Tag: Islay Whisky Page 8 of 10

Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for whisky from the Islay whisky region in Scotland.

Despite the small size of the island and the limited amount of distilleries, the Hebridean island of Islay is considered as one of the most distinct regions. Because of this, Islay has become a centre of “whisky tourism”. The whiskies from Islay are known for their powerful smoky, peaty character.

Currently there are nine Islay distilleries. They incude Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Laphroaig, Lagavulin and Port Charlotte. The famous Port Ellen distillery closed its doors in 1983. Bruichladdich is the only distillery on the island that merely produces unpeated single malt whisky.

Ardbeg Dark Cove Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/13/2017

In Single Malt whisky

Another Ardbeg Day release, the Ardbeg Cark Cove Islay single malt Scotch whisky. I always look forward to last weekend in May. It is when the world celebrates Ardbeg Day. Ardbeg day started in 2012, and this annual event has been filled with fun and whisky every year since.

With loud fanfare, a new limited Ardbeg release is launched and the day is spent tasting and appreciating Ardbeg around the world.

From New Zealand and Australia, South Africa, Europe and the USA, special Ardbeg themed events turn the day into a worldwide party. We try and make our annual pilgrimage to Dullstroom for this event. It is such a beautiful venue with such a fantastic team and a special place to celebrate.

Since the launch, there have been quite a few extra special moments. One of my favourite Ardbeg releases was from Ardbeg Day 2014 when they released the Auriverdes. This creamy, smooth, peaty dram was created in celebration of the World Cup soccer in Brazil.

And 2016 was no different. We spent the weekend in the beautiful Dullstroom. We rented a cottage next to a trout dam; relaxing while sipping whisky and we celebrated the new Ardbeg Dark Cove whisky release with good friends at Wild About Whisky. Dark Cove was inspired by turbulent times and pays homage to the shadowy past of Ardbeg’s coastline.

Dark Cove is a secret fusion of Ardbeg whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks as well as in dark sherry casks. According to the lore, it is the darkest Ardbeg ever. It is a limited edition NAS release.

The Ardbeg distillery is located on the Kildalton shore of Islay, not too far from Lagavulin and Laphroaig. It is owned by Glenmorangie Plc., which in turn is owned by the French company, LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy).

Also Read: Tamdhu 10 yo Whisky

Ardbeg Dark Cove Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 46.5%

COLOUR: Golden Wheat

NOSE: Islay peat, smoke, salt and seaweed drying on the shore with notes of vanilla sweetness. The peat and smoke disappear after a bit and only leaves the sweetness on the nose.

PALATE: Ash, mild peat and heavy smoke, sherry sweetness with a pepper bite. Hints of liquorice and nori seaweed. Bits of lemon with salty notes. Not very complex and a few rough edges. Water softens the palate, making it smoother and softer, balancing the peat and the sweetness better.

FINISH: Long and end on dry sherry and ashy tobacco.

RATING: VERY GOOD

Is it worth it?

As much fun as Ardbeg Day is every year, the Limited releases do not come cheap. The Ardbeg Dark Cove retailed for around R1 175 per bottle. For a NAS release. Is this really the darkest Ardbeg yet? I am not so sure.

I feel like the notes don’t mix quite right. It tastes like something that wants to be Auriverdes but did not quite get there. A younger, less complex version of Auriverdes.

John described this as starter peat. A peaty dram that you would give to someone one who wants to try peat for the first time. Peaty enough to get the point across, but not overwhelmingly so. Nothing that will offend too severely.

For Ardbeg Day, I expect (rightly or wrongly) something that is big, bold, loud and makes a MASSIVE entrance. At a premium price, for a day that comes with this much fanfare, I expect something that will blow people away – something different, something that will polarize people. Something that will get people talking. For me, this was not it – sadly. What did you think of the Ardbeg Dark Cove?

Also Read: Laphroaig An Cuan Mor whisky

Port Charlotte Special Reserve 10 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/06/2017

In Single Malt whisky

Now and again, I manage to get my hands on a single cask bottling release. Be it via WhiskyBrother and one of their special single cask bottlings or when friends travel. The Whisky Brother releases are legendary, and I am waiting with bated breath for what is coming out from them this year.

Back to today’s tasting; at the end of 2016, John came home with this bottle of Port Charlotte 10 year old Special Reserve Private Cask Scotch whisky bottling. It is a 10 yo release matured in Sherry casks. John received it as a gift from one of his colleagues. FC knows how much we love whisky and arranged this bottle for us.

Bruichladdich is situated on the beautiful Islay and is known for 3 different styles of whisky. They are bottled as follows: Bruichladdich is the unpeated release, Port Charlotte is peated to a hefty 40 ppm, and Octomore, the heavyweight, peated to an enormous 131 ppm. Bruichladdich is owned by Remy Cointreau.

The Village of Port Charlotte lies just south of Bruichladdich close to the shore of Loch Indaal. There stand the ruins of LochinDaal Distillery that was in operation from 1829 to 1929. The Port Charlotte brand pays tribute to this now silent distillery.

I invited Emily from the Whizzky App to join me on Twiter, to taste this limited release. Emily loves whisky as much as I do, and it is a great privilege to share a dram with such a special lady in the whisky industry.

Also Read: Armorik Millesime 2002 whisky

Port Charlotte 10 year old Whisky Review

The Port Charlotte Special Reserve is a 10 year old single malt whisky aged in a sherry cask. This bottle is from Cask no 852, and it was distilled 15th October 2003 and bottled 5th March 2014.

REGION: Islay

ABV: 50%

COLOUR: Dark golden syrup colour

NOSE: Peat, sherry, smoke, salt and ash. Dark chocolate and after adding water, there are notes of smoky bacon with cranberry sauce.

PALATE: Ash, earthy peat, Lindt Orange Intense and Salted Caramel chocolate, sherry, vanilla, halva. After adding water to soften the alcohol, there are more sweet noes with hints of cinnamon and liquorice.

I am getting glazed, candied fruit peel and surprisingly less peat than the nose led me to believe @ @WhiskyoftheWeek #WhizzkyPeat #WOTW

— Whizzky (@WhizzkyApp) February 3, 2017

FINISH: Long and lingering with notes of ash, citrus, smoke and earthy peat. Quite spicy

RATING: EXCELLENT

Took a breather & am left feeling like I can taste the inside of my fireplace. In a good way. The best way. @WhiskyoftheWeek #WhizzkyPeat

— Whizzky (@WhizzkyApp) February 3, 2017

An enjoyable, rich, bold and complex dram. The Port Charlotte is not for the faint-hearted. You need to spend some time to appreciate the peat notes. This Port Charlotte is the perfect marriage between the peat and the sherry. Two different elements that work together as an excellent team.

Also Read: Laphroaig PX Cask whisky

Bowmore 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/20/2016

In Single Malt whisky

This is a dram I have tried a few times with food, but never written about. The definition of Enigma is a thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand. Will this Bowmore 12 year old Enigma single malt Scotch whisky show its secrets?

Situated on the Inner Hebrides, the Bowmore distillery lies on the South-Eastern shore of Loch Indaal. Loch Indaal is a sea lock that opens out into the Atlantic Ocean. On the other side, sits Bruichladdich.

Islay is the Queen of the Hebrides. Early hunter-gatherers have inhabited Islay from around 7500 BC, and the area is seen as an archaeological treasure trove.

John P Simons established the distillery in 1779, before passing ownership to the Mutter family in 1837. It has changed ownership a few times since and is now owned by Suntory.

Similar to the Islay whiskies, Bowmore is known for their peaty smokiness due to their peat-fired kiln. Looking at Islay on a map, I want to get on a plane to go and explore! The island is home to only around 3 000 people and eight distilleries.

The Bowmore Enigma is a 12 year old Islay single malt whisky with a higher proportion of sherry matured spirit than the standard bottling. The Bowmore 12 yo Enigma Scotch is bottled for the travel retail market.

Also Read: Ardbeg 10 yo whisky

Bowmore 12 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Darkish gold

NOSE: Initially the nose is sweet quite sweet with a sticky, overripe fruit sweetness to it. Oak, peat and bits of grassiness follow. Hints of sherried fruit, grape jam, candied Christmas pudding float about.

PALATE: The Bowmore Enigma has an interesting palate. In the beginning, there are lots of peat, oak and spice and then slowly transforms, and burnt caramel comes through. There are notes of peat and ashy smoke with a few sharp alcohol edges mixed with bitter citrus in the background.

It starts boldly but dissolved into a thin drinking experience at the end. Adding a few drops of water smooths out the rough edges, but take away the bit of complexity and almost neutralises some of the interesting bits to this dram.

FINISH: Medium length and end in notes of oak, smoke and pectin.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It seems that the notes just don’t gel together. It is as if the flavours are disjointed. This 12 year old Bowmore Enigma is appropriately named. It is a bit of an enigma. The Bowmore Enigma single malt leaves you hanging in terms of what it’s trying to be. Is it sweet, peat or smoky? Nothing fits quite right. It does, however, work very nicely with Blue Tower Cheese.

What did you think of this Enigma?

Also read: Longmorn 15 yo whisky

Bunnahabhain 18 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 04/04/2016

In Single Malt whisky

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

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

Ardbeg Auriverdes Islay Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/08/2016

In Single Malt whisky

The annual event of Ardbeg Day is a great day out, with much fanfare and whisky drinking. When possible, we visit Dullstroom for this event. During our 2014 visit, John managed to taste the Ardbeg Auriverdes Islay single malt Scotch whisky, but I have not had a formal “Whisky of the Week” tasting for this release.

When this dram came up for tasting, we decided to invite a whisky friend around. Paul joined us this past Friday to share in the exploration of this limited release whisky. Ardbeg released the Auriverdes bottling for Ardbeg Day 2014.

The name Auriverdes has Portuguese connections and loosely translates as ‘auri’ (to shine like gold) ‘verdes’ (Green). It refers to the golden whisky and the iconic Ardbeg green bottle. Gold and green are also the colours of the Brazilian flag. As it was the World Cup soccer in Brazil, the Ardbeg Day theme for this year was sport.

Ardbeg Auriverdes is released without an age statement. It was distilled in 2002 and matured in traditional second fill American oak casks.

However, the traditional casks had their cask heads removed and replaced with new American oak cask heads. According to some research, the one cask head was toasted lightly (to bring out some vanilla flavours) and the other one darker (to bring out some mocha flavours).

These re-worked barrels were then filled with spirit and left to mature. The final release was a combination of these barrels blended with a proportion of ‘classic’ Ardbeg.

Related Article: Highland Park 18 yo whisky

Ardbeg Auriverdes Islay Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 49.9%.

COLOUR: A rich gold

NOSE: Sweet, balanced with peppery notes. The sweetness is reminiscent of honey-dipped fruit and toffee. There are hints of vanilla and citrus fruits. In the background, a subtle trace of traditional Ardbeg smoke lingers. It is not a typical ‘full in your face peat’ Ardbeg. Surprisingly, very little peat comes through.

PALATE: Without water, is smooth with muscovado sugar, soft fruit, hints of pepper, gentle smoke and bits of toasted oak. Adding water releases more of the traditional Ardbeg character with more ash and understated bits of coal tar. All very restrained. The vanilla and the citrus fruit comes through balancing the peppery notes.

FINISH: Medium length and end in notes of ash, zest and pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Not your usual Ardbeg! There is none of the peat, salt and medicinal notes that Ardbeg is renowned for. Ardbeg purists might not like this release. It is certainly a different direction for Ardbeg. But, I love it. I will certainly grab another bottle if I manage to see it around. It is worth it.

Auriverdes reminds me a bit of the Laphroaig PX whisky I tasted last year. It is a softer and smoother version of the PX cask. Just delicious! It is only the length of the finish that stopped this Ardbeg from being rated higher. A divine Ardbeg Day release that I recently tried is the Ardbeg Scorch.

Also Read: Port Charlotte 10 yo Whisky