Scotland

Whisky #578: Cadenhead Small Batch Knockdhu 11 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

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Cadenhead Small Batch Knockdhu 11 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 54.7%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $172 (bottle).

Colour: Very pale straw.

Nose: Delicate. Cinnamon tea cake and petrichor…raindrops on fresh concrete.

Palate: Toasted malt and oaky notes, along with pepper and tart raspberries.

Finish: Dried raspberries; tobacco leaves from the end of a freshly chopped cigar. Medium length finish with a briny aftertaste and tingle on the front of the tongue.

Comments: The Cadenhead Small Batch Knockdhu definitely doesn’t drink like a cask strength whisky. It’s very subtle, where it keeps you sipping as you catch a whisper of a flavour here, a whiff of an aroma there. Before you know it, it’s gone…both the glass and eventually too the bottle.

Whisky #577: SMWS 50.108 Darkness of the edge of brown

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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.

Whiskies #575 & #576: SMWS Strathisla Showdown

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Whisky #575: SMWS 58.30 Fresh and Invigorating. 8 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Strathisla Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.9%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $160 (bottle).

Two single cask, cask strength, whiskies from Strathisla, SMWS distillery number 58.

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: Lemon sponge cake and strawberry fairy floss. Freshly snapped grass strands and tennis balls. Surprisingly light on the alcohol at first, then a slight drying nose prickle.

Palate: Tangy grilled pineapple rings and zesty lemon sherbet lollies. Caramelised brown sugar notes too.

Finish: Huskier than a pack of sled dogs…malt husks and toasted grains abound.

 

Whisky #576: SMWS 58.33 Sweet and Juicy – Dry Finish. 11 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling of Strathisla Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.7%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $175 (bottle).

Colour: Almost identical to the other Strathisla above – bright gold.

Nose: Dried raspberries and maraschino cherries.

Palate: Like taking a bite into a fresh slice of Black Forest cake…chocolate, cherries, creamy moist mouthfeel.

Finish: A tangy salty combo to finish, with subtle herby notes. One of my go-to dishes to cook when I have a group of friends over is a fennel-encrusted pork belly…the finish to this is like you’ve taken a bite of that and you’ve got a mixture of the fennel infused salt flakes on your tongue and you crush them up to the roof of your mouth to dissolve…dammit I’m hungry now!

Overall comments: Two SMWS Strathisla whiskies, two quite different siblings. The SMWS 58.33 Sweet and Juicy – Dry Finish is a whisky of two halves; both satisfying in their own way but a little Jekyll and Hyde. The sweet creamy fruit-driven flavours to start that yield to delicious salty, savoury flavours in the finish.

The pick for me though is clearly the SMWS 58.30 Fresh and Invigorating, it’s just a little more connected as you experience the full tasting. A symphony that feels like each of the movements is connected and flows effortlessly from one to the next.

Whisky #574: North Star Glenallachie 8 Year Old Single Malt

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North Star Glenallachie 8 Year Old Single Malt. ABV: 58.3%. Speyside, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $165 (bottle).

Colour: Orange gold, like a throat lozenge. Hmmm, whisky really is the ultimate golden throat charmer!

Nose: Melted sugar boiling on the stove top.

Palate: Sticky date pudding and pink candy (fairy) floss. Medium body with a creamy mouthfeel.

Finish: Honey and black pepper, with juicy glace cherries that you’ve picked out of your aunt’s fruit cake (or is that just what I did when I was a kid?).

Comments: This is dessert in a glass. Fantastic.

Whisky #572: Glengoyne 21 Year Old Single Malt

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherGlengoyne 21 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $235 (bottle).

Feet up on a Saturday, time to kick back with another stunning drop from Glengoyne Distillery.

Colour: Deep brilliant copper.

Nose: The nose is a little faint. Allen’s Strawberries and Cream lollies. Very faint leather notes.

Palate: Stewed strawberries, dried cranberries. Then melted brown sugar atop your morning porridge that you’ve splashed with a dash of milk. Creamy, sweet and caramel flavours…very moorish.

Finish: A dry earthiness to finish. Creamy dustiness, like cocoa powder atop a cappuccino froth.

Comments: The nose was probably the only thing that I was a little disappointed in here. With a lot of older Scottish malts, sometimes for me the nose has layers of complexity and so many interesting things going on that it can be even more enjoyable than the palate. With this Glengoyne 21 the palate is fantastic, but the nose is just a little…flat.

Perhaps it’s just been sitting in the opened bottle a little too long…I’ll just have to drink a little more rapidly in future!

Whisky #570: Glengoyne The Legacy Series Chapter One Single Malt

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Glengoyne The Legacy Series Chapter One Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 48%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $95 (bottle).

Colour: Dusty brass.

Nose: Well worn leather and soft oak 

Palate: The front half of the tongue is standing closer to the flavour heater on this one – it gets all the love. Dried muscatels, raisins and red wine tannins. Dusty dark chocolate bitterness.

Finish: A drying, slightly salty and metallic finish, like you’ve just tasted blood on your lips. Like you’ve accidentally copped an elbow in the mouth from some noble pursuit like fighting your way to the front of a packed whisky bar in those glorious pre-social distancing days.

Comments: Matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry casks, at 48% ABV it’s got a little more oomph than other Glengoyne releases. I’m a fan of higher ABV whiskies and love Glengoyne, but in this case for me the balance isn’t quite right. 

For me Glengoyne The Legacy Chapter One is lacking a little bit of oily mouthfeel, creaminess and juicy dried fruit notes, whilst also losing some of the fresher fruity and vanilla flavours that other Glengoynes are known for. It’s like what I imagine a higher ABV version of the GlenDronach 12 year old might taste like – dry sherry notes and some heat, but not quite the lush juiciness of your nan’s Christmas cake.

Whisky #569: Ardbeg Dark Cove Committee Release Single Malt

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherArdbeg Dark Cove Committee Release Single Malt. ABV: 55%. Islay, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, free sample from a friend.

It was Ardbeg Day over the weekend, so it was only fitting to reach back to the dark depths of the whisky cabinet to pull out this beauty…the official release from Ardbeg Day 2016 – the Ardbeg Dark Cove Committee Release.

Colour: Bright brassy rose gold.

Nose: Kippers and soft smoke; not a campfire smoke, but more like the embers of a fire the next morning after you’ve cooked a feast. Hot smoked salmon on the campfire is too wanky and overly specific, but something like that. It’s moreish enough to make you want to take another sniff.

Palate: Smoked trout and creme fraiche. Liquorice sticks. And oily mouthfeel with an incredibly gentle warmth but not an ounce of searing heat.

Finish: Tins of smoked salmon in brine. Salty, like you’ve liked your lips after a swim in the surf.

Comments: Released for Ardbeg Day in 2016, the Ardbeg Dark Cove was matured in ex-bourbon and what the official bottling notes referred to as “dark Sherry casks”. It’s all creamy smoked fish goodness, where the flesh just melts in your mouth. Delicious.

Whisky #567: Tullibardine The Murray Châteauneuf-du-Pape Single Malt

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Tullibardine The Murray Châteauneuf-du-Pape Single Malt. ABV: 46%. Highlands, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $115 (bottle).

Colour: Rich marmalade.

Nose: Freshly varnished timber and a slight astringency, presumably the red wine tannins from the finishing maturation in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape barriques. Not overly appealing to be honest.

Palate: Much better here. It’s soft and short with thin mouthfeel; strawberry marshmallows and biscuits with chewy strawberry jam.

Finish: Slightly cheesy with tart stewed strawberries. A short finish, it’s in a hurry.

Comments: This one lingers in your mouth about as long as an aging boomer in the supermarket in the age of coronavirus – just long enough to get the essentials then it’s out of there. An underwhelming nose but redeemed somewhat by the palate. Not bad, but there’s better Tullibardine expressions to be had.

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

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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 #564: The Arran Sauternes Cask Finish Single Malt

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The Arran Sauternes Cask Finish Single Malt. ABV: 50%. Isle of Arran, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $100 (bottle).

Stop the deadly spread of Coronavirus…don’t drink Corona, drink whisky instead! And tonight it’s an absolute banger, an Arran malt finished in ex Sauternes casks.

Bottle kill week continues unabated here at Whisky a Day, there has been much whisky spilt. Time to quarantine another bottle.

Colour: Rich shiny gold.

Nose: There’s some dry cocoa or hot chocolate dustiness that lays over the usual Arran house style of tropical fruits. Smoked caramel on hot banana bread.

Palate: Toasted malt, dried mandarin peel and a salty/sweet balance that is like sucking on an orange Fruit Tingle lolly.

Finish: A long warm tingle on the front of the tongue and lips. The sweet tanginess of boiled lemon sherbet sweets lingers long.

Comments: It’s Arran, but not as you know it. Arran are one of my favourite distilleries as long time followers may recall, but this is a different yet still comfortable beast. A fantastic drop.

Whisky #562: Edradour Straight From The Cask 10 Year Old Single Malt

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Edradour Straight From The Cask 10 Year Old Single Malt (Cask #160). ABV: 57.7%. Highlands, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $143 (500mL bottle).

The carnage continues during Whisky a Day bottle kill week, tonight it’s a cask strength Edradour that bites the dust!

Colour: Deep amber.

Nose: A slight prickle, sweetness and zing initially, like opening a packet of ground cinnamon. Slightly overripe strawberries and raspberries too.

Palate: Like biting into your grandma’s Christmas cake – glacé cherries, dried sultanas and raisins, rich and moist spongecake…delicious.

Finish: Sweet then a fade to a drying saltiness. The sherry tannins come through as the finish dries.

Comments: It’s a rich, robust and full mouthfeel, but without being too overpowering. It drinks a lot softer than you might expect for a 57.7%ABV cask strength whisky.

Drinking this is like having Christmas all year round. Fantastic balance for a cask strength whisky and a wall of flavour that sits perfectly on the palate. Outstanding.

Whisky #561: 2009 Inchmurrin Manzanilla Finish Single Cask Single Malt

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2009 Inchmurrin Manzanilla Finish Single Cask Single Malt. ABV: 46%. Highlands, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $110 (bottle).

Bottle kill week continues here at Whisky a Day, all bottles must go!

Colour: Dull brass.

Nose: Worn leather. Creme brûlée and freshly baked muffins that are just slightly overcooked and are a few too many shades of brown, but you rip off that warm muffin top and…clearly I’m hungry and have a sudden hankering for muffins!

Palate: Blackcurrant Soothers lollies initially, but minus the menthol. Then the dominant flavours come forward: brown sugar, salted caramel and dried muscatels.

Finish: Slightly sour initially then it gives way to a salty sweetness.

Comments: A real “food” whisky, in that it evokes lots of food flavour memories. A cracking dram, shame it’s all finished now!

Whisky #560: North Star Glentauchers 11 Year Old Single Malt

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North Star Glentauchers 11 Year Old Single Malt. ABV: 58.9%. Speyside, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $167 (bottle).

It’s bottle kill week here at Whisky a Day! Do you find yourself hanging on to the last dram or two in a bottle you’ve really enjoyed, trying to stretch out the enjoyment? It’s a trap I sometimes fall into, though maybe there’s also an element of opening a bunch of new shinier whiskies and some bottles get a little lonely and forgotten at the back of the whisky shelf. 

With an impending move to a new house, it’s time to do some spring cleaning and polish off those pesky bottles with only a drop or two left. I’ll be killing off a different bottle every night this week!

Colour: Candlelight.

Nose: Soft hay, vanilla sponge cake and freshly cut juicy oranges. Though I’ve left this one on the shelf a little too long, the nose has started to lose some intensity compared to how I remember when I first cracked the bottle.

Palate: Toastier than a marshmallow. Honey on buttered toast, malty, roasted almonds.

Finish: A drying new oak finish with a slightly tannic aftertaste.

Comments: Bottled in 2018 and from a cask that yielded only 288 bottles, this North Star Glentauchers was from Series 005 of North Star’s stable of increasingly impressive releases. A good dram, but one in hindsight I’d finished off a little earlier rather than leaving it around on the shelf.

Whisky #559: SMWS 68.18 Triple berry Lamington cake

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SMWS 68.18 Triple berry Lamington cake. 7 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS exclusive bottling of Blair Athol Distillery for Whisky & Alement, Melbourne. ABV: 58.3%. Highlands, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $169 (bottle).

After an extended break, Whisky a Day is back! Life has a habit of getting in the way sometimes…new job, new apartment, trying to buy a new house, new girlfriend, competing in powerlifting and sailing events…it’s been a busy time recently! But whisky got me through 😉 

Let’s get back into the swing of things with a stunning whisky from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), one that was an exclusive bottling for one of Australia’s top whisky bars, Whisky & Alement in Melbourne.

Colour: Pinkish bronze.

Nose: Sweet and savoury all at once…fresh muffins and cakes baking in the oven, followed by a balsamic glaze drizzled over roasted beef. And then the heat and smell of walking into a woodwork shop – sawdust and wood shavings.

Palate: It really is jammy; tart raspberry at first, then it softens and sweetens into more of a strawberry jam on buttered white toast.

Finish: Long satisfying goosebumps on the tip of your tongue, like you’ve just kissed someone for the first time that you’ve fancied for a long time.

Comments: Maybe I’m just hungry, but this one is very food-like. I deliberately did not look at the SMWS tasting notes for this one, but the name made it hard not to let your mind be drawn to food. Lamingtons and jam are most definitely in liquid form here, a stunning drop.

Whisky #558: Loch Lomond 18 Year Old Single Malt

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Loch Lomond 18 Year Old Single Malt. ABV: 46%. Highlands, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $99 (bottle).

Colour: Deep gold.

Nose: Like Ron Burgundy’s office – full of leather-bound books and rich mahogany.

Palate: Soft smokiness, with some juicy blueberry, salty notes and a hint of caramel.

Finish: Smoky umami meatiness, with a caramelised onion glaze.

Comments: In the immortal words of Ron Burgundy, 60% of the time it works every time. Exceedingly easy to sip as a pre and/or post dinner dram. A fantastic all-rounder that would appeal to most palates.

Whisky #557: Bladnoch Samsara Single Malt

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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.