Ballantine's Finest 2015 Review


“My Funny Ballantine”

Country: Scotland
Brand: Ballantine’s Finest
Type: Blended Whisky
Age: NAS
Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: Young, Light and Thin. A little Sweet Fruit like Red Apples or Peach. I also find Sugared Breakfast Cereals, light Honey, Toffee, Caramel, Butterscotch, light Citrus Peel, some Dried Fruits and Nuts, Floral notes like Heather, Grass and Straw and a faint hint of Smoke. The Alcohol is not integrated and stings every once in a while. I nosed this in 2011 as well and I must confess I like it a little better this time.  

Taste: Thin and Watery Delivery with Toasted Cereals, Charred Refill Oak, light Vanilla, Sugar, Toffee, Butterscotch, Grass, Straw, Apple, Licorice and Pepper.

Finish: Short and Sugary Sweet with Toffee, Caramel, Butterscotch, Pop Corn, Nuts, light Vanilla, Grass, Charred Oak, Licorice and Pepper.

Rating: 74.5 

Nose: 19.5 – Taste: 18.5 – Finish: 18 – Overall: 18.5

Miltonduff

General Remarks: This Blended Whisky was created in 1910 by the Ballantine's Family. Miltonduff and Glenburgie are the main Single Malts in this blend but there are said to be around 50 Whiskies in all present here, including 4 Grain Whiskies. It's one of the best selling Blends in the world. It's quite cheap at around 30 US Dollars (July 2015).

No need to add Water to this Blend. It's already Thin enough as it comes.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Okay

Conclusion: This Blend gets some fine reviews from people like Jim Murray and I still fail to see why. I must admit that I liked it a bit better now than back in 2011. Maybe my Palate has developed or the Blend changed a bit over the years. Or both. I got a light Smoky note on the Nose that wasn't there in 2011. Or at least I did not notice it at that time. My final score is slightly higher than it was in 2011. The Nose is okay for a Blend in this class but Palate and Finish are quite Thin, Watery and Boring. Even on the rocks I wasn't too impressed with this Blend. I found the Sugar and Licorice rather annoying. So what can I say? At 30 US Dollars a bottle you can not expect to enter into the Whisky Heaven. As indeed you don't with Ballantine's Finest!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 15, 2015

Glenburgie

The Ileach Peaty Review


“The Boy From Islay”

Country: Scotland 
Region: Islay
Brand: The Ileach Peaty
Bottler: The Highlands & Islands Scotch Whisky Co.Ltd., Glasgow (The Vintage Malt Whisky Co.)
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS (Likely around 5 Years)
ABV: 40 %

Colour: Light Amber with shades of Orange

Nose: Young and mostly Sweet with Smoke, Wet Clay, Plastic, Band Aid, Iodine, light Leather, Sea Water, Shell Fish, Smoked Salmon marinated in Dried Herbs, Orchard Fruit, Lemon, Burnt Caramel, Cereals and a hint of Peanut Butter. On the Nose the Ileach Peated feels rather young and unfinished but it's not bad. The Alcohol is not fully integrated.  

Palate: Thin, Watery and slightly Medicinal with light Smoke, Wet Clay, Rubber, Plastic, Smoked Fish, Shell Fish, Sea Water, Malt, Caramel, Pepper, Pear, Green Apple, Lemon and slightly Bitter Grapefruit.  

Finish: Not very Long and quite Watery. Bitter-Sweet and Medicinal as well. Dry towards the end. I find Cold Smoke, Wet Clay, Ashes, Brine, Caramel, Cooked Vegetables, Grass, Sugar and slightly Burnt Cereals. Hints of Plastic and Peanut Butter.   

No need to add Water to the Ileach. It's already Thin enough as it is. I did find some extra Caramel/Toffee on the Palate. 

Rating: 80

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 20

This is the "Old" version I'm tasting today!

General Remarks: The Ileach stands for a person born on Islay. This Single Malt from an undisclosed Islay distillery was launched around 2009/2010 by the Vintage Malt Whisky Company. I have no idea of the details of the contract between Vintage and the Distillery but I can imagine the latter would be pleased to see the contract end as they need all the whisky they produce these days. Recently, the Ileach received a new modern presentation. The miniature I review today was bought on Islay last year and still still shows the old label. Funny enough the old bottle reminds me of Lagavulin and/or Caol Ila while the new style is similar to Bowmore. Could it be that the new Ileach Spirit was distilled at another distillery as the older version. Who knows! In any case Ileach Peated mostly matured in Ex-Bourbon Casks but some Ex-Sherry Casks were used as well. It is Chill-Filtered and contains added Caramel for colour. It is certainly not expensive at around 40 US Dollars (July 2015).

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good  

Conclusion: This Ileach Peaty has a lot in common with the Finlaggan (Secret Islay) I tasted recently. They are both Islay Single Malts produced by an undisclosed distillery. Both of them are also reasonably priced and that makes them attractive for people who love peated whiskies but aren't always willing to buy the regular distillery expressions that are becoming more expensive every year. So that's the advantage of our secret friends. Both of them also have the same problem however. They are simply too young. As a result they Nose and Taste Edgy, Rough and Unbalanced. Thin and Watery New Make Spirit with lots of Dirty Smoke, Earth, Plastic and Sea Water but clearly without sufficient Cask exposure to calm things down a bit. The Ileach literally means "The Man from Islay" but this isn't a man as yet. This is merely a boy. So if you like peated Sea Water go for it. If you love Islay malt but want a bit more balance and character better go for a 10 Year old Ardbeg or Laphroaig or a 12 Year old Caol Ila despite the fact that they are usually more expensive. That leaves us with the question where this Ileach was distilled. It's really hard to say but I would put my money on either Lagavulin or Bowmore. However, your guess is as good as mine!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 13, 2015

This is the "New" Bowmore style Packaging!

Connemara Turf Mor Review


“Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!”

Country: Ireland
Brand: Connemara Turf Mor
Type: Single Malt Whiskey
Age: NAS (Most likely around 3 Years)
ABV: 58.2%

Colour: Pale Straw/White Wine 

Nose: The Cooley Distillery bought the heavily Peated Malt from Port Ellen on Islay so you would expect a similar Nose as, say a young Ardbeg or Laphroaig. But that is not the case. The Peat and Smoke are there of course but they don't remind me of Sea, Wet Earth or Campfire. It's more Artificial and Metallic. It reminds me of a Car Repair Shop. I get Rubber Tyres, Diesel Oil and Plastic. The Spirit itself still has a New Make feel to it with Pear, Cherries and lots of Barley. It's mostly Sweet and some Floral, Herbal and Farmyard notes come through like Straw, Cow Shed and Heather. Finally I find some Leather, Nuts, Cooked Cauliflower and Citrus. The Alcohol is there of course but it didn't bother me a lot while Nosing. The Nose of the Turf Mor is not bad but I had expected a lot more from this Connemara.

Taste: Young, Bitter-Sweet and Edgy with Grass, Hay, light Smoke, Burnt Rubber, Plastic, Struck Matches, Diesel, Cereals, Smoked Salty Bacon, Bitter Grapefruit, Nuts, light Vanilla, Pepper, Dried Herbs and a hint of Aniseed.   

Finish: Quite Long, Medicinal, Dry and slightly Bitter with Dirty Earth, Plastic, Soot, Ashes, Burnt Grain, Caramel, Smoked Sausage, Nuts, Citrus, Pepper and light Licorice. 

With a couple of drops of water the Nose gets less Peaty and more Fruity with Pears and Green Apples. On the Palate and in the Finish, the Turf Mor almost becomes a peated Obstler (German Fruit Liqueur). You can certainly experiment with a bit of Water. The more you add however, the less the Turf Mor resembles
Whiskey.

Rating: 82

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


General Remarks: The Turf Mor was released in 2010 and is the 2nd expression in Connemara's Small Batch collection. The Phenol level of over 55 PPM is quite high and similar to Ardbeg. The peated Malt is actually bought from Port Ellen at Islay. The Turf Mor is not Chill-Filtered and bottled at Cask Strength. It basically matured in Ex-Bourbon Casks but I would not rule out that a couple of Sherry Casks were used as well. Connemara is distilled at the Cooley Distillery that is owned by Beam Suntory since 2012. The Turf Mor costs around 80 US Dollars and that's very expensive for such a young Whiskey (July 2015).

Drinking Experience Straight: Okay/Interesting/Different 

Conclusion: It was certainly interesting to try a sample of this Connemara Turf Moor. But no way I would spend 80 US Dollars or so on a full bottle. While Nosing and Tasting, I thought a couple of times that this Spirit could be an interesting basis material for a true Whiskey. Because the Turf More tastes unfinished and edgy and would clearly benefit from a longer cask maturation. 
The Spirit deserves that as it shows potential even at this young age. The Turf Mor is quite different from your average young Islay although it uses the same Peated Malt from Port Ellen. Don't expect Bonfires on a Sandy Beach because you will be disappointed. But people who repair cars might feel at home with all the Rubber, Plastic, Soot and Diesel. In this respect, the Turf Moor is certainly a different type of Whiskey. Not really my taste though. And without any doubt too expensive!

Jan van den Ende                                                                        July 9, 2015

Ledaig 1972 Alambic Classique Review


“That’s How Strong My Peat Is”

Country: Scotland
Region: Highland - Islands - Mull 
Brand: Ledaig 1972 (Alambic Classique - Rare & Old Selection) 
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 40 Years
ABV: 48.2 %

Colour: Full Gold

Nose: Dusty Peat, Dirt Road and Silky Smoke are the first impressions. It's a lovely Mature Nose and the Alcohol is perfectly integrated. Very little Wood for a 40 Years old Single Malt. Give this Ledaig sufficient time in the glass in order to release all of its Aromas. After a while I find Malt, Buttered Toast, Assorted Dark Red Fruits, Mandarin, Apricot, Lemon Peel, lightly Sour Cherries, Dusty Shelves, Leather Upholstery, Salted Nuts, light Vanilla, Medicinal notes, Cocoa Powder and a hint of Soy Sauce. Quite nice!

Taste: Not quite as good as the Nose. It's a combination of Dirty Earth, Wet Clay, Tar, Ashes, Smoke, Bitter Citrus (Orange, Grapefruit), light Pepper, Salt, Bitter Chocolate, Dried Fruit Leather, Cough Medicine, Espresso and Oloroso Sherry. Again, very little Oak for its age.    

Finish: Middle Long and slightly Medicinal with Dirty Earth, Smoke, Tar, Ashes, Bitter Oranges, Dark Red Fruit, Salty Licorice, Toffee and Bitter Chocolate. This is the less interesting part of this Ledaig. 

I added a little Water and on the Nose you get more Citrus and Pineapple. On the Palate, the Smoke and Peat retreat somewhat while the Citrus increases its presence. I prefer to sip it Neat as the Alcohol is perfectly integrated. But this Ledaig allows you to add some Water as well. 

Rating: 86.5

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


General Remarks: The Tobermory Distillery is located on the Hebridean Island of Mull. It was formerly named Ledaig and was founded in 1798 by John Sinclair. Nowadays it is owned by the Distell Group Ltd. The Distillery produces unpeated Malt under the name Tobermory and peated Malt under the old Distillery name Ledaig. The latter is mainly used in blends like Black Bottle and Scottish Leader. The Single Malt I am tasting today was distilled in the year 1972 and matured in an Ex-Oloroso Sherry Cask with # 13310. It was bottled by Independent bottler Alambic Classique from Germany at Cask Strength in 2013. Natural colour and not Chill-Filtered. It costs around 280 US Dollars but it will be hard to find. I got the sample at Whisky Base, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: This is one of the oldest and more expensive whiskies I've tasted so far. It's a pity I only had a small sample as I would have liked to taste it a little longer. Two things are quite remarkable and called my attention right away. In the first place I noticed the absence of Oak from start to finish. The Wood is perfectly integrated as is the Alcohol. And secondly it's remarkable how the Peat and Smoke have maintained their strength in those 40 Years. Even to the point that they still dominate the proceedings, especially on the Palate. The Cask was not quite able to create a perfect balance between the Sherry and the heavily peated Spirit. A pity as the Nose was very promising. The Finish is not very memorable I'm afraid. But despite some little flaws, I quite liked this Ledaig. I am glad though that I had the chance to try a sample. Because I don't think it's worth spending 280 US Dollars. Despite the fact that the price by itself is okay given the age of the Spirit.

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 6, 2015

Highland Park 10 Years Review


“Breakfast at Highland Park”

Country: Scotland 
Region: Highland-Islands-Orkney
Brand: Highland Park
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 40% 

Colour: Light Amber

Nose: Light but Pleasant with Malt, Butterkekse, Straw, Dried Fruits, Orange Peel, light Smoke, light Leather, Vanilla, Heather Honey, Yogurt with pieces of Apple, Banana and Peach, Plum Marmalade, light Oak, Salt and a distant hint of Cardamom. The Alcohol is not completely integrated.

Palate: Thin Delivery. The Smoke is more present here. I also find Salted Nuts, Heather Honey, Vanilla, Dried Herbs, slightly Bitter Citrus, Tea, Apple-Juice, Cocoa Powder, Leather, Pepper and Ginger.    

Finish: Slightly Oily, Dry and on the Short Side with Malt, Toast, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Caramel, Tea, slightly Bitter Almonds, light Smoke and Ashes, light Honey, light Licorice, Ginger, Cinnamon and Oak. 

The Highland Park 10 Years does not improve with added water. 

Rating: 83

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


General Remarks: Highland Park was founded in 1798 and is located on the Orkney Isles, off the North-East coast of Scotland. The distillery uses local Orcadian Peat, that mostly consists of Heather and other Plants. Only a limited amount of the Malt is dried with Peat though. Highland Park matures its spirits mainly in Ex-Sherry casks from both Spanish - and American Oak. HP is one of the few remaining distilleries that malts part of the Barley on their own malting floor. The HP 10 years was introduced in late 2012/early 2013. It is a limited expression that was initially released in 35 cl bottles in The Netherlands. Later these small bottles also became available in Germany, the United Kingdom and Denmark while a 75 cl bottle was released in Canada. The Spirit for this 10 Year old matured in a mixture of First-Fill and Re-Fill American Oak Ex-Sherry Casks. The average price for a 35 cl bottle is 25 US Dollars (July 2015).

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: A drinkable but pretty Standard Young Highland Park. The Nose is the best part. It reminds me of a plate of of Milk and Breakfast Cereals with added Fresh - and Dried Fruits. The Palate and Finish do not quite deliver what the Nose promises. Here I find this HP lacking in Depth and Consistency. It's all a bit Thin if you ask me. The "low" ABV does not help either. It's similar to the 12 Years but the 2 years do make a difference and my advice would be to stick with the 12 Years if you like this Flavour Profile.   

Jan van den Ende                                                                        July 2, 2015