Lagavulin 16

After the Laphroaig Quarter Cask, I had a dram of the Lagavulin 16. This may be the best-aged Islay I have ever tasted. Each other Islay I have tried was either a 10 (Ardbeg, Laphroaig) or a 12 (Bowmore, Caol Ila). Other scotch from the islands were in the same league with respect to age (Talisker 10, Jura 10). The only two exceptions were the abysmal Trader Joe's Bowmore 18, which tastes watered down and nowhere near 18 years old, and the Laphroaig 15, which is solid, but still prickly.

Immediately upon nosing the Lagavulin, the smell of oak emerged; this is rare in an islay, where the smell of peat usually overtakes any other smell. Upon taking a sip, the complexity of flavors surprised me. An Islay with more to offer than a handful of peat? Yes, Scotchytime fans. I did not taste the "bite" to which I referred in my previous post regarding Laphroaig. As its label declares, Lagavulin "Takes out the fire but leaves in the warmth." Well done, Lagavulin. If you are a diehard peat fan, you may favor more of the direct approach, with a Talisker 10 or an Ardbeg 10. But if you seek a more subtle peat flavor with a pronounced oak taste, the Lagavulin is your scotch. However, the cost (over $60), may keep a casual scotchyfan from this gem.

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Yesterday, I acquired a Laphroaig Quarter Cask and a Lagavulin 16. Both are stellar. I tried the Laphroaig QC, then the Lagavulin. I rate the QC well higher than Laphroaig's 10-year expression. It still has a sharp phenolic taste and quite a bite. However, it tastes sweeter than the 10-year. The heavy peat taste remains, but the medicinal taste does not contribute so strongly to the finish. The smell of old rubber is minimal compared to the 10-year. This scotch still tastes quite young. There is a spicy, raw taste that can be minimized with some aging. My only reservation is that the QC costs about $50, where the the Laphroaig 10 can commonly be found at around $30.

Recenteats' Famous Grouse Review

Check out my pal Sku's review of Famous Grouse scotch. I know it's a blend, Scotchytime fans, but it's worth reading for the discussion of the Highland Park included in the blend. This is part of the Recenteats "whiskey Wednesday" series.

List of Scotchdoc "approved" scotch retail outlets

Here. Unsurprisingly, San Francisco has a good showing. Southern California, on the other hand, needs to step it up. Hitimewine in Costa Mesa is all we have.

Signatory Caol Ila 1992

Whilst searching the Bevmo website this interested me. Has anyone ever tried this? It seems so nondescript, it must be delicious.

Beverage Tasting Institute

Here is a link to the Beverage Tasting Institute's website, which rates scotch, among other spirits. These guys like that Highland Park stuff. The older the better. A surprise to me is the Tasting Institute's affinity for the much less expensive Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength, the Laphroaig Quarter Cask and the Dalmore Cigar Malt. Conspicuously absent is the Lagavulin 16, which according to the Bevmo website received a 99 from the Tasting Institute. However, I can't find the Lagavulin 16 rating on the Tasting Institute's site.

Laphroaig 15 review

Disclaimer: my palate was a bit muddled when I enjoyed this last weekend. However, I was immediately able to tell the difference between the 10-year expression. The oak taste in the 15 is unmistakable. The peat is more measured. The phenols were delicate, not overpowering like in the 10-year. It is a more complex scotch with a deeper, richer color and flavor than the 10.

For a second opinion, I turn to one of the Scotch All-Stars. Here is his assessment verbatim: ". . . I've remembered the official tasting notes for the Laphroaig 15. It tastes like awesome. You can quote me on the blog."

Here it is in a glass:

Brief History of Ardbeg

An informative read.

Digital Photographic Picture Taking Machine Apparatus

Yes, Scotchytime fans. I have acquired a DPPTMA (Digital Photographic Picture Taking Machine Apparatus). Let the blurry scotchypics flow.

Ardbeg Committee

I recently became a member of this highly discriminating committee. For free. Via their website. The cover of the rule book and a part of the letter follow:





The material Ardbeg sent me was impressive. Included were: a booklet of tasting notes, a "rule book", drinking songs, Scottish sayings and other generally funny stuff. Sign up at their website here. The rest of their site is entertaining as well.

Caol Ila 12: Not Pungent. . .

A Scotch All-Star and I noted this on the bottle of Caol Ila 12 a few weeks ago. I refer to the "not as pungent" as our neighbors part. Amusing. To me.

Bowmore Distillery Vids

Check out these distillery videos. They've got good shots of the malting, smoking and mashing process. Here is part 1, part 2, and part 3. Worth your while.

Alexander Murray & Co.

This the bottler for TJ's and Costco's cheap whiskey lines. Does anyone know how I can contact them to get an idea of their bottling practices?

Costco Macallan 18

Here's a picture. A discussion from another blog regarding this is here. It think this will be my next buy. Granted, $60 is a lot of money to throw as something that may be a total bust, but I'm a bettin' man. Also, one of the scotch all-stars has a "real" bottle of Macallan 18, with which I intend to rigorously contrast the Costco bottle.

Trader Joe's' response

After all that waiting, this is what I get back from TJ's after sending them a lengthy, many-part question:

"Thanks for your email. Unfortunately, we don't disclose our 3rd party
vendors. Goodluck to you."

I'll continue to press these guys. More on this later.

Ardbeg 10 review

One of my favorites. Extremely peaty, but it lacks that phenolic, medicine-like taste of the Laphroaig 10. To me, that's a plus. I smell some salt, and ocean air. When I first sipped it, it appeared to have a high alcohol content. The scotch appeared to melt in my mouth. The alcohol content is 46%, not significantly higher than most scotches, bottled at 40% or 43%. The body is sweet, with more peat and charcoal, without Laphroaig's iodine-like flavor. Delicious. It is clearly a bold Islay scotch, but without the brash character of the Laphroaig 10.

Royal Lochnagar 12 review

A mild scotch. Light-bodied. The most unique aspect of this scotch is the rosy, floral, perfume-like nose. It has a rather watery, light-caramel body and just a bit of spice in the finish. I can detect just a slight bit of oak, if I try-certainly no peat, smoke or deep oak flavor. Light and airy. Not my bag.

Email to Trader Joe's

Below is the email I just sent to TJ's about their scotch bottling. I will post their response:

To Whom it May Concern:

I recently started a blog called "Scotchytime" at www.scotchytime.blogspot.com. I am drafting a post on Trader Joe's scotch and I am seeking some information from the source. With your permission, I will post your answers in their entirety on my blog.

Here are my questions:

What company/group bottles the scotches you buy from the distilleries? Can you describe the process they use (what water they cut the scotch with, etc.)?

Why do some of your scotch taste diluted, like the Bowmore 18 and to a lesser extent the Macallan 10, but other of your scotches taste just fine, like your Glen Grant 10?

What additional scotches can we expect on the West coast, Midwest and East Coast? Can you give us a "preview of coming attractions?"

How can Macallan and other distilleries afford to sell you casks of their scotch for so cheap? How can you sell such high quality scotches for so cheap (other than the obvious answers, like wholesale discounts).

Please provide any other information you think scotch enthusiasts would like to hear.

Thanks in advance for your time. I appreciate the information.

Tomorrow's tastings

Tomorrow I will be posting tasting notes for the Royal Lochnagar 12 and one of my favorites: the Ardbeg 10. Nice!

D and M Liquors

Check out the website of the best scotch store I have ever been able to find. It's in San Francisco. Go directly to their single malt selection here. Crazy assortment of scotches. Some pretty obscure stuff, too.