Dec. 8: Online Tasting with Samaroli's Master Blender Antonio Bleve......
Fellow Drammers!
We’re excited to announce an online tasting with Antonio Bleve, the Master Blender and Company Director for the legendary independent bottlers Samaroli on Sunday, December 8th starting at Noon PST / 3pm Eastern / 21:00 in Italy. This is a big deal, Antonio mostly focuses on sourcing and blending whisky, and leaves the speaking and promotion side of the business to his team — in fact, to our knowledge he’s never done an online event like this for anyone in the US before, and is just doing this as a favor to us. If you’re not familiar with Samaroli, they were a game changer. Founded in Italy in 1968, first as an importer of Scotch into Italy, and then expanded in 1978 with their own independent bottlings, and pioneered cask strength independent bottlings in the 1980s. They were the very first independent bottler of Scotch in the world outside of the UK, and quickly built a reputation for putting out some of the best independent bottlings of Scotch ever released. Today they continue what they have always done, along with creating a range of their own blended Scotches, and they have added independent bottlings of rum to their portfolio as well. We’ll be tasting through 10 expressions at this event:
Bowmore 15yo. Distilled 2001, bottled 2016, port cask finish. Everything about this bottle is unusual for Samaroli, from the bottle, to the corking to the fact that it's finished at all (Samaroli rarely does finishes). 1 of 186 bottles, 46% abv.
Islay Edition 2023. Our co-headliner for the evening was distilled at the Caol Ila distillery In 2007, and bottled in 2023, so 15 or 16 years old, matured in a PX Sherry cask. Cask #12040. 48% abv.
Linkwood Edition 2023. Distilled at the Linkwood distillery, which (like Caol Ila) is today owned by Diageo. 2008 vintage, bottled in 2023, so 14 or 15 years old, presumably aged in an ex-bourbon cask. #306029.
Samaroli Apprentice 2023 Ed, I’m really interested to learn more about these — this will be the first of 3 limited release blended Scotches (this one is a Blended Malt Scotch) we’ll be tasting at this event. As the name implies, this whisky leans on younger expressions. From their website: “This young spirit exhibits vibrant and fresh notes, with a malty introduction accompanied by hints of green apple, honey, yellow stone fruit, and a touch of citrus. It possesses liveliness and unpredictability, requiring time to settle down and allow the olfactory impressions to solidify upon savoring.” 43% abv.
Samaroli Architectus 2023 Ed. Next we turn to a more traditional blend — at least in the sense that it is a blend of malted barley and other grain whiskies. From their website, we can expect: “a grand mix of dried fruits, almonds and toasted pistachio. We bask in the aroma of the sea, mysterious and majestic to the east and transported by a summer breeze while beyond the cliffs the sun slowly dips below the horizon.” 45% abv
Samaroli Ardenistle 2023 Ed, Another blended malt Scotch, we’re told this one takes its inspiration from “an old blend made for Anacleto Bleve of Rome quite some time ago… We decided to assemble two Caol Ila and an Islands — actually a Jura. All young and cheeky malts. Bubbling like children playing out in the yard during summer, their voices resounding tirelessly…. Nosing yields warm bread and blue cheese. This first impression does not elude the palate once tasted. Lingering despite its young age, evolving towards a balsamic profile with a wealth of pungent notes such as oregano, sesame, marjoram. The iodine component is naturally persistent, but it does not hinder this spirit‘s tempo and dimension. Yeast-rich grain in the finish. 50% abv.
3 expressions of Samaroli - “Yehmon” Rum (2023). Next we’ll try three expressions in the popular Samaroli “Yehmon” series: Classic, Vintage and Retro, which is Samaroli’s take on showing the differences between the English style, Spanish style and French style of blending rums.
Classic - is a blend of Trinidad 2009 and Mauritius 2014 and 2015, full of peaks of balsamic plants, spices and oriental dishes, dried fruit, hazelnut, tobacco, liquorice.
Vintage - is a 2013 Guadeloupe and a 2004 Haiti blend.
Retro - is a blend of 2000 Nicaragua and 2010 Trinidad rum.
Plus one more surprise Samaroli rum expression!
That’s our lineup, we hope you can join us!
ZOOM LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85026701711?pwd=ksihbJEFExYJql819o7Qvo9gQVIL7o.1
Meeting ID: 850 2670 1711
Passcode: 120824