Beer
Baltika Brew Collection - Russian Imperial Stout, ABV 10.0%, Russian Imperial Stout, Russia
Where do I even begin? Finally, a Russian Imperial Stout that is actually from Russia! The beer pours a inky, black color with a thick foamy head that just simply does not recede. Concentrated and heady, the bouquet consists mostly of musk, roasted malts, licorice, vanilla, chocolate and even sherry nuttiness. I also detect plenty of canned pineapples and other Christmas fruits. The mouth feel is expectedly effervescent, silky and viscous. Surprisingly, the alcohol does not burn despite the double digit strength. Primary flavors of chocolate, vanilla and coffee are supported by a vinous streak of figs, raisins, apricots and other dried Christmas fruits. As aforementioned, there is that sherried whisky aftertaste to this beer. The finish is somewhat sweet with a distinct burnt sugar smokiness in the end. Very enjoyable, and definitely a slippery slope beer by being so drinkable. Despite it being the same type, this beer is a far cry from its American counterparts which are usually more in-your-face with their unbridled alcohol strength. 92
Carr's Golden Russet Blend (Wild Fermented), ABV 6.9%, Cider, Massachusetts
This Massachusetts-based cider house utilizes a blend of house-grown golden russet apples and apples from other local orchards. Pouring a light golden color, this cider is almost reminiscent of a champagne with moderate age in appearance. The bubbles are tiny and far and few in between. On the nose, the cider is crisp and floral, yielding a delicate bouquet of apple skins, mint, white flowers, hay and nutmeg. Surprisingly, for a cider of respectable strength, the alcohol does not bite, nor is it apparent at all. On the palate, carbonation is on the light side and the mousse just caresses the cavity. Possessing remarkable freshness and minerality, the taste profile is rather straightforward and comprises of more apples, Christmas spices and wet stones. Finish is somewhat short and the cider ends somewhat astringently. This is a very dry cider and arguably, one that reminds me of a Chablis. Enjoyable nonetheless. 86
Woodchuck Gumption Hard Cider, ABV 5.5%, Cider, Vermont
Surprisingly, this cider is relatively flat upon pouring and not as effervescent as I thought. It pours a golden, apple juice like color with barely any head. On the nose, the scent of apples is particularly intoxicating as the concentration is superb. The floral and fruity bouquet boasts plenty of eating apples, cinnamon, white flowers and mint. Although there are barely any bubbles, because the cider is relatively sweet, it tastes like apple juice without any trace of alcoholic heat, making this drink easily quaffable. There is a streak of acidity in there too just to keep the balance and freshness. The finish is short and the sweetness lingers for a bit, before the tang of apples kick in. Not too complex, and definitely an enjoyable summer cooler. 85
Sake
Katsuyama Ken 【勝山は：獻】(ABV 16%, Seimai-buai 50%), Miyagi Prefecture
This sake pours an off-white color with thick, long legs. Although labeled as a junmai ginjo, the milling rate of this sake is actually 50%. And the purity of the nose surely reflects such labor-intensive process. The bouquet is particularly floral with many primary notes of jasmine, tonka beans, peaches, concord grapes and musk melon. I even pick up a bit of bananas and citrus at the end. The palate is particularly broad, expansive and viscous and boasts a somewhat sweet entry. Alcohol heat then hits and the sake displays notes of rice, white flowers and nectarines. A touch of astringency in the end to round things out, along with slight smokiness in the finish. Quite a delicious sake which is reflective of the pedigree of the brewer. For the same price and at the same seimai-buai, I actually enjoy this pick more than the Dassai 50. 88
Wine
2001 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California
The cab is decanted for an hour prior to drink. And even then, I still think it is not enough time to fully unravel this beast. The wine pours a dark inky purple with very thick long legs, no less because of the relatively high 13.6% ABV from this stellar Californian vintage. The nose is perfumed predominantly with dark black fruits, blackberries, plums, blueberries, eucalyptus, chocolate and even some spice. Much like the appearance, the palate is super viscous. The structure is robust and the alcohol heat, although minimal, is still discernible. The tannins are there and not quite well incorporated yet. Flavor-wise, this is a fruit bomb and is relatively primary with blackberries, preserved plums, cigars mint and burnished leather. Unmistakably Californian in stature with plenty of oak to boot, maybe a tad too heavy. The finish ends in smokiness, cured meats and more plums. Surprisingly at 15 years, this is still not quite there yet. I'd say give it at least 5 years in the cellar to coax out the tertiary notes from the juice. Otherwise, this is very promising stuff. 91
2005 Chateau Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse, St. Emilion, Bordeaux
Don't quite know what to make of this. Bought this initially as it famously scored perfect marks from RP in 1990. Nonetheless, this is anything but, even after adequate aeration for over 5 hours. It is, after all, produced in one of the best vintages in recent history. The claret pours a dark garnet color with a purplish rim and thick, clingy legs. On the nose, the bouquet consists mostly of red fruits, plums, sous bois, mushrooms, tobacco and spice. While the nose has the hallmarks of a great Bordeaux, the palate is anything but. Alcoholic heat hits first followed by raspy, astringent tannins, which perhaps may be mitigated by substantially longer time in the cellar. Also surprisingly, the flavor profile is dominated by damp earth, cigars and truffles. Fruit, on the other hand, seems to be an after thought. The finish is rather dry and smoky with respectable length and complexity. Frankly, this drinks more like an American cab and lacks the finesse and balance one often associates with Bordeaux, all the while missing the fruit that is associated with Cali cabs too. I am quite befuddled by this. It is not a bad wine by all accounts, but I am expecting way more from the price and the respectable producer. 85
Always fun to do a side by side comparison of chardonnays over dinner.
2011 Kongsgaard Chardonnay Kings Farm, Napa Valley, California
The wine pours a beautiful golden straw color with very thick long legs. Just the slightest touch of copper as the wine starts to age. On the nose, the chardonnay is fragrant and concentrated. Grassy on the attack, the nose then yields plenty of straw, citrus, buttered popcorn, stone fruits and honeysuckle. Oak is kept at a minimal and so the grassiness prevailed. The body and texture reflect the nose too as the wine, while voluptuous, yields plenty of drying minerals, something atypical of Californian chardonnays. Acidity is also on the low side so the fullness shines through unabashedly. Flavors of fresh cut grass, mint, spice, lemon jam and honey are there. The finish is somewhat long with a drying kick to prevent it from being overly cloying. This is a beautiful, soft wine, and in particular, special because it is so atypical. The controlled usage of oak, lack of acidity and the prominent mineral backbone makes me think of a Chassagne-Montrachet rather than a Californian chard. Top-notch stuff. 92
2014 Domaine Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé, Mâconnais, Burgundy
Always a privilege to drink wine from Anne Claude Leflaive, and even more so now as she passed away last year. The wine itself pours a light golden color with moderate legs. A testament to high levels of extraction, the nose is just so concentrated and the bouquet just leaps from the glass. I get plenty of citrus, melons, pineapples, jasmine flowers and just a touch of butter. The palate is equally generous and voluptuous, while being moderated by a strong mineral backbone and moderate acidity. The texture is creamy, elegant and expansive while still possessing a distinct cut and laser-like focus. Flavors of citrus, lemon meringue pie, wet stones and pineapples are all in abundance. The finish is long, refreshing and detailed. This really goes to show how a village level wine, when in the hands of a great producer (arguably one of the best in white Burgundy), can produce such a fantastic experience. Super solid price quality ratio here. 92
Whisky
Glenfarclas 21 Years Old, ABV 43.0%, Highland
Glenfarclas has always been a favorite of mine, and the 17 years old is a stand out special given its price point and extremely high price quality ratio. The 21 years old is a bit more mature and the dark amber, almost auburn, color certainly shows. On the nose, the bouquet yields plenty of raisins, caramel, nutmeg, roasted almonds and plenty of Christmas cake. The influence of sherry cannot be mistaken. The palate is equally viscous, expansive and sweet, though not cloying at all. There is a short attack of alcohol, followed by smoky traces of fruity, sherried sweetness and nuttiness. In particular, I taste apricots, oranges, roasted pineapples and butterscotch. Finish is long with a smoky kick and a lingering sweetness and astringency that is reminiscent of those of chocolates. This is fabulous stuff on its on, and insanely excellent considering that it is under 100 USD. 92
Aberlour 18 Years Old, ABV 43.0%, Speyside
This single malt pours a dark golden, almost amber, color with long, cloying legs. Surprisingly, although bottled at a lower alcohol strength than the cask strength a'bunadh, this 18 year old exhibits plenty of abrasive alcohol attack in the nose. What follows is a bouquet of Christmas cake, dried fruits, currant leaves, honeyed nuts, marmalade and cinnamon. The palate is full but not as viscous as other Aberlour offerings i have had before. Surprisingly, the alcohol does not bite at all. The flavors here are quite complex and yield plenty of apples, vanilla ice cream, cinnamon, sultanas and blackcurrants. In particular, I get a lot of spice towards the finish. The whisky then ends with plenty of chocolate, oil rags and caramel. Surprisingly, the smokiness in this is rather subdued as well. I quite like this, especially for the creamy texture and the winey complexity it provides. 91
Highland Park 24 Years Old, Gordon & Macphail Bottling - "The Macphail's Collection", ABV 43.0%, Orkney
Departing from distillery bottlings is a Gordon & Macphail bottling of the fabled Highland Park distillery. This dram's rusty gold color and moderate legs truly belie the 24 years of age the liquid has spent in the refill American hogshead. On the nose, the whisky is characteristically peaty with punchy spice and oily sweetness. The bouquet mostly consists of roasted malts, lime zest, vanilla and honey. Upon entry, the whisky attacks with defiant smokiness and the alcohol truly bites despite the relatively low strength. The dram then caresses the cavity and coats it with an unctuous and oily texture. Bourbon-profiled vanilla sweetness then takes over, followed by notes of spice, butter and marmalade. The whisky then ends with spiciness mingled with smokiness as some tannins-like astringency rounds things out. This is enjoyable, though a bit too spicy and abrasive for my taste. Certainly more of a stylistic choice as opposed to the quality of the whisky and the pedigree of the distillery. 88
Macallan 1995 (Bottled 2014), Gordon & Macphail Bottling, ABV 43.0%, Speyside
This whisky pours a deep golden color with thick long legs. The nose attacks with plenty of alcohol which is followed by honey, roasted almonds, Christmas fruit, schotlen and spice. On the palate, the dram is quite viscous and voluptuous. That said, the sweetness that prevails is quite oily, if not cloying. What is surprising is that the strength of alcohol attack does not lighten up the clinginess either. Much like the nose, the palate consists of the typical Macallan sherry profile - plenty of raisins, dried fruits, Christmas cake, honeyed nuts and even some spice and mint in the end. The whisky ends with a smoky kick with a raisin sweetness. While this is somewhat enjoyable, there surely are definitely better showings of Macallan out there. It is the lack of balance and the pervasiveness of cloying sweetness that deduct points for me. 85
Thumbs down.