Ardbeg Day 2012 Review

“Ardbeg Christmas Day”

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Ardbeg Day 2012

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS

ABV: 56.7% 
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 582
Buying Advice: 😔  It's a good Single Malt but there are better and less expensive alternatives in the Ardbeg portfolio.

Colour: Golden Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose: Young, slightly Rough, Peaty, Mineral, Lemony and Ashy. The Ex-Sherry Cask Finish is there but it's hardly noticeable. I find Wet Earth, light Campfire Smoke, Soot, Tar, Rubber, Wet Sand, Brine, Iodine, Diesel, Toasted Cereals, lightly Burnt Toast, light Vanilla, Straw mixed with Cow Manure, light Leather, Fish and Shell Fish on the BBQ, Dusty Road, Lemon, Mandarin, Salted Nuts, Sugared Tea, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and a hint of Banana/Muesli/Chocolate Bars. On the Nose, the Ardbeg Day has some elements from the 10, the Ardbog and the Uigeadail but it can't outshine any of those. I especially miss the Fruity tones. At the most I get some slightly Sour Apples. The Day is better though than the Perpetuum I tasted recently.      

Palate: Relatively Young, quite Fiery, Oily and a little Hot. I find Earthy Peat, Campfire Smoke, Tar, Soot, Ashes, Rubber, Brine, Iodine, Gasoline, Leather, Toasted Cereals, slightly Burnt Caramel, Fish and Shell Fish on the BBQ, Mandarin, Lime, Oak, light Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Licorice, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, Christmas Spices, Aniseed, Menthol, Straw, Black Espresso, Apple Juice and a hint of Chocolate.     

Finish: Middle-Long with Dirty Earth, Campfire Smoke, Brine, Cigar Ashes, Soot, Tar, Wet Sand, Toasted Cereals, slightly Burnt Caramel, Gasoline, Rubber, Oak Char, Licorice, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Aniseed, Salt, Fish and Shell Fish on the BBQ, Menthol, Black Espresso, Apple Flavoured Candies, light Vanilla, Lime and a hint of Chocolate.     

The Ardbeg Day accepts a little Water without any problems thanks to the more than adequate ABV. On the Nose, the Peat, Smoke and Tar retreat and Mineral - and Citrus Aromas become more noticeable. The Finish becomes too Short but on the Palate you will get more Fruity Aromas like Apple and Pineapple. You can certainly play with a little water here! 

Rating: 85.5

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: This Ardbeg Day was bottled at Cask Strength in February 2012 and released later that year as a Committee Bottling during the end of May/begin of June 2012 Islay Festival (Feis Ile). Two, 8-12 Year Old, Vintage Ardbeg Single Malts were used for this Ardbeg Day. They matured in Ex-Bourbon casks, were married and finished for around six months in Refill Ex-Sherry Casks that were earlier used to mature Uigeadail. Around 12.000 bottles went to the market. Initially the price amounted to around 90 US Dollars but at the moment the price on auctions is more likely to be slightly over 300 US Dollars (December 2016).

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: If you like young peaty Ardbeg Whisky you can't go wrong with the Ardbeg Day 2012. The Peat, Smoke, Soot, Tar, Iodine, Brine and Rubber Aromas and Flavours can't be missed and are straight to the point. But if you are looking for a little more substance, subtlety and balance, this will not be your favourite Ardbeg. Personally I prefer the Uigeadail, the Supernova and even the Ardbog over this Day. Does that mean the Day 2012 is a bad Single Malt? Certainly not! But it's a bit straight forward and without the details and subtleties that create a truly great whisky. And it's way too expensive of course but so are most of Ardbeg's limited editions!   

Jan van den Ende                                                              December 19, 2016

Clynelish 1997 (Chester) Review

“Messy, But Somehow It Works”

Country: Scotland
Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Clynelish 

Bottled By/For: Chester Whisky & Liqueur Company Ltd, Chester (UK)
Type: Single Malt Whisky (Single Cask) 
Age: 15 Years 

ABV: 53.2% 
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 581
Buying Advice: 😃  Positive. Interesting! Adequate Price/Quality Ratio.

Colour: Golden Chardonnay (Natural Colour) 

Nose: Ripe Fruit, Green - and Cooked Vegetables and Fresh Herbs are my first impressions. The typical Clynelish Wax is there as well and it's slightly aggressive this time around. I also find Malt, Buttered Toast, Straw and Grass, Heather-Honey, Orange, Lemon, Pineapple in Syrup, Banana, White Grape Juice, Vanilla, Mango, Green Tomato, light Pepper, light Salt and some Mineral - and light Metallic notes. The Alcohol is strong but reasonably well-integrated. There's some Acidity around as well. It's not a very complicated Nose but it's quite interesting as it's not easy at all to name the various Aromas, especially the Vegetables and Herbs. This Clynelish might keep you busy for an hour or so!  

Palate: Fruity, a little Mineral and Bitter-Sweet. The delivery is good and the Spirit is slightly Oily. I find Malt, Toasted Cereals, Straw and Grass, White Grape Juice, Pear, Pineapple, Grapefruit, Vanilla, Nuts, Lemon, Tutti Frutti Bubble Gum, Nuts, Heather-Honey, Pepper, Salt, Ginger, Cloves, Cinnamon, Candle Wax and  a little Milk Chocolate.   

Finish: Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet. Quite Dry in the end with some Mineral, Metallic and Salty Notes. I also find Toasted Cereals, Nuts, Vanilla, Orchard Fruit, Banana, Pineapple, Bitter Lemon, Heather-Honey, Herbal Tea, Coriander, Tutti Frutti Bubble Gum, Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Cloves and a hint of Milk Chocolate.    

I added a little Water and on the Nose, the Lemon practically explodes. Quite Mineral as well. Palate and Finish become too Thin for my taste.

Rating: 86

Nose: 22 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: Clynelish Distillery was opened in 1819 and rebuilt in 1896. In 1968 a new Clynelish Distillery was erected nearby and the old Distillery was renamed Brora (The Bridges River). Brora was closed in May 1983 and part of the buildings are used by Clynelish, now owned by Diageo. A lot of the production is destined to be part of the JW Blends. 

The Clynelish I am tasting today was distilled in 1997 and matured in an Ex-Bourbon Hogshead. It was bottled at Cask Strength by Independent bottler Chester Whisky & Liqueur Company Ltd, Chester (UK) in 2012. Unfortunately, this company closed its doors a year later. It costs around 80 US Dollars but it won't be easy to find as only 197 bottles went to the market (December 2016).

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I've tasted several Clynelish Indie expressions that were distilled in 1997. Some I did like, others less so. I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of this Distillery in general but I kinda liked the Tasting Experience of this Chester Clynelish. There's a lot to discover and you won't get bored when sniffing and tasting this Single Malt. I wouldn't call it a very Well-Balanced Malt but somehow this mixed bag of Aromas and Flavours works. I can't see me drinking this Clynelish on a day-to-day basis but I certainly wouldn't say no to the occasional dram.

Jan van den Ende                                                              December 12, 2016

Wolfburn Review

“Will the Wolf Survive“

Country: Scotland
Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Wolfburn (Handcrafted)

Type: Single Malt Whisky 
Age: NAS (In fact 3 Years) 

ABV: 46% 
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 580
Buying Advice: 😔  Negative. The Price/Quality Ratio is inadequate at this point in time. This distillery has potential but only time can give us the answer.

Colour: Pale Straw/White Wine (Natural Colour) 

Nose: Young and Underdeveloped but not totally Unpleasant. The Earthy, Dusty Peat and the Smoke from a Distant Fire are noticeable but they remain quietly in the background. Toasted or even slightly Burnt Cereals, Green Vegetables , Grass and Straw are important drivers. I also find Vanilla, Unripe Orchard Fruit (mainly Pears), Lemon-Grass, Salted Nuts, Pencil Shavings, Dough, Toast, Fresh - and Dried Herbs, light Plastic and light Floral notes. By law, this Wolfburn can be qualified as a Whisky and in fact it developed well in just three years. Still, I get frequent images of German Obstler and Italian Grappa when nosing this Malt. The Alcohol is not fully integrated of course and it's a little Edgy. There are promising signs on the Nose but this Wolfburn is still far away from being a sufficiently developed Scottish whisky.

Palate: Slightly Creamy and a little Hot but certainly not Watery. The Alcohol and Youth are quite noticeable now. I also find Toasted Cereals, Unripe or Green Orchard Fruit, Green Grapes, Salted Nuts, Dough, Vanilla, Grass, Lemon, light Plastic, Dusty Road, Caramel, Floral Notes, Pepper, Ginger, Grappa, Mint and Oak. The Earthy Peat and light Smoke remain in the background.     

Finish: Not overly Long, Bitter Sweet, a little Hot and with a light Metallic (Iron) off-note at the end. The Dusty Peat and light Smoke remain in the background and are certainly not aggressive. I find Toasted Cereals, Toasted Salted Nuts, Beer, Vanilla, Unripe Pear, Grapefruit Juice, light Oak, Pepper, light Licorice and hints of Tutti-Frutti Bubblegum, Tobacco and Chocolate. 

I added a little Water and on the Nose, the Orchard Fruit develops. It's actually closer to a New Make Spirit this way. Palate and Finish become too Thin.

Rating: 80 

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 20

General Remarks: Wolfburn is a very young distillery. It was founded in 2013 on the outskirts of Thurso, very close to the ruins of the old Wolfburn distillery that was founded in 1821 but closed down at the end of the 19th century. Wolfburn is owned by Aurora Brewing Ltd and has a current production capacity of 135.000 litres. It replaced Pulteney as Scotland's most northerly distillery on the mainland. The Wolfburn I'm tasting today was released in early 2016 and is the first general official bottling. It matured in Refill Ex-Bourbon Barrels and a few Quarter casks that previously held Islay Malt. The average price is around 50 US Dollars (December 2016). 

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good. 

Conclusion: The Wolfburn certainly shows potential as the Spirit developed quite nicely in only three years time. We all love new distilleries and we all wish them well. We also understand the necessity of young distilleries to make some quick money to control the cash-flow as the investments are heavy. Nevertheless, we also need to look at it from a consumer's perspective. Should we really pay 50 US Dollars for such a young, underdeveloped Malt as is this Wolfburn? Our hearts may say yes but our heads will tell us to wait a little longer. We can only hope that this young distillery, like others in a similar situation, will manage to overcome the first difficult years. In fact, I honestly believe the Scottish Development Bank should have adequate credit lines in place for new, starting whisky distilleries. Lines that consider the fact that good whisky needs time to mature. So the question is: Will the Wolf Survive?". Based on this young Malt I certainly hope that Wolfburn will.     

Jan van den Ende                                                                December 8, 2016

Wolfburn Distillery

Peat's Beast Cask Strength Review

“The Beauty Within the Beast“

Country: Scotland
Region: Unknown (Possibly Speyside)

Brand: Peat's Beast 

Type: Single Malt Whisky 
Released by: Fox Fitzgerald Ltd, Hereford, UK 
Age: NAS 

ABV: 52.1% (Cask Strength)
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 579
Buying Advice: 😐 
Negative if you're not into Peated Whisky. If you're a fan of young Islay Whisky, the Peat's Beast could be an interesting alternative.

Colour: Golden Hay/Chardonnay (Perhaps Lightly Artificially Coloured) 

Nose: Floral Peat, Wet Soccer Field, light Smoke, light Ashes, light Soot, light Plastic, Medicine, Yeast, slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Toasted Cereals, Straw, Salted Peanuts, Vanilla, light Heather-Honey, Caramel, Orchard Fruit, Shell Fish or Fish on the BBQ, Lemon-Pepper, Cinnamon, Dried Herbs and hints of Dusty Road and Tobacco. There's a quite Young feel to the Noise and I would assume that 5-7 Year old whiskies were used for this Malt. The Alcohol is quite strong of course and it's not fully integrated. But it also doesn't interfere too much with the Nosing procedures. The Peat is strong but not in an aggressive way. With more cask time the Peat's Beast has certainly the potential to develop into a well-balanced whisky. It's good to give the Beast some time in the glass. This way the Fruity flavours are able to develop and after 20 minutes or so I found slightly Sour Apples and some Pineapple.   

Palate: Young and Strong with Earthy Peat, slightly Dirty Smoke, Soot, Ashes, Tar, Oak Char, Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Vanilla, Fish or Shell Fish on the BBQ, Salted Bacon, Sour Green Apples, Pineapple, Banana, Herbal Tea, Lemon, Licorice, Pepper, Cardamom, Cumin Gouda Cheese, Strong Black Espresso, Dark Chocolate, Cocoa Powder and Leather.    

Finish: Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet, slightly Hot, Spicy and Dry towards the end. I find Toasted Cereals, Earthy Peat, slightly Dirty Smoke, Soot, Tar, Ashes, Herbal Tea, Cumin Gouda Cheese, Leather, Caramel, Sour Apples, Grapefruit, Bacon, Oak Char, Vanilla, Pepper, Ginger, Cardamom, Licorice, Strong Black Espresso and Dark Chocolate with a high Cocoa content.     

I added a little Water and on the Nose, the Peat and Smoke retreat to give more space to Floral - and Citrus Aromas. On the Palate, the Fruit develops better. It does make the Finish rather Short and Thin. You can add a few drops but please don't overdo it.

Rating: 84 

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21

General Remarks: The Peat Beast was a monster that roamed the peat bogs of Scotland hunting down the purest dirtiest peat. Or so the legend tells us at least. In 2011, Fox Fitzgerald released the first Peat Beast in its honour with an ABV of 46% and a peat level of 30-35 ppm. Packaging and Presentation are very nice and the Beast was drawn by Brazilian born artist Doug Alves. In 2014 the Cask Strength expression that I am reviewing today hit the market. It's a big secret where this Single Malt was distilled. As there is no reference to Islay on the packaging I will assume it was not produced there. The Peat Beast is not Chill-Filtered and matured in Ex-Bourbon casks. It is priced at an average 50 US Dollars (December 2016). More recently, a Peat's Beast Cask Strength PX cask Finish has been released by Fox Fitzgerald.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good despite its obvious Youth.

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: First of all I would like to give kudos to Fox Fitzgerald for the nice Story, Presentation and Packaging of the Peat's Beast. The marketing part really deserves full marks. As for the whisky itself, it's certainly not bad if you are into peated whiskies. The Peat is strong of course but not in an aggressive way. The ABV is probably a tad too high for such a young Spirit. And here we come to the main issue. The Peat's Beast is a young whisky and it did not get time to fully take advantage of the wood contact. And that's a real pity because I believe that this Spirit would benefit tremendously from a longer maturation, especially in terms of balance. I would love to try a 12 Years Cask Strength version! Well, who knows what the future holds. Because there is certainly beauty within this beast. Finally, do I have an idea where this Single Malt was distilled? Honestly I don't have a clue. The only thing I can say is that the Peat's Beast reminded me of a more mature version of the BenRiach Birnie Moss that I reviewed earlier. But your guess is as good as mine! 

Jan van den Ende                                                                December 5, 2016

Could this be the home of the Beast?

anCnoc Cutter Review

“Guilty Pleasure” 

Country: Scotland
Region: Highland (Eastern)

Brand: anCnoc Cutter (Limited Peated Edition 20.5 ppm)

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Distilled at: Knockdhu

Age: NAS

ABV: 46%
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 576
Buying Advice:😐 Interesting alternative for Peat lovers. Stay away if you're not into Young Peated Whisky. Perhaps a little too expensive!

Colour: Pale Straw/White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose: The Peat Aroma is surprisingly coastal for a peated Highlander. I find Iodine, Campfire Smoke, Dusty Earth, light Soot and Tar, Cigar Ashes, Salted Meat on the BBQ, Sweet Malted Cereals, slightly Burnt Toast, Toffee, light Cocoa Powder, Mocca, Salted Nuts, light Vanilla, light Heather-Honey, Demerara Sugar, Charred Oak, Lemon Peel, Herbs (Mint), a little Dark Chocolate and some Mineral/Metallic notes. The Alcohol is not fully integrated and comes across as a little aggressive. There are some Fruity notes but they are hidden under a screen of Peat. Give the Cutter some time in the glass and you will find some Nectarine. On the Nose the Cutter is not unpleasant but the Peaty Aromas are very dominant and the Alcohol is a little harsh. The Cutter could have done with some more time in the cask, that's for sure. 

Palate: Quite Young, a little Edgy but still quite interesting. I find Dusty Earth, Campfire Smoke, Cigar Ashes, Soot and Tar, Iodine, Toasted Cereals, slightly Burnt Toast, Salted Nuts, Dried Herbs, Leather, Apple Juice or Cider, Nectarine, light Vanilla, Citrus Peel, Lemon-Pepper, Aniseed, Espresso and Dark Chocolate.    

Finish: Quite Long, Peaty, Spicy and Fruity with Dusty Peat, Campfire Smoke, Cigar Ashes, Iodine, Soot and Tar, slightly Burnt Toast, Bread Dough, Toasted Cereals, Apple, Pear, Lemon - and Orange Peel, Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Aniseed, Salted Nuts, Grapefruit Juice, Leather, Espresso and Dark Chocolate. This is my favourite part of the Cutter.

I added a little Water and the Nose becomes quite Floral while the Peat and Smoke retreat. Quite Fruity and a little Floral as well on the Palate. The Finish is a bit on the Short Side this way. Still, you can carefully experiment with a couple of drops.

Rating: 85.5

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 22 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: The Knockdhu distillery was constructed in 1893 by DCL. It closed 90 years later in 1983 but was acquired in 1988 by Inver House Distillers Ltd. Production started again in 1989. Most of the whisky is used in blends like Haig, Hankey Bannister and Pinwhinnie. In 1993 Knockdhu started to market its Single Malt under the name anCnoc. They did this to avoid confusion with the Knockando distillery in Speyside. The core range consists of the 12, 18 and 24 Years. In 2014 some Limited Peated Editions were launched under the names of Rutter, Laughter, Tushkar and Cutter, all of them tools used in the extraction of Peat. This peated range was replaced in 2015/2016 by Rascan, Peatlands and Stack. The anCnoc Cutter I'm reviewing today was the peatiest whisky of the 4 released in 2014 with 20.5 ppm, measured over the finished Malt. It matured in Ex-Bourbon casks. It is still available in places at an average price of around 55 US Dollars (November 2016).   

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I kinda liked the Cutter although I probably shouldn't have. It's a Young Whisky, it's still rather immature and the Peaty Aromas and Flavours are quite dominant while the Alcohol is noticeable. But somehow there's just enough Fruit and Spices to keep things interesting. The Finish is really long considering the relatively short maturation. It's also surprisingly Briny and Coastal for a non Islay Whisky and in a Blind Tasting the Cutter could have been easily identified as a young Islay Malt. It's not very cheap for a NAS whisky but I have to admit that the people at Knockdhu did a decent job here. I feel that many of you might disagree with me on the Cutter as it's easy to consider it to be just a Young, Peaty NAS whisky. But take your time with this one as I did and you might come to respect the Cutter. A bit of a Guilty Pleasure, this one!

Jan van den Ende                                                              November 24, 2016

Bowmore 12 Years Review

“The Road to Islay”

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Bowmore

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 40%
Chill-Filtration: Yes
Buying Advice: 😀  Fully Recommended. Excellent Price/Quality Ratio.
Whisky Review # 574

Colour: Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Classic Bowmore with Toasted Malt, Buttered Toast, Coastal Peat, Brine, Coal Smoke, light Tar and Soot, Cigar Ashes, Iodine, Leather, light Vanilla, light Shell Fish, Sour Apples, Citrus Peel, Mango Creme, Dark Red Fruit (Berries and Grapes), very light Honey, Straw, Dusty Road, Pepper and Ginger. Everything is nicely balanced but this Single Malt really deserves a higher ABV.  

Palate: Quite Strong and Spicy delivery despite the standard ABV. I find Iodine, Brine, Peat, Smoke, Soot, Tar, Leather, Charred Oak, Dried Herbs, Citrus Peel, light Vanilla, Nuts, Mango, light Honey, Dark Red Fruit, Cocoa Powder, Burnt Toast, Toasted Barley, Pepper, Ginger and Licorice.   
      

Finish: Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet, Dry, Smoky, Spicy and Salty. The Bitterness increases towards the end. I find Sweet Barley, slightly Burnt Toast, Peat, Coal Smoke, Brine, Charred Oak, Soot, Tar, Cigar Ashes, Hospital, Iodine, Straw, Nuts, Lemon, Bitter Tea, Leather, Pepper, Ginger, Honey, Dried Herbs, Mango, Licorice and Dark Chocolate.

I added a little Water and on the Nose, the Peaty Aromas make way for Citrus and a Tropical Fruit Mix sprinkled with Heather-Honey. Palate and Finish become too Thin for my taste but you can carefully experiment with a few drops.

Rating: 87

Nose: 22 - Taste: 22 - Finish: 21.5 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: The Bowmore Distillery was founded in 1779 by John Simpson. It's the oldest Islay distillery, located in Bowmore. Since 1994 it is completely owned by Morrison Bowmore Distilleries, part of the Japanese Suntory Group. It's one of the very few Scottish Distilleries with an active Malting Floor that provides around 30% of the Malt used by Bowmore. The 12 Years is part of Bowmore's core range for the domestic markets alongside the Darkest 15 Years, the 18 Years, the 25 Years as well as the NAS Small Batch Reserve. The average price is around 45 US Dollars (November 2016). 

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: The Bowmore 12 is an excellent Malt to start your Islay Whisky adventure. It's a typical Islay whisky, make no mistake, but the Peat and Smoke levels are quite moderate when compared to most of the other Islay icons like Ardbeg or Laphroaig. This Bowmore is very well-balanced and consistent from Nose to Finish. The price tag is attractive and the Price/Quality ratio is really excellent. Much better than most of the NAS whiskies that are currently thrown at us at higher prices. The only issue I have with the 12 Years is the low ABV. This could have been a great whisky at 46%. But that would have made it more expensive of course. Nevertheless, I can fully recommend the Bowmore 12. A great start on your Road to Islay.     

Jan van den Ende                                                              November 18, 2016