Day 25 - The grand finale Samaroli 34 year old blended scotch

"It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags!" The Grinch

As I awoke on December 25th in a hotel room far away from home (oh this could go off the rails right from the start!?) cuddled up next to Graham (Lassie redeems herself) I knew it was Christmas. The reality is, I really wasn't much in a festive mood this year at all so I was never more thankful to have it be "just another day". Graham surprised me this year with a getaway trip to Boston for a New England Patriots game. Blessed. 

The great part of the trip was seeing a few whisky friends along the way: Darren McInnis (no relation), Bob Caron and the aunts (I LOVE those ladies) and a long list of whisky discoveries thanks to Bikram Singh at Norfolk Wine and Spirits. This man appreciates the whisky geek in all of us as he simply pointed us to "the room": Try whatever you like. We bought three great bottles as a result. 

I've said it hundreds of times before, do not underestimate the power and kindness of the #whiskyfabric around us. It's magical, important, friendly and REAL. It does envelope me 365 days of the year and regardless of what some of the nay-sayers might think, for me it's better than celebrating the madness of one day we "Christians" call Christmas. 

We packed up our suitcase, our whiskies and hit the road to home. 9 hours later, we were at Graham's parents for a very late turkey dinner. I was trying desperately to simply "live in the moment" and appreciate that we were opening gifts, spending time with family but in the back of my mind I knew I had to open door 25, nose/taste the whisky and write a blog. It was almost 10:00pm when my mother in law said: "So you two spending the night?", I looked at Graham and he stared at me. "Sure", I said... and I let go of it. The whisky will simply have to wait. 

We got home at noon on boxing day. I literally just threw all of our stuff on the kitchen floor. Rushed down the stairs in my winter boots to open door 25. I knew what it was ahead of time as friends had posted in on twitter but to see the bottle with my own eyes was pretty cool. Up to the armchair for one last time, reached for a nosing glass and plopped myself down to enjoy the last dram of my amazing whisky advent calendar. I've quickly become a huge fan of Samaroli and will now actively seek out getting more of these bottles.

Samaroli 34 year old blended whisky, 40% ABV. Sherry Butt cask #18.

Color: Dark and old mahogany furniture.

Nose: Tobacco leaves, old cigar room and rich leather. A bit of unsweetened chocolate on the backdrop. Maybe a bit of Indians spices too. 

Palate: Just as complex as the nose. Star of anise, rum soaked Christmas fruit cake (with orange peel, candied cherries) and just a hint of tannic flavour reminiscent of roasted coffee beans dipped in dark chocolate.  GOOD LORD!?

Finish: Cointreau or some other orange liqueur I've tasted before. Overwhelmingly warm, satisfying orange compote with cloves. So mouthwatering, it really took me by surprise.

I sat in silence for the better part of an hour while Graham walked Miles. I looked over the last 25 days of pieces I wrote about each whisky. All so different, some very pleasing, some not so much for this Lassie. Through it all, it was one discovery after the next and the journey along the way seemed long yet at the same time short. Memories created, people remembered, moments shared, bruises (my elbow still hurts, hehe)... friendships, new whiskies, some old favourites and now it's all done. But is it, really? 

I had almost pretty much stopped blogging this past summer. With family responsibilities taking on a new role in my life, it was really hard at first to come to terms where things might be headed. When Jonathan asked me to be the guest writer this year, I was thrown for a loop but at the same time excited at the thought of writing a blog every single day. I was never short on stories or adventures (that part wasn't a surprise)... The surprise was the whiskies and how people reacted to the blog rising like a phoenix. 

Thank you, to all of you... It's been a weird sort of 2016, if not globally, for many of us who have lost someone we love, lost a job, struggled with mental illness or whatever else "we" went through. Just remember, this like the whiskies in our lives are simply moments. 

Some are fantastic, some are weird, some are duds, some are downright ugly... We, in the end survive and move along. The advent calendar may be done, but the blog will not go silent. Thank you Jonathan for entrusting me with this gift and honour. 

Oh my goodness I almost forgot Jonathan!!!

www.singlemalting.com

As 2016 comes to a close, I ponder at what lies ahead for many of us. Keep it real, love your family/friends and share your whiskies :)

Respectfully and with all my love, from the whisky armchair... I raise my glass to you all. 

Johanne

Day 24, Lassie gets two great gifts

DAY 24!!!

I found out, totally by accident when my brother in law blurted it out, that I was going to a New England Patriots game for Christmas. My heart soared. I'm not just a Patriots fan, I'm hard core. 1978 was the first year I watched a game with my friend Roger Gregoire. We left the morning of December 23rd and the game was on Christmas eve. Me, Graham and 75,000 of our closest friends :)

Welcome to day 24. Even as I sit here at the Holiday Inn near Foxborough with the dumbest smile, I'm trying as hard as I can to stay focused and actually nose/taste whisky. Pats Fan first, whisky enthusiast next, sorry....  This is my HAPPY place.  

So, there isn't going to be a long write up and there isn't going to be an introduction. Me, the whisky, my notes -> That's it for today, hehehe!

Behind door 24 is a lovely 1988 Bunnahabhain from Single Cask Nation. Let's just right in shall we cause I've got a GAME TO GET TO!!!

Single Cask Nation, 1988 Bunnahabhain 28 year old, 51.3% ABV. Refill Hogshead cask #7403.

Colour: Hard to believe this is a refill sherry cask? But then again, this advent calendar has changed my thought on what to expect for colour. It's the lightest of golds.

Nose: A waxy honeycomb (reminds me of Clynelish actually?!) It's a bit spicier though. I love that I get a complex array of aromas. After it's sat in the glass, the sweetness of butterscotch really comes out.

Palate: Just a little too strong for me, all I initially got was a very "burny" whisky. So, after a bit of water this really changes to a creamy creme caramel. Very nice indeed.

Finish: My goodness this a huge hit of LEMON! My whole mouth watered from the tartness. There is also a a bit of spice there that I often think reminds me of Chinese Five Spice. 

I took the rest of the dram to the Patriots game and let me tell you after a 41-3 win over the Jets, was even more of a fabulous whisky!!!  I LOVED, LOVED, LOOOOVED my whole day. 

Thank you Graham for being a fantastic partner. You know exactly what I need when I need it. 

Tomorrow we drive home and I can't wait to open the last day of the advent calendar!!!

Head over to see what Jonathan thought of day 24: www.singlemalting.com

Stay tuned for the LAST reveal tomorrow....  

Merry Christmas my lovely whiskyfabric friends!

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 21 Wemyss Glenrothes 27 year old!!! Need I say more?

I can't believe how quickly this has gone? When I started on day 1, it was almost a little intimidating. I have to nose/taste a whisky every day for 25 days straight, and here I am on day 21 looking at all the empty doors with only 5 left to go. It's been a fantastic adventure so far and as I poke my finger through door 21, the reveal makes me squeal with delight once more. I'm noticing that as we get closer to day 25 the drams are getting more and more special! 

Today's dram is Wemyss Glenrothes 27 year old - Marmalade appeal. With a name like that, how could my mouth not begin to water immediately. Marmalade is my favorite of all the preserves!!! I run back up the stairs, taking them two by two. (At least I'll have gotten 25 days of exercise out of all this?! hehe) I trust the bottle into Graham's face: BOUUUYAH! I announce as those I've won the lottery.  He laughs at me and reads the label. "Nice!" he says as he hands it back. I snatch it from his hands and skip (yes, I skipped) back to my arm chair. Pop that baby open and nose... nose... and sink into my chair just a little. The aromas of the whisky are simply divine.


Martine once walked us through a very interesting masterclass where all you relied upon was the nose/taste of the whisky to conjure up one image of what the whisky in your glass represents for you. As I sat there, nosing Marmalade appeal, I was suddenly brought back to an era that I did not exists in, the Victorian period and it was lovely. This whisky evoked an image of sophisticated ladies with muffles and gentlemen in top hats! 

I seriously got lost in this dram to the point that I didn't finish my coffee and Graham wandered into the living room and just stared at me: "You, errrr, going to work?". I stopped for a moment and considered it, but then how do you explain to your boss you can't come in because a whisky sidelined your whole day? :)

Once the day was done, I had a bit of a headache. Supper/dishes out of the way and I knew I had to get back to that whisky. I sat overlooking our street, all decorated for Christmas and simply smiled. It was another one of those simple but lovely moments created by whisky. It was perfect in the time and place I was at. 

Wemyss Glenrothes 27 year old, Marmalade Appeal, 46% ABV. Sherry Butt cask #5376. 

Colour: Hay bail at sunrise. 

Nose: Chocolate pot de creme with shaved orange rind. The smell captures you immediately and lulls you into the glass. Gorgeous!

Palate: Seville orange marmalade allll the way! The sweetness and tangy kick makes your saliva glands kick in immediately. Warm and rich dram.

Finish: Long and sweet! Probably the longest finish of this whole advent calendar so far. It stayed with me for the better part of 20-30 minutes. 

Some drams are lovely sipping whiskies, this one my friends, is a time traveller. It brings you back to a different time and quality of whisky that we don't see very often anymore. Jonathan, this is my favourite dram, so I hope this will be available soon in full bottle! 

If you want to read more about this lovely whisky please click here to see what Jonathan thought:  

www.singlemalting.com

In the meantime, to my friend Jacqueline who works really hard on the Wemyss team, thank you for this sublime whisky. I truly loved it for many reasons and it made me miss you all the more xoxox


Cheers for now,

Lassie

Secret Spirits Advent Calendar, Day 20 - Something special behind the door...

December 20th 2016. It's the day before the longest night of the year. I can look at this two ways, after tomorrow the days start to get long again OR... it's the beginning of winter, which around these parts means below -30C, blizzards, lots of SNOW. Hmmm, I stick with the days start to get longer and put on an extra pair of long-johns!?

I literally punched the alarm clock this morning when the radio came on at 6:15. It seems to be getting harder to wake up at this time every morning. Come on longer days!? Down the stairs I creep. I giggle as I think to myself that by the end of this advent calendar I may have well beat down a small path through the carpet to the basement! The calendar waits silently for me as it has 19 days before this. "Old friend", I say, "it's going to be hard to say goodbye in a few days"... and I punch the little door as hard as I can with my index finger. POP! Almost sounds as nice as opening a brand new bottle of whisky.

The reveal, I really special Secret Spirits exclusive: Speyside 26 year old, and my favourite type of casks these days, bourbon refill. I immediately opened the little sample bottle and poured some in my NEAT glass. Immediate and irrevocable: Sticky Toffee Pudding with a butterscotch sauce. My eyes shoot open and I run upstairs as quickly as my feet will carry me. Graham totally missed the alarm and is still in bed. I give him gentle "nudge", well he would like describe it as a push ;) and I say, you have to smell this. In his stupor all he can muster is to stare at me, blinking profusely.

Coffee, discussion, ready for work. I spent all day thinking about the dram. Don't you love that whisky can do that?! Back home, made supper, stepped out for a meeting... tic toc, tic toc! Come on, I've got a dram waiting for me!!! Boots kicked off at the door, straight to armchair and pour my dram, finally. Ahhhhhhh.... and RE-LAX.

Secret Spirits Speyside 26 year old, 55.9% ABV, Cask #5575 Refill Bourbon

Colour: Old yellow gold

Nose: The sticky toffee pudding with a butterscotch sauce is still there. Simply lovely.

Palate: A bit high test (burning...) so a few drops of water and boom: The spices that go into a beef pho: Cardamom, anise seed, ginger, cloves... It's a really deep and rich spiciness. Very satisfying.

Finish: Still quite sweet, especially after the water. It's got a bit of kick too, fresh grated ginger. Slightly lemony!

I really do like this dram. Another well balanced, tasty from start to finish dram. Even after I finished the dram, I just sat in my chair nosing my empty glass. I saved some of it for Graham, because it's important to share ;)

If you want to see what our jet setting friend (he's off to Australia right now) thinks....

www.singlemalting.com

With 6 days left, I'm almost worried what is to come!? That... or I need to start saving some money so that I can get a few more bottles!  

See you tomorrow... same channel, different whisky!

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 

Day 18 - Another peated whisky perfect for the day at hand

Yesterday we were supposed to get about 2-5cm of snow, but low and behold the storm must have been slightly off-track and we got 15-20cm instead. We are used that part so we weren't overly worried until we woke up this morning to freezing rain that quickly turned into heavy rain. So we've gone from -36C to 11C in less than 48 hours. Many people had pipes freeze, basements start to flood and the streets were a terrible mess as well. It was a good day to just stay home, put in an old movie and relax on the couch.

About half way through the movie, we paused so that Graham could get a ham ready for the oven (YUM) and I, well I went to my advent calendar. Yup, it was that kind of lazy day... I poked through the little door and pulled out Croftengea 11 year old by AD Rattray. "Wait a second?" I thought, "didn't we already have one of these in the advent calendar?" Sure enough on day 9 we did try a different independent bottling from Single Cask Nation. Oh Jonathan, you sly dog you, what a great idea. I wish I had kept some from that day to do a head to head against this one. 

As I rounded the stairs, Graham was just putting on the finishing touches to supper and I put the little bottle in front of him. He smiled as he unscrewed the cap and took a little sip. Oh, that's the perfect dram for this afternoon he said as he handed me back the bottle. I immediately went to get a Glencairn and poured myself a healthy dram. I sat myself down in the big armchair and wrapped myself in my fleecy blanket. 

AD Rattray Loch Lomond Croftengea 11 year old, 58.9% ABV, Sherry cask #321.

Colour: Light yellow, really light!

Nose: This is really meaty. Smells like a T-bone steak cooking on a charcoal fire BBQ. It's huge and quite bold!

Palate: This is just a bit too high test for me as all I taste is burning. I added a little water and it rounded out one of my favourite desserts: A Tortuga rum cake. It's dark, sweet and rich. Hints of molasses, demerera sugar and Caribbean influence.

Finish: Exhaling a cigar. Smoky, slightly ashy even but a with pink grapefruit pith after taste.

I went back and read my notes from day 9 and they were somewhat similar in nature. 

This leads me to believe that the house profile of the whisky is obviously coming through on both samples. That's a good thing in my opinion. Graham was right. This damp, cold and lazy Sunday needed a dram that would warm me to the bone and envelope me in sweet smoky goodness. This is exactly what day 18 did. There was only one small downside. I enjoyed the dram so much, I didn't save any for Graham. Oooops... sorry love!?

Take a peak at Jonathan's review by clicking here:

www.singlemalting.com

Moving on to day 19... I look forward to tomorrow's delight with excitement and a bit of sadness. Only 7 more whiskies left but I have a sneaking suspicion Day 25 will make up for it.  Stay tuned, I know I will...

Cheers,

Lassie

Day 17...I bet your advent calendar isn't as good as mine!! Invergordon 26 year old

What a little stinker I am sometimes and I've often been called cheeky too! What can I say, it's simply in my nature sometimes to engage mouth while brain is not in gear...  This was not the case this morning while having a conversation on Facebook messenger at 7:15am. I had made my cup of coffee and I was surfing social media, just checking out stuff when a message popped up in messenger from a "follower" asking me if I had opened door 17 year. I replied with "two shakes, I'll go do that now" and proceeded to run down the stairs. Another fab discovery: Wemyss Malts, 26 year old Invergordon. When I got back to my computer I announced with an exclamation mark what I had found. Things... took a turn for the worse almost from the get go. Whomever this person was proceeded to argue with me that Wemyss wasn't a distillery to which I explained how they were a great independent bottler. 

Poor soul tried to teach me about whisky a little and I listened but continued to point him to authors, websites and other factual information that would help him learn a little better. You would think he would get exasperated, but nope, he must have been in the mood to simply argue with someone, why me though is beyond my comprehension? "I have an advent calendar too you know", he typed. "Oh", I replied, "That's awesome". There was a 5 minute pause so I assumed he had grown tired of the conversation. I say nothing else and another message pops up: "Yours is really crappy". So I tell him, like whisky, that is a subjective opinion and thank him for the morning conversation. END of discussion... and on to other more important things. Way to go Lassie!!!  

Whisky, for some, seems to be about upmanship and bragging rights but for me it's a journey that I've chosen to share with as many like minded people as possible. The conversation only reinforces how lucky I am to have an open mind, appreciate all the mentors and friends I've had a long my way and to truly appreciate the whiskies that I get to enjoy.  Here's to your own whisky journey, wherever it may be for you.

Wemyss Malts Applewood Bake, Invergordon 26 year old. 46% ABV, Cask Type - Butt, cask #86239

Colour: The last of the summer hay

Nose: Upside down apple french toast with powdered vanilla sugar. Scrumptious indeed

Palate: Some sort of baked apple concoction that has custard (I can see it in my head!!) Sweet, tart and rich!

Finish: A bit of a eucalyptus or minty finish. It's fresh but doesn't linger for long.

I have to say from the time I was introduced to Wemyss in 2013 I have enjoyed many, MANY of their releases. They have a fantastic nosing/tasting panel that really get the whiskies and give them fantastic names. Every trip to Scotland has involved buying 2 if not 3 bottles from this independent bottler. Simply fab and Jonathan, I can't tell you how thankful I am to get to try some of these in the advent calendar.

And speaking of Jonathan...  what did he think of today's dram:  www.singlemalting.com

I said yesterday that this could end up being an expensive Christmas... I think I just found the second full bottle I would really love "Jonathan Santa"... I WANT THIS ONE PLEASE!

To the rest of you, I hope you are enjoying whatever dram you love and that you are sharing them with the people you love.  Cheers from a snowy Saint John NB...  Happy day 17!

Lassie

Day 16, Ball clacking cold with just the right remedy - Samaroli Islay Whisky

You know... I often talk about the fact that Canadians are used to experiencing the four seasons. Well, this morning the first thing I heard on the radio was that we were going to break the record that was set in 1970 for coldest December 16th ever. It was -36C this morning with the wind chill. That meant, advisories to keep your skin covered, for the homeless to try and find shelter, to not leave your pets out. Graham calls it: "Ball clacking cold"...  

The second clue that it was really, really ^#$%!{^# cold outside was that my dog, a Bernese mountain dog, bred to pull carts in deep snow in Switzerland refused to go outside to do his business. But the grand finale was when my friend Chris London posted the weather warning on our local weather network website:

Yah... you see correctly, that does say a Moose-licking warning issued in this Canadian province.

Needless to say, I got out my winter layers: Long johns, wool socks, -60C rated boots, scarf, mittens, etc... girl's gotta be ready for the worst!? Once I was done prepping, I went down to the basement to quickly open my little door, today is #16. And like some magical or perfect coincidence, low and behold the PERFECT whisky for this type of bone chilling weather: A Samaroli (another one!!) Islay blended 8 year old. Cap off immediately, nose and just a small nip. After all, a little fortification on this type of day is clearly needed. READY for work!!! 

Long day and by the time I actually made it home, I was thankful the week was over. This whisky was going to be a well deserved dram! Hello armchair and ahhhhhhhhh....

Samaroli Islay 8 year old, 43% ABV Cask #1883, Refill Hogshead.

Colour: White grape juice (another -> Barely any colour).

Nose: Wet slate, PVC piping washed with hospital disinfectant!!

Palate: Oily, ashy peat (partly burnt wood in the fireplace), white grapefruit rind.

Finish: Peated yummy goodness that had a nice warming effect.

From a peathead's perspective this is a young brash but well balanced dram. It's got some bite and it is very satisfying as far as Islay whiskies go. Another clear winner of the advent calendar. Let's take a peak at what Jonathan thought:

www.singlemalting.com


If this is something you think you might like, Jonathan may be able to find you one, just maybe!

Well, I'm hoping warmer weather is coming but for the time being.... this will stay out for a few days just in case!


Cheers,

Johanne

Aye rrrrrrrrrroll on MacDuff, Day 15 of the Secret Spirits Advent Calendar

"Bring thou this fiend of Scotland and myself. Within my sword's length set him", Macduff in Shakespeare's Macbeth.

I always think of Macbeth when I see anything from the MacDuff distillery. So as I bounded back up the stairs this morning with sample bottle in hand, it apparently did not amuse Graham that I was jabbing him in the ribs with my "pretend" sword, totally bastardizing the English language and quoting this line from the play. Sheeeesh... some people don't have a sense of humour at 6:20am on a random Thursday!? Aye.... but it's not a random Thursday, it's day 15 and sure enough my dram today is from the Malt Whisky Co... a MacDuff 16 year old. 

I've had this whisky a few times but what I didn't remember and Graham reminded me this afternoon is that one of my other discoveries for 2016 (great bang for your buck whisky) that is made by MacDuff is the Deveron 12 that I received as a gift twice this year!! 

I poured a little in my NEAT glass and proceeded to nose and take a very small sip. This is clearly some high strength stuff. I was a bit surprised as it took my breath away. Mental note: Remember to add water later when I get home, check! What followed was the same routine for the last week: Go to work, put out fires (and no I'm not a firefighter), train new staff, forget to eat at break and feel like my brain is pudding by the time 5:00pm rolls around. Today, however, I felt like there was an end to the long tunnel, as tomorrow is the weekend....

Home again, home again, kick the shoes off, get into comfy clothes and put my feet up in my lovely armchair! Whisky in glass, notes are taken and I hurry up to get our supper started. Satiated with homemade chicken noodle soup and a thick grill cheese sandwich, I happily sit down in my corner once more to simply STOP... If anything I have to say this advent calendar has given me that freedom every day and it's lovely to just sit, relax and enjoy a nice dram.

The Malt Whisky Co. MacDuff 16 year old, 54.9% ABV, refill Hogshead cask #500720

Colour: Noticing a trend here with all of these "natural" whiskies, not much colour. This is a lovely white gold

Nose: White Stilton cheese with mango and ginger! (Yes there is such a cheese on the market). It's slightly salty, spicy and fruity. Quite nice really.

Palate: There is a recipe I make that is called puffed pancake with an orange sauce. It's rich and is sweet but tangy. Delish!

Finish: I think this has the longest finish of all the whiskies so far. Sweet, slightly hot... Reminds me of hot cinnamon candies and it really stays with you for quite some time.

Another cracker of a dram if I do say so myself. I really enjoyed this one. As always I urge you to see what Jonathan thought of today's dram by checking out: 

www.singlemalting.com

If you like the sounds of how this nosed/tasted... you might want to contact Jonathan to see if this is coming to Canada. 

With only 10 days left, it's hard to imagine what might be left in the calendar but my level of excitement grows as we get closer to the final dram on the 25th. I've had hints it's an amazing, once in a lifetime, unicorn whisky!!

Now... if you'll excuse me, Benoit I've done my good deed for today. I finished my dram, my blog and now I get to put my feet up and read my latest edition of Distilled Magazine which just arrived!

Cheers all...

Lassie

Day 14 Secret Spirits Advent Calendar continues to impress!

Day 14 dawns and I'm almost bittersweet as I creep down the dark stairwell. Is it selfish of me to feel like the end is near? After all I only have 12 days left of this lovely advent calendar. I truly have enjoyed the adventure so far and writing about the whisky behind the little door everyday has been really nice as well. I had a friend say to me yesterday: "Are you not scared you will run out of things to say?" ME?? Run out of things to say? Errrr, I don't think that has ever happened or ever will ;)

The truth of the matter is having this advent calendar is sort of like being on vacation at Disney World. You get up every day excited, discover new things, enjoy the experience, tell everybody how much fun you are having and then you go to bed super happy knowing you get up the next morning and do it all over again but in a different way! 

I flipped on the basement light and pull open the two large doors. They glide effortlessly across the top of the piano to reveal what is left to my advent calendar. I have to admit it's starting to look a little like swiss cheese!? Day 14 pops out easily and out comes the little sample bottle. Ohhh, another one from Ainneamh. This one is a Speyside 18 year old unlike what was behind door 6:

http://whiskylassie.blogspot.ca/2016/12/day-6-another-independent-bottler.html

I didn't even wait to make it back to the bedroom. I twisted the top off and starting nosing the sample bottle as I walked back up the stairs. Of course my lovely fiance was already in the kitchen making coffee and he looks over as I am deep in thought. "Would the Lassie like a Glencairn?" he says as he shakes his head. "Sure!", I answer very enthusiastically. This morning, I decide to sit at our kitchen table and actually make a few notes.  Graham arrives with my Glencairn as I'm grabbing my whisky journal and a pen. "Does it seem bizarre to see me sitting here in my robe at 6:30 nosing whisky?" I ask. He hands me my coffee. "No more bizarre than the other 6,326 ways I've seen you nose it. 

He left me sitting there, almost sensing that maybe I needed a little alone time. Was sort of nice actually. The whisky was quite lively in the glass or maybe it was the fact that my nose felt fresh and ready, either way... it was nice to simply take a few moments to let the ideas flow and trust my nose. Work... train employees, keep the place from burning down, remember to eat, play nice, and then watch the clock tick down to 5:00pm!

Graham announces he's not feeling well and realized he has caught the really nasty cold that is going around. (Great...!) but I go into high gear, make us a szechuan stir fry and we sit, stop and enjoy. It was hot, spicy but just what we both needed. I suddenly remembered my sample and jumped up from the couch. 

Ainneahm Speyside 18 year old, 54.7% ABV. Refill hogshead, cask 14432.

Colour: Another light, sunny whisky. It's almost translucent.

Nose: Another delicate whisky and you really have to work to find the aromas on this one. It's rich in cereal, but like oatcakes. It's not overly sweet but much more on the "yeasty" side, so maybe I would describe it as doughy. 

Palate: Here is where the sweetness comes, it's lemon meringue pie on a graham cracker crumb crust! Simply divine.

Finish: There's a clean, crisp feeling about this one. It doesn't necessary linger but leaves a feeling of having freshly brushed your teeth.

From start to finish this whisky was ever so pleasing. I love the way it was a little shy on the nose and then the palate hit me like one of my favourite desserts!! Another stunning choice for this advent calendar.

As always if you want to see what Jonathan thought, check out his blog at:  www.singlemalting.com

With 11 days left, it's hard to imagine what is left to come, but I'm sticking around to find out.  Ruaidh, my lovely cat seems to want to as well!  


Cheers,

Lassie

Advent Calendar - Day 13, slightly X-rated if bathtubs are not your thing?!

Of all mornings, today I decided to see if Graham wanted to be the one to open the advent door. It's important to share your whiskies with the people you love. So, he jumped out of bed and made his way to the whisky advent calendar. All the way from our bedroom, I heard him exclaim: "Holy crap Jo! Wait until you see this one!!". Graham came up the stairs but he stopped in the kitchen. He kept saying over and over again how surprised I was going to be. I simply couldn't wait so I got my slippers on and literally ran to the kitchen. When I arrived he made it look like he was pouring the dram into his coffee. I almost shrieked!? It was only 6:20am on a Tuesday after all, and hell I'm supposed to review this?!!  hehe

With morning coffee in hand we both made it back to our warm bed. I asked if I could actually see the sample (as I still had no idea what it was at that point) and so he opened it, took a sniff and a quick little nip. Hmmmmmm, he murmured with a smile. I hit his arm: "Come on, no fair, what is it!!", I whined. He laughed at me but handed me the little bottle. Day 13... AD Rattray Auchroisk 25 year old. My eyes almost popped out of my head. I also opened the little sample, nosed it briefly and dipped my finger into the whisky. Agreed = Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Coffee done, off to work and trained my new staff. Exhausted when I walked through the door, I went straight to the bathroom and poured myself a hot bath. I reached for my day 13 sample, my NEAT glass and settled into the enveloping warmth and comfort of my bath. 

This may sound like a strange thing to describe, but for me the tub is a fantastic way to unwind, relax and often this is where I experience some of my whiskies in the best of ways. I think it's because I create an environment that is calm, somewhat dark and for me I believe this enhances my sense of smell. I am able to really concentrate, I guess? No matter, it's a fabulous way for this Lassie to leave the work day behind, enjoy a dram and relax. So, it's where I enjoyed day 13. Mind you, I've learned from this experience that I shouldn't try to make my notes, well at least not in pen... :)

A.D. Rattray 1991 Auchroisk (pronounced Aw-Thrusk), 25 year old, bottled at 53% ABV. Bourbon cask #7531

Colour: Brand new gold, deep yellow indeed.

Nose: Crisp autumn apples or maybe it's more about being in the orchard when the sun starts to warm everything. It's floral, "meadow like".

Palate: Lovely fresh fruit sweetness, a bit "dusty" from a cereal perspective. That's hard to explain in you have never experienced it. It's like tasting the air in a barn when you are haying. With water this turned into a creamy custard with hints of white spices like ground ginger.

Finish: It's quite "zippy", it's sweet but has a bit of a refreshing minty or eucalyptus finish. Quite lovely.

I've had the chance to try a few whiskies from this distillery but never one that so well represented a bourbon cask maturation such as this one. 

Honestly, I made myself a promise to finish all of my samples or share them with Graham. This little whisky is the exception. I think I'm going to hang on to just a little bit so that someone else, who I think might appreciate it, can try it to. 

Jonathan, you sir, have a knack for picking some really stellar off the beat and path whiskies that are truly a once in a lifetime experience. Once again, I raise my rubber duck (cause I don't wear a cap in the tub), hehe....

And speaking of the people who brought us this great advent calendar, check out Jonathan's review at:

www.singlemalting.com

On the flip side of 13... we are now working our way down to the last 12... I will do my best to not be sad ;)

Cheers,

Lassie