More Drams, Less Drama

Creations 1996 Light Fruity Syrupy Cadenhead's

Creations 1996 Cadenhead’s

17th December 202217th December 2022Coldorak

The Cadenhead’s Creations range consisted of small batch blends, blended malts, and blended grains, with a maximum of 3 casks used in each blend. Sometimes, these were single cask releases. Featuring an old style dumpy bottle, this range saw twenty releases until 2019, when it was stopped. The Creations range included a variety of ages and the strength of each bottling was determined solely by taste. The Cadenhead Creations range was known for being particularly innovative and interesting among Cadenhead’s releases. These bottlings were not chill filtered or artificially coloured. We’re reviewing today one of them, the Creations 1996 Light Fruity Syrupy.

First Four ‘The Dava Way’ Bottlings

15th December 202221st December 2022Coldorak

You have probably heard of Dunphail distillery, a soon-to-be distillery located a few miles south of Forres, in Speyside. Dunphail has been founded by Dariusz Plazewski, who already founded the deservedly hyped Bimber Distillery in London. Whilst Dunphail is not yet producing, and thus not making money (except by selling in advance founder packs and casks shares), they decided to add an independent bottling branch to the distillery. This branch is called The Dava Way, named after one of Scotland’s many long-distance walking and off-road cycling routes, between Forres and Grantown-on-Spey, and passing less than a mile from Dunphail distillery. My good friend Matt McKay, who started as director of communication for Bimber, is now also the Director of Whisky Creation and Outreach at Dunphail, and selected the first four ‘The Dava Way’ bottlings. Until Dunphail has a regular revenue, The Dava Way will allow Dunphail to gain visibility and help the operational revenue. Matt reached out to me to offer to send me samples of those bottlings, and obviously I could not refuse!

Johnnie Walker Black and Green Label

12th December 202212th December 2022Coldorak

We’ve covered these last couple weeks quite exclusive and rare whiskies and a couple brandies, with lost distillery after hyped distillery. So let’s get back down to earth, shall we? The Scotch Whisky world is still led, in terms of volume, by blends. And one of the most famous amongst them is Johnnie Walker. So let’s review two of their entry/mid-level blends: the Johnnie Walker Black and Green Label.

Navarre Souvenir Impérial Cognac

11th December 202215th November 2023Coldorak

For the second malternative we are covering on More Drams, we stay around the Bordeaux region, but this time we are going north of Bordeaux, to the Cognac region. Let’s quickly introduce this type of brandy then we’ll review the Navarre Souvenir Impérial cognac.

Ardbeg 2001 Character of Islay

10th December 20227th June 2023Coldorak

Yes, the full name is The Character of Islay Whisky Company, but if I write the complete independent bottler name in my title, Google is not going to be happy about the title length. Anyway. We’ve recently reviewed the four Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19-year-old batches on More Drams, but we have not reviewed any independent bottling of an Ardbeg before. Maybe because those are quite rare…

Chichibu 2011 (2021)

9th December 20229th December 2022Coldorak

Another Chichibu on More Drams. I know, life is hard, poor me, having to try these very hyped Japanese whiskies. Anyway. We’re back to Ichiro Akuto’s distillery, this time with a 9-year-old bourbon-matured Chichibu. As you know, Chichibu is a Japanese whisky distillery that was founded in 2008 by Ichiro Akuto, the grandson of the founder of the Hanyu distillery. The distillery has gained a reputation for producing high-quality whiskies using traditional Japanese production methods, and for aging its whiskies for shorter periods of time than is typical in the industry. This has led to a high level of interest and hype around Chichibu and its whiskies, as whisky enthusiasts appreciate the unique flavours and aromas that Chichibu’s whiskies offer. Additionally, the limited production of Chichibu’s whiskies has made them highly sought after, which has only added to the hype around the distillery. So today, thanks to my friend Benjamin who this year again provided me with a great advent calendar, we’re trying another Chichibu, distilled in 2011.

Bimber The 1st Peated

8th December 20228th December 2022Coldorak

Having high expectations for a product can be both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, high expectations can create excitement and anticipation, making the experience of obtaining the product more enjoyable. However, there is also a risk of being disappointed or not satisfied when the product does not meet those expectations. I have been anticipating this first peated Bimber release since I’ve tried their stunning peated new make, back in 2019. For one of the firsts ever articles on this blog. So when Matt McKay reached out to offer to send me a sample, I obviously said yes in less time than needed to say well, er… yes. Okay, I guess this doesn’t work as I hoped. Anyway, let’s review this Bimber The 1st Peated!

DHG Obscurus Single Rye

7th December 20227th December 2022Coldorak

As a whisky enthusiast, I’m drawn to the unique flavours and characteristics that come from different regions and production methods. Depending on the place, the whiskies are known to have some specific characteristics, even though the casks used and the blending of those casks might hide some of those characteristics. A few distilleries want to go further, and pay more attention to the raw materials and how they are produced and harvested. Domaine des Hautes Glaces was one of, if not the first, believing in terroir in whisky, without shouting about it to who wants to listen… or doesn’t. For DHG, agro-ecology is at the heart of the production of their organic whisky. Let’s talk a bit about that then we’ll review the DHG Obscurus, a six-year-old organic single rye whisky.

Darroze Bas-Armagnac 30-year-old

6th December 20226th December 2022Coldorak

Wait, what? Armagnac? You’re doing brandy now? Ain’t this a whisky blog? You might ask me those questions and you would be right to do so. I have been wanting to cover a few malternatives on More Drams Less Drama for a few months now, but I hadn’t take the plunge yet. So why now? Well, as I have been saying since the start of the month and of my advent calendar, this year I am having a whisky and malternative advent calendar. And finally, the fifth dram of the calendar is not a whisky, but an Armagnac. So no whisky today, but the review of the Darroze Bas-Armagnac Les Grands Assemblages 30-year-old. Do keep in mind that I’m more of a whisky drinker, and though you’ll see a few cognacs in the coming weeks and months, as well as a few armagnacs and maybe (certainly) other spirits, these are the views and feelings of a whisky drinker, with a seriously lacking experience in other spirits.

Jura 1990 Thompson Brothers

5th December 20227th December 2022Coldorak

We’ve had a few Juras on More Drams and until now, it was kind of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Well, to be honest, it was The Good, The A-bit-less-Good, and still The Ugly. But I’ve read that old early-90s Jura were quite often quite good, and several friends really adore them, so let’s keep an open mind and review this Jura 1990 Thompson Brothers that was behind the fourth window of my whisky and malternative advent calendar.