port cask matured Archives

Whisky #478: Dry Fly Port Barrel Finish 3 Year Old Straight Wheat Whiskey

May 21, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Dry Fly Port Barrel Finish 3 Year Old Straight Wheat Whiskey. Spokane, Washington, United States. ABV: 45%. Tasted on Sydney Harbour, $115 (bottle).

Colour: Molten copper. Simply stunning colour.

Nose: Fresh, like walking through a forest and snapping a green tree branch. Toffee and dried raisin notes too.

Palate: Brown sugar on top of a hot bowl of porridge. A bit grassy too – like chewing on a fresh sprig of green grass.

Finish: Creme caramel with a drying biscuity finish. Short to medium length.

Comments: Sailing is one of my other passions, so after a stunning day racing on Sydney Harbour I thought it appropriate to celebrate our 2nd place result by cracking a whiskey that was produced from across the opposite side of the Pacific. Hailing from Washington state in the United States, Dry Fly are turning out some great straight wheat whiskies which I’ve only recently discovered. As is the Dry Fly ethos with sourcing ingredients, this expression is finished in locally sourced port barrels from Townshend Cellar Winery in Spokane, Washington. Surprising, a little bit different, but most definitely recommended. A dash of water makes it even more drinkable.

Cheers!

Whisky #470: The Arran Malt Port Cask Finish Single Malt

April 17, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Arran Malt Port Cask Finish Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 50%. Tasted at home, $99 (bottle).

Colour: Rose tinted copper. An awesome thing to admire, but we’re not here to stare at the damn whisky all night are we?

Nose: Orange jelly sweets. A few sweet woody notes…a hint of camphor, freshly varnished timber furniture.

Palate: Cherry chocolate, dark chocolate…maybe the Easter Bunny wasn’t too kind to me and I’m just craving more chocolate. Caramelised figs and soft oaky notes.

Finish: Some subtle fruity sweetness in the fade – think berry coulis; strawberries and cream.

Comments: If I’d done a blind tasting, I wouldn’t have picked it for an Arran malt. The pork cask has imbued some softer, creamy chocolate flavours, which contrast to the Arran house style which has some more tropical fruity and floral notes. These manifest themselves as the caramelised figs and sweeter berry notes on the palate and in the finish.

Fantastically drinkable, quite different to what we’ve come to expect from Arran but this is certainly a welcome variation. Cracking value too, very tempting to pick up another bottle!

Whisky #247 – The Lark Distillery Port Cask Finish (Bottled 2013)

September 23, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Lark Distillery Port Cask Finish (Bottled 2013). Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 46.0%. Tasted at home, $45 (100mL bottle).

Colour: Quite an orangey bronze.

Nose: Initially it was a little harsh, but after a short while in the glass the nose softens revealing muscatels and charred oak.

Palate: Rich and full flavoured; toffee sweetness balanced with slightly tart fruity flavours. Tastes a little stronger than 46% ABV.

Finish: Quite dry; cocoa and cigar box flavours. Gentle warmth fades in a medium to long finish.

Comments: Another great offering from The Lark. To be honest, when I took my first sip I was a little disappointed as I thought it was a bit raw and harsher than the other Lark Port Cask Finish (also bottled in 2013) I recently tried. But in the name of science, I pressed on and continued the tasting – I’m very glad that I did as it developed into a great drop. I still rate the Lark Sherry Cask Finish as my favourite Lark expression that I’ve tried so far this year, but the Port Cask offerings are not too far behind.

Whisky #184 – Glenmorangie The Quinta Ruban 12 Year Old Single Malt

July 27, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenmorangie The Quinta Ruban 12 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at Helvetica, $16.

Colour: Deep copper.

Nose: Hay; some toasted notes too.

Palate: Soft, cool entry. Not the big hit of sweetness I was expecting from a whisky that has spent it’s final couple of years extra maturing in ex-port barrels. Salty with a hint of sweetness. Not a huge vanilla hit but it’s there, along with some other mixed spices, mainly cinnamon.

Finish: Quite a dry finish, but medium-long. Oaky, somewhat sweet tobacco flavours linger, my whole mouth has a slight tingle but it’s definitely not a burner.

Comments: Of the three of Glenmorangie’s extra matured range, the Nectar D’Or has long been my favourite, so I hadn’t given the Quinta Ruban (or the Lasanta) much of a go. After the standard Glenmorangie 10 years maturing in ex bourbon barrels, the Quinta Ruban has then spent its extra maturation time (circa 2 years)in ex port barrels from Portugal. I’ve always enjoyed a good fortified (muscat is my favourite), but I’ve never been massively into port-finished whiskies. Though on the back of this tasting, I think I might have to have a few more Quinta Rubans!

Whisky #182 – The Lark Distillery Port Cask Finish (Bottled 2013)

July 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

The Lark Distillery Port Cask Finish (Bottled 2013). Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Yallingup White Tail’s Rest holiday home, $40 (100mL bottle).

Colour: Bright toffee.

Nose: Not as sweet as the sherry matured Lark we just tried. Vanilla, cocoa & faint tobacco.

Palate: Toasted dried fruit flavours. A lot softer than the sherry matured Lark.

Finish: Soft pepper, soft sweet notes too. Medium length, a little drier than the sherry dram.

Comments: It’s ok, in fact it’s quite decent. But after the sherry dram raised expectations very high it makes it a little hard to live up to those.