Elijah Craig Barrel No. 3,735 20 year old, 45%, $150

From one barrel, and only sold in one location, but well worth the effort to procure a bottle. Nutty toffee, pecan pie, apricot, berried jam, and nougat, peppered with cinnamon, mint, cocoa, and tobacco. Warming, with polished leather and dried spice on the finish.  Seamless, richly textured, and impeccably balanced. (Exclusive to the Bourbon Heritage Center at the Heaven Hill distillery in Bardstown, KY.) —John Hansell

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 96

Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength, 57.7%, €75

Irish Distillers has already released two 90+ pot still whiskeys this year, but this is the knockout blow, an immense take on the wonderful Redbreast. The nose gives little away, all damp autumn leaves and fermenting forest fruit, but on the palate it’s a fireworks display, a colorful mix of apple and pear, berries, vine fruits, chocolate liqueur, and oily pureed fruit. It’s coming to the States soon, and rumor has it there’s more to follow. But this will do. I can’t think if I’ve ever tasted a better Irish whiskey.  —Dominic Roskrow

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 96

Sazerac Rye 18 year old, 45%, $70

Very similar to last year’s release. Well rounded, with a gently sweet foundation (toffee, vanilla taffy), pleasant spice (cinnamon, mocha, soft evergreen), date, glazed citrus, bramble, and a gentle finish for a rye. A classic ultra-aged rye whiskey. —John Hansell

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 96

William Larue Weller, 66.75%, $70

No age statement, but distilled in 1998. The only wheated recipe bourbon in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, and a very good one at that. Higher in strength than last year’s offering (which was 63.3%), but very similar (and equally as impressive). The most elegant and smoothest of this collection, with layered sweetness (honey, caramel, marzipan, maple syrup), fig, blackberry preserve, hint of green tea, and just the right amount of spice for balance (nutmeg, cinnamon, cocoa). —John Hansell

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 95

George T. Stagg, 71.3%, $70

At this strength, it’s almost like getting two whiskeys for the price of one. A great value, considering its age. (It’s not identified on the label, but was distilled in 1993.) Try to find a great 18 year old, cask-strength single malt scotch for this price. Very mature — with a good dose of oak — but not excessively so. Notes of toffee, tobacco, dark molasses, roasted nuts, dried vanilla, leather, and a hint of dusty corn. Dry on the finish, with lingering leather and tobacco. —John Hansell

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 95

Aberfeldy 14 year old Single Cask, 58.1%, £115

Single cask Aberfeldy bottlings are very few and far between, and this is a stunner! After hogshead maturation the whisky ultimately underwent a period of finishing in an ex-sherry cask prior to bottling. The nose offers sultanas, raisins, and hot chocolate. Developing vanilla and a hint of over-ripe bananas. Finally, burnt sugar and caramel. Insinuating and syrupy on the palate, with apricots, dried fruits, honey, and sherry. Gently spicy and warming, with licorice in the notably long finish. —Gavin Smith

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 94

The Dalmore 1978, 46%, $750

This 1978 vintage release from The Dalmore has been ‘finished’ for two years in Matusalem sherry casks from Gonzalez Byass, following 29 years in American white oak. Just 477 bottles are available. Freshly-ground coffee, marzipan, dark berries, and rich sherry on the smooth nose, with milk chocolate and Jaffa oranges. Smokier with water. Citrus fruits and more milk chocolate on the rich, full palate, plus roasted almonds. Long and juicy in the finish, with aniseed and fruit pastilles. —Gavin Smith

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 93

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac, 64.3%, $70

The youngster in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. One taste and its relative youth is confirmed. (But no worries; it’s mature enough to enjoy neat or with some water (and would be killer in cocktails). This is rye whiskey in its most vibrant, masculine, and purest form. Bold spice (fresh evergreen, warming cinnamon), honey-coated orchard fruit, golden raisin, caramel, and brandy with a crisp, clean finish. The American equivalent to a young, cask-strength, smoky Islay whisky. —John Hansell

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 93

Eagle Rare 17 year old, 45%, $70

The most underrated of the five in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, but this year’s release (like last year’s) is very lovely bourbon. Perhaps just a bit softer than last year, but with a similar profile: very even keeled and nicely balanced, with sweet notes (vanilla, toffee, añejo rum) peppered with soft orchard fruit and spice (cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, hint of mint), polished oak, and subtle tobacco. —John Hansell

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 93

Adelphi (distilled at Linkwood) 1984 26 year old, 57.6%, £94

There are light oaked notes to start, along with Oolong tea and very subtle smoke. These then shift into a mix of cedar and scented blossom. Classic, layered elegance with the cask offering support, not dominance. The fruits have that slightly eerie quality of decay, while the palate is deep and juicy. This is an exemplary, subtle, old whisky with delicate rancio (it’s a little cognac-like), which is given a boost of extra life with a small drop of water.— Dave Broom

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 92

(I apologize in advance for not knowing the answers to the questions you are going to ask, like: When is it coming? Where will it be available? How much is it going to cost? With any luck, the importers will chime in here.)

For those of you coming to WhiskyFest Chicago in April, some of these whiskies will be poured there. You can find the complete WhiskyFest list here.

The new whiskies

Armorik Breton whisky (from Brittany)

Lark (from Tasmania): Single Cask, Cask Strength, Distillers Selection Single Cask

Samaroli (from Scotland): a bunch of them!

Tomatin “Decades”

Glen Garioch 1991 Vintage (extra smoky!)

Ardmore 10 year old Cask Strength

Glenmorangie Pride 1981 Vintage

Bruichladdich: “Laddie Classic”, Port Charlotte “An Turas Mor”

Michael Collins 10 year old Irish single malt

Plus something new from Dalmore (shhh!)

Our only Diageo distillery on this trip was Clynelish. Diageo runs its distillery tours in a very safe and modern way. Tours are nice, but carefully scripted and you will not find much flexibility in how they approach them (don’t wander off or you will get in trouble!).  They have a couple of distillery-only bottles you can purchase which is true of a number of Diageo distilleries.  We tasted the Cask Strength one here and it was excellent.  We also got to head down to Brora across the road and it was like going back in time, the stills and spirit safe are still in place. Even the filling station includes a cask of 1983 Brora just sitting there like it was just ready to be filled.  We really miss Brora.

Finally we visited both Glenmorangie and Dalmore. It’s my fourth trip to Glenmorangie and it is just a terrific place. Their still room (left) is truly something to behold, cue heavenly music here… They have somehow fit in four more stills in the last year. They also have a wonderful visitor’s center and tasting room. Seems that there is always a rare and tasty Glenmorangie on hand, Annette treats us well! Don’t miss this one.

Dalmore has also greatly expanded their visitor’s area and have distillery only bottlings available for purchase.  They also have one of the most unique still rooms in the industry, water jackets anyone? – Another must see. Richard Paterson caught up with us there and autographed bottling of their new Mackenzie bottle for everyone who purchased one! — B. J. Reed

Both have recently been bottled and are on their way to the U.S., with distribution in the April/May time frame.  They will have national distribution. Prices: $70 for the Jura, $150 for the Dalmore.

I had a wee taste of both, and both are nice. I compared the Prophecy to Superstition (the other smoky Jura). Prophecy is smokier, richer, heavier, deeper. Yum! Formal reviews coming soon.

You will not be happy with the prices of some of these whiskies, but here’s our ten best new whiskies released in 2009 (keeping in mind that whiskies must have been for sale in the U.S. in the 2009 calendar year to be eligible).

The selection process for this list is based primarily on the whisky’s rating. All ten whiskies rated 95 or higher in Malt Advocate  magazine.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan, 57.1%, $85
Powerful, muscular, well-textured, and invigorating. Even within the realm of Ardbeg, this one stands out. There are many relatively young whiskies with no age statement on the market. This is a benchmark. Quite stunning!

Brora 30 year old (2009 Release), 53.2%, $400
This whisky shows all the good aspects of a very mature whisky (depth, complexity) without all the bad ones (excessive oak, one-dimensional). It’s very clean and polished. One of the best releases from this shuttered distillery.

Dalmore 50 year old, $1,500/100ml
Incredibly viscous and chewy, and thick on the tongue. Very complex too, with that classic Dalmore marmalade note as its foundation. The flavors evolve like waves lapping on a beach. It is a whisky you can’t drink slowly enough.

Gold Bowmore, 1964 Vintage, 42.4% $6,250
Surprisingly lively for its age. I like this whisky better than White Bowmore but feels that it falls short of Black Bowmore, because it’s a bit softer and less vibrant on the palate. (But, for most of you with limited means, I can understand if you don’t really care.)

Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve, 46% (2009 vintage), $250
I love the pot still character and the lushness that some of the port-wood aging has imparted. If anything,  this 2009 vintage is even richer and lusher than the previous 2007 vintage I reviewed. Another classic Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve.

Laphroaig 25 year old, 51.2%, $500
I love the way the flavors of this whisky evolve on the palate. I also like that it retains some of its youthful brashness, while showing the depth that maturity affords a whisky. A delicious, well-balanced, old-fashioned Laphroaig.

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve (Bottle B1986), 23 year old, 47.8%, $220
My review of this whiskey a few years back indicated this whiskey was too woody and past it’s prime to be a stellar whiskey. This one is much better. (Yes, whiskey bottlings do change over time.) There’s great balance and the oak is in check.

Parkers Heritage Selection Golden Anniversary, 50%, $150
This is a fabulous whiskey: seamless, incredibly complex, with an impeccable marriage of youth and maturity. It’s also very even-keeled throughout. A classic bourbon that’s very complex and yet very drinkable.

Rittenhouse Rye 25 year old (Barrel #1), 50%, $190
Not as vibrant as the 21 year old Rittenhouse Rye released a few years back, but it’s more sophisticated, which more than makes up for it. I can’t speak for the other barrels in this lot, but I think this one is a great example of what a 20-plus year old rye whisky should taste like.

William Larue Weller (2009 release), 67.4%, $65
This whiskey has improved greatly over the past two years. (I thought that the 2007 release was almost too easy-going, as some wheated bourbon can be.) A little more oak spice has added balance, complexity and depth. Very clean on the palate too. Excellent!

ALL EYES ON THE DALMORE OCULUS AT RECORD-BREAKING BONHAMS WHISKY SALE

The exceptional one-of-a–kind Dalmore Oculus sells for a staggering £27,600 at Bonhams best whisky sale in history

Whisky enthusiasts worldwide raised their glasses to an outstanding result at today’s whisky sale at Bonhams Edinburgh. With over 90% of lots sold, the sale raised an impressive total of £211,518, the best on record in terms of value.

 One of the highlights of the sale was the rare and unique Dalmore Oculus, assembled from some of the most exceptional whiskies of the past 140 years. This extraordinary whisky sold for a phenomenal £27,600, against a pre-sale estimate of £15,000 – 20,000, as cheers rung around the sale room. This is the highest price ever paid for a Dalmore whisky, far exceeding any previous expectation.

 Other distinguished whiskies on offer included a Black Bowmore-1964 first edition, bottled 1993, beautifully presented in a wooden case, which sold for a sensational £2,100 (estimated £1,500-1,700), whilst the Black Bowmore-1964, final edition, bottled 1995 also reached £2,100 (estimated £1,500-2,000) and the Black Bowmore-1964 first edition, bottled 1993, selling for an equally impressive £2,040 (estimated £1,500-1,700).

 Elsewhere, The Macallan-56 year old-1946, officially bottled by hand at The Macallan Distillery exceeded its pre-sale estimate of £1,500-2,000, selling for £1,980.

 From the first section of the 3,000-strong Willard S Folsom Collection of Old and Rare Single Malt Whiskies, The Dalmore-50 year old-1926 presented in a splendid ceramic decanter sold for an sizeable £1,920 (estimated £1,500-1,700). Also from this collection, a Macallan Speymalt-1938 toppled pre-sale estimates of £800-1,000, reaching £1,920, whilst a Bowmore Oloroso Wood-38 year old-1964 single malt fetched £1,680 (estimated £1,200-1,400).

 Martin Green, Bonhams Whisky Specialist comments: “We are delighted by the results of today’s sale. The atmosphere in the room was electric with much excitement and frenzied bidding for the 583 first-class whiskies of offer. The Dalmore Oculus reached a fantastic sale price, especially in view of the current economic climate.”

 For Bonhams enquiries please call +44 131 225 2266

 For more information please contact Charlotte Hastings or Rosie Kempson at The Communication Group on 0207 630 1411 or email chastings@thecommunicationgroup.co.uk/ rkempson@thecommunicationgroup.co.uk

Here are the six whiskies, along with a description of each, as provided by the whiskymaker.

Isle of Jura- Willie Tait: “I put a hogs head of Jura down on the 23rd Nov 1989, on my daughter’s 13th birthday. This was my legacy for my children, as they have already taken all my money.”

Bruichladdich- Jim McEwan: “The title of my whisky will be “Working on a Dream” it will be a vatting of 46 years of Bruichladdich as that is the time I have been in the business. A single malt made by humble men on the west coast of Islay whereby you can feel and taste their personality, honesty and passion in every sip you take.”

The Dalmore- Richard Paterson: As Neil Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface for the very first time at 02.56 GMT on 21st July 1969, the new spirit of Dalmore down on Earth on this very same day was being transported onto the circular surface of American White Oak to begin its epic journey too.

The Balvenie- David Stewart: David now has an intimate knowledge of where his personal favorites are within the Balvenie warehouses, many of which he has been carefully nurturing for several years. David’s unique bottling will be a single cask sampling drawn directly from one of this highly personal selections.

Glenfiddich- Brian Kinsman: Cask samples are retained long after the cask has long been bottled and savored. They form a historical archive of Glenfiddich’s greatest and best. Brian will be selecting from these precious remnants to craft a unique and unrepeatable one-bottle “vatting” of Glenfiddich.

Buffalo Trace- Our charity Buffalo Trace bottle contains the very first sample ever drawn from our “Millennium Barrel.” This barrel was filled on December 31, 1999, that’s why we call it our “Millennium Barrel.” It was the very last barrel that we filled on the last day of the last century.

This is about as rare as whisky gets. And you can be sure they are going to taste great. Come to WhiskyFest San Francisco, try one of these rare treats, and help support a good cause.

America and whisky – or scotch whisky – as you all seem to have such strange, perverse ways of avoiding calling whisky whisky – but one thing is for sure, you are certainly taking to liking it!

You my have tried to ban it at one point but fortunately you saw sense over that one. And now, you love the great water of life.

But Dear God, how many of you are determined to ruin it with ice? 
Wherever I looked, ice in this, ice in that, ice in ice.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m delighted you’re drinking whisky – I’m even more delighted when it’s Jura, Dalmore or Whyte and Mackay – but you wouldn’t take a beautiful woman out to dinner and tell her to hide her face, you wouldn’t take a hunky strong man out and tell him to hide his muscles, so why ruin the beauty of whisky with ice?

To that end, I’ve been on a US tour this week, stopping off in New York, Chicago, Dallas and Miami, telling people via the internet (you can now find me on a blog, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube) where to meet me and talking about whisky.

And it’s been fantastic. I’ve met with some really interesting people and you can see some video and picture highlights on my facebook site. 
Having said that, it’s encouraging how the internet – including John’s sites – are helping people to not only enjoy whisky but develop their appreciation. There are so many people out there who, in the past, would have tried one whisky, not liked it and thrown in the towel.

Now, the internet has changed all that. Now people have a vast range of whisky ambassadors out there and they know that not only are there wide ranges of whiskies, all with different personalities and flavours and that there is a whisky out there for most people.

And even if you aren’t a fan of whisky straight, there are – loath as  
I am to say it – other ways to drink it, including cocktails (and you can see my reaction to what the Best Barman in the World did with my whiskies on the Jura site at http://www.isleofjura.com/richardandcolin )

But while America may be opening its eyes up to whiskies, that’s not to say that it’s all perfect. I mean, here you are, learning what goes well with each whisky, what the best chocolates and coffees are to help bring out the flavours, but can you get a good cigar to go with the whisky? Can you heck.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you have poor cigars. You have some fantastic cigars – you just aren’t allowed to smoke them anywhere. 
It’s Land of the Free until you want to enjoy a cigar and a whisky – and you can’t.

But I’ve enjoyed myself so much so that I want to announce here that I’ll be back in November for visits to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Ft. Lauderdale, so let’s all try and meet up – just leave the ice at home and let’s find a place to enjoy cigars!
Richard Online Links:

http://www.youtube.com/user/masterblenderrichard

http://www.facebook.com/quality.whisky

http://www.themasterblender.com/

http://twitter.com/the_nose

The Dalmore, 12 year old, 40%, $45
Half the whisky was aged in bourbon barrels, the other half in sherry casks. This whisky has always been on my short list as one of the finest, most affordable 12 year old single malts available. While the price may have gone up a bit (I remember when it was $20!), the quality remains the same. It’s fresh and lively. A well-balanced dram too, with its tell-tale orange marmalade accompanied by tangerine, pineapple upside down cake, vanilla soaked barley, subtle brine, and caramel, all leading to spicy, cinnamon and dried vanilla finish. A nice “every day” dram.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 84

The Dalmore Gran Reserva, 40%, $65
Aged exclusively in first-fill casks (60% of it sherry cask), and its oak intensity shows. Sweet, but with a steady dose of dried spice oak resin, and teasing tobacco to back it up. Silky texture and lush, with fallen orchard fruit, tangerine, chocolate covered orange, and lemon meringue. A firm dried spice finish rounds it all out. Sort of like The Dalmore 12 yr. old pumped up on steroids.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 84

The Dalmore, 15 year old, 40%, $80
Those who are fond of ripe, sherried whiskies will enjoy this new 15 year old. It’s aged entirely in sherry casks. The sherry is nicely layered (but not sappy or cloying) and the Dalmore spirit is big enough to handle it. Lush fruit, richly textured, and fleshy, with a warming spice impact on the finish. Orange marmalade, glazed citrus and Key lime pie are enveloped by sweet toffee/molasses notes and spiced with cinnamon, clove, ginger and subtle chocolate. Soothing and restorative in nature. Good for after dinner—or with a cigar.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 88

The Dalmore 1263 King Alexander III, 40%, $200
Master Blender Richard Paterson’s excellent adventure. This whisky consists of Dalmore aged in a wide variety of casks, including cabernet sauvignon, Madeira, Matusalem Sherry, Marsala, Port, and bourbon. This diversity shows in this whisky’s complexity and unique flavor profile. There’s a lot going on in here. Very rich, but balanced with oak spice and gripping resin (especially on the finish). Sweet layers of toffee, molasses and vanilla fudge provide a foundation of red plum, ripe red raspberry, black cherry, blueberry, orange marmalade, kiwi, grape skin and toasted almond. A very busy whisky which requires a good dose of mental participation to really appreciate it and sort all the flavors out. Very much like Glenmorangie Signet in personality in this regard.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 88

The Dalmore, 1974 Vintage, 42%, $1,250
Beautiful complex fruit on the nose. Tannic grip on the palate—especially on the finish. The tell-tale orange marmalade combines notes of orchard fruit, caramel apple, fried pineapple, banana nut bread, unsweetened chocolate, grape skin and plain toast, peppered with cinnamon and ground espresso bean. Distinctive and evolving on the palate—and humming along quite nicely—until the oak turns a bit austere and aggressive on the finish. For this reason, it’s my least favorite of the range.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 82

The Dalmore, 40 year old, 40%, $3,000
By far the softest and gentlest of the range, and oh so drinkable. Hard to believe that this whisky is 40 years old, actually, as it shows no sign of excessive oak. Instead, there’s soothing layers of caramel and toffee as the whisky’s foundation. Add orange marmalade and other juicy citrus fruits, cinnamon spice, graham cracker and gently toasted almond. A gentle, subtly sophisticated Dalmore, and an interesting comparison to the much different, more visceral 50 year old. If I were a rich man, I could drink this whisky every day—it’s so easy-going.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 93

The Dalmore, 50 year old, 52.8%, $1,500/100ml
The Dalmore is one of a handful of whiskies that seem to be able to age in the cask for many decades and still improve. This one is incredibly viscous on the nose and palate (and very heavy on the tongue), with chewy toffee and old pot still rum. The classic Dalmore marmalade note shines throughout, along with vanilla cream, an array of dried spices (especially cinnamon and evergreen), juicy oak, forest bedding, rancio, old armagnac, polished leather, tobacco, maple syrup, dark chocolate, almond macaroon and subtle espresso. Long, mouth-coating finish. The flavors evolve like waves lapping on the palate—especially the interplay with the oak. I can’t drink this whisky slow enough. A rare experience for the lucky few who can afford it.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 96

I reached out to my U.S. contact at White & Mackay, the brand’s owner, to get some answers, and here’s what she had to say:

Distribution is moving slowly.  Given the current economic situation, the importer has been reluctant to place large orders.  We’ve had a few small shipments come in and we’re out in no time.  Another container just left Scotland last week but it will be the end of the month until we see it here in the states.

As an fyi … our priority markets are New York, Florida and Illinois. You’ll find product at retail in those states first.  Since product hasn’t shipped since last June, as you can imagine, the entire country is out-of-stock.  Filling the pipe line has been our primary concern.

So, if you want to get a bottle from the new line of Dalmore whisky, reach out to a retailer in one of those key markets, and place your order now. The new line is: 12 y/o, Gran Reserva, 15 y/o, King Alexander, 1974 and the 40 y/o. I have not tried these whiskies yet, but should be getting samples soon. I’ll let you know my thoughts when I do.