Whisky a Day

Whisky #246 – Longrow Peated Campbeltown Single Malt

September 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Longrow Peated Campbeltown Single Malt. Campbeltown, Scotland. ABV: 46.0%. Tasted at Helvetica, $19.

Colour: If there’s one thing I won’t miss about this Whisky a Day project, it’s having to come up with different ways to describe the colour of each dram. Particularly as colour bears little to no significance as to the whisky’s quality. Apart from notable exceptions such as the Kavalan Solist ex Sherry Cask which has a very unique colour, it’s very hard to come up with different ways to describe subtle variation in shades of gold/amber/straw. This one is a pale gold.

Nose: Peaty, but not as intense or smokey as your Islay peated whiskies, it’s got more suble medicinal qualities.

Palate: A smooth, cool entry. Dry woody notes, a little nutty too.

Finish: The peat certainly lingers but doesn’t envelop your mouth like bigger peated whiskies. Medium length, only light to medium heat.

Comments: If you find the heavily peated Islay malts a bit overpowering, this peated Longrow could be a good way to dip your toe in the water and explore some peat without the intensity.

Whisky #245 – Nikka Coffey Malt Japanese Whisky

September 21, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Nikka Coffey Malt Japanese Whisky. Sendai, Japan. ABV: 45.0%. Tasted at Helvetica, $28.

Colour: Light amber.

Nose: Fresh oak, sawdust, hay-like notes along with some sweetness.

Palate: Much drier than I was expecting – from the nose I had thought it might by a bit richer and maybe a little syrupy.

Finish: Dried cocoa, liquorice. Interesting that there’s a few more sweet notes emerging in the finish compared to when it first enters the mouth. Flavours and a gentle heat seem to build for a while before the eventual fade.

Comments: A real chameleon of a whisky; it’s constantly revealing more layers of complexity with each sniff, each mouthful. Rich yet delicate, it’s a whisky of contrasts. Much like a girl playing hard to get when you’re first dating, it’s a whisky that beckons you back for another encounter or five to truly get to know it.

Whiskies #243-244: The Glenrothes 1995 & 1998 Single Malts

September 21, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

1995 The Glenrothes Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%.

Colour: Like varnished pine timber floorboards.

Nose: Straw and malt notes, nothing too spectacular here though.

Palate: Soft nondescript entry. Very soft honey notes. Like most Scots, a little nutty.

Finish: Gentle tingle builds on the lips, but quickly fades. Honied cereal notes in the fade. Quite short in length.

1998 The Glenrothes Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%.

Colour: Orange gold.

Nose: Oak and vanilla.

Palate: Fuller flavour than the 1995, much richer. Oak, syrupy dried fruit, oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium length, some sweet buttery toffee notes linger.

Overall comments: For me the 1998 was much better than the 1995, which for some may be a little surprising given the 1998 is three years younger (both were bottled in 2012). It just goes to show that older doesn’t necessarily equal better, even from the same distillery! The 1998 has a lot more depth of character; the 1995 is just a bit too insipid and characterless for my liking.

Whisky #242 – Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M87 Single Malt

September 19, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M87 Single Malt (bottle 220 / 348). Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $0 (won a sample in one of Dram Full Perth’s “Guess That Dram” competitions).

Colour: Deep amber.

Nose: Molasses, charcoal and faint hints of cigar box. A slight prickle from the alcohol.

Palate: Smooth, oily mouthfeel, quite thin on the palate. Toffee and tobacco notes dominate.

Finish: Surprising hint of peat in the fade.

Comments: Another great Limeburners offering. I’m really excited to be heading down to Albany next weekend to visit the guys at Great Southern Distillery and hopefully try a few more Limeburners expressions that I haven’t had before. They really are producing some top stuff down there.

When most people think of Australian whisky they understandably think of Tasmania and some of the fantastic malts being produced out of the Apple Isle. But if you’re looking to round out your Aussie whisky experience, cast your attention to Western Australia and have a crack at some Limeburners, they really are on the up in my opinion. It’s a different style to the Tasmanian malts, but it definitely works.

Whisky #241 – Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC10 Heavily Peated Single Malt

September 18, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC10 Heavily Peated Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at my mate Gordy’s place, $0 (Gordy asked for assistance finishing his whisky before he moved house. I was happy to oblige).

Colour: It’s like a dark Jesus Christ! Sorry, dropped my phone as I was typing that. It’s like a dark varnished timber floor.

Nose: Oh yes it’s heavily peated. Charcoal beef patties.

Palate: Big peat, but not a lot of smoke. Quite a dry mouthfeel. It’s got lots of flavour, but it’s not super intense.

Finish: Smooth briny peat. Quite a long finish, but as it’s not a super intense flavour bomb of peat it’s actually quite a gentle long fade.

Comments: Smoother than I was expecting. Not as meaty and intense as the “heavily peated” moniker had suggested, but still quite a lot of peat and quite tasty.

Whisky #240 – Nikka Taketsuru 21 Year Old Pure Malt Japanese Whisky

September 18, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Nikka Taketsuru 21 Year Old Pure Malt Japanese Whisky. Hokkaido, Japan. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at home, $35 (180mL bottle).

Colour: Toffee.

Nose: Cane, straw.

Palate: Toasted malt, vanilla, brown sugar. Oily mouthfeel. Great depth of flavour.

Finish: Long tingle around the lips and mouth. Sweetness gently fades, ends up being a dryish finish.

Comments: A very well-balanced whisky, great complexity and full of flavour. Delicious.

Whisky #239 – Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Blended Irish Whiskey

September 17, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Tullamore Dew 12 Year Old Blended Irish Whiskey. Tullamore County, Offaly, Ireland. ABV: 40.00%.

Colour: A bright lustrous gold.

Nose: Honied straw. Kryptonite for diabetic horses.

Palate: Thin; a little sweet yet creamy in flavour but not texture. Not thick & sweet like honey, but more like sugar syrup.

Finish: Short, a little dry.

Comments: A fairly run of the mill whiskey, I really didn’t have high expectations for this one – expectations which have not been exceeded, nor failed to be met.

Whisky #238 – Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey

September 17, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey. County Louth, Ireland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Bar de Halcyon, $11.

Colour: Straw yellow.

Nose: Leafy hay-like scents, a bit of sweetness too.

Palate: Earthy and peaty, without being as smokey as say some of your Islay peated whiskies. Oily mouthfeel, some soft honey flavours too.

Finish: Slightly sweet fade out, but it’s the peat that sits on the tongue for ages.

Comments: Apparently Ireland’s only peated malt, though I stand to be corrected on that point. Definitely a different beast to the Islay peat monsters, though there’s nothing here that really grabs me about the Connemara to make me want to have another.

Whisky #237 – Chivas Regal 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky

September 17, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Chivas Regal 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at my mate Ryan’s place, $0 (courtesy of the poker fund).

Colour: Pale gold, like the $50 notes I’m about to throw away in poker tonight.

Nose: Very soft aromas. Toasted cereal & oak feints.

Palate: Cigar box, straw, dried pineapple, sweet oak.

Finish: A gentle flavour fade, medium length. Much longer than I expect to last in this poker game.

Comments: Pleased to say my low expectations were exceeded with the Chivas 12. It surprisingly had more going on than I’d previously given it credit for, I expected it to be more one dimensional. Solid but certainly not spectacular, good value though. Personally if was to recommend a good value blend I’d prefer the Monkey Shoulder Batch 27 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky.

Whisky #236 – Bulleit 95 Straight Rye Whiskey

September 17, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Bulleit 95 Straight Rye Whiskey. Lawrenceburg, Indiana, United States. ABV: 45.00%. Tasted at Bobeche, $14.

Colour: Burnt caramel.

Nose: Honey and pine needles. And popcorn.

Palate: A smooth entry initially, then massive rye flavours. Mixed spice, a slight prickle on the palate.

Finish: A dry finish, medium length.

Comments: It’s decent, but it’s not the standout that I had read in some reviews. I guess it’s good value but it doesn’t set my world on fire.

Whisky #235 – Kilchoman Winter Release 2010 Single Malt

September 16, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Kilchoman Winter Release 2010 Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $16.

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Gentle smokey notes, like smelling a small grass fire from a distance.

Palate: Thin entry, toasted peat flavours abound.

Finish: Quite dry; briny smokey flavours in the fade. Medium to long finish.

Comments: Much lighter than your average Islay, it certainly tastes quite young. Not surprising given Kilchoman are still an emerging distillery and this was one of their earlier releases.

Whisky #234 – Adelphi Tobermory 18 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

September 16, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Adelphi Tobermory 18 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt. Isle of Mull, Scotland. ABV: 58.80%. Tasted at The Laneway Lounge, $32.

Colour: Deep burnt toffee.

Nose: Wow, rich sherry notes. Dried muscatelles, candied fruits. I could sniff this all day. Very smooth, not even a hint of alcohol fumes to suggest it could be something up around 58% ABV.

Palate: An explosion of flavour; creamy sherry notes dominate. Definitely mouth warming.

Finish: Long and strong. Quite dry, the heat tingles all around the palate; even the roof of my mouth went a bit tingly and numb. A salty, almost slightly bitter sensation in the fade.

Comments: I have no doubt that this would benefit from a drop or two of water to soften it and open up some flavours, however in the name of Whisky a Day’s rigorous research methodology I must refrain from water, ice or anything else so I can judge each whisky on its merits. It’s a fantastic drop, though for me the nose is certainly the standout – deliciously complex.

Whisky #233 – The Arran Moscatel De Setubal Wine Cask Single Malt

September 16, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Arran Moscatel De Setubal Wine Cask Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 55%. Tasted at home, $80 (bottle).

Colour: Deep, deep copper.

Nose: Intense. Oak, orange peel, butter and molasses.

Palate: Again some very complex and intense flavours. Absolutely delicious – rich fruit, primarily plums. Syrupy sweetness at the front of the palate, yet quickly outmanoeuvred by some intense spice and heat.

Finish: Very long; flavours and warmth keep building before eventually dropping away.

Comments: Wow. Cask strength, eight years in oak then 10 months extra maturation in barrels that had previously held Moscatel de Setubal Portugese dessert wine. Love it – another deliciously complex malt from Arran, the kind of whisky where you keep uncovering more layers with each sip.

Whisky #232 – Jack Daniels Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey

September 15, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Jack Daniels Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey. Tennessee, United States. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at my mate Ryan’s place – $0 (courtesy of the poker fund).

Colour: Browny amber.

Nose: Corn dominates, little else to note.

Palate: Not too smooth. A little peppery, aniseed and corn flavours too.

Finish: Short to medium length, much smoother to finish than when it first hit the palate.

Comments: It actually got better with some time in the glass, but overall it was quite average. Not horrible, but I wouldn’t recommend it.

Whisky #231: Hellyers Road Distillery Original Pinot Noir Finish Single Malt

September 14, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Hellyers Road Distillery Original Pinot Noir Finish Single Malt. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 46.20%. Tasted at Luxe Bar, $15.

Colour: Nightclub-influenced amber.

Nose: Quite light, some hay-like notes.

Palate: Grassy lemon sherbet.

Finish: Tobacco and straw notes, medium length, quite a dry mouthfeel.

Comments: I’d rate this one a little better than their other expressions I tasted in a Hellyers Road Tasting Flight recently. Though in my humble opinion, I have to say Hellyers Road is not quite in the same league when compared to the other Tasmanian distilleries like Lark and The Nant. Not bad though.

Whisky #230 – The Arran Malt Sleeping Warrior Single Malt

September 13, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Arran Malt Sleeping Warrior Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 54.9%. Tasted at home, $80 (bottle).

Colour: Deep copper.

Nose: Plenty of oak and some dry sherry notes.

Palate: Sherry abounds, but it’s not an overly sweet syrupy sherry taste. Oily warming mouthfeel, very rich intense flavours. Salted caramel and spice.

Finish: Dries quite quickly at the front of the palate, but the back of the palate there’s still some rich sherry flavours hanging out, just doing their thing. Long finish, gradual fade.

Comments: Collectively, the malts from Arran really have been one of the finds of the year for me. The Sleeping Warrior was vatted from a combination of whisky matured in ex sherry, bourbon and red wine casks. It’s probably not my favourite Arran I’ve had thus far, but geez it’s a top drop.