Whisky of the Week

The Chita Single Grain Japanese Whisky

On 04/10/2023

I am expanding my grain tasting notes a bit today with The Chita single grain Japanese whisky. A grain whisky from Japan which had fans of Japanese whisky very excited. There has been lots of hype around Japanese whisky these last couple of years.

The prices of Japanese whisky has skyrocketed, and brands like Hakushu, Yamazaki and Hibiki are sold at premium prices.

There has also been a new focus on grain whiskies with grain releases coming from Japan, Scotland and of course South Africa’s own Bain’s whisky.

I received this bottle of The Chita single grain Japanese whisky as a gift from a friend of John’s. He could not believe that that I did not have a bottle in my collection and immediately went out and bought me one.

The Chita grain whisky is the primary grain component of many of the Suntory blended whiskies. Founded in 1972, Chita distillery is a Japanese whisky distillery located in the Chita district of the Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Also Read: Milk & Honey Classic Whisky

The Chita distillery produces three types of grain whisky using corn through a continuous multiple column distillation process. The first two are blended whisky components that are used in blends.

Both in Suntory’s domestic market Kakubin and Suntory Old as well as high-end Hibiki respectively. The third type is the distillery’s flagship single grain release called “The Chita”.

Launched in 2015, the Chita is matured in three different kinds of casks: American ex-bourbon barrels, Spanish oak barrels and European oak wine barrels. It has no age statement.

The Chita Single Grain Japanese Whisky Review

COUNTRY: Japan

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Light autumn golden

NOSE: Honey sweetness, cereal, pineapple, mango and melon. Hints of soft spices and vanilla. Delicate and sweet with hints of tropical fruit.

PALATE: Vanilla sponge cake sweetness and oak with honey and tropical fruit. Hints of floral notes with toasted grains. Honey drizzled mango and pineapple. Medium body but not very complicated. Faint traces of cinnamon and cardamom. A few rough edges. Water smoothes out the sharp bits and brings even more fruity sweetness forward. Easy drinking.

FINISH: Medium length, with notes of lemon drops, vanilla and wood.

RATING: GOOD

Not the most complex whisky. Also, one of the sweetest drams I have had in a while. A bit too sweet perhaps. Take into account that I have a sweet tooth and love sweet things; it was a bit much even for me. I found it bland and uninspiring.

I might be biased, but this is not in the same class as my beloved Bain’s grain whisky. The Bain’s whisky is bolder and make you sit up and take notice. It has sweetness and tropical notes, but they are better balanced.

Compared to this Japanese release, the Bain’s is way more memorable. The Chita retail price in South Africa is around R1 300, which is rather steep. In the UK, I have seen this on Amazon for £60. The Bain’s whisky sells for only R300 (before Covid).

Suntory launched The Chita, especially for use in the Japanese highball cocktail market. It will undoubtedly make a good base for a cocktail.

What did you think of this Japanese grain release? Overhyped or best thing ever?

Also Read: Boplaas Single Grain Whisky

How to make a Mojito Cocktail

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 04/03/2023

In Cocktails

Mojito Cocktail header
One of my favourite restaurants on the island is Beach House in Grand Baie. It has the perfect location; right on the beach. We discovered this little gem more than 10 years ago when we visited Mauritius for the first time. The food was delicious and their cocktails were superb. Especially their mojito cocktails.

We visited Beach House again this past December and their mojito is still my favourite island cocktail. Since then, I have been on a quest to make my own mojitos at home to satisfy my craving.

But first, let’s look at where the mojito cocktail is from and then look at how to make a delicious one. The mojito conjures up images of tropical islands covered in sugar cane and coconut trees, white beaches, and endless summer. Mojito is a traditional Cuban rum-based punch.

The origins of this simple punch are rather less clear. According to some sources the drink is similar to an old slave medicinal drink made to curb disease. A moonshine rum-type alcohol was mixed with mint, lime, and sugar cane syrup to ward off illness.

At some stage during the 1580s, Pirate Drake arrived in the region. There was an epidemic of scurvy onboard his ship and the crew knew that the locals might have remedies. The landing party that went ashore, returned with the ingredients to make the local “medical” drink.

Today we know that it was the lime juice that cured the scurvy, but the other ingredients made it more appetising. Over time, this combination of white spirits, lime juice, a sweet element, and mint became a classic. No visit to a tropical island is complete without at least 1 mojito.

Also Read: Espresso Martini

My favourite Mauritian rum to use

Favourite Mauritian Rum for Mojito
Living in Mauritius, there are many wonderful rums to use. As with all cocktails, using fresh ingredients and good-quality alcohol makes the drinking experience so much more enjoyable. I have even seen some of these rums at Master of Malt. Some of my favourite island rums to use include:

Green Island rum: Readily available on the island and I have seen it in SA as well. It has a grassy and herbal nose and a taste that reminds me a bit of coconut.

Labourdonnais rum: lively profile with plenty of fresh, sweet, and herbaceous character. A get balance between sweetness and warming spice.

Chamarel White rum: Single estate white rum with notes of candy sticks, vanilla, and subtle tropical fruits.

St Aubin Classic White rum: rhum agricole with plenty of local notes.

Variations on the theme

There are many interesting variations on the basic mojito theme. A few of my personal favourite include:

Grilled Pineapple mojito where the cocktail gets topped with pineapple juice and grilled pineapple chunks.
Coconut Mojito where the rum gets replaced with coconut rum and some coconut cream added.
Mango mojito where the cocktail gets topped with mango juice and mango pieces added.
There is also a mojito blanco where the rum is replaced by tequila.

Also Read: Rum vs Whiskey

How to make a Mojito cocktail

mojito cocktail recipe

Ingredients

juice of 1 lime
2 tsp simple syrup
a small handful of mint leaves, plus an extra sprig to serve
60ml white rum
soda water
ice
slice of lime for garnish

Method

Muddle the mint leaves, simple syrup, and lime wedges gently together to release the mint oils but not crush the leaves.
Add the rum, fill the glass with ice, and stir.
Top with soda to taste and garnish with a sprig of mint and a slice of lime.

Also Read: Maker’s Mark vs Maker’s 46 Bourbon

Dunville’s Three Crowns Peated Irish Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/27/2023

In Irish Whiskey

In December ’22 I opened the first of my Dunville samples. The Dunville’s PX Cask 12 yo whiskey is a moreish sherry cask finish release that is smooth and enjoyable. The second sample I am trying is the Dunville’s Three Crowns Peated Irishwhiskey.

Dunville’s started as a tea and spirits merchant company based in Belfast. However, it soon dropped the tea and became largely successful as an Irish whiskey blender. In 1869 it built its own distillery, the Royal Irish Distilleries.

When the last heir and chairman died in 1931, the company began to flounder, and in 1936 the brand was discontinued when Dunville & Co. was liquidated.

Also Read: Powers John’s Lane 12 yo Whiskey

In 2013, the Echlinville distillery acquired the Dunville’s name and in 2016, relaunch the famous Three Crowns expressions. Echlinville Distillery was the first Northern Irish distillery to be granted a distilling licence in almost 125 years.

Dunville’s Peated Three Crowns is a blended whiskey that was relaunched in 2016 after it was discontinued in the 1930s. The Three Crowns range include a Dunville’s 1808 and a Dunville’s Sherry finish whiskey.

There are not many peated Irish whiskey expressions available. The Three Crowns Peated whiskey is made up of a single grain whiskey, a 10 yo single malt, and a 15 yo Oloroso finished single malt. All these have been married together in a peated cask.

Dunville’s Peated Three Crowns Irish Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: Ireland

ABV: 43,5%

COLOUR:Pale gold

NOSE: The Three Crowns Peated has a lovely nose with notes of wood, stewed fruit sweetness, vanilla, and hints of honey. Light smoke mixed with a rich, buttery sweetness. Delicious.

PALATE: Earthy peat with oak, light smoke, and spices. The stewed fruity sweetness from the nose is more muted with a delicate baked apple sweetness and hints of vanilla. A bit of alcohol heat. The peat is drying with green heathery notes and there are hints of cloves in the background.

Adding a few drops of water brings peppercorns forward and the sweetness disappear. Water also dulls the delicious nose.

FINISH: Long and lingering. The whiskey ends with notes of pepper, orange and faint hints of drying peat.

RATING: VERY GOOD

The peat on the nose was so delicate that I could easily have missed it. It is only when you taste the whiskey that the peaty notes come through. The nose is lovely. Rich, sweet, and inviting. The sweet notes from the nose don’t quite carry over to the palate.

The Dunnville’s Three Crowns Peated Irish whiskey is better without water. Water increases the peppery intensity and washes out the sweetness.

It is available in South Africa and retail for around R1 000. I have also seen it at Master of Malt for around £40.

Sample disclosure: I received this whisky from the Truman & Orange team. The review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair, and independent thoughts about the whiskey.

Also Read: Reisetbauer 12 yo Whisky

How to make a Whiskey Sour Cocktail

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/20/2023

In Cocktails

Whiskey sour cocktail header
Another refreshing classic whiskey cocktail today; the whiskey sour or a whisky sour if your choice runs that way. Whatever dram you use, does not matter. Let’s look at how to make a whiskey sour cocktail.

The whiskey sour is a cocktail made with bourbon (or whisky), lemon juice, sugar, and optionally, a dash of egg white. The traditional garnish that was used was half an orange slice and a cherry.

The cocktail was mentioned in a Wisconsin newspaper around 1870, but exactly when and where it was created is unknown. Sailors have been drinking something that resembles a sour for even longer. Their reason was more medicinal – it kept scurvy away.

The alcohol base might have been slightly different, but the basic idea was there even during the 1700s. A cocktail that mixes a spirit, a sour, and a sweet.

whiskey sour 2

I had a delicious whisky sour at a bar a couple of weeks ago and they made it with egg white. I loved the silky creaminess that the egg white added and have included it in my recipe. The original recipe did not include egg whites.

You can treat it as optional if you don’t have safe (pasteurised) egg white available. But it adds a nice depth to the drink. Egg whites do not have a flavour.

This makes it a great addition to a cocktail where you want to create more texture (froth). The egg white protein traps air in your drink and changes the texture without adding other flavours. When using egg white, it works better if you first shake the ingredients together without ice (dry shake).

Variations on the theme

There are quite a few variations on the theme. The New York sour version has a few bar spoons of full-bodied red wine floated on top. An Amaretto sour replaces the whisky with amaretto liqueur.

Best whiskey (or whisky) to use

Bourbon or Tennessee whiskey is the obvious choice for a whiskey sour. Even a spicy rye whiskey. Some suggestions on bourbon to use would include Uncle Nearest, Rittenhouse, Gentleman Jack, or Makers Mark bourbon.

You can also make it with peated whisky. Many people call this version a Smoky Sour. Try an Ardbeg 10 yo or Lagavulin 16 yo or a Johnnie Walker Black whisky. Other (non peaty) Scottish drams I suggest for a whisky sour would be your bolder Highland drams.

You need something big and bold to stand up to the sour element. Drams from Tomatin or Dalmore will work nicely. You can even try with the Timorous Beastie whisky.

Also Read: Pina Colada Cocktail

whiskey sour cocktail in bar

How to make a Whiskey Sour Cocktail

Whisky Sour Ingredients

60 ml bourbon or whisky of you choice
20 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
20 ml simple syrup
Ice
15 ml egg white (optional)
Slice of lemon for garnish

Method

Add bourbon or whisky, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white (if using) to a shaker and shake well for 30 seconds without ice.
Add ice and shake again until well-chilled.
Strain into a rocks glass.

Also Read: Aperol Spritz Cocktail

Milk & Honey Elements Peated Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/13/2023

In Single Malt whisky

The last of my Milk & Honey samples, and today I am looking at the Milk & Honey Elements Peated single malt whisky. The sample is leftover from my 2020 Milk & Honey tasting hosted by WhiskyBrother, where we got to taste the Milk & Honey Classic and samples from the Elements range including the Elements Sherry Cask.

There was even a Pomegranate wine cask finish sample. Not strictly a whisky, though, as it was only aged for about 18 months. Milk & Honey distillery whisky is available in SA.

Also Read: Firstwatch Whisky

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 middle eastern climate is hot and humid, and this speeds up maturation.

The distillery hired the late Dr. Jim Swan, one of the world’s most accomplished master distillers, to assist with the recipe and ensure optimal production for warm weather.

Milk & Honey whisky is certified kosher. Tomer Goren is now the current head distiller. The Milk & Honey Elements Peated whisky was matured in ex-peated whisky casks from Islay, as well as ex-bourbon casks.

Milk & Honey Elements Peated Whisky Review

COUNTRY: Israel

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Honey

NOSE: Soft peat and light smoke drifts from the glass. A honey sweetness with green notes and pine trees underneath. Bits of vanilla spice and lemons. I let the glass stand for a few minutes for some sharp alcohol notes to evaporate.

PALATE: Citrus and pepper mingling with drying peat. Earthy notes and spice. Mild oak and fruity sweetness. Faint hints of ginger. It is quite spicy and the peat is very light. When you add water, it washes out the peaty notes. The Milk & Honey Elements Peated whisky is better without water. Not a lot of sweet notes.

FINISH: Medium length with spicy pepper and drying oak.

RATING: VERY GOOD

Of all the Milk & Honey whisky samples that I tried, this Peated expression was my least favourite. The peat is very light and after adding some water, it disappears. It is also spicier when compared to the Sherry and the Classic Edition.

I have a sweet tooth, so prefer a whisky where sweeter notes dominate over the spice. Elements Peated Expression retails for around R980 in South Africa.

Looking at the variety that WhiskyBrother&Co stocks, I see that they stock the Milk & Honey Apex Pomegranate Finish whisky (aged for about 3 years) and the Apex Dead Sea whisky. This innovative release was aged in the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea where temperatures climb as high as 50ºC.

The casks were placed on a hotel rooftop in the Dead Sea zone (±423 meters below sea level) where they matured for a year before being returned to Milk & Honey’s warehouse in Tel Aviv.

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

Also Read: Dunville’s PX Cask 12 yo Whiskey