Month: June 2014

Whisky #91 – Cadenhead’s Dalmore 24 Year Old Single Malt

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IMG_2763Cadenhead’s Dalmore 24 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.60%. Tasted at Helvetica, $30.

Colour: A really pale gold, which really strikes you through the clear bottle.

Nose: Soft leather & toasted grains.

Palate: Subtle sweet honey flavours, like biting into a piece of hot buttered toast with honey on top.

Finish: Dry; gentle warmth that fills the mouth & hangs around for a while like eating a very mild chilli. Not saying it’s hot, just trying to describe the warmth. Toasted bread flavours linger on the palate too.

Comments: A lot more flavour intensity than I was expecting, especially as it’s matured for 24 years, was expecting it to be a lot softer and smoother. Not a bad thing mind you, I like my whisky more full flavoured. And with a hint of sweetness as this one does, it makes me a very happy man. Highly rated!

Whisky #90 – Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whiskey, Distillers Edition, Batch 27

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IMG_2762Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whiskey, Distillers Edition, Batch 27. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 45.20%. Tasted at The Sentinel.

Colour: In this light, it’s harder to pick than a…ok it’s a deep caramel.

Nose: A medley of aromas, like walking through the perfume section of a department store with a freshly varnished floor.

Palate: Slight grainy nutty taste akin to having just eaten a handful of trail mix.

Finish: A bit more heat lingering than the Basil Hayden’s we just tasted. Medium length, dry finish.

Comments: Overall it’s quite decent. Woodford Reserve really is a reliable decent bourbon whiskey that you can safely order and drink neat, plus it’s available at most good bars, even those that don’t have an extensive whisk(e)y selection.

Whisky #89 – Basil Haydens Bourbon Whiskey

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IMG_2761Basil Haydens Bourbon Whiskey. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 40.00%.  Tasted at The Sentinel.

Colour: Deep copper.

Nose: Rye, plenty of it. Now that I’ve read it’s a combo of rye & corn based spirits, you can definitely smell the corn.

Palate: Rye comes through more; oily mouthfeel, quite creamy.

Finish: Subtle oak, medium length.

Comments: Much smoother and creamier than a lot of other American whiskies I’ve tried, would like to give this one another try as there’s something a little different (in a good way!) about this one that I’d like to explore in more detail.

Whisky #88 – Talisker 2013 Distillers Edition Double Matured Single Malt

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IMG_3019Talisker 2013 Distillers Edition Double Matured Single Malt. Isle of Skye, Scotland. ABV: 45.80%. Tasted at my place, $125 (bottle).

Colour: Burnt nectar.

Nose: Apart from the initial whiff of self-loathing & regret from drinking too many whiskies last night, the nose here is more pleasant – subtle oak, smoke & sherry notes, but the strong alcohol feints dominate.

Palate: Lots of smoke & my mate Mahesh got plenty of ash flavours. Could it be the lingering taste of that sneaky cigarette he had earlier when his lovely wife Katie wasn’t looking? Shhhh! 😉 It’s not quite as spicy as the Talisker 10, but still plenty of heat. A slightly smoother entry, the sherry influence is there but it’s not a huge sherry bomb, more of a subtle persuasion from the sherry barrels. Certainly a rich, intense kind of flavour profile overall though.

Finish: Very long; the heat lingers through the mouth and also makes its way down the throat as you swallow, warming the whole body.

Comments: Distilled in 2002 and bottled in 2013, double matured in ex-Amoroso sherry casks. It’s definitely a big whisky, undeniably a Talisker, another real ‘winter warmer’ kind of whisky.

Whisky #87 – Bowmore Legend Single Malt

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IMG_2743Bowmore Legend Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at my place, $0 – courtesy of my mate Gordy.

Colour: Brilliant gold.

Nose: Peat, lots of peat and band-aids.

Palate: Oily mouthfeel, but quickly dries. Clean entry, briny.

Finish: Peppery smoke & heat gradually fills the mouth, medium length flavour, warmth hangs around a little longer.

Comments: Gordy, much like the whisky – legend! Overall though it’s a solid Islay dram, nothing too out of the box though.

Whisky #86 – Crown Royal Blended Canadian Whisky

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IMG_2742Crown Royal Blended Canadian Whisky. Ontario, Canada. ABV: 40.00%. Venn Bar, $11.

Colour: Like a shiny penny.

Nose: Pine forest.

Palate: Soft entry; quite a “wet” initial  sensation (sounds strange as it’s obviously wet, but it’s the best way I could describe the mouthfeel). Initial sweetness fades and then you get into some more toasty grain flavours.

Finish: Oily, then this seems to give way to a drying heat sensation more towards the front of the tongue. Quite a strong rye aftertaste; some aniseed flavours too.

Comments: Much more full flavoured than I was expecting from a blend. I guess you can’t tar all blends with the same brush!

Whisky #85 – Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

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IMG_2741Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. County Antrim, Ireland. ABV: 40.00%. The Greenhouse, $12.

Colour: Pale honey.

Nose: Grassy, herby scents.

Palate: Oily mouthfeel, clean fresh organic taste. Kind of like someone has turned down the bass on your palate and only left the treble & midrange tastebuds.

Finish: Quite short, towards the tip of the tongue.

Comments: A real cattle mustering whisky, the kind where you’re chewing on a long strand of glass as you ride your horse and take the occasional swig of whisky. Haven’t done this myself I should add…

A middle of the road, inoffensive whisky. The fresh quite light mouthfeel makes it a whisky you could enjoy in quite warm weather. If I had my time again though, I’d have the Bushmills 10 year old before the Limeburners M67 that I tasted just a moment ago. The Bushmills 10 is an easy to drink whisky, though there’s not enough depth here to entice me back for more.

Whisky #84 – Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M67 Single Malt Whisky

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IMG_2740Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M67 Single Malt Whisky (Bottle 012 – 135). Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 61.0%. The Greenhouse, $20.

Colour: Deep burnt toffee.

Nose: Initial sweet notes of burnt toffee, maybe dark chocolate after dinner mints. With time in the glass it develops more woody flavours. Not a smokey scent, but kind of like the smell when you burn wood on a fire & you can smell the oils. My friend Kali commented that she can’t comment as she doesn’t know enough about wood…a few smirks around the table suggest that we find that hard to believe.

Palate: You can really tell it’s cask strength, big alcohol heat to go with the huge spicy flavour profile & a hint of sweetness.

Finish: Very dry, lots of heat, lots of length in the mid palate.

Comments: Kali says she wants to be on a chesterfield in front of an open fire while drinking a dram such as this. I’d call it the type of whisky to put hairs on your chest. Top drop, well done little Limeburners – I’d heard a fair bit about you and this is my first tasting of one of your whiskies. Really enjoyed it, I can say assuredly that I will be back for more!

Whisky #83 – Benromach Cask Strength Single Malt, Distilled 2002

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IMG_2734Benromach Cask Strength Single Malt, Distilled 2002. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.3%. The Royal, $16.

Colour: Like a glass of pale, watered down apple juice.

Nose: Hint of peat, bit of smoke.

Palate: Salty; heat quickly fills the mouth.  Complex flavours, but a bit too much heat to really enjoy them.

Finish: Heat overpowers the flavours that try to linger. Like wearing some nice aftershave to a date and the bloke at the table next to yours has bad BO, totally overwhelming your efforts.

Comments: Surprising to find so much complexity in a whisky that is so clear. Further evidence that you shouldn’t solely judge a whisky by its colour.

Whisky #82 – Balcones True Blue 100 Proof Corn Whisky

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IMG_2727Balcones True Blue 100 Proof Corn Whisky. Waco, Texas, United States. ABV: 50.00%.  Tasted at Pleased to Meet You.

Colour: Cherry brandy.

Nose: Burnt toffee. Has soft feints almost a bit like a leather glove, very soft though.

Palate: Toasty woody notes, hint of vanilla at the end.

Finish: Quite dry, but heat & spice hang around the front half of the mouth for ages.

Comments: Like being smacked in the mouth with an old boxing glove, this had a somewhat sweet leathery sweaty smell to it, but one that keeps you coming back for more. Would definitely go a few more rounds with this contender.

Whiskies #80-81 – Wemyss Malts: The Hive 12 Year Old Blended Malt & The Spice King 12 Year Old Blended Malt

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IMG_2719Wemyss Malts: The Hive 12 Year Old Blended Malt (ABV: 40.00%), Speyside, Scotland; & The Spice King 12 Year Old Blended Malt (ABV: 40.00%), Highlands, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky Live 2014.

Well I’ve made my way to the Wemyss blended whiskies now from Highlands and Speyside. I have to say after having the peaty whiskies from Isle of Jura, my palate is absolutely shot.

The Heemes, – sorry I mean the Wemyss (I can’t even speak properly now!) – The Wemyss ‘The Hive’ which is their Speyside blend – it’s called The Hive because it’s got honey-like tastes to it. Nup – I couldn’t tell it. Either I’ve had too many whiskies today, or my palate is goooooone after all the peat.

Similarly for ‘The Spice King’ which is the Highlands blend – it’s just not happening for me. The nose, the palate, everything is just gone – the palate…yeah nup. Nothing left in the tank folks, over and out.

I guess it just goes to show that if you’re heading to a whisky tasting event, you really need to plan out your whisky tasting strategy for the day. I think I did reasonably well on that front, with the Wemyss blends the only whiskies I would have preferred to have had at an earlier stage.

Whisky #79: 1999 Isle of Jura Boutique Barrels XU Bourbon Cask Strength Single Malt

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IMG_27181999 Isle of Jura Boutique Barrels XU Bourbon Cask Strength Single Malt. Isle of Jura, Scotland. ABV: 55.00%. Tasted at Whisky Live 2014.

Sampled: Isle of Jura 10 year old (ABV: 40.0%); 1995 Isle of Jura Boutique Barrels JO Bourbon Cask Strength (ABV: 56.5%); Isle of Jura Superstition (43.0%); Isle of Jura Prophecy (ABV: 46.0%); Isle of Jura 1999 Boutique Barrels XU Bourbon Cask (ABV: 55.0%).

Well the pick was certainly the smokey, meaty BBQ smell and flavour of the 1999 Isle of Jura Boutique Barrels XU Bourbon Cask at the end of the table (far right of picture). The 1995 vintage was ok, obviously the further up the line we worked the peatier they got.

But really, the last two (right of picture) were the only ones that I was really interested in.  The Jura Prophecy was starting to get a bit more character, probably due to the fact it was finished in some oloroso sherry casks. There was a noticeable step up in peat too.

But the 1999 Boutique Barrels XU Bourbon Cask was definitely the pick of the Juras on offer here.

Whisky #78 – The Ultimate Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Mystery Speyside 1966

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IMG_2713The Ultimate Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Mystery Speyside 1966. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.30%. Tasted at Whisky Live 2014, $32 (half nip) from the ‘Old & Rare’ bar.

Undisclosed “mystery Speyside”. It’s a Glenfarclas, but an independent bottling from The Ultimate Whisky Company. Distilled in 1966, bottled 04/10/2012.  Bottle no. 102 of 182.

Well the Glenfarclas 1966, I’ll first throw it open to the floor (i.e. my whisky fiend mates)…what do we think boys?  “Pretty damn good.”  “Fucking sensational” added another.  It’s almost as old as my mate Canning…to which he added “almost as old as my older brother”.  Younger brother don’t you mean mate?  😉

For me, it had some delicious soft flavours of muscatels and sultanas, but not too strong.  It was very subtle, very smooth, kinda sweet and syrupy.  Bit of a fruity sort of nose and a lovely, smooth well balanced finish – not too strong in spice or heat, a very drinkable whisky (to put it mildly!). Much like the Glenrothes 1969 The MacPhail’s Collection, I guess it comes as no surprise that these amazing flavours are going to be extremely complex yet very smooth and subtle having spent 46 years in a barrel. Another amazing dram!

 

Whisky #77 – Glenrothes 1969 – The MacPhail’s Collection

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IMG_2710Glenrothes 1969 – The MacPhail’s Collection. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Whisky Live 2014, $32 (half nip) from the ‘Old & Rare’ bar.

“Like liquified Christmas pudding”. My favourite whisky so far of the Whisky a Day project.

Distilled in 1969 and only bottled in 2008 by Gordon & MacPhail. This had a beautiful dark colour, that’s what most attracted me to this bottle at the ‘Old & Rare’ bar at Whisky Live. Darker than my ex-girlfriend’s heart.

I was expecting a really strong, Christmas cake sort of flavours based on the amazingly complex and sweet nose. Stunning aromas. However I was expecting the flavours to be a little more intense based on the nose.  Beautiful, beautiful flavours though, just not as full or intense as the aromas had gently teased.  Very smooth to sip, almost syrupy.  An excellent finish too, with a fair bit of spice (flavours) but definitely no alcohol heat – perhaps unsurprising it was so velvety having spent so much time maturing in the barrel. A beautiful, smooth, and frankly stunning whisky.

Definitely the best whisky I’ve had so far – not just at Whisky Live but the best I’ve had so far across the Whisky a Day project.  And that’s not something I say lightly, as I believe it’s difficult to really get to know a whisky (especially a malt as complex as this one) from only one dram. But this is such a standout in my book, amazing. If I could get my hands on a bottle of this I would, although I shudder to think of the price. It was a privilege to have tried it.

Whisky #76 – Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon Whiskey

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IMG_2708Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon Whiskey. Frankfort, Kentucky, United States. ABV: 51.50%. Tasted at Whisky Live 2014.

Sampled: Blanton’s Special Reserve, Blanton’s Original Private Reserve, Blanton’s Gold Edition & Blanton’s Single Barrel No. 136.

The first two (Special Reserve and Original Private Reserve) were actually quite similar, not too much of a difference.  The Original Private Reserve was possibly a little bit smoother, but Gold Edition was definitely the pick of this bunch. Lots of oak, vanilla and sweetness.  More like a Scotch whisky than a bourbon.  Maybe that’s why I liked it the best?  In fact the further I worked my way up the range, the closer their qualities started to resemble Scotch whisky rather than bourbons.

Finally, I had the Single Barrel No. 136, which was bottled at a cask strength of 66.6%. I didn’t enjoy it as much, thought there was a bit too much heat. It just seemed a bit too over the top; too strong, intense, too much alcohol heat and spice to really enjoy the flavours.

Whisky #75 – Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey

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IMG_2707Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey. Bardstown, Kentucky, United States. ABV: 45.00%. Tasted at Whisky Live 2014.

Bernheim…a straight wheat whiskey – I’ve never had one of those before.  I like the nose, and the finish. But the nose is definitely very distinct. Quite a smooth, yet short palate. The palate actually is probably the most underwhelming part to it – it’s certainly not a bad drop though.  The finish has some aniseed sort of flavours to it. Grainy, malty, slightly sweet aftertaste but also some of those aniseed flavours to finish as well.