Bowmore - Mizunara Cask Finish - Review

Happy New Year!!

Back in August, last year, whisky based social media began to explode with a hashtag of #EastMeetsWest and the reason behind this was the long awaited new release from Bowmore, their Mizunara Cask Finish.

Now, NAS whiskies, with a fancy finish, are certainly nothing new, and you'd be right for questioning why such a whisky was getting so much hype, but it seems the unique selling point behind this whisky was the fact that it had been finished, for around 3 years, in Mizunara oak, which had been exported from Japan for the first time ever.

Mizunara casks, whilst widely used in Japan, have, until now, never seen the shores of the British Isles and I was certainly interested to see how this exotic wood would impact on a classic peated malt.

The whisky itself is made up of whiskies distilled in the 1990s which would mean that all whiskies involved in this bottling could maybe be between 15 and 25 years old.  Given that this is a NAS whisky I would guess that we are looking at the lower end of this spectrum and Beam Suntory knew fine rightly that if they were to stick an age of 15yo on this, at the price it retailed at, then eyebrows would be raised even further than they already were.

Moving onto the price, a look around most websites shows that, when in stock, this retailed at around £650!!!  Further investigation would suggest that the inevitable arrival of these bottles onto the auction scene has seen them reach around £1000 per sale.

ABSOLUTELY CRAZY!!!

The release was limited to 2000 bottles and the whisky itself was bottled at a cask strength of 53.9%.

Onto my notes:

Nose - Delicious. Soft gentle peat, as you would expect, with soft toasted oats and rich porridge.  Ginger biscuits.  The fruit borders on the tropical with cooked banana, watermelon and spiced orange.  Nice note of vanilla chocolate which leans towards milk chocolate.  There's a few dusty notes in here that give a sense of age.  With water the wood becomes more prevalent and it is smoked in nature...naturally.  It also becomes more vibrant with intense orange cream.

Palate - Bitter, acrid smoke arrival but this is not as unpleasant as it's sounds.  Definite hint of salt.  As the arrival eases the fruit starts to appear but it needs a little water.  Just before the water was added there was a little dry wood and wood smoke.  With water the bitterness is eased just enough to let the orange and smoke to come together wonderfully.  The casks still have their say though with a lip smacking intensity.

Finish - Great length with the fruits becoming fresher and the mouthfeel becoming drier, think of an intense dry white wine.  At the end the soft Bowmore peat comes back for one last hurrah and this entices you back in for a another sip.

Overall this is a great whisky and a great example of an excellent Islay distillery showing that you don't always have to be all Ardbeg with your peat to get the peat experience across to whisky drinkers.  The Bowmore style is one that I am enjoying more and more each time I encounter it.  This is no exception, the softness of the peat marries perfectly with the fruits and you do get a sense that the wood has brought this all together.

That said, I do have a few issues here.  Firstly, I don't really get what this wood has added to what I've already tasted before from Bowmore.  Maybe a few more tropical notes but nothing mind blowingly different. 

Secondly, the price for this whisky is quite simply OUTRAGEOUS.  In my opinion, those of you who paid the £650 when it was released are crazy, and those of you who are paying £1000 for this at auction need locked up for your own good.  Yes this is a very tasty whisky but I'm going to make a suggestion that might send a few of you over the edge.

There is another Bowmore expression, that I have enjoyed in a similar sense, and it won't cost you the earth to buy.  For me you can all keep your bottles of Mizunara Cask and I shall stick to the Bowmore "Small Batch Reserve".  

At around £35 a bottle this won't break the bank and, for me, is just as tasty.  Slightly different, for sure, but a clean, crisp, peated whisky that shows off a soft character whilst showing the classic Bowmore spirit off in a relatively natural form.

Well that wraps that up and lastly I would to say a special thanks to all who have read this blog over 2015.  Unforeseen circumstances meant that my writing tailed off towards the end of 2015 but this is now 2016 and I shall be getting back into the swing of things with plenty of reviews coming up.  Hopefully you shall enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy tasting them.

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI 

Glenleven Malt Whisky - 12 year old - Review

As we move into the festive season many people are, as always, on the lookout for something a little different to buy for the whisky drinkers they know and, whilst any fan of whisky should be happy with almost anything they receive, it is always nice to see people taking the extra time to find something that's maybe not always available on the supermarket shelves.

One excellent way to achieve this, without breaking the bank, is to keep an eye on the various online whisky auctions.  These auctions do have many collectable items,  at eye watering prices, but they also have many unusual, and older bottles, that won't hurt the wallet and will give said whisky drinker something truly out of the ordinary.

This is what leads me on to this review.  Last year, around this time, I made my first purchases from an auction site.  I managed to pick up this bottle of Glenleven and a bottle of Dimple, another older blend.  The final bidding price for each was £12.50 and with postage I was able to get these two, now unseen bottles, for about £20 each.  For me this is an awesome price to pay for something that can't be found anymore.

A question would always be if what you are buying is in anyway decent, and with a little online research you may be able to get some information, but I find that the adventure of opening up a bottle of an unknown, older whisky is reward in itself and, in fairness, most older bottles I've tried have different great qualities to them.

Moving onto this bottle of Glenleven, it is a 12 year old blended malt whisky, or pure malt, or vatted malt, or whatever way you choose to describe it.  Essentially what this means is that it is a blend of various single malt whiskies and in this case it is specifically a blend of 6 different malt whiskies.  While it is unknown exactly what malts are involved I have received information that two of the malts may be Glenkinchie and Glenlossie.

It was bottled back in and around the 1980s, at a slightly larger amount of 750mls and at a strength of 43% ABV.  The last info, as seen in the picture, is that it came from John Haig & Co. Ltd.

I don't care what anyone else says, for me, a 1980s bottle of whisky, containing only single malts, at 750mls and at 43% ABV for £12.50 (plus postage) is a bargain.

Onto my notes:

Nose - Old,  rich and indulgent.  Starts off with old wood, dusty wood, wood sap and pine.  Maybe a hint, just a hint, of wood smoke, probably from the casks.  Stewed apples, stewed oranges and a nice spirit undertone.  A little citrus and a little PX sherry with dark dried raisins.  All in all this is velvety and very inviting.  With a little water a lovely Jamaican ginger cake note arrives with more wood sap.

Palate - Old and smoky arrival.  Again this is definitely wood smoke and not earthy peat.  A little heat from the spirit and at this point it feels like a little water would help.  With water we get the apples and oranges but this time they feel a lot fresher.  Water also brings out a lot more of the dusty notes and with time we go back to the stewed, sherry notes.

Finish - Perfectly fine with a great mix of fruit juice.

Overall this is a fantastic experience.  The flavours involved here are simply not that easy to find in today's bottles.  The old dusty notes and wood notes, in my opinion, are indicative of the style of whisky being made back in the 1980s and also may give some insight into the way it may have been stored.

I've no doubt that back then, the whisky was produced differently, casks were a little older in their lifespan, storage conditions may have been a little rougher, damper and generally not as clinically clean as some modern day storage facilities and this, for me, has led to some completely different flavour profiles.

I've noticed this in this bottle, older Dimples and Old Parr whiskies.

It is these differences that make this a special experience.  Yes we could all go out and keep buying standard bottles of blends and malts but every once in a while it should be an aim to find something different and, the bottom line is, we don't need to spend hundreds of pounds to achieve this.

Happy hunting.

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI

Cutty Sark - 33 year old "Art Deco" - Review

Hello there.  Things have been a little quiet on the "Whisky Belfast" front recently as I've been off enjoying a road trip around the west coast of Ireland, but now that I'm back in Belfast you can expect things  to move along quite nicely indeed.

To kick things off I've decided to post a quick fire review of a sample I've been meaning to taste for a while.

Back in November of last year collectors of old and fine whiskies were given a treat when Cutty Sark, the iconic blended whisky with the yellow label, released a 33 year old expression.

Named "Art Deco" this limited edition release came about as Cutty Sark continue to explore the rich history, heritage and origin of their brand.  This release specifically focused on the exciting Art Deco period of the 1920s and early 1930s.  Celebrating a time when Cutty Sark found its way into America and "flourished within the emerging cocktail culture and changed the face of Scotch whisky forever".

The release was limited to 3,456 bottles, was bottled at 41.7 ABV and came with a RRP of £650.

Onto my notes:

Nose - Rich orange, wood sap, a little old damp dustiness and it's worth noting the thick consistency in the glass.  Red apple and a little lemon but this stays firmly on the rich side of things.  A naturally indulgent nose.  Hardly any spices, just orchard fruits and blackberries.  There's a touch of soapiness in here, which might be mineral in nature, and at this age I'm not even going to bother adding any water.  Incredibly smooth with no hot notes of alcohol.  "Dairy Milk" fruit & nut chocolate and we continue with apples in the guise of warm apple crumble.  A slight melted butter note comes towards the end and with more time this only gets dustier and dustier in the glass.  Awesome nose!!

Palate - Quite spirit heavy which wasn't apparent on the nose.  This arrives with the dusty notes from the nose.  Old wood is obvious and gives away to the apples - cooked, ripe, stewed, every sort.  Seville orange marmalade and now a little mixed spice balanced with wood spice.  A little more wood sap, lemon drops and after a while this turns to pure fruit juice in the mouth.  The blackberry on the nose is more of a raspberry on the palate.

Finish - Short with some wood spice and red apple.

Overall this is a bit of a mixed bag.  Really enjoyable on the nose, good on the palate and disappointing on the finish.  I love the older style aromas that old whiskies offer up but I'm beginning to find the short finish a common theme amongst the older blends.  Dare I say it that, with blended whisky, it's possible for them to become too old???  Maybe they can but they will still be released while people are prepared to pay for "premium" product.  I've yet to find a blended whisky that I'd pay anywhere near £100 for let alone £650.

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI

 

PS - Thanks to Jamie for the sample.

Benromach - 15 year old - Review

At the start of the year I posted a review of the Benromach 10 year old, which I had sampled at a masterclass at last year's Whisky Live Dublin, and in that review I touched upon the pride I felt Benromach were taking in their whiskies and how whiskies of such obvious quality should be the ones that are paid most attention.

As previously mentioned Benromach are pushing themselves forward by recreating whisky in a style that would've been seen coming from Speyside back in the 1960's and it is certainly paying dividends.

Fast forward to May and excitement grew as Benromach announced the latest addition to their already impressive range - Benromach 15 year old.

Priced at just under £50, the Benromach 15 year old has been bottled at 43% and has been matured in a mix of bourbon and sherry casks.

Upon receipt of a sample I was obviously eager to get the chance to see how this measures up against the very impressive 10 year old.

Onto my notes:

Nose - Rich. Lovely interplay between damp wood smoke, slight menthol and fruits that range from red berries to baked apple to tropical notes of ripe banana and then onto some orange marmalade.  As it softens in the glass a distinct buttery note comes through the gentle smoke.  In time the nose balances out perfectly and retains a zesty zing of citrus.  Spices are minimal in the form of black peppercorn and cinnamon.  With a touch of water a green grassy note appears along with some nice oak char.

Palate - Incredibly smooth and slightly sour arrival.  Sweet oranges and lemon drops are to the front and followed by rich malty notes that border on malt extract.  The smoke is even more gentle on the palate and is also less than what I remember from the 10 year old.  The extra time in the casks has clearly rounded this off very well indeed.  Spicing is again well balanced and again is only the merest hints of cracked black pepper.  With water the sourness eases to allow sweeter notes through.  Buttered popcorn, sweet orange and crisp citrus.  A slight sense of the smoke returns in the form of charred wood and the palate rounds off with light berry and oak spice.

Finish - Lovely length with dry oak spice, red fruits and crunchy red apples.

Overall this is another stunner from the team at Benromach.  With the slight smoke running through the luscious sherry notes they really have, in my opinion, started to get that old style feel to the whisky they are producing. 

Over time I have tried many different whiskies that were bottled long ago, and each time I've tasted them I've always wondered if we would ever see anything similar in the future as the older bottled whisky really is so, so different.  With this Benromach 15 year old I am now starting to see serious similarities.

You could bottle this into an old bottle from the 60's, 70's or 80's and I doubt too many would question that it wasn't from that era.  That said I am honest in saying that my experience of older bottled whisky is not extensive but what experience I have had would definitely add up to this conclusion.

For years people have always asked me what my favourite whisky was and my answer has always been the likes of Redbreast or maybe Balblair and, while they are still answers I shall give, I can now honestly add Benromach into that list.

This really is seriously good stuff and at a price of under £50 some other big companies should sit up and take notice of how easy it is to get things right

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI

 

PS Huge thanks to Benromach for the sample.

 

 

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

 
 

Bowmore - 15 year old "Darkest" - Review

First released in 2007, Bowmore 15 year old "Darkest" is an Islay whisky that has initially been matured in bourbon casks before "finishing" off it's maturation in sherry casks. 

This most recent release has spent the final 3 years of it's life in a Oloroso sherry cask which, according to the Bowmore website, gives Bowmore "Darkest" "the rich, deep colour reflected in its name..." 

It has been bottled at 43% ABV and can be picked up online for around £50.

Bowmore is a distillery I'm beginning to enjoy more and more so when I received this sample as a gift from two fellow bloggers I was only too keen to see if my enjoyment would continue.

Onto my notes:

First thing I noticed was the fantastic colour of the whisky, maybe too good a colour?

Nose - Smoked orange, deep and dark with sherry goodness.  Raisins, light gentle mixed spice, cinnamon, BBQ'd meat and char.  Not too much earthy peat going on in here but more of a clean smoke note.  Red fruits are fresh and juicy and it's clear the sherry cask has taken full effect.  Great vibrancy about this whisky and there's extra wee notes of smoky bacon and dark toffee chews.  Not too many coastal notes going on in this glass.  With a touch of water a distinct burnt match smell comes through.

Palate - Sour, bitter arrival which is very smooth then the red fruits come back and again the juiciness is here in abundance.  The smoke, which has now become a little more peaty, lurks in the background and never dominates although it is slightly acrid.  Just to the end a little dusty wood comes apparent.

Finish - Medium and smooth with raspberry and spice.

Overall this is a solid whisky that still has room for improvement.  The flavours are all present, and hugely enjoyable, but they could just do with being integrated a little better on the palate.  I've no issues with the nose but Bowmore need to be careful not to overpower the classic peat and coastal notes in favour of the sherry, again further integration and gentle improvement.

At £50 I probably wouldn't buy this but could easily be tempted if it was on offer at around £40 or so.  In addition this is a whisky I would watch closely over the next few years for the simple reason that, if they get the balance right, Bowmore could be onto a winner.

Huge thank you to @MashtunandMeow for the sample, cheers guys.

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI

Compass Box - Great King Street - The Artist's Blend - Review

Back in the year 2000 John Glaser, an American ex-pat with previous experience in the wine industry and an excellent knowledge of the whisky industry, decided to create "Compass Box Whisky Company", with an emphasis on evolving practices in the industry to make Scotch whisky more approachable, and relevant, to more people.

Right from the start his ambition was to create an exciting whisky company that re-established the standards for quality and style within the industry and, with this vision, Compass Box soon gathered serious momentum which, in turn, was backed up by releases of new, imaginative whiskies that pushed the boundaries and grabbed attention. 

Some of these releases included:

"Spice Tree" which, in it's initial form, ruffled a few feathers at the Scotch Whisky Association.  This was subsequently adjusted and is now presented as a blend of Highland malts that have been aged in special casks that have been fitted with new French Oak heads.

"The Peat Monster" which is a blend comprising of an Islay malt and other medium peated Highland whiskies.

"Hedonism" which is a unique blend of grain whiskies that have been mostly aged in first fill American oak casks.

All releases appear a little different from "the norm" and all seem to point towards the company heading in an exciting direction.

The innovation does not simply stop with the contents of their bottles as Compass Box have added a top notch website into the mix.  Visitors to this well maintained site are treated to nothing less than an intoxication of knowledge, and insight, that is rarely seen elsewhere in the whisky industry.

Compass Box don't hold back when discussing their whiskies and will go as far as they legally can to inform their fans, and customers, as to what is in their bottles.  Such transparency is hardly commonplace and, while I understand the absolute need for certain secrecy, I am drawn to the refreshing nature of Compass Box's openness.

Now that I've given a quick overview of Compass Box I shall move onto the whisky at hand - Great King Street (The Artist's Blend).

Compass Box believed they had identified an issue with "blended" whiskies in that people had grown accustomed to taking the term "blended" to mean that the whisky was somehow inferior and, with this in mind, they set about creating the Great King Street range.

In order to change these perceptions the premise behind the Great King Street range was to show these persons, that would otherwise shun "blended" whisky, that this style can be excellent and, to achieve this, they adopted a course of action to marry "the very best whiskies that have been aged in the finest quality oak".

The two styles that have been created, so far, are the Artist's Blend and the Glasgow Blend.

For these styles they have brought together a high proportion of malt whisky, over 50% in the Artist's  Blend, with grain whisky that has been completely matured in first fill American barrels.

With regards the Artist's Blend, specifically, the "no holds barred" attitude towards information sharing is displayed brilliantly on their website with the following details.

The Artist's Blend is made up of the following:

46% Lowland grain whisky
28% Northern Highland single malt whisky
17% Another Northern Highland single malt whisky
9% Speyside single malt whisky

And with regards maturation they continue:

66% First fill American oak
26% New French oak finish (New-headed barrel)
8% First fill sherry butt

All of these components have been brought together with no chill-filtration, no colouring and have been bottled at 43% ABV.

Amen to all that!!

Onto my notes:

Nose - Fresh and clean.  All butter lemon biscuits, soft light grains and gentle orange.  I have to say that I picked up a slight sense of a light fresh coastal feel with a touch of sea air and a little mineral chalkiness.  No smoke here whatsoever.   Milk chocolate, soft raisin and a light malt sweetness which is smooth and creamy.

Palate - The soft light grain dominates the arrival and is ably backed up by the malt component.  Fresh citrus, lemon, orange and now some nice peppery notes that give a good lip smacking warmth to the experience.  A little wood sap, from the casks, gives a green feel and again the whole style is smooth and sweet.

Finish - Light pepper, apple and citrus which is again clean, fresh and delicately delicious.

Overall this is a fantastic blend that, in my opinion, is ideal for the summer but would stand up at any time of the year.  Undoubtedly well made and displaying a strong complexity.  I'm not one to say that the term "blended" means inferiority but this certainly has raised the profile of the category.

I personally felt this had a slight Irish feel to it, with a gentle nod towards some of the good grain coming from Cooley, and, after reading the openness of the ingredients online, I was hooked into seeing how well the components would work together.  In this case, there's no doubt at all, they work exceptionally well.

I'm all for whisky companies pushing the boundaries in the right way, with a true understanding of how to make good whisky, and having sampled what Compass Box are creating I, for one, will be back for more.

I've included a link for the website below and strongly urge you all to have a good look yourselves and see what they're up to.

Lastly I'd just like to thank Kirsty and Stewart of whiskycorner.co.uk for the sample, cheers guys.

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI

Compass Box Website - http://www.compassboxwhisky.com/index.php

Abrachan (Lidl) - Blended Malt - Review

Just before Christmas I was doing my usual rounds of the supermarkets, checking out what delights were on offer, and upon passing a local branch of Lidl I thought I'd take a quick peek in case there was something different on the shelves.

How right I was as I immediately spotted a bottle not previously seen by myself.

This "own brand" bottling was named Abrachan.  Now normally I'd not be too interested in such a product but after checking out the packaging I was a little more intrigued. 

The information I was getting was that this was a blended malt, seldom seen these days, and was a triple matured whisky having drawn upon malt whiskies that had spent time in bourbon barrels, Oloroso sherry butts and Tawny port pipes. 

A further check revealed a bottling strength of 42% ABV and that this whisky had come to us courtesy of Clydesdale Scotch Whisky Co., Glasgow, G2 5RG.

Now, the reason I included the postcode is that after a little searching on the internet I discovered that this postcode is the very same used by Whyte & Mackay and relates to their headquarters on St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.

As highlighted within a recent Facebook group, Whyte & Mackay have a large range of whiskies to choose from, above and beyond those from their own distilleries, and therefore your guess is as good as mine as to which whiskies have been used to make this blend.

Pleasantly surprised at the fact this was blended malt, triple matured and bottled at a higher than usual 42% ABV I decided to take a punt whilst quietly telling myself to expect very little, after all it was a supermarket own brand released specifically at Christmas.

Very little is what I got.

Onto my notes:

Nose - Not too bad but very young and unbalanced.  All the usual red fruits were here with the slightest hint of buttered creaminess but all in all they were not integrated well.  The main problem was a distinct off note that smelt rather like rotten eggs.  Could this be my first experience of a sulphur laden cask??

Palate - Thin, watery, young, raw spirit that's had what feels like just a slight influence of possibly 3rd fill casks.  Again very unbalanced and a little nasty.  Only real positive was a slight red fruit note that dried on the mouth but this really isn't too far off being flavoured vodka.

Finish - What finish?

Overall one to definitely be avoided.  Whilst I commend supermarkets for going a little bit further in getting a decent, supposed, presentation out there, with the 42% and all, they really need to start taking a little interest in what's going into the bottle.  It's hard to believe that everything in here is malt whisky as it's so flat and raw but I suppose the distilleries do have to get rid of their crap somehow.  I don't know whether I'll stop buying these supermarket brands or not, in the hope of unearthing a gem, but please at least try to keep us coming back for more.

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI

Royal Salute - Tweet Tasting - Review

Back in December last year I took part in fantastic Tweet Tasting, hosted of course by Steve Rush of "TheWhiskyWire.com", in which all involved were presented with 4 samples from the ultra exclusive "Royal Salute" brand.

The samples on show were the 21 year old, Diamond Tribute, 38 year old Stone of Destiny and 62 Gun Salute.

First released in 1953, as a tribute to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal Salute brand epitomises luxury with the entry point for the range being 21 years old.  In their own words they begin where others end.

For a full run down of the whiskies I'm about to cover feel free to check them out on the Royal Salute website by clicking right here.

Royal Salute - 21 year old blend - 40% ABV

Nose - Tropical pine sap, fresh cut wood, mashed banana with intense orange oil combined with lemon and honey.  Fruit salad sweets and a light buttery note that coats everything nicely.  Oak vanilla is highly evident.  Slight menthol and with time darker notes appear in the form of fruit cake and dried fruit.  Freshness holds up very well.

Palate - Intense fruit and spice arrival which is extremely juicy and quite warming.  Citrus bitter lemon, sweet orange, red apple and clove.  Smooth woodiness keeps everything soft and mellow.  Creamy buttered gingerbread.  Aged wood starts to dry into the finish.

Finish - Slightly short but drying with light spice and red apples.

Overall this is a fine blend with a great marriage of flavours.  As with all these whiskies time is required to fully appreciate the quality that lies within.  Not sure I'd pay the RRP for any of these whiskies but if you have the money then by all means splash out.  Whilst you will be buying something that looks good and tastes good I can't help thinking that there are other bottles out there that would offer better value for money.

Royal Salute - Diamond Tribute blend (21 year old) - 40% ABV

Nose - Not dissimilar to the 21 year old, which is no surprise due to the same age, but this has a much more fresh green feel via some fresh cut grass and a touch of a mineral note.  Orange oil and lemon are still here and now with a distinct brown sugar sweetness.  As with the 21yo, this becomes more "sherried" and rich with mixed spice, Christmas pudding, vanilla cream and indulgent banoffee pie.

Palate - The mineral note on the nose is still apparent on the arrival and this is not as spicy as the 21yo with everything being a bit sweeter and softer.  Sweet and sour lemon drops, light apple and some more oak feel but, as with the spiciness, this is not as drying as the 21yo.  This is more of a fruit juice dram.  Just as it develops, there is a faint hint of dry smoke lingering in the background which is not so much peat but possibly from the cask.

Finish - Longer than the 21yo but just the same with spice and apple.

Overall this just edges the 21yo due to an extra level of flavour and complexity. 

Royal Salute - 38 year old Stone of Destiny blend - 40% ABV

Nose - Intense and tangy with a fine sense of age, wood sap and old dusty leather bound books.  This is a serious step up and you just don't get whisky made like this anymore.  Menthol, milk chocolate and orange oil combine to give a Terry's chocolate orange feel.  Some redness in here too with strawberries and redcurrants coming to the fore.  Light clove spice with a delicate wood spice that's extremely well balanced in the make up of all the flavours.  Some more light wood smoke. Rum and raisin ice cream.  Loads going on here.

Palate - Sharp arrival that instantly gives way to old dusty malt that still packs a serious punch when it comes to flavour.  Wood influence is instantly obvious as the dryness begins early and continues throughout.  Dark fruits, peppermint, stewed oranges and blackcurrant jam.  Extremely rich and indulgent.  The wood influences asserts itself further with tingly spice and some more dry smoke.

Finish - Medium with rich dark fruit and winter spice.

Overall this is a brilliant blend.  For a whisky of 38 years of age to retain so much freshness and flavour is a marvel.  The age is quite obviously there but balances so nicely with the spirit and cask flavours.  In honesty though I, again, wouldn't pay the RRP which appears to be the high side of £550.

Royal Salute - 62 Gun Salute blend (40 year old) - 43% ABV

Nose - To be fair this is not as obviously old as the 38 year old.  Sweet tobacco, coffee beans, cocoa, dark chocolate orange, banoffee pie and cinnamon snaps.  This is slightly perfumed and the wood smoke again flirts in the background.  Soft pine, wood polish and a sense of some really old sherry wood which is quite simply fantastic.

Palate - Damp, old dusty wood that's packed with spice and tannins.  Sweet intense orange, pine sap, ginger cake, lemon oil and dry spice.  The spice holds back just enough before moving onto thick brown sugar syrup and melted butter.  More Christmas pudding, butter biscuits and light dry smoke that moves towards a lip smacking finish.

Finish - Longish with an excellent feeling of luxurious red apple.

Overall this is a serious glass of whisky and something everyone should try at least once.  Again far too expensive to justify but the experience of sampling something so old, and so different to modern day whiskies, is one that should be sought out.

Throughout this range there is a clear style of flavours running alongside some serious cask influence and to that end the master blender has done a great job.

All I have to say is a seriously huge thank you to Steve Rush at TheWhiskyWire.com for the opportunity to sample something so unique and another thank you to Chivas Regal / Royal Salute for the samples.

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI