Clynelish 1993 (Silver Seal) Review

“Silver, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”

Whisky Review # 856

Country: Scotland
Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Clynelish 1993
Bottled by: Silver Seal (SS) in November 2012 at Cask Strength -  Bottles: 322
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # 7556

Age: 19 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 53.5%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Cask
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 240 (January 2020). Will be difficult to find.
Price/Quality Ratio: 😓At the moment it's very expensive. It's good though.
Buying Advice: 👍Nice Fruity Clynelish if you can spare the cash.

Colour: White Whine (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Quite lively and Fruity. This Clynelish is well-matured and the Oak is a mere note in the background. I would not say that Cask 7556 was extremely active. On the Nose this Clynelish shows Sweet, Sour, Musty and a few Funky notes. I wouldn't give it 19 years in a blind Tasting. Quite Fresh!

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, German Butter Biscuits, Grass, Fresh Herbs de Provence, Apple, Pear, Lemon, Banana, Bounty Candy Bars, Wax, Asparagus, Salted Almonds, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger and Mint.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Buttered Toast, Toffee, Vanilla, Musty Wood, Orange, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Olive Oil, Tobacco and Nail Polisher.

Palate:

Waxy, Spicy, Fruity, slightly Edgy and Bitter-Sweet. Nicely matured Highlander.

Main Flavours:

Malted and Toasted Barley, Apple, Pear, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Banana, Wax, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Toffee, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Straw, White Wine, Bounty Candy Bars, Ashes, White Chocolate, Tobacco, Herbal Tea, Asparagus and Coconut.        

Finish:

Middle-Long with Sweet and Sour notes. It's a little Edgy with medium Bitterness towards the end. I find Malted and Toasted Barley, Salty Caramel, Toffee, Apple, Pear, Banana, Nectarine, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Wax, White Chocolate, Tobacco, Musty Oak, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg Ashes and Mint.

Drinking Advice:

Due to the small size of the sample I only tasted this Clynelish neat.

Rating: 86.5

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The distillery was founded in 1819 by the 1st Duke of Sutherland in the small town of Brora. It is owned by Diageo and the spirit is an important ingredient of various JW Blends. It produces around 4,8 million litres of Alcohol per year. Its sister-distillery Brora lies next to Clynelish and will be reopened this year after having been closed in 1983. A new Clynelish Visitor Centre is being built at the moment. The pictures were shot during our visit to Clynelish/Brora in May last year.

This Silver Seal Clynelish is a tasteful well-matured Highland Single Malt. It's a bit Edgy and Funky here and there but that's refreshing in today's mainstream Malt madness. It has character and that's what I'm looking for in a Whisky. At 19 years it can't be cheap of course and there are probably only a few bottles left world-wide. But if you have the cash and can find it somewhere you won't be disappointed. Lots of Fruit out there to be discovered with Citrus in the lead. Recommended!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                January 27, 2020

Wild Turkey American Honey Review

“A Taste of Honey”

Whisky Review # 855

Country: USA

Brand: Wild Turkey American Honey
Type: Bourbon With Infused Flavour

Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 35.5%
Maturation: American Oak
Chill Filtration: Yes

Sample provided by Derek from the USA. Many Thanks!

Price Range: US$ 22-27 (January 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: Good
Buying Advice: 😐Too Sweet for me but I can imagine people loving it with ice

Colour: Golden Sunlight (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

The first thing I notice is that, unlike the Bushmills Honey I tasted recently, the American Honey Aromas remind me of a Liqueur rather than a Whisk(e)y. The main drivers are Honey, Orange and Vanilla. It's quite Sweet as expected. The Alcohol is noticeable despite the low ABV.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Cereals, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Honey, Orange (Gran Marnier), Pepper, Cinnamon and Mint.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Caramel, Butterscotch, Lemon, Glue, Leather, Tobacco, Nutmeg, Charred Oak and Cardamom.

Palate:

Mellow and Sweet with a little Bitterness behind it all. It's hard to find Bourbon behind the thick Honey/Orange Sweetness.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Cereals, Honey, Golden Syrup, Vanilla, Orange, Lemon, Butter, Pepper, Cinnamon and Mint.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Butterscotch, Caramel, Cherry Flavoured Cough Pastilles, Oak, Leather, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cardamom, Tobacco and Black Tea.

Finish:

Medium-Long although the Honey stays around even longer. It's very Sweet & it closely follows Nose and Palate. A little Orange-like Bitterness towards the end. I find Sweet Cereals, Honey, Syrup, Vanilla, Caramel, Cherry-Flavoured Cough Pastilles, Orange, Lemon, Oak, Butter, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cardamom and Mint.

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water to this Liqueur. It's best enjoyed over Ice!

Rating: 76.5

Nose: 20 - Taste: 19 - Finish: 18.5 - Overall: 19

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion:

Wild Turkey Bourbon is being produced in the town of Lawrenceburg Kentucky. Nowadays the Brand is owned by the Campari Group. The distillery produces the 81 Proof, the 101 Proof, the Single Barrel Kentucky Spirit at 101 Proof, Russell's Reserve 10 Years named after Master Distiller Jimmy Russell, Rare Breed a blend of 6, 8 and 12 old Wild Turkey at 108.4 Proof, a Rye Whiskey with 65% Rye, 23 % Corn and 12% Barley and a Honey Liqueur by the name of American Honey. The latter is a mix of Wild Turkey Bourbon and natural Honey.

The Honey Liqueur has been around since 1978 but was revived in 2006 when the interest for this type of Liqueur started to pick up. I've tasted a couple of them in the meantime and although there are significant differences between them they have one thing in common. They are way too Sweet to enjoy Neat and they all are enjoyed best over Ice. The Wild Turkey American Honey is a very Sweet Liqueur and has little to do with Whisky or Bourbon. The Honey is its main asset as it smells and tastes more natural than the Jack Daniel Honey. These Whisky-Liqueurs are not really my kind of thing but I can see that lots of people will enjoy this on a warm evening over lots of Ice.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 January 20, 2020

Teeling Single Malt Review

“Hot Fun in the Summertime”

Whisky Review # 854

Country: Ireland

Brand: Teeling Single Malt
Crafted and Bottled by: The Teeling Whiskey Company, Dublin
Distilled at: Cooley
Type: Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Sherry, Port, Madeira, White Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignion casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 40-50 (January 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: Borderline Okay.
Buying Advice: 😒It's okay I guess but the Alcohol really annoys!

Colour: Golden Sunlight (Perhaps slightly Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Be careful not to put your Nose in the middle of the glass right away or you will get a waft of Alcohol right up your nostrils. Always look for the rim of the glass. This Teeling is a mix of Sweet and Sour Aromas and it feels quite Young despite the fact that it is said to contain some old Whiskey as well. But not too much if you ask me. It's Fruity, Grassy and well....Green. It's not bad though although the Alcohol is a nuisance.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Malt, Cake with a dollop of Fresh Cream, Vanilla, Grass, Dough, Unripe Banana, Pineapple, Lemon, Green Fresh Herbs, Sour Berries, Dusty Oak, White Chocolate, Nectarine, Apple and Cinnamon.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey-Melon, Caramel, Toffee, Coconut, Dried Fruit like Plums, Apricot, Raisins and Figs, Peach, Caffe Latte, White Wine, Hazelnuts and a hint of Varnish.

Palate:

The first thing that hits you is the Alcohol. It's a pity as it negatively impacts the Nosing and Tasting pleasure. This Teeling Malt is not at all fully matured and it screams so in every department. On the Palate this Single Malt shows a mix of Sweet and Sour Flavours. The influence of the different Wine casks is actually a little limited so I will assume that most of the Spirit used for this vatted Malt matured in Refill casks and not for an awful long time.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Yeast, Dough, Wax, Grass, Straw, Cake with Cream and Strawberries, Unripe Banana, Apple, Pineapple, Nectarine, Fresh Green Herbs, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger and Charred Oak. 

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey-Melon, Caramel, Coconut, Dried Fruit (Plums, Apricot, Raisins), Nutmeg, Cloves, Citrus Fruit, Caffe Latte and White Chocolate.

Finish:

Sweet, Short, Sour and Hot. The Alcohol spoils the fun again. A slight Bitterness towards the Dry end. This is a Young Malt on average. I find Malted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Yeast, Dough, Vanilla, Grass, Straw, Honey, Caramel, Cake with Cream & Strawberries, Green Vegetables, Nectarine, Cherry-Menthol Flavoured Cough Pastilles, Nectarine, Lemon, Orange, Herbal Tea, Pepper, Nutmeg, Clove, Cinnamon, Ginger and Charred Oak. Something Mineral or Metallic as well.

Drinking Advice:

I added a bit of Water but it hardly slows down the Alcohol. It only helps a bit but I advise you to add a few drops even if it does not really change the overall Aroma and Flavour profile. It gains a bit more Citrus perhaps.

Rating: 82

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion:

In 1989, John Teeling started the Cooley Distillery together with his sons Jack and Stephen. John sold the distillery in 2011 to Beam-Suntory. Part of the agreement was that Teeling retained 16.000 casks of ageing Cooley Whiskey. In 2012, Jack and Stephen founded Teeling Whiskey Company, bottling the Cooley casks under the Teeling label. Subsequently they founded a new distillery in the year 2015 in Dublin but also continue to bottle the sourced Cooley casks that have aged sufficiently.

The Single Malt is part of the Teeling Trinity range that also includes the Small Batch and the Single Grain. It contains both young and older Whiskey with the oldest being distilled in 1991. The Maturation in 5 different types of wine casks in unique for Irish Whiskey. It sounds quite interesting but it fails to deliver in my opinion. There are two main reasons for that. The first is the relative young average age of the spirits in this vatted Malt and the second one is the Alcohol. The ABV is not absurdly high but somehow the young Spirit can't cope with it. I am almost certain this Teeling could be a great Whiskey if sufficiently matured and reinforced by using more First-Fill casks. As it is you probably best enjoy it over Ice or in a cocktail on a warm summer day.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                January 17, 2020

Fettercairn 12 Years Review - Fettercairn 12 Years PX Review

“You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”

Whisky Review # 852

Country: Scotland
Region: Eastern Highlands

Brand: Fettercairn
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 45-55  (January 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: Borderline okay.
Buying Advice: 😒Not really bad but Unbalanced and Thin. Try a sample first!

Colour: Golden (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

As so often, please give this Fettercairn sufficient time in the glass as it opens quite slowly. The Nose is Sweet, Buttery, Malty and slightly Meaty. A bit of Fruit as well. I find it a little on the Thin side. The Alcohol is noticeable. An okay Nose I suppose but you don't have to wake me up for it!

Main Aromas:

Toasted and Malted Sweet Barley, Butter Biscuits (Butterkekse), Vanilla, Yeast, Tutti-Frutti Candies, Charred Pineapple, Banana Ice Cream, Milk Chocolate and Citrus Peel.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Caramel, Toffee, Charred Oak, mildly Bitter Almonds, Marzipan, Forrest after a Rain Shower, Apple, Pear, Apricot or Nectarine, Caffe Latte, Sour Yogurt and Wet Paper.

Palate:

The delivery is on the Thin side. This Fettercairn really could do with a higher ABV. A Mix of Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes. Not quite my thing!

Main Flavours:

Malted and Toasted Barley, Burnt Toast, Yeast, Banana-Flavoured Yogurt, Oak Char, Charred Pineapple, Caffe Latte, Milk Chocolate, Bitter Herbs, Cinnamon, Pepper, Cloves and Menthol.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Sour Berries, Sour Orange-Juice, Dried Fruit, Damp Wine Cellar, Almonds and Baked Apples sprinkled with Nutmeg.

Finish:

Short/Medium-Long, Thin, Malty, Yeasty, Meaty and Spicy. I find Malted/Toasted Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla, Charred Pineapple, Banana-Flavoured Yogurt, Bitter Herbs, Charred Oak, CaffeLatte, Milk Chocolate, Almonds, Heather-Honey, Red Apple, Dried Fruit, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger & Menthol. A bit of Floral Perfume after a while.

Drinking Advice:

Due to the small size of the sample I only tasted this Fettercairn neat. I would imagine that added Water is not required. It's Thin enough as it is.

Rating: 78

Nose: 20.5  - Taste: 19.5 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 19.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay at best.

Conclusion:

The Fettercairn Distillery was founded in 1824 by Sir Alexander Ramsay and is located in Fettercairn, Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire in the Eastern Highlands. It changed hands many times in the past but mainly belonged to Whyte & MacKay that was bought by Emperador Inc. in 2015. The two pairs of stills produce around 1,5 million litres of Alcohol per year. The core range exists of the 12, 28, 40 and 50 Years.

The new core range was launched in 2018 to put Fettercairn back on the Single malt map. As known, this Malt is mainly used for the Whyte & MacKay blends. I must admit that this 12 Year old does not do a lot for me. Lots of Barley, Yeast, Butter and Dairy. A rather unbalanced mix of Sweet, Bitter, Sour & Spicy notes. A higher ABV could certainly help out and 43% should be possible without a significant price increase. I already think it's expensive for a relatively unknown Single Malt distillery. We visited Fettercairn in May 2019 and it's certainly well-worth the effort of getting there. Wonderful small and picturesque distillery. The visitor accommodations are still rather primitive but the Tour is quite nice.

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Whisky Review # 853

Country: Scotland
Region: Eastern Highlands

Brand: Fettercairn Pedro Ximenez Sherry Cask Edition
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon casks with a fairly long finish in PX Sherry casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: Around US$ 70 (January 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎Way too expensive for what it offers
Buying Advice: 😞Negative. The Nose is okay but Palate/Finish are too Thin.

Colour: Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Rather than repeating the Aromas and Flavours already mentioned above I will simply look at the extra or different notes that come with the PX Finish. The Nose remains on the Thin side but Dark Red Fruit and Dried Fruit notes appear. The Alcohol seems better integrated although I can't really explain that. This is more mainstream than the 12 Years that has a few funky sides.

Extra Main Aromas:

Dried Fruit (Raisins, Sultanas, Apricots, Plums), Rose Water & stronger Orange Aromas.
    
Extra Supportive Aroma Accents:

Grapes, Damp Cellar, Red Berries, Cloves and Nutella.

Palate:

Is this a Single Malt Whisky? It's way too Thin and Watery for my sake. It's a bit Softer than the regular 12 years but certainly not better. There's some extra Red Fruit but it's so Thin it feels artificial. This PX Finish didn't work out very well.

Extra Main Flavours:

Damp Wood, Rose Water and Papaya.

Extra Supportive Flavour Accents:

Floral Perfume, Cherry-Flavoured Candies and Licorice.

Finish:

Short, very Thin, almost watery and Bitter-Sweet. This almost reminds me of a Watery Rose Water or watered down Floral Perfume. Hints of Milk Chocolate, Red Fruit, Damp Wood, Ginger and Licorice. Utterly forgettable!

Drinking Advice:

Due to the small size of the sample I only tasted this Fettercairn neat. I would imagine that added Water is not required. It's Thin enough as it is.

Rating: 73

Nose: 20 - Taste: 18 - Finish: 17 - Overall: 18

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average.

Conclusion:

The 12 Years PX Finish was released in 2019 and destined for the Travel Retail sector. It's basically a standard Fettercairn Single Malt with a quite lengthy PX cask Finish. I'm not quite sure how long it was finished as sources mention as low as 6 months and as long as 2 years. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle as the PX influence is noticeable but not overly strong.

As you can read above, I don't think that this PX Finish Edition worked out well. It misses Strength and Character. A higher ABV and more active PX casks could do wonders here. As it is, I feel that this is not the way forward for this beautiful distillery. Both the 12 Years and in particular this PX Finish can't compete Aroma and Flavour wise with the Highland competition. And they are too expensive for what they offer. If you want to get away from your Blended Whisky image you have to come up with a solid, flavourful entry Malt at an acceptable price level and build your way forward from there. I wish Fettercairn all the best and hope the new owners will take this next step.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                               January 14, 2020

All Pictures were taken during our visit in May 2019

Rozelieures Fume Collection Review

“L’Important c’est la Rose”  

Whisky Review # 851

Country: France

Brand: Rozelieures (Fume Collection)
Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS (Said to be 8 Years)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Ex- Fino Sherry Oak
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price: Around US$ 60-70 (January 2020)
Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!
Price/Quality Ratio: Borderline Okay
Buying Advice: 😐It's nice to sample but I wouldn't buy a full bottle.

Colour: Amber (Possibly Original Colour)

Nose:

Please give this Rozelieures sufficient time in the glass before Nosing as it opens quite slowly. It's a quite Young Whisky and there's still a bit New Make feel to it although at the same time it's not overly Fruity. There's a subtle Smoke Aroma around. The Alcohol is quite noticeable though. The Sherry influence is limited and I would assume that Refill casks have been used for maturation. It's not at all bad for a Young Whisky but it is a bit underwhelming.

Main Aromas:

Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Yeast, Dough, Malted and Toasted Barley, Sweet Dried Fruit like Sultanas and Raisins, Hay, Grapefruit, Sour Berries & Oak Char.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Caramel, Vanilla, Butterscotch, Pancakes with Syrup, Nuts & Nutshells, Lemon, Orange, Pear, Mint, Wet Stones, Espresso and a hint of Plastic/Rubber.

Picture Credit: Rozelieures

Palate:

Young and on the Thin side. A mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. The Alcohol is rather present. Quite Spicy! The Earthy Peat-Smoke is there but remains in the background. It's a nice touch though.

Main Flavours:

Malted and Toasted Barley, Burnt Toast, Yeast, Orange and Lemon, Grapefruit, Red Grapes, Green Apple, Dirty Earth, Nuts and Nutshells, Oak Char, Leather, Pepper, Cardamom, Ginger, Aniseed and Soot.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Syrup, Hay, Pear, Cognac, Glue, Espresso & Rubber.  

Finish:

Short/Middle-Long. Quite Sweet at first but with a few Bitter and Sour notes towards the very Dry end. The Spicy Alcohol kicks around a bit. I find Toasted and Malted Barley, Burnt Toast, Vanilla, Cocoa Powder, Dirty Earth, Orange & Lemon Peel, Grapefruit, Green Apple, Unripe Pear, Oak Char, Menthol, Pepper, Cardamom, Ginger, Aniseed, Cumin, Cognac, Earthy Smoke and Soot.

Drinking Advice:

I added a bit of Water and that helps to control the Alcohol a bit on the Nose. Some Fruit coming through (Apricot). Palate and Finish don't improve though. I advise you to sip it neat.

Rating: 82

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Distillery Grallet-Dupic is located in the village of Rozelieures (Lorraine) and was founded in 1860 by Michel Grallet. This family-owned business has been distilling for more than 150 years and grows its own Barley. It started producing Eau de Vie but since 2002 it also distills Whisky. It's the first French distillery that works with lightly peated Malts. All Whiskies produced are Single Malts and Double-Distilled. The whole process of distilling to bottling is done at the farm.

It's one of the better French Whiskies I have tasted to date. It's a pity that it's bottled at such a relative Young age. I would really love to try a well-matured Whisky from this distillery The potential is there I feel but it's not fully exploited (yet). As it is, the Alcohol is a bit too dominant and spoils part of the fun. I kinda like this Spice mixture though. Not so strange as I am a big fan of Indian food! 

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 January 10, 2020

Picture Credit: Rozelieures