Lauder's Blended Whisky Review

               

              “Say It Laud, I'm Bland and I'm Proud"                            

Country: Scotland 

Brand: Lauder's

Produced by: Archibald Lauder & Co, Glasgow

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky 

Age: NAS (Probably 3 Years)

ABV: 40 %

Colour: Amber

Nose: Quite Light, almost like a Bottom Shelf Vodka. I find Young Grain Alcohol, Re-Fill Wood, Dusty Archives, Burnt Sugar, light Caramel, Nail Polish Remover, Burnt Toast, Nut Shells, Menthol and a hint of Lemon-Grass. I can't find any significant quantity of good Malt Whisky. It's cheap Blends like this that suffer the first (and the most) when demand for good Malt Whisky is high as it is now. After half an hour in the glass a little bit of Vanilla and Sour Grapefruit pops up but it's too little and too late to save the day.

Palate: Very Thin with Refill Oak, Vodka, Nut Shells, Burnt Sugar, Bitter Grain, light Caramel, Sugar and Straw. 

Finish: Short, slightly Edgy, Bitter-Sweet and quite Dry in the end with Grain, Straw, Burnt Sugar and a hint of Spice. The Alcohol is a bit Stingy.

There's not much to be killed but added Water gets that job done anyway! 

Rating: 69.5

Nose: 17.5 - Taste: 17.5 - Finish: 17 - Overall: 17.5

General Remarks: This Brand was originally launched around 1835 and is one of the oldest Brands still in production. Lauder's was developed by Archibald Lauder around 1815, soon after distilling was made legal. It contains Highland, Speyside and Lowland Malt and a lot of Grain Whiskies. I'm tasting this Blend from a miniature that I bought at the Gordon & MacPhail shop in Elgin. Its contents were bottled in 2009. Lauder's is cheap at around 15-20 US Dollars and comes in a nice distinctive bottle.

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Par.

Conclusion: The combination of mainly simple Grain Alcohol and Re-Fill Casks does not produce miracles. Lauder's is very cheap and you can't expect much more besides a nice bottle. It's not good enough to drink neat and it's too Bland to enjoy on the Rocks. I can only see this as a Mixing Alcohol for Cocktails. But for that purpose I might just as well use an even cheaper Vodka. 

Jan van den Ende                                                                          July 31, 2014

Glenkinchie 12 Years Review

“Not a Classic Malt in my Whisky Book”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Lowlands

Brand: Glenkinchie

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age:  12 Years

ABV:  43 % 

Date: 29/07/2014

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: Light, Floral and with quite some Citrus. I find Grass, Honey, Cereals, Toasted Oak, Buttered Toast, Orange, Lemon, Apricot, Marzipan, Vanilla and a good serving of Peanut Butter. Not bad but not much going on as well. 

Palate: Light and Mostly Sweet with Apple, Pear, Cereals, Slightly Bitter Orange, Lemon, Tangerine, Aniseed, light Honey, light Vanilla, Oak, Floral tones and Mint.

Finish: Short, Dry and Herbal with Grass, Oak, Cereals, Oat Porridge, Aniseed and Menthol.

I added a bit of Water and on the Nose you'll get more Grassy - and Floral tones. More Citrus as well. The Palate gets a bit of an Earthy kick. You can try this Glenkinchie both neat and with a couple of drops of Water.

Rating: 80.5

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 20

General Remarks: The Glenkinchie Distillery was founded in 1837 by John & George Rate. It is located in Pencaitland, Tranent, East Lothian. It's close to Edinburgh hence Glenkinchie is nicknamed " The Edinburgh Malt ". Today it is owned by Diageo. The 12 Years I'm tasting today belongs to the small Core Range of the Distillery and is also a part of Diageo's Classic Malt Collection. It was released in 2007 to replace the 10 Years. It costs around 50 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: A bit understated. It's Light, Grassy and Floral with lots of Citrus and very clear Notes of Toasted Oak and Peanut Butter on the Nose. The Palate is quite forgettable while the Finish is surprisingly Dry. All in all however the Glenkinchie 12 Years can't convince me. It's not a bad whisky and it does present a certain balance and Lowland characteristics. But it's not good enough as a Single Malt to keep me interested for a long time.

Jan van den Ende                                                                   July 2014