121.64 Maggie Thatcher at the funfair

Information
Distillery: Arran
Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 14
Distilled: 1998
Bottled: 2012
Strength: 54.5%.
Cask Code: 121.64 Maggie Thatcher at the funfair
Cask Type: Refill ex-bourbon barrel

Nose: Very fresh and malty with home cooked barley broth soup. The fruit coming through here are banana, raspberry, some tangerine but that orangey note continuing with some vanilla into some summery orange sorbet ice cream. There is a young woody note of pencils, but strangely more the smell you get when you chew a new pencil. There is a yeasty element that is like new beer fermenting.

Palate: Sweet fruits, malty with that orange sorbet.

Finish:  Long with the sorbet again, finished with liquorice and aniseed.

Ben Nevis 10 year old

Information

Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottling: Official
Age: 10
Distilled: 2003
Bottled: 2013
Strength: 46%

Nose: The sherry is young and distinctive on this straight away. Overripe strawberries, but specifically ones which have maybe been squashed and there is a jammy, creamy note which is like Scottish pineapple tarts. I get a cereal like nuttiness which is like Kellog's Crunchie Nut Corn Flakes. There is also a liqueur-like sugary, syrup note which is like Amaretto. The minty notes coming through on the sherry alongside some oak give the impression of the traditional drink of the Kentucky Derby - that is the Mint Julep - the sweet sugar notes accentuate some bourbon connotations, but also some burnt sugar as well which is partly the sulphur side of things along side match boxes and a touch of rubber.

Palate: Not as sweet as the nose lets on with more of a drying effect. There is a thinness in the mouth but strangely at the same time that I can feel the alcohol burn from the 46% . The sweetness comes along later as the nip starts to creep across the mouth before tailing off again. There is a latex like taste as well.

Finish: A pretty long finish with summer fruits, mint and spicy coriander. Rubber at the end.

Comments: I always tempt the sulphur with sherried drams, but it is acceptable in this and the 46% definitely knocks it up a step. Quite expensive for a 10 year old though which is the bad side.

132.1 Secret moonlit garden dram (Karuizawa 28 year old)

 

Information

Distillery: Karuizawa
Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 28
Distilled: 1984
Bottled: 2013
Strength: 59.9%.
Cask Code: 132.1 Secret moonlit garden dram

Cask Type: refil ex-sherry butt.

 

Sometimes good whisky is like Glasgow buses; you wait ages for one and then three come at once. The buses in question are not only three new distilleries for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, but three Japanese distilleries: Chichibu (130.1), Hanyu (131.1) and Karuizawa (132.1). The morning of the release in the November "big list" I was on the phone at 10am sharp with hopes of picking up the Chichibu and the Hanyu, but by the time I got through only the Chichibu and the Karuizawa were available but I hadn't really considered the Karuizawa as it is the high end of my price range and sherry casks can be russian roulette with me. I succumbed to the high pressure sales environment and grabbed both the Chichibu and the Karuizawa.

Nose: Eucalyptus and honey cough sweets, black Assam tea, dark roasted coffee beans. Sooty chimneys, dusty lofts and old books. Match boxes and burnt matches. Conifer trees and pine christmas trees. Lots of meaty savoury elements there as haggis and black pudding, soy sauce. Prunes and Raisins. Mint chocolate Viscount biscuits. With a little water it freshens up a little with Cherry Bakewell tarts full of cherry and almonds. Demerara sugar, mocha, Chelsea Whoppers, coal tar soap, chocolate covered brazil nuts, toffee. Rich, deep stewed chutneys and jams.

Palate: Black sports mixture sweets, bitter dark chocolate, chewy, and tarry. Chinese spare ribs in tangy sweet and sour sauce. Black currant jam.

Finish: Long, rich, woody, spicy, smoky, tarry and jammy. Very satisfying.

26.55 Savoury Delight (Clynelish 8 year old)

Information

Distillery: Clynelish
Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 8
Distilled: 1999
Bottled: 2008
Strength: 62.4%.
Cask Code: 26.55 Savoury Delight

Nose: Another one of these SMWS bottles with a pretty closed nose. Lemon, lime, unripe pear and freshly sliced apple. Coconut, floor polish. Fresh ginger and ground pepper. Leather jackets.

Palate: Massive exposion of flavour that didn't exist on the nose. Salt, more salt, salted pretzls, salted meat, sausages and hot dogs. Savoury indeed. Some toffee and hazelnuts.

Finish: Long and lip smacking. Salty.

Abbey Whisky Tweet Tasting

 

 

Tonight's tasting was a special twitter tasting brought by Steve @ The Whisky Wire and Abbey Whisky where a select group of tasters were each sent out 4 lovely drams of single cask whisky, and to log on to Twitter and join the tasting at 7pm on the 20th November 2013. You can look back at the twitter history on the hashtag #abbeywhisky.

 

Dram 1 - Caperdonich 17 years old (The Rare Casks)

 

Distillery: Caperdonich

Bottling: Abbey Whisky (The Rare Casks)
Age: 17
Distilled: 1995
Bottled: 2012
Strength: 57.8%
Cask: refill ex-bourbon.

Buy @ Abbey Whisky

 

Nose: Soft overripe bananas, and banana foam sweets. Tinned pineapple in syrup, passionfruit, mango. Even though this is fairly light it is pretty tropical like a cocktail on the beach. Fresh butter and Caramac bars, an soft fudge. Dulex emulsion paint (but in a good way). Vanilla and white chocolate - like Magnum ice cream. There is a mustard or wasabi note coming through which has a ping of heat and spice to it, as well as some light smoke like wood char or charcoal. Also an ashy tobacco like note.

 

Palate: Lots of that soft chewy banana again along side lemon sherbet sweets. pepper and ginger. Oily and bodied.

 

Finish:  Long finish with the spices lasting on and on along side with lemon shortbread biscuits. 

 

Dram 2 - Bunnahabhain 23 years old (The Rare Casks)

 

Distillery: Bunnahabhain

Bottling: Abbey Whisky (The Rare Casks)
Age: 23
Distilled: 1989
Bottled: 2013
Strength: 44%
Cask: refill ex-bourbon.

 

Buy @ Abbey Whisky

 

Nose: This is very delicate initially. White grapes and white wine. There is a dry apple prominent which made be think of fino sherry an ex-fino sherry casks, but it says it is ex-bourbon so hey-ho. I am not getting lots of in your face peat, but rather a dark sootyness. Chimneys and coal sheds. Quite nutty with pistachio and wallnuts. Getting freshly popped cinema popcorn, with a touch of salt on top of them. Lots of coconut in the form of "snowballs" - that is a Scottish coconut cake/treat in the shape of a snowball with coconut, sponge and jam. Lemon sponge cake as well. A touch of peppermint, and chewy toffee apples.

 

Palate: Very soft and easy drinking. Dry apple with a touch of salt.

 

Finish: The salted apple again, but with some double cream and some crisp malty notes.

 

Dram 3 - Ben Nevis 16 years old (The Rare Casks)

 

Distillery: Ben Nevis

Bottling: Abbey Whisky (The Rare Casks)
Age: 16
Distilled: 1997
Bottled: 2013
Strength: 55%
Cask: sherry hogshead.

Buy @ Abbey Whisky

 

Nose: Dark fruits such as raspberry and blackcurrent. Reminds me of hot Vimto. Chocolate covered raisins. Orange marmalade but deeper, darker and richer - almost burnt. Demerara Rum. Christmas Mince pies. Rubber notes remind me of when you are blowing air into bike tyres and some of the rubbery air comes back out again. Treacle, sticky toffee pudding and liquorice.

 

Palate: Christmas cake, sherry, Many sherried whiskies to me demand some water in comparison to ex-bourbon and this takes some without issue. Some water reduces the rubbery notes and expodes the palate with creamyness. Espresso coffee. The vimto fruityness coming through quite strong along chocolate and toffee.

Finish: Rich, spicy finish with ginger, cinnamon and ginger. The coffee and sticky toffee pudding lasting on.

 

Dram 4 - Mystery GlenDronach 1993 - 20 years old (Abbey Whisky Exclusive)

 

Distillery: GlenDronach

Bottling: Abbey Whisky (Abbey Whisky Exclusive)
Age: 20
Distilled: 1993
Bottled: 2013
Strength: 59.1%
Cask: Oloroso sherry butt.

Buy @ Abbey Whisky

 

Nose: This one was evaluated blindly and only told what it was at the end of the tasting. This is a really difficult one. It has a dark red colour which says sherry or wine, but I am not getting anything which says this is sherry or wine - namely rubber / sulphur. I am getting Chocolate brownies, mars bars, toffee, praline and burnt sugar. I am also getting raisins and glazed cherries. Some dark roasted coffee coming through as well. Plenty of wood influence here - some thoughts are telling me this is virgin oak or freshly charred oak.

 

Palate: Bitter dark chocolate, and chocolate covered cherries. Rum, diesel, cajun seasoning on grilled pork.  

 

Finish: Long finish with spicy meats, and cherry cola.

 

George T Stagg - Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Information

Name: George T Stagg
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Age: 15

Distilled: 1998?

Bottled: 2013

Strength: 64.1%

Cask: Virgin North American Oak

 

Bourbon is something which I buy only occasionally and it makes a nice change from Scotch Whisky and this will be the first time I have reviewed one.

 

This particular Bourbon is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon which has been released by the Buffalo Trace distillery as part of their yearly Antique Collection range. Very limited numbers of these reach only a very limited number of specialist retailers in the UK so I very privileged to have been able to reserve a bottle when I was at a Buffalo Trace tasting at The Good Spirits Co. with their master blender Drew Mayville. We tried several different Bourbons from both their regular range and also from the Antique Collection and this one was definately my favourite.

 

Nose: Immediately I am blasted with muscovado sugar, molasses, treacle, maple syrup, golden syrup. See where I am going here? Very sweet, sugary and syrupy. Powerful oak influence but this isn't Scotch Whisky - the spirit wants it and needs it. This is emanating those oaky spices of vanilla, ginger, pepper, cinnamon and even some sharp and fruity coriander which always smell like Skittles. Cinnamon coming along as an oil as well as orange oil. There are definate meaty beefy notes but add them to those sugary syrups and spices and we have something verging on a juicy, spicy marinated seasoned steak. I am also getting dark and milk chocolate notes alongside deep rich brandy soaked cherries which are being served as a compote alongside that steak. Finishing the plate off is a buttered and roasted corn on the cob.

 

Palate: Hot but not as hot as expected with a healthy ABV of 64.1% would suggest. Very sweet with dark chocolate bitterness, tamed with vanilla, caramel and those brandy soaked cherries again. Big, oily, chewy with the chocolate turning more fudgey and milky.

 

Finish: Long and satisfying, spicy, chocolately and dominated by the dark cherry again. Finished off with a shot of espresso.

 

Comments: This is a stagg-eringly good dram and can be drank as it comes out the bottle or will happily take plenty of water. I dare say it wouldn't be a total sin to make a cocktail or two from it either. If you have managed to pick one of these up already, drink it, and if you haven't, try and get one; You won't be disappointed.

69.14 Complex and delightful (Glen Albyn 28 year old)

Information

Distillery: Glen Albyn (Closed)

Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Age: 28

Distilled: 1979
Bottled: 2008

Strength: 57.6%

Cask: Refill ex-sherry butt.

Cask Code: 69.14 Complex and delightful

 

This was an interesting find if only for the fact it comes from the Glen Albyn distillery, which closed during the distillery masacre of 1983. The distillery was close to Inverness and although technically a Highland distillery, it was regarded as some as a Speysider. Read about the Glen Albyn on Malt Madness.

 

 

 

Nose: This is light and delicate and instantly recognisable as an ex fino sherry cask. Very dry with apple, dusty libraries and lofts (attics). Some little lemon, and a hint of salty sea air. The nose is very closed on this and needs coaxed opening with some water to start giving up its secrets. I would tend to not add water in my own reviews because I try and review it right out the bottle to keep my results consistent and repeatable, but this is one of the exceptions to my rule as I could sit forever trying to coax something out it. With water we now get more happening with peach, toasted coconut, and a little leather. I am now eating Edinburgh Castle Rock and Parma Violet sweets inside a dusty woody Sawmill, and someone is cutting the grass outside. I also have pepper and ginger, McVitties Rich Tea biscuits, and also like mashed potato or tattie (potato) scones. An old distant smokey peatiness is emerging as well.

 

Palate: More sweetness than the nose, with that dry fino character dominating. Waxy and resinous.

 

Finish: Dry apple, with ginger spice. Sooty, earthy and waxy.

 

Comments: It is always nice to try something from the 1970s, if only because a romanticism forms once malts were distilled before I was born and hint at a generation past where production methods and the industry was much more different. This was interesting and complex in time, but don't expect anything jumping out the glass at you from it.

Catto's 12 year old blended scotch whisky.

Distillery: Blended Scotch Whisky
Bottling: Catto's 12 year old deluxe (Inver House)

Age: 12
Strength: 40%

At last I have managed to get hold of another old the hard to find Inver House blends, and this time it is  the 12 year old version of Catto's Blended Scotch Whisky. Immediately the bottle gives the impression of being an Irish Whiskey, but it's of course a Scotch. The bottle feels old as if I could be working in the Glasgow shipyards during a previous generation. 

Nose: This is light and fresh, and lots of waxy and buttery notes. As its a deluxe blend, the malt content is naturally higher, and it is evident. Freshly toasted (and buttery again) scones. Plenty of cereal like Kellogg's Corn Flakes. Malty and biscuity with shortbread fingers with the butter once more. Lemon is the only distinct fruit I'm getting, but that goes well with the scones and shortbread nicely. A soft dairy fudge, and popcorn to finish. 

Palate: Smooth and medium-sweet, with a soft fudgey body, with jam and honey. 

Finish: Medium finish and slightly longer than I would expect from only being 40%. There is a touch of warmth there. Waxy with a little saltiness. The cereal and biscuits notes dominating. 

Very easy drinking, and no harshness at all. The finish is good value. If I can find the younger (no age statement) or an older (25) I will try get them. 

Glen Garioch Virgin Oak

Information

Distillery: Glen Garioch
Bottling: Distillery Bottling
Age: NAS
Strength: 48%
Cask: Virgin North American Oak.
Being a big Glen Garioch fan I had heard about this in the pipeline quite a while ago and have been patiently been tapping my feet waiting on it being released.

Not many single malts are put into virgin north american oak, as the delicate malt can be quickly drowned out by the strong and harsh flavours which come from the wood, and of course choosing casks which have previously been used for bourbon (or sherry) as the wood impact will be much less.

I like to think Glen Garioch are being pretty progressive at present with trying some different things out rather than sticking with the old tired age statements, where consistency means less room for experimentation.

Nose: Right on the tail of my previous tasting of a Glen Moray in a freshly toasted cask, I immediately think my nose is going to get a blast of oak but I am completely wrong. Lots of fruit and strong. Rich, cooked and caramelised with orange marmalade, apricot jam and sweet berrys which reminds me of Ribena and Vimto. That syrupy note continues and reminds me of being off sick from school and getting Orange Lucozade and sweet Calpol medicine. The orange continues into the sweet shop and gives me the tang and mouthwatering melting of Terry's Chocolate Orange. Twix bars with chewy caramel, milk chocolate and a biscuit base.

Palate: The oak hits first, but only for a second and is quickly backed up by the fruit. Chocolate, caramal and butterscotch. Medium body.

Finish: Medium-Long finish which is warm and relaxing with a autumnal presence. Creamy and spicy with that chocolate orange lingering on.

This is nice, and it is nice to see Morrison-Bowmore's master blender Rachel Barrie willing to try something new, however I do wish it had been put out at natural strength like the Vintage releases though but maybe it needed to be lower strength to show off the malt as in all honesty I probably wouln't have added water anyway. I rarely do.

35.95 Invigorating and Stimulating (Glen Moray 18 year old, 1994)

Information

Distillery: Glen Moray

Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Age: 18

Distilled: 1994

Bottled: 2013

Strength: 58.9%

Cask: First fill toasted ex-bourbon hogshead.

Cask Code: 35.95 Invigorating and Stimulating

 

This one I picked up recommendation by another society member, and the reason it took my interest is that it specifically mentioned it was from a first fill toasted hogshead (ex-bourbon) and my take on this is that the cask has been freshly toasted just before filling. I am not sure how much this is done for malt whisky as the oak flavours can heavily swamp out the malt which is basically a very delicate spirit compared to some of the other big hitting spirits out there. The colour immediately says that this cask been active. Who will win, the malt or the wood?

 

Nose: Hot out the bottle, the first thing which comes to mind is bourbon; sweet and woody. Burnt toffee, caramel and vanilla aplenty. Take that toffee and cover it with chocolate and you get Riesen sweets. Ground espresso, and a definate nuttyness like hazelnuts and chestnuts. Fresh cigars, pledge furniture polish. A definate smokyness which is like burning newspapers on a bonfire, while eating smokey bacon on toast - and this is not a peaty smokyness but something that comes from the toasting of the wood. Little aniseed and liquorice. Not masses of fruit coming through, and any delicate esters im not picking up at all. The fruit I am getting is darker like cherry, red grapes, berrys and some dried fruit, figs and raisins.

 

Palate: Dry and slightly salty, with a bitterness which is good in the way of coffee, and dark chocolate. Oak a plenty. Very little sweetness in the mouth at all.

 

Finish: Long and oaky with cigars, clove and pepper, a touch of liquorice, and a toasted nut tail.

 

The malt is close to being lost here, but it is there if you take your time with it. This is by no means an easy drinker in the sense that it has so much to open up if you don't just want a punch of wood. It is busy and complex and will reward your time.

30.77 This is nuts! (Glenrothes 16 year old)

Information

Distillery: Glenrothes
Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 16
Distilled: 1997
Bottled: 2013
Strength: 57.7%
Cask: Refill sherry butt.
Cask Code: 30.77 This is nuts!

I don't pick up sherry casked whisky often, and when I do it generally has to be a well used cask which doesn't impact too much sherryness into the malt. When I was at the SMWS venue "The Vaults" in Leith to pick up some new bottles and I seen this one which picked up my attention because I have tasted some nice malts out of Glenrothes Distillery before, and a couple of strange and interesting ones from the SMWS before so I thought I would challenge myself to something different. Won't know unless you try right?

Nose: Sometimes I wish I hadn't read the label on my SMWS bottles before doing a tasting as it does impact some power of suggestion. "This is nuts" being fairly obvious about nutty type aromas, which is the sort of things that you do pick up from sherry casks. Nuts are definately coming through but in a sweet way that you would expect from a baker or a confectioner. Sweet and creamy Praline. Almonds and Marizapan in a Battenberg Cake. Minty aromas as I always get from a sherry cask - Imagine sitting at the cinema watching a film eating Mint Ice Cream with crushed Pecan Nuts, along side freshly popped Toffee Popcorn. Lots of sweet dessert fruits such as Strawberries, Blackcurrants, Redcurrants with a chocolate sauce and cream drizzled on top. Tunnock's Caramel Logs which are one of my favourite biscuits with coconut, biscuit, chocolate and caramel - it is a very nutty treat. Moving away from sweet notes there are more meaty, savoury notes coming through in the way of smoked sausage, and pepperoni pizza. There is also a slightly vegetative note in what reminds of me brussel sprouts which I absolutely hate by the way. Even the dog refuses them off the plate at Christmas. There is a definatete rubber note which I have smelt from the beginning but wanted to concentrate firstly on the positives rather than the negatives. The note is a combination of pencil shavings and pencil rubber/erasers and the smell reminds me of my pencil box at school.

Palate: On the palate as expected without water is pretty hot, but sweet and honeyed. Almost like honey and lemon tea which I was given when I was sick as a youngster. Milk Chocolate and Butterscotch which is a very positive note.Mint, Caramel, and finally something which is a bit metallic and I don't like. The sort of thing that subtractive maturation should take away. Those meaty and rubbery notes as well.

Finish: That creamy butterscotch and chocolate, caramel and coconut, and I am not sure whether this is pleasant or unpleasant but chewing on a burnt out match. The rubbery notes linger longer than the more good ones which may or may not be a good think dependant on your sensitivity to those sulphuric compounds.

Comments: An interesting malt and I am glad I spent the time deconstructing it but the sulphuric notes are strong with this (says Darth Vader). It isn't something I could drink every night but it does make a change from the typical ex-bourbon stuff which floats my boat so much.

Balblair 83 (cask 1252) - World of Whiskies exclusive

Information

Distillery: Balblair
Bottling: Distillery Bottling (World of Whiskies exclusive)
Age: 30
Distilled: 1983
Bottled: 2013
Strength: 54.1%
Cask: ex-bourbon

If I said I wasn't excited about this it would be a complete lie. I have known about this on the radar for a wee while: Single cask 1252 Balblair matured in a single ex-bourbon cask for 30 years and then hand picked by WOW staff at Glasgow Airport, to be bottled and sold exclusively to World of Whiskies @ World Duty Free (Travel Retail). After 30 years of silently maturing this cask only yielded 162 bottles so that is about 15 bottles per WOW outlet if split evenly.

Nose: It's a Balblair alright. Mango, Grapefruit, Pineapple and Papaya riding that tropical wave I know so well. Unlike younger balblairs which are full of fresh estery youthfulness, the fruits in here are deeper and richer, and reduced down into a thick syrupy sauce. Syrupy sweet Pineapple Cubes and Cola Cubes from the sweet shop. The extra time in the wood has paid off with all those lovely notes coming from the oak with a big hit of warm spiced, iced gingerbread loaf. A touch of banana bread in there as well. Loads of sweet toffee, caramel and chocolate like Toffee Poppet sweets (formerly Toffets).

Palate: Chewing on that gingerbread fresh out the oven. Warming, honeyed, spiced. Very rich and the fruits are rich, ripened and reduced again. The tangy sweet zing from the Cola Cubes. Melting caramel and chocolate, with a strong but balanced oak coming in.

Finish: Long with the rich mature oak character, toffee and spices.

Comments: What a lovely old Balblair. This spirit has plenty of mature, rich character but stays with a youthful and fiery friend on the journey. If you love Balblair you shouldn't need to be convinced.

Glen Garioch 1997 vintage (Travel Retail Exclusive)

Information

Distillery: Glen Garioch
Bottling: Distillery Bottling (Travel Retail exclusive)
Age: 15
Distilled: 1997
Bottled: 2012
Strength: 56.7%
Cask: 1st and 2nd fill ex-bourbon

Whenever I get, or get to open a new Glen Garioch I get excited it is my second favourite distillery after Balblair. Coincidently (or not?) both distilleries were subject to a modernisation of tired old packaging, and started releasing "vintages" rather than fixed ages (although Glen Garioch do a 12 year old)which while still characteristic of that distillery, is also characteristic of a certain year. While the vintages list the year, they don't specifically mention an age does that mean it is technically a NAS (no-age-statement) whisky, meaning that 1997 does not need to be the youngest malt in the vatting? That is a question I'll need to find an answer to.

Nose: Immediately a big fruity, estery exposion. Very typical of Glen Garioch to me with a big pear dominance, followed with apple, and banana, with plenty of lesser fruity notes of strawberry and citrus. The combination of fruits are very sweet and candied and the overwhelming memory triggered is of Jelly Tot sweets. Other fruity sweets such as Irn Bru bars and Fruit Salad are also present. Some other sweet but richer things like Chocolate Honeycomb, and the creamy, biscuitness of Nestle White Chocoloate Crunch bars. Plenty of other malty, biscuity notes like shortbread. There is vanilla in there as well, but blends in well with the fruity sweet notes. Lighter floral and heather notes as well.




Palate: Big fruits. Those Jelly Tots are back, and accentuated by the fiz from the high alcohol strength. Hold this in the mouth and let it dilute and mellow, the mouth-watering fruit sweetness comes through like Jolly Ranchers and it gets very chewy, waxy and oily. Creamy biscuitness from the crunch bars as it melts in the mouth with a distinct nuttyness. This also has a very rum-like feel in the mouth.

Finish: Very long, and spicy finish. Vanilla and the crisp sharpness of Coriander seeds. Rum & Raisin fudge, with a touch of citrus.

Comments: A very tasty, and complex construction from Morrison-Bowmore's master blender Rachel Barrie. In many ways this is superior to some of the Glen Garioch single cask releases as there is the higher strength which definately appeals to me, and it carries the character of the distillery and the year, but has the benefit of being constructed through multiple casks to give it more complexity than just a single cask alone. The only drawback of this wee dram is that it is only available through Travel Retail (Duty free to you and me), and I picked this up in Glasgow airport for less than £50. You won't get a single cask for this price. Pick this up if you get the chance or know someone else passing through a airport which stocks it.

26.92 Hard glazed pretzel sticks (Clynelish 28 year old)

Information

Distillery: Clynelish
Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 28
Distilled: 1984
Bottled: 2013
Strength: 58.2%
Cask: Refill sherry butt.
Cask Code: 26.92 Hard glazed pretzel sticks

Nose: Very light and delicate. Tangerine is most prominent, but sharper like when you are peeling a tangerine and it squirts out in your eye. Melon and also the a woody earthy note like the melon seeds themselves. Tunnock's Caramel Logs - Chocolate, Caramel, Biscuit with a covering of desicated coconut. Some heather and hay. Marmalade on burnt toast. These are by no means strong notes as this is very closed on the nose and takes a lot of deep digging in the glass. The longer I hold the glass in my hand the more it very gradually opens up and becomes more tropical. More meaty and briny notes appear later on for me here. Salty bacon and sausages.

Palate: Salted fruits. Lemon. Spicy, Peppery with the bite of fresh Ginger. Salt & Vinegar crisps. Dry desicated coconut.

Finish: Fizzy lemonade alongside salty briny flavours. Spicy. More salt. Gentle oak and a little smouldering smoke.

Hankey Bannister Blended Scotch Whisky

Information

Distillery: Blended Scotch Whisky
Bottling: Hankey Bannister (Inver House)
Age: NAS
Strength: 40%

Tonight I am doing something out of the ordinary for me, and that is writing notes for a Blended Scotch Whisky, and by that I mean a blend which is comprised of both Malt and Grain Whisky from a variety of distilleries. The blend I am going to look at is Hankey Bannister and the reason I have chosen this is because it is one of the flagship blends which belong to Inver House Distillers (International Beverage), and one which has malt whisky from my favourite distillery Balblair which is one of the distilleries owned by Inver House along side Pulteney (Old Pulteney), Knockdhu (anCnoc, Speyburn and Balmenach, all of which are producing highly regarded single malt whiskies.

Blended Whisky gets a bad reputation among many single malt drinkers and I admit even by myself in the past, however it is worth remembering that single malt whisky only makes up approximately 10% of whisky produced, and the 90% of whisky produced at pretty much most of the distilleries including my beloved Balblair is put into blended whisky. Without blended whisky most of these distilleries would cease to exist, and indeed in the past many distilleries have been mothballed or destroyed as a result of changed in the blended whisky market. So I say to every one who liked blended whisky - please keep drinking it! As long as you due I shall be able to continue drinking my favourite single malts! It is a win win situation.

Anyway, Hankey Bannister is a blended whisky which is made up of single malt from all of the above single malt distilleries, and also with grain whisky from as far as I can research is from both the North British (Edinburgh) and Port Dundas (Glasgow) grain distilleries. However the Port Dundas distillery is now closed so I can only assume this is no longer the case and grain from somewhere else is being used. Maybe Invergordon or Strathclyde? As far as I can find out it is made up of approximately 30% malt whisky of which this is mostly Balblair, and then 70% grain whisky.

Let's taste it then.

Nose: I expected the first thing to hit me was the smell of grain, but I am wrong, and it would be unfair anyway to just shout GRAIN GRAIN GRAIN and not thinking about the other subtleties which are present so that is what I will do. The initial nose gives me sherried malt notes. Praline and Marzipan. Sweet Almonds, milk chocolate and mint chocolate. My nose is very aware of menthol notes from sherried whisky and I can usually detect it quite strongly in most sherried malts. The menthol notes here are starting to come in a way that reminds me of mouth wash and I imagine that is the effect of the mixture with young spirit but in a way that takes the edge of something which woulde be harsher so I think these sherry notes balance out this youthfulness. Vanilla, Oak and some other spicy elements can be detected. I am getting cereal aromas which I suspect are coming from the grain which remind me of shortbread fingers, buttery and biscuity. Some fresher fruits coming through by way of pear and red apple, almost crab apple like. A little mango and the fruit coming to an end with the slight tannin bitterness of orange peel.  Some burnt toffee and at the very back is a whisp of smoke on the horizon and finally some lighter solvent notes which creep out every now and again.

Palate: The low alcohol of 40% is immediately evident on the palate. I am a guy that likes a real kick in the teeth from my whisky but I know I am in the minority here. Very easy and fairly smooth. The dried fruit and sherry notes carry into the mouth fairly easily backed up with that familiar grain kick but nothing offensive. The Vanilla, Oak and spicy elements are there as well.

Finish: The kicker here is the finish is actually suprisingly long and indeed longer than some single malts which are older and stronger. I suspect the young spirit is helping out with this. Slightly chewy with the dark dried fruit, some dark chocolate and that whisp of smoke again.

Comments: You know what? I am not offended by this. I don't think it is something I could sit and savour in the same way I do my single malts  but it has made a change of scenery for me and given me an insight into the greater world of blended whisky and has opened my eyes to some of where Balblair ends up. I would be very interested in trying some of the other Hankey Bannister releases such as their 12 year old and 21 year old but they appear very hard to get hold of in the general UK market. If anyone could send me some samples to review I would greatly appreciate it ;)

Miltonduff 30 years old - Cask 3714 (Adelphi)

Information

Distillery: Miltonduff
Bottling: Adelphi
Age: 30
Distilled: 1982
Bottled: 2012
Strength: 52.7%
Cask: ex-bourbon, cask 3714

Nose: Lemon butter biscuits, banana foam sweets, tropical fruit punch, marshmallows, coconut, vanilla, green sports mixture sweets, a little herby in the form of thyme and basil.

Palate: As big on the palate as on the nose. Dominated by citrus through Lemonade with a twist of Lime. Very sweet and zesty. Spicy pepper and ginger, with the herby thyme alongside a little light menthol, vanilla, something green like pine needles and also sugar puff cereral.

Finish: The fruit and spices lasting into a long sweet finish, with a bite of wood.

Balblair 1995 (travel retail)

Information

Distillery: Balblair
Bottling: Distillery Bottling
Age: 17
Distilled: 1995
Bottled: 2012
Strength: 46%
Cask: ex-bourbon

As my favourite distillery I am always looking for more Balblair malts, and by collection I mean to drink and enjoy rather than sitting looking pretty on a shelf. While passing through Glasgow Airport on my way to Berlin I was suprised to find they still had some bottles of the 95 vintage, which is a travel retail exclusive so I snapped up a bottle. The icing on the cake is it comes in a lovely full litre size.

Nose

Very estery and fruity as I know and come to expect and love from Balblair. Mangos, Pineapple, Honeydew Melon, passionfruit. Drumstick Lolly sweets. Apple, vanilla and biscuity elements combining to give Hot Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream. Also getting creamy strawberry in something which reminds me of strawberry milkshake, or Campino Sweets. Things geting nuttier with wallnuts and coconut. Creamy again with Nestle Milkybars, and then some fresh hay, and new newspapers.

Taste

Light and refreshing, with a creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Apple punching through and some citrus zest. Melting chocolate on the tongue.

Finish

Sweet and light. Spicy with anise and pepper. Nutty with a touch of oak at the sides.

Comments

A light and refreshing summer dram. Relax in your back garden in the evening sunshine.

Nikka Whisky from the barrel

Information

Distillery: Blend
Bottling: Nikka
Age: NAS
Bottled: Unknown
Strength: 51.4%
Cask: Mixture of ex-bourbon barrels.

My first exploration into Japanese comes in the form of a blend, and that's right I said the b word. What captured my attention was the strength of 51.4%. What lets most blends down for me, and the reason I don't drink them is the low strength which just makes them too watered down. I have nothing against grain, having tasted some very excellent and very delicious single grains (unfortunately not counting the 20 year old Port Dundas I tried a few months ago). The reviews of Nikka Whisky from the barrel have also all been very positive.

This release is a combination of both malt and grain Whisky from the Yoichi & Miyagikyo distilleries, from a combination of different ex-bourbon casks, married together into a final cask before being bottled. As far as I am aware this is small batch releases and have been told each batch should theoretically be slightly different. I do not know how much truth is in this, and the Japanese being so delicate and good at this I see no reason a master blender could not achieve a consistent taste across batches. If anyone knows please let me know. Now onto the tasting itself.

Nose: Straight out the bottle I get grain on the nose; almost vodka like. After I take time to pass through the grain a floral bouquet opens up, but with the grain alcohol is something almost slightly perfumed, but not in any offensive way. I let this sit for a while and approached it again and was immediately rewarded with much less grain on the nose, and a rich sweetness had opened up. Toffee Butterkist popcorn, creamy fudge, and creamy banana milkshake. Sweet spice like some of my wife's "Yankee Candles".

Palate: Smooth and rounded, with a little pepper. Bananas. Pear Cider. Kinder Milk Chocolate specifically topped with a draw from a Menthol cigarette giving a menthol heat rather than mint.

Finish: Medium finish if held in the mouth a little with some spices and slightly drying. If swallowed quicker and less diluted the finish is a lot longer and minty.

Glentauchers 7 years old (The Good Spirits Company)

Information

Distillery: Glentauchers
Bottling: The Good Spirits Company
Age: 7
Bottled: 2013
Strength: 58.3%
Cask: First fill sherry butt, and then virgin oak.

This is the first single cask bottling from The Good Spirits Company. A 7 year old from Glentauchers which spent most of its life in a first fill sherry butt, which was then split in half and put into two smaller casks, this half of which went into virgin oak.

Nose: Rich dessert fruits in the form of brandy soaked cherries, black forest gateau, and christmas mince pies. Some fresher fruit as tinned Mandarin segments in syrup. Chocolate and Mint Viscount biscuits.

Palate: Tart and sweet, but with the high ABV combining to fizzy cherry cola bottles. Then mellows and becomes rounder in the mouth with the fruits and chocolate flavours combining to give the black forest gateau again. Creamy and mouth coating.

Finish: Long. Fruity to start and then mint chocolate.

1.173 "A fascinating waltz" (Glenfarclas 1993, 19 years old)

Information

Distillery: Glenfarclas
Bottling: Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Age: 19
Distilled: 1993
Bottled: 2013
Strength: 55.2%
Cask: ex-bourbon, refill hogshead.
Cask Code: 1.173 A fascinating waltz

Nose: Big fruit hit but a more candied sugary fruit particularly Haribo goldbears, Lemon sherbets and Pineapple Cubes. Bird's eye custard over chocolate pudding. Chocolate Raisins.

Palate: Juicy and sharp, like biting into a grapefruit. The lemon sherbets fizzing on the tounge and then Barr's Limeade.

Finish: Long finish with grapefruit sharpness mellowing into a freshly cut grass and dark chocolate and then pepper and oak.