Sheep Dip Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Sheep Dip

Bottled by Spencerfield Spirit Company, Inverkeithing

Type: Blended Malt Whisky

Age: 8-12 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 14-04-2012

Colour:  Gold/Copper

Nose: Combination of light Peat with Fresh Fruit (Melon, Orange, Pear maybe) and Dried Fruits (Apple, Sultanas). I also find Grains, Malt, Hay, some Oak and lightly salted Almonds.

Taste: Sweet delivery with lots of Brown Sugar, Honey, Toffee, Oak and Light Spices.

Finish: Sweet with Honey, Vanilla, light Spices, Cocoa and a touch of Orange liquor lingering for a minute or two.

When adding a couple of drops of water you get a little bit additional fresh fruit on the nose. Taste wise you just water it down and it gets slightly bitter so my advice is to drink this Vatted Blend straight.

Rating:  84,5 

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

General Remarks: Alex Nicol, who used to work for Whyte and Mackay, Laphroaig and Glenmorangie, founded The Spencerfield Spirit Company. The Sheep Dip Blend was prepared by Richard Paterson of Whyte and Mackay fame. British farmers have long referred to whisky as Sheep Dip. There was a time when farmers distilled their own “home-made” whisky and in order to avoid paying taxes they hid the whisky in barrels marked “Sheep Dip”. It contains 16 Single Malts from the main four Scottish production regions (Mostly Highlands and Speyside) that have aged in First Fill Oak Barrels. The sheep on the label looks more like an angry dog by the way!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: This is a very nice Malt Blend with a Highland nose and Speyside characteristics on the Palate. It’s very well balanced although I would have preferred to get at least a hint of smoke. There’s some Peat on the Nose and a little bit of Salt that suggest that an Islay - and/or Island – and/or coastal Distillery was married into this Blend. This Blend is not for Islay addicts but if you dig Speysiders and Highlanders, this is a safe choice at a reasonable price!

Jan van den Ende                                                                     April 2012

McClelland's Lowland Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: McClelland’s

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Lowland

Age: Not specified but most likely around 5 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 19/02/2012

Colour: Yellow Gold

Nose: There’s not too much going on here. Bitter Sweet with Malt, Oak, Light Peat, Caramel and Sharp Alcohol, which was to be expected given its relative youth. There are some fruity tones there in the back but you really have to look for them. And then they are not even really pleasant. Like slightly bitter Orange -or Tangerine Juice. A faint hint of Spices.

Taste:  The delivery is harsh with Alcohol, Wood, Malt and Sugar. There’s a Bite on the palate. Little bit of Sherry is not enough to save this.

I added a few drops of water but it doesn’t make any difference.

Finish: Short and Bitter. Wood and a Bit of Toffee.

Rating:  72,5(out of 100)

Nose 19– Taste 18 – Finish 17,5 – Overall 18

General Remarks: A McClelland’s Distillery does not exist. It’s a series of 5 Single Malt Whiskies from the main Scottish production areas. Four of them, the Highland, the Lowland, the Speyside and the Islay are NAS or Non-Age Specified. In 2008, a Speyside 12 Years was added. McClelland’s Parent company is Morrison Bowmore Distilleries (Suntory Group). They are the owners of Auchentoshan (Lowland), Bowmore (Islay) and Glen Garioch (Highland). So we only have to guess where the Speyside is produced I would say! We can safely assume that the Auchentoshan Distillery produced this Lowland Malt. You can find my tasting notes on their 12 Year Expression on the site. Didn’t score very high and neither does this one. McClelland’s main markets are the USA, Canada, Japan and France.

Drinking Experience Neat: Average

Conclusion: Smooth and Light like the landscape. That’s how a Lowland Whisky is supposed to taste!

Unfortunately that’s not the case here. Instead it’s Harsh, Bitter, Sugary Sweet and Dull. It’s cheap at around USD 30, - but I can think of better ways to spend my money!

Jan van den Ende                                                                   February 2012

Glenmorangie Original 10 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Glenmorangie The Original

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Highland

Age: 10 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 25/11/2011, 24/05/2012 and 10/01/2015

Colour: Golden Straw

Nose: Sweet but not too Sweet. I find Butterscotch, Toffee, Oak, Nuts, Orange Zest, Mandarin, Sweet Malt, Honey, Peach, Mint and Floral Tones. The alcohol is present so the whisky needs to open up for 20 minutes or so before nosing.

Taste: Sweet and Creamy with Barley Sugar, Oak, Orange, Mandarin, Peach, Toffee, Nuts, Vanilla, Nutmeg, Pepper, Ginger and light Licorice

Finish: Quite Long with Sugared Oranges, Mandarin, Lemon, Clean Oak, Malt, Nutmeg and Ginger. Quite nice for a 10 Year Old. 

Rating: 85.5 

Nose 21,5 – Taste 21.5 - Finish 21 - Overall 21.5

General Remarks: The necks of the stills of Glenmorangie are the tallest in Scotland and are replicas of the first gin stills that were installed at its opening around 1845. These stills produce a fresh and clean spirit. I added half a teaspoon of water but won’t do that again. The nose is gone and the whisky gets the taste of a cheap blend. I also believe that this Single Malt would greatly benefit from a bottling at 43 or maybe even 46% alcohol but that would ofcourse increase the price. At the moment, the Glenmorangie 10 sells at 45 US Dollars (Early 2015)

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: The Original has a pleasant while not spectacular nose and is easy going on the palate. The finish is quite okay for such a young spirit. I have a slight preference for the comparable The Balvenie Double Wood but both are certainly acceptable choices for your everyday bedtime dram. And they are affordable!

Update: In subsequent tastings after November 2011 I have noticed that the young alcohol gradually disappears on the nose once the bottle has been opened for a while. Therefore I have added 0,5 points to the nose.

Update May 2012

Very minor changes really. I got a bit of Nuts and more Oak on the Nose that I hadn't noticed in earlier tastings. Good and affordable To Go To Dram.

Update January 2015

I slightly rearranged the notes and added some details. But the score stands and also the conclusion that this is a good everyday dram at a reasonable price.

Jan van den Ende                                                               January 10, 2015

Glenfarclas 10 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Glenfarclas

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Speyside

Age: 10 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Straw/Pale Gold

Nose: Sherry, Sweet Wine comparable to the Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or, Creamy Malt. Bits of Oak, Spices and Smoke and even a hint of Leather in the back of the glass. Maybe some Orange zest or bitter sweet English Marmalade. Nicely done with enough flavors to look for. If anything, maybe a wee bit on the sweet side.

Taste:  The delivery is slightly Spicy with more Oak coming through. Cinnamon for sure. Sherry’s still there but less than you would expect.

Finish: Uneventful but long with Spices and Wood. Some unexpected Saltiness after a couple of minutes.

Rating:  84 

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

General Remarks:

I added a couple of drops of water that brought out some Heather and more Malt in the nose and actually extends the finish, bringing up some Honey as well. Still I preferred it neat, especially on the nose. But this malt accepts some water so just try it out. But always be careful not to overdo it. Just a couple of drops if you’re using a nosing glass.

Conclusion:  A very nice and interesting nose. On the palate it’s okay although maybe a bit too spicy for this particular Single Malt. As it is, nose and taste are slightly unbalanced. The long finish requires some attention and patience as salty tones pop up when you would least expect them.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Jan van den Ende                                                                      14/10/2011