Scotland Archives - Page 20 of 22

Whisky #74 – Glen Moray 25 Year Old Portwood Finish

June 3, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glen Moray Portwood Finish 25 Year Old. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43.0%. Tasted at Whisky Live 2014.

Righto – so we’re here at Whisky Live 2014. Over 100 whiskies on offer. No, I’m not going to attempt to taste them all (although that does sound like a mighty challenge). Instead I’m going to take a slightly different approach to the day’s tasting – instead of writing up tasting notes for every single whisky I sampled on the day, I’m going to make a few notes about a particular distillery (in this case Glen Moray) and then decide which of their selection I preferred.

The reason for this approach is that I actually sampled 28 different whiskies on the day, but most were only 5-10mL tastings. In my opinion (and particularly for my somewhat immature palate), it is incredibly different to get to know a whisky off such a small sample. I also didn’t want to spend the entire day furiously typing notes onto my phone for all 28 whiskies, I wanted to actually take it all in and enjoy the day. So I made a few brief voice memos afar trying each table and have reflected that here.

So onto the Glen Moray tastings…

Sampled: Glen Moray 10 year old, Glen Moray 16 year old & Glen Moray 25 year old Portwood Finish. I think the Portwood Finish was definitely the pick of the three. It has a deep ambery colour, a sweeter sort of taste. A very different nose to the other two – the 10 year had a funny sort of nose…fuck this is going to get difficult to describe as the day wears on. All three were quite thin tasting, quite thin on the palate and all had quite a light, short finish – but the 25 year old was definitely the pick.

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

April 5, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

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 #66: Cragganmore 12 Year Old Single Malt

April 3, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Cragganmore 12 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ with my mate Giles, $75 (bottle).

Colour: Bright orange gold.

Nose: Vanilla, toffee & cloves.

Palate: Honeyed, herby notes. Seems to get smoother, sweeter & silkier the longer you leave it in the glass to open up.

Finish: Mid palate flavours have stuck around awhile, not much heat. Smooth.

Comments: Giles’ famed “longitudinal qualities” aren’t as evident this time as we are a little more refined having this tasting after dinner at my place, rather than at a post-work boozey rathole in the city where both the whisky and quick witted observations are flowing as freely as each other.

Whisky #65: The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Single Malt

March 31, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

The Glenlivet 12 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Courtesy of my mate Gordy – $0, tasted at Whisky a Day HQ.

Colour: A real pale yellowy gold. I know gold is yellow, but this was particularly yellowish. And pale. C’mon it’s been a long week, I just want to unwind with a dram, not have to justify my lacklustre description of the whisky’s lustre.

Nose: A little fruity. Not sweet fruit, more like a dried apple.

Palate: Smooth entry, oily mouthfeel, no alcohol burn. Sort of a grassy kind of taste, sweet black pepper tastes.

Finish: Quite a thin finish, faint pepper aftertaste too.

Comments: A great everyday drinking drop; a staple, one of the big names. If you were looking for an easy drinking single malt to introduce to a friend who isn’t a huge whisky fan, or maybe someone who is under the misapprehension that all whiskies are extremely peaty or smoky, then The Glenlivet 12 is a great drop to start on. For those who are into whisky a little more, you can find more depth and complex flavours elsewhere. But then, you probably already knew that didn’t you?

Whisky #63: Longmorn 16 Year Old Single Malt

March 25, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Longmorn 16 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 48.00%. Tasted at my mate Joel’s place, $125 (bottle).

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: A bit oaky, hints of different spices.

Palate: Toasted malty flavours. Plenty of spice, quite a bit of warmth.

Finish: Medium length finish with lingering spice.

Comments: Not as smooth as I remember, thought it might have had a slightly sweeter aftertaste. Nevertheless quite an enjoyable dram, plenty of complexity & flavours to discover.

Whisky #61: Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch No.4 Cask Strength Single Malt

March 25, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch No.4 Cask Strength Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 50.4%. $0 – courtesy of my mate Brett.

Colour: Deep amber.

Nose: Sweet, a bit oaky. Vanilla notes.

Palate: A very smooth entry, lots of flavour. As my trusted whisky tasting mate Brett remarked, “a fine drop that has given us renewed vigour!”. Tastes a little like the Hazelburn Sauternes Cask single malt.

Finish: Sweet aftertaste.

Comments: Quite a hurried tasting as we were running late for dinner with friends, certainly not time to taste it properly and do this dram justice. I’ve left Brett a bottle of whisky at his place so I have an excuse to come back and have another tasting of the Balvenie Tun 1401. As one of our friends commented at dinner, “A bottle a day? That’s not a blog, that’s a problem!”…I politely pointed out that it’s called Whisky a Day, not Bottle a Day.

Whisky #60: Elements of Islay Pe5 Cask Strength Single Malt

March 23, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Elements of Islay Pe5 Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 57.90%. Tasted at Bad Apples, $47.

Colour: Nright gold.

Nose: Served in a miniature Glencairn glass, which is the first one I’ve drank out of so far. The smaller size allows you to really get your nose in close to the whisky. A complex nose on this one, hard to dissect. And frankly, with such a rare whisky I’m not so sure I want to pull it to pieces, I just want to enjoy it.

Palate: Smooth entry, quickly warms & fills the mouth. Quite creamy. Much more subtle than other Islays I’ve tried.

Finish: I didn’t want it to finish!

Comments: To be honest, I didn’t focus on making too many notes with this tasting – I just wanted to enjoy it. Port Ellen is a defunct distillery, so the rarity of the whisky is the reason for the high price. I’m not sure it’s worth $47 a nip based on flavour alone. The Pe5 is the fifth “Elements of Islay” release of Port Ellen whisky, this one is from a single sherry cask. I’d like to try it again though but next time without putting pressure on myself to try and analyse it and do it justice – I’d just want to relax a little more and really enjoy it.

Whisky #56: Benromach Sassicaia Wood Finish Single Malt

March 14, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Benromach Sassicaia Wood Finish Single Malt. Speyside, Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 45.00%. Tasted at Bar Lafayette, $17.

Colour: Golden caramel.

Nose: Quite light, a bit oaky, maybe some plums? Hard to tell.

Palate: Hints of cinnamon, bit of spice. Not a lot of depth though.

Finish: Quite short, front of the tongue.

Comments: Mellows the more you leave it. Maybe could have done with some more time in the barrel to develop some more flavours, only 7 years in total, the last 29 months of that in ex-Sassicaia wine casks.

Whisky #55: Kilchoman Single Bourbon Cask 5 Year Old

March 14, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Kilchoman Single Bourbon Cask 5 Year Old. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 61.00%. Tasted at Canton Lounge, $20.

Colour: Quite a pale straw, perhaps unsurprising given it only spent 5 years in an ex bourbon barrel.

Nose: Strong alcohol vapours, although they soften with a bit of time in the glass. Peat dominates but some floral scents come through.

Palate: Rich warm flavours, but the peat just keeps coming. Salty.

Finish: Long and smokey, it’s like a warm peaty vapour cloud expanding in your mouth.

Comments: A single cask bottling, only ~260 bottles released. Not sure they should have tapped the barrel after only 5 years, it could have done with some more time to soften up a bit. Maybe they’ve released it early so they’ve got a different offering in the Kilchoman range. Though most likely it’s been released to generate some cashflow seeing as Kilchoman is such a young distillery that’s only been in operation a few years. Can’t say I’ve ever tasted such a young whisky before.

Whisky #54: The Arran Cask Finishes Amarone Cask Finish Single Malt

March 14, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Arran Cask Finishes Amarone Cask Finish Single Malt. Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 50.00%. Tasted at Helvetica, $23.

Colour: A deep sherry-like colour.

Nose: Chocolatey scents. Also smells like a bunch of dried muscatelles.

Palate: Much more complex than the Sullivan’s Cove Double Wood. Bit more heat and plenty of spice; juicy.

Finish: Long tingle at the front of the tongue, warmth through the back.

Comments: I would like more time to chew on this one some more. Definitely the kind of whisky that takes more than one dram to fully appreciate. Will be back for more in the not too distant future!

Whisky #50: Dalmore 15 Year Old Single Malt

March 9, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Dalmore 15 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. The Terrace, $15.

Colour: Deep coppery colour.

Nose: Having been to the races today with a bunch of friends, as I attempt to dutifully undertake today’s whisky tasting there are jokes flying around asking me if this wins the best whisky contest “by a nose”. Not sure I agree.

Palate: Very light, gentle spice. Not as flavoursome as other sherry matured drams.

Finish: Smooth, reasonably short.

Comments: Towards the end of a relatively robust day’s imbibing, my creative writing skills have dried up. It’s the writer’s block equivalent of whisky dick. Certainly not helped by my friends trying to distract me in my whisky pursuit and attacking me with a couple of hobby horses which have been our faithful companions through the day. These fine steeds even wanted to get in on some of the Dalmore 15. You can lead a horse to whisky…

After these nags (the horses, not my friends) had French martinis at The Terrace, danced to Daryl Braithwaite then finished off with some fireball whisky…they can go out to pasture until next race day! Giddy up!

Our whisky tasting steeds

Whisky #49: J&B Rare Blended Scotch Whisky

March 9, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

J&B Rare Blended Scotch Whisky. Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Best Brew bar, Four Points Sheraton Hotel. $9.

Colour: Insipid cat’s piss.

Nose: It doesn’t smell much better than the colour suggests…

Palate: Tastes surprisingly better than it looks and smells. Soft spice, toasty oak flavours with a hint of peat.

Finish: Pretty short, nothing much doing here.

Comments: I was expecting this to be a candidate for the “Truly Awful” whisky category. Early indications weren’t promising, but it ended up surpassing my low expectations given the price point. Not by a vast amount however.

Whisky #48: Glendronach Revival 15 Year Old 100% Sherry Matured Single Malt

March 9, 2014 by Whisky a Day 3 Comments

Glendronach Revival 15 Year Old 100% Sherry Matured Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at The Trustee, $15.

Colour: Deep brownish amber, clearly showing it’s sherry roots.

Nose: Currants definitely, cloves & cinnamon maybe?

Palate: Soft, warm chocolatey type flavours.

Finish: A gentle heat fills the mouth, but the best part is that the flavours last for ages in your mouth and don’t morph into something else.

Comments: Like biting into a really moist sticky date pudding drizzled in some salted caramel sauce *drool*. I had a bottle of this at home a few years ago and it was my first experience of a sherry matured whisky. Thought it was ok at the time, but maybe because of this early experience I’ve never considered myself much of a sherry head. Glad I’ve tried it again – definitely the best sherry dram of the project I’ve had so far.

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

March 6, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

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 #46: Balblair Single Malt – 2000 Vintage

March 6, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Balblair Single Malt – 2000 Vintage. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 43.00%. Tasted at The Trustee, $13.

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Sweet alcohol feints, touch of leather. Not too hard though (the safety word is “whisky”).

Palate: Peppery spice dominates like a leather-bound dominatrix. Has a bit of saltiness; not the sweetness I was expecting.

Finish: Long spice at the front of the mouth.

Comments: More trivia following on from yesterday’s Whisky #45. Apparently Balblair, founded in 1790, is the second oldest working distillery in Scotland.

Anyway, this is my first whisky tasting of the year in a Glencairn glass. While it may be the preferred whisky glass of connoisseurs around the world, I’m not such a fan. When I’m having a dram purely to relax and unwind, I like my whisky glasses to have heft; the Glencairn is too light & dainty for my liking. Yes the shape of the glass is designed to channel the aromas towards your nose, but if I’m having a whisky tasting my preference is a stemless glass, much like a stemless white wine glass. The Glencairn falls somewhere between the two types.

Whisky #45: Springbank Calvados Wood 12 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

March 6, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Springbank Calvados Wood 12 Year OldCask Strength Single Malt. Campbeltown, Scotland. ABV: 52.70%. Tasted at Helvetica, $22.

Colour: Pale gold.

Nose: Peat dominates, some oaky notes, hint of vanilla. Like a vanilla Paddle Pop.

Palate: Wow, lots happening here. Oaky buttery goodness, fair dose of peat.

Finish: Long finish, spice lingers at the front half of the mouth.

Comments: Strong (both in flavour & ABV), quite complex flavours, love it. Matured in ex Calvados (apple brandy) casks. Couldn’t pick up any apple flavours, haven’t actually tried apple brandy before so wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Without such a reference point it’s hard to compare apples with apples…definitely keen to try this one again!