Annual Awards for 2015: Jim Murray

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Capn Jimbo
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Annual Awards for 2015: Jim Murray

Post by Capn Jimbo »

Beginning with "Whisky of the Year"...

"Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye
CROWN ROYAL NORTHERN HARVEST RYE, 45%

Producer’s Tasting Notes:
Nose: Baking spices, cereal, light wood spices
Palate: Gentle oak note, rich butterscotch, spiced vanilla, develops into soft peppery notes.
Finish: Smooth and creamy.

Jim has increased his World Whiskies of the Year to five, as opposed to his normal three, accompanied by his choice of Single Cask of the Year. Here are the winners:
Jim Murray’s 2016 World Whiskies of the Year
  • 1. Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye

    2. Pikesville Straight Rye

    3. Midleton Dair Ghaelach

    4. William Larue Weller Bourbon (Bot.2014)

    5. Suntory Yamazaki Mizunara (Bot.2014)
SINGLE CASK OF THE YEAR

Glenfarclas The Family Casks 1957 #2110

This year – just like last year – there are no Scotch whiskies in Jim’s list. And Midleton Dair Ghaelach’s achievement is the first time that an Irish whiskey has finished in the top three.

Jim said: ‘Last year people were shocked when I gave Yamazaki the award – until they tasted it. Then they saw it was not the affront to Scotch they first thought and something truly extraordinary.

‘This year, doubtless there will be many more eyebrows raised because rarely is Canada mentioned when it come to the world’s top whiskies. But, again, I have no doubt people finding the bottling I tasted will be blown away with this whisky’s uncompromising and unique beauty. It certainly puts the rye into Canadian rye.’


The Winners

SCOTCH
  • Scotch Whisky of the Year
    Glenfarclas 1957 Family Casks #2110

    Single Malt of the Year (Multiple Casks)
    Glen Grant 10yo

    Single Malt of the Year (Single Cask)
    Glenfarclas 1957 Family Casks #2110

    Scotch Blend of the Year
    The Last Drop 50yo

    Scotch Grain of the Year
    Clan Denny Cambus 1987 25yo #9320

    Scotch Vatted Malt of the Year
    Compass Box The Lost Blend
    Single Malt Scotch

    No Age Statement (Multiple Casks)
    Ardbeg Supernova 2009

    No Age Statement (Runner Up)
    Laphroaig An Cuan Mor

    10 Years & Under (Multiple Casks)
    Glen Grant 10yo

    10 Years & Under (Single Cask)
    Saar Gruwehewwel

    11-15 Years (Multiple Casks)
    Gordon and MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Strathmill 2000

    11-15 Years (Single Cask)
    SMWS 4.199 (Highland Park 1999)

    16-21 Years (Multiple Casks)
    Old Pulteney 21yo

    16-21 Years (Single Cask)
    Old Malt Cask Highland Park 1998

    22-27 Years (Multiple Casks)
    Glen Moray Port Cask Finish

    22-27 Years (Single Cask)
    Wemyss Kirsch Gateau (Bunnahabhain)

    28-34 Years (Multiple Casks)
    Tomatin 1988 25yo Batch 2

    28-34 Years (Single Cask)
    Glenfarclas 1985 Family Casks #2593

    35-40 Years (Multiple Casks)
    Tomatin 36yo Rare Casks Batch 1

    35-40 Years (Single Cask)
    BenRiach 1977 Batch 11

    41 Years & Over (Multiple Casks)
    Ledaig 42 Years Old

    41 Years & Over (Single Cask)
    Glenfarclas 1957 Family Casks #2110
BLENDED SCOTCH
  • No Age Statement (Standard)
    Ballantine’s Finest

    No Age Statement (Premium)
    Ballantine’s Limited

    5-12 Years
    Johnie Walker Black Label

    13-18 Years
    Ballantine’s 17

    19 – 25 Years
    Royal Salute 21

    26 – 50 Years
    The Last Drop 50 Years Old Sherry Wood
IRISH WHISKEY
  • Irish Whiskey of the Year
    Midleton Dair Ghaelach

    Irish Pot Still Whiskey of the Year
    Midleton Dair Ghaelach

    Irish Single Malt of the Year
    SMWS 118.3

    Irish Blend of the Year
    Powers Gold Label
AMERICAN WHISKEY
  • Bourbon of the Year
    William Larue Weller 2014

    Rye of the Year
    Pikesville Rye 110 Proof

    US Micro Whisky of the Year
    Notch 12

    US Micro Whisky of the Year (Runner Up)
    McCarthy’s Batch U14-01
BOURBON
  • No Age Statement (Multiple Barrels)
    William Larue Weller 2014

    No Age Statement (Single Barrel)
    Buffalo Trace Single Oak Project Barrel 20

    9 Years & Under
    Booker’s Bourbon 63.95%

    10-17 Years (Multiple Barrels)
    Eagle Rare 17yo 2014
RYE
  • No Age Statement
    Thomas H Handy

    Up to 10 Years
    Pikesville Straight Rye 110 Proof

    11 Years & Over
    Sazerac 18yo 2014
WHEAT
  • Wheat Whiskey of the Year
    Parker’s Heritage 13yo / Release 8
CANADIAN WHISKY
  • Canadian Whisky of the Year
    Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye
JAPANESE WHISKY
  • Japanese Whisky of the Year
    Yamazaki Mizunara 2014 (Japan only)

    Single Malt of the Year (Multiple Barrels)
    Yamazaki Mizunara 2014 (Japan only)

    Single Malt of the Year (Single Barrel)
    SMWS 119.14
EUROPEAN WHISKY
  • European Whisky of the Year (Multiple)
    English Whisky Co. Chapter 16 / Peated Sherry Cask

    European Whisky of the Year (Single)
    Kornog Taouarc’h Chwec’hved 14 BC
WORLD WHISKIES
  • Asian Whisky of the Year
    Amrut Greedy Angels 10yo

    Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year
    Heartwood The Good Convict



*******
https://blog.thewhiskyexchange.com/2015 ... e-winners/
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

The BIG surprise?


The overall "Whisky of the Year", of course: Crown Royal's Northern Harvest Rye, over every other single malt or whisky in the world, and available for about $28.

Really? This one I've got to try (and test)...
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

Found a bottle of the Harvest Rye for $28 and...


Gave it a spin.

But first of course ran the hydro on it, which returned 2g/l, quite acceptable. A bit of background: Crown Royal's Northern Harvest Rye, as above, was annointed as Jim Murray's Overall Whisky of the Year, an amazing feat for what is a Canadian Blend.

Because of this, Diageo's monkey marketeers have gone apeshit and promoted the living hell out of this release, including a custom box, the usual Crown Royal drawstring bag and I hate to say it - the typical cheesy molded glass, screw top crown-shaped, textured bottle. Cheesy before, and still cheesy.

Murray is known as a bit of a loose curmudgeon - close to my own heart - and his surprising award absolutely stunned the blog and retail worlds, both of whom were all over this release.


Background:

It seems that when a mega-corporation and a mega-reviewer become engaged (via Murray's awards) that really widespread stupidity ensues. Money talks, and big talk turns into money.

In this case what you get, in order are (a) glowingly repetitive reviews exceeded by (b) those who don't get that, but are afraid to be too negative in the face of the PR onslaught and (c) a precious few honest reviews.

All agree on a couple things: rye spices (big surprise), sweetness and fruitiness (mostly apple). The reviews differ only in terms of the above. It is simply amazing how much force mega-marketing can achieve. Accordingly, most of the reviews fall into the (b) category.

My own impression - certainly in the first tastes, and even at the shoulder and/or with water basically remain: the Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye is choppy, simplistic, a bit harsh and dark. The reviewers who had cajones enough to point out its youth, and rough (they said "dry") finish got it. The rest got sucked in. The best review of the tens I read was:
"Tasting Notes by Victor

Crown Royal reports that this whisky contains 90% rye content, and has not disclosed the grain content of the remaining 10% of the whisky. The reviewed bottle with serial number 003105408466 has been open for 7 days and is half full

Nose: quite a fragrant very dark-fruity nose of medium pitch mostly, smooth and quite soft and rounded. There is some rye spice also, cloves, cassia, and black pepper, deep-pitched, clumped together, and muted. Some vanilla. This is a beautiful nose, nicely balanced and very reminiscent of the better MGPI rye noses or Col E H Taylor Straight Rye. Water added mellows and sweetens the nose and is very pleasant. Score: 23/25 points

Taste: sour, citric, and bitter in the mouth. The palate bears very little resemblance to the beautiful nose. There is a clump of amorphous bass pitched flavous here, which is where the spice flavours dwell. The lovely fruit flavours are present but are drowned out by this low pitched mess of flavours. I believe I know what it is I am tasting: that 10% secret whisky component is wheat whisky, and Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye suffers from a clash of wheat and rye flavours so common when a distiller combines these two grains together. Water added slightly softens the clashing flavours. Score: 20/25 points

Finish: the clash of flavours just continues to develop in a bad way, becoming more sour, more citric, and more bitter into the finish. Water added softens the finish, which is an improvement. Score: 19/25 points

Balance: very good balance in the nose; fair balance on the delivery; poor balance on the finish. Score: 19/25 points

Total Sequential Score: 81/100 points"
http://www.connosr.com/reviews/crown-ro ... nd-bitter/

This gentleman got it, I believe. I tend to believe that the whisky afficianados here, will tend to agree. What Canadian whisky is all about is that mysterious 9.09% that magically came into being as part of modern Canadian law and regulations - ie the "flavouring spirits (any and all domestic or imported spirits) and yep, wine (distilled into "brandy" or not).

Trust me my friends, 9.09% is a TON of stuff insofar as creating any damn profile that occurs to the marketeers. We know that whatever is dumped in there it can result in hydrometer confirmed sugar (eg CCC12 year at 7 grams). Even when sugar is absent, there are plenty of opportunities for all manner of added flavors via the wide open regulations that allow ANY spirit to be added.

And so it goes. Jim Murray loves the stuff (he is reputed to be rye head), but I must admit that I purchased a bottle of Rittenhouse bonded (100 proof and guaranteed age) rye at the same time, and there is no comparison. As a result the 9.09% exemption means that Canadian whisky will always be smoother, sweeter and easier to sell, er drink...
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Post by mychurch »

Good analysis

Every year Wine Spectator magazine gets a lot of publicity with its "Top 100 Wines of the Year". No one can quite figure out the criteria, but volume is definetly 1 and I believe now that the top 10 have to present their wines at the Wine Spectator "Grand Tour" events. Guess if you dont agree to play ball, then you dont get in. Usually the list contains sold wines, that are available and relatively affordable. They are defiently not the best wines released in the last year. Good for sales though. Imagine the same will happen for these whiskeys.
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