Whisky of the Week

Meandering the world, one whisky at a time

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Tag: Rating: Excellent

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

The Glenrothes Robur Reserve Whisky

By

On 06/15/2013

In Single Malt whisky

The Glenrothes Robur Reserve Whisky header
I was having lunch at Bottega Cafe in a suburb called Parkhurst in Johannesburg. I asked Savi (the owner) to recommend a whisky to pair with my lunch, and he suggested the Glenrothes.  It was my first encounter with The Glenrothes Robur Reserve single malt Scotch whisky.

It was so delicious; I soon acquired my own bottle of Glenrothes Robur Reserve single malt. The Glenrothes is a Speyside whisky with the distillery going back to 1879. The Robur Reserve single malt derives its name from Quercus Robor, the Latin name for European or Spanish oak.

Matured in first-fill casks that had previously been used to mature Oloroso sherry, the Glenrothes Robur Reserve has no age statement. The rounder bottle shape of the Glenrothes bottles is unique when compared to the other whisky bottles.

There is a small label on the front, allowing one to appreciate the spirit on the inside. It is the opposite of, a bottle like Bruichladdich, which covers the entire bottle in a label. The Glenrothes distillery is part of the Edrington Group together with Macallan and Highland Park.

Related Article: Glenfarclas 12 yo whisky

The Glenrothes Robur Reserve Whisky Review

<Review and tasting notes The Glenrothes Robur Reserve single malt whisky with glass
REGION: Speyside

ABV: 47%

COLOUR: The colour of the whisky is light amber and golden. t’s quite light in colour compared to other whiskies that have been matured or finished in sherry casks.

PALATE: On tasting the Glenrothes Robur Reserve, I hit by honey and dried fruit. It’s quite a sweet whisky, but not in a subtle way. I could not pick up the sherry sweetness, but Jeannette felt it was there.

Other reviewers have picked up spices, but we only picked it up a bit later. Only on the third mouthful did I notice the spicy notes. As the whisky evolves in your mouth, the honey is accompanied by hints of vanilla and caramel.

FINISH: The finish is well executed, with an initial drop off followed by a long tail that finishes in dried apricot and spice.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It’s a warm, mouth-filling finish that we both loved. I noticed that Jim Murray scored the Glenrothes Robur Reserve 80.5 in the 2012 Whisky Bible. This rating is pretty ordinary by his standards. I cannot understand why because we both thought it was excellent.

The nose is great, the palette full-mouthed and warm, and the finish delicious. Sadly it looks like the Glenrothes Robur Reserve Scotch is discontinued. If that is the case, I am happy to have a bottle to enjoy.

Also Read: Loch Lomond Whisky



Three Ships 10 year old Whisky

By

On 05/29/2013

In Single Malt whisky

Three Ships 10 yo Single Malt Whisky header
As a proud South African, I wanted to capture tasting notes for a South African whisky as my first blog post. I chose the Three Ships 10 year old single malt; an award-winning South African single malt whisky produced at the James Sedgwick Distillery in Wellington. One of my favourite distilleries.

Wellington lies halfway between the bright lights of Cape Town and the beautiful mountains of the Western Cape. The Berg River flows along the western border with two smaller streams, the Spruit and Kromme, and  the mighty Hawequas stand guard on the eastern side.

The Bainskloof Pass, built by the famous Scot Andrew Geddes Bain, was (before Du Toitskloof Pass) the only gateway to the north. Wellington is a short 45-minute drive from Cape Town, with a population of about 62,000 people.

The James Sedgwick distillery began operating in 1886. The Three Ships 10 year old single malt scored 91 in the 2012 Jim Murray Whisky Bible and further won Gold and Silver awards in international competitions in 2011 and 2012.

This bottle is labelled ‘Limited Edition’, and Three Ships states they will be launching two more vintage editions in the coming years. Currently, it is the only single malt they have produced. So to the tasting.

Related Article: Aerstone Sea Cask 10 yo Whisky

Three Ships 10 year old Whisky Review

Review and tasting notes Three Ships 10 yo Single Malt Whisky with glass
COUNTRY: South Africa

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Three Ships 10 yo state that the colour of the whisky is warm copper. When I poured it, I found it was lighter than copper and more amber in colour. The colour is not as rich or deep as other whiskies that I have, but it may be because it has been matured in oak and not finished in another wood.

NOSE: The first thing that I picked up on nosing this Three Ships 10 yo was smoke with peat in the background. Very lovely and not overwhelming at all.

PALATE: On the palate, the oak comes through nicely, and I also picked up hints of vanilla. I think it’s quite a floral whisky and a little sweet.

FINISH: Full and long. Just the way I like it.

RATING: EXCELLENT.

Overall the combination works perfectly. It’s a beautiful, easy-drinking whisky without being too complex. After the first tasting, I had another glass. It’s a whisky that seemed to enjoy breathing a bit, so you may want to  let it stand for a moment before diving in.

The James Sedgwick distillery can be proud of producing such a fine whisky, and I can’t wait to taste from single malt releases from them.

Update: During the last couple of years, the James Sedgwick distillery has released quite a few exciting releases as well as more 10 yo single malt drams, such s the Three Ships 10 yo 2005 Edition whisky. I have captured tasting notes for many of these drams.

Also Read: Schoonspruit 2010 Whiskey


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