Tastes
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Blair Athol 12 Year Flora & Fauna
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed August 28, 2019 (edited August 31, 2019)Nose: Plum pudding, clootie dumpling, Christmas cake - anything with big cereal, fruity and sherried qualities. There's also malt extract, cigarette tobacco, leather and buckets of orange zest (it's a dark preserved orange aroma - not like fresh orange juice). As it develops, the nose acquires notes of black Chinese tea (Pu-erh or Keemun - it's not as smoky as lapsang souchong), a fermented hay note, and way in the back the scent of oak cask. It's a big, full nose. Palate: Rich, creamy full-flavoured arrival. Spiced teacake, malt, dark earthy fruits. There's a strong sherry note present but it's dry rather than sweet - more amontillado or fino than oloroso, and certainly not PX). There's a smoky touch to the palate but it's not peat - ah! it's that Chinese tea again! This morphs into a cup of strong espresso with a twist of bitter orange peel, bittersweet dark chocolate, and walnuts on the side. Finish: Medium. Malty with a lingering bittersweet and dry aftertaste. The dryness of a dry sherry. A whisky that brings Glenfarclas somewhat to mind but it's drier, and there is less complexity but more density of flavour - I can only wonder what this would be like unchillfiltered, uncoloured and at 46% (probably wonderful). There is a notable heaviness to the texture, even at the comparatively low proof, and it is a satisfying dram. Don't add any water, it's not required. This is the backbone malt in Bells blended scotch, which I happen to like, so that probably accounts for my affinity to it. In many ways Blair Athol 12 is like Bells "perfected" and without a grain element. It's a good whisky, and if it was about 25% cheaper it would find a permanent place in my cabinet, however as it stands it does not quite rate 4 stars. Tasted from a 30ml sample. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)130.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glencadam 21 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed August 27, 2019 (edited February 10, 2021)Nose: Initially the nose is generic tropical fruits and honey, however this is misleading and with time it transmutes into a much more complex and complete experience. First an aroma becomes apparent of pineapple chunks sautéed in orange juice, lemongrass and bouquet garni. Then a more grassy and hay-like note arises and a flinty, mineral-laden zephyr gusts on the horizon. An exquisitely refreshing nose. Palate: Just as singular as the nose, the palate opens with a spicy-sweet and briskly oaked presence which in turn gives way to wavelets of sweet malt that rise above a vegetal foundation. The development brings forth semi-sweet orange concentrate, fenugreek, allspice, licorice and a little ginger. The texture is neutral at first, turning slightly oily in the finish. Finish: Medium/long. Malty, earthy, herbal and fruity. The aftertaste is suddenly milk chocolate! When first poured this whisky is a little difficult and unfriendly. It needs to rest for at least 15 minutes or more before it begins to open but once that starts to happen the profile becomes much easier and more inviting. At its heart there is a vegetal, earthy and herbal quality but this is balanced by the lightest touch of sweet fruit, floral fragrance and malt. Not that these notes are obvious - they act only as counterpoints to the main theme. It's a malt that unfolds in layers and continues to develop over time as the components interact. The addition of water initially kills the nose and palate but give it a few minutes and the whisky revives beautifully. The reward is greater complexity and more cohesion. It's excellent taken either neat or watered and I'd suggest pouring two drams and adding a few drops of water to one of them - then you can enjoy a delightful evening of comparative tasting. This is a complex and refined whisky that deserves to be tasted at leisure and in sympathetic surroundings. It is presented at only 46% but has the profile and character of a cask strength expression. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)220.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glencadam 15 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed August 27, 2019 (edited December 6, 2022)Nose: Soft, fruity and floral cereal aromas. Waxy honey, apple blossoms, red berries and lots of freshly scraped vanilla pod and caramel toffee. As the nose develops over time in the glass the vanilla and caramel push to the front. Palate: Soft and creamy arrival with a deluge of honey, sweet malt and vanilla. The development melds these elements into the most delightful butterscotch flavour and also uncovers fruity tones (apple, pear). There's a flavour component rather like sweet ale (or fermenting wash) but it's not sour or yeasty - just very clean, dulcet and friendly. The texture is rich but crisp and chewy. Finish: Medium. The lingering aftertaste is of malt and red apple skins, and there's a slight dry edge. When first poured this whisky is all fruit, honey and cereal but over time the sweeter vanilla and caramel tones become dominant. This could lead to it becoming cloying but it is saved by some subtle oak that lies at the foundation and contributes a spicy balance. There is also a hint of maritime salt to both nose and palate, but it is very understated, and there is real progression here. It's a while since I last tasted Glencadam and now I'm wondering why I waited so long. A very pleasing dram that is eminently approachable whilst also having elegance and depth. The profile is so clean you can almost taste freshly ground barley on the tongue but it's not raw. Tasted from a 30ml sample. "Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)180.0 AUD per Bottle -
Kilchoman New Spirit Bramble Liqueur
Fruit Liqueurs — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed August 23, 2019 (edited August 8, 2022)Appearance: Dark, almost opaque, crimson fading to clear red at the edges - rather like the colour of a merlot. Crystal clear with no particulate matter. Aroma: Wood smoke, like a fireplace or cabin stove burning wood. The faintest hint of something fruity. Palate and Texture: An agreeable combination of wood smoke and berry juice. It's sweet with some tart edges and not at all syrupy - something like cranberry juice. The aftertaste is smoky and slightly woody with the taste of berries lingering, but they are subtle. The texture is crisp and light. This liqueur is a combination of Kilchoman new-make spirit, bramble berries (blackberries) and honey. It took me a little by surprise as I was expecting the aroma to be heavily berry-scented but in fact it is just as pungently smoky as any of the Kilchoman whiskies and there is very little berry aroma. The texture was also a surprise as I'd thought it would be thick and syrupy, or at least rich like a PX sherry or port wine, however it's actually quite crisp and light. It's an interesting liqueur but probably not one for many palates. It's not at all unpleasant, but the combination of smoke and berries is unusual and it takes some getting used to. Initially I didn't much like it but after two small glasses I acquired the taste, and I think I'll enjoy a dram of this occasionally in place of a fortified wine (however I doubt that I'd buy a second bottle). Enjoyable neat, and also good over ice. It could be substituted for cassis in cocktails and lend an interesting smoky note - in fact it might make a killer tequila sunrise! "Above Average" : 81/100 (3 stars)50.0 AUD per Bottle -
Arran Gold Cream Liqueur
Dairy/Egg Liqueurs — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed August 15, 2019 (edited August 4, 2023)Appearance: Opaque, creamy tan colour like caramel fudge. Aroma: Milk chocolate, caramel fudge, butterscotch, a whiff of honey and cream. Flavour and Texture: Milk chocolate with vanilla cream filling, salted caramels. You don’t taste whisky very much. The texture is rich and creamy but not overly sweet. I was expecting something like Baileys and while this has a similarity of texture the flavor profile is different. There is a chocolate note but it’s very soft and low-key – it’s more like hazelnut ganache filling in a truffle than the chocolate shell itself. If anything, this reminds me a little of Amarula. A pleasant cream liqueur and a step up from Baileys for sure. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)50.0 AUD per Bottle -
Manly Spirits Zesty Limoncello
Fruit Liqueurs — New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed August 14, 2019 (edited August 8, 2022)Appearance: Transparent with a slight cloud. Very pale cream-yellow. Minimal particulate suspension. Aroma: Light fragrant lemonade with a herbal note. Less intense and oily than most limoncello. Flavour and Texture: A dense liquid with a sweet but mild lemon character. A background complexity that supports but does not overshadow the lemon notes. There is a slight hardness in the aftertaste. This is a pleasant new-world limoncello with a zesty character, just as it says on the label. It's not as heavy as most Italian limoncello (which can occasionally taste as though they are on the brink of being too oily). This always stays light and sweet. Manly Spirits say in their information that they use only hand-peeled lemon rind for this liqueur and add lemon aspen and lemon myrtle leaves to give a fresh herbal touch. I would bet they also add some fresh lemon juice to the infusion after maceration is finished as well - it creates a more lemonade-like flavour and I taste that here. It's good straight from the fridge, over ice with soda or a very mild tonic, or over ice cream. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)60.0 AUD per Bottle -
Bunnahabhain Cruach Mhòna
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed August 10, 2019 (edited November 1, 2020)Nose: It's a bright, clear day on Islay. Brillant blue skies, warm sunshine and a bracing onshore breeze lift the senses as you take a morning stroll on the foreshore at Bunnahabhain Bay. Sunlight sparkles off the water and you suddenly smell the aroma of a beach bonfire - dried kelp burning on the sand, carried to you on occasional gusts of wind. Upwind, someone opens a container of freshly shucked oysters and squeezes lemon over them, and on the hills to the west someone starts a diesel engine and fires up a Toscano cigar. Palate: Delicate sweet-brine on the entry with developing peppery smoke and a delightful oily texture. As it unfolds, the peat-smoke builds and expands, gaining a warm and comforting tarry quality and a phenolic presence. Creosote, lemon, Seville orange, rhubarb, sage and brine build alongside the smoke. Finish: Medium/long. Initially herbal, smoky and citric, but the late finish and aftertaste bring a most unexpected chocolate-malt note, which is delightful. The initial nose is refreshing and crisp, and continues to open and develop as it rests. After a while, sweeter fruity aromas become apparent and these are in turn followed by more lemon, some soy sauce and just a little discreet oak. It's a marvellous nose, and classic Islay all the way. The palate is just a half point less impressive than the nose but that does not mean it disappoints, as it has a rich and satisfying character. Don't add water, this is just perfect neat. An (unfortunately) rare example of a good value TRE bottling. At retail prices, when it's available, this costs about AUD$160, but when I purchased it at Sydney airport a while back it was AUD$115 for a 1 litre bottle, and at that price I'd certainly recommend it. It's very different in profile to the Lagavulin 16 I tasted yesterday, but easily its equal. I've tasted several of the peated Bunnahabhain expressions and this one is far and away my favourite. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)115.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Warm, rounded phenolic peat-reek, oiled-leather, lapsang-souchong tea, sherry, moist rich earth, coal fires, wood fires, camphorated oil and brine. [The dry-glass aroma is pure cold peat-kiln]. Palate: A large, sweet, rich and enveloping peat-smoke arrival. Tar, camphor, lapsang-souchong tea, seaweed, smoked kippers, brine. The palate is creamy and full, but very slightly watery. Finish: Medium/long and warming to the soul. Phenolic resins, sweet licorice and a touch of seaweed in the lingering aftertaste. This bottle was from batch L8324CM014 (and so bottled on the 20th November 2018) and there has been a subtle change in profile and an interesting partial return to form after some lacklustre batches over the last few years. The smoked-tea note, which was once quite prominent on both nose and palate, has seemed rather thin for a while but it has now revived a little. The balance has also improved but the palate still lacks the powerful, almost asphalt-like tarry quality that it once possessed. There also used to be a pungent and sharp lemon oil note that is now conspicuously lacking. This whisky was once a fearsome iron fist in a velvet glove, but nowadays its punch does not quite deliver a knockout blow. There also seems to be a more obvious, and increasing, sherry presence in this whisky and I can't help but feel that on the whole it is now an easier dram than it once was (which is not necessarily a good thing) and it does seem just a soupçon too sweet. For me, the real essence of Lagavulin, its heart and soul, are currently found in purest form in the 8 and 12 year old expressions, and some of the Feis Ile special bottlings. Regardless, it's still a lovely whisky - arguably the most elegant and suave of the iconic core-expression Islay smokies - and it's an essential tasting at least once for every serious single-malt enthusiast. I've bought a bottle for my birthday every year since 1994 but almost didn't this year - however I relented at the last moment. You can't ignore an anniversary, especially when it's been observed for more than a quarter-century and has become a tradition. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars) ------------------------------------------------- [Review from December 28, 2016] At one time this was, for me, THE whisky. I fell in love with it 30 years ago and there was a bottle in the house almost constantly up until a year or two ago. When it was first released around 1990, and up until the first few years of this century, it had a deep, full character and an almost aggressive profile. The characteristic smokiness used to be rich and powerful with a tarry note like asphalt or creosote and a definite aroma of strong lapsang souchong tea. It was the perfect meld of peat-reek, medium-dry sherry, maritime notes, ash and gentle spice, and it was not too sweet. However starting around 2004-2006 I noticed a gradual softening of the profile. All the familiar characteristics were still there but slowly the sweetness was turned up while the forceful smoke and asphalt was turned down. It was a re-balance rather than a radical change of profile but it robbed the whisky of presence. The whisky continued to change in this direction for about a 10 years until by 2014-2016 it was clearly different to the original releases. Nowadays it is much sweeter and the heft of the original Lagavulin 16 has been lost. It is still a good whisky and worthy of 4 stars, but it used to rate 5 stars without question. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars) [AUD$120.0 per Bottle in 2016]100.0 USD per Bottle
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Royal Lochnagar Distillers Edition
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed August 10, 2019 (edited December 31, 2022)Nose: Dominant apricot and peach aromas supported by honey, barley sugar, red grape juice, malt extract and sandalwood. There is the fragrance of violets that becomes more noticeable over time and an occasional whiff of something vaguely like smoke (but it's most likely barrel char). [The dried-glass aroma is heavy caramelized white sugar]. Palate: The arrival is soft, very relaxed and inviting. Sweet malty and dried fruit flavours (particularly muscatel grapes and sultanas), caramel and milk chocolate on the development. There's also a jammy flavour a bit like fruity jelly beans! The texture is creamy and satisfying and the profile is both sweet and mildly tannic. Finish: Medium/short. A sweet dried fruit and grape aftertaste with a hint of sandalwood and oak tannin. Royal Lochnagar used to release the Distiller's Edition at regular intervals, always with a period of finishing in ex-muscat casks, and they were remarkably consistent. However after the 2000/2012 batch it disappeared entirely with no explanation forthcoming from Diagio. Were they no longer able to source the required casks? Who knows. This tasting is from a bottle from batch RL/98-10U, casked in 1998 and bottled in 2011, which was the second-last batch. It's a sweet, soft and well rounded whisky that is eminently approachable but not simplistic. It's also excellent as an after-dinner dessert dram, and pairs particularly well with dried fruits and soft cheese. There is a resemblance to Balvenie 12 Doublewood, but this whisky is sweeter and more floral in character. At one time it was my preferred dram to offer novices. When first poured, the whisky expresses a pungent leather and malty character but this quickly dissipates and it becomes increasingly sweet and soft over time. The finishing was handled adroitly and does not dominate the profile. At heart this is a dry, almost waxy, east-highland style of whisky but the presence of the fortified wine here contributes a finely-calculated balancing sweetness. Do not add water - it is completely unnecessary. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)145.0 AUD per Bottle -
Linkwood 15 Year Distillery Labels (Gordon & MacPhail)
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed August 8, 2019 (edited September 11, 2020)Nose: Pungently malty and aromatically oaky. Fine old leather bookbinding, oatmeal cookies fresh from the oven, orange oil, toffee and nuts. As it opens the nose becomes richer but also spicier, so it all stays very well balanced. With water some light honey and floral tones appear. Palate: A sweet cereal/malt arrival with some peppery spices and dark chocolate. Becoming even maltier in the development with raisins, dates, figs, treacle and a little vanilla appearing. The texture is oily, hearty and mouth-coating with lots of subtle oaky spice notes. Finish: Medium/long. Warming and sweetly cereal, subtle and chewy. A classic dry Speyside sherry nose - not an obvious big fruity sherry-bomb, but one where the tannins speak loud so the sherry asserts an oaky influence but does not impede the core malty cereal character. Mmm - I love this sort of profile. The palate is rich and dry at heart but with an enfolding cloak of semi-sweet, leathery sherry. A dash of water (not too much!) softens the palate wonderfully, adding just a touch of sweetness to balance the inherently dry character, however it does not change the profile much at all - the only downside is a hint of bitterness that creeps into the late palate. What a nice dram - really good, in fact. It's a characterful, textbook old-school malt and although the distillery is in the northern Speyside area this whisky reminds me of some iconic west-coast whiskies (Ben Nevis, Oban - even Hazelburn). Like others in the Distillery Labels series this is one of Gordon & MacPhail's contract bottlings. It is released frequently and is quite consistent in character. Highly recommended - I tasted this from a 30ml sampler and have just ordered a bottle. NOTE: The old green container version has been phased out but despite rumours this whisky has not been discontinued - just repackaged. "Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)135.0 AUD per Bottle
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