Lassie's best of 2019 - top 10

As with everything in life, some things change and some things stay the same. Even if I'm not writing or reviewing whiskies, I always keep a spreadsheet of all the whiskies I try over the course of a year. The average is somewhere between 300-350. That also takes into consideration whisky festivals, tastings, traded samples and of course the drams that just seem to "happen". 

So let me get straight to the point. I travelled a little more than usual in 2019, it afforded me some really amazing opportunities and drams. I was a little surprised though when I tallied the spreadsheet and found the number was 421 for this past year. I didn't think I had tried as many as I usually do so to see the highest number I've ever recorded astonished me. I went back through photos which of course creates a "what did I do this year" sort of album. WOW... I certainly was busy. Friends, family, sailing and of course "whiskying".  Blessed, is all I can say to be so lucky for the people that I surrounded myself with in 2019.  Here are the top 10 whiskies with justification:

#10 = Benromach Cask Strength Vintage 2008, 57.9%ABV

I have loved Benromach pretty much since my introduction to it. I chose this as number 10 for 2019 as I feel it was the best value for money whisky I purchased. Cask Strength 10 year old for less than $100.00 where I live in Canada. It was a lovely whisky that didn't feel "hot", was complex and from nose to finish quite lovely indeed. Recommended by Bill Somerville in Halifax NS (February).

#9 = Bowmore Vault Edition 2 Peat Smoke, 50.1% ABV

Bowmore 15 is a staple in my whisky collection. It's usually the first one I will reach for if I'm thinking of introducing someone to an Islay whisky. While visiting Bowmore distillery this year (October),  we were given a "surprise" dram. Blind tasting notes that day: Palate: Not the usual Bowmore I'm expecting.  This is "different". Palate: Super smoky and ashy (Cold fire place/damp). Finish: Long, wet shale rocks, quite smooth.  Voting this one my "this is what?" whisky.  It was quite the surprise indeed to find out which one it was. Happy to have shared it with Sarah Wilson on our Islay trip.

#8 = Teeling Celebratory Single Pot Still, 46% ABV

Probably the absolute best UNICORN moment of 2019 as a whole. Traveling with my friend Amanda through Ireland and we were at a Slane whisky tasting we had been invited to. We went to eat right after the event and looked at the bar menu for whiskies (of course) and she saw that particular bottle. Asked how much a dram would cost. The bartender stated the bottle was not to be opened. Now, as North Americans, this did not make sense to us. Whisky bottles behind the bar that were never meant to be opened??  After some discussion, and forgive my memory but somehow the owner of the restaurant/hotel got involved and Amanda (who I swear has a horseshoe) talked her way into the manager going to check if he might have a sample that her/I could try.  I sat with my mouth completely agape as I watched the 50ml sample bottle arrive at the bar with a few small glasses. 

Ok so why is this a unicorn: Highly recommend you go to the Teeling website and read it for yourself. It was a stunning little dram, given to us out of the kindness of a whisky geek's heart.  Best unicorn for sure!!!

#7 = Jameson Irish Whiskey Caskmates Beau's, 40% ABV

By far my favorite, holy crap am I ever a lucky lassie whisky for 2019. Jameson's has been doing beer finishes for a few years now but we got wind in late 2018 that a Canadian exclusive would be coming to Ontario (I don't live there...) I mentioned it to my friend Dan Vienneau who was also itching to find some and between the two of us, the "hunt" started. By end of February I had secured an entire case (YES... you read that correctly). A few bottles for Dan, the rest for me. About 3 days after I had my case, it was gone - sold out and most people (unfortunately) did not get any as it disappeared almost overnight. It's an amazing Jameson's finished in Beau's Brewing Co Strong Patrick Irish Style Red Ale. This was my "STEAL OF A DEAL" whisky for 2019. I still get an email from time to time from reps at Corby's asking if I can sell them back one of my bottles. ;)

#6 = The Whisky Agency, Montreal Whisky Club Ledaig 11 year old, 51.5% ABV

I have been saying, blogging and talking about independent bottling for years. It's no surprise how many I have in my personal collection. This one however is quite special because it was a gift from someone who has come to mean so much to me. I get "him" and he seems to get "me" too. We have developed a lovely friendship that's not just whisky based. There is a long story as to how this bottle came to "be" and I won't bore you all with the details. All I can say is thank you Larry for making 2019 was one of the best filled with many memories of the times we have spent eating, drinking, chatting, laughing, driving, concert going but most of all simply being great friends.  Fabulous whisky I've opened and shared with many other friends!

#5 = Jack's Pirate whisky, cask #214a, First fill Moscatel - 60.3%ABV

And the winner of wackiest wonderful whisky goes to this one.  Also an independent bottling of an Islay whisky (no disclosure of which one but I have a suspicion) and when I first tried it with Igor Kossov, my mouth fell open.  Why... because it smells like the Kennebecasis River...  Me being a sailor and having a whisky called Jack's Pirate whisky = Beyond serendipitous.  I absolutely loved this whisky, so much so that I've squirreled it away and seriously only take it out on very special occasions (which is not usually what I do). This was truly a weirdo whisky and I'm pleased beyond belief that I have a bottle (well what's left of one...  ;)

#4 =  SMWS 71.47 Citric spicy whisky lassi, 60.5%ABV

Imagine my surprise when my very good friend and mentor Emmett Hossack presented me with a bottle of this for no reason than: "It's got my name in it (sort of)...  the running joke is that it likely describes me to a tee: Citric/spicy...   The best part of receiving this bottle was popping it open and having it empty within 72 hours.  New record for fastest emptied bottle. I tweeted about it and of course talked about the whole experience to several friends. Less than 6 months later a second very good friend gave me a second bottle with the caveat that I drink it a bit more slowly this time and maybe actually have three or four dram of it myself. Thank you Tom Frederick and Emmett Hossack for making a whisky lassie feel pretty special in 2019.

#3 = Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 year old, 40%ABV

Scotland, Ireland, Portugal and London...  3 weeks, one carry on case. Talk about limiting what you can buy and take home. I was adamant I was only buying ONE whisky bottle and I would wait until I went to London to get it. Glumly I walked about on that last day and found nothing that really was speaking to me. The next morning we made our way to the airport and I was almost in a foul mood about it. I had passed up so many great possibilities while I was on vacation. Now, the funny thing is I NEVER buy anything in Duty free... it's always a "meh" sort of experience for me, well not this time. I was browsing, just sort of walking around while the boy was trying gins when a young salesperson said would you like to try a Glenfiddich...  No thanks I said, I've tried most of what you have here. Have you tried the 23 year old grand cru.  No, I replied so of course he started with what I would consider the "sales pitch"...  Sounds lovely, I said politely but I can't even consider putting that much coin down without tasting something first. Well he said, and he popped the bottle open right then and there. He and I discussed whiskies for the next 30 minutes and I was fortunate to try several more lovely whiskies from Balvenie as well. I splurged...  I don't usually buy whiskies on a whim like that. I loved it. It was a really fabulous dram and the conversation with this person was beyond great as he was a bit of a whisky geek as well.  I walked onto the plane with my "Duty free" sealed bag and couldn't have been happier.  This was my "I'm worth" buying a nice whisky for $$ every once and awhile for 2019. NO REGRETS


#2 = AnCnoc 16 year old cask strength, (No idea what the ABV was)

I am not only blessed, but super fortunate to have made so many friends in the industry from around the world. One of the people I keep in touch with on a regular basis and ensure I visit just about every time I'm in Scotland is Gordon Bruce. For those of you who have no idea who that is, he is the distillery manager at Knockdhu. Another of my favorite discoveries many years ago, and also always a staple in my collection. In March of 2019, we had the fantastic opportunity to bring Gordon over to Canada to the Wonderful World of Whisky Event in Cornwall Ontario. He had never been to Canada before and I was more than excited to show him our true Canadian hospitality. Again, super fortunate to have received a small sample of an AnCnoc that wasn't on the market yet but that would be coming out for the latter part of 2019. IT WAS STUNNING...  it was one of those dream drams that you just sit with and no matter even if you tried to take notes you simply don't because it's a whisky to enjoy.  PS - I bought a full bottle of that whisky in November.  It's a keeper!

#1 - Canadian Club 42 year old Chronicles Issue 2, 45% ABV

Tish, Tish, Tish... our queen, our whisky matron, our grand dame. Last year when the 41 year old came out I thought it was good. When Celinda said: "Johanne, you can't miss Tish's class this year, she's pouring the 42 and I said to myself, it can't be as good as last year... sequels very rarely are. Well, let me eat my words. I described this one with all honesty and delight as a CANADIAN RYE BOMB...  that's a first for me. I love Canadian whisky, that's no surprise but this 42 year old had the kick and youth that I was not expecting.  Well played CC, well played! 

Nose: RYE spices, can really smell the char on the nose (surprised), with distinct butterscotch and ginger. Palate: More spices: Allspice, ground ginger, molasses cake and sweet brown sugar. Finish: Burn baby burn, but a sweet long one like drinking a spiked hot chocolate.  DELISH...  Now that is a real RYE BOMB!


Now I'm hoping that you'll note one key part of each of my top 10: They all happened either through, because, with or recommended by a friend.  When I look back I see all the wonderful people in my life and how imperative it is that whisky is shared because the experience is what is cherished, not just the liquid. 

Honourable mentions:  Chris Jones - probably the most gobsmacked I've ever been when I opened my birthday present of that Glen Keith you arranged to get for me.

Steven Alexander, that surprise Glen Grant 1963 kept me smiling for days. Thank you for sharing that with me on your birthday.

Tom Frederick, every time I see you, you hand me a whisky sample. How can I not be thankful for all the lovely stories and drams.

Amanda Caissie, you are my dearest bourbon geek and I can't tell you how many times I've appreciated sitting at my place or yours just enjoying the whiskies we've purchased and all our amazing chats. There are too many "unicorn" whiskies to mention for 2019 but the majority are due to your quests, horseshoe and passion for the lovely elixir we call whisky.

Benoit Bailey, your healthy obsession with Littlemill has been passed on to me. I love all the great samples you give me and my confession is I love drinking them in the tub (sorry for the visual lol). They are an amazing "relaxing" dram!!!  Gros merci xox

Ned Gahan, my goodness the whiskies I tried while at the Waterford distillery, STILL BAFFLES ME. (Blog to follow on this one because wow...)

And to the rest of you who I spent time with in 2019 (Way too many for me to mention) but thank you for enlightening, lifting, laughing, sharing and keeping me mostly sane...  You have no idea how much your friendships mean to me.  

May 2020 bring more drams, friendships, laughter but most of all memories that I have grown to cherish, remember and appreciate.


Cheers,

Lassie

anCnoc 16 - The enigma dram I love so....

Since I've been profiling the men of Knockdhu these past few weeks, I thought it would be nice to revisit another post I did in 2012. 

AnCnoc 16 was one of those rare finds in a little liquor store that I was elated to buy. As a matter of fact I bought the last two bottles in eastern Canada. It has since become one of the staples of my collection and I really enjoy it a lot. 

Original blog, April 2012: I spend a lot of time researching, reading and combing the liquor store product lists across Canada and the US (It's like whisky porn!?). Living in Canada sometimes has its disadvantages as far as getting to sample new products as they become available on the world market because we often seem to be about 6 months behind. Canadian importation laws still date back to 1867 it seems and we can't purchase whiskies from overseas. I am fortunate that my “day job” takes me in many directions throughout our great BIG country and so when I know I’m travelling I will really scour the websites ahead of time in the event I might get my hands on something special. 

Case in point, recently I was scheduled to go to Halifax Nova Scotia for a few days so as always I did my homework ahead of time and discovered that one liquor store had the last two bottles, east of Alberta, of AnCnoc 16 (pronounced A-nock).  That’s 5042 km (3132 miles), our country is massive!

I had never had this particular whisky so I thought heck why not!?  

The price was really good, $65/bottle or roughly £40, so I called the store, asked them to reserve both bottles for me and that I'd be picking them up next day. On time and as planned bottles in hand we head to our hotel room. I’m a true whisky geek and love to open most of my bottles right away so we had an impromptu nosing/tasting. Whisky nosing in bed! Don’t knock it, it is important to try everything, at least once I always say. We had lots of fun taking pictures and then we got down to serious business (Whisky! Get your minds out of the gutter people!). 

I have to admit writing notes on hotel stationary was hilarious but we managed to get a good nosing/tasting accomplished, no distractions, I swear! 

As always, Graham and I do not discuss anything while we are nosing/tasting. It’s completely independent of each other and mostly in silence. 

A bit about AnCnoc -> Situated in the north east corner of Scotland, in the village of Knock, Aberdeenshire. The distillery name is actually Knockdhu. Silent at times (In the 30's, World War II and then in the 80's), it was acquired by United Distillers in 1983 with production resuming in 89' under new management. Inver House was encouraged to name their malt AnCnoc, which is Gaelic for "the hill" mostly to ensure that whisky imbibers did not confuse it with another Speyside distillery: Knockando.  

So in the mid 1990's with a new name, new packaging and new expressions, AnCnoc was launched.  

It's not the traditional whisky you see in every corner bar or restaurant and I gage most people new to whiskies wouldn't have a clue it even exists. I have to say although I had read about it, I had never tasted any AnCnoc or Knockdhu's, not even at whisky events. Was it because they were not showcased or because I didn't pay attention? I'll never know. What I can say is upon having tasted it and enjoyed a few drams for the shear pleasure, I was having a hard time putting it in a category that I could clearly describe to other whisky imbibers. Is it a Speyside: By the difference in nose and then palate I would say yes. Is it a Glenlivet, Macallan or a Glenfiddich: By no means, NOT EVEN CLOSE. Is it considered a highland? If it is, then it's quite distinctive in nature there too... So, who would I recommend this to?  

Hence the enigma... Knowing someone's preferences for whiskies is a very personal thing. In our whisky society there are 40 members, most of which I could probably guestimate where their "favorites" lie so this kooky whisky really had me stumped because of all the people I currently know that really love to drink whiskies there were only three I could think of that I thought might try this whisky and love it. And that's when the realization hit me: Maybe there is no true definition for this one? Maybe it's simply one of those whiskies that I could recommend based on the fact that it's meant to make people think out of the proverbial Speyside box? I know I certainly did for the better part of three or four days mulling it about in my head. 

So there, this is what AnCnoc 16 is: It's the whisky that simply seems to march to its own drum.  It makes you think and feel like you are tasting something quite different from the typical Speysides. I like that! 

If you are looking to go on a small whisky adventure and treat yourself to something completely different, I think you will find AnCnoc 16 will deliver and satisfy that itch.   

  

AnCnoc 16, 46%AVB, Non-chill filtered and no color added.  

Color: Pale yellow, like a lager beer. Legs are plentiful, very close together and stringy. Slightly viscous, runs slowly.

Nose: LARGE vanilla, clean "green fruit" like pears, green grapes. Oak, being outdoors like in a meadow. Very aromatic.  Sweet smell of summer, really.

Palate: Took time to coax the flavors out but once I did more pears, pungent spicy and a hint of plasticine (I must have eaten playdoh as a child?). Once I added water I got the flavor of delicious creamy lemon pudding. Very rich with a mouthwatering effect.  

Finish: Fairly long with more vanilla, clean cereal followed by spice.  

Empty glass: Now I can really smell the bourbon influence, still very aromatic and sweet.

I'd rate this quite highly as an affordable whisky that I would recommend or share with friends. ere's to thinking outside the box and enigmas!

Happy on the whisky trail!

Johanne

The people of Knockdhu - Part 2

The "Knock" - courtesy of Dramming.com

My friend Oliver Klimek visited the lovely distillery of Knockdhu in 2011 and wrote this great little article: 

http://www.dramming.com/2011/05/21/dramming-in-scotland-10-knockdhu/

It certainly wasn't as a result oh him writing the piece that put these whiskies on my radar, but once I found them I did scour the websites to see what other people had written. 

I love the fact that this distillery is one of the smallest in Scotland and as mentioned in Part 1, there is no automation. For me it represents a very tight knit group of people who work together closely in the creation of a great whisky. What else could better defines my lovely whisky fabric. 

Ladies & Gents, we continue with Part 2 which is a short profile of: Alastair Legge.

Alastair arriving in style

Alastair, Ali for short, was born in August 1972 and is another of the shift supervisors at the distillery. He along with his brother Fraser who also works at Knockdhu (we will get to him later) were born and raised on the neighbouring farm. Literally "home grown" you could say. Ali started working at the distillery in January of 2007, also coming from a mechanical background (time served motor mechanic) like Alex from part 1. 

His previous job was to maintain and keep a fleet of lorries on the road for a local haulage company. He is married with two kids of their own but he and his wife Jane have also been fostering children for a few years now. Alistair interests are his American cars which he has 3 or 4 of and his dogs. Nine Australian Cattle dogs to be precise which he also breeds. In July of this year he had two litters of six pups each which means 12 little fur balls were terrorising all the big dogs!  

 Ali is a very handy lad to have around since his extensive knowledge of mechanics and welding are a tremendous asset.  

This year, Knockdhu only shut down in July for three weeks. They call it their silent season and it's when the essential maintenance or upgrades get done to the plant not to mention it is when the guys get a well earned holiday. Other than stopping for two more days at Christmas and New Year the distillery is producing AnCnoc for 49 weeks of the year and making 1.8 million litres which is a fair bit more than the 450,000 they made back in 1989 when they reopened. 

So that was shift supervisor #2, stay tuned for the rest of the series in the next few weeks.  

Always learning, always having fun!

Johanne

The people of Knockdhu - Part 1

Knockdhu circa 1959

Very recently I was at a whisky supper with friends where many great discussions took place. One of which dealt with "who" makes the whiskies we drink. As many know, whisky has been made for hundreds of years and the process, albeit much more modernized these days, is still the same. We talked about the fact that a few of the "next generation" whisky makers are coming to the table equipped with degrees or doctorates in chemistry, etc.. However there is a heart and soul at distilleries and it isn't just ONE person who makes the whiskies. It is still created by 1 part alchemy, 1 part magic and 1 part luck, well at least in some of our opinions anyway. Whisky is not an exact science, it truly is a wonderment of checks/balances, and surprises at times. 

Recently Chip Tate from Balcones created a whisky called Brimstone Resurrection and I quote Chip in a blog from www.Smokybeast.com: "in the case of this one barrel, we messed up. We burnt the corn to the bottom of the still while distilling it. Badly burnt it ... very badly ... hammer and chisels badly... I couldn't just throw it out so I put it aside. The result is a wonderfully powerful and subtle Brimstone whisky. Sun grown corn, then roasted, burned, twice boiled and then "raised up" in a heavily charred barrel to be released as Brimstone Resurrection!"

People make whiskies, even if using modern machines with bells and whistles.  People... So when I contacted a few distilleries to see if I could do an exposé on what makes them "tick", Alasdair Reid from Knockdhu gladly started sending me biographies, photos and lovely stories of the people that work there. For those of you who don't know it's where one of my favorite scotches comes from: AnCnoc.  www.ancnoc.com  

This week I will be presenting you with one of the six shift operators who works there: Mr. Alex Elrick.

POSING FOR THE CAMERA...

Alex is the most recent addition to the Knockdhu team and is also the youngest by far, having turned twenty five in August. (Just a pup!)

His interests outside the distillery are his car, the gym and on weekends off going out with his mates in his hometown of Huntly looking for that special young lady (He’s single at the moment!)

Alex started at Knockdhu in July 2011, coming from a mechanical background (time served motor mechanic) which can come in handy at the distillery when things go wrong. After a few couple of weeks of training from the other guys he was soon flying solo. 

At Knockdhu each operator works single man shifts so that means they are responsible for all aspects of the production of the whisky from: Taking delivery of the malt at one end through the process of grinding, mashing, distilling and all the way to filling casks at the other. AND to some people's surprise this is all still done manually, no computers!  

Right, confession time, when I said no computers that’s not strictly true as they did invest in a new fangled computer thingy to help the lads out a wee bit:

This is the distillery computer :)

Each shift operator also keeps the place clean and polished. Its quite a busy shift with all this going on.

So to sum Alex up: He is young, free and single and the rest of the Knockdhu employees are quite jealous!!!

Thanks to Alex, Alasdair and Knockdhu for allowing me the opportunity to showcase the hands/hearts and souls of this lovely distillery.   

KNOCKDHU TODAY...

I plan on visiting when I head over to Scotland in 2014. I very much look forward to a tour and meeting all of them. Stay tuned in the next few weeks for more of this series. I look forward to presenting them all, one by one to you...

UP YOUR BOTTOM!

Lassie