Whisky of the Week

Jura Whisky and Comté Cheese

On 06/17/2015

whisky and Comté cheese header Jura whisky and cheese
I was quite intrigued when I found a Comté Cheese at Woolworths some time ago. It is not a cheese that I have seen before, and I naturally had to buy it to see how it would pair with whisky.

Comté cheese (also called Gruyère de Comté) is a semi-hard French cheese produced in France’s Jura Massif region. The unpasteurized cow’s milk used is mainly from Montbeliarde Cattle or French Simmental cattle (or crossbreeds of the two).

This hard mountain cheese is matured in the silence and darkness of special caves where the cheese gets its unique taste, texture and colour. The texture is relatively dense and firm. The taste is strong and slightly sweet.

Comte cheese has a pale yellow interior with a nutty aroma. The main aromatic flavours that linger on the palate is a balance of brown-butter and roasted-nut aromas and a sweet finish. Noticing that the cheese is from the Jura region in France made me, on a whim, take out our Jura 10 year old Origin single malt Scotch whisky.

The Jura 10 year old Origin Whisky

I had no real expectation that this whisky and Comté cheese pairing would work. For me, the idea that the region and the distillery coincided was interesting. I tasted the Jura whisky during 2014 and gave it a rating of Very Good.

Jura 10 yo Origin whisky and Comté Cheese pairing
The island of Jura is located so close to the island of Islay and the ‘Parish of Peat’ that the distillery often participates in the annual ‘Feis Ile’ whisky festival of the Islay distilleries. However, the Jura 10 year old single malt whisky flavours are different from the peaty whiskies from the neighbouring island of Islay.

It is a medium-bodied whisky and regarded as an accessible, easy-drinking whisky. My tasting notes captured apricots and flowers on the nose. On the palate, I picked up apricots, raisins and a little oak. There are hints of mild spice and citrus.

Related Article: Pairing bourbon and cheese

Jura 10 year old Whisky and Comté Cheese Pairing

Jura 10 yo Origin whisky and Comté Cheese pairing
Much to my surprise, this pairing of a Jura whisky and Comté cheese worked surprisingly well. This smooth cheese brought out more malty cereal notes in the Jura whisky and heightened the saltiness. The fruity flavours became more pronounced, and more spice notes came through.

The Jura whisky is medium-bodied enough to stand up to this nutty, fruity cheese and not overpower it. The whisky brought out more smoky and sweet notes in the Comté cheese. I give the Jura Origin whisky and Comté Cheese a RATING: EXCELLENT.

A great combination I will try again in future. Have you tried this interesting cheese?

Also Read: Whisky and Mature Gouda pairing

Bennachie 10 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/15/2015

In Blended Malt Whisky

I bought a bottle of Bennachie 10 year old vatted malt Scotch whisky on auction some time ago. I have never seen the name before, so it was an interesting bottle to get. William Smith started the Bennachie distillery in 1824 as the Jericho Distillery near the village of Insch.

The distillery changed hands a few times, and some extensions and changes were made. One of the new owners changed the distillery’s name to Bennachie, after the Aberdeenshire Mountain. The distillery shut its doors in 1913, and 6 years later, Lawrence MacDonald Chalmers purchased it.

Attempts were made to reopen the distillery but failed. United Brands took over the name and started the Bennachie Scotch Whisky Company Ltd in 1998. The Bennachie name is used for a range of vatted malts.

According to the back of the bottle: “A blend of only the finest single malt whiskies distilled in Scotland. They have been ‘married’ at 10 year old to achieve the mellow yet slightly woody taste which has enabled us to simulate the taste of the original Bennachie whisky.”

What is Vatted Malt / Blended Malt?

All of this raised the question; what is vatted malt? I found various clarifications, and simply put, it all comes down to :
Single Malt: A whisky made at one particular distillery from a mash that uses only malted grain, ordinarily barley.
Blended whisky: Produced by mixing (blending) different types of whisky into one. These whiskies can be single malts and grain-based whiskies.
Vatted Malt (or renamed as blended malt whisky): a blend of only single malt whiskies with no other grains added. The single malts can be from more than one distillery. An example of a blended malt is the Monkey Shoulder whisky, a blend between the Glenfiddich, Kininvie and Balvenie single malts) or the Douglas Laing Remarkable Regional Malt releases such as Scallywag, Rock Oyster and Big Peat.

But more importantly, how does this Bennachie vatted malt taste?

Related Article: Shackleton whisky

Bennachie 10 year old Whisky Review

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: A rich gold. It is quite an oily whisky with long fingers on the inside of the glass.

NOSE: Barley, cereals and wood. There are hints of flowers, vanilla and butterscotch. In the background, there are bits of citrus floating around. When you add a bit of water, more green apple notes appear on the nose.

PALATE: Mild spice and bitter citrus intermingling with oak, greengage and flowers. It is quite a delicate whisky. Adding water smooths the whisky but also brings out more of the bitter citrus notes. This Bennachie Vatted Malt Scotch is not a very complex whisky.

FINISH: Quite short and end in notes of oak and citrus.

RATING: GOOD

It is interesting to have in the collection, but the unusual bottle shape is probably more memorable than the whisky. I see that Master of Malt stocked the Bennachie range but lists them all now as ‘Discontinued’.

Also Read: Kamiki whisky

Knob Creek Straight Bourbon Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/08/2015

In Bourbon whiskey

Named after the small stream that flows through President Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home in Kentucky, today is time for some Knob Creek Kentucky Straight bourbon whiskey. It is a brand of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced by Beam Suntory at the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont, Kentucky.

At the end of Prohibition and a boom in demand, re-starting bourbon production was challenging, and distilleries were forced to age their bourbons’ for briefer periods. Due to this, Americans developed a palate for softer whiskies.

However, Booker Noe wanted to bring back the quality bourbon produced in Kentucky before Prohibition collapsed the bourbon boom. He fathered the small batch movement and created Knob Creek Bourbon whiskey.

These smaller batches allowed him to create a ‘Pre-Prohibition’ bourbon that was aged longer (9 years) than other bourbons. He then aged his spirit in the deepest charred American oak barrels to fully draw out more of the natural sugars.

Knob Creek straight bourbon is bottled at 50% ABV, higher than the average bourbon ABV. It comes in a rectangular bottle reminiscent of an old apothecary bottle with a black wax seal. The Whisky Bible gave this Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey a rating of 94,5, so I am expecting quite a lot from this bottle.

Related Article: 1792 Bourbon

Knob Creek Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 50%

COLOUR: Dark amber syrup

NOSE: Packed full of sweet maple, oak and cereal. There are hints of caramel and raisins. After adding a bit of water, the nose develops more floral notes.

PALATE: Without water, this Knob Creek Bourbon packs a big punch. Not an alcohol punch despite the ABV, but a full flavour, mouthfeel. There are notes of caramel sweetness, oak and cinnamon and pumpkin spice on the palate.

After adding a bit of water to the Know Creek, the sweetness softens, and the oak, vanilla and fruit come through. The big mouth full feeling softens a bit, and the Knob Creek bourbon becomes very, very easy drinking.

FINISH: Long and lingering and end in notes of oak and cereals. This is no shrinking violet – this is a full-bodied, big, in your face, bourbon.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It has jumped up to my number 1 spot for bourbons this year. I loved the big, bold flavours of this American whiskey and could not resist a second glass. Best of all, it is readily available in South Africa and retails for less than R500. And for the mouthful deliciousness, you are getting, that is a bargain!

Also Read: Wild Turkey Rare Breed bourbon

Dalwhinnie 15 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/01/2015

In Single Malt whisky

Today something from the Scottish Highlands, the Dalwhinnie 15 year old single malt Scotch whisky. The village of Dalwhinnie in Scotland is situated in the Cairngorm National Park. The builders chose the site for this Highland distillery for its access to water from the Lochan-Doire-Uaine spring.

There is ample peat from the surrounding bogs. It was close to the geographic centre of the Highlands and enjoy easy access to the Highland Railway. Set in impressive mountain scenery, Dalwhinnie is one of the highest distilleries in Scotland. In 1897, J Grant, G Sellar and A Mackenzie established the Strathspey distillery.

Production started in 1898, but the partnership went bankrupt. The distillery was sold to AP Blyth in 1898, who renamed it Dalwhinnie. Currently, United Distillers, a Diageo unit, owns the distillery. Whisky from this distillery is marketed under the Diageo Classic Malts brand.

Other distilleries that fall under the Classic Malts brand include Lagavulin, Oban and Glenkinchie. Only 10% of the Dalwhinnie production is released as a single malt. The remaining whisky is used in various of the Diageo blends. The distillery only releases a Dalwhinnie 15 year old single malt whisky and a Distillers Edition.

Dalwhinnie also has the distinction of being an official weather station, with one of the lowest recorded average temperatures in Great Britain. Jim Murray awarded the Dalwhinnie 15 year old, 95 points in his Whisky Bible, so I expected an exceptional dram.

Related Article: Glenfiddich Fire and Cane Whisky

Dalwhinnie 15 year old Whisky Review

I have a 200 ml bottle which was part of a Diageo Classic Malt whisky set.

REGION: Highland

ABV: 43%.

COLOUR: A light gold with medium length lingers in the glass.

NOSE: Rich and layered. It promises all kinds of wonderful experiences. There are notes of vanilla, oak and mint. Hints of aniseed and liquorice float about in between the toffee and fruit. The nose is gentle and inviting.

PALATE: Without water, the palate of the Dalwhinnie is spicier than the nose suggests. There are notes of malt, butterscotch, vanilla and fruit. Adding water changes the whole palate. The sweetness disappears, and the oak and citrus come through with a bang. Unfortunately, it overwhelms everything else.

FINISH: Without water, the finish is medium length, complex and smooth with notes of honey and nuts. When you add water, the finish lengthens, but it changes to bitter citrus and oak.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Dalwhinnie 15 year old is a dram you should enjoy neat. In my opinion, a few drops of water enhances most whiskies. The water released more of the flavour notes and smoothed it out. This Dalwhinnie 15 yo whisky was an exception. Without the water, this dram was excellent. Water toned down the delicate notes and washed it out. Instead, drink this dram neat.

I tried the Dalwhinnie 1990 Distillers Edition and some Lindt hand-made dark chocolate for one of my whisky chocolate tastings. It made for a superb whisky chocolate pairing combination.

Also Read: Arran Napoleon Cognac Finish whisky

Glenfiddich Rich Oak Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/25/2015

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at a release from Speyside, the Glenfiddich Rich Oak 14 yo single malt Scotch whisky. The Glenfiddich distillery is one of my favourite distilleries, and I have tasted many of their expressions. I loved the Glenfiddich 18 yo as a wonderful easy drinking dram and have tried the Glenfiddich Age of Discovery Madeira Cask.

Located in Dufftown in the Speyside region of Scotland, the Glenfiddich distillery was founded in 1886. Glenfiddich, together with Kininvie and Balvenie, forms part of the William Grant-owned whisky stable and sit in relative proximity to each other.

The triangular-shaped Glenfiddich has become one of the world’s most recognised whisky bottle shapes. It has been a Glenfiddich feature since 1957. The William Grant company remains independent and family-owned. The Glenfiddich Rick Oak is quite a recent release. It came out during the Spring of 2010. It was aged for 14 years in ex-bourbon casks.

Then followed two separate finishes of 12 weeks in new Spanish oak and 6 weeks in new American oak before bottling. According to Glenfiddich, the American oak adds spice, vanilla and fruit. The Spanish oak brings elegant fruit, spice and complexity.

Related Article:Balvenie Roasted Malt whisky

Glenfiddich Rich Oak Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark rich gold. There are long oily fingers in the glass.

NOSE: Sultanas and juicy ‘Moskonfyt” (grape must jelly) mixed with honey sweetness. There is an abundance of oak, spice and barley. The oak, however, is wonderfully balanced with fruity sweetness and not overwhelming.

PALATE: Without water, the whisky is sweet and spicy with hints of bubblegum and Muscadel wine. Adding water releases more pepper heat but also cinnamon and muscovado sugars. The fruitiness from the nose is still around in wafts of berries and grapes. The Glenfiddich Rich Oak is an easy-drinking smooth, nicely balanced dram.

FINISH: Long, memorable and lingers for a while. It ends in notes of wood, toasted nuts and bits of fruit again. A very drinkable whisky.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It has become one of my favourite Glenfiddich drams to relax with. It has a wonderful fruity character and will pair well with cheese. While the Glenfiddich 12 year old is the perfect single malt for a newbie, this Glenfiddich Rich Oak will be the whisky that will take them the next step along the road to whisky enjoyment. This release has made it onto my Top 5 Single Malt whiskies under R500 for 2014 list.

Also Read: Balblair 15 yo whisky