Christmas 2010 was a rich bounty. I received a bottle of Glenmorangie 12 year old Scotch from my brother in law Ernie ( Thanks Ernie! ), and a bottle of Macallan 18 year old from wife ( Thanks Sue! ). Sue got the gift idea of Macallan from her other brother Joe who has been a Scotch devotee for quite some time.
After Christmas Day my wife suggested a blind tasting, which included a bottle of Laphroaig 10 year old already on hand. Here are her (edited) notes from the evening’s entertainment. They are attributed to each specific Scotch Whiskey after the blind was lifted:
Labeled as A, and the first entrant, Glenmorangie 12 year old-
Me: Very smooth. Smooth start, smooth finish. No distinctive smell, maybe a hint of orange.
Sue: Less overwhelming than other Scotches. No burn.
Me: Almost like a high quality blended. Sheep Dip Scotch comes to mind.
(Comments that follow are after opening up the Glenmorangie with a thin small ice cube)
Sue: Opens up with the sliver of ice. Very good. Tastes different with ice.
Me: Tastes completely different when opened up, goes from smooth to complex. It could help take the nicotine edge off a strong cigar, like one with ligero as the filler. A "civilizing" influence.
Labeled as B, and second tasting, Laphroaig 10 year old-
From Sue’s written notes: John took a brief time out to smell and savor his win. He obviously recognized it as Laphroaig before even tasting it.
Me: Very peaty. You can tell the peat comes from an island. Strong start, smooth finish.
Sue: Smells like your clothes after you’ve spent a day burning brush. Has a certain burn to it. A bit overpowering for my taste. Opens up quite a bit with just exposure to air.
Labeled as C, and the third in the tasting, Macallan 18 year old-
Sue: Orange smell. Slightly peaty. Strong start, lingers nicely.
Me: Drinking it neat didn’t do it justice. When opened with a tiny sliver of ice, the flavor increased dramatically. Very rich flavor.
Sue: Complex, but polished.
Sue’s final Verdict on all three Scotch-Whiskeys:
Macallan- drink it neat.
Glenmorangie- drink it with ice.
Laphroaig- undrinkable
John’s final Verdict on all three Scotch-Whiskeys:
Both Macallan and Glenmorangie are best when opened up. Neat doesn’t do them justice. A small piece of ice is all that’s needed for this. Adding more water than that would be a crime. They're both excellent Scotches.
However, Laphroaig remains my favorite although it is best left to true Scotch aficionados; girly men need not apply.
-JP
"So say we all."
-Colonel Tigh, BSG
(Photo top: For Scotch drinking, I have a set of simple unadorned Stuart Crystal tumblers. I like their solid heavy feel.)
4 comments:
A fun review! I like this, re: Laphroaig... "Smells like your clothes after you’ve spent a day burning brush."
I would add, "and the fire was started with gasoline."
Amy, chicks just don’t understand Scotch Whiskey. I also edited out Sue’s Laphroaig comment, “Whoa! Is this s*** turpentine?”
Well, I tried to keep it upbeat for the public....
Very good, readable review. I can't stand reading some of the esoteric BS some reviewers dribble on about when it comes to scotch, wine and cigars...this is straigtforward. Nicely done.
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