Scotland Archives - Page 18 of 22

Whisky #139 – Glenfarclas 15 Year Old Single Malt

July 2, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Glenfarclas 15 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home, $100 (bottle).

Colour: A police officer of above average intelligence…bright copper.

Nose: Rich, sweet sultanas. It gets even better with time in the glass.

Palate: Caramelised brown sugar, dried muscatels, lots of sherry notes. A hint of soft charcoal. Not a whole heap of heat, just soft buttery flavours and some spices.

Finish: Peppery oak but with some residual sweetness, especially as you lick your lips. And you’ll want to, because this is a great drop. Quite a long finish, only a very gentle heat though.

Comments: A very solid whisky, great flavour profile and complexity. It’s no wonder this is such a popular drop, you really can’t go wrong with one of these in your collection.

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 #134 – Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Gran Reserva

June 30, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenfiddich 21 Year Old Gran Reserva. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Bobeche, $35.

Colour: Dull brownish gold.

Nose: Brown sugar, toasted cereal kind of scents.

Palate: Vanilla & raspberry jam flavours, sweet yet some subtle bitterness as well. Plenty of toasted flavours too. Nice balance of heat and flavour. Almost a hint of some bourbon-like notes.

Finish: Warmth tingles at the front of the palate; flavours and heat gradually fade. The aftertaste reminds me of raspberry jam on a slice of toast.

Comments: Aged in ex-Cuban rum barrels, which certainly give the whisky its colour as well influencing flavours & the nose. I was expecting a slightly smoother entry given the age, but the flavour intensity is there which is good. Not sure that for $35 the Glenfiddich 21 Gran Reserva represents great value, but it’s certainly a decent drop.

Whisky #133 – Ardbeg Ardbog Cask Strength Single Malt

June 29, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Ardbeg Ardbog Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 52.10%. Tasted at Helvetica, $0 courtesy of a guy named Eamon who was keen to hear about the Whisky a Day project.

Colour: Dark coppery cherry sherry.

Nose: Smokey creaming soda. Lots of peat smoke like most Ardbegs, hint of cherry.

Palate: Creamy salted caramel with a hefty dose of smoke, but its not overpowering.

Finish: Ah, that’s more like your typical Ardbeg. Long heat & peat finish, but some of those sweet creamy cherry flavours just manage to poke through.

Comments: Great to taste an Ardbeg with some variety. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved Ardbeg and think it’s cracking value for money (if not one of the best value for money whiskies on the market), but some of their expressions are a bit too similar. Released for World Ardbeg Day in 2013, the Ardbeg Ardbog was great; the heat & smoke were toned down and some other sweet flavours came through. Good drop.

Whisky #132 – 1973 Glenrothes Single Malt

June 29, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

1973 Glenrothes Single Malt (bottled 2000). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at Helvetica, $59.

Colour: Deep, lustrous coppery amber. It’s a beautiful thing.

Nose: Such an unusual, complex nose. Reminds me of when I was a kid and pulling out the winter blankets from the camphor wood chest where they’d been stored since the previous winter. Dusty, almost like the smell of dusty old books. A hint of gentle woody smoke.

Palate: Very, very smooth. Sweet toasted malt flavours gently roll over through the mouth and make you sit back, sigh contentedly and say “wow”.

Finish: Gentle sweet smoke & oak in the long, gradual fade.

Comments: So smooth, both upon entry and in the finish. Delightful, though like the 1969 Glenrothes I tried at Whisky Live the flavours were a little softer than expected, although given it spent 27 years maturing in the barrel I guess this is to be expected. It’s not that the flavours are disappointing in any way (they’re actually amazing), it’s just that after the intriguing nose I had hoped the flavours would be a little stronger. Maybe this is a trait of the older Glenrothes whiskies? Fantastic nose and flavours, but not quite as intense as I would like. I will have to continue the research to test this theory!

Whisky #125 – Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt

June 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Lalla Rookh, $18.

Colour: Lustrous burnt amber.

Nose: A bit of oak, maybe some cherries.

Palate: Dried apricots, vanilla & oak. Smooth entry.

Finish: Medium length, not much heat.

Comments: Dangerously drinkable – this glass must have a leak. Smooth but not too complex, the Glenfiddich 15 is a solid whisky but not exceptional.

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 #121 – Glen Grant The Major’s Reserve Single Malt

June 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glen Grant The Major’s Reserve Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at my place, $0 courtesy of my mate Gordy.

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Quite soft & fruity – dried muscatelles, Gordy got dried apricots.

Palate: Smooth, almost cool entry to the palate.

Finish: It had a touch of lingering tingle, a bit of spice. Hint of vanilla in the fade.

Comments: Pretty mild. Polar opposites to a glass of the Glenmorangie Companta which I introduced Gordy to right afterwards.

Whisky #119 – SMWS 35.89 Spell-Binding and Breath-Taking

June 26, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 35.89 Spell-Binding and Breath-Taking. 17 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Glen Moray distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.7%. Tasted at home, 100mL tasting bottle as part of SMWS new members’ welcome pack.

Colour: Dull straw colour.

Nose: Sweet grassy notes, maybe a touch of banana.

Palate: Salted toffee, dried banana crisps. Oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Some sweet apple and toffee flavours in the fade, but not a sickly sweet toffee apple – it’s more subtle than that. Medium length finish.

Comments: A little underwhelming compared to the other SMWS releases I’ve tasted. I’m not getting the big fruit flavours the SMWS tasting committee listed on the label. It’s quite a focused, intense flavour profile, but not as complex as I like. Overall, ok but after tasting this 100mL sample bottle it’s certainly not a SMWS bottling that I would go out of my way to purchase.

Whisky #118 – Ardbeg Blasda Single Malt

June 24, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Ardbeg Blasda Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Tiger Lils, $11.

Colour: Translucent straw.

Nose: Peat, plenty of it. A hint of band aids after a bit of time in the glass.

Palate: Surprisingly smooth entry for an Ardbeg, feels like some soft smoke gently rolling in through your mouth.

Finish: Bit of a tingle at the front of the tongue. Peppery aftertaste.

Comments: An experimental offering from Ardbeg, they’ve deliberately tried to make it lightly peated (unlike every other Ardbeg I’ve ever tasted). Despite this, there is still a fair whack of peat. So while it’s not quite your typical Ardbeg, it’s not quite like anything else either, sort of a half-way house. Not bad, but it’s a little thin and doesn’t seem to really know what it’s striving to be…is it trying to be Ardbeg’s attempt at being very un-Ardbg-like, or is it trying to be something different? Either way, it seems to fall a little short. Quite drinkable, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to track it down.

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 #104 – Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old Single Malt

June 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Bunnahabhain 18 Year Old Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 46.30%. $24 – Tasted at Malt Supper Club.

Colour: Deep burnt amber.

Nose: A touch of port.

Palate: Woody, but not your traditional oak kind of flavours. Short flavours, fades to tart dried grapes/sultanas.

Finish: Smooth gentle warmth, doesn’t quite fill the mouth.

Comments: A bit too dry & not enough sweetness for my liking. Ok though.