Laphroaig 10 Year Cask Strength: Batch 002 (12/2010); 56.3% ABV

It wasn’t until friends introduced me to the standard, flagship 10 year Laphroaig (43% ABV) that I began to really appreciate Single Malt Scotch Whisky. It was strong and polarizing. Nevertheless, I welcomed the smoky aftertaste that drink offered. Sipping it encouraged introspection and focus on the moment….not unlike listening to Morrissey or Radiohead.

Through education (books and tastings), I found that smoky characteristic to be ever present in the spirits distilled on the Scottish Island of Islay; it has much to do with the way their unique peat interacts with the geography, and how they prepare their barley (Laphroaig employs barley floor malting). For more information, I’ve embedded a fascinating YouTube clip of the TV show, Modern Marvels - Distilleries that describes the process.

Now, as great as the flagship Laphroaig 10 year is, I am much more enamored by the Cask Strength variety. The color is a deep gold from being aged in American oak barrels. The nose is predictably more pungent. It has a lot of the same tasting notes (peat/smoke, seaweed, medicinal/iodine, vanilla sweet) as the standard expression.

What I think sets the Cask Strength apart, then, is the finish. It is much longer. The higher alcohol content allows it to linger and linger in the mouth, enhancing the spicy and medicinal characteristics. The heat refuses to be contained in the caverns of the mouth and does escape out the nose. I particularly like that chewing (yes, chewing) the whisky brings out the sweetness. Sipping it, I know I’m consuming something woodsy and potent. Exhaling, I feel like I’m blowing fire. I really like this stuff. It’s a bottle that will be mainstay in my bar.

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Smathers & Branson – Needlepoint Jolly Rogers Flask

Charmed by the quality needlepoint and the preppy aura it exudes.

If you’re wondering, the skull and crossbones motif is the same on the other side.

Link: Smathers and Branson

My current favorite Scotch: Lagavulin 16 year old

I love the peatiness. Currently, having a ridiculous special, I stocked up at Costco!

Whisky Advocate gave it 94 pts and reviewed…

An old classic, but how do the newest bottlings fare? Rich, chewy, slightly oily texture. Deep peat, thick smoke, iodine, brine, charcoal, seaweed, tea (Earl Grey, Lapsang Souchong), and the aromas of a summer barbeque. Vanilla and light caramel soften the intensity, while subtle citrus fruit teases. Powerful, yet polished and seamless. After all these years, this whisky is still one of the finest standard-issue peaty, smoky whiskies!

Lexington Social House – it was okay

met up with FC, a food blogger friend, for snacks and drinks at a place we’ve both been meaning to try… i’ve heard mixed reviews of the place, but was still curious to give it a whirl…

i started the night with one of their newest drinks, The Spanish Harlem – tanteo cocoa infused tequila, maraschino liqueur, agave nectar, chocolate-chili bitters.. though a bit too sweet for my tastes, it was still refreshing…

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Kirkland x Macallan Single Malt Scotch

During my biweekly Costco visit to pick up provisions, I came across a bunch of 20 year and 15 year Macallan-distilled Scotch under the Kirkland Signature label. Curious, I put a 20 year in my cart.

According to the label, the 20 year spent a significant amount of time in bourbon casks and then was finished for 6 months in sherry casks, resulting in tastes of dark chocolate, dried fruit, and orange. Looking forward to trying this!

The Spare Room at the Roosevelt Hotel

Had the bartender create something with Laphroaig-like scotch. Played Jenga.

Link: The Spare Room

Providence Restaurant – Delicious!

EM, my favorite fashion designer friend was in town, visiting from Paris. Haven’t seen her in a while. We selected the 2-Michelin starred Providence as a backdrop for our reunion. Good food. Good drink. Good company. It was fun.

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2005 El Corazón de Jonata – Red Blend

I have a new hobby…………. wine collecting.

…. and not because my father does it, but because lately, I’ve been drinking a lot of it.

So I figure, I should start educating myself about the good stuff. To start, I picked up a couple of bottles from Jonata vineyard, which is based in Santa Ynez Valley (Santa Barbara) and fascinatingly, owned by the same people who own Screaming Eagle.

I have yet to try it, but am anxious to after reading the various reviews.

Robert Parker for Wine Advocate gave it 94 points:

The 2005 El Corazon de Jonata (41% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and 2% Sauvignon Blanc) is denser, richer, and more perfumed than its 2004 counterpart. The overall impression is one of a sensual/seductive wine boasting an inky/blue/purple color as well as copious amounts of blue, red, and black fruits interwoven with truffle, charcoal, and graphite scents. This full-bodied, powerful 2005 offers both significant flavor authority and elegance. It will last for 15 or more years.

Stephen Tanzer for Interanational Wine Cellar gave it 93 points:

Opaque violet. Deep, ripe cherry and plum on the nose, with exotic baking spice and gingerbread building with air. Lush dark berry liqueur flavors are deep and sweet but possess good grip, finishing with light, dusty tannins and excellent persistence. Really stains the palate with sweet, precise fruit and minerality and possesses more energy than the 2004 version, which is a beauty in its own right. 

Jeb Dunnuck for The Rhône Report gave it 94+ points

Beautifully fresh and vibrant, the 2005 Jonata Winery El Corazón de Jonata is a step up from the ’04, showing awesome aromatics of smoky black cherry and cassis fruits, cigar box, tobacco, blood and roofing tar. Very tightly wound on the palate, the wine possesses full-bodied power with superb balance, a rich, full texture and a serious, tannic finish. This needs time. I’d give bottles another 3-5 years and then drink over the following decade or longer.

Jonata’s description of it:

Wide mélange of flavors faithfully illustrates the kitchen sink of variety of grapes within the glass. Aromas of smoked meats, wild honey, soy sauce, white truffle, black cherry, cola, brown sugar and oak char. Dizzying yet tempting complexity. Generous and full bodied with mix of blackberry, mushroom notes and smoke. Very approachable at this stage with loads of soft fruit and firm, yet giving tannins. Length, length and length on finish.

Link: Jonata Winery