La Casa del Wendy

[Frodo]

On saturday, Shogani flew in from Philly on a work-related visit and we grabbed the opportunity to have a couple of drams together. We started by dropping by a couple of the tasting towers and then headed over to Wendy's who generously invited us over. The early evening was spent getting-to-know-you as Wendy and Shogani have previously met once and then only briefly. Wendy pushed food on us, and being hungry, we didn't refuse!

Second part of the evening was spent trying drams, and it was here that the evening really clicked. We all spoke the same language (whisky) and the camaraderie was close behind.There were some drams I passed on having tried them before but it was fun seeing the expressions and feedback from the others on various pours.

Some drams I remember trying...

Tyrconnell Port Finish: I could tell there was some sort of finish, but wouldn't have guessed port. Not sure what it was. The finish was integrated really well with the whisky instead of being the first and last taste in my mouth. Not the most complex set of flavours but very frank and outgoing personality.Good one!

Ron Zacapa 23: A rum that was a blend of 6-23yr rums. A sweet character with burnt sugar flavour (good decriptor Shogani!). Very soft. Well liked all round I thought.

Glen Elgen 16 OB CS: Wendy graciously let us sample this. A hard not-quite full-bodied character with some nice sherry character. Very firm backbone on this one.

[Frodo]

I'm trying to remember some of the other drams we tried but I'm having some difficulty here.

The third part of the evening was spent with Rum and cigars and top-notch conversation. Next thing I knew it was 1 in the morning and we had to leave before the subway system closed. Ever get that feeling that the conversation could have gone all night? Now you know how I felt!

Many thanks to both Wendy and Shogani for a great evening!!!

[davindek]

I'm trying to remember some of the other drams we tried but I'm having some difficulty here.

The third part of the evening was spent with Rum and cigars and top-notch conversation. Next thing I knew it was 1 in the morning and we had to leave before the subway system closed. Ever get that feeling that the conversation could have gone all night? Now you know how I felt!

Many thanks to both Wendy and Shogani for a great evening!!!

Sounds like a great evening. Post more Frodo, you have a nice turn of phrase. I note you are a fan of Imperial. Tasted about a dozen and a half of them a couple of years ago and almost all were top notch. I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. Got a favourite?

[Mr Tattie Heid]

I'm trying to remember some of the other drams we tried but I'm having some difficulty here.

I can't remember all of the things I sampled at Wendy's last week, either...visiting La Maison De Wendy is always a rather intoxicating business.

[Wendy]

Hello to everyone:
With the recent postings on "drinking at Wendy's house", I thought it time to step up to the plate at this engaging forum at Whisky Whisky Whisky! There are many familiar people on this website who I am happy to see and look forward to reconnecting with...is that really YOU, Scotchio!

Since attending the Spirit of Toronto in early May, I have had the great pleasure of meeting up with some of my whisky friends. The majority of whom I first became acquainted with on the Whisky Magazine forum and who over the years of chatting about whisky and sharing life experiences have become valued friendships. Last Saturday was no exception and another fantastic evening of "Whisky Fellowship" was had!

Saturday night was a whisky smörgåsbord of Canadian, Indian, American, Irish and Scottish that gave our palate a good workout. It was a relaxed evening of picking, choosing and passing on to the next with a lot of laughs and chit chat going on.

The whiskies that Frodo didn't mention are:

Canadian - Danfield's 21 yo Ltd Ed., Small Batch, 40% abv
American Bourbon - Four Roses Small Batch, 45% abv, ; Four Roses Single Barrel, 50% abv, KE/8-6T
Indian - Amrut Peated CS, 61.2% abv
Scottish - Highland Park, Texas - The Lone Star State (special release), 1991/2006, 14 yo, 56.7% abv, Cask NO. 2310

Just shy of never smoking cigars, I quite thoroughly enjoyed the smoke that Frodo picked out for me. A little floral number that went perfectly with the pour of Rum (Havan Club - Cuban Barrel Proof) that Frodo also generously brought to the table. We sat out on my back patio and even with a few drops of rain falling, it would have taken a lot more to dampen our spirits.

Thanks Shogani and Frodo for a fun evening.

Wendy

[Frodo]

Ah yes, the Four Roses. Really glad I got to try both the Single Barrel and the Small Batch. Kinda mellow for me - liked what I got in the glass, but not what I would want to spend my $$ on. Still nice to try them though.

[Frodo]

I'm trying to remember some of the other drams we tried but I'm having some difficulty here.

I can't remember all of the things I sampled at Wendy's last week, either...visiting La Maison De Wendy is always a rather intoxicating business.

Badoom, Boom!!!

[Frodo]

Sounds like a great evening. Post more Frodo, you have a nice turn of phrase. I note you are a fan of Imperial. Tasted about a dozen and a half of them a couple of years ago and almost all were top notch. I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised. Got a favourite?

Hi Davin:

Quite a complement - wasn't it you who did some of the comments towards the whiskies of the year in the last issue of Whisky Magazine?

Regarding Imperial, I've only had 2 or 3 expressions from this distillery but loved them all. Was quite taken by a 10yr CC bottling @ $60 cdn that was in the LCBO about 3 yrs ago - Wendy showed me that one! Shogano actually brought up a couple from Binnys that he ordered from there - worked out to about $90 US each for two bottles of 46% 25ish yr old Imperial. Had to leave them at Wendy's because I had to bring my humidor back. Will try them soon I am sure. Don't have tons of experiance with Imperial, but enough so that I would buy an IB bottling blind and trust fate (or luck) to bring me a good bottle.

[Mr Tattie Heid]

Ah yes, the Four Roses. Really glad I got to try both the Single Barrel and the Small Batch. Kinda mellow for me - liked what I got in the glass, but not what I would want to spend my $$ on. Still nice to try them though.

Mellow? Really? I was very much impressed with my Single Barrel bottle--found it lively and intense. When Wendy was kind enough to offer me a dram of the small batch (which I'd muled for her, after all), my immediate impression was that it was a lighter version of the Single Barrel. That thought lasted about three seconds...there was a lot going on in that glass. Bought a bottle of that for myself today. The price? $27 (US). That sets my frodometer spinning, I'll tell you! The Mariage I bought in Boston the other day set me back $70, but shoganai (aka muddy mouth) opines that it is the best of the lot. Looking forward to it. I'm really bullish on Four Roses.

[Nick Brown]

There are many familiar people on this website who I am happy to see and look forward to reconnecting with.

Welcome Wendy - good to see you again - I hope you enjoy your time on this forum.

Does La Casa del Wendy translate as Wendy House?

[Wendy]

Hi Nick,
Thanks so much for the welcome. It is very good to see you, too. I believe the translation of La Casa del Wendy is The house of the Wendy!

Hi Mr TH! And, thanks again for muling the Four Roses Small Batch to me, not to mention the Glen Elgin 16 yo. The LCBO has a very limited selection. So it is most appreciated to piggy-back on overseas orders or to have friends carry something special across the border for me. Like Mr TH, I found the Four Roses to be generally spicey with long finishes. I even think I could describe the finish on the Small Batch as being rather hot. We were sipping a melting pot of whiskies the other night, so when Frodo drops around to pick up his bottles of Imperial, I will offer him another tasting of the two (Small Batch and Single Barrel). His opinions may not change, but I think he will enjoy conducting the extra "research."

Mr TH, when you get around to opening the Four Roses Mariage, it would be great to hear your thoughts on it. The presentation looks quite lovely.

Wendy

[Mr Tattie Heid]

Hi Mr TH! And, thanks again for muling the Four Roses Small Batch to me, not to mention the Glen Elgin 16 yo.

Very happy to be of service. I only regret that I can't do it more often...say, once a week or so!

Mr TH, when you get around to opening the Four Roses Mariage, it would be great to hear your thoughts on it. The presentation looks quite lovely.

Will do--not sure when, I'm trying to reduce the number of open bottles here, and have been eying the Bernheim Original as my next American whiskey opening. The Mariage is indeed a handsome bottle--its general contours remind me of the Forty Creek Double Barrel that came to such a tragic end, although I think the latter was taller.

Addendum: The Mariage bottle is the same as the Small Batch, with different dressing.

[Frodo]

Ah yes, the Four Roses. Really glad I got to try both the Single Barrel and the Small Batch. Kinda mellow for me - liked what I got in the glass, but not what I would want to spend my $$ on. Still nice to try them though.

Mellow? Really? I was very much impressed with my Single Barrel bottle--found it lively and intense.

OK I'm guessing we have very different palates. I find Booker's too much and Ritenhouse BIB intense. This was...nice. Polite. With some sweetness...

[Mr Tattie Heid]

To be perfectly fair, my single barrel (CS/38-6A) was a different one from Wendy's (KE/8-6T--Four Roses has ten different recipes (2 mash bills x 5 yeast strains), and these could have been entirely different whiskeys. But that just makes me want to go out and try more of them!

[Frodo]

Yeah, the fact that there are 10 different bourbons made there...does give pause for thought. Although for me, it means I'd want to try something from them that I liked before I'd risk ponying up for a bottle.

[Frodo]

Hi Nick,
Thanks so much for the welcome. It is very good to see you, too. I believe the translation of La Casa del Wendy is The house of the Wendy

I believe it's "[i]The House of Wendy" although I don't speak Spanish.

[Mr Tattie Heid]

Reverso translates "la casa del Wendy" as "the house of Wendy", and "la casa de Wendy" as "Wendy's house". I suspect the latter is more pertinent--the other strikes me more as a house dedicated to Wendy, or where one might find Wendy-related items (whisky, no doubt), rather than being the house where she lives. But I don't really know, 'cause I don't speak Spanish, either. That's why I stick to French. Not that I can't screw that up, too.

[Muddy Mouth]

Wow...I can't believe I missed this thread! I am the Shoganai of whom Frodo speaks ('tis my name on other fora. Not sure why I changed it here, but I did.)

It was a great night indeed. Fun, relaxed, interesting, educational, unforgettable, way too short, etc... Both Wendy and Chris are top notch hosts and great company. Half of me feels a like a mooch for going to their country, drinking their booze and smoking their cigars, but the other half of me feels compleletey privelaged and honored for being the recipient of such generosity.

[Muddy Mouth]

Addendum: The Mariage bottle is the same as the Small Batch, with different dressing.

I'm curious to hear more thoughts on this. I found the Mariage to be in a completely different league than the Small Batch. In fact, to be blunt, I was unimpressed with the small batch but completely enamored with the Mariage (and for the sake of completeness, the Single Barrel falls smack in the middle).

[Frodo]

It was a great night indeed. Fun, relaxed, interesting, educational, unforgettable, way too short, etc... Both Wendy and Chris are top notch hosts and great company. Half of me feels a like a mooch for going to their country, drinking their booze and smoking their cigars, but the other half of me feels compleletey privelaged and honored for being the recipient of such generosity.

Well, you're a great guest MM so hosting was the easy part!

[Mr Tattie Heid]

Half of me feels a like a mooch for going to their country, drinking their booze and smoking their cigars....

Don't feel bad. We're taking their water next!

[Frodo]

Went to the Casa del Wendy last night and in between tons of catch-up yakking got to try some interesting whiskies.

Magilligan Pure Pot Still (Irish): Liked this one. Not fond of the price ($68 cdn) but the dram was well done. Almost worth the coin although I would have thought better of it at $55. Lively little number.

The Irishman 70: A lot of similarities to Redbreast 12 I thought minus the rich mouthfeel of the RB. The Irishman doesn't have a lot of the sherry casking going on - that may be part of the difference. At first I thought of it as a really good sessional dram. After some reflection, I think it has more going on, but it has a mellow retiring personality that you have to pay attention to in order to get the most out of this one. Given that Redbreast 12 is $45 I'd like to see this at $37.50 not $40 but that's a minor quibble. If you like Redbreast 12 and want to try a variation on that theme this would be in line.

Old Pulteny 17 OB: I had a couple samples of this at the tasting towers and came away underwelmed. I got to spend some serious time with a glass and changed my mind. At about $130 I wouldn't feel ripped off. The dram has a sweet barley character that shares some complexity with coastal elements that intertwine with sweetness and fruitiness. The tastes don't hit you right away - takes time to develop in your mouth. More "bass notes" than trebel if that makes sense to anyone. A dram that rewards patience with a glass. You don't have to concentrate on the flavours - they'll come to you. But they do need time to unfold to get the best of the experiance IMHO.

Karuizawa 8yr OB: Nice dram. A young (but not immature) coastal number. Flavours are up front with nothing hidden. The smoke is a cold smoke - I also tasted this in an older Karuizawa at the Spirit of Toronto. Never had this "cold smoke" anywhere else. If you like coastal drams and like uniqueness this one may be for you. Fairly priced at the LCBO at $60 although I can think of other values I'd rather go for if I wanted a young coastal number (Dun Bheagan Islay 1997 @ $50 and The Black Grouse @ $33). The uniqueness of this one is interesting though.

Many thanks to my great host. Cheers Wendy!!!

[Frodo]

There was another dram that you went to get - help me out Wendy.

[Wendy]

Hi Frodo,
...Ballantines 17 yo!!! One of my all around faves.

It was so much fun having you over relaxing, chatting and taking the time to appreciate the dram in our glasses. I appreciate the tasting notes that you have written about the whiskies that we enjoyed together. I knew you would be in for a couple of pleasant surprises. Thanks Frodo.

Wendy

[Frodo]

Thanks Wendy!

B17 - yeah, that's the one!!!