Wednesday, November 21, 2007
8000 pounds?!!
I forgot to mention that the Scottish restaurant in London had a 50 yo bottle of Glenfiddich for 8000 pounds (more than $16,000) on the menu. Can you believe any scotch, let alone a Glenfiddich, would be worth anywhere near that much? I can't.
Port Ellen -- 1979/2002 Signatory
Either my dog has been sneaking some of my scotch, or I am getting dangerously low on the Port Ellen I bought at Sam's World of Wine in Chicago. Given that I don't have a dog, I guess I am the culprit.
Here are the particulars: 1979 vintage, distilled 28 Aug 79, aged in a refill sherry butt, bottle on 25 Jun 2002 from butt no 5537, bottle number 670 of 768, 43 ABV or 86 US proof.
The color is quite light, almost like a sauvignon blanc in color. Quite pleasant and light on the nose. It tastes unlike any other Islay malt -- not especially smoky or peaty, light in fact. A little sweetness. Adding water opens up the oils, coating the tongue nicely. Becomes quite smooth. I'm having a tough time isolating the flavors, but they are pleasant. I'm reminded of the old Bowmore I had -- over 20 years of age, the Islay's seem to abate quite a bit and become very different creatures. Not better or worse, just different.
Here are the particulars: 1979 vintage, distilled 28 Aug 79, aged in a refill sherry butt, bottle on 25 Jun 2002 from butt no 5537, bottle number 670 of 768, 43 ABV or 86 US proof.
The color is quite light, almost like a sauvignon blanc in color. Quite pleasant and light on the nose. It tastes unlike any other Islay malt -- not especially smoky or peaty, light in fact. A little sweetness. Adding water opens up the oils, coating the tongue nicely. Becomes quite smooth. I'm having a tough time isolating the flavors, but they are pleasant. I'm reminded of the old Bowmore I had -- over 20 years of age, the Islay's seem to abate quite a bit and become very different creatures. Not better or worse, just different.
Italian Wines
I haven't told you about our September vacation to Italy yet -- and I won't do that just yet, but I will share with you a photo of some of the great wine we had. The Antinori in the picture is fantastic, but unfortunately extremely difficult to find in the US.
Badia a Passignano is about twenty minutes drive south of Florence at the top of a small hill. We ran into one of the Antinori tasting rooms there and tried this wine, along with the Tiagnello (also excellent, but sells for $80 a bottle for the 2004 vintage in the US) and a reserve chianti. This bottle of Badia cost, I think, about 30 Euro, or $38 dollars.
Carpineto was the only winery we actually visited and tasted their wines. We did stop in at Casa Emma, but they couldn't accomodate us because of the harvest. Carpineto has a huge german shepard guarding the door that bellows as you walk in. This bottle was our favorite of the lot, and at 8 Euro ($10 or so), a bargain to boot. Leslie was sick for the last portion of the trip, so I ended up having to drink most of the wine myself -- poverino!
The Pacchia we picked up in a small grocery store one night, while the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano I bought in a wine shop near the Ponte Vecchio after we had an excellent dinner and series of wine tastings at the Frescobaldi wine bar. Of the Frescobaldi wines, I liked the Nippozanno (available state-side for about $17 a bottle) and the Mormoreto ($40 or so).
Froo-froo Scottish Cuisine
As part of the grand adventure in London last week, we had dinner at Albannach Scottish Bar and Restaurant, which does indeed have haggis (quite good haggis, in fact), but it is not your run of the mill pub. This place becomes a dance-hall apparently on some nights. Luckily we were there on a Tuesday night. The waiters and waitresses are appropriately dressed in kilts (very short kilts for the lasses) and t-shirts. The service is good and pretty attentive (including not one, but two offers for coffee at the end of the meal!) and the food quite good. Besides the haggis, which comes as though from a ring mold, not a sheep's stomach, on a bed of potatoes and parsnips (sorry, neeps and tatties) in a whisky sauce, I had the wild bird terrine. Everyone enjoyed the food immensely. I also topped up with two whiskies:
The 20 year old Brora from the Rare Malts collection. Quite a nice dram, definitely a highland malt, with nice fruit and nose. Of course, at 20 pounds a dram, we're not talking a cheap indulgence.
Then I had the Ardbeg Uigeadail -- wow! After the Brora, which is indeed a nice dram, the Ardbeg's smoke and peat hit you like a freight train. It was incredibly smokey -- like being around a campfire on a crisp fall day. The sweetness comes forth after a bit -- I guess it is the sherry, but perhaps the bourbon cask has a moderating affect on it.
I skipped the desserts, though they looked good. In the end my dinner cost almost $130 at current exchange rates, but remember that nearly half that was for the whisky. But then, why would you eat scottish food without whisky. Seems a bit daft, don't you know!
The 20 year old Brora from the Rare Malts collection. Quite a nice dram, definitely a highland malt, with nice fruit and nose. Of course, at 20 pounds a dram, we're not talking a cheap indulgence.
Then I had the Ardbeg Uigeadail -- wow! After the Brora, which is indeed a nice dram, the Ardbeg's smoke and peat hit you like a freight train. It was incredibly smokey -- like being around a campfire on a crisp fall day. The sweetness comes forth after a bit -- I guess it is the sherry, but perhaps the bourbon cask has a moderating affect on it.
I skipped the desserts, though they looked good. In the end my dinner cost almost $130 at current exchange rates, but remember that nearly half that was for the whisky. But then, why would you eat scottish food without whisky. Seems a bit daft, don't you know!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
$2.10 to the pound
Yep, $2.10 to the pound means that my recent trip to London was not going to be an excessive one. Or at least I thought I would be good. When I studied in London in 1996, you could get a pound for about $1.40. Sigh...
That said, it was a good trip. I ventured over to Berry Bros to check out their current supply of scotch. I was being quite careful given the exchange rate -- which means generally I ignore the distillery bottlings. Even in the best of times, the prices in the States are much better. The only bottle that caught my eye was a 25 yo Caol Ila under the Berry Bros bottling. At 50 pounds, it was a little pricey, but not overly so for such an age. I regret actually not buying it.
I didn't buy the Caol Ila because I next headed over to Milroy's of Soho, fully expecting to find much more to my liking there. It was not to be. The selection of non-distillery bottlings was disappointing, in fact. I spent about ten minutes looking up and down the bottlings, but nothing caught my eye (well, there was something -- but at 160 pounds, or nearly $330, I wasn't going to bother).
I ended up at Cadenhead's in Covent Garden, which I had not visited before. I am told they will open up a newer, larger store in the coming months, but I rather liked the small shop with its blackboard listings of bottlings. I ended up buying a bottle of 11 yo Arran. They were out of a number of bottlings of interest. I ended up spending 40 pounds for the Arran, which may be a bit on the pricey side, but I am looking forward to trying it. I've never had an Arran before.
That said, it was a good trip. I ventured over to Berry Bros to check out their current supply of scotch. I was being quite careful given the exchange rate -- which means generally I ignore the distillery bottlings. Even in the best of times, the prices in the States are much better. The only bottle that caught my eye was a 25 yo Caol Ila under the Berry Bros bottling. At 50 pounds, it was a little pricey, but not overly so for such an age. I regret actually not buying it.
I didn't buy the Caol Ila because I next headed over to Milroy's of Soho, fully expecting to find much more to my liking there. It was not to be. The selection of non-distillery bottlings was disappointing, in fact. I spent about ten minutes looking up and down the bottlings, but nothing caught my eye (well, there was something -- but at 160 pounds, or nearly $330, I wasn't going to bother).
I ended up at Cadenhead's in Covent Garden, which I had not visited before. I am told they will open up a newer, larger store in the coming months, but I rather liked the small shop with its blackboard listings of bottlings. I ended up buying a bottle of 11 yo Arran. They were out of a number of bottlings of interest. I ended up spending 40 pounds for the Arran, which may be a bit on the pricey side, but I am looking forward to trying it. I've never had an Arran before.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Far Too Long
Ahh, once again I have fallen down on the job and let my little (probably unread) blog go fallow for some months. I don't quite have the manic motivation of some out there in the blogosphere. I note that I never got around to reviewing the Mortlach or the Old Pultenay for you as promised back in my February post.
This much I can say, while I am drinking a bit of the Old Pultenay -- it's good, but really not all that great. Nothing really distinguishes it for me from any other malts. The Mortlach, on the other hand, has lots of character and some subtle sherryness.
I've also found that my taste for Bowmore has waned somewhat. Some of the bottles that have been open a while have a weird flavor to them -- don't know if it's the famous off-taste of Bowmore, but I'm hoping the cask strength 1989 vintage 16 yo doesn't suffer the same fate.
This much I can say, while I am drinking a bit of the Old Pultenay -- it's good, but really not all that great. Nothing really distinguishes it for me from any other malts. The Mortlach, on the other hand, has lots of character and some subtle sherryness.
I've also found that my taste for Bowmore has waned somewhat. Some of the bottles that have been open a while have a weird flavor to them -- don't know if it's the famous off-taste of Bowmore, but I'm hoping the cask strength 1989 vintage 16 yo doesn't suffer the same fate.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Glenfiddich and the Mad Dutchman
Ha! I thought that would get your attention. As with most things, I am cyclical inmy scotch drinking. And right now I am definitely in an upswing (or is it downward spiral?). The last couple of weeks have seen an upswing in my drinking of scotch and interest in reading about it. This dates back to my trip to Chicago and the great selection of scotch at Sam's Liquors. Since the, I have discovered a great website called Malt Madness (which links to the newer website, Malt Maniacs). It's run by a Dutchman who took it upon himself in 1996 to establish for all time the best single malt scotch whisky ever (hat tip to the Scotch Blog for bringing this great adventure to my attention). Since then, Johannes van den Heuvel has taken it upon himself to try hundreds, if not thousands, of scotches from active distilleries and closed.
I doubt my wife would let me go so far, and judging by some of Johannes's shopping sprees, I don't have the discretionary income to come close. I have, though, done some justice to my own collection in the last couple of weeks by finishing bottles of:
I doubt my wife would let me go so far, and judging by some of Johannes's shopping sprees, I don't have the discretionary income to come close. I have, though, done some justice to my own collection in the last couple of weeks by finishing bottles of:
- Laphroaig 10 yo official bottling
- Talisker 10 yo official bottling
- Bowmore 15 yo (Cooper's Choice, 1990/2005)
- Glenfiddich 18 yo official bottling
And buying the following:
- Mortlach 15 yo (Gordon and McPhail)
- Old Pulteney 15 yo (Gordon and McPhail)
- Lagavulin 16 yo official bottling
- Longmore 15 yo official bottling
- Glenmorangie Madiera Finish
- Bushmills 10 yo (this is, of course, an Irish whisky, not scotch).
I will have some impressions of the first two in the coming weeks. For now, slainte!
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Bowmore Coopers Choice
I promised some time back a more in depth tasting of the 15 y.o. from Coopers Choice. This is a Bowmore, distlled in 1990 and bottled in 2006. I bought it at Milroy's of Soho in London back in July and I find now that I am almost at the bottom of the bottle. Time to finish it off and move on to new things!
First, the Coopers choice is much lighter in color than other Bowmores, certainly a good deal lighter than even the 12 yo from the distillery. I would say it is a light hay color. I'm not sure what to put this down to, given that it has spent 15 years in oak casks. It is not chill filtrated, for those keeping track, but I have not noticed any haziness in the drink at all because of it. It has a pleasant, iodine smell, some peatiness, but not overly strong. I can't detect much fruit at all in the drink, and it hits the tongue much more strongly than you would expect, even for a 46% ABV scotch. There is a distinct oiliness to it, very pleasant burn and a long finish. As I recall, this cost me about 40 pounds, or nearly $80 for a 70cl bottle. At times it seems well worth the money, others I'm not so sure, but I find it one of the more satisfying of the Bowmores. If offered a chance, take a taste!
First, the Coopers choice is much lighter in color than other Bowmores, certainly a good deal lighter than even the 12 yo from the distillery. I would say it is a light hay color. I'm not sure what to put this down to, given that it has spent 15 years in oak casks. It is not chill filtrated, for those keeping track, but I have not noticed any haziness in the drink at all because of it. It has a pleasant, iodine smell, some peatiness, but not overly strong. I can't detect much fruit at all in the drink, and it hits the tongue much more strongly than you would expect, even for a 46% ABV scotch. There is a distinct oiliness to it, very pleasant burn and a long finish. As I recall, this cost me about 40 pounds, or nearly $80 for a 70cl bottle. At times it seems well worth the money, others I'm not so sure, but I find it one of the more satisfying of the Bowmores. If offered a chance, take a taste!
Thursday, January 25, 2007
So what's up next?
Oh, just you wait. There's a lot yet to come, including a Valentine's dinner at Blue Duck Tavern, a trip to Las Vegas in March, and some more scotch!!!
Stay tuned (I promise I won't let it go longer this time)...
Stay tuned (I promise I won't let it go longer this time)...
Chicago
Chicago has much to recommend it, chief among them its welcoming demeanor. Some might say it possesses New York's attractions (food, sport, shopping) without the dirt. And I say that as a native New Yorker (okay, Long Islander, which makes us better --- when I was a kid, the Islanders ruled the NHL --- how times have changed).
But, I digress. I went to visit my mother this past weekend in Chicago and discovered a few things:
1) Sam's liquor not only has some fantastic wines one offer, but also has an enviable scotch collection. I was hard pressed to figure out what to buy. I did pick up a bottle of Louis Martini Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Chicago prices are a few dollars more a bottle, but at $15, this is still a great buy) and Joseph Drouhin Cote du Beune Burgundy for about $24 (a steal given that it competes well with other Burgundies that sell for twice that price). I was fascinated by the scotch collection. I did ponder the 23 yo Highland Park from Mackillop's Choice for a while. In fact, I went back the next day thinking I would buy it, until I spied with my little eye the Port Ellens.
Some of you may know about Port Ellen -- an Islay malt that has not been produced for more than 20 years since the distillery was shuttered in 1983 (despite a royal visit in 1980). It is considered by some the quintissential Islay malt. The distillery was dormant from the 1920s (or 1930s) until 1967, and is unlikely to see more production since a large chunk of the buildings have been torn down. Sams had three Port Ellens on offer, two for about $200 a bottle, which I am still not quite in a position to justify. But they did have the 1979 vintage Signatory Port Ellen (bottled in 2002). It listed for $130, but was on sale for $110. I bought it in a snap. I've never tried Port Ellen, and have subsequently read that this is not the best bottling out there, but I figured the price was very right. As I told my mother after I bought it, this is a scotch to be save for a special occasion ---- like Thursday.
2) The second thing I discovered is that my mom's recipe for Chicken Paprikash is VERY good and surprisingly easy to make. And, no, I will not share it with you.
3) Finally, we went to Spiaggia for dinner on Sunday. I had read and heard about this restaurant. My mother had eaten at the cafe a few times and loved it. We had great expectations for the restaurant. And they were borne out... sort of. We decided to go a la carte, rather than brave the seven course menu (who can eat that much!!??). The pasta course was divine. I had a veal stuffed agnolotti that was rich, succulent, and deeply satisfying. Joe had the tortiloni and seemed to enjoy it, while mom had the ravioli with black truffles. We all agreed that the dinner was off to a great start (despite indifferent breads, including one introducted to us as "plain white bread"). The next course was disappointing, though. Joe and I both had the lamb. I found the lamb loin too garlicky, and the new lamb dry. The cheeks were good, but didn't make up for the lackluster other parts. My mom had turbot that she described as "forgettable". So it was 1-1 for Spiaggia with dessert to decide it. Thankfully, dessert came through big time. My semi-freddo was divine, with a rich, bittersweet chocolate taste. Mom had the panna cotta -- also fantastic. I guess Joe liked the gelati -- they lasted about two minutes!!!
But, I digress. I went to visit my mother this past weekend in Chicago and discovered a few things:
1) Sam's liquor not only has some fantastic wines one offer, but also has an enviable scotch collection. I was hard pressed to figure out what to buy. I did pick up a bottle of Louis Martini Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Chicago prices are a few dollars more a bottle, but at $15, this is still a great buy) and Joseph Drouhin Cote du Beune Burgundy for about $24 (a steal given that it competes well with other Burgundies that sell for twice that price). I was fascinated by the scotch collection. I did ponder the 23 yo Highland Park from Mackillop's Choice for a while. In fact, I went back the next day thinking I would buy it, until I spied with my little eye the Port Ellens.
Some of you may know about Port Ellen -- an Islay malt that has not been produced for more than 20 years since the distillery was shuttered in 1983 (despite a royal visit in 1980). It is considered by some the quintissential Islay malt. The distillery was dormant from the 1920s (or 1930s) until 1967, and is unlikely to see more production since a large chunk of the buildings have been torn down. Sams had three Port Ellens on offer, two for about $200 a bottle, which I am still not quite in a position to justify. But they did have the 1979 vintage Signatory Port Ellen (bottled in 2002). It listed for $130, but was on sale for $110. I bought it in a snap. I've never tried Port Ellen, and have subsequently read that this is not the best bottling out there, but I figured the price was very right. As I told my mother after I bought it, this is a scotch to be save for a special occasion ---- like Thursday.
2) The second thing I discovered is that my mom's recipe for Chicken Paprikash is VERY good and surprisingly easy to make. And, no, I will not share it with you.
3) Finally, we went to Spiaggia for dinner on Sunday. I had read and heard about this restaurant. My mother had eaten at the cafe a few times and loved it. We had great expectations for the restaurant. And they were borne out... sort of. We decided to go a la carte, rather than brave the seven course menu (who can eat that much!!??). The pasta course was divine. I had a veal stuffed agnolotti that was rich, succulent, and deeply satisfying. Joe had the tortiloni and seemed to enjoy it, while mom had the ravioli with black truffles. We all agreed that the dinner was off to a great start (despite indifferent breads, including one introducted to us as "plain white bread"). The next course was disappointing, though. Joe and I both had the lamb. I found the lamb loin too garlicky, and the new lamb dry. The cheeks were good, but didn't make up for the lackluster other parts. My mom had turbot that she described as "forgettable". So it was 1-1 for Spiaggia with dessert to decide it. Thankfully, dessert came through big time. My semi-freddo was divine, with a rich, bittersweet chocolate taste. Mom had the panna cotta -- also fantastic. I guess Joe liked the gelati -- they lasted about two minutes!!!
The New Year
Earlier today I was reading on Scotch Blog about all the defunct websites and blogs about scotch and whisky that promised so much and then petered out after only a few posts. God forbid such a thing should happen to me, but then I see it has been over two months since I last posted. A lot has happened since then, so I wanted to share with you some of what has happened in the mean time. (This posting is brought to you by three drams of Talisker 10 yo and 1 of Cooper's Choice 1990 Bowmore, so please forgive any rambling or misspellings).
First, I have to tell you about the single best restaurant in Washington DC. You may have seen Michelle Richard's book in Borders or Barns & Nobles, Happy in the Kitchen. Well, count me happy in the dining room. Leslie and I celebrated our second anniversary at Citronelle at the Latham Hotel in Georgetown. I was bowled away by his cuisine. Tom Siemtsa (food critic for the Washington Post) described Chef Richard's creations as playful interpretations of traditional foods, including (as I recall) making something look like a sunny-side up egg that was very different. (His review is here.) While the chef at Maestro experiments with different flavors (for which I have great respect), Michelle Richard makes beautiful creations that taste wonderful. I can't remember everything I had, but the rabbit tasting (loin, leg, sausage, etc) was divine, and certainly better than Gordon Ramsay's rabbit at the Claridge in London (which I found a bit salty). I can't even remember what Leslie had at this point, but I still remember the apple done four ways for dessert, including a wonderful apple ice cream, a cider, and a dessert terrine. On top of that, the sommelier Mark Slater suggested a wonderful wine (Chateqeuneuf-du-Pape 2004 La Bastide Saint Dominique Secrets de Pignan "Vieilles Vignes") that went with it all perfectly (unfortunately it is not a widely distributed wine and I have not found it anywhere in stores).
So, we have now eaten at three of the four four star restaurants in the DC area (Maestro, Citronelle and Cityzen) and found two of them fantastic, and one very well executed, but not to our liking wholely (Maestro). The one we have not been to is the Inn and little Washington, but that we will save for a while (both in terms of time and money!).
After Christmas, we headed up to New York to enjoy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, some opera at the Met (die Zauberfloete) and dinner at a new restaurant (for us): Compass in the upper West Side. The restaurant has a beat-up sign out front that reminds you of a diner, but the inside is all class. It is quiet and modern (granted we were the first table seated at 5:45pm, so no one else was there yet) and the service is excellent. They have a limited, but delicious, prixe-fix menu for $35 that is well worth it. A la carte has some great dishes as well. If you find yourself in New York and looking for a restaurant before the Opera, symphony or ballet, you can do far worse than Compass.
First, I have to tell you about the single best restaurant in Washington DC. You may have seen Michelle Richard's book in Borders or Barns & Nobles, Happy in the Kitchen. Well, count me happy in the dining room. Leslie and I celebrated our second anniversary at Citronelle at the Latham Hotel in Georgetown. I was bowled away by his cuisine. Tom Siemtsa (food critic for the Washington Post) described Chef Richard's creations as playful interpretations of traditional foods, including (as I recall) making something look like a sunny-side up egg that was very different. (His review is here.) While the chef at Maestro experiments with different flavors (for which I have great respect), Michelle Richard makes beautiful creations that taste wonderful. I can't remember everything I had, but the rabbit tasting (loin, leg, sausage, etc) was divine, and certainly better than Gordon Ramsay's rabbit at the Claridge in London (which I found a bit salty). I can't even remember what Leslie had at this point, but I still remember the apple done four ways for dessert, including a wonderful apple ice cream, a cider, and a dessert terrine. On top of that, the sommelier Mark Slater suggested a wonderful wine (Chateqeuneuf-du-Pape 2004 La Bastide Saint Dominique Secrets de Pignan "Vieilles Vignes") that went with it all perfectly (unfortunately it is not a widely distributed wine and I have not found it anywhere in stores).
So, we have now eaten at three of the four four star restaurants in the DC area (Maestro, Citronelle and Cityzen) and found two of them fantastic, and one very well executed, but not to our liking wholely (Maestro). The one we have not been to is the Inn and little Washington, but that we will save for a while (both in terms of time and money!).
After Christmas, we headed up to New York to enjoy the Metropolitan Museum of Art, some opera at the Met (die Zauberfloete) and dinner at a new restaurant (for us): Compass in the upper West Side. The restaurant has a beat-up sign out front that reminds you of a diner, but the inside is all class. It is quiet and modern (granted we were the first table seated at 5:45pm, so no one else was there yet) and the service is excellent. They have a limited, but delicious, prixe-fix menu for $35 that is well worth it. A la carte has some great dishes as well. If you find yourself in New York and looking for a restaurant before the Opera, symphony or ballet, you can do far worse than Compass.
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