Since I started with the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection’s Thomas Handy release (ol’ Tom being the founder of Buffalo Trace’s parent company Sazerac), it seems only fitting (if not a little confusing) to end with the Sazerac 18 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, seeing as it was the Sazerac brand of cognac that got Thomas Handy into this mess in the first place. It’s also fitting that I end with my favorite of the series, though it’s certainly hard to pick a favorite from a group of such incredible whiskies. Since I’ve rattled on about Sazerac in previous posts, I might as well rattle on here a little about the Antique Collection in general. I hope I’ve made it fairly clear in the previous posts that I think it’s a pretty damn high quality group of whiskies…and pretty much has been since the Antique Collection was first rolled out in 2002. It’s arguably one of the most anticipated and sought-after whisk(e)y releases of the year and increasingly harder and harder to lay hands on any of the bottles. Like I said, not an easy task to pick a favorite from this bunch, they’re all excellent examples of the style they represent and, as a nice bonus, they all look incredible in the bottle and the glass.

The Sazerac 18 Year Old was my favorite for its complexity, its structure, and its refinement. I enjoyed the Stagg and Weller immensely, their straight-from-the-cask intensity it not to be missed, but in the end, this one won me over. Created from a mashbill of Minnesota rye, Kentucky corn, and North Dakota malted barley, this was aged for, you guessed it, 18 years and bottled from a selection of 28 barrels.

The Nose:  Oh man…a rich, sweet, engrossingly complex nose with orange blossom honey, deep cinnamon, butterscotch, and warm soft rye bread. There’s a bit of that pickling spice earthiness I seem to get with rye whiskies, but it’s mellowed here by the wood, washed with spice and honey. There are nice secondary notes of vanilla crème brûlée  (especially the burnt sugar top) and old worn leather.

The Palate:  Much less sweet than the nose implies, the burnt toffee notes from the nose carry over with more toasted rye bread and a bit of orange pith. A terrific, powerful swell of woody spice quickly rolls in, bringing out more herbaceous, almost mint-like notes from the rye along with cinnamon stick, white peppercorns, rough clove, and strong, balanced, near perfect notes of tannic, leathery, charred oak.

The Finish:  A wonderfully warm finish of charred oak, rye spice and white pepper. That powerful swell from the palate recedes here with almost perfect balance.

Thoughts:  A truly fantastic whiskey, I found the 2011 Sazerac 18 Year Old to be just stunning. That rich, really aromatic nose filled up the room almost like a peaty Scotch and the palate is challenging and luxurious all at the same time. This is a heady combination of intense, bold flavors and mature complexity that deserves contemplation. Pretty much a masterpiece of American whisky making. Highly, highly recommended.

Sazerac 18 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, 2011 Buffalo trace Antique Collection

45% ABV

Score:  92

The name Weller is as intertwined and as important a name as you will find in the history of American whiskey. Daniel Weller was operating a still near Bardstown, KY as early as 1800. His son Samuel followed in his father’s footsteps, and his son, William LaRue Weller started making and selling whiskey in 1849. W.L.Weller is generally credited for being the father of wheated whisky, that is, substituting wheat for rye in the mashbill, and was a strong proponent of aging whisky for longer periods of time. He was both a salesman and an educator, and whiskey with his name on it was always of reliably high quality. Weller’s company was eventually purchased by Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle under whose guidance the relationship with the Stitzel Brothers and their distillery began. After weathering the doldrums of Prohibition, the Stitzel-Weller Distillery officially opened in 1935. Today, the Weller name lives on with the brand being owned by Buffalo Trace. Their range includes the 90 proof W.L. Weller Special Reserve, the 107 proof “Antique”, the 12 Year Old, and this eponymous release which is part of Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection.

The 2011 William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon was distilled from a mashbill of Kentucky corn, North Dakota wheat, and North Dakota malted barley and matured in new American oak (of course) for 12 years and 11 months. It was bottled un-cut and un-filtered from a selection of 45 barrels.

The Nose:  A stunning nose with upfront notes of chocolate covered cherries and strawberries, stewed raisins or even prunes, and believe it or not, coffee beans. A dry, crisp, stone-ground wheat cracker note emerges more as it opens up along with well-toasted walnuts and almonds. Subtler hints of unsweetened cocoa, worn leather, and polished oak balance things out nicely. Water brings out more char notes in the form of burnt popcorn, thin coffee, and a more earthy quality, quieting the fruit a bit and providing an antecedent to the herbaceous notes I found in the palate.

The Palate:  This is mighty powerful stuff but surprisingly smooth at strength and almost mind-blowingly complex. Spirit-y fruit, cherry pie cherries, burnt sugar, burnt toast, a bit of coffee, dark unsweetened chocolate… and rich chocolate fudge all swirl around before a coarse vanilla bean-tinged swell of oak moves in with big, dusty tannins, clove and a faint green herb-y (no, not that kind, you dirty hippy) quality. Water makes this just terrific, coaxing out much more of that wheat cracker graininess and a bit of burnt popcorn while holding on to everything else except those big dusty tannins which are reigned in a bit.

The Finish:  Without water, the finish is a high-octane rush of rich unsweetened chocolate, burnt toast and fermented fruit. With water, the finish retains that slightly sweet but burnt quality and loses a bit of the spirity fruit.

Thoughts:  My god, this one nearly left me speechless, party because of the high alcohol (it accidentally set the curtains on fire which I didn’t notice for almost 2 minutes, so entranced was I by the stuff) and partly because of how damn good it is. At strength, barrel sediment and all, this will slap you around the room and you will like it. The nose is incredibly intriguing and well-balanced, segueing perfectly into a palate that despite it’s nearly overwhelming strength still manages to be hugely complex and impressive. To really sit and enjoy this, I do think it requires a good bit of water (though I think I almost prefer the nose neat). Water does nothing to lessen the complexity, adding deeper notes of the wheated mashbill and generally making it more safe for human consumption. The bottom of my Glencairn glass is layered with fine barrel char and I’m left shaking my head over this beauty. Highly, highly recommended.

William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 2011 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection

66.75% ABV

Score:  92

*Thank you very much to AP and Buffalo Trace for the samples!

Let me just point out right away that, although it might be a good one, the name George T. Stagg is not that of porn star. No, George T. Stagg was successful whiskey salesman who, in 1870, helped E.H. Taylor purchase a distillery originally built in 1812 by one Harrison Blanton. They named the distillery “O.F.C.” after its original name, “Old Fire Copper” and proceed to make a number of significant improvements until 1878 when Stagg bought out his partners share. The distillery was re-named the George T. Stagg distillery in 1904 and ultimately was re-named the Buffalo Trace Distillery in 1999.

First appearing in 2002, the George T. Stagg releases have always been un-cut, unfiltered, straight-from-the-barrel releases, renowned for their exceptionally high quality, not to mention their exceptionally high alcohol content. Along with the strikingly high proof (142.6), another incredible stat about this whisky is the amount lost to evaporation over the years, nearly 58%. After maturing in new American Oak for 18 years and 5 months, the 2011 version was pulled from 124 barrels to make up arguably the most well-known and revered expression of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

The Nose:  An unmistakably “Bourbon” nose, this could almost be the baseline standard for all of Bourbon-hood…though the rest of Bourbon-hood doesn’t have this much menacing strength lurking behind it. Butterscotch and vanilla, fried bananas and buttered popcorn, cola and bright cinnamon, roasted salted nuts and a light dusting of cocoa powder. The mashbill is nicely laid out with hints of corn oil and faintly pickled rye spice while smooth worn leather and polished oak show off the years in barrel. A nice bit of water brought out more cocoa and even a bit of coffee. It just softened and smoothed out everything, losing none of its complexity.

The Palate:  ***Cough***…gasp…”Wow”. A juicy, cherry cola sweetness opens with a wave of candied nuts and cocoa powder heralding the fast moving wallop of the terrifyingly (not really, but kind of) high alcohol content. Deep, spicy wood notes move in, earthy vanilla, cinnamon and clove, with big, dusty, drying tannins that threaten to overwhelm the proceedings but stop just short, allowing the early sweetness to shine through. Water is definitely needed, the high ABV is a fun experience to be sure, but the palate really benefits from a little H20. Again, without losing any of its complexity, water takes some of the edges off, calms things down, and just broadens and deepens the whole experience.

The Finish:  Still juicy and yet still very tannic. Loads of cinnamon and orange spice linger with dusty, slightly charred traces of the oak dwindling away. Just a touch of mint towards the end.

Thoughts:  A tremendous whiskey. My expectations were sky-high for this one based on its reputation over the years and they were met, though not in a way I…expected. So many of the flavors were ones I usually associate with bourbon that it’s really not a distinctive flavor profile that makes it great. Instead it’s the assembly of these flavors, the progression, the way it showcases the ingredients, from the mashbill to the barrel, that sets it apart. Tasting it raw, un-filtered, and full strength is certainly impressive, but adding water really makes it shine, expertly revealing all the ingredients more slowly and with more depth. George T. Stagg is not an experience to be missed in the whiskey world. Highly, highly recommended.

George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 2011 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection

71.3 % ABV…SEVENTY-ONE POINT THREE PERCENT ALCOHOL BY VOLUME for god’s sake. sheeeesh.

Score:  91

The Eagle Rare brand was originally owned by Seagram’s and made its first appearance in 1975. It was created by Charles L. Beam and was sold as a 10 year old, 101 proof  straight bourbon. Sazerac bought the brand in 1989 and in 2005, discontinued the 101 proof 10 year old, leaving the 90 proof, 10 year old single barrel and this one, the Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Bourbon, which is part of Buffalo Traces’ Antique Collection.

It may surprise you to learn that this edition of the Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Bourbon is actually 18 years and 7 months old. There are two possible explanations for this: 1) Buffalo Trace has figured out a way, perhaps via some kind of time portal in warehouse I or K, to shorten the length of a day by 8.5% thereby increasing the maturation time, or probably more likely, 2) it is up to the distiller to choose the best selection of barrels and though this expression will always be at least 17 years old, it will often be older due to the distillers discretion.  The 2011 version was distilled in Spring of 1993 and was bottled from a selection of 24 barrels. It will sadden you to learn that nearly 53% of the original spirit was lost to evaporation. Those damn angels are a greedy and thirsty bunch.

The Nose:  A warm, rich, fairly stirring nose full of sweet creamed corn, maraschino cherries, butterscotch, French vanilla ice cream and a bit of maple syrup over banana pancakes…yeah, I said it. There’s certainly a lot of wood present here as you might expect but it’s very well-integrated, it just lends a crisp slightly earthy, almost cedar-y edge to aforementioned sweeter notes. There’s also a nice, welcome, subtle copper penny tinge that hovers in the background over everything.

The Palate:  A thinner than expected entry has more rye bite than the nose would lead you to believe. That rye, along with corn oil and Bing cherry notes is steadily subsumed by a wallop of wood and spice that is neither bullying or overwhelming, but quite insistent and bold. Tannic and peppery, without much sweetness, there’s bitter citrus pith, clove and cinnamon, but they play second fiddle to the cut-wood earthiness that grows towards the finish.

The Finish:  A nice swell of that vanilla-tinged cut wood from the palate with subtle hints of leather, barrel char, and burnt popcorn.

Thoughts:  I was initially very taken with the nose which balances those rich, sweeter notes against the greener wood notes really well. The palate didn’t quite live up to the nose’s rich, sweet promise, choosing instead to act a little rougher and leaner. This is an excellent, delicious, extremely drinkable older bourbon, the long years in wood are well-balanced and well-integrated throughout but for me, there’s just something lacking in the palate that keeps it from being truly fantastic. Definitely worth a try, though.

Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Bourbon, 2011 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection

45% ABV

Score: 86

As Buffalo Trace is owned by Sazerac, and Sazerac was founded by Thomas H. Handy, it seems only fitting to begin a look at Buffalo Trace’s 2011 Antique Collection with the Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye. The story begins (more or less) at the Sazerac Coffee House which was located on Exchange Alley in New Orleans’ French Quarter and was well-known for its cocktail made with Sazerac de Forge et Fils Cognac, bitters and absinthe. Handy purchased the Sazerac Coffee House in 1869, switching the Cognac to Rye whiskey in the 1880′s as the Phylloxera epidemic wiped out the supply of grapes for wine and spirits in Europe. Handy steadily built his spirits empire over the years, purchasing and marketing brands like Peychaud’s Bitters and opening another establishment, The Sazerac Bar. The actual Sazerac company was  started by a former secretary of Handy’s, C. J. O’Reilly, but it was Handy who laid the groundwork and is generally seen as the father of the company.

This straight rye whisky is made from a mashbill of Minnesota rye, Kentucky corn, and malted barley from North Dakota. 41 barrels of new American White Oak were filled and the spirit was aged for six years and five months before it was bottled uncut and unfiltered.

The Nose:  Unexpectedly crisp yet lush at the same time. Nice butterscotch and stewed cherry notes are joined by almost flinty, black tea-tinged rye notes. There’s rye bread here but it’s maybe more the hearth stone it was baked on rather than the loaf itself. Deeper notes of baked fruit dessert with plenty of vanilla, almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. A bit of water coaxes out more bready notes along with some toasted coconut and orgeat syrup, adding even more complexity.

The Palate:  Whoa. Big, billowing juicy waves of orange and cherry coupled with raw vanilla, burnt caramel, and lots of cinnamon. Without water, this is an impressively raw, dominating, palate. There are some burnt toast, candied almonds and barrel char hints but they barely make themselves heard above the mighty fruit and spice that just seems to bloom in the mouth. This definitely needs water, it’s formidable yet drinkable without, but it’s almost too much. Water adds a wonderful creaminess to the mouthfeel and brings out more rye bread  and toasted almond notes while still holding on to the powerful spiciness. More clove and ginger emerge alongside all the cinnamon and oak as well.

The Finish:  Continued caramel and orange notes with quite a bit of drying oak and cinnamon. Water brings some of the almond nuttiness back to life as well.

Thoughts:  Big, bold stuff. This is impressive whiskey making to be sure. The nose is surprisingly a little restrained (though delightful), but at strength, the palate just bursts forth and nearly overwhelms. This is where the expert whiskey making comes into play, adding water tone down some of the power , but it still remains a very robust whiskey, only now there’s even more complexity and a depth to go along with all that strength. This one demands your attention and your time, but you’ll be rewarded for sure. Highly recommended.

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey, Buffalo Trace 2011 Antique Collection

64.3% ABV

Score:  89

I think I said it in last year’s re-cap of this event, but it bears repeating; having a large-scale whisky event on an elegant, docked riverboat is a much nicer setting than a sterile hotel conference room. Not that I don’t enjoy large-scale whisky events in sterile hotel conference rooms…I do and as often as I can at that, but I enjoy the setting for Whiskies of the World that much more because it’s on the restored decks of the San Francisco Belle. I will say that, thanks to some high winds and undulating seas this year, there was a bit more boat-y action if you know what I mean. Though nary a drop of whisky had touched my glass, I was staggering around like drunken sailor on shore leave…only I wasn’t drunk, I’m no sailor, and I was on the water. Whatever, you get my point, lack of sea legs is a small price to pay for an event held at such a venue. The 2012 version of Whiskies of the World was another great time, two decks filled with whiskies of all kinds from pretty much all over the world (great to see Australia’s Lark there!) not to mention the great folks who make and/or represent them. Like 2011′s edition, the two decks of whisk(e)y and whisk(e)y related products were sandwiched between the top-deck where cigars were being puffed and the puffers were enjoying the view and some light rain, and the lower deck where the seminars and master-classes were held and where the buffet was served. Also like last year, I chose to bypass the seminars and instead wander the decks, lurching from booth to booth like the aforementioned drunken sailor. In hindsight, this may have been a mistake as there were several seminars that I would’ve gladly attended, however there were enough interesting whiskies and companies on the floor that I wanted to visit that I opted for that path instead. Once again, the show was sold out, I believe, and therefore crowded but not excessively so. There was never too much of a wait at the booths and plenty of room to maneuver once away from them. If you’re looking for less crowds and more one on one time with the ambassadors and reps, I would recommend the VIP ticket. Along with a more laid-back pace and more access, there were some great whiskies being poured in that first hour.

Now then…the highlights from the evening, in no particular order:

• Old Pulteney 30 Year Old. A great, complex, character-filled whisky from Scotland’s northernmost mainland distillery. The more I try from this distillery, the more I am impressed.
• Samaroli 1980 Caol Ila and 1967 Tomintoul. It’s always a treat to try expressions from this Italian independent bottler because A) you don’t see their stuff around too much, and B) it’s very very…very expensive. The 31 year old Caol Ila was a  softly sweet, wood-spiced version of one of my favorite Islay malts while the 44 year old Tomintoul was rich, heavily spiced, poched pear beauty of a old gentle Speysider.
• Chieftain’s 16 Year Old Mortlach and 21 Year Old Glenturret. Last year, Chieftain’s 15 Year Old Mortlach was one of my faves of 2011, and from the taste I had of this 16 year old selection, I’d say they have another winner on their hands. The same can be said for the spiced complexity of the Glenturret. It was a pleasure to raise a glass with Impex’s Ed Kohl and congratulate him in person on recently being named a Keeper of the Quaich.
• Amrut Kadambam. It was also an unexpected pleasure to meet Raj of Purple Valley Imports in person and an unexpected treat to try this very limited release from India’s Amrut. In Tamil, the word kadhambam means “mixture”, which is exactly what the maturation process for this one was. Initially aged in Oloroso butts, then moved to ex-Bangalore Blue brandy casks (Bangalore Blue is another name for the Isabella grape which is not a varietal native to India but one used extensively because of its ability to thrive in a tropical environment). Lastly, the spirit was moved into ex-rum casks for a bit before bottling. The result of this unique combination was quite fruity while still retaining that dry Amrut spiciness.
• Glenlivet Nadurra Triumph 1991. I’ve not delved into the world of Glenlivet much so it was nice to take a lap through their range and finish with this excellent 18 year old vintage expression from their Nadurra series. Glenlivet used only malt from the Triumph strain of barley for this expression, Triumph being somewhat under-used in whisky-making these days because of poor yield compared to the Optic and Chariot strains.
• Glenmorangie Artein. Yet another delicious experiment from Dr. Bill Lumsden. Artein has been aged in Sassicaia casks from Italian “Super Tuscan” producer, Tenuta San Guido. I thought the Artein was delicious and had unique minerality I don’t usually associate with Glenmorangie.
• St. George Spirits…I seem to always include them in these lists, don’t I? Well, there’s good reason for that, along with Anchor Distilling, they’re pioneers, they’re my hometown distillers,  they’re awesome people, and they make great booze. This year, along with their excellent Single Malt Whisky (Lot 11), they had on hand a cask strength, single barrel expression of their single malt and their single malt white dog as well. The cask strength version definitely added some ooomph to what is usually a delicious, though easy-going, smooth malt. The white dog was surprisingly drinkable and enjoyable. I usually find new make spirits interesting in an “academic” way, but not necessarily something I’d want to drink everyday. St. George’s white dog was crisp, flavorful, and fairly satisfying on its own, a testament to their expertise.

*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample.

Founded in 1964 by, you guessed it…a couple of brothers named Hart, Iain & Donald, Glasgow-based Hart Brothers began life as booze wholesalers and whisky blenders. A third Hart brother, Alistair, joined the company in 1975 as the master blender and the master selector of casks for independent bottling. Today, their blends and single cask bottlings are sold mainly online and through select distributors. As far as I know these Hart brothers are in no way related to either Mr. or Mrs. Hart (she’s gorgeous).

The Nose:  I think of Laphroaig as having a rather brooding, stormy winter’s eve flavor profile, but this is a sunny afternoon Laphroaig, much lighter and less medicinal, but still very Islay. Initially, lots of nice floral honey and lemon(both sweet curd and bitter peel) with a little baked pear. The peat is neither as medicinal or as smoky as I expect from Laphroaig, instead it’s very clean, almost thin, and just faintly antiseptic with the smoke off in the distance. Lots of sunny day sea-breeze influence, brine, fresh seaweed, and wet wood.

The Palate:  The palate picks up right where the nose leaves off with soft honey and lemon curd and elegantly slides into more of the peat and smoke I’d been expecting. Medicinal and ashy, but not overpoweringly so, there’s a good dose of salty brine (is that redundant?) and some nice vanilla and anise notes keeping things in check. The smoke turns more dry-woodish as subtle clove and cardamom help to show its age.

The Finish:  Wow, that nice swell of smoke grows on the finish and evolves into an even richer dry wood smoke while still holding on to salty, peaty end of things…long and satisfying.

Thoughts:  This Hart Brothers Laphroaig is what I hope for in an independent bottling; a nicely balanced and developing whisky, different from the distillery expressions but still showing the traits of where it came from. Elegant is not usually the first word I think of when describing smoky, peaty Islay malts, yet this one is just that. A clean, light nose transitions gracefully into the richer, impressively evolving palate which gives way to a terrific finish. At around $140, this is $40 more than the distillery bottled 18 year old, so it is a steep price to pay, but if you’re a Islay fan in general (and not just a peat-freak) and a Laphroaig fan in particular, I don’t think you’d be disappointed at all with this one, definitely recommended.

Hart Brothers 1990 Laphroaig 18 Year Old, Islay

46% ABV

Score:  88

“Lately we’ve seen a few examples of distilleries aging their whisky in two (or more) locations until full maturation. Amrut has done quite a few of those with their “Herlad” aged on Helgoland (a wee German island) and the “Two continents”. In Israel the IWC has bought a few casks from the Arran distillery and aged them on holy land for periods of 2-3 years in various locations (Tiberias, Jerusalem etc).

What are your views on those methods? Do multiple maturation locations (of the same cask) something that makes whisky better or is it a PR stunt?”

…and here are our responses.

*Thanks to the good folks at Impex Beverages for the sample.

Unless you find yourself in a dark, fragrant whisky warehouse fairly often, standing in front of a barrel with a pipette in one hand and a nosing glass in the other, there are just a few bottled opportunities to taste whisky (or whiskey, for that matter) as raw as it comes straight from the cask, un-filtered and, uh, un-watered-down. It’s not uncommon to find a bit of barrel char or sediment of some kind in a bottle of this kind which really just adds to the experience as far as I’m concerned. The sample of this Blackadder Raw Cask 1998 Laphroaig 12 Year Old that my friends at Impex Beverages were kind enough to supply was easily the most “populated” glass I’ve ever poured with large enough pieces of wood and debris floating around that I ended up filtering the dram through cheesecloth. Sure, I had visions of sitting back, enjoying the malt, wistfully picking slivers of European oak from my teeth, but in the end, it was bit more fun to see the flotsam and jetsam left on the cheesecloth.

Independent bottler Blackadder was founded in 1995 and is presumeably not named after the stellar BBC1 series of the same name, though I’m guessing Atkinson, Frye, and Laurie have all been known to enjoy a spot of whisky now and then. Filled in 1998, one hogshead yielded 210 un-filtered, non-colored cask strength bottles in early 2011 for this expression from Blackadder’s Raw Cask series.

The Nose:  What I was expecting was a phenolic, ashy fireball, instead this has a gentler, almost fino sherry-tinged nose. Yes, the peat is there but it’s softened with crisp apples and a bit of tinned pineapple. The expected smoke is there, but it, too, is down the beach a ways, very subdued. Did I mention beach? I did, and that’s because there are wonderfully subtle notes of wet sand, dried seaweed and briney breeze. Interestingly, a bit of water brings this closer to the 10yo in that the peat and smoke come forward more. It’s still a bit fruitier still than the 10, with some added cocoa,  caramel and licorice notes coming out.

The Palate:  Ahhh, there’s a bit more of that attacking style I expected from a young Laphroaig. Slightly creamy with more pale sherry notes to start. There’s a surprising, rich dollop of chocolate brownie that accompanies a big swell of slightly sweetened medicinal peat. The smoke blows in towards the end, a bit ashy, but nicely woody and quite dry. A bit of water makes this just wonderful, that creamy chocolate is still there, the peat and smoke are just tempered a bit by a little anise-tinged sweetness that draws out the whole palate, balancing it even more and making for a much more approachable dram.

The Finish:  Surprisingly dry, but expectedly long and wonderfully full of unsweetened cocoa, peat, and woodsmoke with a little renewed ashy-ness at the last.

Thoughts:  I loved this. From the beach party of the nose to the rich, satisfying palate and finish, this one was just a pleasure to meet. I love Laphroaig’s brine and peat flavor profile, but I love it even more when there’s a layer of sweet complexity added to it as there was here. It was hard to resist tasting this 12yo alongside the distillery’s 10yo but I’m glad I did. This single cask expression was more complex than the 10, and ultimately, with a bit of water, more satisfying while still being unmistakably Laphroaig. Highly recommended.

Blackadder Raw Cask 1998 Laphroaig 12 Year Old, Islay

57.4% ABV

Score:  90

On to the whisky: The Stave promises to have the largest whisk(e)y selection in the city, with over 450 selections from all over the world. The menu will favor Scotch, and promises to have not just the usual suspects on hand but a good variety of independents, including…get this, up to 9 on tap. Believe it, The Stave will source a couple of casks a month and make them available on tap, unfiltered, and cask strength.  The menu will also have a deep selection of craft distillery efforts and an ever-changing list of house-infused whiskies such as locally-sourced coriander infused Sazerac Rye and toasted, locally-sourced kelp infused Laphroig 10yo. Cocktails will be given the royal treatment with an equal amount of attention paid to pre-prohibition classics and exciting new concoctions. Indeed, in the back of the bar, near the restrooms, there will be a first edition copy of the Savoy Cocktail Manual in an archival case. Before opening each day, a white-gloved employee will turn a single page of the book so fans can eventually catch a glimpse of the whole thing. Needless to say, the classic cocktails will be expertly made and delicious, but it’s the unique house cocktails that are going to garner the most attention. For example there’s the Hirohito, ginger-infused Yamazaki 12yo with futsuu-shu sake, house-made, locally-sourced blood orange syrup and a garnish of salmon roe. Then there’s the Pickled Liver, foie gras infused Famous Grouse, Elderflower liquor, house-made, locally-sourced black truffle bitters, and a Sauternes rinse. Or there’s the Hunt-the-Gowk, Talisker 10yo, Anchor Porter, house-made, locally-sourced maple syrup, and a poached egg…

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