Whisky a Day

Whisky and Seafood – Whisky #513 & Whisky #514…Glenfarclas, Arran, King Crab and Lobster

December 28, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Whisky and Seafood – Whisky #513 & Whisky #514…Glenfarclas, Arran, King Crab and Lobster.

Whisky and seafood, two of my great passions. I’ve enjoyed many whiskies, but I’ve not enjoyed reviewing too many more than today’s lineup.

Today’s seafood – fresh WA Rock Lobster and king crab legs from the Sydney Fish Market. The king crab legs are so tender, juicy and salty; while the rock lobster is firmer with very creamy flesh but a more subtle shellfish flavour.

Full-flavoured seafood deserves full-flavoured whisky. So let’s dive in to a couple of contrasting drams…a sherry influenced Glenfarclas and a creamy, tropical fruit malt from Arran.

Whisky #513: Glenfarclas 10 Year Old Single Malt Bottled at 50% Exclusively for The Whisky Club. ABV: 50.0%. $130 (bottle).

Colour: Deep caramel.

Nose: An initial nose prickle when you first pour it in the glass. After it settles there’s dried raisins and strawberry marshmallows.

Palate: Almost a bit tannic, like some red wine finished whiskies. Golden syrup and burnt butter with caramel.

Finish: Dry, spicy and a slightly briny aftertaste.

Seafood combination: The Glenfarclas is better with the king crab, which softens the tannins and accentuates the sweetness of the whisky. Brings out some fresh raspberry notes too.

Whisky #514: Arran The Bothy Quarter Cask Single Malt (Batch 2). Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 55.2%. $135 (bottle).

Colour: Bright orange gold.

Nose: Like sticking a pine needle up your nose – it’s fresh and green, tickles a little and makes you pull away initially before heading back for more. Fresh lemon, kafir lime leaves, BBQ’d pineapple slices, and top-notch vanilla ice cream. None of that generic reduced fat, bleached white bulshit you buy from a cheap supermarket – this is the full cream, full-flavoured stuff where you can see the real vanilla beans swirled through the real deal cream coloured frosty goodness.

Palate: Loads of caramelised pineapple, honey, vanilla, and soft fresh oak.

Finish: Creamy, oh so creamy. Zesty lemon sherbet. Fresh prawns on freshly baked white bread you’ve picked up from the bakery that morning. Lemon cheesecake with a crumbled ginger nut cookie pastry. Sweet ginger spiciness.

Seafood combination: With the lobster, the lemon sherbet and fresh oak shine through. The king crab brings brown sugar, buttery croissants and juicy pineapple to the fore.

Overall comments: As a whisky, the Arran The Bothy Quarter Cask leaves the Glenfarclas in the shade. Combined with seafood though and they both allow some flavours to be accentuated and others to emerge. But overall, the Arran The Bothy Quarter Cask is an amazing dram that marries stunningly with fresh seafood like king crab or lobster. Outstanding stuff.

Whisky #512: Twenty Third Street Distillery Hybrid Whisk(e)y

December 13, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Twenty Third Street Distillery Hybrid Whisk(e)y. Renmark, South Australia. ABV: 42.3%. $80 (bottle).

An unique proposition…one to scare off the purists? It’s a blend of imported Scotch whisky and American Bourbon that was then finished in some bourbon casks. Will it be a Frankenmonster or a bit of a surprise packet? Let’s find out…

Colour: Rich gold.

Nose: Grassy; freshly snapped lantana and pine needles. Quite fresh.

Palate: Quite light and sweet; delicate on the front of the palate. Honey and spice, with some black jelly beans on the tip of your tongue.

Finish: Short and sweet. Slightly overcooked Anzac biscuits and blueberry coulis.

Comments: A hybrid that wasn’t actually distilled at Twenty Third Street Distillery, but rather blended by the head distiller to create his perfect flavour profile. The distillery in its present incarnation was only founded in 2016, so at this stage they’re producing gin, vodka, brandy and this blended whisk(e)y using barrels of sourced elsewhere.

I came into this with intrigue (read: a healthy dose of scepticism), but was pleasantly surprised. Great value for money too. Light, bright and sweet, it’s the kind of whisky you’d pour to introduce a friend who has never tried whisky before. If Twenty Third Street Distillery can produce their own whisky in years to come with this flavour profile, I think they might do quite nicely.

Whisky #511: Laphroaig Select Single Malt

November 28, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Laphroaig Select Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 40%. Tasted at home, $13 (50mL miniature).

Life is all about balance…

Colour: Brass that needs a bit of a polish.

Nose: Sweet leathery peat, soft oak and a handful of malted barley.

Palate: You know how you see polar bears at zoos given an ice treat, usually a block of ice with some tasty morsel on the inside that will keep them occupied for a period of time? That’s what drinking the Laproaig Select is like. It feels a little watered down and frustrating to get to the heart of the matter. It has a stronger smokey peat than the nose; some grassy notes and smoked honey too.

Finish: Fresh woody notes and cool smoke; quite a long fade.

Comments: Created from whisky matured in a “selection” of different cask types typically used across the Laphroaig range (hence the name), the Laphroaig Select also throws a spanner amongst the pigeons by utilising some virgin American oak casks (the type bourbon has to be matured in). With this mind, I was expecting some more dominant oak and vanilla notes.

There’s enough flavourful hints to keep you interested but fuck me it’s frustrating to drink. The 40% ABV takes me back to my school days, reminds me of when you gone around to your best mate’s place and his mum’s poured you a glass of cordial and it’s been watered down much more than you’re used to. I like the flavour, just crank it up a few notches!

Whisky #510: Berry Bros. & Rudd 8 Year Old Ardmore 2008 Single Malt Small Batch for The Whisky Club

November 17, 2017 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Berry Bros. & Rudd 8 Year Old Ardmore 2008 Single Malt Small Batch for The Whisky Club. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.0%. Tasted at home, $135 (bottle).

Colour: Pale sandstone.

Nose: Blueberry tarts, fresh cream and sweet juicy lemon jellies. A soft, cool smoke hints at what’s to come.

Palate: Orange marmalade on hot buttered toast. Some creme brûlée that’s had a bit too long under the blow torch – it’s sweet and creamy, but there’s also some burnt sugar and smoke coming through too. It’s a light touch on the palate.

Finish: It’s like roasted marshmallows on a camp fire – smokey, creamy and a warm fuzzy feeling to finish. Medium length.

Comments: A small batch release comprising just 7 barrels, this 8 Year Old Ardmore 2008 was bottled for The Whisky Club in Australia. It has a smokey rather than botanical peat influence, one that starts soft and gradually builds as you make your way through each sip.

I reckon it’s the perfect Friday night whisky – the kind when you’re exhausted after a week at work, you’ve come home and put on some music before you crash on the couch with that first whisky in your hand.

A lighter style of whisky to start the night, but with enough variety of flavours to steer you in a number of directions for your next dram – do you want to go down the path of a Speyside fruit-driven whisky next? Or maybe the peat has tickled you in funny places and an Islay whisky with more oomph is what’s up next?

Either way, it’s a great appetiser for a quiet night of whisky to help you unwind from the working week.

Whisky #509: Glenfarclas Family Reserve £511.19s.0d Single Malt

November 13, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenfarclas Family Reserve £511.19s.0d Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43%.

£511.19s.0d. That’s how much John Grant – the first generation of what would become a whisky family dynasty – paid for the Glenfarclas distillery way back in June 1865. I wish I could set up a distillery these days for a tick over £500!

Colour: Glowing amber sunset.

Nose: Rose petals, dried raisins, creamy vanilla sponge cake and fresh pastries.

Palate: A mouthful of mixed dried fruits. Creamed honey, candied strawberries and almond biscotti. A cool, oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Drying; sherry and sultana notes, medium length.

Comments: This Glenfarclas Family Reserve was released to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the distillery. While this is far from my favourite Glenfarclas whisky (that honour goes to the Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom 9 Year Old Single Cask), it’s a damn fine example of the Glenfarclas house style.

Sitting here thinking about the long history of Glenfarclas, it makes you ponder about what legacy you’ll leave long after you’ve sipped your last dram. Having recently had a health scare (thankfully unrelated to drinking whisky!), it really has led me to contemplate a lot about what I’ve achieved in life so far and what I’ve yet to accomplish. Things can be taken away from us in an instant – I have some burning passions and drivers in life, there’s much more to do. Raising a glass here now is just the beginning.

Whisky #508: Limeburners Directors Cut M326 Cask Strength Single Malt

November 5, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Limeburners Directors Cut M326 Cask Strength Single Malt (bottle 114 / 199). Great Southern Distilling Company. Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 61%. Tasted at home.

It’s an unusually cold and rainy November afternoon in Sydney…some beef bourguignon is slowly simmering on the stove, time to bust out some peated sherry perfection from Limeburners in the form of their latest Directors Cut. Limeburners have recently picked up a swag of international awards, including Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2018 for their Darkest Winter release.

Like the Darkest Winter, this Limeburners Directors Cut has been smoked with peat sourced from the Valley of the Giants in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, not far from the distillery in Albany. It’s the only whisky in the world using this peat source which makes it quite a unique flavour.

Colour: Bright candied orange/gold.

Nose: Like walking through a damp forest or timber plantation where there’s fresh sawdust on the ground. Pine needles, hessian sacks and lemon sherbet hard boiled sweets.

Palate: It’s not your typical smokey peat at all – quite floral and herbaceous, with whipped cream and subtle liquorice notes.

Finish: A long satisfying tingle on the mid-palate; sweet smoke and creamy raspberry icing flavours too.

Comments: Matured in an ex-bourbon barrel and finished in an old Australian ex-Sherry cask, this is fresh, a touch musty but has some tantalising green woody notes.

When you’re reviewing a damn tasty cask strength whisky, it’s always a challenge to remember to make some tasting notes before you finish the whole bloody thing and have to pour another…and then it’s even harder to remember to make some tasting notes before…you get the picture.

I’ve re-filled my glass three times now, it’s that good.

Whisky #507: Blackadder Raw Cask Seven Year Old English Single Malt

November 1, 2017 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Blackadder Raw Cask Seven Year Old English Single Malt. Norfolk, England. ABV: 63.2%. Tasted at home, $202 (bottle).

Colour: Shiny hardwood timber floorboards.

Nose: Butter and caramelised brown sugar.

Palate: A powerful burst of flavour that shoots straight down the middle of your tongue. Mandarine peel, briny lemon notes, spiced mulled wine, sweet paprika.

Finish: Medium length, which is a touch surprising as for such a full-on whisky. Front palate gets most of the excitement. White pepper and dry oak.

Comments: Matured in a single Moscatel dessert wine cask that yielded just 251 bottles, decanted straight from the cask. The Blackadder Raw Cask expressions are pure to the no colouring, non-chill filtered approach…so much so that they don’t even filter out some of the sediment from the barrel, which you can see in the bottom of the bottle.

This is raw, this is pure; this will put hairs on your chest. It may even rip the hairs out of your nostrils and put them on your chest just for laughs. Certainly not refined and it’s not attempting to be – this is a whisky which will divide opinion, much like brutalist architecture. A new genre perhaps – a brutalist whisky.

Whisky #506: SMWS 39.114 So Many Colours in the Rainbow

October 13, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 39.114 So Many Colours in the Rainbow. 11 year old single cask single malt from Linkwood Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.0%. Tasted at home, $184 (bottle).

What a week…this is the 7th and final Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) whisky of the week. What a way to celebrate reaching the milestone of 500 whiskies here on Whisky a Day…7 days, 7 SMWS whiskies!

Colour: Pinkish gold.

Nose: Freshly peeled mandarine skins and blueberry muffins so fresh out of the oven they’re still warm.

Palate: Tangy raspberries, a fizzy sherbet sensation as the whisky dances around your mouth. Salty and slightly sour blueberry notes. An intriguing balance of sweet, salty and sour.

Finish: A rich, warm honey and lemon tea tingle all around the mouth. An exceptionally long and satisfying finish; some saltiness with oak and soft fruit jubes in the fade.

Comments: A whisky of contrasts. An intriguing nose. Flavours and aromas that make your mind explode with food analogies. A finish that goes on for days. All the things that epitomise a typical SMWS whisky and make them so unique.

I’ve been a very happy member of the SMWS for a few years now – I’m not a brand ambassador for them or get paid to spruik their wares. I’m simply a huge fan of their whiskies and ethos that I am happy to tell the world about it. Stunning whisky that is unique and always surprising.

If you like the sound of this one, be sure to check out the other SMWS single cask single malt from Linkwood Distillery we looked at earlier in the week – SMWS 39.118 Sweet Memories.

Whisky #505: SMWS 73.83 Anzac Biscuits & Cricket Bats

October 12, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 73.83 Anzac Biscuits & Cricket Bats. 15 year old single cask single malt from Aultmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 56.9%.

Chosen by the Australian Cellarmaster of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), Andrew Derbidge, this 15 year old single cask single malt was selected to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the SMWS Australian branch.

Colour: A glorious molten toffee.

Nose: Chocolate mouse, raspberry coulis, hardwood…imagine walking into a furniture store with lots of lacquered timber furniture.

Palate: Spicy; both in terms of a peppery heat and almost fragrant garam masala type flavours. Balanced out nicely with some rich, creamy caramel-like flavours. It’s almost like someone has cracked some black pepper over your creme brûlée, but to your surprise it actually works!

Finish: Long…with a drying, powdery mouthfeel. Tobacco, black pepper, red wine and tart berries.

Comments: Matured in a sherry cask, this is certainly a unique whisky, like all the SMWS whiskies to be fair. Much like that old saying…it’s unique, just like all the others. A whisky of contrasts, it see-saws across your tastebuds but seems to always come to rest and find balance.

Whisky #504: SMWS 66.86 Dancing Round the Campfire

October 11, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 66.86 Dancing Round the Campfire. Speyside, Scotland. 10 year old single cask single malt from Ardmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.7%. Tasted at home, $159 (bottle).

Let’s continue the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) week to celebrate Whisky a Day reaching whisky #500 by exploring another cask strength single cask whisky from Ardmore Distillery. We had a look at another SMWS Ardmore yesterday – the SMWS 66.75 David Faces Up to Goliath – so let’s see how this one compares.

Colour: Pale rose gold.

Nose: A real nose prickle. Like someone has given your nose hairs a decent tug. Pine needles, nori sheets and heavy smoke, a freshly opened packet of liquorice. But dominated by peat.

Palate: Explosive. Leather and woody notes melded together. Mouth coating smokiness, a slight buttery hint…which is only overpowered by the love in the room as I share this whisky with my two very good mates who I’ve just moved into a new apartment with & whom enjoy a good whisky.

Finish: Extremely long, salty sea and some faint salted caramel notes as the sweet smokiness subsides.

Comments: Not a whisky for the faint hearted, this is definitely more up-front and in your face than the SMWS 66.75 David Faces Up to Goliath Ardmore reviewed yesterday. If you’re introducing friends to the SMWS or to peaty whiskies, this is probably not the one, it could be a bit full on. But if you’re confident they can handle a full-throttle peat monster with a difference…let them loose on this beauty.

Whisky #503: SMWS 66.75 David Faces Up to Goliath

October 10, 2017 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

SMWS 66.75 David Faces Up to Goliath. 11 year old single cask single malt from Ardmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.3%. Tasted at home, $185 (bottle).

Colour: Faded gold.

Nose: Hessian sacks, fresh hay. Like walking into a horse stable. Sticks of liquorice too.

Palate: Like gnawing on BBQ lamb cutlets…meaty, smokey and with a hint of charcoal.

Finish: Smoked paprika and salty beef jerky, with a long fade.

Comments: One of the things I love about Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) whiskies is their quirky names and tasting notes on the bottle. The SMWS tasting committee absolutely nail it sometimes, and other times you’re left wondering if this might have been the tenth whisky they’d tasted that night as the descriptions get a little wilder.

Regardless of whether you pick up some, all or none of the official descriptors that appear on the label, it’s always an intriguing prelude to the inevitably amazing (and undoubtedly unique) whisky you’re about to taste.

I’ve yet to have a SMWS whisky I didn’t enjoy – some have been incredible, others have been merely fantastic. This one is no exception.

Whisky #502: SMWS 35.165 Variety, the Spice of Life

October 9, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 35.165 Variety, the Spice of Life. 13 year old single cask single malt from Glen Moray Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 52.9%.

Colour: Deep toffee.

Nose: Almost a bourbonish hint. Some sticky BBQ sauce, floral rose water, freshly hewn hardwood timber sawdust.

Palate: Such a soft, elegant mouthfeel. Oily, mouth-coating and full flavoured. Toffee apples, burnt butter, brown sugar, golden syrup, hot buttered toast…

Finish: Almost a touch of spiced rum in the finish, light peppery fade as the caramel flavours subside. A long, satisfying finish.

Comments: This drop has a bit of everything, it really is the spice of life. I’ve not previously had anything outstanding from Glen Moray, the drams I’ve had have always been a little too light. This drop however…I could sip this one all night. Amazing stuff.

Whisky #501: SMWS 39.118 Sweet Memories

October 8, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 39.118 Sweet Memories. 8 year old single cask single malt from Linkwood Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.5%. Tasted at home, $140 (bottle).

Let’s continue the celebrations for reaching 500 whiskies and delve into our second Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) bottling of the week…7 days, 7 SMWS whiskies!

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Tart lemon curd and freshly baked biscuits…so it’s basically a lemon tart. Pine cones and snapped lantana branches. A slight nose prickle right at the end as you really take it all in.

Palate: A richness that tingles on the front of the palate. Lemon Fruit Tingle lollies that you’ve left just fizzing on the tip of your tongue. Some creamy lemon meringue, spicy white pepper and a hint of vanilla.

Finish: A drying sensation, the whisky seems to evaporate off the front of your tongue. Fizzy creaming soda, lemon sherbet and a touch of liquorice, yet quite salty in the fade.

Comments: Fresh and zesty, this one really dances on the tongue and has a party all on its own. Bugger anything you’ve had to eat or drink before, for me the name Sweet Memories is a bit misleading – it’s not a dessert whisky, it’s the kind of whisky that interrupts the whole damn dinner party and starts dancing on the table to grab your attention.

Whisky #500: SMWS 76.126 Racy Lady Wearing Leather

October 7, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 76.126 Racy Lady Wearing Leather. 28 year old single cask single malt from Mortlach Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 57%.

A special whisky for a special milestone. 500 whiskies, damn! This dram was kindly provided courtesy of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s (SMWS) Australian Brand Ambassador, Matt Bailey, to celebrate reaching Whisky #500. Long time readers will know that I’ve been an active member and great fan of SMWS bottlings for a number of years now, so I thought why not stretch this Whisky #500 party out and have a whole week of SMWS whiskies!

So strap yourself in for the Racy Lady Wearing Leather, because she’s the first of 7 SMWS whiskies in 7 days…

Colour: Lustrous gold.

Nose: Earthy notes, dusty bookshelves and freshly baked chocolate brownies.

Palate: Imagine you’re eating a creme brûlée with a wooden spoon…sweet, creamy, a touch of burnt caramel, and some soft oaky notes. Savoury notes too when you have a few more sips; quince paste, caramelised balsamic onions cooked on the BBQ. Definitely a lot more subtle than you might expect from a 57% ABV whisky, both in terms of flavour and mouthfeel.

Finish: It’s quite a delicate and textual finish…the whisky almost caresses your tongue as it escapes down the back of your mouth. Almost like the racy lady is teasing you with a silk scarf that she draws gently across your face as she slinks off to a dark room, enticing you for more.

Comments: There’s a certain delicious irony in a seductive title like “Racy Lady Wearing Leather” coming from the Society’s “Old and Dignified” flavour profile! Though old and dignified she is. I enjoyed this one with Miles Davis’ classic “Kind of Blue” in the background, a fitting soundtrack for such a glorious whisky.

An outstanding whisky and certainly one worthy of the #500 milestone. Here’s to the next 500 whiskies, cheers!

Whisky #499: Tullibardine The Murray 2004 Cask Strength Single Malt

October 4, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Tullibardine The Murray 2004 Cask Strength Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 56.1%. Tasted at home, $130 (bottle).

Colour: A dull yellow gold.

Nose: Fresh hay, malty cereal notes and lemon zest.

Palate: The flavours envelope your palate, they consume your thoughts for a moment as the whisky drowns out the empty space in your mouth. Toasted malt, honey and woody notes (like when the doctor puts the wooden stick on your tongue and asks you to say “ahhhh”).

Finish: Fresh oak, washed rind cheese, wafer biscuits and raw honey…the kind that still has lumps of honeycomb. Quite dry, medium length.

Comments: A dram of reflection; at times direct and quite simple, yet it has this come hither aspect to it. Like flames of a fire licking warmth towards you, drawing you closer.

Whisky #498: Kilkerran 12 Year Old Single Malt

September 24, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Kilkerran 12 Year Old Single Malt. Campbeltown, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $99 (bottle).

Colour: A golden glow.

Nose: Like sticking your nose into a glass of creaming soda, some bubbles tickle your nostrils as you inhale some creamy, sweet aromas. A few soft, faint smokey notes too.

Palate: Sucking on a hard, buttery toffee. Freshly baked biscuits, the kind that are all buttery, still warm, soft and chewy as you take a bite, yet with the odd biscuit that has a touch of smokiness where the edge has been slightly overcooked. Ridiculously easy to sip.

Finish: The toffee cracks – creme brûlée, salted caramel, and an oaky smokiness on the tongue as the flavours slip away.

Comments: I’ve always said that it’s hard to be cheeky smart arse about a whisky you’re really enjoying. My somewhat serious tasting notes tell a story then.

When I first tried this Kilkerran 12, I wasn’t overly sold on it – there had been a lot of hype and expectation surrounding its release and I just couldn’t quite see what all the fuss was about. Fast forward a few months, and I’d almost finished the bottle – so I’d better review the damn thing! The surprising thing was how it really approaches you rather than the other way around – you’re reaching for a top-up because, a) with each sip you’re effortlessly sliding back like you’re reclining into a hammock, and b) it’s really damn tasty. Sweet, buttery and flavoursome, it really is almost food-like. Lots to enjoy here.