Day 23 - And what should appear but another Samaroli that I hold dear!

Day 23 and my alarm goes off as it usually does on a Friday, however, I’m not getting up to go to work. I am on vacation. So what, pray tell, is the Lassie up so early for?

My lovely husband and I are driving to Boston today (7 hour drive) to go to a New England Patriots game on Christmas Eve. Now, some of you might think that sounds a little crazy right before the big day but honestly, I am not a huge fan of Christmas to begin with so when Graham surprised me with this little trip, well… this Lassie was overjoyed because he knows how much I struggle this time of year. This is exactly the perfect gift for me. Thank you Graham…

So the adventure began early enough where I was running around the house, packing Patriots gear, checking weather reports, getting the animals ready to go stay at “nanny & grampy’s” and packing up a care package for my dear friend Bob in New Hampshire. Car packed by 8:30, a few last minute items to take care of and then run down the stairs to open #23 and #24 (I am not cheating, I won’t be home tomorrow!!) I was stunned to see another Samaroli in my advent calendar, this is really going to be a great trip indeed!!! I won’t reveal what day 24 was, but also excited about that one.

We were on the road by 10:30 am.  Passports? Check! Patriots’ tickets? Check! Whisky & glassware? Check! And…most importantly: Patriots scarf, hat, long johns and jersey CHECK!! We have other things that we need like warm clothes, podcasts downloaded (Hey Mark Gillespie), directions to our hotel and a last minute surprise whisky tasting with our friend Darren McInnis from the North Shore Whisky Club later tonight.

After crossing into the United States through the New Brunswick/Maine border, we listened to a podcast, ate some lunch, talked while Graham drove. It was a sunny and somewhat mild afternoon. The sun glistened on the trees and we both sat in silence, simply mesmerized by the beauty of the scenery around us. It’s rustic, majestic and lovely. We drove through Maine, New Hampshire and arrived in Mansfield to meet our friend Darren at the Norfolk Wine & Spirits where @CachacaDave (Dave Catania) was pouring some Amrut Indian whiskies. 

Meeting the legendary Bikram Singh that I had heard so much about was fantastic. He did not disappoint! If ever you are in the Boston area, a trip to his shop is well worth the effort. Rare, interesting and many "off the beat and path" whiskies from all over the world, including SAMAROLI!!! Thank you Darren for this gem of a find!

Now, speaking of Samaroli, back to my day 23 dram:

Samaroli Peaty Blended Whisky 20 year old, 45% ABV. Refill sherry butt Cask #54.

Colour: Pink gold!

Nose: Another smoky whisky. The peat is a bit more predominant on this one for me. Reminds me of wet dark earth. Not overly sweet on the nose.

Palate: Thick, viscous and again peaty goodness. A bit of creamy lemon on the backdrop. It's a lovely "aged" peated whisky.

Finish: Long lingering and quite satisfying. This could easily be a dram that Graham would love after a cold dog walk in January. 

Another triumph for a Samaroli. I cannot tell you how impressive these are. I'll be talking to Jonathan to see if this is one of the bottle that will be available. 

Check out what he thought at: www.singlemalting.com

As for this Lassie, day 23 was simply phenomenal. I love the #whiskyfabric and can't wait to tell you what is in store for tomorrow.

Cheers lovely people!!

Lassie

   

Day 22 Advent Calendar - Ode to Bob...

Our house has been fairly busy this last week and Graham and I were fighting off some sort of bug. I had been feeling a bit sluggish and really achy. This morning was no different. My knees creaked a bit as I planted my feet on the cold floor and as I searched for my slippers in my semi-conscious state I could feel a twinge in my lower back. "Getting old sucks" I said out loud at the cat, who of course simply blinked and went back to sleep. I wandered quietly down the stairs and poked my finger through door 22. I did a bit of a double take and couldn't quite believe my eyes. I read it and then spelled it out loud just to make sure: C-A-M-B-U-S. What happened next, I can't print... It was a slew of expletive language that even now, my mother would slap me behind the head for... 

This is a unicorn dram for me... Something I never thought I would get to experience in my lifetime. Cambus was a Stirling Scotland grain distillery from the early 1800's that closed forever in 1993. Grain whiskies are often exquisite, especially those that have spent much time in the barrel. I carefully poured just a little in my glass and proceeded to nose/taste it. My train of thought immediately drifted to distilleries of days gone by and how fortunate I have been in these 32 years o whisky imbibing to have experienced so many of their wonderful whiskies. Then an image popped into my head. A moment in time with my friend Bob Rae who we lost in May 2015. Bob... a friend of days gone by. It was difficult not to tear up as I remembered some of the great moments we had shared. He and his wife Daphne showing up in a snowstorm to a "party" we had cancelled, but Bob said: "Nonsense" and showed up anyway. There we were the four of us, spending a fabulous evening talking, sharing drams and laughing while the blizzard raged on. That was the last time I saw Bob.

I went to work but thought of Bob all day. When I got home, we had errands to run and things that needed to get done. I didn't get back to the whisky until much later. I got into my pj's, got a warm fuzzy blanket and proceeded to finally make notes about the Cambus. 

Adelphi Cambus 1988, Single grain whisky, 27 year old at 48% ABV. Bourbon refill cask #59353. 

Colour: Another really pale whisky. Barely there yellow!

Nose: Powdered sugar on an apple danish. Creamy, buttery and sweet.

Palate: Delicate, silky. Vanilla pound cake but with of a Madeira cream sauce. 

Finish: Not as sweet as the nose and palate and it has a bit of a strange aftertaste... a bit "plasticky"? 

Overall this was a very good dram, except the finish threw me off completely. I'm happy I got to try it, but I didn't find this one as balanced as many of the other drams in the calendar. The great part of the discovery is how it made me remember a friend from days gone by.

If you'd like to see what Jonathan thought: 

www.singlemalting.com

Dr. Robert Rae - We miss you dearly my friend

Can't wait to see what is next... and here's to the memory of distilleries and friends gone but never forgotten.

Lassie

Day 19 - SAMAROLI!!! 20 year old for me and Marko!

Ugh... Monday. I can do this, I think to myself as the 6:15am alarm goes off. The reality is, I'm so tired today. But, I know my little advent calendar is calling to me so I muster getting my slippers on and make my way down the cold dark hallway. Flipped on the light (Good Lord that's bright) and squinted my way over the table. I poke my finger through #19 and the reveal is yet another Samaroli, holy wow... I'm really feeling quite lucky now. I skip up the stairs and proudly display to Graham my spoils! "Oh nice!" he says as he admires the bottle. "Did you see what this is, it's two casks: One from Miltonduff and the other from Tormore blended together". Now, I had something to look forward to for the rest of the day!

It was a hellish day at the office, people are trying to get too much done before the holidays and many were "cranky", including me by 5:00pm. Once home though, in the comfort of my own home, the pants come off and I relax (I put PJ's on!!!). I sat in my arm chair and poured myself day 19. As I nosed the lovely elixir, I browsed social media and started a conversation with my friend Marko. I sent him a photo of what whisky I was enjoying and he did the same. Just so happens, it was the same one! I asked if he wanted to help me write about this whisky today and he said YES!  So away we went, sharing day 19 together, nosing/tasting, making notes even though we live almost 2 hours apart. 

Samaroli 1995 Samaroli Spey 20 year old, 45.0% ABV. Cask #2845 Miltonduff & #20267 Tormore

Marko was sitting in his home office listening to some of his favourite music. I was already on the nose at that point so that's where we started comparing notes.

Colour: A lovely Chablis, again another light coloured whisky

Nose, Marko: Floral to which his wife helped him discover which one: Lavender. Bang! It's Lavendar with a little citrus but not a really pungent citrus, a little bitterness and a hint of vanilla.  Lassie: I had a lavendar scented vanilla creme brulee once that reminds me of this...

Palate, Marko: Sweet, creamy, vanilla cake or maybe vanilla cream or maybe a combination of both! Delicious, delicious... A lovely Speyside, yes. Lassie: I'm getting a bit of key lime pie with fresh whipped cream, it's sweet but tart, it's got a zesty and zingy feel to it but it's also creamy. (This is a complex dram indeed!)

Finish, Marko: There is the citrus/lime again with a little bitterness again. Wow. Simply wow. Lassie: A bit of a sweet minty aftertaste, it's delicate but lovely indeed.

Overall Marko thought this was a very well balanced dram, it wasn't too dry and didn't seem to have too much influence from the oak. He really loved it and would buy a bottle if he could find it.

Overall I felt this was a very enjoyable dram and the Samaroli's are bang on in this calendar. Every single one has been impressive.It's interesting to see how they chose two different types of barrels and blended them to create something quite unique. I can't help but wonder if this is common for some independent bottlers?

It was not only a great whisky but a fantastic way to share a dram with a good friend. It made my day so thank you Marko!  

You can always go and check what Jonathan thought today by clicking here: www.singlemalting.com

With 6 days left, what will come up next! 

Thanks for sticking around so far. See you all tomorrow

Lassie