Glenfiddich 23 Grand Cru Review

Hi everyone,

Continuing from Ardbeg 19, we have another expensive whisky today from Glenfiddich.

This Grand Cru will cost you £220 in the UK and has not been particularly well explained. I thought this was a continuation of their Experimental Series but is, in fact, part of a new series of whiskies modestly entitled ‘Grand.’

I had also thought that this was finished in Grand Cru red wine barrels, but this is not the case either. It is instead finished in barrels that had been used to ferment what would become Grand Cru Champagne. Interesting…

What does the whisky taste like though, let’s find out.

Glenfiddich 23 Grand Cru 40%

Colour: Gold

Body: Light/Medium

Nose: Oxidised red apple, orange, some sulphur, icing, red grape, mixed spice, toffee. Good complexity but notes don’t quite work together.

Taste: A bit sharp, apple and spice, lacking power then watery apple and orange juice, a little sulphur, tannin, flat throughout.

Finish: Long length. Chocolate, watery again, quite long but lacking.

Very meh for the money you’d have to pay. And, much like Winter Storm, I really don’t see much of an influence the casks have had on this. And seriously, 40% William Grant? 40%?!

64/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch review #791

Whisky Network Review #943

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.

Why is this here?

Benrinnes 23 1985 (Scotch Review #700)

Hi everyone,

Scotch Review 700 is here and it’s a good’un.

Benrinnes has always been a firm favourite of many for its meaty, slightly sulphury notes from the partial triple distillation they did pre-2007.

Of these, the 1985 vintage, 2009 special releases of the 23 year old is known, particularly on Reddit, as one of the best Scotch bottlings ever, with multiple scores of 100/100 and some other damn high ones besides.

Luckily I managed to pick up a bottle in Scotland a while back for a not ridiculous sum of monies, but I’ve always been curious to how it tastes without having to open my precious bottle… Had a chance to try it at Bottle Market in Bremen recently.

Let’s have a warm up first shall we?

Benrinnes 2001 The Single Cask 50%

Colour: Straw

Body: Medium

Nose: Delicate and light, with some underhand heating it gives more gristy meatiness, grain whisky-esque otherwise, malt and lemon.

Taste: Crisp and clean, great green apple note, very fresh, then more muscular with oak, red apple, oily mouthfeel, malt and lemon.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Lovely finish. Great oily malt, soft chocolate and heather and lemon. Great balance here.

Shame the nose is a bit light for my taste, still, the finish is spot on.

76/100

 

Benrinnes 23 1985 58.8%

Colour: Dark Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Complex. Powerful nose with lots going on. Old school heavy spirit and old school heavy Sherry. Red apple and black pepper, dried blood, truffle chocolates, earthy malt and leather. More leathery as it opens up with old polished furniture.

Water: A little lighter with more ethereal sweetness, more oak but still not too much, Old Balvenie-esque orange and old wood panelled library, musky, pretty much keeps developing endlessly.

Taste: Powerful and thick. HUGE mouthfeel! Massive whisky. Oily for days, red apple, black pepper, rich Sherry, cherry, somehow it’s all in balance too! Slightly mineral pockets of flavour too.

Water: More balanced arrival, builds slowly now, more sweetness, more Sherry, raisin, more dry oak too. There's a little sharpness in the mid-palate now but it’s so so minor.

Finish: Long length. The oils! More chocolate, more meatiness here, chewy. Gravy? Perhaps... Malty gravy. Pretty damn great.

2009 Special Releases. What can I say? Legendary.

A damn sight better than the 21yo release from a while back. Its sweeter, more muscular, better balanced and with more power. Very glad I’ve got a bottle tucked away.

91/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Reviews #699-#700

Whisky Network Reviews #835-#836

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.

Why is this here?

Tobermory 1994 The Single Cask Review

Hi everyone,

I’ve got another nicely Sherried single cask, cask strength, independent bottling here from one of favourite distilleries, so we can’t go far wrong I don’t think.

The Single Cask seem to have grown in the last year, expanding the whiskies that they do as well as building a new bar in Scotland. Just looking at their website at the moment, they’ve got loads of different bottling, many more than I thought and the quality is well regarded.

 

Tobermory 1994 The Single Cask 56.8%

Colour: Amber

Body: Full

Nose: Cheese, very funky, over-ripe peach and orange, Parma ham, very dry oak, green tomato then more fig and PX Sherry after a bit.

Water: More golden raisin, malt, Macallan. Its straighter and less feinty now.

Taste: Intense! Sweet, raisin, very thick, PX Sherry, fig, plum, stewed fruit, orange, then heather and malt, dark chocolate and coffee beans. Oily.

Water: Less Sherry, more oak and more spicy. Less balanced.

Finish: Medium length. Oily into the finish, golden raisin, malt, Macallan-like here.

2nd fill PX Sherry finish I believe. Wonderful but best kept neat. This does show that unpeated Ledaig can work well with its feinty flavours, a well done one by The Single Cask.

82/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Review #660

Whisky Network Review #793

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.

Why is this here?

Ardbeg 23, 17 & Rollercoaster Reviews

Hi everyone,

Ardbeg is one of my favourite distilleries, despite the marketing department sinking their claws ever further into this great whisky.

The problem Ardbeg has, is that the Uigeadail is such a brilliant whisky for a reasonably reasonable price and that any special editions struggle to equal, let alone surpass it. These are some recent special ones from WFNN in Groningen I was lucky enough to attend.

The 17yo in particular I was fascinated to try, as Jim Murray himself admits to being the whisky’s maker. He gave it 92/100… While the packaging is a great example of throwing objectivity out the window, with tasting notes on the whole Ardbeg range from Mr. Murray and quotes from the whisky bible expounding the many virtues of this most wonderous of drams.

Ardbeg 23 Twenty Something 46.3%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Subdued after 23 years, faint smoke, grapefruit citrus, cooling spearmint, candied lime peel, chimney soot. A bit closed off.

Taste: Instantly soft lime followed by subdued smoke, peated malt, some grapefruit, oily, doesn't have the complexity though. Lovely mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium length. Shorter than I'd like, that peated malty taste and then a citrus grapefruit hit.

1993/4 distillate. What is there to say? A let down for such a price. Although its great whisky, it doesn't hold up to Oog.

83/100

 

Ardbeg 17 40%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Everything I wanted from the 23 on the nose. Very expressive Ardbeg, lovely complex juicy lime, slightly tropical fruit, peat still very present, pickled lime curry paste (the one you get with your poppadums in UK Indian restaurants). Very nice nose Mr. Murray.

Taste: Soft and clean, subdued smoke, lots of lime, then the smoke builds with quite some power for 40%, creamy oak, nice oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium length. Loses power rapidly, lime and creamy smoke.

It seems Mr. Murray knows how to put an Ardbeg together! I think this was an earlier version, as I’ve heard that these got a little less peaty over time. I dread to think how good this could have been at 46%!

86/100

 

Ardbeg Rollercoaster 57.3%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Classically Ardbeg but with more soft herbal notes, lime peel, spicy curry paste, coriander, clove, dark liquorice, quite 'tight' but good.

Taste: Huge, intense peat, very very big and spicy, curry paste and pickled lime, ginger and coriander, then more creamy and soft into the finish.

Finish: Long length. Much softer suddenly with more lime, creamy and oily.

A committee release made up from a vatting of casks from 1997-2006. Reminds me a little of Corry actually, but another example of a ‘special’ Ardbeg not holding up to the original range. Its just a bit too much power and not enough of the usual Ardbeg finesse.

81/100

Distillery: Ardbeg

Average Score: 83.8

Distillery Ranking: 4th/64 places

Up/Down: No movement

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #597-#599

Whisky Network Reviews #709-#711

Network Average: 74.6

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.

Why is this here?

Ardbeg 1993 Cadenhead's Sample Review

Hi everyone,

One last whisky from the Whiskybase Gathering in Rotterdam. This isn’t the last of the recent whiskyporn I managed to taste last year, but I am rapidly running out of it.

1993 is the year I was born, and one serious Ardbeg collector/fan said to me once that 1993 was the last great Ardbeg vintage. After that the character changed too much and became ‘modern’ Ardbeg. I would disagree with that but I’m not really qualified, not having tasted loads of 90’s Ardbegs. Although, we don’t see many 94’s or 95’s so the next Ardbeg vintage is really 96 by which time yes, the character might have changed.

Anyway, this is a Cadenhead’s sample bottled specially for ‘BRAM.’ What is BRAM? I have no idea but would love to hear any guesses. Mine would be: Belgians Reducing Ardbeg Malt.
EDIT: Of course, I have been reminded that I tasted this at the Whiskynerds stand and BRAM is Bram van Glabbeek.

 

Ardbeg 1993 Cadenhead's Specially Bottled for BRAM 52.4%

Colour: Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Cigarette ash on a grapefruit, lime, sooty smoke, salty, smoked fish, spearmint, peppermint, black liquorice, burnt tobacco. The bright citrus and mint work really well with the smoky notes.

Taste: Intense, smoky, salty, some smoked fish, very intensely mineral, wet slate and sea soaked rocks, beach bonfire, burning twigs and leaves, oily into the finish.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Suddenly very oily, fish oil, engine fumes and peaty malt.

23 years old from a Hogshead. Great old Ardbeg. Very oily and maritime. Not up there with that stunning 1991 from MoM or the recent 1972 I tasted but fantastic whisky all the same. Cadenhead’s do release these every now and then (normally one every two years), at amazing prices compared to what we see from everyone else.

87/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #554

Whisky Network Review #649

Network Average: 74.7

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

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 am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Quick-fire Pappy (10, 20 & 23) Reviews [London has Fallen]

Hi everyone,

I got hugely lucky at The Whisky Exchange Show in London this year, in that I got to try a shit tonne of amazing whisky.

The first day had been pretty amazing but I only had a few hours the second day as I was off to Rome, so wanting to make the most of it I wander over to the Buffalo Trace stand before the show starts (otherwise these would have been gone) and managed to take some very, very quickfire notes on some of these legendary Bourbon’s I never really thought I’d actually get to try.

 

Old Pappy van Winkle 10 53.5%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Full

Nose: Sharp wood and soft caramel, quite ethereal and teasing.

Taste: Intense, perfumed, sharp wood, caramel, toffee apple, good balance.

Finish: Medium length. More caramel.

This was the one I got the most time with but it was a bit of a disappointment. Nothing too special about it.

73/100

 

Pappy van Winkle 20 45.2%

Colour: Light Bronze

Body: Medium

Nose: Oooo, interesting. Popcorn, popcorn everywhere. Corn, caramel popcorn.

Taste: Soft, corn, amazing caramel, toffee, sweet and dry, some sour complexity, oak but not too much.

Finish: Long length. Like chewing salted unpopped popcorn.

Very good stuff. The popcorn notes are cool but really take over the whole whiskey. Despite that, it’s still seriously good Bourbon.

81/100

 

Pappy van Winkle 23 47.8%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Medium

Nose: Deeper and darker than the 20.

Taste: Soft, great balance but then this perfumed oakiness that's a bit too much.

Finish: Long length. Oaky perfume.

The big’un and the oldest Bourbon I’ve ever tried. The guys on the stand were right though, not as good as the 20 though.

79/100

Right, with those out the way it was onto the new Antique Collection. I tried last year’s Stagg and that had been my favourite Bourbon so far, so I was keen to try some of the others in the set.

 

Eagle Rare 17 2017 Release 45%

Colour: Dark Bronze

Body: Full

Nose: Oak, caramel, nice complexity. DEEP.

Taste: Oak, spice, a little bite. More oak.

Finish: Long length. Oaky.

A deep oaky one. This was the only one where I’d tried a previous edition but this wasn’t as good as last year’s in my opinion.

74/100

Thomas H. Handy 2017 Release 63.6%

Colour: Bronze

Body: Full

Nose: Ethereal spices and a slight fruitiness.

Taste: Intense, good arrival but then a very spicy development. Loads of clove, ginger and black pepper.

Finish: Long length. Caramel and rye spice.

6 year old I've heard. A little too spicy for my tastes.

74/100

William Larue Weller 2017 Release 64.1%

Colour: Dark Bronze

Body: Full

Nose: Complex amazing caramel and honey waves.

Taste: Soft and amazing, hot in a great way, chilli chocolate, caramel, honey, oak. Lovely.

Finish: Long length. Soft and lovely.

Best Bourbon I've tried so far. Complex nose, nice balance to it and really cool juxtaposition of the softness and heat. Lovely. 12 years old I heard.

83/100

Thanks for reading!

American Reviews #30-#35

Whisky Network Reviews #550-#555

American Average: 70.7

Network Average: 74.5

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

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 am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?