Tag: Highland Whisky

Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for whisky from the Highland Region in Scotland. Highland single malts are single malt Scotch whiskies produced in the Highland region of Scotland. This category includes the whiskies produced on the islands around Scotland. However it excludes Islay.

Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/30/2014

In Single Malt whisky

A new distillery for me, I am trying the Tullibardine 1993 Vintage single malt Scotch whisky. The history of Tullibardine as a site for brewing and distilling is one of the longest in Scotland. The site on which Tullibardine stand was once home to a brewery.

It is claimed that King James IV purchased beer at this brewery to celebrate his coronation at Scone Palace in 1488.In 1503 the brewery received the first Royal Charter issued by James IV. It was awarded to recognize the excellent beer produced.

Tullibardine then disappears off the pages of history. In 1947 architect William Delmé-Evans rediscovered the disused brewery.

He began converting the remaining buildings into a distillery. The first spirit was distilled in 1949 at the newly named Tullibardine Distillery. Named for Tullibardine Moor, the distillery draws its water from the Danny Burn.

It lies to the southwest of Blackford, in the Scottish Highlands. The area is renowned for the purity of its water. The water that reaches the distillery has taken 15 years to reach the Danny Burn through the underlying rocks.

The distillery was mothballed in 1995 by the then-owner Whyte & Mackay. Production resumed in 2003 when it was sold to Tullibardine Distillery Ltd. In November 2011, the distillery was sold to the French firm Picard Vins & Spiritueux.

With such a complicated history, punctuated by stops and starts, I looked forward to assessing this expression. The Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Edition single malt whisky is a collectors limited edition expression. It is one of several limited-edition expressions released around the same time.

Related Article: Highland Queen whisky

Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Whisky Review

Distilled in 1993 and bottled in 2006.

COLOUR: Pale golden colour

ABV: 43%

NOSE: The first nosing impression is sweetness with a sherry undertone. Honeycomb, spice and floral come to mind. There is a bit of wood in the background. Fresh fruit dominates the nose after adding a drop of water.

PALATE: On the palate, the whisky is very spicy. Ginger, cinnamon and black pepper flood the mouth. There is also some oak between the spice with hints of caramel and cereals. The Tullibardine is a medium-bodied whisky and relatively smooth but has a few edges. It is not a complex whisky, and the spice seems to overwhelm it.

FINISH: The finish is long and lingering with a slow build to a medium body finish. It is not a spectacular end, but some condensed milk and oak come through. This whisky left us a little pondering quite a bit. It reaches for greatness but seems to fall short in a few places.

RATING: VERY GOOD.

The Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Edition single malt Scotch comes across as a little one-dimensional, possibly too spicy. All in all, it is not a bad bottle to have in my collection. My desktop research found that Tullibardine released many limited edition expressions around this time.

With the boldness of the spices coming through, this whisky will probably pair well with food. A creamy mussel soup or a roasted rack of lamb should balance the spiciness out. I have tried the Tullibardine Sauternes Cask as well and enjoyed it more. See my thought on this post.

Related Article:Whisky and Gouda with Cumin Pairing

Wemyss Malts Gooseberry Marmalade Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/03/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Today I try the Wemyss Malts Gooseberry Marmalade single malt Scotch whisky. A Single Cask release from the Dalmore distillery bottled by Wemyss Malts. Wemyss Malts is an independent bottler of malt whiskies from Scotland.

The Wemyss Malt offices are in Edinburgh, but the Wemyss Estate is in Fife, Scotland.The Wemyss family whisky connection dates back to the beginning of the 19 th century. The first distillery on Wemyss land was built when John Haig constructed his distillery on Wemyss land.

The family has a longstanding passion for malt whisky. Even today, barley from the Wemyss Estate is prized by many of the leading distillers.

John Haig’s Cameron Bridge distillery, famous for the first distillery to produce grain whisky using the column still method, is located just a few miles from the castle. Wemyss Malts has a range of both blended malts and Single Cask releases. The blended malts include The Hive, Spice King and Peat Chimney.

Wemyss Malts also has specially selected Single Cask whisky releases, all of which chosen under the expert guidance of Charlie Maclean. The team choose each cask to represent the best characteristics of its regional origin. The strict selection process limits the number of casks in this range.

After the nosing panel has selected the casks, they then delve into the flavour profile of the casks. This ensures that the name given to each whisky reflects the unique aromas and flavours found within the bottle. All of the Wemyss Single Cask offerings are not chill-filtered and free of artificial colouring.

Related Article: Mackinlay’s The Enduring Spirit Whisky

Wemyss Gooseberry Marmalade Whisky Review

I managed to get my hands on a Wemyss Malts Gooseberry Marmalade single cask release. The whisky is from the Dalmore distillery on the northern shores of the Firth of Cromarty, deep in the spectacular Scottish Highlands. It was distilled in 1997, bottled in 2013. Only 372 bottles of this edition were released.

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Virgin olive oil.

NOSE: The Gooseberry Marmalade nose brings sweet notes reminiscent of fruits of the forest. It has a beautiful warm, enticing nose, tempting you to try the whisky.

PALATE: Rich with oak, spice, liquorice sweetness and tart gooseberry with hints of bitter marmalade. The Gooseberry Marmalade is a sweet, medium-bodied whisky.

FINISH: The Wemyss Malts Gooseberry Marmalade whisky finish brings wood with more citrus, and it is a medium-length finish. A special bottle of whisky for a special occasion. Something to savour and enjoy. If you can get your hands on a bottle, it is undoubtedly worth it.

RATING: EXCELLENT

I have tried various Wemyss releases including, the Wemyss Brandy Casket, Wemyss Malts Dark Chocolate Orange, and the Wemyss Velvet Fig Blended Whisky. And I see that a few of the blended malts are now available in SA, and I have written about Wemyss The Hive as well.

Also read: Penderyn Whisky

Tomatin 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/02/2014

In Single Malt whisky

The Tomatin 12 year old Scotch whisky is a single malt whisky produced by the Tomatin distillery in Scotland. With the recent purchase of Jim Beam by Japan’s Suntory, Tomatin was the first Scottish single malt maker to be purchased by a Japanese company.

The Tomatin distillery is located in the Monadhliath Mountains just south of Inverness.It is situated in the Highland Region of Scotland. Established in 1897, Tomatin is one of the highest distilleries in Scotland at 315 metres above sea level. Tomatin’s whisky mostly goes into blended whisky.

Also Read: Glenlivet 12 yo whisky

I picked up this 12 year old single malt whisky from the WhiskyBrother Shop in Hyde Park. The Tomatin 12 year old is finished in Spanish Sherry casks and bottled at 43% ABV. The colour is defined as a dark gold. I felt it had more of an amber colour to it. The whisky was quite oily.

Tomatin 12 year old Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

REGION: Highland

COLOUR: Reddish gold

NOSE: The first impressions of nosing brings dried fruit, sherry, wood and smoke. I picked up quite a bit of alcohol in the nose. Whenever I taste whisky, I always nose it before and after adding water. It is the first whisky I have nosed where the addition of water made such a big difference.

Suddenly florals and spice came to the fore. The nose grew in complexity. Sherry notes were more pronounced, and the smoke disappeared!

PALATE: Medium-bodied. The initial alcohol bite continued into the palette. The first impression was not particularly smooth. Crystallized ginger, some sherry and dried fruit continued from the nose. There were hints of barley that came through as well.

I initially felt the Tomatin was a little rough around the edges. The effect of water on the palette was as dramatic as with the nosing. The whisky transformed! It became smooth, and a delicacy came to the front.

FINISH: A bit short. The finish ended in pepper, ginger and some spice.

RATING:: VERY GOOD.

It is undoubtedly an easy-drinking whisky. Adding the water changed my impression. It is not a whisky that is complex, or big, or pretentious. The lack of a finish meant it did not score higher.

It is a wonderfully smooth dram after the water and quite drinkable. Remember to add some extra water! I was surprised at the extent to which the water unlocked more flavours.

Tomatin 12 year old & Food pairing

My Friday routine always includes trying out a bit of chocolate with my chosen whisky. I have not found a whisky that did not work with chocolate until the Tomatin, that is. I had a bar of dark chocolate with cherry with my second glass, and it did not pair well at all.

Tomatin 12 year old whisky is a fine whisky I will gladly be going back to. I paired this whisky with a Mature Gouda cheese during 2015, and the results were amazing!

Also Read: The Macallan 12 yo whisky