December 28th, 2007
Compass Box, Flaming Heart (Batch #2), 48.9%, $85
Balanced Islay whiskies combine peat smoke characteristics with a sweet foundation. They’re not one-dimensionally smoky. This whisky is an excellent example. This is a peat-laden whisky with refinement and grace. Creamy vanilla, caramel, and honey harmoniously marry with persistent—yet controlled—peat smoke. Crisp spice notes and dancing fruit throughout add complexity. Well done.
Advanced Malt Advocate magazine Rating: 92
December 21st, 2007
Beam Global just announced that they sold the U.S. distribution rights to The Dalmore to the Distillery’s relatively new owner, the UB Group, for $58 Million. Here’s what Beam Global’s President Tom Flocco has to say about it in the press release I just received:
“This is a win-win transaction for Beam Global and for UB Group,” said Tom Flocco, president and chief executive officer of Beam Global. “The U.S. distribution rights for The Dalmore offered limited upside for us due to supply agreements that would have constrained our long-term supply. At the same time, UB Group was eager to consolidate worldwide distribution of The Dalmore, having purchased the brand earlier this year.
“In the past two years, we have significantly strengthened our global position in the most attractive segments of the Scotch whisky category with the acquisition of Laphroaig and launch of Ardmore in the fast-growing single-malt segment, and the addition of Teacher’s, which is demonstrating strong growth in the premium blended segment. With our interest in maximizing focus on global growth of these tremendous Scotch brands, the U.S. rights to The Dalmore became more valuable to UB Group than to us,” Flocco added.
The deal includes Beam’s current inventory of the brand in the U.S. as well as a transitional agreement.
I suspected something was up back in August when Beam Global surprisingly pulled The Dalmore out of participating in all three WhiskyFests for 2008, which came as a shock to us, given they always participated and hosted seminars at each event.
UB’s other brands, Old Fettercairn and Jura, are being imported by an arm of Sazerac, Gemini Spirits and Wines. I was wondering if Gemini might be picking them up. But as soon as I heard the news, I reached out to Mark Brown, President of Buffalo Trace (another arm of Sazerac). He is in the loop on all this stuff. His response:
Nope, it does not mean Dalmore is coming to us, although, obviously, we would be delighted to have the brand and modestly believe we could do great things with it.
I’ll ask around and see what I can find out. When I do, I’ll post it right up.
December 21st, 2007
Port Ellen, 1979 vintage, 28 year old, 53.8%, $300
The seventh release of limited edition Port Ellen whiskies by Diageo. Not as vibrant and intense as younger bottling (particularly on the nose), but nicely matured with a satisfying sweet foundation. Notes of toffee and roasted nuts permeate though the peat, kiln smoke, coal tar fish nets and charred oak. Seaweed and brine, more reserved mid-palate, emerges noticeably on the finish. The Port Ellen bottlings are getting older (the distillery closed in 1983) and they are getting more expensive. This one still captures the essence of Port Ellen.
Rating: 90
December 18th, 2007
I recently received an email from someone who has to unload two Springbanks which some of you might be interested in. His name is Chris and, for financial reasons, has to sell them.
The first bottle is Springbank 21 year old, which we all know is a great whisky and pretty hard to find. The second is a 1965 vintage, 31 year old Springbank that came from a private cask owner. Here’s what Chris has to say about it:
“The cask is from Hugh Gallagher. One of the largest private land holders in Ireland. His father bought the cask for him. He’s my son’s godfather.”
I don’t know Chris and have no financial involvement in this. But, I know how great some of these older Springbanks can be and, if I can help to find a good home for them, then I will have done my good deed for the day. You can email him at: cdooley@evergreencci.com.
December 16th, 2007
I have a little secret for you: Ancient Ancient Age Ten Year Old (“Triple A” for those in the know) is an outstanding bourbon at an incredible price (less than $15).
I have another secret for you: If you go out to buy a bottle, what you’ll probably end up getting is not Ancient Ancient Age Ten Year Old, but rather Ancient Ancient Age Ten Star, which is a completely different whiskey.
Here’s the scoop. Both are made at the same distillery: Buffalo Trace. AAA Ten Year Old is, for the most part, sold only in Kentucky. If you live anywhere else, you’re probably getting AAA Ten Star. (Yes, some specialty whiskey shops might have twisted some arms or bootlegged some in to their shop, but this is rare.)
Ten Star is closer to 6 years old than 10 years old. Ten Star, while a nice easy-drinking bourbon, lacks the depth and complexity of the 10 year old.
Two weeks ago, when I was at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, I asked President Mark Brown why there are two. He admitted that it is understandably confusing, but it was something that he inherited when he came to the company, noting that it has been in place for quite some time.
When I asked Mark why they just don’t make all the AAA whiskey 10 years old, he told me that many people drinking the Ten Star won’t like the 10 year old as much. The like the easy-drinking, uncomplicated nature of the Ten Star. He’s got a good point. People are used to a whiskey tasting a certain way and they don’t want anyone to change it–even if it is theoretically for the better.
So, during your next visit to Kentucky, you now have a mission. Grab a few bottles of AAA Ten Year Old while you’re there and bring them back home to share with your friends. People think it’s cool to sneak in Cuban cigars when they’re traveling overseas. Trust me, you’ll have them beat.
December 14th, 2007
Gordon & MacPhail (Distilled at Tomintoul), cask #644, 1967 vintage, 40 year old, 49.4%, $260
A deep, mature Tomintoul that manages to retain the elegance and drinkability found in younger Tomintoul whiskies. Roasted nuts, lush fruit, suggestions of cherry brandy and orange marmalade layered with rich fudge, toffee, and maple syrup. Soothing finish. Tomintoul can be a simple whisky at a younger age, but this one has matured into a beautifully complex whisky. (Bottled for Park Avenue Liquor.)
Rating: 92
You can only get this one at one place: Park Ave. Liquor in New York. (http://www.parkaveliquor.com/search/finewine.asp?id=5118) It’s a good one, and reasonably priced for a 40 year old, so reach out to them and grab a bottle before it’s gone.
December 12th, 2007
Last week I spent two days at the Buffalo Trace distillery in Kentucky. A great two days, learning some very interesting things about bourbon, rye whiskey, and…Old Fettercairn.
What on earth does Old Fettercairn single malt scotch have to do with Buffalo Trace? Well, I’m glad you asked. The Buffalo Trace distillery and Gemini Spirits & Wines are both linked in with the Sazerac Corporation. Gemini is a specialty import arm of the company, distributing Forty Creek from Canada, Penderyn from Wales, Cooley whiskeys from Ireland, and several Scotch whiskies from Whyte & Mackay in Scotland, including Jura and (now) Fettercairn.
I spent most of my time at Buffalo Trace with its President, Mark Brown, who seems to know just about everything. He was the one to give me the scoop that Jura 18, which is replacing the Jura 21 in Europe, may not be coming into the U.S. after all, as I noted in my blog last week, in lieu of a non-vintage expression.
Well, when I was sitting in his office, he asked me how much I like Fettercairn–a whisky that has been absent here in the U.S. for a while. I mentioned that I liked some of the older expressions that were imported by a previous company several years ago. He then showed me a bar graph of Fettercairn stocks in warehouses dating back to the early 1960s–including a huge stash from 1962! (Old Fettercairn, indeed!)
Mark hinted to the fact that some of this interesting Fettercairn stash should be coming to the U.S. as early as the first half of 2008. Now that, I’m looking forward to! Just be sure to bring in some of the old stuff, okay guys?
December 10th, 2007
Well, it’s pretty obvious that there are people out there with far too much money to spend.
On Saturday, Christie’s hosted the first spirits auction in New York since Prohibition. This is great news! It’s about time!
The highlight of the auction was a 1926 Macallan, bottled in 1986. (That would make it 60 years old, not 81 years old like the New York Post reported.) It was expected to go for $20,000-30,000, but went for a whopping $54,000!
Granted, Macallan is a whisky that ages very well. I have been fortunate enough to taste some wonderful 50+ year old Macallan whiskies, like the Macallan 1946 Vintage and the Macallan Millennium 50 year old. But I have also tasted Macallan that I feel was a little past its prime, like the new Macallan 55 year old in a Lalique decanter. At these ages and prices (several thousand dollars), I definitely put these whiskies in the “try before you buy” category.
It’s pretty likely that the new owner of the 1926 Vintage Macallan did not taste this whisky before purchasing it, so that’s a big risk to take–especially after you have driven the price up to $54,000. I realize that some people are so wealthy that $54,000 to them is like $540 to the rest of us. But, I think about all the great whiskies that this person could have purchased with that amount of money, and I just shake my head.
For example, Lots #178-213 at this same auction consisted of Macallan vintages spanning from 1937-1972, excluding a handful of vintages (e.g., during WW II). I’m looking at the strike prices for these whiskies and I think you could have purchased most, if not all, of these whiskies for the same price of the 1926 Vintage. I am willing to bet that there are at least a few of these whiskies that taste as good or better than the 1926. (I have not tasted the 1926 Vintage either, so I am making this judgement based on my own personal experiences of having tasted hundreds of Macallan whiskies during my lifetime.)
I respect people who work hard and earn their money. And if you can make a lot of money working hard (while still keeping the rest of your life in balance), then good for you. But I don’t see how anyone who is wise, hardworking, and frugal enough to amass enough money to buy this whisky would have gotten where they are if they kept spending their money on purchases like this.
December 7th, 2007
Bruichladdich Legacy 6, 34 year old, 41%, $550
The sixth and last bottling from the Legacy series. Legacy 6 is a marriage of six casks from 1965, 1970, and 1972. Soft and mellow on the nose and palate, with unbelievably restrained oak for such a mature whisky. Delicious notes of coconut, soothing vanilla, caramel custard, and banana cream, peppered with spice notes of cinnamon, mint, and teaberry that emerges on a soft finish that fades out gently. A fitting end to the Legacy series. I’m sad to see them go.
Rating: 94
December 5th, 2007
I’ve reviewed so many whiskies in the past month or so that I have completed the reviews for the 1st Quarter 2008 issue of Malt Advocate magazine and am well into the 2nd Quarter issue’s reviews. They are almost entirely new product releases which I am sure you are curious about.
This got me to thinking. Instead of the reviews staying dormant for weeks (if not months) in my Word file, why not at least get some of the more interesting reviews out where they can do some good right now? So, that’s what I’m going to do.
Starting with this Friday, and continuing every Friday after that, I will post a “Picks and Pans” review. Each whisky will be one that has not yet been reviewed in Malt Advocate. I don’t just want to limit it to the whiskies I think are good. There might be one I don’t like. I want to have the option of letting you know about that one too, so you can avoid it.
I am fortunate enough to get these whiskies far in advance, so I might as well share at least some of the reviews with you while you’re waiting for your next issue of Malt Advocate to arrive. Plus, you can comment, so it should be fun. (Don’t cancel your subscription to Malt Advocate just yet. With close to 40 reviews in each issue and only 12 weeks separating each issue, I’ll only be able to post a fraction of the reviews here on my blog.)
So, Friday it is then.
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