Ardnamurchan 04.21:03

 

On the back of this bottle is a QR Code. It contains a link that eventually sends you here:

https://ardnamurchan-distillery.co.uk/single-malt-detail/adsm-04-21-3/adsm187520668663

That tells you all about this particular bottle. For example it is bottle 220/17502. It was bottled by Kelly Combe on January 19, 2021. 

I don't really need to know any of this, of course, but as far a transparency goes this is phenomenal.

The whisky itself is only 5 years old but refuses to show it. It's crisp and smoky and sweet. There are some subtle flavours floating around ,you might get a hint of toast or pears. The addition of a little water really brings out the smoke but not in an overwhelming way.

Great stuff. Thanks Kelly.

BONUS LEGO REVIEW

IG 11. I thought it might have Christmas tree lights on it's head but that's just how it looks

Douglas Laing's Scallywag Chocolate Edition

I was in Vienna in summer and found this Whisky shop disguised as a Teehandlung. I'd actually been looking for the shop as I'd stumbled on it before but couldn't remember the name or quite where it was. A fun way to take up an hour.

They've got a good selection. Not everything but they have the occasional bottle that Weisshaus or Expert 24 might not have. You pay a premium, of course, but not so eye-watering as some places I could mention (but won't because I be too classy for that).

I picked this up there for €60 (and I got Russell's Reserve 10 but I don't have any photos of that because it didn't last very long).

I tend to like Douglas Laing bottling's in general and this is one of three different Scallywag's that I've bought (the standard one and this year's cask strength Xmas bottling being the others). DL Whiskys that I've tried have been mostly good value and I think the master blender there has a specific thing for mouth-feel as the Remarkable Regional Malts all have a slight oilyness that coats the tongue.

I got this back to the hotel after carrying it around all day and was dying to try it. 

You would think that drinking whisky from a plastic cup, the ones they provide for your toothbrushing needs, would adversely effect the flavour, but in this case no.

Such a riot on the nose and palate. The sherry is there, but chocolate, too like on the label. Dried fruits some nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg. A big Christmas cake of a drink with a long dark chocolate finish. A surprise every time but consistantly tasty.

BONUS LEGO REVIEW

Grogu in a festive jumper. Awwwwww.

(pic stolen from FBTB.net)

 

Nomad

 

This is almost a Spanish version of the Overaged Whisky from Michel Couvreur earlier.

It's distilled and partly aged in Scotland, to the point where it could be a Blended Scotch (so some grain whisky in there), and then shipped to Spain where it's aged at least five years in Oloroso casks and then 12 months in Pedro Ximenes. This is a Gonzalez Byass product so I guess they have some barrels around. That said the words used to describe the casks are "soaked" and "seasoned", which, I don't know, have a touch of the weasel about them.

The whisky is just about okay. Obviously there's a big sherry thing going on here, but it's not like your usual sherry-bomb -- the underlying whisky doesn't seem to have much of a character -- it's more like a fortified sherry that, unfortunately, reminds me of Metaxa.

Lovely bottle though.

€34 at Weisshaus.

BONUS LEGO REVIEW

A weapons rack. I do appreciate the designers trying to add little features to them, but...

Buffalo Trace

 

 

A decent bourbon for the price. I got this in a litre bottle and a little proofier than the usual European offerings (45% vs 40%) for €28 from Expert24.

It's a "Straight" Bourbon so it's at least 3 years old. At this end of the market, at least on what I can get hold of, I think it's between this, Wild Turkey 101 and Bulleit. I prefer the spiciness of Bulleit and I like just the simplicity and heft of WT, but the Trace is good if you don't like so much rye in your mash bill or don't want 50% (don't buy the WT81 and maybe it will go away).

BONUS LEGO REVIEW 

 

A weapon rack.  The second one, this time for stormtroopers. Lego always put in these things and they are always kind of disappointing.

 

 

Highland Park Ambassador's Choice

Highland Park is another unreviewable whisky. You know already what you think of it.

All those releases, all that Viking stuff. What's going on?

This one is a little different, though. First, it has a small story:

Apprently they let Senior Brand Ambassador, Martin Markvardsen, combine 10 year old sherry seasoned American oak casks together with 10 year old European oak casks to create this and they lwet him bottle it at 46%.

Second, it has a really simple bottle. This helps more than you'd think.

The whisky is HP but a little more so. On the nose it's classic Highland Park, sweet, fruity a hint of smoke. But taking a sip there's a bigger hit of smoke up front this dissipates to reveal heather honey and some pepper.

If the Ambassador wasn't trying to ply you with Johnnie Walker Blue he might serve some of this.

One sticking point is the price: it's €50 on expert24. This puts it into competition with some fantastic whiskies and this just isn't going to stand out against them. It does, though, seem to be the cheapest you can get HP at this proof, so it seems they are putting a premium on what should be a pretty standard bottling.

Try it as I think this is what Highland Park should be but maybe just a dram where you can.

BONUS LEGO REVIEW

Boba Fett's Slave 1. Fantastic! No, I mean really. For the parts and just that it is instantly recognisable this is truly impressive work from the Lego Advent Team

 

 

Arran Quarter Cask

 

It's the Hulked out version of the Arran 10[1]. Everything is more and all that more is has some aggression that comes with the cask strength. Good stuff -- just immediately impressive. Sometimes you just want Bruce Banner, though, you know.

 

€42 at Weisshaus.

Bonus Lego Review

Moff Gideon's Light Cruiser. Fantastic!

 [1] I haven't actually reviewed Arran 10 here, but no doubt will do because I have a couple of bottles saved away. Short version is: It's lovely. It's also 46%, non-chill filtered and has no added colour. On top of that you can pick it up for €35 in Interspar.

Johnnie Walker Green Label

 

In the last couple of years my whisky drinking has been influenced (mostly for the better) by a number of youtube channels: Whiskey Tribe, Ralfy and Aqvavitae in particular but any numbers of others.

The latter two, Ralfy and Roy, started the Online Scotch Whisky Awards this year. The OSWAs (pronounced Oz-wah's) confirmed just how brain-washed I'd become. I had a bottle of everything in the beginner category. Hmph.

Anyway, in the Blends category I'd had four out of six and had enjoyed all of them. So I had to get this, the eventual winner, Johnnie Walker Green label (Compass Box Flaming Heart is €130 and I'm not up to paying that for a malt, yet, never mind a blended malt).

It's 15 year old. As it's Diageo and it's using their distilleries it tells you which ones right on the label (Talisker, Linkwood, Cragganmore & Caol Ila) which is great.

The original Green Label was discontinued in 2012 and a bottle of that could command ridiculous prices so it makes sense that they brought it back.

It's kind of a little bit of everything: a touch of smoke, a little chocolate and some berries. It has a long finish that can switch between bitter and sweet. It can surprise you as you go chasing a smell or flavour to get a hint of some other thing. Nothing overwhelms anything else yet it manages to escape being just "elegant" like, say, a Macallan.

So, really good and only €40 at Weisshaus.

Bonus Lego Review

I think this is meant to be the Charon-like droid from the end of season one of The Mandalorian, but given a slight Christmas twist. The build was perfunctory and it's not quite right, but, once again for this calendar, manages to be cute despite all that.

Michel Couvreur Overaged Malt Whisky

 

I feel like there should be more of a story for this one.

"Overaged"? I'm pretty sure that has literally, and legally, no meaning.  

It's interesting though, Couvreur sources Scotch whiskies which are then shipped to France as new make and matured in caves in the Burgundy region They are aged between 12 and 20-years-old in ex-Pedro Ximenez casks.

The resulting whisky is creamy and thick, it tastes like old boots and barrels at first with rich vanilla a dry fruit coming through once you get past that. There's also a bitter touch of tobacco which sort of balances it out.

This has a waxed cork which is hard to open. Once you peel away the wax there's grove for a screw top which is good because the cork was destroyed in the opening of it in my case. This is a whole level of inconvenience that isn't really required.

It's good if you like "sherry bombs" but it's more the novelty of having a french whisky that's doing anything here. Buy Edradour, Scallywag or Glenallachie instead .

BONUS LEGO REVIEW

It's the speeder bike for the scout trooper! The Lego Advent Calender people do like to pair their builds (and this year there's a Mandalorian theme if I didn't mention it). This model is not accurate to anything, but you know what it is, it goes with the scout and if you don't immediately pop the scout on it and swoosh it about for 5 minutes you have no heart.

Dad's Hat Pennsylvania Rye

 

 

Dad's Hat! How could I resist that name.

Rye Whiskey. I first tried a rye at the Beaver Brewing Company in Vienna, Bulleit Rye (which I will probably cover eventually), and I liked it. That big hit of spice and unusual flavours for something that's called whiskey.

Most of the ryes I've had since have been more similar than different. Some are lighter, I've got a Wild Turkey 101 Rye that is a lightly spiced bourbon and some get quiet heavy and oily.

This is on the heavier side which might seem strange as the bottle says it's aged at least six months (so six months). It's got a good hit of peppery spice and a little touch of menthol, there's a little rye bread in there and something darker like licorice.

I like this one but the price is a little too high for what it is: €45 at Expert 24. Knock €10 off that and it'd rival Rittenhouse Bottled in bond for an everyday sipper and mixer. That said I must really make a Manhattan with this.

Bonus Lego Review

 

It's  a Scout Trooper. 

 

Sidenote: You can't really review minifigs you get in advent calendars.They are what they are. That said the Stormtroopers that Lego do have reached a point where they can't really improve upon them.