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 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 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 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

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

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

And welcome to day 12! Gerston from the Lost Distillery Company

Day 12 and we awaken to the news that 15-20cm of snow is coming today. Schools are closed but of course we have to go to work. Down the basement stairs I creep in the darkness as I have done many times before since starting this great little advent calendar adventure. I flick on a light and in the glow of the warm light I find the door I have been waiting for. The reveal, a whisky I have had before and enjoyed: Gerston from the Lost Distillery Company. Now I'll admit here and now that when I first heard about this company, I sort of rolled my eyes. I seemed a little kitschy and I made the mistake of listening to a few people on social media. Many people made it sound like they were making whisky from old and lost distilleries, however if you go to the website: www.lost-distillery.com, you can read for yourself that they are upfront about what exactly they have available as whiskies. 

I like what Secret Spirits has placed in the advent calendar as well for all the independent bottlers: A brief explanation of what each company is all about. It's another great feature of this gift, especially for people who may not have any experience or heard of these companies or whiskies before.

So back to the 15-20cm we were supposed to get -> It came... quickly. We were sent home by 2:30pm but by the time I was able to actually make it back to the house it was closer to 4:30pm. For those of you who don't live in this type of climate, sometimes the snowfall is fast, slick and visibility goes down to zero in a heartbeat. Once we had supper and dishes out of the way I was finally able to sit down with my dram. And where did the Lassie sit... in the window, in her favourite arm chair. (Gotta love tradition)...

The Lost Distillery Company, Gerston NAS bottled at 46% ABV, Bourbon casks

Colour: High noon sunlight when I'm on my boat ;)

Nose: Welsh's white grape juice but with a nice "boozy" back drop. Once it has sat in the glass, I sort of get fresh rosemary or maybe rubbed thyme. It goes back and forth between sweet and savoury.

Palate: This has a bit of a briny and smoky character to it, almost like a really soft but younger unpeated Caol Ila maybe. It's almost "refreshing"...

Finish: Sweet with a hint of hot, like ginger root and then the chocolate or roasted cocoa hits you. Lingers... 

This is yet another great example of a balanced and very enjoyable dram. It was another, sit, sip, savour and take my time whisky. My list of whiskies I would buy from this advent calendar seems to get a bit longer with every passing day. I think what I enjoyed most about this was the nose. It drew me into the glass and was quite enticing. Everything else, was the cherry on the cake.

Feel free to see what Jonathan thought of this dram by checking out his review at www.singlemalting.com

Are we due for another lovely dram or is tomorrow going to be unlucky thirteen? Stay tuned to find out...

Until then, I'll just sit here in my armchair, turn the lights off, finish my dram as I watch the snow swirl around outside.

Cheers lovely #whiskyfabric

Lassie

Day 11, peat, Peat, PEEEEEAT!

It's been starting to get a bit colder here in Eastern Canada and honestly I wasn't paying attention too much to the rest of the world from a weather perspective. I was advised that western Canada, particularly Alberta was under a cold snap. That means the temperature dipping down into the -30's Celsius. So when Jonathan offered to hold a live tasting by fire side, my emphatic answer was: YES!!! I'M IN.

Had I known that today's dram was called Kiln Embers, I may have begged Jonathan to wait until we got to this one instead. As mentioned on day 2, Wemyss Malts is easily one of my top 3 independent bottlers. They always have some really interesting drams and I have several bottles in my personal collection. This morning, that's what I discovered behind door 11... A dram I had seen and heard many people talking about earlier this year. They already have a peated expression on the market called Peat Chimney, which many people including myself really enjoy. So, I was perplexed to see a second peated expression being released and even more curious to get to try it for myself. Once again I tip my hat to Jonathan for getting this one for the advent calendar.

Today, unfortunately was a super busy day. It's that time of year and we have many commitments to visit with friends, attend parties, etc.. My goal was to get up around 7:00am and get as much done before our noon destination. That... didn't happen and I spent most of the day running behind. My poor little advent calendar sat silently in the basement, I'm sure thinking to itself that I had abandoned it. hehehe

When we finally did get home many hours later, I got into my pj's and I aimed for my lovely and very comfortable arm chair. I snuggled in with a warm blanket and prepared myself for my treat! Once poured I began to nose it immediately. I can see why they chose to call this one Kiln Embers. I am transported back to the Port Ellen Maltings on Islay.  It's not a smell you can ever forget!

This is another dram I could easily find myself lost in for hours if I let myself. So, after a long day I decided I would do just that. 

Wemyss Malts Kiln Embers, 46% ABV blended malt

Colour: Lovely 14K gold, plain and simple

Nose: A fireplace just as you get the fire started. Ashy, smoky goodness. Then grapefruit!

Palate: Not complicated, but bold. Lovely mouth feel. Smoky goodness followed by a salted caramel component. Lovely indeed. 

Finish:  Doesn't stick around, but it's warming and quite satisfying.

Overall this is a fabulous dram that will satisfy the most picky of "peatheads". I recall when Peat Chimney came out I thought it was good but now I will add that Peat Chimney has a big brother and he's a bit more mature!

Don't forget to check out Jonathan's take on this dram:

http://www.singlemalting.com/scotch-whisky-advent-calendar-3rd-edition-day-11-blog-145-wemyss-malts-kiln-embers-limited-edition/

I do hope full bottles are available, because I just found my 2nd favourite dram of the calendar, so far...

here's to a lovely week and another that's ready to start. Number 12, I'm ready for you!!

cheers,

Lassie