As I quietly pronounced when starting doing mostly verticals were that I was still gonna have my usual tastings with mixed distilleries once in a while. Up until now I have kept those tastings outside Scotland, but lets change that. Glenlochy, Glenugie, Ladyburn and Imperial, I'm not sure if Imperial is all closed down or just mothballed, hopefully the latter. Let's start with the Imperial.
Imperial 14yo 1969-1983 40% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice
Old vintage at only 40% and only 14yo, maybe this will differ a lot from the newer CS/SC/Older(!) bottling that are flying around nowadays. It smells really nice, distinctive caramel and creamy butter. Sweet marmalade and ginger. Impressive! The taste is very spirity and burnt at first, fairly bad-tasting. But then it turns into a sweet marzipan and licorice aftertaste. It's like the initial odors are smooth and all good, the palate a small disaster, before the good start is reincarnated in the finish. Extremely smooth, almost like a perfect blend. The palate being a small letdown however.
I guess Imperial will be missed by some, at least by me: 6.5
Ladyburn/Rare Ayrshire 34yo 1975-2009 45.2% Signatory Vintage
I know that IB's aren't allowed to name their cask from the long gone distillery Ladyburn "Ladyburn". I like that they have kept it at cask strength, a chance to taste something, if not utterly great, then at least utterly rare. I think that the single malt bottled at Ladyburn, if any of it were, were bottled at low strength. Nice golden color. Smells herbal, grassy, mashed leaves, over-ripe bananas and mint. The taste is burnt, cinnamon, again this over-ripe banana/brown banana half-nauseating sweetness. Then it gets a bit drying and it finishes of on a good note with more cinnamon and grassiness.
Good old single malt, although pretty predictable from start to finish: 6
Glenugie 29yo 1977-2006 49.6% Part Des Anges Closed Distilleries cask#360
The few ones I have tried from Glenugie up until now have all been utterly fantastic if I remember correctly. Lets hope this helps keep the score. Much bigger on the nose than the latter two, a smoky one. With time it gets even bigger, smoky, barbecue sauce, Galliano, mustard, curry, oaky, a lot happening here. The taste is sweet, brown sugar, honey, smoked pork serrano style, amazing whisky, it just lacks a bit on the palate when compared to what the nose promised. The aftertaste is also rather short, needs a small drop of water? Water makes little difference in this one.
Rich nose, beautiful palate, little to no aftertaste: 7
Glenlochy 27yo 1980-2007 58.3% btl.123/231 Closed Distilleries
Second on from Closed Distilleries, Glenlochy... I used to love Glenlochy when I started drinking whisky back then it wasn't all that expensive. But I guess that is the story with most closed distilleries nowadays. Anyway, I think Glenlochy is a whisky that is depraved of recognition compared to the produce it puts out. But its been a while since I last had a Glenlochy so lets see what this one has to offer. The much higher abv is recognizable on the nose, smells malty, oaky and burnt, bitter too. This is not what I expected, maybe it needs water, but lets taste neat first at least. The taste is dry, but shows promise of buttered corn and dried bell peppers. I'll add some h2o. Now it's much better, lots of soy sauce and pistachio flavor, red wine vinegar and dry apple cider. I wish this one was available today as I would have stopped hoarding Fettercairn and started on Glenlochy.... or maybe I'd just done a little of both. Who says you can't have two favorite distilleries?
Brings tears to my eyes: 8.5
søndag 25. september 2011
onsdag 21. september 2011
4 different Glenturrets
Another session with whiskies from a distillery that usually doesn't make my boat float if you know what I mean. Maybe I'm in for a positive surprise, as I had when tasting Glen Keiths the other day.
Glenturret 14yo 43% OB for the Wee Dram Blackpool Trams
A commemoration of the the Edinburgh Car #35, a two story tram. Very well, pale color, sort of white wine-ish. It smells extremely light, natural orange juice and sweet tea. It's very different from the standard expressions, much fruitier. The taste is light and fruity, green apples and glue(?). A weird whisky, fruity and easy-drinking, yet a bit off. I think there is something going on with the distilling at Glenturret which creates these off-notes of industrial glue and rubber. It isn't the first time I've found them in a dram of Glenturret. With water it gets lighter, old book-dust and peppery. Now it seems mor like the good old slightly off Glenturret that I unfortunately have encountered to often.
Enjoy neat, yet there's only some light fruity notes, no challenge here: 4.5
Glenturret 14yo 43% Signatory Scottish Wildlife
Same age and abv as the one for the Wee Dram, same color as well. Smells more spirity and a bit burnt, burnt rubber. Burnt rubber and disinfecting medic spirit. The taste is more sour, sweet and sour, like sweet chili sauce with lemon juice, it gives a bit of a bite and has much more charisma than the one for the Wee Dram. This is much better than expected, could it some from a single cask? A very good pick by Signatory in that case. The finish is smooth and long, all on sweet herbs and lavender.
This is a fine Glenturret, I hope there's many more around: 6.5
Glenturret 18yo 1990-2008 46% Chieftain's Choice
I think there's some questionable expressions in the Chieftain's Choice-series, far more so than the rather good Dun Bheagan's. But I have not found what is the difference between these two. Could it be that DB is bottled at Cask Strength and CC is diluted? Again it doesn't give much odorwise, rubbery and spirity, can this be a late bloomer too? It tastes very peppery and somewhat acrylic, paint? Needs water. Water just lightens the peppery notes a bit.
This was somewhat a letdown: 3
Glenturret 27yo 1978-2005 50.1% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#354
3 bottlings of low expectations up until now, but this one ought to be something new. I usually enjoy the Raw Cask series from Blackadder quite a bit, but this one has no cask sediments. One of my favourite things to do is to chew the remaining sediments. It's fantastic! Well, after looking through my magnifying glass, I can see some small black dots. Hallelujah! Now let's taste. Light color, in fact, all the whiskies in this tasting has had the same light white wine color. Smells strong, spirity, rubbery, grassy and iron. The taste is burnt, hickory smoke and sugar free licorice lozenges, you know the ones that aren't sweet at all. This isn't the best of the bunch so far, maybe it needs a bit of water to open up. Now it gets sweeter with the sourness that I discovered in the Wildlife version. Much better! This sweet and sour stuff combined with a lot of pepperines makes for a good trio of flavors.
Water is needed in this one: 6
Glenturret 14yo 43% OB for the Wee Dram Blackpool Trams
A commemoration of the the Edinburgh Car #35, a two story tram. Very well, pale color, sort of white wine-ish. It smells extremely light, natural orange juice and sweet tea. It's very different from the standard expressions, much fruitier. The taste is light and fruity, green apples and glue(?). A weird whisky, fruity and easy-drinking, yet a bit off. I think there is something going on with the distilling at Glenturret which creates these off-notes of industrial glue and rubber. It isn't the first time I've found them in a dram of Glenturret. With water it gets lighter, old book-dust and peppery. Now it seems mor like the good old slightly off Glenturret that I unfortunately have encountered to often.
Enjoy neat, yet there's only some light fruity notes, no challenge here: 4.5
Glenturret 14yo 43% Signatory Scottish Wildlife
Same age and abv as the one for the Wee Dram, same color as well. Smells more spirity and a bit burnt, burnt rubber. Burnt rubber and disinfecting medic spirit. The taste is more sour, sweet and sour, like sweet chili sauce with lemon juice, it gives a bit of a bite and has much more charisma than the one for the Wee Dram. This is much better than expected, could it some from a single cask? A very good pick by Signatory in that case. The finish is smooth and long, all on sweet herbs and lavender.
This is a fine Glenturret, I hope there's many more around: 6.5
Glenturret 18yo 1990-2008 46% Chieftain's Choice
I think there's some questionable expressions in the Chieftain's Choice-series, far more so than the rather good Dun Bheagan's. But I have not found what is the difference between these two. Could it be that DB is bottled at Cask Strength and CC is diluted? Again it doesn't give much odorwise, rubbery and spirity, can this be a late bloomer too? It tastes very peppery and somewhat acrylic, paint? Needs water. Water just lightens the peppery notes a bit.
This was somewhat a letdown: 3
Glenturret 27yo 1978-2005 50.1% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#354
3 bottlings of low expectations up until now, but this one ought to be something new. I usually enjoy the Raw Cask series from Blackadder quite a bit, but this one has no cask sediments. One of my favourite things to do is to chew the remaining sediments. It's fantastic! Well, after looking through my magnifying glass, I can see some small black dots. Hallelujah! Now let's taste. Light color, in fact, all the whiskies in this tasting has had the same light white wine color. Smells strong, spirity, rubbery, grassy and iron. The taste is burnt, hickory smoke and sugar free licorice lozenges, you know the ones that aren't sweet at all. This isn't the best of the bunch so far, maybe it needs a bit of water to open up. Now it gets sweeter with the sourness that I discovered in the Wildlife version. Much better! This sweet and sour stuff combined with a lot of pepperines makes for a good trio of flavors.
Water is needed in this one: 6
A follow-up on my cask project.
OK, this is a follow-up on this post http://www.maltdiary.com/2011/06/making-my-own-whisky-in-1-2-3.html from 27th. of June this year. I set some cream sherry in cask#1 on 19th of march and refilled it with new-make from Glenglassaugh distillery at 50% on 15th. of June this summer. Now I know this is far from whisky yet, but with such a small cask I've been warned to be very careful as it matures much faster and the wood impact can soon become a bit too big. Anyway, the glass in front of the cow holds the result as of today, and it seems to have gotten a very nice color in just over 3 months. I just hope that the alcohol hasn't evaporated too much, bear in mind only 50%abv newmake.
Let's give it a small tasting note just for fun.
Dark red color, way darker than the spirit drink that blushes... Smells heavy sherried, prunes, cinnamon, earthy, coffee, dark chocolate, not bad at all I must say, and from what I can smell there are still well above 40%abv in this one. The taste then? Oh, this is too sweet for me, I recognize the taste of malt spirit, but the sweet sherry influence is rather extreme. And it is so thick, sweet and a bit smoky, a sherry monster... no,no,no.. it's A SHERRY MONSTER!!!! Anyway, if you are into heavy sherry this is very good, but for me? I can drink one occasionally, but right now it is just a bit too much of the good stuff. Water helps and in the end I consider this a nice dessert whisky, could be put on vanilla ice cream or had on rocks as well.
Let's give it a small tasting note just for fun.
Dark red color, way darker than the spirit drink that blushes... Smells heavy sherried, prunes, cinnamon, earthy, coffee, dark chocolate, not bad at all I must say, and from what I can smell there are still well above 40%abv in this one. The taste then? Oh, this is too sweet for me, I recognize the taste of malt spirit, but the sweet sherry influence is rather extreme. And it is so thick, sweet and a bit smoky, a sherry monster... no,no,no.. it's A SHERRY MONSTER!!!! Anyway, if you are into heavy sherry this is very good, but for me? I can drink one occasionally, but right now it is just a bit too much of the good stuff. Water helps and in the end I consider this a nice dessert whisky, could be put on vanilla ice cream or had on rocks as well.
tirsdag 20. september 2011
5 whiskies representing 3 different produce from Tobermory Distillery
Ah, there are so many good whiskies from the Islands, the light and often single casked Arran, the beast Talisker, the connoisseur favorite Highland Park and even the Jura with the new range of cask strengths and different peat leveled whisky... And then there's Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull, a whisky that doesn't seem to fit into any category. Not much talked about, and sort of a light-weighter. But I haven't tried to many of ´em so lets see what it can do here.
Tobermory NAS 40% OB Blend
A blend consisting of unpeated Tobermory and grain, I think this whisky is a couple of decades old. Smells light and fresh, wet grass, fresh mint and toothpaste. Extremely light and fresh. The taste is light, sort of buttery, dark chocolate and oily. That is all fine but lasts only for a short second before it turns spirity and bitter. Water might help? Not much but it streches the initial flavors a second or two. And the water takes down the spirity notes a bit. But all in all it is a light starter malt, and lacks the complexity of the single malts. I hope so.
Well balanced blend when diluted: 4
Tobermory 14yo 1995-2009 46% Flickenschield
I don't know much about the bottler Flickenschield, but I have seen some of their bottles for sale at online auctions. A dark version this one, could come from a sherry cask? But I guess they would have mentioned that on the bottle then, in these days of massive legend information. It smells Extremely light, much lighter than the blend, cinnamon tea and incense from a lighter cigarette, Prince Mint? Very withdrawn, but there are some notes of oloroso sherry in there. Needs tome to open up. The taste is perfectly sweet and balanced sherried whisky, oloroso style. Reminds me of the old Highland Park 12 back when there were bigger sherry amounts in the batches. Though the nose promises nothing, the palate delivers on a high note. The taste is of cinnamon, honey, coriander, lemon peel, toasted rye and just a small phenolic zing in the finish.
Simply the best Tobermory I've had up until now, by far: 8
Tobermory 10yo 46.3% OB
The new standard expression of Tobermory, bottled at 46.3%. I remember being sort of disappointed with the rather bland 40%-bottling a while back, so hopefully the risen abv. will bring a new dimension to this one. Another light nose, but not as odorless ad the Flickenschield bottling. Smells instantly herbal and grassy, with some vanilla and honey too. Where does this sweet honey-flavor come from? Interesting, almost like a Talisker without the peat, and I do like a Talisker. The taste is, well, on the contrary to the nose, it does have a bit, I'd think there were peat in this one if I didn't know any better. Sweet, grassy, herbal and oily at first, then develops into a more sort of coffee and spirity thing. caramel, coffee and gasoline?
Maybe water will help. Yes it does, not in the initial palate, but as with the blend it does restrain the spirity notes.
A good whisky with a kick to it, and some off-notes unfortunately: 4.5
Ledaig 18yo 1974-1992 43% OB
I don't think I have come across such an old Ledaig or Tobermory yet, and according to word of mouth, the Ledaig and Tobermory bottlings of past days could be pretty miserable. But 18 years old should give time for improvement? By the way, this is one of two 18yo Ledaigs I'm trying today. Pale color. Smells heavy and peaty, greasy to be precise. This reminds me sort of smoking a cigar over frying bacon. I'll give it that it's definitively not something you find in many other single malts. Oh yeah, this whisky talks. The taste is again fat, oily, thick, greasy if you know what I mean. And it's peaty, after the bold sensation of deep fried fat it's got another thing coming, a straight and kind of light peatiness. What I'm concerned, this one plays ball with the big peaty guys (Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Talisker) any day of week.
Not refined in any way, just bloody good whisky that handles the peat beautifully: 7.5
Ledaig 18yo 55.2% James MacArthur's
The only cask strength of this session, last sip showed that Ledaig really can handle a low strength, but what will happen when upped to cask strength. Same age, 18 years, maybe ledaig is a whisky that's just being bottled at a too young age? The good thing about James MacArthur's is that they often buy very good casks, but they keep to cheaper casks, which makes for an affordable IB. I do like it a lot as I can buy just about any bottling from JM and expect a good ordinary refill CS bourbon-casked whisky. It smells peaty and spirity alingside some lemon peel, vanilla and egg creme. Give it time and the peat really bursts out. The taste is extremely peaty and it burns, acidic, peat and peppery. It's much more extreme than the 1974. It's gonna need some water. Water makes it very sweet, apricot marmalade and honey melon. The peat disappears when diluted.
Try it undiluted and you'll be overwhelmed, dilute and be bored: 5.5
Tobermory NAS 40% OB Blend
A blend consisting of unpeated Tobermory and grain, I think this whisky is a couple of decades old. Smells light and fresh, wet grass, fresh mint and toothpaste. Extremely light and fresh. The taste is light, sort of buttery, dark chocolate and oily. That is all fine but lasts only for a short second before it turns spirity and bitter. Water might help? Not much but it streches the initial flavors a second or two. And the water takes down the spirity notes a bit. But all in all it is a light starter malt, and lacks the complexity of the single malts. I hope so.
Well balanced blend when diluted: 4
Tobermory 14yo 1995-2009 46% Flickenschield
I don't know much about the bottler Flickenschield, but I have seen some of their bottles for sale at online auctions. A dark version this one, could come from a sherry cask? But I guess they would have mentioned that on the bottle then, in these days of massive legend information. It smells Extremely light, much lighter than the blend, cinnamon tea and incense from a lighter cigarette, Prince Mint? Very withdrawn, but there are some notes of oloroso sherry in there. Needs tome to open up. The taste is perfectly sweet and balanced sherried whisky, oloroso style. Reminds me of the old Highland Park 12 back when there were bigger sherry amounts in the batches. Though the nose promises nothing, the palate delivers on a high note. The taste is of cinnamon, honey, coriander, lemon peel, toasted rye and just a small phenolic zing in the finish.
Simply the best Tobermory I've had up until now, by far: 8
Tobermory 10yo 46.3% OB
The new standard expression of Tobermory, bottled at 46.3%. I remember being sort of disappointed with the rather bland 40%-bottling a while back, so hopefully the risen abv. will bring a new dimension to this one. Another light nose, but not as odorless ad the Flickenschield bottling. Smells instantly herbal and grassy, with some vanilla and honey too. Where does this sweet honey-flavor come from? Interesting, almost like a Talisker without the peat, and I do like a Talisker. The taste is, well, on the contrary to the nose, it does have a bit, I'd think there were peat in this one if I didn't know any better. Sweet, grassy, herbal and oily at first, then develops into a more sort of coffee and spirity thing. caramel, coffee and gasoline?
Maybe water will help. Yes it does, not in the initial palate, but as with the blend it does restrain the spirity notes.
A good whisky with a kick to it, and some off-notes unfortunately: 4.5
Ledaig 18yo 1974-1992 43% OB
I don't think I have come across such an old Ledaig or Tobermory yet, and according to word of mouth, the Ledaig and Tobermory bottlings of past days could be pretty miserable. But 18 years old should give time for improvement? By the way, this is one of two 18yo Ledaigs I'm trying today. Pale color. Smells heavy and peaty, greasy to be precise. This reminds me sort of smoking a cigar over frying bacon. I'll give it that it's definitively not something you find in many other single malts. Oh yeah, this whisky talks. The taste is again fat, oily, thick, greasy if you know what I mean. And it's peaty, after the bold sensation of deep fried fat it's got another thing coming, a straight and kind of light peatiness. What I'm concerned, this one plays ball with the big peaty guys (Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Talisker) any day of week.
Not refined in any way, just bloody good whisky that handles the peat beautifully: 7.5
Ledaig 18yo 55.2% James MacArthur's
The only cask strength of this session, last sip showed that Ledaig really can handle a low strength, but what will happen when upped to cask strength. Same age, 18 years, maybe ledaig is a whisky that's just being bottled at a too young age? The good thing about James MacArthur's is that they often buy very good casks, but they keep to cheaper casks, which makes for an affordable IB. I do like it a lot as I can buy just about any bottling from JM and expect a good ordinary refill CS bourbon-casked whisky. It smells peaty and spirity alingside some lemon peel, vanilla and egg creme. Give it time and the peat really bursts out. The taste is extremely peaty and it burns, acidic, peat and peppery. It's much more extreme than the 1974. It's gonna need some water. Water makes it very sweet, apricot marmalade and honey melon. The peat disappears when diluted.
Try it undiluted and you'll be overwhelmed, dilute and be bored: 5.5
onsdag 14. september 2011
5 Highland Parks from 5 different IB's
The last Highland Park session was a cracker with only G&M-bottlings scoring about 8.5 in average, and especially the ones from the old Cask-series stood out. Now let's see what some other IB's and one OB for "Master of Malt"(I don't think they bottle themselves) can bring to the table.
At least, if this goes as planned, and I hope so, I won't have to reconsider Highland Park again anytime soon, as its now once again shining as one of my favorites.
Highland Park 22yo 1987-2009 43% Signatory Vintage
A very light colored Highland Park, as are all the ones I'm about to try in this vertical. I have always felt HP did best when there were at least some sweet sherry wood involved, but let's see. It smells sweet, eucalyptus, heather and vanilla, newspapers, needs time. Opens up more and more as it minutes goes by. But it also gets more subtle, strange. The taste is amazing, maybe one of the smokiest HP's I've tried, lots of vanilla, smoke, peat, ashes, herbal, lots of dried herbs like coriander, mint and basils. This is almost like smelling the scent of a finer society lady before going down to find she got the biggest balls of all. Extraordinary to say the least, and my rather sick comparison aside, it's a nice and powerful whisky. It could use some water, let's see. Now it got more of the usual honey-flavor that I often find in HP's but also some wax, reminds me a bit of Clynelish.
A thunderbolt Islander: 6
Highland Park 16yo 1989-2005 46% Cask & Thistle
I cannot recall ever trying a Cask & Thistle bottling before, so why not start with a Highland Park? This one is very pale in color, similar to a youngster. A rounder and lighter smell on this one, freshly washed linens and creme fraiche. Sort of fat and fresh, hard to describe, oily perhaps. The taste is burnt and peated, more of a coastal character. Almost like a caol Ila, or even a Laphroaig just less iodine. It needs water as it comes of a bit monotonous. There are some greens and some herbal notes here yet, but the water makes it lots sweeter and much more bitter. Lime juice and sugar, Caipirinha anyone?
A playful whisky that swims extremely well: 6.5
Highland Park 14yo 1995-2009 46% Murray McDavid Mission
This one is from a refill sherry cask, a light pink hue on it. Looks like some rosé wine. It smells much lighter that the 22yo and 16yo. Maybe the sherry cask has killed a bit of the initial flavors? Even when given time it is a lot lighter than I'd expect from anything above 20%abv. Theres some rubber and onion to be found. The taste is more in the lines of a dry vermouth than a sherry, at least a sweet sherry. Fino refill? Is it good? Maybe if you are into the cask experimentations going on at Bruichladdich a while back. I remember they could be very good, but far too often winded up a bit of a mismatch together with the peatiness of the malt. I have to give this a thumb down, but I'm sure there are someone that'll love it out there.
The prior Bourbon-matured ones were way better, unexpected: 2
Highland Park 13yo 57% Master of Malt
One bottled for (or by) online retailer Master of Malt. A nice online shop, a bit pricey but with an excellent selection. This one is as pale as white wine. I have had a Highland Park bottled at 100 proof from G&M in the past, and from what I can remember, it was a very good dram. It smells peaty and rubber boots, a bit waxy and salty, I can already tell this is going to needs some water. The initial taste is burnt and sweet, toasted chillies and gorgonzola bacterials. Water brings it down a bit, and now its quite similar to the 16yo from C&T. All in all, the quality of the malt does most of the talking here. And it is a very good malt, much more peated than older versions.
A fine whisky, a small peat monster: 5.5
Highland Park 12yo 1979-1991 65.2% Cadenhead's
I have always been a big fan of Cadenhead's as I find they have stock of many whiskies that other IB's yet are trailing to get. Say the Fettercairn or the Glenfarclas. And the %abv. of 65%+ I have only found one place else, at the also very excellent James MacArthur's. Good bottlers that aren't afraid to bottle at young age when the whisky is in its prime rather than letting it rest for extreme pricing at higher age contra good quality(of course not always the case). This one is pale and gets hazy straight away. Smells minty, very dry, cinnamon, heather, honey, spring onions and licorice. The taste is BIG!!!, Honey and vanilla with huge whiffs of peat and coastal salty character. Cream crackers, parmesan and lots of iodine.
This is a malt that's gonna challenge your tastebuds to the max: 7.5
At least, if this goes as planned, and I hope so, I won't have to reconsider Highland Park again anytime soon, as its now once again shining as one of my favorites.
Highland Park 22yo 1987-2009 43% Signatory Vintage
A very light colored Highland Park, as are all the ones I'm about to try in this vertical. I have always felt HP did best when there were at least some sweet sherry wood involved, but let's see. It smells sweet, eucalyptus, heather and vanilla, newspapers, needs time. Opens up more and more as it minutes goes by. But it also gets more subtle, strange. The taste is amazing, maybe one of the smokiest HP's I've tried, lots of vanilla, smoke, peat, ashes, herbal, lots of dried herbs like coriander, mint and basils. This is almost like smelling the scent of a finer society lady before going down to find she got the biggest balls of all. Extraordinary to say the least, and my rather sick comparison aside, it's a nice and powerful whisky. It could use some water, let's see. Now it got more of the usual honey-flavor that I often find in HP's but also some wax, reminds me a bit of Clynelish.
A thunderbolt Islander: 6
Highland Park 16yo 1989-2005 46% Cask & Thistle
I cannot recall ever trying a Cask & Thistle bottling before, so why not start with a Highland Park? This one is very pale in color, similar to a youngster. A rounder and lighter smell on this one, freshly washed linens and creme fraiche. Sort of fat and fresh, hard to describe, oily perhaps. The taste is burnt and peated, more of a coastal character. Almost like a caol Ila, or even a Laphroaig just less iodine. It needs water as it comes of a bit monotonous. There are some greens and some herbal notes here yet, but the water makes it lots sweeter and much more bitter. Lime juice and sugar, Caipirinha anyone?
A playful whisky that swims extremely well: 6.5
Highland Park 14yo 1995-2009 46% Murray McDavid Mission
This one is from a refill sherry cask, a light pink hue on it. Looks like some rosé wine. It smells much lighter that the 22yo and 16yo. Maybe the sherry cask has killed a bit of the initial flavors? Even when given time it is a lot lighter than I'd expect from anything above 20%abv. Theres some rubber and onion to be found. The taste is more in the lines of a dry vermouth than a sherry, at least a sweet sherry. Fino refill? Is it good? Maybe if you are into the cask experimentations going on at Bruichladdich a while back. I remember they could be very good, but far too often winded up a bit of a mismatch together with the peatiness of the malt. I have to give this a thumb down, but I'm sure there are someone that'll love it out there.
The prior Bourbon-matured ones were way better, unexpected: 2
Highland Park 13yo 57% Master of Malt
One bottled for (or by) online retailer Master of Malt. A nice online shop, a bit pricey but with an excellent selection. This one is as pale as white wine. I have had a Highland Park bottled at 100 proof from G&M in the past, and from what I can remember, it was a very good dram. It smells peaty and rubber boots, a bit waxy and salty, I can already tell this is going to needs some water. The initial taste is burnt and sweet, toasted chillies and gorgonzola bacterials. Water brings it down a bit, and now its quite similar to the 16yo from C&T. All in all, the quality of the malt does most of the talking here. And it is a very good malt, much more peated than older versions.
A fine whisky, a small peat monster: 5.5
Highland Park 12yo 1979-1991 65.2% Cadenhead's
I have always been a big fan of Cadenhead's as I find they have stock of many whiskies that other IB's yet are trailing to get. Say the Fettercairn or the Glenfarclas. And the %abv. of 65%+ I have only found one place else, at the also very excellent James MacArthur's. Good bottlers that aren't afraid to bottle at young age when the whisky is in its prime rather than letting it rest for extreme pricing at higher age contra good quality(of course not always the case). This one is pale and gets hazy straight away. Smells minty, very dry, cinnamon, heather, honey, spring onions and licorice. The taste is BIG!!!, Honey and vanilla with huge whiffs of peat and coastal salty character. Cream crackers, parmesan and lots of iodine.
This is a malt that's gonna challenge your tastebuds to the max: 7.5
onsdag 31. august 2011
4 young Auchentoshan OBs
I'll be away for around 14 days as of tomorrow I'll be heading for Alicante in Valencia, Spain. Maybe I'll find some good whiskies there? And as summer in Norway is on the withdrawal, and when I get back autumn will be arriving, so I'll finish the warm season with a vertical of some light Auchentoshans. A whisky where there are far between the highlights, as of up until now at least.
Auchentoshan NAS 40% OB Pure Malt
I believe this one is from the 80's or early 90's, the "pure malt" instead of "single malt" is nearly abolished by serious bottlers these days. Golden color. It smells extremely dry, yet sweet, sort of dark chocolate. Thick malt syrup and dark chocolate, truffles. The taste is rustic, somewhat sweet, but more than that it reminds me of rotten wood, cinnamon, ashes and mushrooms. Needs water. Water creates this burnt phenolic finish.
Tripple distilled scotch, does it work? Not here: 3
Auchentoshan 5yo 40% OB
Another one from a while back. 5 years old! I think that there weas produced some 5yo's in the 70's and 80's. Before the market cracked and many distilleries were mothballed or didn't manage to sell enough to get rid of old casks. So the nineties came with a boom and older whiskies were hitting the market at rapid pace. Now I see more and more youngsters out there, but thankfully at Cask Strength, and often released due to new distilleries on the market and good quality rather than the possibility of making good money selling young crap. Lighter color than the pure malt. It smells stearic, soap and floral. The taste is light and citrussy, much better than the nose anticipated. Light, easy, wheat, hay, grassy, a summers dram. The aftertaste is short and peppery.
A light middle of the road malt: 3.5
Auchentoshan NAS 43% OB Three Wood
Jumping fast forward to more modern times and this triple distilled and triple wood matured version. A young light lowlander with 3 different cask influences to confuse the palate. Doesn't seem to be a malt with much character, but lets not judge too soon. Dark golden brown color, some sherry cask influence? The nose is not far from the 5yo, wheat, oat meal, and some red wine, dry red wine that is. Now let's taste this one. Initial sweetness, light and fruity, strawberries and peach ice tea. The palate develops into a fino-like dryness before it turns a bit peppery and bitter (in a good way) on the finish. Water. Water kills it. Now its just like some sort of malt concentrate, malt soft drink without fizz? Weird and unpleasant stuff.
Don't add water to this surprisingly rich and complex whisky: 6.5
Auchentoshan NAS ?-2011 57.5% OB Valinch
If I'm correct, this is my first ever cask strength bottled Auchentoshan. A brand new bottling. Again one without aa age statement. I would believe that Auchentoshan were a distillery with much older malt to go around. The color is very light, bourbon cask? It smells rich, toffee pudding, yellow jello, herbal and grassy, not far from the Fettercairn 1997, but it lacks the enormous vanilla impact and slight peatiness that made the Fettercairn 1997 one of a kind, in my opinion. Given time it develops even more sweetness. The taste is extremely dry and spirity, I can't detect any real flavours, it needs water. With water it bursts into this burnt and extremely grassy thing.
It'll be a long time before I have an Auchentoshan Vertical again: 2
Auchentoshan NAS 40% OB Pure Malt
I believe this one is from the 80's or early 90's, the "pure malt" instead of "single malt" is nearly abolished by serious bottlers these days. Golden color. It smells extremely dry, yet sweet, sort of dark chocolate. Thick malt syrup and dark chocolate, truffles. The taste is rustic, somewhat sweet, but more than that it reminds me of rotten wood, cinnamon, ashes and mushrooms. Needs water. Water creates this burnt phenolic finish.
Tripple distilled scotch, does it work? Not here: 3
Auchentoshan 5yo 40% OB
Another one from a while back. 5 years old! I think that there weas produced some 5yo's in the 70's and 80's. Before the market cracked and many distilleries were mothballed or didn't manage to sell enough to get rid of old casks. So the nineties came with a boom and older whiskies were hitting the market at rapid pace. Now I see more and more youngsters out there, but thankfully at Cask Strength, and often released due to new distilleries on the market and good quality rather than the possibility of making good money selling young crap. Lighter color than the pure malt. It smells stearic, soap and floral. The taste is light and citrussy, much better than the nose anticipated. Light, easy, wheat, hay, grassy, a summers dram. The aftertaste is short and peppery.
A light middle of the road malt: 3.5
Auchentoshan NAS 43% OB Three Wood
Jumping fast forward to more modern times and this triple distilled and triple wood matured version. A young light lowlander with 3 different cask influences to confuse the palate. Doesn't seem to be a malt with much character, but lets not judge too soon. Dark golden brown color, some sherry cask influence? The nose is not far from the 5yo, wheat, oat meal, and some red wine, dry red wine that is. Now let's taste this one. Initial sweetness, light and fruity, strawberries and peach ice tea. The palate develops into a fino-like dryness before it turns a bit peppery and bitter (in a good way) on the finish. Water. Water kills it. Now its just like some sort of malt concentrate, malt soft drink without fizz? Weird and unpleasant stuff.
Don't add water to this surprisingly rich and complex whisky: 6.5
Auchentoshan NAS ?-2011 57.5% OB Valinch
If I'm correct, this is my first ever cask strength bottled Auchentoshan. A brand new bottling. Again one without aa age statement. I would believe that Auchentoshan were a distillery with much older malt to go around. The color is very light, bourbon cask? It smells rich, toffee pudding, yellow jello, herbal and grassy, not far from the Fettercairn 1997, but it lacks the enormous vanilla impact and slight peatiness that made the Fettercairn 1997 one of a kind, in my opinion. Given time it develops even more sweetness. The taste is extremely dry and spirity, I can't detect any real flavours, it needs water. With water it bursts into this burnt and extremely grassy thing.
It'll be a long time before I have an Auchentoshan Vertical again: 2
mandag 29. august 2011
6 Whiskies from all around
This is the one I've been looking most forward to of the alternative origin tastings I've done this summer, it is also the last one in a while. A couple of Kavalan singles from Taiwan, a mexican from the 1930's, one from Brazil and a couple more. The reason for these weird tastings was not only to broaden my horizon, but I also felt a bit stuck in a rut when it came to scotch, as it was about 99% of what I tasted it became slightly boring. Well, not any more, as lately even whiskies like Glen Rothes and Glen Keith (not normally my favorites) have become characters to be reckoned with in the whisky play. I believe its the result of a combination of trying whiskies from outside Scotland and doing verticals. Anyhow, up until now I think the only whiskies from abroad I'd be willing to buy a full bottle of is the french Glann Ar Mor and the Glen Els from Germany. Time to discover more!
Mark One NAS 40% Blend Brazil
A Brazilian blended whisky, when drinking blends from South-America, Asia and so on, it is important to make sure its not just imported scotch whisky that's been blended abroad, at least if you like to try something exotic. This looks like an older bottling, weary sticker and a funky 80's looking triangle bottle. Smells licorice and Vodka and some caramel fudge. The taste is pleasant at first, initially this caramel fudge flavor that I found on the nose, shortly overturned by a dry wheat-flavour, not unlike Vodka. It's a nice whisky, but somewhat undemanding and it has this plastic aftertaste that won't go away for a while.
Boring, bland, like some of the sub-par scotch blends: 3.5
Magisa NAS 40% Blend Spain
I had the Embrujo from Spain the other day, and it was to put it politely, a bit boring. This one has the color of straw, and the bottle seems to be from a while back. It smells This one smells dry yeast and hay. I have tried some lowlanders with this light and dry expression. Bladnoch and Auchentoshan being two of em. It develops a bit when given time, and it's rather nice in all its simplicity. The taste is sweet and light, lots of honey, cigar, syrupy, a bit cloying. A dessert malt. Not much on the finish. I have to say that it would work perfect as a starter to just about any whisky night, except if the theme were to be Islay.
Fresh, dry and sweet, perfect starter malt: 5.5
Old Sailor Viejo Marino NAS ?% Mexico 1930's
This whisky used to cost 6 cents back in the 30's. It says on the label that its a bourbon Type whisky, and it bears the print of the face of a freaky looking sailor's in front of some sailboats. I see that some of the glue inside the cork has fallen down into the liquid, but I'll sift those sediments out before tasting, of course. Dark brown color, smells bourbon, or Gentleman Jack to be a bit more precise. The taste is This is horrible, far from my finest moment, it smells like rancid ice-tea, peach flavor. I can't have more than a sip of this one, next please!
Quite terrible: 1.5
Kavalan NAS 40% OB Concertmaster Port Cask Finish
It's far between each time I'm blown away by a whisky that's been in a Port Cask, but I remember one Laphroaig that was amazing. This is the first single malt of this session, and I certainly hope its a massive jump up from the sailor whisky. It has a nice, red hue, an active port cask? The nose suggests sweet port style whisky, tawny, small amount of peat, now this seems to be the real deal, or am I desperately looking for something that assembles scotch? Let's taste. The taste is burnt, sulphury, not pleasant at all. it's hard to find anything else to describe it with. Maybe should it be bottled at higher strength, something seems to have gone completely wrong with this one although it smells nice.
No thanks, too much cask influence, and a weak spirit: 2.5
Kavalan NAS 58.7% OB Solist Sherry-matured
From what it looks like, this has been fully matured in a sherry cask. And by the way, at this strength, and the temperatures in Taiwan, it can't be matured much longer than 5-6 years. If I'm wrong, please e-mail me so that I can change my statement. Dark brown color, let's see if my prediction of a better whisky at cask strength is true. It smells very strongly of sherry, cream sherry, a fantastic nose, but will the tasting be more uplifting than the Concertmasters?. The taste is rich, sweet and dry, like some amontillado, right between oloroso and fino sherry. The cask influence is extreme, I can't remember ever trying a whisky with an influence that completely overpowers all other flavors in a way that this do. I have to say that combined with the Aberlour A'bunadh, which is the closest I can think of from Scotland, it is in the same league, it just lacks a distillery character, a bit like the Concertmaster, or maybe Kavalan's just a very impotent spirit. I believe it can handle some water. Now it becomes much more fragrant, peppery, red wine vinegar, some peat and some dry red wine.
Very well made whisky, best of the international bunch so far: 6.5
Amrut NAS ?-2007 61.9% Indian
I believe this is the most famous of the foreigners I've tried up until now in whisky-circles. I have never fallen for Amrut the way I know many others have, but maybe this one will change my mind. It smells vanilla, licorice, orange marmalade and butter. I like it a lot, much better than the watered down versions I've tried up until now. No, wait.. It also smells a lot like strong ale. The taste is oh so sweet, intense vanilla at first, the aftertaste is just spirity. Let's add some water. Now it becomes a bit more spirity. To be honest I did enjoy it more before it was diluted. Anyway, this is a really good whisky when given time.
A perfect ending to this rather two-sided tasting: 6.5
Mark One NAS 40% Blend Brazil
A Brazilian blended whisky, when drinking blends from South-America, Asia and so on, it is important to make sure its not just imported scotch whisky that's been blended abroad, at least if you like to try something exotic. This looks like an older bottling, weary sticker and a funky 80's looking triangle bottle. Smells licorice and Vodka and some caramel fudge. The taste is pleasant at first, initially this caramel fudge flavor that I found on the nose, shortly overturned by a dry wheat-flavour, not unlike Vodka. It's a nice whisky, but somewhat undemanding and it has this plastic aftertaste that won't go away for a while.
Boring, bland, like some of the sub-par scotch blends: 3.5
Magisa NAS 40% Blend Spain
I had the Embrujo from Spain the other day, and it was to put it politely, a bit boring. This one has the color of straw, and the bottle seems to be from a while back. It smells This one smells dry yeast and hay. I have tried some lowlanders with this light and dry expression. Bladnoch and Auchentoshan being two of em. It develops a bit when given time, and it's rather nice in all its simplicity. The taste is sweet and light, lots of honey, cigar, syrupy, a bit cloying. A dessert malt. Not much on the finish. I have to say that it would work perfect as a starter to just about any whisky night, except if the theme were to be Islay.
Fresh, dry and sweet, perfect starter malt: 5.5
Old Sailor Viejo Marino NAS ?% Mexico 1930's
This whisky used to cost 6 cents back in the 30's. It says on the label that its a bourbon Type whisky, and it bears the print of the face of a freaky looking sailor's in front of some sailboats. I see that some of the glue inside the cork has fallen down into the liquid, but I'll sift those sediments out before tasting, of course. Dark brown color, smells bourbon, or Gentleman Jack to be a bit more precise. The taste is This is horrible, far from my finest moment, it smells like rancid ice-tea, peach flavor. I can't have more than a sip of this one, next please!
Quite terrible: 1.5
Kavalan NAS 40% OB Concertmaster Port Cask Finish
It's far between each time I'm blown away by a whisky that's been in a Port Cask, but I remember one Laphroaig that was amazing. This is the first single malt of this session, and I certainly hope its a massive jump up from the sailor whisky. It has a nice, red hue, an active port cask? The nose suggests sweet port style whisky, tawny, small amount of peat, now this seems to be the real deal, or am I desperately looking for something that assembles scotch? Let's taste. The taste is burnt, sulphury, not pleasant at all. it's hard to find anything else to describe it with. Maybe should it be bottled at higher strength, something seems to have gone completely wrong with this one although it smells nice.
No thanks, too much cask influence, and a weak spirit: 2.5
Kavalan NAS 58.7% OB Solist Sherry-matured
From what it looks like, this has been fully matured in a sherry cask. And by the way, at this strength, and the temperatures in Taiwan, it can't be matured much longer than 5-6 years. If I'm wrong, please e-mail me so that I can change my statement. Dark brown color, let's see if my prediction of a better whisky at cask strength is true. It smells very strongly of sherry, cream sherry, a fantastic nose, but will the tasting be more uplifting than the Concertmasters?. The taste is rich, sweet and dry, like some amontillado, right between oloroso and fino sherry. The cask influence is extreme, I can't remember ever trying a whisky with an influence that completely overpowers all other flavors in a way that this do. I have to say that combined with the Aberlour A'bunadh, which is the closest I can think of from Scotland, it is in the same league, it just lacks a distillery character, a bit like the Concertmaster, or maybe Kavalan's just a very impotent spirit. I believe it can handle some water. Now it becomes much more fragrant, peppery, red wine vinegar, some peat and some dry red wine.
Very well made whisky, best of the international bunch so far: 6.5
Amrut NAS ?-2007 61.9% Indian
I believe this is the most famous of the foreigners I've tried up until now in whisky-circles. I have never fallen for Amrut the way I know many others have, but maybe this one will change my mind. It smells vanilla, licorice, orange marmalade and butter. I like it a lot, much better than the watered down versions I've tried up until now. No, wait.. It also smells a lot like strong ale. The taste is oh so sweet, intense vanilla at first, the aftertaste is just spirity. Let's add some water. Now it becomes a bit more spirity. To be honest I did enjoy it more before it was diluted. Anyway, this is a really good whisky when given time.
A perfect ending to this rather two-sided tasting: 6.5
onsdag 24. august 2011
5 Single Malts (maybe just 4) from europe
I was actually going to do an Auchentoshan vertical today, but Auchentoshan is for me, amongst the lightest malts in Scotland, a definite summer's dram. So as the temperature lowers and I'm still not through with my discovery journey of whiskies from alternative geographic origin, let's do another strange tasting, this time from the european mainland, all single malts.
Embrujo Whisky Puro Malta NAS 40% OB Spain
One from Paloma, from Destilerias Liber S.L. Please don't ask, I just know they have a pretty decent looking website confirming its a single malt, and the representation box and bottle are exquisite with blue photos of very clean distillation gear. Bronze color, probably added some e-stuff. It smells very nice, but also dusty and oaky, one-dimensional and boring, maybe this isn't single malt? It's just too mild one the nose, minty, oaky, with some vanilla as well, fresh bourbon cask? Am I dreaming? Lets taste. The taste is light, sweet, again vanilla, and some short peppery finish. Water? Yes! It gets a bit rounder, but now its as light as apple juice. Next one!
Light aperitif, but you can't have it alongside a shrimp, the flavor will drown: 2
The Glen Els NAS 45.9% OB Germany
"Nordisch by Nature" is the slogan for this whisky, I don't know what is the catch in that phrase, but lets try it, the Germans have adapted other things with great luck, such as artsy triples from Belgium. Lots more strength on the nose, it smells sweet and smoky, promising, but still there's this weird vanilla-like sweetness that, granted I'm right about the Embrujo, definitively don't come from a bourbon cask. The initial interesting smokiness soon disappears and it becomes uninteresting. The taste is dry and a bit sour with a rich, buttery and creamy aftertaste. A really buttery whisky, I can't remember coming across such one before. Buttered and sugared pancakes.
Nice one, I'm going to buy more of these if opportunity is presented: 6
Goldlys 20yo 1991-2011 46% OB First Release Belgium
A first release at 20yo, you don't see many of those these days. From a bourbon cask and limited to 1100 bottles. I Belgian never tried malt before, but are they as skilled as they are with brewing beer, I gthink I might be in for a pleasant treat. It'd be perfect if they bottled it at cask strength as well, a small slap in the face to all the new whisky distilleries bottling spirit and weird cask enhanced youngsters. It smells fat, peaty, creamy, fresh, scallops, honey and beer braised beef. Meaty is the word I was looking for. The taste is mild and short compared to the nose, slight rubbery, a bit like overdone duck eggs and bitter weeds. The aftertaste is bitter and herbal. It's not far from some scotch whisky, on some respects, but again far from the best scotch. Best without water.
Nice on the nose, after that it misses its momentum: 4
Mackmyra NAS 50.6% OB 02 10th. anniversary Sweden
Time to try this one then, I believe it is my first cask strength whisky outside Great Britain and Ireland. From our neighboring country Sweden, both they and the Danes have a handful distilleries running at this point. I guess its typical for us Norwegians to be a bit behind, but we're coming along, as the Aas & Egge Single Malt eau di Biere is on the market, well all sold out now that is. If you wonder, they couldn't call it whisky as it was distilled from beer which contains hops. This one smells light and citrussy, lemon peel and fresh wood fruits, berries and wet moss. The taste is burnt, spirity, far from a good experience, it needs more layers to create a complexity that I look for in a good malt. This is a straight forward spirity adventure for the ones that likes that.. no wait, let's see if water helps. It gets lighter, and a bit more drinkable, a massive improvement from the rather raw and oak and alcohol clustered beast it started as.
Seems to me the biggest benefit of the scottish are the experience: 3
Glann Ar Mor NAS 46% OB Kornog Taouarc'd
If my sources are correct, is this a peated whisky from France, 3years old. I have tried a very little intriguing 3yo Bowmore bottled for a shop in Germany near the whore district in Hamburg. Could it be a fake?:) Anyway, this one isn't, and I think this is the first peated whisky I've tried from outside Great Britain and Ireland. Oh the Connemara... It smells peaty and perfumy, sort of this sweet peatiness that I find in some of the diluted Laphroaigs. The peat overshadows everything else except some sweet woody stuff, lawn right after autumn rain. Fresh and peaty. The taste is peaty and minty, the minty flavour is kind of withdrawn as it doesn't strike me until after the initial peat sensation is over. OK, it's not fantastic, it's kind of light and uninteresting, but in comparison to the other whiskies I've tried today, its not as spirity as the others, and the peat and other flavors gets to have a say.
Definitively the most balanced up until now, hence the score: 6.5
Embrujo Whisky Puro Malta NAS 40% OB Spain
One from Paloma, from Destilerias Liber S.L. Please don't ask, I just know they have a pretty decent looking website confirming its a single malt, and the representation box and bottle are exquisite with blue photos of very clean distillation gear. Bronze color, probably added some e-stuff. It smells very nice, but also dusty and oaky, one-dimensional and boring, maybe this isn't single malt? It's just too mild one the nose, minty, oaky, with some vanilla as well, fresh bourbon cask? Am I dreaming? Lets taste. The taste is light, sweet, again vanilla, and some short peppery finish. Water? Yes! It gets a bit rounder, but now its as light as apple juice. Next one!
Light aperitif, but you can't have it alongside a shrimp, the flavor will drown: 2
The Glen Els NAS 45.9% OB Germany
"Nordisch by Nature" is the slogan for this whisky, I don't know what is the catch in that phrase, but lets try it, the Germans have adapted other things with great luck, such as artsy triples from Belgium. Lots more strength on the nose, it smells sweet and smoky, promising, but still there's this weird vanilla-like sweetness that, granted I'm right about the Embrujo, definitively don't come from a bourbon cask. The initial interesting smokiness soon disappears and it becomes uninteresting. The taste is dry and a bit sour with a rich, buttery and creamy aftertaste. A really buttery whisky, I can't remember coming across such one before. Buttered and sugared pancakes.
Nice one, I'm going to buy more of these if opportunity is presented: 6
Goldlys 20yo 1991-2011 46% OB First Release Belgium
A first release at 20yo, you don't see many of those these days. From a bourbon cask and limited to 1100 bottles. I Belgian never tried malt before, but are they as skilled as they are with brewing beer, I gthink I might be in for a pleasant treat. It'd be perfect if they bottled it at cask strength as well, a small slap in the face to all the new whisky distilleries bottling spirit and weird cask enhanced youngsters. It smells fat, peaty, creamy, fresh, scallops, honey and beer braised beef. Meaty is the word I was looking for. The taste is mild and short compared to the nose, slight rubbery, a bit like overdone duck eggs and bitter weeds. The aftertaste is bitter and herbal. It's not far from some scotch whisky, on some respects, but again far from the best scotch. Best without water.
Nice on the nose, after that it misses its momentum: 4
Mackmyra NAS 50.6% OB 02 10th. anniversary Sweden
Time to try this one then, I believe it is my first cask strength whisky outside Great Britain and Ireland. From our neighboring country Sweden, both they and the Danes have a handful distilleries running at this point. I guess its typical for us Norwegians to be a bit behind, but we're coming along, as the Aas & Egge Single Malt eau di Biere is on the market, well all sold out now that is. If you wonder, they couldn't call it whisky as it was distilled from beer which contains hops. This one smells light and citrussy, lemon peel and fresh wood fruits, berries and wet moss. The taste is burnt, spirity, far from a good experience, it needs more layers to create a complexity that I look for in a good malt. This is a straight forward spirity adventure for the ones that likes that.. no wait, let's see if water helps. It gets lighter, and a bit more drinkable, a massive improvement from the rather raw and oak and alcohol clustered beast it started as.
Seems to me the biggest benefit of the scottish are the experience: 3
Glann Ar Mor NAS 46% OB Kornog Taouarc'd
If my sources are correct, is this a peated whisky from France, 3years old. I have tried a very little intriguing 3yo Bowmore bottled for a shop in Germany near the whore district in Hamburg. Could it be a fake?:) Anyway, this one isn't, and I think this is the first peated whisky I've tried from outside Great Britain and Ireland. Oh the Connemara... It smells peaty and perfumy, sort of this sweet peatiness that I find in some of the diluted Laphroaigs. The peat overshadows everything else except some sweet woody stuff, lawn right after autumn rain. Fresh and peaty. The taste is peaty and minty, the minty flavour is kind of withdrawn as it doesn't strike me until after the initial peat sensation is over. OK, it's not fantastic, it's kind of light and uninteresting, but in comparison to the other whiskies I've tried today, its not as spirity as the others, and the peat and other flavors gets to have a say.
Definitively the most balanced up until now, hence the score: 6.5
lørdag 20. august 2011
Glen Keith in its 20's 30's and 40's
I haven't had the best experiences with Glen Keith so far, I can't actually remember ever having a real good one. But the foursome of which I am about to try now should hopefully help that matter. Btw. I think it's easy to become biased and blended by the feel of exclusivity when tasting rarities, so I'll enjoy this one when there still are many reasonably priced Glen Keiths left on the market.
Glen Keith 40yo 1970-2010 45.1% The Whisky Agency
From an ex-bourbon hogshead, hopefully forty years will be enough to remedy the usually quite bitter and perfumy malt. But as I was mentioning becoming biased by positive associations its equally important not to pre-judge malt from a distillery based on former experiences, as every whisky tells a story of its own, doesn't it? And what story won't a 40 year old whisky be able to tell? Pretty light in color, smells very restrained, gonna need some time to develop, I'll let it sit.. After doing laundry, taking a shower and changing to a more festive outfit, it finally starts developing, lets say 20-30 minutes. And now there's this rich custard and moscatel reduction that is perfect for a hot summers day. The taste is peppery, a bit perfumy, and these beautiful sour and spicy notes, kind of like laurel broth (which I have never tasted, but the laurel adds this flavor to my irish stew.) Amazing, not as complex as I could've hoped for, but still a fantastic whisky altogether. A bit heavy on the aftertaste, the pepper notes gets the best of it now, maybe water will help. No. A bit of a letdown at the end, but the palate is sour and rich, and way more to my liking than other versions of Glen Keith that I've tried.
The wood has done an excellent job on this one: 8
Glen Keith 21yo 1973-1994 50.9% James MacArthur's
Going down a couple of decades in maturation, an older bottling, will the alleged effect of maturing in a bottle for almost twenty years have an impact, as of then, this shouldn't be very far from the 40 year old, but again, lets not get biased before I try this one. Also this one with a light color, sort of like apple cider. White wine perhaps. It smells instantly much more than the one from TWA. Perfumy, burnt sugar, burnt oil, sort of like a dessert meltdown. Some dark chocolate as well, and, oh yeah, there's definitively some dried apricot going on. The taste is peppery, honey, nylon, oaky, green tea, brick dust, much more dry than the TWA. It doesn't blow me away on the palate, but that doesn't mean its bad, not at all. It's just more rustic and a bit more subtle. The aftertaste is again too peppery, and water doesn't help here either.
An old style whisky, very pleasant: 6.5
Glen Keith 22yo 1978-2000 51.2% James MacArthur's
Another one from J.M. About the same age, bottled 6 years later, maybe they found an age profile that fits Glen Keiths malt spirit, without the time in cask making it an overpriced luxury product. But since its scotch, I guess it already is. Again this light, almost greenish yellow pale color. This time it smells much lighter than the 21yo, almost a bit oily, no not oily, more like, you know the damp that comes off when cooking fish stock. Like, it doesn't smell much but you know its gonna taste good, well I certainly hope so. After some time it gets spicier, but not as perfumy as its predecessors in this tasting. Much lighter, a certain highland style, I remember a couple of Fettercairns that reminded me of this one on the nose. The taste is much more like the TWA. These fantastic sour notes, sour leaves is the best I can describe it with, fantastic! It has a striking resemblence to the 40yo from TWA, not as smooth, and just a tad wilder. If you like your malt loud and clear, this is the one for you. Some pepperiness in the aftertaste, which again is the letdown for this malt.
I have to say this is sort of an intervention for a Glen Keith skeptic: 7
Craigduff 32yo 1975-2007 53.9% Signatory Vintage
An alternative version made at Glen Keith distillery. A peated Glen Keith, I think Glen Keith might have been the first distillery to make a peated version with a different name, which we are now seeing elsewhere, such as the Old Ballantruan of Tomintoul Distillery. It's gonna be fun to try this one. Golden color, Smells much sweeter than the previously tasted ones. Not that much of a peat influence, but it gets bigger and bigger as it sits. Air brings out quite some peat character in this one, and for that, there aren't much else to trace by using the nose. The taste then, it's peaty, perfumy and spirity, the bad things that I often find in Glen Keith, plus the peat. Peat doesn't make it a good whisky on its own, well documented by the 12yo Bowmore, and so is the case here. I don't think it even helps the case. How can this whisky be so raw and spirity after 32 years on wood? Well, I can perfectly understand why they decided not to move forward with this experimental speysider.
I'm sad to end a surprisingly good vertical on this note: 3
Glen Keith 40yo 1970-2010 45.1% The Whisky Agency
From an ex-bourbon hogshead, hopefully forty years will be enough to remedy the usually quite bitter and perfumy malt. But as I was mentioning becoming biased by positive associations its equally important not to pre-judge malt from a distillery based on former experiences, as every whisky tells a story of its own, doesn't it? And what story won't a 40 year old whisky be able to tell? Pretty light in color, smells very restrained, gonna need some time to develop, I'll let it sit.. After doing laundry, taking a shower and changing to a more festive outfit, it finally starts developing, lets say 20-30 minutes. And now there's this rich custard and moscatel reduction that is perfect for a hot summers day. The taste is peppery, a bit perfumy, and these beautiful sour and spicy notes, kind of like laurel broth (which I have never tasted, but the laurel adds this flavor to my irish stew.) Amazing, not as complex as I could've hoped for, but still a fantastic whisky altogether. A bit heavy on the aftertaste, the pepper notes gets the best of it now, maybe water will help. No. A bit of a letdown at the end, but the palate is sour and rich, and way more to my liking than other versions of Glen Keith that I've tried.
The wood has done an excellent job on this one: 8
Glen Keith 21yo 1973-1994 50.9% James MacArthur's
Going down a couple of decades in maturation, an older bottling, will the alleged effect of maturing in a bottle for almost twenty years have an impact, as of then, this shouldn't be very far from the 40 year old, but again, lets not get biased before I try this one. Also this one with a light color, sort of like apple cider. White wine perhaps. It smells instantly much more than the one from TWA. Perfumy, burnt sugar, burnt oil, sort of like a dessert meltdown. Some dark chocolate as well, and, oh yeah, there's definitively some dried apricot going on. The taste is peppery, honey, nylon, oaky, green tea, brick dust, much more dry than the TWA. It doesn't blow me away on the palate, but that doesn't mean its bad, not at all. It's just more rustic and a bit more subtle. The aftertaste is again too peppery, and water doesn't help here either.
An old style whisky, very pleasant: 6.5
Glen Keith 22yo 1978-2000 51.2% James MacArthur's
Another one from J.M. About the same age, bottled 6 years later, maybe they found an age profile that fits Glen Keiths malt spirit, without the time in cask making it an overpriced luxury product. But since its scotch, I guess it already is. Again this light, almost greenish yellow pale color. This time it smells much lighter than the 21yo, almost a bit oily, no not oily, more like, you know the damp that comes off when cooking fish stock. Like, it doesn't smell much but you know its gonna taste good, well I certainly hope so. After some time it gets spicier, but not as perfumy as its predecessors in this tasting. Much lighter, a certain highland style, I remember a couple of Fettercairns that reminded me of this one on the nose. The taste is much more like the TWA. These fantastic sour notes, sour leaves is the best I can describe it with, fantastic! It has a striking resemblence to the 40yo from TWA, not as smooth, and just a tad wilder. If you like your malt loud and clear, this is the one for you. Some pepperiness in the aftertaste, which again is the letdown for this malt.
I have to say this is sort of an intervention for a Glen Keith skeptic: 7
Craigduff 32yo 1975-2007 53.9% Signatory Vintage
An alternative version made at Glen Keith distillery. A peated Glen Keith, I think Glen Keith might have been the first distillery to make a peated version with a different name, which we are now seeing elsewhere, such as the Old Ballantruan of Tomintoul Distillery. It's gonna be fun to try this one. Golden color, Smells much sweeter than the previously tasted ones. Not that much of a peat influence, but it gets bigger and bigger as it sits. Air brings out quite some peat character in this one, and for that, there aren't much else to trace by using the nose. The taste then, it's peaty, perfumy and spirity, the bad things that I often find in Glen Keith, plus the peat. Peat doesn't make it a good whisky on its own, well documented by the 12yo Bowmore, and so is the case here. I don't think it even helps the case. How can this whisky be so raw and spirity after 32 years on wood? Well, I can perfectly understand why they decided not to move forward with this experimental speysider.
I'm sad to end a surprisingly good vertical on this note: 3
onsdag 17. august 2011
5 weird whiskies of different origin
I'd have hoped that last session with whiskies from asia would have diversed more from the scotch palate than what it did. Except from the Grand Royal which was another kind of "whisky", yet enjoyable. But from these ones I have no idea what to expect, other than that I'd be amazed if it's anything like scotch whisky. Trying new whiskies allows me to furthermore find brilliant producers, but it also to an extent confirms my trust in scotch whisky makers as the solely best of the art.
Cyprus Whisky - from Cyprus with love NAS 40% Cyprus Wineries
I have no idea what the history of this bottling is, seems to be a tourist flirt. It is a plastic bottle with a brown plastic top wrapped in some kind of leather envelope. This is tied together with a leather lace, and on one of the leather leaves it says "Hand made by Santa Marina Ltd." This all fancy and stuff, but how's the whisky? Golden orange color, smells burnt, but not bad, peppery, onion and stout. The taste is Fat, thick, oily, fruity, custard, cinnamon peel, very good stuff! It's very light and creamy, and at first it's more like a Barcardi white rum, extremely light, but the aforementioned flavors soon appears, and all in all its a rather perfect light summer malt, at least if I'd live in a hotter climate like Cyprus.
More layers of flavors than expected: 6
Well, I just had to open the leather condom to see the bottle inside. It turns out there is a miniature with a label called Old Oak Whisky, and it says " Imported Whisky Malt ennobled and well balanced with pure and absolutely neutral and double distilled alcohol at our distilleries." Anyway, it says its a whisky from cyprus, and I think they would've sould more selling just the miniature as it is instead of with a ridiculous brown cork top and a leather vase.
Zuidam 5yo 40% OB Dutch Rye Whisky
I haven't tried too much rye whisky yet, and certainly never from europe. Seems to have gotten much color from just 5 years in the cask, and being watered down to only 40%, maybe it's loaded with E150? Anyway, 40% whiskies gets harder and harder to come by if your not into blends. But the rising abvs on standard bottlings are all a sign that quality in increasing on the single malt market in my opinion. Smells peppery and dry/dusty. The taste is just peppery, a bit spirity and oaky, plain and boring. There is no aftertaste and it doesn't change with water, although it opens up a bit more.
Boring stuff: 3
Jacob Stück 43% Blend Germany
A small miniature with about 2 cl. volume. A very pale whisky, 3 years old. I feel that just under 2cl is a little too little when it comes to making a comprehensive whisky review, but on the other hand, there's always a first impression and usually its very right. Sometimes a whisky grows on me during a session, and if it isn't all that to begin with I ket it rest for a while and try it later, or even have a couple whiskies in between sips. Nothing on the nose, absolutely nothing, or ait a minute, maybe some tea and grassy notes. The taste is grassy and spirity.
One to have with coke, club soda or whatever, it's not enjoyable alone: 2
Old Grand-Dad NAS 43% Kentucky Straight Bourbon
I know a lot of these are going around on auctions and so on nowadays. In the past I have found it hard to find really enjoyable bourbons, maybe this one can make a change. I know there are a 100 proof version of this as well that I will try to get a hold of if it strikes me as whisky that could benefit much from higher abv. The colour is golden bronze, a nice red hue. It smells best of the bunch, honey, cinnamon, cloves, lots more honey and roasted red peppers. The taste is not as good, more burnt, bitter, a bit like the aftertaste of tonic water. Maybe it needs to be diluted although I don't think that is the way to go with bourbon? No, doesn't help, the smell was very good, but when the taste doesn't follow up its hard to give a good score.
I'm still waiting for my bourbon epiphany: 3
Fireball NAS 33% Red Hot Cinnamon Whisky Canada
I thought the rule of a minimum of 40% abv. to allow it to be called a whisky applied in Canada as well? Anyway, the bottle looks like something the teens on the block would mix with battery to make a high intensity energetic rave-mix to drink while listening to scooter or whatever is on the teenage charts today. But I'm a free and willing spirit, so let's try this one and see if it could be a disguised beauty. Appearance aside, cinnamon doesn't sound too bad in a whisky as it is one of the most common flavor notes when tasting Oloroso sherry cask matured whisky. Oh yeah, and on the back of the label it's very hip and coll written "Ignite the Nite". Now, it smells sweet, like some dry port wine, no whisky whatsoever. The taste is Sweet, sugary, honey and strawberries, before it turns peppery, more like hot 'n'sweet, or licorice Vodka if you like, but these spicy notes in the end are much more, chili, nuts, a bit of cinamon and curry. To say it in another way, it actually does taste very good although the initial sweetness is a bit too overpowering. I'd like to split this one in two and say that the palate initially is nauseatingly sweet, but the finish is perfectly sippable and a drink I easily could down a bottle of in one night. Even have beside some light cheese like mozzarella or an apple tart.
A perfectly good drink, but as a whisky it doesn't quite work: 3.5
Cyprus Whisky - from Cyprus with love NAS 40% Cyprus Wineries
I have no idea what the history of this bottling is, seems to be a tourist flirt. It is a plastic bottle with a brown plastic top wrapped in some kind of leather envelope. This is tied together with a leather lace, and on one of the leather leaves it says "Hand made by Santa Marina Ltd." This all fancy and stuff, but how's the whisky? Golden orange color, smells burnt, but not bad, peppery, onion and stout. The taste is Fat, thick, oily, fruity, custard, cinnamon peel, very good stuff! It's very light and creamy, and at first it's more like a Barcardi white rum, extremely light, but the aforementioned flavors soon appears, and all in all its a rather perfect light summer malt, at least if I'd live in a hotter climate like Cyprus.
More layers of flavors than expected: 6
Well, I just had to open the leather condom to see the bottle inside. It turns out there is a miniature with a label called Old Oak Whisky, and it says " Imported Whisky Malt ennobled and well balanced with pure and absolutely neutral and double distilled alcohol at our distilleries." Anyway, it says its a whisky from cyprus, and I think they would've sould more selling just the miniature as it is instead of with a ridiculous brown cork top and a leather vase.
Zuidam 5yo 40% OB Dutch Rye Whisky
I haven't tried too much rye whisky yet, and certainly never from europe. Seems to have gotten much color from just 5 years in the cask, and being watered down to only 40%, maybe it's loaded with E150? Anyway, 40% whiskies gets harder and harder to come by if your not into blends. But the rising abvs on standard bottlings are all a sign that quality in increasing on the single malt market in my opinion. Smells peppery and dry/dusty. The taste is just peppery, a bit spirity and oaky, plain and boring. There is no aftertaste and it doesn't change with water, although it opens up a bit more.
Boring stuff: 3
Jacob Stück 43% Blend Germany
A small miniature with about 2 cl. volume. A very pale whisky, 3 years old. I feel that just under 2cl is a little too little when it comes to making a comprehensive whisky review, but on the other hand, there's always a first impression and usually its very right. Sometimes a whisky grows on me during a session, and if it isn't all that to begin with I ket it rest for a while and try it later, or even have a couple whiskies in between sips. Nothing on the nose, absolutely nothing, or ait a minute, maybe some tea and grassy notes. The taste is grassy and spirity.
One to have with coke, club soda or whatever, it's not enjoyable alone: 2
Old Grand-Dad NAS 43% Kentucky Straight Bourbon
I know a lot of these are going around on auctions and so on nowadays. In the past I have found it hard to find really enjoyable bourbons, maybe this one can make a change. I know there are a 100 proof version of this as well that I will try to get a hold of if it strikes me as whisky that could benefit much from higher abv. The colour is golden bronze, a nice red hue. It smells best of the bunch, honey, cinnamon, cloves, lots more honey and roasted red peppers. The taste is not as good, more burnt, bitter, a bit like the aftertaste of tonic water. Maybe it needs to be diluted although I don't think that is the way to go with bourbon? No, doesn't help, the smell was very good, but when the taste doesn't follow up its hard to give a good score.
I'm still waiting for my bourbon epiphany: 3
Fireball NAS 33% Red Hot Cinnamon Whisky Canada
I thought the rule of a minimum of 40% abv. to allow it to be called a whisky applied in Canada as well? Anyway, the bottle looks like something the teens on the block would mix with battery to make a high intensity energetic rave-mix to drink while listening to scooter or whatever is on the teenage charts today. But I'm a free and willing spirit, so let's try this one and see if it could be a disguised beauty. Appearance aside, cinnamon doesn't sound too bad in a whisky as it is one of the most common flavor notes when tasting Oloroso sherry cask matured whisky. Oh yeah, and on the back of the label it's very hip and coll written "Ignite the Nite". Now, it smells sweet, like some dry port wine, no whisky whatsoever. The taste is Sweet, sugary, honey and strawberries, before it turns peppery, more like hot 'n'sweet, or licorice Vodka if you like, but these spicy notes in the end are much more, chili, nuts, a bit of cinamon and curry. To say it in another way, it actually does taste very good although the initial sweetness is a bit too overpowering. I'd like to split this one in two and say that the palate initially is nauseatingly sweet, but the finish is perfectly sippable and a drink I easily could down a bottle of in one night. Even have beside some light cheese like mozzarella or an apple tart.
A perfectly good drink, but as a whisky it doesn't quite work: 3.5
mandag 15. august 2011
4 asian whiskies from the lower shelves
I haven't had the best experiences with asian whisky yet although I must admit there have been occasions where some Japanese single malts and whiskies from Amrut Distillery in India has impressed me. Maybe one of these whiskies can turn out to be a wild card as I'm about to explore more whiskies from other parts of the world.
Grand Royal 43% Myanmar(Burma)
OK, is this a whisky? The label states "Premium Quality Malt Whisky Matured in Oak Casks", all right, so far... Furter reading shows "...Produced from imported whisky concentrate and high quality potable alcohol." So what this means is that the spirit, which should be malted barley, referencing first quote, is then again mixed with whisky concentrate imported from well, possibly anywhere whisky is made. This is again mixed with "potable spirit" meaning just an alcoholic beverage made for consumption, again referencing to first quote, it should be malt. I do not know enough of this to conclude on anything, but the back label says it's "Proudly bottled by Myanmar Winery & Distillery Co. under technical supervision of International Experts." Please, if anyone have further details of what this is made of, please e-mail me. Grand Royal is also the first whisky ever to be exported from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar a.k.a. Burma. Light color, apple cider. The nose is very light and fruity, aperitif style, minty and flour sugar, not much more, but it has none of the off-notes that I've sometimes found in strange whiskies from the Himalayan outback, Sikkim Gold anyone? The taste is mild, sweet, minty, herbal, linseeds and green tea. A pleasant surprise, and far from the train-wreck one could've anticipated. It has something of Loch Lomond going one, and its far from matured long enough. But it has some charm in al its simplicity.
Well made aperitif, I'd have tonic water and a piece of lemon with this one: 4
Jade Supremacy Taiwan Whisky
I don't know the strength on this one as it's all a bunch of asian letters other than the statement "Smooth and Rich - Distilled, Blended and Bottled in Taiwan". And it was bottled 28.10.2010, as I hope it isn't the expiry date. I have some Kavalan single malts I'm gonna try down the road, but for my first Taiwanese whisky adventure I thought I'd have something with a bit more traditionally charged name. The smell is kind of stale, burnt rubber and old coffee. The taste is peppery and almost peaty. Sweet and burnt, but the aftertaste is just plain spirity.
Like a low-shelf blend: 2.5
Super Nikka NAS 43%
Japanese Blend, I don't think I've tried too many of these. It's a fancy decanter at least. It smells of light flintiness, sort of dry but not drying, if you get what I mean? There aren't much too it. Light and easy with some cream and caramel toffee. A sweet treat? Dessert blend? The taste is sweet and toffee-ish, with a bitter licorice and school eraser bite. Again dry, but not like sherry-dry or anything, just that it doesn't bring anything assembling fruitiness, oak or even malt, just like some kind bitters. Genever? Stroh? The aftertaste is light and toasted, like some toasted wheat bread and salty butter. One to take in big mouthfuls as if sipped the taste is just too short/light to get a real glimpse of.
Light, easy, like any other blend: 5
The Blend of Nikka 45%
Another japanese blend from Nikka, now up 2%abv more and with the label statement of "Maltbase whisky" will this be a more powerful and malty whisky? Another fancy decanter, this time a square one, slightly darker than the Super. The nose is a bit more phenolic, salty, cotton, cinnamon and burnt grease. The taste is dry and peppery, again not as complex as I'd hoped. A rather easy whisky with a firm peppery style, reminds me a bit of some of the archetypal Mortlachs I've tried. The aftertaste is also peppery and keeps on the same note till the end. A one-dimensional blend, but the taste is well up there amongst some of the standard malts around.
Peppery style from start to finish: 5.5
Grand Royal 43% Myanmar(Burma)
OK, is this a whisky? The label states "Premium Quality Malt Whisky Matured in Oak Casks", all right, so far... Furter reading shows "...Produced from imported whisky concentrate and high quality potable alcohol." So what this means is that the spirit, which should be malted barley, referencing first quote, is then again mixed with whisky concentrate imported from well, possibly anywhere whisky is made. This is again mixed with "potable spirit" meaning just an alcoholic beverage made for consumption, again referencing to first quote, it should be malt. I do not know enough of this to conclude on anything, but the back label says it's "Proudly bottled by Myanmar Winery & Distillery Co. under technical supervision of International Experts." Please, if anyone have further details of what this is made of, please e-mail me. Grand Royal is also the first whisky ever to be exported from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar a.k.a. Burma. Light color, apple cider. The nose is very light and fruity, aperitif style, minty and flour sugar, not much more, but it has none of the off-notes that I've sometimes found in strange whiskies from the Himalayan outback, Sikkim Gold anyone? The taste is mild, sweet, minty, herbal, linseeds and green tea. A pleasant surprise, and far from the train-wreck one could've anticipated. It has something of Loch Lomond going one, and its far from matured long enough. But it has some charm in al its simplicity.
Well made aperitif, I'd have tonic water and a piece of lemon with this one: 4
Jade Supremacy Taiwan Whisky
I don't know the strength on this one as it's all a bunch of asian letters other than the statement "Smooth and Rich - Distilled, Blended and Bottled in Taiwan". And it was bottled 28.10.2010, as I hope it isn't the expiry date. I have some Kavalan single malts I'm gonna try down the road, but for my first Taiwanese whisky adventure I thought I'd have something with a bit more traditionally charged name. The smell is kind of stale, burnt rubber and old coffee. The taste is peppery and almost peaty. Sweet and burnt, but the aftertaste is just plain spirity.
Like a low-shelf blend: 2.5
Super Nikka NAS 43%
Japanese Blend, I don't think I've tried too many of these. It's a fancy decanter at least. It smells of light flintiness, sort of dry but not drying, if you get what I mean? There aren't much too it. Light and easy with some cream and caramel toffee. A sweet treat? Dessert blend? The taste is sweet and toffee-ish, with a bitter licorice and school eraser bite. Again dry, but not like sherry-dry or anything, just that it doesn't bring anything assembling fruitiness, oak or even malt, just like some kind bitters. Genever? Stroh? The aftertaste is light and toasted, like some toasted wheat bread and salty butter. One to take in big mouthfuls as if sipped the taste is just too short/light to get a real glimpse of.
Light, easy, like any other blend: 5
The Blend of Nikka 45%
Another japanese blend from Nikka, now up 2%abv more and with the label statement of "Maltbase whisky" will this be a more powerful and malty whisky? Another fancy decanter, this time a square one, slightly darker than the Super. The nose is a bit more phenolic, salty, cotton, cinnamon and burnt grease. The taste is dry and peppery, again not as complex as I'd hoped. A rather easy whisky with a firm peppery style, reminds me a bit of some of the archetypal Mortlachs I've tried. The aftertaste is also peppery and keeps on the same note till the end. A one-dimensional blend, but the taste is well up there amongst some of the standard malts around.
Peppery style from start to finish: 5.5
lørdag 13. august 2011
4 Glen Grants distilled pre 1975
I don't believe I've ever been blown away by a Glen Grant yet, but I remember a standard OB that I really enjoyed a while back. Word of mouth has it that the Glen Grant's maybe in need of a few more years on wood to develop an interesting character, than most other single malts. Maybe these ones will work out for me?
Glen Grant 18yo 1972-1990 46% Cadenhead's
One bottled back in the days when a lot of good casks still were diluted down to 40-46%abv. Nice golden brown color, big on the nose, prunes, dark grapes, dark chocolate, malt syrup, coffee and caramel. The taste is amazingly sweet, chilled sherry and radishes, earthy and herbal yet syrupy with caramel, honey and chili, amazing! No water please! The aftertaste is long, and it keeps on developing into a dry sherry style until the end. Fino style.
Maybe the top dog amongst GlenGrants so far: 8.5
Glen Grant 26yo 1974-2000 50.5% Scott's Selection
I'm not sure if I've tried a bottling from the Selection of Robert Scott yet, but I know I have a few lying around. I know they have a Fettercairn I'm looking forward to try. This one has a light golden color and is bottled at "natural cask strength" as the label states. Are there any "un-natural cask strength" or "artificial cask strength"? It smells much lighter than the Cadenhead's, no sherry influence, just some oak, vanilla and... no, wait a minute, there's no alcohol influence at all in the odor, even at 50+%abv. Maybe it needs water, but lets not jump to any conclusions just yet, I'll try it bare at first. Now I've waited about 15 minutes, but no improvement on the nose. The taste is oaky, minty, light, fresh, a summers dram, with no aftertaste. It'd be a perfect 30 quid 12yo OB for everyday enjoyment. But at this age and price I feel it should be a bit more assertive, let's add water. Now it opens up, same citric cidity, and sweet marmalade comes forth. The finish is of red onions and basil.
A massive improvement with water: 6.5
Glen Grant 38yo 1972-2011 52.8% TWA Grotesque Crocs
From a refill hogshead, matured over twice as long as the rather excellent 18yo Cadenhead's. Will it be twice as good? Or even at the same level? One of my small problems with TWA (the only one actually), is that they sometimes leaves the whisky to mature too long in cask. At least that's my opinion, as their whiskies always seems somewhat flawless, they also can come across as a bit dull and lacking what you'd call heart and soul, or character if you like. This one has a very mellow sherry-mark on the nose. It needs time to open up. After well 10 minutes there's some developing of fruitiness, red juices, watermelon, grapefruit, kiwis and raspberries. The taste is at first intense, sweet and sharp, flavors of berries and red bell peppers. Flawless, yet also a bit boring, needs a bit more punch and potency, lets add water. Now its still fruity, actually almost identical, and there's still very little or no aftertaste from this one.
Perfectly flawless summer malt: 7
Glen Grant 36yo 1973-2010 53.6% TWA Insects
Another one from the Whisky Agency, from a fresh sherry cask this time, although not any darker than the Grotesque Crocs. Shows that Ralfy maybe right, that color doesn't really tell you anything and its all a variation of "the color piss":). Anyway, to me its dark golden, or creamy cinnamon to be more reference-specific. The smell is burnt, a bit sulphury, dry rubber and burnt hair, rather unpleasant unfortunately. The taste is sweet and sulphury, bitter, not to my liking, a bit like chewing bitter leaves from different garden plants. Maybe water will help. Now it becomes even harder to swallow, one of the few TWA bottlings I've come across that actually makes me feel nauseated.
Rubbery and sulphury, sweet and grim: 2
Glen Grant 18yo 1972-1990 46% Cadenhead's
One bottled back in the days when a lot of good casks still were diluted down to 40-46%abv. Nice golden brown color, big on the nose, prunes, dark grapes, dark chocolate, malt syrup, coffee and caramel. The taste is amazingly sweet, chilled sherry and radishes, earthy and herbal yet syrupy with caramel, honey and chili, amazing! No water please! The aftertaste is long, and it keeps on developing into a dry sherry style until the end. Fino style.
Maybe the top dog amongst GlenGrants so far: 8.5
Glen Grant 26yo 1974-2000 50.5% Scott's Selection
I'm not sure if I've tried a bottling from the Selection of Robert Scott yet, but I know I have a few lying around. I know they have a Fettercairn I'm looking forward to try. This one has a light golden color and is bottled at "natural cask strength" as the label states. Are there any "un-natural cask strength" or "artificial cask strength"? It smells much lighter than the Cadenhead's, no sherry influence, just some oak, vanilla and... no, wait a minute, there's no alcohol influence at all in the odor, even at 50+%abv. Maybe it needs water, but lets not jump to any conclusions just yet, I'll try it bare at first. Now I've waited about 15 minutes, but no improvement on the nose. The taste is oaky, minty, light, fresh, a summers dram, with no aftertaste. It'd be a perfect 30 quid 12yo OB for everyday enjoyment. But at this age and price I feel it should be a bit more assertive, let's add water. Now it opens up, same citric cidity, and sweet marmalade comes forth. The finish is of red onions and basil.
A massive improvement with water: 6.5
Glen Grant 38yo 1972-2011 52.8% TWA Grotesque Crocs
From a refill hogshead, matured over twice as long as the rather excellent 18yo Cadenhead's. Will it be twice as good? Or even at the same level? One of my small problems with TWA (the only one actually), is that they sometimes leaves the whisky to mature too long in cask. At least that's my opinion, as their whiskies always seems somewhat flawless, they also can come across as a bit dull and lacking what you'd call heart and soul, or character if you like. This one has a very mellow sherry-mark on the nose. It needs time to open up. After well 10 minutes there's some developing of fruitiness, red juices, watermelon, grapefruit, kiwis and raspberries. The taste is at first intense, sweet and sharp, flavors of berries and red bell peppers. Flawless, yet also a bit boring, needs a bit more punch and potency, lets add water. Now its still fruity, actually almost identical, and there's still very little or no aftertaste from this one.
Perfectly flawless summer malt: 7
Glen Grant 36yo 1973-2010 53.6% TWA Insects
Another one from the Whisky Agency, from a fresh sherry cask this time, although not any darker than the Grotesque Crocs. Shows that Ralfy maybe right, that color doesn't really tell you anything and its all a variation of "the color piss":). Anyway, to me its dark golden, or creamy cinnamon to be more reference-specific. The smell is burnt, a bit sulphury, dry rubber and burnt hair, rather unpleasant unfortunately. The taste is sweet and sulphury, bitter, not to my liking, a bit like chewing bitter leaves from different garden plants. Maybe water will help. Now it becomes even harder to swallow, one of the few TWA bottlings I've come across that actually makes me feel nauseated.
Rubbery and sulphury, sweet and grim: 2
onsdag 3. august 2011
3 Glenrothes at Cask Strength
Glenrothes is a distillery that I have not tried enough of yet, probably because I think their standard bottlings are mediocre at best. But I have tried some really good Glenrothes from IB's before and I hope there will be released more of it in the near future.
Glenrothes 17yo 1988-2005 54.1% James MacArthur's
Light golden color on this one, the first of two from JM in this small vertical. It smells plain spirity, no vanilla, no oak, no sherry, More in the new-make style. Needs time. It develops on toffee and licorice, much better after a couple of minutes. The taste is honeyed and burnt toast, still spirity, needs water. With some water it becomes very "bready", burnt toast and wheat flour. Nothing wrong with it and definitively an unforeseen outcome. The spirity notes are gone and a finish on molasses and pepper, ground chili and cinnamon.
It starts raw and spirity, but develops into a mellow, yet eccentric malt: 7
Glenrothes 18yo 58.2% The Golden Cask
I have little experience with the Golden Cask, but I remember a Springbank that was spot on. Same light golden color as the 1988 JM. Turns quickly hazy when poured, something that didn't happen with the JM1988. This one has a much more distinct flavor of wood, tobacco and eucalyptus/mint. A weird odor, but it doesn't put me off, not at all. The taste is, what do you call it, soulful? Malt syrup, roasted almonds, gaspachio, red wine, melted sugar, raw tender meat, garlic, sherry, amaretto, and it's so thick! This is almost like a well made barbecue glaze. I'll add water just to see what happens, although obviously not necessary. With water it gets this tonic water feel, grows in your mouth, I was stupid to dilute, but I'm going to rank this one as if not tasted with water.
A mighty warrior, would be the last one to kill in battle: 8
Glenrothes NAS 1989-? 63.8% James MacArthur's Old Master's
One Glenrothes at a crazy strength. Usually I have a sort of mixed view on whiskies above 60%. If a Fettercairn of other light highland/speysider, it might be fantastic, just as well as any young Islayer, I remember a Port Sgioba(or something like that) Port Charlotte that was utterly fantastic. But then again, the middle of the road classic malt (Macallan, Tamdhu, Linkwood, Aberlour etc..) I feel should be bottled around 50%abv. And Glenrothes falls into that category for me, but maybe this will change my mind? Color is the same as the last two, light golden, and again it gets hazy pretty quickly. The smell shows lots of spirityness. Sort of a stronger version of the 1988Jm. Needs a lot of time. Later its still spirity above anything else, usually I'd just put water in this one, but for the sake of personal science I'll try this one bare. The taste is like expected, spirity like a new-make, or high strength vodka. Needs water. Water makes it a bit better, but still it's mostly this dry spirity feeling. Something like a very dry riesling. Not as fun as the other two. Not my kind of malt.
Spirity stuff, one to get drunk with, nothing more for me unfortunately: 2.5
Glenrothes 17yo 1988-2005 54.1% James MacArthur's
Light golden color on this one, the first of two from JM in this small vertical. It smells plain spirity, no vanilla, no oak, no sherry, More in the new-make style. Needs time. It develops on toffee and licorice, much better after a couple of minutes. The taste is honeyed and burnt toast, still spirity, needs water. With some water it becomes very "bready", burnt toast and wheat flour. Nothing wrong with it and definitively an unforeseen outcome. The spirity notes are gone and a finish on molasses and pepper, ground chili and cinnamon.
It starts raw and spirity, but develops into a mellow, yet eccentric malt: 7
Glenrothes 18yo 58.2% The Golden Cask
I have little experience with the Golden Cask, but I remember a Springbank that was spot on. Same light golden color as the 1988 JM. Turns quickly hazy when poured, something that didn't happen with the JM1988. This one has a much more distinct flavor of wood, tobacco and eucalyptus/mint. A weird odor, but it doesn't put me off, not at all. The taste is, what do you call it, soulful? Malt syrup, roasted almonds, gaspachio, red wine, melted sugar, raw tender meat, garlic, sherry, amaretto, and it's so thick! This is almost like a well made barbecue glaze. I'll add water just to see what happens, although obviously not necessary. With water it gets this tonic water feel, grows in your mouth, I was stupid to dilute, but I'm going to rank this one as if not tasted with water.
A mighty warrior, would be the last one to kill in battle: 8
Glenrothes NAS 1989-? 63.8% James MacArthur's Old Master's
One Glenrothes at a crazy strength. Usually I have a sort of mixed view on whiskies above 60%. If a Fettercairn of other light highland/speysider, it might be fantastic, just as well as any young Islayer, I remember a Port Sgioba(or something like that) Port Charlotte that was utterly fantastic. But then again, the middle of the road classic malt (Macallan, Tamdhu, Linkwood, Aberlour etc..) I feel should be bottled around 50%abv. And Glenrothes falls into that category for me, but maybe this will change my mind? Color is the same as the last two, light golden, and again it gets hazy pretty quickly. The smell shows lots of spirityness. Sort of a stronger version of the 1988Jm. Needs a lot of time. Later its still spirity above anything else, usually I'd just put water in this one, but for the sake of personal science I'll try this one bare. The taste is like expected, spirity like a new-make, or high strength vodka. Needs water. Water makes it a bit better, but still it's mostly this dry spirity feeling. Something like a very dry riesling. Not as fun as the other two. Not my kind of malt.
Spirity stuff, one to get drunk with, nothing more for me unfortunately: 2.5
mandag 1. august 2011
Two Glenlossies' hard to tell apart
First of all, these two Glenlossies are bot miniatures in green bottles from James MacArthur's. They're both 12 years old and they're both 62.4%. Seems like the same whisky? Oh yes. But the labels difference slightly as one bears a vintage statement of 1977 whilst the other one carries the cask reference "Cask 4992". Are there anyone out who knows for sure wether these are from the same cask or if it's just coincidences?
Glenlossie 12yo 1977-1989 62.4% James MacArthur's
The color varies a bit on these ones, as this is slightly darkerthan the "cask 1992". It smells extremely strong, peppery, and oaky, needs time, and water if I'm not mistaken, let's see. The taste is It's so fucking strong, excuse my language, but this is just too much. Peppery and oaky, needs definitively watery. With water it gets sweeter, still a bit raw and spirity, like sugar and vodka, crazy style, sugar, spirit and bitter kräuter-likör.
Is it good? Yes! Is it to extreme for most people? Sure: 5
Glenlossie 12yo 62.4% James MacArthur's Cask#4992
This one is slightly paler than the 1977-version, and just a bit more diluted from what I can tell by somparing the fill level, but on the other hand, it could be stored in a different climate, or the bottle could even have been filled at a slightly lower level. It smells lighter, nutty, peaty and peppery. The taste is just the same as the 1977-version, just a bit more exotic? Replace the pepperiness with some red chili and chorizo.Needs some water. Water brings this one down, way down, to blend-style.
Good, but different from the 1977?: 5
Glenlossie 12yo 1977-1989 62.4% James MacArthur's
The color varies a bit on these ones, as this is slightly darkerthan the "cask 1992". It smells extremely strong, peppery, and oaky, needs time, and water if I'm not mistaken, let's see. The taste is It's so fucking strong, excuse my language, but this is just too much. Peppery and oaky, needs definitively watery. With water it gets sweeter, still a bit raw and spirity, like sugar and vodka, crazy style, sugar, spirit and bitter kräuter-likör.
Is it good? Yes! Is it to extreme for most people? Sure: 5
Glenlossie 12yo 62.4% James MacArthur's Cask#4992
This one is slightly paler than the 1977-version, and just a bit more diluted from what I can tell by somparing the fill level, but on the other hand, it could be stored in a different climate, or the bottle could even have been filled at a slightly lower level. It smells lighter, nutty, peaty and peppery. The taste is just the same as the 1977-version, just a bit more exotic? Replace the pepperiness with some red chili and chorizo.Needs some water. Water brings this one down, way down, to blend-style.
Good, but different from the 1977?: 5
torsdag 28. juli 2011
A bunch of Grains #2
Invergordon 10yo 43% OB
I have tried this one before, but back then I was kind of biased after a meeting a couple days before where the benefits of malted barley versus other grains were discussed with high intensity. It smells spirity, a bit sweet, young, not too good. The taste is bitter and sweet, grenadine, grapefruit and schweppes bitter lemon. Needs water. Water helps a lot, brings out some fresh mint and licorice. There is little or no aftertaste in this, perhaps some licorice.
Reminds me of why the malt were considered better at the meeting: 4
Hedonism NAS 46% Compass Box Vatted Grain
I have only tried one other vatted grain, the Snow Grouse, that wasn't too much to my liking, let's see this one then, that I believe has a better reputation amongst "whisky people". The nose is drier and much heavier than the Invergordon, almost like a fino sherry influence. A bit restrained. The taste is rounder, sweeter, cinnamon and oregano. Still a bit restrained, needs water to open up? Water makes it more bitter and sour, like lime-juice, definitively not better.
I did prefer it without water, but anyhow its sort of boring: 4
North British 48yo 1962-2010 47.9% The Perfect Dram
At this age it must be the oldest grain whisky I've ever tasted, from n ex-bourbon hogshead, dark golden color. The smell is amazing, lots of vanilla and honey, sweet, sweet and even more sweet. But there's no spirity notes so far, just perfect vanilla and bourbon notes. After a while there's some oaky notes coming through. The taste is mellower, less vanilla but still some, peppery notes, kind of one-dimensional. Vanilla and pepper all the way. No off-notes, very clean.
Not as developed as I'd hope for: 5.5
Cambus 24yo 1986-2010 53.2% Bladnoch Forum Bottling cask#18990
Cambus I have never tried, and I'm not sure which blends its used in. The smell is sweet, honey, powdered sugar and syrup. The taste is fruity and juicy, red apples, and green bananas. It's peppery, going further with some hay and old style eraser, the ones used in ground school. The aftertaste is long and peppery, green grapes and rubber.
A nice grain whisky, reminds me of some good rum: 6
I have tried this one before, but back then I was kind of biased after a meeting a couple days before where the benefits of malted barley versus other grains were discussed with high intensity. It smells spirity, a bit sweet, young, not too good. The taste is bitter and sweet, grenadine, grapefruit and schweppes bitter lemon. Needs water. Water helps a lot, brings out some fresh mint and licorice. There is little or no aftertaste in this, perhaps some licorice.
Reminds me of why the malt were considered better at the meeting: 4
Hedonism NAS 46% Compass Box Vatted Grain
I have only tried one other vatted grain, the Snow Grouse, that wasn't too much to my liking, let's see this one then, that I believe has a better reputation amongst "whisky people". The nose is drier and much heavier than the Invergordon, almost like a fino sherry influence. A bit restrained. The taste is rounder, sweeter, cinnamon and oregano. Still a bit restrained, needs water to open up? Water makes it more bitter and sour, like lime-juice, definitively not better.
I did prefer it without water, but anyhow its sort of boring: 4
North British 48yo 1962-2010 47.9% The Perfect Dram
At this age it must be the oldest grain whisky I've ever tasted, from n ex-bourbon hogshead, dark golden color. The smell is amazing, lots of vanilla and honey, sweet, sweet and even more sweet. But there's no spirity notes so far, just perfect vanilla and bourbon notes. After a while there's some oaky notes coming through. The taste is mellower, less vanilla but still some, peppery notes, kind of one-dimensional. Vanilla and pepper all the way. No off-notes, very clean.
Not as developed as I'd hope for: 5.5
Cambus 24yo 1986-2010 53.2% Bladnoch Forum Bottling cask#18990
Cambus I have never tried, and I'm not sure which blends its used in. The smell is sweet, honey, powdered sugar and syrup. The taste is fruity and juicy, red apples, and green bananas. It's peppery, going further with some hay and old style eraser, the ones used in ground school. The aftertaste is long and peppery, green grapes and rubber.
A nice grain whisky, reminds me of some good rum: 6
onsdag 20. juli 2011
4 Highland Park from Gordon & Macphail
Highland Park is a frustrating malt to me as it can be so good, but then again many times seems to fail miserably on my palate. Middle good Highland Parks on the other hand I rarely come across. The ones I'm about to try in this session I have high expectations to, perhaps too high? Time will tell. But what I do know is that one of the most underestimated IB series that's still to be found in shops around nowadays, are the old Cask-series from Gordon & Macphail, under which three of these malts have been bottled.
Highland Park 25yo 1970-1995 40% Gordon & Macphail Centenary Reserve
The second oldest in this session, a decent looking miniature with old prints of the workers of distillery from bygone days. I think most of the centenary reserve series are sold out as most distilleries nowadays are past their first centenary or there's a bit of waiting for it. I'm not sure what's the deal here, 40%, no cask mention, different age statements, so it seems they've just bottled a "random" cask at the year of the centenary. And that's all I know and don't know, let's taste! The nose shows rustic hints of oloroso sherry and dry red wine. Sweet and dry, but pretty pungent and heavy, apple vinegar? Old stuff, needs time. The taste is sherried and oaky, much heavier than whats usually expected from 40%abv. The sherry, raisins and roasted almond notes works perfectly but there seems to be a bit much wood influence. Let's add water. Not much as there aren't much alcohol in this one. Water gives way to more oloroso sweetness. I wonder how this would've been if it was bottled at cask strength, oaky sure, but what a sherry influence.
Rich, sweet, just a bit too oaky to reach a top score from me: 7.5
Highland Park 13yo 1982-1995 56.8% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#791,792,793,794,795
This one then, copper brown colored, smells of sweet coriander, honey and again this smooth oloroso. dark chocolate, caramelized roasted almonds. A real beauty so far. The taste has a burst of sweetness initially, honey and cinnamon before it turns peaty. Major peat influenced compared to most other Highland Parks I've tried. I didn't know they used peat at HP back then? I know far too little about this distillery, which of course is a shame. I think this is what a peaty oloroso sherry-matured whisky should be all about, firm sherry roundness and sweetness at first, no sign of peat yet. Then a real burst of heavy peat, not too long, not too overpowering, just enough to make a clear contrast to the initial palate.
A fantastic peat- and sherrybomb that also swims very well: 8
Highland Park 9yo 1983-1992 59.7% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#1556
Younger, darker and a bit stronger than the 1982, and from one single cask. I'm always happy to see IB's bottle young cask strengths as it shows they dare not speculate on the growing customers demand for older whiskies, but bottle it in its prime. Nowadays at least, remember this one was bottled almost 20 years ago, surely the market were a bit different back then. At least for the independent bottlers. It is much darker than the 1982, but it smells pretty much the same, a bit more phenolic, and maybe dryer, if you know what I mean, dry smell? Yes, this one is definitively phenolic, but in a good way, honey, mustard, cinnamon, ashes, malt syrup, waxy, and extremely pungent. This is a tastebomb, and I do like my whisky with charisma. The aftertaste is again peaty, a bit longer with some herbal notes, but mostly its peaty all the way.
Great whisky, best of this session so far: 9
Highland Park 32yo 1959-1991 57.6% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#598
This is the oldest Highland Park I've ever tasted no matter how you look at it, and a nice way to end an amazing session. There seems to be a bit of cask sediments in this one, but I guess they didn't filter their whisky back then, or did they? I'm way off here, whisky history pre 1960 seems to deal with geography and distillation more than the smaller things such as filtration? Either way, lighter in color than both the 1982 and 1983, and even the 1970. Smells light, honey, cloves, garlic (in a good way) and minty cream. Needs time to rest a while before tasting. The taste is minty, spicy, honey, nutmeg, vanilla, cream candy like werther's, cream cheese, almonds, nutty, wonderful display of aromas. If there were anything to critic here it'd had to be the lack of a solid finish, but on the other hand I've just finished two sherry and peat-bombs so no wonder my tastebuds might be a bit numb. All in all a fantastic whisky, there aren't many of these, it seems so vibrant after 32 years, an age that within the whiskies of today I often find to be far too oaky. This has all the good stuff of 32 years in cask, but lacks the possible over-oaky notes.
I really, really, really wish I had a 70cl bottle of this one: 9.5
Highland Park 25yo 1970-1995 40% Gordon & Macphail Centenary Reserve
The second oldest in this session, a decent looking miniature with old prints of the workers of distillery from bygone days. I think most of the centenary reserve series are sold out as most distilleries nowadays are past their first centenary or there's a bit of waiting for it. I'm not sure what's the deal here, 40%, no cask mention, different age statements, so it seems they've just bottled a "random" cask at the year of the centenary. And that's all I know and don't know, let's taste! The nose shows rustic hints of oloroso sherry and dry red wine. Sweet and dry, but pretty pungent and heavy, apple vinegar? Old stuff, needs time. The taste is sherried and oaky, much heavier than whats usually expected from 40%abv. The sherry, raisins and roasted almond notes works perfectly but there seems to be a bit much wood influence. Let's add water. Not much as there aren't much alcohol in this one. Water gives way to more oloroso sweetness. I wonder how this would've been if it was bottled at cask strength, oaky sure, but what a sherry influence.
Rich, sweet, just a bit too oaky to reach a top score from me: 7.5
Highland Park 13yo 1982-1995 56.8% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#791,792,793,794,795
This one then, copper brown colored, smells of sweet coriander, honey and again this smooth oloroso. dark chocolate, caramelized roasted almonds. A real beauty so far. The taste has a burst of sweetness initially, honey and cinnamon before it turns peaty. Major peat influenced compared to most other Highland Parks I've tried. I didn't know they used peat at HP back then? I know far too little about this distillery, which of course is a shame. I think this is what a peaty oloroso sherry-matured whisky should be all about, firm sherry roundness and sweetness at first, no sign of peat yet. Then a real burst of heavy peat, not too long, not too overpowering, just enough to make a clear contrast to the initial palate.
A fantastic peat- and sherrybomb that also swims very well: 8
Highland Park 9yo 1983-1992 59.7% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#1556
Younger, darker and a bit stronger than the 1982, and from one single cask. I'm always happy to see IB's bottle young cask strengths as it shows they dare not speculate on the growing customers demand for older whiskies, but bottle it in its prime. Nowadays at least, remember this one was bottled almost 20 years ago, surely the market were a bit different back then. At least for the independent bottlers. It is much darker than the 1982, but it smells pretty much the same, a bit more phenolic, and maybe dryer, if you know what I mean, dry smell? Yes, this one is definitively phenolic, but in a good way, honey, mustard, cinnamon, ashes, malt syrup, waxy, and extremely pungent. This is a tastebomb, and I do like my whisky with charisma. The aftertaste is again peaty, a bit longer with some herbal notes, but mostly its peaty all the way.
Great whisky, best of this session so far: 9
Highland Park 32yo 1959-1991 57.6% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#598
This is the oldest Highland Park I've ever tasted no matter how you look at it, and a nice way to end an amazing session. There seems to be a bit of cask sediments in this one, but I guess they didn't filter their whisky back then, or did they? I'm way off here, whisky history pre 1960 seems to deal with geography and distillation more than the smaller things such as filtration? Either way, lighter in color than both the 1982 and 1983, and even the 1970. Smells light, honey, cloves, garlic (in a good way) and minty cream. Needs time to rest a while before tasting. The taste is minty, spicy, honey, nutmeg, vanilla, cream candy like werther's, cream cheese, almonds, nutty, wonderful display of aromas. If there were anything to critic here it'd had to be the lack of a solid finish, but on the other hand I've just finished two sherry and peat-bombs so no wonder my tastebuds might be a bit numb. All in all a fantastic whisky, there aren't many of these, it seems so vibrant after 32 years, an age that within the whiskies of today I often find to be far too oaky. This has all the good stuff of 32 years in cask, but lacks the possible over-oaky notes.
I really, really, really wish I had a 70cl bottle of this one: 9.5
mandag 18. juli 2011
Rest of UK and Ireland + Richard Patterson's take on presumably Ernest Shackleton's last whisky
Bushmills 10yo 40% OB Northern Ireland
Oldest distillery in the world.. Smells light and malty, green leaves, dried herbs, very pleasant and not as "thin" as I find many of the other triple distilled irish whiskeys. The taste is very grainy, almost spirity, and very bitter. A disappointment after the interesting nose. I'll give it some water just to see if it changes in character. Now its lighter that's for sure, a bit sweet, almost amontillado sherry-like richness, as well as some bitter herbal notes at the end, much better.
Experiment with water on this, and see how it can improve a whisk(e)y: 5
Swn Y Mor NAS 40% OB Welsh Whisky
A blend, that from what I've read online is actually a scotch whisky blended in Wales, so no Welsh single malt in this blend. I won't be biased in what to believe so I'll try it as if it were a Welsh whisky, that meaning having no clue of what to expect. Oh, this smells far more spirity and raw than the Bushmills, probably very young grain whisky here, reminds me of the 12yo Cameronbridge that can be found online nowadays, and some of the young Signatory 46%abv. grain bottlings. After a while it settles down a bit, but still it's spirity above all else. The taste is actually not that bad, just extremely light and sort of like chewing on woolen clothes, remember when y'were younger ant tried to eat the arm of the pajamas? No? Guess it's only me then. It's a nice beginners whisky, very undemanding, some saltiness, nuts, tea, all in all a bit boring, but perfectly drinkable. I'd have this one any day, but just as an aperitif.
Light stuff: 4
Locke's 8yo 40% OB Cooley Irish Whisky
I don't think they produce Locke's anymore at Cooley? Doing some online research I've found this one was awarded gold at the International Wine and Spirits Competition back in 2001. Could this be a treat? Smells good, not unlike some lowlanders, say Rosebank and Glenkinchie. Light, crispy, grassy, waxy, light toffee and some fresh minty leaves. The taste is at first fuller and fatter than the ones up until now in this session, and it has a smooth finish on dark chocolate and freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Yes, I find cinnamon on the palate as well, but not as expressive as in the finish. The palate is a bit bland to be frank, not too much going on here. I have to say its somewhat a disappointment as at only 8yo I expect a bit more of a savage whisky.
Very ordinary everyday dram: 3.5
Shackleton's whisky NAS 47.3% Charles MacKinlay's Replica
If I'm not mistaken (which I very well could be) it's the glorious nose of Richard Patterson who has helped selecting the whiskies used in the blend. I have been told there's an amount of Dalmore in this, but other than that I'm clueless, and when tasting for a first time, that's really all for the better if you ask me. It smells extremely fresh and minty for a blend, not much grain influence here. the rich subtleness that I usually find in Dalmore is here as well as some caramel, cinnamon and toffee-pudding. I never thought I'd say this bu this is actually worth every penny, the taste is sweet, malt syrup, honey, toffee, and I have sort of a sweet-tooth when it comes to whisky. A good alternative to some of the very heavy Oloroso-whiskies out there. Sweet and light with this spicy finish on chili and cumin.
A well done job, wish I'd get to taste the original: 7
Penderyn NAS 46% Madeira Finish Welsh Whisky
Since its highly questionable if the Swn Y Mor is a produce of 100% Welsh whisky, I'll give the welsh another shot with this pretty recent Penderyn whisky. Penderyn is a single malt, and can be found with many different cask finishes although the produce not likely to be any older than 8-10yo. Cask finishes seems to be the choice of new distilleries trying to make a name for themselves, like the Arran distillery. Smells a bit like fino, bitter, not as sweet as I find some of the madeira finishes to be, i.e. the Glenmorangie. I also believe there may be a qualitative reason that Madeira casks aren't used as much as port or sherry, although the output is pretty much the same worldwide. But let's try this one without going there. The taste is very clean and sweet, madeira influence? Reminds me of rum, not much aftertaste. My palate picks up just(!) three thing in this. It's clean, it's herbal and it's sweet. I see potential in this one, and I think in two or three years there will be a 12yo or 10yo on the market.
Looking forward to the continuation: 4
Chapter 9 3yo 2007-2010 46% st. George's Distillery English Whisky
A 3yo Peated whisky. I remember having a 3yo Bowmore in my early blogging days back in 2008, and to say the least, it wasn't something I'll ever buy again. Maybe this english one can improve on my impression of peated newmake(almost). England is one of the last wealthy european countries to embark on the trail of making their own single malt, although my own Norway seems to be the last one due to a retarded (excuse my french) government policy when it comes to creating jobs and capital when it comes to the dark side of the beverage business. But back to the english whisky. It smells lightly peated, a small disappointment as I'd hoped for a cracking english peat-beast. Hay, butter and whipped egg-whistes seems to be the deal. The taste is peppery and peaty, much to my liking, no saltiness though, more like some of the peated versions of highland whiskies that we saw during the early 2000's, say the Old Ballantruan. A clean, easy-going peated whisky, not much more to say.
Can't be criticized, it just lacks a firm signature: 5
Oldest distillery in the world.. Smells light and malty, green leaves, dried herbs, very pleasant and not as "thin" as I find many of the other triple distilled irish whiskeys. The taste is very grainy, almost spirity, and very bitter. A disappointment after the interesting nose. I'll give it some water just to see if it changes in character. Now its lighter that's for sure, a bit sweet, almost amontillado sherry-like richness, as well as some bitter herbal notes at the end, much better.
Experiment with water on this, and see how it can improve a whisk(e)y: 5
Swn Y Mor NAS 40% OB Welsh Whisky
A blend, that from what I've read online is actually a scotch whisky blended in Wales, so no Welsh single malt in this blend. I won't be biased in what to believe so I'll try it as if it were a Welsh whisky, that meaning having no clue of what to expect. Oh, this smells far more spirity and raw than the Bushmills, probably very young grain whisky here, reminds me of the 12yo Cameronbridge that can be found online nowadays, and some of the young Signatory 46%abv. grain bottlings. After a while it settles down a bit, but still it's spirity above all else. The taste is actually not that bad, just extremely light and sort of like chewing on woolen clothes, remember when y'were younger ant tried to eat the arm of the pajamas? No? Guess it's only me then. It's a nice beginners whisky, very undemanding, some saltiness, nuts, tea, all in all a bit boring, but perfectly drinkable. I'd have this one any day, but just as an aperitif.
Light stuff: 4
Locke's 8yo 40% OB Cooley Irish Whisky
I don't think they produce Locke's anymore at Cooley? Doing some online research I've found this one was awarded gold at the International Wine and Spirits Competition back in 2001. Could this be a treat? Smells good, not unlike some lowlanders, say Rosebank and Glenkinchie. Light, crispy, grassy, waxy, light toffee and some fresh minty leaves. The taste is at first fuller and fatter than the ones up until now in this session, and it has a smooth finish on dark chocolate and freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Yes, I find cinnamon on the palate as well, but not as expressive as in the finish. The palate is a bit bland to be frank, not too much going on here. I have to say its somewhat a disappointment as at only 8yo I expect a bit more of a savage whisky.
Very ordinary everyday dram: 3.5
Shackleton's whisky NAS 47.3% Charles MacKinlay's Replica
If I'm not mistaken (which I very well could be) it's the glorious nose of Richard Patterson who has helped selecting the whiskies used in the blend. I have been told there's an amount of Dalmore in this, but other than that I'm clueless, and when tasting for a first time, that's really all for the better if you ask me. It smells extremely fresh and minty for a blend, not much grain influence here. the rich subtleness that I usually find in Dalmore is here as well as some caramel, cinnamon and toffee-pudding. I never thought I'd say this bu this is actually worth every penny, the taste is sweet, malt syrup, honey, toffee, and I have sort of a sweet-tooth when it comes to whisky. A good alternative to some of the very heavy Oloroso-whiskies out there. Sweet and light with this spicy finish on chili and cumin.
A well done job, wish I'd get to taste the original: 7
Penderyn NAS 46% Madeira Finish Welsh Whisky
Since its highly questionable if the Swn Y Mor is a produce of 100% Welsh whisky, I'll give the welsh another shot with this pretty recent Penderyn whisky. Penderyn is a single malt, and can be found with many different cask finishes although the produce not likely to be any older than 8-10yo. Cask finishes seems to be the choice of new distilleries trying to make a name for themselves, like the Arran distillery. Smells a bit like fino, bitter, not as sweet as I find some of the madeira finishes to be, i.e. the Glenmorangie. I also believe there may be a qualitative reason that Madeira casks aren't used as much as port or sherry, although the output is pretty much the same worldwide. But let's try this one without going there. The taste is very clean and sweet, madeira influence? Reminds me of rum, not much aftertaste. My palate picks up just(!) three thing in this. It's clean, it's herbal and it's sweet. I see potential in this one, and I think in two or three years there will be a 12yo or 10yo on the market.
Looking forward to the continuation: 4
Chapter 9 3yo 2007-2010 46% st. George's Distillery English Whisky
A 3yo Peated whisky. I remember having a 3yo Bowmore in my early blogging days back in 2008, and to say the least, it wasn't something I'll ever buy again. Maybe this english one can improve on my impression of peated newmake(almost). England is one of the last wealthy european countries to embark on the trail of making their own single malt, although my own Norway seems to be the last one due to a retarded (excuse my french) government policy when it comes to creating jobs and capital when it comes to the dark side of the beverage business. But back to the english whisky. It smells lightly peated, a small disappointment as I'd hoped for a cracking english peat-beast. Hay, butter and whipped egg-whistes seems to be the deal. The taste is peppery and peaty, much to my liking, no saltiness though, more like some of the peated versions of highland whiskies that we saw during the early 2000's, say the Old Ballantruan. A clean, easy-going peated whisky, not much more to say.
Can't be criticized, it just lacks a firm signature: 5
torsdag 14. juli 2011
Two Old Fettercairn OB's
Old Fettercairn NAS 43% OB
This one comes from a small 5cl flat plastic container. Probably from the 80's. This seems to have endured quite some evaporation, so please take that into consideration when reading these tasting notes. Smells very strong compared to other low strength young Fettercairns I've tried. Maybe the angels has helped themselves to more of the water than the alcohol from this bottle. Malty, dry, ground coffee, a bit spirity, and some green notes, unripe bananas and wood. Needs lots of water. The aftertaste is Long, herbal and bitter.
One of the weirdest Fettercairns I've tried, but keep in mind the evaporation: 5
Old Fettercairn 8yo 43% OB
Another one from a flat 5cl bottle from the 80's, again a bit smaller than the G&M miniatures we all remember so well from the same era. This one is made of glass and the content has of what I can see no sign of evaporation. This one smells nutty, fruity, passion fruit, "meaty" dark fruits, cherries. The taste is sweet, again cherries, it has this full and thick fruitiness which is hard to describe, but really good. The aftertaste is sweet, pear, melons and some eucalyptus.
Fantastic old style Fettercairn: 8
This one comes from a small 5cl flat plastic container. Probably from the 80's. This seems to have endured quite some evaporation, so please take that into consideration when reading these tasting notes. Smells very strong compared to other low strength young Fettercairns I've tried. Maybe the angels has helped themselves to more of the water than the alcohol from this bottle. Malty, dry, ground coffee, a bit spirity, and some green notes, unripe bananas and wood. Needs lots of water. The aftertaste is Long, herbal and bitter.
One of the weirdest Fettercairns I've tried, but keep in mind the evaporation: 5
Old Fettercairn 8yo 43% OB
Another one from a flat 5cl bottle from the 80's, again a bit smaller than the G&M miniatures we all remember so well from the same era. This one is made of glass and the content has of what I can see no sign of evaporation. This one smells nutty, fruity, passion fruit, "meaty" dark fruits, cherries. The taste is sweet, again cherries, it has this full and thick fruitiness which is hard to describe, but really good. The aftertaste is sweet, pear, melons and some eucalyptus.
Fantastic old style Fettercairn: 8
lørdag 9. juli 2011
Two Glen Garioch OB's
I think these two are from about the same time as the only difference in the labels are the age statement and color. And the fill levels are excactly the same. In january this year I visited Glen Garioch, and it proved to be a very informative tour and because we were only two people, we were allowed to sample some really good single casks at the end of the tour. Smiling, charming and informative employees, as well as centrally located in the small village of Old Meldrum. Not much to do, but be sure you visit the local farmer and there's also the possibility of a lunch bargain at the local community house diner. About 1 hour with the coach from Aberdeen.
Glen Garioch 12yo 40% OB
Smells dusty, old brick wall, polluted air, like in some of the poorer areas of London, Rose, down south, so on. A certain charm it has. This one seems to be peated, and I know they used to peat their barley back in the days at Glen Garioch. Floral notes, rustic, brushed steel and peat. A small drop of water opens up more peat and some dry licorice. The aftertaste is all on peat and peppery notes.
An interesting Glen Garioch, very different from the recent batches released: 4.5
Glen Garioch NAS 1984-? 55% OB
I don't know if this is bottled as cask strength, as the label says nothing of such, but at least it can't be far from. Light golden color, smells Smells herbal, peaty, candles, sweet radishes. The taste is very peaty, it overpowers the other flavors, if there were any to be found in the first place. Needs water. Now it becomes much lighter, aniseed, oily, perfumy and cherry, before it turns extremely peaty again.
A Highland peat monster: 3
Glen Garioch 12yo 40% OB
Smells dusty, old brick wall, polluted air, like in some of the poorer areas of London, Rose, down south, so on. A certain charm it has. This one seems to be peated, and I know they used to peat their barley back in the days at Glen Garioch. Floral notes, rustic, brushed steel and peat. A small drop of water opens up more peat and some dry licorice. The aftertaste is all on peat and peppery notes.
An interesting Glen Garioch, very different from the recent batches released: 4.5
Glen Garioch NAS 1984-? 55% OB
I don't know if this is bottled as cask strength, as the label says nothing of such, but at least it can't be far from. Light golden color, smells Smells herbal, peaty, candles, sweet radishes. The taste is very peaty, it overpowers the other flavors, if there were any to be found in the first place. Needs water. Now it becomes much lighter, aniseed, oily, perfumy and cherry, before it turns extremely peaty again.
A Highland peat monster: 3
Laughfrog NAS 40% Select Drams
Okay, first of all, when I purchased this whisky I was sure it had to be some sort of funky name playing on vocal similarity of a distillery, let's say Laphroaig? See the similarity in pronounciation? The label bears the picture of a smiling frog. Is that a Laughfrog? What is a Laughfrog??? I cannot see why anyone would name a single malt bottling that if it weren't an indication on the content at some level. But the label also states "Single Highland Malt".. So I'm confused of what to expect. The color is light golden. Smells a wee bit peat, but not enough to judge on origin. The taste is more on the peaty style, not far from the 10yo. Now I'm sure this must be a well hidden, light, fruity, salty, medicinal, iodine Laphroaig. Classic Islay style, but with the low %abv. it is not as interesting as I maybe could have hoped.
Smooth Islay characteristics with some iodine, I like it, a nice surprise: 7
Smooth Islay characteristics with some iodine, I like it, a nice surprise: 7
onsdag 6. juli 2011
3 Young Fettercairns
Old Fettercairn NAS 40% OB W&M
I believe this one was bottled somewhere in the late 70's or early 80's not long after Whyte & MacKay bought the . With the letters "W&M" engraved in the glass. Not to be confused with independent bottlers Wilson & Morgan. There's a picture of the city port arch on the label, similar to the one found on the current bottlings apart from the Fior. Maybe its just the regular 10yo 40% OB in a new(old) suite? Smells nutty, hay, dry, malty, sweet, creamy, buttery, salty, old highland style. Magnificent so far! The taste is extremely light, too light for ma unfortunately, there's some hay, wheat and malty notes, but this is far from exciting. Hopefully a small drop of water will help it open up. With water it improves, some dry herbs, oregano and lemongrass along with some green peppers makes this a nice whisky for the summertime, goes well with pasta carbonara (I'm trying it now...).
A Fettercairn that's smooth sailing on water: 6.5
Old Fettercairn 10yo 43% OB
I don't think I've ever tried this one, only the 40%abv one from earlier days. Same color as the W&M, will 3% more give it a lift? This one smells much lighter than the prior, and also a bit spirity, I hope the palate can save this one. This is more on the spirity side even though it has some of that nice malty wheat flavor. Needs water. Now it gets even more spirity, not good at all, my biggest disappointment so far what Fettercairn is concerned.
Not a very good fettercairn, seems something went wrong in the 80's: 2.5
Fettercairn 11yo 1992-2003 60.5% James MacArthur's
A high strength Fettercairn, I'm yet to find a bad bottling in that category, but I was a bit disappointed with one of the 1975's CS I had the other day. Much lighter in appearance than the OB's, maybe cause it isn't added artificial coloring? Lots of sweet vanilla and peppery notes, very nice. A bit ester alongside pistachio and fresh laundry. The taste is a bit too influenced by the high strength, needs a small drop of water. Now it gets even more vanilla and something peaty-like. Strong pepper-influence and thick salty licorice. Another example that Fettercairn can be amazing when bottled at cask strength.
No fancy stuff here, just perfectly good whisky: 7.5
I have recently been tasting some weird whiskies, grains, undisclosed, foreign whiskies and so on. The reason for this is that I have endured on 1 and a half year of dramming almost exclusively on scotch single malt whisky. This has made me be a bit too biased when tasting whiskies from distilleries that I have become very familiar with lately. To try and re-egnite some of the passion and adventures that I usually find when tasting a new whisky I will now try to go a bit off the beaten track and have some sessions with other kinds of whisky. I will soon enough return to my old style of tasting primarily scotch, but going forward I'm expecting to broaden my horizon with these experimental tastings.
I believe this one was bottled somewhere in the late 70's or early 80's not long after Whyte & MacKay bought the . With the letters "W&M" engraved in the glass. Not to be confused with independent bottlers Wilson & Morgan. There's a picture of the city port arch on the label, similar to the one found on the current bottlings apart from the Fior. Maybe its just the regular 10yo 40% OB in a new(old) suite? Smells nutty, hay, dry, malty, sweet, creamy, buttery, salty, old highland style. Magnificent so far! The taste is extremely light, too light for ma unfortunately, there's some hay, wheat and malty notes, but this is far from exciting. Hopefully a small drop of water will help it open up. With water it improves, some dry herbs, oregano and lemongrass along with some green peppers makes this a nice whisky for the summertime, goes well with pasta carbonara (I'm trying it now...).
A Fettercairn that's smooth sailing on water: 6.5
Old Fettercairn 10yo 43% OB
I don't think I've ever tried this one, only the 40%abv one from earlier days. Same color as the W&M, will 3% more give it a lift? This one smells much lighter than the prior, and also a bit spirity, I hope the palate can save this one. This is more on the spirity side even though it has some of that nice malty wheat flavor. Needs water. Now it gets even more spirity, not good at all, my biggest disappointment so far what Fettercairn is concerned.
Not a very good fettercairn, seems something went wrong in the 80's: 2.5
Fettercairn 11yo 1992-2003 60.5% James MacArthur's
A high strength Fettercairn, I'm yet to find a bad bottling in that category, but I was a bit disappointed with one of the 1975's CS I had the other day. Much lighter in appearance than the OB's, maybe cause it isn't added artificial coloring? Lots of sweet vanilla and peppery notes, very nice. A bit ester alongside pistachio and fresh laundry. The taste is a bit too influenced by the high strength, needs a small drop of water. Now it gets even more vanilla and something peaty-like. Strong pepper-influence and thick salty licorice. Another example that Fettercairn can be amazing when bottled at cask strength.
No fancy stuff here, just perfectly good whisky: 7.5
I have recently been tasting some weird whiskies, grains, undisclosed, foreign whiskies and so on. The reason for this is that I have endured on 1 and a half year of dramming almost exclusively on scotch single malt whisky. This has made me be a bit too biased when tasting whiskies from distilleries that I have become very familiar with lately. To try and re-egnite some of the passion and adventures that I usually find when tasting a new whisky I will now try to go a bit off the beaten track and have some sessions with other kinds of whisky. I will soon enough return to my old style of tasting primarily scotch, but going forward I'm expecting to broaden my horizon with these experimental tastings.
onsdag 29. juni 2011
A bunch of Grains #1
The Snow Grouse NAS 40% Blended Grain
The first Famous Grouse with no Glenturret in the mix? So this is a regular blend just without any malt share, cheap produce then. Could it be good like older versions of the hedonism, or just like any other young cheap blend? The label says this is a smooth chill filtered whisky (a trade-mark owned by the grouse gang as there's a "TM" stated above the phrase???). Anyone care to explain me the difference between smooth and regular chill-filtration, and if this is a trademark? Smells light, bitter, kräuter-likör, vodka, burnt potato mash. The taste is light and minty, not bad, but this lightness that I found in the Good Knight the other day is here as well. If I tasted this one blind I'd be certain it was some sort of bitter herbal liquor, Gammel Dansk?
Weakish and undemanding grains, not my kind of whisky: 3
Greenore 15yo 43% OB
Irish grain whisky, usually I'd be skeptical, but the 8yo Greenore showed to be a pleasant surprise last time I tasted it, this one could very well be the same? Smells spicier, spicy tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, sweet and acidic. The taste is peppery, a bit like the 14yo Oban, light pepperiness and fresh highland-style. It's old style whisky, not many modern scotch whiskies has this style. perfect balance between oak, pepperiness and malt.
Much like some young Highland whiskies bottled in the 70's: 7
Glen Grain Class 10yo 2000-2010 50% Malts of Scotland
Another Blended Grain if I'm not mistaken, at considerably higher strength than the last two. By the way, this is batch#1, maybe I can try predict if there's going to be a second batch or not? The smell is minty, again this light style, like it's some kind of herbal after-meal schnapps. I wonder what sort of grain they have used producing these cheap blended grains. Or maybe what distilleries the input comes from. The taste is bittersweet and peppery, like dry gin mixed with hot n sweet candy spirit. With water. No good with water, dry and bitter.
It's not the worst I've tried, but it has no whisky characteristics: 3.5
North British 17yo 1991-2008 53.9% Signatory Vintage
A cask strength from Signatory, am I in for a surprise? I have no expectations of what to come from different grain distilleries as I'm not familiar i the territory of grain whisky. Except from a 28yo Cameronbridge that was utterly amazing I haven't tried any cask strength grains so this is almost a new thing for me. Let's see.. It smells sort of withdrawn, some hints of peppery notes and austere along some seaweed and salty dried fish. Intriguing, if not very complex. The taste is salty and dry with a mix of Lowland and Islay character. this dry fish, fried shrimp character mixes with some floral peppery notes. Much to my liking. The finish is long and dry, not that grand.
The finish was disappointing but other than that this works for me: 6
Cambus 18yo 1991-2009 55.4% Signatory Vintage
Another grain distillery that I'm up until now unfamiliar with. This one is lighter than the North British, the nose tells me of sifted wheat flour and rubber bands. The taste is better, sweet and peppery with some nice and clean licorice flavor. Sweet and dry on the finish, burnt matches and pharmacy smell, I think this might be one of the rawest 18yo's I've ever had, especially what possible cask influence is concerned. I have big problems seeing why this one should be added to the SV cask strength collection before the fantastic Fettercairn. My opinion at least.
an immature 18yo: 3
To say the least, this was an experience that will be repeated because now I'm even more confused about what to expect when tasting grain whisky. One thing that maybe stood out, but mostly in the Blended grains with low proof, were these light and minty flavors. I must have another grain tasting in not so long to discover more. As earlier mentioned in this post, I've had great grain whiskies before.
The first Famous Grouse with no Glenturret in the mix? So this is a regular blend just without any malt share, cheap produce then. Could it be good like older versions of the hedonism, or just like any other young cheap blend? The label says this is a smooth chill filtered whisky (a trade-mark owned by the grouse gang as there's a "TM" stated above the phrase???). Anyone care to explain me the difference between smooth and regular chill-filtration, and if this is a trademark? Smells light, bitter, kräuter-likör, vodka, burnt potato mash. The taste is light and minty, not bad, but this lightness that I found in the Good Knight the other day is here as well. If I tasted this one blind I'd be certain it was some sort of bitter herbal liquor, Gammel Dansk?
Weakish and undemanding grains, not my kind of whisky: 3
Greenore 15yo 43% OB
Irish grain whisky, usually I'd be skeptical, but the 8yo Greenore showed to be a pleasant surprise last time I tasted it, this one could very well be the same? Smells spicier, spicy tomato sauce, red wine vinegar, sweet and acidic. The taste is peppery, a bit like the 14yo Oban, light pepperiness and fresh highland-style. It's old style whisky, not many modern scotch whiskies has this style. perfect balance between oak, pepperiness and malt.
Much like some young Highland whiskies bottled in the 70's: 7
Glen Grain Class 10yo 2000-2010 50% Malts of Scotland
Another Blended Grain if I'm not mistaken, at considerably higher strength than the last two. By the way, this is batch#1, maybe I can try predict if there's going to be a second batch or not? The smell is minty, again this light style, like it's some kind of herbal after-meal schnapps. I wonder what sort of grain they have used producing these cheap blended grains. Or maybe what distilleries the input comes from. The taste is bittersweet and peppery, like dry gin mixed with hot n sweet candy spirit. With water. No good with water, dry and bitter.
It's not the worst I've tried, but it has no whisky characteristics: 3.5
North British 17yo 1991-2008 53.9% Signatory Vintage
A cask strength from Signatory, am I in for a surprise? I have no expectations of what to come from different grain distilleries as I'm not familiar i the territory of grain whisky. Except from a 28yo Cameronbridge that was utterly amazing I haven't tried any cask strength grains so this is almost a new thing for me. Let's see.. It smells sort of withdrawn, some hints of peppery notes and austere along some seaweed and salty dried fish. Intriguing, if not very complex. The taste is salty and dry with a mix of Lowland and Islay character. this dry fish, fried shrimp character mixes with some floral peppery notes. Much to my liking. The finish is long and dry, not that grand.
The finish was disappointing but other than that this works for me: 6
Cambus 18yo 1991-2009 55.4% Signatory Vintage
Another grain distillery that I'm up until now unfamiliar with. This one is lighter than the North British, the nose tells me of sifted wheat flour and rubber bands. The taste is better, sweet and peppery with some nice and clean licorice flavor. Sweet and dry on the finish, burnt matches and pharmacy smell, I think this might be one of the rawest 18yo's I've ever had, especially what possible cask influence is concerned. I have big problems seeing why this one should be added to the SV cask strength collection before the fantastic Fettercairn. My opinion at least.
an immature 18yo: 3
To say the least, this was an experience that will be repeated because now I'm even more confused about what to expect when tasting grain whisky. One thing that maybe stood out, but mostly in the Blended grains with low proof, were these light and minty flavors. I must have another grain tasting in not so long to discover more. As earlier mentioned in this post, I've had great grain whiskies before.
mandag 27. juni 2011
Making my own Whisky in 1-2-3 :)
I'm old enough to remember when there were just a couple of IB's around, mostly G&M, Signatory and Cadenhead's. Nowadays it seems there's hundreds of IB's trying to make you purchase their expressions. And I'm all for it as I think that there are huge differences in styles, choice of casks and desired bottling ages when it comes to the different IB's. But sometimes when tasting some IB's I think to myself: "Why wouldn't they just give this one a year or two more.. oh it would be so much better..." Of course that's my personal opinion and surely not always right, but it has brought me to this. A DIY of whisky. I have not a spirit still at home, but when it comes to maturation I have now bought myself some new-make, wooden casks and sweet wine to help myself try make my own IB whisky and bottle it at the exact moment of which I find it to hold the best standard it can get. Maybe it'll all go pear-shaped after a while, but at least I may get a glimpse of what sort of challenges and difficulties the IB employees faces. This is what I have and how far I've come in the process.
First of all, purchase a good cask or two, make sure they doesn't leak or have other defuncts. Make sure that you have enough spirit to fill the casks as evaporation happens easier the more oxygen is in the casks while maturing.
Get hold of some wine that you, or in this case I, find enjoyable, but also has some stamina what flavor is concerned. A light & fruity wine needs more time to make impact on the oak than a strong and drier one. I decided to go for a sherry wine similar like the one you see on the left, and a cherry dessert wine which I've unfortunately have no bottle left of. I have instead placed a meatpackers wine on the right side of the photo, a wine that I feel could be useful in a pre whisky cask. I have left the sherry wine in for 3 months and now there's Glenglassaugh spirit inside of it, I will try some of it when the spirit has reach about a year in cask. The other one is still keeping sherry and I will leave it for at least a year or two before filling it with newmake.
Get hold of some new-make to put in the barrels. I have decided on filling one with high strength undiluted peated new-make from Bladnoch, and putting it in the barrel that previously have contained sweet cherry wine, as I think port wine, cherry wine and other sweet wines combines better with peat than sherry does. The other barrel now holding sweet Luiz Paes Cream Sherry will be filled with Glenglassaugh newmake, also known as the spirit that dare not speak its name.
First of all, purchase a good cask or two, make sure they doesn't leak or have other defuncts. Make sure that you have enough spirit to fill the casks as evaporation happens easier the more oxygen is in the casks while maturing.
Get hold of some wine that you, or in this case I, find enjoyable, but also has some stamina what flavor is concerned. A light & fruity wine needs more time to make impact on the oak than a strong and drier one. I decided to go for a sherry wine similar like the one you see on the left, and a cherry dessert wine which I've unfortunately have no bottle left of. I have instead placed a meatpackers wine on the right side of the photo, a wine that I feel could be useful in a pre whisky cask. I have left the sherry wine in for 3 months and now there's Glenglassaugh spirit inside of it, I will try some of it when the spirit has reach about a year in cask. The other one is still keeping sherry and I will leave it for at least a year or two before filling it with newmake.
Get hold of some new-make to put in the barrels. I have decided on filling one with high strength undiluted peated new-make from Bladnoch, and putting it in the barrel that previously have contained sweet cherry wine, as I think port wine, cherry wine and other sweet wines combines better with peat than sherry does. The other barrel now holding sweet Luiz Paes Cream Sherry will be filled with Glenglassaugh newmake, also known as the spirit that dare not speak its name.
lørdag 25. juni 2011
Small changes...
As the ones of you that are still following this blog must have noticed, its new current address is www.maltdiary.com. Another thing that's changed is there will no longer be a post for each whisky as I'm trying to put my whiskies into different batches so that the ones that fit into same subdivision, that being distillery, geography, cask types or so on, will be tasted head to head. This will not be repetitive for each tasting, as I sometimes do like tasting the difference of a Glengoyne and an Ardbeg head to head. But again I have felt lately that with some of the tastings I have had some trouble finding what I call the distillery character. Possibly so because I haven't tasted that many standard OB's recently and I have few in my expectations. That meaning that referencing to the distillery character is somewhat more difficult. By putting together whiskies from same distillery I will hopefully recapture some of my old impressions of what to expect from the distillery, regional location and so on.
torsdag 23. juni 2011
Whisky from outside of europe #1
Crown Royal NAS 40% Canadian Blended
One from Ontario, I had to try another Canadian whisky after the Long Wood disaster at the start of this session. This one at least got the look with its fancy decanter and italian import sticker on the top. This one has more punch on the nose, like a finer blend, say the Chivas Regal, it got something going on, there's onions, peppers, and spirity notes. The taste is light, but more pleasant than the Long Wood, some delightful cheese character, cream cheese and vanilla, ending on a peppery and a bit smoky note.
Two up from the Long Wood: 4
Johnny Drum 15yo 50.5% OB Kentucky Straight Bourbon
An american brand I haven't seen around much. At a strength suggesting it could be bottled at cask strength. I haven't tried enough bourbons to have any meanings of it, but I guess they've maybe got a fairly bad reputation due to the likes of Jim Beam and Jack Daniel's? At least those didn't blink on my top of the list radar. Rosé wine color, and what a nose, malt syrup, honey, buttered corn, crispy caramel, forgive me America! But what about the taste? Ground peppers, warm sun-dried tomatoes, cheap cigarillos, far from the wonderful nose. Needs water. Usually I say I dilute the whisky, but now I'd rather say I reduced it, it needed plenty water. The taste doesn't get much better, still there's this aftertaste that you get from cheap cigarillos that can sit through the entire evening.
For nosing purposes only: 3.5
Three Ships 10yo 43% OB South Africa
On this I have no clue what to expect, South Africa?? I know they make some good wine, so good casks should easily be within reach. But producing whisky in that hot climate, and god knows what quality the water holds? I can't see much peat or other natural stuff flavoring the water in in the rivers leading into Johannesburg and other cities? Maybe I'm wrong? Now this is interesting, it smells sort of Highland style, peppery, fresh cut grass, a bit smoky, but most of all extremely fresh, kind of like a young Ben Nevis. The taste is very well indeed, peppery notes, lots of licorice, floral, pine, and delicious mushrooms, in cream sauce...mmm...
A whisky with twists and turns, a wild ride: 6
Good Knight 42.8% Indian Grain Spirit Whisky
Some Grain Spirit Whisky from a funky-looking 90ml. decanter, made by the Hindustan Distilleries. I have already had a train wreck of an Indian "whisky" with the Sikkim Gold single molasses whisky, so I'm kinda down on the expectations here. But "Grain Spirit" must mean its at least whisky at some point in the making, but when it has no age statement, it could be new-make with caramel? On the other hand, they say whisky matures faster in India where the climate is hotter. Anyway, let's try it. Smells very minty, almost all on mint drops, nothing that shows any sort of whisky-style yet. The taste is sweet and again minty, like something at about 15% for kids in their late teens to mix with coca cola. One of the most dubious whiskies I've tried so far, hard to judge as it isn't bad in any way, just very light in style and not whisky-like in any way.
I'll be gentle with this one: 3
Nikka Taketsuru 17yo 43%
Sometimes I think I might be the only whiskylover left on the planet not to hail the Japanese single malts as the new "it" when it comes to finer whisky. On the other hand I haven't tried that many yet, so maybe this can shed some light for me on the not so recent buzz. Definetively got much more going on the nose than the Long Wood, camphor, vanilla, honey, spicy, mustard and perfumy. The taste is at first silky smooth with some indian ground spices, hot, but yet light, hard to describe any better than light chili and turmeric. Then it turns spicier with some added black pepper, peat and oaky aftertaste. Addition of water gives it a milder yet more bitter flavour, like chewing acrylic clothing.
Initially presentable, but didn't handle water well: 3.5
Long Wood 8yo 40% Canadian Blend
I'm going for a international journey today, as I have felt a bit of contrast lacking in the last scottish malt sessions. Maybe this will surprise me, or just reconfirm my belief in Scottish single malt whisky? From before I have tried some Japanese that satisfied me somewhat, and a couple Irish ones with the 8yo Greenore being the definite cream of the crop. What I do know is that this tim it's gonna be something else. Starting off with some "Finest pure handselected" Canadian whisky. Sounds like something from Scotland at least. Smells fusel, oily, young grain whisky. The taste is way over the line when it comes to sweetness, a bit floral and mostly supersweet. It says on the back it's been adjusted with caramel, and I could guess its not only the color thats been adjusted. The taste is caramel, onions and bitter spirit.
I hope there are better Canadians out there: 2
One from Ontario, I had to try another Canadian whisky after the Long Wood disaster at the start of this session. This one at least got the look with its fancy decanter and italian import sticker on the top. This one has more punch on the nose, like a finer blend, say the Chivas Regal, it got something going on, there's onions, peppers, and spirity notes. The taste is light, but more pleasant than the Long Wood, some delightful cheese character, cream cheese and vanilla, ending on a peppery and a bit smoky note.
Two up from the Long Wood: 4
Johnny Drum 15yo 50.5% OB Kentucky Straight Bourbon
An american brand I haven't seen around much. At a strength suggesting it could be bottled at cask strength. I haven't tried enough bourbons to have any meanings of it, but I guess they've maybe got a fairly bad reputation due to the likes of Jim Beam and Jack Daniel's? At least those didn't blink on my top of the list radar. Rosé wine color, and what a nose, malt syrup, honey, buttered corn, crispy caramel, forgive me America! But what about the taste? Ground peppers, warm sun-dried tomatoes, cheap cigarillos, far from the wonderful nose. Needs water. Usually I say I dilute the whisky, but now I'd rather say I reduced it, it needed plenty water. The taste doesn't get much better, still there's this aftertaste that you get from cheap cigarillos that can sit through the entire evening.
For nosing purposes only: 3.5
Three Ships 10yo 43% OB South Africa
On this I have no clue what to expect, South Africa?? I know they make some good wine, so good casks should easily be within reach. But producing whisky in that hot climate, and god knows what quality the water holds? I can't see much peat or other natural stuff flavoring the water in in the rivers leading into Johannesburg and other cities? Maybe I'm wrong? Now this is interesting, it smells sort of Highland style, peppery, fresh cut grass, a bit smoky, but most of all extremely fresh, kind of like a young Ben Nevis. The taste is very well indeed, peppery notes, lots of licorice, floral, pine, and delicious mushrooms, in cream sauce...mmm...
A whisky with twists and turns, a wild ride: 6
Good Knight 42.8% Indian Grain Spirit Whisky
Some Grain Spirit Whisky from a funky-looking 90ml. decanter, made by the Hindustan Distilleries. I have already had a train wreck of an Indian "whisky" with the Sikkim Gold single molasses whisky, so I'm kinda down on the expectations here. But "Grain Spirit" must mean its at least whisky at some point in the making, but when it has no age statement, it could be new-make with caramel? On the other hand, they say whisky matures faster in India where the climate is hotter. Anyway, let's try it. Smells very minty, almost all on mint drops, nothing that shows any sort of whisky-style yet. The taste is sweet and again minty, like something at about 15% for kids in their late teens to mix with coca cola. One of the most dubious whiskies I've tried so far, hard to judge as it isn't bad in any way, just very light in style and not whisky-like in any way.
I'll be gentle with this one: 3
Nikka Taketsuru 17yo 43%
Sometimes I think I might be the only whiskylover left on the planet not to hail the Japanese single malts as the new "it" when it comes to finer whisky. On the other hand I haven't tried that many yet, so maybe this can shed some light for me on the not so recent buzz. Definetively got much more going on the nose than the Long Wood, camphor, vanilla, honey, spicy, mustard and perfumy. The taste is at first silky smooth with some indian ground spices, hot, but yet light, hard to describe any better than light chili and turmeric. Then it turns spicier with some added black pepper, peat and oaky aftertaste. Addition of water gives it a milder yet more bitter flavour, like chewing acrylic clothing.
Initially presentable, but didn't handle water well: 3.5
Long Wood 8yo 40% Canadian Blend
I'm going for a international journey today, as I have felt a bit of contrast lacking in the last scottish malt sessions. Maybe this will surprise me, or just reconfirm my belief in Scottish single malt whisky? From before I have tried some Japanese that satisfied me somewhat, and a couple Irish ones with the 8yo Greenore being the definite cream of the crop. What I do know is that this tim it's gonna be something else. Starting off with some "Finest pure handselected" Canadian whisky. Sounds like something from Scotland at least. Smells fusel, oily, young grain whisky. The taste is way over the line when it comes to sweetness, a bit floral and mostly supersweet. It says on the back it's been adjusted with caramel, and I could guess its not only the color thats been adjusted. The taste is caramel, onions and bitter spirit.
I hope there are better Canadians out there: 2
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