Wambrechies 8 Years Review

Country: France

Brand: Wambrechies

Type: Single Malt Whisky 

Age:  8 Years

ABV: 40 %

Date: 18/12/2013

Colour: Golden

Nose: Young and slightly edgy Industrial Alcohol, Sugar, Green Branches, Pine Needles, Nut Shells, Toffee, light Honey, Coarse Grains, Margarine and hints of Meat and Metal. Not too attractive I'm afraid.

Palate: Watery and Thin, Gin or Dutch Jenever, Pepper, slightly Bitter Green Wood, Toffee, light Cloves and Plastic.   

Finish: Short, Sugary Sweet with a bit of Margarine, Menthol, Perfume, Pepper and Plastic.

I added a bit of Water and the Nose gets a little more neutral with Grains, Aniseed and a far hint of Green Apples. On the Palate and in the Finish however the spirit completely loses the characteristics of a whisky.

Rating: 68.5

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

General Remarks: The Claeyssens de Wambrechies Distillery was founded around 1817 by Guillaume Claeyssens and is located in the town of Wambrechies, close to Roubaix. The distillery is a protected historical monument. Originally, their main product was Jenever but in 2000 the Distillery started to produce Single Malt Whisky. The 8 Years was introduced to the market in 2009. There are also 3 and 12 Years expressions available. The 8 Years sells at around 35/40 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average

Conclusion: This is my second French made whisky and again I am quite disappointed. This Wambrechies spent 8 years in Oak Casks but the spirit was not able to extract any fine Aromas or Flavours. Or the Casks did not have any to give. As it is, this Wambrechie smells and tastes more like Gin or Jenever than like Whisky. And when compared to its European mainland competitors (Holland, Germany, Switzerland) it falls a bit short as well. At least in my opinion. I'm optimistic that at some point in time, European mainland whiskies will catch up somewhat with their Scottish brothers in terms of flavour and overall quality. But there's still some ground to be covered!

Jan van den Ende                                                        December 2013

GlenDronach 16 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Region: Highland - Speyside 

Brand: GlenDronach (Club Bottling 2 - Whisky Club 't Woest Genoegen)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 16 Years

ABV: 60.8 %

Sample Provided By: Marlie, The Netherlands. Thanks!  

Date: 16/12/2013

Colour: Very Dark Amber

Nose: At first the Alcohol is very strong indeed. It reminded me of an older Bourbon like George T. Stagg. You will need patience to find your way around the Alcohol. In doing so I found lots of Oak, Dried Fruits like Raisins and Sultanas, Sherry, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Roasted Nuts, Warm Spiced Wine, Christmas Cake soaked in Rum, Dark Chocolate filled with Liqueur, Honey, Orange, Dark Red Fruits and hints of Black Espresso and Soy Sauce.

Palate: On the Palate the Alcohol is too strong really. It numbs the tongue. I do find Red Fruit, Orange, Coconut, Oak, Malt, Dried Fruits and Nuts, Brown Sugar, Bourbon, Toffee, Spices like Cloves, Pepper and Cinnamon, Rum, Sherry and a hint of Black Espresso. 

Finish: Middle-Long with Alcohol, Oak, Toffee, Orange, Red Fruits, Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, Pepper, Cinnamon and hints of Aniseed and Menthol.

With quite a bit of Water the Nose gets more friendly with additional Vanilla, Oak, Orange, Toffee, Fruit Cake, Dried Fruits and Honey. On the Palate, Red Fruit, Cake soaked in Rum and Spices are reinforced. The Red Fruit, Rum and Spices return in the Finish. You should definitively add some Water to this Single Malt to make it more consumer-friendly. In doing so however some of the Aroma and Flavour profile is lost. And that's a pity! 

Rating: 86

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

Marlie's Bottle that produced the sample!

General Remarks: The GlenDronach Distillery was founded in 1826 in Forgue (Aberdeenshire). It was sold in 2005 by Pernod-Ricard to the owners of the BenRiach Distillery (Billy Stewart and partners). The GlenDronach 16 Years I am tasting today is Club Bottling # 2 by Whisky Club ' t Woest Genoegen in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, formerly known as The Whisky Club. This Single Malt was distilled at GlenDronach in May 1992 and was bottled in March 2009 for Versailles Dranken, Nijmegen. The spirit matured in Ex-Oloroso Cask #39. It sells at around 100 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: This GlenDronach is a well-crafted Single Malt, ideal to end a voluptuous Christmas Dinner. There is a lot to discover here both on the Nose and on the Palate. It does have one serious flaw however. It's bottled with an ABV of over 60% and that's too much in this case. Your nose gets burned and your tongue gets numbed. Of course you can add Water, as in fact you must. But in doing so you alter the essence of this Spirit and that's not a good thing in my opinion. An ABV of between 46 and 50% would have greatly benefited this GlenDronach and, consequently, would have lead to an even higher score. Because it is a fine Single Malt. Thanks a lot for the sample Marlie!

Jan van den Ende                                                        December 2013