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Whisky Review: Auchentoshan 1976 (Aged 28 Years)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 13, 2011

Photo Courtesy of CSN Wine and Spirits

The Auchentoshan Distillery is somewhat of an anomaly amongst Scottish Distillers. It is the only Scottish Distillery that triple distills their entire core range of whiskies. Triple distillation is common amongst Irish Distillers but extremely uncommon for a distillery producing Scottish single malts. The result of the triple distillation is a more laid back easy-going whisky which is perhaps more floral, but also perhaps less robust in character than traditional single malts. This easy-going style perhaps makes the Auchentoshan Distillery a perfect example of a Lowland Scottish Whisky and a very approachable malt for novice whisky drinkers.

The 28-year-old, Auchentoshan 1976, I am reviewing on the other hand is not necessarily a whisky for novices. The long time spent aging in an oak hogshead cask and the high bottling strength (47.5%) is sure to have produced a whisky with a stronger character and a little more intimidating flavour profile than a typical Auchentoshan Whisky.

The whisky is a Single Cask bottling, distilled in 1976, which is available at CSN Wine and Spirits in Calgary, Alberta. The store purchased the entire cask of 156 bottles and has approximately 20 bottles left in stock.  I was given a sample to review here on my blog by the Store Manager, J.P. Sandhu, who had spent some time with me on a lazy Friday afternoon allowing me to sample some of the great selections of rum and single malt whisky which were available in his store.

Here is a snippet of my review:

“…The initial entry into the mouth brings forward a lovely light chewy peat with rich floral smokiness. I guess I would call this a whisky lover’s whisky, because when you have cracked open the flavours from under the peat and smoke you are rewarded brilliantly…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Auchentoshan 1976 (Aged 28 Years)

At the end of the review I have a couple of suggested pairing which I believe work very well with this whisky. Please enjoy the review.

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Whisky Review: Auchentoshan 1976 (Aged 28 Years)

Whisky Review: Highland Park 25 Year Old Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 10, 2011

The Highland Park Distillery is located in the Highlands of Scotland on the Island of Orkney which is famous for its heather rich meadows and its  unique organic Orcadian peat. At this distillery, all of the Highland Park Whisky is matured in two styles of oak barrels which are stored in warehouses with earthen floors and stone walls. Some of the whisky is matured in Spanish (Sherry) oak, and some of the whisky is matured in American (Bourbon) oak.  Maturing the whisky in two different styles of oak allows the blender to capture characteristics of each in the final blend.

The Highland Park 25 Year Old Whisky is blended with slightly more of its whisky coming from the matured Spanish oak (about 51%), and it is bottled at 48.1 per cent alcohol by volume. This is a full 20 % higher than the 40 per cent bottling strength we typically see in North America. The combination of the higher bottling strength and a larger portion of Spanish oak whisky in the blend will bring forward a stronger more assertive aroma and flavour than the other whiskies in the Highland Park portfolio, and may even make the whisky a little intimidating at first tasting. On the whole I really like higher strength whiskies, but I approach them with caution as it is easy to sip a little to quickly.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…When you chew through the peat, some sweetness kicks in with raw honeycomb and a sweet caramelized  butterscotch toffee which is trending towards treacle. The whisky continues to be spicy in the mouth as ginger, nutmeg and hints of cinnamon and cloves seem to materialize out of the oak spices and tannins….”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Highland Park 25 Year Old Whisky

Note:

In order to provide another opinion, this review has been published in conjunction with Jason Debly’s review of the same whisky on his website, Jason’s Scotch Whisky Reviews. (We did not share any information prior to publication.) Jason is an outstanding writer and whisky reviewer and you will find a link to his review at the bottom of my review page.


Posted in Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Comments Off on Whisky Review: Highland Park 25 Year Old Whisky

The Chinook

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 8, 2011

It has been a long and bitterly cold winter this year in Edmonton. The snow started in October and the cold followed the snow. Usually we get a few warm days here and there, and although the snow will accumulate, about half of it will be melted away by now. But not this year. Not only has the snow kept falling in amounts I haven’t seen for well over 30 years, but the thermometer has rarely popped above zero degrees centigrade meaning that I still have October’s snow under my December, January, and February snow. The piles beside my driveway reach up to the roof of my house and yesterday it was snowing some more.

What we need is a good ‘Chinook‘. A Chinook, for those who don’t know is a warm Pacific wind which flows over the Rocky Mountains. As it passes up over the mountains, it looses its moisture by the way of rain so that after it passes over the mountains it has become dry. Flowing down the westward side of the mountains it gains warmth due to something called adiabatic warming. Think about it. A warm, dry air mass pouring over the mountains coming to melt all that snow and warm up the winter time. It is not unusual for the temperature to increase by as much as 30 degrees Celsius during a Chinook and for a foot of snow to disappear. That sounds positively lovely!

So today I am making my own Chinook. A cocktail, I designed many months ago when I reviewed Highwood’s Momento Amber Rum. My Chinook might not change the weather, but it sure will make it easier to deal with.

The Chinook

1 1/2 oz Amber Rum (I suggest Momento Amber Rum )
1/2 oz  Cherry Flavoured Whisky  (I suggest Red Stag Flavoured Bourbon)
1/4 to 1/2 Oz Lime Juice
2 Tsp Simple syrup (or sub grenadine for colour)
3 Large Ice Cubes

Put all ingredients into a blender.
Blend until smooth(ish).
Serve in a wine glass.

Garnish with a thin lime slice folded around a Brandied Cherry with a spear through it.
(I have to give credit to forrest here for the wonderful garnish idea!)

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Flavoured Whisky, Rum | Tagged: , , | Comments Off on The Chinook

Review: Canadian Club Sherry Cask Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 6, 2011

The Canadian Club Sherry Cask Canadian Whisky is new twist on Canadian Club Whisky.  The base of this whisky is an eight year Old Canadian Club whisky made from the familiar “blended at birth”  recipe of corn, rye, rye malt and barley spirits. The spirits from these grains are blended before entering the white oak barrel, and then set down for six to eight years to age. Then the resultant whisky is double matured in Sherry Casks from Jerez Spain.

The second maturation allows the whisky to acquire some of the characteristics of the sherry (similar to sherry cask matured scotches), but this second maturation is of a much shorter time period which ensures that the core spirit remains the centerpiece of the whisky. When the Canadian Club Sherry Cask is bottled, it is done so at 41.3% alcohol by volume, just a hair over the regular 40 % strength of the rest of their line-up.  That added little boost of alcohol is just one of the unique characteristics of this C.C. Whisky.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…Initially, I receive wiffs of a nice sweet cherry aroma from the glass as I nose it. Hints of orange marmalade, and lemony zests fade in and out. I seem to receive additional (different) citrus notes each time I sample the whisky…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Canadian Club Sherry Cask Whisky

As well I have included a nice swizzle cocktail at the end of the review, The Canadian Club Swizzle.

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Canadian Club Sherry Cask Whisky

An El Dorado Evening

Posted by Arctic Wolf on February 5, 2011

El Dorado Rums are world-famous for their terrific flavour and complexity.  Recently the company has released a Connoisseur’s Range of rums which highlight particular aspects of their distilling and blending practices. These Connoisseur Rums each bring a unique aspect of the El Dorado rum flavour profile to the consumer which is derived from the particular still which has produced them.

Since I enjoy the El Dorado range of rums, I decided to construct a complex cocktail utilizing the different flavours and structures of El Dorado rum. I chose the 3 Yr Cask Aged Silver Rum, the 5 Yr Cask Aged Gold Rum, and one of the new aged Single Barrel Connoisseur Rums.

Depending upon which of these new Connoisseur Rums is chosen, the cocktail will carry different aspects of the El Dorado style into the cocktail.  For example the El Dorado Single Barrel PM carries many woody tones which will provide a strong oak flavour and a high level of complexity into the cocktail; the El Dorado Single Barrel Demerara ICBU Rum carries more sweetness and a fuller nutty flavour which will make a softer, smoother cocktail.  Each version of the cocktail is very good in its own way and choosing which version I prefer to drink really is dependent upon my mood at the time.

I chose the name An El Dorado Evening for the cocktail for obvious reasons. Please enjoy!

An El Dorado Evening

a cocktail by Arctic Wolf

2/3 oz El Doroda 3 Yr Cask Aged Rum
2/3 oz El Doroda 5 Yr Cask Aged Rum
2/3 oz El Dorado Single Barrel (choose one from the connoisseur’s range)
1 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1/2 oz Amaretto
4 Large Ice Cubes
Glass half full of Crushed Ice
maraschino cherry
mint sprig
pineapple slice

Add the first five ingredients into a metal shaker with the large ice cubes
Shake until the metal shaker chills
Strain the mixture from the metal shaker over the crushed ice.

To garnish add the maraschino cherry and sprig of mint into the glass and the slice of pineapple on the rim. (Please use a real maraschino cherry, and bruise the mint before placing it in the glass.)

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Dark Rums, Rum, White Rums | Comments Off on An El Dorado Evening

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