Tuesday Tasting Notes

Finally got a chance to taste this new Glenglassaugh that is now being imported again to the U.S. and, man, is it ever tasty.  The 26 year is off the chain good, a malt built for me in every way - oily and chewy, dried fruits with vanilla and honey, herbal elements on the midpalate, and a long grainy finish.  Superlative stuff, but for $265.99 it had better blow me away!  I bought a few for the store in case anyone out there is going to throw down for something super special anytime soon.  I might have to eyeball it for myself when I run out of super high-end juice.

Also part of the group were the two new Black Adder malts from Tomatin and Caol Ila, although the latter is bottled as Peat Reek (with an awesome Celtic warrior on the label, no less!).  Both are raw cask and bottled straight out of the barrel, both are very tasty.  I continue to be massively impressed by the Black Adder line and I really get a kick out of their bizzare labeling.  It's just so completely removed from current single malt reality, but still very cool in its own way - kind of like Naploeon Dynamite or Max Fisher from Rushmore.  The Tomatin is lean and grainy, but packed with concentrated flavor and high-proof so nothing gets dilluted.  The Caol Ila is just a classic Islay malt at full throttle for a reasonable price.  Tomatin should come in at around $90, which is fantastic for an unadulterated malt of that age.  The Caol Ila should be $69.99 or so, also a nice price for such a pure whisky.

-David Driscoll