Author Archives: Carissa Hickling

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About Carissa Hickling

Originally from Canada, then India for 20 years, now working in Germany... and quite a 'Whisky Lady' too!

Unchartered Territory – Inchgower 13 year 46%

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Next upon our evening of ‘Unchartered Territory‘, our host further eased up slightly from both peat and strength to introduce a new distillery – Inchgower.

The folks over at Diageo share that Inchgower was:

Moved and renamed, rescued and preserved, Inchgower became more than just a distillery for its founders and his loyal workers. It was an idea – a reaction to increasing land prices, and a commitment to Single Malt Scotch Whisky – and one of the only distilleries to inspire a poem.

As usual, we sampled blind then revealed the whisky…

Inchgower 13 yearInchgower 13 year 46% (Gordon & MacPhail)

  • Nose – Think canvas and paint, smoky perfume, chemistry lab, Parle biscuit, plastic
  • Palate – Soft and smooth, light spice, mellow, very nice, very likable with a good heart, sweet spices, something challenging to define but quite lovely
  • Finish – Short finish but engaging
  • Water – Not needed

What a treat! It was unfamiliar yet friendly. One of those whiskies that has enough going on to be interesting yet still be quite amiable.

And the reveal? A whisky none of us had sampled before and, no surprise, another excellent offering from Gordon & MacPhail. Matured in sherry hogshead, the bottle notes share describe it as:

The whisky has delicate Sherry influence with fresh pineapple and peach aromas. The palate is mouth warming with ripe banana and orange flavours. The finish is creamy with a milk chocolate edge.

For our host, it was unchartered territory to reverse the standard adage of lower strength to higher strength whisky… or begin with a whisky with lower peat levels then build up.

His logic was that he anticipated the Inchgower to be quite unique and wanted to leave the best for last. This was definitely a case of having the showstopper at the end!

So what was our conclusion by the end of the evening?

  • #1 most interesting
  • #3 most drinkable
  • #2 left behind

What were the whiskies we sampled in our ‘Unchartered Territory‘ evening?

  1. Island – Talisker 57′ North NAS 57%
  2. Islay – Laphroaig PX Cask NAS 48%
  3. Speyside – Inchgower 13 year 46% (G&MP)

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Unchartered Territory – Laphroaig PX 48%

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Next upon our evening of ‘Unchartered Territory‘, our host eased up slightly from the peat and strength after the Talisker 57’ North 57%.

The Laphroaig PX Cask began its maturation in ex-bourbon barrels, then quarter casks before being finished in European oak Pedro Ximenez (PX) Sherry casks.

As usual, we sampled blind before revealing the whisky…

Laphroaig PX CaskLaphroaig PX Cask 48%

  • Nose – Peat, compost, cheese, very earthy, vegetal, some thought cheese sweet, that distinctive smell that comes from soaking clothes in lye soap, camphor, weeds in the river, black seaweed, fish tank, marshy but not salty, and a reminder that the peat is very much there
  • Palate – Spicy, bitter, quite mellow, subtle dry saunf? Quite musty, bitter with sweet, soft almost chocolatey
  • Finish – There with bitter sweet softness then stops
  • Water – Don’t… do yourself a favour and don’t even try

As we sampled, we found ourselves reaching for cucumbers – finding the whisky went well with the slightly bitter refreshing cucumber slices we keep on hand as a palate cleanser between whiskies.

And the reveal? Had the sense of it being closer to 43% than 48% and once we learned it was Laphroaig, it went ‘click’ as clearly part of the Laphroaig family.

Our host shared that he picked it up at the World of Whisky in London, largely motivated by it being a 200 anniversary…

Overall what did we think? Nothing wrong, yet nothing hugely right. Particularly after the Talisker, this one just did not stand out. It also surprised us as being a PX cask as we found few of the elements normally associated with the softer sweeter PX sherry PX cask matured whiskies.

I remember sampling it at Singapore duty free with the staff quite hopeful it would peak my interest, yet I resisted. Just as we found, my impression was that it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t outstandingly good either and certainly not exceptional enough to make the ‘cut’ for a precious purchase to bring back to Bombay.

What other whiskies did we sample in our ‘Unchartered Territory‘ evening?

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Unchartered Territory – Talisker 57° North 57%

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Whisky sampling convention tends to lean towards starting a tasting evening with the softer, gentler whiskies and closing with the powerful peat monsters and higher strength or more mature whiskies. We’ve certainly played around with a few approaches and tend to more or less follow such an approach with more focus on a progression in flavour profile from more delicate and light whiskies to more forceful and robust whiskies rather than strictly age or strength.

For our May session, our host decided to go completely against such notions to explore ‘Unchartered Territory‘ with the boldest and strongest dram first, then ease up on the strength and profile as the evening progressed.

As usual, we sampled blind then revealed… and where did we begin?

Talisker 57' North

Talisker 57° North 57%

  • Nose – Peat, ocean spray, vanilla, sardines on saltines, dry hay, sweet barley, hint of sweet port wine
  • Palate – Almost overwhelming, strong, spicy, dry kopra, turmeric bitter dry on the palate, chilly spice, pungent, sukha mirchi, a bit oily
  • Finish – Warm burn, dry
  • Water – Demands a few drops, really works wot water once let it settled down brings out cinnamon or more dry kopra…  brings out a few more elements

Our reaction was “I’m awake now!!”

Overall found it quite challenging, a surprise, definitely not a whisky to be taken lightly. No warm fuzzy familiar dram here.

That said, the reveal was a surprise. It has been some time since we gave Talisker a chance and a change to try one at 57%.

The Talisker folks launched this whisky to celebrate Talisker being 57’ degree for latitude and attitude with strength made by the sea. In keeping with many recent releases, it has no age statement. Described on the bottle as a

“pure expression of Talisker from American Oak refill casks… Sweet to start, it explodes with smoke and volcanic pepper. Stunning with strong blue cheese such as Stilton.”

Here’s what others have to say about the Talisker 57° North:

What other whiskies did we sample in our ‘Unchartered Territory‘ evening?

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Lovely labels – Smoky Goat 40%

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Initially described to me as Diageo’s answer to the fabulous Monkey Shoulder, Smoky Goat is part of Diageo’s Whiskey Union project to create “weird and wonderful whiskies.”

The first two products are being tested in Germany and Austria are Smoky Goat, described as ‘smoky sweet,’ and Boxing Hares, a spirit drink made from Scotch whisky infused with hops.

They say the name Smoky Goat comes from the tough yet playful wild goats that roam Islay’s most rugged and remote lands.

Our Whisky Ladies host picked up the bottle in Vienna as part of an evening unabashedly celebrating “I like the label!” We were naturally all curious to see what it would reveal!

2016-05-17 Smoky Goat

  • Nose – Hello?! Did we just accidentally stumble into a campfire? Think of matches being struck in quick succession with the acrid sulfer edge. Once we pushed past this, found hints of caramel and sweet incense
  • Palate – Silence. I swear not a single comment or sensible observation other than it clearly not appealing. After being immersed in a bonfire, we expected something. Anything. Honestly don’t recall one specific comment.
  • Finish – A sting of bitter oak, not much else
  • Water – Mellowed it down to bring out a little sugar to top the smoke

One remarked “This whisky is like your mother is scolding you – behave or else you are going to get a spanking!”

We struggled with this one. Perhaps it is because it followed the delightful surprise of Australia’s Starward, but this one just didn’t strike a chord with us at all.

First off, this is no Monkey Shoulder! William Grant’s vatted malt of Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie is an example where the sum becomes more than its parts. It is a well balanced affordable whisky that hits all the ‘tick’ boxes for an enjoyable dram.

The other strange thing is that on the peat scale, it isn’t off the charts. It is simply that there’s not enough other good stuff going on beyond the campfire burn to  capture attention or even things out.

While a step ahead of the ashtray Smokehead’s Rock edition, it doesn’t come close to the remarkably balanced Compass Box Peat Monster or even spitting distance of the killer (in a good way) Bruichladdich Octomore.

In fairness, it is intended to be an experiment. And the great thing about pushing the boundaries is such innovation can lead to something truly remarkable. In this case? Nah… but heck, why not keep trying!

Here is what Whiskey Union folks have to say about Smoky Goat:

Smoky Goat is a Blended Scotch artfully combining Whisky of three styles; Sweet Grain, Highland Malt creating the body and character of the blend, and Islay whisky providing the Smoke.

Craig Wallace the man who made Smoky Goat had a passion to make the smokiest of blends yet unusually to balance this smoke with an irresistible sweetness. His passion paid off, as Smoky Goat was awarded the Best Whiskey Innovation 2015* and Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2016.

The flavour is sweet and soulful, full bodied with honey vanilla and toffee brought together in a BBQ smoky blend. Best served as “Goat on the rocks”, the ice slowly unleashing the smoky flavour.

You won’t find many reviews out there yet, mostly marketing spins, except Whisky.com’s Horst Lenin vlog – spot on.

Other whiskies sampled in our ‘I like the label!‘ session:

From time to time, you can also find other whisky related updates and activities on:

Lovely labels – Australia’s Starward 43%

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Starward was introduced in our Whisky Ladies May session, part of whiskies our host selected based on labels she found attractive and interesting! Produced by New World Distilleries in Australia, Starward is a new entry to the growing Australian whisky market.

Unlike many terrific Australian whisky distilleries based in Tasmania, New World Distilleries is located just outside of Melbourne – apparently in an old Qantas hanger. They use Australian barley and age their whisky in reconditioned Australian oak casks. In the case of Starboard, the casks were previously used to age an Australian sherry called Apera. This makes for a novel fresh and distinctly Australian approach to their whisky.

2016-05-17 Starward

Starward NAS 40%:

  • Nose – Apricots, prunes, a sherry-like influence, honey, demerra sugar. Then a hint emerged of a flowery woodsy perfume… like faded lavender sachets in a cedar closet. As it aired more, out came some pepper, toasted coconut and even a little sour curd
  • Palate – Quite deceiving and a contrast to the nose with a much deeper profile than expected, topped with sweet spices, an almost tingling sensation yet smooth, intense flavours yet well balanced, more pepper, ginger, even apples or a citrus twist
  • Finish – Short and sweet
  • Water – Though a few hesitated to add, after initially punching up the spice it brightens and opens up the whisky. While not needed, doesn’t kill it either.

Overall a sense of youthful intensity with depth. Not massively complex yet had a teasing quality that danced along a spectrum of possibilities.

Bottom line… did we like it? Absolutely!!

Based on this introduction, am quite interested in seeing what more comes from this distillery.

Here’s what the New World folks have to say about their whisky:

Starward represents a new world where experience is respected but boundaries are challenged. This world class malt is youthful, rich and bright; a fine balance of tradition and innovation – of passion and analysis.

Bold but delicate, youthful but mature; rich and contemplative, and surprisingly crisp. It’s the essence of a determination to explore, discover and enlighten.

Starward. What whisky can be.

And Starward‘s tasting notes:

  • Rich amber colour
  • Aroma of ripe orchard fruits: pears, bananas and apples with vinous raisins and dried figs. Caramel, vanilla and marzipan balance the fruit.
  • The palate is filled with rich, toasty caramel, creme brulee, more fruit, pepper, sandalwood, nutmeg and marzipan.
  • A full, sweet, juicy mouthfeel, with a youthful, spicy, dry finish.

Here’s what others have to say:

Other whiskies sampled in our ‘I like the label!‘ session:

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Revisiting the Paul John Bold 46%

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As I’m in UK/Canada, prepared this post during a sweltering Mumbai May evening for your reading pleasure while I’m off gallivanting… read on…

Whenever possible, I like to revisit a whisky for a 2nd opinion. While I absolutely love sampling with others, there is also something to be said for sipping solo and distilling your own unique impression.

When the Whisky Ladies first sampled Paul John Bold, we found it enjoyable but slightly tame. In part this was because we had it after the fabulous Peated. In short, it was overshadowed.

At the time, I expected to soon revisit after our first brush with Bold but it took a quiet evening in May to finally pull it out and sample solo.

2016-05-08 Paul John Bold
Here’s what we initially found with Bold Single Malt NAS 46% compared with what I found solo…
  • Nose
    • Whisky Ladies: Bergamont, light, restrained, not quite sweet, a sense of being a bit more sophisticated, with a little vanilla
    • Whisky Lady revisit: Much sweeter and more ‘malty’ than I remembered, some citrus or tart green apple rather than the burst of tropical fruits I normally associate with Paul John expressions, a pronounced curl of peat too which we missed in our initial tasting. Yes honey too with a vegetal spicy undertone… as it aired became even a bit milky?
  • Taste
    • Whisky Ladies: Dare we say… after a name like BOLD we expected the whisky to jump out at us, swaggering into our senses… instead it was… um… almost tame? Light, honey sweet, some citrus, a puff of smoke, lovely but a step back from the luscious Peated
    • Whisky Lady revisit: More burn and ‘oomph!’ than I remembered…. some coffee and malted cereals, delightfully peaty
  • Finish
    • Whisky Ladies: Here was where we found peat – a lightly peaty finish with walnut. Some found it slightly bitter, others found it wasn’t bitter at all – particularly when compared with the bitterness of  the Edited finish
    • Whisky Lady revisit: Nice and peppery, still find the bitter walnut, oak and a hint of cinnamon spice

Did I agree with our initial assessment? Yes and no. Once it sang solo, Bold stands out.

I also found it went well with water and… yes… I will admit, a cube of ice kicks up the spice while cooling the dram – most welcome. What can I say? It is May and hot in Mumbai!

Whereas if I was to pick a season for this whisky? I’m reminded more of fall, all leafy, wood fires and crisp cool air. As I stared my risotto slowly cooking, couldn’t help tip the bottle to add a splash. Bold added a dash of spicy smoke – yum!

2016-05-07 Paul John Bold

The Bold I sampled was from Batch No 1, released in Aug 2015. I understand it is made with Indian barley smoked using Islay peat to around 25ppm. This is different than a short-cut many other distilleries outside of Scotland adopt, which is to import peated barley rather than go through the process of importing just the peat to then play around with peating desi barley.

Here’s what the folks at Paul John have to say about Bold:

Bold is a journey that leads you down the unexplored, unchartered terrains of Goa. It offers you a slice of its best-kept secrets, unravelling the mysteries, bit by little bit. This expression of ours invites you to leave the trail, tread the path less taken and plunge headlong into the delicious depths of Goa.

  • Nose – After the slightest whiff of smoke, a dizzying array of Manuka honey, prickly spice and bourboneque red liquorice takes over.
  • Palate – This melt-in-the-mouth malt has the most profound flavours crashing in like waves. At first, the delivery feels sublimely silky and studded with oak-like honey. And just when you think you’ve savoured it all, you are surprised by a hefty second wave of spice. This is followed by a cloudy, smoky feel that coats the roof of the mouth and leaves a tidal wave of dry molasses, peaty soot and a degree of copper in its wake.
  • Finish – Bold has a light finish with a tinge of copper slowly making its presence known. You can also sense a gorgeous smoked mocha shaped by delicate and intricate spices.

More sampling adventures with Paul John:

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Paul John Distillery in Goa – Guest Post by Paula McGlynn

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As I’m off gallivanting around merry old England then the colonies (aka Canada), am delighted to introduce another guest post by the lovely Paula McGlynn from her tour of Paul John distillery taken while in Goa for a recent film shoot.

Guest Post by Paula McGlynn

Guest Post by Paula McGlynn

“Don’t go by the map!” he said. Michael D’souza warned me that I would get lost if I tried to find the distillery by the Google Maps location. .. I didn’t listen and got lost anyway. However, after I realized my folly I turned around and found it the old fashion way; by asking people on the street.

Tucked away in the southern corner of Goa, the Paul John Distillery is to whisky lovers what the Golden Idol is to Indiana Jones… a treasure worth the effort and adventure required to find it!

I first had the pleasure of tasting whisky from Paul John distillery at our December 2015 Whisky Ladies tasting session in Mumbai. While we usually go through many efforts trying to source different whiskies from our travels, this was one night where we didn’t have to venture very far. Michael had generously provided a selection of the entire Paul John range (five different single malts) for our tasting pleasure.

The Paul John Distillery is in a large, earthy red building in a surprisingly quiet and green industrial estate.  Michael D’Souza, the Master Distiller, was soft-spoken and gracious as he showed me around. He explained that they plan to start distillery tours later on this year so make sure you fit it into your next winter trip to Goa!

Paul John Distillery

Paul John Distillery

We started with a walk through the massive storehouse where the whisky barrels are stacked for aging. We then proceeded to the cooler area downstairs where there are again many barrels stacked for whiskies for a slower aging process. Currently, the oldest whisky is bottled at only 7 years of age because the warm Goan climate causes the whisky to take on the character of the barrels and climate much faster than in the cool grey hills of Scotland.  Goa is also considered to be the party state of India, which might help explain why the ‘angel’s share’ is so high. (wink wink)

We proceeded to taste straight from Michael’s favorite select barrels and I sampled both peated and unpeated whiskies. The unpeated was extremely smooth, with tropical banana and coconut, while the peated was rich and nutty with some citrus notes.

After leaving the storehouse we took a tour of the distillery. Before going into the barrels, the alcohol goes through the fermentation processes where the malted barley is converted to a kind of beer. To take a peep inside the chambers is like looking into a giant test tube and watching the yeast form bubbles on top of the liquid. It is then passed through two large copper stills to clarify and concentrate the alcohol. It then goes into charred oak barrels and begins its relatively short (in whisky terms) seven year wait at the Paul John Distillery before bottling.

Paul John Select Cask Peated

Paul John Select Cask Peated

If you are in India, a visit to the distillery is a must because Paul John is currently only distributing the “Bold” and the “Edited” expressions of the whisky within India. However, the entire range must be sampled to understand how versatile and complex an Indian whisky can be! When Paul John Distillery opens for tours it will be possible for people to sample the entire range. Those not living in India can find the entire selection available for purchase in many countries including the UK, France, and America.

When you have a chance to sample, do try for the Peated Select Cask if you’re a fan of bacon and peat! It’s a personal favorite of many of our Whisky Ladies as well.

For your own interest, do check out the website for Paul John Distillery: http://pauljohnwhisky.com/ and slot it into your next trip to Goa.

Also, I have added a new location for the distillery on the map so you don’t need to go Indiana Jones looking for the place if you don’t want to: https://goo.gl/maps/CTNi8bK6mHz

Related posts about Paul John whisky samplings:

Whisky Lady – May 2016

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Carissa Hickling's avatarEveryday Asia

Whisky Lady sampling remained strong in May with four whisky sessions!

2016-05-22 Westin Whiskies Cards

It kicked off with a special “Gourmet Affair” whisky and food pairing by The Singleton and TheWestin Mumbai featuring:

  • Glenkinchie 12 year with asparagus and burrata
  • Caol Ila 12 year with stuffed morels and mushrooms
  • Talisker 10 year with seared scallops and prosciutto or corn fed chicken
  • Lagavulin 16 year with Australian lamb loin or Indian lamb shank
  • Singleton by Glen Ord 12 year with mignardises

Bushmills contest

Our Bombay Malt & Cigar (BMC) invited the Whisky Ladies over for a sociable evening of Irish malts! With tasting notes from a few of the lovely Whisky Ladies!

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“I like the label!” Great King Street, Starward, Smoky Goat

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There is the old adage “Don’t judge a book by its cover!” However let’s face it, we can’t help but be swayed by the ‘packaging’ sometimes!

The theme for our May Whisky Ladies evening was a trio of whiskies selected by our host simply because “I like the label!”

One was a familiar favourite and the other two were completely new to both her and our merry bunch of whisky women.

2016-05-17 Great King, Starward, Smoky Goat

We sampled:

With some very clear ‘wins’ – the ever lovely Compass Box treat and the surprisingly fabulous Starward from Australia.

2016-05-17 Great King St + Starward

And a very clear ‘no!’.. yeah this one decidedly got our goat for being unpalatable…

2016-05-17 Smoky Goat 2

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Unchartered Territory – Talisker 57′ North, Laphroaig PX, Inchgower 13 year

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As the mercury rises in Mumbai and we impatiently wait for monsoon to make its appearance, our merry malt gang made its way over to a members home for an evening of whisky sampling.

The ‘non-theme’ of the evening proved to be ‘Unchartered Territory’. Each of the whiskies our host had never sampled. He also tried a reverse approach of starting with the strongest in alcohol strength progressing to the least powerful. Furthermore everything we tried for dinner were all new experiments. As usual, all tastings were blind before the dramatic reveal!

May's trio - Talisker, Laphroaig, Inchgower

May’s trio – Talisker, Laphroaig, Inchgower

What whiskies did we sample?

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