The best of 2008

Krishna Nukula, 53, is a credit controller for a multinational, an ordinary suit who works a nine-to-five in Hyderabad. But beneath that nondescript exterior lurks an obsessive—a maniac, in fact, by his own admission. For Nukula is the only Indian member of the renowned global whisky enthusiast club, the Malt Maniacs. The obsession began back in 1996.

“I was so thirsty for knowledge, you know, that I came in touch with a Dutchman named Johannes. He had started this club— there were only six of us back then, but they were exclusive.” So exclusive that Nukula had to prove his intense devotion to whisky before he could be admitted.

Twelve years on, there are only 25 members around the world, and their annual award—the Malt Maniacs Best Whisky of the Year—is one of the most coveted prizes in the whisky world. “Every year, the single malt industry sends samples of 300 bottles to our coordinator in France,” says Nukula.

“And he sends out the samples to the Malt Maniacs around the world—at least the 12 of us who don’t work in the whisky industry like me. We’re totally unbiased. I get two months to taste them all, then we all vote for our top ten.”

Nukula values his independence too much to accept the job offers he receives from major whisky companies in India. He’d rather let rip in his tasting notes.

“I can’t promise that all of these whiskies are available, and tasting notes are always personal,” he says. “But this list can help the discerning whisky lover benchmark their existing collection. And I can promise that these are all great whiskies!”

—Sanjiv Bhattacharya

“Hi, Krishna here. What a great gig, this has been! Before I get into the bottles themselves, let me just explain some of the technical data about the bottles—the way I’ve done it, I’ve just copied it straight from the label. I recommend every enthusiast do the same for their own tasting notes.

Here’s what it means: yo=year old/ %=the strength of alcohol/OB=Original Bottling/ the rest are cask details with numbers of bottles produced.”

10.Cooley 15yo 1993/ 2008
(46%, The Nectar Daily Dram, Madeira Finish, 370 Bts)

Irish whiskeys usually rank low in my list but this one blew me off during blind tasting. Cooley is situated north-east of Dublin on the scenic foothills of Cooley Mountains and claims itself as the Ireland’s only independent distillery. The place is a traveller’s paradise. Incidentally, Cooley also makes two of my favourite drams of Ireland—the peaty Connemara and Tyrconnel.

Tasting notes: Fruity Bubblegum. Passion fruits, later on followed by leafy organics and fennel seed. On palate, too, it is very fruity, just like on the nose. Not terribly complex like Speyside or Highland whiskies, but very pleasant.

9. Glengoyne 19yo 1988/2007
(58.3%, OB, Pedro Ximinez butt, C#718)
Glengoynes never fail. The distillery situated just a short drive from Edinburgh actually falls in the Lowland regions of Scotland but the character of the whisky is that of an unmistakable Speyside whisky. Glengoynes are universally liked due to their robust feel on palate and some of their cask strength whiskies, named after their staff, are special attractions.

Tasting notes: Loads of wood with some organics and Port-wine-like. Profile grows bigger and more complex after breathing. Subtle fruity sweetness in the background. Definitely improves after some 30 minutes and you get dried fruits and spices and camphor. On palate it is honeyed and treacle with mild organics revisiting. Excellent mouthfeel with a strong hint of smoky finish.

8.Strathisla 48yo 1960/ 2008
(50%, G&M for LMW, First Fill Sherry Hogs, C#2544, 60 Bts.)

One of the trademark whiskies of Seagram’s, better known for Chivas Regal—and a lot of Strathisla incidentally goes into blending of Chivas Regal. Strathisla is, in fact, the oldest distillery in Northern Scotland (est. 1786). A lot of stuff distilled at Strathisla actually ends up in the private warehouses in Elgin owned by Gordon and Macphail, the world’s largest independent bottlers and this rare bottle is one of them.

Tasting notes: Lots of spices—cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves too. Heavy wood. Beautiful rich complex nose with roasted nuts. Very dry and lots of tannins, like eating a paan. Very long finish with lots of organics.

7. Glenfarclas 30yo
(43%, OB, +/-2008)
The folks at Glenfarclas (GF) keep a low profile and let their fans speak about their whisky and I am yet to come across a person, who, after enjoying a dram of Glenfarclas, has not rated it among his/her top 5 Speysiders. Glenfarclas is improving day by day as this simple fact shows. I used to possess a GF 30yo, (not a 30-year-old Girl Friend!) a bottle bought at the very distillery in 2003, which happened to be the best Glenfarclas I ever had, but the present 30yo, bottled some time in 2008, had beaten all records.

Tasting notes: Nose is like aroma coming from steaming Chinese fried rice, fennel, dried fruits and licorice. Later on developing into lots of fruits and spices. Touch of smoke and wood too. Wellbalanced profile and brilliant mouth feel. Honey drops with excellent woody finish.

6. Yamazaki 18yo 1990/ 2008
(60%, OB, sherry butt, C#0N70645)

It is not a surprise any more if a Japanese whisky wins top accolades. The Yamazaki 20yo was declared the best whisky in 2006 by Malt Maniacs and, in 2007, Whisky Magazine voted the Yoichi 20yo as the best in the world. Founded in 1923, Yamazaki, meaning confluence of three rivers, is the oldest distillery in Japan. It is owned by Suntory (remember Bill Murray in Lost in Translation?)

Tasting notes: Typical nose of a top class oloroso finish with lots of oriental spices, sultanas, prunes and betel leaf. Polished and woody with a subtle sweet undercurrent. Very sweet, spicy and menthol-like, tannins with excellent hot finish.

5.Lagavulin 21yo 1985/2007
(56.5%, OB, 6642 Bts.)
The winner of the Malt Maniacs Awards 2008, this stunning whisky was awarded the accolade on December 5, in Alsace France. The award was received by Nick Morgan the Global Marketing Director for Single Malts of Diageo. Lagavulin is a legend—no other Scottish distillery evokes such passion and a feeling of obeisance. If you are serious about whisky and want to learn more about Lagavulin, just make the pilgrimage to Islay—it’s a religious experience that beats reading books or surfing blogs. Your life will never be the same again!

Tasting notes: Smoke from dried leaves with peat. Great complexity, with lemon and honey flavours although it scores more on the palate. Smoke returns on palate with hints of salt licorice. Syrupy sweetness. Brilliant balance with loads of smoke in the finish. This is a legend of a whisky.

4.Ardbeg 25yo 1976/2002
(53.1%, Feis Isle 2002, C#2390, 494 Bts.)
Ask any distillery manager in Scotland, what his second-most favourite whisky is—the distillery where he works is first!—and more often than not, the answer is “Ardbeg”. Now owned by Glenmorangie Plc, Ardberg dates back to 1794. But the distillery was closed in the early 1980s before it was revived by Glenmorangie. The house style of Ardbeg is syrupy, full-bodied smoke and peat, just like most of its Islay cousins—but the comparison stops there. Ardbegs are more elegant and the smoke and peaty is not as overpowering as in Laphroaigs or Caol Ilas. This bottle was released during Islay Whisky Festival 2002.

Tasting notes: Delicious beef stock on nose. Dried fruits, more like raisins and succulent citrus notes. Spicy and leafy organics on palate with the trade mark smoke and peaty notes of Ardbeg displaying all along in the background.

3.Glenglassaugh 30yo 1975/2006
(45.6%, Doglous Laing & Co, 94 Bts.)

The sad part of Glenglassaugh is that the distillery is closed since 1986 and surprisingly nobody came to rescue this wonderful distillery. Situated on coastal edge of Spey and Deveron rivers in Speyside, most of the spirit from this distillery went into blending of Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark and Laing’s. If you come across any Glenglassaugh grab it with both of your hands.

Tasting notes: Spicy and strong. Almonds and camphor with sweet oaky notes and then you catch hints of smoke. On palate you get green peppers, more smoke coming back with passion fruit. Excellent, full-bodied and satisfying finish with loads of syrup and smoke.

2.Carsebridge 42yo 1960/2002
(41.6%, Chieftain’s Choice, Oloroso, C#15010, 135 Bts.)
Carsebridge defeats single malt Scotch Whisky purists. This is a grain-based Lowland whisky and the spirit has been distilled from those unromantic, continuous column stills. But who cares when you get a stunning output after the spirit had slept over 40 years in magic cask? Most of the magic of this Carsebridge is an outcome of marriage of alcohol with the wood of the exquisite Oloroso cask chosen by master blender, Gordon Doctor. The distillery has been dismantled in 1983.

Tasting notes: Nose Aberlour Abu'nath like—full of oloroso sherry, all kinds of dried fruits, Christmas cake and spices, this is a quality spirit spent a long time in a quality sherry cask. On palate you get sweet sherry, mellowed, mild tannins with super mouth-feel, orange skins, smooth, long and superlative woody finish!

1.Balblair 1973/2006
(45%, Gordon & Macphail Private Collection, C#3184-3185, 385 Bts.)
Another one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, Balblair lies just on the left hand side cleft of picturesque Dornoch Firth (on the other side is Glenmorangie) on route 9. All things pertaining to Balblair are ancient — its library, the stone walls and its water source running down Ben Dearg hills in the rear.

Gordon & Macphail has sizeable number of single casks of Balblair and this bottle is from one of the exclusive Private Collections. The best whisky I have tasted in 2008.

Tasting notes: Rich sherried nose, dried fruits, raisins, plum cake, some spices like cloves—this reminds me of Yamazaki 20yo, 2006 winner.

Leather cover note book—looks like a whisky spent long age in a quality Spanish cask. Sweet and good tannins, excellent rich taste, exceedingly satisfying. Slainte Mhath!

—Krishna Nukula