Whisky of the Week

Private Barrel Co No 108 Whiskey

On 02/04/2019

During December, Segan, a whisky friend tagged me on a post on Instagram. He tried a new Checkers Private Barrel Co release and loved it. He described it as ‘… the best tasting Irish whiskey for the sub R300 range that I’ve had this year and has a nose like a hummingbird cake.”

Well; this interesting whiskey I needed to try. The whisky he was referring to was the Checkers Private Barrel Co No 108 Irish whiskey release.

This blog is no stranger to the Checkers Private Barrel Co releases. Both their named and unnamed releases. During 2018 they released the James Sedgwick Distillery 6 yo Fino Cask Finish which was terrific. I have also tasted the Glen Grant 17 yo and the Glenlossie 15 yo whisky from their series.

But the real of the Private Barrel Co releases lies in their unnamed releases. Both Private Barrel Co No. 41 and Private Barrel Co no 68 whisky is excellent and very affordable. By not revealing the Distillery name, Private Barrel Co is able to sell the whisky at a fraction of the cost. The bottles do, however, have an age statement and full tasting notes.

The Private Barrel Co No 108 Irish whiskey is a 3 year old, aged in American Oak. It retails for R280 at Checkers, and I found a few at the Checkers store at the Mall of Africa.

Private Barrel Co No 108 3 year old Irish Whiskey Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Gold

NOSE: Oak, fruity sweetness with hints of spice, honey and orange blossoms. The nose is delicate and fragrant and opens up more when you add a few drops of water.

PALATE: Smooth and sweet with notes of fruit, vanilla, oak and caramel. Freshly baked pancakes with cinnamon sugar mixed with nutmeg. Faint hints of milk chocolate and cereal. A bit of alcohol heat that smooths out with a few drops of water. The Private Barrel Co No 108 is smooth and creamy and very easy drinking.

FINISH: Medium length with notes of oak and nutmeg.

RATING: EXCELLENT

I think Checkers has done it again. A great tasting whiskey at a reasonable price. I was a bit scared that the young age would be visible on the taste profile with a few rough edges. However, the Private Barrel Co team knows how to choose the best barrels.

Grab it if you see it, you will not be disappointed. Only 7 200 bottles were released, and I am sure there are not too many left. Thank you for the recommendation Segan. A very delicious dram!

Also Read: How to make a whisky bottle lamp

Spicy Moscow Mule Cocktail

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/30/2019

In Cocktails

Spicy Lemongrass Moscow Mule with Fitch & Leeds spicy ginger beer and Reyka vodka header
During November a fun press drop arrived. A pirate crate filled with treasure. The treasure includes some delicious Sailor Jerry rum, candied ginger pieces and the new Fitch & Leeds spicy ginger beer.

I have made a few great cocktails with the rum and the spicy ginger beer. You can see some of it over on our YouTube Channel ‘Sipping Slowly’. However, the star of the show was the Fitch & Leeds spicy ginger beer.

I wanted to try a few different cocktails with this ginger beer. Ginger always works well with whisky, and I played around with a few whisky and ginger cocktails. But in the end, I decided to try one of the most iconic cocktails that require ginger beer – the Moscow Mule cocktail.

What is a Moscow Mule Cocktail?

A standard Moscow mule is made with vodka, spicy ginger beer and lime juice, garnished with a slice of lime and fresh mint leaves. The Moscow mule is traditionally served in a copper mug.

Spicy Lemongrass Moscow Mule with Reyka vodka

Where is a Moscow Mule from?

Not from Russia or Moscow. Moscow is most probably in honour of the vodka used. It was, according to research, created in a bar during 1941 in Los Angeles by a bartender who wanted to clean out some old stock. He made a few cocktails for the bar owner and his friend.

The friend was John Martin, the head of the company that just purchased the Smirnoff distillery. The bar owner’s girlfriend had just inherited a business that made copper goods. Put 1 and 1 together, and you get an easy vodka cocktail in a copper mug; a match made in heaven.

Spicy Lemongrass Moscow Mule with Fitch & Leeds spicy ginger beer and Reyka vodka top view

Why the Fitch & Leeds Spicy Ginger Beer?

The Fitch & Leeds spicy ginger beer was specifically made as a mixer for cocktails. It is well balanced to not overwhelm the spirit component, but bold enough to add great taste.

I did a bit of research on what other flavours will work well with spicy ginger, as I wanted to enhance the spicy ginger beer notes. For me, the spicy ginger beer needed to be the star of the show. Lemongrass pairs wonderfully with ginger and add an exotic spin on a classic taste.

So I played around and came up with a spicy lemongrass Moscow mule. Keeping close to the original but adding a hint of lemongrass zing via a simple syrup.

I don’t have a copper mug, but I used my trusted steel travel mug. It keeps the cold just as nicely.

Also Read: Mint Julep Cocktail

Spicy Moscow Mule Cocktail

Spicy Lemongrass Moscow Mule with Fitch & Leeds spicy ginger beer and Reyka vodka

1 bottle of Fitch & Leeds spicy ginger beer 200 ml (or your favourite ginger beer)
120 ml vodka ( I used the Reyka vodka from Iceland)
60 ml lemongrass simple syrup (see below)
Juice of 1 lime
2 slices of lime
4 mint springs
2 lemongrass stalks
ice

Divide the vodka, lemongrass simple syrup and lime juice into 2 mugs or tall glasses and stir. Fill up with ice. Pour the Fitch and Leeds spicy ginger beer over and add a stalk of lemongrass, some mint and a slice of lemon on top. (makes 2 cups)

Lemongrass Simple Syrup

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
3 lemongrass stalks crushed slightly
thumbs size piece of fresh ginger roughly chopped

Combined the water and sugar and heat up slowly until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemongrass and the ginger and continuously stir over low heat for about 30 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it cool down and infuse for a couple of hours. When cold, remove the lemongrass stalks and the ginger and store in the fridge until required.

Also Read: Whiskey Sour Cocktail

Three Ships Oloroso Cask 8 yo Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/21/2019

In Single Malt whisky

It is the start of a new year. I start the new year by opening a new bottle of whisky. A bottle of whisky from one of my favourite distilleries. I have been saving this bottle for a special occasion, and this is a perfect time. The Three Ships Oloroso Cask 8 yo single malt whisky was released during September 2018.

It is the third release in the Three Ships Masters Collection Series. First was the Three Ships 10 yo PX Cask Finish released during 2015. This was followed by the Three Ships Pinotage Cask Finish, which was my Whisky of the Year 2017.

And on the 19^th of September, Andy Watts released the much-awaited Three Ships 8 yo Oloroso Cask during an online event. The first 151 bottles sold within 15 minutes, that’s 10 bottles a minute, and at the end of the day, only a few bottles remained unsold.

Andy Watts chose this sherry cask from his secret cellar, which holds some exceptional casks. Here in the cool darkness, behind closed doors, he painstakingly nurtured this peated single malt. First, the whisky matured for 5 years in American Oak casks and then for another 3 years in Oloroso sherry casks.

Oloroso means ‘scented’ in Spanish and adds a nutty note to the whisky. The Oloroso Cask finish is the youngest of the Master’s Collection releases. Only 1 440 bottles released. I have bottle 980 of 1 440.

The Three Ships 8 yo Oloroso Cask Finish is not chill-filtered, natural colour with an impressive ABV of 51.8%.

Also Read: Auchentoshan Heartwood whisky

Three Ships Oloroso Cask 8 yo Whisky Review

COUNTRY: South Africa

ABV: 51.7%

COLOUR: Toasted amber

NOSE: Rich and sweet. Notes of oak and fruit come through first. Red fruits, berries and plums, followed by bits of dark chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon.

PALATE: Mellow peat with faint smoky oak balanced by hints of fruit and dark chocolate. The addition of a few drops of water softens the alcohol heat. The water brings forward a pepper spice heat next to the peat and adds a hazelnut note.

FINISH: A strong point. It builds beautifully to a deep lingering, chest filling crescendo. Peaty pepper with hints of dark chocolate

RATING: EXCELLENT

A fantastic range of whisky out of this beautiful distillery in Wellington. Fino Cask finish, PX cask finish, Pinotage cask and now Oloroso cask finish. All of them world-class! The depths that the Wellington distillery is capable of is a true testament to the wonderful skill and mastery of their Master Distiller.

I think the Three Ships 8 yo Oloroso cask with its peppery notes will work very well with a robust, creamy cheese and will be exploring this during the year.

I am not sure how many bottles of this remains in retail. If you spot a last lost bottle in a shop, then grab it. It is something Proudly South African you have to taste.

Also Read: Paul John Oloroso Select Cask Whisky

Whisky of the Year 2018

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 12/31/2018

In Lifestyle

Bottles of whisky on the shelf to celebrate the whisky of the year for 2018 During the year, I am fortunate to taste many new whiskies. Some are not bad, and some I never want to taste again. Just search for “Ordinary” on this blog, and you will find quite a few examples of these. However, now and again, I taste something that blows my mind.

Something so delicious that I want to go out and buy many more bottles.Sometimes these Divine drams are limited releases, and when my bottle is finished, there will be no more. But sometimes they are standard releases that are readily available.

And this has been such a year. I have tasted 4 whiskies that we rated Divine. And each of these is readily available. They are not mindbogglingly expensive; they are quite affordable actually. But they were stand out drams that I loved.

And as always, at the end of each year, we gathered a few friends and blind taste-tested the year’s Divine whiskies to choose the Whisky of the Year 2018. The friends who helped was Roelia from Boozy Foodie and her hubby Jan from Social Savage.

The process is similar every year, a blind taste test and then every person individually ranked the glasses from 1 to 4. This gives us our Whisky of the Year. Here are the 4 whiskies in alphabetic order.

Best Single Malt: Ardbeg An Oa Whisky

Ardbeg An Oa single malt whisky header It was with great fanfare that Ardbeg launched an extension to their core range – Ardbeg An Oa. The first permanent expression to join the Ardbeg core range since Corryvreckan in 2009. I have been less impressed lately by the Ardbeg Day releases, so I was rather sceptical about this new release.

Was this just another premium-priced release that does not live up to the hype? Oh Hell No. This Islay dram was just perfect. It warms you up with the traditional peat and smoke, but it is elegant and smooth. The Ardbeg An Oa single malt Scotch whisky is not the salty, TCP and strong tar pole notes of an Ardbeg Uigeadail, but a softer, more classic version of it.

Notes of peat, creamy honey, salted liquorice with hints of cough syrup. Bits of toasted nuts and pine needles mixed with vanilla, lemon pepper and chocolate. It’s a fascinating and glorious mix of aromas and tastes. It’s complex, subtle and different all at once. It has a finish that is a mile long and lingers around you like a favourite old jersey.

Best Bourbon: Blanton’s Gold Edition

Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon whiskey header Blanton’s bourbon whiskey was launched in 1984 as a Single Barrel Bourbon. It is part of the Sazerac Company and distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. What makes the Blanton’s bottle unique is the eight different stopper designs.

The stoppers feature a figurine of a racehorse and jockey in eight different scenes of a horse race, from standing at the gate to crossing the finish line with a win. I was wondering if this will be the only stopper in my collection, but after tasting this delicious bourbon, I am going to be looking for more bottles.

The Blanton’s Gold has notes of oak, warming rye, condensed milk, hints of sun-dried oranges and vanilla. It is rich and creamy bursting with a complex mix of tastes. There are notes of toasted oak, fudge, cinnamon, chocolate-covered oranges, Sichuan pepper with faint hints of cherries. And with an impressive ABV! A beautiful finish that leaves you with fudge, cinnamon, pepper and hints of orange peel.

Best Blend: Johnnie Walker Black Label

Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 yo blended whisky header Affordable, available all around the world and an icon! Johnnie Walker Black Label is a blend of about 40 whiskies from all around Scotland. Smoother and more drinkable than its little brother the Johnnie Walker Red, the Black Label has reached cult status. And I can understand why.

It offers a consistent, delicious experience which I keep on going back to. The Johnnie Walker Black label Scotch whisky has notes of smoke, red berries, fruit, citrus flowers, oak and malt. A toffee sweetness with hints of spice. You don’t even need to add water, but water releases a bit more sweetness.

This Black Label is an all-together impressive dram. I always have a bottle of this in the house, and I love this (FAR) more than the more expensive Johnnie Walker releases I have tried.

Best World Whisky: Paul John Classic Cask Select

Paul John Classic Select Cask Whisky header Paul John is a brand of Indian single malt whisky and single cask whisky, manufactured by John Distilleries in Goa. John Distilleries was founded by Mr Paul P. John in 1992, when they began producing several spirits, including Indian molasses-based ‘whisky’.

In 2008, John Distilleries attempted a single malt whisky, and the rest is history. Paul John Single Malt was launched in 2012 in the UK, and there was an overwhelmingly positive response to the golden liquid from this Indian distillery. And I am so glad that it is readily available in South Africa too.

The Paul John Classic Select Cask is an unpeated single malt that has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels and bottled without chill-filtration at cask strength. Again it comes at an impressive 55.2% ABV. The Paul John Classic Select Cask has notes of freshly baked apple pie sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, barley, faint hints of vanilla and candied fruits.

Hints of toffee, oak with warming cinnamon and soft pepper nicely balanced with honey sweetness. It has a delicious finish rich with oak, cinnamon and fruit. This year, the winning whisky and the runner up was only 1 point apart. But in the end, there can only be 1 winner.<

And the winner of the Whisky of the Year 2018 is…

Whisky of the year 2018 - Ardbeg An Oa I have to mention the runner up – it was the Paul John Classic Cask select. A delicious dram. From a distillery that I will be exploring more of! Well, that it is for 2018. Thank you for all your support this year. Wishing you many wonderful glasses of whisky in 2019. Early next year I will start again. But now it is time to sit back and relax and enjoy a glass of An Oa.

Johnnie Walker XR 21 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 12/26/2018

In Blended whisky

I can’t even remember where we got this bottle Johnnie Walker XR 21 year old blended Scotch whisky. It has been in my cupboard for ages. I think John picked it up in Dubai when he was travelling to India. It is such a beautiful bottle. The rectangle shape with the gold embossing and the XR raised in the glass.

Different than the regular square-shaped bottle A perfect bottle to use as a decanter when it is empty. John “Johnnie” Walker began selling whisky from his grocery shop in Ayrshire, Scotland.

After he died in 1857, Alexander Walker inherited the company. Alexander, with his son Alexander Walker II, began marketing Walker’s Old Highland. They introduced the now-iconic square bottle in 1860. This meant more bottles fitting the same space and fewer broken bottles.

In 1920, Alexander Walker II received a knighthood from King George V for his services to the nation. The Johnnie Walker XR whisky was created in honour of Sir Alexander Walker’s Knighthood. A special edition release, this Johnnie Walker XR whisky is a 21 year old expression, inspired by the handwritten blending notes of Sir Alexander Walker.

Sourced from the private reserves of the Master Blender, it includes casks from silent distilleries that are no longer in production. Diageo owns the Johnnie Walker brand. The bottle retails for around R 3 000, which is slightly more expensive than the Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky (R 2 200), but a lot cheaper than the King George V. The big questions is: Is it worth the price?

Johnnie Walker XR 21 year old Whisky Review

ABV: 40% ABV

COLOUR: Golden red tinges of polished copper fill the glass. Long oily fingers form.

NOSE: Sweet with honey, ripening summer fruit and flowers with highlights of vanilla. Hints of citrus peel, cinnamon and apples float around. Without water, the Johnnie Walker XR 21 year old nose promises a full-bodied, rich, smooth experience. Adding water softens the nose and releases more wood and spice notes.

PALATE: Rich and smooth. There are notes of cinnamon spice, maple syrup and oak. The Johnnie Walker XR 21 yo whisky intertwines citrus peel with cereal notes overlaying notes of ripe fruit and vanilla. Without water, it is delicious. Adding water softens the boldness of the whisky and brings more winter spice. But it takes away the complexity and richness.

FINISH: Medium length and end in notes of fruit and cinnamon spice. Water reduces the length of the finish.

RATING: EXCELLENT.

Don’t add water! The big question, however, was the Johnnie Walker 21 year old XR Scotch worth the price tag? It is a great whisky and a beautiful bottle, but I have tasted quite a few blended whiskies that are better and cheaper.

If anything, it is a unique bottle to have in my collection, and if you gift me a bottle, I would not complain. However, when this bottle is empty, would I buy it again? Probably not.

I have done a comparison between the Johnnie Walker Blue Label and the Johnnie Walker XR 21 year old to see if how they differ. You can read all about it in my Blue Label vs XR comparison post.

Related Article: Chivas Royal Salute 21 year old whisky