The Short List - Whiskey We're Drinking Now
"I drink (champagne) when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it -- unless I'm thirsty." L. Bollinger
What she said. But for whiskey.
I used to fall into the camp of whiskey in the winter, gin as it gets warmer and derivative cocktails whenever. As it turns out, I prefer whiskey. Weather is irrelevant. I guess within this realm, I usually keep the peaty stuff for winter. There's nothing quite like a smokey Islay malt with a hint of sweetness, and traces of salt air, as you lounge in front of the fireplace. But it also turns out it's not bad alongside a fire pit on a summer evening either.
We're living in crazy times, I don't think anyone would fault you consuming more than usual these days, be it due to anxiety surrounding the current state of affairs, increased downtime, lack of escaping your home office, or you just plain enjoy it (we're not here to judge). A few selections we thought you should be in the know about.
This bottle is stellar. So much so, my wife has been pouring more from it than me. Quick back story, we previously finished our last bottle and went to pick up another. They were sold out. I asked the manager when they were getting more in and she said it would be a while, but they'd give us a call - that was two years ago. Needless to say, we're stocked up this time around. Glendronach is a 200 year old distillery in the Highland region of Scotland and their releases are superb. They also apparently have lower output than some of the more well known "Glens". The Revival is an absolutely gorgeous malt and punches way above its belt for an $80 price tag. The marriage of Pedro Ximenez casks (sweet and fruity) and Oloroso sherry casks (dry and nutty) is incredible. Each sip is round and has an incredible depth of flavor. I could give you tasting notes, but let's be honest, you don't care (and you won't). Trust us on this one.
If you've never heard of Bunnahabhain, we can't fault you. It's a mouthful and tough to pronounce (Boo-na-HAV-uhn). Despite that, they are an absolutely tremendous distillery from the Islay region with some amazing expressions. Unlike most of their Islay brethren (Laphroaig, Ardberg, Bruichladdich), they aren't as heavy on the peat, but what you lack in smoke you gain a salty sweetness to their malts, making this a great "gateway" bottle to these styles. We love almost everything we've tried from them. The 12 year is a great all around whiskey and very reasonably priced at $50 or so. This Eirigh Na Greine ($75) is finished in red wine casks, adding some sweet spice to layers of sea salt and hints of smoke. If you're polishing off some barbecue, or anything else from the grill, we can't think of a better way to be food comatose in your backyard.
The first time I tried Kavalan was their single malt expression and I wanted to like it so badly (they're a Taiwanese distillery, so I'd be making my mom proud). Honestly, it was really underwhelming. Very flat, not much to keep you guessing. Kavalan is a newer distillery which was opened in 2005, so maybe this could be chalked up to them figuring out the kinks. I've since tried a few of their Solist series (bourbon cask is excellent) and this Moscatel (sherry) cask ($400) is exceptional. Lots of toffee and caramelized fruits with some chocolate on the back end. Every glass from this bottle is a treat, really sad it's running low. While $400 might be on the steeper end (we get it, it still tastes like whiskey), I think prices for this bottle aren't going down anytime soon.
If you've never heard of Balvenie, we're not sure what to tell you other than go pick up a bottle, any bottle. This Speyside distiller has one of the best lineups, start to finish, of any producer today. Their entry level 12 year double wood is a great, approachable option for those starting to explore, their 21 year old portwood might be one of my favorite bottles (like sipping on caramel). The Tun series (I think we're up to batch 9 or 10) is a greatest hits collection of the Malt Master David Stewart's favorite casks. At around $500, we hate to use the term value, but I don't know what else to call it. This bottle can hang with expressions 3-4 times the price and boasts an incredible mix of jammy citrus, spice, honey, dark chocolate - an absolute masterpiece. If you can find a bottle I would definitely jump on it.
For those of you who thought we'd leave the Americans off this list, think again. Manatawny Still Works located 45 min outside of Philly has a collaborative relationship with Sly Fox brewing next door and has a few interesting releases. The Bottled in Bond ($70) is a great balance of vanilla, orange peels and notes of cherries on the finish. Really good structure and depth for a four year old whiskey, and truly exceptional for a very reasonable price.
Hudson might also fall into the Balvenie camp of notoriety as at this point, you probably should have heard of them, but that's for good reason. Their lineup is incredibly strong and if I had to stick to one American whiskey producer, it would be Hudson. Besides that, we're in love with their Baby Bourbon ($40). It has a great heat to it (enough to remind you you're still drinking liquor) and plenty of marzipan. While great on its own, it's also our favorite Old Fashioned and swaps the rye for a great Vieux Carré (recipes below). Hudson is near and dear to our hearts as Jeffrey Scott recently partnered with Hudson to produce a 3 episode series discussing the synergy between whiskey and custom suits - Check them out here
What are you guys drinking? What should we try next? Send us something to work with!
Our Signature Recipe:
The JS Old Fashioned (for exceptional results, as with any cocktail, measure)
- 2 oz. Hudson Baby Bourbon
- 1 bar spoon Microbrew Tea Co. Smokey Hot Honey
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
Orange twist (you can add the pulp or cherries if you'd like, but we feel they cloud the issue)
Stir together and serve with ice (preferably a large cube)
Our Current Favorite Cocktail:
Vieux Carré (boozy, sweet, bitter, smooth perfection)
- 3/4 oz. Hudson Baby Bourbon or Hudson Manhattan Rye
- 3/4 oz. Cognac
- 3/4 oz. Sweet Vermouth 4 dashes Angostura bitters
2 tsp. Benedictine
Stir together with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon peel.
CHEERS,
B.C. Short Lifestyle Editor