Whisky a Day

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.

Whisky #173 – Booker’s Bourbon Whiskey

July 23, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Booker’s Bourbon Whiskey (Batch C04-J-19). Kentucky, United States. ABV: 64.60%.

Colour: Deep varnished timber.

Nose: Burnt orange, toffee and vanilla. Not the big alcohol kick up the nostrils I was expecting for a drop at 64.6%.

Palate: Creamy, buttery; rich fruity flavours with lots of mixed spices and pepper. Velvety smooth, yet a little sour (in a good way).

Finish: Chewy, quite long, very subtle aniseed in the fade.

Comments: Probably the smoothest bourbon whiskey I’ve had this year. Really enjoyed this one, I’d be keen to try more cask strength bourbons if this one is anything to go by.

Whisky #172 – New World Whisky Distillery, Starward Single Malt Whisky

July 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

New World Whisky Distillery, Starward Single Malt. Essendon, Victoria, Australia. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at home, $72 (bottle).

Colour: Deep amber, like an amber ale. It looks a little like a sherry-matured whisky (even though it’s not).

Nose: Toffee; almost some very subtle stewed meat aromas too.

Palate: A big dose of mixed spice, pepper and tingle at the front of the mouth announces the entrance of a very complex and enjoyable dram. Syrupy dried fruit flavours abound too.

Finish: Some sweet meaty flavours to conclude, plenty of oak and residual heat too. Long delicious fade.

Comments: Who would have thought a whisky produced in suburban Melbourne, Australia, could be so complex and stunning? It’s the best concoction to come out of Essendon since the Bombers started dabbling in peptides! Amazing value, love to support our Australian producers too – do yourself a favour and grab a bottle. You won’t be disappointed, in fact you’ll be very pleasantly surprised!

Whisky #171 – Mackillop’s Choice 1986 Dalmore Cask Strength Single Malt

July 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Mackillop’s Choice 1986 Dalmore Cask Strength Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 55.9%. Tasted at Malt Supper Club, $38.

Colour: A nightclub-infused pale gold.

Nose: Subtle orange citrusy aromas. Quite subtle though.

Palate: Very silky and smooth on the palate. Soft woody notes.

Finish: Straw aftertaste. Quite dry, medium length.

Comments: Softer than I thought it would be, not because of the age statement but due to the ABV. I certainly had expectations it would have a lot more depth of flavour being a cask strength release. Quite nice, but probably not worth the price. Overall, it’s not as interesting or tasty as other releases from independent bottlers I’ve tried recently.

Whisky #170 – Kilchoman 100% Islay 2nd Edition Single Malt

July 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Kilchoman 100% Islay 2nd Edition Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 50.00%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $16.

Colour: Through the red lantern tinted glass, it’s pale gold. I think.

Nose: Much sweeter than I was expecting from an Islay, but also some smokey peat coming through. It’s a big nose, but not big as in the typical Islay smoky ash scents. Some subtle medicinal feints as well.

Palate: Big robust peatiness, charred woody flavours too. Quite meaty too.

Finish: A dry finish; long on the flavour, more of a typical Islay smokey finish.

Comments: At only 3 years old, this is a very young whisky. In fact, it’s the minimum length of maturation time before you can legally call it “whisky” in Britain. Despite this, it has an amazing depth of flavour, surprisingly complex.

Interestingly, the barley for this dram is both grown and malted by the distillery (which isn’t all that common), hence the tag “100% Islay”.

Whisky #169 – Super Nikka Vatted Pure Malt – Genshu

July 21, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Super Nikka Vatted Pure Malt – Genshu. Japan. ABV: 55.5%. Tasted at Canton Lounge – $0 courtesy of the house.

Colour: Red-lantern-affected gold.

Nose: Quite sweet; a bit like a freshly varnished timber floor.

Palate: Much bigger to taste than the nose suggests. Sweet woody notes.

Finish: Quite long; sweet pepper aftertaste. It’s almost like an Islay whisky but without the big ashy peat flavours.

Comments: Reminds me a bit of a Kilchoman; quite young and raw, full flavours but with only a hint of smoke. Much less than Kilcohman offerings though.

Whisky #168 – The Macallan Fine Oak 12 Year Old Single Malt

July 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Macallan Fine Oak 12 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at My Place Bar, $15.

Colour: Bright yellow gold.

Nose: It’s not a strong nose, a little hard to discern the qualities. Minimal alcohol feints. The nose reminded me a little of a decent white tequila, but then again maybe the My Place glassie just needs a bit more attention to detail when cleaning the glassware.

Palate: Quite thin on the palate, oily mouthfeel. Almonds, slight bitterness.

Finish: Some really delicate oak flavours develop in the fade. Short-medium length, mild warmth.

Comments: I definitely wouldn’t agree that this whisky’s “quality has hit the stratosphere” as Jim Murray describes it in his 2014 Whisky Bible, especially as it’s such a marked change since he last tasted it “earlier in the year” apparently. Hmmm, either this Macallan is inconsistently produced or old Jim has had a very dramatic change of heart…interesting.

Overall…meh. I’ve had blends with much more character and depth. It’s not a bad whisky, it’s just that for me there’s not terribly much to write home about here.

Whisky #167 – Laphroaig 10 Year Old Single Malt

July 21, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Laphroaig 10 Year Old Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at The Royal, $12.50.

Colour: Translucent yellow. Sounds a bit boring, but it’s not really gold, pale straw or any other shimmering hue – it’s just a yellowish colour.

Nose: Bam, lots of peat. Bit of camphor too, maybe some popcorn too. But not as strong with the alcohol feints as I remember from when I last tried it a year or so ago.

Palate: The peat obviously dominates, but it’s still a smooth smoky entry. Some charred meaty flavours, like a flame cooked steak.

Finish: Incredibly long smokey finish. Some dry vanilla & cocoa flavours in the fade.

Comments: Being almost half way through the year, I thought it would be appropriate to start choosing some of the malts more commonly available at your average bar. Up until now my strategy has been to select the more unusual whiskies at each bar, as it will be difficult to find more uncommon whiskies as the year progresses. I’ve also got the Australian Whisky Tasting Championship coming up in Sydney next month so I need to get some tasting practice done on the more common single malts!

Regardless of its availability, the Laphroaig 10 is a great drop, a fantastic example of the Islay style and a stock entry-level Islay single malt that wouldn’t look out of place of any whisky collection. If you’re looking to build a collection I wouldn’t say get this AND the Ardbeg 10 as they share similarities, but both are cracking value; very drinkable and both great examples of the Islay style.

Whisky #166 – 1993 Gordon & Macphail Scapa Single Malt

July 21, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

1993 Gordon & Macphail Scapa Single Malt. Orkney Islands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at home, $75 (350mL bottle).

Colour: Very pale straw.

Nose: Slight medicinal scents, hay-like aromas too.

Palate: Salty, earthy straw flavours. Quite a thin flavour profile, not a lot of depth. Flavours remind me a little of drinking a Ballantines and soda water.

Finish: Shortish finish, not much heat. It doesn’t fill the mouth with flavour or warmth, it’s quite fleeting.

Comments: Despite it being quite easy to drink, I was a little disappointed in this one to be honest. I’ve been enjoying some of the whiskies produced by independent bottlers, and I was particularly looking forward to trying something by Gordon & Macphail given their reputation. Overall, this one was a little uninspiring – apart from the straw scents and flavours, there wasn’t too much else to take out of this one. It didn’t have the peat or intense saltiness from other Scottish island whiskies, nor did it have much complexity.

Whisky #165 – SMWS 121.56 Mint Julep at the Races

July 21, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 121.56 Mint Julep at the Races. ABV: 58.5%. SMWS bottling from the Isle of Arran distillery. Isle of Arran, Scotland. Tasted at home, 100mL tasting bottle as part of SMWS new members’ welcome pack.

Colour: And they’re off in the big one! Pale straw colours are quick out of the gate…

Nose: Some sweet woody notes moving up through the pack now…

Palate: Rich full flavours making a strong charge as they head down the back straight. I can taste some creamy honeycomb maybe some dried apple. Buttery honey flavours as they round the final bend for the home stretch…

Finish: Warmth tingles on the front half of the tongue, strong finish with the flavours and tingle taking longer to finish than the nag I backed in last weekend in race 8 at Morphetville (otherwise known as the “Get Out of Jail Stakes”).

Comments: Apart from the honeycomb, I’m not getting much of the other stuff from the SMWS description on the label. I’ve not had a mint julep at the races, I’m usually knocking back a dozen beers trying to wash out the nasty taste of doing my dough backing another donkey who is still running around the track two days after the race has finished.

All in all, I really liked this one. Rich, creamy, full flavoured and a hint of sweetness – this is fast shaping up to be some of my favourite qualities in a whisky. At the recent SMWS tasting, one of my favourites was SMWS 121.65 A Well-Oiled Baseball Glove, which is actually from the same distillery as this dram – the SMWS distillery code “121” is for the Isle of Arran distillery. Based on this, I will definitely be looking out for more SMWS releases “121.xx”, I’m also keen to try some more Arran malts released directly by the distillery or by some independent bottlers. Highly recommended.

Whisky #164 – Glendronach Allardice 18 Year Old 100% Sherry Matured Single Malt

July 20, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Glendronach Allardice 18 Year Old 100% Sherry Matured Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home, $125 (bottle).

Colour: Deep almost purplish copper.

Nose: Dark fruity sweetness, caramel aromas too.

Palate: Toffee, vanilla, sweet woody flavours.

Finish: The chewy sweet caramel flavours gradually fade to a reasonably dry finish with a gentle tingle on the front of the tongue.

Comments: Glendronach are one of the few distilleries to have their single malts 100% matured in ex Sherry casks, with many sherry drams from other distilleries using ex bourbon barrels for the majority of the maturation before spending some time ‘finishing’ in Sherry barrels.

The Allardice is quite a bit woodier than I recall the Glendronach Revival 15 year old was, but they’re both great whiskies. Do I like it? Absolutely, it’s fantastic. Would I rate it above the Revival 15 year old? I don’t think so. The Revival really is superb, and while the Allardice is a great whisky, I’m not sure that the extra 3 years maturation has made it a step-change improvement that warrants the extra $25/bottle investment compared to the Revival.

Whisky #163 – Talisker 10 Year Old Single Malt

July 20, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Talisker 10 Year Old Single Malt. Isle of Skye, Scotland. ABV: 45.80%. Tasted at Lalla Rookh, $15.

Colour: Deep gold.

Nose: Lots of peat. Not as much spice as I remember.

Palate: Ah, there’s the fire and spice, but not quite as intense as I seemed to recall. Lots of peat on the palate, it dominates.

Finish: Mixed spices linger on the tip of the tongue, as does the tingle of some residual peat smoke & heat.

Comments: Talisker 10 has always been a reliable, go-to whisky for me. You know what you’re going to get every time, it’s great value and it’s a quality drop. I haven’t had one for a while as I’ve been busy sampling 162 other whiskies so far this year. It’s definitely not as complex a flavour profile as the Talisker Distiller’s Edition that I tasted a little while ago, but it’s still a good dram. For me it’s a much better offering than the Talisker Storm (which I have yet to review here on Whisky a Day), and it definitely would not be out of place were you to pick say a selection of half a dozen decent quality and value for money single malts to start your whisky selection.