Scotland Archives - Page 9 of 22

Whisky #397: SMWS 39.108 Baked Alaska

February 22, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 39.108 Baked Alaska. 10 year old single cask from Linkwood Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 61.7%. Tasted at The Clock Hotel’s Whisky Room, $0 – a welcome dram to celebrate Dram Full Sydney’s 2nd birthday.

Colour: Pale golden straw.

Nose: An amorphous nose, it seems to change in waves with different flavours each taking turns at coming to the fore. Light and fruity on the nose, yet quite sweet. Chunks of dried pineapple. My Dram Full compatriot Garry described it as like orange brûlée. On top of the fruity notes, other aromas include ginger nut biscuits and caramelised condensed milk.

Palate: Sharp thin grassy notes on the front of the palate, as the waves of sweetness break like a bow wave around the outside of the mouth, leaving a syrupy coating. Creamy sweet mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium length yet a warming mouthfeel. Tingles on the front gums as the flavours linger on the mid palate.

Comments: The nose really reminded me of a Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or, yet more intense and focused. A Nectar reduction perhaps? This Linkwood certainly didn’t drink like a whisky at around 61% ABV, it was much smoother yet packed a big punch in terms of flavour, aroma and length. Which is what you want from a whisky.

A gathering of whisky fiends from Dram Full Sydney to celebrate Dram Full’s 2nd birthday. We are very fortunate in Sydney to have Andrew Derbridge, Cellarmaster & Director of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Australia (not to mention author of a fantastic whisky blog Whisky & Wisdom), as one of the main driving forces behind Dram Full in Sydney. Andrew very generously brought along this SMWS bottling for us Drammies to have a welcome drink before we got stuck into the Clock Hotel’s extensive range of whiskies. A cracking night was had, fantastic to catch up for an informal drink and meet other whisky fiends and talk bullshit about all things whisky.

Whisky #396: Glenlivet 1955 George & J.G. Smith’s Gordon & MacPhail 50 Year Old Single Malt

February 13, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenlivet 1955 George & J.G. Smith’s Gordon & MacPhail 50 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40%. Tasted at home, $225 (100mL bottle split). No, that wasn’t a typo…$225.

Colour: Golden syrup.

Nose: In a word, astonishing. It’s so delicate; like gently brushing your nose with a feather. Rose water, raspberry marshmallows, orange chocolate, warm caramel and a hint of cigar box. I’ve been just enjoying this nose for about five minutes now, words are failing me, it’s taken me away. I’d better take a sip!

Palate: Dry mouthfeel, with dusted cocoa and some soft oak. You can taste the influence from the sherry cask but it’s not a rich full frontal sherry bomb, nor is it overly creamy. Front and mid palate get all the fun.

Finish: Fades quickly to start, then the flavours linger ever so softly on the front and mid palate for quite a long time. Some slightly tart dried tropical fruit flavours emerge right at the end, mainly dried pineapple. Quite a soft finish overall.

Comments: Absurdly priced, but then again this is a 50 year old whisky (distilled in 1955, bottled in 2005). Along with some of my fellow whisky nutters from Dram Full Perth, we decided to splurge and grab a bottle of this and split it 7 ways. Which is more financially responsible than dropping $1575 on a whole bottle and keeping it all to yourself. Yes, I’m trying to justify this purchase as being financially responsible…

The nose was stunning, right up there with some of the best I’ve had. I felt the palate and finish though left a little to be desired. They weren’t poor by any stretch, I think they were simply overshadowed by an exceptional nose. It’s not every day you get to drink a 50 year old whisky, so overall this was a special experience.

Whisky #395: Cadenhead Small Batch Speyside-Glenlivet 18 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

February 11, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Cadenhead Small Batch Speyside-Glenlivet 18 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 62.80%. Tasted at my mate Joel’s place, $0 (ah it’s great to have good mates with nice whisky!).

Colour: Bright toffee.

Nose: Like a not-so-gentle tug on your nostril hairs, this one wants to rip out all unnecessary olfactory distractions and dominate your attention. Freshly cooked toffee, caramelised balsamic, creamed cheese and a hint of straw. It’s a big nose.

Palate: A satisfying tingle as the whisky dances around your mouth. Joel got toffee and peanut brittle, while I detected some tart raspberries. There’s almost a dusty sweetness; think salted caramel macaroons.

Finish: It’s a drying finish, slowly fading from the centre of your palate to the extremities. Very long, which is unsurprising given the high ABV.

Comments: It’s interesting – Joel thought the nose sweeter than the palate, I also got loads of sweetness and also some straw notes. Yet looking back on what we got on the palate there’s a fair bit of sugar too. In hindsight it’s a rich sweetness, definitely not saccharine. It’s rich and full bodied, lots of complex flavours without any of them dominating. One of those whiskies to enjoy sitting back and appreciating as it offers something different, especially as an independent bottling it’s quite different to your typical company-released Glenlivet.

Whiskies #382-387: Scotch Malt Whisky Society Winter Tasting

August 13, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Whiskies #382-387: Scotch Malt Whisky Society Winter Tasting. Royal Automobile Club, Sydney. $85.

Since Whisky a Day only recently located from Perth to Sydney a month ago, the first SMWS tasting event was locked into the calendar. Excellently hosted by the SMWS Australian Cellar Master Andrew Derbidge, last night’s tasting was an overview of six of the Society’s latest releases.

Whisky #382: 64.54 Sweet and Tart, Subtle and Delicate. 10 year old bottling from Mannochmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 56.3%.

Colour: Pale straw.
Nose: Pine needles, wood chips, and sherbet.
Palate: Tangy lemon, peppery spice, with some cheesecake flavours to round off.
Finish: White pepper with a long, salty tingle and generous warmth around the mouth. Like the sensation of sucking the lemon after you’ve just downed a shot of good tequila. The oily warmth lingers longer than the flavours, but in a comforting way.

Whisky #383: 35.133 Mediterranean Maharaja goes Americana. 20 year old bottling from Glen Moray Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 55.8%.

Colour: Rich honey.
Nose: It’s a very bourbon-ish nose which hits you immediately. Fennel and spiced mead; sweet oaky notes with some time in the glass.
Palate: Spiced honey, cocoa, sultanas and spiced fruit toast.
Finish: Quite a short, drying finish with some savoury biscuit notes.

Whisky #384: 46.25 Soft, Elegant and Intensely Creamy. 21 year old bottling from Glenlossie Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 46.4%.

Colour: Pale apple juice.
Nose: Fresh apples in a wet hessian sack. Ok, so I got fresh apples and I separately got some wet hessian notes, but seeing as the tasting was being conducted in the Royal Automobile Club where anoraks abound, I thought I’d better combine the two descriptors and really turn the wankiness up to 11. My eminent whisky tasting neighbour Dave picked up notes like walking past a makeup counter through a department store.
Palate: Baked pears, some sweet caramelised flavours too. A cool, creamy mouthfeel; reminds me of fruit salad atop a freshly baked pavlova.
Finish: Passionfruit syrup and vanilla ice-cream. Very light and delicate.
Comments: This was my favourite whisky if the night. Quite a low ABV for a cask strength bottling, but it’s just so easy to drink and keeps begging you back for more. So much so that I ordered a bottle so I could do precisely that.

Whisky #385: 119.14 Raspberry Imperial Stout. 11 year old bottling from Yamazaki Distillery. Japan. ABV: 53.9%.

Colour: Wow. Deep rich toffee. I started enjoying this one long before I picked up the glass.
Nose: It’s a huge sherry bomb, simply divine. It reminds me a lot of the nose you get from some Glendronach malts, particularly the Glendronach Allardice 18 year old and Glendronach 21 year old. Though it’s more intense and syrupy than you’ll find say on the Glendronach 15 year old.
Palate: Syrupy Christmas cake spice, oily mouthfeel. Yes that sounds quite stereotypical for a malt matured in ex sherry casks, but boy is this a fine example of the style. An amazing drop. Some dark chocolate and cherry notes come through too.
Finish: Paradoxically for a syrupy whisky, the finish is quite drying. Huge legs on the glass.
Comments: In a blind tasting, I would have picked this to be a Speyside malt as it is a fine example of the sherried malts so often produced from that region. Yamazaki have done brilliant work with this one.

Whisky #386: 66.66 Ginger Makes Fred Smile. 10 year old bottling from Ardmore Distillery. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 61.9%.

Colour: Pale translucent copper; almost a rosey tinge.
Nose: Flame grilled steak, salted caramel and smoked salmon.
Palate: Smoked ham hock and beef jerky. It’s smokey with a hint of fruity sweetness; reminds me of a slice of juicy pineapple on the BBQ.
Finish: Super long and sumptuous.
Comments: Matured in a first fill white wine hogshead, which is both quite unusual but also an amazing choice for this malt. I enjoyed it so much I ordered a bottle on the spot.

Whisky #387: 3.234 Scallops Cooked on a Puffer Shovel. 16 year old bottling from Bowmore Distillery. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 57.5%.

Colour: Pure gold.
Nose: Caramel popcorn is the first thing that hits. Orange chocolate and soft straw notes too – like a handful of straw thrown on a campfire.
Palate: Salty blackcurrant pastilles and caramelised bacon. Hmmm, bacon… *drool*.
Finish: A building meaty saltiness with a very long, mouthwatering finish.
Comments: An Islay malt from Bowmore that has been perfectly matched to a refill sherry butt to produce those delicious caramelised meaty flavours. Though I think the nose is the winner here, simply divine. Some would say that there’s lots of smoke here both on the nose and on the palate, and they’d be 100% right…for me the smoke is there in droves, but it somehow takes a back seat to the amazing array of other flavours and aromas that are layered here.

Whisky #381 – 2014 Lagavulin 12 Year Old Limited Edition Cask Strength Single Malt

August 10, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

2014 Lagavulin 12 Year Old Limited Edition Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 54.40%. Tasted at my good mate Kiwi’s place, $130 (bottle).

Colour: Crisp, crystal clear gold.

Nose: Sweet meaty notes, like bacon and maple syrup. Light sweet smoke, camphor, buttery prickly ash.

Palate: Sea salt with a buttery lemon tang. Caramelised shellfish, like the flavours you get when you’ve grilled lobster tail or fresh bugs on the BBQ. Full flavoured without being overpowering.

Finish: Quite a long, salty and drying finish; some mocha notes too. With time in the glass the finish also seems to deliver some more smoke & flavours more akin to the Lagavulin 16 year old, yet in a more delicate way. Some residual warmth; powdery cocoa & oaky vanilla notes in the slow, gentle fade.

Comments: A much more crisp and nuanced dram than the Lagavulin 16; a lot less smoke but there is still the expected element of Islay peat that you would hope from a Lagavulin. It’s been matured in American oak rather than ex Sherry casks like its 16 year old stablemate, and bottled at a natural cask strength of 54.4%.

I have to admit I took a while to taste this one, which involved topping up the glass a number of times. In part because it’s quite a smooth yet multi-layered dram that seems to reveal just a little more with each sniff or sip, but also partly because I was enjoying it so much and it’s so easy drinking that I simply got blissfully distracted from the task at hand.

Whisky #380 – Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 6.3 Cask Strength Single Malt

August 3, 2015 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Bruichladdich Octomore Edition 6.3 Cask Strength Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 64.00%. Tasted at my good friend Kiwi’s place, $298 (bottle).

Colour: Brilliant deep golden.

Nose: Sweet, cool smoke. Vanilla sponge cake, raspberry & dark chocolate. Like the faint whiff of a fireplace burning in a distant cabin on a crisp winter evening in the mountains.

Palate: Intense yet crisp; salty and smokey. Salted caramel and smoked cod. Lemon sorbet notes too; tangy yet a hint of sweetness.

Finish: Long and full. A zesty and salty tang, gently tingling the front of the palate while the flavours linger all around the mouth.

Comments: Octomore 6.3 was a much anticipated expression from Bruichladdich, representing their first release utilising barley grown on the island of Islay. Due to Islay’s harsh climate, the yield from this crop was quite low, so I don’t see this being a movement that Bruichladdich will make for all of their production, but will likely continue for special expressions like the Octomore 6.3. And geez, this is a pretty special dram.

This barley was peated to 258ppm, which is ridiculously high. To put this in perspective, the Octomore 6.1 (which previously held the mantle of the world’s peatiest malt) contains 167 phenol parts per million, whereas a run of the mill Ardbeg 10 year old contains around 55ppm.

Right after tasting the Octomore 6.3 I re-tasted the Octomore 6.1, which is a whisky I came to appreciate more and more over the past 12 months (read: 3 bottles worth). Looking back now, my initial tasting notes from last September don’t do the Octomore 6.1 justice (perhaps because I’d also tried another half dozen whiskies that day). I love the 6.1’s smooth, chocolatey and smokey notes that build, with some delicious caramelised char-grilled meaty flavours. It’s a slightly smoother drop than the 6.3, which is a little more upfront. That said, both Octomores are very much slapping you in the face and bursting with flavour.

Overall, I think I prefer the 6.1 as it’s a little more balanced, but the 6.3 is a brilliant expression with a slightly fuller flavour. Which is a little like comparing two top end Ferraris and saying that one has slightly more horsepower than the other, when in reality you just want to enjoy two magnificent creations of impeccable pedigree.

Whisky #379 – Glenglassaugh Evolution Single Malt

July 27, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenglassaugh Evolution Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 57.2%. Tasted at my good friend Kiwi’s place, $27 (100mL bottle split).

Colour: Extremely pale straw.

Nose: Grassy notes with a citrus prickle.

Palate: Lemon sherbet zings on the front of the palate. White pepper and oak notes too.

Finish: Warmth tingles on the front of the palate and all around the mouth. It’s quite a long and dry finish with some salty lemon notes.

Comments: Making use of first fill ex-bourbon casks (from George Dickel I believe), there’s definitely an abundance of fresh oak and peppery notes but not much evidence of the typical honeyed vanilla flavours you might expect. There’s a freshness about it and some nice flavours going on, but it’s not a mouthfeel that I really warm to – it just comes across as a little too young and brash. It represents one of the NAS releases since Glenglassaugh was brought back to life, the distillery having been mothballed from 1986 until it was refurbished and recommenced production under new ownership in 2008.

Having moved from Perth across to Sydney for work, I couldn’t bring my entire whisky collection…some of that was bequeathed to a few of my good mates before I departed. However I did pick up a handful of 100mL bottle splits before I left as they were much more easily transportable and also provide the opportunity to try a broader range of whiskies without lashing out on a full bottle. Stay tuned for a few more shortly, there’s a couple of interesting ones coming up!

Whisky #377 – Bell’s Finest Old Blended Scotch Whisky

July 10, 2015 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Bell’s Finest Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at the City Park Motel & Apartments, Wagga Wagga (the town so good they had to name it twice). $0 – courtesy of my able road trip buddy Pete.

Colour: Dehydrated truckie’s piss. Bear with me, continuing the road trip theme…

Nose: Floral notes, a touch of fresh strawberry then a funny prickle in your nose as you pull away from the glass. Pete got a hint of oak & sultanas with an antiseptic kick at the end.

Palate: Like licking a dried ice cream stick. Mixed spices with a very faint hint of vanilla. The mouthfeel is as dry as some 3 day old roadkill across the Nullarbor Plain.

Finish: Medium length, quite a drying finish with a dried oaky fade. Slightly bitter aftertaste for Pete. Bit of an alcohol burn as it passes down into your belly. The aftertaste is actually mildly pleasant, mixed spices.

Comments: I tried this one with Pete as we neared the end of a 12 day, 5500km road trip across Australia from Perth to Sydney. I’m really looking forward to starting a new job in Sydney next week, but I’m also looking forward to explore the Sydney whisky scene.

After such long days on the road, it’s been good to unwind with a dram, but unfortunately isolated roadhouses in the middle of Australia don’t have the best whisky selection. Luckily I brought a dozen of my favourite bottles with me for the ride!

Pete helpfully threw in this little bottle of Bell’s for a bit of a laugh to give us something interesting to taste & for me to review. It’s not a particularly complex whisky, but to be fair it’s probably not aiming to be a world beater. It’s surprisingly better than I had anticipated. Like a roadhouse motel in the middle of Australia, you’re thankful for the comfort it provides but you don’t have high expectations. Perfectly quaffable, but I’m not about to rush out and buy a bottle.

Whisky #376 – SMWS 123.9 The Big Fat Tipsy Wedding

July 3, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 123.9 The Big Fat Tipsy Wedding. 16 year old single cask from Glengoyne distillery, Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 56.6%. Tasted at home, $258 (bottle).

Colour: Rich caramel.

Nose: Golden syrup, honeycomb, dusty bookshelves. My mate Pete had a nose and got blackcurrants, sultanas and muscat.

Palate: Tangy, spicy, orange syrup flavours – think Duck a l’Orange, but with an Asian twist – star anise, cinnamon and cloves. It actually reminds me of Kylie Kwong’s crispy skin duck from her Sydney restaurant Billy Kwong. Fantastic stuff.

Finish: Drying tobacco notes, like the aftertaste of a good cigar.

Comments: Like attending any wedding, your mind drifts to loves you’ve had and lost, those you’ve missed because of unfortunate timing, or those in the wedding party that you wouldn’t mind, ahem, getting to know a little better. Drinking this dram caused my mind to wander, contemplating not just these aforementioned things but also musing at the amazing complexity of this whisky. I also wonder what whisky I will serve at my own wedding some day…surely a top shelf cask strength one at the wedding party’s table, as I’m sure I’ll only marry a woman who is a massive whisky fan!

Whisky #372 – Cadenhead Creations 20 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky

June 26, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Cadenhead Creations 20 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky. Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at The Salopian Inn (McLaren Vale, South Australia), $18.

Colour: Burnt caramel.

Nose: Creamy toffee, with a very faint alcohol tickle of the nostrils.

Palate: Strawberries and cream, but not too sweet. Berry compote and honey on pancakes.

Finish: Medium length, mid palate finish.

Comments: Surprisingly not like your traditional sherry bomb, though it’s interesting in that it’s not too common to find a blended whisky that’s been aged in sherry casks. It’s a blend of grain whisky from Cameronbridge and Invergordon, and malts from Bruichladdich and Mortlach. Quite a unique drop, particularly being a 20 year old. Recommended.

Whisky #370 – Gordon & MacPhail Speymalt From Macallan Distillery Single Malt

June 23, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Gordon & MacPhail Speymalt From Macallan Distillery Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home, $80 (bottle).

Colour: Sparkling brass.

Nose: Creamy caramel fudge, a hint of almonds too. Delicious.

Palate:Biscuits, lemon cheesecake. Quite a dry mouthfeel, not very sweet which surprises given the nose.

Finish: Shorter than I was expecting, only medium length and quite a drying finish. Some white pepper notes in the fade.

Comments: Very decent, especially the nose. Though not quite as fruity or full bodied on the palate as I had hoped it might be after it flirted with my nostrils, you saucy thing you.

Whisky #369 – The McGibbon’s Provenance Highland Park 1998 Summer Distillation 14 Year Old Single Malt

June 11, 2015 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

The McGibbon’s Provenance Highland Park 1998 Summer Distillation 14 Year Old Single Malt. Orkney Islands, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, $115 (bottle).

Colour: Tired autumn leaves.

Nose: Fragrant and fruity, like a freshly cut rockmelon. Some toasty, honied notes too.

Palate: Buttery shortbread, with some spicy (almost peppery) vanilla notes. Oily mouthfeel. A hint of heat from the alcohol.

Finish: Initially a little short, but then there’s some flavours that hang about and them seem to intensify slightly in the mid palate.

Comments: Quite a decent little drop. It’s not a world beater, but it’s certainly a very good drop. Good enough that I can’t think of any smart arse remarks to make about it!

Whisky #367 – Wemyss Peat Chimney 12 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

May 22, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Wemyss Peat Chimney 12 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. Edinburgh, Scotland. ABV: 40.00%. Tasted at Helvetica.

Colour: Bright gold.

Nose: Orange peel, bush honey and a faint hint of smoke.

Palate: Light, cool entry. Front palate cops the flavour.

Finish: Smooth, subtle peaty fade.

Comments: Wemyss are noted for blending together malt whiskies, with this release being a vatting of 16 different whiskies. The peatiness in this blend comes from a 12 year old Islay malt. I was impressed at the smoothness of this one, particularly the cool smokiness – very easy drinking.

Whisky #365 – Glenmorangie Nectar D’or 12 Year Old Single Malt

December 31, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Glenmorangie Nectar D’or 12 Year Old Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 46.00%. Tasted at home, $85 (bottle).

Hello old friend…

I did it! So we have arrived at Whisky #365 on the 365th day of the year! As I noted at the start of the year in my “What is Whisky a Day” article, I started the project on January 1st with Whisky #1 – the Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or – as it had been my favourite go-to whisky for quite some time.

I had earmarked it to be my Whisky #365 on December 31st to see a) if it’s still my favourite, and b) how my appreciation and tasting of whisky might have changed through the course of the year. This will be the only whisky I have officially tasted twice over the course of 2014. There may have been a few I unofficially sampled on multiple occasions…just to be sure I got my tasting notes correct, all in the name of scientific research!

Below I have recorded my notes from this tasting of the Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or on December 31st, 2014, but also listed in italics below my observations from my tasting of it as Whisky #1 back on January 1st, 2014. Ok, here goes!

Colour: Rich caramel.

Whisky #1 notes: Caramel. Damn – am I going to be able to come up with 364 other ways to describe the various golden shades of whisky?!

Nose: Burnt caramel, slightly nutty. Sweet vanilla and soft oak notes. A slight nose prickle.

Whisky #1 notes: Fragrant and slightly sweet. Makes you want to dive in and just taste it rather than sniff it all day.

Palate: Smooth entry, rich oily mouthfeel. Butter, honey and vanilla with a soft hint of black pepper.

Whisky #1 notes: Smooth when it first hits the tongue, slowly warming as it fills the mouth. Sweet flavours with some spices, hard to pinpoint exactly what they are. Tastes bloody good though.

Finish: Medium length, sweet honey and spice.

Whisky #1 notes: Lingering sweetness and a warm tingle at the front of the tongue. Leaves a distinct desire to have some more!

Comments: So is it still my favourite? Have my tastes changed? It’s a cracking whisky, I love it. My mate Brett – whom avid readers will know has been one of my trusted whisky tasting lieutenants throughout the year – simply commented that “it never fails, it’s the go-to whisky”. Hard to disagree with you there mate, the Nectar D’Or really is a top drop and amazing value too. After drinking 363 other whiskies this year, I can confidently say that the Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or will forever remain a staple in my whisky collection at home.

It’s hard to say that another whisky is my new favourite, as it’s difficult for a new whisky to take that mantle if I’ve only tried it once through the year. However, I am very pleased that I’m still enjoying the Nectar D’Or so much after having had so many other amazing drams throughout the year – I was a little worried I may have fallen out of love with it.

You’ll have to stay tuned for my wrap-up article early in January collating all the highlights of the Whisky a Day journey to see my ratings of best blend, best value dram, most surprising whisky…and many more. Happy new year to you all, many thanks for your support following Whisky a Day in 2014, it’s been a blast. I will be continuing in 2015 with more whisky tastings and also starting to explore whisky and food pairing, whisky in cooking and other exciting adventures. In the meantime, grab yourself a great dram and have a happy new year!

Slainte,

Todd (aka Whisky a Day)

Whisky #364 – 1940 Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

December 31, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

1940 Gordon & MacPhail Generations Glenlivet 70 Year Old (Release 2) Cask Strength Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 45.90%.

I really am indebted to a very kind friend of mine who generously gave me this small sample bottle as it would be a fitting end to the Whisky a Day year. Wow – I cannot believe I am tasting a 70 year old whisky.

Colour: Deep amber.

Nose: Sweet sticky BBQ rib smokiness; musty bookshelves, a hint of leather. It’s like opening an old camphor wood chest. Tart raspberries or cherries. Such a complex, layered nose.

Palate: So smooth – words seem inadequate. Velvety, a touch of sherried sweetness yet the tart salty flavours and subtle smokiness are the dominant ones.

Finish: A long, gentle embrace of warmth as the flavours gradually tease and then fade off the front half of the palate. Soft smoke, demerara sugar – slightly less sweet than brown sugar.

Comments: The cask was laid down on February 3, 1940. That’s just after the start of the Second World War. Fuck me, that puts things into perspective. Finally bottled in 2010 by Gordon & MacPhail at its cask strength of 45.9%, it was matured in a first fill sherry butt.

I really, really enjoyed it, but it’s not the best whisky I’ve had this year. An outstanding dram, though I’ve been left speechless mainly because of its age and rarity. A shame it was only a small sample as its incredibly nose and palate really deserve a much longer period of inspection to get to know this dram. Simply sublime…

Whisky #362 – Murray McDavid Dufftown Distillery Speyside Single Malt Whisky (distilled 1979)

December 30, 2014 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Murray McDavid Dufftown Distillery Speyside Single Malt Whisky (distilled 1979). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at The Baxter Inn, $55.

Colour: Dark burnished copper.

Nose: I could sniff this all day. Absolutely stunning notes of golden syrup, toffee, soft oak, fresh vanilla pods…wow.

Palate: Silky smooth entry, stunning mouthfeel – oily, velvety, like having the most gentle passionate first kiss with the girl you’ve always fancied. Soft sherry notes, brown sugar, muscatels…I could go on for hours.

Finish: A whisky this good shouldn’t finish. Eventually it does, leaving a gradual flavour fade but not a whole heap of warmth.

Comments: Stunning. An absolutely amazing dram. I want a bottle of this at home, cost be damned.

The Baxter Inn. My favourite whisky bar in Australia.