Lassie's top 12 countdown for 2016 - Moving along to number 6!

When I was asked to be the guest writer for the Secret Spirits Advent Calendar this year, I was quite excited. I wasn't necessarily worried but hoped "life" wouldn't get too much in the way and that I'd be able to write, review and post every day for 25 days. Other than one small technical glitch, I was successful. 

I did a bit of research and looked at the previous years for this particular advent calendar. My initial thought was: "Wow, if it's half as good as year 1 or 2, man I'm in for a treat". Sure enough, the whiskies did not disappoint. My only dilemma - > WHAT whiskies do I want to try and buy!? I have no self control when it comes to these things sometimes. ;)

So, I narrowed it down to 3...

Whisky #6 on my countdown is quite a memorable one indeed for a few reasons. A) It was really a great dram, B) It's one of those rare whiskies that many people have yet to try and C) I had the chance to visit the distillery last spring (it's not usually open to the public). Maybe it's just me, but once I've visited a distillery it makes the whisky all the more special, in most cases (except for Penderyn, hehe but that's a whole other story). 

What's interesting with regards to this distillery visit was that I had the opportunity to walk around with Ian Logan (International Brand Ambassador Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard) which, that in itself was a huge honour as there are not many of these great experienced ambassadors left in the industry. He and I had a really great conversation about the fact that things are changing so quickly in the industry right now. The people coming in are team leaders or process managers. They get shifted around to many different distilleries so that they can learn all aspects of the companies, etc...  Not to say this is a bad thing by any mean because it does make for a more rounded distillery manager down the line. The people that are retiring right now have a wealth of knowledge and stories that will soon be lost. It made me consider writing a book of some sort, but I haven't quite put my finger on what exactly I want to write about. I'll take 2017 to ponder that a bit and come up with a few ideas for sure!

So back to the whisky you ask.. what is number 6?!

It was the Samaroli Allt a Bhainne 8 year old:

http://whiskylassie.blogspot.ca/2016/12/day-7-luckiest-of-days-so-far.html


I very much look forward to getting a bottle of this whisky and sharing it with as many friends as possible. It's a fantastic whisky.

Thanks to Jonathan for introducing to Samaroli's and an even bigger thanks to Ian for being a wealth of knowledge and making that day in Speyside a very memorable one indeed.  Cheers gentlemen!

Lassie

Lassie's Top 12 countdown for 2016 - Benromach 35 rounds out spot #10

Benromach has quickly made a name for itself. Their whiskies have developed a reputation as well as huge following in the very short time they have been on the market. I've had several of their different bottlings and always have at least 3 of them as staples in our collection: Benromach 10, 15 and Peat Smoke. 

As part of my trip to Scotland in 2016, I went to the Spirit of Speyside Festival. If you've never been: A) What are you waiting for? B) It's a MUST do for any whisky enthusiasts bucket list. Seriously! Take a look at their website: www.spiritofspeyside.com if you don't believe me.

One of the highlights of the festival for me this year was attending an evening at Benromach on April 29th. It was an intimate evening with some of the stillmen that laid some of the last casks in the 80's such as Willie McArthur and Tom Anderson, as well as the current distillery manager Keith Cruickshank and a few other very distinguished guests. We listened to stories of old as well as new and then went for a walk through the distillery. 

I watched Willie and Tom as they walked through, pointing out where certain areas had changed drastically. The distillery seem to come alive as Tom told us about the days when they were all younger men working there. 

Tom, me and Willie after the grand tour - honoured

Tom continued to regal us with touching stories of their camaraderie and friendships through the entire tour. They were truly like a band of brothers. At the end of the grand tour we went down to the filing station area and the gentlemen were each presented with a bottle of the Benromach 35 year old. A bottle was opened, drams were poured and we all toasted the stillmen of yesteryear. The evening was quite special indeed.

Now I reviewed this dram back in February of 2016. The dram is a very special one indeed. My review is here in the event you want the official nosing/tasting notes.  

http://whiskylassie.blogspot.ca/2016/04/benromach-35-delivers-more-than-just.html

I will forever remember the dram, the opportunity to meet Willie and Tom and the many sensory experiences and memories that are all linked together as a result. Benromach 35 easily makes the top 10 of this Lassie's 2016 list of most memorable drams.

Here's to the people we love and the drams that are truly special.


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

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 8... Glenrothes 8 year old - the Monty Python dram...

I think I may have jinxed myself yesterday as I proudly proclaimed these drams were getting better with every day?! Today, Day 8... I woke up and was thankful my work week is almost done!  It's been a very busy couple of weeks and there's no stopping the schedule!  Slippers snug on my feet and I began the daily ritual of running, well carefully walking to the whisky room since the "elbow incident".  Lights flicker and the majesty of the large box is there to greet me and start my day. Poking through the little door that has the number 8 on it, I reach in and pull out: Glenrothes 8 year old from the Malt Whisky Company. I look at the small print, 64.2% ABV...  I literally did a double take?! This is the true meaning of cask strength... 

Back up the stairs I bound, my lovely partner is in the kitchen making our coffee. I say: "Guess what whisky I have this morning!?". He looks over at me, not as exuberant as me apparently, and shrugs. "I", I say with much grandeur, "have a Glenrothes at 64.2% today!". Graham holds out his hand as though to say Hand it over lady... This is another of his go to whiskies, especially the independent bottlings. He opens the little bottle and takes a whiff. "Interesting", he says as he then takes a quick sip, "this is very familiar but I can't put my finger on it". I also nose and give the whisky a quick taste. I, unfortunately, find the high strength overwhelming. So, I grab my neat glass and add a dollop of water and a bit more whisky. I give a few minutes and nose/taste it again. Still not "there" for me, but I can't really describe what it is about this dram I'm not liking.

And just like that... it's time to get to work. I spend my day working away like a crazy woman as we are in our very busy time right now. By the 5:00pm whistle, I am gutted. Mentally, my brain feels a bit like a bowl of cold oatmeal. We arrive home and I instantly remember how bizarre this little dram was. I didn't even take my coat off (hehe) and walked right over to the table where I had left it earlier in the day. My lovely arm chair beckons and I instinctively plop myself down with glass in hand.

Try as I might, the strength is simply too much for my nose, so I add water. I decide to let it sit for a minute and I go take my coat and shoes off, etc. When I get back and put my nose in my glass again, it hits me like a brick in the forehead: Marmite!?

Now... if you've never experienced Marmite, it's truly a love/hate relationship. You either love it or hate it. I, am of the "strongly dislikes" and avoids at all cost side of the yellow cap!!! So now, as I sit there with a glass full of Marmite, I've intellectually doomed the whisky. I've "thought" it out and I will NOT LIKE this, no matter what... It's almost painful as my gag reflex starts kicking in even before I have lifted the glass to my mouth. But hey, I'm a trooper and I begin to justify that I have a job to do here and MUST, for the sake of the #whiskyfabric, drink and make notes about this whisky! (Oh, the sacrifices one must subject herself to!?, hehehe)


Graham pokes his head into the living room and sees my facial expression as I stare through the glass. "What's wrong?", he asks. "Marmite", I state emphatically. He walks over to me and takes the glass from my hand. "Remarkable", he replies as he noses it from all angles. "Not really" I say as I scrunch up my face. He takes another sip. It's stellar on the palate Jo he says with a sly smile. Great... now I really have to try it, as I can't pass up a stellar palate can I??


So here goes:

Malt Whisky Company, Glenrothes 8 year old, 64.2% ABV Refill Hogshead


Colour: The sherry influence is quite apparent as the whisky almost looks like a red amber beer. Surprising for an 8 year old really, and even more so because it's a refill.


Nose: Ack... Marmite, marmite, marmite. How to describe this to someone who has never experienced it!? Yeasty, spicy, salty, burnt coffee and sweetness all rolled into one. It is so bold and immense, it's simply overwhelming for me.


Palate: Well, now we are talking. I expected the yeast or burnt to be on the palate as well but it is not (thankfully). This is thick and has a very slippery mouthfeel. There is a bit of sweet bitterness to it, sort of like a slightly unripe mouthful of cherries. It's also somewhat drying in nature.


Finish: Candy cinnamon hearts. It warms you from the inside out and the "slightly tannic" after taste reminds me of a strong cup of tea.


Overall, I would say this is a dram I somewhat enjoyed. It was hard to get past the nose, but knowing I liked the flavours made it an interesting dram. It's fun to try different things, stretch your boundaries a bit and experience the breadth of styles that are available on the market.  For the whiskyphiles that love Marmite, boy do I have a dram for you!? For others, I will quote Monty Python: "And now for something completely different". Happy to have tried it, but not necessarily a dram I would reach for.


Graham on the other hand, has already tucked what was remaining of the sample away for safe keeping.   ;)


As always, I don't read Jonathan's reviews before I post my own so if you want to check out his take on this one or see if this bottle is still available please read up on:


www.singlemalting.com




Until day 9... I remain,


The curious and always willing


Lassie

LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN - Day 1, what a great way to start my advent calendar

You can imagine the excitement that presents itself when someone sends you an email saying: "Whiskylassie, we would love you to be our guest writer this year for our Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar". So, you try to sound all cool and collected but on the inside you are jumping around like a little kid who realizes they have just won the mother-load of all possible Christmas gifts. Then, the waiting begins...  Wait until it arrives, open the box, rummage through the envelopes, and small gifts (Nice glass!), look at it with your eyes (not your hands) and the hardest part:  NO PEEKING. My lovely 'other-half' actually hide it on me because I was playing with it too much (his words, not mine). I eventually found it while he was on a boys night out. I proudly placed it in my whisky room and every day I watched the calendar, day by day inching closer to December 1. I started justifying why I should open day one ahead of time : "I will only look at the first door and nothing else". Well we know what happens after that. It's like having a cookie jar full of homemade double chocolate chip cookies and saying I will only eat one. I have no self-control, I admit that. I would have indeed peeked at the first one and then said to myself: "Self, you can look at two at random. Close your eyes and pick a few more, and then a few more until none would have been left as a surprise for this Lassie". The suspense just about killed me but then it was December 1st.

As I stood there with my pjs on at 6:45am making coffee I thought to myself, is it inappropriate to open that first door now after all my nose and palate are really fresh?! I ran back to my whisky room and propped open my lovely advent calendar. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I found door number 1 and touched it with my index finger. I began to get butterflies in my stomach and giggled. Knowing day 1 would be the beginning of a 25 day whisky adventure made me feel so exuberant. I poked the little front door. It twisted but didn't break. I used two fingers this time and it spun off unto the floor somewhere below me. Reaching in, I grasped the mini whisky bottle firmly and closed my eyes. It felt cool to the touch. I spun it around in my hands a few times then stopped, unscrewing the top and taking that first inhale straight from the bottle. My olfactory senses went into overdrive. 

You see, I have this lady that sits up there, her name is Mabel and she operates my memory bank of whisky smells like a switchboard operator. This morning, she's on point and she's plugging in those scents faster than my 89 year old neighbour can share the street gossip. Rich velvety ripe peaches, honeyed custard and fresh coconut (thanks Mrs. Dave). I really want to take just a small sip, but after all I'm supposed to be headed to work in about an hour?! So, I refrain and screw the cap back on. I am so tempted to look at this little bottle and see where this whisky comes from but I choose not to, slipping it into my robe pocket. I bound back up the stairs to find Graham standing in the kitchen looking a little sleepy and plenty confused. I grin, he smiles and shakes his head: "Couldn't wait, could you". I laugh all the way down to the bedroom, coffee in hand. 

I think about the little whisky bottle most of the morning. At afternoon break a coworker asks me why I seem so happy and for a split second I consider telling her about my wonderful whisky advent calendar but then I hesitate because she might think I'm just a wee bit crazy if I reveal that I was sniffing scotch before 7:00am... So I simply state that I have something really nice waiting for me at home. I bounded through the door, threw down my coat and went straight to the whisky room only to remember I had put the little bottle in my robe pocket. Back up the stairs, two by two (you'd swear it really was Christmas morning?!) and I literally run down the hallway. I reach in and pull it out of the pocket. It's finally time for the big reveal. Whisky #1 for my Secret Spirits Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar is:  Speyside 18 Year Old.  What a fabulous way to start!!

Listed as 58.1% ABV, and as the bottle says it was matured in a refill bourbon cask. I poured myself a healthy dram, kicked off my shoes and sat down at my desk to finally imbibe this first and inaugural dram!

Nose: Still the ripe sweet peaches, but now that I have a proper nosing glass it's much more of a peach pie with a large dollop of vanilla bean ice cream. 

Palate: It is a bit hot, but then again it is 58.1%. Silky on the tongue, ginger snaps, with a bit of "tinned" taste. A few drops of water brings a creamier texture, again a fruity custard with a hint of citrus. 

Finish: It doesn't linger for long but it's quite pleasant. Slightly peppery, a sweet heat, so to speak. Then a touch of smoke? Am I imagining that...?

The door swings open and Graham is standing there. "I figured I would find you here". I smile and flip the small bottle at him. He looks at the label and opens the sample. He reaches for my glass and I oblige. I watch as he noses and then takes a sip from the glass. He nods and winks. "Worth the wait then?" 

"Yes, yes... every minute". He closes the door behind him and I sit silently as I enjoy the last of my dram. Jonathan, this was a fabulous day 1 dram. I can only imagine what is to come. 

Christmas often holds traditions for many of us, so for the next 25 days I plan on doing the same thing every day. Wake up, run downstairs, poke through the door, nose the whisky then wait until later on in the day to experience it fully. I, will be celebrating every single day with a brand new whisky. I hope you will join me on this latest of Lassie adventures.

For now...  here is my Christmas card this year to all of you. It's called Throw back to the 80's, this is "Archie & Ethel"  


Cheers everyone!

Lassie

Benromach 35 delivers more than just history in a dram...

March 24th 1983. Eight men (MacDonald, Anderson, Grime, Watson, McArthur, Cameron, Milne and Ingram) stood and watched as the last cask, #585, was filled and rolled out to the warehouse. Then, like many times before, production stopped and the distillery doors at Benromach were closed. 

Silent, abandoned and rundown it sat until Gordon & MacPhail threw their hat into the whisky making business. In 1998, spirits ran once more and so began the rebirth of the Benromach styles of whisky. It should come as no surprise that the same perfection and dedication has gone into this distillery as their long standing 125 years of experience as 'Spirits Merchants'. For more about either please click here:

http://www.gordonandmacphail.com/gordon-macphail/about-us/about-us.html

http://www.benromach.com/story

I visited Benromach in the spring of 2015 and had the pleasure of trying several of their fantastic whiskies (there honestly has not been one that has disappointed me thus far, ask Eric Lewis - @Eric_B_Lewis). This year as part of my annual trek over to Scotland, I will be privileged to once again be at the distillery on Friday April 29th for the following event (only 4 tickets left): 

http://www.spiritofspeyside.com/events/504_discover_a_rare_whisky_with_real_heritage

Where we will get to experience an intimate evening with the team, manager and friends as we learn more about the 35 year old they've recently released. The interesting history of course, is that this whisky predates the Gordon & MacPhail era and I was fortunate enough to receive a sample of the 35 year old for review. It was distilled sometime in 1980 and has spent its entire life maturing in first fill sherry casks.

Here is what I thought:

Benromach 35 year old, 43% ABV

My grandfather had dozens of these cans

Nose: I spent the better part of 20 minutes just smelling this truly divine whisky. Initially reminded me of my grandfather's old beat up brown leather recliner that he loved to sit in after he had smoked his pipe. The 35 year old is leathery with minute traces of his Sail Dutch tobacco. OMG, what a truly a nostalgic and emotional smell for me as my 'pépère' passed away many years years ago. After I regained my composure and worked my way past those lovely memories, I also detected dates but then that morphed into dried fruits soaked in a rich Caribbean rum which made my mouth water with anticipation. But still, I waited. This lead to zesty aromas that appeared. Fresh orange peel... or maybe Seville marmalade. Gorgeous nose indeed.

Palate: Nose fully tantalized, I was quite surprised by how oily and waxy this was as a mouth feel. Then some really interesting ripe fruit and wood notes I wasn't expecting. It had a hint of spruce tree. I was a bit taken aback by that, I don't recall ever experiencing that on the palate of a whisky before. But again, talk about nostalgic thoughts. Back to my grandfather and when he worked in the woods. 

Finish: Lingering, lovely onslaught of dark ginger molasses cake that we often enjoyed at Christmas. 

Maurice & Rose Aimé Doyle - Circa 1945

There is something to be said about a whisky that can magically transport you back in time. Benromach 35 did just that. It brought me back to where the people I loved as a child still existed. In the synapses of my mind played the old black and white movie of my early childhood moments and memories of pépère "Mossey". 

With every inhale and then sip of whisky came little things I had locked away years ago like how he could make me laugh until I got the hiccups every time. Being awake at 4:00am and sitting on the camp counter with my legs dangling watching him get his lunch ready for his day in the woods. We would whisper so that "we" wouldn't get caught by my mother eating beans/brown bread. Friday evenings at my great uncle Mike's house where family and friends took out their instruments and jammed until the wee hours lulling me to sleep with the sweet melodies and haunting reels. 

Benromach 35 will easily make the top 10 whiskies of 2016 for me. Not only was it a stellar, complex and satisfying whisky it was a dram that gave me back my grandfather if only for an hour that night. 

I found it so difficult to write this post because every time I would get to the part where I remembered laughter and dancing on Friday nights, I couldn't see through the tears. But then again, that's just how powerful your memories can be.

On April 29th as I stand in the Benromach distillery listening to the stillmen's stories, it will be very difficult not to go down this same road from an emotional perspective. Kat Presley will be with me, so that might make the moment a bit easier because after all in essence I'm creating my own memories now. 

I want to thank the people at Benromach for such a touching dram and journey. You have no idea how much that evening meant to me. To the rest of you, I can only hope that some of your drams open the floodgates and make you relive some of your own magical moments. Please feel free to share with me if ever there was a dram like that. Would be lovely to hear.

Cheers for now...

Mossey's grand daughter,

Lassie

PS -> One of my favourite songs often played in the kitchen...  Please take a quick listen and see if you can make it all the way to the end of the song without tapping your feet or smiling ;)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s-vzShhboE4

Lassie's top 10 memorable drams for 2015 - #5 Now that's a cracker!

In June of 2015 I had the utmost pleasure of touring the Benromach Distillery with Richard Urqhart. It has a long history like many of the others in Scotland but it had a really rocky start. Construction did indeed start in 1898 but spirits didn't start to flow until 1900 and within that same year closed down due to insufficient funds = Whisky bust #1. Like other scottish distilleries it passed through many sets of hands from then until 1983 when it suffered yet another closure from the second economic slump = Whisky bust #2 (I easily found 17 distilleries listed as closed between 1981-1985).  

Gordon & MacPhail bought the distillery in 1993, carefully restored it and new spirit started to flow again in 1998. What I love the most about the story is that G&M have been in business for themselves for over 120 years but had never actually owned or operated a distillery. I would bet my best bottle of whisky this was a huge learning curve for them and came with many interesting stories and lessons. However, if we take into consideration the reputation, pride and quality of their independent bottlings I don't think it comes as a surprise that Benromach whiskies were bound to be great in their own right. 

I was honoured to walk through the refurbished distillery, meet the people who make the whisky and discover just how proud they are about their whiskies. It's truly a small, hands on, up close and personal experience with every mash, distillation and casking. I've said it before, many of the distilleries I've toured are now automated with computers making the decisions about temperatures, pH, cuts and they have very little human interaction other than someone ensuring they are there to push a button or check a computer monitor. I've quickly noticed that many of my favourite whiskies these past few years have been the ones that still have a human connection. www.benromach.com has a fantastic little video if you would like to learn a little more about them: http://www.benromach.com/story

The example I love to give that brings this home for me is making my grandmother's meat pies at Christmas. There is no written recipe and it was taught by feel, taste and sight. I know it's two parts beef for every part pork and that I have to add two onions the size of my fists for every three pounds of meat. I can also tell you exactly when I have to add the cubed potatoes and what color or texture I'm looking for when I start to get the mixture ready to put in the pie crust. The flavour is memorized and of course the pies vary from year to year. There is no set times to cook it, no set list of spices. It's truly a handmade and unique experience every single time I make them and I as well as anyone in my family can tell you they are fabulous & 10X better than what we could buy at the local grocery store.

That's how I feel about a few distilleries I've talked about before: AnCnoc, Springbank, Tomatin and now Benromach joins their ranks. There is much to be said about people who care and are invested in something they are proud of. Methods are passed down from one person to the next and it's done in a way that promotes the importance of quality NOT quantity. I feel it is highly reflected in the products these distilleries make. 

Dram #5 and one of my favourite new drams for 2015:

Benromach 15, 43% ABV.  Matured in ex-bourbon & sherry casks.

SOPHIA... the most georgeous Italian ;)

I once described this as a tall dark and gorgeous Italian... and with good reason ;)

Nose: Pulls you in the glass, enticing with rich red fruits and spices. Plums smothered in vanilla custard and whipped cream. (Made my mouth water)

Palate: Did not disappoint! The sweetness and rich red fruits are still there followed by some dark decadent chocolate and hints of blood orange. Silky and full bodied, truly delectable. 

Finish: Oddly reminded me of a menthol cigarillo. Herbal, maybe eucalyptus and a bit smoky but not much. Lingers and I would dare say quite refreshing.  

I've had this whisky several times since then and have recommended it to many people. Unfortunately it was very limited in Canada with only one province getting a small amount. They brought it to our local whisky festival and it flew off the shelves in less than 2 hours. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of the lucky ones. So, it will be on my list of to "buy and bring home" from Scotland in the new year. 

There is something quite special about the Benromach's coming to market and I can't wait to see what they come out with next. So far, they have done nothing but make some pretty brilliant whiskies:  The 10, the 100 proof, the 15, the organic and the 1976 have all been real crowd pleasers, well I suppose I can only speak about myself so Lassie cracker drams they are! 

Cheers and tomorrow we go full ISLAY! Bring on #4!!!!!

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