Whisky a Day

Whisky #469: Compass Box The Spice Tree Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

April 2, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Compass Box The Spice Tree Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $80 (bottle).

A Sunday afternoon study session with a dram in hand…so I can legitimately say that I’m “studying” whisky! Following on from Friday’s Adelphi Glenborrodale 8 Year Old Blended Malt, I thought I’d continue the theme with another blended malt – the Compass Box The Spice Tree Blended Malt.

Colour: Golden honey.

Nose: It’s fresh and zesty, light and a little bit sweet. Makes me think of a lemon tart with icing sugar dusted on top.

Palate: Soft pepper and honey. Freshly toasted white bread. A touch of cinnamon.

Finish: A salty orange tang and fresh oaky notes. Medium length.

Comments: I should study more often. This was a great drop! Cracking value too.

A vatting of Highland single malts (principally Clynelish), the focus of The Spice Tree is on the maturation. The original Spice Tree release ran into some dramas with the Scotch Whisky Association, who didn’t approve of Compass Box’s unconventional approach to the oak they had used in the casks it was matured in. In this remake, Compass Box has taken a bit of a mixed bag of casks, but geez it works. From the rear label: “Primary maturation in a mix of first-fill and refill American oak. Secondary maturation in new-headed casks made of heavy-toasted new French oak from 195 year-old Vosges forests.”

It’s hard to describe, but for me this one just drinks more like a single malt. The Adelphi Glenborrodale seemed to have a few different dimensions, almost a split personality – though each of those personalities were a pleasure to get to know as they revealed themselves. Whereas the Compass Box The Spice Tree seems to have all the malts pulling in the same direction, in harmony with one another.

Whisky #468: Adelphi Glenborrodale 8 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

March 31, 2017 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Adelphi Glenborrodale 8 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (Batch 1). Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $152 (bottle).

A blended malt with an age statement…something a little different here.

Colour: It’s like licking a toffee with your eyeballs.

Nose: Rich blackcurrant jellies, freshly baked Anzac biscuits, liquorice, and an unexpected hint of earthy peat.

Palate: Blackcurrants again, but this time it’s blackcurrant jam on freshly toasted bread. Chocolate tart, the kind with the crumbly chocolate biscuit on the outside and then chocolate ganache on the inside. Maybe topped with some honeycomb and raspberries.

Finish: Caramel, chewy toffees, and a cool smokey finish…like some smoked biltong. Medium length.

Comments: For this batch of 1,226 bottles, Adelphi have put together a vatting in an ex sherry butt containing plenty of 8-year-old first-fill sherry from Glenrothes. The remaining single malts that make up this vatting are reportedly 14 years old, with their distilleries of origin being from all around Scotland.

The Adelphi Glenborrodale has a lot more character than your typical blend, which is not surprising given it’s a blended malt (a blend of single malts) rather than your typical blended whisky containing a blend of both single malt and single grain whisky (which tend to be slightly more mild in both flavour and mouthfeel). Sweeping generalisations, but worth mentioning for those readers who haven’t come across a blended malt before.

It’s an interesting drop, one that makes you really sit up and try to work out what the hell those familiar flavours are that you’re tasting and smelling. Enjoyable and a little different to many typical run of the mill whiskies. Certainly an interesting addition to the bar at Whisky a Day HQ.

Whisky #467: Heartwood Calm Before the Storm

March 16, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Heartwood Calm Before the Storm. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 66.4%. Tasted at home, $285 (bottle).

Heartwood are one of the most innovative independent bottlers out there in the world of whisky. For the Heartwood Calm Before the Storm, they’ve sourced new make originated from Lark Distillery, matured it in a first fill Australian Oloroso sherry cask, and then had a load of fun placing it around Heartwood HQ in positions with the greatest temperature fluctuation. And what a creature they’ve created…

Colour: Glowing copper.

Nose: Fresh sultanas, golden syrup, blackcurrant jelly and cabernet paste. Geez that sounds a bit wanky, but damn it I could sniff this all day – it just keeps revealing more and more layers. Cigar box, burnt butter caramel and a slight nose prickle at the end to warn you that this dram packs a punch.

Palate: Intense honeycomb, raspberry sherbet and some dark chocolate. The sweet notes are balanced out by some amazing char-grilled steak flavours. A full mouthfeel, yet with a surprisingly gentle warmth given the 66.4%ABV.

Finish: Blackcurrant pastilles, sweet smokey beef jerky. A long, tantalising finish.

Comments: Stunning.

This is the drink you pour yourself when you get home after you’ve had a stressful, fucked off day at work and you need to have a balls-out whisky to get you out of your funk and make you feel alive. It’s like being kicked in the head by a stray boot of someone crowd-surfing at a gig – it’s a jolt to the system, it gives you a buzz, and yet you’ve got this crazy grin on your face from the energy of the moment. I’d had one of these days and was playing Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing in the Name” on the way home from work just to get some of the stress out. Having just received this Heartwood in the mail, I thought it fitting to crack it open. Lots of parallels…don’t stick to the script, be unconventional. Apt given the Heartwood approach to making whisky. In the words of Rage, fuck you I won’t do what you tell me! Instant calmness.

Hats off again to Heartwood, another amazing whisky.

Whisky #466: The Arran Robert Burns Single Malt

March 11, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Arran Robert Burns Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $75 (bottle).

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Much like the colour – soft, hay-like notes.

Palate: Quite thin on the palate with a dry mouthfeel. Gentle honey to start and then some bigger malty flavours.

Finish: Soft pepper and fresh white bread. Some faint flavours of sweet lemon and pineapple jellies in the fade.

Comments: A simple, no nonsense whisky. What you see (or taste) is what you get. It’s not overly complex, which is good if you’re trying to analyse it whilst being distracted…say by chatting to a cute girl on Tinder. Hi Kyla! 😉

It’s a little different to what we’ve come to expect from an Arran whisky – it doesn’t have a heap of the light, floral, tropical fruit flavours that many other Arran whiskies are known for. But it’s still a very pleasant, easy-drinking whisky all the same.

Whisky #465: Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom 9 Year Old Single Cask

March 8, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom 9 Year Old Single Cask. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.5%. Tasted at home, $229 (bottle).

Now this is a special drop. Fellow Sydneysider, Andrew Derbidge – Director & Cellarmaster of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Australia, and also the man behind one of my favourite whisky blogs, “Whisky & Wisdom” – personally selected this cask for a special Whisky & Wisdom bottling. The man has some damn fine tastebuds, this one is a cracker!

Colour: Boiling caramel.

Nose: Dried cranberries, sultanas and a freshly opened block of dark chocolate. Leather-bound books and rich mahogany…must resist the urge to quote Ron Burgundy…

Palate: The intensity of the flavours is amazing; it’s rich without being overpowering. Strawberries and raspberries – rich and syrupy with a bit of tartness. Rich, creamy toffee with chocolate biscuits. The alcohol isn’t too much either, more a gentle wave of heat that builds along with the berry and some toasted oak notes.

Finish: A gentle warmth that slowly fades, drying woody notes too. Front of the tongue gets most of the joy.

Comments: This really is the kind of whisky you pour yourself when you get home after a tough day, slump into a comfy leather chair and put on some music to drown out the world. Don’t even think of talking to me, this whisky is taking me places. It’s so well balanced, smoother than it’s 60.7% ABV would suggest, and eminently drinkable. Bucketloads of flavour and subtle power, it really is one of those whiskies that has the ability to make the mind drift off and unwind. Which also made it a challenge to review, as I was enjoying it so much and just wanted to drift away with each sip.

I won’t hesitate to say this is one of my top 10 whiskies I’ve ever had, hands down.

Andrew selected this cask at the Glenfarclas Distillery. It must have been a tough job to taste all those contenders, but he eventually settled upon a 1st-fill European oak sherry butt that was distilled in 2007 and bottled as a 9 year old cask strength single malt in January 2016. If you want to hear more about how Andrew decided on this particular cask, check out the Whisky & Wisdom page.

Whisky #464: Heartwood Devil May Care

March 4, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Heartwood Devil May Care. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 67.1%. Tasted at home, $70 (100mL bottle split from the International Beer Shop in Perth).

Colour: Disarmingly golden.

Nose: Rose water, strawberry marshmallows and raspberry tarts. Not too much of a nose prickle, despite the high ABV.

Palate: Sea salt, flame grilled steak notes too. Fresh raspberries – it’s got some berry notes, but quite tart. Like sucking on a lemon Fruit Tingle and feeling it buzz on the tip of your tongue.

Finish: Sweet smoked paprika and a touch of turmeric. Looooong fade, some meaty saltiness (think salty biltong) with the tastebuds getting all excited by the tingle of flavours and a satisfying warmth.

Comments: A real savoury beast in the finish. Unlike other recent Heartwood releases, where independent Tim Duckett has gone a little mad scientist (in the true Heartwood way) with all manner of blending and syrupisation (I made that word up) of the whisky, the Heartwood Devil May Care is a 14 year old single malt. Cask strength of course. And yes, I finished all 100mL in one sitting. It’s bloody delicious.

Heartwood whiskies truly are in a class of their own – in style, quality and innovative creation. Long may you continue to produce such gems, Mr H.

Whisky #463: GlenDronach 2003 Single Cask (Oak Barrel Exclusive) 12 Year Old Single Malt

February 28, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

GlenDronach 2003 Single Cask (Oak Barrel Exclusive) 12 Year Old Single Malt (Cask No. 3492). Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 53.8%. Tasted at home, $179 (bottle).

What. A. Day. Is it just me or does anybody else like to reward themselves by splurging on a good bottle of whisky when you’ve gotten something over the line? For me, today was one of those days.

When I’m not reviewing copious amounts of whisky for Whisky a Day, in my day job I lead a team of human factors consultants. Today was the delivery of a huge report for a client, the culmination of the last 7 months’ work. Suffice to say, putting the feet up and celebrating with a full-flavoured cask strength dram was definitely the best way to unwind!

Colour: Molten copper.

Nose: Like shoving your nose into a big handful of sultanas or muscatels. Big juicy dried fruit aromas with some dusty dark chocolate cocoa notes too. The 53.8% ABV gives you a slight tug of the old nostril hairs to give you a nudge to prepare your tastebuds for what’s to come.

Palate: That sugary/salty tang of blackcurrant pastilles. Salted caramel and vanilla – it really takes me back to my childhood. No, I wasn’t smashing whisky when I was in primary school, it just instantly reminded me of chewing on some jersey caramel lollies at my grandparents’ place.

Finish: Slightly salty, oaky tang with some gentle heat that lingers at the front of the mouth.

Comments: Hand selected for The Oak Barrel, my go-to independent bottle shop in Sydney. 12 years in an Oloroso sherry puncheon. What a dram it’s got everything. And do I feel relaxed? It’s so good I’ve now had three drams and I’m feeling very unwound! Highly recommended.

Whisky #462: High West American Prairie Bourbon

February 26, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

High West American Prairie Bourbon. Park City, Utah, United States. ABV: 46%. Tasted at NOLA Smokehouse and Bar, $16.

Colour: Like a fiery redhead.

Nose: Grassy with burnt butter notes.

Palate: Popcorn and salted caramel. Butter and sage.

Finish: A satisfying warmth as it slides down your chest. Rosewater and soft tangy orange peel. Very smooth, not too spicy.

Comments: Sweet and savoury, not your typical bourbon. It’s actually a blend of a couple of bourbons with different mash bills. A great pre-dinner sipping whiskey.

Whisky #461: BenRiach 15 Year Old Tawny Port Finish Single Malt

February 25, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

BenRiach 15 Year Old Tawny Port Finish Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $135 (bottle).

Heading out for a pre-dinner whisky, better warm up by having a whisky…

Colour: Polished copper.

Nose: Soft. Both in strength and aroma. Strawberry marshmallows; orange and poppyseed muffins.

Palate: Thin on the palate. Muted citrus notes – there’s candied orange and some dried orange peel. Sweet yet dry.

Finish: An oaky, salty tang in the fade.

Comments: Matured in ex bourbon barrels before being finished in tawny port hogsheads. It’s like the whisky is not quite sure what it wants to be – it’s a little sweet, yet salty too. It’s quite pleasant without scaling any tremendous heights. A perfectly acceptable warm-up dram!

Whisky #460: Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon

February 22, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon. Louisville, Kentucky, United States. ABV: 45.7%. Tasted at home, $27 (100mL bottle split).

One of my passions / hobbies apart from whisk(e)y is powerlifting. Today I received a new powerlifting belt in the mail, so I thought I’d have an American whiskey a go. What’s the connection? Whiskey and Deadlifts. The guy behind it, Chris Duffin, is a top powerlifting athlete and strength coach who deadlifts over 900lb/400kg! I’ve got a looooong way to go to get to that level.

He’s dedicated a heap of his training to exploring a theory that immediate effects of low-dose alcohol consumption can improve performance for the athlete. As I’ve got a powerlifting comp coming up in 12 weeks’ time, I figured I’d better get on board and give it a crack. Though given I train at 5:30am most mornings before work I might have to do my research on weekends only…

Colour: Runny caramel.

Nose: Pine needles, fresh sawdust, and sour raspberry sweets – those long, chewy sticks coated in sugar.

Palate: Liquorice, aniseed and fresh fennel. Dryish mouthfeel.

Finish: Fresh toast, caramelised brown sugar and oak. Front palate action mainly.

Comments: Do you even lift bro?? This one was interesting – a fresh nose, dryish palate, followed by a sweeter finish. Definitely not your stereotypical saccharine sweet bourbon. Something different, and it’s delicious.

Whisky #459: Glengoyne 12 Year Old Single Malt

February 19, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glengoyne 12 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $84 (bottle).

Colour: Hot like a sunrise, Rhonda.

Nose: A zesty nose prickle. Pineapple slices caramelising on a BBQ.

Palate: Like taking a bite into a lemon tart. It’s lemony, a bit sweet, with some biscuit notes.

Finish: Straw and malty notes; lemon frosting or lemon sherbet lollies. Quite a drying mouthfeel as it fades.

Comments: When life gives you lemons, have a Glengoyne 12 Year Old. It’s the dominant flavour, but done in so many ways and very subtle. It’s a great drop – fresh, zesty and very drinkable on a hot summer’s afternoon.

Whisky #458: Limeburners Directors Cut M118 Barrel Strength Single Malt

February 12, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Limeburners Directors Cut M118 Barrel Strength Single Malt (bottle 031 / 161). Great Southern Distilling Company. Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 61%. Tasted at home.

We’ve all had those lazy Sunday nights when you’re faced with life’s crucial decisions – should I cook the dinner I’d planned all afternoon, or should I pour myself another whisky and order in? Safe to say I won’t be winning any Masterchef awards this evening…

Colour: Dark varnished mahogany.

Nose: Molasses, caramelised balsamic, hot toffee cooking on the stovetop.

Palate: Golden syrup and buttery toast. Dried muscatels, raisins, and tart blueberries.

Finish: Liquorice, raspberry and oak on the front of the tongue. A slow, salted caramel fade.

Comments: Matured in an ex-bourbon barrel and finished in a very old 100 litre port cask. Another stunning drop from Limeburners. Probably more of a dessert whisky given the flavours, but when it’s this good I’ll drink it at almost any time of the day.

Suffice to say that I’m satisfied with my choice of whisky over cooking tonight!

Whisky #457: Bowmore Darkest 15 Year Old Single Malt

February 11, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Bowmore Darkest 15 Year Old Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $23 (100mL bottle split).

As you can see, I’m clearly a big fan of Bowmore…

Colour: Rusty and dirrrrty.

Nose: Dried muscatels and old varnished timber furniture. Like walking into your grandparents’ house. A bit more time in the glass and I’m getting Black Forest Cake – all rich chocolate and cherries.

Palate: It’s a smooth entry, then sweet rich salted caramel flavours – like sucking on a hard toffee. Dark chocolate and cocoa notes too. Not very peaty at all, which is a nice surprise.

Finish: Juicy rich fruit cake, then drying out in the fade with some more cocoa.

Comments: It’s been an absolute scorcher of a day here in Sydney today, eastern Australia has been going through a heatwave. Fan forced whisky is the only way tonight. It’s important to keep well hydrated in such extreme weather conditions…

It’s been so hot any drink in a glass has simply been evaporating. Particularly tasty drinks like this Bowmore Darkest. It’s a no nonsense whisky, packing plenty of flavour and a slightly different take on the typical Bowmore style for the entry level expressions. It would’ve been interesting if it was a slightly higher ABV and a bit more syrupy, but on a hot night like tonight it’s absolutely fine just as it is.

Whisky #456: Armorik Double Maturation Breton Single Malt

February 7, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Armorik Double Maturation Breton Single Malt. Lannion, Brittany, France. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $135 (bottle).

Colour: Brassy gold.

Nose: Faint candied oranges.

Palate: Creamy burnt butter and herbal notes, salty floral tones too (which sounds like a contradiction, but its the best way to describe it). Smooth entry, medium bodied, dry mouthfeel.

Finish: Freshly squeezed orange juice, a salty tang and some new oak, with the woody tones the last to fade. Medium length.

Comments: This was my first Armorik, so I’m unfamiliar with the course style. This was a NAS release, matured in locally sourced virgin Breton oak casks for three to four years, before spending a second three to four year maturation term in Oloroso sherry casks. I like the fact that some of the casks are sourced with oak from the same region (Brittany) as where the whisky is produced, there can’t be many distilleries that can boast that kind of terroir.

Overall, it’s quite pleasant but it doesn’t really push any boundaries. It’s dry (presumably from the initial maturation in virgin Breton oak casks), so don’t expect rich fruit cake flavours typical of other whiskies matured or finished in ex sherry casks. An interesting drop to have in the collection if you like having a range of unusual whiskies to share with friends who come to visit.

Whisky and Curry: Whisky #455 – Amrut Single Malt Single Cask Bottled for Dram Full & Beef Vindaloo

February 1, 2017 by Whisky a Day 4 Comments

Whisky and Curry: Whisky #455 – Amrut Single Malt Single Cask Bottled for Dram Full & Beef Vindaloo. Bangalore, India. ABV: 62.8%. Tasted at home, $140 (bottle).

India is one of the world’s largest whisky consumer markets. They bloody love the stuff. As we all know, the Indians are also quite fond of a curry. But do they drink their whisky with a curry? Wouldn’t the intense curry flavours, aromas and spiciness overpower any whisky? I’ve never tried whisky with curry before, but seeing as I cooked up a beef vindaloo curry and had a bottle of Indian whisky, Amrut Single Malt Single Cask Bottled for Dram Full) I thought I should give it a crack!

Colour: Brassy. Well, I guess turmeric would be more appropriate…

Nose: A strong nose prickle, hardly surprising for a cask strength whisky. Lots of spices, fresh lemon tarts, an old timber tea chest. With a bowl of hot curry sitting beside me it’s hard to get much more!

Palate: Citrus, butter and chilli. Maybe it’s the lingering heat of the curry? Taking a sip of whisky after a mouthful of curry seems to accentuate some brown sugar and raisin notes, though with plenty of earthy spice.

Finish: Having some whisky after the curry seems to bring back some of the heat from the curry. Topping up the glass after the curry is finished (purely for research purposes) reveals some sweeter meaty flavours – think char grilled steak – along with some dried candied orange.

Comments: I’ve enjoyed this Amrut immensely on its own, but haven’t had it with food before. My good mate Mahesh informs me that Indians have their whisky always pre or post food. I thought that curry might overpower the whisky, and in this instance it proved to be the case. Vindaloo is a spicy, full flavoured curry that really gives your tastebuds a smack. Perhaps a milder curry might pair well with some whiskies? Then again, maybe whisky and curry don’t really mix and we should stick to having whisky pre or post curry…after all, 1 billion people can’t be wrong.

Beef vindaloo prep

Whisky #454: Isle of Jura Diurachs’ Own 16 Year Old Single Malt

January 29, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Isle of Jura Diurachs’ Own 16 Year Old Single Malt. Isle of Jura, Scotland. ABV: 40%. Tasted at home, $120 (bottle).

Colour: Rich copper.

Nose: Burnt toffee, savoury cereal notes too.

Palate: There’s some dried fruit here, think dried apricots. Not overly sweet, which is a nice point of difference to a lot of other sherry-influenced drams. At first it seems a bit thin flavour-wise, but with a few more swigs it gives off a few more juicy, jammy flavours. Sultanas and cigars, some tobacco heat too.

Finish: Oak, brown sugar and white pepper. It’s quite a dry tannic finish, medium length.

Comments: Of its 16 years’ maturation, the first 14 years was in first fill American white oak Bourbon casks, with the final two years spend in ex-Amoroso oloroso sherry casks. It’s not overly sherry influenced, just a few dried fruit flavours balanced out by some oakiness.

At first I wasn’t a huge fan of this one – it was ok, but not really one I gravitated to. Coming home from a long day at work there was always some other more exciting bottle in the collection to choose from. I remember it being a little underwhelming and dismissed it due to the low ABV of 40%. Perhaps some time in the bottle neglected at the front of the whisky shelf has mellowed this one into the quiet achiever. One that’s easy to drink, has some interesting flavours without being overly complex or demanding too much of your attention. The kind of whisky you can pour at the end of a day when the last thing you feel like is using your brain to think about anything other than kicking your feet up and relaxing.