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Top Shelf TastersRetro Christmas

Single malts, brews & 50's hors d'oeuvres!

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nas 43% abv JapanThe original Japanese malt distillery, Yamazaki was founded in 1924, and the very first still used lies in the courtyard along with some of casks that matured the first spirit. Located at the site of a famous water source where three rivers converge, this distillery is often shrouded in mist, and the warehouses sit sheltered by a bamboo forest. Unlike most Scottish distilleries, the stills at Yamazaki are all different in size and shape. This is probably because they make many different types of spirit from the same set of stills, in order to facilitate single-company blends, as there is no blending/swapping market.

Yamazaki Distiller's ReserveR Yamazaki have a long history of creating wonderful whiskies that have

been enjoyed the world over. This particular release uses a variety of casks including sherry butts and French oak.

Nose: Strawberry, cherry, Mizunara (Japanese oak).

Palate: Raspberry, white peach, touch of coconut.

Finish: Sweet vanilla, clean finish, hint of cinnamon.

92 pts

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nas 51.4% abv IslayThe Johnstons started farming at Laphroaig around 1800, and soon after messers Charles and Willie Doig were asked to do some 'work on a distillery' at Laphroaig. By 1815 Laphroaig's reputation had spread and the tax man was getting suspicious so they 'officially' established 'Johnston & Johnston' and the legend of Laphroaig had begun. Today's Laphroaig is famously peated, using malt of 35ppm phenol levels but tasting like much more. The whisky is distilled in seven stills, each unique by virtue of their unusual flat sides & base. They are all small stills and are of varying ages. The 'peat freaks' have ensured that this malt always does well at auction and official bottlings have been relatively rare. They tend to mature their whisky in ex-bourbon casks, but 2007 sees the release of some sherry cask matured whisky.

Laphroaig Cairdeas Amontillado 2014R The 2014 edition of Cairdeas is eight years old, with the first seven years in ex-

Bourbon barrels and the final year in Amontillado wine hogsheads.

Nose: Dry with a good peatiness and hints of cinnamon, ginger, lemon zest, and a subtle touch of almonds in the background.

Palate:Thick, peaty, and spicy with touches of brine, wet sand, burned driftwood, and a hint of wet leather.

Finish: Long, briny, and smoky.

90 pts

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nas 47.1% abv SpeysideRight next door to its sister distillery Glenfiddich, and owned by the Grant family which founded both distilleries. Balvenie was built next to the castle of the same name in 1892, on the back of the success of Glenfiddich. The distillery still uses some of its own malt from barley produced on the Grant family farms. Although Glenfiddich is still the market leader in terms of sales, Balvenie is generally regarded as the stronger of the two in terms of quality across the range, which include some stunning wood-finished whiskies produced long before it became fashionable to do so.

Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch #1R After nine batches of their very popular Tun 1401 series, Balvenie decided

a bigger marrying tun was needed. Tun 1509 holds four times as much liquid - ample room to marry their whisky together. This is the first batch of Balvenie's Tun 1509 single malt Scotch whisky, which is comprised of seven European oak Sherry butts and thirty-five American oak barrels, allowed to marry together for several months.

Nose: Honeyed, with elegant fruity notes. Oranges, apricot jam, some yellow raisins. A little unripe mango. Soft beeswax. Underneath is a subtle resin note, citrus blossom and old oak. Something vaguely earthy. Gentle but still in line with Tun 1401.

Palate: Orange peel at first, then nutmeg and a clear oaky side. Warming cedar oak and tobacco leaves. Soft pepper, ginger and clove. Just enough grapefruit to make it brighter again, but on the whole it feels a little thin and (bourbonny) oaky.

Finish: Long, with a subtle bitterness of rhubarb and orange peel. Still some wood spices and waxy notes.

Really good whisky again, but it doesn’t fill the footsteps of its predecessor entirely. Whereas the old Tun 1401 batches always had these round sherry elements to balance the oak, the bourbonny side of Tun 1509 simply places more focus on the wood.

90 pts

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7.4% abv ScotlandOur beer’s distinctive depth of flavour owes a debt to good fortune. In 2002 a famous whisky distiller approached us for help. They were seeking to season some of their oak casks with the sweet, malty character of a full-flavoured beer. All the previous attempts had failed. Eager to assist, we created a custom-made recipe and the resulting brew was put to bed in their barrels. Thirty days on, our beer was thrown out and the whisky went in. During its maturation, the Scotch acquired extra qualities from the beer-infused wood, resulting in a greatly admired dram and many repeats of the successful experiment.Then, months later and quite unexpectedly, our Master Brewer, Dougal, received an exciting call – this time it wasn’t the whisky getting rave reviews.Some inquisitive souls at the distillery had sampled our beer after its time in casks. We did likewise…and the taste was remarkable. It had been transformed by the oak into an unusually refined brew. Ever since that heady day we’ve dedicated ourselves to sharing the unique flavours of our oak aged beers with the world, proving that a little luck can go a long way..

Innis & Gunn "Bourbon Aged Stout" R This Innis & Gunn Red Stout has been

brewed using rye crystal malt to give it its deep ruby colour. Whitbread Golding hops complement the sweet biscuity malt with a soft hop bitterness. It was matured slowly over Bourbon-infused oak which gives it its mellow vanilla flavour and a nice warming Bourbon kick.

Innis & Gunn BourbonStoutInnis & GunnEdinburgh, Scotland Beer style: StoutRef: ratebeer.com Dec2014

Common descriptors are

oak sweetvanilla chocolate brown caramel

dark malts

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R When words don’t say enough we sometimes let our fingers do the talking. Maybe it’s kid stuff, but the sign of the goat has been used by rock stars, sports fans, celebrities & unfortunate politicians to celebrate symbolically. Open this bottle for your turn to flash the eternal gesture of high voltage rock & roll. For those about to bock, we salute you!

7.5% abv New YorkIn operation since late 2002, Southern Tier Brewing Company of Lakewood, New York, has grown to produce more than 90,000 barrels of beer annually. The hand crafted ales are now available in more than thirty States and points beyond.

Southern Tier "Goat Boy" Imperial Weizenbockp

Southern Tier Goat BoySouthern Tier BrewingCompanyLakewood, New York Beer style: Weizen BockRef: ratebeer.com Dec2014

Common descriptors are

brown sweet caramel banana darkclove bread bananas carbonation malts

fruit wheat spice yeast

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9.5% abv MarylandToday, Dave and DuClaw Brewing Company Brewmaster Jim Wagner are the masterminds behind our amazing array of craft brewed beers. Through constant innovation and testing of new recipes, combinations and ingredients, the pair have brewed more than 35 unique beers and countless variations and blends. Some are available on tap and in bottles year round, while the others rotate in and out of our lineup depending upon available ingredients, seasonal appropriateness of the style, and what we’re in the mood to drink that week.Having outgrown our original brewing facility in Bel Air, and our 2nd brewery in Abingdon, MD, DuClaw Brewing Company is now housed in a large, state of the art facility on the outskirts of Ball’mer, dedicated to keeping up with the growing demand for our ever-expanding lineup of beers.

DuClaw "Brimstone" Rye Wine Style Ale R This full-bodied rye ale is built on equal

measures of smoky roasted malt and sizzling hop bitterness, accentuated by glowing embers of warm bread, dark fruit esters, and a dry, spicy rye character that smolders from your first sip to its long, lingering finish. Pop the top and relish in our...INFERNAL RYE!

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DuClaw BrimstoneDuClaw Brewing CompanyBaltimore, Maryland Beer style: Barley WineRef: ratebeer.com Dec2014

Common descriptors are

brown bread malts

dark tan rye hops spice sugar fruitsweet caramel

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Southern Tier "Goat Boy" Imperial Weizenbock

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8.7% abv MichiganThe Founders Family, a group of passionate beer enthusiasts, has grown around this simple philosophy: “We don’t brew beer for the masses. Instead, our beers are crafted for a chosen few, a small cadre of renegades and rebels who enjoy a beer that pushes the limits of what is commonly accepted as taste. In short, we make beer for people like us.

Founders "Dissenter" Imperial IPL R It’s been a dozen years since we’ve brewed a

lager—and, true to form, we’re going big with Dissenter India Pale Lager, our argument in favor of the potential for complex lagers. Brewed with a wide variety of tropical, citrus-forward hops, Dissenter clocks in at 8.7% ABV and 70 IBUs. Our ales are fermented at warm temperatures, but this lager is fermented cold, using a different kind of yeast. The longer brewing process used for lagers gives Dissenter an exceptionally clean finish, allowing you to appreciate the clear beauty of the hops as you would a well thought out, eloquent dissenting opinion. We’ll let this one speak for itself.

BEER!

Founders BackstageSeries #10: Dissenter

Imperial IPLFounders Brewing CompanyGrand Rapids, Michigan Beer style: Strong PaleLager/Imperial PilsRef: ratebeer.com Dec2014

Common descriptors are

golden white hoppy grapefruit citrushops malts pine fruit bitter fruity

orange sweet clear

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10 yr 56.3% IslayLocated in the town of the same name on the shores of Loch Indaal. The oldest existing distillery on Islay, having been legalised in 1779. It was purchased by Brian Morrison in 1963 for £117,000. Bowmore has been 100% owned by Suntory since 1994 (they purchased a 34% stake in 1989). The spirit that flows through its stills is one of the lighter of the Islay whiskies, despite using malt with a phenol content of 23 parts per million. Bowmore is notable for still having an operational floor maltings. The spirit can stand up well to fairly lengthy maturation in rich sherry casks and the highly sought after Black Bowmore is the perfect example of this. These bottles, which initially sold at around £100, are now fetching upwards of £1000 - when you can find one.

Bowmore Devil's Cask Batch IIR Nose; Smoke, sherry (duh) and caramel syrup dominate the nose and create

a diabolical background for a horde of sweet and savory notes the play. Iodine, burnt toffee, maple, strawberry preserves, leather, cinnamon and smoked ham are all running amok with a slight nutty underpinning.

Taste: Sherry and peat (really? no way) come roaring out of the glass like a bat out of hell with caramel adding some backup wails. Tobacco, a bit of oak, roasted nuts, a hint of candy like Smarties, a very mild herbal quality and a healthy dose of the darkest fruit leather Hell has to offer creates this complex and delicious Danse Macabre.

Finish: Smoke, wood, tobacco and dark fruit fade to a soft smoke that hangs around like a disembodied soul, haunting the palate long after it’s gone.

96 pts

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11 yr 52% CampbletownEvery year, the distilling apparatus at Springbank distillery in Campbeltown is cleaned out and the heavier malted Longrow is produced before reverting to Springbank again. Unlike Springbank, which is partially triple distilled, Longrow is double distilled. The whisky produced is not chill-filtered so that the whisky retains all of its flavours and mouth feel. The original Longrow distillery closed in 1896, Alfred Barnard described the distillery as the quaintest he had set eyes on, with everything done by hand. The one concession to modernity being a steam engine used to power the malt mill. Today one of the bonded warehouses is used today to house Springbank's bottling plant. Longrow originals command big prices, with an 1864 going for £7200 in 200.

Longrow Red - Cabernet Sauvingon CaskR Nose: Take your time because the first impression is Peat. Lovely, fat

succulent Peat. Then, after quite a while, Malt and Red Fruits like Cranberries and Raspberries arrive, followed by Oak, Caramel, Butterscotch, cured Bacon, Butter, Coal, Fresh Grapefruit Juice and Salted Smoked Mackerel. Some Floral tones in the background. Very complex Nose but it needs time. Don't rush it because if you do that you could easily write it off as an aggressive Peatbull!

Palate: Strong and Full delivery with Peat, Red Fruit and Red Wine, Caramel, Orange, Black Pepper, Cardamom and Cinnamon, Oak, Leather, Salt and Bitter Chocolate.

Finish: Very Long and Dry with Red Fruit, Red Wine, Peat, Charred Oak, Nuts, Menthol, Salt/Brine, Black Pepper, Smoked Bacon and light Medicinal Notes.

With a bit of water, you get a bit of extra Malt and Buttered Toast on the Nose. On the Palate the Red Wine becomes more evident. The Finish almost disappears apart from a bit of Licorice, Red Wine/Fruit and Spices. I would advise you to drink this dram neat to be able to fully enjoy all of the intended flavour combinations.

89 pts

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5 yr 64% abv IslayPronounced "brook-laddie," Bruichladdich sits close to Port Charlotte on Islay. Apart from a break in the 1920's and 1930's whisky has been produced steadily until 1983 when production ceased briefly. In 1985, the future looked bleak when the distillery's owners, Invergordon, were taken over by Whyte and Mackay who chose to focus efforts on their flagship single malts, Dalmore and Isle of Jura at the expense of Bruichladdich. Thankfully the distillery's future is brighter since its purchase by the whisky independent Murray McDavid in December 2000. Jim McEwan and his team have breathed life back into the place, with Islay's first bottling hall also now installed. The whisky produced by Bruichladdich was traditionally one of the least peaty of the Islay malts, although ironically it is rated as the islanders' favourite. In the future we will see different whiskies from these stills: the traditional unpeated, the 40ppm Port Charlotte, the monstrous 82ppm Octomore, a triple- and even quadruple-distilled spirit, an organic spirit...the list goes on.

Octomore 6.3 @258ppmR Octomore is back! The 6.3 release is the first to have been made using only

barley from the Isle of Islay and it is the most heavily peated Octomore (and perhaps whisky in general) ever- it has been smoked to a whopping 258ppm!

Nose: It opens on the call of the sea, waves thundering onto the west coast the wind sending a mist onto the moorland tempting the wild plants to release their unique aromas, notes of myrtle, meadowsweet, mint and heather flower, wild thyme and red clover. They in turn dance in perfect harmony with the strong, uplifting peatiness of the Islay grown barley, it’s exhilarating. It’s seriously dramatic and that’s only the beginning.

Palate: When the heat of the peat fires cool there is a spontaneous detonation of soft red grapes/cherries, Russian toffee, bitter chocolate, maple syrup and mellow oak. It’s a taste like no other, this is whisky cut loose, unhindered, unchanged, its sorcery.

Finish: It is long & strong. Warming the soul & lifting the heart, bringing back memories of the early years when men’s sweat instilled a unique character to the spirit. Today that DNA continues; join us as we look to the past while we journey into the future. After years of chasing and years of searching I have found the rainbow’s end.

Comment: The flavours just keep evolving to the point where its driving you crazy with joy and you just want to tell the world what is happening, relax and keep it to yourself it’s not for sharing and when the glass is empty you will be the ultimate warrior.

91 pts

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MerryChristmas