SpiceLines

We’ve enjoyed the occasional bottle, so last fall when I had an email inquiry from Master of Malt, a U.K.-based internet distributor of single malt whisky and other drinks, asking if I’d like to sample a few of their wares, I agreed—on the basis that I’d tell you what I really thought.

A few weeks ago, a tiny box inscribed Drinks by the Dram straggled into the office. No letter inside, just three one-ounce bottles. Two aged single malt Scotches and, curiously, a single barrel bourbon from Kentucky. Um, isn’t Kentucky just a day’s drive from here?

Single malt whisky is made from one type of malted grain—usually barley —and is distilled at a single distillery, usually not too far from where the grain is grown. Many factors affect the flavor of a particular whisky, among them the cask in which it is aged. An oak cask that once contained sherry not only lends that flavor to the whisky, but also creates a heavier body and a dark amber hue. Bourbon casks are said to add the taste of vanilla to the contents.

Although single malts are made in a dozen countries, including Ireland, France and India, only malts distilled in Scotland, in oak casks for at least three years, can be called single malt Scotch. We were to taste two of them: a Bowmore 26 Year Old Single Cask and a Rosebank 19 Year Old-1990-Old Malt Cask made by Douglas Laing.

Single barrel bourbons are rather different. All bourbons must be made in America, distilled from a grain mixture at least 51 percent corn, and aged in “new, charred oak barrels.” According to straightbourbon.com, some barrels seem to produce unusually fine spirits. Typically these are separated from the ordinary barrels and placed in the “heart” of the warehouse, where the contents are allowed to age until they “reach the peak of perfection.” Elmer T. Lee of Ancient Age Distilling invented the concept: His first single barrel bourbon was Blanton’s. We were to try a “slightly lower proof” Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon, named after the master distiller.

So here’s how it went.

First, the set up: On a silver tray, 4 Riedel stemless wine glasses (like brandy snifters, they curve inwards, capturing the aroma), a crystal carafe of chilled spring water, a bucket of ice cubes (heresy!), a jigger, and some deco-ish Liberty cocktail napkins. Oh, yes, and the three “drams” of alcohol. And Cole Porter tunes wafting softy through the room.

We splashed, we swirled, we sniffed, we tasted. Here are some of the unfiltered comments I captured, my own thoughts, and a few words from other critics.

The Drink: Rosebank 19 Year Old—1990—Old Malt Cask (Douglas Laing)
made in the Lowlands

We said: “Kind of mellow…goes down pretty smoothly…will offend no one…better with ice…(a long silence)…Oh, well…”

They said: The Whiskey Exchange called it “very pleasant, grassy…amazingly fresh for its age.”

When I swirled the pale gold whisky and inhaled its aroma, I was suddenly 17 years old again. My father, realizing that the days of teenage drinking were upon him, advised me to imbibe only straight Scotch with plenty of ice and water. “Mixed drinks will give you a headache,” he said solemnly. And for years I dutifully drank Johnny Walker at horrid bars with names like The Satire Room and Satin Doll. I actually loathed Scotch because it tasted like medicine. Which, of course, was my father’s intention in the first place.

And there it was again—that vaguely medicinal taste in a 19 year old single malt. No thanks.

The Drink: Bowmore 26 Year Old Single Cask, made in Islay for Master of Malt

We said: “the color of honey…worth drinking…definitely a heavier hit to the palate… deeper, more intense…I get a little smoke with this one…I wouldn’t drink it with ice…well, that’s because you have a practiced Texas tongue…I’m just a northeasterner…” Ouch.

They said: On Whiskey Notes, Ruben wrote that from Bowmore in the 1980’s, “you can expect all sorts of things…with lavender soap and eau de cologne probably being the worst.” Still he found a lot of sweet stuff to like: He tasted “marshmallow and cherry fruit gums…soft vanilla, white chocolate underneath…With a drop of water it becomes very lightly peaty and quite grassy…violet candy…citrus..whiffs of cinnamon…” To sum up: “Ever wonder how a Bowmore lollipop would taste like ?”

I didn't get all that candied sweetness. The Bowmore was very pleasant, but still not so compelling that I had to whip out my credit card for a full bottle.

The Drink: Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery

We said: “I like the aroma quite a lot…smooth, kind of sweet, mellow….finishes warm…(and after a long pause)…let’s just break out the Basil Hayden…”

They said: At Spirits Review Chris Carlsson tasted “toffee, apricots, some spiciness and a faint trace of marzipan, leather and on more warming: char.” He concluded that the Elmer T. Lee is a good mixing bourbon—“A true gentleman who know how to get along well with others.” He called it a “gateway Bourbon,” one that “introduces you to the true possibilities of what bourbon can be and leaves you hungering for all the other ones out there…”

And that’s the thing. This is a perfectly nice single barrel bourbon, but if you’re into bourbon (and we are), there are better ones--like Basil Hayden's premium small batch bourbon, a house favorite that's aged for 7 or 8 years. Warm and velvety on the palate, it has just a whiff of peppery spice. You could call the Elmer T. Lee a beginner’s single barrel bourbon—an easy step up from the mass produced stuff. But why buy it from a British exporter, when you can get better spirits from the local ABC (yes, we are in the South) at half the price?

Bottom line: I fear that Master of Malt missed the mark, at least for those of us at SpiceLines. The website features a number of fine whiskeys, but we received a fairly innocuous selection--not interesting enough to tantalize. And the notion of shipping single barrel bourbons back to the U.S., where they are readily available, seems poorly conceived. I suppose they might have had a U.K. - U.S. premium spirits scrimmage in mind--but sorry guys, no touchdown this time.

All of which makes me think that’s it’s time for a road trip to Kentucky…or maybe back to the Caledonian where they’re saving a seat for me in the bar…