Mark Garbin

About Mark Garbin

Mark Garbin is more than his career as a financial asset risk expert might suggest. He’s a five-star novelist, former radio DJ, past bartender and constant whisky connoisseur. He's always on the lookout for outstanding spirits and the most alluring bars. His current book, "Whisky and Romance Manhattan" is also 5-star Amazon rated. For decades he’s tasted thousands of whiskies, lived overseas and visited hundreds of places around the world. He’s a whisky omnivore from single malts, to ryes, bourbons, gins and tequilas and is now thrilled to share his experiences with you. For a free e-book of reviews, join his list at www.tinyurl.com/Drammers-Craigellachie or send an email for feedback (LOVE IT!) at whiskeyevents@outlook.com

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Beefeater Crown Jewel – Best. Martini. Ever.

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Beefeater Crown Jewel – The Greatest Martini Gin Ever Created (You’ll Need to Hunt For It!)

Balance & Power for the Hedonist and Adventurer as a Martini, With Food or After a Meal

Mark’s Note: I’m grateful to London master photographer Jason Bailey for granting me permission to share with you his amazing photograph of fragrant lemon oil gracing the surface of a martini made at the Dukes Bar. The best martini deserves the best picture. Visit his website: http://jasonbaileystudio.com

I’m also grateful to Pernod Ricard for allowing me access to a hi-res photo of Crown Jewel

Mark Garbin rates Beefeater Crown Jewel - The Greatest Gin

Whisky Reviewed: Beefeater Crown Jewel
Distiller: Beefeater London
Region: South Bank
Augustine Bar Rating: 5 Lions (Highest Honor)
Difford’s Guide Rating: 5 Stars (Top Rating)

Mark’s  Review

Seven hours before my plane back to the USA and I’m on a mission.

Failure? Inconceivable. The penalty? Heartbreak.

I had only one destination: Kennington.

Huh? South Bank? Near the cricket oval? Really? Yes.

The Beefeater distillery was the only spot left on the globe that stocked Crown Jewel. My trusted stores, Gerry’s and Milroy’s were no help. Even Soho Wine showed no stock.

So I trudged over with too much luggage in hand taking a tortuous half hour tube ride ending in a ten-minute walk. They told me only 150 of the £50 bottles existed in the world and I needed four. In reality, I wanted six but, with all the padding for travel protection, only a smaller number would fit in my roller bag.

You might think I lost my mind. If I could buy them at auction or online where some prices fetch >$300, I would. But that’s a pipe dream. It was Montford Place, SE11 or bust.

Introduced to this balanced flavor monster in the early 2000s at the Dukes Bar, London, I discovered wonder in a martini glass. Magazines say a person must go to there for a cocktail before they die. Once you do, like me, it will spoil you forever. First, they keep the glasses and gins/vodkas at -10ºF. Then classic butler service brings a small mobile station to you where long-serving bartenders pour the syrupy nine botanical spirit into your now frosted glass. Next, a precise peel separates a Sorrento lemon skin from its host as droplets of the most fragrant oils caress the surface of your drink. A bowl of olives and nuts grace your table as you invoke your inner hedonist to relish each glistening sip.

Duke's Hotel. Best. Martini. EverPhoto courtesy Jason Bailey Studios London

This gin is potent yet with no high ABV after burn. The smoothness allows all Crown Jewel’s spices to spread across your nasal and oral senses. The seductive and bracing evergreen grapefruit finish ends with a slight pepper tinge; perfect for a Padron 1964 cigar.

Watch your intake! It’s not for those a few years into their pro contract. Two of these, while easy to down, may impair your ability to function so don’t operate a car or heavy machines afterwards.

Start with some food. (Steak! Yummm!)

If you can find it, enjoy this rare gem any way and anytime you can. It’s the greatest.

Mark Garbin’s Evaluation

Aromas & Flavor Appeals to: Optimal Client Type Great For:
Subtlety Aficionado Apprentice Cocktails
Power Flavor Admirer Enthusiast Neat Before Dinner
Balanced Devotee Adventurer With Food
Chameleon Lover Hedonist Dessert or Afterwards

 

Augustine-bar.de review: Well, what can I say: This is neither the most juniper-heavy, nor the most complex gin. Neither the cheapest, nor the most expensive… Or maybe it is just the best-looking gin bottle ever! For an ABV of 50 % it is damn smooth. …Yet, if you throw a few splashes of tonic water on top and some you will have an excellent Gin & Tonic. It was so good in fact, that after finishing the first I was instantly craving another one. I cannot say this about a lot of other gin. So, I gave it the highest possible rating. – Why have a five lion scale if you don’t use it?

Difford’s Guide review: Tasting an old bottle of Crown Jewel against the resurrected incarnation, the aroma and flavour of the two are virtually identical. It is a brilliantly balanced gin with juniper, citrus and white pepper spice presented in harmony, but it is the floral parma violet notes from generous use of orris root that set this gin apart.

 

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Aberfeldy 12 Year

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Classic Balance and Fun for the Apprentice & Enthusiast

Aberfeldy 12 - Smooth Balanced Single Malt Inexpensive

Photo courtesy Bacardi Ltd.

Whisky Reviewed: Aberfeldy 12 Year
Distiller: Bacardi
Region: Speyside
Suggested Retail Price: $45
Distiller Rating: 90
USC Rating: 94

Mark’s Review

Aberfeldy 12, a key part of the Dewar’s blend, is a great example of aromas matching the flavors. Enjoy strong, classic caramel, pastry and honey scents.

As you savor the whisky, note how its tastes evolve and soften as you’ll relish your glass unveiling more autumn spices and fruits. An easy, balanced mouth feel gives way to the gentle finish without over-the-top sherry cask notes.

Similar to other brands in the Bacardi line, this spirit is an enabler. If your usual tipple is blended scotch but you’ve wondered how to tempt the mysteries of single malts, launch your voyage with Aberfeldy 12. It’s perfect for the Apprentice.

But the twelve-year is also refined enough to lure the Enthusiast into a new world of sweet sensation. Let yourself explore all this offers at your own pace.

At 40% ABV, you won’t need water to adjust the profile. Therefore a cocktail would kill it. With a smooth vigor to support the luscious poise, begin your evening with Aberfeldy 12 neat as a palate opener.

Later, you might treat yourself to a dram with bread pudding or vanilla custard. Magic!

Mark Garbin’s Evaluation

Aromas & Flavor Appeals to: Optimal Client Type Great For:
Subtlety Aficionado Apprentice Cocktails
Power Flavor Admirer Enthusiast Neat Before Dinner
Balanced Devotee Adventurer With Food
Chameleon Lover Hedonist Dessert or Afterwards

 

Distiller.com review: Sweet aromas of caramel, toffee and beeswax are presented with the tasting profile of more of the same. Additionally, there’s a slight nutty and wood spice finish which winds up on the dry side. –Stephanie Moreno

USC review: Hearty grain, honey pollen and buttery pastry cut though on the nose. High-toned and playful, the balanced palate delivers crisp autumn fruits, like crunchy red apples, muted clove and honeycomb, all of which follow through in a measured finish.

Josh Peters at the Whiskeyjug.com: Aberfeldy 12 is tasty stuff. The deep fruity nose compliments the oak and fruit palate that continues nicely through the finish. I’m really enjoying sitting in my recliner with my dog on my legs, laptop on my lap and this in my mouth. One moment it’s light and fruity, the next some darker notes appear and then back to the lighter sweeter notes. It seems to shift in the glass, but there’s always a nice balance to the Aberfeldy 12 – a fun and flavorful dram I’m enjoying more and more with every sip!

 

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Compass Box – This is Not a Luxury Whisky

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For Adventurous Chameleon Flavor Lovers Neat Before and After Dinner

photo courtesy Compass Box Whisky Company

Whisky Reviewed: This is Not a Luxury Whisky
Distiller: Compass Box
Region: Mixed Islay & Highland Malts, Glasgow & Lowland Grain Whiskies
ABV: 53.1%
Suggested Retail Price: $250+
Distiller Rating: 92
The Whisky Shelf Rating: Top Shelf

Mark’s Review

I get it. Ok? Rene Magritte and Surrealism; a play on words from an L.A. County Museum painting. So many metaphors of this Compass Box edition exist. Yeah, they’re interesting but it tells you nothing of what’s in the bottle.

So after work one bright Friday eve, I ambled over to Tommy Tardie’s Fine & Rare, sat down, and ordered a pour. Whatever my notions of master distiller John Glaser’s art, I didn’t expect what soared from the crystal. The malt whisky mix of sherried 19-year-old Glen Ord and earthy 30-year-old Caol Ila freed themselves and rose in an instant. Floral and sweet with a gentle smoke, I savored their presence. Then all of a sudden, 40-year-old Strathclyde and Girvan grain spirits swirled into my senses with deep, rich scents of butter, vanilla and coconut.

I wanted my nose to stay in the glass for hours but my taste buds screamed out. As I sipped this gem, each of these striking aromas emerged as flavors. Of course, you’d predict the Ila peat to roar. I’m happy to say there’s no let down in that regard. But in the twinkling of an eye, a maze of complexity dashed in to surround me in a swirl of glory. The finish only continued those unreal tastes and went on forever.

I had to catch my breath.

Sure, it was the end of the week and I hoped for a few surprises, but this surpassed all. I stepped off my bar stool and walked around the place to clear my head. When I returned, a repeat of the process unleashed more endless splendor. Adding a drop or two of water (only) put a further fine point on the event.

The Adventurer will find in this dram a perfect foil for an idyllic sensual journey. Please don’t ruin this trance like beauty in a cocktail and no single meal can match the neural wealth.

Joy awaits you in this bottled Magritte after supper. But if your partner is a romantic soul, share a neat sample before a delicate dinner. Then linger, gaze and talk in hushed tones. That’s called dining NOT eating. It unites the realms of dreams and reality. Our friend Rene would be proud. Isn’t that what makes life worth living?

Mark Garbin’s Evaluation

Aromas & Flavor Appeals to: Optimal Client Type Great For:
Subtlety Aficionado Apprentice Cocktails
Power Flavor Admirer Enthusiast Neat Before Dinner
Balanced Devotee Adventurer With Food
Chameleon Lover Hedonist Dessert or Afterwards

 

Distller.com review: The idea of luxury is about wealth, which also means richness, of which this whisky shows off like a socialite on a Beverly Hills shopping spree. A lush, extra creamy balance of vanilla, coconut, spice and a puff of sweet smoke play on the palate. All of this takes a break to stop for a cheeky hit of nutty sherry before returning to the mix, which ends in a long, distinguished wave.

The Whisky Shelf review: Compass Box’s “This is Not a Luxury Whisky” is a wonderfully delicious Scotch. It’s not nearly as loud and intense as other “Top Shelf” rated cask strength sherry-influenced Scotches such as Craigellachie 21 or Ben Nevis 21 Old Malt Cask, but it’s still great in its own way. It’s a more mature, calm, and composed Scotch that gently bathes you in dense and deep fruit, peat, wood, spice, and just a little smoke instead of trying to overwhelm you all at once, likely heavily influenced by so much of the blend being at least 30 years old, and 17% being 40 years old whiskey.

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Johnnie Walker Blue Label

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A Subtle Balanced Chameleon for Apprentices and Enthusiasts Neat Before and After Dinner

photo courtesy Diageo

Whisky Reviewed: Johnnie Walker Blue Label
Distiller: Diageo
Region: Primarily Speyside
ABV: 40%
Suggested Retail Price: $150-$250 (Watch Out!!)
USC Rating: 97
Distiller Rating: 90
Whiskey Wash Rating: 92

Mark’s Review

OMG, the aroma is incredible, maybe life changing! If you wanted one whisky to create the standard of velvety, sweet smoke, this is it. I could smell JW Blue all day and smile each time. Vanilla, caramel and apple bouquets rotated through every sense; yet with a feel of permanent coexistence. Normally in spirits, each of those potent smells vies for domination. Here they’re vibrant, rich partners.

How can a single spirit be such a delicate changeling? I even postponed the tasting because of the astounding aromatics. When I succumbed to the temptation to drink, my world got confused. When flavors don’t align with scents, disorientation often occurs. Fighting such confusion, I forced myself to ask:

What happened? I had to stop and think. I figured out that my subtle chameleon morphed into a soulful soft, mouth coating balanced whisky with a long finish. You’ll pause and do the same.

I then pondered: To whom would this appeal? That’s an easier question to answer. The Adventurer has no mountain to climb here and the Hedonist’s lurid desires are unfulfilled.

Johnnie Blue is, however, a rare mix of subtlety, balance and shifting tastes. It will tempt the Apprentice eager to learn and the Enthusiast embraces each aspect while admiring the harmony.

Enjoy a dram before a meal or as a reward after dinner, but forget about a cigar. It’ll blow away the gentility.

Use in a cocktail? To quote Jeff Dunham’s Achmed, the Dead Terrorist, I kill you! 

In the end, rest assured that the more you sample, the more you’ll want until, Voila! The glass is empty! Hurry and refill!

A note on price: This is not cheap stuff in any dimension. Shop with caution. I’ve seen bottles for less than $150 and over $250. Try this at a bar first to see if it’s for you and do the research on shops to know if you’re getting value or ripped off.

Mark Garbin’s Evaluation

Aromas & Flavor Appeals to: Optimal Client Type Great For:
Subtlety Aficionado Apprentice Cocktails
Power Flavor Admirer Enthusiast Neat Before Dinner
Balanced Devotee Adventurer With Food
Chameleon Lover Hedonist Dessert or Afterwards

 

USC rating:  Distinguished nose of pipe tobacco, saddle leather, crushed pistachio, brown butter, and chocolate covered strawberries. Elegant and mellow mouthfeel with soft chewy caramel and milk chocolate bolstered by bright fruit and honeyed nuts. Luxurious and persistent.

Distiller.com rating: Where Johnnie Walker Black is more like Daniel Craig as James Bond, Blue Label is more Pierce Brosnan; less brute force with a touch more elegance. Take a sip and find dates and floral notes with a touch of spice. But make no mistake, the smoldering peat does eventually sneak up on you…perhaps like an MI6 agent might. – Stephanie Moreno

WhiskeyWash.com review: I know for myself, the question is not whether or not I would like to leave a store with a fresh bottle of Blue Label under my arm, but rather when I will feel the time is right to do so. After all, there is always a bottle sitting behind the register. The challenge becomes one of identifying an appropriate circumstance under which to finally make the investment. Once made, it is an easy one to live with. – Joshua St. John

 

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Cragganmore 12

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Subtlety Reigns Supreme for Apprentices and Enthusiasts Neat Before Dinner or with a Light Meal

photo courtesy of Diageo

Whisky Reviewed: Cragganmore 12
Distiller: Diageo
Region: Speyside
ABV:40%
Suggested Retail Price: $60+
Wine Enthusiast Rating: 90-95
USC Rating: 94
Distiller Rating: 86

Mark’s Review

Saturday night at a local restaurant and there it was, the core of Johnnie Walker’s product line, Cragganmore 12 year. No big deal. Right? Wrong!

The first aromas were, yeah, yeah, been there, done that, JW Black. But after two minutes of air, I lost my cynicism.

Refined scents rose from my Glencairn compelling me to pay full attention to a curious and varied sweetness. Caramel, almonds, wild honey and toffee together with floral chestnut vapors floated on gentle clouds. When I freed my nose, from the glass and tempted the fates of taste, the same pleasant subtle qualities ensued but with extra bonuses. A keen maltiness and creamy pound cake spread through my mouth and continued in the back palate without let up ending in a wisp of smoke. My continuous wide smiles were both unforeseen and unrestrained. They seemed to go on forever like the Energizer Bunny. When I added water I expected a typical 40% ABV flavor and finish dilution. Not here. A few drops subdued the main sugar factor, but emphasized the char.

Jason Debly’s comment is perfect: “This is gorgeous… an impressive tapestry of flavors to consider”.

This tender spirit is not for power or peat lovers and don’t think of using Cragganmore in a mixed drink. But the Apprentice learning about Speyside will find education in a bottle and the Enthusiast discovers a long-term addition to their collection.

Enjoy this neat before a meal; with a lobster dinner or any light food.

What I don’t get is Distiller’s write-up below. How can you give a 86 rating to a “hidden gem”? Take the number with a grain of salt. I leave you with a quote from Ari, the whisky guy, (a great 60 second video review): “This goes on my top shelf.”

Mark Garbin’s Evaluation

Aromas & Flavor Appeals to: Optimal Client Type Great For:
Subtlety Aficionado Apprentice Cocktails
Power Flavor Admirer Enthusiast Neat Before Dinner
Balanced Devotee Adventurer With Food (Light)
Chameleon Lover Hedonist Dessert or Afterwards

 

Wine Enthusiast rating: The succulent aroma develops with aeration in the sweet forms of barley, cream, light caramel, and a trace of tropical fruit. Palate entry is round, borderline plump, breakfast-cereal sweet, and honeyed; at midpalate, there’s a slightly oily peat smoke. Sweetly concludes with the focus on the malt.

USC rating: Stunningly golden dram with aromas of sweet stone fruits, citrus, honey, cereal, and a wisp of sage. Soft and smooth with flavors of malted chocolate, smoke, and dried apricot that build onto a mellow, semi-sweet, and smoky finish. Fantastic.

Distiller rating: This whisky is quite the hidden gem in Diageo’s Malt Whisky Collection. The whisky is filled with heather, honey, nuts, and pears. Delicate smoke comes in on the palate along with dried cherry and more honeyed nuts. It is a shame that this whisky doesn’t get heralded more than it does, but then again, maybe it’s okay to keep this one a secret. –Stephanie Moreno

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