Tastes
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Nant Port Wood Single Cask Single Malt
Single Malt — Tasmania, Australia
Reviewed October 11, 2020 (edited November 14, 2023)Re-tasted 14 November 2023 from a sample gifted by @DrRHCMadden I tasted this and made notes without looking at my old review, but it turned out my thoughts were almost identical to three years ago. This bottling is perhaps slightly drier on the palate, and I think I noticed more coconut and vanilla, but to all intents and purposes this is the same stuff. No change of rating. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nose: Fortified wine, dark malt, dried fruits, preserved cherries, plum pudding and Christmas cake. There is a similarity to the Nant Sherry Wood expression but this is deeper and has red-berry aromas. Like the sherry expression, it also bears a resemblance to cognac and armagnac, but the similarity is less pronounced. The addition of a little water develops a pleasant musky, floral aroma like some sort of tropical flower. This also shows up in the dry-glass, but it is overpowered there by a strong aroma of brown sugar. Palate: Soft honeyed-malt arrival with raisins, sultanas and cranberries. A gentle sweet cinnamon and ginger syrup note emerges in the development, together with a little banana bread, butter pastry and coconut. The texture is creamy and soothing. Like the sherry expression, the palate here is not particularly long or complex, but this one is more satisfying. Finish: Short. Butterscotch, red fruits and oak notes fade away fairly quickly into a sweet honeyed aftertaste. The third of four Nant samples I'm tasting, and the last of the standard 43% expressions. Like the Sherry Wood whisky it is 4 years old but this time matured in selected single port casks of 100 litre capacity (around quarter-cask size). The nose is big and comfortable and leads to a rich, creamy palate that is very easy to drink, but a little lacking in complexity and length. This is the only one of the core-range 43% Nant expressions that I think takes water well. It adds a definite floral aroma that is very charming, sweetens (almost over-sweetens?) the palate and expands it with rich caramel and butterscotch-pudding flavours whilst adding length. I definitely preferred this to the sherry expression, but the bourbon wood expression remains the best of the 43% bottlings. Tasted from a 30ml sampler. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)150.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nant Sherry Wood Single Cask Single Malt
Single Malt — Tasmania, Australia
Reviewed October 11, 2020 (edited October 14, 2020)Nose: Sherry-toned dark malt, maple syrup, honey, brown sugar and a compote of dried fruits (apricot, peach, pear, date and fig). There is a lot of sherry influence here and there is also an aspect to this nose that is so wine influenced it's almost more like cognac or armagnac. While pleasant, this does tend to dominate the aroma spectrum. Palate: Exquisite arrival - rich, buttery, full and perfectly balanced between sherry-soaked toffee and oaken tobacco. Dried fruits again on the palate, plus orange syrup and mild spice. However after this exceptional entry and promising start to the development the palate simply goes nowhere. It just abruptly fades away into the finish. This is one of the mildest palates I've ever encountered. Finish: Very short and curtailed. The rich, sweet fruity palate dwindles to nothing in moments, leaving hardly any aftertaste. The second of four Nant samples I'm tasting, like the Bourbon Wood expression the Sherry Wood is another 43% NAS whisky. I believe it is 4 years old and matured in selected single sherry casks of 100 litre capacity (so around quarter-cask size). The Nant new-make must be very rich (I've not tasted it) because it more than balances the big oak component these casks must deliver, even over a short time. The nose is very good and the palate promises so much, but then simply evaporates. It's most unusual and rather disappointing. Tasting this whisky is like reading a novel that begins well and really grabs your attention, but then you discover that it was never finished and you are left dangling and unsatisfied. What a shame - so much promise, so little resolution. Adding water renders the nose paper-thin and all but obliterates the palate. This whisky is far too fragile to take dilution. Tasted from a 30ml sampler. At the asking price, I wouldn't recommend it. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)150.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Malt, vanilla, a little honey, Danish pastry, baked banana, caramel, roasted nuts, light spice notes and some discreet oak. Fresh fruits appear as it rests - particularly honeydew melon and there is a note of white grape juice and sauternes. It's an entrancing nose that draws you back for repeated sniffs. [The dry-glass aroma is honey and malt]. Palate: An interesting and unusual arrival where the cask leads the entry. Oak is immediately apparent, both as a woody character and as tannins, but it's by no means astringent. The progression is very defined with distinct dark dry fruits (dates, figs), vanilla, malt, cereal, citrus, honey and mint notes appearing almost as if arranged in sequence. The texture is full, but not heavy, with a mouth-coating quality. Finish: Medium. The central malt and dark fruit character fades into a lightly spiced toffee and orange zest aftertaste. There is a lingering minty note. The nose is full, rich and very satisfying. It reminded me of some non-sherried Scottish whiskies, particularly bourbon-matured Glencadam. It is an interesting malt and unusual in structure. At first pour it may seem simple and two-dimensional, although of high quality, however over time this profile develops a more complex and well-balanced presentation. It has a seductive quality and there is something very pleasant about its particular combination of deep malty aromas and flavours, honeyed-citrus, and sparkling cinnamon-oak spice. Water uncovers some light floral tones, but does not particularly enhance the palate. I'd recommend taking this neat, particularly as it is so soothing and easy to drink. Tasted from a 30ml sample. The standard price for this whisky is US$110 for a 500ml bottle, which makes it quite expensive. However in this case I would say the expense is justified (just barely). This is a nice whisky that falls slightly short of 4 stars. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)150.0 AUD per Bottle
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The Glenrothes Whisky Maker's Cut
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed October 7, 2020 (edited March 22, 2022)Nose: Oloroso sherry from the very first sniff. This is an unapologetically sherry-forward nose and it's a good one. Orange, tangerine, mandarin, clove, sultanas, walnuts, dead leaves and a little nutmeg. Luscious and above all, clean. Palate: Demi-sec arrival, again featuring oloroso sherry. The development brings creamy vanilla, butterscotch brioche, demerara sugar, dark fruits, mocha coffee, red berries, spices (pepper, ginger), leather and tobacco.The oak background is clean and the texture is full, engaging and velvety. Finish: Medium/long. Fruity, orange zest, gentle spice notes and chocolate linger into a sherry-tinged, oak sunset. A good young sherry-matured whisky. I often have a problem with Glenrothes as the distillate can seem rough and hard, but this particular example has balance and is above all clean. Sparkling, pristine whistle-clean. The worst thing you could say about this whisky is that it lacks the complexity of older and more nuanced expressions, but for me it more than makes up for any such shortcomings by virtue of its almost disarmingly clean character and blissful lack of sulphur - what a relief! Not long ago I tasted the Berry Bros. & Rudd Sherry Cask Matured Blended whisky, and that unfortunately was an exemplar of what not to do. It was an old-school, tired, sulphurous sherry beast that summed up a certain style of whisky that is now fortunately almost extinct. This, however, is everything that that expression was not. It's clean, energetic and flavourful, and although obviously young it is not callow or undeveloped. For the money, it is recommended, particularly if you are a fan of sherry-intense finishes. Personally, I'm not usually part of that crew, but in this case I'll make an exception. I tasted this from a bottle I bought a little while ago and I liked it so much I immediately placed an order for another bottle to put into the stash. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)110.0 AUD per Bottle -
Poor Toms Imbroglio
Amaro — Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed October 7, 2020 (edited August 10, 2022)Appearance: Transparent pale reddish-pink. Like dilute raspberry cordial or a rosé wine. Aroma: Australian. A combination of native botanicals with an iconic Aussie aroma. It smells like a small-town craft shop with bowls of potpourri, drawer liners and incense sticks made from local botanicals scattered about (and also of a certain classic Italian amaro). Flavour and Texture: Sweet citrus arrival with a faintly bitter tang in the background, but the bitterness is balanced by sugar. More citrus flavours, native herb, leaf and root extracts are detectable as it develops (finger lime? Davidsonia plum? lemon myrtle leaf? lemon tea-tree bark and leaf?). The texture is that of dilute syrup with an alcohol briskness that prevents it from being cloying. Imbroglio can be translated as "complication", "entanglement", "quandry" or even "brawl". It's a clever name for an amaro. This is a fresh, very drinkable new-world amaro of the gentle persuasion. Very "feminine" (if the thought police will allow me to say such things nowdays). Soft, very slightly bitter but on the whole approachable and mild. It's nowhere near the intensity of some of the Italian amari and generally much less medicinal in character with little if any mint notes. Is does, however, bear a very faint resemblance to Cynar amaro, which is most interesting as I'm almost positive there is no artichoke extract in this (but I could be wrong). Imagine something like angostura bitters but amplified and sweetened. It's not surprising that this has been produced by Poor Toms Distillery in the inner-city Sydney suburb of Marrickville (not that far as the crow flies from Archie Rose Distillery in Rosebery). They have gained quite the reputation locally for their very fine range of gins, and there is a hint of gin-botanical heritage here. The only downside for me is the colour, which i don't find appealing. It looks like water that has been coloured with red food dye. Maybe I'm wrong and the colour occurs naturally as part of the production process, but it seems artificially pink. In either case I would have preferred it if they had used a drop or two of E150a caramel colouring to make it a more subdued tone, but that’s just my opinion and I’m sure most people would be fine with it as it is. Very pleasant as a neat sip, but not really intended as a digestif or aparitif. This is best enjoyed as the basis for a spritz or as an ingredient in mixed drinks. For example: 30 ml of your favourite bourbon 15 ml of Imbroglio amaro ... in an old-fashioned glass with a large ice-ball and topped up with Coke or ... 60ml Imbroglio amaro 60ml prosecco pour over a tall glass full of ice and top up with sparkling soda water Delicious! At the price this should have a place in every Australian household bar. "Good, almost Very Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)40.0 AUD per Bottle -
Appearance: Translucent mahogany. Aroma: Sweet herbs, licorice, squill candy, anise, toffee. Flavour: Sweet herbal entry, a warming medicinal quality. Lots of licorice root extract, senega, anise, sweet mint, citrus peel, and a caramel background. The palate remains sweet throughout and the texture is pleasant but not rich. This is, amazingly, the first time I've ever tasted Jägermeister, and I have to say it does not deserve the negative press it sometimes receives. If there is unfortunate baggage here, it's due entirely to the liqueur being misused. This is a fine herbal/root extract liqueur with a very sweet character. It does bear a striking resemblance to cough mixture, which might account for some folks' immediate aversion to it. There is a classic old cough remedy that used to be listed in the British Pharmacopeia (sadly it's not anymore) called "Mist. Senega & Ammon. BP" that contains extract of senega root, licorice root, benzoic acid, ammonium bicarbonate, camphor and tincture of creosote. Jägermeister tastes and smells very similar to that medicine, although there are clearly more herbs in its palate. Jägermeister is also not quite as compelling as most of the Italian amari or herbal liqueurs, but it definitely has character and deserves neat tasting. Tasted from a 50ml miniature. I enjoyed it but probably wouldn't buy a whole bottle. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)45.0 AUD per Bottle
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Appearance: Opaque dark brown, almost black. Against a strong light red edges are seen. The liquid forms thick, slow-flowing amber legs. Aroma: Orange juice, orange zest, cola and a faint trace of spearmint. Taste and Texture: Sweet arrival with herbal-tinged oranges, liquorice root, chicory and pomegranate juice. In the mid-palate a hint of spicy bitterness comes forward with mild anise, juniper and petit wormwood notes but this is balanced by sweet orange and chocolate flavours. The finish is warm, soft and fresh and turns back towards full sweetness with orange and cola being the final notes. The texture is full. This amaro has an interesting profile and it is a little different to the norm. Many amari start off sweet and then tail into bitterness, of varying intensity. Averna is bitter right from the entry, but it is a low-intensity, soft bitterness that never becomes intrusive. This character derives from the juice and zest of myrtle-leaved orange tree fruit, which is a primary ingredient in this amaro. You might recognize it as the flavour of the popular Italian soft drink, chinotto. It is used in many amari, sometimes alone and sometimes in combination with sweet orange juice and zest. There is a satisfying completeness to Averna and it seems somehow to be a perfect encapsulation of "dark citrus". It is versatile and can be enjoyed neat, over ice with a twist of orange peel, or as a long drink with soda or tonic water. It can be used as a substitute for orange bitters in cocktails where it adds complexity and sweetness as well as the expected bitter orange note, and if used well it can transform a mixed drink spectacularly. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)50.0 AUD per Bottle
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Appearance: Translucent brown, the colour of strong black tea. Aroma: Benzoin, liquidamber storax, red aloe, a hint of peppermint and spearmint, pine needles, dried chamomile flowers, liquorice root (not liquorice candy), cassia, myrrh, sawdust and a waft of camphor. Flavour and Texture: Sweet and well-balanced herbal notes at the entry. As it rests on the palate a host of earthy, root-spice flavours emerge coupled with several resinous elements - pine tree sap, gum mastic, liquorice root extract and more. There are minty notes as well and flavours of gentian, wormwood and chamomile are never far away. It has incomparable complexity and balance. The finish veers towards the precipice of bitterness but then backs away at the last second, leaving a sweet cola-herbal quality in the aftertaste. The texture is rich, heavy and full but not at all syrupy or cloying. On the contrary, it has a crisp, fresh quality. For my third review of the classic amari I decided to tackle what is perhaps the most complex of them all. Bràulio is an assertive but poised expression of iconic earthy aromas and flavours, featuring root-spices, herbs and resin extracts. Nosing it is like coming across an herb-garden in a spruce forest sawmill while drinking slightly sweetened chamomile tea. There is also a very old-fashioned medicinal character to it. I don't mean medicinal as it is usually employed in whisky circles to refer to that "iodine/hospital antiseptic" aroma of some Islay whiskies - this is more like mercurochrome or friar's balsam. More earthy and herbal, like the smell of an old-time medicine cabinet. It is delicious as a digestif and is one of the few amari that can be equally enjoyed when chilled from the freezer, neat over ice, at room temperature, or gently warmed. It can be used in cocktails but I prefer it neat - it always seems somehow wrong to sully such perfect balance (although I must admit it is delicious as a long drink over ice with a slice of orange and soda water). Fernet Branca may be the king of amari, by dint of its noble and uncompromising profile, but Bràulio is unquestionably his more charismatic younger brother - the one everyone really wants to see on the throne. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)40.0 AUD per Bottle
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Bokma Jonge Graanjenever
Genever — Netherlands
Reviewed September 29, 2020 (edited October 19, 2020)Nose: Faint grain-spirit aromas, barely toasted white bread, fleeting wisps of juniper. Palate: Slightly sweet with a nebulous herbal quality. A neutral alcohol character with just a touch of cereal presence. Warming, but not hot or raw. The texture is a little slippery/oily but not rich. Finish: Short. Some grain and yeasty white bread flavours with an herbal touch. Subtle almost to the point of blandness, this is like white-dog diluted with neutral spirit. There are light herbal notes but it is easily the mildest genever I’ve tasted. It’s not actively bad but my preference is towards more assertively flavoured liquor so to me this seems weak and uninteresting. I much preferred the Bols Jonge Jenever I tasted a while ago. Having bought this I’m not sure how I’ll make use of a whole bottle. It doesn’t have the character I seek for neat drinking but it may work in cocktails and could make an interesting martini. It might also pair well with flavoured tonic waters, but I’ll need to experiment. I wouldn’t bother with this one. It’s not an “inferior” spirit per se, just rather plain and dull, but I wouldn’t go so far as to dignify it with the term “average” either. The official Distiller tasting notes are on target. “Adequate” : 74/100 (2.25 stars) UPDATE: Over ice, with a slice of lime and some good tonic this is OK, but I'd still rather have almost any gin. The rating stays the same, so far. UPDATE 2: I've been slowly working through this over the last week by trying it in a number of combinations. The three most pleasant ways I've found to take it so far are chilled as a shot straight from the freezer, as a gin replacement in a martini, and mixed 50/50 with a super-hefty gin like Never Never Juniper Freak. It would probably work in any context as a vodka replacement, but on the whole it's just not a very interesting drink.65.0 AUD per Bottle -
Connemara Original Peated Single Malt
Single Malt — Ireland
Reviewed September 27, 2020 (edited October 14, 2020)Nose: Pears. Apples. A little citrus juice. Very mild sweet smoke with a fragrant herbal quality. Aromatic peat smoke, almost like pipe tobacco. Palate: Soft, a little briny sweetness. Light grassy malt, barley-sugar and cereal flavours with some fruity notes emerging in the development (sweet orchard fruits and a little citrus again). There is a floral honey flavour and the smoky facets are mild and sweet, as with the nose. The texture is full and rich with a buttery quality - in fact the palate flavours have buttery notes. Finish: Medium. The sweet side of the character lingers with a fruity finale spiced by a pinch of smoke. A pleasant, clean and well-balanced malt, easy to drink, veering towards sweetness and with just a touch of well-managed peat. I could imagine this being a favourite everyday dram. The peat is quiet and reserved, but not lacking, and it is of good quality with no objectionable notes at all. There was a time, long past, when I was a pipe smoker and one of my favourite blends was Borkum Riff Whisky mixture. This has a whiff of that tobacco, which alone is enough to make me want a bottle. The palate is tasty, mellow but still sprightly with an almost effervescent edge from the hints of citrus. I enjoyed this a lot, and to be honest I enjoyed it a good deal more than the Connemara Turf Mor expression I tasted a while back. This is not as heavily peated, and all the better for it. There is better balance here, right through. It's particularly interesting tasting this right after the two Australian Bakery Hill peated whiskies that I've just rated here, as they are crafted specifically to achieve a gentle, easy-drinking profile. I thought both were clearly superior to this whisky, with more character and complexity, but when it comes to value for money there is simply no competition. At almost literally a third the price of the Bakery Hill 46% peated whisky this standard Connemara bottling represents very good value, and is recommended. Tasted from a 30ml sample. I liked this enough to add a bottle to my next online order. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)80.0 AUD per Bottle
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