Tastes
-
Appearance: Transparent golden amber. Aroma: Oily, nutty and syrupy. A note like butterscotch. [The dry glass aroma is macadamia shells] Palate: Like drinking neat golden syrup. Over time some nutty notes emerge from the dense fog of almost molasses-like syrup. There is a diabetic coma in every dram. I first tasted this a couple of weeks ago at the Cape Byron Distillery where it is made, and I really, *really* wanted to like it and support a local product. But I have to be honest - this stuff sucks. It is astonishingly, unremittingly, uncompromisingly SWEET with a profile of thick sugary syrup that completely occludes all nuance at first tasting. The only way you can appreciate this is by taking a good gulp and waiting until the tidal wave of initial sweetness subsides. Only then does any appreciation of the subtle macadamia nuttiness become possible. I guess this will be successfully marketed to mixologists who will do something creative with it, but for my part I'd really like the see the distillery go back to scratch and re-develop this liqueur. It has the possibility to be something really interesting, but that cloying syrupy sweetness must go! In the name of science I just slipped a cube of ice into my glencairn and topped up the pour of this liqueur to see what cooling does. Very little as it turns out - exactly the same profile, but it gets colder - that's it. Maybe I'm being too harsh - use it in some form where it will be diluted and yes, it has potential, but I still don't ever see the nutty character coming to the fore as it is. The tour guide who poured this for us compared it to Frangelico. No, it's not, not by a country mile. "Inferior" : 65/100 (1.5 stars)65.0 AUD per Bottle
-
Tia Maria Coffee Liqueur
Coffee Liqueurs — Italy
Reviewed February 27, 2020 (edited December 6, 2022)Appearance: Very dark brown but transparent. The colour of weak black coffee or strong black tea. Aroma: Coffee essence, vanilla. Clean and sweet. Flavour and Texture: Sweet very mild black coffee with a hint of vanilla and brown sugar. I'm astonished, gobsmacked and appalled that there is no official Distiller note for this. Tia Maria is a classic liqueur that's been made since the 1930s - come on Distiller guys, get with it! Originally, this was made by a private company in Jamaica from locally grown beans, but those days are long gone. Since the early 2000s it has been made in Italy and the original strength of 31.5% has been dropped to a mere 20%. Hiss, boo. The brand has been on-sold by many owners and is now owned by Pernod-Ricard. It's a mere shadow of the mighty liqueur I remember from my university days in the 1970s. They used to have an advertising jingle that went: "Tia Maria gold and brown, drink it when the sun goes down" which we changed to "Tia Maria gold and brown, drink it until you fall down". Still pleasant as a mild coffee liqueur over shaved ice or ice-cream (and darn nice in a milkshake). I still occasionally like to spike my Coca-Coca with Tia Maria, lord forgive me. Nice, but it's not the animal it used to be. If it was still the old recipe I'd give it 3.5, but as it is ... "Average" : 78/100 (2.75 stars)40.0 AUD per Bottle -
Appearance: Dark brownish red. Rather like the colour of some Dalmore whiskies or some old bourbons. Aroma: Blackberries, raspberries. There's something a little synthetic and saccharine lurking in the darkness. Flavour and Texture: Less intense than I'd imagined - much less intense. Leathery cherry and red berry notes with some vanilla in the wings (the official Distiller tasting notes are precisely on target). Insanely easy to drink (well, it's only 16.5% alcohol - that barely registers on my alcohol-o-mometer). Sweet, vaguely herbal and sugary, but not sickly. You can use this in cocktails but frankly it's too mild to contribute much. If you need a berry flavour in a cocktail use a good cassis like Gabriel Boudier or a (real) Grenadine or cherry syrup. The best use for this is to keep it for those occasions when that mild-mannered relative visits who never normally drinks but wants to be polite and accept a liqueur when one is offered. Give him/her an ounce of this over crushed ice and wait for them to ask for seconds - they will. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)40.0 AUD per Bottle
-
New Southern Revival Rye Whiskey
Rye — South Carolina, USA
Reviewed February 27, 2020 (edited December 29, 2021)Nose: Very pretty floral aromas with fresh, lifted notes. Fruity and sprightly. A little trace of something herbal - elderflower? Chamomile? There's a little honeyed note too. Caramel sweets and Nuttall's Curiously Strong Mints (hah! I bet I'm the only one here to remember those!). What a nice nose. Adding a dash of water settles the sweetness and allows the cereal aromas to come forward. Palate: Sweet, spicy and robust on the arrival with a little heat. The development slows down and focuses on cereal flavours and honey. Cloves, cinnamon and something briny I can't quite identify. Interesting. Good texture. With water it all becomes very integrated and gentle - just a long flow of herbal and ultra mild spice. Finish: Long. Longer than expected, and in a good way. The palate slowly fades away leaving a pleasantly re-emerging aftertaste of minty rye. Water adds a drying note to the finish. Lovely fragrant nose. So sweet and delicate. What a nice dram. Good neat, good with water, I'd imagine it's good with any sort of mixer as well. Great artisan stuff - I could drink this all day. Thanks to @Soba45 and @PBMichiganWolverine for the tasting sample "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars) -
Old Pulteney 18 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed February 26, 2020 (edited April 18, 2022)Old Pulteney tasting event, Sydney, February 26, 2020, Whisky #4 Nose: Rich, dusky floral (hibiscus and old rose), dark fruits (dried dates), chocolate muffins, orange syrup, fresh oily cigar, cinnamon and oak. There is a faint suggestion of ash or charcoal in the distance. Palate: Rich, sweet chocolate and blood orange marmalade arrival with a briny foundation. Herbal, spicy development with apricots, nectarines and hazelnut. The texture is creamy and full. Finish: Long. Praline, nougat and orange chocolate with a dash of salty caramel sauce. Beautiful finish. There is a similarity to some facets of the 15 year old expression here but this is far less dry and has a creamy rich quality. Not that the signature Old Pulteney briny dryness is lacking, but this expression has found a supurb balance. Adding water enlarges the dram but it is not necessary. It spends 16 years in ex-bourbon and receives 2 years of ex-sherry finishing, which seems to be an excellent combination, but I can’t help wonder what a few casks of PX-matured spirit in the vatting would do. This was also the first dram that I felt approached anything like the stature of the old 17 and 21 year expressions, although they are still much the superior drams. At the moment there is no allocation of this whisky to Australia but when it does come (and it will) the price will be around $250-300, which was that of the old 21 year at the time it was withdrawn. Unfortunately as much as I enjoyed this whisky I will not be paying that sort of money for a bottle. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars) -
Old Pulteney 15 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed February 26, 2020 (edited August 4, 2022)Old Pulteney tasting event, Sydney, February 26, 2020, Whisky #3 Nose: A very maritime nose – brine, minerality, flinty rocks, yeasty bread. Toffee and cocoa, light fruitcake and mild spice. Some spirity notes. Palate: Full spicy/sweet entry with a foundation of dry brine and tannin. Sourdough bread, dark-chocolate dipped candied orange peel, green apple peel and salt-water taffy as it unfolds. Water greatly improved the palate for me, adding considerable balancing sweetness and an impressive density to the texture, but still retaining the fundamentally dry character. Finish: Medium. Very dry, briny and earthy finish with a touch of orange marmalade. The nose is reminiscent of the 12 year old expression but with greater heft – richer, rounder, sweeter, etc. – but it has formidable dry quality. Very much the 12 year old's big brother. For a 15 year old this is very spirit driven and on the palate the dryness really becomes apparent with the brine notes turning astringent and acerbic in the finish. This is being marketed (and priced) as more-or-less the replacement for the old 17 year expression, but in my view it’s nothing at all like it, and nowhere near as good (the 18 year is much more the replacement, but it also falls short). Still, it should be judged on its own merits and not in comparison. This has received restrained sherry treatment, spending 13 1/2 years in ex-bourbon and then 1 1/2 years in ex-sherry (both first fill). The brand rep at the tasting let drop that they source the sherry casks from the same bodega as Glenfarclas, which means they are ex-oloroso from Bodegas José y Miguel Martin. The bourbon casks are a variety, but Buffalo Trace feature. A good expression, but at the price not fantastic value. Some folks at the tasting event liked this a lot but while I enjoyed it, it left me just little cold and I’d not buy a bottle. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)160.0 AUD per Bottle -
Old Pulteney Huddart
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed February 26, 2020 (edited October 10, 2020)Old Pulteney tasting event, Sydney, February 26, 2020, Whisky #2 Nose: Very faintly peaty initially but the smoke grows as the dram opens. A little lemony fruit, vanilla and a fleeting hint of menthol. Palate: The arrival is led by smoke, and it is a heavier in quality here than it is on the nose. Citrus, brine, hot spices and a brown sugar on the development with some oak towards the finish. Over time, and particularly with the addition of water, the peat-reek gains a cardboard note. Finish: Medium. Ashy smoke and brine. The smoke lends weight to this whisky and it is very similar to the current 12 year old but with a layer of smoke added. It’s actually younger (8-10 years) but the smoke gives it presence and heft that makes it seem older than it is. The story from the brand rep was that this was the result of a happy mistake when a run of spirit was accidentally filled into ex-bourbon casks that had previously held Laphroaig. Hmm. It’s more likely they intentionally did an experimental casking using ex-peated barrels rather than run peated wash through the stills. Regardless, the results were impressive enough to convince the distillery to make Huddart a core range product, but it’s not aged in ex-Laphroaig. The casks come from stablemate distillery Knockdhu, which produces a range of peaty whiskies. It’s a good, gently peated dram and it has been well received by the critics. There are several distilleries making these “aged-in-ex-peated-cask” expressions right now (Scapa, Wolfburn etc.) and personally I think Wolfburn Northland is a more subtle realization of this maturation concept. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)100.0 AUD per Bottle -
Old Pulteney 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed February 26, 2020 (edited April 9, 2020)Old Pulteney tasting event, Sydney, February 26 2020, Whisky #1 [This was my first taste of the new Old Pulteney 12 in its redesigned label.] Nose: Floral, fruity and fragrant cereal, vanilla, a small notion of briny breeze. Somewhat spirity. Adding water brings out a little more cereal initially, mutes the spirity quality and over time some light honeyed tones develop. Palate: Mildly honeyed and waxy with a touch of brine on the arrival. The development brings out citrus fruit, mainly lemon and grapefruit, and some grassy, biscuit notes. There is some sweetness to balance but also a definite briny astringency. Adding water develops hot spicy notes. The texture is dry but not thin. Finish: Medium. Waxy fruit and a little brine. It’s three years since I last tasted Old Pulteney 12, and this is the first time I’ve tasted it since the distillery did their range overhaul and introduced new packaging. This is similar to the old 12 year, but there have been changes. Whether this is down to natural profile drift or a specific factor I couldn’t say. It’s still 100% bourbon matured in a racked warehouse (generally using re-coopered ex-Buffalo Trace casks as has been the case for a long time). The palate now reminds me slightly of Clynelish 14, but it’s nowhere as waxy or demonstrative. Kind of diluted Clynelish-lite, let’s say. It has much the same profile as the old expressions, but it’s like the brine and crispness has been turned down several notches. Some might argue that the new version is a little more elegant – the finish is certainly longer and the palate is a little richer, but it's just not as alive. When I reviewed this previously I gave it 3.5 stars, now it's down to 3. Hmm. “Above Average” : 81/100 (3 stars) ------------------------------------------------------- [Original Distiller review, 14 August 2017. This is a tasting of Old Pulteney 12 in the old packaging]: Nose: A breezy maritime start like a crisp light wind blowing in from the sea. Fruity notes like a citrus and apple juice smoothie, with just a little pineapple and half a banana blended in. Light malty cereal aromas. [The dry glass aromas are honey, cereal and subtle smoke]. Palate: Even more maritime than the nose, it's akin to eating a bowl of muesli and stewed fruit with a drizzle of Manuka honey while standing on a pier with a briny onshore breeze blowing occasional wafts of soot from someone's coal fire (but it's not really a "smokey" whisky). There's also some citrus and nutty, oily, mineral flavours. It's a complex profile but initially seems to be simple, I think because it is well balanced but dry rather than sweet, with an unmistakable briny note. Finish: Short and dry with a briny and slightly cereal taste that lingers and makes you crave another dram. This is one of my favourite whiskies, and probably my very favourite daily dram. It's friendly and approachable but also has some complexity, and I often pour it for novices when they want to move on from "starter" whiskies. A little water brings out more sweet honeyish notes on the palate that perfectly balance the signature saltiness. Recommended, but don't add more than a few drops as it's very easy to drown. It's compelling and easy to drink, and once you acquire the taste you will always keep a bottle in the house. Amazingly it is also quite affordable. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars) [AUD$80 in 2017] -------------------------------------------------------80.0 AUD per Bottle -
Caol Ila 9 year 2009 (North Star Spirits)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed February 24, 2020 (edited February 25, 2020)North Star Spirits tasting event, Sydney, February 21, 2020, Whisky #6 Nose: To begin with the nose is dominated by sweet peat-reek. It’s fruity with slight berry notes, stone fruits, and distinct lemon zest. Earthy and dusty oak notes and some spicy hints follow. As it sits and rests the smoke gains a thick, oily industrial quality. Palate: Sweet fruity smoke on the arrival with ginger, licorice and tamarind spices. The development sees citrus notes (lemon and grapefruit) flood the initial sweetness before the cask influence resurfaces with perfect timing to provide a sweet creamy balance. Adding water intensifies the citrus but is not required, as the whisky is not at all hot. The texture is slightly oily, but dry. Finish: Medium/long. Sweet citrus/sherry notes and some brine fading into smoke. A good whisky that is vibrant but balanced and provides a perfect showcase for both Caol Ila distillate and the art of adroit PX cask maturation. The cask is very subtle here and never intrudes as a simple sherry sweetness, but instead provides a balancing quality to modulate the dry, briny and bright lemony smoke. The main bourbon maturation worked to perfection and the whisky was finished for the optimal time. There’s not much more to say, this is simply very good young Caol Ila, but bear in mind that it is by no means the only one. Diageo sells this distillery's spirit to many IBs and there is a lot of good 10 or younger Caol Ila out there. “Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)150.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glenturret 8 year 2010 (North Star Spirits)
Single Malt — Highlands , Scotland
Reviewed February 24, 2020 (edited October 6, 2021)North Star Spirits tasting event, Sydney, February 21, 2020, Whisky #5 Nose: Mild but well-defined smoke aromas. Honey, tinned fruit salad, porridge and a yeasty ale-like note. It’s a little sweaty and earthy (some folks like to call that “funk”). An interesting nose. Palate: There’s a big, earthy, sweet pepper arrival but a solid smoky quality quickly arises to take centre stage. Leathery malt, semi-sweet fruit, lemon juice, bouquet garni and mild smoked fish on the development. Adding water intensified the smoke notes in a very agreeable way (see below). Good chewy, oily texture. Finish: Medium/long. Soft, dry peaty notes that linger together with a little herbal honey. A whisky that was produced as an experimental run by Edrington, the previous owners of Glenturret. At first, I didn’t know what to make of it as the peated note was unexpected and the nose has some odd qualities. However I soon settled into its groove and came to enjoy it a lot. It has a simultaneously clean and dirty character and just the right sort of smokiness. The smoke is of the highland variety but it’s not a dense and pungent bonfire. It’s more subtle than that, but still pervasive, and is like burning grass in the distance - a soft and cosy autumnal smoke. It reminded me slightly of Glenglassaugh Torfa (in fact it might be better) and also a little of Benromach Peat Smoke (but it’s not a bonfire). The distillate must have been immense when new, and probably undrinkable. A refill bourbon hogshead was the perfect vehicle for this whisky, providing just the right combination of additive and extractive maturation and the right fruity tones. It would not have worked as well with sherry cask ageing, I’m sure. Although it was cask strength the alcohol was not intrusive, however it was a little tight and adding water revealed more smoke, but no plastic notes. The rest of the profile stayed much the same. It’s a pity that this was tasted towards the end of the evening following four highly sherried whiskies. I would have liked to get to know it with a fresh palate and I have a feeling that if I could I’d rate it more highly. I’m almost tempted to buy a whole bottle just so I can get to grips with it better. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)150.0 AUD per Bottle
Results 581-590 of 1138 Reviews