A night out with Laphroaig, Ardmore and more

Apologies for the enormo-post-of-doom.  For a two-hour event, there were an awful lot of goings-on.

As a loyal Friend of Laphroaig, I receive email updates about events.  A few weeks ago an email came in about an event at the Turtle Club in Hoboken, NJ.  $40 for dinner and a tasting?  Yes, please!

Myself and two friends took the train into Hoboken and walked over to the Turtle Club, enjoying the brisk night air...who am I kidding, it was $@#%ing cold.  The walk was fun, though, as I had dormed at Stevens Tech in Hoboken in 1994, so it was a wee trip down memory lane for me.

We finally arrived at the Turtle Club, and after choosing the wrong door twice entered into a warm and bustling bar.  A few minutes later we were escorted into the back room where tables were waiting for us.  That, dear friends, is my idea of a warm welcome.  Each setting had three glasses of whisky, a pen, cigar and Laphroaig matches.

There were tubes of whisky scattered about, as well as a pair of Wellies, a wee cask and hunk of peat.  If you don't know why the Wellies are significant, check out the Friends of Lahproaig page.

Simon Brooking, the Laphroaig Master Ambassador, made it a point to introduce himself to all of us and get our names.  He also patiently mugged for photos with us.

After an introduction by Josh Ratner of Allied Beverage, and thanks to Corey and Dave from the Turtle Club, we got down to business.

Josh explained that we would start in Speyside, whose whiskies are generally "for the American palate."  Easy drinking and fairly mild, you probably know a lot of them - Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, The Macallan.  We started with the whisky on the left, Glenrothes.

We were instructed to nose the whisky with our mouths open - this helps get past the alcohol and gives you more of the aromas of the whisky itself.  Also tasting the whisky farther back in the mouth bypasses the front of your tongue giving you less heat and more flavor.  Try it, you may be surprised.  Josh then suggested we add a few drops of water to the whisky using our straws.

This brought up the inevitable question about whether it's a sin to add water to Scotch.  You may remember me discussing this in a previous blog post.  Josh deferred to Simon, who echoed my sentiments - water being bad for Scotch is one of the biggest misconceptions out there.

While we were sipping, a cheese plate came out.  The fragrance of well-aged cheeses was unmistakable.  Gouda, Gruyere, Vermont cheddar, Asiago and Roquefort were all delicious.  I'd love to show you a picture, but...

With that, we moved on to the second whisky - The Glenlivet 15.  Strikingly different to the Glenrothes, yet still distinctly Speyside.  Smooth, just a little sweet.

Then came the grand finale of our first flight - The Glenlivet Nadurra cask strength.  This one really blew us away.  Even at cask strength it was smooth and easy to drink.

As the plates were cleared and the next round of whisky served, Simon sang to us, then talked a bit more about whisky.  I was amused that he is trying to achieve "peace through whisky, one dram at a time!"

I found his talk on blended whiskies especially interesting.  He noted that 70% of a blended whisky is neutral grain alcohol - even the very expensive Johnny Walker Blue.

Then it was time to taste our next selection - Ardmore 5 year, which contains whiskies aged from 5-13 years.  A lovely and surprisingly refined whisky for such a young'un.

Simon started talking about peat and smoke.  While explaining to us that every inch of peat represents 100 years of decomposition, he lit a chunk of it with a butane torch and walked around the room.  The delicious smell of peat smoke filled the air.

It was about here that the entree appeared.  Pulled-pork sliders with cole slaw, ribs and brisket, all smoked that morning by chef Carlos, using peat from Laphroaig that Simon had brought with him.  To call the food delicious would be a vast understatement.  You can see we tucked in with vigor...

We moved on to taste the Laphroaig 10-year, the whisky most of us think of when we hear Laphroaig.  It distinctive peat smoke nose is always a treat, but Simon showed us a new way to enjoy it.  We wet our palms with the whisky, then rubbed them briskly together.  The smells that burst from our hands were nothing short of amazing.  Definitely give this a try at home.

We moved on to Laphroaig Quarter Cask, one of my personal favorites.  It has the peaty backbone of Laphroaig, with the added character of wood from extra maturing in smaller barrels.  Look for a review on it later.


Then, sadly, it was time for our final Scotch of the night, but what a Scotch it was - Laphroaig 18.  Flavors like the Laphroaig 10, but somehow more, while being more refined.  A perfect way to end the night.

Much to our delight, all of the whiskies were available for purchase right there!  I took home a nice assortment - Ardmore, Laphroaig Quarter Cask and 18, and the Glenlivet Nadurra.  It's missing from the picture because they didn't have one in stock.

Simon was kind enough to personalize my Quarter Cask bottle and stand still for one more picture.  Have I mentioned yet that whisky goes better with friends?

Big thanks go out to Laphroaig, Simon, the Turtle Club, Allied Beverage and everyone else who made this event possible.  Looking forward to the next one!

And suddenly, a wild barrel appears!

Received a phone call from my local liquor store over the weekend - my Single Malt barrel kit is in!  I asked my wife to pick it up on her way home from work and it greeted me from my dining room table when I got home (the kit, not my wife).

As with the first kit, I soaked it with water overnight to swell up the wood.  This one leaked mostly from the spigot.

Once it was holding water, I opened the bottles with some excitement and added them to the cask.  I'm not sure why pouring whisky into a little barrel is so much fun, but it is.  Maybe it's the anticipation of what will come out later!

I drew off a bit for a sample.  The difference between the barley and rye whiskies is night and day.  There is a definite hint of smoke.  There's that raw alcohol taste, but also a lovely woody flavor and a bit of sweetness.  A bit of tannin, like a strong red wine, too.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this will age.  In the meantime, he sits next to his brother, waiting to deliver me delicious, delicious whisky.

First sample from the barrel

Snow is falling, wind is blowing, a perfect night for a wee dram.  My rye whisky has been in the barrel for a month.  Let's see what's been going on in there, shall we?

First we liberate a bit from the cask.  I didn't want to break the seal on the bung, so I just opened the spigot and waited patiently.  Then tipped the barrel a bit when patience ran thin.

It has already picked up quite a bit of color from the barrel.  I would call it a light amber at this point.  Remember this is at cask strength, so the color is a bit concentrated from what we'll expect in the final product.

And the moment of truth.  Step 1: the nose.

And a magnificent nose it is, yes?

The scent of rye is almost overwhelming, and still the dominant aroma.  Hot alcohol follows close on its heels, but this was tamed by cutting it with water.

Step 2: the taste.

Again, the flavor is all rye and alcohol.  However, after diluting and tasting some more, the effects of a month in the cask start to become apparent.  A hint of caramel.  A taste of oak.  Character has begun to develop.

Step 3: glee!

So stay with us, dear friends, and find out what the future holds for our little barrel.

Since we happen to be at Glenmorangie

We might as well continue sampling their fine wares.  One more from the "extra matured" collection.  The Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or.  After 10 years in American oak barrels, this one spends extra time in Sauternes casks from France.

If you didn't know (and I didn't until about 4 seconds ago), Sauternes is a French dessert wine.  I would expect the Scotch to pick up some sweetness, maybe some of that smooth dessert wine mouthfeel.

I've had the glass sitting next to me, taunting me while I type this.  It's all I can smell and it's making me drool.  That means it's time for tasting!

Big, full nose.  Some honey, some vinous aromas.  Much different from the Quinta Ruban.  Not much oak at all, the nose is more crisp and clean.

Flavor is sweet right up front.  Honey notes, caramel, butterscotch, a little buttery like a Chardonnay.  Mouthfeel is velvety, like I'd imagined.

This is a Scotch I just want to keep drinking.  The finish is long and delicious.  The sweetness really lingers, along with a little bit of iodine and salt.

I added a little water and am tasting new things as I continue to sip.  A little spiciness is hitting me in the back of my throat.  Just a little astringency drying out my mouth, but not overpowering at all.

That will end the Highland section of my current collection.  The next post will be the first tasting of my Wasmund's barrel rye whisky!  Stay tuned for the excitement...

There's whisky in the jar-o!

Or rather in the can-o.  Whisky in a can.  From Panama.  Does the world need whisky in 12oz cans?  Is the world ready for it?

This site has some interesting information: "But last night the Scotch Whisky Association said it would try to ban the cans for breaching international labelling rules."

What do you think?  It doesn't bother me in the least.  If people want to shotgun their whisky, that's their right.  Some people drink to get drunk, some people drink for enjoyment.  This seems to be targeted at the former audience.

You can check out their website here.

I'll stick to pouring a dram from a bottle, thank you.

Continuing our walk through the Scottish highlands

We find ourselves at Glenmorangie.  The original Glenmorangie is a 10 year old Highland whisky.  Then there is a series of three that are "extra matured".  Today we'll be tasting one of those three - The Quinta Ruban, which has been matured in port casks after the normal 10 year maturation period in American oak casks.

I have this whisky because I saw it in a liquor store next to one of the other in the series.  I picked up both and brought them to a friend's house for a taste test.  He kept one, I kept the other.

I hear you: less talky, more tasty.  Let's start with some nosing around.  Very fragrant - not perfume-y fragrant, but very rich and inviting.  I'm getting a lot of oak, a little vanilla.  It reminds me of a glass of tawny port, but not in any way I can really describe.


And now a sip.  Warming, a little dry on the finish.  Lots of good wood flavor.  Nutty, and just a little sweet.  Very full-flavored but not a lot of lingering flavor after the sip.

Adding a little water really opens it up nicely.  Sweet flavors are more noticeable - caramel, maybe butterscotch candy.  The wood flavors still dominate for me.  Just a tiny hint of sea salt on the finish.

A lovely Scotch.  Rich and full-bodied, sweet and approachable.  Did I just describe The Quinta Ruban or a fine Scottish lass?  I'll leave that for you to decide.

I don't know enough about whisky to enjoy that expensive bottle!

I've heard this from more than a few of my friends.  My reply is invariably: "Hogwash!"  Or a more colorful version of the same.  Then there is the complaint about not knowing the lingo.  To that I reply, "Who cares?"

Case in point: a good friend of mine is not much of a whisky drinker.  She's been following my blog, and we got to talking about a party over a year ago where she tasted a few different Scotches.


She managed to remember the name of her favorite (Laphroaig), then explained to me that she wasn't good at knowing what she was tasting Scotch.  In the same breath she went on to give me an astoundingly detailed description of the flavor profile of Laphroaig!


The phrase that stuck out the most was "sweet dirt".  She was embarrassed to use it and look silly, but "sweet dirt" is probably the most accurate description of a peaty flavor I've ever heard.


That really made me smile, and was the inspiration for this post.

 
You may not know the Isle of Skye from Islay, Glennmorangie from Glenfiddich, peat from smoke.  But I guarantee you know how to taste something and know if you like it.

You also may not be able to pick out every subtle taste you read on the side of the bottle.  "This whisky is rich with the flavor of spring heather gently wafted across the Scottish highlands, caught by our expert maltsters and lovingly infused into the grain."  Marketing horse puckey, at least in good part.

In my experience, everyone tastes things differently.  Otherwise we'd all enjoy the same things.  So never feel inadequate, dumb, or inexperienced if you "miss" a flavor, or taste something no one else does.  Instead enjoy every sip.  Don't worry about everyone else.

And always remember: whisky tasting is more fun with friends.  Just...you know...in moderation.