Scotland

Whisky #361 – Baxter Inn Port Batch Cask Strength 16 Year Old Single Malt

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IMG_4514Baxter Inn Port Batch Cask Strength 16 Year Old Single Malt. ABV: 54.8%. Speyside, Scotland. Tasted at The Baxter Inn, $19.

Colour: Deep luscious copper.

Nose: Sweet muscatels and cherries. A slight alcohol cloud wafts up the nostrils.

Palate: Salty sweet caramelised dried fruits, think juicy plums and nectarines.

Finish: A tingling linger of warmth, a long gentle fade of dried fruits. Quite a drying finish.

Comments: Cracking value. Sitting in the Baxter Inn how could I possibly pass up one of their own bottlings. Full flavoured, rich and fruity, a top drop.

Whisky #359 – Pig’s Nose Blended Scotch Whisky

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IMG_4506Pig’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 #358 – Ardbeg Uigeadail Single Malt

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IMG_4471Ardbeg Uigeadail Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 54.20%. Tasted at home, $8 (50mL miniature bottle).

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: After initially just a heap of peat smoke, with a swirl around the glass it gives off some smoked BBQ meat flavours.

Palate: Briny, tangy flavours with a healthy tingle on the tip of your tongue. Lots of peat but there’s a slight hint of some sweet smoke flavours too.

Finish: Long, lingering peaty finish, almost a touch chocolatey.

Comments: Not quite as in your face as other Ardbeg expressions, a little sweeter but still loads of smoke.

Whiskies #356 & #357 – Glenfarclas 21 Year Old & Glenfarclas 25 Year Old

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IMG_4451Glenfarclas 21 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, bonus 50mL miniature bottle from a Glenfarclas 15 Year Old gift box.

Colour: Toffied amber.

Nose: Creamy sherried notes; some dried muscatels.

Palate: Some earthy flavours, a little fruity but overall not as sweet or chewy as I would have expected.

Finish: A little dry in the finish. Oak, some very light strawberries and cream flavours.

 

Glenfarclas 25 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, bonus 50mL miniature bottle from a Glenfarclas 15 Year Old gift box.

Colour: Ever so slightly lighter than the 21 year old, which is a minor surprise. There’s really not that much between them though.

Nose: Rich, syrupy berries. Some light oak, just the right amount.

Palate: Salted caramel, quite syrupy, some awesome fruity flavours.
Much more of an oily mouthfeel than the 21 year old.

Finish: Fuller bodied than the 21 year old, still a little drying but there are more sherry notes in the fade. Medium to long length.

Overall comments: I definitely preferred the 25 year old to the 21 year old, it just has more complexity and some sweet chewy characteristics. However, you look across the range I think value for money wise you can’t go past the Glenfarclas 15 Year Old Single Malt. I’d be keen to try it side by side with the 25 – it’s been a while since I’ve tasted the 15 year old, but based on tonight’s tasting I think it may even be my preference even compared to the 25 year old.

Whisky #355 – Blairmhor 8 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

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IMG_4450Blairmhor 8 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. Speyside, Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40%. Tasted at my friends Carly & JC’s place, $0.

Colour: Ambery amberish amberosity.

Nose: Honey, vanilla, sweet hessian sacks.

Palate: Smooth, sweet straw-like flavours.

Finish: A dry finish, yet slightly sweet honied notes in a short to medium fade.

Comments: I was really surprised, thought this was going to be a “truly awful” whisky but it was actually ok! Produced from a vatting of up to 20 malts apparently.

Whisky #354 – Sheep Dip 8 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

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IMG_4447Sheep Dip 8 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Riverbar & Kitchen (Brisbane), $11.50.

Colour: Light honied amber.

Nose: Smells like fresh straw in a stable. Quite grassy.

Palate: Honied sweetness, some slight herb notes too. Very faint aniseed undertones. Cool oily mouthfeel. My good mate Pete adds that it tastes like compacted fairy floss. Definitely not peaty…or Petey.

Finish: My mate JC has a sip and suggests that it is “threatening butteriness”. Herby fade.

Comments: A very easy blend to drink after 6 hours of imbibing other beverages.

Whisky #352 – Talisker 57° North Single Malt

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IMG_4440Talisker 57° North Single Malt. Isle of Skye, Scotland. ABV: 57.00%. Tasted at home, $127 (bottle).

Colour: Rich orangey gold.

Nose: Salty honeycomb, some very subtle hints peat.

Palate: Peppery mixed spice with a sweet vanilla undertone.

Finish: Citrusy sweet mandarin peel flavours give way in a slow gentle fade.

Comments: They named this expression Talisker 57° North because that’s the latitude of the Talisker distillery on the Isle of Skye. Whilst this has been diluted down from cask strength to an ABV of 57% (to match the latitude), it’s great to taste a stronger Talisker – I’d love to taste a cask strength release some day.

Whisky #351 – Glenfiddich Distillery Exclusive 1995 19 Year Old Cask Strength Sherry Cask Matured Single Malt (Cask No. 30318)

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IMG_4432Glenfiddich Distillery Exclusive 1995 19 Year Old Cask Strength Sherry Cask Matured Single Malt (Cask No. 30318). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.03%.

Colour: Deep, dark copper with a few flecks of charcoal sediment from the inside of the cask I drew the bottle from.

Nose: Much like its Balvenie stablemate, it has soft oak and some sweet, rich dried fruits.

Palate: Wow, the intense flavour and warmth hit your palate then decide to have a party all around your mouth. Salted caramel and rich syrupy sherry notes.

Finish: A salty tingle on the tip of the tongue, foowed by a long fade with some residual sweetness.

Comments: It’s like eating a salted caramel macaron. Soft, chewy, creamy – the flavours just keep coming. A sublime malt.

Whisky #350 – Balvenie 13 Year Old Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt

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IMG_4431Balvenie 13 Year Old Sherry Butt Cask Strength Single Malt (Cask No. 11270). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.6%. Tasted at home, £25 (200mL bottle, which I filled straight from the cask on the Balvenie distillery tour).

Colour: Stunning, almost a crimson-copper shade.

Nose: The alcohol feints rush to jump up your nose, before a more measured sniff reveals intense fruity aromas, sweet toffee and dusty oak.

Palate: Rich and chewy. Intense toffee and somewhat tart berry flavours, think cranberries and raspberries. A fantastic balance of sweetness and tartness.

Finish: Quite long, almost a bit salty right at the end after the flavours begin to fade. An electrifying tingle on the tip of the tongue as the sherry flavours subside.

Comments: An amazingly complex drop, lots of contrasting layers right the way through.

Whisky #349 – Glenglassaugh 1973 39 Year Old Single Malt – The Massandra Connection – Muscat Wine Cask Finish

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IMG_4430Glenglassaugh 1973 39 Year Old Single Malt – The Massandra Connection – Muscat Wine Cask Finish. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 44.1%. Tasted at home, $100 (100mL bottle).

Colour: Brassy amber.

Nose: Sweet leather; mixed dried fruits, especially sultanas. Dark toffee notes too. A slight nose prickle which is very tolerable when the whisky has such a top nose.

Palate: Creamed honey and vanilla. Velvety smooth, buttery oily mouthfeel. Wow.

Finish: A super smooth salty-sweet fade, medium length yet a somewhat dryish finish.

Comments: Amazingly delicious, it’s a huge challenge to resist consuming the whole 100mL sample in one sitting. So sublime it’s impossible to make any tongue-in-cheek remarks about this one.

Whisky #348 – Aberlour A’Bunadh Single Malt Batch No. 46

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IMG_4425Aberlour A’Bunadh Single Malt Batch No. 46. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.4%. Tasted at home, $123 (bottle).

Colour: Devilishly dark copper.

Nose: Rich muscatels, mixed dried fruits slathered with caramelised brown sugar. A bit of a nose prickle at the end…mainly because I’m enjoying the nose so much I’m almost inhaling the whisky up my nostril faster than Charlie Sheen can say “winning!”.

Palate: Cocoa, cigar box oakiness, intense molasses syrup.

Finish: A long, satisfying, rich fruity tingle around the mouth.

Comments: Everything I love about a whisky is in this bottle. Outstanding, definitely hasn’t lost anything from the Batch 45 I tried at the start of the year. I think the A’Bunadh will be a permanent fixture in my whisky collection going forward.

Whisky #347 – Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky

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IMG_4424Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky. Kilmarnock, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at The Royal Hotel, $35.

Colour: Pure gold.

Nose: Surprisingly complex – I was not expecting that. Light floral and almost a few sherry-like fruit notes. The barest touch of oak too.

Palate: A very smooth entry with a cooling sensation as it floats around your mouth. Oily mouthfeel, vanilla and floral notes.

Finish: Medium length. A salty fade initially, but then there’s a semi-sweet buzz of honey and gentle warmth that tingles on your gums long after you swallow the last drop of liquid.

Comments: I was a bit apprehensive about tasting the Johnnie Walker Blue Label, as it has so much hype and I was prepared to be quite disappointed. However, I really enjoyed it.  It has fantastic complexity for a blended whisky and a great flavour profile, not unlike some single malts actually. I think it’s overpriced and there are better value blends to be had, but if you don’t mind paying for the marketing it’s actually a very enjoyable whisky.

Whisky #344: Douglas Laing’s Old & Rare Port Ellen 30 Year Old Single Malt

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IMG_4417Douglas Laing’s Old & Rare Port Ellen 30 Year Old Single Malt (distilled December 1979). Islay, Scotland. ABV: 52.6%. Tasted at my friend Nathan’s place, a very generous share from the whisky fiend.

Colour: Very pale liquid gold.

Nose: So complex. Sweet meaty smoke; like you’ve thrown some green leaves on a campfire that’s flame-grilling a big juicy steak.

Palate: Meaty, citrus and smooth subtle smokiness. So smooth.

Finish: A gentle, sweet smoky tingle that gradually fades.

Comments: Only the second time I’ve been privileged enough to try a Port Ellen, with their malts being one of the most sought-after of all the defunct distilleries. And I can see why, this is amazing and amazingly complex, yet has a subtlety that some other Islay malts can’t even come close to. Outstanding.

Whisky #343 – Edradour Natural Cask Strength Bourbon Cask

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IMG_4414Edradour Natural Cask Strength Bourbon Cask. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 57.4%. Tasted at my friend Nathan’s place, courtesy of the whisky fiend himself.

Colour: Pale golden apple juice.

Nose: Nose prickle; lemon sherbet.

Palate: Salty popcorn, some creamy light fruit flavours too. Oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Long tingle all around the front of the tongue and mouth.

Comments: Edradour has been one of the finds of the year for me, I hadn’t come across it before but I’ve been loving exploring their range of malts. I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the other Edradour Natural Cask Strength that I tasted in Glasgow recently, but this one is still quite enjoyable.

Whisky #341 – Gordon & MacPhail Reserve Highland Park 15 Year Old Single Malt – Exclusively Bottled for Dram Full

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IMG_4403Gordon & MacPhail Reserve Highland Park 15 Year Old Single Malt – Exclusively Bottled for Dram Full (Cask No. 4255). Orkney Islands, Scotland. ABV: 53.9%. Tasted at home, $154 (bottle).

Colour: Bright, brassy gold.

Nose: Sweetness, vanilla and floral notes.

Palate: Crisp, peppery, quite light and a little fruity – think tropical fruit salad but not overly sweet. In fact, it almost reminds me a little of some Arran malts.

Finish: Dried apple, medium finish.

Comments: Definitely nothing like your typical Highland Park, which makes this a particularly interesting release. Distilled in 1999, bottled in 2014, it is one of only 145 bottles. It is the first Dram Full bottling, hopefully the first of many to come!

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Whiskies #337-339: Kilchoman New Spirit Vertical Tasting

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IMG_4394Kilchoman New Spirit Vertical Tasting. Tasted at home, $45 (set of 3 x 50mL bottles).

One of the greatest challenges facing any young distillery is how to get cashflow in the first few years while you’re waiting for your spirit to mature into “whisky” – in Scotland this period is a minimum of three years. While many distilleries produce other spirits that don’t require maturation (and thus can be sold immediately) – such as gin or white rum – the folks at Kilchoman decided to release a sample of their new spirit aged at One Month, One Year and Two Years.

This is essentially exactly the same new spirit that has come off their stills, however it has been bottled after spending varying lengths of time maturing in casks. So it should make for an interesting and truly vertical tasting.

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Kilchoman New Spirit One Month. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 63.5%.

Colour: Clear, very pale straw.

Nose: A medicinal prickle.

Palate: Very dry mouthfeel; sharp peaty straw-like flavours too.

Finish: Brash, peaty and strong. The heat lasts longer than the flavour and buzzes mainly at the front of the tongue.

 

Kilchoman New Spirit One Year. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 63%.

Colour: Pale dull gold.

Nose: Smoother than the One Month. Almost a bit of creaming soda. But with lots of smoke.

Palate: Intense smoke and peaty dryness.

Finish: Salty, smoky and tangy. A more satisfying buzz around the mouth.

 

Kilchoman New Spirit Two Years. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 62%.

Colour: Pale dull gold – not much different to the One Year.

Nose: Creamy and peaty again, but almost a bit floral too.

Palate: It’s definitely started to soften compared to the One Year – there’s still a bucketload of peat as you would expect, but it’s much more refined.

Finish: A dry, briny finish, quite long.

 

Overall comments: Very interesting to taste the same spirit at three different stages of its maturation. With regards to the colour, there was a noticeable change from the One Month to the One Year, but surprisingly very little difference from the One Year to the Two Year. On the palate the softening from the rawness of the One Year to the cool smoke of the Two Year was interesting. They’re all still very young, but a fascinating comparison to see the maturation journey of a Kilchoman whisky.