Country: Scotland
Brand: Bailie Nicol Jarvie
Bottled by Nicol Anderson & Co. Ltd., Leith
Type: Blended Whisky
Age: Unspecified but probably 8 Years Old
Alcohol: 40%
Date: 11-02-2012
Colour: Golden Sunlight
Nose: Delicate. The first impressions are of Malt, Apples, Pears and a bit of Peat and Smoke. Some Speyside Heather follows and a light Nutty bitterness. There’s some Oak, Spices, Honey and Sherry. Hardly any sharp Alcohol, which is remarkable given its relative youth. There are some Floral tones as well but I find them hard to describe. Straw maybe. Nothing is really dominant here although the Oak wins territory after ten minutes or so. It’s not a nose you will remember for the rest of your life but it’s well balanced.
Taste: Light Body with Malt, Lemon and Pepper. Slightly salted Almonds. Somewhat bitter. Very faint hint of smoke.
Finish: Medium Long with bitter sweet Grains, Nuts and Citrus.
When adding three drops of water you get extra Malt and Citrus on the nose. On the palate the Pepper gets weaker. I prefer it straight but you can play with a couple of drops.
Rating: 82(out of a 100)
Nose 21,5– Taste 20,5– Finish 19,5– Overall 20,5
General Remarks: Bailie Nicol Jarvie whisky is named after a character in one of Sir Walter Scott’s books named Rob Roy. The first BNJ blend was created in the 1890’s. The current blend contains 60% Malt whiskies from Speyside, Highlands and Islay and was launched in 1994. Where other blenders use 20-40 Single Malts in their blends, the BNJ only contains 8, including Glenmorangie (where the blend is produced) and Glen Moray. The Girvan Distillery, home of Grant’s Blended Whisky, produces the Grain whiskies.
The Glenmorangie Distillery
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion: This is not an expensive blend at around USD 30, -. It differs from other inexpensive blends because of its high- and more concentrated Malt content. As a result you won’t find too much sharp Alcohol and Sugared Cornflakes. The Bailie Nicol Jarvie is light and well balanced. The key components are Malt, Lemon and Pepper. This combination provides you with a nice appetiser before your dinner. It’s certainly better than most of its peers. On the minus side I would like to mention the bitterness that I find so often in cheaper whiskies. Other than that it’s a good alternative if you’re looking for a good blend for a reasonable price!
Jan van den Ende February 2012
1 comment:
One of my favorite standard blends. Great for the price.
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