What better way to end one year and ring in the next than with the choicest single malts.
An exhaustive list can be confusing, if you are not familiar with single-malt whiskys. So, here is a quick heads-up on what you need to know when you reach the store shelf.
Laphroaig
You are going to never get anywhere trying to find the best single malt. Each one is special, but you will be hard put to find someone who has nothing good to say about a Laphroaig. A Laphroaig is famous for its peaty flavour. What makes the whisky even more special is that, even though it is exquisitely made, it is quite affordable. Take your pick from any one of the whiskys the label offers and each will be a learning experience. But do look out for their festival bottling, as they are something to savour.
Pick @ Maltmadness.com:
Laphroaig NAS Cairdeas
Glenfiddich Though makers of fantastic whisky, the mention of Glenfiddich often gets a response that it is an “industrial” single malt. Yes, their fantastic production volume makes them a giant, but takes nothing away from the quality of the whisky. But you need to be careful, though, as it often happens that large numbers means a few bad ones may slip through. The crème of Glenfiddich is the limited edition 50-year-old, which is released periodically. But that is going set you back by quite a bit. Pick @ Maltmadness.com:
Glenfiddich 21yo Rum Finish
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
The name might sound like an association or a club, but it is actually a brand that operates in exactly the same fashion. SMWS is the latest development in single-malt whiskys in India. It is a brand that features only “single cask, single malt” whiskys.
Where does it get the whisky from? SMWS says it buys single casks from distillers all over the world and sells each with a numbered label which denotes the cask’s origin and bottle number. The casks can come from famous distillers such as Macallan or even Glenfiddich for that matter, but the original distillers have no claim on the SMWS bottle. Thus, it is said, you get a true collectors item, as a cask will never be repeated.
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To buy the whiskys, you need to become a member of SMWS, which costs Rs 25,000 per annum. As a sweetener you get one bottle complimentary annually and can participate in SMWS member events around the world. A bottle of whisky from the SMWS catalogue can range from Rs 4,000 to Rs 40,000.
Loch Dhu
Meaning “Black Lake” in Gaelic, this is a rather different single-malt scotch. It was crafted for only a few years in the 1990s and is black in colour. The colour comes from ageing in double-charred oak casks and the whisky has a smoky nose with clean layered aromas of sweet malts and notes of ripe fruit and honey. Be warned, though, Loch Dhu comes with a mixed reputation — purists and tasters lampoon it as the worst single malt ever made, but some love it like Marmite. Loch Dhu has acquired a crazy cult status and, for its age, its price is appreciating fast. It is prized as an unusual gifting option. Distillers still sell bottles from stock, pricing each currently at Rs 15,000, with a warning that prices are continuously revised upwards.
Connoisseur’s choice
Sandeep Arora of Whisky Magazine—South Asia, says the end of a year is the best time to romance the single malt. He says every day of the last week of 2009, and the first day of 2010, must be cherished with a glass of whisky. These are his recommendations.
Dec 23, 2009 — Start the festivities by opening a Glenfiddich 30 years old. “You do deserve this at the end of a good year, and its soft, lush mellowness will start the beginning of the end of the year.”
Dec 24, 2009 — Christmas Eve is marked with a Talisker 18 years old or Distillery. “The pepper will romance the tastebuds and will pair well with the barbecues and fine cuisine you are anticipating.”
Dec 25, 2009 — Merry Christmas. It’s Glenmorangie Margaux 15 years old for the day. “Its elegant and gentle, not to forget classy.”
Dec 26, 2009 — The festivities continue with an Ardbeg Uigeadail. “Time to reflect on the year gone by, and time for solitude.”
Dec 27, 2009 — It’s a Monday morning but not the same one that comes every week. Crack open something special: Glenlivet 21 years old. “Time to catch up with close friends over a polite, nice dinner.”
Dec 28, 2009 — The New Year madness begins. Go for a Laphroaig Quarter Cask. “Time to spoil yourself.”
Dec 29, 2009 — Nothing suits you better today than Lagavulin Distillery Edition. “You need a moment by yourself, looking out at the nature.”
Dec 30, 2009 — It’s the night before the big night. This calls for a Bruichladdich 18 years old.
Dec 31, 2009 — It’s party time with a Dalmore 21 years old. “The taste buds are maturing and you need a mighty dram to soak in the happiness and excitement of a New Year’s Eve.”
Jan 01, 2010 — Happy New Year. Just one drink to start the year on a spirited note. Crack open a “lush and luscious, lovely” Balvenie Vintage Cask 1972.
Arora adds a footnote to say that you must always remember to “Drink a lot of water, and drink responsibly.”