Bunnahabhain Toiteach Review

“The Birth of the Peabees”

Country: Scotland

Region: Islay

Brand: Bunnahabhain Toiteach

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS

ABV: 46 %

Colour: Light Gold 

Nose: This is as close to Peated Biscuits as you can get. I don't think they exist so I will solemnly christen them Peabees from now on. I find Sweet Peat, Hay, Toasted Barley, light Smoke, Dirty Earth, Rubber, Old Leather, Salted Butter, Toasted Nuts, Warm Apple, Toffee, Dried Fruits, light Vanilla, light Oak and light Spices. The Sherry Cask influence is limited but it does give something extra to the relatively young and slightly rough Spirit. It's a pity that the Alcohol is far from being integrated. Still, I like the Nose of the Toiteach. 

Palate: Good Delivery thanks to the correct ABV. It's rather Sweet but tasty with Smoked Barley, Sweet Peat, Dried Fruits, Toffee, Caramel, Nuts, Rubber, Salted Butter, Vanilla, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Leather and Apples.

Finish: Quite Long and a little Hot. Sweet at first but Dry towards the end. I find Dirty Earth, Ashes, Rubber, Charred Oak, Sweet Peat, Pepper, Salt, Malt, Straw and lightly Smoked Meat. The Alcohol is a bit strong here. 

I added a couple of drops of water. On the Nose I find some extra Fruit. Could be Plums. In general, the Nose softens up. It's not at all bad but this way you loose much of the ruggedness I like in young Islay Whisky. Palate and Finish soften up as well. I prefer it neat but you can certainly add a few drops if you want it a little less Hot and Nasty.

Rating: 86.5 

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

General Remarks: Bunnahabhain (Mouth or Foot of the River) Distillery was founded around 1881 and is located close to Port Askaig. Usually, the Distillery dries the Malt with hot air or light Smoke, giving their whisky a more subtle flavour then most of its Peated neighbours on the island. The Toiteach (Gaelic for Smoky and pronounced as Toch Chach) however is one of the few peated Bunnahabhain expressions. It probably matures for around 10 Years and is finished in Ex-Sherry Casks. It comes Un-Chill Filtered and costs around 90 US Dollars (May 2015).

Drinking Experience Neat: Very Nice! 

Conclusion: I feel the urge to return to Scotland and visit Bunnahabhain again. Unfortunately it was closed during our visit to Islay in May last year and we only managed to shoot a couple of pictures outside in the rain. But this Toiteach is a whisky to be enjoyed in the warm and cosy Visitor Centre on a cold and windy Islay day. I suppose you've guessed already that I kinda like this Bunnahabhain expression. It has its flaws for sure as it's Young, Edgy and slightly Hot. But the ABV is correct and the Spirit is not Chill-Filtered. The Sherry finish did add in a subtle way to the final Aroma and Flavour Profile. It's certainly not cheap for a NAS whisky but if I were on Islay right now I would buy a bottle of the Toiteach!

Jan van den Ende                                                         May 28, 2015

Deanston 1997 Review

“A Rebel Cask”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Highland (Pertshire)

Brand: Deanston 1997 (Archives - The Fishes of Samoa)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 15 Years

ABV: 55.8 %

Colour: Chardonnay

Nose: The Alcohol is quite strong so be sure to give it enough time in the glass to open up. Even so, it's quite Sharp and it certainly differs from your average Highlander Aroma. There is some Heather, Honey and Grass but they remain in the background. I find mostly notes of Malt, Dough, Yeast, Toast and Lager Beer. It must have been an active and well-charred Cask as well because Wood, Vanilla and Wood Spice are certainly present. I also find a little Lemon, some slightly Sour Pineapple, Salted Butter, Nuts, Dried Herbs and some Mineral - and light Metallic notes. Underneath it all I find a light Fruity Note, probably Apple. As I already mentioned above, the Alcohol is not at all integrated and that spoils a lot of the Nosing Fun. It's not really bad on the Nose but it's kinda weird!

Palate: It tastes younger than I would have expected after Nosing. Again, the Alcohol is very present and reminds me a bit of an Alsatian Fruit Liqueur. Quite Sharp, Hot and Spicy with Malt, Beer, Yeast, Dough, Charred Oak, Vanilla, Toffee, Straw, Pear, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, light Menthol, light Licorice and a hint of Yogurt with Berry sauce.    

Finish: Short, Dry and Slightly Bitter with Malt, Yeast, Lager Beer, Metal, Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Dried Herbs, Charred Oak and light Vanilla.  

A bit of added Water helps to soften up the Nose. It does become extremely Malty though. It becomes more Fruity on the Palate and the Spices in the Finish are more balanced. In this case I would recommend to add a little Water to the Spirit.

Rating: 82 

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

General Remarks: The Deanston Distillery was founded in 1965 and is located in Deanston, Pertshire. It closed in 1982 but was bought by Burn Stewart Distillers in 1990 and resumed production in 1991. In 2013 Burn Stewart was sold to the South-African Distell Group. Heineken took over in 2021 but the Whisky activities were taken over by CVH Spirits. The core Single Malt now consists of the 12 & 18 Years, the Virgin Oak and the 15 Year Organic.

The Deanston I am reviewing today was distilled on the 10th of December 1997 and was bottled at Cask Strength on the 28th of October 2013. It matured in a Hogshead with Cask #1959 out of which 327 bottles were commercialised via Indie Whisky Bottler Whiskybase in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Archives is their relatively young own label. This Single Cask Single Malt is uncoloured and not Chill-Filtered. It's still available at Whiskybase and will cost around 60 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Different but not bad. The Alcohol is a bit too strong though. 

Conclusion: This was not at all a boring Nosing - and Tasting session. It took more than 1,5 hour as well, as the Spirit needed an hour or so in the glass to open up. When it finally did it revealed a Spirit with a mind of its own. On the Nose it's extremely Malty and all the time my mind wandered off to Beer-like Aromas. But there are enough other notes to be found once you manage to deal with the Strong and Sharp Alcohol. And all along there is a slight Metallic note that bothered me from Nose to Finish. Underneath it all there is Fruit and Honey but you'll need to dig for it. On the Palate it is surprisingly young for its age, not unlike a French Eau de Vie Poire. The Finish is Short, Dry and slightly Bitter. When Nosing I felt that the Cask had probably been quite active as Wood and Wood Spice were quite present. But the relative youth of the Spirit on the Palate made me start wondering again. This Deanston is not at all your average Highlander, that's fore sure. Quite interesting to appreciate a sample but too weird to consider buying a full bottle.

Jan van den Ende                                                                      May 25, 2015

BenRiach Heart of Speyside Review

“Simple Entry Level Speysider”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Highlands - Speyside

Brand: BenRiach Heart of Speyside

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age:  NAS

ABV:  40% 

Colour: Golden/Light Amber

Nose: Light, Mild and Crisp Speyside Nose with Honey, Heather, Wet Grass, Malt, Buttered Toast, Fresh Pastry, Pears, Mandarin, Lemon, Vanilla, Flowers, Oak, Cloves, Cinnamon and a little Salt. Hints of Banana and Milk Chocolate. 

Pleasant but nothing to get overly excited about.

Palate: Young, Thin and Bitter-Sweet with Honey, Heather, Earth, Buttered Toast with Orange Marmalade, Malt, Refill Oak, Vanilla, Stewed Apples, Pepper, Cinnamon and Cloves. A hint of Espresso.   

Finish: Short and slightly Bitter with Honey, Heather, Dried Fruit, Vanilla, Malt, Refill Oak, Pear flavoured Candies, light Menthol, Nut Shells and Pepper.  

I added a bit of Water and on the Nose you get more Malt, Fruit and some Cocoa Milk. Palate and Finish become too Thin though. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 81

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

General Remarks: The BenRiach distillery is located in the heart of the Speyside between Elgin and Rothes. It was founded around 1898 by John Duff, the owner of the nearby Longmorn distillery. Today it's one of the few distilleries with its own Malting Floors. Since 2004, it is independently owned by BenRiach Distillery Company. Most of their production goes into the Chivas Regal Blend but more than enough is left for the many Single Malt Expressions. The Heart of Speyside is their Entry Level NAS Single Malt. I would think it mainly matures in 2nd and 3rd Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks but it's possible that the occasional Ex-Sherry Butt is used as well. The Heart of Speyside is relatively cheap at around 40 US Dollars (May 2015).

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good 

Conclusion: The Heart of Speyside is a Mild and pretty Simple true to style Single Malt at an attractive price-level. Very nice for starting Whisky drinkers. Especially the Nose will scare off no one. Perhaps it's a tad too Bitter on the Palate and in the Finish. More experienced Whisky drinkers should probably look elsewhere in the BenRiach portfolio as the Heart of Speyside is a bit too simple and predictable.

Jan van den Ende                                                                    May 21, 2015

First Cask 1990 Isle of Islay Review

“Sherry and Mighty Oak”

Country: Scotland

Region: Islay

Brand: First Cask 1990 Isle of Islay

Bottled By: Whisky Import Nederland
Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 20/21 Years

ABV: 54.2 %

Colour: Mahogany

Nose: Heavy Sherry, Oak and loads of Dried Fruits such as Raisins, Plums and Figs. I also find Malt, Toast, Butterkekse, Orange Marmalade, Espresso, Cocoa Powder, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Menthol, Dusty Earth, Old Leather and traces of Burnt Straw. I hardly detect any Coastal influences and only a very faint Peat note. It all points in the direction of Bunnahabhain. Unfortunately, the Alcohol is still not fully integrated. This is a Nose for the Sherry Bomb fans among us. 

Palate: Following the Nose with loads of Sherry, Raisins, Plums, Oak, Christmas Cake, Orange Marmalade, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Dark Chocolate, Creme de Cassis, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Old Leather, Straw, Malt and Dirty Dry Earth.

Finish: Long and Dry with serious Oak, Sherry, Dried Fruits, Strong Black Tea, Bitter Oranges, Dark Chocolate, Cloves, Nutmeg, Pepper, Licorice, Menthol and Dry Earth.

I added a couple of drops of water. On the Nose the Alcohol retreats and the Dried Fruit notes become more transparent. I find some slightly Sour Cherries.

Palate and Finish do not change drastically but you certainly can add a bit Water to your taste.

Rating: 86 

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

General Remarks: The First Cask Isle of Islay Single Malt was distilled by an undisclosed Islay Distillery on the 24th of December 1990. It matured in a First Fill Sherry Butt with Cask # 12 and was bottled by Whisky Import Nederland at Cask Strength on the 27th of June 2011. Exactly 300 bottles were drawn from the cask. This First Cask 1990 is naturally coloured and Non Chill-Filtered. It is sold at around 110 US Dollars (May 2015). I'm pretty sure this First Cask was distilled at Bunnahabhain.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good.

Conclusion: Excellent Single Malt if you like Sherry Bombs. Very consistent from Nose to Finish. The price is quite reasonable as well considering its advanced age. However it's not quite my personal cup of Whisky. It's very Heavy on Sherry, Dried Fruits and Oak. These three are in complete control and only with enough time in the glass you will be able to find additional Aromas and Flavours. You will need to overcome the strong Alcohol as well and most of you probably would want to add a bit of Water. In short, if you like Heavy Sherry, this is an excellent proposal. If you don't, better stay away from this First Cask.  

Jan van den Ende                                                                       May 18, 2015