What Does John Know?

This is the third review in as many days of really great whiskies. I have one more supurb whiskey to tell you about, which I’ll post up tomorrow. (And yes, that’s whiskey with an “e” for tomorrow’s review.) 

The Glenlivet XXV, 25 year old, 43%, $350
Finished in first-fill sherry casks for two years. My feeling on any whisky finished in a different cask is this: it should give as much to the flavor profile than it takes away. In this instance, I feel it has. And more. It’s not as nimble as younger versions, but the sherry, along with the extra aging, contributes a silky texture and a richer, fuller dimension to the whisky. I can still detect some of the peach, vanilla, tropical fruit and honeyed malt I enjoy in younger expressions, but its key flavor components are toffee, honey-dipped citrus, red licorice, chocolate covered almonds and fig, along with dried spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, mint tea) that emerges on the palate and peaks on the finish. The flavors are seamless and elegantly balanced.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 93

Three spirits industry veterans have teamed up to form The Last Drop Distillers Ltd. I met with them in New York on Monday, brought a sample home, and reviewed it yesterday. Their first release is a winner, for those who can afford it.

The Last Drop, 1960 vintage, 48 year old, 52%, $2,000
A 12 year old blended scotch whisky was created in 1972 consisting of 70 different malt whiskies and 12 grain whiskies. The blend was then placed in three sherry cask, where it was matured for the past 36 years (highly irregular, to say the least.) The quality of the sherry casks is quite evident, as is the whisky’s age. There’s substantial malt content here too. These three factors, along with the wide range of malt and grain whiskies, combine to create one of the finest blended Scotch whiskies I have ever tasted. It’s dark, mysterious and enormously complex, with notes of molasses, fig cake, dried fruit, tobacco, dark chocolate, old pot still rum, and polished leather, finishing with lingering cinnamon and mint. There’s no sign of this whisky getting tired at all. I am pleased they bottled it at natural cask strength and didn’t water it down to 40% or 43% abv, which could have ruined it.

Release information: There’s a total of 1,347 bottles, of which only 350 are being imported to the U.S. They can be found only at Binny’s Beverage Depot (Chicago), Park Avenue Liquors (New York), and Wally’s (Los Angeles).

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 95

So, here’s the scoop. I tasted it last night. The Morrison Bowmore Distillers representatives who brought the whisky (see my previous blog for names & titles) said it was the first public tasting of White Bowmore anywhere.  My review follows.

White Bowmore, 1964 vintage, 43 year old, 42.8%, $6,000
I like this Bowmore better than all the previous bourbon oak-aged, ultra-mature Bowmore whiskies that have been released over the past fifteen years. (There have been several.) The oak is always present, but not dominant. And the whisky really evolves on the palate, just like the Black Bowmore releases. This emphasis here is on fruit, bright fruit: peach, tangerine, mango, ripe melon, and pineapple. There’s a soft, gentle side to the whisky too, enhanced by sweeter notes of pancake syrup, orange creamsickle and white chocolate. Heavy oak notes emerge, along with teasing, earthy smoke, to give the whisky depth and bottom notes. The smoke and oak linger long on the finish.  Very contemplative. In short, an outstanding whisky, but not quite reaching the excellence of Black Bowmore. 

(Allocation information: 732 bottles available worldwide; 40 bottles are being allocated for the U.S., half of the quantity of Black Bowmore which was released earlier this year. Projected release date–September, 2008.)

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 94