Whisky of the Week

Meandering the world, one whisky at a time

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Category: Single Malt whisky Page 14 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.

Three Ships Shiraz Cask Finish 11 yo Whisky

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On 11/30/2020

In Single Malt whisky

Three Ships Shiraz Cask Finish 11 yo single malt Whisky
During October 2019, the James Sedgwick Distillery invited a few loyal and enthusiastic Cape supporters to celebrate the Three Ships birthday at the distillery. What they did not know was that this not only was a celebration but a small consumer testing opportunity as well.

Andy Watts, the Master Distiller, wanted some end-user feedback in choosing his next Three Ships Master’s Collection release.

During the event, he gave the fans a few of his ‘work-in-progress’ drams to sample. Unbeknown to them, their feedback during the evening determined the 2020 Master’s Collection release.

A year later, they launched the new Three Ships Master’s Collection Edition. It is a limited edition Three Ships Shiraz Cask Finish 11 year old single malt whisky.

During the launch, 400 bottles were available for purchase and similar to previous years, the bottles flew off the shelves. The 400 bottles sold out within 8 minutes.

The Shiraz Cask finish whisky was first matured for eight years in American oak barrels, before being finished in seasoned Shiraz oak casks for three years. The Shiraz casks were selected from across Distell’s wineries, and no specific winery was given preference.

This is the second red wine finish release from the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington. During 2016 they released the Pinotage Cask Finish 15 yo whisky, which was amazing,

Shiraz wine is typically a bold and full-bodied wine with notes of smoke, bacon, blackberry, blueberry and pepper spice.

James Sedgwick Distillery released only 2 994 bottles of the Shiraz Cask. The first 400 are sold, and the remaining bottles are available at leading retailers. The Three Ships Shiraz Cask retails for R 950.  The Three Ships Shiraz Cask Finish whisky is non-chill-filtered.

Also Read: Bain’s 15 yo Sonically Matured whisky

Three Ships Shiraz Cask Finish 11 yo Whisky Review

Three Ships Shiraz Cask Finish 11 yo single malt Whisky with glass
I invited some friends to share this release with me on Twitter and have included their comments.

ABV: 51.4%

REGION: South Africa

COLOUR: Rose Gold

NOSE: Dry toasted oak, fruity sweetness with a hint of peat.  Red fruits, toasted nuts, honey and caramel in the background.  Bits of chocolate orange.

PALATE: Peat and spices. The fruity sweetness from the nose continues on the palate together with the caramel bits. Adding a few drops of water allows the complexity to come through. It enables the spices to become more defined, and now you can taste pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Dark chocolate and  liquorice. Despite the higher ABV, there is no alcohol heat, and I managed to finish my first glass without water. The peaty notes are a green Highland kind of peat.

FINISH: Complex with notes of drying oak, sweetness and peat.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Take time over this dram; it has so many layers to uncover. It is beautifully balanced between the spicy and fruity sweet notes.  For me, the shiraz shines through in the drying oak and red fruit notes. The shiraz finish softened the spicy notes.

You can pair this bold, spicy whisky with bold food choices, and I think the Three Ships Shiraz Cask Finish whisky will work well with a big, juicy BBQ burger or grilled beef. Even a spicy sausage stew will match nicely. The James Sedgwick Distillery has also released a Bain’s Shiraz Cask Finish whisky which is rather delicious.

Also Read: Three Ships 6 yo vs James Sedgwick Distillery 6 yo Whisky



Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 18 year old Whisky

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On 10/12/2020

In Single Malt whisky

inchmurrin 18 yo single malt whisky
Trying the Inchmurrin 13 yo from Bottega whisky club made me interested in trying more from this distillery. It was bold and delicious, and when I got the opportunity to listen to the Master Distiller, Michael Henry, talk about the Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky and to taste it, I grabbed the chance.

It is the 3rd time that Loch Lomond feature on the blog this year. Exploring more from this versatile distillery has been lots of fun. Loch Lomond is in the Highland region in Scotland. You can read more about the Loch Lomond 12 year old whisky and the Loch Lomond history here.


Inchmurrin is one many single malt styles produced at the Loch Lomond distillery. The distillery is capable of producing at least eight styles of spirit.

Inchmurrin is the largest freshwater island in the British Isles, and it sits in Loch Lomond. They also produce Inchmoan, also named after an island on Loch Lomond. Inchmurrin’s character is typically fruity, floral and soft, while Inchmoan offers a peaty variation. The Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 18 year old single malt whisky is aged in ex-bourbon, refill and recharred casks.

Also Read: Loch Lomond Steam and Fire Whisky

 Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 18 year old Whisky Review


REGION: Highlands

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Golden Amber

NOSE: Fruity sweetness, banana and tropical fruits with oak and butterscotch. Hints of butterscotch, malt and vanilla. Some red berries and hard candy in the background. Rich and inviting.

PALATE: The fruity sweetness continues on the palate, but now there are green grass and herby notes added. Bits of black pepper with old leather and caramel. Toasted oak and vanilla, bits of tropical fruit and tobacco. It has a bit of alcohol heat, but it makes the Inchmurrin chewy and full-bodied. Water softens the pepper spices and alcohol heat and brings more fruit to the front. Very drinkable.

FINISH: Long, warming finish with spice and liquorice; drying oak and caramel.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Delicious. If you see a bottle, grab it. It is a lovely addition to any collection, and if you like 18 year old whisky, then this will be a unique and different addition. The Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 18 year old whisky is available in SA and retail for around R1500.

I have seen some at Whiskybrother online and Bottega’s Whiskey Club. The next on my list, I want to try the Inchmoan to make sure that I have tasted my way around this whole distillery.

Also Read: Ballantine’s Finest vs Teacher’s whisky



Craigellachie 13 year old Whisky

By

On 10/05/2020

In Single Malt whisky

Craigellachie 13 yo single malt whisky
One of the most exciting and indeed the oldest dram I tasted during 2019 was the Craigellachie 51 yo single malt whisky. Georgie Bell, the Global Malts Ambassador for Bacardi, brought a few bottles of this very very limited release to South Africa and I was fortunate to try it.

It was my first foray into whisky from the Craigellachie distillery. So let’s look at the entry-level single malt from this distillery, the Craigellachie 13 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

The Craigellachie distillery was built in 1891 by Craigellachie Distillery Co. Limited, a group of blenders and merchants led by Alexander Edward. It is a Speyside distillery in Banffshire that overlooks the little town of Craigellachie. The Gaelic name means “Rocky Hill” and is pronounced Krai-GELLacky.

Also Read: Milk & Honey Elements Peated Whisky

The brand is part of the John Dewar & Sons stable. For many years, it was only used in blends like White Horse and various Dewar’s blends.  It is only in 2014 that distillery releases become available. The distillery is known for its meaty, sulphurous nature.

The Craigellachie single malt range includes a 17 year old as well as a 23 year old whisky. There used to be a 19 year old release, but this has been discontinued. There are also various independent bottling available. It is part of the Bacardi stable of brands.

Craigellachie 13 year old Whisky

Cragellachie 13 yo whisky with glass
REGION: Speyside

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Pale gold

NOSE: Apricots and dried cherries with toffee sweetness. A fruity sweet nose. The nose is like a colourful fruit salad with bits of malt and toasted nuts in the background.

PALATE: Medium body with the sweet fruit salad from the nose continuing on the palate. White pepper, oak, hints and malt with bits of smoky bacon and toasted nuts behind it all. I was hoping for a  bolder meaty note on the palate. There was also a bit of alcohol heat. Water softened the alcohol heat and brought more sweetness to the front.

FINISH: Medium long, with some oak, pepper and fruity sweetness.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It is a good introduction to the Craigellachie stable and taste profile. John enjoyed the Craigellachie without the water, and I preferred it with the water. The water toned down the spices and the alcohol heat and created a smooth drinkable dram.

I want to explore more of the meaty notes from this distillery and need to find the 17 year old release somewhere. I do have a bottle of the discontinued 19 year old whisky in my collection, and perhaps I need to go and open that bottle.

Also Read: The Singleton 15 yo Whisky



Milk & Honey Classic Single Malt Whisky

By

On 09/21/2020

In Single Malt whisky

Milk & Honey Classic single malt whisky
Today I have the opportunity to try the Milk & Honey Classic single malt whisky. What an exciting opportunity, the chance to try whisky from a new country; Israel. This country is certainly not known for whisky distilling.

Plans for a whisky distillery began in 2012 after a group of entrepreneurs decided to establish the first whisky distillery in Tel Aviv.

The Milk & Honey distillery was Israel’s first urban single malt whisky distillery and began operating in 2014 in the south of Tel Aviv. The distillery’s first products reached the shelves during the first quarter of 2016.

The climate in Israel is certainly as far removed from cold and wet Scotland as possible. Similar to India or indeed South Africa, the hot, humid climate speeds up maturation.

Also Read: Signature whisky

The entrepreneurs hired the late Dr Jim Swan, one of the world’s most accomplished master distillers and an expert in hot climate distillation and maturation, as an advisor. Dr Swan assisted with the recipe and all kinds of specifications to make sure the production was optimal for warm weather.

Other releases from this Israel based distillery include the Elements Red Wine Cask, Elements Peated and the Elements Sherry Cask. They also produce gin, namely the Levantine gin and oak-aged gin and even a young malt aged in pomegranate wine casks.

It is matured in ex-bourbon and red-wine STR (shaved, toasted, re-charred) casks. The Milk & Honey Classic is unpeated, non-chill-filtered with natural colour. It is now available in SA and retails for around R 790. I see that Whisky Brother and Bottega Whiskey club has some bottles available. Milk & Honey Classic single malt is certified kosher.

Milk & Honey Classic Single Malt Whisky

Milk & Honey Classic Single Malt Whisky with glass
COUNTRY:Israel

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Rich gold

NOSE: Caramel sweetness, dry oak with hints of vanilla and toffee. An amazingly bold nose for such a young release. I love the creamy caramel sweetness. The Classic has a unique nose.

PALATE: Dry wood with vanilla and pepper and faint hints of green grass. After the sweet nose, I was expecting a sweeter taste, but the sweetness only comes through after adding a bit of water. Medium body and quite oily. Bit of alcohol heat.

FINISH: Medium body with oak and soft black pepper.

RATING: VERY GOOD

Not the most complex release, but easy drinking and distinctive. The best feature is the nose. It is warming with creamy caramel; I could smell my glass the whole evening.

This Classic edition is one of those releases that leaves a clear picture in my head; eating cream caramel toffees while hiking through an old forest. I enjoyed it, and I am happy that I have a big bottle in my collection to enjoy this again.

I tried the Classic and a few of the Element releases as part of an online tasting event hosted by WhiskyBrother and Universal Beverages, the importer of Milk & Honey to South Africa. We had the opportunity to listen to the team at the Tel Aviv distillery.

We even had a virtual walkabout in the Tel Aviv distillery. The attention to detail and quality from this distillery shines through in the whisky, and I will extend my collection with more when they become available in South Africa.

Also Read: Ballantine’s Finest vs Teacher’s whisky


Loch Lomond 12 year old Whisky

By

On 09/14/2020

In Single Malt whisky

loch lomond 12 yo single malt whisky
Just before SA’s second alcohol ban, I managed to pick up my sample pack of Loch Lomond whiskies for an online whisky tasting with Michael Henry. A few weeks before, I tasted the Inchmurrin 11 year old that was bottled exclusively for the Bottega Whiskey Club.

Savi and Musi, the Loch Lomond Brand Ambassador, set up this interesting online tasting. The online tasting included the Bottega Whisky Club Inchmurrin, the Loch Lomond 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky and the Inchmurrin 18 yo whisky.

Loch Lomond Distillery, situated in Alexandria, a small town south of the beautiful Loch Lomond, produces a broad range of different whiskies. They create single malt as well as single grain and blends.

Micheal took us through the different distilling options that he has available at Loch Lomond, and it was so refreshing to listen to how he works with the various elements that he has available to come up with all the different variations.

Also Read: Inchmurrin 11 yo Whisky

The Loch Lomond stills include special distillation trays in the necks, allowing for more significant contact with the cooling alcohol vapour. These stills can produce alcohol up to 90% ABV where traditional stills deliver the alcohol at around 70% ABV. From there it goes into maturation.

I captured tasting notes for the Loch Lomond Signature and Loch Lomond Single Grain whisky as well as for various other brands within the Loch Lomond portfolio in the past, and you can read all about it there.

The Loch Lomond 12 year old is drawn from a selection of three cask types – bourbon casks, refill casks and recharged casks. In South Africa, it retails for R625.

Loch Lomond 12 year old Whisky Review

loch lomond 12 yo whisky with glass
REGION: Higland

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Dark gold

NOSE: Apricot, peach and freshly cut green grass. Sweet spices, honeycomb and vanilla. Fruity sweetness with hints of lemon and malt.

PALATE: Fruity sweetness with vanilla and faint hints of smoke. Malted puffs with bits of dry oak, lemon and apricots and bits of pepper. Something green in the background. Adding water releases more spicy notes. Medium body.

FINISH: Medium length with drying oak, vanilla and pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT


It was interesting how the water changed the spices in this Loch Lomond 12 year old whisky. For me, adding a  few drops of water tones down the spice notes in a whisky and brings more sweetness forward. However, with this release, the water made it spicier. I enjoyed it more without water.

Even at 46% ABV, it is smooth and easy drinking with no alcohol heat. An excellent whisky for autumn as it gently warms you from the inside. Just lovely. It is worth picking up a bottle when you see it.

I have also tasted the Loch Lomond Steam and Fire single malt whisky during my trip to Scotland and loved it.

Also Read: Compass Box No Name No 2 Whisky



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