Dunes An Oir 1996 Review

“Bottled Oak”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Speyside

Brand: Dunes An Oir - Caperdonich 1996 (Malts of Scotland - Van Zuylen)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 17 Years

ABV: 58.6 %

Colour: Dark Gold

Nose: Mature and quite Oaky. The Alcohol is very strong so avoid smelling in the centre of the glass. I find Bourbon, Vanilla, Chocolate Bonbons filled with Cherry Liqueur, Dried Fruit, Nuts, Orange, Black Currants, Brown Sugar, Malt, Nutmeg, Cardamom and Cinnamon. The Nose is similar to a mature Bourbon. However I find the Oak a bit too dominant.

Palate: Very strong Delivery on account of the high ABV. This seems to beg for a bit of Water. I find Charred Oak, Dusty Roads, Dried Herbs, Licorice, Strong Black Tea, Orange, Nutmeg and Pepper. 

Finish: Quite Long and Spicy with Oak, Walnuts, Nutmeg, Pepper, Dried Herbs, Bitter Orange, Licorice and Dark Chocolate.  

I added a teaspoon of Water and the Alcohol backs off naturally. On the Nose I find more Dark Red Fruit tones and some Menthol. Palate and Finish do not improve with Water. I find some extra Licorice and Cardamom on the Palate. It is of course much easier to drink the Dunes An Oir this way. 

Rating: 82.5  

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

General Remarks: This Dunes An Oir (Gaelick for Dunes of Gold) was bottled at Cask Strength by Malts of Scotland for Van Zuylen, the Netherlands. The Spirit was distilled in March 1996 and bottled in June 2013. It matured in a Bourbon Hogshead with Cask # MoS 13025. This Single Malt is naturally coloured and not Chill-Filtered. Only 276 bottles were commercialised at around 110 US Dollars a piece. The Dunes An Oir was distilled by Caperdonich. This distillery was built in Rothes in 1898 by the founders of the Glen Grant distillery. Initially named Glen Grant # 2, it closed after only 4 years and was not operational until 1965 when it was rebuilt by Glenlivet Distilleries and renamed Caperdonich. It was sold to Seagram in 1977 and subsequently to Pernod Ricard in 2001. Caperdonich was closed in 2002 and demolished in 2010.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: The Dunes An Oir 1996 is certainly not your every day kinda dram. In principal it comes with all the right features such as Single Cask, Non Chill-Filtration, Cask Strength, Natural Colour and a high ABV. But despite all this I believe that the 17 years in the apparent active Cask # MoS 13025 were too much for this delicate Caperdonich Spirit. Additionally I think that the ABV is actually a tad too high. As a result, the Dunes An Oir is a heavy handed Single Malt with lots of Oak and Dark Aromas and Flavours. Almost the Scottish version of a mature Bourbon but lacking the Sweet tones of the latter. Hardly the type of Spirit I would reach out for on a regular basis. Interesting tasting experiment though!

Jan van den Ende                                                            October 12, 2014

Macallan Amber Review

“Not a Big Mac”

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside

Brand: The Macallan Amber (Sherry Oak)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS 

Alcohol: 40%

Macallan in Mist and Rain

Colour: Golden Amber

Nose: Light but Pleasant enough with Floral tones, Fruit and Barley. I think of freshly baked Apple Pie stuffed with Raisins and Spices like Cinnamon, Ginger and a bit of Nutmeg. I also find Vanilla, Toffee, Orange, light Sherry, Bread Dough, light Varnish, Straw, Cocoa Powder and a hint of Canned Peach.

A Very Warm Reception in the Shop

Taste: Quite a disappointment after the Nose. The delivery is Thin and Watery. The ABV of 40% is clearly not sufficient. I suspect a high percentage of refill Casks as well. I find Burnt Caramel, Toffee, Brown Sugar, slightly Bitter Oak, Citrus Peel, Nut Shells, Cinnamon, Ginger, Pepper and artificial Fruit flavours like Strawberry, Watermelon and Apricot.

Some of the Wash Backs

Finish: Short, Light, Dry and quite Bitter with Malt, Oak, Vanilla, Artificial Strawberry Flavour, Orange, Nut Shells and Bread Dough. 

Another View of the Wash Backs

Added Water does not improve the Macallan Amber. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 81

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20 – Finish: 19.5 – Overall: 20

The Aroma Gallery

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 Highland territory. Gold, Amber, Sienna and Ruby form the NAS "1824" Series. The Amber matured in First Fill and Refill Spanish Oak Casks from Jerez and American Oak Casks, all seasoned with Oloroso Sherry. All Macallans of this series are named after their Colour. The Series honour the fact that all Macallan Whiskies are free from Artificial Colouring. The Amber sells at around 70 US Dollars.

Delivery of the Barley

Drinking Experience Neat: Average/Good

Conclusion: Not a Big Mac I'm afraid. It starts off well enough with a Light but Pleasant Nose. A nice combination of Barley, Fruit and Floral Aromas. The Raisin - and Spice notes are very clear. But on the Palate the Macallan Amber is Young, Thin and, quite frankly, too boring for a Single Malt that will cost you around 70 bucks. The Finish is very Short and quite Bitter. Lack luster Wood Management I would say. This Malt also needs an ABV of around 46%. If you like Macallan and you don't want to spend a small fortune, I would advise you to go for the Sienna instead.

A Few Warehouses

Some Data: The name Macallan derives from two Gaelic words namely Magh that means Fertile Strip of Land and Ellen referring to St. Fillan, a missionary from the 8th century. The Macallan Distillery is located close to the B 9102, just north of Craigellachie. It was first licenced in 1824 to Alexander Reid. Macallan is the 3rd best selling Single Malt worldwide. Some of its Malt disappears in Blends like The Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark. The Distillery possesses 2 Mash Tuns, 22 Wash Backs and 14 Stills. In 2013 their total production amounted to close to 10 million litres.

Tasting Session after the Tour

The water for the distillery is sourced using boreholes by the river Spey. From Easter to August, the Distillery opens from Monday to Saturday from 9.30 to 16.30 hours, In September and October from Monday to Friday from 9.30 to 16.30 hours and from November to Easter from Monday to Friday from 11.00 to 15.00 hours. The Standard Tour costs 8 Pounds but is worth every Penny of it. The Precious Tour costs 20 Pounds and promises even more details as well as extra fine drams during the Tasting Session afterwards. All tours must be booked in advance as their is a limit of 10 persons per tour.

Our Excellent Tour Guide Julie

We visited Macallan on a rainy Saturday May 24, 2014. We were very early (9.30) and were really lucky to have Julie as our Tour guide. She only started working at Macallan at the beginning of 2014 but she was the best tour guide during our trip to Scotland. Enthusiastic, pleasant, knowledgeable and also extremely detailed. The Standard Tour takes around 1,5 hours and is great value for money. Macallan uses Models, Pictures and Aroma, Flavour and Wood samples to provide you with a really complete overview of the Whisky making process. At the end of the tour we tasted the 12 Fine Oak, the 18 Sherry Cask, the 21 Fine Oak and the Amber. The Gift Shop and Visitor Centre are very representative and have a lot of great old Maccallans on display. If you were to visit only one distillery while you are in Speyside I fully recommend Macallan. A  pity you are not allowed to take pictures of the production process! But other than that full marks to Macallan. If only I liked their affordable Whiskies as much as their Tour!

Some Golden Oldies

Jan van den Ende                                                            October 8, 2014

MacDonald's Glencoe 8 Years Review

“The Kind of Junk Food I Like”

Country: Scotland

Region: Western Highlands

Brand: MacDonald's Glencoe (Ben Nevis Distillery)

Type: Blended Malt Whisky

Age: 8 Years

Alcohol: 58%

Colour: Golden Sunlight

Nose: Young, Dry and Nutty with Sherry, light Sulphur, Dried Fruits, Nuts, Malt Straw, Cereals, Orange Marmalade, Honey, Toffee, Green Coffee Beans, Oak, Canned Peaches, Spices and Vinegar. The Alcohol is quite strong so better Nose your way around the edge of the glass. Give it enough time in the glass to open up.

Taste: Strong Delivery with Sherry, light Sulphur, Strong Tea, Oak, Barley, Nuts, Spices, light Menthol, Dried Apricot, Coconut, Toffee and Honey.  

Finish: Middle-Long, Fiery and Strong with Barley, Caramel, Nuts, Coconut, Strong Tea, Licorice, Menthol and Spices. A hint of Dark Chocolate after a few minutes.

Bottles on Display at the Ben Nevis Gift Shop

I added a bit of Water but that did not improve the Aroma and Flavour Profile. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 83.5

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

General Remarks: This Blended Malt Whisky was introduced to the market in the late 1960's by Rory McDonald, a direct descendant of Long John McDonald who founded the Ben Nevis Distillery in 1825. The distillery is located near Fort William (Inverness-shire) at the foot of Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Since 1989 the distillery is part of the Nikka Group from Japan. The Glencoe Blend is a bit of a mystery to me. It's produced at Ben Nevis but does that mean that there are no other Malts present in the Blend? In any case, it's Naturally Coloured, likely Not Chill-Filtered and apparently bottled at Cask Strength. This means of course that at least various badges are blended to be able to reach the exact ABV of 58%. Judging by the flavours, both Ex-Sherry - and Ex-Bourbon Casks were used. The Blend costs around 65 US Dollars.

Glen Coe

The name of the Blend refers to the massacre at Glen Coe in 1692 of 38 McIans (sept of the clan McDonald) by government troops under Captain Robert Campbell. What made matters even worse was the fact that Campbell and his men had enjoyed the famous Highland hospitality before killing their hosts.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: It's not an easy one to score. On the one hand it's quite young and not at all complicated and I do get some Sulphur but on the other hand the high ABV and the absence of Chill-Filtration give it quite some punch and character. I would not kill any McIans for a bottle of MacDonald's Glencoe 8 Years but I also wouldn't say no to a dram of this MacDonald's if offered to me in the Highlands. It beats their Hamburger anytime!

Jan van den Ende                                                             October 5, 2014

Ben Nevis Distillery (May 2014)

Glenlivet Nadurra 16 Years Review

“A Speysider with a Punch”

Country: Scotland

Region: Speyside 

Brand: The Glenlivet Nadurra

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 16 Years

ABV: 54.8 %

The entrance as seen from the Parking Lot!

Colour: Yellow Gold 

Nose: The Alcohol is quite strong so you have to work your way around it. Give this Single Malt enough time in the glass to open up. The Nadurra is Sweet, Creamy and Fruity with some Bourbon influences. I find Banana, Strawberry Cream, Vanilla, Charred Oak, Butterscotch, Dough, Straw, Malt, Orange, Peach, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cinnamon, Toasted Cereals, Floral tones and a hint of Milk Chocolate. The Nose is not extremely complicated but reasonably pleasant and balanced. I do believe that the ABV is a bit too high for this specific Whisky. I don't think I ever wrote that before!!

The Distillery and its Surroundings!

Palate: A combination of Fruit, Floral tones and Spices. Again, the Alcohol is quite present. Besides Bananas, Peach and Pear I find lots of Spices such as Pepper, Nutmeg and Aniseed. I also find Citrus Peel, Malt, Honey flavoured Cereals, Ginger, Dough and Brown Sugar.

Some of the Stills!

Finish: Middle-Long. Sweet at first but quite Dry and slightly Bitter-Sweet in the end. I find some Charred Oak, Nutmeg, Pepper, Ginger, Aniseed, Citrus Peel, Vanilla, Banana and Malt.

A Picture of the Photographer!

I added a bit of water and on the Nose the Alcohol retreats somewhat and that's a good thing in my opinion. It's easier now to appreciate the Fruit, Malt, Vanilla, Cereals and Spices. On the Palate however Spices and Licorice start to reign while the Finish becomes very Dry and Oaky. A couple of drops are okay but be careful!

Rating: 86

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

A Familiar looking Bar Man!

General Remarks: George Smith built The Glenlivet Distillery in 1824. It moved to the current location, Minmore House near Ballindalloch in 1858 and produces around 10 million litres of Alcohol yearly. Current Owners are Chivas (Pernod Ricard). Glenlivet is the best selling Single Malt in the USA and the second best on a global scale. Most of the production is sold as Single Malt with most of the remainder going to the Chivas Regal – and Royal Salute Blends. Most distilleries closed various times during their history, especially during the Depression and in wartime. But Glenlivet only closed during World War II. Without any doubt, the Glenlivet has contributed a lot to the current popularity of Single Malt whiskies. 

The Glenlivet Nadurra (Gaelic for Natural) I'm tasting today was bottled at Cask Strength in March 2013 as part of Batch 0313W. The Nadurra isn't Chill-Filtered and matured in First Fill American Oak Casks. It costs around 70 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

The Tasting of the 18 Years!

Conclusion: Certainly different from your average plain Glenlivet. The Nadurra shows character and there's a handicraft feel to it. I think I would have scored this even higher if not for the Alcohol. I really think the ABV is too high for the Nadurra. When you have a complex Single Malt, a high ABV usually manages to merge with the other flavours. But in this case the Alcohol has nowhere to hide. That said, the Nadurra is certainly an interesting Single Malt with a fair Price - Quality ratio. Give it a try when you stumble across this Glenlivet.

Some Data: Glenlivet means Glen of the Smooth Place. The Distillery is located in Ballindalloch (Banffshire). It's in the middle of nowhere but you can find it quite easily following the signs from either Aberlour or Dufftown. The Glenlivet  Distillery possesses 2 Still Rooms. In the old one you can find 4 Pairs of Stills, 8 Wooden Wash Backs and the old Mash Tun that's not being used anymore. In the new Still room that was completed in 2010, you will find 1 Briggs Mash Tun, 8 Wash Backs (Oregon Pine) and 3 Pairs of Stills. By the end of 2013 their maximum production capacity amounted to an impressive 10,5 million litres.

Old Warehouses in the Sun (A Miracle!)

The water for the distillery is sourced at Josie's Well. From Easter to October, the Distillery opens from Monday - Saturday from 9.30 to 16.00 hours and on Sunday from 12.00 to 16.00. The Standard Tour is free. The Ambassador's Tour that is organised every Friday morning costs 25 Pounds and needs to be booked in advance. The Visitor Centre and Shop are quite spacey and there's a restaurant section where light meals can be enjoyed.

This Picture Must Have Been Taken a Million Times!

We visited The Glenlivet on Saturday May 24, 2014. For once we saw a bit of the sun at the end of our visit.  We did the Standard Tour. It's short and for free but the guide was friendly and knowledgeable. A real pity that we weren't allowed to take any pictures inside. And in this case, this rule was applied in a very rigid way. At the end of the Tour we tasted the 18 Years.

Jan van den Ende                                                           October 1, 2014