Tag: Rating: Very Good

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

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

Jura 10 year old Origin Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 01/12/2014

In Single Malt whisky

Today something from an island, the Jura 10 year old Origin single malt Scotch whisky. It was August 1946, and a lonely figure is furiously typing away in an abandoned farmhouse near the northern end of a remote island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland.

George Orwell wrote one of the greatest novels of our time on the island of Jura. He managed to finish Nineteen Eighty-four during his stay in the farmhouse he brought from the proceeds from Animal Farm.

The island‘s remoteness was giving him the peace he needed to write his famous novel 1984. However, a warming Jura dram would not have sustained the lonely writer during his time on the island. The distillery was dismantled in 1901. A brand new Jura distillery was only built in 1963.

Constructed on the same spot as the old distillery, it attempted to stimulate Jura island’s declining economy. The island is as awkward to reach today as it was in 1946.

The island of Jura is located so close to the island of Islay and the ‘Parish of Peat’ that the distillery often participates in the annual ‘Feis Ile’ whisky festival of the Islay distilleries. The Jura flavours are, however, different from the peaty whiskies from the neighbouring island of Islay.

Jura’s mild climate and gentle breezes, together with the local spring water, are significant factors contributing to Jura’s flavours. I got the Jura 10 year old from WhiskyBrother in Hydepark, our favourite specialist whisky shop. It is a medium-bodied whisky and regarded as a very accessible, easy-drinking whisky by some.

Related Article: Glenfiddich XX whisky

Jura 10 year old Origin Whisky Review

The packaging reflects a Celtic symbol that symbolizes beginnings and the forces of nature. The Jura 10 year old Origin whisky is seen as the whisky that began the Jura story.

REGION:Island

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: The official colour for Jura 10 year old single malt is defined as rich gold, but in the sunset light of my whisky room, it seemed more copper-gold.

NOSE: Apricots and flowers. There is a freshness when first nosing the whisky. The smell is reminiscent of open fields with clean air and lots of flowers.

PALATE: It is a light, delicate whisky. It is not a big, bold mouthful. Tasting the Jura Origin, I picked up apricots, raisins and a little oak. There are hints of mild spice and citrus.

FINISH: Quite a surprise. It is a long lingering finish ending with notes of pepper. It is not sweet at all and very delicate. I found this whisky a bit one-dimensional. It’s an easy-drinking, subtle and delicate whisky. We both quickly agreed on how we rated it.

RATING: VERY GOOD.

I looked forward to tasting a Jura, and my first one did not disappoint. It is a whisky I would offer to friends who want to try a single malt. I think that the Jura would pair well with some smooth milk chocolate or even a piece of white chocolate.

It might suit a sweetish desert cheese like an apricot flavoured white rock. I will look to add more Jura whiskies to my collection. What was your favourite Jura?

Update: I paired this Jura 10 year old Scotch whisky with a Comté Cheese, and it made for a fantastic pairing.

Also Read: Muirhead Silver Seal Maturity whisky

Glenfiddich Madeira Cask Finish 19 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 12/07/2013

In Single Malt whisky

In between working and raising a daughter meant that I had not had enough time to blog about my passion. Fortunately, the year is winding down, and I can once again turn to matters whisky! I have collected quite a bit of material and have lots to post in the coming weeks.

But for today I decided to taste a whisky that is presented in arguably one of the most beautiful boxes around. So today, I explore the Glenfiddich Madeira Cask 19 year old Age of Discovery single malt Scotch whisky.

It’s quite a mouthful of a name, but as it’s a Glenfiddich, I am looking forward to tasting. The Glenfiddich distillery is one of my favourite distilleries and produces a broad range of expressions. Located in Dufftown in the Speyside region of Scotland, the distillery was founded in 1886.

During whisky’s dark days of the 1960s and 1970s, when so many distilleries fell silent or were sold off, Glenfiddich survived. They did this by introducing advertising, innovations such as packaging in tubes and entering the duty-free market. As a result, Glenfiddich remains one of the few distilleries still in family hands and not owned by a large conglomerate.

The Glenfiddich Age of Discovery series comprises three different expressions, Madeira, bourbon and wine casks finishes. My collection of whiskies include finishes in Sherry and bourbon casks, so when I travelled through London and spotted this at Heathrow airport, I had to get it. Madeira is a unique Spanish wine known for its sweet characteristics.

Related Article: King Car Conductor Whisky

Glenfiddich Madeira Cask 19 year old Whisky Review

The Glenfiddich 19 yo Madeira Cask Finish Age of Discovery single malt whisky is presented in a beautiful black bottle with red embossing near bottle’s neck.

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Antique gold. It’s beautiful when held up to the light.

NOSE: From a nose perspective, this whisky is complex. You probably need to nose it on more than one occasion to unpack its characteristics fully. I found raisin, fruit cake, citrus and oak. Others have reported figs, gooseberry and fruit.

PALATE: The Glenfiddich 19 year old Madeira Cask produced cinnamon and pepper, more fruit and dry oak with hints of ginger. Its complexity probably requires further tasting! The 19 yo Madeira Cask Finish is a polarizing whisky, and John and I were initially split on what we thought of it.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It’s a complex whisky, so you need to give yourself time and allow it to breathe a bit. In time and on later tastings, we may well change our view! It’s nice enough for us to look around for the other two expressions in the range. A 19 year old whisky is a bit of an unusual age statement and reflects something unique.

Glenfiddich whisky & Food pairing

One of the things that I have been working on is pairing whisky with food. I have previously blogged about this subject, and I thought I would share my thoughts and invite readers to comment on what pairing of this particular whisky and food worked well for them.

I have not tried this yet, but the Glenfiddich Age of Discovery fruity character means it will go well with goats’ cheese, figs and thyme flatbread as a starter served on the patio with a barbecue. This pairing is something I plan to try as soon as I get my hands on some fresh figs. It would probably work well on a winter’s evening in company with a raspberry and fig pie.

I paired this Glenfiddich Age of Discovery Madeira Cask Finish with some Lancashire Cheese. It makes for an acceptable pairing.
Also Read: The Glenlivet 18 yo whisky

Springbank 18 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/08/2013

In Single Malt whisky

Time for an 18 yo whisky today; I look at the Springbank 18 year old single malt Scotch whisky. Before the arrival of our daughter, Father’s Days meant very little to John. He never knew his father, so there was no reason to celebrate it. However, since her arrival, it has all changed.

The special “Happy Father’s Day” baby artwork gets centre stage in the study. Marc from WhiskyBrother helped me select this bottle, and as always, he knows exactly what to pick.

I am excited to add this bottle of Springbank 18 yo whisky to my collection. It is a distillery that I have heard great things from but have not tried before. It also completes my collection as it adds a whisky from Campbeltown.

The last Scottish region that I did not have. Before the arrival of the Springbank 18 year old single malt, my collection did not have a representative of Campbeltown, one of the five accepted whisky regions of Scotland.

Now I have ticked that box. The Springbank Distillery is unique. It is the oldest independent family-owned distillery in Scotland. Founded in 1828 on the site of Archibald Mitchell’s illicit still, the Springbank distillery is now in the hands of his great great great grandson, Hedley G. Wright.

Springbank is one of the only distilleries in Scotland to carry out the entire production process on one site. The traditional floor malting, maturation and bottling are done at the distillery itself. In a time of chill filtered whisky, it remains the only distillery in Scotland never to have done so.

Furthermore, it is the only distillery in Scotland to produce three different single malts, Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn, using three different production methods. So on to the Springbank 18 year old single malt whisky itself.
Related Article: The Arran Malt Sherry Cask whisky

Springbank 18 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Campbelltown

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Golden copper.

NOSE: It’s an oily whisky – which is great – and the nose quite fruity. Spice and barley come through distinctly with aniseed. Other commentators have reported Christmas cake and marzipan, and I don’t think that is wrong at all.

PALATE: The big nature of the whisky comes through. It is a whisky that has spent 18 years maturing in predominantly sherry casks, and it shows! The Springbank 18 yo is creamy and oily from the moment it hits the palate. Giving it a few minutes, the Springbank develops further to reveal dried fruits and traces of smoke.

FINISH: The finish is something to behold. It is a beautiful building, going on and on, and linger long after you have finished it.

RATING: VERY GOOD

The Springbank is a complex whisky with the nose a little at odds with the palate. If you do lay your hands on a Springbank 18 year old Scotch, enjoy it because it is an interesting whisky. Thank you for the recommendation, WhiskyBrother.

Also Read: Mackmyra Svensk Rok Whisky