Whisky of the Week

Gin and Olives Pairing Inspiration

On 10/25/2017

< gin and olives header
I have been trying to pair whisky and olives for ages. I found this small little olive shop online. Tapenade has a big selection of the best olive products from the numerous South African olive estates.

I ordered a few different olive products and paired them with various kinds of whisky. But no luck. It did not work. There were a few OK pairings, but nothing that blew my mind.

Whisky is not made for olives. I did, however, want to pair the olive products I found with something, so I did some more research And the answer just jumped out at me as soon as I typed olives and alcohol into Google. A dirty Martini. Of course.

Gin might make the perfect pairing for olives. A Dirty Martini contains a splash of olive brine or olive juice and is traditionally garnished with an olive.

I started to experiment and found some fantastic pairings. What can be better? A refreshing G&T paired with some delicious South African olives. I kept it local with Gauteng based gin distilleries. All this gin is made right here in the city of Gold.

Gauteng Gin and Olives Pairing

Westcliff gin and Darling olive marmalade pairing

gin and olives Westcliff Gin Darling Olive Marmalade

Made by the Angel Heart distillery in Sandton, the Westcliff gin is inspired by the beautiful suburb and the rich gold history of this city. Westcliff is full of soft green and floral notes, hints of vanilla, passionfruit and African ginger.

I paired it with the Darling Olive Marmalade. This delicious marmalade is the perfect balance between sweet and sun-ripened olives; a delectable pairing.

Time Anchor London Dry gin and Chaloner Olive and Almond Tapenade

gin and olives Time anchor London dry gin chaloner olive and almond tapenade

Distilled in the Maboneng Precinct, this Time Anchor London Dry gin has notes of juniper, angelica root and citrus. Chaloner’s Olive & Almond Tapenade has a base of toasted almonds, olive oil, capers, anchovies and makes an interesting snack when you spread it thinly onto parma ham slices and wrap them around steamed asparagus spears.

Also Read: Bourbon Coffee

The Capital Gin Indigo and Willow Creek Rosemary and garlic olives<

gin and olives The Capital Gin Indigo Willow Creek rosemary and garlic olives

Made in the heart of Pretoria, the Capital Gin Indigo is flavoured with lavender and rosemary from and balanced by notes of orange. This gin is big and bold and fantastic in gin-based cocktails. And what better pairing than Willow Creek black mission olives flavoured Greek style with garlic and rosemary.

The Capital Gin Alchemist and Kloovenburg Smoked black olives

gin and olives The Capital Gin Alchemist kloovenburg smoked black olives

The Capital Gin Alchemist is spicy and has notes of cinnamon, cloves and roasted citrus. Spicy and vibrant, this gin can stand up to more robust food and pairs wonderfully with the Kloovenburg black olives with a slightly smokey flavour.

So grab your favourite gin and tonic over the weekend and add a plate of olives for the perfect Saturday afternoon snack. Make it a gin and olives weekend!

Also Read: Bloody Mary Cocktail

Floki Icelandic Young Malt

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/16/2017

In Single Malt whisky

John went climbing in Iceland two years ago. Not a country that was on my bucket list, until we started researching it for his climb. He came back with unforgettable memories and made us all jealous with photos of the fantastic scenery and stories about trolls and sheep. It was also a country that allowed us to add to our world whisky collection.

John had great stories about the exciting food such as -Hákarl (putrescent shark meat, which has been preserved) and hot spring rye bread (dark bread that is baked in special wooden casks that are placed close to hot springs and then left for more than 24 hours).

In Reykjavik, he tried rye bread ice cream from Cafe Loki. I managed to find the Icelandic rye bread recipe online and have baked it a few times, and it is delicious.

Also Read: Mackmyra First Edition whisky

On the way back, in Duty-Free, he picked up a bottle of Floki Icelandic Young Malt “whisky”. Made by Eimvert, a family-run distillery founded in 2009. They make gin, Icelandic Brevvivin and Floki Icelandic Young Malt.

Production on the Floki whisky started 2013, and the first single malt whisky will only be available in limited bottling from November 2017. Floki is named after one of Iceland’s first explorers, Hrafna-Flóki (Flóki of the ravens). The barley produces on Iceland is slow-growing and has a low sugar content.

Eimverk distillery uses up to 50% more barley per batch to compensate for this. At Eimvert, they use only native Icelandic ingredients.

This Young Malt is about a year old, and there is even Sheep Dung Smoked Reserve Young Malt. The bottle is 50cl, and the label is a beautiful Norse inspired design in black and white.

Floki Icelandic Young Malt Review

COUNTRY: Iceland

ABV: 47%

COLOUR: Warm Gold

NOSE: Raw alcohol, but as this is only 1 year old, this is to be expected. When the alcohol has evaporated a bit, hints of warm oak spices, overripe fruit sweetness and bits of vanilla come through on this Floki Icelandic Young Malt.

PALATE: Alcohol! The first sip is quite harsh until it has stood for a whole, but after the alcohol burn, you can taste the beginnings of something delicious. There are hints of oak, malt, vanilla, cinnamon and white pepper.

A honey and fruity sweetness balance it out. Water softens out the harsh alcohol burn and brings more of the sweetness to the forefront.

FINISH: Rather short and spicy.

RATING: GOOD

I don’t think this is a bad start for a spirit that is only a year old. The Floki Young Malt has the right elements to turn into a rather drinkable dram given some time. There is a yummy richness in the background that probably need some more time.

I would love to taste what comes out of the distillery this November when the spirit is a bit older. It will never be the most complex whisky, but I suspect it might turn out rather exciting and drinkable.

Another young malt that I have tasted and written about is the Helden Hickory wood whisky from South Africa. Tasting these releases is fun as it shows the start of the distillery character without to much wood influence.

Also Read: Slyrs Whisky

Bruichladdich Octomore Scottish Barley 6.1 Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/09/2017

In Single Malt whisky

What do you buy for the special person in your life who loves peaty whisky? The peatiest whisky in the world, of course. The fact that it completes the series from the Bruichladdich distillery of which we already have 2 is just the cherry on the cake.

I bought John a bottle of Bruichladdich Octomore Scottish Barley 6.1 single malt Scotch whisky for a special occasion. I can’t even remember what the special occasion was. It might have been a wedding anniversary. John loves peat! I have a sweeter palate and prefer my peat with some sweeter notes.

The Octomore 6.1 Scottish Barley whisky was for him, not me. The distillery that bears the title “Worlds most peated whisky”, the Bruichladdich Octomore single malt has a cult following around the world. Some of the recent releases are seated up to 208ppm.

I wrote extensively about the other two brands in the range: the unpeated Bruichladdich and the heavily peated Port Charlotte already. The Octomore name pays homage to a farm located on the hillside above the Port Charlotte village on Islay, not far from the Bruichladdich distillery. The farm operated its own licensed distillery between 1816 and 1852.

The Bruichladdich distillery is currently owned French multinational drinks group Rémy Cointreau.

Bruichladdich Octomore Scottish Barley 6.1 Whisky Review

The Bruichladdich Octomore Scottish Barley Edition 06.1 is a 5 years old and made from barley harvested from mainland Scotland. This Scottish Barley 06.1 single malt Edition is peated to (only) 167 ppm.

REGION: Islay

ABV: 57%

COLOUR: Golden autumn yellow

NOSE: This dram has that classic Islay nose. Smoke, ash, and peat assault the senses. You can sense the heavy peat from a mile away. It’s big and bold. It’s rich and complex. There are notes of seaweed and salt, iodine and medicinal notes balanced with honey, cinnamon and vanilla.

PALATE: The smoke, ash and peat continue on the palate. There is a honey sweetness that lingers with hints of pepper, cinnamon and sea air. John described it as”… The boldness on the nose climbs into your mouth with a vengeance.

After drinking this dram, I feel like heading out to sea to catch herring – or to invade France. It’s that kind of a dram. It’s big in the mouth, soil and tar on the tongue…” Water soothes the ash and peat a little and brings the sweetness forward.

FINISH: It has a dry finish with peat, pepper and honey. John was lyrical about this dram and he described the finish as “…the finish hangs around like aunt Sally after Christmas dinner. Like her, it refuses to leave. Unlike her, it’s welcome to stay. The ending is charcoal and tar poles. I’ve never tasted tar poles – and thanks to this dram I now have no need. It’s just brilliant.”

RATING: EXCELLENT

It was an excellent present for John and the perfect gift for a peat lover. The surprise, however, was how much I loved it. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. Good thing that I write about this bottle now, because it will not last very long.

Despite being big, bold and earthy, the Bruichladdich Octomore Scottish Barley remains balanced and graceful. Simply delicious!

This brand also made it onto my favourite peated whisky list. You can read this article all the other peated drams that also made it onto the list.

Also Read: Ardbeg Supernova whisky

Galloway Single Grain Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/02/2017

In Grain Whisky

About two years ago, I found this bottle of Galloway single grain Scotch whisky somewhere in a small bottle shop and bought it. It was relatively affordable, and it was a single grain. Not that this means much, but the information on the bottle about it being made on the banks of Loch Lomond looked interesting.

According to the label…”Lowland Scotch whisky. Produced on the banks of Loch Lomond then aged and matured in oak casks in the heart of Scotland. The whisky comes to life on Loch Lomond’s beautiful banks, born from the pristine waters that arise in the surrounding hills.”

Thomson & Gray have named this whisky Galloway, after the ship the company owned from 1876 – 1882. The Galloway carried cargo to South Africa in the empire years.

The Galloway single grain bottle landed up in the back of the cupboard for about two years, and after cleaning up a bit, I found it again. There is barely anything available on the internet on this bottling, and an email to the company who imported it into SA went unanswered.

Looking at the map and distilleries around Loch Lomond, the only distillery that does grain (and malt) is the Loch Lomond distillery. Might this be a cask from Loch Lomond but bottled under a different name?

Or someone just wanting to piggyback off the success of the Loch Lomond grain whisky by using the name of the Loch? Is it some Loch Lomond single grain bottled under a different name? Let’s find out.

Also Read: The Chita Whisky

Galloway Single Grain Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark gold with red hints

NOSE: Overly sweet caramel. I let the glass stand for a while for the heavy caramel notes to disappear. There are faint notes of oak, cinnamon and vanilla.

PALATE: When you try to take a sip of the Galloway single grain, the heavy caramel sweetness is still overwhelming on the nose. However, not on the palate. There are notes of pepper, bitter lemon and very little sweetness with a sharp alcohol bite.

The sticky sweet caramel nose does not translate to the palate (small mercies). John describes the Galloway as “…cheap cane spirit laced with even cheaper corn syrup. Rich layers of benzine and methylated spirits overwhelm the senses.” He is not far off. Adding some water softens the alcohol burn a bit, but does little else,

FINISH: Fortunately very short ending in notes of pepper and bitter lemon. John describes it as”… What finish… I did not finish it…”

RATING: ORDINARY

This Galloway single grain whisky is the kind of whisky that people who have never tasted whisky would distil. It’s awfully, and John’s view is that someone is committing a crime bottling it. It is certainly NOT from Loch Lomond Distillery.

I don’t think this liquid has even seen Scotland. Let alone the beautiful Loch. If you happen to see this bottle somewhere, put it down and take something else; anything else.

Has anyone else noticed this bottle somewhere?

Also Read: Dewar’s 15 yo whisky

Whisky and Wensleydale Cheese Pairing

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/20/2017

In Whisky & Cheese

Whisky and Wensleydale Cheese Pairing to try
This past couple of weekend I have been testing a lot of whisky and cheese pairings again. After the craziness that was June and July, weekends have slowed down and lefts some space for experimenting.

I was sitting back, grabbing a few whiskies, opening up some interesting cheese and in general just relaxing a bit. I tried a goats cheese and bourbon pairings, but that elicited a slightly negative response from John.

He hates goats cheese and no bourbon and goats cheese pairing worked for him. Me, well I love goats cheese and appreciated all the pairings. I served it with some crusty baguettes and thought it was fabulous. The next weekend we moved on to a Wensleydale cheese with cranberries.

Also Read: Nectarine Bourbon Smash

Previously I paired a Wensleydale cheese with mango and ginger with some Glenkinchie 12 year old whisky, and it was a great pairing.

French Cistercian monks from the Roquefort region, who had settled in Wensleydale, first made Wensleydale cheese. When the monastery dissolved, the local farmers continued making the cheese-making tradition.

Wensleydale cheese is traditionally firm and creamy with sweet notes. It is a great cheese to pair with fruit. This Wensleydale with cranberries is from Somerset and a crumbly semi-hard cheese. The cranberries add a zesty note to the flavour. So let’s try a few bold and exciting whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairings

Whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairing

Glenfarclas 12 year old Whisky

Glenfarclas 12yo Whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairing
The first pairing was the sherried Glenfarclas 12 year old whisky. Tasting notes for the Speyside classic single malt Scotch include notes of fruitcake, raisins, oak and spice. The sweetness of the Glenfarclas complimented the sweetness of the cheese and made for a creamy combination. The tart cranberry notes got a bit lost in all the sweetness. RATING: 3/5

Johnnie Walker Swing Blended Whisky

Johnnie Walker Swing Whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairing
A Johnnie Walker blended Scotch with hints of peat, dried fruits, tobacco and leather. There are bits of sherry sweetness with some ginger in the Swing. The peaty smoke worked well with the creamy, rich cheese and created a comforting and delicious pairing. RATING: 3.5/5

Also Read: Pina Colada Cocktail

Glenmorangie Sonnalta Whisky

Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX Whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairing
After spending ten years maturing in American white oak casks, the Sonnalta PX is transferred into PX casks for its final two years of extra-maturation. This makes it a sweet dram with hints of dried fruits, honey and spices. The pairing of the Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX with the Wensleydale is fantastic. The cream of the cheese and the body of the whisky are perfectly paired to make for a delicious combination. RATING: 4/5

Macallan 15 year old Fine Oak Whisky

Macallan Fine Oak 15 yo Whisky and Wensleydale cheese pairing
The Macallan Fine Oak 15 year old whisky boasts notes of oak and orange blossom sweetness barley, vanilla sweetness mixed with some pepper spice and nutmeg. It is big and bold, and I was scared that it would overwhelm this cheese, but the pairing was excellent. Creamy and elegant with bright tart notes from the cranberry. RATING: 4/5

What is your favourite whisky to pair with a creamy Wensleydale?

Also Read: Peaty whisky and blue cheese pairings