Category: Blended whisky Page 2 of 14

Wandering around the supermarket in Tamarin Mauritius I spotted a Ballantine’s whisky I have not tried before; the Ballantine’s 7 yo Bourbon Finish blended Scotch whisky. I love Ballantine’s whisky. I have many bottles in my collection and have written about them extensively. So this bottle landed in my trolley pretty quickly.

Ballantine’s blended whisky is one of the largest Scotch whisky brands and is available in over 160 countries. Ballantine’s is currently owned by Chivas Brothers, part of the larger Pernod Ricard group.

Also Read: New Zealand Whisky Company Whisky

The Ballantine’s Bourbon Finish is a permanent addition to the core range and was released in September 2020. It is a blend of single malts and single grain whiskies for a traditional Ballantine’s expression that was aged for a minimum age of seven years, before being finished in ex-bourbon casks, sourced from Kentucky.

The new whisky is inspired by founder George Ballantine, who started selling his own 7 years old aged whisky in the 1870s. It was also a time when Ballantine’s was one of the first companies to be importing ex-bourbon casks from America.

Ballantine’s 7 yo Bourbon Finish Whisky Review

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Deep Gold

NOSE: Elegant and soft with oak and tropical coconut notes. Caramel sweetness and light vanilla with fruity notes. The nose is quite sweet and not very complex.

PALATE: Creamy oak with hints of black pepper and fresh apples. On the palate, the 7 yo whisky is bolder and less sweet as suggested by the nose. Hints of fruity sweetness, caramel, and vanilla with something biscuity in the background.

The Bourbon Finish has a medium body and is easy to drink. It is not the most complex dram and quite sweet on the palate.

FINISH: Medium length with oak and hints of sweetness that moves to black pepper.

RATING: VERY GOOD

Probably the least favourite of the Ballantine’s that I have tried. It is far more delicate than even the standard Ballantine’s Finest whisky. It lacks a bit of the Ballantine’s complexity that I enjoy. Having said that, my bottle is nearly finished, so it is not a bad whisky at all. Just not as complex and sassy as some of the other releases.

In South Africa, the standard ABV is 43%, so it takes a bit to get used to the lower ABV. I need to concentrate on not adding water too quickly. I have not seen it in SA yet, but online it retails for around € 23. It is available in Mauritius for around RS1700 and I have seen it around the bigger supermarkets.

Also Read:Ardbeg Supernova Whisky

Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Finish Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/17/2022

In Blended whisky

On my recent trip to Mauritius, I found an interesting bottle of Johnnie Walker whisky in the supermarket. I had not seen the Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Finish blended Scotch whisky before and bought a bottle to try.

On the island, we had some time to explore this bottle properly. We love the Black Label whisky and always have a bottle around. So it made sense to spend a bit of time with this bottle.

The Sherry Finish is a limited edition Johnnie Walker Black Label initially released as a Taiwan exclusive. It is now available in more countries. According to the brand, this release combines the familiar notes of the Black Label whisky with dried plum and fig with aromatic vanilla.

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Like the standard Black Label, the Sherry Finish is a blend that includes whisky from Cardhu in Speyside, Cameronbridge and Glenkinchie in the Lowlands and Clynelish from the Scottish Highlands. It was aged for 12 years and then finished in barrels seasoned with sherry from Jerez.

I have not seen it in South Africa, and I can’t remember what we paid for it in Mauritius. It was not too expensive, though; I see it retails for around R 650 worldwide.

Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Finish Whisky Review

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Reddish gold

NOSE: It has the distinctive Black Label peat and smoky nose with an extra layer of sweetness. Red fruits, dried cherries and hints of sherry. Bits of spice and vanilla, with hints of dry wood.

PALATE: Peat and faint sherry sweetness with black pepper, red berries and caramel. Drying tannins and oak underlay the red fruits with hints of chocolate. On the palate, it is delicate and soft with none of the standard Black Label bolder notes. As the ABV was only 40%, we did not add water.

FINISH: A drying, peaty finish with bitter citrus and black pepper. Medium length.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I was expecting a bit more of the sherry richness to shine through. The sherry notes are subdued and somewhat out of balance with the peat and spices. The sherry finish adds a unique red fruit note but also tannins and drying oak.

Not bad, but if I have to choose between the Sherry Finish or the standard Black Label, I will take the standard Black Label whisky. I have to add that we quickly finished our bottle during our holiday. It will be a great dram for Johnnie Walker aficionados.

The serving suggestion for the Sherry Finish whisky is either on the rocks or in a tall glass filled with ice, topped up with a blackcurrant mixer and garnished with a sprig of mint or a slice of citrus. According to Johnnie Walker, it also pairs well with dark fruits, nuts and chocolate after a meal.

Also Read: Johnnie Walker Select Casks Rye Finish Whisky

Dimple Pinch 15 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/21/2022

In Blended whisky

It is no secret that my dad loved whisky, especially blended whiskey. My mom always bought him a Chivas 12 year old whisky for his birthday. But for special celebrations and anniversaries, she purchased his favourite favourite, the Dimple Pinch 15 year old blended Scotch whisky.

The distinctive triangular bottle with pinched (dimpled) sides and the gold thread netting has been around since 1893. During the late 19th-century, demand for blended Scotch whisky expanded in all directions. John Haig founded the Haig distillery in 1824.

Also read: Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Whisky

Today it is known as Cameronbridge. In 1830, it became the first distillery to produce grain whisky using the column still method. He experimented and mixed different kinds of whisky, creating the Dimple Scotch whisky recipe we know today.

According to some research, Dimple contains a higher than normal malt proportion, including liquid from Glenkinchie and Linkwood distillery. Precisely what this means remains undisclosed.

In the US, it is known as Dimple Pinch, and in the rest of the world, it is simply Dimple whisky.

Today it is owned by Diageo. Other releases under the Haig brand include the Haig Gold Label whisky and Haig Club, associated with David Beckham. Haig Club is a grain whisky sourced from the Cameronbridge distillery.

Dimple Pinch 15 year old Scotch Whisky Review

Dimple Pinch blended Scotch whisky consists of over thirty malt and grain whiskies.

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Light amber

NOSE: Elegant and soft with notes of fruit, malt and honey. Not the most complex nose. Bits of green and pear mixed with lemon. No defined spicy notes on the nose. Light woody notes in the background.

PALATE: Notes of malt and fruit. It has a medium body with oak, banana, pear and honey. The Dimple has a few rough edges that need a few drops of water to mellow. The green notes from the nose come through, and it has a mild pepper bite. Easy drinking summer whisky. Not too complex.

FINISH: Short ending on notes of oak, honey and pepper.

RATING: VERY GOOD

My dad loved his Dimple whisky and only poured a glass on special occasions. Remember, that was the 80’s in South Africa, so the whisky variety was minimal. It is not a bad whisky, but I found it a bit forgettable. It starts delicate but gets better on sip 2 or 3. More flavour comes to the front after a few drops of water.

Perhaps I am spoilt, having enjoyed some big and bold drams lately. This light body dram is probably perfect for summer and will work well for introducing a newbie to whisky. The packaging is impressive and stands out. In South Africa, Dimple whisky costs around R600. Not a bad price for a 15 year old blended whisky.

Also Read: Ballantine’s 17 yo Scapa Whisky

J&B Rare Scotch Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/26/2021

In Blended whisky

Continuing my exploration of budget whisky blends and today, I look at the very popular J&B Rare Blended Scotch whisky. It is another well known and affordable release from Diageo.

In 1749, Giacomo Justerini fell in love with an opera singer, Margherita Bellini, and followed her to London. He was the son of an Italian master distiller and brought with him various recipes for liqueurs.

In England, Bellini introduced him to George Johnson and together, they established the wine merchants Johnson & Justerini. In 1760, Justerini sold his part of the business to Johnson and went back home to Italy.

Johnson and subsequently his family continued to grow the business. In 1831, Johnson’s family sold the company to Alfred Brooks. The firm was renamed Justerini & Brooks.

Seeing the potential of blended whisky, J&B was one of the first London spirits merchants to buy up malt whisky stocks and create its own “house” blend.

In the early 1930s, J&B Rare Scotch whisky was developed to appeal to the American palate and as a chief rival to another new-style blended Scotch; Cutty Sark. The American market loved the blend, and over time it became one of the best-known budget blends in the world.

J&B whisky is a blend of 42 malt and grain whiskies. It includes single malts from Knockando, Auchroisk and Glen Spey. It is a NAS release, and in South Africa, it retails for around R 190.

Other releases in the J&B whisky portfolio include the J&B Jet, J&B Reserve and the J&B Urban Honey liqueur.

Also Read: Black & White Whisky

J&B Rare Scotch Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Light gold

NOSE: Grain sweetness, alcohol notes with malt and wood. Delicate hints of fruit salad sweetness. Not very complex.

PALATE: Drying oak and malt with caramel sweetness and hints of vanilla. Raws alcohol notes on the palate, which makes the dram rather rough. Water softens the alcohol notes but brings forward pepper and bitter lemon.

FINISH: Medium length with oak and bitter lemon.

RATING: GOOD

The nose has a very distinctive grain sweetness that reminds me of my university days. We could not afford anything more expensive, and we mixed the J&B whisky with some Appletiser. John used to drink this with lemonade at university. A reasonable whisky to use in cocktails.

I find that it has a cloying sweetness and too many rough alcohol notes. The bitter lemon finish is also a bit off-putting. I need to do a budget whisky side by side review to see where this fits in with the other affordable drams I have tried this year. It is not my favourite.

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Famous Grouse Smoky Black Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/31/2021

In Blended whisky

Today I look at a smoky budget blend; the Famous Grouse Smoky Black blended Scotch whisky. I have tasted my way through some of the top-selling budget blends this year. The Bell’s whisky was not too bad and brought back lots of childhood memories.

However, the Black and White whisky was too sweet. A characteristic of these budget blends is the very high grain percentage that leaves the dram (quite frequently) overly sweet and overwhelms many (if any) of the more peaty notes.

I was looking for a budget blend with a more peaty profile and then realized that I have not tasted or captures my tasting notes for the Famous Grouse Smoky Black whisky yet.

Famous Grouse launched The Smoky Black towards the end of 2015 to replace the Black Grouse whisky. According to some Internet research, the recipe of the Smoky Black is the same as Black Grouse whisky. It is described as a “smoky yet sweet whisky.”

The Famous Grouse blend is one of the top-selling brands globally, and as with many blends, it was conceived by a grocer and drinks merchant named Matthew Gloag. The Famous Grouse blend comprises whisky from various distilleries, including Macallan, Glenrothes and Highland Park.

Other releases in the Famous Grouse portfolio include the Naked Grouse and Famous Grouse Bourbon cask whisky. The Smoky Black is a NAS release and retails for around R 290. It is readily available in SA.

I loved the Black Grouse blended Scotch whisky and found it the perfect bottle to pair with Indian food and use in marinade for lamb. Will I love the Smoky Black Scotch just as much?

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The Famous Grouse Smoky Black Whisky Review

ABV:43%

COLOUR: A dark golden amber

NOSE: Hints of alcohol that first needs to evaporate. Sweetness with bits of smoke, cherries and lots of vanilla. Fresh pine needles and dry wood. Light peat and spices.

PALATE: Medium body with drying oak, peat and dried fruit. Pepper and cloves with smoke and grainy sweetness. Quite a bit of alcohol heat that needs a few drops of water to soften. It has the green Highland type of peat notes and not the fishy Islay kind of peat. Water tones down the heat but also washes out the peat. It becomes fairly sweet with water.

FINISH: Short with notes of bitter pectin, caramel and drying oak.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I love the new branding/packaging on this release. The bottle looks more premium when compared to the Black Grouse. However, looking at the liquid in the glass, it needs to breathe a bit for the alcohol to waft off.

Comparing it to my tasting notes for the Black Grouse, I am not convinced that the recipe stayed the same. Take into account, my last bottle of Black Grouse is long gone, and I am just comparing by memory, but I can’t remember the Black Grouse having so much alcohol heat with the grainy sweetness and very light peat.

My notes for the Black Grouse included peat and smoke followed by ginger and pepper notes, a woodiness in the palate with notes of oak and rich chocolate sweetness. I found none of that decadent chocolate sweetness with the Smoky Grouse, more of a caramel and cherry type sweetness.

The Smoky Grouse is not a bad whisky and will work nicely in a cocktail, but I am not sure that I will repurchase this bottle.

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