The Beast Masters Club

August 5, 2014

The Beast Masters Club

Eleven men with a mission: To drink our way through the world's best whiskey.  I could tell you where and when, but then I'd have to kill you.  But I can let slip a few of the gory details.  (And don't worry, Mrs. Beast has her own secret club going on for the ladies, more about that later...)

The Beast Masters

Professor Rickhouse

Hometown: Greenwich, CT

Poison of Choice: Bourbon

Favorite open bottle: Michter's 10yr

Haggis MacTavish
Hometown: New York, NY
Poison of Choice: Malt Whisky
Favorite open bottle: Lagavulin 16

Seamus O'Schwartz
Hometown: Lawrence, NY
Poison of Choice: Bourbon
Favorite open bottle: Black Maple Hill 16 Year

El Diablo

Hometown: Thorpe Bay, UK
Poison of Choice: Malt Whisky
Favorite open bottle: Lagavulin 21 Year

T-Bone
Hometown: New Orleans, LA
Poison of Choice: Rye
Favorite open bottle: Bulleit

The Matador
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
Poison of Choice: Malt Whisky
Favorite open bottle: Macallan 12 Year

The Highway Man
Hometown: Middlebury, VT
Poison of Choice: Bourbon
Favorite open bottle: Woodford Reserve

Captain Sour Mash
Hometown: Atlantic Beach, NY
Poison of Choice: Bourbon
Favorite open bottle: William Larue Weller

Neaty Peaty
Hometown: New York, NY
Poison of Choice: Malt Whisky
Favorite open bottle: Ardbeg

Jew Done Drank Ma Whiskey
Hometown: New York, NY
Poison of Choice: Bourbon
Favorite open bottle: Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year

Mr. S. Beast

Hometown: New York, NY
Poison of Choice: Rye
Favorite open bottle: Willett 24 Year

Some Background

We've gotten a lot of requests to break down some fundamentals, so before we get started on the insanity, here is some background.

Rule 1: It's all whiskey. 

Bourbon is whiskey.  Scotch is whisky (minus the "e").  Rye is whiskey.  It's all whiskey.   

Rule 2: Scotch is scotch.  

Scotch is whiskey from Scotland.  Single malt scotch is the product of one specific distillery.  Scotch is 100% malted barley (aka malt whisky). "Peated" scotch uses the traditional method of drying malted barley with peat fires which gives the liquor its smoky flavor.  Islay (pronounced "EYE-luh")is an Island west of mainland Scotland that is famous for using original production methods and producing delicious smoky whisky.

For our inaugural episode, we thought we'd go straight to the essence of whiskey: Islay.  Not taking anything away from American whiskey, but Islay is the motherland.  Barley dried with peat - the literal rot of thousands of years of Scotland flavoring the same hooch that's been made for centuries.  Old smoke, brown water, the real stuff.  We'll get to bourbon and rye (perhaps our current favorites on the shelf) but lets start at the beginning.  

Independent Bottlers

There are two ways to buy whiskey: Official Bottlings (OB's) are distilled and bottled directly by the distillery.  Independent bottlers are third-party companies that buy whiskey in bulk from the distilleries, and then age and bottle it themselves.  We decided to start with independent bottlers, because you can often find older vintages at a better price.  We ended up with three legendary brands: Gordon MacPhail, Sestante, and Signatory Vintage.

The Line Up

1982 Port Ellen 25 Year
Gordon & MacPhail

We've reviewed Port Ellen on SmokyBeast before, and sufficed to say it's Islay's most sought-after and impossible distillery.  Mothballed in 1982, never to be produced again, you can't be a fan of Islay malts and not make it your life's ambition to taste some Port Ellen.  

At the very low proof of 40% ABV, this was a delicate dram.  It was a great way to start the night, just the utterly smooth, smoldering smoky warmth of a drink that's pretty hard to hate.  Sweet notes of perfume and cashew nuts mixing with mellow campfire smoke, some light citrus and salty sea air.  

1981 Bunnahabhain 31 Year

Signatory Cask Strength

We wanted to try a sherry cask Islay, and none are more famous than the old Bunnas.  Unfortunately in this case the common perception was that the sherry had gone too far.  There was a rancid quality of good grapes gone wrong.  This got better as the dram opened up over the course of the night, but it was still by far the least favorite of the lineup.  Very heavy sour grapes, lots of wood, an almost sickly sweet sherry aftertaste.  

1981 Caol Ila 31 Year

Silver Seal / Sestante

This one knocked it out of the park.  Cask strength (54.2%), thirty-one year Caol Ila.  Absolutely dynamite bottle!  It was so nutty, so rich, immensely smoky, it all came together with sweetness and balance.  Incredible luck with this bottle.  Deep smoke on the nose, but a very drinkable palate with leather, oak, hefty sea brine / salt water, rich spices (peppers and curries and herbs), white chocolate.  All rich lovely smoke and sweet on the finish.  

1975 Ardbeg 27 Year

Gordon & MacPhail 

1975 is Mr. Beast's year of birth, as well as several others in the club.  It was also a legendary year for Ardbeg, producing some of the most famous official releases ever.  This Gordon & MacPhail "Connoisseurs Choice" - though somewhat unfortunately down-proofed to 43% - was a taste of that amazing year for one of our favorite distilleries.  This was the favorite of probably half the club, amazingly smooth yet smoky with lots of wood, a little grassy / farmy quality going on, very warm with smoke floating in the background.  It started a bit flat and opened up incredibly well over the course of an hour or two.

Favorite Beasties

For those of us who prefer cask strength malts and love big peat, nothing beat the Caol Ila.  Overall the Ardbeg was the favorite of the night, with the Port Ellen coming in a very close second.   Both those bottles were gone in a flash.  Mission accomplished.  

Stay tuned for Beast Masters Club Episode 2: Best of American Rye Whiskey...

Bunnahabhain 23-Year Review - Smoky Like Sunday Morning

July 11, 2013

Bunnahabhain 23-Year Review - Smoky Like Sunday Morning

Smoky Like Sunday Morning

Existing as smoky beast lovers such as we are can be difficult in the summer months when trends tend toward daquiris, margaritas, Coors Light, and the other undignified yet thirst-quenching warm weather libations.  In preparation for a well-deserved summer holiday vacation, hubby and wife went searching for something both smoky and cool.  The Commodores-era Lionel Richie of single malts if you will.  Something with smoldering Islay smoke yet suitable for an early evening with toes in the pool.  Something Easy.

A. D.

Buying independent bottlings of scotch is usually a great option.  Companies like Douglas Laing, Signatory Vintage, and Berry Brothers & Rudd specialize in hand-picking their own casks from select distillers.  They take great care in barrel aging and bottle each cask at precisely the right time when the spirit is mellowed but not over-wooded and has just the right flavor.

When you buy an Original Bottling (OB in whisky-speak) from a distiller, one of their goals is brand consistency.  In other words, every bottle of Glenfiddich 18 on the shelf needs to have the same smell, taste, and color (we don't mean to pick on Glenfiddich, just chosing a brand at random...).  In the real world, barley and yeast are living things that change depending on the season and the conditions.   With cruel efficiency, the distillers must play God to combat the variability of nature.   So they do all kinds of nasty things like chill-filtering and caramel coloring.

Independent bottlers have no such restraints and produce a unique expression of each cask, celebrating the distinct characteristics of the vintage.  And folks like AD Rattray certainly possess the required expertise for the venture:

A D Rattray on Facebook

Founded by Andrew Dewar and William Rattray in 1868, A D Rattray Ltd came to represent a number of well-known Highland Malt distilleries.  In the late 1920s the partners sold the business to William Walker. Well-established as a whisky broker, Walker set about expanding the business with the acquisition of a number of smaller merchants. A D Rattray Ltd has returned to the family and is owned by Mr Tim Morrison, previously of Morrison Bowmore Distillers and fourth generation descendent of Andrew Dewar. Today the company’s principal purpose is to bottle unusual and exclusive casks of Scotch Whisky, with each one chosen to reflect the different styles of the six individual whisky regions of Scotland. Whether from Mr Morrison’s own stock or independently sourced, only casks which are found to be of exceptional quality are bottled under the A D Rattray Cask Collection label and released into selected markets.

Bunnahabhain 23

We loved the Bunnahabhain Toiteach, a great big peat bog monster of a dram and one of our first reviews on the site.  The 23-Year promised to be more refined, lighter, and according to its tasting notes at KLWines: "Supple in texture, light in fruit flavor, hints of earth and smoke, with that little kiss of vanilla on the back end."  That sounded appropriate for the east coast's current July heat wave.  Also this model was available in a half bottle, perfect to pack in an overnight bag and still leave room for wifey's weekend wardrobe.  The half bottle is also nice because for around $70, you can experience a nice old beast without breaking the bank.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Light gold. Not the most attractive color, but we give them points for honestly with no artificial coloring.

Nose:  Granny Smith apples, lemon zest, briny ocean salt, and mild peat smoke.  Reminiscent of fishermen who convert old rowboats into smokers and grill that morning's catch right on the beach.

Body:  Delicate, sweet, with nuts, oak, chocolate, lemon cake, and stone fruits.

Finish:  The smoke that's been hiding behind the sweet layers comes alive big-time.  Almost to the point of burn but just shy, it's very pleasing and long - more peaty than smoky, a back-of-the-mouth tart herbal burst. Coming out of the smoke, the apple and citrus return for a nice well-rounded fruity and peaty finish.


Review

With a beachfront balcony and a school of dolphins paying a late afternoon visit, a couple of rocking chairs and two glasses of Bunnahabhain is just the ticket.  At around $140 dollars a bottle, this might not be our everyday dram, but it's a great treat for a well-earned special occasion.  It has earned a solid SmokyBeast "B+".  Just right for a balance of lightness and smoke, a good choice for our weekend getaway.  Don't call us, we let the cell phones die yesterday...  /SmokyBeast

School of dolphins swim by at the beach

Bunnahabhain Toiteach - The Peat Bog Monster

November 3, 2012

Bunnahabhain Toiteach - The Peat Bog Monster

Toiteach (pronounced "Toe-Chack") is gaelic for "smoky" and is Bunnahabhain's first peated single malt.  So our opportunity to get our hands on a bottle of the Bunnahabhain Toiteach for a SmokyBeast review couldn't be passed up.

A Touch of Geography

Bunnahabhain is an Islay scotch - i.e. it's from the island of Islay (pronounced Eye-La).  You'll notice a trend on our blog that the vast majority of delicious smoky beasts that we love are from Islay.  Islay is an island in the south west of Scotlant about 25 miles north of the coast of Ireland.

Islay is home to all of the notorious smoky beasts: Lagavulin, Laphroaig, Bowmore, Ardbeg, Caol Ila, and Bruichladdich are all Islay scotches.  We will eventually be hitting all these distilleries in our smoky beast reviews.

Why does Islay produce such an all-star list of beasts?  Because the island is composed entirely of peat bogs, swampy areas overgrown with the mossy vegetation that has warmed Scottish hearths for millennia.   Peat fires are used to dry the barley which is then distilled to make scotch.  The amount of peat in a scotch is typically determined by how long the barley is roasted over the peat fire.  To make peated whisky, the barley is roasted for up to 48 hours.


You Can Really Taste the Bog

According to Bunnahabhain's site they describe the effect as:

Bunnahabhain Distillery, and neighboring peat bog

"What if a touch of smoke from our peated malted barley was introduced in the distillation process?" "The nose has a charming subtle peatiness with prickling strength emanating from the dram. The taste has immediate warming flavours drifting towards a slightly sweet sherry influence with delicate peppery notes.  The finish has a good robust length with an extremely pleasant aftertaste – beautifully peated Bunnahabhain single malt for the discerning palate."

Our take:  Holy crap this stuff is smoky!  The peat flavor absolutely permeates your mouth and tickles your nose.  There's something about this scotch that feels viscous, like a heavy oil.  It has a texture on your tongue that feels full and substantial.  We're not sure what they mean by "a touch of smoke", perhaps that's meant not to scare off the tourists.  This baby is like a wildfire in your mouth and we love it.

The Bunnahabhain Toiteach is a peat-lovers dream.  The thick oily texture mixes exceptionally well with the deep layers of smoke.  The smoke starts in the scent, erupts onto your tongue, and carries down to the bottom of your throat and up into your head.  It's a cerebral glow that brings you back to a simpler time when a warm fire and a hearty drink brought in the close of another day.

It is an un-chillfiltered whisky, which probably accounts for the meatiness that has not been lost in the filtering process.  You can taste the authenticity.  This is a raw and old-school beast.

The only slight disappointment might be the color, which is a light and slightly foggy pale gold.  While there is something inherently satisfying about a dark colored whisky, this lighter, weaker color is in fact the natural hue and clarity of the malt and should be celebrated.  Don't let the looks put you off, the minute this bad boy enters your mouth you will be blown away.

The Review

This bottle costs $82.99 at Astor Wines and $85.99 at KLWines.  At this price we've found few malts that get it this right.  This scotch is actually smokier than Lagavulin, we'd say by around 15%.  While it does not have quite the smoothness and balance of The Lag, the increased smokiness and peat flavor is a welcome variation and is exciting to drink.  We give Bunnahabhain Toiteach an A-.  If you are looking for a bottle in this range, especially something that really stands out and will add a unique dimension to your collection, this is a must have.  

Comparison to Other Bottlings

Bunnahabhain produces a number of unique bottlings under different distributors and releases.  The most common are the Bunnahabhain 12-year and the 18-year.  The 12-year is pretty easy to find and usually runs around $45/bottle.  The 18-year is more difficult to come by (at the time of this post it is available here at KLWines and costs a premium $109.99.  The 12-year and the 18-year are both very respectable scotches, however the Toiteach is a completely different whisky.  The traditional Bunnahabhains have only a hint of the peat and smoke that is present in this variation.  Personally, having tried all three, this one knocks it out of the park.  I felt that the 18 was delicious but not quite a homerun at over $100.  The 12 is a nice choice for a mellow mid-range scotch that is a bit off the beaten path.  However the Toiteach is far-and-away the winner - well worth the additional cost above the standard bottle and also a much better value than the 18.

The Last Sip

We're trying to savor this bottle.  It's the kind of scotch that you want to have one glass of as your first drink of the evening.  Then if you're looking to keep drinking, move on to something a little more mainstream.  It's the kind of unmistakable flavor that you will find yourself craving on the ride home.  Once you've had it, you'll never forget the 100% distinctive taste and texture.  Bunnahabhain Toiteach is one bottle in our cabinet that will be replaced when it's gone and has won a permanent spot in our rotation.