This series of SnapShot posts derives from whisky exchanges with various folks who are part of what is colloquially known as the Whiskyfabric, a term created by Canadian whisky writer Johanne McInnis, otherwise known as the Whisky Lassie, to encompass the online community of whisky writers, creators, reviewers and enthusiasts that exist in the realm of social media. Over the past couple of years, we here at Scotchology have exchanged whiskies via mail with a number of fascinating people across the United States and Canada and finally decided to sit down and taste the bounty in a series of posts based on some loose collective logic. We’ve already done on post focusing on scotch and one on world whiskies. This post focuses on scotches from Islay, especially featuring some cask exploration. Ever wonder what it’d be like to sit down with us in the moment, with all our bias and palate preferences at the ready? Read on to get a close approximation!
Ardbeg Supernova Committee Release |Link| – This is a supercharged Ardbeg. Heavy brine and light peat on the nose, with a sweetness right at the beginning of the palate but before transitioning to more brine. A Laphroaig-y Ardbeg. Iodine and tar on the palate. Wishing for some of the sweetness of other expressions.
Ardbeg Alligator |Link| – We first tried this very early in our scotch adventures many years ago. Not as bacon-y as we remember. Some molasses but incredibly subdued on the nose and palate, quite unlike an Ardbeg to our senses. Lemon and vanilla on the nose. Very, very reminiscent of KC Masterpiece BBQ Sauce. Sitting in the glass a while makes it more like an Ardbeg. Like a baby Ardbeg, with none of the elements fully developed.
Bowmore Tempest 10 Year |Link| – There is soft soap in the middle of the palate. Dove? Dawn? Something is off. Is the vial dirty? Palm Olive: Distillers Edition. Brine, smoke, pińa colada on the nose, then the bubble of dish soap. So weird.
Bruichladdich Rocks |Link| – White nectarine and big sex appeal on the outset but rough around the edges. All the right elements are there but are not as integrated as they could be. A peat sports car barreling down the highway. Watered down, the nectarine gives way to orange marmalade jelly candy, then peat with a little bit of heat. Fabulous, if barely legal.
Bruichladdich Peat – Sexy on the nose. Mysterious and multi-faceted. Orange zest or clementine on the palate, where the peat is strong but not overpowering and the citrus turns to bergamot or resin with a short finish. Yes, a little Listerine at the end but in a good way.
Bruichladdich Single Cask Exploration Gaja Brunello (Italian Red) Cask Finish – The art of seduction. Raisin, plum, and the memory of ripe fruit on the tongue. Damn. Luxuriant, like a professional courtesan. Grape-y finish, with a dark vibrancy that’s not at all raisin-y. In the nose and palate it is the vibrant plum complexity of the actual, fresh wine. It is lush, like that voluptuous courtesan. You almost need a towel after this one.
Bruichladdich Cask Evolution Exploration Gaja Bolgheri Cask – Oak and a tropical fruit like guanabana on the palate. Surprisingly not a seamless whisky. Lagrima red grape varietal, rose, lychee and pomegranate. So disjointed but fascinating in each element, it excites the nose, the tongue and the brain from shift to shift.
Bruichladdich Single Cask Exploration Chateau d’Yquem Cask – Strong hazelnut oil on the finish, white acidity on the tongue. Adding water dials back the acidity and broadens out the hazelnut, but it is still hot with a lingering toast and oak on the finish.
Bruichladdich Single Cask Exploration Pinot Noir Finish – The pinot noir grape element is so strong, a peat essence (even if not actual peat smoke) totally warps and weaves through the fabric of this whisky. The flavor is completely integrated, easily one of our three favorite cask finished whiskies. This is New World pinot noir, the grape is across the nose, the palate, and the finish. Unfurls like a storied scroll that goes on and on. Stunning. The cask finish is strong but also integrates with the base spirit of Bruichladdich so one complements the other. A little rough around the edges but not in an unpleasant way. More so, this is a California pinot, with the leather, wild cherry and sandalwood, with the pseudo-peat boosting the smoky tobacco and sandalwood, supercharging them almost. Pure, complex character from nose to palate to finish. Only at the very end does it get that raisin tannic element.
Bruichladdich Single Cask Exploration Sherry – Florals predominate on the nose. Cereal too, with straw and toast on the finish. There is a chewy Oloroso sherry on the palate, with a little sherry on the nose too. The sherry element is kind of generic if a little creamy and is a little less integrated than the other expressions we’ve been sampling. Still far from unpleasant. More, please!
Bruichladdich Single Cask Exploration Syrah – Peppery dark fruits from the outset unwatered, with boysenberry on the nose. Water tones down the brambleberry and introduces floral notes. With water, the palate has a stronger boysenberry and is more jam-y. A subtle undertone of consistent of peat plays a second fiddle, but a good one. It is such an integrated experience between the nose, palate and finish. And the finish is tannic, almost a bloom. An amazing bubble containing all the elements.
Bruichladdich 25 yr. Sherry cask (PX and Oloroso) |Link| – The finish is like coming in for a landing on a feather bed. How’s that for starters? The PX is strong on the front palate but the finish lingers. The bourbon sweetness is there, a little hot on the tongue at first but only for a second. So well integrated. Invites long moments of introspection. Sandalwood and brine and smoke, very comforting and homey. Balsam and cedar and pinot noir elements. Rich grandfather’s study. The leather, the cedar wood, the black cherry and brambleberries and furniture polish, a fascinating exploration of sherry elements in a lightly-peated Islay.
Bruichladdich el clasico valinche 29 yr. – Sweet German ice wine on the nose, and a perfume that goes on forever with a toasty oaky finish. Sweet Jesus. With oxidization, it goes almost overboard with the aromatic oils. Fascinating.
Caol Ila 18 Year |Link| – There is peat deep in the nose, and then again gently blowing in your ear. This is barely rated R. The palate is a light dance of peat and smoke, a wisp. It’s speechless, it’s so good. And you don’t see that happen very often around here, do you?
Kilchoman Spring 2011 |Link| – Heavy brine, prominent peat and light smoke, along with light lemon on the palate and a very quick finish. Young but charming.
Conclusion: You’ll notice that several of the above whiskies are from Bruichladdich’s Cask Exploration series, which is no longer available (or found easily on the web), hence we removed the links we normally like to include with each entry. The joy and danger of getting to taste rare drams. We’re obviously quite happy with letting a little mystery hang in the air around them, because much of what we tried was pretty magical, even if not everything was a home run. This is the kind of crazy experimentation we like to see in whiskies, not the least because we gravitate more toward wine than other finishes, like beer. Many of these were kindly sent by Nicole K and Geordi Moski. We can’t wait to join you one day in Canada to share other similar drams in person. Cheers!
