Whisky of the Week

Jim Beam Black Label Bourbon Whiskey

On 09/21/2015

Some time ago, I tried the Knob Creek bourbon whiskey and loved it. It has become one of my favourite whiskies, and if you follow me on Twitter, you would have seen me pair the Knob Creek bourbon with a brisket smoked on my Big Green Egg.

I started to look around for more bourbon from the Jim Beam Company, but sadly, the availability of bourbon whisky in South Africa is declining. However, I managed to get my hands on the Jim Beam Black Label 6 year old Kentucky Straight bourbon whisky.

Whiskey in the USA has a long history. In the late 1700s, German, Scotch and Irish settlers farmed in Western Pennsylvania. When the U.S. government promised incentives for moving to Kentucky’s wild frontier to grow corn, Jacob Beam jumped at the opportunity. At times when he had excess corn, he turned it into whiskey.

Related Article: Slate Blended Bourbon

Jacob Beam sold his first barrels of corn whiskey around 1795. In 1830, corn-whiskey distillers shipped their whiskey in used fish or vinegar barrels on the long journey from Kentucky to New Orleans.

Not quite the tasting notes you want in your whiskey. But they found that charing the barrels on the inside removed the unpleasant smell and ready them for whiskey storage. The charred wood produced sugars that added a spectacular caramel taste and a golden colour to their whiskey. This style became known as bourbon.

The Jim Beam Black Label is a 6 year old Kentucky Straight bourbon that was triple aged in American oak.

Jim Beam Black Label Bourbon Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Rich dark gold with hints of red shimmers.

NOSE: Not as sweet as you would expect from a traditional bourbon. The nose has notes of spice and is infused with smokiness. Cherries are floating about with lots of vanilla notes and hints of caramel.

PALATE: Big and bold. There are heaps of cinnamon spice with a wonderful balance between the spiciness and the sweetness. This Jim Beam has a freshness that I have not encountered before in a bourbon. After adding water, it becomes smooth and releases more sweetness. There are notes of toffee and hints of BBQ smoke.

FINISH: Hangs around for the longest time. It ends in notes of cinnamon and orange.

RATING: EXCELLENT

At the price point (R260 or around $20 and ₹ 4,323 in India), this is excellent value for money. I think Knob Creek bourbon just got knocked off the No. 1 spot on my favourite bourbon list. I paired this bourbon with some KFC to see how it would work. See which bourbon paired best with the fried chicken.

I have tried the Jim Beam Double Oak Bourbon, and you can see what I thought about it if you follow the link. Other Jim Beam releases include Jim Beam White Label as well as the Devil’s Cut.

Also Read: Evan Williams Bourbon

Glenlivet 12 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/07/2015

In Single Malt whisky

I grew up with a dad who enjoyed whisky. His favourite drams were Dimple and Chivas Regal. This shaped the way I enjoyed whisky and early on, I gravitated to blended whisky too. One day, a friend poured me a Glenlivet 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky and it blew me away.

The smooth complex flavours just knocked my socks off. I still hold the Glenlivet 12 year old close to my heart.

The Glenlivet distillery is a Speyside distillery in Moray, Scotland. The distillery draws water from Josie’s Well and other springs a short distance from the distillery. George Smith was the first distiller to legally distil whisky in the Speyside region.

He took the brave step of applying for a license following the Excise Act of 1823, much to the unhappiness of his neighbours. He established The Glenlivet on a farm distillery called Upper Drummin in 1824. Glenlivet became so synonymous with quality that more and more distillers started using the name.

To help keep the brand, George Smith’s son, John Gordon Smith, applied for sole rights to the name. In 1884, this was granted. The distillery is owned by Chivas Brothers, themselves a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. The Glenlivet is the world’s second best-selling single malt and it is one of the top sellers in the US.

The Glenlivet 12 year old Scotch is matured in a mixture of American and European Oak. Much to my horror, I noted that The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve will replace The Glenlivet 12 year old in mature malt markets, including the UK from 2015.

Related Article: Glenfiddich 12 yo Whisky

Glenlivet 12 year old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Light golden wheat

NOSE: Sweet with tropical fruits, vanilla and cereals. There are hints of spice and grassy notes floating in the background. The nose is light and fresh.

PALATE: Without water, there are lots of fruits, cinnamon and nutmeg that mix with the oak and barley notes. It is not as sweet as you would expect after the promises of the sweet nose.

Adding a few drops of water smooths the spices and more apple, honey and summer fruit appear. Water allows the Glenlivet 12 year old to show its’ full complexity. Regardless, it is rich and creamy and delicious.

FINISH: Medium length and end in lots of fresh fruit, nuts and hints of lemon.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Certainly, a perfectly fruity dram to usher in Spring with. We have also tried both the Glenlivet 18 year oldand the Glenlivet 15 year old bottled by Signatory for Whisky Brother shop and rated both these expressions as Excellent.

As part of my comparative series, I have done a comparison between the Glenfiddich 12 year old and the Glenlivet 12 year old single malt whisky to see who they compare when you have them side by side. In South Africa, the Glenlivet 12 year old single malt retails for around R 500 and in India for about ₹ 5,656.

I am sure the Founders Reserve is not a bad whisky, but it is not my beloved 12 year old. I will have to stockpile an extra bottle just to make sure I don’t run out too soon.

Food pairings

The Glenlivet 12 year old will pair wonderfully with cheese. I have tried it with a goats cheese flavoured with Italian herbs and it was a creamy dream. It will also work very well with salmon sashimi and delicate seafood such as seared scallops or prawns. Even some smoked duck will bring out amazing things in this Speyside release.

Related Article: Tamnavulin Double Cask Whisky

DYC 8 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/31/2015

In Blended whisky

I keep my eyes open for whisky from non-traditional whisky-producing countries. As delicious as whiskies from Scotland and Ireland are, it is even more exciting to find whisky from a non-traditional country like Spain or India. Like this DYC 8 year old blended whisky.

I was not even aware that there is a whisky culture in Spain, but then I managed to get my hands on this bottle. The DYC 8 yo whisky is a blend and not a single malt whisky. DYC does produce a 10 yo single malt, but I have not managed to find it yet. DYC blended whisky is aged for 8 years in American oak.

Destilerías y Crianza del Whisky S.A. (or Whisky DYC) is a Spanish company formed by businessman Nicomedes García Gómez in 1958. Whisky DYC is a subsidiary of Beam Suntory.

Palazuelos de Eresma in Segovia was the site of the first distillery and began operation in February 1959. In March 1963, it started to produce Whisky DYC, the first Spanish whisky.

The DYC brand is well-liked whisky in Spain and less expensive than most imported whiskies. Popularly, DYC is mixed with non-alcoholic beverages like Coca-Cola or Fanta.

It is relatively unknown outside of Spain, but, Beam Global is exporting this Spanish whisky to India as part of its global expansion. I will certainly be looking out for it on my next visit to Bangalore.

Related Article: Belgian Owl Evolution Whisky

DYC 8 year old Whisky Review

The DYC 8 year old is a blend of malt and grain whiskies aged in American oak casks.

COUNTRY: Spain

ABV: 40%.

COLOUR: Light golden

NOSE: Delicate and sweet with notes of vanilla, grain, honey sweetness and fresh flowers. The DYC 8 year old has a complex nose that invites you to dive in and try it.

PALATE: Without water, the palate is spicy with lots of fruity notes. It is not as sweet or delicate as promised by the nose. After adding a bit of water, the fruity notes disappear, and more spicy pepper and lemon notes come out.

Strangely, this blend becomes rougher around the edges after adding water. The sweetness and complexity suggested by the nose are not to be found on the palate.

FINISH: Medium length and end in notes of oak, lemon peel and pepper.

RATING: VERY GOOD

For a whisky traditionally used as a mixer, I was not expecting very much, but I was pleasantly surprised. Now to get my hands on the DYC 10 year old single malt version. Perhaps I will be fortunate to find it in India on my next trip.

Also Read: Wemyss Velvet Fig whisky

Whisky and Camembert Cheese Pairing

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/26/2015

In Whisky & Cheese

Whisky and camembert cheese pairing header
I love my regular whisky and cheese pairing sessions. It usually takes place on a Saturday afternoon, and I try a broad range of whiskies with interesting cheeses. Many of the whiskies in my collection are limited editions and not readily available, and this makes our tastings exciting but also challenging.

To allow more people to try these pairings, I also try to find a whisky and cheese pairing readily available in South Africa. This past week we bought a Fairview Camembert cheese.

Fairview traditionally was a wine farm in the Paarl area in the Western Cape. After a trip to France, the owners fell in love with the creamy flavoured cheese produced on the wine farms. Upon their returning, they began investigating the possibility of starting their own cheesery. Fairview has won many international and local awards for its cheeses.

Camembert is a popular cheese in South Africa and a frequent addition to cheese boards. This Camembert cheese is made according to a traditional recipe. Camembert is a soft, creamy, surface-ripened cow’s milk cheese. It was first made in the late 18th century at Camembert, Normandy, in northern France.

Fresh Camembert cheese is bland, hard and crumbly in texture. As the cheese matures, it forms a smooth, runny interior and a white bloomy rind. The cheese ripens from the outside towards the centre. It has a rich buttery mushroom flavour. A fungus, called penicillium candidum, is responsible for turning the rind bloomy white.

It was not an easy cheese to pair. I tried many different combinations before finding a few whisky pairings that worked. In the end, I found 3 pairings I truly liked.

Also Read: Martini Cocktail

Whisky and Camembert Cheese Pairing

Ballantine’s Finest Whisky

Whisky and Camembert cheese pairing Ballantine's finest whisky
Ballantine’s Finest whisky has quickly become one of my favourite blended whiskies. This whisky is smooth and filled with notes of Christmas cake, dried fruit, peat and muscovado sugar. Paired with the Fairview Camembert cheese it makes an amazing (and affordable) combination.

Both the whisky and Camembert cheese become smoother and richer. The richness of the Camembert cheese enhances the delicious complexity of the Ballantine’s whisky and works well with the floral notes. The Ballantine’s whisky cut through the buttery richness of the Camembert cheese, and makes it more decadent. I give this pairing a Rating: 4/5.

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky

Whisky and Camembert cheese pairing Bains whisky
The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington is not too far from Paarl where Fairview is situated. I had to try a Western Cape cheese with a Western Cape whisky, and this pairing surprised me. My tasting notes for the Bain’s whisky included sweet hints of toffee, banana and vanilla. There were cloves and cinnamon with bits of oak intermingling with treacle notes.

Again an affordable pairing which surprised me. The sweetness and spice of the Bain’s whisky enhanced the Camembert cheese’s earthy notes. The richness of the cheese softens with the Bain’s, and you want to try the combination again and again. I give this pairing a Rating: 4/5.

Balvenie Caribbean Cask Whisky

Whisky and Camembert cheese pairing Balvenie 14 yo caribbean Cask whisky
A bit of desktop research indicated that Balvenie whisky might pair well with a piece of Camembert cheese. I decided to try the Balvenie Caribbean Cask whisky. It is part of the Balvenie core range and readily available. The official tasting notes for this dram include rich tropical fruits and creamy toffee. Sweet vanilla, apples and sweet oak notes.

Again, what a great combination. The creaminess of the cheese enhances the complexity of the Balvenie Caribbean Cask whisky. The mushroom notes enrich the notes of fruit, spice and wood. The Balvenie Caribbean Cask makes the Camembert milkier and cuts through some of the richness. This pairing gets a Rating: 4/5.

Glenfiddich 12 year old Whisky

Whisky and Camembert cheese pairing glenfiddich 12 yo
I also tried the Fairview Camembert with the Glenfiddich 12 year old whisky. My tasting notes for the Glenfiddich 12 year old is captured here. This pairing was not as good as the ones listed above. I gave this a Rating 3/5.

As part of the experiment, I also tried this Fairview Camembert cheese with a Singleton 12 year old whisky, the Three Ships 5 year old and a Glenfarclas 12 year old whisky. None of these combinations worked well. They all get a Rating: 1/5.

What is your favourite whisky to pair with Camembert cheese?

Also Read: Peaty whisky and blue cheese

Ballantine’s 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/24/2015

In Blended whisky

After trying it for the first time last year, Ballantines has quickly become my favourite blended whisky. The Ballantine’s Finest received my first divine rating, and the Ballantine’s 17 year old was my Blend of the Year 2014.

Based on 2013 case volume sales, Ballantine’s is the number 2 Scotch whisky brand in the world. I added the Ballantine’s 12 year old blended Scotch whisky to the collection, and my collection has grown to over nine different expressions.

The brand is owned by Pernod Ricard and produced in Dumbarton, Scotland. Ballantine’s Scotch whisky dates back to 1827. George Ballantine began supplying a selected range of blended Scotch whiskies to distinguished customers from his grocery store in Edinburgh.

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In 1938 they received the Grant of Heraldic Arms featured on their bottles. It recognized George Ballantine & Sons as an ‘incorporation noble on the Nobleness of Scotland’. The key ingredients in the Ballantine’s blends are Miltonduff and Glenburgie together with whisky from around fifty other malt distilleries as well as from four other grain distilleries.

We took this bottle with us on our trip to the Drakensberg mountains. It was the perfect accompaniment for the blue sky and the beautiful mountains.

Ballantine’s 12 year old Whisky Review

ABV: 43%.

COLOUR: Light golden. It is a medium oily whisky.

NOSE: Sweet with notes of fresh-cut flowers, condensed milk and oak. There are hints of vanilla in the background. The nose is nicely balanced and subtle.

PALATE: Quite spicy with hints of plump raisins. The Ballantine’s 12 year old whisky is rich and creamy smooth. Toffee notes appear after a bit. This blended whisky has a big mouthfeel and is lovely and chewy. Water smooths out the spicy notes and softens the hints of pepper. It brings a lightness to the glass and enhances the sweetness.

FINISH: Wonderful and long. It begins big and then fades away slowly leaving hints of spice and fruit.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Ballantine’s 12 year old blended Scotch whisky has become our ‘go-to’ whisky for a relaxing, uncomplicated dram. It kicked my beloved Johnnie Walker Black Label off the Number 1 spot on our favourite list.

However, the question is: is the Ballantine‘s 12 year old as good as the 17 year old whisky? Not quite. The Ballantine’s 17 whisky blew my minds with its complexity and smooth, creamy quality.

However, this 12 year old is much more affordable than the Ballantine’s 17 year old as well as the Ballantine’s 30 year old and at the price point, a whisky you can drink again and again. This bottle cost around ₹ 5,650 in India.

I have found a Ballantine’s 7 year old Bourbon finish release that I wrote about as well.

Also read: Dewar’s 12 yo whisky