A foundation whisky - Suntory Yamazaki Puncheon

Suntory Yamazaki Puncheon

I have been waiting a while to get my hands on a bottle of the Suntory Yamazaki Puncheon to try. Yet until recently and with certain limitations in Australia for access to varied Suntory Whisky expressions, I had to wait until the opportunity knocked. Luckily at a recent Oak Barrel tasting with Mike Miyamoto, Global Brand Ambassador for Suntory, the Yamazaki Puncheon was pulled out as the secret last dram (or 2 in my case when you ask for just a little more).

Things to know before delving into this whisky is understanding a bit about Suntory Whisky's philosophy, that this expression is a single maturation style single malt plus the foundation ingredient in the Yamazaki 12yo expression. By foundation I mean that the Yamazaki 12yo is a multifaceted Single Malt made up various maturation styles and barrel types from just the Yamazaki distillery, hence still a Single Malt but the core ingredient is the puncheon barrels. In the case of the Yamazaki Puncheon release what we have here is just a single maturation cask style. Though you might think "yeah so what", what gives it the wow factor is that Suntory Whisky don't normally do this kind of thing. As even Mike Miyamoto said the Japanese market don't react well to it and prefer something more suited to the nations delicate palate. Suntory Whisky is all about harmony and marriage of malts so a single cask style sits right out of the ordinary. They just don't do things like this very often.

This Yamazaki Puncheon was bottled in 2011 with an ABV of 48%. Not being a standard release you will not find it on the Suntory Whisky website. This limited release, as with the following 2012 and 2013 releases, saw its maturation exclusively in North American White Oak Puncheons that previous contained a distilleries undisclosed bourbon. Current word from Mike Miyamoto is that the Yamazaki Puncheon is not going to be extended as a release into 2014.

The name of this whisky Puncheon comes from the naming of the 318 litre (imperial) to 465 litre (US) American oak casks called Puncheons. This size does vary depending where you look and even where the casks are being sold from, so take this size as an average. Effectively though a Puncheon is considered a term for a barrel size at 1/3 the size of a standard Tun with an imperial measure of 945 litres. To compound the problem many Suntory sources list this as coming from a 480 litre cask which would probably place it as a Butt (oh my head). In short larger barrels mean less wood contact giving much more subtle characteristics.

Japanese whisky is all about making whisky for Japanese the people first and foremost. Light and complex with multi faceted flavours is the true aim in all cases for Suntory Whisky. It is no surprise then that even in the Single Malt form this primary reasoning shows through.

So far this has all been sounding pretty complicated for a Single Malt so let me break down my thoughts on the tasting.

Lovely colours to the whisky

Suntory Yamazaki Puncheon Single Malt
Distiller: Suntory Whisky
Location / Region: Yamazaki Distillery, Kyoto, Japan
Alcohol / ABV: 48%
Colour: Brushed gold

Nose: Mild oaks, with distinct florals and hay notes with heavy layered buttery cereals giving me the scent like warm buttered scones.

Taste: Medium bodied, a little oily, sweet butter, a touch of vanilla oak,  and a tacky chew with a distinct copper banding across the mid to top palate (I recognise this copper as it also comes out in the Yamazaki 12yo and the thing I don't like about the 12yo also).

Finish: Spicy ginger with a medium dryness while leaving a prickle on the tongue and lips long after dramming. The finish is not great.

Overall the balance was a bit on the dense side but still I think I could easily get used to this whisky regardless. If I was to give a dram then a 5 out of 7. It would taste better on ice. Try it at a bar or share a bottle with friends as the pricing here in Australia is for around $180 AU and that is way to high for what you get out of it but certainly worth a look in if your a Japanese whisky tragic.

Unique really sums it up and I can see why it has been designed for blending or vatting and not primarily as a single maturation style malt expression. I would suspect this bottle is purely to satisfy the foreign market at the time and see how they took to non layered Japanese single malt and quite possibly the forefather of a dedicated single barrel maturation style Single Malt range from Suntory Whisky. Especially considering it has seen 3 years of limited release. Interestingly after dramming this whisky it enhanced a plum wine nose on the Hibiki 12yo and 17yo when I went back to them after and that was a really lovely suprise.

The Baron

Veiling a whisky - Laphroaig Select Cask

Laphroaig Select Cask

A few evenings ago I attended a Laphroaig tasting at the Shirt Bar in Sydney City. A very good event as per usual with a fine selection whiskies on show, finished off with a casual atmosphere and enjoyable tasting platters afterwards. If you have not attended a Shirt Bar Scotch Club Tasting Session then I recommend you go to at least one.

On show this time round was a line up of Laphroaig I have not seen since attending Laphroaig Live Sydney back in 2011. On show at the Shirt Bar was: Laphroaig 10yo, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Laphroaig 18yo, Laphroaig Select Cask, Laphroaig Triple Wood, Laphroaig 25yo. A presentation delivered by the lively Paul Daley we traveled through each dram exploring the virtues of what makes these whiskies tick.

Though there was a excellent array of Laphroaig's I think we have well and truly covered most expressions this excellent distillery has to offer so let us skip the tasting notes for all but the Laphroaig Select Cask, a newbie to the Australian scene. There is no 2 ways about this whisky in my opinion. It is a entry level Laphroaig. A close cousin to the 10yo less the medical characteristics. Currently note appearing to be unavailable at the major retail chains such as Dan Murphy's Paul had quoted it should be priced around the same as the 10yo. Searching online independents are pricing in the $100AU which I think is well and truly over the top and not worth it. The Laphroaig Select Cask is effectively a marriage of just about everything Laphroaig have done to date in maturation. In this expression you will find maturation in Olorosso Sherry Butts, American White Oak (non-filled with bourbon), PX Hogs Heads, Quarter Casks, and First Filled Bourbon Casks. Below is the official tasting notes by John Campbell, Distillery Manager.

Now you have had a chance to see what the official line is we better get on with how I found it.

Laphroaig Select Cask
Distiller: Laphroaig
Location/Region: Islay, Scotland
Colour: Liquid Gold
Alcohol:/ ABV: 40%

Nose: Mild peat and salt, raw red beef, and sweet green corn husks freshly peeled.

Taste: Super light and thin making it extremely smooth but veiled. Mainly vanilla, honeys, and ripe fruits that goes a little dry in the back before dissipating ever so quickly. Lacking the metallic banding so common of a Laphroaig.

Finish: Short and evaporative leaving very little to remember.

Overall I found it excitable to try but disappointing. This is not a whisky to be dramming on a cold night by the fire place. Maybe if the ABV was a little higher things might change but word from fellow drammers around me all seemed to have the same view point that it was a bit like drinking water from a glass that previous held a dram of Laphroaig. The smell and taste was present but the whisky was long gone.

Note on the Laphroaig website this expression was chosen by the FOL (Friends Of Laphroaig) tasting panel. According to the Laphroaig website 6 new expressions were created, tested, and voted on culminating in this final selection. I was not impressed after tasting this the first time so tried again a few days later at The Whisky Show getting the same results. Now also knowing this detail about the selection process just glazes my thoughts crowd sourcing has no place in whisky. For most part when you personally taste this I really think your just going think "This is no Laphroaig".

If I was to give a dram then it is a 3 out of 7. A well made whisky but the flavours are veiled and expressionless. Yes if the price is right this would be a great entry for someone a little afraid of the peat smoke and medicinal iodine Laphroaig offers but then is that not what makes Laphroaig famous?

It is worth dwelling on the point of why more and more distilleries watering down their own brands this way? My current thoughts for established distilleries is to be focus more on impact and less on profit. Rather naive advice considering I know nothing of the distilleries motives but I am sure to a degree market grab is playing a big part in these crowd sourced expression. My last word on this issue is don't ask an accountant to fix your plumbing. Crowd sourcing and whisky is risky at best.

Looking forward to Laphroaig stepping up to the task as we have seen some exceptional releases through travel retail in recent past. I just wish it filtered down more to the average consumer.

The Baron

It Has Kicked Off – Ardbeg Day Australia

Ardbeg Day Australia

Official Registrations for Ardbeg Day Australia, 31st May 2014, are now available! Be sure to get onto this quick if you want to secure a spot as it is a day you don't want to miss. Find out more about it here if you have been living in a cave: Ardbeg Day 2014 Is Kicking Off - Ardbeg Day Sydney 2014

When: 31st May 2014, 12pm - 3pm
Where: The Mint - 10 Macquarie St, Sydney
Dress: Ardbeg with a smart sporting edge
Cost: FREE
Spots: Limited
How to Register: Ardbeg Day Australia Site

If you need to know more about last years event, 2013, check out my review here: What a Day - Ardbog Day Sydney 2013.

As part of the event that coincides with the Feis Ile, Islay's week of Malt & Music, and the day Ardbeg Distillery opens its doors to the public, you will be treated to the official release of the limited editions bottling of Ardbeg Auriverdes.

You do not have to be a Ardbeg Committee member to attend but if you want to be part of something special and get notification of other Ardbeg events and next years Ardbeg Day then make sure to sign up as a Committee Member here.

For all members, guests, and lurkers this is an event not to miss and in my books outshines all the whisky events Sydney has to offer in a year.

Get peated, get on it, get dramming!

The Baron

This is a non-sponsord promotion. For any further details please defer to the Ardbeg website.

Pimped and loving it - Ardbeg Auriverdes Limited Release

Ardbeg Auriverdes Pimped out like a west coast hip hop gangster

So Ardbeg Day 2014 Australia is approaching soon, May 31st, and if interest in the social sphere is anything to go by this year tickets are going to be snapped up way quicker than a pro in a navy barracks. Let's not beat around the bush so before we begin, if you need to find out more about how to register and be part of Ardbeg Day, check out our recent post: Ardbeg Day 2014 Is Kicking Off - Ardbeg Day Sydney 2014.

Coinciding with Ardbeg Day is of course the limited release Ardbeg expression bottled especially for the day. This year this release it is called Ardbeg Auriverdes, named after its golden whisky (Auri), and unmistakable green bottle (Verde). In this case you will notice the bottle is pimped out in all gold. I believe this bottle type I received is a pre-release ultra limited sample only, so don't expect to be thinking your going to be Puff Daddy & Biggie Smalls sipping from the bottle in the back of onyx limousine. In saying that I am thinking of hanging this bottle on a chain around my waist though for some extra pimp styling at Ardbeg Day.

Previous releases of Ardbeg Day bottling have been pretty interesting and a little experimental in all cases. Ardbeg Auriverdes does not fall too far from the tree. Bottled at 49.9% ABV and without an age statement, it is certainly batting above its weight but then when does any Ardbeg not do so? On opening the nose clearly emits that smokey peaty Ardbeg statement we all love. What makes this release special is the American oak casks used to age this expression have had the lids specially made to impart that extra special influence. We are talking a toasting of the lids to a particular char finish that influences an apparent mocha coffee flavour profile. I have always found a nice espresso goes down well after a few drams of Ardbeg so on hearing about this alleged influence I got that telltale salivating dribble we all get now and again creeping from my lips.

Ardbeg Auriverded
Alcohol/ABV: 49.9%
Distiller: Ardbeg
Region/location: Islay, Scotland
Price: RRP $190.00AU
Colour: Golden straw (noticeable darker than an Ardbeg 10yo)

Nose: Milder dry peat smoke wiffs (benching marking against an Ardbeg 10yo), sweet vanilla oaks, some medicinal salts and some citric burn. After the initial taste has had time to rest I then found the whisky does developed a hazelnut coffee nose but only after the first taste. Official tasting notes say mocha coffee but there is a clear nuttiness to be found and certainly the coffee nose is no stretch of the imagination. You have to give the nose a chance here to really develop but when it does it is moorish to say the least.

Taste: Initially sweet buttery oils that once warmed in the mouth then develop a clear caramelised raisin sugar hit in the sweet spots, with malt cereals and cinnamon spices in the background. Dram I say liquid hot crossed buns? Toasted smoke is prevalent in the right places but not all over as with the salts. Naturally being Ardbeg it is smokey and a bit earthy but not so much. Texture is a little soapy, like the PH is a too high and adding a couple of drops of water equalise it very well (But not too much! I am talking 2 drops max). Adding the drops will also release a wet charcoal effect previously hidden.

Finish: Welling up slowly in the chest it becomes long and warming with the cinnamon spice, dry smoke, and caramelised sugars remaining on the palate rounding out a good dram.

A great balance overall making it really enjoyable to keep on sipping into the evening. Once the hazel nut coffee scent develops it was hard to put down and rest for any length of time. I especially enjoyed it sitting out on the deck with the wood fire burring on a balmy 9 degree night.hot

Is this the kind of whisky you will have a look back on in a few years and thing "I wish I could get some more of that"? My thoughts are presently a big no way. As much as this is a special release it is not mind blowing. It is an accessible whisky for the Ardbeg fans neither offensive nor overly challenging and sure to please which I am sure is exactly what is is supposed to do. I have had several tastings now with it side by side to the Ardbeg 10yo and I think the 10yo still trumps this expression on taste and at almost half the cost too. Ardbeg 10yo has those extra peaty medicinal nips and sweet tips with smoke wafts to explode on every sip. If you're Ardbeg fan then you will be happy to dram this over and over again regardless. Someone not so seasoned to Ardbeg will most probably be challenged to find a clear difference between either. If I was to give a dram then it would be a solid 6 out of 7 sitting just behind the Ardbeg 10yo at the finish line. Ardbeg do a great job of experimentation but always staying within their flavour profile making this whisky something all Ardbeg fans need to try at least once.

Now if you want to be part of Ardbeg Day and any other Ardbeg event that may be in the future be sure to sign up at Ardbeg as a committee member to get the email updates for registrations. If you want to find out more about last years Ardbeg Day and the shenanigans some of us D.T.W.C. members got up to check it out here: What a Day - Ardbog Day Sydney 2013. We will endeavour to keep you posted on Ardbeg Day through our blog or our facebook page but best bet is sign up as a committee member yourself.

Keep on damming.

The Baron

D.T.W.C. was supplied a sample for review. All views and opinions are our own unless otherwise stated.

Simply Reliable - Jim Beam Rye, Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Jim Beam Rye

Here is a plain simple rye that does not go wrong. Neither aggressive or over powering nor lacking in the booty. Jim Beam Rye has a 51% Rye mash bill and is bottled at 37% ABV for Australia. That is pretty low for a whisky but I simply think it is all it's market calls for. Make s a good mixer but I actually think this is a good reliable sipping whisky and that is not pulling its chain.

I first encountered this whisky at a Whisky Fair a few years back and was surprised at just how flavoursome it was. The bottle looks a bit old and the branding a bit cheap, compounded by the price just made me suspicious of quality. Truly though this is a pleasure giver and aged at only 4 years you will be forgiven to think it has not developed enough.

Jim Beam Rye, Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Distiller: Jim Beam
Location / Region: Kentucky, USA
Colour: Orange rust
Alcohol / ABV: 37% (Australian bottling)

Nose:  Heavy toasted oak vanillas, spiced black pepper, mint and camphor and a little bit of wood polish after the first dram.

Taste: All toasted vanilla at first that gently moves into the thick rich spices before developing that typical chew to the palate of a Rye. Sweet corns do appear after the first dram as does the mint again.

Finish: Long and spicy but a little stretched most likely due to the lower alcohol.

Overall a fine whisky for the bargain basement price of $37AU a bottle. Makes for a good mixer or a nice light Old Fashioned. Simple but trust worthy even if it is a little light on the depth. If I was to give a dram 4.5 out of 7. Jim Beam Rye is great value and reliable.

The Baron