Seales, Doorly's and others

[sleepy]

Let me start by saying that I've never developed a terminology for many flavors, so I'll try to adhere to those used herein and ask when uncertain.

For tasting, we are heathens - mostly small dessert wine glasses or Mexican mini-snifters. My favorite, however, is an old-fashioned pewter Jefferson cup that I've been using for 40 years - it works! Weekend before last, I finally bit the bullet and drove the 80 miles round-trip to Total Wine to pick up bottles of Seales 10 and Doorly's 5 and XO. As a reward for tenacity, I also picked up a bottle of MGXO, which I normally reserve for cheap duty-frees.

We tasted the Seales and the Doorly XO together: Pat being terse said the Seale's smelled and tasted like raunchy Irish (but liked it, being of the green herself) and really liked the Doorly for its sweeter and more rounded flavors.

My immediate impression of the Seales was the scent of well tended harness leather and Spanish cedar (Sue's cigar box?). And, yes, before the clove (light cinnamon?) kicks in later, it is a bit reminiscent of some (decidedly not raunchy) older, rarer and FAR more expensive Irish whiskeys. The mouth feel is excellent, with a clear finish, some lingering pepper on the back of the tongue and the ever pleasant mild tingle of gums and tongue. In its distinct lack of excessive sweetness in either aroma or taste, this rum is unique to me - and I like it A LOT!

The Doory's XO was a little tougher for me. The strong honey scent with some pleasant, sweetly floral aroma (orange blossom? nah - not that sweet) and subsequent island spices. The taste was not as sweet as I expected and gave, if I recall, additional spice release. What I was not thrilled with was a somewhat bitter (acrid?) finish that cleared only slowly. I guess this is due to rather more residual sugars than I prefer which coat the palate and don't let go. (I'd love other thoughts on this).

Subsequent tasting with a bit of ice greatly diminished that effect and increased my enjoyment of the XO.

As we explore more rums, I'm starting to see that they can be as individual in preference as malts. An example is El Dorado 12 - Pat loves its sweetness and aroma. I find it cloying in scent and palate feel (actually initial flavor is ok). Might be ok with tonic, but that's an expensive R&T.

I've only tried the Doorly's 5 on the rocks after a not-so-great day and found it entirely drinkable an par with, but a bit more complex than my go-to cheap rum: Flor de Caña 4.

The MGXO is as I recalled - a fine liquor reminiscent of certain substances with which I toyed in my youth (ahem). It will vary with what you bring to it! Sue don't try to parse it - It'll be different next time It is also a bit like some fine Alsacian Pinot Gris wines that I've had - with each new taste from your food, the wine changes - pleasantly. That's mastery! There is no aspect of the aromas, taste, mouth-feel, finish and clearing of this rum that I do not like! @ $39 vs. $22 for the Seale - guess which I'll be drinking more often, though.

Those are my thoughts for the moment. Feel free to respond to enlighten me, provide standard terms where I fumbled to describe flavors and scents, or just to declare me a clueless idiot - it wouldn't be that first time and I always keep my flame-thrower handy

[Capn Jimbo]

A fine post!


If you are concerned about flames, you need not be so here at The Project. Our posters truly represent the some of the more open, honest and intelligent posters in the wacky world of rum.

To begin, your selection of rums are very well chosen. With the rums of Richard Seales, you can be sure you are getting a pure product, unadulterated with unlabeled additives or flavoings, and whose age is honestly stated. The Seales 10 is a masterpiece, and at 10 years exhibits the tropical equivalent age of say a 20 year old single malt. It is balanced, consitent, and harmonious. The same can be said of MGXO, a brilliant blend of 10 to 17 year old rums and a classic in every sense ot the word.

The Doorly's XO represents Richard's interest in wood finishing, a practice in which he engaged long before the new, misnamed "super premiums" decided to market the practice. As far as your observations go, these would be in line with the sherry barrel treatment he uses. Now as far as the acrid note in the finish I would advise that you return to this bottle after the level is down below the shoulders of the bottle.

We have frequently found that a new pour from a newly opened bottle can exhibit this effect, an effect that diminishes or changes after the bottle airs and after about a fifth of the bottle is gone (below the shoulders). No rum should be judged on the intial four or five drams.

As far as your palate, descriptors and descriptions go, far be it from moi or Sue Sea to criticize you. Our reviews are not chisled in stone (actually they are molded into concrete), but they are honest, and are designed to be accessible, reflecting descriptors, sensations and experiences common to Americans. Sue Sea especially has a fine and lasting palate. Still, your palate is your own, and we applaud you for sharing it. Unlike some of the self-appointed, faux commericial "reviewers" on the net your reports are far more comprehensive, address the totality of your experience, present interesting comparitives. As a whole, much more informative than the usual list of oddball descriptors that the faux "reviewer's call a review.

Bravo! A wonderful post that Sue Sea will review and respond as well, along with a number of our valued posters, I'm sure.

[sleepy]

It had been my thought to comment on the orange/floral/honey aspect of flavor without excessive sweetness as a possible consequence of the sherry cask finishing.

Interesting, because with Glen Morangie malt, I find both the 10 and 15 yo "classic" whiskey FAR superior to the sherry or port cask finished 12 yo. In this case, the altered flavor covers the features I most appreciate in a single malt.

(BTW - my go to malt is the smoky, rowdy 10yo Laphroaig - add a good cigar and a campfire with friends on an autumn night -mmmMMM!)

[Capn Jimbo]

What a concept!


Anyone who drinks Laphroig 10 is welcome in our humble hovel. I think you are not alone in your experiences with sherry barrel aging or finishing, or with your transition to an Islay like Laphroig. More anon...

Before I start allow me to debunk the idea that there is somehow some leftover sherry sloshing around or saturating these barrels, which then flavor the new spirit being aged. The Macallan has long been known for their sherry barrel aging which of course, depends on a ready supply of used sherry barrels of a good and consistent quality. Macallan insured their supply by actually growing their own French oak, making new barrels to their own standards, and then supplying the sherry industry with these barrels with the proviso that they would be returned to Macallan.

But this worked only until the sherry producers decided they preferred American oak whereupon Macallan nearly had a corporate heart attack (corporations are people, y' know). What Macallan then did was to continue to use their own new French oak barrels - but that had never, ever contained a drop of sherry. The result:

They achieved the same profile without a drop of sherry. And that should crush the myth.


Back to Laphroig...

A lot of the Shillery monkeys whose graduation into spirits is more like leaving elementary school with nothing more than good attendence scores, their experience with rum being limited to the flavored party rums at drink 'til you drop frat parties. Thus their exposure to the many "rums" containing unlabeled additives, sugar and the like may actually be a step up for these minimally distinguishing drinkers.

However, the real rum afficianados soon discover the difference between these altered rums and the fewer but relatively purer real and most worthy rums. You know - the MGXO's, Pussers, Appletons, Barbancourts, and the like whose relatively unadulterated and authentic flavors are much more whiskylike.

In our own case this appreciation of purity and the flavors from honest and skilled aging led us - almost inexorably - to single malts. A similar graduation occured from the sherry barrel versions - again almost inexorably - to the Islays. And who among us who travelled this route did not end up with the classic and wonderful Laphroig 10. Which in no way minimizes any of the other great Islays with the reach of average folks.

Whether it's a Black Bottle, an Ardbeg 10, a Peat Monster, Quarter Cask, or even a Ledaig from the Isle of Mull exhibit the wonderful smokiness and just enough natural sweetness to rock my boat. These single malts are medicine for both the body and soul.

Sleepy, as for Sue Sea and I, it'd be a good Islay, a Sancho Panza Quixote, or a Hemingway Short Story. Which is not say an MGXO, Seales 10, or Pussers wouldn't do as well...

[NCyankee]

Speaking of laphroaig 10 and Sherry casks - I saw a Dun Bheagan bottling of Laphroaig 10 aged eclusively in Sherry casks for $43 at Astor wine and spirits in NY. I am considering placing an order from there and it sounds very interesting, though I have not been able to find a credible review yet - though Dun Bheagan does have a decent reputation.

[Capn Jimbo]

A link...


Yank... I'm not at all sure that this (link) will help, but the incomparable Serge of Whiskyfun compared a number of Laphroigs finished in different casks, including sherry. Frankly, I don't see how you can go wrong at $43, especially with such a consistent and respected distillery like Laphroig...