Tasting The Classic Malts Selection's Single Malts

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Nov 18th 2009 at 10:01AM

Most of the world drinks blended whiskies and there are some good reasons for that. Blended whiskies are the work of master blenders who spend years perfecting their craft. They labor over their work combining single malts from various years to create the perfect taste and then maintain it, bottling after bottling. It is a symphony for the palette.

But there are times you don't want the whole symphony and that's where single malts come in. Single malts are used in the blending of whiskies and each hits a particular note that goes into the blending process. Some are fruity, some are smoky, some are grassy and each reflects its unique heritage. If you like a certain note in some whiskies you can pursue that interest through single malts. The Classic Malts Selection spans a wide range of tastes for whisky lovers who enjoy different tastes. For me, it's the smokies. There's something alchemical about an amber liquid that manages to contain the aroma and taste of smoke. In a recent tasting I attended they had us taste the Lagavulin 12 Year Old from Islay ($74.99) last because it's the one that sticks with you. One sip and you will be tasting smoke on your palate for hours. The sensation is not unpleasant. This is a strong whisky, one best opened up with a little water, but there's also an underlying gentleness beyond the immediate peaty char. The water helps the creamy sweetness underneath develop. It's a bit like a drinkable smoked Gouda. In my hastily-typed iPhone notes I called it a 'mac daddy whisky' not just for the taste but also for a certain sensation of swagger that comes with drinking a whisky so totally given over to the smoke. A less intense but still smoky option is the Talisker Distillers Edition ($79.99) it has a similar paneled library appeal, a nose of woodsmoke and leather and a taste that is smoky but a little more fruit-centered.

Should smoke not be your thing, there are other options. The best in breed for overall drinkability had to be the Royal Lochnagar Selected Reserve ( $209.99). This is a single malt that is not typically sold in the US and its the only whisky to be able to carry the name royal. The distillery is located near the royal residence in Balmoral which is how the whisky first came to the attention of Queen Victoria and it received its royal warrant in 1848. This whisky is used in Johnnie Walker Blue and has notes of honey and vanilla as well as just a hint of grasses and smoke. It's the kind of whisky you can pair with food very easily. I suspect it would even work well with a Thanksgiving dinner.

Working our way even a little lighter, we find Oban The Distillers Edition ($99.95). This one is like walking through the Highlands. It has notes of orange and mint and a bit of a floral nose. My fellow taster Jeremy Azevedo of Crave Online did a fun piece equating these malts with various people. He paired Oban with Jude Law which pretty much says it all, it's a dandy of a whisky. And finally, for those who are whisky newbies the perfect starter single malt might just be Dalwhinnie The Distillers Edition ($74.99). It's gentle, soft and gets a dose of dried fruit sweetness from maturing in sherry casks.

Tags: classic malts selection, ClassicMaltsSelection, dalwhinnie, islay, oban, royal lochnagar, RoyalLochnagar, scotch, single malt, single malts, SingleMalt, SingleMalts, talisker, whisky