Bontrager RL Road Shoes

Bontrager RL Men's Road Shoe
$179

When the ratcheting buckle on my old pair of Nike Lance cycling shoes finally gave up the ghost, I was happy to have the opportunity to pick up a new pair of road shoes. Like any other category in the industry, there are a huge range of brands to choose from when making one's selection. I personally wanted a shoe that was mid-priced, between $150 and $250, with a carbon sole, a ratcheting buckle, and a comfortable fit. This narrows it down a bit, but not much. My favorite shoe brand has generally always been Sidi, with their Italian manufacturing and precise attention to detail. However, they are prohibitively expensive for many cyclists, especially with the features I was looking for.

I ended up deciding on the relatively new Bontrager shoes. I chose the RL (which presumably stands for Race Lite), the mid-level offering from the company. Their basic model is too heavy and has SPD compatibility, nice for spin classes but annoying after you bolt a Look cleat on and have the little plate underneath rattling around. I really like the shoes' fit, with a "derby" construction which divides the shoe upper all the way to the toe. This allows for a great range of flexibility to fit wider, or in my case narrower, feet. The shoes also have a comfortable, supportive, and well-ventilated insole. I have been happy with the stock arch support from the factory, but this is actually customizable, giving the shoes an unusual level of fine-tuning for various riders.

My major criticism of the shoe is that the buckle is "clunky" and not intuitive; there is a catch of some sort that forces you to push it closed against the shoe after each pull, instead of returning smoothly and automatically like all other shoe brands I have tried. At the time I bought the shoes, about a year ago, I was told this was something that would be fixed in subsequent production, but the newer shoes that have come in have been only marginally better, and nothing like the smooth operation of a Sidi, Shimano, or Mavic buckle. It seems durable though, as the teeth on the strap seem to be staying in great shape.

On the whole, my only quibble with the shoes is relatively minor. I have never experienced any performance detriment from the cleat deformation claimed by some others, and I have been very happy with their efficiency, fit, durability, and style. Overall: nice job, Bontrager.

Ardbeg 10 Year Old

Ardbeg 10 Year Old
Single Malt Scotch Whisky

One of the three famous distilleries on the south coast of Islay, Ardbeg is renowned among peat enthusiasts in the whisky community. Most of its whiskies share a heavily peated characteristic with those from the other two South Islay distilleries: Lagavulin and Laphroaig. Ardbeg was originally founded in 1815 but, along with fellow Islay distillery Port Ellen, ceased production in the early eighties. Ardbeg, however, was revived in 1997 and has become an appreciated brand with a diverse series of offerings. The people at Ardbeg seem to have a tendency to experiment as well, releasing many diverse bottlings including the lightly peated "Blasda" and the cask-strength "Uigeadail," a very well-reviewed whisky.

The bottle I have is the standard 10 Year Old, bottled at 46% and not chill-filtered. Like most Ardbegs, and many Islay whiskies in general, it is aged in bourbon casks. It has a very pale color and looks like a light white wine in the glass.

Nose: Peat. Obviously. Almost no alcohol burn. A bit vegetal, wet grass. I'm having some trouble describing this one. Light sweetness.

Taste: Lots of peat. Very smooth with a lightly smoky finish, different from the darker, oaky, campfire-smoke of Highland Park or Talisker. Sweet and fresh-tasting while still being heavy on the peat.

Tasty, but not my favorite. This whisky has little oak influence. This makes sense, as the bourbon casks impart less flavor than sherry butts, and this whisky is only 10 years old. A very fresh and pastoral-tasting whisky (is that even a taste description?)
I tend to like my peat smoke enriched by a darker, rounder spirit. This is pleasant, but I find it one-dimensional.

Aberlour 12 Year Old

Aberlour 12 Year Old
Double Cask Matured
$: Gift

As I sit by the window watching the heaviest snowfall we've had in the area for many years, I'm enjoying a 12 year old single malt whisky from the Aberlour distillery in Speyside, the region where over half of Scotland's single malt distilleries are located. This bottle was given to me by a friend at a holiday party we held a week ago. I'm not entirely sure where he found it, as it appears only in the "Duty-Free" section on the distillery's website. This whisky spends its 12 years of age in both bourbon and sherry casks. Unlike many whiskies which are matured in bourbon first, then finished with a few years in sherry, the Aberlour 12 year old expression is a blend of bourbon-aged and sherry-aged spirits which are combined only when both are fully matured. The bourbon casks traditionally yield a softer, lighter flavor and the sherry casks produce a richer, spicier spirit. Aberlour 12 year old, then, should contain a bit of both.

Nose: Pear and honey. Caramel apples. Well-aged with no hint of peat presence in the aroma. Deeper, there are the best scents of Famous Grouse without the less pleasant alcohol aroma associated with cheaper whisky.

Taste: Fall fruits like apples and pears, no citrus. Sherry influence is definitely present with spice on the finish: pepper, nutmeg, clove?

A rich and delicious unpeated whisky. Perfect for a snowy afternoon after a lunch of barley soup and cheese.

Bulleit Bourbon

Bulleit Bourbon
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
$24

After a late summer hiatus from whisk(e)y drinking, the weather is starting to cool down a bit and I'm sampling more whiskies again. I also recently got a bargain on a couple bottles of Islay malt that I will review before too long. In the meantime I will write a bit about a bottle of bourbon that has been on the shelf for a while. Haven't sampled a bourbon like this before, as I usually drink these on the rocks without too much consideration (or occasionally with vermouth in a Manhattan).

The original formula for Bulleit bourbon whiskey was supposedly concocted by an Augustus Bulleit around 1800. He disappeared while transporting a batch of his bourbon to market. The current brand was began by Augustus' great-great-grandson, Tom Bulleit, who had always wanted to "revive the family's bourbon legacy, started more than 150 years ago" (bulleitbourbon.com). Became available in the United States in 1999 and is the only bourbon owned by the holding company Diageo, a giant in the Scotch world which owns 28 single malt distilleries.

Bourbon whiskey is a uniquely American spirit. It stems from the heritage of mountain farmers converting their crops into alcohol for easier transport through the Appalachians and a greater profit in the eastern cities. American whiskey production plays a role in much of early United States history. To stay true to its roots, bourbon whiskey is subject to a series of requirements:
It must be distilled from a grain mixture of at least 51% corn.
It must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. These are freshly blackened and, unlike those used for Scotch, have never been used to age another spirit. This gives bourbon a sweet woody characteristic imparted by the oak.
It must have been aged for at least two years, and no-age-statement bourbons must have been aged for at least four. In practice, most bourbon has been aged for more than this.
Also, it must contain no artificial caramel coloring, meaning the color of a bourbon is imparted by the oak aging alone. The use of caramel color is an often-criticized aspect of much Scotch whisky distillation, with some connoisseurs claiming it adds a subtle bitter chemical aftertaste and removes any meaning from the color of a whisky. Not all Scotches use this, but many do, and many well-known whiskies would be much lighter in color were it not for the caramel.

Finally, to taste this thing. Bulleit contains more rye than many bourbons, approximately 30%. It is bottled at 45% alcohol by volume.

Nose:
Sweet caramel (scent; I just finished typing about how there's no caramel color). A bit of maple syrup. Characteristic bourbon, with the rye element present and noticeable. No smoke on the nose, just a syrupy sweetness and a strong apple aroma. Smells like autumn.

Taste:
Sweet, oaky vanilla and maple. Alcohol. Tastes like bourbon. A touch of smoke on the finish, but nothing like Scottish peat, just the hints of charcoal from the new oak barrel aging.

Not a bad drink at all. Very smooth, especially given its relatively high proof. Sweet and quite tasty, but lacks the complexity of a single malt Scotch.

Bowmore 12 Year Old

Bowmore Single Islay Malt
12 Years Old
$40

This is the second Islay malt I have tried after finishing my bottle of Laphroaig 10 that I wrote about on this site's first entry. Bowmore is a distillery that dates back to 1779 (so claims the brand's marketing). It is one of the oldest in Scotland, and makes a range of bottlings including the 12 that I am going to taste tonight.

Nose: Smoke and citrus. Orange zest is the most noticeable scent in this aside from the expected peat smoke. The whisky has a light and airy nose, with a definite sea character in addition to this lemony-orange smell.

Palate: Dry, not very sweet. Cool and light rather than warming and dark. The oak characteristics are in the background to the peat and malt flavors on this one, and the citrus element is definitely still there. Finish is where the smoke really comes out, with kind of a chocolatey tobacco aftertaste.

The nose and the taste of this whisky are very much aligned. I don't get any elements in the nose that I don't taste in the whisky. The sweetness of spending 12 years in oak casks is not as pronounced as I might expect, but that gives more weight to the citrusy, smoky flavors in this dram. My friend Andrew's favorite whisky, and the one that got him into... bourbon.

I've been really impressed so far with the different nature of every single dram I've tried so far on my foray into the whisky world. This doesn't have any of the sweetness of Talisker or Highland Park, or the medicinal aftertaste of Laphroaig, or the buttery smoothness of the blends I've tried. I'm really beginning to see why people get so into whisky — every sample gives something a little new with different nuances to appreciate. I really like the light, smoky character of this whisky, and it hits the spot with the warm summer weather we're currently having. I think this is a dram to sit outside with on a warm evening with friends. I plan to put this bottle to that use this weekend.

Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow

Selle Italia
Flite Gel Flow Saddle
$200

Selle Italia is one of the classic saddle manufacturers in cycling. Since 1897, they have been making saddles for bike racers and recreational cyclists alike. The Flite was introduced in 1990, setting a new standard for lightweight saddles worldwide. The saddle has since been found on many manufacturers' bikes since then. Denis Menchov, this year's Giro winner, for instance, rides the current Team Edition Flite from Selle Italia.

The company introduced their Gel Flow technology in 2002, incorporating a central cutout and variable-thickness gel pads into the traditional Flite saddle profile. I have ridden one of these since 2004, and when Selle Italia revamped the Flite in 2008, I replaced my original Gel Flow with the new one, and it is still going strong. The current model is now lighter and more sculpted in shape. The spacing on the supportive part of the saddle is the same, but there is now less excess material around the back and sides.

One minor issue with the seat is that the structure in the central section of the saddle is not as stiff with the cutout. For this reason, I have seen some riders' saddles where the central part has deformed over time, bowing down toward the seatpost and potentially creating an uncomfortable shape to ride on. This only seems to happen over several thousands of miles, however. It's also a problem I have noticed only in the slightest on my own saddle, now 2 years old. Presumably heavier riders, and riders who tend to slide their weight from the back to the middle of the saddle, will eventually experience this problem more.

Personally, I expect my Flite to remain in good shape for years to come. I also recommend it, especially if you have tried less-expensive saddles in the past without finding one that is really comfortable. Made in Italy, with a full-grain real leather cover, the Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow is a comfortable, lightweight and stylish saddle for any road bike.

Talisker 10

Talisker 10 Year Old
Island Single Malt Whisky
$52

I bought this bottle for myself after completing the 30 consecutive days of bike riding that we did back in April. I had a little bit of it at the time but haven't touched it since; time to break it open again and see what my impressions are.

Talisker, dating back to 1830, is the only distillery on the Isle of Skye. The island is the northernmost of the Inner Hebrides and is known for its picturesque scenery and long heritage, which incorporates some of the history of Norse and Gaelic cultures. It is considered a Highland whisky, though it is not distilled on the mainland.

Nose: Peaty with a spicy character not exactly found in Laphroaig or Highland Park. Apple cider vinegar, lemon rind and sea salt. At a distance, bracing mountain air like a crisp autumn morning.

Palate: Real sweetness initially, oaky, brown sugar, with a strong peat kick through the finish. The stronger-than-average % abv is noticeable, but doesn't detract from the whisky's malt character or smoothness.

I bought this whisky after reading innumerable glowing reviews across the Internet. It is quite good. It really manages to be two things: extremely sweet and then very peated and salty. Each subsequent sip I have had just now reinforces that the whisky tastes first sweet, like an old bourbon (almost like rum?) and then, upon swallowing, very peaty and a little bitter, like a Laphroaig without the medicinal characteristic.
It is the most two-toned whisky I have tasted to date. It really doesn't blend the flavors at all, it presents them in succession. Very interesting... but after this one's gone, I plan to keep an Islay on hand for peat. If it is to be a peated night, I'd just as soon commit to it. If I want a malt that blends its sweet and smoky flavors to perfection, I think Highland Park will be the choice... at least so far.

Johnnie Walker Black Label

Johnnie Walker Black Label
Blended Scotch Whisky
12 Years Old
$32

The Johnnie Walker series of blended whiskies are ubiquitous on shelves and in bars throughout much of the world. The brand of choice of Winston Churchill, it is regarded by many as the classic "Scotch." Today I am tasting the Black Label, which signifies a blend of single malts and grain whiskies, all of which are at least 12 years old. It is a smoother and older whisky than the Red Label, which is blended with mixed drinks in mind. However, it is more affordable than the Green Label vatted malt or the Gold Label or Blue Label premium blends.

Johnnie Walker is named for a grocer who sold whisky in Ayrshire, Scotland. The brand was really begun by John Walker's son Alexander. The company's first blended whisky was made in 1865, and the characteristic square bottle was introduced in 1870. The whisky is blended today in Kilmarnock, and exported around the world.

Nose:
Wonderful maple syrup and honey aroma. Citrus undertones like orange zest. Green apples and brown sugar.

Palate:
Smooth flavor of malt with oaky bourbon flavor apparent as well. Sweet, balanced and easy to drink, with a light peat smoke on the finish which does not linger long.

The commercials for Black Label always show it being served over ice, but I think it's better neat. Ice brings out the buttery smoothness in a blend like Famous Grouse, but it really kills the rich maltiness of this one. Johnnie Walker Black Label is warming and sweet, with a rich flavor from the barrel aging, and a light smoky finish. The smoothness of well-chosen and well-aged grain whiskies is really clear in the flavors of this drink.

If one had to choose only one Scotch whisky for the shelf, I am inclined to think this may be the one to pick. A standard by which to measure other whiskies, blended and single malt alike. Inexpensive enough to drink and share with friends, and good enough to really impress.