Brothers, did we identify the hosts for the remainder of 2011???
I just wanted to let everyone know that I have a source for Glencairn glasses. In doing a little research for the upcoming launch of KotQ Colorado, I found a local restaurant supply which has the Stolzle Glencairn glasses.
Upside: Only $5.50 each.
Downside: minimum 4 doz.
I was wondering if anyone was interested in upgrading their glassware and would like to go in on a case. I don’t at this point need 48 glasses. I’m also not sure if the Glencairn thing is just a fad or a legitimate new glass type, but I do know that I use my glasses from Whiskeyfest all the time. They seem to be better for tasting than rocks glasses, although I do still use my Waterford just for the mass in hand.
If interested please contact me via email.
Tao
My first quarterly shipment for my membership in “Whisky Explorers” has come and is all gone and I wanted to share with you my experiences. A note though on process as it is important to understanding what I experienced. I receive 4 different whiskies which are all bottled in a nice, small plastic bottle which is completely dressed in its own black cloak; all the way to its collar. The cloak is there to keep the tasting blind. You get about two decent-sized drams (not Cyclone level but decent). Once you’ve tasted it you keep the cloak on the bottle and go to the Whisky Explorer’s website where you take a quiz on things like color, nose, body, palette and finish and you guess what you think the whisky is from 5 choices. You’re actually graded on your knowledge and then they show you what you were drinking and are offered a mechanism for purchasing the whisky. Just to be clear, you CAN remove the cloak and see what the dram is before you even drink it if you so choose. I chose to drink mine blind and take the quiz as it is part of the fun.
Here is what has been sent my way so far:
Dewar’s Special Reserve – tasted like scotch but not quite a single malt. I couldn’t decide whether it was a blend or if it was just a weak over-served Speyside. In the end, I guessed it was a run-of-the-mill Balvenie but harbored thoughts that it was the Dewar’s. If you like blends for their safety and lack of ambition this is a pretty good one. I’m not sure it would make for a good wassail (my current use for blends)
Booker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon – as soon as I tasted this I immediately knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore. Or Glasgow or Inverness or Islay for that matter. This was the most other-worldly bizarrely tasting experience I’ve ever had; and not in a good way. Obviously impossible to describe into words without experiencing it but it’s one of those “OMG this is awful…here try it” moments. It evoked views of alien worlds and distorted rainbows and all kinds of twisted imagery. This bourbon reminded me why I love and drink single malt scotch. It makes me think that bourbons are not meant to be aged and refined. Beam should just crank out their regular stuff.
Glenmorangie 10 – thank heavens, we were back to reality and recognizable lands once again. I knew this one was a single malt but I knew it was not an advanced age. I felt like it was either an Eastern Highland or a Northern Highland or a really spicy Speyside. I think I may have properly pegged this as Glenmorangie 10 but my overall sense was that the Whisky Explorer’s club considered this single malt to be something rare and special; which is not my view. I got the impression that the Whisky Explorer’s club was projecting this single malt as almost a ceiling on what great whisky was like and I left the quiz on this one less hopeful for the remainder of what would come over the course of the year.
Bushmills – this one was close…I figured it was a blended scotch (or a mild single malt scotch perhaps) but wasn’t surprised to find out that it wasn’t; and I guess wasn’t trying to be one either. I’ve never had Irish whisky before this; so it was good that I had a chance to try it. I’m a bold palatte guy and I found this one to pale in comparison to a typical single malt scotch. Perhaps my comparison should be more between the Bushmills and the Dewar’s as they are both blends. I can see why some people might like to sip Irish whisky but I think I would lose interest fairly quickly if this was the typical experience.
Overall, I find two dynamics at work with the Whisky Explorers Club. Firstly, it is not about single malt scotch at all. It is about all whiskies and a wide array of experience. However, secondly, I think there is a cost ceiling at work here and I have quickly learned not to expect Glen Grant 21 or something like it to show up in one of these cloaked bottles. If you have a broad interest in whisky from Canada to Kentucky to Ulster to Glenmorangie to perhaps Japan then this is the club for you. If you’re looking for a wide array of advanced, refined, or rare single malt scotch expressions I think you’ll be disappointed.
As was reported at our 10Q2 meeting by Brother Bluff, on-line retailer and store of tremendous single malt knowledge Master of Malt is now offering single dram ordering options for several spirits including some single malts. Although their aim is to eventually offer a dram size (“Try before you Buy”) ordering option for all spirits in production they are not limiting the “Drinks by the Dram” offering to spirits which are in production.
Although this does allow us access to silent and even dismantled distilleries not all rare and “out of production” runs like Springbank 21 will available. Yes, I will spoil the fun right off and let everyone know that Springbank 21 is NOT available as of this posting as a Master of Malt “Drink by the Dram”.
I went through the list of what is available and, although I won’t tell you how to spend your money and that I have no idea what the shipping costs to the US might be, here are some drams that I would recommend:
- Imperial 18 Chieftain’s Choice (Ian McLeod) £4.95 ; a mothballed Speyside
- Kinclaith 35 1969 (Signatory) £34.35 ; a very rare dismantled Lowland
- Port Ellen 27 1983 Cask Strength Collection (Signatory) £9.15 ; famed dismantled Islay
- Port Ellen 30 1979 Old & Rare Platinum (Douglas Laing) £13.85 ; famed dismantled Islay
- Rare Ayrshire 34 1975 Cask Strength Collection (Signatory) £7.75 ; a very rare, dismantled Lowland (Ladyburn distillery)
A link to the “Drinks by the Dram” section of Master of Malt has specifically been added to the right-hand menu for your convenience.
One of the starkest changes to single malts that I have seen in the last 10 years is the dramatic rise of their retail prices. I suppose it’s the natural response to an increase in demand but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it. Lagavulin 16, for example, is currently retailing at Binny’s for $94.99. If memory serves me, 10 years ago Lagavulin 16 retailed at Sam’s for about $55.00; this is about a 75% increase over 10 years. I think all hosts would agree with me that the price increases have really put a strain on our quarterly meeting budgets, but perhaps there is some hope out there.
Although many single malts have vacated the “affordable” price point for the $60-$80 price range, thankfully, there remain some excellent value buys out there. I set my “value buy” price ceiling at $45 and decided to see what you could still buy out there; if anything. I felt the psychological pain of the $50 price point and wanted to keep the prices closer to $40 then to $50 which is why I settled on my limit as $45 and I found a number of excellent single malts with unbelievably good value. Each of these high-quality single malts can be purchased at Binny’s for less than $45 some of them are under $40 even!
- “Bop’s Select”
- Highland Park 12
- Clynelish 14
- Old Pulteney 12
- Glen Moray 12
- Glenfiddich 15 Solera Reserve
- Laphroaig 10
- The Macallan 12