John Barr Red Blended Scotch Review

Country: Scotland 

Brand: John Barr Red

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS 

ABV: 40 %

Colour: Golden Amber

Nose: The usual - and not very attractive Nose you will find so often in Bottom Shelf Blends. Lots of sharp Grain Alcohol, Toasted Grain, Wood Shavings, Malt, not quite so fresh Vegetables, Fruit and (Shell) Fish, Soap, Aniseed, Toffee and unidentified Spices.

Palate: Watery and Bitter-Sweet with Sugary Sweet Grains, Pepper, Green Oak, Nut Casks, Malt, Alcohol, Industrial Honey and Licorice.

Finish: Short with Sugared Grains, Wood, Licorice and Pepper.

With some added Water you remove most of the Sharp Alcohol and the off-notes from the Nose. However, not much else is left as well. On the Palate and in the Finish John Barr Red hardly tastes like whisky anymore. 

Rating: 68.5

Nose: 17.5 - Taste: 17 - Finish: 17 - Overall: 17

General Remarks: John Barr Cumming was a whisky trader from yesteryear. His family background dates back to the Speyside region in the 19th century. The Brand became known in 1977/1978 when it replaced Johnnie Walker Red Label  in the UK following the EEC ruling on pricing and taxes. At that time the EEC ruled in favour of the free flows of goods and JW's owners at the time (Distillers Co.Ltd) decided to vastly increase the JW prices, effectively pricing itself out of the market for a while. Almost immediately, Distillers Co.Ltd introduced John Barr Blends with very similar quality, packaging and bottles in order to keep their customers satisfied. Eventually, the Brand name was acquired in 1986 by John Barr & Company of Glasgow, part of the Whyte & Mackay Group. The John Barr Blend was created by Richard Paterson, W&M's Master Blender. Speyside Malts are said to be at the heart of this Blend of 40 Grain - and Malt whiskies. John Barr Red sells at between 15 and 30 US Dollars. There are also Gold, Black and Blue versions of this Blend.

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average.

Drinking Experience On the Rocks: Below Average/Okay.

Conclusion: I usually buy a bottle of cheap blended whisky every once in a while because I need to refill my empty miniature bottles after having tasted the original contents. After refilling they are then carefully placed in my nice wooden cabinet that decorates one of the walls of my little whisky corner. I believe the John Barr Red is very suitable for that purpose. And that purpose alone!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    April 4, 2013

Oban 14 Years Review

Country: Scotland 

Region: Highland (West)

Brand: Oban

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 14 Years

ABV:  43 %

Colour: Golden

Nose: Give the Oban ample time to open up. Initially I get Malt -, Earth - and Farm aromas like Grains, Hay, Grass, Heather, light Peat and Butter. All covered with a fine film of Salt and distant impressions of Brine and Tar. Later on I find Mineral tones, Oak, Orange Liqueur, Well-Integrated Sherry, Lemon, Honey, Leather and Sweet Fruits like Pear and Peach. But be patient as many of the individual flavours will only present themselves after quite a while.

Palate: Slightly Thin and Bitter-Sweet delivery with Citrus, Oak, Malt, Pepper, Toffee, Tobacco, Honey, Aniseed, Menthol and Licorice.

Finish: Medium Dry and on the short side with Licorice, Pepper, Nuts, Leather, Honey, a bit of Fruit and Ashes and a pinch of Salt. 

I added a bit of Water and the Nose of this dram seems to relax if you can say that about Whisky. If not, I have just invented that! The Grain, Flora and Fruit come together in a subdued but balanced fashion. On the Palate I do get some extra Marzipan and Chocolate but in general things water down too much for my liking. However, it's certainly worthwhile to experiment with a couple of drops.

Rating: 82.5

Nose:  21.5 - Taste: 20.5- Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

General Remarks: The Oban distillery is one of the smallest in Scotland and was founded in 1794. It is located in the seaport of the same name on the frontier between the Western Highlands and the Isles. This is where Peat and Heather meet Salt and Seaweed! Oban is now owned by the Diageo Group and the 14 Years is part of the Classic Malt series. In the old days, lots of Oban spirit used to disappear in Blends like Bell's. The 14 Years is sold at around 60 US Dollars. One of the reasons for the high price seems to be the limited water supply to the distillery from Loch Gleann and Loch Bhearraidh. Another one is that the Distillery can't expand as it's located in the middle of the town and completely surrounded by other buildings.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I like the Nose of the Oban 14. The distillery is located in the small seaport of Oban on the border between the Western Highlands and the Isles. And you can find evidence of all these regions on the Nose, albeit in a subdued manner. But on the Palate I find this dram a bit too Herbal while the Finish is saved from being rather unnoticeable by a last minute appearance of Ashes. It's certainly worthwhile to taste this whisky via sample or miniature. And it's not at all a bad Highlander. But I wouldn't spend an average 60 US Dollars on a full bottle of the Oban 14. That's simply too expensive for what it offers.

Jan van den Ende                                                                       April 2, 2013

Yoichi 10 Years Review

Country: Japan

Region: Hokkaido

Brand: Yoichi

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 10 Years

ABV:  45 %

Date: 31/03/2013

Colour: Golden Amber

Nose: In a blind tasting session I would have thought this to be a Scottish whisky from the Highlands. Certainly a strong Nose that does need some time to open up. The first impressions are Peat, Earth/Clay and Floral Tones, Spices like Cloves and Cinnamon and lots of Vanilla. I also find Malt, Lemon, Orange, Dusty Wood, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Almonds and Fruity tones like Apricot, Banana and Pineapple. Some Sherry and also light tones of Rubber and Cooked Vegetables that might hint at some presence of Sulphur. This is certainly an interesting Nose but not one that gives itself away very easily. You have to be patient, dig in and find your way around the light Alcohol. It is still a relatively young whisky of course.

Palate: Floral, Earthy and Spicy with Honey, Sherry, Malt, Pepper, Cloves, Menthol, Mint, Hay, Toffee, Vanilla and Orange. Hints of Leather and Peanut Butter.

Finish: Short, Dry and Bitter-Sweet with Honey, Spices, Lemon, Oak, Mint, Straw, Wax, Earth/Clay/Peat and Licorice.

I added a bit of Water and this really opens the Nose. Peaty, Floral - and Fruity tones start taking control. Gone are the slight off-notes. Palate and  Finish benefit as well. It does not happen a lot but I preferred this dram with a bit of Water. The adequate ABV of 45% helps a lot in this respect. 

Rating: 85   

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

General Remarks: The Yoichi Distillery was built in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuri of Nikka Whisky. He studied Chemistry at the University of Glasgow between 1918 and 1920 and worked and learnt as apprentice at Distilleries like Longmorn and Hazelburn. Apparently he was very gifted because later on Masataka became a Master-Blender. Nowadays the Nikka Whisky Distilling Company is part of Asahi Breweries and also owns the Miyagikyo distillery in Sendai (Honshu). The Youchi 10 is the standard expression from the distillery and sells at around 70 US Dollars per bottle. The Yoichi 10 years matures in a mixture of new locally assembled Oak Hogsheads as well as Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry Casks.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: The Yoichi 10 is a Well-Crafted Whisky at an affordable price level. The Nose is interesting enough if you're a patient person and take your time to enjoy a dram. It's certainly a complex whisky given its relative youth. Enough to discover here, especially on the Nose. On the Palate and in the Finish the Floral, Earthy and Woody tones dominate and a little bit more Fruit and/or Sherry would have benefited this dram. Still, the Yoichi 10 is an interesting alternative if you like peated Highlanders like the BenRiach. Recommended!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       March 2013

Happy Easter!

Hi Everybody and Welcome to Best Shot Whisky Reviews!

It's still a bit early in the week but I would like to take the opportunity to wish all visitors and friends very happy Easter days. The reason I do it now is that I will have little time to write until the weekend. 
I also want to thank you for showing so much interest for the site. I have been doing a bit of propaganda for Best Shot Whisky Reviews all over the world and it seems to work as more people discover the fascinating world of Whisky and Classic Rock. I've lost an important contact in Asia and that's a pity as visitors from that part of the world were booming until about a month ago. Lots of interest for whisky in countries like Singapore, Hong Kong and China. I'm doing everything that I can to restore that contact but it's not easy apparently! In any case, we are very near to the 400.000 Page Views and that's great! Makes it fun to continue tasting and writing!
My next whisky will be from Japan. It's the 10 years Distillery expression from Yoichi. Look forward to that one as I haven't done lots of Japanese whiskies so far. Very difficult for me to get here in Brazil.
Dear friends, don't eat too much eggs! Have a nice dram instead!
Cheers and Happy Easter!!!!