Thursday 29 November 2018

Jameson 18 Limited Reserve & Cooley 1992 Cadenhead's Reviews

Hi everyone,

I don’t try a huge number of Irish whiskies. I just don’t tend to seek them out and there’s not a huge number available in UK and the festivals I attend in Europe.
Or perhaps, there aren’t a huge number of the independent, older, cask strength, single cask releases I tend to be looking out for…
Anyway, I was doing a tasting at the Whisky Museum in Salzburg recently (great place), which also happens to be an Irish pub.
The Jameson had been on my list for a while, because its part of the 101 whiskies to try before you die, but I’d never actually seen it in person. The Cadenhead’s speaks for itself (Many thanks to Chris for pouring me that one).


Jameson 18 Limited Reserve 40%
Colour: E150a
Body: Light/Medium
Nose: Light and fruity, gummy bears, tropical, expressive and floral. Nice nose but feels like it lacking something to balance it out.
Taste: Light and creamy, lacks a little power then dry oak, better balance into the finish with chocolate coming in. More bitter and dry as it opens up actually. Ground coffee beans.
Finish: Medium/Long length. Creamy chocolate, oily, dry leaves. Again, not particularly balanced.
Nice in places as does have complexity but harsh and bitter too. Funny to find this one quite dry after the tropical fruity nose. Anyway, glad I tried this.
72/100
 
Cooley Single Malt 1992 Cadenhead's 52.3%
Colour: Gold
Body: Medium
Nose: Yeah great. Complex, fruity and sweet, creamy, custard creams, green apple, something subtly savoury.
Taste: Awesome arrival, very very balanced, hugely fruity and complex oak, creamy and oily.
Finish: Medium length. Really soft here, lovely, tropical fruit. Pineapple and mango.
26yo. What a gorgeous Irish whiskey! Everything I expected from the 1989 TWA release but didn’t quite get.
85/100

Thanks for reading!

Irish Reviews #24-#25
Whisky Network Reviews #830-#831

Network Average: 75.1
Best Score: 94
Worst Score: 12
0-49 Terrible
50-59 Bad
60-64 Just About OK
65-69 Ok to Good
70-74 Good
75-79 Very Good
80-84 Excellent
85-89 Superb
90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Tuesday 27 November 2018

Compass Box Juveniles Review

Hi everyone,

I’m a pretty lucky guy in many, many ways.
One of those being that I normally get to taste the Compass Box releases quite early if I am so inclined. I dimly remembered some talk about this one and saw it pop up recently at a festival I was at.
The bottle is cool. Nice white wax on the top and a bell underneath, because we love a little bit of a joker under the surface. But what about the whisky?
Well, with a little bit of research I found the recipe and, amazingly, its only 30% Clynelish!

34% Strathmill (Hogshead)
34% Balmenach (Hogshead)
30% Clynelish (20% Recharred barrel, 10% refill Sherry)
2% Glendullan (1st fill Sherry)

Compass Box Juveniles 46%
Colour: Light Gold
Body: Light/Medium
Nose: Light and creamy, vanilla and white chocolate, some malt backing it up, lemon peel and icing sugar. Silky soft nose.
Taste: Malt first, more powerful than the nose let on, then creamy white chocolate, ethereal oils and leather then into the finish. The oak seems a little out of place though.
Finish: Medium length. Oily. Red apple, silky and soft but a tad dry.
2018 release. Young but good. Mainly about the mouthfeel and balance as the actual flavour is pretty average.
74/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #695
Whisky Network Review #829

Network Average: 75.1
Best Score: 94
Worst Score: 12
0-49 Terrible
50-59 Bad
60-64 Just About OK
65-69 Ok to Good
70-74 Good
75-79 Very Good
80-84 Excellent
85-89 Superb
90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Friday 23 November 2018

Benriach Birnie Moss & 1990 Carn Mor Reviews

Hi everyone,

Two Benriach’s for today. The distillery has gone from being closed in 2002, to being a Billy Walker star to now being bought by Brown-Forman. The prices are consistently going up, especially of the single casks but it seems people are still buying for the moment, so, long may it continue.
I actually can’t remember where or when I tasted this first one, perhaps in a bar in Bristol on my birthday last year now that I think about it (BrewDog is the best).
The second I tasted recently, as an older version from a Hogshead which funnily enough isn’t something we see from the officials. It seems they only have wine casks…

Benriach Birnie Moss 48%
Colour: Straw
Body: Full
Nose: Buttery and oily from the off, intense peat of course, burnt grass clippings, young Ardmore-esque actually. Lemon, smoked pear and banana, green apple, a little smoked fish too.
Taste: Very soft arrival, smoky pear, green apple, a little sour, some salt, then lots of peat and minerally stoniness.
Finish: Short/Medium length. Goes suddenly buttery, a little smoke stays.
Does what it says on the tin but young and lacking in the complexity department. Doesn't taste more peaty than the Curiositas, just younger.
69/100

Benriach 1990 Carn Mor 48.9%
Colour: Straw
Body: Medium/Full
Nose: Leathery and old but still some fruit too, candied lemon peel, malt and chocolate, wet leaves and tobacco, candied orange peel, vanilla coming out with Victoria sponge cake, musky dunnage.
Taste: Intense with these old leathery notes, damp tobacco, old dunnage wood then fresher with apple and malt, lemon peel, hessian, dry oak.
Finish: Short/Medium length. Much fresher here with lovely orange and old furniture. Really good finish just a tad short.
Bottled 2018 at 27yo, almost 28. A really good one. Carn Mor have been releasing a lot of older whiskies with lower strengths and I think the little higher strength on this one saves it from another high 70's score.
83/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #693-#694
Whisky Network Reviews #827-#828

Network Average: 75.1
Best Score: 94
Worst Score: 12
0-49 Terrible
50-59 Bad
60-64 Just About OK
65-69 Ok to Good
70-74 Good
75-79 Very Good
80-84 Excellent
85-89 Superb
90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Wednesday 21 November 2018

Singleton of Glen Ord 14 Review

Hi everyone,

This was the other Special Release I was very excited about and that surprised everyone. Partially, I think, because Glen Ord is a bit of an unknown distillery but mostly because it was mid-priced, which we see very little of in the SR’s these days (only the Laga 12 and the Unpeated Caol Ila’s really).
When I tried this I had thought it was just straight refill Bourbon and Hogshead matured, which the taste seemed to confirm… but then reading a little background I realised that that was not the case at all. Whisky Exchange put it like this: ‘European oak ex-sherry and refill American oak ex-bourbon casks, then the spirit was moved to ex-Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel casks, and finally it was married together in European oak puncheons.’
Anywho, I got this sample off the ever generous Colin Dunn at a festival and was able to taste it at home.
 
Singleton of Glen Ord 14 57.6%
Colour: Gold
Body: Medium
Nose: Interesting stuff! The malt is the big player here, fruity too with apple, lemon, melon and exotic orange. The minerality makes it for me, lovely chalky note with some crushed stone, a little oak with cinnamon, marshmallow and wood spice.
Water: More fruity with loads of pear and green apple, much fresher with the malt retreating.
Taste: Soft arrival, cutting citrus, lemon juice to start then the oak comes in with this delicious malt note, ginger and black pepper, melon, complex, mineral notes now coming in with that chalky crushed stone. Masterfully balanced, really.
Water: Fresher here too with more lemon and melon, pear and green apple. Quite sour now though, so loses some balance.
Finish: Long length. A burst of citrus before more malt comes in, some heather and a little chocolate right at the end.
Special Releases 2018. Distilled 2002. Super impressed with this. Delicious and very enjoyable. Despite all the messing around with the casks, it comes across as a very natural style that stays true to the spirit.
84/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #692
Whisky Network Review #826

Network Average: 75.1
Best Score: 94
Worst Score: 12
0-49 Terrible
50-59 Bad
60-64 Just About OK
65-69 Ok to Good
70-74 Good
75-79 Very Good
80-84 Excellent
85-89 Superb
90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Saturday 17 November 2018

Mortlach x5 Reviews! 16 new & old, 18, 1993 Adelphi & 1988 Cadenhead's

Hi everyone,

For reasons explained here, Mortlach is awesome. A brand not without its up and downs though, having been a great (perhaps the best) Flora & Fauna, discontinued into a 50cl ultra premium (read expensive) range and now the backtrack!
Diageo actually listened. LISTENED! To us! The multitude. About a whisky. Amazing.
Anyway, since their ultra premium stuff didn’t sell very well, they’ve brought back the 16 with a vengeance. I got a chance to try it yesterday and realised I’ve got a whole flight of Mortlach’s I’ve tried recently, including the F&F. So we’ve got quite the selection today.

Mortlach 16 Flora & Fauna 43%
Colour: Amber
Body: Full
Nose: Oooooooh, Sherry, dense and rich. Slightly earthy malt, resinous oils, dry oak, raisin and fig, orange, I can't find any meatiness here, coffee beans, dark tobacco and leather. Great complex nose with some old Balvenie characteristics.
Taste: Thick, oily and resinous, a little flat here to start (very minor), great dark oak, tingling spice, dark chocolate, raisins, sweetness, syrupy Sherry, leathery and dried fig and prune and date, some orange here too.
Finish: Long length. Thick, oily and dark. More dark chocolate, resin and wood polish, antique furniture. Amazing finish.
What a loss to the whisky world! At first I thought it was all about the Sherry and little else but opens up well giving more complex notes off. Wouldn't be surprised if there's some 20+yo Mortlach in here too. Perhaps even quite a bit of it...
82/100
 
Mortlach 18 43.4%
Colour: Amber
Body: Medium/Full
Nose: Deep and heavy, Sherry influence but still fresh, red apple, meaty malt, cranberry, coriander spice, cherry, quite complex, powerful nose despite the abv. The floral geranium comes out after a bit with soft milk chocolate.
Taste: Sweet hit then nosedives in power, slowly comes back with dry oak, geranium, orange, some Sherry, malt and oils coming in later, ginger and black pepper spice.
Finish: Short/Medium length. Again lacking power here, soft florals, chocolate and some malt.
Why?! Why wasn't this bottled at 48% and in a normal bottle and reasonable price? Actually keep your crazy price, at least a higher strength… Lovely Mortlachian nose but the rest is disappointing. Opens up well though, give it time.
76/100
 
Mortlach 16 Distiller's Dram 43.4%
Colour: Light Amber
Body: Medium/Full
Nose: Fresh Sherry and meaty dense spirit. Red apple and dark chocolate, a subtle touch of sulphur- struck match, raisin, some cherry. Develops more meat! Haggis! Black pudding! Dried earth.
Taste: Soft, clean arrival, lacking power for a short moment before oily red apple comes in, raisin, meaty Sherry, malt, dark chocolate and heather into the finish.
Finish: Medium/Long length. Oily chocolate, some nice oak comes in with leather. Nicely balanced here.
Ballsy move from Diageo to bring this back out. Even better that the quality is high. Impressive.
80/100

Let’s go onto some new indies because they’re always great too!
 
Mortlach 1993 Adelphi 56%
Colour: Amber
Body: Full
Nose: Fresh blood and fresh paint! Woah. Under that there's fruit with red apple and orange. Old style Mortlach with leather, musky, expensive praline chocolates, really wonderful nose.
Taste: Sweet! Much sweeter than I was expecting. Orange, malt, cherry, chocolate, awesome meaty prune and fig, sweet oak, Sherry, expensive dark chocolate. A little too woody as it develops.
Finish: Long length. Oak and chocolate, dusty chocolate and, weirdly, wood experiment wood from unseasoned oak.
Sherry cask. Amazing nose but the late development and finish don't live up to it. Still Mortlach and Sherry don't often go wrong, although the price on this one is pretty damn high.
81/100
 
Mortlach 1988 Cadenhead's 55.1%
Colour: Amber
Body: Full
Nose: Ethereal and punchy at first nosing. Then more meaty as it gets going. Plum and apricot fresh fruit, black pepper, fried black pudding, maple cured bacon, icing sugar, the sweet and savoury notes are really well balanced and melding together. Those Canadian maple biscuits that smell woody and sweet and delicious. Resin and leather developing, develops really well actually. WOAHOHO, what the hell has happened now?! Coming back after a minute there's a white vinegar note like an over-aged white wine, also soy sauce and petrol-y fumes. AMAZING and complex and delicious. Incredible nose.
Taste: Really soft arrival, very very balanced, fresh and citrus arrival then big punchy fresh fruit, dried apricot and peach, golden raisin, thick oily malt, maple syrup, some bacon, but more savoury into the finish.
Finish: Long length. Drying, more savoury then spicy and woody, bacon and black pepper, a lasting ginger tingle.
Sherry cask, 29yo. A technically flawless whisky. Awesome and fun. And an actually reasonable price! Was lucky enough to get one of these for my birthday this year.
87/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #687-#691
Whisky Network Reviews #821-#825

Network Average: 75.1
Best Score: 94
Worst Score: 12
0-49 Terrible
50-59 Bad
60-64 Just About OK
65-69 Ok to Good
70-74 Good
75-79 Very Good
80-84 Excellent
85-89 Superb
90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Friday 9 November 2018

Jura 19 The Paps & 1988 Rare Vintage Reviews

Hi everyone,

Back and in the airport again (cancelled flights rebooked) and back with two more Jura today. Both of these are pretty new but if you know me then you know I’m not a particularly big fan of this distillery. I tend to enjoy whiskies that are clean and crisp, complex whiskies, balanced and powerful whiskies.
Jura I find a bit flabby. Usually with these sour and doughy notes that don’t jive for me.
But these two are older. These two are at a sensible strength. And they are both using a sweet finishing cask…

Jura The Paps 19yo 45.6%
Colour: Dark Gold
Body: Medium
Nose: Cinnamon, gingerbread, ginger cake, rich, heavy, cakey, vanilla, orange, very nice nose. Heathery.
Taste: Heavy, rich, Sherry, sweet, cherry, vanilla, building spice and oak, ginger, nice mouthfeel, cinnamon. Not quite in balance.
Finish: Medium length. Cloying, sweet orange, more ginger and heather.
Travel retail exclusive. Finished in 40yo px casks (although the BOX says 30yo px) and interesting for it. The sweet notes aren’t crazy sweet but are quite cloying towards the end. The spices here help it balance out and bring something interesting.
75/100

Jura 1988 2018 Release 53.5%
Colour: Dark Gold
Body: Full
Nose: Pastry and oak. Light sweetness from the Port, complex spices, cinnamon and nutmeg, ginger, not particularly balanced but classic Jura.
Taste: Full on, complex spices, ginger and nutmeg, spiced hot chocolate, cinnamon and clove, quite oaky, heather, better towards the finish.
Finish: Long length. The Port comes through more with some blackberry.
1 year finishing in Grahams Port barrels. Not my thing but fans of Jura with love this. Impressive packaging too although the price is probably crazy. I prefer this to the Paps but not by a lot and the Paps will be a lot cheaper.
77/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #685-#686
Whisky Network Reviews #819-#820

Network Average: 75.1
Best Score: 94
Worst Score: 12
0-49 Terrible
50-59 Bad
60-64 Just About OK
65-69 Ok to Good
70-74 Good
75-79 Very Good
80-84 Excellent
85-89 Superb
90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

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