Infectious Charm. Devastating Wit. Below Average Looks.
One of the unfortunate side effects of traversing through the whisky world for any good number of years is the inevitable boredom that ensues whether through plain snobbery or palate development over time. Your very first positive experience with a once trusted dram may have been nothing short of astonishing when you were a whisky... Continue Reading →
Newcomers to the whisky scene should consider themselves lucky these days. If you’re into a diverse selection and variety of whisky styles on the shelf, then my fine friend, it’s a good time to be a whisky fan. Purists will always have their standard Kentucky Straights or simple Scottish barley malts, but producers like to... Continue Reading →
Disclaimer: Rejoice, for this whisky review by the ever useful SWC will NOT mention the boring as hell factoid that Ardbeg Corryvrecken is named after the world’s third largest whirlpool. No one needs to drink from a tall, warm glass full of NoOneCares anyway. We’re helpful like that. Ardbeg Distillery, at the time of this... Continue Reading →
Warning: today’s write up is going to contain much whisky geekery, a bit of a departure from our normal, more approachable style. Just go with it. Revel in it. Ardbeg Distillery enjoys a strong and devoted following from the world of whisky enthusiasts. Their fans will buy anything they release at any price. But even the fans... Continue Reading →
The Peaty Paradox. That’s what they call it. The paradox is simply the strange mix of smoke and sweet mingled together in the glass as you smell and sip. The degree to which the producer is able to distill and develop the proper ratio of these contrary flavors determines the success of their peated malt. But... Continue Reading →
Have you ever looked at your bottles and been in the mood for something a bit decadent on the tongue? If so, Compass Box's "Hedonism" is worth the consideration. While this is a blended grain scotch whisky, the label is chock full of information normally displayed on a premium malt whisky. Let's consider what this... Continue Reading →
The market is a cruel, cold lady to any new startup. She’s especially unkind to the startup distillery. So you want to offer your two year old whisk(e)y that no one has heard of for $50.00 when they could grab another three times as aged for half as much? Lot’s of luck, ace. Here’s a stat... Continue Reading →
The Glass Case. You’re allowed to look, but never touch. You’ll never be able to afford those bottles, so why get yourself worked up? Just keep moving along to your bottle of Old Crow in the back next to Early Times and give the cashier your ten bucks and go home. The rich dentists laugh... Continue Reading →
There are some disturbingly silly whisky descriptors out there. For example, I have read in more than a few reviews the aroma/taste of “wet rock.” What’s even more silly is that I have tried since then to smell wet rocks when I find them. Sometimes I get something, most other times I don’t. But at... Continue Reading →
During the early 1960’s, blended Scotch was dominant. It is still dominant, but back then there was no single malt market to speak of. The Grant Family, owners of Glenfiddich, decided to hold back a portion of their stocks otherwise destined to feed the monster of blends. Single malt was thought of at the time as too... Continue Reading →
As a global brand since the early 50’s, Chivas Regal has secured a healthy market share envied by most brands, I imagine. Available in virtually ever bar, store and perhaps a few cabinets, it can be confidently expected that one develops an opinion early on concerning Chivas Regal 12. And it can be expected with... Continue Reading →
On the same night of our Shackleton whisky tasting, we sampled, not coincidentally, Glenmorangie Finealta, a new Private Edition from Dr. Bill Lumsden, Head of Distilling and Whisky Creation for the Glenmorangie Group. The reason for pairing Finealta with the famed Mackinlay’s was simply because it is recreation of an old whisky recipe found from 1903 (bottled... Continue Reading →
My fascination with Ernest Shackleton and the Heroic Age of Arctic Exploration began in an IMAX theater. A group of friends and I stumbled upon one of the few IMAX theaters at the time in the Mall of America. We all wanted to experience the famed 90 foot screen, but simply needed to pick a movie. One selection that stood out was a documentary on... Continue Reading →
You see folks, the world of Single Malt is a rather small one. The market’s insatiable appetite for blends devours roughly 90% of all whisky production for the numerous brands. The 10% remaining is bottled as the noble Single Malt. We don’t take a certain side one way or the other when it comes to Malt vs.... Continue Reading →
One of the many reasons why we love whisky is the care required to produce it. Not only are we impressed with the process but even more with how long it takes to make this stuff. From grain to barrel you are looking at most a week, depending on your process. Distillers would love to... Continue Reading →
A curious new Scotch drinker stumbles into a local liquor store. He isn't quite educated on all the different regions, flavor profiles or even brand names. A few of the bottles have this peculiar phrase on the label: Islay Single Malt. Sounds interesting, he thinks. He proudly slaps down the cash, the store clerk asks... Continue Reading →
Scotch blends tend to get less credit than they deserve. In fact, any zealous disciple in the Church of the Single Malt wouldn’t be caught dead with his lips to a glass of blended Scotch. One of the chief causes of this bias is the fact that blended Scotch uses a large amount of column... Continue Reading →
Lagavulin 16yr Old Single Malt Scotch is a bit of a milestone whisky for the club. We wouldn't even come near this bottle a year ago, but not just because it's a heavily peated malt whisky. Whiskies like Lagavulin need to be taken seriously in order to be understood due to the complexity behind the thick smokiness (whiskies like this... Continue Reading →
The Isle of Jura is a very curious place. This Scottish island is but a mere 34x7 miles with a bustling population of 225 inhabitants. It is even said that the deer outnumber the humans on this lonely isle. There is only one road on Jura but also only one distillery which produces our whisky reviewed... Continue Reading →
Spokane Whiskey Club 