Wakey Whiskey: Glenfiddich 14-Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

By Eric Ducote

Good morning everyone, and welcome to a special International Whisk(e)y Day edition of #WakeyWhiskey!  International Whisk(e)y Day is celebrated every year on March 27th, which happens to be the birthday of Michael Jackson.  No, not that Michael Jackson, but the famous whiskey writer and beer hunter.  The day is celebrated in his honor in support of Parkinson's disease, so if you are feeling generous, maybe offer up a donation with your toast?  

To celebrate this year I figured I'd go international so I broke out a sample of Glenfiddich 14, which a little research tells me is a bourbon barrel reserve, aged 14 years in used bourbon barrels and then finished off in new charred American oak barrels.  It's not unusual at all for scotch to be aged in used bourbon barrels, but the finishing barrel is less common.  

The 14-year expression is bottled at 86 proof and available in 750ml bottles for usually around $50 if you can find it.  The scotch pours a deep golden hue, certainly not as dark as a bourbon that would have been aged 14 years, but darker than a typical Speyside scotch.  

Glenfiddich 14-Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

The nose has a lot of honey, vanilla, and molasses, but not overly sweet.  The taste is smooth, with the oak coming through stronger then on the nose and a good char on the finish.  This scotch goes down easy, extremely pleasing, and I think a bourbon drinker looking to get into scotch would really enjoy this offering.  

Cheers! And happy International Whisk(e)y Day! 

Wakey Whisky: Longrow Peated Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch

By Eric Ducote

Good morning everyone, and welcome to our first SEC gameday of 2018!  The LSU Tigers face a tough road test today against the War Eagles/Plainsmen/Tigers of Auburn.  I've pretty much always hated Auburn, although they've never been at the top of my SEC hate list, they've always been in contention, in my case back to the cigar smoking on the field days of 1999.  Dick move, Auburn.  Dick. Move.

Now, I have no Alabama whiskey in the collection, so I'm going to have to get a little exotic and break out a new bottle of scotch for this round of #wakeywhisky.  As I'm sure any regular reader knows by now, scotch drops the 'e' from whiskey in their spelling, so this is a bottle of whisky rather than whiskey.  This particular bottle is the Longrow Peated Campbeltown Single Malt, which is a double distilled and highly peated single malt variety. 

Campbeltown is one of the traditional five regions of scotch production, along with Highlands, Lowlands, Speyside, and Islay.  Campbeltown is the smallest of the regions with only 3 active distilleries, including the J. & A. Mitchell & Company which independently operates the Springbank distillery which produces the Longrow scotch that I'm drinking today.  This is the only distillery in Scotland that carries out the full process of malting, mashing, fermenting, distilling, aging, and bottling all under one roof.  Very few distilleries malt their own barley, and quite often they outsource the mashing process to brewing facilities.  

Longrow Peated Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Okay, so, on to the whisky, this one pours a very light color, which indicates to me that it's not a crazy long aging, or it's possibly a very light char on the barrels that they use. The smell is without a doubt peat heavy but it's not so powerful that it's all I can smell.  There are notes of honey, honeysuckle, smoke, and vanilla, all melded together into a delicious sip of whisky.  The smoke builds as I continue to sip with a bit of a bitter astringent note adding another layer of complexity.  The finish is smoky, peaty, with a definite hint of oak. 

This is really one of the more complex scotches that I can remember trying.  So many have a complexity to them, but they are usually still dominated by a distinct note, whereas this whisky really doesn't have a dominant note and instead is a mashup of flavors that compliment each other extremely well.  I wasn't sure what to expect from this new bottle to my collection, but I'm immediately a huge fan.

Here's hoping the LSU Tigers play as well as this scotch tastes, if so we might be seeing a big upset this afternoon.  Cheers, happy gameday, and GEAUX TIGERS! 

Wakey Whisk(e)y: Laphroaig 10-Year Single Malt Scotch

By Eric Ducote

Good morning everyone, and cheers to you all on the 7th annual World Whisky Day!  This actually makes my second #wakeywhisky post on World Whisky Day, which is celebrated on the third Saturday of May.  The first time around, I went with the Alberta Rye Whisky Dark Batch from Canada, and this year in the interest of keeping it whisky instead of whiskey I'm going to have some of one of my favorite scotches, Laphroaig's base expression, the 10-year single malt.  

Laphroaig is one of the handful of distilleries from the island of Islay off the West coast of Scotland that is unique enough to be considered its own scotch region.  All of the Islay scotches are known for being heavily peated, the flavor derived from smoking their malt over peat fires, which gives a medicinal phenolic flavor in addition to the smokiness.  Laphroaig was founded in 1815 and they do not go light on the peat, which produces a scotch that they claim "is the most richly flavoured of all scotch whiskies." Well, I'll be the judge of that.

Laphroaig 10-year single malt in appropriate glassware.

The scotch pours a typical dark golden color, and as soon as you catch a whiff it's obvious that there is certainly no shortage of flavor.  The smoky peat flavor hits like a campfire, but also with a strong iodine flavor and an ample aroma of honey sweetness.  Yes, it's certainly rich and complex, and the flavor of this 10-year expression holds on to that complexity with a balance of sweet malt flavors, robust smokiness, and unique peat smoke.  I think the best way to describe this one is a campfire in your mouth, and I mean that in the best way possible.  

I hope you are all enjoying a pour or two of your own on this World Whisky Day! 

Wakey Whisky: Jura Single Malt Scotch

by Eric Ducote

Good morning Tiger fans, are you all as excited as I am for an 11 AM kickoff? And by that, I of course mean not excited at all... who's really excited about football at 11 AM? That's not enough time for decent tailgating, not enough time to get the smoker going for some good BBQ, not enough time to enjoy this hint of Fall weather and barely even enough time to wake up and get ready for some football.  It is enough time, though, for some #wakeywhisky! This morning I'm going to the Isle of Jura in Scotland for some Jura Single Malt Scotch.

The Isle of Jura lies between mainland Scotland and the Isle of Islay, but is sparsely populated (less than 200 inhabitants) and the only way to get there by car is to take a ferry from the mainland to Islay and then over to Jura. The island is home to a single eponymous distillery known as the Isle of Jura Distillery which produces several vintages, including the 10-year variety that I have this morning. Jura is technically a Highland-region scotch, as all the islands (other than Islay) are grouped together with the Highland malts, but it shares a lot of characteristics with the neighboring Islay region.  This scotch is bottled at 40% alcohol after primary aging on used bourbon barrels and finishing on sherry casks.

This scotch pours a deep gold, with a blend of peat, smoke and sugar on the nose. The sweetness is best described as a candied fruit, like a sweet dried up piece or apricot or peach, which works really well with the hint of peat and touch of smoke. I feel like the sweet notes come through the strongest, but it still blends together very well.  On the tongue the smokiness comes through more, and the peat a little less, with the sweeter notes giving way at first and reappearing on the back end of each sip.  Other flavors come through as well, a hint of leather and something that resembles a bit of burnt BBQ.  It's quite complex, extremely enjoyable and overall a very pleasant sip.

This is a fantastic scotch for a fall football morning, the smokiness fits right in and the price is very reasonable for a 750ml bottle of scotch, somewhere in the $30-40 range. I hope you are all enjoying some wakey whisky or #wakeywhiskey of your own this morning, and GEAUX TIGERS!

Wakey Whisky: Trader Joe's Speyside Single Malt Scotch

by Eric Ducote

Good #wakeywhisky morning Tiger fans, and welcome to a beautiful THREE SEC wins in a row sort of morning! That's called a winning streak folks, and yes, it has happened before. Back in 2015 the LSU Tigers rolled off four straight SEC wins to start out the season with three non-conference wins mixed in and were up to #2 in the polls before falling to Alabama.  That has unfortunately been a trend lately, falling to Alabama, so I'm going into this game with my expectations low.  If LSU loses, well, they were supposed to lose... but if they win... then we party!

With those expectations low, I decided to try something new this morning, a whisky that I could go into with low expectations as well. At under $20, I really don't know what to expect from the Trader Joe's Speyside Single Malt Scotch, available obviously at Trader Joe's.

Trader Joe's is pretty secretive about where they source their products from, but I do know that this hails from the Speyside region of Scotland (around the River Spey) and was distilled, matured and bottled all in Scotland.  Rumor is that Trader Joe's buys bulk batches that either weren't up to the distillery standards, or perhaps were overstock, and contracts for them to be bottled and labeled under the Trader Joe's brand.

Either way, it could be a really great surprise, or a total dud.  Hey... remind you of a football game coming up tonight?

Right out of the gate, this is labeled as aged 8 years, and bottled at 40% alcohol-- pretty standard stuff there.  It's on the lighter side, probably not heavily charred barrels or perhaps second run barrels that lost some color to the previous spirit inside. The nose is very mild, with hints of honeysuckle and minerals with a slight grainy sweetness.  The taste is very similar with the grains coming through a little stronger than the nose and the honeysuckle taking a back seat.  It's very easy to drink with minimal alcohol harshness, and pleasant introductory scotch flavors.

Verdict:

For me this is a decent starter scotch, a good call for someone looking to give the whisky a try without going crazy on the pocketbook.  It's not extremely complex, it's certainly not as good as the name brand single malts, but for the price it gets the job done.  If you're a novice scotch drinker, or want to get into it a little more, give this a try next time you're at the local TJ's. Cheers, #wakeywhiskey or #wakeywhisky for you all, and GEAUX TIGERS!

Wakey Whisky: Usquaebach Reserve

by Eric Ducote

Good morning everyone!  I know, it's a Monday... but it's not just any Monday, today is INTERNATIONAL WHISKY DAY!!  International Whisky Day was started on March 27th, 2008 as a way to honor legendary beer hunter and whisky writer Michael Jackson, who was born on March 27th, 1942 and passed away in August of 2007.

In honor of Mr. Jackson, a couple of days ago I popped open a scotch that I've never tried, Usquaebach Reserve.  Yeah, say that one three times fast.  It's pronounced Oos-Ke-Bah and the name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic term for 'the water of life' which is what the Celts called whisky. A quick note here that all scotch is referred to as "whisky" without the 'e', along with scotch-style whiskies that are made in Japan, Canada and elsewhere. Irish, American and other non-scotch-style whiskies are generally referred to as a whiskey with the 'e' included.

Usquaebach Reserve

The Usquaebach Reserve is a blended scotch whisky without a specific age marking, although they claim on the bottle that it's a superb blend of only mature select whiskies.  According to their website at http://usquaebach.com/ the Reserve is a whisky for those seeking elegance and structure. This rare blend features over 50% quality single malts each aged between 16, 17, and 18 years and blended with the finest grain whisky – resulting in a handcrafted spirit that is both timeless and unique. The pour is on the lighter side but still has a nice golden hue.

Now... on to the nose... it's a very complex aroma with sweeter hints of honeysuckle and pear, but also some smoky tobacco notes. It's definitely not a single note aroma, hinting at the whiskies used to make up this blend while still harmonizing together into an agreeable bouquet.

The taste is a little rough on the initial sip - this blend is 43% ABV - but then mellows out into a blend of smoky and sweet, with tobacco notes coming through strong before giving way to some floral sweetness, and then finishing with a combination of vanilla and boozy burn. Although I often try whiskies neat, this one I feel benefits from a little ice or a splash of water.  This helps mellow out some of the harsh boozy burn from the grain whisky while also allowing the more subtle flavors to shine through.

Overall, I think this is a pretty decent scotch for the $40 price tag I'm seeing online, and a good option for someone wanting to get into scotch without going straight to some expensive single malt peat bombs.

Cheers! Happy #wakeywhisky to you all!

Blood and Sand: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

by Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard

Blood and Sand at Lock & Key

Fruity, sweet, and dark are words that can safely be used to describe the Blood and Sand at Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. 

For anyone venturing into the world of whiskey cocktails, this combination of Monkey Shoulder scotch, orange juice, and cherry brandy blend together perfectly, making for a smooth taste well-suited for the novice whiskey drinker. 

It's almost like a more refined version of a screwdriver, except it's made with scotch and has a distinct cherry flavor to it, but it's not so sweet that it could be a drink featured on Sex & the City.

To me, that's a perfect balance. 

Curious George: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

by Blair "B-Rex" Loup

The Curious George at Lock & Key Whiskey Bar in Baton Rouge

An old fashioned made with Scotch? Oh yeah, Lock & Key went there.

The Curious George, appropriately named, is one of several amped up versions of the class cocktail on the menu at Lock & Key.

Three simple ingredients come together to make for a solid, stiff drink:

Monkey Shoulder Scotch
Bitters
House-made Ginger Syrup

This particular blended scotch has a little smoke game going on, which is great, because smokiness is something I love.

I’ve even had a drink served to me at Restaurant Cotton in Monroe in a dome full of smoke: epic.

The ginger syrup gives the drink a snappy element. It’s sharp, sweet, and fragrant. I would definitely recommend you try this and all of the different off-the-wall old fashioneds Lock & Key has on their menu!

Touch of Smoke and Fruit Flight: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

The Touch of Smoke and Fruit Flight at Lock & Key

A lot of posts that I've made about the whiskey and whisky at Lock & Key has featured reviews of individual bottles of booze or an insight into the cocktail menu at the bar. This week, however, we'll examine a whiskey flight at Lock & Key, and why they present a terrific way to consume the water of life.

The Touch of Smoke and Fruit Flight ($23) provides a tasting of three single malt Scotches that are nicely balanced but complex enough for any Scotch drinker to appreciate. Typically the Dalwhinnie 15 is included in this flight, but since Lock & Key was out of stock on my most recent visit, they replaced it with the Aberfeldy 12 Highland Single Malt. I didn't complain. The Aberfeldy had a nice peat flavor without overwhelming smoke. A hint of mint and splash of pear were also there.

The Cragganmore 12 from Speyside presented a lovely balance of fruit and smoke, as advertised. This is a nice sipping Scotch to be sure. The Clynelish 14 from coastal Highlands may have been my favorite of the bunch. It carried the most smoke upfront and then finished a little more fruity.

All in all this flight impressed, and getting three pours for $23 is a great way to enjoy different flavors while at a whiskey bar with the kind of selection that Lock & Key has. I highly recommend it!

The Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask: Whisk(e)y Wednedsay presented by Lock & Key

The Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask

Whisk(e)y Wednesday gets back to scoring this week as we take a good long sip of The Balvenie 14 year Caribbean Cask single malt Scotch. This whisky is aged most of its life in used bourbon barrels but then finished at the end inside some Caribbean rum barrels. Brilliant.

The nose is soft and easy with hints of sweet honeysuckle, slight citrus, and minimal peat. Oak and raw sugar come forward with some vanilla as well. On the tongue you get a salty sensation and trickle of molasses. It tastes like a salt and sugar brine with a touch of lemon. There's a waft of smoke as well that didn't come through on the nose. The whisky finishes with a slight burn at the back of the mouth and then a smooth passage to the stomach. It then disappears like a pirate plundered any residuals. It goes too fast, really, and leaves you with nothing but a sensation of apple juice and a memory of what used to be.

The Scotch is remarkably balanced but not complex. It is mellow and delightful, packing one, albeit fantastic, note but perhaps leaving the seasoned Scotch drinker wanting a little bit more. Though, for those looking for a smooth, drinkable Scotch that isn't aggressively smoky or peaty, this is a great choice. At $17 a pour, The Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask is not the best deal at Lock & Key, but it is isn't a bad value for the quality of the whisky. A score of 81.33 puts it into the Top 20 leader board for Whisk(e)y Wednesday. That's saying something, for sure.

The Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask
Average Score: 81.33

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, and Eric Ducote from BR Beer Scene. Using our own proprietary scoring system, whiskeys are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, Balance and Complexity, and "Bang for the Buck" which should encompass the whiskey's overall value. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable, you'd let somebody buy you one) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss, anything above 80 is rather extraordinary, and anything above 90 is world class.

Burt Reynolds' Mustache: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Burt Reynolds' Mustache at Lock & Key

Few things are as legendary as Burt Reynolds' mustache. Perhaps a Hulk Hogan leg drop or Britney Spears in a school girl outfit could come close, but still, that is one Hell of a mustache. In fact, it is such the 'stache that the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar named a cocktail after it. Part bourbon, part Scotch, and part other elixirs, the cocktail presents a smokey, whiskey forward balance that is great for sipping with or without upper lip hair.

The drink begins with a generous pour of Buffalo Trace bourbon. The skilled barkeeps at Lock & Key precisely add dry vermouth, simple syrup, B&B brandy, and Laphroaig 10 yr single malt Scotch to the mixture then pour it over a large square ice cube in a round rocks glass. The cocktail looks simple. It isn't garnished with an herb garden or served up where expectations are for the drinker to extend a pinky while sipping. Instead, the classic whiskey drink presentation is exactly how Burt Reynolds and his mustache would want it. And once you draw it to your tongue, your taste buds will tell you that the drink is anything but simple. There's a touch of sweetness that gets rounded out by the smoke from the Scotch. Every ingredient plays its role, and you'll be looking forward to ordering another.

Burt Reynolds and his famous mustache

Who makes the world's best single malt whisky? - Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Kavalan Soloist Vinho Barrique Single Cask Strength

Every year since 2007 Whisky Magazine releases the World Whiskies Awards to name the top whiskies in the world. They typically have over 300 entries and go through a multiple-round tasting process to determine the elite sips from around the globe. This year's results came as a shock to many people as a single malt cask strength whisky out of Taiwan called Kavalan Soloist Vinho Barrique took home one of the most coveted prizes: the best single malt whisky in the world for 2015!

Traditionally this category had been dominated single malt Scotch, but last year the Tasmanian Sullivan's Cove French Oak Cask Single Malt took home that prize, and now with the top spot moving to Taiwan, the Scots might need to be worried. In order to be named best in the world, a single malt must first be named best in its region, of which there are 13: Africa, Australia, America, Europe, and Asian get their own regions, as do Ireland and Japan. The rest of the options come from the six whisky regions of Scotland: Highlands, Lowlands, Island, Islay, Campbeltown, and Speyside. So with 6 of the 13 finalists and by far the longest traditions of single malt whisky production, it is easy to see why the Scots are usually the favorites for the award.

Kavalan didn't quite come out of nowhere. In 2012 it won new whisky of the year from Whisky Bible and it also won a gold medal from the San Francisco World Spirits competition. Still, the only whisky distillery on the island of Taiwan, the King Car Distillery, got its start in 2005, so to see it claim the spot as the world's best whisky in 2015 is quite an astonishing accomplishment.

The World Whiskies Awards also have categories for American, Blended Malt, Blended, Canadian, Flavored, Grain, and Pot Still whiskies. Perhaps we'll look at some of those, especially the American category, in next week's Whisk(e)y Wednesday post presented by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar.

Best of 2014: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Pappy Van Winkle 23 year

This year in whiskey started strong at the Social Southern Small Batch Bourbon Dinner in January. You never argue with a chance to taste George T. Stagg, Black Maple Hill, the Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye, and Pappy Van Winkle 23 year. One of the most coveted whiskies in the world, the Pappy 23 year lived up to the hype with the strong notes of vanilla, oak, and sweet corn with a bit of lingering spice. Each of the spectacular whiskies partnered marvelously with a dish from Social (Lafayette, LA) to create one of the best whiskey tasting experiences I've ever been a part of. I didn't score the Pappy or any of the other small batch whiskeys that day because I didn't have my panel present and I wanted to enjoy the dinner. I'm not sure exactly how they would fare in the Whisk(e)y Wednesday points system, but here are the top three scored whiskies from 2014. For the full list of the top 20 all time whiskies scored on Bite and Booze, scroll down the right column of the site. 

Ardbeg Auriverdes 94.67

Noah's Mill Bourbon 86.5

Talisker Distillers Edition 84.75

Nick Offerman's Tales of Whisky: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Nick Offerman singing about whisky. Life is now complete.

Sure, the good people at Oban and Lagavulin (or really Diageo) set this up to be a marketing campaign for their Scotch, but what's not to love about our favorite mustached man's man singing a tune about whisky? If it has given you a hankering for of dram of Scotch, make sure to head over to the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar as they have multiple varieties of Oban and Lagavulin to choose from, all of which are fantastic!

You can actually see more Nick Offerman videos about Scotch at the My Tales of Whisky Youtube Channel.

Talisker Distillers Edition: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Talisker Distillers Edition

A good Scotch makes me happy. Alright, any good whiskey or whisky makes me pretty happy. But seriously, when I get a taste of an amazing single malt, I can't help but smile. Talisker Distillers Edition ($19 at Lock & Key Whiskey Bar) is one of those whiskies. This particular Scotch was distilled in 2002 and bottled in 2013 after being finished in Amoroso Sherry Casks. Sea salt and "Grand Isle" smoky aromas warm the nostrils at first whiff. The salt brine of a spirit continues on to coat the tongue with the smoke of a campfire and fine cigar blended together. Smoked grains come through in the flavor profile and the whisky leaves with a soft warmth. It is extremely balanced and complex at the same time, making it a fantastic whisky to sip at any time. Interestingly enough, even with a few different judges and not looking back on the score, we rated the Distillers Edition the exact same as the Talisker 10 Year back in 2012. That also means it scored well enough to be in the top 10 of 100s of whiskies that we've judged for Whisk(e)y Wednesday. Do yourself a favor and try it!

Talisker Distillers Edition
Average Score: 84.75

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, Jeremy Spikes from Old Maul, and Natalie Parbhoo from International Wine and Spirits. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.

Ardbeg Auriverdes: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Ardbeg Auriverdes

It took over TWO YEARS, but finally the Whisk(e)y Wednesday Leader Board has a new top dog: Ardbeg Auriverdes Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($23 at Lock & Key). Dethroning the Jefferson Presidential Select 18 Year proved to be no small task, but we also knew that it eventually might fall. Signifying both the Ardbeg colors of gold and green as well as the colors of Brazil, which hosted the 2014 World Cup, Auriverdes presents a special release for Ardbeg which came out just in time for the great sporting event. The whisky uses special "fire casks" that are toasted just for Ardbeg to create a signature flavor in this expression. And boy does it make a difference! Right away on the nose you get whiffs of salty, smoky, maple cured bacon. It smells like an old Scotsman's kitchen while his wife is at Church. The country breakfast aroma gives rise to the flavor profile which continues the superb representation of smoked meats with the addition of freshly roasted coffee. A little sugar and sea salt chime into the breakfast blend. With a drop of water the whisky opens up with some honey blossoms and oak. The long mouth-coating finish goes down like a pig, stuffed with barley, trying to swim in the turbulent salty sea. A gentle burn greets the oinker on the way down. The Ardbeg Auriverdes is expertly balanced with a complexity that is all its own. A glimmering cornucopia of magnificent magic awaits the lucky owners of only 1,110 cases which were produced. Need to try it? Get to Lock & Key now.

Also, Flight School at Lock & Key happens this evening with Arthur Lauck from 6:00-8:00pm. They are putting together a very affordable flight to take your whiskey knowledge to new heights while your taste buds soar! Go check it out and learn more about whiskey!

Ardbeg Auriverdes
Average Score: 94.67

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, and Jordan Lewis from tommysTV. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.

The Glenlivet 12: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

The Glenlivet 12

Whisk(e)y Wednesday needed a return to Scotch and there are few more quintessential brands for a representation of Scotland than The Glenlivet 12 ($6 at Lock & Key)! It starts off simple and clean on the nose. There's no overwhelming peat or briny sea mist. Just grain with subtle floral and fruit notes. As you sip on the whisky it presents a smooth, incredibly drinkable flavor. It is hard not to be pleased. The easy rider swirls around the taste buds more like a dram of apple juice spiked with a splash of Scotch. The flavors are subtle but welcoming. The fruit characteristics with the heavy barley flavorings and a touch of honey create an approachable every-day or introductory whiskey that a pro can enjoy and a beginner can fall in love. The whisky presents an exceptional balance but a lack of complexity. While it goes down easy it doesn't really excite the drinker beyond getting him or her drunk. But for $6 it is hard to argue with bellying up to the bar and getting a pour!

Also, don't forget about the Cutthroat Kitchen viewing party at Lock & Key this Sunday, August 10th at 7:30 PM!

The Glenlivet 12 Year
Average Score: 65.0

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, and Jordan Lewis from tommysTV. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.

Whiskey Cane and Flight School: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Whiskeycane at Lock & Key

Sometimes I need a delicious cocktail to get me through the day. While Whisk(e)y Wednesday usually features various worldly whiskies by themselves, we sometimes can't resist featuring a whiskey based cocktail that'll make your mouth water. Take, for example, the Whiskeycane at Lock & Key. A play on the famous New Orleans Hurricane, the Whiskeycane uses bourbon and rye in addition to rum with organic passion-pear juice, muddled orange, lime, and cherries, and Luxardo cherry juice. The refreshing cocktail is not overly sweet. The natural fruit sugars shine but it is cut by the bourbon and citrus acidity for present a pleasant beverage. Seriously, try one.

Also of note, tonight at Lock & Key is their first ever Flight School. The idea of Flight School is to do a monthly class featuring different flights of whiskey in an educational and intoxicating session. Three whiskies, a rye, a bourbon, and a Scotch will be poured tonight for only $22. The event goes from 6:30 to 8 PM.

Lock & Key's Whiskeycane

Bruichladdich Rocks: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

Bruichladdich Rocks Scotch Whisky

The Lock & Key Whiskey Bar has a great Scotch whisky called Bruichladdich ($14) which I had the fortune of trying for the first time recently at the bar. The Rocks version is an un-peated single malt Islay whisky which presents something very different for the Scotch drinker. The peat smoke aroma isn't there, but the sea salt sure is. On the nose the whisky is briny with whiffs of the ocean breeze dancing on the nostrils. It continues on the tongue as you can nearly hear the seagulls and distant fog horns when you take a sip. Malt and a touch of roasted grains balance out the salt and the finish comes in a lovely warm and slow manner, then dissipates like that same salty breeze. It leaves you wanting a beach-side bonfire kind of night.

Bruichladdich Rocks Scotch Whisky
Average Score: 76.75

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, Charlies Pierce, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.

El Scotcho: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Lock & Key

El Scotcho at Lock & Key

Sometimes a whisky cocktail just hits the spot. Case and point - the entire cocktail menu at Lock & Key. The cocktails are divided into two sections: those who already love whiskey and want to taste it upfront and often... and those who have doubts about all forms of whisky and whiskey and might need some proverbial training wheels to get started on their brown liquor indulgence. One of those whiskey doubters cocktails is called El Scotcho. It is essentially a house made margarita that uses a peated, blended Scotch Whisky instead of tequila. Before you start crying foul, just think about a lot of the similarities between Scotch and tequila, especially good Scotch and good tequila. There is an earthy, smoky, characteristic to both liquors that actually shares more in common than one might think. So to make a margarita out of Scotch, while a little out of left field, most definitely works in this case.

El Scotcho takes Black Grouse peated blended Scotch and combines it with a little lemon, lime, Cointreau, agave nectar, a few dashes of Mexican mole bitters, and topped with ginger beer. The result is a refreshing and delicious whisky based cocktail that both whisky lovers and those trying to cut their teeth on the spirit can both enjoy!


Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by the Lock & Key Whiskey Bar. Lock & Key has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys available for on premise consumption. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote and Blair Loup from Bite and Booze, Arthur Lauck from Lock & Key, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.