Whisky tastings

Whisky #224 – Edradour 12 Year Old Caledonia Selection

September 10, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Edradour 12 Year Old Caledonia Selection. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.0%. Tasted at home, $55 (bottle).

Colour: Luscious deep copper. It’s a beautiful thing.

Nose: Sweet sherry goodness awaits. Mixed dried fruit aromas too.

Palate: Intense sherry and caramel flavours; a perfect balance of sweetness, spices and heat. Oily, syrupy mouthfeel. Amazing.

Finish: Long flavour fade, medium length for the heat. Soft pepper and toffee flavours.

Comments: This expression was apparently created when Edradour asked Scottish singer Dougie Maclean to select a single Oloroso cask and they named it after his most famous song, “Caledonia”. What a load of marketing hogwash.

All that bullshit aside, this is a stunning whisky – it makes me want to drink it all day. For many days on end. It has huge depth of flavour yet with that residual sweetness that makes you want to lick the inside of the glass to make sure you’ve gotten every last little drop. All of this from Scotland’s tiniest distillery, reportedly run by just three guys. Amazing stuff fellas.

Whisky #223 – Drambuie 15 Year Old Speyside Malt Whisky Liqueur

September 9, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Drambuie 15 Year Old Speyside Malt Whisky Liqueur. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at my mate Joel’s place (to wrap up the whisky tasting afternoon).

Colour: Amber gold.

Nose: Some subtle herbaceous notes.

Palate: Sweet honey; syrupy clove flavours.

Finish: Very smooth; some cinnamon notes to finish.

Comments: It’s certainly not as sweet as I had expected. At 43% I guess that shouldn’t surprise, but having only had liqueurs at typically around 20% I guess it’s quite a different beast. Much more towards the whisky end of a theoretical whisky-to-liqueur spectrum. I haven’t had the standard Drambuie liqueur to compare it with, but all in all a fine way to finish up the afternoon’s whisky tasting. The sweetness of the Drambuie 15 is definitely a welcome palate cleanser after all the peat we finished on with the Laphroig PX Cask, Bruichladdich Octomore and Blackadder Smoking Islay Raw Cask (Sherry Cask).

Whisky #222 – Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 6.1 Cask Strength Single Malt

September 8, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 6.1 Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 57.00%. Tasted at my mate Joel’s place, $0 (courtesy of my trusted whisky tasting lieutenant).

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Meaty peat aromas, almost a bit musty.

Palate: Lots of peat & smoke; not as complex as I was hoping. Still a fantastic taste though!

Finish: Campfire smoke, hint of mint maybe? Looooong finish.

Comments: Despite its reputation as the peatiest whisky in the world, it didn’t taste as big and peaty as I had expected. I enjoyed the nose quite a lot, in fact I’m really starting to appreciate the peaty whiskies that also have a charcoal meaty kind of aromas and flavours. The Octomore is an interesting beast, one that I want to explore in more detail. Might have to organise another whisky tasting…around at Joel’s place again of course so I can have some more!

Whisky #221 – Laphroig PX Cask Single Malt

September 7, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Laphroig PX Cask Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 48.0%. Tasted at my mate Joel’s place, $0. (No, this wasn’t just me rocking around to Joel’s place and getting stuck into his whisky, I brought a couple of bottles of my own too!).

Colour: A striking, dark gold.

Nose: Much softer than other Laphroigs; there is a touch of sherry.

Palate: Ah there’s the peat. The sherry notes are lost, but it seems to have softened compared to your average Laphroaig.

Finish: Oaky peat notes. Medium to long finish. Maybe a slight hint of sweetness in the fade, but it’s very subtle.

Comments: The Laphroig PX has undergone triple maturation – firstly in ex-bourbon barrels, then American oak quarter casks, then finally in ex Pedro Ximenez casks. I’m not convinced it adds a lot flavour-wise, but the time in PX casks maybe softens the whisky a little. The PX is generally only available in duty free stores, and while it’s a good whisky I’m not about to book an overseas trip just to pick up a bottle.

Whisky #220 – Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M37 Single Malt

September 6, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M37 Single Malt. Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 61%. Tasted at my mate Joel’s place, $0 (Joel’s shout – well it was part of a whisky tasting swap).

Colour: Deep copper.

Nose: Bit of an alcohol prickle, suggests quite a hit to come. Sultana aromas too.

Palate: Candied dried fruit, overshadowed by the big alcohol heat.

Finish: Again the heat dominates, slowly filling your chest as it makes its way down. Long finish, a few meaty flavours in the fade.

Comments: A whisky to put hairs on your chest, bottled at a barrel strength of 61%. Not as refined as the other Limeburners I’ve tried so far (see the M104, M100, M67, M174).

Whisky #219 – Laphroaig Cairdeas Cask Strength Single Malt

September 5, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Laphroaig Cairdeas Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 51.20%.

Colour: Candlelit amber.

Nose: Strong smokey aromas, smoked meaty flavours.

Palate: Short oily smooth entry with hints of sultanas, very quickly fades to some smokey meat & peat flavours.

Finish: Smokey flavours at the front half of the palate, not as powerful as I was expecting – a good thing mind you, smoother. Quite a mouth-warming sensation in the fade.

Comments: Bam – peat bomb. It has more depth of character than other Laphroig’s I’ve had before. I like it.

Whisky #218 – Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt

September 4, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Marquay restaurant, $12.

Colour: Dark gold. Not a bright spark.

Nose: Sweet honey, lemony scents.

Palate: More intense on the palate than I was expecting. Cinnamon, some subtle vanilla, but not a heap of sweetness.

Finish: Warm honey, sweet oak notes. Like many other mainstream single malts, I’ve resisted tasting whiskies like the Glenfiddich 12 as my strategy has been to try and choose some of the more unusual whiskies on offer at each bar and leave the more commonly available ones like the Glenfiddich 12 up my sleeve until the back end of the year when it may start to become challenging to find whiskies I’ve not tried yet. Having not tasted the Glenfiddich 12 for a long time, I was pleasantly surprised that it was as complex as it is – I guess I’d pigeon-holed it as being a common single malt so it must be quite simple. It’s a great malt; it’s certainly not got the depth or complexity of some whiskies I’ve tried this year, but it’s a great value, dependable and available almost everywhere.

Whisky #217 – Penderyn Madeira 41 Single Malt Welsh Whisky

September 4, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Penderyn Madeira 41 Single Malt Welsh Whisky. Penderyn, Wales, United Kingdom. ABV: 41.00%. Tasted at Helvetica, $19.

Colour: Ambery gold.

Nose: Earthy, hay-like; nose drying.

Palate: A bit grassy on the tongue too. Crisp entry, it’s direct – none of this slowly enveloping the palate with syrupy sweetness kind of caper.

Finish: Quite short and thin, somewhat sweet lemon notes to fade.

Comments: My second Penderyn of the year. The first wasn’t overly memorable, this one fares a little better but still I’m not about to go and pick up a bottle of it next time I’m at the bottlo. Why why why Delilah? Because it’s a little disappointing to be honest.

Whisky #216 – Balvenie Port Wood Finish 21 Year Old Single Malt

September 3, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Balvenie Port Wood Finish 21 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Helvetica, $37.

Colour: Deep burnished gold.

Nose: Gorgeous nose. Sticky syrupy toffee with a hint of oak. The softest touch of smoke.

Palate: So smooth on the palate; sweet dried sultanas or muscatelles. A bit buttery but then some nutty tones too.

Finish: Oily mouthfeel, warmth delicately builds, sweet woody & tobacco notes emerge in the fade. I haven’t ever gnawed on a cigar box but imagine this to be like the delicious aftertaste.

Comments: It’s difficult to come up with any smartarse comments when you’re tasting a whisky that you find amazing. Simply a fantastic drop.

Whisky #215 – Tuthilltown Spirits Hudson Manhattan Rye

September 2, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Tuthilltown Spirits Hudson Manhattan Rye. Gardiner, New York State, United States. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home, $86 (bottle).

Colour: Deep coppery amber.

Nose: Lots of rye (unsurprisingly). Freshly hewn sawdust. Not a whole heap of other scents that I can detect.

Palate: Smooth and sweet entry, quite an oily mouthfeel. Vanilla aniseed flavours.

Finish: More aniseed and honey, medium length.

Comments: I previously tried the Hudson Baby Bourbon a little while ago and really enjoyed it, so I was keen to try the Hudson Manhattan Rye. I realise they are quite different beasts, but have to admit I much prefer the Baby Bourbon.

Whisky #214 – Glencadam 14 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish

August 30, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glencadam 14 Year Old Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.0%. Tasted at home, $117 (bottle).

Colour: Pale amber. Surprisingly pale for a whisky that’s spent time maturing in ex sherry casks.

Nose: Sweet sawdust, lemon & vanilla.

Palate: Vanilla, syrupy treacle, with a little bit of pepper

Finish: Oily mouthfeel, sweet fruits, oaky vanilla goodness. Medium length.

Comments: The first dram I tried of this I enjoyed, however I didn’t think it was anything too out of the ordinary. After a second glass however I’m starting to really enjoy this one, it certainly grows on you.

Whisky #213 – Whipper Snapper Crazy Uncle Moonshine

August 27, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Whipper Snapper Crazy Uncle Moonshine. Perth, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 40.0%. Tasted at the Whipper Snapper Distillery in East Perth, $4.

Colour: Vodka clear. Almost like moonshine strangely enough…

Nose: Cachaça and citrus notes; quite fragrant. Certainly has a bit of a kick of alcohol up the nostrils.

Palate: Much lighter than I was expecting after having sniffed it. Peppery lemon; very crisp.

Finish: Dry mouthfeel, short finish.

Comments: I was very keen to try Crazy Uncle after being privileged to have tried Whipper Snapper’s Prototype Whiskey back in April, which was fantastic. As a moonshine, Crazy Uncle is essentially the Whipper Snapper new make spirit (using an 80/10/10 mix of corn, wheat and barley) which has been diluted down to 40%.

Personally, to be honest I’m not a huge fan of the moonshine, though I do admire them for going after a unique market segment (at least here in Australia). Lots of other distillers produce gin, vodka or other spirits in their early years to get some sales ticking over while their whisky is ageing – I think it’s fantastic that the Whipper Snapper guys are staying true to their aim of producing a unique and high quality whiskey. I can’t wait to try it when it’s eventually released, in the meantime I’m looking forward to going on a tour of their East Perth distillery this weekend.

Whisky #212 – Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old Single Malt

August 27, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old Single Malt (Old Bottling). Islay, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at The Angel’s Cut, $40.

Colour: Rich wood varnish.

Nose: Soft toffee notes.

Palate: Possibly the most subtle peaty flavours I’ve had in a while. Sweet orange peel flavours too.

Finish: Sweet earthy notes to finish, a very gentle fade. Dry mouthfeel, medium length.

Comments: Definitely one of the more unusual Islays I’ve tried. It really is a great drop, though I’m not sure it’s really worth $40 a nip for the pure drinking pleasure alone; you’re also paying for the relative rarity of the whisky.

Whisky #211 – GlenParker Speyside Single Malt

August 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

GlenParker Speyside Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.0%. Tasted at my mate Gordy’s place, $0 (courtesy of Gordy).

Colour: Dark gold.

Nose: Very soft, light oak. Not too much going here though.

Palate: A little medicinal, a little fruity. Quite a thin mouthfeel.

Finish: Some alcohol heat; given this is the most noteworthy comment about the finish that should give you an impression of the somewhat uninspiring flavours.

Comments: Hmmm, not too much to report on this one. I’m not really a fan as you might have guessed. Pass.

Whiskies #208-210 – Hellyers Road Tasting Flight: Original, Slightly Peated & Peated Single Malt Whiskies

August 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Hellyers Road Tasting Flight – Original, Slightly Peated & Peated Single Malt Whiskies. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 46.20%. Tasted at home, $99 (3 x 250mL bottles).

Three expressions from Tasmania’s Hellyers Road…what a great excuse to have a tasting flight to compare the three of them side by side.

Colour: They’re all pretty much identical – golden straw yellow.

Nose: Original: earthy aromas, think freshly snapped branches if a tree when you’re walking through a forest. Slightly Peated: Peated: like a smokey campfire.

Palate: Original: quite fruity pineapple, lemons, a hint of sweetness but not too much. Slightly Peated: banana, hay-like scents. Lots of hazelnut and chocolate. Peated: herbaceous, salty, smokey…like smoking something you…ahem…really shouldn’t be.

Finish: Original: tingly oily mouthfeel. Sweet straw notes. Slightly Peated: drier mouthfeel than the Original, nutty chocolate in the fade. Peated: Somewhat sweet peaty tingle at the front of the mouth, not a massive mouthful of smoke though. It really does leave the taste in your mouth like you’ve just smoked a joint. Well at least that’s how a friend of mine once described it to me…

Comments: The Slightly Peated is probably the pick for me. I found the Original was way too fruity for my tastes, whereas the Peated expression is great but I couldn’t quite get past the pot flavour. Overall, the Hellyers Road expressions here weren’t as complex or as enjoyable as other Tasmanian whiskies I’ve tried so far. Not bad, but not brilliant.

Whisky #207 – Elmer T Lee Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey

August 25, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Elmer T Lee Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 45.00%. Tasted at Bobeche, $15.50.

Colour: Translucent dark caramel.

Nose: I need to get my nose away from the bowl of popcorn on the bar. Ok, some toasted nutty aromas.

Palate: Typical oaky vanilla and aniseed flavours.

Finish: Heat quickly builds, lasting longer than I expected too. Long flavour fade too, predominantly aniseed flavours.

Comments: This one was ok, though I have to admit I’m struggling a little to get to know and adequately describe some of the American whiskies, or at least break them down with as much imagination as many of the Scottish, Japanese or Australian whiskies I’ve tasted so far this year. I guess there’s only one solution – try some more and continue the research!