IT'S THE PEATIEST MALT EVER MADE!!!! MUHAHAHAHAHAHA - Bruichladdich Octomore 6.3 Review

March 10, 2016

IT'S THE PEATIEST MALT EVER MADE!!!! MUHAHAHAHAHAHA - Bruichladdich Octomore 6.3 Review

Leave it to our friends at Bruichladdich to pull an Emeril. Just when we thought they couldn't go any farther with the young fiery smoky beasts they've been breeding at their evil fortress in Islay, they turn it up a notch - BAM. We honestly thought it had to be a typo - 258 parts per million?? Impossible!

We thought peat levels over a hundred were insane when Ardbeg Supernova came out. But not to be outdone, Bruichladdich Octomore 5.1 set the bar at 169 ppm. This held the trophy for some years. But while we were safely in our beds under the covers, thinking that the peat armageddon had ended, they were hard at work cooking up even more insanity. And here we are with Octomore 6.3 at a nose hair singing, face melting, 258 parts per million. Strap in and get ready to rock.

Nose: At 64%, 128 proof, this stuff should be absolute rocket fuel.  But I've got my nose buried in here and I'd never believe these numbers.  258 ppm x 64%? The nose has tons of hay and wet grass going on, some white chocolate, but overall it's super dry. Almost like a white wine sort of aroma. Then we get orange rind and mango appearing for little sweet tail ends on the nose. This is super intriguing and not at all what we were expecting.

Palate: The peat and heat definitely come through on the palate. It's like you can chew on that peat. And it's freakin AWESOME. It really doesn't have that ashtray quality that some Laphroaigs and Port Charlottes have going on. This is like a dry cracking peat. Huge and warm but still super clean and invigorating.

Finish: I don't think it ever will! :)  If it ever finishes we'll let you know. So far the dry "waves of grain" peated barley (it's like you can really taste the individual grains growing out of the ground) have nestled deep in my stomach and now are slowing creeping up my chest. It comes back across the back of the throat with a luscious campfire smoke and little pops of scotch bonnet peppers and rock salt. Opening the mouth the dry crisp flavors return for a sensational finish.

Review: This is such a unique malt it's hard to really review it. If you are peat-obsessed like us, you're going to adore it. But not in the slap-my-ass-and-call-me-Sally way you'd expect. It's like Mike Tyson meets Vivaldi. A whole lot of insane punch, but it's all very elegant and well crafted. Really one of a kind. I'd say you definitely have to be a peat maniac for this to be up your alley, but at the same time it's not a totally fiery raw burn. Not sure if that makes sense, but that's the impression.  Bravo to Bruichladdich for one of the best peat monsters we've ever tasted.

Cheers/SB

Battle of the Beasts Finale - The Baddest Beast in the Land!

June 16, 2014

Battle of the Beasts Finale - The Baddest Beast in the Land!

It All Comes Down...

To this!  We lined up four of the greatest beasts in the land, assembled our ninja drinking team, tasted them blind until our peat receptors were fried beyond belief, and here at long last are the results.  We are ready to officially declare the winner of Battle of the Beasts!

Ok so without further ado...

SmokyBeast Ninja Guest Judge #1

Benny Wolowitz





Tis' Which The Smokiest of the Beasts?

#1 - Octomore
#2 - Kilchoman
#3 - Supernova
#4 - Lagavulin

Choose Your Favorite Beast!

#1 - Octomore
#2 - Supernova
#3 - Lagavulin
#4 - Kilchoman

Aye, so Doctor Wolowitz truly is a lover of the smoke!  He picked out the highest ppm and declared it his favorite.  Octomore is truly a badass beast.  Crickey!




SmokyBeast Ninja Guest Judge #2

Bram Hoogendijk





Tis' Which The Smokiest of the Beasts?

#1 - Supernova
#2 - Kilchoman
#3 - Octomore
#4 - Lagavulin

Choose Your Favorite Beast!

#1 - Kilchoman
#2 - Lagavulin
#3 - Octomore
#4 - Supernova

And our first upset comes from the Dutchman!  Bram ranked the two smoke-bombs his least favorite, and found the Octomore less smoky than the Kilchoman.  Interesting how ppm doesn't always equate exactly to the sensation of smokiness.  And very interesting that the young upstart Kilchoman trumped the very sought-after Supernova!

SmokyBeast Ninja Guest Judge #3

Joshua Gershon Feldman





Tis' Which The Smokiest of the Beasts?

#1 - Octomore
#2 - Supernova
#3 - Kilchoman
#4 - Lagavulin

Choose Your Favorite Beast!

#1 - Kilchoman
#2 - Octomore
#3 - Supernova
#4 - Lagavulin

Aha!  Well Josh doesn't claim the title Director of SmokyBeast Special Operations for nothing.  He picks the ppm straight down the line.  But then, what's this???  Kilchoman strikes #1 favorite again!  Even from a veteran bog-sniffer like Josh, the rookie takes the gold!

Judge #4

Mrs. SmokyBeast






Tis' Which The Smokiest of the Beasts?

#1 - Supernova
#2 - Octomore
#3 - Kilchoman
#4 - Lagavulin

Choose Your Favorite Beast!

#1 - Supernova
#2 - Lagavulin
#3 - Octomore
#4 - Kilchoman

Let it be said that wifey has never sat down to a tasting and failed to pick the most expensive are rare whiskey as her favorite.  (Yes, it's the same with jewelry).  So it's no surprise that she sniffed out Supernova as the #1.  It's also no surprise that Lagavulin was #2, since Lag 16 was her first malt love!

And The Winner Is...

Tis' The Smokiest!!!

D'oh!  Who's idea was it to have four judges?  Bad hubby.  We have a tie.  Two votes for Octomore and two votes for Supernova as the smokiest beast in the land.  Who woulda thunk it???  Well sorry folks we'll just have to repeat the uber-scientific blind study next year.  For now, hubby's vote breaks the tie in favor of the Octomore.  In terms of pure smokiness, it's totally over the top.

The Smokiest of the Beasts!

Tis' The Tastiest of the Beasts!!!

Well the dark horse took the win with two votes!  It's not that surprising, we've been shouting from the rooftops how delicious Kilchoman is, particularly the cask strength sherry barrels (please guys, more single barrel sherry casks!!!).  But it is notable that two of our judges picked this very special Kilchoman barrel over the likes of Supernova, Lagavulin, and Octomore.  Perhaps being last in this competition was an advantage.  Once our palates were thoroughly destroyed by the monsters, this one came out with a delicacy that hit the palate like a blessing.  But it's not just the order, since we had enough in the ample pours of this tasting to go back through and compare each one head to head.  No the Kilchoman would be something special no matter where it sat in the lineup.

The Tastiest of the Beasts!!

Well that's all she wrote.  The Battle of the Beasts is done.  But we have a feeling that this may not be the final battle.  We'll save some of our legendary beasts and wait for another fire-breathing inspiration to strike.  Stay tuned!

Cheers/SB

Battle of the Beasts Part 3: Bruichladdich Octomore 2.1

June 6, 2014

Battle of the Beasts Part 3: Bruichladdich Octomore 2.1

We're back with the third contender in our Battle of the Beasts showdown: Bruichladdich Octomore 2.1.  Octomore is the extra-peated line from Bruichladdich and includes the peatiest scotches ever known to man.  This second addition comes in at a whopping 140 parts per million peat level.  All of the Octomores to date have been five years old, until last year when they released a ten year variety.  The ten year comes in the $250-$300/bottle range so we haven't had the chance to try it yet.  (anyone out there want to pour us a glass?? wink wink).  One thing we can say definitively is that they have a totally badass looking bottle design...

SmokyBeast Tasting Notes

Nose:  Now that is some fire.  The Bruichladdich has an even higher ABV than the Supernova (62.5% this time instead of the Ardbeg's 60.1%).  It's half the age, only five years in the wood instead of nine or ten.  While the 'Nova was very mellow on the nose and you couldn't really feel the smoke until later, we can already tell that this is a different animal.  It's a wickedly peaty bouquet with rubber, blackcned rocks, phenols, spicy vegetals (like that hot pickled okra you can get down south in a jar), a little sultana / white wine stuff going on, and after it opens up for a few minutes some sweet lemon meringue action.

Palate:  The best phrase we can come up with, particularly since it's allergy season is "sinus-clearing".  Or for our friends up in Boston "Wicked Hawt".  It's actually very smooth on the tongue, with less body that the Ardbeg (in other words less thick and oily).  It slides across the tongue almost like a cognac or a smooth wine.  But it's only an illusion because then...

Finish:  Let's just say that this is a drink only a true beast master can love.  The first time we tried Octomore it came completely out of left field.  We were at a bar and just thought the name was interesting so we'd try it.  It was way over the top, like sandpaper on the throat.  Now that we're hardened peat monsters, we really do appreciate this stuff.  But even for us it's not an every day drinker.  Sometimes you're in the mood for a true monster, and this is it.

Guest Judge Comments:

"Nose Lingering smoke, faded richness, slowly some apple comes out. Palate- initially very sweet then becomes an outright charred up smoke bomb. Finish- long with a lot of ash like a slow burning campfire or bar-b-que being extinguished. Tannic and dry. Very resin-y, oily, pork grease."

"Apple wine, musty flavor. My second favorite so far."

"Grass, lemon juice, very peaty with distant petrol & sharp vegetal cardamom."


Stay tuned for the final contender: Kilchoman Barrel Room Single Cask, and then the finale, a judgement from our expert panel on the ultimate smoky beast!

/SB

Review: Bruichladdich Cuvee 407 PX - Hello, Lover...

November 12, 2013

Review: Bruichladdich Cuvee 407 PX - Hello, Lover...

Sometimes it's hard not to be a bit of a skeptical whisky drinker.  There is a lot out there, and some stuff is better than others. Unfortunately, this habit of ours can get pricey, and nothing is worse than an expensive and disappointing dram.  So admittedly, SB was a little skeptical when trying the Bruichladdich Cuvee 407: PX.  Yes, it's pretty expensive, closing in somewhere around the $200 mark. But call us easy: the color alone had us at hello.   And the description on the bottle refers to "a whisky for when the air is redolent of old leather, cuban tobacco and cedar wood." Talk to me, baby...

Yes, please.

The thing is, I have not been a major 'Laddie' lover in the past.  Don't get me wrong - the Octomore and the Port Charlotte are both solid, but unfortunately for them, Lagavulin has already won my heart many times over in the heavily peated category, to which I will compare all peaty whisky forever.  But this Bruichladdich is  different.  For one, it's not peaty.  This is the standard Bruichladdich 21, which is aged in American oak, but then finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.  This is a special thing; while you can find lots of whisky that is aged in sherry, the PX sherry is a super added bonus.  I also can't hep but say that I really like the packaging.  I know, I know.  A package does not make the whisky.  But this one is really sleek and modern and clean looking.  So sue me - I'm a bit of a sucker for a nice design. But back to the drink...

As I mentioned before, the color alone is a winner.  Deep and rich and caramel.  By looking at it, you already have high hopes for what you're about to taste.  The first sniff doesn't hurt either.  When you open the bottle, at first it smells like you are opening a bottle of sherry or port.  Once it hits the glass, it opens up a bit more, and you start to get the richness of chocolate, raisins and cherries, and more sweetness and all of the great things you would get in a delicious PX sherry, but a little spicier.  

This is not a smoky beast.  But this is one of the smoothest, most rich and flavorful scotches I've had in a while.  Just for a split second, if you told me I was drinking a very well-aged bordeaux I would have believed you. The sherry is unmistakeable, with the richness and chocolate coming through in the taste.  But there's more - a real spiciness with a bit of caramel and toffee, and more sweetness with almost a fruity note as well.  It finishes with a short yet powerful finish of brown sugar, more fruit and spice, as well as a refined mocha.

In the end, I'm sorry for having doubted you, Bruichladdich Cuvee 407: PX.  You kind of rocked our world.  Could the Cuvee 640: Eroica and Cuvee 382: La Berenice be as good?  Based on the deliciousness of the 407, we are dying to find out!

Review: Port Charlotte Ten Year - A Whisky Drama in 5 Acts

March 9, 2013

Review: Port Charlotte Ten Year - A Whisky Drama in 5 Acts

Scotch Whisky: A Quintessential Human Drama 

The story we'll tell today is not just about a whisky.  It's about an experience, a drama if you will.  The gentlemen at Bruichladdich certainly see it that way.  The cast, the characters, and the setting are all carefully planned in order to make Port Charlotte a world class production.  So before we get into our review let's try to understand what makes a good drama, and what makes a good whisky.

Theatre has long embraced a concept called The Dramatic Arc.  The theory is that all dramatic structure happens in 5 Acts:

Aristotle

1. Exposition (main character and setting are introduced) 
2. Rising Action (the elements of plot commence)
3. Climax (the turning point, the character undergoes an irreversible change)
4. Falling Action (conflict unravels, producing a new reality)
5. Denouement (resolution, catharsis, release of tension)

Philosophers from Aristotle to Gustav Freytag have spent time analyzing this arc and have concluded that the structure is inherent in nature and humanity.  They point out that this 5-Act structure defines major human experiences like the phases of life, childbirth, psychosocial development, disease, and even Catholic mass.  And of course all major works of drama, from Jaws to Shakespeare, can be reduced with uncanny accuracy into the same 5 Acts.

It's no surprise that whisky making follows the same uniquely human dramatic structure.


The Five Acts of Whisky Making

Malting:  In our exposition act, we are introduced to the main character in whisky - barley, and the setting - water.  The barley is soaked in warm water for several days and begins to germinate.  When the germination has produced the optimal amount of starch, it's time to end this act.  The barley is dried over peat fires, removing the moisture and stopping the germination.  Flourishing with starch, the barley is now called Malt.

Microscope View of Yeast Fermentation

Mashing:  The action begins to rise.  The starchy malt is ground down in the mill and again soaked in water.  The sugars in the malt separate from the fibrous material and form a thick liquid at the bottom of the mixture.  All the ripe sugars are now ready for the big event.

Fermentation:  In our big climax, the sugars in the barley are about to undergo an irreversible metamorphosis.  Yeast is added, feeding off these sugars and producing alcohol.  Yes, sadly, our hero Mr. Barley's fate is to be eaten by billions of unicellular yeast organisms and digested into ethanol.

Distillation:  As the plot winds down, the 'wort' or alcohol-laden water enters the copper stills and is vaporized several times, removing the impurities and separating the prime alcohol (cask strength: 60-70%).

Maturation:  Aka 'happily ever after', the distilled spirit sits in barrels by the seaside aging.  The oak barrels remove the tension of the alcohol and replace it with the pleasant sweet charred notes of the wood.  The result is the smooth and mellow dram that we will enjoy ten to thirty years later.

Bruichladdich - Philosophers & Craftsmen

The gents at Bruichladdich clearly take the dramatic art seriously.  Drawing their own parallel to the ancient Greeks, they dub themselves "Progressive Hebridean Distillers".  (Evidently what they lack in chemical additives and computerized modernization they make up for in vocabulary).  Apparently the ancient Greeks considered the Hebrideans (Scottish Islanders) a mythical land of "Lords of the Isles – hybrid Viking - Gaelic warriors who ruled the west coast and islands of Scotland by sword and by longboat."  Ok, big shoes to fill if that's where you're setting the bar.  What this means to Bruichladdich is that everything is grown, plucked, picked, burned, boiled, mashed, milled, malted, aged, and bottled by hand from local ingredients in Scotland, preferably from Islay, and preferably organic.

Bruichladdich in April
(c/o Islay.org.uk)

When it comes to whisky making at Bruichladdich, each act is conceived, rehearsed, and portrayed in meticulous detail.  Their protagonist is pure Scottish barley.  Their goal is to use one hundred percent organic barley, which would make them unique among distilleries.  The setting: pure spring water from Octomore farm on the hills behind their warehouse.  The fairytale ending is a barrel aging process that takes place right in Islay, unlike many of the larger distilleries who age barrels en masse in other, undisclosed locations.  Think of Bruichladdich as the Daniel Day-Lewis of whisky theater.  They fight tirelessly against corporatization, mass-production, and globalization, immersing themselves deeply into the art of the craft, personalizing every detail of the role.

The Port Charlotte line is Bruichladdich's peated scotch whisky.  It was started ten years ago, with the first bottling, PC 5 (for Port Charlotte 5 year) released in 2006.  Each year they have released another generation (PC 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) all bottled at cask strength.  This year, the tenth anniversary of their first run, they have released a standard proof bottling called Port Charlotte The Ten Year.  Bruichladdich also makes an eponymous brand that is un-peated.  It's described as "elegant, floral, complex, un-peated."  More interesting to us beast-lovers, Bruichladdich makes Octomore - which has an age-old battle with Ardbeg for the world's peatiest malt.  (Octomore's 5.1 bottling currently holds that title with an astonishing 169 phenol parts per million).  So far we've been unable to obtain it.  Maybe if the folks at Bruichladdich enjoy this review, they'll send us a bottle (wink wink).

Ok enough background, let's take a sip.

Hubby's Tasting Notes

Appearance: Deep copper-gold.

Nose:  Very nutty, like opening a can of Planter's Cashews (my personal favorite), then a flash of hot spice, crushed red pepper, and a bit of black licorice.  This whisky definitely needs five to ten minutes to open up.  It started very sharp but then became smooth and balanced, with the alcohol present but not harsh.

Body:  The taste starts with a strong and sweet citrus burst very much like Meyer lemon.  The texture is mid-thick, between oily and dry with a pleasant meatiness.  This whisky is a good illustration of the distinction between peat and smoke flavor.  There is a healthy predominant peat flavor, but this is not a greatly smoky scotch.  Sip a little of this next to an Ardbeg for example and you'll immediately notice the vegetal, medicinal quality of the peat in the Port Charlotte as opposed to Ardbeg's deep campfire smokiness.

Finish:  Cherries and oak.  The smoke and peat level off very nicely.  There is a slight bitterness and antiseptic left on the tongue.  The smoke remains after this is gone.  It doesn't have the endless smoky remnants of an Ardbeg or Lagavulin, but it's a clean and enjoyable finish.

Wifey's Tasting Notes

Nose:  Sweet, cotton candy.

Body:  First sip, not a rave review.  The sweet, smoky, and peat flavors don't seem quite integrated together, almost like a sweet sherried barrel was mixed with a peated barrel without time to properly blend and age together.  Second sip: "Mmmmm."  Getting warmer.  Definitely unique, starting to enjoy this a lot more.  Perhaps the first sip was too quick, it needed time to open up.  A healthy dose of smoke, not crazy.  More cotton candy sweetness.

Finish:   Rich coffee mocha.

The Review

Do organic ingredients, hand-made craftsmanship, locality, and philosophy matter to you?  They matter to us, and we love to encourage this type of approach.  Of course it all boils down to taste and value.  At under $60 from Astor, this is a great value, especially for this level of attention to detail.  The taste is unique and remarkable.  It's not perfect.  We stand by our general feeling that thirteen to fourteen years is the critical time for a malt when something magical happens and the alcohol turns from fire into warmth.  We will say this is probably the best ten year scotch we've ever tasted and that bodes tremendously well for this distillery.  We hope that their craft approach continues and one day we see a PC14!  For now this bottle gets a SmokyBeast "B+".  We'll need to save the A marks for future bottles.  We're very glad to have experienced it and learned a little about the philosophy behind it.  No doubt it will be a natural conversation-starter when you break out this bottle and share the story with your friends, and the conversation is brought to new heights as you enjoy this whisky.

Cheers!  /SmokyBeast