Whisky of the Week

It feels like I am on an exploration of Diageo’s Classic Malts. This year, I have tasted the Talisker 10 year old, the Cardhu 12 year old and now the Cragganmore 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

Can you believe it, it is another new distillery that I have not tried before. Cragganmore represents Speyside in the Classic Malts series.The Cragganmore distillery is situated in the Ballindalloch village in Banffshire.

The distillery was founded in 1869 by John Smith who also managed The Macallan and The Glenlivet distilleries. The site was chosen both for its closeness to the waters of the mineral-rich Craggan Burn which tumbles down the Craggan More hill and because it was close to the Strathspey railway.

The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic ‘creagan mór’ or ‘big rock’. It is one of the smaller distillers, and the majority of the production is used for blending, especially as part of the White Horse and Johnnie Walker Black blended expressions.

The Cragganmore 12 year old is a sherried expression that is lightly peated. The Cragganmore range also has a Distillers Edition, and I have seen a 25 year old as well. There are various independent bottlings from Cragganmore available too.

Also Read: Dalwhinnie 15 yo Whisky

Cragganmore 12 year old Single Malt Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Rich Gold

NOSE: Fresh summer fruit salad drizzled with lavender honey, wildflowers with hints of cream and spices. The nose is quite sweet and delicate.

PALATE: Honey and fruit sweetness with hints of smoked nuts and malt. The Cragganmore 12 year old single malt has a medium body and a creamy mouthfeel. Adding water softens the sweetness and brings more spices to the front. Suddenly there are notes of spicy oak and dry orange peel with cloves and pepper.

FINISH: Medium length with orange peel and oak.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I enjoyed the Cragganmore 12 year old Scotch without water, but could not finish it the moment I added the water. It was as if the water changed the sweetness into orange peel notes. How strange. I enjoyed the balance between the sweetness and the smoke, but this changed the moment you add some water.

Not a bad whisky, perhaps I just had a rough day. I will try it again later this week. It is suggested that you pair the Cragganmore 12 year old with a grilled chicken salad to bring out the smoky notes. This pairing might be a great idea for dinner later in the week and a good opportunity to try it again.

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Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/17/2018

In Single Malt whisky

A couple of months ago a beautiful press drop arrived. It was the Glenmorangie Spios whisky, the 10^th release from the Glenmorangie Private Collection series.

While doing research on the Private Collection and the Spios whisky, I realized that I have another bottle from the series, one of the first Private Collection releases to come out. It is the Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX single malt Scotch whisky.

Background and history of the Glenmorangie were covered in the Glenmorangie 18 yo whisky and the Glenmorangie Lasanta posts, and you can read all about it in these posts.

With its Private Collection series, in particular, Glenmorangie can explore the possibilities present in whisky production. The Glenmorangie Director of Distilling, Dr Bill Lumsden, travels across the world to find and experiment with different casks, grains, and flavours.

Also Read: Balvenie Portwood whisky

Released in 2009, Sonnalta translates to “Liberal” in Gaelic. This name honours the generous amount of time that the whisky spent in Pedro Ximénez (PX) casks. This gives the Sonnalta PX a significant sherry influence.

The Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX single malt spent 10 years maturing in American white oak casks and was then transferred into Spanish ex-Pedro Ximénez casks for its final two years of extra-maturation. Pedro Ximénez Sherry is traditionally known for its very sweet taste with notes of candied fig and dates.

The Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX whisky is a limited release and not available any more.

Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX Whisky Review

REGION: Highland

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Dark gold with red hints

NOSE: You can’t mistake the sherry influence on the nose. The sweetness of sun-dried raisins, hints of oak, vanilla, fruits and spices. Rich and complex, it promises much.

PALATE: The sweetness continues on the palate, but it is nicely balanced with hints of pepper and vanilla spice, red berry fruit with green floral notes, nutty creaminess and toffee. Hints of malty goodness and dark chocolate. Adding water softens the spice and make the Sonnalta very drinkable. It has a medium body and mouthfeel.

FINISH: Long and lingering with sweet notes

RATING: VERY GOOD

The Sonnalta is a lovely dram. Delicious and easy drinking, but I was hoping for a bit more. After 2 years in PX casks, I was expecting more of the sherry richness to come through. A great release, but comparing it to a few other PX releases, such as the Three Ships PX Cask, it lacked the last bit of sherry boldness and depth.

I have paired the Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX with some Wensleydale cheese over here, and it was delicious! It made for a wonderful whisky cheese pairing.

Also Read: The Glenlivet Alpha Whisky

Aberlour A’bunadh Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/10/2018

In Single Malt whisky

Where the Lour River meets the Spey, sits a small distillery, with a big name. As the son of a local tenant farmer, James Flemming knew the Speyside region well. When he founded the Aberlour Distillery in 1879, he chose a location that provided a steady supply of pure spring water that flowed over the pink granite of Ben Rinnes.

James remained involved with the distillery until his death in 1895. He is buried opposite the distillery in the Aberlour Village Cemetery.

The Aberlour distillery changed hands a few times, and currently, Pernod Ricard owns it together with Glenlivet distillery. They also produce the Ballantine’s blended whisky and Chivas Regal brands.

The distillery is known for their sherried expressions and mainly makes use of sherry casks with a few bourbon barrels mixed in. Aberlour distillery produces a variety of ages, including a 10 year old, 12 year old, 15 year old, and an 18 year old whisky. However, today I am tasting their cask strength release, the Aberlour A’bunadh Batch #53 single malt Scotch whisky.

Also Read: The Macallan 12 yo whisky

The Aberlour A’bunadh has no age statement. Meaning ‘the original’ in Gaelic, A’bunadh is made to honour Aberlour’s founder, James Fleming. It is drawn exclusively from Spanish Oloroso Sherry butts, and the Aberlour A’bunadh is bottled without chill-filtration or additional colours.

I tasted the Aberlour A’bunadh whisky for the first time about a year ago at the Whisky Live event in Pretoria, and it blew my mind – literally. It is bottled at an impressive 59.7% ABV and packs a big punch. With the last bits of winter floating about, it is the perfect whisky to review.

Aberlour A’bunadh Batch #53 WhiskyReview

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 59.7%

COLOUR: Golden mahogany

NOSE: Let this Aberlour A’bunadh breath for a bit. There are notes of overripe cherries and red fruit, sherry, vanilla, cinnamon and oak. Sugary sweetness nicely balanced with spicy notes with hints of sweet dessert wine at the end.

PALATE: Not for the faint-hearted. The first sip brings toasted oak spices, bitter chocolate and orange peel, but slowly more sherry fruity sweetness develops. Hints of dark sugar, cherries and cinnamon. You know you are drinking a high ABV dram. The alcohol is not overwhelming but does bring quite a bit of warmth. Adding a nice splash of water brings more of the sweetness to the front.

FINISH: Long and warming with some sweetness following the spicy notes.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The perfect Scotch whisky for winter. Sitting next to a roaring fire, a delicious dram in your glass warming you up from the inside. The Aberlour A’bunadh Batch #53 single malt is big, bold, and a sherry monster with a few rough edges. I would love to taste various batches together to see the variety that can come from this distillery.

Also Read: Glenfarclas 12yo older expression whisky

Ballantine’s 30 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/03/2018

In Blended whisky

Time and again, this blend impresses me. I have yet to meet a bottle of Ballantine’s that I do not love. The Ballantine’s 17 yo and the Scapa Distillers Edition are divine whiskies. And today I am trying one of the older releases in my collection. The Ballantine’s 30 year old blended Scotch whisky. What a long time that is. A whole lifetime.

Imagine how the world changed from when the spirit first entered into the barrel until it was bottled. With the amazing improvements in technology we see today, this whisky was a youngster before cell phones. Now smartphones have more computing power than the first space ships. A lot has changed in the 30 years.

As with so many well-known blends today, Ballantine’s Scotch whisky can trace its heritage back to 1827, when George Ballantine set up a small grocery store in Edinburgh. He started supplying a range of whiskies to his customers. In 1865 George and his son Archibald opened a larger business in Glasgow.

Also Read: Auchentoshan American Oak Whisky

Here he concentrated on the wine and spirit trade, and he also began to create his own blends. These blends inspired additional demand and his second son George Jnr joined the business.

After George Snr’s passing, the sons sold the company to allow for more expansion, and after various owner changes, it ended up in the Pernod Ricard stable.

The Ballantine’s flavour is dependent on malts from Miltonduff, Scapa and Glenburgie and blended with many other single malts and single grains. The Ballantine’s 30 year old blended whisky has won a Gold at the International Spirits Challenge, and Jim Murray gave it 94 points.

Ballantine’s 30 year old Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Golden amber

NOSE: The nose explodes with richness and complexity. It has honey, Christmas cake, caramel, toffee dried oak, vanilla and sherry with faint hints of smoke. All wonderfully combined.

PALATE: Rich and full-bodied, it is super smooth. Bits of oak spice swirling around dried fruits and nuts. Dark chocolate and treacle lurk somewhere with suggestions of smoke. Each sip brings out different notes on the palette. The Ballantine’s 30 year old has a beautiful balance between spicy and sweet. Adding water softens the spices a bit, and it is better without water.

FINISH: This is probably the best finish I have had in a long, long time. It never ends! It’s just brilliant going on and on and slowly slipping away like a sunset but leaving a wonderful glow.

RATING: DIVINE

I love Ballantine’s whisky. There is something in the combination of spice and sweetness from the distilleries that Ballantine’s uses that just works on my palate. Over the last couple of years, this has become my favourite blended whisky range.

From the entry-level to this masterpiece, Ballantine’s consistently set an amazingly high bar for the craft of the whisky maker. And this bottle is no exception. Rich, complex and utterly delicious! Probably one of my favourite Ballantine’s bottles ever.

Also Read: Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask whisky

Kavalan Concertmaster Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/27/2018

In Single Malt whisky

World whisky time again and today I look at the Kavalan Concertmaster Port cask finish single malt whisky. Kavalan whisky is no stranger to the blog. I love their releases, and the Solist Ex-Bourbon Cask whisky will probably make my ’Best 10 whiskies to drink before you die’ list.

Kavalan has adopted a musical theme for naming its whisky. The range includes the King Car Conductor, the Podium and the Solist whisky series.

The Kavalan Concertmaster single malt whisky comes from Taiwan where the subtropical climate speeds up the maturation a bit more, compared to Scotland or Ireland. The Kavalan whisky series has no age statements due to this.

The Concertmaster whisky is first aged in American oak and then finished in several different varieties of Port barrels, including Ruby port, Tawny port and Vintage port from Portugal.

But this begs the question: What is Port and what is the difference between the Ruby, Tawny and Vintage port?

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What is Port?

Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine or aperitif. It also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties.

Ruby port is the least expensive and most extensively produced type of port. Ruby port is younger, has spent less time in the cask and has retained more of its natural colour, and sweet, fruity characteristics from the grapes.

Tawny ports are wines usually made from red grapes that are aged in wooden barrels exposing them to gradual oxidation and evaporation. Tawny port has aged longer in the cask, sometimes as long as 20 years. As it matures, more of its colour fades to a brownish, tawny colour. Also, the flavours are less sweet, and it has a deeper, more complex characteristics.

Vintage port is a port that is made of blended grapes, usually from various vineyards, which are all from the same vintage year. These ports typically spend about 6 months in oak and then go unfiltered into a bottle for further ageing for at least another 20 years or more!

Kavalan Concertmaster Whisky Review

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Rich gold with hints of red.

NOSE: It’s best feature. It is rich, sweet, complex with ripe cherries, liquorice, berry sweetness, dark chocolate and condensed milk. It promises much.

PALATE: Medium body with very little of the sweetness promised by the nose. Spicy oak, pepper, citrus, malt, with only faint hints of fruity sweetness. Water softens the spices.

FINISH: Pepper spice and dry oak

RATING: VERY GOOD

This Concertmaster Port cask finish single malt is my least favourite of all the Kavalan whiskies I have tried. I found the spiciness overwhelming. John, however, loved it. He loved the peppery bite and finished my glass too. Most weeks, our individual views on a whisky are relatively similar. This week it was not. Don’t get me wrong; this is not a bad whisky at all.

But for my palate that like sweet things, this was just to peppery. If you love peppery, spicy whisky, then this is perfect for you. If you prefer sweeter drams, instead try the Solist range that I found sweeter and softer. The Kavalan Concertmaster retails for around R1100 in SA and is readily available.

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