Whisky I've Drank: Laphroaig Select Casks

By Brendan WhiskyMate

And so we return to Islay and more specifically, Laphroaig, to review one of their expressions which has been on the market for some time now: the Laphroaig Select Cask.

As has been the position of late, the distillery has released a number of NAS whiskies over the past few years alongside their core range of age-statemented offerings. Some of these releases, namely the Quarter Cask for the core range and PX Cask for the travel retail exclusive range, have been exceptional additions and has given Laphroaig a level of credibility when it comes to releasing quality NAS whiskies.

Make no mistake, most of these releases are on the younger end of the spectrum. But it seems that Laphroaig is looking at a two-pronged approach of firstly educating whisky drinkers that age is but a number and that flavour-driven younger releases can be just as good as their age-statemented counterparts and secondly allowing for a form of stock management in order to better cater to demand for their whiskies.

The focus of today’s review is the Laphroaig Select Cask expression from the distillery and it is a vatting of a multitude of different casks. Oloroso sherry butts, American white oak (and according to The Whisky Exchange, possibly some virgin oak), Pedro Ximenez-seasoned hogsheads (possibly the same ones used to mature the PX Cask), quarter casks and first-fill bourbon casks are all used in the vatting process to create this whisky and it results in a rather restrained version of the distillery’s house style.

So, let’s get on with the review!

Laphroaig Select Cask (40% abv)

Colour: Straw

Nose: 

Initial entry presents sea salt, anchovies and salted butter alongside with the typical Laphroaig iodine note. The peat is present, but rather restrained. TCP, a hint of sherry, barley sugar, kippers and apricots make this a rather complex nosing experience. A hint of vanilla at the very end. (20/25)

Palate: 

The sweetness of the barley coupled with coastal peat and sweet sherry are quite apparent from the beginning, with a touch of nutmeg and cloves intermingling. Not as complex or densely flavoured as the PX Cask, but it does have it’s own unique character.

Smoked bacon, beach bonfire, sea salt and white pepper make an appearance after some time and combine fairly well with the main characteristics of this dram. It’s definitely Laphroaig-esque in style, but with a softer and more approachable side. (19/25)

Finish: 

Short on the finish with some saltiness, barley sugar and just a hint of sherry. Ends rather abruptly to be honest. (17/25)

Balance: 

A fairly well balanced dram which does try to incorporate all of its elements together in a cohesive fashion, but it does seem to lack a certain wow factor. In this case, the standard abv of 40% doesn’t do it any favours as it seems rather underpowered for my liking.

If this was bottled at a slightly higher strength of 43% abv, chances are it would have provided a better representation of itself in my opinion. However, it is a solid (albeit unspectacular) offering from Laphroaig. The mouthfeel is slightly oily but drying towards the end. (19/25)

Rating: 75/100

The Laphroaig Select Cask can be purchased at both The Whisky Exchange (£29.96 ex VAT) & Master of Malt (£28.33 ex VAT) with an additional charge for shipping and handling and any associated customs duties.

On its own, it is a fairly solid dram. But when put up against the likes of the Quarter Cask or PX Cask, it tends to fall some way short of the lofty standards that one would expect from a Laphroaig regardless of whether it is a NAS release or an age-statemented offering.

Until the next review (which I promise will be something very interesting), have a great week ahead.

Slainte!

Brendan

Whisky I've Drank: The Hakushu Single Malt Aged 12 years

By THE CASKS
From the few pictures I’ve seen, Suntory’s Hakushu distillery lies in a particularly beautiful setting. Seen from afar, its twin pagoda roofs, connected near the top by a covered walkway, nestled in a deep forest surrounded by mountains…it’s hard to imagine a more idyllic, if not idealized, setting for Japanese whisky making. It came as a surprise to me, at least, that beneath this arboreal splendor, lies what was at one time, and fairly recently at that, the world’s largest distillery.
Suntory founded Hakushu in 1973, purchasing not just land enough for the distillery, but a large area around the site as well to protect its reportedly exquisite water source. Hakushu lives quite high as distilleries go, at an elevation of nearly 2300′ which is about 750′ higher than Scotland’s highest distillery, Braeval. Initially, there was one still room with 12 pairs of stills (that’s 24 stills for the mathematically challenged, and yes, I am one of you), but in just seven short years, these 24 copper beauties were apparently running full steam and Suntory realized they needed what all overburdened distilleries need – more stills. A second still house came online in 1981, adding 6 more pairs (that’s 12 stills…) to the total. Now, with all 36 stills galloping along at full speed, Hakushu was able to claim the title of largest distillery in the world.
Alas, les bon temps did not roulez for long (yes, I know that’s French, I don’t know Japanese). Over the years, recession, tax increases, and the resulting lack of demand for the booze led Suntory to mothball the original stillhouse in 2006. The remaining functioning stills (12, by my count) are of myriad shapes and sizes, allowing Hakushu to produce many different styles of whisky, most of which serve Suntory’s popular blends. The distillery produces a range of spirit, from non-peated to heavily peated, all from malted barley they’ve imported from Scotland. The majority of maturation takes place in American Oak casks with some ex-Oloroso butts and a small percentage of new Japanese Oak casks making up the rest. In Japan and the rest of the world where Hakushu is more readily available, it’s core range is made up of a no-age-statement malt and 10, 12, 18, and 25 year old expressions along with limited edition releases. Here in the wasteland of the U.S., the Hakushu range is limited to…this 12 Year Old. Lightly peated, this one is created (or at least marketed) to be consumed both neat and in the “mizuwari” style (highball with water and ice).
The Nose: 

 A really fresh, inviting, warm nose, with chocolate covered cherries, lush vanilla-tinged honey, cedar wood, and juicy raisins. Subtler notes of crushed almonds and dry hay. Very light peat notes, lightly medicinal yet covered in more floral honey. A small hint of smoldering grass and green wood smoke adds a nice counterpoint.
The Palate: 

 Honey and dried fruit to start with a slightly oily mouthfeel. A lithe, cocoa-tinged burst of fruit and woody spice, with winey grapes, juicy tart apples, fresh grated ginger and green cardamom. A subtle bit of white pepper accompanies a nice swell of mild peat and smoke towards the end.
The Finish: 

 A nice combination of citrus sweetness and complex tannins linger with oak, cedar, and drying spice, cardamom, white pepper and raw clove. That wisp of smoke from the nose and palate gracefully wafts through the finish as well.
Thoughts: 

 This one is a delicious, intricate puzzle and has quickly become a regular in my cabinet. At times I find it similar to Highland Park 12 in that it’s a great all-around whisky with very well-structured hits of fruit, wood-spice, smoke and sweetness. But there’s also an exotic complexity that has just kept me coming back for more. Japanese whiskies can definitely be different animals and in my limited experience with them, perhaps none have shown off their unique quality more than this one. I spent most of my time with this one neat, but it’s equally delicious over ice, or in that tall glass with ice and water – diluted as such, it remains full of flavor. A painstakingly well-crafted whisky, light and crisp yet full of deeply complex flavors, highly recommended.
Hakushu 12 Year Old, Japanese Single Malt
43% ABV
Score: 88

Whisky I've Drank: Ardbeg Islay Single Malt 10 Years Old

By Jason Debly

Bonfire on a Bluff?

Having a glass of Arbeg 10 year old in your living room is like building a bonfire made up of tree branches, scrub brush and peat freshly cut from a Scottish bog, lighting it and watching the smoke swirl upwards as it is carried away by the unpredictable winds of the Isle of Islay, Scotland. The smoke at times will fill your nostrils followed by the peat, charcoal and a whiff of salty sea spray. Ardbeg 10 year old is uncompromising like a lazy wind blowing off the coast of the Isle of Islay. It's so cold and 'lazy' that it feels like it blows through you rather than around you. Such is the experience of a dram of this single malt scotch whisky.

Isle of Islay

Ardbeg is one of eight distilleries on the Isle of Islay, an Island off the coast of Scotland that can have wind, rain and a crashing sea on a regular basis. The geography is rocky, relatively flat, with plenty of bluffs, jagged outcroppings of rock, and cliff faces above a churning white-capped sea below. Whiskies distilled on this island are often very peaty, smokey and kind of like the flavor of a menthol cigarette. Peat actually plays a large role in the smoke flavor of this scotch whisky and the others of the Isle of Islay.

What is Peat?

On the Isle of Islay there are bogs and wetlands with plenty of partially decayed vegetation like scrub brush, tall grass, and other low lying vegetation. It is cut out in blocks and when dried is used to fuel fires to dry the malt used in scotch. The interaction of the smoke from the peat imparts the unique smokey flavor that is termed "peat" or "peaty" when describing scotch whiskies especially from the Isle of Islay.

Suggested Stemware

Glencairn would be best. Don't have that? Try a brandy snifter. The bowled shape with the opening at the top traps the aromas to be enjoyed as you nose it. A crystal tumbler doesn't 'trap' the scents of this whisky. Nevertheless, the tumbler is better than nothing and drinking from one will certainly not affect the flavor profile, just not deliver the full bouquet on the nose.

Ice? Water? Neat?

Decisions, decisions, decisions . . . If you are a novice scotch drinker, I would recommend adding an ice cube or two, it will dampen the pronounced peaty flavor profile and take away some of the 'bite.' If you enjoy scotch and consider yourself quite serious about it, I would recommend a teaspoon of distilled or spring water be added to a single or double pour (you will have to experiment to see what works for you). The water will add a lot of complexity. I find 'neat' it is just too over the top.

If you are a veteran drinker, well then pony up and get ready to ride this flavor profile like "Seabiscuit."

Nose (undiluted)

Beautifully strong peat, wood smoke and salt air. The aroma of peat is so powerful, that often after having had my drink, washed my glass, returned it to the cupboard, gone to bed, up and off to work, back home, late evening retrieve my glass, and wow! I still smell peat in my glass! And not just any peat, but rather distinctively that of Ardbeg.

Palate (undiluted)

Starts sweet, mid palate fills with damp wood smoke before moving to drying black pepper and more billowing smoke like a big Cohiba.

Finish (undiluted)

White cheddar to salt to fresh ground black pepper. Slight burn remains on the throat after it is swallowed.

General Impressions

Not what I would call “smooth” scotch if consumed neat. On the other hand, I would not describe it as “rough” either. Instead, I would describe this scotch having a flavor profile that involves an “abrupt” transition from sweet smoke to sharp black pepper and coarse salt. Not a flavor profile that I would describe as "complex" when consumed neat. You need to add water (ie. teaspoon) to bring out the complexity and magic of this dram. Really, water is a must!

This single malt enjoys a large following among serious scotch drinkers, and I do understand the fascination. The flavor profile is unique and a very powerful, yet elegant explosion of smoke and peat upon all the senses. You will come back to this whisky again and again, as you analyze its secrets.

Initially, I didn't understand what was all the fuss about this spirit. But that first tasting haunted me. It beckoned me back. The nose of peat and wood smoke, a promise that was fulfilled on the palate was fascinating. I must say I like this, but not my favorite. I like it, but not the way I am obsessed with Cragganmore 12 yr old, a scotch that I systematically bought all remaining bottles where I live upon learning the distributor was cutting my liquor store off.

This is not a mainstream spirit. It is for the scotch connoisseur seeking a very unique flavor. If you are considering purchasing this as a gift for someone, and not knowing their individual tastes, I would recommend choosing another single malt that is more pleasing to the average drinker.

Water really needs to be added to this malt to bring out a more complex display of flavors. Teaspoon to a double pour I find is just enough. One must remember that it is bottled at 46% abv. I find that over 43% many malts benefit from the addition of some water. Ardbeg 10 is not an exception to such a general rule.

I am surprised by my conclusion on this scotch. I thought I would enjoy it more given all the praise I have read in books and elsewhere online. It's more than ok, but I would not buy it again. I certainly do not agree with the praise rendered by the scotch expert, Jim Murray, who wrote: "Unquestionably the greatest distillery to be found on Earth. If perfection on the palate exists, this is it."

Cheers!

By SingleMaltBrasil
Os maltes da Ardbeg são os mais enfumaçados de Islay com 50ppm de fenóis (a maioria dos maltes de Islay têm entre 20 e 40ppm de fenóis). A Ardbeg foi fundada em 1815 e ficou inativa durante parte da década de 80 e 90. Em 1997 foi comprada pela Glenmorangie plc e reaberta.

A destilaria vem ganhando vários prêmios recentemente, sendo considerada uma das mais criativas e inovadoras da Escócia.
Teor alcoólico: 46%
Volume: 750 ml
Notas de degustação:
- Aparência: Dourado.
- Olfato: Explosão de fumaça, turfa, algas marinhas e alcatrão. Toques de limão, pera, maçã e cereais.
- Paladar: Profusão de sabores. Seco, salgado, cítrico e licoroso. Baunilha, tabaco, café e especiarias.
- Fim de Boca: Longo. Enfumaçado, seco e com notas de turfa, cereais e algas marinhas.
- Conclusão: Talvez o melhor malte de Islay. Balanceado, complexo e rico em aromas e sabores.