Tomatin 18 Years Review

“Not Perfect But Dangerously Drinkable”

Whisky Review # 627

Country: Scotland
Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Tomatin

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 18 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Bourbon casks with Sherry cask Finish.   
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 70-90(July 2017) 
Buying Advice: 😀 Positive. Good Price/Quality Ratio. A few flaws! 

Colour: Golden Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose: The Sherry Cask influence is obvious. Lots of Dried Fruits like Sultanas, Raisins and Apricots. A long time ago I had some fortified wine in the South of France near Perpignan and the border with Spain. I believe it was called Muscat de Rivesaltes and this Tomatin brings back those (literally) sweet memories. I also find Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, both Sweet and Tart Apples, Blackberries, Cinnamon, Clove, light Pepper, Dusty Sand Road and faint hints of Leather, Toasted Oak and Tobacco. The Alcohol is not fully integrated and it actually stings a little.

Palate: Good delivery thanks to the adequate ABV. A combination of Sweet Sherry, Spices and Wood. I find Sweet Barley, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Dried Fruit, Sweet Apples, Heather-Honey, Orange, Dark Chocolate, Pepper, Nutmeg, Clove, Ginger, Dusty Road and hints of Leather and Tobacco. The Alcohol remains present.

Tasting Visit May 2017

Finish: Long and Spicy. It's Oily as well and it coats your mouth nicely. Quite Dry and Oaky towards the end with a light Alcohol burn that I could do without. I also find Sweet Barley, Toffee, Vanilla, Dried Fruit, Nuts, Heather-Honey, Clove, Nutmeg, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Citrus, Dark Chocolate, Sweet Red Apples and Toasted Oak.

Drinking Advice:
I added a few drops of Water and in all three departments the Alcohol is less noticeable now. That's a good thing! I do get a little extra Menthol in the Finish. I would advise to add a few drops of Water in this case.

Rating: 85       

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

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

Tomatin was founded in 1897 by the Tomatin Spey Distillery Company. In 1985 the distillery went into liquidation and was bought in 1987 by Takara Shuzo Co. and Okara & Co, both from Japan which was quite remarkable at that time. In fact, Tomatin was the first Scottish distillery that became fully owned by Japanese companies. Currently the shares are being hold by Takara Shuzo (81%)  Marubeni (14%) and Kokubu (5%). Tomatin has always been a distillery that produced large quantities of Spirit for Blends but in the last 10 years they started to concentrate on producing and marketing Single Malts. As a result, the production decreased from well over 10 million litres in the 1970's/1980's to around 1,6 million litres this year. They still produce Blends as well though. (Antiquary, Big T and the Talisman). Today's Single Malt core range includes the NAS Legacy, the 12, 18 and 36 years. In 2016, new packaging and bottles were introduced for the entire core range.

The 18 years I'm reviewing today was introduced in 2006. We visited Tomatin in May this year and we really enjoyed the Tour and the Tasting session despite the fact that it was Friday afternoon when the production is stopped to be able to clean the equipment.

Visit May 2017

🍷  The Spirit:  

At one point in time in the 1970's Tomatin was operating a staggering 23 stills. Today there are still six pairs of stills but only 4 of the spirit stills are being used. The Lyne arms of the round, tall and slim copper stills point either straight or slightly  upwards creating a Sweet and Malty medium bodied Spirit. The water is sourced from the Allt-na-Frith (the Free Burn).

Visit May 2017

🌲  The Wood:

The Tomatin 18 Years matures for over 16 years in Refill Bourbon casks bought from Maker's Mark. The spirit is then finished for at least 18 months in First Fill Spanish Oak Oloroso Sherry butts. These butts must have been of reasonable quality as I get no Sulphur notes. 

Drinking Experience: Good

Conclusion:

The Tomatin 18 Years shows that this Distillery deserves its place on the Single Malt map. It also shows how important good casks are. In this case the Sherry butts certainly left their clean marks. This is  especially noticeable on the Nose where you can discover a variety of (mostly) Dried Fruits. It's not a perfect Malt though as Spices, Alcohol and Wood are slightly dominant on the Palate and certainly in the Finish. In this case I think the Spirit would probably have benefited from a few years less cask time and perhaps a slightly lower ABV. That way, you might preserve some of the Fruit for Palate and Finish. These are all minor flaws though and the Tomatin 18 years is actually extremely drinkable. You better take care if you have a bottle at your side on a cold winter's night. 

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 26, 2017

Visit May 2017

W.L. Weller 12 Years Review

“Pappy Van Weller”

Whisky Review # 626

Country: USA

Brand: W.L. Weller

Type: Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 12 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 45%
Maturation: Charred New American White Oak Barrels     
Price Range: US$ 25-35 in the USA (July 2017). An average US$ 100 elsewhere. 
Buying Advice:😄 You should buy it if you can get it under 35 US Dollars. No need too spend more. Go for Maker's Mark as an affordable alternative!

Colour: Bronze with a shade of Red (Natural Colour)

Nose: Sweet and Pleasant. Reminds me of Maker's Mark. Thick layers of Sweet Corn, Vanilla and Caramel. It clearly misses the punch of the Rye but it's quite nice in its own right. I also find Toasted Oak, Buttered Toast, Banana, slightly Sour Blackberry-flavoured Yogurt, Freshly Baked Apple Pie, Honey Nuts Cereals,  Peach Jam, Cinnamon, Ginger, Fresh Mint, Sugared Almonds, Acetone and a few traces of Orange, Dirt Road, Rum and Leather. Not overly complicated but quite delicious! Could smell this for hours!

Palate: Medium-Sweet with a few Sour, Herbal and Spicy notes. I find Sugared Cereals, Buttered Toast, Toasted Oak, Vanilla, Caramel, Toffee, Caffe Latte, Rum, Orange-Flavoured Chocolate, Toasted Nuts, Leather, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Dirt Road, Fresh Mint, Aniseed, Honey Nuts and Herbal Tea. A bit of Tutti-Frutti Bubble Gum after a while. It's not bad but it's a lot less Sweet than you would expect after the Nose. A bit disappointing quite frankly!   

Finish: Bitter-Sweet, Herbal and quite Dry in the end with Honey Nuts, Toasted Oak, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Orange-Flavoured Dark Chocolate, Blackberry Muffins, Dried Herbs, Leather, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Rum and Herbal Tea. The Alcohol and something that reminds me of Varnish spoil the fun a bit in this department. A bit too dry for my taste as well. This is the weaker part of this Bourbon.

Drinking Advice:
No Need to add Water to the Weller 12 Years. It's quite nice over Ice as well but you should at least Nose it neat!

Rating: 86

Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks:

The W.L. Weller 12 years is produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, owned by Sazerac Company Inc. The Mash Bill is undisclosed but is said to be the same recipe as the Van Winkle Lot B. The only difference seems to be that hand picked barrels are used for the Van Winkle. Therefore, the W.L. Weller 12 Years is very often called the "Poor Man's Van Winkle". As a result, prices have increased dramatically over the last few years, mostly in the secondary market. Corn is of course the main grain used for this Bourbon but it is followed by Wheat rather than Rye. A little Malted Barley completes the Mash Bill. William Larue Weller was said to be the first American distiller that used Wheat in the Mash Bill.

Drinking Experience: Good. Great Nose!

Conclusion:

It's quite amazing that such a nice Wheated Bourbon is available at around 30  US Dollars. If you can find it at that price of course. And that's not at all easy depending on where you live. On the Internet I've seen prices in the 75-100 US dollar range. Don't spend that kind of money though. Go for Maker's Mark in that case. But at an average 30 US Dollars, the W.L. Weller 12 Years is a must buy! If only for the Nose! If you like Sweet Bourbons, you will love this Nose! As so often, Palate and Finish can't maintain the same high level. They are not as Sweet as the Nose would let you to believe and the Finish is really too dry. At least in my opinion. Still, at 30 US Dollars this would certainly be my every day Wheat Bourbon if I could find it in Brazil. Unfortunately I've never seen it around here. Not even in the Duty Free Shop at the Sao Paulo airport. I'll have to stick to my Maker's Mark for the time being! 

Jan van den Ende                                                                        July 24, 2017

Buffalo Trace Distillery

Hankey Bannister Regency 12 Years Review

“Sir Winston Liked It”

Whisky Review # 625

Country: Scotland

Brand: Hankey Bannister Regency

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Casks   
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 30-40 (July 2017) 
Buying Advice: 😐 Neutral. Reasonable Blend if priced at +/- US$ 30.

Colour: Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured) 

Nose: Light but certainly not unpleasant. The Grain Alcohol is of course quite present. I can't say that the Aromas are jumping out of the glass. You will need some patience with the Regency. After a while I find Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Dusty Straw, Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Nutella, Dried Fruit, Caffe Latte, Orange Peel, Fresh Coriander, Cinnamon, light Pepper, light Ginger, Apple and a hint of Tinned Pineapple in Syrup.

Knockdhu

Palate: Light but acceptable. This should have been bottled at 43%. This Blend deserves that. The Grain Alcohol is there but not at all in an aggressive way. I find Toasted Cereals, Toasted Oak, lightly Buttered Toast, Dusty Straw, Vanilla, Caramel, Toffee, Dried Fruit, Orange-Peel, Nutella, Heather-Honey, Apple, Caffe Latte, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger and perhaps the faintest whiff of Smoke.   

Finish: Medium Long. Sweet and Spicy at first. Dry in the end when a light Bitterness pops up. I find Grain Alcohol, Toasted Cereals, Refill Oak, Caramel, Vanilla, Toffee, Treacle, Sultanas, Heather-Honey, light Lemon and Orange Peel, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Milk Chocolate-covered Nuts and the faintest hint of Smoke.

Balblair

Drinking Advice:
I only Nosed and Tasted this Hankey Bannister neat as I merely had a very small sample at my disposal. It's certainly drinkable neat and I suspect it will do nicely over Ice as well.

Rating: 82     

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20.5  - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

General Remarks:

Hankey Bannister & Co was founded in 1757 by Beaumont Hankey and Hugh Bannister. Winston Churchill was a fan of this Whisky. Currently, the Blend is owned by Inver House Distillers (Thai Beverage PLC). Next to the 12 Tear Old Regency, the range also includes the NAS HB Original and the 21, 25 and 40 Years. The Regency is made with 70% Grain Whiskies (Mainly North British and Port Dundas) and 30% Malt Whisky. The Balblair distillery forms the heart and additional Malts are, amongst others, sourced from Knockdhu, Balmenach and perhaps a touch of Old Pulteney as they are all owned by Inver House. The 12 Year old Regency matures in Ex-Bourbon casks and presents a reasonable Price Quality ratio. 

Drinking Experience: Good.

Conclusion:

The Hankey Bannister Regency is certainly better than your average Scottish Blend. There are no real off-notes. The Grain is there but it doesn't quite punch you in the face like in most Bottom-Shelf blends. The casks are slightly better as well and I suspect a mix of 2nd and 3rd Refill Ex-Bourbon casks. It could surely do with a higher ABV. So while the Hankey Bannister Regency is not at all a bad Blend, it's also utterly forgettable. After five minutes or so, you will have some difficulties in remembering it if you get my drift. It's a drinking Whisky, not a Sipping Whisky. You can safely buy it at around 30 US Dollars though as it will not disappoint you at this price level.  

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 15, 2017

Balmenach

Johnnie Walker Green Label 2017 Review

“I Thought I Knew You”

Whisky Review # 624

Country: Scotland

Brand: Johnnie Walker Green

Type: Blended Malt Whisky
Age: 15 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: A Mix of Refill Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry Casks.  
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 40-60 (July 2017) 
Buying Advice:😔  Below US$ 50 it's still a bargain. Don't expect Heaven!

Colour: Light Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: There are some Sherry casks in the mix and I detect a Sulphur note. It's nothing serious though. I also find some dried Fruit (Raisins, Apricot) and Nuts. It's not a very expressive Nose actually. I think that large numbers of refill casks were used. You need to take your time with the Green Label to discover some additional notes. They are there though. I find Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Sweet Pastry, Toffee, Grass, Apple, Lemon, Orange, Milk Chocolate, Banana-Cake, Mint and a sprinkle of Nutmeg. The Caol Ila influence is limited. I get a little Dirty Earth, Smoke from a very distant fire and hints of Leather, Bacon and Tobacco. The Alcohol is not strong but it's not completely integrated as well.

Talisker

Palate: Quite Sweet but still a little on the Thin side despite the 43% ABV. It's not as easy-going and smooth as I found it in 2012. More Talisker perhaps? A few Sour and Bitter Citrus notes as well. I find Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Musty Straw, Heather-Honey, Nuts, Refill Oak, Orange, Grapefruit, Apple, Salt, Pepper, Cinnamon and hints of Tobacco, Espresso, Herbal Tea and Chocolate.  

Finish: Medium Long and Bitter-Sweet. Dry in the end with a bit of an odd note that reminds me of Wall Paper Paste although I have never tasted that stuff. But that came to my mind. I also find Toasted Cereals, slightly Burnt Salted Nuts, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla, Honey, Orange Peel, Apple, Pepper, Cinnamon and hints of Tobacco, Bitter Chocolate, Smoke and Cigar Ashes.

Linkwood

Drinking Advice:
I added 4 drops of Water and the Malt develops on the Nose. Some Shortbread perhaps. On the Palate and in the Finish, I get quite a bit more Talisker Pepper. Very interesting! My advise would be to try it both ways. I preferred to Nose the JW Green neat but enjoyed the added Pepper on the Palate. I liked it even better over ice. The Fruity (Linkwood) notes shine better that way. 

Rating: 83    

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

General Remarks:

Johnnie Walker Green was launched in 2005. In 2012 it was discontinued world-wide with the exception of Taiwan. In 2015 it re-appeared cautiously in the North American market and in April 2016 it made its permanent world-wide come back. This time for good according to Diageo. It never became quite clear why this successful Blend was discontinued in the first place but one can assume that dwindling 15 Year or older stocks of one or more of the key Malts were the probable course. I also suspect that the other JW Blends are much cheaper to produce and thus show higher profit margins. We will probably never know what happened exactly. In any case it's back and that's a good thing. I reviewed the JW Green earlier in January 2012 and gave it a good score. I'm curious to learn if the "new" version is just as good. Johnnie Walker Green Label is made using an undisclosed number of Single Malts. We do know however that the heart is formed by Cragganmore with additional important roles for Talisker, Linkwood and Caol Ila. It's quite affordable for a 15 Year old Malt and the Price/Quality ratio is good.

Drinking Experience: Good.

Cragganmore

Conclusion:

My mind must be playing tricks on me! Either that or my Nose and Taste buts have developed a whole lot in the last 5 years or so. Is this the same Green that I reviewed in 2012? Back then I found it to be smooth on the Palate but that's certainly not the case right now. I thought it to be a little Edgy, moderately "Dirty" and certainly more Spicy. I have visited both Talisker and Cragganmore and those 2 distilleries come to mind when Nosing and Tasting the Green. It's difficult to detect Caol Ila but Linkwood is certainly there as well. A little change in the formula perhaps? Less quality casks to control the production costs? Or is it just me? In any case, I will have to downgrade the JW Green to 83 points at this point in time. It's still good value for money though if you can get it below 50 bucks. It has lost a bit of the magic though. At least in my opinion.

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 12, 2017

Caol Ila

Kilchoman 100% Islay 6th Edition Review

“100% Islay but 100% Too Young”

Whisky Review # 623

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Kilchoman 100% Islay 6th Edition

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 4-6 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 50%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Barrels 
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 80-100 (July 2017) 
Buying Advice: 😐  Not bad but too expensive. Better go for Machir Bay!

Colour: Pale Straw/White Wine (Natural Colour) 

Nose: Young and Light. Some clear Sweet Peat, Medicinal, Citrus and Varnish notes lead the way. I find Barley Sugar, Smoke, slightly Burnt Toast, Vanilla, Freshly Salted Fish, Iodine, Dusty Road, Grass, Horse Manure, Lemon, Grapefruit, Sour Apples, Green Banana, Dairy, Pepper, Cinnamon and Menthol. It's quite similar to some of the other Kilchoman Malts I've tasted before with the exception of the fact that the 100% Islay is less peaty and pungent. The Alcohol is present but not in an overwhelming way. Quite interesting for such a Young Malt.

Visit May 2017

Palate: Young, Light and Green. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Corn Syrup (?), Cafe Latte, Green Apple, Green Banana, Pear, Herbs, Grass, Tobacco, Smoked Bacon, Grapefruit, Lemon, slightly Bitter Orange Juice, Salt, Pepper, Cinnamon, Licorice and Aniseed.     

Finish: Middle-Long and Mostly Sweet. Some slightly Sour and Bitter notes pop us as well. Quite Dry in the end. I find Sweet Peat, light Smoke, Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Horse Manure, Dairy, Cocoa Powder, Green Banana, Grapefruit, Lemon, Salt, Pepper, Cinnamon, light Iodine, Herbs, Aniseed and Menthol.

Drinking Advice:
No need to add Water to this Kilchoman despite the high ABV. You can add a few drops though so just give it a try, drop by drop.

Rating: 83.5      

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

Kilchoman is located at the Rockside farm, close to Bruichladdich. This farm distillery only started production in 2005. It is owned by Anthony Wills and his sons are involved in the day-to-day business as well. It's a very small distillery that currently produces around 200.000 litres per year. The core range consists of the NAS Machir Bay and the NAS Sanaig. Kilchoman has its own malting floor responsible for malting around 20% of their needs. The rest is bought from Port Ellen. 

The Kilchoman 100% Islay 6th Edition is made with lightly peated (+/- 15 PPM) Optic/Concerto Barley that is produced, malted, distilled, matured and bottled at the Farm Distillery. It was distilled in 2010 and matured for 4-6 years in Ex- Bourbon Barrels before being bottled in 2916. The 100% Islay was launched for the first time in 2010 and has been released since on an annual basis. The 6th Edition was released in May 2016.

Visit May 2017

🍷  The Spirit:  

Kilchoman operates one pair of pear-shaped Stills. The Lyne arm of the Spirit Still points slightly downwards and creates a relatively Light, Peaty, slightly Citrusy Spirit with some clear Medicinal tones as well.

🌲  The Wood:

The Spirit matured in a mix of (mainly) First-Fill and some Re-Fill Bourbon Barrels purchased from Buffalo Trace. I'm not quite sure if the Spirit used for this 6th Edition is actually 6 years old. I was informed that around 80% matured for 5 years and was blended with 20% that matured for 4 years. I must admit that I can't be sure here so I will assume that this Whisky matured from 4 to 6 years. Any info on this matter is of course welcome. Please leave a comment! The Buffalo Trace casks did give some Vanilla, Oak Char and Cinnamon Flavour to the Spirit but there wasn't enough time to really leave their mark. I would love to taste a 12 Year old 100% Islay. Would certainly be much better!

Drinking Experience: Good. Quite Young though!

Conclusion:

There is nothing really wrong with this Kilchoman except for the fact that it's bottled at a very young age and simply misses depth and complexity. It's just another young Islay Malt. It's not unlike a young Ardbeg but considerably softer. Kilchoman manages to produce a Spirit that, despite the high ABV, does not feel too Rough and Edgy. Quite an accomplishment! My other main problem with the 100% Islay is the price. It's simply too expensive for what it offers. The Machir Bay, although not cheap, has a much better Price/Quality ratio. If you really love a mild, young, lightly peated Islay Malt, the 100% Islay is a good option. I won't buy a full bottle though as I think it's too expensive. My dream though would be to have the chance to, one day, taste a 12 - or 15 year old 100% Islay. That way we would be able to really enjoy the full potential of this Islay Malt. Go for it Kilchoman!      

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 10, 2017

Visit May 2016