Cadenhead Creations 1998 Batch 3 Light

$124.99

Part of the Cadenhead Creations series of higher-end Blended Scotch - This is the 3rd batch of Light Creamy Vanilla, distilled in 1998 bottled in 2017 for Cadenhead's 175th Anniversary. It is a marriage of two butts of blended whisky, blended together. It is a blend. Did I say that already?

18 Years Old - 44.6% ABV 

Producer’s Tasting Note

Nose: Vanilla, granulated sugar, shortbread, grassy and fresh.

Palate: Satsuma peel, milk chocolate, icing sugar and strawberries.

Finish: Butterscotch, sweet, long and fruity with vanilla icing.

Johnnie Walker Blue Ghost & Rare Brora

$559.99

This is a limited edition blend bottled at 46% built around malt whisky from the closed Brora distillery? Is Johnnie Walker trying to be cool again? We hope so!

We don’t normally get excited about Johnny Walker releases, but the Blue Label Ghost & Rare has us intrigued. For starters, the firm is unusually transparent about the components, and we are thrilled to see it bottled at 46%. The heart of this limited edition release is whisky from the closed (though soon to be reopened) Highland Distillery Brora. Brora has become a cult whisky over the last decade, its whiskies becoming increasingly older and rare with every passing year. The whiskies from two other closed distilleries have been incorporated into the blend, Pittyvaich and Cambus (grain). These Ghost distillery whiskies have been complimented with single malts from Clynelish, Royal Lochnagar, Glenkinchie and Glenlossie as well as grain whisky from Cameronbridge.

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: silky, creamy and tropical on the nose; buttercream icing, cinnamon butter, Manuka honey and tendrils of soft grains; melon, oranges plucked from the vine and mango salsa; leave it in the glass a while and bright berry fruits emerge.

Palate: still silky, almost ethereal, a deft marriage of malt and grain; layer upon layer of delicate flavours, silky honey, subtle floral notes and waves of fruit: melon, kiwi, mango, papaya, berry fruits and citrus; still buttery and waxy (the Brora and Clynelish showing through); the grains feel like an accent rather than the base; some subtle savoury salty tones late on the palate.

Finish: delicate but long and layered; creamy, more subtle salt and honeyed with the waves of fruit slowly fading out.

Comment: this is not Brora... but it is a beautiful blend in the vein of something we are more accustomed to seeing from Compass Box. Is Johnnie Walker cool again? this is a step in the right direction! 

Producer’s Tasting Note

Nose: On the initial nose, you get a sweet vanilla aroma with hints of demerara sugar and salted caramel but this soon fades into delicate fresh fruit citrus notes with just a trace of hazelnuts and spice. Finally, the richness of berry fruits comes to the fore with a touch of oak and toffee.

Palate: From the beginning the flavor gives you the impression of richness and elegance –smooth and creamy. On the palate like the aroma the brown sugar sweetness slowly dissipates revealing dried apricots, woody spice and fragrant smoke. The finish is lingering and warming with a sweet chocolate orange aftertaste with a subtle hint of waxy apples.

Producer Description: “Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare is a rich, velvety smooth blend of eight treasured Scotch Whiskies including three "ghost" whiskies from the silent distilleries of Cambus, Pittyvaich and the Highland Single Malt, Brora, which lies at the heart of this special release bringing a deliciously light peatiness and sophisticated subtle sweetness. Johnnie Walker Master Blender, Dr. Jim Beveridge, has long been fascinated by how whiskies from a small number of iconic distilleries that closed many years ago can bring the extraordinary richness for which Johnnie Walker Blue Label luxury Scotch is known. In crafting Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare, Jim blended the three ghost whiskies with five rare expressions of malt and grains from the existing distilleries of Royal Lochnagar, Clynelish, Glenkinchie, Glenlossie and Cameronbridge. The result is a wonderfully smooth Scotch, with the fruity sweetness of pineapple, rich notes of hazelnut and dark chocolate and a subtle smoky finish.”

Nirasaki Blended Japanese Whisky

$29.99

Nirasaki is a blended Japanese Whisky. 40% ABV. 

Compass Box Delilah's XXV 25th Annv

$169.99

This is the second Blend that John Glaser has created for Delilah's, Chicago's legendary punk rock bar. The first edition was released in 2013, this second bottling has been released to commemorate their 25th Anniversary. Curiously, the whisky has been built around a remaining parcel of whisky, from the original bottling (29%). Bottled at 46%, the whisky was also created with whisky from Cameronbridge, Miltonduff, Teaninich, Craigellachie and Linkwood. 

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: creamy, enticing and floral with loads of chewy malt; doughy, savoury and quite woody: cedar sauna and singed oak; building leather, dark spices and dried fruits: raisin, apricot and prunes. 

Palate: very soft, doughy, savoury, malty and woody (but pleasantly so); notes of High School woodshop and musty old wood; licorice and fennel, oak spices and French roast coffee beans; the raisins, apricots and prunes are there with some dried cranberry and cherries; soft leather, Jujubes and a touch of chocolate to round things out.

Finish: coating, creamy and fruity; long, with the leather, fruits, oak and spices slowly fading out.

Comment: the wood is driving the flavour in this blend, and beautifully so; it is very well balanced and elegant, dangerously drinkable; the sort of malt you'd want for a punk rock show!

Producer Tasting Note

An effusive aroma of dried fruits (like dried apricots and figs), baking spices and light Sherry wine character. On the palate it’s soft and rich, with a complex sweetness in the form of vanilla and spice notes that enhance the dried fruit and Sherry character. A beautiful hybrid of American oak and Sherry oak maturation, in perfect balance, supple on the palate and delicious.

Producer Description: "To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the legendary Chicago punk rock whisky bar, Delilah's, we have once again created a limited edition Scotch whisky in collaboration with owner and whisky enthusiast, Mike Miller.

""The recipe for our second homage to Delilah’s was built around a small parcel of the original Compass Box Delilah’s blend released in 2013 - a luscious, American oak-aged whisky that we aged in cask for a further five years - with the addition of malt whisky aged in Spanish Sherry casks, also made of American oak.

"The result is a delicious Scotch whisky with notes of vanilla and spice, and rich Sherry character."

Highland Queen 30 Year Blended Scotch

$135.99

Price dropped $40 from $210 to $170.

This 30 year old Blended Scotch whisky is produced with a high malt content, 60%. The blend was married and finished for 6 months in sherry butts.

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: floral, dusty and fruity; shortbread and Scottish tablet; a hint of beeswax and vanilla icing sugar; melons, citrus and perhaps something a little more tropical; delicate and elegant.

Palate: soft, round, fruity and floral; very delicate and elegant; more shortbread (homemade) and Scottish tablet; waxy with honey, more vanilla icing sugar and building soft oak spices; more melons, oranges and yes there are more exotic tropical fruits too.

Finish: long, coating and very fruity with decadent, toasty and spicy tones slowly fading away.

Comment: this is a lovely blend, I think it could have been magnificent at a slightly higher proof; but what is here is beautiful, and dangerously drinkable.

Producer's Tasting Note

Nose: soft aromas of strawberry ice cream mingle with hints of liquorice and delicate dried spice. The addition of water reveals a glorious combination of tropical fruit laced with dark chocolate and a subtle oaky finish.

Taste: initially rich sherry flavours combining with freshly toasted tea cake which on the addition of water releases luscious flavours of chocolate coated toffee and summer fruits.

Finish: a delicate sweet cinnamon spice tingles on the tongue.

Cadenhead Creations Blend 1973

$316.49

The latest Cadenhead Creations Blend, is a 44 year old sourced from whiskies put into barrel in 1973. The whisky was bottled from a hogshead at 43.4%. Only a dozen bottles are coming to KWM.

Producer Tasting Note

Nose: Fudge, macadamia nuts, prunes, soft wood spices

Flavour: Fresh whipped cream. Dark cherries, Rye like spice.

Finish: Short crust pastry. A nice interplay between the sherry and vanilla notes

Compass Box Juveniles

$169.99

A blend created by John Glaser for one of his favourite restaurants, Juveniles Bistro a Vins. Andrew had the pleasure of attending the launch dinner on in Paris at the namesake restaurant in September. The whisky is a Blended Malt Scotch whisky bottled at 46% after maturing in a mix of Hogsheads, Re-Charred Hogsheads and Sherry Butts. The whisky hails from Strathmill, Balmenach, Glendullan and Clynelish whiskies. 

Producer Description: "For this Limited Edition,Tim asked us to create something “...bright, smooth, not smoky...an assemblage perhaps between 12 and 15 years-old...”. We’ve tried to give him all that an much more. This assemblage (we love Tim’s use of this wine word to describe whisky blending) comprises single malt whiskies from four distilleries, each bringing a distinctiveness to the whole. You’ll find notes of barley sugar, pear drop and vanilla, complemented by an ethereal underlying herbal character. It’s a whisky to be enjoyed with great food and even better company."

About Juveniles: "For over 30 years, Juveniles Bistrot a Vins in the 1st arrondissement of Paris has been a crossroads for winemakers, spirits producers, writers and various sorts of affable hedonists from all over the world. For over 30 years, Juveniles Bistrot a Vins in the 1st arrondissement of Paris has been a crossroads for winemakers, spirits producers, writers and various sorts of affable hedonists from all over the world. Compass Box & Juveniles share a similar approach to good food and drink, seeking out integrity and not taking things too seriously. Both our businesses are obsessed with quality and provenance. Both like to do things in their own way. These common traits have made Compass Box and Juveniles good friends since the very first meeting between Tim and John years ago. We have collaborated with Tim on Juveniles whiskies several times."

Compass Box Stranger & Stranger

$294.99

Stranger & Stranger has been a big part of Compass Box's marketing success over the years. To mark the 10th anniversary of their collaboration as well as Stranger & Stranger's 30th Anniversary, John has put together this special blend. It is a Scotch Malt Whisky blended with wheat and barley spirit... ahem, is it Scotch or a whisky? 46%. 4802 Bottles Worldwide!

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: sinful caramel sauce and Manuka honey leads in to big juicy citrus: Starburst fruit candies, fresh squeezed orange juice and grapefruit bitters; doughy with more exotic fruits emerging: apricots, quince paste and ripe tropical fruits; very decadent and slightly floral with soft leather, vanilla bean and caramel chews.

Palate: rich, creamy, coating and silky; still sinfully indulgent with a big, round oily and coating body; so juicy... ; more exotic and tropical fruits with bight citrus to boot; the dried apricot tones are still there with mango, papaya and waxy Starburst fruit candies; loads of floral vanilla, some soft leather and decadent crisp spices with a faint wisp of smoke. 

Finish: long, coating, creamy and elegant; fruity, layered and decadent; the finale is just as interesting and complex as the nose and palate. 

Comment: this is a brilliant spirit drink... crucially this can be called a whisky or a Scotch as 1% of the recipe is 18 month of grain spirit from the Girvan distillery matured in virgin oak; but who cares? this is yet another fine example of how innovation can come crashing up against well intentioned but misguided rules of the road; if you are someone who takes comfort in clear definitions and labels this drink is not for you; if however you are someone who puts the liquid ahead of all other concerns, look no further; this stuff is brilliant and as an added bonus, the label is another triumph! 

Producer Tasting Note:  "You’ll find aromas and flavours in this Stranger spirit that remind you of custard and dark sugars, fresh apple fruit and an appealing herbal character. It has a sweetness on the palate that will call you back to the glass, owing to just one percent of the recipe using our delicious sacrificial spirit."

Producer Description: "Some may call it sacrilege, but we thought the addition of one year old ‘sacrificial spirit’ would be the perfect component to use in our limited edition blend to celebrate ten years of collaboration with our good friends at the package design company Stranger & Stranger. In the 30 plus design projects we’ve worked on together, we typically provide a core idea and direction, but for this special project, we let Stranger & Stranger design what they liked. All I told them was we were working on a recipe incorporating some amazing one year old grain spirit we had used to season some experimental American oak barrels. We had been calling this one year old ‘sacrificial spirit’ because we didn’t know what it would be like after a year in these crazy new barrels. Turned out, it was amazing, filled with intense wood spice and exotic shades of vanilla character."

"Typical of the way we ordinarily work with Stranger & Stranger, the simple idea of a ‘sacrificial spirit’ captured their collective imagination and they used it as a springboard for the intricate and fascinating design of this limited edition. You’ll find aromas and flavours in this Stranger spirit that remind you of custard and dark sugars, fresh apple and an appealing herbal character. It has a sweetness on the palate that will call you back to the glass, owing to just one percent of the recipe using our delicious sacrificial spirit."

Compass Box Affinity

$171.99

Far be it from Compass Box to push the boundaries of whisky... this new release, Affinity, is a blend of Calvados from Normandy, with Scotch Whisky. It is a limited global release of 6,436 bottles.

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: thick caramel, manuka honey, quince paste, Breton Cider and crab apple jelly; tarte tatin and caramel apple; dried dark fruits and macerated Saskatoon and blueberries. 

Palate: thick, juicy, floral and toasty; more crab apple jelly and Breton Cider; more tarte tatin and caramel apple but with darker spice elements: clove, fennel and anise; a touch of espresso roast coffee grounds, perfume and floral vanilla.

Finish: perfumed and floral with all manner of apple notes wafting past; long creamy, decadent and spicy.

Comment: this is without question the most unusual bottling from Compass Box that I can think of, but in a pleasant way; not legally whisky or calvados, this spirit drink offers a little of both; I find Calvados too one dimensional and over the top, as a component in a spirits blend though... I think Compass Box is on to something. 

Producer Tasting Note

"Aromas reminiscent of baked apple, vanilla and clove spice.

On the palate, full and with a sweet impression. Very long in the finish, echoing the baked apple and spice notes. Lovely served neat or with an ice cube.  It makes a staggeringly delicious pairing with a classic Tarte Tatin, the upside-down caramelised apple pastry.  Or, pair it with any number of apple-based baked goods.  It is also a versatile cocktail spirit, especially for stirred drinks."

Bottling Details

• Guillaume Drouin of Domaine Christian Drouin is supplying us XO grade Calvados from his distillery in the picturesque village of Coudray-Rabut.
• Whisky: 75%, Calvados 25%
• Alcohol content: 46% by volume