- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Let me just say that you have a
wonderful page, and are doing a great service to the world by maintaining it. Just a thought on the Glenmorangie 18. I have been drinking the 10 for quite a few years, and have been looking forward to trying the woods. We
went out for our anniversary a few weeks ago, and I was hoping to try one then, but all they had was the 18. I find it to be a wonderful drink. Very smooth and refined. I would rate in equal to the Macallan 18, which is very
different. The PLOWED folks love it, but I think they give extra points to sweeter scotches with a 'big' flavor. In recent years, I have begun to appreciate things that are more subtle. We have our First Amendment over here,
which seems to give everybody the right to flame people in person, in the press, and on the Internet. yet, I know some truly great people who never even raise their voice. The same thing with scotch. Scapa
is another scotch that seems to get under appreciated. I think that people who go for the Mac 18 or stronger Islay's may overlook it. So then, I find GM 18 to be well up there. Of course, I still have to try the Port edition, and I have a bottle of Ardberg 1974 waiting for my birthday in just two months, so my views may change.
Cheers. Louis Perlman (Reply by Johannes: I also liked the Glenmorangie 18 a lot, but I have to buy a big bottle before I can give it a definite
rating. The Port and Madeira woods are VERY different. You should certainly try them if you get the chance. I think these 2 are malts you either love or hate. See the October 1997 Tasting Report for details. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Subject: Your Top 10 / Bad Whisky Hello Johannes,
I went back and looked at your Top 10, and our tastes actually have a lot in common. In order: Bad scotches:
It seems to me that you are a little harsh on Johnny Walker Red label on your 'Worst Whiskies' page. After all, 8 year old blended scotches aren't supposed to be very good. In my pre-SMS days, I was a Black Lable man. I am actually happier when I am somewhere and all they have is Red lable or (especially) Dewars instead of Black lable or Chivas, both of which I can barely tolerate anymore. I will give Teachers a try if the situation ever presents itself. On the other hand, a truly vile drink is J&B. I don't know why anybody thinks it is worth having around. It makes Red Label taste like Lagavulin, and I am not saying this as an exageration. And finally, we come to American Whiskey, the most popular brand being Four Roses. I hope that you don't have any of this is The Netherlands. American Whiskey is the roadkill of alchoholic beverages, consisting of rubbing alchohol, recycled antifreeze, and anything else that is laying around. Perhaps an overstatement, but you get the idea. It is cheap, and it's adherents cant' tell the difference and never will.
One point to note. In NYC, drinking by the glass is expensive, since the rent and good help cost the same for everything. I therefore prefer to buy by the bottle, so I get to drink more of fewer malts. Still, I am approaching 20, and running out of room to put them all. (Comment by Johannes: I sometimes buy miniatures, but I feel it takes at least one big bottle to really get to know a malt. I know about the storage problem. Every malt on my "Notes" page represents a bottle on my shelves, and there are some 30 more that haven't been rated yet. Because I also indulge myself in the occasional Cognac, Armagnac or Calvados my appartment is getting somewhat cramped. By the
way, one thing I like about the SMS world is that it possible to enjoy lots of different scotches. Most of us can drive only one car at a time, you are either pro or anti Microsoft, Unix, OS/2 or whatever, and being a sports fan
usually involves hating certain teams. On the other hand, we can all enjoy Scapa, Macallans, and Lagavulin. And the chat page is a lot more friendly than the Stereophile Letters to the Editor. Cheers. Louis (Comment by Johannes: You're SO right it's frigthening; By the way - I'm having a Singleton 1981 right now which isn't at all bad... You should try it when you find it - it's better
than the 10 yrs.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Subject: Singleton / Springbank I have a bottle of 10yr Singleton. It is not bad if the price is not too high (closer to $25 than to $35, the range I have seen it going for). Michael Jackson says it is a dessert scotch, but it goes well WITH dessert too. It is the only thing in my collection that can stand up to a rich chocolate cake or mousse. As for the Springbank, once again I find myself in your camp.True, my bottle probably isn't the 'special edition', but for my $58, it isn't really to my taste. Probably worth the money, but I am not rich and can't afford to play in that league. Anyway, it and the Lagavulin are currently breaking in, I will try them both in a few weeks and see if/how they improve. I will be at my parents next week for the holidays, and reduce my father's supply of Macallan 12. In advance, i will go back to m bottle of Glenfarclas 12 to see how they compare. (Reply by Johannes: I agree with your observations on
the Singleton. It certainly has a dessert quality to it. Especially the liquorice was striking when I first nosed it. Considering your $58 for a Springbank; For that kind of money you can get a Glenmorangie Port or a Balvenie 15
yrs. Single Barrel here in Holland. As a matter of fact, I just bought me a bottle of the latter one - the 15 yrs. that is. You mentioned before that prices went up 20% over there, but the price of the Balvenie Doublewood has
dropped to a little over $30 here in Holland, which is an absolute steal, I think. Especially considering that my first tasting of the 15 yrs. suggested that it might rate a little below the Doublewood! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #1: The Water of Life...
Hello Johannes, Happy New Year, which it is for you as I write this. The last week and a half or so has been rather strange. First, there was the Springbank business, and the
price increase not only for the Balvenie 15, but also for Caol Ila 14 and the Glenrothes 1979 16yr Signture, all of which I had my eye on. Well, the only thing to do was to find a bottle to acquire, so I visited the liquor store on
my way home from work on 12/24. There wasn't too much left on the shelves, but I ended up with the Balvenie 10yr Founders Reserve
that you have on your Top 10 list. Well, it was fantastic!!! Even my wife, who 'doesn't like scotch' liked it. And for a mere $25. Clearly the best Holiday Cheer that I could have imagined. So all's well that ends well. By the way, I wonder if your bottle of 15 SC might be a victim of cask to cask variation.
As for the Glenfarclas-Macallan comparison, you were right on with your prediction (this is starting to get scary). The Mac 12 does indeed have a certain something. In fact, Ed Goldstein mentioned to me that he could use
it as his everyday scotch, and he is an Islay lover. I would rate it as perhaps the best all around SMS, if not the best outright. I'll need to hit the Lagavulin a few more times to properly resolve this issue. Cheers. Louis
Reply by Johannes: Funny you mentioned the Balvenie 10 - I have a strange experience to relate to you. Me and my brother just finished my second
bottle last tuesday night. The bottle had been nearly empty for over half a year, and we both noticed a big difference between the actual taste and our memories. In such a case it's cerrtainly comes in handy that I take notes. I
looked it up, and found out he "trademark" Balvenie "honeyish" character had virtually disappeared. It might have been we both had an off-day. Up until now I've never noticed such a quality loss with malts that
had been on my shelves for a year or more - some even gotten a little better. It's strange, no? - After three glasses of the Balvenie Single Barrel it seems the DoubleWood is my overall favorite, but like you said - another 15
Single Cask might be better. I'll have another go at the bottle tonight. I certainly agree with Ed Goldstein and you that Macallan 12 is one of the best all-round malts, together with Balvenie and Highland Park 12 I think - and
perhaps the Dalmore 12 and Longmorn 15 after that. I like Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Talisker even better, but those malts are not quite as "accessible". By the way - In an earlier mail you inicated that you thought I
preferred the Macallan 18 over the 12. This may not be the case. It's just that I've enjoyed several bottles of the Macallan 10 and 12, but only 3 glasses of the 18 - so at this moment I can't really make an honest comparison. I
can only say that they are very different indeed, but I have to wait for the big bottle to say anything final. As a rule, however, I feel that most malts over 12 yrs - with notable exeptions like Longmorn 15 and Lagavulin 16 - are
overpriced given the (hard to define) quality-differences. When you look at Macallan and Glenmorangie for example - Here in Holland the 18 yrs. versions are more than twice the price of the younger ones, but initial tastings
"by the glass" indicate that they're certainly not twice as good. Much more "woody", that's for sure!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #2: The Water of Life... I am sure that my bottle of Balvenie 10
won't last that long. It will become one of my 'working malts', meaning that I enjoy it enough to consume frequently, but cheap enough to be able to replace. In that respect, Tomatin has lost it's place at the top of that list. Any reference to Macallan 18 was regarding it's general reputation. If I was writing for Michael Jackson, I would have to rate the 18 higher than the 12, but ratings don't have to count for personal consumption, as we all know. By the way, my bottle of
Lagavulin
really improved after sitting for three weeks. The first time around, it had somewhat of an oily body and little taste. I know that no one has described it as such, and that is why I reserved comment. It is really coming into it's own now, and I am giving it another few weeks. In any event, the bottle is getting a lot emptier than any other in my collection after only two times around. It may not be 'accessible', but once you get there...... The same was unfortunately, not true for the Springnbank.
I have also had a Littlemill 8
adventure. How did I get to it? Well, my wife gave me a book by David Lerner as a present. It is not nearly as detailed as Michael Jackson's, only general tasting notes for each brand, but easy to read thru which I did. When I saw something interesting, I went back to MJ for a closer look. Littlemill seems to be closing down quite frequently as one corporate owner after another has had financial difficulties. Since it was only $28, I figured what the heck. This is an interesting SMS. Soft, as it is described, which is different than mild or subtle. It's hard to convey exactly in words. The finish was most amazing. Long after I had brushed my teeth (which usually kills any lingering effects), it was still there, marshmallows and all. Not an everyday drink, but very interesting indeed.
Cheers Louis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Subject: SMS, etc. Hello Johaness, I opened my birthday bottle of Ardberg, and I think that it needs to break in too, Meanwhile, Martin and his friend
Bob sent me a miniature of the Springbank 12/100 Mistake scotch. I poured half an ounce, and compared it to my own bottle. Well, last week I wasn't so thrilled with it, but what a difference a week made. I am starting to
really like this stuff, which is bad considering how much it costs. It is almost as good as the better version. Also, we went out for my birthday on monday night. Great steak, among the top 5 I have ever consumed. They also had a
very nice SMS list, and I went for Talisker 10. Wow, Scottish rocket fuel indeed. I can see why it is #2 on your list. Great scotch and music forever. Louis (Reply by Johannes:I recently tasted another Springbank version to check out what all the fuss was about. I have to admit this Cask Strength bottling was considerably better than the 3 other
younger versions I tried, but it still doesn't come near my Top 10. I'm having an An Cnoc 12 right now, which is very pleasant, but not great - Still, for the price of any Springbank I can get at least three An Cnocs - and you know
us Dutchmen...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #3: SMS, etc. By now, I was hoping to have some interesting news on the SMS
front. Things have been delayed slightly, so I don't want to say anything premature. In the meantime, Talisker 10
has gone to the top of my want list. It's also gone down a few dollars recently (low $30's), so I hope to get some soon before it get's warm. Not that it has been exactly cold this winter, only once below freezing and just one snow flurry.
By the way, I know that you are partial to affordable stuff. But anyway, the big thing for me on the SMS front is that I am definitely and absolutely going to St. Thomas in June. As a result, I have declared a temporary SMS freeze. The only exceptions
are going to be some $20 Dalmore 12 which is too cheap to pass up, and Bowmore 12 Darkest
if the place that advertises it for $40 ever gets it in. I can bring back 10 bottles (the two of us, that is) duty free, and at four bottles for the price of three, being patient will pay off. As far as those expensive bottles are concerned, I didn't find them to be overly expensive. After all, 18yr old Glenmorangie and Macallan go for about $50, and at casket strength, allow for another 40%. I am going to try to get two or three of them this year. Now that I have settled down on my favorites, I do not plan on accumulating bottles just for the sake of buying them. I don't have enough room and it is also going to be hard to justify spending $40 of anything that I am likely to like less than Lagavulin. Had some last night by the way. I'll need to stock up at the rate that I drink this stuff. Of course, this all sounds good right now, I might not have that much self restraint if someone praises something interesting on the internet. I hope that you have had some good SMS experiences recently. (Reply by Johannes: Let me see - what's new overhere? I haven't given Ardbeg 17 a final tasting, but it
was a slight disappointment at first tasting - this was the fourth Ardbeg version I've tasted, and it scored less than it's older brothers. This might have been expected, because it was also the cheapest version, at $50. Still, I
found it an amazing malt which might score in the upper 80's region - Typically Islay, although I missed the characteristic "delay" in taste development of the other versions I've tried. My absolute favorite version was
the 1972 Cask Strength - The only one that comes near Talisker and Lagavulin. The last version is extremely rare here in Holland, but if you can get your hands on it it's an absolute winner, I think! But, this may be all
premature. I'm having a tasting-session at my place next week, and there will be a head-to-head comparison between the Ardbeg 17 and Ardbeg 1974 Connoisseurs Choice. I hope to establish a final rating then.. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #4: Ardbeg Hello again, this is a followup to yesterday's letter. The Ardberg 17, isn't this the first bottling for sale since they were taken over by Glenmorangie? Senility must be
setting in because I have been curious to see what it would be like ever since I heard about the takeover. So far, the 17 hasn't made it over here. I hope that it lives up to it's tradition, and that GM can price it in line with
thier own stuff eventually. Now that would be a treat. While I wait for the 17 to show up here, I found a bottle of Casket Strength Bowmore (no age specified) for a reasonable $35. It is breaking in, so I will have an update soon.
But anyway, I went back to my Ardberg 1974. It has broken in nicely. I would say that is is not much like Lagavulin, but more like Bowmore 12. Less Islay intensity though, which I don't mean as a criticism. I do like the
Ardberg vey much. The Ardberg showdown sounds tantalizing, I can't wait to hear how it went. I haven't seen the 1972 CS that you mention. Park Avenue does have an 18yr 123 proof Adelphi bottling, at a cool $100. How was your
comparison between the 1974 and the 17? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
prE-pistle #5: Bowmore C/S & Edradour My only recent purchase was some new Casket Strength Bowmore. No age given, rated at 56%, although I think that the angels took a little extra. It only cost $35, the same as I pay for the Bowmore 12. There is iodine on the nose, my wife could smell it as soon as I opened the bottle. It was a bad allergy night, so I can't make much judgement (I only suffer from mild allergies, but I couldn't smell the garlic in the chicken that night either). Body is slightly oilier than the 12, and the taste a bit 'opaque'. It's a good value for the money, and a fair tradeoff with the 12. My only reservation is that is just might be un-diluted Legend, which would make it less of a bargain. Still, nice to have around when needed. (Comment by Johannes: Bowmore has been sort of flooding the market with all kinds of "special" versions here in Holland. Most are somewhat cheaper than the regular 12 yrs., but for me that one stays the winner. Strangely enough, I've never tasted a cask strength Bowmore, but your description sounds appetising, especially because I love some Iodine in a single malt.) I also picked up a bottle of Edradour. It is supposed to be a good summer malt. It isn't always around, since the distillery only has three or four employees, so I bought it on sight.
The bottle had some dust on it, so I suspect that it isn't a big seller, and probably would not have been re-ordered. It is a nice warm weather malt. Sort of like a non-chocolate cake that my wife baked last week. This may not be
the best description, but I only had a little, and it may benefit from break-in. I'll give you an update if things change. I may also be geting a few interesting bottles, but I don't want to say anything until that happens. One
other newsworthy item. My first bottle of Lagavulin is down to it's last once. It isn't going to make it to the six month mark, an all time SMS record for me. The Bowmore 12 and Highland Park are getting down there, but are 18
months old by now. I guess the Big 'L' goes to the top of the list by default. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #6: SMS, etc. Hello Johaness,
I'm back a week already, but I am still happy. Details below. But now for even more SMS news. I got back to work to discover that I had finally received the rather nice (by today's standards)
raise that I had been trying to extort from my employer. Since I wasn't counting on it and it was the end of the month already, I decided to divert some of the first months extra cash toward some quility bottles. So on the way from
W&L in California are, get ready for this....... A bottle of the 1959 35yr W&W Glenfarclas, the Springbank 12/100 extra dark, and the 17 year Ardberg. That is why I am happy, and will try to
stay that way for a while. I still have more acquisitions planned, and will keep you updated as they happen. The GF will be opened on my birthday next January, when i will no longer be able to trithfully start my age with a '3',
while the scotch can, even though we were both born in the same year. Someone posted a note about The Whiskey House
(www.thewhiskeyhouse.com), over in Belgium. Check out the features on the Macallan Gran Reserva and the Murray McDavid Bottlings. Prices look competitive with the best US prices. If you would like to read more about interesting bottles, check out the D&M (in San Francisco) site (www.dandm.com). I keep it permanently loaded in my browser's cache at work, and am getting tempted to place an order from them too. As far as the Ardberg is concerned, I will most definitely open it right away.
In the meantime, I tried the Glenmorangie Port and Balvenie 15 SC
(cask 1487, bottle 100). I was especially curious to see how they would compare with their respective 10yr old siblings, both of which I am fond of. The GMP definitely had the nose that it is famous for, which really opened up with just a drop or two of water. The body also had the extra polish. I am not sure about the taste though. Gone was the peaty twang of the 10yr, which I like. I will let it break in for a few weeks, and see what happens. The Balvenie was another story. Lighter in color that the 10yr old, but with a great family resemblance. The extra proof was apparent on the nose, and tastewise, it kept the honey and orange peels firmly in submission. It was like going from 205/60-15 tires to 245/45-17's!! I love it, although perhaps not everytime (which is what Lagavulin is for).
(Reply by Johannes: Thanx for the URL's, I'll check them out a.s.a.p.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #7: Black bottle Hello Johannes, I picked up a couple more upscale bottles, a 22yr Bowmore Signatory, and 17yr Aberfeldy and Tomatin Cadenheads. I've only had the Aberfeldy 17
so far, and it seems like a good summer malt. It needed to be watered down to 100 proof or so, but it was very pleasant at that strength. Also, the Glenmorangie Port
is coming along nicely. It has acquired a nice fullness to the taste. I'll give it a little more time, by now I realize that I can't always trust first impressions. When you get a chance, you really should check out The Whiskey
House. There are some great things under the News section, especially the Murray McDavid page, Now there is something you might have around for Craig Daniels when he visits Amsterdam in a Month. They are only moderately expensive.
There is a miniature pack available, which I will pick up if it is not too expensive. They also have their inventory available listed by date, so you can easily find a bottle that you share a birthday with! Park Ave's summer sale
is downright miserly, 15% off their rather high prices on 12 or more bottles! That I can do without, so I am about done for now. Maybe one or two more depending on other things. I will keep you posted as always.
By the way, the Black Bottle has gotten some good ink on the PLOWED page. I haven't seen it yet, but at about $20, I'll pick it up on sight. You can read more about it on the Islay home page. I have opened my
17 yr Aberfeldy Cadenhead and 20yr Bowmore Signatory. Both are pretty much as described on the D&M page. Interestingly enough, both needed some water, down to 90-100 proof. The Bowmore is not intense at all, somewhat
laid back, like the Ardbeg's. Both are also a good match for warmer weather. After a major disaster at work which broke on Thursday afternoon, I needed to acquire something. The Highland Park 18
had been on my list, and was easily obtainable, so I went for it. Even got a 5% discount for signing up to the stores mailing list, so it came to just over $50. THIS IS GREAT STUFF!!!! Everything that we all like about the 12, but more of it. This is one item worth spending a few more dollars/guilders on over Lagavulin. My wife liked it too, after I played it up to her, she actually asked for some! Do pick some up when you get a chance. That's all for now. Your visit from Craig is coming up, and I can't wait to hear what transpires, whisky wise.
(Comment by Johannes: I've spent half a day trying to track down a bottle of, er.. Black Bottle, but it hasn't arrived in Holland yet. It should be
here soon, though, and the sample I tasted was really promising - around 50 points, which makes it excellent Value for your money.)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #8: SMS, web page, etc.. Hello Johannes, Since I had half of a miniature of the Longmorn 15
left, I decided to finish it as well. I wasn't too impressed the first time, and nothing had changed this time. Interestingly though, I had some Macallan 12 as well. It seemed that the Longmorn tasted sort of like an un-sherried Macallan! Obviously, it was a matter of degree, but that kind of thing can happen depending on what combination of malts are being tried at the same time.
Meanwhile, I saw your comment about the Mac 10CS on the Plowed page. I have never seen it over here, is it a distillery bottling? I imagine that it would be more than the 18 if it did ever make it over to this side of the Atlantic the way these things tend to go. Signatory has a 20yr that goes for $80 or so. It is on my list for next year, although the list changes almost daily. (Comment by Johannes: The Mac 10 is indeed a distillery bottling and I think it should be available stateside, because my liquorist used to import it "grey" (= imported through a third country to avoid some serious profiteering by taxes) and the bottle had a big red "100 proof" sticker on it - and as far as I know the "proof" system isn't used in Europe, which I think indicates these bottles were intended for the North American market. At the moment, it's hard to find here also, but I'm absolutely sure I'll pick it up on first sight - The last few glasses from my first bottle seemed to be superior to the "ordinary" 12. The price was also very reasonable - a little over U$ 40,-.)
I also have re-visited some of my summer acqusitions. The Ardbeg 17 continues to be magnificent. I haven't had the chance to compare it to the 1974, but this is really good stuff. Also, my Bowmore 20yr Signatory
is also something special. It is more like the 17 than the 12, and more along the lines of the Ardbeg. I was putting away rather a lot of it, even at 106pr, and I was in a good mood as well. At $85, I am going to have to That would be true for ordering as well. Without going into the stories behind each one, I have also acquired some Auchentosan 31 (to celebrate my wife's birthday), the new Springbank 12/92, and
Murray McDavid Royal Brackla 17 and Laphroaig (after reading about them on The Whisky House page). Details to follow. That's it for now. Louis - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #9: SMS, web page, etc..
I have a lot of things to report, whisky-wise. First unfinished business. Speaking of which, my new Springbank 12/92
has come into it's own. The perfect marriage of creamy coconut and brine, with neither overwhelming the other. I meant to compare it to the 12/100 extra dark, but got too carried away. You have to get some. Along with the Ardbeg 17, HP 18 and other recent acquisitions, my Top 10 list is starting to shape up. Now that the weather is cooling off, I can go back to Lagavulin again, and see if it is still #1. And I still have my Murray McDavid Royal Brackla and Laphroaig to open in the next two weeks.
Enclosed: From the New York Times, 2/12 or 19/98 SIPS It's Light, Feminine, and Silky, and It's Still Whisky Auchentosan, a 200 year old distillery just outside of Glasgow, makes single malts that even the malt-shy can love. They are
light but not lightweight, untouched by peat smoke, and distilled three times rather than twice to impart a high-gloss, silky finish. The 31 year old Auchentosan, a limited release from eight barrels in the distillery's cellar,
speaks in a whisper, but makes a powerful argument. Light bodied as a sylph, russet-orange in color, it exhales an aroma of violets, lilies, vanilla, butterscotch an honey. It's a feminine whisky, and it makes an unforgettable
entrance at a stag party. The whisky has been bottled as cask strength, or better than 50 per cent alcohol, so it needs to be diluted with an extra splash or two of water before drinking. With a price tag a $160, its a splurge
(and at the moment, it can only be found at park Ave., Liquors). Don't even think about lighting up a cigar. (Comment by Johannes: The
"gritty" feel of the Auchentoshan you described reminds me of the 10. Combined with the grainy character it makes the 10 one of my least favorite malts. I guess I'm just not somebody for the more subtle malts. The version
you described is over three times as old though, so there's no comparing, really. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
prE-pistle #10: SMS Hello Johannes, Things have finally
settled down, so I can get back to my correspondence. The good news is that I have lots of things to write about. In no particular order, 1) The Springbank 12/92
took longer than usual to break in, but it was worth the wait. It has really hit it's stride, and the bottle is going quite rapidly. I never could imagine what coconut in scotch would taste like, but here it is, along with the Springbank brine. At only $53, a relative bargain as well.
2) The Murray McDavid Laphroaig 9yr, 9mo.
A very refined version of the distillery 10yr. A bit less iodine on the nose, but then a blast of lava on the tongue, followed by an explosive finish. As someone who likes the distillery 10yr and Talisker, you should really like this one. It was $60 at W&L, about what The Whisky House gets for it, suject to currency fluctuations.
3) The Murray McDavid Royal Brackla 17. This was a surprise. Forget about what The Whisky House says on their page. It tastes exactly like a very refined Glenmorangie 10 (and also a lot in commmon with my Aberfeldy
Cadenhead). It is certainly a fine dram, but i wouldn't advise spending that much unless you really want a refined GM 10. I am not upset that I bought it though. 4) Glenfarclas 10. My bottle has been sitting around for a
bit over a year now, but there were two complimetary comments on the PLOWED page within a week. One of them even said that it was on a par with the Macallan 12, so I really had to go back and revisit the GF. Well, my bottle seems
to have improved with age. I would agree that it would rate even with the Mac 12 right now (around 88, ratings coming soon!). However, it was more in the direction of the Mac 18, being well rounded and flavorful. As I have
mentioned, I appreciate the Mac 12 for being different than the 18, but there is room for both expressions. And it's only two months and change until open my 1959 GF. 5) The Auchectosan 31. Your instincts were
probably better than mine here, but pride of ownership was an important factor. Besides, a 'feminine whisky' is probably the only thing I could spend this much on in honor of my wife's birthday, and get away with it. I used funds
that were not part of my usual SMS budget anyway, and the box and label look impressive. It still needs water to get the silky smooth body, and I, like you, really I intend to pick up the Murray McDavid Macallan if it is in the same price range as the other ones. Your 10 CS doesn't
seem to be available here, and I can't afford the Gran Reserva that has just showed up (18yr, 40%(!)). There is also a Ledaig 15 that is said to be a fine island malt. I'll keep you updated of course. Cheers. Louis
(Comment by Johannes: I'll be on the lookout for the Laphroaig 9.9, however. Sounds very interesting, but I haven't spotted it on these shores yet. I know the
Glenfarclas 10. Allthough I don't rate it as high as the Mac 12, it certainly is a fine dram. I suspect it to be better at an older age, so I'll be sure to try an older version in the near future. I'll probably have another
shopping spree for Sinterklaas or Christmas. As far as blends go: has the Blackbottle reached the US yet? Of course, it's no SM, but it offers tremendous bang for your buck. Very nice in autum or winter.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
prE-pistle #11: Aberlour 18 / Whittfield Islay Lots of good
SMS stuff to write about. Old business first. I have not seen the Black Bottle anywhere around here. However, I have found an equivalent substitution, the Whittfield Islay regional sampler. My bottle just arrived today from
W&L (see below). Also less than $20, it contains multiple Islay malts, Ardbeg is even thought to be detected in there. I don't indulge on work nights, so I'll give you an update as soon as possible.
Another recent acquisition was Aberlour 18. Not something I would normally go for, but I went to pick up some Laphroaig 15, but the store was out. You know how tough it is to leave empty handed, and the Aberlour has received
many compliments on the Plowed page, so I went for it. Not bad for a Speyside. There is a family resemblence to the 10, but I'll more robust. There was a lot of sherry on the nose when I opened the bottle, but it seems to have
dissipated. It's OK for a diversion. Ah yes, and the rest of the W&L order. My wife agreed to sponsor a nice bottle for my 40th (argh!) birthday at the end of January. I figured that it was a good idea to order before the
holidays, because something that I might want could be sold out, and not re-stocked in time. So I got on the phone, and selected a 23yr Ardbeg Signatory. And of course, it made sense to get a few other things as well. So in
addition to the Whittfields, a replacement for my quickly vanishing Springband 12/92, I got a Ledaig 15. This is supposed to be quite a sleeper, a very Islay-like island malt, and not like the 20yr old currently available. It was
only $40 too. Again, update real soon. Oh yes, and one more item. My in-laws agreed to sponsor an Ardbeg 1978, which has Islay-lovers going crazy in the States. Getting old may not be so bad. Comment by Johannes: I think the Black Bottle hasn't arrived in the stateside shops yet. None of the people I correrspond with in the US has seen it yet. The Whittfield isn't
available in Holland, to my knowledge. On Aberlour 18: I have tasted it a few times in bars and at tastings, and I found it much more balanced than the 10, which just has too much sherry for my taste. I'm just having a nip of the
glenturret 1978 my boss bought me for christmas. Ah! It's nice to feel appreciated. At first tasting it seems that most of my appreciation will go to the gesture, and not the malt, which seems very flat. But hey, it's late so I'll
try again tomorrow. Ah - And if you're in for a culinairy treat for the holidays - here's a sandwich-recipy I made up last week and I like it so much I've had it at least once a day since. This is my greatest creation since my
Gouda cheese, peanut butter and sambal sandwich.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #12: SMS, etc. Once again, much to write about. And the longer I wait, the
more stuff piles up. Senility is creeping up faster than anticipated, because I forgot the main thing I had meant to write about in my last note. Namely, my long awaited Ardbeg G&M 1974 vs distillery 17 comparison. We
had an unusually warm fall (on 12/14 it was 72F, 16C, and on 12/21 it was almost as warm!), and I needed a nice cool weekend evening for the occasion. On the Friday night after Thanksgiving, the weather cooperated, and things
were tranquil on the domestic front, so I went ahead. There isn't much that I can add to tasting notes that are already out there, but it seems to me that the 17 is a better summer malt, while the 1974 is bettter suited to cooler
seasons. I would probably have to conclude that the 1974 would rate higher, even at only 40%. My wife agreed, and she's not much of an Islay fan. I have a feeling that the 1974 is really special, and that I will miss it when it is
gone (see below). Ah yes, and my birthday was just a week ago. The 1959 Glenfarclas
was wonderful. It is hard to beleive that this stuff has the same ingredients as what is on your 'Public Warning' page. Then on to the weekend for some serious dramming. The 1978 distilley Ardbeg
led off. it is definitely along the lines of the 17yr. It is probably better, but there were three little boys flying around, so I couldn't do any serious comparisons. And now for some updates on older items. Balvenie 15 CS. While I liked it the first time around, it seemd to be a bit harsh from then on. It turns out that
just a splash of water does the trick, with the proof still in the nineties. That's covers everything, I think. The Ardbeg 23 Signatory has by now arrived, so I will try to round up the entire batch. But I wouldn't
be surprised if the 1974 ruins the party for the rest of them. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #13: House and SMS
To celebrate setting the closing date of my house, I picked up an Adelphi 12 year Glen Rothes. This is very pleasant dram. Not as much alchohol apparent as with a few of my Cadenheads. At 112pr, there is plenty of heat,
which is tamed with a bit of water. The nose has a nice bouquet, and the taste is 'crisp and fruity'. There are quite a few new Adelphi's here in the USA, I also have an Aultmore on order. They rarely use sherry casks, I am told.
Speaking of which, someone graciously sent me a miniature's worth of the new double matured Lagavulin. It has spent some exrta time in a special cask, and is not generally available in the US. This bottle was ordered from
one of the German stores on the web that ships internationally. I had a sip, and it is a very refined version of the original. There isn't any/very much extra sherrying, which I mean as a compliment. The price tag is roughly
double, but I think that you would not be disappointed. - prE-pistle #14: SMS Hello Johannes, Ardbeg
- There was in very interesting thread on the Plowed page back in March. It seems that lighter peat was used once the distillery was acquired back in 1975, with the intention of using the whisky for blending. So anything distilled afterwards is along the lines of the distillery 17, rather than the G&M 1974. After seeing this, I rounded up all of my Ardbegs for a showdown. The results are in my next report. I'll add that I wasn't initially impressed by the Signatory, but I have come to like it a bit more. One problem here is that there simply isn't any older Ardbeg left, so I'd better enjoy it while my supply lasts. Late news, I had a bit of extra cash to blow so I picked up the G&M 1975, again, in response to it's rapid disappearing act, It set me back $92 (ouch), up from the $80 that I could have had it for not too long ago. I may wait until the fall to open it.
Springbank - Two low end acquisitions were an 8yr Murray McDavid and an 8yr Cadenhead, both intended to preserve my older stock. The Cadenhead is a perfect younger sibling to the distillery 12/92. The Murray
McDavid is pale yellow, with a bit of fruit and a bit of brine. Very pleasant, but is better when not imbibed along with it's darker cousins. Also, a bit of coconut has emerged in my 21yr, not apparent when first opened. One of
these days the Plowed bottling will show up, I've got two bottles on order. Tomatin 17yr Cadenhead: actually sitting around for a while, this is rather pleasant, with some orange and less heat than advertised.
Adelphi 12yr Glen Rothes: Similar to the distillery bottlings, also a fine dram. Adelphi 8yr Aultmore: A lighter scotch, quite pleasant, but overpowered in comparisons. Highland park 1975 Signatory:
A bit disappointing, since this was expensive. It's missing the honey and smoke. Then I dug up some tasting notes, and they match my observations. Since I had the notes all along, I should have looked at them first. Then again, my memory gas been a bit scrambled after every thing that went on in my life over the last year. There is a 10yr HP Adelphi that sounds interesting.
Glenhavens. There is a story here. In some states, regular grocery stores and supermarkets can sell alcholic beverages, California being one of them. A while ago, the Plowed regulars in LA found
Glenhaven Dalmore 23yr and Clynelisg 14yr
at absurdly low prices, and offered to pick some up and ship them to anybody who was interested, and I took them up on it. The prices were $35 for the Dalmore and $28 for the Clynelish, or something like that. They are both very nice drams, about what could be expected from each name. But here is the best part. I recently saw the Dalmore priced at $165-195 in a couple of stores. Glenhavens aren't expensive, so I think that there is some serious profiteering going on here.
And to close the Dallas Dhu 17yr Cooper's Choice. Since the distillery has been demolished and there are lot's of good things said about Dallas Dhu, I figured that I should have some. It was only $35 and what a treat!
Oakey and malty, it's a very fine dram. The Cooper's Choices are very reasonably priced, so you might want to keep an eye out for them The Royal Brackla is supposedly even richer.
I have also been looking at Malt Madness on a regular basis, Somebody was kind enough to send me a miniature's worth of Lagavulin DE. I came to the same conclusions as you did, more polish, but missing some 'Islay
intensity'. The distillery Ardbeg 1975 is not available here, and ditto the the Macallan 10/CS. Macallan prices have risen over here, due to profiteering by the importer. Well, that's all for now. I am supposed to be broke with
the house and tuition, but there always seems to be a few dollars for worthwhile pursuits. prE-pistle #15: Posting on Ardbeg Ardbeg
update. Having been rather befuddled regarding the various Ardbeg's in my collection, Bushido's information a few weeks ago helped clear things up. The only thing left to do was to round up the entire batch for some serious research. The results, while generally predictable, produced a few surprises.
First up, the distillery 17. Much less peat than the Bowmore 12 I used as a reference, and virtually no smoke. The overall effect is very gentle, kind of like down in St. Marteen and St. Thomas where there is very little
surf, but little wavelets that keep on lapping gently against you. A pleasant dram, even if it doesn't fully uphold the Arbeg legacy. Next, the distillery 1978. Definite family resemblence to the 17, but more assertive
in every area. But is worth a 60% premium? Not really IMHO. At $80 or so, it would be worth it, but I can't really see it commanding a three figure price tag. I'm glad my bottle was a present. Now on to a
1974 23yr 50.9% Signatory. Tons of peat here, more than the reference Bowmore. But this one goes in a totally different direction (cask and/or aging location?), so it doesn't really figure in the comparison. It broke in
significantly over two months, so perhaps there is more yet to come. And finally, a HTH between the GampersandM 1974 that we all know and love, and the 1978. Surprisingly enough, the 1978 does better against stiffer
competition. More smoke is brought out going against the 1974 as well. So I have to backtrack from my earlier comments. If you are buying one special bottle, the 1978 probably wouldn't be the best choice. But if you're blowing a
whole bunch of cash, go ahead if you're an islay lover. This has certainly been an interesting adventure. Any comments or other observations that would shed additional light into the Ardbeg mystique are appreciated. BTW, Herb at
Park Ave. told me that the 22yr 1975 GampersandM is similar to the 1975, but with less peat. I'll pick up a bottle when the budget allows. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #16: Soap Box Preaching Hello Johannes,
First of all, Congratulations on the new 'dynamic' Malt Madness site. I say that with conviction, because I know how much work it takes to put out a quality site, and I am somewhat lazy myself for things that do not really need
to get done. We both seem to come from the same direction when it comes to SMS, but we obviously have some different ideas about certain things. This is one of the nice things about this hobby, that there are plenty of different
things to enjoy, and enough room to enjoy them side by side. This is as opposed to 'since I am right, you have to be wrong, and I am going to post it everywhere on the internet, and send letters to the editors of various
magazines'. See the 9/99 Stereophile for an example. Well, now that I've gotten of of my soap box, I'll start thinking of what to compose. Here is a roundup of my summer SMS acquisitions, somewhat surpsising, since I am supposed
to be broke. First of all, the Ardbeg 15
you reviewed caused quite a stir over here. First because it is all but unavailable anywhere, and also since the distillery was silent from 1980-1990, so it was either sitting around in the bottles for a few years, or there was some activity that no one knew about. Which quite might be the case, since Park Ave. has it on their price list, and they told me that it is being bottled right now!!
What IS available now, is a 9yr Signatory, which is quite cheap at $35-45 depending on where you shop. This one has a kick like a mule, and takes no prisoners. It obliterated the distillery 17 in a comparison, and elso
sent the 1978 wimpering back to the cabinit. The finish is actually pretty decent for such a young offerring. I would imagine/hope/guess that Signatory has some more casks that they will release over the next bunch of years, so we
can see how it ages. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #17: Summer Acquisitions
Hello Johannes, Sorry to hear about your RSI condition. Since you can't type, I'll do my best to send you stuff to read, it's only fair
considering how much enjoyment I have gotten from your site. Speaking of which, one thing I especially enjoyed was the top/middle/bottom shelf. If I ever get my personal SMS database up and running, I'll try to do the same. While
some people have truly great collections, assembling one really involves a great deal of cash, which is difficult to do if there are other priorities, which both of us have. The shelf approach as you have it, nicely sidesteps some
of the issues/problems. I know from my audiophile side that it can be a bit tricky to find one's own place in the overall pecking order. Meanwhile, I still owe you the write-up of my summer acquisitions. I was expecting a much
needed raise in July, but I wasnt looking at my pay statements, and discovered that it actually came thru in June. Since the extra money hadnt been put in the budget, the only appropriate thing to do was to place a W&L order.
Caol Ila 19yr Signatory. When I ordered the Ardbeg Signatory that my wife gave me for my birthday, this one was shipped by mistake. I returned it, but still had remorse over sending back
a nice bottle. Back then I needed every dollar for the house, but this one stayed on my want list. These notes are only provisional, since I have been caught not allowing for break in a few times recently. It is a bit Bowmore-ish,
but not with a full blown Islay assault like the L Islays, and similar to my Bowmore 22yr Signatory. There is some peat, some smoke, and very pleasant. Once the weather gets cooler, I will take a fuller measure of it.
Highland Park 12yr Adelphi. After the disappointment with the HP Signatory, I still wanted a cask strength HP. This one certainly fits the bill. It is not as rich as the distillery 18, but all of the HP components are there.
Meanwhile, after six months, a hint of honey has shown up in the Signatory. Its a lot of fun to drink both of them side by side with the 18. Bruichladdich 15. Acquired simply because the distillery is silent, and before it
all disappears. As advertised, so no additional comments necessary. Moving on, I notice a Glenhaven Macallan 16
in Park Aves window on sale for $95, down from $125. On the label, it said matured in an oak cask. I have always wanted to try an un-sherried Macallan, but the price was too rich for me, especially since Glenhavens are cheap and I suspect profiteering at work. So I called W&L, and got their last bottle for a more reasonable $60. It tastes like, well, an un-sherrid Macallan. I like it very much, and I think that the sherry isnt even such a major contributor the character of this malt. If you are interested in this one, buy it on sight if the price is reasonable, since Howard at W&L said that Glenhaven is a flaky company.
Bruichladdich 12yr Murray McDavid. This one is bizzare, it is totally invisible. Like I hadnt drank anything.
And I have two confirmed reports about a MMcD Auchroisk that is exactly the same. This is really surprising, because the tasting notes on The Whisky House page got me onto it. I did get a suggestion that it could be used to water
down/up a favorite bottle to make it last longer. I am certainly going give it a try. And finally, a Benrrines 17yr Adelphi.The 22yr old sounded good on the Adelphi page, where it said that it was a fine summer dram. I am
just getting to it tomorrow night, with only three days left to summer, but that is another story. It certainly smells nice, and Ill give you an update if I note any differences. By the way, the lower priced Adelphis run in the $60
range, and come it at high proof (=>120). Adjusting the price for alcohol content, they end up in your top shelf range, so you might want to investigate a couple. One 'sobering' note to close. Back in August, I had a wisdom
tooth removed. It was a difficult procedure, as the roots were within a millimeter or so of the nerve that runs along the jaw, and the oral surgeon perscribed Vicodin for a pain killer. Vicodin is a synthetic opiate and is the last
thing perscribed before morphine, and was very effective, but if I took two in a row (every four hours), I started to get strung out. Fortunately, I didn't need as many as I could have safely taken, although I still had an
evening's worth of withdrawl symtoms when I got down to one, and then zero pills a day. I also missed a weeks worth of dramming too. I'll say this though, I'd rather be an SMS drunk that a heroin addict any day. At least it's
behind me now. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - prE-pistle #18: SMS Hello Johannes, This was supposed to be a quick follow up, but things got a bit out of hand. Old business first: The
Caol Ila 19yr Signatory turned out to be a wonderful dram. Benrinnes 17 Adelphi. It started out more or less as advertised, but after less than an ounce, I began to get the impression of a lot of alchohol. I
peeked at the label, which said 64.6% YIPES!!!! I reached for the water, but it was too late for that evening. A followup tasting revealed that it was indeed as it seemed. Cooper's Choice Millburn 18. We were having
company, and I realized that I didn't have anything appropriate to serve, namely not Islay, regular strength, and not too old. I visited a local liquor store, and found the Millburn. It is rich and flavorful, with a bit of smoke. A
good value at $38, as are all of the CC's. Budget malt roundup. We have been invited out a couple of times recently (the move has done wonders for our social life), so I have gotten a chance to sample some things that I don't
have at home. Of course, what we call low end is everybody else's high end, but that is another story. At this point, I was going to try to make it thru the end of the year with only a holiday W&L order, but that wasn't the
case. My want list got too long, so I caved in, and cleared off some of the low end items. Glenhaven Bowmore 15, Nice, with not too much peat reek. There was an element of rubber at first, but that all but disappeared
after a month or so. Glenhavens seem to be quite smooth at cask strength, and this one is no exception. Signatory Caol Ila 9yr 43%. KILLER MALT ALERT!!! it captures most of the 19yr mentioned above, but at less than half
the price. It is a fine sibling to the Sig. 8yr Ardbeg. You should snap these 2 up, if you can find them. Cooper's Choice Convalmore 17. A honeyed malt, in contrast to the
Millburn. A lot of people like this one, but I think that it is very similar to the Balvenie 12 and 15SCS. So not bad, but it goes on my Bottom Shelf. Maybe it will improve ith break in. Speaking of the Balvenie 15SC, I dug it out
just to be sure. While I liked it last summer, it did need a splash of water to remove some harshness. But after nearly a year, the harshness was gone.
And finally, we went out for our anniversary (15!) last week, so I used the opportunity to sample a few items not on the shelf. The Glen Rothes 15
was OK, but I can see why the 1982 isn't getting all of the raves that the 1979 did. I can think of better ways to blow the $50 a bottle goes for, and I have the 12yr Adelphi which is pretty much as good. Balvenie 21 Port Wood
. Something happenned here. Noth of us were singularly unimpressed. I suspect that the 12 DW was substituted, since it wasn't as dark as I assumed it was. With the year coming to a close, I've only got the holiday order, and
maybe a couple of odd bottles. The budget is looking good, so I can probably afford the two plain oak Macalllans, the Murray McDavid 21and the Adelphi 12. I will definitely get the Laphroaig 12yr Cadenhead too. It is supposed
to be the ultimate form of Laphroaig!! That's all for now. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Also available: Louis's prE-pistles from
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