Month: June 2014

Whisky #134 – Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Gran Reserva

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IMG_2950Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Gran Reserva. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Bobeche, $35.

Colour: Dull brownish gold.

Nose: Brown sugar, toasted cereal kind of scents.

Palate: Vanilla & raspberry jam flavours, sweet yet some subtle bitterness as well. Plenty of toasted flavours too. Nice balance of heat and flavour. Almost a hint of some bourbon-like notes.

Finish: Warmth tingles at the front of the palate; flavours and heat gradually fade. The aftertaste reminds me of raspberry jam on a slice of toast.

Comments: Aged in ex-Cuban rum barrels, which certainly give the whisky its colour as well influencing flavours & the nose. I was expecting a slightly smoother entry given the age, but the flavour intensity is there which is good. Not sure that for $35 the Glenfiddich 21 Gran Reserva represents great value, but it’s certainly a decent drop.

Whisky #133 – Ardbeg Ardbog Cask Strength Single Malt

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IMG_2948Ardbeg Ardbog Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 52.10%. Tasted at Helvetica, $0 courtesy of a guy named Eamon who was keen to hear about the Whisky a Day project.

Colour: Dark coppery cherry sherry.

Nose: Smokey creaming soda. Lots of peat smoke like most Ardbegs, hint of cherry.

Palate: Creamy salted caramel with a hefty dose of smoke, but its not overpowering.

Finish: Ah, that’s more like your typical Ardbeg. Long heat & peat finish, but some of those sweet creamy cherry flavours just manage to poke through.

Comments: Great to taste an Ardbeg with some variety. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved Ardbeg and think it’s cracking value for money (if not one of the best value for money whiskies on the market), but some of their expressions are a bit too similar. Released for World Ardbeg Day in 2013, the Ardbeg Ardbog was great; the heat & smoke were toned down and some other sweet flavours came through. Good drop.

Whisky #132 – 1973 Glenrothes Single Malt

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IMG_29461973 Glenrothes Single Malt (bottled 2000). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at Helvetica, $59.

Colour: Deep, lustrous coppery amber. It’s a beautiful thing.

Nose: Such an unusual, complex nose. Reminds me of when I was a kid and pulling out the winter blankets from the camphor wood chest where they’d been stored since the previous winter. Dusty, almost like the smell of dusty old books. A hint of gentle woody smoke.

Palate: Very, very smooth. Sweet toasted malt flavours gently roll over through the mouth and make you sit back, sigh contentedly and say “wow”.

Finish: Gentle sweet smoke & oak in the long, gradual fade.

Comments: So smooth, both upon entry and in the finish. Delightful, though like the 1969 Glenrothes I tried at Whisky Live the flavours were a little softer than expected, although given it spent 27 years maturing in the barrel I guess this is to be expected. It’s not that the flavours are disappointing in any way (they’re actually amazing), it’s just that after the intriguing nose I had hoped the flavours would be a little stronger. Maybe this is a trait of the older Glenrothes whiskies? Fantastic nose and flavours, but not quite as intense as I would like. I will have to continue the research to test this theory!

Whisky #131 – Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve Japanese Whisky

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IMG_2945Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve Japanese Whisky. Yamazaki, Kyoto, Japan. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at Helvetica, $0 – courtesy of Hutch.

Colour: Gold. Fake gold (because it was on the house).

Nose: Strong hay notes, hint of rose water.

Palate: Much smoother than I was expecting for a Japanese malt, especially a Yamazaki. It doesn’t have the flavour punch or the burst of heat when it enters your mouth like the Yamazaki 12 year old.

Finish: Short-medium finish, not much residual heat so the flavours can shine. Sweet in the fade.

Comments: Tastes more like a blend given its smoothness and subtle flavours, but is it?  Technically it is a single malt, having all come from the one distillery. But it’s a blend of Yamazaki malts that have been maturing in different casks (red wine, sherry & Japanese oak barrels) for varying time periods. An interesting drop.

Whisky #130 – Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M104 Single Malt

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IMG_2943Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M104 Single Malt (Bottle 095 / 372). Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at Botanica.

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg & maybe even some roasted fennel seeds. Kind of a weird aroma to list, but it reminds me of the smell when I cook fennel encrusted pork belly. Now I’m hungry…

Palate: Sweet aniseed, almost a bit bourbon-ish. Oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium finish, warmth & sweet sultana flavours linger at the front of the palate.

Comments: Very different to the M67 I tasted in March, which to be fair was a cask strength compared to this dram at 43%. I expected it to be a little different as Limeburners only do single barrel releases, but the contrast is quite stark. Another great drop from Limeburners, if you like your whisky full flavoured grab yourself one. The differences between each release mean that there’s always a very good reason to keep exploring the range…all in the name of scientific research of course!

Whiskies #127-129 – Kavalan Solist vertical tasting

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IMG_2941Kavalan Solist vertical tasting. Tasted at home, $16 for a tasting pack of 3 x 50mL bottles.

Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Cask Strength Single Malt. Taiwan. ABV: 57.0%

Colour: Like a golden fried dumpling. C’mon, a Taiwanese whisky review had to have some kind of nationalist stereotype reference in there somewhere!

Nose: Somewhat sweet, straw-like aromas. Also a very faint hint of pineapple. Quite strong alcohol fumes.

Palate: Spice, bitterness and sweetness are well balanced; plenty of strong, complex flavours here. A bit of an oily mouthfeel upon entry. Sweetness quickly gives way to heat & woody, peppery notes.

Finish: Long finish, plenty of tingle at the front of the palate.

 

Kavalan Solist Ex-Sherry Cask Strength Single Malt. Taiwan. ABV: 57.0%.

Colour: Wow. Such a dark, deep crimson colour. Like a semi-translucent molasses. Don’t think I’ve seen a sherry dram (or any whisky for that matter) with such a dark hue. Not that colour really makes one lick of difference when it comes to the whisky’s taste, but geez it’s a beautiful thing to look at.

Nose: Prunes & raisins.

Palate: Smooth, creamy entry; sweet oaky flavours roll through the mouth. Divine.

Finish: Much smoother, subtler flavours and shorter than the ex-bourbon cask Soloist. Dark chocolate notes in the fade. Delicious.

Comments: I would love to taste this side by side with the Glendronach Revival 15 Year Old. I don’t think it’s quite got the same sweet chewiness of the Glendronach, but geez it’s a good drop. A real surprise packet, stunning!

 

Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Cask Strength Single Malt. Taiwan. ABV: 57.0%.

Colour: Pale reddish copper colour, almost a bit rose-tinted.

Nose: Toasty oak notes, quite soft though. Reminds you a little of a sherry dram, but much less intense. Especially after having tasted such a strong (and damn fine!) sherry dram. Definitely not the intense waft of alcohol like the ex-bourbon dram.

Palate: Slight salty, dried sultanas.

Finish: Dry, again lingering heat at the front of the mouth. Could be a Kavalan trait perhaps? May have to try some of their other releases to verify, purely for research purposes of course…

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Overall comments: When I first picked up this trio it was because they were a) dirt cheap and would be a cost-effective way of knocking over another three whiskies; b) I had never heard of whisky being produced from Taiwan and was curious to try it; and c) I thought they would be primary candidates for the “truly awful” whisky category (primarily due to point “b” above) and would make for an interesting contrast to other whiskies. Boy was I wrong…

All three of the Kavalan Solist expressions were a pleasant surprise. Rich, full-flavoured, good balance of sweetness and spices, complex flavour profile…if I’d had a blind tasting I might have picked them for Tasmanian or Japanese single malts. I am happy to eat my words and declare they are far from “truly awful”, they are actually truly delicious!

The ex-bourbon cask expression was a fantastic start, while the Vinho Barrique cask was also pretty good (in fact it was quite decent), but certainly a slight letdown after the amazing sherry dram. Luckily I left some of that to go back to…

The ex-sherry dram was by far the stand-out, not just for it’s colour which is a thing of beauty, but for being such an outstanding all-round whisky – nose, palate and finish. It is by far the whisky which has brought the greatest upside surprise upon tasting, and one that I would happily hunt down a bottle to add to the collection at home. Highly recommended!

Whisky #126 – Nikka From the Barrel Blended Japanese Whisky

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IMG_2934Nikka From the Barrel Blended Japanese Whisky. Hokkaido, Japan. ABV: 51.40%. Tasted at The Royal, $13.

Colour: Brassy gold.

Nose: Sweet toasty aromas, like a piece of hot buttered toast smothered with honey. A hint of liquorice maybe?

Palate: Soft buttery entry, quickly gives way as the big spice & warmth fill the mouth. A touch of sweet, spicy vanilla develops.

Finish: The heat fills your mouth. And keeps coming. Eventually it slowly fades leaving some of those sweet vanilla notes on your tongue. A real slow burner.

Comments: I wouldn’t have picked this for a blend, it’s got lots more flavour complexity and warmth than most other blends I’ve tried. Cracking value for money, only $13 for the glass or around $70 to grab a bottle in a bottle shop.

I’m happy to say this is the pick of the blends I’ve tried so far this year, maybe because for me it has characteristics more akin to a single malt than a blend. Recommended.

Whisky #125 – Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt

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IMG_2933Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Lalla Rookh, $18.

Colour: Lustrous burnt amber.

Nose: A bit of oak, maybe some cherries.

Palate: Dried apricots, vanilla & oak. Smooth entry.

Finish: Medium length, not much heat.

Comments: Dangerously drinkable – this glass must have a leak. Smooth but not too complex, the Glenfiddich 15 is a solid whisky but not exceptional.

Whisky #124 – Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky

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IMG_2932Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Speyside, Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.0%. Tasted at Andaluz, $23.

Colour: Bright orangey gold.

Nose: Hay, grassy notes. Maybe a bit like sniffing a fresh lemon.

Palate: Smooth cool entry, with a few short sweet honey notes. Dry mouthfeel.

Finish: Shortish finish, lemony grassy flavours. Like chewing a piece of grass you’ve picked up as you’re walking through a paddock. Not that wandering through a grassy paddock is the type of setting where you’d normally be enjoying a wee dram, but chewing a piece of grass leaves a similar taste in the mouth. Dry finish.

Comments: Meh. A touch overrated for mine, I don’t see what the fuss is about with the Royal Salute (granted, I haven’t tasted the other Royal Salute age expressions). Not enough character for my liking. Better value elsewhere.

Whisky #123 – Sullivans Cove Single Cask French Oak Single Malt, Barrel HH0533

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IMG_2929Sullivans Cove Single Cask French Oak Single Malt, Barrel HH0533. Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 47.50%. Tasted at The Grosvenor, $24.

Colour: Golden copper. Darker than gold, lighter than copper. Does that make it brassy? Who really cares, let’s taste it.

Nose: Not an overly strong nose, but some mixed spices. Possibly even a hint of rye, which is surprising as it’s obviously not a rye whiskey.

Palate: Lots of flavour, spice & warmth when you take a sip. Cloves & cinnamon are the main spices I get, but also maybe a touch of fennel – maybe it’s the very subtle aniseed-like flavours there that gave the rye scents.

Finish: Feels like a smooth oily entry, but then a dry finish. Flavours linger long, but not as long as the warmth, particularly on the front half of the mouth and a what feels like a small strip lengthways down the centre of the tongue. Lips tingle for a while afterwards.

Comments: I was very keen to try the Sullivan’s Cove French Oak single cask, particularly after it recently won best single malt in the world at the prestigious World Whisky Awards in London, albeit from a different barrel to this release (the winning barrel was HH0525). Definitely surprised to see such a hard to find whisky behind the bar of a regular pub in the middle of the city, The Grosvenor is not exactly known as a whisky bar!

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Having walked through the cold & rain to get here, it’s certainly a welcome feeling to be drinking a warming dram like this one. The warmth really radiates through your chest as the whisky goes down, but certainly not in a fiery way. Very pleased to have tried it, I’m not sure I would rate it amongst the top echelon of the world’s whiskies but definitely one I’d like to have in the collection at home for those cold winter nights and also the fact it is quite a unique offering. It’s almost a little bourbon-like, but much smoother and tastier than any bourbon I’ve had before. I would be very keen to compare it to other barrels of the French Oak expression, though after winning the world whisky of the year that particular barrel is extremely hard (and costly) to come by.

Overall, recommended highly. Support your Aussie whisky producers!

Whisky #122 – Suntory Pure Malt 1991

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IMG_2923Suntory Pure Malt 1991. Osaka, Japan. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $30.

Colour: Burnt orange colour. A little hard to tell accurately with the red lanterns lighting the room.

Nose: Quite woody, but not smoky. A touch of medicinal scent, also a hint of fresh flowers.

Palate: Reminds me of the taste of a the bamboo reed when I used to play the saxophone. Very smooth entry, surprisingly so. Not the big flavour and heat bomb that I was expecting from the nose. Plenty of wood.

Finish: Lots of complex woody flavours linger for ages, as does a moderately gentle heat & some sweet after notes like burnt buttery caramel flavours. Mainly at the front of the palate.

Comments: It has filtered through bamboo charcoal apparently, which imparts quite a unique flavour upon the whisky. Though having learnt this, it’s not as smoky as you might think.

Whisky #121 – Glen Grant The Major’s Reserve Single Malt

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IMG_2914Glen Grant The Major’s Reserve Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at my place, $0 courtesy of my mate Gordy.

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Quite soft & fruity – dried muscatelles, Gordy got dried apricots.

Palate: Smooth, almost cool entry to the palate.

Finish: It had a touch of lingering tingle, a bit of spice. Hint of vanilla in the fade.

Comments: Pretty mild. Polar opposites to a glass of the Glenmorangie Companta which I introduced Gordy to right afterwards.

Whisky #120 – Evan Williams Single Barrel 2003

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IMG_2912Evan Williams Single Barrel 2003. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 43.3%. Tasted at Bobeche, $15.

Colour: Burnt copper.

Nose: Light rye scents; a medicinal faint feint. Faint feint – does that mean I’m smelling double or just talking gibberish? Probably the latter.

Palate: Some more subdued aniseed flavours than other bourbons I’ve had so far, but still plenty of mixed spice & heat dancing around the mouth.

Finish: Quite a peppery finish for a bourbon whiskey, but has a touch of lingering sweetness and a hint of liquorice.

Comments: Not as much sweetness as I was expecting. Good to taste a bourbon that is trying to be a little different, it doesn’t seem to want to conform to the rules about what a traditional bourbon has to be. Not saying it’s totally different from other bourbons, it’s just pushing the boundaries a touch. Not bad.

Whisky #119 – SMWS 35.89 Spell-Binding and Breath-Taking

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IMG_3408SMWS 35.89 Spell-Binding and Breath-Taking. 17 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Glen Moray distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.7%. Tasted at home, 100mL tasting bottle as part of SMWS new members’ welcome pack.

Colour: Dull straw colour.

Nose: Sweet grassy notes, maybe a touch of banana.

Palate: Salted toffee, dried banana crisps. Oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Some sweet apple and toffee flavours in the fade, but not a sickly sweet toffee apple – it’s more subtle than that. Medium length finish.

Comments: A little underwhelming compared to the other SMWS releases I’ve tasted. I’m not getting the big fruit flavours the SMWS tasting committee listed on the label. It’s quite a focused, intense flavour profile, but not as complex as I like. Overall, ok but after tasting this 100mL sample bottle it’s certainly not a SMWS bottling that I would go out of my way to purchase.

Whisky #118 – Ardbeg Blasda Single Malt

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IMG_2904Ardbeg Blasda Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Tiger Lils, $11.

Colour: Translucent straw.

Nose: Peat, plenty of it. A hint of band aids after a bit of time in the glass.

Palate: Surprisingly smooth entry for an Ardbeg, feels like some soft smoke gently rolling in through your mouth.

Finish: Bit of a tingle at the front of the tongue. Peppery aftertaste.

Comments: An experimental offering from Ardbeg, they’ve deliberately tried to make it lightly peated (unlike every other Ardbeg I’ve ever tasted). Despite this, there is still a fair whack of peat. So while it’s not quite your typical Ardbeg, it’s not quite like anything else either, sort of a half-way house. Not bad, but it’s a little thin and doesn’t seem to really know what it’s striving to be…is it trying to be Ardbeg’s attempt at being very un-Ardbg-like, or is it trying to be something different? Either way, it seems to fall a little short. Quite drinkable, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to track it down.

Whisky #117 – Glenmorangie Companta Private Edition Single Malt

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IMG_2900Glenmorangie Companta Private Edition Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home – $195 (bottle).

Colour: Stunning deep bronze-amber hues.

Nose: Sweet muscatels, perfume, subtle oak – much more subtle than other Glenmorangie expressions.

Palate: Oily mouthfeel, quite woody. Smooth entry but the warmth and flavours develop and slowly resonate through your mouth, much like a double bass note that lingers in a concert hall after the rest of the orchestra has fallen silent. I know that sounds a bit wanky, but as an ex-musician that was the most appropriate analogy to describe what the whisky was doing in my mouth. Love it.

Finish: Spicy tart raspberries, bit of pepper. Medium-long finish in terms of flavour and warmth.

Comments: Each year Glenmorangie have a special ‘Private Edition’ release, last year’s was the award-winning Ealanta, which Jim Murray crowned as world whisky of the year.  This year I was fortunate to get my hands on a bottle of the Companta. For this release, Glenmorangie have taken some of their regular 10 year ex-bourbon barrel maturation, before then placing it into a combination of ex French red wine barrels, 60% in Clos de Tart and 40% in Rasteau barriques.

From probably what is still my favourite distillery, I was really looking forward to cracking open this one. It certainly didn’t disappoint, although it’s not quite got the residual sweetness of say some sherry-matured drams that share a similar colour (e.g. the Glendronach Revival 15 year old) though that is to be expected given it was matured in ex red wine barrels. It’s a bit drier, but still packs loads of flavour. If you can find yourself a bottle somewhere (and they are hard to track down), get some – you won’t be disappointed!