Whisky a Day

Whisky #583: SMWS 7.234 Appealing Apricot Jamboree

October 5, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 7.234 Appealing Apricot Jamboree. 8 year old cask strength single cask release from Longmorn Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 57.5%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $149 (bottle).

Colour: Glistening pale gold.

Nose: Gentle but layered. Lemon cream tarts, strawberry fairy floss and tropical fruit salad.

Palate: Creamy honeycomb cake, banana bread and smooshed slightly overripe bananas.

Finish: Pineapple jubes with a salty fade.

Comments: It’s not often that you get to drink a whisky with your photo on the bottle, but here we are. A special release for the Australian SMWS branch to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championships, with the photo in question being from the last edition of the champs. Whisky a Day was front & centre, but alas did not take home the chocolates.

Exceedingly easy to drink, the first bottle of this managed to mysteriously evaporate before it had been reviewed! Fresh, zesty and uplifting, this is a perfect springtime whisky.

Whisky #582: Tomatin Gordon & Macphail Discovery 2007 Single Malt

September 9, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Tomatin Gordon & Macphail Discovery 2007 Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $136 (bottle).

Colour: Golden straw.

Nose: Faint feints. Extremely soft floral (jasmin?) notes & wafts of freshly baked blueberry muffins.

Palate: It hits you with all the ferocity of a limp handshake. Thin mouthfeel, with watery honey and overripe blueberries that collapse rather than pop on the tongue.

Finish: Short finish with oak, dusty cocoa and vanilla notes.

Comments: It’s certainly not a bad whisky just any stretch, just a little underwhelming. Can’t help buy think that a higher ABV might have done wonders.

Whisky #581: Bladnoch 2007 Cask Strength Created Exclusively for The Whisky Club

September 8, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Bladnoch 2007 Cask Strength Created Exclusively for The Whisky Club. Lowlands, Scotland. ABV: 54.8%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $135 (bottle).

Colour: Clear apple juice.

Nose: Vanilla sponge cake. Honey slathered on hot buttered fresh white toast. Dried apricots.

Palate: This whisky tastes like I’m going to need another one…Allen’s strawberries and cream lollies, fresh raspberry Danishes, croissants with strawberry jam and lashings of butter. Damn my sweet tooth!

Finish: Medium to long finish, the rich jam notes linger in the middle of your tongue whilst the warmth from the cask strength tingles dance around your mouth.

Comments: Distilled in 2007 and bottled 13 years later, this Bladnoch 2007 Cask Strength is delightful. Sourced from a combination of first-fill american oak ex-bourbon barrels and first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks, it is the latter’s influence that undoubtedly brought all those delicious jammy notes. Another outstanding release from Bladnoch.

Whisky #580: Morris Rutherglen Muscat Barrels Single Malt

September 5, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Morris Rutherglen Muscat Barrels Single Malt. Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia. ABV: 46%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $140 (bottle).

Colour: Pinkish brass.

Nose: Juicy raisins, caramelised sugar, soft oak.

Palate: It’s all about the jam…blackberry jam and mulberry jam. Slightly oily and cooling mouth-coating, melted butter mouthfeel and flavours to start, then quickly fading to a drying slightly tannic sensation.

Finish: Long lingering blueberry jam, soft cigar leaves and a very well balanced oak. A slight warmth that tapers slowly, particularly on the tip of the tongue. A long tail…it’s like it doesn’t want to leave your mouth.

Comments: Morris of Rutherglen have been known for many years as excellent producers of fortified wines, particularly their Muscat for which the Rutherglen region is particularly renowned. So it came as a surprise to most of the industry when they announced themselves as brand new Australian whisky producer, releasing the the Morris Rutherglen Muscat Single Malt, along with its entry level 40% ABV sibling, the Morris Signature Single Malt.

The sneaky buggers from Morris kept these whiskies close to their chest rather than expending effort building brand awareness before their official launch. Judging by this Morris Rutherglen Muscat Single Malt, Morris have arrived – keenly priced and bloody delicious.

Even the Morris Rutherglen Muscat box is tasty apparently…

Whisky #579: Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba

August 1, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba (Batch 003). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.4%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $135 (bottle).

Aberlour A’Bunadh has developed a bit of a cult following over the years from fans who love their sherry bombs large and cask strength. The Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba is a new twist on the theme, in that it has been matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks bourbon casks instead of Aberlour’s traditional sherry cask program.

Colour: Australian gold.

Nose: Honey and fresh rose petals.

Palate: Dessert for days. It’s got the caramelised charred sugars and cream of a creme brûlée, then freshly baked apple crumble.

Finish: This is where it lets you know it’s cask strength and means business. Barley sugars and warm honey drizzled over pan-fried halloumi. Plenty of oaky tingle on the front of the tongue that keeps building.

Comments: Fans of the original Aberlour A’Bunadh will be intrigued to try it as a comparison, but for me while the Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba has its merits in isolation, it doesn’t quite have the same layered complexity of the original. It’s quite good, but not outstanding.

Whisky #578: Cadenhead Small Batch Knockdhu 11 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

July 24, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Cadenhead Small Batch Knockdhu 11 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 54.7%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $172 (bottle).

Colour: Very pale straw.

Nose: Delicate. Cinnamon tea cake and petrichor…raindrops on fresh concrete.

Palate: Toasted malt and oaky notes, along with pepper and tart raspberries.

Finish: Dried raspberries; tobacco leaves from the end of a freshly chopped cigar. Medium length finish with a briny aftertaste and tingle on the front of the tongue.

Comments: The Cadenhead Small Batch Knockdhu definitely doesn’t drink like a cask strength whisky. It’s very subtle, where it keeps you sipping as you catch a whisper of a flavour here, a whiff of an aroma there. Before you know it, it’s gone…both the glass and eventually too the bottle.

Whisky #577: SMWS 50.108 Darkness of the edge of brown

July 20, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Whisky #577: SMWS 50.108 Darkness of the edge of brown. 28 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Bladnoch Distillery. Lowlands, Scotland. ABV: 56.6%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $499 (bottle).

It’s been a while between drinks, but we’re back. FINALLY. I think we can all agree that the last 18 months has been (and continues to be) a rather unwelcome punch to the nuts. Covid has impacted us all in different ways, which is one of the reasons for my hiatus between reviews. Let’s get back into it!

Colour: Shimmering gold.

Nose: Moist lemon friand dusted with icing sugar. Maple bacon. Cigar boxes, saxophone reeds and dusty bookshelves. Time in the glass brings brown sugar melting atop a hot bowl of porridge.

Palate: Banana syrup, pineapple jubes. Honey drizzled on hot pan-fried halloumi.

Finish: The finish is so long and gentle, it’s actually got two finishes. Gentle black pepper and honey on the front of the palate for the initial finish; then a tangy, salty slightly woody twist for the second.

Comments: Absolutely sublime. This was 1 of only 95 bottles yielded from the single cask, so to have the privilege of enjoying such rare whisky is quite special.

It’s a very contemplative dram. I bought this special SMWS Bladnoch whisky last year as a present to myself to celebrate purchasing my first home. A month later, covid hit and like so many people I was out of a job. Farrrrrrk! Faced with a huge new mortgage and suddenly with no job during lockdown, I decided the only way forward was to grab life by the scruff of the neck. Within a week I had set up my own Human Factors consulting firm…and Distilled Consulting was born.

A bit over a year later, Distilled Consulting is going strong. Starting up a new business and making it through the first 12 months is always hard going – just ask any founder. To have started an exciting new Human Factors consultancy in the middle of a global pandemic and not just survived, but thrived – is something that I am incredibly proud of. Time for a well deserved Distilled beverage to celebrate!

Every sip of this whisky was not just a celebration of buying my own home, but it has reminded me of the struggle and satisfaction at overcoming adversity. It’s been a very special drop to me.

Whiskies #575 & #576: SMWS Strathisla Showdown

July 21, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Whisky #575: SMWS 58.30 Fresh and Invigorating. 8 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Strathisla Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.9%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $160 (bottle).

Two single cask, cask strength, whiskies from Strathisla, SMWS distillery number 58.

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: Lemon sponge cake and strawberry fairy floss. Freshly snapped grass strands and tennis balls. Surprisingly light on the alcohol at first, then a slight drying nose prickle.

Palate: Tangy grilled pineapple rings and zesty lemon sherbet lollies. Caramelised brown sugar notes too.

Finish: Huskier than a pack of sled dogs…malt husks and toasted grains abound.

Whisky #576: SMWS 58.33 Sweet and Juicy – Dry Finish. 11 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Strathisla Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.7%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $175 (bottle).

Colour: Almost identical to the other Strathisla above – bright gold.

Nose: Dried raspberries and maraschino cherries.

Palate: Like taking a bite into a fresh slice of Black Forest cake…chocolate, cherries, creamy moist mouthfeel.

Finish: A tangy salty combo to finish, with subtle herby notes. One of my go-to dishes to cook when I have a group of friends over is a fennel-encrusted pork belly…the finish to this is like you’ve taken a bite of that and you’ve got a mixture of the fennel infused salt flakes on your tongue and you crush them up to the roof of your mouth to dissolve…dammit I’m hungry now!

Overall comments: Two SMWS Strathisla whiskies, two quite different siblings. The SMWS 58.33 Sweet and Juicy – Dry Finish is a whisky of two halves; both satisfying in their own way but a little Jekyll and Hyde. The sweet creamy fruit-driven flavours to start that yield to delicious salty, savoury flavours in the finish.

The pick for me though is clearly the SMWS 58.30 Fresh and Invigorating, it’s just a little more connected as you experience the full tasting. A symphony that feels like each of the movements is connected and flows effortlessly from one to the next.

Whisky #574: North Star Glenallachie 8 Year Old Single Malt

July 8, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

North Star Glenallachie 8 Year Old Single Malt. ABV: 58.3%. Speyside, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $165 (bottle).

Colour: Orange gold, like a throat lozenge. Hmmm, whisky really is the ultimate golden throat charmer!

Nose: Melted sugar boiling on the stove top.

Palate: Sticky date pudding and pink candy (fairy) floss. Medium body with a creamy mouthfeel.

Finish: Honey and black pepper, with juicy glace cherries that you’ve picked out of your aunt’s fruit cake (or is that just what I did when I was a kid?).

Comments: This is dessert in a glass. Fantastic.

Whisky #573: Tiger Snake Whiskey (Batch 6)

June 18, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by 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

June 13, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by 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

June 12, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by 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

June 9, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

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

June 1, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Ardbeg 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.

Whisky #568: SMWS 123.25 Joyful Impressions of Spring

May 13, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 123.25 Joyful Impressions of Spring. 9 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Glengoyne Distillery. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 62.1%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $175 (bottle).

Life is all about balance…

Colour: Hazy gold.

Nose: It’s all freshly baked confected sweetness – popcorn, light creamy sponge cake fresh out of the oven, zesty lemon and banana Paddle Pop ice-cream. All whilst you’re walking through the Aussie bush and you get a whiff of some snapped lantana branches.

Palate: Salty, sweet, creamy butter, the lemony zest of gremolata…this bounces around the mouth and ticks all the boxes. Full mouthfeel and absolutely nails the savoury/sweet balance.

Finish: A lingering prickle and warmth around the mouth, with a lemon sherbet kick at the end.

Comments: They say coronavirus isolation has led to people reassessing things and wanting more balance in life. At Whisky a Day we’d say this SMWS 123.25 Joyful Impressions of Spring from Glengoyne is perfectly…balanced!

Fresh and invigorating, it’s a fantastic drop. Highly recommended if you can get your hands on one of only 222 bottles that were produced.

Whisky #567: Tullibardine The Murray Châteauneuf-du-Pape Single Malt

April 28, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Tullibardine The Murray Châteauneuf-du-Pape Single Malt. ABV: 46%. Highlands, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $115 (bottle).

Colour: Rich marmalade.

Nose: Freshly varnished timber and a slight astringency, presumably the red wine tannins from the finishing maturation in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape barriques. Not overly appealing to be honest.

Palate: Much better here. It’s soft and short with thin mouthfeel; strawberry marshmallows and biscuits with chewy strawberry jam.

Finish: Slightly cheesy with tart stewed strawberries. A short finish, it’s in a hurry.

Comments: This one lingers in your mouth about as long as an aging boomer in the supermarket in the age of coronavirus – just long enough to get the essentials then it’s out of there. An underwhelming nose but redeemed somewhat by the palate. Not bad, but there’s better Tullibardine expressions to be had.