Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside (Dufftown: 57.448N, -3.119W)
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Strength: 54.6% ABV (109.2° Proof)
Color: Unknown (most likely natural color)
Filtration: Unknown (most likely non-chill filtered)
Maturation: 19 years in ex-bourbon casks, finished for unknown duration in ex-Cognac casks
Price: $186.99 (Total Wine)
Tl;dr summary - An end-of-year splurge inspired by a generous age statement combined with an equally generous bottling strength. The dram starts out impressively with fantastic aromas of cognac, vanilla, almonds, and red apple. The taste requires a bit of dilution (and time) to tame the alcohol punch, but eventually fruits, oak, and pepper spice are revealed. The finish is moderate length with ample oak, pepper spice, and gentle fruit. An impressive whisky with polished packaging and a lofty asking price that could justifiably be a deal-breaker for some.
Well Happy New Year and Happy Burns Night everyone. Being the first post of a new year, I thought it perfectly fitting to open with a bit of pizzazz. Typically I am quite wary when it comes to spending a large sum of money on a single bottle of hooch. For any given distillery/producer, I usually hem and haw and sample cheaper offerings from them before plunking down the big bucks for something from the loftier end of their stable. Today's whisky totally bucks that behavior. When I purchased today's malt, not only had I never had a drop of a single malt from the Glendullan distillery, I knew very little about the distillery other than it was owned and operated by Diageo.
In my defense, three of the four motivations for my purchasing decision are laudable - this whisky is 19 years old, an official bottling from the distillery, and the cherry on top - bottled at cask strength. The final motivation is admittedly less noble and typically the purview of the gullible, but I'd be lying if I said the spiffy marketing campaign and glitzy artwork draped over the bottle and its packaging did not stir my desire to purchase. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a sea glass green bottle accentuated by a coral mermaid set against an azure blue sky.
All told, Diageo owns 28 malt distilleries in Scotland and this Singleton is one of eight 2021 Special Releases that Diageo produced from their stable of distilleries. All eight offerings are bottled at cask strength and all feature an age statement. The breathtaking entry has to be the senior Lagavulin, but each entry has its own charm. The seven other special releases joining the Singleton are: Cardhu 14 year ($150), Lagavulin 26 year ($2,400), Lagavulin 12 year ($150), Mortlach 13 year ($125), Oban 12 year ($115), Royal Lochnager 16 year ($250), and Talisker 8 year ($115).
I've always been intrigued by the numerous factors that contribute to a particular bottle's price point. There are tangible aspects such as age, bottling strength, and production characteristics, but there are also intangible influences such as brand perception and marketing push that contribute to a bottle's price. There is no tool quite like a spreadsheet to provide a bit of context in such regards and plotting each of the eight 2021 special releases does indeed show some interesting trends. It's no surprise that the 26-year-old Lagavulin is a wild point in terms of comparison. Malts from Islay that are over two decades old are indeed rare,
doubly so from a distillery with the brand prestige of Lagavulin. There is simply no getting around the fact that a consumer will pay a significant premium to bring a bottle of long-aged Lagavulin home - low supply, high prestige, and even higher consumer desire will always yield a shockingly large asking price.
When we exclude the old man Lagavulin from the discussion, things become
a bit more apples-to-apples:
Average MSRP (excluding Lagavulin 26): $154.29
Average $ per Year (excluding Lagavulin 26): $11.66
Average $ per ABV % (excluding Lagavulin 26): $2.73
In terms of dollars per year of
maturation, it's the Royal Lochnager, Talisker, and 12-year Lagavulin
that carry the largest premium. The Talisker and Lagavulin are
understandable as both are well established and desired brands that have
legions of fans across the globe. Any special release from those two
distilleries will be snapped up without hesitation at virtually any
price. The Royal Lochnager is interesting as I suspect it's premium is
driven by scarcity and uniqueness. Royal Lochnager is by far Diageo's
smallest distillery and is typically used in the Johnnie Walker Blue and
Black products. As such there is very little Royal Lochnager whisky
available to consumers as a standalone product and might explain why its pricing is significantly above the mean.
As for our humble Singleton, it is the best value in terms of dollars per year of age when compared to its special release companions. Being the second lowest bottling strength dings the value prospect when assessing it's bang-for-buck in regard to strength, but I'll take that trade-off for a 19-year-old single malt. Of course it is not a whisky's numerical attributes that shape its stature
in the whisky world. For that we need to answer the question 'is this
stuff any good?'. For a whisky's legend is made (or shattered) not on a
website or retail shelf, but exclusively in the glass from which it is
enjoyed.
Nose
Immediately reminiscent of Cognac: cocoa, coffee, oak, gentle leather jump out at first. With time, it's barley foundation emerges and it becomes obvious that this is indeed a malt and not a Cognac. Initially there is a fair amount of ethanol punch but once my nose acclimates, almonds, vanilla, gentle orange oil, and barley sugar all waft up from the glass. An absolutely sensational aroma throughout the experience. A+.
Taste
When sipped neat, the ethanol overwhelms my palate. This is a 'hot' whisky, a surge of alcohol coats my tongue and overwhelms my ability to pick out most flavors. There is a bit of acclimation where more flavors are perceptible when sipping neat, but for me, this whisky requires water. With water added, oak, apple, barley, dark cocoa, and a gentle black pepper spice are present. An excellent whisky in terms of flavor, but the taste is one notch below the sublime nose.
Finish
Medium to long finish. When sipped neat, the alcohol is the most dominant aspect of the finish, but just as with the taste, water helps the malt's flavors emerge. The oak, almond, black pepper and gentle orange continue from the taste. The black pepper is the longest to linger. The finish is on par with the taste, but does not surpass the taste (or nose) in the experience.
Overall
An excellent and enjoyable whisky. Thus far, I've had four pours of this malt and there is no question that for me, this whisky requires the addition of water for full enjoyment as it's just too ethanol-heavy when sipped neat. Of course this is not a complaint, I prize the fact that this malt is bottled at its natural cask strength as it gives the consumer total control over the dilution to their personal preference. For me a quarter-ounce of water for a 1.5 ounce pour was the consensus.
This would bring the proof down from the original 54.6% ABV to ~47% ABV. Also praiseworthy, though not officially stated on the label, is my belief that this malt is natural color and has not been chill-filtered (the whisky did become cloudy after the addition of water).
My criticisms are really nits - I wish the finish was a tad longer. I wish the taste and finish were equal to the aroma but both are a whisker below. I wish the price was lower. Speaking of price, perhaps the ultimate compliment I can give is that my enjoyment of this whisky dwarfed my whisky frugality and caused me to lose sight of the fact that I paid nearly $200 for this bottle. Unlike my experience with 21 year old Redbreast, the enjoyment derived from each sip of the Singleton dominated my thoughts rather than a fixation over how much each sip had cost me. Regardless, flirting with $200 is a significant sum of money and one that I feel must be kept at the forefront when discussing all other facets of this malt.
So is this bottle worth the asking price? For me, yes, but only as a one-time purchase. While I do believe this malt is worth the price tag, I do not believe this malt to be unique enough to justify the purchase of a second bottle to squirrel away for future enjoyment. At a minimum I suspect 2022's Special Release of Singleton, assuming there will be one, will be equally enjoyable, even if its production characteristics are different than the 2021 release.
I'll leave you with a bit of a teaser - there are expensive bottles of hooch that merit purchasing in bulk. Bottles entirely unique in regard to production and/or quality such that they become time capsules capturing a specific moment never likely to be repeated. Such bottles are genuine treasures, distinct in their character; the phrase 'catching lightning in a bottle' comes to mind. I will be discussing just such a bottle in the very near future, but until then, cheers to all in the new year.
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