King Edward I Blended Scotch Whisky Review

Country: Scotland 

Brand: King Edward I 

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS 

ABV: 40 %

Date: 25/03/2013

Colour: Dark Reddish Amber. It's one of the darkest whiskies I've tasted so far.

Nose: Not unpleasant but a bit Musty, slightly Metallic and Inexpressive. Cereals, Oak, Demerara Sugar, chopped Walnuts and Dried Fruits like Apple, Apricot, Currants and Raisins are the main components. I also get hints of Old Leather Upholstery, Honey, Sherry, Heather and other Floral - and Earthy Tones. I wouldn't be surprised if this Blend would contain some Central Highland - and Speyside Malts and perhaps a sprinkle of Islay. Good balance between Malt and Grain. 

Palate: Quite Thin with Grain, Malt, Orange and Lemon Peel, Earth, Pepper, Nutmeg and Cloves. Not much of interest going on here.

Finish: Middle-Long with some Fruit, Licorice, slightly Bitter Oak, Honey and light Spices like Pepper, Ginger and Nutmeg.

With some Water, the Fruity tones on the Nose become clearer and the Grains withdraw a bit. The Palate and Finish become more smooth although naturally a bit watered down. But despite the low ABV you can experiment with a few drops of Water.

Rating: 78

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 19 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 19.5

The King Edward I is the third bottle from the left.

General Remarks: The whisky I'm tasting today is part of a box containing six Blended Scotch Whisky samples produced somewhere between 1955 and 1965. They are all named after English and Scottish royalties. This box-set is sold by the Dutch based Rare Whisky Site www.rarewhiskysite.com. The King Edward I is still for sale. On the site of the Whisky Exchange it costs around 190 US Dollars. The owners of the Brand seem to be John Dewar & Sons Ltd of Glasgow.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good.

Conclusion: No way I would spend 190 US Dollars for a bottle of the King Edward I. This Blend, though a bit Musty, is well-balanced on the Nose but does not show any interesting characteristics on the Palate and in the Finish. It's perfectly drinkable of course but I want my whisky to be more than just that!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       March 2013

Jura Superstition Review

Country: Scotland 

Region: Highland - Islands - Jura

Brand: Jura Superstition

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS

ABV:  43 %

Date: 22/03/2013

Colour: Full Gold (Contains E-150)

Nose: Like in the Jura 16, I immediately get this Cooked Vegetables aroma. At least that's how I describe it. It could be Vegetative Sulphur I suppose. I'm not sure if, and if yes, how much Sherry Cask matured whisky was used in the Superstition. I only get weak Sherry notes, so probably not a high percentage. I also considered Phenolic aromas but then again I don't get very clear Medicinal tones such as Bandages or the like. It's a bit of a mystery to me I'm afraid. Sometimes it reminds me of very mature Blue veined Cheese! Over time, this aroma gets somewhat weaker and the Nose becomes more Earthy and Peaty in character though in a different way when compared to the peated whiskies produced at nearby Islay. In addition I find Hay, Oak, Toffee/Caramel, Butterscotch, Buttered Toast, Spices, Honey, Heather, Dried Fruits and Malt. There are very thin hints of Leather and Sweet Fresh Fruit as well. Think of Peach and Tangerine. 

Palate: A Combination of Sweet (Sugar, Honey, Marzipan), Spicy (White Pepper, Cloves, Aniseed) and Bitter (Herbs and Licorice). In addition some Cereals, Citrus, Mint and Hay. 

Finish: Short, Sweet and slightly Medicinal with some Peat, Spices, Honey, Ginger and a sprinkle of Salt.

I added a bit of Water and the dram gets more Cereals, Honey, Toffee, Peat and Wood on the Nose. The Nose benefits from a bit of Water but Palate and Finish are just watered down.

Rating: 78.5

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

General Remarks: The Jura Superstition is NAS but is said to contain whiskies that aged respectively 7, 13 and 21 years. Around 13% of the Malt used is heavily peated. The name Superstition comes from an old ritual on Jura that dates back from Egyptian times. The Islanders believe that it brings good luck if you drink your dram of Jura in the correct manner by holding the bottle in such a way that the well-known Ankh cross in the centre touches the palm of your hand. The Ankh Cross is the Egyptian symbol for eternal life. Superstition sells at around 45 US Dollars per bottle.

Drinking Experience Neat: Average

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: I do not usually drink Single Malts on the Rocks but I make an exception for the Superstition. It's quite okay that way. Neat however I do not find much pleasure in nosing and drinking this dram. The Nose is controlled by Vegetative aromas and on the Palate the Bitter elements like Herbs and Licorice spoil the show for me. This is my second Jura and I'm not very impressed I'm afraid. I have two more on the shelves, the 10 Years and the Prophecy. I'm an optimistic person by nature so I like to think I will enjoy them more. However, I am starting to believe that Jura's distillery character does not quite match my preferred flavour profile.

Jan van den Ende                                                                       March 2013

Asia - Alpha Review

Songs: Don´t Cry, The Smile Has Left Your Eyes, Never in a Million Years, My Own Time (I´ll Do What I Want), The Heat Goes On, Eye to Eye, The Last to Know, True Colors, Midnight Sun, Open Your Eyes.

Type of Music: Industrial Eighties Prog Power Rock

Comments:

This so-called Super Group (It did have Steve Howe & Carl Palmer mind you) was formed in 1981 and had a huge success in 1982 with the debut album that sold over nine million copies, went to # 1 in the Billboard Album Top 100 and contained the well known Hit Singles Heat of the Moment and Only Time will Tell.

This is the follow up that was released less than a year later. A Rush Job it seems in order to continue the success. It was not to be. The sales lacked behind and Don´t Cry and The Smile Has Left Your Eyes were only minor single hits. All songs on the album were written by Downes and Wetton, probably the reason why Steve Howe left the band about a year later.

Did I tell you about the music already? I didn´t. That´s because I don´t like this stuff at all. Alpha is a mix of Prog Power Rockers and Prog Power Ballads performed by a second hand Styx.

Did I tell you about the production already? I didn´t. That´s because I don´t like the production at all. Too much attention for keyboards and vocals and too little for guitar and drums. Typical Eighties crap.

Did I tell you about the songs already? I didn´t. That´s because I don´t like the songs at all. Way too Generic. Not one song caught my special attention.

Did I tell you that you should not buy this CD? I didn´t but I´m doing it now!!!!!!!! 

Rating: **** (4 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better (Should be better in this case!)