Whisky of the Week

Can you believe it; I have not tried one single Balvenie whisky this whole year! What a shame and something that needs rectification immediately! And with the coolish weather we are having, I think a whisky aged in Rum casks is perfect. So I took down the Balvenie Golden Cask 14 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

The Balvenie is a distillery I love. I have tasted plenty of the Balvenie releases including the Balvenie Triple Cask 16 yo, the Balvenie Peated Cask and the Balvenie Portwood 1993 whisky release. You can read about the history of Balvenie in some of my previous posts.

Also Read: Tomintoul 16 yo Whisky

But today is all about the Golden Cask. This Balvenie Golden Cask Scotch whisky was initially bottled for the travel retail market.

The whisky was first matured in traditional oak casks and then finished in casks that formerly held golden Caribbean rum. It’s crafted by Balvenie’s David Stewart. It has been discontinued and I can’t find it available anymore.

The Balvenie Golden Cask 14 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 47.5%

COLOUR: Light wheat gold

NOSE: Heaps of fruits, florals with butterscotch and fudge and vanilla. Fields of summer flowers with hints of cinnamon spice and hints of chocolate coated fruits and oak.

PALATE: The fruity sweetness promised on the nose is not so pronounced, and there are more spicy notes on the palate. The Golden Cask is refined and luxurious. It is fresh and light with pineapple, tropical fruit. Complex and delicious, water brings sweetness to the front and makes the whisky delicious and drinkable.

FINISH: Long and lingering with some sweetness and cinnamon coming through at the end.

RATING: EXCELLENT

A lovely release. I will be sad when we finish this bottle of Balvenie whisky; especially as it can’t be replaced. The balance between the fruity notes, the spices and the tropical hints is delicious and luxurious.

I have paired this Golden Cask single malt release with some Lindt Papaya chocolate for New Year. The fruity chocolate enhanced the tropical fruit notes of the Golden Cask whisky and the whisky smoothed out the creamy sweet notes of the chocolate. It made for a wonderfully rich and decadent fruit combination.

I am glad that I at least have the Caribbean Cask to make me dream of tropical islands. A side by side comparison between the Golden Cask and the Caribbean Cask deserved its own blog post.

Also Read: New Zealand Whisky Company whisky

Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/13/2018

In Single Malt whisky

Today I try the Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask single malt Scotch whisky, a whisky discovery with a bit of a story. A year or three ago, while visiting a whisky show, there was a man in a kilt. Not strange at a whisky show, there are usually quite a few men in kilts.

My favourite Mr Whisky – Pierre Meintjies always wears his kilt to whisky shows. However, this was an African man in a kilt. Not a sight you see very often.

Especially not in Pretoria, where this particular whisky show was being held. I just had to meet this gentleman and wandered over. His name is Mickey Baloyi. As I was to find out, Mickey is affectionately known in the liquor industry as ‘the African Scot’.

He worked extensively for whisky brands in South Africa and learnt his craft from master blenders in Scotland. Mickey is also a Keeper of the Quaich.

Also Read: Sullivans Cove Bourbon Cask Whisky

Mickey was standing with a bottle of whisky that I, at that stage, have not seen before – A Glenbrynth. I had to taste it and got the opportunity to taste a few releases from this company. Not much information is available on Glenbrynth, but other releases include:

Blended malt
12 year old blended malt
18 year old single malt
21 year old single malt
28 year old single malt
30 year old blended Scotch
40 year old blended malt.

The 21 year old single malt and the 30 year old blended whisky impressed me. The Glenbrynth whisky is distilled and matured in Speyside and the Highlands regions from unnamed distilleries. The final product is blended and bottled in Bellshill, Glasgow, Scotland.

The Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask is a limited edition single malt Scotch whisky that was double cask matured – first in traditional American ex-bourbon oak casks and then in first-fill American ex-bourbon oak casks.

Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask Whisky Review

REGION: Scotland

ABV: 43%

COLOUR:Gold with hints of sunset orange

NOSE: The nose on the Bourbon Cask finish is delicate and light with hints of malt, stewed fruit sweetness, caramel and something that reminds me of sherry sweetness, rather than a bourbon sweetness. I was hoping for a bit of the traditional bourbon spices of vanilla and toasted oak, but it was not there.

PALATE: The sweetness from the nose does not translate to the palate. On the palate, it is spicy with cinnamon and pepper and some alcohol heat. There are notes of wet wood and old flowers.

Not the most complex dram. After adding water, the heat and spices are softened a bit, but the Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask tastes watered down. There seems to be a hint of milk chocolate that brightens things up a bit.

FINISH: Pepper and caramel sweetness.

RATING: GOOD

After tasting the older releases from this brand, I was expecting something a ~~bit~~ LOT more complex and rewarding. The Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask is a bit one-sided and lacks depth and complexity. The older releases, however, are excellent.

For some reason, this Bourbon Cask falls short of my expectation, and it might be part of my collection for a rather long time.

This release is available for around R45o in South Africa so definitely in the affordable range. Based on some research Glenbrynth is available in quite a few Southern African countries as well.

The prices are quite reasonable. The Glenbrynth 21 year old whisky retails for around R2 900, the 30 year old for around R 4 000 and the Glenbrynth 40 year old whisky for about R7 000.

Have you tried this release? Or any other in the Glenbrynth series?

Also Read: Glenfiddich Fire and Cane Whisky

Glen Scotia Victoriana Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/30/2018

In Single Malt whisky

A long story to get to my whisky this week; the Glen Scotia Victoriana single malt Scotch whisky. Winter is not my favourite time of the year. I love the summer. When it is warm, I can move, plan, function and do things.

During winter, all I want to do is hibernate until the temperature rises again. But being in hibernation does not lead to getting things done, so winter I try to use as a time to restructure, refocus and clean.

Preparing and cleaning, so that when Spring comes, I can shrug off the old and start something fresh and new. As part of the process, I started sorting and cleaning my ‘whisky room’; the room where I store my liquor bottles. Whisky, wine, gin, brandy and all the assorted liqueurs that we gathered over the years.

I updated my database with what I have and cleaned out old boxes and paperwork that seems to gather there. And lo and behold, I found a small box with some samples in that I have not officially tasted yet. The box was from a Loch Lomond function I attended a couple of years ago.

Also Read: Inchmurrin 11 yo Whisky

Two of the drams I have tasted and written about. But there was a few more that I have not covered yet. So, over the next couple of months, expect to see a few Glen Scotia releases popping up for tasting.

The first one I want to try is the Glen Scotia Victoriana whisky. I just love the name and the label. The label reminds me of that dying hobby of stamp collection. So it is making the first appearance.

The name and the label is a reminder of the Victorian era when Campbeltown was a booming whisky hub. The small Kintyre Peninsula boasted over 20 distilleries. Campbeltown was known as “The Whisky Capital of the World.” Then Prohibition hit and Speyside and the Highlands became more dominant and this caused the end of the of Campbeltown golden era.

I had written about the history of Campbeltown and Glen Scotia when I captured my tasting notes for the Glen Scotia Double Cask, the Loch Lomond Original release as well as the Loch Lomond Single Grain whisky.

The Glen Scotia Victoriana single malt aims to re-create a modern interpretation of classic Victorian Campbeltown malt. The Victoriana is a NAS release and has been finished in deeply charred oak casks and bottled at cask strength without filtration.

Glen Scotia Victoriana Whisky Review

REGION: Campbeltown

ABV: 51.5%

COLOUR: Golden wheat with hints of green

NOSE: A very delicate nose. It’s got light cereals with hints of floral character in it. Toasted oak and smoke, bits of overripe summer berries, vanilla, toffee apple sweetness mixed with winter spices.

PALATE: On the palate, it’s different from other expressions. It starts quite spicy then quickly settled down. The first sip has lots of oak dryness, dried citrus peel, cinnamon, pepper and vanilla.

The second sip brings fruit jam with malted biscuits and salted toffee with faint hints of smoke. The Victoriana has a medium body, and a bit of an alcohol bite and water brings down the heat. Water also releases more fruit and vanilla spiciness but tempers the salt and smokiness.

FINISH: The finish is remarkable and the highlight of the Victoriana. It builds quickly and warms your insides before slowly retreating to leave you satisfied long after you have swallowed. The addition of water tames the finish a bit. It ends in hints of chocolate and smoke with lemon peel and oak.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The oaky spiciness of the Victoriana whisky can be a bit overwhelming. But you just need to take a second sip for the ripe summer berries, vanilla and smoky notes to come through. It is an exciting release that is certainly worth trying. From all the Campbeltown releases I have tried, this is my favourite.

In a few weeks, I will feature the Glen Scotia 15 yo, and perhaps that will also impress. We will have to wait and see. For now, I need to get my hands on a full-size Victoriana as this little sample was not enough.

Also Read: The Arran Malt Sherry Cask Whisky

Johnnie Walker Explorers Club The Spice Road Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/23/2018

In Blended whisky

During 2014 I tasted the Johnnie Walker Gold Route Explorer’s Club Collection whisky and loved it. John picked it up from Kenyatta airport after a fire damaged a part of the departure terminal. The Johnnie Walker Gold Route was inspired by journeys around the lush Amazon forests of Central America through the snow-capped Andean mountains.

We loved this expression and managed to grab the Johnnie Walker Explorers Club Collection the Spice Road blended Scotch whisky soon after. And do you know; I have tasted it but never wrote about it. So it is high time that I formally look at this Explorer’s Club release.

The Spice Road is the first of the three limited editions in Johnnie Walker’s Explorer’s Club Collection and aims at celebrating the trade routes of old. The other two are the Gold Route and the Royal Route.

During the 1800s and early 1900s, the Walker family and their agents travelled the world in search of adventure. They took their whisky to Asia, the Americas and the Caribbean. Johnnie Walker was enjoyed on the great railways, luxury ocean liners and early transatlantic flights.

Also Read: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel whiskey

Back in London, Alexander Walker established the Travelers’ Room where his agents would come to rest, talk strategy and exchange stories and samples from their travels. These colourful tales of exploration influenced the Johnnie Walker Master Blenders, who created these different styles of whisky to reflect the exotic stories.

The Spice Route whisky was inspired by the ancient spice trading routes into Asia. Reminiscent of the vibrant aromas and spices from the spice markets of the East, brimming with colour and new experiences. I see that the Johnnie Walker Explorers Club Collection the Spice Road is still available in retail for around R 1 600.

Johnnie Walker Explorers Club The Spice Road Review

The Johnnie Walker Spice Road whisky is matured in old oak casks. It has no age statement.

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Gold with hints of mahogany

NOSE: Spices. There is no mistaking the inspiration of the spice route in this release. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves jump out but slowly make way for more tropical fruit. Hints of tropical forests and malted porridge, drizzled with honey.

PALATE: The spicy notes of the nose translates onto the palate. Waves of cinnamon, allspice is followed by ripe oranges, grapes and bits of smoke. Hints of honey, oak and malt when you add a bit of water. Not the most complex of drams, and without water, the spices can be a bit overwhelming. The Johnnie Walker Spice Road has a medium body.

FINISH: White pepper and oranges with bits of smoke and drying oak.

RATING: VERY GOOD

Not a bad release, however, I think I prefer the Johnnie Walker Gold Route whisky. The sweeter fruitiness of the Gold Route kept in my mind a lot longer.

The spiciness of this release can be somewhat overwhelming, and I prefer a slightly sweeter whisky. This spiciness of this Johnnie Walker Spice Road will probably work well with cheese, so I need to go and experiment a bit.

Also Read: Chivas Royal Salute 21 yo whisky

Laphroaig 10 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/16/2018

In Single Malt whisky

From Islay comes the Laphroaig 10 year old single malt Scotch whisky. Mention the name Islay and visions of a windswept lonely island in the Atlantic ocean comes to mind. The ocean played an integral part in Islay’s history as it brought explorers, wanderers and conquerors.

Ancient people erected Neolithic standing stones on the granite hills. It gives the island it’s maritime climate. It is a name that evokes many positive emotions for peat lovers and a visit to Islay for some, is seen as a pilgrimage.

Islay is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides of Scotland; known as “The Queen of the Hebrides”. It lies just south-west of Jura and around 40 kilometres north of the Irish coast.

At one time in the Islay whisky history, there were up to 23 distilleries in operation. This dwindled to just seven during the 1900s. Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Ardbeg, have a smoky character with lots of peat, characteristic of the Islay malts.

Caol Ila, on the northern side of the island, also produces a strongly peated whisky. Bowmore distillery has a medium peat level, and Bunnahabhain makes lighter drams and Bruichladdich is unpeated.

The last ten years have seen a growth in new distilleries again. The Kilchoman distillery started production in late 2005. The Gartbreck Distillery is expected to start distilling spirit in summer of 2017 and is situated just south of Bowmore.

This will be followed by the Ardnahoe Distillery, located between Port Askaig and Bunnahabhain, which is expected to start distilling in 2018.

But the distillery that for me, is quintessential Islay, is Laphroaig. Named after Loch Laphroaig on the south coast of Islay. Started by the Johnson brothers, the Laphroaig distillery changed hand a few times and is currently owned by Beam Suntory.

Also Read: Sullivans Cove Bourbon Cask Whisky

Laphroaig 10 year old Whisky Review

Laphroaig’s distinctive flavour comes from its closeness to the ocean and the high moss content of its peat. The Laphroaig 10 year old single malt Scotch whisky is the original cask strength version. It is aged in ex bourbon barrels.

REGION: Islay

ABV: 55.7%

COLOUR: Dark sparking gold

NOSE: Big and bold with notes of moist ocean air, seed weed, smoke, peat, iodine and ash but with hints of fruity sweetness, bits of salted caramel.

PALATE: The peatiness and the sweetness is nicely balanced with not one element overpowering the other. There are notes of smoke, earth and malt softened by the sweeter ripe fruit notes with caramel. Make no mistake, this is no shrinking violet! The Laphroaig 10 year old whisky is bold and in your face, but it does it with class and finesse.

FINISH: Long and lingering with reminders of driftwood and peat.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Water softens this Laphroaig 10 year old Cask Strength whisky a bit to open up more salted fudge notes. Warming and delicious, this is just the dram I want to have when the weather is cold and rainy outside, and I am toasty warm inside next to the fireplace. I will replace this bottle rather quickly again; it is just marvellous.

I have done a side by side comparison between the 10 year old and the Laphroaig Quarter cask whisky to see how they differ.

Also Read: Port Charlotte 10 yo Whisky

Whisky of the Week

Meandering the world, one whisky at a time

The Balvenie 14 year old Golden Cask Whisky

The Balvenie Golden Cask 14 year old Whisky Review

Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask Whisky

Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask Whisky Review

Glen Scotia Victoriana Whisky

Glen Scotia Victoriana Whisky Review

Johnnie Walker Explorers Club The Spice Road Whisky

Johnnie Walker Explorers Club The Spice Road Review

Laphroaig 10 year old Whisky

Laphroaig 10 year old Whisky Review