Glendalough 7 Years Review

“What’s In a Name”

Country: Ireland

Brand: Glendalough

Type: Single Malt Whiskey

Age: 7 Years

ABV: 46%

Colour: Golden 

Nose: My first impressions are New Oak and Nail Polish Remover. Fortunately I also find Barley, Grass, Hay, Orchard Fruit (Pear), Nuts, Custard, Citrus Peel, Honey, Milk, Pineapple Jam, Mineral Notes, Cinnamon and Mint. The Alcohol is not fully integrated. It's a relatively simple Nose but not quite as clean as its Triple-Distilled brothers and sisters. But that's okay with me as I must admit I'm not a huge fan of Triple Distillation as it tends to take out too many Aromas and Flavours.  

Taste: Young and Edgy with Varnished Oak, Alcohol, Bitter Tea, Grapefruit, Lemon, Malt, Grass, Pear, Peach, Pepper, Cloves and Cinnamon.   

Finish: Short, slightly Bitter, Hot and Spicy with Alcohol, Varnished Oak, Lemon, Grapefruit, Pear, Peach, Honey, Malt, Pineapple Jam, Pepper, Nutmeg and Cloves.

I added a couple of drops of Water and on the Nose the Alcohol retreats. I get more Pear, Apple, Pineapple, Vanilla and Barley. The Nose certainly benefits from a little Water. Palate and Finish become too thin though for a Whisky.

Rating: 80  

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

General Remarks: The Glendalough (Glen of Two Lakes) Distillery was founded in 2011 by five friends from Wicklow and Dublin in an attempt to revive Craft Distilling in Ireland. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Ireland was home to over 200 legal - and many more illegal distilleries. Nowadays, only a handful of them are left. The distillery is looking to produce innovative Spirits like Whiskey and Gin. As the distillery was only founded recently, the Spirit for their 7 Years Single Malt was produced at the Cooley Distillery. The 7 Y. was Double Distilled and matured in First Fill ex-Bourbon Casks. It was cut with local Wicklow Spring Water. No Chill-Filtration took place. I looked everywhere but could not find out why the 7 Years is apparently available with both a Green - and a Grey Label. It costs an average 50 US Dollars (September 2015). Too expensive for what this Single Malt offers in my opinion.

Drinking Experience Neat: Average.

Conclusion: I'm not the biggest fan of Irish Whiskey in general although there are some exceptions like Redbreast and Greenspot. But I'm not impressed by this Glendalough 7 Years. The Nose is okay I guess but on the Palate and in the Finish this Single Malt is Young, Edgy and slightly Bitter with too much Hot Alcohol, Varnish and Spices that don't give sufficient space to the Fruit. I get the impression that Cooley provided Glendalough with some indifferent Spirit and I truly question Glendalough's commercial strategy. I understand the need for cash that all beginning distilleries have to deal with but selling Gin and other young Spirits is always the better option in my opinion. In any case I hope and trust that the future expressions made by Glendalough itself will be better and more interesting. Good luck fellows!

Jan van den Ende                                                             September 14, 2015

Suntory Kakubin Review

“Highball Star”

Country: Japan

Brand: Suntory Kakubin Yellow Label

Type: Blended Japanese Whisky

Age: NAS

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Dark Golden 

Nose: The Alcohol is quite present so please give the Kakubin enough time in the glass to open up. The Kakubin is immediately recognisable as a Japanese whisky as the Aroma is quite distinctive. I'm nosing on the edge of the glass as the Alcohol remains strong. I find Floral and Fruity tones, young Grain Alcohol, Brown Sugar, Caramel, Plums, Sweet Candies, young Bourbon, Nuts, Cinnamon, Vanilla, light Honey, light Coconut Water and a little Citrus. It's nothing special but better than your average cheap Scottish Blend. I would rate it even higher if not for the sharp Alcohol that spoils a bit of the fun.

Taste: Watery, Sugary Sweet, Edgy and slightly Bitter with Grain Alcohol, Oak, Cereals, light Vanilla, light Honey, Grapefruit, light Pepper and light Ginger. What a disappointment after the reasonable Nose. 

Finish: Short, Sugary Sweet and Watery with light Honey, Grapefruit, Nuts, Nut Shells, Grains, light Vanilla, Oak, light Pepper and Ginger.  

Added Water completely kills this Blend. It does not even taste like Whisky anymore.

Rating: 73   

Nose: 20 – Taste: 17.5 - Finish: 17 – Overall: 18.5

General Remarks: The Kakubin (Square Bottle) Blend has been produced by Suntory since 1937 and contains a.o. Malt Whisky from Yamazaki and Hakushu. These whiskies mature in a variety of casks that include Ex-Sherry and Ex-Wine casks. It's the best selling Whisky in Japan as it's very cheap there at around 20 US Dollars. It's mainly used in cocktails though such as the Highball. The marks on the bottle are made to look like the shell of a turtle, the Japanese symbol for a long and prosperous life. Strangely enough the name Kakubin is not at all mentioned on the bottle. There are two more versions of the Kakubin available in Japan, the White and the Black Label. I will try to get samples somehow. Prices vary substantially between 12 and 40 US Dollars depending on where you live (May 2021). In Japan, the Price/Quality ratio is okay but no way I would spend over 20 US Dollars to get this Blend.

A Nice Highball

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Okay 

Conclusion: Most Japanese use the Kakubin Yellow Label as a cheap ingredient for their cocktails, especially the Highball. That's the only reason why it's the best selling Whisky in Japan. Because it does not have sufficient Aromas and Flavours to qualify as a sipping Whisky. The Nose is not bad although the strong Alcohol spoils a bit of the fun. On the Palate and in the Short Finish however, the Kakubin is Watery, Sugary Sweet, Edgy and totally unsatisfactory. I got this bottle as an anniversary gift and I'm now calculating how many Highballs I need to drink before this bottle goes to the graveyard. I hope I like Highballs!

Jan van den Ende                                                             September 10, 2015

Glenmorangie Astar Review

“All About The Cask”

Country: Scotland

Region: Highland 

Brand: Glenmorangie Astar

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS (Said To Be 9-10 Years) - NCF

ABV: 57.1%

Colour: Light Golden

Nose: Solid and similar to a mature Bourbon. The Alcohol is very strong so you need to wind your way around it. The Nose is Sweet and Spicy at the same time. I find Toasted Barley, Honey, Toffee, Vanilla, Coconut Ice Cream, White Chocolate, Nectarine, Banana Chips, Butter Kekse, Toasted Nuts, Lemon, Peach Marmalade, Charred Oak, Menthol and Spices like Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon and Ginger. 

Taste: Strong Delivery thanks to the high ABV. In fact, many people will likely add a little Water at this stage. Not me! I find Orange and Mandarin that are quite characteristic for Glenmorangie. I also get Toasted Barley, Honey, Vanilla, White Chocolate, Papaya Cream, Toasted Nuts, Charred Oak, Fresh Dough, Butterscotch, Peach, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, Brown Sugar and a hint of Polished Leather.  

Finish: Quite Long, Sweet, Spicy and Comforting with Sweet Barley, Honey, Coconut Ice Cream, Creme Brulee, Mandarin, Red Apple, Toasted Oak, Brown Sugar, Toasted Nuts, Dried Herbs, Pepper, Ginger and Menthol. Dry towards the end. 

I added a few drops of Water and on the Nose you get some extra Sweet Toffee and Vanilla. Red Apples and Citrus as well. On the Palate and in the Finish the Wood and Wood Spice become very strong. I also find a bit of Lemon-Grass. Despite the high ABV I recommend to sip it neat.  

Rating: 86  

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

General Remarks: The Astar is a revival of the Artisan Cask that was popular a couple of years ago. It was launched in 2008 and matures in toasted and lightly charred Ex-Bourbon casks made from Oak produced in the Ozark Mountains in the US state of Missouri. It's a slow growing variety and as a result the wood is more porous allowing the spirit to extract more flavours. Astar means Journey in Gaelic and represents the long and eventful road from Missouri to your glass. In the meantime, the Astar is discontinued but you can still find it at around 120 US Dollars. But Spirit that matured in the same way as the Astar has been used in the last couple of years to bolster up the 10 Years Original, the work horse of the Distillery.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: The Astar is a very interesting Glenmorangie. It's got more Power than the 10 Years Original and it's not as Sweet as the Glenmorangie Spirit that is finished in Ex-(Fortified) Wine Casks. The Astar is all about the Wood. So if you don't like Woody Spirit you better stay away from this Malt. If you like a mature quality Bourbon however you will certainly enjoy the Astar. I quite like it myself, especially as an after-dinner Whisky in the company of a good cigar. It's a pity that the Astar was discontinued but I could imagine that it will re-appear again in some form and name in the future. Glenmorangie likes experiments and the Astar is one of their better efforts. It's a coherent Single Malt from Nose to Finish!   

Jan van den Ende                                                               September 7, 2015

Ardbeg Perpetuum Review

“An (Ard) Bag of Licorice”

Country: Scotland

Region: Islay

Brand: Ardbeg Perpetuum

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS (Natural Colour - NCF)

ABV: 47.4%

Colour: White Wine

Nose: Young, Light, Medicinal, Grassy and slightly Sour. The Peat and Smoke are there of course but the Perpetuum is certainly not as Peaty as for instance the 10 Years. I find Sweet Barley, Ashes, Soot, Iodine, Hay, Toasted Nuts, Oak, Toffee, light Vanilla, Caramel, Sour Apples, Lemon Peel, Mint, light Licorice, light Aniseed, Wet Stone and hints of Espresso and Leather. The Peat is more Earthy and Floral than Coastal and reminds me of Cooked Vegetables every once in a while. It's clear that mainly Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks have been used to mature the Perpetuum. I hardly smell any Sherry Cask influence. A bit of Dried Fruit perhaps but nothing significant. It's a strange Nose for an Ardbeg. It's not bad but I miss Power, Depth and Complexity. In all honesty I find it boring.   

Taste: Young, Sharp and slightly Medicinal. I find Dirty Earth, Charcoal, Burnt Toast, Toasted Nuts, Smoked Meat, Citrus Peel, Grapefruit, Apple, Pear, Tea, Licorice, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Espresso and a hint of Leather.  

Finish: Rather Short, Bitter-Sweet and Dry in the end with Tar, Brine, Ashes, Dirty Earth, Charcoal, Dried Herbs, Malt, Menthol, Pepper, Lemon Peel, Bitter Chocolate, Salty Licorice, Cloves, Espresso and a light Metallic Off-Note.

Unfortunately I merely had a small sample so I only tasted the Perpetuum neat.

Rating: 82

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

General Remarks: To celebrate 200 Years of Ardbeg, the distillery launched the Perpetuum earlier this year during Feis Ile. It was created by Ardbeg's Bill Lunden and is a mix of old - and recent Ardbegs in order to represent Past, Present and Future. The Perpetuum matured in Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry casks. The "original" Perpetuum DE had an ABV of 49.2% and was only sold at the Distillery. It's not available anymore unless you want to pay absurd prices. The Perpetuum I'm tasting today was released soon after Feis Ile for a broader market and at a lower ABV of 47.4%. I'm told there are additional differences between the two expressions other than the ABV. Most likely, the demand was so high that Ardbeg had to provide additional batches. In any case, this "regular" Perpetuum is probably sold out in many places as well but in other places it might still be around at a price of around 120 US Dollars (September 2015).  

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good   

Conclusion: The name Perpetuum stands for "Ardbeg Forever". I drink to that but I do hope Ardbeg does nor plan to go on forever with Malts like this. So far, four Ardbegs have made it into my all time Top 20 but this Perpetuum is not gonna join them. In fact this is the first Ardbeg that I have tasted that I don't care for. The Nose is okay but boring and Palate and Finish are forgettable unless you love Licorice. All in all, it's not totally bad but it's an odd mix of Aromas and Flavours without a lot of coherence and direction. It's really hard to describe this Perpetuum. It's certainly not a fiery Peat Bomb and it's obvious that most of the whisky used in this expression is quite Young. It's also hard to trace any Sherry Cask influence. It all smells and tastes like a Rush Job to me. Hardly a whisky to celebrate anything. I promise you a better whisky on the 200th anniversary of Best Shot Whisky Reviews!   

Jan van den Ende                                                               September 3, 2015

BenRiach Curiositas 10 Years Review

“Neither Fish Nor Fowl”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Speyside

Brand: BenRiach Curiositas 

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 10 Years

ABV: 46% 

Colour: Light Gold/Straw

Nose: Light and Young but certainly not Unpleasant. There is a Meaty - and slightly Medicinal feel to the Curiositas. The Peat is different when compared to the Islay Single Malts. It's more Earthy and a bit Dusty. It's a young Single Malt so the Alcohol is there of course. Be sure to give the Curiositas some time in the glass. I find Toasted Barley, Grass, Straw, Charcoal, Heather, Roasted Peanuts, light Tar, Meat on the BBQ, Toffee and light hints of Wet Newspaper and Plastic. After a while I get Citrus Peel and Buttered Toast with Pineapple Marmalade. Despite the fact that I find traces of other Aromas as described above, the Peat is slightly dominant as is often the case with young peated Malts. With more time in the cask the peated Spirit and the Wood create more Harmony. Still, it's not bad considering age and price. 

Palate: The Delivery is a little Thin despite the good ABV. On the Palate, the Curiositas is Bitter Sweet, Waxy and Malty. I find Earthy Peat, light Smoke, Charred Oak, Nuts, Sugared Espresso, Barley, Citrus Peel, Sour Apples, Vanilla, Pepper, Licorice and a hint of Leather.

Finish: Short, Bitter Sweet and a little Dry towards the end. A clear Licorice note is present while I also find Charred Oak, Dirty Earth, Barley Sugar, Vanilla, light Smoke, light Tar, Leather, light Pepper, light Cinnamon, Grapefruit Juice and Sugared Espresso. 

I added a bit of Water. On the Nose, the Peat/Smoke retreats and some Floral and Fruity notes become evident. Palate and Finish however do not benefit from the added Water. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 83

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

General Remarks: The BenRiach distillery is located in the heart of Speyside between Elgin and Rothes. It was founded around 1898 by John Duff, the owner of the nearby Longmorn distillery. Today it's one of the few distilleries with its own Malting Floors. Since 2004, it is independently owned by BenRiach Distillery Company. A lot of their production goes into the Chivas Regal Blends. The Curiositas 10 Years was launched in 2004 and is distilled with heavily Peated Barley (Around 55 PPM). The Spirit matured in Ex-Bourbon Casks and sells at an average 45 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: BenRiach is one of my favourite distilleries and the 16 Years is one of the best Single Malts I have tasted so far. But I'm not too excited about the Curiositas 10 Years I'm reviewing today despite the fact that the Price/Quality ratio is good enough. The Nose is the best part of this Curiositas with a gentle combo of Barley, Peat/Smoke and Fruity elements. It's not perfect though as I also find some hints of Medicine, Plastic and Wet Paper. But on the Palate I find the Curiositas to be Young and Thin and I'm not too fond of the Sugary Licorice note that returns with full strength in the Short Finish. The good thing about the Curiositas is its price but it can't beat young Islay Malts like the Ardbeg 10 or Laphroaig 10. And if you're a pure Speyside fan you might not like the peaty character of the Curiositas. And that sums up the problem I have with this BenRiach expression. It's neither Fish nor Fowl.  

Jan van den Ende                                                                  August 31, 2015