GlenDronach Octarine Review

“GlenDronach Tangerine”

Country: Scotland

Region: Eastern Highlands  

Brand: GlenDronach Octarine

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 8 Years

ABV: 46%

Sample Provided By: Marcus, Germany. Many Thanks!

Colour: Copper

Nose: An initial Wave of Citrus including Nectarine, Tangerine, Orange and Lemon is followed by Dried Fruits like Apricot and Raisins, Canned Pineapple, Almonds, Hazelnuts, White Chocolate, light Vanilla, Cherries, Cinnamon, lightly Charred Oak, Marshmallow, Strawberry Preserve, Wood Polish and Straw. It's quite a Nose for an 8 Years Old Single Malt. I believe there's a trace of Sulphur noticeable. And, unfortunately, the Alcohol is not fully integrated.  

Palate: Young, Medium Sweet, Herbal and Dry. Again, there is lots of Citrus like Tangerine, Orange and Lemon. I also find Marzipan, Milk Chocolate, Sherry, Toffee, Butterscotch, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Ginger, Cinnamon and Pepper. The ABV of 46% is perfect but the Spirit would have benefited from a few extra Cask years.

Finish: Middle Long, Sweet at first but Dry and slightly Bitter towards the end. I find Almonds, Creme Brulee, Butterscotch, Peanut Butter, Tangerine, Lemon, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger and Licorice.

With a bit of Water the Nose gets more Vanilla, Malt, Apricot Preserve and Honey. Despite the added Water, the Alcohol is still too much present. On the Palate and in the Finish, Toffee and Butter become quite noticeable. I suggest you try it out both ways!

Rating: 82.5

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

                                     Marcus's Bottle that produced the Sample!

General Remarks: The GlenDronach Distillery was founded in 1826 in Forgue (Aberdeenshire). It was sold in 2005 by Pernod-Ricard to the owners of the BenRiach Distillery (Billy Stewart and partners). The GlenDronach Octarine (Colour of Magic) was launched in 2010/2011, initially only for the Carrefour Supermarket Chain. But it didn't take long before it was widely available. It matured in a mix of Ex-Bourbon, Ex-Oloroso and Ex-PX Casks. Prices vary in general between 45 and 60 US Dollars. 

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: The Nose of the GlenDronach Octarine is astonishingly diverse for an 8 Years Old Single Malt. Certainly the result of the variety of Wood used to mature this whisky. Unfortunately, this mature density is not maintained on the Palate and the Finish is a tad Bitter. Still, if you like Sherried Speysiders and are not allergic to Citrus Fruit, the GlenDronach is a great alternative given its very good Price/Quality Ratio. 

Jan van den Ende                                                           October 19, 2014

Wemyss Spice King Review

“King For A Day”

Country: Scotland 

Brand: Wemyss Spice King

Bottler: Wemyss Malts, Edinburgh

Type: Blended Malt Whisky

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 40 %

Colour: Amber 

Nose: Young, Sweet and Spicy. And, to my surprise, slightly Smoky. I find Bread Dough, Wet Earth, Straw, Nut Shells, Toffee, light Honey, Dried Fruit, Malt, Citrus Peel, Chili Pepper, Apple Vinegar, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Dried Herbs,  lightly Charred New Oak and some soft Mineral - and Maritime tones. I'm pretty sure there is Talisker in this Blend. The Alcohol is not fully integrated.

Palate: Slightly Thin on account of the weak ABV. Not too much going on here. I find Charred New Oak, Malt, Straw, Grass, Wet Earth, light Smoke, Lemon Peel, Toffee, Nuts, Nutmeg, Pepper and Cinnamon. The Palate would have greatly benefited from a higher ABV.

Finish: Middle-Long, Dry and Spicy with Malt, Nuts, Orange Peel, light Smoke, Charred Oak, Salty Licorice, Cinnamon, Pepper and Nutmeg.

I added some Water and found some slightly Sour Cooked Apples on the Nose. The Spices are mostly gone. Palate and Finish do not improve with Water. 

Rating: 82.5 

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

I Bought this Miniature in the Dallas Dhu Shop. 

General Remarks: The Spice King is part of a new range by Wemyss of Edinburgh, next to Hive and Peat Chimney. Each represents one of the three main Scottish production areas, respectively Highlands, Speyside and Islay. The Spice King is a Blend of 16 Single Malts. The heart is formed by a Highland distillery but some Island Malt is used as well. By the way, Wemyss is the old Gaelic word for Caves. The Whiskies for the Wemyss Blends are chosen by a Panel, chaired by the well-known whisky writer Charles MacLean. The Spice King is usually sold at around 55 US Dollars. A cheaper 8 year version is also available. Wemyss did a very nice job on Packaging and Presentation!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good. 

Conclusion: After having tasted close to 400 different Blends and Single Malts from all over the world I have found that I like drinking a nice Blend on the Rocks but that I truly enjoy tasting a Single Malt. Of course this does not mean that you can't enjoy sipping a good Blend or drinking a good Single Malt all night long. But I hope you'll get the general picture. Blends are produced to please as much people as possible and most of the times this leads to a perfectly drinkable but slightly boring Spirit. A Single Malt, or, even better, a Single Cask possesses its own Character, Strength and Weaknesses. It's almost like comparing an imperfect but colourful human being to a perfect robot. Take the Wemyss Spice King for instance. It's certainly not a bad Blend and it's pleasant enough. And the Talisker Touch gives it a little extra Punch. Still, I have tasted it today and will have forgotten it by tomorrow. Truly a King for a Day.

Jan van den Ende                                                         October 16, 2014