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

Wambrechies 12 Years Madeira Wood Review

“Half a Boy and Half a Man”

Country: France

Brand: Wambrechies (Madeira Wood)

Type: Single Malt Whisky 

Age:  12 Years

ABV: 43 %

Date: 17/03/2014

Colour: Tawny (Natural Colouring)

Nose: Fortified Red Wine, Leather, Toffee, light Honey, light Vanilla, Roasted Nuts, Toasted Grains, Oak, Pine Needles, Apple Strudel, Raisins and a hint of Peaches in Heavy Syrup. It's a pity that the Alcohol is not fully integrated. And the influence of the Madeira Cask is quite dominant. Still, this is a whole lot better than the unattractive Nose of the Wambrechies 8 years.

Palate: Unfortunately the Palate does not deliver what the Nose promised. I find slightly Watery Red Wine, Caramel, Toffee, Green Wood, Nut Shells, Pepper, Cloves, Nutmeg and a distant hint of Plastic.   

Finish: Middle-Long and Sweet with Sugar, Buttered Toast, Sweet Red Wine, slightly Bitter Wood, Pepper, Nutmeg and Menthol.

Adding Water does not actually improve the Wambrechies 12 Years Madeira Wood but it does take out the light Alcohol sting. So a few drops can't hurt.

Rating: 76

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 18 - Finish: 18 Overall: 18.5

General Remarks: The Claeyssens de Wambrechies Distillery was founded around 1817 by Guillaume Claeyssens and is located in the town of Wambrechies, close to Roubaix. The distillery is a protected historical monument. Originally, their main product was Jenever but in 2000 the Distillery started to produce Single Malt Whisky. Next to the 12 Years Madeira Wood and the 12 Years Sherry Cask there are also standard 3 and 8 Years expressions available. The 12 Years Madeira Wood is Chill-Filtered and sells at around 50 US Dollars. 

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average. Nice Nose though.

Conclusion: The Wambrechies 12 Years Madeira Wood is a Single Malt with two faces. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as it were. The Nose is quite good and a vast improvement over the Wambrechies 8 Years. The Palate/Finish is another story all together. It tastes like a Red Wine (Vin de Pays Rouge) with some added Spices. That's not good enough for a 12 Year Old Single Malt that costs around 50 US Dollars. But the Nose promises for future expressions. I would think that Wood Management is the key to success here. Some good Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks and a solid Madeira Finish might do the trick. As it stands, the 12 Years Madeira Wood convinces on the Nose but disappoints on the Palate and in the Finish. "Half a Boy and Half a Man" as Nick Lowe sang on his Hit Record back in March 1978!

Jan van den Ende                                                              March 2014