Tastes
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Nose: Cereal and fruity (a bright white grape juice note). Some vanilla, caramel and a yeasty aroma. As it rests and unfolds the peat smoke becomes more and more obvious. Palate: A sweet, easy and fruity entry. The development expands on the fruit note and there is an unmistakable smoke tint to the palate that is more prominent than the smoke aroma on the nose. A pleasing palate overall, with some dried fruit and salt-water taffy towards the end. Finish: Short. Cereal and fruity. Pleasant and uncomplicated, but made to a high standard - the new-make is clearly identical to that of their "Origine" single malt which is matured in sherry and cognac casks. This expression receives additional finishing in ex-sauturnes casks, which were obviously top notch and very fresh - either first fill or lightly used second fill. Like its brother this is a bright young whisky and it benefits enormously from resting in the glass for a while. To say it opens up is the understatement of the year. It's sweet, fragrant, cereal, malty, fruity and reminds me somewhat of wine-finished Kilchoman expressions. I opened this and the Blue Origin together a couple of weeks ago and at that time I preferred the other whisky. This one seemed a little unbalanced and reminded me of some less-than-stellar Australian wine-cask finished whiskies (it had the same grapey-plywood character). However over time it has improved and I've come to appreciate it more. It has surpassed the other malt now, having gained finesse, and the wood note is rounder and more restrained. Never judge from a neck-pour. Most enjoyable, and given the very reasonable price this is a bargain. Snap it up while you can. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)56.0 AUD per Bottle
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Nose: Fruity (apples and raisins), floral (jasmine, vanilla pod, Earl Grey tea), a light caramel/burnt sugar note. There's also a freshness as of lime juice and lightly toasted cereal. Palate: More present than the nose. The arrival is sweet and lightly creamy with some developing mild spice (tannin, menthol and clove), but it's delicate and poised. There are nuances of baked apple and orange zest. Not greatly complex, but what is there is good. Finish: Medium/short. The finish has light grapey notes and a little lemon pepper, but there is a more lingering minty/herbal aftertaste. The nose on this is subdued, but allowing it to develop in the glass enlarges it and finds more depth in the aromas. It's a friendly, approachable and fresh nose that is not particularly deep or resonant. There is an oaky note, but it's faint (a tree was involved somewhere in the production of this, but that's about all one would be willing to say). In comparison to many spirits this could be accused of just being a simple, fresh young expression, but it's compelling. You keep coming back for another nose and taste, and then pour another small measure because it's simply enjoyable to sit and ponder. A good sign. A spirit that is very easy to drink and enjoy. More than acceptable as a sipper, and fine as a mixer. Good value for money and certainly a step up from most entry-level VS cognac. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)85.0 AUD per Bottle
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Plantation Original Dark Double Aged Rum
Dark Rum — Multiple Countries
Reviewed February 24, 2019 (edited April 21, 2020)Nose: Funky hogo, molasses, brittle toffee, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, a crisp minty note, prune juice, strong black tea, leather books. [The dry-glass aroma is herbal, funky molasses]. Palate: Oily/syrupy in texture, but the arrival flavours are dry and bittersweet (you can taste the cask used for secondary maturation). A lot of sugar sweetness becomes immediately apparent in the development along with pineapple and mango, black coffee and dark chocolate. There’s an anise presence as well. It's warm and slightly spicy, but certainly not hot – you barely notice any alcohol at all until the aftertaste. The sugar sweetness builds over time to the point where it becomes intrusive. Finish: Medium/long. A pleasant combination of dry, spicy and rancio, but with an unwelcome white sugar aftertaste. There was an earlier Original Dark Rum by Plantation that was discontinued in 2015 and replaced by this "Double Aged" version. I’ve made a new listing here for the Double Aged because the mix of reviews for the two versions in the old listing is confusing. This is a very different rum to the earlier one. The earlier version was more fruity and contained rum from Trinidad & Tobago. You'll still see that recipe stated on most liquor website listings for this new version, but it's incorrect. This new one is a dryer, funky combination of young Bajan pot still and column still rum blended together with 10-15 year old Jamaican pot still rum. The two are married in a tun for 3-6 months in France which imparts a subtle cognac oak overtone. There is a great deal of white sugar sweetness across the palate of this rum, which spoils what would otherwise be an excellent bottling. It's unmistakable and obvious if you taste it in comparison to something like Doorly's 12 or any other Foursquare rum. Plantation employs dosage and this signature added sweetness appears in almost all of their rums, to a greater or less extent - here it is particularly noticeable. There is also a funky hogo note to both the nose and palate, and if you’re not into that you will probably hate it, so maybe try a dram before buying a bottle. It's sippable, but is primarily intended as a mixer. It makes a particularly nice Cuba Libre as the hogo note shows through the cola and lends it character, and it also goes well with dry ginger. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)55.0 AUD per Bottle -
Delord Armagnac XO
Armagnac — Bas-Armagnac , France
Reviewed February 24, 2019 (edited July 15, 2022)Nose: Raisins, fragrant floral hints (violets, honeysuckle, queen-of-the-night), fresh walnut, clove, cinnamon, honey, a mild earthy oak aroma, brown sugar, dried fig, dried date, prunes, rancio. There is a faint smoke-like note (but it's definitely not a "smoky" spirit). [The dry-glass aroma is highly reminiscent of a oloroso sherry-finished whisky]. Palate: A warm, sweet oaky arrival with no tannic intrusion. As the palate develops, licorice and fruity notes emerge (apricot, peach) but the spirit always remains light and uplifting with a crème brûlée heart. There's an aromatic pastis-like flavour that you get on the roof of the mouth. Finish: Medium/long. A sweet grapey note that tails off into a hint of bittersweet chocolate and a tinge of white pepper. Full of character and constantly evolving in the glass, particularly the nose. The profile is complex and rewarding and the texture is "perfectly neutral" - by which I mean it is balanced so precisely that it simply disappears on the palate. For review number 400 I thought I'd step outside my comfort zone and taste something with which I'm not so familiar. It's literally decades since I last tasted an armangac and I've only had a bottle three or four times but I've always enjoyed it. There is an earthy, rustic, compelling nature to armagnac on both the nose and palate and a touch of something like hogo. One tasting inevitably makes me want to pour another glass. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)99.0 AUD per Bottle -
Rozelieures Origine Collection
Single Malt — France
Reviewed February 23, 2019 (edited July 14, 2022)Nose: Cereal, pear (lots of pears), banana, hazelnut, chestnut, dried fruit, a little citrus and an infinitely small hint of smoke and vanilla. Palate: Young, sweet gristy cereal arrival. The development brings out the sherry influence with grape and mild fruit influences and an oily hint. There's an interesting mezcal-like vegetal fruit note, like green mango. An OK texture, maybe a touch watery, but a it's a very "young" profile. Finish: Short. A little spirity on the aftertaste, but crisp, sweet cereal remains. NOTE: Let this whisky sit in the glass for a while before tasting - for a young expression it responds very well to a little rest. This is a young and vigorous malt but it's by no means bad. You can, however, easily tell that it's a crisp and cereal-driven distillate given just a few years in very bright, fresh casks. It's surprisingly reminiscent of some young Australian whiskies, particularly Hellyer's Road. They share the same young cereal, lactic, gristy profile. G.Rozelieures started production in 2003 and are now the largest whisky distillery in France, but like many young distilleries they are still settling in and finding their voice (interestingly some young distilleries, like Wolfburn, seem to bypass this phase and go straight to creating magnificent whisky). They are doing as much as possible in-house, including their own maltings, and are energy sustainable. Good for them. Nice stuff, but I prophesy that this distillery has really only just taken it's first tentative steps. Watch them, in a couple of decades they will be doing some amazing things - just wait until they get their hands on some good ex-armagnac casks. This expression is fair value, selling here in Australia at prices that pit it against mid-shelf blended malts, and it puts up a good fight. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars)62.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glenglassaugh Torfa
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed February 21, 2019 (edited November 26, 2019)Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, Feb 19th. Whisky #7 Nose: Fragrant sweet smoke balanced by citrus fruitiness and floral hints, but the nose is solidly founded on the crisp, clean smoke. Over time beeswax, lemon, dried fruit, coconut, crème brûlée, pineapple and a delicate cinnamon spice all emerge. [The dry-glass aroma is honeyed smoke]. Palate: Sweet, buttery, lightly briny and smoky arrival - like kippers cured in brown sugar. A resinous note from the cask and a little raisin sweetness come out in the development, together with mild ginger spice, but hot on their heels is whole a bushel of fresh tropical and stone fruit. The texture is creamy and satisfying. Finish: Medium/long. Faintly salty smoke. This was the 7th offering on the tasting night and although the 42 year old expression before it was an impossible act to follow the peated whisky had to be the last performance of the show. It's a very approachable, sweet, floral, peaty dram. Somewhat reminiscent of Connemara Turf Mór but with greater body and complexity. The pervasive smoke that propels this is not a west coast medicinal sort of smoke - it's much softer and woodier and more like Benromach smoke. The nose is complex but restrained and takes a while to develop, but the real heart of this whisky, and what makes it work so well, is the oily and dulcet character of the nose and palate. This gives the spirit a creamy weight to offset the relatively high abv and allows the aromas and flavours to shine out. Recommended. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)110.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glenglassaugh 1973 42 Year Cask #5638
Single Malt — Highland, Scotland
Reviewed February 20, 2019 (edited July 9, 2022)Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, Feb 19th. Whisky #6 Nose: An astonishingly interwoven and complex aroma based around floral oak and vanilla. Pine tree resin, chocolate, frankincense (!), musk, lilac, violets, cinnamon, ginger, apple and turpentine (!!!) all make an appearance. Adding two drops of water enlarges the nose enough to fill the room. [The dry-glass aroma is old cigar-box with hints of sandalwood and damask rose]. Palate: A solid, but not harsh, oak arrival. Deep, dark nutty flavours (almost funky walnut, hazelnut, and pecan) together with earthy baking spices (nutmeg, cinnamon and clove) - but everything is mature, stately and poised. Nothing is brash, sharp or springs out from the background. There's a fruity presence in the development, but it's so complex as to defy analysis - stewed pears? stewed red apples? If you could mature a pear cobbler for 42 years it might taste something like this. The texture is - remarkable. It's like 10,000 angels having sex on your tongue. Finish: Medium. The rich palate seamlessly segues into the finish and slowly fades into an oaken memory. Distilled on the 9th of November 1973 (wow, I was still in high school) during the distillery's heyday, this whisky slumbered undisturbed in the same ex-bourbon barrel for 42 years. It was hand selected by Billy Walker for dumping on the 20th November 2016 and just 238 bottles were produced. This tasting was from bottle 98. There is a DNA similarity between this and recent production Glenglassaugh that is both exciting and reassuring to detect. It takes a big spirit to stand up to 42 years in the cask, and this has no problem coping at all - it could probably go another 20 years before falling apart. If there is one overriding sensation you derive from this whisky it is the presence of the oak. Wow, big reveal, huh? Yes, it's hardly surprising given the age, but it's not a prominent or sappy kind of oak. It's much more musky, dusky, quietly floral and refined and in a strange way it's almost like the oak has become liquid and intertwined with the alcohol molecules, which is I guess not far from the truth. The lignins have long ago started to break down and cellulose has transformed into esters that combine in astonishing ways with the fermentation esters of the new-make spirit. A magnificent, stately whisky - big, bold and characterful but now possessed of the seasoning of age that brings quietude and reason. It's comparable to Balblair vintages from the 60s and 70s. Old whiskies like this live in a special dimension of their own and it's always a privilege to taste them. It was the main reason I went to the tasting evening (I sure as heck couldn't afford to buy a bottle), and I suspect the same is true for many of the other participants. You can't score whiskies like this alongside other spirits, and any rating is pointless - they're just all worth 5 stars, however for what it's worth I gave this one of the highest percentage scores I've ever recorded in my tasting journal. "Truly Outstanding" : 93/100 (5 stars)3000.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glenglassaugh 1986 30 Year Cask #1393
Single Malt — Highland, Scotland
Reviewed February 20, 2019 (edited February 21, 2019)Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, Feb 19th. Whisky #5 Nose: Deep raisin and sultana grape notes, blackcurrant, manuka honey, malted milk, dark chocolate and a deep and intense musky oak. A very rounded, compelling and "meaty" aroma. The nose is enhanced by the addition of a couple of drops of water. Palate: Velvety, spicy and warm arrival with plum and chocolate to the fore. Somewhat drying but with a background pillow of sweetness that blooms in the development to bring out ginger in syrup, sherry, coffee and dark chocolate, mixed red berries, blackberries, apricot jam and a slight lift of orange peel. A serene, mature oak note forms the foundation - it's not immediately apparent, but once you notice it you sense how it pervades everything. An excellent palate with a perfect texture that is somewhere between creamy and oily. Finish: Medium/long. Full, rich and satisfying. A malty sweet aftertaste with a salty/savory tang. Distilled in 1986 shortly before the distillery went silent, this whisky received 25 years of ex-bourbon cask maturation followed by 5 years in refill PX sherry casks (that's a darn full-on "finish"!). It was bottled in October 2016 and 425 bottles were produced. This tasting was from bottle 178. One of the most fascinating things about this expression was how much the old pre-closure Glenglassaugh is like the new expressions. They share an earthy, fragrant malty character that is quite individual. This is not a cheap malt, but in my opinion it's well worth it. It has a character somewhere midway between Springbank, Mortlach and Glenfarclas. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)879.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glenglassaugh Pedro Ximenez Sherry Wood Finish
Single Malt — Highland, Scotland
Reviewed February 20, 2019 (edited February 28, 2022)Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, Feb 19th. Whisky #4 Nose: The good: Honeycake, current biscuits, strawberry shortcake, maple syrup, vanilla. The bad: Rubber galoshes, fusty amontillado, baby sick, nail varnish, gentian violet (!). Palate: A bold and full arrival with raisins, chocolate and salty caramel characteristics. As it developed there was a note of stewed fruits (apricots, peaches) and sticky date pudding. Water seemed to make the palate dryer (maybe uncovered tannin?). Finish: Medium/long. Dry fruity notes that fade out into a sweet aftertaste. One of the strangest malts I've tasted, and I'm convinced the sample we had was from a badly sulphured cask. The nose had much more dry sherry than PX influence, and the oak notes and sherry seemed to be in a personal feud instead of contributing to the spirit. Overall the nose was sharply funky and confronting - way beyond an interesting challenge. The palate fared much better and was somewhat Macallan-like, although bolder and darker. However I could not help but feel that the cask was a poor choice for the distillate - although as said above, maybe it was just this particular cask. The group was sharply divided on this expression - most found it delightful and it was their favourite of the core-range expressions we tasted on the night. However a handful (myself included) thought it was repulsive on the nose. I would rate it 3.5 except for these odd aromas, but as it is I can't see any reason to give it more than 2. I would, however, be very interested to try this again at some stage from a different batch. "Adequate" : 70/100 (2 stars)125.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glenglassaugh Port Wood Finish
Single Malt — Highland, Scotland
Reviewed February 20, 2019 (edited October 11, 2020)Glenglassaugh tasting evening, Sydney, Feb 19th. Whisky #3 Nose: Walnut loaf, ginger oatcakes, milk stout (!), sandalwood, vanilla, spearmint (!), musk, peach, berries and a touch of smoky oak. It's an interesting mélange of aromas. Palate: Full, buttery, juicy and rounded arrival. Black cherries, dark honeyed malt, soft spices, dark chocolate, caramel, toffee. The texture is luscious and mouth-coating. Some might call it syrupy (I don't). A dash of water expands the flavour profile to include strawberries, rosewater and water chestnut, and there's a little dry oak in the late development. Finish: Medium. A rich and satisfying malty/sweet berry aftertaste with a refreshing earthy sting in the tail. In many ways this is simply the Evolution expression made much heavier, richer and sweeter by finishing in port pipes. The nose has the Glenglassaugh signature fragrant malty distillate character at its core but there's an overriding sweet red-fruit profile. It's very much an after-dinner dessert whisky. Serve this instead of port or pudding in cold weather. It's a sweet profile layered onto what is at heart a beast of a distillate that is already more sweet than dry in character. I enjoyed it and almost bought a bottle - in fact I may yet. One caution however - the tasting group was evenly split on this whisky. Half thought it too heavy and overly sweet, half loved it. After some discussion it emerged that those who disliked it had a personal preference for dry smoky whiskies, whereas the others veered towards non-peat sherry finishes. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)125.0 AUD per Bottle
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