Category: Whisky of the Week Page 59 of 77

Whisky of the Week

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.

Ardbeg Auriverdes Islay Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/08/2016

In Single Malt whisky

The annual event of Ardbeg Day is a great day out, with much fanfare and whisky drinking. When possible, we visit Dullstroom for this event. During our 2014 visit, John managed to taste the Ardbeg Auriverdes Islay single malt Scotch whisky, but I have not had a formal “Whisky of the Week” tasting for this release.

When this dram came up for tasting, we decided to invite a whisky friend around. Paul joined us this past Friday to share in the exploration of this limited release whisky. Ardbeg released the Auriverdes bottling for Ardbeg Day 2014.

The name Auriverdes has Portuguese connections and loosely translates as ‘auri’ (to shine like gold) ‘verdes’ (Green). It refers to the golden whisky and the iconic Ardbeg green bottle. Gold and green are also the colours of the Brazilian flag. As it was the World Cup soccer in Brazil, the Ardbeg Day theme for this year was sport.

Ardbeg Auriverdes is released without an age statement. It was distilled in 2002 and matured in traditional second fill American oak casks.

However, the traditional casks had their cask heads removed and replaced with new American oak cask heads. According to some research, the one cask head was toasted lightly (to bring out some vanilla flavours) and the other one darker (to bring out some mocha flavours).

These re-worked barrels were then filled with spirit and left to mature. The final release was a combination of these barrels blended with a proportion of ‘classic’ Ardbeg.

Related Article: Highland Park 18 yo whisky

Ardbeg Auriverdes Islay Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 49.9%.

COLOUR: A rich gold

NOSE: Sweet, balanced with peppery notes. The sweetness is reminiscent of honey-dipped fruit and toffee. There are hints of vanilla and citrus fruits. In the background, a subtle trace of traditional Ardbeg smoke lingers. It is not a typical ‘full in your face peat’ Ardbeg. Surprisingly, very little peat comes through.

PALATE: Without water, is smooth with muscovado sugar, soft fruit, hints of pepper, gentle smoke and bits of toasted oak. Adding water releases more of the traditional Ardbeg character with more ash and understated bits of coal tar. All very restrained. The vanilla and the citrus fruit comes through balancing the peppery notes.

FINISH: Medium length and end in notes of ash, zest and pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Not your usual Ardbeg! There is none of the peat, salt and medicinal notes that Ardbeg is renowned for. Ardbeg purists might not like this release. It is certainly a different direction for Ardbeg. But, I love it. I will certainly grab another bottle if I manage to see it around. It is worth it.

Auriverdes reminds me a bit of the Laphroaig PX whisky I tasted last year. It is a softer and smoother version of the PX cask. Just delicious! It is only the length of the finish that stopped this Ardbeg from being rated higher. A divine Ardbeg Day release that I recently tried is the Ardbeg Scorch.

Also Read: Port Charlotte 10 yo Whisky

Three Ships 10 year old PX Cask Finish Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/11/2016

In Single Malt whisky

In October 2015, I saw South African whisky history being made. It was wonderful to watch. Sitting at my PC in Johannesburg, I saw bottle after bottle of Three Ships PX Cask taken off the shelve and signed for by the talented Master Distiller, Andy Watts. It was the long-awaited launch of the Three Ships PX Cask Finish Single Barrel whisky. It did not disappoint!

James Sedwick Distillery released only 800 bottles of this Three Ships PX Cask Finish. They were all bottled by hand and numbered. Distilled in 2005, the Three Ships whisky was initially matured for eight years and ten months in American oak and then spent a further 14 months in a cask in which Pedro Ximenez (PX) sherry had previously been matured.

Andy experimented with various casks for a few years before selecting the PX for the particular effect it has on whiskies with a presence of smoke and peat.

The bottles flew off the shelve, and the stock that was available at Whisky Brother shop disappeared very quickly. So it is only fitting that we start 2016 on a proudly South African note with this special release.

Three Ships redesigned their bottle and label design during 2015 and the PX Cask was released in the new bottle shape. The attention to detail on both the bottle and the label is beautiful and puts this Three Ships PX cask firmly in the premium whisky category.

Related Article: Bain’s Symphony Whisky

Three Ships PX Cask Finish 10 year old Whisky Review

COUNTRY: South Africa

ABV: 46.2%

COLOUR: A dark mahogany hue pointing to the time spent in the sherry casks.

NOSE: On the nose, the sherry notes come through at once. There are notes of rich Christmas cake, ripe figs and candied fruits mingling with tropical fruit. With the addition of water, more wood and spice appear on the nose.

PALATE: Without water, the Three Ships PX Cask is a big, bold dram with a lot of spice and fruity notes. Bursts of plump raisins, glace fruits and Demerara sugar burst through cinnamon and nutmeg notes. Peat, spice and smoky notes put in an appearance. The addition of water softens the boldness and releases more oak and flower notes. Water releases faint hints of pepper and cloves.

FINISH: Medium length and memorable. It ends in honey sweetness. John preferred it without water, and I loved it more with a bit of water to release the softer flowery notes.

RATING: EXCELLENT.

Delicious. My bottle will not last very long. A proudly South African whisky that Andy and his team can be very proud of. Now to try this amazing dram with a few South African cheeses.

During 2016 Three Ships whisky launched their next release in the Master’s Collection – the Three Ships Pinotage Cask Finish. This was followed up during 2018 with a Three Ships 8 yo Oloroso Cask Finish whisky.

The Checkers Private Barrel Co released a James Sedgwick Distillery 6 yo Fino Cask and I compared this PX cask and the Fino Cask over on this blog post.

Related Article: Wild Reeds Bourbon Cask Whiskey

Highland Queen Majesty Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/23/2015

In Single Malt whisky

I had to pick up a gift in Pretoria the other day, and as I was a bit early, I stopped at the closest shopping centre for a cup of coffee. While strolling around looking for the best coffee place, I walked into a Checkers Liquor store, and much to my surprise, saw a bottle of single malt that I have not noticed before.

It was a Highland Queen Majesty single malt Scotch whisky, and it retailed for around R200. In South Africa, most single malts retail for slightly more. So finding an affordable single malt was very interesting. After a few Twitter conversations about this brand, I went back and grabbed a bottle.

The Highland Queen Scotch Whisky Company produces and distributes whisky and operates as a subsidiary of Picard Vins & Spiritueux S.A. Picard also owns Tullibardine. I tasted both the Tullibardine 1993 Vintage and the Tullibardine Sauternes Cask whisky a while ago and loved it.

In 1893, Roderick Macdonald decided to set up his own business. He had previously worked as an apprentice in the Scotch whisky trade, and his dream was to become a whisky blender. The company was known as Macdonald & Muir Ltd.

Macdonald named his whisky the Highland Queen. This name originates from the connection to the port of Leith and the original production site of Macdonald & Muir. I see that Master of Malt has quite a variety of releases from this company.

It was close to the spot where Mary Stuart made a triumphal return from France. She was later to be crowned Queen of Scots, creating one of Scotland’s most famous legends. Macdonald & Muir acquired the Glenmorangie Distillery in 1918 to supply the whisky for the base of his famous Highland Queen blend. Picard’s bought the Highland Queen and Muirhead’s brands from Glenmorangie Plc in 2008.

Also Read: The Chita Suntory Whisky

Highland Queen Majesty Whisky Review

The Highland Queen Majesty single malt Scotch whisky does not have an age statement. There is also no distillery mentioned. The Highland Queen Majesty was aged in oak casks.

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Golden wheat.

NOSE: Fresh tropical fruit notes intertwined with oak and hints of spice. There are traces of vanilla and cereal.

PALATE: Notes of tropical fruit, oak and muscovado sweetness. There are faint hints of coffee, vanilla custard and toffee. The Highland Queen Majesty is not a complex dram. Adding water releases more oak and softens the sweetness. There are plenty of spicy notes, including pepper and nutmeg.

FINISH: Medium length and end in spicy notes.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It is an affordable, easy-drinking whisky. Nothing that is going to blow you away, but decent enough. The Highland Queen should work great in cocktails. Also, the spiciness of the whisky allows it to pair quite nicely with a piece of mature cheddar cheese. It is robust enough to stand up to the richness of the cheese.

Have you tried this Highland Queen release? I found the Highland Queen whisky release in the USA, as well.

Also Read: Teerenpeli Whisky

Littlemill 25 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/18/2015

In Single Malt whisky

Great was my excitement when I received an email from Steve (The Whisky Wire) confirming that we have been chosen to take part in the Littlemill 25 year old single malt Scotch whisky flash blog. A week or two earlier, I saw a request for bloggers who wanted to take part and responded.

Then the (long) wait began. About a week before the due date (14 Oct), I started ‘stalking’ our local Post Office. I became a regular in the queue. The man behind the counter saw me so often that he handed me the ‘Packages Received’ book as soon as I walked in.

No package arrived. The day of the Littlemill Whisky Flash Blog came and went. I read all the amazing blogs and tasting notes of the other (lucky) bloggers but left the Post Office empty-handed each time. I nearly gave up hope of ever getting our package.

And then, low and behold, a slip of paper arrived in my post box. Just before we depart for a short break away to the Drakensberg (Dragon Mountains).

It was with much excitement that I skipped into the Post Office. The man behind the counter reached for the book, but I was waving my slip of paper. I got my Littlemill 25 year old whisky sample.

Established back in 1772, this Lowland distillery fell silent in 1994 and was destroyed by a fire in 2004. The fire only left a few last barrels. Once they are consumed, there will be no more. The whisky chosen for this release was casked in 1989 and 1990, respectively.

The Littlemill 25 year old Scotch whiskywas matured in a mixture of American and European Oak and has been finished in first-fill European Oloroso Sherry casks.

Also Read: Auchentoshan American Oak Whisky

Littlemill 25 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Lowland

ABV: 50.4%

COLOUR: Golden wheat. It is quite an oily whisky.

NOSE: Notes of sherry sweetness, Christmas Pudding and candied fruit. There are hints of oak, caramel, toffee and butterscotch.

PALATE: Without water, the Littlemill 25 year old is creamy and rich with fruity sweetness, crème brûlée and spice. There are hints of nutmeg, black peppercorns and cloves. With water, the Littlemill palate releases notes of grape jam, vanilla and sultanas.

FINISH: Long and lingering and end in notes of sweet spiciness, citrus and toasted oak.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Littlemill 25 year old single malt is a complex and robust whisky. With the beautiful golden Drakensberg in front of us and the sun setting, this dram glowed golden bright. A wonderful dram in an amazing setting. Dinner was a slow-cooked lamb potjie (lamb stew), and the 25 year old was the dessert.

Only 1500 individually numbered bottles were released. The remaining Littlemill casks are owned by the Loch Lomond Group. The Littlemill 25 year old retails for GBP 1690. (R36 500)

Also Read: The Balvenie Roasted Malt whisky

Maraska ABC Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/09/2015

In Blended whisky

My whisky collection focuses on whisky from around the world. Living in South Africa makes getting my hands on unique bottles quite tricky. So imagine my delight when I spotted a bottle of whisky from Yugoslavia on an international whisky auction.

Sadly, I can’t find much information about Maraska ABC whisky. According to its website, the Maraska Company have a rich and glorious tradition in producing liquor.”Maraska has more than five centuries of experience and tradition in the production of making liquor items and for making one of the worlds best-known liqueurs, ‘Maraschino’.”

This special cherry is authentic only to Croatia and grows in the climate and area around Zadar, Croatia. The cherry has a unique flavour found nowhere else in the world.”

Looking at the printing on the bottle and the fact that it still refers to Yugoslavia, I guess that this Maraska ABC whisky was bottled around mid-1980s. Zadar, where Maraska is situated, is in Croatia.

Croatia declared independence and dissolved its association with Yugoslavia in 1991. The bottle is a bit bashed and bruised and does not seal well anymore. However, in our collection, it has a special place.

A small piece of history. Maraska does not create whisky anymore, and I can find no further information on their website. Maraska liquors are, however, available in the United States.

Related Article: Slyrs whisky

Maraska ABC Whisky Review

Unfortunately, the cork crumbled when I opened it. It has no age statement. It is a 1 L bottle.

COUNTRY: Yugoslavia

ABV: 41%

COLOUR: A light golden colour.

NOSE: I don’t think that it was not aged very long. The Maraska ABC has hints of methylated spirits, cherries, mothballs and condensed milk. Not a very complex nose.

PALATE: On the palate, it is somewhat anonymous. Rather forgettable. There are methylated spirit notes mixed with mild bitter citrus and a bit of raw wood. A few sweet fruit notes make an appearance. Adding water dulls down the raw spirit notes in the Maraska.

It does not release any other new flavours. The Maraska ABC becomes rather soulless with water. It is a dram that reminds us of the old Soviet times. The Soviet version of what life and whisky should be. Dull and grey and with no personality.

FINISH: The Maraska does have a rather long finish. Unfortunately, this finish is reminiscent of the bitter white part of citrus peel.

RATING: ORDINARY

The fact that the cork is damaged might have impacted the dram, and some of the better notes might have evaporated over time. Even though this Maraska whisky reminds me of the old Soviet Union, I am excited to have it in our collection. It represents a piece of history of a country that does not exist any more.

Another whisky from a country that does not exist anymore is the Hammerhead whisky from Czechoslovakia. But it is a lot nicer than this Maraska release.

Anyone else ever heard of this Maraska whisky?

Also Read: Reisetbauer 12 yo Whisky