Glenfiddich 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Glenfiddich

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Speyside

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 40%

Chill-Filtration: Yes

Colour: Light Gold/Sunlight (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Mainly Sweet but with some Sour - and Mineral notes as well. I find Toasted Cereals, Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Brown Sugar, Honey, Caramel, Vanilla, Floral tones, Red Apples, Pear, Green Grape, Apple Vinegar, Lemon, Milk Chocolate, Grass, Dusty Road and Oak Shavings. The Alcohol is present but does not interfere with the Nosing procedures. It's clear that this Spirit was mainly matured in Ex-Bourbon casks. The Sherry influence is quite light.

Taste: Sweet and Thin. I find Malted Barley, Vanilla, Toffee, Honey, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Green Grapes, Red Apples, light Spices, Oak, Floral Perfume, Citrus and Nuts.

Finish: Short, Clean and Sweet with Toasted Cereals, Vanilla, Toffee, Caramel, Honey, Oak, Pear, Apple, Nuts, Grapes, Cinnamon and Ginger. 

With a couple of drops of water, Pear, Apple, Malt, Honey, Apple Vinegar, Citrus and the slightest hint of Peat become more evident on the Nose. On the Palate there’s not too much difference but the Ginger in the Finish becomes clearer. You can definitively play with a bit of water here. But as always, be careful not to overdo it!

Rating: 81.5  

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

General Remarks: It was Glenfiddich that initiated the Single Malt business back in the sixties. Glenfiddich means Valley of the Deer and many of you will remember having seen the famous stag on the Packaging of this Single Malt at least once in your life! It’s one of the best selling Single Malt in the world. At a price of around US$ 40, it’s relatively inexpensive. It ages in Ex-Sherry and Ex-Bourbon Casks. The Distillery was founded in 1886 and is located in Dufftown and is still family owned by William Grant & Sons Ltd. It’s the biggest Distillery in Scotland with an annual capacity of around 10 million litres.

Drinking Experience Straight: Good

Conclusion: I think the Glenfiddich 12 is suffering from its own success. Best selling Single Malt in the world, Obvious choice in a Duty Free - or Travel Retail Shop, Affordable Price Level, Easily available, Everybody knows it, Very Large Distillery. Big Big Big! So, as a result of all this it can’t be good can it? Well I found it to be surprisingly good actually. It’s not overly complicated of course but highly drinkable! Sometimes it reminds me a bit of a Grappa or Eau de Vie. The Nose is crisp, the Palate is easy going and the finish fresh and clean. Maybe a touch too Woody! It will never be one of my favourite Single Malts but I can see why it’s so popular all over the world!

Jan van den Ende                                       June 22, 2012 and March 27,2017

Grand Old Parr 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Grand Old Parr

Bottled by MacDonald Greenlees, Edinburgh

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 12 Y

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: First impressions are Malt, Oak, Toffee, Orange and a tad (Peat) Smoke. There is a light sour Rubber-like off-note suggesting the use of some Refill Ex- Sherry casks. In the background some Leather, Raisins, Pineapple and spices like Clove and Cinnamon.

Taste: Sweet Cereals, Malt, Brown Sugar, Pepper, Oak, Tobacco and Cinnamon.

Finish: Initially Sweet but Quite Dry in the end. Malt, light Peat, Pepper and a bit of Honey and Lemon. Licorice after a couple of minutes.

When adding a couple of drops of water you get more Malt, Toffee and Peat on the Nose. The Palate gets a little watery. The Finish starts sweet but some Licorice pops up and it ends up dry. You can experiment a bit with a few drops of water.

Rating: 79  

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

Cragganmore

General Remarks: This blend is named after Thomas Parr, an Englishman said to have died at the age of 152 years and nine months. Thomas was renowned during his lifetime for his wisdom and maturity. He was interred at Westminster Abbey in the year 1635. The Blend was introduced by the Greenlees brothers in 1871. Today, the two main suppliers of Malt whisky for this Blend are owned by Diageo, namely Cragganmore and Glendullan. The packaging is very retro and the bottle is quite old-fashioned as well. South America has always been one of the main markets for Old Parr. In Western Europe this Blend disappeared in the 80's. The average price is around 35 US Dollars (April 2017)

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay (Score: Parr)

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: Well, I’m afraid you’ve heard and read this story before. It’s not a bad Blend but it’s a bit boring and utterly forgettable. It's quite inoffensive but I can’t really recommend it either. When you get a bottle, best drink it on the Rocks!

Jan van den Ende                                                                   June 17, 2012

Glendullan

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Country: Scotland

Brand: Grand Old Parr

Bottled by MacDonald Greenlees, Edinburgh

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 12 Y

Alcohol: 43%
Miniature received as a gift from my parents in law. Thanks a lot! According to them it was purchased somewhere in the late 1970's or early 1980's.

Colour: Dark Ember/Copper (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Barley and Sherry are the main drivers on the Nose. This Old Parr needs a bit of air contact by the way as it only shows its deeper Aromas after a while in the glass. I find Cake baked using first class Butter, Straw, Sweet Cereals, Dried Fruit like Sultanas and Raisins, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Pepper, Clove, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Toasted Oak and hints of Leather and tinned Pineapple. The Alcohol is not entirely integrated.   

Taste: Sweet, Pleasant and Malty with Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Toffee, Dried Fruit (Sultanas, Raisins, Figs), Straw, Honey, Toasted Oak, Orange, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and a hint of Tobacco. The ABV of 43% gives it just enough weight.

Finish: Middle-Long. Sweet at first. A little Dry and Oaky towards the end. I find Sweet Barley, Toffee, Dried Fruits, Honey, Orange - and Lemon- Peel, Toasted Oak, Menthol, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger and light Licorice.

This expression does not improve with added Water. Sip it neat. 

Rating: 83.5  

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: When comparing these two expressions of the Old Parr 12 years I found that the basic Aromas and Flavours are not that different. The older expression benefits from the more adequate ABV of 43%. Still, there is one big difference between the two. The bottle that I bought in 2012 in Brazil is not bad but hopelessly boring and is better enjoyed over Ice. The old Expression that was bottled in the 70's/80's however is perfectly enjoyable when sipped Neat. I am fully convinced that the difference comes from the casks. In the new version I got Rubber and it probably had Sulphur as well but my Nose wasn't quite that experienced back in 2012. The result of indifferent casks. The old expression however probably used good quality 2nd Refill Ex-Bourbon - and Ex-Oloroso casks. As a result this 1970's/1980's Grand Old Parr 12 years is a very pleasant Blend. I've looked at some prices on line and you must expect to pay at least 250 US Dollar for a full bottle (April 2017). That's too expensive for what it offers of course. But without any doubt the Grand Old Parr 12 Years would have been one of my to-go-to Blends in the 70's. My score is 4 under Parr!  I was only drinking Beer and Wine at that time however! Isn't it a pity!

Stills at Cragganmore

Pink Floyd - Meddle - Review

Songs: One Of These Days, A Pillow Of Winds, Fearless, San Tropez, Seamus, Echoes.

Type of Music: Psychedelic Rock with touches of Folk, Jazz and Blues.    

Comments:

Let me start by saying that I love this Album. It relaxes me completely. It's lounge music produced in 1971 when nobody had ever heard of that musical concept. And then to think that the band had no real ideas when they went to the studio(s) from time to time between concerts for their Atom Heart Mother Tour. They just experienced with basic ideas and sound effects. Amazing! 

Without any doubt this is the Floyd´s most consistent Album thus far. Gone is the orchestra from Atom Heart Mother. This is the Pink Floyd that would go on and make Dark Side Of The Moon and other top-class Albums. Listen carefully and you will hear the musical ideas for Shine On You Crazy Diamond developing. Meddle is almost a combination of Atom Heart Mother and More. It has the same structure as Atom Heart Mother with a couple of songs on side 1 and an extensive suite on side 2 and it has the same great atmosphere as More. Actually, Meddle sounds like the soundtrack of a film that unfortunately was never made. 

But the difference lay in the quality of the songs. First of all they fit together very well. You will remember that More included two hard rock songs that were completely out of place on that album. That´s not the case here. It's a very fluent album. And secondly the band is maturing rapidly, both in writing songs and playing their instruments. Listen to the guitar solos in Echoes and you'll know what I mean! 

The album opens with the song everybody knows: One of these Days with its pounding rhythm of organ, (bass)guitars and drums. One of these days I'm going to cut you into little pieces sounds like a follow up to Eugene be careful with that axe.
It´s followed by the gentle love ballad A Pillow of Winds. This could easily have been written by Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel. A simple but very nice melody and a beautiful (acoustic) guitar line. 
Then we have the intriguing Fearless that sounds like a lot of the songs the Floyd would do later in their career. It contains parts of You Never Walk Alone, sung by Liverpool Supporters. A lot of people believe this inclusion to be unnecessary but I think it strengthens the meaning of the song. And sound effects are an important part of the band's music.
San Tropez is a jazzy shuffle about a lazy day in that famous beach resort in Southern France. It is followed by a traditional blues pastiche called Seamus. Seamus is Steve Marriott´s (Small Faces) dog and he makes his debut here. These two songs form a nice contrast with the more serious sound of One Of These Days and Echoes. And while they are different, they don't break the flow of the album.

And, to finish off Meddle, we get Echoes, a suite that occupied the whole of Side 2 of the original vinyl record.  It has everything that makes Pink Floyd such a great band. The main theme is very strong. And it´s still rather pure and not too clearly influenced by commercial drivers. Just close your eyes for 23 minutes and imagine yourself somewhere on the bottom of the ocean studying whales. Or reading one of my album or whisky Reviews.. Or whatever you feel like doing at the bottom of the ocean. I know that a lot of Albums and Sound Tracks about the sea have similar passages and maybe some are even better or more precise. But I don't care! Just enjoy Meddle, another great Pink Floyd Album that will make you feel so much better after having listened to it after one of your stress filled days.

Rating: ********* (9 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record:  Everybody. This is an Essential Pink Floyd Album.

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