tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post8405371262373866236..comments2024-03-12T21:47:25.783-07:00Comments on Chemistry of the Cocktail: Whisky Review: Campbeltown Gift SetJordanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-36294682517808600692012-05-19T12:17:57.150-07:002012-05-19T12:17:57.150-07:00I'm not surprised that unpeated whiskies from ...I'm not surprised that unpeated whiskies from distilleries that normal make peated spirits will still come out with some peat influence. The phenolic compounds that are associated with peat are mostly high boiling, so a) they're mostly going to be coming off a the ends of runs and b) will come out of the vapor phase quickly after the heat is turned off and are also less volatile than some other aromatic compounds, which means that they'll probably stick on the surface of and nooks and crannies in a still, so unless it's cleaned extremely well between runs, the residual phenolic compounds will come off during the distillation of unpeated spirits.<br /><br />Springbank, and the other previously silent distilleries, are in a tricky position. Age-dated whiskies are still the generally accepted way to put out scotch, but Springbank has a nearly decade-long hole in their stocks. Ardbeg was in a similar position when they reopened and from what I've heard, the early releases of the 10 year were mind-blowing because a lot of older stocks were getting blended in due to not having anything else to work with. 90s Springers might have been similar, but now, unlike Ardbeg, they're putting out almost exclusively age-dated expressions, which constrains them a lot. When they're putting out everything from a 10 year and up, there's only so much of the older stuff they can afford to put into their younger expressions. Ardbeg is putting out almost nothing but NAS whiskies now, which means that they have the flexibility to pull together the better barrels of their younger whisky and still charge a healthy price for it.Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-62591699241420471542012-05-19T06:40:15.218-07:002012-05-19T06:40:15.218-07:00Excellent review of a very cool gift set that give...Excellent review of a very cool gift set that gives you slice across the whole Springbank operation. They run these other distilleries to specialize in different flavor profiles. I think that's extremely cool. Recent experience with the unpeated Caol Ila and the unpeated Bruichladdich expressions shows that peat is such a strong flavor it permeates the stills and influences unpeated expressions too. Springbank solves this by running separate distilleries for peated and unpeated expressions. It's brilliant. I have a Longrow 18 on deck for review - and am very excited about it. I haven't any of these CVs and I value your palate highly so I particularly appreciate this thorough and well written review.<br /><br />All this being said, my personal experience is that the recent Springbank labelled malts I've had recently aren't the equal of the ones I had back in the 90s (and still hold samples of - so I'm sure). I don't quite know why - but the new ones are a bit harder and more sour. I'm going to taste more deeply into their current expressions and hopefully will find it a temporary aberration.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-56629520799245946792012-05-18T11:04:36.010-07:002012-05-18T11:04:36.010-07:00Florin, shipping to OR is actually dead easy. I...Florin, shipping to OR is actually dead easy. I've ordered from all over the country and it's always gone off without a hitch. One of the balms for living in a monopoly state.<br /><br />I'd definitely be interested to hear more about Longrow 10. It's a pricy dram, but after the CV version, I'm definitely tempted.Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-52746346196294024772012-05-17T23:29:55.389-07:002012-05-17T23:29:55.389-07:00Jordan, I know that shipping whisky to OR is trick...Jordan, I know that shipping whisky to OR is tricky, but some CA stores have CS Springbank (batch 3, 55.3%) for $60-65, which is a really good deal, a no-brainer really - this whisky is one of my all time favorites. UK shipping works best if you can team up with friends, otherwise you still end up paying a lot, even though the per-bottle price may be reasonable. But, since you mentioned it, how else will you get a single-cask Glendronach?... I've been waiting to break into my Longrow 10, but after your review I may just do that, while I'm still in a peaty mood.Florinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14445344658258056628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-68014934728805767932012-05-17T15:18:32.541-07:002012-05-17T15:18:32.541-07:00Ryan, I've noticed that as well. Must have som...Ryan, I've noticed that as well. Must have something to do with the U.S. importer. My guess is that Springbank is also just getting back to reasonable production volumes, so they don't have the presence in the States to make up their costs in volume, which is probably also true for BenRiach and Glendronach. I've noticed the same thing with Arran, though they also have the issue of being completely new, rather than a revived distillery.<br /><br />I have a bottle of Springbank 10 100-proof and I'll probably pick up the regular 10 year and the 12 year CS, but beyond that I'll definitely be ordering from the U.K. for the rest of my Springers. It will be a pretty big commitment since I figure I need to order at least 5-6 bottles to make the shipping work, but there are some deals to be had that way, little sense as it makes.<br /><br />If you want to try the CVs, I'd highly suggest this set. I picked it up for ~$65, which isn't a huge markup by volume.Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3462121554175947733.post-55433260559801161252012-05-17T15:01:16.499-07:002012-05-17T15:01:16.499-07:00I don't understand why Springbank is so expens...I don't understand why Springbank is so expensive in the US. Looking at the UK distributors, even if you just order one bottle and pay $25-30 for shipping it, you'll still make out ahead of buying it at a store in the US if you're buying Springbank 15 or Longrow 10 100 proof. I've checked, both can be ordered for under $100 including shipping, whereas in these parts they go for $150 and $120, resp. If you order multiple bottles from MoM, these become quite good bargains. The problem of course is you are committing to a huge order :-P<br /><br />I want to try Longrow CV but even that is $70 here. It's a tough sell when you can get Ardbeg, Talisker and Laphroaig around $50, or even Uigeadail for $75.<br /><br />I noticed that the other distilleries that are way more expensive in the US are BenRiach and Glendronach (same ownership). These and Springbank are two of the very few independently owned distilleries left. That must be the reason they're so expensive, though it doesn't explain it to me.Ryanhttp://valuewhisky.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com