Whisky of the Week

Wemyss Malts Velvet Fig Whisky

On 07/20/2015

Two years ago, while travelling through Dullstroom, we tried some whisky from an, up to that point, unknown but intriguing-sounding bottler. Right there and then, I fell in love with Wemyss Malts.

It is unfortunately not (yet) available in South Africa. While travelling overseas, I managed to get hold of my first bottle, the Wemyss Dark Chocolate Orange single cask whisky.Now, when possible, I add more Wemyss Malts releases to my collection. I have tried the Sweet Mint Infusion and the Gooseberry Marmalade

While following the World Whisky Awards on Twitter earlier this year, I saw that the Wemyss Malts Velvet Fig blended malt Scotch whisky won in the category ‘Best Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 2015’. I had to get my hands on a bottle.

It was, however, a limited release of just 6 000 bottles, so it was quite a struggle to obtain a bottle. But, with the kind help of the ladies at Wemyss Malts, I managed to track down one of the last bottles of Wemyss Malts Velvet Fig whisky and it arrived safe and sound in South Africa during May.

Velvet Fig is made from a selection of single malts, all of which have aged entirely in Ex-Oloroso Sherry casks. This no age statement whisky is not chill-filtered and bottled at 46%. Like the rest of the Wemyss Malts Blended Malts, Velvet Fig is named after the whisky’s natural flavours and aromas. It was with great excitement that I opened this bottle.

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Wemyss Malts Velvet Fig Blended Malt Whisky Review

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: It is quite a dark coloured whisky. The rich mahogany coloured Wemyss Malts Velvet Fig makes long tears in the glass.

NOSE: Notes of sherry, fruit, Christmas pudding stuffed with lots of sultanas and dates, green apples and yes, Fig. Lots of sweet fig preserve. There are notes of fresh-cut flowers and hints of cinnamon and nutmeg in the background.

PALATE: Spicier than I expected. Without water, the spicy notes dominate with cinnamon and juicy sweet figs. It is not as sweet as the nose leads me to believe. After adding a bit of water, the spices smoothed out, and more of the fig and fruity notes take over. There still is not as much sweetness as I anticipated.

FINISH: This rich and full-bodied Velvet Fig has a long finish and end in notes of fruit and spice.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is a surprising complex whisky. I am so glad we managed to get a bottle for our collection. Now to hunt down our next bottle from this innovative company.

I have tried various other Wemyss releases, including the Wemyss Brandy Casket, as well as the Wemyss Malts Dark Chocolate Orange. Looking around, I see that a few of the blended malts are now available in SA.

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Highland Whisky and Gouda Cheese with Cumin Pairing

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/15/2015

In Whisky & Cheese

Whisky and Gouda cheese pairing
About two weeks ago, I blogged about a mature Gouda and Highland whisky pairing. I tried the mature Gouda cheese with various Highland whiskies as well as with a Dutch whisky. The 8 year old Millstone French Oak whisky was a great companion to the mature Gouda.

To my surprise, the Tomatin 12 year old single malt whisky also made a good pairing. Besides the mature Gouda, I also picked up a Gouda with cumin cheese from the Gestam range at Checkers Cheese World. I wanted to try a whisky and Gouda cheese with cumin pairing.

Also Read: Pairing bourbon and cheese

I decided to try the Gouda with cumin cheese with the same Highland whiskies to see if the results would be similar. The Gouda with cumin is a young cheese only aged for about four weeks and flavoured with whole cumin seeds.

This Gouda cheese had a rich butter taste spiced with whole cumin seeds. Cumin adds an earthy and warming feeling and has a nutty flavour. As this Gouda was not aged, it did not have the small crystals and stronger aroma that the mature Gouda had.

Millstone French Oak Whisky and Gouda with Cumin Cheese

Millstone French Oak Whisky & Gouda cheese with Cumin Pairing Whisky and Gouda
First, I tried it with the Millstone French Oak whisky. My tasting notes included woody spices with subtle notes of fresh flowers, hints of cinnamon, cloves, ginger and barley. There was some biscuit sweetness in the background. This Dutch whisky and Gouda with cumin pairing was wonderful.

The Gouda cheese made the Millstone whisky sweeter, and the whisky sweetness balanced the spicy cumin. The 8 yo made the Gouda creamy smooth, and it was a great pairing. I gave this Millstone French Oak whisky and Gouda pairing a RATING: 4/5.

Macallan 15 yo Whisky and Gouda Cheese with Cumin

Macallan 15 yo Whisky & Gouda with Cumin cheese Pairing Whisky and Gouda
Next up was the Macallan 15 year old whisky. My tasting notes for the Macallan included notes of oak, rich fruit, floral notes, vanilla sweetness and a medium finish. The Macallan 15 single malt Scotch has a nice body, and I gave it a Rating: Excellent. When I tried it with the mature Gouda, it was not the best pairing.

However, this Macallan 15 yo whisky and Gouda cheese with cumin pairing worked wonderfully. The spices and the creaminess in the younger Gouda cheese brought out more oak and fruity notes in the whisky. The Macallan whisky enriched the Gouda and made it even more creamy and delicious. I gave this whisky and Gouda cheese pairing a RATING: 4/5.

What did not work

I also tried the Gouda with cumin pairing with the Tomatin 12 year old whisky. The Tomatin worked magic with the more mature Gouda, but with the younger cheese, it was nothing spectacular. I gave it a Rating: 3/5.

I tried the Gouda with Cumin with the Highland Park 18 year old and the Glendronach 16 year old. This pairing did not work at all. I gave it a Rating: 1/5. You tasted whisky; you tasted cheese; there was no interaction or enriching of the whisky and Gouda.

It was interesting to try both the mature and the younger Gouda cheese with the Highland whiskies. The combinations gave me wonderful inspiration for a cheeseboard.

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Kininvie 17 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/06/2015

In Single Malt whisky

In October 2013, I tasted the William Grant & Sons Monkey Shoulder blended malt expression and loved it. Monkey Shoulder blended malt is a blend of three William Grant single malts. I have various expressions from Glenfiddich and The Balvenie, but I have never heard of the Kininvie distillery.

Lucky for me, on one of John’s business trips to London, he found the Kininvie 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky at Heathrow Airport Duty-Free. Of course, he grabbed it for me. Kininvie is a distillery in Dufftown, which produces single malt Scotch whisky.

The whisky from this distillery is mainly used in William Grant blended whisky brands. Notably their Grants and Clan Macgregor releases. The Kininvie Distillery, one of the youngest distilleries in Scotland, began production on 4 July 1990.

Kininvie Distillery is built close to The Balvenie distillery, and they share some equipment. Some sources argue Kininvie is not a proper distillery as most of the equipment is owned by Balvenie and that Kininvie is just an extension of Balvenie.

Other people don’t agree and argue that they share the Balvenie mill. Regardless of this, getting this bottle to complete our collection is great. Kininvie itself stopped operating in late 2010.

The Kininvie 17 year old whisky is matured in 80% American oak and 20% Sherry casks.

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Kininvie 17 year old Whisky Review

It is (only) a 350 ml bottle.

ABV: 42,6%

COLOUR: A light golden coloured. It has a sort of pale gold colour and is quite oily.

NOSE: Brings sweet sherry, candied fruit and malty sweetness. There are notes of toffee, fresh-cut flowers and apples. It has a rich and complex nose. Adding water enhances the floral notes.

PALATE: On the palate, the Kininvie whisky is spicier than expected. The sweetness suggested by the nose is a lot less pronounced. After the sweet nose, I was expecting quite a sweet whisky. There are notes of wood, fresh fruit and malt.

The toffee and caramel sweetness drifts past in the background. It is a wonderfully smooth and rich whisky. Chewy and full-bodied.

FINISH: Long and lingering. It ends in notes of creamy, spicy malt.

RATING: EXCELLENT

A splendid dram! It is easy to drink, complex and smooth. If only the bottle were bigger. I would love to taste more from this distillery.

Looking around, I see that there is a Kininvie 25 year old single malt at The Whisky Exchange, and it sounds amazing. However, at £ 399 for a 35cl bottle, it might be slightly out of my price range.

Also Read: Littlemill 25 yo whisky

Whisky and Mature Gouda Cheese Pairings

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/01/2015

In Whisky & Cheese

Mature Gouda Cheese and whisky pairing header
Last week I wandered past our local Checkers Cheese World and grabbed some imported Gestam mature Gouda cheese. They had the Gestam Gouda with Cumin as well, and this also got dropped into my shopping basket. Naturally, my mind wandered to a whisky and mature Gouda cheese pairing.

Gouda is a Dutch yellow cheese made from cow’s milk. It is named after the city of Gouda in the Netherlands. It is one of the most popular cheeses worldwide. There is mention of Gouda cheese in a historical document dating back to 1184.

This makes it one of the oldest recorded cheeses in the world, still made today. Mature Gouda is generally aged between 16–18 weeks. As it ages, it develops a caramel sweetness and has a slight crunchiness from cheese crystals. It is a semi-hard cheese with a rich, unique flavour and smooth texture.

Gouda cheese is typically made from pasteurised cow’s milk. It is creamy, full-flavoured, nutty and sweet. It has a dense compact texture. The Gouda from Gestam was buttery creamy, rich and mild with notes of nuts and small crystals.

Desktop research showed that Highland single malts might pair nicely with this mature Gouda. So I picked a few of Highland whiskies from our collection to test this whisky and mature Gouda cheese pairing.

I also chose a whisky from the Netherlands. Of course, I had to pair Dutch whisky with Dutch cheese too. What grows together goes together.
Related Article: Pairing bourbon and cheese

Millstone French Oak Whisky and Mature Gouda Cheese

Millstone French Oak whisky & Mature Gouda cheese Pairing
Firstly I had to try the Checkers mature Gouda cheese with my Dutch Millstone French Oak whisky. I have a theory that whisky made in a country will match food traditional to that country.

My tasting notes for this 8 year old included woody spices with subtle notes of fresh flowers, hints of cinnamon, cloves, ginger and barley. Some biscuit sweetness in the background. I rated this Dutch whisky as Very Good.

The Millstone pair wonderful with the mature Gouda cheese. The cheese brings out bits of smoke and more spicy notes in the Millstone. The Millstone made the creaminess of the Gouda stand out, and together it created a delicious pairing. I give the Millstone French Oak whisky and mature Gouda cheese pairing a Rating 4/5.

Highland Park 18 yo Whisky and Mature Gouda Cheese

Highland Park 18 yo whisky & Mature Gouda cheese Pairing
Next up was the Highland Park 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky. I can’t seem to find a Highland Park expression I like. I rated this Highland Park as Very Good. My tasting notes included honey, toffee and sweetness mixed with oak, notes of butterscotch and barley.

This Highland Park and Gouda cheese pairing was quite surprising. I did not expect much from this combination, but together they made a great pairing.

The Highland Park brought out more sweetness in the mature Gouda cheese and cuts through the creaminess. The Gouda made the Highland Park whisky drinkable and brought out smoke and peat. It smoothed out the whisky, making me want a second glass. I give this pairing a Rating 3/5.

Tomatin 12 yo Whisky and Gouda Cheese Pairing

Tomatin 12 yo whisky & Mature Gouda cheese Pairing
Last up was the Tomatin 12 year old whisky. My tasting notes included notes of dried fruit, sherry, smoke, crystallized ginger, and barley. I felt the whisky was a little rough around the edges and gave it a ‘Very Good.’ rating This was the biggest surprise. The Tomatin single malt Scotch whisky and Gouda pairing was wonderful. The mature Gouda smoothed out the Tomatin and enhanced the finish.

It made the whisky more intense and rich. The Tomatin brought out more nuttiness in the mature Gouda, and as a pairing, it worked brilliantly. I give the Tomatin whisky and mature Gouda cheese pairing a Rating: 4/5.

I also tried the mature Gouda from Chechers with a Glendronach 16 year old whisky, but it did not work at all. The two elements did not combine well. The sweetness in the Glendronach overpowered the Gouda a bit. I gave it a rating 1/5.

Have you tried a whisky and Mature Gouda cheese pairing? What did you think?

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Highland Park 1997 Vintage Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/29/2015

In Single Malt whisky

Today I try the Highland Park 1997 Vintage single malt Scotch whisky. Highland Park distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery founded in Kirkwall, Orkney. Sweeping plains of barley fields and rocky outcrops dot the landscape around Highland Park.

It is the most northerly whisky distillery in Scotland, about a kilometre further north-east than that Scapa distillery. Highland Park was founded in 1798 and officially licensed in 1826.

The name Highland Park does not refer to ‘The Highland’ area of Scotland. It refers to the point that the distillery was founded on an area called ‘High Park’ distinguished from a lower area nearby.

The distillery draws its water from the mineral-rich springs to the east of the distillery and the Crantit Spring. Highland Park is one of the few distilleries to malt its own barley, using locally cut peat from the Hobbister Moor.

The peat is then mixed with heather before used as fuel. Highland Park is also one of the ingredients of The Famous Grouse blend. The Highland Park distillery is part of the Edrington portfolio.

The Highland Park 1997 Vintage whisky expression was bottled exclusively for the duty-free market and is released in 1-litre bottles. Distilled in 1997 and bottled in 2009, makes this a 12 year old but the bottling does not have a specific age statement.

Based on some research, this 1997 Highland Park single malt spent some time in both American oak and Sherry casks as well as some bourbon casks.

Related Article: Tomintoul 16 yo whisky

Highland Park 1997 Vintage Whisky Review

REGION: Islands

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Amber or dark gold. It is very dark in the bottle but redder in the glass. It is quite an oily whisky.

NOSE: Offers sweetness mixed with spices. There are hints of citrus, cloves and cinnamon. Some butter and toffee float around. This Highland Park 1997 whisky has a great nose, and it promises a creamy mouthful.

PALATE: A bit of let down after the promise of the nose. We looked at each other and wondered where the flavour disappeared to? It has a medium body with hints of oak, marmalade, and citrus peel. In the background, there are bits of smoke and peat mixed with custard.

FINISH: Short and ends quite abruptly in notes of wet leather and oranges.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It is a smooth whisky that promises much, but doesn’t quite deliver what I expected. I keep on hoping to find a Highland Park that I would love. So many people love this distillery. For some reason, every time I try it, I am disappointed.

I tried the Highland Park 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky but was not blown away. What Highland Park release do you recommend I try next?

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