Tag: Rating: Excellent Page 30 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

Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/10/2016

In Rye Whiskey

My first experience with rye whisky was earlier in the year when I tasted the Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye. Rye based whisky is relatively unknown in SA. I liked the spiciness of rye and looked around for some more.

I saw a few more releases, such as the Pappy van Winkle Family Reserve 13 yo at R 19 000 a bottle. Hmmm; slightly out of my budget. Fortunately for me, I found this bottle of Rittenhouse Straight Rye whiskey at WhiskyBrother for a lot less.

Before Prohibition, rye whiskey distilleries dotted the Pennsylvania landscape. Rye was the most popular grain American farmers’ distilled regularly. Rye grain is easy to grow and durable. Surplus grain was fermented and distilled, which was a cheaper option than transporting it to other areas.

Also Read: Michter’s Single Barrel Rye

Produced in the tradition of the classic Pennsylvania or “Monongahela” rye whiskies, Rittenhouse is a well-known rye enjoying a comeback throughout the USA, as today’s American whisky consumer re-discovers classic whiskey styles.

Likewise, the brand is beloved by mixologists for its robust style and enjoys a renaissance as cocktails regain popularity. Prohibition destroyed the rye whiskey industry. After Prohibition, Americans adjusted their palates towards the softer Canadian whiskies and sweeter bourbons.

Rye whiskey was relegated to the back room. However, slowly over the years, rye crept back. Micro distilleries across Pennsylvania and New York are releasing new rye whiskies regularly. Rye has increasingly been in demand since the 2016 Whisky Bible rated the Crown Royal Northern Harvest rye as their top whisky. A rye whiskey reawakening.

The Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye was a polarizing whisky. Some people loved it; some people could not understand the hype. For me, however, it opened a new taste avenue.

I find rye whiskies slightly spicier than the traditional bourbons, and the new flavour nuances have interesting possibilities with food pairings. Heaven Hill Distilleries produce the Rittenhouse rye. The Rittenhouse rye is aged for 4 years.

Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whiskey Review

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Dark gold

NOSE: Spicy and rich. Notes of nutmeg, eucalyptus and vanilla. Faint hints of fresh-cut grass, lemon blossom and liquorice.

PALATE: Freshly baked lemon sugar biscuits and spices. Adding water releases more vanilla notes.

FINISH: Medium length that ends in spicy notes.

RATING: EXCELLENT

Probably not the best rye on the market, but a decent mouthful. My brother, not usually a whisky drinker, joined me for the tasting. He finished his glass, without water, even before I could finish writing down my tasting notes.

So it can’t be too bad. It might be that I rate this rye whisky highly because of my limited experience with rye whiskey. But I will look out for more rye releases so that I can do a better comparison. John liked the spiciness of Rittenhouse Rye, and I liked the sweeter notes.

I paired this Rittenhouse Rye with some Cadbury Milk chocolates. I have also done a side by side comparison between the Rittenhouse Rye and the Sazerac Rye whiskey to see how much they differ.

I have also tasted a Scottish Rye whisky, the Arbiki Highland Rye release. A different spice profile, but interesting.

Also Read: Pikesville Rye Whiskey

Three Ships 10 year old 2005 Vintage Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/26/2016

In Single Malt whisky

This weekend was Heritage Day and I am sipping on a proudly South African whisky; the Three Ships 10 year old 2005 Vintage single malt whisky. A public holiday in South Africa celebrated on the 24^th of September.

On this day, all the people of our beautiful country are encouraged to celebrate their different cultures and traditions. Before 1995, Kwa-Zulu Natal observed 24 September as King Shaka Day.

Shaka was a Zulu King who played an important role in uniting Zulu clans into a cohesive nation. However, when the Public Holidays Bill was presented to the new democratic Parliament of South Africa in 1994, it did not have 24 September included on the list of proposed public holidays.

As a result of this exclusion, the Inkatha Freedom Party, a South African political party with a large Zulu membership, objected to the bill. Parliament and the IFP reached a compromise and Heritage Day was established.

Heritage Day was informally renamed as National Braai Day in 2007. It is in recognition of the South African culinary tradition of holding informal backyard barbecues or braais.

Heritage Day recognises and celebrates the cultural wealth of our nation. What better way to celebrate this amazing nation than with a proudly South African whisky – the Three Ships 10 year old 2005 Vintage single malt whisky.

The James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington was the first whisky distillery in South Africa to produce Single Malt. Their first Three Ships 10 year old single malt was released in 2003 and 3 times after that in 2010, 2011 and 2012. This year marks the first release of the single malt as a vintage.

Three Ships and Andy Watts

Up to the middle of 2016, Andy Watts was the Master Distiller at JSD. He handed the baton over to Jeff Green, but not before leaving behind a magnitude of experimental cask finishes, single malts and blend expressions.

The Three Ships PX Cask Finish was the first of these cask finishes to be released at the end of 2015. The James Sedgwick Distillery followed this with the Three Ships Pinotage Cask Finish whisky, and during 2018, they released the Three Ships 8 yo Oloroso Cask Finish whisky. I can’t wait to see what James Sedgwick Distillery has planned for us during 2019. (updated info 2019)

But for now, let’s focus on the new Three Ships 10 year old 2005 Vintage whisky. It was created using heavily peated barley and aged for 10 years in older American Oak casks.

I invited a Twitter friend to join us for this tasting as well. He tasted this dram for the first time on Friday afternoon. The Three Ships 10 year old price here in South Africa is around R560 per bottle.

Also Read:Three Ships 6 yo That Boutique-y Whisky Company

Three Ships 10 year old 2005 Vintage Whisky Review

COUNTRY: South Africa

ABV: 44.6%.

COLOUR: Beautiful gold with faint hints of green.

NOSE: There are elements of malt, fruitiness, spices and fresh fruit and in the background hints of honey and butterscotch. After the Three Ships 10 yo has breathed a bit, notes of grain come through. Once you add water, peat and smoke are released, and the earthy character of this proudly South African dram comes through.

PALATE: There are notes of oak and spice with hints of peat. Tiaan picked up bits of dark chocolate. The Three Ships 10 yo has a wonderful body and is a nice big mouthful. Even without water, this is wonderfully smooth. The addition of water transforms the whisky and releases all the peaty earthy notes. But the peat is velvety rich and not overwhelming. Perfect for someone who wants to expand their whisky tasting experience.

FINISH: Without the addition of water this Three Ships 10 yo 2005 Vintage whisky has a wonderfully long complex, quite a bold, finish. The addition of water mellows the finish but helps more of the sweet toffee notes appear.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Three Ships 10 yo is bigger, bolder and peatier than the previous 10 yo release. Moving towards an Islay style of whisky. It is a dram worth defining a legacy by. Well done Andy. In the end, Tiaan said it best!
Eritage Day Three Ships 10 yo single malt whisky
I finished this bottle some time ago but did not want to put it into the recycling bin. So it stood, all empty, in my whisky room. Good thing that I kept it because I had the opportunity to make a whisky bottle lamp and this was the perfect bottle to do it with. See how I did it in the post on whisky bottle lamp.

Also Read: Top 5 Single Malts

Balblair 2000 Vintage Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 09/12/2016

In Single Malt whisky

A month or so ago, I got invited to join a few fellow tweeters for a Balblair whisky Twitter tasting. The range we tried included the Balblair 90, Balblair 03 and the one I liked the most, the Balblair 1999 Vintage whisky. The Balblair 1999 whisky was a real “sit down and think of life” dram.

Rich, fruity sweet, full-bodied. Delicious! It made me realize that, although I have made quite a dent in my own bottle of Balblair whisky and photographed it extensively, I have never captured the tasting notes or written about it. It is the Balblair 2000 Vintage single malt Scotch whisky release, so hopefully it follows in the 1999’s footsteps.

John Ross founded the first Balblair distillery in 1790. After his death, the distillery passed down to his son and in 1872 the distillery was rebuilt on a site higher up on the hills. The Balblair distillery lies in Edderton in the Northern Scottish Highlands, surrounded by mountains, from where the Allt Dearg – Balblair’s water source – springs.

Balblair was forced to close during World War I and did not reopen until 1949. In 1948 Keith-based lawyer, Robert ‘Bertie’ Cumming, bought it. Cumming ran the distillery until his retirement in 1970.

In 1996, Allied Domecq sold the distillery to its current owners, Inver House Distillers. Old Pulteney, anCnoc and Speyburn single malts, as well as Hankey Bannister and Catto’s blended whisky, are part of their portfolio.

The bottle is beautiful and stands out among the other more standard bottle shapes. According to some research, the design is inspired by the nearly Pictish stone Clach Biorach. The raised edging design on the bottle is gorgeous! It makes for an unusual photo opportunity as you can see above.

The Balblair 2000 Vintage single malt Scotch whisky was aged in first fill American oak casks.

Balblair 2000 Vintage Whisky

REGION: Highland

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: This is a very light whisky in colour. It has hints of golden-yellow and green.

NOSE: There are hints of fresh-cut flowers, malt, sweet tropical fruit with bits of spiciness floating about. Once you let the whisky breathe, more of the sweet notes come through.

PALATE: The flavour development on the Balblair 2000 is both interesting and complex. It starts with oak and then slowly transforming into sweetness with some coffee. It transforms into a fruity sweet note with bits of cinnamon spice. On the second sip, I get loads of oak spice, hints of bitter citrus and floating in the background, candied raisins.

The addition of water certainly makes the whisky a lot more easy drinking, but it does seem to take away some of the fresh-cut flowers from the nose as well as some of the citrus notes from the palette.

FINISH: The Balblair 2000 Scotch whisky has a medium length finish and end in notes of fruity sweetness and dried wood.

RATING: EXCELLENT

I finished the first tasting glass without adding water and had to get a second glass for reference purposes. It is better without water. Water takes away the complexity.

From what I can see, both the Balblair 2000 and 1999 vintages are sold out. But you can still get your hands on the Balblair 03 and 1990 release. Both smashing drams!

This 2000 Vintage has made it onto my Top 5 Single Malt whiskies under R500 list. During 2019 Balblair revamped their Vintage ranges and started releasing age statements starting with the Balblair 12 yo and going up to a 25 yo whisky. The range also includes a Balblair 17 yo whisky that is only available in Travel Retail.

Also Read: Also Read: Belgian Owl Passion Whisky

Glengoyne 17 year old Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/08/2016

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at the Glengoyne 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky. Situated on the A81 in Scotland, next to a beautiful wooded area, the Glengoyne distillery sits at the foot of Dumgoyne Hill near Loch Lomond.

The distillery was started in 1833 and was known as the Burnfoot Distillery. It changed owners and names a few times; However, it has been one of the longest continuously run distilleries in Scotland.

It is located right on the line that divides the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland. Glengoyne’s stills are in the Highlands while the filled casks of whisky mature across the road in the Lowlands.

It also sits on the popular West Highland Way, a long-distance footpath. The path is a 150km long trail, from Milngavie north of Glasgow to Fort William in the Highlands.

Although Glengoyne is a Highland whisky, the whisky characteristics are closer to the Lowland drams. The water and the malt are unpeated. Glengoyne does not use peat smoke to dry their barley but instead uses warm air.

Glengoyne claim to have the slowest distillation rate, and according to the distillery, this creates a softer, smoother taste. In April 2003, Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd. acquired the Glengoyne Distillery from the Edrington Group.

Glengoyne doesn’t release the 17 year old anymore. The Glengoyne 17 year old whisky has a higher portion of 1st fill Sherry casks compared to their other releases. I loved the Glengoyne 21 year old, and it was my Single Malt of the Year 2014. Hopefully, this release will live up to my high expectations.

Related Article: Glenfiddich Age Of Discovery whisky

Glengoyne 17 year old Single Malt Whisky Review

REGION: Highland

ABV: 43%<

COLOUR: A rich dark reddish copper

NOSE: Initially the nose has notes of fruitiness and sherry. Then some spicy oak bits mixed with vanilla and nougat come through. The nose is rich but gentle.

PALATE: Compared to the nose, the palate on the Glengoyne 17 year old whisky is bold and robust. The palate is full of ripe fruit, sweet juicy pears, figs, condensed milk sweetness balanced with oak spiciness and malty goodness. The addition of water seems to bring out much more wood and dried citrus. I prefer it, however, without water.

FINISH: Long and lingering and stays for a long time. It ends in spicy wood notes.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is sad that this Glengoyne 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky has been discontinued. This dram is a wonderful warming whisky, perfect for winter. It is not as great as the 21 year old whisky, but certainly good enough to call for a second glass. What did you think of this release?

Also Read: Tamdhu Batch 001 Whisky

The Balvenie Peated Cask 17 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/01/2016

In Single Malt whisky

Today I am raising a glass to the Balvenie Malt Master, Davd Stewart, with the Balvenie Peated Cask 17 year old single malt Scotch whisky. In honour of the Queen presenting him with a MBE medal.

This was in honour of his services to the Scotch whisky industry. He is the longest-serving Malt Master in the world. An amazing 54 years in the industry. What an amazing achievement!

David was born in 1945 in Ayr in Scotland and started his career at the Balvenie Distillery in 1962 on a 12-year apprenticeship, aged 17. He was appointed as Malt Master in 1974. David was one of the first people to experiment with cask finishes during the 1980s.

This experimentation led to a few of my favourite Balvenie expressions. Releases such as the Balvenie Doublewood, Balvenie Caribbean Cask, The Balvenie Roasted Malt and the Balvenie Portwood. The Balvenie distillery is part of the William Grant stable of brands.

Malt Master David Stewart

This week, in honour of this great man of whisky, we try the Balvenie Peated Cask 17 year old whisky – another of his “experiments”. Released during 2010, the whisky was aged traditionally, to begin with, but finished in a cask that previously held peated whisky.

Back in 2001, The Balvenie did a heavily peated malt run that was then aged in ex-bourbon barrels. At some point, the spirit transferred out of the American Oak barrels and into new casks to continue its maturation.

It is into these now empty-cask that David poured some 17 year old Balvenie to see what would happen. To further enhance the whisky, David then blended it with some similarly aged Balvenie finished in new charred oak.

The result – the Balvenie Peated Cask release. Unfortunately, this was a limited release and is not available anymore.

Balvenie Single Malt Whisky is produced by William Grant & Sons Ltd. Founded by William Grant in 1886 and today still an independent family-owned distiller run by his direct descendants.

Also Read: Macallan 15 year old whisky

The Balvenie Peated Cask 17 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Liquid golden sunshine.

NOSE: Rich and creamy with very subtle hints of peat. There are notes of candied sweets and fresh fruit with hints of vanilla, cinnamon sugar and butterscotch sweetness.

PALATE: A riot of contrasting flavours. Initially, there are heaps of peat mixed with some smoke and ashy notes followed by spicy sweetness. The next layer has juicy fruitiness with bits of honey and cinnamon spice.

The Balvenie Peated Cask single malt has an interesting flavour development profile. The addition of water brings smoothness to the whisky and makes it easier to drink. It softens some of the ashy smoky and brings forward the sweetness.

FINISH: Long and lingering and warms you up from the inside. It ends in notes of smoky fruity sweetness.

RATING: EXCELLENT

This expression is certainly not the usual Balvenie style. It’s unusual and different. However, it does a fantastic job of standing out as something unique.

This peated expression will probably not appeal to traditional Balvenie lovers. It also has too little peat intensity for Islay lovers. However, this is a unique and interesting whisky, made by a man who is not scared to try something new. A whisky as unique and interesting as the man who created it – David Stewart.

Also Read: Kininvie 17 yo Whisky