February 11th, 2010

Malt Advocate Magazine’s “Top Ten New Whiskies” for 2009

John Hansell

Top Ten New Whiskies of the Year (listed alphabetically)

You will not be happy with the prices of some of these whiskies, but here’s our ten best new whiskies released in 2009 (keeping in mind that whiskies must have been for sale in the U.S. in the 2009 calendar year to be eligible).

The selection process for this list is based primarily on the whisky’s rating. All ten whiskies rated 95 or higher in Malt Advocate  magazine.

Ardbeg Corryvreckan, 57.1%, $85
Powerful, muscular, well-textured, and invigorating. Even within the realm of Ardbeg, this one stands out. There are many relatively young whiskies with no age statement on the market. This is a benchmark. Quite stunning!

Brora 30 year old (2009 Release), 53.2%, $400
This whisky shows all the good aspects of a very mature whisky (depth, complexity) without all the bad ones (excessive oak, one-dimensional). It’s very clean and polished. One of the best releases from this shuttered distillery.

Dalmore 50 year old, $1,500/100ml
Incredibly viscous and chewy, and thick on the tongue. Very complex too, with that classic Dalmore marmalade note as its foundation. The flavors evolve like waves lapping on a beach. It is a whisky you can’t drink slowly enough.

Gold Bowmore, 1964 Vintage, 42.4% $6,250
Surprisingly lively for its age. I like this whisky better than White Bowmore but feels that it falls short of Black Bowmore, because it’s a bit softer and less vibrant on the palate. (But, for most of you with limited means, I can understand if you don’t really care.)

Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve, 46% (2009 vintage), $250
I love the pot still character and the lushness that some of the port-wood aging has imparted. If anything,  this 2009 vintage is even richer and lusher than the previous 2007 vintage I reviewed. Another classic Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve.

Laphroaig 25 year old, 51.2%, $500
I love the way the flavors of this whisky evolve on the palate. I also like that it retains some of its youthful brashness, while showing the depth that maturity affords a whisky. A delicious, well-balanced, old-fashioned Laphroaig.

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve (Bottle B1986), 23 year old, 47.8%, $220
My review of this whiskey a few years back indicated this whiskey was too woody and past it’s prime to be a stellar whiskey. This one is much better. (Yes, whiskey bottlings do change over time.) There’s great balance and the oak is in check.

Parkers Heritage Selection Golden Anniversary, 50%, $150
This is a fabulous whiskey: seamless, incredibly complex, with an impeccable marriage of youth and maturity. It’s also very even-keeled throughout. A classic bourbon that’s very complex and yet very drinkable.

Rittenhouse Rye 25 year old (Barrel #1), 50%, $190
Not as vibrant as the 21 year old Rittenhouse Rye released a few years back, but it’s more sophisticated, which more than makes up for it. I can’t speak for the other barrels in this lot, but I think this one is a great example of what a 20-plus year old rye whisky should taste like.

William Larue Weller (2009 release), 67.4%, $65
This whiskey has improved greatly over the past two years. (I thought that the 2007 release was almost too easy-going, as some wheated bourbon can be.) A little more oak spice has added balance, complexity and depth. Very clean on the palate too. Excellent!

Category: Awards,Bourbon,Irish whiskey,Malt Advocate Mag,New Releases,Reviews,Rye whiskey,Scotch whisky Tags: , , , , , , , , , 44 Comments

February 5th, 2010

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “Irish Whiskey of the Year”: Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve (2009 release)

John Hansell

Irish Whiskey of the Year

Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve (2009 release), 46%, $250

The Midleton Distillery, where Jameson is made, has proven that it can make wonderful whiskeys of great diversity. Jameson Gold, Jameson 18 year old, Redbreast 12 year old, and Power’s 12 year old are just a few of them.

Late in 2007, the distillery introduced Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve (which didn’t get into circulation in the U.S. until 2008). The combination of aging some whiskey in port casks, including some older whiskeys (over 20 years old), and bottling—without chill-filtering—at 46% ABV has helped make Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve rich, deep, and complex.

A 2009 vintage was released toward the end of the 2009 calendar year. (The 2008 vintage was never brought into the U.S.) How does it stack up to the 2007 release, our award winner last year? I like the 2009 vintage even better! If anything, it’s richer and lusher than the 2007 vintage.

It’s rich, silky, and oily in texture. You’ll discover extremely well-integrated flavors loaded with fruits, ripe berries, caramelized banana, nougat, date nut bread, glazed tangerine, and maple syrup, peppered with warming cinnamon, vanilla icing, and nutmeg. A firm, dry, resinous finish balances the sweetness. I love the pot still character and the lushness that some of the port-wood aging has imparted. This is another classic Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve.

Tomorrow’s Malt Advocate Whisky Award annoucement: Scotch Whisky Blend of the Year.

Category: Awards,Irish whiskey,Malt Advocate Mag,Reviews,competitions Tags: 29 Comments

December 1st, 2009

Irish whiskey news on Jameson, Redbreast, Powers and Paddy

John Hansell

I have brief updates and clarifications on all four brands, particularly as they pertain to the U.S.

Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve

There have been three releases now of the Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve (2007, 2008, and 2009). The 2009 is now getting into circulation. What are the differences between the three? Well, I haven’t (yet) had the privilege to taste all three vintages side-by-side, but I did get the scoop on the differences between the vintages from the U.S. Senior Brand Manager for Jameson. Here’s what she had to say:

The first 3 editions of JRVR (’07,’08,’09) were based on Port cask inclusion and are essentially the same. However, they are not all from one vatting. Each year, the product is bottled from a new vatting. Therefore, in some cases, some barrels included may vary slightly from the previous year.

The initial bottling in 2007 was a vatting taken from three individual parcels of casks.

The 2008 offering came from the same three parcels, therefore the final product was similar in style but effectively matured one year longer.

The 2009 offering used casks from two of the original parcels plus some casks which were one year younger than the original.

It is the case that each year’s vintage will be slightly different although based on a consistent JRVR style.

So, I think her concluding sentence is the most important one.

002Powers

Power’s 12 year old–a whiskey which I have been enjoying now for nearly a decade–is FINALLY coming to the United States in February. I love the pot still character of Powers, and the 12 year old expression is quite stunning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paddy

A very small amount of Paddy will be imported to the United States to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day for 2010.

001Redbreast

Some more cool news. Redbreast 15 year old, which was only released once (and in very limited quantities) in Europe, will be imported to the United States in the fall of 2010!

Category: Irish whiskey,New Releases Tags: , , , 14 Comments

March 16th, 2009

Irish whiskey media coverage: what about the rest of the year?

John Hansell

Over the past two weeks, I’ve been reading about Irish whiskey everywhere I look:  trade magazines, consumer magazines, newspapers, etc. I was even asked to be on Fox Business TV Network this morning for an Irish whiskey “shoot-out” between Jameson and Bushmills. (I declined, but for the time being you can watch a video of it here. I’m not sure how long they’ll have it up there.)

Yes, it’s great that Irish whiskey is getting this coverage now. I love Irish whiskey and am very happy for any exposure it gets (as long as the information is accurate). But what about the rest of the year? How much Irish whiskey coverage will you read about in April? Or October?

Irish whiskey is as good as Scotch whiskey and equally as versatile as Scotch whiskey. But for Irish whiskey to be treated with the same respect as Scotch whiskey, it has to be covered by the media for the whole year–and perceived by the consumer as a year-round drink, rather than being pigeon-holed as something to do shots of on St. Patrick’s Day or to drown in an Irish Coffee (or worse, a Car Bomb).

Category: Irish whiskey,Opinions Tags: , 14 Comments

March 5th, 2009

History Channel “Whiskey” show rebroadcasts on St. Patrick’s Day

John Hansell

In case you missed it when it originally broadcasted on St. Patrick’s day last year, the History Channel’s Modern Marvel’s series “Whiskey” show will be rebroadcasted on March 17, 2009 at 10 AM and 4 PM. (That means you can learn about whiskey and then still go out later on and drink it!)

If you haven’t seen it yet, it is informative and entertaining. And yes, you’ll have to put up with several quotes from me throughout the show. I tagged some of the distilleries that they visit during the show.

If anyone wants to really see the difference between bourbon and Tennessee whiskey, this is the show to watch. They show the sugar maple charcoal mellowing vats. In fact, they actually show the sugar maple being burned to make the charcoal. Cool stuff!

Category: Bourbon,Canadian whisky,Distillery Tours,Events,Irish whiskey,Media,Microdistilleries,Scotch whisky,Tennessee whiskey Tags: , , , , , 5 Comments

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