Balvenie 30 Review [London has Fallen]

Hi everyone,

So recently I tried that 42yo Sherry cask, which was epic. And when I tried the Tun 1401, I also found it to be awesome.

So when I saw the Balvenie 30 sitting on the Balvenie lovely wooden stand I needed to give it a go. I believe this is from a mix of Sherry and Bourbon casks.

 

Balvenie 30 47.2%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Lovely honey, ethereal fresh fruit, floral, dried flowers, green apple, subtle nose but lots there.

Taste: You'd have thought this was 15, not 30! Juicy, fresh fruit, green apple, citrus then complex oak, chocolate, honey, amazing honeycomb and honeycomb chocolate.

Finish: Medium length. Lacking a bit of power but this slight juicy sour fruit is left over. Dry.

The freshness after 30 years is ridiculous, but it doesn’t have the same class as the Tun 1401 or that 42yo.

86/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #483

Whisky Network Review #557

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?

Springbank 24 Show Bottling [London has Fallen]

Hi everyone,

Every year at the Whisky Exchange Show, they release a bottling or two specifically for the show. Oh, also they’re usually fantastic.

Whisky Exchange went all out this year, with a competition for the label design (of this bottle actually). There are five other bottlings in the same series too, all with specially designed, cool labels. I only got the chance to try the Clynelish and this, although I heard good things about the others.

Anyway, how was this one?

Springbank 24 for TWE Show 2017 51.7%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Suitably dry and sooty and tropical. Interesting PVA glue and popscicle sticks. Opens up with water.

Taste: Soft, very very good, this dry chalky tropical flavours, sooty, there's a slight 'green' note though. More spicy with water.

Finish: Medium length. Tropical, sooty and chalky. Spicier with water.

From a Rum cask apparently. No where near last year’s bottling though. A little too spicy with any water, but not enough complexity without, although the sooty, chalky, tropical thing is nice.

80/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #476

Whisky Network Review #543

Network Average: 74.3

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?

Kininvie 23 Review: TWE Show Report

Hi guys,

I'll be without a laptop for a few days but hopefully will be able to keep posting through the Christmas period.

Kininvie is a still house in the grounds of the Balvenie Distillery. In my opinion, it is not a distillery. Only a brand.

Why do I think that? Well, have a look at Wikipedia, then Malt Madness. Kininvie does not have a mash tun or fermenting tanks, all that is done at Balvenie.

Compare that to Macallan, who have 3 seperate distilleries on the same estate and still refer to it as the same single malt and you'll start to see the line a little blurred.

Is this still house even in production at the moment? No one seems to know. With the new Ailsa Bay distillery in Girvan, I doubt William Grant even need the Kininvie still house any more.

Who cares? Well, maybe the people buying the 35cl bottles for £120?!

What are they getting for all that money? A whisky that was made to satisfy more demand for blends. Yep, it's a filler malt from Balvenie Distillery. In my opinion.

 

Kininvie 23 42.6%

Colour: Straw

Body: Light

Nose: Light, malty, floral, lots of clean grainy notes, pressed flowers and lavender.

Taste: Very malty, grain, light, floral notes and a clean natural sweetness.

Finish: Short/Medium length. More oak comes through.

I would have thought this is the latest batch, but unsure on exact batch/vintage. Not bad at all but the price is absolutely crazy.

71/100

Apologies for the rant, but I'd hate for people to actually buying this not knowing anything about it.

Thanks for reading!

Review #243

Network Average: 75.9

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 44

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

Tomatin 1995 + 36 Reviews: TWE Show Report

Hi everyone,

Got some Tomatin today. I had only tried the Tomatin Legacy, the basic NAS version, before going to the show and didn’t really seek these out to try them. Rather, the Tomatin’s came to me to be tried.

I know at least one person who really rates Tomatin as one of the best, but to me it was just another quiet Highland malt. They’ve kind of ramped up the marketing recently though, changing the bottle shape and expanding the range.

So, both of these were tasted right at the end of the first day at The Whisky Exchange Show London, after 38 other whiskies. I was standing by the Balblair table trying the 1983 (coming up), chatting to some friends by the Tomatin table next door. 

Suddenly they call last pours and all hell breaks loose with people running about to retry their favourites before the end. I knew I had the next day, so wasn’t too bothered but decided to try a Tomatin while I was at the stand.

 

Tomatin 1995 Sherry Finish 46%

Colour: Light Amber

Body: Medium

Nose: Sherry, vanilla, oak and a slightly sulphur-y note, like melting rubber.

Taste: Soft, easy style. Sherry, raisin, oak, fresher fruit coming in but then lots of oak.

Finish: Medium length. Oak, Sherry and sulphurous rubber.

This is 21 years old and finished for the final 3 years in Oloroso Sherry Hogsheads. Unfortunately, the sulphury side of the Sherry is coming out and it’s a little too oaky for my taste.

74/100

And then, just when I thought it was all over, a gem fell into my lap. A friend of a friend, literally someone I barely knew passed me a glass and told me to try it. It was lovely, but he then told me that it was his Dream Dram for the day! A guy I hardly knew, sharing his best whisky of the day. What a guy.

Tomatin 36 Batch 2 46%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Incredible fresh fruit, amazing balance.

Taste: Fresh fruit, tropical fruit, balanced oak and spice.

Finish: Long length. Oaky and tropical.

Sorry for the short notes but a really, really good one. Wasn’t expecting this in so many ways, a wonderful whisky. Of course, the price is high too (£500).

87/100

Thanks for reading! More to come of course, still got about 20 reviews to go from the show.

Reviews #241-#242

Network Average: 75.9

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 44

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

Old Pulteney 21 Review: TWE Show Report

Hi everyone,

Another one from me today, this time an old timey Highlander. Old Pulteney is known for being good value for money and reviews of the 21yo have been hype-y, but it’s never really seemed to gain the kind of attention of other hyped bottlings. Actually, I find Old Pulteney a bit like Balblair in that it’s all good-great quality stuff but because it’s not a Sherry or peat bomb, no one is going batshit mental over it.

I’ve tried the 12 and 17 before but was really looking forward to trying this step up in the range.

Old Pulteney 21 46%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Salt, fruit and oak. Lovely balance of flavours. Tropical fruit with pineapple and sweet honey.

Taste: A salty nip to start, then softens with mango, pineapple, more salt then with white pepper from the oak.

Finish: Medium length. A lot more oak, some spice. A bit overly oaky in the finish.

I actually much prefer the 17 year old. This 21 has a lovely nose but the finish is a little too oaky for me.

76/100

Thanks for reading! Think some Tomatin is up next from me.

Review #240

Network Average: 75.9

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 44

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

Highland Park 21 + 1989 G&M: TWE Show Report

Hello, hello

I’ve got some Highland Park reviews for you today. Some older ones actually. Highland Park is probably one of my favourite distilleries. The 12 is good and can be a pretty good deal, the 18 is great and the range just logically progresses with age. I’ve got some reviews coming up actually of a huge Highland Park vertical (all the way up to the 40yo!), but first I’ll finish with these TWE Show Reports.

So, this first one is from Gordon & MacPhail. This is the new 2016 release and is pretty cheap for old Highland Park.

Highland Park 1989 G&M 43%

Colour: Gold

Body: Light/Medium

Nose: Soft, obvious age with refill oak, light for Highland Park though, malt and some coal.

Taste: Softly spiced at first, then wonderful tropical fruit after a second, it keeps building with pineapple and mango with more oak coming in behind.

Finish: Medium length. Very light, the tropical notes fade with oak stepping forward.

A lovely natural one at 27 years old. I imagine this is from refill Hogsheads.

76/100

The 21 year old is the only Highland Park that I haven’t tasted in their normal age stated range now. So, I had to have a taste at the whisky show to complete my set of notes.

Highland Park 21 47.5%

Colour: Amber

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Deep, rich and decadent. 1st fill Sherry notes, raisin and stewed fruit.

Taste: Spicy! Intense Sherry, lovely smoke going through it, cooling ash, raisin, fig and date. Really rich and just great.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Coffee and dark chocolate.

A really great one. The higher Abv is really helping this and it is a really nice step up from the 18. These are getting more expensive these days though.

84/100

Thanks for reading!

Reviews #235-#236

Network Average: 75.9

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 44

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 Great

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Talisker 2008 Douglas Laing: TWE Show Report

Hello all,

I’ve got a quick Talisker today, one of my favourite distilleries. Independent Talisker is rare as hell, so I jumped on the opportunity to try this one at the Whisky Show. 

This is a bottling by Doulgas Laing for their Provenance series. As with most indie Talisker, its young, this one is 8 years old.

Talisker 2008 Douglas Laing 46%

Colour: Straw

Body: Medium

Nose: Woah, very different from the officials. A really fruity Talisker, lots and lots of kiwi, none of the black pepper spice I would expect.

Taste: Again, more of the same. Fruity with lots of kiwi, a little pepper and sea salt into the finish. A little thin for a Talisker though, reminds me of Storm (Not a good thing).

Finish: Short/Medium length. Fruit and oak but unbalanced.

70/100

I really wanted to like this but it feels mediocre compared to the 10yo. I would take Skye over one of these, and that really is a shame because these aren’t cheap either (about £55).

Thanks for reading! More coming up.

Review #231

Caol Ila IB Reviews: TWE Show Report

Hello everyone,

Back with more Caol Ila today. The smoky Diageo workhorse has been surprising me recently, it has its own character but aspects can remind me of Laphroaig or Ardbeg or Bowmore. It can be great young, it can be great old. Bourbon or Sherry. Cask strength or 43%.

First I tried a Gordon & MacPhail bottling exclusive to The Whisky Exchange. These are still available for £50.:

Caol Ila 2004 Gordon & MacPhail for TWE 46%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: A fruity Caol Ila, very tropical with mango and cinnamon, fruit basket, melon.

Taste: Fruity, melon then some smoke, peat, coal, ash, some pineapple, oak coming in.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Oak and spice.

From Bourbon barrel 306490. A great barrel, could be 30yo!

79/100

Next a Douglas Laing bottling for their Old Particular range:

Caol Ila 19 Douglas Laing 50.7%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Fruity, peat, ash, cooling nose.

Taste: Intense fruit, ash, cooling again, spice then building with some tropical fruit.

Finish: Medium length. Tropical fruit and ash.

A little average in a way. From a refill Hogshead, also the first time I’ve seen a question mark on official tasting notes.

75/100

And an older Signatory. 1983 seems to be the vintage for Caol Ila. Like 1997 Clynelish, 1998 Laphroaig or 2004/5 Ledaig. I member when these were pretty good value for money, like less than £200 but the prices have been rising a lot and now you are looking at £300+.

Caol Ila 1983 Signatory Cask Strength 49.3%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Tropical older peat, Laphroaig-esque pineapple + mango + cinnamon combo, perfumed.

Taste: Soft arrival, creamy tropical old Laphroaig, mango and cinnamon, perfumed oak.

Finish: Long length. More fruity and oak. Mango.

Could be a 25yo Laphroaig with those tropical fruit notes.

86/100

I’ve just cracked open a 19yo Caol Ila from a Sherry Hogshead which is fantastic too, so that review is coming up at some point.

Thanks for reading!

Reviews #228-#230

Network Average: 75.9

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 44

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

Hanyu, Chichibu & Mars: TWE Show Report

Hi everyone,

One stand at the whisky show in particular was very interesting. It was the Chichibu, Mars, Hanyu stand. Mr Ichiro himself was there for a masterclass and was down at the table serving. These really surprised me with the quality, especially the Mars, at such young ages.

If you don’t know the story, Hanyu was a Japanese distillery owned by a Mr Ichiro, Hanyu was unfortunately closed and his son built a new distillery near the site: Chichibu.

First one I tried was the Hanyu. I’d been curious as to why these go for thousands of pounds.

 

Ichiro's Malt 15yo Hanyu 46.5%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Perfumed, floral, lemonade, gummy bears.

Taste: Soft, lemonade, almost fizzy citrus, under ripe orange, lovely.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Orange/lime and lemonade.

This is good quality, the fizzy lemonade thing is quite unique, but I don’t really see why it commands ridiculous prices.

78/100

Then came the Chichibu, bottled for the Whisky Exchange, vintage 2009. One of the oldest Chichibu’s released so far.

Chichibu 2009 TWE Exclusive 61.4%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Sweet grain, light fresh fruit, light oak, lovely floral notes, floral oak.

Taste: Intense, sweet fresh fruit, pineapple and mango, white pepper, oily.

Finish Medium length. Spiced, oak, some fruit.

Great whisky for 7 years old, bottled 2016. These were selling for £140ish, not sure if they were available on the day. I thought that was too much but I later saw them go at auction for £450!

82/100

And then it was onto another new Japanese distillery. Well, Mars was actually running though the 80’s and 90’s I think but was then closed sometime in the late 1990’s. Anyway, they’ve recently reopened.

 

Mars Komagatake (Pink flower on box) 52%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Balanced and integrated, tropical fruit, oriental spice, nutmeg.

Taste: Oily, fruity, sweet, creamy, wonderful tropical fruit, spice.

Finish: Medium length. Soft, amazing balance, sweet.

This is from old and new Mars stock. Lovely stuff, shame that the price is very high (£120). But that’s just what you pay for Japanese whisky these days.

85/100

Then the gentleman on the stand convinced me to try a 3 year old peated single cask. Really expected a huge peat monster at 50ppm, but was very surprised to find little smoke on it.

Mars 2013 Single Cask 59.8%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Sweet liquorice, aniseed, slight floral smoke.

Taste: Soft arrival, building tropical fruit, spice and oak, oily.

Finish: Long length. More oak, spice, and a little less tropical fruit than the taste.

Peated to 50ppm, 3 years old but incredible for that age.

84/100

These few whiskies have really opened my eyes to just how good the Japanese whiskies can be, even at a young age. Chichibu and Mars are going to continue evolving and will probably be fantastic in the future. Unfortunately, they probably won’t be very available and therefore prices are quite high.

Reviews #224-#227

Network Average: 75.8

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 44

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