Towiemore (Lost Distilleries)

“TowieMore Or less”

Whisky Review # 1003

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Speyside (Dufftown)

Brand: Towiemore - Lost Distilleries - Classic Selection

Produced, Matured and Bottled in Scotland by: The Lost Distillery Company

Type: Blended Scotch Malt Whisky

Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: 2nd Fill Oloroso Sherry casks

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 40-55 (December 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 At US$ 40 it's okay I guess
Buying Advice: 👎 Nose is okay but Palate and Finish are below par

Colour: Dark Amber with shades of Brown and Orange (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Relatively Young, a little Thin and Musty and slightly Hot. The Oloroso influence is clear. The Nose is a Sweet and Sour mix of Caramel, Dark Red Fruit and Earthy notes.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Caramel, Toffee, Dried Fruit like Sultanas & Prunes, Dark Red Fruit, Straw, Sour Red Wine, Oak, Leather, Tobacco, Ginger and Yellow Mustard.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Green Apple, Ripe Banana, Nectarine, X-Mas Cake, Mixed Nuts & Citrus, Dusty Track, Wet Forest Floor,  Dusty Book Shelves, Wet Stones, Licorice, Herbs and Mint.

Palate:

Young, Bitter-Sweet, Medium-Dry, slightly Hot and on the Thin side. There's still a New Make Spirit feel to it. It basically follows the Nose but the Palate is a little more Rough.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Caramel, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Plums, Dark Red Fruit like Raspberries, Bitter Orange, Straw, Leather, Tobacco, Oak, Licorice, Cinnamon and Pepper.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Mixed Nuts, Green Apple, Ripe Banana, Nectarine, Dusty Track, Cocoa Powder, Stale Black Coffee, Dusty Book Shelves, Iron, Sawdust, Nutmeg & Ginger. A hint of Salty Sausage!

Finish:

Short/Middle-Long. Medium-Dry, Hot & Bitter-Sweet. An off-note that reminds me of a cleaning agent with Lemon Aroma! Clearly the weakest part of this Towiemore. I also find Toasted Barley, Caramel, Artificial Sweetener, Musty Oak, Dark Red Fruit, Nuts and Nut Shells, Sour Acidic Wine, Bitter Orange, Licorice,  White Chocolate, Wet Forest Floor, Ginger, Pepper and stale Black Coffee.

Drinking Advice:

With added Water the Nose gets more Fruity with Fresh Peach. Also more Malt and Orange. Palate and Finish become Bland and Thin. I prefer it Neat but the Nose actually improves with a few drops.

Rating: 6 (******)

Nose: 7 - Taste: 6 - Finish: 5.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay at best

Conclusion:

Towiemore was founded in 1897 in the village of Bothriphnie close to Dufftown by Peter Dawson. They used Water from the Towie Burn and burned peat and coke furnished by Tomintoul. With that they produced popular Light and Sweet Highland Whisky. Unfortunately, within a short time after opening, the whisky industry crashed and did not recover until well after the closure of Towiemore in 1931. The Malting Floor and some other equipment was used by Distiller's Co.Ltd. until 1964.

This is the last Lost Distillery miniature from the gift box that is shown above. It is not one of the best I'm afraid. The Nose is okay and improves with a little Water. Palate and Finish are Thin and show some off-notes that I can do without. I don't know if this Malt resembles the original Towiemore but I do know that I can't recommend this Towiemore on a stand-alone basis. It's okay as part of the gift set but not good enough to consider buying a full bottle.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                December 21, 2023

Wolfburn Latitude

 “Mr. Peatyful”

Whisky Review # 1002

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Wolfburn Latitude

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: (First-Fill) Ex-Bourbon Casks

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 60-90 (December 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😑 A little expensive for what it offers.
Buying Advice: 😐 Not bad but if you like the profile go for young Islay Malt.

Colour: Pale White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Light, a little Thin and relatively Young. There's a bit of Varnish and Nail Remover in the air. It's lightly peated with a cold bonfire in the background. Through it all some Sweet Yellow Fruit and Musty Farm notes can we found. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Dough, Yeast, Earthy Peat, Cold Smoke, A mixture of Burnt Straw, Compost & Cow Manure, Ashes, Green Apple, Pear, Dusty Oak and Mustard.    

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Lemon Biscuits, Smoked Ham, Bell Pepper, Mixed Dried Fruit and Nuts, Slivovitz, Leather, Herbs and Pepper.

Palate:

Young, Medium-Dry, slightly Hot and a little Thin. A mix of Sweet, Sour and slightly Bitter notes. More Grass and less Manure on the Palate.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Dough, Yeast, Green Apple, Pear, Earthy Peat, Cold Smoke, Grass, Burnt Heather, Charred Oak, Leather, Pepper, Ginger and Menthol.

    

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Toffee, Vanilla, Ashes, Lemon, Grapefruit, Gooseberries, Dusty Road, Milk Chocolate, Tobacco, Nut Shells, Grilled Bacon and Pineapple, Tutti-Frutti Toothpaste and Plastic.

Finish:

Short/Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet & a little Hot. Some Sour Fruit developing towards the Medium-Dry end. I find Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Caramel, Honey, Yeast, Earthy Peat, Cold Smoke, Ashes, Green Apple, Pear, Grapefruit, Dusty Oak, Nuts, Smoked Ham, Leather, Tobacco, Pepper, Ginger, Menthol, Licorice and Tutti-Frutti toothpaste. Hints of Plastic, Metal and Nut Shells.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water diminishes the Heat but you're basically left with a peated German Obstler (Fruit Brandy) or Slivovitz.

Rating: 6.5 (******1/2)

Nose: 7 - Taste: 6.5 - Finish: 6.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay but quite Young and Rough.

Conclusion:

Wolfburn is a young distillery. It was founded in 2013 on the outskirts of Thurso, very close to the ruins of the old Wolfburn distillery that was founded in 1821 but closed down at the end of the 19th century. Wolfburn is owned by Aurora Brewing Ltd and has a current production capacity of 135.000 litres. The core range includes the 10 Year old, Northland, Aurora, Morven and Langskip. We visited the distillery in May 2019 and enjoyed it. Certainly worth a visit! The Latitude I'm reviewing today was launched at first for the Travel Retail market. In the meantime it's available on the Internet as well.

I'm really curious to taste the Wolfburn 10 years as it probably will show what some maturation can do to the Fruity Wolfburn spirit. Because Maturation is exactly what this Latitude lacks. It's not bad and the spirit is indeed quite Fruity. But without the proper maturation it reminds me more of a peated Obstler than anything else. I think that this Distillery is on the right track and in time will produce very nice Malt Whisky. But if you like this Aroma/Flavour profile you're better off with a young Islay Malt for the time being.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                   December 14, 2023

Speyburn 18 Years

“Cheap Thrills”

Whisky Review # 1001

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Speyside

Brand: Speyburn

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Anniversary Edition - 9000 Bottles 

Age: 18 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: A mix of American - and Spanish Oak (Bourbon + Sherry)

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 75 -100 (December 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Good Price/Quality ratio
Buying Advice: 😐 A good alternative if you like Oloroso driven Single Malts

Colour: Dark Amber with shades of Orange and Brown (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Be sure to give this Speyburn enough time in the glass before Nosing as it opens up rather slowly. There's a bit of Sulphur around as well but it stays within acceptable limits. The Oloroso casks are quite noticeable as Toffee, Dried Fruit, Nuts and Spices lead the way. It's mostly Sweet and a little Dusty. The Alcohol is noticeable as well. It's a rather typical Medium-Dry Oloroso nose without too many surprises. 

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Toffee/Caramel, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Dates, Figs & Plums, Wax, Nougat, Milk and White Chocolate, Dark Red Fruit, Charred Oak, Espresso, Cloves, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.    

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Apricot-Filled Puff Pastry, Marzipan, Tropical Fruit-flavored Candies, Orange, Lemon, Candied Apple, Red Grapes, Nectarine and Peach, Polished Leather, Tobacco, Grass, Dusty Road, Curry and Mint.   

Palate:

The profile follows the Nose but the Alcohol is even more noticeable. It's basically a Bitter-Sweet palate but Sour and Salty notes can be found as well. Quite Dry and a little Dusty. Like the Nose it's not bad but a bit predictable. 

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Toffee, Salted Caramel, Molasses, Dark Red Fruit, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Raisins, Apricots, Plums, Figs and Dates, Nuts, Charred Oak, Orange and Lemon, Dark Chocolate, Espresso, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves and Menthol    

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Dried Herbs, Polished Leather, Tobacco, Red Grapes, Gooseberry & Grapefruit, Nectarine, Wet Paper, Grass, Licorice, Coconut Meat, Ginger, Cinnamon and Cardamom.   

Finish:

Middle-Long and mostly Sweet. A few Bitter and Salty notes towards the Dry end. The Alcohol remains a factor to be considered. I find Toasted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Dark Honey, Dark Chocolate, Nuts, Espresso, Dark Red Fruit, Dried Fruit (Sultanas, Apricots, Plums, Dates), Charred Oak, Polished Leather, Tobacco, Grapefruit, Gooseberry, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Curry, Nutmeg and Menthol.  

Drinking Advice:

Added Water helps to control the Alcohol. You will also get Peach-Flavored Yogurt on the Nose. In general the Fruitiness improves in this department. The Palate also benefits from a little Water but don't overdo it. The Finish becomes a little Thin and Watery with tons of Menthol. But a few drops really improve this Speyburn.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 8 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 7 

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Speyburn Distillery is located in Rothes and was founded in 1897 by the Hopkin Family. Today it is owned by Inver House Distillers, part of Thai Beverage PLC. The distillery is quite popular in the USA, mostly because of the low price I suppose. Next to the Bradan Orach, the core range includes a 10, 15 and 18 Years old. Most of the production goes into Blends like Inver House. This year the distillery opened to the public.

The Speyburn 18 Years was bottled on August 21, 2021 to commemorate the 18th Anniversary of Bobby Anderson as Distillery Manager.

This Speyburn offers good value for money if you like Oloroso driven Single Malts. It does not present major flaws but it is quite predictable. I enjoyed my sample but I'm glad I don't have to finish a full bottle. But if you like Glenfarclas, GlenDronach and/or Glengoyne you should give this Speyburn a chance! 

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                     December 7, 2023

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2024

“Malt Whisky Yearbook 2024”

As you all know the purpose of Best Shot Whisky Reviews is to give my personal opinion on Whiskies from all around the world. As it's important to maintain my independent position, I'm not engaged in any commercial activity. But, as I have done over the last 10 years, I would like to make an exception to be able to share with you the new edition of The Malt Whisky Yearbook by Ingvar Ronde that has been released every year since 2005. 

As always, the Malt Year Book is packed with highly interesting stories, this time amongst others about Australia (The New Whisky Power House), Whisky Evolution, The Succession Conundrum of Scotch Whisky, Oxidation, Back to the Future (The Revival of Tradition) and the Relevancy of Heritage. The writers include Neil Ridley, Joel Harrison, Ian Wisniewski, Andrew Derbidge, Johanne McInnis and Kristiane Sherry.

The most important part of the book remains the detailed description of Scottish and Japanese Distilleries & slightly shorter presentations about Single Malt Whisky Distilleries from the rest of the world. All in all, a total of 821 Malt distilleries are presented with updated facts.

And there's much more such as a new item called The State of Whisky featuring  a number of Whisky icons, a presentation of 150 of the best Whisky Shops in the world, a comprehensive summary of the past whisky year and an entire chapter about the world's most important independent bottlers.

Whisky Statistics, Best Whisky Web Sites (including Best Shot Whisky Reviews 😃), Distilleries per Owner, Closed Distilleries & New Distilleries and Maps complete this Book that also contains more than 500 color photos and over 200 Tasting Notes.

Year after year, this book not only manages to inform you in depth about the Malt distilleries all over the world but it also gives you solid background info that gives you an idea of the state of today's Whisky market. That's basically all you need if you want to buy one book on Whisky. And that applies to both Whisky enthusiastics and people that work in the Whisky industry.

On top of that, this book is certainly not expensive for what it offers (US$ 20) and is sold in Whisky Shops, International Book Stores, Distillery Visitor Centers and of course at the editor's website:

Malt Whisky Yearbook 2024

I wish you lots of fun with the Malt Whisky Yearbook 2024!

Cheers!

Jan

GlenDronach 1993 Master Vintage

Dear Whisky Friends,

Today is a very special moment for me and Best Shot Whisky Reviews. After some time in Europe with our family there I'm back in Brazil and ready to write Review # 1000. I never thought I would reach this number when I started back in November of 2011. I thought it would be nice to look back at Review # 1 where I reviewed the Johnnie Walker Red Label. I've learned a lot about Nosing and Tasting Whisky since then! Here it is: 

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Review # 1

Country: Scotland

Brand: Johnnie Walker Red Label

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age:   Around 8 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Light Amber

Nose: Grain, a light Malty Sweetness, a bit of Peat and Islay Smoke (Caol Ila) and lots of young Grain Alcohol.

Taste: Rough, Some Smoke, Burns a bit on the tongue. Very faint Vanilla.

Finish: Sharp, Hot and Spicy (Pepper). Your mouth becomes very dry after a short while.

Rating: 76 

Nose: 20 – Taste: 19 – Finish: 18 – Overall: 19

General Remarks: Whilst a little Water eases the burning sensation, it kills the blend completely.

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Okay/Good

Conclusion:  Hard to explain why this is the world’s most popular blended whisky. It shows what good marketing can do. Save a bit more and go for the Black Label. What a difference! As for Red, preferably on the rocks or for mixing.

Jan van den Ende                                                                    November 7, 2011

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But that was then and this now! For Whisky Review # 1000 I have selected a very special Whisky that I tasted for the first time at the distillery back in 2017. It was probably the best Distillery Visit and Tasting Session out of all those we experienced during our Whisky trips in 2014, 2017 and 2019! I'm really looking forward to have a look at this 25 Year old GlenDronach!

I would like to thank all Whisky friends that have made Best Shot Whisky Reviews their point of reference. More than 4.5 million page views since 2011. Who could have thought that! The famous whisky writer Ingvar Ronde made me the greatest compliment possible. He wrote that "he liked my honest reviews" and also that "if Jan thinks a whisky is not good he will tell you". Of course I realize that personal taste is strictly subjective. You might love a Whisky that I don't like. But after 1000 Reviews I can at least tell you if the new made spirit and casks used where of good quality and if maturation time was sufficient. I'm really looking forward to continue writing my reviews and I hope you will continue to read them!

Cheers!

Jan

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“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”

Whisky Review # 1000

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Highlands

Brand: GlenDronach 1993 Master Vintage - Bottled 29-01-2019

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky 

Age: 25 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48.2% (On or around Cask Strength)
Maturation: A mix of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso casks from Spain

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 400-800 (November 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 It can't be cheap of course but it is too expensive!
Buying Advice: 😐 Good Single Malt but so is the better priced Allardice 18

Colour: Dark Mahogany (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Please be sure to give this GlenDronach enough time in the glass before Nosing as it opens up slowly. There's a bit of Sulphur around but nothing to get worried about. The Nose is mostly Sweet but not annoyingly so. There are also Sour, Salty and Mineral notes. The Oak is noticeable but does not overwhelm, leading me to believe that probably mostly (2nd) Re-Fill casks were used for maturation. Christmas is in the Air as Christmas Cake, Dried Fruit, Spices and Nuts lead the way. The Alcohol is well-integrated. Well-Matured Rum and Brandy come to mind as well. I like it!

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Molasses, Caramel, Dried Fruit such as Raisins, Sultanas, Apricots, Plums and Figs, Mixed Nuts (Almonds, Hazelnuts, Walnuts), X-Mas Cake, Marzipan, Chocolate, Espresso, Polished Old Leather Upholstery, Oak, Earth, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon and Mint/Menthol.     

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Yeast, Wax, Vanilla, slightly Sour Mulled Wine, Dunnage Warehouse, Salted Meat, Prune Jam, Tobacco, Soy Sauce, Dark Berries, Citrus, Green Apple, Pepper, Garam Masala and Ginger.    

Palate:

It basically follows the Nose but in a less balanced way. The Alcohol, Oak &  Spices are stronger now and threaten the Fruit. The Palate is mostly Bitter-Sweet with some Salty, Sour and Mineral notes for balance. Quite Dry. I was expecting more to be honest!

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Molasses, Caramel, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Plums, Figs & Prunes, Marzipan, Nougat, Mixed Nuts, Seville-Orange, X-Mas Cake, Oak, Dark Chocolate, Leather, Earth, Soy Sauce, Black Tea, Espresso, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Garam Masala and Menthol/Mint. 

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Wax, Vanilla, slightly Sour Mulled Wine, Dried and Salted Meat, Dried Herbs, Dunnage Warehouse, Tobacco, Iron, Dark Berries, Cinnamon and Ginger.    

Finish:

Long, quite Tannic, slightly Hot and Dry. Sweet at first but with developing Bitter & Sour notes towards the end. The Alcohol is more noticeable now and so is the Oak.I find Toasted Barley, Molasses, Caramel, Vanilla, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Dates, Figs, Sultanas & Prunes, Mixed Nuts, Dark Cocoa, Oloroso Sherry, Orange Liqueur, Black Tea, Espresso, Soy Sauce, Tobacco, Leather, Oak, Iron, Pepper, Cloves, Nutmeg,  Garam Masala, Ginger, Cinnamon and Menthol. The Finish is the less interesting part of this GlenDronach.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that eases the Alcohol and the Sharp notes in general. I also get some Fresh Stone Fruit on the Nose now. The Finish becomes even longer with lots of Tannic notes and Menthol. It's certainly worthwhile to experiment with a little Water in this case.

Rating: 8 (********)

Nose: 8.5 - Taste: 8 - Finish: 7.5 

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good but quite Tannic and Oaky.

Conclusion:

GlenDronach was founded in 1826 by James Allardice in Forgue, Aberdeenshire. It changed hands various times before being acquired in 2016 by Brown Forman. The core range consists of the 12 Years, the 15 Years Revival, the 18 Years Allardice and the 21 Years Parliament. We visited the distillery in May 2019 and we had an unforgettable time there. I will treasure this memory for always. A very nice Tour and a tasting that included the whole range of the distillery plus some extras. Great! I can only fully recommend a visit!

The casks for the 1993 Vintage were selected by Master Blender Rachel Barrie. It must be said that various of the best 1993 casks have been released over the years as Single Cask editions.

I specially selected this GlenDronach Master Vintage 1993 to be my Review # 1000. I bought it especially for this purpose at the distillery in 2017. I tasted a 25 Years there that blew my mind & I expected this Master Vintage to be very good as well. I am a bit disappointed though with this 25 Years edition. It's a good Single Malt of course but it's a bit of a one track pony. I quite like the balanced nose but the Dry Palate and Finish are hijacked by Tannic Oak and loads of Spices. It's a nice after-dinner Whisky to be enjoyed under the Christmas Tree. But it's not exceptional and it should be at this price level!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 November 30, 2023