Tag: Rating: Excellent Page 9 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

If you’re hunting for a classic peat release, look no further than the Ardbeg 10 year old Islay single malt whisky. This Scottish gem hails from the renowned Islay region, celebrated for its distinctive peat and sea-influenced flavours. But before I delve into the depths of this extraordinary single malt, let’s set the scene.

Johannesburg boasts a unique treasure for whisky enthusiasts – Whisky Brother, the city’s first whisky speciality whisky shop. Marc, the owner and all round expert is our go-to guy for all things whisky. And through his enticing tweet, we found ourselves at the Ardbeg Day tasting.

At the event, we sampled various Ardbeg whisky releases. The Ardbeg 10 year old stood out among them, and we took a bottle home. In honour of Ardbeg Day, we immediately popped the cork on that very Saturday.

Now, let’s talk Ardbeg. Situated on the remote Scottish island of Islay, this distillery is a place of exquisite beauty, making it a destination I aspire to someday visit. I’ve shared detailed insights about Ardbeg in many other blog posts, so remember to check those out.

In September 2016, a group of adventurous souls embarked on a three-day journey along the rugged Islay Coast. Guided by Distillery Manager Mickey Heads and survival expert Monty Halls, these “ARDventurers” conquered the island’s untamed coastline, wild peat bogs, misty hills, and brooding lochs, all vying for the title of Ultimate ARDventurer.

Now, let’s turn our attention to the star of the show – the Ardbeg 10 year old whisky. The 10 year old is aged exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels. It’s non-chill filtered, ensuring a fuller, richer flavour. Ardbeg’s core range includes other exceptional expressions like the Ardbeg Wee Beastie, the An Oa, Uigeadail, and the Ardbeg Corryvreckan whisky.

Related Article: Ardbeg Smoketrails Manzanilla whisky

Ardbeg 10 year old Islay Single Malt Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Quite light, with hints of green.

NOSE: As we nosed the Ardbeg 10, there were distinctive peat and wood smoke notes. In the background is a hint of orange sweetness with light vanilla and sea salt. However, the first impression wasn’t overwhelming; it was an inviting and intriguing aroma with a touch of sweetness in the background.

PALATE: Upon tasting, the complexity of this whisky unravelled. Beyond the initial peat, we detected warming citrus notes and hints of vanilla, followed by subtle hints of coffee and a touch of iodine and pepper.

The Ardbeg 10 year old is undoubtedly a bold whisky, but it doesn’t overpower the palate. It’s a symphony of well-balanced Islay flavours and a truly elegant dram.

FINISH: This Ardbeg has one of the longest and most full-bodied finishes I’ve ever experienced. It lingers and evolves on the palate, creating an unforgettable journey of flavours. It’s no wonder that Jim Murray showered it with praise. It ends in notes of smoky sweetness with light black pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

This whisky has swiftly become one of my favourites from Islay. When winter comes around and the urge to cosy up by the fire strikes, the Ardbeg 10 year old is the perfect companion. It balances peat, smoke, and sweetness harmoniously while maintaining its bold character.

But there’s more to this whisky than just sipping it neat. I’ve used the Ardbeg 10 year old whisky to craft delightful whisky truffles, and it even earned a spot on my “Top 5 Single Malt Whiskies” list.

If you’re curious how the Ardbeg 10 year old stacks up against other iconic drams, stay tuned for my comparative series, where I compared it against the Talisker 10 year old and the Lagavulin 16 year old whisky.

In 2023, I compared the Ardbeg 10 year old and the Ardbeg An Oa single malt release. To discover which one emerged victorious, follow the link. Cheers to the world of Ardbeg!

Also Read: Johnnie Walker Island Green Whisky

Timorous Beastie 18 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/30/2022

In Blended Malt Whisky

Today I look at a blended malt from the Douglas Laing stable, the Timorous Beastie 18 year old whisky. The original Beastie was immortalized in Robert Burns’ famous Scots poem “To a Mouse” and was a timid, little field mouse.

When I tasted the standard Timorous Beastie, I realized that this little field mouse had the roar of a wee big beastie inside. A few months later, I was also fortunate to taste the Timorous Beastie 18 year old whisky, which showed the roar of the lion.

The Timorous Beastie blended malt Scotch release is part of the Remarkable Malt range and stands tall next to Big Peat, Scallywag, and Rock Oyster is Douglas Laing’s stable.

Also Read: Aultmore 18 yo Whisky

Launched in 2017, the 18 year old Beastie blends whiskies from several undisclosed Highland distilleries. Based on some research, it looks like the distilleries include liquid from Dalmore, Blair Athol and Glen Garioch. Only 7,258 bottles were released. The Douglas Laing releases are non-chill-filtered and naturally coloured.

The Beastie blended malt whisky range also includes a NAS as well as a 12 year old whisky. There is even a limited edition 25 year old Beastie released by Douglas Laing.

Timorous Beastie 18 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Highlands

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Golden yellow

NOSE: Bold and inviting. Honey sweetness with vanilla and a warming maltiness. Green floral notes mixed with orange and something tropical. Gentle spices and faint hints of salt and smoke.

PALATE: Elegant and juicy. It is not overly bold but wonderfully balanced and drinkable. Fruit salad sweetness drizzled with honey, an oily, malty mouthfeel with creamy custard and green hay. Bits of white chocolate and white pepper mixed with oak and nutmeg. Hints of lemon and barley. A bit of alcohol heat, but it is warming. This Beastie only needs a few drops of water to open up the sweetness.

FINISH: Medium length with drying oak and honey sweetness, faint chocolate and pepper.

RATING: DIVINE

What a delicious full body dram. It has a beautifully sweet, spicy balance and is warming and satisfying. The Douglas Laing guys had outdone themselves in this blended malt. They do know how to blend whisky to get the best results. The 18 year old Beastie is packed with bright, balanced flavour.

It retails for around R 1 500 in South Africa, and if you have not tried it yet, what are you waiting for. I saw some recently at WhiskyBrother&Co. There were not too many of them released, so grab a bottle and see the Beastie roar.

Also Read: Yellow Spot Whiskey

Paul John Indian Single Malt Whisky Bold

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/09/2022

In Single Malt whisky

I started 2022 with a bold sherried expression from India when I tasted the Paul John Oloroso Select Cask whisky, and today I continue the drams from the Indian continent. The Paul John Bold Indian single malt is a peated whisky released by the John Distillery in 2015. It is made from 6-row Indian barley and peated using peat brought to Goa from Islay.

I have written extensively about the history of the John Distillery and have tasted quite a few of their releases, including Nirvana and Pedro Ximénez Select Cask.

Also Read: Ardbeg Uigeadail vs Lagavulin 16

The Bold single malt edition is part of the Paul John flagship range together with Brilliance and Edited. Every whisky in the flagship range shows a different aspect of the Indian whisky. Brilliance is unpeated, Edited is mildly peated one, and Bold is pleated to about 25 ppm.

Paul John Bold whisky is aged in ex-bourbon barrels and a NAS release. According to some research, it is probably between 6-8 years old. The Paul John whisky is non-chill-filtered.

Paul John Indian Single Malt Bold Whisky Review

ABV: 46%

COUNTRY: India

COLOUR: Dark amber

NOSE: Smoky notes with fruit and honey sweetness with hints of peat and nuts. Lots of fresh fruit with hints of oak, dry grass and salt.

PALATE: A delicious balance between honey sweetness, peat, woody notes and spices. You can’t miss the Islay peat and smoky hints, but it is balanced with baked apple sweetness and green notes. Bits of dark chocolate and oak spice. Full body and oily. Bits of lemon and black pepper in the background.

FINISH: Long and lingering with notes of fruity sweetness, bits of salt and peat with hints of chocolate.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The Bold Edition is delicious and unquestionably bold. It is not Ardbeg Uigeadail intensity, but more Ardbeg An Oa fruitiness bold. The Paul John Indian single malt Bold whisky is memorable and drinkable. I love the releases from this Master distiller. Bold has the Islay peat, but it is gentle and easy to drink.

A lovely regular sipper that is readily available in South Africa. It retails for about R 600, and it is my favourite release from the flagship series.

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

Also Read: Woodford Reserve Rye vs Jack Daniel’s Rye Whiskey

Dewar’s 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/02/2022

In Blended whisky

I am always looking for exciting whisky at a reasonable price. Call it the frugal Dutch side of me, but I don’t think expensive necessarily equals good. These last couple of years, I have managed to find great blends and single malt whiskies at affordable prices. Whiskies that you can buy 2 or 3 bottles of and not survive on dry bread for the rest of the month.

I publish my top 5 affordable single malt and blends list yearly. This year, however, has been a challenge. I am over the halfway mark, and I have not found too many delicious “new” affordable drams. My top 5 list was looking a bit bare.

That was until I tasted something at the Wade Bales whisky show. I tasted the Dewar’s 12 year old blended Scotch whisky, and immediately my Top 5 list started looking better.

Also Read: The Black Grouse Whisky

It is not a very well known brand in SA, so I went to investigate. The Dewar’s brand was established in 1846 by a wine and spirit merchant, John Dewar in Perth Scotland. John blended his own whisky and bottled it under his name. John’s two sons joined the business and in 1884 expansion started on the London market, and soon after, America beckoned.

Even President Benjamin Harrison was a fan. The Dewar brothers expanded their portfolio by building the Aberfeldy Distillery in 1896, and the brand went from strength to strength. Today the John Dewar’s & Sons company owns four other distilleries. The distilleries include Aultmore, Craigellachie, Macduff and Royal Bracka.

Bacardi owns John Dewar’s & Sons and other releases in the Dewar’s stable include the Dewar’s White Label and a Dewar’s 18 year old. The Dewar’s 12 year old is double aged as the whisky is married in oak casks after the initial maturation and blending.

Dewar’s 12 year old Blended Scotch Whisky

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Golden sun-kissed wheat

NOSE: Delicate and sweet with tropical and sweet oak spices. Bananas and pineapple balanced with malts and honey. There are hints of cut flowers and bits of cinnamon.

PALATE: The Dewar’s 12 year old Scotch is light and fruity. Honey sweetness mixed with ripe summer fruits, oak and malt. It is smooth and easy drinking with a medium body. You barely need to add any water; just a few drops to release more sweetness and complexity.

FINISH: Ends on notes of honey, malt and black pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

What a beautiful blend! Light and floral, this Dewar‘s 12 year old blended whisky is perfect for someone who wants to try whisky for the first time. It is a delicious summer dram to enjoy during the hot summer.

This bottle will not last long, and at the price point, replacing the bottle is not a problem. This blend retails for around R300 in South Africa. It is cheaper than the Johnnie Walker Black.

This Dewar’s 12 year old whisky is worthy of a taste. I managed to get my hands on the Dewar’s 15 year old and loved it just as much.

Also Read: Chivas Regal 12 yo whisky

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 04/15/2022

In Bourbon whiskey

During March this year, I got to meet Cam Dawson at a Jack Daniel’s function and taste a few exciting Jack Daniel’s releases. It was a great function that introduces a few whisky friends to more of how Jack Daniel’s is made.

We got to taste a variety of releases, however, the Jack Daniel’s release that impressed me most was the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Tennessee whiskey. I liked it so much, I went out and bought a bottle. At R600 a bottle, it is not too expensive and quite readily available.

Jack Daniel’s whiskey is not bourbon, but it is classified as a Tennessee whiskey. Despite bearing most of the same characteristics as bourbon in production methods, Jack Daniel’s whiskey enjoys filtration through a 10-foot stack of sugar maple charcoal before maturation.

This extra step, known as the Lincoln County Process, removes impurities and the taste of corn. It is what makes a Tennessee whisky different from a bourbon. Jack Daniel’s refers to this filtering step as “mellowing”.

The mash bill for Jack Daniel’s is made from corn, rye and malted barley, and is distilled in copper stills. Jack Daniel’s is labelled as a sour mash” whiskey, which means that when the mash is prepared, some of the wet solids from a previously used batch are mixed in to help make the fermentation process operate more consistently.

Jack Daniel’s is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee, by the Jack Daniel Distillery, which has been owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation since 1956. Other releases include the Gentleman Jack whisky and Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select whiskey.

Also Read: Jim Beam Double Oak Bourbon

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Whiskey Review

All Jack Daniel’s whiskey start out as Old No. 7. To become Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel, the whiskey is matured in toasted and charred new white American oak barrels and stored in the uppermost part of the warehouse. Here the dramatic changes in temperature cause its colour and taste to deepen further. It is bottled at 94 proof.

COUNTRY: USA

ABV: 47%

COLOUR: Dark copper with hints of mahogany

NOSE: Ripe red berries, vanilla, a hint of mint, caramel sweetness, a bit of toasted oak.

PALATE: The Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel whiskey is creamy with notes of cherries layered with caramel, vanilla, hints of coffee and cereal balanced with cinnamon and pepper spice. It is rich and complex and the layers open up slowly when you take a second sip. Water releases some more of the sweetness and softens the pepper. I just love it.

FINISH: Long and lingering and ends in notes of pepper and citrus.

RATING: EXCELLENT

This Tennessee whiskey is big and bold and has a yummy’ness to it. It is one of those drams that just begs you for a second glass. Easily my favourite of the bunch that I have tasted so far. Rich, rewarding, sophisticated and just simply delicious. I also love the bottle shape.

Playing around, I found that the fruity nature of this whiskey pairs well with a sweeter Monterey Jack cheese.

I have started a series where I compare two whiskies with each other. A side by side comparison to look at the strong point of each whisky. The first comparison is between Woodford Reserve vs Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel. Go and look what how they differ and my suggestion for when to drink each release.

Talking about Jack Daniel’s, I have also done a side by side comparison between the Old No 7 and the Gentleman Jack whiskey.

Also Read: Jameson Caskmates Whiskey

Meandering the world, one whisky at a time

Tag: Rating: Excellent Page 9 of 41

Ardbeg 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky

Ardbeg 10 year old Islay Single Malt Whisky Review

Timorous Beastie 18 year old Whisky

Timorous Beastie 18 year old Whisky Review

Paul John Indian Single Malt Whisky Bold

Paul John Indian Single Malt Bold Whisky Review

Dewar’s 12 year old Whisky

Dewar’s 12 year old Blended Scotch Whisky

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Whiskey

Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Whiskey Review