Amarula Gold

Scottish Leader 12 year old Whisky

On 02/28/2022

Towards the end of 2016, I was fortunate to attend the launch of a new whisky release in South Africa. The Scottish Leader 12 year old blended Scotch whisky has been a long-standing favourite in the East and lucky for us, have now reached the South African shores.

Scottish Leader is a well-known brand around the world. The Original and Signature releases are popular in South Africa, and now they have extended their South African presence with the 12 yo.

I love their other releases. The Scottish Leader Signature is a regular in my house and the Original pairs wonderfully with Royal Ashton cheese. It was launched in 1976 and is available in around 30 countries across the world. The lead blender for Scottish Leader is Dr Kirstie McCallum.

Also Read: My Favourite Margarita Recipe

She has travelled all the world on her whisky journey. She went from being a chemist in Glasgow to the Burn Stewart Global Brand Ambassador, and today she leads the team in blending Scottish Leader.

Kirstie is one the pioneering woman in whisky. She was one of the first women to become a whisky maker and was one of the youngest female blenders in Scotland. On one of her visits to South Africa, I was fortunate to meet her.

During October 2016, she was nominated and inducted as a Keeper of the Quaich. A phenomenal whisky woman. Her signature is all every bottle of Scottish Leader.

Scottish Leader 12 year old Whisky Review

The Scottish Leader 12 year old is a blend of unpeated Highland and Speyside malt and grain whiskies, matured in American Oak casks.

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark golden red

NOSE: Sweet sherry, rich with notes of vanilla marshmallow and fruits. A very faint hint of wood, nutmeg and cream. The addition of water seems to bring out more of the sweet toffee and butterscotch notes.

PALATE: Fruit, sticky toffee pudding, brandy-soaked apricots. A big mouth full and wonderfully complex. The addition of water makes the Scottish Leader smoother and rounder and a little bit easier drinking.

FINISH: Long and lingering with spicy and sweet notes perfectly balanced.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Not too many bottles made it to South Africa. So if you have not yet grabbed a bottle, do so quickly. It is affordable and delicious. A great blended 12 year old Scotch whisky. I see that Vinoteque still has a few available.

Other releases include the Scottish Leader Supreme and there is even a Sherry Cask finish.

Also Read: Ballantines 12 yo whisky

Scottish Leader Signature Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/07/2022

In Blended whisky

Time for a blended whisky again. This week I try the new Scottish Leader Signature blended Scotch whisky. Interestingly, South Africa, second only to Taiwan, is the most popular market for Scottish Leader whisky.

The brand is owned by Burn Stewart Distillers, which is part of the Distell Group Limited. The story of the Scottish Leader blend begins near the village of Doune in Perthshire, Scotland. On the banks of the River Teith is the Deanston Distillery, home to the Scottish Leader.

Related Article: Ballantine’s Finest whisky

Here the Scottish Leader’s secret recipe was created by Master Blenders, the Ross Brothers, in the late 19th century. Once a cotton mill, the Ross Brothers quickly realised that the site had ideal features to distil whisky; fresh Scottish air, a supply of crystal clear water and ample storage facilities to mature the whisky.

Distell relaunched the brand in 2014. The update gives it a new look and packaging. The brand team replaced the old logo of a deer with a soaring eagle. They also released the new Scottish Leader Signature expression to complement the existing Scottish Leader Original whisky.

Scottish Leader Signature Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: A dark copper colour. There are beautiful hits of red specs in the whisky. It is not a very oily whisky.

NOSE: Immediately brings sherry sweetness with fruit cake and raisins. There are notes of toffee, honey and bits of smoke. The Signature has quite a sweet nose. In the background, malts and green grass flirting around.

PALATE: Rich, smooth and spicier than expected. I was expecting quite a sweet palate after the sweet nose, but there were notes of oak, smoke, and cloves. Bits of citrus peel floating in the background. Adding some water allowed more oak to come out and made this Scottish Leader Signature whisky very smooth.

FINISH: Medium length and end in notes of spicy oak and citrus. It is a medium-bodied blended whisky. A great combination of sweetness, smoke and spice.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Signature release is an easy-drinking, smooth, affordable whisky to have in your cupboard. Not very complicated; however, at the price point, it is well worth it. It retails for around R 230 in South Africa.

I paired this Scottish Leader Signature whisky with a Brebirousse d’Argental cheese. WOW, what a great whisky cheese pairing.

Other releases from this brand include the Scottish Leader 12 yo and Scottish Leader Supreme whisky. There is even a Sherry Cask finish whisky.

Scottish Leader Original Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/10/2022

In Blended whisky

I love tasting whiskies with South African connections, like this Scottish Leader Original blended Scotch whisky. It is even more special when I have had the privilege to meet the Master Distiller and hear all about their vision for a whisky.

And when this Master Distiller is the phenomenal Dr Kirstie Mccallum, it makes the experience even more special.Scottish Leader is owned by Burn Stewart Distillers, part of the Distell Group. Other brands in the Distell portfolio include the Three Ships and Bain’s whisky as well as Bunnahabhain.

The Scottish Leader blend was only created in 1976, so a rather young blend, compared to some of the more established blends around. Regardless of the young status, Scottish Leader is already sold in over 30 countries around the world.

I was fortunate to meet Dr Mccallum during one of her visits to SA, and it was so refreshing to listen to her talk about her vision for the blend. I wrote extensively about Dr Mccallum in this blog post.

Also Read: Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask whisky

At the end of 2014, the Scottish Leader whisky was re-launched with a new look and updated packaging. The old logo of a deer was replaced with a soaring eagle. At the same time, they also released the new Scottish Leader Signature whisky expression to complement the Scottish Leader Original.

The updated blend includes an increased single malt content to create a richer blend with improved body and balance while retaining the existing characteristics of the original blend.

The blending team used the original 40-year-old recipe to ensure the DNA of Scottish Leader is maintained. The blend includes over 40 different grain and single malt whiskies, including some Tobermory.

Scottish Leader Original Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Copper gold

NOSE: Malt, oak, honey-drizzled fruit salad with a soft smokiness in the background. Hints of sherry sweetness, greenery wood spices.

PALATE: Creamed honey sweetness with hints of smoke and fruit. There are bits of orange with a caramel and nut base. The Original is smooth with a great spice/sweetness balance. Not the most complex dram, but easy drinking with a few drops of water.

FINISH: Medium length and ends in notes of sweetness and smoke with hints of oak.

RATING: VERY GOOD

The Scottish Leader Original blended Scotch whisky is smooth and rich. A lovely release. I do prefer the 12 yo and the Signature release to this bottle as they have more complexity, but that is a personal preference. It is a great all-round dram.

It is also very affordable in SA. The retail price is around R 200. It is a versatile whisky that can easily be added to cocktails and work well with food. This is a dram that should be on your ‘To try’ list – if you have not tried it already.

The award-winning Scottish Leader Original pairs beautifully with some Royal Ashton cheese.

Also Read: Bell’s Whisky

Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/03/2022

In Blended whisky

Black Bottle is a blended Scotch whisky bottled by Burn Stewart Distillers. Gordon Graham and Co., based in Aberdeen, created Black Bottle in 1879. The three Aberdonian tea blender brothers decided to try their hand at blending whisky.

Their blending skills proved to be respectable and demand for their whisky increased.The name came from its original bottle design based on black German glass. In 1914, following the outbreak of World War 1, it was impossible to get the glass from Germany.

Since then, the non-vintage bottle has been dark green. The company remained in family hands until 1959.

Related Article: Teacher’s Whisky

After a couple of different owners, the brand was acquired by Burn Stewart and is now part of the Distell stable. In 2013, the brand was relaunched. Owners Burn Stewart decided to return the brand to its 1879 origins, including the black glass that gave the blend its name.

I have gotten hold of the older green bottle and below is a bit of a comparison between the two releases. The older green bottle is said to be a blend of all the Islay distilleries. Compared to the old release, the new release is smoother and has Speyside drams blended in. Closer to the original tea blender recipe.

Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark cold colour in the glass. It has hints of polished copper. Rich and oily.

NOSE: Very subtle with hints of florals, toffee sweetness and spices. After having stood for a bit, there are faint hints of vanilla and caramel pears. A bit of smoke and malts peep through in the background.

PALATE: Without water, the Black Bottle palate is smoky and rich. It has a nice big body filled with fruity notes, burnt sugars and spice. After adding water, this blended Black Bottle whisky becomes remarkably smooth. It is complex and rich. When you add water, more floral notes appear on the palate. It is a very easy drinking whisky.

FINISH: Well rounded and smooth and end in notes of smoke and honeyed sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is a wonderfully unpretentious blended Scotch whisky that will have you reaching for a second glass. The best thing about this whisk; it is affordable. It retails for around R300 in South Africa. Showing once again, whisky does not have to be expensive to be great. I also used the Black Bottle to make a Valentines Day cocktail.

During a chat with Pierre Meintjies, (SA’s own Master of the Quaich), he suggested that we put our Black Bottle whisky in the freezer for a week and pair it with dark chocolate. I paired it with a bar of organic dark chocolate.

The 72% cacao chocolate has an intense fruity flavour and is slightly spicy. The Black Bottle came out of the freezer syrupy and ice-cold. It paired very nicely with the bitter dark chocolate. A great combination.

Also Read:Compass Box Peat Monster

Comparing: Black Bottle Old vs New

I found an older Black Bottle whisky in a small liquor shop and decided to do a side by side comparison with the new bottle. What a big difference. I think a picture defines the difference best.

Notable differences: Old vs New

The older Black Bottle is a lighter golden colour compared to the newer release. The nose tells you that this is Islay. There are notes of peat, spice smoke and seaweed. It is big and bold and rough around the edges. There is an alcohol burn that is softened by adding a bit of water. The water brings out the peaty ash and TCP and some sweetness.

Side by side, the new release has more fruity notes. The new bottling is smoother, softer and easier to sip. It is more versatile and does work well in cocktails. I would not even think of bringing the older bottling close to a cocktail.

The older bottling is big, bold in your face – ‘take it or leave it” whisky. You can taste the salty Islay coast. The older version is big and bold and unquestionable Islay. It reminds me of an old fisherman with his pipe. With a few drops of water, I like it, a lot! Big and bold and uncompromising.

The new version is great in a different way. It appeals to a broader market and is more adaptable. It reminds me of a young Mr Darcy from Bridget Jones. Handsome, intelligent, mature, but fun. Sadly they don’t release the older version of the Black Bottle anymore.

If you like Islay whiskies and you spot the odd bottle in retail, pick it up. It is a bit of Islay history worth having. A unique and special part of any collection.

Bain’s Symphony Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/01/2021

In Grain Whisky

The other day I reread the blog post I wrote at the end of 2017, where I was lamenting that there is only the standard Bain’s single grain whisky available. Even though Distell had older whisky available in casks, they were reluctant to release more liquid as the brand was still relatively small.

Fast forward four years, and today I have added the Bain’s Symphony 7 year old single grain whisky release to my collection. It is wonderful to see this small grain whisky brand going from strength to strength and finding its feet, in SA but also on the world stage.

The Bain’s Symphony is the 8th bottle of Bain’s release in my collection. They first released the Bain’s 15 yo whisky, and it is probably one of the best drams I have ever tasted. This was followed by the 18 year old series with a Fino Cask, Oloroso and a PX cask. Earlier in 2021, a Shiraz Cask finish landed and then a 21 year old Double Wood whisky.

Also Read: Bunnahabhain Eirigh Na Greine Whisky

And then, out of the blue, they dropped the Bain’s Symphony 7 year old whisky. It is a limited release, produced at the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington, Western Cape. The standard Bain’s is a NAS release that spends about 6 years in bourbon casks; the Symphony is aged for 7 years in bourbon casks before being aged for 3 months in a “sonic cellar” at the distillery.

The Bain’s brand team played South African artist Tellaman’s music into the barrels, which caused the maturing whisky inside to move and constantly interact with the wood. I will not think too deeply about the physics behind this, and John did frown a bit and mumbled something about Brownian motion. We both agree, South African music makes everything better, and in the end, the ultimate test is taste.

JSD released a total of 6,000 bottles. The standard Bain’s is bottled at 43%, the Bain’s Symphony single grain whisky is bottled at a respectable 48.6% ABV.

Bain’s Symphony 7 year old Whisky Review

I have bottle 4 886 / 6 000

COUNTRY: South Africa

ABV: 48.6%

COLOUR: Sunrise gold

NOSE: Rich and bold with tropical fruit, banana, toasted wood, grain sweetness and vanilla. Thick and oily with bits of toffee and freshly baked Hawaiian sweet rolls.

PALATE: Bit of alcohol heat, but it is warming and not overwhelming. The oily spirit coast your mouth with condensed milk, nutmeg, and toasted grains. Hints of vanilla and dark chocolate balances with tropical fruit, banana and freshly milled black pepper. Water makes it even more drinkable and sweet. But it is perfect without water. Just delicious.

FINISH: Toasted oaky goodness with grain sweetness and bits of vanilla. A long and smooth finish.

RATING: DIVINE

It has the classical Bain’s notes of toasted oak, vanilla and banana, but all the notes are elevated. It is basically a Bain’s on steroids! The extra time in the barrel and the higher ABV makes a massive difference between the Bain’s and the Symphony. The Symphony is more complex, with bolder flavours and texture. It is perfect! Just perfect!

I was hesitant to give the Bain’s Symphony whisky a Divine rating. We are always conscious of the fact that we might rate South African whisky more positive because it is a proudly local product and not purely on the merit of the liquid.

I did however look at the level of my bottle about two weeks after buying it and it was nearly empty. That was enough to convince me, it is divine and not a skewed rating based on my love for JSD.

And at a retail price of R360, it is worth drinking over and over. (About $25 or £ 18.50) The bad part is that there are only 6 000 bottles available. This is only the second Divine rating for this year (the first was the Port Askaig 8 yo) and taking the retail price into account, this will easily rate as my nicest dram for 2021.

Now to stock up on a few more bottles. And then to have the maturity and patience to let a bottle or 2 lie unopened until next year so that I can enjoy the beauty all over again. I was very happy to also pick up some James Sedgwick branded Glencairn style glasses to sip my proudly SA whisky from.

A Bain’s 15 yo Sonically Matured whisky has also been released and I have captured my tasting notes for this release as well.

Meandering the world, one whisky at a time

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Scottish Leader 12 year old Whisky

Scottish Leader 12 year old Whisky Review

Scottish Leader Signature Whisky

Scottish Leader Signature Whisky Review

Scottish Leader Original Whisky

Scottish Leader Original Whisky Review

Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky

Black Bottle Blended Scotch Whisky Review

Comparing: Black Bottle Old vs New

Notable differences: Old vs New

Bain’s Symphony Whisky

Bain’s Symphony 7 year old Whisky Review