February | 2009 | What Does John Know?

February 28th, 2009

Compass Box Whisky is filled with “Optimism”

John Hansell

Optimism the whisky, that is. They’ve introduced a new whisky yesterday in London called Optimism. Here are some excerpts from the press release I received yesterday.

Artisan Scotch whiskymakers Compass Box have managed to bottle Optimism as a hopeful antidote to the global economic malaise.

“The more that people are optimistic about the future, the faster we will pull ourselves out of this depressed economic state,” says John Glaser, Compass Box whiskymaker. “This is our small effort to try to help the world economy.”

Optimism by Compass Box is a vatted malt Scotch whisky with a rich, sweet, peaty character, bottled at 44 percent and available for £40 per bottle. It is a limited release whisky that will not be repeated before the next global recession.

I tried to post an image of it up here that came with the press release, but it wouldn’t import. (Sorry about that.)

Category: New Releases, Scotch whisky 5 Comments

February 27th, 2009

Review: Three Hirsch Small Batch Reserve Bourbons

John Hansell

I’ve had these samples since late last year. (Sorry for the delay in posting my reviews.) There’s no indication of where these bourbons were distilled. I really enjoy the 25 year old.

Hirsch Small Batch Reserve, 46%, $36
A balanced and well-rounded whiskey, but it tastes a little youthful and spirity on the finish and lacks the depth I’m looking for to score it higher the 80s. Notes of maple syrup, crème caramel, and raspberry tart, with cinnamon, vanilla, mint and dried citrus peppered throughout. I like it, but there are better bourbons at this price point.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 80

Hirsch Small Batch Reserve, 25 year old, 43.4%, $270
Wonderfully complex on the nose and palate. Great depth too. Plus, the oak is kept in check. Notes of molasses, graham cracker, Earl Grey tea, spring flowers, nougat, evergreen, warming cinnamon and subtle tropical fruit, leading to a polished oak, charcoal-tinged finish. Very well done! The clear winner in this trio.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 93

Hirsch Small Batch Reserve, 28 year old, 43.4%, $447
Deep on the nose and heavy on the palate. Enjoyably perfumed aromas and an entertaining palate, with both showing a complex array of chewy toffee, cinnamon, candied fruit, roasted nuts, dusty cocoa and tobacco. But a very tactile leather and oak resin component dominates mid-palate through to the finish, spoiling the party. It’s past its prime.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 74

Category: Bourbon, Reviews 5 Comments

February 26th, 2009

Ask Dave Quinn, whiskey guru at Ireland’s Midleton Distillery

John Hansell

Malt Advocate readers know that we started a new column last year called “A round with…” where we interview interesting and knowledgeable people in the whiskey industry. Previous interviews have included Bill Samuels of Maker’s Mark bourbon, Willie Tait of Isle of Jura, and Jeff Arnett from Jack Daniel’s.

For our next issue, due out May 1st, we are having “A round with” Dave Quinn, Master of Science and whiskey guru for the Midleton Distillery in County Cork, where many of Ireland’s whiskey brands are made (Jameson, Power’s, Paddy, Redbreast, Tullamore Dew, Green Spot, Midleton Very Rare, etc.). Prior to Diageo purchasing Bushmills a few years back, Dave was also intimately involved with Bushmills too.

As you can see, Dave is a great guy to have a round with. Plus he is a really nice guy, which makes us even more excited about the interview.

We’re in the process of formulating our questions for Dave, and we have some interesting ones already. But we though, “Hey, why don’t we ask YOU what you would like to know from Dave?”

So, here’s your chance. Post up a question. If we like it, we’ll ask it to Dave and publish it. It can be a serious one about one of their whiskeys (or someone else’s whiskey for that matter), or it can be something lighthearted. We try to have a good balance of fun and seriousness. After all, this is “A round with…,” not an interrogation! (Just keep the question clean and fair.) Deadline is a week from tomorrow, Friday, March 6th.

Okay, what’s on your mind? What would you like to ask Dave?

Category: Interviews, Irish whiskey, Malt Advocate Mag 17 Comments

February 25th, 2009

Review: Bruichladdich “Octomore”

John Hansell

This is the new super-peated (131ppm phenol barley) Bruichladdich. “Super-peated” seems almost like an understatement. Ultra-peated, perhaps?

Bruichladdich “Octomore,” (Edition 01.1), 5 years old, 63.5%, $185
Intense smoke on the nose and palate, with notes of freshly tarred road, cigar smoke and ash, licorice root, bacon fat, kalamata olive and smoked seaweed. Struggling to emerge is youthful orchard fruit, honeyed malt, brine and soft vanilla. Long, smoky finish—like licking the walls of a peat-infused kiln. A very invigorating whisky. It’s a few years younger than the other ultra-peated whisky, Ardbeg Supernova. I think if they were both the same age, I would like them equally (And score them equally—I gave Supernova an 89). But the Octomore does taste a little green (it is only 5 years old after all), which was not noticeable in the Supernova. I think Octomore will be very good in another 5, and amazing in another 10. Let’s hope the lads at Bruichladdich are holding some stocks back.

Advanced Malt Advocate magazine rating: 82

Category: New Releases, Reviews, Scotch whisky 11 Comments

February 24th, 2009

Great news: I’m now on Twitter!

John Hansell

Look at the right-hand column of this blog. You’ll see there’s a new “What I’m Doing” section below my “Recent Posts.” This is my new Twitter account, which I have linked here to What Does John Know? via one of my blog software “plugins”.

Many times I find out about something that would be of interest to you and very timely, but it’s not big enough to post a formal blog about it. Twitter is designed to be quick, easy, and short. And it’s easy for me to do on my Blackberry. For those of you who have WDJK? on your RSS feed, you can also do the same for my twitter postings (called “tweets”).

Here’s the scoop. I try to blog every day, and I think I’m getting you a lot of good information–before most other people find out about it. Twitter will now allow me to get information to you even faster and more frequently! And I might use this platform for somewhat less formal postings too, which I think you will enjoy.

So, when you come to check out my blog postings, don’t forget to look at the right-hand column for my tweets under “What I’m doing.” Even if I haven’t blogged that day, there’s a good chance I tweeted at least once.

Category: Administrative 8 Comments

February 23rd, 2009

Hangover-free whisky?

John Hansell

An Australian company has introduced a new whisky, called Naked Scot, which they claim will reduce the effect of a hangover if you overdo it a bit. They say it’s because their whisky is free from pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides which, they suggest, causes hangovers. You can read one of the better stories on the issue (and a bottle shot of the whisky) here.

(They also make a line of rums called Kinky Rum. I was wondering. If Naked Scot prevents hangovers, does Kinky Rum eliminate the need for Viagra? )

Two issues appear to have arisen regarding their claim. The first is whether it actually will get rid of hangovers. (Some suggest that dehydration plays a large role in causing hangovers.) The second one is that this implies that there are pesticides in the rest of the Scotch whiskies being sold, which isn’t pleasing the Scotch Whisky Association. This is all laid out in the link I reference above.

Maybe what they say is true–that it won’t cause hangovers. But not because it’s free from pesticides. Maybe this three year old whisky tastes so unpleasant that no one will want to drink enough of it to cause a hangover! The proof is in the pudding (or whisky, in this case), so I would like to try it before making any assumptions or accusations. (Although, Kinky Rum sounds a lot more inviting.)

Category: New Releases, Scotch whisky 8 Comments

February 22nd, 2009

Humorous whisky quotes

John Hansell

I think we could all use a good laugh right now, with all the doom and gloom going on around us.

Two weeks ago my family spent a few days in Miami warming our bones and relaxing a bit. While we were down there, the Miami Boat Show was going on. One of our friends sells boats and was down there for the show. He offered to take out in one of his company’s demo boats. It was a beautiful day, so we took him up on his offer.

While we were out on the boat, we started talking with the captain who was running the boat. Eventually he found out we publish a whisky magazine. I asked him if he drinks whisky and he nodded yes. He hesitated for a brief moment and then replied:

The last time I turned down a whisky, I didn’t understand the question.

I thought that was pretty funny. Then, later on, as we were bringing the boat back into the dock, we got to talking about whisky again, when he came up with this one:

The last time I drank whisky, I started returning things I never stole.

We liked that one too! Some famous writer or poet probably came up with these quotes. I can’t imagine they were his original sayings, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.

So, how about you? Do you have a humorous whisky quote you would like to share with us, and perhaps brighten up our day a little?

Category: Humor 18 Comments

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