Glenfiddich Distillery Exclusive 1995 19 Year Old Cask Strength Sherry Cask Matured Single Malt (Cask No. 30318). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.03%.
Colour: Deep, dark copper with a few flecks of charcoal sediment from the inside of the cask I drew the bottle from.
Nose: Much like its Balvenie stablemate, it has soft oak and some sweet, rich dried fruits.
Palate: Wow, the intense flavour and warmth hit your palate then decide to have a party all around your mouth. Salted caramel and rich syrupy sherry notes.
Finish: A salty tingle on the tip of the tongue, foowed by a long fade with some residual sweetness.
Comments: It’s like eating a salted caramel macaron. Soft, chewy, creamy – the flavours just keep coming. A sublime malt.
Balvenie 13 Year Old Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt (Cask No. 11270). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.6%. Tasted at home, £25 (200mL bottle, which I filled straight from the cask on the Balvenie distillery tour).
Colour: Stunning, almost a crimson-copper shade.
Nose: The alcohol feints rush to jump up your nose, before a more measured sniff reveals intense fruity aromas, sweet toffee and dusty oak.
Palate: Rich and chewy. Intense toffee and somewhat tart berry flavours, think cranberries and raspberries. A fantastic balance of sweetness and tartness.
Finish: Quite long, almost a bit salty right at the end after the flavours begin to fade. An electrifying tingle on the tip of the tongue as the sherry flavours subside.
Comments: An amazingly complex drop, lots of contrasting layers right the way through.
Glenglassaugh 1973 39 Year Old Single Malt – The Massandra Connection – Muscat Wine Cask Finish. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 44.1%. Tasted at home, $100 (100mL bottle).
Colour: Brassy amber.
Nose: Sweet leather; mixed dried fruits, especially sultanas. Dark toffee notes too. A slight nose prickle which is very tolerable when the whisky has such a top nose.
Finish: A super smooth salty-sweet fade, medium length yet a somewhat dryish finish.
Comments: Amazingly delicious, it’s a huge challenge to resist consuming the whole 100mL sample in one sitting. So sublime it’s impossible to make any tongue-in-cheek remarks about this one.
Aberlour A’Bunadh Single Malt Batch No. 46. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.4%. Tasted at home, $123 (bottle).
Colour: Devilishly dark copper.
Nose: Rich muscatels, mixed dried fruits slathered with caramelised brown sugar. A bit of a nose prickle at the end…mainly because I’m enjoying the nose so much I’m almost inhaling the whisky up my nostril faster than Charlie Sheen can say “winning!”.
Finish: A long, satisfying, rich fruity tingle around the mouth.
Comments: Everything I love about a whisky is in this bottle. Outstanding, definitely hasn’t lost anything from the Batch 45 I tried at the start of the year. I think the A’Bunadh will be a permanent fixture in my whisky collection going forward.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky. Kilmarnock, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at The Royal Hotel, $35.
Colour: Pure gold.
Nose: Surprisingly complex – I was not expecting that. Light floral and almost a few sherry-like fruit notes. The barest touch of oak too.
Palate: A very smooth entry with a cooling sensation as it floats around your mouth. Oily mouthfeel, vanilla and floral notes.
Finish: Medium length. A salty fade initially, but then there’s a semi-sweet buzz of honey and gentle warmth that tingles on your gums long after you swallow the last drop of liquid.
Comments: I was a bit apprehensive about tasting the Johnnie Walker Blue Label, as it has so much hype and I was prepared to be quite disappointed. However, I really enjoyed it. It has fantastic complexity for a blended whisky and a great flavour profile, not unlike some single malts actually. I think it’s overpriced and there are better value blends to be had, but if you don’t mind paying for the marketing it’s actually a very enjoyable whisky.
The Nant Sherry Cask Aged Single Malt. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home.
Colour: Bright amber.
Nose: Sweet dried fruits; a fresh nose prickle.
Palate: Juicy sultanas; chewy.
Finish: Medium length, juicily smooth with a drying finish.
The Nant Port Cask Aged Single Malt. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home.
Colour: Same shade as the Sherry Cask malt. No discernible difference.
Nose: Dusty, damp earthy, hessian aromas.
Palate: Muscatels. Not quite as rich and fruity as the Sherry malt, it’s smoother and a little more subtle. A good balance of sweetness and saltiness.
Finish: A slight fruity sweetness to start, which then gives way to a drying almost almond-like finish. Medium length.
Overall comments: I prefer the nose of the Sherry malt, but the palate of the Port malt. They’re both very decent whiskies, but given the choice of a Tasmanian dram I think The Lark might just have their nose in front, with one of the sherry cask finishes or port cask finishes.
Douglas Laing’s Old & Rare Port Ellen 30 Year Old Single Malt (distilled December 1979). Islay, Scotland. ABV: 52.6%. Tasted at my friend Nathan’s place, a very generous share from the whisky fiend.
Colour: Very pale liquid gold.
Nose: So complex. Sweet meaty smoke; like you’ve thrown some green leaves on a campfire that’s flame-grilling a big juicy steak.
Palate: Meaty, citrus and smooth subtle smokiness. So smooth.
Finish: A gentle, sweet smoky tingle that gradually fades.
Comments: Only the second time I’ve been privileged enough to try a Port Ellen, with their malts being one of the most sought-after of all the defunct distilleries. And I can see why, this is amazing and amazingly complex, yet has a subtlety that some other Islay malts can’t even come close to. Outstanding.
Edradour Natural Cask Strength Bourbon Cask. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 57.4%. Tasted at my friend Nathan’s place, courtesy of the whisky fiend himself.
Colour: Pale golden apple juice.
Nose: Nose prickle; lemon sherbet.
Palate: Salty popcorn, some creamy light fruit flavours too. Oily mouthfeel.
Finish: Long tingle all around the front of the tongue and mouth.
Comments: Edradour has been one of the finds of the year for me, I hadn’t come across it before but I’ve been loving exploring their range of malts. I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the other Edradour Natural Cask Strength that I tasted in Glasgow recently, but this one is still quite enjoyable.
The Grove American Style Spirit (sample). Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: unknown. Tasted at a friend’s house, $0.
Colour: Cloudy copper.
Nose: Wet sweaty socks. Reminds me of the smell of the salty, sweaty socks I’ve worn for four days straight during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race – except that my sailing socks generally don’t smell this bad. Smells like vomit on a pub carpet that hasn’t been scrubbed out from the night before. Aromas like the smell when you overtake a cattle truck on the highway.
Palate: You can’t really appreciate a whisky if you’re holding your breath to avoid the repulsive nose. There are some oaky, somewhat rich dried fruit notes, but totally overshadowed by the nose.
Finish: A few sherry-like notes in the fade, medium finish.
Comments: The nose just totally ruins this whisky. I’m not normally a negative person and even when I taste a poor whisky I don’t like to sink the boot in, but this is horrible stuff. Which is a shame as earlier in the year I tried a different bottling of The Grove American Style Spirit, and whilst it wasn’t outstanding it was certainly drinkable. Unlike this one, so they’ve obviously got a bit of variation between their batches. This one definitely makes it to the rarified air to achieve the designation of a “truly awful” whisky.
Gordon & MacPhail Reserve Highland Park 15 Year Old Single Malt – Exclusively Bottled for Dram Full (Cask No. 4255). Orkney Islands, Scotland. ABV: 53.9%. Tasted at home, $154 (bottle).
Colour: Bright, brassy gold.
Nose: Sweetness, vanilla and floral notes.
Palate: Crisp, peppery, quite light and a little fruity – think tropical fruit salad but not overly sweet. In fact, it almost reminds me a little of some Arran malts.
Finish: Dried apple, medium finish.
Comments: Definitely nothing like your typical Highland Park, which makes this a particularly interesting release. Distilled in 1999, bottled in 2014, it is one of only 145 bottles. It is the first Dram Full bottling, hopefully the first of many to come!
Kilchoman New Spirit Vertical Tasting. Tasted at home, $45 (set of 3 x 50mL bottles).
One of the greatest challenges facing any young distillery is how to get cashflow in the first few years while you’re waiting for your spirit to mature into “whisky” – in Scotland this period is a minimum of three years. While many distilleries produce other spirits that don’t require maturation (and thus can be sold immediately) – such as gin or white rum – the folks at Kilchoman decided to release a sample of their new spirit aged at One Month, One Year and Two Years.
This is essentially exactly the same new spirit that has come off their stills, however it has been bottled after spending varying lengths of time maturing in casks. So it should make for an interesting and truly vertical tasting.
Kilchoman New Spirit One Month. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 63.5%.
Colour: Clear, very pale straw.
Nose: A medicinal prickle.
Palate: Very dry mouthfeel; sharp peaty straw-like flavours too.
Finish: Brash, peaty and strong. The heat lasts longer than the flavour and buzzes mainly at the front of the tongue.
Kilchoman New Spirit One Year. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 63%.
Colour: Pale dull gold.
Nose: Smoother than the One Month. Almost a bit of creaming soda. But with lots of smoke.
Palate: Intense smoke and peaty dryness.
Finish: Salty, smoky and tangy. A more satisfying buzz around the mouth.
Kilchoman New Spirit Two Years. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 62%.
Colour: Pale dull gold – not much different to the One Year.
Nose: Creamy and peaty again, but almost a bit floral too.
Palate: It’s definitely started to soften compared to the One Year – there’s still a bucketload of peat as you would expect, but it’s much more refined.
Finish: A dry, briny finish, quite long.
Overall comments: Very interesting to taste the same spirit at three different stages of its maturation. With regards to the colour, there was a noticeable change from the One Month to the One Year, but surprisingly very little difference from the One Year to the Two Year. On the palate the softening from the rawness of the One Year to the cool smoke of the Two Year was interesting. They’re all still very young, but a fascinating comparison to see the maturation journey of a Kilchoman whisky.
Schwäbischer Ammertal Malt & Grain Whisky. Baden-Württemberg, Germany. ABV: 40%. Tasted at Stuttgart Airport departure lounge, a gift from my very good friends Steve & Julia.
Colour: Golden mustard.
Nose: Slight prickle, straw notes.
Palate: Nutty, slightly oily mouthfeel.
Finish: Slight honey aftertaste, raw alcohol heat, medium length.
Comments: Not that special, too raw, too brash. Nowhere near as refined or as tasty as the Finch Whiskies I tasted on my visit the other day.
Tour of Finch Whisky Distillery. Nellingen, Germany.
Whisky a Day interviews the winner of Germany’s Best Whisky 2014 for Stuttgart’s Die Neue 107.7 radio station? How the hell did this come about??!
After leaving the shores of Scotland behind a few days prior, I thought I would have a chance for my liver to dry out as I visited my very good friends Steve and Julia who live in Germany. I thought that surely there won’t be much whisky in Germany, and given I tasted so many drams in Scotland and got a little ahead of schedule I’ll be able to take my foot off the gas a little bit. Steve however had other plans…
Steve is one of my closest mates, we met when we were both university exchange students in Sweden back in our early 20s. Originally hailing from England, he now lives in Germany with his lovely wife Julia who is German. Surprisingly, he has picked up German so well that he now hosts his own radio show on one of Stuttgart’s biggest radio stations, Die Neue 107.7.
In the week leading up to my visit, Steve asked his listeners to suggest where he could take his Australian friend who is a “whisky expert” (his words, not mine) to try some German whisky. Firstly, I’m no expert – I just happen to consume a lot of whisky! And secondly, I had almost zero knowledge of the German whisky scene, so it was a surprise to me when he’d organised for us to visit Finch Whisky Distillery.
But this wasn’t just an ordinary tour – Whisky a Day would be coming to interview Hans-Gerhard Fink, head distiller and owner of Finch Whiskies, to record a segment for Steve’s radio show. Not just any distillery, but winner of Germany’s Best Whisky 2014 at the Whisky Guide Deutchland Whisky Award the previous weekend.
Whisky a Day interviewing head distiller Herr Fink for Stuttgart’s Die Neue 107.7 radio station.
Audio below: Whisky a Day and Stuttgart’s DIE NEUE 107.7 radio station visit Finch Whisky Distillery in Nellingen, winners of 2014 Best German Whisky.
Whisky #332: Finch Schwäbischer Highland Whisky Distiller’s Edition 7 Year Old. Nellingen, Germany. ABV: 42%. Tasted at Finch Whisky Distillery.
Single grain whisky, aged in white wine barriques and ex bourbon casks. Has some creamy, citrusy aromas – a bit of lemon. On the palate there’s honey flavours, a little biscuity with a touch of passionfruit. Very nice – a great opening whisky.
Audio below: Whisky a Day tasting Finch Whisky.
Whisky #333: Finch Schwäbischer Highland Whisky Single Malt. Nellingen, Germany. ABV: 42%. Tasted at Finch Whisky Distillery.
This is the one that took out the award for Germany’s Best Whisky 2014 at the Whisky Guide Deutchland Whisky Awards. Extra matured in an ex sherry cask, giving it a brassy gold colour. It’s delicious, really full-flavoured and rich; the fruity sherry influence shines through and lingers for a long time on the palate. I like this one a lot better than the Distiller’s Edition I tried to begin, it’s a real step up.
Herr Fink proudly showing off his title for Germany’s Best Whisky 2014.
Whisky #334: Finch Schwäbischer Highland Whisky Barrel Proof Single Malt. Nellingen, Germany. ABV: 54%. Tasted at Finch Whisky Distillery.
I actually think that this Barrel Proof expression is the pick of the bunch – in my opinion it surpasses the Black Label Single Malt that was awarded Germany’s Best Whisky. Rich and chewy, it’s absolute magic, wow! There’s some Christmas pudding flavours, lots of mixed spice. As a barrel proof release, there is a bit of heat initially when you first taste it, but that slowly fades…it’s then a long gentle fade that makes you warm inside. It reminds me quite a lot of Limeburners whisky from Western Australia, there are similarities to some of their cask strength whiskies that have been aged in ex Australian fortified casks. Quite similar flavours to the Limeburners M138 or Limeburners M90. Golden syrup on hot buttered toast, with a long, luscious finish – absolutely magic.
Overall comments: It shouldn’t really surprise that the Germans make good whisky, afterall they make some of the world’s best beer and the initial stages of producing both beverages share similarities. I was impressed by the quality of the Barrel Proof malt in particular. On the basis of this visit, I will have to seek out some more German whisky to try. Congratulations to Herr Fink and the guys at Finch Whisky, many thanks for showing me around your impressive little distillery.
20/11/14 Old Pulteney 17 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at Purl Bar, £18 (50mL).
Colour: Amber shade 6436 on the Pantone colour chart, according to my interior architecture maestro Rae Rae.
Nose: Smooth earthy straw, blended with incense burning in the background.
Palate: Honied woody notes.
Finish: Sweet cane, woody finish. Medium length.
Comments: After a thousand drinks on my last night in London with two of my bestest but most devious friends Rae and Jimmy, my ability to break down a whisky is slightly impaired. But I would have it no other way, love these guys. Wish we lived in the same city. Wish our friend Aidi was here too!
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Glenfiddich Distillery Exclusive 1995 19 Year Old Cask Strength Sherry Cask Matured Single Malt (Cask No. 30318). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.03%.
Whisky #333: Finch Schwäbischer Highland Whisky Single Malt. Nellingen, Germany. ABV: 42%. Tasted at Finch Whisky Distillery.
