Tag: Rating: Excellent Page 21 of 41

Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for whiskies that I rated as Excellent. Excellent means that after tasting the whisky, I want to pour a second and third glass. It is whisky that I want to keep on drinking and when the bottle is finished, I will buy another one. Rating: Excellent

Balblair 18 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 12/02/2019

In Single Malt whisky

The last of my tasting notes for Balblair for this year. I have reached the last of my Balblair samples and today I look at the Balblair 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky. Earlier in the year, I started with the Balblair 12 year old and moved on to the Balblair 15 year old whisky.

The 15 year old was a definite favourite. The Balblair 17 year old is a travel retail release and also delicious but a lot harder to get your hands on. It is worth looking out for it when you travel.

One of the unusual things about this Highland Distillery is the hits of history that stands just outside of the door. There is a Clach Biorach, a four-thousand-year-old standing stone with Pictish carvings on. The new (and older) branding celebrates this stone age artwork and I love the design.

The Balblair 18 year old single malt whisky has been matured in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in first-fill Spanish oak butts. It is not chill-filtered and has a natural colour. In terms of pricing, the 18 year old retails for around R 1 900 and is available in South Africa through WhiskyBrother Shop.

Balblair 18 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Highland

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Rich gold

NOSE: Creamy toffee and fresh fruit with a hint of warm spices and malt. Freshly baked pastries, toasted oak and sherry sweetness. Lots of sweet ripe fruity sweetness.

PALATE: Ripe summer fruits sprinkled with vanilla sugar and hints of toasted oak. Fresh pineapple, apricot and freshly baked buttery pastry with bits of toasted nuts and cherries. Creamy and full-bodied. Mild spices including nutmeg and pepper. Water releases more fruity notes, but it is so easy drinking that you don’t need to add water.

FINISH: Fruity sweetness with bits of warming spices. Long and lingering

RATING: EXCELLENT

Simply delicious. I enjoyed the Balblair 15 year old tremendously and did not expect the Balblair 18 year old whisky to top it. But this bottling had the perfect balance between fruity sweetness and warming spices. The spiciness in the Balblair is soft and engaging while highlighting the creamy fruitiness and rich malty character of the whisky.

For me, it had a perfect balance. Of all of the four releases that I was fortunate to try, this is the one I want to buy for myself.

Also Read: Dunville’s Three Crowns Sherry Whiskey

Sample disclosure: I received this sample from Balblair. Though received as part of a promotional event, the review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair and independent thoughts about the whisky.

Craigellachie 51 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/14/2019

In Single Malt whisky

It is not every day that I get the chance to taste a whisky that is older than me. A whisky distilled while John F Kennedy was still the President of the USA and in the heat of the Cuban missile crises. A whisky like that holds a bit of history.

In a ‘normal’ situation, there would be no way that I can afford to taste even a sip of whisky this old. Whiskies of this age class are sold in exquisite bottles at eye-watering prices, more expensive than what I can afford. However, this is all about to change.

The Craigellachie distillery decided to share their oldest whisky with fans around the globe. This whisky is the Craigellachie 51 year old whisky.

Craigellachie did not want it sold to the highest bidder and stored in a locked glass cabinet. They wanted to share it with ordinary whisky lovers. Best of all, they wanted to share it. FOR FREE. To allow whisky drinkers all over the word to enjoy it as well.

More about Craigellachie Distillery

Craigellachie Distillery is new to the blog. It is one of the single malt distilleries that form part of the Bacardi stable. Other single malts include Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Royal Brackla and The Deveron.

The Craigellachie distillery is situated in Aberlour in the Scottish Speyside region. In 1891 a group of blenders and merchants got together and decided to build a new distillery.

Ownership changed a few times over the years, and in 1998 it was sold to John Dewar & Sons. The majority of the distillery production is used for the Dewar’s blended whisky.

The Craigellachie standard range includes a 13 year old whisky, a 17 year old and 23 year old single malt whisky.

The Craigellachie 51 year old Scotch single malt was distilled during December 1962 and aged in ex-Bourbon hogsheads. It was taken out of the wood in 2014.

Me being the sceptic was wondering; are they giving this Craigellachie 51 year old away because it is not so good and more of a gimmick? I went to taste it and captured the tasting notes. Here you can see Georgie pouring this remarkable bit of history.

A bit about yesterday, when I got to taste the Craigellachie 51 year old whisky. Such a special experience. 🥰🥰#craigellachie51 #Craigellachie51SA pic.twitter.com/MtK9C5CtvW

— WhiskyoftheWeek (@WhiskyoftheWeek) October 12, 2019

Craigellachie 51 year old Whisky Review

I had a pour from bottle 29 of 51.

ABV: 40.3%

COLOUR: Dark golden copper

NOSE: Fruity sweetness, faint hints of wood, bits of orange. Elegant and intriguing.

PALATE: Soft spiciness balanced with sun ripe fruit, hints of sweet oranges, vanilla and dry oak. Creamy notes with hints of meaty goodness.

FINISH: Drying and soft with fruity sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

I was expecting a very woody dram, after spending that amount of time in the oak. However, there are only soft woody notes. The oak lends a drying finish to the dram. The Craigellachie has many layers. It is almost like an old manuscript wrapped in many layers of tissue paper. The manuscript is so old and fused that you can’t separate the different layers anymore.

All the Craigellachie 51 year old whisky elements have blended into one to make something new that is unique and delicious. It is moreish and a once in a lifetime experience.

The Craigellachie Bar 51 Experience

The best part is that a few more people in South Africa can also get to taste this unique whisky during November. Craigellachie is hosting a special pop up bar, Bar 51, where you can get to taste the Craigellachie 13 year old, the 17 year old and the Craigellachie 51 year old whisky.

At WhiskyBrother Bar on the 20th and 21 st of November and at the Athletic Club in Cape Town on the 25th and the 26th of November. All you have to do is enter your details HERE to go into the draw. What are you waiting for? Go quickly. Entries close on the 10th of November.

Sample disclosure: I received a sample of the Craigellachie 51 year old from Craigellachie as part of their promotional event. The review and tasting notes are my own honest, fair and independent thoughts about the whisky.

Balblair 17 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/07/2019

In Single Malt whisky

The third in my series on the new Balblair age statement releases and this week I look at the Balblair 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky. The Balblair 12 year old whisky set the foundation on which the rest of the series stands.

This is followed by the Balblair 15 year old, which is just delicious. The Balblair 17 year old whisky is a travel retail exclusive, so not quite part of the standard range, but something to look forward to when you travel.

Balblair is one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries. Founded in 1790 by John Ross, the distillery lies in Edderton in the Northern Highlands of Scotland. Balblair is owned by Inver House Distillers who also own the anCnoc whisky and Speyburn whisky brands.

Interestingly only an estimated 15% of Balblair’s capacity is bottled as a single malt. The rest are all used for blends, including Hankey Bannister.

The Balblair 17 year old single malt whisky is matured in American oak ex-bourbon casks and then finished in first-fill Spanish oak butts. It is not chill-filtered with no added colour.

Balblair 17 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Highland

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Gold

NOSE: Dark chocolate, bits of sultanas and cherries with wood spice. Minced fruit, oak and pepper.

PALATE: Not as sweet as the 15 year old with more wood spice and fruit. Nutmeg, white pepper mixed with vanilla. Red apples, sweet figs and juicy oranges with oak and hints of honey. Bold and chewy with a medium body. Adding water makes the 17 year old a bit sweeter, but interestingly, it does not tone down on the spicy notes.

FINISH: Dark chocolate and pepper with a hint of dried orange peel in the background.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Balblair 15 year old release showcased the fruity sweeter part of the Balblair style. This Balblair 17 year old whisky focused on the more wood spice part of the profile. It is delicious and a perfect after-dinner whisky.

This whisky will work well with a cheese board filled with fresh fruit and mature cheddar cheese. Next time I look at the last of my samples, the Balblair 18 year old whisky.

Tamdhu Batch Strength Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/09/2019

In Single Malt whisky

Today I am trying a dram with a BIG ABV – 58.8%; the Tamdhu Batch Strength Batch 001 single malt Scotch whisky. One of the higher alcohol by volume releases in my collection. However, I bought this bottle pretty much just for the shape, not the ABV.

The bottle stands out in between the ~~dull~~ standard whisky bottle shapes in my collection. It is lovely and will be repurposed when empty. However, from where is Tamdhu?

It was in 1863 that the Strathspey railway first graced Speyside’s countryside. The railway created a dependable means of travel and several distilleries were built. Tamdhu distillery was founded in 1896 in Speyside by a group of investors. During 1897 it was bought by Highland Distillers.

In 2009, the Tamdhu Distillery was mothballed. It was then sold to Ian MacLeod Distillers in June 2011. The new owners fired up the stills soon afterwards and started producing single malt again.

Tamdhu lies on the banks of the mighty River Spey, not far from Knockando. The Knockando distillery’s old railway station has since been converted into the Tamdhu visitor centre.

The new owners released their first Tamdhu single malt in 2013 – the delicious Tamdhu 10 yo. Tamdhu Batch Strength was introduced in early 2015, and it is aged exclusively in first-fill Sherry casks.

It has been followed up by Batch 002 and 003 since then, and the current release is Batch 004. Tamdhu also has a Distillery Managers Edition as well as a Dalbeallie II release.

The Tamdhu Batch Strength Batch 001 is a single malt that was matured exclusively in American and European oak Sherry casks. It is bottled without chill-filtration or additional colours.

Also Read: Amrut Two Continents Whisky

Tamdhu Batch Strength Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 58.5%

COLOUR: Amber

NOSE: Sherry hints with dark chocolate covered cherries. Some alcohol on the nose. It needs to breathe a bit. Then there are notes of sweetness and wood. Bits of vanilla and toffee sweetness with red berries and sultanas.

PALATE: Quite an alcohol bite. Fruity sweetness mixed with hints of vanilla and cinnamon. Brandied cherries, red grapes with bits of pepper and toffee sweetness. Sherry mixed with cognac notes. Water tones down the alcohol bite, but add it carefully. You only need to add a few drops of water.

FINISH: Red berries mixed with spicy pepper. A long finish that lingers around for a while still.

RATING: EXCELLENT

A big, bold sherry mouthful! A delicious sherry bomb. This Batch Strength single malt Scotch is not an easy-drinking, finish the bottle tonight type of whisky. The Tamdhu Batch Strength Batch 001 is the type of whisky where you have one glass a week.

At the end of the meal, when you want to sit and debate the meaning of life while slowly sipping something special. When you have time to sit back and appreciate the boldness.

Also Read: Jura 10 yo Origin whisky

Black Bottle Old Release Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/29/2019

In Blended whisky

The first Black Bottle blended Scotch whisky I tasted was the new version that was launched in 2013. Burn Stewart went back to the original roots of the blend and updated the inside and the outside. That got me thinking about the Black Bottle old release whisky, that if you are lucky enough, you sometimes still find in the shops.

While researching the new Black Bottle, I read a lot about the Islay character of the old Black Bottle whisky, and when I spotted a few of the pre-2013 versions in the shop, I grabbed it.

For many years, Black Bottle blended Scotch whisky was known for its Islay peatiness. The bottle changed from the original Black glass that was sourced from a supplier in Germany to green glass during the early part of the 1900s.

The change was due to the outbreak of World War 1. The Islay character change is probably also from that time when Islay whiskies were more readily available and affordable.

Old Black Bottle is (according to some) a blend of at least 7 different Islay distilleries as well as some grain whisky from the mainland. The older release and the newer release can’t be more different. But what exactly does the old Black bottle taste like?

Also Read: William Lawson’s whisky

Black Bottle Old Release Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Gold

NOSE: Classic peaty Islay notes with hints of wet seaweed and honey sweetness. It does not have that heavy medicinal notes from a Lagavulin or Laphroaig, but a bit more salt, oak, and fruity sweetness. Dried cherries and honey with hints of smoke and delicious creamy bits.

PALATE: Soft peat and fruit. Bits of pepper, vanilla and salted nuts mixed with dried cherries, honey, and condensed milk creaminess. Bits of smoke and dry oak. Not an overwhelming peat monster, but a wonderfully balanced drinkable whisky.

Certainly no shrinking violet. I finished my first glass without adding some water and had to have another glass to see what water does to it. Interestingly, water releases a malty cookie dough note.

FINISH: Long and warming and perfect for winter with peat and hints of lemon pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

What a delicious dram. Peaty enough for a peat lover, but balanced with enough sweetness to convert someone who wants to experiment with more peat. It has some rough edges, but it is all part of the prominent character.

The new Black Bottle release (in the black bottle) is a lovely dram, and it works well in cocktails. However, this release is bold and delicious. If you like peated whisky and you see the last lonely one in a bottle shop somewhere, grab it. You will be delighted that you did.

Also Read: Ledaig 10 yo Whisky