Russell B. Farr

Took the opportunity last night to have a few quiet drams with the G man.

Bade adieu to my bottle of Longrow Gaja Barolo. Five and a half years in refill bourbon casks, then another year and a half in fresh gaja barolo barrels, maybe a year sitting in Cadenheads in Edinburgh, a couple of weeks in the postal system, a couple more weeks while Oz customs taxed it to hell, then 4 years being slowly consumed in comfort. What impressed me first, and what had me figuratively running the length of the Royal Mile to get a bottle, was how chocolatty it tasted. Not the sweet over confectioned chocolate, but fresh, maybe 50% cocoa, dark but not too dark, with maybe some demerera in the mix. Suffice to say it was pretty darn nice from go to whoa.

The current treatment for chronic hepatitis C is a valuable component suggested get viagra from india for preventing inflammation of joints. Kamagra oral jelly is one of the primary causes viagra in usa for the occurrence of sexual weakness and improve overall health to enjoy intimate moments with your hot female in bed. Sildenafil citrate increases the blood circulation in the reproductive organs commander viagra look at here causing erectile dysfunction. Keep supporting the sound once it is inserted so that it doesn’t fall levitra india over. G challenged me to find a whisky to pair with a bottle of Chimay Grande Reserve he just happened to have with him. Part of me was thinking go for peaty and sweet against the fruity esters of the ale, but G’s not a big peat man, so narrowed it to the LGB or a Hazelburn Sauternes finish. Went with the LGB and I think it’s a good pairing, each complementing the other without it being an argument for the dominant taste.

Also cracked open the Scotch Malt Whisky Society 25.64, which is a 22-year-old from the sadly no longer distillery of Rosebank. I’d only previously tried the Rosebank 10yo, a lovely light dram full of fruit and flowers. The 25.64 brought some of that to the party, but was a very different drink. Sweet on the nose, not so floral but a hint of aniseed, like liquorice allsorts, and good body though a little short on the finish. I wanted it to linger in my mouth but was gone way too soon. A very subtle dram, I recall describing it as being like 10 different flavours all contributing 10% rather than a couple of dominant ones. G wasn’t so convinced, he likes his bold and sweet Speysiders and this lowland dram wasn’t finding the right notes on his palate. Interestingly, though it’s a weighty cask strength 59%, it really couldn’t take too much water, much more than a splash and the elusive flavours became ninjas. I liked it, but will re-taste before coming to a firm conclusion — it was afterall swimming against all the Campbelltown drams, Belgium ales, and cheap pizza.

Just for fits and giggles, a whisky post/lesson in futility. A top 10 list of distilleries, annotated.

1. Laphroaig
2. Ardbeg
3. The Macallan
4. Port Ellen
5. Glenfiddich
6. Highland Park
7. Rosebank
8. Springbank-Longrow-Hazelburn
9. Lagavulin
10. Caol Ila

1. Laphroaig

It’s fair to say that I love almost everything they do, for one reason or another. I have something like 10 different expressions in the cupboard. They do make the occasionally silly decision — replacing the 15 yo with the 18 yo was not to my palate at all, and why don’t they sell the cask strength through their online shop at the moment? Overall sublime, from the 30 yo to the Quarter Cask (just don’t mention the 18 yo).

2. Ardbeg

Again, everything they do is sublime. Wonderful, powerful whiskies. Only problem is that when they excel, it’s with either wonderfully expensive whiskies that are hard to find, or wonderfully expensive whiskies that are really hard to find (Lord of the Isles, anyone?). I’ve never had a bad dram yet from these good folks.

3. The Macallan

Points for having a solid base-grade 10 yo that hits the spot and can be found in many places. Never had a bum dram from these folks, only issue would be that I’ve not had a larger sample size to base this opinion on.

4. Port Ellen

Would be No. 1 if they still operated. Sublime. Sublime. Sublime. There are two problems with this distillery. The first is that they stopped producing in the early 1980s. The second is that as they no longer produce, their whisky is getting expensive. Always worth it.

5. Glenfiddich

Rollercoaster. I wouldn’t clean with the base malt, it’s a horrid wretched thing that serves no purpose other than to identify folks with less discerning palates. Then comes the 15 yo, a wonderful dram that is sweet, fruity and delicious. Default choice if I’m looking for a quick duty free dram. I’m not sold on the 18 yo, it doesn’t hold a lot for me. The 21 yo Gran Reserva, yes please! Mighty fine.

6. Highland Park

I don’t believe there’s a better 10 year old out there for all-round drinking. The supreme all-rounder, and for $60-70, there is no other contender. Every other aged dram I’ve had is great, just harder to find and a lot more expensive. The 10 yo is just too good, making me loathe to go older.
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7. Rosebank

Another good one gone. I’ve only had one of their whiskies, and it was mighty fine, light, floral, something I mentally savour now the bottle is long gone.

8. Springbank-Longrom-Hazelburn

All good stuff from these guys. Some wonderful wood varieties that take the whisky to new and fine places. I’ve never had a dud dram, but for reasons I can’t explain they’re not top 5. A feeling that all of their stuff is consistently 9/10, never 8/10 but never 10/10 either. Bonus points as these guys do it all, from malting to bottling.

9. Lagavulin

Kind of a one trick pony, but that one trick is just amazing, the full on punch in the face ocean and iodine and seaweed and oil and peat better than anyone else. Drink the 16 yo, and only the 16 yo.

10. Caol Ila

Wanted to sneak these guys in because I know how to pronounce them — “kull eela” I’m told. Lighter than their southern Islay cousins, these folks produce solid, possibly underappreciated drams full of the fresh sea. Totally worth it.

—

There you go, another pointless exercise in list-making subjectivity and futility. There are a bunch of distilleries I thought about and excluded because of various reasons:

1. Those with big, varied ranges that I’m not up to speed on (I’m mostly looking at you, Bruichladdich, but Glenmorangie also gets a nod).

2. Those with one fine whisky that stands head and shoulders over the rest of the range (this one’s for you Bowmore, love the Darkest, hate the 10 yo and the Legend to pieces, nods to Dalmore and Jura).

3. Those I haven’t had recently enough (Glengoyne, Glenfarclas, Cragganmore, Bunnahabhain).

4. Those I’ve sampled two or less good but not totally sublime drams (too many to name, includes Glenkinchie, Blair Athol ).

5. Talisker — a one trick pony like Lagavulin, full on flavours of the sea, just pipped at the post but try the 18 yo and 25 yo if you can.

6. Distilleries delivering a fairly generic Speyside flavour (a little nutty, a little malty, a solid 7/10 nothing special but nothing regrettable drinking experience; Glenlivet sits here until I better explore their range; kind of the benchmark for a good dram).

7. Distilleries outside of Scotland (another post for another year when I feel in a better position to judge).

Slainte!