Shirt Bar "Scotch" Club: Woodford Reserve (March 2014) - Tasted #86 & #87

It was all the way back in November 2012 when we first blogged about Shirt Bar's Scotch Club (which, like this post, was all about Woodford Reserve and nothing to do with Scotch at all!) and when we first met Stuart Reeves, Brown-Forman Australia's NSW ambassador (whose immense knowledge of whiskey we've come to appreciate and whose friendship we've come to enjoy). Fast forward to March 2014, and Stuart was back at Shirt Bar, again spreading the good word of Woodford Reserve.

A few things seem to be guaranteed when Stuart takes the stand for a Woodford tasting: a lot of (great) whiskey, an astounding level of whiskey knowledge, at least one rare/unique/hard to find expression, a cocktail, and take-home goodies. This session didn't disappoint. On tasting was:

• Woodford Reserve New Make
• Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select Bourbon
• Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Maple Wood Finish
• Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Aged Cask Rye 
• Woodford Reserve Master's Collection New Cask Rye
• Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Four Wood
• Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Classic Malt 

...not including the single-nip Woodford Old Fashioned to kick off the night, and the take-home DIY Old Fashioned bags (complete with 50mL Woodford Reserve minis, 3.5mL Angostura bitters minis and swizzle sticks - very handy on a recent weekend trip up the coast)!

Given we've tasted the first 5 whiskies above previously, notes below are only for those we hadn't tried - the Four Wood and Classic Malt.  Suffice to say the others were all as good as memory served, and Steph still didn't like the New Make...

Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Four Wood (47.2% ABV, NAS, Kentucky USA, $250)

Produced by taking regular Distiller's Select at 7-8 years old, cutting it down to 55%, dividing into thirds and ageing in Maple (1yr), Sherry (6 months) and Port (6 months) casks.

Colour: Dark, vibrant copper.

Nose: Rich, berries, with a slight nuttiness.

Palate: Big creamy mouthfeel, definite sherry influence, but also very sweet. Definitely a Bourbon, with vanilla notes still showing through.

Finish: Long, with cherries and Christmas cake. Smooth to the end.
Overall: 92/100

Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Classic Malt (45.2% ABV, NAS, Kentucky USA)

Made with 100% malted barley. Yes, a "Single Malt" from Kentucky, USA!

Colour: Light, straw.

Nose: Muted, playdough. Slightly earthy.

Palate: Light and buttery, hints of breakfast cereal (Nutri-Grain?)

Finish: Short to medium, with some rubbery notes. Smooth and easy drinking though.
Overall: 90/100. Certainly interesting, though not a whiskey I'd choose to spend $100USD+ on. The biggest disappointment however was that we're not getting the other Single Malt ("Straight Malt") in Australia!

Cheers,
 - Martin.

Shirt Bar "Scotch" Club: Nikka Whisky (February 2014) - Tasted #76 - #79

It was just under a year ago that we attended Shirt Bar's first Japanese whisky tasting, and recently the Shirt Bar crew ran another, this time focusing on the Nikka Whisky portfolio, showcasing the:

• Miyagikyo 12 yo
• Yoichi 15yo
• Taketsuru 12yo; and
• Nikka from the Barrel (a favourite from previous tastings)

Proving as popular as the 2013 session, the tasting was run twice over two weeks, giving more of us a chance to try a great range of Nikka whiskies (and, importantly, a completely different line up to the previous tasting).

The tasting was a little more rushed than we're used to, and (after a late start) was over all too quickly unfortunately. It seemed we were barely finished nosing one whisky when the next was up for tasting, and before we knew it the food (fittingly, again some tasty sushi) was served.

Having attended probably 13+ Scotch Clubs though (and blogged about 7 of them to date) I'm pretty confident in saying this wasn't the norm, and the session we attended more recently (Woodford Reserve) was back to the usual quality we've come to expect from Scotch Club.

Not to say this was a bad session - not at all, just not the usual in-depth look at whisk(e)y we've come to expect. But no matter! We still got to taste 4 Japanese whiskies, 1 of which I hadn't tried, and 3 of which Steph hadn't.

Nikka Miyagikyo 12 Year Old (45% ABV, 12yo, Sendai Japan, $130)

Distilled with steam-heated stills

Nose: Vanilla, Bourbon-like, but also floral.

Palate: Oats, spice, vanilla and caramel.

Finish: Short, slightly salty, with final floral notes and pear.
Overall: 90/100

Nikka Yoichi 15 Year Old (45% ABV, 15yo, Hokkaido Japan, $220)

Nose: Bigger darker, more spice and more saltiness than the previous dram.

Palate: Big rich oily mouthfeel - big notes of chocolate eclairs.

Finish: Short, spicy, not a huge amount going on, but pleasant enough.
Overall: 90/100.

Nikka Taketsuru 12 Year Old (40% ABV, 12yo, Pure Malt, Japan, $100)

Nose: Apples, apples and more apples. I got absolutely nothing but apples on this one

Palate: Light and floral, reminded me of a Springbank. More apples.

Finish: Over so quickly I could barely take notes. Way too short.
Overall: 89/100. Not dissimilar notes to the last time I tried it.

Nikka from the Barrel (51.4% ABV, NAS, Blend, Japan, $70)

Nose: Vanilla protein powder, coffee creamer.

Palate: Spicy cinnamon, grains, big and mouth filling.

Finish: Long, spicy, not as smooth as I remember, but lots going on. Sweet, spice, with some citrus and fruity notes
Overall: 90/100 - still probably my favourite of the night, but not as good as I'd remembered it.

Cheers,
 - Martin.

Shirt Bar Scotch Club: Glenfiddich 15yo deconstructed (July 2013)

A change in direction in July for Scotch Club - and a welcome one at that. Shirt Bar, along with William Grant & Sons presented a single Whisky (Glenfiddich 15yo Solera), deconstructed into its individual parts.

Led by The Whisky Ambassador (aka James Buntin, who hosts the most entertaining tastings I've ever attended), the night involved trying a variety of "money can't buy" Glenfiddich cask finishes, then "vat strength" Solera, followed by the original bottling 15yo Solera. To make things even more interesting, we were given the opportunity to blend our own Glenfiddich 15yo, and see how close we could get to the original (in my case - not very...)

The full lineup was:

• Glenfiddich New Make (65.6% ABV): Chewy, with a big warm mouthfeel and bubblegum notes. Add some water and you get notes of sugarcane. Smooth throughout with absoutely no "burn". 80/100.
• American Oak - used (59.2%): Light colour and light on the palate. Vanilla, apricot. 90/100.
• American Oak - new (3-6 months) (58.8): This one had spent some additional time in new American oak, and was all the better for it. I have no hesitation in saying this was one of the best Glenfiddichs I've ever tried. I just wish they'd bottle it! Rich and dark in colour, with an amazing sweet nose and creamy sweet palate. Reminds me a little of the Yamazaki Bourbon Barrel, one of my favourite whiskies. Fantastic. 94/100.
• Spanish Oak - used (59.2%): Dark, spicy with an intense sherry sweetness. Huge mouthfeel with the peppery spice lingering to the end. 92/100.
• Solera vat cask strength (59.6%): I'd been lucky enough to try this one once back in 2009  (albeit slightly more "fresh" as it was direct the vat on the Glenfiddich tour). That was a great experience and whilst drinking it from a bottle wasn't quite the same, the whisky itself was just as good. James explained that the final vatting contains about 65-70% of used American oak-aged Glenfiddich, with the new American oak and Spanish oak making up the remainder. The bourbon notes were definitely there, but slightly muted. Sherry was evident on the palate, but the finish showed more bourbon influence. 91/100.
• My own blend: Sherried, and extremely dry. Spicy too - obviously too much Spanish oak in the mix!
• My own blend (attempt #2): Still dry, though with a sweeter more vanilla finish. Not a bad effort if I do say so myself. 90/100.
• Glenfiddich 15yo Solera (original bottling, 40%): The one we can all buy. To be honest, whilst it's a great whisky, after trying all the components (and my own blends) as cask-strength varieties, the OB at 40% felt a bit lacking. The same notes as the cask strength Solera vatting were there, perhaps with a bit more fruit, but it all felt a bit watered down. A great dram, but not one to drink after a night of cask strength whiskies!

James finished the night with a great trick I've seen him do once before - carefully pouring whisky into a glass of water through a tea towel. Why? Because if you do it right, you get this effect to the left!

..and on that note it was time to close out another Scotch Club (not before the usual generous and delicious cold cuts platter). We like this new direction for Scotch Club, and hope to see more like this in the future.

Cheers, 

 - Steph & Martin.

Shirt Bar Scotch Club - A Special Treat from Japan (April 2013) (#101drams)

A slight change in direction for Scotch Club this month - in that there was actually no Scotch to be seen!

There was nothing to fear though - and certainly no shortage of Whisky! April was all about Japan, with some rare drams that another full house was itching to try.

Led by World of Whisky (who we visited back in March), the tasting included a brief history of Japanese whisky (Family feuds! International love affairs!) before we got into the good stuff, namely:

• White Oak Akashi
• Hibiki 12yo
• Yamazaki 12yo
• Nikka All Malt (which just happened to be on my #101drams charitable challenge)
• Ichiro’s Double Distilleries Blended 

I've been into Japanese whisky ever since I had the pleasure of visiting the JAL First Lounge at Tokyo Narita around 2008. I very nearly missed my flight after sampling "just a few" of their excellent lineup (from memory - Yamazaki 18 and Hibiki 21 were on offer, amongst others). Not knowing much about Japanese whisky at the time, I popped out briefly to see how much these amazing whiskies were duty free. A little shocked at the price, I retreated back inside and poured myself another dram...

But enough of my reminiscing..onto the whisky:

The Hibiki 12yo was up first. Founded in 1973 and famous for a wide range of aged and special release blends, I've always enjoyed Hibiki (especially the 17yo, a bottle of which capped off my final night in Malaysia with some colleagues a few years ago). The 12yo is a standard blend (i.e. malt and grain whiskies), and had a citrus/ginger nose, zesty, sweet peachy palate and short, tangy finish. I gave it 88/100 on my standard, completely non-scientific scale.

White Oak Akashi was up next - limited to just 4,500 bottles, with very few of those available outside Japan. The distillery only runs their stills for 1 month each year (efficient!) and combined 3 malts (7yo, 5yo and 4yo) to produce this vatted malt ("Pure Malt" in Japanese whisky language). To be honest, I wasn't a fan at all, and the youth really showed through (much, much more than say, Starward or younger Chichibus). The nose was (to me) a big hit of new make, with a bit of a sweet honey hint. The palate wasn't overly harsh, but didn't really have any shining characteristic. The finish was dry, tanin-y...nothing special. 76/100 for this one. I think the general feeling was "only 4,500 bottles? That's OK, someone else can have them..."

Onto the #101drams whisky for the night - the Nikka All Malt. We learned this was a blend of Yoichi and Miyagikyou whiskies (try saying that last one after a few Nikka All Malts...), bottled at 40%. The nose was light, with fruity, vanilla (almost bourbon) notes showing. The palate was warming sourdough, and the finish was lingering licorice. An interesting combination! This one seemed like a good everyday whisky - not overly complex, but a decent whisky you could sit and enjoy regularly. 89/100.

Next was Ichiro's Double Distilleries (46%), A vatting of 6yo Chichibu (Mizunara wood) and 20yo Hanyu (ex-Sherry cask). With a nutty, wooded nose, a complex but sweet palate and a strong finish - this one hit the spot. 91/100.

Last but not least, probably the most well-known Japanese whisky in Australia, the Yamazaki 12yo. Vanilla, toffee, pear, nuts, it was all here, right throughout. The highlight dram of the night for me - 92/100.

The night ended as it always does with Shirt Bar's excellent cheese and dip platter, but not before a very fitting sushi platter. Kanpai!

Cheers, 
 - Martin.

Shirt Bar Scotch Club - The Macallan, Highland Park, Ardmore (March 2013)

Another month, another Scotch Club. Following on from the hugely successful Balvenie Scotch Club in February, March was time to taste expressions from the nearby Macallan and Ardmore distilleries, and the (much further North) Highland Park Distillery. The tasting was led by the always friendly Jared Plummer (CCA Whisky Ambassador), and kicked off as Scotch Club often does with a cocktail - an unusual (and very enjoyable) Macallan whisky sour: 

          

On the menu tonight was:

• Ardmore
• Macallan 12 “Fine Oak”
• Macallan 18 “Fine Oak”
• Highland Park 12 
• Highland Park 18

Jared kicked off proceedings with the Macallans (12 and 18). I have to admit, I've never been a huge fan of The Macallan. I don't hate it by any means (I even visited the distillery a few years ago), I've just never found it as enjoyable as other Highland malts. The 12 (jokingly referred to as a great "Breakfast whisky") was as I remembered - a youthful but oaky nose, toffee palate and a fresh, short finish. Not a bad whisky, but not my favourite. The 18 I'll admit was better than I remember (maybe my tastes are changing), with a sweeter, sherried nose and palate. For those whisky nerds out there, it was interesting to note that Macallan use one of the lowest percentages of "heart" in the business - just 16% of the new make spirit is actually captured and aged to make the whisky.

Next up was the Ardmore - a NAS (No Age Statement) whisky aged somewhere from 8-12 years. I'd never tried it before, but I liked its credentials - non chill-filtered, bourbon barrel aged, then finished in quarter casks (Jared explained that chill filtering can take 2-3 days and the equipment can cost upwards of $500k. Given it's also frowned upon in some circles, it's not hard to see why some distilleries forgo it!)

The Ardmore was explained as an "introduction to peat" (ahead of the peatier Highland Parks), and while I couldn't find any on the nose, there was a definite hint of smoke on the palate and finish. A very enjoyable whisky.

Last were the Highland Parks. The "HPs" are usually well received by both whisky fans and new whisky drinkers alike. Easy drinking, yet complex and well-rounded. The 12 and the 18 didn't disappoint tonight, with hints of honey, underlying smoke and an overall sweetness that's hard to resist. I don't own a bottle of HP yet, but I probably should...

In true Scotch Club style, the night ended with a cheese and dip platter - always a great end to the night (OK, well maybe with one more single malt for the road...)

Cheers, 
 - Martin.

Shirt Bar Scotch Club - The Balvenie (February 2013) (#101drams)

After hosting tastings for Woodford Reserve in November and Glenfiddich in December, Shirt Bar were back at it this week, with a tasting of The Balvenie range selling out in record time.

For those who weren't already familiar with The Balvenie, it became pretty clear that this is a unique, and very hand-crafted dram.The tasting, run by Owen from William Grant & Sons followed the usual format of a presentation (covering the distillery and production) proceeded by the actual tasting. Being The Balvenie though, the presentation went into quite a bit of detail about what makes the distillery so unique in comparison to other Scottish distilleries - what's known as The Balvenie's "Rare Crafts", i.e:

• The use of own-grown Barley
• Manual malting on the distillery's own floor
• A full-time, in-house coppersmith employed to maintain the stills (who has been with the distillery for 24 years!)
• The cooperage
• The famous Malt Master, David Stewart

It was also interesting to learn that David Stewart invented the process of "finishing" whisky, which now seems to be done by almost every second distillery in one form or another (e.g. finishing a whisky in a different cask for the last part of the aging process). 

The four tastings on offer make up the core range in Australia, being:

• The Balvenie Doublewood (12yo)
• The Balvenie Single Barrel (15yo)
• The Balvenie Port Wood (21yo)
• The Balvenie Thirty (30yo)

Starting with the youngest, we dove straight into the 12yo Doublewood. The nose here was all about sweet notes - raisins/sultanas, floral fruitiness. I noticed some slight spice notes too. The palate for me was nutty, still with some of the sweetness from the nose. Not overly complex, but it was hard to miss how smooth this was for a 12yo. I love Glenfiddich 12yo, but this was far, far smoother. So far so good, and we still had a combined 66 years to go! A medium finish rounded things up - spice still evidence, but all the fruit notes gone. Some caramel/vanilla notes stuck around.

Next was the 15yo Single Barrel. My best mate who usually attends Scotch Club was eagerly awaiting this, as he seemed to remember the 15yo being one of his all-time favourite drams from a previous tasting. It didn't disappoint him, and nor did it disappoint me! A sweet vanilla nose made way for a big, honeyed mouth feel with a clearly higher ABV than the 12yo (47.8% vs 40%). I was loving this. Being a single barrel whisky, I asked if there was much variation from cask to cask. As expected there can be some, but given the expertise of The Balvenie's malt master David Stewart, we were told the variation is minimal. The finish was much longer than the 12yo, with the vanilla remaining. Warming and enjoyable to the very end.

Next was the 21yo Portwood - Owen's personal favourite. Whilst this was a great dram, it wasn't my favourite - I preferred the 15yo. There was more fruit on the nose and more spice on the palate here for me, with a nutty, but (in my opinion) shorter finish than the 15yo. A great dram, but I'd take the 15yo.

Finally, the 30yo Thirty. I snuck a nose of this earlier in the night and had been looking forward to it ever since. It was the first dram I'd had since the Glenfiddich 40yo that had those real leather, oaky notes I love so much. A second nose didn't disappoint - big leathery oaky notes, and incredibly smooth. A little trick I learned at a tequila tasting once was when nosing a spirit - blow hot air into the glass beforehand. It removes the harsh alcoholic vapours and leaves the pure scent. Despite being a higher (47.3%) ABV, there was no need with this. The nose was just so incredibly smooth. I'd buy this just on the nose alone (though probably on my next overseas trip, rather than at the $499 it costs in Australia...)

The palate for me was the best bits of each of the previous three - fruit, spice, oak, but so much more complex than the others. The finish was more of the same and went on forever, with a slight sweetness.

On that note, another Scotch Club sadly came to a close, with another #101dram ticked off the list. Now to hunt down the 17yo Doublewood and the TUN1401...

Cheers,
 - Martin.

Tasted #5: Glenfiddich 40yo

It's not too often you get to taste a 40yo whisky (especially one that retails for $3,299AUD per bottle), but thanks to the very generous blokes from William Grant & Sons Australia (who I shared a long chat with about all things 'fiddich at a recent Shirt Bar Scotch Club), that's exactly what I did recently.

Two days after the Scotch Club, a hand-delivered package arrived at work containing a taste of the highly-regarded Glenfiddich 40yo. Wow, I'd been told to expect "something special", and this exceeded my expectations. Certainly rarer than anything I'd ever tasted before.


Wanting to compare the 40yo to something a little more familiar in the range, I decided on the Glenfiddich 18yo as my comparison dram - as it's a solid, smooth, trustworthy dram yet still very much a 'fiddich. The day before Glenfiddich's 125th anniversary seemed as fitting a day as any, too...

With the Glencairn glasses charged, and most of the 15mL taste poured out (I had to leave a few mL for my best mate) it was time to try the 40yo.



Glenfiddich 40 year old (45.8% ABV, 40 years old)
Nose: Big, leathery, reminiscent of an old leather lounge. Aged oak, rich dried saltanas. Incredible.
In comparison, the 18yo (right, below) is harsh, brash, and just smells young and fresh (a pity really, given the 18yo is a great dram on its own).

Palate: There's that oak again, and the leather. And more. So complex, so much going on here. Not to get too wanky here, but if I had a grandfather who owned an old leather chesterfield in a room filled with 'rich mahogany", and I was sipping whisky, sitting there there, soaking up the atmosphere...this would be the whisky. I cant think of another whisky that has ever "transported" me somewhere, yet this has*. This is a very, very special whisky. After some time, the raisin/saltana taste comes through, and the smallest hint of smoke towards the end.
The 18yo is all about the spice, toffee and a hint of pear. A tasty drop, sure, but not a touch on the richness or complexity of the 40yo.

L: 12yo Glenfiddich (50mL): ~$7
R: 40yo Glenfiddich (15mL): ~$70

Finish: So incredibly long (I think it's still going as I write this). Oak and leather. Just incredible. A hint of peat too, as with the palate. I'm nosing the glass 25 minutes later and the nose still has all these characteristics.
The 18yo in comparison is over in the time it takes to read this sentence. Enough said.

Wow, there it goes - the most special whisky I've tried, ever. It's going to be a tough one to beat.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 98/100 (18yo: 93/100).

Cheers,
 - Martin.

*Actually I lie - there is one other whisky that instantly transports me somewhere, but for the wrong reasons. Ballantine's reminds me of my Schoolies cruise, over a decade ago (even the excellent 30yo, unfortunately, which to me still has that painfully obvious Ballentine's taste). 

Shirt Bar Scotch Club - Glenfiddich (December 2012)

Has it really been a month since the last Scotch Club? Time flies.

Shirt Bar's Scotch Clubs have been steadily growing in popularity in 2012, and the final event for the year was no exception. With not a single free seat in the house, everyone was keen to try the offerings from the most popular distillery in the world, specifically:

• Glenfiddich 12yo Signature Malt
• Glenfiddich 15yo Solera
• Glenfiddich 15yo Distillery Edition
• Glenfiddich 18yo Ancient Reserve
• Glenfiddich 21yo Gran Reserva

Not a bad line-up - particularly for a Glenfiddich fan like me!

The night started with a "Glenfiddich cooler" cocktail (cue initial thoughts of 80s Bogans downing West Coast Coolers...) which turned out to be surprisingly good. Light, low on the alcohol and a touch of fruit which worked really well - a great palate cleanser. Then it was onto the reason we all came...

Shirt Bar's Scotch Clubs all follow the same basic premise (talk about how they whisky is made, where it's made, what affects the flavour, then taste it) but each has its unique differences. In this case, it was a funky interactive presentation including a detailed video tour of the Glenfiddich distillery. Sebastien, a friendly French bloke and William Grant & Son's local Glenfiddich Ambassador talked us through the tour and tasting, starting with the 12yo and working our way through to the 21yo.

We also got to take a whiff of new make Glenfiddich (which I've tried once before at the distillery - it tastes just like a very, very young 12yo!) and a few different barrel finishes of the 15 and 18 (it's amazing how different oak can drastically change the colour of two identically-aged whiskies).

So on with the tasting...

One thing I find about Glenfiddich is that although there's a huge variation between the different ages/releases, you can always tell a 'fiddich. The 12 year old showed the signature pear nose and taste, as expected with a shorter finish, with a hint of sweetness on the (smooth) palate. In the company of such esteemed whiskies it can be easy to write off a "standard" malt like the 12yo, but it's still a fantastic drop, and very smooth given its pricepoint (one reason I always recommend it as a great "starter" single malt). The finish is a little harsh, but not overly so, and only when compared with its more mature siblings...

..like the 18 year old Ancient Reserve. A sweet cinnamon nose makes way for an equally sweet taste, but with plenty of spice. Cinnamon, toffee - less fruit than the 12yo (though still there), and more spice. A smoother, longer finish as expected.

The two 15 year olds were up next, and considering the similar lineage, are really very different. The 15 year old Solera showed the same sweetness as the 12yo, with more of a Christmas cake palate, and a slightly lengthier finish. The 51% non-chill filtered 15 year old Distillery Edition (a mixture of sherry and bourbon-aged 'fiddichs) however was all about the peppery, leathery palate. This easily had the most "presence" of all the whiskies we tasted, with a huge mouthfeel that lingered on and on. Cask strength whiskies (especially those like the 50.7% 1975 Private Vintage) can offering have an almost-overpowering palate due to the higher ABV. Not so with the Distillery Edition. To me, it was the perfect balance of big bold flavours without the harshness. My most memorable whisky of the night.

Lastly was the 21 year old Gran Reserva (which now comes in a much cooler package than the bottle I bought a few years ago). Interestingly, a few years ago this was known as the "Havana Reserve", but due to Cuban trade embargoes underwent a name change so it could be sold in the US. As the name implies, it's aged in Caribbean rum casks, and it shows. Sweet like the 15 and 18yo, but with a creamier, sticky pudding-like palate, and a long, smooth finish. I'm a big fan of sipping rums (Zacapa 23, Diplomatico to name a few) and if you look hard enough, you'll find similar tastes in the 21yo. A truly excellent whisky.

All up, a great night and an excellent Scotch Club on which to end the year. Glenfiddich is an approachable whisky and that was the approach the guys took to the night too. Sebastien and his colleague Mark were great to talk to and really made the night enjoyable (Mark also very kindly promised to send me a little taste of something special...whatever it is, a review will follow!).

Cheers,
Martin.

PS: On a related note - I've just put in an order for the next Glenfiddich Age of Discovery (Bourbon finish) as well as the (apparently quite peated) 125th Anniversary special. Picking them up duty-free in early Jan, so look out for posts shortly after!

Shirt Bar Scotch Club - Woodford Reserve (November 2012)

Scotch Club at Shirt Bar - a brilliant concept where every month or so, a bunch of like-minded spirits fans get together to taste dark spirits (usually Scotch, but occasionally rum, Australian whisky, or in the case of this Scotch Club - Bourbon whiskey). Usually led by a Brand Ambassador or the distillers themselves, they're informative sessions where attendees get to not only taste some top-shelf and often rare spirits, but also learn the inner secrets of distillation, and sometimes taste the product during its lifecycle (and then soak it all up with a pies, quiches, and a generous platter of breads/cheeses/olives and dips!).

Woodford Reserve was this month's focus, led by spirits guru and Brown Forman / Woodford Reserve Brand Ambassador Stuart.

Walking in and seeing only three empty seats (ours - apologies to Adam and Stuart for being late!), it was clear this was going to be a popular Scotch Club. It wasn't hard to see why either - with a  set of 6 tasting glasses in front of every seat, AND a 50mL take-home WR Distiller's Select for everyone.

Bourbon fans would probably be familiar with the regular WR (Distiller's Select), but rest of the range is rarely seen in Australia (typically limited to specialist shops like World of Whisky in Double Bay), so it was a treat to not only try 4 of the rarer releases, but also some fresh-off-the-still new make (aka "White Dog").

All up, we tasted:

• Woodford Reserve new make ("White Dog")
• Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select
• Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Seasoned Oak Finish
• Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Maple Wood Finish
• Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Aged Cask Rye 
• Woodford Reserve Master's Collection New Cask Rye

Woodford Reserve new make ("White Dog")

If you've tried new make before, you'll probably know what I'm about to say. A pure expression of the ingredients that go into the basic "spirit" (it's not a bourbon yet at this point), new make is crystal-clear and comes fresh off the still, before being placed into barrels for aging. It's potent, has a somewhat ethanol scent, and usually pretty rough (although in this case, surprisingly smooth). You wouldn't want to drink it every day, but it's worth trying at least once.

Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select (46.2% ABV)
It's amazing what 7 years of sitting in a barrel can do. Smooth, honey notes replace the harsh, raw taste of the new make. This is something you can easily drink every day.

Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Seasoned Oak Finish (50.2% ABV)

Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Maple Wood Finish (50.2% ABV)

Woodford talk about the "5 sources of flavour" (grain, water, fermentation, distillation, and maturation) and change just one of these for each of their MC releases. For these two  it's the maturation - aged for an extra 2 years (total 9 years), and in seasoned oak and maple wood barrels respectively. The Seasoned Oak has a deep mahogany colour and spice comes through clearly in both nosing and tasting, whereas the Maple Wood (to me at least) had strong leather characteristics. Both brilliant bourbons you could happily sip and savour all night long.

Aged Cask - you can see
how light it is due to being
aged in used barrels.

Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Aged Cask Rye (46.2% ABV)

Woodford Reserve Master's Collection New Cask Rye (46.2% ABV)

These were interesting - sold as a pack of 2 x 350mL bottles, these 100% rye whiskies only differ by the type of cask they're aged in. Hearing "100% rye" I was expecting something pretty overpowering, but was surprised at just how drinkable these were neat (at around $250AUD/pack, you probably wouldn't be mixing too many cocktails with them...). Smooth, rounded, and with none of that harsh bite you can get with some ryes. Opinions around the room were pretty evenly split as to the preferred rye - for me it was the Aged Cask.

Before finishing the night we were given a few interesting facts about Woodford Reserve, including:

• ABVs all end in 0.2% (see above)
• WR actually make their own barrels; and
• Barrels are stored in temperature-controlled warehouses, which are purposely heated and cooled during the aging process.

All up a fantastic combination of great whiskey, great food and great conversation. I highly recommend checking out both Woodford Reserve and the next Scotch Club if you haven't yet!

Cheers, 

 - Martin.

PS: Google also tells me Australia is shortly getting the next MC release - "Four Wood". Can't wait to try it!