Penny for Your Thoughts - Black Rock, Part One
We went out with a bang during our final night in London and tried quite a few new whiskies at Black Rock.
Compass Box Peat Monster (46% ABV) - Compass Box is the hottest blended whisky producer of the moment, but I'm not entirely sure that its basic expressions are consistently better than the usual big players like Johnnie Walker. Since Compass Box isn't as well-known to the general population, however, it inevitably gets a little boost from enthusiasts looking to show that they know more than regular joes (the whiskey world version of the, "You haven't heard of them?" line from music hipsters). I love some Compass Box expressions (and I'll write more about one of them in my next article), but Peat Monster is only . . . OK. The nose is full of an herbal, corky, wet-wood style of peat. The palate, in contrast, is light and sweet. The finish is a smoky, classic peated finish. Before looking it up, I would have guessed that this was a blend of young Caol Ila, Ardbeg, and Port Charlotte. For what it's worth, Compass Box has disclosed that it contains an Islay south shore malt, a peated malt, a peated malt from the Isle of Mull, and a smoky Speyside malt. Based on that, I'd guess Ardbeg, Caol Ila, Ledaig (the only peated Mull malt), and Benromach. I'm not sure that the blend of those single malts complement each other, they feel like they're getting in each other's way, if that makes any sense. At $55-60, it's not badly priced, but at that price I'd just get Ardbeg 10, Caol Ila 12, Ledaig 10, or Benromach 10, and be happier for it. If I wanted a smoky blend, I'd probably opt for the slightly more boring but easier drinking Johnnie Walker Double Black Label, which also has a lot of Caol Ila in it, and save myself some money to boot. B-
Hakushu Distiller's Reserve (43%) - Japanese whiskey, Japanese whiskey. Well, I've pretty much expressed my view on the topic: great whiskies, but overhyped and overpriced in the current market. Hakushu and Yamazaki are two of Suntory's single malt distilleries, and of the two, there's a divide among fans about which is better. Hakushu lightly peats their whiskey, so one would expect that it's my favorite. Surprisingly, not so! Hakushu has a swirl of fruit flavors, plums, peaches, and other stone fruits, with the counterpoint being a cedar wood and slight smoke (particularly in the finish) from the peated component. It's nice, but a little generic. I had a bottle of Hakushu 12 several years ago, and it had a more distinctive and unique character, which is lost in this new, no-age-statement expression. B
Hakushu 12 (43%) - This wasn't a Black Rock pick, but I wanted to include it since I'd just tried the Distiller's Reserve version. These notes are from memory, so forgive me if they're not as detailed as my other reviews. I remember finding the dominant notes of Hakushu 12 to be floral or herbal in nature, in a way that's hard to define with reference to another flavor (pine may be the closest analogue). That pine flavor was almost gin-like at times, which was an unusual experience. I'm not sure if it's a product of the unique types of wood they aged this in, but it's a note that I can't recollect experiencing in another whiskey. There was not as much smoke as advertised, so I'd call this a very lightly peated whiskey. The finish is also a little rough and harsh, surprisingly so compared to Yamazaki 12 or other Japanese whiskey staples. I was not the biggest fan of this one, although it is undeniably complex and worth trying. At the time we purchased it, it was about $70, which seemed like a heavy ask, although nowadays finding Hakushu 12 at that price would be an exceptional bargain. B
Royal Lochnagar 12 (40%) - Royal Lochnagar's most famous expression actually isn't its single malt. It's a large part of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, to which it lends its sweet and floral Highland base. The distillery itself has a cool backstory, which the name reveals in part. In the 1840s, the distillery owner invited his neighbors -- Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who owned a nearby castle -- to sample his wares. The royal family enjoyed the whisky so much that they gave it a rare royal warrant, an honor accorded to only a few distilleries to my knowledge. I believe that Royal Brackla is the only other one that has Royal in the name. Laphroaig, which is Prince Charles's favorite, has a warrant from him, although I'm not sure if that's technically a royal warrant, as he isn't king (certainly the distillery hasn't named itself Royal Laphroaig, which would be hilarious). Anyways, Royal Lochnagar 12 is mostly found in the UK, not in the States, and I'd describe it as an unexceptional Highland single malt. The most unique note that I can remember is a papaya-like flavor on the palate, which gave it a refreshing tropical character. It's not a forceful single malt, but I'd never say no to one. B-