Boozehounds,
I’ve posted the annual Stickies awards for sweet wines, now it’s time to get to the good stuff. I’ve pulled out all the spirits awards so that they can be properly focused on here. As always, please feel free to contribute your own award winners for 2014. Without further ado, the Drammies:
BEST COGNAC/ARMAGNAC
NOMINEES
Baron Gaston-Legrand 1963 Bas-Armagnac
Marnier XO Grande Champagne Cognac
Chabasse XO Grand Champagne Cognac
Hennessey XO Cognac
AND THE DRAMMIE GOES TO:
Baron Gaston-Legrand 1963 Bas-Armagnac
This Armagnac just barely won as the Chabasse and Hennessey were right up there with it. A huge, complex, flavorful and surprisingly still very hot Armagnac that reeks of class and indulgence.
BEST RUM
NOMINEES
El Dorado 21 Year Old Rum
El Dorado Single Barrel Demarara Rum
Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva Rum
Dictador 12 Year Old Solera Rum
AND THE DRAMMIE GOES TO:
El Dorado 21 Year Old Rum
This ridiculously smooth, complex and long-finishing rum gives any 21 year whisky lover a reason to convert themselves into a rum drinker. On top of that, it’s a great QPR comparatively to equivalent aged single malts.
BEST SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
NOMINEES
Cardhu 12 Year Old
Glendronach 15 Year Old Tawny Port Finish
Auchentoshan 12 Year Old Three Wood
Glenfarclas 25 Year Old Highland Single Malt
Nikka “Yoichi” 20 Year Old Single Malt
Linkwood 25 Year Old Speyside Single Malt
AND THE DRAMMIE GOES TO:
Glenfarclas 25 Year Old Highland; Nikka “Yoichi” 20 Year Old; Linkwood 25 Year Old Speyside; Cardhu 12 Year Old (Tie)
The Glenfarclas, Nikka and Linkwood were all ridiculously good well-aged whiskies were all incredible and an astonishing pairing with upscale Chinese seafood dishes. Truly incredible trio and a privilege to have tried this year. The Cardhu at a mere 12 years old somehow manages to possess the smoothness of those well-aged whiskies and with barely any burn going down at all. That it manages to do this at less than half the age of the others is utterly astonishing. I can’t wait to get my hands on an older expression.
BEST EAU-DE-VIE/GRAPPA
NOMINEES
Jacopo Poli Grappa Baril di Sassacaia
Labbé Cherry Rocher Poire Williams
Nonino Ùe 25th Anniversary Monovitigno Riserva
Nonino Quintessentia Amaro
AND THE DRAMMIE GOES TO:
Jacopo Poli Grappa Baril di Sassacaia; Labbé Cherry Rocher Poire Williams (Tie)
If you think all grappa is nothing more than fire water, you really need to do yourself a favor and try the Poli line of barrel-aged grappas. Despite just two years of barrel-aging on average, this line somehow has the smoothness of 21 year old whiskies with only a strong bit of heat on the finish giving away its grappa origins. The Sassacaia is the absolute best of the bunch with strong aromatics, great flavor, a smooth body, and a punch finish. The Labbé Poire Williams made me wonder why it’s taken me 4 years to try a French fruit eau-de-vie. Incredible fresh pear fruit flavor permeates this eau-de-vie and shows that distillation doesn’t have to kill off all the flavor of the raw components.