#Palo Cortado Finish

[thewhiskyphiles]

Crabbie 22 Years Old Orkney

Crabbie 22 Years Old Orkney Single Malt Single Cask #Review

Crabbie 22 Years Old Orkney Single Malt Single Cask 1. What they say A single cask 22-year-old single malt from John Crabbie & Co that was initially matured in ex-bourbon casks and finished in a hand-selected Palo Cortado cask for six months, before being bottled in November 2021. 2. Official tasting notes Aromas of raisins, dried fruit, vanilla fudge, wild brambles and peppery smoke fill the…

[maltrunners]

Caol Ila 11 Year (2009) James Eadie Palo Cortado Finish

Review by: The Muskox Indie-bottled Caol Ila is plentiful, inexpensive, and very rarely bad. Its only “flaw” is that many of the bottlings taste nearly the same, and standout whiskies that surpass “very good” are somewhat rare (I suppose this is a result of the distillery’s focus on whisky for blends). That’s why I jumped on the chance to try one of these James Eadie bottlings. I’ve heard…

[greatdrams]

Thoughtpiece on the influence of Sherry in the whisky industry

let’s begin

Sherry in the whisky industry is very important. Without it we wouldn't have the amount of great Sherry finished Whisky we do today.

As many of you will already know, Scotch has to be matured in a barrel, such as a sherry barrel. This must be for at least three years to legally be called Scotch. So we can already see the influence of Sherry in the Whisky industry. And with that amount of time together, the distiller must choose exactly the right barrel to mature his spirit.

First fill barrels are not often used for Whisky maturation. The compounds in the wood that effect flavour (tannins, vanillins and lignins) can be too high, but they are used for finishing from time to time to amp up the flavours.

To combat this, Scotch producers use barrels that have previously been used to mature other spirits. This also includes fortified wines, including Bourbon, Wine and Sherry.

We’re going to take a closer look at Sherry, whose casks have been in use for Scotch maturation to create Sherry finished Whisky, for around 200 years, and how this wine effects the final result in Whisky production.

What is Sherry?

Sherry is a fortified wine made mostly in the southern areas of Spain.  It is made from three different white grape species called Palomino, Pedro Ximenez and Moscatel.

The first of these is used to create a dry sherry while the other two are sweet grapes

As mentioned, Sherry is a fortified wine. This means that once it has been fermented for around a year, spirit is added with an ABV of somewhere between 15-18º.  The spirit added is usually Brandy.

The ABV of the spirit that is added depends on how light or dark the wine is, with Fino, or lighter Wines fortified with 15º and Oloroso, or darker Wines fortified with 17-18º.

During fermentation of a Sherry Wine, flors form on the surface of the liquid.  This is a film like layer that forms from naturally occurring yeast cells and protects the liquid from oxidisation.

However, when Oloroso wine is fortified, this layer is killed off due to the high levels of alcohol. This does not happen in Fino wines, as the ABV that is added here is too low.

This means the Oloroso wines now have contact with the air, which results in more interaction with the wood in the cask over many years, allowing a deep nutty and well wooded character to develop.

Fino Sherries are more yeasty in character but still have a wonderful nutty quality and a crisp dryness.

More Sherries

As well as Fino and Oloroso Sherries there are also Manzanilla, Amontillado, Palo Cortado and Pedro Ximenez.  There are a few more types of Sherry but these are the main ones and the most common Whisky casks.

Manzanilla is a type of Sherry that can only be produced in the coastal town of Sanlucar de Barrameda.

This is because the bodegas here create a “microclimatic” condition that is very humid and produces a special kind of flor.

This results in a very pale and dry Wine that is fresh in flavour with a salty tang.

Amontillado goes through a different ageing process to other Sherries. It is first aged under the flors and then allowed to oxidise in the air.

This gives it an amber hue, with a sweet nut aroma, filled with hazlenuts and pecans.  There is a slight orange citrus tang to Amontillados.

Palo Cortado is aged in a similar way but with an earlier change from being under flors to being allowed to oxidise.

It is kind of half way between an Amontillado and an Oloroso, with an aroma similar to Amontillados but a body that reflects an Oloroso.

It has a distinctly sweet and nutty flavour with a dry palate and a wonderful freshness to it.

Finally we have the Pedro Ximenez, called after the grapes that are used to make it.

This is an incredibly sweet wine, with lots of dried fruits and thick, dark molasses in it.

It is made from air-dried grapes and is only fermented for a short period of time before spirit is added.

It is a dark Sherry that is bursting with sweet fruits and caramels. Using Pedro Ximenez casks results in a heavily sherried Scotch.

the cask

These types of Sherry are most likely to be matured in American oak casks that have been seasoned in the Spanish sun for a year or so.

This reduces moisture in the wood, which is then toasted lightly over a fire pit. This allows the wood to impart a caramel flavour to the liquid, giving it a delicate sweetness.

What does this all mean for Whisky?

This means it is important to have Sherry in the Whisky industry. As most Whisky enthusiasts will know, the wood makes the Whisky, as this is where the liquid gets most of its flavour.

So wood that has already been used to mature Sherry will have gone through a flavour exchange already.

This means that the Sherry will have left some notes in the wood and vice versa.

And by the time the Whisky gets to it, the cask is full of different flavours.

Like each Whisky, each category of Sherry is vastly different.  It is worth looking out for which cask was used to mature any Whisky you purchase, so you can continue to build your knowledge of those expressions and the different flavours you might find there.

Distillers love sharing information about the casks they use, so knowing what kind of Sherry was matured in the cask before the Whisky can give you an idea of the flavours that it has taken on.

Having even a brief knowledge of Sherry tasting notes can give you a great jumping off point when discovering more about your favourite drams! This will start you on your journey of knowing all about Sherry in the Whisky industry.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below and let’s have a chat!

The post Thoughtpiece on the influence of Sherry in the whisky industry appeared first on GreatDrams.

from GreatDrams https://ift.tt/3bRuGNL Greg

[scotch]

Round 22

Happy Thanksgiving! We visited the motherland again! As usual, Scotland was a blast. October is an excellent time to visit, and we brought back lots of goodies from Bunnahabhain and Cadenhead’s! Let’s get this review out there before the pumpkins completely rot:

Date: 10/25

Bottles:

Bunnahabhain Palo Cortado

Bunnahabhain Fèis Ìle 2018 Spanish Oak

Bunnahabhain Moine Marsala Finish 13 yr

Cadenhead’s Tullabardine 25 yr

Cadenhead’s MacDuff 29 yr

Bunnahabhain Palo Cortado

Not to be confused with the Palo Cortado Bunnahabhain that fetches a price upwards of £1800, this Palo Cortado is a 2018 release for a much more reasonable £80.

Real nice and chewy, @cyle remarked it reminded him of spicy boot leather. Butterscotchy, nutty, oaky. An excellent bottle right in line with Bunnahabhain’s Spanish sherry line.

Definitley best enjoyed one glass at a time, between the hefty proof and the complex flavor.

Bunnahabhain Fèis Ìle 2018 - Spanish Oak

We were lucky to grab one of these limited run bottles. This is Bunna’s 2018 entry into the yearly whisky festival on Islay.

Definitely the star of the round. It needs a little touch of water to get going, but when it does, holy shit. Just a warm and glowing example of a Spanish sherry aged whisky. A radiator in a glass.

Cadenhead’s Tullabardine 25

Whenever I go to Cadenhead’s, I specifically ask for the most unusual bottle they got. We enjoy a good whisky, but we’re always willing to check out anything that, upon taking a sip, you’re left asking “wait, what the fuck?”

On the nose, your body say poison. Cleaning fluid. Not overwhelming, just a tad.

It tastes almost gin-like. Vaguely like blueberry LaCroix. If you add water, it suddenly transforms into blueberry whisky.

This is cask strength, and it evaporated down to 40.4% ABV. Usually whiskies like this, ones that get exposed to a lot of air via a leaky barrel, end up being the weirdos. Not everyones’ cup of tea, but it was fun to try.

Cadenhead’s MacDuff 29

This was the most expensive one on the board, clocking in at £169 (nice). An eastern Highlands distillery, this one’s a real classic style whisky.

Very citrusy. “The color orange” was noted by @cyle. A good one to accompany a thick steak. A bit of water opens it up a bit, and after aerating in the glass a bit, it’s a nice one. A log cabin. A sturdy boi.

Bunnahabhain Moine Marsala Finish 13 yr

We saved this peaty boy for last. Bunnahabhain doesn’t typically peat their whiskies. They’ve been putting out a peated bottle consistently the pasy few years, but most of their offerings contain very low or no peat.

This is your solid, dependable, campfire in a bottle. A peaty corkscrew that zigzags through sweet and smoke. The Marsala finish helps elevate this above what you’d typically expect from a peated whisky. Brendan remarked, “Like a pair of Timbs near a bonfire.”

Overall, a wonderful round. Scotland treated us well, and the folks at Bunnahabhain were kind enough to squeeze our massive group in for an off-schedule Ultimate tasting. We left with smiles and a few liters each for our club, and our personal collections. The Ultimate tour is well worth it, because you end up drinking more than your ticket’s worth. You’ll also learn a ton about whisky in the company of one of their knowledgable guides such as David.

Whether you shell out for the Ultimate or go for one of the other tours, Bunnahabhain is worth the visit alone just to get an idea of what heaven looks like.

Cheers!

[whiskyblog]

Royal Brackla Whisky 18 y.o.

Region : Highlands

46 % alc./vol.

0,7l

nicht kühlgefiltert

Fassart : Amerikanische Eichenfässer, Finish in Palo Cortado Sherry Casks

Nase : Komplex, mit Vanillenoten, Zimt und pürierten Bananen und Gewürzen

Geschmack : Würzig und vollmundig - weiches Karamell vereint sich mit reifen Aprikosen, milden Sherrynoten und Eichenholz

Finish : Langanhaltend, mit einem Hauch von Zitrus und Holznoten

[maltmemorandum]

Craigellachie 1999 17 year old Exceptional Cask Series Batch CR1999 Palo Cortado Cask finish.

Pala Cortado sherry cask finish Craigellachie. Tingling nuance then sour sweet plum, fresh woodiness, gooey honey and malty at the bottom with hint of smoke aroma. Sour red fruits fragrance. With smooth mouthfeel, heavy sherry sweet and red fruits, touch of gun powder, roast malty flavor with spices. Spicy finish then gooey sherry and burnt malty, acridity remains.

[perfectirishgifts]

10 Boozy And Zero-Proof Holiday Cocktails To Brighten Up Your Festivities

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/10-boozy-and-zero-proof-holiday-cocktails-to-brighten-up-your-festivities/

10 Boozy And Zero-Proof Holiday Cocktails To Brighten Up Your Festivities

This tasty cocktail, created by Caitlin Jackson for Kooper Family, may be served chilled or hot.

The holidays are here, and as we know, this year they will look and feel very different for many of us. Instead of focusing on what we don’t have, I have chosen to focus on what we do have. And in my quest for making the season as festive as possible, I offer these cocktail recipes to hopefully help you do the same.

Heavyweight Champ

Based in Fayette County, Texas, and co-owned by Troy and Michelle Kooper, Kooper Family Whiskey is the only traditional blending house in the U.S. and one of only a few in the world. The Koopers intentionally decided to forgo distilling their own whiskey so they could focus instead on the art of aging and blending. This tasty cocktail was created by Caitlyn Jackson, Chief of Bar Operations at Geraldine’s in Austin, Texas.

2 oz. Kooper Family Rye

.5 oz. St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur

.75 oz. gingerbread syrup (recipe below)

1 dash Bar Keep Apple Bitters

Garnish: toasted cinnamon stick.

To serve cold: Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin and shake to dilute. Fine strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass and garnish.

To serve hot: Combine all ingredients into a warmed Toddy glass or mug. Add 4oz hot water and garnish.

Gingerbread syrup

¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup water

3 tbsp. molasses

1 tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients into a pot and heat until dissolved. Keep refrigerated for up to 7 days.

This simple cocktail highlights the flavor of ultra premium Goslings Family Reserve Old Rum.

Gingerbread Old Rum Old Fashioned

Aged up to 19 years for a smooth and elegant taste, Goslings Family Reserve Old Rum is ideal for sipping, much like a scotch or cognac. This recipe comes courtesy of Goslings Rum and Cocktail Courier.

2 oz. Goslings Family Reserve Old Rum

0.5 oz. gingerbread syrup

2 Dashes aromatic bitters

Garnish: orange slice or peel, cinnamon stick

Chill an Old Fashioned glass in fridge. Add rum, gingerbread syrup, and bitters to mixing glass. Add ice and stir. Pour over ice into chilled glass, garnish with orange slice or peel and cinnamon stick.

Give your holidays a tropical twist with this Puertorrican family classic.

Coquito

Puerto Rico lays claim to the longest holiday season in the world, which lasts around 45 days. This traditional treat, a Puerto Rican version of eggnog, is a staple for the season and best indulged on National Coquito Day on December 21. Each family has their own secret recipe, passed down from generation to generation. This recipe is courtesy of Discover Puerto Rico.   

Makes 7-8 servings

2 cans real coconut cream   

2 cans evaporated milk   

1 can condensed milk   

2 oz. vanilla extract   

1 tbsp. cinnamon   

16 oz. Puerto Rican gold rum   

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Chill for a few hours and serve cold, no ice. Sprinkle the surface with cinnamon and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

This unique cocktail uses a Haitian inspired cream liqueur and spicy Thai chile for a holiday … [] warmup.

Spicy LS Coco 

LS Cream was created by two Haitian Canadians who, with the help of their families, developed the recipe taking inspiration from traditional Cremas, a creamy rum-infused cocktail with hints of cinnamon. In Haiti specifically, Cremas is a staple in homes during family and holiday gatherings.

2 oz LS Cream Liqueur

1 oz. mango flavored rum

¼ oz. coconut flavored rum

1 oz. milk

Garnish: crushed Thai chile and grated coconut

Add first four ingredients into a shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into an Old Fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Top with grated coconut and some ground chile. Garnish with a red Thai chile pepper if desired.

This festive cocktail can be made as a single serving or as a punch in a bowl.

Holiday Cheer

While Cognac isn’t always featured on a holiday cocktail menu, its flavor profile pairs well with warming spices such as ginger and cinnamon. This cocktail can be made as a single serving or as a batch (quantities in parenthesis.)

2 oz. (1 750ml bottle) D’USSE Cognac

3 oz. (32 oz.) cloudy apple cider

1 oz. (12 oz.) pomegranate juice

¼ oz. (12 oz.) cinnamon syrup

Garnish: orange wheel and cinnamon stick

Individual serving: Add all ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake until cold. Strain into an ice filled rocks glass.

Punch serving: Add all ingredients into a punch bowl. Add Ice. Stir until well mixed. Add orange wheels and cinnamon sticks, and ladle into rocks glasses.

A classic rum punch is always welcome at any holiday gathering. It’s easy to make and can be … [] batched.

Rum Punch 

This cocktail comes from Mount Gay Moments x Cocktail Courier Collection, a holiday partnership hat features limited-edition cocktail kits designed to create memorable experiences or serve as the prefect holiday gift. 

6 oz. Mount Gay Eclipse Rum 

4 oz. simple syrup 

2 oz. lime juice 

12. oz water 

4 dashes of aromatic bitters 

Garnish: ground nutmeg, lime wedge 

Choose a serving vessel for your punch such as a classic punch bowl, pitcher, or a drink dispenser. Measure and add all ingredients to punch bowl and whisk briskly to combine, aerating the cocktail as if shaking. Add ice to punch bowl, stir the cocktail to incorporate all ingredients and chill. Serve in a tall glass with a pinch of nutmeg and lime wedge. 

Th festive cocktails comes courtesy of Cointreau’s holiday partnership with The Home Edit.

Clea’s Color Coded Cosmo

This cocktail was created by Cointreau’s holiday partnership with The Home Edit, which also provides a holiday hosting guide curated guide with helpful tips and tricks.

0.75 oz. Cointreau 

2 oz. vodka

0.5 oz. chai hibiscus syrup

2 oz. sparkling rosé 

Add all ingredients to a shaker except for rose. Add ice, shake and strain. Finish with bubbles.

Chai hibiscus syrup: 1:1 sugar to water, bring to boil. Turn off, let chai and hibiscus steep for 5 minutes, and strain when cool.

Sherry has incredible versatility to add to cocktails, with its wide variety of styles and flavors.

Sweater Weather

Sherry may seem like an unlikely cocktail ingredient, but it’s history as an integral bottle behind the bar goes back to the 19th century, with several classic sherry cocktails making their way into the original How to Mix Drinks, first released in 1862. Alvaro Domecq’s Palo Cortado is a complex and delicious style of sherry with the body of an oloroso and the nose of an amontillado. Nutty and rich with rasiny notes, this is a unique wine with incredible layers of flavor. 

 .5 oz. lemon juice

1 oz. Palo Cortado Sherry

.25 oz. cinnamon syrup

1.5 oz. apple cider

1.5 oz. Bourbon

Shake ingredients over ice and serve in an Old Fashioned glass.

aa

Lyre’s Festive Mimosa 

Lyre’s award-winning non-alcoholic spirits use a proprietary mix of fruits, spices, and botanicals to recreate flavors of popular spirits. While the zero-proof spirit category continues growing, Lyre’s are still some of the best in the market.

1 oz. Lyre’s Apéritif Rosso

1 oz. Dry London Spirit

1.5 oz. orange juice

1 tsp premium vanilla syrup

2 oz. alcohol-free sparkling wine

Add all ingredients to a large glass. Stir, fill with fresh ice. Garnish with an orange slice, lemon wheel, and mint sprig.

Aplós is a non-alcoholic spirit infused with organically grown broad-spectrum hemp.

The Conversation Starter

Recently launched, Aplós is a non-alcoholic spirit infused with sustainable, organically grown broad-spectrum hemp, developed in collaboration with James Beard Honoree and Master Mixologist Lynnette Marrero. It has a pronounced herbal taste and bitter finish that subdues with the addition of honey syrup.

1¾ oz. Aplós

1 oz. hibiscus tea, steeped

½ oz. lime juice

½ oz. honey syrup 1:1 honey to water 

Add ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a coupe glass. Accompany with friends and lively chat.

More from Dining in Perfectirishgifts

[greatdrams]

Different Types of Casks Available for Whisky Producers

As all avid Whisky drinkers will know, the casks is one of, if not the, most important aspect of Whisky maturation.

In Scotland, casks must be made from Oak wood, which is strong yet porous, allowing the liquid to seep into the wood while not weakening it.  American oak is favoured as it is stronger, but European wood is also very popular.

In Japan, it is not uncommon for Whiskies to be finished in Japanese oak casks, which give the Whisky a floral aroma, but are not often used as they can be quite weak.

The cask is where the liquid gets around 70% of its flavour and a lot of its colour.  And for Whiskies that are uncoloured, all of its colour is gained from the cask since new make spirit is clear.

The size of the cask is very important, as the smaller the cask the quicker the maturation and the more interaction that goes on between the liquid and the wood.

But this does not necessarily mean that a smaller casks is more desirable.  Larger casks mean that the liquid can spend a lot of time soaking up the flavours, which in turn makes it smoother.

There are no real regulations for cask sizes, but the vary from a 50 litre Bloodtub up to around a 650 litre Madeira Drum.  Some of the most common casks used are a Standard Hogshead at 238 litres, a Butt at 500 litres, a Quarter Cask at 125 litres and a Bourbon Barrel at 200 litres.

These casks will more often than not, have held a previous liquid.

These are most usually Bourbon or Sherry casks, since these have a flavour profile that fits well with most Whiskies.

The sharing of flavours goes both ways, with the wood influencing the liquid and vice versa.  The flavours left behind by the liquids will therefore influence the end product of the Whisky.

Sherries tend to leave spicy and fruity notes, but there are several different types of sherry, including Oloroso, Amontillado, Fino, Pedro Ximenez, Manzanilla and Palo Cortado.

Each of these has a different flavour profile and will effect the whisky differently.  They also vary in colour, which will make the Whisky vary in colour.

Bourbon on the other hand has a distinctly sweeter and more vanilla flavour to it and gives the Whisky a golden colour.

Other liquids previously held in Whisky casks include Port and Madeira Wine.  Some distillers will also use Rum and Marsala Winecasks, but Bourbon and Sherry are the most common.

As well as having held different spirits before, casks are also charred to a certain depth.  This is controlled by the amount of time you burn the surface for.

The lowest level of char is called toasting, and this is when the cask is lightly blackened, with a smooth surface.

There are four levels of char altogether, with the last being known as alligator char, on account of the wood’s cracked appearance, mimicking the skin of an alligator.  The lengths of time increase from 15, 30, 35 and finally 55 seconds.

The burning of the wood encourages interaction between the Whisky and various elements in the wood known as tannins.

The deeper the crack, the larger the surface area over which the Whisky has to interact with tannins, which give it a sweet, vanilla flavour.  It just so happens, that most Bourbon barrels have the highest level of char, giving them lots of sweet and smoky flavours.

Once a cask has gone through the maturation process it can be reused again.  Bourbon is always matured in brand new casks, but for Scotch and other Whiskies, the casks could be used over several times.

The concentration of the flavours decreases with every refill, so each time the Whisky will come out with a different variation of flavour.

  The post Different Types of Casks Available for Whisky Producers appeared first on GreatDrams.

from GreatDrams http://bit.ly/2VXKGWR Greg

[thewhiskyadvisor]

Bunnahabhain (pronounced Boo-na-ha-vin) was established in the year 1883. This distillery is perhaps my favorite looking distillery on Islay. People generally balk when I say this, but there is something gritty and magical about the weather beaten Vistorian style distillery. I even drove down there one of the days after the distillery had closed just to experience the sunset on the pier. I believe there are modifications and upgrades being done and hope this doesn't take away the old world charm of the place. Bunnahabhain is a bit of an anomaly on Islay since it produces mainly unpeated whisky. They however did make peated whisky right up to the 1960s. They have recently started producing more peated releases however under the Mòine (means 'peated' in Scots Gaelic). Until the late 1970s it produced whiskies meant only for blends. A couple of popular blends Bunnahabhain goes into are Black Bottle (peated) and Cutty Sark (unpeated). This is probably why the single malts are less known around the world. I visited the distillery for the famed Warehouse No.9 Tasting. It was absolutely freezing in the distillery and along with a boisterous group of Scots who seemed to have been to far more distilleries than I had been to that day, it turned out to be a barrel of laughs (get it?)! We got to try 5 whiskies and the unpeated and Mòine new makes at 63.5% ABV. For the whisky geeks out there, the whiskies were 9.5 Years Old casked in bourbon barrels and finished in Moscat Gonzalez byass px 14 years old (This was probably a second fill cask as there was hardly any colour) Feis Ile 2018 Release - 11 Years in Oloroso and 4 Years in LA Panta Gran Reserva Brandy Cask 14 Year Old Moine 14 year old - 9.5 Years in Bourbon and rest in PX. 35ppm at malting and 12ppm approx at bottling Distillery Exclusive finished in Palo Cortado casks This again was an exhibition on the diversity of whiskies made at the distillery, with all the whiskies being stunners in their own ways. @bunnahabhain @isleofislay #worldwhiskytours #thewhiskyadvisor #singlemalt #whisky #travel #islay (at Bunnahabhain Distillery) https://www.instagram.com/p/ByNa3EmnBUL/?igshid=ydneeq180bov

[thewhiskyphiles]

New Releases - 29th September 2019

Whisky New Releases - 29th September 2019 #whisky #singlemalt #scotch #whiskey #newreleases

New Releases 29th September 2019

  ANNANDALE 2015 MAN O’ WORDS Sherry Cask £145

ARDBEG TWENTY SOMETHING 22 Year Old Embassy Release £600

ARRAN BARREL RESERVE £32.25

ARRAN QUARTER CASK £48.95

BALVENIE TUN 1509  Batch 6 £275

BEN NEVIS 23 YEAR OLD Batch 10 That Boutique-Y Whisky Co £169

Beverbach Limited Release 2018 Single Malt £85.90

BRORA 1978 40 Year Old 200th Anniversary £4,500

CARDRONA JUST…

[whiskyblogger]

Deanston 1997 Sample / Palo Cortado Finish Highland Whisky

Deanston 1997 Sample / Palo Cortado Finish Highland Whisky

3cl / 51.8% / The Perfect Measure – A Perfect Measure sample bottle of Highland single malt, initially matured in ex-bourbon casks, this 1997 Deanston single malt has been finished in Palo Cortado hogsheads. Fruity, sweet aromas of toffee apples, honey-glazed pastry, milk chocolate, rhubarb crumble, red berries and buttery croissants fill the nose. The palate offers notes of autumn berries, Black…

[winenoodle]

F. E. Trimbach, Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 1994

F. E. Trimbach, Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 1994

Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, New York NY.

Twenty five years on.

Gold.  There’s old folk song playing on the radio, it sounds thin, scratchy and haunted and this wine is like that.  Grilled almonds and palo cortado, brackish waters and dried fruit. The finish slips its bounds, an unlikely floating.  Now.

[sommeliercourses]

We Now Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Features To Kick Your Ass

Lately, I’ve been reserving this virtual space for featuring producers I have recently (ok, ok, more like not-so-recently) visited in-person, with my feet in tasting rooms, cellars, vineyards, dilapidated vineyard trucks, etc.

Today, however, I’m taking a short break from that feature run to turn your attention towards three items from the ever-expanding sample pool, all of which are exemplary examples of exquisite vinous fare, and all of which are perfectly capable of pulverizing your wine-guzzling ass in the best ways possible. Be forewarned, shiz is about to get very expensive.

2013 Herdade do Mouchão Tinto (Alentejo, $40)

One could make a very serious argument that this red is the finest produced in all of Alentejo, and maybe the world’s finest expression of the sometimes-maligned and almost-always-misunderstood Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira grape varieties. I was converted to the chrch of Mouchão a couple of years ago, and happily have never looked back. Texture, tension, bramble, herbs, berries, graphite, and barely-tamed wildness are the names of the game (ok, that’s a long name but whatever). In terms of aging, this is a red that can easily go a decade without breaking a sweat…

2013 Tamarack Cellars 20th Anniversary “Emerald Release” Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, $100)

How ironic… from a producer whose wines I sometimes have found to be a tad paunchy when it comes to their prices comes a guilty pleasure of a red that I cannot help but love and find well-worth the price-tag despite it being their most expensive offering. This release, celebrating Tamarack’s emerald anniversary, is a blend of fruit from all of the vineyards that go into their various reserve wines (Seven Hills Vineyard Reserve, Sagemoor Vineyards Reserve, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Reserve, and Tapteil Reserve), blended after 24 months (it also contains 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot). You’d better like them big, rich, and full of savory meat, cedar, leather, and ripe cassis and blueberry. But if you do, you will find a steakhouse dinner match that is nigh impossible to beat. Extra props for the elegant etched label design.

NV Osborne ‘Sibarita’ 30 Year Old V.O.R.S Oloroso Sherry (Andalucia, $99)

Osborne’s pickup of this, as well as the almost equally as kick-ass “Capuchino” Palo Cortado VORS Sherry, has been a coup for diehard Sherry lovers. This is the type of Oloroso that you can sniff and contemplate for hours before realizing that you have yet to even take a sip. The notes of toasted almonds, pecan, dried fig, and caramel are pure enough that if your eyes were closed you’d be forgiven for thinking that someone had just brought you a plate of some kind of amazing dessert. In terms of it being hedonistic in its generosity… well, its name translates to sybarite, after all. I might still be tasting the finish from this after a few days; or, perhaps, I’m just wishing the reliving of that experience back into existence.

Cheers!

Grab The 1WineDude.com Tasting Guide and start getting more out of every glass of wine today!

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Copyright © 2016. Originally at We Now Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Features To Kick Your Ass from 1WineDude.com – for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers! Source: http://www.1winedude.com/we-now-interrupt-our-regularly-scheduled-features-to-kick-your-ass/

from Linda Johnson https://meself84.wordpress.com/2019/04/11/we-now-interrupt-our-regularly-scheduled-features-to-kick-your-ass/

[canvasclothiers]

We Now Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Features To Kick Your Ass

Lately, I’ve been reserving this virtual space for featuring producers I have recently (ok, ok, more like not-so-recently) visited in-person, with my feet in tasting rooms, cellars, vineyards, dilapidated vineyard trucks, etc.

Today, however, I’m taking a short break from that feature run to turn your attention towards three items from the ever-expanding sample pool, all of which are exemplary examples of exquisite vinous fare, and all of which are perfectly capable of pulverizing your wine-guzzling ass in the best ways possible. Be forewarned, shiz is about to get very expensive.

2013 Herdade do Mouchão Tinto (Alentejo, $40)

One could make a very serious argument that this red is the finest produced in all of Alentejo, and maybe the world’s finest expression of the sometimes-maligned and almost-always-misunderstood Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira grape varieties. I was converted to the chrch of Mouchão a couple of years ago, and happily have never looked back. Texture, tension, bramble, herbs, berries, graphite, and barely-tamed wildness are the names of the game (ok, that’s a long name but whatever). In terms of aging, this is a red that can easily go a decade without breaking a sweat…

2013 Tamarack Cellars 20th Anniversary “Emerald Release” Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, $100)

How ironic… from a producer whose wines I sometimes have found to be a tad paunchy when it comes to their prices comes a guilty pleasure of a red that I cannot help but love and find well-worth the price-tag despite it being their most expensive offering. This release, celebrating Tamarack’s emerald anniversary, is a blend of fruit from all of the vineyards that go into their various reserve wines (Seven Hills Vineyard Reserve, Sagemoor Vineyards Reserve, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Reserve, and Tapteil Reserve), blended after 24 months (it also contains 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot). You’d better like them big, rich, and full of savory meat, cedar, leather, and ripe cassis and blueberry. But if you do, you will find a steakhouse dinner match that is nigh impossible to beat. Extra props for the elegant etched label design.

    NV Osborne ‘Sibarita’ 30 Year Old V.O.R.S Oloroso Sherry (Andalucia, $99)

Osborne’s pickup of this, as well as the almost equally as kick-ass “Capuchino” Palo Cortado VORS Sherry, has been a coup for diehard Sherry lovers. This is the type of Oloroso that you can sniff and contemplate for hours before realizing that you have yet to even take a sip. The notes of toasted almonds, pecan, dried fig, and caramel are pure enough that if your eyes were closed you’d be forgiven for thinking that someone had just brought you a plate of some kind of amazing dessert. In terms of it being hedonistic in its generosity… well, its name translates to sybarite, after all. I might still be tasting the finish from this after a few days; or, perhaps, I’m just wishing the reliving of that experience back into existence.

Cheers!

Grab The 1WineDude.com Tasting Guide and start getting more out of every glass of wine today!

Shop Wine Products at Amazon.com

Copyright © 2016. Originally at We Now Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Features To Kick Your Ass from 1WineDude.com – for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers!

Source: http://www.1winedude.com/we-now-interrupt-our-regularly-scheduled-features-to-kick-your-ass/

[static-pouring]

We Now Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Features To Kick Your Ass

Lately, I’ve been reserving this virtual space for featuring producers I have recently (ok, ok, more like not-so-recently) visited in-person, with my feet in tasting rooms, cellars, vineyards, dilapidated vineyard trucks, etc.

Today, however, I’m taking a short break from that feature run to turn your attention towards three items from the ever-expanding sample pool, all of which are exemplary examples of exquisite vinous fare, and all of which are perfectly capable of pulverizing your wine-guzzling ass in the best ways possible. Be forewarned, shiz is about to get very expensive.

2013 Herdade do Mouchão Tinto (Alentejo, $40)

One could make a very serious argument that this red is the finest produced in all of Alentejo, and maybe the world’s finest expression of the sometimes-maligned and almost-always-misunderstood Alicante Bouschet and Trincadeira grape varieties. I was converted to the chrch of Mouchão a couple of years ago, and happily have never looked back. Texture, tension, bramble, herbs, berries, graphite, and barely-tamed wildness are the names of the game (ok, that’s a long name but whatever). In terms of aging, this is a red that can easily go a decade without breaking a sweat…

2013 Tamarack Cellars 20th Anniversary “Emerald Release” Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, $100)

How ironic… from a producer whose wines I sometimes have found to be a tad paunchy when it comes to their prices comes a guilty pleasure of a red that I cannot help but love and find well-worth the price-tag despite it being their most expensive offering. This release, celebrating Tamarack’s emerald anniversary, is a blend of fruit from all of the vineyards that go into their various reserve wines (Seven Hills Vineyard Reserve, Sagemoor Vineyards Reserve, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Reserve, and Tapteil Reserve), blended after 24 months (it also contains 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Petit Verdot). You’d better like them big, rich, and full of savory meat, cedar, leather, and ripe cassis and blueberry. But if you do, you will find a steakhouse dinner match that is nigh impossible to beat. Extra props for the elegant etched label design.

NV Osborne ‘Sibarita’ 30 Year Old V.O.R.S Oloroso Sherry (Andalucia, $99)

Osborne’s pickup of this, as well as the almost equally as kick-ass “Capuchino” Palo Cortado VORS Sherry, has been a coup for diehard Sherry lovers. This is the type of Oloroso that you can sniff and contemplate for hours before realizing that you have yet to even take a sip. The notes of toasted almonds, pecan, dried fig, and caramel are pure enough that if your eyes were closed you’d be forgiven for thinking that someone had just brought you a plate of some kind of amazing dessert. In terms of it being hedonistic in its generosity… well, its name translates to sybarite, after all. I might still be tasting the finish from this after a few days; or, perhaps, I’m just wishing the reliving of that experience back into existence.

Cheers!

Grab The 1WineDude.com Tasting Guide and start getting more out of every glass of wine today!

Shop Wine Products at Amazon.com

Copyright © 2016. Originally at We Now Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Features To Kick Your Ass from 1WineDude.com - for personal, non-commercial use only. Cheers! Source: http://www.1winedude.com/we-now-interrupt-our-regularly-scheduled-features-to-kick-your-ass/

[greatdrams]

Dewar’s Double Double Series is a new range of blended whiskies that have been aged 4-times for ultimate smoothness.

Exciting times ahoy for whisky nerds around the world as Dewar’s has developed a unit four-stage ageing process to create, what they describe, as “ultimate smoothness” in their whisky.

In their words:

“This unique ‘double double’ 4-stage ageing process allows the Single Grain and Single Malt in the whisky blend to fuse multiple times in their individual oak casks before being aged together. They are then meticulously processed in a selection of sherry casks for the perfect finish”

Here’s a handy video that explains how this four-stage ageing process works:

So what is the Dewar’s Double Double Series all about then?

Brilliantly, the range – which is non-chill filtered and all been bottled at their respective natural colours – is comprised of some seriously well-aged whiskies, starting at 21 Year Old before graduating to a 27 Year Old with the Dewar’s Double Double Series 32 Year Old.

Each in the series has been finished in a different type of sherry cask;

The Dewar’s Double Double Series 21 Year Old has been finished in Oloroso sherry casks, the Dewar’s Double Double Series 27 Year Old has been finished in Palo Cortado sherry casks, and the Dewar’s Double Double Series 32 Year Old has been finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.

Dewar’s Double Double Series Unique Four-Stage Ageing Process

My tasting notes for the Dewar’s Double Double Series

Dewar’s Double Double Series 21 Year Old Finish: Oloroso sherry casks

I’m always a fan of an Oloroso matured and / or finished whisky, these casks typically do wonders for the spirit and, if well balanced, can create something truly memorable, and this does not disappoint, not one bit.

Nose

When sitting with this dram, I was picking up a smooth spicy note with a nice amount of Oloroso sherry influence, an element of sweetness along with Muscovado sugar.

Palate

Definitely a nice smooth spicy note present that develops in the mouth over a couple of minutes as a fruity note softens and brings balance to the whisky. There’s a pronounced peach note, a waxy mouthfeel and a now-beautiful warming spice. Ooomph.

Dewar’s Double Double Series 27 Year Old Finish: Palo Cortado sherry casks

Palo Cortado can be a weird mofo, you don’t see it often and when you do it always raises both eyebrows and smiles. I’ve only tried a handful of Palo Cortado matured / finished whiskies, this one was pleasantly smooth, fruity… but still a tad weird!

Nose

On the nose, I was immediately getting the dusty smell of old libraries, maybe a soapy note there too, stone fruit beautifully brings character along with an unexpected toffee and vanilla note. There is a muted smoke note there too which is superbly pleasant.

Palate

For me this one was fruity, smoky, lemony and totally unexpected… not like any whisky I’ve ever tried I don’t think. Still really easy drinking, and I definitely enjoyed it, just a different animal. It grows on you too, so may seem a little odd at first, very briefly, then that citrus note sings superbly, as does a subtle honey note too and a note of those white and pink marshmallows I remember enjoying (too many of) as a kid.

Dewar’s Double Double Series 32 Year Old Finish: Pedro Ximenez sherry casks

Nose

This is easy; its beautiful. Fcuking hell that’s an indulgent, immersive nose you just want to spend a hell of a lot of time with.

Palate

The palate was very PX, proper 80s style Speyside smoke and character present too, a lovely smooth sweetness, a lovely spice notes too and so many layers. A great finish just rounds it out. This is a near-perfect whisky, one I am hoping to spend a lot more time with before it sells out, without doubt my favourite of the three.

In summary

All in all a wonderful range, the four-stage ageing process has definitely delivered three wonderfully smooth whiskies, that’s without doubt. Each different, each with its own character, and each packed with flavour that compliments one another whilst setting out its own personality too. Seriously good stuff.

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Transparency: I attended the launch of the range, and the bottles were sent to me for review and photography, but, as always, my views, opinions and commentary remains 100% my own. 

The Dewar’s Double Double Blended Scotch Whisky Range Review Dewar’s Double Double Series is a new range of blended whiskies that have been aged 4-times for ultimate smoothness.