Whisky of the Week

Meandering the world, one whisky at a time

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Heineken Beverages bought the Distell Group in 2023.   Their brands include:
Klipdrift Brandy
Richelieu Brandy
Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky
Black Bottle blended whisky
Bunnahabhain Islay single malt Scotch whisky
Deanston single malt Scotch whisky
Harrier whisky
Knights whisky
Ledaig single malt Scotch whisky
Scottish Leader whisky
Three Ships whisky
Tobermory single malt Scotch whisky
Hunters Cider
Savanna cider

Amarula Gold

Bunnahabhain 18 year old Whisky

By

On 04/04/2016

In Single Malt whisky

Bunnahabhain 18 yo Single Malt Whisky header
Today I chat about something soft from Islay, the Bunnahabhain 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky. The sea is my happy place. I sleep like a rock when I hear the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. I love to walk for miles and miles on the beach, looking for shells and dreaming away.

We all have such a place.A place where the cares of the day, the stress of work, the burdens that we carry, disappear. A place that makes us happy. For some people, it is the mountains. John and our friend Walter find peace when they go climbing.

For some people, it is a river, or a farm or a particular city. For me, it is a small town just outside of Durban on the Kwa-Zulu Natal South Coast.

I have gone there since I was ten years old. Tomorrow we drive down to the coast for a couple of days rest with some family. And what better whisky to take with, then one of my favourite whiskies of all time, the Bunnahabhain 18 year old whisky.

Also Read: Ballechin 10 yo Whisky

For more than 130 years, Bunnahabhain has been creating memories and have a special place in Scotland’s whisky history. Derived from the Gaelic for ‘mouth of the river’, Bunnahabhain was founded in 1881. In 2003, Edrington sold Bunnahabhain to Burn Stewart Distilleries for £10 million. Currently, Distell owns Burn Stewart.

Bunnahabhain is the Northern-most Islay distillery. It sits in a large bay to the North East of the Isle, drawing its water from the Margadale Spring.

The malt supplied to Bunnahabhain is required to be at levels of 3 p.p.m. The Bunnahabhain 18 year old is a single malt matured in a combination of used sherry and bourbon casks before it is bottled without the use of chill filtration.



Bunnahabhain 18 year old Whisky Review

Review and tasting notes Bunnahabhain 18 yo with glass
REGION: Islay

ABV:  46.3%

COLOUR: Dark golden amber colour with hints of red.

NOSE: The first thing that strikes me about the nose is that it’s rich and complex. The 18 yo whisky has notes of malva pudding, fruitcake sweetness, candied fruits and caramel sweetness floating about. Hints of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Faint wisps of cloves. The addition of water changes the nose quite a bit. It seems to take away some of the complexity but oddly enough brings through more of the oak and spice.

PALATE: When you try this Bunnahabhain 18 year old for the first time, all you can say is “good grief, this is wonderful”. It’s a creamy, chewy whisky, complex with a layer of nutty sweetness floating around. Behind all the nutty sweetness is a salty feel. It’s that same salty air you taste when walking on a windy day on a rocky shore by a rough sea.

After the sweetness, there are some dried citrus peel and marmalade. The addition of water adds even more smoothness and gives it a luscious feel. You can even imagine the faintest hint of smoke and peat after adding a bit of water.

FINISH: Long and lingering and warms the heart. It ends in notes spicy oak and a bit of leather.

RATING: DIVINE

I finished the first glass of the Bunnahabhain 18 year old single malt without water. It was so good. To see the impact of water, I had to have a second glass. This Bunnahabhain is seriously impressive stuff. I love it. An all time favourite!

Also Read: Macallan 15 vs Glenfiddich 15 yo whisky


Three Ships 10 year old PX Cask Finish Whisky

By

On 01/11/2016

In Single Malt whisky

Three Ships PX Cask Finish 10 yo Whisky header
In October 2015, I saw South African whisky history being made. It was wonderful to watch. Sitting at my PC in Johannesburg, I saw bottle after bottle of Three Ships PX Cask taken off the shelve and signed for by the talented Master Distiller, Andy Watts. It was the long-awaited launch of the Three Ships PX Cask Finish Single Barrel whisky. It did not disappoint!

James Sedwick Distillery released only 800 bottles of this Three Ships PX Cask Finish. They were all bottled by hand and numbered. Distilled in 2005, the Three Ships whisky was initially matured for eight years and ten months in American oak and then spent a further 14 months in a cask in which Pedro Ximenez (PX) sherry had previously been matured.




Andy experimented with various casks for a few years before selecting the PX for the particular effect it has on whiskies with a presence of smoke and peat.

The bottles flew off the shelve, and the stock that was available at Whisky Brother shop disappeared very quickly. So it is only fitting that we start 2016 on a proudly South African note with this special release.

Three Ships redesigned their bottle and label design during 2015 and the PX Cask was released in the new bottle shape. The attention to detail on both the bottle and the label is beautiful and puts this Three Ships PX cask firmly in the  premium whisky category.

Related Article:  Bain’s Symphony Whisky

Three Ships PX Cask Finish 10 year old Whisky Review

Review and tasting notes Three Ships PX Cask single malt whisky with glass
COUNTRY: South Africa

ABV: 46.2%

COLOUR: A dark mahogany hue pointing to the time spent in the sherry casks.

NOSE: On the nose, the sherry notes come through at once. There are notes of rich Christmas cake, ripe figs and candied fruits mingling with tropical fruit. With the addition of water, more wood and spice appear on the nose.

PALATE: Without water, the Three Ships PX Cask is a big, bold dram with a lot of spice and fruity notes. Bursts of plump raisins, glace fruits and Demerara sugar burst through cinnamon and nutmeg notes. Peat, spice and smoky notes put in an appearance. The addition of water softens the boldness and releases more oak and flower notes. Water releases faint hints of pepper and cloves.

FINISH:  Medium length and memorable. It ends in honey sweetness. John preferred it without water, and I loved it more with a bit of water to release the softer flowery notes.

RATING: EXCELLENT.

Delicious. My bottle will not last very long. A proudly South African whisky that Andy and his team can be very proud of. Now to try this amazing dram with a few South African cheeses.

During 2016 Three Ships whisky launched their next release in the Master’s Collection – the Three Ships Pinotage Cask Finish. This was followed up during 2018 with a Three Ships 8 yo Oloroso Cask Finish whisky.

The Checkers Private Barrel Co released a James Sedgwick Distillery 6 yo Fino Cask and I compared this PX cask and the Fino Cask over on this blog post.

Related Article: Wild Reeds Bourbon Cask Whiskey


Peaty whisky and blue cheese pairings

By

On 10/21/2015

In Whisky & Cheese

Blue Tower cheese whisky pairing header
Going past a well-stocked Woolworths is a treat, and last week I found a Fairview Blue Tower cheese. Pairing whisky and blue cheese is usually a match made in heaven, and I wanted to explore more of these pairing options.

This Blue Tower has won the South African National Dairy Championships first prize in the Blue or White Veined Cheese Category for 2015. This Blue Tower cheese is a full fat blue-veined Gorgonzola-style cheese with a mild flavour and a rich, creamy texture.




The Fairview Blue Tower is made with more cream than a Blue Rock, resulting in a creamier texture. It also has a slightly higher moisture content, making it a bit softer and more decadent. This high-fat blue mould cheese is made from jersey milk and matured for three months to give a sharp, almost spicy flavour.

After the success of the Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength and Stilton pairing, I decided to pair this cheese with some other interesting peaty whiskies from my collection.

Peaty whisky and blue cheese pairings

Laphroaig Quarter Cask Whisky

Blue Tower cheese whisky pairing Laphroaig Quarter Cask whisky
First up, I paired it with the Laphroaig Quarter Cask whisky. My tasting notes for this Islay single malt Scotch included iodine, peat, smoke toffee sweetness with fruity notes, some citrus and oak. I rated this Scottish whisky as Excellent. What an incredible pairing this made! The Blue Tower cheese made the Laphroaig Quarter Cask sweeter and smoothed out the medicinal notes.

The whisky and Blue Tower cheese pairing brought out the creamy butter taste in both the whisky and the cheese and softened the cheese’s spicy, mouldy taste. The Laphroaig release is readily available whisky in South Africa. I give this pairing a Rating: 4,5/5.

Dalmore Cigar Malt

Blue tower and Dalmore whisky cheese pairing
My tasting notes for this Highland single malt Scotch whisky included notes of raisins, vanilla, toffee and caramel on the nose. But for me, water unravelled this whisky, and after adding water, it was all smoke, old wet leather and orange zest mixed with a few notes of cinnamon spices. I rated the Dalmore Cigar Malt as Good during my tasting in September 2013.

However, I wanted to see if the cheese could transform this dreary whisky (and allow me to finish this bottle). Pairing the Dalmore whisky and Blue Tower cheese softens the wet leather and tobacco notes in the whisky and made it more drinkable. However, the Dalmore does nothing to the Blue Tower, and I give this pairing a Rating: 2,5 /5.

Also Read: Jura Origin & Comté Cheese

Bowmore Enigma 12 year old Whisky

blue tower cheese bowmore enigma whisky cheese pairing
The third whisky and Blue Tower cheese pairing were the Bowmore Enigma 12 year old whisky. I bought this single malt Scotch bottle at Wild About Whisky in Dullstroom on one of our weekends’ visits to the quaint little town.

The tasting notes for this Islay release include sherry, malty toffee, biscuit oats, a wisp of wood smoke and a white pepper sweetness. Again, what a great whisky cheese pairing.

The Blue Tower cheese and Bowmore 12 yo whisky creates a smooth, rich, creamy mouthfeel, and this pairing brings the best of each element to the front. A slightly more expensive pairing, but worthy of a try. I give this pairing a Rating: 4/5.

Three Ships 5 year old whisky

blue tower cheese Three Ships 5yo whisky cheese pairing
Next up, I tried a truly South African whisky from the beautiful Western Cape. I have previously seen that the Bain’s whisky paired wonderfully with the Fairview Camembert. I wanted to try this Woolworths Blue Tower with South Africa’s very own peaty classic. The tasting notes for the Three Ships 5 yo whisky included oak, barley, and hints of peat, cinnamon and honey.

There are hints of vanilla and fresh fruit. This whisky and Blue Tower cheese pairing blew me away. The whisky becomes peatier and smoky paired with the Blue Tower cheese. The spiciness of the cheese is enhanced, and together they have that yummy factor. A readily available and affordable pairing. I give this pairing a Rating: 4/5.

Amrut Two Continents Whisky

blue tower cheese and Amrut Two continents whisky cheese pairing
Last but not least, I tried an Amrut Two Continents Indian single malt whisky. It is one of my favourite whiskies, and my tasting notes for this Indian whisky included honey, spice and vanilla. There was a hint of peat but no smoke. I gave the Amrut Two Continents a Divine rating. Pairing this great whisky with the Woolworths Blue Tower cheese created magic.

The whisky and cheese combined to become a smooth, complex and rich experience. It is an incredibly special pairing. The subtle sweet notes of the Amrut Two Continents is enhanced and the whisky brings out a nuttiness in the cheese. I give this pairing a Rating: 5/5.

It seems like this Blue Tower cheese pairs well with many smoky or peaty type whiskies. What would you pair with this cheese?

Also Read: Brie Cheese and whisky pairing


Whisky and Camembert Cheese Pairing

By

On 08/26/2015

In Whisky & Cheese

Whisky and camembert cheese pairing header
I love my regular whisky and cheese pairing sessions. It usually takes place on a Saturday afternoon, and I try a broad range of whiskies with interesting cheeses. Many of the whiskies in my collection are limited editions and not readily available, and this makes our tastings exciting but also challenging.

To allow more people to try these pairings, I also try to find a whisky and cheese pairing readily available in South Africa. This past week we bought a Fairview Camembert cheese.

Fairview traditionally was a wine farm in the Paarl area in the Western Cape. After a trip to France, the owners fell in love with the creamy flavoured cheese produced on the wine farms. Upon their returning, they began investigating the possibility of starting their own cheesery. Fairview has won many international and local awards for its cheeses.

Camembert is a popular cheese in South Africa and a frequent addition to cheese boards. This Camembert cheese is made according to a traditional recipe. Camembert is a soft, creamy, surface-ripened cow’s milk cheese. It was first made in the late 18th century at Camembert, Normandy, in northern France.



Fresh Camembert cheese is bland, hard and crumbly in texture. As the cheese matures, it forms a smooth, runny interior and a white bloomy rind. The cheese ripens from the outside towards the centre. It has a rich buttery mushroom flavour. A fungus, called penicillium candidum, is responsible for turning the rind bloomy white.

It was not an easy cheese to pair. I tried many different combinations before finding a few whisky pairings that worked. In the end, I found 3 pairings I truly liked.

Also Read: Martini Cocktail

Whisky and Camembert Cheese Pairing

Ballantine’s Finest Whisky

Whisky and Camembert cheese pairing Ballantine's finest whisky
Ballantine’s Finest whisky has quickly become one of my favourite blended whiskies. This whisky is smooth and filled with notes of Christmas cake, dried fruit, peat and muscovado sugar. Paired with the Fairview Camembert cheese it makes an amazing (and affordable) combination.

Both the whisky and Camembert cheese become smoother and richer. The richness of the Camembert cheese enhances the delicious complexity of the Ballantine’s whisky and works well with the floral notes. The Ballantine’s whisky cut through the buttery richness of the Camembert cheese, and makes it more decadent. I give this pairing a Rating: 4/5.

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky

Whisky and Camembert cheese pairing Bains whisky
The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington is not too far from Paarl where Fairview is situated. I had to try a Western Cape cheese with a Western Cape whisky, and this pairing surprised me. My tasting notes for the Bain’s whisky included sweet hints of toffee, banana and vanilla. There were cloves and cinnamon with bits of oak intermingling with treacle notes.

Again an affordable pairing which surprised me. The sweetness and spice of the Bain’s whisky enhanced the Camembert cheese’s earthy notes. The richness of the cheese softens with the Bain’s, and you want to try the combination again and again. I give this pairing a Rating: 4/5.

Balvenie Caribbean Cask Whisky

Whisky and Camembert cheese pairing Balvenie 14 yo caribbean Cask whisky
A bit of desktop research indicated that Balvenie whisky might pair well with a piece of Camembert cheese. I decided to try the Balvenie Caribbean Cask whisky. It is part of the Balvenie core range and readily available. The official tasting notes for this dram include rich tropical fruits and creamy toffee. Sweet vanilla, apples and sweet oak notes.

Again, what a great combination. The creaminess of the cheese enhances the complexity of the Balvenie Caribbean Cask whisky. The mushroom notes enrich the notes of fruit, spice and wood. The Balvenie Caribbean Cask makes the Camembert milkier and cuts through some of the richness. This pairing gets a Rating: 4/5.

Glenfiddich 12 year old Whisky

Whisky and Camembert cheese pairing glenfiddich 12 yo
I also tried the Fairview Camembert with the Glenfiddich 12 year old whisky. My tasting notes for the Glenfiddich 12 year old is captured here. This pairing was not as good as the ones listed above. I gave this a Rating 3/5.

As part of the experiment, I also tried this Fairview Camembert cheese with a Singleton 12 year old whisky, the Three Ships 5 year old and a Glenfarclas 12 year old whisky. None of these combinations worked well. They all get a Rating: 1/5.

What is your favourite whisky to pair with Camembert cheese?

Also Read: Peaty whisky and blue cheese


Islay Whisky and Lamb Pairing

By

On 08/13/2015

In Lifestyle

Lamb and Islay whisky header
Most of my whisky food pairings involve cheese. Whisky and cheese make for noteworthy combinations, and I have tried various kinds of cheese and whisky pairings. One of our favourites was the Laphroaig 10 yo Cask Strength single malt Scotch whisky and Stilton pairing. I enjoy our cheese pairings, usually as a late afternoon snack or after dinner as part of a cheese platter.

I wanted to broaden my whisky food-pairing repertoire, and when John came back from his Iceland expedition, it was the perfect time to try something else. The Scottish has been pairing whisky with lamb since whisky was first made.

Here in South Africa, this combination has not made it to the dinner table quite yet. Most of the meals, if served with alcohol, is served with wine or beer.

I had a lovely piece of lamb in the fridge, waiting for John’s return. I picked John’s favourite whisky region, Islay, for the pairing. The recipe for the rosemary and garlic leg of lamb is below.



 Bunnahabhain 12 year old Whisky & Lamb Pairing

Islay whisky and lamb Jeannette's garlic rosemary lamb recipe Bunnahabhain 12 yo
My first whisky and lamb pairing was with the Bunnahabhain 12 year old whisky; a non peaty Islay whisky. My tasting notes for the Bunnahabhain 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky included notes of rich, fruity sultanas and toffee. The Bunnahabhain has a nice mouthfeel with smooth notes of sherry sweetness, herbal nuttiness and salty chewiness.

There are notes of warming oak spice, vanilla, candied fruit and little hints of smoke. The pairing was acceptable, however, the rosemary and garlic overwhelmed the Bunnahabhain 12 year old whisky a bit. The lamb was smooth and soft and brought out a few more salty and smoky notes in the Bunnahabhain. I give this Islay whisky and lamb pairing a Rating: 3/5.

Ardbeg 10 year old Whisky & Lamb

Islay whisky and lamb Jeannette's garlic rosemary lamb recipe Ardbeg 10 yo
Secondly, I tried with the Ardbeg 10 year old single malt Scotch whisky. My tasting notes for the Ardbeg 10 yo whisky included notes of peat and smoke, wonderful citrus and hints of vanilla. It continues to coffee and a bit of iodine. The Ardbeg 10 year old is a big complex whisky, but not overwhelmingly so.

It has enough peat to be typically Islay, but not so much that it would frighten a non-peat lover.  Pairing the Ardbeg 10 year old with the lamb was amazing. The Ardbeg was robust enough to stand up to the garlic and rosemary and cut through the richness of the lamb.

The peat and smoke in the Ardbeg enhanced the lamb’s earthiness and made it deliciously tasty. I give this Islay whisky and lamb pairing a Rating: 5/5.

I wanted to try the Laphroaig 10 year old pairing too, but this Ardbeg pairing was so delectable, we finished all the lamb before I could try any other combinations. So, next Sunday afternoon, when you sit down with your lamb roast, leave the beer and the wine in the fridge and pour yourself an Ardbeg 10 year old whisky. You will be glad you did.
Islay whisky and lamb Jeannette's garlic rosemary lamb recipe

Rosemary & Garlic Lamb Recipe 

Ingredients

  • 5 big cloves garlic (more if you love garlic)
  • Handful of fresh rosemary twigs
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • Olive Oil
  • Leg of lamb (bone in)
  • Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Baby Potatoes
  • 3 Onions
  • More Garlic
  • 250 ml white wine

Take the lamb out of the fridge and allow it to reach room temperature. Heat the oven to 150 C.   Remove about half of the rosemary leaves from the stem. In a pestle and mortar, mash 2 cloves of garlic with the rosemary leaves, some olive oil, the lemon zest, some salt and pepper. Put aside.

With a sharp knife, make small cuts in the meat and stuff it with the remaining garlic and some rosemary. Rub the lamb with the garlic and rosemary mixture from the pestle and mortar.

Cut the onions in thick rings and put in the bottom of a roasting pan. Pour in the wine and put the meat on top of the onions. Add the baby potatoes. We usually add a few (read many) more cloves of garlic to the pan as well.

Cover with foil and slow roast until nearly done. Roasting time depends on the size of the leg and on how you like your lamb. We roasted it for 25 minutes per 500g, but if you prefer your meat more well done, you can go up to 35 minutes per 500g.

Take the foil off for the last 30 minutes of roasting.  Take the lamb out of the oven and carefully put the foil back on.  Allow the meat to stand for 15 minutes before cutting.  Sit down and enjoy with a glass of peaty Islay Whisky from Ardbeg.

Also Read: Smoked Leg of Lamb marinated in Black Grouse



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