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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.

Johnnie Walker Explorers Club The Gold Route Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/26/2014

In Blended whisky

In August 2013, a fire broke out inside the main terminal building of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. The fire destroyed most of the international terminal. John had to fly to Kenya for business, and it was with trepidation that he set off. He was unsure what the state of the airport would be and if they will be able to land.

With typical African ingenuity, however, the airport was up and running within two days. When John departed Nairobi, the Duty-Free shop was set up in a tent. In this tent, next to the burnt down terminal building, he found a bottle of Johnnie Walker Explorers Club The Gold Route whisky.

Related Article: Johnnie Walker Blue vs Black Label Whisky

According to the company, the Johnnie Walker Explorers Club The Gold Route was inspired by journeys around South America. They claim inspiration from the lush Amazon forests of Central America through the snow-capped Andean mountains, passing the mystical Inca pyramids and along the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

The blend comprises a variety of ages of whisky, including some very old cask. As it was purchased in duty-free, the bottle was a 1 litre, not the standard 75cl or 70cl. The Gold Route is the second expression in the Explorers’ Club collection. The Spice Route and The Royal Route complete the collection.

Johnnie Walker Explorers Club The Gold Route Whisky Review

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Light amber. It looks lovely in the light. The whisky is nice and oily.

NOSE: Initially offers spice, butterscotch and dried fruits. In the background are hints of honey. The addition of a few drops of water opens this whisky up. Fresh fruits, greengage and oak now come to the fore. The nose is lovely.

PALATE: On the palate, one is struck by the smoothness. The greengage and fresh fruit also carry on to the palette. The fruit slowly turns to butterscotch and spice. Some aniseed and dried apricots also come through. It’s a medium-bodied whisky that feels great in the mouth.

FINISH: Not long, but smooth and mellow. It ends with cinnamon and cloves. Some pepper also appears at the end.

RATING: EXCELLENT

This bottle is an excellent addition to the Explorers’ Club collection. It is an incredibly smooth whisky. I did not, however, pick up any notes of smoke that other reviewers mentioned in their tasting notes. It is, nevertheless, a great expression from Johnnie Walker. If you like blends and happen to be in an airport, do pick up a bottle.

It will be a fabulous addition to whatever you may already have. Based on how delicious the Gold Route is, I think the Royal Route might also be worth getting. I will keep a lookout for it when I travel. What were your impressions of this Gold Route from Johnnie Walker?

Some of the other Johnnie Walker releases I have tried include the Johnnie Walker Swing as well as the Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

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Highland Park 18 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/23/2014

In Single Malt whisky

In my quest for new and interesting whiskies, I often consult my friend Marc. He owns the Whisky Brother shop in Hyde Park and always has fine whiskies on hand. On a recent visit, I left with a bottle of Highland Park 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

The Highland Park has won many awards over the years, and luminaries such as Jim Murray has consistently rated it highly.Candice Baker, a South African, acts as the brand ambassador in my country was a further incentive. I was looking forward to trying it.

Presented in the familiar Highland Park bottle with its characteristic black packaging and age statement boldly displayed.

Established in 1798 on the island of Orkney, Highland Park is the most northerly whisky distillery in Scotland. Orkney is an archipelago in northern Scotland, north of the coast of Caithness. Highland Park is thus an Island type of whisky – distinct from Islay.

Highland Park is strongly associated with Magnus Eunson. Eunson is credited with starting the distillery at the end of the 18th century. His smuggling operations were based from his hideout on the High Park above Kirkwall where Highland Park Distillery now stands. Having read all the positive reviews, I was looking forward to trying it.

Also Read: Aultmore 18 yo Whisky

Highland Park 18 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Island

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Warm burnished gold.

NOSE: Notes of oak, smoke and honey. Overlaying these notes are fruits and floral aroma’s. It’s quite a complex nose.

PALATE: Notes of dried fruit, honey and some spice. The smoke and peat were subtle and nicely blended. In the background, I picked up some citrus notes. It’s not a big, bold whisky, and on the palate, quite delicate.

FINISH: Short. The florals turn to spice and espresso at the end.

RATING: VERY GOOD

After the tasting, I looked at John, perplexed. My first impression is that this is a nicely balanced whisky. Based on all the awards it has won and the glowing feedback from other whisky blogs, I was expecting something special. It’s hard to put my finger on it, but this whisky failed to excite me to the level I had expected.

I wanted to give it a Divine rating, and maybe that’s the problem. I may be in the minority when I say I was not blown away by this Highland Park 18 year old whisky at all. Looking critically at it, I found it overrated. There is nothing that stands out about this dram.

I paired this whisky with a
Mature Gouda cheese, and it makes this Highland Park 18 yo more drinkable.

At the end of 2016, I paired this Highland Park 18 year old Scotch with a Toblerone White with Honey and Almond Nougat pieces. It was part of my annual New Years Eve Whisky Chocolate pairing celebration. Not the best of the pairings I tried. I have also tasted the Highland Park 1997 whisky from this distillery.

Also Read: The Glenlivet 18 yo whisky

Slyrs Bavarian Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/19/2014

In Single Malt whisky

The distillation of whisky in Germany is a relatively recent development and only started in the last 30 years. Today there are around 23 distilleries in Germany producing whisky. Slyrs whisky is Bavaria’s first single malt whisky.

Built on the banks of Lake Schliersee, it is also the largest whisky distillery in Germany. I acquired this bottle on a recent trip through Frankfurt.

The Slyrs whisky is roughly about 3 years old, bottled at 43% ABV. The whisky was matured in American oak and is sold in limited quantities. It is presented in a cream-coloured box; the bottle has both English and German working on the label. There is no age statement on the bottle.

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My goal is to collect a single malt whisky from every country in the world that produces one. To date, I have whiskies from 19 different countries. I have been pleasantly surprised by the excellent quality of whisky from countries not usually thought of as whisky producers.

There are many similarities between the Scottish and Bavarian regions. The Scottish Speyside region landscape is quite similar to Upper Bavaria. I was looking forward to tasting the Slyrs.

Slyrs Bavarian Single Malt Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COUNTRY: Germany

COLOUR: Yellow gold. It is reminiscent of golden autumn leaves.

NOSE: Citrus notes with some oak and spice come through. There are also quite distinct alcohol vapours in the nose. It’s probably best to let it breathe a bit.

PALATE: On the palate, it comes across as quite light. It’s not a rich whisky. The tasting brings citrus again, with hints of vanilla, caramel and wood. However, the citrus is a bit overwhelming, and it changes to bitter citrus with notes of pepper and ginger.

FINISH: Well-rounded. It initially has a short finish but then comes back with a longer ending with bitter citrus, pepper and caramel notes. You get a sense that there are some rough edges, but not bad ones at all.

RATING: VERY GOOD

This distillery has lots of potential, and I will be looking out for more releases in the future. It is a whisky I will try again. For a 3 yo it’s really not bad.

The Slyrs website recommended you try Slyrs with a 70% dark chocolate. I tried it with a 60% Lindt Lindor chocolate, and it paired well. The chocolate smoothed out some of the edges and softened the citrus. The whisky, in turn, brought out more caramel in the chocolate.

It is a great combination to try. Collecting whiskies from around the world often produces a gem. If you make allowances for the three year age, it’s well worth acquiring. I paired the Slyrs with some Montagnolo Affine cheese and it worked beautifully.

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Jura 10 year old Origin Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/12/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Today something from an island, the Jura 10 year old Origin single malt Scotch whisky. It was August 1946, and a lonely figure is furiously typing away in an abandoned farmhouse near the northern end of a remote island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

George Orwell wrote one of the greatest novels of our time on the island of Jura. He managed to finish Nineteen Eighty-four during his stay in the farmhouse he brought from the proceeds from Animal Farm.

The island‘s remoteness was giving him the peace he needed to write his famous novel 1984. However, a warming Jura dram would not have sustained the lonely writer during his time on the island. The distillery was dismantled in 1901. A brand new Jura distillery was only built in 1963.

Constructed on the same spot as the old distillery, it attempted to stimulate Jura island’s declining economy. The island is as awkward to reach today as it was in 1946.

The island of Jura is located so close to the island of Islay and the ‘Parish of Peat’ that the distillery often participates in the annual ‘Feis Ile’ whisky festival of the Islay distilleries. The Jura flavours are, however, different from the peaty whiskies from the neighbouring island of Islay.

Jura’s mild climate and gentle breezes, together with the local spring water, are significant factors contributing to Jura’s flavours. I got the Jura 10 year old from WhiskyBrother in Hydepark, our favourite specialist whisky shop. It is a medium-bodied whisky and regarded as a very accessible, easy-drinking whisky by some.

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Jura 10 year old Origin Whisky Review

The packaging reflects a Celtic symbol that symbolizes beginnings and the forces of nature. The Jura 10 year old Origin whisky is seen as the whisky that began the Jura story.

REGION:Island

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: The official colour for Jura 10 year old single malt is defined as rich gold, but in the sunset light of my whisky room, it seemed more copper-gold.

NOSE: Apricots and flowers. There is a freshness when first nosing the whisky. The smell is reminiscent of open fields with clean air and lots of flowers.

PALATE: It is a light, delicate whisky. It is not a big, bold mouthful. Tasting the Jura Origin, I picked up apricots, raisins and a little oak. There are hints of mild spice and citrus.

FINISH: Quite a surprise. It is a long lingering finish ending with notes of pepper. It is not sweet at all and very delicate. I found this whisky a bit one-dimensional. It’s an easy-drinking, subtle and delicate whisky. We both quickly agreed on how we rated it.

RATING: VERY GOOD.

I looked forward to tasting a Jura, and my first one did not disappoint. It is a whisky I would offer to friends who want to try a single malt. I think that the Jura would pair well with some smooth milk chocolate or even a piece of white chocolate.

It might suit a sweetish desert cheese like an apricot flavoured white rock. I will look to add more Jura whiskies to my collection. What was your favourite Jura?

Update: I paired this Jura 10 year old Scotch whisky with a Comté Cheese, and it made for a fantastic pairing.

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Yamazaki 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 12/15/2013

In Single Malt whisky

This week I tasted one of the international whiskies in my collection – The Yamazaki 12 year old single malt whisky. The Yamazaki is distilled by Suntory, whose founder Shinjiro Torii built Japan’s first malt whisky distillery in the Vale of Yamazaki.

Located on the outskirts of the ancient capital of Kyoto, the pure waters and climate proved ideal for the maturation of whisky. Japanese whisky has an exciting journey dating back to the 1860s. The Japanese consumed all the whisky distilled domestically until the 2000s.

The Yamazaki 12 year old became the first Japanese whisky to be exported and to win awards. With its reputation preceding it, we were looking forward to finally tasting it. The whisky is presented in a box that evokes echoes of ancient paper with its faded yellow colour. Proudly displayed on the box is the note that the whisky won a double gold medal in 2009.

The Yamazaki 12 year old single malt whisky is matured in three kinds of wood – toasted American oak, Japanese Mizunara oak and ex-sherry casks. The Mizunara oak is native to Japan. It is both scarcer and harder to work with than American or European oak.

It reputedly imparts a seductive aroma of incense sticks, flowers and spice that is quite unmistakable.
Related Article: Benromach 10 yo whisky

Yamazaki 12 year old Whisky Review

COUNTRY: Japan

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Deep golden caramel. There are clear hints of sherry coming through in the colour, but it is not as intense as some of the other ex-sherry cask whiskies that we have.

NOSE: The nose is complex with caramel, fruit and florals the first impression. The dram reminds me of subtle perfume!

PALATE: There is lots of honey, spice and oak. More subtle is the barley and malt, which floats around in the background. The spice is quite pronounced with hints of pepper.

FINISH: The finish is luxurious, velvety and smooth.

RATING: EXCELLENT

I missed a longer, more sophisticated finish, but the Yamasaki 12 year old is a superb whisky. It may be that at a future re-tasting, I upgrade it to a divine rating; it’s that interesting.

This lovely single malt reminds one of a Speyside whisky with lots of fruit and honey. Jeannette dug around to see which food would pair well with it. It should come as little surprise that it seems to pair well with sushi – also one of our favourite foods.

The Yamasaki flavour notes match ginger and soy sauce well, and thus it should work well with Makizushi or rolled sushi. Salmon rainbow rolls, vegetable maki rolls or futomaki all spring to mind. Whatever sushi you pair this with, I think it will be awesome, and we look forward to doing just that.

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

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