Mellow Corn (Blind) Review

Hi everyone,

I had tasted this whisky before at a party in New Orleans, but, of course, didn’t go sit in a corner and make notes on it. Actually, I’m pretty certain I drank it in one.

Anyway, fast forward to a series of blind samples I was gifted and here we are.

The only information I had was that one of the three samples was an old Linkwood. It took longer than it should have, but I realised that this wasn’t Scotch after a few minutes with it.

Re Frumentaria

Colour: Gold

Body: Full

Nose: I got red apple and spice at first. Kinda leathery and musty. Something grainy too, but becomes more raw with some basic alcohol. Becomes more Bourbon-like with corn as it opens up.

Taste: Soft and oily at first, building with grain and red apple, some cheap spice, cheap perfume and oak, leather.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Bourbon levels of oak here, more raw again, quite drying.

Didn't recognise this as American straight away but I think it might be.

Guess: A bourbon? Four Roses maybe?

Reveal: Mellow Corn BIB 50%

…WTF? Very glad I pegged this as an American whiskey considering it's matured in refill casks. I was thrown off there for the first minute or two! But the finish definitely gives it away. I really enjoyed this, especially the mouthfeel when I first poured it but it started becoming harsher and more Bourbon-like as it opened up. But then, the fact that this is selling for $12 is stupid.

67/100

Thanks for reading!

American Review #68

Whisky Network Review #1007

Network Average: 75.2

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 the Global 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?

Tomatin Cù Bòcan (+Blind Review Video) & Old Ballentruan 15 Reviews

Hi everyone,

I’ve been trying to continue doing my blind reviews on my Youtube channel but life keeps getting in the way, or perhaps I’m just lazy.

Anyway, when a mate put two samples in my hand of things he’d gotten over Christmas, I told him not to tell me what they were so I could taste them blind.

So this is the first, a Tomatin that (spoiler alert) I guessed was a young Bruichladdich. The lack of peat but presence of saltiness seemed to have put me off the mark on this one. Link here

Tomatin Cù Bòcan 46%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Buttery, oily and lightly floral. Lemon and some yeasty dough notes, quite young with the New Make Spirit poking through a little.

Taste: Soft arrival, lacking power initially with some lemon and a little malt, quite delicate development with some yeast and dough, quite sour with green apple joining the lemon.

Finish: Medium length. More spirity here, a little harsh and sour.

Lightly peated Tomatin. Very lightly peated apparently because I don't get any peat at all! If I hadn’t picked up on the saltiness, I would have said this was a young NAS Highlander.

64/100

Oh, hell. I’m sure I’ve got another peated Highlander I reviewed recently…

rummage

 

Old Ballantruan 15 50%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Quite rustic, malty, a little dust, honey, florals and golden raisin, a little smoke here and there but not powerful.

Taste: Soft then oily with growing smoke, peaty and mineral after a little rubber then honey and dust and golden raisin before more peat going into the finish.

Finish: Medium/Long length. More peaty here with red apple, going very mineral.

A heavily peated Tomintoul but again, not a massive amount of smoke here. Almost tastes like a peated Macallan with the golden raisin notes. Quite flat on the palate. Balance is tricky here.

72/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Review #722-#723

Whisky Network Review #860-#861

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 1995 TWA for TWS [Mystery Review]

Hi everyone,

Remember back when the guys at Toronto Whisky Society had a whisky specially bottled for them, then kept shoving it in our faces by reviewing it? (Definitely not jealous)

Well, I was lucky enough to try it too. Many thanks to u/xile_ for sharing this with me, you are a legend sir.

This was actually provided in the form of a mystery, so I had no idea what it was other than TWS on the label (may have been too much of a clue) and the comment ‘There’s a whisky I might like your opinion on.’

 

Tobermory 1995 The Whisky Agency for Toronto Whisky Society 51.9%

Colour: Light Gold

Viscosity: Very High

Nose: Nice nose. I got a whiff of cheese at first, but now it’s much cleaner with malt, porridge, fresh green apple, slightly grassy, dry oak. Some leather and smoked cheese coming out now. Very subtly mineral. Interesting nose that keeps you digging.

Taste: Soft arrival and builds nicely, clean malt, lots of green apple, lovely fresh lemon citrus, subtle smoke and becoming more and more into the finish. Lots of sea salt too with some white pepper and dry oak. Slightly more herbal and earthy as it opens up with a Mezcal-type note to it.

Finish: Medium/Long length. More smoky here with grass and ash then great dark chocolate, oak and black coffee.

A very nice example of a whisky with a lot of character but still clean and light. Or an older whisky with a lot of freshness.

With the cheese I thought it could be Tobermory, then the cheese went away and I thought it could be Glen Scotia. Then the finish came in with the smoke and I had a funny feeling in my elbow that I now recognise as my whisky sense. It asked me: ‘Wasn’t there a Tobermory that was bottled for the Toronto Whisky Society that was meant to be lightly peated?’

Yes, there was weird whisky elbow. Yes, there was…

84/100

Guess: Single Malt Scotch, 18-21yo, cask strength, independent bottling from an Island/Campebeltown distillery.

Could be an older Hogshead Glen Scotia or Tobermory.

TWS on the label would lead me to believe it’s the Toronto Whisky Society bottling of a 21yo Tobermory.

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #703

Whisky Network Review #840

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?