Wemyss Peat Chimney Review


“More Peat Than Chimney”

Country: Scotland 
Brand: Wemyss Peat Chimney
Bottler: Wemyss Malts, Edinburgh
Type: Blended Malt Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 40 %

Colour: Bronze

Nose: Soft Sweet Earthy Peat and a little Brine, Ash and Leather are the first impressions followed by hints of Salted Meat and Fish or Shell Fish on the BBQ. I also find some Marzipan, Honey, Sugared Tea, Vanilla, Grapefruit Juice, Malt, Pear, Nuts, Ginger Ale and Nutmeg. It's rather simple but at the same time quite Smooth and Laid-Back.

Palate: Thin and Watery Delivery with Sweet Peat, Licorice, Anise, Lemon Zest,
light Smoke, Orange Juice, Sour Apples, Ginger, Pepper, Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg and Menthol.

Finish: Middle-Long but Thin with Sweet Peat, Ashes, light Smoke, Orange, Sour Apples, Lemon, Toffee, Nuts, Black Coffee, light Oak, Licorice, Nutmeg, Pepper   Cinnamon and light Vanilla. 

The Peat Chimney does not accept added Water. It's already too Thin as it is.

Rating: 82

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


General Remarks: The Peat Chimney is part of a recent range by Wemyss of Edinburgh, next to The Hive and Spice King. Each represents one of the three main Scottish production areas, respectively Islay, Speyside and Highlands. The Peat Chimney is a Blend of up to 16 Single Malts. The heart is formed by an Islay distillery. 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. This Peat Chimney is usually sold at around 50 US Dollars. A cheaper 8 year version is also available. Wemyss did a very nice job on Packaging and Presentation!

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good 

Conclusion: Peat Chimney is not a bad blended Malt, especially on the Nose. On the Palate and in the Finish it is a little on the Thin side. But it offers people the chance to get acquainted with the Islay Aroma and Flavour profile. As such it works as it's all quite smooth and gentle. The people who like Islay Single Malt however will notice that the Peat Chimney brings sufficient Peat but clearly lacks Smoke. No Chimney to be smelled or tasted! It would also benefit from a slightly higher ABV but then we enter again into the eternal struggle between a reasonable price and a sufficient ABV. And now the 1 Million US Dollar question: What Distillery could have produced the leading Islay Malt in this Blend? Based on the Sweetness of the Peat and the Sourness of the Apples I suspect it could be Bunnahabhain but my guess is as good as yours!

Jan van den Ende                                                             January 16, 2015


Glen Moray 1991 Master of Malt Review


Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Glen Moray 1991 (Master of Malt)
Type: Single Cask Single Malt Whisky
Age: 21 Years
ABV: 60.7%

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: Given the Age and the ABV it is obvious that Oak and Alcohol are quite present. The Spirit is also Creamy and Malty. I find Floral Tones, Orchard Fruit, Nectarine, Tangerine, Grapefruit Juice, Butter, Barley Sugar, Raisins, Custard, Toffee, Wood Spice, Bourbon, Wax and hints of Menthol, Apple Vinegar and Varnish. 

The Malt Bins at Glen Moray

Taste: Fiery and Mouthwatering as was to be expected with Oak, Nuts, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cardamom, Citrus, Pear, Peanut Butter, Stewed Apples, Malt, Toffee, Butter and Menthol.  

The Mash Tun at Glen Moray

Finish: Solid Finish with Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Walnuts, Malt, Menthol, Lemon and Poached Pears. Quite Dry in the end.

Wash Back #4 at Glen Moray

I added a bit of Water and that tames the Alcohol of course. Dried Apricot, Malt and Butter now dominate the Nose. The Floral Tones are enhanced as well. The 
Palate and Finish do not change a lot but it's just easier to drink the Spirit this way. Still, this Glen Moray shows its real character only when you drink it neat.

Rating: 85.5  

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

These Casks Had Just Been Delivered

General Remarks: The Glen Moray 1991 Master of Malt was distilled on the 2nd of July 1991 and matured in a Refill Hogshead with Cask # 5661. A total of 260 bottles were filled in April 2013. This Single Malt was bottled at Cask Strength, is Uncoloured and Non Chill-Filtered. It is priced at around 130 US Dollars.

Some of the Stills at Glen Moray

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: Let me start by saying that the Glen Moray 1991 is a good Single Malt. As it should be at this price level although it's not too expensive when you consider its age. I like the Nose neat although you have to wind your way through the waves of strong Alcohol. But I must also say that I had expected more complexity and diversity after 21 long years in the Cask. Given the high ABV I would assume that most people would want to add a little Water. But once you do that, there's not too much to discover any more. Apricot, Malt and Butter on the Nose and Oak, Spices, Citrus and Menthol on the Palate and in the Finish. Not all that much for a 21 old Single Malt that will set you back around 130 US Dollars. So while I enjoyed Nosing and Tasting the sample, I would not consider buying a full bottle of this Glen Moray.

Another Pair of Stills

Some Data: The name Glen Moray means "The Glen of the Sea Settlement".  It's located at Bruceland Road in Elgin (Morayshire). The Distillery that was founded in 1897 is currently expanding and at the end of this year will possess 1 Mash Tun, 21 stainless Steel Wash Backs and 6 pairs of Stills. With all this equipment Glen Moray will be able to produce 6,5 million litres annually. Since 2008 the distillery belongs to the French Group La Martiniquaise. No wonder that France is currently one of Glen Moray's main markets. In the past, Glen Moray spirit was mainly used in Blends like Label 5 but under the new owners efforts are made to present Glen Moray as a Single Malt as well. The new visitor centre,  gift shop, coffee shop and tasting area were opened in 2004.

We visited Glen Moray in May 2014

The water for the distillery is sourced from a well by the River Lossie. Glen Moray is open to the public All Year except with Christmas and New Year. The opening hours are from Monday to Friday (9.00 to 17.00) and from May to September also on Saturdays from 10.00 to 16.30. The Standard Tour costs 3 Pounds. An in-depth Connoisseurs Tour called "Fifth Chapter" costs 15 pounds. Pre-Booking for the latter is necessary.

Some Promising Casks in the Warehouse

We visited Glen Moray on Wednesday, May 21 2014. The weather that day was cloudy with the occasional rain. We did the Standard Tour and really enjoyed it. Our guide was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. After the tour we enjoyed a very cheerful Tasting Session where we sampled the 8, 12 and 16 Years as well as a young peated expression. A tasteful Soup of the Day in the coffee shop closed up our pleasant visit to Glen Moray. I can certainly recommend a visit to this distillery. 

We Tasted Several Expressions After The Tour

And Had a Nice Soup of the Day in the Distillery Shop


Jan van den Ende                                                           January 13, 2015