Today I'm happy to hand over the blog to my husband who has become quite the Renaissance man over the past few years (did you see the shaving post?). Seeing as most of you are female readers who have a.) never tasted Scotch or b.) never come close to purchasing it, nor am I one of those ladies with such developed tastes that they have an appreciation for the drink, I realize this entry might seem a bit ... out of the blue.
However, many of you may have husbands/significant men in your lives who may very well enjoy a good glass of Scotch with a cigar every now and again (or, perhaps, more frequently).
That being said, I don't know about you, but I love being able to give Jacob gifts that I know he will enjoy; and because of that I have been trying to catalogue his favorite cigars, whiskeys, etc. for some time now.
Furthermore, I am aware of the importance to make myself branch out from buying him clothes at least occasionally. For goodness' sake, his favorite Christmas gift was a knife that he dropped very big hints about including brand, make, model, color, etc.
So that being said, here is Jacob's review of the Glenfiddich 15 Year, The Solera Vat (And as you will see, he's better at being minimal with his words than I am.):
Glenfiddich, which is pronounced /ɡlɛn/fɪd/dɪx/ (the "ch" is the same as in "loch") is a Speyside Scotch whiskey. The word means, "The Valley of the Deer," in Gaelic; note the distillery's symbol of the stag. The distillery was founded in 1887 by William Grant and his family. It remained fully functional and operated throughout the Prohibition, which was a trying time for distilleries throughout the world. It was also one of the first distilleries to maintain its own on-site coppersmiths for the upkeep of its stills. Today, Glenfiddich, as the world's best-selling single malt, is one of the most common and easily found scotch whiskies in liquor stores.
This particular malt is aged in European, American, and New American oak casks, which gives it a nice play of virgin but complex oak tones. It is then fully matured in the distillery's Solera Vat, which is constantly kept at least half full with malts at least 15 years old; this vat, over time, compounds the aging process.
Nose: Creamy peatiness.
Body: Smooth and heavy in texture like cream, without being thick. It melts into your mouth, like a good steak.
Palate: Very subtle. Silky cinnamon with a hint of fruit and a chocolate taste that takes a few moments to settle in.
Finish: An echoing spiced cream.
A splash of water greatly sweetens the taste and thins out the creaminess. Not recommended. Serve Neat.
And what is a good drink without proper companionship?
Well. Now I feel MUCH more confident about having you (three) for a visit, as WE have in our stock of liquors downstairs at the bar, Glenfiddich. However, about 2/3 of the bottle is left at the moment - as it was opened at Thanksgiving. We no doubt would restock the cabinet should a visit be forthcoming.
ReplyDeleteAunt Alex, you KNOW we'd love to head out your way. I can see Jacob and Uncle Rob having some real quality man time. I hope that can happen before too long. I'd love to see Salt Lake City.
DeleteYes, well... let me adjust my monocle and top hat!
ReplyDeleteI kid. Glenfiddich is, aside from Glenlivet, is one of my go-to jams for single malts; albeit twelve year. The varieties and characteristics of a slow, sipping whiskey were one of the initial draws for me. Single malts are great for manly pensiveness. A "hold the @#$% on and think about the shit for a minute" drink. Not a "lets get trashed" drink. Though I enjoy the latter as well. Scotch is my thinking cap. I love it. To me, the jump from the 'fiddich's twelve to fifteen year is really quite amazing (others are as well); I almost feel as if its a much more expensive vintage than what it is... then I had a sample of a much older vintage (Macallan 21) from a friend and wondered how I'd ever return to such low numbers as '12 year.' Price point made it possible. Glenlivet and Glenfiddich twelves remain my go-to's; but the next step is very nice; and for an oft affordable price. Well done.
-RCT
P.S. This is my favorite part of the evaluation:
"A splash of water greatly sweetens the taste and thins out the creaminess. Not recommended. Serve Neat."
So glad you enjoyed it, Ryan. I know Jacob enjoyed the process of evaluating it.
DeleteRCT and EHT: You are also welcome, of COURSE, to come sample our assortment! Heck, come one, come all! (Rob would dig it!)
ReplyDeleteThis was a fun read! My brother-in-law, Austin and my father would greatly appreciate such a review. I remember one Christmas, they were outside drinking scotch, smoking cigars, and having a go at some trees with their new throwing knives... :P
ReplyDeleteThrowing knives! That's it, Kimmie! That'll be next on the list. ;)
DeleteNice! Am I seeing correctly (in the second photo) that Michael Jackson (the beer man) wrote the book on Single Malt Scotch? That is super interesting; I read some time ago that chemically of all types of liquors, beer is chemically closest to whiskey. Has your husband ever tried any of the beers by Innis and Gunn? They are aged in Bourbon barrels which imparts that distinctive whiskey flavor. My husband is a whiskey man, and he really enjoyed the Innis beers we tried.
ReplyDelete