Showing posts with label Wemyss Malts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wemyss Malts. Show all posts

Wemyss Spice King Review



“King For A Day”
Country: Scotland 
Brand: Wemyss Spice King
Bottler: Wemyss Malts, Edinburgh
Type: Blended Malt Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 40 %

Colour: Amber 

Nose: Young, Sweet and Spicy. And, to my surprise, slightly Smoky. I find Bread Dough, Wet Earth, Straw, Nut Shells, Toffee, light Honey, Dried Fruit, Malt, Citrus Peel, Chili Pepper, Apple Vinegar, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Dried Herbs,  lightly Charred New Oak and some soft Mineral - and Maritime tones. I'm pretty sure there is Talisker in this Blend. The Alcohol is not fully integrated.

Palate: Slightly Thin on account of the weak ABV. Not too much going on here. I find Charred New Oak, Malt, Straw, Grass, Wet Earth, light Smoke, Lemon Peel, Toffee, Nuts, Nutmeg, Pepper and Cinnamon. The Palate would have greatly benefited from a higher ABV.

Finish: Middle-Long, Dry and Spicy with Malt, Nuts, Orange Peel, light Smoke, Charred Oak, Salty Licorice, Cinnamon, Pepper and Nutmeg.

I added some Water and found some slightly Sour Cooked Apples on the Nose. The Spices are mostly gone. Palate and Finish do not improve with Water. 

Rating: 82.5 

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

I Bought this Miniature in the Dallas Dhu Shop. 

General Remarks: The Spice King is part of a new range by Wemyss of Edinburgh, next to Hive and Peat Chimney. Each represents one of the three main Scottish production areas, respectively Highlands, Speyside and Islay. The Spice King is a Blend of 16 Single Malts. The heart is formed by a Highland distillery but some Island Malt is used as well. By the way, Wemyss is the old Gaelic word for Caves. The Whiskies for the Wemyss Blends are chosen by a Panel, chaired by the well-known whisky writer Charles MacLean. The Spice King is usually sold at around 55 US Dollars. A cheaper 8 year version is also available. Wemyss did a very nice job on Packaging and Presentation!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good. 

Conclusion: After having tasted close to 400 different Blends and Single Malts from all over the world I have found that I like drinking a nice Blend on the Rocks but that I truly enjoy tasting a Single Malt. Of course this does not mean that you can't enjoy sipping a good Blend or drinking a good Single Malt all night long. But I hope you'll get the general picture. Blends are produced to please as much people as possible and most of the times this leads to a perfectly drinkable but slightly boring Spirit. A Single Malt, or, even better, a Single Cask possesses its own Character, Strength and Weaknesses. It's almost like comparing an imperfect but colourful human being to a perfect robot. Take the Wemyss Spice King for instance. It's certainly not a bad Blend and it's pleasant enough. And the Talisker Touch gives it a little extra Punch. Still, I have tasted it today and will have forgotten it by tomorrow. Truly a King for a Day.

Jan van den Ende                                                         October 16, 2014

Wemyss The Hive 12 Years Review


“Waxy Grapefruit”
Country: Scotland 
Brand: Wemyss The Hive
Bottler: Wemyss Malts, Edinburgh
Type: Blended Malt Whisky
Age:  12 Years
ABV:  40 %
Date: 24/04/2014

Colour: Golden Amber

Nose: Not extremely complicated. Please give it some time to open up. It's quite Sweet and Floral with Barley, Toast, Heather, Grass, Honey, Fruit Cake or perhaps Apple Pie with lots of Raisins. Finally I get Orange or Mandarin, Oak, light Custard, Toffee, Sherry and hints of Leather and Smoke. The Alcohol is not completely integrated.

Palate: Light and Slightly Watery Delivery. Bitter Sweet with Honey, Mandarin, Malt, Toast and Apricot Marmalade, Toffee, slightly Bitter Grapefruit Juice, Oak, Pepper and Licorice.

Finish: On the Short Side with Bitter Toasted Oak, light Honey, Wax, light Vanilla, Pepper, Nutmeg, Licorice and hints of Espresso and Aniseed.

Added Water does not improve the Hive.

Rating: 81.5

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


General Remarks: The Hive is part of a new range by Wemyss of Edinburgh, next to Spice King and Peat Chimney. Each represents one of the three main Scottish production areas, respectively Speyside, Highlands and Islay. The Hive is a Blend of 16 Single Malts. The heart is formed by a Speyside distillery that represents around 1/3 of the Blend. Said distillery uses a mix of Fresh and Re-Fill Ex-Sherry Casks to mature its Whisky. By the way, Wemyss is the old Gaelic word for Caves. The Whiskies for the Wemyss Blends are chosen by a Panel, chaired by the well-known whisky writer Charles MacLean. The Hive is usually sold at around 55 US Dollars. A cheaper 8 year version is also available. Wemyss did a very nice job on Packaging and Presentation!

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: I bought a miniature bottle of the Hive in the Dallas Dhu shop, just outside Forres in Morayshire. I mention this because sometimes I wonder if "special" casks are reserved for miniatures. Because I've heard some positive stories about the Hive. Which, unfortunately, I can't quite confirm. The Nose is okay although it gives away its Aromas quite reluctantly. Please give it some time in the glass. But on the Palate and in the Finish I can't find a whole lot of interesting flavours. Too much Wax and Bitter Grapefruit for my taste. If you like that, give it a try! In the meantime I look forward to try the Spice King and the Peat Chimney later this year.

Jan van den Ende                                                                 June, 2014