Tastes

Nose: Ethanol, vague "whisky" aromas, but nothing of any great character. A little malt, a whiff of vanilla and some green apple. Palate: A hot arrival without any outstanding flavour (heat but little spice). There's not much development but some cereal and burnt citrus emerges. It is, thankfully, not burdened by the tannic baggage carried by many bottom-shelf blends. Finish: Short. A little fruity hint but there's a bitter heat on the aftertaste. The nose has the unmistakable aroma of bulk grain whisky - ethanol, tired old cask, hard cereal and a slightly rubbery note. This is apparently sourced from the Starlaw grain distillery at Bathgate (about half way between Edinburgh and Glasgow). I'd also wager that there is a heck of a lot of it in here, as the malt content (apparently largely Glen Moray) seems pretty low. This reminds me of several other bottom-shelf blends, and like its kin it can't be recommended for sipping. This is a mixing whisky, pure and simple, so pour in some cola and enjoy (I could not finish my tasting dram of this neat, but as a mixer with soft drinks it's fine - a little more vanilla even manages to peep through). I'm rating this pretty low because it's not the cheapest bottom-shelf whisky and arguably one of the least impressive, and if you're on a tight budget the quality/price ratio really matters. You can find Bells for $5 less in many shops, and it's way better. For $5 more Famous Grouse stomps it into the ground. "Poor" : 62/100 (1 star)

Nose: Honeyed sherry, dark cherries, rum, malt, orange marmalade, dried figs, manuka honey, cinnamon, chocolate, red apple, almonds. A richly layered and complex sherry nose that keeps developing through the tasting. Over time a mild peppery note appears. [The dry glass aroma is all dark honey]. Palate: A deeply malty-oak arrival with magnificent texture and poise. The development brings out dark honey flavours together with roasted nuts and dried fruit. The orange marmalade from the nose appears again accompanied by cinnamon spice and a slice of rich fruitcake covered with caramel butter. Oak is strong in the background but not too dominating, the tannin presence is just kept in check and emerges as a bittersweet dark chocolate note. Finish: Medium/long. A malty dry sherry character becomes dominant and then segues into a dry aftertaste like overbrewed black tea which is on the very cusp of being too intense for balance. A polished and refined whisky with a certain reserved swagger. Allow this one the dignity of 20 minutes rest after pouring, particularly if it's a newly opened bottle. It needs time to compose itself before you presume to strike up an acquaintance. I'm not a great fan of highly sherried whisky but when I do indulge in it this is the form I like it to take - reserved, complex, and a little bit of a challenge with a dry side to its personality. The only fault I find here is that the dryness is just one notch too intense and veers towards bitterness in the aftertaste. It's like a dark fruit cake that has been baked for about 30 seconds too long. The nose is spectacular - I could enjoy nosing this all day. It's full and rich with many layers to explore. A dash of water does not hurt but changes the character slightly - it melds the nose together and reveals a slight minty note. The result is very good indeed and it keeps evolving over time. The first taste is divine, but subsequent tasting uncovers the furtive tannic note. Adding water brings out some ginger spice whilst slightly muting the tannin, which is a good trade-off for me. The finish, whilst very good, is where I feel it falls short and exposes 21 years of cask age. If it was just a smidge less bitter at the end it would be more to my palate. Again, adding water mutes this but too much flattens the palate. If watering this whisky then don't use more than a few drops at a time. Overall, this is a excellent sherried malt. It's a pleasure to savour and recommend. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)

Irish whiskey tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 7 Feb 2019. Whisky #6 (This is the new Turf Mór bottling) Nose: Soft smoke with an herbal sweetness. A bonfire of dry leaves mingled with the scent of woodsmoke from a cottage chimney. A tiny, distant hint of iodine, diesel oil and aniseed but it's not a medicinal nose. More like Campbeltown smoke than Islay smoke. Palate: Very soft and sweet arrival. The smoke and cereal flavours are inextricably melded into a pleasant and well-textured whole. Some fruity notes appear as it develops, but the swirl of soft smoke is the dominant feature and the palate is a bit lacking. Finish: Medium/long. The soft sweet smoky profile tails off into a lingering finish. Very nice and to be honest better than I was expecting. The profile is smoky and cereal but with a light dulcet background that is surprisingly successful. The only criticisms I'd make of this are that it is overly shy and soft, a little one-note, pretty obviously callow, and way overpriced. There is probably some subtle complexity going on but even the light aromatic peat used in this whisky (which certainly does not seem like 50ppm) is sufficient to drown everything else. I have the feeling that without the smoky component this would be just plain and thin. I enjoyed it enough to consider buying a bottle for further tasting, but then saw the price which is, IMHO, at least twice as much as it is worth. Originally Turf Mór was released as a 58.2%abv bottling which is now discontinued. It was replaced by this 46% Travel Retail version, which is now being imported directly. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)

Irish whiskey tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 7 Feb 2019. Whisky #5 Nose: Complex sweet grain aromas, malt, heavy and rich honey, dried figs, dates, leather and a little sweet pipe tobacco. The influence of the cask is persistent throughout the nose with its brawny oak character appearing behind every aroma, like the framework of a half-timbered cottage. This is "gentled" by an underlying honey-sweetness and a hint of vanilla (and the tiniest whiff of coconut). Palate: A commanding and rich arrival with a delightfully buttery, oily texture. Sweet cereal grains in the beginning developing flavours of raisins and sultanas soaked in golden syrup. Oranges (both sweet fresh fruit and a little marmalade), marzipan and barley sugar sweetness appear as it develops in the glass (and a dash of water amplifies this). Finish: Medium/long. A lingering sweet fruity-cereal aftertaste. There is a hint of rye or bourbon about this nose, but it's unquestionably an Irish character, and specifically Midleton. The palate is more obviously Irish cereal/fruit. The more I taste from this distillery the more I respect it. This is also a whiskey that responds spectacularly well to water. Neat it is powerful but gentle, just as you would expect from a cask-strength Irish whiskey, however water does it no harm at all, morphing it into a softer and less challenging character. (I split my tasting dram and added water to one half, then compared the two samples over the space of 20 minutes. They were equally delicious). On the nose, water transmutes the oak presence slightly into a more aromatic sandalwood and camphorwood character. Lovely! On the palate water dampens the intensity of the high proof and allows the soft dusky heart to emerge. Delightful whisky. It's the standard 12 year old Redbreast turned up in intensity in all dimensions. It was the standout of the evening's tasting. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)

Irish whiskey tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 7 Feb 2019. Whisky #4 Nose: Dried fruit, toasted cereal grains, roasted almonds, a little vanilla, leather, and a dark floral sweetness reminiscent of apricot liqueur. Palate: Full, rich arrival with abounding malty flavours - dark honey, slightly bitter syrup, apple, walnut. There's a firm tannic note from the oak but it's balanced by some vanilla and a dark treacle flavour. The texture is medium-bodied and very agreeable. Finish: Medium. A pleasant fruity grainy quality with a nutty aftertaste. The nose is less flowery-floral than some Irish whiskey, with the malted grain providing an earthy depth. It's a complex whiskey that is nonetheless easy to drink, with a nuanced balance between sweet cereal and dry oak notes. It has a resolute and uncompromising profile similar to Balblair. Very enjoyable neat, and a dash of water brings out further sweetness, if that is your preference, without unbalancing the profile. The distillate was sourced from Midleton and maturation was in ex-bourbon barrels followed by finishing in Limousin oak casks. An enjoyable and interesting whiskey that is well worth the asking price. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)

Irish whiskey tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 7 Feb 2019. Whisky #3 Nose: Dusky floral notes (orange petal and violet potpourri), mixed berry preserves, light honey, buttered brioche. A warm, comforting cereal nose lifted by berry aromas. Palate: A rich but subtle (slightly restrained?) semi-sweet arrival focused on cereal and nuts (you can taste the un-malted barley component). The development brings out berries, red fruit and vanilla notes. The texture is creamy and slightly oily. Finish: Medium. A particularly nice finish with a sweet cereal character that gains a mildly drying chocolate bitterness in the aftertaste. The character of standard Green Spot is transformed by the wine casks into a softer form here, to create what is essentially a variation on a theme. So, is it worth paying 50% more than the cost of standard Green Spot for this expression? Well, it depends on how much a fan you are of wine-finished whiskey. If it’s a treatment that you find compelling (and it certainly can be in the right circumstances) then this is a fine example. I liked this whisky but it was clearly overshadowed by the next 3 whiskies in the tasting flight on the night, two of which were the same price. For me it was just a little too shy and retiring. I'm giving it the same score I gave the regular Green Spot. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Irish whiskey tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 7 Feb 2019. Whisky #2 Nose: Soft and mildly floral with some light spice aromas (cinnamon?). A warm cereal and malty presence with caramel and oak hints. Very pleasant. Palate: Thin and slightly hard entry. Mild spices develop but overall it seemed anaemic. This is a column distillate of corn mash and I couldn’t help but feel that the stills had been pushed too hard and much of the light character of the wash had been stripped out. The texture, often a strong point of single grain whisky, lacked the requisite silken presence to make it noteworthy. Finish: Short. Very little finish or aftertaste. The nose on this was very enjoyable and had a strangely evocative and nostalgic quality. Very soothing in a country-cottage sort of way, and a touch like bourbon. The palate, however, completely failed to live up to the promise of the nose and was thin and devoid of character, both in terms of flavour profile and texture. Very easy to drink, but lacking any sort of presence. There's nothing actively unpleasant about it but it's just not a very impressive whiskey, and at the price point I'd expect a lot more. The standard Compass Box Hedonism is cheaper than this and completely demolishes it. “Inferior” : 68/100 (1.75 stars)

Irish whiskey tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 7 Feb 2019. Whisky #1 Nose: Floral, sweet toasted cereal, a deep, musky perfume note like candied violets. There’s also a miniscule hint of smoke (or barrel char) and some caramel. Palate: Soft arrival. Sweet and creamy cereal and malt flavours with a little honey or thinned treacle (maybe butterscotch?). There is hardly any development – what you see at the entry is what you get throughout, but it is pleasant and has a rich texture. Finish: Medium/short. Sweet cereal aftertaste. A well-constructed and enjoyable mid-shelf whiskey that is being sourced from Cooley (Slane distillery is in production but has yet to release its own spirit (as at early 2019). Very easy to drink and fairly priced – quality-wise it could be compared to Johnnie Walker Double Black or Bushmills Black Bush. It has a full, sweet and rounded profile when tasted in isolation but in comparison to better Irish whiskies it shows up as being a little brittle and shallow. It's average, but good average, and value for money. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars)