October 3rd, 2011

More new whiskies coming on the market

John Hansell

(This is from a U.S. perspective…)

The Family Casks from Glenfarclas are finally coming to the U.S. (I’m not certain of the actual list of whiskies and timing.)

Bunnahabhain 18 year old is being phased out and replaced by a vintage offering in 2012.

The Mackinlay (a.k.a. the re-creation of the whisky discovered in the Antarctic from the Shackleton expedition in 1907) is finally being introduced to the U.S. (A very nice whisky, btw.)

Johnnie Walker Double Black is also just now being introduced to the U.S. market this month. More smoke than the regular JW Black Label, and dangerously drinkable. (I brought my bottle to a friend’s house on Friday night and by the time I brought it home 3/4 of it was gone. Everyone liked it.)

On the American whiskey front, the newest Parker’s Heritage Collection is out. This one’s a 10 year old rye-formula bourbon finished in cognac barrels. (Another dangerously drinkable whiskey!) It’s the same cognac brand (and from the same producer) that was part of Jim Beam’s Distillers’ Masterpiece cognac-finished whiskey introduced over a decade ago. (Beam was ahead of their time with those Distillers’ Masterpiece releases.)

Also noteworthy, but available only at Heaven Hill’s Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown, is a single barrel, 20 year old bottling of Elijah Craig that was produced to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. Why do I mention this very limited, logistically-challenged bourbon? I tried it and it’s excellent! If you know someone heading that way, have them purchase a bottle for you.

There’s a low-cost, very smooth Canadian whisky just released called “Rich & Rare Reserve” from Sazerac (Buffalo Trace’s parent company). My guess it’s from the same stock of Canadian whiskies that produced the recent releases of Caribou Crossing Single Barrel and Royal Canadian Small Batch, but just less expensive. It comes in a cool-looking 375 ml flask-shaped bottle.

On the liqueur front, following the successful introduction of Red Stag Black Cherry, Jim Beam is introducing two new flavors: Red Stag Honey Tea and Red Stag Spiced.

Category: Bourbon,Canadian whisky,Flavored whiskies,Liqueurs,New Releases,Scotch whisky Tags: , , , , , 41 Comments

May 31st, 2011

Review: Glenfarclas 175th Anniversary

John Hansell

Glenfarclas 175th Anniversary, 43%, £80

First things first — congratulations to the Grants of Glenfarclas on attaining their 175th anniversary. To celebrate, they have vatted together a cask from 1952 with one each from the following five decades — and released it at an exceptionally reasonable price! The nose has a lift of struck match immediately followed by cedar, pomegranate, blackberry jam, and Seville orange. There’s a thick caramel toffee sweetness to the palate alongside the classic ’Farclas depth where dried, but sweet, fruits repose. Recommended. –Dave Broom

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 91

Category: New Releases,Reviews,Scotch whisky,Writers Tags: 14 Comments

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 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

June 21st, 2010

Drink anything fun on Father’s Day?

John Hansell

We enjoyed some great beer on tap (The Lost Abbey Carnivale), delicious wine (Shafer Relentless), and the Glenfarclas 150th Anniversary bottle that I opened up on Friday after our daughter Shannon’s High School graduation. I even finished the evening with one of my favorite cigars (an Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Robusto).

How about you? What were you drinking yesterday?

Category: Beer,Scotch whisky,Special events,Wine Tags: , , 47 Comments

June 18th, 2010

Tonight, yet another reason to open up a special bottle of whisky!

John Hansell

It’s an amazing two weeks. I turned 50 on June 7th, our daughter turned 18 on June 14th, our company joined the M. Shanken Communications group on June 15th, and now tonight our daughter graduates from High School.  (And this Sunday is Father’s Day too!)

There’s been a lot of celebrating here. I’ve opened up some amazing whisky (and other goodies) over the past two weeks, and tonight is no exception.

This is what I am opening up when we get back from graduation. It’s the 150th Anniversary Bottling of Glenfarclas, bottled back in 1986. I’ve waited long enough to enjoy this whisky, and I will do it with some close friends, in honor of Shannon.

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Here’s a picture of our daughter Shannon (isn’t she a cutie?), just a couple weeks ago on prom night. That’s Amy (my wife) and me also in the picture. I am very proud of them both.

Here’s to Shannon, our soon-to-be-graduate and to all the other parents out there with children graduating from school (whatever type of school it is)!

Now, I better start thinking about what I should open up on Father’s Day. It’s only two days away. :)

Let this be a reminder for you to find a reason to open up and enjoy that special bottles you have been saving. That’s what life is all about!

Category: Scotch whisky,Special events Tags: 42 Comments

May 6th, 2010

Review: Glenfarclas 40 year old

John Hansell

Glenfarclas, 40 year old, 46%, $460
Glenfarclas has a proven track record for aging very well. I’ve enjoyed some amazing 25 and 30 year old expressions, in addition to some older vintage offerings. Does this new 40 year old follow suit? Absolutely! It’s complex, 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 I find soothing), with good tannic grip on the finish. A classic, well-matured Glenfarclas—and  and a very good value for its age.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 95

Category: New Releases,Reviews,Scotch whisky Tags: 25 Comments

April 21st, 2010

New Glenfarclas 40 year old whisky

John Hansell

 Some of these older Glenfarclas whiskies are outstanding. I haven’t tasted this one yet, but hope to soon.

Oh, and the nice thing about this release: it’s being launched worldwide–including the U.S.–and it is priced fairly.

New Glenfarclas 40 Years Old Launched

Speyside, April 2010:  Family owned Glenfarclas have added a new 40 Years Old whisky to their portfolio of premium Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskies. Glenfarclas 40 Years Old has been bottled at 46% vol. from casks filled in the late 1960s, and selected by George S. Grant, Director of Sales and the sixth generation of the family which own and manage the distillery.

With good stocks of casks filled in the 1960s, the distillery is now able to offer whisky with a 40 years old age statement as part of their core range. This whisky will be available worldwide, with a quarter of production destined for North America.

George Grant’s tasting notes for this new expression read: ‘The nose is reminiscent of relaxing in an old leather armchair, while eating walnuts and chocolate-covered raisins. It has a sweet initial taste – orange segments dipped in liquid chocolate – then a lovely flavour of burnt brown sugar at the back of the mouth. The dry finish oozes big tannins and more rich dark cocoa beans. Let this whisky breathe a little or add a drop or two of water to fully open up the dram.’

Glenfarclas 40 Years Old will be formally launched on the 29thApril 2010, with a consumer tasting at the distillery during the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. Places at this unique tasting, hosted by George Grant, are available to book via the festival’s website.

Glenfarclas 40 Years Old is presented in the Glenfarclas amber bottle and a ruby gift tube, with a design akin to the Glenfarclas 10 Years Old. By deliberately not over-packaging this old whisky, J. & G. Grant are able to offer the Glenfarclas 40 Years Old at a competitive UK recommended retail price of GBP 350.00. As George Grant explained, ‘Compared to other whiskies of a similar age, this has been priced to open and enjoy.’  

For those looking to try before purchasing a bottle, The Coburg Bar at the Connaught Hotel, in London’s Mayfair, and the Mash Tun Pub in Aberlour, Speyside, are already offering drinkers the chance to enjoy this exceptional whisky by the dram.

Category: New Releases,Scotch whisky,Uncategorized Tags: 25 Comments

April 2nd, 2010

Guest blog #5: Speyside Part 2 (Glenfarclas, Glenfiddich, Balvenie, and Tullibardine)

John Hansell

Highlights on this trip are hard to narrow down, but there is no doubt that Glenfarclas and Glenfiddich/Balvenie are among our all-time favorites. Much of this has to do with George Grant and Ian Millar. Both are great ambassadors for their distilleries and the industry. Both have been to Omaha to do tastings even though we are a very small market in the grand scheme of things.  Previously George and Glenfarclas have hosted us for lunch; this time it was dinner in the industry’s most beautiful tasting room. This is a must-see, right off the visitor’s center shop and includes salvaged remnants from the ship The Empress of Australia, including beautiful wood paneling and restored chandeliers.  The entire Family Cask Series is on display, dating from 1952 to 1994, the lucky few can sample the casks and pick your favorite. It’s tough to find a more consistently tasty whisky of these rare vintages.

Touring Glenfiddich (left) with Ian Millar is unlike any other experience. His passion and knowledge about Glenfiddich, Balvenie, the industry as a whole are unparalleled.  We got to sample expressions in the works including “Project Indiana” and even a bit of the rare Kininvie single malt. As always, a tour of the warehouse with Ian is as close to nirvana as you can get.  You walk in and stare at the huge Solera vats holding thousands of liters of 15 YO Glenfiddich. Climb the ladder and pull out a sample to taste, an incredible experience.  That’s when the fun begins: cask hunting!  Glenfiddich casks, Balvenie casks everywhere from the 50s, the 60s, the 70s, well, you get the idea. This warehouse is like a cask museum, you’ll see more rare and experimental types and shapes of casks than anywhere. Tasting from them is just heavenly, if a bit chilly.   We also had the chance to purchase some of the last Port-aged Balvenie Rose. With only 426 bottles ever made available, it’s almost gone. With the close proximity of the distilleries here and the quality of the tour and shop, this is a must-see.

Finally, we could not finish our description of the distilleries we visited without mentioning Tullibardine.  This gem is actually located in a shopping center, at first glance you would think it would be a disappointment but initial impressions are deceiving.  Just like Highland Park, Aberlour and others, you can pick the type of tour you would like from basic to Tullibardine’s “connoisseur level.”  Our guide and leader Gavin Cuningham (see left) makes sure you have a wonderful time.  The shop is lovely and actually includes Starbuck’s coffee!!  The distillery was on a deathwatch for a number of years until a group of investors purchased the distillery in 2003 and began producing spirit again.  It’s a very traditional distillery with the mash tun, wash backs and stills all in close proximity to each other.  Great for explaining the process to a group, as you can literally do a 360 turn and see everything!   The shop itself has large numbers of Tullibardine vintages for sale that are very hard to get in the states.  Finishes in Sauternes, Rum, and Sherry were all available as well as vintages dating back to 1964.  The distillery also offers casks for sale. This is one we would absolutely recommend. – B. J. Reed

Category: Distillery Tours,Guest Blogger,Scotch whisky Tags: , , , 18 Comments

August 10th, 2009

Who owns Scotch whisky? Who drinks Scotch whisky?

John Hansell

There was a good overview answering both of these questions in the Sunday Herald. Have a look here.

Category: Opinions,Scotch whisky Tags: , , , , 22 Comments

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