It's been over a month since I've found a new single malt scotch to review. In the meantime, I've sampled a plethora of other whiskeys: one Irish, two bourbons, two Virginia craft moonshines, a dynamite rye straight from the cask and not yet available to the public, and a future sour mash still resting in the mash tun (tasted like those lime-dusted Tostitos). Many thanks to Denver Riggleton, owner of Nelson County's Silverback Distillery, for the impromptu private tour; I am still considering joining your Barrel Club, especially if there's to be a single malt whisky trickling from your towering geothermal still in the near future. As for scotch though, it's starting to feel like a veritable dry spell.
In the interim, I got curious how many reviews I had done so far. Of the 46 single malts (plus 7 non-SMSWs), I noticed one review with almost double the views of any other: Ardbeg 10. I have no clue why this would be, but in rereading the post I saw the link about Ardbeg sending whisky into space. I had forgotten all about that, chalking it up to a daft publicity stunt. However, the whisky eventually came back home...
WHAT WOULD DAVID BOWIE DRINK?
So far the long-term implication of this finding has been to establish the zero-gravity ISS sample as the baseline measurement for passive interaction between oak and spirit, and thereby measuring terrestrial samples by their comparative increases of oak compounds in their chemical composition. Despite what might initially sound like underwhelming findings from all the R&D that went into making this experiment happen, there is a silver lining - some lucky bastard got to taste the extraterrestrial scotch.
According to Ardbeg (source: BBC News/Scotland/Business - September 7, 2015), there is a remarkably different flavor profile between the two samples:
"Earth Sample: The sample had a woody aroma, reminiscent of an aged Ardbeg style, with hints of cedar, sweet smoke, and aged balsamic vinegar, as well as raisins, treacle toffee, vanilla and burnt oranges...On the palate, its woody, balsamic flavours shone through, along with a distant fruitiness, some charcoal and antiseptic notes, leading to a long, lingering aftertaste, with flavours of gentle smoke, tar and creamy fudge."
"Space Sample: Its intense aroma had hints of antiseptic smoke, rubber and smoked fish, along with a curious perfumed note, like violet or cassis, and powerful woody tones, leading to a meaty aroma...The taste was very focused, with smoked fruits such as prunes, raisins, sugared plums and cherries, earthy peat smoke, peppermint, aniseed, cinnamon and peppered bacon or hickory-smoked ham. The aftertaste is intense and long, with hints of wood, antiseptic lozenges and rubbery smoke."
The prospect of crafting new and unseen flavor profiles by sending spirits into outer space may seem like the least cost-efficient methodology imaginable, but Ardbeg seems keen on developing their space program in the future. They released a limited edition expression, Ardbeg Supernova, to commemorate their successful foray into the ether, as well as a gimmicky video game; but for me, the prospect of tasting the actual single malt whisky from Outer Space is pretty friggin' cool. Major Tom would approve.
Depending on who you ask, David Bowie's favorite quaff was supposedly either a Bombay Sapphire martini or (more befitting) Schelvispekel, a spicy, bitter version of brandy made in southern Holland; but I'm pretty confident he took down a single malt or two in his time. In a 1996 interview for Telegraph he mused, "I think I've done just about everything that it's possible there to do - except really dangerous things, like being an explorer." Hot damn, I couldn't have asked for a better segueway for the next 'mad scientist malt'...
THE SOUTH (POLE) WILL RISE AGAIN
The second of Sir Ernest Shackleton's three attempts to reach the South Pole (his first as commander) would come to be known as the Nimrod Expedition. Leaving London on July 30, 1907, and carrying zero fruits or vegetables, Shackleton brought along 25 cases of scotch whisky (as well as 12 brandy and 6 port). Sled dogs were largely eschewed in favor of Manchurian ponies (more useful as food) and a motorcar (of no use at all). Cross-country skis were on board, but apparently no one knew how to use them. Even his intended route was compromised by an ill-advised promise/turf war concession to his former commander (turned rival) Robert Falcon Scott. Not a promising start.
Once the party embarked for the Pole, the whisky stayed behind at the hut, too heavy to carry. A Christmas Day toast reportedly involved creme de menthe, and at the haggard end of their 122 day adventure (rationed for 90), the explorers were propped up by the hourly administration of 'Forced March' pills...er, cocaine. What was left of the whisky awaited their return to Hut Point on February 28, 1909. Shackleton and his bedraggled crew packed up and sailed the Nimrod for home within days. having set a new record southbound latitude, but ultimately failing in their goal of reaching the South Pole. *Sources/further reading: A,B,C.
Three cases of Shackleton's scotch whisky (and two of brandy) that were hurriedly left behind at Cape Royds in March of 1909 lay undisturbed and frozen solid until 2007, when they were finally rediscovered by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust during a restoration of the hut. In 2010, one case containing eleven bottles of scotch (what happened to #12?) was carefully removed, thawed, and transported to the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand. Three of these bottles were then sent home to Scotland for analysis (what happened to the other eight?).
'Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky - Blended and Bottled by Chas. Mackinlay & Co.', declared the labels. The Mackinlay brand is owned by Whyte & MacKay, whose master blender, Richard Paterson, and chief chemist, James Pryde, conducted a forensic analysis of sorts to reverse engineer and resurrect this long extinct malt whisky. As far as I call tell, these two men as well as Charles McGrath, a reporter who chronicled the story (NY Times Magazine July 21, 2011), were the only three people on the planet with the privilege of tasting the original bottles. Luckily, the malt somehow turned out to be in near pristine condition considering its circumstances, and surprisingly light in flavor considering its grizzled intended consumers.
Analysis down to a cellular level was ultimately consistent with a single malt whisky aged 5-10 years in sherry casks of American white oak. The water was determined to be from Loch Ness and the peat was a rare variety found in the Orkney Islands, all pointing to a bygone Highland distillery under Mackinley ownership at the time, Glen Mhor. A letter was later found, signed by Shackleton himself, referencing his order for 46 cases of the stuff, dated June 1907 (what happened to the other 21 cases?), thereby confirming the origin as the Glen Mhor Distillery. Leftover stocks of Glen Mhor from 1983 were used as a base for the replica whisky, and by trial and error, blended with malts from nearby distilleries to approximate the flavor profile as closely as possible. Easier said than done getting a 27 year old malt to taste like a 5-10 year old with a unique and delicate peat character. *Sources/further reading: A,B,C.
The vast majority of reviews I've seen for this replica malt are raves, and although I'm not likely to splurge on a whole bottle of the stuff, I would gladly open my wallet for a dram of this stuff for the backstory alone. Nobody goes to Colonial Williamsburg thinking they're actually experiencing the 1760s, but you can still appreciate the research and effort that went into its reproduction. Still, how cool would that be (no pun intended) to taste the original stuff from a 108 year old Antarctic relic?
I often hear the name Kinclaith bandied about as perhaps the most elusive single malt whisky out there, but its rarity pales in comparison to these two. I can't decide which malt would be more difficult to get a hold of, Shackleton's original Antarctic cache or the extraterrestrial Ardbeg; but with these two in mind, I have no right to complain about having a hard time finding new single malts.
And of course - Godspeed, Mr. Stardust.
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