RRRRRRRRRRusted! Time for a long overdue blind tasting

I looked at the date this morning and saw it was Sunday September 25th. Not only had fall officially arrived, I realized I hadn't posted one... single... piece... all summer. Nothing for almost 4 months. Do I go into details and tell y'all why...  Nah, most of you probably already know. It's been a super hectic, crazy and sometimes very stressful summer. Stress usually = Not drinking whisky. Sad situation really to look at my most favourite spirit in the world only to have my instinct tell me -> Probably not a good idea right now. Thankfully, I always trust my instinct.

So then there's the next step: Errrrr, what do I write about after such a long hiatus. It was an immediate and easy decision: BLIND TASTING time!!!  There is no doubt that my nose/palate need to get whipped back into shape. I went to the sample shelf which only reinforced how long it's been since I truly stuck my nose in a whisky. Shelf is plentiful of many lovely samples from all over the word but man... I've never seen so much dust. I spent the next hour (yup 60 minutes) reacquainting myself and cleaning them. It was a bit like opening presents on Christmas morning as I found some really lovely gems I had completely forgotten about. On the bottom shelf, way in the back I found three non-descriptive bottles that I carefully wiped and didn't recognize. Bottle 1, 2 and 3...  same hand writing, no names/words. Hmmmm...  Picked up my whisky book to see what I had written, if anything about these (I usually am pretty good at writing things down, errrr somewhere?!) And sure enough, there it was... Samples received from Raj Sabharwal (@Whiskyraj)!  Hot diggity dog, what a fabulous way to come out of hiatus, if I do say so myself.

By lunch time (Yes.. I waited!! hehe), I was ready. Dinning room table, glassware, pen/paper, water and WHISKY! What a lovely feeling to have my thinking cap back on and nosing. I can feel the cogs of my olfactory memory wheel trying desperately to break free of their idle slumber. 

Sample 1: Colour, so delicate it reminded me of a sauvignon blanc. (Oh man I am rusty, I'm comparing my whisky to wines?!) Nose: Green grapes, clean and fruity sweet. (errr still on the wines it seems?!) Palate: Oh, yeah there it is... Crisp, fresh fruit like slightly unripened pears or green apples. Refreshing yet tart. (Wait.. Am I drinking wine!? Oh man my poor senses are way out of whack?)

At this point I decided to walk away for a few minutes and try again a bit later. Back again and albeit a bit more muted. The aromas and flavours are still the same. This is a very subtle and delicate whisky that isn't aggressive in nature and really makes you work to find and appreciate what is in the glass. Another sip, and now with a bit of time this has turned into a very luscious and tart lemon meringue pie. Creamy,  lemon with the airy sweetness of the meringue. Finish: This is cask strength and you can tell, it's long lingering and warms the belly on impact. Hmmm, a touch of mint at the very end?


From start to finish, this is quite an enjoyable dram. If I had to guess I would say this is above 50% ABV, a scotch and it's possibly a lowland or speyside.  Maybe?!

Whatever it is, I do love it. It's an easy sipping whisky that is not only enjoyable but really seemed to awaken my somewhat dormant senses. 




RAJ's REVEAL: Blackadder Drop of the Irish Single Malt Cask Strength, 58.9% ABV

Sample 2: The colour of a red ale (oh oh... now I'm comparing these to beer!?) Prunes... rich dark fruits. Dark brown sugar, almost bordering on molasses. Palate: More high strength stuff! Burnt sugar'ish, bitter and very drying. Finish: Leaves a strange aftertaste and lots of burning. Added a fair dollop of water. Calms the burning but brings in a waxy component.  Still has a very unique aftertaste that I can't quite pin down. My first instinct is to say new wood "sap"...  It's a combination of sour, bitter and resinous.  

This sample is a bit perplexing, it started out quite lovely on the nose but then went down hill quickly. Water didn't help it. Makes me wonder if this was finished in a slightly different type of cask? I would say also cask strength, likely not from Scotland (again relying on instinct) and I would dare say somewhat "middle age'ish" and finished in something other than ex-bourbon or ex oloroso...  Something "different"...  

Feeling the blood rushing through the veins now... or maybe that's just the effect of the whisky kicking in? Moving on!




RAJ's REVEAL: Amrut Portonova Single Malt Cask Strength, aged in first fill Port pipes. 61.2% ABV

Sample 3: Well, you know it's a good sign when you see black bits of char in the sample. Mouth already watering. Raj is the master of surprises when it comes to samples, so I'm really looking forward to this one. 

Colour: Old gold. Shines like a turn of the century wedding band. (Weddings?! Hmmm, quite a few of those coming up very shortly...) Nose: Good old fashion organic and earthy peat. It's like standing in the peat bog on Islay with my friends Ansgar & Thomas! Backdrop of honeyed vanilla and creamy butterscotch. (Finally the whisky descriptors are coming back to me now, thank goodness)... Palate: As to be expected, sweet, subtle with an "exhale of peat smoke" that is not only sublime but quite delectable. Finish: Long... lingering delicious flavours of wet moss. 

This one is an old and sophisticated Islay, also at cask strength. Likely a straight ex-bourbon, or 2nd fill ex-bourbon. It's the truest form of the spirit as it's meant to be enjoyed. The peat is not aggressive. The dram is well balanced and very drinkable without water. But, it is cask strength so like the other two I did add a bit of water. Opened it up just a tad, more notes of a smokier backdrop, the citrus notes appear but the whisky doesn't fall apart.  


RAJ's REVEAL: Blackadder Raw Cask, Amrut Peated Sherry Cask, Cask Strength 62.3% ABV

So, I would have to say that in order of preference for me, on a cold but sunny September afternoon I really loved sample 3 the best. I would buy this, whatever it is and I think my friend Peter Clark and I would continue to enjoy this on the cold fall evenings to come. Sample 1 came in 2nd place because again it was very enjoyable,  slightly unique and a nicely balanced dram that wasn't overly complicated but a nice sipping whisky. And... last, number 2. Alas this one did not speak to me, it started out strong with a lovely nose but then dove into the pits of "there's something weird about this whisky" and I simply didn't enjoy it as much as the other two.

 Raj, I want to thank you for always pushing my boundaries as a whisky enthusiast. It goes to show how dedicated you are because you have the belief that sampling blind can always lead to wonderful surprises and an appreciation for the journey it takes you on vs the end result. So now what? Well, now we hope that Raj is kind enough to tell me what exactly I was sampling, otherwise these will simply remain a mystery. If I do find out, I'll update below.  If I don't, well... I can at least be thankful for the experience and finding three unique and very interesting samples to come back to blogging about.  Raising a bit more of sample 3, thanks again Raj, you are a good friend and passionate whisky ambassador!


Sincerely,

The "back in action" nosing/tasting/blogging Lassie


SHE'S BACCCCCCCCKKKKKK!   ;)

Blind Head to Head - Glenlivet 12 vs Glenlivet Founder's Reserve NAS

Or.... do you???

Well, well, well.... Another big whisky company has announced they are replacing a core expression of their product line with... a No Age Statement whisky. Now, mind you they have stated that the Glenlivet 12 (one of the most recognized & affordable whiskies) is not dead. That the Founder's Reserve will replace the 12 in 'mature' markets worldwide including the UK as of March 2015. Ughhhhhh.... I rolled my eyes after reading the headlines on 23 different twitter accounts, why... because I knew I would have to avoid social media and whisky forums for a few days as the trolls and preachers of NAS evil would jump on that news faster than green grass through a goose! I turned off the feeds, drank my whiskies... Tried not to care.

As fate would have it, I received a bottle of the Founder's Reserve as a surprise from a very lovely friend and the plan was immediately hatched: I posted the photo of my new bottle on our whisky society FB page and requested volunteers (especially if they were huge Glenlivet 12 fans) to come to my house for a whisky experiment. We would perform a blind H2H challenge of the 12 vs the Founder's Reserve. Within 10 minutes of posting I had 5 volunteers. (The power of social media or free whisky, or maybe both? hehe) I received a message on the day of the blind taste test that one participant had come down with the flu and wouldn't be coming (thankfully... love ya, but stay away!). He was supposed to bring a friend, well boo! Although I would have preferred a larger group, I was down to 3 people plus Graham and I...

On a random winter evening, I think it was a Monday, the five of us ranging from novice whisky drinker to hard core Glenlivet 12 fans sat down together in my living room. To keep things completely unbiased I enlisted the help of Graham (my partner) to pour 4 pairs in marked glassware (white blank tag vs unlabelled). After he poured and brought those out I went in the kitchen and poured his blind as well, not having any clue what sequence Graham had used. Then the table was set: Water, oat cakes, each a tagged and non-labelled glass with 1 oz whisky pours in them, pen and paper. 

Rules: No talking, nose/taste each of the two whiskies, write down whatever you think, if you had a preference and (optional) which you think is the Glenlivet 12. All nodded and we began. I watched for a few minutes as each person went through their own personal routine of noting color, nose, palate, etc. and making notes as they went. Not one of us did it the same way (remember that statement for later!) No discussions were had, well except the occasional grunt and I was impressed with how much time each person was spending with both samples as I didn't give any type of timeline or deadline. Thirty minutes later the final pen went down and we did a round table. Each person reading out their impressions of the tagged sample as well as the unlabelled one then stating which of the two they preferred. Nobody said out loud which they thought was the Glenlivet 12 except myself. 

Greg: No tag - Seems a bit darker in color than the tagged sample, smooth, just a hint of smoky peat on the palate. Tagged - A sweeter aftertaste, lighter in color, smoother. I prefer the tagged sample. 

John: No tag - Lighter in color - amber. Mild cider on the nose like a fruit wine, slightly oily on the palate with a lovely after taste. Tagged - Color is a medium amber. On the nose I find a dry white wine (a bit of oak) whereas the palate is smooth with a lovely after taste. The tagged is beautifully balanced for this style. I'd give it an 8/10. I prefer the tagged.
Steven: No tag - Not getting much on the nose, barely any aromas for me. The palate is somewhat harsh and it has a long finish. Tagged - I can detect more sweetness on the nose, caramel creaminess on the palate and a sweet finish. I prefer the tagged.

Graham: No tag - Grassy with a touch of wine gummies on the nose. Palate is much more mellow that tagged sample. Tagged - Much lighter on the nose, I get way more grassy and hay like notes. On the palate there was spirit burn and more grassiness. I prefer the untagged sample.

Johanne: No tag - Lighter on the nose than tagged sample, I get cereal and grassy. Once it's sat in the glass I do start to get a honeyed aroma. Not very viscous in nature. Thin on the palate with lots of harsh and citric notes. The finish is hot, quite bitter to me and it lingers... Not something I would drink, personally. Tagged - Much more rich on the nose, orchard fruit like pears or apple blossoms. After it sat in the glass much more of a ripe banana overtone. The palate was thin as well but I found it to contain Seville orange citrus vs just citric. No hot finish, no long finish. A more balanced whisky than the untagged. I preferred the tagged and thought the Untagged was the Glenlivet 12.
  
Greg, Steven, John and I had: 12 year old - Untagged and Founder's Reserve - Tagged, whereas Graham had the opposite. 

Greg and Steven said they would buy a bottle of the Founder's Reserve after the reveal. I don't recall what John said? Graham also stated he'd be more likely to buy the Founders Reserve over the Glenlivet 12 - Price/quality. In our discussion afterward, some were surprised and one was a bit let down that the Glenlivet 12 didn't come out on top. But all 5 of out 5 preferred the Founder's Reserve overall. What exactly does that tell us or you for that matter? 

Well other than the fact that five friends sat down on a random Monday night, nosed/tasted two blind samples and all liked one whisky over the other, not much really? Because the reality is 5 other people in the exact same experiment might have stated the complete opposite. 

Now... I was once told I had a whisky agenda. I was a bit perplexed by that comment at the time but with some thought I guess I do. My agenda, announced here for the first time is: Be open to every whisky experience that is presented to you.

1. For every person that will ridicule others for putting ice in their whiskies there are five more that will say it's your whisky - do as you please.
    
2. For every one 'Messiah' who will make you wait a full hour before you drink a whisky in his masterclass and tell you Scotch is dead while bourbon is the new king - ALL HAIL Pappy Van Winkle!!! There are ten more who will tell you drink what you like.
3. For every soap box hero that condemns the industry for NAS whiskies, there are just as many who will give the opinion that some of the NAS's on the market are great. And yes, I'm aware some are not just as much as I'm aware that some of the Age Statement Whiskies suck too! Bad whisky is bad whisky regardless. But my worst whisky could be your best so:  

Here is why I will ALWAYS urge you to make an opinion for yourself. Whisky like everything else in your life is subjective. Would you put your complete trust in a stranger who preached that new Hanes underwear should never be bought by everyone because they are now cheaply made, no longer have the 'Inspected by #12" sticker on the inside and they all fit funny? Seriously... then why trust someone else's judgment on the whiskies you drink?

Back to how each of us had our own way of performing this little experiment (told you that was coming) 

SUBJECTIVE: Relating to the way a person experiences things based on their feelings and opinions rather than facts. 

Objective: Based on facts rather than influence by personal feelings or opinions.

The five of us gave you a subjective opinion on two whiskies we tried. Objectively we can state we tried two forms of Glenlivet, both at 40% ABV. Subjectively we can tell you, all 5 of our personal opinions matched in this case. Objectively we can say that for the price range it was a good whisky to own, 4 (I don't recall if John said he would) would buy the Founder's Reserve over the 12 year old. 

I urge every single one of you to continually try whiskies for whatever reason you choose. Don't be swayed by one person's opinion may it be mine or anyone else's. My philosophy is quite simple: I want to try every whisky I can before I leave this earth knowing full well some will be stupendous, some horrible and some inevitably will be mediocre in nature. 

Now it's your turn. If you are set in your ways, so be it. If you absolutely refuse to try anything new, so be it. But for the rest of you, no matter where you are on your journey be brave, be bold and don't let the opinion of Simon, Jim, or the Johanne's of the world be yours, please. 

If I had listened to many of the self-professed experts this whisky world has to offer, I know I would have missed out on some real gems in my lifetime. Don't get me wrong because they are certainly entitled to their opinions. My point is: so are you and the only way to make that opinion is to TRY THE WHISKY. 

So what will I say about the Founder's Reserve: In a head to head with the Glenlivet 12, I preferred it immensely over the 12. My confession: I don't like the 12, although we do have a bottle of it in the house I don't ever recall pouring myself a dram. I have never used it in a led tasting nor do I recall ever recommending it. It's there for when visiting friends who like it, can have it. 

The Founder's Reserve has been purchased and I will likely recommend it to friends for what it is: Tasty, balanced and a great example of an extremely affordable whisky that (again in my opinion) is done right. Will I even mention it's NAS? Not unless they ask because for me, in the event you didn't already notice -> It doesn't matter...

When the annoucement first came out I noticed many people freaking out and speculating that the NAS would be super expensive! WRONG....

Pernod Ricard is not going to charge you an arm and a leg for this bottle. It's actually going to be a few dollars cheaper than what the 12 is currently going for. Yes, you read correctly. On average, in Canada the 12 sells for about $46 whereas the Founder's Reserve is $2-3 cheaper.  

In conclusion, thanks very much to my friend for bringing me this bottle. She knows me well enough to know that I would appreciate having something different and that I wouldn't judge a whisky before trying it. As for the rest of you: You like the 12 because it's one of your staples? Great! Get out there and buy more, however I do hope will consider trying the Founder's Reserve. 

Either way, don't be blind or get led by hand by anyone. Put down the book, the blog, the forum. Pour yourself a dram and try the whisky for yourself then decide if it's worth buying.

MOE, CURLY AND LARRY GETTING LOST IN THE NAS NOISE??!

LASSIE

#C2CC twitter tastings are truly a Canadian experience

From the moment I opened my twitter account and started adding whisky people, I noticed there was something happening, mostly in the UK, called Twitter Tastings. I immediately started applying to be included, but alas I had the wrong postal code :(

So, in my usual well if I can't join them I'll do them myself style, that's exactly what I did.  I started contacting people across Canada (we drink lots of whisky too) and created a network of whisky imbibers from coast to coast. I dare say (with a bit of panache) that "we" cover 7,723km geographically so I'll start a rumor that we are the "largest" of the twitter tastings, hehehe....  Hence was born the hashtag #C2CC - Coast 2 Coast Canada.

I try to make our twitter tastings somewhat unique, something that will set us apart from the others and again, I'd like to think that we do that. We don't take ourselves too seriously most of the time and end up having quite a few good laughs, not to mention get to try some interesting drams.  So for our latest twitter tasting I put out a call for a competition and the goal was to crown "national" champions.  

Rules:

1. Teams of 2 or more to be submitted
2. Blind sample sent to each team member
3. Based on 10 questions (worth 100 points) guess what the whisky is.
4. Submit 1 team answer
5. Take part in the twitter conversation & reveal

Prize:  The pride of being called the Canadian National #C2CC Competition Champions for 2014, a couple of cheesy little trophies & a whisky bottle to share with the winning team.

I had 16 teams, a total of 42 people submit their information from the Yukon all the way to Nova Scotia. 

It was a huge undertaking but in the end as always, so very gratifying because people got to interact, imbibe, discuss & decide collaboratively what they thought they were nosing/tasting.  

The winners were a team of two from our country's capital of Ottawa:  Dan Davies & Emmett Hossack - Team Dram-atic Irony.  They were crowned national champions for 2014 and the province of Ontario gets to gloat for the next year that they have two of the best whisky noses/palates in Canada. WELL DONE!

Then in true Canadian style (we are all sooooooo wonderful over here, well except for Rob Ford - we apologize for that), I was contacted by the team and they did something great. They donated their "prize". The bottle I had chosen to test everyone was the Glenfiddich Distillery Edition 15 year old. So, to honour the fact that they almost scored 100% (they guessed the Solera) they requested that I ensure the prize (valued up to $100) would be donated to the Wounded Warriors Canada chapter. 

The organisations's motto is "Honour the fallen, help the living". One of the reasons we Canadians are so proud of being who we are is because of our kindness to each other. We are "good" people. :)

Unfortunately, many Canadian soldiers come back from their tour of duty alive but "broken" and in many cases are discharged from the military because they can no longer do their "job". I cannot imagine what some of these very brave people & their families must go through during and after the effects of war, military exercises or whatever else their tour of duty involves. I am thankful for organisations such as Wounded Warriors, they make a difference in many people's lives. I am also thankful that Glenfiddich is in partnership with this group and donates $2.00 for every bottle of Solera sold across Canada to Wounded Warriors. As of November of 2013, they had raised almost $150,000. 

Canadians... we are known for being unique & so kind, however I am always in awe & so thankful when I discover just how kind we can be.

I want to personally thank Dan & Emmett for donating their prize to this wonderful cause. I hope it reminds us all yet again how lovely each and every fiber of our #whiskyfabric can be. If you want to donate to the cause, please click here:

https://www.canadahelps.org/dn/15855

My hat is tipped to two fine gentlemen.  Thank you for making our #C2CC inaugural national competition even more memorable.  

Deepest respect and #whiskyfabric love, all the way from Saint John, New Brunswick

Johanne

First whisky reviews of 2014 - BLIND!

I decided to start off 2014 rather quietly, which was really nice. Here is it January 9th and already so many wonderful things have come my way. I also made a promise to a friend that his samples would be the first whiskies I reviewed for the year and so here are the first two. 

I have spoken before about the importance of doing blind tastings. For me it is a very good way to test your ability to trust your nose and palate. It's a great workout, you should try it! Don't worry about it, don't think you'll be embarassed, just do it!

So, my friend Dan D. (@Whisky_Yak) came to New Brunswick in 2013 so we made sure we would meet up. We had a great night at a local bar, just talked and shared a few whiskies. It truly is a fantastic thing to meet the people of the #whiskyfabric. Before he went on his way, we gave him a few special drams which he really enjoyed. I was surprised and excited when we received a little package from him of 4 whiskies, blind later on that summer. I placed them on the sample shelf for later... Well the next thing I knew it was December and those poor little samples were still sitting there. Ooopsy... Here we go! Although Dan sent me four very nice samples, I only reviewed two for now. Call me greedy, but I'll save the last two for some other time.  

Sample A. I knew nothing about it other than it was put in the bottle May 28, 2013. 

Color: Golden hay. Long skinny legs, very oily.

Nose: Harsh, industrial and smells like a new band-aid. Very spirited with not much of a personality, young, peated.

Palate: Even more harsh, lots of mouth burn, super bitter after taste. Hot, sour and compost!? Not enjoyable at all.

Finish: What finish? As my friend Stephanie would say it's "burny". That's about it, really has no distinct flavor profile.

I have a sneaking suspicion this is an Islay blend and a bad one in my personal opinion. It doesn't have much to offer on the nose and even less on the palate or finish other that hot young peat/organic. I guessed it's about 43% ABV. Also wrote down: I don't think I've ever had this before.

Sample B, Color: Very light, almost no color at all. It's almost a pale stream of yellow. Legs are long, skinny, fast running and plentiful. 

Nose: Golden Sultanas, very honeyed, a bit organic in nature (like a walk in the woods after a rain storm), dried hay, green apples (with a bit of water)

Palate: Sweet but quick to go to bitter grapefruit pith. A bit drying and tannic in nature. Long mouth burn on this one - Reminds me of when I was a child and I would put a handful of snow in my mouth. 

Finish: Not very long, a bit sweet with a peppery kick. I detect peat I think, but it's much more floral like heathered perhaps? I'm guessing 40-43% ABV and an NAS type whisky. 

I also wrote that I had tried this before or something similar from the distillery. I guessed Bruichladdich but not necessarily anything peated.


The reveals:

Sample A: Dun Bheagan 2002/2010, 43% ABV. 

Sample B: Robert Burns Single Malt, NAS, 40% ABV.

Well... I would say I was pretty accurate with the nose/tasting.  Nice to see the sniffer is still working. Going in blind is always an adventure in itself. I really enjoyed sample B and I'd probably buy it for my personal collection. Sample A, errrr... I will leave that one for the peat heads that like drinking the smoke & coke as I really was not a fan. 

Thanks Dan very much for the samples. I am super happy that they were my first whisky reviews for 2014.

Cheers all!

Johanne


   

Dram #11 for 2013 - The importance of blind tasting, thanks Jarred!

My lucky number!

In December of 2012 I shared a very special dram with a new twitter friend of mine: Jarred Lindale (@thecyclingyogi) from Toronto Canada. It was a multi-vintage Karuizawa Japanese Whisky (casks from 1981-1984). I think he enjoyed it as much as I did. My bottle is now empty :) 

So, it came as a total surprise when in February a "thank you package" mysteriously arrived. I opened it  and found nothing more but an unmarked little bottle that said: Drink me. Now some people might say: "Are you nuts? Throw that out!" I opened it and realized it was whisky. Totally perplexed I eventually tracked down that it was Jarred who was sending me a thank you dram, but it was to remain a mystery dram with me reporting back to him once I nosed/tasted.  

Courtesy of Gety Images

Blind tastings make some people really nervous. I for one tend to see it as a very positive experience because it forces me to have a completely open mind, there's no fancy bottle sitting in front of me and I focus on the nosing/tasting aspect. I also tend to be more in tune with my senses that way. 

Yes, it is HOT PINK!

On a cold February night, I fetched the little 50ml bottle and poured about half in a Glencairn. I grabbed my note book, my favorite pen and plunked myself down on the sofa. I let it breathe a bit while I went to grab some water and a blanket. I could smell the sample before I even picked it up. Intrigued, I pulled it closer to my nose. Wow... it was so inviting and I could smell that it was a lovely warming dram.

Here are that evening's notes:

Color: Golden yellow to amber'ish. Legs are thick, viscous and there's a small amount of beading (higher ABV?)

Nose: This is bourbon! Lots of sweet vanilla and caramel. My first thought was a spiced rum sort of smell? Very full bodied dram, buttery.

Palate: Very rich, sweet and beautiful mouthfeel. So creamy, like a vanilla pound cake. A bit of spice on the swallow... 

Finish: Sweet, still very mouthwatering, no hints of drying effect at all. Fairly long finish as well, stayed with me for quite some time.

I wrote down - I'd guess this is at 46% ABV, but I'm not that great at bourbons so I have no idea what it is.  

I contacted Jarred on twitter a little while later and after playing 20 questions I was dumbfounded to find out the dram was Eagle Rare 17 Year Old, 45% ABV.
I wrote:  WHOA!? when he told me because I had tried and reviewed the 10 year old in 2012. I did NOT like it and was actually sorry I had paid $50 for it. Now chances are had I been at a party and Jarred or anyone else offered me the Eagle Rare 17, I would have probably said: No thanks AND I know for a fact I would have never considered buying it for my collection. I stared in disbelief? Could two whiskies really be so different? I went downstairs and poured myself a bit of 10 to compare. 

The resounding answer: yes they can! I still don't like the 10 year old at all. It is still horrid, hot and bitter to me. I doubt I'd even be able to identify it's a bourbon in a blind taste test? So, I learned a really big lesson that night. One that will probably stay with me for life: Don't automatically assume that because you don't like a whisky, you won't like any of the other bottlings available. As a result of that lesson I have discovered many new whiskies I really enjoy.  

Unfortunately I have yet to buy a bottle of Eagle Rare 17, it's no longer available in Canada.  So it's on the list of whiskies that impressed me in 2013 and also a reminder that sometimes the good ones get away...

A huge thank you to Jarred for the fine lesson in the importance in blind samples.  :)


Join me tomorrow for dram #10... 


Lassie

Going in blind, torture for some... fun for others!

List of Lassie projects...

SHE SAID:  I knew 2013 was going to be a busy year for me from a whisky perspective.  I may have piled a little too much on that plate.  But... thankfully I am organized and one by one my whisky projects are being crossed off.  However in true Johanne style ideas continually pop into my head usually fueled by someone/something.  I love to run with scissors, errr I mean concepts... In December of 2012 I decided to be quite generous and gave away little prizes on Twitter.  One of my favorites was a sample of my Balcones.  A fairly new follower to me won it: @thecyclingyogi (Jarred) out of Toronto Canada.  I can't remember when he got to try it but seems to me he really enjoyed it and not long after in the new year I received a surprise package from Jarred. 

Ella, helping...

Funny how such a simple and unexpected act can make someone's day.  It was a 50ml bottle of "something".  No label, no letter, no hints.   I'm always up for a challenge and I think blind nosing can be fun if you simply roll with your thoughts and don't get too caught up in the pressure of guessing it "right".  I soon found myself sample bottle in hand, a Glencairn and my trusty neon pink note book and wrote my thoughts as they came.  A little later on, a great session of "20 questions" took place as a result of the sample.  The reveal blew me away and made me a convert to a whisky I would have probably "wrote off" due to a previous bad experience with a younger version.  As a thank you, I returned the favor and sent a surprise blind sample back.  Same game ensued:  Is it a Scotch?  Is it an Islay?  I think ABV is, etc...  until a correct guess or reveal.  And so it continued.  We've been sending each other blind samples ever since.  Unfortunately, I fell a bit behind lately and wasn't able to properly nose/sample anything for a few weeks so it was lovely to be able to start doing that again two Fridays ago.  I almost had to pace myself after being whisky free for the better part of 21 long days.  

from Jarred:  Drink me, I'm awesome!

So I did three blind samples over the course of this past week.  Two from Jarred and another sent by another member of the Whisky Fabric - Simon Seaton.  He and I bantered a bit over football teams back in January during the playoffs.  I'm a staunch fan of the New Englands PATS and he's a pretty big fan of the Texans.  Me and my big mouth bet that my PATS would trounce his team (which they did) and as a result of his very good nature I received a gorgeous sample of Hibiki 30 and two blinds.  (I love how generous whisky imbibers around the world are...)  Check out his blog here:
(http://www.somanywhiskies.com/).    

So here are four "blind" whiskies.  What I thought.... and the reveals.  Three out of four, ain't bad at all :)

Jarred, sample #1:

Color: Deep amber, almost orange.  Legs are viscous, thick and spaced out, also lots of beading (higher ABV perhaps?)

Nose: Banana bread right out of the oven, lots of sweet caramel and vanilla.  A Caribbean spiced rum comes to mind.  A bit of tobacco leaves maybe?  Very nice!

Palate: Creamy and so mouth watering!  Mouth feel is surprising.  More vanilla, rich pound cake, very buttery.  A bit of water brings out toffee apples.  

Finish: Sweet, long, smooth but goes to drying in nature.  Awesome from start to finish.

My guess was that it was a bourbon and I estimated about 46% ABV.  I didn't write down the questions I had asked Jarred to try and narrow it down, but I recall him giving me the exact ABV and a "bird" hint.  I was floored when I eventually guessed Eagle Rare.  I had tried/reviewed the 10 and was severely disappointed.  Talk about redeeming itself with this one.  I'd buy it in a heart beat.  It was one of the best bourbons I've had thus far.  Smooth, complex and tasty from start to finish.  DELISH!   

Reveal:  Eagle Rare 17 Year Old, 45% ABV.  Official notes: Nose - Dark candied fruit, cinnamon, cigar boxes.  Palate:  Delicate and drying.  Hints of leather, vanilla and tobacco. Finish: Lingering with hints of toffee.

Simon, mystery sample B

Color: Dark mahogany! Legs are very viscous and fat.  Sticks to glass like crazy.

Nose: Dark chocolate covered cherries, nutty, old leather, spicy like ginger snap cookies.

Palate: Drying in nature.  Spicy cake (like gingerbread), very full bodied and meaty.  A lot of dried fruits like figs, prunes, dates.  Nice mouth feel.

Finish: Medium, lingers for a few minutes.  A bit spicy and a touch of flint.  

My guess was that it was an older whisky but I didn't think the ABV was that high, maybe 46% or so.  Simon thought the whisky might be "off".  Although I tasted a bit of flint in the finish I found it to be quite pleasant and balancing in nature.

Reveal:  Karuizawa 1984 (28 yr old), 61.6% ABV, Sherry Butt 3692

Notes:  Nose - Raisins, wood, sherry, leather,  slight matchstick and earthy. Palate - Very oily, sherry notes, creamy and round.  Finish - Oak, smooth, red fruits, long and warm.

All I can say is thank you to Simon for sharing this dram with me.  I sent the other half of the sample to a friend for him to enjoy as well.  It retails for about $650.00  so hope you enjoy it as much as I did Jean François.

Jarred, Sample #2

Color:  Light amber (like a beer).  Legs plentiful, viscous and thin.

Nose:  Phenolic, not overly smoky more peaty in nature (earthy/salty). Solvent, acetone.  Heavy citrus, salt.  Slight floral and cooked cereal in the background.  A bit of petroleum type smell as it's left in the glass.

Palate: Bitter grapefruit pith, really find this one to be industrial in nature.  Mouth waters then dries immediately (ever have a mouthful of snow!?)

Finish:  Bitter, hot.  Drying, big mouthful of sand!  Smoke on the exhale, but not overwhelming.  Dryness stayed for a long time.  

Something unbalanced about the dram Nose - Palate - Finish.  It seemed to progressively get harsher?!   I guessed an ABV of about 46%.  

Reveal: Talisker 10, 45% ABV.   Are you shittin me?!!   My favorite distillery, but definitely not my favorite whisky.  Gob smacked again.

Official Notes: It's a smoky sweet single malt with a hint of sea salt and a warming, peppery finish.

Nice to know I'm consistent.  I have this whisky in my collection but don't drink it often, mostly offer it to friends or use it as an introduction for people curious about peat.

Jarred, Sample #3 (Drink me I'm awesome!!!)

Color: Dark rich yellow, golden hues.  Nice legs, plentiful and skinny in nature.

Nose: Huge spice ->  Cloves!!! Creamy rum raisin ice cream.  A bit of oak in the background, toffee pudding.  Pine needles - "foresty"?

Palate:  Mouth watering, viscous and sweet.  Just a bit of burn, very full bodied with caramel, sweet soft cinnamon and hot ginger. A bit of creosote in the back, reminds me of railway ties?

Finish:  A bit drying, oaky with a spiciness like hot tamales (from my youth).  Also get a bit of smoke on the exhale.  

I guessed something from the Speyside region or a "light" highland.  No clue other than I recognized the rum raisin quality.  I've had that in a few whiskies lately.  I guessed an ABV of about 43%.

Reveal:  Mackmyra Moment Medvind, 48.6% ABV  Stunned again!??  In the aftermath, the rum raisin ice cream should have been a dead give away.  I recognize now that's my "signature" tell for Mackmyra...  geez!

Official notes:  Nose - Rich, smoke, vanilla toffee with loads of dried fruit. Palate - Concentrated with sherry, dried fruit, soft oak and the smokiness of juniper, peat and tar.  Finish - Tar, spice and tobacco.

What a great whisky!  I WANT IT!!!  So now it's a quest to get it.  See what happens when people share their whiskies??  

So, what have I learned from all this.  Blind nosing/tasting is hard but fun.  There are so many great whiskies on the market and I can't think of too many people that would be able to guess every single whisky they are imbibing.  I like the  method I use to work my way through whiskies.  I'm confident in my nose/palate as well as my likes and dislikes. So, I may not guess what I'm drinking but if I compare what my notes are to those of the official or otherwise, I'm quite content I'm doing something right!  

The one lesson I take away from this and one that I'm sharing with you is DO IT!  Go blind, let someone pick a whisky for you and then simply enjoy trying to piece the puzzle together.   

I want to thank Jarred, Simon and all the other members of the #Whiskyfabric who play this game with me.  Let the numbered samples continue to come - the Lassie is ready!!!   

On the whisky trail, walking around with a blindfold sometimes (hehe), come join me if you dare...

Lassie