Distilleries S – DramWorlds

September 17, 2021September 17, 2021

Longrow (Springbank) Red Pinot Noir, 11yo (2019)

*Rating*	24.4/40
*Origin*	Scotland, Campbeltown,
*Distillery*	Longrow (Springbank)
*Owner*	J&A Mitchell & Company
*Series*	Red
*Edition*	Pinot Noir
*Style*	Single Malt
*Peated*	Yes
*Cask*	Pinot Noir
*Bottled*	January 7th, 2019
*Bottles*	9,000
*Strength*	53.1% (106.2 Proof)

Another one in the long running series of red wine aged small batch releases of Springbank’s peated single malt, the Longrow. Always unique, often tasty and always highly anticipated, at least by yours truly, I’m glad to try another one of these peated pearls.

Nose: The nose is definitely “red”, whatever that descriptor means. Knowing there is wine involved makes those notes apparent but I’m curious if I would have detected them in a blind tasting. If I try to dismiss any preconceived notions from my mind, I end up with Haribo fruit gummy candies hanging out in a cigar lounge. Except nobody is actually smoking because they’re all busy eating cherry pies at the moment. There’s stuff I like and stuff I don’t like. This one’s a bit hard to nail down points-wise. (6.8/10)

Palate: Thick, goopy cherry-pie effluent and splinters of dark wood. And I wish all of it would come to life more. Not sure why this stuff is refusing to blow up. There’s a sizzling heat emerging after each sip that seems to burn off all of those rather nice flavors too quickly until the last of them evaporates the moment it goes down. It’s kind of a shame really. This palate is its own worst enemy. This is what it must feel like to have a child of great promise which proceeds to turn into a petty thief. (6.1/10)

Finish: A lonesome ghost of slightly bitter flavor and some residual warmth in the upper chest is all that’s left after everything else quickly evaporates. That and a mild sugary coating on the back of the tongue. Definitely a bit of a let down this one. I really expected more. (5.6/10)

Balance: I dunno… I usually really like the Longrow Red releases but this one is subpar on all fronts. Somehow, despite its relative strength, it seems to lack the substance to assert and maintain the nice flavors it hints at. You open a cage at the zoo but instead of a roaring lion you get a disinterested shabby looking racoon. A bit of a bummer. But luckily also a bit of an exception in the series. At least I hope it’s not a harbinger of future doom. (5.9/10)

May 28, 2021May 28, 2021

Springbank K&L Excl. Sovereign, 22yo, 1995/2018

*Rating*	37.5/40
*Origin*	Scotland, Campbeltown
*Distillery*	Springbank
*Owner*	Mitchell Family
*Distilled*	December 1995
*Bottler*	Hunter Laing & Company
*Series*	The Sovereign
*Style*	Single Barrel Single Malt Whisky
*Cask*	Refill Hogshead HL15295
*Bottled*	May 2018
*Bottles*	108
*Strength*	52.5% (105 Proof)
Retailer	K&L Wine Merchants

I have not acquired this one for myself but thanks to a generous friend (thanks IFLS!) I’ve been lucky enough to get to try this amazing whisky. There was a reason I had not purchased it myself. It’s just not what I usually go for. And, while being right about that evaluation, I was also utterly wrong about not getting any of it. File this one under R for regret. What a stunning expression of Springbank!

Nose: Linen sheets, still warm, fresh out of the dryer after having been washed with meadow flower scented detergent. The pages of old, heavily used books that haven’t pulled out of a tightly packed shelf in a long time. Lemon zest arches far above a slow river of mild honey. My only complaint is that I desperately want to turn up the volume. (8.5/10)

Palate: Can you extract liquid from the pages of an old book? It’s very dry, almost dusty, but underneath all of it there is that quiet slow river of honey again, which at the end, subsumes all the other stuff, except the bright flurry of dust above it all, sparkling in the light of a reading lamp. This is not at all in my general ballpark. But, holy crap, it is amazing! A whisky to stay with, pay attention to, sink into like when one is getting lost in the stories found inside an old, well-read book. (9.5/10)

Finish: At first, after coming back up from the mysterious depths of this book, there is just this coating of honey, left behind by that river. My tongue is rough from all the dry, ancient paper. There is gentle yet deep and rich, dusty smoke permeating my throat and chest. And then, for a time, the lemon zest shows up again, albeit in a rehydrated form of blended lemon zest and juice. Just wonderful. After a long time a single fruit emerges under the roof of my palate and it is… a plum! (10/10)

Balance: This is… so unexpected. None of this is what I typically look for. It is not loud but it is powerful. Best enjoyed alone. Let this envelope you and permeate you undisturbed and in silence. I suspect one might miss most or all it has to offer if surrounded by a crowd. Wow. (9.5 /10)

February 27, 2020May 7, 2021

Savage & Cooke “The Burning Chair” E-Ville Wine & Spirits Exclusive, Barrel #35, 4yo, 2017

*Rating*	31.5/40
*Origin*	USA
*Distillery*	Savage & Cooke
*Series*	The Burning Chair
*Style*	Single Barrel Finished Bourbon
*Cask*	New Charred American Oak, 90% Grenache + 10% Cabernet Finish in Barrel #35
*Bottled*	2017
*Strength*	44% (88 Proof)
*Retailer*	E-Ville Wine & Spirits

This release of David Phinney’s “Burning Chair” Bourbon was finished in a single barrel seasoned with a mix of 90% Grenache and 10% Cabernet from David’s wine projects. It was exclusively bottled for E-Ville Spirits & Wine in Upper NY. The mash bill is 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley.

Nose: The wine doesn’t give itself away here at all. Instead it presents a deep, mellow Bourbon nose with a hint of Japanese cedar bath salts and a sweet… something… that slowly rises to the top. Some kind of berry flavored candy perhaps? Maybe that’s the wine making itself heard after all. The mildly intrusive sweetness knocks a half point off of what is otherwise a great nose just because it displaces some other stuff I really like. (7.5/10)

Palate: One day a nice Bourbon decided to take a long and relaxing bath in a welcoming tub filled to the top with friendly red wine. The whole bathtub has been placed in your mouth which, presumably, is why you’re perceiving the Bourbon as floating somewhere in the center while the periphery is all wine. The sweetness of either compliments that of the other quite well. This makes for a very smooth and relaxing experience. Like taking a nice bath. This is great stuff and I find that I don’t want to swallow it quickly. (9.0/10)

Finish: The back-end definitely feels a little underpowered after the great palate though it does just about manage to reach the mid-chest point. Mild flavors gently spread themselves around and faintly glow on every breath. I wish it was a little more potent back here but, still, it’s all very pleasant in the end. (8.0/10)

Balance: I prefer when the flaws of a whisky manifest themselves up front so that the last part of the experience is the best. Here unfortunately there’s a bit of a downhill slope in the experience with the relative weakness of the finish which leaves me wistfully contemplating the amazing palate. (7.0/10)

July 17, 2019January 23, 2020

Starward Nova, 2yo

*Rating*	32/40
*Origin*	Australia
*Distillery*	Starward
*Style*	Single Malt Whisky
*Cask*	Australian Red Wine Casks
*Strength*	41% (82 proof)
Price	$45-90

Nose: Dark fruit, cherries and strawberries leading earthier wine notes. (8/10)

Palate: The wine influence comes to the fore and mixes into a batch of cookie dough. (8/10)

Finish: A mixture of wine and orange with hints of baking spices. It leaves a kind of gummy bear coating. (8/10)

Balance: This is surprisingly good for such a youngster but it needs a lot of time in the glass to get a hold of all its parts and assemble them into something presentable. Water makes a shambles of it all. (8/10)

January 31, 2018January 23, 2020

Springbank Bourbon Wood, 14yo, 2002/2017

Springbank Bourbon Cask, 2002/2017, 14yo., close-up

*Rating*	34/40
*Origin*	Scotland, Campeltown
*Distillery*	Springbank
*Distilled*	November 2002
*Style*	Small Batch Single Malt Whisky
*Cask*	Fresh and Refill Bourbon Barrels
*Bottled*	August 2017
*Bottles*	9000
*Strength*	55.8% (111.6 proof)
Price	$115-150

Nose: Plums and peaches. (9/10)

Palate: Delicious alcohol-soaked peach slices served on a wooden cutting board. (9/10)

Finish: One is first left with just a few acerbic notes but then, eventually, fruity echoes rise followed by a deep warmth. This takes serious time to develop though. (9/10)

Balance: I’m dinging it on the balance because the finish sure takes some time to sort itself out. But, hoo boy, is it awesome when it finally does! (7/10)