Meandering the world, one whisky at a time

Month: March 2014

Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Whisky

Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Scotch Whisky headerA new distillery for me, I am trying the Tullibardine 1993 Vintage single malt Scotch whisky. The history of Tullibardine as a site for brewing and distilling is one of the longest in Scotland. The site on which Tullibardine stand was once home to a brewery.

It is claimed that King James IV purchased beer at this brewery to celebrate his coronation at Scone Palace in 1488.In 1503 the brewery received the first Royal Charter issued by James IV. It was awarded to recognize the excellent beer produced.

Tullibardine then disappears off the pages of history.  In 1947 architect William Delmé-Evans rediscovered the disused brewery.

He began converting the remaining buildings into a distillery. The first spirit was distilled in 1949 at the newly named Tullibardine Distillery. Named for Tullibardine Moor, the distillery draws its water from the Danny Burn.

It lies to the southwest of Blackford, in the Scottish Highlands. The area is renowned for the purity of its water. The water that reaches the distillery has taken 15 years to reach the Danny Burn through the underlying rocks.

The distillery was mothballed in 1995 by the then-owner Whyte & Mackay.  Production resumed in 2003 when it was sold to Tullibardine Distillery Ltd.  In November 2011, the distillery was sold to the French firm Picard Vins & Spiritueux.

With such a complicated history, punctuated by stops and starts, I looked forward to assessing this expression. The Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Edition single malt whisky is a collectors limited edition expression. It is one of several limited-edition expressions released around the same time.

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Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Whisky Review

Tasting notes and Review of Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Edition single malt whisky with glassDistilled in 1993 and bottled in 2006.

COLOUR: Pale golden colour

ABV: 43%

NOSE: The first nosing impression is sweetness with a sherry undertone.  Honeycomb, spice and floral come to mind.  There is a bit of wood in the background. Fresh fruit dominates the nose after adding a drop of water.

PALATE: On the palate, the whisky is very spicy. Ginger, cinnamon and black pepper flood the mouth. There is also some oak between the spice with hints of caramel and cereals. The Tullibardine is a medium-bodied whisky and  relatively smooth but has a few edges. It is not a  complex whisky, and the spice seems to overwhelm it.

FINISH: The finish is long and lingering with a slow build to a medium body finish. It is not a spectacular end, but some condensed milk and oak come through. This whisky left us a little pondering quite a bit. It reaches for greatness but seems to fall short in a few places.

RATING: VERY GOOD.

The Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Edition single malt Scotch comes across as a little one-dimensional, possibly too spicy.  All in all, it is not a bad bottle to have in my collection. My desktop research found that Tullibardine released many limited edition expressions around this time.

With the boldness of the spices coming through, this whisky will probably pair well with food. A creamy mussel soup or a roasted rack of lamb should balance the spiciness out. I have tried the Tullibardine Sauternes Cask as well and enjoyed it more.  See my thought on this post.

Related Article:  Whisky and Gouda with Cumin Pairing



Ballantine’s Finest Blended Scotch Whisky

Ballantines Finest blended whisky headerToday I try a blend; the Ballantine’s Finest blended Scotch whisky. Ballantine’s Scotch whisky dates back to 1827. George Ballantine began supplying a selected range of blended Scotch whiskies to distinguished customers from his grocery store in Edinburgh.

Sales were good, and Ballantine employed another son, George Jr to help with the expansion. They soon began exporting  products to Europe and the business went from strength to strength.

In 1895 Queen Victoria awarded George Ballantine & Son a Royal Warrant – the most significant endorsement of the company’s prestigious reputation.

The business remained under George Jr’s watchful eye until 1919 when Barclay & McKinlay acquired the business.  In 1938 the company received its Grant of Heraldic Arms. This Grant recognized George Ballantine & Sons as an ‘incorporation noble on the Nobleness of Scotland’.

This crest appears on every bottle of Ballantine’s Scotch. The blend is made up from as many as 50 single malts. The blend includes single grains and malt from distilleries like Miltonduff and Glenburgie.

Based on 2012 sales, Ballantine’s blended Scotch whisky is one of the top 10 whisky brands in the world. Today the Ballantine brand is owned by Pernod Ricard and produced in Dumbarton, Scotland.

I received this whisky as a gift from friends and have never tried any Ballantine’s whisky before this tasting. So it should be interesting, given my preference for single malts.

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Ballantine’s Finest Blended Scotch Whisky Review

Review and tasting notes ballantine's finest whisky with glassABV:  43%

COLOUR: Light gold. The spirit is quite oily for a blend, which promised good things.

NOSE: Fruitcake, glazed cherries, wood and spice came through. Wow! I was not expecting this complexity from a blend.

PALATE: Smooth and has a beautiful, substantial full body. Flavours of Christmas cake, dried fruit and muscovado sugar are evident. In the background are hints of peat and smoke.

FINISH: The finish is also brilliant. Long and lingering, Ballantine’s Finest ends in notes of spice, ginger and fudge.

I was blown away by this Ballantine’s Finest blended Scotch whisky. I never expect a budget blend to taste this fantastic. This one is super smooth and full-bodied. Luxurious and sophisticated, the Ballantine’s Finest is an easy-drinking spirit that will have you reaching for a second and third glass.

RATING: DIVINE

From its appearance in the glass, the nose, palate and finish, this blend has surprised me with its complexity and richness. In the end, this Ballantine’s Finest whisky achieved my highest possible score.

I have tasted many whiskies over the past two years, but this is the first blend to achieve this rating. And the best of it all is the price. This affordable blend retails for around R 250 in South Africa.

Both me and John fell in love with this brand and over time, have built up quite a collection. This bottle was one of 2 blended whiskies up for my Blend of the Year 2014 award. You can read about it here. I have also tried the Ballantine’s 30 yo Scotch whisky and wrote about it here.

Update: This past weekend I spend some time sitting outside on the patio exploring a comparison between the Teacher’s Highland Cream whisky and the Ballantine’s Finest. Both are budget blends and it made for a fun afternoon. The Ballantine’s Finest whisky also pairs wonderfully with a rich Camembert.

Related Article: Teacher’s Whisky



The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey

The Wild Geese Whiskey headerWhat a name for a whiskey, The Wild Geese Irish single malt whiskey. There must be a story behind this. I went to investigate.  The name Wild Geese in the Irish context has a long history.

The Catholic King James and the Protestant King William of Orange fought the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 across the River Boyne near Drogheda on the east coast of Ireland.

William won the battle, and Patrick Sarsfield’s army was defeated. Following the Treaty of Limerick, William gave Sarsfield’s army a choice. Those that chose to live under English rule filed one way; others like Sarsfield and his followers turned the other way to board French ships to take them to France.

They took the name The Wild Geese in the hope and belief that this would be a temporary exile in Europe.  The parting, however, proved permanent. Stripped of their authority and property, many of them found life in Ireland intolerable.

These soldiers served in various continental European armies in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. However, they never forgot their homeland and dreamt of one day returning to Ireland.

I choose the Irish Wild Geese Irish single malt whiskey especially for today as it is nearly Saint Patrick’s Day – the Patron Saint of Ireland.  And with the history of this whiskey, a fitting choice for Whisky of the Week. I received this bottle as a gift from a friend visiting us from Bangalore, India.

Also Read: Dunville’s Three Crowns Sherry Whiskey

The Wild Geese Irish Whiskey Review

Review and tasting notes The Wild Geese Single Malt Irish Whiskey with glassThe sturdy square bottle, it is packaged in a bright orange box. It certainly stands out among other whiskies boxed in neutral colours.

COUNTRY: Ireland

ABV:  43%

COLOUR: Light gold.

NOSE: Layers of oak and wood. Also a bit of fresh fruit and spice.

PALATE: Toasted oak, spice, pepper and some floral notes.  A bit of a mossy green note.  It is not a sweet whiskey.  It is full-bodied and smooth, easy-going whiskey.  The spice is well-balanced with a hint of vanilla.   There is a bit of citrus and more oak.  It is a complex whiskey.

FINISH: The Wild Geese Irish whiskey has a long smooth finish that becomes sweeter with some floral notes and butter toffee.

RATING: EXCELLENT.

This whiskey has won many prizes, and I can understand why. It is nicely balanced, and I had a second glass. Interesting to note that you need to add water carefully to this Irish release.  Adding water does not enhance or release extra flavours.

The whiskey tasted watered down when I added my usual splash of water. Only when I limited the water in the second glass, did the green and oaky notes came to the front.

As this is a spicy whiskey, there will be quite a few really good food pairings that will match nicely with  this Irish release.  A gold creamy Irish cheddar should make an excellent pairing. Also, on a winter’s day, a sweet potato gratin with caramelized onions should match the spicy nature and warm up a cold day.

I paired the Wild Geese with some Irish Dubliner cheese, and it made for a great pairing. The whiskey enhanced the cheese’s buttery nature, making it creamier and smoothed out the pepper notes. The Dubliner cheese enhanced the smooth and rich whiskey and lengthened an already amazing finish.

Also Read: Waterford Cooladine Whisky

The Arran Sherry Cask Whisky

Review and tasting notes Arran Malt Sherry Cask single malt whiskyToday I look at the Arran Sherry Cask single cask Scotch whisky.  The Arran distillery is situated to the east of the village of Lochranza, on the isle of Arran, Scotland. At its peak, there were over 50 distilleries located on the isle. Founded in 1993, the distillery is the only one left on the island.

Wemyss Malts Gooseberry Marmalade Whisky

Wemyss Malts Gooseberry Marmalade Whisky headerToday I try the Wemyss Malts Gooseberry Marmalade single malt Scotch whiskyA Single Cask release from the Dalmore distillery bottled by Wemyss Malts. Wemyss Malts is an independent bottler of malt whiskies from Scotland.  The Wemyss Malt offices are in Edinburgh, but the Wemyss Estate is in Fife, Scotland.

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