All posts by Mark Buchholtz

Whisky of the Month

Bunnahabhain 44 Year Old

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Hands down this was our best year as a club and we are going to celebrate the fruits of our labours with the oldest and possibly rarest expression we have ever shared together. What a way for us to share in the 17 Year anniversary of Expensive Taste KW whisky club.

Bunnahabin 44 Year Old

Single Malts of Scotland – Directors Special

42.4% ABV

$1865.00 (Private collection)

Bottled from a Single Cask (Sherry butt).

Producer Tasting Notes:

Nose: 

At first a fruity mix of plum wine, caramel cake spread with quince jam, marshmallows and bubblegum. Chunky gingerbread, fresh out of the oven, is served with a cup of cardamom tea. Elegant wildflowers – daisy and meadowsweet – decorate the scene.

Palate: 

Juicy texture, with soft florals and fresh peppermint leaves followed by damp staves of oak, like barrels of Armagnac resting in a cellar. Fruity tangerine, heather honey and mango play with more austere flavours of tobacco and rooibos tea. Exceptionally complex.

Finish: 

Layered and lengthy, with rounded menthol notes, soft liquorice and dusty wood panels adding accent to the finish.

This was the crown jewel tasting bottle from our 17 Year club anniversary tasting in January. Simply I am at a loss for words to describe the “WOW” factor of this Bunnahabhain 44 year. This was independently bottled by the Single Malts of Scotland group and was sourced from one of our member private collections. By far the oldest expression we have had a club and certainly one of the best in terms of overall flavour and deliciousness. There was still plenty of the normal “Bunna” notes backed by varying layers of sweetness. Was bottled under their traditional 46% ABV, but that did not take away anything from the intensity of the flavours. A potentially dangerous whisky that you would want to have multiple drams of it, but we were limited to just over 1 oz. each as we shared it with our 19 members. The overall feedback was great and we were certainly blown away with the most prestigious and rare bottling we have ever tried as a club. Long live the “Bunna” in all it’s 44 Years of glory!

Whisky of the Month

Glenmorangie Signet Reserve

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This one was actually acquired from the LCBO and was a last minute addition to the evenings tasting menu and a polar opposite from the Ardbeg Y2K that will be sure to appeal to those with a love of Highland spirits. There is certainly some love amongst the club membership for previous releases of Glenmorangie’s Signet, so this one caught the eye and it fit into our budget for the anniversary tasting party.

LCBO: 46% ABV

$715.00

Inspired by a winsome cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee, Signet Reserve is distilled from a chocolate malt(a heavily toasted barley malt) that imparts espresso, tiramisu and bitter dark chocolate notes ageing in Sherry, bourbon and new oak barrels adds butterscotch, vanilla and spice notes.

Tasting Notes by The Producer:

Nose

Deep and powerful aromas. Dark chocolate sponge cake and intense espresso coffee. As the nose develops, more coffee and chocolate flavours mix with hazelnut cream, orange zest and muscovado sugar.

Palate

A big mouthcoating whisky with a texture that coats the tastebuds from the first sip. Chocolate truffles, toffee, treacle and fudge. Then notes of Turkish coffee and roasted coffee beans. Some toasted cinnamon emerges mixing with orange oil, citrus, milk chocolate raisins, then raspberry.

Finish

Incredibly complex flavours of coffee and chocolate develop in the lengthy finish. More creamy toffee eventually finishes in the familiar flavour of tiramisu.

In the order of tasting we did this one last out of the 3 anniversary tasting bottles this month. I would categorize this as a “dessert whisky”, something akin to an aperitif. Still a fantastic overall tasting experience and happy to have explored this one. The consensus with the club members though was that we had a hard time differentiating why this one was pretty much double the cost of a regular bottling of Glenmorangie Signet. While delightful to the palate and a great finisher for this evenings tasting lineup we were left scratching our heads as to why we didn’t just go for a normal Signet as opposed to the reserve version. Certainly worth a try, however the bang for the buck proposition, just does not add up at the price point.

Whisky of the Month

Ardbeg Y2K 23 Year Old

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Also known as the “Millenium Spirit”

“A glitch in the Ardware”, reads the inside of the box. Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K is a series of limited releases of whiskies distilled in the year 2000. Each one will represent a different side of the distillery, with no two whiskies alike. Ardbeg Vintage_Y2K 23 is a single malt Islay Scotch whisky matured in oloroso and bourbon casks for 23 years.

Bottled at 46% ABV.

Notes from Ardbeg:

Nose:

Herbal, sweet and fragrant with subtle perfumed smokiness. Zesty lemon balsam, linseed oil and walnuts a touch of water and the flavour intensifies emitting Heather honey a touch of creosote(bitter and oily like turpentine) and a tiny trace of tent canvas.

Palate:

The texture is fizzy with a real effervescence on the tongue. At first the flavour is intensely sweet then shifts as aniseed(licorice), toffee, digestive biscuits, peppermint, menthol, tar and coffee grits 

Finish:

The sooty/Tarry flavours keep building until they finally dissolve into a long lingering aftertaste of antiseptic lozenges, bitter oranges and oak tannins.

This was such a preculiar whisky, anything that states a touch of tent canvas in the nosing notes might scare someone off on this expression. However it was a fantastic overall 23 Year Old whisky with an amazing backtory from Arbeg as they laid down spirit back prior to the hoopla about the the Y2K bug back prior to the calendar turning tto 2000. This expression was released a few years back but we were able to secure one from one of our members private collections. Thank you for the suggestion and would highly recommend you try this one out should the opportunity present itself.

Whisky of the Month

Compass Box Flaming Heart 2018 Limited Edition

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48.9%

700ml

The 6th edition of Flaming Heart a blended whisky using Clynesh, Deanston, Caol Ila and other malts matured in ex-bourbon cask

Nose: Coastal air and fiery peat with hints of honey and vanilla

Palate: Smokiness, dried spices and raisins.

Finish: Orange and clove

Once again Compass Box does not disappoint with this superb blend. Certainly warm but not over powering. The finish was clean and left you looking for another sip right away. What a great dram to combat the lingering coldness of a late November evening in Canada.

Cheers to all!

Whisky of the Month

Dewars Double Double 21 Year Old Mizunara

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46%

750ml

$199.70

Named double double for its 4 stage ageing process while finishing in Mizunara casks from master blender Stephanie Macleod. Not noted what is blended other than single malt and single grain whiskies but Dewars owns Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigallechie, Macduff and Royal Brackala single malt brands.

Light golden amber colour with sturdy legs and  excellent viscosity.

Nose: Tropical Bananas, nutmeg, green apple and candied ginger.

Palate: Smooth with sharp green apple, pears, dried figs and hints of oak.

Finish: Sweet long and subtle finish

Whisky of the Month

Royal Salute 21 year Miami Polo Edition

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This months theme was inspired by members of the Expensive Taste club, 20 different personalities(maybe 40 if we really counted), 20 different tastes, an eclectic group of people with a common enjoyment for fine whisky! A perfectly unique blend of fine folks.

The original thought was to have a blind tasting to showcase quality blended whiskies at an affordable price but, in true Expensive Taste fashion the selection for the month has evolved into three higher end and pricey blended malts sourced from 3 different bottlers and with this wide range there is sure to be something for everyone.

As always we look forward to seeing everyone for what is sure to be a great wrap to 2024!

40% ABV

700ml

LCBO

$272.50

This is the sixth edition in the Royal Salute Polo series, fully finished in first-fill Rye and first-fill Bourbon casks a first for Royal Salute! This nod to the vibrant city of Miami reveals aromas of vanilla, coconut and subtle spice with a rich, smooth feel in the mouth. Stylized and distinct pink ceramic bottle is unique and eye catching on any bar or cabinet display. Can’t confirm but typical whiskies used to blend are: Strathisla, Longmorn, Glen Keith, Caperdonich.

Whisky of the Month

Miyagikyo Aromatic Yeast: Nikka Discovery

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Miyagikyo Aromatic Yeast

47%

700ml

$279.95 (LCBO)

Medium and Herbal

Fruit aromas of Peach and Apricot

Pepper, spices, Tomato Leaf….haven’t heard that one before

From the Distillery:

After the remarkable Miyagikyo Single Malt Peated launched in 2021, the magic behind this unpeated version comes from the use of yeasts that encourage the development of delicately fruity aromas and flavours. An invitation to dive quite literally into a washback in the midst of fermentation, it begins first by laying the foundations of a deeply malty character. Then, as the tasting unfolds, deliciously luscious, floral, rich and even fruity sequences interweave with one another, like dissolving transitions in a film.

COLOR: Bright gold.

NOSE: Refined, full of ardour. The very exuberant first nose (lavender, marshmallow, marsh mallow plant) is also softly liquoricey and lush (malted barley). Allowed to breathe, succulent perfumes of comté cheese, flowering meadow, and fruits (peach, pear, apricot) intensely take hold of the olfactory arena. Gradually, notes of vanilla, coconut milk and lemon meringue tart draw out the first stage of the tasting.

PALATE: Radiant, well-balanced. The full-bodied attack is at first refreshingly herbaceous (barley field, fern). Very delicately, the mid-palate then becomes wonderfully rich (brioche, leavened baguette). Next, white peaches and pears release their deliciously tangy juice onto the taste buds as acacia honey spreads voluptuously around the sides of the palate.

FINISH: Long, silky. Closely linked to the end of the palate, incredibly fresh flavours of herbal tea (sage, camomile, verbena) cross through the start of the finish. At the end of the finish, grains of salt are placed gently onto a bed of cut grass. The mentholated, very slightly empyreumatic (smoking cigar) and spicy (fresh ginger) retro-nasal olfaction gradually reveals subtle floral notes (pear tree, lily of the valley). The empty glass releases fermentation aromas.

Whisky of the Month

Yoichi Aromatic Yeast: Nikka Discovery

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This month we have a double header, a pairing of unique whiskies from the Far East coast!

Born from the Nikka distillery these two special releases are sure to be interesting shift from our usual Scottish malts.

Nikka operates several distilleries across the land of the rising sun and these 2022 single malts come from the Yoichi and Miyagiko locations. 

Through yeast experimentation over a number of years they have been able to create unique flavours instead of the traditional maturation methods used, essentially by growing and aging yeast Nikka has been able to create a variety of flavours to use in their single malt whiskey, flavours that are normally only obtained by traditional barrel aging methods.

The reviews on both of these Bottles were quite good and with a limited number of each experimental bottle available in Canada, we would have to have Zombie brain to not give them a try!

47% ABV

700ml

$279.95 (LCBO)

This rare version of the Yoichi Single malt is from the Nikka discovery series. Focusing on Aromas selected from Nikka’s vast collection of yeast the expression is partially made a batch that has aromas similar to ginjyo sake, know to be fruit and floral which is balanced by the peaty, smokiness of the original Yoichi.

Cereal, Elderflower, licorice, berries, light peat

Whisky of the Month

Tamdhu 18 Year Single Malt

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Tamdhu 18

46.8% ABV

$285.20

LCBO

Matured exclusively in Sherry oak cask

The distillery is Located in Speyside region.

Owned by Independent bottlers Ian Macleod a majority of the whisky distilled at Tamdhu that not made in Sherry casks are used for independent bottling or blends.

Not completely rare but Single malt Tamdhu are bit of a unicorn in certain markets and made in limited releases.

Nose:

Rich dark fruits with Cherry and plum, zesty citrus notes and nutty milk chocolate

Palate:

Red apples, dried fruits

Sweet spice, cinnamon and brown sugar

Finish:

Long and lingering, spiced apples and a hint of Sherry 

Whisky of the Month

Orphan Barrel: 14 year Old Single Malt from Teaininch Distillery

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From American Boutique Independent bottler Orphan Barrel, a unique company for the fact they distill their own whiskey but also seek out forgotten barrels from rare distilleries, previously they have unearthed and released a 24 year old from Port Dundas dubbed “Muckety Muck”.

I initially passed this off as a Bourbon or American whiskey because of the label, it wasn’t until I looked closely at the bottle it distinctly says “Single Malt Whisky bottled in Scotland”.  Labelled as Castle’s Curse from Orphan Barrel( story to follow).

Teaininch is typically only used in Diageo blended whiskies.

Located in the Highlands region Teaninich distillery has had a long and complicated history in the distilling business for nearly 200 years. Very rarely do you find a single malt offering from them.

Procured from: LCBO

$235.25

750ml

47.4% ABV