New whisky in new whisky glasses - Bunnahabhain 24 by Vom Fass

It's been a long while since I talked about the Yamazaki 18, and today's whisky is older, and a little more adventurous - we'll be venturing into small batches by an independent bottler that isn't a major player in the world whisky market, but has a good, solid spirits business going on.

Vom Fass bottles a fair amount of whisky independently, and they source their whiskies from pretty good distilleries - close collaborations with distillers and distilleries gives them access to some pretty good stuff, such as two whiskies hand-selected by the Teeling brothers that are now part of Vom Fass's range of whiskies that they vat and bottle themselves. Much of it is pretty young, but a couple, like this one tonight, are fairly old.

Bunnahabhain 24, bottled by Vom Fass (abv 41%)

The occasion for opening a new, old bottle? Well, the Norlan Whisky glasses have arrived. They received a lot of attention from whisky aficiandos when the project was announced on kickstarter, and it has taken off pretty well. I'm glad to have gotten my hand on a set of two (thanks EP!), and I'm gonna test these new glasses by pouring myself a dram of this Bunnahabhain 24.

First, can I comment on how nicely the whisky sits in the glass? The glass is handcrafted, so it is slightly asymmetrical. But that's alright - we don't want uniform soulless glasses, right? 

Norlan marketed this glass by emphasizing on the double layered glass that gives it an ergonomic grip, yet delivers a good nosing experience. A cross between the old fashioned and the Glencairn glass, basically. The grip is good, and the double layer glass is visually pleasing. I think the glass is hollow between the two layers.

What makes it special are the 4 ridges at the bottom of the glass that are supposed to help with scent delivery when the whisky is swirled, as they disrupt the swirling motion. I think this works - scent delivery was pretty good, though it may not be as good for those whisky tasters who like to look out for the "necklace" or waterline that the whisky leaves on the glass when swirled - the disruption to the swirling leaves a more uneven line.

For more about the glass, go check out http://www.norlanglass.com/

On to the tasting...

Colour - The label says copper, but I think this is closer to gold.

Nose - As advertised, a fruit salad. With vanilla/yogurt/mayonnaise dressing. The fruits...I'm getting kiwis (a little citrusy), mangoes, honey dew, and maybe some grapes. Some hints of charred oak as well. Mm. Yes, the fruit salad dressing is very prominent on this, in a pleasant way.

Palate - Very fruity on entry - mangoes and oranges, and more of that fruit salad dressing. Oak then takes over, with some gentle but present smoke. Light wood-spice. With time, the wood becomes more prominent, and this starts to taste a little like the air in a carpentry, in a nice way. Freshly sawn wood, I think. The texture is very smooth, which is to be expected given its age. Some butterscotch and vanilla, though this is more of an un-intrusive backdrop behind the wood. After sitting in the glass, some salt and oranges too. Good development!

Finish - Lasts on oak, wood spice, something that feels like varnished wood. A little fruit - a slightly tangy mango, perhaps, though you've got to search for it. Slightly salty twang as well.

Overall - Fairly pleased with this old Bunnahabhain. An unpeated Islay that shows what smoke and fruit can do when combined properly together. This is quite big on fruits, but it combines well with wood and spice. My only gripe is that the oak starts to become quite assertive if you hold the whisky on the tongue, but it doesn't over-dominate the rest of the palate. I would have liked more complex explosion of fruits. Nonetheless, good whisky, this. I think it holds a candle to the Bunnahabhain 18 very well, displaying what Bunnahabhain is about. Maybe a slightly higher strength will give it more complexity. A bit wood forward, maybe because of the cask and age, though the spirit's fruity characteristics are still fresh.

About that glass - I think the glass helps with scent delivery, but to be sure, I have to check the Norlan glass using a whisky I'm more familiar with, and perhaps do a direct comparison between the Norlan and the Glencairn using the same whisky in one sitting. That'll be fun. Which whisky will that be...That's an experiment for next time, and hopefully, that'll be soon!

National Day and a Multi-Cultural Society

Singapore celebrates its fifty-first National Day today, 9th of August, 2016. The main themes of the National Day Parade revolve around technological development, and the building of an inclusive society in future. What are the boundaries of this inclusivity? They seem to involve people of various races, religions, and the handicapped. However, the multi-cultural society approach isn't the most effective for creating a national identity, especially in a country that is constantly in flux, as population changes happen everyday, every year. How can a metropolitan city that welcomes all also be a nation-state with a strong sense of identity?

As both a country and a city, Singapore tries to keep its talent by appealing to a sense of national identity and rootedness, but wants its people to also reach out to the world and be global citizens who fly Singapore's flag. These are difficult tensions to hold together without a primordial past in which an identity can be built upon. There is only that many times you can use "Home" to generate feelings of being home. Tough task.

National Day coincides with the Olympics this year, and, there's nothing like a good sports tournament to ignite national pride, yes? Well, in Singapore, not really. Several of the sportsmen representing Singapore are naturalized citizens, and the table tennis team, in particular, has come under public scrutiny for the past decade or so. The women's table tennis team has actually been pretty successful, with players ranked in the top 10 internationally. However, most of the team are naturalized citizens from China, and this has led to some criticisms of Team Singapore's talent recruitment and development strategy. Thus, despite its recent successes, the Singapore Table Tennis team hasn't been the galvanizing force for nationalism that sports is in other countries.

And, our top seed, a naturalized citizen naturally, has lost to a player from Japan in the Quarter Finals in straight sets. Feng did not play at the standards that she is capable of, so that's a pity. What is this long preamble setting up for? Well. Japanese whisky, of course! And no slouch either...

Yamazaki 18 (abv 43%)

Colour: It camouflages well against my teak furniture. So that's teak-ish amber?

Nose: This whisky is deeply sherried, and it shows on the nose. Sultanas and raisins at first nosing, but this is a complex whisky. With a little time in the glass, some leathery notes float up, and with it comes some nice spices - the usual sherry stuff, I think. Cinnamon, cloves, and maybe a touch of lemongrass? Malty and slightly porridgey, but well within limits.

Palate: Rich sherry entry, then slight sour notes - grape skin, I think. The whisky turns a little bitter, then the oak makes a big entrance. Spices - I think cinnamon, cloves and a little bit of ginger - reminds me of the pickled ginger you get when ordering sashimi. Some menthol or eucalyptus as well. This spicy development is pretty neat. Wood tannins, and the whisky doesn't lose its malty feel. A little leathery still, which, I think, is a sign of a good sherry cask, since it is both fruity and leathery at the same time. The texture is a little drying, but on the whole, this is gentle on the tongue. The drying feel reminds me of concentrated black tea.

Finish: Ooooh. A whiff of smoke on the finish. Wood tannins, and warming spices - more clove than cinnamon. A little drying and leathery, but the long lingering spices keeps the finish fresh. Some fruitiness hangs around as well.

Overall: I really like this whisky. It's smooth, rich, complex, layered. A great balance between fruitiness, spice, and a more complex leathery and drying texture that I like in sherried whiskies. I think the finish is what pushes this up - the whiff of smoke at the end that I did not anticipate until it appears was delicious. A very pleasant surprise. That the fruitiness and spices stay till the end is really worth savouring and waiting for.

Of course, the catch with Yamazaki 18 is the price...some shops are selling this at almost $900. Madness. Complete madness. So, many, many thanks to DW's dad, who gave this to me as a gift for helping out at DW's wedding...A most generous gift... yum...Though, between this and the Hakushu 18, I think I actually prefer the Hakushu - more distinctly Japanese. This feels too much like a Speyside. A very good Speyside, but a sherried Speysider nonetheless. The Hakushu's a bit more unique.

And yes, this makes it onto the hall of fame...

Two Unrelated Malts - Hakushu Sherry Cask and Longrow C.V.

The second part of the four whiskies that were tried last Friday at Auld Alliance - the Hakushu Sherry Cask from 2013, and the Longrow C.V. Both whiskies are rather different, if that's not too much of an understatement. One is roughly 20 times the price of the other on the market nowadays, if not more. So, incommensurable drams, if not for Auld Alliance making it possible.

Hakushu Sherry Cask 2013 (48% abv)

Colour - Much darker than usual Hakushus. The sherry cask has left an indelible imprint upon the whisky. Not quite mahogany, but looks like...some kind of cognac.

Nose - Raisins, cherries, and some fresh berries. The sherry influence is rich. This smells very sweet and pleasant. Behind the sherry lies some more traditional Hakushu scents - green pine forest and clear mineral water (trust me, mineral water has a scent. I know because I can compare it with the tap water in Singapore, which contains several [helpful] chemicals). A little butterscotch richness as well, or maybe that's closer to...caramelized sugar. Mm. A nice, soft gentle oak. But while the Hakushu is still in there, the sherry is dominant. A drop or two of water should help.

Palate - Tastes very much like a standard sherried whisky at first, of the ripe and sweet oloroso variety. Ripe red fruits, very much like the nose. Raisins and berries and cherries, in that order please. The richness of the sherry covers up the Hakushu base a little, I feel. A little spicy, maybe cloves and nutmeg. Oaky tannins, without going into drying territory. This is very smooth, and rather sweet. With some time and water, the Hakushu spirit comes out a bit more. Pine and soft butterscotch notes. This is good, but I think its average age is younger than the Hakushu 18.

Finish - Medium length, with a little more spice, a little oak tannin, a bit more of that butterscotch smooth sweetness, and a bit of damp grass. Smooth, as expected.

Overall - Ok, to be honest, this is great whisky. Perhaps I would have liked it more with a stronger Hakushu presence, and a sherry overlay, but this works too. Sweet, smooth, and very well crafted. A stronger Hakushu presence would have made it awesome, as, in my opinion, Hakushu best showcases what I find to be most representative of Japanese culture and whisky. Green, fresh, complex yet subtle. The sherry treatment masks some of that a little too much, I feel. Also, the biggest sticking point with this is the price. Limited yearly release, but at prices of 3000 to 4000 in Singapore, I can buy maybe 5 to 8 great bottles of similar quality, with more distinct character. Great whisky, but not value for money. Far from it.

Longrow C.V. (46% abv)

This one is a double distilled Springbank (which is distilled 2.5 times), and, I believe, more heavily peated. Went out of production some time back. Should be good.

Colour - Fairly light gold. Not quite white wine, but close.

Nose - Mmm. The peat isn't anywhere near Ardbeg levels. Which is, in my books, good. Something that smells like...oil - slightly acrid but yet warm. Odd but comforting. Minerals, and a touch of...lemon?

Palate - The peat is a little more assertive here. Close to...cigarette ash? Let it sit for a while, and the peat retreats to reveal more lemon and lime (the stone, not the fruit). It is a little yeasty, giving it a slight sour, doughy feel. Barley sweetness if you hold it for a while.

Finish - Not long, but packs a spicy and oaky punch. Some tea tannins, from black tea, I think.

Overall - a good entry level whisky. Great introduction to Longrow, I feel. The Springbank distillate's character is there, and maybe a little "dirtier" with some darker chemicals suggested. But all's good and frankly, rather enjoyable. Great buy if you can still find it at a reasonable price.