Penny for Your Thoughts - The Dalmore 18, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Glengoyne 15, Longrow
I have had a chance to try some stellar representatives of four different Scottish whisky-producing regions recently: the Highlands, Islay, central Scotland, and Campbeltown. Together, they represent the wide range of flavors that one can find in scotch.
The Dalmore 18 (43% ABV) - Dalmore is one of those distilleries, like Macallan, that tests the limits of my price tolerance for scotch at each age level, with the 18 fetching a steep $150-200 in the States. But it comes close to epitomizing the benefits of sherry aging in a scotch, and thus is well worth trying at least once. The nose immediately announces its sherry influence, and the palate follows through, with craisins and grape preserve, but also a bit of white chocolate or frosting-like sweetness. The best part is that the flavors are crisp and clean, somehow less muddied or muddled than in some other sherried scotches. The finish has a pleasant dryness, a little licorice, and lingers without overlasting its welcome. Also, although a purist may focus purely on what's in the bottle, I have to confess that the gorgeous presentation (see above) does move me. At $100 or so, its price in the UK, this scotch is well worth it. At $150, I'd opt for the occasional taste in a bar or, better yet, an event where someone else picks up the tab. B+
Laphroaig Quarter Cask (48%) - I tried the Quarter Cask with a skepticism that rarely inhabits my mind when I'm about to taste a Laphroaig. But the idea of shorter aging in smaller casks, a trick that has had limited success in the micro-distillery movement in the US, had me doubtful this could live up to (much less challenge) its older brother, Laphroaig 10. I never should have doubted you, John Campbell! The nose is immediately captivating, with a buttery, toasted take on the classic distillery character. The seaweed or brine elements in other Laphroaigs are much diminished, which is neither a clear positive or a negative, just a different facet of the spirit. The peat is warmer, more of a mild stove searing a fish filet rather than a crackling, wild campfire. The palate and finish introduce more oak to the Laphroaig profile, so there's a bit of a tannic or pepper characteristic. Layered over that is walnut butter, and layered over that is a warm but completely integrated smoke that's somehow both mellow and lively. Being bottled at 48% is to this dram's benefit, as the flavors are strong and mask any youth, particularly by lengthening the finish. As the smoke fades away, it doesn't shake you out of your seat the way some other Laphroaigs can, but I like its oakier nature. Could I tell this scotch was younger if tasting it blind? Honestly, probably not. A great value at $50-60, this may be a better any-day, every-day dram than the 10 -- and to be clear, I revere the 10, so that's saying something. A-
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A friend and I recently exchanged some samples of scotches from our collections, and I've already had a chance to try two of them. Look out in the future for reviews of the other two, a Yamazaki single malt and Laphroaig 18!
Glengoyne 15 (43%) - Glengoyne 15 is hard to describe for me in some ways because it strikes right at the core of what I consider to be "scotch." It's a combination of malt, cereal grain, furniture polish, honey, and a bit of woodiness. It's a very pure, smooth expression of that flavor, and I think it's proofed just right, clear without feeling thin, but without the tongue burn or anesthetizing effect of higher proofs where this kind of quiet flavor profile would be nuked into oblivion. Pleasant finish, on the dry side, with some vetiver or lemongrass. To fall back on a wine analogy, this is a have-with-fish kind of scotch, and would be a recommendation for anyone who wants to get a sense of the "heart" notes in a scotch. I was surprised to see online that this scotch is aged in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. I frankly have a hard time detecting much (if any) sherry influence here, except perhaps in the lightest of touches of nuttiness and spiciness in the palate and finish -- which could just as easily be the power of suggestion. It's fairly priced for a well-aged scotch (around $70 in a lot of stores), and I see it online for as low as $50. B+
Longrow Peated (46%) - Longrow's most intriguing feature is a unique flavor of peat on the nose, like a well-oiled leather. It's unlike any other scotch I've ever had. As the smoke clears, the scotch falls squarely within the Ardbeg-Kilchoman Machir Bay spectrum of citrus-flavored peated scotches. There's a definite touch of lemon zest, along with some pollen or meadow pungency. This scotch is a dead ringer for Machir Bay on the palate, where a bit of sherry finishing mellows out the peat and creates a grilled or charred fruit flavor. The finish is not quite like either of those two Islay scotches. It's quite ashy and grassy, like throwing fresh hay on a fire pit. Trying more and more of these quality no age statement scotches makes me appreciate how important it is to try a scotch and judge it on its own merits. At around $50-60, it's priced very fairly, especially considering that Springbank (the distillery that produces Longrow) is one of a handful of family-owned distilleries left in Scotland and, unlike the big boys, still floor malts its own barley. B+