Royal Brackla 1997 NC2 Review (plus blind review video)

Image courtesy of Master of Malt

Hi everyone,

Blind tasting is a really funny thing. Expensive whiskies that normally get huge praise get thrown aside as harsh, and cheap stuff that is usually crapped on is held in high regard. Equally I’m discovering another facet to it. Whiskies can taste very different from what you remember of them.

This one I remembered being nothing special. An under-matured, spirity whiskies without the character to back it up. Was I wrong about that? Blind review me seems to think so. He found it quite nice. Nice enough to think it was an 18yo Glentauchers at 48.8%. Which I had given a higher score to.

So here’s blind review me doing a review, and my non-blind notes:

Royal Brackla 1997 NC² (Duncan Taylor) 46%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Light

Nose: Very clean. Ethanol, light pear, light green apple, very light vanilla, lemon juice. On the blind review I was getting much more maltiness.

Taste: Light, crisp and fresh. Green apple, pear, lemon, lemon juice, some vanilla and caramel developing with a little spice. Smooth and light.

Finish: Medium length. Peppery then soft oak. Again, on the blind review I got a nicer finish with a very good transition of flavours.

NC² bottling from Duncan Taylor, 13 year old. This seems to have improved with oxygen and has definitely made me reconsider Royal Brackla.

69/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #578

Whisky Network Review #683

Network Average: 74.7

Best Score: 93

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 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?

Glenmorangie 10 Original Review

Hi everyone,

Back with more whisky I should have reviewed ages ago, the classic Glenmo 10. Being the distillery with the tallest stills, its known for having a light character.

And I leant recently that independent bottlings of Glenmorangie are super rare because any that’s sold off is teaspooned and sold under the name Westport. You can find some unteaspooned but it can’t have the Glenmo name on, and to avoid confusion some have taken to putting giraffes on the labels…

Anyway, I remembered that I forgot to remember to put my notes on my laptop so I went out and sourced some locally.

 

Glenmorangie 10 40%

Colour: Gold

Body: Light

Nose: Fresh and malty, green apple, lemon, some vanilla and pastry, green melon, a tiny bit of oak. Bit of a vague nose though.

Taste: Soft, lacking power and abv, lemon and green apple, melon maybe, then some generic spice coming through with a little oak and ginger.

Finish: Short length. Soft, lacking structure here, some vanilla.

The whole whisky feels a vague and lacks structure in my opinion. Some drams of Glenmo 10 I’ve had have been better. One in particular quite impressed me, so perhaps batch variance is in play or maybe I’ve changed.

62/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #577

Whisky Network Review #682

Network Average: 74.7

Best Score: 93

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 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?

Johnnie Walker Red Label Review

Hi everyone,

That’s right. I’ve finally gotten round to reviewing JW Red. Perhaps the least favourite Scotch of r/Scotch and the very bottom of the Johnnie Walker range.

I don’t review enough blends really, and yes, I should do more of them. I do actually quite enjoy the detective work behind finding out which whiskies are in the blend, which distilleries are contributing and how that’s coming out in the whisky.

In this case its Diageo with their 28 malt distilleries and 2 ½ grain, which makes it a bit trickier but, as with black, the Johnnie Walker trademark is usually some smoke coming from Caol Ila and Talisker. As this is the cheapest of the range, I’d also expect the most grain in this one.

 

Johnnie Walker Red Label 40%

Colour: E150a

Body: Light

Nose: Cheap-af. Grain forward, harsh abv despite the strength, a tiny hint of young brash peat. Not much else.

Taste: Soft arrival, lacking power, watery actually. Malt, some generic spice, a bit harsh into the finish.

Finish: Short length. Very little here, some grain whisky and generic spice.

Very Haig Club-esque. Lots of Cameronbridge in here I imagine. Not terrible though! I don’t really know how they get the whisky to be harsh and watery at the same time… That’s quite a feat. Black is a big step up from this too IMO.

53/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #576

Whisky Network Review #681

Network Average: 74.7

Best Score: 93

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 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?

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 2 Review

Hi everyone,

How’d I miss this beauty? I don’t know if it’s something about whisky festivals but people seem to be hugely generous when they are at these things. Perhaps it’s all that great whisky, but people you’ve just met seem to be willing to give you their amazing drams.

Tomatin 36, Springbank 25, Lagaulin Jazz 2017 and then this.

Of course, the notes made of these whiskies are normally brief and should be taken with a bigger pinch of salt than normal perhaps but it’s always great to share to some of these great drams with people who are enjoying them and want you to enjoy them too.

 

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 2 50.6%

Colour: Dark Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: BEAUTIFUL. So classy, some oak, orange oil, great old oils and polish. Antique is the word.

Taste: Nice arrival, builds up but not quite as amazing here. Orange, classy antique furniture.

Finish: Long length. Back to amazing territory, great great oak, chocolate. Really keeps going.

Another stunner from Balvenie, if the taste was up to the nose and finish this would definitely be in the 90's but I thought Batch 4 was the better one. I believe this was a married of 7 refill barrels and 3 Sherry butts.

88/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #575

Whisky Network Review #680

Network Average: 74.7

Best Score: 93

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 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?

Glenburgie 1997 OMC & Glentauchers 1996 Sig Reviews (PLUS blind review video)

Hi everyone,

Glenburgie is a distillery that’s been quietly gaining a few fans in the last couple of years. Partly down to some epic Sherry casks but perhaps also because its got a great character too.

This was another one I blind tasted for my YouTube channel and I guessed it was an 18yo Glentauchers (although I got mixed up with Glenturret) at just under 50%, which I was pretty happy with! You can watch the vid HERE.

This was my first Glenburgie I tasted, thanks to a sample from FineDrams.

 

Glenburgie 1997 Hunter Laing 50%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Malty and creamy. Vanilla, vanilla ice cream, malt, cereal, double cream.

Water: More aromatic, more oak, more malt. A little oak char, chocolate and a green wood note.

Taste: Gentle arrival, very creamy mouthfeel. Malty, cereal, vanilla, some oak coming in after a while.

Water: Even more creamy. More spice with nutmeg and cinnamon. Some oak char.

Finish: Medium length. Coffee and dark chocolate.

Mouthfeel is the main event here, although the spirit is clearly very good quality. Will definitely be keeping an eye out for more Glenburgie in the future.

73/100

 

Eh, for the hell of comparison, here’s my notes for the Glentauchers that I guessed it was in the blind review:

Glentauchers 1996 Signatory Cask Strength 48.8%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Quite vibrant and oak-driven. Sealing wax, melon, lemon, lemon juice, a little vanilla, oak perfume (If there was such a thing), floral notes- Dried flowers, lavender, home-made paper, bath bombs, a little dusty, dry oak.

Water: More floral, looking through a dusty book of pressed and dried flowers.

Taste: Big and oaky. Mouth filling, dry and juicy, cardboard and home-made paper at first then lemon juice with building oak, going quite dry, lots of complex dark chocolate and coffee beans, also going into the finish.

Water: More gentle arrival, more gradual development, more balance, but still big and oaky into the finish.

Finish: Long length. An oak hit then 90% dark chocolate lingers.

Bottled 2014 at 18yo. Cask 185, Bourbon barrel. Tastes older than 18 years, more like 20 or 25. Now that I think about it, there’s quite a few Signatory’s like that. Something to do with their warehousing maybe?

72/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #573-#574

Whisky Network Review #678-#679

Network Average: 74.7

Best Score: 93

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 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?

Caol Ila Cask Strength & 1991 Signatory Reviews (Bottled 2007)

Hi everyone,

Back in my favourite whisky bar in Chamonix, France (it’s the only whisky bar in Chamonix, France) I thought I’d have a crack at that rare 1970 Bruichladdich up on the top shelf. But then I remembered that I brought my wife and she wouldn’t let me blow 50 euros on one shot of whisky. (it was a double! Come on.)

So the cheap stuff it was for me. Luckily they had some other really interesting stuff and I ended up trying these Caol Ila’s, only realising afterwards that they were released the same year.

Caol Ila 1991 Signatory 46%

Colour: Straw

Body: Medium

Nose: Quite light on the smoke, more maritime and oily, and pretty complex, quite savoury tobacco, wet leather, beach campfire, some cigar smoke, neoprene wetsuit. Then a little fresh melon with time. Smells much older than its 16 years.

Taste: Soft start, lacking a bit of power then very salty with some sour lemon juice, green apple and smoky minerality, spices then coming in with some ginger and a little light pepper but not as complex as the nose suggested.

Finish: Medium/Long length. A little zesty with nice spice, paprika and lemon.

From Hogsheads, bottled back in 2007 at 16 years old. Great great nose, taste and finish don't follow up unfortunately.

76/100

 

Caol Ila Cask Strength 59.6%

Colour: Straw

Body: Full

Nose: Intense! Seriously smoky, creamy, medicinal and mineral. Elements of lots of Islay distilleries in here actually but Kilchoman comes to mind the most. Calpol cough syrup like some Laphroaig's, seashells.

Water: Ooo some meaty notes emerge, Gingseng tea, earthy, more ethereal though.

Taste: Soft start for the abv, then very very mineral like a big Kilchoman, salty and maritime, intensely smoky, slightly medicinal and creamy, oily lemon, some wool weirdly then more perfumed but still powerful smoke and lemon citrus. A little spicy with some ginger into the finish.

Water: Softer, more salty, then more spicy with ginger and hot white pepper which unbalances it.

Finish: Long length. Intense initially with mineral, lemon, some ginger snaps and a little white pepper.

No bottling code but Whiskybase tells me bottled 2007. Potent stuff with much more smoke than expected from a Caol Ila, not young either despite the NAS. And despite the strength, it doesn't improve with water I'd say. A great find at the back of the shelf.

79/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #571-#572

Whisky Network Reviews #676-#677

Network Average: 74.7

Best Score: 93

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 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?

Ardmore 2002 Chieftain's Madeira Finish Review (PLUS a blind review video)

Hi everyone,

If you’re a daveswhiskyreviews.com follower, you might have noticed that I’ve started a YouTube channel (Link here) tasting various whiskies in various states of blindness.

This next one was the blindest yet. My mate Tom sent me three samples from bottles he got for Christmas. This was the first and boy did he pick a tough one.

Despite knowing that Ardmore was his favourite, I didn’t think his Fiancée would get a different Ardmore to the one I told her to get for him… (sigh)

Anyway, you can watch me get it embarrassingly wrong HERE.

Ardmore 2002 Chieftain's Madeira Finish 46%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: After tasting it blind for youtube I now get rubber first, burnt rubber, pastry, lemon citrus but there's a definite off note to this getting in the way, herbal, I said Gin in the blind review but actually it’s more like Jenever, juniper, craft rye like spice to it too, turmeric.

Taste: Sweet arrival, lemon citrus, some pastry there too, very fresh then some of that Madeira funk, no rubber, not really much smoke but a little ash maybe, then you get some of that rubber from the nose and spice, some ginger.

Finish: Medium/Long length. A little more smoky here with that strange Madeira funk, little clue as to where the peat has gone though.

Bottled at 15 years old. Very little smoke to this actually, as I got with the blind review. A lot of weird/off notes here for me that really detract from the experience. Which is a shame because Ardmore is great, the spirit just hasn't melded well with the cask. Coming back to it after getting it very wrong on the blind review, I don't feel so bad as its very atypical of the Ardmore style.

69/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #570

Whisky Network Review #675

Network Average: 74.7

Best Score: 93

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 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?