Lassie's top 12 countdown for 2016, TOP 3 - Must have bottles!

I've often heard many whisky enthusiasts say: "I'm not allowed to buy anymore whisky until I get rid of a few bottles" or "My wife says I'm not allowed to build a bigger storage area". I have to say that having a partner who is just as passionate as I am leads us completely down the other path. I look at Graham and say: "There's no more room in my bookshelf". He scratches his head and builds me shelves. He looks at me while we are on vacation and says: "Do we want this bottle", and I don't even look over. "You want it, get it".  You can see the dilemma right? There is... NO VOICE OF REASON! 

Now mind you we do try to have limits (try...) so our spending habits have changed slightly in the last few years. We are more selective with our whisky purchases and have many less bottles open then we did 5 years ago. Looking back at 2016 and what we bought, I was quite satisfied with our choices and only had one small disappointment overall. Not bad, I say...  

As mentioned in a previous post when tasting the whiskies in the advent calendar, I knew I was going to be in trouble and promised myself I would limit my purchases to 3. Many of whiskies in the Secret Spirits calendar were pretty stellar but I managed to narrow it down to the ones I really wanted a full bottle of. Wemyss Marmalade Appeal, Glenrothes 27 year old. 

Number 3 on my top 12 of 2016 easily slides into this position for two reasons:

1. These bottles are rarely available in Canada and I usually have to wait until a trip to Scotland or the kindness of #whiskyfabric to get these, so I'm super excited to have this one in our collection.

2. This whisky was truly a stellar dram and next to Velvet Fig (which I miss very much), this is the best of the Wemyss Malts I've ever tried. 

Serge Valentin (Malt Maniacs) as well as www.whiskyfun.com rates this particular bottling 4 stars. (I highly respect his opinion).

My review was here as part of the advent fun I participated in:

http://whiskylassie.blogspot.ca/2016/12/day-21-wemyss-glenrothes-27-year-old.html


Whiskies that make the "world" stop for a few minutes are a rarity. I come across these every once and awhile and absolutely cherish them. There were very few bottles of this Wemyss (688 I believe)... and I consider myself extremely lucky to be getting one. 

To Emma, Karen, Jacqueline, Ginny, and the rest of the team that works extremely hard at Wemyss Malts: Keep up the good work. Every whisky enthusiast should be so lucky to own a few good bottles from this independent company. 

Cheers!

Lassie

Lassie's top 12 countdown of 2016 - Number 5, well worth the hype?!

After seeing Rogue One last week, I have to admit I wasn't overly impressed. Cue diving into the camera in slow motion while massive explosions go on, cue the sappy heart string music when Jyn's father dies in her arms. Well, at least she got 10 seconds with him after not seeing him in 16 years. Bla bla bla... Hollywood has ruined so many movies for me these last few years.

Many whisky enthusiasts will tell you that Marketing bullshit was likely just as rampant in 2016. In some cases I would say they were well justified so when Diageo came out with Lagavulin 8 for the 200th anniversary of the distillery, I'm sure a few people rolled their eyes as the marketing team gushed how Alfred Barnard had enjoyed an "exceptional 8 year old" back in 1880 something or other. Of course, others immediately started to complain about the price as well. Me, well... I'm about trying it at least and then making my decision on whether or not what is inside the bottle is worth the money. But, that's me ;)

I landed in London on April 22nd and went directly to my "big brother" Dave's house. After a short nap, a huge feast thanks to Kiat (MY GOD THAT WOMAN CAN COOK!?!), we settled in for a few drams, a proper catch up and a game plan for the next couple of days. When Dave asked what whiskies I wanted to ensure I bring home, first on my list to try and then buy if I liked it was the Lagavulin 8. Try and buy I DID! I didn't open it until June, after I got home where we brought it down to the boat. It was gone by August 1st. IT IS... that good. I want you to also consider the fact that we don't usually drink peated whiskies in the summer either.

Lagavulin 8 year old, 200th anniversary edition bottled at 48% ABV. 

Colour: Barely there, wisp of yellow

Nose: Delicate but the style of Lagavulin is there. More soft on the vanilla and hardly any cereal notes. The peat is not overly aggressive (that was my fear). After it sits in the glass for a few minutes, unripened pears or bananas. There's a bit of "green" in there but it's not unpleasant.

Palate: Alive! This is where the peat comes in. It's organic though, not overly smoky. It reminds me of a wet forest - damp earth and moss. A bit more time in the glass and it does become a bit more shortbread "cooky'ish".  Very nice, oily/buttery.

Finish: Eucalyptus, gingery with smoky overtones. Sweet, peat reek!  Lovely.

OF COURSE WITH LOBSTER!!

We made sure to share this with as many friends as we could over the 2 months we drank it and when it finally made its way to Canada in November, there was a lineup to get a bottle. Luckily, we got ours and it's now safely sitting in the collection. My only regret: Not getting 2, because here in my province it's already all gone....


Highly recommend getting a bottle of this if you haven't already. It may be Lagavulin 16's little brother but my goodness how I wish they would consider keeping this one in their regular line up because this is another Lagavulin done right.


Cheers,

Lassie 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Color: Dark and old mahogany furniture.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh my goodness I almost forgot Jonathan!!!

www.singlemalting.com

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

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

Johanne

Day 24, Lassie gets two great gifts

DAY 24!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay tuned for the LAST reveal tomorrow....  

Merry Christmas my lovely whiskyfabric friends!

Lassie

Day 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

Day 19 - SAMAROLI!!! 20 year old for me and Marko!

Ugh... Monday. I can do this, I think to myself as the 6:15am alarm goes off. The reality is, I'm so tired today. But, I know my little advent calendar is calling to me so I muster getting my slippers on and make my way down the cold dark hallway. Flipped on the light (Good Lord that's bright) and squinted my way over the table. I poke my finger through #19 and the reveal is yet another Samaroli, holy wow... I'm really feeling quite lucky now. I skip up the stairs and proudly display to Graham my spoils! "Oh nice!" he says as he admires the bottle. "Did you see what this is, it's two casks: One from Miltonduff and the other from Tormore blended together". Now, I had something to look forward to for the rest of the day!

It was a hellish day at the office, people are trying to get too much done before the holidays and many were "cranky", including me by 5:00pm. Once home though, in the comfort of my own home, the pants come off and I relax (I put PJ's on!!!). I sat in my arm chair and poured myself day 19. As I nosed the lovely elixir, I browsed social media and started a conversation with my friend Marko. I sent him a photo of what whisky I was enjoying and he did the same. Just so happens, it was the same one! I asked if he wanted to help me write about this whisky today and he said YES!  So away we went, sharing day 19 together, nosing/tasting, making notes even though we live almost 2 hours apart. 

Samaroli 1995 Samaroli Spey 20 year old, 45.0% ABV. Cask #2845 Miltonduff & #20267 Tormore

Marko was sitting in his home office listening to some of his favourite music. I was already on the nose at that point so that's where we started comparing notes.

Colour: A lovely Chablis, again another light coloured whisky

Nose, Marko: Floral to which his wife helped him discover which one: Lavender. Bang! It's Lavendar with a little citrus but not a really pungent citrus, a little bitterness and a hint of vanilla.  Lassie: I had a lavendar scented vanilla creme brulee once that reminds me of this...

Palate, Marko: Sweet, creamy, vanilla cake or maybe vanilla cream or maybe a combination of both! Delicious, delicious... A lovely Speyside, yes. Lassie: I'm getting a bit of key lime pie with fresh whipped cream, it's sweet but tart, it's got a zesty and zingy feel to it but it's also creamy. (This is a complex dram indeed!)

Finish, Marko: There is the citrus/lime again with a little bitterness again. Wow. Simply wow. Lassie: A bit of a sweet minty aftertaste, it's delicate but lovely indeed.

Overall Marko thought this was a very well balanced dram, it wasn't too dry and didn't seem to have too much influence from the oak. He really loved it and would buy a bottle if he could find it.

Overall I felt this was a very enjoyable dram and the Samaroli's are bang on in this calendar. Every single one has been impressive.It's interesting to see how they chose two different types of barrels and blended them to create something quite unique. I can't help but wonder if this is common for some independent bottlers?

It was not only a great whisky but a fantastic way to share a dram with a good friend. It made my day so thank you Marko!  

You can always go and check what Jonathan thought today by clicking here: www.singlemalting.com

With 6 days left, what will come up next! 

Thanks for sticking around so far. See you all tomorrow

Lassie 

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

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

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

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

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

Colour: The last of the summer hay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lassie

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheers lovely #whiskyfabric

Lassie

Day 11, peat, Peat, PEEEEEAT!

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

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

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

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

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

Wemyss Malts Kiln Embers, 46% ABV blended malt

Colour: Lovely 14K gold, plain and simple

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

cheers,

Lassie

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

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