That's all, folks!
After 50 single malt scotch reviews (plus 7 'other' whiskies), I thought I might wrap this thing up with an obligatory ranking of my experiences; I did bother to give them grades after all. Surely fodder for arguments when your favorites don't line up with mine (I don't necessarily agree with much of this either at this point), but for what it's worth...
ISLAY
1. (98) Lagavulin 16
2. (96) Laphroaig 18
3. (94) Laphroaig 15
4T. (93) Kilchoman Machir Bay
4T. (93) Laphroaig Quarter Cask
6. (92) Bunnahabhain 12
7. (91) Laphroaig 10
8. (87) Ardbeg 10
9. (82) Caol Ila 12
10. (80) Bruichladdich Islay Barley
11. (68) Bowmore 12
HIGHLANDS
1. (97) Glen Garioch 1994 Batch 32
2. (93) Glenmorangie 18
3. (91) Oban 14
4. (90) Clynelish 14
5T. (89) Edradour 10
5T. (89) Glendronach 12
7. (88) Old Pulteney 12
8. (87) Dalmore 12
9. (86) Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve
10. (85) Dalwhinnie 15
11. (84) Glenmorangie 10
12. (78) Glengoyne 10
13. (75) Tomatin 12
SPEYSIDE
1T, (95) BenRiach 15 Tawny Port Cask
1T. (95) Macallan 18
3T. (92) Cragganmore 12
3T. (92) Glen Moray 16
5. (91) Glenfiddich Solera 15
6T. (90) Aberlour 12
6T. (90) Balvenie Doublewood 12
6T. (90) Glenlivet Nadurra 16
9T. (88) Glenfarclas 10
9T. (88) Macallan 12 Sherry Oak
11. (87) Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask
12. (84) Glenfiddich 12
13T. (83) Glenlivet 12
13T. (83) Glenrothes Select Reserve
15. (82) Speyburn 10
16. (79) Cardhu 12
17. (78) Macallan 10 Fine Oak
ISLANDS
1. (93) Talisker 10
2. (91) Highland Park Dark Origins
3. (88) Scapa 16
4. (85) Tobermory 10
5. (83) Highland Park 12
6. (78) Jura Origin 10
LOWLANDS/CAMPBELTOWN
1. (91) Springbank 10
2. (82) Glenkinchie 12
3. (76) Auchentoshan American Oak
MISCELLANEOUS
1. (88) Eades Islay Double Malt (Virginia Distillery Co. - Virginia, USA)
2T. (86) Virginia Highland Malt Whisky (Virginia Distillery Co. - Virginia, USA)
2T. (86) Yamazaki 12 (Suntory Yamazaki Distillery - Japan)
4. (84) Wasmund's Single Malt (Copper Fox Distillery - Virginia, USA)
5. (81) Defiant American Single Malt Whisky (Blue Ridge Distilling Co. - North Carolina, USA)
6. (80) Glendalough Triple Barrel Irish Whiskey (Glendalough Distillery - Ireland)
7. (79) Haig Club Single Grain Whisky (Cameronbridge Distillery - Scotland)
Extremely brief reviews of malts I've sampled since wrapping up this blog:
Mortlach Rare Old - bought it off the close-out shelf at the ABC store; good thing too, its good-but-not-great Speyside flavor profile doesn't come close to justifying its retail price (84/100, B)
Tamdhu 10 - we wish you a sherry Christmas...Mmmm (90/100, A-)
Brenne - French single malt aged in cognac casks, light flavors/aromas other than a strong banana note, disappointed (78/100, C+)
Stranahan's - hands down the best American single malt I've yet tasted; a full-bodied NCF malt cut with Rocky Mountain spring water, yet still sold on the bourbon aisle (92/100, A-)
Virginia Highland Malt Whisky Cider Finish - at long last I got to visit the Virginia Distillery Co. for a tasting, whereupon I tried their newest expression (available only on the premises). Finished in locally sourced hard cider casks, a pronounced sweetness on the palate and tart finish is evident. A few drops of water softened its acidic bite. Still prefer the port cask expression (83/100, B-)
Knappogue Castle 12 - a triple distilled, bourbon casked Irish single malt. No smoke, light aromas and flavors, bitter finish. Back to the scotch aisle... (78/100, C+)
Laphroaig Select - a combination of their flagship malts aged in bourbon, sherry, and PX casks, as well as malt aged in unused American white oak. The problem, like any 'Greatest Hits' compliation, is the inevitable inclusion of undeserving new material. For me, the aromas and flavors feature a slightly bitter, Home-Depot-lumber-department note of freshly sawn wood. It comes off as a very young malt, and without an age-statement, I have to assume so. My least favorite of their offerings, which is still pretty good, not to mention affordable. (86/100, B)
The Singleton of Glendullan Classic - never mind Diageo's confusing naming strategy for this trio of distilleries (along with 'The Singleton of Glen Ord' and 'The Singleton of Dufftown'), this 12 y.o. Speyside malt offers "light, delicate, greenwood flavor". Indeed. (82/100, B-)
Highland Park Viking Honour 12 - upgrade from the old HP12, boost of peat in particular. Stinging carrot-note finish isn't my favorite, but perhaps it was suffering by comparison to the sample bottle with which it was packaged [see next]. (87/100, B+)
Highland Park 18 (old bottling, pre-'Viking Pride 18') - dammit, Highland Park, finally! Now I know what to stock in my scotch cave when I can afford such a thing. Favorite Island malt by a mile, hope it didn't suffer with the revamp. Sincere gratitude to the Orcadian people for this gem. (96/100, A)
Kavalan Classic - solid single malt from Taiwan. Not so Speysidesque as they might claim, more of a lower Highland profile to me. Found it at O'Toole's on Forest Hill, huge pour to boot. (85/100, B)
Shackleton (Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky) - one of the mad scientist malts we discussed earlier, a blended faithful replication of Ernest Shackleton's abandoned cache of icebound scotch, recovered after 100 years in Antarctica. Nose and palate delicate as advertised, while its rowdy green olive finish reminded me of its intentionally 'young' profile. (82/100, B-)
Balcones Texas Single Malt - powerhouse whisky for sure. 53% ABV, dark as a seared steak and just as flavorful. The nose is actually a bit much, stings a tad. You could almost mistake this for a bourbon with its syrupy sweetness and depth of flavor. I do like it, a lot even, but somehow it falls outside of my expectation of what malt whisky tastes like. (89/100, B+)
Highland Park Magnus - monumental letdown after my HP 18 experience. Watery malt, chalky finish, the touch of smoke more tobacco than peat. At $35 a bottle, seemed too good to be true. It was. (75/100, C)
Lagavulin 8 - whoa! Rough sex in a bottle. I suppose I could expound on my rather inelegant assessment, but I'd rather it stoke your imagination a bit until you try...nay, experience... it yourself. (94/100, A)
Glenrothes Sherry Cask Reserve - affordable, smooth, sherry rich palate, inoffensive nose and finish at the edge of boring. With its squatty 'Mickey's widemouth' reminiscent bottling, perhaps a decent gift for a fledgling malt enthusiast. (85/100, B)
Auchentoshan Three Wood - golf scotch for sure. Light enough for day drinking, replete with grassy Lowland aromas to savor on your 'good walk spoiled', but also some warm sherry notes to boot. Hell, it's even named after that rarely used club you only try to use on par 5 fairways. Much better than their 'American Oak' expression. (85/100, B)
Macallan 12 Double Cask - a rare instance of double casking used to the detriment of the malt. The original 12 (not to mention the 18) in its sherry cask glory has never disappointed me, and somehow adding the influence of bourbon oak brings the whole thing down a peg or two, especially the finish. Still better than their Fine Oak 10 trainwreck, but I suspect this is Macallan's attempt to cut costs and complete for space on the middle shelves with the Glenfiddiches and Glenlivets. (82/100, B-)
BenRiach 10 - sticky sweet on first attempt, has since grown on me with every tasting. Paired perfectly with spicy Laotian food. Silky smooth finish, solid Speyside. (87/100, B+)
Glen Grant 5 - it's true, scotch is everywhere in Italy (convenience stores, gelato shops, beachside food carts, etc.) and many are lesser aged malts. I was on a wine kick this trip, but couldn't resist sampling an untried malt. In retrospect, the next morning was my only headache of the trip (Italian wine is magical that way). Didn't hate it, just not terribly impressed. (74/100, C)
Caisel - This one snuck up on me so close to home. An unaged single malt, basically barley moonshine, distilled by a restaurant 2 hours down the road in Hampton? I hadn't seen anything like it anywhere else, this was an absolute must-try to experience what new make would taste like without the significant influence of cask aging. Scotch-flavored vodka was my initial impression, but by the end of the bottle I had no trouble nosing and tasting malty notes. Finish stings a bit without the oak maturation. Looking forward to see what the Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery has in mind for this stuff in the future. It doesn't feel right to give this one a grade as it's more of a work-in-progress than a finished whisky,
LAST WORDS
"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisk(e)y is barely enough."
- Mark Twain
"Happiness is having a rare steak, a bottle of whisky, and a dog to eat the rare steak."
- Johnny Carson
"Whisky is liquid sunshine."
- George Bernard Shaw
"There were years when I was a beer and tequila guy, then I got real fat. And I found you could actually go on a diet and drink scotch. Then I got hooked on scotch, and if you get hooked on scotch, then everything else just tastes wrong."
- Ron White
"Always carry a flagon of whisky in case of snakebite; and furthermore always carry a small snake."
- W.C. Fields
"The water was not fit to drink. To make it palatable, we had to add whisky. By diligent effort, I learned to like it."
- Winston Churchill
"I never should have switched from scotch to martinis."
- Humphrey Bogart's last words
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