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. See more HERE.

Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/26/2018

In Blended whisky

As I rummaged through my whisky collection, pondering the perfect dram to cap off another incredible year, my gaze fell upon the shopping bag on the counter. It struck me that, once again, I had unwittingly bought the whisky that has graced my glass more frequently than any other (with perhaps the exception of the Bain’s whisky). This is the iconic Johnnie Walker Black Label blended Scotch whisky.

Steeped in history, this whisky brand has maintained its position as one of the best-selling whiskies since 1909, making next year its remarkable 110th anniversary. That’s over a century of excellence in every bottle.

Widely acclaimed as the most globally distributed brand of Scotch whisky. Johnnie Walker Black Label blended whisky boasts a consistent taste profile coupled with an affordable price point.

I instinctively reach for Johnnie Walker Black Label whenever I am whipping up a Rusty Nail Cocktail. It’s a timeless classic that always stays in style. But let’s rewind and delve into this whisky’s origins.

Born in a humble grocery shop, the Walker family rechristened their creation from ‘Extra Special Old Highland Whisky’ to the illustrious Johnnie Walker Black Label in 1909.

Over the years, it has become the benchmark against which I measure all other 12 year old blends. Whenever I sip something new, I can’t help but wonder: is it as smooth, as easy-drinking, and as affordable as a glass of Johnnie Black?

Black Label whisky is a meticulously crafted blend of approximately 40 whiskies from various regions across Scotland. It reigns supreme in terms of smoothness and drinkability, setting it apart from its sibling, Johnnie Walker Red Label.

The Johnnie Walker whisky range is part of the Diageo stable. Other releases include the Johnnie Walker Double Black whisky and the Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky.

Now, let’s dive into what makes this whisky so incredibly easy to savour.

Also Read: Johnnie Walker Gold Label whisky

Johnnie Walker Black Label Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Deep polished amber

NOSE: When you bring the glass to your nose, you’re greeted with a delicate wisp of smoke, red berries, and the warm embrace of Christmas pudding, generously adorned with toffee and hints of winter spice.

PALATE: As it dances across your palate, you’ll find it both smooth and rich, with the perfect marriage of smoke and peat harmonizing with notes of fruit, citrus blossoms, oak, and malt. There’s a toffee sweetness here, embellished with subtle hints of spice. Remarkably, you don’t need to add water, but if you do, it coaxes even more sweetness.

FINISH: The finish is nothing short of awesome. It lingers, rewarding your senses with a harmonious blend of fruity sweetness, citrus peel, velvety vanilla, and a gentle, warming pepper spice.

RATING: DIVINE

What a fantastic release . Johnnie Walker Black Label delivers an astonishingly consistent taste that remains unwavering no matter where you travel. It’s a fixture in my home, always ready to be enjoyed. In fact, among all the sometimes costly Johnnie Walker releases I’ve had the pleasure of tasting, this one remains my favourite.

It is a compelling testament to the notion that price doesn’t always equate to taste and quality.

Black Label comparisons

I’ve conducted intriguing side-by-side comparisons involving Johnnie Walker Black Label blended whisky. How does it stack up against Chivas Regal 12 yo? Is the Double Black whisky a significant improvement? The beauty of this release lies in its versatility for such comparisons. I’ve even placed it beside a Jameson whiskey; the contrast is enlightening.

For those curious souls, I’ve engaged in a Black Label vs Red Label comparison as well as a showdown with the illustrious Johnnie Walker Blue Label whisky.

I also stumbled upon a Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Finish whisky in Mauritius. Rest assured, I’ve meticulously documented tasting notes for this release.

So, whether you’re a seasoned whisky connoisseur or just beginning your journey into the world of fine spirits, Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky is a timeless companion that never disappoints. Pour yourself a glass and savour the history, craftsmanship, and sheer delight this whisky offers.

Cheers to a drink that transcends time and trends.Here’s to many more years of raising our glasses to Johnnie Walker Black Label.

Also Read: Johnnie Walker XR 21 yo whisky

Ballantine’s 30 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/03/2018

In Blended whisky

Time and again, this blend impresses me. I have yet to meet a bottle of Ballantine’s that I do not love. The Ballantine’s 17 yo and the Scapa Distillers Edition are divine whiskies. And today I am trying one of the older releases in my collection. The Ballantine’s 30 year old blended Scotch whisky. What a long time that is. A whole lifetime.

Imagine how the world changed from when the spirit first entered into the barrel until it was bottled. With the amazing improvements in technology we see today, this whisky was a youngster before cell phones. Now smartphones have more computing power than the first space ships. A lot has changed in the 30 years.

As with so many well-known blends today, Ballantine’s Scotch whisky can trace its heritage back to 1827, when George Ballantine set up a small grocery store in Edinburgh. He started supplying a range of whiskies to his customers. In 1865 George and his son Archibald opened a larger business in Glasgow.

Also Read: Auchentoshan American Oak Whisky

Here he concentrated on the wine and spirit trade, and he also began to create his own blends. These blends inspired additional demand and his second son George Jnr joined the business. After George Snr’s passing, the sons sold the company to allow for more expansion, and after various owner changes, it ended up in the Pernod Ricard stable.

The Ballantine’s flavour is dependent on malts^[from Miltonduff, Scapa and Glenburgie and blended with many other single malts and single grains. The Ballantine’s 30 year old blended whisky has won a Gold at the International Spirits Challenge, and Jim Murray gave it 94 points.

Ballantine’s 30 year old Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Golden amber

NOSE: The nose explodes with richness and complexity. It has honey, Christmas cake, caramel, toffee dried oak, vanilla and sherry with faint hints of smoke. All wonderfully combined.

PALATE: Rich and full-bodied, it is super smooth. Bits of oak spice swirling around dried fruits and nuts. Dark chocolate and treacle lurk somewhere with suggestions of smoke. Each sip brings out different notes on the palette. The Ballantine’s 30 year old has a beautiful balance between spicy and sweet. Adding water softens the spices a bit, and it is better without water.

FINISH: This is probably the best finish I have had in a long, long time. It never ends! It’s just brilliant going on and on and slowly slipping away like a sunset but leaving a wonderful glow.

RATING: DIVINE

I love Ballantine’s whisky. There is something in the combination of spice and sweetness from the distilleries that Ballantine’s uses that just works on my palate. Over the last couple of years, this has become my favourite blended whisky range.

From the entry-level to this masterpiece, Ballantine’s consistently set an amazingly high bar for the craft of the whisky maker. And this bottle is no exception. Rich, complex and utterly delicious! Probably one of my favourite Ballantine’s bottles ever.

Also Read: Glenbrynth Bourbon Cask whisky

Ardbeg An Oa Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/19/2018

In Single Malt whisky

It was with great fanfare that Ardbeg launched an extension to their core range – Ardbeg An Oa Islay single malt Scotch whisky. The first permanent expression to join the Ardbeg core range since Corryvreckan in 2009.

The rest of the core range include Ardbeg 10 yo and Ardbeg Uigeadail. Ardbeg and Glenmorangie is part of the LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) company, and they are a great marketing company.

I was somewhat sceptical about this new release. I have been less impressed lately by the Ardbeg Day releases. Was this another premium-priced release that does not live up to the hype? In the run-up to the release of the An Oa, a rather corny video was released called ” Whisky Whispers”, about a new release coming.

Also Read: Lagavulin Distillers Edition 1994 whisky

The distillery named this release after the Mull of Oa in the south-west of Islay. The Mull offers the Kildaton some protection from the worst the Atlantic storms, and it forms the most southerly point of Islay. Maturation of Ardbeg An Oa takes place in a combination of casks including PX, spicy charred virgin oak and ex-bourbon.

Then this is all married together in Dr. Bill Lumsden’s new French oak ‘gathering vat’. Ardbeg An Oa is non-chill filtered. However, the important question is, what does it taste like?

Ardbeg An Oa Islay Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 46.6%

COLOUR: Light Gold

NOSE: Peat, creamy honey, salted liquorice with hints of cough syrup. In the middle sweet vanilla floats about mingling with bits of toasted nuts and pine needles. It’s a fascinating and glorious mix of aromas. It’s complicated, subtle and different all at once. Faint smoke lurks around.

PALATE: Ash, peat, soft honey, sweet vanilla and cinnamon sugar, hints of chocolate and toasted oak. Faint traces of lemon pepper. The An Oa has a big mouthfeel, and it’s smooth and velvety on the palate. Water softens the few rough edges and adds more sweetness. But I finished my first glass without water; it was so good. I had to pour a second glass just to test.

FINISH: Smoothly with a long and lingering finish that hug and comfort you like a favourite jersey. Filled with sweetness and bits of nut.

RATING: DIVINE

The Ardbeg An Oa is not the salty, TCP and strong tar pole notes of an Ardbeg Uigeadail, but a softer, more classic version of it. To me, the Uigeadail is the sea hardened old fisherman with salt in his bones. The An Oa is his daughter that just turned 21.

Sea weathered from living next to the sea, but more feminine and softer and filled with hopes and dreams of things that do not include the ocean and fish. But she will always come back to the fisherman’s cottage, as deep down the sea is still calling.

It is seldom that we finish a bottle. Even bottles that are easily replaceable like the Ardbeg 10 yo take a while for us to finish. This bottle of Ardbeg An Oa is DONE – within four months of buying the bottle. If that does not translate into DIVINE, I don’t know what does!

I asked the question on Instagram Stories – Is this worth the hype, and it seems like most people agree. The Ardbeg An Oa single malt whisky is undoubtedly worth it!

This whisky made it into my Whisky of the Year 2018. See what happened when we blind tested all the Divine rated drams for 2018. I have also done a side by side comparison between the An Oa and the Ardbeg Uigeadail. See which one was my favourite!

During 2020 Ardbeg released a new addition to the core range, the Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 yo whisky.

Also Read : Highland Park 1997 Vintage whisky

Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/05/2018

In Bourbon whiskey

Last week, while binge-watching NCIS New Orleans Season 3, a bottle of whiskey caught my eye. Pride and Gregorio were sharing a whiskey from a very distinctive bottle. As I scrutinized the screen, I realized it was none other than Blanton’s Gold edition bourbon whiskey—a bottle I had in my own collection. I knew I had to join the NCIS team and savour it.

Blanton’s Gold edition bourbon boasts the iconic Blanton’s bottle shape – short, round, and crowned with a unique stopper. This particular release, Blanton’s Gold, is a rare gem in the bourbon world, bottled at an impressive 51.5% ABV.

The origins of Blanton’s bourbon trace back to 1984, when it was introduced as a single barrel bourbon. This spirit is created at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, and owned by the Sazerac Company.

In the world of whiskey, a single-barrel bourbon like Blanton’s is distinctive because each batch originates from the contents of a single barrel, never blended with other barrels.

Now, what sets the Blanton’s bottle truly apart, besides its elegant stature, are the eight different stopper designs. These ornate stoppers each feature a figurine of a racehorse and jockey, capturing various scenes of a horse race, from the starting gate to the thrilling finish line. Will I be collecting more stoppers, or will this solitary horse stand alone in my collection?

Blanton’s Gold Edition bourbon whiskey undergoes aging for a commendable 6 to 8 years. The mashbill has a higher rye percentage, and each bottle is meticulously hand-filled, sealed, labelled, and individually numbered.

Also Read: Pairing Snickers and Bourbon

Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon Whiskey

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 51.5%

COLOUR: Dark amber

NOSE: Prepare for an aromatic journey with robust oak, warming rye, condensed milk, subtle hints of sun-dried oranges, and the inviting embrace of vanilla. The nose alone is a testament to the excellence of this bourbon.

PALATE: While there’s a hint of alcohol burn initially, give it some time to breathe. The palate is an symphony of flavours featuring toasted oak, fudge, notes of cinnamon, chocolate-covered oranges, a touch of Sichuan pepper, whispers of cherries, honey, and the soothing essence of vanilla.

It’s big, beautiful, and complex. If you choose to add water, proceed cautiously, as only a few drops are needed to unlock further intricacies while taming the alcohol intensity.

FINISH: The bourbon’s grandeur extends to its long-lasting finish, filled with the delightful aftertaste of fudge, cinnamon, a pinch of pepper, and subtle hints of orange peel.

RATING: DIVINE

Blanton’s Gold Edition is a bourbon whiskey that left me and John in awe. We’ve savoured many outstanding bourbon whiskeys, including the beloved Maker’s 46 and Woodford Reserve Double Oaked bourbon, but none have earned the “divine” label until now.

The Gold Edition bourbon is more than just a whiskey; it’s a special occasion dram. Its sophistication and complexity command your full attention, making it a treasure worth savouring. In fact, it almost made us cancel our dinner plans, as it enticed us to spend the evening getting better acquainted with its exceptional character.

Also Read: Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon

Paul John Classic Select Cask Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/22/2018

In Single Malt whisky

I start 2018 on an Indian note – with the Paul John Classic Select Cask Indian single malt whisky. I love exploring world whisky. Especially whisky that comes from non-traditional countries such as South Africa, France, India or Taiwan.

Drinking a whisky from a new country allows me to dream about travelling there. When I got invited to taste a few Paul John releases during a tasting at Churchills bar, I was understandably excited.

A night out, tasting whisky from a country I love to travel in – what can be better. I have been to India quite a few times. The colours and tastes of India are unique. It is a fascinating country to travel in, steeped in history and filled with amazing stories.

Tasting this whisky in Churchills far allowed me to escape back to India. I know Amrut from Bangalore well and have tasted many of their expressions, but where is Paul John distillery from?

More about Paul John Distillery

Paul John is a brand of Indian single malt whisky and single cask whisky, manufactured by John Distilleries in Goa. Mr Paul P. John founded the John distilleries back in 1992 when they began producing several spirits, including Indian molasses-based ‘whisky’.

One of their best-known products is Original Choice whisky, brandy, rum and gin. The head office is in Bangalore, but the John distillery is situated in Goa.

Goa, with its blend of Indian and Portuguese culture, has a rich colonial heritage, white sand beaches, warm weather, pleasantly charming people and wonderful food tradition.

In 2008, John Distilleries attempted a single malt whisky, and the rest is history. Paul John Single Malt was launched in 2012 in the UK, and there was an overwhelmingly positive response to the golden liquid from this Indian distillery.

Paul John whisky is made with six-row barley, harvested in the summer months to obtain that perfect maturity. Then it is double distilled in traditionally designed copper pot stills. The master distiller is Michael D’Souza.

Due to Goa’s location in a tropical zone, the angel’s share is much higher than cold Scotland. Annually evaporation in India is around 10% – 12 %. The warmer temperature also means that the whisky is ageing faster, compared to colder countries.

The Paul John Classic Select Cask Indian whisky is an unpeated single malt that has been matured in ex-bourbon barrels and bottled without chill-filtration at cask strength.

The rest of the Paul John range include the Paul John Nirvana, Paul John Brilliance, Paul John Edited, Paul John Peated, and the Paul John Bold whisky.

Paul John Classic Select Cask Whisky Review

COUNTRY: India

ABV: 55.2%

COLOUR: Golden amber with light orange hints

NOSE: First up is whiffs of alcohol. You need to let the liquid breath for a bit. After a few minutes, there is a smell of creamy sweetness. The Paul John Classic nose has notes of freshly baked apple pie sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, barley, faint hints of vanilla and candied fruits. Complex and rich. There is a wholesome yumminess on the nose that invites you to taste.

PALATE: The yumminess from the nose translates onto the palate. It is a beautiful, full-bodied dram. Even at the 55.2% ABV, you don’t taste any alcohol, and I could easily finish the glass without water. The palate itself has the perfect balance between spice and sweetness.

Hints of toffee, oak, baked apples, barley with bits of vanilla floating about. Warming cinnamon and soft pepper are well balanced with honey sweetness. After adding a bit of water, the spices softened, and more honey came through.

FINISH: Warming, long, lingering, complex, rich, with hints of oak, fruit and cinnamon.

RATING: DIVINE

What a HUGE note to start the year on. Amrut set the bar very high in 2009 when they launched Fusion, and the world started noticing Indian whisky. But the Paul John effortlessly vaulted over that high bar with this Classic Select Cask release. Masterfully done!

The Paul John Classic Cask Select single malt whisky as well as the other expressions in the Paul John range is now available in SA.

This is a great dram to pair with food. I paired Paul John Classic Select Cask whisky with some Swiss Appenzeller cheese over HERE.

This whisky made it into my Whisky of the Year 2018. See what happened when we blind-tasted all the Divine rated drams for 2018. I had the fantastic opportunity to taste the Paul John Mars Orbiter Peated release and wrote about it.

Also Read: Amrut Intermediate Sherry whisky