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Whisky #553: Blend 285 Thai Whisky

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Blend 285 Thai Whisky. Bangkok, Thailand. ABV: 35%. Tasted poolside at the Hyatt Regency Phuket, ฿140 (approx. $6.25AUD) from a 7-Eleven for a 345mL bottle.

Whisky a Day is on tour in Thailand for a short holiday, so it behooves me to try some of the local whisky. There isn’t much of a selection of genuine whisky, with many of the spirits being marketed as Thai “whisky” originating from molasses rather than grain (making them more like spiced rums).

Blend 285 Thai Whisky though is from the Red Bull Distillery (1988) Co., Ltd in Bangkok. It claims to be made through some “traditional blended Scotch whisky process”…presumably right up to the point where they’ve used spirit from outside of Scotland! According to their website, Blend 285 is a blend of malt whiskies from Scotland and “grain spirits”…origin unknown, but presumably distilled and/or bottled at the Red Bull Distillery here in Thailand. Another website described the blend also having “quality neutral spirits”.

Hmmm, initial impressions are not overly positive, but let’s not judge a leopard by its spotted cover. Brace yourself…there’s cheap Thai whisky to be tasted!

Colour: Bright amber.

Nose: Some pungent chemically alcohol fumes initially, slowly dissipating after a few minutes in the glass but always there. Underneath that layer there are some faint sawdust and freshly baked bread notes. Even after a while I find myself holding my breath a little as I take each sip.

Palate: Thin watery mouthfeel, a light honeyed notes that fade quickly to toasted cereals, woody flavours and tobacco leaves. Like chewing on an unlit cigar.

Finish: Somewhere halfway between salty and sour. Oak is the dominant flavour, medium length.

Comments: Blend 285 is best summed up by the classic quote from Blackadder – “it started badly, it tailed off a little in the middle and the less said about the end the better — but apart from that it was excellent.”

You can’t expect too much from a bottle picked up at a 7-Eleven store for only ฿140, but sadly it falls into the Whisky a Day “truly awful” category. The stunning sunset where I’m drinking it is the only redeeming feature of this dram.

At 35% ABV, some purists would argue that it isn’t really whisky given it has been bottled below 40%. In a hot climate like Thailand though it feels ok if you’re drinking it neat; however I’d recommend grabbing a beer instead if you want refreshment on a hot and humid day.

If it’s whisky you’re after, I suggest lashing out a bit more and picking up something from a more recognised whisky producer.

Whisky #552: White Walker By Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky

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White Walker By Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky. Scotland. ABV: 41.7%. Tasted in a very non-wintery locale poolside in the sweltering heat of Phuket, ฿1700 (approx. $75AUD) for a 750mL bottle.

Winter is here…

Coinciding with the final season of the wildly popular Game of Thrones TV show comes this unashamed marketing claptrap from Johnnie Walker and Diageo. But how does it stand up as a whisky?

Yet again the burden falls upon Whisky a Day’s shoulders to step forth beyond the wall, taste another whisky and pass on my musings. In the words of Tyrion Lannister, “that’s what I do – I drink and I know things”.

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Soft lemon sponge cake and creamed honey.

Palate: Grassy hay-like notes bouncing off melted butter and soft caramel flavours. Honey and black pepper. A surprisingly fuller body than other Johnnie Walker whiskies or other blended whiskies.

Finish: A pleasing but unusually long finish for your average Johnnie Walker. A sweet, creamy and oaky tang lingers, like you’ve been sucking on the stick of a banana flavoured Paddle Pop ice cream for just a bit too long.

Comments: A clever play on words as a marketing gimmick to capitalise on the Game of Thrones phenomenon? Absolutely. As a whisky though? Surprisingly decent and much bolder in flavour and body than your typical Johnnie Walkers.

The label declares the heart of the White Walker to be single malts from Cardhu and Clynelish. Without knowing the rest of the vatting, I suspect that there might be a lower proportion of grain whisky that’s gone into this blend as it has plenty of oomph flavour-wise, especially at only 41.7% ABV.

When so many other whiskies proudly proclaim to be non-chill filtered, some might say it’s a bold move for a whisky to declare on the back of the bottle that not only is it chill filtered, but “best served cold directly from the freezer”. It’s like the marketing department at Diageo have decided “bugger it, no use hiding the fact our juice is chill filtered, so given the White Walker connotations let’s really own that label!”

The label on the bottle even reveals the surprise text “WINTER IS HERE” when the bottle is put in the freezer.

With the White Walker, there’s no “red wedding” sense of betrayal at a behemoth of a commercial brand like Johnnie Walker having sold out and compromised their product by slapping a Game of Thrones marketing badge on the bottle. It’s a genuinely decent drop, though for flavour reasons I preferred to drink mine at room temperature.

Whisky #551: Ballantine’s Finest Blended Scotch Whisky

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Ballantine’s Finest Blended Scotch Whisky. Scotland. ABV: 40%. Tasted at Sun Shine Bar, Phi Phi Island, Thailand. ฿230 (approx. $10AUD). 

Whisky a Day is on tour for a couple of weeks away…Thailand is an amazing country, but not if you’re searching for a decent whisky.

Overpriced blends seem to dominate the limited selection at most bars. But if the whisky list is your biggest gripe when you’re sitting at a beachside bar on a tropical island with the water lapping at your feet, then life really isn’t too bad!

Colour: Dull gold. 

Nose: Honey flavoured boiled lollies with a few malty, almost Weet-Bix notes. And a surprising nose prickle for a whisky at only 40% ABV.

Palate: A thin mouthfeel. There’s a hint of honey and vanilla at the start, that quickly fades to the disappointment of boiled over-cooked vegetables (think carrots and cauliflower) and some generic oaky notes.

Finish: Slight salty tang and lemony straw flavours, but it’s a short and ultimately unsatisfying finish.

Comments: This is not a whisky made for drinking neat, but in the name of whisky research we must persevere! Like walking through a South-East Asian night market, you know before you start that it’s ultimately going to be an underwhelming experience sipping this without a mixer. 

Drinking a whisky like Ballantine’s Finest on a hot beach makes you feel like you need to add a dash of soda water and slowly fan yourself with a hat and say “Oooh the heat, the heat” while you watch the sunset.

Whisky #538: Johnnie Walker XR 21 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherJohnnie Walker XR 21 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Scotland. ABV: 40%.

Colour: Dark honey…or ranga royalty?

Nose: Burnt butter, toffee. With more time in the glass, blackcurrant Soothers throat lozenges, liquorice and soft old oaky casks. My whisky tasting lieutenants Dan and Kiwi (aka ranga royalty) picked up some berries and creme brûlée.

Palate: A cool, thin mouthfeel; salted caramel and buttery fresh pastry flavours. Our good mate Benooch (while not a whisky man, but normally inhales absolutely anything alcoholic) described it as like an alcohol wipe over the tongue, but after a few more sips and time in the glass found it softened on his palate with each sip.

Finish: Quite a short finish. Buttery burnt orange with a brown sugar finish.

Comments: The nose is the star here, a real chameleon. Thin on the palate, but surprisingly exceeded my expectations. Much more flavour intensity than I’d expected. There’s a bit of something for all palates in this one – it’s the type of whisky you can have in a group of friends who are all at different stages of their whisky journeys. A great all-rounder.

Kiwi (aka ranga royalty) assessing the colour of the Johnnie Walker XR 21 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky.

Whisky #532: Nikka Date Blended Japanese Whisky

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherNikka Date Blended Japanese Whisky. Sendai, Japan. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Tokyo Bird, $24.

Colour: Bright golden toffee.

Nose: Like ripping open a fresh pack of teriyaki beef jerky…though maybe that’s also because I’m sat in a fantastic izakaya bar here in Sydney (Tokyo Bird) with plenty of tasty morsels being grilled in the kitchen. A bit of time in the glass gives off some tropical fruit and lemon marshmallows.

Palate: Fresh oak forward. Lightly toasted bread with a hint of honey. Pepper and cloves later.

Finish: Cane, sugar cane, charcoal, charred meat. A salty, woody tang to finish.

Comments: The Nikka Date (pronounced “dah-teh”)  is a blend of malt and grain whiskies distilled through the Coffey stills at Nikka’s Miyagikyo distillery. It’s got much more character than most blends, a bit of punch that belies it’s lowish  43% ABV.

It has got layers upon layers, and in that respect it’s quite similar in character to the Nikka Coffey Malt that I reviewed quite early on in the Whisky a Day journey back at Whisky #245. It’s not seamless and tends to jump around with the flavours a little, but with time in the glass it’s like the whisky decides that it’s time to peel back another of the seven veils to reveal something new.

Whisky #527: Nomad Outland Blended Whisky

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherNomad Outland Blended Whisky. Scotland/Spain. ABV: 41.3%. Tasted at Balcon by Tapavino, $13.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition…and not many people expect a Spanish whisky. Or is it a Spanish whisky? Let’s find out!

Colour: Topaz.

Nose: Light; caramel melting on the stovetop.

Palate: Moscatels, quince paste, blueberries. Dry and short on the palate.

Finish: Dry with a sultana & chocolate orange finish.

Comments: So it’s not a Scottish whisky as it was not fully matured in Scotland. It wasn’t distilled in Spain, so you couldn’t really call it a Spanish whisky either. So what the hell is it?!

The marketing blurb tells us it is a blend of over 30 different malt and grain whiskies from Scottish distilleries in the Speyside and Highlands regions. The blend was matured in Scotland in sherry casks for 3 years – so far nothing extraordinary. However it was then transported to Jerez in Spain where it was “finished” in fresh Pedro Ximinez casks. Different casks, but also a vastly different climate which will affect the way in which the whisky matured and “breathes” through the cask.

Verdict? It’s a pleasant enough curiosity without reaching any great heights.

It’s encouraging to see producers pushing the envelope in terms of established norms. It’s not claiming to be a Scottish whisky (and would be in breach of Scottish Whisky Regulations if they tried to label, package or advertise it as such). But it’s not really a Spanish whisky either. Let’s just call it “whisky” and get on with enjoying it.

Whiskies #480-483: Japanese Whisky Showdown

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherWhiskies #480-483: Japanese Whisky Showdown.

I love it when friends travel overseas and bring back a bucketload of booze. My good friends Adam and Maria recently trekked to Japan and kindly shared this haul when I visited them on the weekend. Given it’s often a challenge to get Adam to shout his mates a drink at the best of times, this was an offer I wasn’t going to pass up!

Whisky #480: Suntory Yamazaki Distillery Single Malt Whisky No. 323317. Japan. ABV: 40%.

Colour: Pale straw, light amber.

Nose: Oaky, cane wicker. Sharp, not sweet or creamy.

Palate: Initial impression is that it’s much sweeter than the nose suggests. A very thin mouthfeel on the palate. Sweet and lemony, the mid-palate gets the joy – like a bullet shooting down the centre of your tongue.

Finish: Very short and crisp; not mouth coating. A slight citrus tang as it fades.

Comments: Maria thought it was an entry level whisky, which given they’ve just come back from tasting some amazing whiskies at the Yamazaki distillery and at bars all over Japan (e.g. Hibiki 30 Year Old), it’s hardly a surprise that this one doesn’t quite excite. For Adam, after a few sips it was growing on him, “I could sit here and have half a dozen of them.”

 

Whisky #481: Suntory Hibiki Japanese Harmony Master’s Select Blended Japanese Whisky. Japan. ABV: 43%.

Colour: Pale caramel.

Nose: Hokey pokey ice cream.

Palate: Earthy caramel. Buttery toffee; a rich caramel that keeps building in intensity.

Finish: Honey on toast.

Comments: For me, this was a refreshing step up in flavour and sweetness. Nothing too outrageous going on here, just a dangerously drinkable pretty straightforward whisky with plenty of flavour but not much punch.

 

Whisky #482: The Nikka 12 Year Old Blended Whisky. Japan. ABV: 43%.

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: Roasted figs and panna cotta.

Palate: Sesame seed honey crisps. A bigger mouthfeel than the Hibiki. Adam comments that “it’s a bit sweeter, feels more solid.”

Finish: Slightly leathery, salty notes that emerge as the sweetness fades. Delicious, great balance too. Medium to long finish, blackcurrant lolly flavours – like a blackcurrant Soothers’ lozenge but without the menthol.

Comments: This was a step up again, a little more nuanced than the Hibiki. There’s a lot more going on here flavour-wise for you to sit back and enjoy.

 

Whisky #483: Kirin Fuji-Sanroku Tarujuku 50 Blended Japanese Whisky. Japan. ABV: 50%.

Colour: Dark amber; “an amber mist” according to Adam. Maybe his eyesight is just a bit foggy after the fourth whisky…

Nose: Adam picks up some vanilla cheesecake aromas – now he’s starting to get the hang of this whisky tasting caper! Well done mate.  For me, it’s like opening a packet of Allen’s strawberries & cream lollies.

Palate: Caramel popcorn. Rich, oaty sweet notes – think brown sugar dissolved on a hot bowl of porridge.

Finish: A gentle, rich brown sugary fade. Chocolate biscuits as it fades.

Comments: For some, the prospect of a 50% ABV whisky can be a bit daunting – will it burn my throat? Will it be like accidentally having too much wasabi? Will I be able to taste anything? In the case of this drop, the Kirin Fuji-Sanroku Tarujuku 50 does none of these. It’s rich, syrupy and luscious – and definitely the standout whisky of this Japanese whisky showdown.

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

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherCompass 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

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherAdelphi 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 #462: High West American Prairie Bourbon

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherHigh 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 #429: Johnnie Walker Double Black Blended Scotch Whisky

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherimg_7968.jpgJohnnie Walker Double Black Blended Scotch Whisky. Edinburgh, Scotland. ABV: 40%. Tasted at home, $55 (bottle).

Peat Week, Day 3. Why should the single malts get all the peat? The Johnnie Walker Double Black is a blend with plenty of peat.

Colour: Light copper.

Nose: A little uninspiring; it’s a very light nose.  A hint of smoke and some sweet oaky notes, but you’ve really got to work hard to get many aromas.

Palate: Exceedingly smooth entry, an oily mouthfeel yet quite thin on the palate. Soft smoke and creamy woody notes – a bit like sucking on a ice cream stick after you’ve finished the ice cream.

Finish: Butter menthols and a gentle smokey fade, medium length.

Comments: Contrary to popular misconception, the Double Black is not merely the next step up in class from the Black Label in the Johnnie Walker range. While it is built upon a similar base to the Johnnie Walker Black Label, the Double Black adds peated Scottish west coast and island whiskies, some aged in casks that were deeply charred.

I found it to be a very lightly peated and somewhat lightly flavoured dram, yet very easy to drink. The kind of whisky you could drink and enjoy on auto-pilot when you get home from work. Perhaps not unsurprising for a blended whisky at 40% ABV and priced so keenly at $55 /bottle.

But in that respect it does have a place in your whisky collection. If you’re on a tight budget or are taking your first few tentative steps in exploring peated whisky, this is a good way to dip your toe in the water. Ditto if you want a cheap quaffing whisky for midweek drams, or for those friends who come around and you don’t want to pour a dram of your $300/bottle Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 6.3 Cask Strength Single Malt. Overall, a respectable whisky to have on hand, but certainly not one to race out and have at all costs.

Peat Week! 7 Days of Peated Whisky

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherimg_7936.jpgIt’s Peat Week here at Whisky a Day! 7 days of peated whisky.

It’s been a rainy Sunday here in Sydney, one of those long lazy afternoons that you just don’t want to finish. Not because it’s been a particularly spectacular day, but mainly because it’s been a relaxing day that is soon to be cut short by the notion of heading back to work again tomorrow morning!

So with the last vestiges of cool weather lingering, I thought it the perfect excuse to have a peated dram. Which led me to think – bugger it, why not have a whole week of peated whisky? Exploring a few different styles of peated whisky?

To a lot of people, peated whisky equates to whisky from the island of Islay in Scotland. While there are many fine examples of peated whisky from Islay, I thought it would be interesting to also explore a few peated whiskies produced in other regions around Scotland as well as a little further afield.

So here’s this week’s lineup…

Some Australian whisky to start as we explore the peated range from Limeburners. Closely followed by the recently released (and much anticipated) Lagavulin 8 Year Old to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Lagavulin distillery. The Johnnie Walker Double Black then gets a call-up, highlighting that it’s not just single malts that get all the peat. Moving across to Speyside where we’ll dabble in some Glenrothes, followed by zipping back west to the Isle of Skye to sample the Talisker Storm. Then it’s back to the home of peaty whisky – Islay – for the Bowmore 18 Year Old, before finishing off the week in style with a very rare Port Ellen 30 Year Old bottled by Douglas Laing.

So strap in your tastebuds, slip into those comfy slippers and turn off the fire alarms…it could get a little smokey in here this week.

Whisky #405: Suntory Crest 12 Year Old Blended Whisky

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherimg_6570.jpgSuntory Crest 12 Year Old Blended Whisky. Osaka, Japan. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Tokyo Bird, $22.

Colour: My good mate Damo (his dram with the ball of ice) described it as topaz. When asked if he would say a lustrous, sparkling topaz, his response was “Only if you blow bubbles in it.”

Nose: Buttery; caramelised figs, some creamy sherry notes. Very soft and velvety.

Palate: Burnt caramel, quite meaty. Savoury almost but counterbalanced with sweetness, like caramelised onions cooked on the BBQ with balsamic. Smooth entry, medium bodied.

Finish: A drying finish with gentle spice and cinnamon sugar; a long, slow gradual fade.

Comments: It’s Suntory time, and I like it! A lot more depth of character than other blends, particularly some Japanese blends. I’d be keen to get my hands on a bottle of this to add to the collection. It was my first time checking out Tokyo Bird in Surry Hills, very impressed with their range of Japanese whisky.

I’ll leave you with this gem, a Suntory Crest ad from 1992. If a whisky gets Sean Connery’s tick of approval, it must be decent…or perhaps the marketing budget had deep pockets. He doesn’t say a word, just a cock of the left eyebrow and a knowing head nod to your Doberman are all that’s required to indicate your enjoyment apparently. Gold.

Rebuilding a Whisky Collection – The $1000 Challenge

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The Whisky a Day collection that survived the move interstate

The Whisky a Day collection that survived the move interstate

Welcome back whisky fiends! After an extended hiatus, Whisky a Day is back.  As some readers may recall, I recently moved interstate from Perth to Sydney having left the bulk of my whisky collection behind to some very grateful friends. In the long drive across Australia, I could only bring a small selection of some of my favourite bottles stashed on the back seat of my car. Starting a new job and moving into a new place to live have all meant the formal whisky tasting has by necessity taken a back seat. Of course the regular informal tasting of whisky has continued unabated…

Now that I’m settled in my new apartment, I got thinking about how to rebuild my whisky collection. What should I choose? How much should I budget for? I decided to set myself a list of criteria that covers most bases in terms of whisky styles and regions to create a well-rounded collection.

The kicker: They all have to be whiskies that I have never tried before. Quite the challenge given how many whiskies I’ve tasted. At least this would ensure the selection was quite unique compared to your average whisky collection.

Budget: I thought $1000 would allow sufficient funds to grab both a variety of different whiskies and some quality or somewhat unusual whiskies. In saying that, I don’t want to blow my budget on say a $700 bottle of whisky and leave very little scope for selecting other whiskies to round out the collection. Like managing a football team trying to stay below the salary cap, you don’t want to put all your cash into a star player and not leave enough to ensure quality players in other positions.

Whisky styles / regions: Below is the criteria for whisky styles or regions that I felt my collection should cover. It would be impossible to cover every single country, region or style of whisky, but I felt the list below covered most bases and would allow me to establish a reasonably broad collection.

  • A Scottish whisky
  • Something Australian
  • An American whiskey
  • Something Asian
  • An Irish whiskey
  • A sherry matured whisky
  • A peaty / smokey whisky
  • A quaffable, go-to whisky
  • Something surprising
  • An independent bottling
  • A blended whisky
  • A cask strength whisky

With these criteria in mind, here’s what I’ve decided upon:

  • Zuidam Distillers Millstone 12 Year Old Sherry Cask Single Malt – $165. Thought I’d start off with something a little unusual. A Dutch whisky, which also ticks the sherry matured box. Awarded “World Whisky of the year” by Whisky Advocate Magazine in the USA 2013, as well as 95 points from Jim Murray in his 2015 Whisky Bible; this could be a decent drop.
  • Balcones Brimstone Texas Scrub Oak Smoked Corn Whiskey – $165. The American whiskey. It’s a smokey whiskey, but not peaty like many Scottish malts. In fact it’s a very unusual wood smoked whiskey made using sun-baked Texas scrub oak. I loved the Balcones True Blue 100 Proof Corn Whisky, so I cannot wait to try their Texas Scrub Oak Smoked Corn Whiskey. It promises to be quite the unique whisky I suspect.
  • 1996 Duncan Taylor NC2 Glentauchers 15 Year Old Single Malt – $100. The independent bottling and first Scottish malt. Light and delicate, the reviews I’ve read sound great. Plus I’ve not tried either a Duncan Taylor bottling or a Glentauchers whisky before. Coupled with the fact it seems decent value at $100 and this seemed like a solid choice and also quite a contrasting style to the previous two whiskies.
  • Strathisla 12 Year Old Single Malt – $80. This is my quaffable, go-to whisky. It’s a fruitful, balanced, yet mid-bodied whisky. Strathisla is also the distillery that comprises the base of Chivas Regal, which makes for an interesting anecdote when serving a whisky to guests at my housewarming party. I’m not going to serve them all $165/bottle whisky now am I? That’s why we all need a quaffable whisky in our collection which is also great drinking in its own right.
  • Glendalough 13 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey – $135. The Irish whiskey. A whiskey from a relatively young distillery, this one has received great reviews and sounds like a well balanced drop with plenty of layers.
  • Glengoyne Cask Strength Single Malt – $100. The cask strength whisky. I’ve been impressed with the Glengoynes I’ve tasted previously, so when I heard favourable comparisons between this and the Aberlour A’Bunadh – one of my favourite drams for a while now – I knew that this one had to be part of the selection.
  • New World Projects Port Double Cask Release #1 – $140. An Australian whisky from the producers of Starward whisky. A marriage of whisky matured in two Australian Tawny Port casks, one first fill and the other second fill.
  • Kavalan Single Malt Taiwanese Whisky – $100. This is the Asian whisky. I love Japanese whiskies, but I’ve had quite a lot of them and couldn’t find anything interesting that I’d yet to try and which fitted in my ever-dwindling budget. Kavalan was one of the revelations from my Whisky a Day project last year, with the Kavalan Solist Ex-Sherry Cask Strength Single Malt coming in my top four whiskies of 2014. On the back of this, I was keen to add another Kavalan single malt to the collection.
  • Heartwood ‘Any Port In a Storm’ Tasmanian Malt Whisky (30mL taster bottle) – $25. Down to the last $25 of my budget, and I’ve gone for this Heartwood. It ticks a lot of boxes – it’s an independent bottling, a blend, Australian, cask strength, and somewhat surprising. Heartwood have been producing some amazing whiskies lately and attracting rave reviews. And as a small taster bottle it brings me nicely up to my budget of $1000. I wish I had more room in the budget to get a full size bottle and have a more generous amount of blended whisky available, but as I’ve always been more about the quality of the dram and not too hung up on the single malt vs blend debate, I’m really not all that fussed.

TOTAL: $1000 (precisely!)

Full tasting notes for each of these whiskies will ensue in good course. What would you pick in your selection?

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The $1000 rebuilt collection…minus the Heartwood which is still on its way.

Rebuilding on a more modest $500 budget

I realise that not everyone has $1000 to drop on whisky, especially as some of the malts listed above are a little obscure and pricey. So what would I recommend for say $500, a whisky collection “starter kit”?

  • Monkey Shoulder Batch 27 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky: $46. A vatting of malts from Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie distilleries. Cracking value, in fact I think this is possible the best value for money whisky out there. A quaffable go-to whisky that I will happily drink all night.
  • Starward Single Malt Australian Whisky: $80. Another outstanding drop, this time from Australia. Along with the Monkey Shoulder this is fantastic bang for your buck, but stands on its own as a fantastic single malt. It drinks like a much more expensive whisky.
  • Ardbeg 10 Year Old Single Malt: $70. Ah, sweet peat. Ardbeg is one of the staples and one of my first Islay whiskies that I loved. For $70 you’re not going to get much cheaper, and it’s an excellent introduction to the Islay style.
  • Nikka From The Barrel: $70. A Japanese blend and one of my go-to Japanese whiskies. So smooth, great bottle design too.
  • 1993 Gordon & Macphail Scapa Single Malt (375mL bottle): $85. An interesting independent bottling from Gordon & Macphail, possibly the most prolific of all independent bottlers. Light yet with a tangy saltiness. You’re not going to get too many good independent bottlings cheaply, so this little one provides a decent starting point.
  • Basil Haydens Bourbon Whiskey: $70. A smooth bourbon without overpowering spice. A great introduction to the genre without breaking the bank or stepping up to something too intense (either in flavour or ABV).
  • Kavalan Solist Ex-Sherry Taiwanese Single Malt (196mL bottle): $66. On of my Top 4 whiskies from my Whisky a Day project in 2014. An intense sherry bomb; ruch, full mouthfeel with flavours that linger forever. Pick up at 196mL bottle at only $66, great buying.
  • Glendronach 18 Year Old Allardice Single Malt (30mL taster): $12. Not much left in the kitty, so with the remaining few coins I’d pick up a 30mL taster bottle of Glendronach 18 Year Old. Another quintessential sherry dram, 100% matured in ex sherry casks, unlike others that only have a period of time “finishing” in sherry casks.

TOTAL: $499

So there your have it. What criteria would you have when building a whisky collection? There’s never a single correct answer, but I found the debate and budget limitations forced me to explore and consider whiskies I’d never heard of before. Which can only be a good thing.

Slàinte!

Todd (aka Whisky a Day)

Whisky #377 – Bell’s Finest Old Blended Scotch Whisky

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherIMG_5384.JPGBell’s Finest Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at the City Park Motel & Apartments, Wagga Wagga (the town so good they had to name it twice). $0 – courtesy of my able road trip buddy Pete.

Colour: Dehydrated truckie’s piss. Bear with me, continuing the road trip theme…

Nose: Floral notes, a touch of fresh strawberry then a funny prickle in your nose as you pull away from the glass. Pete got a hint of oak & sultanas with an antiseptic kick at the end. 

Palate: Like licking a dried ice cream stick. Mixed spices with a very faint hint of vanilla. The mouthfeel is as dry as some 3 day old roadkill across the Nullarbor Plain.

Finish: Medium length, quite a drying finish with a dried oaky fade. Slightly bitter aftertaste for Pete. Bit of an alcohol burn as it passes down into your belly. The aftertaste is actually mildly pleasant, mixed spices.

Comments: I tried this one with Pete as we neared the end of a 12 day, 5500km road trip across Australia from Perth to Sydney. I’m really looking forward to starting a new job in Sydney next week, but I’m also looking forward to explore the Sydney whisky scene.

After such long days on the road, it’s been good to unwind with a dram, but unfortunately isolated roadhouses in the middle of Australia don’t have the best whisky selection. Luckily I brought a dozen of my favourite bottles with me for the ride!

Pete helpfully threw in this little bottle of Bell’s for a bit of a laugh to give us something interesting to taste & for me to review. It’s not a particularly complex whisky, but to be fair it’s probably not aiming to be a world beater. It’s surprisingly better than I had anticipated. Like a roadhouse motel in the middle of Australia, you’re thankful for the comfort it provides but you don’t have high expectations. Perfectly quaffable, but I’m not about to rush out and buy a bottle.

Whisky #372 – Cadenhead Creations 20 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherIMG_5046Cadenhead Creations 20 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at The Salopian Inn (McLaren Vale, South Australia), $18.

Colour: Burnt caramel.

Nose: Creamy toffee, with a very faint alcohol tickle of the nostrils.

Palate: Strawberries and cream, but not too sweet. Berry compote and honey on pancakes.

Finish: Medium length, mid palate finish.

Comments: Surprisingly not like your traditional sherry bomb, though it’s interesting in that it’s not too common to find a blended whisky that’s been aged in sherry casks. It’s a blend of grain whisky from Cameronbridge and Invergordon, and malts from Bruichladdich and Mortlach. Quite a unique drop, particularly being a 20 year old. Recommended.