For this week’s Whiskey Wednesday I wanted to review a Single Malt Scotch I purchased for myself on my birthday. I normally don’t seek out a peaty scotch, and certainly not one with such a rich reputation as being peaty of the peats, but the Cask Strength and the Quarter Cask maturing caught my eye.

I try to find scotch’s that aren’t chill filtered and are bottled at cask strength. There is much more character and flavor to be had from a scotch that goes nearly straight from the barrel to the bottle, and much more body when it is not chill filtered. A good and raw, primitive scotch this one is.

Let me tell you, no one around me wanted to get within 5 feet of the open bottle! It is STRONG. I did not find it offensive at all, in fact, the gentle burn I did receive from the first few nosings added to the experience rather than detracted. After allowing my senses to return I could more fully appreciate the aroma of this scotch. Not being well versed in the peaty realm of single malts I was delighted at this new experience.

Some scoffed that the aroma reminded them of chewing tobacco. Perhaps it was the fireplace type attack of the scotch that put them off, and yes, it is strong, but very satisfying on a purely sensual level.

I have never seen a swirl like this Laphroaig Quarter Cask before. Such an oily consistency to the swirl! Runners coming down from all sides, the sheen left behind on the
sides of the brandy sniffer, the golden shade of autumn of the scotch had left me with the impression that I was going to balk at the power of this whiskey.

I decided to add some pure water to the first glass. Full strength was something I would have to work my way up to. I was right. Even with a bit of water to make a “whiskey neat”, I was taken hard by the full palate attack of this scotch. I have never had a scotch fill so completely every tastebud and corner of my mouth. Not an unpleasant sting, but unexpected with the smokiness from the peat adding a dimension other whiskeys have lacking.

The finish was even more surprising. So long, and it even ended a bit spicy sweet! Such a complex scotch from nose to finish! I really really really like this Quarter Cask Laphroaig. And being a middle of the road on price, it is one that I can afford to keep in the cabinet year round, not just special occasions.

Scotch Distilling video segment from History Channel program Modern Marvels. Very nice treatment of a very complex and ancient distilling process.

Single malt scotches are featured. I know there are online degrees offered in bar tending and hospitality management, but I wonder if there are any degree programs for distilling and brewing?

This is a bit of a departure of late since I have been drinking mostly single malt offerings, but the Johnnie Walker 12 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch sort of fell onto my lap so I HAD to give it a try and then talk about it.

From the outset many whisky connoisseurs, with much more discriminating pallets than mine, consider blended malt scotches to be of inferior quality to the single malt scotch. In terms of flavor and color and aroma a blended malt scotch is supposed to be wanting in all those categories.

I won’t go so far as the disparage a scotch merely because it is a single malt or a blended scotch. I will judge based on color and aroma and especially flavor. If it doesn’t taste good then I will come down hard on a scotch. Johnnie Walker 12 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch is not an offering to come down hard on at all.

A rich Pale Gold in color, the Johnnie Walker 12 Year Old, dressed in it’s diagonal black striped label, LOOKS the part of a rich bodied and potent spirit. The aroma, however, betrays a hint of the blended nature of the scotch with a less than expected punch.

I was fully expecting a strong initial attack and a gradual strengthening of the floral bouquet on second nosing and dilution with some water. But straight from the bottle the scotch was rather subdued and easy going, a fruity aroma with a strong background of caramel. Even with a strong inhale I was not able to coax out any extra strength.

A few swirls in the glass and I dove right in, full strength. A good choice! I like a nice strong attack right at the outset, lets me know I am drinking scotch. A few swishes around the pallet and I down the first mouthful. I pause to consider the aftertaste.

For such a strong initial burst the aftertaste is quite mild, almost timid in comparison. If I had to I would point towards a McClelland’s Lowland Single Malt for a comparable finish. Not harsh or overwhelming, but also not inspiring either. I wondered if a bit of water would release a bit more aroma and flavor.

I now just add 1/4 dram of water to a dram of scotch rather than trying to play around with “a little bit here, a little more there”, etc. 1/4 dram is not a magic number by any means, but I have never ruined a scotch by going with just 25% water and I have never greatly improved a scotch by going to 50% or more water.

The aroma was more fruity with the addition of water but not overpoweringly so, which is what I expected. Diluting the scotch won’t strengthen the aroma, just bring out more of its character. The initial attack of the flavor of the scotch was much more pleasant to the senses and the aftertaste was more prominent with a 1/4 dram of water. I was surprised to how much difference there actually was with the addition of a bit of pure water.

To sew it all together, a blended malt scotch, at least this Johnnie Walker 12 Year Old Black Label, is not inferior to other single malt scotches, just different.

Going by color you could be fooled into thinking this is a full bodied powerhouse of a scotch. It is not. But it is not a bottom shelf plastic bottle of 5 dollar a gallon rot-gut either. With the judicious addition of water this blended malt scotch is very refreshing and a welcome invitation to sit down in an easy chair and solve the problems of the world with a close friend and a cigar.

What good is it to be sitting in a bar with some friends without attempting to hustle a few drinks out of them? Not much fun at all if you ask me. Fortunately the BBC has a program that occasionally caters to our more basal instincts for chicanery and frivolity called The Real Hustle.

A few of their better clips have found their way to YouTube and one is linked here for your enjoyment and hopefully fun and profit. It will take a little practice, but while you are waiting for your mates to show up to the pub why not put that time to good use?

Can you come up with some of your own or do you have some of your own that work like a charm? Let us know!

Ok, I did something I usually do not do. After I posted my McClelland Lowland’s review I was looking at what Google Ads were being offered with the article and one caught my eye. So I noted the url and surfed to it. I am definitely subscribing to this web television channel.

Singlemalt TV is targeted broadcasting for sure, but it is so expertly done and so finely polished that I was very surprised at the content offered for free as well as the extensive library of premium programs devoted to our favorite beverage, scotch. And on my connection (I have gigabit to the desktop) I am streaming over 1500 Kbps and in full screen mode I am watching a webcast in better resolution than my television at home.

The brainchild of Rob Draper and hosted by Charles MacLean, singlemalt.tv is a great look at what the internet and broadcast television can become. Give it a try while the introductory subscription price of $39.95 is still in effect. In April the price rises to $49.95.