Glen Moray - Tweet Tasting - Review

Yesterday evening I took part in another fantastic Tweet Tasting, hosted by Steve Rush of "TheWhiskyWire.com", in which all involved were presented with 5 samples from, the very much underrated, Glen Moray Distillery.

The samples on show were the Classic, the Classic Port Cask and the Classic Peated along with samples of Standard New Make and Peated New Make.

Based in Speyside, on the banks of the River Lossie, just outside Elgin, Glen Moray Distillery has been quietly going about it's business since 1897, after originally starting life as a brewery.

The distillery was closed in 1910 before being purchased, by the then owners of Glenmorangie, in and around the 1920s.  In 1958 the owners set about adding two more stills, to the two that were already present, thus increasing capacity to around 2,000,000 litres per annum.

The distillery was then sold on, in 2008, to the French spirits company "La Martiniquaise" who increased capacity even further by adding another two stills, in 2012, which brought the total output up to around 3,300,000 litres per annum. 

Now, while "La Martiniquaise" use some of the production for their blended whisky "Label 5", Glen Moray do have some aged releases under their belt.  These come in the form of a 10yo Chardonnay Cask, 12yo, 16yo, 25yo Port Cask Finish and an impressive 30yo.

Getting back to the tweet tasting though, I would be honest in saying that it would've been nice to try some of their aged whisky but I was more than happy with the samples provided.

I felt, with the new make included, I was getting a chance to get a true sense of the distillery's character with only the slight addition of cask influence and some peat.

Onto my notes:

New Make Spirit - 69% ABV

Nose - Not as rough as you'd possibly expect.  There's a serious amount of red berry notes going on here with raspberry coulis being the dominant flavour.  Clove rock sweets, hints of white pepper, strawberry opal fruit sweets, orange oil, green cooking apples, ripe melon and cereals with a lovely malted barley background.

Palate - Very sweet then the heat comes, naturally, with clove spice, more clove rock, black pepper and chilli flakes.  You get some malty cereal and stewed orange then you really need to get some water in there.  This allows the orange to become deeper and almost move into a sort of dried fruit spice.

Finish - Lively yet smooth, if that makes sense, with a good dry spice fruitiness.

Classic Single Malt - 40% ABV

Nose - Clean,  crisp, light and summery.  Cut grass, buttered biscuits, light orange oil and you can pick up the malty cereals that were present in the new make.  Crunchy green apple and some lemon sherbet.  Some light pepper and the faintest hint of oak spice.  The berries from the new make are almost non existent but are just about there with candied sweets.

Palate - Here you can instantly see the similarity with the new make with more clove sweets, malted sweetness, orange barley sweets and orange oil.  A little dryness comes through from the oak influence and this is accompanied by lovely light citrus.  This is a proper summer dram.  Needs no water whatsoever as it's a lovely balance of fruity spirit and spices from the cask.

Finish - Surprisingly decent length with more dry oak spice.

Classic Port Cask - 40% ABV

Nose - Mashed over ripe banana, spiced orange and the port hasn't over dominated at all, from the 8 month finish, as there's only hints of blackcurrant and dried fruits.  Still retains a lot of the distillery spirit character.  Lightly perfumed and for the first time I get some toffee / weak banoffee pie.  Becomes deeper, over time, with more red fruits.  Still has the peppery spice from the new make but this time it feels much richer and even stickier.

Palate - Well, quite underwhelming I must say.  Sweet red fruits - yes, blackcurrants + berries with good oak spice - yes, but - it just feels like that cask and spirit have cancelled each other out.  I know that some tasters found this to be the best of the evening but, in my opinion, I found it a little flat and tasteless.  Holding the liquid in the mouth brings out a little more port notes but this fades quickly.

Finish - A little amount of red fruit and dry spice

Peated New Make Spirit - 69% ABV (18ppm)

Nose - We're back to the raspberry coulis but now it's lessened by freshly extinguished matches, wood smoke, charred wood, your clothes after standing by a bonfire all night.  There's a slight rubbery note and some mineral too.  The clove, I would always usually get with new make, is well subdued.  The peat isn't too earthy and you feel you're a long way from Islay with this one, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing.  Bit of a dampness to this too, but again I quite like it.

Palate - WOW!!!  This nearly blew my head off, in a good way.  Instant smoked kippers gives way to the most intense chilli heat.  Wood ash, charcoal, bags of pepper and chilli.  There is sweet malt in there somewhere but this needs serious water.  With water classic TCP / sticking plaster notes appear.  Any thought of being a distance away from Islay has been taken away sharply with this palate, tons of more intense peat going on here.

Finish - More dry smoke and quite delicious to be fair.

Classic Peated - 40% ABV

Nose - Very good indeed.  Tropical notes with fresh citrus.  Wafts of light mineral smoke work well with lemon and a light orange.  A little deeper peat lurks in the background but never comes to the fore.  Toasted oats, green apple, banana on toast and freshly made porridge.

Palate - This comes across as a slightly more mineral version of the standard Classic.  Oak has really taken the intense peat notes and softened them right down.  Slight bacon fries flavour in the background and this feels a little more "spirity" than the other two "Classics".  The extra youthfulness is no bad thing though as this is still very clean and crisp with notes of lemon, orange and a slight chalkiness.  The spirit is of good intensity and right at the end you get some dry oak.

Finish - Not bad at all but, if I was being honest, this could do with just a little more peat oomph on the palate. 

Overall this was a very impressive tasting.  I'd never sampled peated new make before and have only sampled a handful of new makes beside their matured counterparts.  Previous tastings have usually had new make along side quite old whiskies but with these "Classic" samples you can match up the notes of the new make with the 40% bottlings quite well.

All in all I have to say that I am very impressed with what Glen Moray are doing.  They aren't trying to be an "all singing, all dancing" distillery, with fancy marketing campaigns.  They are just getting on with things and releasing very respectable whisky at an even more respectable price range.

I recently picked up a bottle of the standard Classic,  in a local Makro, for around £16.  Considering the ongoing NAS arguments this is a fantastic price to pay for what is quite simply a very well made single malt whisky.

Granted I didn't quite get to grips with the Port Cask Finish but hey that's no reason to be put off.  Quite a few tasters picked it out to be the dram of the night. 

The Peated Classic was my pick of the night, just edging out the standard Classic, as it had a little more going on in the glass while retaining the lovely spirity notes from the new make,  but I have to stress it only won by the narrowest of margins.

In conclusion I'd have to say to get out there and get yourself a bottle of Glen Moray ASAP.  It may not compete with your Brora's or your Port Ellen's, or whatever your favourite "go to" malt is, but for the price it's selling at you will not be disappointed with the quality in the glass.  A personal example I could give is to give me a bottle of the Classic or the Peated Classic any day over........let's say a Balvenie "Double Wood".

As I make my way to Ayr, this weekend, for the Robbie's Drams "Whisky An' A' That" festival, I am already hoping to find a Glen Moray stand waiting for me so I can see what else they have hidden up their sleeves.

Lastly I would just like to say, as always, a massive thank you to Steve at "TheWhiskyWire.com" for hosting the tasting and to Glen Moray themselves for the lovely presentation of generous samples.

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI

 
 

The Girvan Patent Still - Tweet Tasting - Review

Towards the end of August I was lucky enough to take part in another excellent tweet tasting which was, as usual, hosted by the wonderful Steve Rush from TheWhiskyWire.com.  

The whisky on show on this particular evening was that from Girvan Grain Distillery which is situated in South Ayrshire and is a distillery which I had no previous experience of.

Set up in 1963, in an unused munitions factory, Girvan Distillery was established by William Grant and Sons as a staple source of grain whisky for blending purposes.  It boasts a highly impressive annual production capacity of 15 million litres and also is the location for a new single malt distillery called Aisla Bay.  This, however, is not Girvan's first foray into the world of single malt as back in the 60's they expanded the distillery to produce a single malt named Ladyburn but this did not last long and eventually died off around 10 years later.

As you may or may not know, grain whisky is usually produced through the use of a "Coffey" still, also known as a continuous column still, and as a result the spirit that comes off these stills can be lighter, higher in ABV and usually less flavoursome to the single malt spirit that would be produced in a pot still.

This allows the grain whisky to become very useful in the blending process by smoothing out harsher single malts whilst allowing the blenders to achieve a good consistency in nailing down the flavour profile their brand has established.

On the other hand though, as this was my first time seriously sampling grain whisky, I was wondering how these would stand up against my favourite single malts.  Surely with a lighter, less flavoursome spirit, there'd need to be some seriously impressive maturation going on?

The first thing I have to say is that "The Girvan Patent Still", to give them their proper name, have got their marketing and presentation of product down to a fine art.  As you can see the samples arrived in elegant glass vials which themselves were contained within a fantastic presentation case.  This allowed one other taster to comment on how this almost felt scientific.  Certainly got my excitement levels up.

As for the samples, there were four on show.  New make, No.4 Apps, 25 year old and 30 year old.  All were bottled at 42% ABV, including the new make which was done to allow better comparison, and all were natural colour.  





New Make Spirit - Normally this would come off the still at 94% ABV and, as pointed out on the accompanying taste card, this obviously can not be called whisky until matured in oak for at least three years.  The card also suggests a fresh, fruity and vibrant spirit that is a perfect starting point to show how the flavours would develop over time.

Nose - At a lighter strength the spirit is deliciously fruity, prune juice, raisin, concentrated lemon juice, white wine vinegar and a sugary / sherbety feel to it which comes across as fruit pastilles.

Palate - Sweet and sour arrival with warm spice.  A touch watery and vodka-esque.  Lemon, apple and slightly herbal.

Finish - Great green fruit aftertaste with some more herbal notes (maybe basil strangely enough)

Whilst a great experience to try, and while I understand the reason behind bottling it at 42%, I felt that this would have benefited from being closer to 50%.  The watery, vodka-esque feel was a touch bland but there were some distinct delicious flavours in there.

No.4 Apps - In 1992 GIrvan installed a pioneering new still which they named "No.4 Apps", with "Apps" being a term for apparatus.  This new still, operated under a vacuum, permitting distillation at low temperatures.  This, according to the card, produces a pure, fruity and intense spirit.

Nose - Soft, creamy, green fruit, vanilla biscuits, perfumed and aromatic with more cereal notes.  When nosing this you get a sense that the spirit is working well with the effects of maturation.  After time the raisin returns along with a strange feel of a milk ice lolly.  Reminds me a lot of the Irish grain whiskey Greenore.

Palate - Fantastic warm fruit arrival with great strength.  Bags of oak spice.  Sweet, toffee, green apples and the lemon is now zingy and sharp.  Gorgeous spice throughout and towards the end some pepper and chilli which is not too harsh.

Finish - To be honest, slightly short, warm and drying with some more green fruit.

This for me was an excellent example of grain whisky.  Good spirit being married well with good casks and the balance wasn't too bad either.  My only complaint, and this does run throughout, is that the finish could be longer and I think this could also benefit from being bottled at a slightly higher strength.

25 Year Old - Priced around the £250 mark, this whisky has been matured in american oak and should show "notes of toffee, vanilla and caramelised fruits."

Nose - This is distinctly tropical, banana, raisin, stewed orange, red apple, light pepper with more toffee and very perfumed.  Huge sherry feel and great wood effect going on here.  Gets better and better becoming fudgy and unctuous which was perfectly described, by another taster, as sticky pudding.  After 10 minutes it's age starts to show through with a typical dustiness.

Palate - Spicy toffee apple, citrus lemon and orange, caramel, pepper, vanilla cream, ginger and more sweet, sugary sticky pudding.

Finish - Medium in length with after notes of the palate but again the finale just feels, well, a little flat.

The standout dram of the evening.  I don't know if it's worth £250 but it certainly won the battle of the four grain samples.

30 Year Old - Distilled in 1984, this dram is unique for having maize included in the mashbill.  It is lighter in colour than the 25 year old and as pointed out age is not necessarily a guarantee of darkness of colour.  A final read of the cards would highlight "notes of vanilla, zesty fruit and woody spiced finish".

Nose - Still in the tropics, banana, pineapple, menthol, mint and vanilla toffee.  Cereal and oats.  The raisin and prune is still hiding in there but the citrus has eased off compared to the 25 year old.  More light pepper and again no initial sense of age but this comes with time along with another sherried feel.

Palate - Raisins, allspice, clove, dark dried fruit and cinnamon.  Heat is less intense and eases for amazing juiciness.

Finish - Medium, warm and juicy.

Whilst being highly accomplished this just did not feel as good as the 25 year old and to nab this old liquid will set you back about £360.  The underlying strength issue is still here, as with all, but like I said, it is highly accomplished and worth trying.

All in all this was one amazing experience.  A great journey through the life of single grain whisky and a journey that can regularly be experienced through the likes of the tastings hosted by TheWhiskyWire.com.  I can not recommend enough to get yourselves out there and try any tastings you can, however they may be found.  

As for these drams I would have to go out there and say that while the 25 year old was my favourite I'd opt for the "No.4 Apps".  I put this down purely to value for money and the fine balance that this whisky displays.

To nearly finish off I'll take a short moment to highlight that I shall be back again, very soon, with my views on the Oban 14 year old, which I had the huge enjoyment to sample whilst recently in Paris and to finally finish off I'll give a huge thanks to Girvan Grain and Steve @ TheWhiskyWire.com for yet another fine tasting.

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI

Four Arran Whiskies (and 1 New Make) - Tweet Tasting - Review

Those of you who follow me at @Whisky_Belfast will have no doubt noticed, on Monday evening past, my involvement in the latest fantastic tweet tasting to be hosted by Steve Rush from TheWhiskyWire.com.

This was the second tweet tasting to have been held in conjunction with Arran Distillery and having followed the first with envious eyes and salivating taste buds I was eagerly anticipating getting stuck into the 4 generous samples that were kindly provided by Arran themselves.

The moment the samples arrived at my door I was even more excited to see that they were accompanied by a small hessian bag that contained some malted barley, grist and........NEW MAKE!!!!!!!  A real treat indeed.

As I had admitted before, on a review of the Robert Burns Single Malt which can be found by clicking here, I have had very little experience of this distillery but at the same time I felt that the Robert Burns gave a good insight into the potential character of the distillery, hinting at a great spirit being aided by excellent casks.  Surely I wasn't to be disappointed on this evening?  Not a chance.

I shall quickly preview each sample before moving onto tasting notes for each:

Arran - New Make spirit

What else can I say other than this is, obviously, newly distilled spirit which comes in at a whopping 68% ABV.

Nose - Clove rock sweets, sweet malty raisins, rich and sumptuous, some stewed berries and with a little water a more cereal note comes through.

Palate - For the strength on show it is incredibly smooth and rich.  Dark dried fruits and more clove rock sweets dominate.

Finish - Evaporates at light speed off the tongue but is very tasty with sweet red apples.

Arran - 10 year old

Bottled at 46% ABV, without colour and non-chill filtered this is the latest release of their core bottling and is made with a mix of 80% bourbon barrels and 20% sherry hogsheads.

Nose - Lemon biscuits, fresh grassy note, light honey, buttery with mint / menthol through the background. More clove rock sweets that were found on the new make and with this the spirit style is evident here.

Palate - Sweet arrival, vanilla, more zingy lemon and now some orange. Initial warmth dissipates quickly to show some red fruit and red apples. With water the experience becomes sweeter.

Finish - Nice length, fruity, juicy and moreish.

This is a lovely light, fresh, summery whisky and obviously similar to the Robert Burns malt.

Arran - 17 year old

This is the last release in a trilogy counting down to the launch of the 18 year old in 2015.  The oldest official bottling from the distillery at the time of release, this was matured exclusively in ex-sherry hogsheads, bottled at 46% ABV and non-chill filtered with no colour added.

Nose - Tropical, banana on toast, orange, some more grassy elements but now accompanied with some perfume / floral notes.  Honey and mint with gentle pineapple.  The sherry cask has worked wonders with this and with some water an old woodiness appears.

Palate - Sweet red berries, red apple, warming spices, stem ginger, all spice, dark chocolate and stewed orange.  Fruit cake with lashings of butter and with water the spice reduces and the dark dried fruit influence increases.

Finish - Long, lingering, juicy and rich.

Fantastic dram with great range of flavours going on.  The balance between spirit and cask is near perfect.  Here's to the 18 year old when it arrives.

Arran - The Devil's Punchbowl III

In short the Devil's Punchbowl Series is a trilogy which started in summer 2012 and will conclude in 2014.  It is a blend of some of the finest Arran casks with this one having no peat influence but some influence of French barriques.  Bottled at 53.4% ABV, without colour or chill filtration this, last concluding bottle of the trilogy, shall be available very soon.  For a greater insight into this I shall add a link below.

Nose - Earthy and vegetal before sherry notes take over.  Xmas cake, mixed spice, creme brûlée, sweet orange marmalade.  Still tropical with banana and coconut.  Salted caramel and sweet & salted popcorn also make an appearance.

Palate - Intense spice, sweet malt and red fruit.  With water a more exotic waxy feel arrives with peppermint, clove and pepper.

Finish - Long and lip smacking.

To be honest, while this is again an extremely well made whisky, it's not quite my cup of tea.  A wee bit rough around the edges and a touchy spicy but as with all whiskies this may simply be a dram that you need to take your time with as you can still see certain qualities within.

Arran - Miss Black  

Bottled at 51.6% ABV this, distillery only bottling, is now completely sold out with your only chance of getting your hands on this awesome whisky being a constant trawl through the various auction sites out there.  This cask was specially selected by the Arran Distillery visitor centre manager Faye to celebrate her wedding.  Bottled at cask strength this sherry hogshead is just under 17 years old.

Nose - Rich, cocoa, coffee, stewed orange, banana, spicy coffee cake, brown sugar syrup, pineapple chilli jam, slight rubbery note (but not bad at all).  Moves effortlessly into rich red fruits, sweet tobacco / cigar, loads of dried fruit and with water it becomes more exotic with dark chocolate coffee creams......FANTASTIC STUFF!!!!

Palate - Sweet, rich and very, very smooth.  Dusty leather, dark chocolate, woody coffee, dried fruit and red fruit.  Stewed orange, chocolate orange and an amazing balance of sweet fruit and spice.  ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!  

Finish - To be honest this one is a little short compared to the others but I simply do not care.

This is easily one of the best whiskies I have ever tried.  Amazing complexity and balance throughout and one which delivers on nearly every level.  Such a terrible shame it's no more.  I for one shall be keeping an eye on the auction sites.

Well, there you go, that is me now well and truly acquainted with Arran and I have to say, I've been missing out.

Once again a huge thanks to Steve Rush at TheWhiskyWire.com where anyone can apply to join in the fun of the tweet tastings.  It's a truly great way to experience fantastic whiskies and meet fantastic people.  A huge thanks also to Arran distillery for producing fantastic whisky and being generous enough to share it with us all.

As with all of my updates further, relevant links can be found below.

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI

The Whisky Wire - http://www.thewhiskywire.com

The Whisky Wire Twitter - https://twitter.com/TheWhiskyWire

Arran Whisky - http://www.arranwhisky.com

Arran Whisky - The Devil's Punchbowl - http://www.arranwhisky.com/story/468