During my visit to the Loch Lomond distillery in August, I had the opportunity to taste a variety of exceptional drams. One of the ranges I was particularly eager to try was the relatively new Noble Rebel blended malt Scotch whisky line, released by Loch Lomond in 2023. This range includes three expressions: Noble Rebel Orchard Outburst, Hazelnut Harmony, and Smoke Symphony whisky.
Category: Blended Malt Whisky Page 1 of 5
Blended Malt Whisky
Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for Blended Malt Whisky. A collection of all the interesting releases I have tried. Mainly Scotch whisky from all the whisky regions.
This travel retail exclusive whisky is perfect for my current setting. I am trying the Johnnie Walker Island Green blended malt Scotch whisky here on the beautiful green island of Mauritius.
There is, however, nothing tropical about the Island Green whisky. It is Islay rather than island. But the colour of the box and the coconut trees around me matches, so it is as good an excuse as any.
The Johnnie Walker Island Green is a blended malt whisky and retail travel release. It blends malts from Caol Ila, Clynelish, Glenkinchie and Cardhu. So a malt from each Scottish region. Islay, Highlands, Lowlands, and Speyside. Caol Ila malts make up most of the blend, hence the reference to Island.
When you look at the make-up of Island Green vs Green Label, the Green Label has an age statement. It also blends many more malts, including Talisker, Cragganmore and Linkwood.
The Johnnie Walker Island Green blended malt Scotch whisky was released in July 2016. Because it is a travel retail release, it is available in a 1L bottle. It has no age statement. I shared my bottle with friends on the island, and the tasting notes also included their comments.
Johnnie Walker Island Green Whisky Review
ABV: 43%
COLOUR: Rich gold
NOSE: Smooth, soft peaty goodness mixed with cereals and a green earthy note. Hints of vanilla, wood and light pepper. You can’t miss the Islay base on the Island Green. My friend D said the nose reminded her of her granny’s fashioned emergency kit with rolled-up bandages and disinfectant. The peaty notes are all Caol Ila, but the Cardhu toasted wood, malt and vanilla also have a spot. Rich and delicious.
PALATE: Again, the Caol Ila stands upfront with soft peat, oak and smoke. Hints of oily fish and malt in the background. With a few drops of water, a fruity sweetness comes forward with caramel, marmalade and pepper, probably from the Glenkinchie.
Malty goodness and vanilla with bits of cinnamon. Medium body with an oily mouth feel. A few people around the table got woody notes.
FINISH: Medium length with notes of lemon pepper, oak and drying ash.
RATING: EXCELLENT
What a delicious blended malt. Between the 5 of us, we finished the bottle. The peat is drinkable even for a novice, with enough sweetness to suit many tastes. It is complex enough to entice the serious whisky drinkers in our group but approachable enough for the newbie to enjoy.
An outstanding balance between the peppery notes and fruity sweetness. A great bottle. I will restock this Johnnie Walker as soon as I travel again.
Also Read: Big Peat 26 yo Whisky
I have been looking through my whisky cupboard, trying to find something new to drink, a dram standing around too long that needs some attention. Something interesting for me to write about. I am a huge Wemyss Malts fan, so let’s explore the Peat Chimney blended malt whisky today.
I especially appreciate the Single Cask releases from this innovative bottler. They always come up with wonderfully descriptive names for the bottlings, naming the releases after a “distinct taste profile”.
I have Lemon Sorbet and Peppered Biltong in my collection. How delicious does that sound! Some of the new releases include ‘Jam on Toast’ and ‘Cherry Bakewell Pie’.
Also Read: Mackinlay’s Whisky
Wemyss Malts was founded in 2005, and it has been independently run by brother and sister duo William and Isabella, who are family of the Scottish Wemyss family. There are three blended malts released in the series, as well as batch strength versions. They include The Hive and Spice King. They usually are available in SA and retail for around R850.
Peat Chimney is a blended malt containing more than 10 single malts, with the signature malt coming from Islay to bring elegant notes of sweet smoke, salt and peat. Peat Chimney was launched in 2005. It is non-chill-filtered and bottled at 46%, same as all the Wemyss releases.
Wemyss Malts Peat Chimney Whisky Review
ABV: 46%
COLOUR: Dark gold
NOSE: Light and elegant smoke, bits of peat mixed with some sweet fruit. Creamy cereal and salty notes with hints of stewed prunes.
PALATE: Stewed apple, bits of spice and hints of smoke and earthy peat. Caramel sweetness, green notes and hints of pepper and malt. Medium body. Add water carefully. Just a drop or two to release more fruity sweetness. If you add too much, it drowns out any smoke.
FINISH: Medium length with fruity sweetness and citrus.
RATING: VERY GOOD
The Wemyss Peat Chimney has a nice balance between fruity sweetness, smoke and peat. It is a gentle introduction for anyone who wants to explore peat and smoke.
I was hoping for a bolder mouthfeel and something with a bit more character. But that might be because I have been trying bold peaty drams this year that I was expecting something more memorable.
That is just me. The Wemyss Malt Peat Chimney blended malt is not a bad bottle, and we will probably finish it in the not too distant future. I might use this as a base to blend with other Islay malts to see if I can brighten it up.
Also Read: Compass Box No Name No 2 Whisky
Today I look at a blended malt from the Douglas Laing stable, the Timorous Beastie 18 year old whisky. The original Beastie was immortalized in Robert Burns’ famous Scots poem “To a Mouse” and was a timid, little field mouse.
When I tasted the standard Timorous Beastie, I realized that this little field mouse had the roar of a wee big beastie inside. A few months later, I was also fortunate to taste the Timorous Beastie 18 year old whisky, which showed the roar of the lion.
The Timorous Beastie blended malt Scotch release is part of the Remarkable Malt range and stands tall next to Big Peat, Scallywag, and Rock Oyster is Douglas Laing’s stable.
Also Read: Aultmore 18 yo Whisky
Launched in 2017, the 18 year old Beastie blends whiskies from several undisclosed Highland distilleries. Based on some research, it looks like the distilleries include liquid from Dalmore, Blair Athol and Glen Garioch. Only 7,258 bottles were released. The Douglas Laing releases are non-chill-filtered and naturally coloured.
The Beastie blended malt whisky range also includes a NAS as well as a 12 year old whisky. There is even a limited edition 25 year old Beastie released by Douglas Laing.
Timorous Beastie 18 year old Whisky Review
REGION: Highlands
ABV: 46%
COLOUR: Golden yellow
NOSE: Bold and inviting. Honey sweetness with vanilla and a warming maltiness. Green floral notes mixed with orange and something tropical. Gentle spices and faint hints of salt and smoke.
PALATE: Elegant and juicy. It is not overly bold but wonderfully balanced and drinkable. Fruit salad sweetness drizzled with honey, an oily, malty mouthfeel with creamy custard and green hay. Bits of white chocolate and white pepper mixed with oak and nutmeg. Hints of lemon and barley. A bit of alcohol heat, but it is warming. This Beastie only needs a few drops of water to open up the sweetness.
FINISH: Medium length with drying oak and honey sweetness, faint chocolate and pepper.
RATING: DIVINE
What a delicious full body dram. It has a beautifully sweet, spicy balance and is warming and satisfying. The Douglas Laing guys had outdone themselves in this blended malt. They do know how to blend whisky to get the best results. The 18 year old Beastie is packed with bright, balanced flavour.
It retails for around R 1 500 in South Africa, and if you have not tried it yet, what are you waiting for. I saw some recently at WhiskyBrother&Co. There were not too many of them released, so grab a bottle and see the Beastie roar.
Also Read: Yellow Spot Whiskey
I tasted the Compass Box No Name No 1 and the Compass Box No Name No 2 blended malt Scotch whisky about 18 months ago and have not gotten around to capturing the tasting notes. Released in 2019, this is the second limited edition in the Compass Box No Name series. The third bottling in this series was released in 2021.
Like the Compass Box No Name No 1, the Compass Box No Name No 2 is a blended malt Scotch. It is made up of the following whisky:
– 75% from Caol Ila (Refill Sherry casks)
– 10.5% from Talisker (re-charred American oak hogshead)
– 13.5% Clynishlish (re-charred American oak hogshead)
– 0.5% Highland malt blend (French oak, heavy toast)
Also Read: Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 yo Whisky
Compass Box is a producer, bottler and marketer of a range of blended Scotch whiskies. It was founded in 2000 by American entrepreneur John Glaser, who was a former marketing director at Johnnie Walker. The Compass Box whiskies create quite a stir when they are released.
The bottlings have distinctive labels and provocative names. Some of my favourites include Hedonism and Spice Tree. Other releases include Peat Monster, Circus and The Spaniard.
Compass Box No Name No 2 Whisky Review
A total of 8,802 bottles were produced. The Compass Box whisky is non-chill-filtered, with natural colour.
REGION: Islay and Islands with some Highland
ABV: 48.9%
COLOUR: Honey hay
NOSE: Islay ocean breezes with peat, hints of salty fish, seaweed and smoke. Bits of honey sweetness and candy floss. There is tropical fruit in the background with red berries, oak and honey. Lovely and complex.
PALATE: Drying ash, peat and wood smoke with fruity sweetness. Like tropical fruit salad in a wooden bowl next to a bonfire on the beach. Malty goodness, hints of dark chocolate, honey and pepper. Oak spices and salt with bits of orange peel and nuts.
Lovely. I nearly finished my glass before putting in a few drops of water. The water soothes the peat and ash to bring more fruit to the front. Medium body elegance with a beautiful symmetry between the peat and the fruit.
FINISH: Long and drying with pepper spice, peat and fruit.
RATING: EXCELLENT
I enjoyed No Name No. 1 (and this is a reminder that I still need to capture my tasting notes), but Compass Box No Name No 2 is my favourite. The Compass Box No Name 1 had a significant portion of Ardbeg and was quite bold.
In comparison, No 2 is softer, slightly more delicate and sophisticated. Don’t let this fool you. The Caol Ila and Talisker bring a rich fruit and peat experience that is delicious and very approachable.
No Name No 2 is still available, and I see that WhiskyBrother&Co still have some available. It retails for around R2300. This bottle will make a wonderful gift for the peat lover in your life.
Also Read: Tobermory 10 yo Whisky
