Tag: William Grant and Sons Page 5 of 8

William Grant and Sons Ltd is an independent, family-owned Scottish company that distills Scotch whisky and other spirits. It was established in 1887 by William Grant, and is run by Grant’s descendants as of 2018. It is the largest of the handful of Scotch whisky distillers remaining in family ownership. The William Grant brands include: Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Kininvie, Grant’s, Monkey Shoulder, Aerstone, Clan MacGregor, Tullamore D.E.W.
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Can you believe it; I have not tried one single Balvenie whisky this whole year! What a shame and something that needs rectification immediately! And with the coolish weather we are having, I think a whisky aged in Rum casks is perfect. So I took down the Balvenie Golden Cask 14 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

The Balvenie is a distillery I love. I have tasted plenty of the Balvenie releases including the Balvenie Triple Cask 16 yo, the Balvenie Peated Cask and the Balvenie Portwood 1993 whisky release. You can read about the history of Balvenie in some of my previous posts.

Also Read: Tomintoul 16 yo Whisky

But today is all about the Golden Cask. This Balvenie Golden Cask Scotch whisky was initially bottled for the travel retail market.

The whisky was first matured in traditional oak casks and then finished in casks that formerly held golden Caribbean rum. It’s crafted by Balvenie’s David Stewart. It has been discontinued and I can’t find it available anymore.

The Balvenie Golden Cask 14 year old Whisky Review

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 47.5%

COLOUR: Light wheat gold

NOSE: Heaps of fruits, florals with butterscotch and fudge and vanilla. Fields of summer flowers with hints of cinnamon spice and hints of chocolate coated fruits and oak.

PALATE: The fruity sweetness promised on the nose is not so pronounced, and there are more spicy notes on the palate. The Golden Cask is refined and luxurious. It is fresh and light with pineapple, tropical fruit. Complex and delicious, water brings sweetness to the front and makes the whisky delicious and drinkable.

FINISH: Long and lingering with some sweetness and cinnamon coming through at the end.

RATING: EXCELLENT

A lovely release. I will be sad when we finish this bottle of Balvenie whisky; especially as it can’t be replaced. The balance between the fruity notes, the spices and the tropical hints is delicious and luxurious.

I have paired this Golden Cask single malt release with some Lindt Papaya chocolate for New Year. The fruity chocolate enhanced the tropical fruit notes of the Golden Cask whisky and the whisky smoothed out the creamy sweet notes of the chocolate. It made for a wonderfully rich and decadent fruit combination.

I am glad that I at least have the Caribbean Cask to make me dream of tropical islands. A side by side comparison between the Golden Cask and the Caribbean Cask deserved its own blog post.

Also Read: New Zealand Whisky Company whisky

Glenfiddich Project XX Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 06/11/2018

In Single Malt whisky

During the beginning of 2018, I tasted the Glenfiddich IPA Cask whisky and wrote my own tasting notes about it. This release was the first in Glenfiddich’s Experimental Series and I loved it. The second release in this series is the Glenfiddich Project XX single malt Scotch whisky and many people had opinions about this release.

Glenfiddich XX started as a project shrouded in secrecy. Malt Master Brian Kinsman invited 20 Glenfiddich brand ambassadors from 16 countries around the world to the Glenfiddich distillery in Scotland. No one knew what they were about to do. Each person was given free rein to explore the warehouse and select any cask that intrigued them.

The 20 chosen casks were then married together by Brian Kinsman, the Glenfiddich Malt Master. The final 20 selected malts, matured in everything from aged malts matured in port pipes to old sherry butts and virgin oak bourbon casks.

I got a lot of feedback on the blog post and the tweets, so I ran a poll in Instagram asking people which of these two releases are their favourite.

It was clear that the Glenfiddich Experimental Series Project XX whisky was considerably more popular, so I had to add this to my tasting list and capture the tasting notes.

Also Read: The Balvenie Single Barrel whisky

The XX stands for 20, representing the 20 ambassadors that took part and the thumbprint on the bottle is an amalgamation of the twenty ambassadors’ thumbprints.

Interestingly, both Glenfiddich Experimental series IPA and Glenfiddich Project XX single malt will be permanent additions to the Glenfiddich range; they are not limited editions. Both the IPA and XX is non-chill-filtered and bottled at an unusual 47% ABV.

Glenfiddich Experimental Series Project XX Whisky Review

ABV: 47%

COLOUR: Amber

NOSE: Ripe Golden Delicious apples, dark stone fruits and spice with hints of fresh flowers. Some vanilla and oak are floating about. Not the most complex nose.

PALATE: Fruity sweetness and spice. Hints of dried citrus, dry grass and wood dust. Bits of cinnamon and vanilla. Adding water softens the citrus and the spice somewhat.

FINISH: Oak and dry lemon peel.

RATING: GOOD

I find this a confusion dram. It is as if it is trying to be too many things. It is an unusual concept and makes for great publicity and an interesting story. The bottle is beautiful and classic. However, the spirit in the bottle is trying to be too many things all at once.

For me, it is a riot of unbalanced flavours. I found it stuffy and dusty with very few of the beautiful sweet fruit notes that Glenfiddich is known for.

Probably not the most popular opinion, but I prefer the Glenfiddich IPA cask miles above this Glenfiddich Project XX release. I bought the two bottles at the same time, and my IPA bottle is nearly empty. This one might take a few years.

Also Read: Glenfiddich 18 yo whisky

Glenfiddich Experimental Series IPA Cask Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 02/12/2018

In Single Malt whisky

Many years ago, I worked for the South African Breweries. Based in Johannesburg at the Sandton head office, I had regular visits to the various distilleries. Each distillery has an individual culture, but the one constant was the smell. The delicious, malty, hoppy aroma of beer being brewed.

It is a lovely smell; a warm, comforting cup of Horlicks smell. One of my favourite breweries to visit was Prospecton, on the Durban South coast. When you arrived, the malty aroma mixed with warm sea air. It was just incredible.

It has been many years since I was in Prospecton, but last year, nostalgia overcame me when Glenfiddich launched the Glenfiddich IPA Cask. I was fortunate to be one of the first people in SA who tasted the new Glenfiddich Experimental Series IPA Cask single malt Scotch whisky.

When I nosed it, I was reminded of walking around Prospecton brewery, the sea air, and the malted barley. It was just perfect. I had to add this Experimental release to my whisky collection.

During 2016 Glenfiddich released the first two expressions in their Experimental series. Glenfiddich IPA Cask and Project XX. During 2017 a third expression was released, the Glenfiddich Winter Storm. A 21 yo whisky finished in rare Canadian ice wine barrels.

I have tasted many Glenfiddich releases; it is a distillery that I love. But today is about the IPA Casks bottling. A single malt whisky finished for three months in casks seasoned with India Pale Ale. India Pale Ale is an ale that had been brewed from pale malt.

Also Read: The Glenlivet Alpha Whisky

Glenfiddich Experimental Series IPA Cask Whisky Review

The Glenfiddich IPA Cask whisky is a NAS released. It is not the first whisky finished in a beer cask. During 2017 I tasted the Jamesons Caskmates also finished in Stout beer casks. But will this release stand out?

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 43%

COLOUR: Rich gold

NOSE: First on the nose is the hops, the smell that takes me back to my days visiting breweries. Toasted oak, fruity sweetness, freshly cut pine needles and faint floral hints with bits of spices.

PALATE: The palette is exciting. It has a unique freshness and crispness to it. Medium-bodied with creamy sweet summer fruit, hints of lemon pepper balanced with dried oak and toffee sweetness. It’s not the most complex whisky, but it works well. I almost get a whiff of malted porridge as well. This dram is so easy to drink without water. The addition of water adds smoothness but masks some of the subtle notes. I would not rush to add water to this.

FINISH: The finish builds beautifully and richly, ending on crisp notes of oak and pepper.

RATING: EXCELLENT

The IPA Cask Experiment is an easy-drinking whisky. It is refreshing, fun and unpretentious. A very successful experiment. It pairs wonderfully with steak and probably most foods that you would pair with a beer. It is a bottle I can quickly finish and I don’t think it will see the end of this year.

Have you tried the Glenfiddich Experimental Series IPA Cask whisky, and what was your thoughts?

I asked Instagram to vote between the Glenfiddich Project XX vs Glenfiddich IPA Cask. This was the results…

Also Read: Glenmorangie Lasanta whisky

Tiramisu with whiskey

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 12/13/2017

In Lifestyle

Tiramisu with whisky header
It is time for a boozy dessert; inspired by a morning out with blogging friends. The result of this meeting is a delicious tiramisu with whiskey recipe. A couple of Saturdays ago, I met up with some friends who are all bloggers. They blog about all kinds of topics; from parenting and food to beauty and lifestyle.

It was a great morning, where we could all catch up and talk a bit about blogging. The venue was the very cool State 5 Fourways. A child-friendly venue but we all left out kids at home. It was time for just us.

The venue kindly allowed us to taste samples of some of their new products such as their delicious ice teas, snack platters and everyone’s favourite a Tiramisu Freak Shake. This delightful non-alcoholic shake had everyone talking.

Tiramisu is such an easy and delicious dessert, and Jacqui, decided right there to make this as her Christmas day dessert.

Tiramisu freak shake tiramisu with whisky
There followed a lengthy discussion on what alcohol to use and naturally, everyone turned to me. The questions included can you make tiramisu with whisk(e)y and if so, what whisky is best to use in a tiramisu? So, my #SABloggersCafe friends here is my version of tiramisu with whiskey (and amaretto) recommendation. Easy to make but delicious.

I chose the Tullamore DEW Irish whiskey for the smooth, biscuity and vanilla notes. It is readily available and not too expensive. You can currently pick up a bottle with two glasses from Norman GoodFellows for only R240.

To add another layer of taste that will complement the coffee and whiskey, I added a bit of Amaretto liquor.

Amaretto is a sweet, almond-flavoured, Italian liqueur made from a base of apricot pits and or almonds. It can be drunk neat or added to cocktails and work very nicely with coffee. Interestingly, it works very nicely with whisky in cocktails, like in a Fearless Red cocktail.

Also Read: Don Pedro

tiramisu with whisky and a glass

Recipe for Tiramisu with Whiskey

1 packet of lady fingers biscuits
1 cup of strong coffee – cold
50 ml Tullamore Dew whiskey
30 ml Amaretto
1 cup of heavy cream
250g mascarpone cheese
1T vanilla extract
1 egg white
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Cocoa powder for dusting

– Whip the heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, icing sugar and vanilla together until it forms fairly stiff peaks.
– Beat the egg white until stiff and gently fold into the mascarpone cream mixture.
– Mix the coffee, whiskey and amaretto in a flattish bowl.
– Briefly dip the Boudoir finger biscuits in the coffee and whiskey mixture; only for 2 to 3 seconds. The biscuits should be moist, but not soggy.
– Layer half the biscuits on the bottom of a serving dish, then top with half of the mascarpone cream mixture.
– Repeat the dipped biscuit layer, ending with the mascarpone cream.
– Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
– Dust with cocoa powder just before serving.

This recipe puts four of my favourite things together, cheese, chocolate, coffee and whisky. Now, what could be better for an anytime boozy dessert? To my inspirational friends, I hope you enjoy the recipe and have a special time with your families.

This recipe started me thinking, and now I am working on various other boozy deserts. So over the rest of the year, I will be publishing many more alcohol-laced deserts that is just for grown-ups.

Also Read: Coconut Panna Cotta

Glenfiddich 15 year old Solera Reserve Whisky

By Jeannette Wentzel

On 08/28/2017

In Single Malt whisky

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 yo whisky. See how they differ.

Also Read: Glenlivet 12 yo whisky

Meandering the world, one whisky at a time

Tag: William Grant and Sons Page 5 of 8

The Balvenie 14 year old Golden Cask Whisky

The Balvenie Golden Cask 14 year old Whisky Review

Glenfiddich Project XX Whisky

Glenfiddich Experimental Series Project XX Whisky Review

Glenfiddich Experimental Series IPA Cask Whisky

Glenfiddich Experimental Series IPA Cask Whisky Review

Tiramisu with whiskey

Recipe for Tiramisu with Whiskey

Glenfiddich 15 year old Solera Reserve Whisky

Glenfiddich 15 year old Solera Reserve Whisky Review