BenRiach Solstice Review

“Peat Bomb”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Highland - Speyside

Brand: BenRiach Solstice (Heavily Peated - Port Finish - 2nd Edition)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age:  17 Years

ABV:  50 % 

Colour: Reddish Copper/Mahogany

Nose: A combination of Peat, Smoke and Red Fruit. I find Earthy Peat, Wet Clay, Stale Cigar Smoke, Dirty Ashes, Cheap Leather, Salt Water, Cured Meat,  Rubber, BBQ Sauce, Oak, Pine Needles, Burned Toast, Treacle, Caramel, Red Apple, Black Currants, Cranberries and traces of fortified Red Wine and Orange Flavoured Chocolate. It reminds me a bit of the Longrow Peated Red Cabernet Sauvignon Cask but this BenRiach is less elegant and not quite as balanced. The Alcohol is not fully integrated.

Palate: Quite Dry. It follows the Nose with Peat, Smoke, Ashes, Burned Toast, Dried Fruits, Peanuts, Caramel/Toffee, Brown Sugar, Oak, Salted Butter, Red Apple, Water Melon, Spiced Red Wine, Pepper and Licorice.

Finish: Quite Long, mostly Dry, Warming and a bit Meaty towards the end with Toasted Cereals, Earth, Peat, Smoke, Cigar Ashes, Salt, Licorice, Pepper, Oak, Dried Herbs, Cough Syrup, Cured Meat, Lemon an a trace of Plastic.

I added a bit of Water. This enhances the Red Fruit on the Nose but does not do the Peat any justice. On the Palate you gain some Spice but the Finish becomes way too short. You can carefully try out a few drops but I prefer to sip it neat.

Rating: 84.5

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

General Remarks: The BenRiach distillery is located in the heart of the Speyside between Elgin and Rothes. It was founded around 1898 by John Duff, the owner of the nearby Longmorn distillery. Today it's one of the few distilleries with its own Malting Floors. Since 2004, it is independently owned by BenRiach Distillery Company. Most of their production goes into the Chivas Regal Blends. Just like the original Solstice 15 Release, this 2nd Edition was distilled with Heavily Peated Barley. The Spirit matured in Ex-Bourbon Casks before being finished in Tawny Port Casks. It sells at an average 85 US Dollars, is Uncoloured and not Chill-Filtered.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I like it when young, juicy Peat and Sherry and/or Fruit meet in a good Single Malt. That's not the case here. In this 17 Year old BenRiach you will find a more mature, slightly tired and Earthy Peat in combination with a quite strong Oak influence and some assorted Spices and Herbs. Especially on the Palate and in the Finish I would have liked to find some more (Fresh) Fruit. Maybe younger Single Malts would benefit from a finish in fortified Wine Casks while more mature Single Malts might enjoy a Finish with Cabernet Sauvignon or perhaps a Gamay from the Beaujolais Region. This way you would combine old and young/fresh and could end up with a nicely balanced Malt. But only in case you would like to give your Single Malt a Red Wine finish of course. I'm not an expert in this field and I might be completely wrong. I'm just writing down my thoughts as they appear while sipping this BenRiach. To sum things up, I find that the Solstice Port Finish is indeed heavily peated. I don't have any problems with that if there are enough Sweet Flavours around to create a balance. As it is, Peat, Ashes, Wood and Spices are just a tad too dominant for my taste. 

Jan van den Ende                                                                        April 1, 2014

Great King St. Artist's Blend Review

“She Blended Me With Science” 

Country: Scotland

Brand: Great King St. Artist's Blend

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS

ABV: 43 %

Date: 25/03/2014

Colour: Hay/Pale Gold

Nose: Quite Subdued but Clean. Not bad but not extremely interesting as well. I find Grain, Oak, Straw, Alcohol, Vanilla, Nuts and Nut Shells, Dried Apricot, Toast with a Mixture of Butter and Margarine, Bread Dough, light Citrus and hints of Banana, Apple, Coconut, Sweet Marzipan and Spices.

Taste: Slightly Thin and Bitter-Sweet with Grain, Alcohol, Dried Fruits, Nuts, Coconut, Lemon, light Orange, light Vanilla, Marzipan, Bitter Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg and Cinnamon.

Finish: Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet with Sugared Almonds, Bitter Oak, Lemon, Pepper, Nutmeg, light Vanilla and a hint of Green Apples.

No need to add Water to this Blend. You will basically enhance the Grains that way.

Rating: 76.5 

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

General Remarks: The Great King St. Blended Whisky line is named after the street in Edinburgh where the office of The Compass Box Whisky Company is located since John Glaser founded the company in 2000. The idea behind Compass Box is to make quality Scotch relevant to as many people as possible and to revive Blended Scotch Whisky. The Artist's Blend is a combination of 46% of Lowland Single Grain Whisky that matured in First Fill American Oak Barrels and 54% Single Malt Whiskies (2 Northern Highland - and 1 Speyside Distillery), matured in a mix of First Fill American Oak (66%), First Fill European Oak Ex-Sherry Casks (8%) and Heavily Toasted New French Oak Heads (26%). The Artist's Blend is naturally coloured and Chill-Filtration was not applied. The Blend is priced at 40/45 US Dollars. The Presentation of this Blend is quite nice.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: Good but there's room for improvement. This Blend is getting some positive Vibes so I was really curious. Let's start with the good news. The Artist's Blend is naturally coloured, is bottled without Chill-Filtration and at an adequate ABV of 43%. The presentation is quite nice and John Glaser tells you exactly what's in the blend and what Wood was used. Few bottlers and distillers have the courage to do that. It's also reasonably priced given the higher than average Malt content. But on the other hand the Great King Street, while certainly not bad, is still not quite interesting enough to really revive my interest in Blended Scotch, although it is better than most of the well-known affordable Blends. I do believe that Jim is on the right track but I feel that stronger Single Malts are necessary to elevate the Artist's Blend to a higher level. Still too much of a Grain Alcohol feel. There are people who like that but I'm not one of them. I am curious though to try out the two new Experimental Expressions TR6 (Peat) and TR4 (Sherry). Will try to get samples!

Footnote: "She Blinded Me With Science" was a Hit Record for British Singer Thomas Dolby in 1982.

Jan van den Ende                                                              March 2014

Aultmore 1991 Anam Na H-Alba Review

“Perhaps a tad too Ault”

Country: Scotland

Region: Highland - Speyside

Brand: Aultmore 1991 (Anam Na H-Alba)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 22 Years

ABV: 53 %

Date: 23/03/2014

Sample provided by Thomas from Germany. Many Thanks!

Colour: Golden Sunlight

Nose: Quite Complex. Fruity, Grassy, Oily, Oaky and Herbal at first with Apple,  Caramelised Bananas, Citrus, Straw and Heather. After a while I get Buttered Toast, Malt, Espresso, Pine Needles and a wonderful note that reminds me of a quality Butterscotch Chocolate. The ABV is strong but the Alcohol is reasonably well integrated. The Fruity tones vary and once in a while I think I'm smelling ripe Pears or Peaches in Heavy Syrup. A bit of Perfume, Toffee and Vanilla as well. 

Taste: Bittersweet. Lightly Charred Oak and Spices step forward. Some Fruit is still there but more subdued. I find Orange, Lemon, Apple, Pepper, Licorice, Dried Herbs, Nuts, Bourbon, Barley, Straw, Vanilla and Caramel. The Oak influence is quite strong.

Finish: Mainly (Bitter) Sweet, Middle-Long and Spicy with Puff Pastry filled with Apples, Butter and Cinnamon and topped with a light Vanilla sauce. I also find Malt, Caramel, Nuts, Pepper and traces of Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger and Bourbon.

I added a little Water and although the general profile does not change a lot, it does allow you to control the Alcohol to the point where you feel comfortable. 

Rating: 86.5

Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 21.5 - Overall: 21.5

The Aultmore 22 is the bottle to the right of the picture!

General Remarks: This Aultmore 22 Years Single Cask Ex-Bourbon Hogshead #5915 was distilled on the 27th of September 1990 and bottled on the 30th of January 2013 by Independent Whisky bottler Anam Na H-Alba from the town of Oberhausen in Germany. Only 66 bottles went to the market and I was lucky enough to get a sample. This Aultmore is non Chill-Filtered, is naturally coloured and was bottled at Cask Strength. The Bottles were sold at around US$ 95 a piece.

The Aultmore Distillery was founded in 1896 by Alexander Edward. He had to sell it in 1923 to John Dewar & Sons. Dewar now belongs to the Bacardi Group who bough it from Diageo in 1998. Most of Aultmore's Spirit goes into the Dewar's White Label, the #1 selling Scotch in the USA. Beats Me! A 12 Year Distillery Bottling exists since 2004.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: Without any doubt a Quality Cask. I really liked the Nose of this Aultmore. It's complex and invites you to keep looking for new Aromas. Good stuff. On the Palate and in the Finish the 22 years of Oak contact begin to tell and Wood and Spices become a bit too powerful for my liking. I think that 15 or 16 Years would have been ideal for this Spirit. I do like the Buttered Pastry and Apple combination in the Finish. The Aultmore 1991 is a nice Single Malt for a Laid-Back evening in a comfortable Chair. And at a price that seems absolutely correct. 

Jan van den Ende                                                             March 2014

Macallan Sienna Review

“She Loves Me…She Loves Me Not…She Loves Me…She Loves Me Not…”

Country: Scotland

Region: Highland

Brand: Macallan Sienna

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS 

Alcohol: 43%

Date: 20/03/2014

Colour: Reddish Brown/Chestnut (Natural Colour)

Nose: Sweet and Fruity. Not really a "Sherry Bomb". I find Orange, Mandarin, Peach, Banana, Cherries, Mango, Buttered Croissants, light Vanilla, Toffee, Sherry, Brown Sugar, Milk Chocolate, light Honey, light Oak, Nuts, Raisins, Malt, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and some Floral tones. A little bit of Alcohol around. I find relatively little Sherry Cask influences here. The Nose is not overly complicated but pleasant enough and well-balanced.

Taste: Still Fruity but with more Sherry and Spices now. I find Dark Fruits like Plums but also Mandarins, Apricot, Orange, Apples, Dark Chocolate, Licorice, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, light Pepper, light Vanilla, Bourbon-like Oak, Nuts and Malt. I'm missing a bit of a Punch here. A slightly higher ABV would have further improved this Macallan.

Finish: Middle-Long. Sweet at First but quickly Drying. I find Red Apples, Nuts, Mandarin, Vanilla, Orange Marmalade, Mint-Chocolate, Dried Fruits, Caramel, Cinnamon, Aniseed, Licorice, Pepper and slightly Bitter Wood.

I added a few drops of water and on the Nose the Fruits and Milk Chocolate gain additional power. On the Palate and in the Finish, Licorice and Spices arrive in force. Certainly room to experiment with a couple of drops.

Rating: 85.5

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

Elchies House

General Remarks: The Macallan Distillery was founded in 1824 and is located in Craigellachie, Moray. It is part of the Edrington Group since 1999. Generally, the Macallan whisky is considered a Sherried Speysider by nature although by law (2009) Craigellachie is considered Highland territory. Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby form the NAS "1824" Series. The Sienna matured exclusively in 100% First Fill Spanish Oak Casks from Jerez and American Oak Casks, all seasoned with Oloroso Sherry. No Re-Fill Casks were used. All Macallans of these series are named after their Colour. Sienna is a Natural Pigment. The Series honour the fact that all Macallan Whiskies are free from Artificial Colouring. The Sienna sells at around 100 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I think that most Whisky fans will agree with me that sometimes you immediately fall in love with a Distillery and their spirits. It happened to me with Ardbeg, Caol Ila, BenRiach and Talisker, just to name a few. And on the other hand, sometimes it just doesn't click. Edradour, Clynelish and, to a certain extend, Highland Park frequently disappoint me. And then there are Distilleries where I simply can't make up my mind. I keep on sniffing, advancing and retreating, almost like a dog when you suddenly put something to eat under its nose. This is the case with Macallan for instance. I can't say I like their Spirit a lot but I also can't say it really disappoints me. In the specific case of the Sienna, I really like the Nose but on the Palate and in the Finish the spirit doesn't do a lot for me. It's like somebody asks you: "Would you like some more" and you answer "Yeah, okay" instead of Yes, please!! The Sienna is certainly not a bad Single Malt but I can't see me spending 100 Dollars on a full bottle!

Jan van den Ende                                                             March 2014