Tag: Island Whisky

Island whiskies are produced on any of the islands around the perimeter of the Scottish mainland. Islay is not included and is seen as region on its own. Island whiskies tend to be somewhat in the middle of Islay and Highlands whiskies. They are slightly less smoky than most Islay whiskies, but smokier than most of the other Scottish regions.

Some of the most well-known Islanders are Highland Park (produced on the island of Orkney), Talisker (Skye), Jura (Jura), Tobermory (Mull) and Arran (Arran).

The Arran Sherry Cask Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/09/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at the Arran Sherry Cask single cask Scotch whisky. The Arran distillery is situated to the east of the village of Lochranza, on the isle of Arran, Scotland.

At its peak, there were over 50 distilleries located on the isle. Founded in 1993, the distillery is the only one left on the island.During its construction, a pair of Golden Eagles built their nest in the crags above the distillery. Golden Eagles are a protected species.

Construction of the distillery was temporarily halted to allow the eagles to hatch their chicks. On a warm summer’s day, you may see the eagles gliding high on the thermal currents.

Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde. With an area of 432 square kilometres, it is the seventh-largest Scottish island. Production of whisky started in 1995. It has been claimed that the water used for The Arran Malt is the purest in all of Scotland.

The water has reputedly been cleansed by granite and softened by peat as it slowly meanders from the mountaintops into nearby Loch na Davie. The Arran Malt distillery also benefits from a warm microclimate.

The atmosphere of sea breezes and clear mountain air, with the warm flow of the Gulf Stream, is ideal for the maturation of single malts. The Arran Island is sometimes called “Scotland in miniature”, as it is divided into “Highland” and “Lowland” areas by the Highland Boundary Fault.

I have Arran Sherry Cask whisky bottle 186 of 285 from Cask 109. The single malt whisky was distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2006. This bottle is a Limited Edition matured in a Sherry cask.

Related Article: Jura Origin 10yo Whisky

The Arran Sherry Cask Whisky Review

REGION: Islands

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Dark golden amber with a hint of red.

NOSE: On nosing, the sherry sweetness is very noticeable. Dried fruit and wood also come through, with hints of butterscotch in the background. It’s not a very oily whisky, but it does leave nice streaks on the inside of a glass.

PALATE: On the palate, the expected sweetness does not come through. Instead, raisins, dried fruit, wood and some spice emerge. Underneath, there is a bit of butterscotch. The Arran has a medium body.

FINISH: Lingering. The whisky ends on notes of pepper, burnt caramel, ginger and aniseed. It becomes a bit sweeter again on the finish. The relative youth of the spirit seems to come through. The flavour is there, but they have not combined as well as they could. It might be that with longer ageing, things will improve.

RATING: GOOD

Compared to some of the other young whiskies in my collection, one feels something is missing. It is by no means a bad whisky – it is just a bit disjointed.

The Arran has a range of expressions, some of them quite collectable. I look forward to adding some more expressions to my collection in the future. I have also tasted the Arran Napoleon Cognac cask release, and enjoyed it a lot more.

Also Read: Glen Grant Major’s Reserve Whisky

Highland Park 18 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/23/2014

In Single Malt whisky

In my quest for new and interesting whiskies, I often consult my friend Marc. He owns the Whisky Brother shop in Hyde Park and always has fine whiskies on hand. On a recent visit, I left with a bottle of Highland Park 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

The Highland Park has won many awards over the years, and luminaries such as Jim Murray has consistently rated it highly.Candice Baker, a South African, acts as the brand ambassador in my country was a further incentive. I was looking forward to trying it.

Presented in the familiar Highland Park bottle with its characteristic black packaging and age statement boldly displayed.

Established in 1798 on the island of Orkney, Highland Park is the most northerly whisky distillery in Scotland. Orkney is an archipelago in northern Scotland, north of the coast of Caithness. Highland Park is thus an Island type of whisky – distinct from Islay.

Highland Park is strongly associated with Magnus Eunson. Eunson is credited with starting the distillery at the end of the 18th century. His smuggling operations were based from his hideout on the High Park above Kirkwall where Highland Park Distillery now stands. Having read all the positive reviews, I was looking forward to trying it.

Also Read: Aultmore 18 yo Whisky

Highland Park 18 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Island

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Warm burnished gold.

NOSE: Notes of oak, smoke and honey. Overlaying these notes are fruits and floral aroma’s. It’s quite a complex nose.

PALATE: Notes of dried fruit, honey and some spice. The smoke and peat were subtle and nicely blended. In the background, I picked up some citrus notes. It’s not a big, bold whisky, and on the palate, quite delicate.

FINISH: Short. The florals turn to spice and espresso at the end.

RATING: VERY GOOD

After the tasting, I looked at John, perplexed. My first impression is that this is a nicely balanced whisky. Based on all the awards it has won and the glowing feedback from other whisky blogs, I was expecting something special. It’s hard to put my finger on it, but this whisky failed to excite me to the level I had expected.

I wanted to give it a Divine rating, and maybe that’s the problem. I may be in the minority when I say I was not blown away by this Highland Park 18 year old whisky at all. Looking critically at it, I found it overrated. There is nothing that stands out about this dram.

I paired this whisky with a
Mature Gouda cheese, and it makes this Highland Park 18 yo more drinkable.

At the end of 2016, I paired this Highland Park 18 year old Scotch with a Toblerone White with Honey and Almond Nougat pieces. It was part of my annual New Years Eve Whisky Chocolate pairing celebration. Not the best of the pairings I tried. I have also tasted the Highland Park 1997 whisky from this distillery.

Also Read: The Glenlivet 18 yo whisky

Jura 10 year old Origin Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/12/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Today something from an island, the Jura 10 year old Origin single malt Scotch whisky. It was August 1946, and a lonely figure is furiously typing away in an abandoned farmhouse near the northern end of a remote island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

George Orwell wrote one of the greatest novels of our time on the island of Jura. He managed to finish Nineteen Eighty-four during his stay in the farmhouse he brought from the proceeds from Animal Farm.

The island‘s remoteness was giving him the peace he needed to write his famous novel 1984. However, a warming Jura dram would not have sustained the lonely writer during his time on the island. The distillery was dismantled in 1901. A brand new Jura distillery was only built in 1963.

Constructed on the same spot as the old distillery, it attempted to stimulate Jura island’s declining economy. The island is as awkward to reach today as it was in 1946.

The island of Jura is located so close to the island of Islay and the ‘Parish of Peat’ that the distillery often participates in the annual ‘Feis Ile’ whisky festival of the Islay distilleries. The Jura flavours are, however, different from the peaty whiskies from the neighbouring island of Islay.

Jura’s mild climate and gentle breezes, together with the local spring water, are significant factors contributing to Jura’s flavours. I got the Jura 10 year old from WhiskyBrother in Hydepark, our favourite specialist whisky shop. It is a medium-bodied whisky and regarded as a very accessible, easy-drinking whisky by some.

Related Article: Glenfiddich XX whisky

Jura 10 year old Origin Whisky Review

The packaging reflects a Celtic symbol that symbolizes beginnings and the forces of nature. The Jura 10 year old Origin whisky is seen as the whisky that began the Jura story.

REGION:Island

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: The official colour for Jura 10 year old single malt is defined as rich gold, but in the sunset light of my whisky room, it seemed more copper-gold.

NOSE: Apricots and flowers. There is a freshness when first nosing the whisky. The smell is reminiscent of open fields with clean air and lots of flowers.

PALATE: It is a light, delicate whisky. It is not a big, bold mouthful. Tasting the Jura Origin, I picked up apricots, raisins and a little oak. There are hints of mild spice and citrus.

FINISH: Quite a surprise. It is a long lingering finish ending with notes of pepper. It is not sweet at all and very delicate. I found this whisky a bit one-dimensional. It’s an easy-drinking, subtle and delicate whisky. We both quickly agreed on how we rated it.

RATING: VERY GOOD.

I looked forward to tasting a Jura, and my first one did not disappoint. It is a whisky I would offer to friends who want to try a single malt. I think that the Jura would pair well with some smooth milk chocolate or even a piece of white chocolate.

It might suit a sweetish desert cheese like an apricot flavoured white rock. I will look to add more Jura whiskies to my collection. What was your favourite Jura?

Update: I paired this Jura 10 year old Scotch whisky with a Comté Cheese, and it made for a fantastic pairing.

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