cask strength

Whisky #597: SMWS 44.143 Good Traditional Fare

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SMWS 44.143 Good Traditional Fare. 17 year old cask strength, single cask bottling from Craigellachie distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 57.0%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $260 (bottle).

Colour: Electric amber.

Nose: Initial nose prickle, then quickly giving away to caramelised balsamic, blueberries and sweet BBQ beef jerky.

Palate: Heavy, chewy and rich. Dried muscatels, smoked honey, rich raspberry jam and salted caramel macarons. Sweet cigar box & saxophone reed woody notes.

Finish: A drying finish, with a long-lingering warmth on the front half of the palate.

Comments: It’s a delightfully intense and chewy dram. A meaty and oily mouthfeel, but then a drying finish. The contrasting flavours and sensations perhaps reflect the double cask maturation, initially in an ex bourbon hogshead, then finished in 1st fill ex Olorosso sherry barrique. I can’t help but wonder if the bold, meaty, and oily flavours and mouthfeel are driven to a large extent by Craigellachie’s worm tub condensers, which are nowadays somewhat of an outlier compared to most distilleries with shell & tube condensers.

A definite departure from the typically grassier, lighter notes of Craigellachie’s original bottlings, but damn it’s a tasty drop. Worth every penny.

Whisky #594: SMWS 66.120 Bacon Butty

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SMWS 66.120 Bacon Butty. 11 year old cask strength, single cask bottling from Ardmore distillery. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 58.3%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $180 (bottle).

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Raspberries dusted with icing sugar. Sticky BBQ pork ribs, fresh sawdust and a hint of wood smoke.

Palate: Charred meat, caramel fudge and blueberries. Chargrilled lamb chops and rendered fat off a juicy sirloin steak.

Finish: A lingering wood smoke finish, as compared to the more medicinal and maritime peaty notes from Islay peated whiskies. A slight briney twist. Medium intensity but it lingers long in the front palate.

Comments: A bacon butty is a very British thing, not so common out here in Australia. But I can definitely see where the tasting committee was going with this and can almost imagine what one would taste like…as I’m not sure I’ve ever had the privilege of tasting one!

Whisky #591: SMWS 59.59 Spock’s Earwax

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SMWS 59.59 Spock’s Earwax. 10 year old cask strength, single cask bottling from Teaninich distillery. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 55.2%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $170 (bottle).

Colour: Electric gold.

Nose: A slight nose prickle; aromas of honey, freshly baked biscuits and pineapple chunks.

Palate: Pleasingly, it tastes nothing like wax (earwax, Spock’s earwax or any other kind). Spicy and somewhat dry mouthfeel, almost chalky. Dried orange slices, mandarins, cracked pepper and lemon zest.

Finish: Spicy; white pepper, Chinese five spice and a salty tang. Medium length.

Comments: It’s a deliciously different prickly citrus adventure.

Whisky #589: SMWS 46.72 Jungle Slippers

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SMWS 46.72 Jungle Slippers. 25 year old cask strength, single cask bottling from Glenlossie distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 53.8%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $399 (bottle).

Colour: Cool gold.

Nose: It’s a subtle nose, quite delicate. Lemon madeleines and caramelised pineapple cooked on the bbq.

Palate: Earthy and zesty. Gremolata, orange marmalade on hot buttered toast, and passionfruit pulp.

Finish: Soft cigar box, dark chocolate and vanilla sponge cake. Medium length, with a gentle salty warmth. A lemon sherbet fizz in the fade.

Comments: An outstanding drop, absolutely faultless. Multi faceted and utterly delicious, you could keep unpacking this one for ages but it’s probably best to not overthink it and just sit back, sip and enjoy.

Whisky #586: SMWS 82.32 Boozy Cherry Cake

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SMWS 82.32 Boozy Cherry Cake. 8 year old cask strength, single cask bottling from Glencadam Distillery. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 63.0%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $190 (bottle).

Colour: Deep golden honey.

Nose: A gentle nose prickle, then soft strawberry jam, stewed cherries and oak notes with a faint whiff of a cigar box (it’s been empty for a long time).

Palate: Juicy sultanas, blackcurrant pastilles and white pepper on the front palate. Glacé cherries and fruit cake flavours, but with a drying mouthfeel. It’s more panettone than moist Christmas cake.

Finish: Spicy and dry. A lingering warming buzz coats the mouth. Honey and chilli heat, nicely balanced though.

Comments: Christmas cake and spicy dry cigars…now that’s a combo I can get behind as we head into the festive season.

Whisky #585: Westward Whiskey Single Malt Rum Cask

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Westward Whiskey Single Malt Rum Cask. Oregon, USA. ABV: 62.5%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $135 (bottle).

Colour: Deep copper.

Nose: Fresh pine needles and juicy sweet raspberry chewy lollies. A hint of camphor and old timber boxes stuffed with blankets that you discover as a kid at your grandparents’ house.

Palate: Oak-forward but creamy sweetness. Like sucking a touch too long on an ice cream stick that’s still got a few remnants of sweet salted caramel ice cream on it. Bold alcohol-wise, but it’s not quite as big as you might expect a 62.5% ABV drop to be.

Finish: Like your first teenage rum hangover, this one hangs around for a long time. That delicious salty sweet balance keeps dancing across the tongue, with some caramelised pineapple rings cooked on the bbq to top off proceedings.

Comments: Fruity, creamy, salty and sweet…the flavours here pack a punch to back up the cask strength ABV hit. There’s nothing worse than a high strength drop that is all heat and doesn’t have the flavours to back it up. The Westward Whiskey Single Malt Rum Cask is a little bold and brash, but as an American single malt that’s probably quite fitting! A very decent drop.

Whisky #584: Rest & Be Thankful Fettercairn 2007 12 Year Old Single Malt

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Rest & Be Thankful Fettercairn 2007 12 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 57.2%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $215 (bottle).

A perfect daytime dram!

Colour: Pale midday sun.

Nose: Crisp. A gentle nose drying effect. Straw and soft earthy notes.

Palate: Cooked mash, sea salt flakes and crunchy toasted barley grains that you hoover down at most distillery tours.

Finish: Light but long, with a salty warming kick. Slightly sour wheat beer notes.

Comments: Refreshing to have a whisky that’s so malt-driven, rather than one that’s had the effort of the mashing and distillation completely overpowered by the influence of a dominant cask. Matured in an ex bourbon cask (which had surely been refilled before I’d guess) and bottled at cask strength, this is a delightful daytime sipper.

Whisky #583: SMWS 7.234 Appealing Apricot Jamboree

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SMWS 7.234 Appealing Apricot Jamboree. 8 year old cask strength single cask release from Longmorn Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 57.5%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $149 (bottle).

Colour: Glistening pale gold.

Nose: Gentle but layered. Lemon cream tarts, strawberry fairy floss and tropical fruit salad.

Palate: Creamy honeycomb cake, banana bread and smooshed slightly overripe bananas.

Finish: Pineapple jubes with a salty fade.

Comments: It’s not often that you get to drink a whisky with your photo on the bottle, but here we are. A special release for the Australian SMWS branch to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championships, with the photo in question being from the last edition of the champs. Whisky a Day was front & centre, but alas did not take home the chocolates.

Exceedingly easy to drink, the first bottle of this managed to mysteriously evaporate before it had been reviewed! Fresh, zesty and uplifting, this is a perfect springtime whisky.

Whisky #581: Bladnoch 2007 Cask Strength Created Exclusively for The Whisky Club

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Bladnoch 2007 Cask Strength Created Exclusively for The Whisky Club. Lowlands, Scotland. ABV: 54.8%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $135 (bottle).

Colour: Clear apple juice.

Nose: Vanilla sponge cake. Honey slathered on hot buttered fresh white toast. Dried apricots.

Palate: This whisky tastes like I’m going to need another one…Allen’s strawberries and cream lollies, fresh raspberry Danishes, croissants with strawberry jam and lashings of butter. Damn my sweet tooth!

Finish: Medium to long finish, the rich jam notes linger in the middle of your tongue whilst the warmth from the cask strength tingles dance around your mouth.

Comments: Distilled in 2007 and bottled 13 years later, this Bladnoch 2007 Cask Strength is delightful. Sourced from a combination of first-fill american oak ex-bourbon barrels and first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks, it is the latter’s influence that undoubtedly brought all those delicious jammy notes. Another outstanding release from Bladnoch.

Whisky #579: Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba

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Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba (Batch 003). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.4%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $135 (bottle).

Aberlour A’Bunadh has developed a bit of a cult following over the years from fans who love their sherry bombs large and cask strength. The Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba is a new twist on the theme, in that it has been matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks bourbon casks instead of Aberlour’s traditional sherry cask program.

Colour: Australian gold.

Nose: Honey and fresh rose petals.

Palate: Dessert for days. It’s got the caramelised charred sugars and cream of a creme brûlée, then freshly baked apple crumble. 

Finish: This is where it lets you know it’s cask strength and means business. Barley sugars and warm honey drizzled over pan-fried halloumi. Plenty of oaky tingle on the front of the tongue that keeps building.

Comments: Fans of the original Aberlour A’Bunadh will be intrigued to try it as a comparison, but for me while the Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba has its merits in isolation, it doesn’t quite have the same layered complexity of the original. It’s quite good, but not outstanding.

Whisky #578: Cadenhead Small Batch Knockdhu 11 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

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Cadenhead Small Batch Knockdhu 11 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 54.7%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $172 (bottle).

Colour: Very pale straw.

Nose: Delicate. Cinnamon tea cake and petrichor…raindrops on fresh concrete.

Palate: Toasted malt and oaky notes, along with pepper and tart raspberries.

Finish: Dried raspberries; tobacco leaves from the end of a freshly chopped cigar. Medium length finish with a briny aftertaste and tingle on the front of the tongue.

Comments: The Cadenhead Small Batch Knockdhu definitely doesn’t drink like a cask strength whisky. It’s very subtle, where it keeps you sipping as you catch a whisper of a flavour here, a whiff of an aroma there. Before you know it, it’s gone…both the glass and eventually too the bottle.

Whisky #577: SMWS 50.108 Darkness of the edge of brown

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Whisky #577: SMWS 50.108 Darkness of the edge of brown. 28 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Bladnoch Distillery. Lowlands, Scotland. ABV: 56.6%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $499 (bottle).

It’s been a while between drinks, but we’re back. FINALLY. I think we can all agree that the last 18 months has been (and continues to be) a rather unwelcome punch to the nuts. Covid has impacted us all in different ways, which is one of the reasons for my hiatus between reviews. Let’s get back into it!

Colour: Shimmering gold.

Nose: Moist lemon friand dusted with icing sugar. Maple bacon. Cigar boxes, saxophone reeds and dusty bookshelves. Time in the glass brings brown sugar melting atop a hot bowl of porridge.

Palate: Banana syrup, pineapple jubes. Honey drizzled on hot pan-fried halloumi.

Finish: The finish is so long and gentle, it’s actually got two finishes. Gentle black pepper and honey on the front of the palate for the initial finish; then a tangy, salty slightly woody twist for the second.

Comments: Absolutely sublime. This was 1 of only 95 bottles yielded from the single cask, so to have the privilege of enjoying such rare whisky is quite special.

It’s a very contemplative dram. I bought this special SMWS Bladnoch whisky last year as a present to myself to celebrate purchasing my first home. A month later, covid hit and like so many people I was out of a job. Farrrrrrk! Faced with a huge new mortgage and suddenly with no job during lockdown, I decided the only way forward was to grab life by the scruff of the neck. Within a week I had set up my own Human Factors consulting firm…and Distilled Consulting was born.

A bit over a year later, Distilled Consulting is going strong. Starting up a new business and making it through the first 12 months is always hard going – just ask any founder. To have started an exciting new Human Factors consultancy in the middle of a global pandemic and not just survived, but thrived – is something that I am incredibly proud of. Time for a well deserved Distilled beverage to celebrate!

Every sip of this whisky was not just a celebration of buying my own home, but it has reminded me of the struggle and satisfaction at overcoming adversity. It’s been a very special drop to me.

Whiskies #575 & #576: SMWS Strathisla Showdown

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Whisky #575: SMWS 58.30 Fresh and Invigorating. 8 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Strathisla Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.9%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $160 (bottle).

Two single cask, cask strength, whiskies from Strathisla, SMWS distillery number 58.

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: Lemon sponge cake and strawberry fairy floss. Freshly snapped grass strands and tennis balls. Surprisingly light on the alcohol at first, then a slight drying nose prickle.

Palate: Tangy grilled pineapple rings and zesty lemon sherbet lollies. Caramelised brown sugar notes too.

Finish: Huskier than a pack of sled dogs…malt husks and toasted grains abound.

 

Whisky #576: SMWS 58.33 Sweet and Juicy – Dry Finish. 11 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Strathisla Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.7%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $175 (bottle).

Colour: Almost identical to the other Strathisla above – bright gold.

Nose: Dried raspberries and maraschino cherries.

Palate: Like taking a bite into a fresh slice of Black Forest cake…chocolate, cherries, creamy moist mouthfeel.

Finish: A tangy salty combo to finish, with subtle herby notes. One of my go-to dishes to cook when I have a group of friends over is a fennel-encrusted pork belly…the finish to this is like you’ve taken a bite of that and you’ve got a mixture of the fennel infused salt flakes on your tongue and you crush them up to the roof of your mouth to dissolve…dammit I’m hungry now!

Overall comments: Two SMWS Strathisla whiskies, two quite different siblings. The SMWS 58.33 Sweet and Juicy – Dry Finish is a whisky of two halves; both satisfying in their own way but a little Jekyll and Hyde. The sweet creamy fruit-driven flavours to start that yield to delicious salty, savoury flavours in the finish.

The pick for me though is clearly the SMWS 58.30 Fresh and Invigorating, it’s just a little more connected as you experience the full tasting. A symphony that feels like each of the movements is connected and flows effortlessly from one to the next.

Whisky #571: SMWS 123.26 Blossom Falling Onto Sponge Cake

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherSMWS 123.26 Blossom Falling Onto Sponge Cake. 9 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Glengoyne Distillery. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 61.2%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $167 (bottle).

Following my last review of Whisky #570 Glengoyne The Legacy Series Chapter One Single Malt, I realised there were a few more Glengoyne bottles kicking around at Whisky a Day HQ. This one is an independent bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), enjoy.

Colour: Sparkling gold.

Nose: Creaming soda & candy canes.

Palate: There’s lots of sugary treats here. Soft Turkish delight jelly (the rosewater kind), whipped cream frosting atop a freshly baked vanilla sponge cake. Creamed honey that feels like it’s oozing it’s way across your taste buds.

Finish: Creamy oak & vanilla ice cream flavours, with a long gentle warmth that slowly fades…but unexpectedly fading first from the middle of the palate to eventually the tip of your tongue.

Comments: The SMWS tasting committee really nailed the name on this one! Stunningly easy to drink. A masterful expression of Glengoyne from the SMWS.

Whisky #568: SMWS 123.25 Joyful Impressions of Spring

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SMWS 123.25 Joyful Impressions of Spring. 9 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Glengoyne Distillery. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 62.1%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $175 (bottle).

Life is all about balance… 

Colour: Hazy gold.

Nose: It’s all freshly baked confected sweetness – popcorn, light creamy sponge cake fresh out of the oven, zesty lemon and banana Paddle Pop ice-cream. All whilst you’re walking through the Aussie bush and you get a whiff of some snapped lantana branches. 

Palate: Salty, sweet, creamy butter, the lemony zest of gremolata…this bounces around the mouth and ticks all the boxes. Full mouthfeel and absolutely nails the savoury/sweet balance.

Finish: A lingering prickle and warmth around the mouth, with a lemon sherbet kick at the end.

Comments: They say coronavirus isolation has led to people reassessing things and wanting more balance in life. At Whisky a Day we’d say this SMWS 123.25 Joyful Impressions of Spring from Glengoyne is perfectly…balanced!

Fresh and invigorating, it’s a fantastic drop. Highly recommended if you can get your hands on one of only 222 bottles that were produced.

Whisky #562: Edradour Straight From The Cask 10 Year Old Single Malt

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Edradour Straight From The Cask 10 Year Old Single Malt (Cask #160). ABV: 57.7%. Highlands, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $143 (500mL bottle).

The carnage continues during Whisky a Day bottle kill week, tonight it’s a cask strength Edradour that bites the dust!

Colour: Deep amber.

Nose: A slight prickle, sweetness and zing initially, like opening a packet of ground cinnamon. Slightly overripe strawberries and raspberries too.

Palate: Like biting into your grandma’s Christmas cake – glacé cherries, dried sultanas and raisins, rich and moist spongecake…delicious.

Finish: Sweet then a fade to a drying saltiness. The sherry tannins come through as the finish dries.

Comments: It’s a rich, robust and full mouthfeel, but without being too overpowering. It drinks a lot softer than you might expect for a 57.7%ABV cask strength whisky.

Drinking this is like having Christmas all year round. Fantastic balance for a cask strength whisky and a wall of flavour that sits perfectly on the palate. Outstanding.