#samuelwhisky10år – Del 1: vägen fram till SamuelWhisky

Mitt whiskyintresse startade hösten 2002, när jag pluggade mitt andra år på en folkhögskola. En kväll skickade en folkisvän ett kryptiskt SMS där det stod att jag skulle infinna mig i skolans bibliotek på tisdag kl.19 iklädd kostym. Det visade sig att jag blivit inbjuden till ”Tisdagsklubben”, en klubb som sammanträdde på just tisdagar och provade whisky tillsammans under enkla, trevliga, och glada former. Tisdagsklubben hade funnits i många år på folkisen, nya medlemmar bjöds kontinuerligt in i klubben i takt med att dom medlemmar som pluggat på skolan under längst tid avslutade sin utbildning, och på så sätt säkerställdes klubbens fortlevnad. Whiskyprovandet var upplagt i ordinarie träffar då en medlem ansvarade för inköp, presentation, och att leda provsmakningen av en whisky. När några möten passerat och vi gått laget runt med varsin whisky var nästkommande möte en så kallad ”uppslutning” där vi provade den periodens whisky i en lina. 

Jag minns tydligt den träff då whisky som dryck verkligen gjorde ett starkt intryck på mig; en av medlemmarna hade inhandlat Laphroaig Cask Strength, jag tror det var den gamla ”Green Stripe”-utgåvan. Ojojoj, vilken känsla, smak och upplevelse det var med den där feta torvröken. Laphroaig tog mig med storm!

När tiden på folkhögskolan kom till sitt slut förlorade jag det sociala sammanhanget kring whisky under några år. Jag pluggade på en annan folkhögskola, och började sen studera till musiklärare på musikhögskolan vid Örebro universitet. 2007 hände det, jag minns att jag stod vid tavlan i studentpentryt, tillsammans med en viss Lars Karlsson (sedermera Quality manager & Asia sales manager på High Coast), och skummade igenom en lista över vilka som blivit antagna till de olika musikutbildningarna. Mina ögon fastande vid ett namn jag kände igen: Fredrik N. Min gamla vän från Tisdagsklubben skulle börja studera på musikhögskolan!! I denna stund visade det sig dels att Fredrik och Lars kände varann, dels att även Lars varit medlem i en whiskyklubb på den folkis han hade pluggat på. 

Fredrik och Lars

Med detta konstaterat startade vi 2007, tillsammans med dom två andra goda vännerna och musikhögskolestudenterna Carl och Emil, en whiskyklubb med det ödmjuka och på inget sätt högtravande namnet Örebro Akademiska Whiskysällskap (ÖAW). 

Emil under en kväll med amerikanskt

Upplägget på vårt whiskyprovande kopierade vi rakt av från Tisdagsklubben. Under ett par år av träffar provade vi oss igenom en stor mängd whisky, till en början främst standardutgåvor, men i takt med att vårt whiskyintresse utvecklades och personliga preferenser utkristalliserades ökade nörderiet och så småningom började vi prova mer spännande whisky. Vi skrev ner våra tasting notes på post it-lappar och jag minns att jag för varje provad whisky satte in mina lappar vid respektive destilleri i boken ”Bonniers stora bok om Whisky” (Michael Jackson). Mina tasting notes blev mer och mer detaljerade och väldigt fokuserade på just doft och smak och inte så mycket på bedömning i bemärkelsen att sätta betyg eller poäng.

Boken har jag fortfarande kvar, här uppslagen på Laphroaig :)

I bakhuvudet kom jag ihåg det starka intryck som Laphroaig CS hade gjort på mig, och på jakt efter samma upplevelse betade jag av dom Laphroaig som fanns på bolaget; 10:an, Quarter Cask och 15-åringen. Alla var såklart goda och jag blev mer och mer intresserad av Laphroaig, men jag fick inte riktigt samma känsla som jag fick den där gången i Tisdagsklubben. Då fick jag nys om Vintage 1989 17yo på 50,3% som skulle släppas för Feis Ile. 750kr kostade den vilket var den ditintill dyraste whisky jag köpt. Under en av våra träffar i ÖAW hade jag med mig 15-åringen och som en bonus och överraskning plockade jag fram och öppnade 1989:an. 

Calle och Samuel

Vilken känsla vi fick, vilken smak, och vilken otroligt fin stund det var! Efter ännu en Laphroaigiansk upplevelse av rang slog det fullständigt slint i mig och jag snöade totalt in på Laphroaig. Därefter köpte jag alla officiella standard och specialbuteljeringar jag hade råd med (bland annat Laphroaig 30yo som på den tiden fortfarande gick att inhandla på flygplats för ”bara” 2000kr!). Parallellt blev jag sugen på fler stilar av torvrökt whisky och i Michael Jacksons bok snubblade jag över den irländska whiskeyn Connemara. Även här blev det all in och 2009 startade jag FB-gruppen Connemara Clan.

Ett inköp som gav oss en extra trevlig träff!

Med start 2008 gjorde jag en handfull whiskyprovningar i egen regi (”privatprovningar”) för whiskyvänner och -nördar i min närhet, och 2011 kom jag in i whiskyns förlovade värld på allvar; jag blev tillfrågad om jag ville vara provningsledare och hålla i whiskyprovningar på The Bishop Arms i Örebro. Samma år arbetade jag min första whiskymässa i Örebro där jag tog hand om Connemara och resterande whiskey ur Cooleys portfölj åt Berntson Brands. Våren 2012 började jag arbeta som provningsledare på puben Red Brick i Karlskoga. När Connemara flyttades över till Edrington 2012 kontaktade jag dom med frågan om jag kunde få ta hand om Connemara och Laphroaig åt dom på mässor, och just så blev det. I den här vevan hade jag så smått börjat recensera whisky och postade några tasting notes på destilleriers FB-sidor. Jag började också dokumentera mina provningar, och dom mässor jag arbetade under, på min egen FB-sida. Till slut hade jag ganska många bollar i luften och jag kände att jag behövde någon sorts plattform för allt som hade med Samuel och Whisky att göra. Sagt och gjort, den 11:e oktober 2013 startade jag, på FB, min blogg SamuelWhisky, och dagen därpå postade jag det första originalinnehållet, en recension av anCnoc 35 yo.

Tobermory med sin härliga ton av mandelmassa

SamuelWhisky turns 1yo – Celebrates with tasting the all new Connemara 22yo!

Friends and followers, dear readers! I’m so happy to announce that as of today, SamuelWhisky turns 1yo! I’m even happier to, on this particular day, take a stroll down to my local post office (yes, on a Saturday) to collect the all new Connemara 22yo that I ordered a couple of days ago! As you all now, I am a bit of a Connemara ambassador, running the ’Connemara Clan’ since 2009, so I’m also extra happy to taste the first release of a new Connemara expression since 2011, a period of almost three years (the latest release as you might recall was the ’Bog Oak’ so…). I guess that the Beam takeover and then the Suntory takeover has made things a bit slow, but now it seems that things are on the move again ☺

You can pick up this new expression in store at the Celtic Whiskey Shop for 170 euros and it is about to become available online any time now. You might also find it in various stores in Germany, or like I did, pick it up via ebay.de if you are fast, and lucky!

I have not been blessed with all info yet but as far as I know it has been matured in first-fill bourbon barrels only, from some of the first stocks produced and laid down in 1991/1992. (Although I’ve heard there is some even older Connemara maturing in the warehouses from 1989 so if we are lucky we might see a 25yo soon. Who knows?!). The only thing regarding number of bottles produced that I’ve heard is around 4300 so definitely a small batch. During my visit to Kilbeggan Distillery this summer, my contact in the company told me that if it sells well it will probably be a ”standard bottling” all though, in very limited quantities of course. It holds 46% ABV. Well let’s have a taste! 

Nose:

Incredible big, or rather huge vanilla! And when I say huge I mean huge! Vanilla ice-cream, almost like that beautiful old style Kilbeggan-vanilla-ice-cream they serve at the Kilbeggan Distillery. Surrounding the vanilla is a very soft but very present touch of peach, almost candy-like peach. There is also soft sort of mint or menthol mixed with soft earthy liquorice. Touches of honey melon, a bar of milk-chocolate… Mmm, everything is veeeeery soft and calm, perfect balance between all the stuff that’s on the nose. Definitely very much in the style of Connemara with that green, earthy/woody touch, if you know what I mean? This is so elegant you can’t even believe it friends… ”Well what about the peat?!” you might ask, well you see folks, it lures in a mysterious way beneath everything else ☺ very mature and mellow. Let’s have a sip!

Palate:

I have said it many times before regarding other whiskies, but W-O-W! This Connemara is complex stuff! Beautiful sweetness in combo with liquorice and elder-flower actually, at the tip of the tounge the first second or so, but then, there’s not a boom but rather a slooow wave of soooft peat flowing through my mouth. The peat is much more present on the palate than on the nose, which makes me happy. The fact that there is still so ”much” peat on the palate after this many years of maturation is just great. A really earthy/forrest-y tone is part of it all, that makes everything become so much Connemara. A long lingering soft peat and vanilla in perfect interplay. The aftertaste is not dry at all, but rather mouth-watering… Seriously people, I’m not exaggerating a bit, the balance is wonderful. 

To sum up:

You just have to try this one friends, it’s absolutely one of my favorite expressions of Connemara, alongside the ’Bog Oak’ and the 8yo for Sweden! And then, finally a big thanks to myself for purchasing a bottle of this one, to myself ☺ 

Thank you for staying tuned to SamuelWhisky during my first year as a blogger and please do keep in touch, why not on Facebook through this link, or on twitter through this link. Sláinte and here’s to another exciting year!   

Copyright © and all rights reserved on all tasting notes by SamuelWhisky and pictures likewise belong to SamuelWhisky. If you would like to use any such material that belongs to SamuelWhisky please ask by sending me an email to samuelkarlssonorebro@gmail.com

Connemara ’Ambassadors Choice’ 8yo 49% ABV

Friends! Two weekends ago I did a tasting for some friends. The tasting consisted of  three Connemaras, two Laphroaigs and a Clynelish. What was special about the tasting, apart from being in great company with really nice people, was that I actually opened up a bottle from my small Connemara-collection.

Now it wasn’t any ordinary Connemara but a single bourbon cask matured Connemara for Belgium only, chosen by Cooley brand ambassador Aoife O’Sullivan. The bottle I opened was no. 206 of circa 230. The whiskey was distilled 2001-03-27 and bottled 2009-08-24. You might think I’m crazy opening up such a rare bottle, and on top of that signed by Aoife herself (!)… No I’m not crazy, whiskey is made to be tasted! Oh by the way, I have another bottle of this one J 

Ok, since I didn’t have time to do a tasting note during the tasting, let’s do it now!

Nose:

Incredibly soft! Probably the softest Connemara I’ve ever nosed. Huge vanilla dominance. Beneath that we have a layer of peach-candy, some other very red/orangey notes and of course the peat, which in this case is soooo gentle… The earthy/forresty/green notes that I often find in different bottlings of Connemara, and I would also say is the basic characteristic of Connemara, is basically just there in the distant so here we really have a focus on the vanilla and the peach. It’s hard to belive that this one is only 8yo, the incredible softness suggests an older whiskey than that…

Palate:

Oh yeah, it really is soft on the palate too… a bit salty just in the very start of the palate, also a bit dry, but mainly softness. The basic composition of this Connemara really is vanilla, peach-candy and peat, just as on the nose, but we also have something quite creamy, fudge and just a tad dryness reminding me of something almondy… We also have a touch of arrack mixed with some very ”liquorice-y liquorice”, not salt – not sweet, hard to explain… again this is a very soft dram, I can’t even feel the 49% which I think is one of the things that makes this particular bottling so tasty J

Don't forget to follow SamuelWhisky on Facebook and on twitter! Also, please do join the 'Connemara Clan' which is a fan-club that I founded in 2009! Sláinte!

Connemara 8yo (for Sweden only) 46% ABV!

Friends! As you know I am a bit of  a big fan of Connemara (Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey)! Some people even call me a Connemara Ambassador J So today, a big moment for me has come!

In October 2009, what is now known as Kilbeggan Distilling Co. (and back then as Cooley Distillery), released an 8yo Connemara for Sweden only. It had been matured in firstfill bourbon casks and was limited to 9000 bottles. The thing is that this bottling was actually released before their first ’Small Batch’ release (the Connemara sherry finish) consisting of 20.000 bottles worldwide, so this release for Sweden was a truly once-off small batch in the true sence of the concept. Now, back in those days I tried this expression a lot but I never did any tasting note of it, so I’m very happy to do that now!

My friend Magnus was very kind to sell me an unopened bottle of this beauty which I was planning to open in order to finally do a tasting note, but then, even more recently a new found friend, Mikael, sold me a sample, and that sample arrived in the mail-box TODAY! J Sooo, let’s try!

Nose:

Aaah! Soo soft and creamy on the nose, mixed with a ”green” kind of mellow peat. Beneath that layer we have a mixture of different exotic fruits, mostly in focus though is freshly opened, almost overripe, passion fruit. On the fruity side the citric-winter-apple influences are most evident of all. Now this is precisely what I love so much about Connemara, the green almost forrest-y moss-y peat mixed with the fruity-ness… Absolutely beautiful… Now that I think about it the creamy thing in the first layer could also of course be explained as vanilla, or vanilla infused whipped cream or something dreamy like that J There is also a touch of marzipan or lightly roasted almondflakes, but this is very faint and quite far away. Okey, let’s have a taste!

Palate:

Mmm, nice… not at all how I remebered the palate from when I tried it (but that was years ago so no wonder)… Now on the palate, all of that excotic stuff and the apples are not as evident. There’s rather more focus on the vanilla cream, a soft but highly present peaty-ness and then what I almost always find in different Connemaras, the cacao or almost milk chocolate. You can barely notice the 46% ABV, I mean you do feel it as more than 40 but I think of it as more like 43, for me meaning that there is balance here… Actually, a thing that I have never thougth about in Connemara comes to mind, there is a very very tiny slight Cognac-ness in there, at least in this 8yo, something from the fruityness in these bourbon casks and the vanilla. Or is it the forest/moss elements that make me think of Cognac? Sort of Grönstedts ’VSOP Monopol’ (the Blue one)? Well, I don’t know but I really do like it. 

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Connemara 'Turf Mór'

(Originally posted november 21st 2010, to the Connemara Clan facebook-group) 

Once again I recieved a sample from the nice people at Cooley! The sample contained ”Connemara Turf Mor 58,2% Abv” which is the 2nd whiskey from Connemara to be released in their ”Small batch collection” (circa 20.000 bottles) during November. The malt is peated to more than 50ppm according to my sources but some unofficial sources say between 53-58ppm. The Turf Mor will be available in the UK, Benelux, Germany and Ireland (but probably not Sweden) so the rest of us will have to purchase it in online stores. I compared this to the regular ”Connemara CS 57,9% Abv” which should be about the same age, and the peatiness is A LOT bigger in the ”Turf Mor”.

Color: Light goldish

Nose: A beautiful nose spreads throughout the room! Some really nice summery flower tones as always in Connemara. There’s a lot of citrus fruit-like scents (satsumas) and some acrid orangepeel tones and also some really nice touches of melon (honey, gailia) white chocolate and soft vanilla. Quite some watermelon as well. Also som cherry (yes the berry), some vanilla pod, light traces of cinnamon. The peat is kind of rubby-ish and also makes me think of bluecheese such as saint agur. The peatiness is very big and surrounds all of these beautiful smells but at the same time the peat is very light and nice. There is also som discrete touches of brown sugar, dates and figs which indicate finishing time in sherry casks.

Palate: Oh damn! Really nice. Starts of really creamy and soft for like half a second but then, BOOM! Some really citric, fresh, herby and flowery peatiness which really brings back the bluecheese and rubber from the nose. The dryness calms down but there is still an intensive peatiness clinging on that almost burns my tounge and brings heat to my mouth. After some time has passed the creamy vanilla tones interact with the citric, and my mouth is watering. The hints of sherry casks from the nose return also on the palate (quite late) when brown sugar, figs and sultan raisins pop up and say hello.

To sum up and return to the comparison to the regular Connemara CS, The ”Turf Mor” is not as bold and ”out there” concerning the citric and flowery tones, but represents a more mature and creamy (and peatier) version of Connemara (although it’s some three years). Both the CS and the Turf Mor are really great Connemaras but also VERY different from each other

Connemara ´Bog Oak´

Here we go, my first tasting note published on the blog! Originally posted november 4th 2011, to the Connemara Clan facebook-group.  

First some information and backstory on Connemara ´Bog Oak´:

In november I received some nice pictures and info on the Connemara ’Bog Oak’ from the nice people at Cooley! In a previous letter to me Rachel wrote:

”Three casks of Connemara were carefully chosen and fitted with handcrafted ends made from Bog Oak unearthed on the famous coastal blanket bog of Connemara. Monitored religiously by Alex Chasko, the Bog Oak casks when bottled at cask strength [57,5%] produced the first and only 1000 bottles of Connemara Bog Oak”.

The oak that the ends of the casks were made of has been naturally preserved for over 5000 years and is the remains of the ancient Irish forests that were drowned as the bogs expanded. The Connemara ’Bog Oak’ is the first ever release, in the world, of whisky finished in casks partly consisting of bog oak.

The whisky being filled into the bog oak casks is a mix of different ages but the base is one cask of the Connemara ’Turf Mór’ at the time of filling being 3yo and at bottling circa 4yo (in other words; one third of the Connemara 'Bog Oak' consisits of Connemara 'Turf Mór').

This is what Alex Chasko (former innovation manager at Cooley) says about the productionprocess:

”There were a variety of ages that we used. Casks from 15 year old to 8 yr and some 6 yr were used. I don't have the exact cask numbers or volume at hand. I started with a cask of the Turf Mor and then sampled quite a few casks trying to develop the flavors from the bog oak and give the liquid some balance. (…) The whiskey spent on average 10 months in the bog oak casks. I think one was just under 10, but most were almost 12 months”.

This means that the peating level of the Connemara ’Bog Oak’ is a little hard to determine; the normal Connemara is between 15-20ppm and the Connemara ’Turf Mór’ above 50ppm, but as I felt when nosing and tasting it, it is definitely peatier than normal Connemara (should be some where around 35-40ppm).

Connemara ’Bog Oak’ was not released in the ”Small batch collection” as I first thought it would be, it is far more exclusive than that being the first release in a series called ”Connoisseurs Collection”. Considering the very interesting and complex productionprocess of this whiskey I sure get excited of getting to know what the future holds!

I have not yet received any info on retail price but unofficial sources say €250. According to Jeniffer at Cooley the Connemara ’Bog Oak’ will hit the shelves somewhere around the middle of december. When purchasing a bottle of Connemara 'Bog Oak' (see picture below) inside the wooden case you will find your very own cut of wood from the Bog Oak ends that crafted the whiskey.

For more info on the Connemara ’Bog Oak’ and some more words from Alex, take a look at this site:

http://www.irishwhiskeynotes.com/2011/11/connemara-bog-oak.html#links

Tasting note

Connemara ’Bog Oak’ (Connoisseurs Collection) 57,5% ABV

Bottle no. 12 (of 1000), batch U 11/07, bottled 111031

Colour: Light gold

Nose: Opening the bottle reveals a familiar scent of ”good old Connemara”. Trying it from my glass, it opens up wonderful on a soft citric note that interplays with a deep tender vanilla. The peat seems very soft (is it really 50ppm?) and well integrated. Putting my nose fully in the glass I find a really herbal touch that connects with some kind of almond paste (or marzipan). This Connemara is very citric and zesty in it’s core/in the center. What may seem as a high ABV does not disturb or bother me at all which is nice. Continuing I find some tocuhes of lemon curd and arrack and there is a slight kind of metallic note with touches of gunpowder. This is really mouthwatering stuff! When I warm the glass in my hands the whiskey really opens up and actually reveals it’s high ABV. The scents get more intense and a kind of ”carbonated bubblyness” apears that tickles my nose. (With water: If possible, even more citric and lemony)

Palate: My first thoughts tasting it makes me think about the peat level again, this is probably extra peated but it shure is well integrated! Comparing it to the ’Turf Mór’ (in my mind), the ’Bog Oak’ is soo much softer. It actually also tastes of ”good old Connemara” but much more firm and with a bigger body. At the moment the whiskey enters my mouth everything gets very smooth and honey-sweet but at the same time quite citric at the front of my toungue. Again, reminding us of the nose; this is some very fruity stuff with sugary lemons, the bitterness of orange-peel, lemoncurd, and all this is featured in the very top layer of the palate. Somehow all these fruity influences moves on to some kind of champagne-iness-ish taste, sort of like sparkling peated (white) wine (if there ever could be such a beverage). Oh yes, this whiskey must be extra peated but the earthy/peaty herbalness that burns just a little is balanced in a very nice way and stand well in contrast to the vanilla influences that simply has to come from the extra portion of wood, infused in the whiskey (probably originating from the bog oak itself…). Also, quite some bitterness but it is beautifully weighed out by a really nice vanilla. When the whiskey has been allowed to rest for a while in the glass (and my mouth has had some water) I get some big hints of quite dark chocolate and mocha (coffee). (With water: The citric influences mellows down in favour of herbs and almond paste in combo, also some gunpowder which dries out my mouth just a little bit).

To sum up: I thought that Connemara ’Bog Oak’ was going to be a hard punch straight in my face (since it is supposed to based on the ’Turf Mór whiskey) but that is not quite the story here. It is rather much more balanced and elegant which must be of compliments and coming from the Bog oak itself.

And finally, a big thanks to Stephen Teeling, Alex Chasko, Jennifer Graham, Rachel and all the other guys at Cooley who in 2011 let me be "the first one on the internet" to try Connemara ´Bog Oak´!