Tastes

NOTE: This is an old review, re-posted from my tasting journal after I accidentally deleted it here (oops). Kilchoman Masterclass at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, June 25th 2019: Whisky #2 Nose: You can sense the same distillery character as in Kilchoman's Machir Bay and Islay Barley expressions, but here the cereal and citrus notes are swapped out for deeper stewed fruit aromas and spices. The level of peat is identical to Machir Bay but the cask influence gives this whisky a richer and more full-bodied character. There’s a slight seaweed note but it is dusky and mellow - a gust of beach bonfire smoke carrying a hint of brine and honey-cured bacon. Palate: A measured and full smoky arrival with stewed fruit (prunes, apricots). The distillery’s characteristic spice note is apparent in the development, but it's rounded and mild here with a complex palette of warm spices in evidence. The peat-smoke, which has a very nice leather, chocolate and tobacco quality, is pervasive and the texture is just to the oily side of neutral. Finish: Medium. The palate rolls away smoothly leaving a well-balanced aftertaste with recurring wafts of smoke. Sanaig showcases fragrant peat-smoke, the estery fruitiness of a long fermentation, fresh bourbon barrels and robust oloroso sherry casks and is one of Kilchoman’s best products - arguably the star of their core range. It's very good neat, but just a dash of water does it no harm at all. Unlike the Machir Bay and Islay Barley expressions where water smooths the edges and creates balance, in this case it melds the palate together and makes the whisky "bloom". Interestingly, it is the same new-make as Machir Bay and only differs with regard to the casks used for maturation. In the case of Machir Bay, Kilchoman use 90% ex-bourbon/10% ex-sherry whereas here the combination is 70% ex-sherry/30% ex-bourbon. They also exclusively use wet casks and only do refills once, so the cask influence is always fresh and vigorous. Sanaig is a consistent and well-balanced NAS that was originally only available in France but is now a foundation of the core range. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)

Tasted at The Oak Barrel Springbank evening, May 28 2022. Nose: Sweet, mild peat reek. Vanilla cake, caramel, lemon, white wine, beeswax, brine. The nose is raw and young on first nosing pour but over time, and particularly with a drop of water, it blooms a little as the fruity notes become more tropical and aromas of earth and mudflats at low tide emerge. Palate: Citrus fruit, lemon yoghurt, malted biscuit and sweet smoke on the arrival. Lemon sweets and spice notes appear in the development. The texture is oily, becoming creamy and silken with dilution which also develops a more maritime character. Finish: Medium/long. Smoked fish with charred lemon slices. A whiff of steamship smoke across a restful sea. A fresh, young smoky whisky that is absolutely west coast highland in character. The Glengyle interpretation of “heavily peated” is, like that of Longrow and Ledaig, less intense than most whiskies made on Islay. However do not mistake lower intensity for insipid. This has a raw, forceful edge to it. The alcohol is well contained and this whisky is approachable neat but adding water does no harm at all. However don’t add too much as it loses impact if taken below 50%. It’s not a brittle whisky that falls apart suddenly, but you will hit a point where you will feel annoyed for having spoiled the dram by adding too much water, and like all peated whisky it can develop plastic notes if diluted too far. The Kilkerran Heavily Peated expressions have been slowly improving. Batch 1 was a good start and Batch 2 improved on that. Batch 3 lacked presence and had weak smoke and while Batch 4 was better it is with this batch that the expression is just beginning to get dialed in and it's the first batch I'd call "good". The key is both age (wow, really?) and the right proportion of sherry to bourbon. Peat reek degrades quickly and (as Octomore 10 year old proves) the most intense, raw peat smoke is not necessarily the most enjoyable. It’s worth sacrificing impact for elegance while still striving for depth and complexity. Thankfully that seems to be the direction in which Kilkerran Heavily Peated is heading. This Heavily Peated series is still a work in progress, but it *is* making progress. I'd wager that by the time the spirit is around 10 years old it will be something special. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Tasted at The Oak Barrel Springbank evening, May 28 2022. Nose: Soft planky oak, light grainy malt, mild flinty brine, peach, apricot, damp mossy forest, leather, aromatic pipe tobacco, oloroso sherry, walnuts and baking spices. Palate: Juicy and soft, demi-sec arrival with gentle, sweet spice notes. Chocolate covered raisins, minerals. Earthy and herbal flavours in the development. Dried apricots and a hint of peat smoke. After resting more sherry influence comes through with dry fruit ‘n nut chocolate notes and a faint hint of liquorice. The addition of water brings out peppercorns and a touch of triple-sec liqueur. The texture is very good and water makes it creamier. Finish: Medium/long. Toffee, raisins, apricots, roasted nuts and a waft of smoke. The nose presents a host of interesting aromas but the defining quality is its integration, with all the elements combining to form a soft and enticing whole that is very complete and satisfying. Unmistakably sherry-driven, but less so than previous batches. The alcohol is very well contained and there is no heat when neat. Taking it down to just under 50% abv with water was the goldilocks spot for me, at which point it opened fully, gained a creamier texture and fractionally elevated the spiciness. Allowing it to sit and develop in the glass after watering produced better and better integration over time, which was an unfolding delight. The palate is complex and the bourbon influence adds a spicy touch rather than soft vanilla tones. The sherry presence is just right and the combination of the two elements in the blend works well, although I think the previous batch 19 was even better. Always a great whisky and worth sampling. It has an integrated complexity that can entertain for hours. There is little better than an evening spent slowly appreciating a few drams of this spirit while relaxing to good music. Together with the 2021 Springbank 15 year old and the Kilkerran 16 year old (Batch Two), this was equal best whisky of the night. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)

Nose: Caramel, treacle, walnuts, dried fruit, a hint of ash and dust, sherry and diesel oil. The nose is pleasantly “dirty” but there are some lighter orchard fruit aromas in the background that keep things balanced and even a drop of honey. Palate: There is an initial dried fruit sweetness, some oak, a hint of salt and a wisp of ash. In the development the ashy flavour becomes stronger, like a cold cigarette butt, and there is an umami quality from chewy tannins. It is an interesting combination of sweet and earthy but it is not delicate. The texture is light, but not watery, and it's “dirty” like the nose but again there is that fugitive fruit presence that keeps everything from being harsh. Finish: Medium/Short. Caramel and dark fruit, light smoke and a little oak. It fades out to a bittersweet aftertaste. This blend dates to the establishment of Adelphi independent bottlers in 1992. It is produced in batches, apparently via a type of solera process, but that is no guarantee of consistency and the profile on this blend drifts depending on what whiskies are in the vat at any given time (back in the 1990s they included Lagavulin and Springbank, but not any more). There is a trace of smoke on the nose, but it is almost overshadowed by a rubbery, sulphur aroma. Although the texture is not particularly full it does have satisfying volume, bordering on roughness. I’d bet my bottom dollar there is a good deal of Glenrothes in this particular batch I’m rating, but please note that I have had bottles of this in the past that were much softer and more fruit-focused. Overall it has an old-style “big and forward” character and it reminds me of Whyte & Mackay blended scotch, but done with considerably more grace and skill. It’s certainly not dainty or thin-bodied like some other blends but it’s something of an acquired taste. If you prefer soft, crisp and “clean” blends then you will not like this at all, and likewise if you enjoy sweet, full-bodied blends with a friendly sherry influence it will probably not be to your taste either. Do you like meaty Mortlachs and farmyard Springbanks - OK, you'll love this. It’s grumpy and impolite, but it certainly has character and I have a love-hate relationship with it. It's far from being my favourite blended scotch but when I saw it recently at my local liquor shop (we only get it in occasional allocations) I bought 4 bottles and I'm not regretting it for a second. This is great value for money. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)

Nose: Popcorn, butterscotch, candy floss, burnt match, black tea. Palate: Sweet for a moment in the arrival but quickly bifurcating with sweet corn-based flavours on one side (popcorn, corn syrup, butterscotch, caramel) and a hard, acidic, bitter tannic note on the other (burnt sugar, burnt wood). The texture is good but overshadowed by the harshness of the palate and there is no nuance or progression at all. Finish: Medium/long. Bitter tannin and burnt grains with a ghost of sweetness in the background. Perhaps initial trials with untoasted corn produced a whisky that was too sickly sweet, so the distillery opted for toasted corn instead, or maybe it was an attempt to introduce a smoky quality to the mash. Whatever the reason for creating this whisky in my humble opinion the experiment is only marginally successful. This is very young, loud and simplistic. If the palate had developed a mild smokiness from gently toasting the cereal it may have worked but it’s been driven way past the toasting stage and tastes outright burnt. In addition, maturing the distillate in small active casks has not helped and there is far too much oak extraction. I’ve enjoyed the other Balcones whiskies I’ve tried but this one is not at all to my taste. Other palates seem to appreciate it, and admittedly it is well made from a technical point of view with no obvious distillation flaws. If you like your whisky to have a big oak influence than fine, but my taste is more towards distillate driven expressions. Consequently I’d strongly advise trying a taste of this before laying down the money for a bottle. I bought a whole bottle when it was on special and now I’m slowly trying to use it up as a mixer, but it’s heavy going and I’m not greatly enjoying the results. “Adequate” : 74/100 (2.25 stars)

Tasted at The Oak Barrel Springbank evening, 28 May 2022. Tasting of the 2021 release. Nowdays this is overhyped, overpriced and over-rated. It's a good whisky, sure, but in comparison to Springbank 18 from just a few years ago this is insipid. The 2021 15 year old dumps all over this and is half the price. Even the current 10 year old is superior. This was composed of 50% bourbon and 50% sherry cask matured whiskies, but what is critical is that, IMHO, very little (if any) of those sherry casks were first-fill. It was the combination of mostly first-fill, top-quality oloroso hoggies with just a little bourbon cask whisky that made the reputation of this expression, but I guess doing that these days is prohibitively expensive. What a pity. It's good (I mean come on, it's Springbank 18 after all) but not recommended at this price point. If you want something that will blow your socks off, and at literally half the price of this, try the current Ledaig 18 year old. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Tasted at The Oak Barrel Springbank evening, May 28 2022. This is a tasting of the second batch of the 16 year old. Nose: Floral (bergamot) and grassy (hay) notes with a light coastal influence. Summer fruit salad (peaches, apricots, pears and cherries) but it’s graceful and delicate rather than demonstrative. Pineapple and beeswax on the sidelines and there is the tiniest imaginable hint of peat. Toasty cereal notes like shortbread, but again they are subtle. With water it gains sweetness and depth. Palate: Honey and orange liqueur in the arrival with a spicy peaches and cream quality coming through in the development. A touch of brine, toffee and tannin and it has a warming, full texture. Water brings heft to the palate and the longer it sits after watering the better. There is a light peppery peat presence which is very suave. Finish: Medium. Waxy, mildly tannic but retaining cereal sweetness, a touch of briny minerals in the aftertaste. The finish could be a little longer but what it has is exquisite. I’m not surprised that this has not been more widely popular. It does not have a typical west-coast profile, which would be disappointing for those who believe in and crave “Campbeltown funk”. This is far more in line with a north-east highland character and it is akin to Clynelish in many respects. In fact there is a faint resemblance to old Brora. A fine, elegant and poised whisky with an old-fashioned profile that will probably not appeal to palates that prefer a more contemporary style of whisky. In time, however, this era of Glengyle’s production will be more appreciated. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)