Tag: Speyside Whisky Page 9 of 14

Speyside is a “protected region” for Scotch Whisky distilling under UK Government legislation.According to Visit Scotland, this region includes the area between the Highlands to the west, Aberdeenshire in the east and extending north to the Cairngorms National Park. Speyside single malt whisky is single malt Scotch whiskies, distilled in Strathspey, the area around the River Spey in Moray and Badenoch and Strathspey, in northeastern Scotland.

Glenfiddich is one of my favourite distilleries, and today I write about the Glenfiddich 15 year old Solera Reserve single malt Scotch whisky. I love the sweet fruity releases that consistently come from this Speyside gem.

My bottle of Glenfiddich Gran Reserva 21 yo whisky did not last long, and I had to replace it less than a year from opening it. It was just that good! The Glenfiddich 12 yo whisky is the perfect dram for whisky newbies and the Rich Oak whisky release pairs well with cheese.

I have written nearly ten blog posts that feature Glenfiddich in some way or another. More than the blog posts I have done about Balvenie. It is a distillery I love. I received this Glenfiddich 15 year old whisky as a gift and did not wait too long before opening up this bottle.

Glenfiddich matures the 15 year old Solera Reserve whisky in American bourbon, Portuguese sherry and virgin oak casks. The whisky is then mellowed in a handcrafted Oregon Pine Solera vat (that is always kept half full) before being married in Portuguese oak tuns. This is roughly based on the Spanish sherry solera vat method.

Being part of the William Grant stable, naturally the great Malt Master, David Stewart was behind this. It is not the most affordable bottle in the collection and comes in at around R 900. However, it is worth it!

Also Read: The Macallan 12 yo whisky

Glenfiddich 15 year old Solera Reserve Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Golden red

NOSE: Complex and creamy with notes of sweet sultanas, honey, stewed apple crumble with cream and caramel. Bit of oak and vanilla combining with hints of sherry and fudge.

PALATE: The complexity from the Glenfiddich 15 year old nose carries over to the palate and do not leave you disappointed. There are notes of honey, oak, cinnamon and nutmeg spice, brandy-soaked fruit cake, hints of nuts perfectly balanced with more fruit and vanilla. Water smooths out this already delicious dram.

FINISH: Long and lingering with hints of malt, honey and cinnamon.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is an all-round, amazingly delicious release. It is only 3 years older than the 12 year old and about double the price, but it is so worth it. Rich, delicious, sophisticated and easy drinking. I got so many responses on Friday after posting my review; this is probably the Glenfiddich that most people love.

I have also done a side by side comparison between the Glenfiddich and the Macallan 15 year old whisky. See how they differ.

Also Read: Glenlivet 12 yo whisky

Balvenie Triple Cask 16 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 07/24/2017

In Single Malt whisky

Today I look at a bottle I opened for to celebrate a special event; the Balvenie Triple Cask 16 year old single malt Scotch whisky. One of the best things for me about whisky is the opportunity to open it celebrate something special.

You create memories when you open a bottle to celebrate a special occasion. Months later, when you open up that bottle again, you are immediately reminded you of what you have achieved and celebrated.

I found this quote in Patrick Lindsay,’ book ‘It’s Never Too Late’. He says “Every new friend is a new adventure… …the start of more memories.” Such an apt quote. Especially for the adventure that is whisky and making memories.

And when you have an interesting bottle like the Balvenie Triple Cask 16 yo whisky to open and share, you know it will be a great adventure.

My child always says, “sharing is caring”. Mostly when I have some chocolate in my hand, but she is right. Sharing is caring, especially with whisky. After John’s trip to Dubai (the 3rd one this year), it was great to sit down and open this bottle of Balvenie Triple Cask 16 year old whisky.

We have been saving it for a while and was looking forward to something special. It was the perfect bottle to open after a busy week.

I have covered the Balvenie history plenty in some of my other blog posts, starting with the Balvenie Doublewood. It is one of my favourite distilleries, and I love The Balvenie Roasted Malt and The Balvenie Peated Cask release. The Balvenie Triple Cask range include a 12 year old and a 25 year old whisky.

The Balvenie Triple Cask 16 yo whisky is created by combining Balvenie whisky that has matured in the three most traditional types of cask – first-fill bourbon, refill bourbon and sherry – in a large wooden marrying tun before bottling.

Also Read: Aberlour A’bunadh whisky

The Balvenie Triple Cask 16 year old Whisky

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 40%

COLOUR: Light golden amber.

NOSE: Lots of toasted oak spices, chocolate covered dried pineapple, fresh banana and vanilla sweetness. All beautifully blended together to make a rich and complex nose. In the background, hints of dried grass, fruity sweetness and nuts.

PALATE: The first sip brings cinnamon and pepper spice. More than what I expected based on the nose. The second sip brings sun-dried pears, oak woodiness but very little of the sweetness that I expected based on the nose.

Faint hints of malt, honey and vanilla. The Balvenie Triple Cask 16 is oily with a medium body. The addition of water smoothes out the dram but increases the pepper bite. Not what I was expecting after the rich, complex nose.

FINISH: Medium length finish with notes of pepper, bits of citrus peel and tobacco.

RATING: VERY GOOD

I had hight hopes for this 16 year old single malt whisky. It is one of my favourite distilleries, and I have quite a few Balvenie’s in my collection. The best part of this Balvenie Triple Cask whisky is the nose. It is rich and complex and promises much pleasure.

However, the palate does not live up to the expectations and for a 16 year old disappointed me a little. Perhaps this release will grow on me if I try it again in a couple of months. It does keep on reminding me of an amazing achievement, the reason why I opened this bottle in the first place.

Also Read: Mackinlay’s The Enduring Spirit Whisky

Tamdhu 10 year old Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/05/2017

In Single Malt whisky

The first thing that drew me to the Tamdhu 10 year old was the bottle shape. In between all the similar shaped whisky bottles, the beautiful Tamdhu bottles stood out. The old fashioned bevelled bottle reflects the light like a crystal.

Regardless of the taste, I wanted the bottle for the shape. Then I went to read up about this Speyside distillery, and I just had to taste the Tamdhu 10 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

In 1896, a group of investors founded the Tamdhu Distillery and a year later it was bought by Highland Distillers. Highland Distillers today is a subsidiary of Edrington Group who own Highland Park, the Macallan and Famous Grouse whisky.

Located in the Scottish Speyside town of Knockando in Banffshire, Scotland, Tamdhu means “little dark hill” in Gaelic.

The Tamdhu distillery was mothballed in 2009 and subsequently sold to Ian MacLeod Distillers in June 2011. The new owners fired up the stills soon afterwards and started producing single malt again.

Today Tamdhu uses sherry casks from Jerez in Spain. The casks are shipped whole to Speyside to ensure none of the flavours is lost. The newly filled casks are matured on the banks of the River Spey.

The Tamdhu 10 year old whisky is the signature malt and the first release by the new owners. The whisky is matured exclusively in sherry casks.

Also Read: Glengoyne 17 year old whisky

Tamdhu 10 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Polished copper, both in the bottle and in the glass. There is a lovely warm reddish glow to the spirit.

NOSE: Sweetness of ripe berries fruits, mixed with some butterscotch and vanilla. Hints of raisins and spicy oak.

PALATE: Sweet fruitiness balanced with notes of cinnamon, black pepper and cardamom with hints of dried citrus peel. The addition of water adds more smoothness to the Tamdhu 10 year old and bring the flavours together in a more luxurious and a more sophisticated way.

FINISH: A bit short. It ends in notes of citrus en pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

It is probably one of the more citrusy whiskies I have tasted. The citrus is nicely balance with spices and a fruity sweetness. An elegant and luxurious dram.

At the end of 2016, I paired this Tamdhu 10 year old Scotch with some a Tamdhu 10 yo whisky finish to make it MILES long. I have also tried the Tamdhu Batch Strength Batch 001, and it is a huge mouth full.

Also Read: Benromach 10 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

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