Continuing with my notes from the Loch Lomond distillery visit, I’m diving into the Loch Lomond Steam and Fire single malt Scotch whisky today.
Category: Single Malt whisky Page 1 of 43
Single Malt whisky
Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for Single Malt Whisky. A collection of all the interesting releases I have tried. Not only Scotch but from around the world.
My husband John is a frequent traveller. Recently, he brought home the Ardbeg Smoketrails Manzanilla edition of Islay single malt whisky. On his way back to the island, he picked it up at ORT airport.
I opened this bottle a few months ago but have been too busy to accurately capture the deliciousness of the Loch Lomond Buitenverwachting single malt 6 year old whisky. Let me say this upfront: It was the best whisky I have tasted in many, many months.
It’s been a while since my last encounter with Macallan whisky. The last time I tasted this whisky was in December 2019, when I compared the Macallan 15 year old single malt with the Glenfiddich 15 year old single malt. That tasting emptied my bottle, and I hadn’t revisited Macallan until recently when John brought home a bottle of The Macallan Quest single malt Scotch whisky.
Macallan, one of the original farm distilleries, became legally licensed in 1824 when Alexander Reid obtained a license following the 1823 Excise Act. Over the years, it has undergone several name and ownership changes and is now owned by Edrington. This distillery is classified as a Highland distillery.
The Macallan Quest was initially released for the Travel Retail market in 2018, replacing the 1824 Collection. It belongs to a four-bottle series that includes the Macallan Lumina, Macallan Terra, and Macallan Enigma Scotch whisky.
These are all single malt whisky limited edition releases. The Macallan Quest honours the journey of sourcing the finest oak. Macallan Quest is aged in four different types of casks.
These casks include bourbon, sherry-seasoned European oak, sherry-seasoned American oak, and hogsheads. Notably, it has no age statement.
The Macallan Quest Whisky Review
ABV: 40%
REGION: Highlands
COLOUR: Pale gold
NOSE: Soft and gentle with ripe mandarin and apricot notes sprinkled with vanilla sugar, toasted oak, and hints of a light spicy bite in the background.
PALATE: The fruitiness continues with ripe mandarin and dried fruit. There’s a spicy bite with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg notes mixed with caramel sweetness. Faint vanilla and woody oak appear as well.
While the individual notes are pleasant, they feel disjointed, as if they needed more time to blend. It has a light body and tastes very young. Adding water drowns out any sweetness and leaves it watery.
FINISH: Short and sweet, with spicy cinnamon and ginger mixed with oak and dried fruit.
RATING: GOOD
Overall, the Macallan Quest single malt is a bit bland and boring. It’s not the most complex whisky and feels very young. I barely finished my glass—not because it was terrible, but because it was unmemorable.
The Quest was the most affordable bottle in the series, priced around £ 55. In comparison, the Lumina retailed for around GBP 119, the Enigma for £ 260, and the Terra for £ 133 on Master of Malt. The entire series was a NAS (no age statement) release, and it is currently sold out.
When browsing Macallan whisky prices on Master of Malt, I noticed that of the 211 Macallan whisky bottles listed, only 3% fall in the £ 0-100 category, 5% in the £ 100-200 range, 19% in the £ 200-400 range, and a staggering 73% are priced above £400.
This means that most The Macallan releases are priced above £400. Are they really that drinkable and delicious, or is it just savvy marketing?
If I had £ 55 to spend on whisky, I’d instead buy a Glengoyle or a Glendronach, knowing I’d get something drinkable and delicious.
Also Read: Bains 15 yo Sonically Matured Whisky
It feels like a peat focused year and this week is no exception. The spotlight this week is shining on the Laphroaig Four Oak Islay single malt Scotch whisky. Peated whiskies always seem to beckon me from the shelves when it comes time to choose, and this particular expression has certainly piqued my interest.
It’s a testament to the evolution of my palate as I explore the whisky landscape, or it’s simply John’s penchant for picking up peated gems on his travels.
Regardless, let’s dive into the realm of the Laphroaig Four Oak whisky release. Many whisky aficionados see Laphroaig as the essential Islay.
Nestled just outside Port Ellen, this distillery, founded in 1815 by Alexander and Donald Johnston, has etched its name in the annals of whisky history. Under the wing of the Beam Suntory Group since 2014, Laphroaig draws its water from Loch Laphroaig on the island’s southern coast.
The distinctive character of Laphroaig comes from its proximity to the ocean and the abundant moss-laden peat of its surroundings.
Laphroaig holds a prominent place in my collection, with the Laphroaig PX Cask reigning as one of my favourites.
The Laphroaig Four Oak was released for the travel retail market in 2016. The Four Oak is a combination of whisky matured in four different oak types, namely ex-bourbon barrels, 19th Century-style quarter casks, virgin American oak barrels and European oak hogsheads. It is a non-age statement release.
Laphroaig Four Oak Whisky Review
ABV: 40%
COLOUR: Bright gold
REGION: Islay in Scotland
NOSE: Not as bold as I have come to expect from Laphroaig. There are notes of smoke and medicinal peat mixed with iodine, damp wood, caramel sweetness, hints of red berries and roasted nuts. There is a faint spiciness in the background combined with vanilla, dark roasted coffee beans and malt.
PALATE: The Laphroaig Four Oaks has notes of peat and ash with bits of tar and salty dry seaweed. Oak and a dried fish note mingle with a caramel sweetness, pepper, vanilla and sultanas: soft medicinal TCP and iodine.
Subdued vanilla, cardamom and nutmeg stand next to almonds, burnt coffee beans and salty Dutch drop (liquorice). It feels a bit unfinished, and adding water thins the Laphroaig out. It has a light mouthfeel with a slight alcohol heat. Nothing like the refined Laphroaig Quarter Cask or the bold and complex 10 year old release.
FINISH: The Laphroaig Four Oaks finish is drying burnt wood and pepper. Medium length with hints of iodine, peat and salted caramel. Bits of vanilla and hints of salty liquorice.
RATING: GOOD
This is probably my least favourite Laphroaig, with the exception of the Laphroaig Brodir. I might even call it boring. It lacks the bold medicinal peat, ash, and smoke that I came to expect from Laphroaig.
Water tones down the alcohol heat but also tones down any interesting notes. Don’t add water. It feels like a very young single malt whisky. A redeeming feature is the salty liquorice notes. It reminds me a bit of Dutch drop, which I love.
The Four Oak retail for around $72 in the USA or £ 61 in the UK. I am not sure it is worth it for a non-age-statement single malt Scotch that feels very young. For GBP 60, I would rather buy some Talisker or Caol Ila whisky.
I have done a side by side comparison between the Laphroaig 10 year old and the Quarter Cask whisky release to see how they differ.
