Month: June 2020

Whisky #573: Tiger Snake Whiskey (Batch 6)

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Tiger Snake Whiskey (Batch 6). Albany, Western Australia. ABV: 43.0%.

Last Sunday it was another stunning winter’s day sailing out on Sydney Harbour. After being cooped up at home with Covid cabin fever the past few months, it truly is fantastic to get back out on the water racing again. And what better way to celebrate a 3rd place finish than with a cheeky dram!

With Australia gradually emerging from the crisis in pretty good shape so far (touch wood), I thought it was time to take a look at another Aussie drop: Tiger Snake Whiskey.

Colour: A dark dusty sunset.

Nose: Hay-like notes, cigar boxes and freshly sawn timber.

Palate: Vanilla butter and soft spices, cloves and black pepper smothered in honey. Get me some lobster, this would be an amazing drink to accompany some fresh salty lobster tail!

Finish: Creamy flavours and mouthfeel. Black pepper and honey sauce, but very light on the pepper.

Comments: An Australian take on the American sour mash whiskies, Tiger Snake is entirely sourced from corn, rye and malted barley produced in Western Australia.

Tiger Snake Whisky is produced by Great Southern Distilling Company, makers of another fantastic Aussie whisky called Limeburners. Many long time readers would know I’ve been a huge fan of Limeburners over the years, so much so that I’ve represented them at a few whisky shows simply because I’m a big believer in the quality of the whisk(e)y they’re producing.

I’ve had this bottle of Tiger Snake tucked away at the back of the whisky cabinet for a while now, maybe because I’ve focused on their Limeburners offerings and juice from other exciting producers. I’ve probably not given Tiger Snake the credit it probably deserves, but after cracking this bottle open in the last couple of weeks it has swiftly sprung a leak…surely one of the best endorsements at Whisky a Day HQ!

A Tiger Snake Whiskey in hand whilst sailing on Sydney Harbour into the sunset…not a bad way to round out the weekend.

Whisky #572: Glengoyne 21 Year Old Single Malt

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Glengoyne 21 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $235 (bottle).

Feet up on a Saturday, time to kick back with another stunning drop from Glengoyne Distillery.

Colour: Deep brilliant copper.

Nose: The nose is a little faint. Allen’s Strawberries and Cream lollies. Very faint leather notes.

Palate: Stewed strawberries, dried cranberries. Then melted brown sugar atop your morning porridge that you’ve splashed with a dash of milk. Creamy, sweet and caramel flavours…very moorish.

Finish: A dry earthiness to finish. Creamy dustiness, like cocoa powder atop a cappuccino froth.

Comments: The nose was probably the only thing that I was a little disappointed in here. With a lot of older Scottish malts, sometimes for me the nose has layers of complexity and so many interesting things going on that it can be even more enjoyable than the palate. With this Glengoyne 21 the palate is fantastic, but the nose is just a little…flat.

Perhaps it’s just been sitting in the opened bottle a little too long…I’ll just have to drink a little more rapidly in future!

Whisky #571: SMWS 123.26 Blossom Falling Onto Sponge Cake

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SMWS 123.26 Blossom Falling Onto Sponge Cake. 9 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Glengoyne Distillery. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 61.2%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $167 (bottle).

Following my last review of Whisky #570 Glengoyne The Legacy Series Chapter One Single Malt, I realised there were a few more Glengoyne bottles kicking around at Whisky a Day HQ. This one is an independent bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), enjoy.

Colour: Sparkling gold.

Nose: Creaming soda & candy canes.

Palate: There’s lots of sugary treats here. Soft Turkish delight jelly (the rosewater kind), whipped cream frosting atop a freshly baked vanilla sponge cake. Creamed honey that feels like it’s oozing it’s way across your taste buds.

Finish: Creamy oak & vanilla ice cream flavours, with a long gentle warmth that slowly fades…but unexpectedly fading first from the middle of the palate to eventually the tip of your tongue.

Comments: The SMWS tasting committee really nailed the name on this one! Stunningly easy to drink. A masterful expression of Glengoyne from the SMWS.

Whisky #570: Glengoyne The Legacy Series Chapter One Single Malt

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Glengoyne The Legacy Series Chapter One Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 48%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $95 (bottle).

Colour: Dusty brass.

Nose: Well worn leather and soft oak 

Palate: The front half of the tongue is standing closer to the flavour heater on this one – it gets all the love. Dried muscatels, raisins and red wine tannins. Dusty dark chocolate bitterness.

Finish: A drying, slightly salty and metallic finish, like you’ve just tasted blood on your lips. Like you’ve accidentally copped an elbow in the mouth from some noble pursuit like fighting your way to the front of a packed whisky bar in those glorious pre-social distancing days.

Comments: Matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry casks, at 48% ABV it’s got a little more oomph than other Glengoyne releases. I’m a fan of higher ABV whiskies and love Glengoyne, but in this case for me the balance isn’t quite right. 

For me Glengoyne The Legacy Chapter One is lacking a little bit of oily mouthfeel, creaminess and juicy dried fruit notes, whilst also losing some of the fresher fruity and vanilla flavours that other Glengoynes are known for. It’s like what I imagine a higher ABV version of the GlenDronach 12 year old might taste like – dry sherry notes and some heat, but not quite the lush juiciness of your nan’s Christmas cake.

Whisky #569: Ardbeg Dark Cove Committee Release Single Malt

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherArdbeg Dark Cove Committee Release Single Malt. ABV: 55%. Islay, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, free sample from a friend.

It was Ardbeg Day over the weekend, so it was only fitting to reach back to the dark depths of the whisky cabinet to pull out this beauty…the official release from Ardbeg Day 2016 – the Ardbeg Dark Cove Committee Release.

Colour: Bright brassy rose gold.

Nose: Kippers and soft smoke; not a campfire smoke, but more like the embers of a fire the next morning after you’ve cooked a feast. Hot smoked salmon on the campfire is too wanky and overly specific, but something like that. It’s moreish enough to make you want to take another sniff.

Palate: Smoked trout and creme fraiche. Liquorice sticks. And oily mouthfeel with an incredibly gentle warmth but not an ounce of searing heat.

Finish: Tins of smoked salmon in brine. Salty, like you’ve liked your lips after a swim in the surf.

Comments: Released for Ardbeg Day in 2016, the Ardbeg Dark Cove was matured in ex-bourbon and what the official bottling notes referred to as “dark Sherry casks”. It’s all creamy smoked fish goodness, where the flesh just melts in your mouth. Delicious.