Tag: Rating: Very Good Page 20 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

Today I look at a Balvenie Limited Edition, the Balvenie Single Barrel 15 year old single malt Scotch whisky. William Grant was born in December 1839 in Dufftown. He was apprenticed to a shoemaker, after which he worked as a clerk.

Grant became a bookkeeper at Mortlach distillery 1866; he moved up the ranks and learned the distilling trade. After about twenty years, he left his job at the Mortlach distillery.

He bought a field near Balvenie Castle. Grant drew up plans for his distillery, and the foundation stone was laid in the autumn of 1886. He remained active in the company until his death in 1923 at the age of 83.

Balvenie lies in the Convals in Dufftown. The single malt distillery lies just below the Glenfiddich distillery, sharing its water source, the Robbie Dhu springs. Despite sharing the water, Balvenie is hugely different in character from Glenfiddich. The Balvenie is the only single malt Scotch whisky distillery that still grows and malts its own barley.

The floor maltings at Balvenie also supply neighbouring Glenfiddich. Balvenie has been continually under the ownership of William Grant & Sons, proprietors. William Grant & Sons also own Speyside distilleries Glenfiddich and Kininvie.

The Balvenie Single Barrel is a 15 year old single malt that is drawn from a single traditional oak whisky cask of a single distillation. Each Balvenie Single Barrel 15 year old whisky is part of a limited edition of no more than 350 hand-numbered bottles – so each bottle is unique and unrepeatable.

Related Article: Loch Lomond 12 yo whisky

The Balvenie Single Barrel 15 year old Whisky Review

I have bottle 159 from cask number 13529 bottled on 30 April 2008. The in-cask date was 6 October 1989.

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 47.5%

COLOUR: Very light golden. It has a nice oily texture in the glass, leaving beautiful fingers.

NOSE: On nosing the Balvenie Single Barrel, there are notes of fresh fruit, oak, honey and mild spice. The Balvenie Single Barrel has a freshness to the nose with some grassy notes. It is a medium-bodied whisky.

PALATE: On the palate, it brings lots of fresh fruit, honey, vanilla with hints of oak and ginger spice. It has a slightly floral character with lots of oak peeking through. This 15 yo is not a very complex whisky, but it’s very drinkable.

FINISH: I found the finish relatively short. I love expressions from Balvenie, and maybe I am used to longer, more sophisticated finish. It ends with some pepper and honey sweetness notes. There are elements of fresh fruit, as well.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I have several expressions, and maybe I expected a bit more from this Balvenie Single Barrel 15 year old Scotch whisky. That is the problem when you have a distillery regularly spoiling us with stunning releases!

While this expression may not have been as smooth and rounded as some of its peers, it nevertheless is very drinkable. This whisky is an interesting expression and worth tasting if you get the chance.

I have also tried the Balvenie Roasted Malt as well as the Balvenie Doublewood whisky.

Balvenie & food pairing

Looking around for interesting food pairings, the conclusions seem to be that this Balvenie will pair best with meat. I found suggestions of pairing Balvenie Single Barrel with serrano ham as well as smoked short rib.

Perhaps I should try this Single Barrel with apricots stuffed with goat’s cheese and wrapped in bacon from one of my favourite food blogs, Drizzle and Dip. I think the richness of the goat’s cheese with the apricots and bacon would work well with the sweetness and spice in the whisky.

Also Read: How to pair whisky and cheese

Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 03/30/2014

In Single Malt whisky

A new distillery for me, I am trying the Tullibardine 1993 Vintage single malt Scotch whisky. The history of Tullibardine as a site for brewing and distilling is one of the longest in Scotland. The site on which Tullibardine stand was once home to a brewery.

It is claimed that King James IV purchased beer at this brewery to celebrate his coronation at Scone Palace in 1488.In 1503 the brewery received the first Royal Charter issued by James IV. It was awarded to recognize the excellent beer produced.

Tullibardine then disappears off the pages of history. In 1947 architect William Delmé-Evans rediscovered the disused brewery.

He began converting the remaining buildings into a distillery. The first spirit was distilled in 1949 at the newly named Tullibardine Distillery. Named for Tullibardine Moor, the distillery draws its water from the Danny Burn.

It lies to the southwest of Blackford, in the Scottish Highlands. The area is renowned for the purity of its water. The water that reaches the distillery has taken 15 years to reach the Danny Burn through the underlying rocks.

The distillery was mothballed in 1995 by the then-owner Whyte & Mackay. Production resumed in 2003 when it was sold to Tullibardine Distillery Ltd. In November 2011, the distillery was sold to the French firm Picard Vins & Spiritueux.

With such a complicated history, punctuated by stops and starts, I looked forward to assessing this expression. The Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Edition single malt whisky is a collectors limited edition expression. It is one of several limited-edition expressions released around the same time.

Related Article: Highland Queen whisky

Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Whisky Review

Distilled in 1993 and bottled in 2006.

COLOUR: Pale golden colour

ABV: 43%

NOSE: The first nosing impression is sweetness with a sherry undertone. Honeycomb, spice and floral come to mind. There is a bit of wood in the background. Fresh fruit dominates the nose after adding a drop of water.

PALATE: On the palate, the whisky is very spicy. Ginger, cinnamon and black pepper flood the mouth. There is also some oak between the spice with hints of caramel and cereals. The Tullibardine is a medium-bodied whisky and relatively smooth but has a few edges. It is not a complex whisky, and the spice seems to overwhelm it.

FINISH: The finish is long and lingering with a slow build to a medium body finish. It is not a spectacular end, but some condensed milk and oak come through. This whisky left us a little pondering quite a bit. It reaches for greatness but seems to fall short in a few places.

RATING: VERY GOOD.

The Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Edition single malt Scotch comes across as a little one-dimensional, possibly too spicy. All in all, it is not a bad bottle to have in my collection. My desktop research found that Tullibardine released many limited edition expressions around this time.

With the boldness of the spices coming through, this whisky will probably pair well with food. A creamy mussel soup or a roasted rack of lamb should balance the spiciness out. I have tried the Tullibardine Sauternes Cask as well and enjoyed it more. See my thought on this post.

Related Article:Whisky and Gouda with Cumin Pairing

Tomatin 12 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/02/2014

In Single Malt whisky

The Tomatin 12 year old Scotch whisky is a single malt whisky produced by the Tomatin distillery in Scotland. With the recent purchase of Jim Beam by Japan’s Suntory, Tomatin was the first Scottish single malt maker to be purchased by a Japanese company.

The Tomatin distillery is located in the Monadhliath Mountains just south of Inverness.It is situated in the Highland Region of Scotland. Established in 1897, Tomatin is one of the highest distilleries in Scotland at 315 metres above sea level. Tomatin’s whisky mostly goes into blended whisky.

Also Read: Glenlivet 12 yo whisky

I picked up this 12 year old single malt whisky from the WhiskyBrother Shop in Hyde Park. The Tomatin 12 year old is finished in Spanish Sherry casks and bottled at 43% ABV. The colour is defined as a dark gold. I felt it had more of an amber colour to it. The whisky was quite oily.

Tomatin 12 year old Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

REGION: Highland

COLOUR: Reddish gold

NOSE: The first impressions of nosing brings dried fruit, sherry, wood and smoke. I picked up quite a bit of alcohol in the nose. Whenever I taste whisky, I always nose it before and after adding water. It is the first whisky I have nosed where the addition of water made such a big difference.

Suddenly florals and spice came to the fore. The nose grew in complexity. Sherry notes were more pronounced, and the smoke disappeared!

PALATE: Medium-bodied. The initial alcohol bite continued into the palette. The first impression was not particularly smooth. Crystallized ginger, some sherry and dried fruit continued from the nose. There were hints of barley that came through as well.

I initially felt the Tomatin was a little rough around the edges. The effect of water on the palette was as dramatic as with the nosing. The whisky transformed! It became smooth, and a delicacy came to the front.

FINISH: A bit short. The finish ended in pepper, ginger and some spice.

RATING:: VERY GOOD.

It is undoubtedly an easy-drinking whisky. Adding the water changed my impression. It is not a whisky that is complex, or big, or pretentious. The lack of a finish meant it did not score higher.

It is a wonderfully smooth dram after the water and quite drinkable. Remember to add some extra water! I was surprised at the extent to which the water unlocked more flavours.

Tomatin 12 year old & Food pairing

My Friday routine always includes trying out a bit of chocolate with my chosen whisky. I have not found a whisky that did not work with chocolate until the Tomatin, that is. I had a bar of dark chocolate with cherry with my second glass, and it did not pair well at all.

Tomatin 12 year old whisky is a fine whisky I will gladly be going back to. I paired this whisky with a Mature Gouda cheese during 2015, and the results were amazing!

Also Read: The Macallan 12 yo whisky

Highland Park 18 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/23/2014

In Single Malt whisky

In my quest for new and interesting whiskies, I often consult my friend Marc. He owns the Whisky Brother shop in Hyde Park and always has fine whiskies on hand. On a recent visit, I left with a bottle of Highland Park 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

The Highland Park has won many awards over the years, and luminaries such as Jim Murray has consistently rated it highly.Candice Baker, a South African, acts as the brand ambassador in my country was a further incentive. I was looking forward to trying it.

Presented in the familiar Highland Park bottle with its characteristic black packaging and age statement boldly displayed.

Established in 1798 on the island of Orkney, Highland Park is the most northerly whisky distillery in Scotland. Orkney is an archipelago in northern Scotland, north of the coast of Caithness. Highland Park is thus an Island type of whisky – distinct from Islay.

Highland Park is strongly associated with Magnus Eunson. Eunson is credited with starting the distillery at the end of the 18th century. His smuggling operations were based from his hideout on the High Park above Kirkwall where Highland Park Distillery now stands. Having read all the positive reviews, I was looking forward to trying it.

Also Read: Aultmore 18 yo Whisky

Highland Park 18 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Island

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Warm burnished gold.

NOSE: Notes of oak, smoke and honey. Overlaying these notes are fruits and floral aroma’s. It’s quite a complex nose.

PALATE: Notes of dried fruit, honey and some spice. The smoke and peat were subtle and nicely blended. In the background, I picked up some citrus notes. It’s not a big, bold whisky, and on the palate, quite delicate.

FINISH: Short. The florals turn to spice and espresso at the end.

RATING: VERY GOOD

After the tasting, I looked at John, perplexed. My first impression is that this is a nicely balanced whisky. Based on all the awards it has won and the glowing feedback from other whisky blogs, I was expecting something special. It’s hard to put my finger on it, but this whisky failed to excite me to the level I had expected.

I wanted to give it a Divine rating, and maybe that’s the problem. I may be in the minority when I say I was not blown away by this Highland Park 18 year old whisky at all. Looking critically at it, I found it overrated. There is nothing that stands out about this dram.

I paired this whisky with a
Mature Gouda cheese, and it makes this Highland Park 18 yo more drinkable.

At the end of 2016, I paired this Highland Park 18 year old Scotch with a Toblerone White with Honey and Almond Nougat pieces. It was part of my annual New Years Eve Whisky Chocolate pairing celebration. Not the best of the pairings I tried. I have also tasted the Highland Park 1997 whisky from this distillery.

Also Read: The Glenlivet 18 yo whisky

Slyrs Bavarian Single Malt Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/19/2014

In Single Malt whisky

The distillation of whisky in Germany is a relatively recent development and only started in the last 30 years. Today there are around 23 distilleries in Germany producing whisky. Slyrs whisky is Bavaria’s first single malt whisky.

Built on the banks of Lake Schliersee, it is also the largest whisky distillery in Germany. I acquired this bottle on a recent trip through Frankfurt.

The Slyrs whisky is roughly about 3 years old, bottled at 43% ABV. The whisky was matured in American oak and is sold in limited quantities. It is presented in a cream-coloured box; the bottle has both English and German working on the label. There is no age statement on the bottle.

Also Read: Sullivans Cove Double Cask whisky

My goal is to collect a single malt whisky from every country in the world that produces one. To date, I have whiskies from 19 different countries. I have been pleasantly surprised by the excellent quality of whisky from countries not usually thought of as whisky producers.

There are many similarities between the Scottish and Bavarian regions. The Scottish Speyside region landscape is quite similar to Upper Bavaria. I was looking forward to tasting the Slyrs.

Slyrs Bavarian Single Malt Whisky Review

ABV: 43%

COUNTRY: Germany

COLOUR: Yellow gold. It is reminiscent of golden autumn leaves.

NOSE: Citrus notes with some oak and spice come through. There are also quite distinct alcohol vapours in the nose. It’s probably best to let it breathe a bit.

PALATE: On the palate, it comes across as quite light. It’s not a rich whisky. The tasting brings citrus again, with hints of vanilla, caramel and wood. However, the citrus is a bit overwhelming, and it changes to bitter citrus with notes of pepper and ginger.

FINISH: Well-rounded. It initially has a short finish but then comes back with a longer ending with bitter citrus, pepper and caramel notes. You get a sense that there are some rough edges, but not bad ones at all.

RATING: VERY GOOD

This distillery has lots of potential, and I will be looking out for more releases in the future. It is a whisky I will try again. For a 3 yo it’s really not bad. The Slyrs website recommended you try Slyrs with a 70% dark chocolate. I tried it with a 60% Lindt Lindor chocolate, and it paired well. The chocolate smoothed out some of the edges and softened the citrus. The whisky, in turn, brought out more caramel in the chocolate.

It is a great combination to try. Collecting whiskies from around the world often produces a gem. If you make allowances for the three year age, it’s well worth acquiring. I paired the Slyrs with some Montagnolo Affine cheese and it worked beautifully.

Also Read: Floki Icelandic Young Malt

Meandering the world, one whisky at a time

Tag: Rating: Very Good Page 20 of 21

The Balvenie Single Barrel 15 yo Whisky

The Balvenie Single Barrel 15 year old Whisky Review

Balvenie & food pairing

Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Whisky

Tullibardine 1993 Vintage Whisky Review

Tomatin 12 year old Whisky

Tomatin 12 year old Whisky Review

Tomatin 12 year old & Food pairing

Highland Park 18 year old Whisky

Highland Park 18 year old Whisky Review

Slyrs Bavarian Single Malt Whisky

Slyrs Bavarian Single Malt Whisky Review