Johnnie Walker Gold Label Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Johnnie Walker Gold Label  

The Centenary Blend

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 18 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 29/12/2011

Colour: Gold (How could it be anything else!)

Nose: The first impressions are light Smoke and Peat in combination with Honeyed Bananas and a bit of Quality Oak. A breeze of salty sea air. After opening up you will find some more common notes such as Malt, Sherry, Butter, Orange Marmalade, light Spices and Fruits, mainly Nectarines but also tones of Peaches and Apricots. Not too much alcohol around to spoil the nosing, which is great.

There’s harmony and elegance but I miss a bit of the thrill that I feel when completely different elements such as Smoke and Peat and Sherry and Spices combine to present a wonderful nosing experience.

JW Gold’s nose is rich and comfortable and intimate but it’s not overly exciting. 

 

This is the image I get when thinking about the JW Gold Label Blend. I wouldn’t mind sitting in that chair though!

Taste: The delivery is smooth but just a touch too watery for an 18 Year old. This blend really should have been bottled at 43 – if not 46%. The Taste is easy-going and pleasant enough but not very complex with Honey, Malted Barley, Orange Marmalade and Butterscotch. Breakfast stuff really with just a whip of Smoke and Peat in the back to make it slightly more interesting.

Don’t add any water because it spoils this blend completely!

Finish: Middle Long with Honey, Sherry, Orange, Toffee, Light Spices (Cinnamon) and Mint. A slightly dry and salty aftertaste (Salted Almonds) appears after 10 minutes or so. As in all JW’s tasted so far, the finish is a little bit disappointing.

Rating: 85,5 

Nose: 22,5 – Taste: 21,5 – Finish: 20 – Overall: 21,5

General Remarks: This blend was created around 1995 and consists of Grain whiskies and Single Malts with the Highland Distillery Clynelish at its heart. The Peaty part probably derives from Caol Ila. Apparently, Cardhu also contributes to JW Gold.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Suggestion by JW: Freeze a bit of whisky for 24 hours and than drink it in a chilled glass. This way it becomes an  after dinner whisky with concentrated peat and honey. I’ve tried it and it’s okay. Still, I believe any product (and certainly a quality whisky) should be consumed the way it is presented. It’s all a bit weird if you ask me!

Conclusion: The JW Gold Label is a good, refined comfortable blend that will please many whisky fans but I find it not as interesting, mouth filling and yes, challenging as the Black Label. Therefore a price of around US$ 80 per bottle is way too high when compared to his Black cousin.

Jan van den Ende                                                            December 2011

Dimple 15 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Dimple (J.Haig & Company)

The Blend is called Pinch in the USA

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 15 Years

Alcohol: 43%

Date: 27/12/2011

Color: Old Gold

Nose: Sweet Grains (Sugared Corn Flakes), Buttered Toast, Oak, Sherry, Caramel, a Touch of Peat, Mild Spices, Tones of Honey. There is a bit of alcohol there as well.

That’s the song I was whistling when testing the Dimple 15 Years. Can anybody remember the Searchers from 1963? Shit, I can!

Taste: Very Sweet, Medium Body, Honey, Toffee, Orange Marmalade, Spices (Nutmeg and Cinnamon), A hint of Smoke. A slight nutty bitterness that I could do without.

Finish: Middle Long but Too Sweet, Sticky Caramel and Butter Scotch, Dry Oak, Light Spices.

Rating:   80 

Nose: 20,5– Taste: 20– Finish: 19,5 – Overall: 20

General Remarks: Robert Haig is said to have been the first distiller in the Haig family. This was way back around 1630. The first Dimple Deluxe blend appeared in 1888 and the specific – and very nice bottle was introduced in 1893. This blend consists of around 30 whiskies. The basic malts are Glenkinchie and Linkwood, respectively Lowland and Speyside. There are also some matured Highlands malts included in this blend. Next to the 15 Years there are also 12 Years and 18 Years Expressions. Dimple is popular in a/o Greece, Mexico, Germany and the USA.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good. You can experiment with a little water thanks to the 43% alcohol. It brings a little bit more balance between the sweet and the spices.

Conclusion: It’s not so easy to draw a final conclusion on this blend. Certainly the Dimple 15 Year is not a bad blended whisky. But is it really good? No, I don’t think so. Why? Because when nosing and tasting the Dimple I can’t stop thinking about this all the time:

It’s simply too sweet. Sweet Cornflakes and Buttered Toast and Toffee on the nose, Honey and Toffee on the palate and Sticky sugary Caramel in the finish. Don’t forget to brush your teeth after drinking this whisky! But honestly, there is too much sweetness around and that makes Dimple 15 Year a bit boring. It tastes probably good when mixed with Cola but I don’t need to buy an exclusive blend for that reason. Okay, maybe the Dimple is not really an expensive blend at around USD 40 per liter in Europe. Still, how many kilos of assorted sweets can you buy with that kind of money!

                                                                            

Jan van den Ende                                                             December 2011

Glen Grant Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Glen Grant

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Speyside

Age: Unspecified but most likely around 5 years

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Sherry (Fino)/ Straw

Nose: Light, Grass, Lemon, Honey, Malt (Biscuits), Young Alcohol, a bit of Spice. Not unlike some German Obstler distilled from fruit. After continuous nosing the Malty/Sweet Speyside character becomes clearer.

Taste:  The delivery is malty with some sweet component I can’t define, followed by alcohol and spices. It’s close to a simple Grappa. Rough and Edgy.

Finish: Short/Middle long. Dry, Bitter, Nuts. Some Lemon/Lime in the end.

Rating: 74,5

Nose: 19,5 – Taste: 19 – Finish: 18 – Overall: 18

General Remarks:  Probably the cheapest single malt around. Very light colour when compared to your average blend or single malt but still it is said to contain caramel for additional colouring. Very strange indeed! It’s an old distillery founded in 1840. It’s extremely popular in Italy because of its light character and, surprise, was bought by the Campari Group in 2006.

I added half a teaspoon of water that brought out some floral tones in the nose and took down some of the hot harshness on the palate. This Single Malt allows a bit of water. But only a few drops!!

Drinking Experience Neat: Average

Drinking Experience On the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: Not bad on the nose but not balanced enough on the palate. Too much young alcohol. Would love to try this one after another 5 years on American oak. Still, quite reasonable as an appetiser on a warm and sunny afternoon. That’s what the Italians think at least!!!

Jan van den Ende                                                               October 9, 2011

J&B 15 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: J&B (Justerini & Brooks)

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 15 Years

ABV: 40%

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: First impressions are Peat and Malt with some Sherry lurking in the back. After a while we get Tobacco, White Pepper, Black Tea and Old Leather. There are more wafts of grainy young alcohol than I would expect from a 15 Year old Blend. There is evidence from coastal – or Islay distilleries in this blend but I find it hard to describe them. It’s like smelling a salty sea breeze but maybe I’m getting a bit too poetic here. But definitively salty! It’s certainly less sweet than I expected given the presence of the Speyside Malts. There are certainly some interesting aspects to the nose but you need patience to get through the wafts of alcohol that keep distracting you from time to time. I will deduct half a point for that.

Taste: The delivery is a bit watery. A somewhat remarkable combination of sugary Candy and Peat, spiced up with White Pepper and Cinnamon. It’s hard to detect the malt whiskies here. Not at all elegant. No need to add water as the delivery is already on the thin side.

Finish: Disappointing. Short and dry with salted Nuts and White Pepper. That’s too little for a 15 Year Blend.

Rating: 80,5 

Nose: 21,5 – Taste: 20 – Finish: 19 – Overall: 20

General Remarks: In 1749, Giacomo Justerini from Bologna, Italy fell in love with a British opera singer and went back with her to London. Together with an English partner, George Johnson they started to merchant wine. In 1831 Alfred Brooks bought Justerini & Johnson and the company’s name became Justerini & Brooks. You can always argue about taste of course but the brown bottle used for J&B’s 15Y reminds me more of strong Belgian beer than of quality whisky. Why is it brown anyway? Is there something to hide? Ah, I love conspiracy theories!

The J&B 15Y is a blend of 42 grain – and malt whiskies, whereby most of the Malts are Speyside.

Drinking Experience Neat: Average/Good

Conclusion: Really disappointing. The nose is interesting although without a clear purpose or vision. The wafts of alcohol should not be that present after 15 years! Taste-wise there's too much sweet candy and the finish is not worth mentioning. It’s drinkable of course but in Brazil you pay around USD 100 for this blend! For about half that price you can get yourselves a great blend like Johnnie Walker Black!

       

Jan van den Ende                                                           December 23, 2011

Passport Blended Scotch Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Passport

Type: Blended Whisky 

Age:  Unknown. I would guess 3-5 years. The Passport Whisky that is bottled in Scotland is said to have matured 8 Years.

ABV: 40%

Colour: Amber (E-150 Colourant Caramel is added)

Nose: I gave the Passport more than an hour in the glass to open up but to no avail. The harsh alcohol is in complete control. And the alcohol did remind me a bit of lamp oil or something like that. I also got images from a car repair shop when smelling this blend. There is some Malt, Bread Dough, Nut Shells, Wood and a little Citrus but that’s all. After a while I thought I detected some Smoke but not the pleasant peaty one. More like black smoke from a factory.

Taste: The Delivery is sharp and slightly burns the palate. There might be a bit of Orange hidden in there but it’s hard to find and it’s not a pleasure looking for it. There is an Oaky Bitterness to the blend as well that reminded me of my childhood when breaking Walnuts in the days before Christmas. When you add a bit of water it helps to limit the burning on your palate. Other than that it does not add anything positive.

Finish: Short (Thanks God!) Bitter and Sharp. Sharp meaning just sharp. No spices here whatsoever. A touch of factory smoke after a while.

Rating: 65

Nose: 17 – Taste: 17 – Finish: 15 – Overall: 16

General Remarks: The Passport I'm tasting today was blended in- and matured in Scotland under control of William Longmore & Co. It was then transported in Bulk to Brazil and bottled and watered down over here by Pernot Ricard in their plant in the state of Pernambuco. That means that Brazilian Mineral Water was added until the required minimum alcohol percentage of 40% was reached. This means of course that Passport bottled in Scotland and Passport bottled in Brazil should be considered as two different blends with their own individual characteristics. 

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average

Passport Control/Conclusion: This is not a blend I consider suitable for drinking straight. It’s not pleasant that way. I’m sure you can mix it with coke or drown it in ice but that’s not my idea of enjoying whisky. The Passport Blend that is bottled in Scotland is said to be creamy and fruity and smooth but not one of these characteristics can be found in the Brazilian (step) sister. Brazil is the most important sales market for the Passport Blend. Sure, it’s a bit better than the Drury’s and Old Eight’s and the likes that are for sale here but not by much. Isn’t it time that Brazil gets to taste the real Passport? I think so, after all, a real Passport allows you to travel abroad!!!!

Jan van den Ende                                                           October 25, 2014

P.S.: As an afterthought I viewed Jim Murray’s Tasting Notes on the Brazilian Bottled Passport in the 2011 Whisky Bible. He scores it 91 points and I just can’t believe we’re talking about the same whisky! I even started to wonder if my sample would have come from a falsified Passport. Anything is possible in Brazil. So I will make sure I will taste this blend again in the near future. Just to be sure! As you have noticed above I bought another bottle in October 2014 and nosed and tasted it again today. I have updated the text somewhat but in general my earlier opinion stands.

Johnnie Walker Swing Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Johnnie Walker Swing

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: Not stated but I would put it at around 15 Years

Alcohol: 43,4% (2011) 40% (2017)

Chill Filtration: Yes

Price Level: An average 50 US Dollars (June 2017)

Colour: Full Gold (Artificially Coloured)

Nose 2011: Lovely nose without any sharp alcohol. The Sherry (Speyside) combines well with the Peat and light Smoke from Islay. I find dried fruit (Raisins and Apricot), light Oak, toasted Barley and lightly salted Peanuts. It’s not a very complicated nose but it’s quite pleasant.

Nose 2017: It goes without saying that I'm much better prepared to Nose and Taste Whisky now than I was back in 2011. Still, I do wonder what happened to this Swing. I still get some light Sherry influence but it is accompanied by some Sulphur. I still find some Barley as well but the Grain Alcohol is dominant as are the Refill casks. The Dried Fruits are still there but I also get some Citrus now (Lemon and Mandarin). I also find Vanilla, Pepper and Ginger and some Floral, Herbal and Grassy notes. The Peanuts are still there but I can only find a very light Smoke in the background that reminds me of Caol Ila. I really liked the Nose in 2011 but I find it pretty standard in 2017. The lower ABV certainly plays a part but you might wonder if Diageo changed the Blend during the last 6 years.   

Taste 2011: Very smooth delivery of Smoke, Peat and Sherry with a bite of White Pepper. Black Coffee. Simple but very much to the point.

Taste 2017: The delivery is rather Thin and I would have to blame the lower ABV here. I find Grain Alcohol, Toasted Refill Oak, slightly Burnt Toast and Orange Marmalade, Vanilla, Toffee, Nut Shells, very light Sherry, very light Smoke, Pepper, Ginger and a hint of Raspberries.  

Finish 2011: Short and Dry. Some Oak and, again, Black Coffee. The finish is rather disappointing just as was the case with the JW Black Label.

Finish 2017: Quite short indeed with some Toasted Refill Oak, Grain Alcohol, Toast and Orange Marmalade, Nut Shells, very light Smoke, light Pepper, light Ginger and a hint of Cigar Ashes.  

Rating 2011: 87 

Nose: 22.5 – Taste: 22.5 – Finish: 20 – Overall: 22

Rating 2017: 83  

Nose: 21.5 – Taste: 20.5 – Finish: 20 – Overall: 21 

General Remarks: This blend was first produced in 1932, especially for bars on ocean liners. Thanks to the special rounded base, the bottle can swing backwards and forwards without tipping over. It is said to contain around 35 different whiskies, including Single Malts. The latter ones are mainly from the Speyside next to some Highlands and Islay. Bottled at an adequate 43,6%. Because of that you can experiment with a little bit of water if you like. JW Swing has been in – and out of the market for the last 75 years or so. The current owners, Diageo, are rumoured to take it out of the market once again. 

Drinking Experience Neat: Very Good (2011) - Good (2017)

Drinking Experience on the Rocks (2017): Very Nice.

Conclusion 2011: In comparison to for instance the Ballantine’s 17 years, the JW Swing is not a very complicated blend. But it succeeds in combining the main characteristics of Speyside (Sherry) and Islay (Peat and Smoke) in a very smooth way. This could have been a great blended whisky if it wasn’t for the lack luster finish. Still, the JW Swing is a very good dram that I can safely recommend.

Conclusion 2017: The Johnnie Walker Swing is not a bad blend and you can still enjoy it neat although I prefer it on the Rocks. But the 40% version I tasted in 2017 can't hold a candle to the 43.6% expression I tasted in 2011. Plus, and I have to be honest here, I'm much better prepared to judge any Whisky than I was back in 2011. Still, I can't shake off the feeling that younger and less expressive Malts are part of the Blend today. I would not be surprised if Cardhu would be a part of today's Swing as I get a similar Barley Juice feeling. As a result of it all, my 2017 score, unfortunately, is significantly lower. It can be me, it can be the blend, it can be both! At 50 US Dollars, the Price/Quality ratio isn't too bad.    

Jan van den Ende                                 December 19, 2011 and June 21, 2017

Laphroaig 10 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Laphroaig

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Islay

Age: 10 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Pale Gold. Even so, it contains Caramel.

Nose: Very interesting. Peat, Light Smoke, Heather, Malt, Iodine, Leather, Salt and a nice sweetness that holds everything else together.

Taste: The oily delivery coats the palate with Seaweed, Shellfish, Liquorice, Peat, a bit of Black Pepper, Salt and Iodine. There is some sweetness there as well but it’s more like in beer as in sherry. This is the exact point where it differs from the Bowmore Enigma. It’s still quite smooth though!

Finish: At first middle long and dry with Liquorice, Nuts and Light Ashes lingering on for quite a while. After 15 minutes or so the peat is back and it’s like you’ve tasted a handful of Wet Clay.

Rating:  85.5

Nose: 22,5– Taste: 21 – Finish: 21 – Overall: 21

General Remarks: I was expecting heavy Smoke but in reality it was well restrained. I missed the Sherry kind of sweetness of Bowmore on the palate. I added a bit of water and the nose became almost friendly like a Speyside. I thought I noticed a bit of ripe fruit even. On the palate it gets too watery too quick and I advise you to drink it straight.

Drinking Experience Neat: Very Good.

Conclusion: First of all the green bottle and the white label reminded me of a bottle of cough syrup from the old days. But I will take this medicine any time nurse! 

Actually, while tasting the Laphroaig 10 Y I got images of eating wet clay during a barbecue in a Sushi Bar somewhere along the coastline of Islay with a pint of ale at the side!. That sums it up pretty well I think. I strongly feel that this type of whisky is better off when bottled at cask strength or at least at 46%. And it should not be chill-filtered! Summarising, this single Malt is certainly special in its own way but for the time being the first matches in the Islay Whisky Competition ended as follows: Ardbeg Islanders 1 Bowmore Legends 0 and Bowmore Legends 2 - Laphroaig Peat Monsters 1.

Jan van den Ende                                                              November 13, 2011

Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: The Balvenie Double Wood

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Speyside

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol: 43%

Tasting Date: 21/08/2011 + 06/07/2012 + 15/02/2013

Colour: Bright Gold

Nose: Pleasant and interesting. Sweet Sherry, Oak, Malt, Bread/Pastry, Vanilla, Fruit (Plums, Oranges, Bananas). A hint of Peat Smoke right at the beginning. Speyside, no doubt about that.

Palate: The delivery is rich and slightly hot but the taste is not extremely complicated. Some spice (Ginger, Pepper, Nutmeg), Oak, Buttered Biscuits, Sweet Sherry, Dried Fruits (Think of Apricot), Honey and a bit of Malt.

Finish: The rather short finish is warm and Spicy and not too dry. Vanilla, Malt and a touch of Peat. Some Toffee at the end.

Rating: 85 

Nose 22 – Taste 21 – Finish 21 – Overall 21

General Remarks: This is a very pleasant easygoing whisky. The nose is promising and balanced but it is followed by a fairly uncomplicated taste and a finish I would love to be longer. A great aperitif!

I added a teaspoon of water that brought out more Citrus fruit and some Wood in the nose and more Caramel in the taste. But be careful, for more than a few drops of water will kill this whisky. Actually, I would advise you to drink this dram neat.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good/Great

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Okay

Conclusion: Excellent value for Money. The bottling at 43% is certainly a plus. The double wood formula (10 years in oak barrels and 2 years in Sherry casks) works just fine for me. Very nice bottle by the way. Perfect whisky for newbies.

Jan van den Ende                        August 2011, July 2012 and February 2013

Jameson 12 Years Review

Country: Ireland

Brand: Jameson

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Gold

Nose: Malt, Sweet Breakfast Cereals with Nuts and Dried Fruits (Raisins and Sultanas), Orange Marmalade, Brown Sugar, Oak and Spices. There is some Caramel and Sherry and a faint hint of Leather. I do believe there is some Fruit lurking at the back of the glass as well but I can’t really determine what it is. Could be Peach or Melon. I can’t detect any Smoke here. The 12 Year certainly presents less rough alcohol than the Standard Jameson. As always, give the spirit at least 20 minutes or so to open up in your nosing glass.

There is enough to discover on the nose but you really have to dive deep. I would have given the nose 21,5 points if not for a nutty bitterness that pops up from time to time which I find unpleasant.

Taste: Surprisingly Sweet with Sherry, Cherries, Raspberries and Vanilla but spicy at the same time with Oak, Cinnamon and White Pepper.

Finish: The Sherry and Spices vanish rather quickly but the Cherries and Raspberries carry on for quite a while.

Rating:  82.5 

Nose: 21– Taste :20,5– Finish: 20– Overall: 20,5

General Remarks: The Jameson 12Y is a mixture of malt - and grain whiskies. No need to add water as it just waters things down. You do get a bit of cocoa on the palate. Still, better drink this one straight.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:  This is surely a step up when compared to the standard Jameson. The nose is certainly more interesting though not at all spectacular. The palate follows up with the unusual combination of spices and sweet red fruit, something I have not been able to identify in other whiskies so far. These cherries and raspberries guarantee a faint but quite long lasting finish. Another advantage versus the Standard is the absence of harsh alcohol. So yes, the 12 Year is better than his younger brother but not a whole lot more interesting. You basically get less harsh alcohol and an extra bit of sweet fruit. I’m not sure that’s enough to justify the price difference!

Jan van den Ende                                                         December 16, 2011