Category Archives: Whisky Reviews & Tasting Notes

Strathisla 12 y.o. Review

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Strathisla 12 y.o.231

43% abv

Score:  82/100

 

Not a lot to say really.  An absolutely typical, cookie-cutter Speyside single malt.  Though some of whisky’s most iconic distilleries and historic malts come from the Speyside region (The Macallan, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich…), many seem to absolutely flounder under the weight of defining themselves.  Let’s face it…nosed blindly, your average malter would have trouble picking the two big ‘Glen’s’ apart.

Nestled amid this liberal spattering of distilleries in Northern Scotland there are a handful of treasures, though.  Glenfarclas, Aberlour, Benriach, etc.  Strathisla, though not quite in the same league, still produces a fine malt in what is said to be Scotland’s oldest continuously operating Distillery.  Apparently quite beautiful at that.

While in principle it is hard to detract points from a decent whisky without ascribing these deductions to flaws, I can’t help but feel that a lack of personality is a flaw.  And here, sadly, is where Strathisla stumbles.

The devil in the details…

Big juicy red berries lead the charge here.  The nose is absolutely redolent of fruit and honey.  Mild spices leeched from the cask are nearly buried beneath a spray of carnation sweetness.  Almost seems perfumed.  There is something almost like a smear of strawberry jam on this one as well.  All in all…pleasant, though perhaps a touch too perfumed.  Nothing really remarkable here.  The palate is a bit weightier than the nose, I should add.

Perhaps I’m being a little harsh here.  Perhaps not.  I simply expect a reason to go back to a bottle.  If I can’t remember it, why would I do that?  There are far too many exceptional drams out there, and life is simply too short.

Utterly unremarkable, but in no way unacceptable.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Amrut Intermediate Sherry Review

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Amrut Intermediate Sherryjhfjfjhjlhg 061

57.1% abv

Score:  92/100

 

An exemplary showing of flawless sherry cask maturation.  Beautiful juicy Oloroso meets exotic Indian spice in a Monsoon Wedding of epic proportions.  I’m not even gonna wait till the end of this review to let you know the verdict.

I.  Love.  This.  Whisky.

Seriously, I’ve said it before and I’m spouting it here again:  Amrut is one of the absolute greatest, most fantabulous, untouchable distilleries on the planet.  Every new release is a thing of excitement and anticipation.

So, what is Intermediate Sherry exactly?  Well…this is what Amrut have referred to as ‘sandwich maturation’.  The whisky grows old (well…by Indian climate standards anyway) first in Ex-bourbon casks, then in Oloroso butts, then back into ex-bourbon.  I believe brand ambassador, Ashok Chokalingam, referred to this is as a ‘sherry sandwich’ when last we met.

So what is it that makes this one so special?  This…

Nose:  Beautiful Oloroso sherry sweetness.  Raw bread dough.  Orange zest and cherry.  Cocoa shavings.  Amrut spice melange…particularly nutmeg.  Wee bits of eucalyptus.  Raspberry puree.  Soft, crumbly sugar cookies.  Bordering on the perfect olfactory experience.

Palate:  Warm melting chocolate.  Orange (and maybe lemon) notes.  Spicy and sweet cherry/raspberry juiciness.  Again…a slight minty tang.  So much more going on here that I simply struggle to unravel it all, but man…what an exceptionally delicious and zesty linger.  Wow.

One of the absolute highlights of the Amrut range.

Buy Amrut.  Support this distillery.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

GlenDronach 18 ‘Allardice’ Review

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GlenDronach 18 ‘Allardice’

46% abv

Score:  88/100

 

Another far-more-than-decent dram from GlenDronach.  Once you get past the rather lackluster 12 y.o. gateway expression in the line-up the sky is the limit with this distillery.  It’s easy to overlook the odd soft ball from this distillery when the vast majority of their output is rather spectacular.

If opportunity (and income bracket) allows…do meander off the beaten path with this distillery.  Their single casks are often spectacular and much of their old stock is utterly magic.  But let’s stick with the standard range here, shall we?  As I mentioned above, the 12 year old is merely ok.  The 15 however, is a true diamond.  One of the best young whiskies out there.  The 18 then must be even better!

Errrr…not really.  Wait…what?  Gotta be honest.  This 18 is a sweet-spot dram for me (i.e. it is right in the wheelhouse of perfect ageing), but just can’t pip the 15 for vibrancy.

Allardice has a nose of heavy sherry, beautifully softened by age, rich in cherry and cocoa. Spicy notes of cinnamon and gingerbread meet thick ropes of vanilla and a slight yeastiness.  Very pleasant.  Backstopping all of this is a profile typical of sherried malts; pungent fruitcake, mild cigar leaf and deep plumminess.  A warm, comforting nose to be sure.

Touchdown on the palate is led by a slight bitterness, similar to tannic wine.  It develops into heavy raisin bread and mouthfuls of rummy fruitcake (a cop out tasting note, I concede, but an accurate reflection nevertheless).  Ginger too.  And cherry.  Quite drying.  Lovely…but (and not something you’ll hear from me often) maybe the barest hint of sulfur???

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Clynelish 14 y.o. Review

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Clynelish 14 y.o.

46% abv

Score:  88/100

 

We all know Brora, right?  C’mon…the malt that, along with Port Ellen, rests comfortably atop the cult standings.  Well…Clynelish and Brora go together likes peas and carrots.  I’ll get to that in a moment.  The Clynelish distillery was established in 1819.  And 1967.

Wait…what?

Okay…the current Clynelish distillery was built in 1967, right next to the old.  Later that year the original distillery was abruptly mothballed until 1969 when distillation resumed under the name Brora.  This legendary malt was produced alonside Clynelish until the the old distillery finally had her doors shuttered for good in 1983.  The younger sibling distillery has continued production to this day.

Clear as mud?  Alright, let’s move on.

This is a comfort whisky if ever there was one.  Beautiful downhome farmy nose, full of subtle notes that work exceptionally well together.  Light smoke dances with hints of lemon pepper, honeyed sweetness and mild oak.  Walnut and fresh cut hay meet chocolate ganache.  Caramel.  There is an eclair-like scent that comes and goes as well.  An odd note I keep getting that, in writing would seem to be at odds with the other notes yet somehow works is…the smell of a California Rolls (nori, avocado, etc).  Enchanting and entirely pleasing.

The delivery is firm but smooth.  The barley and oak, being prime contributors of course, sing a little louder here than in most malts we see nowadays.  They are balanced though.  We’re not talking over-oaking or bitter barley face.  Flavors are mostly dilutions of what you’ll find on the nose, sans the toffee/chocolate eclair deal.  Is that a hint of peach maybe?  And possibly a bit of a tea-like note?  Great integration.

All in all…absolutely worthwhile.  Everything a good whisky should be, and I have to admit a bit of a personal bias to this one.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2004 (Kentraw) Review

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Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2004 (Kentraw)

50% abv

Score:  81/100

 

Ahhh…provenance.  What’s it worth really?  No distillery places more worth in this concept than our friends at Bruichladdich.  We’re not talking about terroir here.  No, no.  We’re discussing the idea that the prime marketing tool for some of these ‘Laddies is the fact that they have ties so deep to the island (Islay) that they become almost the purest expression of an Islay malt.

Is this so?  Well…in some ways, yes.  In others…no.

There is an absolutely unbreakable metaphysical connection many malters draw between the briny, citric, smoky, iodine-rich peat reek of brands such as Ardbeg, Lagavulin and Laphroaig and their beloved mecca of Islay.  These smells (from the moment the bottle is uncorked) are the truest sensory picture that can be drawn to help describe the island.

This, to some of us, is the ultimate in provenance.

On the other hand, how about a distillery that can claim roots back as far as 1881 and has boldly (and very VERY loudly) proclaimed its ties to the land?  This is a distillery that employees many, many locals…that sources barley locally…that plasters its packaging with the images of places and people of Islay…that works to a minimal environmental footprint…that retains even the act of bottling on the island…and on and on.  This is a distillery that has declared such a fierce pride in its home that it is simply not possible to not like ’em.

Now…one step further.  These Islay Barley releases are farm specific.  That means that not only is the barley Islay barley, but it is specific to one, and only one, of the island’s farmers.  This is what ‘Laddie are calling Uber-Provenance.  And I f*cking love it.

Pure.  Heartwarming.  Refreshing.  In this, the day and age of Roseisle…to see something so…anti-commercial (yet paradoxically commercial in and of itself) is a thing of joy.

So…do we like this one?  Quite.

Nose:  Young grains.  Buttery with vanilla, cranberry and faux white chocolate.  Fruit candies.  Lightly floral.  Lemon pledge.  Fresh orange.  Vanilla fudge.  A young clean oaky malt.

Palate:  Malty grains.  Peppery, grassy and zesty.  Wax and oak.  Kinda bitters along the sides of the tongue…almost tannic feeling and quite drying.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Glenmorangie Signet Review

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Glenmorangie Signet

46% abv

Score:  88.5/100

 

Ever seen Terry’s Chocolate Oranges?  Those sweet little baseball-sized chunks of orange-infused chocolate you hammer on the table to break into slices?  Imagine that delectible little confection distilled and sensuously wrapped around threads of fine old scotch whisky.  Decant that all in a snazzy over-the-top and over-seized perfume bottle and…voila!  Glenmorangie Signet.

A mate of mine referred to this as the dram he would pour non-whisky drinkers.  I can see why.  Much like the vast majority of the Glenmorangie line, this is a whisky that seems to be serupticiously sneaking over the fence into dessert territory.  No shame in that really.  Sweet and refined suits the palate at times.

I’ll not dither away on the marketing hype here, but very quickly…this is said to be built on a bedrock of ‘chocolate’ barley malt and ‘designer casks’.  (Sigh…only LVMH would term soemthing ‘designer’ in regards to whisky production).

Nose:  Terry’s Chocolate Orange.  Coffee and biscuits with marmalade.  Smells bigger than the abv admits to.  Wine and some rather bold perfume-y notes.  More chocolate and ground nutmeg.  Soft fluffy white baking notes.  Sugary.  Millionaire’s shortbread.  Framed in oak.  Very smooth and sensual.

Palate:  Creamy milk chocolate meets otherworldy spice (clove, maybe?  Nutmeg?).  Think Wonka’s waterfall.  Wine-soaked fruits.  Vanilla cream and orange liqueur.  Coffee again.  VERY drinkable.  Rather pleasant through the gentle denouement towards finish.

Age?  20ish, if I had to guess.  (Though I’ve heard maybe older stuff in here too.  In it’s 30s, even)

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or Review

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Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or

46% abv

Score:  87.5/100

 

One of the titans of whisky Wonka-ry (think Bruichladdich, Edradour, Arran), Glenmorangie has managed to build nearly their entire core range around the concept of cask finishing.

Finshing can be looked at as simply another tool in the artist’s (read: whisky maker’s) repertoire or as a somewhat disingenuous way of glossing over blemishes in the product.

Let’s grant benefit of the doubt here.  We’ve tried enough of the unadulterated ‘Morangie’s to know that the whisky itself (prior to franken-engineering) is pretty darn good.

Nose:  Sweet caramel and toffee notes are cushioned in wine.  Strawberries and champagne.  This is all set with mascerated fruits, nut and chocolate.  Hints of salt water and a gorgeous tobacco smoke, almost like a mild cigar.

Palate:  Creamy, oily and coating.  Bit o’ lemon.  Bit o’ wood.  Sooooo wine-rich.  Much like an over-the-top French dessert.  It lingers with warmth and a tangy appleskin note on the palate.  The wine edge from the sauterne cask finish is deceptively enticing and alluring.  Sweet and sensual.

This really is a pretty little wine-finished whisky.  One of the best honestly.  Gotta be careful with sweet wines and good malts as a rule, but when they do click…nice…very nice.  I can imagine serving this with a bowl of strawberries and cream.  Being as sweet as it is though, it is one I have to be in the mood for.

         

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Compass Box Hedonism Review

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Compass Box Hedonism

43% abv

Score:  89/100

 

What a nifty little whisky this is.  Compass Box’s “Hedonism” is a blend composed entirely of grain whiskies.  Light, snappy and full of character.  A relatively easy drinker that will have you sitting up and taking notice.  There is something very different here.

Think Scotch and the immediate connotation (in my wee mind anyway) is that deep malty, heavy and earthy profile we know and love.  Tackling grain whisky requires a suspension of those preconceptions.  You’re coming into something here that will be closer to a North American style whisky.  Don’t let this veering from the norm deter you.  There are some really good grain whiskies out there, even if they are quite few and far between.

Compass Box produces in rather small batches and works with what is available at the time.  They are also not averse to tweaking the recipe as whim and refinement dictate (case in point…latter editions of The Peat Monster).  I say this as a caution.  What I am tasting in the bottle shown above may be different from what you try (fortunately the packaging has also periodically changed, further helping differentiation) in your bottle.

First notes on the nose are big raw coconut and lovely fresh woods.  Hella cool and quite unique and defining.  Extreme sweet notes are tempered with some nut and vanilla.  Cream of Wheat, fresh scone and summer citrus.  Very pleasant on the nose.  Homey, but elegant and charming.  Very, very well-composed.

Clean cereal notes come across on delivery.  Some vanilla and sugary white chocolate (Easter candy-ish?).  Citrus again and a nice austere wood linger…with echoes of coconut.

“Hedonism” isn’t the best whisky I’ve ever tasted, but there really is something that makes me want to go back to it.  Very rewarding in its individuality, and masterfully built.  I’ll remember this one, and will be speaking of it to others.

As a final note I’d like to add that, although perhaps not the biggest fan of all Compass Box products I’ve sampled, I must admit I have a lot of respect for the path John Glaser’s little enterprise has taken in producing their whiskies.  Compass Box has the stones to not only fight the good fight, but to win.  Love it.

         

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt

Clynelish 10 y.o. (A.D. Rattray) Review

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Clynelish 10 y.o. (A.D. Rattray)

59.7% abv

Overall:  89.5/100

 

Clynelish.  A Northern Highland distillery of some reknown, though not necessarily for the right reasons.  I won’t dig in to the sad, sordid details here, but I do just want to take a moment to reflect on the fact that we ended up with Clynelish at the cost of Brora.  No…it is not a just world.  It is a further sad fact that most of the current distillery’s production ends of up bottled not as single malt, but in blends…notably Johnnie Walker Gold.  Heartbreaking really, especially when one considers that Clynelish has the capacity to distill about 4.2 million litres annually.  Finding a bottle of Clynelish, depending on your locale, may be more difficult than you can imagine.

The fine folks at independent bottler A.D. Rattray picked a dilly of a pickle with this cask (errrr…that means ‘good’, in case you’re not too up on your redneck speak).  Young and vibrant, but bearing some attention-grabbing nuances that bely its relative youth.  Cask strength delivery (59.7% abv) helps buoy these notes along on high tide.

This young beefcake, matured in a refill sherry butt,  has what I’d imagine to be a fairly universal appeal.  Sweet, clean and easy enough, but at the same time intricate and complex enough to delight us whisky nerds.  The complexity and meandering development here were quite a surprise, as this is a relatively young whisky to exhibit such characteristics.  A brilliantly timed bottling by A.D. Rattray.

First notes on the nose are rich creamy toffee or caramel.  Buttery, sweet and smooth.  Something akin to those little Werther’s candies we all love.  Bit of a dusty background (dunnage warehouse?)…similar to a pleasant old woodshop.  Something here reminds me a bit of saltines as well (perhaps sea salt?).  Also a lovely fruitiness right up front that compliments the toffee notes.  Hints (and no more, I think) of smoke.

Oily, creamy consistency on the palate.  Mouthcoating, and just as with the nose, first notes are of butter toffee.  Then some fruit (both dried and juicy fresh)  Some wine-y sherry notes.  A bit of oak and vanilla.  Spices to be sure.  Nicely paced development, slowly revealing its flavors and character.  Much more than the OB Clynelish you’re liable to find on the shelves.

Quite liked this one.

         

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  A.D. Rattray

Buffalo Trace Review

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Buffalo Trace

45% abv

Score:  88/100

 

Near the Northern end of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail (irrespective of the fact that it is no longer a part of the Trail, or the Kentucky Distillers Association, for that matter) sits one of the greatest North American distilleries in existence.  Buffalo Trace.  Responsible for the production of Sazerac, George T. Stagg and Eagle Rare (among others), Buffalo Trace is also responsible for production of…shock!…Buffalo Trace.

While I should confess outright that bourbon is not really my drink, there are a few I really do love, and I will generally keep a bottle or two kicking around for those occasional (but overwhelming) cravings.  As a rule though I’m usually partial to the more earthy nuances of single malts.  Bourbons seem more suited to those ‘need for sweet’ times for me.  Much like Canadian whiskies.  But putting aside any thoughts to my personal bent…I’m going to sing it from the rooftops here…Buffalo Trace is a helluva good drink.  And not just for a bourbon.

The nose is where this one really shines.  It truly does border on flawless, in an almost unbelievable highwire balancing act of rich spice and intoxicating fruits.  But…the devil is in the details, or so they say, right?  So…on to the details…

Nose:  Sweet peaches n’ cream corn.  Synthetic cherry and grape juice.  gorgeous balanced spice and vanillins leeched from the cask.  Sour JuJube candy notes.  Redolent in fruit.  Beautiful.  Really beautiful.

Palate:  Not quite reaching the highs attained on the nose.  Grape juice.  Spices and spices and spices.  Dusty oak notes.  Better to not let it sit on the tongue too long.  Just give it a few seconds to swish and dance around and swallow it fresh.

The nose alone bumps this up a notch or two.

 

– Reviewed by:  Curt

– Photo:  Curt