Beam Suntory's "Peated Malts of Distinction" - Tweet Tasting - Review

On Wednesday 12th November 2014 I sat myself down for another evening's Tweet Tasting fun in which all involved were presented with Beam Suntory's newly named "Peated Malts of Distinction".

The four whiskies that make up this collection are:
The Ardmore - Legacy, 
Connemara - Original,
Bowmore - Small Batch, 
Laphroaig - Select.

Capitalising on their "leading position in the category", Beam Suntory have brought these whiskies together to allow "both the trade and consumer to explore an extensive variety of peat flavours and taste profiles."

The whiskies involved are powerhouses in their own right and for this collection they have chosen to use NAS presentation (bottled at 40% ABV), which, in my humble opinion, will provide a great entry level insight into peated whisky and allow anyone, who has maybe stayed away from peated whisky in the past, to re-approach this unique flavour in a fresh way.

An accompanying press release, that arrived with the samples, provided some insight into rise of the peated malt category by suggesting that it is currently experiencing a 8% growth rate in the Europe, Middle-East and Africa region.  We are also informed that peated malts currently represent 17% of total malt volume sales within the same area.  

Perfect timing then for such a collection to be presented to the world?

Onto the whiskies themselves.

First up on the evening was The Ardmore - Legacy.

Replacing the "Traditional Cask", as it's core expression, it is described as being "aimed at challenging mainstream single malt brands, offering a lightly peated liquid that is sweet and uplifting."  

To push the boundaries Ardmore have experimented by balancing unreleased unpeated malt with their traditional peated malt.  They have also gone "all out" with the packaging by having a design that "reflects the spirit of Ardmore" which, by their account, is a symbolic eagle and a contour map of Ardmore's home Kennethmont.

Nose - Crisp smoky bacon, lemon biscuits, mashed banana on toast.  The smoke is light and playful.  Sweet, creamed rice pudding with citrus honey.  Not much spice going on here and with time the sweetness eases to allow it to become more green with grass and pine.

Palate - Sweet with underlying earthiness that wasn't too visible on the nose.  Incredibly smooth (possibly too smooth, if possible).  Orange peel, lemon citrus and some menthol.  Spice is still absent and the green flavours lurk in the background with the emphasis again on grass.  Also a light caramel flavour running through the spirit.  Obviously not Islay but great to try against them.

Finish - Short with slight smoke and fresh fruit.

Overall - A very easy drinking malt that's interesting to try against the bigger Islay flavours.  A touch on the thin side and, as with all these whiskies, could do with a bit more oomph on the ABV front.

Connemara - Original  

This is one worth watching as time moves on.  I have long been a fan of the whiskey produced down in Cooley, with Greenore single grain and Locke's being two stunners, but I have to be honest.  Recently, as you may know, I wasn't at all blown away by the new Connemara 22yo and again, with this tasting of the "Original", I've been left feeling a little let down.  

I can't quite work out what the problem is.  Is it that the lovely spirit character of Cooley does not integrate well with peat?  Is it that they are being too restrained and need to pump more phenols into their entire range?  Is it that they have rested on their laurels too much from the days when Connemara was winning awards across the world?  The honest answer is that I do not know but, as I stated, I'm looking forward to seeing how this brand develops under the new Beam Suntory regime because I love Irish whiskey and would love to see this become a great, great representative of what we can produce. 

Nose - Fruity, orange, lemon, pineapple and some red apple.  The smoke builds slowly.  Not massive, earthy, turf but rather light, gentle, peat smoke that drifts lightly over the fruit.  Slight perfumed note hiding underneath and you get a great sense of freshness and vibrancy.  Pear drops appear and a strange plastic note comes through but not in a bad way.

Palate - The very instant fruit arrival is quickly dominated by spice and heat.  Chilli pepper, black pepper and cloves.  After a while the orange and lemon return but you get a feel that it's all a little watery and thin.  There is some wood influence showing through and again the peat smoke just hides in the background.

Finish - Medium due to the heat which lingers on in the mouth.  To get any big sense of the peat you really need to take a hell of a gulp which a) will get you hammered, b) burn your mouth to a cinder with chilli and c) give you no sense at all of what this spirit should be.

Overall - I just find this OK.  Does not fill me with excitement and I certainly wouldn't rush to buy a bottle.  Work needs done to turn this into a whiskey that can truly contend with the big Peat champions out there.  By all means try it if you can and formulate your own opinion but in comparison to the likes of Locke's and Greenore this does not hold it's own.

Bowmore - Small Batch

Any of you that have followed this blog from the very start will know that this was briefly reviewed by myself back in December 2013.  Back then I stated that I was worried about the NAS presentation and expected it to be a young, feisty dram that would be hard to like and to my surprise I was delighted with what I had tasted.  

Naturally then I was excited to see this in the line-up, to give me a chance to confirm what I had thought last year, and compare it amongst it's other entry level rivals....again I was not disappointed.

Nose - Salty, plastic seaweed.  Proper earthy mineral peat that feels it has been ground into the malted barley.  It is by no means over the top though and the peat asserts itself in a restrained way.  Citrus freshness is here in abundance and is accompanied by toasted oats, light vanilla honey and milk chocolate.  The feel becomes lighter with time but does not detract from the fact that this is extremely well balanced.

Palate - Clean, fresh with a lovely combination of lemon, honey, smoke and spice.  A light wood smoke comes through along with some more salty notes.  The spice is perfect and integrates so well with the other flavours.  Yet again I can not believe that this is a NAS whisky.

Finish - Slightly longer than I remembered with smoke, spice and a serious urge to drink some more.

Overall - This has once again taken my breath away.  For a NAS whisky to be so well balanced and, comparatively speaking, so complex is truly a wonder.  With talk that you can pick this up for as little as £25, in certain stores, all I can say is BUY, BUY, BUY.  Really magnificent stuff.

Laphroaig - Select

A release that was chosen out of 6 different samples by the "Friend's of Laphroaig", who also chose the name.  This particular whisky is a real mix up with Oloroso sherry butts, straight American white oak (non-filled with bourbon), PX seasoned hogsheads, Quarter Casks and first fill bourbon casks all being represented here.

Having not tasted this before I was naturally curious as to how all these strong influences would marry together (if even they do?)

Nose - Sweet, malty peat smoke.  Iodine, salted popcorn, pine and pineapple (yes both), sticking plasters, some dark chocolate and with time the sherry notes appear with dried fruit.  As with the Ardmore I get some rice pudding and familiar Laphroaig toasted oats are here.  This is distinctly Laphroaig but much, much more restrained.

Palate - BOOM, we're definitely in Islay now with big earthy peat smoke. Mineral, iodine, TCP, sweet with a little red apple and salted caramel.  Some chilli spice in here which is maybe it's age showing through and towards the end a little tar / oil feel comes into play.

Finish - Decent length with a nice linger of peat.

Overall - A good solid whisky but could this be too over complicated?  Have too many cooks spoilt the broth?  I think this is one that I would need to spend a lot more time with before making a real final conclusion.

Well that's all for this journey through the peated drams of Beam Suntory.

Once again a huge thanks to Steve Rush at TheWhiskyWire.com, where anyone can apply to join in the fun of the tweet tastings, and also a big thank you to Alexandra Gerolami of Focus PR for the lovely samples and press release.

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI

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

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

Focus PR - http://www.focuspr.co.uk/

Focus PR Twitter - https://twitter.com/FocusPR

Whisky Live Dublin 2014 - Review

A few weeks ago I brought you a bit of a preview of Whisky Live Dublin, which took place in the Mansion House, Dawson Street on Saturday 25th October 2014, and now it's only right that I give a brief review too.

Needless to say it was one hell of a day with more stalls than ever before and a bumper crowd of enthusiasts all enjoying the many delights on show.

Now I have to be honest and state that I didn't quite get the chance, during the show, to get tasting notes down but I shall take you around some of the stalls on show and highlight some of the drinks to keep an eye out for in the near future.

Kilbeggan Distilling Company - Their new 21yo blend has now been released and is as smooth as you'd expect to find from Cooley distillery.  Also of note is that the Greenore 8yo is now named Kilbeggan and the Kilbeggan 18yo is now in a Greenore shaped bottle.  The Greenore shaped bottle is now used across a lot of the range and is obviously going to be key in their marketing going forward.

Echlinville Distillery - You may remember a while back when I got excited at the return of the Dunvilles Whiskey brand only to find the first release to be a little lacklustre?  Well everything I had hoped would happen is happening.  After speaking with distillery owner, Shane Braniff, and seeing what direction future releases shall be taking, I can confirm that exciting times are ahead.  A new Dunvilles release should be imminent which shall be an aged single malt (from a distillery unknown), PX finished and bottled at 46%.  All exactly the way it should be for this distillery to make it's mark on the Irish Whiskey scene.  Watch this space for more on these arrivals as and when they happen.

Glendalough Distillery - Up until this event I was only aware of their 7yo single malt but literally as I was taking a quick pre-show look around the Celtic Whiskey Shop a brand spanking new 13yo single malt appeared before my very eyes.  Having tried both I can confirm that both are of good solid quality and extremely well priced in todays NAS orientated market.  If I'm being honest though the 7yo edged it for me but only just.  Furthermore there is some talk of a possible Belfast tasting coming soon but again watch this space and I shall be updating you when I hear any further.

Knappogue Castle - The stand out highlight of the day was their new 14yo, single cask, marsala wine finished, single malt (which is, of course, from Bushmills).  The complexity combined with layer upon layer of flavour was just outstanding and yet again goes to show what Bushmills could be with a little more licence to be creative, hopefully this shall come with their change of ownership next year.  Knappogue also have a 14yo, single cask, burgundy finished, single malt which, while still good, was nothing compared to the marsala finish.

Teeling Whiskey Company - Yet again here in force and pushing their brand new NAS single malt.  A fantastic wee dram and one which I shall be checking out further in the future.  Another taste of their single grain, backed up by their award for Irish Single Grain Whiskey of the year, just confirmed my opinion that it is a class act.

Celtic Cask (Celtic Whiskey Shop) - JUST the three new releases to show off then?  On show was Seacht (Seven), Ocht (Eight) and Naoi (Nine) which was a peated malt.  Stand out of these three was the Ocht which is an older brother of the Sé (Six) which I've reviewed previously but I have to acknowledge that the Naoi has recently picked up Irish Single Cask Whiskey of the year.

Palace Bar & Jack Ryan - Palace Bar 14yo single malt and Jack Ryan 12yo single malt were the two I tried from these companies and have to say both were excellent with the Palace Bar's offering being particularly special.

Ruby Blue Liqueur -  Whilst not a whiskey I believe they deserve a special mention for their presentation of their drinks.  A delicious range of liqueurs which include blackcurrant, wild blueberry, cranberry and chilli pepper (which got my vote for liqueur of the year).  Using real fruit and grain spirit their drinks are clean, fresh and delicious, especially with cocktails.  Well worth looking out for.

It goes without saying that there were far more stands on show but I probably could've went to both the afternoon and evening sessions and still not have seen everything.  

Well hopefully that has given you an idea of what you missed and what to look out for in the near future.  The main point that I took away from this show was that exciting times are ahead for Irish whiskey and judging by the people involved it's reputation is in excellent hands.

Until next time,

Sláinte.

SI

Connemara - 22 year old - Review

As the excitement builds towards Whisky Live "Dublin", now is the perfect time of year for Irish whiskey distilleries and companies, apart from Bushmills, to come up with something new to grab our attention whilst walking round the Mansion House this Saturday coming.

There promises to be quite a lot of new bottlings on show but, to get their foot in the door first, The Kilbeggan Distilling Company have laid down the first marker by releasing their latest Connemara only a couple of weeks ago....Connemara 22 year old.

Now, those of you in the know with Irish whiskey, will be well aware that Connemara has always been produced at Cooley distillery in County Louth and that recently this distillery has found itself with a quick turnaround of owners.  From Beam Inc. taking over in 2011, to Suntory taking over Beam Inc. earlier this year, the distillery, and it's workers, could be forgiven for wondering what direction the future was headed, but now it seems that they are back on track and readying a vast number of releases to please their ever growing fan base.

All good indeed.

To give you a little insight into Cooley I can tell you that it was founded in 1985 when John Teeling acquired the building, which was a former potato alcohol plant, and converted it into a working whiskey distillery.  The distillery itself has both pot and column stills and sets itself apart by practising only double distillation as opposed to the traditional Irish triple distillation as displayed in the likes of Bushmills.

Over the years they have become famous under a variety of releases and brands including - Kilbeggan, Tyrconnell, Connemara (peated malt), Greenore (Single Grain), Locke's, Feckin', Michael Collins, Titanic and being partly responsible for Writer's Tears (the malt part).

This has allowed their style and flavours to reach far and wide and in my opinion would have a lot of people being a fan of Cooley without knowing they were a fan of Cooley.

With regards to their Connemara my previous experiences have been a touch varied.  At times I've found it either being a big peaty beast, slapping you about the face, or a gentle tame smoky softy that just caresses at your love for all things turf.

For me, this Connemara 22 year old, is bang in the middle.

Bottled at 46% ABV, costing about £140 / €170 and un-chilfiltered, here's what I thought:

Nose - The initial feel is that this is not a peat monster.  There's a lovely mix of peat smoke, earthy turf and green notes of fruit and herbs.  Smooth cereal and malt with a touch of pepper.  Wood smoke.  Light vanilla.  Fresh green apple, lemon oil and fresh oak.  Quite youthful for a 22 year old in my opinion.  With time the smoke turns to that smell you get from your clothes the morning after standing beside an open fire the night before.

Palate - Sour arrival, very sour, bitter lemon becoming sweet with plenty of clove and more pepper.  Again, this is not a peaty beast but the rather the smoke interacts nicely with the spice and fruit flavours which continue with green, and now some red, apple.  Toasted malt, some chilli but not hot.  More lemon, now with orange, and some ash with a background of a damp burnt wood note, which isn't as unpleasant as it sounds.

Finish - Nice length with fruit being more dominant than anything resembling peat, but it is still there either in the background or walking alongside the fruity flavours as it's "little brother".

Overall this is very smooth and highly enjoyable.  I've had powerful Connemaras in my time, and this is certainly not one of them, but the lighter side this displays allows the smooth fruity character of Cooley to shine through.  I'd say that the longer maturation has caused the taming of this peat monster but it certainly has not diminished the whiskey.  

If this had of been bottled at 40% ABV it could have been a disaster.  Full marks to the Kilbeggan Distillery Company for presenting this just right.

All that said, I have to finish by stating that this quite simply doesn't take my breath away.  Undoubtably this a good whiskey, well made and well finished with good character, but I just can't say that I absolutely need to have it in my life.  I can't put my finger on exactly why that is but maybe with a bit of comparison, this Saturday, I can work it out....or maybe with a closer examination all will fall into place?

Who knows?  All I know is that this is why I love the world of whisky so much.  Just when you think you've got one thing figured out it sneaks up behind you and shows you a different side which can completely alter you opinion.

Well that about wraps things up for another review, and this shall be the last before I head down to "Whisky Live", but be sure to follow along on my Twitter page @Whisky_Belfast, this Saturday, as I shall (battery permitting) be tweeting my days adventures which will include, a tour of the Old Jameson Distillery, a quick look around the Dublin whiskey shops, a Benromach masterclass and of course the show itself where I'll be sampling as many new releases as I can and hopefully taking just as many notes to bring them all straight to you in Whisky Belfast review form.

Until next time,

Sláinte.

SI

Whisky Live Dublin 2014 - Preview

With just under two weeks until the big day I think it's about time that I touched base with you all to highlight what is by far the premier whisk(e)y event in Ireland.

On Saturday 25th October whisky lovers from all over Ireland, and further afield, shall converge upon Dublin for the annual showcase that is "Whisky Live".

Run by Ally Alpine, who is also the owner of the truly excellent Celtic Whiskey Shop (which I've mentioned from time to time), Whisky Live - Dublin has become a must for anyone with a love for Irish whiskey (or any whisky for that matter).  

The event, as with the other Whisky Live shows around the world, allows fans to get up close and personal with their favourite drams whilst getting some real insider knowledge from the many exhibitors that are present and this year's show has certainly got plenty to offer.

As mentioned the show itself takes place on Saturday 25th October at the Mansion House, Dawson Street, Dublin which is in a very central location not far from Grafton Street and there will be two sessions available to choose from.  The early session takes place from 2pm - 5:30pm with the later session taking place from 6pm - 9:30pm.

Tickets must be purchased in advance and cost €37.50 with €10 going towards Downs Syndrome Dublin, a very worthy cause I'm sure you'll agree.  

These can be bought either by calling into the Celtic Whiskey Shop itself at 27-28, Dawson Street, Dublin or by telephoning 01 675 9744 (if in the Republic of Ireland) or 00 353 1 675 9744 (if calling internationally).  

In addition tickets can also be bought by visiting https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/whiskey-live-dublin-2014-tickets-12176392919

With regards content, all exhibitor stands were sold out weeks ago with the following highlighted on a recent e-mail circulating details of the big event.  

Midleton are in attendance showcasing their Single Pot Still range and "hopefully a new release or two", while "The Kilbeggan Distilling Company" shall be presenting their brand new Connemara 22yo (which I shall be reviewing later this week) alongside their even newer Kilbeggan 21yo.

These powerhouses shall be ably supported by: Bushmills, Tullamore Dew, Teeling, Knappogue Castle, Echlinville Distillery, Blackwater Distillery, Dingle Distillery, Green & Yellow Spot, Irish Whiskey Awards, Jack Ryans, The Palace Bar, Alltech Distillery, Walsh Whiskey, Dubliner, Glendalough and the Celtic Cask range which will teasing us with upcoming releases of Seacht, Ocht and Naoi.  

For some more info on the Celtic Cask range feel free to check out a previous review of the "Sé" release by clicking right here.

From Scotland we will see Arran, Glengoyne, BenRiach, GlenDronach, Glenglassaugh, Gordon & McPhail, Benromach, Bowmore, Auchentoshan, Glen Garioch plus others and from further afield Suntory, Nikka, Alltech, Jim Beam, Bulleit, Jeffersons, and more TBC, shall all be treating us to their finest releases.

As with most whisky shows there will be plenty of masterclasses on the day for those wanting to either improve their knowledge, get some real insight into a certain distillery or simply get more samples under their belt.  

Four masterclasses will be open to the public with each costing €10 and taking place at the Whiskey Bar, 37, Dawson Street, Dublin.  The public masterclasses are as follows:

1pm - 1:50pm - "Benromach distillery - A classic Speyside"
2pm - 2:50pm - "Benriach Distillery Company - A Decade of Discoveries" 
4pm - 4:50pm - "How to utilize Irish Whiskey in a world class beverage" by Jack McGarry from "The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog" bar New York.
5pm - 5:50pm - "Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey from Midleton Distillery"

Each masterclass is limited to 25 people and can only be booked by, again, either by calling into the Celtic Whiskey Shop or by telephoning.  These tickets are not available online. 

As if all this wasn't enough there will also be a presence from a number of top Dublin restaurants who will be on hand to highlight some fine food pairings to go with your favourite whiskies and the show shall also be partnering with Dublin's top chocolate company "Cocoa Atelier" to again bring some whiskey / chocolate pairings to tantalise the taste buds.

Well......that certainly is one hell of a show they've got planned.  

It goes without saying that I shall be in attendance and after taking part last year, and knowing what to expect, I'm really looking forward to the event and hopefully a lot of you can come along where I'll join you all in raising a glass to a fine day in Dublin.

Until next time,

Sláinte.

SI

Oban - 14 year old - Review

Whilst planning, and looking forward to, a recent holiday to Paris I had the best of intentions to seek out many unheard of French whiskies, and alike, whilst making my way around the little back street bars and cafes, but the allure of local red wine and continental beers, along with a disappointing lack of selection in the bars I visited, meant that as the holiday drew to a close I found myself having not had one single glass of whisky.....this disaster had to be averted.

One opportunity had arose when I was contacted by Donal Loughney, an Irishman, now living in France, who invited me to his bar to sample one, or many, of his massive collection of Irish whiskies, of which he states is the largest selection in the world, but unfortunately time was not on my side and I could not make the journey across town which only frustrated me further in my search for a good dram. (Incidentally the bar in question was "Patricks Le Ballon Vert" located at 33, rue de Montreuil, Paris and which is also a recent nominee in the Irish Whisky Awards 2014 - International Whiskey Bar category)

Still determined to try something new, of the single malt (or grain) variety, my girlfriend and I found ourselves in a fantastic wee literary bar, deep in the Marais area of Paris, named "La Belle Hortense".  

The delightful "La Belle Hortense"

Bursting at the seams with charm and charisma this little place was the perfect location to unwind and relax with a glass of the good stuff.

Looking across the shelves I noticed a lot of recognisable bottles and a lot that I had tried before, certainly no French whiskies in here, but thankfully I spotted a bottle containing a dram I had not yet sampled........Oban 14 year old.

From knowledge I knew that this was a west coast distillery that belongs to the enormous Highlands region and with a little more research I discovered that the distillery was founded in 1794 and has only two stills making it one of the smallest in Scotland.

Oban is currently owned by the beast that is Diageo and is best known for this 14 year old bottling which was first released in 1988.  They also have an 18 year old and a 32 year old release which I can only imagine requires a small mortgage to purchase.

Reading that this distillery benefits from a "West Highland flavour that falls between the dry, smoky style of the Scottish islands and the lighter, sweeter malts of the Highlands" made me quite happy indeed as I am increasingly finding great enjoyment in Highland and Island drams.

Onto my notes (which were quickly recorded on a mobile notepad app) -

Nose - Honeyed citrus and red apple which gives way to a distinct classic, coastal, salty note with obvious hints of fresh cut grass and some light buttered peat smoke.  Certainly seems to back up it's suggested flavour profile and is definitely enjoyable.  As this sits in the glass it holds it structure well and doesn't fall away like others which I personally would put down to a good character of spirit and a slightly stronger strength at 43% ABV.

Palate - WOW, without water this is truly a feisty beast that needs a little taming.  With some H2O the arrival is very measured with a fine balance of sweet malt and fresh fruits of which orange and red apple dominate.  Chilli pepper also has it's say throughout and at times still feels a tad overbearing (more water maybe?), and towards the end some soft oak wood shows itself.

Finish - Longish with a emphasis on pepper and more apple.

Overall I feel that this is a decent malt that has some depth but it needs a lot of time, patience and experience to get the most out of the glass.  In comparison it reminds me a little of the Caperdonich I reviewed back in June.  I think I'll be back to give this some more serious attention at a later date.

Well there you go, a malt review and a super quick snapshot of what Paris can offer.  Whilst disappointed not to get to try some local whisky, or visit Patricks Le Ballon Vert, I hope to return to Paris very soon and satisfy both these urges.

Onwards and as we move rapidly towards October I shall be back soon with a close look at the up-and-coming "Whisky Live - Dublin" which takes place on Saturday 25th October and is a must for all Irish whiskey fans.

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

Jura - Prophecy - Review

When I first got into the world of whisky I used to look upon other enthusiasts with a little playful envy as social media feeds were often updated with the latest "whisky fairy" delivery of a sample unknown, or some new release previously unseen, and frequently I found myself thinking "will I ever have a mass of samples to look upon?"  

Fast forward about 3 years and now, here I am, slowly amassing my own little collection of sample bottles, and as my whisky blogging continues to grow I hope the collection shall grow with it and then also, in turn, diminish as I send them off to other grateful recipients and so the cycle will continue.

So, what better way to move the blog onward by dipping into one of these samples that I have gratefully received.  As I made my way over to the bookcase, where my collection rests, I simply reached out to the nearest bottle and as I picked it up I was quietly excited to read the label "Jura - Prophecy - 46%"

Jura "Prophecy"

Jura is a distillery I've had some previous experience of, and like most island whiskies I'm rarely disappointed, but the "Prophecy" expression is not one I had encountered before (hence the quiet excitement).  Made from a selection of "old and rare" Jura whiskies this expression is "heavily peated" and matured in Limousin French Oak.  As I've already stated it's bottled at 46% and without chill filtration but I do believe, from various research, that colour has been added.

Like the rest of the core range, this Jura is reasonably easy to get hold of and can sometimes be picked up at a very good price, around Christmas and father's day, so keep your eyes peeled because I think, after having a good taste, that this is a bottle worth getting.  

And on that note, onto my tasting:

Nose - Starts off with little touches of white fruit but that quickly makes way and the peat influence takes over.  This isn't as earthy as most Islay whiskies but more dry fire smoke, specifically peat + wood fire.  Toasted oats and tropical fruit come through with emphasis on banana and pineapple and after about 5 minutes or so the smoke balances out with the fruit almost perfectly.  With a little drop of water the smoke eases and allows a tangy, citrus, perfumed lemon note to appear and after some time a strange sense of creamed rice also shows itself.  That is a new one on me.

Palate - Steady sweet arrival that builds into a heady mix of smoke and peppery spice.  On a second taste the arrival has little nuances of green apple and honey along with other fresh fruits but when the smoke appears it's heavy, intoxicating and very good.  The smoke effect is still most definitely dry smoke and not earthy in the slightest.  The pepper, and now some chilli, remain throughout but never dominate in the slightest and are certainly not harsh.

Finish - In fairness it's a tad lacking in depth but is of good length with more green apple, this time sour, and more smoke.

Jura distillery

Overall this is a impressive whisky that has enjoyed the addition of peat whilst still retaining it's original island character.  It's also extremely well balanced and I would have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone.  With that in mind though, if I had to find any fault then the "Prophecy" could maybe do with another layer or two of depth and complexity but I say this in the knowledge that I really am being overly picky.  This truly is a very good whisky.

Well there you go, another fine whisky sampled and another review posted.  

In the coming weeks I hope to push myself on and jazz things up a bit by heading out into the wider world to bring you all a few updates with the focus on some excellent Irish whiskey destinations, but I shall also be keeping things ticking over by continuing through my army of samples, so stay tuned.

All that's left to say is a massive thank you to Jamie for the awesome sample.  The favour shall be returned.

Until next time,

Sláinte

SI