Category: Blended whisky Page 10 of 14

Blended whisky

Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for blended whisky. A collection of all the interesting releases I have tried. From Scotland and all around the world including some of the most well known and loved brands.

Ballantine’s 30 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/03/2018

In Blended whisky

Time and again, this blend impresses me. I have yet to meet a bottle of Ballantine’s that I do not love. The Ballantine’s 17 yo and the Scapa Distillers Edition are divine whiskies. And today I am trying one of the older releases in my collection. The Ballantine’s 30 year old blended Scotch whisky. What a long time that is. A whole lifetime.

Imagine how the world changed from when the spirit first entered into the barrel until it was bottled. With the amazing improvements in technology we see today, this whisky was a youngster before cell phones. Now smartphones have more computing power than the first space ships. A lot has changed in the 30 years.

As with so many well-known blends today, Ballantine’s Scotch whisky can trace its heritage back to 1827, when George Ballantine set up a small grocery store in Edinburgh. He started supplying a range of whiskies to his customers. In 1865 George and his son Archibald opened a larger business in Glasgow.

Also Read: Auchentoshan American Oak Whisky

Here he concentrated on the wine and spirit trade, and he also began to create his own blends. These blends inspired additional demand and his second son George Jnr joined the business.

After George Snr’s passing, the sons sold the company to allow for more expansion, and after various owner changes, it ended up in the Pernod Ricard stable.

The Ballantine’s flavour is dependent on malts from Miltonduff, Scapa and Glenburgie and blended with many other single malts and single grains. The Ballantine’s 30 year old blended whisky has won a Gold at the International Spirits Challenge, and Jim Murray gave it 94 points.

Ballantine’s 30 year old Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Golden amber

NOSE: The nose explodes with richness and complexity. It has honey, Christmas cake, caramel, toffee dried oak, vanilla and sherry with faint hints of smoke. All wonderfully combined.

PALATE: Rich and full-bodied, it is super smooth. Bits of oak spice swirling around dried fruits and nuts. Dark chocolate and treacle lurk somewhere with suggestions of smoke. Each sip brings out different notes on the palette. The Ballantine’s 30 year old has a beautiful balance between spicy and sweet. Adding water softens the spices a bit, and it is better without water.

FINISH: This is probably the best finish I have had in a long, long time. It never ends! It’s just brilliant going on and on and slowly slipping away like a sunset but leaving a wonderful glow.

RATING: DIVINE

I love Ballantine’s whisky. There is something in the combination of spice and sweetness from the distilleries that Ballantine’s uses that just works on my palate. Over the last couple of years, this has become my favourite blended whisky range.

From the entry-level to this masterpiece, Ballantine’s consistently set an amazingly high bar for the craft of the whisky maker. And this bottle is no exception. Rich, complex and utterly delicious! Probably one of my favourite Ballantine’s bottles ever.

Also Read: Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask whisky

Johnnie Walker Explorers Club The Spice Road Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/23/2018

In Blended whisky

During 2014 I tasted the Johnnie Walker Gold Route Explorer’s Club Collection whisky and loved it. John picked it up from Kenyatta airport after a fire damaged a part of the departure terminal. The Johnnie Walker Gold Route was inspired by journeys around the lush Amazon forests of Central America through the snow-capped Andean mountains.

We loved this expression and managed to grab the Johnnie Walker Explorers Club Collection the Spice Road blended Scotch whisky soon after. And do you know; I have tasted it but never wrote about it. So it is high time that I formally look at this Explorer’s Club release.

The Spice Road is the first of the three limited editions in Johnnie Walker’s Explorer’s Club Collection and aims at celebrating the trade routes of old. The other two are the Gold Route and the Royal Route.

During the 1800s and early 1900s, the Walker family and their agents travelled the world in search of adventure. They took their whisky to Asia, the Americas and the Caribbean. Johnnie Walker was enjoyed on the great railways, luxury ocean liners and early transatlantic flights.

Also Read: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel whiskey

Back in London, Alexander Walker established the Travelers’ Room where his agents would come to rest, talk strategy and exchange stories and samples from their travels. These colourful tales of exploration influenced the Johnnie Walker Master Blenders, who created these different styles of whisky to reflect the exotic stories.

The Spice Route whisky was inspired by the ancient spice trading routes into Asia. Reminiscent of the vibrant aromas and spices from the spice markets of the East, brimming with colour and new experiences. I see that the Johnnie Walker Explorers Club Collection the Spice Road is still available in retail for around R 1 600.

Johnnie Walker Explorers Club The Spice Road Review

The Johnnie Walker Spice Road whisky is matured in old oak casks. It has no age statement.

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Gold with hints of mahogany

NOSE: Spices. There is no mistaking the inspiration of the spice route in this release. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves jump out but slowly make way for more tropical fruit. Hints of tropical forests and malted porridge, drizzled with honey.

PALATE: The spicy notes of the nose translates onto the palate. Waves of cinnamon, allspice is followed by ripe oranges, grapes and bits of smoke. Hints of honey, oak and malt when you add a bit of water. Not the most complex of drams, and without water, the spices can be a bit overwhelming. The Johnnie Walker Spice Road has a medium body.

FINISH: White pepper and oranges with bits of smoke and drying oak.

RATING: VERY GOOD

Not a bad release, however, I think I prefer the Johnnie Walker Gold Route whisky. The sweeter fruitiness of the Gold Route kept in my mind a lot longer.

The spiciness of this release can be somewhat overwhelming, and I prefer a slightly sweeter whisky. This spiciness of this Johnnie Walker Spice Road will probably work well with cheese, so I need to go and experiment a bit.

Also Read: Chivas Royal Salute 21 yo whisky

Johnnie Walker King George V Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/28/2018

In Blended whisky

A month or so ago, I saw a very exclusive cocktail that the Maxim Lounge at the Davinci hotel makes. This extraordinary cocktail makes Johnnie Walker King George V blended Scotch whisky the main attraction. It made me realize, I have a bottle of King George V at home, and it is open. I have never written about it, and it is time.

We opened this exclusive Johnnie Walker bottling to celebrate the birth of our daughter. After struggling to have a baby, this bottling seemed a fitting release to open in celebration. John and I have enjoyed a small glass of this whisky every year on her birthday. She turned seven not too long ago, and I better write about this bottle quickly before we finish it.

The Johnnie Walker King George V is presented in a beautifully packaged box. The cap is heavy and engraved and the whole presentation of this bottle is regal and beautiful.

Also Read: Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky

John Walker started his empire in his grocery business with a single small shop in 1820. Just over a century later in 1934, John Walker & Sons was awarded a Royal Warrant by King George V.

By then, Johnnie Walker was already well on its way to becoming the world’s most popular Scotch Whisky. This Johnnie Walker King Georg V celebrates the granting of the Royal Warrant. It is created using whiskies from distilleries operating during George’s 25-year reign (1910 – 1936), some of which, like the famed Port Ellen, no longer exist.

Other distillery stock used in the blend includes Cardhu whisky and Lochnagar. They are blended together to reflect the distinctive Johnnie Walker style of the era. The Johnnie Walker King George V whisky was named Whisky of the Year at the International Whisky Competition 2015.

Johnnie Walker King George V Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Rich gold

NOSE: Rich berry fruit and Christmas pudding with hints of spice and vanilla. Sweetness and caramel are floating about. The nose is complex but subtle at the same time.

PALATE: Winter spice and oak notes mixed with pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Bits of honey and toffee, but not as sweet as the nose suggested. The second sip brings some citrus peel to the forefront. Faint hints of vanilla lurk somewhere. The addition of water adds smoothness. It takes some of the spice and citrus peel away and brings out more butterscotch and vanilla notes.

FINISH: Hints of nuts balanced with spices.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The price for a bottle of Johnnie Walker King George V blended whisky is around R8 000 in South Africa. It’s smooth and easy drinking – but maybe I expected more for this price. I think for the price and presentation, I expected a little more. It lacks the uniqueness and depth that I was looking for.

It is not the most complex release. Regardless, this Johnnie Walker King George V whisky will always have a very special place in my heart. It was the bottle I celebrated my only daughter’s birth with. And hopefully, it will last until she turns 18.

Also Read: Johnnie Walker Gold Label whisky

Forty Creek Barrel Select Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 12/11/2017

In Blended whisky

The bottle is nearly done, and I quickly need to capture the tasting notes for this Forty Creek Barrel Select Canadian whisky. I bought it in Canada during my July trip, and there is barely enough left for a tasting.

I was amazed while strolling through liquor stores in Vancouver that they had bottle sized up to 1.5 L readily available. Not something you find easily in SA. Also smaller sizes, such as the one I managed to bring home at 375 ml.<

Before I left for my trip, I asked the Twitterverse for some recommendations on Canadian whiskey to try. Forty Creek whisky was one of them. I love looking for unique bottles of whisky when we travel.

An unknown brand in SA, Forty Creek is part of the Campari Stable together with Glen Grant and Wild Turkey. In 1992, John Hall, a winemaker, decided to follow his dreams of becoming a world-class whisky-maker and laid down the first stocks of Forty Creek in Grimsby, Ontario.

They started with Forty Creek barrel select and Forty Creek Three Grain and in 2007 released the first of the limited Edition Forty Creek Special Reserves. The Forty Creek Barrel Select is the entry level whisky in the stable and was not too expensive (for this South African converting from ZAR).

Forty Creek Barrel Select is a blended Canadian whisky; made with rye, barley and corn. Each grain is fermented, distilled, and aged separately. The various grain whiskies are aged independently in seasoned ex-Bourbon barrels and new American white oak barrels. Vintage sherry casks are used to finish off the whisky after it is blended.

Also Read: Crown Royal Deluxe whisky

Forty Creek Barrel Select WhiskyReview

COUNTRY: Canada

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Rich Gold

NOSE: Rich sherry, honey, slightly sweet and fruity balanced with oaky spices, cinnamon, bits of wood and hints of florals.

PALATE: Ripe summer fruits, cinnamon, vanilla, pepper, honey, a malty richness with hints of bitter orange and ginger. Light and medium-bodied. I added only a drop of water to release more spicy notes. Easy drinking

FINISH: Medium length, warm and rewarding with lemon pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

What a great dram. It was my favourite (affordable) whisky in Vancouver, and I wish we could get it here in SA. I enjoyed it more than the JP Wiser Deluxe.

The Forty Creek Barrel Select was smoother and richer compared the Deluxe. Have you tried anything else from the Forty Creek stable?

Also Read: Dewars White Label Whisky

Michel Couvreur Peaty Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/13/2017

In Blended whisky

It was the clean, classic label design that made me buy the bottle of Michel Couvreur whisky more than anything. A cream label with a beautiful cursive font and a red wax seal. The label is attached over two sides of the square bottle to ensure the corner of the bottle is presented on the shelf.

This feature made it stand out in between other square and round bottles, and I noticed it immediately. I have never heard the name or seen anything on this release before.

The label also stated “ Product of Europe”, which fitted into my world whisky collection perfectly. So the bottle came home with me and I can’t believe I have never written adequately about it. Michel Couvreur is a finishing house and not a distillery.

Also Read: Benriach The Twelve Whisky

Michel Couvreur is originally from Belgium. He arrived in Burgundy in the 1950s to make and market wine. He took frequent trips to England and Scotland where he sold his wine but fell in love with Scotland for the fabulous fishing and hunting.

During the 1960s he moved to Scotland where he became involved in the production process of whisky. The whisky industry was changing and new ones were replacing the old methods. Couvreur returned to France in the 70s, and he dug his own cellar in the hillsides of Bouze-les-Beaune. He imported whisky from Scotland and then matured it in his underground cellar in rare sherry casks.

This Michel Couvreur Special Vatting peaty malt whisky is a blend of 3 distinct mellow single malts distilled in Scotland and “raised” up with oak sherry cask in the cellar.

Michel Couvreur Special Vatting Peated Whisky Review

I have bottle No. 000926

ABV: 45%

COLOUR: Dark golden mahogany

NOSE: Soft peat balanced with sherry and fruit, a marzipan sweetness, faint hints of ash and salt.

PALATE: Peat balanced with ripe red summer fruits, hints of iodine, citrus, sherry, oak with a slight pepper bite. Mild cinnamon and tobacco in the background. Water softens the peat a bit and makes the Michel Couvreur more complex.

FINISH: Medium length with notes of peat, citrus and pepper.

RATING: VERY GOOD

An interesting expression. The peat is not overwhelming and nicely balanced with the softer sweeter notes. I have paired this Michel Couvreur Special Vatting peaty malt with some Shropshire Blue in the past, and it is a great whisky to pair with strongly flavoured cheeses.

Also Read: Armorik Millesime 2002 whisky