Tag: Rating: Ordinary

Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for whisky I rated Ordinary. This is a whisky where we look at each other and go “oh dear”. We usually don’t finish the glass. Harsh alcohol notes, unfinished edges and unbalanced. My child will probably inherit this bottle from me as I can’t even use it in cocktails. Rating: Ordinary.

Galloway Single Grain Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/02/2017

In Grain Whisky

About two years ago, I found this bottle of Galloway single grain Scotch whisky somewhere in a small bottle shop and bought it. It was relatively affordable, and it was a single grain. Not that this means much, but the information on the bottle about it being made on the banks of Loch Lomond looked interesting.

According to the label…”Lowland Scotch whisky. Produced on the banks of Loch Lomond then aged and matured in oak casks in the heart of Scotland. The whisky comes to life on Loch Lomond’s beautiful banks, born from the pristine waters that arise in the surrounding hills.”

Thomson & Gray have named this whisky Galloway, after the ship the company owned from 1876 – 1882. The Galloway carried cargo to South Africa in the empire years.

The Galloway single grain bottle landed up in the back of the cupboard for about two years, and after cleaning up a bit, I found it again. There is barely anything available on the internet on this bottling, and an email to the company who imported it into SA went unanswered.

Looking at the map and distilleries around Loch Lomond, the only distillery that does grain (and malt) is the Loch Lomond distillery. Might this be a cask from Loch Lomond but bottled under a different name?

Or someone just wanting to piggyback off the success of the Loch Lomond grain whisky by using the name of the Loch? Is it some Loch Lomond single grain bottled under a different name? Let’s find out.

Also Read: The Chita Whisky

Galloway Single Grain Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Dark gold with red hints

NOSE: Overly sweet caramel. I let the glass stand for a while for the heavy caramel notes to disappear. There are faint notes of oak, cinnamon and vanilla.

PALATE: When you try to take a sip of the Galloway single grain, the heavy caramel sweetness is still overwhelming on the nose. However, not on the palate. There are notes of pepper, bitter lemon and very little sweetness with a sharp alcohol bite.

The sticky sweet caramel nose does not translate to the palate (small mercies). John describes the Galloway as “…cheap cane spirit laced with even cheaper corn syrup. Rich layers of benzine and methylated spirits overwhelm the senses.” He is not far off. Adding some water softens the alcohol burn a bit, but does little else,

FINISH: Fortunately very short ending in notes of pepper and bitter lemon. John describes it as”… What finish… I did not finish it…”

RATING: ORDINARY

This Galloway single grain whisky is the kind of whisky that people who have never tasted whisky would distil. It’s awfully, and John’s view is that someone is committing a crime bottling it. It is certainly NOT from Loch Lomond Distillery.

I don’t think this liquid has even seen Scotland. Let alone the beautiful Loch. If you happen to see this bottle somewhere, put it down and take something else; anything else.

Has anyone else noticed this bottle somewhere?

Also Read: Dewar’s 15 yo whisky

Speyburn Bradan Orach Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/29/2017

In Single Malt whisky

At the end of each year, I look back at what I tasted and make a few lists. I list my Top 5 Single Malt and my Top 5 Blended whiskies. All whiskies that I have tasted during the year and that fall in the affordable category. The Top 5 Blended whisky list is easy.

There are plenty of blends available in the affordable category (Under R500 /$ 38). Creating the Top 5 Single malt category is somewhat more difficult, and the price point sits at around R 750 /$ 57. Reasonably priced single malts are a lot more challanging to find.<

A while ago, I spotted the Speyburn Bradan Orach single malt Scotch whisky that retails for around R450, and it joined my collection. It even had two glasses in the packaging. What a bargain, I thought. I have not tasted anything from Speyburn before, so today, let’s explore this Speyside distillery.

The Speyburn-Glenlivet Distillery was founded in 1897 by John Hopkins and Company. John Hopkins discovered the Granty Burn stream while hunting and knew the crystal clear water was perfect for whisky.

Granty Burn is one of the major tributaries to the River Spey. Distillers Company Limited acquired Speyburn from John Hopkin in 1916. In 1991, Speyburn distillery was acquired by Inver House Distillers Limited who also own Old Pulteney Distillery, Knockdhu Distillery and Balblair Distillery. The Speyburn whisky has no age statement. It is matured in ex-Bourbon casks. Speyburn is exported throughout the world. Bradan Orach means Golden Salmon in Gaelic. The Golden Salmon is represented on the bottle as well as on the top of the cork and also on the glass.

Also Read: Glenlivet 15yo whisky

Speyburn Bradan Orach Whisky Review

REGION: Highlands

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Very light amber gold

NOSE: Let this dram breath first so that some of the raw alcohol notes can evaporate. After a while, there are notes of wood, unripe apples and old wilted flowers.

PALATE: The Speyburn Bradan Orach has sharp alcohol edges without water. It is overwhelmingly sweet with bits of pepper spice and sticky artificial caramel. It is not very complex and feels unfinished and too young.

Bradan Orach has a medium body, and after adding water, the raw edges smoothed out slightly. Unfortunately, the water releases even more sweetness.

FINISH: Medium length ending on notes of pepper and caramel.

RATING: ORDINARY

It will not make my list of Top 5 single malts. Not by a long shot. Sadly, not even some bonus points for affordability or free glasses can save this dram. The Speyburn Bradan Orach single malt whisky is going to be part of my collection for a rather long time.

Also Read: Rhino Whisky

Maraska ABC Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 11/09/2015

In Blended whisky

My whisky collection focuses on whisky from around the world. Living in South Africa makes getting my hands on unique bottles quite tricky. So imagine my delight when I spotted a bottle of whisky from Yugoslavia on an international whisky auction.

Sadly, I can’t find much information about Maraska ABC whisky. According to its website, the Maraska Company have a rich and glorious tradition in producing liquor.”Maraska has more than five centuries of experience and tradition in the production of making liquor items and for making one of the worlds best-known liqueurs, ‘Maraschino’.”

This special cherry is authentic only to Croatia and grows in the climate and area around Zadar, Croatia. The cherry has a unique flavour found nowhere else in the world.”

Looking at the printing on the bottle and the fact that it still refers to Yugoslavia, I guess that this Maraska ABC whisky was bottled around mid-1980s. Zadar, where Maraska is situated, is in Croatia.

Croatia declared independence and dissolved its association with Yugoslavia in 1991. The bottle is a bit bashed and bruised and does not seal well anymore. However, in our collection, it has a special place.

A small piece of history. Maraska does not create whisky anymore, and I can find no further information on their website. Maraska liquors are, however, available in the United States.

Related Article: Slyrs whisky

Maraska ABC Whisky Review

Unfortunately, the cork crumbled when I opened it. It has no age statement. It is a 1 L bottle.

COUNTRY: Yugoslavia

ABV: 41%

COLOUR: A light golden colour.

NOSE: I don’t think that it was not aged very long. The Maraska ABC has hints of methylated spirits, cherries, mothballs and condensed milk. Not a very complex nose.

PALATE: On the palate, it is somewhat anonymous. Rather forgettable. There are methylated spirit notes mixed with mild bitter citrus and a bit of raw wood. A few sweet fruit notes make an appearance. Adding water dulls down the raw spirit notes in the Maraska.

It does not release any other new flavours. The Maraska ABC becomes rather soulless with water. It is a dram that reminds us of the old Soviet times. The Soviet version of what life and whisky should be. Dull and grey and with no personality.

FINISH: The Maraska does have a rather long finish. Unfortunately, this finish is reminiscent of the bitter white part of citrus peel.

RATING: ORDINARY

The fact that the cork is damaged might have impacted the dram, and some of the better notes might have evaporated over time. Even though this Maraska whisky reminds me of the old Soviet Union, I am excited to have it in our collection. It represents a piece of history of a country that does not exist any more.

Another whisky from a country that does not exist anymore is the Hammerhead whisky from Czechoslovakia. But it is a lot nicer than this Maraska release.

Anyone else ever heard of this Maraska whisky?

Also Read: Reisetbauer 12 yo Whisky

Schoonspruit 2010 Single Barrel Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 10/05/2015

In Single Malt whisky

WordPress has a feature where it shows you what search terms lead people to your blog. The one thing that astounds me is that the most search term is Wild Reeds whiskey and Schoonspruit whiskey. These are not well-known whisky in South Africa. The Wild Reeds bourbon cask is also my most read article on the blog.

It might have a lot to do with the bottle shape. Looking at the blog stats, I noticed that we have not tasted the Schoonspruit 2010 single barrel whiskey release yet. And what better time to taste this South African whisky, while on holiday in the beautiful Karoo.

And to see if this ‘premium’ release can compete with South Africa’s award-winning Three Ships whisky made down in Wellington. Ernst Henning established the Schoonspruit whiskey distillery in Ventersdorp, South Africa in 1992.

Distilling with water from the original Schoonspruit gives the whiskey its distinct character. They also own the Totpak Company and is known in the USA as Portashot.

They not only make whiskey but distil, pack and store a variety of other alcoholic beverages. According to the website, “…the Schoonspruit 2010 Single Barrel whiskey is a premium class whiskey in which each bottle comes from an individual ageing barrel. The finest whiskey in the world comes from a single barrel.” Totpak and Schoonspruit Distillers are an independent family business and proudly Africa.”

Related Article: English Whisky Co Chapter 6 Whisky

Schoonspruit 2010 Single Barrel Whiskey Review

The Schoonspruit 2010 is pot stilled and aged for 3 years.

COUNTRY: South Africa

ABV: 43%.

COLOUR: A light wheat colour.

NOSE: Notes of methylated spirits, hints of oak and refined white sugar sweetness mixed with paint stripper. Best nosed very carefully. The strong raw alcohol smell can easily overwhelm you. Or better yet, let it stand for a good 35 minutes for the worst of the rawness and turpentine to evaporate.

PALATE: Surprisingly, the Schoonspruit 2010 whiskey tastes (a bit) better than it smells. On the palate, it still has many raw and un-aged notes. It has hints of oak and sweetness. I would, however, hesitate to light a cigar while drinking this. Adding water makes this Schoonspruit flat and dull. Rather like cheap petrol.

FINISH: Long and lingering – unfortunately. Long lingering methylated spirit notes are not fun. Lingering notes of Yuck also comes to mind.

RATING: ORDINARY

If you want to spite your father in law, this is the dram to buy. It also works as a firelighter or fuel for a lawnmower.

Is it competition for any of the Three Ships whiskies? O hell no! It is not even in the same competition. The Three Ships 10 yo single malt is an excellent whisky! Fortunately, I also packed some of my Three Ship 10 yo whisky for our Karoo visit and could wash away the raw spirit taste with some real whisky.

Related Article: Three Ships PX cask finish whisky

Reisetbauer 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/27/2015

In Single Malt whisky

I am always on the lookout for whisky from interesting countries to compliment my collection. When I got the opportunity to add a Reisetbauer 12 year old single malt whisky from Austria, I grabbed it. The Reisetbauer family farm, Kirchdorfergut, is in the Hausruckviertel district of Upper Austria.

The Reisetbauer distillery produces not only brandy and whisky but also Eaux de Vie and gin. Because of its favourable soils and a climate with wide fluctuations in temperature, it is one of the best Austrian regions for growing fruit. Hans Reisetbauer makes very good use of this soil and produces most of his own fruits.

Related Article: Santis Malts Alpstein No 7 whisky

He also planted four hectares of summer brewing barley. Harvested for the first time in July 1995, the barley was taken to a nearby malting floor to be carefully malted. The fermented mash is twice distilled in copper pot stills. It is aged in casks that were previously used for ageing Chardonnay and Trockenbeerenauslese.

It certainly makes an interesting change from the more traditional sherry, port or bourbon casks being used. According to the experts, the residual sweetness of the wines enhances the taste of whisky malt aroma, enriching the dram’s unique chocolate notes.

Reisetbauer 12 year old Whisky Review

COUNTRY: Austria

ABV: 48%.

COLOUR: It has a rich red mahogany colour that is described by some as a “golden orange”.

NOSE: Brings oak and spice. There are hints of fermented grapes and boiled sweets with a slight chemical trace. It took us a while to identify the chemical notes, but in the end, we agreed that it was most reminiscent of mothballs. There are a few citrus notes on the nose.

PALATE: Before water, the Reisetbauer 12 year old is quite harsh. There are some sharp notes on the palate that fight over who will deliver the first onset of flavour. Adding some (lots) water softens the palate and brings a few more floral note to the forefront.

Also a bit of pickled ginger. Unfortunately, these are not the sweet floral notes we expected but reminded us more about the decaying flowers you find at the end of summer.

FINISH: Quite short (thank goodness) and ended in some spicy notes.

RATING: ORDINARY

From the research I did, I was expecting quite a lot from this limited release. It made me think of the South African Wild Reeds whisky, but without the methylated spirits smell. Lucky for me, there are quite a few other distilleries in Austria, so I will keep on looking out for another Austrian distillery.

Have you tried an Austrian whisky that you can recommend?

Also Read: Hammerhead 1998 whisky