February 28th, 2011

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Top Ten New Whiskies”

John Hansell

There were many great whiskies released in 2010, and it’s good to know that (in an era of rapidly increasing prices) several of them are less than $100. Eight of the whiskies below were rated “Classic” status (95 points or higher); two more just missed it, with ratings of 94. Here they are, listed alphabetically:

Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection, 1995 Vintage, “American Oak Chips Seasoned,” 45%, $47/375ml
Surprisingly light and fresh for a 15 year old whiskey. Crisply spiced, with hints of dried fruit, kissed with light honey and a wisp of smoke. Balanced and clean throughout, and very drinkable.

Compass Box Flaming Heart (10th Anniversary bottling), 48.9%, $105
A marriage of seven different whiskies from three distilling regions (Highland, Islay, and Island) aged in both American and French oak casks. It demonstrates the advantage of marrying whiskies from more than one distillery. More smoke and tar on the palate than the nose, yet always in balance. Well played!

Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve, 40%, $70
Perhaps the finest Canadian whisky we have ever tasted. Creamy and seamless from beginning to end. Forty Creek whiskies have always been very good, but none have ever had the right stuff to reach classic status. Until now, that is. An outstanding, very distinctive whisky!

George T. Stagg, 71.5%, $70
Very close to last year’s release in personality, with great balance between the sweetness, spice, and fruit. Nicely structured too, with clearly defined flavor notes. A great value, considering it’s almost the equivalent of two bottles of bourbon if diluted.

GlenDronach Grandeur, 31 year old, 45.8%, $700
The new ultra-mature release, following its 33 year old predecessor (bottled by previous owners). It’s nice to see the higher ABV. Very soothing. Quite deep on the nose, and viscous (almost sappy) on the palate. I like that it’s sherried, and the sherry is kept in balance.

Glenfarclas, 40 year old, 46%, $460
Glenfarclas has a solid reputation for aging very well. This new 40 year old is proof.  It’s complex and well-rounded, with great depth and no excessive oak. A classic, well-matured Glenfarclas — and a very good value for its age.

Glenglassaugh, 40 year old, 44.6%, $2,525
An excellent example of a very mature, sherried whisky done the right way. Much darker and more decadent than its younger siblings. Tasting this whisky, you know it’s old, but you also know it’s very good.

The Glenlivet Cellar Collection, 1973 vintage, 49%, $1,250
A marriage of three casks, one of them an ex-sherry butt. The sherry is certainly evident, and this one is more sherried than many of the Cellar Collection whiskies. Polished and seamless, with no trace of excessive oak. One of the richest — and finest — Cellar Collections to date.

Sazerac Rye, 18 year old, 45%, $70
An impressive whiskey, and an improvement from last year’s release. It’s soft (for a straight rye), well rounded, and easy to embrace, with tamed spice, subtle date, and polished leather on the finish. An excellent example of a very mature rye whiskey.

William Larue Weller, 63.3%, $70
Very similar to last year’s release. (A good thing, since that one was wonderful!) Very smooth, with layered sweetness, dark fruit, cinnamon, and polished oak on the finish. A whisky of elegance and sophistication. A benchmark wheated bourbon.

Category: Awards,New Releases Tags: , , , , , , , , , 37 Comments

February 27th, 2011

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Lifetime Achievement Awards”

John Hansell

Evan Cattanach

Evan Cattanach has spent over 40 years of his life in the Scotch whisky industry, all the more impressive since he got a relatively late start at the age of 25. He has worked at fifteen different distilleries, in four of the six Scottish whisky areas, including managing operations at Oban, Cardhu, Lagavulin, Caol Ila, Dalwhinnie, and Cragganmore. In 1985, he was involved in the selection of distilleries for the Classic Malts series, a project he has been associated with ever since.

That’s where master distiller emeritus Cattanach, proud Scotsman Cattanach, and flamboyantly personable Cattanach has made his mark with the public. That same year, he became the first master distiller to walk outside the distillery as a brand ambassador, beginning a whirlwind of travel that has not slowed down, despite his having “retired” in 1993.

Today Evan Cattanach — the retired fellow! — continues to represent the Classic Malts around the world, leading tastings in 200 cities, celebrating Burns Day with whisky fans, and regularly presenting a popular seminar at WhiskyFest. He’s even raising a 6 year old son! We celebrate Evan Cattanach’s lifetime of whisky achievement, which continues today.

Fritz Maytag

In a life that looked headed for the contemplation of Asian culture, Fritz Maytag took a sharp turn when he learned that the Anchor brewery was about to go out of business. He enjoyed their beer, and decided that since he could save it, he would. Maytag’s action would not only save Anchor and re-establish several types of beer that had vanished from America, it also led directly to the craft beer revolution.

Amazingly, it also led to the craft distilling explosion and the resurgence of rye whiskey. By the early 1990s, when Maytag developed an interest in making his Old Potrero rye whiskey, Anchor’s reputation lent substantial gravitas to his distilling. There was none of the confusion and ridicule that greeted many early brewing attempts; this was Fritz Maytag. This was Anchor. This thing must be serious.

Indeed it was, and it was good, too. Fritz Maytag had helped to jump-start a second craft industry, an amazing record of achievement. We honor his courage and determination.

Angelo Lucchesi

The very first salesman for Jack Daniel’s? That’s right, and Angelo Lucchesi just celebrated his 90th birthday. He started selling Jack Daniel’s in 1953, and put the black label brand on the map, dragging the rest of American whiskey right along with it.

Lucchesi’s powerfully positive personality made him effective on the personal level where whiskey sales work best. “Belly to belly marketing,” he called it; making friends for the whiskey by making friends with consumers and retailers. One of his greatest coups was fielding a call from Frank Sinatra, who couldn’t get a steady supply of Jack. Problem solved, and soon Jack Daniel’s was The Drink of The Rat Pack.

Though he’s retired, he still speaks to people around the world about the brand; a true ambassador and an icon in brand development — one belly at a time. It’s been said that Malt Advocate and WhiskyFest made rock stars out of master distillers; the people who make the whiskey. Angelo Lucchesi proves that you can’t make whiskey unless you make friends and sell it. Cheers!

And last, but not least, tomorrow ‘s post will conclude the 17th Annual Malt Advocate Whisky Award announcements: our “Top Ten Whiskies” for the past year. Enjoy!

Category: Awards Tags: 6 Comments

February 26th, 2011

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Distillery of the Year”: Heaven Hill

John Hansell

Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.

We’ve honored whiskeys from Heaven Hill; we’ve honored Heaven Hill’s revered master distiller, Parker Beam. For years, we’ve talked about the integrity and service of this independent, family-owned and managed distillery (one of the last, of their age and size). They make and import other spirits but Heaven Hill remains, and always will remain, a whiskey distillery.

It’s about time we honored that. Heaven Hill has persevered through the biggest distillery fire in recent memory (including the loss of their Bardstown distilling plant), and found a new home in Louisville. Smart whiskey lovers know their reputation for delivering great value in their whiskey brands. They just celebrated their 75th anniversary in a big way, by filling their six-millionth barrel of whiskey.

They’ve been pioneers with their Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage series and the Bernheim Original wheat whiskey. Parker Beam’s skills are celebrated with the eponymous and often stupendous Parker’s Heritage Collection, particularly the tour de force that was last year’s Golden Anniversary release: a blend of bourbons from five decades. The latest Parker’s Heritage release shows that Parker Beam quickly absorbed the idea of making wheated bourbon ten years ago, and brought his years of skills to bear on it. They have been at the spearhead of the rye resurgence, maintaining availability of their value brands (Rittenhouse and Pikesville) and also rolling out an amazing trio of ultra-aged ryes.

Heaven Hill takes whiskey seriously. They deserve nothing less.

Tomorrow’s post will feature the “Lifetime Achievement Award”. Be sure to check back!

Category: Awards,Bourbon,Rye whiskey Tags: , 18 Comments

February 25th, 2011

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Industry Leader of the Year”: Glencairn Crystal

John Hansell

You might have a great whisky, but if you’re not drinking it out of a proper glass you won’t fully appreciate it.  This is true for any fine beverage. That’s why there are brandy snifters, sherry copitas, glasses designed specifically for Cabernet Sauvignon, and so on.

A decade ago, when it came to whisky, there was very little glassware to choose from.  Most consumers drank their whisky out of a traditional sturdy tumbler or “rocks” glass. More “refined” individuals drank it out of a brandy snifter. In the industry, master blenders were using “nosing glasses” that narrowed toward the top, but they are fragile to the point of not being practical for everyday consumer use.

What we needed was a whisky glass that was sturdy like a tumbler, but was shaped like a nosing glass. The few designs that were on the market didn’t (in our opinion) incorporate both concepts.

About a decade ago, Glencairn Crystal worked with leaders in the whisky blending industry to design a glass that would properly capture all the nuances of a fine whisky, while also being functional. And that’s exactly what they did. It has a sturdy, masculine base. The side isn’t thick and clunky — you can see all the whisky’s attributes, and it narrows toward the top to capture the whisky’s aroma. (As any blender will tell you, you can smell more than you can taste, so this is very important.)

The Glencairn Crystal whisky glass is now used by nearly all the major whisky companies in all the major distilling countries. It is also the leading whisky glass at various whisky festivals worldwide (including Malt Advocate’s own WhiskyFest). Glencairn didn’t just make the glass. They tirelessly promoted it to the industry and whisky consumers so it could be properly recognized and appreciated. (Okay, and maybe so they could make a buck or two in the process. Fair enough!)

True, there are other very nice whisky nosing and drinking glasses on the market, but none have become this much a fixture in the whisky world. And for good reason — it’s a great whisky glass. Congratulations to Ray Davidson, managing director, and everyone else at Glencairn for what you have done for whisky.

The “Distillery of the Year” will be announced here, tomorrow.

Category: Awards Tags: , 34 Comments

February 24th, 2011

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Pioneer of the Year”: David Perkins and High West

John Hansell

This is going to be a controversial decision, and the cry will be “High West doesn’t make whiskey!” Well…maybe.

Here’s the thing. Perkins and High West burst onto the scene three years ago with Rendezvous Rye, a whiskey that was so good it surprised people. Rye whiskey? From Utah? Perkins was quick to explain that he had blended the whiskey from stock he had bought from an undisclosed source, something he would continue to do, and therein lies the tale.

High West currently has much more in common with Compass Box Whisky from Scotland than it does with an artisan whiskey distiller like Tuthilltown Spirits. Perkins is blending American straight whiskeys, something that distillers had largely stopped doing decades ago. A few examples: Rendezvous Rye is a blend of two rye whiskies, a 6 year old and a 16 year old. BouRye is a blend of 12 year old 95% rye mashbill whiskey and 10 year old bourbon. The new Double Rye mixes a very young 2 year old high rye whiskey with a 16 year old rye. All of these were something anyone could have done, but he actually did it; more to the point, he did it really, really well. These are killer whiskeys, just check their ratings in our Buyers Guide.

Is Perkins “just” blending whiskeys other people made? Sure. And how much of what a master distiller does is just that: tasting, nosing, tracking, identifying, blending? The fact is, whatever he’s doing, he’s bringing whiskeys to light that might otherwise have died a woody death, and making something great out of them, by blending them together.

Meanwhile, Perkins has a distillery in operation, and is tweaking it to create great whiskey…all in good time. While we wait for that to reach true maturity, he’s delivering properly aged whiskey, blended masterfully from existing stocks.

No one else in America is doing this, and he’s doing it well, pioneering in new territory.

Check back tomorrow to find out who has been awarded the “Industry Leader of the Year”.

Category: Awards,Bourbon,Rye whiskey Tags: , 70 Comments

February 23rd, 2011

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “World Whisky of the Year”: Amrut Fusion

John Hansell

This is a new award category for us. It includes all of the whisky distilling nations outside the major ones (United States, Canada, Scotland, and Ireland). We created this category to recognize that there are some wonderful whiskies being produced in countries like Japan, India, Sweden, England, and many more, but there aren’t enough whiskies made in any of these countries (and imported to the United States) to warrant their own category.

India’s Amrut distillery changed the way many think of Indian whisky — that it was just cheap Scotch whisky blended with who knows what and sold as Indian whisky. Amrut is making whisky, and it’s very good. Also, because of India’s very warm climate, the whisky matures very quickly, making it relatively affordable. Indeed, the Amrut whisky being sold in the U.S. (while bearing no age statement) is generally not over six years old.

Amrut finally began exporting their whisky to the U.S. in 2010. We’ve tasted our way through the various expressions (peated, sherried, cask strength, etc.) and we enjoyed them all, but the one that really impressed us was Amrut Fusion.

Fusion shows balance, complexity, and surprising maturity for its age — these are the defining characteristics for what is the best Indian whisky we have ever tasted. Combining Indian malt and peated Scottish malt, this whisky shows a sweet side, but is never cloying, with rich caramel, vanilla custard, and fruit cocktail in light syrup, balanced by vibrant — almost floral — dried peat smoke, delicate white pepper, and a hint of tropical fruit.  We look forward to more great whiskies from Amrut.

(Editor’s note: A second generation of Amrut will be in distribution in the United States by the time you read this. Compared to the original release, it comes across as being a little smokier, slightly drier, and perhaps not as rounded, but it’s still a very nice whisky.)

Tomorrow the “Pioneer of the Year” will be posted.

Category: Awards,Indian whisky Tags: , 33 Comments

February 22nd, 2011

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Scotch Whisky Single Malt of the Year”: Glenfarclas 40 year old

John Hansell

Now in its 175th year of whisky-making, Glenfarclas is one of the few distilleries that IS still family owned and operated. Family ownership has its advantages. They can do as they please, without having a corporate board to answer to. To our benefit, this means they can put out as many different expressions as they want, And indeed they have. From the Glenfarclas 10 year old, through to their newest (and oldest) 40 year old, there’s sure to be a whisky to satisfy your palate and budget.

However, one of the disadvantages of being family owned is that there usually isn’t a massive marketing budget to make the whisky known to all the people who might enjoy it. In many respects, the Grant family (who owns the distillery) relies on the whisky itself to do the talking. (When you ask a relatively new whisky enthusiast what brand they like, they usually mention one of the more famous whisky brands with a similar flavor profile. Ask them, “But have you tried Glenfarclas?” We don’t recall anyone ever being disappointed.)

In addition to the lack of massive marketing spending, the Grant family also eschews fancy packaging, once again letting the whisky itself do the talking. The minimal spending in marketing and packaging means that the savings can be passed down to you, the consumer.

This brings us to our award winner, Glenfarclas 40 year old. In an era where 30 year old whiskies with fancy packaging are going for $1,000 and higher, a 40 year old whisky for $460 seems like a steal! (But don’t tell the Grant family we said so. We’ll let this be our little secret.) It makes an “ultra-luxury” whisky affordable to a much larger audience. That’s what whisky was meant for: drinking, not collecting!

Of course, none of this would matter if it didn’t taste good. Indeed, it tastes very good. It’s complex and well-rounded, with great depth and no excessive oak. Lush, candied citrus (especially orange), old pot still rum, maple syrup, fig, roasted nuts, and polished leather, with hints of mocha, candied ginger, and tobacco. A bit oily in texture (which we find soothing) with good tannic grip on the finish. A classic, well-matured Glenfarclas.

Check back tomorrow. The “World Whisky of the Year” award winner will be announced.

Category: Awards,Scotch whisky Tags: , 33 Comments

February 21st, 2011

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Scotch Whisky Blend of the Year”: Compass Box “Flaming Heart”

John Hansell

Artisan blender John Glaser is no stranger to the most passionate whisky consumers. For the past ten years, this ex-marketing manager for a very large whisky company has turned the blended Scotch whisky category on its head by creating high-quality, small batch, blended Scotch whiskies.

Rather than staying with the predominant concept of blending whisky, marrying single malts with grain whisky (which he indeed does quite well), he has expanded the art to more unfamiliar territories (and perhaps more uncomfortable territories, when it comes to the consumer). For example, he produced a blend of only grain whiskies (Hedonism), blends of only malt whiskies (Flaming  Heart, Peat Monster), and also tinkers with whisky infusions (Orangerie).

To celebrate Compass Box Whisky’s tenth anniversary, he created this next generation of Flaming Heart. Always a blend of single malt whiskies (i.e., no grain whisky) and always laden with a good dose of peat smoke, this third Flaming Heart release (and second to make it to the U.S.) is his best one yet. The reason why? Balance and complexity.

Flaming Heart (3rd edition) is a marriage of seven different distilleries from three distilling regions (Highland, Islay, and Island) aged in both American and French oak casks. It demonstrates the advantage of marrying whiskies from more than one distillery. It’s vibrant, with a complex array of fruit (orchard fruit, sultana), sweetness (light toffee, marzipan, honeyed malt), spice (creamy vanilla, mocha, warming pepper), smoke (tar, smoked olive, coal), and lesser notes of toasted almond and beach pebbles. There’s more smoke and tar on the palate than the nose, yet THEY ARE always in balance. A classic, smoky blended whisky!

Our “Scotch Whisky Single Malt of the Year” will be announced tomorrow.

Category: Awards,Scotch whisky Tags: , 29 Comments

February 20th, 2011

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Irish Whiskey of the Year”: Redbreast 12 year old

John Hansell

What makes Irish whiskey unique? Some say because it’s triple distilled, and Scotch whisky is only distilled twice. Others note that it is not smoky like Scotch whisky. But there are Scotch whiskies that are triple distilled and others that aren’t smoky, and there are smoky Irish whiskeys and Irish whiskeys that are only distilled twice.

However, pot still whiskey — the process of making whiskey in copper pot stills from both malted and unmalted barley — is unique to Irish whiskey, and we think it is what gives many Irish whiskeys their character. Jameson, Tullamore Dew, Power’s, Paddy, Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare, and many other Irish whiskey brands contain a portion of pot still whiskey.

Only two whiskeys currently on the market, Redbreast and Green Spot, are 100% pure pot still Irish whiskeys and only Redbreast is available in the States. Redbreast has, for many years, been sold only as a 12 year old.  This past year, a 15 year old was introduced to the U.S. for the first time. Knowing how great Redbreast 12 year old is, we eagerly awaited the arrival of its older sibling. Could it actually be better than the 12 year old? That’s a pretty high hurdle to jump.

Well, in our opinion, it isn’t. It’s not that the Redbreast 15 year old isn’t a great whiskey. It is. It’s just that we still like the 12 year old better. In fact, we like this most recent bottling so much, it’s our “Irish Whiskey of the Year!”

Redbreast 12 year old is deftly balanced, very elegant, complex, and stylish. It’s honeyed and silky in texture, with toffee, toasted marshmallow, nougat, maple syrup, banana bread, and a hint of toasted coconut. The bright fruit and golden raisin blend in nicely with the layers of sweetness. Classic Irish whiskey, and affordable too!

Next to be announced is our “Scotch Whisky Blend of the Year”. See you back here tomorrow.

Category: Awards,Irish whiskey Tags: , 26 Comments

February 19th, 2011

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Canadian Whisky of the Year”: Forty Creek Confederation Oak

John Hansell

John Hall, whisky maker and owner of Kittling Ridge Distillery, is a leading pioneer in the Canadian craft whisky distilling movement. His unique method of making whisky — distilling single grain whiskies (corn, rye, and barley) and blending them together after they have been aged, as opposed to the simpler and more traditional method of making one whisky from a multi-grain mashbill — got the industry’s attention. It was the richness and flavor of his whiskies (especially relative to other Canadians) that won the consumer’s attention.

Starting with Forty Creek Barrel Select, his flagship whisky (and lovely in its own right), he began experimenting with special, limited-edition releases, like Small Batch, Port Wood, and Double Barrel Reserve. They were always very good, but we knew that John had the potential to make not just a very good whisky, but really great whisky. It was only a matter of time, and that time has now come.

Put simply, Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve is a benchmark Canadian whisky. It’s also unique. Instead of aging his whisky in more traditional American oak (i.e. used bourbon barrels), he aged this whisky in Canadian oak barrels from trees growing only 40 miles from the distillery. The Canadian oak provides a slightly different flavor profile.

We love the whisky’s creamy texture, along with its gentle sweetness (praline, marzipan, maple syrup) and lovely fruit (orange creamsicle, sultana, and coconut macaroon).  Both distinctive and very drinkable, it’s an outstanding effort!

Tomorrow, the Irish Whiskey of the Year will be announced.

Category: Awards,Canadian whisky Tags: , 35 Comments

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