Category: Whisky of the Week Page 74 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.

The Arran Sherry Cask Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/09/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at the Arran Sherry Cask single cask Scotch whisky. The Arran distillery is situated to the east of the village of Lochranza, on the isle of Arran, Scotland.

At its peak, there were over 50 distilleries located on the isle. Founded in 1993, the distillery is the only one left on the island.During its construction, a pair of Golden Eagles built their nest in the crags above the distillery. Golden Eagles are a protected species.

Construction of the distillery was temporarily halted to allow the eagles to hatch their chicks. On a warm summer’s day, you may see the eagles gliding high on the thermal currents.

Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde. With an area of 432 square kilometres, it is the seventh-largest Scottish island. Production of whisky started in 1995. It has been claimed that the water used for The Arran Malt is the purest in all of Scotland.

The water has reputedly been cleansed by granite and softened by peat as it slowly meanders from the mountaintops into nearby Loch na Davie. The Arran Malt distillery also benefits from a warm microclimate.

The atmosphere of sea breezes and clear mountain air, with the warm flow of the Gulf Stream, is ideal for the maturation of single malts. The Arran Island is sometimes called “Scotland in miniature”, as it is divided into “Highland” and “Lowland” areas by the Highland Boundary Fault.

I have Arran Sherry Cask whisky bottle 186 of 285 from Cask 109. The single malt whisky was distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2006. This bottle is a Limited Edition matured in a Sherry cask.

Related Article: Jura Origin 10yo Whisky

The Arran Sherry Cask Whisky Review

REGION: Islands

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Dark golden amber with a hint of red.

NOSE: On nosing, the sherry sweetness is very noticeable. Dried fruit and wood also come through, with hints of butterscotch in the background. It’s not a very oily whisky, but it does leave nice streaks on the inside of a glass.

PALATE: On the palate, the expected sweetness does not come through. Instead, raisins, dried fruit, wood and some spice emerge. Underneath, there is a bit of butterscotch. The Arran has a medium body.

FINISH: Lingering. The whisky ends on notes of pepper, burnt caramel, ginger and aniseed. It becomes a bit sweeter again on the finish. The relative youth of the spirit seems to come through. The flavour is there, but they have not combined as well as they could. It might be that with longer ageing, things will improve.

RATING: GOOD

Compared to some of the other young whiskies in my collection, one feels something is missing. It is by no means a bad whisky – it is just a bit disjointed.

The Arran has a range of expressions, some of them quite collectable. I look forward to adding some more expressions to my collection in the future. I have also tasted the Arran Napoleon Cognac cask release, and enjoyed it a lot more.

Also Read: Glen Grant Major’s Reserve Whisky

Wemyss Malts Gooseberry Marmalade Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/03/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Today I try the Wemyss Malts Gooseberry Marmalade single malt Scotch whisky. A Single Cask release from the Dalmore distillery bottled by Wemyss Malts. Wemyss Malts is an independent bottler of malt whiskies from Scotland.

The Wemyss Malt offices are in Edinburgh, but the Wemyss Estate is in Fife, Scotland.The Wemyss family whisky connection dates back to the beginning of the 19 th century. The first distillery on Wemyss land was built when John Haig constructed his distillery on Wemyss land.

The family has a longstanding passion for malt whisky. Even today, barley from the Wemyss Estate is prized by many of the leading distillers.

John Haig’s Cameron Bridge distillery, famous for the first distillery to produce grain whisky using the column still method, is located just a few miles from the castle. Wemyss Malts has a range of both blended malts and Single Cask releases. The blended malts include The Hive, Spice King and Peat Chimney.

Wemyss Malts also has specially selected Single Cask whisky releases, all of which chosen under the expert guidance of Charlie Maclean. The team choose each cask to represent the best characteristics of its regional origin. The strict selection process limits the number of casks in this range.

After the nosing panel has selected the casks, they then delve into the flavour profile of the casks. This ensures that the name given to each whisky reflects the unique aromas and flavours found within the bottle. All of the Wemyss Single Cask offerings are not chill-filtered and free of artificial colouring.

Related Article: Mackinlay’s The Enduring Spirit Whisky

Wemyss Gooseberry Marmalade Whisky Review

I managed to get my hands on a Wemyss Malts Gooseberry Marmalade single cask release. The whisky is from the Dalmore distillery on the northern shores of the Firth of Cromarty, deep in the spectacular Scottish Highlands. It was distilled in 1997, bottled in 2013. Only 372 bottles of this edition were released.

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Virgin olive oil.

NOSE: The Gooseberry Marmalade nose brings sweet notes reminiscent of fruits of the forest. It has a beautiful warm, enticing nose, tempting you to try the whisky.

PALATE: Rich with oak, spice, liquorice sweetness and tart gooseberry with hints of bitter marmalade. The Gooseberry Marmalade is a sweet, medium-bodied whisky.

FINISH: The Wemyss Malts Gooseberry Marmalade whisky finish brings wood with more citrus, and it is a medium-length finish. A special bottle of whisky for a special occasion. Something to savour and enjoy. If you can get your hands on a bottle, it is undoubtedly worth it.

RATING: EXCELLENT

I have tried various Wemyss releases including, the Wemyss Brandy Casket, Wemyss Malts Dark Chocolate Orange, and the Wemyss Velvet Fig Blended Whisky. And I see that a few of the blended malts are now available in SA, and I have written about Wemyss The Hive as well.

Also read: Penderyn Whisky

Teerenpeli Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/19/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at a world whisky from Finland; the Teerenpeli single malt whisky. Whisky is not usually associated with Finland. It is a country associated with cold, dark snowy nights, vodka and a close proximity to the Russian bear and centuries of Russian aggression. Vodka definitely, but not whisky.

Teerenpeli started as a restaurant with a microbrewery in 1995 in the city of Lahti in Finland. And what is the next step when you make great food and great beer? You open a distillery. The Teerenpeli distillery began operating in 2002.

Related Article: Mackmyra First Edition whisky

Teerenpeli Single Malt is distilled with Finnish malted barley and with fresh groundwater from the Salpausselkä ridge. The distillery has the traditional pot-still set up. One of the reviews mentioned that Teerenpeli whisky had used Highland Park as the inspiration for their small pots’ shape.

When I found this whisky last year at The Whisky Exchange in London, I had to buy it. It is the perfect addition to my whisky collection, and it was from a country that I had no idea could make whisky.

Teerenpeli Whisky Review

This 8 yo single malt whisky is bottled from a selection of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.

COUNTRY: Finland

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Rich gold

NOSE: Notes of floral and light citrus with a hint of oak. It is a smooth, delicate whisky.

PALATE: Barley and oak, florals with fruits and vanilla. The Teerenpeli is a lovely medium-bodied whisky with an oily finish. The florals and some caramel and spice continue in the finish. It has a wonderful body for such a young whisky, and it is clean and light.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is a distillery to keep an eye on in future. When I found the Teerenpeli whisky, I did not worry too much about the taste or rating. I just wanted to add a whisky from Finland to my collection.

However, I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. It is still a relatively young whisky compared to some of the other bottles in my collection, only 8 years old. But what a good 8 years it has been!

Pairing this sweet clean whisky should be done carefully as not to overwhelm the whisky. A fruit-infused 60% chocolate would probably work nicely with this Teerenpeli whisky. What else would you pair this sweet light whisky with?

Also Read: Floki Icelandic Young Malt

Mackmyra First Edition Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/17/2014

In Single Malt whisky

A whisky all the way from Sweden, the Mackmyra First Edition. It all started on a skiing trip. Eight friends met up, and a conversation started about the opportunity to manufacture a Swedish whisky.

The group of friends founded Mackmyra distillery after only one year’s preparation. All ingredients used in the production of this whisky are sourced within a 120 km radius from Mackmyra.

The distillery uses barley from Dalarna and Strömsta Manor in Enköping. The yeast is sourced from Rotebro, and the peat is obtained from a local bog near Österfärnebo. Mackmyra is aged in handmade, first-fill American bourbon and Swedish oak casks. They age the casks for about 5 years.

Related Article: Michel Couvreur Special Vatting whisky

The Swedish oak is reportedly tougher to work than American or European oak. The reward is a wood with a unique spiciness which is imparted into the spirit. Almost every aspect of Mackmyra has a wonderful story. Mackmyra matures their casks in an abandoned mine fifty meters below ground in Bodås.

The first limited edition whisky from Mackmyra was launched in 2006 and sold out within hours. The bottle itself is minimalist with clean lines and elegant labelling. It reminds me of that other Swedish icon, Ikea, and somehow just looks Swedish!

The distillery launched the Mackmyra First Edition single malt whisky in 2008. I got my bottle of Mackmyra First Edition on one of my trips through London.

Mackmyra First Edition Whisky Review

Sadly this whisky is not readily available in South Africa. My bottle is from the 2008-03 batch. This bottling of Mackymra is dedicated to Pioneers. It is not chill-filtered.

COUNTRY: Sweden

ABV: 46.1%

COLOUR: Light golden. Compared to some of the other whiskey in my collection, it is quite a light colour. The whisky is not very oily.

NOSE: The first thought on nosing the Mackmyra is sweetness. Honey and oak come through right away. After the first aroma, fresh fruit and floral notes come through.

PALATE: On the palate, the whisky comes across as medium-bodied. It is not a very complex whisky but is wonderfully easy drinking. The palate continues with the honey theme, adding butterscotch and apples to the notes.

FINISH: Medium with notes of spice, vanilla and oak ending in some dried fruit. It does not have the longest of finishes, but one must remember that this is only a 5 yo!

RATING: EXCELLENT

Whilst not as complex as other whiskies, and has a medium finish, it is nevertheless an exceptional dram to have on a special day. I was thrilled to learn that a shipment, which might include some Mackmyra, is on the way to South Africa. One of our friends, Whisky Brother Marc, may be responsible!

This is exciting news, and I look forward to this shipment of Swedish whisky, landing safely here in Johannesburg. Have you tried the Mackmyra First Edition yet? What did you think of it? I also got to taste the Mackmyra Svensk Rok which you can read about here.

Also Read: Slyrs Whisky

Tomatin 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/02/2014

In Single Malt whisky

The Tomatin 12 year old Scotch whisky is a single malt whisky produced by the Tomatin distillery in Scotland. With the recent purchase of Jim Beam by Japan’s Suntory, Tomatin was the first Scottish single malt maker to be purchased by a Japanese company.

The Tomatin distillery is located in the Monadhliath Mountains just south of Inverness.It is situated in the Highland Region of Scotland. Established in 1897, Tomatin is one of the highest distilleries in Scotland at 315 metres above sea level. Tomatin’s whisky mostly goes into blended whisky.

Also Read: Glenlivet 12 yo whisky

I picked up this 12 year old single malt whisky from the WhiskyBrother Shop in Hyde Park. The Tomatin 12 year old is finished in Spanish Sherry casks and bottled at 43% ABV. The colour is defined as a dark gold. I felt it had more of an amber colour to it. The whisky was quite oily.

Tomatin 12 year old Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

REGION: Highland

COLOUR: Reddish gold

NOSE: The first impressions of nosing brings dried fruit, sherry, wood and smoke. I picked up quite a bit of alcohol in the nose. Whenever I taste whisky, I always nose it before and after adding water. It is the first whisky I have nosed where the addition of water made such a big difference.

Suddenly florals and spice came to the fore. The nose grew in complexity. Sherry notes were more pronounced, and the smoke disappeared!

PALATE: Medium-bodied. The initial alcohol bite continued into the palette. The first impression was not particularly smooth. Crystallized ginger, some sherry and dried fruit continued from the nose. There were hints of barley that came through as well.

I initially felt the Tomatin was a little rough around the edges. The effect of water on the palette was as dramatic as with the nosing. The whisky transformed! It became smooth, and a delicacy came to the front.

FINISH: A bit short. The finish ended in pepper, ginger and some spice.

RATING:: VERY GOOD.

It is undoubtedly an easy-drinking whisky. Adding the water changed my impression. It is not a whisky that is complex, or big, or pretentious. The lack of a finish meant it did not score higher.

It is a wonderfully smooth dram after the water and quite drinkable. Remember to add some extra water! I was surprised at the extent to which the water unlocked more flavours.

Tomatin 12 year old & Food pairing

My Friday routine always includes trying out a bit of chocolate with my chosen whisky. I have not found a whisky that did not work with chocolate until the Tomatin, that is. I had a bar of dark chocolate with cherry with my second glass, and it did not pair well at all.

Tomatin 12 year old whisky is a fine whisky I will gladly be going back to. I paired this whisky with a Mature Gouda cheese during 2015, and the results were amazing!

Also Read: The Macallan 12 yo whisky