Who Am I and How Did I Get Interested In Writing About Whisky

Hello Everybody,

My name is Jan van den Ende and I was born in Rotterdam in The Netherlands in 1952. Since 1994 I live and worked in Sao Paulo in Brazil. In the meantime I'm retired.

My hobbies include Rock Music from the 60's and 70's, Wine, Beer and Fine Spirits. I suppose that I, probably like most of you, started drinking beer when I was a teenager. After that there was the inevitable Cuba Libre during the holidays in Spain. But as life goes on you become interested in other alcoholic beverages and normally wine is the first step in becoming more aware of actual flavors rather than just drinking for the drinking if you know what I mean. Usually the white wines and the rose wines come first and after that you start exploring the red wines.

Around 40 you start to appreciate a good Brandy after dinner and maybe even smoke a (small) cigar with it. Or maybe even try a whisky! Blended of course and On the Rocks. Good chance your first whisky on the Rocks was Johnny Walker Red Label! Or Jack Daniels or Jim Beam if you live in the States and would probably be exposed to Bourbon or rye whiskey before exploring Scotch whiskies.

And then after years of drinking Red and Black and Ballantine's and Chivas on the Rocks you return from your holidays, enter into the Free Shop and suddenly become aware that there are a lot of different whiskies available. They are Single Malts and will include the usual suspects such as Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Dalmore, the Balvenie and the Irish Jameson. You give one of them or a couple of them  a chance and if you like them you probably want to know more about them. And then you buy a book or two, start surfing the net and find out that there is more to whisky than you thought!

Actually, this is more or less what happened to me. But I'm sure a lot of you malt lovers will recognise at least some part of the journey. 

One of the books I bought was Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2011. This guy is highly recognised as a whisky writer and connoisseur and, after all, it's not called a Bible for nothing. However when I started tasting some whiskies for fun I found out that I almost never agreed with the opinions I found in the Bible. 

Naturally I thought that the problem was me as I just started while Jim is doing this for 35 years or so. But when I started looking around the net it became clear quite rapidly that I'm not the only one who questions the Whisky Bible.

Thinking about this there were a number of thoughts that crossed my mind. Apparently various people can taste the same whisky under similar conditions and reach a completely different opinion. That's Fun! But it could also be that there are writers out there who are too close to the industry for whatever reason to be able to reach an objective opinion. 

I remembered my youth when I had to go and buy oranges. My mother always instructed me to ask the guy in the shop if the oranges were sweet. Of course the guy always confirmed that they were lovely and sweet. 

When surfing the net i found that a lot of people felt the same about this problem and started independent blogs with whisky reviews. Some are quite excellent and have reached levels that i will never touch upon. 

Still I decided to give it a try and I learnt about the basic flavors that can be detected on the nose and on the palate when tasting whisky. So before starting to nose the whisky I started sniffing and tasting fresh and dried fruits, marmalade, honey, sherry, beer, spices like pepper, cinnamon and cloves, lemon and orange zests, coffee, tea, corn syrup, toffee, cake, fresh bread and chocolate. After that I learnt about the different regions of productions and I started to nose ashes and leather and salt. When I had to go to the port of Santos for my work I even went for a walk around the quays sniffing cables, fish,brine etc. 

Of course it was impossible to remember all these impressions during my first tasting sessions but after some 10 different whiskys including Single Malts, Blended whiskies and Bourbons I began making progress.

I've tasted over 800 whiskies now and since end November 2011 I share my thoughts through this blog. 

So welcome to Best Shot Whisky Reviews. I do hope you like the Tasting Notes and Reviews but always remember they don't represent the absolute truth. They merely express my opinion. Have Fun!

Jan

Deanston 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Deanston

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Highland

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol: 46,3%

Colour: Pale Straw 

Nose: Medium-Light and Dry. Grassy and Floral tones, Oak, Apples, Apple-Vinegar, Orange or Apricot Marmalade, Malt and Toast, Very Light Peat. Only light Alcohol despite the 46,3%.

Taste: Much sweeter than I expected after the dry nose. Very smooth with only a light Alcohol bite. Honey, Malt, Light Spices (Ginger and Cinnamon), Lemon Zest, Green Apples and a bit of Salt.

Finish: Short and dry. Grassy and Herbs. Nuts, Lemon, Oak. Touch of Honey.

With a couple of drops of water you will get more Fruit and also Honey and a bit of Toffee or Butterscotch on the Nose. The Palate does not change a whole lot but the Finish gets Sweeter and the Honey and Salty tones last a bit longer. This Single Malt accepts some water.

Rating: 81.5  

Nose 21– Taste 21 – Finish 19 – Overall 20.5

General Remarks: The Deanston Distillery looks more like a school building or army barracks but in fact it’s an old Cotton Mill. It’s located close to the city of Doune and started operations in the 1960’s. It is owned by Burn Stewart Distillers Ltd that also owns Bunnahabhain and Tobermory. Its main market is the USA. A lot of the Deanston production is destined for the blend Scottish Leader. Before bottling the casks that carry the Deanston 12 are married together for a couple of weeks extra in fresh Oak to increase sweetness. The Deanston 12 I’m reviewing here is Un-Chill filtered and bottled at 46,3%. This is the policy of the Distillery since 2009. Before that this Single Malt was chill filtered and bottled at 40%.

Drinking Experience Straight: Good

Conclusion: The Deanston 12 is a relatively light dram despite its 46,3%. Almost a Lowland whisky. I can see this as a very nice aperitif on a beautiful day in spring. Maybe even with a little ice. It’s too light perhaps for considering it as one of my day-to-day sipping whiskies. I do believe however that Deanston is going in the right direction and hope they will maintain or even improve their Un-Chill filtered high proof expressions. 

Jan van den Ende                                                             June 25, 2012

Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy - Review

Songs: The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Over the Hills and Far Away, The Crunge, Dancing Days, D'yer Maker, No Quarter, The Ocean.

Review:

End 1972/Begin 1973 the band discussed the plans for their new (fifth) Album. I feel they might have entertained a.o. the following thoughts: First of all, their Album IV had been a huge success so it would be wise to maintain a similar structure. On the other hand the band had grown as song writers, musicians and producers and was eager to try new roads. And thirdly, I think they just wanted to make a fun album. As a result, Houses of the Holy was launched on March 28, 1973. It is the first album of the band with only original material. It features lots of layered guitar riffs but is mostly driven by the rhythm section of the band. The lyrics are more mature and the album is extremely diverse with Rock, Prog-Rock, Folk, Reggae, Funk, Blues and Doo-Wop. And above all, it's got a Feel Good atmosphere. If I would have a point of criticism, it would be the way Robert Plant's voice is produced. Because in all honesty he sounds like a nervous chipmunk from time to time. I don't know why this was done as Live Albums show that Robert could master the songs in a normal matter. But then again, nothing is perfect isn't it!

The Album starts off with the fast, furious, thundering The Song Remains the Same, followed without pause by the beautiful, moody and almost acoustic The Rain Song. Robert sounds great here for most of the time. It's one of my favorite Led songs. It is followed by the driving rocker Over the Hills and Far Away that is another good example of the bands trade mark songs that combine acoustic beauty with Power Rock. The Crunge is a highly funky and funny James Brown pastiche and it shows the band from their most easy going and fun side. Dancing Days is one of their Classic Hard Rockers with a nice slide guitar and synthesizers. It's almost impossible to sit still while listening to this song. A lot of people have issues with D'yer Maker (Jamaica) but to me it's just a happy reggae ditty. Quite inoffensive really. Great drums by the way. It is followed by my personal all time favorite Led song, the jazzy, bluesy No Quarters. It's a so called Nordic epic about Viking warriors and the death and fear they brought wherever they roamed. It sounds very realistic and the combination of Jimmy's spooky riff, John Paul's icy keyboards and Robert's depressive vocals literally make me shiver every time I hear the song. This is pure Rock Heaven for me! I would have wished the album to stop after No Quarter but we still get The Ocean that seems a bit out of place. It's not bad as such and it swings in a sufficient way, but I don't know. Maybe it should have been programmed between Over the Hills and Far Away and The Crunge. 

So, while Houses of the Holy is not the band's best album in my opinion, it has a very high entertainment value and it gets lots of spins on my CD player, if only for No Quarter!

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

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Who should buy this Record:  Everybody!!  Led Zeppelin’s Most Fun Album and one of the Classic Rock Albums of All Time. 

   

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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