Whisky tastings

Whisky #190 – The Macallan Amber Single Malt

August 1, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Macallan Amber Single Malt. Speyside / Highlands (there is some conjecture on this one), Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at The Royal, $12.

Colour: It certainly is amber. No escaping that. But a slightly lighter shade than amber amber.

Nose: Reminds me of the smell of a dish I once had, warm Greek cheese with hot honey drizzled on top and sprinkled with fennel pollen. I know this sounds incredibly specific, but when I sniffed the Macallan Amber it immediately triggered my memory of that dish. Weird, but good.

Palate: Hot buttered toast with honey. Looks like this review is going to be food based! Quite fruity, a bit syrupy.

Finish: Sweet buttery notes, oily mouthfeel. Medium length, slight heat lingering at the fade.

Comments: Macallan have gone for a No Age Statement (NAS) with their “1824” range of whiskies (1824 was the year Macallan Distillery was founded), differentiating them by colour: Amber, Gold, Sienna and Ruby. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this one, having not really enjoyed the Macallan Ruby too much when I tasted it recently. Pleasantly surprised though; it’s no world-beater, but if you’re looking for an easy drinking malt with some decent flavour complexity, residual sweetness, not much heat and all at a reasonable price, the Macallan Amber is worth a shot. Steer clear of the Ruby though.

Whisky #189 – Adelphi Clynelish 1997 15 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

July 30, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Adelphi Clynelish 1997 15 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 53.20%. Tasted at Laneway Lounge.

Colour: Like a glowing incandescent light globe filament.

Nose: Band aids, soft hay-like scents. Quite a light nose.

Palate: Much more of a kick than suggested by the nose. Nothing too special about this one though for me.

Finish: Quite dry, salty with a gentle smokey aftertaste. Medium-long finish.

Comments: Joel enjoyed it more after adding a single cube of ice, softens it out nicely. Overall it just didn’t really do it for me, hence the someone sparse tasting notes – I was just left a little underwhelmed by this one.

Whisky #188 – Clynelish 14 Year Old Single Malt

July 30, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Clynelish 14 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home, $75.

Colour: Gold. Plain gold. Move along folks, no other creative adjectives to be seen here.

Nose: Cereal notes, a little like a bowl of Sultana Bran.

Palate: Salty straw flavours, a bit meaty too. Very gentle smoke, not a really peaty smoke though.

Finish: Sweet almost minty flavours, long finish. An even longer gentle warmth.

Comments: Quite a different coastal peaty whisky. If you like Islay malts but don’t like the intense smoke – or if the salty, briny, peaty whiskies are a little intense for you – the Clynelish 14 could be a good gentle bridge from other whiskies to this style.

Whisky #187 – Aberlour 10 Year Old Single Malt

July 30, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Aberlour 10 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at home, $50 (bottle).

Colour: Deep orange.

Nose: Caramel and mixed spice.

Palate: Sherry flavours coming through now; sweet toffee flavours balanced with some tart orange peel.

Finish: Gentle pepper and tobacco flavours; the slightest hint of sweet smoke. Medium length.

Comments: Great value for money (although I did manage to grab it on special with 20% off). Even at full price ($62) it’s a cracking drop.

Whisky #186 – Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M174 Single Malt

July 30, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M174 Single Malt (bottle 263 / 340). Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 43%. Tasted at the Perth Good Food & Wine Show, $5 (sample).

Now we move onto the Limeburners M174. The codeword is “whisky”.

Rachel, who concedes she is not too experienced with drinking whisky, comments that she really likes it. For her it initially burns a little, but then it becomes very smooth. Joel as a more seasoned whisky campaigner also finds it very smooth, though for him there is not much heat. Is “malty” the word I’m looking for, he asks? Our other friend Jo is speechless, which is highly unusual for her. “I have nothing to say at all – I can’t handle it.” Jo is clearly not a regular whisky drinker, but for a girl from Geraldton, it’s unsurprising that her tastes are a little unrefined. 🙂

Palate: For me, I agree with Joel’s comments above. It’s malty, full-flavoured and very smooth. On the palate it’s kind of like hot buttered crumpets slathered in golden syrup, with just a hint of some mixed spices too. Not Old Spice as the girls suggested.

Finish: The warmth tends to slowly build as the golden syrup-like aftertastes slowly dissipate, particularly toward the back of the palate towards the roof of your mouth.

Comments: Overall I really like this one. If this were a SMWS bottling, I would christen this one “Crumpets with lashings of golden syrup”. Upon hearing this, Brett remarks “God you’re full of shit.” Finally something the whole group agrees upon!

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of the Limeburners whiskies I’ve tasted so far this year (see the M104, M100, M67) – there simply hasn’t been a bad one. They’ve all been outstanding in their own way, each with their own characteristics. I’m very keen to head down to the Great Southern Distillery cellar door in Albany over the coming months and sampling some more. I stand by my comments about the Tiger Snake Sour Mash Whiskey, in my opinion it’s not a patch upon the Limeburners whiskies – although I recognise they are totally different beasts. Before I moved to Perth I hadn’t heard of Limeburners over in the eastern states, so if you get a chance I recommend tracking some down, the guys down there are doing some amazing stuff.

Whisky #185 – Great Southern Distillery – Tiger Snake Whiskey (Batch 4)

July 29, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Great Southern Distillery – Tiger Snake Whiskey (Batch 4). Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at the Perth Good Food & Wine Show, $5 (sample).

As Australia’s very first sour mash whiskey, I was very keen to taste the latest offering from Great Southern Distillery given how much I’ve enjoyed the Limeburners whisky releases I’ve tasted so far this year. So I dragged a few of my friends as willing participants to join me for a group tasting.

An Australian sour mash? Yes, made with a mix of corn, rye and barley grown right here in Western Australia.

Whisky a Day: So Rachel, tell us your thoughts on the Tiger Snake?

Rachel: I think it’s very smooth, smoother than Don Draper. Very smooth.

Brett: In fact Todd I’ve forgotten what it tastes like already, could you get me another one please?

Whisky a Day: Bloody cheapskate, tight-arse. Ok then.

Brett: I could murder another one right now.

Rachel: It’s a lot smoother than Raspberry’s belly (Raspberry is Brett’s nickname that he accidentally revealed to us recently).

Whisky a Day: So maybe Raspberry hasn’t waxed recently [lifts up Raspberry’s shirt] – oh nope, he definitely hasn’t!

Brett (aka Raspberry) and Whisky a Day tasting the Tiger Snake

So onto the tasting…

Nose: I’m getting some corn aromas. Brett’s also getting some bullshit aromas potentially from the rubbish we’re all coming out with at the moment.

Palate: It’s quite dry on the palate. Brett: I’d love another one. Rachel: Are you hinting for me to buy you another one?? Brett: No no… Joel: You might need to choose your friends a bit more carefully!

Finish: Medium to short finish. Brett would still love another one. Doesn’t have the residual sweetness that I was expecting.

Comments: Look it’s quite ok, though I don’t know if I’d rush out and get another one…I think that Great Southern are much better at their Limeburners whisky than they are at this sour mash whiskey which is more of a bourbon, spelled with an “-ey”. They sure know how to spell, I’ll give them that! To be fair, this is my first (quite small) tasting so I’d like to give them another crack sometime and get to know the Tiger Snake a little better. I’m sure Brett will be keen to have another with me!

Whisky #184 – Glenmorangie The Quinta Ruban 12 Year Old Single Malt

July 27, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenmorangie The Quinta Ruban 12 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at Helvetica, $16.

Colour: Deep copper.

Nose: Hay; some toasted notes too.

Palate: Soft, cool entry. Not the big hit of sweetness I was expecting from a whisky that has spent it’s final couple of years extra maturing in ex-port barrels. Salty with a hint of sweetness. Not a huge vanilla hit but it’s there, along with some other mixed spices, mainly cinnamon.

Finish: Quite a dry finish, but medium-long. Oaky, somewhat sweet tobacco flavours linger, my whole mouth has a slight tingle but it’s definitely not a burner.

Comments: Of the three of Glenmorangie’s extra matured range, the Nectar D’Or has long been my favourite, so I hadn’t given the Quinta Ruban (or the Lasanta) much of a go. After the standard Glenmorangie 10 years maturing in ex bourbon barrels, the Quinta Ruban has then spent its extra maturation time (circa 2 years)in ex port barrels from Portugal. I’ve always enjoyed a good fortified (muscat is my favourite), but I’ve never been massively into port-finished whiskies. Though on the back of this tasting, I think I might have to have a few more Quinta Rubans!

Whisky #183 – Lagavulin 16 Year Old Single Malt

July 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Lagavulin 16 Year Old Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at The Royal, $15.

Colour: Deep coppery amber.

Nose: The scent is instantly recognisable, unmistakably Lagavulin. I can smell it from a metre away. Big peat, lots of smoke. Another sniff reveals some medicinal scents.

Palate: Quite an oily mouthfeel, you really feel the smoke rolling in and enveloping your whole palate. Big flavours, salty smoke dominates.

Finish: Short on heat, very long on flavour and smoke. A touch of residual sweetness too which I don’t recall from the last time I tasted a dram of it (admitted quite a while ago). Probably one of the longest finishes you can get. Still loads of peat.

Comments: About time I tackled some of the more readily available whiskies…my strategy so far this year has been to generally select some of the more unusual whiskies available at each bar, keeping the more common ones up my sleeve. This approach has held me in good stead as I’ve not yet walked into a bar where I’ve had all of their whiskies. I’m glad that I’ve finally gotten around to tasting the Lagavulin 16, it’s always been an old favourite and it didn’t disappoint here upon re-tasting it for the first time in a while.

Whisky #182 – The Lark Distillery Port Cask Finish (Bottled 2013)

July 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

The Lark Distillery Port Cask Finish (Bottled 2013). Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Yallingup White Tail’s Rest holiday home, $40 (100mL bottle).

Colour: Bright toffee.

Nose: Not as sweet as the sherry matured Lark we just tried. Vanilla, cocoa & faint tobacco.

Palate: Toasted dried fruit flavours. A lot softer than the sherry matured Lark.

Finish: Soft pepper, soft sweet notes too. Medium length, a little drier than the sherry dram.

Comments: It’s ok, in fact it’s quite decent. But after the sherry dram raised expectations very high it makes it a little hard to live up to those.

Whisky #181 – The Lark Distillery Sherry Cask Finish (Bottled 2013)

July 25, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Lark Distillery Sherry Cask Finish (Bottled 2013). Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 58%. Tasted at Yallingup White Tail’s Rest holiday home, $47 (100mL bottle).

Colour: Deep golden syrup.

Nose: Creamy toffee; sticky date pudding. Smells like a honey badger.

Palate: Toasted sweet vanilla flavours. Big warmth, but not overpowering. Very smooth for a dram at 58%.

Finish: Creamy oily mouthfeel. Flavours, spice and heat balanced nicely. Warmth fills the mouth and builds as the flavours very gradually (and unfortunately) begin to subside.

Comments: Wow. Stunning. I could drink this all night, a shame I’ve only got such a small bottle.

Whiskies 179 & 180 – The Grove American Style Spirit & Distiller’s Cut

July 24, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

The Grove American Style Spirit. Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 40.0%. Tasted at The Grove cellar door, $10.

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: Like opening a bag of corn chips.

Palate: Corn; herby notes.

Finish: Sweet honey & herb aftertaste. Very gentle warmth, shortish finish, quite dry.

Comments: Meh, nothing special about this one I’m afraid.

The Grove American Style Spirit “Distiller’s Cut”. Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 55.0%. Tasted at The Grove cellar door, $10.

Colour: Lustrous copper.

Nose: Chocolate liqueur.

Palate: Nowhere near the amount of corn flavours of the 40% bottling. Muscatelles, orange peel and spices.

Finish: The warmth & flavours build.

Comments: A much better offering than the 40% release, lots more depth of flavour and interesting flavours to be honest. Still not the most polished drop, but not too bad.

Whisky #178 – The Lark Distillery Port Cask finish (Barrel #226)

July 24, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Lark Port Cask finish (Barrel #226). Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 58%. Tasted at Yallingup White Tail’s Rest holiday home, $0 courtesy of my mate Joel.

Colour: Glorious gold.

Nose: At 58%, I expected it might be a lot more confronting up the nose; it’s actually quite subtle. There were some unusual savoury kind of notes, a little salty…it sounds really strange, but it actually reminds me a little of the flavour sachets from Maggi 2 minute chicken noodles. Comfort food from my childhood.

Palate: Thankfully it has a lot more flavour depth and complexity than 2 minute noodles. Salty, but some vanilla notes and a touch of sweetness too. Meaty. Oily mouthfeel, but not too slippery.

Finish: Loooooong. Minty meaty tingle lingers.

Comments: I enjoyed this one because it is unusual and had many twists and turns along the way. I probably enjoyed the palate more than the other components. Not the finest example of Lark that I’ve tried, but it certainly adds to the fabric of their offerings.

Whisky #177 – Baker’s Bourbon Whiskey

July 24, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Baker’s Bourbon Whiskey. Kentucky, United States. ABV: 53.50%. Tasted at Mustang Bar, $10.50.

Colour: Reluctant bronze.

Nose: Dry rye.

Palate: A little harsh on the palate, lots of spice. Peppery oak, but nothing too smooth or pleasant.

Finish: Rye & pepper aftertaste, heat builds.

Comments: Much like a Thursday night Northbridge where you end up at the Mustang Bar in lieu of better choices, the Baker’s Bourbon is the kind of whisky you might have when there aren’t too many other options. Pass.

Whisky #176 – Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice Arran 1999 Single Malt

July 24, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice Arran 1999 Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at home.

Colour: Very light straw.

Nose: Quite light; some gentle oak and toffee.

Palate: Absolutely delicious. Soft toasted woody notes, with just the right balance of sweetness.

Finish: Warmth gradually builds around the mouth, while the final sensation is your lips tingling. Toasted toffee flavours have medium length, while the warmth is much longer.

Comments: Wow. I’m really enjoying some of the Arran malts this year. It’s a distillery I had never tried before the Whisky a Day caper led me to give it a go. I purchased this bottle online having never tried it before – my theory was that I’ve really enjoyed all the Arran malts I’ve had so far, why not try an Arran released by an independent bottler? I can safely say this Gordon & Macphail release is amazing, I will definitely be buying another bottle of it when this one is done!

Whisky #175 – Sullivans Cove Single Cask French Oak Single Malt, Barrel HH0401

July 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Sullivans Cove Single Cask French Oak Single Malt, Barrel HH0401. Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 47.50%. Tasted at Helvetica, $26.

I wouldn’t normally review two separate barrels from the same whisky, but as the Sullivans Cove Single Cask French Oak recently won best single malt in the world at the prestigious World Whisky Awards in London, albeit from a different barrel to this release (the winning barrel was HH0525). I thought it might be interesting to compare the two.

Colour: Light copper.

Nose: Like walking into an old spice shop. Not a shop that sells Old Spice, but an old shop with loads of dried spices for sale. Cardamom, cloves, maybe even some dried garlic. A rich and complex nose. I’m not getting the rye scents that I got from the other Sullivans Cove French Oak Single Malt I tried, which was from barrel HH0533.

Palate: Definitely a very similar palate to the other French Oak barrel HH0533. No fennel this time, but some oaky vanilla, pepper and mixed spices abound.

Finish: The rich, long finish of chewy dried fruit has the good grace to hang around for a while so you can really savour the flavour. Gentle warmth tingles the front half of the palate as with the HH0533.

Comments: Hard to directly compare the two barrels having tasted them quite a few weeks apart.

This one is certainly a fantastic drop, but I’d still stand by my last assessment that while it is a great whisky, I’m not sure I’d rate it as the world’s best. In saying that, I’d like to have a couple of bottles in my collection – one to enjoy and one as an investment.

Whisky #174 – Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice Tormore 1996 Single Malt

July 23, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice Tormore 1996 Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at home.

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Like sticking your nose into a tub of fresh honey.

Palate: Sweet fruity flavours, a touch of pineapple. A bit like a spoonful of fruit salad.

Finish: Grassy flavours, quite sweet.

Comments: A surprisingly light and fresh whisky. Not a thin mouthfeel though, quite full. Not your typical Speyside malt I would suggest, so if you’re looking for something a little different give it a go. That’s the great thing about whisky from independent bottlers, you’ll always discover something a little different that will surprise (and often surpass) your expectations. I’m not sure that I’ll buy another bottle of this one as I don’t think it’s too remarkable, but I will replace it with another independent bottling of some description.