Lowlands Archives - Whisky a Day

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

September 8, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

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 #577: SMWS 50.108 Darkness of the edge of brown

July 20, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

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.

Whisky #566: 2006 Berry Bros. & Rudd Girvan 11 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Whisky

April 25, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

2006 Berry Bros. & Rudd Girvan 11 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Whisky. ABV: 56.6%. Lowlands, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $152 (bottle).

Well. This coronavirus fuckery has really disrupted life as we know it. Jobs and lives have been lost; as has a sense of purpose and structure of what we each previously knew as “normal”.

Whisky a Day has taken a recent hiatus to deal with some momentous personal events. Apologies.

For many during this time, whisky has been a rock and go-to as we seek to unwind and drift off and forget about things for a moment. I hope you’re all holding up ok through the corona chaos.

But enough of this heavy stuff, let’s bring some positivity back. Bring on the whisky!

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Whoa, a puff of smoke surprises. Most grain whiskies are silky and rarely smokey; this is certainly a different beast. Some faint biscuity notes too.

Palate: Dark chocolate with a super high cocoa percentage. It’s dusty and slightly bitter – like biting into a square of Lindt 90% Dark Chocolate. After you’ve had a shot of strong espresso. A smokey warmth and tingle on the front of the tongue, with creamier notes at the back of the palate.

Finish: Earthy notes and salty overcooked vegetables in the fade – think cabbages, leeks and roasted onion.

Comments: This Berry Bros. & Rudd Girvan was finished in an ex Laphroaig ex bourbon cask. This is not a peated whisky, but the dominance of the cask has really imparted soft smokey notes right through the nose, palate and finish.

Lowland whiskies, and many grain whiskies, are rarely peated…so it’s a whisky that certainly aims to surprise. It’s different – perhaps it could be a gateway whisky for those who are taking their first tentative steps into the whisky realm of smoke and peat? Ultimately for me though it’s not overly fulfilling, but I can see why others may get more enthused.

Whisky #557: Bladnoch Samsara Single Malt

September 20, 2019 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Bladnoch Samsara Single Malt. ABV: 46.7%. Lowlands, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $98 (bottle).

Aaaaand we’re back! After a bit of a break, Whisky a Day is back and kicking the feet up this Friday afternoon with a delicious Bladnoch Samsara to start the weekend.

Colour: Polished gold.

Nose: Creamy; fresh baked lemon cakes or pastries, like you’ve just walked into a patisserie.

Palate: Honey, lavender and bubblegum. Soft oak and a touch of pepper.

Finish: Sweetness of stewed strawberries and raspberry-flavoured boiled lollies; balanced out by a savouriness of oak, juicy beef jerky and a hint of leather.

Comments: A beautifully balanced dram; a perfect opener for the weekend and/or an evening of making a serious dent into the whisky collection.

Whisky #522: Bladnoch Adela 15 Year Old Single Malt

March 1, 2018 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Bladnoch Adela 15 Year Old Single Malt. Lowlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.7%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $16 (50mL sample from Casa de Vinos).

Colour: Jaded copper.

Nose: Sweet hay, creamed cheese and a touch of honey. It’s an incredibly light nose.

Palate: A surprising pepper hit to start, then freshly toasted brown bread, and a slight crisp orange candy in dark chocolate kind of flavour.

Finish: Chilli spice and a tingle on the tip of the tongue to fade.

Comments: For a Lowlands malt, this was unexpectedly spicy. The more whiskies I try, the more I appreciate those producers that go against the grain in terms of supposed terrior or regional style, or indeed push the boundaries in terms of production and maturation methods. This isn’t your stereotypical Lowlands whisky and that’s absolutely fine by me.

Whisky #437: Auchentoshan American Oak Single Malt

October 30, 2016 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

by Auchentoshan American Oak Single Malt. Lowlands, Scotland. ABV: 40%. Tasted with my mate Ryan at his place, $60 (bottle).

Colour: Golden sands.

Nose: Very light; oaky, honey on fresh white toast. A typical bourbon cask nose.

Palate: Thin yet creamy mouthfeel. Honey and soft hay-like notes.

Finish: Soft tangy pineapple and citrus notes. Short to medium finish, hints of oak.

Comments: It’s a light, summery dram – a real daytime, beachside sipper that drinks easily at a low 40% ABV. It’s not overly complex; pleasant without being spectacular. But when you’re on holidays sometimes you just want to relax and not think too deeply about anything, much less overanalyse the whisky in your glass. Just sit back, relax, take a sip and enjoy the view.

Whisky #412: Signatory 1997 Single Grain Collection North British 18 Year Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky

June 14, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Signatory 1997 Single Grain Collection North British 18 Year Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky. Lowlands, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $100 (bottle).

Colour: Faded apple juice.

Nose: Like walking through a forest on a crisp, cool morning. Geez that sounded a bit wanky. Fresh hay and sawn timber (ok, it’s not a national park), lemon peel, a hint of coconut.

Palate: Light, cool and savoury on the palate. Like biting into a water cracker with a finely balanced piece of cheese – you’re so focused on the texture at first that you’re not quite sure what flavours are dancing around on your tastebuds. Better have another sip…this time there are indeed water cracker notes, along with honey, creamy apricots and some residual husky cereal notes. There’s no malted barley in this, but if you’ve ever been on a distillery tour and been given a few grains of malted barley to bite into…this whisky shares some of those notes and sweetness.

Finish: Medium length, with some vanilla and toasted biscuits. A gentle salty fade with a lemon sherbet tang, a hint of liquorice too.

Comments: Grain whiskies are not uncommon, but single grain whiskies certainly are a much rarer beast. This is only the second single grain whisky I’ve tried, though this is the first one that I remember tasting as the Invergorden The Five – Rich & Extremely Rare Single Grain 47 Year Old Whisky that I once tried was the eighth whisky of a very large night out in Glasgow!

This one is from the North British Distillery just outside of Edinburgh, a grain distillery that produces whisky spirit destined to go into blends such as Johnnie Walker, Cutty Sark and The Famous Grouse. If the quality and complexity of this whisky is anything to go by, I hope North British bring out a few more single grain releases to introduce themselves to a much wider audience. Top stuff.

Whisky #359 – Pig’s Nose Blended Scotch Whisky

December 29, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

by Pig’s Nose Blended Scotch Whisky. Speyside, Lowlands & Islay, Scotland. ABV: 40%. Tasted at The Glenmore Hotel (Sydney), $9.50.

Colour: Slightly cloudy light gold.

Nose: Honey sweet straw notes.

Palate: Very thin; tastes like it’s been watered down. Faint cloves, herb & notes. Watery honey is the best way I could describe it.

Finish: Insipid, short, thin.

Comments: The label waxes lyrical about the whisky’s signature smoothness and how it’s “soft as a pig’s nose”. If this was a cut of meat it’s hardly a fine fillet or cutlet, rich and full flavoured – it’s more like all the lips and arseholes minced together to form some semblance of a sausage that when consumed seems to fill you up but leaves you quite unsatisfied and even a little unsure whether you’ve eaten real meat.

Whisky #253 – Berry’s Bladnoch 19 Year Old 1992 Single Malt

September 29, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Berry’s Bladnoch 19 Year Old 1992 Single Malt. Lowlands, Scotland. 46%. Tasted at Lafayette, $22.

Colour: Very pale lemon.

Nose: Floral, quite delicate. Citrus notes too – not like the outside of an orange peel, but more like the smell after you’ve peeled an orange or mandarin and you’re just left with the white pith.

Palate: Quite a soft entry, but then quickly builds with a bit of heat and pepper.

Finish: Long finish. Gradually dries and contorts itself on the palate as it fades, revealing lemon and pepper.

Comments: Bottled in 2011, having been aged for 19 years. Surprisingly complex for a Lowlands whisky. It’s very light yet complex, some great stuff going on here.

Whiskies #67-69: Whisky Live 2014 Masterclass with Nathan DeTienne

April 5, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Whisky Live 2014 Masterclass with Nathan DeTienne, Rydges Hotel, $40.

I had the privilege of attending one of the Whisky Live 2014 masterclasses run by one of the most knowledgable and passionate whisky fiends that I have met, Nathan DeTienne. For about 90 minutes Nathan not only shared his impressively vast whisky knowledge, but he also shared some special whiskies from his personal collection.

I tried not to make extensive notes for these tastings, I just wanted to soak up the info and enjoy the whisky. Or is that soak up the whisky and enjoy the info? In any case, apologies for the tasting notes below not being extensive enough to do these three fine whiskies justice.

As a side note, Nathan also has a whisky blog (Squidgy Ash the Whisky Fiend) that is definitely worth a look…it could even be the second best whisky blog in Perth! Just kidding mate 😉 Check it out here: http://squidgyashwhiskyfiend.blogspot.com.au

Whisky #67: Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 47.60%.

Colour: Golden.

Nose: Caramel, toffee.

Palate: Silky smooth entry, gentle sweetness.

Finish: Very light, like a snowflake melting in your mouth. Ok, rubbish attempt at humour there. I just wanted to enjoy this one, not too much to say. Despite the lightness, the flavours linger for quite some time. But not long enough…oh wait that’s because I enjoyed it so much I drank it rather quickly.

Whisky #68: Kavalan Podium Single Malt. Taiwan. ABV: 46.0%.

Colour: Copper.

Nose: Medicinal notes, slightly leathery. But not in a bad way.

Palate: Spice & heat builds gently; oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Fades to a soft oaky finish.

Comments: I had very low expectations of Kavalan. I mean, who has even heard of whisky from Taiwan?! Earlier this year I bought (but have yet to try) a 3 x 50mL tasting pack of different Kavalan expressions in the expectation that they would be prime contenders for the “Truly Awful” whisky category. Well let me tell you, if the Kavalan Podium is anything to go by, the other three expressions will most definitely NOT be entries in the “Truly Awful” category this year.

Whisky #69: Scotch Malt Whisky Society G10.3, 24 Year Old Single Malt. Independent bottling from Strathclyde Distillery, Lowlands, Scotland. ABV: 59.60%.

Colour: Dark straw.

Nose: Straw notes abound, plenty of wood too (and yes, I’m talking about the smell).

Palate: Bit of oak, creamy sweet flavours too.

Finish: Medium finish.

Comments: It’s my first ever taste of a SMWS bottling, seeing as I’ve just joined the Society I’m certain it won’t be the last! I believe it may also be the first Scottish grain whisky I’ve tasted. Certainly keen to try some more SMWS bottlings, this one was certainly intriguing and a drop that I firmly believe you need to have more than one dram to really get to know all its secrets.

Whisky #47: Auchentoshan Triple Distilled 12 Year Old Single Malt

March 6, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Auchentoshan Triple Distilled 12 Year Old Single Malt. Lowlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00% . Tasted at The Trustee, $12.

Colour: Plain old amber, no makeup. Not as dark as the Auchentoshan Three Wood (which obviously has spent considerable time in sherry casks).

Nose: Buttery toffee scents.

Palate: Smooth & oily.

Finish: Quite a thin, short finish.

Comments: A triple distilled Auchentoshan? How very Irish of you. Quite ok, nothing too out of the box to remark on – just a solid, smooth, middle of the road single malt. I definitely prefer the Auchentoshan Three Wood, which has a bit more depth and character than this entry-level dram.

Whisky #10: Auchentoshan Triple Wood Single Malt

February 19, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

by Auchentoshan Triple Wood Single Malt. Lowlands, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Luxe Bar.

Colour: Quite a dark coppery colour, almost like sherry. Perhaps unsurprising given it’s spent a third of it’s triple wooded life in ex sherry casks. Insightful observations there Todd.

Nose: Hints of cloves? Smells like it’s going to be quite strong alcohol-wise.

Palate: Extremely smooth entry, much smoother than expected. Shoots to the back of the mouth with tobacco & peppery notes.

Finish: Despite the flavour kick at the back of the mouth, leaves a slightly sweet taste at the front. Woody aftertaste lingers.

Comments: Much more pleasant to drink than yesterday’s Glendronach 12 yr sherry matured. Possibly assisted because it was served by a cute barmaid rather than some balding overweight guy called Kevin at the other bar yesterday. That’s probably not even his real name, but who cares. In spite of this, regular consumption of such a whisky would no doubt be inhibited by the name of the distillery which would be problematic to pronounce after a couple of drams of this rather nice drop.

Whisky #7: Glenkinchie 12 Year Old Single Malt

February 19, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Glenkinchie 12 Year Old Single Malt. Lowlands, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Sentinel Bar, $17.

Colour: Bright gold

Nose: Lemony scents. Can’t discern or describe any of the other notes (or at the very least I’m running out of patience to keep sniffing and just want to taste the damn thing!).

Palate: light woody flavours with a hint of sweetness.

Finish: Quite a dry finish, very mellow though.

Comments: Has hints of a much more mellow, immature Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or, but without the sweetness or body. Kinda like the less attractive, socially awkward little sister – definitely not your first preference on a night out, but after a few drinks you’re not exactly going to say ‘no’.