Aultmore 21 Years

”The Aultmore Down the Road” 

Whisky Review # 907

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: Aultmore

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Batch 00107
Age: 21 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Refill Sherry Hogsheads
Chill Filtration: No

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!
Price Range: US$ 200-240 (March 2021).
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Too expensive for what it offers.
Buying Advice: 😐 The Nose is nice but Palate and Finish do not quite convince.

Colour:

Golden (Natural Color)

Nose:

Sweet, Pleasant, Uncomplicated Nose. You certainly wouldn't give it 21 Years. Easy-going casks. Quite Fruity & Buttery. Be sure to give it some time in the glass before Nosing.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, German Butter Biscuits, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Caffe Latte, Fresh Herbs, Lemon Ice Tea, Fresh Green Apples, Oak, Pizza Dough and Ginger.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Butterscotch, Caramel, Wax, Bounty Bars, Peach-Flavoured Yogurt, Meadow Flowers, Pear drops, Nuts, Forest Floor, Bourbon, Ginger and Wet Stones.

Palate:

A bit more Hot and Aggressive than the Nose would like you to believe. Oak and Spices come to the front in strength. A mix of Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes with a light Metallic feel to it.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Fresh Herbs, Green Apple, Lemon, Grapefruit, Oak, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Menthol and Licorice.   
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Butterscotch, Marzipan, Wax, Nectarine, Banana, Seville-Orange, Bounty Bars, Cloves, Bourbon, Slivovitz and Pizza Dough.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter Sweet & slightly Hot. Oak and Spices are more noticeable at this stage. A few Sour notes as well. The Bitterness increases towards the end and that's a pity. It takes a little while before your palate is ready to take another sip. I find Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Caramel, Honey-Nut Cereals, Vanilla, Grass & Straw, Green Apple, Lemon, Bitter Grapefruit, Caffe Latte, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon, Menthol, Licorice, Bourbon, Oak and a little Marzipan.

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water. The ABV is spot on.

Rating: 85

Nose: 22 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience Neat:

Good but not really shining.

Conclusion:

The Aultmore Distillery was founded in 1896 by Alexander Edward. He had to sell it in 1923 to John Dewar & Sons. Dewar currently belongs to the Bacardi Group who bought 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! In 2014 the core range was reviewed and nowadays include the 12, 18 and 21 Years, the latter originally only for Travel Retail. We almost managed to visit the distillery during our last tour in Scotland in 2019 but in the end it didn't work out. We did get to sample a few Aultmores during a fine dinner in the village of Oldmeldrum, home to the Glen Garion Distillery.

I had a few mature Independently Bottled Aultmores before and quite liked them. I was therefore eager to try this 21-year old that's part of today's core range. It did not quite convince me though. It started well with the unpretending but pleasant Nose but Palate and Finish left to be desired. A bit too much Heat and Bitterness for my taste. I must blame the casks for that. This Aultmore is not a bad Single Malt mind you but with a little extra care it could have been so much better and would have justified its price. As it is I would certainly recommend to try a sample first before deciding to buy a full bottle.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                         March 24, 2021

Glenfiddich Winter Storm Batch 1

”Riders on the Storm”

Whisky Review # 906

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: Glenfiddich Winter Storm Batch 1 - Experimental Series # 03 - Bottled: 2017

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - 8000 Bottles
Age: 21 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Probably Ex-Bourbon with ca. 6 months Canadian Icewine Cask Finish
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 400-700 (March 2021). Huge price differences! Be aware!
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 This is way-overpriced even considering its 21 Years.
Buying Advice: 😒 It's just way too expensive for what it offers.

Colour:

Golden Amber (Artificially Colored)

Nose:

Light and Sweet. After 21 Years in the various casks, this Whisky deserves an ABV of around 46%. I find this to be a recurrent problem of Glenfiddich's older and more expensive Single Malts. They really should take a good look at this. Other than that the Nose shows a slightly boring but well-balanced mix of Fruit, Caramel, Wine & Spices. Surprisingly, the Alcohol is not fully integrated.

Main Aromas:

Barley Sugar, German Butter Biscuits, Apple, Pear-Drops, Artificially-Flavoured Fruit-Candies, Grass and Straw, Cinnamon-Spiced Tea, Pepper and Dried Herbs.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Honey, Vanilla, Fresh Meadow Flowers, White Wine, Nectarine, Gooseberry, Lemon, Wax, Studentenhaver (Mixed Dried Fruits and Nuts) and Arabian Sweets.

Palate:

A mix of Sugary-Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. The Icewine finish is certainly more noticeable here than on the Nose.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Sugar, Toffee, Caramel, Apples, Artificially Flavoured Fruit Candies (Pear, Melon, Nectarine), Grass & Straw, Seville-Orange, Grapefruit, Oak, Menthol,  Pepper, Cinnamon and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Wax, Vanilla, Marzipan, White Wine, Lemon, Milk-Chocolate, Herbal Tea and cheap Spanish Brandy. I can still remember drinking the latter back in 1972 in Calafell on Spain's Costa Dorada.

 

Finish:

Short to Middle-Long and Thin. Almost Sugary Sweet at first but with increasing Bitterness and Sourness towards the Medium Dry end. The Alcohol is noticeable and so is the Wine Finish. I find Sweet Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla Fudge, White Wine, Oak, Seville-Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Apple, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Milk-Chocolate, Menthol & hints of Salt, cheap Spanish Brandy & Cardboard boxes. The Menthol & Mint seem to almost explode in your throat. It's certainly different but I can't say I like it a lot. 

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water. It's Thin enough as it comes.

Rating: 84

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience Neat:

Okay/Good. It's not bad but I won't enter the fanclub!

Conclusion:

Glenfiddich was founded in Dufftown in 1886 by William Grant. It's one of the few distilleries that is still in the hands of the founder's family. In the year 1963 it became the first whisky that was marketed worldwide as a Single Malt. It was the first Single Malt to appear in the Travel Retail and Duty Free shops as well and the chance is huge that Glenfiddich was your first Single Malt. It was mine! It is also the first distillery that opened a visitor centre, back in 1969. The current core range consists of the 12, 15, 18, 21, 26, 30  and 40 years old. We visited the distillery in May 2014 and May 2019. Despite the large number of visitors they still do a good job on the Tours.

The Winter Storm was first released in October 2017. Glenfiddich's Malt Master Brian Kinsman got the inspiration when he visited the Icewine producing Peller Estates Winery near Niagara in Canada. The grapes for this wine are picked during the Canadian Winter in January. The grapes need to be very hard and are harvested at moonlight at minus 10 degrees C. Working together with Mr. Craig McDonald, Peller's VP of Winemaking, Brian experimented with several French Oak Icewine casks, filling them with Glenfiddich aged Malts of different ages for upto 6 months. It appeared that only the older whiskies (21 Years) could cope with the very sweet Icewine intensity.

I always applaud experiments so I congratulate Mr. Kinsman on trying to find a new road. I must confess however that this specific road doesn't seem to go anywhere. The Nose is okay but Palate and Finish are merely regular. I think that expensive projects like this deserve Better Cask Management and a higher ABV. The way it is presented it doesn't deserve the high prices at which Winter Storm is offered. The industry should sell excellent whisky at these prices and not stories and hypes. That way they avoid them being seen as Riders on the Storm!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                         March 17, 2021

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2019

Ballantine's Bourbon Finish

”I’m Glad I Reached the Finish”

Whisky Review # 905

Country: Scotland

Brand: Ballantine's Bourbon Finish

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS (Probably 3-5 Years)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Refill Ex-Bourbon casks. Finish: Married in Ex-Bourbon casks.

Chill Filtration: Yes

Average Price: US$ 20-25 (March 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍Okay
Buying Advice: 😑 Mixing/On the Rocks okay. Not good enough for sipping.

Colour:

Golden Honey (Artificially Colored)

Nose:

Thin, Young, Soft and Sweet. The Grain Alcohol is quite present. The Bourbon casks make themselves known with lots of Caramel, Toffee and Vanilla. A bit of Fruit and Nuts and that's about it. Not too much going on here. No Off-Notes.

Main Aromas:

Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Grain Alcohol, Vanilla, Caramel, Gras/Straw, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Sultanas, Nuts, Orange, Sweet Apple, Cinnamon and Pepper.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Butterscotch, Bounty Bars, German Butter Biscuits, Lemon, Nectarine, Wood Chips and Smoke from an extremely distant fire.

Palate:

Young, Soft, Watery Thin and Sugary Sweet. The Grain Alcohol rules despite all the innovative Finish efforts. Flavorwise, it basically follows the Nose.

Main Flavours:

Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Vanilla, Toffee, Caramel, Straw, Dried Fruit and Nuts, Sweet Apple, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:
   
Heather-Honey, Butterscotch, Bitter Orange, Caffe Latte, Dried Herbs, Wood Chips, Lemon, Licorice, Mint and the afore mentioned Smoke.

Finish:

Short and Thin. Sugary Sweet at first but with a light Bitterness popping up towards the end. I find Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Vanilla, Toffee, Caramel, Butterscotch, Grain Alcohol, Dried Fruit, Nuts, Straw, Candied Orange Peel, Caffe Latte, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Wood Chips, Licorice, Dried Herbs and this far away Smoke.

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water to this Ballantine's. It's Thin enough as it is

Rating: 77 

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 19 - Finish: 18.5 - Overall: 19 

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Okay/Good

Conclusion:

Ballantine's Blended Whisky was created in 1910 by the family of the same name. The main Single malt components are Miltonduff and Glenburgie but it is said that the Blend contains upto 50 different whiskies including four Grain Whiskies. Bourbon Finish was introduced over here in December 2020. In other parts of the world a 7 Year-old Whisky was released under the same name. The whiskies for this Blend mature separately before being married and finished for an unknown period of time in Ex-Bourbon casks. This procedure is quite new in the Blended Whisky segment. 

I like innovative initiatives and I must congratulate Ballantine's on this novelty that's quite common in Single Malt maturation but not so for Blends. Having said that I must also notice that the effect of the, probably short, finish is limited. It takes away a bit of the harshness that I find in Ballantine's Finest. The makers like to think of this expression as a bridge between Whisky and Bourbon fans. That goes a little too far in my opinion. This Ballantine's remains a Refill cask matured Blend that is okay for mixing and over Ice but not interesting enough as a sipping Whisky. It's a Party drink in that sense. And Ballantine's will be fine with that as they are obviously reaching out to a young public with this Bourbon Finish.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                          March 1, 2021

Bruichladdich Octomore 08.1 Masterclass

”Smoke Screen”

Whisky Review # 904

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Bruichladdich Octomore 08.1 (167 PPM) - Masterclass

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Limited Edition - 42.000 Bottles
Age: 8 Years (2008-2017)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 59.3% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: First Fill Ex-Bourbon Casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 150-180 (February 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Too expensive for such a young Single Malt.

Buying Advice: 😐 It's okay but try to find the 07.3 instead!

Colour:

Golden Sunlight (Natural Color)

Nose:

Soft despite the high ABV. And the 08.1 is not a Peat Bomb either. Of course Peat and Smoke are there but they're merely weaving a nice background for the other Aromas. The Nose is certainly not spectacular. Even a little plain. It's quite Sweet with a few Sour notes for contrast. A little bit Young, Dirty and Edgy. Make sure to give it a little time in the glass before Nosing and avoid Nosing in the middle of the glass as the Alcohol is more noticeable that way.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Distant Campfire Smoke, Coastal "Wet" Peat/Clay, Lots of Citrus Fruit like Orange and Mandarin, Cafe Latte, Green Bell Pepper, Smoked Bacon, Pepper, Cinnamon, Sour Berries, Espresso and Mint.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Tar, Brine, Ashes, Iodine, Farmyard, Green Apple, Roasted Pineapple, Wet Stones and Sand, Lemon-Infused Tea, Milk Chocolate, Nutmeg, Rubber, Plastic and Leather.

Palate:

Peat and Smoke come into play as does the Alcohol. This Octomore is best enjoyed in little sips. It's mainly Sweet with a few Sour notes for balance. It actually tastes quite Young and that's a bit surprising. Young Kilchoman came to my mind. There's a little bit of Plastic around as well. It's not really an off-note but it might not be to everyone's liking.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Malt, Barley Sugar, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Buttered Toast, Cold Campfire Smoke, Coastal Peat/Wet Clay, Tar, Soot, Orange, Mandarin, Green Apple, Green Bell Pepper, Schwarzwalder Schinken, Charred Oak, Dried Herbs, Pepper, Nutmeg and Menthol.
  
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Ashes, Iodine, Brine, Wet Grass, Wet Sand & Stones, Gooseberry, Lemon, Farmyard, Caffe Latte, Cinnamon, Ginger, Plastic, Leather & Roasted Nuts (Almonds and Walnuts).

 

Finish:

Long and quite Sweet with Dryness developing towards the end. The Alcohol is more noticeable by now. The Spirit coats your mouth in a pleasant way and invites you to have another sip. I mainly find Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Apricot-filled Buttered Puff Pastry, Cold Campfire Smoke, Coastal Peat, Tar, Ashes, Iodine, Soot, Honey, Green Bell Pepper, Dried Herbs, Burnt Grass, Honey, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Ginger, Bitter-Lemon, Orange, Menthol, Plastic, Charred Oak & Leather.   

Drinking Advice:

I added Water but this Octomore almost becomes liquid Peppery Smoke. Better sip it neat despite the high ABV.

Rating: 86

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

Bruichladdich was founded in 1881 by Barnett Harvey. During its history it was mothballed various times, the last time in 1998. In 2012 the Islay distillery was bought by Remy Cointreau (France). Since, Bruichladdich is showing a healthy growth again. The distillery produces 3 types of Single Malt, i.e. the unpeated Bruichladdich & the heavily peated Port Charlotte & Octomore. The basic core range includes Classic Laddie and a 10-year old Port Charlotte. The annual production amounts to around one million litres. About 10% of that is Octomore. Octomore by the way means " The Big Eighth". This is a medieval division of common ground.

The Octomore 08.1 was distilled in 2008 using 100% Scottish Barley from the 2007 Harvest. It matured in First Fill American Oak and the casks were provided by a.o. Buffalo Trace, Clermont Springs, Four Roses, Heaven Hill and Jack Daniels.

After the delicious 07.3 this 08.1 was a bit of a disappointment. It's not bad mind you but a bit plain, youngish and unexciting. No way I would pay over US$ 150 for this Bruichladdich. It's just not worth that kind of money. Don't let the Smoke Screen fool you. It's accepted that most Single Malts tend to get better with time. That's not the case with the Octomore though. It shines brighter in its early years. All in all I would rate this Octomore as merely regular. 

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                     February 24, 2021

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2014

Longrow 14 Years

”Digging in the Dirt”

Whisky Review # 903

Country: Scotland
Region: Campbeltown

Brand: Longrow
Distilled at: Springbank Distillery, Campbeltown in September 2003
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Bottled in July 2018 - 9000 Bottles

Age: 14 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 57.8% (Around Cask Strength)
Maturation: Refill Oloroso Sherry Casks
Chill Filtration: No

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many thanks!
Price Range: US$ 180-220 (February 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 It's quite expensive but it's a limited Edition
Buying Advice: 😋 Delicious Dirty Pleasure!

Colour: Chestnut (Natural Color)

Nose:

Please give this Longrow sufficient time in the glass before Nosing. There's some initial wafts of Alcohol and Sulphur you might wish to avoid. This is, thanks God, a long way from Mainstream Malt. This smells authentic and a little Dirty. My first thought was like looking for an old book in a leather cover on a dusty shelf in a Dunnage Warehouse in Campbeltown. Hope you get the picture. You might perhaps expect a Peat monster but that's not the case. Peat and Smoke are there of course but they remain quietly in the background. I'm not a huge fan of Sulphur but here it seems to work somehow. In short, I like it! It's quite Sweet by the way with a few Sour notes for balance.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Soft Cold Smoke, Earthy Peat, Pine, Leather, Dusty Book Shelves, Dunnage Warehouse, Mixture of Straw and Manure, English Marmalade, Dark Chocolate, Munster Cheese, Pepper and Mint.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Molasses, Salted Caramel, Hospital, Diesel, Brine, Old Driftwood, Oak Char, Ashes, Sour Wine, Lemon, Grapefruit, Green Apples, Bacon on the BBQ, Wet Stone, Slightly Burnt Herbs, Tobacco, Dark Berries, Slivovitz, Ginger and a hint of Rubber.

Palate:

Quite strong and Intense. A delightful mix of Sweet, Sour and slightly Bitter Notes. The Alcohol is there but in a good way and so is the Sulphur that might feel a bit overdone to some but somehow it works here for me. Smoke is more prominent at this point.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Cold Smoke, Dirty Earthy Peat, Iodine, Hospital, Bacon, Fish and Burnt Pineapple on the BBQ, Leather, Old Books, Dunnage, Apple, Grapefruit, Dark Berries, Orange, Lemon, Pepper, Cloves and Cinnamon.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Molasses, Burnt Heather, Pine & Herbs, Soot, Tar, Cigar Ashes, Wet Stones, X-mas Cake with lots of Sultanas, Dried Plums and Raisins, Charred Oak, Munster Cheese, Ginger, Nutmeg, Mint and an Espresso served with Bitter Mint-Chocolate.

  

     

Finish:

Middle-Long/Long and on the Dry side. A mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. The Alcohol is quite noticeable but not in a bad way. Much more Cold Smoke here than I would have expected after Nosing. There's certainly Sulphur around but it sort of combines with the slightly Dirty character of this Longrow. This is not for everyone, nor for everyday but it makes me smile and that's what interesting Whisky is all about. I find Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Molasses, Cold Smoke, Earthy Peat, Brine, Hospital, Iodine, Soot, Tar, Ashes, Pine, Dark Berries, Plums, Sultanas, Grapefruit, Orange, Leather, Tobacco, Bacon on the BBQ, Charred Oak, Dark Chocolate, Bitter Espresso, Pepper, Mint and Plastic.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that increases the Sherry Cask influence. Lots of Dried Fruits and a general Christmas atmosphere on the Nose. The Palate and Finish get more Spicy this way. I like it both ways!

Rating: 88

Nose: 22 - Taste: 22 - Finish: 22 - Overall: 22

Drinking Experience Neat: Good. Quite consistent from Nose to Finish

Conclusion:

The Longrow peated Single Malt is produced at the Springbank Distillery. In 1973, Springbank started a project that would try to produce a peated Islay type of whisky on the Scottish mainland. The name of the project was Longrow, named after the old Longrow distillery that was located close to Springbank. In 1990 the first peated Longrow appeared on the market. The Longrow Malts are dried for 48 hours over peat smoke. Longrow represents only about 10% of the total Springbank production. In 2020 Springbank only produced 120.000 litres in total due to Covid.

There's mainstream Malt and there's Longrow. Or Ledaig just to name another Dirty Diana. I can imagine that many beginning Whisky fans will have difficulties in liking this type of old school dirty malt full of Dunnage, Leather and Sulphur. It's for sure an acquainted taste. But once you like it, you might get hooked. Not your everyday Whisky to be sure but certainly a dirty joy once in a while.   

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                     February 11, 2021