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Clear Creek McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt

Caol Ila's Younger Brother

0 483

@NAV26Review by @NAV26

10th Nov 2012

0

  • Nose
    20
  • Taste
    22
  • Finish
    21
  • Balance
    20
  • Overall
    83

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Distribution of ratings for this: user

  • Brand: Clear Creek
  • ABV: 42.5%

The current review is after taking sips from Arbelour A'bundah batch 38 and Caol Ila 12 (1L) earlier in the evening. I hope to provide reviews of the aforementioned whisky in the future.

I have completed approximately 60% of McCarthy's Oregon Single Malt batch No.: W11-01 bottled in June 20, 2011. I brought this bottle back to Africa with me after a trip to the states and I am ready to review. The Gleincairn glasses I have remain in the states so I am drinking this sample from a small tumbler neat. I like the objectivity and scientific approach of many of the reviewers on this site and will try to pay hommage to this spirit in all of my reviews.

Nose: Peat,Smoke, Salt, malt, slight aroma of freshly peeled grapefruit when opened, a bit of soap fizz on the end of the nose.

Taste: Intial I get a syrupy texture with a lot of peat and salt. The soap fizz from the nose hits me about 5/8 of the way back on my tongue. I get strange slight non-sweet acidic dried citrus similar to combava, local lime and supposedly non-edible citrus rootstocks. I get a faint hint of very dried grass in the sahel at the end of the dry season as they are being burned for planting. Although a novice I cannot help but feel that the fizziness given the young age of the spirit has something to do with charred oak or new oak barrels.

Finish: Peat, Salt, smoke, and a long soap fizziness on the mouth that warms me up 3/8 of the way down my chest.Hints of bitter chocolate

Balance: The whisky is straightforward in terms of peat, smoke, salt and fizz. For me it is between the Caol Ila 12 and The Laddie 10 in terms of up front flavors. The other two whisky's lack the fizziness and have better balance and finish with notes of dark chocolate and dried orange (Caol Ila); and more mellowed spirit, less peat and edible citrus/fruit zest(Laddie 10).

I really do enjoy this whiskey but would be interested in sampling it at an older age from a more mellowed cask with an ABV of 46-50%. One would think that the Portland Climate would allow for a bit more aging? I think given time and a more mellow casks this whisky could be incredible! I would also be willing to pay for the costs for Clear Creek to develop a more matured whisky.

Thank you to all of the incredible people that have paved the way for me to join this site and inspired me to write my first review!

4 comments

Rigmorole commented

I wonder how 2011 compared with other years. Victor really liked his bottle. I can't recall which year it was bottled. He gave it a 95. Thank you for the detailed review.

11 years ago 0

@NAV26
NAV26 commented

@rigmorole my bottle is from Batch No: W11-01 Bottled on June 20,2011. I did like this Whisky and I think it is a quality product (non-chill filtered and no caramel dye). I find it be very comparable to the Caol Ila 12 but find the Caol Ila is more satisfying and complex. Perhaps because the two whiskies are similar and my preference leans more towards the Caol Ila, I have unconciously exagerated the difference in points. You seem to like Caol Ila so I don't think that you will be disappointed.

11 years ago 0

Rigmorole commented

Yes, I do like Caol Ila a lot. Thank you. I live about 20 minutes by car from Clear Creek distillery, so I think I will do the tour soon.

11 years ago 0

@NAV26
NAV26 commented

@rigmorole, if you do take the tour and try the whisky, please share your insights about the production and taste of the whisky. I would be interestedd in your thoughts on their other spirits as I have a bottle of their brandy tucked away back in the states.

11 years ago 0

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