Whisky of the Week

Springbank 18 year old Whisky

On 08/08/2013

Time for an 18 yo whisky today; I look at the Springbank 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky. Before the arrival of our daughter, Father’s Days meant very little to John. He never knew his father, so there was no reason to celebrate it. However, since her arrival, it has all changed.

The special “Happy Father’s Day” baby artwork gets centre stage in the study. Marc from WhiskyBrother helped me select this bottle, and as always, he knows exactly what to pick.

I am excited to add this bottle of Springbank 18 yo whisky to my collection. It is a distillery that I have heard great things from but have not tried before. It also completes my collection as it adds a whisky from Campbeltown.

The last Scottish region that I did not have. Before the arrival of the Springbank 18 year old single malt, my collection did not have a representative of Campbeltown, one of the five accepted whisky regions of Scotland.

Now I have ticked that box. The Springbank Distillery is unique. It is the oldest independent family-owned distillery in Scotland. Founded in 1828 on the site of Archibald Mitchell’s illicit still, the Springbank distillery is now in the hands of his great great great grandson, Hedley G. Wright.

Springbank is one of the only distilleries in Scotland to carry out the entire production process on one site. The traditional floor malting, maturation and bottling are done at the distillery itself. In a time of chill filtered whisky, it remains the only distillery in Scotland never to have done so.

Furthermore, it is the only distillery in Scotland to produce three different single malts, Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn, using three different production methods. So on to the Springbank 18 year old single malt whisky itself.
Related Article: The Arran Malt Sherry Cask whisky

Springbank 18 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Campbelltown

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Golden copper.

NOSE: It’s an oily whisky – which is great – and the nose quite fruity. Spice and barley come through distinctly with aniseed. Other commentators have reported Christmas cake and marzipan, and I don’t think that is wrong at all.

PALATE: The big nature of the whisky comes through. It is a whisky that has spent 18 years maturing in predominantly sherry casks, and it shows! The Springbank 18 yo is creamy and oily from the moment it hits the palate. Giving it a few minutes, the Springbank develops further to reveal dried fruits and traces of smoke.

FINISH: The finish is something to behold. It is a beautiful building, going on and on, and linger long after you have finished it.

RATING: VERY GOOD

The Springbank is a complex whisky with the nose a little at odds with the palate. If you do lay your hands on a Springbank 18 year old Scotch, enjoy it because it is an interesting whisky. Thank you for the recommendation, WhiskyBrother.

Also Read: Mackmyra Svensk Rok Whisky

Lagavulin Distillers Edition 1994 Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/04/2013

In Single Malt whisky

It’s been a while since I last posted. Sometimes life gets in the way of good whisky! Much like the Lagavulin Distillers Edition 1994 Islay single malt Scotch whisky, the time has passed so quickly that I cannot recall where we acquired the bottle or where the original packaging is!

Lagavulin single malts are generally seen as among the smokiest whiskies to be found. A Scottish Islay whisky, the distillery is one of the three Kildalton distilleries in the south of Islay.

Situated at the picturesque Lagavulin Bay, the distillery officially dates from 1816 when John Jonston and Archibald Campbell constructed two distilleries on site. They merged into one and was called Lagavulin.

Lagavulin claims the slowest distillation with 5 hours for the first distillation and 9 for the second. Lagavulin is produced by United Distillers & Vintners, which in turn is part of the Diageo stable.

The standard Lagavulin single malt Scotch whisky is a 16 year old whisky. A cult item among peated whisky fans. This Lagavulin Distillers Edition is a limited release. They finished it in a Pedro Ximinez cask. Being an Islay whisky, it was always going to be bold and peaty.

Related Article: Oban Distiller’s Edition whisky

Lagavulin Distillers Edition 1994 Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Quite dark when compared to other Islay whiskies.

NOSE: The first thing that hits you when you nose the whisky is the characteristic peat and iodine. t’s a big whisky, and the Lagavulin distillery’s characteristic smokiness follows the peat and iodine. Altogether it is just an impressive nose. Altogether it is just an impressive nose.

PALATE: When tasting the whisky, one is struck at once by burnt oak and smoke. But also the surprising fruitiness, which was a bit unexpected. I picked up flavours of raisin, sherry and even vanilla.

The flavours come together beautifully. It is a dram which John’s friend Justin, who dislikes Islay and claims he can smell the sardines in them, might well enjoy.

FINISH: The finish… well, it’s wow! It builds slowly to a long tail, absolutely brilliant. It is an excellent whisky with a beautiful nose, a wonderful full-mouthed fruity palette and a brilliant finish.

RATING: EXCELLENT

I paired some Maltesers with a Lagavulin during December. It made for an AMAZING pairing. But the Lagavulin pairs beautifully with Gorgonzola, Roquefort or Stilton cheese as well. It is a must-try combination for anyone who likes to pair food and spirits.

Also Read: Start a whisky club

The Glenrothes Robur Reserve Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/15/2013

In Single Malt whisky

I was having lunch at Bottega Cafe in a suburb called Parkhurst in Johannesburg. I asked Savi (the owner) to recommend a whisky to pair with my lunch, and he suggested the Glenrothes. It was my first encounter with The Glenrothes Robur Reserve single malt Scotch whisky.

It was so delicious; I soon acquired my own bottle of Glenrothes Robur Reserve single malt. The Glenrothes is a Speyside whisky with the distillery going back to 1879. The Robur Reserve single malt derives its name from Quercus Robor, the Latin name for European or Spanish oak.

Matured in first-fill casks that had previously been used to mature Oloroso sherry, the Glenrothes Robur Reserve has no age statement. The rounder bottle shape of the Glenrothes bottles is unique when compared to the other whisky bottles.

There is a small label on the front, allowing one to appreciate the spirit on the inside. It is the opposite of, a bottle like Bruichladdich, which covers the entire bottle in a label. The Glenrothes distillery is part of the Edrington Group together with Macallan and Highland Park.

Related Article: Glenfarclas 12 yo whisky

The Glenrothes Robur Reserve Whisky Review

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REGION: Speyside

ABV: 47%

COLOUR: The colour of the whisky is light amber and golden. t’s quite light in colour compared to other whiskies that have been matured or finished in sherry casks.

PALATE: On tasting the Glenrothes Robur Reserve, I hit by honey and dried fruit. It’s quite a sweet whisky, but not in a subtle way. I could not pick up the sherry sweetness, but Jeannette felt it was there.

Other reviewers have picked up spices, but we only picked it up a bit later. Only on the third mouthful did I notice the spicy notes. As the whisky evolves in your mouth, the honey is accompanied by hints of vanilla and caramel.

FINISH: The finish is well executed, with an initial drop off followed by a long tail that finishes in dried apricot and spice.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It’s a warm, mouth-filling finish that we both loved. I noticed that Jim Murray scored the Glenrothes Robur Reserve 80.5 in the 2012 Whisky Bible. This rating is pretty ordinary by his standards. I cannot understand why because we both thought it was excellent.

The nose is great, the palette full-mouthed and warm, and the finish delicious. Sadly it looks like the Glenrothes Robur Reserve Scotch is discontinued. If that is the case, I am happy to have a bottle to enjoy.

Also Read: Loch Lomond Whisky

Amrut Two Continents Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/10/2013

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at a world whisky, the Amrut Two Continents single malt whisky. In the past, Scotland was known as the home of whisky. Over the past decade, this has changed.

Today new world whiskies have no reason to defer to Scotland and the Amrut distillery in Bangalore, India, produces world-class whiskies.

I guess Amrut Distilleries hit the big time when Malt Advocate Magazine called Amrut Fusion “World Whisky of the Year” and Jim Murray in the 2010 Whisky Bible named it the third-best whisky in the world. We are fortunate to travel to Bangalore and India yearly, and we love the culture, food, and colours.

The Amrut distillery is located in Bangalore, and I figured it would be easy to get Amrut whisky in Bangalore– wrong! The majority of shops in Bangalore were not aware of it, and requests for Amrut drew blank stares! Recently I was visiting my friend Audrey in Sydney, Australia.

Knowing my love of all things whisky, she took me to a speciality whisky shop in the heart of the city. It was a great place, and I took the opportunity to acquire some Sullivans Cove whisky.

As I was paying for them and chatting to the delightful owner, I noticed the black box of Amrut Two Continents whisky, First edition. I immediately asked him what it would cost, and he told me it was not for sale, as it was the only one he still had and was part of his collection.

Well, after 20 minutes of haggling, interspersed with pleading, he eventually agreed to part ways with it. This whisky had travelled a long and complicated journey – from India to Europe to Australia and finally to South Africa! At long last, I had acquired an Amrut Two Continents.

Amrut only released 786 bottles of the first edition, and this bottle is number 408. In 2012 Whisky Advocate awarded it the “New Whisky of the Year” award, so expectations were high.

Related Article: Glenmorangie Lasanta whisky

Amrut Two Continents Single Malt Whisky Review

The bottle itself has a beautiful label echoing the rich architecture and design of India. It is housed in an elegant black presentation case with gold trim and lettering. The single malt whisky nestles in a deep purple material with the inside flap describing the mythology behind the Amrut name.

The whisky itself is distilled in India before being shipped to Europe (a secret location!) for the final three years of maturation – hence the name Two Continents.

COUNTRY: India

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Interesting, with hints of amber, honey, and light gold.

PALATE: Tasting the Amrut Two Continents, we immediately picked up honey, spice, and vanilla. There was a hint of peat but no smoke. Delicate waves of oak come through. The Amrut Two Continents comes across as a slightly sweet whisky, but in no way does it overpower. The whisky gets better if you let it breathe a bit.

FINISH: The finish is something else! It starts slowly and then builds to a big mouthful with a long slow tail. Jim Murray said – and we agree – it has a voluptuous finish.

RATING: DIVINE

This Amrut release is truly a unique whisky, and I am ecstatic to have it in my collection. I paired this fantastic whisky with some Blue Tower Cheese, and it made a delectable whisky cheese pairing.
Other Amrut expressions I have written about include the Amrut Fusion as well as the Amrut Kadhambam.

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Whisky Ratings

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/01/2013

In Lifestyle

For all my ‘Whisky of the Week’ posts, I publish a review and a rating for every whisky. These whisky ratings are based on my personal whisky rating system. There are many whisky rating systems in use.

The two that my audience is most familiar with are those used by Jim Murray and Serge Valentin. Jim Murray publishes the annual Whisky Bible and has reviews and ratings for more than 4,500 whiskies.

Serge runs the WhiskyFun site and lists more than 8,500 reviews and ratings. Both Serge and Jim use a 100 point scale that takes factors like nose, taste, balance, complexity and finish into account and determines a score using a formula.

Whisky scores can differ by half a point in these schemes. These guys are legends, and John and I are just ordinary folks that like whisky, so we wanted a simple system that could convey our impressions.

How the Whisky Ratings work

Bottles of whisky on a bar counter whisky ratings for whisky of the week
The great thing about any whisky is that one person may love it, and another may think it ordinary. It often happens with John and me! We don’t always agree. John prefers peaty full-bodied whiskies, and I prefer sweeter Speyside whiskies. A complicated whisky rating system makes no sense for us, so we came up with a simple whisky rating system.

The whisky rating is assigned based on our reaction. It is broken down as follows:
– ORDINARY if we look at each other and go “oh dear”. We usually don’t finish the glass.
– GOOD when it’s enjoyable but forgettable. One of us sometimes doesn’t finish the glass.
– VERY GOOD when it’s enjoyable and memorable, and we don’t mind having another glass later in the week,
– EXCELLENT when we want to pour a second and third round,
– DIVINE when we both go “OMG!!” and try not to finish the bottle.

When we disagree on the rating, we will take an average of both our scores. It may make Jim and Serge cringe, but it’s good fun for us! And at the end of each year, we look back at the EXCELLENT and DIVINE ratings and choose our favourite.

Some of my favourite drams during the last couple of years include:

These “divine rated” drams are a combination of expensive and affordable. They are from not only Scotland, but other countries as well. There are affordable whiskies that are delicious, and not all expensive older drams are good.