Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for whisky, bourbon and whiskey from all around the world. Single malts, blends, blended malts, rye and grain whiskey tasted and reviewed.
In the ever-evolving world of whiskey, a gem deserves the spotlight – Uncle Nearest 1856 whiskey. As I reminisce about the good old days before Covid, when whisky shows were still a part of our lives, I recall the moment I had the privilege of trying this relatively new whiskey release in South Africa.
Time for a blended whisky again. This week I try the new Scottish Leader Signatureblended Scotch whisky. Interestingly, South Africa, second only to Taiwan, is the most popular market for Scottish Leader whisky.
At the start of December 2021, I tasted the Paul John PX Cask Indian single malt whisky. A rich and dram from India that is ideally suited for winter sipping. December in South Africa is during summer, and as lovely as the PX Cask was, I am keeping my bottle for winter. The Paul John Master Distiller, Michael D’souza, also released an Oloroso Select Cask finish Indian single malt whisky.
At the end of 2021, we were invited for drinks by some friends just up the road. Sats received a bottle of the Jameson Select Reserve Irish whiskey from a colleague, and knowing our whisky love, he saved his bottle for our visit. I have to say; there was not much left by the time we walked home.
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.
Towards the end of last year, I wrote about a great whisky I tasted at The Only Whisky Show. The Dewar’s 12 year old blended whisky made quite an impression on me. I went straight out to buy a bottle. Delicious and affordable, this excellent blend quickly made it onto my Top 5 Blends for 2017 list.