Tag: Brown-Forman Corporation Page 3 of 8

The Brown-Forman Corporation is one of the largest American-owned companies in the spirits and wine business. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, it manufactures several well known brands throughout the world, including:
Woodford Reserve bourbon whiskey
Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey
BenRiach single malt whisky
GlenDronach single malt whisky
Glenglassaugh single malt whisky
Canadian Mist whisky

Time for an 18 yo Highland release, so today I am looking at the GlenDronach 18 year old Allardice single malt Scotch whisky. The GlenDronach opened its doors way back in 1826. A syndicate headed by James Allardes started the distillery, and it iss located at the Dronach Burn in the Deveron area.

Ownership changed frequently and nearly all the big whisky brands owned this distillery at one stage or another. Chivas Brother, Charles Grant and William Teacher and Sons left a mark.

BenRiach’s owners purchased the GlenDronach distillery in 2008. The new owners added a visitors centre and re-launched the old core range of 12 year old, 15 year old, 18 year old and GlenDronach 21 year old whisky releases. They also introduced a Peated expression to showcase their innovative streak.

In 2016 GlenDronach (and BenRiach Distillery Company) was purchased by Brown-Forman. The GlenDronach 18 year old release is named after the distillery’s founder, James Allardice. The current Master Blender is Dr Rachel Barrie.

This single malt release was matured exclusively in ex-oloroso sherry casks and was initially released in 2009. It is not chill-filtered and of natural colour.

GlenDronach 18 year old Allardice Whisky Review

REGION: Highland

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Burnished mahogany

NOSE: A big and rich sherry bomb. So delicious with notes of Christmas cake and fresh red berries drizzled with sugar. Chocolate covered cherries and fudge with bits of cinnamon and vanilla. Something tropical in the background mixed with raisins and lemon peel.

PALATE: Brandy soaked Christmas cake sweetness, chocolate-coated nuts, stewed fruits and allspice mixed with rich sherry. Overripe figs with bits of dried orange peel, vanilla, fresh cream and pepper.

Perfectly balanced. Chewy and delicious. I finished my first glass without water. It was just perfect! Adding water releases a bit more complexity in the dram.

FINISH: Red berries and cinnamon sugar. Complex and long.

RATING: DIVINE

Just sublime! I have no other words. The GlenDronach 18 year old single malt leaves me speechless with wonder. This Scotch whisky is everything I could dream of in a whisky. Rich, delicious and perfectly balanced. Sherry sweetness, spices and fruity notes all work together to make something bold and smooth.

For me, with my sweet palate, it ticks all the boxes. I looked up at John to see his thoughts, and I could see he feels the same. Even though he prefers a peated whisky, this sherry bomb just bowled him over.

I loved the GlenDronach 12 year old release. I think the GlenDonrach 21 year old whisky should also make an appearance on my tasting lists quite soon. In South Africa the GlenDronach 18 year old Allardice single malt retails for around R1 600 and in the UK for around £180 on Amazon.

I have done a side by side comparison between the GlenDronach 21 yoParliament release and the 18 year old whisky to see how they rate next to each other.

Also Read: Amrut Two Continents Whisky

GlenDronach Peated Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/07/2022

In Single Malt whisky

I have tried at least one GlenDronach each year for the last three years, and in 2022 I want to continue this streak. So this year, I chose a peated release from this typical sherry forward distillery; the GlenDronach Peated single malt Scotch whisky.

I love the GlenDronach 18 year old and rated it, Divine. It is a perfect example of all that is delicious in sherry forward whisky from Speyside. The GlenDronach 21 year old is good, but not as nice as the 18 year old. Other releases in the core range include the 12 year old and the GlenDronach 15 year old.

James Allardice founded the GlenDronach Distillery Company in Forgue, near Huntly. The distillery was damaged in a fire in 1837, and five years later, Allardice went bankrupt. It was bought and rebuilt, and various well-known companies owned the distillery during the following 120 years.

Also Read: Black Bottle Whisky

During the 60s, it passed on to William Teacher & Sons, and they expanded the production. In 1996 it was mothballed, and through a series of mergers and acquisitions, the distillery ended up with French Pernod Ricard in 2005. They sold it to the BenRiach Distilling Co. in 2008. In 2016, the distillery changed hands again, this time going to the US distiller Brown-Forman.

GlenDronach introduced the Peated edition in 2015. It is made using lightly peated barley. First matured in ex-bourbon casks and then finished in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. The GlenDronach Peated is not chill-filtered and is a NAS release. The spirit is peated to around 25ppm. Similar to Paul John Bold and Talisker Skye.

GlenDronach Peated Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Dark amber

NOSE: Soft peat, toasted wood, oak spices and fruity sweetness. I was hoping for some of the sherry and fruity red notes to come through, but the fruit notes are more baked apple and orange flavours. Bits of raisins, vanilla and cinnamon.

PALATE: Soft, elegant peat with woody notes. Bits of honey sweetness, roasted pear, nuts and cinnamon. Chewy and bold but still drinkable. Oak spices and pepper.

Water softens the peat a bit and brings more malt to the front. Medium body but not as complex and smooth as the 18 yo. Again I was looking for the sherry notes, but it is negligible.

FINISH: Medium length with notes of smoky wood, oak spices and honey.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I was hoping that more of the delicious red Oloroso sherry notes would come through, but the fruit profile was more ripe green than red fruit. The peat is not the fishy, medicinal Islay peat, but a more heather and dried earth kind of peat.

I love the GlenDronach 12 year old and was hoping it would be a bit more of a sherry bomb integrated with peaty notes, similar to the Laphroaig PX cask, but the Peated is not that.

Not quite sherried enough and not quite the right peat. A Jack of all trades but a master of none comes to mind. It is a lovely release but doesn’t quite tick the sherry or peat boxes. I will stick to the unpeated releases from this distillery and pour me a glass of the Glendronach 12 year old.

The GlenDronach Peated single malt Scotch retail for around R 1 000 in South Africa and I have seen some recently at Bottega Whiskey.

Also Read: Dunville’s Three Crowns Peated Whiskey

Benriach The Smoky Twelve Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/05/2022

In Single Malt whisky

My previous post featuring Benriach was looking at the Benraich The Twelve whisky. Today I explore further and look at the Benriach The Smoky Twelve single malt Scotch whisky. I got to taste both these drams as part of a Benriach tasting in June.

One of the things I enjoy about Benriach whisky is the links with South Africa. John Duff travelled through South Africa before he opened Benriach in Scotland.

During June, my whisky friend Paul S tweeted about some more Benriach South Africa connections. He posted about the Benriach Cape of Storms 12 year old and 16 year old whisky released exclusively for the South African market at Whisky Live in 2007.

Benriach Cape of Storms was a limited release special bottling created to celebrate the launch of BenRiach into South Africa.

Going to be doing a series next…12 days of BenRiach, presenting some of my favourite whiskies from one of my favourite distilleries…1️⃣
First up are the Cape of Storms 12yo & 16yo. These were released exclusively for the South African market at Whisky Live in 2007… pic.twitter.com/d8VJ9CSFoS

— P.S.Whisky (@pswhisky) June 8, 2022

The casks were shipped to South Africa, where they were left to mature for another three years before bottling. SWA rules stipulate that Scotch whisky must be matured in Scotland, which meant that the extra three years of maturation in South Africa did not count towards the age statement.

There were 225 bottles of the Benriach 12 year old and 195 bottles of the Benriach 16 year old released. Both bottles were packaged in wooden crates. The crates for the Benriach 16 year old were made from staves of old BenRiach oak casks.

But back to the current dram in my glass: The Smoky Twelve single malt whisky. It is part of the core range together with The Twelve, Benriach The Ten and The Smoky Ten. All four of these core expressions are made up of different cask types.

BenRiach The Smoky Twelve Whisky Review

The Smoky Twelve single malt Scotch is created from a combination of unpeated and peated spirit, and matured for at least twelve years in bourbon barrels, sherry casks, and Marsala wine casks. The whisky from each cask was then married together.

According to Rowan, it is peated to about 35 ppm, which is similar to the Lagavulin 16 year old whisky. The peat used is from Caledonia.

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Burnished gold

NOSE: Heaps of oranges, smoky peaches and roasted almonds. A smattering of peat, vanilla and cloves is mixed with raisins and red fruit. Banana bread baking in the oven.

PALATE: Sweet red berries dipped in dark chocolate, peaty goodness, orange peel, brown sugar and toasted oak. Oranges and vanilla with BBQ smoky notes. A simply satisfying mix between the fruity sweetness and smoke. Hints of nuts and warming oak spice and the peaty notes are green and heathery. I finished my glass without water. Just a few drops allow more sweetness through.

FINISH: Long and lingering with nuts, black pepper and soft smoke.

RATING: EXCELLENT

What a lovely dram. Rich, smoky with sweet fruity notes balanced with green earthy peaty notes. The Benriach Smoky Twelve is perfect for autumn days next to the BBQ. The spice, sweetness and peat balance is perfect, and the peat is inviting but not overwhelming. Adding water takes away a bit of the complexity.

I can drink this without water every day in winter. Another point in its favour is the price range. It is readily available and retails for around R700 in South Africa.

This dram 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.

Sample disclosure: I received this whisky from the BenRiach team. The review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair and independent thoughts about the whisky.

Also Read: KWV 12 yo Brandy

Woodford Reserve Rye vs Bulleit Rye Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/22/2022

In Whisky Comparison

I have not done a side-by-side whiskey comparison in months, and it is so much fun. So today, let me look at a rye comparison: Woodford Reserve Rye vs Bulleit Rye whiskey. Earlier this year, I tasted the Woodford Rye whiskey, and the bottle gave me so much inspiration for side-by-side comparison posts.

I wanted to see how it stacks up against other ryes, such as the Jack Daniel’s and the Bulleit Rye. It will also be interesting to see how it compares to the Woodford Reserve bourbon. Over the past weekend, I have played around with the various ryes in my collection.

So, I’ll first start by capturing my tasting notes for the Woodford Reserve Rye vs Bulleit Rye whiskey. In a way, it is a clash between two whiskey powerhouses, Diageo vs Brown Forman. Can there only be one champion? Or is there a place for both of these bottles in your collection?

Both rye releases are readily available, so let’s jump into the Woodford Reserve Rye vs Bulleit Rye comparison.

Bulleit Rye Whiskey

review and tasting notes Bulleit Rye whiskey with glass
Augustus Bulleit produced the first Bulleit bourbon. He wanted to create a bourbon with a unique flavour profile and experimented with varying recipes until he found a whiskey he was happy with. He started his bourbon, which was available until he died in 1860.

Years later, his great-great-grandson, Tom Bulleit, dreamt of continuing his ancestor’s distilling tradition, and in 1987, he created a small batch bourbon bearing the family name. Diageo owns the Bulleit brand. The bottles are modelled on old medicine bottles, with distinctive raised lettering. The label on the Bulleit Rye is green.

Bulleit Rye whiskey was introduced in March 2011. It is a whiskey high in rye compared to other rye releases. The mash bill has 95% rye and 5% malted barley and is produced in small batches.

Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey

Woodford Reserve Rye whiskey with glass

The Woodford Reserve Rye whiskey was launched in 2015 as the third permanent addition to the core range. The rye whiskey uses a pre-prohibition style rye ratio to pay homage to history’s original rye whiskeys.

It is a NAS (no age statement) release, and the mash bill is 53% rye, 33% corn, and 14% malt. Woodford Reserve is part of the Brown Forman stable. The Woodford Reserve Rye bottle shape is similar to the Woodford Reserve bourbon, just with green labelling.

Woodford Reserve Rye vs Bulleit Rye Whiskey

Woodford reserve rye vs Bulleit rye whiskey

	Bulleit Rye Whiskey	Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey
Type	Rye whiskey	Rye whiskey
Mashbill	95% rye and 5% malted barley	53% rye, 33% corn, and 14% malt
ABV	45%	45.2%
Colour	Light golden caramel	Polished copper
Nose	Sweet and fresh. Cherries and vanilla with hints of grain and toasted oak. Subtle rye spices with hints of cinnamon and cloves.	Caramel sweetness, fresh green orchid fruit, cereal and toasted wood. The traditional rye spice notes with hints of black pepper. Elegant and soft.
Palate	Caramel sweetness followed by fresh fruit and green herbs before the spicy notes. Overripe cherries, dry roasted peanuts and crunchy grain. Then follows the rye spice mixed with vanilla, cinnamon and hints of pepper and cloves. Water brings more orange notes forward.	Rye spices mixed with fresh fruit, green grass and black pepper. Bits of honey and bourbon vanilla with a butterscotch note. Toasted oak, green herbs with bits of orange. Medium body that is soft and oily. Water softens the rye spice notes, and it is delicious without water. Not the boldest rye, but an outstanding balance between the rye spice and sweet fruity notes.
Finish	A spicy rye finish with cinnamon, allspice and vanilla. Medium length. Warming.	Medium length with oaky notes, pepper and caramel sweetness. Something green in the background.
My Rating	Excellent	Excellent
Price point	$40	$43

Side by side, the difference in the mash bill is quite noticeable. The Bulleit is spicier with more pronounced cinnamon, pepper, and cloves. The Bulleit Rye brings a more cherry and vanilla sweetness when compared to the Woodford Reserve Rye.

The Woodford Reserve is softer and more balanced with mixed fruit sweetness. The Woodford spices are milder and less distinctive than the Bulleit.

Both have a caramel-sweet undertone in the background. The finish on the Bulleit is longer and spicier, while the Woodford Reserve has more woody oak and sweetness in the finish. The Bulleit Rye will be better when looking at rye-forward cocktails.

The Woodford Reserve Rye is not the most complex or bold whiskey. However, it is sweeter and more approachable. If I have to choose between these two, I prefer the Woodford Reserve Rye.

The Bulleit Rye doesn’t hide the spiciness; it is bolder and slightly more complex. John loved the Bulleit Rye the most as his palate prefers spicier tastes.

There is a big difference in price between the two bottles. The Bulleit is nearly double the price in ZAR. That tips the scale in the Woodford Reserve direction. A great-tasting rye at an affordable price.

If you are passionate about rye, the Bulleit Rye is worth the extra money. However, the Woodford Reserve is perfect if you want to explore rye whiskey to learn new tastes.

In this Woodford Reserve Rye vs Bulleit Rye comparison, we’ve delved into the histories of these two powerhouse distillers and the distinctive characteristics of their rye whiskeys. While both are excellent choices, your preference may ultimately be your palate and budget.

If you’re looking for more spice and complexity, the Bulleit Rye could be your top pick. On the other hand, if you seek a sweeter and more approachable rye at an affordable price, the Woodford Reserve Rye is a solid choice. It’s a clash of the titans in the world of rye whiskey, and both contenders have their strengths.

Also Read: Sazerac Rye vs Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey

The GlenDronach 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/25/2022

In Single Malt whisky

One of my favourite, affordable sherry bombs and I have never written about it; the GlenDronach 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky. Today I rectify this oversight. It is one of those classic drams that can so easily be overlooked.

The GlenDronach is a Highlands distillery. Whisky from this distillery has been used in various blends including Teacher’s and Ballantine’s whisky.

The Glendronach Core range consists of an Allardice 18 year old and the Parliament 21 year old whisky release. There is even a Glendronach Peated whisky release. GlenDronach distillery also has various limited edition releases as well as single cask releases.

However, today I it is the turn of the GlenDronach 12 year old whisky. Re-launched in 2009, it is entirely aged in PX and Oloroso casks. The 12 year old is not chill-filtered with no added colouring. There is also a 15 year old release as part of the core collection.

Since I last wrote about GlenDronach, various things happened. I wrote about the GlenDronach 16 year old and covered the history of this distillery. I have also tasted the GlenDronach 13 year old single cask release bottled especially for Whisky Brother. When I wrote both these to posts, the distillery was still part of the BenRiach Group.

During April 2016 GlenDronach Distillery was purchased by the Brown-Forman Corporation. The deal included the BenRiach and Glenglassaugh distilleries as well.

Also Read: The Glenrothes Robur Reserve whisky

The GlenDronach 12 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Highlands

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Rich golden amber

NOSE: Rich notes of sherry, toasted nuts, ripe red berries and fruit including raisins and ripe plums, toffee with creamy vanilla.

PALATE: Ripe cherries and berries, raisins balanced with butterscotch, wood spices and ginger with hints of malt. It is rich and full-bodied with a creamy mouthfeel. It is perfectly smooth and easy drinking with just a little bit of a peppery bite. Add water carefully; it only needs a few drops to release additional smoothness.

FINISH: Woody notes with a dry full cream sherry finish and hints of nuts.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is a fantastic, underrated whisky. It retails for under R700 in South Africa and is readily available. So easy drinking and delicious. The GlenDronach 12 year old whisky is a fruity sweet dram with just the slightest hints of spice and pepper. The sweetness is not overwhelming; it is creamy, soft and inviting.

This 12 year old Scotch is the perfect dram for autumn; sitting on the patio, on a late autumn afternoon, just before sunset. When the colour of the trees around me has turned all the shades of red, orange and golden yellow, this golden amber GlenDronach is the perfect end to a busy day. In South Africa, the Glendronach 12 year old retails for around R 900.

Also Read: Kornog Whisky