Category: Single Malt whisky Page 33 of 44

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.

Kininvie 17 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/06/2015

In Single Malt whisky

In October 2013, I tasted the William Grant & Sons Monkey Shoulder blended malt expression and loved it. Monkey Shoulder blended malt is a blend of three William Grant single malts. I have various expressions from Glenfiddich and The Balvenie, but I have never heard of the Kininvie distillery.

Lucky for me, on one of John’s business trips to London, he found the Kininvie 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky at Heathrow Airport Duty-Free. Of course, he grabbed it for me. Kininvie is a distillery in Dufftown, which produces single malt Scotch whisky.

The whisky from this distillery is mainly used in William Grant blended whisky brands. Notably their Grants and Clan Macgregor releases. The Kininvie Distillery, one of the youngest distilleries in Scotland, began production on 4 July 1990.

Kininvie Distillery is built close to The Balvenie distillery, and they share some equipment. Some sources argue Kininvie is not a proper distillery as most of the equipment is owned by Balvenie and that Kininvie is just an extension of Balvenie.

Other people don’t agree and argue that they share the Balvenie mill. Regardless of this, getting this bottle to complete our collection is great. Kininvie itself stopped operating in late 2010.

The Kininvie 17 year old whisky is matured in 80% American oak and 20% Sherry casks.

Related Article: Glenmorangie Spios whisky

Kininvie 17 year old Whisky Review

It is (only) a 350 ml bottle.

ABV: 42,6%

COLOUR: A light golden coloured. It has a sort of pale gold colour and is quite oily.

NOSE: Brings sweet sherry, candied fruit and malty sweetness. There are notes of toffee, fresh-cut flowers and apples. It has a rich and complex nose. Adding water enhances the floral notes.

PALATE: On the palate, the Kininvie whisky is spicier than expected. The sweetness suggested by the nose is a lot less pronounced. After the sweet nose, I was expecting quite a sweet whisky. There are notes of wood, fresh fruit and malt.

The toffee and caramel sweetness drifts past in the background. It is a wonderfully smooth and rich whisky. Chewy and full-bodied.

FINISH: Long and lingering. It ends in notes of creamy, spicy malt.

RATING: EXCELLENT

A splendid dram! It is easy to drink, complex and smooth. If only the bottle were bigger. I would love to taste more from this distillery.

Looking around, I see that there is a Kininvie 25 year old single malt at The Whisky Exchange, and it sounds amazing. However, at £ 399 for a 35cl bottle, it might be slightly out of my price range.

Also Read: Littlemill 25 yo whisky

Highland Park 1997 Vintage Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/29/2015

In Single Malt whisky

Today I try the Highland Park 1997 Vintage single malt Scotch whisky. Highland Park distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery founded in Kirkwall, Orkney. Sweeping plains of barley fields and rocky outcrops dot the landscape around Highland Park.

It is the most northerly whisky distillery in Scotland, about a kilometre further north-east than that Scapa distillery. Highland Park was founded in 1798 and officially licensed in 1826.

The name Highland Park does not refer to ‘The Highland’ area of Scotland. It refers to the point that the distillery was founded on an area called ‘High Park’ distinguished from a lower area nearby.

The distillery draws its water from the mineral-rich springs to the east of the distillery and the Crantit Spring. Highland Park is one of the few distilleries to malt its own barley, using locally cut peat from the Hobbister Moor.

The peat is then mixed with heather before used as fuel. Highland Park is also one of the ingredients of The Famous Grouse blend. The Highland Park distillery is part of the Edrington portfolio.

The Highland Park 1997 Vintage whisky expression was bottled exclusively for the duty-free market and is released in 1-litre bottles. Distilled in 1997 and bottled in 2009, makes this a 12 year old but the bottling does not have a specific age statement.

Based on some research, this 1997 Highland Park single malt spent some time in both American oak and Sherry casks as well as some bourbon casks.

Related Article: Tomintoul 16 yo whisky

Highland Park 1997 Vintage Whisky Review

REGION: Islands

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Amber or dark gold. It is very dark in the bottle but redder in the glass. It is quite an oily whisky.

NOSE: Offers sweetness mixed with spices. There are hints of citrus, cloves and cinnamon. Some butter and toffee float around. This Highland Park 1997 whisky has a great nose, and it promises a creamy mouthful.

PALATE: A bit of let down after the promise of the nose. We looked at each other and wondered where the flavour disappeared to? It has a medium body with hints of oak, marmalade, and citrus peel. In the background, there are bits of smoke and peat mixed with custard.

FINISH: Short and ends quite abruptly in notes of wet leather and oranges.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It is a smooth whisky that promises much, but doesn’t quite deliver what I expected. I keep on hoping to find a Highland Park that I would love. So many people love this distillery. For some reason, every time I try it, I am disappointed.

I tried the Highland Park 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky but was not blown away. What Highland Park release do you recommend I try next?

Also Read: Chivas Regal Extra whisky

Dalwhinnie 15 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/01/2015

In Single Malt whisky

Today something from the Scottish Highlands, the Dalwhinnie 15 year old single malt Scotch whisky. The village of Dalwhinnie in Scotland is situated in the Cairngorm National Park. The builders chose the site for this Highland distillery for its access to water from the Lochan-Doire-Uaine spring.

There is ample peat from the surrounding bogs. It was close to the geographic centre of the Highlands and enjoy easy access to the Highland Railway. Set in impressive mountain scenery, Dalwhinnie is one of the highest distilleries in Scotland. In 1897, J Grant, G Sellar and A Mackenzie established the Strathspey distillery.

Production started in 1898, but the partnership went bankrupt. The distillery was sold to AP Blyth in 1898, who renamed it Dalwhinnie. Currently, United Distillers, a Diageo unit, owns the distillery. Whisky from this distillery is marketed under the Diageo Classic Malts brand.

Other distilleries that fall under the Classic Malts brand include Lagavulin, Oban and Glenkinchie. Only 10% of the Dalwhinnie production is released as a single malt. The remaining whisky is used in various of the Diageo blends. The distillery only releases a Dalwhinnie 15 year old single malt whisky and a Distillers Edition.

Dalwhinnie also has the distinction of being an official weather station, with one of the lowest recorded average temperatures in Great Britain. Jim Murray awarded the Dalwhinnie 15 year old, 95 points in his Whisky Bible, so I expected an exceptional dram.

Related Article: Glenfiddich Fire and Cane Whisky

Dalwhinnie 15 year old Whisky Review

I have a 200 ml bottle which was part of a Diageo Classic Malt whisky set.

REGION: Highland

ABV: 43%.

COLOUR: A light gold with medium length lingers in the glass.

NOSE: Rich and layered. It promises all kinds of wonderful experiences. There are notes of vanilla, oak and mint. Hints of aniseed and liquorice float about in between the toffee and fruit. The nose is gentle and inviting.

PALATE: Without water, the palate of the Dalwhinnie is spicier than the nose suggests. There are notes of malt, butterscotch, vanilla and fruit. Adding water changes the whole palate. The sweetness disappears, and the oak and citrus come through with a bang. Unfortunately, it overwhelms everything else.

FINISH: Without water, the finish is medium length, complex and smooth with notes of honey and nuts. When you add water, the finish lengthens, but it changes to bitter citrus and oak.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Dalwhinnie 15 year old is a dram you should enjoy neat. In my opinion, a few drops of water enhances most whiskies. The water released more of the flavour notes and smoothed it out. This Dalwhinnie 15 yo whisky was an exception. Without the water, this dram was excellent. Water toned down the delicate notes and washed it out. Instead, drink this dram neat.

I tried the Dalwhinnie 1990 Distillers Edition and some Lindt hand-made dark chocolate for one of my whisky chocolate tastings. It made for a superb whisky chocolate pairing combination.

Also Read: Arran Napoleon Cognac Finish whisky

Glenfiddich Rich Oak Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/25/2015

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at a release from Speyside, the Glenfiddich Rich Oak 14 yo single malt Scotch whisky. The Glenfiddich distillery is one of my favourite distilleries, and I have tasted many of their expressions. I loved the Glenfiddich 18 yo as a wonderful easy drinking dram and have tried the Glenfiddich Age of Discovery Madeira Cask.

Located in Dufftown in the Speyside region of Scotland, the Glenfiddich distillery was founded in 1886. Glenfiddich, together with Kininvie and Balvenie, forms part of the William Grant-owned whisky stable and sit in relative proximity to each other.

The triangular-shaped Glenfiddich has become one of the world’s most recognised whisky bottle shapes. It has been a Glenfiddich feature since 1957. The William Grant company remains independent and family-owned. The Glenfiddich Rick Oak is quite a recent release. It came out during the Spring of 2010. It was aged for 14 years in ex-bourbon casks.

Then followed two separate finishes of 12 weeks in new Spanish oak and 6 weeks in new American oak before bottling. According to Glenfiddich, the American oak adds spice, vanilla and fruit. The Spanish oak brings elegant fruit, spice and complexity.

Related Article:Balvenie Roasted Malt whisky

Glenfiddich Rich Oak Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark rich gold. There are long oily fingers in the glass.

NOSE: Sultanas and juicy ‘Moskonfyt” (grape must jelly) mixed with honey sweetness. There is an abundance of oak, spice and barley. The oak, however, is wonderfully balanced with fruity sweetness and not overwhelming.

PALATE: Without water, the whisky is sweet and spicy with hints of bubblegum and Muscadel wine. Adding water releases more pepper heat but also cinnamon and muscovado sugars. The fruitiness from the nose is still around in wafts of berries and grapes. The Glenfiddich Rich Oak is an easy-drinking smooth, nicely balanced dram.

FINISH: Long, memorable and lingers for a while. It ends in notes of wood, toasted nuts and bits of fruit again. A very drinkable whisky.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It has become one of my favourite Glenfiddich drams to relax with. It has a wonderful fruity character and will pair well with cheese. While the Glenfiddich 12 year old is the perfect single malt for a newbie, this Glenfiddich Rich Oak will be the whisky that will take them the next step along the road to whisky enjoyment. This release has made it onto my Top 5 Single Malt whiskies under R500 for 2014 list.

Also Read: Balblair 15 yo whisky

Tomintoul 10 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 04/27/2015

In Single Malt whisky

I am trying a Tomintoul 10 year old single malt Scotch whisky today. Tomintoul, meaning “Hillock of the Barn” is a village in the Speyside area of Scotland. At the height of 350m (1165 feet), it is one of Scotland’s highest villages. The village was laid out on a grid pattern by the 4th Duke of Gordon in 1775.

Whisky has always been a part of village life and culture. The hills that surround Tomintoul are so secluded; they were the perfect place for illicit distilling.

In 1797 already, the local minister wrote.

“Tomintoul is inhabited by 37 families, without any industry. All of them sell whisky, and all of them drink it. When disengaged from this business, the women spin yarn, kiss their inamoratos or dance to the discordant sounds of an old fiddle”.

The area surrounding Tomintoul is of astounding natural beauty. There is an array of flora and fauna specific to the region. Many of Scotland’s most endangered species are protected in the wilderness there.

Related Article: Tamdhu 10 yo whisky

The distillery itself is a relatively recent addition to the region. Hay & Macleod and W & S Strong built Tomintoul in 1964. Currently, under Angus Dundee ownership, Tomintoul whisky distillery was acquired from Whyte and Mackay in 2000. It draws is water from the Ballantruan Spring.

The purity of the spring, and the clean air at such an altitude contribute to the smooth, easy-drinking single malt of Tomintoul; indeed, they market their Scotch as ‘the gentle dram’. The Distillery Manager, Robert Fleming, is a fourth-generation distiller, born and bred on the Glenlivet Estate.

The Tomintoul 10 year old whisky is aged in ex-bourbon casks.

Tomintoul 10 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: A reddish copper colour in the bottle. In the glass, it is a deep gold with slowly forming tears.

NOSE: Sweet with condensed milk and oranges. There are hints of Christmas pudding and oak. After adding some water, the oak is enhanced, and some barley notes appear. The nose hints at a gentle dram.

PALATE: Without water, the palate is spicy with notes of pepper, nutmeg and oak. A few sweet notes are floating in the background. After adding water to the Tomintoul, the orange, ‘citrusy’ notes overwhelm everything. It drowns out all the gentle oak, condensed milk and spice notes.

FINISH: Not as long as I had hoped for. It ends in, not surprisingly, notes of marmalade and a bit of spice.

RATING: GOOD

It has a medium body and has no alcohol bite. I loved the Tomintoul 16 year old whisky that I tasted during October 2014. Sadly this Tomintoul 10 year old did not deliver taste and flavour as I have hoped. After tasting the 16 year old, I was expecting a bit more from this Speyside dram.

Also Read: Benromach 10 yo whisky