To this day, I continue my research. A while back, I wrote the Six Odes as a musical tribute to some of my favorite single malts. I hate to leave any out, but some special experiences for the palette and brain have come to me from Bowmore, Dalwhinnie, Talisker, Oban, The Balvenie, and Lagavulin.
Founded in 1779, and one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, Bowmore uses water that rises through iron-tinged rock. Then, the river Laggan runs through moss, ferns and rushes. The peat is sandy and is crumbled before burning. This gives off more smoke than heat. They let it mature for 12 years. This Islay malt is scented with a hint of smoke, as well as sherry, salt, seaweed, and lavender. Besides these, people claim to be able to taste a heathery essence. It has a complex taste with a remarkably long flavour development. With a seagull etched on a clear bottle, I dream of the sea.
This Highland malt comes from the highest distillery in Scotland. It bears the same name as the town translated from the Gaelic as "Meeting Place". In the 1700's, in order to raise revenues, the English Government created a law calling for the taxation of all distilleries. At that time, it has been estimated that there were some 2000 illegal operations that refused to pay up. The more remote the distilleries, the longer they held out against the inevitable. Lying in a glen with the Monadhlaith Mountains to one side and the forest of Atholl, The Cairngorms and the Grampians to the other, it stands at the junction of the old whisky smuggling routes from the north and west down to the thirsty, central lowlands.
This golden coloured malt is a contradiction. While possessing all the aromas of its Highland home, it has a very smooth and dry taste. Though smooth, this 15 year-old possess a dynamic development. Hints of sweet heather lead to cut-grass, which gives way to a burst of peat.
Coming from the Isle of Skye, this bright amber-red single malt has been called "The Lava of the Cuillins", because of its volcanic peppery character. On the western coast of the island, on the shores of Loch Harport, and under the distant Cuillins, the distillery has produced one of the most individualistic whiskies. At a mere 10 years old, it's my choice when I need to be bitten.
It smells pungent, more burnt than smoked, and its texture is slightly syrupy. A sourness leads to its distinctive peppery development.
On the edge of the Western Highlands, and called "The Gateway to the Isles" the Oban Distillery has created a coastal spirit. In 5000 B.C., settlers arrived to shelter in the Creag A'Bharrain cliffs, they called "An Ob". Today, the distillery grows out of these caves, and ‘Oban' has come to mean, "little Bay of caves".
This amber 14 year-old tastes of peat smoke, with fruity undertones. The smell of pebbles-on-the-beach comes to mind. This one is smooth, and aromatic.
From Dufftown in Speyside, comes the 12 year-old Doublewood. Using barley from the family farm, its own floor maltings, distinctive bulbous shaped stills, and a two stage aging process, this Highland malt is born. First the distillate is kept in bourbon casks, then the last 6 to 12 months, it is put into Oloroso sherry casks from Spain.
It smells of sherry and orange skins, and the taste also includes a nutty fruitiness, and cinnamon spiciness. The complex combination of elements leaves the mouth tingling and warm.
Another of the Islay single malts comes from the South Shore district. Lagavulin means, "the hollow where the mill is". In the mid-1700's there were 10 illicit stills on the same bay. Today, when the seas are high, the maturation warehouse walls are knee-deep in salt water. A fast flowing stream supplies moss water to the distillery, giving them a classic Islay whisky with the driest start of any single malt.
The typical sea salt, peat, and sherry hints come together in an embracing, velvety smoothness. The finish on this one is immense and rich. Some have likened it to a roaring crescendo, but I think it's dense, not abrasive. The 16 years it took to cure this is the eldest one I can afford. Time, say the Islanders, takes out the fire but leaves in the warmth.
GUH's Triple CD set available from Craig Barnes at Unmanageable, 64 Robinson Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6J 1L5 Ph: (416) 603 1004.
