Penny for Your Thoughts - Christmas!
As the year winds down, and we get more time to spend with family, I also get more time to try out my backlog of whiskey samples. Here are a few of the drams I enjoyed on Christmas Eve.
W.L. Weller 12 (45% ABV) - Weller belongs to the growing category of bourbons that are affordable in theory but unattainable in reality. Priced by MSRP in the $35 range, this bottle gets gobbled up by sharp-eyed collectors, and I've never even seen it in a store. After trying it, I can see why -- if I could find it, this might become my favorite bourbon at its price point. The nose is complex and unusual. It has some conventional bourbon scents, cherry, caramel, and brown sugar, but there also is some aromatic sandalwood that lends it a more luxurious air. The strangest scent I got was mink oil, which reminds me some high-end leather rejuvenators (Saphir in particular). Weller's taste hews closer to a classic wheated bourbon profile, like a milder but better version of Weller Antique 107: black cherry pie and baking spices. The finish transforms to other dessert flavors, including pear tart, cherry again, and a smidgen of heat. If I could actually find this for $35 a bottle, it would be an amazing value. A-
Caol Ila 13 Hermitage (45%) - This is an interesting scotch, and not something I expected to find in a Caol Ila product. This independent bottling comes from Gordon & Macphail, one of the oldest and most experienced groups sourcing and releasing single casks of whiskey. What's unusual about this one is that its unique red-wine finishing transforms its Caol Ila base into something that's much more like Ardbeg or Laphroaig. There's more peat than smoke on first whiff, and sherry or wine accents, with more savory, meaty scents of buttered biscuits and prosciutto rising up over time. The palate reminds me of a sherry-finished Ardbeg or Laphroaig, like Ardbeg Dark Cove in particular. There's a medicinal edge to its smoke, but is complemented by a chimeric set of flavors that remind me of a sweet and salty honeyed ham. The finish is fiery smoke at first, but then it builds up to sweeter flavors of honey. This bottle probably would set you back by $100 or more, although it's not available anymore, so perhaps we don't have to worry about the price all that much. If you find it in a bar, ask for a pour and you won't regret it! A-
Laphroaig Triple Wood (48%) - After having two spectacular drams to start the night, I moved on to one of Laphroaig's regular lineup expressions, and one of the few that I haven't tried before. Unfortunately, perhaps because of palate exhaustion or merely because I've already figured out my favorites in the distillery's lineup, Triple Wood didn't strike the best chords with me. The nose is a dry, woody smoke with less medicinal flavor and brine than I expected. Maple syrup as well, which is an odd flavor to find in a Laphroaig. The palate also stars that maple syrup flavor, almost more so than the distillery's smoke and peat signature. This scotch is a little too sweet for my tastes, especially when gearing up for a savory, briny Islay smoke bomb. The finish begins much like the nose, with dry wood smoke, and then transitions into honey-roasted nut notes. This variation on Laphroaig would be appreciated by fans of Speyside scotches, and at $70 or so, is fairly priced. But if I saw a shelf of Laphroaigs, this would not be one of the first ones that I'd pluck off the shelf. B+
Compass Box No Name (48.9%) - Compass Box No Name is a recent limited edition from the best blender in the game. John Glaser played slightly coy with the recipe to this scotch, but made clear that the vast majority of it (about 75%) is from a distillery on Pier Road (Ardbeg), with the remainder consisting of Caol Ila and Clynelish. My read on it is that my palate isn't really sensitive enough to discern the differences between Ardbeg and Caol Ila at a 7:1 ratio, and certainly not enough to pick out a small proportion of Clynelish's Highland malt when combined with so much assertive Islay scotch. At the end of the day, this tastes like a slightly more aged version of Ardbeg 10, which it kind of is. The rumors indicate that the Ardbeg in this bottle was distilled in 2003, which would make this 13- to 14-year old 'Beg. Its scents are consistent with that rumor, as I experience some crispy smoked pork rinds right out of the gate, then oil and lime (citrus being an Ardbeg signature). The palate is surprisingly mild -- who knows, I may be saying this because I'd had two other Islay scotches right before this one -- and has more lime than anything else. The finish is unmistakably Ardbeg: barbecue smoke and lime, with sweetness on the upswing. This is not easy to find and priced at $125 or more, but I'm not sure it adds enough to the Ardbeg distillery character to warrant the ask. The more experienced Compass Box aficionados may be able to pick out notes here that I didn't get. My sense is that this is a dram for the experienced scotch drinker with a sensitive palate. B+