Whisky of the Week

Craigellachie 13 year old Whisky

On 10/05/2020

One of the most exciting and indeed the oldest dram I tasted during 2019 was the Craigellachie 51 yo single malt whisky. Georgie Bell, the Global Malts Ambassador for Bacardi, brought a few bottles of this very very limited release to South Africa and I was fortunate to try it.

It was my first foray into whisky from the Craigellachie distillery. So let’s look at the entry-level single malt from this distillery, the Craigellachie 13 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

The Craigellachie distillery was built in 1891 by Craigellachie Distillery Co. Limited, a group of blenders and merchants led by Alexander Edward. It is a Speyside distillery in Banffshire that overlooks the little town of Craigellachie. The Gaelic name means “Rocky Hill” and is pronounced Krai-GELLacky.

Also Read: Milk & Honey Elements Peated Whisky

The brand is part of the John Dewar & Sons stable. For many years, it was only used in blends like White Horse and various Dewar’s blends. It is only in 2014 that distillery releases become available. The distillery is known for its meaty, sulphurous nature.

The Craigellachie single malt range includes a 17 year old as well as a 23 year old whisky. There used to be a 19 year old release, but this has been discontinued. There are also various independent bottling available. It is part of the Bacardi stable of brands.

Craigellachie 13 year old Whisky

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Pale gold

NOSE: Apricots and dried cherries with toffee sweetness. A fruity sweet nose. The nose is like a colourful fruit salad with bits of malt and toasted nuts in the background.

PALATE: Medium body with the sweet fruit salad from the nose continuing on the palate. White pepper, oak, hints and malt with bits of smoky bacon and toasted nuts behind it all. I was hoping for a bolder meaty note on the palate. There was also a bit of alcohol heat. Water softened the alcohol heat and brought more sweetness to the front.

FINISH: Medium long, with some oak, pepper and fruity sweetness.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It is a good introduction to the Craigellachie stable and taste profile. John enjoyed the Craigellachie without the water, and I preferred it with the water. The water toned down the spices and the alcohol heat and created a smooth drinkable dram.

I want to explore more of the meaty notes from this distillery and need to find the 17 year old release somewhere. I do have a bottle of the discontinued 19 year old whisky in my collection, and perhaps I need to go and open that bottle.

Also Read: The Singleton 15 yo Whisky

Woodford Reserve vs Bulleit Bourbon

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/28/2020

In Whisky Comparison

Today I look at another side by side bourbon comparison; this week between one of my favourite bourbons against one of John’s favourite bourbons. I look at the Woodford Reserve vs Bulleit Bourbon.

Both very well known and readily available in South Africa. I wonder which of these two will be the favourite after our side by side afternoon experiments.
For these side by side comparisons, we usually move out onto the patio (it is summer in SA right now and pleasantly warm) and then pour two glasses of each and then sit back and taste.

When you have two bourbons next to each other, you can better understand the different spices and sweet notes that each bourbon has.

Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey

Review and tasting notes Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey with glass Woodford Reserve vs Bulleit
Bulleit Bourbon whiskey was inspired by a 150-year-old family recipe created by founder, Tom Bulleit’s, great-great-grandfather Augustus Bulleit. The original recipe was for a rye whiskey made with 2/3 rye and 1/3 corn. It was produced between 1830 and 1860 in Louisville, Kentucky. The younger Bulleit first served in the US Marine Corps and then went to law school.

But he always dreamt of recreating his ancestor’s recipe. In 1987, he created a small batch bourbon, bearing the family name. To make sure it is qualified as bourbon, he’s adjusted the mash bill to 68% corn, 28% rye and 4% malted barley.

The Bulleit bourbon bottle shape is modelled on the medicine bottles of old, with raised lettering and a skew label. Just like it might have looked in the 1860s. Today it is owned by Diageo and is produced at the Kirin Brewing Company Four Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. This bourbon is readily available in SA.
Also Read: Maker’s Mark vs Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Woodford Reserve Bourbon Whiskey

Review and tastingnotes Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon with glass Woodford Reserve vs Bulleit

Woodford Reserve is a brand of small-batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey produced by the Brown-Forman Corporation. A distiller named Elijah Pepper began producing small amounts of whiskey in 1797 and soon afterwards built a distillery.

Following Elijah’s death in 1831, his son Oscar Pepper inherited the distillery. The distillery became known as The Oscar Pepper Distillery. He hired a Scotsman, Dr James Crow as the head distiller.

Crow was a qualified physician and a chemist. He championed the sour mash fermentation process that is key in the production of bourbon. After changing hands a few times and falling in disrepair, Brown-Forman purchased the property in 1993 and refurbished it to bring it back into operation. They renamed it The Woodford Reserve Distillery in 2003.

The mash bill for Woodford Reserve features a high percentage of rye. It has a 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malt ratio. Unusual also for being triple distilled and having the lowest proof upon entering the barrel where it matures for at least 6 years.

Woodford Reserve vs Bulleit Bourbon Whiskey

Woodford Reserve vs Bulleit bourbon whiskey comparison

	Bulleit Bourbon	Woodford Reserve Bourbon
ABV	45%	43.2%
Type	Bourbon whiskey	Bourbon whiskey
Mashbill	68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% malted barley	72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malt
Colour	Light amber	Clear honey amber
Nose	Quite spicy, lacking the more traditional bourbon sweetness. Some sweetness reminiscent of sticky toffee pudding and vanilla bean. After standing for a while, some caramel comes through.	Honey sweetness with apricots and oranges. There are bits of condensed milk richness mixed with vanilla and hints of spices.
Palate	Loads of spice, but is not overwhelmingly spicy. After the initial spice, there are notes of toffee caramel and vanilla with a bit of wood and orange floating about. Freshly baked sugar biscuits. Water brings sweetness forward.	Oak and sweetness perfectly balanced with a bit of apricot and cinnamon spiciness. Notes of tangy winter fruits and vanilla mixed with toffee. Creamy and smooth with a full body and a satisfying mouthfeel
Finish	Long and lingering, it stays with you long after finishing the glass. Notes of mild spice and hints of oak.	Long and lingering and ends in notes of sweet spices
My Rating	Excellent	Excellent
Comments	It's a rich, chewy mouthful of bourbon. Bold character	Smooth with a great balance between sweet and spicy.
Price	$33	$40
Pairs well with	Bacon, spicy BBQ chicken wings	Aged Parmesan cheese, dark chocolate, roasted hazelnuts, Hawaiian Pizza

The Woodford Reserve bourbon is softer, sweeter with notes of fruity apricot, vanilla and oak. The balance between sweetness and oak spice is inviting, and this bottle leaves a smile on my face. In comparison, the Bulleit is bolder, spicier with notes of orange and vanilla.

Both of these releases have a strong finish, and the traditional oak and vanilla note that, for me, characterises a bourbon. The Bulleit bourbon has a unique character that makes it more memorable, and John loves it. He does not need any help in finishing the Bulleit bourbon.

If you like a softer, sweeter bourbon, the Woodford Reserve is perfect. If you are looking for something bolder and spicier, then grab the Bulleit. Both of these releases are worth space on your whiskey shelf. I am rather happy that John prefers to Bulleit, now I don’t have to share my bottle of Woodford Reserve bourbon with him.

I have also done a side by side comparison between the Woodford Rye and the Bulleit Rye as well as with the Buffalo Trace to see how they stack up against each other.

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Also Read: Maker’s Mark vs Woodford Reserve

Milk & Honey Classic Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/21/2020

In Single Malt whisky

Today I have the opportunity to try the Milk & Honey Classic single malt whisky. What an exciting opportunity, the chance to try whisky from a new country; Israel. This country is certainly not known for whisky distilling.

Plans for a whisky distillery began in 2012 after a group of entrepreneurs decided to establish the first whisky distillery in Tel Aviv.

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 distillery’s first products reached the shelves during the first quarter of 2016.

The climate in Israel is certainly as far removed from cold and wet Scotland as possible. Similar to India or indeed South Africa, the hot, humid climate speeds up maturation.

Also Read: Signature whisky

The entrepreneurs hired the late Dr Jim Swan, one of the world’s most accomplished master distillers and an expert in hot climate distillation and maturation, as an advisor. Dr Swan assisted with the recipe and all kinds of specifications to make sure the production was optimal for warm weather.

Other releases from this Israel based distillery include the Elements Red Wine Cask, Elements Peated and the Elements Sherry Cask. They also produce gin, namely the Levantine gin and oak-aged gin and even a young malt aged in pomegranate wine casks.

It is matured in ex-bourbon and red-wine STR (shaved, toasted, re-charred) casks. The Milk & Honey Classic is unpeated, non-chill-filtered with natural colour. It is now available in SA and retails for around R 790. I see that Whisky Brother and Bottega Whiskey club has some bottles available. Milk & Honey Classic single malt is certified kosher.

Milk & Honey Classic Single Malt Whisky

COUNTRY:Israel

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Rich gold

NOSE: Caramel sweetness, dry oak with hints of vanilla and toffee. An amazingly bold nose for such a young release. I love the creamy caramel sweetness. The Classic has a unique nose.

PALATE: Dry wood with vanilla and pepper and faint hints of green grass. After the sweet nose, I was expecting a sweeter taste, but the sweetness only comes through after adding a bit of water. Medium body and quite oily. Bit of alcohol heat.

FINISH: Medium body with oak and soft black pepper.

RATING: VERY GOOD

Not the most complex release, but easy drinking and distinctive. The best feature is the nose. It is warming with creamy caramel; I could smell my glass the whole evening.

This Classic edition is one of those releases that leaves a clear picture in my head; eating cream caramel toffees while hiking through an old forest. I enjoyed it, and I am happy that I have a big bottle in my collection to enjoy this again.

I tried the Classic and a few of the Element releases as part of an online tasting event hosted by WhiskyBrother and Universal Beverages, the importer of Milk & Honey to South Africa. We had the opportunity to listen to the team at the Tel Aviv distillery.

We even had a virtual walkabout in the Tel Aviv distillery. The attention to detail and quality from this distillery shines through in the whisky, and I will extend my collection with more when they become available in South Africa.

Also Read: Ballantine’s Finest vs Teacher’s whisky

Loch Lomond 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/14/2020

In Single Malt whisky

Just before SA’s second alcohol ban, I managed to pick up my sample pack of Loch Lomond whiskies for an online whisky tasting with Michael Henry. A few weeks before, I tasted the Inchmurrin 11 year old that was bottled exclusively for the Bottega Whiskey Club.

Savi and Musi, the Loch Lomond Brand Ambassador, set up this interesting online tasting. The online tasting included the Bottega Whisky Club Inchmurrin, the Loch Lomond 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky and the Inchmurrin 18 yo whisky.

Loch Lomond Distillery, situated in Alexandria, a small town south of the beautiful Loch Lomond, produces a broad range of different whiskies. They create single malt as well as single grain and blends.

Micheal took us through the different distilling options that he has available at Loch Lomond, and it was so refreshing to listen to how he works with the various elements that he has available to come up with all the different variations.

Also Read: Inchmurrin 11 yo Whisky

The Loch Lomond stills include special distillation trays in the necks, allowing for more significant contact with the cooling alcohol vapour. These stills can produce alcohol up to 90% ABV where traditional stills deliver the alcohol at around 70% ABV. From there it goes into maturation.

I captured tasting notes for the Loch Lomond Signature and Loch Lomond Single Grain whisky as well as for various other brands within the Loch Lomond portfolio in the past, and you can read all about it there.

The Loch Lomond 12 year old is drawn from a selection of three cask types – bourbon casks, refill casks and recharged casks. In South Africa, it retails for R625.

Loch Lomond 12 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Higland

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Dark gold

NOSE: Apricot, peach and freshly cut green grass. Sweet spices, honeycomb and vanilla. Fruity sweetness with hints of lemon and malt.

PALATE: Fruity sweetness with vanilla and faint hints of smoke. Malted puffs with bits of dry oak, lemon and apricots and bits of pepper. Something green in the background. Adding water releases more spicy notes. Medium body.

FINISH: Medium length with drying oak, vanilla and pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT 

It was interesting how the water changed the spices in this Loch Lomond 12 year old whisky. For me, adding a few drops of water tones down the spice notes in a whisky and brings more sweetness forward. However, with this release, the water made it spicier. I enjoyed it more without water.

Even at 46% ABV, it is smooth and easy drinking with no alcohol heat. An excellent whisky for autumn as it gently warms you from the inside. Just lovely. It is worth picking up a bottle when you see it.

I have also tasted the Loch Lomond Steam and Fire single malt whisky during my trip to Scotland and loved it.

Also Read: Compass Box No Name No 2 Whisky

Glenkinchie Distillers Edition 1986 Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/10/2020

In Single Malt whisky

This past week was just full of drama, and after all of this, I needed a dram to cheer me up. I grabbed a glass of the Glenkinchie Distillers Edition 1986 single malt Scotch whisky and went to sit in the sun on my own for a while to relax.

A stone’s throw from Edinburgh lies the Scottish Lowland whisky region. This region traditionally known for its softer drams with notes of grass, cream, fresh toast and ginger. There were at last count around 18 active distillers and another 8 in development.

The distillery lies in a glen of the Kinchie Burn near the village of Pencaitland. The name ‘Kinchie’ is a corruption of ‘De Quincy’, the original owners of the land. It was founded around 1825 by brothers John and George Rate. A convergence of events bankrupted the brothers in 1853, and the site converted to a sawmill. However, in 1881, the distillery was rebuilt and resumed whisky making.

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In 1914, Glenkinchie joined forces with fellow Lowland distillers Rosebank, St Magdalene, Grange and Clydesdale to form Scottish Malt Distillers. This company has since evolved into the Diageo group.

The Glenkinchie core expression include the 12 year old single malt whisky and a Distillers Edition. This limited release Glenkinchie 1986 Distillers Edition single malt was distilled in 1986 and bottled in 1999. They finished the whisky in Amontillado sherry casks.

Glenkinchie Distillers Edition 1986 Whisky Review

REGION: Lowland

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark gold

NOSE: Sherry sweetness, bits of apricot, malty goodness with hints of oak and honey. Rich and inviting.

PALATE: Luxurious with notes of oak, dried apricot, bits of cherries and sherry sweetness. Toasted nuts and freshly baked shortbread. Creamy honey sweetness with soft pepper, candied ginger and cinnamon. Just amazing. Drinkable, complicated and full of body.

FINISH: Dry oak with sherry sweetness and bits of spice. Long and lingering.

RATING: DIVINE

Drinking this Glenkinchie whisky is an experience to be savoured. A wonderful, complex, luxurious moment in time to sip and appreciate. I finished my first glass without water; it did not need any water. For the second glass, I added a few drops of water, and it just brought more sweetness to the front.

Perfectly balanced and elegant. Perfection. The Distillers Editions from the various Diageo brands is, in general, delicious.

I loved the Oban Distillers Edition, and the Dalwhinnie Distillers Edition is one of the best drams I have ever tasted. I was 15 years old when Glenkinchie distilled this liquid. It makes for a special bit of history. Sadly, not many of these 1986 releases remain, and I have only seen them on auction.

My bottle will be appreciated and enjoyed with every glass that I pour. A stunning release.

Also Read: Top 5 Single Malt under R750