Category: Single Malt whisky Page 30 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.

Hammerhead Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 04/11/2016

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at whisky from a unique destination, the Hammerhead Czech single malt whisky. This is the 1989 Edition. It was the height of the Cold War. In the Soviet Union, the national drink was vodka.

But in Communist-era Czechoslovakia, a few high ranking comrades had a taste for something different. They wanted whisky. Importing it from the West was impossible. But the resourceful comrades made a plan.

A small distillery in Pradlo, know for pot stilled spirits, had a hammer mill. It dated from around 1928. It was noisy and crude, but it was the only one in the entire Czechoslovakia. The barley was 100% Czech, and the water was from the Bohemia region.

The biggest problem was the peat. Peat from the Czech region did not work. So, at a considerable cost, a train carriage full of Scottish peat was imported. It was to last for at least five years.

Also Read: The Belgian Owl whisky

Through trial and error, the comrades learned their trade. It took years. Reading about whisky and converting this into practice, did not prove to be easy. But they persisted. The end product was aged in 100% Czech oak casks.

The comrades liked the result very much, and a bottle of whisky from Pradlo was a prized gift. But then in 1989, the Berlin Wall came down, and Europe changed forever. The casks put down were forgotten, and they lay dormant in the old distillery cellars for over 20 years.

Stock Spirits purchased the distillery without knowing that the whisky even existed. They discovered the casks and after tasting it, discovered the true quality of the whisky.

It was bottled under the name Hammerhead in honour of the old Mill. We have the Hammerhead 1989 whisky release which is a 20 yo. There is also a Hammerhead 23 year old whisky.

Hammerhead Czech Single Malt Whisky Review

COUNTRY: Czechoslovakia

ABV: 40,7%.

COLOUR: Light wheat colour. Quite light for a 20 year old release.

NOSE: Initially there are spicy notes, with hints of sweet vanilla and malty oak on the nose. Hints of fresh-cut flowers fresh fruit and some citrus in the background. After a while, butterscotch notes appear. The addition of water seems to take away some of the spiciness but accentuates wheat and white oak on the nose.

PALATE: Very spicy with lots of winter spice notes, including cloves and nutmeg. A fair bit of citrus fruit floats about intertwined with toasted nuts. A few seconds later, vanilla and butterscotch come through.

Without water, the Hammerhead whisky is quite rich. The addition of water cuts through a lot of the spice and adds smoothness and makes it even more easy drinking. Water brings a roundness to the palate. The dram is chewy and smooth.

FINISH: Oak and pepper and is medium length.

RATING: EXCELLENT

A great addition to my collection. I can understand why Yeltsin liked whisky from this distillery. It is an excellent whisky for a group of people who learnt about distilling and ageing whisky in books. Now to get my hands on the 23 yo whisky to compare!

The Hammerhead whisky has received several awards including three gold stars at the 2014 and 2013 International Taste & Quality Institute (iTQi) awards. I saw a comment on a blog somewhere that the Hammerhead 23 yo was a favourite of Boris Yeltsin.

The Hammerhead is considerably nicer than the Maraska blended whisky from the old Yugoslavia.

Also Read: Kornog whisky

Bunnahabhain 18 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 04/04/2016

In Single Malt whisky

Today I chat about something soft from Islay, the Bunnahabhain 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky. The sea is my happy place. I sleep like a rock when I hear the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. I love to walk for miles and miles on the beach, looking for shells and dreaming away.

We all have such a place.A place where the cares of the day, the stress of work, the burdens that we carry, disappear. A place that makes us happy. For some people, it is the mountains. John and our friend Walter find peace when they go climbing.

For some people, it is a river, or a farm or a particular city. For me, it is a small town just outside of Durban on the Kwa-Zulu Natal South Coast.

I have gone there since I was ten years old. Tomorrow we drive down to the coast for a couple of days rest with some family. And what better whisky to take with, then one of my favourite whiskies of all time, the Bunnahabhain 18 year old whisky.

Also Read: Ballechin 10 yo Whisky

For more than 130 years, Bunnahabhain has been creating memories and have a special place in Scotland’s whisky history. Derived from the Gaelic for ‘mouth of the river’, Bunnahabhain was founded in 1881. In 2003, Edrington sold Bunnahabhain to Burn Stewart Distilleries for £10 million. Currently, Distell owns Burn Stewart.

Bunnahabhain is the Northern-most Islay distillery. It sits in a large bay to the North East of the Isle, drawing its water from the Margadale Spring.

The malt supplied to Bunnahabhain is required to be at levels of 3 p.p.m. The Bunnahabhain 18 year old is a single malt matured in a combination of used sherry and bourbon casks before it is bottled without the use of chill filtration.

Bunnahabhain 18 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 46.3%

COLOUR: Dark golden amber colour with hints of red.

NOSE: The first thing that strikes me about the nose is that it’s rich and complex. The 18 yo whisky has notes of malva pudding, fruitcake sweetness, candied fruits and caramel sweetness floating about. Hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Faint wisps of cloves. The addition of water changes the nose quite a bit. It seems to take away some of the complexity but oddly enough brings through more of the oak and spice.

PALATE: When you try this Bunnahabhain 18 year old for the first time, all you can say is “good grief, this is wonderful”. It’s a creamy, chewy whisky, complex with a layer of nutty sweetness floating around. Behind all the nutty sweetness is a salty feel. It’s that same salty air you taste when walking on a windy day on a rocky shore by a rough sea.

After the sweetness, there are some dried citrus peel and marmalade. The addition of water adds even more smoothness and gives it a luscious feel. You can even imagine the faintest hint of smoke and peat after adding a bit of water.

FINISH: Long and lingering and warms the heart. It ends in notes spicy oak and a bit of leather.

RATING: DIVINE

I finished the first glass of the Bunnahabhain 18 year old single malt without water. It was so good. To see the impact of water, I had to have a second glass. This Bunnahabhain is seriously impressive stuff. I love it. An all time favourite!

Also Read: Macallan 15 vs Glenfiddich 15 yo whisky

Amrut Intermediate Sherry Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/22/2016

In Single Malt whisky

As I write this review, John is in Bangalore as part of his teaching commitment. So it is only fitting that we try a whisky from India this week. I packed him a sample of the Amrut Intermediate Sherry single malt whisky to taste while he is there.

With the 3,5 hour time difference between South Africa and India, he could relax after a long day, with a dram produced not far from where he is teaching.I was fortunate to share the dram with a good friend here at home.

Zee, a whisky lover, has never tried Indian whisky before. I was glad to share my tasting with her. Her daughter is a good friend of my little M, so while the 2 girls were playing dress-up, we settled down to try the Amrut Intermediate Sherry whisky.

In some of our previous posts, we wrote extensively about the start of Amrut in India. We have quite a few bottles from this distillery and have rated both the Amrut Fusion whisky and Amrut Two Continents whisky as Divine.

You can read more about the history of Amrut in our previous posts. Amrut launched the Amrut Intermediate Sherry at the Paris Whisky Live Show on 25 September 2010.

It was named ‘Intermediate’ because the whisky started its maturation in Bourbon casks. Then it is shipped to Spain and put into Sherry casks. The filled casks are sent back to India. It is done to avoid infection problems with shipping empty sherry casks. The whisky is left to mature in the Sherry for a period and then put back into bourbon casks to complete its maturation.

Related Article: Yamazaki 12 yo Whisky

Amrut Intermediate Sherry Whisky Review

COUNTRY: India

ABV: 57.1%.

COLOUR: Red copper with hints of orange.

NOSE: An abundance of sherry notes mixed with spice, raw oak and overripe plums and figs. The nose is reminiscent of sawdust and an old book being opened. Faint hints of vanilla intertwine with traces of condensed milk with faints hints of vanilla and plump raisins.

Zee described the nose as a perfect balance between sherry and wood. The addition of water released some floral notes and removed the overt woody and must notes.

PALATE: The Amrut has sweetness mixed with loads of spice. Cloves, nutmeg and pepper come to mind. It’s very woody on the palette with a whiff of mineral spirits. Without water, it has a bit of an alcohol bite.

The whole combination seems a bit raw – as though it should have been aged more to get some of the sharper edges out. The addition of water certainly adds smoothness. After water, there are more fruity and flowery notes but also more spice.

FINISH: Medium length with lots of spicy notes, bitter citrus with an overlay of wet wood.

RATING: GOOD

I love the Amrut releases, but this expression is not their finest work. It seems rushed, and the notes and flavour do not combine elegantly. It had potential, and one can only hope future expression live up to its sister expressions’ standards, some of which are indeed a delight. Other Amrut expressions I have tried include the Amrut Kadhambam and the Amrut single malt.

Also Read: Hammerhead 1989 whisky

Ardbeg Auriverdes Islay Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/08/2016

In Single Malt whisky

The annual event of Ardbeg Day is a great day out, with much fanfare and whisky drinking. When possible, we visit Dullstroom for this event. During our 2014 visit, John managed to taste the Ardbeg Auriverdes Islay single malt Scotch whisky, but I have not had a formal “Whisky of the Week” tasting for this release.

When this dram came up for tasting, we decided to invite a whisky friend around. Paul joined us this past Friday to share in the exploration of this limited release whisky. Ardbeg released the Auriverdes bottling for Ardbeg Day 2014.

The name Auriverdes has Portuguese connections and loosely translates as ‘auri’ (to shine like gold) ‘verdes’ (Green). It refers to the golden whisky and the iconic Ardbeg green bottle. Gold and green are also the colours of the Brazilian flag. As it was the World Cup soccer in Brazil, the Ardbeg Day theme for this year was sport.

Ardbeg Auriverdes is released without an age statement. It was distilled in 2002 and matured in traditional second fill American oak casks.

However, the traditional casks had their cask heads removed and replaced with new American oak cask heads. According to some research, the one cask head was toasted lightly (to bring out some vanilla flavours) and the other one darker (to bring out some mocha flavours).

These re-worked barrels were then filled with spirit and left to mature. The final release was a combination of these barrels blended with a proportion of ‘classic’ Ardbeg.

Related Article: Highland Park 18 yo whisky

Ardbeg Auriverdes Islay Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 49.9%.

COLOUR: A rich gold

NOSE: Sweet, balanced with peppery notes. The sweetness is reminiscent of honey-dipped fruit and toffee. There are hints of vanilla and citrus fruits. In the background, a subtle trace of traditional Ardbeg smoke lingers. It is not a typical ‘full in your face peat’ Ardbeg. Surprisingly, very little peat comes through.

PALATE: Without water, is smooth with muscovado sugar, soft fruit, hints of pepper, gentle smoke and bits of toasted oak. Adding water releases more of the traditional Ardbeg character with more ash and understated bits of coal tar. All very restrained. The vanilla and the citrus fruit comes through balancing the peppery notes.

FINISH: Medium length and end in notes of ash, zest and pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Not your usual Ardbeg! There is none of the peat, salt and medicinal notes that Ardbeg is renowned for. Ardbeg purists might not like this release. It is certainly a different direction for Ardbeg. But, I love it. I will certainly grab another bottle if I manage to see it around. It is worth it.

Auriverdes reminds me a bit of the Laphroaig PX whisky I tasted last year. It is a softer and smoother version of the PX cask. Just delicious! It is only the length of the finish that stopped this Ardbeg from being rated higher. A divine Ardbeg Day release that I recently tried is the Ardbeg Scorch.

Also Read: Port Charlotte 10 yo Whisky

Three Ships 10 year old PX Cask Finish Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/11/2016

In Single Malt whisky

In October 2015, I saw South African whisky history being made. It was wonderful to watch. Sitting at my PC in Johannesburg, I saw bottle after bottle of Three Ships PX Cask taken off the shelve and signed for by the talented Master Distiller, Andy Watts. It was the long-awaited launch of the Three Ships PX Cask Finish Single Barrel whisky. It did not disappoint!

James Sedwick Distillery released only 800 bottles of this Three Ships PX Cask Finish. They were all bottled by hand and numbered. Distilled in 2005, the Three Ships whisky was initially matured for eight years and ten months in American oak and then spent a further 14 months in a cask in which Pedro Ximenez (PX) sherry had previously been matured.

Andy experimented with various casks for a few years before selecting the PX for the particular effect it has on whiskies with a presence of smoke and peat.

The bottles flew off the shelve, and the stock that was available at Whisky Brother shop disappeared very quickly. So it is only fitting that we start 2016 on a proudly South African note with this special release.

Three Ships redesigned their bottle and label design during 2015 and the PX Cask was released in the new bottle shape. The attention to detail on both the bottle and the label is beautiful and puts this Three Ships PX cask firmly in the premium whisky category.

Related Article: Bain’s Symphony Whisky

Three Ships PX Cask Finish 10 year old Whisky Review

COUNTRY: South Africa

ABV: 46.2%

COLOUR: A dark mahogany hue pointing to the time spent in the sherry casks.

NOSE: On the nose, the sherry notes come through at once. There are notes of rich Christmas cake, ripe figs and candied fruits mingling with tropical fruit. With the addition of water, more wood and spice appear on the nose.

PALATE: Without water, the Three Ships PX Cask is a big, bold dram with a lot of spice and fruity notes. Bursts of plump raisins, glace fruits and Demerara sugar burst through cinnamon and nutmeg notes. Peat, spice and smoky notes put in an appearance. The addition of water softens the boldness and releases more oak and flower notes. Water releases faint hints of pepper and cloves.

FINISH: Medium length and memorable. It ends in honey sweetness. John preferred it without water, and I loved it more with a bit of water to release the softer flowery notes.

RATING: EXCELLENT.

Delicious. My bottle will not last very long. A proudly South African whisky that Andy and his team can be very proud of. Now to try this amazing dram with a few South African cheeses.

During 2016 Three Ships whisky launched their next release in the Master’s Collection – the Three Ships Pinotage Cask Finish. This was followed up during 2018 with a Three Ships 8 yo Oloroso Cask Finish whisky.

The Checkers Private Barrel Co released a James Sedgwick Distillery 6 yo Fino Cask and I compared this PX cask and the Fino Cask over on this blog post.

Related Article: Wild Reeds Bourbon Cask Whiskey