Barwick Blended Whisky Review

Country: Scotland 

Brand: Barwick

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age:Over 5 Years

ABV: 40 %

Colour: Light Golden

Nose: Nothing of Interest going on here. Grain Alcohol, Dusty Wood, Nut Casks, Toast with Margarine and a little Honey, Pepper and a bit of Toffee. Hints of Malt and Orange Peel. No Off-Notes.

Palate: Watery and Sugary Sweet. Bit of Toffee, Pepper, Cereals, Licorice and slightly Bitter Wood

Finish: Short and Bitter-Sweet with some Pepper, Licorice, Lemon and slightly Bitter Wood.

When you add Water you get something I can't call Whisky anymore. So don't!

Rating: 69.5

Nose: 18 - Taste: 17 - Finish: 17 - Overall: 17.5

General Remarks: I'm afraid I can't tell you much about this Blended Whisky except that it was bottled on August 3, 1984 by - or for John Lint & Co.Ltd., Glasgow. I also googled a picture of the probable Label. Today a John Lint Blended Whisky 3 Years seems to exist and is packed and marketed in Belgium by Konings. My Belgian friend and colleague Mark Dermul reviewed a John Lint 12 years (1968) and gave it 50 Points! I googled John Lint, Glasgow but nothing pops up. Quite a mystery!

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average. 

Conclusion: It's not a Deadly Blend of Spirits or Souls as the above pictured Book would like you to believe. But it is a Sad Affair I'm afraid. Nothing of any interest going on here. If all Whisky would taste like this, I would give up this Hobby right away! I have no idea which Single Malts are used to compose this Blend. She's a Mystery to me and that's fine!!!

Jan van den Ende                             September 22, 2013 and March 20,2017

Tobermory 1995 Review

Country: Scotland 

Region: Highland - Island - Mull

Brand: Tobermory 1995 (Edition Spirits)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 16 Years

ABV: 54,1 %

Date: 20/09/2013

Colour: Pale Straw/White Wine

Nose: At first I only get Vegetables. Think of Cabbage here. Later on I find some Malt, Earth, Burnt Toast and Butter, Oak, Vanilla, Oat Meal, Pepper, Salt,  Mint and a hint of Citrus Fruit. We are not amused as the English Queen would say!

Palate: Sweeter than I expected after the Nose. Fruity, Oily and Spicy as well with Mandarin, Banana, Pineapple, Sugar, Vanilla, slightly Bitter Oak, Mustard and Pepper.

Finish: Middle-Long, Fruity, Spicy and ever so slightly Bitter towards the end with Pineapple, Mandarin, Pepper and a touch of Sea Spray.

I added a bit of Water and Spices like Pepper and Mustard get stronger. A bit more Malty and Buttery on the Palate as well. You can try it out neat and with a little Water.

Rating: 78

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

General Remarks: This Tobermory was distilled in 1995 and bottled at Cask Strength in 2012. It matured in Ex-Bourbon Cask # ES 014/01. This expression is part of The First Edition bottlings by Edition Spirits. It's not coloured artificially nor Chill-filtered. It costs around 110 US Dollars but the availability is limited. 

Edition Spirits is an Independent bottler founded in 2010 by Andrew and Scott Laing. 

The Tobermory Distillery is located on the Hebridean Island of Mull. It was formerly named Ledaig and was founded in 1798 by John Sinclair. Nowadays it is owned by Distell Group Ltd from South Africa. The Distillery produces unpeated Malt under the name Tobermory and peated Malt under the old Distillery name Ledaig. The whisky is mainly used in blends like Black Bottle and Scottish Leader.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: Tobermory uses unpeated Barley for its Single Malt but still there was an overall Earthy feeling to this 1995 expression. But let me start by saying that it was an interesting experiment to taste this Tobermory as Nose and Palate seem to belong to two different Single Malts. The Nose comes close to being a tad unpleasant as Cabbage, Oat Meal and Burnt Toast are hardly the Aromas I'm looking for in a whisky that sells at over 100 US Dollars. On the Palate however it's quite Fruity, Spicy and drinkable. The Finish is slightly Bitter towards the end. To sum it up, the Tobermory 1995 Edition Spirits is a bit of a mixed bag and Nose and Palate are not at all in balance. Interesting enough to taste a glass but not good enough to consider buying a full bottle at this price. 

Jan van den Ende                                                     September 2013