Tag: Rating: Very Good Page 13 of 21

Whisky of the Week review and tasting notes for whisky I rated Very Good. When the dram is enjoyable and memorable, and we don’t mind having another glass later in the week. This is bottles I might use for cocktails and the occasional afternoon sipper. Rating: Very Good

Amrut Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/12/2017

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at a whisky from India, the Amrut Indian single malt whisky. Thirty-five years ago, most whiskies came from Scotland. The sacred place where whisky is distilled and aged as part of a nearly religious experience.

Chivas and Dimple were premium blends that epitomized everything Scottish and masculine. It was a man’s drink in a man’s world. Ronald Reagan was president, and the Cold War was a reality.

It was the time of the Falkland War, the launch of MTV and Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spenser. Chernobyl exploded, and the Simpsons were created.

A busy time in history. On a side note: I read about the 80’s history, and it reminds me of the uncertainty that we are currently facing. Bombings, terrorist attack and political instability characterized most of the 1980s.

Fast forward to today. The Cold War is over, MTV is still around, Chernobyl is still radioactive, and the Simpsons are on season 28. Bart has not aged much. Chivas and Dimple have stood the test of time. But there was a significant change – whisky is not only from Scotland any more.

Now great quality whisky is made all over the world from my local favourite Three Ships whisky in Wellington South Africa to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Taiwan.

Most of Europe has whisky distilleries that release quite decent bottlings regularly. Some whisky releases from Japan cost an arm, and a leg and India has surprised everyone with some award-winning releases from their Amrut distillery.

India is one of my favourite counties to travel in. The mix of colours and spices, the rich history and vast nature is a combination that you don’t get anywhere in the world. I loved the Amrut Fusion and the Amrut Two Continents. I have written about the Bangalore based distillery history extensively in these posts.

Also Read: Signature whisky

Amrut Indian Single Malt Whisky Review

I have a bottle from Batch No 23, October 2010.

COUNTRY: India

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Golden Yellow

NOSE: Spices, bits of wood with fruity notes.There are notes of sweet candy floss, malt and ripened plum with vanilla. It’s a dram that needs to breathe a bit to let some of the alcohol blow off.

PALATE: Loads of wood and spice. Faints hints of dried citrus peel and dried cranberries. It has a spicy black pepper bite with cloves and a bit of fruity dried apricot sweetness. It is quite oily and has an alcohol burn if you don’t add a bit of water to smooth the Amrut single malt out.

FINISH: Spicy with a dried citrus peel.

RATING: VERY GOOD

An enjoyable dram, but not my favourite from the Amrut range. It does not have the same complexity and richness that a Fusion or a Two Continents have. Karen paired the Amrut single malt with some coffee and cardamom flavoured chocolate. Thank you for joining me on this cold Friday afternoon, Karen. It was lots of fun to share this exciting world whisky with you.

Lately, it seems like when I try an Amrut, I end up sharing it with a friend. I had my good friend Zee visiting when I tried the Amrut Intermediate Sherry and this Amrut single malt whisky I shared with Karen. Whisky is really made for sharing.

Also Read: Tamdhu 10 yo whisky

Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition Whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 05/08/2017

In Irish Whiskey

When friends meet up for a drink, great things tend to happen. I know! When I meet up with my friends for drinks, we solve a world full of problems in an evening. Other friends met up for a drink during a ski holiday, and Mackmyra was created. The same is true for the Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition whiskey.

In 2013, two long-time friends met for drinks at a local pub in County Cork, Ireland. The friends were Dave Quinn, Master of Whiskey Science at Jameson distillery and Shane Long, Head Brewer at local Irish micro-brewery Franciscan Well. Dave shared the Jameson proprietary oak whiskey barrels from the Midleton Distillery with Shane, who created a unique Irish stout aged in Jameson barrels.

Afterwards, the casks were returned to Midleton distillery where they were subsequently used to give a stout finish to Jameson whiskey.

Jameson is a blended Irish whiskey produced by the Irish Distillers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. The original distillery on this site was called the Bow Street Distillery and was established in 1780 by the Steins.

John Jameson was a Scottish lawyer from Alloa in Clackmannanshire and became the first General Manager for Bow Street Distillery. In 1805, with his son, took full ownership and expanded the distillery. The distillery was officially renamed to John Jameson & Son’s Bow Street Distillery in 1810.

In 1966 Jameson merged with Cork Distillers and John Powers to form the Irish Distillers Group. With the opening of a New Midleton distillery outside Cork in 1976, both the Dublin whiskey distilleries of Jameson in Bow Street and John’s Lane closed down.<

The old Jameson distillery in Bow Street near Smithfield in Dublin now serves as a museum that offers tours and tastings.

Also Read: Teeling Single Grain Whiskey

Jameson CaskMates Stout Edition Whiskey Review

Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition is the standard triple-distilled Jameson Original finished in stout seasoned barrels.

COUNTRY: Ireland

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Rich dark copper colour with amber hints.

NOSE: Faints hints of coffee and dark chocolate, notes of oak, fruity sweetness, toffee and malt. The nose is subtle and sweet.

PALATE: Smooth and crisp. There are notes of spicy black pepper, bits of hops and oak. Water smoothes out the spicy pepper and releases more sweetness. Jameson Caskmates Stout Edition whiskey has a medium body.

FINISH: Ends in notes of sweetness balanced with dried orange.

RATING: VERY GOOD<

Not the most complex of whiskeys. I spent some time working at a distillery and was expecting a bit more of that malty, toasted barley taste with a bit more fullness on the palate. Still, it is an exciting dram due to the Stout Cask finish. Certainly a lot more exciting than the standard Jameson release. The Jameson Caskmates pairs very nicely with a meaty pizza.

What started as a discussion over a pint or 2 and some experimentation, ended up in an enjoyable dram. At a retail price of around R380 in South Africa, this is certainly affordable. Even more delicious than the Caskmates release is the Jameson Select Reserve whiskey. I wrote about my experience tasting it and it is probablay my favourite Jameson’s to date.

Also Read: Tullamore DEW vs Jameson Irish Whiskey Comparison

Wemyss Malts Dark Chocolate Orange Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 04/24/2017

In Single Malt whisky

April and the time around Easter is an indulgent chocolate month. Chocolate bunnies, eggs, even chocolate chickens can be found in most of the shops. Echocolate everywhere. I keep on finding lost (hidden) chocolate eggs in strange places. I am not complaining.

With all the chocolate around, it is nearly a requirement to eat chocolate. I realised that with all the chocolate around the house, I have not blogged about my favourite chocolate whisky – The Wemyss Malts Dark Chocolate Orange single malt Scotch whisky.

I tasted Wemyss Malts for the first time at Wild About Whisky in Dullstroom and was smitten. Since then, my Wemyss Malt collection has grown substantially. I picked up this 2013 release on one of my trips out of the country. Wemyss Malts single casks are not available in SA (yet).

Also Read: English Whisky Co Chapter 6 Whisky

This past year some of the blends such as The Hive have become available in selected shops. I have however managed to get my hands on a few releases and have written a few times about Wemyss Malts. My favourite is the Wemyss Malt Brandy Casket.

Wemyss Dark Chocolate Orange is a single malt Glenlivet bottling. Distilled in 1977 and bottled in 2013, this 36 yo was aged in Hogshead and was one of only 149 bottles. As with all their single cask releases, the Wemyss tasting panel names the bottle based on the whisky’s individual taste and aroma.

After 36 years of the Angels taking their share, only 149 bottles were released. I wonder how many of the 149 bottles remain?

Wemyss Malts Dark Chocolate Orange Whisky Review

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Dark gold

NOSE: Orange marmalade, oak and cocoa powder.

PALATE: Fresh orange slices dusted with cocoa powder. Faint hints of cloves and mint. In the background, there is more citrus and malty richness. You can feel the 46% alcohol on your palate, and it needs a bit of water to smooth the sharp edges.

Water releases a little more sweetness in the Dark Chocolate Orange. It is a medium-bodied whisky with plenty of spice.

FINISH: The finish end in notes of citrus and spice.

RATING: VERY GOOD

This whisky is perfectly named. It is the whisky equivalent of dark chocolate covered orange slices. That is what I love about Wemyss Malts – how perfectly they name their releases. However, as much as I love chocolate and this whisky, it is not the most complex of whiskies.

After more than 35 years in a cask at Glenlivet, I was hoping for something with a bit more depth and a few more nuances.

Still, the Wemyss Malts Dark Chocolate Orange is the great dram to enjoy in April – don’t you agree? I have tried various Wemyss releases including the Wemyss Malts Sweet Mint Infusion, Wemyss Gooseberry Marmalade and the Wemyss Velvet Fig blended whisky.

And I see that a few of the blended malts are now available in South Africa and I have tasted Wemyss The Hive and loved it.

Also Read: Tomintoul 16 yo Whisky

Koval Bourbon

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 04/10/2017

In Bourbon whiskey

I have been testing and writing about an American whiskey or bourbon every month for the last two and a half years. Slowly I am running out of affordable bourbons available in SA to taste and write about. I still have one or 2 bourbon’s to write about and this week I am opening my first Koval, the Koval single barrel bourbon whiskey.

Established in 2008, Koval is a craft distillery situated within the Chicago City limits and is one of the first new distilleries that opened there since the end of Prohibition. Koval produces organic whiskey, liqueurs and spirits.

The founders Robert and Sonat Birnecker is living their whiskey dream. They left their respective careers in favour of distilling organic spirits from scratch.

Koval has on a grain-to-bottle philosophy. It beginning with grain from local farmers, to on-site milling and mashing, to finally distilling, bottling, and packaging. Koval means “blacksmith,” in numerous Eastern European languages, but the word in Yiddish also refers to a “black sheep”.

All the Koval whiskies are “single barrel” expressions and aged in 30-gallon charred barrels. They have released a few unusual expressions such as the 100% oats, 100% millet and four grain (oats, malted barley, rye and wheat) expressions.

The small-batch Koval single barrel bourbon that I am tasting this week has a mash bill of at least 51% corn, but instead of the rye or wheat, Koval bourbon included millet. Millet is a gluten-free ancient grain that grows extensively in Africa and India and Asia.

Also Read: Evan Williams Bourbon

Koval Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Review

I have a bottle from Barrel #1206.

COUNTRY: USA
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ABV: 47%

COLOUR: Dark gold with hints of copper-red.

NOSE: Bready, vanilla, lightly toasted oak with hints of alcohol. Not very complex and quite subtle. If you let it breathe a bit, more vanilla and oak notes appear with hints of sugary sweetness.

PALATE: Pepper, vanilla, sun ripe oranges and hints of warming wood spice. When you add a few drops of water, more sweet fruit and caramel notes appear. The water also softens the raw alcohol edges and makes it more drinkable. However, the addition of water also tones down the complexity of the Koval bourbon.

FINISH: Long with pepper and orange

RATING: VERY GOOD

Perhaps I was expecting too much. I was intrigued by the innovative mash bill and the unusual grains Koval used. I like the farm to bottle philosophy and that two people are following their dream. But sadly, this bottle feels unfinished.

The Koval single barrel has lots of raw edges, and it tastes like the elements don’t quite go together. Perhaps it is the barrel it is from, maybe my taste buds just like a sweeter dram. Should I try to get my hands on some of their other releases?

Also Read: Blanton’s Gold Edition Bourbon

Ardbeg Dark Cove Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/13/2017

In Single Malt whisky

Another Ardbeg Day release, the Ardbeg Cark Cove Islay single malt Scotch whisky. I always look forward to last weekend in May. It is when the world celebrates Ardbeg Day. Ardbeg day started in 2012, and this annual event has been filled with fun and whisky every year since.

With loud fanfare, a new limited Ardbeg release is launched and the day is spent tasting and appreciating Ardbeg around the world.

From New Zealand and Australia, South Africa, Europe and the USA, special Ardbeg themed events turn the day into a worldwide party. We try and make our annual pilgrimage to Dullstroom for this event. It is such a beautiful venue with such a fantastic team and a special place to celebrate.

Since the launch, there have been quite a few extra special moments. One of my favourite Ardbeg releases was from Ardbeg Day 2014 when they released the Auriverdes. This creamy, smooth, peaty dram was created in celebration of the World Cup soccer in Brazil.

And 2016 was no different. We spent the weekend in the beautiful Dullstroom. We rented a cottage next to a trout dam; relaxing while sipping whisky and we celebrated the new Ardbeg Dark Cove whisky release with good friends at Wild About Whisky. Dark Cove was inspired by turbulent times and pays homage to the shadowy past of Ardbeg’s coastline.

Dark Cove is a secret fusion of Ardbeg whisky matured in ex-bourbon casks as well as in dark sherry casks. According to the lore, it is the darkest Ardbeg ever. It is a limited edition NAS release.

The Ardbeg distillery is located on the Kildalton shore of Islay, not too far from Lagavulin and Laphroaig. It is owned by Glenmorangie Plc., which in turn is owned by the French company, LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy).

Also Read: Tamdhu 10 yo Whisky

Ardbeg Dark Cove Whisky Review

REGION: Islay

ABV: 46.5%

COLOUR: Golden Wheat

NOSE: Islay peat, smoke, salt and seaweed drying on the shore with notes of vanilla sweetness. The peat and smoke disappear after a bit and only leaves the sweetness on the nose.

PALATE: Ash, mild peat and heavy smoke, sherry sweetness with a pepper bite. Hints of liquorice and nori seaweed. Bits of lemon with salty notes. Not very complex and a few rough edges. Water softens the palate, making it smoother and softer, balancing the peat and the sweetness better.

FINISH: Long and end on dry sherry and ashy tobacco.

RATING: VERY GOOD

Is it worth it?

As much fun as Ardbeg Day is every year, the Limited releases do not come cheap. The Ardbeg Dark Cove retailed for around R1 175 per bottle. For a NAS release. Is this really the darkest Ardbeg yet? I am not so sure.

I feel like the notes don’t mix quite right. It tastes like something that wants to be Auriverdes but did not quite get there. A younger, less complex version of Auriverdes.

John described this as starter peat. A peaty dram that you would give to someone one who wants to try peat for the first time. Peaty enough to get the point across, but not overwhelmingly so. Nothing that will offend too severely.

For Ardbeg Day, I expect (rightly or wrongly) something that is big, bold, loud and makes a MASSIVE entrance. At a premium price, for a day that comes with this much fanfare, I expect something that will blow people away – something different, something that will polarize people. Something that will get people talking. For me, this was not it – sadly. What did you think of the Ardbeg Dark Cove?

Also Read: Laphroaig An Cuan Mor whisky