Month: December 2016

Whisky #446: Kilchoman Sanaig Single Malt

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Kilchoman Sanaig Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at Cobbler (West End, Brisbane).

Colour: Golden toffee. Though by candlelight and after just having 6 other whiskies, everything looks some kind of shade of amber.

Nose: Sweet, meaty and salty. Maple syrup on pancakes with bacon. My good mate Pete picked up some cured pork and bacon. My Dad described it as like when you first open a medicine cabinet.

Palate: Smoothish entry, then the flavours quickly build along with a gentle warmth. This is starting to sound like I’m writing a Mills & Boon novel! Gentle smoke that builds, a hint of sweetness but some tangy and salty flavours dominate. Think jamon and dried orange.

Finish: Dried raspberries and salted caramel. The front of the tongue tingles as it fades.

Comments: This dram would go amazingly well with some dark chocolate. Matured in a mix of bourbon and sherry casks, this is a Kilchoman I’ve wanted to try for a while.

It’s very drinkable and quite enjoyable towards the end of the night, but lacks a little bit of depth and punch for a true end of the night kind of whisky. It feels like it’s torn between a couple of styles without really mastering either. Think I’ll stick to their expressions either matured completely in ex bourbon casks or completely in sherry casks.

Whisky #445: Hyde No.1 President’s Cask 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

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Hyde No.1 President’s Cask 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey. County Cork, Ireland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $140 (bottle).

Colour: Shiny amber.

Nose: Quite a light nose. Dried figs, a bit floral.

Palate: Bam – the flavours intensify and hit you all at once. Salty creme brûlée. Dried pear. Toasted malt. Fresh oak. A bit of a surprise after the soft nose lulled you into a false sense of security.

Finish: Dried apricots, caramelised figs, burnt toffee. Medium length, dryish mouthfeel as the flavours fade away.

Comments: An outstanding drop, so easy to drink but still with bucketloads of flavour. Hyde are another relatively new kid on the block in terms of Irish whiskey (think Glenglassaugh, Teeling).  This first release has an initial 10 years’ maturation in charred first-fill bourbon barrels, followed by a 10 month finishing period in first-fill Oloroso Sherry casks.

“A 100% Irish whiskey from one single distillery” according to their website (http://hydewhiskey.ie/our-whiskey/), but word on the street is that the whisky was sourced from Cooley Distillery…an entirely legitimate way of a young distillery still establishing themselves to have a marketable product whilst the spirit distilled in their own new facility is busy maturing. Hyde expect to release their own whiskey in about 5 years, and if this release is an insight to the flavour profile that they’re aiming for, I can’t wait to try some of their first releases in a few years’ time.

Whisky #444: The Arran Malt 14 Year Old Single Malt

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The Arran Malt 14 Year Old Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $110 (bottle).

Colour: Bright straw.

Nose: Lemon cheesecake, fresh sawdust on a workshop floor.

Palate: Tangy savoury notes; think lemon crossed with salt & vinegar chips (or crisps for you Brits). Quite a dry mouthfeel.

Finish: A salty finish, woody notes, a slight bitterness in the fade.

Comments: It’s quite a decent dram, but not up there with Arran’s usually high standards. I’m a big Arran fan as many long time readers may know, but this didn’t really excite me. 

Despite an extra two years’ maturation, I didn’t find this one as enjoyable as the The Arran Malt 12 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt (Batch 5). Yes it’s a lower ABV (46% versus 52.9% for the 12 Year Old Cask Strength), but it’s just not as fruit driven or smooth, or just quite as “Arrany”. Still eminently enjoyable, but my preference is definitely the 12 year old expression.

Whisky #443: Cadenhead Small Batch Bunnahabhain 1976 39 Year Old Sherry Cask Single Malt

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img_8282.jpgCadenhead Small Batch Bunnahabhain 1976 39 Year Old Sherry Cask Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 49.4%. Tasted at my good mate Brett’s place for his 40th birthday.

Colour: Deep, dark toffee.

Nose: Fresh vanilla sponge cake. Some dusty bookshelf aromas. Sounds weird, but it’s an aroma that I really enjoy about many quite old Scotch whiskies.

Palate: Smooth and creepy. No, that’s Brett…I mean smooth and creamy. Toffee apples, both ones with fresh green apples and also the toffee apple chewy sweets you used to get as a kid. Later flavours of honey and butter on freshly baked white toast emerge.

Finish: It’s a long and gentle fade. A dry tartness; oranges and raspberries with a delicate sweetness. Almost a slightly salty lemon sherbet tang as it tapers off.

Comments: To celebrate Brett officially beginning the downward slide into middle age as he turns 40, a few of us banded together to get him this fantastic whisky that was distilled in his birth year of 1976 and bottled after 39 years in 2016. One of only 648 bottles, it was matured in 3 sherry butts and bottled at its natural cask strength of 49.4%ABV.

Bunnahabhain may come from Islay yet their spirit is largely unpeated, certainly in comparison to its Islay neighbours such as Bruichladdich, Laphroig, Ardbeg etc.

Rich and delicate, this was one super smooth drop; not peaty at all. Complex and multifaceted according to Brett. It’s outstanding, the kind of whisky you want to sit back and slowly sip with a good mate, you don’t want to rush this one. The only rushing should be back to grab the bottle to pour yourself another dram…which I hope Brett remembers next time I come to visit!

Whisky #442: Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey

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img_8263.jpgJack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey. Tennessee, United States. ABV: 40%. Tasted in Qantas Business Class somewhere above the Nullarbor Plain.

Colour: Thin caramel.

Nose: Prickly ash, pine needles and fresh sawdust.

Palate: Very thin and cool on the palate. There’s a mouthfeel sensation that I would describe as being akin to spilling fuel on your hand – it just slips right off and cools as it quickly evaporates. Flavours quite light, tasting like you’ve grabbed a handful of mixed grains and nuts.

Finish: Slightly salty. Again the flavours are quite light; I got zesty lemon, fresh parsley and garlic. Like gremolata that you’d sprinkle on top of some osso bucco. Short to medium length.

Comments: Jack Daniels is such a mainstream whiskey that I’ve never actually gotten around to reviewing it. My approach has always been to choose the more unusual whisky from whichever bar I’m in, as you never know where or if you’ll come across that dram again. However, when stuck aboard a plane flying from one side of Australia to the other, there isn’t much choice. Luckily I left Jack up my sleeve to review this evening!

In business class though I’d expect a bit more effort on behalf of Qantas in putting together a half-decent spirits selection. Jack Daniels and Chivas Regal 12? In comparison to the Rockpool-inspired Neil Perry menu and quite decent wine list, the whisky options leave a lot to be desired.

Jack Daniels is not a bad drop when taken neat (which I’m sure is not how most of the millions of litres produced annually are consumed), but it’s certainly nothing spectacular or even great. It’s a simple, no fuss whiskey produced to appeal to the broadest possible market. Some might say it’s even a bit bland. Certainly when taken neat there’s nothing really dragging me back to the glass to eagerly take another sip.