Who Am I and How Did I Get Interested In Writing About Whisky

Hello Everybody,

My name is Jan van den Ende and I was born in Rotterdam in The Netherlands in 1952. Since 1994 I live and worked in Sao Paulo in Brazil. In the meantime I'm retired.

My hobbies include Rock Music from the 60's and 70's, Wine, Beer and Fine Spirits. I suppose that I, probably like most of you, started drinking beer when I was a teenager. After that there was the inevitable Cuba Libre during the holidays in Spain. But as life goes on you become interested in other alcoholic beverages and normally wine is the first step in becoming more aware of actual flavors rather than just drinking for the drinking if you know what I mean. Usually the white wines and the rose wines come first and after that you start exploring the red wines.

Around 40 you start to appreciate a good Brandy after dinner and maybe even smoke a (small) cigar with it. Or maybe even try a whisky! Blended of course and On the Rocks. Good chance your first whisky on the Rocks was Johnny Walker Red Label! Or Jack Daniels or Jim Beam if you live in the States and would probably be exposed to Bourbon or rye whiskey before exploring Scotch whiskies.

And then after years of drinking Red and Black and Ballantine's and Chivas on the Rocks you return from your holidays, enter into the Free Shop and suddenly become aware that there are a lot of different whiskies available. They are Single Malts and will include the usual suspects such as Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Dalmore, the Balvenie and the Irish Jameson. You give one of them or a couple of them  a chance and if you like them you probably want to know more about them. And then you buy a book or two, start surfing the net and find out that there is more to whisky than you thought!

Actually, this is more or less what happened to me. But I'm sure a lot of you malt lovers will recognise at least some part of the journey. 

One of the books I bought was Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2011. This guy is highly recognised as a whisky writer and connoisseur and, after all, it's not called a Bible for nothing. However when I started tasting some whiskies for fun I found out that I almost never agreed with the opinions I found in the Bible. 

Naturally I thought that the problem was me as I just started while Jim is doing this for 35 years or so. But when I started looking around the net it became clear quite rapidly that I'm not the only one who questions the Whisky Bible.

Thinking about this there were a number of thoughts that crossed my mind. Apparently various people can taste the same whisky under similar conditions and reach a completely different opinion. That's Fun! But it could also be that there are writers out there who are too close to the industry for whatever reason to be able to reach an objective opinion. 

I remembered my youth when I had to go and buy oranges. My mother always instructed me to ask the guy in the shop if the oranges were sweet. Of course the guy always confirmed that they were lovely and sweet. 

When surfing the net i found that a lot of people felt the same about this problem and started independent blogs with whisky reviews. Some are quite excellent and have reached levels that i will never touch upon. 

Still I decided to give it a try and I learnt about the basic flavors that can be detected on the nose and on the palate when tasting whisky. So before starting to nose the whisky I started sniffing and tasting fresh and dried fruits, marmalade, honey, sherry, beer, spices like pepper, cinnamon and cloves, lemon and orange zests, coffee, tea, corn syrup, toffee, cake, fresh bread and chocolate. After that I learnt about the different regions of productions and I started to nose ashes and leather and salt. When I had to go to the port of Santos for my work I even went for a walk around the quays sniffing cables, fish,brine etc. 

Of course it was impossible to remember all these impressions during my first tasting sessions but after some 10 different whiskys including Single Malts, Blended whiskies and Bourbons I began making progress.

I've tasted over 800 whiskies now and since end November 2011 I share my thoughts through this blog. 

So welcome to Best Shot Whisky Reviews. I do hope you like the Tasting Notes and Reviews but always remember they don't represent the absolute truth. They merely express my opinion. Have Fun!

Jan

Deanston 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Deanston

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Highland

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol: 46,3%

Colour: Pale Straw 

Nose: Medium-Light and Dry. Grassy and Floral tones, Oak, Apples, Apple-Vinegar, Orange or Apricot Marmalade, Malt and Toast, Very Light Peat. Only light Alcohol despite the 46,3%.

Taste: Much sweeter than I expected after the dry nose. Very smooth with only a light Alcohol bite. Honey, Malt, Light Spices (Ginger and Cinnamon), Lemon Zest, Green Apples and a bit of Salt.

Finish: Short and dry. Grassy and Herbs. Nuts, Lemon, Oak. Touch of Honey.

With a couple of drops of water you will get more Fruit and also Honey and a bit of Toffee or Butterscotch on the Nose. The Palate does not change a whole lot but the Finish gets Sweeter and the Honey and Salty tones last a bit longer. This Single Malt accepts some water.

Rating: 81.5  

Nose 21– Taste 21 – Finish 19 – Overall 20.5

General Remarks: The Deanston Distillery looks more like a school building or army barracks but in fact it’s an old Cotton Mill. It’s located close to the city of Doune and started operations in the 1960’s. It is owned by Burn Stewart Distillers Ltd that also owns Bunnahabhain and Tobermory. Its main market is the USA. A lot of the Deanston production is destined for the blend Scottish Leader. Before bottling the casks that carry the Deanston 12 are married together for a couple of weeks extra in fresh Oak to increase sweetness. The Deanston 12 I’m reviewing here is Un-Chill filtered and bottled at 46,3%. This is the policy of the Distillery since 2009. Before that this Single Malt was chill filtered and bottled at 40%.

Drinking Experience Straight: Good

Conclusion: The Deanston 12 is a relatively light dram despite its 46,3%. Almost a Lowland whisky. I can see this as a very nice aperitif on a beautiful day in spring. Maybe even with a little ice. It’s too light perhaps for considering it as one of my day-to-day sipping whiskies. I do believe however that Deanston is going in the right direction and hope they will maintain or even improve their Un-Chill filtered high proof expressions. 

Jan van den Ende                                                             June 25, 2012

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy - Review

Songs: The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Over the Hills and Far Away, The Crunge, Dancing Days, D'yer Maker, No Quarter, The Ocean.

Review:

End 1972/Begin 1973 the band discussed the plans for their new (fifth) Album. I feel they might have entertained a.o. the following thoughts: First of all, their Album IV had been a huge success so it would be wise to maintain a similar structure. On the other hand the band had grown as song writers, musicians and producers and was eager to try new roads. And thirdly, I think they just wanted to make a fun album. As a result, Houses of the Holy was launched on March 28, 1973. It is the first album of the band with only original material. It features lots of layered guitar riffs but is mostly driven by the rhythm section of the band. The lyrics are more mature and the album is extremely diverse with Rock, Prog-Rock, Folk, Reggae, Funk, Blues and Doo-Wop. And above all, it's got a Feel Good atmosphere. If I would have a point of criticism, it would be the way Robert Plant's voice is produced. Because in all honesty he sounds like a nervous chipmunk from time to time. I don't know why this was done as Live Albums show that Robert could master the songs in a normal matter. But then again, nothing is perfect isn't it!

The Album starts off with the fast, furious, thundering The Song Remains the Same, followed without pause by the beautiful, moody and almost acoustic The Rain Song. Robert sounds great here for most of the time. It's one of my favorite Led songs. It is followed by the driving rocker Over the Hills and Far Away that is another good example of the bands trade mark songs that combine acoustic beauty with Power Rock. The Crunge is a highly funky and funny James Brown pastiche and it shows the band from their most easy going and fun side. Dancing Days is one of their Classic Hard Rockers with a nice slide guitar and synthesizers. It's almost impossible to sit still while listening to this song. A lot of people have issues with D'yer Maker (Jamaica) but to me it's just a happy reggae ditty. Quite inoffensive really. Great drums by the way. It is followed by my personal all time favorite Led song, the jazzy, bluesy No Quarters. It's a so called Nordic epic about Viking warriors and the death and fear they brought wherever they roamed. It sounds very realistic and the combination of Jimmy's spooky riff, John Paul's icy keyboards and Robert's depressive vocals literally make me shiver every time I hear the song. This is pure Rock Heaven for me! I would have wished the album to stop after No Quarter but we still get The Ocean that seems a bit out of place. It's not bad as such and it swings in a sufficient way, but I don't know. Maybe it should have been programmed between Over the Hills and Far Away and The Crunge. 

So, while Houses of the Holy is not the band's best album in my opinion, it has a very high entertainment value and it gets lots of spins on my CD player, if only for No Quarter!

Rating: ********* (9 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record:  Everybody!!  Led Zeppelin’s Most Fun Album and one of the Classic Rock Albums of All Time. 

   

Glenfiddich 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Glenfiddich

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Speyside

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 40%

Chill-Filtration: Yes

Colour: Light Gold/Sunlight (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Mainly Sweet but with some Sour - and Mineral notes as well. I find Toasted Cereals, Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Brown Sugar, Honey, Caramel, Vanilla, Floral tones, Red Apples, Pear, Green Grape, Apple Vinegar, Lemon, Milk Chocolate, Grass, Dusty Road and Oak Shavings. The Alcohol is present but does not interfere with the Nosing procedures. It's clear that this Spirit was mainly matured in Ex-Bourbon casks. The Sherry influence is quite light.

Taste: Sweet and Thin. I find Malted Barley, Vanilla, Toffee, Honey, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Green Grapes, Red Apples, light Spices, Oak, Floral Perfume, Citrus and Nuts.

Finish: Short, Clean and Sweet with Toasted Cereals, Vanilla, Toffee, Caramel, Honey, Oak, Pear, Apple, Nuts, Grapes, Cinnamon and Ginger. 

With a couple of drops of water, Pear, Apple, Malt, Honey, Apple Vinegar, Citrus and the slightest hint of Peat become more evident on the Nose. On the Palate there’s not too much difference but the Ginger in the Finish becomes clearer. You can definitively play with a bit of water here. But as always, be careful not to overdo it!

Rating: 81.5  

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

General Remarks: It was Glenfiddich that initiated the Single Malt business back in the sixties. Glenfiddich means Valley of the Deer and many of you will remember having seen the famous stag on the Packaging of this Single Malt at least once in your life! It’s one of the best selling Single Malt in the world. At a price of around US$ 40, it’s relatively inexpensive. It ages in Ex-Sherry and Ex-Bourbon Casks. The Distillery was founded in 1886 and is located in Dufftown and is still family owned by William Grant & Sons Ltd. It’s the biggest Distillery in Scotland with an annual capacity of around 10 million litres.

Drinking Experience Straight: Good

Conclusion: I think the Glenfiddich 12 is suffering from its own success. Best selling Single Malt in the world, Obvious choice in a Duty Free - or Travel Retail Shop, Affordable Price Level, Easily available, Everybody knows it, Very Large Distillery. Big Big Big! So, as a result of all this it can’t be good can it? Well I found it to be surprisingly good actually. It’s not overly complicated of course but highly drinkable! Sometimes it reminds me a bit of a Grappa or Eau de Vie. The Nose is crisp, the Palate is easy going and the finish fresh and clean. Maybe a touch too Woody! It will never be one of my favourite Single Malts but I can see why it’s so popular all over the world!

Jan van den Ende                                       June 22, 2012 and March 27,2017

Grand Old Parr 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Grand Old Parr

Bottled by MacDonald Greenlees, Edinburgh

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 12 Y

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: First impressions are Malt, Oak, Toffee, Orange and a tad (Peat) Smoke. There is a light sour Rubber-like off-note suggesting the use of some Refill Ex- Sherry casks. In the background some Leather, Raisins, Pineapple and spices like Clove and Cinnamon.

Taste: Sweet Cereals, Malt, Brown Sugar, Pepper, Oak, Tobacco and Cinnamon.

Finish: Initially Sweet but Quite Dry in the end. Malt, light Peat, Pepper and a bit of Honey and Lemon. Licorice after a couple of minutes.

When adding a couple of drops of water you get more Malt, Toffee and Peat on the Nose. The Palate gets a little watery. The Finish starts sweet but some Licorice pops up and it ends up dry. You can experiment a bit with a few drops of water.

Rating: 79  

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

Cragganmore

General Remarks: This blend is named after Thomas Parr, an Englishman said to have died at the age of 152 years and nine months. Thomas was renowned during his lifetime for his wisdom and maturity. He was interred at Westminster Abbey in the year 1635. The Blend was introduced by the Greenlees brothers in 1871. Today, the two main suppliers of Malt whisky for this Blend are owned by Diageo, namely Cragganmore and Glendullan. The packaging is very retro and the bottle is quite old-fashioned as well. South America has always been one of the main markets for Old Parr. In Western Europe this Blend disappeared in the 80's. The average price is around 35 US Dollars (April 2017)

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay (Score: Parr)

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: Well, I’m afraid you’ve heard and read this story before. It’s not a bad Blend but it’s a bit boring and utterly forgettable. It's quite inoffensive but I can’t really recommend it either. When you get a bottle, best drink it on the Rocks!

Jan van den Ende                                                                   June 17, 2012

Glendullan

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Country: Scotland

Brand: Grand Old Parr

Bottled by MacDonald Greenlees, Edinburgh

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 12 Y

Alcohol: 43%
Miniature received as a gift from my parents in law. Thanks a lot! According to them it was purchased somewhere in the late 1970's or early 1980's.

Colour: Dark Ember/Copper (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Barley and Sherry are the main drivers on the Nose. This Old Parr needs a bit of air contact by the way as it only shows its deeper Aromas after a while in the glass. I find Cake baked using first class Butter, Straw, Sweet Cereals, Dried Fruit like Sultanas and Raisins, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Pepper, Clove, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Toasted Oak and hints of Leather and tinned Pineapple. The Alcohol is not entirely integrated.   

Taste: Sweet, Pleasant and Malty with Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Toffee, Dried Fruit (Sultanas, Raisins, Figs), Straw, Honey, Toasted Oak, Orange, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and a hint of Tobacco. The ABV of 43% gives it just enough weight.

Finish: Middle-Long. Sweet at first. A little Dry and Oaky towards the end. I find Sweet Barley, Toffee, Dried Fruits, Honey, Orange - and Lemon- Peel, Toasted Oak, Menthol, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger and light Licorice.

This expression does not improve with added Water. Sip it neat. 

Rating: 83.5  

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: When comparing these two expressions of the Old Parr 12 years I found that the basic Aromas and Flavours are not that different. The older expression benefits from the more adequate ABV of 43%. Still, there is one big difference between the two. The bottle that I bought in 2012 in Brazil is not bad but hopelessly boring and is better enjoyed over Ice. The old Expression that was bottled in the 70's/80's however is perfectly enjoyable when sipped Neat. I am fully convinced that the difference comes from the casks. In the new version I got Rubber and it probably had Sulphur as well but my Nose wasn't quite that experienced back in 2012. The result of indifferent casks. The old expression however probably used good quality 2nd Refill Ex-Bourbon - and Ex-Oloroso casks. As a result this 1970's/1980's Grand Old Parr 12 years is a very pleasant Blend. I've looked at some prices on line and you must expect to pay at least 250 US Dollar for a full bottle (April 2017). That's too expensive for what it offers of course. But without any doubt the Grand Old Parr 12 Years would have been one of my to-go-to Blends in the 70's. My score is 4 under Parr!  I was only drinking Beer and Wine at that time however! Isn't it a pity!

Stills at Cragganmore

Pink Floyd - Meddle - Review

Songs: One Of These Days, A Pillow Of Winds, Fearless, San Tropez, Seamus, Echoes.

Type of Music: Psychedelic Rock with touches of Folk, Jazz and Blues.    

Comments:

Let me start by saying that I love this Album. It relaxes me completely. It's lounge music produced in 1971 when nobody had ever heard of that musical concept. And then to think that the band had no real ideas when they went to the studio(s) from time to time between concerts for their Atom Heart Mother Tour. They just experienced with basic ideas and sound effects. Amazing! 

Without any doubt this is the Floyd´s most consistent Album thus far. Gone is the orchestra from Atom Heart Mother. This is the Pink Floyd that would go on and make Dark Side Of The Moon and other top-class Albums. Listen carefully and you will hear the musical ideas for Shine On You Crazy Diamond developing. Meddle is almost a combination of Atom Heart Mother and More. It has the same structure as Atom Heart Mother with a couple of songs on side 1 and an extensive suite on side 2 and it has the same great atmosphere as More. Actually, Meddle sounds like the soundtrack of a film that unfortunately was never made. 

But the difference lay in the quality of the songs. First of all they fit together very well. You will remember that More included two hard rock songs that were completely out of place on that album. That´s not the case here. It's a very fluent album. And secondly the band is maturing rapidly, both in writing songs and playing their instruments. Listen to the guitar solos in Echoes and you'll know what I mean! 

The album opens with the song everybody knows: One of these Days with its pounding rhythm of organ, (bass)guitars and drums. One of these days I'm going to cut you into little pieces sounds like a follow up to Eugene be careful with that axe.
It´s followed by the gentle love ballad A Pillow of Winds. This could easily have been written by Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel. A simple but very nice melody and a beautiful (acoustic) guitar line. 
Then we have the intriguing Fearless that sounds like a lot of the songs the Floyd would do later in their career. It contains parts of You Never Walk Alone, sung by Liverpool Supporters. A lot of people believe this inclusion to be unnecessary but I think it strengthens the meaning of the song. And sound effects are an important part of the band's music.
San Tropez is a jazzy shuffle about a lazy day in that famous beach resort in Southern France. It is followed by a traditional blues pastiche called Seamus. Seamus is Steve Marriott´s (Small Faces) dog and he makes his debut here. These two songs form a nice contrast with the more serious sound of One Of These Days and Echoes. And while they are different, they don't break the flow of the album.

And, to finish off Meddle, we get Echoes, a suite that occupied the whole of Side 2 of the original vinyl record.  It has everything that makes Pink Floyd such a great band. The main theme is very strong. And it´s still rather pure and not too clearly influenced by commercial drivers. Just close your eyes for 23 minutes and imagine yourself somewhere on the bottom of the ocean studying whales. Or reading one of my album or whisky Reviews.. Or whatever you feel like doing at the bottom of the ocean. I know that a lot of Albums and Sound Tracks about the sea have similar passages and maybe some are even better or more precise. But I don't care! Just enjoy Meddle, another great Pink Floyd Album that will make you feel so much better after having listened to it after one of your stress filled days.

Rating: ********* (9 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record:  Everybody. This is an Essential Pink Floyd Album.

BenRiach 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: BenRiach

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Speyside

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 43%

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: Light but pleasant Fruity Nose with Peach, Pineapple, Orange Zest and Fresh White Coconut Meat. Very clear Butter tone as well. A bit more in the background I find some young Oak, Vanilla, Malt, Cereal, Honey and an Earthy tone. It’s not outright Peat but more like Grass.

Taste: Slightly thin delivery.Sweeter than expected after the Fruity Nose. Honey, Custard, Marzipan, Caramel. Light Spices (Cinnamon, Pepper and Nutmeg), Young Oak.

Finish: Sweet at first with Honey and Sugared Roasted (Pea) Nuts or even Peanut Butter. However, Spices (Nutmeg and Ginger), Lemon and Apple lead to a quite dry finish in the end.

I added a couple of drops of water and the Nose gains Floral and Malty Notes. On the Palate however the added water does no good and the Finish becomes too Sugary. I prefer this Single Malt without the extra water despite its 43%.

Rating: 84,5

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

General Remarks:  The BenRiach Distillery is located just outside the city of Elgin. It was founded in 1897 but was closed down for many years during its lifetime. Currently it’s one of the few independently owned distilleries in Scotland. Annual production capacity amounts to around 2.8 million litres. All whisky is aged in ex-Bourbon Casks.

Drinking Experience Neat:  Good

Conclusion: Very light and pleasant Speyide Nose with lots of Fruit and Grassy tones. On the Palate this Single Malt was a bit sweeter than I expected. The Finish starts (too) sweet but ends up clean and dry. A minor point of criticism would be the Oak. I would not easily give this whisky 12 years. Especially in the Finish but also on the Palate I find the Wood a bit young and harsh. Not an all time favourite of mine like the 16-Years but certainly a well crafted Single Malt that I can recommend to beginning Whisky drinkers and friends of a not too complicated but efficient Speyside Malt.

Jan van den Ende                                                                 June 10,2012

Chieftain's Auchroisk 11 Years Medoc Finish Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Chieftain’s Auchroisk Medoc Finish

Bottled by: Ian Macleod & Comp. Ltd., Edinburgh

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Speyside

Age: 11 Years

Alcohol: 43%

Colour: Golden

Nose: Sour like Vinegar, Wood, Grains, Caramel, Malt, Harsh Alcohol, Light Peat, Hints of Red Fruit and Port Wine.

Taste: Not extremely pleasant. It’s harsh and hot with Spices (think of Nutmeg) and a strange Medicinal/Metallic off-note. Bit of Toffee/Caramel and a hint of Berries.

Finish: Bitter-Sweet with Wood and Spices. Fortunately it’s not very long.

With a few drops of water you get a few extra faint floral - and fruity tones on the Nose. Heather comes through and hints of Buttered Toast with a touch of Honey. The Nose certainly benefits from a bit of water. The Palate however does not and reveals a sloppy wood quality. The Finish practically disappears with the exception of a rather unpleasant sweetness that stays for a couple of minutes.

Rating: 70

  

Nose: 19 - Taste: 17 - Finish: 16,5 – Overall: 17,5

There are five Chieftain expressions in this gift-set. Let’s hope the three remaining ones are better than what we had so far.

General Remarks: Ian MacLeod is a so-called Independent Bottler. These companies play an important part in today’ s whisky industry. They buy casks of (young) spirit from Distilleries, mature them, finish them and bottle them, all at their own discretion and then sell the final product under their own label. This is all very attractive for whisky drinkers who look beyond the standard Distillery offerings. They are often bottled at cask strength and non-chill-filtered. Many times, but not always, Independent Bottlers offer products that are greatly appreciated.

The Auchroisk Distillery was only founded in 1974. It’s a large distillery, located in Banffshire ,with an annual production capacity of around 3,5 million litres. It is owned by the Diageo Group and is the Home Distillery for the J&B Rare Blend. The 11 Year Medoc finish was distilled in 1994 and bottled in 2005.

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Par.

Conclusion: Another Medoc Finish from Ian MacLeod and although it’s slightly better than the Dalmore 10, there is no cause for rejoicing. The Nose is not that bad and would have been even better if not for the Vinegar off-note. I feel that a high percentage of older Refill Casks have been used here. But Palate and Finish are quite disappointing and therefore I can’t recommend this Single Malt.

Jan van den Ende                                                                    June 6, 2012

Grand Macnish Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Grand Macnish

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: NAS

Alcohol: 40%

Color: Bright Gold

Nose: Sweet Grain, Malt, Caramel, Light Peat, Oak, Straw, Leather, Floral Tones (Think of Lavender), Honey and Lemon. A light Vinegar off-note. There’s a hint of fruit but I can’t pin it down. Peach maybe or Pineapple. Some Sharp Alcohol makes it a bit difficult to get to the heart of this Blend. Give it time to open up a bit. It’s not bad but I can’t really get excited about this.

Taste: Sweet Grain, Caramel, Toffee, Honey, Malt and Light Spices. It’ s quite sweet and smooth. A tad salty. Not earth-shocking but not bad either.

Finish: Short and Dry Speyside-type Finish with some Toffee, Oak and Floral notes. The Salt is still there as well.

I added a few drops of water that does nothing extra for the Nose but does enhance the Honey on the Palate and in the Finish. Just try it out.

Rating:  82

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

General Remarks: This Blend was created in 1863 by Robert McNish. It consists of around 40 Malt and Grain-Whiskies from a.o. Highland and Speyside. The Brand is currently owned by MacDuff International, Glasgow. It’s not widely available around the world although it’s been produced constantly since 1863. It was a favorite of the well-known writer Ernest Hemingway. The bottle is quite old-fashioned.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Okay

Conclusion: This is one of those few occasions where I rate the Nose lower than the Palate. The Nose is really uneventful. Nothing to write home about. But on the Palate the Grand Macnish is very smooth and the Honey tone is very nice. The Finish is on the Short side. If you can get this Blend it will cost you around 35 Dollars, which is a good price for this Blend, especially when you like the combination of Speyside and Highland whiskies.

Jan van den Ende                                                                  June 2, 2012

Talisker 10 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Talisker

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Highland (Island: Skye)

Age: 10 Years

Alcohol: 45,8%
Chill-Filtration: Yes

Fully Recommended!

Colour: Light (Amber) Gold (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Somehow I had expected an overwhelming nose but it’s quite restrained actually. We start with Moderate Peat, Light Smoke, Leather, Old Books, Iodine, Salt, Brine, Shell Fish sprinkled with Lemon, Diesel, Pepper, Menthol, Wood and Mineral tones. When you have just opened a new bottle, there’s quite a bit of rather sharp Alcohol there so give it time to open up properly. After a while some Brown Sugar, Dried Fruits (Think of Raisins and Apricots), Malt and lightly sugared Orange Zests.

Taste: There’s a lot going on here. The delivery is reasonably strong thanks to its 45,6%. I find Sweet Barley, Pepper, Leather, Light (Peat) Smoke, Tobacco, Ashes, Citrus, Green Apples, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Salted Almonds and Mustard. 

Finish: This is the strongest part of this Single Malt. It’s long, rough and rather dry. Sharp Jalapeno Peppers, Smoke, Leather, Dark Chocolate, Wet Earth, Oak, Cinnamon, Diesel, Menthol, hints of Smoked Salted Fish and Bacon. A finish you are not likely to forget very quickly.

I added a couple of drops of water that brought more Peat and Heather to the Nose. On the Palate, the Pepper retreats a bit and the fruity Citrus tones come to the foreground. The Finish however gets watered down and looses its magic. Still there’s plenty of room to play with a little water here.

Rating: 88
  

Nose: 21 – Taste: 22 – Finish: 23 – Overall: 22

General Remarks: The Talisker distillery is located in Carbost on the shores of Loch Harport on the Isle of Skye. It produces 2,6 million litres per year. It’s part of the Diageo Group.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: This is an extremely well crafted Single Malt. After a restrained Nose, lots of different flavors fight for your attention on the Palate, followed by an exceptional Finish that you are not likely to forget for the rest of your life. But while the Palate gives away a world of flavors, I miss some balance there. In particular I would have liked to see some sherry or honey tones to balance the Peat and the Spices. The Cinnamon can’t do that all by itself. I give it a high score because I think it’s a very well made Single Malt and it certainly stands out in the sea of colourless whiskies. It's one of my to-go-to Peated Islay Malts alongside the Ardbeg 10, the Caol Ila 12 and the Laphroaig 10.

Jan van den Ende                                June 2, 2012 and November 22, 2017