Teeling - Small Batch

Good day and Happy St. Patrick's Day. This is a day to celebrate all things Irish. I have actually been celebrating the Irish gifts to the whisky world for this entire month. St Patrick`s day is celebrated on what is believed to be the anniversary of the saints death. He is the Patron saint of Ireland, but really not a lot of his life is really known. He was a bishop of Ireland and it is believed he lived in about the 5th Century AD.What I found to be interesting today was that the saint used the three leaf clover to illustrate the concept of the holy trinity to the people of Ireland. I had never heard that before. As much as I love this day for its placement near the beginning of Spring and all its merry making I find that it has gone to a level of cheapness that doesn't really mean anything. Most people know little if anything about St. Patrick or Ireland. It seems to just be yet another day to buy cheap crap and get drunk. Just my two cents. 

For the actual day I figured I would raise a glass of something a little different: A rum cask whisky. According to the official website “This small batch bottling consists of hand selected casks which are given further maturation in ex-Flor de Cana Rum barrels”. I am a huge fan of the Flor de Cana rums and am eager to try my first rum cask whisky. 

For musical inspiration I have chosen the Grateful Dead live at the Winterland Arena 03.18.1977. Yep the St. Patricks day hangover show from one of my favourite years of dead music. I also like the two sevens. Seven is considered to be a lucky number and the Irish are known for their luck. 

and now to the tasting. Slainte!

Nose: Thick wave of wood and vanilla, with notes of rum.

Palate: A great mouth feel that is equally thick and sparkling. Wood develops into a vanilla sweetness and then the rum notes kick in. 

Finish: long and smooth. I am left with a bit of the wood and nice degree of rum notes. I then detect a slight cigar tobacco edge. 

Irish whisky is a growing segment of the whisky world. With whiskies like this that is no surprise.The Irish are becoming creative in the ageing process and are delivering unique tasty expressions. These creations are a delight to enjoy and for just one moment I feel I can share in the luck that so famously belongs to the Irish.

Thank you and as the Irish saying goes:  ``May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light, may good luck pursue you each morning and night.``

   

Deanston Batch #1 - That Boutique-y Whisky Company

 

    Dram number 2 in the advent calendar comes from the Deanston distillery. Deanston Batch #1 was bottled by independent bottlers - That Boutique-y Whisky Company. According to the Master of Malt website (where the whisky can be purchased) the Deanston distillery used to be a cotton mill. It was converted into a distillery in the 60's. The pop art looking label on the full size bottle depicts two hippies to capture the spirit of the 60's. Upon further research (Thank You Google) I was able to see that the conversion took place in 1965.

     The Grateful Dead also got their start in 1965, playing and recording under various band names within and around the San Francisco area. They also played as the house band during the acid tests. The acid tests were a series of parties hosted by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters. During these parties people would drop acid as a group in order to see what would happen. Would they find a new level of consciousness, a new understanding of life or just dance about barefoot while giant flowers exhaled visible musical notes all around them. For the answer read the Electric Kool Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe. The Grateful Dead recordings from this era were traded for years (as almost all of the bands shows are) and became an official release in 2003.

    Deanston and early Dead. This should be a perfect match.

Nose: After an initial sharpness I found lots of vanilla and peppermint. I not only smelled the mint but also felt it, almost like when you breathe in vaporub. There was also a lot of honey which almost seemed to have been steeped with a touch of ginger. beautiful in its ability to warm and cool at the same time.

Palate: WOW. That is the most honey sweet whisky I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. This honey encases all other notes. Vanilla, carob (?), smoke, dates, kumquat and at the end traces of mint and a touch of ginger. The mouth feel is full and velvety.

Finish: The finish is long. The honey coats the mouth. Intermittently that mint comes back, more felt than tasted.

     I don't know much about Deanston but after this I am going to be on the lookout for other expressions. A delicious whisky that melts your heart with its honey sweetness while cooling your mind with that weird (in a good way) minty vapour.

     This tasting is a good reminder for me that it's important to keep trying different whiskies. There is really no end to what can be done or to what flavour profiles can be achieved. Let the experiment continue so that I may further my palate.
         

Mackinlays Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky

I am very excited for this weeks post. Last year my wife gave me a bottle of MacKinlay's Rare Old Highland Whisky (AKA Shackleton's Whisky) for our fourth anniversary. I have been waiting for a special occasion to try it.  This week I finally received my degree in the mail and I can't help but feel special about that. So special in fact that I am also playing the Grateful Dead for this tasting.

In 2007 the curators of Ernest Shackleton's Cabin in the Antarctic found several bottles of whisky stashed under the floor boards. These bottles would have been left there in 1907. Some of the bottles were returned to Whyte and McKay the owners of Mackinlay's. They then painstakingly recreated the whisky in those bottles. In essence this whisky should taste as whisky would have 100 years ago. In order to replicate the whisky single malt whiskies of various ages were used. This allowed Whyte and McKay to release the product quicker, and it also makes this my first vatted or blended Malt Whisky. The presentation (shown below) is quite nice. It comes in a wooden case with straw. A spare cork in a burlap sack is also included, as is a booklet detailing the story of the whisky. I would highly recommend that you look up Ernest Shackleton. The story of the whisky is fascinating, but not nearly as incredible as the harrowing details of the expedition.     

For music I threw on The Barton Hall show from 1977.05.08. This show is really the one that got me  hooked on The Grateful Dead. The band is on fire, the set lists are full of hits and the jams (especially the Scarlet>Fire) showcase the bands groovier side... This was '77 after all.

and now for the sipping...

Nose: prickly. honeyed perfume and a wisp of smoke.

Palate: leather smoke and creosote. It tastes as I would have imagined the cabin would have smelled while in use over a hundred years ago. I also get notes of pepper and other spices. 

Finish: The finish is long. The smoke is ever present. There is a spicy tingle that gives way to what I can only describe as a crude oil flavour. A whisper of mint arrives right at the end.

Since this is a celebration I'm going to make this a double. This time I am going to use the "Vinturi" aerator. This was part of this years anniversary gift. It is a flute glass looking contraption. You pour your whisky into the top and then place it over a glass and push the button. This tool supposedly enhances the tasting experience. We'll see if that is the case....

Nose: honey sweetness the smoke is also present. The nose is less perfumed, and does not prickle like it did before.

Palate: a sweetness embraces the spices. like sweetened cinnamon. The smoke although certainly present is milder and cleaner than the first drink.

Finish: The finish remains long. It maintains that smoke and oil while introducing a bit of perfume. The mint returns as well.

It appears that the aerator did enhance the scents and tastes of the whisky. It did not add or remove anything but did alter their intensity a bit. it also seemed to change the order in which the sensations arrived.

This tasting could not have happened without the help of my wife, Liza. She provided not only the whisky and aerator but most importantly the motivation and support necessary for me to complete my degree. For that I will always be grateful.

Thank you