Category: Blended whisky Page 5 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.

Johnnie Walker Swing Blended Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 04/18/2022

In Blended whisky

This week I try another blend, one in a unique bottle, the Johnnie Walker Swing blended Scotch whisky. Johnnie Walker is owned by Diageo and originated in Kilmarnock, Scotland. It is the most widely distributed Scottish blended whisky brand in the world.

Yearly sales exceed 100 million bottles. John “Johnnie” Walker started to sell whisky in his grocer’s shop. Originally it was known as Walker’s Kilmarnock Whisky.

After Walker died in 1857, it was his son Alexander Walker and grandson Alexander Walker II who were largely responsible for establishing the whisky as a famous brand.

Sir Alexander Walker, the grandson of John Walker, created Swing during the golden age of travel in 1932. On transatlantic voyages, bartenders desperately stowed loose bottles on racks to prevent breakages. The unrelenting pitch and roll of stormy weather on the high seas causing havoc with their whisky stocks.

Johnnie Walker Swing’s unique glass decanter allowed it to swing back and forth on a convex base. Known and respected as a captain of industry for his role in the international success of the Johnnie Walker brands, Sir Alexander was a familiar sight on these voyages himself. Today the Swing bottle remains instantly recognizable amid a myriad of newer offerings.

The Johnnie Walker Swing is a blend of 35 whiskies with a high proportion of Speyside malts. These are complemented by malts from the northern Highlands and Islay. There are also whiskies matured in sherry casks.

Also Read: Johnnie Walker Platinum Label vs Gold Label whisky

Johnnie Walker Swing Blended Scotch Whisky

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: An amber golden colour and quite dark.

NOSE: The sherry cask sweetness comes through. There is also some mild smoke and spice. The nose has an old-world feel to it. Hints of dried fruits, tobacco and leather. Nosing this Johnnie Walker Swing, you can almost imagine the old leather couches in a gentleman’s club in London during the early 1900s.

PALATE: On the palate, the Johnnie Walker Swing is very smooth and quite oily. Spicy notes balance the sherry sweetness. There are notes of smoke and faint peat, probably from the Islay whiskies. There are some cereal flavours and oak. The spice is reminiscent of pepper with hints of ginger.

FINISH: Long and rich. It ends in rich notes of spice and oak with a hint of cloves. Swing is an easy-drinking whisky.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It is medium-bodied and not too complicated, and you should be careful when you add water. Water can quickly overwhelm this whisky. However, it is an excellent addition to any whisky collection. I paired this release with some Wensleydale cheese with cranberries over HERE. See how this pairing worked.

Also Read: Chivas Royal Salute 21 yo whisky

Scottish Leader 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/28/2022

In Blended whisky

Towards the end of 2016, I was fortunate to attend the launch of a new whisky release in South Africa. The Scottish Leader 12 year old blended Scotch whisky has been a long-standing favourite in the East and lucky for us, have now reached the South African shores.

Scottish Leader is a well-known brand around the world. The Original and Signature releases are popular in South Africa, and now they have extended their South African presence with the 12 yo.

I love their other releases. The Scottish Leader Signature is a regular in my house and the Original pairs wonderfully with Royal Ashton cheese. It was launched in 1976 and is available in around 30 countries across the world. The lead blender for Scottish Leader is Dr Kirstie McCallum.

Also Read: My Favourite Margarita Recipe

She has travelled all the world on her whisky journey. She went from being a chemist in Glasgow to the Burn Stewart Global Brand Ambassador, and today she leads the team in blending Scottish Leader.

Kirstie is one the pioneering woman in whisky. She was one of the first women to become a whisky maker and was one of the youngest female blenders in Scotland. On one of her visits to South Africa, I was fortunate to meet her.

During October 2016, she was nominated and inducted as a Keeper of the Quaich. A phenomenal whisky woman. Her signature is all every bottle of Scottish Leader.

Scottish Leader 12 year old Whisky Review

The Scottish Leader 12 year old is a blend of unpeated Highland and Speyside malt and grain whiskies, matured in American Oak casks.

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark golden red

NOSE: Sweet sherry, rich with notes of vanilla marshmallow and fruits. A very faint hint of wood, nutmeg and cream. The addition of water seems to bring out more of the sweet toffee and butterscotch notes.

PALATE: Fruit, sticky toffee pudding, brandy-soaked apricots. A big mouth full and wonderfully complex. The addition of water makes the Scottish Leader smoother and rounder and a little bit easier drinking.

FINISH: Long and lingering with spicy and sweet notes perfectly balanced.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Not too many bottles made it to South Africa. So if you have not yet grabbed a bottle, do so quickly. It is affordable and delicious. A great blended 12 year old Scotch whisky. I see that Vinoteque still has a few available.

Other releases include the Scottish Leader Supreme and there is even a Sherry Cask finish.

Also Read: Ballantines 12 yo 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. In the US it retails for around $40. You can pick it up on Amazon for around £66. Not a bad price for a 15 year old blended whisky.

Also Read: Ballantine’s 17 yo Scapa Whisky

Scottish Leader Signature Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/07/2022

In Blended whisky

Time for a blended whisky again. This week I try the new Scottish Leader Signature blended Scotch whisky. Interestingly, South Africa, second only to Taiwan, is the most popular market for Scottish Leader whisky.

The brand is owned by Burn Stewart Distillers, which is part of the Distell Group Limited. The story of the Scottish Leader blend begins near the village of Doune in Perthshire, Scotland. On the banks of the River Teith is the Deanston Distillery, home to the Scottish Leader.

Related Article: Ballantine’s Finest whisky

Here the Scottish Leader’s secret recipe was created by Master Blenders, the Ross Brothers, in the late 19th century. Once a cotton mill, the Ross Brothers quickly realised that the site had ideal features to distil whisky; fresh Scottish air, a supply of crystal clear water and ample storage facilities to mature the whisky.

Distell relaunched the brand in 2014. The update gives it a new look and packaging. The brand team replaced the old logo of a deer with a soaring eagle. They also released the new Scottish Leader Signature expression to complement the existing Scottish Leader Original whisky.

Scottish Leader Signature Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: A dark copper colour. There are beautiful hits of red specs in the whisky. It is not a very oily whisky.

NOSE: Immediately brings sherry sweetness with fruit cake and raisins. There are notes of toffee, honey and bits of smoke. The Signature has quite a sweet nose. In the background, malts and green grass flirting around.

PALATE: Rich, smooth and spicier than expected. I was expecting quite a sweet palate after the sweet nose, but there were notes of oak, smoke, and cloves. Bits of citrus peel floating in the background. Adding some water allowed more oak to come out and made this Scottish Leader Signature whisky very smooth.

FINISH: Medium length and end in notes of spicy oak and citrus. It is a medium-bodied blended whisky. A great combination of sweetness, smoke and spice.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Signature release is an easy-drinking, smooth, affordable whisky to have in your cupboard. Not very complicated; however, at the price point, it is well worth it. It retails for around R 230 in South Africa.

I paired this Scottish Leader Signature whisky with a Brebirousse d’Argental cheese. WOW, what a great whisky cheese pairing.

Other releases from this brand include the Scottish Leader 12 yo and Scottish Leader Supreme whisky. There is even a Sherry Cask finish whisky.

Nikka from The Barrel Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/21/2022

In Blended whisky

I started my year on a high note. My first tasting was a world whisky – the Paul John Classic Select Cask. And what a high note that was. Creamy and delicious and full of exquisite flavours. The weeks following the Paul John tasting, I tried a blend, a bourbon and a few single malts. I think it is time again for another world whisky.

This week I want to try something else from the East, and I grabbed the Nikka from The Barrel Japanese single malt whisky from my collection. It feels like Japanese whisky currently is their moment in the sun with a high demand for products from there.

First a bit about Nikka: It was the year 1918 when a young man set off from Takehara City for Glasgow to study Chemistry. This man was Masataka Taketsuru. Growing up in a distillery family, he thought that he would continue the family tradition of making sake.

However, soon after arriving in Scotland, he discovered the golden water of life. He found whisky, and it stole his heart. The rest is history.

He studied and apprenticed at distilleries, learning first-hand from craftsmen and received training as a blender. He married Rita and returned to Japan. In 1934 Masataka established Nikka Whisky and built its first distillery in Yoichi. Nikka went from strength to strength.

Today it has a reputation for award-winning whiskies from both the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries.

I have tried the Nikka Coffee Grain and the Nikka Miyagikyo and loved it. Now it is time for Nikka from the Barrel. This release is a blend of matured whisky including Miyagikyo and Yoichi single malts and a grain whisky that is re-casked (a process known as marriage) for a further 3 to 6 month period.

It is also where the name comes from Nikka from the “re-casked” Barrel. Nikka From the Barrel whisky is bottled at a near cask strength ABV. It is one of the few blended whiskies that are bottled at cask strength.

Also Read: Santis Malt Alpstein whisky

Nikka from the Barrel Whisky Review

COUNTRY: Japan

ABV: 51%

COLOUR: Gold red copper

NOSE: Clean and crisp with hints of candied cherries, sherry sweetness, vanilla, and it smells like I am walking through a Japanese pine forest. Bits of banana, lots of oak and spicy cinnamon. The whisky needs to breathe a bit for the alcohol to disappear.

PALATE: Big and bold with some alcohol bite. Oak, caramel, fruit with hints of vanilla and sweet paprika. Citrus notes that border on pectin with strong alcohol notes. Not as smooth as other expressions and somewhat one dimensional on the tongue.

It needs quite a few drops of water to tame the alcohol. Water brings more sweetness to the forefront and tames the pectin notes a bit.

FINISH: Crisp with notes of fruit and oakiness, hints of pepper and caramel.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I am a bit disappointed. After the other Nikka’s I have tasted, I was expecting something more complex and rewarding. Perhaps I was expecting too much. My measure is always, do I finish my glass? I did finish my glass, but just because I was too lazy to get up and change it to something else.

It is not a bad whisky. I have seen glowing reviews on this dram with people loving it. I found it a bit flat. However, everyone’s taste is different. Perhaps I had a hectic day, and this influenced my experience. I will give this another try again in a few weeks and see what I think then.

The Nikka bottle size is only 500ml. The good news, however, is that Nikka is readily available in South Africa. Whisky Brother & Co and other good stores will certainly have it. Other releases from Nikka include the Nikka Pure Malt Red and Nikka Pure Malt Black whisky.

Also Read: Kamiki Malt whisky