Whisky of the Week

Jameson Select Reserve Irish Whiskey

On 01/24/2022

At the end of 2021, we were invited for drinks by some friends just up the road. Sats received a bottle of the Jameson Select Reserve Irish whiskey from a colleague, and knowing our whisky love, he saved his bottle for our visit. I have to say; there was not much left by the time we walked home.

I am not the biggest fan of the standard Jameson Irish whiskey, and I was not expecting much. But we all loved the Select Reserve, and I went to buy us a bottle. So, before anything else, thank you, Sats, for sharing your bottle with us.

The Jameson Select Reserve is a triple distilled blend of rich pot still and grain whiskey. The whiskey is matured in a mixture of sherry casks and flame charred bourbon barrels. It has no age statement, but it is believed to be around 10 to 12 years old.

The Select Reserve is part of the Pernod Ricard stable together with Redbreast, Green Spot and Yellow Spot whiskey. Other Jameson Irish whiskey releases include the Jameson 18 year old and the Jameson Black Barrel whiskey.

Also Read: Willett Pot Still Reserve Bourbon

Jameson Select Reserve Irish Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: Ireland

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Pale Gold

NOSE: Bold with butterscotch sweetness, toasted malt and peaches. Something that reminds me of freshly baked palmier cookies. Cinnamon and faint bits of tropical fruit and oak. Hints of cream and milk chocolate and red berries.

PALATE: Buttery pastry with vanilla, toasted oak and stone fruit. Something green in the background. Tropical fruit and oak come through, especially after a few drops of water. In terms of spices, it is warming and lovely with cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg notes. Rich and complex and just very, very smooth. A lovely dram.

FINISH: Long and lingering with toasted wood and vanilla. Bits at light pepper and fruity sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

What a lovely drinkable whiskey. Smooth and wonderfully balanced. Someone called it a “breakfast whiskey”, and I think that is a perfect description. It is bold and fruity, and a few drops into a steaming bowl of oats will make your day start with a big smile.

Between the 4 of us, we made a significant dent in Sats’ bottle. If nothing else, that is a testament to how drinkable this Jameson is. I was also impressed with the affordability of the Select Reserve.

In South Africa, it retails for about R 420. Compared to the standard Jameson at R 330, this is outstanding value. Undoubtedly the nicest Jameson whiskey I have tasted thus far. Worth adding to your collection.

Also Read: Woodford Reserve Rye vs Jack Daniel’s Rye Whiskey

Nikka from The Barrel Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/21/2022

In Blended whisky

I started my year on a high note. My first tasting was a world whisky – the Paul John Classic Select Cask. And what a high note that was. Creamy and delicious and full of exquisite flavours. The weeks following the Paul John tasting, I tried a blend, a bourbon and a few single malts. I think it is time again for another world whisky.

This week I want to try something else from the East, and I grabbed the Nikka from The Barrel Japanese single malt whisky from my collection. It feels like Japanese whisky currently is their moment in the sun with a high demand for products from there.

First a bit about Nikka: It was the year 1918 when a young man set off from Takehara City for Glasgow to study Chemistry. This man was Masataka Taketsuru. Growing up in a distillery family, he thought that he would continue the family tradition of making sake.

However, soon after arriving in Scotland, he discovered the golden water of life. He found whisky, and it stole his heart. The rest is history.

He studied and apprenticed at distilleries, learning first-hand from craftsmen and received training as a blender. He married Rita and returned to Japan. In 1934 Masataka established Nikka Whisky and built its first distillery in Yoichi. Nikka went from strength to strength.

Today it has a reputation for award-winning whiskies from both the Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries.

I have tried the Nikka Coffee Grain and the Nikka Miyagikyo and loved it. Now it is time for Nikka from the Barrel. This release is a blend of matured whisky including Miyagikyo and Yoichi single malts and a grain whisky that is re-casked (a process known as marriage) for a further 3 to 6 month period.

It is also where the name comes from Nikka from the “re-casked” Barrel. Nikka From the Barrel whisky is bottled at a near cask strength ABV. It is one of the few blended whiskies that are bottled at cask strength.

Also Read: Santis Malt Alpstein whisky

Nikka from the Barrel Whisky Review

COUNTRY: Japan

ABV: 51%

COLOUR: Gold red copper

NOSE: Clean and crisp with hints of candied cherries, sherry sweetness, vanilla, and it smells like I am walking through a Japanese pine forest. Bits of banana, lots of oak and spicy cinnamon. The whisky needs to breathe a bit for the alcohol to disappear.

PALATE: Big and bold with some alcohol bite. Oak, caramel, fruit with hints of vanilla and sweet paprika. Citrus notes that border on pectin with strong alcohol notes. Not as smooth as other expressions and somewhat one dimensional on the tongue.

It needs quite a few drops of water to tame the alcohol. Water brings more sweetness to the forefront and tames the pectin notes a bit.

FINISH: Crisp with notes of fruit and oakiness, hints of pepper and caramel.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I am a bit disappointed. After the other Nikka’s I have tasted, I was expecting something more complex and rewarding. Perhaps I was expecting too much. My measure is always, do I finish my glass? I did finish my glass, but just because I was too lazy to get up and change it to something else.

It is not a bad whisky. I have seen glowing reviews on this dram with people loving it. I found it a bit flat. However, everyone’s taste is different. Perhaps I had a hectic day, and this influenced my experience. I will give this another try again in a few weeks and see what I think then.

The Nikka bottle size is only 500ml. The good news, however, is that Nikka is readily available in South Africa. Whisky Brother & Co and other good stores will certainly have it. Other releases from Nikka include the Nikka Pure Malt Red and Nikka Pure Malt Black whisky.

Also Read: Kamiki Malt whisky

Dewar’s 15 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/17/2022

In Blended whisky

Towards the end of last year, I wrote about a great whisky I tasted at The Only Whisky Show. The Dewar’s 12 year old blended whisky made quite an impression on me. I went straight out to buy a bottle. Delicious and affordable, this excellent blend quickly made it onto my Top 5 Blends for 2017 list.

Fast forward a couple of months. A week or two before the Whisky and Spirit Show in Sandton in November, a very curious package arrived. A small box with an egg inside. Inside the egg was a message I could only get to if I break the eggshell.

The message was an invitation to join Dewar’s at their Whisky Live stand to taste more Dewar’s whisky paired with some Scotch Eggs.

The first dram I tasted that evening at the Scotch Egg evening at Whisky Live was the Dewar’s 15 year old blended Scotch whisky. I tried it with Scotch Eggs (it nice), nuts (tasty) and dark chocolate (delicious). I walked straight to the Norman Goodfellows shop at Whisky Live and bought a bottle. It was that good.

Dewar’s 15 year old whisky was created by Dewar’s master blender Stephanie Macleod and introduced in 2010. Initially targeted at the Asian market and travel retail, the Dewar’s 15 year old is now more widely available.

The Dewar’s 15 year old is known as “The Monarch”. The inspiration for the blend came from a famous Sir Edwin Landseer oil painting known as “The Monarch of the Glen”.

This famous painting was purchased by John Dewar & Sons in 1919 and is currently owned by the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. It is a beautiful Royal Stag.

The Monarch is one of only a few blended whiskies to carry a 15 year age statement. It is created from selected single malts and single grains, across both sherry and bourbon barrel ageing. The blend is then married in select oak casks for an additional period. The Dewar’s brand is part of the Bacardi stable.

Also Read: Dimple Pinch 15 yo Whisky

Dewar’s 15 year old Whisky Review

The Dewar’s 15 year old Scotch whisky has a raised relief design on the glass. The simplistic black and gold labelling add to the premium feel of this dram.

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Bright gold

NOSE: Sherry, fresh fruit salad with apples, melons and pears, honey, fresh flowers, hints of spices and fresh meadow flowers. Rich and quite complex with hints of vanilla and butterscotch grape jam mixed with oak.

PALATE: Rich, sweet nicely balanced with oak spices, orange peel, wood, and vanilla. Enough pepper notes to give a bit of a bite, but well balanced enough not to overwhelm the sweeter notes. Fresh fruit, hot pancake with cinnamon sugar.

You don’t even have to add water. Hints of lemon sorbet and freshly cut wood. Water softens the dram slightly and makes it very easy drinking.

FINISH: A bit short and dry, but pleasant. The Dewar’s 15 year old ends in notes of pepper and fruity sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

This 15 year old reminds me a bit of the Glenfiddich 15 year old whisky . It has that same sweet richness that the Glenfiddich has. However, looking at the price point of this blend, it is real value for money! For a 15 year old whisky! It is so easy drinking and enjoyable. It also has a rich complexity underlying the well-balanced fruit and spicy notes.

I paired this blended whisky with some Swiss Appenzeller cheese. You can see what I thought about the pairing by following the link. The Dewar’s 15 year old whisky retails for only R 450 in South Africa. It will definitely make it onto my Top 5 blend list for 2018.

Also Read: Singleton 15 yo Whisky

Scottish Leader Original Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/10/2022

In Blended whisky

I love tasting whiskies with South African connections, like this Scottish Leader Original blended Scotch whisky. It is even more special when I have had the privilege to meet the Master Distiller and hear all about their vision for a whisky.

And when this Master Distiller is the phenomenal Dr Kirstie Mccallum, it makes the experience even more special.Scottish Leader is owned by Burn Stewart Distillers, part of the Distell Group. Other brands in the Distell portfolio include the Three Ships and Bain’s whisky as well as Bunnahabhain.

The Scottish Leader blend was only created in 1976, so a rather young blend, compared to some of the more established blends around. Regardless of the young status, Scottish Leader is already sold in over 30 countries around the world.

I was fortunate to meet Dr Mccallum during one of her visits to SA, and it was so refreshing to listen to her talk about her vision for the blend. I wrote extensively about Dr Mccallum in this blog post.

Also Read: Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask whisky

At the end of 2014, the Scottish Leader whisky was re-launched with a new look and updated packaging. The old logo of a deer was replaced with a soaring eagle. At the same time, they also released the new Scottish Leader Signature whisky expression to complement the Scottish Leader Original.

The updated blend includes an increased single malt content to create a richer blend with improved body and balance while retaining the existing characteristics of the original blend.

The blending team used the original 40-year-old recipe to ensure the DNA of Scottish Leader is maintained. The blend includes over 40 different grain and single malt whiskies, including some Tobermory.

Scottish Leader Original Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Copper gold

NOSE: Malt, oak, honey-drizzled fruit salad with a soft smokiness in the background. Hints of sherry sweetness, greenery wood spices.

PALATE: Creamed honey sweetness with hints of smoke and fruit. There are bits of orange with a caramel and nut base. The Original is smooth with a great spice/sweetness balance. Not the most complex dram, but easy drinking with a few drops of water.

FINISH: Medium length and ends in notes of sweetness and smoke with hints of oak.

RATING: VERY GOOD

The Scottish Leader Original blended Scotch whisky is smooth and rich. A lovely release. I do prefer the 12 yo and the Signature release to this bottle as they have more complexity, but that is a personal preference. It is a great all-round dram.

It is also very affordable in SA. The retail price is around R 200. It is a versatile whisky that can easily be added to cocktails and work well with food. This is a dram that should be on your ‘To try’ list – if you have not tried it already.

The award-winning Scottish Leader Original pairs beautifully with some Royal Ashton cheese.

Also Read: Bell’s Whisky

Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/03/2022

In Blended whisky

Black Bottle is a blended Scotch whisky bottled by Burn Stewart Distillers. Gordon Graham and Co., based in Aberdeen, created Black Bottle in 1879. The three Aberdonian tea blender brothers decided to try their hand at blending whisky.

Their blending skills proved to be respectable and demand for their whisky increased.The name came from its original bottle design based on black German glass. In 1914, following the outbreak of World War 1, it was impossible to get the glass from Germany.

Since then, the non-vintage bottle has been dark green. The company remained in family hands until 1959.

Related Article: Teacher’s Whisky

After a couple of different owners, the brand was acquired by Burn Stewart and is now part of the Distell stable. In 2013, the brand was relaunched. Owners Burn Stewart decided to return the brand to its 1879 origins, including the black glass that gave the blend its name.

I have gotten hold of the older green bottle and below is a bit of a comparison between the two releases. The older green bottle is said to be a blend of all the Islay distilleries. Compared to the old release, the new release is smoother and has Speyside drams blended in. Closer to the original tea blender recipe.

Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark cold colour in the glass. It has hints of polished copper. Rich and oily.

NOSE: Very subtle with hints of florals, toffee sweetness and spices. After having stood for a bit, there are faint hints of vanilla and caramel pears. A bit of smoke and malts peep through in the background.

PALATE: Without water, the Black Bottle palate is smoky and rich. It has a nice big body filled with fruity notes, burnt sugars and spice. After adding water, this blended Black Bottle whisky becomes remarkably smooth. It is complex and rich. When you add water, more floral notes appear on the palate. It is a very easy drinking whisky.

FINISH: Well rounded and smooth and end in notes of smoke and honeyed sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is a wonderfully unpretentious blended Scotch whisky that will have you reaching for a second glass. The best thing about this whisk; it is affordable. It retails for around R300 in South Africa. Showing once again, whisky does not have to be expensive to be great. I also used the Black Bottle to make a Valentines Day cocktail.

During a chat with Pierre Meintjies, (SA’s own Master of the Quaich), he suggested that we put our Black Bottle whisky in the freezer for a week and pair it with dark chocolate. I paired it with a bar of organic dark chocolate.

The 72% cacao chocolate has an intense fruity flavour and is slightly spicy. The Black Bottle came out of the freezer syrupy and ice-cold. It paired very nicely with the bitter dark chocolate. A great combination.

Also Read:Compass Box Peat Monster

Comparing: Black Bottle Old vs New

I found an older Black Bottle whisky in a small liquor shop and decided to do a side by side comparison with the new bottle. What a big difference. I think a picture defines the difference best.

Notable differences: Old vs New

The older Black Bottle is a lighter golden colour compared to the newer release. The nose tells you that this is Islay. There are notes of peat, spice smoke and seaweed. It is big and bold and rough around the edges. There is an alcohol burn that is softened by adding a bit of water. The water brings out the peaty ash and TCP and some sweetness.

Side by side, the new release has more fruity notes. The new bottling is smoother, softer and easier to sip. It is more versatile and does work well in cocktails. I would not even think of bringing the older bottling close to a cocktail.

The older bottling is big, bold in your face – ‘take it or leave it” whisky. You can taste the salty Islay coast. The older version is big and bold and unquestionable Islay. It reminds me of an old fisherman with his pipe. With a few drops of water, I like it, a lot! Big and bold and uncompromising.

The new version is great in a different way. It appeals to a broader market and is more adaptable. It reminds me of a young Mr Darcy from Bridget Jones. Handsome, intelligent, mature, but fun. Sadly they don’t release the older version of the Black Bottle anymore.

If you like Islay whiskies and you spot the odd bottle in retail, pick it up. It is a bit of Islay history worth having. A unique and special part of any collection.

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