Antiquary 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: The Antiquary

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 40%

Colour: Light Golden

Nose: Light, Dry and Crisp Nose with Malt, Light Peat, Flowery Perfume, Lemon, Oak, Spices and a hint of Honey.

Taste: Light and not at all complex. Slightly Dry at first but Sweeter later on. Grains, Malt, Butter, Citrus Peels, Oak and a distinctive hint of Rhubarb.

Finish: Short with light Peat, Oak, Caramel, Toffee and Pepper.

I added a couple of drops of Water but the result is a watered version of the original. This Blend is too light to accept additional Water.

Rating: 78.5

Nose: 20 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 19.5

Cragganmore Distillery

General Remarks: John and William Hardie of Edinburgh first blended the Antiquary in 1888. The name derives from a novel by Sir Walter Scott. Hardie was bought in 1995 by the Tomatin Distillery Co.Ltd. The Blend is very popular in Spain, Portugal and the UK. Packaging and the Diamond-Shaped Bottle are very nice. The Blend contains 55% Malt whisky and that's a high percentage. All in all 30 whiskies are used for the Antiquary. The heart of the Blend is Speyside, represented by a.o. Glenrothes, Mortlach, Linkwood, Benrinnes and Cragganmore. Other Malts are Tomatin, Clynelish, Royal Lochnagar (Highland), Glenkinchie (Lowland) and Bowmore (Islay). The Grain whiskies are from Port Dundas and Camaronbridge . All whiskies are matured for at least 12 years in American White Oak. It's not cheap at around 45 US Dollars per bottle.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: A very light Blend. Uncomplicated and drinkable but not at all challenging. The Nose is clean with basically Lemon and a touch of Peat. The only interesting detail on the Palate is the unusual Rhubarb taste. Never experienced that before. The rest is quite forgettable I'm afraid. 

Jan van den Ende                                                        December 12, 2012

Mortlach 15 Years (Gordon and MacPhail) Review

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside

Brand: Mortlach (Gordon & MacPhail)

Distilled Around 1975 and Bottled around 1990

Type: Single Malt

Age: 15 Years

ABV: 40%

Colour: Full (Dark) Gold

Nose: Wow! This is completely different from everything I have nosed so far. It's a combination of an old book shop and a butchery. Sounds strange? Well my first impressions are Leather, Musty Old Books and Raw Beef. After a while I get Rum soaked Fruitcake with lots of Raisins and Sultanas, Oak, Vanilla, Floral Tones, Peat Smoke and Sugared Orange Zests.

Taste: Unexpected thin delivery. Once again I must state that this whisky should have been bottled at at least 46% ABV. The Leather, Raw Beef and Old Books of the Nose are confirmed, joined by Oak, White Pepper and Dried Fruits. A tad of Salt. Still, this was rather disappointing after the Nose.

Finish: Middle Long and Dry with Raw Beef, White Pepper, Orange Zest, Oak, Peat, a touch of Salt, Leather and Cigar Ash. The latter stays with you for a couple of minutes.

I added a couple of drops of water and the Nose gives away some extras in the form of Malt and Butter. However the intensity of the Nose is gone I'm afraid. Palate and Finish don't really benefit from the additional Water as well. So better nose and sip this one neat. 

Rating: 86 

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

General Remarks: The Mortlach Distillery was founded in 1823 and was the first of seven distilleries that were built in and around Dufftown. Today it is part of the Diageo Group. Mortlach distills the spirit 2,5 times. As a result most Mortlach whiskies are complex and age well. The sample I'm tasting today is not the newly released 15 years Mortlach currently marketed by Gordon & MacPhail (Bottle pictured above). This sample comes from a batch distilled around 1975, probably bottled around 1990. Mortlach Single Malts are only available through Independent Bottlers like Gordon & MacPhail. The reason is that Mortlach is a key component of many Johnnie Walker Blends, including Black Label. 

I got this sample from a friend in Holland who obtained it from Rare Whisky Site, an on line whisky shop operating from the Netherlands. I'm not sure if it's still available and at what price.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: This is my first direct encounter with a Single Malt from the Mortlach Distillery and I must say I'm impressed. A very interesting Nose with an unmistakable smell of Raw Beef. It's like the Pepper in Talisker. Once you have tasted it, it's very unlikely you will forget the experience. Raw Meat, Old Books with a cover of Leather and Rum-Raisin Fruitcake are the main flavours of the Nose. Remarkable stuff. Unfortunately the Palate can't deliver everything the Nose promises and a big part is due to the fact that this dram was bottled at only 40% ABV. That's good enough for Johnnie Walker Red but not for Mortlach 15 for crying out loud! The Finish reconquers a bit of the lost ground and the Cigar Ash is a nice final touch. But once again I'm confronted with a whisky that could have been great but in the end is "merely" good. There should be a law that Single Malts should have a minimum ABV of 46%. As it is, I'm really looking forward to discover more about this distillery. Johnnie Walker Black Label has always been one of my favourite Blends. I never knew it contained a significant amount of Mortlach. But now I do and things start falling into place!

Jan van den Ende                                                             December 9, 2012

Noah's Mill 15 Years Review

Country: USA

Region: Kentucky

Brand: Noah's Mill

Type: Kentucky Bourbon

Age: 15 Years

ABV: 57.15%

Date: 07/12/2012

Colour: Dark Amber/Reddish Brown. Probably the darkest Whisky or Bourbon I've tasted so far.

Nose: Very strong Nose with Sweet Corn, (Charred) Oak, (Rye) Spices, Maple Syrup, Raisins, Brown Sugar, Toffee and Vanilla. Hints of Banana, Glue, Cherries and Peanut Butter. The Alcohol is quite present which was to be expected of course at over 57%. The Wood is very dominant and that's no surprise either after 15 years.

Taste: Strong and hot but still remarkably smooth. First impression is a Walk in the Forrest with Woody and Earthy Notes followed by Toffee, Vanilla, Maple Syrup, Rye, Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, Pepper, Red Fruit, Licorice and Mint.  

Finish: Middle-Long and Hot with Charred Oak, Brown Sugar, Pepper and Slightly Bitter Orange. 

I added a small tea-spoon of Water and that softens up the Nose and  brings the sweet components a bit more to the surface. Some Leather appears as well. Palate and Finish become quite smooth on the one hand but the Wood seems to become even more dominant. You can experiment with a bit of Water on the Nose but better sip it neat. My sample was too small to try it on Ice as well but I think that that might taste quite good!

Rating:  84 (out of 100)

Nose:  21.5 - Taste:  21- Finish:  20.5 - Overall: 21

There are those who think Noah's Mill is produced here!

General Remarks: The Noah's Mill 15 Years I review today is a Small Batch Bourbon. In this case it's Batch # 02-71, distilled on November 2nd, 1987 and bottled on November 1, 2002. This whiskey is bottled by KBD (Kentucky Bourbon Distillers) of Bardstown, Kentucky. Although they are now operating the Willett Distillery in Bardstown, these Bourbons will only be available to the market in a couple of years after maturation. But until now, KDB has been an independent bottler, quite common in Scotland but not so much so in the USA. They are bottling Bourbons a.o. under the following Brand Names: Willett, Noah's Mill, Johnny Drum and Rowan's Creek. Other than in Scotland however, KBD does not reveal where their Bourbons are distilled. Noah's Mill's Mash Bill consists of Corn, Rye and Wheat spirits. Recently the 15 Years was replaced by a Bourbon with age between 4 and 20 years. It's good to bear in mind that Small Batch Bottlings may vary significantly!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: Noah's Mill is a quality Bourbon with a very powerful Nose that would have scored even higher if not for the abundance of Alcohol. I think this is the first time that I believe that a slightly lower ABV of say around 50% would have benefited the spirit. The Palate is hot and strong but still manages somehow to maintain a certain smoothness. The Wood is very dominant here and this is something you either like or don't. The Finish is decent but not spectacular. I recently reviewed the Knob Creek Small Batch 9 years Knob Creek Small Batch 9 and if you like that one, you can't go wrong with Noah's Mill. If you like your Bourbon soft, smooth and sweet however, Noah's Mill might not be your cup of tea!

Jan van den Ende                                                               December 2012

Tomatin 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside

Brand: Tomatin

Type: Single Malt

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 40%

Colour: Full Gold (Contains E-150)

Nose: Floral and Malty Nose with Toasted Grain, Oak, Caramel, Toffee, Honey, Brown Sugar, Sherry, Citrus, Apple, Cinnamon, Butter, Heather and Pineapple. Light off-notes in the form of Rubber and distant Baby-Sickness.

Taste: Slightly Watery and Sweet with Malt, Sherry, Pepper, Toffee, Nuts, Brown Sugar and very light Rubber. A very distant hint of Peat.

Finish: On the Short side with Sherry, Heather, Pepper, Nutmeg, Honey Marshmallow and other candies. 

I added a few drops of Water and that takes away the off-notes. It also reinforces the Malty and Fruity part of the Nose. Buttered Malted Heather would summon it up nicely! But Palate and Finish just become watered down versions of themselves with some Licorice popping up. Sip it neat but use a couple of drops when Nosing!

Rating: 81  

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 20.5

General Remarks: The Tomatin Distillery was founded in 1897 and is located close to the A9 Motorway, halfway between Aviemore and Inverness. Over the years it grew very fast and today it is the second largest distillery in scale after Glenfiddich. It is owned by the Japanese Takara Shuzo and Okura Group. A large part of the production (80%) goes into blends like Antiquary and Talisman. Lately the distillery is making an effort to promote its Single Malts. In 2003, the 12 years replaced the 10 Years as the Standard Malt. It matures in First Fill Bourbon Barrels, Refill American White Oak Casks and Spanish Sherry Butts and is married for around three months prior to bottling in Spanish Sherry Butts. The price varies a lot from place to place but on average you will spend around US$ 40 a bottle.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: Imaginary Malted Heather with hints of other Fruits and Flowers and a bit of Sherry. Quite Sweet and slightly Watery on the Palate and a forgettable Finish. Light off-notes in the form of Rubber and Baby-Sickness. It's not a bad dram all things considered but rather monotonous. Solid - and inoffensive basis material for Blends. But not interesting enough as a Single Malt. No need to wake me up in the middle of the night for this!

Jan van den Ende                                                           December 3, 2012