Month: February 2017

Whisky #463: GlenDronach 2003 Single Cask (Oak Barrel Exclusive) 12 Year Old Single Malt

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GlenDronach 2003 Single Cask (Oak Barrel Exclusive) 12 Year Old Single Malt (Cask No. 3492). Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 53.8%. Tasted at home, $179 (bottle).

What. A. Day. Is it just me or does anybody else like to reward themselves by splurging on a good bottle of whisky when you’ve gotten something over the line? For me, today was one of those days.

When I’m not reviewing copious amounts of whisky for Whisky a Day, in my day job I lead a team of human factors consultants. Today was the delivery of a huge report for a client, the culmination of the last 7 months’ work. Suffice to say, putting the feet up and celebrating with a full-flavoured cask strength dram was definitely the best way to unwind!

Colour: Molten copper.

Nose: Like shoving your nose into a big handful of sultanas or muscatels. Big juicy dried fruit aromas with some dusty dark chocolate cocoa notes too. The 53.8% ABV gives you a slight tug of the old nostril hairs to give you a nudge to prepare your tastebuds for what’s to come.

Palate: That sugary/salty tang of blackcurrant pastilles. Salted caramel and vanilla – it really takes me back to my childhood. No, I wasn’t smashing whisky when I was in primary school, it just instantly reminded me of chewing on some jersey caramel lollies at my grandparents’ place.

Finish: Slightly salty, oaky tang with some gentle heat that lingers at the front of the mouth.

Comments: Hand selected for The Oak Barrel, my go-to independent bottle shop in Sydney. 12 years in an Oloroso sherry puncheon. What a dram it’s got everything. And do I feel relaxed? It’s so good I’ve now had three drams and I’m feeling very unwound! Highly recommended.

Whisky #462: High West American Prairie Bourbon

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High West American Prairie Bourbon. Park City, Utah, United States. ABV: 46%. Tasted at NOLA Smokehouse and Bar, $16.

Colour: Like a fiery redhead.

Nose: Grassy with burnt butter notes.

Palate: Popcorn and salted caramel. Butter and sage.

Finish: A satisfying warmth as it slides down your chest. Rosewater and soft tangy orange peel. Very smooth, not too spicy.

Comments: Sweet and savoury, not your typical bourbon. It’s actually a blend of a couple of bourbons with different mash bills. A great pre-dinner sipping whiskey.

Whisky #461: BenRiach 15 Year Old Tawny Port Finish Single Malt

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BenRiach 15 Year Old Tawny Port Finish Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $135 (bottle).

Heading out for a pre-dinner whisky, better warm up by having a whisky…

Colour: Polished copper.

Nose: Soft. Both in strength and aroma. Strawberry marshmallows; orange and poppyseed muffins.

Palate: Thin on the palate. Muted citrus notes – there’s candied orange and some dried orange peel. Sweet yet dry.

Finish: An oaky, salty tang in the fade.

Comments: Matured in ex bourbon barrels before being finished in tawny port hogsheads. It’s like the whisky is not quite sure what it wants to be – it’s a little sweet, yet salty too. It’s quite pleasant without scaling any tremendous heights. A perfectly acceptable warm-up dram!

Whisky #460: Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon

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Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon. Louisville, Kentucky, United States. ABV: 45.7%. Tasted at home, $27 (100mL bottle split).

One of my passions / hobbies apart from whisk(e)y is powerlifting. Today I received a new powerlifting belt in the mail, so I thought I’d have an American whiskey a go. What’s the connection? Whiskey and Deadlifts. The guy behind it, Chris Duffin, is a top powerlifting athlete and strength coach who deadlifts over 900lb/400kg! I’ve got a looooong way to go to get to that level.

He’s dedicated a heap of his training to exploring a theory that immediate effects of low-dose alcohol consumption can improve performance for the athlete. As I’ve got a powerlifting comp coming up in 12 weeks’ time, I figured I’d better get on board and give it a crack. Though given I train at 5:30am most mornings before work I might have to do my research on weekends only…

Colour: Runny caramel.

Nose: Pine needles, fresh sawdust, and sour raspberry sweets – those long, chewy sticks coated in sugar.

Palate: Liquorice, aniseed and fresh fennel. Dryish mouthfeel.

Finish: Fresh toast, caramelised brown sugar and oak. Front palate action mainly.

Comments: Do you even lift bro??  This one was interesting – a fresh nose, dryish palate, followed by a sweeter finish. Definitely not your stereotypical saccharine sweet bourbon. Something different, and it’s delicious.

Whisky #459: Glengoyne 12 Year Old Single Malt

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Glengoyne 12 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $84 (bottle).

Colour: Hot like a sunrise, Rhonda.

Nose: A zesty nose prickle. Pineapple slices caramelising on a BBQ.

Palate: Like taking a bite into a lemon tart. It’s lemony, a bit sweet, with some biscuit notes.

Finish: Straw and malty notes; lemon frosting or lemon sherbet lollies. Quite a drying mouthfeel as it fades.

Comments: When life gives you lemons, have a Glengoyne 12 Year Old. It’s the dominant flavour, but done in so many ways and very subtle. It’s a great drop – fresh, zesty and very drinkable on a hot summer’s afternoon.

Whisky #458: Limeburners Directors Cut M118 Barrel Strength Single Malt

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Limeburners Directors Cut M118 Barrel Strength Single Malt (bottle 031 / 161). Great Southern Distilling Company. Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 61%. Tasted at home.

We’ve all had those lazy Sunday nights when you’re faced with life’s crucial decisions – should I cook the dinner I’d planned all afternoon, or should I pour myself another whisky and order in?  Safe to say I won’t be winning any Masterchef awards this evening…

Colour: Dark varnished mahogany.

Nose: Molasses, caramelised balsamic, hot toffee cooking on the stovetop.

Palate: Golden syrup and buttery toast. Dried muscatels, raisins, and tart blueberries.

Finish: Liquorice, raspberry and oak on the front of the tongue. A slow, salted caramel fade.

Comments: Matured in an ex-bourbon barrel and finished in a very old 100 litre port cask. Another stunning drop from Limeburners. Probably more of a dessert whisky given the flavours, but when it’s this good I’ll drink it at almost any time of the day.

Suffice to say that I’m satisfied with my choice of whisky over cooking tonight!

Whisky #457: Bowmore Darkest 15 Year Old Single Malt

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Bowmore Darkest 15 Year Old Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $23 (100mL bottle split).

As you can see, I’m clearly a big fan of Bowmore…

Colour: Rusty and dirrrrty.

Nose: Dried muscatels and old varnished timber furniture. Like walking into your grandparents’ house. A bit more time in the glass and I’m getting Black Forest Cake – all rich chocolate and cherries.

Palate: It’s a smooth entry, then sweet rich salted caramel flavours – like sucking on a hard toffee. Dark chocolate and cocoa notes too. Not very peaty at all, which is a nice surprise.

Finish: Juicy rich fruit cake, then drying out in the fade with some more cocoa.

Comments: It’s been an absolute scorcher of a day here in Sydney today, eastern Australia has been going through a heatwave. Fan forced whisky is the only way tonight. It’s important to keep well hydrated in such extreme weather conditions…

It’s been so hot any drink in a glass has simply been evaporating. Particularly tasty drinks like this Bowmore Darkest. It’s a no nonsense whisky, packing plenty of flavour and a slightly different take on the typical Bowmore style for the entry level expressions. It would’ve been interesting if it was a slightly higher ABV and a bit more syrupy, but on a hot night like tonight it’s absolutely fine just as it is.

Whisky #456: Armorik Double Maturation Breton Single Malt

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Armorik Double Maturation Breton Single Malt. Lannion, Brittany, France. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $135 (bottle).

Colour: Brassy gold.

Nose: Faint candied oranges.

Palate: Creamy burnt butter and herbal notes, salty floral tones too (which sounds like a contradiction, but its the best way to describe it). Smooth entry, medium bodied, dry mouthfeel.

Finish: Freshly squeezed orange juice, a salty tang and some new oak, with the woody tones the last to fade. Medium length.

Comments: This was my first Armorik, so I’m unfamiliar with the course style. This was a NAS release, matured in locally sourced virgin Breton oak casks for three to four years, before spending a second three to four year maturation term in Oloroso sherry casks. I like the fact that some of the casks are sourced with oak from the same region (Brittany) as where the whisky is produced, there can’t be many distilleries that can boast that kind of terroir.

Overall, it’s quite pleasant but it doesn’t really push any boundaries. It’s dry (presumably from the initial maturation in virgin Breton oak casks), so don’t expect rich fruit cake flavours typical of other whiskies matured or finished in ex sherry casks. An interesting drop to have in the collection if you like having a range of unusual whiskies to share with friends who come to visit.

Whisky and Curry: Whisky #455 – Amrut Single Malt Single Cask Bottled for Dram Full & Beef Vindaloo

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Whisky and Curry: Whisky #455 – Amrut Single Malt Single Cask Bottled for Dram Full & Beef Vindaloo. Bangalore, India. ABV: 62.8%. Tasted at home, $140 (bottle).

India is one of the world’s largest whisky consumer markets. They bloody love the stuff. As we all know, the Indians are also quite fond of a curry. But do they drink their whisky with a curry? Wouldn’t the intense curry flavours, aromas and spiciness overpower any whisky? I’ve never tried whisky with curry before, but seeing as I cooked up a beef vindaloo curry and had a bottle of Indian whisky, Amrut Single Malt Single Cask Bottled for Dram Full) I thought I should give it a crack!

Colour: Brassy. Well, I guess turmeric would be more appropriate…

Nose: A strong nose prickle, hardly surprising for a cask strength whisky. Lots of spices, fresh lemon tarts, an old timber tea chest. With a bowl of hot curry sitting beside me it’s hard to get much more!

Palate: Citrus, butter and chilli. Maybe it’s the lingering heat of the curry? Taking a sip of whisky after a mouthful of curry seems to accentuate some brown sugar and raisin notes, though with plenty of earthy spice.

Finish: Having some whisky after the curry seems to bring back some of the heat from the curry. Topping up the glass after the curry is finished (purely for research purposes) reveals some sweeter meaty flavours – think char grilled steak – along with some dried candied orange.

Comments: I’ve enjoyed this Amrut immensely on its own, but haven’t had it with food before. My good mate Mahesh informs me that Indians have their whisky always pre or post food. I thought that curry might overpower the whisky, and in this instance it proved to be the case. Vindaloo is a spicy, full flavoured curry that really gives your tastebuds a smack. Perhaps a milder curry might pair well with some whiskies? Then again, maybe whisky and curry don’t really mix and we should stick to having whisky pre or post curry…after all, 1 billion people can’t be wrong.

Beef vindaloo prep