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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.

The Black Grouse Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/26/2014

In Blended whisky

Time for a blended whisky again – the Black Grouse blended Scotch whisky. The Famous Grouse whisky is a brand of blended Scotch whisky, first produced by Matthew Gloag & Son in 1896. The brand is now produced and owned by The Edrington Group.

Its emblem is the Red Grouse, Scotland’s national game bird.Matthew Gloag was a grocer and wine merchant in Perth, Scotland. He purchased whiskies from distilleries around Scotland and sold them at his shop.

In 1860, his son, William Gloag, took over the company and began producing blended whiskies. But the Grouse brand only started taking shape when William’s nephew, also named Matthew, took over the company. He created The Grouse Brand blend in 1896.

This brand was so popular that they renamed it “The Famous Grouse” in 1905. Matthew Gloag’s daughter Phillippa first designed the label’s grouse icon. In 1970, Matthew Gloag & Son was sold to Highland Distillers, after the death of the chairman, Matthew Frederick Gloag.

The marketing and distributive power of the new company saw Famous Grouse become the highest selling Scotch in Scotland by 1980 and the second highest-selling in the United Kingdom.

In 2007 they released a peated version of the Famous Grouse called The Black Grouse whisky. The packaging displays a black grouse in place of the usual red grouse. It is readily available in South Africa and retails for around R250. Jim Murray awarded it 94 points in the Whisky Bible.

Also Read: Teacher’s Whisky

The Black Grouse Whisky Review

The Black Grouse blended whisky combines the Famous Grouse blend with specially selected Islay whiskies to create this peaty expression.

COLOUR:A dark gold. It is not a very oily whisky.

ABV: 43%

NOSE: Peat and smoke come through at once when nosing. There are some medicinal notes, sweetness and wood as well. Notes of fresh pear and malt.

PALATE: This Black Grouse is quite light on the palate. Peat and smoke are followed by spice. Especially ginger and pepper notes come through. There is a woodiness in the palate with notes of oak and rich chocolate sweetness. The peat and smoke notes continue into the finish.

FINISH: Medium length and ends with spicy notes. It is quite a complex whisky for the price point. This whisky proves again that you don’t have to pay exorbitant prices for good whisky. It has a finish that makes you want another glass. The peat is also not too overwhelming. Even a non-peat-head like me enjoyed this peaty expression.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is an affordable whisky from the Edrington Group that you can proudly offer to whisky enthusiasts. It is also an amazing whisky to pair with Indian food. I have also used the Black Grouse whisky in a marinade for a Leg of Lamb that I roasted. The smoky notes work wonderfully with the meat.

At the end of 2015, the Black Grouse was renamed the Famous Grouse Smoky Black whisky. It has new labeling and I have captured my tasting notes for this release as well.

I have also managed to taste the Famous Grouse Bourbon Cask blended whisky and it is probably my second favourite Grouse whisky after the Black Grouse.

>Also Read: Johnnie Walker Green Label whisky

Nikka Miyagikyo Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/19/2014

In Single Malt whisky

During December, I tasted the Japanese Yamazaki 12 yo whisky. I enjoyed it and rated it as excellent. It prompted me to start looking around for more Japanese whisky. Another big player in the Japanese whisky industry is Nikka – a subsidiary of the Asahi brewing company. So today, I look at the Nikka Miyagikyo single malt Japanese whisky.

Nikka was founded in 1934 and now owns two distilleries; Miyagikyo (built in 1969) and Yoichi (est. 1934). In 1918, Masataka Taketsuru, son of a sake brewing family, was recruited by the Settsu Shuzo Company to produce the first authentic Japanese whisky.

With a background in chemistry, Taketsuru left for Scotland in 1918. He aimed to discover the secrets of whisky production.

In Scotland, he married Jessie Roberta “Rita” Cowan of Middlecroft, despite opposition from their families. Initially, they lived in Campbeltown and Taketsuru worked at Hazelburn distillery.

In 1920 Taketsuru returned to Japan and joined the Kotobukiya Group, a beer industry giant later renamed Suntory. However, in 1934 he founded his own distilling company, Dai Nippon Kaju K.K., in Yoichi on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō.

He believed that this part of Japan was the most similar to Scotland. He later renamed the company Nikka. His growing success with Nikka whisky allowed him to set up a second distillery on the main island of Honshu in 1969.

I found this bottle of Nikka Miyagikyo whisky at WhiskyBrother’s shop in Hydepark.

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Nikka Miyagikyo Single Malt Whisky Review

This particular Nikka Miyagikyo single malt is unusual in several ways. The Nikka Miyagikyo whisky has no age statement, although it is a single malt. The bottle comes without any packaging, and the size is not the typical 700 ml or 750 ml but is presented in a 500 ml bottle.

COUNTRY: Japan

ABV: 43%.

COLOUR: The Nikka Miyagikyo is quite oily and has a pale golden colour.

NOSE: My first impression on nosing is that it was perhaps aged in a sherry cask. Bold red fruit and malt. There are floral notes with hints of butterscotch and vanilla. Add only a few drops of water to open this Nikka Miyagikyo up.

PALATE: Oak, spice and vanilla. It is a medium-bodied whisky. It has a very smooth taste with a wonderful balance between the elements. The Nikka Miyagikyo tastes a lot lighter than expected. There are hints of florals and dried fruit coming through. It is undoubtedly an easy-drinking whisky.

FINISH: Long and lingering with notes of spice and oak at the end. It has a nice build up in the finish.

RATING: EXCELLENT

I have been looking forward to tasting this Nikka Miyagikyo with great anticipation. After the delicious nose, I was expecting a bolder palate. The palate is softer and elegant and makes it very drinkable.

An excellent world whisky to have in any collection, and I certainly had a second glass. Have you tried this Nikka Miyagikyo whisky?

Other interesting whiskies from Japan that I have tasted include the Nikka from the Barrel as well as the Nikka Coffey Grain whisky.

Also Read: Kornog whisky

Millstone 8 yo French Oak Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/14/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Finding international single malt whiskies is always great, but more so when the whisky is from a country with wich I have a special relationship with. One of these special finds is from the Netherlands. I am from a Dutch background, and when I saw this Millstone 8 yo French Oak single malt whisky, I had to get it.

Millstone whisky is handcrafted in a traditional distillery owned and operated by the Zuidam family. Zuidam Distillers was started back in 1975 by Fred van Zuidam.

He built a small whisky distillery of 300 square meters with one small copper still and one small production line. To keep in the best of Dutch tradition, windmills are used to mill the malted barley. It helps in preserving the world-famous heritage of windmills that dot the Dutch countryside.

This tradition does not only help in preserving the windmills but, due to the slow milling speed, keep the grain temperature stable and helps keep the wonderful aroma’s.

After a careful double distillation process, the whisky is aged in small barrels. Zuidam uses new barrels of American white oak as well as barrels that have previously held bourbon and Olorosso Sherry.

Zuidam Distillers still creates its products in the traditional artisan way. All ingredients are 100% natural. Ingredients are carefully selected and processed into products that they can be proud of.

The distillery has no less than 600 different product lines, including many liqueurs and gins. All recipes are designed by father Fred and son Patrick van Zuidam.

Related Article: Sullivan’s Cove Bourbon Cask whisky

Millstone 8 yo French Oak Whisky Review

I first tried the Millstone 8 yo during 2013. It is packaged in a black wooden box with the distillery name in gold. I have bottle no 202 from Cask number 355 bottled during June 2009.

COUNTRY: The Netherlands

ABV: 40%.

COLOUR: The Millstone 8 yo is a beautiful light golden colour.

NOSE: Woody spices with subtle hints of fresh flowers. The Millstone 8 yo has a very light and delicate nose. There are hints of cinnamon, cloves and pepper.

PALATE: After adding a drop or 2 of water, the palate brings subtle aromas of spice, oak, ginger and barley. There are notes of nutmeg and pepper and a biscuit sweetness in the background. Also, hints of raisins and fresh fruit.

FINISH: Medium length and not very complex. Hints of salt, spice and fresh fruit intermingle in the finish.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It is a light fragrant whisky perfect for a late evening drink. Not too heavy and complex but with enough spice and oak. A wonderful whisky for an 8 yo.

I will be on the lookout for more of these Millstone whiskies for my collection. I have also tried the Millstone 8 yo French Oak with different cheeses. Both the Gouda with Cumin pairing and the Mature Gouda pairing worked wonderfully with this Dutch whisky.

Also Read: Chivas Regal Extra whisky

Private Barrel Co. Glen Grant 17 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/12/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Checkers recently bottled a Glen Grant 17 year old whisky under their Private Barrel Co. label. Glen Grant is a Speyside Single Malt distillery located in the small town of Rothes – not far from the Glenrothes distillery.

John and James Grant, two former illegal distillers, founded Glen Grant in 1840. All the essential ingredients of malt whisky were close at hand; the sea and port of Garmouth, the River Spey and barley-growing plains all within easy reach for a new distillery.

By 1872, the founders of Glen Grant Distillery had died. Young James ‘The Major’ Grant, born in 1847, had always taken a keen interest in the distillery. After inheriting the business from his uncle John Grant, he proved himself a worthy successor.

According to accounts, James Grant was a legendary innovator and traveller. New ideas fascinated James Grant, and he wasn’t afraid to explore them. He was the first man in the Highlands to own a car. Glen Grant was the first distillery to have electric light.

He also introduced the tall, slender stills and purifiers, which created the fresh malty flavour. James Grant passed away in 1931. He was survived by his three daughters and a distillery that had become one of the most famous in the world.

Douglas MacKessack, his grandson, became his successor. In 2006, Campari acquired Glen Grant. The Glen Grant distillery is one of the top-selling malt whiskies in parts of the world.

Checkers launched their Private Barrel Co. Label of single malt whiskies in 2013. There are three other bottlings in the Checkers Private Barrel Co collection, including a Mortlach and a Glenburgie.

Only 464 bottles of the Glen Grant 17 year old whisky has been released. It is the most mature of the current Private Barrel Co. range, and I managed to get bottle number 170 of 464.

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Glen Grant 17 year old Whisky Review

The Glen Grant 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky is finished in a Sherry Cask (cask no. 97265).

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: A copper tinted gold.

NOSE: When nosing, the sherry cask is immediately noticeable. The sherry comes through at once and is very pronounced. Then some fresh fruit emerges, especially when you add a bit of water. There are notes of greengage, mild spice and butterscotch. Not have a very complex nose.

PALATE: Fresh fruit and butterscotch. It is a very spicy whisky with lots of pepper, ginger and nutmeg. There is some sweetness of the sherry cask in the background, but the spice dominates the taste.

FINISH: This Glen Grant 17 year old finishes in spice and liquorice. The finish is rather short but nicely warming.

RATING: VERY GOOD

For a 17 year old whisky, this is not a very complex whisky. However, it is an easy-drinking dram. Surprisingly the sherry does not come through as much in the palate as it does in the nose.

An interesting bottle to have in my collection. I am looking forward to trying some of the other expressions in the Checkers Private Barrel Co collection. There are a few more to choose from. I have also tasted the Private Barrel Co. No.41 whisky and the Private Barrel Co No 68, both of which are amazing drams. Earlier this year, I tried this Glen Grant 17 yo with various cheeses to find a good whisky cheese pairing. The Glen Grant works very nicely with young, mild cheddar cheese.

The Private Barrel Co released a James Sedgwick Distillery 6 yo Fino Cask as well as a Private Barrel Co No 108 Irish Whiskey during 2018, and you can read all about it.

Also Read: Johnnie Walker Platinum Label vs Gold Label whisky

Glendronach 16 year old Platinum Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/06/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at the Glendronach 16 year old single malt Scotch whisky. James Allardes founded the distillery in 1826. Rumour has it that this was only the second distillery licensed to legally produce whisky under the Excise Act of 182.

This Act was passed three years earlier and allowed for the distilling of whisky in Scotland. Glendonach created richly sherried single malts often used in blended whisky. Since 1826 it has changed ownership many times.

Some of the best-known whisky companies in the world has owned the Glendronach Distillery at some stage or another. However, Glendronach always seems to stay true to its sherried roots through all the changes and moves.

During the 1830’s Teaninich owned it. Charles Grand of Glenfiddich bought it in 1920, and during 1960 William Teacher & Son bought it.

Also Read: Glenfiddich IPA Cask whisky

They expanded the number of stills from two to six. Allied Distilleries mothballed it in 1996. During 2005 it moved to Chivas Brothers, and it closed for a few months to allow for conversion from coal to steam to fire the stills.

In 2004 three families, two being South African, purchased BenRiach. The BenRiach Distillery Company bought the Glendronach distillery in 2008 and brought a South African connection. GlenDronach could focus again on their original strength, crafting richly sherried single malt whisky in the style that Glendronach became famous for.

I found this Glendronach Platinum 16 year old expression at Makro during December 2013 as part of their Christmas catalogue.

Glendronach 16 year old Platinum Whisky Review

The Glendronach 16 year old single malt was matured for a minimum of 16 years in Oloroso sherry casks. Glendronach is not chill-filtered with no added colour.

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 48%

COLOUR: This is one of the darker whiskies in my collection. The texture is oily and thick and leaves long fingers on the glass.

NOSE: It has a big, bold nose, full of sherry notes. There are dates, raisins, sweetness and Christmas cake on the nose. After adding a little water, fresh fruit comes through as well.

PALATE: Glendronach 16 year old Platinum Scotch is quite a mouthful. It has a nice body and a smooth, robust mouthfeel. The palate brings dried fruit, fruitcake and nuts. Hints of spice and cinnamon with some wood and smoke in the background.

FINISH: There is quite a lot of spice in the finish with bits of caramel. It has a slow build and a lingering finish. Not an overly complicated whisky but quite bold and spicy. Adding a bit of water softens the higher alcohol bite a bit, and unlocks more flavours.

RATING: EXCELLENT

If there are still some in stock, it is worth grabbing. And especially with our South African winter fast approaching, it will add a soothing warm touch to the heart on a cold night. Combine it with a creamy Irish seafood bisque to warm up a cold winters’ evening.

Other Glendronach releases I have tried include the Glendronach 13 year old whisky WhiskyBrother release as well as the Glendronach 12 year old whisky.

The GlenDronach 16 year old Platinum sells for around R 2 700 in South Africa and is not that easy to get anymore.

Update: During 2016 GlenDronach and BenRiach was sold to Brown-Forman.

Related Article: Glenlivet 12 yo whisky