Whisky tastings

Whisky #141 – Benromach 10 Year Old Single Malt

July 7, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Benromach 10 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at home, purchased as part of a 3 x 200mL pack of Benromach malts, $100.

Colour: Orangey gold.

Nose: Dried fruits, but not much sweetness. A verrrrrry subtle hint of smoke. A bit of a prickle in the nostrils from the alcohol.

Palate: Dried apricots. Quite an oily mouthfeel. Smooth entry, flavours don’t really develop in the mouth though.

Finish: Short to medium finish, some sweet notes linger for a little while, as does the tingle of heat from the alcohol.

Comment: Not too bad, but there’s certainly better examples of Speyside malts in my opinion (e.g. Glenfarclas 15 year old). It doesn’t quite have the complexity or depth of flavour that I was hoping for. Check back over the next few posts where I will review the Benromach Organic Single Malt & the Benromach Peat Smoke (Phenol Level 53PPM).

Whisky #140 – Glenmorangie Extremely Rare 18 Year Old Single Malt

July 2, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Glenmorangie Extremely Rare 18 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at home, $120 (bottle).

Colour: A light golden hue.

Nose: Floral, sweet hay-like notes.

Palate: Silky smooth entry, oily mouthfeel. Oak and somewhat sweet fruity flavours. Less spice than other Glenmorangies.

Finish: Warmth gradually builds as the flavours start to fade. Medium-long finish.

Comments: A lot smoother than other Glenmorangie expressions, less oaky. I’ve always had a bottle of this kicking around in my collection for the past few years (needless to say, it’s not the same bottle – they don’t last that long!) and for good reason – I really like it. Great balance, both in terms of flavours and also heat. Absolutely no hesitation in ordering another bottle once this one is finished.

Whisky #139 – Glenfarclas 15 Year Old Single Malt

July 2, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Glenfarclas 15 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home, $100 (bottle).

Colour: A police officer of above average intelligence…bright copper.

Nose: Rich, sweet sultanas. It gets even better with time in the glass.

Palate: Caramelised brown sugar, dried muscatels, lots of sherry notes. A hint of soft charcoal. Not a whole heap of heat, just soft buttery flavours and some spices.

Finish: Peppery oak but with some residual sweetness, especially as you lick your lips. And you’ll want to, because this is a great drop. Quite a long finish, only a very gentle heat though.

Comments: A very solid whisky, great flavour profile and complexity. It’s no wonder this is such a popular drop, you really can’t go wrong with one of these in your collection.

Whisky #138 – Glenmorangie Ealanta Private Edition Single Malt

July 2, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenmorangie Ealanta Private Edition Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home, $150 (bottle).

Colour: Deep lustrous golden bronze.

Nose: Lots of vanilla and oak. Hardly comes as a surprise given the Ealanta has spent 19 years maturing in virgin American oak barrels, but it is still a beautiful nose. Some chocolatey notes too.

Palate: Dryish earthy mouthfeel upon entry, but that is quickly forgotten as the flavour bomb explodes in your mouth. Toasted, spiced woody flavours, still a fair hit of vanilla but not as strong as in the nose. Creamy nutty flavours too.

Finish: The smooth oaky vanilla and spices just keep building, a long finish to really enjoy what is a fantastic dram.

Comments: In Jim Murray’s 2014 Whisky Bible, he rated the Glenmorangie Ealanta as World Whisky of the Year with a score of 97.5 out of 100. Needless to say, I was quite keen to taste it! Partly because of its reputation, but also because Glenmorangie would probably have to be my favourite distillery.

So did it live up to the hype? Yes and no. I love it and I’m very happy to have a bottle in my collection at home, especially sitting beside the Glenmorangie Companta which is also an amazing whisky. However for me, the Ealanta didn’t have that “wow” factor I was hoping for when trying the world’s best whisky, similar to the experience when tasting say the Glenrothes 1969 The MacPhail’s Collection. I guess when you’re judged the world’s best whisky it ensures that people have some pretty high expectations that may be a little hard to live up to. Nevertheless, highly recommended!

Whisky #137 – AnCnoc 12 Year Old Single Malt

July 1, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

AnCnoc 12 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at home, part of small whisky sampler pack ($37 for 4 x 50mL bottles).

Colour: Some days lately I feel like Scrooge McDuck describing the whisky’s colour…more fucking gold.

Nose: Fresh floral notes; a hint of smoke & medicinal feints.

Palate: Quite intense flavour-wise, soft toasted wood or charcoal, but not bitter.

Finish: Medium length flavour, pepper and warmth through the mouth, dry finish.

Comments: Nothing too memorable to report on this one, it’s quite ok but overall there’s nothing too special about it which would give cause to get excited about it.

Whisky #136 – Chichibu Ichiro’s Malt, On The Way

July 1, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Chichibu Ichiro’s Malt, On The Way. Chichibu, Japan. ABV: 58.5%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $19.

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Grassy, fresh lemons, woody notes. After some time in the glass there’s almost some chocolate-like notes.

Palate: Pow – full flavour hit, intense and complex. Bit of a salted golden syrupy flavour, dry mouthfeel, quite salty yet a hint of sweetness. Big alcohol warmth.

Finish: Lingering salty tingle on the end of the tongue, almost like a popping candy sensation. Very dry finish.

Comments: Surprising flavour complexity from such a young (5 year old) whisky.

Whisky #135 – Nikka Togouchi 18 Year Old Japanese Blend

July 1, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Nikka Togouchi 18 Year Old Japanese Blend. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $0 (courtesy of bar manager Steve).

Colour: Deep straw.

Nose: Sweet hay & soft vanilla.

Palate: Not much spice, just heat. Oaky vanilla. Steve behind the bar gets some bacon flavours, although concedes this may be due to having eaten bacon earlier. I reckon it is quite chewy and a little salty, so it does strangely enough have some of those qualities. So maybe a little more like biltong than bacon. Meeeeeeat.

Finish: Subtle vanilla notes quickly fade, leaving the warmth lingering throughout the mouth for a while.

Comments: Surprising complexity & flavour intensity for a blend. I’m definitely finding a preference for Japanese blends over other more traditional (e.g. Scottish) blends.

Whisky #134 – Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Gran Reserva

June 30, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Gran Reserva. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Bobeche, $35.

Colour: Dull brownish gold.

Nose: Brown sugar, toasted cereal kind of scents.

Palate: Vanilla & raspberry jam flavours, sweet yet some subtle bitterness as well. Plenty of toasted flavours too. Nice balance of heat and flavour. Almost a hint of some bourbon-like notes.

Finish: Warmth tingles at the front of the palate; flavours and heat gradually fade. The aftertaste reminds me of raspberry jam on a slice of toast.

Comments: Aged in ex-Cuban rum barrels, which certainly give the whisky its colour as well influencing flavours & the nose. I was expecting a slightly smoother entry given the age, but the flavour intensity is there which is good. Not sure that for $35 the Glenfiddich 21 Gran Reserva represents great value, but it’s certainly a decent drop.

Whisky #133 – Ardbeg Ardbog Cask Strength Single Malt

June 29, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Ardbeg Ardbog Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 52.10%. Tasted at Helvetica, $0 courtesy of a guy named Eamon who was keen to hear about the Whisky a Day project.

Colour: Dark coppery cherry sherry.

Nose: Smokey creaming soda. Lots of peat smoke like most Ardbegs, hint of cherry.

Palate: Creamy salted caramel with a hefty dose of smoke, but its not overpowering.

Finish: Ah, that’s more like your typical Ardbeg. Long heat & peat finish, but some of those sweet creamy cherry flavours just manage to poke through.

Comments: Great to taste an Ardbeg with some variety. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved Ardbeg and think it’s cracking value for money (if not one of the best value for money whiskies on the market), but some of their expressions are a bit too similar. Released for World Ardbeg Day in 2013, the Ardbeg Ardbog was great; the heat & smoke were toned down and some other sweet flavours came through. Good drop.

Whisky #132 – 1973 Glenrothes Single Malt

June 29, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

1973 Glenrothes Single Malt (bottled 2000). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at Helvetica, $59.

Colour: Deep, lustrous coppery amber. It’s a beautiful thing.

Nose: Such an unusual, complex nose. Reminds me of when I was a kid and pulling out the winter blankets from the camphor wood chest where they’d been stored since the previous winter. Dusty, almost like the smell of dusty old books. A hint of gentle woody smoke.

Palate: Very, very smooth. Sweet toasted malt flavours gently roll over through the mouth and make you sit back, sigh contentedly and say “wow”.

Finish: Gentle sweet smoke & oak in the long, gradual fade.

Comments: So smooth, both upon entry and in the finish. Delightful, though like the 1969 Glenrothes I tried at Whisky Live the flavours were a little softer than expected, although given it spent 27 years maturing in the barrel I guess this is to be expected. It’s not that the flavours are disappointing in any way (they’re actually amazing), it’s just that after the intriguing nose I had hoped the flavours would be a little stronger. Maybe this is a trait of the older Glenrothes whiskies? Fantastic nose and flavours, but not quite as intense as I would like. I will have to continue the research to test this theory!

Whisky #131 – Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve Japanese Whisky

June 28, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve Japanese Whisky. Yamazaki, Kyoto, Japan. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at Helvetica, $0 – courtesy of Hutch.

Colour: Gold. Fake gold (because it was on the house).

Nose: Strong hay notes, hint of rose water.

Palate: Much smoother than I was expecting for a Japanese malt, especially a Yamazaki. It doesn’t have the flavour punch or the burst of heat when it enters your mouth like the Yamazaki 12 year old.

Finish: Short-medium finish, not much residual heat so the flavours can shine. Sweet in the fade.

Comments: Tastes more like a blend given its smoothness and subtle flavours, but is it? Technically it is a single malt, having all come from the one distillery. But it’s a blend of Yamazaki malts that have been maturing in different casks (red wine, sherry & Japanese oak barrels) for varying time periods. An interesting drop.

Whisky #130 – Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M104 Single Malt

June 28, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M104 Single Malt (Bottle 095 / 372). Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at Botanica.

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg & maybe even some roasted fennel seeds. Kind of a weird aroma to list, but it reminds me of the smell when I cook fennel encrusted pork belly. Now I’m hungry…

Palate: Sweet aniseed, almost a bit bourbon-ish. Oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium finish, warmth & sweet sultana flavours linger at the front of the palate.

Comments: Very different to the M67 I tasted in March, which to be fair was a cask strength compared to this dram at 43%. I expected it to be a little different as Limeburners only do single barrel releases, but the contrast is quite stark. Another great drop from Limeburners, if you like your whisky full flavoured grab yourself one. The differences between each release mean that there’s always a very good reason to keep exploring the range…all in the name of scientific research of course!

Whiskies #127-129 – Kavalan Solist vertical tasting

June 27, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Kavalan Solist vertical tasting. Tasted at home, $16 for a tasting pack of 3 x 50mL bottles.

Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Cask Strength Single Malt. Taiwan. ABV: 57.0%

Colour: Like a golden fried dumpling. C’mon, a Taiwanese whisky review had to have some kind of nationalist stereotype reference in there somewhere!

Nose: Somewhat sweet, straw-like aromas. Also a very faint hint of pineapple. Quite strong alcohol fumes.

Palate: Spice, bitterness and sweetness are well balanced; plenty of strong, complex flavours here. A bit of an oily mouthfeel upon entry. Sweetness quickly gives way to heat & woody, peppery notes.

Finish: Long finish, plenty of tingle at the front of the palate.

Kavalan Solist Ex-Sherry Cask Strength Single Malt. Taiwan. ABV: 57.0%.

Colour: Wow. Such a dark, deep crimson colour. Like a semi-translucent molasses. Don’t think I’ve seen a sherry dram (or any whisky for that matter) with such a dark hue. Not that colour really makes one lick of difference when it comes to the whisky’s taste, but geez it’s a beautiful thing to look at.

Nose: Prunes & raisins.

Palate: Smooth, creamy entry; sweet oaky flavours roll through the mouth. Divine.

Finish: Much smoother, subtler flavours and shorter than the ex-bourbon cask Soloist. Dark chocolate notes in the fade. Delicious.

Comments: I would love to taste this side by side with the Glendronach Revival 15 Year Old. I don’t think it’s quite got the same sweet chewiness of the Glendronach, but geez it’s a good drop. A real surprise packet, stunning!

Kavalan Solist Vinho Barrique Cask Strength Single Malt. Taiwan. ABV: 57.0%.

Colour: Pale reddish copper colour, almost a bit rose-tinted.

Nose: Toasty oak notes, quite soft though. Reminds you a little of a sherry dram, but much less intense. Especially after having tasted such a strong (and damn fine!) sherry dram. Definitely not the intense waft of alcohol like the ex-bourbon dram.

Palate: Slight salty, dried sultanas.

Finish: Dry, again lingering heat at the front of the mouth. Could be a Kavalan trait perhaps? May have to try some of their other releases to verify, purely for research purposes of course…

Overall comments: When I first picked up this trio it was because they were a) dirt cheap and would be a cost-effective way of knocking over another three whiskies; b) I had never heard of whisky being produced from Taiwan and was curious to try it; and c) I thought they would be primary candidates for the “truly awful” whisky category (primarily due to point “b” above) and would make for an interesting contrast to other whiskies. Boy was I wrong…

All three of the Kavalan Solist expressions were a pleasant surprise. Rich, full-flavoured, good balance of sweetness and spices, complex flavour profile…if I’d had a blind tasting I might have picked them for Tasmanian or Japanese single malts. I am happy to eat my words and declare they are far from “truly awful”, they are actually truly delicious!

The ex-bourbon cask expression was a fantastic start, while the Vinho Barrique cask was also pretty good (in fact it was quite decent), but certainly a slight letdown after the amazing sherry dram. Luckily I left some of that to go back to…

The ex-sherry dram was by far the stand-out, not just for it’s colour which is a thing of beauty, but for being such an outstanding all-round whisky – nose, palate and finish. It is by far the whisky which has brought the greatest upside surprise upon tasting, and one that I would happily hunt down a bottle to add to the collection at home. Highly recommended!

Whisky #126 – Nikka From the Barrel Blended Japanese Whisky

June 27, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Nikka From the Barrel Blended Japanese Whisky. Hokkaido, Japan. ABV: 51.40%. Tasted at The Royal, $13.

Colour: Brassy gold.

Nose: Sweet toasty aromas, like a piece of hot buttered toast smothered with honey. A hint of liquorice maybe?

Palate: Soft buttery entry, quickly gives way as the big spice & warmth fill the mouth. A touch of sweet, spicy vanilla develops.

Finish: The heat fills your mouth. And keeps coming. Eventually it slowly fades leaving some of those sweet vanilla notes on your tongue. A real slow burner.

Comments: I wouldn’t have picked this for a blend, it’s got lots more flavour complexity and warmth than most other blends I’ve tried. Cracking value for money, only $13 for the glass or around $70 to grab a bottle in a bottle shop.

I’m happy to say this is the pick of the blends I’ve tried so far this year, maybe because for me it has characteristics more akin to a single malt than a blend. Recommended.

Whisky #125 – Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt

June 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Lalla Rookh, $18.

Colour: Lustrous burnt amber.

Nose: A bit of oak, maybe some cherries.

Palate: Dried apricots, vanilla & oak. Smooth entry.

Finish: Medium length, not much heat.

Comments: Dangerously drinkable – this glass must have a leak. Smooth but not too complex, the Glenfiddich 15 is a solid whisky but not exceptional.

Whisky #124 – Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky

June 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Speyside, Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.0%. Tasted at Andaluz, $23.

Colour: Bright orangey gold.

Nose: Hay, grassy notes. Maybe a bit like sniffing a fresh lemon.

Palate: Smooth cool entry, with a few short sweet honey notes. Dry mouthfeel.

Finish: Shortish finish, lemony grassy flavours. Like chewing a piece of grass you’ve picked up as you’re walking through a paddock. Not that wandering through a grassy paddock is the type of setting where you’d normally be enjoying a wee dram, but chewing a piece of grass leaves a similar taste in the mouth. Dry finish.

Comments: Meh. A touch overrated for mine, I don’t see what the fuss is about with the Royal Salute (granted, I haven’t tasted the other Royal Salute age expressions). Not enough character for my liking. Better value elsewhere.