Auchentoshan 1998 CWC Review

“Another One Bites The Dust”

Country: Scotland

Region: Lowlands 

Brand: Auchentoshan 1998 (Creative Whisky Company - The Exclusive Malts)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 13 Years

ABV: 56,5 %

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: The Auchentoshan 1998 is a Single Malt of course but at first I get an Aroma that is similar to a Single Grain Whisky. After a while the Nose opens up and Fruity and Flowery notes pop up. I'm quite sure this Spirit matured in an Ex-Bourbon Cask. I find Barley and Cereals in general, Butterkekse, Straw, Oak, Grass, Vanilla, Dusty Road, Perfumed Soap, Nectarine, Pineapple, Lemon and a sprinkle of Cinnamon. The Nose is a bit timid. The Alcohol is not fully integrated.

Taste: Orchard Fruit, Perfumed Soap, Toffee, light Vanilla, Straw, Grass, Grain, Dried Herbs, light Licorice, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Oak and Lemon. The ABV seems to be a bit high for this Spirit.

Finish: Middle-Long and Edgy with Dried Herbs, Oak, Toffee, Pepper, Ginger Powder and a hint of Varnish.  

I added a few drops of Water and on the Nose I get some Peach and extra Barley. Palate and Finish do not benefit from the added Water 

Rating: 80.5  

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 20

General Remarks: The Auchentoshan 1998 CWC I'm tasting today was distilled on the 2nd of December 1998 and matured in Cask # 102387. This Single Cask Malt was bottled at Cask Strength in 2012 by Indie Bottler CWC (The Creative Whisky Company) in their Exclusive Malts series. It is Uncoloured and not Chill- Filtered. It sells at around 70 US Dollars (July 2015). 

The Auchentoshan distillery was founded in 1823 and is located in Dalmuir, close to Glasgow. It exchanged hands a couple of times before being bought by Morrison (Bowmore) in 1984. Morrison of course was bought by Suntory from Japan in 1994. From then on the distillery has become very popular again. It's one of the few remaining Lowland distilleries and it's the only Scottish one that maintains triple distillation.

The Creative Whisky Company was founded in 2005 by David Kirk, a whisky connoisseur and writer. CWC specialises in Scottish Single Cask Malt Whiskies. All casks are selected by David himself. The expressions in the Exclusive Malt series are all bottled at Cask Strength. Every year only around 20 casks are selected to become an Exclusive Malt.  

Drinking Experience Neat: Average

Conclusion: Auchentoshan is not one of my favourite distilleries so far. And this 1998 CWC bottling does nothing to change my mind. The Nose is okay with Fruits, Cereals and Perfume but Palate and Finish don't impress me at all with lots of Herbs and Spicy Oak and a hint of Varnish. The Alcohol is very present everywhere. This spirit would probably benefit from a slightly lower ABV. A lot of people like this Distillery so perhaps the problem lies with me. But I would not dream of spending 70 US Dollars or so on a Malt like this. Just let me know any Auchentoshan expressions you would recommend!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 20, 2015

Jameson 2015 Review

“King Without A Crown”

Country: Ireland

Brand: Jameson
Type: Blended Irish Whiskey

Age: NAS. The distillery puts it around 7 Years.

Alcohol: 40%

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: Light and Sweet but not unpleasant with Sweet Grains, Toasted Oak, Barley, Buttered Toast, Resin, Toffee, Honey, light Vanilla, light Sherry, Orange Marmalade, Canned Peach, Roasted Nuts, Hay, Dried Herbs, Cinnamon and Ginger. There is a light Metallic Note in the back and the Alcohol is not at all integrated. I noticed that I'm better able now to describe exactly what I'm smelling when I compare my notes with my earlier Review from October 2011. The scoring for the Nose remains the same though. 

Taste: Sweet Sugared Grains, Toast, Resin, Refill Oak, slightly Bitter Nuts, Hay, Pear Drops, slightly Sour Orange Juice, Herbal Tea, Toffee, light Vanilla, light Honey, Alcohol, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger and a hint of Milk Chocolate. 

Finish: Middle-Long. The Alcohol burns a bit. I find Sweet Grains, Butterscotch, Toffee, light Vanilla, light Honey, Refill Oak, Dusty Road, Nuts, Cinnamon and Pepper. It's a little Bitter towards the end.

Rating: 78.5

Nose: 20.5 – Taste: 19.5 – Finish: 19 – Overall: 19.5

Stills at the Old Jameson Distillery Museum

General Remarks: The Old Jameson distillery was founded in 1780. Today this Whiskey is produced at the Middleton Distillery. This Blend contains both Malt - and Grain Whiskey and matures in a mix of Ex-Bourbon, Ex-Sherry and Ex-Port Casks. Jameson is Triple-Distilled and it's the best selling Irish Whiskey world-wide. It's not expensive at around 30 US Dollars per bottle. (July 2015).

No need to add Water to this Blend. 

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Okay 

Conclusion: The good thing about the Jameson Standard Expression is that it’s not an expensive Whiskey. It’s also slightly better in my opinion than most of the cheaper Scottish blends such as Johnny Walker Red Label, White Horse, Grant’s Family Reserve, Ballantine’s Finest, Chivas 12 Years and Dewar’s White Label. So it scores high when it comes to value for money. On the other hand, I like to see things happen in a Whiskey and that’s not the case here. Too much Sweet Grain, Toffee, Refill Wood, Resin, Alcohol and Spices and very little else. But if you're looking for a cheap and reasonable Blend you might give it a chance. I actually slightly increased the final rating when compared to 2011. This is mainly the result of the fact that my Palate has developed over the years and I am more able to detect Flavours and Aromas. Still, it's a pity that lots of people measure Irish Whiskey on the basis of this Jameson. Whatta Mistake to Make! Please try some Red Breast or Green Spot and you'll know what I mean. Then you'll realise that the Jameson Standard is merely a King Without a Crown!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 17, 2015

PS: I tasted Jameson again on April 21, 2017. No changes to the score and/or the notes.

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