Category: Whisky of the Week Page 7 of 76

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.

Belgian Owl Passion Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 04/24/2023

In Single Malt whisky

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Belgian Owl Evolution whisky I tasted as part of a tasting pack. Evolution was John’s favourite of all five samples. My favourite was the Belgian Owl Passion single malt whisky.

You can read more about Belgian Owl in my previous blog post. I also captured my notes on Identity a couple of years ago. Today I want to look at Etienne Bouillon’s sustainable farming philosophy behind Belgian Owl. Etienne is passionate about Belgium and the soil and spent time with Jim McEwan at Bruichladdich distillery.

The focus is very much on the terroir; 2-eared spring barley is grown in the region around Hesbaye. Nature is left to take its course around the fields where the barley is grown. Water for the distillery comes straight from a 38 m deep well right next to the distillery.

There are two stills from the Caperdonich distillery installed at the distillery. Care is shown not only in the growing and distilling process but also in the choice of casks. Belgian Owl whisky is non-chill-filtered and without artificial colouring. Over the years, the care and attention to quality have been recognised with many awards.

The Belgian Owl Passion is an unseated single cask edition, and each bottling series is unique. Passion was aged for between 36 – 60 months in American white oak.

Belgian Owl Passion Whisky Review

COUNTRY: Belgium

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Bright gold

NOSE: Creamy condensed milk, baked pear drizzled with honey, oak with faint citrus hints. Warming and inviting.

PALATE: Banana and tropical fruit, bits of grilled pineapple, hints of wood and vanilla with shortbread creaminess. Big and bold with soft pepper and citrus. I finished my first glass without water. Just delicious and drinkable.

FINISH: Medium length with a creamy sweetness and black pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Just like the Identity, Passion has that distinctive Belgian Owl fruity sweetness balanced with soft spices that are the defining characteristic of this Belgian distillery. This sweeter dram suited my sweet palate very well.

Now I need to capture my tasting notes for the Belgian Owl Intense release. I also saw the new bottling from this distillery. They are gorgeous! I want to buy and finish a bottle just to have the beautiful bottle!

Sample disclosure: I received this whisky from the SA Belgian Owl team. The review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair and independent thoughts about the whisky.

Also Read: Bain’s 15 yo Whisky

1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 04/17/2023

In Bourbon whiskey

My second bourbon for this year – the 1792 Small Batch Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. These last couple of years, I have been lamenting the fact that the variety of bourbons available in South Africa is declining.

The bourbon selection was limited to Buffalo Trace, a few bottles of Bulleit bourbon, and some Wild Turkey and cheaper Jim Beam releases.

However, towards the middle of 2017, I started noticing a growth in variety in this category. New releases such as the Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and the Jim Beam Double Oak bourbon started appearing. It was great to see.

These releases were quickly followed by more brands such as Blanton’s (what a perfect bourbon) and Sazerac Rye, and now you can even get Balcones in SA. On one of my shopping trips, I saw this beautiful-looking bottle of 1792 bourbon. I quickly added it to my collection. It looked fascinating, so I researched the distillery a bit more.

Also Read: Slate Blended Bourbon

The date 1792 refers to the year that Kentucky, until then a large county in the Commonwealth of Virginia, separated and became the 15th United State. A relatively unknown bourbon even in the USA, the 1792 Small Batch bourbon is distilled in Bardstown, Kentucky, by the Barton distillery.

The Sazerac Company of New Orleans owns the distillery and the brand. In 2013, Jim Murray gave the 1792 bourbon a remarkable 94.5% rating in his annual Whisky Bible. Now, let’s dive deeper into what makes the 1792 bourbon unique.

The 1792 Small Batch bourbon whiskey is a higher-rye bourbon, with about 20% of the mash bill comprising this grain. It’s an 8 yo bourbon, bottled at a robust 93.7 proof.

1792 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 46.9%

COLOUR: Dark polished amber

NOSE: On the nose you get notes of vanilla, brandied cherries, custard sweetness, and dry orange rind, with hints of fresh red apples and ripe plums. You’ll also detect a touch of oak and spiciness.

PALATE: Prepare for a spicy experience featuring pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and plenty of dry toasted oak. Faint hints of creme caramel, vanilla, and dry orange peel. The sweetness promised by the nose does not fully materialize on the palate, as it leans toward being very spicy with a few rough edges.

Medium body and not the most complex bourbon. Water brings out a bit more sweetness and tones down the alcohol bite but does nothing for the dry spiciness.

FINISH: The finish showcases dry orange peel, oak, and hints of vanilla.

RATING: GOOD

The 1792 Bourbon Small Batch whiskey is undoubtedly one of the spicier bourbons I’ve tasted in recent years. Its intense spice profile dominates the palate, overshadowing the fantastic fresh fruit and creme caramel notes from the nose.

It’s a glass that might challenge your taste buds, but it’s an adventure worth taking for those who appreciate a more spicy profile.

In a time when bourbon enthusiasts are seeking new and exciting expressions, the 1792 whiskey offers a distinctive profile that stands out in the ever-expanding world of bourbon.

The 1792 Small Batch bourbon is available online through Amazon and retail for around £43.

Also Read: Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon

The Chita Single Grain Japanese Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 04/10/2023

In Grain Whisky

I am expanding my grain tasting notes a bit today with The Chita single grain Japanese whisky. A grain whisky from Japan which had fans of Japanese whisky very excited. There has been lots of hype around Japanese whisky these last couple of years.

The prices of Japanese whisky has skyrocketed, and brands like Hakushu, Yamazaki and Hibiki are sold at premium prices.

There has also been a new focus on grain whiskies with grain releases coming from Japan, Scotland and of course South Africa’s own Bain’s whisky.

I received this bottle of The Chita single grain Japanese whisky as a gift from a friend of John’s. He could not believe that that I did not have a bottle in my collection and immediately went out and bought me one.

The Chita grain whisky is the primary grain component of many of the Suntory blended whiskies. Founded in 1972, Chita distillery is a Japanese whisky distillery located in the Chita district of the Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Also Read: Milk & Honey Classic Whisky

The Chita distillery produces three types of grain whisky using corn through a continuous multiple column distillation process. The first two are blended whisky components that are used in blends.

Both in Suntory’s domestic market Kakubin and Suntory Old as well as high-end Hibiki respectively. The third type is the distillery’s flagship single grain release called “The Chita”.

Launched in 2015, the Chita is matured in three different kinds of casks: American ex-bourbon barrels, Spanish oak barrels and European oak wine barrels. It has no age statement.

The Chita Single Grain Japanese Whisky Review

COUNTRY: Japan

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Light autumn golden

NOSE: Honey sweetness, cereal, pineapple, mango and melon. Hints of soft spices and vanilla. Delicate and sweet with hints of tropical fruit.

PALATE: Vanilla sponge cake sweetness and oak with honey and tropical fruit. Hints of floral notes with toasted grains. Honey drizzled mango and pineapple. Medium body but not very complicated. Faint traces of cinnamon and cardamom. A few rough edges. Water smoothes out the sharp bits and brings even more fruity sweetness forward. Easy drinking.

FINISH: Medium length, with notes of lemon drops, vanilla and wood.

RATING: GOOD

Not the most complex whisky. Also, one of the sweetest drams I have had in a while. A bit too sweet perhaps. Take into account that I have a sweet tooth and love sweet things; it was a bit much even for me. I found it bland and uninspiring.

I might be biased, but this is not in the same class as my beloved Bain’s grain whisky. The Bain’s whisky is bolder and make you sit up and take notice. It has sweetness and tropical notes, but they are better balanced.

Compared to this Japanese release, the Bain’s is way more memorable. The Chita retail price in South Africa is around R1 300, which is rather steep. In the UK, I have seen this on Amazon for £60. The Bain’s whisky sells for only R300 (before Covid).

Suntory launched The Chita, especially for use in the Japanese highball cocktail market. It will undoubtedly make a good base for a cocktail.

What did you think of this Japanese grain release? Overhyped or best thing ever?

Also Read: Boplaas Single Grain Whisky

Dunville’s Three Crowns Peated Irish Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/27/2023

In Irish Whiskey

In December ’22 I opened the first of my Dunville samples. The Dunville’s PX Cask 12 yo whiskey is a moreish sherry cask finish release that is smooth and enjoyable. The second sample I am trying is the Dunville’s Three Crowns Peated Irishwhiskey.

Dunville’s started as a tea and spirits merchant company based in Belfast. However, it soon dropped the tea and became largely successful as an Irish whiskey blender. In 1869 it built its own distillery, the Royal Irish Distilleries.

When the last heir and chairman died in 1931, the company began to flounder, and in 1936 the brand was discontinued when Dunville & Co. was liquidated.

Also Read: Powers John’s Lane 12 yo Whiskey

In 2013, the Echlinville distillery acquired the Dunville’s name and in 2016, relaunch the famous Three Crowns expressions. Echlinville Distillery was the first Northern Irish distillery to be granted a distilling licence in almost 125 years.

Dunville’s Peated Three Crowns is a blended whiskey that was relaunched in 2016 after it was discontinued in the 1930s. The Three Crowns range include a Dunville’s 1808 and a Dunville’s Sherry finish whiskey.

There are not many peated Irish whiskey expressions available. The Three Crowns Peated whiskey is made up of a single grain whiskey, a 10 yo single malt, and a 15 yo Oloroso finished single malt. All these have been married together in a peated cask.

Dunville’s Peated Three Crowns Irish Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: Ireland

ABV: 43,5%

COLOUR:Pale gold

NOSE: The Three Crowns Peated has a lovely nose with notes of wood, stewed fruit sweetness, vanilla, and hints of honey. Light smoke mixed with a rich, buttery sweetness. Delicious.

PALATE: Earthy peat with oak, light smoke, and spices. The stewed fruity sweetness from the nose is more muted with a delicate baked apple sweetness and hints of vanilla. A bit of alcohol heat. The peat is drying with green heathery notes and there are hints of cloves in the background.

Adding a few drops of water brings peppercorns forward and the sweetness disappear. Water also dulls the delicious nose.

FINISH: Long and lingering. The whiskey ends with notes of pepper, orange and faint hints of drying peat.

RATING: VERY GOOD

The peat on the nose was so delicate that I could easily have missed it. It is only when you taste the whiskey that the peaty notes come through. The nose is lovely. Rich, sweet, and inviting. The sweet notes from the nose don’t quite carry over to the palate.

The Dunnville’s Three Crowns Peated Irish whiskey is better without water. Water increases the peppery intensity and washes out the sweetness.

It is available in South Africa and retail for around R1 000. I have also seen it at Master of Malt for around £40.

Sample disclosure: I received this whisky from the Truman & Orange team. The review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair, and independent thoughts about the whiskey.

Also Read: Reisetbauer 12 yo Whisky

Milk & Honey Elements Peated Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/13/2023

In Single Malt whisky

The last of my Milk & Honey samples, and today I am looking at the Milk & Honey Elements Peated single malt whisky. The sample is leftover from my 2020 Milk & Honey tasting hosted by WhiskyBrother, where we got to taste the Milk & Honey Classic and samples from the Elements range including the Elements Sherry Cask.

There was even a Pomegranate wine cask finish sample. Not strictly a whisky, though, as it was only aged for about 18 months. Milk & Honey distillery whisky is available in SA.

Also Read: Firstwatch Whisky

The Milk & Honey distillery was Israel’s first urban single malt whisky distillery and began operating in 2014 in the south of Tel Aviv. The middle eastern climate is hot and humid, and this speeds up maturation.

The distillery hired the late Dr. Jim Swan, one of the world’s most accomplished master distillers, to assist with the recipe and ensure optimal production for warm weather.

Milk & Honey whisky is certified kosher. Tomer Goren is now the current head distiller. The Milk & Honey Elements Peated whisky was matured in ex-peated whisky casks from Islay, as well as ex-bourbon casks.

Milk & Honey Elements Peated Whisky Review

COUNTRY: Israel

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Honey

NOSE: Soft peat and light smoke drifts from the glass. A honey sweetness with green notes and pine trees underneath. Bits of vanilla spice and lemons. I let the glass stand for a few minutes for some sharp alcohol notes to evaporate.

PALATE: Citrus and pepper mingling with drying peat. Earthy notes and spice. Mild oak and fruity sweetness. Faint hints of ginger. It is quite spicy and the peat is very light. When you add water, it washes out the peaty notes. The Milk & Honey Elements Peated whisky is better without water. Not a lot of sweet notes.

FINISH: Medium length with spicy pepper and drying oak.

RATING: VERY GOOD

Of all the Milk & Honey whisky samples that I tried, this Peated expression was my least favourite. The peat is very light and after adding some water, it disappears. It is also spicier when compared to the Sherry and the Classic Edition.

I have a sweet tooth, so prefer a whisky where sweeter notes dominate over the spice. Elements Peated Expression retails for around R980 in South Africa.

Looking at the variety that WhiskyBrother&Co stocks, I see that they stock the Milk & Honey Apex Pomegranate Finish whisky (aged for about 3 years) and the Apex Dead Sea whisky. This innovative release was aged in the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea where temperatures climb as high as 50ºC.

The casks were placed on a hotel rooftop in the Dead Sea zone (±423 meters below sea level) where they matured for a year before being returned to Milk & Honey’s warehouse in Tel Aviv.

Sample disclosure:I received this whisky from the WhiskyBrother team. The review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair and independent thoughts about the whisky.

Also Read: Dunville’s PX Cask 12 yo Whiskey