Day #3 - 2022 Whiskey Advent Calendar

 

As the picture above shows, Day #3's tasting is going to be based off a partial pour as I'm just not feeling like a full pour this afternoon. An ounce of whiskey should be more than sufficient however, and straight away I am smelling aromas entirely unique to the first two pours of this set.

Because storming out of the gates with supreme confidence for the first two pours yielded me two embarrassing whiffs on the guesses as to the type of each whiskey, I should temper myself but alas, my brain raced to a conclusion before I could even make it to the living room. What the hell, I'll blurt it out and see if my opinion changes as I sniff and sip: I am dealing with a sherry-influenced malted barley whiskey here.

Smell: Vulcanized rubber (weird I know, but think tire store; a smell that I get with sherry matured whiskeys), syrupy sweet, red currants, barley sugar, lemon zest

 

Taste: Malted barley sugar, grain, heather. A jolt of alcohol and a flash of a wine influence. I think sherry, but other red wine variants could be in play here. I think we're dealing with a whiskey in the 46% ABV range. The whiskey starts with a bang, quickly fades, but then transitions to a gently lingering finish.

Finish: Moderate length finish with barley sugar, very gentle spice (ginger)

As time progresses, I am losing confidence in my sherry pick. Maybe it's the seeds of self-doubt planted in the first two days, but I feel the sherry influence I was so sure of in the beginning is no longer present. Further eroding my confidence is the color of the whiskey in the glass, nary a speck of maroon-reddish hue, a telltale sign of sherry maturation. What I am still fully confident of is that this whiskey is 100% malted barley. My mind keeps racing to the Scottish Highlands, specifically the Deanston distillery. I don't think this whiskey has too many years of maturation under its belt, let's go with 6-8 years. As far as proof, I'm sticking with my initial assessment of 46%, this whiskey is definitely peppier than the standard 40/43% ABV, but under 50%. Final answer.

 

My Guess

Type/Style: Malted Barley Whisky

Region: Scotland (Highlands)

Age: 6 to 8 years old

Maturation: Ex-bourbon, possibly some ex-wine barrels as well

Strength: 46% ABV

Producer: Deanston

Sip, Mix, or Skip?: Sip but would ultimately skip due to its youthfulness

 

Reveal

Name: Prologue Batch #2 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Type/Style: Blended Malt Whisky

Region: Scotland (Highlands & Speyside)

Age: Non-age stated (estimated 4-8 years)

Maturation: Ex-bourbon

Strength: 47% ABV

Producer: Chapter 7

Price: $40

Official Tasting Notes

The Prologue was introduced in 2021 and is the newest of their Whisky series. Chapter 7 Prologue Batch #2 is a small batch blend of Speyside and Highland Single Malts that were aged in ex-Bourbon barrels. The Whiskies are aged between 4 and 8 years and 6,000 bottles were yielded. As the perfect casual, everyday dram, this edition complements their Monologue and Anecdote collection, plus, it’s a tribute to the so-called dramming. In the mid 1970s, it was customary (if perhaps not completely legal) to distribute drams to distillery workers between their shifts. The days of dramming are long gone but this offering brings the concept back with its floral and fruity and approachable palate, packed with sweet spices.

Final Thoughts

Well now we are cooking with gas and hoo boy am I glad I paused and took the time to scrutinize my sherry influence hunch. This is turning into a bit of an exercise in human psychology, it is amazing how I felt I had to talk myself down due to being so wrong in the previous two samples. As before, there were clues staring me in the face, all I had to do was pay attention. The biggest clue was the pale golden color of this malt, a sherry malt would have some red to it (assuming it was not artificially colored).

While I have never heard of this producer or this blend, I am over the moon to try a blended malt. Most blended Scotch whisky contains malted barley whiskey and grain whiskey, but a blended malt contains only malted barley whiskey. Personally I feel blended malts have great potential and can take a roster of mediocre whiskies that when blended produces a product greater than the sum of its parts. Unfortunately I feel this blend is held back by the youthfulness of its components. A few more years, say a total of 10-ish years, would have helped mellow the sharp grain notes I noticed throughout the tasting. I don't think a blended malt requires extreme aging, but aging sufficiently long enough to soften the underlying grains is mandatory. Think of making a roux, even when making a sandy-blonde roux, one still needs to cook it sufficiently long enough to erase the raw flour taste. The youthful edge of this whisky is ultimately why I would pass on seeking out a bottle of my very own. It was however a fun sample that I very much appreciated tasting. There is quality whisky in here, it just needs a bit more time maturing.