For Peat's Sake

Damn it. The sun is shining outside, it's Good Friday, I've already consigned a wheelbarrow full or junk from the house to the garage and it's not even lunchtime yet.

But whilst I would usually use this quiet time of reflection, pre-fry up, to consume something a little lighter in weight, say a cup of Earl Grey tea, or maybe if i'm feeling daring, a lively Bloody Mary, a particular bottle has been sat at my desk for the past two weeks and it's high time I reviewed it.

The bottle in question is called Peat's Beast. According to the bottle, it is 'an intensely peated single malt Scotch whisky, un-chill filtered, as it should be' and is also 'a ferociously full-bodied single malt packed with a big bite of untamed peatiness.'

OK, so we've got one thing straight- it's a peated whisky. Its age and origin are unknown and apart from the wonderful Gerald Scarfe-esque illustration on the label, there is little information to hand, other than it is very light in colour.

The sun is still brilliant outside and before i've even uncorked the bottle, the house has just become very smoky, due to my neighbours having a small (yet unnervingly unruly) garden fire, so not the best of circumstances to try this beast. But whilst most of South London wash their cars or listlessly push hover mowers over their unkempt lawns, which is the usual Good Friday practice, i'm going to scale a peaty precipice - or something like that.

Peat's Beast - 46%

Nose: Bung cloth, moist oaky staves (like sticking your nose in a fairly used Hogshead), some dry sherry, spent matches, cream sofa and a hint of wood smoke. Dig a little deeper and some smoky bacon notes emerge, but it is not as ferocious as some of the big hitting Islay monsters, such as Ardbeg's Supernova, or Bruichladdich's Octomore. In fact, rather than a roaring fire, it is more like the dampened embers of a bonfire the day after a rain soaked firework display.

Palate: What the nose lacks by way of peat, the palate comes up with . It is youthful, harsh, aggressive peat smoke at first, not oily on the palate, but quite thin. There is also a huge dusting of white pepper, malted chocolate, some musty, mossy notes and then a little sweetened apple juice on the death. A little unbalanced, but peaty nonetheless.

Finish: The smoke lingers for a while, replaced with more peppery notes, dying down and leaving more of that burnt bonfire aroma/flavour in the mouth, like you've just gulped down some smoky-but-moist November air.

Overall: Peat's Beast may not be the big hitter you're looking for- if - and I repeat, if you are already an aficionado of big peaty whiskies, but to the uninitiated, this will certainly do the trick. In the arena of big-tottin' peated bottlings, Douglas Laing's Big Peat probably goes that extra yard in the smokestack stakes, but in my opinion, both pale into the background compared to Compass Box's Peat Monster, which has an additional complexity underneath all that smokiness.

Think i'll go off to enjoy a glass of light and refreshing Rosebank in the garden now... Oh, no.. wait...

Off The Rails...

Anticipation is a cruel and fickle mistress.
She has the ability to turn even the most ardent of stiff upper lips and steely resolves to a mushy, quivering puddle of over-excitement.

We're all guilty of being heavily seduced by anticipation fever, or 'Hype' as it is sometimes known.

In our other line of work, both Joel and I have been party to some of the most hyped up bands in the last few years- and yes, on occasion, we too have been sucked along for the ride.

Anyone remember these fresh-faced indie boys?


Menswe@r

Around 1994, this collection of chisel-jawed clothes horses were the band name on everyones lips. Before they had even released a single record, Menswe@r appeared on the cover of Melody Maker magazine. They assured us they were going to restore the grand and noble fortunes of the British music business around the world, despite only ever previously performing together 2 or 3 times and possessing less than a handful of tunes. Everyone got suckered in and they signed a HUGE deal (one of the biggest in modern memory)

And?

Nothing happened.

The buzz pretty much killed off the band, who clearly couldn't deliver under the weight of such lofty expectations.

Whisky is a cruel and fickle mistress.
She has the ability to turn even the most ardent of stiff upper lips and steely resolves to a mushy, quivering puddle of over excitem....

Ok. You get where this is going.

Today sees the release of probably this years most anticipated bottling and it's still only February. No doubt every Islay fan around the globe will have seen the recent online excitement over Ardbeg's newest committee release, Rollercoaster.

The tantalising countdown on the website was clever, helping to whip us all up into a frothing frenzy. A lot of this frenzy is based on the previous releases of Corryvreckan, and last years Supernova, which of course were absolutely wonderful whiskies. A new committee bottling stands for something- it's a benchmark of quality that will be judged by thousands of peat freaks from Calgary to Copenhagen. It also immediately gives the bottling an air of exclusivity, which the hoovers out there delight in. (Last year, a bottle of Committee Supernova was offered for Ebay auction BEFORE it had been released or the order secured by the unscrupulous seller)

Hats off to Ardbeg with this release though. The pricing is competitive and the out-turn is the biggest yet, allowing the many thousands of committee members a greater chance to grab one, which was heavily criticised last time. It's also one in the eye for the hoovers.
But the hype still lingers around the release. Is it really going to be a cracker?

Well, last week, we got to try it.

Would it manage to deliver like previous the committee bottlings, or would the massive weight of online expectation which has grown around the release devour any promise, like the ill-fated Menswe@r?

Buckle up... we're starting the slow, nerve jangling ascent....

Ardbeg Rollercoaster - Limited Committee Release - 57.3% - 70cl

Nose: Hot rubber, a big hit of malt vinegar, briney coastline, smoked meat (pastrami?) and some soot with a hint of mossy/mustiness. Hmmm. That vinegar is a tad off putting at first. Not bad though. With water, some more soot and very young peat starts to emerge.

Palate: Hot and spicy, with some sweet licorice coming through immediately- palate tingling. Again, this is clearly a predominantly youthful whisky. With water it grows in flavour, becoming peppery and slightly aniseedy, with a thin mouthfeel.

Finish: A very briney and short finish. This is all fanfare, but without much of a coda.

Overall: We love young whiskies here as those of you know, who saw us award Kilchoman's inaugural 3 year old release our 2009 BIG Award.

But I just don't feel that excited here i'm afraid. Compared to Corryvreckan and Supernova, (which were tasted alongside this too), it just falls a bit short. It has some balls, some grit and a little character, but it isn't that developed enough to make me grin from ear to ear. It isn't a massive disappointment, just not what Ardbeg committee bottlings have previously delivered... and that is a shame.

For those of you who missed out, don't start phoning the Samaritan's just yet...

...And The Peat Goes On...

Continuing our informal 'peat month', in which we've seen reviews of Ardbeg Supernova, Bruichladdich Octomore and 'Futures' - we bring you the 4th installment in our peated odyssey -  AR1 from Speciality Drink's 'Elements Of Islay' range.  

For those of you who aren't familiar with these bottling's, they have set the bench mark in innovative bottle design, with their simple but effective labels, mimicking the type you would see on a chemists shelf, far from the traditionally stocked shelves of the local whisky merchant. 

But design aside- is the whisky any good?  Supernova was a head-and-heart warming dram and put a smile on our faces.  Octomore was a brash and stupendously peaty whisky, but lacked the refinements to make it a seriously great drinker. The Octomore Futures faired much better with refreshing floral and fruit elements.

The strength of the AR1 is practically identical to the the Supernova at 58.7% so we have high hopes it will also retain a similar, yet rich mouth feel...

Ardbeg AR1 - Elements Of Islay range - 58.7% - 50cl

Nose: Butter butter and more butter, with a side order of butterscotch.  Like the Supernova, there is some initial banana notes (Nesquik milkshake mix), Werther's Original's and sweet marzipan.  With a little water, the glass gives you an almost gas fire warming note and hints of medicinal bandages. 

Palate: The mouth feel is immediately hot and hugely powerful, with dominating notes of anise, spearmint and chillies.  With the addition of water, more delicate cereal notes come through, which blend extremely well with a wonderful sweet peat. The water also gives you a superb rich quality, which is very similar to the Supernova.

Finish: There is a lingering swimming pool note which prevails alongside the peat.  Very long and bold, certainly youthful, but nonetheless enjoyable.

Overall:  This is the first bottling from the Elements Of Islay range I have tasted and it was a really enjoyable dram.  It has a youthful quality which is brash at times, but the superbly rich mouth feel gives it a definite edge of classiness.  Stay tuned for tasting notes on the other bottlings from Caol Ila and Laphroaig.

The Future's Bright... The Future's 'Laddich!

Ever felt slightly caught out when trying a new whisky? These days, it's very easy to be swept away with the advertising puff or nostalgic rhetoric which seems to accompany many new releases. Bruichladdich have been no strangers to causing a stir with their new releases. Some have met with wide-spread acclaim, whilst others have been met with mixed feelings - the recent Octomore being no exception.

We recently did a side-by-side tasting of Bruichladdich's peated monster and Ardbeg's Supernova, which was a tough battle. whilst the Ardbeg probably won our hearts, the Octomore won the taste test and was clearly a supremely good whisky, peated to high heaven and in our opinion, unfairly criticised by some drinkers.

This brings on to the Octomore Futures release. bought to life in October 2002, just 800 cases of this, the first super-peated Bruichladdich were released rather unexpectedly late in 2oo8 and of course, sold out immediately. We've read a couple of slightly disappointed reviews, saying it was possibly bottled too early, so when we got to try some recently we wanted to see what all the fuss was about.

Octomore Futures - Distilled 16th October 2002 - Bottled April 2008 - 46% abv - 80.5 ppm

Nose: Very floral. A lot less islay and more lowlands, with big hints of heather, lavender, butter and cinnamon. A touch of banana in there too. Vanilla and then the peat. Beautifully subtle peat. Lovely.

Palate: There is an initial hit of fire (hot coals) which gives way to strawberry jam, warm summer fruit crumble and open wood fires.

Finish: Burnt sugar, red jams and more of the coal dust. Long.

Overall: No need for water as it is only 46% and at 80 ppm peating, it gives plenty of room for the actual flavour of the whisky to rush to the fore. This is delicious. Hands up, one of the most interesting drams we've tried in this year. Everything you want: delicate peat and tons of summer fruits.

There are undoubtedly young elements to this bottling, which will rub some drinkers up the wrong way, but to our palates it stands up admirably. It will be interesting to see what a more mature cask tastes like- and hopefully there will be further opportunities for this whisky to develop and shine. All in all, the future looks bright indeed.

Rumble in the Jungle! (well... Penge actually...)

"IN THE REEEEEEEED CORNER....!! THE SOUTH SHORE SLASHER!!... THE PEATED POUNDER FROM ARDBEG. WEIGHING IN AT 100 PPM- SUPERNOVA"

"...AND IN THE BLUUUUUUUUUE CORNER...!! THE RASCAL FROM THE RHINNS!!... THE SMOKY SMASHER FROM BRUICHLADDICH. WEIGHING IN AT 131 PPM - OCTOMORE"

Imagine the scene. Boxing legend Don King, enters the ring, at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas.

The mood is very tense. Everyone is out in force to see this one.
Even the Beckham's are taking a night off prancing around Hollywood to take ring-side seats for 'THE' Battle Royale.

Two, dressing gown clad bottles slowly start to warm up, remove their capsules and menacingly stare at each other eyeball to eyeball. Tonight, there will be only one winner. Take no prisoners. The title of UNDISPUTED PEATED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD is about to start!!!

Well, that's what would happen if we have more than a budget of £2.50.

The title of 'most peated whisky' probably deserves to be slugged out in better surroundings, rather than a hastily assembled ring on a suburban dining room table, but it was all we had- and to be honest, it was all we needed.

So much has been written and argued about both Supernova and Octomore on every blog/forum and whisky bar from Portsmouth to Port Ellen. We thought it was high time to find out pound-for-pound or 'peat-for-peat' who would come out on top...

SECONDS OUT! ROUND ONE!!

Ardbeg Supernova- 58.9% abv - 70cl - 100 PPM - NAS

Nose: Here it comes- the haymaker to the schnozzle, surely a knockout blow... only it isn't! First whiff is actually something a lot more unexpected. Bananas.!? more precisely, smoked bananas, cooking softly and slowly on a whisky-fuelled log fire. It is really rather lovely, soft and unexpected. Then it hits you. Young, woody smoky peat, nothing medicinal, but it keeps on coming- and it's good. big dark chocolate notes also come through and all I could think of was that slow cooked banana in foil, covered with cocoa. Mmmmm.

Palate: Again, softness! then some sherbet turns up. Not at all aggressive, but certainly feisty and very deeeeep. The peat is sweet and smoky. Intense, but not loud and brash. Like Anthony Hopkins in 'Silence of the Lambs'. No need for shouting, when you can be as eloquently menacing as this.

Finish: As you'd expect - the length is ...well... very long. Peat, into wood smoke, into softer embers, like a dying fire. Great stuff.

Overall: On any other occasion, this would be impossible to follow, the palate is coated and your senses are blasted. The peat is undoubtedly there in droves, but it somehow manages to keep it in check, whilst providing so much more.

Step forward the other contender. Will it take a walloping, or will it 'do a Rocky' and come through, the Hollywood hero?

Octomore: - 63.5% abv - 70cl - 131 PPM - 5 year old

Nose: Wow - this is strong. There's a lot more spirit influence there, but clearly it's a more powerful whisky than the Ardbeg. Again, the peat doesn't hit you immediately with an iron bar, but creeps up on you and it's got a surprising subtlety about it. Smoked cheese notes emerge, alongside some roast nuts, butter and a definite earthiness. Whereas the Ardbeg was the desert, this is certainly the main course. I watered this a little and some slight pine notes come through and a real forest freshness.

Palate: The sharpness of the alcohol gives way into a pretty rich mouth feel, then a fairy dry, gritty and zesty follow-through. With water, the real heart of the whisky comes though. It is rather lovely, with lemon and lime sherbet and some sweet fruit fondant flavours noticeable.

Finish: The finish is more of the earthy peat, as opposed to the woody smoke our first contender showed. Very long and dry, with a coal dust and tar styled peaty finish, not dissimilar to a cask strength Caol Ila.

Overall: A different whisky to the Ardbeg yet ironically similar, in that it was much more subtle than I expected, especially on the first few sips.

The Judges decision:

A close fought battle. Earlier points would have to go to the Ardbeg, for its sweeter approach but the 'Laddich battled back in the closing rounds with it's lengthy, peaty resilience. This one is no KO and will be a points decision.

Which do I prefer?...

The Ardbeg just tips it to be honest. It had more going on in the palate and a sweetness which just works brilliantly.

But... before the belt is handed over...

The winner of the 'Most Peated Whisky' title must go to the Bruichladdich. It is just more brutal and powerful, coupled with the massive long tarry finish. In true Rocky style, the Hollywood ending has happened!

Back in the real world, both these whiskies probably represent something of a novelty. The market for peat is obviously huge and like most, I love it. But will they win over any new converts to whisky? Probably not.

But who cares! it was a bloody good battle and we're now booking ring-side seats for

Ardbeg vs Bruichladdich... the Rematch!!

Supernova Heights!!!

News flash! For those of you who haven't heard yet, Ardbeg have announced this year's committee bottling and it sounds like a cracker! Ardbeg Supernova- the most heavily peated release they've ever done at a gob smacking 100ppm!

Ardbeg mention that the bottling will be on a wider availability in May, so no doubt will be the star of the show at this years Feis Ile open day.  

More news to come and hopefully some tasting notes at some point soon. in the meantime, here's a juicy pic to keep you going!!