Weekend Briefs Sept. 2022: Signatory Trio at Pint & Jigger
A round-up of brief reviews from a recent weekday when the wife and I paid a special visit to Honolulu’s finest whisky bar, the reborn Pint & Jigger. My wife and I shared our first date at the original location of the pub when we met for stouts and burgers. We frequently returned over the years to enjoy a hearty brunch or a night with limited-release beers and thoughtful cocktails. The pub was an institution.
After a two years hiatus— the pub closed shortly before the pandemic— the wife and I were thrilled to revisit old memories and make new ones. This is not a food blog, so I will skip an account of our meal (it was delicious) and focus on the scotch. The wall of whisky and extensive menu, more than four times longer than their old location, featured far more bourbon than malt. Nonetheless, the scotch selection included nearly every shelf staple, a good selection of special editions, and a handful of older independent releases from Signatory and Exclusive Malts.
The three drams we ordered for our celebratory night out were all older Signatory releases. We began with a mild Balmenach before moving to a funkier Jura. After food and some time to rest and reset our palates, we decided to YOLO and grabbed a pour of the Craigduff. They were all fantastic, and the Craigduff was a heavenly finish to the evening.
Obviously, I was impressed and look forward to returning. However, on to the reviews of our special date night out!
Whisky Details: Balmenach 25 Year (1988) Hogshead 54.9%, Signatory Vintage
Nose: Cream, fruit custard tarts, vanilla, brown sugar, grassy sweetness, hints of herbal tobacco and decaying organic compost, refined sugar.
Palate: Medium-bodied, creamier over time, herbal and grassy, clover honey, fresh cut grass and morning dew, hints of lavender and wildflowers, muddled mint and citrus at the end, musty.
Finish: Medium-length with grassy honey and hints of mint.
Score: 7
Narrative & Notes: Balmenach is not a typical malt to come across as there are no official releases from the distillery. Beyond the limited number of casks sold to or filled for independent bottlers, everything goes for blending. This bottle was a pretty great representation of the distillery’s style as the clean grassy quality of the spirit came through in spades. I have never had a Balmenach with so much cream on the nose or palate, and the creaminess continued to increase with time. The lovely earthy and floral notes contrasted nicely with the grassy quality. Overall, this was a great start to the evening and even won over my peat-headed wife, which was certainly unexpected.
Whisky Details: Jura Heavily Peated 24 year (1989) Bourbon Barrel 57.1%, Signatory Vintage
Nose: Funky saltwater marsh, earthy, white pepper, dried reeds, a hint of tobacco and smoked caramel, burnt mangrove trees, charcoal.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, boiled peanuts, salt, musty, dulce de leche, herbal, reeds and heather, sweet swamp and algae decay, hints of plumeria and salt, garden soil and pebbles.
Finish: Long and lingering with a musty spice and brine.
Score: 7
Narrative & Notes: I knew I wanted a peated pour as part of our lineup, and this was near the top of the list. I had hoped for a little more intensity from the flavors, especially the funk and smoke, but this was still really pleasant. The boiled peanuts and spice brought to mind Chinatown snack shopping while the briny swamp waved from the direction I hoped the dram would go. There was an intriguing caramel note that linked together the aroma and the flavor profile. While this did not come together the way I hoped, it was still wonderful and one of the best Jura I have tried. The wife also enjoyed it, though she ranked it as her least favorite of the evening, and I would also rank it a hair behind the Balmenach.
Whisky Details: Craigduff 33 Year (1973) Sherry Butt 47.5%, Signatory Vintage
Nose: Stewed fruit, candle wax, medicinal herbs, burnt candle wick, baked figs and Medjool dates with feta, balsamic glaze; per my wife, Babybel cheese wax.
Palate: Medium-bodied, waxy, dates, leather to faux leather new car, licorice, hints of Parma Violets, book bindings and glue, old yellowed pages, more leathery and waxy with time.
Finish: Very long with waxy fruits, crystallized honey, shisha, and a mild drying.
Score: 9+
Narrative & Notes: Sublime.
Who distilled Craigduff? A malt with a mystery; Chivas claims it was distilled at Strathisla, and Signatory claims it was distilled at Glen Keith. They agree that it was distilled from lightly peated barley and that small amounts of concentrated peated water were added to the wash still. I am inclined to go with Signatory as I suspect their records are more complete than Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard.
No matter who produced it, this was delicious. I loved the burnt candle wicks and wax that ran throughout the nose and palate. If the peat appeared at all, it was to accentuate some of the candle wick and old book bindings. While the dram was initially relatively light on the palate, it built up and became heavier with each sip— as if hearing drums in the distance as a marching band parade drew nearer.
I will most certainly never try this again, much less another Craigduff— there are not many, and they are well outside my usual price range— so this was the ultimate celebratory pour, a unique experience to treasure.
