Tag: Rating: Divine Page 3 of 7

Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for whiskies that I rated as Divine. Divine means that after tasting the whisky, I try not to finish the bottle in one sitting. Just perfection. Rating: Divine

Today I try a blend; the Ballantine’s Finest blended Scotch whisky. Ballantine’s Scotch whisky dates back to 1827. George Ballantine began supplying a selected range of blended Scotch whiskies to distinguished customers from his grocery store in Edinburgh.

Sales were good, and Ballantine employed another son, George Jr to help with the expansion. They soon began exporting products to Europe and the business went from strength to strength.

In 1895 Queen Victoria awarded George Ballantine & Son a Royal Warrant – the most significant endorsement of the company’s prestigious reputation.

The business remained under George Jr’s watchful eye until 1919 when Barclay & McKinlay acquired the business. In 1938 the company received its Grant of Heraldic Arms. This Grant recognized George Ballantine & Sons as an ‘incorporation noble on the Nobleness of Scotland’.

This crest appears on every bottle of Ballantine’s Scotch. The blend is made up from as many as 50 single malts. The blend includes single grains and malt from distilleries like Miltonduff and Glenburgie.

Based on 2012 sales, Ballantine’s blended Scotch whisky is one of the top 10 whisky brands in the world. Today the Ballantine brand is owned by Pernod Ricard and produced in Dumbarton, Scotland.

I received this whisky as a gift from friends and have never tried any Ballantine’s whisky before this tasting. So it should be interesting, given my preference for single malts.

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Ballantine’s Finest Blended Scotch Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Light gold. The spirit is quite oily for a blend, which promised good things.

NOSE: Fruitcake, glazed cherries, wood and spice came through. Wow! I was not expecting this complexity from a blend.

PALATE: Smooth and has a beautiful, substantial full body. Flavours of Christmas cake, dried fruit and muscovado sugar are evident. In the background are hints of peat and smoke.

FINISH: The finish is also brilliant. Long and lingering, Ballantine’s Finest ends in notes of spice, ginger and fudge.

RATING: DIVINE

I was blown away by this Ballantine’s Finest blended Scotch whisky. I never expect a budget blend to taste this fantastic. This one is super smooth and full-bodied. Luxurious and sophisticated, the Ballantine’s Finest is an easy-drinking spirit that will have you reaching for a second and third glass.

From its appearance in the glass, the nose, palate and finish, this blend has surprised me with its complexity and richness. In the end, this Ballantine’s Finest whisky achieved my highest possible score.

I have tasted many whiskies over the past two years, but this is the first blend to achieve this rating. And the best of it all is the price. This affordable blend retails for around R 250 in South Africa.

Both me and John fell in love with this brand and over time, have built up quite a collection. I have also tried the Ballantine’s 30 yo Scotch whisky and wrote about it here.

Update: This past weekend I spend some time sitting outside on the patio exploring a comparison between the Teacher’s Highland Cream whisky and the Ballantine’s Finest. Both are budget blends and it made for a fun afternoon. The Ballantine’s Finest whisky also pairs wonderfully with a rich Camembert.

Related Article: Teacher’s Whisky

Port Askaig 8 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/10/2021

In Single Malt whisky

A year or 2 ago, I noticed a few interesting sounding tasting notes on Twitter. They were for the Port Askaig Islay single malt Scotch whisky. Not too long afterwards, John had lunch at Bottega’s, and Savi brought him a glass of the Port Askaig 8 yo whisky. He loved it and immediately bought me a bottle. I think it is time that I try this bottle.

Port Askaig is a range of single malt whiskies from the Scottish Islay. It is named after Port Askaig, the most accessible port to enter the peaty paradise. The Port Askaig brand was launched in 2009 by London-based Elixir Distillers, a creator, blender and bottler.

Except for Port Askaig, Elixir Distillers’ other core whisky brands are Elements of Islay, and ‘The Single Malts of Scotland’, while it also bottles rum under the Black Tot brand. Elixir also own The Whisky Exchange shop. The Covent Garden shop is one of my favourite places to visit when in London.

All Port Askaig’s whiskies are sourced from existing Islay distillers, usually as fully matured whiskies ready to bottle. The range includes the 8 year old, as well as a 16 year old, a 19 and 30 year old and even a 45 year old whisky.

According to some internet research, the Port Askaig 8 year old whisky is sourced from Caol Ila distillery. The whisky was matured for a minimum of eight years in refill ex-bourbon casks. Port Askaig is non-chill-filtered and is free of added colour.

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Port Askaig 8 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 45.8%

COLOUR: Lightest pale yellow

NOSE: Big, bold Islay. There is a peaty earthiness, bits of salty seaweed with hints of smoke and a fruity sweetness. Fresh and clean, without the medicinal notes from a Laphroaig or Ardbeg. Bits of vanilla and sweetness.

PALATE: O my word! Soft ash mixed with honey sweetness. Salted caramel balanced with smoke and peat with a bit of vanilla and nutmeg. Liquorice, green grass and fresh fruit. All perfectly balanced. Peaty Islay but elegantly wrapped up in a sweetness that is just amazing. None of the fishy medicinal notes, just a unique earthy deliciousness.

No alcohol heat, and we finished the first glass without any water. On the second glass, we added a bit of water. The water highlighted the elegant balance and made the dram even smoother.

FINISH: Long and lingering with a grassy green sweetness and hints of peat smoke.

RATING: DIVINE

John and I looked at each other in wonder. We both were thinking the same thing. It is probably the sweetest (peated) Islay whisky I have ever tasted. But it is perfection! The sweetness is a perfect match for my sweeter palate. It is perfectly balanced with salt and earthiness that do not allow the sweetness to overwhelm.

The Port Askaig 8 year old single malt Scotch whisky is the nicest Islay dram I have tasted in quite a while. This dram might even beat my beloved Big Peat Cape Town Edition. It was that delicious. I will have to do a side by side with the Big Peat to see which one is my favourite.

This dram also made it onto my favourite peated whisky list. You can follow the link to read the article of all the other peated drams that also made it onto the list.

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Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 year old Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/03/2021

In Single Malt whisky

John got this bottle of Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 year old whisky as a gift, and I decided why not. Let’s end this year on an old note. I started this year with the Three Ships PX cask. I will begin next year with the Three Ships Pinotage Cask. But first, I end 2016 on a high note with the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

Glenfiddich is one of three William Grant family-owned distilleries which sit in close to each other to the north of Dufftown. The Glenfiddich distillery is massive and has a capacity of 10 million litres per year, making it one of Scotland’s largest distilleries.

During 2016, the packaging on the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva was re-designed. It re-launched as part of the Glenfiddich core range. The bottle is a broader, thicker version of the classic three-sided bottle used for the younger expressions in the core range. The liquid remains the same as in the earlier releases.

The Glenfiddich Gran Reserva single malt was aged for 21 years and then finished in Caribbean Rum casks for around four months. The rum-soaked casks add warmer and more vibrant flavours to compliment the fruity dram.

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Glenfiddich 21 year old Gran Reserva Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43,2%

COLOUR: A dark amber with hints of red in the glass.

NOSE: Rich tropical fruit, lychee, guava and banana mixed with red berry fruits and hints of toffee sweetness along with faint whispers of oak. There is a rich dark note to the nose with a layer of vanilla and cinnamon.

>PALATE: The Gran Reserva starts with pepper spicy and then very quickly turns to fruity deliciousness before evolving into rich toffee and vanilla. A second sip reveals a delicious tropical fruit such as dried mango and banana with hints of oak and fruitcake.

It is rich, complex and chewy! A toffee sweetness hangs around the background. The addition of water opens this whisky up wonderfully, and it becomes smoother and sweeter. It is easy drinking with the traditional Glenfiddich fruitiness enhanced by the rum casks.

FINISH: The finish is brilliant. It is long and lingering and ends in sweet and spicy notes.

RATING: DIVINE

It is a brilliant dram! The flavour development profile and finish of this Glenfiddich 21 year old Gran Reserva whisky ia undoubtedly the highlight. The fruitiness is perfectly balanced with the sweet spices. This dram puts a HUGE smile on my face.

I was planning to end the year on a high note and knew that the Glenfiddich Gran Reserva was excellent, but I did not expect it to be this good! What a finish – both the whisky and the year.

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Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/11/2021

In Single Malt whisky

Amrut is a brand of Indian single malt whisky manufactured by the Amrut Distilleries in Bangalore. It is the first single malt whisky to be made in India. The brand became famous after whisky connoisseur Jim Murray declared Amrut Fusion single malt whisky as one of the world’s best whiskies in the 2010 edition of his annual Whisky Bible.

Amrut Distilleries Ltd was founded in Bangalore, Karnataka, in 1948 by JN Radhakrishna Rao Jagdale. The company initially manufactured Indian Made Foreign Liquor.

They built the distillery in 1987, and it is located on Mysore Road, roughly 20 km from Bangalore. Most distillers in India were manufacturing whisky by converting molasses to alcohol. In 1982, Jagdale decided to create a premium whisky from barley blended with malt.

Amrut Distilleries began procuring barley from farmers in Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. The company had a surplus stock of their malt whisky by 1995, and Jagdale allowed some barrels to age longer to see how they would turn out. Amrut, according to the company, translates as “Elixir of Life”.

The Angel’s Share

The whiskies had been ageing for almost four to five years by the year 2000. Amrut discovered that the hot weather in India makes whisky mature faster than it does in Europe or the United States. The fraction lost to the angels’ share is also higher, at 11–12% per year.

In Scotland, the annual evaporation loss is about 2%. Surinder Kumar, the master blender at Amrut Distilleries, estimates that one year of barrel ageing in India is equal to three years of ageing in Scotland. Launched in 2009, Amrut Fusion is produced using 25% Scottish peated barley and 75% unpeated Indian barley.

The two barleys are matured separately in oak casks in Bangalore for around four years. Subsequently, the two matured malts are blended in measured proportions and married for three months in ex-bourbon casks.

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Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky Review

COUNTRY: India

ABV:46%

COLOUR: A golden yellow. It is quite an oily whisky and makes long fingers on the sides of the glass.

NOSE: Quite subtle. There are notes of oak, cereals and barley. There is a hint of bourbon in the background and very mild peat. After the addition of a bit of water, fresh-cut flowers appear on the nose.

PALATE: Without the addition of water, the palate brings oak and is very spicy. Adding some water allows the Amrut Fusion to open up, and it delivers a nice mouthful that hits you with lots of spice, very mild peat and sweetness.

There are notes of oak and bourbon with hints of toffee. This full-bodied Amrut Fusion has a wonderfully complex palate. It is a warming whisky with amazing character.

FINISH: The Amrut Fusion single malt has a stunning finish. It builds to a crescendo transitioning from spicy to sweetness at the end. Most whiskies finish the other way around. The fantastic thing about the Amrut Fusion whisky is that it ends on a deliciously sweet note after starting quite spicy. There are notes of condensed milk with soft spices at the end. A thoroughly brilliant whisky for a cold evening.

RATING: DIVINE

This is a delicious single malt whisky from an amazing country. I could not find Amrut in Bangalore on our last trip in 2011 as Amrut only launched in India this past year. I will hopefully be going back to India in 2015 to spend some time with our friend Professor Sundar in Bangalore and then hope to visit this amazing distillery.

The Amrut Fusion retail for around £50 in the UK and ₹ 3,286 in India.

Other Amrut Expressions I have tried include the Amrut Kadhambam as well as the Amrut Intermediate Sherry whisky.

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Glenkinchie Distillers Edition 1986 Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/10/2020

In Single Malt whisky

This past week was just full of drama, and after all of this, I needed a dram to cheer me up. I grabbed a glass of the Glenkinchie Distillers Edition 1986 single malt Scotch whisky and went to sit in the sun on my own for a while to relax.

A stone’s throw from Edinburgh lies the Scottish Lowland whisky region. This region traditionally known for its softer drams with notes of grass, cream, fresh toast and ginger. There were at last count around 18 active distillers and another 8 in development.

The distillery lies in a glen of the Kinchie Burn near the village of Pencaitland. The name ‘Kinchie’ is a corruption of ‘De Quincy’, the original owners of the land. It was founded around 1825 by brothers John and George Rate. A convergence of events bankrupted the brothers in 1853, and the site converted to a sawmill. However, in 1881, the distillery was rebuilt and resumed whisky making.

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In 1914, Glenkinchie joined forces with fellow Lowland distillers Rosebank, St Magdalene, Grange and Clydesdale to form Scottish Malt Distillers. This company has since evolved into the Diageo group.

The Glenkinchie core expression include the 12 year old single malt whisky and a Distillers Edition. This limited release Glenkinchie 1986 Distillers Edition single malt was distilled in 1986 and bottled in 1999. They finished the whisky in Amontillado sherry casks.

Glenkinchie Distillers Edition 1986 Whisky Review

REGION: Lowland

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark gold

NOSE: Sherry sweetness, bits of apricot, malty goodness with hints of oak and honey. Rich and inviting.

PALATE: Luxurious with notes of oak, dried apricot, bits of cherries and sherry sweetness. Toasted nuts and freshly baked shortbread. Creamy honey sweetness with soft pepper, candied ginger and cinnamon. Just amazing. Drinkable, complicated and full of body.

FINISH: Dry oak with sherry sweetness and bits of spice. Long and lingering.

RATING: DIVINE

Drinking this Glenkinchie whisky is an experience to be savoured. A wonderful, complex, luxurious moment in time to sip and appreciate. I finished my first glass without water; it did not need any water. For the second glass, I added a few drops of water, and it just brought more sweetness to the front.

Perfectly balanced and elegant. Perfection. The Distillers Editions from the various Diageo brands is, in general, delicious.

I loved the Oban Distillers Edition, and the Dalwhinnie Distillers Edition is one of the best drams I have ever tasted. I was 15 years old when Glenkinchie distilled this liquid. It makes for a special bit of history. Sadly, not many of these 1986 releases remain, and I have only seen them on auction.

My bottle will be appreciated and enjoyed with every glass that I pour. A stunning release.

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