crown Royal and George Dickel Tennessee Whisky and many, many more.

Admission – $30 in advance or $35 at the door

RSVP is required.

1 North Wacker Drive

Chicago, IL 60606-2807

(312) 750-9700; ask for Don.

The Classic Malt Selection at Warehouse Liquors

Wednesday, April 21st, 7:30-9pm

Join Martin C. Duffy, Senior Master of Whisky, as he takes you through the western coast single malts of the award winning Classic Malts Selection in a classroom-style setting.

RSVP is required. Seating is very limited.

634 South Wabash Avenue

Chicago, IL 60605-1860

(312) 663-1850;  ask for Gene.

Classic (Malt) Whisky Cocktail Classes at Bar On Buena

Wednesday, April 21st, 6:30-9:30pm

Peter Vestinos, Master Mixologist, will lead three separate classes (7:00/8:00/9:00) demonstrating the craft of the cocktail using expressions of the Classic Malts at the funky BOB!

Cost: Complimentary

910 West Buena Avenue, Chicago, IL

RSVP required. For details contact Aaron at aaronzacharias@hotmail.com

The Balvenie Masterclass with Sam Simmons at EPIC

Wednesday, April 21, 7:30 pm

Dr. Whisky himself will be at Epic for a Balvenie tasting on Wednesday.

112 W Hubbard Street

312.222.4940

World of Whisky at Binny’s Beverage Depot (South Loop)

Thursday, April 22nd at 5-8pm

Brett Pontoni hosts Binny’s Annual tasting of over 150 of the finest whiskies the world has to offer. Meet Whisky Ambassadors & Distillers from all over the world.

1132 S. Jefferson St., Chicago

$50 Binny’s Card members / $60 non-members

Call for reservations: 1-888-817-5898

Bushmills Toasts The Kerryman’s 5th Anniversary

Thursday, April 22nd, 9pm

Join Martin C. Duffy, Senior Master of Whisky for Bushmills Irish Whiskey, as he toasts the 5th Anniversary of The Kerryman Pub!

Free admission.

661 N Clark St., Chicago, IL.

Please contact Lisa for details (312) 335-8121

The Malt Advocate’s 10th Annual Whiskyfest

The Hyatt Regency Chicago

Friday, April 23rd, 6:30 – 9:30pm

Standard admission: $110 (SOLD OUT)

VIP admission: $150 (SOLD OUT)

151 East Wacker Drive,

Chicago, IL. 60601

The Irish-American Whiskyfest-After Party at Delilah’s

Friday, April 23rd at 10pm – 1pm

Enjoy the warm afterglow of Whiskyfest upstairs at Delilah’s with samples of Black Bush Irish Whiskey and Bulleit Bourbon, along with cornbeef sandwiches, BBQ chicken wings and live Irish/Southern Music.

Complimentary

Delilah’s (Upstairs)

2771 North Lincoln Avenue

Chicago, IL 60647

(773) 472-2771

Ask for Mike

Meet Tom Bulleit at West Lakeview Liquors

Saturday, April 24th 4-5pm

Meet Tom Bulleit, the country gentleman behind the award winning small batch Bourbon, in the cozy confines of West Lakeview’s finest spirits shoppe. He will be sampling out his world famous whiskey and signing bottles.

2156 West Addison Street

Chicago, IL 60618-6136

Call (773) 525-1916 for details.

Ask for Kristina

Johhnie Walker/Illinois St. Andrew Society Pub Crawl

Saturday, April 24th 5pm – 11pm

Visit the pubs of the scenic Roscoe Village neighborhood of Chicago with Illinois’ oldest philanthropic organization and drink the world’s best selling Scotch whisky.

5pm – 6pm The Village Pub, 2159 West Addison St.

6:15-7:15pm – The Village Tap, 2055 W Roscoe St

7:30-8:30pm – Riverview Tavern, 1958 W. Roscoe St.

8:45-9:45 – Four Moons Tavern, 1847 W. Roscoe St.

10-11pm – Four Treys Tavern, 3333 N. Damen Ave.

Cost: $15.00 Pre-Registration; $20.00 at the door*

Includes a complimentary Johnnie Walker “Keep Walking” shirt and drink specials

For Pre-Registration, please visit www.chicagoscots.org or Call /E-mail: Kristen Guthrie at 708 426 7127 / kristenguthrie@chicagoscots.org

Tom Bulleit & Bulleit Mint Juleps at Sully’s House

Saturday, April 24th 6:30-7:30pm

Get set for the Kentucky Derby with Tom Bulleit, Founder of Bulleit Bourbon, and enjoy a Bulleit Bourbon Mint Julep the way it should be made…in a silver cup.

5105 N. Dayton (at Blackhawk Ave.)

For details call Scott at 773-244-1234

A big thanks to Marty at Masters of Whisky for much of the info.

-DodgyDrammer

Biggest news around the web this week is that Diageo has launched its third round of Manager’s Choice whiskies.  And The Whisky Exchange continues it’s bourbon naming contest.  Over 1000 entries and still no winner.  Time to think harder, I guess, and continue to send them in to Tim.  And did you know that baseball’s American League (home of the world champion Yankees, natch!) used to be called the Beer and Whisky League?  There’s a reason for raising a dram in celebration if I’ve ever heard of one.

Tasting Notes From Bloggers We Trust:

• EdinburghWhiskyBlog tries its hand at a small batch irish whisky, Greenore 8 years old.  They likey thinking it’s “posh and spicy custard”.
• Tim at the WhiskyExchange tries the new 10th anniversary bottling: a Clynelish 37 year old.  He thinks it a “thrilling treat for fans of a nearly-extinct Highland style”
• John Hansell tries the Glenrothes 1998 and finds it viscous, suggesting it as an after meal drink, and giving it an 85.  He also tries two Signatories: a Port Ellen from 1982 to which he awards a 90 and describes as a bit moody (and then describes what he means by his description of a bit moody in the comments),  and a Glen Ord from 1998 to which he awards an 87 and describes as a really nice dram with gobs of character.
• WhiskyForEveryone calls the new Glenfiddich 14 Rich Oak one of the best new whiskies of the year.
• WhiskyForEveryone also gets to try a just for Europe bottling of Hanyu 21 year old “Big Butt”.  Even though the whisky is described as difficult with elements of “burnt popcorn” it’s worth a click just to check out the great label.
• WhiskyIsrael tries PC7 and decides it’s  handy to have on your shelf if you enjoy “in your face” peated malts.
• Not a tasting persay, but Jason at WhiskyHost explains what people mean when they write about “pencil shavings” in his SayWhat!? series.
• WhiskyIntelligence finds the The Bailie Nicol Jarvie NAS to be disappointing.  However, he finds the Balvenie 17 year old Sherry Oak to be “Jump up and down and shake your arms in the air, this is really good”
• WhiskyNotes finds lots of good things in a Glenmorangie 10, but overall would not recommend it.  He also tasted a Duncan Taylor Glenesk 25 YO sherry cask and finds that “It’s quite harsh and certainly not my definition of an enjoyable dram.”  Lastly he tasted a Longmorn 37 YO 1972 from the Perfect Dram series and like Serge, finds it “one of the best sherried whiskies I’ve come across.”
• TheCasks reviews Caol Ila 12 and declares his love for the dram.  We agree.
• DrinkSpirits reviews Tuthilltown’s Corn Whiskey and finds it elegant without being too sweet, and solidly recommends it.
• CaskStrength completes their tasting of the new Highland Park bottlings with this Highland Park 1973.  They like it, but find it a rung below the 1990.

Whisk(e)y News on the Web:

• Great article in the San Francisco Chronicle about Japan Whisky’s rise into the United States.  Some great history on the Suntory and Nikka whisky houses.  Written by Paul Clarke of the Cocktail Chronicles.
• The next edition of Michael Jackson’s Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch has been released (sorry to miss it previously) with three new contributors taking up the reigns: Gavin Smith, Bill Meyers and Dominic Roskrow
• Maker’s tells Cuervo and Diageo to step off of its wax seal trademark, and wins.
• DrinkHacker and John Hansell brings the press release that Macallan is auctioning a sample bottle of a 64 year old whisky in anticipation of their releasing a single bottling.  Old Macallan?  Check.  Unique crystal decanter?  Check.  Whisky we will never try?  Check.  Yawn?  Check.  Interestingly, the commenters of What Does John Know? bring up the potential problems with crystal storage.
• WhiskeyApostle and John Hansell bring news of Buffalo Trace releasing a Canadian whisky.  No word on whether or not floppy heads will be part of their marketing campaign.
• Bowmore sells its Feis Ille from 2008 and 2009 bottlings at SingleMaltWhiskyShop.com, a friendly Alastair Taylor tells us all in his emails.

–StrongLikeCask