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The penultimate conclusion of the 4th Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar is a real doozy, and that’s saying something. Secret Spirits always goes all-out for Christmas Day, allowing nothing less than 30 years old into the pole position. They’ve managed to find one of the real Holy Grail products for whisky geeks too: an old-ass Invergordon.

Invergordon, like yesterday’s Tamnavulin, is one of the tentpole products in the Whyte & MacKay blend, which I’ve never actually tasted. Blended whiskies are the most popular whiskies in the world, and unless they’re blended malts, they require grain whisky -- which is where Invergordon comes in. It’s one of only six remaining, active, full-time grain whisky distilleries. That’s not a lot, but it kind of doesn’t matter; those six create more product per year than every other distillery combined. Invergordon alone accounts for somewhere in the range of 36 to 40 million litres each year; Glenfiddich, which produces probably the most popular single malt Scotch in the world, has a maximum production capacity of only 13 million litres.

There is some grain whisky bottled as a stand-alone product, so it’s not unheard of to get your hands on an Invergordon or a Cameronbridge. Because of their massive production levels, it’s also not unheard of for some of these products to reach some pretty extreme ages (some would argue that, because they’re distilled in Coffey-type continuous stills, they’re a lower grade product and wouldn’t have a chance of reaching the level of quality of their malted cousins without that aging).

I’ve actually had the extreme pleasure of sampling a 46 year-old, 51.5% ABV Invergordon at the 20th anniversary Scotch tasting held by The Bushwakker in Regina a few years ago. That was a hell of a ride: nothing but oak and alcohol on the nose, with a bourbon-like corn and vanilla sweetness shot through with a ton of oak. It was pretty extreme, but 46 years old would probably ruin most whiskies, so the fact that this was as good as it was is pretty remarkable.

This 30 year-old version, distilled in 1987, comes in at 45% ABV and was aged in a Sherry hogshead (cask #901551). The nose seems to show the barrel cliff: the point at which a whisky takes the turn from being aged just enough to being aged too much. Where the older one was overpowered by oak and alcohol, this has a ton of sweetness, caramel and amplified barley sugar. There’s just a hint of oak, where as you might expect I was expecting drastically more. Umami and just a hint of oak — I would’ve expected drastically more. There’s also that sort of meaty umami note you get once in a while from a lot of Irish whiskies and the occasional Scotch. The palate was also more complex than I expected, with apricot, some warm ginger, coconut and caramel sweetness. The oak is definitely present, dusty and tannic, primarily on the back end. It ends with a fierce wave of spice, carrying through a lengthy finish. It’s a very long journey

And what a finish! This is a hell of a way to wrap up an incredible advent calendar. Not only is it a damn fine whisky in its own right, it’s also a great reminder that the conventional wisdom about older whiskies being superior is not always the case.

#Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar #Secret Spirits #whisky #grain whisky #single grain #single grain whisky #single grain Scotch whisky #Invergordon #sherry cask #sherry cask aging

This is where the value really starts to show itself in the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar!

There’s been plenty of interesting product in the calendar so far, but things always ramp up towards the culmination. This is no different: Glen Keith is, to say the least, extremely difficult to find in a single malt bottling. To be frank, I’ve never even heard of it before!

I’m sure I’m not alone. Glen Keith is a relatively new distillery, having begun operations in 1958. It was shut down for a lucky 13 years on the verge of Y2K, and has generally only been used as a contribution to different blended whiskies. This is extremely common; there are incredible numbers of distilleries that don’t typically issue single malt bottlings and produce exclusively for blends -- which is where these independent bottlers come in. They are still the only way to experience the product created by some of these distilleries.

Consider this: Chivas Bros., which owns Glen Keith, owns 26 single malt Scotch distilleries that feed 17 brands of blended Scotch (many of which, by the way, have numerous different labels or bottlings; there are six different variants with the Chivas Bros. name alone). Of those 26, there are only six that I recognize as commonly-available single malt bottlings, though you could argue that the Longmorns and Glenallachies in that six are very new on the single malt scene.

So yeah, every time a new-to-me distillery comes up in this advent I am not-so-sliently crying out with joy. That goes double when it’s a 20 year-old single malt aged in a refill sherry butt (cask HL13359) and it retains an ABV of 50%.

This started out surprising on the nose, with significant molasses, not unlike a rum. There’s plenty of salt and a bit of sherry spices, along with a slight floral note. The tongue reminds me of dusky corn husks at first, before slipping into an over-oaked, bitterly tannic mid-palate. The cask has done its work, with lots of sherry spice present, though it is on the softer side and not too hot. The ABV sting stops short of cloying, and its tempered with a dark chocolate sweetness that is quite nice, though very minor.

This wasn’t my favourite of this series, but it was very interesting. I’m not sure I can glean exactly what Glen Keith’s “house style” is like, but I’d love another chance to explore it.

#Glen Keith #Secret Spirits #The Old Malt Cask #Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar #malt #single malt #malt whisky #single malt whisky #single malt scotch #single malt scotch whisky #independent bottling #independent bottler #Speyside scotch whisky #Speyside #Speyside scotch

The 19th day of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar brings back both The Glenrothes and a 19 year-old single malt.

This is a big year for Secret Spirits, having their first two bottlings in which the distillery was explicitly named featured in the calendar. The Caol Ila from a few days ago was absolutely outstanding, and my hopes were high for this as well. Sort of.

I have a mixed history with Glenrothes, as I’ve mentioned before. Some of their official bottlings have been kind of terrible, while some of the product put out by independent bottlers that I’ve tried has been completely delightful. Their lighter, floral leanings can be somewhat offputting in certain scenarios.

This 19 year old is the second-oldest Glenrothes I’ve tried, I believe. It was aged in an ex-bourbon cask (#261), hits an ABV of 55%, and has no chill filtration or colouring.

A very unusual nose here, with an odd white balsamic vinegar note on top, followed by pear, hazelnuts, vanilla, icing sugar and baked apple. No big burn from the ABV, which is a little surprising. On the tongue there’s a lot of vanilla and pear, but it’s accompanied by a strong burn at full strength. Some spice (coriander?) and tingly heat, sponge cake, and oranges. Lots of spice on the finish, ending with some chewy oak.

This was definitely among the better Glenrothes I’ve had. It has an awful lot of character and complexity, and you feel it all as you range through it. Well-chosen once again, Secret Spirits.

#Secret Spirits #Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar #malt #malt whisky #scotch #scotch whisky #single malt #single malt scotch #single malt scotch whisky #barley #Glenrothes #The Glenrothes #Speyside #Speyside scotch #Speyside Scotch whisky #bourbon #bourbon barrel #bourbon cask #bourbon cask aging

The 12th day of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar brings us the company behind the calendar itself, Secret Spirits, and puts the limelight on one of their truly secretive offerings.

As Jonathan notes in today’s blog post, the name is sometimes left off these independent bottlings because distilleries don’t want the product competing with their own on store shelves (and it can be cheaper for buyers if they agree not to reveal the product’s origins).

This powerfully high-test single malt comes from an undisclosed Speyside distillery, and it promises to pack a whallop. Bottled at a Booker’s-like 63.4% ABV, this secret spirit was aged in former bourbon barrels (cask #184) for 19 years after being distilled in 1997.

Interestingly, the 3rd edition of the SWAC had a similarly-unnamed Speyside sample that was 58.1% ABV and 18 years old -- one year younger than this one. That, I felt confidently, was a Glenrothes, which is a distillery I have never much liked. There were two Glenrothes in that calendar, however, which deviated significantly from the Glenrothes I’ve hated, which I felt at the time was a great endorsement for what independent bottlers can do to differentiate a product.

This one certainly differentiates itself, but I’m getting to that.

First, the nose is shockingly without character for something that is also so high proof. I honestly had trouble picking out ANYTHING from this nose, it seemed so thin. Aside from some alcohol sting if my schnoz wandered to far into the glass, I did manage to glean some vanilla, lemon zest, and powdered sugar. But that's it. I could barely pull that much.

On the tongue, the aggressiveness was overwhelming. Honestly, all I got from it was an intense burn. I'm assuming it's the massive ABV that's to blame, but it was positively painful, no matter how much I put in my mouth. It still stung, even with water. Even with a lot of water, the attack was huge!

Eventually, after nearly doubling the overall volume with water, a few things started to show themselves, namely some vanilla, strong oak spice, cinnamon and chilli pepper -- adding heat to the alcohol burn. There was a bitter note on the finish that carried through, along with an unidentifiable minty and earthy note.

Now, I like a lot of cask strength whiskies. Glenfarclas 105, Booker’s Bourbon, Aberlour’s A’bunadh, Last Mountain’s 100% Rye, most of last year’s Secret Spirits Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar...I’m not shy about high-test brown liquors. But this feels like it’s high-ABV for the sake of being high-ABV. Jonathan’s blog speaks glowingly about this whisky and the benefits he perceives from the high alcohol level, but I genuinely can’t imagine someone tasting this and getting anything but a burning sensation on the tongue. I really can’t!

To be honest, it seems like this could even be the secret Speyside from last year, like they left some in the barrel and didn’t water it down this time. The previous Speyside I mentioned above also had a lot of burn, heat, and spice with a minty, earthen finish. I don’t want to be an advent conspiracy theorist, but I just can’t help but wonder...

#Secret Spirits #Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar #single malt #malt #malt whisky #single malt whisky #scotch #single malt scotch #single malt scotch whisky #Speyside #independent bottler #independent bottling #bourbon cask #bourbon cask aged #bourbon cask aged whisky

The tenth day shall thus be dubbed “the Resurrection” as it brings back one of the most interesting whiskies from the 3rd version of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar.

You may recall discussion of the Jericho, another recreation from the weirdo wizards at The Lost Distillery Company. They dubbed a variation on their attempt to bring back the product from the Highlands region of Aberdeenshire “Christmas Pudding,” due to its spiced Christmas cake notes. It succeeded in that right, but I’m more interested in this version, which is taken from their ‘Archivist’ range and evidently is comprised of a “much older” stock — though I note that no one seems to be saying how old (there are sites that suggest five to ten single malts make up TLDC blends, however).

It’s worth noting that Jericho is understood to be one of the first Scotch distilleries to use sherry casks to age whisky, and thus this is sherried from soup to nuts. Bottled at a slightly elevated 46% ABV, this is, true to form, aged in sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time.

This was surprisingly muted on the nose. In fact, it was tough to pull much from it at all. Working hard at it, I did manage to detect a slight, musty umami and some soft Sherry Cask notes, namely a bit of the aforementioned holiday spices. There was also a very unexpected, albeit tiny, touch of purple Popsicle. All in all, very weird.

However, on the palate this was big and booming, possibly one of the best Sherry finishes I've ever had on a whisky. Admittedly, it was troublesome at first because of a surprisingly punchy alcohol sting, way stronger than I'd expect at 46%. But once that passes, the Jericho hits with somewhat-soft but still assertive holiday spices, fudgey toffee, and a warming finish. Best of all, it lacks the overly bitter, tannic element that seems pervasive in most sherry-aged scotches. Usually by the time I finish a dram that bitterness can be a bit overwhelming, so the fact that it isn’t here is worth the price of admission alone.

I found this to be immensely satisfying, though without a more fulsome, present nose it isn’t quite the total package. But my god, what flavour! If this is what they were drinking back in the 1830s, they don’t know how good they had it.

#The Lost Distillery Company #Secret Spirits #Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar #malt #malt whisky #scotch #scotch whisky #scotch malt whisky #blended malt #blended malt whisky #blended malt scotch #blended malt scotch whisky #Jericho #Sherry aged #sherry cask #sherry cask finish #sherry cask finish whisky #speyside #speyside whisky

Day 9 of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar started out with a bit of mystery -- offering number 19 was filed in the improper place! After dipping my hand behind the cardboard barricade and checking on slot 19, I discovered the true ninth bottle: a batch strength version of Wemyss Malts’ The HIve!

Batch strength, so far as I can tell, is a term interchangeable with cask strength or barrel strength/proof. It indicates simply that, unlike most commercially-released whiskies, it is not watered down to the standard 40% and is allowed to remain at the ABV (alcohol by volume) level that it was inside the barrel. See, water evaporates faster than alcohol, so as whisky sits in the barrel the water leeches off over time, leaving more and more alcohol behind and making for stronger product.

Like anything in whisky, there are wangs who will insist that cask strength whisky is the only whisky there is, that anything less is an unmitigated and adulterated disappointment. Anyone who insists any one thing is the only true version of that thing is an idiot, and probably supports a single political party and insists that either the Beatles or The Rolling Stones are better than the other. That’s nonsense; there are no absolutes in this world, no blacks and whites, only delicious and beguiling greys. I do happen to love cask strength whiskies, if only because you can water them down to 40% yourself for the ‘standard’ experience and get more drinks out of your bottle, increasing the value for dollar.

The Hive is a very good whisky, as I discovered in my first whisky advent calendar experience a few years ago. The 12 year old version of The Hive was pretty splendid, with lots of honey and fruit and a hint of leather. It was not nearly as one-note as the name might suggest, and well worth trying. I think it may have also been one of the first blended malts I had tried, a type that seems to be getting more and more common. As noted earlier this year and in the original Hive post, a blended malt consists of a bunch of single malts smashed together; different from a blended scotch, it does not have any neutral grain spirits mixed in. It makes for a much more complex and rich product!

So here we have a cask strength version of The Hive, which trades an age statement for a smashing 54.5% ABV. The constituent whiskies are from various undisclosed distilleries, and are aged in bourbon and sherry barrels. This is one of the darkest products yet in this advent, but still has no colouring or chill filtration.

On the nose, I was expecting honey, but there's actually a surprising amount of spicy Sherry influence at the bowl. A little further back in the vapours there's an awful lot of honey that does come through, along with a hint of vanilla and graham crackers. When tasting, the first shot is definitely honey from the bear, and lots of it. But the Sherry influence is just as strong, with lots of warming cinnamon and nutmeg and whatnot. Orange pith is apparent, bringing a touch of bitter, and some ginger heat too. There's a touch of smokiness that enhances the warming latter half and makes for a strong, lengthy, delicious finish. Water sands down the edges off every phase of this and makes it even better, enhancing the sweetness.

This was amazing, especially with some water in it. I would definitely recommend this, as I would have the standard ABV 12 year-old.

If I’m being honest though, the balance of the calendar so far has been leaning really far into the sherry bomb territory, and I could use a break on that. Sherry-heavy drams are nice once in a while, but probably wouldn’t be my personal choice one a day (or twice or thrice a day, as was the case this weekend while I was playing catch-up on this calendar). We’ll see what comes next!

#Secret Spirits #Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar #wemyss malts #The Hive #batch strength #batch strength whisky #cask strength #cask strength whisky #malt #single malt #single malt scotch #single malt scotch whisky #single malt whisky #malt whisky #blended malt #blended malts #blended malt whisky #blended malt scotch #blended malt scotch whisky

Jason Johnstone-Yellin from the Single Cask Nation will be at our store on Tuesday the 15th of March at 6pm promoting the Single Cask Nation -- a unique private society which bottles extremely high-end spirits at very affordable prices. This event will mark the launch of the Single Cask Nation in Canada.

Jason will be at the store for 3 hours tasting some of their superb products, the Single Cask Nation philosophy, and how the unique society is structured; Jason will also be available for an informal discussion after the tasting. The Single Cask Nation are a small US based bottler of high-end spirits. One of their bottlings of scotch whisky was included into the second edition Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar this year, and immediately attracted our attention for its balance, composure, complexity, grace, and well-craftedness. I have been fortunate to sample several of their products to date, and I have been overwhelmed by all of them.

Joining Jason will be Jonathan Bray from Secret Spirits -- a delightful and passionate scotch whisky importer and father of the Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar. Jonathan will also be available to chat and discuss new directions in Scotch Whisky (and, perhaps, some other exciting upcoming opportunities).

Entry to the society is facilitated by a once yearly payment of $36 with no bottle commitment and Andrew Hilton is one of only three stores in Alberta who will be part of the Single Cask Nation. Andrew Hilton have made this commitment to this exclusive and remarkable opportunity due to the extremely high quality of their bottleings. We hope that you will join us on Tuesday to learn more about their company, the nation, and their products.

#Andrew Hilton Wines & Spirits #single cask nation #secret spirits