Archives for January 12, 2016

A Smith Bowman Distillery / John J Bowmans Single Barrel Bourbon

Summary: Country/Region: USA/Virginia.
ABV: 50%.
Unit: 75cl.
Early pioneer Colonel John J. Bowman first explored Kentucky in 1775. Four years later he moved his family to Lincoln County where they were among the earliest settlers of Kentucky. He presided over Kentucky's first county court and was also appointed the first military commander and governor of Kentucky County. He was the great, great uncle of Abram Bowman, founder of Virginia's A. Smith Bowman Distillery. This single barrel bourbon whiskey commemorates the early American pioneer John J. Bowman.
Tasting Notes: This bourbon whiskey has been hand selected from some of the oldest barrels in our warehouse. Each barrel rests years on end while Virginia's moderate, but ever-changing climate extracts the complex flavours from the oak and mellows the whiskey. When the time is right, these prime barrels are hand-bottled with care. This single barrel bourbon is 100 proof, but still smooth as the fall breeze. Its fragrant nose is followed by hints of toffee, leather, figs and almonds with a long dry finish. Drink straight or over ice.
Ratings: Double Gold Medal / 2015 Sanfrancisco World Spirits Competition.

Springbank / 25 Year Old / 2015 Release

Summary: Country/Region: Scotland/Campletown.
Unit: 70cl.
ABV: 46%
Age: 25 Year Old.
Bottled: 2015.
This whisky has been matured in a combination of sherry and bourbon casks before being married together in port casks. It has been bottled at 46% and is limited to only 900 bottles worldwide
Nose: The nose is light and fruity with notes of red apples and blueberries. Honeycomb and milk chocolate provide a sweet creaminess, which combines well with traditional dunnage warehouse aromas.
Palate: Very well balanced with notes of toffee apple, brandy butter, liquorice, milk chocolate and honeycomb.
Finish: Long and bold with light spices and black pepper immediately recognisable against a backdrop of dried peat. Butterscotch follows up at the end. 
 

Ardbeg / 2015 Supernova Committee Edition

Summary: Country/Region: Scotland/Islay.
ABV: 54.3%
Unit: 70cl
Ardbeg, revered by whisky connoisseurs as the Ultimate Islay single malt whisky and famed for its peaty smoky flavours has gone “one step beyond” with the release of Ardbeg Supernova, its latest and limited expression.
At 100 parts per million and bottled at 54.3% ABV, Ardbeg Supernova is one of the peatiest whiskies on Earth. Yet it is also intensely spicy and unfathomably sweet.
Truly a mystery of the universe.
This final, fleeting Committee bottling of Ardbeg Supernova heralds the culmination of Ardbeg’s experiment in space. Its release coincides with the publication of Dr Bill Lumsden’s highly anticipated White Paper on the mysteries of zero gravity maturation.
Prepare for one last explosion of peat, intense chilli-spice and unfathomable sweetness.
And possibly one of the longest finishes in single malt…
AROMA: Big and powerful with peaty, earthy and deep herbal notes. With the first sniff, encounter deep earthy peat oils and crushed black pepper embedded in the darkest chocolate. Swirl the glass and dip your nose into herbal infusions of juniper, elderflower and agave. Tarry ropes and creosote-soaked elm follow with flowering currants, olives and hot chilli peppers. Swirl water into the glass, and voyage into the unknown with smoky coal tar, an open box of rolling tobacco, peat moss and roasted malt. A barbeque of smoky charcoal rises above the peat moss, softened by camomile, cedar and heather bloom. A blast of brine, white pepper and smoky asparagus escapes into the atmosphere with a spritely display of gooseberries and greengages.
TASTE: Ardbeg challenges the palate with a smoke and salt explosion – hot, sizzling and gristy sensations effervesce and explode on the tongue with a powerful peaty punch. Black and white crushed pepper pop with chilli and chocolate. Chewy sweet rolling tobacco, linseed oil and newly tanned leather roll backwards on a wave of brininess and burst of juicy lime marmalade. Cigar smoke builds up to a crescendo before drying out to bring dark roast earthy coffee, toasted almonds and liquorice root.
FINISH: Long, deep and powerful, refusing to fade away – remaining warm and drying with tarry peat, cocoa and chilli.

Ardbeg / 21 Year Old Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask 15th Anniversary Edition

Summary: To conclude a very rewarding year for me, professionally and personally, Hunter Laing & Co Ltd. is releasing two special new lines. The first of these is an Anniversary series of six casks, bottled to celebrate fifteen years of our flagship Old Malt Cask brand. Together with my sons Scott and Andrew, as well as our Master Blender Tom Aitken, I have selected casks from our maturing stocks which each do justice to the label's fifteen year milestone. These cask-strength Anniversary bottlings are presented in green glass with wooden gift boxes, and are finished in the original-style labels to pay homage to the earliest Old Malt Cask releases. Choosing these casks allowed me to reflect with pride on my last fifteen years as a single cask bottler and, in reviewing our stocks, to look forward with relish to the next fifteen years of the Old Malt Cask.
Stuart Laing.
 
Slightly damaged clasp on box.
 

Bruichladdich / Micro Provenance Cask #1527 Sauternes 2004

Summary: Country/Region: Scotland/Islay. ABV: 57.2% Bottles Produced: 313 DISTILLED IN 2004, BOTTLED IN 2014. FULL TERM MATURATION ON ISLAY IN A SINGLE CASK WHICH PREVIOUSLY HELD ONE OF THE FINEST SAUTERNES WINES IN THE WORLD. The Micro Provenance series is unique to Bruichladdich and is conceived as an exploration into cask evolution, each individually picked by master distiller Jim McEwan to explore the fine nuances of the Bruichladdich whisky and the effects of warehousing, oak, cask and micro-climate on maturing spirit. Character: Stand out superior. Indulgent. Colour: Light Hazel. Nose: Delicate and playful, you can sense it is holding something back apart from the initial whispers of lemon peel, vanilla, ozone and nectarine. Warm the glass in your hand and slowly comes passion fruit, apricot, a hint of mint and salt, then rich oak and vanilla. Palate: Take a sip and feel the incredible syrupy texture. As you experience the amazing mouth feel, swirl the glass and wait for the legs to slowly break and begin to run. The quality of slow and skilful distillation is evident in the silky texture and the achingly slow progress made as the drops make their way down the glass. Superior quality premier grand-cru Sauternes and the amazing floral and delicate Bruichladdich spirit combine in a match made in heaven. Finish: The rich oak leaves a spicy and fruity memory of a one in a million dram. Mood: All good things come to an end as this single cask quickly will but not without leaving behind an almost spiritual experience for those who tried it.

Glenfarclas / 21 Year Old 1198 Night Nurse In Carpenter’s Overalls

Summary: Country/ Region: Scotland/Speyside.
Alcohol by volume: 55.2%
Bottler: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.
Cask No: 1.198
Date Distilled: 23 September 1993.
Age: 21 years.
Cask Type: Refill ex-bourbon hogshead.
Bottles Filled: 176
Colour: Dull ginger gold.
Flavour: Deep, rich & dried fruits.
The nose oozed honey sweetness (Manuka, Demerara, Daim bars, trifle) with dried fruit depth (raisins, dates, figs, Christmas cake); plus hints of carpenter’s overalls. The palate’s taste explosion had similar themes – syrupy dates and clootie dumplings, with dried cranberries, lime and sour apple providing an interesting and rather pleasant cheek-pulling, tannic tug; followed by a lingering finish of espresso, walnuts and ginger. The reduced nose had fascinating layers of dunnage warehouses, honeyed pears, Night Nurse, teapot tannins, vanilla and burnt wood. On the palate now – everything from Turkish Delight, macaroons and cherry blossoms to incense, hot cross buns and Christmas spice.
Drinking tip: Homey and comfortable – best enjoyed curled up on the couch in joggies and slipper-socks.
Ratings: A⊕+ / Ben's Whisky Blog.