


So you’ve resolved to educate yourself about scotch this year and you’re not sure where to start?
Welcome! You’re in the right place!
We are [Scotch] and [Sniff] and we are here to help with your scotch education. đ
(In case you don’t know what scotch whisky IS (or why it’s spelled without an ‘e’), check out this earlier blog post about just that.)
This post is here to give you an idea of which whiskys you need to try to begin finding your own flavor profile which in turn, will help you to buy more scotch that you’ll enjoy and less you’ll give away to your friends.
Almost any major-brand-label tasting even you attend will include a time when you’ll smell some objects that will help you to differentiate between the four major nosing smells of whisk(e)y: fruity, floral, smokey, peaty. Here at ScotchNSniff, we’ve decided to follow suit and use those four major areas of smell and taste to help you find your own flavor profile. To actually taste these flavors that you’re smelling, don’t forget to taste scotch the proper way!
Between those four samples, you should be able to get a great idea of which direction you need to head in your adventures for good scotch. That way, when your friends ask you, “What type of scotch do you enjoy the most?” or “What’s your flavor profile when it comes to whisky?” you can confidently answer with whatever you enjoy the most!
We try to keep most of what review around here under a hundred dollars. We understand that $100 is a lot of money for almost everyone so sticking to scotches that are easy to find on local shelves is always a plus. We do indulge from time to time đ
Happy New Year and Slainte Mhath!!!
(Cheers! Kanpai! Salut! Prost!)
One Eight Distillery: Untitled Whiskey No. 1
A little bit of history about the distillery, One Eight Distillery is a newcomer to the beverage scene in DC located in the rough parts of Ivy City. A mostly industrial and very poor part of the city, has seen some resurgence through gentrification and some brave new businesses. One Eightâs first foray into aged whiskey is called âUntitled Whiskey No. 1â and it comes from 9 year old rye distilled by the MGPI distillery in Indiana, which has been around since 1847 by way of various owners. There are many companies that have used the hooch created by MGPI, High West, Willett and Templeton Rye to name a few tasty ones. One Eight Distillery then takes that 9-year rye and ages it for another 3 months in 30-year-old Oloroso Sherry casks. Then they bottle it up and slap a label on it. How is it, you ask?
Color:
A reddish tint to a very medium grade honey. You could very easily pick up the bottle and think it was a very thin maple syrup
Nose:
It has a prominent blast of rye spice right up front. Vanilla and caramel creep up lightly behind the spice, along with sweet tobacco. The addition of water brought out a beautiful caramel and vanilla flower perfume and reduced the spice notes.
Palate:
The rye spice fills the mouth and is then met with dried orange peel, slightly peppery and cooling menthol tobacco. A very hearty whiskey at a very well controlled 52.5%. The sweetness no doubt brought into play by the Sherry cask finishing. The addition of water didn’t really make a positive difference to the whiskey. It seemed to water it down and thin its flavor.
Finish:
After tasting while nosing, I can feel that my lips are sticky and noticeably sweet. It doesnât have a sweet finish but rather a sustained mellow sweetness. The rye spice continues for a good while. The combination of the sweetness, spice and heat make a pretty darn good whiskey. Iâve tried a lot of the beers, breads, and booze that have come out of DC and claimed the district as their home but this has to be the best representative Iâve had. The interesting rye spice and Sherry finish make this a bottle to look out for if you ever see it at your local stores.
Scotch Out.
Slainte Mhath!
Greetings fellow Scotch lovers! Sniff here (yes, I know, I’ve been absent quite a bit lately), and I’d just like to recap the adventure that Scotch and Sniff enjoyed a couple of weeks ago at the Glenlivet Guardian’s tasting. A LOT of people have been asking how we find out about these events. Simply put, most alcohol distilling or bottling companies host events to get people excited about their brand(s). Many of them require little more than signing up for an exclusive club online. The best part? Most of them are FREE. Yes. Absolutely free. You’d be nuts NOT to sign up. They keep you up to date on new bottlings and you… spend all of your money on delicious hooch!
Moving on!
Upon arrival, we couldn’t help but compare this event to the Maker’s Mark event and the Balvenie event that we went to earlier this year.
Overall the event was a good time but it lacked the family feel of the Balvenie event where you were introduced to pictures of people and told rich stories behind those people before sharing in a “family” drink. This Glenlivet event was much more of a “here, try some scotch ya noobs, go buy some”. Which, ironically, was still more organized than the Maker’s event where we had to yank information out of our hosts.
So if you decide you’re going to visit some of these events, keep an open mind as they all seem to have their own feel.
Now go open a bottle of your favorite sipper and enjoy!
Slainte mhath!
–Sniff
BenRiach 16 Sauternes Cask
~
GlenDronach 21 Parliament
~
COLOR: The color is a dark amber or medium grade B maple syrup
NOSE: 21 years of sitting in Oloroso and PX casks have done wonders for this single malt. Who knew something so dark could smell and taste so fruity, rich and spicy. Brown sugar blasts through, dragging sugar in the raw with it, caramelizing on your tongue to a rich and crunchy English toffee. The brightness of Pink lady apples and tart dark cherries snaps like a SlimJim in your nose. And this is all before you even take a sip. Take a moment to let the spirit breathe and fill the room and no doubt youâll nose the heather off in the distance and the whiffs of tobacco leaves being dried, not smoked. Add a few drops of water and the red fruits get accentuated and then coated with sticky caramel and toffee pudding. If you donât understand what I mean, Itâs rich, rich, rich in the nose.
PALATE: The first thing I taste is the delicious fruitiness and the roundness of the two sherries. A slight smokiness or old wood flavor pushes its way through, possibly from the Pedro Ximenez influence. Even at 48% abv, I could drink this neat all dayâŚI would be passed out with possibly less clothes on, but itâs definitely a slow easy drinker. Thereâs a lot of nuttiness and baking spices, like someone just baked a “fresh out of the ovenâ minced meat pie but added toasted hazelnuts, just because. The addition of a few drops of water increases the sweetness on the tongue and boosts the nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom spices deliciously.
FINISH: The finish is long and lasting and utterly balanced. I did experience some mid-palate astringency, but that was easily forgotten with another delicious sip.
~
Many of the 21 year old single malts that Iâve tasted felt light on the tongue and arenât as rich as Iâd like them to be. Enter GlenDronach 21. This single malt maintains the heavyweight feel and richness that I have looked for, all while balancing toasty oak, baking spices and sweetness. Definitely one to look out for or order, if you can find it for less than $150.
Glenfiddich 21
~
It’s October! Do you know where your kids are?? Anyways, the weather is changing away from the shorts and surf boards and going towards the cardigans and fireplaces. It’s always a good time of year to partake in a delicious dram, but now more than ever. Bundle up, light the fire (or flashlight) and let’s get to tasting!
~
Lagavulin 16
~
Ardbeg Ten
~
As we’ve discussed before, “Whiskey” with an ‘e’ is not the same as “Whisky” without the ‘e’. Yes, the spirit may be distilled in the same fashion, but the ingredients (barley vs corn/rye/wheat) and the location of distillation (Scotland vs US/Japan/Ireland) are very different. That said… last night Scotch and Sniff headed out to Harry Brownes in Annapolis for a private tasting event held by two gents from Maker’s Mark. It’s free to sign up to be an ambassador on the Maker’s Mark website and it comes with a few interesting perks you can read about there. Basically, it’s an engaging program that helps to fuel some zeal in people who enjoy Maker’s. I think the rest of this story is best told with pictures.
Overall the event was a lot of fun with friends and as with most things in the world of alcohol, “seek and you will find”. We inquired about the types of barrels used, the types of wood, the aging process, the warehouse conditions, and a myriad of other questions; all that they were willing to answer. This makes us doubly excited to plan our trip to Scotland in 2015!! Hopefully you’ve enjoyed this adventurous post. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and we’ll be sure to answer them!
I almost forgot to add the big announcement that Maker’s has! They’re releasing a cask strength (barrel proof for the bourbon lovers) expression of Maker’s soon! They had a listing of local bars in the DC/Baltimore/Annapolis area that would have it first and Jack Rose is on that list! Who’s excited for a Jack Rose Adventure Part Two!?