Category: Single Malt whisky Page 36 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.

Amrut Kadhambam Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 12/01/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Today I try a whisky from India, the Amrut Kadhambam single malt whisky. We love travelling and have been fortunate to visit many countries around the world. Few countries can compete with the intense colour, spice and the hustle and bustle that is India.

It is one of my favourite countries to visit and I have spent some wonderful times in Mumbai, Bangalore and the beautiful region of Kerala. On one of our trips, we were fortunate enough to get hold of some Amrut. We bought all our Amrut whisky releases outside of India. Amrut whisky is still fairly unknown locally.

This is however, slowly starting to change. Hopefully, on our next visit, we will be able to buy some Amrut in Bangalore. Amrut is a brand of Indian single malt whisky, manufactured by the Amrut Distilleries in Bangalore.

It was the first single malt whisky made in India. Amrut, according to the company, translates as “Elixir of Life”. We have tried both the Amrut Fusion and the Amrut Two Continents wrote extensively about the Amrut background. We rated both these Indian whiskies as DIVINE.

Kadhambam means ‘mixture’ or ‘combination’ in the Tamil language. Amrut Kadhambam is created from Amrut single malt whisky and a small amount of Amrut Peated single malt whisky matured in 3 different cask-types.

The Amrut Kadhambam was first matured in ex-Oloroso Sherry butts, then filled into ex-Brandy casks and matured for a further period.

It is then emptied into ex-rum casks, where maturation continues. Both the rum and brandy was produced at Amrut. The three different casks each offer different tasting profiles, which make for an interesting combination.

Also Read: Tomatin 12 yo Whisky

Amrut Kadhambam Single Malt Whisky Review

REGION: India

ABV: 50%

COLOUR: Dark golden colour. It is an oily whisky with long slow fingers in the glass.

NOSE: brings sherry and dark Christmas pudding combined with spices and fresh fruit. There are hints of oak in the background. After the addition of water, the oak comes through more strongly, together with barley and cereals. There are faint hints of honey sweetness mixed with faint chocolate and vanilla notes.

PALATE: Oak and spices with hints of dried fruits and plums. The Kadhambam has an oily mouthfeel and is smooth and rich. There are bits of spice, fruits and more dark chocolate in the background. The Amrut Kadhambam has a complex nose and palate.

FINISH: The best part of this great Indian whisky. It goes on and on and ends in notes of oak and spice. There are little hints of leather and tobacco.

RATING: EXCELLENT

An incredible combination of 3 different casks. Hopefully, we will visit this distillery on our next visit to India and learn more about how they make whisky in India. What is your favourite Amrut release?

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The Macallan 10 year old Fine Oak Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/24/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at something from Macallan, the Macallan 10 year old Fine Oak single malt Scotch whisky. The Macallan distillery is a single malt whisky distillery in Craigellachie, Moray.

The Macallan Distillers Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Edrington Group. Even though Macallan is located right in the middle of the Speyside region, it’s not labelled as such.

Craigellachie falls outside of the defined “Speyside ward” boundaries as defined by the Scotch Whisky Regulations. Our bottle of The Macallan 10 year old Fine Oak whisky denotes that it is a Highland single malt.

The name Macallan is most likely derived from two Gaelic words, ‘Magh’ meaning a fertile piece of ground and ‘ellan’, meaning ‘of St Fillan’. He was an Irish-born monk who travelled widely in Scotland, spreading Christianity during the eighth century.

The River Spey, one of Scotland’s most famous salmon rivers, borders the Macallan Estate to the south and south-east. The Macallan Estate lies in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Initially, The Macallan releases were matured in ex-sherry casks brought to the distillery from Jerez, Spain.

During 2004, The Macallan introduced a new product range, the Fine Oak series. These whiskies are aged in ex-bourbon oak casks as well as ex-sherry casks. This range has been around for a few years now and seems to have weathered the storm it caused when it was first released.

According to John Hansell, quoted in the Malt Advocate Magazine, “The Fine Oak range is more approachable, and has the potential to be embraced by a greater percentage of whisky drinkers cutting back on the sherry reveals more of the Macallan spirit, which is first-class.”

Related Article: Glenlivet 12 yo whisky

Macallan 10 year old Single Malt Whisky Review

REGION: Highland

ABV: 43%.

COLOUR: The Macallan 10 year old has a light golden colour and is an oily whisky. The official colour description is ‘pale straw’. The long fingers on the inside of the glass point to a lot of potential.

NOSE: The first impression upon nosing the whisky is honey sweetness, oak and spice. There are notes of florals and fruit and faint hints of cereal and barley in the background. The Macallan nose is complex and crisp.

PALATE: Quite spicy without adding water. There are hints of vanilla and caramel. Water smooths the spirit and releases soft notes of butter and florals. The 10 yo has an abundance of oak notes mixed with flowers and fruit. It is a delicate whisky, and the palate is not too complex. The nose hinted at a bit more complexity and body.

FINISH: A dry medium-length finish that ends in notes of oak and leather. There are hints of spice at the end.

RATING: VERY GOOD

The nose on the Macallan 10 year old whisky promised more than what the palate delivered. I was hoping for something bolder. Sadly, I think this Highland whisky is a bit nondescript. Still, an easy-drinking whisky and a great addition to our collection. Which Macallan is your favourite?

Also Read: Tamdhu Batch Strength Whisky

Benromach 10 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/17/2014

In Single Malt whisky

A while ago, my brother brought me a bottle of Benromach 10 year old whisky from one of his trips abroad. Benromach is a Speyside distillery situated near Forres in Morayshire.

It was founded by Duncan McCallum and F.W. Brickman in 1898. The Benromach name originates from the Gaelic words for ‘shaggy mountain’. Benromach is fed with spring water from the Chapelton Springs in the Romach Hills beside Forres.

Together with Aberlour, Dufftown and Balblair, Benromach was one of the many Speyside distilleries designed by the renowned architect Charles Doig.

The distillery was mothballed in 1983. Before the middle 1960s, Speyside distilleries malted their own barley. They would top up their fires with cuts of local peat when coal was running low. These segments were enough to convey a touch of smoke to some of the early Speyside whiskies.

But with the arrival of new processes in the 1960s, this subtle Speyside smokiness disappeared. That is until 1993, when Gordon and Macphail reopened the distillery.

They started to produce whiskies in the classic pre-1960’s lightly smoked Speyside character. Benromach is the smallest working distillery in Speyside. The distillery prides itself on using absolutely no computers or even pressure gauges. The team manage the entire process by how the developing spirit sounds, smells and feels.

They only make use of first-fill sherry and bourbon casks. The Benromach 10 year old single malt Scotch whisky was released in 2009. It was the first aged statement bottling since Gordon and Macphail took over the distillery.

Sales have grown noticeably since the reopening. The company now exports Benromach to 42 countries across the world.

Related Article: Laphroaig 10 yo whisky

Benromach 10 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%.

COLOUR: A rich deep golden colour. It is a thick oily whisky with long fingers on the side of the glass.

NOSE: First impressions on nosing it brings spice and a bit of oak. It is not a very complex nose. After the addition of some water, the oak, cereals and barley come through with hints of sweetness and marzipan. There are slight hints of smoke in the background intermingling with more spicy hints. Adding water to this Benromach 10 yo really opens up the nose.

PALATE: This is a medium body whisky and moderately delicate. The main notes on tasting are wood and spice. There are notes of barley, hints of green herbs with tiny sparks of sweetness. Faintly you can sense more traces of the smoke in the background.

FINISH: Long and ends in notes of spice and wood. It is not a very complex whisky and has a few rough edges.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It is a relatively spicy whisky that should pair well with dark chocolate. I will have to try it again, but for now, it will not be one of my favourites. What did you think of the Benromach 10 year old whisky?

In 2013 Gordon and Macphail announced an expansion to meet growing demand. It included the recruitment of a third distiller and the building of more warehouses. At the World Whisky Awards 2014, Benromach 10 years old won Gold in the “Best Speyside Single Malt – 12 Years and Under” category.

Also Read: Highland Park 1997 whisky

Aberfeldy 12 year old Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/27/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Today I chat about the Aberfeldy 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky. Aberfeldy is a distillery dating back to 1898. This Highland distillery was founded by John Dewar & Sons, nearby the town of the same name.

It was established to ensure a steady supply of quality single malt for the Dewar’s White Label blend. The distillery sits on the River Tay’s south bank and takes its water from the Pitilie Burn.

Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet, mentioned the town of Aberfeldy in one of his poems. He wrote the Birks of Aberfeldy in 1787. Burns was inspired to write it by the Falls of Moness and the birch trees of Aberfeldy during a tour of the Scottish Highlands.

The main output of the distillery is used in the Dewar’s blended whiskies. The company only launched the Aberfeldy 12 year old single malt whisky during 1999.

Today, the distillery produces two official single malt bottlings – a 12 year old and an Aberfeldy 21 year old whisky. The label features a squirrel in the background, a reference to a nearby woodland that plays host to a colony of rare red squirrels.

It seems that John Dewar & Sons, a company that has always focused heavily on blended Scotch, is starting to focus more on the single malt market through their “Last Great Malts” Collection releases.

It will allow them to showcase all the interesting malt distilleries that sit behind the famous Dewar blend. These distilleries include Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Craigellachie and Royal Brackla. The company plans to launch a 16 year old sherry finish and a 30 year old in 2015.

The Aberfeldy 12 year old single malt is matured in a combination of sherry and bourbon.

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Aberfeldy 12 year old Single Malt Whisky Review

REGION: Highland

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Warm gold, and it is a beautiful shade in the glass. It is a thick oily whisky with slowly forming fingers on the sides of the glass.

NOSE: Sherry and oak abundantly when opening the bottle. The nose brings spiciness and vanilla sweetness. The nose is very subtle with fresh-cut florals. There are notes of oak and barley in the background with hints of toffee.

PALATE: You can feel the oiliness of the whisky coat your mouth. The palate is peppery, with wood and cereal coming through immediately. There are notes of honeyed sweetness and malt with hints of sherried fruit. It is a reasonably smooth whisky. A medium-bodied whisky.

FINISH: The finish is medium length and ends in notes of leather and spice. There are remnants of oak and cereals in the finish.

RATING: GOOD

I found the Aberfeldy 12 year old whisky rather bland. There is nothing that stands out for me to remember it by. Looking at the releases coming out of the Dewar’s “Last Great Malts” collection, perhaps I should put the 30 year old on my wish list for 2015.

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Tomintoul 16 year old Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/20/2014

In Single Malt whisky

This week I am trying a Tomintoul 16 year old single malt whisky. Tomintoul meaning “Hillock of the Barn” is a village in the Speyside region of Scotland. It is a relatively young distillery, built in 1964, close to the village of the same name. Tomintoul village itself is one of Scotland’s highest, at an altitude of 345m.

The 4th Duke of Gordon established the village in 1776 already. It’s one of Scotland’s driest areas, as the Cairngorm Mountains intercept much of the rain. Drawing its water from the Ballantruan Spring, the Tomintoul distillery sits in rugged mountain terrain.

The Cairngorm National Park 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 around Tomintoul. These include the golden eagle, mountain hare, wild cat, black grouse, red squirrel and otter.

Many pheasants live around the distillery, and they will come to visit for a free dinner when the grain trucks arrive. According to the Tomintoul Distillery, there is one particular pheasant, whom they have named Vincent, that has become a bit of a distillery mascot and can be fed by hand.

The distillery is owned by the independent company Angus Dundee Distillers, which bought it from the Whyte & Mackay group in 2000. The Tomintoul 16 year old Scotch whisky is known as ‘The Gentle Dram’. It has won various awards at the World Spirits Competitions.

Related Article: Balvenie Triple Cask 16 yo Whisky

Tomintoul 16 year old Single Malt Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark amber, copper colour in the glass. It is a heavy, oily whisky that leaves slow fingers down the insides of the glass.

NOSE: A rich and heavy nose emerges from the glass. The first impression is sherry and brandied fruit. There are notes of candied apples and oak with hints of fresh-cut grass. Without the addition of water, this Tomintoul is very smooth. Adding a bit of water releases notes of oak and sweetness.

PALATE: The palate has notes of fruit and spice with hints of bitter chocolate. There are bits of cream in the background with an nutty oiliness.

FINISH: This 16 year old has a long finish. It builds slowly and ends in notes of sweet nuts and spices. It is a very oily whisky that leaves a rich oily feel to the palate. This whisky puts a smile on your face. It is delightfully smooth and gentle.

RATING: EXCELLENT.

The Whisky Bible rates this Tomintoul Distillery release 94.5 out of 100, and I can understand why. It is delicious. A special dram to have in my collection. I am going to be sad when this bottle is empty. It is a subtle and smooth whisky and very drinkable. The 16 year old single malt certainly lives up to the moniker of a “Gentle Dram”.

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