Burns Night Bonanza...

"Oh Whisky! soul o' plays and' pranks!

Accept a bardie's gratefu' thanks!

When wanting thee, what tuneless eranks

are my poor verses!

Though comes - they rattle i' their ranks

At ither's arses!"

Robert Burns: 1759- 1796

Whisky lovers! our spiritual evening of merriment is almost upon us and cometh the hour for sitting down with friends & loved ones for a dram of your finest to accompany the most Scottish of all dishes: the humble Haggis.

This Burns night, I find myself somewhat pre-disposed, out of reach of a good bottling and unfortunately lacking in any Scottish delicacies.  But before I start recounting some of Burns' most heart-wrenching couplets to convey my misery- all is not lost!

Last Friday, I had the foresight to plan a Pre-Burns Night, evening with several close friends. 

A classic MacSween Haggis was purchased and a wonderful creamy mix of 'Neeps & 'Tatties prepared.  Someone even concocted an edible shrine to all things Scottish (see above) and had provided a proper send off for the Haggis, in the shape of The Royal Scots Dragoon Guard ceremonial band! (well, not the whole company, just one of 'em...)

The conversation quickly turned to which whisky would be the perfect liquid accompaniment... which ended up taking up a larger part of the evening than planned!  

Our fact-finding  took us the length and breadth of Scotland, with a little bit of a curved ball thrown in for good measure.  Below are our recommendations if you're planning on matching a cracking dram with your Haggi (is there a plural for Haggis?)

1. SMWS bottling 26.57 - 'An Absolute Cracker' - 55.4 % vol: This is a really superb dram and its waxy, zesty elegance worked really well with the spiciness of the meat and sweetness of the 'Neeps & 'Tatties.  Old Clynelish and (if you have some) Brora seem to have that special something when it comes to matching with well-flavoured meats...

2. Lagavulin - Distiller's Edition release 1990 - 43% vol: In the past, I have tried highly peated whiskies with Haggis and they just overpower the flavour completely and add a real sour note to the meal... This expression gets round the problem and the rich sweetness of the sherry finish takes the edge off that classic Laga' grit and grime, to meld mouthfuls of meaty delight!

3. Ardbeg Uigeadail - 54.2 % vol: Another bottling which balances the peat with some decent sherried notes.  Unfortunately, my bottle is a little old now and it didn't stand up as well as the Laga' or Clynelish, but that said, a fresh bottle would be an excellent choice for tonight's festivities.

4. Highland Park 18 yo - 43% vol: The sweetest and perhaps most lightweight of the bunch, with layers of honey, spice and orchard fruits.  This combined well with the savoury spice of the Haggis and brightened up the palate a little for our desserts (a devastating bowl of fresh Cranachan!)

5: The curved ball.... er..ok, here goes... Karuizawa Cask 3397 - Distilled 1988- Bottled 2007- 59.8% vol:  Sacrilege!!!  A Japanese whisky with Haggis?! on Burns Night??... Yes, shoot the messengers- we confess all!  it had to be tried at least and... it worked sensationally!!  The mossy, mustiness of damp forest floors and massive meaty sherried palate complimented the meal with total aplomb.  

Somewhat controversial, but let's hear it for equality!  All in all, a fine portfolio of five festive drams that we urge you to try tonight. If you haven't any of these, then go freestyle and find your own top match- the overall finding was that a balance between peat, sherry, sweetness and spicy clout seemed to work best.  

~Slainte!!

  

Nature/Nurture- The Japanese way

Two days away from Christmas and fortunately, our spending spree is complete (save for that trip to the appalling 'Uniqlo' to purchase some garish looking 'Heat Tec' under-garments for my niece...nice...)

2008 has been a tough year for most people, but let's smile, turn our back on ill-feeling/ the 'recession' and embrace 2009 like a welcome hug from a loved one... now is certainly not the time for crying into first class drams!

The last month or so has given us at Caskstrength time to reflect on just what a spectacular year it has been for whisky. Some sensational releases all over the world - many included in our own 'Best in Glass' awards. In the final part of our Japanese whisky month, we've got another couple of crackers for you- a tasty 80's vintage from the house of Kariuzawa and the some newborn spirit distilled at the brand new Chichibu.

following on from the recent trio of great Kariuzawa single casks comes number 3397- distilled in 1998 and bottled last year. will this one round off a perfect year for the now closed distillery? let's see...

Karuizawa Distillery - Cask 3397 - Distilled 1998 - Bottled 2007 - 59.8% -

Nose: The classic mix we've come to associate with aged Karuizawa is immediately apparent- mustiness, old books, forest floors, slightly burnt sugar and a Vermouth'y aromatic note. Give it a little time and a light fruitiness (stewed rhubarb) emerges, and a musky but vegetive rounding off an extremely pleasant and welcoming aroma. With a little water, the musky note develops into something more meaty, with almost hints of roast lamb.

Palate: Ooh... super sweetness, like a very milky mocha with about 10 teaspoons of rich demerera sugar. The sort of thing you covet on your regular visit to the local cafe, but end up coming out with a curdled and overpriced smootie. As with the Karuizawa 1971, this is strong stuff at nearly 60% but oh, so drinkable. Lovely sherbet notes come through as it enters the finishing straight.

Finish: Drying oak, less depth and length than the prize winning 1971, but hints of that sweetness and an aromatic, almost bamboo shoot freshness to it.

Overall: Another corker from this majestic distillery. Sadly closed now, but as our interview with Marcin Miller recently observed, there are still a large number of casks just waiting to be discovered. We'll be at the front of the queue, rest assured.

Next up- The first born spirit, from the virginal Chichibu distillery... doesn't this seem strangely fitting, given the time of year??!!

Chichibu - Ichiro's Malt - Cask 126 - distilled and bottled mid 2008- 62%

Nose: Cor! as diametrically opposite to the Karuizawa above as you could get... Feinty, sweet, candifloss, like a rich caramel ice cream sundae, topped with crushed nuts. Dig deeper and you'll start to notice a slight comparison with the older Japanese single malts - a mossy tang and almost juniper freshness.

Palate: HUGE cereal hits you here- and I mean HUGE- like a classy Muesli. Honey covered oats, big, juicy dried fruits and malty goodness. Pour this on your morning breakfast for the ultimate AM zing... (note- please don't even contemplate this- not even if you buy that stupidly expensive GM-free 'Rude Health Muesli' from Sainsburys... Sensible Ed.) At this age, there really isn't anything else in the mix, but it promises to something very, very exciting indeed.

Finish: More cereal and a spirity freshness, as you'd hope for from a quality new-make. I enjoyed this in the same way I did the first time Caskstrength experienced Kilchoman's new- make, or the Bruichladdich X4+1 albeit without the huge, fresh swathe of peat.

Overall: Keep watching this distillery. Ichiro Akuto is a proven master of distillation, with a background spanning 21 generations of supreme skill and innovation from sake to single malt. We look forward to tasting this after some time in a quality cask....