Blair Athol 1989 Review

“These Bells Didn’t Quite Toll For Me”

Country: Scotland

Region: Central Highlands - Pertshire

Brand: Blair Athol 1989 (Anam Na H-Alba)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 23 Years

ABV: 49.9 %

Sample provided by Thomas from Germany. Many Thanks!

For Whom the Bells Tole!

Colour: Amber with Reddish tones

Nose: I'm not sure I would have identified this Blair Athol as a Single Malt in a Blind Tasting. My first impressions are Grains, Grass, Straw, Dried Fruits, Oak, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Toffee, Candle Wax, light Pineapple and Buttered Toast. Make sure you give this Whisky enough time in the glass. After a while I find some traces of Honey, Black Coffee, Red Grapes, Plums, Pears and Red Berries. And finally light Spices like Nutmeg and Cinnamon. The Alcohol is sufficiently integrated. I can't say I'm excited about this Nose although there's nothing wrong with it and the Port Pipe did give some extra Aromas. I find it a bit dull, musty and lifeless. 

Some of the Nice Bells on Display

Taste: Strong Delivery thanks to the high ABV. Spices and Citrus are my main impressions. I find slightly Bitter Orange, Grapefruit Juice, Tangerine, Vanilla, Red Grapes, Barley, Treacle, Cocoa Powder, Raisins, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves and Licorice.

Finish: Middle-Long, Spicy and slightly Salty with Bitter Orange, Dark Chocolate, Cocoa Powder, Espresso Coffee, Vanilla, Toffee, Plums, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Oak, light Licorice, light Menthol and Mulled Red Wine.

Warehouses at Blair Athol

I added a little Water and on the Nose Sweet Barley, Honey, Floral tones, Pineapple, Red Fruit, Orange and Plums come to the foreground. The Nose of this Blair Athol certainly comes alive with a bit of Water. Palate and Finish do not benefit in the same way however as Spices and Licorice start to dominate. 

Rating: 85

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

General Remarks: This Blair Athol 23 Years Single Cask Whisky was distilled on the 1st of June 1989 and was bottled on the 6th of December 2012 by Indie Whisky bottler Anam Na H-Alba from the town of Oberhausen in Germany. It matured in an Ex-Bourbon Hogshead before being finished in a Ruby Port Pipe. Only 85 bottles went to the market and I was lucky enough to get a sample. This Blair Athol is non Chill-Filtered and naturally coloured. It was bottled at Cask Strength. The Bottles were sold at around US$ 85 a piece, relatively cheap for a Single Malt of this age.

Royal Wedding Bell Blues

The Blair Athol Distillery was founded in 1798 by John Stewart and Robert Robertson. It changed hands several times and today it's part of the Diageo Group. Blair Athol is the home of Bell's Blended Scotch, the best selling Whisky in England. Blair Athol possesses a semi-lauter Mash Tun, 6 Washbacks made of stainless steel and 2 pairs of Stills. The annual production lies around 2,5 million litres. As almost all production goes into Bell's, it's rare to find a Single Malt of this Distillery. The best known was the 12 Year old Flora & Fauna. From time to time you can find an Indie bottling. The name Blair Athol means Plain of the new Ireland. The Water comes from Allt Dour Burn. We visited the distillery on a rainy Monday, the 26th of May 2014. We didn't do the Tour but enjoyed a dram in the nice Visitor Centre where you can find a lot of Whisky-filled Bells on display. Blair Athol is a very picturesque distillery and it's certainly worth a visit when you're in Pitlochry.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Strolling around at the VC

Conclusion: Difficult to score this Blair Athol. It has sufficient Aromas and Flavours, the high ABV works well and the Wood does not dominate the Spirit. And the Port Finish did contribute in a positive way in this case. The reason I still give it "only" 85 points is that this Single Malt misses the Wow factor. Five minutes after I finished the dram I had forgotten all about it. In fact, in a Blind Tasting Session I would have thought it to be a Grain Whisky or a high end Blend. I would not be surprised if that would be the reason that most of the production of this Distillery disappears in the successful but quite mediocre Bell's Blend. It could well be that the Spirit is not really interesting enough to do well as a Single Malt. I would need to try some other Blair Athol expressions to be really sure of that. This specific Bell did not really toll for me though!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       May 4, 2015

Hibiki 12 Years Review

“A Nose You Won’t Forget”

Country: Japan

Brand: Suntory Hibiki

Type: Blended Japanese Whisky

Age:  12 Years

Alcohol: 43%

Colour: Golden Amber

Nose: Soft and Attractive with Malty, Fruity and Floral tones. No aggressive notes whatsoever. Immediately you smell something that you won't find in Scottish whiskies. I'm sure the Ex-Plum Liqueur barrels made of Japanese Oak are responsible for that. On the Nose the Hibiki 12 bears more resemblance with

a good Bourbon than with Scotch Whisky. I find Dried Plums and Apricots, Rum soaked Raisins, Orange Marmalade, Apple Pie, Chocolate Milk, Butterscotch, Cherries, Banana, Vanilla, Resin, Oak, Fresh Coconut Milk, Sweet Barley, Soft Grains, Nuts, Papaya Cream, Melon, Cinnamon, Ginger and a little Nutmeg. On the Nose, the Hibiki 12 Years is more accessible than its older brother, the 17 Years. You can smell the 12 Years for an hour and it won't be boring. Every time you discover new Aromas. The Alcohol is nicely integrated. I really like it!

Taste: Lots of Citrus with Orange and Lemon Peel, light Sherry, Oak, Malt, Soft Grains, Roasted Nuts, Honey, Plums, Cherries, Banana, Pineapple, Vanilla, Dried Fruits, Clove, Ginger and Nutmeg. On The Palate, the Grain Alcohol is much more noticeable. 

Finish: Middle-Long and quite Dry but with a nice combination of Sweet, Bitter and Sour. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Citrus, Cherries, Plums, Red Apples, Oak, Banana, Cocoa Butter, light Varnish, light Pepper, Ginger and Nutmeg.  

I added a little Water and the Grains become more noticeable on the Nose. Palate and Finish do not benefit from the added Water as well. Better sip it neat. 

Rating: 86  

Nose: 22.5 – Taste: 21 - Finish: 21 – Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: Normally I don’t pay too much attention to the packaging but it needs to be said that the bottle used for the Hibiki Blend is a very nice one. It's practically a decanter. 

Hibiki 12 Years contains some 30 different whiskies. At its heart you will find the Malt Whiskies from Yamazaki and Hakushu alongside the Grain Whisky from Chita. The whiskies used for Hibiki are matured in Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry casks and partly in Japanese Oak barrels that used to contain Plum Liqueur. Before bottling, the Hibiki 12 is filtered through Bamboo Charcoal. The price varies a lot from country to country but on average you will pay around 75 US Dollars for this Blend (April 2015) 

Drinking Experience Neat: Good. Great Nose!

Conclusion: The Word Hibiki in Japanese has a lot of meanings. Amongst them are " Collection of Reflecting Sounds" and "Harmony". In the end, that’s what every serious blender would want to achieve. To create a collection of reflecting flavours that, once brought together, form a unique harmonious combination while maintaining or even enhancing the strengths of individual components. So let's see if the Hibiki 12 Years deserves its name. 

Let me start by saying that this Japanese Blend has Scottish, Bourbon and Local influences. The result is a spirit with a clear own personality that you probably will be able to identify when you smell and taste it again. I love the Nose of the Hibiki 12. It smells and feels almost like a Single Malt Whisky as the Grain notes are quite Soft and hardly noticeable. You can easily spend an hour nosing this Blend as New Aromas will keep popping up. Lovely stuff. Unfortunately the Palate and the Finish can't quite deliver what the Nose promises. The Grain Alcohol is more noticeable, although in no way as harsh as in many of the Scottish Blends. So while Palate and Finish are still Good, they miss the magic of the Nose. When compared to the more expensive 17 Years, I find the Hibiki 12 years much more accessible on the Nose while Palate and Finish are reasonably similar. In my opinion it does not pay off to spend the extra bucks on the 17 Years. I conclude that the Hibiki 12 Years certainly represents a "Collection of Reflecting Sounds", especially on the wonderful Nose. On the Palate and in the Finish, the Grain Alcohol is a bit too present to call it completely harmonious. Still, it comes very close and the Hibiki 12 Years is a Blend I fully recommend despite its high price. "Hotondo Hibiki", We're Almost There!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    April 30, 2015

Stills at the Hakushu Distillery

Oban 1998 Montilla Fino Finish Review

“An Expensive But Ineffective Finish”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Highland (West)

Brand: Oban 1998 Montilla Fino Finish (Distillers Edition)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 15 Years

ABV: 43 %

Colour: Amber with a touch of Orange

Nose: Sweet, Malty and Floral with Barley, Hay, Honey, Heather, Orchard Fruit, Nuts and Raisins, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), light Vanilla, Toffee, light Oak, Orange Zest and Apricot Preserves. Some Mineral tones and hints of Earth, Salt and Leather. It's all quite Laid-Back and the Alcohol is quite nicely integrated. I can't say that the Montilla finish left a huge mark on this Oban. I could imagine that many Whisky drinkers would appreciate the Soft Aroma profile of this Oban. I find it slightly boring though. 

Palate: Malty, Medium-Sweet, Creamy and mildly Spicy with Sweet Barley, Nuts, Toffee, Marzipan, Honey, Apricot Preserves, Raisins, Orange Peel, Pepper, Salt, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and a bit of Dark Chocolate. 

Finish: Middle-Long, Creamy and Mildly Spicy with Sweet Malt, Marzipan, Toffee, Honey, Hazelnuts, Dried Fruit, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Mint, Ginger, Soft Licorice and a pinch of Salt. 

I added a bit of Water and on the Palate you get some extra Oak, Spices and a hint of Bitter Chocolate. I prefer it neat but you can experiment with a bit of Water.

Rating: 82.5

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

General Remarks: The Oban distillery is one of the smallest in Scotland and was founded in 1794. It is located in the seaport of the same name on the frontier between the Western Highlands and the Isles. This is where Peat and Heather meet Salt and Seaweed! Today, Oban is owned by the Diageo Group. Lots of Oban spirit is used in Blends like Bell's. But the standard 14 Years is now part of the Classic Malt Series. The Montilla Finish I'm reviewing today is basically the 14 Years that matured in Ex-Bourbon Casks before being finished for an additional period in Ex-Montilla Fino casks. Montilla is a quite Sweet Dessert Wine from the Cordoba region in Spain. The Oban Montilla Finish is sold at around 100 US Dollars. That's quite expensive. One of the reasons for the high price seems to be the limited water supply to the distillery from Loch Gleann and Loch Bhearraidh. Another one is that the Distillery can't expand as it's located in the middle of the town and completely surrounded by lots of other buildings.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: The Oban 1998 is one of those Single Malts that I struggle with when reviewing. I can't find anything against it and it combines very clear Highland characteristics with the tiniest coastal traces. But at the same time I find it too boring for my taste. And the Montilla Finish does not really add clear additional Aromas and Flavours to the Oban 14 to justify the very stiff price difference. In the end I gave both of them the same score. So if the Standard Oban 14 was to your liking you can safely stay with it. It would be great if the Oban 1998 Montilla Finish was as lively and colourful as the city where it was distilled. But unfortunately we're not living in a perfect world!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      April 27, 2015

********************************************************************************

“2015 Whisky Blogger of the Year”

Dear Friends, 

A couple of weeks ago twenty Whisky Bloggers from all over the world were nominated for the 2015 Whisky Blogger of the Year competition. People from all over the world casted their votes. And while I did not get to the final 5 of this competition many of you took the time to vote for me. Many thanks for that. I really appreciate that and it's a big driver for me to continue and try to improve with each review. The following Bloggers did make it to the final 5:

In the end Ruben from Belgium won the contest and I want to extend my warm congratulations to him. Well done and a Good Choice. Once Again, thanks to all of you for your kind support!

Cheers!

Jan 

****************************************************************

Amber Glen Classic Blend and Amber Glen Speyside Single Malt Reviews

Amber Glen.
Amber Glen is an Independent Bottler, Distributor and Exporter of Amber Glen Blended and Single Malt Whisky, distilled, matured and bottled in Scotland. The company was founded in February 2013 by Samuel Minionis and offers a wide range of Blended - and Single Malt Whiskies. They are specialised in bottling Small Batches in the Amber Supreme series that include young Single Malts from from all the five Scottish production areas. The Supreme expressions are naturally coloured, Non Chill-Filtered and have a higher ABV of 46%. From time to time Single Casks are offered as well. Amongst others, Amber Glen buys their Malt from Macduff, Glenallachie, Glentauchers and Miltonduff. Amber Glen will focus their sales efforts on the large group of new Whisky consumers, mainly in emerging markets. Amber Glen send me two samples to review. Many Thanks!

Country: Scotland 

Brand: Amber Glen Classic

Bottler: Amber Glenn Scotch Whisky Co. Ltd., 

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS

ABV: 40 %

Colour: Yellow Gold.

Nose: The Grain Alcohol is quite present so you need to find your way around it. Give the Amber Glen enough time in the glass. I find slightly Burnt Toast with a little Margarine, Raisins, Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Bread Dough, light Vanilla, Refill Oak and hints of Rum Soaked Apples and Varnish. None of the Aromas is very pronounced as they are dominated by the Sharp Grain Alcohol.

Palate: Young and Sugary Sweet with Breakfast Cereals, Toasted Grains, Toffee, Nut Shells, Sharp Alcohol, light Refill Oak, light Licorice, Nutmeg and Pepper. 

Finish: Quite Short and Rough. Sugary Sweet at first but a little Bitter towards the end with Corn Flakes, Almonds, light Refill Oak, light Licorice and Pepper. 

I added a bit of Water and the Sharp Grain Alcohol retreats somewhat. I also find a little Dried Apricot on the Nose. If you choose to drink this Blend neat I would advise you to add a couple of drops of Water although Palate and Finish become rather Thin.  

Rating: 71 

Nose: 18.5 - Taste: 17.5 - Finish: 17.5 - Overall: 17.5

General Remarks: The Amber Glen Classic Blend consists of 20% Malt Whisky and 80% Grain Whisky. Usually, less expensive Blends use around 30% Malt Whiskies. It costs around 30 US Dollars (April 2015).

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average. 

Conclusion: This is very young whisky that matured in 3rd and/or 4th Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks. The Nose is the better part but on the Palate and in the Finish Sugared Breakfast Cereals and Sharp Grain Alcohol rule. This Amber Glen Blend noses and tastes almost like a slightly younger version of Ballantine's Finest Blend. I must assume that this Amber Glen Blend is mainly produced for Mixing Purposes. Because the combination of a large percentage of young Grain Alcohol and a small percentage of young Refill Cask Malt Whisky does not produce a spirit that is interesting enough to drink neat. Nice presentation and bottle though!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    April 23, 2015

Country: Scotland 

Brand: Amber Glen Speyside

Bottler: Amber Glen Scotch Whisky Co. Ltd

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS

ABV: 40%

Colour: Golden Amber 

Nose: Young, Light, Sweet, Fruity and Floral with Pear Drops, Sour Apples, Nuts, Beeswax, light Honey, Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Toffee, Tired Cask, Lemon and Wood Spices. After a while some Dried Apricot and Orange Marmalade. The Alcohol is not fully integrated and there's a light Sting.     

Palate: Light, Young, Watery and Medium Spicy with Orange Marmalade, Malt, Alcohol, Pepper, Cloves, Nut Shells and Toffee.    

Finish: On the Short side with Orange Marmalade, Grassy tones, Toffee, Malt, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, slightly Bitter Almonds and hints of Aniseed and Mint. 

I added a bit of Water and on the Nose you get more Pear Drops and Honey. The Oak softens up somehow. It does become a bit Thin though. On the Palate you get more Orange Marmalade. The Finish disappears however.  Although the Spirit becomes rather Thin when adding Water, it also softens up and smells and tastes more friendly. I advise you to experiment with a couple of drops a time. 

Rating: 80.5

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

General Remarks: Amber Glen Speyside is a young Single Malt that matured for around 5 Years in Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks. It costs around 50 US Dollars (April 2015).

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: The Glen Amber Speyside is a very Young Single Malt that won't scare off beginning Whisky drinkers as it's Light and easy to drink, especially when you add a little Water. So it's okay for the probable target group. But that same youth makes it quite uneventful for more regular Single Malt Heads. The Nose is okay although the Alcohol stings a little. But on the Palate there's not much to discover and the Finish is quite Short. If Glen Amber Speyside was a Boxer, he/she would fight in the Featherweight Division. 

Bottom Line:
Today I tasted two of the young Amber Glen expressions. They are both quite light and the Speyside is very easy to drink. That makes them quite suitable for the intended target groups. They lack the depth and character however to attract more seasoned whisky drinkers on a daily basis. I do hope I will be able to taste some more mature expressions from the Supreme series or a Single Cask as well. Thanks for sending me the two samples and the best of luck to Amber Glen!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    April 23, 2015