Auchentoshan 18 year Single Malt

Ingrained in the human spirit is the desire to take home a souvenir from their travels. Or maybe it was successful marketing born 100 years ago, or perhaps the social acceptance of thievery. Who knows. But I knew that when I returned from Paris I wanted to bring home something special. Something I couldn't buy at home. One of those things was a bottle of Auchentoshan 18 year old scotch.

I bought this European standard size 700 ml bottle at La Maison du Whisky for the equivalent of $108 Cdn.

When I finally got around to opening it, I tried not to get excited. This was my first 18 year old scotch. So what happened? I was a little disappointed.

I sniffed for a VERY long time, unable to discern anything in particular. After a while my nose stopped working. I took a break, and when I went back to the glass I continued to have this problem. It was too tight. I couldn't detect anything. So I let it sit, open, for a day.

Back again there was a noticeable difference (and with half the bottle gone, I noticed an even bigger difference). A hint of vanilla. Sweet. Fruity. But very faint. Nothing very strong, all coming together beautifully.

The taste is immediately sweet and salty. I find the flavours extremely similar to the Auchentoshan 12 year old, only each flavour is a bit more vivid and waaaay more silky. Grass, nutty honey, ginger, the tiniest bit of smoke.

The finish is warm barley, dry and fades rather quickly. Way too quickly. Just makes you want to have another sip. And hey, that sounds like a great idea.

Rotten things have been said about Auchentoshan 18 y.o., things I thought were undeserving. While absolutely tantalizing, the 18 y.o. is extremely similar to the 12 year. There's just not enough of a distinctness to justify the price difference. Perhaps that is one of the reasons the LCBO does not carry it. But be forewarned, LCBO! Drop the Three Wood and I'll be throwing a king-sized, whisky-fuelled hissy fit.

A perfect, yet overpriced automatic DeLorean, for sale by an owner who's confused fantasy with reality. (Sound familiar Mr. Northern Ontario who wanted $45,000 back in 2003?) Look around and you'll find one just as nice for half the price.

LMDW: $108 Cdn equivalent
700 mL
43% (86 proof)

Jura Origin 10 year Single Malt

When I was in Paris, I was on a scotch-high. Breakfast was always 30 cent bananas and $1.00 Red Bull at the grocery store. But we ate out every night, and I attempted to try a new scotch each time.

During a shopping trip to Les Halles I found a bottle of Balvenie 40 year old for 3800 Euros which was so expensive I couldn't even afford to stand near it. They charged me ten bucks just to take a photo! Kidding.

Anyway, I settled on the Jura Collection. The three 5cl bottles cost $25 Cdn. Probably a bit expensive, but I was on vacation and justified the spending that way.

The first I tried was the 10 year old, Origin. I'd never had a 10 year old scotch before so was not expecting it to be as calm or as nice as the older ones I'd had. Wrong, oh so wrong. I've now learned first-hand that age means nothing.

The nose was big on crisp apples and sweet apple juice, with a slight alcohol scent sneaking its way through.

The taste really surprised me. It was rich and slightly smokey. I got a hint of s'mores and then grapes. It was far more mature than what I expected.

The finish followed suit with smokey honey and a unique taste I couldn't figure out for a long time. Ah-ha! Grape seeds!

I really enjoyed this a lot. It's one I would surely buy again. I would liken this to a high-mileage DeLorean. Expecting to find faults, but amazed that there is nothing wrong with it at all.

Les Halles, Paris: $25 for the Jura Collection
50 ml
40% (80 proof)

www.JuraWhisky.com

Highland Park 12 year Single Malt

The Scotch Noob (scotchnoob.com) claims to be for the newbie scotch drinkers. I, however, am far more certified in that regard and that's hardly a compliment.

Months back, when I wanted to branch out, I began taking recommendations. Trying smokier and peatier scotches was a bit frightening, but it's what everyone seems to love. My first peated scotch was an Ardbeg, a deadly thing that nearly destroyed me. I still sweat nervously thinking about it. A number of people suggested Highland Park 12 as the perfect way to ease into it. A sale at the LCBO was my green light and I picked up a 750ml bottle for $55.

Despite huge recommendations and whisky guru Jim Murray declaring it "The perfect all-rounder..." I had a tough time with this one. The nose was fine. A bit of an off-putting yet intriguing old cabin smell, moderately smoky, and after some careful consideration a bit of caramel, but not sweet.

On my tongue was smooth, rich, medium smoke, a bit woody. I almost felt like I was camping. It was pushing my limits - a bit too strong for me and not very complex.

The finish was similar. Warm and smokey. Images flashed through my mind of sitting in a rustic, patched chair in a cabin, dying most likely. As the finish finished the imagery changed to the deck of the cabin, near the water. I was still alive. A bit salty and dry. The scotch, not me.

The problem is I happen to be a supertaster. You can look it up. In a nutshell, I experience flavour at a much more intense level than normal people. What a shock! I'm ABnormal! What it means is that rich, smokey or peaty scotches overwhelm my tastebuds. Yes, I am a scotch wuss.

That's not to say I dislike the Highland Park 12. I can still appreciate it, but the power of this scotch pushes me and my delicate, wussy tastebuds to the limit. A DeLorean with an upgraded stereo, an amp and subwoofer that can't be turned off.

LCBO sale: $55
750ml
43% (86 proof)

www.highlandpark.co.uk

Super Pretentious Scotch Party!

A brilliant notion crossed my mind this summer. Thanks to Dan the Tax Man, I decided to host a scotch party. In preparation, Suz and I got snooty Jazz CDs from the library, and some nice food. The invitation went out, and 3 of the 5 couples arrived Saturday night, each with a bottle in hand.

Jazz was classic, covers, modern and latin-infused. Food was crackers, dark chocolate, almonds and Swiss, provolone & brie cheeses. And most importantly, the scotches were Glenfiddich 12, Ardbeg 10, Singleton 12 and Macallan Select Oak.

Due to this facade of organization, I created the illusion that I knew what I was doing. When I began pouring the scotch it was clear that I was in over my head as my hooligan friends, desperate for a dram, cried regularly, "What's a guy gotta do to get a drink around here?"

Fearing for my life my hands began to tremble as I poured. The resulting casualty was swept up, but fearing a beating if I went off-schedule, I skipped the eulogy.

We took a vote and decided Glenfiddich 12 would be first. After my disappointing experience with the Special Reserve, I was glad to be able to try the regular expression. Group consensus: very nice and worth buying.

Next up we went with a heavy hitter. When we popped the top, non-chill filtered Ardbeg 10 filled the room with smoke. I got more than just a hint of smoked ham! Three out of four agreed: too strong, too smokey.

Third was the Singleton 12, aged in bourbon and sherry casks. None of us could detect the effects of the sherry cask, but agreed it was super duper. All four of us concurred that it was extremely similar to the Glenfiddich 12.

Finally came the Macallan Select Oak, with no age statement. Due to aging in five different casks, it was quite complex and by far the fruitiest of the bunch.

Overall favourites were a bit of surprise to me. Just before everyone drove home in their Bentleys and Ferraris, we put on our monogrammed smoking jackets, had our portraits painted, and took a vote. Results:

Glenfiddich 12: 2 vote tie with Singleton - too similar to choose
Ardbeg 10: 1 vote
Singleton 12: 2 vote tie with Glenfiddich - too similar to choose
Macallan Select Oak: 1 vote

Glenfiddich 12 Year Special Reserve

Six years ago I had a very unfortunate start to my whisky journey when a neighbour gave me a bottle of scotch for Christmas. It was Glenfiddich 12 year old Special Reserve. I'll bet you're wondering why this is unfortunate.

When I tried it, I wasn't sure what to expect. On the nose I got a quick punch of pears. The pears were huge. There was also a bit of wood, and it reminded me slightly of wine. It was amazing, and I was expecting something fantastic.

The taste, sadly, didn't quite match. It started off nicely with a warm pear-like sweetness, then went a bit sour. Yup, it was starting its decent.

The finish could've been the salvation, but instead the Glenfiddich crashed and burned. The finish was so vile I had a hard time believing, or understanding how, the flavour could've changed so drastically. Basically, it tasted like sour beer. And I hate beer. So this was sort of a double-whammy, and my poor tongue was the punching bag.

Based on this experience I stupidly thought, "I must hate all scotch. I'm never drinking scotch again!"

Years passed, and during that time I stuck to bourbon. Whenever I was offered a scotch, I always turned it down. When I finally caved and tried another scotch, I was so shocked that I went out and bought my own bottle, essentially hitting "reset."

I've since read that Glenfiddich wasn't happy with the Special Reserve and has changed the flavour profile noticeably. People who claim they hated it now admit that they like it. Even still, I am reluctant to try it again. After all, I have that Glenfiddich 12 y.o. Special Reserve to thank for five wasted years!

Special Reserve is like buying a DeLorean that looks great. The fascia isn't warped and the dash isn't cracked... but once you drive it away you realize the frame has rotted from the inside out. Disaster!

Xmas gift
375ml
40% (80 proof)

www.Glenfiddich.com

CDG Duty Free Wall of Whisky

Shopping for scotch at Duty Free locations isn't as easy as it sounds. Few Duty Free shops have a website where they list the different whiskies they sell. Many Duty Free locations have a very poor selection of whisky. Travelling to Paris, I wanted to know what whisky is available at the Charles de Gaulle Duty Free.

I wanted to come home from Paris with something special. I wanted something unavailable in North America, or Canada at the very least. I knew I was making a trip to La Maison du Whisky for one bottle most certainly. But I didn't know if I should buy a second, or take my chances and pick up my 2nd bottle at the CDG Duty Free. What if their selection was terrible?

My CDG Duty Free internet searches came up empty, so I asked on Tripadvisor. One fellow was aware that they sold the Macallan, but nobody else could offer anything. In fact, other people in that thread also began wondering what was available. I decided I'd help everyone out by posting some photos.

The Charles de Gaulle Duty Free was actually surprising. Their selection was the best I'd ever seen in a Duty Free store. Tags showed the price and compared it to common prices paid elsewhere in France. Glenlivet 21 y.o. was €94.40, compared to €107.50 elsewhere. Glenfiddich 12 was €34.90.

Here are some more from CDG, as of May 2012:
Balvenie 21 Portwood: €122
Chivas Regal 18 €80.10 (750ml) and €134.30 (1L)
Dalmore 18: €99
Highland Park 1990: €105
Johnnie Walker Double Black: €37.50 (1L)
Johnnie Walker Green: €48 (1L)
Johnnie Walker Gold: €60 (1L)
Johnnie Walker Blue: €166 (1L)

If you're looking for something I haven't listed like Jura, Cragganmore or Talisker, take a look at these photos I took. Photobucket will not allow me to upload a high quality image, so I've done my best to show as much as I can. Click on the links and you will see what's available and, in some cases, the price.

CDG wall of whisky 1
CDG wall of whisky 2
CDG wall of whisky 3
CDG wall of whisky 4
CDG wall of whisky 5

The biggest surprise for me was The Balvenie 40 year old. I'd photographed it earlier at Les Halles. Check out that hefty price tag. It was available at the CDG Duty Free at the bargain price of €3000.

So world travellers, there you go. I hope I've been able to help.

La Maison du Whisky, Paris

The LCBO's Whisky Shop is a valiant effort to duplicate what France's La Maison du Whisky perfected decades earlier. The Paris shop opened in 1956 and sells extremely limited, special and rare bottlings of whisky along with many regulars.

After an hour or so of walking in the rain, I found LMDW tucked down a little street north of the Champs d'Elysees, just west of La Madeleine. 20 Rue d'Anjou to be exact. It's a beautiful corner store filled with beautiful rare bottles, with a beautiful custom "MW" push to open the door.

When I entered I spun around, a la Julie Andrews, to take in the views of all that was on offer. I guess my excitement was apparent. Despite being dressed in my laziest pair of jeans and grungy old running shoes the amazing staff seemed genuinely happy I was there. Like I was an old friend.

I realize how cliche that sounds but it's difficult to explain the feeling when I was allowed into their private collection room to take photos. It's a small room with bottles to the ceiling, so I used my wide angle lens to capture a few that meant something to me. I can only assume they were for sale, but I didn't ask.

Although a small store by North American standards, La Maison du Whisky is full of incredible bottles. How incredible? What do they have? How about a Glenfarclas Family Cask 1965 just shy of 500 Euros? Or the 1957 Auchentoshan 50 year old? Or Glenmorangie Pride?

If you want it, La Maison du Whisky (probably) has it. Unless you happen to be looking for the 1975 Auchentoshan 35 year old.

Sorry. I bought the very last one - the display bottle.

The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 year Single Malt

Every time I try a new scotch I learn something. The more I drink, the more I learn. Sounds wrong, but it's true.

I have very few friends who drink whisky. In fact, only three do. That doesn't leave too many opportunities to talk about or try new ones. I asked a friend what her favourite scotch was at the moment. The Balvenie DoubleWood was her quick reply. The packaging leaves no mystery as to where the name DoubleWood comes from. It has been matured in two different casks; 12 years in traditional oak whisky casks, followed by a few months in European oak sherry casks.

When my parents returned from Florida, they bought me a bottle of The Balvenie DoubleWood at the Duty Free. One litre bottle, $50.

On the nose I detected a fruity, slightly strawberryish note. It was sweet and very warm.

The taste was similar. It was fruity and sweet, a little bit like honey-covered strawberries and apples, along with a hint of wood. It sounds contradictory, but it has both rich and mellow qualities. A splash of water brought out more "fruit salad."

The finish was long. It was sweet but dry (the sherry), very mellow and a bit nutty & smoky. It's excellent all around, but if I were stuck on a desert island, I'd probably take Auchentoshan Three Wood.

What I've learned is that I tend to like whiskies with a sherry finish. I'm looking forward to trying everything in the current Balvenie lineup, and anything else David Stewart dreams up.

DoubleWood is like a no-nonsense DeLorean. It's not a flashy turbo and it hasn't been lowered. But it has all of the updates done and no cracks in the dash.

Duty Free: $50
1 litre
43% (86 proof)

www.thebalvenie.com

A Whisky Contest for Bender

"Good sir, what has your Bender costume been up to lately?"
- Random Internet People

In a word (plus an article of speech), a contest! Bender's been battling for one of the coveted top five positions over at World Whisky Day's photo contest. Master Blender Richard Paterson will then choo-choo-choose the winner from those five photos.

During the first week I was actually surprised to find myself in the top five but that didn't last long. Over the Easter weekend my photo slipped to sixth and then seventh place despite Blair Bowman himself connoting on Facebook that my photo was brilliant!

It took some perseverance, but I pulled through and am currently mid-pack of the top five.

Many of the photos in the running are really great. Excellent even. And I'd be happy just to finish in the top five. But let's face it. It would be even sweeter if I actually won that fantastic prize.

Can Bender pull it off? I think so. After all, my photo encompasses more of the whisky-drinking marketplace than the others, as mine is the only top photo to feature women. And I am sure Mr. Paterson recognizes that the whisky market is more than men. Because someone wise enough to have blended what's been declared the world's best blended scotch in TWO prestigious competitions is surely wise enough to include men, women AND robots.

I sincerely thank everyone who has voted for me. A HUGE thumbs up from your favourite spirit-chugging robot, Bender!

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You can click here to see what Blair Bowman said.
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Update May 2012: My photo did not win. The winner was a great outdoor photo by Klemen Saje from Slovenia. My congratulations to him!

World Whisky Day 2012

Tuesday March 27, 2012 was the first ever World Whisky Day (despite the fact that it's also the 5th "International Whisky Day", a lower-key celebration, started by friends of the late revered reviewer Michael Jackson).

It trended on Twitter and the website even crashed! The idea was simply for people to get together and enjoy some good whisky, anywhere in the world. What's better than that?

Although that was a rhetorical question, it actually has an answer; a contest!

The prize offered is a bottle of Whyte & Mackay 30 year old blended whisky. It's not available at the LCBO so I checked a few websites and found its value to be between 137 and 162 British pounds. That's nearly $300 Cdn. Not too shabby!

And the contest isn't over yet. In fact, it hasn't even started. Deadline for submitting a photo was March 31st. Now, the folks at World Whisky Day are going to upload the photos to the WWD page on Facebook. The five photos with the most 'likes' will then be judged by Whyte & Mackay’s Master Blender, Richard Paterson.

I decided to invite a few friends over and don my old Bender costume for a photo op. After all, Bender is fuelled by alcohol so it seemed appropriate. So what does Bender drink? Well, he definitely enjoys The Balvenie Doublewood. And so did the meatbags. Happy World Whisky Day! Or International Whisky Day!

Auchentoshan Three Wood Single Malt Scotch

Whisky is expensive. And the longer it sits in barrels or casks, the more expensive it gets. You're not really paying for the sweet liquid inside, but rather time. As they say, time is money. Think of it as renting space to store something until you're ready to get it. You're also paying for the expertise of the Master Distiller as he nurtures it over those years.

In Canada whiskies get even MORE expensive when the "free healthcare" taxes are included. So, when one has fallen in love with it like I have, one has to make very wise purchasing decisions. No one wants to get stuck with a $100 bottle they don't like. Thankfully there are people like Ryan at Value Whisky Reviews to help. And there's more help at the LCBO. Every 30 days they put their juice on sale, but the savings are typically not much more than $1.50 a bottle. If you're lucky, you'll save $5, and if you've got horseshoes up your ass, it might be $10.

I loved my Auchentoshan 12 y.o. so much that I was willing to take a chance and buy the Auchentoshan Three Wood at full price. It is the only other Auchentoshan available in Ontario and I was dying to try another triple distilled scotch. Did the LCBO's devious little plan work? You bet. Full price: $77.

Three Wood is special in that it has been matured in three different casks. First it spends an entire decade in ex-bourbon casks, then a year in ex-Oloroso sherry casks and finally, finished for 1 year in ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.

The sherry gives the Three Wood a deep bronze colour, and more. The nose made my mind race, searching through file after file of scent memories, trying to find a match. Wood, butterscotch and grapes, and maybe more. It seems similar to the 12 year old only amped up and fruitier.

The taste is very much influenced by the sherry casks. It's an amazingly rich mix of dark fruit and sweetness. Mulberries, grapes, maybe a hint of tobacco and toffee, followed by the same tiny punch of smoke as the 12 year. No, a bit more smoke. Just perfect.

The finish is dry thanks to the sherry casks, a bit grassy, fruity and long. It's not very strong, just perfect. Again, it's similar to the 12 year, only drier and smokier. Even after brushing my teeth I was able to taste it! The finish really is fantastic.

After my first drink I was in love. To me, this is worth a bit of a premium over the regular 12 year. It's like paying extra for a DeLorean... because it has the gas flap hood! Huzzah!

LCBO: $77
750ml
43% (86 proof)

www.auchentoshan.com

Auchentoshan 12 year Single Malt Scotch

In his prime, John DeLorean was featured in Cutty Sark scotch ads just before his company began the downward spiral that ended in bankruptcy. While his DMC-12 is not new to me, whisky is. I don't know exactly how to properly taste it, and I definitely don't know how to review it. It feels a bit fancy. And sometimes it's nice to feel fancy. Some guys like to wear women's panties, some smoke Cuban cigars, and others enjoy a dram.

A few years ago a neighbour gave me a bottle of Glenfiddich 12 year for Christmas. It was the most vile thing I'd ever tasted and I decided right then that I didn't like whisky. Over the next few years I had the occasional bourbon... and liked it. In 2010 I toured Kentucky's Buffalo Trace distillery with my car club and had a tasting there. "Mmmm!" I thought, which led to continued bourbon drinking at Halloween, Christmas, and weekend parties.

Like I said, this is new to me. My drink of choice was always gin. But whisky is a whole other animal, and I've discovered how much I like both scotch and bourbon. Should those words be capitalized? I don't even know.

The other day I went to my local LCBO. Once a month or so they put various items on sale. I scanned the aisles and decided on a bottle of Auchentoshan (Oken-toshen) 12 year single malt scotch. Sale price: $48.

It is presented in a nice silver box, which I suppose also protects it from the sun, the only triple-distilled scotch in the world. It's a medium amber colour, and without knowing the proper way to describe it or reading other people's reviews, that's the best I can do.

When I opened the bottle I was shocked at the varying and subtle smells. Old wood, green apple, orange peels, a slight toffee scent. Amazing! I went back again. There's more there, but I don't have the experience to discern the nuances.

The taste was laid-back and soft. It was sweet on the tip of my tongue. Wood, caramel, charcoal, green apple, and finally a tiny punch of smoke. There was a very slight bite as I swallowed, then slowly that apple returned. This time with a bit of spiciness. The finish was mellow and long with a delicious smokey flavour too subtle for me to distinguish.

This bottle makes me excited. It is going to be fun playing "guess the flavours" over the next few months as I learn.

LCBO sale: $48
750ml
40% (80 proof)

www.auchentoshan.com
www.buffalotrace.com