Tastes
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Brookie's Byron Bay Slow Gin
Sloe Gin & Variants — New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed May 15, 2018 (edited July 22, 2022)Nose: Unusual and interesting, featuring a strong bright fruity aroma like kumquats, persimmons, and umebushi fruit. Palate: The palate is more enticing than the nose. Sweet fruit tisane, rather like a mix of rooibos and rose hip, with a sweet melon note. It’s a touch dry but not bitter - like soft oak tannins – and nicely balanced. Finish: Short. Sweet and dry in equal measure. That’s not a spelling error in the title – this is “slow” gin, not “sloe” gin. It’s not produced with sloe berries, but using the Davidsonia plum, a rainforest fruit indigenous to the Northern Rivers region of NSW. The plums are very tart - raw they taste like an unripe blood plum dipped in citric acid. The plums are mascerated whole in a batch of the distillery’s dry gin for 6 months. Water is then added to take the liquor down to a low proof, and sugar is added to balance the natural tartness of the plums. The result is a sweet, fruity gin liqueur with a unique taste. It’s a little like a medium-sweet sherry and is very easy to drink. It’s best neat or with ice as an aperitif, or paired with cheese as a digestif (it goes very well with soft ripened cheeses). Cape Byron Distillery is located in the hinterland near Byron Bay and is run by the Brook family (hence the brand name “Brookie’s”). Eddie Brook is the master distiller, and it’s interesting to note that Jim McEwan, formerly of Bruichladdich, had a hand in the development of their products, notably their initial (and very good) Brookie’s Dry Gin (which I must review some time …) This is a quirky and pleasant gin liqueur, not outstanding but hard to dislike. “Above Average” : 84/100 (3.25 stars)65.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Slightly piney, orange citrus, juniper and a resinous note exactly like Friar's Balsam (which is perfect in this context). There’s also spicy base notes of cumin, cardamom and paprika. Palate: Fresh and crisp to start with, then warm and dusky spices come into play leading into a strong, heavy development that highlights juniper. The texture is full and it has a rich, creamy mouthfeel. Sweet and slightly licorice flavours come into view, but juniper and smoky orange hold the centre stage. Finish: Long. Heavy, creamy and savory. The Weaver gin is produced by Loch Brewery & Distillery, located in the town of Loch, Victoria. It’s a small artisan distillery run by a husband and wife team who are also making English-style ales and maturing their first run of whisky now in 2018. The Weaver has a very thick and rich character for a gin. It’s not at all a lightly perfumed or bright nose - the aromas are deep and smouldering, and derived from juniper, nutmeg, cassia, mace, coriander, anise myrtle, cinnamon myrtle, strawberry gum and wattleseed. When neat the high abv and strong flavour can make this gin a little overbearing, however taken over ice it is delightful by itself. As a mixer it is marvellous. It makes an outstanding G&T, where the strong character matches the bitterness of quinine, almost masking it. I’d suggest trying this in a G&T with Schweppes tonic water – it is a heavier and sweeter tonic than Fever Tree (some would say rougher) but it makes a solid partner for this bold gin and fascinatingly this power duo combines to produce a fragrant, almost floral nose of rose and lavender that is very striking. This is one of the best gins I’ve tasted. It’s a premium product and the price reflects that, but it is definitely value for money. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)90.0 USD per Bottle
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Nose: An initial aroma of varnish or nail polish. This evaporates quickly like an early-morning maritime fog, boiling away to reveal orange marmalade, dried apricots, banana, mango, pawpaw, dark honey and molasses. Spice and woody tones swirl about (chocolate and vanilla, leather, oak, tobacco). Herbal and funky fragrances surface from time to time (rubber tyres, diesel fuel, sage, rosemary) and there is a cooling breeze of mint and rosewater that gusts across it all. Palate: The arrival is woody, mildly herbal, and balanced by creamy sweetness. It quickly develops a rich, sweet, hot-spice and oily-fruity character with loads of orange, dried mixed fruits, root ginger, anise, allspice, white pepper, burnt brown sugar and licorice. Under this is a tarry chewing tobacco and creosote note. Water amplifies and exposes the herbal/spice quality, bringing out cinnamon, cloves, ginger, fresh sage, oregano, spearmint and peppermint. There is a grassy note reminiscent of rhums agricole. Finish: Long. The hot spices eventually calm down to a warm tingle along with herbal and fruity notes. This is a big, bold but also sophisticated and elegant rum. There is an enigmatic quality to it and I can’t think of any other spirit that is quite like Caroni. It’s not to everyone’s taste but be warned – if you really like it then it will probably ruin all other rums for you. The distillery was established around 1920 (sources differ) and had a long and proud history before being closed in 2003, and subsequently demolished. The existing warehouse stock at the time of closure was eventually acquired by two European spirits merchants – Velier in Italy, and La Maison du Whisky in France – who have been gradually releasing it to market since. Once they (and a handful of independent bottlers) run out of stock – that’s it. This particular bottling was distilled in 1998 and matured in Trinidad for 15 years, by which time the angels had apparently taken about 75%. It was then transported to Scotland where it rested for a while before finally being bottled in 2015. "Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)250.0 AUD per Bottle
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Nose: Malt and cereal, vanilla, caramel, dried fruit and a little oak. Palate: Mildly malty and fruity, a relatively full flavour and texture for a blend, at least in the arrival. In the development it turns bitter and sour at the back of the tongue - not firey or spicy, just sour - then the texture turns thin. Finish: Short. Some bitter tannin. There have been literally scores (possibly 100s) of versions of Dimple since it was introduced by John Haig & Co. in 1893, some of which have been very exclusive and contained a large proportion of high quality malt and grain. The basic Dimple blend (it's almost always just called "Dimple" in Australia and other Commonwealth countries, seldom "Haig Dimple" and never "Pinch") is usually either 12 years old, or a NAS that is around 12. This popular blend has benefited from the reputation of the exclusive releases, and in most countries it was marketed, and seen by many consumers, as being more upmarket than Johnnie Walker, Bell's, Grant's, Ballantine's and other similarly priced scotch blends. It shared this aura of "class" with Chivas Regal 12. Although there's not much to actively hate about this affordable blend it's nothing special. The nose is better than the palate, and then the palate tails off into mild bitterness. It's acceptable over ice, where the deficiencies of the palate are obscured, and better as a mixer with ginger ale where sugar balances the sour notes. "Adequate" : 73/100 (2.25 stars)44.0 AUD per Bottle
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Nose: A generic whisky nose with a slight ethanol background. Raisin and brown sugar aromas. Palate: The arrival is soft and sweet, malty and slightly fruity. The development doesn’t deliver much. The texture is full and the mouthfeel agreeable. There is a very, very faint smoky tinge. Finish: Short and harmless. No bitter or sour notes. Uneventful, forgettable but not unpleasant. The grain spirit note is not metallic or intrusive. It’s reminiscent of Chivas Regal, but not in that class. Neat it’s too one-dimensional to be of interest but it is quaffable over ice with a splash of soda. As a mixer it develops a very brown sugar aroma and flavour that is too noticeable and makes it a little sickly. This is exacerbated when it is mixed with soft drink, which is not recommended. The White Heather blend was created in the 1930s by S. Campbell & Son. whisky blenders, who eventually became Campbell Distillers and also produced the Clan Campbell blend. It was a mid-range blend that appeared in several age statement expressions. Campbell Distillers was sold to Pernod Ricard and ceased trading in the 1980s and the White Heather blend disappeared from the UK at that time. However it continued in the Australia-Pacific region as a budget brand that had little relation to the original blend. The brand was eventually acquired by Chivas Bros. and finally became extinct around 2012. I came across a bottle of this recently at a local liquor shop - they had discovered a case when moving their warehouse. It was interesting to try for old time's sake, but I wouldn't buy another bottle. “Adequate” : 72/100 (2 stars)43.0 AUD per Bottle
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Clynelish 1995 20 Year Ibisco Decanter (Signatory)
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed May 10, 2018 (edited November 14, 2022)Nose: Vanilla and beeswax with a touch of cinnamon, strikingly like scented candles. Earl Grey tea, camphorwood and naphthalene balls, unscented Castile soap, a herbal smokiness reminiscent of hot oily, smoky fried rice and some cedar cigar box in the background. Palate: An exceptionally smooth cereal and malt arrival with a thick oily, unctuous, waxy texture. Butter, star-anise glazed ham, vanilla cream, pound cake, walnut oil, sourdough bread, aubergines fried in olive oil, honeydew melon, honey and over-ripe persimmon. Finish: Long, sweet, oily, lightly smoky and fruity. Distilled in 1995 and bottled in 2015, this was an unusual and characterful dram with an amazingly voluptuous texture. It was definitely identifiable as a Clynelish but presented a different side to the whisky than I’ve encountered previously. It was like being massaged with warm scented oil and then enjoying a lightly spiced Cantonese meal finished off with a mild fruit-flavoured cigarello. I was very keen to buy a bottle and it would have been fascinating to get to know it at length and leisure, but unfortunately there was none in stock and I’ve not been able to find any since. Tasted at The Oak Barrel in Sydney, 22 May 2017, from a bottle drawn from cask #8682. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)200.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Vanilla, spice and stewed fruit (apples, walnuts and cinnamon). Caramel, licorice, orange peel, leather, and a trace of resinous woody smoke that is more like an old furniture smell than peat. There’s an earthy "clean-but-slightly-dusty-attic" quality to the nose. Palate: Spicy malt arrival, a little dry but with a thick texture and enough sherry on the sidelines to give it some bright sweetness. It develops more spice as it unfolds (cinnamon and cloves) together with a brown sugar. Water adds a gingery note to the list of spices and there are lots of dark fruity flavours (figs, dates, prunes). Some faint smoke or ash appears that suggests very old charred oak. Finish: Medium. Dark bitter chocolate with some oak spice, turning sweet in the aftertaste. This was blended from Speyside malts that were sent to repose in Spanish and American barrels in 1993. It was bottled in a limited edition of 400 in May 2017. It’s a blended Speysider of the dark-and-moody type and is a little like Tamdhu but earthier. If I was wagering on it I'd say it had at a good proportion of Glenfarclas. There’s nothing to dislike about it – it’s certainly not over oaked or sulphured – but for me it lacked a certain spark. I could, however, see others with different palate preferences finding it very enjoyable and worth the asking price. There is a second 2018 edition of Vega, a 43.1% abv expression that was bottled in January 2018 and blended from whiskies at least 40 years of age. I believe it is superior to this first edition, but I’ve not had the opportunity to taste it. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)150.0 AUD per Bottle
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Nose: Initially there was an aroma like rotting gym socks and perished rubber bands. There was some vanilla, oak and sherry but those notes were buried beneath the unpleasant aroma. Palate: A slight improvement over the nose - smooth and sweet but not engaging. The nose did carry through into the palate, although less intrusively. Finish: Short and blandly sweet, but the rubbery character was there until the end. This is an inexpensive scotch blend available through various liquor store chains in Australasia, and I think also in the UK. Like others of its ilk it claims to include the “finest Speyside and highland malts”, but blends like this are opportunistic, being concocted from whatever cheap whisky is available at the time from contracted suppliers. Consequently while one batch might be OK the next one could be a blend created from bad still runs or tainted casks that the distillery was anxious to unload. Whether it’s a characteristic of this particular blend or a one-off batch fault, this whisky was definitely flawed. The aromas of decay were likely from a bad ferment and the rubbery smell from sulphur, either also introduced in fermentation or more likely from maturation in bad barrels. Once it had had time to rest in the glass for a while it mellowed slightly but it never became attractive, and even as a mixer the peculiar nose and palate were still evident. “Very Poor” : 57/100 (0.5 star)38.0 AUD per Bottle
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Tormore 1995 20 Year 86 Proof Collection (Signatory)
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed May 3, 2018 (edited April 27, 2021)* Tasted from a bottle blended from hogsheads #3903 and 3904, bottled 2016. Nose: Soft and slightly floral, grassy and hay-like, cereal aromas, green apple, lemon essence and a little oaky spice. Palate: The arrival is grassy and astringent with bright citrus flavours. The development brings out nutty and oily notes - peanut oil in particular. A spicy and hot gingery character intensifies throughout the tasting and the texture is quite waxy. Finish: Long, tangy like over-acidic lemon curd, peppery and spicy. A little bitter/sour wood tannin creeps in towards the end. Tormore is a backbone for Chivas Regal blends where its characteristic citrus and nutty profile provides structure, however you seldom see it as a single malt expression, apart from a 12 year old official bottling (which is not bad but often unavailable) and some independent bottlings (which can be very nice). This expression, however, seemed to me to be rather unsettled, brash, and not particularly engaging. I enjoy a challenging dram but this was just too much towards the unfriendly end of the spectrum, with a somewhat wet-hay waxy funk about it that didn’t quite balance the bracing citrus notes. Tasted at a Sydney whisky tasting event, 22 May 2017. “Above Average” : 81/100 (3 stars)125.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glen Elgin 1990 25 Year Cask Strength Collection (Signatory)
Single Malt — Speyside , Scotland
Reviewed May 2, 2018 (edited November 13, 2018)Nose: Sherry, sultanas, floral and nutty. Robust and rounded with some honey sweetness and a fairly strong oak note. There’s also a slightly off-putting aroma that is somewhat like nail polish remover. I’ve noticed the same thing before in some bourbon, but not usually in whisky. Palate: A fruity, cereal and vegetal arrival. In the development some sweet malt, ginger and vanilla flavours emerge, along with a light oakiness that builds through the tasting. Some warm spicy notes and a bright anise or fennel seed flavour. Finish: Long, malty but more cereal than sweet. The oaky character lingers. A very nice whisky but I couldn't get past the feeling that it was only slightly better than the standard 12 year old Glen Elgin official bottling, which is considerably cheaper (less than half the cost). If it cost just a little more than the 12 year it would be worth it, or of the quality was considerably higher then it would be worth the premium price. However as it is it doesn’t represent good value or bring enough to the table to make the investment worthwhile, and in my opinion it’s a fraction over-oaked anyway. Tasted at a Sydney whisky tasting event, 22 May 2017. “Very good” : 86/100 (4 stars)260.0 AUD per Bottle
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