Re: Zaya Rum
Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2016 5:45 pm
This is the sort of conversation best suited for ongoing discussion. I don't mean to imply that Scotch "all tastes the same". I do mean to imply that its individual characteristics are LESS apparent than the characteristics of the spirit in general. An analogy being this: If I smell and take a nip of Zaya, the overwhelming take away is VANILLA. If I smell and take a nip of a highly appreciated Scotch (blended and high end or single malt and small batch) the overwhelming take away is Scotch. Scotch is not nuanced and complex relative to rum, to me. I'm not saying that within that Scotch sample there are not individual characteristics. Recently I shared a bottle of Johnnie Blue in celebration of the Cubs victory. I could very easily distinguish its merits from other more common Scotches but those merits were more so classified by the sensations I experienced (or didn't experience in terms of "heat") as compared to "essence of dingle-berry". I recall discussing tasting notes but they were not as obvious and lasting as the type of flavors experienced in other spirits tend to be for me. The dingle-berry may be there but it's the third thing I notice, not the first.Kip wrote:Good Lord, man. WTF?! Either:kurtdesign1 wrote:All of the others come across as sensations with a side of spirit characteristics and individual flavor. Scotch exemplifies this, to me. I detect a Scotch taste that all Scotch shares. From there, there is little spirit individuality in taste and a lot of "spirit taste", i.e. heat or burn (or diminishing burn in the case of older spirits).
1.) you've only tried Scotch from a single region,and it's Islay or the Islands
2.) you've only tried Scotches that are heavily blended, poorly controlled during maturation, or both
3.) your skill at tasting cigars does not translate to spirits
In all seriousness, I'm not just pestering you here. I find such radical individuality in single malts that the above quote is nonsensical to me. Within a region I'd grant you that many are similar in profile, but the difference between a Speyside vs. an Island or Highland is so radical that I can't even fathom your assertion.
For what it's worth, the "burn" you're describing would be very characteristic of the Islay or some western Highland (high phenol) malts - like Oban, Laphroaig, or even Lagavulin. But an eastern Highland like Dalwhinnie (try the 15) is incredibly different; much sweeter, with a honey-tinged finish. Most Speyside scotches are "watery" tasting to me (I'm not generally a fan). They can be sweet and oily like a bourbon. Glenmorangie or Glenfiddich come to mind. I can handle Glenmorangie, and some of their expressions are good to me - but I'm at odds with most other strict Speysides.
Back to rones, though. If you don't like a good single malt, how can you possibly enjoy the Havana Club Seleccion de Maestros? It's very much like some modestly peated Island malts. It's also very much like some of Aberlour's (eastern Highland) more obscure expressions. The bottle I got at the distillery was quite alike...and it was bottled at cask strength, which was over 60% ABV. It spent 12 years in an oak bourbon cask and 2 more in a sherry cask. Phenomenal stuff.
Clarified?
It should also be known that some Scotches have been known to numb the edges of my tongue so much so that they have influenced my speech. Perhaps there is a component to the spirit that doesn't agree with me.
EDITED TWICE.
