Mortlach 1994 Malts of Scotland Review

“Mature Sherried Speysider With A Few Flaws”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Speyside

Brand: Mortlach 1994 (Malts of Scotland)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 20 Years

ABV: 53.6 %

Colour: Mahogany

Nose: Full and Rich with Sherry, Varnish, Rubber, Orange Flavoured Dark Chocolate, German Butter Biscuits (Butter Kekse), Malt, Oak, Honey, Dried Fruit, light Leather, Dusty Road, Nuts, Butterscotch and a hint of Espresso. I don't find significant Meaty notes that are so common in Mortlach. While the Alcohol is quite strong, it's nicely integrated. After a while I find some Fruity notes like Ripe Banana and Pear in Heavy Syrup.

Palate: Strong, Spicy and Very Sweet Delivery with Charred Oak, Nuts, Orange Flavoured Chocolate, Varnish, Rubber, Marzipan, Vanilla, Tobacco, Buttered Toast, light Leather, Cardamom, Nutmeg and Pepper.

Finish: Quite Long. Sweet but very Dry towards the end with Dark Chocolate, Nuts, Vanilla, Varnish, Rubber, Espresso, Charred Oak, Tobacco, Nutmeg, Cardamom and Pepper. The slightest hint of Meat after five minutes or so.

I added a bit of Water and you get more Varnish on the Nose as well as hints of Meat and Herbs. On the Palate I find Liqueur flavoured Pralines, while the Finish becomes a lot shorter. This Single Malt allows you to experiment with a little Water.

Rating: 86

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

General Remarks: The Mortlach I am reviewing today was distilled in 1994 and bottled at Cask Strength in 2014 by Malts of Scotland. It aged in an Ex-Sherry Hogshead # MoS 14046. This Single Malt is Uncoloured and not Chill-Filtered. It won't be very easy to find and costs on average 140 US Dollars. Van Zuylen in Loosduinen and/or Whiskybase in Rotterdam might still have it. 

The Mortlach Distillery was founded around 1824 by James Findlater and was the first distillery in Dufftown, Banffshire. Mortlach distills mainly for Blends. The current owners (Diageo) are in the process of increasing capacity while at the same time promoting Mortlach again as a Single Malt.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: The Mortlach 1994 by Malts of Scotland is a rich and fully matured Sherried Speysider. The Cask has left the Spirit with a wonderful Mahogany like colour. It's quite sweet and I like the Chocolate, Orange and Butter Biscuits Aromas. The ABV is high but correct and the Alcohol is nicely integrated. There are two reasons why I didn't give it a higher score. Firstly because of the very clear Varnish and Rubber notes. This need not be a big problem for most Whisky lovers as they might argue that they are simply a part of the total picture. But I found them a bit too present for my personal taste. And, to be honest, I also missed the Meaty notes! Despite these little flaws you might want to try out this Mortlach as it's certainly reasonably priced for a 20 Years old Single Malt.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      March 9, 2015

Six Isles Review

“Affordable Gateway to Island Whiskies”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Islands

Brand: The Six Isles 

Type: Blended Malt Whisky

Age: NAS 

ABV: 43 %

Colour: Pale Straw/White Wine

Nose: Light Cold Smoke, light Rubber, Wet Clay, light Tar, Salted Pork Meat on the BBQ, light Iodine, Brine, Lime, Pizza Dough, Buttered Toast and Honey, Malt, Heather and Toffee. There's a Young feel to the spirit, yet the Aromas are quite inoffensive. It's all very laid-back and even a little Dusty. Ideal if you are just starting to sniff and taste Smoky whiskies. It's difficult to ascertain the Islay component on the Nose. The Wet Clay reminds me more of a Ledaig really. And finally, after a while in the glass, I'm getting a light Cooked Vegetables/Potatoes Aroma that instantly reminds me of Jura. The Alcohol is nicely integrated.

Palate: Young and Sweet with a touch of Talisker Pepper. I find light Iodine, Campfire Smoke, Wet Clay, Tar, light Rubber, Salted Pork, Saw Dust, Ashes, Burnt Grain, Toffee, Honey and Lemon. 

Finish: Middle-Long. Sweet at first but Dry and slightly Bitter in the end with Cold Smoke, Ashes, Salted Pork and Fish, light Iodine, light Oak, light Vanilla and a sprinkle of Lemon and Mint.     

With added Water it gets a bit Sweeter but it loses balance. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 84  

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

General Remarks: The Six Isles is a Blended Malt Whisky from Ian Macleod and bottled by William Maxwell & Co.Ltd. It contains six Single Malts, one from each of the Scottish islands that produce Whisky namely Islay, Skye, Orkney, Arran, Jura and Mull. The Six Isles is Naturally Coloured, has a decent ABV and is Not Chill-Filtered. All of that is positive and it's still pleasantly priced at around 45 US Dollars (March 2015).

Drinking Experience Neat: Good   

Conclusion: An interesting and Well-Balanced Blended Malt that seems perfect for those of you who start exploring Smoky Whiskies. It's a very easy ride from Nose to Finish. As for the components I would say that there's very little Islay influence to be noted as far as the Peat is concerned. In fact, the Clay reminds me more of Ledaig. There's certainly some Arran, Jura and Highland Park in the mix as well as a touch of Talisker. I've tasted quite some Smoky Blends in the last couple of months and I didn't find any of them really convincing. But this Blended Malt is really well-balanced even being young and without significant Wood contact. Nice combination of the Young Sweet Spirit, the Sea, the Honey, the Clay, the Smoke and just enough Pepper and Wood for balance. It's too light for die-hard Smoke fans but a great way to discover Scottish Island whiskies. As such I recommend it.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      March 5, 2015

Slyrs 2011 Review

"Give Me Just a Little More Time"

Country: Germany

Region: Bavaria

Brand: Slyrs 2011

Type: Single Malt Whisky 

Age: NAS (3 Years)

ABV: 43 %

Colour: Yellow Gold

Nose: Quite different from your average Scotch Whisky but pleasant none the less. I could imagine that many people would identify it as a Fruit Liqueur in a Blind Tasting event. I find lots of Vanilla from the fresh Oak as well as Plum Jam, Honey, Hazelnuts, Sweet Barley, Straw, Dairy, Brown Sugar and hints of Toast, Varnish, Pineapple and Marzipan. Young, Uncomplicated and Different. I didn't find the Cooked Vegetables note I encountered in the 2009 expression. 

Palate: Young and slightly Edgy with Vanilla, Charred Oak, Honey, Caramel, Alcohol, Brown Sugar and Plums. 

Finish: Middle-Long, Fruity and Sweet with Vanilla, Charred Oak, Sweet Barley, Lemon Peel, light Licorice and Pepper.

Please refrain from adding Water to this Single Malt. You will completely kill the Spirit. 

Rating: 81

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

General Remarks: In 1994 Florian Stetter, a member of the Bavarian Distillery Guild visited Speyside and saw the likeness of the region with Bavaria. So he decided to try and produce a Single Malt Whisky in Bavaria. He started distilling in 1999 at the Fruit Spirits Distillery Lantenhammer. But in 2007, the Slyrs Distillery was opened in the township of Neubach (Schliersee) as part of said Lantenhammer. As of 2011, Slyrs became the largest German Whisky Distillery. The name Slyrs goes back to 779 when five monks founded a monastery near Lake Schlier and called it Slyrs. It is also the name of a locally found green-yellow clay. The Standard Slyrs Single Malt matures for 3 years in new 225 litre American White Oak barrels. The 2011 expression was distilled in 2008 and released in September 2014. The Barley is partially dried with Driftwood. This young whisky is not cheap at an average 50 US Dollars.   

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I believe you should approach this Spirit with an open mind in order to avoid a direct comparison with a Scottish or Japanese Single Malt. The Slyrs is a hybrid of Whisky and Obstbrand (Fruit Liqueur). It's certainly well-balanced and consistent. If my memory serves me well I found the 2009 a little more Fruity (Peach) while the 2011 is heavy on Vanilla and Honey. That's why I will rate the 2011 slightly lower. Still, Slyrs has proved to be able to produce a product of consistent quality over the last couple of years. I do question their commercial strategy in the long run though. While a Cask Strength and a 12 Year expression exist, Slyrs is mainly focusing on bringing 3 Year old NAS to the market. It is obvious that a 3 year maturation can only rarely result in a very complex end-product. And I could imagine that consumers may grow tired of buying such a young whisky over and over again. Moreover as the Slyrs NAS is quite expensive given its age! I really hope we will be able to enjoy older Slyrs Whiskies in the future as the distillery has shown their ability to distill quality Malt. 

Jan van den Ende                                                                     March 2, 2015