Diageo Special Releases - A Few Surprises?

Blimey, it doesn't seem that long ago since we were bringing you news and tasting notes on the last batch of these annual whiskies bought together by Diageo.  This time around, the company had taken over The Deck, an installation, which is part of the National Theatre, with impressive views across the Thames.

One previous criticism of these annual events is the fast pace of them -  just an hour and thirty minutes to try all eight whiskies, which, when you're dealing with releases of this magnitude really doesn't do them justice. This year, as the night closed in and the thames-side buildings started to light up, it was nice to sit down and really get to the bottom of these extraordinary whiskies properly...and this year, there were a LOT of surprises.

The whole collection, as with previous years, has a core of releases - namely the big guns of Brora, Port Ellen and Talisker, flanked by Caol Ila and a younger Lagavulin.  This year, they were also joined by a 21 year old Lagavulin, a 25 year old Dalwhinnie and a 30 year old Auchroisk -  with all eyes (and palates) feverish in anticipation of the Port Ellen and the older Laga.  With a huge buzz on both whiskies (A: because of the previously highly regarded Lagavulin 21yo release and  B: the high price of the Port Ellen (£600) ) it was no surprise that both tables where the whiskies were being poured were three-deep with writers and journos trying to grab a first taste.

To be honest, last year's Port Ellen 11th official release was one of the best whiskies we've ever tasted -  balanced, effortlessly complex and lacking any overly dry notes -  could the same be said about this one - the 12th? Hmmm.

Port Ellen - 12th Release - 32 year Old - 52.5% 2,964 bottles  - 1979 - RRP £600

Nose: Extremely coastal on the first nosing. Crab pots, old trawler rope and iodine, blend into some subtle vanilla, wet hay and a very light smoke -  off the bat, you'd be hard pressed to think this was a Port Ellen. The nose is very closed to begin with, giving up only hints of what is potentially on offer. With water, fresh cherries, more vanilla, some orange blossom and a touch of blackberry cordial.  

Palate: This is where the whisky falls down unfortunately. Initially, very dry and woody, with a sooty hit and blast of brine. The smoke starts to emerge, but where are all the wonderful chamois/jammy notes of old?  With water, the fruit starts to creep out of its shell, but it needs coaxing gently.  

Finish: Very dry and woody. 

Overall:  Not the best Port Ellen Special Release, that's for sure.  I was about to write this off as a bit of a duffer, until our good friend Stuart Robson from Connosr/Whisky Marketplace handed me his glass, which he'd been nursing for a good 20 minutes and bang- there were the classic notes -  tangerines, chamois leather and creamy vanilla/fondant.  The bottom line is that this isn't a duff whisky, by any stretch of the imagination, but compared to previous releases, it is a challenge. It doesn't deliver straight away and when it does deliver, the qualities are only a shadow of last year's release.  Not one on my list of essential purchases. 

Next up: Talisker's oldest ever release.  Would this one be heading in the same direction as the PE? Hope not.

Talisker- 35 Year Old - 54.6% - 3,090 bottles - American & European refill casks - 1977- RRP £525

Nose: Pure Talisker, straight out the blocks, but with some additional wisdom. Burnt bonfire, spiced apple, red chilli, a big woody note, copper coins and some cherry sherbet, all swaddled in some gloriously sweet, nutty smoke.  with a dash of water, a malty side develops (like Weetabix), with a more pronounced fruit note developing.

Palate: Smoky malt, some additional smoked meat, with sweet fragrant smoke, cherryade, fresh cream and vanilla.  Not at all tarred with the rigours of age, like the Port Ellen. With water, some egg custard notes emerge, spiced apple and soft peat, alongside more bonfire smoke and vanilla pipe tobacco. Complex and majestic.  

Finish: Drying wood notes, but with some lovely lingering smoke notes.

Overall:  Well, that's a relief.  This aged Talisker squarely knocks the Port Ellen off the perch as the dram to die for and is quite possibly one of the best Special Release Taliskers so far.  It begins to show its age with the woody notes on the finish, but is just the right side of wisdom vs senility. 

Following on from this elderly man of the sea, we segue neatly into the Brora.  

Brora - Special Release -  35 Years Old - 1976/1977 refill American Oak - 48.1% - 1,566 bottles £400

Nose: Wow! It's a Super-Clynelish!!  a very waxy entry, with bags of fresh fruit, perfume, citrus notes and vanilla custard. The wax is like a mature heather honey, sweet, rich and unctuous.  With water, the floral notes develop with fruit gums, a touch or fresh mint and a dusty, leathery note.  Aged, but quite, quite lovely. 

Palate: Subtle and engaging, with more waxy honey, some citrus blossom, a touch of wet hay and a soft peat.  Water brings out more of the fruit, the waxy honey getting more complex.  

Finish: Dry floral notes, with a touch of oakiness and a lingering smoke right on the back palate.

Overall:  Another excellent Brora release. Despite its age, this has defied descending into a woody abyss and the classic wax and fruit combo ensure there's plenty of life and complexity left in this.  Superb.  Compared to to the pricing of the Port Ellen and the Talisker, this is also looking like a bit of a bargain too. 

A quick whizz around the other tables gives us an over view on both the Lagavulins (we reviewed the 21yo fully here) and bloody excellent it is too, with smoky malt, classic Laga carbolic notes, alongside some drying sherry wood (£350) When you have a bench mark as good as the 16yo, it's tough to really shine and this 21yo manages to keep the doubters at bay. The 12yo (£71) continues very much in the rich vein of the previous year's releases, with a more vivid nose of raw peat, spirit, zesty limes and carbolic soap.  

Over on the Caol Ila table, the addition of sherry casks has changed the direction of the annual 'unpeated'  version of this Islay classic, now 14 years old. (£66)  Gone are the candy floss and lemon sherbets, replaced by a dryer wood note, some butterscotch, spiced apple and hot buttered toast.  Tasty, but I can't help but miss the Victorian sweetshop explosion of the previous years. 

The Dalwhinnie (25 years old, £185) rolls into town, full of dried ginger, vanilla, mint humbugs and a surprisingly big hit of clove, no doubt developing from the rejuvenated casks used in its maturation.  

The final whisky is a bit of a curved ball, but in all honesty, it's the best Special Release this year and a refreshing change from the obvious contenders such as the (disappointing) Port Ellen and the (excellent) Brora and Talisker.   Roll up your sleeves and get stuck into the Auchroisk... you'll not be disappointed...

Auchroisk - 30 Years Old - 1982 - American & European oak -  54.7% - 2,976 bottles - RRP £230

Nose: This absolutely sings, straight from the first nosing.  Water melon, candied peel, sweet tea, a slight emulsion note, spicy sherry oak and a hint of charred vanilla / coconut.  Open, direct and expressive. 

Palate: More sweetness, with candied cherries, a burst of fresh vanilla pods, mango, some PX style spiciness and a touch of drying American oak.  This is the sort of whisky that keeps evolving, first from the fresh fruit and sweetness, then into spicy, woody notes.  With water, the fruit gets more perfumed and a hint of creaminess develops, alongside orange zest, milky coffee and chewy toffee. 

Finish:  More of the lingering coffee and tropical fruit notes.

Overall:  What a welcome surprise.  This is a superb release, full of complex layers of fruit, spice and creaminess.  Whilst it won't come top on the diehard Islay/peat fans lists (which is a shame, as it kicks the arse of the Port Ellen, the Lagavulin and possibly even the Talisker) for those in search of something different, you'll be well rewarded here... and at £230, you could almost buy three bottles for the price of one Port Ellen.  Think about it. 

Down by the Loch's with my Friend Ballantine...

Well, the sun is still with us and it seems to make total sense to continue our recent foray into a few tasty and interesting blends. As well as experimenting with chilling a few things in the freezer (the sample of Johnnie Walker Gold was really nice, sipped from a chilled vodka 'flute') we've been going through a few decent blends that we should have reviewed earlier.

First up - something predominantly from the west coast. I first bought a bottle of this last year, on the splendid advice of Mr Swinfen at the Whisky Exchange (cheers Matt!) and have never looked back.

Campbeltown Loch 21 year old blended whisky, made by the folks at Springbank, actually has some seriously old whiskies thrown in- as rumour would have it- around 60%- and boy can you tell!

Campbeltown Loch - aged 21 years - 40% abv - 70 cl

Nose: Lots of plump, dried vine fruits and a wonderful waft of a Clynelish-like waxiness hit you straight away- and we're in...some perfumed notes, slightly wet wool (the Springbank making itself known) and fudge sundae's all coming to the fore. The grain is there, but doesn't dare overstep the mark, leaving you with plenty of expectation for the first sip....

Palate:...Which certainly continues where we left off! Lots of smooth, creamy fudge, but a fair amount of lavender like floralness, comb honey and the faintest hint of Fisherman's friend. Again, it's clear that the old Springbank/Longrow is there in droves really supporting the excellent balance this blend has.
Finish: Slightly rose like floral elements, and freshly cut apple slices combine to make a superb refreshing length, with a little post-palate ginger thrown in to inflame the mouth.

Overall: I'm onto my 2nd bottle of this and I often find that my whisky loving friends seem to gravitate towards it if they want something lighter than a single malt. Campbeltown Loch is a perfect choice if you want to get something truly decent in as a really solid, all-round blend.

Onto something now that I must confess, was one of the first whiskies I rather foolishly 'mistreated' at a friends wedding and ended up paying for it the day after.... hopefully it won't evoke the same nauseating memories this time around!

Ballantine's Very Old Scotch Whisky 17 year old - 43% abv - 70cl

I love the old fashioned feel of this bottle- its screw cap and crinkle cut label, remind me of just how timeless and enduring certain designs of whisky bottles have become. Anyway...

Nose: Much more closed than the Campbeltown Loch, you really have to work hard on the Ballantine's to unlock its contents. But when you do.... subtle ginger spices, pastry, a strange but appealing slightly floral 'powdery' note comes through, which takes me back to when you used to paint with those classic powder paints at school!!! Now there's an aroma I haven't nosed for a long time!! given a little time and some cloves become evident and some very lightweight cereal and hazelnuts.

Palate: A burst of rich honey, then toffee is the first noticeable flavour, but then we're into zesty orange, more sliced apple with a hint of chili and then milky chocolate. It's a really subtle blend, unlike some, which muscle in on the tastebuds for supremacy, this one allowing you time to contemplate just what's in there.

Finish: Milky coffee notes and a very warming, but dry note, like the taste of a good cigar, half way through smoking remain in the mouth for a very long time.

Overall: A radically different blend to the Campbeltown Loch- one feels bouncy and light, rather like taking a Spaniel for a woodland walk, the Ballantine's, those slightly laid back and refined moments of contemplation that one looks for after a hard day spent pottering around the antique shops in Windsor in your classic MGB. (certainly in my head anyway!!!)
Both these whiskies are a treat to the senses and we'd urge you to seek one or both out if your blended collection needs a new soul mate...

Oh... to be 21 again...

Just perusing the recent film releases for this easter and I keep coming across the fresh face of a polite and eager young American gentleman called Zachary Efron. His current feature film appears to revolve around an older and equally polite American gentleman, Matthew Perry realising his life didn't turn out quite how he wanted- and wishing he was a teenager again.
Through the magic of the wishing fairy (aka Hollywood) he miraculously awakes one morning as said teenager (Efron) and gets the chance to re-write his life.

Don't worry, you haven't come to the wrong page- this isn't an advert for what is probably a diabolical film, which clearly rips off the plot from Tom Hanks' excellent 'Big', albeit in reverse.

It's amusing however that the current trait of 'modern life' - be it with film or indeed philosophically, appears to have become a constant state of looking back and wishing for what we don't have now, or wanting to change the very essence who we are.

I turn a youthful 34 this year (Joel is turning an even more youthful 30!!) and films like this don't make much sense to me at all. Looking forward is infinitely more exciting - and that fuzzy, tingling sense of trepidation about what's going to happen in life is far greater a thrill than dwelling on what might have been.

Still, thinking back to when I first first got into malt whisky, I was 21 and full of enthusiasm about a subject I knew nothing about, but passionate to learn as much as I could. Back then, I looked forward to a time when I could confidently visit my 'malt memory-banks' and recall a particular dram that totally knocked my socks clean off. 13 years later, i'm slowly getting there- and still have that same hunger to keep learning and filing away those great malt memories...hopefully this will never change!

So time to add another to the collection and ironically, this one happens to be a 21 year old.

Balvenie isn't a distillery I have had huge experience with, but this expression is a belter...

Balvenie 21 year old- Port Wood Finish - 40% vol - 70cl

Nose: An intense waxy note jumps straight out at you, rather reminiscent of an old Clynelish and undoubtedly, one of my favourite aromas in a whisky !! This is followed up by a zesty whiff of stewed oranges, dried figs, some lighter florals and old wood. The malt memory-bank is soaking it all up like a whisky filled sponge...

Palate: Sweet dried fruit (like raisins and apricots covered in honey) is the first flavour to arrive - and it's delightful, followed by a very natural tasting home-made marzipan nuttiness. It tastes fresh and vibrant, yet balances this with a real elegance, which only a well matured whisky can. Rich malty notes start to develop as the whisky gets between your teeth and spreads across the tongue. Superb.

Finish: A touch of pepper, leading into traces of that zest and waxiness. Lingering and brilliantly crafted.

Overall: Isn't it great when you find a whisky which you have no preconceptions about and it just totally delivers, without any hint of a fanfare or hype. This really did surprise and delight me, which I imagine, probably wouldn't happen with Mr Efron's new feature film, but I shall remain the optimist and open minded!

Here's to the future and more of life's great discoveries!

12 steps to Lagaluv'in....

Well, we're not far off the BiG announcement now and us Caskstrengther's are getting frisky with the thought of selecting a superstar dram. We've really had a tricky job over the past couple of weeks in whittling the short list to only 10 top drams- thanks to everyone who sent us their suggestions, we wish we could put them all in, but then, the list would be truly endless !!

So, in keeping with our last posts, here's another cracker for you which has made the final 10 - the awesome Lagavulin 12 year old- 2008 edition.

Lagavulin 12 year old - 2008 edition - 56.4% - 70cl -

Nose: Classic, peerless Islay aromas- zesty, big bold peat, coal tar soap, Earl Grey, Lapsang Souchong, sweet cure bacon, sizzling on a wood-fired stove and classic Laga' grit. Sensational.

Palate: Superb mouth feel, oily, rich and unctious. Initial sweetness leads into more of that coal tar soap, then back to sweetness (Cadburys Creme Egg fondant). There's so much going on that you literally can't wait to get another mouthful. A cornucopia of flavour.

Finish: As the sweetness dies away, a slight wine note comes through and layers of warming peaty goodness.

Overall: We recently gave the Feis Ile Lagavulin a stonking review, which is bottled at 15 years. The 16 year old and the awesome 21 year old also knocked us dead... now this just adds to Lagavulin's astonishing portfolio of great spirit. As with the other 12 year old bottlings of the last few years, this is a fairly limited run, so we recommend you grab one asap, crack it open and share it out on the cold and frosty nights we're inevitably in for. It will undoubtedly brighten your lives.