Roe & Co Batch 1 Review

“The Irish Walker”

Whisky Review # 832

Country: Ireland

Brand: Roe & Co. Batch # 1
Distilled: Unknown
Bottled By: Roe & Co, Dublin (Diageo)

Type: Blended Irish Whiskey
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 45%
Maturation: First Fill and Refill Ex Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 25-35 (September 2019)
Buying Advice:😒There's good well-priced Irish Whiskey. So why go for Roe?

Colour:

Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Young, Light and Sweet. The Grain Alcohol is clearly noticeable. There's not a lot of Depth on the Nose. Hints of Rye Whiskey and Peppered Vodka.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Grains, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Artificially-Flavoured Candies (Pear, Apple), Dusty Wood, Dusty Track, Varnish, Dried Herbs, Rye, Pepper, Ginger and Menthol.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Caramel, Toffee, Molasses, Honey, Orange, Banana Leaves, Lemon-Flavoured Detergent, Nut Shells, Caffe Latte, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Tobacco.

Design of the New Still House

Palate:

Young and Sugary Sweet with a few Bitter and Sour notes. The Grain Alcohol is way too present & it tastes like a combination of Blended Scotch, Rye Whiskey, Slivovitz and Peppered Vodka. It didn't really invite me to have another sip.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Grains, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Green Apple, Unripe Banana, Bitter Orange Juice, Dusty Oak, Grass, Dried Herbs, Pepper, Cinnamon and Menthol. 

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Molasses, Honey, Nut Shells, Lemon, Pear Drops, Bounty Bars, Dusty Earth, Nutmeg, Rye and Aniseed.

Finish:

Short and Sugary-Sweet. Increasing Bitterness and Sourness towards the end. Quite Creamy though. I find Toasted Grains, Grain Alcohol, Burnt Toast, Toffee, Honey, Dried Herbs, Rye, Green Apple, Unripe Pear, Bitter Orange Juice, Dairy, Dusty Oak, Iron, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Nut Shells and Menthol.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water weakens this Blend even more. This is not a sipping Whisky.

Rating: 79

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Regular

Conclusion:

The Brand Roe & Co was launched by George Roe & Co in the 19th century. Its Distillery in Thomas Street, Dublin was the largest in the country at that time. The Brand name was bought by Diageo, losing out on the Irish Market after having sold Bushmills a few years ago. Diageo is also building a new distillery to be called St. James's Gate and situated quite close to the site of the old George Roe distillery. In anticipation, Diageo launched the Roe & Co Blend in 2017. It's a Blend of Grain and Single Malt Whisky and a high number of First-Fill Bourbon casks are said to have been used for maturation. The Blend is bottled at 45% and is not Chill-Filtered. Every bottle mentions the Batch # and Bottle Number. Various distilleries supply the ingredients for the Blend.

Diageo presents this Roe & Co as a luxury Blend, especially suitable for cocktails and long-drinks. Bottle and Presentation are certainly nice but since I'm not really much of a cocktail fan I wouldn't know about the mixing qualities. I do know it's not a sipping Whiskey! It's very Young & Sugary Sweet and the Grain Alcohol rules. I can't detect any substantial Malt influence. It smells and tastes like a mixture of Bottom Shelf Blended Scottish Whisky, Rye Whiskey, Slivovitz and Peppered Vodka. In short it's not my thing. Johnny Walker Red goes Irish! Help!!!!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                          September 17, 2019

GlenDronach 10 Years Forgue Review

“The Road To Hell”

Whisky Review # 831

Country: Scotland
Region: Eastern Highlands

Brand: GlenDronach Forgue

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Bottled: 2018
Age: 10 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Ex-Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 50-70 (September 2019)
Buying Advice: 👎 The 12 Years is better and cheaper!

Colour:

Pale Copper with shades of Orange and Brown (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Young, slightly Thin & Fruity. Sweet and Sour tones. The Sherry cask influence is not overwhelming. Probably 2nd and 3rd Refill casks. Perhaps a little Sulphur but nothing serious. On the Nose this Forgue presents a combination of Fresh and Dried Fruits, Nuts, Barley and Spices.

Main Aromas:

Malted Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Grass and Straw, Fruit Cake with Dried Fruit like Raisins, Plums and Apricots and roasted Almonds, Mulled Wine spiced with Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg and Cloves, Dark Red Fruit, Orange and Toasted Oak.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Syrup, Brown Sugar, Milk Chocolate, Red Apple, Peach,  Caffe Latte and Dusty Road.

Palate:

Sweet, Fruity, Spicy, Young and ever so slightly on the Thin side.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Toffee, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas and Apricots, Orange, Dark Red Fruit like Berries and Cherries, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cardamom, Caffe Latte and Milk Chocolate.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Syrup, Butter, Nutella, Straw, Yeast, Red Wine, Peach, Dusty Track, Tobacco and Bounty Bars.

Finish:

Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet. A little Alcohol kick right at the end. Wood and Wood Spices take control over the Fruit. I find Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Caramel, Toffee, Milk Chocolate, Caffe Latte, Orange, Grapefruit, Gooseberry, Raspberry, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Cardamom, Toasted Oak and hints of Tobacco and Tea.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and the Fruity tones develop. Peach and Apricot become quite clear. The Oak and Spices take maximum control on the Palate and most of all in the Finish. You can carefully add four drops of Water but no more than that.

Rating: 82.5

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

GlenDronach was founded in 1826 by James Allardice in Forgue, Aberdeenshire. It changed hands various times before being acquired in 2016 by Brown Forman. The core range consists of the Hielan 8 Years, the 12 Years, the 18 Y Allardice, the 21 Years Parliament and the 25 Years Grandeur. In 2018 two Travel retail expressions were launched being the 10 Years Forgue I'm reviewing today as well as the 16 Years old Boynsmill. We visited the distillery in May this year and we had an unforgettable time there. I will treasure this memory for always. A very nice Tour and a tasting that included the whole range of the distillery plus some extras. Great! I can only fully recommend a visit!

The 10 Years old Forgue is an attempt to put GlenDronach on he Travel-Retail market. It's Non Chill-Filtered, does not contain artificial colouring and is bottled at a reasonable 43% although 46% would have been better of course. It's not a bad Single Malt but it's not as good as all the other GlenDronach Malts I have tasted with the exception of the 8 Year old Hielan. But I quite clearly prefer the 12 Years and, believe it or not, the last one is cheaper than the Forgue. That does not make sense and I hope that GlenDronach (one of my favourite Malts) will review this policy in the future. GlenDronach always put Quality first and Marketing second and I do hope it stays that way. Too many popular distilleries have gone the other way around unfortunately!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                  September 12, 2019

All Pictures were taken during our visit to GlenDronach in May 2019

Arran 2006 (Greek Whisky Association) Review

“Griechischer Malt”

Whisky Review # 830

Country: Scotland
Region: Highlands - Islands - Arran

Brand: Arran
Exclusive Bottling for: Greek Whisky Association - Private Cask Series
Distilled: 26/07/2006 - Bottled: 11-04-2019

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask 2006/800483 - 277 Bottles
Age: 12 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 54.3% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Sherry Hogshead
Chill Filtration: No
Price: Around US$ 75 (September 2019) - Sold out in the meantime!
Sample provided by Georgios from Greece. Many thanks!
Price Quality Ratio: Okay
Buying Advice: Good Sweet Sherried Highlander. 😭Unfortunately it's sold-out!

Colour:

Chestnut (Natural Colour)

Nose:

It would be almost impossible to recognise this as Arran Malt in a Blind Tasting. The active Sherry cask is responsible for that. I think I might recognise it as a Sherried Highlander though. The Sweet Nose certainly reminds me of Christmas Time with lots of Dried Fruit, Soft Spices and Nuts. Please give this Arran enough air time before Nosing. The Alcohol is noticeable but does not spoil the fun.

Main Aromas:

Malted Barley, Buttered Toast, Pancakes with Golden Syrup, Yeast, X-mas Cake with Port Wine-Soaked Raisins, Dried Apricots, Mixed Nuts, Caffe Latte, Oak, Ginger and Cinnamon.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Brown Sugar, Caramel, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Peach, Plum Jam, Pralines, Candied Pineapple, Lemon, Perfumed Candle Wax, Herbal Tea, Tobacco, Pepper, Cloves and Nutmeg.

Palate:

Sweet and Mature. The Alcohol is more noticeable now. It's quite consistent with the Nose in presenting lots of Dark Dried Fruit, Spices and Nuts. Quite Dry.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Malt, Christmas Cake with Port Wine-soaked Raisins, Salted Carmel, Cherry-Flavoured Cough Syrup, Caffe Latte, Dark Orange-Flavoured Chocolate, slightly Musty Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger and Cloves.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Stewed Apple, Mixed Nuts (Almonds and Walnuts), Shortbread with Plum Marmalade, Peach, Candied Pineapple, Espresso, Tobacco and Wet Paper.

Finish:

Middle-Long & Bitter Sweet. Quite Dry in the end. I find Caramel, Toasted Barley, Brown Sugar, Cherry-Flavoured Cough Pastilles, Seville Orange, Mixed Nuts like Almonds and Walnuts, Extra Dark Chocolate, Tobacco, Furniture Wax for Leather Upholstery, Iron, Espresso, Port Wine, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger and Menthol.

Drinking Advice:

Because of the small size of the sample. I only tasted this Arran neat.

Rating: 85.5

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

Arran Distillery was founded by Harold Currie in 1993 and started production in 1995. Business is going so well that the owners (Isle of Arran Distillers) are in the process of finalising another distillery (Lagg) on the Southern part of Arran that will take care of the peated expressions. Production of this new distillery could start in early 2019. The Arran core range now consists of the 10, 14 18 and 21 Years as well as the NAS Whiskies Robert Burns, Lochranza Reserve and Machrie Moore. We visited this distillery in May 2017 and absolutely loved it. Great tour, very friendly people, a nice shop and a good lunch restaurant. I can fully recommend a visit more so as the isle of Arran is a very nice and relatively quiet place.

The 2006 Arran GWA is a well-matured Sherried Highlander. You could argue that 12 years in a Sherry Cask slightly overpowers the light and fresh Arran Spirit. I've tasted Bourbon cask-matured Arran Malts that received a Sherry Finish and I found them a little bit more balanced. But if you like a Sherried after-dinner (Christmas) Whisky you can't go wrong with this bottle.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                            September 5 , 2019

All Pictures were taken during our visit to Arran in May 2017

Puni Vina Marsala Review

“Troppo Giovane”

Whisky Review # 829

Country: Italy
Region: South Tyrol

Brand: Puni Vina - Marsala Edition
Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 5 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: European Oak Sicilian Marsala Vergine Casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 50-60 (September 2019)
Price/Quality ratio: Borderline 
Buying Advice: 😔Young Italian Malt with a Good Nose and a Bitter Palate.

Colour:

Dark Amber with a dash of Orange (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Sweet and quite Fruity. Its Youth is obvious and there's a bit of Alcohol around. The Wine Cask is quite prominent and offers lots of Fresh and Dried Fruit. This is my first Italian Whisky and the Nose is a pleasant surprise. It's somewhere between Scotch, Bourbon, Cognac and Fruit Liqueur.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Apricots, Sultanas, Plums, Figs and Dates, Red Wine, Cinnamon, Oak, Citrus and Milk Chocolate.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Caramel, Red Apple, Sugared Almonds, Honey, Tobacco, Leather, Dark Cherry and Strawberry Ice Cream.

Palate:

Young, Harsh and quite Dry. Too much Alcohol burn at this point. There's not much left of the Fruit that carried the Nose. We're left with some Dried Fruit & Bitter Oak.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas and Plums, Bitter Orange,  Red Apple, Dark Cherries and Berries, Port Wine, Bitter Almonds, Dusty Oak, Pepper and Rye.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Nuts and Nutshells (Walnuts), Brown Sugar, Leather, Tobacco, Dried Herbs, Cinnamon, Cocoa Powder, Varnish and Stale Espresso.

Finish:

Creamy but Short. It's quite clear now we're talking about a Young Whisky. The Alcohol is more present now. It starts Sweet but an increasing rather unpleasant Bitterness appears that does not seduce you to have another sip. In fact all that remains after a while is an Iron-like aftertaste. I also find Toasted Cereals, Rye, Nuts and Nutshells (Walnuts), Dried Fruit like Raisins, Apricots, Sultanas and Plums, Bitter Orange and Grapefruit Juice, Red Apple, Cinnamon, Pepper, Oak, Varnish and Stale Espresso.

Drinking Advice:

Because of the small size of the sample I only tasted this Puni neat.

Rating: 79
                         
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 19 - Finish: 18.5 - Overall: 20

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay. Good Nose though.

Conclusion:

Albert Ebensperger laid the foundation for Puni, the first Italian Whisky distillery, in 2010. Production started in February 2012 and the first Whisky was released in 2015. Puni takes its name from the River which flows through the Vinschgau valley, a region with a long tradition of Grain production. Rye has always been the most important crop and this Grain is used for making the Puni Whiskies alongside Barley & Wheat. The two Pot Stills were produced in Roth in Scotland and the building follows the traditional regional barn style, expressed in a modern way. In the autumn of 2012 a Visitor Centre was opened.

The Vina (Wine) series comprise of Single Malt that matured in Ex-Wine casks. The Marsala is a fortified wine produced on the island of Sicily. The Puni Malts are marketed in very nice modern Stills-like bottles.

In general I'm not a huge fan of European mainland Whiskies although there are always exceptions of course. My main problem with them is that they're mostly bottled at a very young age of between 3 and 5 Years. Of course I understand the economic necessity to make money but it's too short a time to produce a balanced well-matured Whisky. A higher ABV and alternative casks mask some of the problems but don't solve the main issue being Youth.

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by the Fruitiness of the Nose. It shows that the Spirit is potentially good. Ideally it would mature for ten years or so in Ex-Bourbon casks before being finished in (Sweet) Wine casks. The Palate and Finish show however that 5 Years in ex-Marsala casks is too short on the one hand and too one-sided on the other hand. They say that time heals all wounds. It also produces good Whisky! I really hope to be able to enjoy a fully matured Puni in the future. The project deserves it!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                               September 2, 2019

Lagavulin Game of Thrones Review

“Wildling”

Whisky Review # 828

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Lagavulin Game of Thrones (House Lannister)

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: First Fill Ex-Bourbon Casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 60-80 (August 2019)
Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many thanks!
Buying Advice: 😀Pleasant & Young but too expensive Islay Malt. P/Q ratio: 👎

Colour:

Light Gold (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Soft Young Islay. The Smoke and Peat are there but they are not overwhelming by any means. It's a Sweet mixture of Maritime, Fruity, Mineral & Green Notes. It's nothing really special but certainly pleasant. In short, it's all what House Lannister isn't.

Main Aromas:

Malted & Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Toast, Vanilla, Grass, Straw, Farmyard, Fallen Leaves, Coal Smoke, Soot, Ashes, Tar, Orange, Apple, Banana, Melon, Pepper, Licorice, Cinnamon and TCP Pipes.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Salted Caramel, Honey, (Brown) Sugar, Wax, Fish and Meat on the BBQ, Oak Char, Wet Sand, Iodine, Ginger, Mint, Caffe Latte, Rubber and Tobacco Leaves.

Palate:

Its Youth is clear now. Mostly Sweet with a few Bitter and Sour notes. Medium-Dry. The Smoke and "Green" Peat are much more present now. A bit of Alcohol but it stays within limits.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Smoked Ham & Fish, Wet Earth, Wax, Straw, Farmyard, Tar, Soot, Ashes, Wet Sand, Charred Oak, Orange, Apple, Tobacco, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves and Rubber.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Toffee, Nuts and Nutshells, Herbal Tea, Caffe Latte, Ginger, Gooseberry, Funky Mushrooms, Wet Paper, TCP Pipes and Licorice.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Sweet and Oily. A few Bitter and Sour notes as well. Its Youth is  even more noticeable here. The Rubber and Tar notes linger in your mouth for a while. Medium-Dry in the end. I find Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Wet Earth, Straw, Farmyard, Vanilla, Tar, Soot, Ashes, Smoked Ham, Charred Oak, Honey, Herbal Tea, Banana, Lemon, Pepper, Ginger, Licorice, Grapefruit, Milk Chocolate and Tobacco.

Drinking Advice:

Added water does not improve this Lagavulin. It simply becomes too Thin.

Rating: 84.5

Nose: 22 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Lagavulin distillery was founded in 1816 by John Johnston and is located on the South-Eastern coast of Islay, close to Port Ellen. It changed hands various times during its history but today it is firmly controlled by Diageo. Lagavulin currently produces around 2.5 million litres. Lagavulin is one of the key Malts in the White Horse Blend. The distillery range consists of the 12 Y CS, 16 Y and the Distillers Edition. In 2017 an 8 Year old bottled at 48% was added.

A Lannister always pays his debts. Well, you have to pay around 70 US Dollars to get this young Lagavulin. So it's definitively overpriced. But thanks God it isn't really bad like the White Walker. It's actually a rather pleasant young Islay. Especially on the Nose. Palate and Finish are a bit Artificial but not in a bad way this time. I think I would consider buying a bottle if it was around 45 US Dollars.  I must admit it doesn't really do justice to the House of Lannister. They are very shrewd, complex, immoral and vicious plotters. It would make a great Greyjoy but that House was taken by Talisker. This Lagavulin 9 Years is Young, Wild, Unpredictable and Daring.  Ygritte comes to mind!  Therefore, I unofficially proclaim this Lagavulin to be a Wildling!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 August 28 , 2019

Strathmill 1993 (Old Particular) Review

“Bitter-Sweet Symphony”

Whisky Review # 827

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: Strathmill 1993 - Distilled: January 1993
Bottled By: Douglas Laing (Old Particular Series) in December 2014
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # DL 10585 - 320 Bottles

Age: 21 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 51.5% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Refill Sherry Hogshead
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 110-120 (August 2019)
Buying Advice: 😏 You must like Liquid Wood! The price is okay given its age.

Colour:

Golden Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose:

The Sherry Cask influence is not overly strong although I do get some Sulphur. It's not too bad though. Give this Strathmill enough time in the glass as it opens rather slowly. The Nose is Fruity and Grassy with some Bitter, Sweet & Mineral notes. It's not too Woody given its age. The Alcohol is noticeable. Still, it's the best part of this Strathmill.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Grass and Straw, Candied Fruit like Pineapple and Pear, Orange Peel, Refill Oak, Dried Herbs and some Sour Citrus (Grapefruit & Lemon).

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Nuts, Resin, Ripe Banana, Peach, Stewed Fruit like Apples and Plums, Green Leaves and Wet Stone. A light off-note that reminds me of Cooked Vegetables or perhaps slightly Sweaty Feet.

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet. Sulphur and Cooked Vegetables remain present. A bit of heavy Motor Oil as well. I do miss a bit of balance here. The Palate is saved by Fruity notes. The Alcohol is not fully integrated.

Main Flavours:

Barley, Yeast, Tinned Pineapple, Ripe Banana, Artificially Flavoured Candies, Cooked Fruits (Apples and Pears), Dark Berries, Refill Oak, Grapefruit, Orange, Pepper, Ginger and Menthol.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Resin, Dairy, Nutmeg, Dried Herbs and Dirty Earth.

Finish:

Middle-Long. Sweet at first but with increasing Bitterness towards the Dry end. The Bitter Oak notes don't invite you to have another sip. It's been a while since I find such deep Bitterness in a Single Malt. I also find Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Dark Fruits like Berries and Prunes, Nuts, Refill Oak, Stewed Fruit like Pears and Apples, Vanilla, Orange, Grapefruit, Dried Herbs, Cooked Vegetables Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Menthol and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

Added water does not improve this Strathmill but makes it a bit easier to drink. The Alcohol subsides but the strong Bitterness remains.

Rating: 82.5
                         
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Good but for this extreme Bitterness.

Conclusion:

Strathmill was founded in 1891 in Keith and is a part of the Diageo group since 1997. Almost all of the production of around 2 million litres is used for the J&B and Spey Royal Blends. The only official bottling is a 12 Year old Flora & Fauna. In 2014 a 25 Year old Special limited release was launched.

This Strathmill is certainly not a mainstream Malt. It's Unbalanced and slightly Dirty. So it does show character which is always a plus in my book. So I would have given this Single Malt a higher rating but for this absurd Bitterness. Is it the Cask? Did the Spirit mature too long? Or both? In fact I can't remember the last time I had such a Bitter Single Malt. You won't notice this on the Nose but Palate and Finish suffer greatly. Well, it is as it is. I feel that Douglas Laing could have watched this cask a bit more carefully!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                  August 19, 2019

Dunville's 10 Years Review

“Weird Scenes inside the Gold Mine”

Whisky Review # 826

Country: Ireland

Brand: Dunville's
Distilled: Unknown. Probably Bushmills or Cooley.
Finished and Bottled By: Echlinville Distillery Ltd, Northern Ireland

Type: Irish Single Malt Pot Still Whiskey (Very Rare Old Irish Whiskey)
Age: 10 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Refill Ex Bourbon casks with Pedro Ximenez Cask Finish
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 50-60  (August 2019)
Buying Advice: 😕Very Weird Whiskey. P/Q ratio:👎 

Colour:

Golden Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

A Varnish/Paint Thinner note strikes first but diminishes with time. Be sure to give this Dunville's enough time in the glass. It remains a bit weird on the Nose though. Perfumed Soap comes to mind. Luckily there's some Fruit behind it too. I don't think I ever had a Whisk(e)y that smelled like this before. The Nose is Light, Medium-Sweet and Grassy. I wonder if some Virgin Oak was used for maturation as well. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Grass, Candies with Artificial Banana Flavour, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Apricot, Nuts, Tart Apple, Green Leaves, Dusty Oak, Cinnamon and Menthol.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Honey, Pineapple, Citrus, Pear, Dark Berries, Wet Newspaper, Pepper, Dried Herbs, Leather and Tobacco.

Bushmills Distillery

Palate:

Young and a little Nervous. The Alcohol is not really integrated. Bitter, Sweet & Sour notes fight for your attention.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Tart Apples and Pears, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Figs, Mixed Nuts, Varnish, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cinnamon. Menthol and Cocoa Powder. 

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Caramel, Honey, Dark Berries, Pineapple, Leather, Tobacco & Black Espresso.

Finish:

Short/Middle-Long, Spicy, slightly Edgy & Bitter-Sweet. The Bitterness increases towards the Dry end. The Alcohol stings a little and the relative youth of this Whiskey is more noticeable at this point. I find Barley, Grass and Straw, Vanilla, Biscuits, Tart Apple, Dark Berries, Nuts, Pineapple, Honey, Herbal Tea, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Menthol, Varnish, Dusty Oak and Cocoa Powder.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water does not improve this Whiskey.

Rating: 78

Nose: 19.5 - Taste: 19,5 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 19.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Strange/Okay

Conclusion:

The Echlinville Distillery received its license in May 2013 so we will have to wait a bit for their own Whiskey. In the meantime they sell Gin and release Whiskey that was distilled elsewhere under the Dunville's Brand. Next to the 10 Years I'm reviewing today, a NAS expression has also been released.

I didn't like this Dunville's very much. The Spirit seems unbalanced and a little Dirty. The Dusty and Musty Oak suggests that a longer maturation would have turned the Spirit in Wood Juice. The strong Varnish note suggests Virgin Oak although I didn't find any evidence of that. It smells and tastes a little Weird in my opinion. Some might call it funky but it didn't convince me. And it's quite expensive for what it offers as well. I think I will wait for the first proper home-made Echlinville!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                  August 13, 2019

Cooley Distillery

BenRiach 1990 (Sansibar) Review

“Wooden Heart”

Whisky Review # 825

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: BenRiach 1990 (Samurai Label)
Bottled By: Sansibar/Spirit Shop's Selection in 2015 - 239 Bottles
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky

Age: 25 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 50.8%
Maturation: Sherry cask
Chill Filtration: No
Average Price: US$ 640 (August 2019) - Lowest Price: US$ 245 (August 2019)
Buying Advice: 😔 The Malt is okay but Wood-driven. P/Q ratio: 👎

Colour:

Golden Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

It's hard to believe that this BenRiach matured for 25 Years. It's Fruity but does not show a whole lot of complexity. Quite clean actually. It can't have been a very active cask as well as the Sherry influence is rather limited. It's not bad of course but I would have expected so much more considering age and price level. The ABV is quite stiff but the Alcohol is reasonably well-integrated.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Mandarin, Banana Ice Cream, Apricot, Apple, Dried Herbs, Cinnamon, Pepper and a touch of Aniseed.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Pineapple, Pear, White Wine & Red Wine (Never got that before!), Nuts and Nutshells, Trees and Leaves, Raisins, Musty Refill Oak, Cloves and a hint of Milk Chocolate.

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet, Creamy and Spicy. The Age makes itself known at this point. It's not as Fruity as the Nose would suggest.

Main Flavours:

Malted Barley, Straw, Vanilla, Mandarin, Grapefruit, Slivovitz, Mandarin, Nuts & Nutshells, Banana, Musty Refill Oak, Herbal Tea, Pepper, Cinnamon, Aniseed, Menthol and Licorice.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Salted Caramel, Honey, Apple, Pear, Dark Red Fruit (Cherries?), Lemon, Wet Stones, Cocoa Powder, Leather, Tobacco and a hint of Bacon.

Finish:

Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet. Some Sour notes as well.The Bitterness increases towards the Medium-Dry end. Quite a bit of Wood and Wood spice. It really shows its age by now. There's also a very creamy mouth feel to it. I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Honey, Yeast, Straw, Farmyard, Apple, Lemon, Grapefruit, Herbal Tea, Refill Oak, Nuts and Nutshells, Orange Liqueur, Red Grapes, Cocoa Powder, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Aniseed and Licorice. After five minutes or so the Dry Menthol like Bitterness kinda returns to your throat. It does not really invite you to taker another sip.

Drinking Advice:

Despite the respectable ABV, this BenRiach does not improve with added Water. You're left with Spicy Oak. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 84

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience Neat: Good but disappointing given Age and Price.

Conclusion:

The BenRiach distillery was founded in 1897 by John Duff & Co and is located in Longmorn, Elgin (Morayshire). It changed hands a couple of times in its history but in April 2016 it was bought by Brown Forman. BenRiach produced more or less 1,8 million litres in 2018. The core range includes a/o the NAS Heart of Speyside, the 10, 12, 21, 25 and 35 years. The peated varieties include a/o the Birnie Moss, the Curiositas 10 and the peated Quarter Cask. I have not yet been able to visit this Distillery as yet. We passed by in 2014 but it was closed for maintenance at the time. BenRiach Spirit is also used in Blends like Chivas Regal, 100 Pipers and Queen Anne.

I was really looking forward to taste this 25 Years old BenRiach but it did not live up to expectations. I mainly blame the cask for this. It's hard to detect any decent Sherry influence and it mostly gave Wood and Wood Spice to the Spirit. That Spirit is quite Fruity actually as you will perceive on the Nose. But on the Palate and in the Finish that Fruit is being overpowered by Wood and Spices. High prices are asked on the Internet as not many bottles are left. The Whisky itself though does not justify these high prices. Better save your money for an other occasion. It's a pity though as it promised so much on the outset!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    August 9, 2019