The Tyrconnell Single Malt Review

Country: Ireland

Brand: Tyrconnell

Type: Irish Single Malt Whiskey

Age: NAS but said to be 6-7 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 10/08/2012

Color: Pale Gold/Straw

Nose: Light and Crisp. Lots of Vanilla to start with followed by Malt, lightly Buttered Grain Biscuits, Oak, Raisins, Apples, Vinegar, light Alcohol, Lemon – and Orange Zest. Unfortunately I also find a light off-note (Plastic). There is some Sweet Fruit lurking in the back (Pear).

Taste: Vanilla, Custard, Slightly Bitter Almonds, Sweet Malt, Honey, Butter Biscuits, Light Spices.

Finish: Sugary Sweet at first but dryer towards the end. Vanilla followed by Grassy tones, Oak, Pepper and Slightly Bitter Cocoa Powder.

I added a bit of water and won’t do that again. It doesn’t do any good. The Nose becomes very Malty and Grainy. The rest just waters down. My advise would be to drink this whiskey neat.

Rating: 79 

Nose: 21 – Taste: 19.5 – Finish: 19 – Overall: 19.5

General Remarks: Tyrconnell is the name of an Irish race horse that won the Irish Derby in 1876 at 100-1 odds. The distillery was founded in 1820 by Alexander Stuart but closed in 1925. The brand name was bought and reintroduced by the Cooley Distillery in 1988.

Drinking Experience Straight: Good

Conclusion: I am desperately trying to get friends with Irish Whiskey. It’s true that I only tasted Jameson Standard, Jameson 12Y, Connemara Peated NAS, Greenore 8Y Single Grain and now the Tyrconnell. And that’s not a hell of a lot of course. But so far I found Jameson to be okay but certainly not great. The other three are produced by the Cooley Distillery and I’m not extremely impressed by any of them. The Nose is not the main problem. There are certainly nice tones to be found although I get off-notes in all three of them, respectively fake Peat Smoke, fake Bananas and Plastic. But I have difficulties in really liking the Palate. There are nice Vanilla and Malt tones but the overall impression that lingers in my mouth and in my mind is a combination of Sweet Sugar,slightly Bitter Nuts (Almonds) and a peculiar off-note. I’m sure there are a lot of people who will like the Tyrconnell and Irish Whiskey in general and I will certainly continue to test and taste these spirits. Who knows? Someday I might see the light. But for the time being I find them interesting to try out, yet not tasty enough to really compete with their Scottish brothers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       August 2012

Dimple 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Dimple (J.Haig & Company Ltd, Markinch)

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Dark Amber

Nose: The Nose is the best part of this Blend with some Young Oak, Grains, Vanilla, Caramel, A Dried Fruits - and Nuts Mix and light Honey. There is some Alcohol and Vinegar around as well. If you dig deeper you will get some hints of Peat, Leather and Butter and very light fruity tones that pop up from time to time and could be Pineapple and/or Orange Zest.

Taste: The delivery is a bit watery and very Sweet. Sugar mostly and a bit of Honey. Some Pepper.

Finish: Middle-long and a bit hot with Pepper, Sugar and slightly bitter Oak.

I added a couple of drops of water and came to regret this. Everything just waters down. Drink this Blend neat.

 

Rating: 76 

Nose: 20.5 – Taste: 18.5 – Finish: 18 – Overall: 19

General Remarks: Robert Haig is said to have been the first distiller in the Haig family. This was way back around 1630. The first Dimple Deluxe blend appeared in 1888 and the specific – and very nice bottle was introduced in 1893. This blend probably consists of around 30 whiskies. Some of the Malts used might come from Glenkinchie and Linkwood, respectively Lowland and Speyside. A touch of Highland as well I would say. Next to the 12 Years you could also try out the 15 Years -and NAS Gold Crest Expressions as well as an 18 Years Expression especially for the Far Eastern market. Dimple is popular in a/o Greece, Mexico, Germany and the USA. The packaging and label of the 12 Years may vary from country to country.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: The 15 Years is just as Sweet as the 12 Years but it’s more complex and refined. The Noses are quite similar but the 12 Years basically gives you Sugar and Pepper on the Palate and in the Finish and that’s not quite enough. If you like your blend very Sweet I suggest to pay an extra 10 bucks and go for the 15 Years. But if Sugar and Spice is not your cup of tea, better look elsewhere for your daily Blend.

Jan van den Ende                                                                  July 27, 2012

Johnnie Walker Black Label Centenary Limited Edition Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Johnnie Walker Black Label Centenary Limited Edition

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 25/07/2012

Color: Dark Amber

Nose: It’s actually a rather light nose. Give it some time to open up cause there’s some Alcohol around. Peat Smoke, the Salty Sea (Could be Talisker). Some light Oak, Leather and Vanilla, Nuts, Brown Sugar, a bit of Sherry and Sweet Dried Fruit like Raisins or Sugared Orange Zest.

Taste: Smooth, Creamy, Warm, Light Smoke, Sugared Grain, Spicy, Oak, Vanilla.

Finish: Short, Sweet at first but quickly becoming Dry, with a touch of Oak and Salt.

I do not recommend adding still water. It drowns the whisky quite quickly.

Rating: 84.5

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

General Remarks:

This special edition of the famous Blend was released in 2009 to celebrate the fact that it was 100 years ago (1908) when Johnnie Walker Black Label was first presented to the market.

The special package consists of a sleek, black bottle displaying ten key milestones from Johnnie Walker’s history, such as the introduction of the famous square bottle (1860) and the company’s first Royal Warrant. 

The historic Black Label name on the label is embellished with real gold and textured ink, as is the golden figure of the striding man. A very nice Collector’s Item if you’re into this sort of things.

The Whisky itself is a Standard Johnnie Walker Black Label, equal to the one I tasted a bit more than a year ago. I gave it a (maybe too) high score of 90 at that time. Recently however I have the impression that Diageo has changed the Blend somewhat, principally the Islay component. For this reason I’ve scored it down to the current 86 points. I will taste it again in a couple of months.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience On the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: Still a very decent Blend, also in view of its competitive pricing. Excellent value for money.

Jan van den Ende                                                     July 2012

Old Pulteney Spectrum WK 217 Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Old Pulteney Spectrum WK217

Type: Single Malt

Age: NAS

Alcohol: 46%

Date: 23/07/2012

Colour: Copper/Dark Gold

Nose: It’s not an easy Nose. You will need to take your time to get some reward. To start with I recognise Pencil Shavings, Wood, Brine, Sultanas and a hint of Earth. There is some Alcohol to deal with. After a couple of minutes I get Malt, Dried Apricots and Vanilla. Nosing the empty glass the next morning you’ll get nice Malt- and Sweet Fruit tones.

Taste: Strong Sweet Delivery with Orange Liquor, Sherry, Malt, Spices and a Salty touch.

Finish: Quite warming with a bit of Spice, Orange and Oak. The Salty tone stays for a little while. Cooked Red Fruit after a couple of minutes.  

I added a bit of water that helps opening the Nose. You’ll get some extra Malt and Sweet Fruits. The Alcohol gets toned down. You can therefore freely experiment with a couple of drops when nosing. But Palate and Finish are better enjoyed without the additional drop.

Rating:  82 

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

General Remarks: This edition is the last in a series of three, honouring fishing boats from the home of Old Pulteney, the port of Wick on the Northeastern Coast of Scotland. This specific boat was called Spectrum and was registered under number WK 217. You can only buy these three expressions in the Travel Retail shops. Of the Spectrum, only 9600 bottles have been released. The Spectrum has matured in ex-Bourbon and ex-Spanish Oak Sherry Butts. The Old Pulteney Distillery is the most Northern Scottish Whisky Distillery on the mainland.

Drinking Experience Straight: Good

Conclusion: This is certainly not a bad Single Malt, especially when you like sweet Sherry or Liquor on the Palate. I find two flaws however, preventing me from giving this dram an even higher score. Firstly, the Nose opens up with great difficulty to eventually release mostly woody, earthy notes. And secondly, the Orange Liquor is rather dominant on the Palate. On the positive side there’s this nice Salty element woven throughout this dram. So to conclude, this Old Pulteney expression is certainly a well crafted dram. But I would have liked to see a bit more suspense and diversification. I do look forward though to taste other whiskies from this Distillery!  

Jan van den Ende                                                                  July 2012

Santis Malt Edition Santis Review

Country: Switzerland

Brand: Santis Malt (Appenzeller Single Malt)

Type: Old Oak Beer Casks Matured " Edition Santis" 

Age: NAS

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 21/07/2012

Colour: Golden

Nose: My first impressions were Underberg, the famous German liquor made of Herbs, sweet Brioche Bread from France and Oak. Tones of Anise, Sweet Grain and Orange Liquor. A hint of Varnish and only light Alcohol. Can’t detect too much Beer influences here. The Nose is quite different when compared to Scottish Whisky or American Bourbon. I smelled the empty glass again the next morning and the Malt/Beer tones were stronger.

Taste: Underberg, Sweet Grain, Wood and mild Spices (White Pepper).

Finish: Sour-Sweet with some Cinnamon and Wood.

I added a bit of water and Toasted Grain starts to dominate the Nose. On the Palate everything just waters down but the Finish gets too Sugary with hints of Anise, Plastic and Licorice. I advise to enjoy this dram neat.

Rating: 76.5 

Nose: 20 – Taste: 19 – Finish: 18 – Overall: 19.5

Part of the Brewery Complex.

General Remarks: The Brewery in Appenzell (Switzerland) produces beer since around 1830 and was purchased by the Locher Family in 1886. Today they produce a wide range of beers, with or without Alcohol. In 1999 the Brewery started distilling whisky that was presented to the market for the first time in 2002. It uses water from the Alpstein Mountains. This specific expression is matured in very old used Oak Beer Casks. There are 4 expressions all together,named after Alpstein Mountain formations. They are Santis, Sigel, Dreifaltigkeit and Marwees. 

One of the fine beers of the Locher Brewery.

Drinking Experience Straight: Good

Conclusion: When you are used to drink Scottish whisky or American Bourbon you will need to get used to this Swiss whisky. On the Nose it has strong liquor tones while the Palate and Finish are slightly comparable to triple distilled Irish whiskey. I found the Nose very interesting while Palate and Finish can be further improved. This is a very young Distillery and I’m really looking forward to taste further expressions.

Jan van den Ende                                                                  July 2012

Greenore 8 Years Single Grain Review

Country: Ireland

Brand: Greenore

Type: Irish Single Grain Whiskey

Age: 8 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 19/07/2012

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: Light, Medium Sweet Nose with Young Grain, Alcohol, Acetone, Sharp Green Oak, Vanilla, Artificial Banana Flavor and a touch of Honey. A Hint of Leather and Coco Nut Sun Tan-Oil in the back of the glass. For a moment I thought I was back on the beach in Spain in 1970. Great feeling! This whiskey reminds me a bit of Bourbon which is not surprising given the high corn content.

Taste: Slightly watery delivery with Sweet Caramel, Unripe Peach, Toffee and Wood. Traces of Oat Porridge with Butter and Honey.

Finish: Light and Short with some Caramel, (Slightly Bitter) Wood and Honey.

I added a bit of water and that diminished the acetone on the Nose. I get more Vanilla, Butter and Banana. The Nose certainly fares well with a bit of water. However, Palate and Finish water down completely although some spicy bite pops up right at the end. Preferably drink it neat!

Rating:  77 

Nose: 20 – Taste: 19.5 – Finish: 18 – Overall: 19.5

General Remarks: Most Grain Whiskies are used for Blends.  Greenore is the only Irish Single Grain Whiskey. It is distilled in Column Stills using Water from the Cooley mountains and it contains 93% French Corn, Yeast and 7% Malted Barley. It matures in First Fill used Bourbon Casks.

Drinking Experience Straight: Okay

Conclusion: This is certainly not a cheap whiskey at around US$ 50,- and you don’t come across it too often. It’s not unlike a Bourbon but the difference, next to the price of course, is that the 8 years really enhance the wood flavor to a point where it becomes a bit too dominant. It’s also not as smooth and sweet. The Greenore is certainly an interesting whiskey but not one I would drink on a regular basis.

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 2012

The Cooley Distillery

Bryan Ferry - Mamouna (1994) - Review

Songs: Don´t Want to Know, N.Y.C., Your Painted Smile, Mamouna, The Only Face, The 39 Steps, Which Way to Turn, Wildcat Days, Gemini Moon, Chain Reaction.    

Type of Music: Sophisticated Lounge Music  

Comments:

If you like Bryan Ferry for his work with Roxy Music and adore songs like Virginia Plain or Love is the Drug, do not, repeat do not, buy this record. You will bore yourself to death. However if you love to lay on your couch dreaming away on the sound of Avalon  or Slave to Love you might want to try this one out. The only problem is that none of the songs on Mamouna, all written by Brian, come close to the quality of those two songs. Most of them just pass by like a light breeze on a hot summer night. It´s actually a Lounge Record. Well produced and recorded with  excellent musicians such as old buddies Brian Eno, Phil Manzanera and Andy MacKay. Special Guest is Nile Rodgers playing rhythm guitar on a/o N.Y.C.

Best songs are the opener Don´t Want to Know , a slightly up-beat song in the style of Don´t Stop the Dance and the beautiful ballad Your Painted Smile.

With Mamouna Brian succeeded in creating a sophisticated night-club atmosphere. Unfortunately the songs do not quite match the quality of the atmosphere.

Who should buy this Record:   A Must only for Die Hard Bryan Ferry Fans. Pick it up if you can find it cheap.

Rating: ******* (7 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Glenmorangie Nectar d' Or 12 Years Review

Country : Scotland

Brand: Glenmorangie Nectar d’ Or

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Highland

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol: 43%

Tasting Date: 26/08/2011 and 14/07/2012

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: Very smooth. Really Nice! Sweet Wine, Fruits like Apricot, Peach, Orange and Pineapple, Honey, Wood(Shave), Light Spices, Malt and Dried Fruits (Sultanas). No Smoke and Peat to be found here!

Taste: Warm and Spicy in the delivery. There is some Vanilla, Ginger,Honey, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Pineapple and Citrus fruit (Orange/Lemon/Lime). A lot less sweet than I expected, given the Sauternes finishing.

A bit of a bite on the palate as well! It’s a whisky you can actually chew. Try It!

Finish: Middle Long finish with tones of Green Apples, Citrus, Ginger,Nutmeg and Dry Oak.

I added a teaspoon of water but came to regret that. Most of the flavors weaken or disappear and it certainly ruins the finish.

Rating:  85  

Nose 22 – Taste 21,5 - Finish 20 Overall 21,5

General Remarks: This whisky matured for about 10 years on Bourbon casks and was finished for about 2 years on Sauternes casks. So it's basically the 10 Years original with a Sauternes Finishing. In general I don't care too much about wine finishing but this is certainly the exception to the rule. A well made Single Malt that will please both beginning whisky drinkers and connoisseurs.

Drinking Experience Neat:  Good

Conclusion: Good balance between Sweetness (Fruit and White Wine), Spices and Oak. Finish could be better. Excellent dessert whisky. A light sprinkle over Vanilla Ice is a certain winner!

Jan van den Ende                                                                                  July 2012

Neil Young - After the Gold Rush (1970) - Review

Songs: Tell Me Why, After the Gold Rush, Only Love Can Break Your Heart, Southern Man, Till the Morning Comes, Oh Lonesome Me, Don´t Let It Bring You Down, Birds, When You dance (I Can Really Love), I Believe In You, Cripple Creek Ferry.

Type of Music: Early Seventies Folk/Country/Hippie Rock

After having recorded Deja Vu with colleagues Crosby, Stills & Nash, Neil Young went back to the studio to record his third solo Album “ After the Gold Rush “. Many people complain about Neil´s whiny out of tune voice here as well as the sloppy playing. Well in my opinion these are Neil´s Trade-Marks. I know his guitar playing and singing are not the best in the world from a technical point of view but it´s his style and it´s unique.

After the Gold Rush is certainly one of his better efforts. Neil wrote 10 of the 11 songs on the Album while he renders a nice version of Don Gibson´s country classic Oh Lonesome Me. Two of Neil´s compositions namely the tender Till The Morning Comes and the playful Cripple Creek Ferry are simply too short and leave the listener slightly unsatisfied and wanting for more. But the remaining eight songs are all classic Neil Young. His backing band Crazy Horse shines on the strong Country Rocker When You Dance and the anti-racism inspired Southern Man. Obviously, this song was not well received in Dixieland and four years later Lynyrd Skynyrd replied with “ Sweet Home Alabama”. There are also beautiful ballads like Tell Me Why, Only Love Can Break Your Heart  and Birds.

A very powerful album that should be part of anybody´s collection of Rock Music despite the extensive air-play that most of the music on the album gets on Classic Rock Radio. It´s also a pity that the Sound-Quality of the regular CD leaves a lot to desire. Look for the Remastered Version instead.

Who should buy this Record: Everybody.

Rating: ********* (9 out of 10)

Black = Good Songs

Green = Great Songs

Red = Could Be Better

Grant's 12 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Grant’s Blended Scotch Whisky

Bottled by William Grant & Sons, Dufftown

Type: Blended Whisky

Age: 12 Y

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 07-07-2012

Colour:  Pale Gold

Nose: First impressions are Peat, Malt, Oak, Vanilla, Grains/Biscuits and a tad of Leather. There’s some Alcohol present so you have to find your way around it to detect some Fruit (Orange Zest, Peach, Apple and maybe Mango or Pineapple).

Taste: Rather sweet with Honey, Milk Chocolate, Malt, Cereals, Orange Zest and Spices like Pepper and Nutmeg.

Finish: Middle-Long and not as sweet as the Palate would want you to believe. Grains, Malt, Cinnamon and Nuts (Almonds).

When adding a few drops of water you eliminate most of the Alcohol on the Nose while releasing more Malt, Vanilla, Biscuits and Tropical Fruits. On the Palate the Spices are less present. The Finish reveals a bit more bitter Grain. You can play with a bit of Water without overdoing it of course.

Rating: 81

 

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

General Remarks:  This Blend is produced for the Family-Owned William Grant & Sons Ltd by their Master Blender Brian Kinsman (formerly David Stewart). It contains 50% Single Malts and 50% Grain Whiskies. (Girvan Distillery – see Picture above). It matures for at least 12 Years in Oak Casks before being finished for another 6 months in First Fill American Oak. William Grant & Sons are also the owners of Glenfiddich and the Balvenie so we may assume that these Malts are part of this Blend.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Quite Nice.

Conclusion: This is a much better Blend than the Family Reserve, that’s for sure. There is nothing challenging here but it’s a well-balanced all-rounder that will please most people. It’s not quite interesting enough to drink it neat on a regular basis in my opinion but on the Rocks you can’t go wrong with this Blend.

Jan van den Ende                                                                    July 2012