Going with a “musical pairing” tonight 🎸🎶🥃😍

I’m usually quite skeptical about gimmicky special editions, but this stuff is really good. Beautiful nose, silky mouthfeel, sweetness, farmy Bruichladdich distillate, red wine and bourbon oak notes, all so well balanced and integrated.

Sometimes gimmicks are aight 🤷‍♂️

I've been getting more into whisky over the last couple of years and I'm starting to feel like there's a completely different side of the hobby once you know the right people.

I'll see someone open a bottle I've never seen available anywhere or hear about an older release changing hands, and when I ask where they found it the answer is almost always some version of a guy I know.

At first I assumed people were just being intentionally vague lol but now I'm wondering if a lot of the interesting stuff genuinely never makes it to the places most of us are looking.

For people who've been collecting for a long time, is it mostly a case of slowly meeting other collectors and building relationships or am I massively overestimating how much happens privately?

Hi all, I'm here with another Suntory whisky, and this time it's the modern version of their regular shelfer blended whisky- the Suntory Reserve!

I feel like I've been writing about too many rare & obscure items lately, so here's one that's one of Suntory's most common of shelfers (but perhaps still a bit obscure)!

I've written about a different version of the Suntory Reserve product line before (here), but here's a recap on the Suntory Reserve:

First created in 1969, the Suntory Reserve is the third member of Suntory's long time staple mid shelfer whisky, alongside the Suntory Old (details here) and the Suntory Royal (details part 1, part 2).

It is distinct from its fellow brethren for being the only one that has Hakushu (specifically Hakushu's White Oak Casks) as its key malt. By contrast, the Suntory Old series were focused on younger Yamazaki sherry casks, and the modern Suntory Royals were more or less a blend of every Yamazaki and Hakushu casks that didn't make the cut to become fancier products.

A bit of a side note, but Suntory has also made a few special versions for the Suntory Reserve, including the Book Decanter version from 1986/1987 as seen in pic 3. Quite a cool little memorabilia!

Back to the topic at hand: how does the modern Suntory Special Reserve fare?

Details in comments!

Big thank you to everyone who chimed in with feedback! Here's an updated guide with a majority of the suggestions implemented.

1) Geographic Distinctions removed entirely and replaced with flavor, character, and consideration prompts - along with a benchmark example for context

2) Updated vocabulary, clarification of information, and layout changes

3) A heavier contrast between information directly relevant to a blind tasting vs supplementary information. The idea is to reduce information overload.

Reference sheets 1 & 2 will be printed front/back and used to assist in a blind tasting for "Note 1".

I really appreciate all the input I received for the last post. I'm not skilled enough to add all the ideas but even the ones I couldn't were valuable food for thought. I'm posting for more feedback if anyone has any insight.

Hello whisky lovers, I've seen this bottle going for 75 USD plus tax, and was going to ask if anyone has tried it.

I've heard a rumor that they get the spirit from Macallan, but i think it is just a hearsay (or idk if things have changed if it was true).

Has anyone tried this bottle?

If you could compare this bottle to any original bottling from the distilleries, I would greatly appreciate it.

Hi all, here's another Scotch I got to try lately, and this one is a Balvenie!

I'm somewhat aware of Balvenie, as one of my whisky friends is an industry professional who works for William Grant & Sons (and we occasionally received a freebie or two from him). Well this bottle doesn't have much to do with him lmao, it's owned by another whisky friend who has particular interest in odd or unique tasting bottles. 

I've heard this is a very atypical Balvenie, but in a good way. Can't wait to try!

Balvenie Single Barrel Traditional Oak Aged 21 Years, Cask No.3759 (47.8% abv)

Based on the description on the outer box, this whisky was fully aged in refill American Oak Cask, and was a single cask bottling. That's about all I know about this specific Balvenie, so here are my notes:

*Nose*

fresh, juicy and very fragrant white fruity (Le Franc pears);

white flower floral;

floral honey sweetness;

prominent fragrant oak, smoky/incense-like

rich, sweet vanilla cream;

digestive biscuit malty;

a light hint of nuttiness (cashew)

*Palate*

Slightly oily, kind of like full milk mouthfeel;

very sweet, white flower honey;

very fragrant oak ( incense-like smoky);

some oaky bitterness;

sweet and sour fresh white fruity;

rich vanilla cream/marshmallow;

mellow malty (a bit like Irish pot still whiskey's mellow malty character);

a light bit nutty (cashew).

Light bit of alcohol sting, low astringency

*Finish*

Long.

fragrant oak, smoky/incense-like

a light bit of oaky bitterness;

white floral honey fragrance, but without sweetness

vanilla fragrance;

malty character (digestive biscuit-like) makes a return

a light bit nutty (cashew)

*Conclusion*

This one has to be the Scotch with the most fragrant/aromatic oaky character I've tried thus far. 

Its overall profile was just a very well crafted bourbon cask whisky, with all the sweet floral honey, rich vanilla, nuttiness, and goodness, that oak. The American white oak character of this whisky was processed in such a way that it wasn't just present, but outright fragrant and incense-like. Despite the dominant oaky character,  it also wasn't overpowering, and the other characters managed to maintain some integrity under the overarching oakiness. The bitterness was also well balanced on the palate, for a whisky as oaky as this was!

As someone who's a fan of unique wooden characters in whiskies (which was what got me into Japanese whiskies in the first place), I found this one to be outright lovely. It's kind of like an American Oak version of Suntory's Mizunara whiskies in regards to how fragrant the oak was, and that's definitely quite something!

If anyone else particularly enjoyed strong, fragrant oakiness in your whisky, this one is definitely worth trying!

Thanks for reading, cheers!

Been looking for Springbank 10 for awhile - Uncle came for a visit and brought me this from the UK.

I’ve reached that point where I stock my cabinet more for myself than the people I entertain. About time. Curiously enough, I’ve realised my favourite whiskeys seem to be sentimental, chosen by what they remind me of, rather than taste.

Laphroaig: my introduction to the Islays. A friend introduced me to it after our fifth bottle of Glen-somethings over as many parties, demanding we try Scotch that wasn’t from the Highlands. I’ve since been to the distillery, downed a full bottle with my buddy on his wedding eve (no regrets but probably wouldn’t repeat) and gifted more bottles than I can remember. Burnt leather, iodine, coal….I’ve heard it all, but I love it. I admittedly now prefer the Quarter Cask version, though it’s seldom in stock, so get it when I can.

I seem to prefer peat when it comes with that maritime, saline character rather than just smoke. Perhaps that’s what keeps Islay so firmly at the top of my list.

Ardbeg 10: first job straight out of college, and I happened to ask one of my seniors what he’d drink every day if money wasn’t an object. Ardbeg. Without even blinking. Neither of us could afford it then. When I moved to an international firm and got my hands on a bottle some 2 years later, I absolutely loved it. Smoke up front, but with this briny edge underneath. It’s remained my favourite whiskey ever since.

2 more bottles deserve a mention before we wrap up the Islays. It’s missing my Caol Ila 12, just finished my last bottle. This holds a special place because it’s one of my own finds. Picked it up at an airport on a whim, and my friend and I (a fellow peat head) were blown away from the first sip. If I had to pick a #2, this would probably be it.
And a duty-free Lagavulin 8 should be back on my shelf by next week. This is perhaps the one bottle that will be more for my guests than for me, not because I dislike it in the slightest, but because this is the whiskey of choice for many of my relatives; usually need 2 bottles if more than 3 turn up. This, I’m told, is also the whiskey I was offered a sip of when I was 12 (at my own insistence, don’t worry!) after which I loudly announced that alcohol tastes horrible and I would never drink it.

Highlands: I grew up drinking Highland whiskey at almost every posh party or wedding I attended. Reached a point where I decided that if this is what the top of the whiskey food chain is like, I’d rather have cocktails. Back home, Scotch = Highlands, the balanced/refined taste et al. I honestly didn’t know the Islays, Speyside or indeed any other part of Scotland existed before going to Uni.

So now that I’m somewhat wiser, I’ve developed something of a disdain for the Highlands, perhaps largely if not only because they’re the most popular Scotch back home. I know lumping Oban, Dalmore and Glenmorangie in with what I grew up on isn’t entirely fair, but that’s the association I can’t shake.

With that said, my one exception is Clynelish 14. This is in large part because my favourite uncle gifted me a bottle when he was told I’ve developed something of a whiskey fascination. In the oddest of ways, Clynelish feels like home. Notwithstanding the distinct taste and texture, it reminds me of all the weddings and parties back home, of drinking stolen (parents’) Scotch on the roof with my friends, of quiet drinks with relatives at home.

The more I drink it, the more I suspect the slightly waxy, coastal character is part of why it works for me. It has enough of that distinctive Highland character to stand apart from the polished, balanced Scotch I grew up associating with the region.

Speyside: my most recent (relatively of course) find, and the rabbit hole I cannot seem to crawl out of. With the Islays, I’ve made up my mind and settled on what I like. With the Speyside, I just cannot seem to!
Glenfarclas 12: I call this the “gateway drug” of whiskeys. Anyone who “doesn’t like” whiskey or “doesn’t drink whiskey neat” is promptly offered a glass, with salted peanuts. I think I’ve converted at least 6 people in just the last year; or maybe that’s what they would have me believe!

This is where I’m still trying to figure out what I actually like. Sherry, honeyed malt, fruit, richness? I keep finding Speysides that pull me in completely different directions, which is probably why I haven’t managed to settle on favourites.

Balvenie 12 (DoubleWood): so back to my first job, I was once tasked with finding (an almost impossible task back home if it wasn’t one of the most famous Highland Scotches; most people had never heard the name and the ones that remained thought I must have misheard the name) and delivering two bottles to a senior barrister staying at a 5-star hotel some 60 miles away. When I finally reached, I was greeted by the impatient (but easily assuaged as soon as he noticed the package) barrister sipping water in the lobby. Water. He proceeded to open it right there while cursing at his assistant for not putting a bottle in his bag before he flew out. I had a drink with him and left, with all the staff on that floor staring me down as I exited. I would only remember what that drink tasted like many years later when I bought my own bottle.

It would be remiss not to mention that, after the next day’s hearing (which our barrister had accommodated at less than 24 hours’ notice), the client didn’t pay him the full retainer and chose instead to haggle. I was told our man immediately chartered a plane and left with only his briefcase, picking up one of the nicest paintings from the hotel lobby, and simply shouted “bill it to the client” on the way out. Balvenie 12.

Mortlach 12: I was once at the airport picking up a bottle of Macallan for a friend who’d just got married (one of the chosen few who got to marry a Scotch drinker). He insisted I get him a bottle of Mortlach instead. Curious, I picked up 2. It did not disappoint.

On Bourbon: I like to think I’m a Scotch supremacist at heart and generally dislike almost anything American (except rock bands). I also dislike JD, JB and MM (yes, even in an Old Fashioned or with Coke), but somehow Buffalo Trace and Woodford Reserve always find their way onto my shelf (usually gifts but I have bought Buffalo Trace on occasion). They’re surprisingly easy to sip and make for a mean Old Fashioned.

I suspect what I like here is less bourbon itself than the combination of sweetness and oak, particularly in an Old Fashioned. Which perhaps explains why these two keep finding their way back onto the shelf despite my Scotch supremacist tendencies.

And that’s all she wrote.

Springbank is high on my list of Scotches I haven’t tried yet, alongside Gordon & MacPhail and Kilkerran. Would appreciate other recs that are suitably distinct or otherwise align with my palette. Happy drinking.

Had a fun day of excessive shopping and excessive tastings in the area I am now going to refer to as the Ginza Bermuda Triangle of Whisk(e)y, whose outline is defined by the walking route from Bic Camera Yurakucho, to the Ginza 777 Liquor Mountain, to the Liquor Express shop, then back to the Campbelltoun Loch bar. OK, technically a quadrilateral. So sue me 🤷‍♂️

Fun times 🥃 😋

It is unsettling to see the exact same bottle of yamazaki owner's cask offered concurrently on catawiki auction and whisky auctioneer. Both are bottle number 145, and if that is not enough, both have the same mismatched box (the bottle says owner's cask but the box is for single cask; owner's cask has similar but different box). Does whisky auctioneer even have the bottle in possession prior to putting it up for auction? If it does, then what would the seller on catawiki be delivering if the bottle sells there. granted the chance of the bottle selling on either platform is low (reserve too high), still this whole arrangement is sus.

Hi all, I'm here with more Suntory whisky, and here's another very obscure Yamazaki!

This is an old, cask strength Yamazaki release from 1991, which interestingly came in a mini barrel decanter (pic 1 background, pic 2)!

Originally, this item was available exclusively to Suntory's official business partners, primarily for bars and nightclubs that wanted a cool showpiece in their businesses. I've never found any info on anyone opening one up for drinking- well, that changes today!

Details in comments!

Bottled: 09.2021

Cask Type: Oak Barrels

Strength: 46.0 %

Size: 700 ml

Label: New Label 2018

Non-Chill Filtered & Uncolored

Nose
When I brought the bottle directly to my nose, the initial aromas were a pleasant, sweet malt scent accompanied by notes reminiscent of red forest fruits. After letting it breathe in a Glencairn glass for about 15 minutes, I detected alongside the sweet malt (reminiscent of biscuits), grain, cream, and vanilla subtle, light notes of red fruits like blackberry, strawberry, blueberry, and sour cherry. I would say all of this is accompanied in the background by a faint lemony tartness and a touch of oak spice. The aromas are light and fleeting, not pronounced.
Taste
Upon taking a very small sip to prime my palate, my initial impression was a mild black pepper warmth on my tongue, accompanied by a subtle malty sweetness. When I took another tiny sip and let it coat my palate, I found it to be quite smooth with a slightly oily mouthfeel; at 46% ABV, it sits somewhere between light and medium-bodied, creating a refreshing sensation. As I continued sipping, a distinct citrus freshness emerged specifically notes of orange, tangerine, grapefruit, and kumquat along with the slight acidity characteristic of their peels; a hint of honey was also perceptible. As the whisky lingered on the tongue, notes of black pepper, oak spice, and a very subtle ginger warmth developed, which I believe contributed to the balance and body. I should also mention that before finishing the glass, I detected some interesting notes reminiscent of newsprint, cardboard, copper, or metal though none of these were particularly off-putting.
Finish
As I reach the finish, while the whisky glides down the throat, notes of sweet malt and a honey-like quality which is hard to pin down emerge alongside aromatic citrus flavors such as orange, tangerine, and kumquat; simultaneously, interesting nuances reminiscent of newsprint, cardboard, and metal become perceptible to the nose. Accompanying this, a gentle warmth from black pepper, oak, and ginger is clearly present on the tongue and towards the back of the palate. Once the spicy heat subsides, exhaling through the nose reveals faint, delicate notes reminiscent of citrus and malt. I would describe the finish as falling somewhere between short and medium in duration.

Overall, I would describe it as a fresh, highly drinkable, aromatic, and casual whisky; while it offers nothing particularly interesting or surprising, it effectively captures the essence of an entry-level single malt. It is generally reasonably priced, and its performance is commensurate with that cost, though I cannot say it makes me want to buy it again. It is a whisky worth picking up and enjoying if you want to explore spirits from different regions; I don't think it will leave you disappointed. Cheers.

Nose: 81/100

Taste: 82/100

Finish: 81/100

Price: 55€

Thoughts on these?

Hi all, I'm here today with more Suntory whisky, and here's another obscure Yamazaki!

This one here is a special anniversary bottling from the Yamazaki Distillery, made exclusively for the Club Yamana in Osaka!

Club Yamana is a private, member-only night club located in Osaka's Kitashinchi district (which is kind of Osaka's equivalent to Tokyo's Ginza). The club was founded in 1968 and operated by the legendary mama-san Kazue Yamana (affectionately known as Yamana-mama).

As Club Yamana has a long history of doing business with Suntory, Suntory made a few special Yamazaki single malts for the club's celebratory occasions, such as this one! 

Details in Comments!

Full disclosure, I have a personal investment in this subject, having worked at the distillery for a couple of years.

If anyone has ever had the pleasure of visiting this small distillery in Fife, you will know how cosy a feel it has and the amazing story that goes along with it. So much heart and soul went into the creation of this place, and so much meticulous planning and detail. Andrew and Helen Mckenzie-Smith founded this distillery on there own front door, having found out the amazing legacy the Abbey grounds on their property had with the origins of whisky.

Sadly, in the last year there has been a horrific investor takeover. If you've ever bought a bottle of Lindores you'll recognise the bottle on the left, with the founders signature in the corner. The bottle on the right is the new rebranded bottle, noticeably missing any such signature. Any signature on a bottle now is that of the distillery manager instead.

The amazing events that were hosted at Lindores, connecting people from across the world used to be due to Helen's amazing hospitality experience. These have been all but scrapped, along with the loyal event team. Any of the few events now are run by agency staff and are not nearly as accessible to everyone.

Andrew had the idea and the vision, Helen was the heart and soul of the place and now they are no longer allowed to have any control in the operation. Both are amazing people.

In a just world this shouldn't happen, however sometimes people can do horrible things, for the sake of a quick profit. I hope the new business model fails, and the new investors are forced to sell.