Speyside Archives - Whisky a Day

Whisky #597: SMWS 44.143 Good Traditional Fare

January 8, 2023 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 44.143 Good Traditional Fare. 17 year old cask strength, single cask bottling from Craigellachie distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 57.0%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $260 (bottle).

Colour: Electric amber.

Nose: Initial nose prickle, then quickly giving away to caramelised balsamic, blueberries and sweet BBQ beef jerky.

Palate: Heavy, chewy and rich. Dried muscatels, smoked honey, rich raspberry jam and salted caramel macarons. Sweet cigar box & saxophone reed woody notes.

Finish: A drying finish, with a long-lingering warmth on the front half of the palate.

Comments: It’s a delightfully intense and chewy dram. A meaty and oily mouthfeel, but then a drying finish. The contrasting flavours and sensations perhaps reflect the double cask maturation, initially in an ex bourbon hogshead, then finished in 1st fill ex Olorosso sherry barrique. I can’t help but wonder if the bold, meaty, and oily flavours and mouthfeel are driven to a large extent by Craigellachie’s worm tub condensers, which are nowadays somewhat of an outlier compared to most distilleries with shell & tube condensers.

A definite departure from the typically grassier, lighter notes of Craigellachie’s original bottlings, but damn it’s a tasty drop. Worth every penny.

Whisky #595: Signatory Vintage Benrinnes 1996 Aged 23 Years Single Malt

August 24, 2022 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Signatory Vintage Benrinnes 1996 Aged 23 Years Single Malt (bottle 240 of 287). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 52.6%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $325 (bottle).

Well, it’s been a minute. Got engaged, have a kid on the way, and running a small consulting business through a pandemic! It’s definitely time to sit down for a well-deserved dram!

Colour: Honied gold.

Nose: Yeasty, meaty notes. Caramelised char grilled steak. Stewed raspberry notes, like you’re slow boiling a berry coulis.

Palate: Grassy notes front of palate. Blueberries, salted caramel, dark chocolate and a very faint hint of Szechuan pepper. A drying mouthfeel. Glides off the tongue and through the mouth much softer than might be expected for a whisky at 52.6% ABV.

Finish: A long citrus tang on the front of the tongue. Cigar tobacco leaf, white pepper and mandarin peel notes in the gradual fade out.

Comments: A banquet in a glass. Zesty and fresh, meaty and fruity, with some savoury spice too. Ridiculously easy to drink, a top dram.

Whisky #592: Aberlour Casg Annamh Single Malt

January 20, 2022 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Aberlour Casg Annamh Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 48%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $115 (bottle).

Colour: Golden touch.

Nose: Fresh and creamy. Muted orange and lemon peels with soft notes of freshly baked buttery pastry.

Palate: Raw fresh honeycomb, juicy nectarines

Finish: A long but gentle fade; cinnamon, cloves and honey flavoured boiled lollies.

Comments: According to the label, Casg Annamh means “rare cask” in Gaelic. It then goes on to describe it as been selected from whisky matured in Oloroso sherry casks and two different types of American oak casks. Hardly rare. It would seem the Aberlour marketing department have gone a little off piste with the “rare cask” description and “Small Batch 0001” labelling, perhaps in an attempt to position it as more of a “craft” whisky? Regardless, if you approach this expecting something rare and quite different you’ll be a little disappointed.

It’s a pleasant enough dram, but it doesn’t really hit any great heights. It doesn’t have a huge sherry influence for which many Aberlour whiskies are known, so regular fans may be intrigued to try this to see a slightly different take on the usual house style.

Whisky #589: SMWS 46.72 Jungle Slippers

November 16, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 46.72 Jungle Slippers. 25 year old cask strength, single cask bottling from Glenlossie distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 53.8%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $399 (bottle).

Colour: Cool gold.

Nose: It’s a subtle nose, quite delicate. Lemon madeleines and caramelised pineapple cooked on the bbq.

Palate: Earthy and zesty. Gremolata, orange marmalade on hot buttered toast, and passionfruit pulp.

Finish: Soft cigar box, dark chocolate and vanilla sponge cake. Medium length, with a gentle salty warmth. A lemon sherbet fizz in the fade.

Comments: An outstanding drop, absolutely faultless. Multi faceted and utterly delicious, you could keep unpacking this one for ages but it’s probably best to not overthink it and just sit back, sip and enjoy.

Whisky #587: Glenfiddich Fire & Cane Single Malt

November 7, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Glenfiddich Fire & Cane Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $80 (bottle).

Colour: Brightly polished brass.

Nose: Fresh apricots, dried dates and a whiff of smoke. Campfire smoke, as distinct from peat.

Palate: A thin mouthfeel is the first thing you notice. Not a good sign. Toasted banana bread, black currant pastilles, passionfruit syrup and the juices from the bottom of of bowl of fruit salad. Nice flavours, just a shame you just have to work quite hard to get it all.

Finish: A slightly salty, cane flavour. Like sucking on a fresh saxophone reed. Salted caramel notes in the fade.

Comments: Fire & cane & disappointment. It’s billed as a “smokey whisky finished in sweet rum casks”, but fans of either style will likely be a little underwhelmed. It’s like the flavours have been dialled down too far through the dilution to 43% ABV. I can and do enjoy whiskies at 43%, however this one is a little too watery. You can’t help but wondering in the desire to appeal to a wider audience Glenfiddich have gone a little too far.

Whisky #583: SMWS 7.234 Appealing Apricot Jamboree

October 5, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 7.234 Appealing Apricot Jamboree. 8 year old cask strength single cask release from Longmorn Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 57.5%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $149 (bottle).

Colour: Glistening pale gold.

Nose: Gentle but layered. Lemon cream tarts, strawberry fairy floss and tropical fruit salad.

Palate: Creamy honeycomb cake, banana bread and smooshed slightly overripe bananas.

Finish: Pineapple jubes with a salty fade.

Comments: It’s not often that you get to drink a whisky with your photo on the bottle, but here we are. A special release for the Australian SMWS branch to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championships, with the photo in question being from the last edition of the champs. Whisky a Day was front & centre, but alas did not take home the chocolates.

Exceedingly easy to drink, the first bottle of this managed to mysteriously evaporate before it had been reviewed! Fresh, zesty and uplifting, this is a perfect springtime whisky.

Whisky #579: Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba

August 1, 2021 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba (Batch 003). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.4%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $135 (bottle).

Aberlour A’Bunadh has developed a bit of a cult following over the years from fans who love their sherry bombs large and cask strength. The Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba is a new twist on the theme, in that it has been matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks bourbon casks instead of Aberlour’s traditional sherry cask program.

Colour: Australian gold.

Nose: Honey and fresh rose petals.

Palate: Dessert for days. It’s got the caramelised charred sugars and cream of a creme brûlée, then freshly baked apple crumble.

Finish: This is where it lets you know it’s cask strength and means business. Barley sugars and warm honey drizzled over pan-fried halloumi. Plenty of oaky tingle on the front of the tongue that keeps building.

Comments: Fans of the original Aberlour A’Bunadh will be intrigued to try it as a comparison, but for me while the Aberlour A’Bunadh Alba has its merits in isolation, it doesn’t quite have the same layered complexity of the original. It’s quite good, but not outstanding.

Whiskies #575 & #576: SMWS Strathisla Showdown

July 21, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

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

July 8, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

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 #560: North Star Glentauchers 11 Year Old Single Malt

January 20, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

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 #550: Acorn’s Macduff 15 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

March 24, 2019 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Whisky #550: Acorn’s Macduff 15 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 53.9%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $179 (bottle).

Colour: Golden filament.

Nose: A lemony prickle at the front of the nostril…geez that sounds wanky, but it’s actually what it was like!

Palate: Breadcrumbs, buttery biscuits and lemon. But then also fresh herby and zesty…fresh gremolata?

Finish: Oily mouthfeel; burnt butter and creamed honey with a long salty fade.

Comments: A Scottish single malt from Japanese independent bottler Acorn’s…absolutely moreish. The savoury, herbaceous and sweet flavours combine and make you want to rip in have some more. This is some fantastic juice and I’m sure another bottle will be ordered after the inevitable demise of this one in the very near future!

Whisky #547: That Boutique-y Whisky Company Aultmore 20 Year Old Single Malt

January 20, 2019 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by That Boutique-y Whisky Company Aultmore 20 Year Old Single Malt (Batch II). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 52.1%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $189 (500mL bottle).

There’s nothing like kicking back with a great whisky after a particularly hectic day. Though it’s not often your day is as hectic as a velociraptor attacking a shark from a container ship whilst an oil rig burns in the background…welcome to the crazy world of That Boutique-y Whisky Company!

Colour: Rich gold.

Nose: Creamed honey & lemon cheesecake.

Palate: Soft and creamy mouthfeel; lemon sherbet dusted across the top of a slice of lemon cheesecake. Not that I’ve ever tasted such a creation, but this is how I imagine it tasting. A lemon zing, along with a smooth creamy cheesecake with a buttery biscuit note underneath. Divine.

Finish: It’s like you’ve just downed the last bite of creme brûlée and you’re still enjoying the creamy caramelised goodness as it slowly slips away. Medium length finish.

Comments: A cask strength, single cask release that yielded only 215 bottles. One of the best whiskies I’ve tried in some time. I am definitely trying to get my hands on another bottle of this one, an amazing drop.

Whisky #546: Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom Edition 2

January 12, 2019 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom Edition 2 (2008 Single Cask 10 Year Old). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.8%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ (sample courtesy of Whisky & Wisdom).

Following on from Whisky & Wisdom’s first foray into bespoke bottling of a Glenfarclas in 2016, comes this second edition. Fellow Sydney-sider, self-described whisky tragic and the man behind one of my favourite whisky blogs (Whisky & Wisdom), Andrew Derbidge has hand selected this 10 year old single cask at the Glenfarclas distillery which yielded just 319 bottles at its natural cask strength of 59.8%. What a terrible way to spend an afternoon…sampling cask after cask of delicious whisky!

At the time, I rated the Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom 9 Year Old Single Cask as one of my top 10 whiskies I’ve ever had, hands down. Nothing has changed that opinion, it was a mesmerising whisky. Can the Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom Edition 2 live up to its elder sibling’s lofty standards? Let’s find out.

Colour: Deep honeycomb.

Nose: Juicy raisins, golden syrup, melting butter, and fresh leather. More time in the glass yields earthy almost musty notes with the rich undercurrent of dried sultanas.

Palate: A rich oily mouthfeel to start, with flavours and sensations like biting into orange and cherry chocolate liqueurs. Later sips seem to be like your tongue has wandered into a spice market – there’s a barrage of rich flavours competing for your attention. Orange toffee crisps, dried cranberries, cinnamon and dry cocoa powder.

Finish: Treacle, white pepper, cinnamon, cloves and a slightly prickly spice. A long gentle warmth with a drying mouthfeel and surprising slightly salty tang to finish.

Comments: It takes you on a journey this one, it simply demands your attention. It’s not your typical sherry bomb, there’s a lot more complexity and spice.

So how does it stack up to the first edition of Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom? They’re both quite different beasts, as you might expect for single cask whiskies despite sharing much of the same Glenfarclas DNA. Edition 1 was more akin to your typical Glenfarclas sherry bomb, whereas Edition 2 has an air of mystery and has a multi-layered personality. There’s just so many things to explore here – light and dark, sweetness and spice…your tastebuds are racing to keep up with the barrage of flavours popping around your mouth, as your mind gallops to keep up.

It’s not in my top 10 whiskies of all time like Edition 1, but geez it’s a tasty bit of juice and a very interesting expression of Glenfarclas. I’d be very interested to compare both editions of the Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom side by side (perhaps Andrew should organise a tasting!) but in the meantime I’ll be grabbing a couple of bottles of this before they are gone forever.

Whiskies #541-544: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Festive STEPS Whisky Party

November 30, 2018 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Whiskies #541-544: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Festive STEPS Whisky Party.

It was always going to be a tough ask: 7 single cask, cask strength whiskies from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) in the space of one glorious evening at the Royal Automobile Club in Sydney. The whisky equivalent of a rain-affected T20 cricket match where you’re suddenly chasing 273 runs in just 13 overs…

Time to strap on the pads, head to the nets and face a bit of chin music to prepare for the cask strength onslaught that awaits. A cheeky Starward Old Fashioned cocktail upon arrival to get the eye in and then it’s time to adjust the box, head out to the middle and start swinging (read: swigging) for the boundary rope!

Whisky #541: SMWS 6.27 Sucking on a Cough Sweet. 10 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Glen Deveron (Macduff distillery). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.0%.

Colour: Pale straw like a third morning Test pitch.

Nose: Sweat-stained leather, freshly snapped twigs off a small tree.

Palate: Tangy orange peel and white pepper

Finish: Salty and dry; some lemon hard-boiled lollies.

Comments: A good opener to see the shine off the new ball, but not too many juicy deliveries.

Whisky #542: SMWS 2.109 Let the Good Times Roll. 11 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Glenlivet distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 62.4%.

Colour: Like looking into a glass of Riesling. If you’re not a Riesling drinker…yes I am aware of the irony of describing one unfamiliar drink with another. Sorry about that.

Nose: A handful of sawdust rubbed into the popping crease at the drinks break. Freshly cut grass, rising humidity as the dew evaporates off the outfield in the morning sun.

Palate: Toasted oak, preserved lemon and freshly toasted white bread smothered in butter. Creamed that one for six – nailed the tasting note with my last sip!

Finish: A lovely long zesty tingle on the from my palate.

Comments: Raise the bat and acknowledge the applause, a fine partnership from Glenlivet and the SMWS.

Whisky #543: SMWS 9.148 Mustard, Custard and Musk. 21 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Glen Grant distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.4%.

Colour: Rose gold.

Nose: Floral perfume and an old cigar box. Clarinet reeds…yes I used to play the clarinet in my younger days…

Palate: Like chewing into a salty wagyu sirloin steak with plenty of jus. The warmth gently builds like the midday sun building the heat rising off the pitch.

Finish: Tangy, with black pepper. Dry woody notes to finish, like a paddlepop stick on your tongue. Open up and say ahhhh…

Whisky #544: SMWS 73.104 Happy Hobnobbing Moments. 16 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Aultmore distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 55.6%.

Colour: Unpolished brass.

Nose: An old leather belt; ripping open a packet of juicy sultanas. Fruitcake baking in an oven. Butter caramel notes.

Palate: …it was at this point that the required run rate started getting steep and I decided to declare this innings of cricket analogies over. Time to simply enjoy the remaining whiskies of the night without putting pressure on myself to deconstruct every joyous drop.

Comments: Trying to analyse every whisky at an event where you’re meant to be simply relaxing and enjoying some new whiskies isn’t all that festive or sociable! There were some amazing SMWS drams on offer and it was time to chill out and share a yarn with some familiar faces. Another cracking SMWS event as always, many thanks to Suzy, Matt and all the other SMWS ambassadors for putting together a great night!

Whisky #535: SMWS 63.44 Deep Soul Medicine

August 14, 2018 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by SMWS 63.44 Deep Soul Medicine. 11 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling from Glentauchers Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.7%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $170 (bottle)

Colour: Sparkling copper.

Nose: Earthy. Think hessian sacks and oak barrels as you walk through a warehouse at a winery.

Palate: An intense flash of juicy flavour, like biting into a couple of Starburst jellies with the liquid centres. Maybe a raspberry and orange together, it’s hard to tell. After the intensity subsides some mango chutney and freshly baked fruit cake. My trusted whisky tasting lieutenant Kiwi got some berries and dried fruits.

Finish: Spicy, slightly salty and an oaky red wine tannin finish. Blueberries and burnt biscuits in the fade.

Comments: Like copping an unexpected slap to the face, it brings a rush of blood to your lips and wakes up the taste buds with a jolt. An intense mix of fiery flavours all jostling for attention, before sorting themselves out and letting each other have their turn in the spotlight.

Whisky #534: Aberlour 18 Year Old Single Malt

July 10, 2018 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Aberlour 18 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 43%. Tasted while out sailing on Sydney Harbour, $19 (50mL bottle split from Casa de Vinos).

After a hard-fought final race of the CYCA Winter Series, it was time for a well-deserved whisky to warm up on a chilly Sydney afternoon.

Colour: Dark honey caramel.

Nose: Fresh and fragrant; freshly snapped lantana. Like walking into a timber workshop. Lemon, honey and orange sherbet.

Palate: Quite thin texture in the mouth. Front palate gets all the joy, there’s no real mid-palate. It’s a light touch, almost a bit of a letdown after the strength and variety of the aromas. My sommelier mate Campbell picked up some floral honeysuckle.

Finish: Light red wine tannins, some very light oak. Some toffee sweetness balanced by salt spray on the lips and rim of the glass as we sail back across Sydney Harbour.

Comments: Quite pleasant to drink, but the nose has more appeal. Makes you wonder what might have been if they’d bottled the Aberlour 18 at a slightly higher ABV to intensify the flavours a little.

A celebratory dram after the race