Tastes

Nose: Very oloroso driven with nuts, dates, chocolate and orange preserve. Some malt extract notes and raisin/grape aromas. There is a strong sense of very old cask but it is not what I’d call oak-dominated. Maturity shines through but although it is a rich nose it is a little shy. Palate: The arrival impresses immediately with old, mature dark fruit flavours and a dense, full mouthfeel. The development sees spiced orange notes, black coffee, and buttery caramel coming forwards together with rum and raisin chocolate and walnut brittle. Towards the finish a slight salty tang is noticeable. It responds very well to dilution, gaining in every dimension. Finish: Medium/long. Very soft milk chocolate and vanilla. Well balanced. There is just a hint of salty orange peel in the aftertaste. A dash of water does not change the profile but adds a creamy quality to the texture and lengthens the finish. A delicious single malt that was distilled in 1996 and matured in refill hogsheads until 2009, when part of the batch was released as a 15 year old expression. The remainder was further matured in the same hogsheads before being transferred to Gonzales Byass sherry butts in 2014. Initially I thought this was good but a little too laid-back (even “tired” as if it had been over-matured) but the addition of a little water completely transformed it. A teaspoon of water, a light swirl, and immediately it sprang to life retaining its 23 years of maturity but seeming to gain the sprightliness and spicy verve of a much younger whisky. I cannot recommend a dash of water too highly with this – it is a sleeping giant. This is not currently available in Australia but it is selling in the UK for £290. I've been quoted AUD$400-600 for when (and if) it makes it out here, which sounds about right, but as nice as it is I’m not sure it quite deserves that price tag. If you have deep pockets it’s a recommended buy, but otherwise I’d make do with a taste, if you can find it. Still, based entirely on quality and ignoring the price I have to rate this highly. Tasted at the Sydney Whisky Show, May 15 2021, my tasting #9 “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars) PS - I made an error for this entry - it should be 46.3% abv, not 46%

Nose: Red wine, berries, dark cherries, apricot, peach. Intense red fruit aromas with bright, zesty notes behind them – almost like vanilla cola! There is also an elusive note like almonds or lychees in the distance. Palate: Sweet, fruity arrival – so intense on the red fruit notes it’s almost like extract of red gummy bears. So many berries in the development! Cranberry, strawberry so sweet it must be genetically modified, raspberry and morello cherry. This profile could easily be cloying but fortunately there is hefty, leathery malt and an earthy quality like horehound or chicory root (slightly coffee-ish) behind this mountain of sweet berry notes. The texture is voluptuous and erotic (yep, erotic, that’s what I wrote in my notes!). Finish: Medium/long. The focus never drifts far from red fruits, and this sweet-wine saturated character lasts until the final wisps of the aftertaste. A very interesting single malt. One of the most intensely flavourful sweet red wine finishes I’ve tasted. It might sound almost like a caricature of a wine-finish but in some odd way it does not descend to banality. It is, in fact, scrumptious but yes not exactly demure or reserved. This is a no-holds-barred bawdy-house madam of a whisky. Engage with her to your peril and delight. Distilled in December 2009 and bottled in December 2019, this whisky spent 10 years in the same ex-aleatico wine cask. Aleatico is a red grape varietal related to muscat, and it is typically used to create intense dessert wines, which are often also fortified. It’s not quite in PX sherry territory, but not far away – imagine a blend of PX and a bold red rioja. This is also notable for being one of the first 10 year age statement Glenglassaugh whiskies to come to market. Let's hope it is the harbinger of future expressions, and that Glenglassaugh escapes the dead hand of chill-filtration stupidity that Brown Forman are laying onto GlenDronach. I enjoyed this quite a lot. It was one of three bottlings exclusive to the Sydney Whisky Show and whoever was in charge of the selection this year clearly has a sweet tooth and a love for fruity wine-influenced whisky. Like the BenRiach I reviewed before this, I was tempted to buy a bottle but in the end I held back. This was maybe a mistake because at the show it was selling for $145 and now the remaining bottles are selling for $195. If it sounds like your thing, grab it while it is available. Tasted from bottle 386 of 411 at the Sydney Whisky Show, May 15 2021 (my taste #8) “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nose: Raisins, chocolate fudge, hazelnut nougat, mulled wine, a little warming spice. Palate: Soft arrival with the grape flavours being less intense but sweeter and more white-grape than expected. White stone fruits in the development (apricot, nectarine) and some plums and red currents later. Dark cherries and dates, and a warm spicy side as well. The texture was full, but not creamy. Finish: Long. Grapes, caramel and some toasted walnut and orange liqueur in the aftertaste. This cask was selected specifically for the 2021 Sydney Whisky Show and so it was not part of the distillery's official 2021 Cask Edition series, although it easily could have been. It would have rubbed shoulders with casks #8748 and #8736 (also moscatel hogsheads) in the warehouse, and they were included in the official release (to the Netherlands and New Zealand, respectively). I was a little surprised by the profile (but agreeably so) as I had expected something more like a PX or soft oloroso character, particularly considering that this whisky spent 100% of its time in one ex-moscatel cask. However it turned out to be more akin to bourbon maturation with a white port or even sauternes finish. BenRiach is always a bit weird and wacky to me – in a tasting flight there will inevitably be expressions I can’t stand and others that are immensely impressive. This was one of the good ones, veering towards very good in fact, particularly with regard to the finish, which was excellent. I almost bought a bottle but after consideration decided it was just fraction overpriced and could have done with a few more years in the cask. My tasting #7 at the Sydney Whisky Show, 15th May 2021. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose: Softly malty, shortbread, light fruity aromas, a slightly tingly sweetness like pineapple. Maybe a touch of brine but I did not detect much of a “sea” influence at all. It’s certainly not what I would call “briny” - in fact it’s more “earthy”. It’s an honest, light and well-balanced nose. Palate: Light, sweet malt right from the first drops. Soft and honeyish (but not syrupy) with a creamy texture. The fruity notes from the nose are detected again and there is just a soupçon of brine in the palate (but blink and you will miss it). A hint of pepper flits about the proceedings. Finish: Short. Rather nondescript, really – the palate just fades out, but there is nothing unpleasant. Oh! right at the very end – there’s the brine. Pleasant, clean, straightforward and enjoyable. A decent everyday malt with an age statement and a fair price. This is positioned in competition against blended scotches, and it succeeds in that role. The texture is a little thin but there is really nothing to criticize here. Good session drinking, a good mixer, easy on the pocket and recommended at the price. I was introduced to the Aerstone Land Cask (the peaty version of this) a while ago by a friend who said it was better than the Sea Cask, but having now tasted both I beg to differ. They are absolutely equivalent IMHO, differing only in the presence of smoke in the other expression. The official rating is a bit on the optimistic side, IMHO. Tasted at the Sydney Whisky Show, 15th May 2021 (my whiskey tasting #6) “Average” : 75/100 (2.5 stars)

Re-tasted at Teeling Distillery post-tour tasting, May 11th 2024 My thoughts are similar to those from my second tasting (see below) but this whiskey seems to be on a downwards trajectory. The first time I tasted it (in 2018) I enjoyed it a lot. It had a plush, oily quality and a lot of fruit, butterscotch and vanilla notes. However it seems to be getting thinner and harder each time I try it. In 2018 I gave this 86/100 but in 2020 I dropped my rating to 83/100, and I'm lowering it a point again now. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars) ----------------------------------------------------------- Re-tasted in 2020 Nose: Butterscotch pudding, vanilla, crème caramel, baked banana, cloves. Palate: A sweet and spicy arrival with flavours of wood-shavings in the background. Caramel, vanilla (mountains of vanilla), bright tannic spices. Dark chocolate, butter and brown sugar. The texture is less oily than I remember from a couple of years back, but still OK. Finish: Medium/short. Spicy/sweet cereal with a mint touch. A little peppery tannin in the background. I enjoyed this single grain whisky the first time I tasted it in 2018 and again it has not disappointed, but the profile has shifted a little. In previous years it was creamier, more buttery and heavier on the palate. This time round (batch L20 004 016 / April 2020) I noticed more ginger spice notes and some sharp tannin. However it is still a good dram, and very honest in its presentation (un-coloured, non-chill filtered, 46%). There is a facet to it that is bourbon-like. Imagine a lean bourbon with a light fruity and woody character. It’s not surprising, therefore, that this is almost addictive when mixed with Coke as a long drink. For those of you who enjoy a bourbon and cola but always find it just a touch too sweet, try this. I originally rated this whiskey at 86/100 but I'm dropping that to 83/100 this time round. The official rating of 92 seems very generous ... this is worth somewhere in the low-to-mid 80s at most. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nose: Honey, honeysuckle, jasmine, malt extract, sea breeze, toasted cereal, vanilla. Fresh, crisp and uplifting but with considerable depth. An astonishingly good nose for a 13 year old whisky. Palate: A sweet/salt arrival, slightly tangy but soft and centered on cereal and honey. The development displays a tiny hint of smoke and some subtle, warm spice. The balance is wonderful with no one flavour dominating the profile but all the components being focused and distinct. Creamy vanilla, milk chocolate, some sweet orange and just a sprinkle of black pepper towards the finish. The texture is silk and velvet. Finish: Long. Sweet/brine citrus fruit, honey, cereal and berries with the lightest touch of oak in the aftertaste. What an enjoyable dram, and what a testament to simple first-fill bourbon maturation! This was the 5th tasting I had at the Whisky Show and the first that really put a smile on my face. I’ve been a fan of Old Pulteney for a long time – their signature honey and brine profile with its simultaneous sweet and dry character has appealed to me since the moment I first tasted it. The 12 year old was a standby session whisky for me for a long time, and in the recent past they reached two high points with their now legendary 17 and 21 year old expressions, both of which would easily be included in my top 50 whiskies, if I had such a list. Sadly, when the brand was overhauled a few years ago the new range seemed to lose something. While the new expressions are enjoyable they do not have the magic of former times, and although I’ve tasted the whole new core range three times now at events I had not bought any Old Pulteney since 2018. Consequently, I’m delighted to be able to say that this single bourbon-cask (#1451) that was imported to Australia and bottled by the Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-Op is an absolute stunner. It has the depth, complexity and freshness of the old range, and approaches the old 17 year in quality. Just 258 bottles, at the show this was available for $175 but the standard price (exclusively online from Barrel & Batch) is now $199 … and it is worth it. Tasting #5 at the Sydney Whisky Show, 15 May 2021. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)

Nose: Pungent malt extract, rubber tyres, charred wood, dried dates and figs, orange liqueur. Palate: Thin and surprisingly weak on the arrival. A little bitter and over-oaked with a distinct cardboard note. A semi-sweet jam or jelly flavour like cranberries, sweetened sour cherries, dark grapes or raisins. You definitely taste the wine cask. There is some mild spice (ginger, pepper) and a dusky, leafy flavour. The texture is acceptable but a little thin. Finish: Medium/short. Sweet and spicy with oak and a hint of ashen or smokey malt in the aftertaste. The nose is huge with a dense, rich quality but unfortunately it lacks grace. The prominent rubbery aromas approach those of hogo in Jamaican rum and could be described as either “bold” or “clumsy” depending on the individual doing the tasting. It’s not a bad nose, but it’s not elegant by any stretch of the imagination. The palate is less boisterous than the nose but it goes too far in the opposite direction, veering into sweet blandness. The cardboard note is off-putting and suggests an overly wide cut, but I don’t think that is the cause. It’s more likely that the casks are showing lignin breakdown. There is a point at which maturation reaches its apex and a whisky can degrade quickly past that stage. This may have been better if bottled as a 16 year old. Water improved the nose a good deal, muting the rubbery aromas, but it made the palate seem confused and anaemic, which further confirms the over-aged theory. It’s not a bad whisky but an event tasting was enough to convince me that I don’t need a bottle, particularly at the price. Although this is listed as AUD$117 that is for a 500ml bottle and the equivalent for 700ml would be $165. There is an almost endless list of far superior whiskies at that price. My taste #4 at the Sydney Whisky Show, 15 May 2021 “Adequate” : 73/100 (2.25 stars)

Nose: Preserved stone-fruit in syrup, caramel fudge, dark chocolate covered sultanas, orange peel, powdered dried ginger, honey. Palate: The arrival is sweet and reminiscent of fruit ‘n nut milk chocolate. Malted milk, mocha coffee, vanilla and orchard fruits appear first in the development followed by citrus, warm spice (mild cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger) and a pleasant oak-wood quality. The texture is creamy rather than oily. Finish: Medium/long. Dark chocolate, black coffee, dark fruits and a dash of orange bitters. The nose is more expansive than the younger core-range Glenallachie whiskies and it conveys an immediate impression of age and depth. There is a similarity to the profile of the 12 but this is more relaxed and dignified while retaining its robust Glenallachie character. The palate is likewise more refined and softer, the bitter and intense qualities of the younger expressions having been tamed. The finish carries on this overall impression of maturity. I had both the 12 and 18 year old Glenallachie whiskies when they were first released, but while the contemporary 12 year old seems much the same as the 2018 expression this recent 18 year old is softer and more assured than the original bottling, and altogether improved. It’s a whisky that repays patience and although it takes a while to wake up in the glass the wait is worth it. I’d recommend just a dash of water and letting it sit for at least 10 minutes. As it says in the official Distiller tasting notes this unfurls further fruity notes, and it also intensifies the sherry cask influence. The third whisky I tasted at the Sydney Whisky Show 2021. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose: Elegant. Earthy and malty with dried fruit. Some vanilla and nutty aromas in the background (almond? cashew? Turkish delight?) and supporting notes of cut-grass and wood shavings. Palate: The arrival is sweetly cereal-fruity to start with – oatmeal porridge with butter, dried apples, brown sugar and chocolate flakes. However it quickly develops spice notes, particularly cinnamon, orange zest and lemon-pepper. Cereal flavours appear again as yeasty bread and there are vegetal hints (cabbage water? baked plantain?) and tannic wood spices. There is mild bitterness throughout and particularly towards the finish from the tannins, but it is kept in check. Just. The texture is good with a creamy fullness. Finish: Medium. Dark fruit aftertaste with highlights of bittersweet orange and oak tannin. A satisfying dram, the nose is well-structured and hearty, with an old-school quality. The palate is more complex but it carries this easily, being integrated and well rounded. It’s not an easy-drinking dram but neither is it demanding. It’s a good whisky to sit back and explore but not one that requires your undivided attention. Water enlarges the profile but it also unleashes more spicy notes and loses balance in the process so I wouldn’t advise it. It has lots of flavour, a certain authority of character, and a semi-sweet balance throughout and into the finish. Bitter notes are omnipresent however and for some palates they might be a little intrusive. If the profile was a smidge softer I’d increase the rating to 4/5 but as it stands it’s just a fraction austere for my palate. Tasted at the 2021 Sydney Whisky Festival (tasting number 2 – I started at the Glanallachie table to dial my palate in with a known profile). “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nose: Caramel toffee, lemon curd, Seville oranges and a hint of vanilla and coconut. Palate: The arrival is sweet, mild caramel but as soon as it settles on the tongue the spice notes kick in. Black pepper, cinnamon and clove are obvious, but they are not dominating. As the palate progresses a sweet malty note comes to the front. The texture is fine but unremarkable. Finish: Medium/short. Warmly spicy against a caramel background. A little twist of citrus zest in the aftertaste. This expression seems to have fairly limited release, but if you don’t get the chance to taste it don't fret - you are not missing out on much. It presented as a pretty ordinary dram with not much going on. It’s not unpleasant, although a little spirity on the nose, but it’s just kind of “meh” all-round. It’s also expensive for what it is, both in absolute terms as a 9 year old single malt and even more so when judged in comparison against other single malts of similar or greater age. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to buy a bottle of this unless they are a Glenallachie completionist. It’s not bad as such, but rather generic and the price is about twice as much as it deserves. The official tasting notes here are fair, but I would not rate this at 87/100. I tasted this as a pour at the 2021 Sydney Whisky Show which was held last weekend to coincide with World Whisky Day. It was the first major face-to-face spirits event in Australia for some time and I’ll be posting a few tastings from the show over the coming days. “Average” : 79/100 (2.75 stars)