Category: Single Malt whisky Page 11 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.

Aerstone Sea Cask 10 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/05/2021

In Single Malt whisky

I was chatting to Steven Saunders, the William Grant Prestige Meta Manager in SA, and he mentioned that they are bringing in more of the Aerstone whisky releases into SA. I have seen a few comments regarding the Aerstone Sea Cask 10 year old Single Malt Scotch whiskyand Land Cask whisky on social media but have not tried them.

William Grant launched Aerstone whisky in the UK in September 2018. The range consists of the Aerstone Sea Cask and Land Cask, both 10 year old single malt whisky releases. These whiskies aim to simplify the traditional language’ associated with single malt Scottish whisky.

The Aerstone Sea Cask whisky is a Speyside style single malt matured near the Ayrshire coast. The Aerstone Land Cask is a peated malt produced using Highland peat and matured at warehouses situated slightly inland.

The distillery is not named, but it is safe to assume that it is from the Ailsa Bay distillery in the Lowlands. These Aerstone expressions aim to capture two different flavour profiles from Scotland in an approachable, aged whisky.

This week I will explore the Sea Cask, and next week I will chat more about the Aisle Bay distillery and the Land Cask. The Aerstone Sea Cask 10 year old single malt is described as ‘smooth and easy’.

William Grant remains one of the few family-owned spirits brands in the world. It is the third largest producer of Scotch whisky. The company have a number of brands including Monkey Shoulder, Grant’s, Glenfiddich and Balvenie.

Aside from whisky, William Grant also produces Sailor Jerry rum, Hendrick’s gin and Drambuie liqueur.

Also Read: Kavalan Solist Ex-Bourbon Cask Whisky

Aerstone Sea Cask 10 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Lowlands

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Gold

NOSE: Honey sweetness, vanilla with lots of floral notes. Green grass and fresh-cut flowers mixed with bits of toffee, freshly baked shortbread and hints of oak. Sweet and malty.

PALATE: Medium body with notes of sweetness, vanilla biscuits, and light oak and nutty notes. Hints of flowers and grass. A lovely, delicate and smooth dram that is not too complex. It is unpretentious and drinkable. Quite sweet and perfect for the newbie and someone with a sweeter palate.

However, add water carefully. The delicate notes quickly disappear with the addition of water. The Sea Cask is drinkable without water or just a drop or 2. When you add too much water, it brings forward the lemony pectin notes.

FINISH: Short and sweet with honey sweetness, lemon pepper and oak.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It isn’t the most complex single malt you will encounter, but the Sea Cask is a delightfully smooth, easy-drinking dram. I was expecting the Aerstone Sea Cask to have more of a salty, peaty character. However, it is just as described, smooth and easy drinking. It is an uncomplicated drink you can sip the whole afternoon.

A deliciously moreish lighter style of whisky at a very affordable R360. Compared to other 10 yo single malts, this is an excellent price. Looking online at other single malts, the Glen Grant 10 year old is priced at R 530, and the Highland Park 10 yo at R540.

This low price puts the Sea Cask whisky in a highly accessible category for new single malt consumers and is even affordable when compared against some blends. Certainly worth a try!

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

Also Read: anCnoc Peatheart Whisky

Balblair 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/11/2021

In Single Malt whisky

I have slowly been working through my collection of Balblair Vintage mini’s this past year. Just as I finished my last review on the 1990 Vintage, Balblair surprised me with something new. They moved away from their well-known vintage releases in favour of aged statement releases.

Staying with their house style of apricots, oranges, spices, floral notes, and green apple notes, Balblair released a 12 year old, the Balblair 15 year old, 18 year old whisky and a 25 year old single malt whisky.

There is also a Balblair 17 year old whisky that is a travel retail release. Still aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry casks, the goal was to revive interest in their creaminess and fruit-forward flavour profile.

There has been quite a bit of comment, both positive and negative, in the whisky halls regarding the change. Many people wanted to stock up on their favourite Balblair Vintages before they disappear.

However, I think change is good ,and this allows me a new look at Balblair, starting with the Balblair 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky. It also makes understanding their core range easier, and according to some information, Balblair distillery will continue to release Vintage bottles regularly.

I was invited to take part in the Balblair Twitter tasting during May, where they introduced their new releases to some whisky bloggers. However, South African Customs had other ideas (as usual).

The samples only arrived two weeks after the Twitter tasting. But now I have a leisurely time to look at each release and evaluate it without any interruption.

Balblair is a Highland Distillery surrounded by beautiful by rugged mountains and uses the Allt Dearg springs as their water source. It is owned by Inver House Distillers, who also own Catto’s, Hankey Bannister and Speyburn whisky.

The range comes in new packaging but retains the Balblair’s signature bottle shape. The new logo is beautiful and inspired by the nearby Struie Hill. The Balblair 12 year old Scotch was matured in ex-bourbon and double fired American oak casks and is non-chill filtered and has no added colour.

Also Read: The Arran Malt Sherry Whisky

Balblair 12 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Highland

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Polished gold

NOSE: Wood, wispy sweetness, green notes fruit, grass, and spices. The nose is soft and delicate.

PALATE: Barley and oak mixed with wood, ripe red berries and hints of honey. Bits of pepper heat, vanilla, and orange peel. Not as sweet as the nose promised. I was expecting more sweetness on the palate. Water softens the pepper spice heat and brings more orange blossoms to the front.

FINISH: Long and lingering and the best bit of dram. It ends in pepper and orange notes and is beautifully warming.

RATING: VERY GOOD

What an exciting start to the age statement releases from Balblair. For me, the Balblair 12 year old captures the essence of their house style and is the foundation from which all the other age statements follow.

I found the spiciness of this release a bit too much for my specific liking, I have a sweet palate and prefer a bit sweeter whisky. But that is my personal palate preference. The hubby loved the spicy notes (it suits his palate).

It is a way to start a new set of releases, and I am very excited to taste the rest of the range. According to Balblair, this 12 year old whisky will go very nicely with some hot-smoked salmon niçoise salad.

Also Read: The Belgian Owl Whisky

Sample disclosure: I received this sample directly from Balblair. Though received as part of a promotional event, the review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair and independent thoughts on the whisky.

Talisker Storm Single Malt Scotch Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/07/2021

In Single Malt whisky

Today I am looking at the 3rd of my mini Talisker bottles, and it is time for the Talisker Storm single malt Scotch whisky. The Talisker 10 yo whisky easily makes it onto my top 10 desert island drams. I love the smoky, creamy notes of this release.

It is affordable and bursts with flavour. I enjoyed the Talisker Skye but found it a bit rough around the edges.

Talisker is the oldest working distillery on the Isle of Skye. It is part of the Diageo brands and part of their Classic Malt range. The distillery was founded in 1830 by Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill on the shores of Loch Harport. Talisker was updated over the years and changed hand a few times.

The distillery’s water comes from Cnoc nan Speireag (Hawk Hill). The malted barley used in production comes from Muir of Ord. Talisker whisky is typically peated to a phenol level of approximately 18–22 parts per million (ppm).

Diageo released Talisker Storm in early 2013 with no age statement. The whisky is matured in specifically selected refill and toasted American oak casks. Pre Covid, the Talisker Storm single malt Scotch whisky was occasionally available in SA. Sadly, I have not seen it around for the last couple of months.

Other releases include the Talisker 57 North whisky. There is also a Talisker Dark Storm that was released as a travel retail special. Dark Storm was matured in heavily charred casks compared to the standard Storm release.

Also Read: Springbank 18 yo Whisky

Talisker Storm Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

REGION: Island of Skye

ABV: 45.8%

COLOUR: Dark Gold

NOSE: Delicate and soft with peat, smoke and sweetness. Sea salt and honey with a soft fruity note. Surprisingly sweet.

PALATE: Medium body with notes of peat, oak and honey sweetness. A bit of a chilli bite mixed with smoke and hints of black pepper. Bolder than what the nose suggested. Lovely and warming on a cold Friday afternoon. Not the most complex dram, but easy drinking. Quite a bit sweeter than the 10 yo release. Water tones down the chilli heat.

FINISH: Peat and oak dryness with a fruity sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

What a lovely dram. It warmed me up on a cold Friday evening, and I will undoubtedly be looking for a big bottle of this when it becomes available in SA again. I was surprised at how much sweeter it is when compared to the Talisker 10 yo whisky.

As soon as I managed to find a big bottle, I will do a side by side comparison. The 10 yo is still my favourite of the lot, but this Talisker Storm single malt whisky is not far behind.

Also Read: Ardbeg 10 vs An Oa Whisky

Port Askaig 8 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/10/2021

In Single Malt whisky

A year or 2 ago, I noticed a few interesting sounding tasting notes on Twitter. They were for the Port Askaig Islay single malt Scotch whisky. Not too long afterwards, John had lunch at Bottega’s, and Savi brought him a glass of the Port Askaig 8 yo whisky. He loved it and immediately bought me a bottle. I think it is time that I try this bottle.

Port Askaig is a range of single malt whiskies from the Scottish Islay. It is named after Port Askaig, the most accessible port to enter the peaty paradise. The Port Askaig brand was launched in 2009 by London-based Elixir Distillers, a creator, blender and bottler.

Except for Port Askaig, Elixir Distillers’ other core whisky brands are Elements of Islay, and ‘The Single Malts of Scotland’, while it also bottles rum under the Black Tot brand. Elixir also own The Whisky Exchange shop. The Covent Garden shop is one of my favourite places to visit when in London.

All Port Askaig’s whiskies are sourced from existing Islay distillers, usually as fully matured whiskies ready to bottle. The range includes the 8 year old, as well as a 16 year old, a 19 and 30 year old and even a 45 year old whisky.

According to some internet research, the Port Askaig 8 year old whisky is sourced from Caol Ila distillery. The whisky was matured for a minimum of eight years in refill ex-bourbon casks. Port Askaig is non-chill-filtered and is free of added colour.

Also Read: Laphroaig Brodir Whisky

Port Askaig 8 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 45.8%

COLOUR: Lightest pale yellow

NOSE: Big, bold Islay. There is a peaty earthiness, bits of salty seaweed with hints of smoke and a fruity sweetness. Fresh and clean, without the medicinal notes from a Laphroaig or Ardbeg. Bits of vanilla and sweetness.

PALATE: O my word! Soft ash mixed with honey sweetness. Salted caramel balanced with smoke and peat with a bit of vanilla and nutmeg. Liquorice, green grass and fresh fruit. All perfectly balanced. Peaty Islay but elegantly wrapped up in a sweetness that is just amazing. None of the fishy medicinal notes, just a unique earthy deliciousness.

No alcohol heat, and we finished the first glass without any water. On the second glass, we added a bit of water. The water highlighted the elegant balance and made the dram even smoother.

FINISH: Long and lingering with a grassy green sweetness and hints of peat smoke.

RATING: DIVINE

John and I looked at each other in wonder. We both were thinking the same thing. It is probably the sweetest (peated) Islay whisky I have ever tasted. But it is perfection! The sweetness is a perfect match for my sweeter palate. It is perfectly balanced with salt and earthiness that do not allow the sweetness to overwhelm.

The Port Askaig 8 year old single malt Scotch whisky is the nicest Islay dram I have tasted in quite a while. This dram might even beat my beloved Big Peat Cape Town Edition. It was that delicious. I will have to do a side by side with the Big Peat to see which one is my favourite.

This dram also made it onto my favourite peated whisky list. You can follow the link to read the article of all the other peated drams that also made it onto the list.

Also Read: How to Start a whisky club

Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 year old Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/03/2021

In Single Malt whisky

John got this bottle of Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 year old whisky as a gift, and I decided why not. Let’s end this year on an old note. I started this year with the Three Ships PX cask. I will begin next year with the Three Ships Pinotage Cask. But first, I end 2016 on a high note with the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

Glenfiddich is one of three William Grant family-owned distilleries which sit in close to each other to the north of Dufftown. The Glenfiddich distillery is massive and has a capacity of 10 million litres per year, making it one of Scotland’s largest distilleries.

During 2016, the packaging on the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva was re-designed. It re-launched as part of the Glenfiddich core range. The bottle is a broader, thicker version of the classic three-sided bottle used for the younger expressions in the core range. The liquid remains the same as in the earlier releases.

The Glenfiddich Gran Reserva single malt was aged for 21 years and then finished in Caribbean Rum casks for around four months. The rum-soaked casks add warmer and more vibrant flavours to compliment the fruity dram.

Also Read: Glengoyne 21 yo Whisky

Glenfiddich 21 year old Gran Reserva Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43,2%

COLOUR: A dark amber with hints of red in the glass.

NOSE: Rich tropical fruit, lychee, guava and banana mixed with red berry fruits and hints of toffee sweetness along with faint whispers of oak. There is a rich dark note to the nose with a layer of vanilla and cinnamon.

>PALATE: The Gran Reserva starts with pepper spicy and then very quickly turns to fruity deliciousness before evolving into rich toffee and vanilla. A second sip reveals a delicious tropical fruit such as dried mango and banana with hints of oak and fruitcake.

It is rich, complex and chewy! A toffee sweetness hangs around the background. The addition of water opens this whisky up wonderfully, and it becomes smoother and sweeter. It is easy drinking with the traditional Glenfiddich fruitiness enhanced by the rum casks.

FINISH: The finish is brilliant. It is long and lingering and ends in sweet and spicy notes.

RATING: DIVINE

It is a brilliant dram! The flavour development profile and finish of this Glenfiddich 21 year old Gran Reserva whisky ia undoubtedly the highlight. The fruitiness is perfectly balanced with the sweet spices. This dram puts a HUGE smile on my face.

I was planning to end the year on a high note and knew that the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva was excellent, but I did not expect it to be this good! What a finish – both the whisky and the year.

Also Read: Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky