Month: June 2014

Whisky #116 – Old Pulteney 12 Year Old Single Malt

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IMG_2858Old Pulteney 12 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at The Windsor Hotel, $13.

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Maybe a hint of peppery dried apple. Similar to the Glenlivet 12 year old.

Palate: Grassy, slight (plain) corn chip like flavour. Soft mouthfeel, yet quite dry. Peppery on the palate.

Finish: Short to medium length, no alcohol heat.

Comments: Inoffensive. The glassies at The Windsor tried to take it away twice before if even had my first sip, clearly they don’t serve whisky here too often! Either that or they don’t think too much of the Old Pulteney. As I did – it’s nothing special. Not a bad drop, just fairly middling.

Whiskies #106-115: Scotch Malt Whisky Society Autumn Tasting Extravaganza

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Scotch Malt Whisky Society Autumn Tasting Extravaganza. Parmelia Hilton, $70.

I joined the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) at the start of the year for a few main reasons. Firstly, as another way to expand my whisky horizons and give me exposure to a range of unusual whiskies that I hadn’t heard much about (much less seen available to buy anywhere). A good way to really start to rack up the number of different malts that I knew I’d need to successfully complete the Whisky a Day challenge.

Secondly, I was intrigued by this mysterious “society” – would they have a secret handshake? Would it be a stuffy old man’s club where everyone stands around twirling their moustache and wearing a tweed jacket? As it turns out, no – they’re just a bunch of friendly folks who are really into their whisky. A huge range of ages and mix of guys and girls, everyone is really down to earth and passionate about tasting and talking about whisky.

IMG_2825Anyway, a crash course in the SMWS. They do their own bottlings, whereby they go to a distillery and choose a single cask from which they produce a limited run (e.g. ~200 bottles) of a unique malt. The whisky is given a numerical code, denoting the distillery and the individual cask. For example, whisky “96.7” below identifies it as being from distillery number 96, and it is the 7th single cask bottling the SMWS has released from this distillery. They’ve also got some quirky tasting notes on the label to describe the flavours and aromas that the SMWS tasting panel has come up with.

So onto the tastings. The standout favourite of the day for me was “121.65 – A Well-Oiled Baseball Glove”. As with my experience at Whisky Live 2014, I didn’t want to spend the whole evening furiously making tasting notes. Tasting 10 whiskies in all, I kept the notes to a minimum and simply enjoyed the experience. If you are intrigued and want to know more about a particular whisky you’ll just have to join the SMWS and try it for yourself!

96.7 – For a Sweet Tooth. 7 year old SMWS bottling from Glendronach Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.3%.

Very pale colour.  Chewy toffee on the nose. Not as sweet as I was expecting given the description on the label. Warmth builds & slowly fills the mouth.

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3.218 – Opening the Bonnet of a Classic Car. 13 year old SMWS bottling from Bowmore Distillery. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 55.8%.

Apple juice in colour. The nose is smokey, but subtler than other Islays. Palate is meaty with hint of sweetness, like a seared steak.

 

 

IMG_2828131.2 – Magic Carpet in a Sweetie Shop. 

13 year old SMWS bottling from Hanyu Distillery. Chichibu, Japan. ABV: 55.1%.

Looks more like a port, beautiful colour. Initial scents reminded me of firecrackers, turns out it has a few hints of an Islay dram. Lots of spice, hint of smoke, quite full bodied, sweet notes abound. Medium length.

 

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73.62 – Magical, Mellifluous Marvelosity.

24 year old SMWS bottling from Aultmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 57.8%.

Looks like a botrytis semillon in colour, the legs on the glass also give away the relatively high ABV. Heat & peat on the palate, warmth lingers.

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28.24 – Curiouser and Curiouser.

23 year old SMWS bottling from Tullibardine Distillery. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 52.2%.

Pale gold. Musty. Like an old book. Bourbon like flavours, gentle. Smooth. Medium finish.

 

 

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93.58 – A Manly Adventure.

14 year old SMWS bottling from Glen Scotia Distillery. Campbeltown, Scotland. ABV: 60.4%.

Crisp clear straw colour. The nose gives pork spit roast on an open fire. Band aids. Meaty, very chewy. Kind of whisky to put hairs on your chest. Smoke builds, lips tingle long after.

 

 

IMG_283537.55 – Surprising Smoky and Savoury.

12 year old SMWS bottling from Cragganmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 56.6%.

Really pale straw. Surprisingly smokey for a Speyside – only then did I realise the SMWS name was “surprisingly smokey”.

 

 

 

IMG_2836121.65 – A Well-Oiled Baseball Glove.

14 year old SMWS bottling from Isle of Arran Distillery. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 58.3%.

Deep copper. Wow – like it. Muscat notes, it is leathery – the title of this one really is on the money. Like a salted caramel dessert – salty but a sweet aftertaste. Delicious – definitely my favourite dram of the day.

 

 

53.198 – Wasabi on a California Roll. IMG_2837

18 year old SMWS bottling from Caol Ila Distillery. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 59.1%.

Like opening a tin of smoked mussels or anchovies. Nice. Smokey, but almost a bit of a metallic aftertaste.

 

 

 

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29.145 – Innocent Embrace of Sweetness and Smoke.

22 year old SMWS bottling from Laphroaig Distillery. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 45.3%.

Straw colour. One of the lightest Islays I’ve nosed in terms of smoke. Sweet almost cool smokey sensation on the tongue. Quite unusual, but nice.

 

 

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Whisky #105 – Glenfarclas 105, 10 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

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IMG_2818Glenfarclas 105, 10 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 60.00%. $32 – Tasted at Malt Supper Club.

Colour: Bourbon-like bronze colour. I think (hard to tell in a dark bar).

Nose: Plenty of phenols, overpowering most flavours to be honest.

Palate: Big spice, lots of alcohol heat (to be expected from a cask strength though). Not much sweetness.

Finish: Long heat, long spice.

Comments: Ha, by sheer dumb luck whisky #105 is the Glenfarclas 105. Could not have planned that any better! Unfortunately it’s not as refined or tasty as I would expect for the price point. It’s called the Glenfarclas 105 as it’s 105 proof, as if they’re a wee bit proud of producing a whisky at such a strength. Ultimately, I think the alcohol is a little too dominating of the flavours here, definitely not the finest Glenfarclas I’ve tried before.

Whisky #104 – Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old Single Malt

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IMG_2816Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 46.30%. $24 – Tasted at Malt Supper Club.

Colour: Deep burnt amber.

Nose: A touch of port.

Palate: Woody, but not your traditional oak kind of flavours. Short flavours, fades to tart dried grapes/sultanas.

Finish: Smooth gentle warmth, doesn’t quite fill the mouth.

Comments: A bit too dry & not enough sweetness for my liking. Ok though.

Whisky #103: Greenore Single Grain 8 Year Old Irish Whiskey

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IMG_2811Greenore Single Grain 8 Year Old Irish Whiskey. County Louth, Ireland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Clarence’s, $13.

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Grassy; maybe a faint feint of fresh leather.

Palate: Soft entry, a touch of spice. If I had to guess I would’ve said it’s a bourbon.

Finish: Very dry, quite brief, front of the palate. Almost a bourbony kind of finish.

Comments: Inoffensive but nothing much to write home about I’m afraid.

Whisky #102 – The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask

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IMG_2807The Arran Malt Sherry Single Cask (cask #990). Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 56.4%. Tasted at Helvetica, $0 – another birthday beverage from Brett & Gordy.

Colour: Deep sherry copper colour.

Nose: Dried muscatelles; sweet muscat-like scents. Also a bit earthy.

Palate & finish: Yet again I have been thwarted by Brett, Gordy and this leaky whisky glass. In the name of research, I shall have to revisit this dram. As a scientist though, a repeated measures test design is the only methodology that is suitable here…

Comments: The nose was very complex, much more interesting than the other drams we’ve tasted tonight.  Helvetica bar manager Jason reliably informs me it was a 1996 distillation which was specially made for 2012 Tokyo bar show.

Whisky #101 – Longrow 7 Year Old Gaja Barolo Wood Single Malt

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IMG_2804Longrow 7 Year Old Gaja Barolo Wood Single Malt. Campbeltown, Scotland. ABV: 55.80%. Tasted at Helvetica, $0 – birthday beverage courtesy of my mate Brett.

Colour: Like a varnished timber floorboard.

Nose: Creamy peat. Like the smell of a campfire the morning after as you stick your head out of the tent with a whisky hangover.

Palate & finish: Obviously I was enjoying the birthday festivities, as my notes here were as empty as the whisky glass which seemed to have developed a leak somewhere…

Comments: I didn’t know that Barolo was a variety of Italian red wine. Would not have picked this for having spent time in ex-wine barrels (it had 1.5 years, after having spent 5.5 years in refilled bourbon barrels). The peat is quite strong & dominates any flavours that may have been imparted by the Barolo casks.

Overall, quite a neat dram but not a standout – there are better examples from Longrow in my opinion (e.g. Longrow Red Cabernet Sauvignon Cask 11 Year Old).

Whisky #100 – Longrow CV Single Malt Scotch Whisky

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IMG_2803Longrow CV Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Campbeltown, Scotland. 46.0%. Tasted at Helvetica, $0 – birthday beverage courtesy of my mate Giles.

Colour: Orangey gold.

Nose: Lots of peat, expecting a big mouthful of smoke.

Palate: Definitely smokey & peaty, bit softer than the nose suggests. Not too salty.

Finish: Almost a bit of a minty aftertaste, but still plenty of smoke. Like you’ve just smoked a cigar at the end of the night then brushed your teeth before heading to bed. Minty, but you can still taste the smoke.

Comment: I’m not sure why they’ve called it CV, maybe because it’s a selection (a veritable resumé if you will) of Longrow whiskies? They’ve combined some 6, 10 and 14 year old Longrows in here, matured in a variety of barrel sizes.

Whisky #99 – Whipper Snapper Whiskey (Prototype)

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IMG_2802Whipper Snapper Whiskey (Prototype). Perth, Western Australia, Australia. 40.0%. Tasted at Helvetica, $0 – on the house as it was Whisky a Day’s birthday.

Colour: Burnt amber.

Nose: Corn, smells like a bourbon; a hint of leather.

Palate: Soft, not as much heat as your regular bourbons. Sweet notes.

Finish: Dry mouthfeel, soft, quite short. Not heaps of flavour depth, but a clean finish.

Comment: Exceptionally easy to drink, very smooth and just the right amount of sweetness. An “audaciously Australian salute to bourbon” according to the label. If you’re not usually a bourbon drinker or are looking to get to know the style a little more, Whipper Snapper is a great introduction, particularly if your palate is more attune to Highlands, Japanese or Australian malts. In fact, I’d rate it better than some of your more “traditional” bourbons.

These guys are just starting up a distillery right here in East Perth which is where Whisky a Day HQ is located, dangerously close to home! Looking forward to tasting their first release which hopefully isn’t too far away.

Check out the Whipper Snapper whiskey story here: http://whippersnapperdistillery.com/

There’s also a great article on ABC news recently about the burgeoning whisk(ey) scene here in Perth right now: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-07/whisky-resurgence-as-perth-distillery-set-to-open/5507224

Whisky #98 – Balvenie Cuban Selection 14 Year Old Single Malt

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IMG_2799Balvenie Cuban Selection 14 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at home, $130 (bottle).

Colour: Deep golden honey.

Nose: A little more abrupt than I was expecting; a fair whiff of alcohol along with some orange peel notes.

Palate: Lots of vanilla and sweet oak. Much smoother than the nose suggests. Lots of flavour complexity, gentle spices and a bit of peppery heat at the front of the palate.

Finish: Sweet spices, not too much heat. Flavours stick around longer than the warmth, especially the sweet notes.

Comments: As a keen pirate sailor with a penchant for a nice rum, I was rattling my cutlass with excitement to crack open this bottle that has spent some final time maturing in barrels that previously held Cuban rum. I really liked it, especially the palate (not so much the nose).  It’s not a world-beater but certainly a great whisky to have in the collection at home which offers something a little different to others.

I was perhaps expecting something a little more unusual, I would have expected the extra maturation in rum barrels to have a more significant impact on the whisky’s flavour profile, making it sweeter especially. In hindsight, maybe I was expecting some more spiced rum flavours coming through, but perhaps given that Cuban rum tends to be lighter than other Caribbean rums it’s perhaps not so surprising.

Whisky #97 – Johnnie Walker Green Label Pure Malt Scotch Whisky

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IMG_2797Johnnie Walker Green Label Pure Malt Scotch Whisky. Kilmarnock, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $17.

Colour: Golden amber.

Nose: Mandarin peel (definitely not Cantonese peel).

Palate: Soft peaty & briny flavours. Plenty of spice and some dried fruit flavours; very smooth.

Finish: Gentle spice and a bit of pepper lingers at the front of the tongue. Quite dry and clean, a medium to long finish.

Comments: A lot more character than other Johnnie Walkers, the Green Label is certainly the best offering from the vast Johnnie Walker stable that I’ve tried. Perhaps because I normally gravitate to single malts, particularly the fuller flavoured ones with lots of flavour complexity and spices, so your typical Johnnie Walker blend just doesn’t really do it for me.

I had heard that the Johnnie Green was once known as a “vatted malt”, but that this term has now been replaced by the more correct “blended malt”.  This is supposed to differentiate this type of whisky as being a blend of single malt whiskies, rather than a blend containing inferior and cheaper grain malts.

The Johnnie Walker Green Label has been discontinued, which explains why some bottles has been fetching some surprising prices online. In my opinion it’s a shame it is no longer made, it never pretended to be a world-beating whisky but it’s probably the most under-rated Johnnie Walker offering around. If you can get your hands on a bottle, it will be good for drinking, but dare I say in time it might make a good investment as the last supplies dry up.

Whisky #96 – Nikka Pure Malt White Blended Japanese Whisky

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IMG_2795Nikka Pure Malt White Blended Japanese Whisky. Hokkaido, Japan. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $0 courtesy of my mate Damien. Offered as payment for staying at my place when over visiting from Sydney. Whisky is a much preferred currency for any transaction, certainly more useful than Bitcoins.

Colour: Deep oaky, orange colour.

Nose: Very peaty for a Japanese whisky, lots of smoked woody notes too.

Palate: Velvety. Also very oaky, it’s a bit like licking a cane reed (saxophone players will understand the taste here).

Finish: Medium length & heat.

Comments: It’s quite ok, but nothing too flash. Nikka also have the Pure Malt Red and Pure Malt Black in their blended malt range, each in a different style of whisky. Thankfully not a salute to Johnnie Walker Red and Black, but rather the Red apparently is more fruity and spicy, whereas the Black is mellow yet complex. I will have to try these others to judge for myself if I stumble across them, although on the strength of the Nikka Pure Malt White’s tasting I won’t be going too far out of my way to hunt down some Pure Malt Red or Black.

Whisky #95 – Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M100 Single Malt Whisky

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Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M100 Single Malt Whisky (Bottle 095 / 372). Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $125 (bottle).

Colour: Like a rich amber ale.

Nose: Sweet hay scents.  At only 43% ABV, it doesn’t have the complexity or kick up the nostrils like the Limeburners Barrel M67 (which runs at a cheeky 61% ABV).

Palate: Quite grainy, also a few sweeter citrus notes – lemon and orange peel. Reasonable amount of heat.

Finish: Sweet and syrupy (a bit like golden syrup or molasses), a hint of pepper, with a gentle warming sensation around the mouth – definitely not a burn, just a very subtle warmth. Quite a long finish.

Comments: I really rate the Limeburners whiskies. Obviously as single barrel releases you would expect each batch to have some variation, and they do – but they still share a lot of qualities that I really enjoy…full flavour, lots of spices, oak and residual sweet notes. I’m looking forward to taking a drive down to Albany at some point to visit the distillery!

Whisky #94 – Glenfiddich Malt Scotch Whisky Liqueur

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IMG_3389Glenfiddich Malt Scotch Whisky Liqueur. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%.

Tasted at home, $0, courtesy of my cousins Trudi & Marcus.

Colour: Golden viscous honey.

Nose: Surprisingly strong alcohol feints. Some oak and grain aromas.

Palate: Not as sickly sweet as I was expecting, though still some soft syrupy sensations. Amazing alliteration also. Cloves and cinnamon are probably the main flavours, though neither is really jumping out at you.

Finish: There’s definitely some sweetness I was expecting in the finish, along with a hint of cinnamon. Oily, creamy mouthfeel.

Comments: On a spectrum of whisky at one end and liqueur at the other, it definitely (and somewhat surprisingly) leans more towards the whisky side. Overall it’s ok, but it’s not as unique a drop as I was hoping for.

Whisky #93 – Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Single Malt

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IMG_2778Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.0%. Tasted at a Mad Men themed party, $0 courtesy of my friend Katy.

Colour: A deep rich gold.

Nose: Well…it’s here where things go a little awry. Shortly after my friend Katy poured me a dram of the Glenfiddich 18, I met a gorgeous young lady whose stunning looks and conversation completely distracted me from the important business of whisky tasting. Being a Mad Men themed party, we consumed many more whiskies through the evening and into the wee hours, but alas (well, at least for you dear reader) I was totally distracted and neglected to make many observations at all.  Of the whisky.

I am looking forward to re-tasting the Glenfiddich 18, at which point I will endeavour to update these tasting notes with something a little more insightful than tales of other nocturnal endeavours…

Whisky #92 – Linkwood 12 Year Old Single Malt

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IMG_2765Linkwood 12 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at Helvetica, $29.

Colour: Pale amber.

Nose: Wow, like sweet smoke from a campfire. Not a peaty kind of smoke, more like when you burn some green  leaves & branches on a fire.

Palate: More peat on the palate than the nose suggests, but it’s not the mouthful of ash like some Islay malts, a little more subtle. A little nutty, a bit like having a bite of Swiss cheese. No holes in this though.

Finish: Medium length, not as much heat as the Cadenhead’s Dalmore I had a few minutes ago.

Comments: I hadn’t heard of Linkwood previously, perhaps unsurprising as the majority of their production goes into blends. So having happened upon a more unusual dram I took the chance to try it, as I’m sure it will get progressively more difficult to find unique whiskies I’ve not tasted as the year progresses. I’d say it’s priced more for its rarity, but I’m very glad I tried this one – would definitely give it another run.