Jack Daniels Gentleman Jack Review

Country: USA

Brand: Jack Daniels Gentleman Jack

Type: Whiskey (Tennessee)

Age:  Around 5 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Golden Amber

Nose: Sweet Corn Syrup, Vanilla, Charred Oak, Butter, Fruit (Think of Pineapple, Cherries and Banana). There’s some Alcohol but not too much. A hint of Furniture Wax. Bit of Burnt Sugar as well. Quite a restrained nose really.

Taste: Not at all as Sweet as expected after the Nose. A bit watery but very smooth. Toasted Grain, Licorice, Oak, White Pepper.

Finish: Quite a bit of Licorice. Very short bite on the tongue. Slightly bitter Walnuts. Some Lemon, Apple, Oak, and Cinnamon.

I added a few drops of water to the whiskey that brought more Sweet Grain, Honey and Pineapple to the Nose. But on the palate it waters down quickly so better drink it without water although I got some extra cherries in the Finish. Well, just try it out and see what it brings you.

Rating 80,5

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

General Remarks: The Jack Daniels Distillery is located in Lynchburg (Tennessee). It was indeed founded by a man called Jack Daniel in 1866 and it stayed in the family until 1956 when it was bought 

by Brown Forman from Kentucky. Gentleman Jack was introduced in 1988 and is Charcoal-Mellowed twice, once before it goes into the barrel and a second time after full maturation. In this way, it is unique.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: I rate the Gentleman Jack slightly higher than the regular Old no.7. It’s more refined on the Nose and it certainly tastes better on the Rocks. But straight, its double Charcoal Mellowing leaves it smooth but also quite uneventful, almost boring. I don’t think it’s worth the extra bucks. For much less you can get a large range of good Bourbons.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      May 20, 2012

Edradour Caledonia 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Edradour Caledonia

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Highlands

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol: 46%

Colour: Full Gold. It’s hard to believe it does not contain any artificial colourants. Those 4 years in Oloroso Sherry Casks really did the job!

Nose: Full Fruity Heavy Nose, very mature for its 12 Years. My first impressions are Sweet Dried Fruits (Figs, Sultanas), Sherry, Toffee, Oak, Toasted Grain and Light Peat. There’s a bit of Alcohol there and a slight bitter off-note. Still, a lot going on here.

Taste: A very complex taste. The delivery is almost overwhelming although a bit on the watery side, which is odd since it’s bottled at 46%. In the melee of flavors I detect Bitter Orange Marmalade, Apricot, Spices like Pepper, Cinnamon and Nutmeg, Oak, Caramel, Butterscotch and Raspberries. There is also an Acetone-like off-note. I find it in Bourbons sometimes as well. There’s enough to discover but I don’t think it’s well balanced.

Finish: Quite Long. Spicy and very dry with Cocoa, Apricot and Nuts. The Acetone is still there I’m afraid.

I added some water and the Nose releases more Peat, Toffee and Malt. You certainly can experiment with a couple of drops of water.

Rating: 81,5 

Nose: 22 – Taste: 20 – Finish: 19 – Overall: 20.5

General Remarks: Edradour is Scotland's smallest single malt whisky distillery and produces just 90,000 litres of hand made whisky each year. It’s located in the Southern Highlands. It was only bottled as a Single Malt in 1986. Only Three employees operate the distillery. The Caledonia expression was launched in 2009 and involved Scottish singer Dougie MacLean. Caledonia is one of his songs.

Drinking Experience Neat: Very different from your average Single Malt. You either like it or you don’t!

Conclusion: What can I say! It’s a very special Single Malt made by a very special Distillery. But somehow it doesn’t work for me. I had the same feeling with the 10 Year expression. It’s certainly not a boring Single Malt. There’s enough to discover, both on the Nose and the Palate. But I don’t find balance in this whisky and there are strange off-notes that I don’t find agreeable. I’m sure there will be whisky drinkers who have fallen in love with the spirits of the Edradour Distillery but I can’t say I’m one of them.

Jan van den Ende                                                                 May 18, 2012

Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother - Review

Songs: Atom Heart Mother (Father´s Shout – Breast Milky – Mother Fore – Funky Dung – Mind Your Throats Please – Remergence),  If, Summer 68, Fat Old Sun, Alan´s Psychedelic Breakfast (Rise and Shine – Sunny Side Up – Morning Glory).   

Type of Music: Psychedelic Rock   

Comments:

“We know we´re going somewhere but we´re not quite sure where and how”. The group must have had these kind of thoughts in 1970. It would explain the cover of the album with the now famous cow. I think the band wanted to express the fact that the music on it could be anything made by anybody. Free your mind and let the ideas flow. 

When interviewed many years later, most of the band members do not think very highly of this Album, released in 1970 and recorded in the Abbey Road Studios in London. I do not agree with their statements. Stylistically this album is a logical follow up to the studio half of the Ummagumma Album. Again, one side of the Album contains a group effort while the other half showcases individual songs written by the various band members. But this time the Avant Garde music was taken a step further with the help of Ron Geesin, a full bras section and a choir. 

But in comparison to Ummagumma, the musical ideas here are more defined, with the exception of the Mind Your Throats Please part of the opening suite that is more a collection of sounds.The actual songs and melodies however are quite strong and thoroughly enjoyable.

The Album kicks of with the Atom Heart Mother Suite, one of the longest Pink Floyd songs (23.36). It's one of the first successful combinations of progressive rock and classical music. The main theme Father's Shout is very strong. It could have been used as a film soundtrack but in the end the contract did not go ahead. And although not all parts of the Suite are equally good they provide us with a very interesting listen that grows on you with every spin and does not bore easily. And Roger's guitar playing holds the promise of greater things to come.  

The album closer is another long piece called Alan´s Psychedelic Breakfast. Alan is Alan Stiles, one of the roadies of the group who is preparing breakfast and is remembering other breakfasts in between the three instrumental parts. The newly applied production techniques make it all sound very realistic and funny. Very crispy bacon! The music itself is more forgettable than the title track but the experiment still manages to hold my attention after all these years. Still, it's the weakest track on the album.

In between these suites are three shorter songs, respectively written by Waters, Wright and Gilmour. 

The first one If is a nice mainly acoustic pastoral folk song in the style of Grantchester Meadows. But If has a stronger melody, very honest introspective lyrics and a great guitar solo.

It is followed by Summer' 68, written by Richard Wright. A very accurate picture of one night stands and life on the road in the Summer of Love era. Strong melody. Good Song. 

And finally we have Fat Old Sun, written by David Gilmour, another ode to the beloved countryside. Many have said the band sounds like the Kinks here but who cares! Great melody, great song.  

So there you have it in a nut shell. One excellent and one at least interesting suite plus three quality Pink Floyd Songs. I give this Album a very solid 8 and can't understand why the band with the exception of Richard has become so negative about this album. Atom Heart Mother makes for a very relaxing listen after a hard day´s work. Try it out!

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record:  While it´s not an essential Pink Floyd Album, it's certainly worth owning. It´s got a high Anti-Stress Factor! Make sure you get the Re-Mastered Version! 

Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac - Review

Songs:  Monday Morning, Warm Ways, Blue Letter, Rhiannon, Over my Head, Crystal, Say you love me, Landslide, World Turning, Sugar Daddy,

I´m so Afraid.

Type of Music: First Class Mid-Seventies Pop-Rock.

Comments:

Goodbye Bob Welch! Welcome Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, the Californian pair that already had cut an album together that went For Sale in about a week! It´s a Collector´s Item now of course. So we have three Brits and two Yankees and an Album simply called Fleetwood Mac as if to say: Hey World we´re starting from scratch again!! And what a start as well!!

While Christine´s Warm Ways still sounds like the Mac from the Bob Welch/Danny Kirwan period, the 10 other songs introduce us to the sound of the new line-up. With the exception of Blue Letter , all songs are written by the band. It´s a perfect match of Christine´s fast improving mid-tempo love songs (Say you love me, Over my Head), Lindsay´s sharp rock songs (Monday Morning, I´m so Afraid) and Stevie´s Mystic Tales (Rhiannon, Landslide, Crystal). Only Mc Vie´s Sugar Daddy is Filler.

Although most people consider Rumours Mac´s best Album from the Seventies, this one here comes very close indeed.

Stevie´s Rhiannon is a very special song because it convinced me that the Fleetwood/McVie Rhythm Section is probably the best in the world. No one else sounds so smooth and comfortable.

And Lindsay Buckingham surely is one of the world´s best acoustic - and electric guitar players. Get a copy of the DVD The Dance reunion Concert and listen to his reading of I´m so afraid as well as an acoustic version of Big Love from the Tango in the Night Album.

But that´s looking in the very bright future of the band. For the moment, dig deep in your collection, select your copy of Fleetwood Mac, put it in your player and just enjoy this excellent Pop-Rock Album. 

Who should buy this Record:  Everybody.

Rating: ******** (8 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Johnnie Walker Double Black Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Johnnie Walker Double Black

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: Not Stated

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Amber/Gold/Sauternes

Nose: Light. There’s raw Alcohol present so be sure to give it some time to open up. Still, not too much going on here with Light Peat, Brine, Oak, Nuts and Sweet Sultanas.

Taste: The delivery is slightly watery with Sweet Grain, Light Peat and Smoke, slightly bitter Orange Zest, Pepper, Oak, Candy and hints of Tobacco and Licorice.

Finish: Short with a bit of Wet Earth, Sweet Grain, Nutmeg, Oak, Tobacco and Salt.

When I added a few drops of water the Peat is a bit stronger and I get some Malt as well. Not many changes on the Palate so better drink it straight.

Rating:  80 

Nose: 20 – Taste: 20 – Finish: 20– Overall: 20

General Remarks: I have no idea why this Blend almost costs 50% more than the regular Black. It’s a bit more (subdued) Islay, a little less Speyside and some more and younger Grain Whiskies. That’s All!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: The Double Black is a highly drinkable Blend but it’s not Good Value for Money and it’s NOT better than the regular Black. Another Marketing trick by Diageo I’m afraid.

Jan van den Ende                                                              May 12,  2012