The Club returned to its roots with this rare Speysider, celebrating our official 200th taster bottle (!) by duplicating the very first distillery we featured way back in 2008. Paired with a smooth Davidoff cigarillo from the Dominican to honour the occasion, this whisky delivered the party feel with hints of the tropics, along with vanilla, chocolate, warm baking spices and a touch of tobacco. This was our first taste from independent bottler La Maison du Whisky, with a great first impression from the lovely artwork on the packaging. This bottle spent 21 years in a refill sherry hogshead. 1428 bottles were released. 58% ABV. Sourced from a private collector. Congratulations ETKW on this extraordinary milestone!
Bottle #5 of our 13-year Anniversary themed event – The Far Flung Regions of Scotland. The Northern Selection:
For this aged group of dedicated ET members (13 years!) I am of solid opinion that every anniversary needs a Unicorn. The Valhalla Collection from Highland Park celebrates the Norse Gods of Freya, Loki, Thor and Odin, one released per year from 2012 to 2015. HP later released 2 additional similarly packaged bottles in 2016, Fire (celebrating Ragnarok) and Ice (celebrating the Ice Realm). We all know HP has carried on with several more bottles celebrating the northern Scottish Island of Orkney, HP’s blustery home, and its roots in Norse mythology.
Alas, the entire Valhalla collection is as yet out of reach. But even a piece of this rare collection, the few bottles of which are left in existence sitting on private collector’s shelves, was a Viking Honour to sample…
Well, what can you say about that round from DJ! Even when he started to show some cracks early on and the rest of the field responded, he just kept up the onslaught of excellent shot choices and phenomenal putting. No one really had a chance. Thanks again to all who participated and look forward to doing this again early in 2021.
Dustin Johnson had quite the strong 3rd round, got a good 4 stroke lead going into the final round tomorrow, will he hold on and will he win you this pool?? Stay tuned to find out!
This whisky is one of my personal favourites, and I wish it was mass produced so it could be on my bar at all times!
It is a most impressive dram, the colour is a wonderful pale gold. But folks, I’m hear to tell you not let the paleness fool you, because what it lacks in clout it makes up in flavour and soul. The nose of this whisky is peaches and warm brown sugar and the palate is all spice. Pepper general spice and warm citrus notes lead the way to the long warm finish. Overall 12 out of 10. – Josh C.
A double-header of Irish whiskey rounded out the end of summer for the club. A fresh tasting offering with lots of fruit, vanilla and honey, plum and cinnamon. A regular Irish crowd-pleaser, crisp and light. 46% in an ex-bourbon barrel. $175 at the LCBO.
The second of our Irish Whiskey double-header, Glendalough Single Malt Mizunara Cask was aged in a bourbon barrel and finished in a cask crafted from Japan’s mizunara oak trees. Mizunara oak is a rarity in barrel making given the difficulty inherent in working with the crooked, porous wood, as well as the fact that one of these trees has to be at least 200 years old to be considered a barrel candidate. Vanilla, stone fruit, chocolate, coconut and oaky spice make for a unique dram. “Stunning stuff from the Glendalough range” – Masterofmalt.com. “This is a rare gem among Irish whiskies” – Jonny McCormick.
