Highlands Archives - Page 6 of 7

Whisky #157 – Dalwhinnie Distillers Edition Single Malt

July 17, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Dalwhinnie Distillers Edition Single Malt (distilled 1997, bottled 2013). Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at home, $116 (bottle).

Colour: Deep amber; much darker than the Dalwhinnie 15 year old. It’s not a huge surprise as for the Distillers Edition Dalwhinnie have finished it in some Oloroso Sherry casks, giving it the darker hue.

Nose: Not a strong nose, a little woody.

Palate: A little briny, very oaky too.

Finish: Leathery notes; a slight tingle at the front of the palate as the flavours subside. Very dry, almost a faint touch of smoke.

Comments: I was actually expecting there to be a lot more sweetness given the extra maturation it’s had in sherry casks. If I hadn’t known, I would probably not have guessed it for a sherry dram. I certainly prefer it to the Dalwhinnie 15 year old as it’s got a lot more depth of flavour, but overall I’m not hugely impressed. Certainly very drinkable though. I’d prefer to have one of these to start and then move onto another whisky that has a bit more complexity to offer.

Whisky #156 – Glenmorangie Astar Single Malt

July 16, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenmorangie Astar Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 57.10%. Tasted at The Aviary.

Colour: Pale gold, straw.

Nose: Slight oak, but very subtle. Not the sweetness of other Glenmorangie drams.

Palate: Salty apricot. Brett remarks that it’s a lot smoother than he first anticipated, yet it has a bit on his tongue. I’m not sure whether he’s talking about the whisky or the…

Finish: Quite dry, Dry dusty finish. A bit of spice and fire in the aftertaste, not as smooth as other Glenmorangies that I’ve come to love.

Comments: Bottled at the cask strength of 57.10%. Unmistakable Glenmorangie qualities, full flavoured and loads of spice.

Whisky #150 – McDonald’s Traditional Ben Nevis

July 11, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

McDonald’s Traditional Ben Nevis. Highlands, Scotland. Tasted at Helvetica, $26.

Colour: Bright copper.

Nose: Quite gentle. Soft smoke, hint of cherries.

Palate: Hint of peat smoke; orange peel, maybe a hint of cocoa – like the aftertaste of a really good high cocoa dark chocolate.

Finish: Medium finish; neither dry nor sweet – about midway on the spectrum.

Comments: Maccas has never tasted so good. I’m lovin’ it! (TM).

Seriously though, one thing I am really loving as part of the Whisky a Day project is exploring a lot of these independent bottlings. I’ve never tried a Ben Nevis whisky before (the distillery is actually owned by Nikka these days), but on the basis of trying this McDonald’s bottling I’m inclined to track some down and give it a taste, really quite liked this one.

Whisky #140 – Glenmorangie Extremely Rare 18 Year Old Single Malt

July 2, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Glenmorangie Extremely Rare 18 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at home, $120 (bottle).

Colour: A light golden hue.

Nose: Floral, sweet hay-like notes.

Palate: Silky smooth entry, oily mouthfeel. Oak and somewhat sweet fruity flavours. Less spice than other Glenmorangies.

Finish: Warmth gradually builds as the flavours start to fade. Medium-long finish.

Comments: A lot smoother than other Glenmorangie expressions, less oaky. I’ve always had a bottle of this kicking around in my collection for the past few years (needless to say, it’s not the same bottle – they don’t last that long!) and for good reason – I really like it. Great balance, both in terms of flavours and also heat. Absolutely no hesitation in ordering another bottle once this one is finished.

Whisky #138 – Glenmorangie Ealanta Private Edition Single Malt

July 2, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenmorangie Ealanta Private Edition Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home, $150 (bottle).

Colour: Deep lustrous golden bronze.

Nose: Lots of vanilla and oak. Hardly comes as a surprise given the Ealanta has spent 19 years maturing in virgin American oak barrels, but it is still a beautiful nose. Some chocolatey notes too.

Palate: Dryish earthy mouthfeel upon entry, but that is quickly forgotten as the flavour bomb explodes in your mouth. Toasted, spiced woody flavours, still a fair hit of vanilla but not as strong as in the nose. Creamy nutty flavours too.

Finish: The smooth oaky vanilla and spices just keep building, a long finish to really enjoy what is a fantastic dram.

Comments: In Jim Murray’s 2014 Whisky Bible, he rated the Glenmorangie Ealanta as World Whisky of the Year with a score of 97.5 out of 100. Needless to say, I was quite keen to taste it! Partly because of its reputation, but also because Glenmorangie would probably have to be my favourite distillery.

So did it live up to the hype? Yes and no. I love it and I’m very happy to have a bottle in my collection at home, especially sitting beside the Glenmorangie Companta which is also an amazing whisky. However for me, the Ealanta didn’t have that “wow” factor I was hoping for when trying the world’s best whisky, similar to the experience when tasting say the Glenrothes 1969 The MacPhail’s Collection. I guess when you’re judged the world’s best whisky it ensures that people have some pretty high expectations that may be a little hard to live up to. Nevertheless, highly recommended!

Whisky #137 – AnCnoc 12 Year Old Single Malt

July 1, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

AnCnoc 12 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at home, part of small whisky sampler pack ($37 for 4 x 50mL bottles).

Colour: Some days lately I feel like Scrooge McDuck describing the whisky’s colour…more fucking gold.

Nose: Fresh floral notes; a hint of smoke & medicinal feints.

Palate: Quite intense flavour-wise, soft toasted wood or charcoal, but not bitter.

Finish: Medium length flavour, pepper and warmth through the mouth, dry finish.

Comments: Nothing too memorable to report on this one, it’s quite ok but overall there’s nothing too special about it which would give cause to get excited about it.

Whisky #124 – Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky

June 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Speyside, Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.0%. Tasted at Andaluz, $23.

Colour: Bright orangey gold.

Nose: Hay, grassy notes. Maybe a bit like sniffing a fresh lemon.

Palate: Smooth cool entry, with a few short sweet honey notes. Dry mouthfeel.

Finish: Shortish finish, lemony grassy flavours. Like chewing a piece of grass you’ve picked up as you’re walking through a paddock. Not that wandering through a grassy paddock is the type of setting where you’d normally be enjoying a wee dram, but chewing a piece of grass leaves a similar taste in the mouth. Dry finish.

Comments: Meh. A touch overrated for mine, I don’t see what the fuss is about with the Royal Salute (granted, I haven’t tasted the other Royal Salute age expressions). Not enough character for my liking. Better value elsewhere.

Whisky #117 – Glenmorangie Companta Private Edition Single Malt

June 24, 2014 by Whisky a Day 4 Comments

Glenmorangie Companta Private Edition Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home – $195 (bottle).

Colour: Stunning deep bronze-amber hues.

Nose: Sweet muscatels, perfume, subtle oak – much more subtle than other Glenmorangie expressions.

Palate: Oily mouthfeel, quite woody. Smooth entry but the warmth and flavours develop and slowly resonate through your mouth, much like a double bass note that lingers in a concert hall after the rest of the orchestra has fallen silent. I know that sounds a bit wanky, but as an ex-musician that was the most appropriate analogy to describe what the whisky was doing in my mouth. Love it.

Finish: Spicy tart raspberries, bit of pepper. Medium-long finish in terms of flavour and warmth.

Comments: Each year Glenmorangie have a special ‘Private Edition’ release, last year’s was the award-winning Ealanta, which Jim Murray crowned as world whisky of the year. This year I was fortunate to get my hands on a bottle of the Companta. For this release, Glenmorangie have taken some of their regular 10 year ex-bourbon barrel maturation, before then placing it into a combination of ex French red wine barrels, 60% in Clos de Tart and 40% in Rasteau barriques.

From probably what is still my favourite distillery, I was really looking forward to cracking open this one. It certainly didn’t disappoint, although it’s not quite got the residual sweetness of say some sherry-matured drams that share a similar colour (e.g. the Glendronach Revival 15 year old) though that is to be expected given it was matured in ex red wine barrels. It’s a bit drier, but still packs loads of flavour. If you can find yourself a bottle somewhere (and they are hard to track down), get some – you won’t be disappointed!

Whisky #116 – Old Pulteney 12 Year Old Single Malt

June 24, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Old Pulteney 12 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at The Windsor Hotel, $13.

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Maybe a hint of peppery dried apple. Similar to the Glenlivet 12 year old.

Palate: Grassy, slight (plain) corn chip like flavour. Soft mouthfeel, yet quite dry. Peppery on the palate.

Finish: Short to medium length, no alcohol heat.

Comments: Inoffensive. The glassies at The Windsor tried to take it away twice before if even had my first sip, clearly they don’t serve whisky here too often! Either that or they don’t think too much of the Old Pulteney. As I did – it’s nothing special. Not a bad drop, just fairly middling.

Whiskies #106-115: Scotch Malt Whisky Society Autumn Tasting Extravaganza

June 23, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Autumn Tasting Extravaganza. Parmelia Hilton, $70.

I joined the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) at the start of the year for a few main reasons. Firstly, as another way to expand my whisky horizons and give me exposure to a range of unusual whiskies that I hadn’t heard much about (much less seen available to buy anywhere). A good way to really start to rack up the number of different malts that I knew I’d need to successfully complete the Whisky a Day challenge.

Secondly, I was intrigued by this mysterious “society” – would they have a secret handshake? Would it be a stuffy old man’s club where everyone stands around twirling their moustache and wearing a tweed jacket? As it turns out, no – they’re just a bunch of friendly folks who are really into their whisky. A huge range of ages and mix of guys and girls, everyone is really down to earth and passionate about tasting and talking about whisky.

Anyway, a crash course in the SMWS. They do their own bottlings, whereby they go to a distillery and choose a single cask from which they produce a limited run (e.g. ~200 bottles) of a unique malt. The whisky is given a numerical code, denoting the distillery and the individual cask. For example, whisky “96.7” below identifies it as being from distillery number 96, and it is the 7th single cask bottling the SMWS has released from this distillery. They’ve also got some quirky tasting notes on the label to describe the flavours and aromas that the SMWS tasting panel has come up with.

So onto the tastings. The standout favourite of the day for me was “121.65 – A Well-Oiled Baseball Glove”. As with my experience at Whisky Live 2014, I didn’t want to spend the whole evening furiously making tasting notes. Tasting 10 whiskies in all, I kept the notes to a minimum and simply enjoyed the experience. If you are intrigued and want to know more about a particular whisky you’ll just have to join the SMWS and try it for yourself!

96.7 – For a Sweet Tooth. 7 year old SMWS bottling from Glendronach Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.3%.

Very pale colour. Chewy toffee on the nose. Not as sweet as I was expecting given the description on the label. Warmth builds & slowly fills the mouth.

3.218 – Opening the Bonnet of a Classic Car. 13 year old SMWS bottling from Bowmore Distillery. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 55.8%.

Apple juice in colour. The nose is smokey, but subtler than other Islays. Palate is meaty with hint of sweetness, like a seared steak.

131.2 – Magic Carpet in a Sweetie Shop.

13 year old SMWS bottling from Hanyu Distillery. Chichibu, Japan. ABV: 55.1%.

Looks more like a port, beautiful colour. Initial scents reminded me of firecrackers, turns out it has a few hints of an Islay dram. Lots of spice, hint of smoke, quite full bodied, sweet notes abound. Medium length.

73.62 – Magical, Mellifluous Marvelosity.

24 year old SMWS bottling from Aultmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 57.8%.

Looks like a botrytis semillon in colour, the legs on the glass also give away the relatively high ABV. Heat & peat on the palate, warmth lingers.

28.24 – Curiouser and Curiouser.

23 year old SMWS bottling from Tullibardine Distillery. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 52.2%.

Pale gold. Musty. Like an old book. Bourbon like flavours, gentle. Smooth. Medium finish.

93.58 – A Manly Adventure.

14 year old SMWS bottling from Glen Scotia Distillery. Campbeltown, Scotland. ABV: 60.4%.

Crisp clear straw colour. The nose gives pork spit roast on an open fire. Band aids. Meaty, very chewy. Kind of whisky to put hairs on your chest. Smoke builds, lips tingle long after.

37.55 – Surprising Smoky and Savoury.

12 year old SMWS bottling from Cragganmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 56.6%.

Really pale straw. Surprisingly smokey for a Speyside – only then did I realise the SMWS name was “surprisingly smokey”.

121.65 – A Well-Oiled Baseball Glove.

14 year old SMWS bottling from Isle of Arran Distillery. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 58.3%.

Deep copper. Wow – like it. Muscat notes, it is leathery – the title of this one really is on the money. Like a salted caramel dessert – salty but a sweet aftertaste. Delicious – definitely my favourite dram of the day.

53.198 – Wasabi on a California Roll.

18 year old SMWS bottling from Caol Ila Distillery. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 59.1%.

Like opening a tin of smoked mussels or anchovies. Nice. Smokey, but almost a bit of a metallic aftertaste.

29.145 – Innocent Embrace of Sweetness and Smoke.

22 year old SMWS bottling from Laphroaig Distillery. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 45.3%.

Straw colour. One of the lightest Islays I’ve nosed in terms of smoke. Sweet almost cool smokey sensation on the tongue. Quite unusual, but nice.

Whisky #105 – Glenfarclas 105, 10 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

June 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenfarclas 105, 10 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 60.00%. $32 – Tasted at Malt Supper Club.

Colour: Bourbon-like bronze colour. I think (hard to tell in a dark bar).

Nose: Plenty of phenols, overpowering most flavours to be honest.

Palate: Big spice, lots of alcohol heat (to be expected from a cask strength though). Not much sweetness.

Finish: Long heat, long spice.

Comments: Ha, by sheer dumb luck whisky #105 is the Glenfarclas 105. Could not have planned that any better! Unfortunately it’s not as refined or tasty as I would expect for the price point. It’s called the Glenfarclas 105 as it’s 105 proof, as if they’re a wee bit proud of producing a whisky at such a strength. Ultimately, I think the alcohol is a little too dominating of the flavours here, definitely not the finest Glenfarclas I’ve tried before.

Whisky #91 – Cadenhead’s Dalmore 24 Year Old Single Malt

June 9, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Cadenhead’s Dalmore 24 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.60%. Tasted at Helvetica, $30.

Colour: A really pale gold, which really strikes you through the clear bottle.

Nose: Soft leather & toasted grains.

Palate: Subtle sweet honey flavours, like biting into a piece of hot buttered toast with honey on top.

Finish: Dry; gentle warmth that fills the mouth & hangs around for a while like eating a very mild chilli. Not saying it’s hot, just trying to describe the warmth. Toasted bread flavours linger on the palate too.

Comments: A lot more flavour intensity than I was expecting, especially as it’s matured for 24 years, was expecting it to be a lot softer and smoother. Not a bad thing mind you, I like my whisky more full flavoured. And with a hint of sweetness as this one does, it makes me a very happy man. Highly rated!

Whiskies #80-81 – Wemyss Malts: The Hive 12 Year Old Blended Malt & The Spice King 12 Year Old Blended Malt

June 5, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Wemyss Malts: The Hive 12 Year Old Blended Malt (ABV: 40.00%), Speyside, Scotland; & The Spice King 12 Year Old Blended Malt (ABV: 40.00%), Highlands, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky Live 2014.

Well I’ve made my way to the Wemyss blended whiskies now from Highlands and Speyside. I have to say after having the peaty whiskies from Isle of Jura, my palate is absolutely shot.

The Heemes, – sorry I mean the Wemyss (I can’t even speak properly now!) – The Wemyss ‘The Hive’ which is their Speyside blend – it’s called The Hive because it’s got honey-like tastes to it. Nup – I couldn’t tell it. Either I’ve had too many whiskies today, or my palate is goooooone after all the peat.

Similarly for ‘The Spice King’ which is the Highlands blend – it’s just not happening for me. The nose, the palate, everything is just gone – the palate…yeah nup. Nothing left in the tank folks, over and out.

I guess it just goes to show that if you’re heading to a whisky tasting event, you really need to plan out your whisky tasting strategy for the day. I think I did reasonably well on that front, with the Wemyss blends the only whiskies I would have preferred to have had at an earlier stage.

Whisky #63: Longmorn 16 Year Old Single Malt

March 25, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Longmorn 16 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 48.00%. Tasted at my mate Joel’s place, $125 (bottle).

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: A bit oaky, hints of different spices.

Palate: Toasted malty flavours. Plenty of spice, quite a bit of warmth.

Finish: Medium length finish with lingering spice.

Comments: Not as smooth as I remember, thought it might have had a slightly sweeter aftertaste. Nevertheless quite an enjoyable dram, plenty of complexity & flavours to discover.

Whisky #56: Benromach Sassicaia Wood Finish Single Malt

March 14, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Benromach Sassicaia Wood Finish Single Malt. Speyside, Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 45.00%. Tasted at Bar Lafayette, $17.

Colour: Golden caramel.

Nose: Quite light, a bit oaky, maybe some plums? Hard to tell.

Palate: Hints of cinnamon, bit of spice. Not a lot of depth though.

Finish: Quite short, front of the tongue.

Comments: Mellows the more you leave it. Maybe could have done with some more time in the barrel to develop some more flavours, only 7 years in total, the last 29 months of that in ex-Sassicaia wine casks.

Whisky #50: Dalmore 15 Year Old Single Malt

March 9, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Dalmore 15 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. The Terrace, $15.

Colour: Deep coppery colour.

Nose: Having been to the races today with a bunch of friends, as I attempt to dutifully undertake today’s whisky tasting there are jokes flying around asking me if this wins the best whisky contest “by a nose”. Not sure I agree.

Palate: Very light, gentle spice. Not as flavoursome as other sherry matured drams.

Finish: Smooth, reasonably short.

Comments: Towards the end of a relatively robust day’s imbibing, my creative writing skills have dried up. It’s the writer’s block equivalent of whisky dick. Certainly not helped by my friends trying to distract me in my whisky pursuit and attacking me with a couple of hobby horses which have been our faithful companions through the day. These fine steeds even wanted to get in on some of the Dalmore 15. You can lead a horse to whisky…

After these nags (the horses, not my friends) had French martinis at The Terrace, danced to Daryl Braithwaite then finished off with some fireball whisky…they can go out to pasture until next race day! Giddy up!

Our whisky tasting steeds