scotch suggestion

Argonaut had six bottles on their shelf yesterday...I thought of your post when I saw it but I had my heart set on picking up a bottle of Talisker Storm and Tomatin 12yo. I'll give Cardhu a shot next time

 

New still almost done! It ships to is next week! Super excited to run it...
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If I remember right, this will be able to distill more than just vodka, correct? (If not, maybe I'm thinking of something else)


Mark

 

Early Christmas present from my wife. I posted last week that she had become quite the Whisky authority helping me acquire new and interesting bottles to the collection. Working with our purveyor, she bought this and decided to give it to me early.

I'm not generally a big Glenfiddich guy, but our spirits guy was insistent that we get a bottle. It is the Glenfiddich Cask of Dreams, a limited release of only 3,500 bottles max each year of the two-year release for the American market. The batch was done to celebrate their 125th anniversary; they took 11 new American Oak barrels to several events around the nation, and invited people to inscribe their wishes and dreams for the future on the outside of the barrels. They took those graffiti'd barrels back to Scotland & selected from amongst their best 14-16 YO barrels that had been agin in bourbon & sherry, and transferred the whisky to the "dream" barrels for finishing.

In most circumstances, new uncharred oak will overwhelm whisky pretty quickly & dominate the taste. The Distiller checked on the lot pretty often, and they moved it to bottling after three months in the new barrels. The results are very good, especially if you enjoy Speyside malts.

The color is a deeper amber than I thought it might be. It has a distinct currant/dried raisin nose with vanilla & caramel present. You'll also get a hint of a fruity/floral note. Drinking it, it has a great vanilla and spice flavor (the new oak gives it the spiciness, which is stronger as the whisky moves back on the palate). As it finishes, you get a taste of ginger. It stays with you awhile as it settles down into your throat. THey bottled it at 48.8% alcohol, so it's stronger than other Glenfiddich's you may have.

The price will be between $100-125US, and they will be increasingly hard to find. The whisky itself is worth the price; good back story supports it. The packaging is also distinct (cylindrical, embossed metal, quite attractive).

My wife has promised at least two more bottles (I have a birthday in January, so she just adds an extra for that). She is great, and I'm thankful every day she puts up with me. She has also come to enjoy spending the time learning about the bottles, the regions in Scotland, and the various distilleries. Since she's a quantum bit better looking than me, she also always comes home with free samples from the store as we have become friends and longtime customers of the owner...

Sorry about the photo being sideways; my editing skills are on the lower rung of competencies. If you drink a lot of Scotch, you may not notice since you'll be lying down while reading, anyway.
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don't worry ... after a few shots, pictures have a way of straightening themselves ...

 

That is correct. We have a guy coming to teach us all the ins and outs of this setup and as soon as he does Ill give a more detailed explanation of all that can be done and all that is happening with this setup.

 

Lol thanks for the support! The shipping of alcohol is one thing I need to look into today, not sure what my regulations are on that. Since were so new Ive been trying to be a good little distiller in order to keep the revenuers off our backs lol...

I do like Hangar 1, good stuff and from what Ive heard a good team.

And as far as the Diageos of the world go they are actually not really that big of a problem. They are kind of slow with product development so they tend to just buy up brands like ours once we full develop them. Its actually not a bad tactic, both sides win. And theres always the option of not selling and still doing very well on your own.

 

Toasted the memory of my Dad for Veteran's Day with a glass of Ardbeg Corryvreken. One of their top labels, and pretty affordable considering the quality of the dram.

My Dad was in the 1st Marine Division in WW2, and landed on both Peliliu & Okinawa. HBO was re-running "The Pacific" miniseries about the Marines in the South Pacific today; in the beach landing scene with Eugene Sledge (with K/3/5), my Dad (with K/1/5) landed at about the same time 4-5 boats north of the setting where they showed Sledge and his company. Watching the landing, and then the assault on the airfield the next day, I continue to be amazed at the courage of those men, and the way in which they faced almost unimaginable danger with such aplomb. Adding to the sense of connection for me, my Dad was strikingly similar in appearance and demeanor to Sledge's friend, Snafu Shelton (both from rural Louisiana), so it was like watching a piece of personal history.

He passed away almost 11 years ago, and I still miss him. He didn't talk much, and lived with PTSD as a result of his war experience, but was a solid guy, a great husband and a father who was always there to watch my ballgames & share time. He finally related some of his memories after I became an adult and had experienced a very small slice of what he and the Old Breed lived for more than three years. I wish he had been able to share more. In his last few years, he finally learned to tell his kids he loved them, which we knew, but it was nice to hear.

 

Just added this blend to my cabinet.
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Lucky you- they don't sell it down here to any extent, and Forty Creek has been producing some varieties that are quite highly reviewed. I enjoy Bulleit, and you need a great rye to make a suitable Manhattan. This would be a fantastic addition to any spirits cabinet, and is sure to sell out pretty quickly with its small run. Whisky Advocate just named it as one of the top ten buys this winter, too.

It is always good to see small distillers do well; keeps the artisanal element in whiskey production.

 

Bob,

I bought 4 of this bottle because of this reason. It's local is a great story but the whiskey I find delicious as well. Buy whatever I want now and I can open up one a year for 10 years right. If you're interested I'm sure I can find a way to ship one over

I have/had Confederation Oak, Port Cherry Cask and Double Barrel Reserve and this was the latest addition. Confederation Oak is still my favourite to date, Forty Creek Whisky - Products .

 

Thanks for the offer- looking up the US Customs fees and the State ABC laws, it seems it would be cheaper to use points, fly to Canada and just carry a bottle over...in California, we're still fighting over the wine industry's ability to ship wine in and out of state, so something from another country would probably put me on a watch list lol. I do have a friend who visits occasionally from TO; I'll ask her to bring a bottle, I think. I'm sure my wife won't mind that I'm now feeding my habit internationally.

 

Well I may be in California fairly early next year (May-April) but doubt my bottles will last that long! If within the U.S is okay I can find a way to ship from within the U.S to your door.

 

I'd love to try some of the Forty Creek offerings too. It looks like I can get the Barrel Select here in Florida, but none of the others. Seems odd they don't send more to the US.

 

Thanks for the offer; I think my friend will be able to bring a bottle with her in the spring when she visits. I sent her a note, and I'm sure she'll extract a levy for the favor lol. You know you're an addict when you start having friends mule your supply for you...

 

That is why when I go to Milwaukee I bring a bottle of the premium stuff because they can only get the Barrel Select vs. the many very high ranked ones they also produce.

 

I was asked to day for some recommendations for Scotch that "doesn't cost $400 a bottle" to serve to guests for Thanksgiving & the holidays. They wanted something "special", so I suggested three single malts, and also three American whiskies because they want a whiskey for mixed drinks. After sending them a note, I thought others might be asking similar questions, so here goes (prices are at Total Wine & More & should be similar throughout the USA):

My strategy was that purists were not necessarily going to be in attendance, although if one showed up, they'd appreciate not drinking some more mundane stuff. Any of these can be drunk neat, with water, on ice (horrors!); the bourbons are great as mixers, too.

Affordable Single Malts:

The Macallan 12 - $39.99 a bottle. Pretty clean, sherry notes, not too shocking for the newer drinker. The most popular brand around, so it also has good name recognition

Aberlour 12 - $36.99 a bottle. Peppery, fruit forward with a hint of maple syrup on the tongue.

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban - $40.99 a bottle. Port finish, with a taste of blackberries & barley malt. Sweet on the finish- good dessert whisky

Affordable American Bourbons (and a Rye)

Woodford Reserve - 26.99 a bottle. Classic Kentucky bourbon, triple distilled, smooth, honey, cocoa, toasty oak and vanilla tastes. Long finish with a spicy oak feel.

Angel's Envy - $39.99 a bottle. Also finished in Port pipes for 3-6 months. Smooth toffee, honey and spice, with fresh oak at the back.

Bulleitt - best bargain at $22.99 a bottle. Heavy rye whiskey, with cinnamon, toast and spice forward. Vanilla and caramel on the taste. Similar to Buffalo Trace and other ryes if you have one of them.

OK, that's it. Off to visit family for the week. Best wishes to everyone, have a great Thanksgiving with friends and family; travel safe.

 

"The Macallan 12 - $39.99 a bottle"

I wished Mac 12 was still at this price. I paid $55 this past Friday at the local Spec's.

My favorite, the Mac 18, is quickly approaching $200.

 

Total Wine and More is a great place with some very good prices; unfortunately, they are only in a few states. Prices for Macallan rise almost exponentially due to name recognition (they might be termed the Ferrari of Scotch...). $55 is a little high, but not the highest price. Lots of Scotch guys are starting to buy online where their state allows it nowadays as a way to not get gouged too deeply.

 

The Scotch bubble? - CNBC

 

There is a Macallan "Select Oak" that (to my knowledge) is only available through duty free on international flights. I avoided buying it for a long time because there is no information about aging or anything else on the label. I was also hesitant because I'm not a fan of their "Fine Oak" scotches, but I finally decided to pick up a bottle of the "Select Oak" on a flight. The Select Oak is close in price to the Macallan 12 (Sherry Oak), but I really like it a lot better than Macallan 12 (which is normally one of my favorites). The Select Oak costs a little more per bottle than the 12, but it is also a 1 liter versus 750ml. If you are flying internationally, it might be worth picking up a bottle of Select Oak to try out.

 

Peter, thanks will pick up a bottle on my next trip to China.

 

The Select Oak is a part of a five-bottle "1824 Series" Macallan only sells in duty-free shops for the traveller. It is comparable to the 12, and also represents their move away from age statements, something others like Ardbeg and Glenmorangie are doing. The Select Oak is smooth and suited for those who prefer a lighter whisky. It should run between $60-70 US & is a good buy at that price.

The other labels in the line (Whisky Maker's Edition, Estate Reserve, the 1824 Limited Release in Lalique, and the recently released Oscuro) have a pretty steep price point. Whisky Maker's is about $100; Estate Reserve is about $165, the 1824 Lalique is more than $2,000 and the Oscuro is reselling on retail anywhere from $700-1200. The prices sound ridiculous to some, but for the business traveler, it is either a great, hard-to-get gift, or a gift to oneself for closing a big deal, etc. If I could ignore the price, the Oscuro is a very interesting Scotch, so find a friend to buy one and give you a drink.