Kingsbarn Dream to Dram / Wemyss Nectar Grove - reviews

The whisky "Wo-Man cave"... is full and bursting at the seams!? December 30th 2019 and I'm taking down the little bit of Christmas decorations I had put up. I realize my front closet is full, so I open the doors to my whisky cave and it looks like a hurricane hit it...  Bottles recently purchased still in bags on the floor, no room on the shelves or credenza, drawers so stuffed with sample bottles they don't close anymore...  I make a promise to myself - I gotta clean out this place and start drinking this stuff! Clean I did. I organized the room a little better, gave a few bottles away and proceeded to go through all the samples I had - 122 to be exact!  How the heck do I end up with so many samples!??  The answer my friends - kindness of #whiskyfabric friends. It's pretty much tradition when abroad or at festivals to trade samples, bring sample bottles and go home with way more than you showed up with!??  

With 2020 came a few goals:

1. Run a 5k and 10k (what the hell was I thinking)

2. Write a blog once a week until Dec 30th/2020.
3. Drink at least one whisky sample/week.

4. Travel to Scotland and just "be" a tourist. (Not sure that is even possible?!)

5. Stay in touch with and be more active with many of the whisky friends I've made over the last 13 years.

SO far... I'm doing pretty good on these goals. I'll keep you in the loop on how I'm doing!  So another way to drink said samples:  REVIEW THEM!

A few weeks ago I created a spreadsheet (yes I'm that OC) and I have 24 samples ready to review for the year. May not sound like much but it's a good start.  I thought this week might be a great time to review two whiskies from Scotland. Related but not from the same distillery per say.

Whisky #1 - Kingsbarn Dream to Dram Lowland Single Malt, 46% ABV


Whisky #2 - Wemyss Malts Nectar Grove Blend, 46% ABV


Both samples were given to me by my lovely friend Jacqueline Sutherland (and I do really consider her a very good friend!) during my last trip to Scotland in October 2019. It's not often that we get to spend quality time so I was really chuffed when she and I got to spend half the day chatting over a lovely lunch.


On with the reviews, shall we:


The first whisky is from a modern distillery that has only been in existence for less than 5 years. Owned by Wemyss (Brother and sister duo), it stands on the reputation of their many years of blending and creating independent bottlings.  If you want to read more about Kingsbarn, click here:
 https://www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com/


I like to take my time when I review whiskies. This one I did over the course of a Sunday afternoon and revisited it on a cold Wednesday night the following week. 


Nose: I gathered from the get go this spent quite a bit of time in ex-bourbon casks: Delicate aromas of newly cut hay, meadows and fresh cantaloupe. Quite elegant and inviting.


Palate: Not at all like the nose, this is zesty lemon peel meets gingerroot with an oaky/resinous backdrop.


Finish: Not overly complicated but quite a satisfying sweet herbal flavour, sort of like chewing on spearmint leaves. 


On Wednesday when it was colder I had a much bigger appreciation for the lingering heat and gingery sensation the whisky was leaving behind.


I can't help but wonder what I would have thought this was had I received a blind sample. Not sure I would have considered it as a whisky that was younger than 5 years old, especially with that very lovely nose.  I remember tasting the newmake when I was there in 2016 and thinking if this sits in the rights casks they are going to have a cracker of a whisky.  Well...  it's lovely. I look forward to seeing/tasting what else will come out of Kingsbarn.




Whisky #2 - Nectar Grove from Wemyss


I'm always fascinated with the names of some of the whiskies that Wemyss comes out with. VELVET FIG... say no more!!! I don't look up anything about the sample when I'm reviewing so I sort of expected some sort of wine or sherry finish. This did not disappoint!


Nose: I immediately detect pumpkin compote (how do I describe that to English people!?) It's like a pumpkin/citrus spice (it has a bit of cinnamon/cloves) marmalade. My mouth watered almost immediately. After I let it sit for a little while and again on the Wednesday evening, I found much more vanilla and a weird freeze dried strawberry smell - not unpleasant just didn't make sense to me.

Palate: In French we have a word that describes silky but also "thick" - Onctueux.  For a moment I was a bit nervous as I was worried it was going to be sickly sweet but it was not.  The right combination of oily, silky, sweet and the feeling I had popped golden raisins that had been soaked in rum in my mouth.


Finish: Warm but then slightly tannic, again not expecting that. A few minutes later, a warming sensation from the inside out...  this, especially on Wednesday was a lovely winter warmer whisky.


It wasn't until I was done my notes on Wednesday that I went to read up on the barrels used and to my surprise Madeira casks are used. I'm not usually a fan as I find the influence leads to a really sweet, wine gummies, artificial flavour'ish…   NOT THE CASE with Nectar Grove.


If you are looking for something new and interesting to try I would certainly recommend either of these whiskies. Thanks again to Jacqueline for sending me home back to Canada with some very unique and special whiskies.

Next week I'm on vacation in Antigua (don't hate me) so I will be writing a blog about sand, rum and beaches. 

Cheers from cold and snowy Canada,


I remain:


Whiskylassie

Review of sCorn whisky from Last Straw Distillery, careful this is a quirky little Canadian

It only seems appropriate, after naming the iconic Canadian Club 42 as my 2019 whisky of the year, that I start the new year with a proper review of a whisky from one of our youngest Canadian distilleries - Last Straw.


I wrote about them almost 5 years ago when they were literally building their establishment. Since that time they have gone from a temporary location to their current site in Vaughan Ontario and from part time production to running a full time operation. It's been an interesting journey for father and son duo. Here is my first blog about them:

https://whiskylassie.blogspot.com/2015/03/what-would-be-your-last-straw-don.html

Don was kind enough to send me a whisky they created that he feels is quite unique not only in flavour but it's "raison d'être". He thanks the Toronto Distillery for that. When they were still operational, they contacted Don and offered him a batch of 100% organic sprouted corn (hence the name sCorn).

Sprouted corn kernels

Charles literally said, if you don't want it we will likely throw it out because we simply can't use it right now. Don immediately said yes and picked it up. The spirit that came off the still was something quite different in Don's opinion so they decided to age it in virgin oak casks. Three and a half years later, sCorn was bottled. 

The first thing I did was read up on their website about the whisky, then I did a bit of research on sprouted corn. There are a few distilleries in Canada that make 100% corn whiskies, JP Wiser's 18 is a fine example, and upon a bit more research there are quite a few American craft distilleries that use sprouted corn (malted) to make their whiskies.

What does make sCorn unique? 


1. It's locally farmed 100% organic sprouted corn, AND

2. This is a single cask release (although it doesn't state so anywhere on the bottle)

Bottled at a respectful 49% ABV. I sampled it over the course of a few days, letting it sit for a while as well as adding a bit of water. It was a nice feeling to be back at the simplicity of sitting with a whisky, making notes and enjoying the experience of connecting with it for its aromas, flavours and finish. Now I'll be honest and I'm not telling anyone who knows me anything new when I say... It is rare that I'm a "virgin oak" maturation fan. Not that I find them offensive by any means, they are simply not my favourite whiskies. Don and I had a great conversation about virgin oak and how some people absolutely love it while others like myself struggle. The nose/mouthfeel is so distinctive I can pick them out on blind samples.

sCorn - Last Straw Distillery, 49% ABV


Nose: Sweet but fresh pencil shavings, apple juice,  with some fir tree sap (that's the sign of virgin oak maturation for me right there). With a bit of time and a few drops of water: A lot less astringent, with a more creamy vanilla profile. Can really smell the grain better now.


Palate: A bit of a surprise, I found it a bit harsh (again I struggle with virgin oak), but after the first sip and a bit of water I found the flavours evolved into desiccated banana chips with a dryness of toasted hazelnut skins.


Finish: High ABV = burn, long simmering one. With water it became more of a peppery/chewed on a mouthful of cinnamon hearts at the same time sort of heat. Quite the winter warmer!




It's not a very complicated dram, but overall it is certainly an interesting whisky and concept. I had a few friends try it last week (one who is a really big virgin oak/bourbon fan). At first he didn't believe me when I told him what this whisky was matured in, but in the end he stated he really enjoyed the very different "weirdo" whisky (his words - not mine... ;)

For anyone who lives in Canada - it's only available online or at the distillery itself. At $60/bottle for a single cask edition whisky - Worth the try if you want a simple but different sipping whisky. For the rest of the world... sorry:  Only in Canada my friends - Pity!

https://www.madebyhand.laststrawdistillery.com/product-page/scorn-whisky

I want to thank Don Dimonte for sending me this quirky little sample. Please don't ever stop daring to be different at Last Straw! I really enjoyed starting off my 2020 blogs with this one. 


Next week on Lassie's blog:  My 2019 mindblowing trip to Waterford Distillery in Ireland. Until then, be safe my friends and enjoy your journey, wherever it may lead...




Lassie

Phoenix... and I don't mean the Snow one

Today marks a special anniversary. Not once but twice. Both, unfortunately, negative in nature. 


However, I digress...Number 1 question from January 2018 to October 2019 = Why are you not blogging anymore?!  I would often answer: "Nobody reads my blog, I don't have any added value, there's plenty of other blogs that have way more to say than mine, etc..."  The reality though was everything around me had come crashing down and being "whiskylassie" was the last thing I wanted or needed to do.


Quietly I moved through the motions of what ever this thing called life... is. It took lots of smiling on the outside but also closing the doors sometimes and focusing on what was really important - simply surviving the next 5 minutes or the next three hours or the next day. I lost people that I truly loved in my life, some to death and some due to divorce. I changed jobs (Stressful when you are on the back nine and see the retirement goal post on the horizon). I relinquished things I thought I needed in my life: Car, house, boat, etc...  And all I could say for the better part of that first six months of chaos was: Here I am starting all over again. FUCK was a word I had come to use as easily and likely more often then spoon or toothbrush.


But as with all descents into the darkness we all go through as humans, so exists the flip side of the sine wave. Grand daughter arrived, my "own" boat materialized, friends I didn't realize I had were not only my safety net but became family to me. The job change ended up being the best thing for my career and in hindsight so was the divorce. Slowly the scars, the hurt, the stupidity and the need to close that door and swear until the air was blue simply faded away. I have a new "puzzle" to put together and instead of fearing the fact that I have no idea what the fuck is going on most days, I embrace the joy of the unknown and have learned to simply "b". Then one day, I think it was October 11th 2019 - when I found myself getting back in the car after touring the Waterford Distillery in Ireland, I felt giddy and inspired. As I started to make my way back to my hotel room I suddenly found myself writing an article in my head as I drove. I literally stopped the car on the side of the road for a moment and cried. Whiskylassie may have been going through the motions, hosting classes and attending festivals but again - SMILES EVERYONE SMILES!!!! (For those of you too young to get that - Google Fantasy Island). For the first time in almost two years, I felt lassie'ish…  Coquette in nature, yet somewhat ready to write about whisky once again. Wow... and about time.


So let's start with the basics shall we:  What the hell have I been doing? LOTS...  WARNING: I have developed a taste for GIN (My apologies to all whisky enthusiasts who may be highly offended by that statement). I also love rum apparently -> See what happens if left to my own devices?! My boyfriend (yes I have a boyfriend now - but from here on end he will be referred to as "the boy" - FYI. However... my first love is still - ALL things whisky.

Life has been good. It's taken me awhile to feel a sense of normalcy, to feel like I belong again. It's sort of like being the awkward kid that moved away but then came back and everyone says Hi but... it's awkward regardless. So here I am, just a girl, errr I mean woman... errr I mean lassie looking to start writing again just for the fun of writing whisky stuff.  Will it be read - who knows.  Will it be classical disaster chick meets shenanigans meets life as a whisky person - oh hell ya!  Do me a huge favour though don't expect - BORING...  or MARKETING REGURGITATION or SERIOUS - dear God don't expect serious....?!  Read the whisky bible if you are looking for serious ;)

I'm back, that's all that matters for now. I am making a commitment to write a blog every week for the next 55 weeks.  So sit back, read, giggle, share or comment. Whatever it is you feel like doing once you get "here" is fine with me and wherever you are on your own journey - congrats for making it this far. 
Whisky brought me to this place, it's introduced me to a world of places, friends and of course drams that I could have never imagined. I raise a glass (it's only water mind you but I'm raising a glass none the less) to the next 55 weeks.





HERE



WE




GO!




Lassie

How to drink your whisky in 2019

ROLLLLS HER EYES ALL THE WAY BACK TO 1959!???

Seriously...  After reading yet another stupid, sexist blog about how men "should" drink their whisky so they can look like Tony Soprano and by the way, good job excluding 40% of the readers who enjoy whisky - women. Pfffftttt.

Don't be a fuckwit...   It's 2019, drink your whisky any way you want. 


THE END

Into the light once more.... Lassie writes about Wiser's Dissertation

A little bit of honesty here: With every passing day as I stared at the screen that stated I hadn't blogged since March 3rd 2017 I grew more and more indifferent about ever doing it again. Day after day - spending time flipping through twitter then deleting the mindless amounts of PR emails that I receive about NEW and INNOVATIVE spirits coming to market. I attempted at times to read other blogs or websites but many simply seem to regurgitate the PR emails I deleted the day before.
Another round of: "Meh... Why do I bother, nobody reads these anymore anyway... or worse - I've really got nothing to say or add to the #whiskyfabric anymore. That last one likely hit me the hardest. Do people even care about stories, real reviews or crazy whisky adventures?" The following week I would read twitter, delete more emails, read a blog, sigh and then walk away from the computer yet once more.  Meh... Meh... Meh... Repeat... Meh...

Over the last five months I've travelled, done lots of sailing, had some fabulous and mind blowing adventures, drank some great whiskies, spent time with friends and family. These filled most of the nooks and crannies of my life. Writing, however, was an itch that wasn't getting scratched at all. Something needed to kick start my ass again but I wasn't sure what that was. In late May I received a package while I was at work. Graham, my wonderful partner in most of my crimes, sent me a message on his lunch hour about it so I casually said open it and let me know what it is. He wrote back: "Holy shit Jo!" Ok, so now he has my attention. I stare at my phone waiting for another message. Nothing...  "Errr, yes?" I write quickly. Nothing...  "Hello?" I type, now with a bit of impatience and annoyance. Nothing like getting click bait messages from your husband :) Then the photo comes in: A copy of Don Livermore's dissertation: "Quantification of oak wood extractives via gas chromatography - mass spectrometry and subsequent calibration of near infrared reflectance to predict the Canadian whisky aging process". Now, if you are a regular reader to this blog (poor attempt lately my apologies) or a new one who doesn't know who or what that means to me - Dr. Don Livermore is the brilliant and creative master blender at the Hiram Walker & Sons distillery in Windsor Ontario Canada. 


I know the adrenaline shot through my entire body when my brain registered what I was looking at and unless you are a full out whisky or chemistry geek like myself you may simply giggle at the thought of someone getting an adrenaline headache, her heart skipping a few beats and maybe suffering from a bit of hyperventilation as a result of seeing a photo of a paper about infrared sensors, barrel charring levels and whisky. Let me elaborate just a little (indulge me here...) = This is a PhD paper that demonstrates how the quality of a barrel can be determined by using infrared technology.

The other great thing that came of his dissertation was 114 barrels of whisky. A bi-product of the research and experiment really but also thankfully product that might be quite interesting to release on the market so Don chose 78 of them, blended the whisky which ended up creating Wiser's Dissertation. Released to the LCBO in Ontario as an exclusive bottling, 10,000 bottles hit the stores right before Father's Day. Cost $64.95.


I've really become a fan of Don's and many (MANY) of the whiskies he has created since taking the helm of Master Blender in 2012. I had a copy of the dissertation now I had to try the whisky. May 30th I stepped on a plane, hopped the Go train and headed directly to a liquor store in downtown Toronto where I purchased 2 bottles. (It's important to do a lot of trials - spoken like a true chemistry nerd!) I didn't make it back home to Saint John until June 21st but a few days later I quietly popped the cork while sitting on the boat. It was nice to simply enjoy it, no note book, no pictures for social media. Just me, the sunset and the whisky. It was glorious. I loved everything about it as many of you know I often say sometimes the whisky is simply the backdrop to the memory that is created. Over the course of the next 5-6 weeks anytime I opened my copy of the Dissertation, I also poured one (always made me smile when I did this!). I can't even begin to explain the satisfaction I had knowing that I was reading about Don's work and sipping the whisky that allowed him to successfully acquire his PhD.


Monday August 7th, my daughter Erica's birthday. She turned 27. I can't get a hold of her as she's off having an adventure (apple doesn't fall too far from this tree) but a great reason to pour myself a dram! Except this time, I'm drawn to my notebook. I open the page and the last notes taken on March 4th stare back at me. Halifax, whisky show - Bowmore Vault 1st Edition. Scribbles, my friend Celinda's name with a big happy face - Nice, salted with butterscotch sweet notes. I flip back a few pages, many more descriptors - most almost looking foreign to me now. Scented potpourri soaked cedar shavings (Won't mention the name of that whisky but good God it was horrible!) Yeah, I miss doing this. Maybe I needed the time off or away from writing so that I could appreciate how much I do love whisky?

Here goes, let's see how rusted my olfactory memory and taste buds really are? I have to say I was almost a bit nervous and scared to do this whisky a disfavour but like every other muscle that has memory, the nose did not fail me. Bicycle-schmicycle!?

Wiser's Dissertation Blended Canadian Whisky, 46.1% ABV

Nose: Explosive rye profile. Spicy, rich, lots of early fall night orchard smells like apples still fresh on the tree, grass that was hot all day but cooling in the autumn air, wild flowers like purple clover and evening primrose. The nose is big and beautiful.

Palate: Just a hint of fresh oak, pink grapefruit cheesecake with a caramel sauce (not kidding). Super creamy but mildly sweet in nature. Quite complex.

Finish: Smooth, not overly hot more like spicy like cinnamon heart candies. Nice but a bit short especially compared to most of the other whiskies I love from Corby's.

Overall I think Don hit it out of the park yet again with this one. I put it directly behind Last Barrels which I loved immensely in 2016. Review written, blog done = Lassie happy. With only about 25% of the stock left, when this one is gone, it's gone for good so if you are in Ontario or know someone who lives there, I recommend you get a bottle or maybe two.

Just three little things to add:

a. 46.1% is what Dr. Don decided to bottle this at, which also (not by coincidence) is the molecular weight of ethanol (CH₃CH₂OH) -> Squeals with geeky excitement.

b.  Maybe you noticed that I stated Dr. Livermore used 78 of his PhD research barrels to make Dissertation a reality. I hope that leaves you wondering, just like me - what will happen to the remaining 36? Can't wait to see what creative idea he comes up with for those.

and c... BIG thanks to fellow Canadian whisky judge, chosen brother and very good friend André Girard,  http://www.quebecwhisky.com/ for being the kick in the pants I needed to finish this one and reminding me about the one thing that brings friends, happiness, adventures and great memories into my life: Whisky.

It was quite refreshing writing a blog for the fun of it. It's nice to be back and I'll do my best to keep writing about what this Lassie does, thinks and experiences after all why should I keep all the crazy and weird things that I get to do locked up in my head ;)


Cheers from Saint John Canada wherever you may be.


Lassie

When whisky and poetry slam!

My wish for 2017 was that I would "do" more. I made a promise to myself that I would give back as much as was given to me, that I would expand my life experiences until I felt I was bursting because I would say yes, without hesitations, to the opportunities being presented to me.

In January I donated my time to a great fundraiser in my hometown called: Bolder taste for Boulder Art. It was quite the experience to link how a sculpture has the same humble beginning as a grain of barley. In the end both end up creating masterpieces for people to enjoy.

February came along and the Regional Library approached me to do a lecture series about whisky. No actual tastings involved, just a series of information sessions about all things whisky. I thought to myself, I can't imagine people would want to come to a whisky talk without whisky being poured? But... I was wrong. Completely wrong! It was the largest turnout the library had ever seen with their speakers series and I truly loved it.

Here we are March and my friend Matt Jones and I were scheduled to be presenting at the Nova Scotia Festival of Whisky from March 1-4. One late evening as we were talking about upcoming events and what our itineraries were like for the next couple of months and he mentioned that a few friends were getting together for an evening of Spoken Word, graciously sponsored by Maker's Mark Bourbon. YES, without hesitations. There we are Thursday March the 2nd at the Company House in Halifax Nova Scotia. Intimate setting, candles, tables and plenty of other people there to listen and experience poetry. Sounds a bit floopy I'm sure to most, because I mean really how does whisky even remotely fit when it comes to poetry. To that I would say you would be mostly surprised how one really did go hand in hand with the other.

Let's start with the definition of Slam Poetry: An intense blend of written verse mixed with stage performance - and a stop watch.  There are no props, no music, just a speaker on stage with their own voice and words. There is authenticity, rawness and it takes time to not only compose each piece but to perfect it.  Sound familiar to whisky?  I think so in many ways...

The evening began with a young, somewhat shy but humorous man by the name of Andre Fenton. Wise beyond his 21 years of age. He was one of only two participants from the east coast to attend the National Slam Poetry Competition in Vancouver in 2016. Andre, stepped up to the microphone, apologetic in nature as he seemed to stumble on his own words to introduce himself. "I wrote a book", he almost whispered, "I'll be launching in March 31st across the street at Alteregos Café on Gottingen Street". I couldn't help but smile as I thought to myself, ahhhh we are starting with an up-and-comer who is still quite green behind the ears. Then... he began. The clarity of his speech, the cadence of his language and the movement of his body so in sync with the spoken words. I found myself leaning in, listening more than just intently, listening with purpose. This was not a young man of 21 years of age standing before us under a bright spotlight on a dark little stage at the Company House. This was an old soul who had lived, and seen and experienced life more intensely than most of us could ever imagine.



Mr. Andre Fenton - East coast poet

His book, Ode to Teen Angst, is a 43 page compilation of 10 of his favourite poems. My favourite of the evening was clearly the letter to his 10 year old self. Witty, dirty, truths about growing up, truth about depression, being bullied, being scared about the changes to come but with the advice to always hang on, dream big and trust that it's all good. 

http://signalhfx.ca/spoken-word-poet-publishes-ode-to-teen-angst/

I read in the interview where he stated: "Some of the topics in the book aren't really relatable to everybody". I would tend to disagree somewhat. He talks about the life in the "customer service" world, he talks about life lessons, love and mental illness. "Like I'm running through a grass field with the girl of my dreams or like I'm looking through at the stars trying to solve all the galaxy's mysteries".  His poem Unapologetic is an eye opening piece about racism. Something I have never experienced in my 50 years of my life. I will never understand how that feels or looks like but through Andre's eyes. I see the un-relatable side of his teenage years versus mine...

Andre's book is available by contacting him at andre.fenton@live.ca

The $15 is not only worth every loonie, it's like the best little book a teenager should read, in my opinion. Nothing speaks louder than the words of someone else going through the exact same thing as yourself.  Thank you Andre for putting those words to paper and allowing the world to look in and share those moments with you.

Up next Martha, "just" Martha... no last name. The little wisp of a long haired woman with nothing more than her cell phone in hand. An ode to a grandmother who had recently passed away. Her grief, love and respect poured out for all to see. Touching, special and meaningful to many in the room as I watched how they nodded when certain words tugged at their own heart strings. How stupid we are in our youth to not realize the importance of our elders. It is all too late that we see how they shape and mould us into the adults we become. Her poem about marriage is where I found myself nodding incessantly, smiling under my breathe. How lost a woman can feel when she sees friends around her marrying, meanwhile deep inside she thinks but what about "me"... Who is this me, and why do I have to rush into what society sees as the only goal for making it in the world. A husband... to have and to hold. Why, can't I simply have and hold myself until I know what it is I want? Wouldn't that make me a better partner in the end? Martha stood 7 feet tall on that stage and I, gracefully sat in her shadow and basked in the words. Again, baffled by the depth and grace that were beyond her years.

And then Mona Mousa steps up to the stage and the electricity is felt through the crowd as she unleashes immediately a foray of words from the hip and soul. Clever, polished and melodious. I watched as the body language was one with the spoken words. Ohhhh she's a veteran at this, and you can tell she loves how standing that the microphone transforms Mona to "The Poet Mona". She runs the gamut from powerful, sassy to vulnerable. Speaking words of frustration, defiance and then love. No pauses, no frills... Just a woman, her life and her ability to share those awkward and sometimes scary moments that all of us feel but would never have the guts to share, especially on stage in front of strangers.

"Picture this: There is a man that plays the piano like it's his job. To remind people that music is brutal and real love will make you sick. This man plays the piano like it's his lover."

"Kentucky: It's 3:27am in Lexington Kentucky, the night that taught me that I am not everything I know, she is 67 headed to a city made of towering skyscrapers for the first time. She said to me: She can't blame her because ain't nothing changes in Kentucky but the weather. She looked at me and said: Darling, I can tell you're hurting because no stranger to the south comes to Kentucky unless they have a bourbon craving, broken heart. Honey you can decorate abstinence whatever you want but it's still going to be obvious what's missing."

Her entire spoken album entitled Bourbon Darling is available online at mfmpoetry.bandcamp.com

Mona.. Spoken word poet, motivational speaker, comedian, heavily active in community, advocate for the empowerment of youth and whose mission in life is simple: Education and tolerance, no exceptions. Brilliant!

http://thepoetmona.com/

As the night wound to an end I came to a few quick conclusions about it all...  Poetry is not defined by age, nationality or content. What appears before you is nothing more than the outer shell and it's not until you let it open up that you discover the contents and the meaning inside. Some poets come in small unassuming packages where others are bold and exciting. There are some that you immediately are drawn to and you think to yourself, now... that was special.

I think you can see where I'm going with this. It's super easy to link my evening back to whisky for almost all the same reasons. Whisky, like poetry is art in most cases and it speaks to my heart and soul. I, once again, find myself speechless in how whisky has changed my life for the good, the best years of my life. I am, truly blessed.

At the end of the night, I went over and introduced myself to Andre. I didn't tell him how much his poetry touched me but I did buy his book. I have no doubt that thanks to people like Mona who believe and support the next generation of artists like Andre and Martha, these young and very talented people will continue to grow, excel and become the eloquent poets of tomorrow.

Huge thanks to Maker's Mark (cue the product placement joke - that's a personal one for Mona who does this part ooooh so well! ;) as well as Matt Jones for such a great experience. It was added value to the Nova Scotia Whisky Festival that I'm attending this week in Halifax.

What's next for this Lassie... a little adventure in whisky and chocolate pairings! Cue the moaning and giggles, errrr that was from me, not the people in the class (hehehe!)

Cheers,

The enlightened Lassie

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 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 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

Day 7, the luckiest of days so far!!

OMG, OMG, OMG!!! Lucky 7 today for this Lassie and I am so excited to share this one with you all. I truly wish I could do so much more than share it virtually. If Jonathan has bottles of this left, I am recommending this as one of my 2016 whisky discoveries!!!  Yes, I am truly excited about this one.

Let me give you some context as to what my level of excitement is all about. I had heard some pretty amazing stories as well as reviews of Samaroli whiskies and it's not something we get to see much of in Canada. It's one of those "unicorn" whisky moments, where you think to yourself, wow... I hope I get to try some of these whiskies some day. Mr. Samaroli is an icon in the whisky world who quickly developed a reputation for being one of the best noses outside of the UK. In his time, he amassed a very large collection of whiskies from many of the great distilleries, including quite a few that don't have usually have official distillery bottlings.

When I opened that little door this morning it was very difficult not to contain my exuberance. My other great little memory about this particular whisky: Allt a Bhainne (Pronounced Alte-VA-Nia) is that I was fortunate enough to get a full visit of this distillery on my last trip to Scotland. It isn't usually open to the public, and very rarely do we get to see official whisky bottlings. 



It's not the prettiest of Scottish Distilleries as it was built in the 1970's. Most whisky drinkers dont' even know of its existence, other than if you might know that the whisky made there mostly goes into blends. I've had a chance to taste a few of the independent bottlings of Allt a Bhainne as well as sat with one of the managers the day of the tour and tasted a few interesting samples including their new make. It was a great morning spent learning about this distillery and speaking to many people who had worked there for 25-30 years.

Samaroli Allt a Bhainne, 8 year old, bottled at 43% ABV. Ex American Hogshead. Cask 900853.

Colour: This barely has any colour at all. It's as light as a fine white wine.

Nose: Another honeyed custard splendour. It's delicate and quite aromatic. There is a backdrop of lovely floral notes, like clover or evening primrose. It's quite decadent.

Palate: Soft, silky and sublime... It's a creamy lemon tart with fresh homemade pastry. There's even a bit of fresh lemon zest in the corners. 

Finish: Warm, doesn't linger but finishes like a bit on the citric side (sort of like the pith of a white grapefruit) and then your mouth waters. 

This is probably one of the best Allt a Bhainne's I have ever experienced. So far day 1-6 did not dissapoint however, I really made this dram last. I tried it in small little sips, often leaving it for 30-45 minutes at a time. It didn't matter how many times I left it there, it didn't change much and if anything the palate got more and more pronounced. 

I wil be contacting Jonathan and Cindy to see if they have full bottles of this available as it's truly a gem, and I dare say it will easily make my top 10 drams of 2016. 

If you want to see what Jonathan thought about dram day 7, please check out his website at:

Www.singlemalting.com


I can't believe it's already been a full week of draming!? Can't wait to see what is next. I do hope you will join me on tomorrow's discovery.


Cheers!!

Lassie