A Muddled Thought

Highland Park recently announced the latest edition to its award-winning family of whiskies, an extremely limited bottling harkening back to the year 1968. Making it just slightly older than the 40 Year Old release that hit shelves in 2008 which we took at earlier this year here.

So why release something that’s only a two years older than its oldest offering? Well as Martin Daraz the US Brand Ambassador for HIghland Park said, “because we can”.

During a presentation that I recently attended to celebrate the release of Highland 1968, Martin mentioned that the spirit was released for the fans of Highland Park, whether that’s a group of whisky loving friends splitting the purchase of one bottle or the avid collector that plans to save it for a special occasion.

Martin also went on to say that while they have a wealth of barrels aging in the Highland Distillery
and thus can keep up the availability of the 40 year old release as part of their portfolio, the 1968 release is limited to a mere 1,550 bottles available globally and will retail for $3,999. Once the 1968 is gone, it’s gone.

During this presentation I had the opportunity to sample a small amount of the extremely limited Highland 1968. The experience of tasting the Highland 1968 could be described as truly remarkable. A spirit that starts off with a nose marrying flavors of baked apples and cinnamon so precisely defined they instantly reminded me of spending a summer’s evening as a child eating candied apples and wandering the local carnival.

Once I began to slowly, and I do mean slowly taste this spirit, my palate instantly recognized flavors of sweet hazelnut and cocoa. As I continued to taste through Highland 1968 I picked up hints of sea salt that combined with those previous notes of cocoa to form a taste reminiscent of fleur de sel chocolates. As it continued to work its way through my palate, flavors of caramel lead into a finish akin to a creme brulee with a sprinkle of smoke.

Martin Daraz closed out his presentation with the statement that Highland 1968 was an experimental release. Well Highland Park, the experiment was a utter success. I’ve got a bit of a smile just wondering when I’ll get to taste it again. Any spirit that can leave a memory of the experience of tasting it, is definitely worth tracking done.

Final Score: 9.5/10

You’re sitting in a bar discussing the beauties and wonders of whisky with your friend, and his reply is that they “all are too smokey”. After you educate him further that only certain whiskies are of that nature, your friend still doesn’t believe you and retorts “I’ll stick with gin, and rum”. “No, no, no you say” as you motion to the barkeep and point to a bottle of Auchentoshan 12 year old . “Just try this” you state as the barkeep pours you both a dram.

Begrudgingly your friend agrees to try Auchentoshan 12 year. As he brings the glass closer to his mouth, he’s hit with light aromas of caramel. Once he begins to take that first sip, he’s greeted with hints of honey so soft and warming that he actually lets his guard down and continues to drink. The spirit washes away all previous hate of whiskies. All of his concerns are drowned away by beautiful warming hints of honey that are followed up flavors of black licorice, soft cocoa, toffee, with layered flavors of allspice and dried figs.

As he ends that first taste, the Auchentoshan 12 says goodbye with a finish illuminated with spice, hints of sweet sherry, and vanilla cream.

Your friend’s final comment, “damn that’s some good stuff”.

With its soft, sweet and seductive notes, Auchentoshan 12 year old is a wonderful introductory whisky to someone looking to take that first step into the world of whiskies.

Final Score 9/10

Auchentoshan Three Wood, an interesting name for a whisky. That alone should be enough to catch your attention. Or at least it caught mine. Normally most whiskies are aged in one barrel type, such as American oak, or sherry casks, or if you’re lucky a combination of two barrel types, with the first more often than not being initially aged in the previously mentioned American oak barrels before aging is finished in any number of barrel styles, such as those previously used to age sherry, cognac or Bordeaux.

With their Three Wood offering, Auchentoshan takes this process one step further by first aging its whisky in American oak barrels, and then completing the aging process in a combination of barrels previously used to age Pedro Ximenez, and Spanish Oloroso sherries.

This creates an incredible mellow yet flavorful spirit that welcomes the palate right away with sweet hints of cinnamon, that are followed up by notes of toffee and vanilla bean perfectly balanced. Throughout each sip, mild touches of smoke caress the palate ever so slightly without overpowering the rest of the flavors this spirit hides.

The experience that is Auchentoshan Three Wood ends with touches of allspice, and hints of citrus.

Final Score 9/10

Rasputin’s Wakeup Call
2 oz Auchentoshan Three Wood
Barspoon Aperol
¾ oz Blood Orange Juice
¾ oz St. Germains
1 Dash Fee Brothers West Indian Orange Bitters
Egg White

Rasputin’s Wakeup Call. A combination of Auchentoshan Three Wood, Aperol, St. Germain, and Orange Bitters.

Satan’s Brown Socks

1 ½ oz Auchentoshan Three Wood
¾ Drambuie
¾ Fig Juice
½ Chai Tea Demerera Syrup
¼ lemon juice
Bar Spoon Green Chartreuse
1 dash Whiskey Barrel bitters

Satan’s Brown Socks. A combination of Auchentoshan Three Wood, Drambuie, Fig Juice, Green Chartreuse and Chai Tea Demerera Syrup.

Courtesy of the good people of Orkney (Highland Park) Distilleries we bring you Highland Park 40 Year Old. Aged in a variety of sherry pre-filled casks for a period of forty years, Highland has had this release planned from the first day this whisky had started aging. Forty years later and that first dram leads into a fantastical journey to perfect whiskey bliss.

Highland Park 40 starts off by slowly caressing your palate with flavors of elegant cocoa perfectly balanced with characters of candied oranges, and hazelnut. These magnificent flavors are just the first step, as touches of vanilla and cinnamon bark slowly make their move on you, ever so gentle drawing you deep into this trip to the pearly white gates. Just as this is occurring, light touches of smoke and maraschino cherries grab you and fill you with simple bliss.

Highland Park 40 completes the seduction of your palate with a triumphant finish containing specks of sea salt, cocoa and smoke almost as if a great candy maker helped craft the spirit.

If I could give a score higher than 10 in our current ratings system, this would be the spirit that surpassed this point.

Highland Park 40 Year old retails for around $2000 and has limited availability in the range of about 55 bottles in the United States.

Our next unique spirit has spent the last twenty-five years in barrels in Japan before hitting the shores of the United States. In October, 2009 Suntory Distillery brought its 1984 bottling of its Yamazaki Whisky to the United States. Limited to only three hundred bottles, the origins of this whisky can be traced back to the Suntory’s first experiments with aging in Japanese mizunara oak casks.

During the 1940’s as American oak casks became hard to come by, Suntory began experimenting with Japanese mizunara oak. Though initial downsides to this approach were barrels that leaked and contained overbearing aromas, it was soon discovered that after an extended period of aging in these barrels, the whiskey became imparted with unique sweet flavors and aromas.

Flash forwarding to the year 1984, Suntory using a combination of whisky aged in these Japanese mizunara casks, as well as American and Spanish oak casks began the process of creating Yamazaki 1984.

Twenty five years later, and the product is deemed ready to be bottled and distributed.

The end result of this project is an elegant yet robust whisky that leads in with a nose akin to something that was aged in sherry casks.

A remarkable spirit that caresses the palate with nuances of sea salt before opening up and revealing beautiful flavors of hazelnut cream, cocoa, the occasional hint of mint, and burnt oranges.

Yamazaki 1984 completes the love affair with your palate with a sweet smoky finish.

Yamazaki 1984 retails for approximately $575 and is available for purchase at Astor Wines and Spirits.

As part of the Classic & Vintage Portfolio of handcrafted artisan spirits, a product has to be incredibly unique.

Stranahan’s is just that. Stranahan is definitely a one of kind whiskey. Originating in the Rocky Mountain Region of Colorado, the base is a combination of carbon-filtered Rocky Mountain water paired with barley that grows in the northern section of the Rockies. No other whiskey can claim this.

The Stranahan Distillery was started by spirits enthusiast, George Stranahan and retired firefighter Jess Graber in 2004 along with Master Distiller and partner, Jake Norris. The distillery was brought to life after Jess saved George’s barn from burning down during a fire and the two discovered a mutual love of spirits and the Colorado outdoors. This passion shows itself in the end results of their labor.

On the tongue, Stranahan whiskey greets you with warm succulent flavors of chocolate, Christmas spice, nuances of barley and allspice. Upon further tastings, the taste of a milky coffee and orange showed themselves.

A sweet vanilla hazelnut finish coupled with the occasional note of oak and just the right amount of spice to hit the tongue with a tinge that almost makes you smile.

You never know what to expect when tasting something from a artisanal distiller, sometimes the spirit can be barely passable, other times you’re nearly blown out of water by a magnificent spirit. With Stranahan, the experience is the latter.
While made by a small distillery, I’d put this whiskey up against any of the bigger players any day, I’m willing to bet Stranahan’s will definitely impress you.

Final Score: 9.5/10

This past summer we wrote about Macallan’s release of several limited bottlings targeted at the Travelers Retail Market. Known as the Macallan 1824 Collection, it took us the last several months to get our hands on two of the four bottlings.

So was the wait worth it to try the Macallan 1824 Collection?

If the Select Oak and Whisky Maker’s edition are reflective of the rest of the collection, then the wait was definitely worthy of the impression the spirit left on us.

The Macallan Select Oak is created by combining whiskey aged in American Oak Barrels that have been seasoned with either sherry or bourbon and first fill European oak casks seasoned with sherry. This gives birth to a whiskey that starts with hints of mint, followed up by a smooth silky vanilla inklings of black licorice, and toasted coconut.

Occasionally a hint of milk chocolate will sneak out and overpower the palate, before returning you to the previously mentioned flavors
The Select Oak finishes with hints of black cherry, cocoa powder, and hints of cinnamon.

A whiskey that’s just the right amount of everything, not to harsh, not too mellow, as the fairy tale put it “just right”.

Final Score: 8.5/10

With the Whisky Maker’s Edition, Macallan’s Master Distiller Bob Dalgarno individual selects some of his favorite aged sherry and bourbon-seasoned casks, which are then bottled at 42.8% .
The personal touch of this selection process offers a spirit rich with very forward flavors of orange zest, and allspice that are ultimately joined by the presence of toffee and espresso.

On additional tastings, notes of candied pears and caramel peeked out.
The spirit finishes with a smooth candied ginger finish that leaves remnants of smoke on the tongue.

Final Score 9/10

This past October, Suntory released (previously unavailable in the US) Hibiki 12 Year Old blended Japanese Whiskey.
By taking a blend of over thirty aged Japanese whiskies, which are first aged in white oak casks and then moved to casks that were previously used to mature Umeshu Plum liquor, Suntory was able to create this very interesting and unique 12-year-old blended whisky.

Suntory Hibiki 12 slowly seduces you as you open the bottle, with hints of elegant sweetness. This aroma is merely a preview of what the depth that Hibiki holds once it hits your palate. As it opens up right away with mild cocoa, accompanied by notes of sea salt. Just as your palate starts to come to terms with these flavors the spirit introduces subtle hints of sweet mashed bananas, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Hibiki ends the show with a rock candy like sweet and soothing finish.

After experiencing the Hibiki 12 neat, we decided to add a splash of water which further allowed the spirit to come to life with additional notes of green tea and a sweet orange flavor showed themselves.

Whether tasted neat or with a splash of water, Suntory’s Hibiki 12 Year offering takes the palate on an amazing journey.

Final Score: 9/10

As we’re currently in the midst of the holiday shopping season, I’m often asked what type of spirits people should purchase as gifts. While I previously covered several suggestions in “A Muddled Thoughts, 12 Boozy Days of Christmas” the question keeps coming up regarding alternates to the somewhat pricey Johnie Walker Blue Blended Scotch.

Folks, I’d like to introduce you to Chivas Regal 18. Priced at around $55 for a 750ml bottle, it comes in at one-third the price of Johnie Walker Blue, which comes in at $150 for a 750ml bottle.

Chivas 18 starts off with a nose brimming with sweet caramel. These sweet aromas are merely a lead-up to a spirit full of characters of spice, apples and cinnamon. Just when you think Chivas has worked its way fully through your palate, your hit with notes elegant black cherries and chocolate.

Each sip of Chivas Regal 18, finishes very smoothly with minor hints of smoke and characters of cocoa and nutmeg.

Taking a look at Johnie Walker Blue, one of the more popular scotch gifts, your presented with a very different spirit than that of the Chivas Regal 18.

Johnie Walker Blue starts off with a nose filled with elegant and defined notes of sweetness.

Once you get past this nose, your greeted with a scotch that possesses characters of cocoa, hazelnut and sweet honey that finishes with more of those sweet honey notes and a mild hint of peat .

While the infamous Johnie Walker Blue is still an impressive specimen of blended scotch, the Chivas Regal 18 seemed to have more personality and possessed a more robust variety of flavors that remained balance through each sip. Taking both this and the price difference into account, the Chivas Regal 18 makes a great alternative to the higher priced Johnie Walker Blue.

Scotch fans, please allow me to introduce you to a very good friend of mine.
The Macallan Fine Oak 17, the lesser known sibling of the Macallan whisky family. You’re always hearing people mention the Macallan 12 year bottle as a nice, “go-to” scotch or a nice introductory scotch. People rave about the bliss and perfection that the Macallan 18 year bottling is.

But how often do you hear someone make mention of the Macallan 17 Fine Oak offering?

At a recent Macallan tasting, this question came up in conversation with a close friend, who happens to also be a fan of brown spirits.
Over the course of this tasting, we both sampled The Macallan, 12, 15,17 and 18-year varieties. At the end we both went back for a second taste of the Macallan 17 Fine Oak. Our conclusion it was our favorite out of all four Macallan’s we tasted that night.
So I started thinking why?

The Macallan Fine Oak 17 starts off with a nose filled with hints of figs, raisins, and chocolate.

That first sip is bliss. As you bring the glass to your mouth, that elegant perfume of chocolate, raisins and figs continues to sneak its way to your olfactory nerves.
Once you taste that first drop, your hooked. Hints of smoke caress the taste buds and offer just a glimpse of the next reveal. Nuances of chocolate show themselves, followed up by orange zest, minute glimpses of cinnamon, nuts, and finishes with just the right balance of seasalt, and sweet caramel.

Macallan 17 is like that middle child that no one notices until they surpass the success level of both their older and younger siblings. Keep an eye out for this one, its one of those rare overachievers that doesn’t brag as much as it should.

Final Score: 10/10