Just for the record this is what was tasted at the American Tasting evening.
The theme for both evenings was to show the different types of American whiskey - representing Corn, Rye, Single Malt and obviously Bourbon. Previous American tastings have also included a Straight Wheat - from Bernheim (Heaven Hill) but this time round the idea was to concentrate a little more on the craft and micro distillers in America - to highlight where the cutting edge and more radical approaches to whiskey making are occurring. I used Heaven Hill this time round as an example of a distillery making several different styles of drink (corn, bourbon and rye) as a comparison against a Scotch Whisky distillery that makes just one style of drink: single malt.
Due to limited availability of certain stock I had to run two nights a little differently.
Night 1 - Monday 25th June 2012
1. Balcones Baby Blue Corn Whiskey
2. Copper Fox Rye Spirit
3. Elijah Craig 18 YO Single Barrel Bourbon
4. Stranahan's Straight Malt Whiskey
5. Clear Creek McCarthy's Single Malt
Night 2 - Tuesday 26th June 2012
1. Mellow Corn 100 Proof
2. Rittenhouse Rye 80 Proof
3. Copper Fox Rye Spirit
4. Stranahans Straight Malt Whiskey
5. Elijah Craig 18 YO Single Barrel Bourbon
6. Clear Creek. McCarthy's Single Malt
I really wanted to highlight the radical and innovative approaches to Whiskey making that Chip Tate at Balcones and Rick Wasmund at Copper Fox take. Also included Stranahan's and Clear Creek to show small batch, artisan and craft distillation at work. Although not included in the tasting I also discussed Tuthilltown's Hudson range - especially about their idea of "sonic maturation" and also Charby with their inclusion of hops into the mash.
On the other hand I wanted to show the bigger players in Kentucky and used Heaven Hill as an example of a large-scale business that is still family owned (by the Shapiro Brothers) and can confidently emphasise tradition and heritage with the lineage of Joseph Beam being head distiller, right through the generations to Parker and Craig Beam as current father and son distillers.
Full tasting notes for each individual whiskey to follow.
Wednesday 27 June 2012
Saturday 16 June 2012
Caol Ila - Unpeated
Now this is an interesting proposition.
An unpeated Caol Ila.
Ok. I've had this a few times. And at one point I think this was only available at the distillery. But now you can get it from a specialist. A whisky specialist yeah?
So is this Caol Ila's take on a Blasda?
I mean, let's face it - along with Bunnahabhain you're one of Islay's more unknown malts, you're utterly unpronounceable, and you've not got the marketing. So why. On. Earth. Would you bother release a unpeated version? Especially when your local supermarket will discount your fruity unpeated speysider for more than half the amount. It's equivalent to buying the demo's and outtakes of your favourite band then.
Nose:
Soft and subtle. Sweet malt barley. It's got a lovely fizzy sherberty barley feel. Like those Ufo sherbet parcels - rice paper and shebert. It's chunky on the nose. But it doesn't give away it's over 60% abv. Not. At. All. You would expect it to be more forceful than it is. It's mouthwatering alright. And there's a lovely combination of un-baked cake and un-risen cookie dough.
Taste:
Bitter and sweet in a quaint waltz. Then intense barley on the first sip. Like a rollercoaster. That by the second you are already used to. It feels like Oblivion at Alton Towers. After the second sip it quickly dies down.
Finish:
As it develops the bitter/sweet balances itself out. It's oily but nowhere near as you would expect the standard peated variety. Clean, clean, clean. All the way. Although there's no peat on the malt you know that there's some residue on all that copper. It's impossible to take it away. It adds a thread of robustness and props the cereal notes from the barley up superbly. It's weirdly balanced and the finish is weirdly short for such a high abv malt- but that's maybe it taming your taste buds.
An unpeated Caol Ila.
Ok. I've had this a few times. And at one point I think this was only available at the distillery. But now you can get it from a specialist. A whisky specialist yeah?
So is this Caol Ila's take on a Blasda?
I mean, let's face it - along with Bunnahabhain you're one of Islay's more unknown malts, you're utterly unpronounceable, and you've not got the marketing. So why. On. Earth. Would you bother release a unpeated version? Especially when your local supermarket will discount your fruity unpeated speysider for more than half the amount. It's equivalent to buying the demo's and outtakes of your favourite band then.
Nose:
Soft and subtle. Sweet malt barley. It's got a lovely fizzy sherberty barley feel. Like those Ufo sherbet parcels - rice paper and shebert. It's chunky on the nose. But it doesn't give away it's over 60% abv. Not. At. All. You would expect it to be more forceful than it is. It's mouthwatering alright. And there's a lovely combination of un-baked cake and un-risen cookie dough.
Taste:
Bitter and sweet in a quaint waltz. Then intense barley on the first sip. Like a rollercoaster. That by the second you are already used to. It feels like Oblivion at Alton Towers. After the second sip it quickly dies down.
Finish:
As it develops the bitter/sweet balances itself out. It's oily but nowhere near as you would expect the standard peated variety. Clean, clean, clean. All the way. Although there's no peat on the malt you know that there's some residue on all that copper. It's impossible to take it away. It adds a thread of robustness and props the cereal notes from the barley up superbly. It's weirdly balanced and the finish is weirdly short for such a high abv malt- but that's maybe it taming your taste buds.
Braeval - Signatory 1998
In the spirit of kicking out a few spirit reviews..
Braeval - This may well be Scotland's highest distillery. As if it makes a jot of difference apart from some bright spark in marketing. "Actually John I think you'll find our Low wines still is actually 20 metres higher than Dalwhinne's and our mash tun is at least 10 metres higher than Tomintoul". AIIGAF.
Anyway....
This bottle is another Signatory offering.
I like Signatory. I like their stark branding. I like the fact that Andrew Symington seems like Thomas the Tank Engine's Fat Controller. I like his grumpiness and gruff response to camera happy tourists at closing time around his pretty Edradour distillery.
I like Signatory. I like it's entry level into independent bottlings. You can pick up a malt for a few quid cheaper than that distillery bottle. That's got to be praised. You'll see them (and their "Tesco value"-like label on the shelf of many a whisky bar). And I like the fact they are fairly consistent. I've had a load of them that are pretty tasty. But nothing. That has rocked my world. Ever. And maybe that's the problem. Good - yes, Interesting - certainly, to die for - never. Regularly outbeat by Con Choice.
This was distilled at Braeval on the 12th November 1998. It was aged for 12 years in two bourbon barrels before bottling on the 9th March 2011. A release of 679 bottles from Signatory.
Nose:
Clean, sharp. Malty with a pungency.
Taste:
Spice, Bitter. Harsh Oak. Unforgiving. Salt. Oil. Sticking plaster. Mechanics.
A fatty mouth-feel but sharp and bitter. Like fluffy snow (yes both cold and wooly - at the same time).
Finish:
Long if a little bitter and unbalanced. A touch of salt perhaps at the end.
Look. This is not a joyous whisky. This is not celebratory. This is not a malt to savour. This is a malt to work through. It's just fucking needy. Even when it comes round from it's utter grump, even when it opens up it's just simply disappointing. Yeah, there's a hint of gingerbread. But it's just a concession to a malt that is not constructed properly. It's hard work. It's a fighty malt. You can understand why it may give importance to blends - it's all about body and strength. But in terms of taste and aroma it's left wanting.
End of.
Braeval - This may well be Scotland's highest distillery. As if it makes a jot of difference apart from some bright spark in marketing. "Actually John I think you'll find our Low wines still is actually 20 metres higher than Dalwhinne's and our mash tun is at least 10 metres higher than Tomintoul". AIIGAF.
Anyway....
This bottle is another Signatory offering.
I like Signatory. I like their stark branding. I like the fact that Andrew Symington seems like Thomas the Tank Engine's Fat Controller. I like his grumpiness and gruff response to camera happy tourists at closing time around his pretty Edradour distillery.
I like Signatory. I like it's entry level into independent bottlings. You can pick up a malt for a few quid cheaper than that distillery bottle. That's got to be praised. You'll see them (and their "Tesco value"-like label on the shelf of many a whisky bar). And I like the fact they are fairly consistent. I've had a load of them that are pretty tasty. But nothing. That has rocked my world. Ever. And maybe that's the problem. Good - yes, Interesting - certainly, to die for - never. Regularly outbeat by Con Choice.
This was distilled at Braeval on the 12th November 1998. It was aged for 12 years in two bourbon barrels before bottling on the 9th March 2011. A release of 679 bottles from Signatory.
Nose:
Clean, sharp. Malty with a pungency.
Taste:
Spice, Bitter. Harsh Oak. Unforgiving. Salt. Oil. Sticking plaster. Mechanics.
A fatty mouth-feel but sharp and bitter. Like fluffy snow (yes both cold and wooly - at the same time).
Finish:
Long if a little bitter and unbalanced. A touch of salt perhaps at the end.
Look. This is not a joyous whisky. This is not celebratory. This is not a malt to savour. This is a malt to work through. It's just fucking needy. Even when it comes round from it's utter grump, even when it opens up it's just simply disappointing. Yeah, there's a hint of gingerbread. But it's just a concession to a malt that is not constructed properly. It's hard work. It's a fighty malt. You can understand why it may give importance to blends - it's all about body and strength. But in terms of taste and aroma it's left wanting.
End of.
Been away...
Hello. Yeah been away for a bit. It's not like I've been lazy in the real world and actually not done anything. In the real world there's been a couple of Irish, Speyside, two amazing Japanese tastings and now work on a really good American tasting before doing a month of rum. On top of that I've been helping out set up the whisky society for Sheffield or the Sheffield Whisky Society as they like to call it. Or WhiskySheffield if you do twitter or facebook. And I've also been doing some music trawling that is more relevant to tumblr and soundcloud than here. And I've become a father. And been to Scotland. And work. and etc. etc. etc. Anyway...
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