The Cigar
Micallef Torcedores 6 x 52 Boxed Pressed
This is the least expensive of all the Micallef cigars coming in around $4. A mild cigar with Mexican Sea Andres Sumatra Wrapper. Honduran Binder. Dominican Republic and Peruvian Fillers. Draw is easy. Wrapper is clean and very nice. Good construction. We are both starting to really enjoy the Mexican grown wrappers. This is not an extremely complex cigar, but have primarily woody notes. For this price, you can’t go wrong. If you are moving out of milds and into mediums or just want something to hand to a friend, or you just want to fill some of you humidor with lower cost, great tasting cigars, get some!
The Liquor
CLM Bracket Play with Scotch
In the scotch bracket we have Balvenie 14 yr Caribbean Cask, Glenmorangie 10yr, Grangestone Bourbon Cask Double Matured, and the Laphroaig Quarter Cask.
We both liked the Willett warm rather than chilled. The flavors changed slightly, but very good.
1st Up: Grangestone Bourbon Cask Double Matured 80 Proof vs Glenmorangie 10yr 86 Proof. Grangestone side by side with the Glenmorangie definitely had a bourbon flavor to it. It was interesting how side by side you can get that taste, but on its own you don’t overly notice it. The Glenmorangie had a touch of mossy, but the Grangestone with wins this one.
2nd Up: Balvenie 14yr vs Laphroaig Quarter Cask. This was an easy one for Darrell, but I had a hard time with the Peet. The Peet just overpowered any other flavors and just was not something I was into. We talked about it for a bit and Darrell relented and went with the Balvenie moving it onto the next round.
Balvenie vs Grangestone: The Balvenie is really nice and smooth being made with Rum casks. The Grangestone has a wonderful great flavor which the bourbon barrel imparts. It was difficult to pick between the two. In the end we went the smoothness of the Balvenie!
The More
What is the difference in Scotch’s
Scotch tastes like treason. Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three years. Must be minimum of 80 proof. All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley, but starting in the late 18th Century wheat and rye were introduced.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories covered in next section. In 2018 the WTO awarded the US the ability to add 7.2B in tariffs. Included 25% on Scotch
5 Categories:
Single malt Scotch must have been distilled at a single distillery using a pot still distillation process and made from a mash of malted barley.[42][43]
Single grain Scotch whisky means a Scotch whisky distilled at a single distillery but, in addition to water and malted barley, may involve whole grains of other malted or unmalted cereals. “Single grain” does not mean that only a single type of grain was used to produce the whisky—rather, “single” refers only to the use of a single distillery. Whereas malt whisky is distilled as a batch process in pot stills, grain whisky can be distilled continuously in Continuous Stills or Column stills.
90% of all scotch sold in a year is in the blended category.
Blended malt Scotch whisky means a blend of two or more single malt Scotch whiskies from different distilleries.
Blended grain Scotch whisky means a blend of two or more single grain Scotch whiskies from different distilleries.
Blended Scotch whisky means a blend of one or more single malt Scotch whiskies with one or more single grain Scotch whiskies.?
Whiskey is made from grain. Scotch is made mostly from malted barley in Scotland, while bourbon is distilled from corn. Whiskey can be any grain, but bourbon must be 51% corn.
Four manufacturers are responsible for ¾ of all Scotch.
Diageo: London company. Formed in 1997 from the merger of Guiness and Grand Metropolitan, the company that owns Guinness beer and Smirnoff vodka also controls the most Scotch whisky distilleries in the world. This includes Johnnie Walker blends and is responsible for more than one-third of the total whisky produced in Scotland. Includes Lagavulin, Mortlach, Talisker, and many many others. Market share: 36%
Pernod Ricard: Pernod Ricard of France own the most Scotch distilleries thanks to their purchase of American company Seagram’s including all the distilleries owned by Chivas Brothers. Inlcludes Jacob’s Creek wine, Absolut vodka, and Havana Club rum. Some of their whiskies include Glenlivet, Aberlour, the Chivas Regal blended whiskies, and the Jamesons Irish whiskey giant as well. Market share: 19%
William Grant and Sons: The only independent, Scottish and family-owned company on this list, William Grant and Sons have been around since 1887. They established the world’s first distillery dedicated to producing single-malt whisky, Glenfiddich, which is now the best-selling single malt in the world. The company also own a few other Scotch (as well as gin, vodka, and American whiskey) distilleries. These are Balvenie and the grain distillery Girvan, and the newer distilleries Kininvie and Ailsa Bay. Also blended whisky such as Grant’s, Monkey Shoulder, and others. Market Share: 7%
Beam Suntory: Opened 1899, when Shinjiro Torii began to produce and sell wine in Japan, his company then built the Yamazaki distillery in 1924 and has since grown into one of the world’s largest drinks companies. Renamed as Suntory in 1963, its empire was further expanded when it bought Jim Beam in 2014. Includes Japanese (Hakushu, Yamazaki), Canadian (Canadian Club), Ireland (Kilbeggan), and American (Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Maker’s Mark) whiskies. It also produces Scotch from Islay malts Bowmore and Laphroaig, as well as the distilleries of Ardmore, Glen Garioch, and Auchentoshan. You may have also encountered its blended Scotch brand Teacher’s. Market share: 3%
Cassie Question:
If you eat 1 piece of bread with peanut butter and 1 piece w/ jelly, but not in a sandwich, is it still a PB&J?
Next Episode:
Finally of the CLM Bracket Play. Whiskey, Bourbon, Rum, and Scotch.
Talk to us:
Be sure to tell us when you think, what you would like us to rate/review or anything else that is on your mind. Once you do you will be automatically entered into the CLM Give Away. You can do so by posting on this episode, Instagram, Facebook, and/or Twitter
Diagio brands: 8 beers, 39 Scotches, 5 vodkas, 4 gins, 5 rums, 3 bourbons, 4 whiskeys, 3 tequilas, and other misc.
Beer: Guinness, Rockshore, Harp Lager, Smithwick’s, Kilkenny, Meta, Senator, Tusker, Hop House 13[52]
Scotch whisky: Johnnie Walker, Bell’s, Black & White, Buchanan’s, Dimple, Grand Old Parr, Haig Club, Justerini & Brooks (J&B), Vat 69, White Horse, Windsor, Auchroisk, Benrinnes, Blair Athol, Caol Ila, Cardhu, Clynelish, Cragganmore, Dailuaine, Dalwhinnie, Glen Elgin, Glen Spey, Glenkinchie, Glenlossie, Inchgower, Knockando, Lagavulin, Linkwood, Mannochmore, Mortlach, Oban, Royal Lochnagar, Strathmill, Talisker, Teaninich, Singleton of Dufftown, Singleton of Glen Ord, Singleton of Glendullan
Vodka: Smirnoff, Cîroc, Ketel One, American Anthem, Silent Sam
Gin: Tanqueray, Gordon’s, Gilbey’s, Jinzu, Nolet’s
Rum: Captain Morgan, Pampero, Zacapa, Bundaberg, Cacique
Bourbon: Bulleit, I. W. Harper,[53] Orphan Barrel
American whiskey: Seagram’s Seven Crown
Canadian whisky: Crown Royal
Tennessee whiskey: George Dickel
Irish whiskey: Roe & Co
Tequila: Don Julio, DeLeón, Casamigos
Schnapps: Rumple Minze, Archers
Baijiu: Shui Jing Fang, Nếp Mới
Mixed drinks: Pimm’s, Jeremiah Weed, Smirnoff Cocktails
Liqueur: Baileys, Sheridans, Godiva
Rakı: Yeni Rakı, Tekirdağ Rakısı, Kulüp Rakı, Altınbaş
Cachaça: Ypioca
Our wives would probably agree. 🙂