BenRiach 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: BenRiach

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Speyside

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 43%

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: Light but pleasant Fruity Nose with Peach, Pineapple, Orange Zest and Fresh White Coconut Meat. Very clear Butter tone as well. A bit more in the background I find some young Oak, Vanilla, Malt, Cereal, Honey and an Earthy tone. It’s not outright Peat but more like Grass.

Taste: Slightly thin delivery.Sweeter than expected after the Fruity Nose. Honey, Custard, Marzipan, Caramel. Light Spices (Cinnamon, Pepper and Nutmeg), Young Oak.

Finish: Sweet at first with Honey and Sugared Roasted (Pea) Nuts or even Peanut Butter. However, Spices (Nutmeg and Ginger), Lemon and Apple lead to a quite dry finish in the end.

I added a couple of drops of water and the Nose gains Floral and Malty Notes. On the Palate however the added water does no good and the Finish becomes too Sugary. I prefer this Single Malt without the extra water despite its 43%.

Rating: 84,5

Nose: 22 – Taste: 21,5 – Finish: 20 – Overall: 21

General Remarks:  The BenRiach Distillery is located just outside the city of Elgin. It was founded in 1897 but was closed down for many years during its lifetime. Currently it’s one of the few independently owned distilleries in Scotland. Annual production capacity amounts to around 2.8 million litres. All whisky is aged in ex-Bourbon Casks.

Drinking Experience Neat:  Good

Conclusion: Very light and pleasant Speyide Nose with lots of Fruit and Grassy tones. On the Palate this Single Malt was a bit sweeter than I expected. The Finish starts (too) sweet but ends up clean and dry. A minor point of criticism would be the Oak. I would not easily give this whisky 12 years. Especially in the Finish but also on the Palate I find the Wood a bit young and harsh. Not an all time favourite of mine like the 16-Years but certainly a well crafted Single Malt that I can recommend to beginning Whisky drinkers and friends of a not too complicated but efficient Speyside Malt.

Jan van den Ende                                                                 June 10,2012

Chieftain's Auchroisk 11 Years Medoc Finish Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Chieftain’s Auchroisk Medoc Finish

Bottled by: Ian Macleod & Comp. Ltd., Edinburgh

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Speyside

Age: 11 Years

Alcohol: 43%

Colour: Golden

Nose: Sour like Vinegar, Wood, Grains, Caramel, Malt, Harsh Alcohol, Light Peat, Hints of Red Fruit and Port Wine.

Taste: Not extremely pleasant. It’s harsh and hot with Spices (think of Nutmeg) and a strange Medicinal/Metallic off-note. Bit of Toffee/Caramel and a hint of Berries.

Finish: Bitter-Sweet with Wood and Spices. Fortunately it’s not very long.

With a few drops of water you get a few extra faint floral - and fruity tones on the Nose. Heather comes through and hints of Buttered Toast with a touch of Honey. The Nose certainly benefits from a bit of water. The Palate however does not and reveals a sloppy wood quality. The Finish practically disappears with the exception of a rather unpleasant sweetness that stays for a couple of minutes.

Rating: 70

  

Nose: 19 - Taste: 17 - Finish: 16,5 – Overall: 17,5

There are five Chieftain expressions in this gift-set. Let’s hope the three remaining ones are better than what we had so far.

General Remarks: Ian MacLeod is a so-called Independent Bottler. These companies play an important part in today’ s whisky industry. They buy casks of (young) spirit from Distilleries, mature them, finish them and bottle them, all at their own discretion and then sell the final product under their own label. This is all very attractive for whisky drinkers who look beyond the standard Distillery offerings. They are often bottled at cask strength and non-chill-filtered. Many times, but not always, Independent Bottlers offer products that are greatly appreciated.

The Auchroisk Distillery was only founded in 1974. It’s a large distillery, located in Banffshire ,with an annual production capacity of around 3,5 million litres. It is owned by the Diageo Group and is the Home Distillery for the J&B Rare Blend. The 11 Year Medoc finish was distilled in 1994 and bottled in 2005.

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Par.

Conclusion: Another Medoc Finish from Ian MacLeod and although it’s slightly better than the Dalmore 10, there is no cause for rejoicing. The Nose is not that bad and would have been even better if not for the Vinegar off-note. I feel that a high percentage of older Refill Casks have been used here. But Palate and Finish are quite disappointing and therefore I can’t recommend this Single Malt.

Jan van den Ende                                                                    June 6, 2012

Grand Macnish Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Grand Macnish

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: NAS

Alcohol: 40%

Color: Bright Gold

Nose: Sweet Grain, Malt, Caramel, Light Peat, Oak, Straw, Leather, Floral Tones (Think of Lavender), Honey and Lemon. A light Vinegar off-note. There’s a hint of fruit but I can’t pin it down. Peach maybe or Pineapple. Some Sharp Alcohol makes it a bit difficult to get to the heart of this Blend. Give it time to open up a bit. It’s not bad but I can’t really get excited about this.

Taste: Sweet Grain, Caramel, Toffee, Honey, Malt and Light Spices. It’ s quite sweet and smooth. A tad salty. Not earth-shocking but not bad either.

Finish: Short and Dry Speyside-type Finish with some Toffee, Oak and Floral notes. The Salt is still there as well.

I added a few drops of water that does nothing extra for the Nose but does enhance the Honey on the Palate and in the Finish. Just try it out.

Rating:  82

Nose: 20 – Taste: 21,5 – Finish: 20 – Overall: 20,5

General Remarks: This Blend was created in 1863 by Robert McNish. It consists of around 40 Malt and Grain-Whiskies from a.o. Highland and Speyside. The Brand is currently owned by MacDuff International, Glasgow. It’s not widely available around the world although it’s been produced constantly since 1863. It was a favorite of the well-known writer Ernest Hemingway. The bottle is quite old-fashioned.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Okay

Conclusion: This is one of those few occasions where I rate the Nose lower than the Palate. The Nose is really uneventful. Nothing to write home about. But on the Palate the Grand Macnish is very smooth and the Honey tone is very nice. The Finish is on the Short side. If you can get this Blend it will cost you around 35 Dollars, which is a good price for this Blend, especially when you like the combination of Speyside and Highland whiskies.

Jan van den Ende                                                                  June 2, 2012