Tastes
-
BenRiach Septendecim 17 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed August 14, 2017 (edited May 24, 2020)Nose: Sharp peat smoke, woodsmoke, tobacco, wet hay, lemon zest, unripe melon, sage. Palate: A grassy, herbal arrival almost like herbal cough lozenges. The smoke follows in the development along with some pepper and mild chilli, vanilla and chewing tobacco. There’s a definite oily and rich mouthfeel, balanced by a certain degree of astringency. Finish: Medium/long. Ashes, rock salt, pepper and mild tannin. It has an interesting smokiness, quite unlike any coastal or maritime smoke from the islands, but to be honest I find it more interesting than enjoyable. The first time I tasted this I thought that it was what you'd get if you took Laphroaig Quarter Cask but replaced the iodine/medicinal notes with a spicy herbal character. An interesting and characterful whisky that is very well crafted but may not appeal to every palate. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)126.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glencadam 10 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed August 14, 2017 (edited November 11, 2018)Nose: Initially there is a strong grassy citrus and vanilla combination. Also some light cereal notes, pears, stone fruits, hard candy and a luscious light oily aroma. It's refreshing and sprightly, but by no means lightweight - lean but strong like an Olympic gymnast. [The dry glass aroma is faint fruit and sweets]. Palate: More forceful than I was expecting. Crisp, clean and refined arrival focusing on citrus/cereal notes. A creamy, buttery mouthfeel with a hint of waxy sourness, and some brisk spicy tannins (weak tea and a hint of star anise). Finish: Medium. Juicy with a flavour of white grapes and gristy cereals. A fruity and cereal centred spirit, barely a hint of the casks, which I bet were exclusively ex-bourbon. Initially I thought this might be a "summery" type of light whisky, but there is more going on than that. It bears a slight similarity to both Old Pulteney 12 year old and Clynelish 14, but it is fresher and more fruity than either of those. The distillery is in the eastern highlands, south-east of Speyside and about half way between Aberdeen and Dundee, but in character this is much more like a north-east highland malt. If you are a fan of sherry bombs or sticky, sweet spirit, or wood influence ... steer clear, this won't excite you. If you like a lightly bourbon influenced, largely dry malt but with a fruity sweet and spicy kick - well here it is. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)95.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Very rich and featuring malt, apples, oak and gingery spice. There's a waxy character that adds depth and texture. Palate: Full and assured arrival with fruity and mixed spice notes. The arrival blooms seamlessly into the development as more fruit notes (particularly orange) emerge to balance a cavalcade of warm, exotic spice - clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. However the palate is no explosion or cheap thrill. Everything is poised and perfectly balanced. Finish: Medium. Very satisfying - fruit and spice nuances roll on and on into the aftertaste. This is arguably the best of the standard core-range Compass Box whiskies. One of the most complex and sophisticated blends I've tasted in its price range - it wipes the floor with just about every other blended whisky and I'd even have a bottle of this in preference to many single malts at the same price. Terrific value, and an education in a glass. I've been tasting several blends over the last fortnight with some mates, and the one thing we all noticed was how refreshing and "clean" all the Compass Box whiskies are. In comparison, most blends strive for a house style that is heavy and rich, and they achieve that goal with varying success. Compass Box is one of the few that prefer a clean and uncluttered style using a few premium components combined with precision. When you also factor in the very reasonable asking price this whisky represents remarkable value. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)85.0 AUD per Bottle
-
Auchentoshan 12 Year
Single Malt — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed August 13, 2017 (edited July 31, 2022)Nose: Lightly oily and cereal with herbal notes, brightened by bergamot and apple aromas. There are hints of sandalwood, dusky jasmine, vanilla and dried fruits. Over time charred woody notes become more pronounced. Palate: An interesting combination of sweet and dry - vanilla cream, barley sugar, and caramel, but also lemon and nutty flavours - hazelnuts, almonds, and peanuts. Over time it develops a woody, almost pine-resin quality. Finish: Medium/short. Nutty flavours gradually fading to a dry, almost astringent finale. A pleasant if not spectacular whisky with an overall woody/floral/nutty character. The longer it sits in the glass the more the woody aspects become obvious. Quite smooth and individual. The one thing I particularly dislike about Auchentoshan in general, and this expression in particular, is that after developing in the glass for a while there is a distinct resinous note that becomes too prominent. I've noticed that every time I pour a dram of this I get about 3/4 of the way through and suddenly start to lose my taste for it. "Average" : 76/100 (2.5 stars)75.0 AUD per Bottle -
Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
Blended — Scotland
Reviewed July 30, 2017 (edited February 27, 2023)Nose: Rich, oily and malty mainly due to a hefty and obvious proportion of Clynelish. We're off to a good start. Citrus fruits and a touch of smoke. Palate: Sweet light honey, citrus flavours, beeswax, red fruits and cereal. A very clean and fresh delivery that is just slightly maritime (again, Clynelish). A delicious mouthfeel that becomes sweeter in the development. Juicy & zesty. Finish: Medium long, satisfying and sweet but the late finish tails off into a waxy, resinous place that has some sourness in attendance. This was the only real negative aspect. The grain whisky component is very good. Overall it compares well to single malts and blends in this price bracket. It is quite delicious and yes not as good as the old 18 year Gold Label, but really not that far short. The difference is mainly a lack of some authority from very good oak in the 18 year old and some complex spiciness that is missing. The dry glass is smoky with a touch of fragrant, floral honey. Water is not needed but a couple of drops does not hurt - the profile remains intact but is fractionally softer and it blooms slightly. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)70.0 AUD per Bottle -
Compass Box Great King St Artist's Blend
Blended — Scotland
Reviewed July 24, 2017 (edited March 8, 2021)Nose: Lightly fruity with soft peach, pear, apple, citrus and a little vanilla. You can certainly smell good oak at work and there is that distinctive ethanol nose from grain whisky. Palate: Featuring exactly the same elements as the nose, the arrival is soft and fruity then turning mildly spicy in the development as a little ginger shows up. Finish: Short, but there are some lingering oak notes. The spicy/peppery kick from the development flows through into the finish. This was the first Compass Box whisky I tried and to begin with I was not much impressed. It seemed thin and lacking in both the nose and palate at first, however over time I came to appreciate it. I didn't like this so much neat but when used as a mixer the spicyness and oak notes give the spirit body and stop it being overpowered. In a highball this is not unlike some Japanese blended whiskies, with a subtle but slightly spicy character that is refreshing and enjoyable. There is also a floral note that emerges when it is diluted. It's very classy and different to most traditional "old-school" blended scotch in that it has a fresh and uncomplicated character. It reminded me of a cleaner and more zesty Ballantine's Finest. The only issue is the price, which puts it in the same league as some good middle-shelf single malts. If you are looking for an impressive and sophisticated whisky to use primarily or exclusively as a mixer this would be a good choice, but don't expect it to be heavy or richly flavoured - quality, refinement and elegance are the keywords. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)50.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glen Moray 12 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed July 23, 2017 (edited November 18, 2020)Nose: Orchard fruits, vanilla, light honey, faint notes of violets and rose, but very gentle, soft and understated. The dry-glass aroma is of sweet honey and is surprisingly reminiscent of Highland Park 12, but without that whisky's subtle smoke or complexity - a sort of "Highland Park lite". Palate: Vanilla, malt, cereal and honey. Very sweet and juicy but quite light in character. Some nuttiness. Finish: Medium-short. It trails off into faint woody notes. There is a pleasant warming aspect to the finish as well. Overall this is a very soft and shy whisky bottled at the minimum ABV. Water is not required to enjoy it, but it does bring out a touch more depth in the palate. If adding water only a few drops are required. As a mixer with soda it makes a refreshing and light aperatif, but with anything else it is a little understated. Interestingly, its sweetness makes it reminiscent of bourbon when mixed with coke or in coffee. This is not a challenging or deep whisky, but it is a light, pleasant everyday dram that is comparable to the better blends in this price bracket. If I had to choose between a bottle of this or the Compass Box Great King St Artists Blend it would be a tough call. A solid three stars and good value at the price. UPDATE - As this whisky oxidises it gains richness and depth in the fruit flavours. The array of orchard fruits turns into a whole market stall of tropical fruits - banana, guava, mango, pineapple ... quite delicious, but not subtle and very sweet. If you have a sweet tooth this is a great value inexpensive malt, however if you don't it will seem much too sickly-sweet and cloying. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)50.0 AUD per Bottle -
Teacher's Highland Cream
Blended — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed July 4, 2017 (edited February 27, 2023)Nose: Barely perceptible - lighter than either Cutty Sark or J&B. Nothing but ethanol with the faintest wisps of generic "whisky" aroma. Palate: Hah! You call this a palate? I call it the taste of regret. Once again it's just ethanol with some faint whisky-ish flavour. It's like someone took a bottom shelf scotch and watered it down with industrial alcohol to the point where you can hardly taste anything. Finish: Mercifully fleeting. Faintly sour, metallic and bitter with no discernible character at all. This stuff may have 3 year old grain whisky at the heart (well, it has to, doesn't it?) but its personality has devolved into nothing more than "essence of dead cask". It is a huge disappointment and a mere shadow of its once powerful self. There was a time when this had a bold and assertive smoky character from start to finish and it was my affordable mixer of choice, but sadly those days are gone. A few years ago the brand was purchased, along with several other properties, by Beam Suntory who immediately changed the blend, the packaging and the character of the whisky. The words "Distilled, blended and bottled in Scotland" once appeared proudly on the label. Now it just says "Product of Scotland" which infers that it is shipped in bulk and bottled at the market destination. I'm giving it half a star on the assumption that it doesn't contain methanol. UPDATE: Re-reviewed 11May18. I took the risk and bought a bottle of this a year after my initial review to see if it had improved at all. It has not, in fact it has deteriorated. In comparison to this, Johnnie Walker Red is nectar. One last note: I know from experience that there are blends that are much worse here in Australia than overseas - presumably we don't actually get the real McCoy in these cases. Grant's, Black Bottle and others are like this so it's possible that Teacher's might be alright in the UK but appalling over here. "Very Poor" : 59/100 (0.75 stars)34.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glenmorangie 18 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 21, 2017 (edited December 31, 2021)Nose: Sweetly fruity, but not overbearing – fresh and clean. Oranges and lemons and very faint pineapple with a whiff of boiled sweets, all held together by some very sophisticated oak which is also quite crisp. It's not a dense or particularly complex nose but it has the authority of maturity while still retaining the sprightliness of youth. Palate: A fruity, juicy citrus and apple arrival with some spice (ginger, mild cinnamon). As it develops the juicy citrus turns into mandarin, orange and apricot flavours with light honey. Like the nose it’s not particularly complex or robust but it is elegantly simple in the best way and has a pleasant creamy texture. Finish: Medium. It fades into light honey sweetness, but it isn't syrupy. The aftertaste has fresh, clean oak. A very smooth and enjoyable whisky with adroit handling of the sherry maturation. Certainly not a sherry bomb, but a showcase of good casks. Not at all a difficult whisky to appreciate but neither is it bland and there are hidden depths to explore. It develops very nicely in the glass where over time the nose blooms with pleasant oak aromas and the smooth juicy palate gains authority. There is a similarity in many ways to Glenfiddich 18 year old, but this is definitely superior. It is arguably the best, and most affordable, of the mild fruity style 18-year Speyside expressions. Recommended, particularly for newcomers who you want to encourage, but not challenge. Do not add water to this whisky. It does not need it, and water simply dilutes the experience without bringing out anything extra. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)130.0 AUD per Bottle -
Johnnie Walker Select Casks Rye Cask Finish
Blended — Scotland
Reviewed June 17, 2017 (edited August 27, 2022)Nose: Vanilla, toffee, fruits and spice - all enjoyable but a tad too generic. Palate: Vanilla, toffee,fruit and spice again. Finish: Short, but smooth and refined. This is very much a whisky cut from the same cloth as the cheaper Johnnie Walker Blenders' Batch Red Rye Finish blend. That whisky has a strong bourbon/rye character, particularly on the palate, but although the story is essentially the same here everything is elevated to a higher level and the result is more subtle. The cheaper Blender's Batch Rye is more obviously bourbon/rye influenced, particularly in the palate, and is priced at a point where it is a valid alternative to many bourbon, rye and scotch blends that will primarily or exclusively be used as mixers. However this whisky is up against the likes of Compass Box blends, Johnnie Walker Double Black, Glen Grant 10 year old, etc. It's a tough market point and at that price there is not actually a lot to recommend it. For a few bucks more you can buy JW Green Label, and that's the real issue - who would buy it in preference to the alternatives? Nice enough stuff but overpriced as a mixer, and lacking the finesse of a whisky you'd want to drink neat. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)55.0 AUD per Bottle
Results 1101-1110 of 1147 Reviews