Ardbeg Ardbog Review

“Beg and Bog but not really Big”

Country: Scotland

Region: Islay

Brand: Ardbeg Ardbog

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS  

ABV: 52.1%

Colour: Dark Amber (Natural Colour). The Manzanilla casks have worked their magic!

Nose: Initially, the Alcohol is quite strong so please give the Ardbog sufficient time in the glass to calm down. The Manzanilla casks certainly add a different dimension to the Ardbeg Spirit. I find Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, light Briny Coastal Peat, light Campfire Smoke, light Soot and Tar, light Iodine, Rubber, light Gasoline, Wet Sand, Dirt Road and light Ashes. When I say light I mean light when compared to other Ardbegs I have tasted. Besides these classic Aromas I also pick up Treacle, Charred Oak, Plum Jam, Citrus, Apple, Smoked Meat, Balsamic Vinegar, Sugared Tea, Dark Chocolate, Cinnamon, Pepper and Salt. The Alcohol is not fully integrated. I liked the experiment as such but on the Nose the Ardbog isn't quite as convincing as some personal favourites like Supernova or Uigeadail. Still, it's not bad either. After a while in the Glass I find a little hint of Cooked Vegetables that might hint at some Sulphur. It's nothing significant though.

Palate: A little Thinner than expected given the high ABV. There's still a Young and Edgy feel to the Ardbog although the Manzanilla Casks try to hide this fact. On the Palate, the Ardbog is quite Salty, Spicy, Nutty and Bitter-Sweet. I find Sweet Barley, Treacle, Toffee, Caramel, Dark Red Fruit, Grapefruit - and Orange Juice, Lemon, Apple, Dried Fruit, Almonds, Smoked Meat, Campfire Smoke, Dirty Peat, Soot, Tar, Cigar Ashes, Rubber, light Iodine, Charred Oak, Pepper, Salt, Dried Herbs, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Aniseed and Licorice.       

Finish: Quite Long, Salty, Spicy, Bitter-Sweet and Herbal. Dry towards the end. I find Sweet Barley, Caramel, Treacle, Campfire Smoke, Dirty Peat, Soot, Tar, Cigar Ashes, Lemon, Apple, Charred Oak, Almonds, Dark Chocolate, Espresso, Smoked Ham or Bacon, Smoked Paprika, Pepper, Salt, Cardamom and quite some Licorice.

I added a little Water and the Nose becomes Sweeter and more Herbal. Palate and Finish do not improve. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 86.5

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

General Remarks: The Ardbog is a Limited Edition that was launched in June 2013 during the Feis Ile Festival. It was especially produced for Ardbog Day (June 1st, 2013) and celebrates the very imported peat bogs on the island of Islay. It is basically a 10 Year Old Ardbeg that matured in Ex-Bourbon Casks and was vatted with some Ardbeg that matured in Ex-Manzanilla Sherry Casks. It was bottled on or near Cask Strength and without Chill-Filtration. Prices vary a lot from place to place but are usually in the 140/250 US Dollar range (February 2016). That's quite expensive for a 10 Year old Malt.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I'm not quite sure what to do with this Ardbog. On the one hand, it's much better than a lot of stuff that appears on the market these days. But on the other hand it is a young Ardbeg although the Manzanilla casks do their best to hide that from us. And as a young Ardbeg it's certainly overpriced when compared to the 10 and the Uigeadail. I also believe that the name is slightly misleading as you would expect the Ardbog to be a Smoky Peat Monster while in fact it's not. Saltbog or Chilibog would have been much more accurate as these Aromas and Flavours are quite present as is the Licorice. But I have to admit that Ardbog is a much nicer and more commercial name. If I sum it all up, I find it quite interesting to see what the Manzanilla casks do with the relatively young Ardbeg Spirit. The Ardbog is a good Single Malt but not great like the Uigeadail or the Supernova. And for sure too expensive!

Jan van den Ende                                                               February 25, 2016

Clynelish 1995 (Dewar Rattray) Review

    “Pleasant, yet Forgettable”

Country: Scotland

Region: Northern Highlands 

Brand: Clynelish 1995 (Bottler - Dewar Rattray)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 17 Years

ABV: 45.2%

Colour: Pale White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose: Relatively Light. Colour and Nose make it clear that Ex-Sherry Cask 4630 wasn't a very active one. I would have expected more depth after 17 years! On the Nose, this Clynelish is quite Floral, Grassy and Mineral. I also find Buttered Toast, Bread Dough, Candle Wax, Sweet Apple, Chardonnay Wine, Lemon Peel, Mandarin Juice, Vanilla, Milk Chocolate bars with Nuts and Raisins, Oak and Herbs. Very fresh for a 17 Years old. The Alcohol is reasonably well-integrated.  

Taste: Sweet and Slightly Sour with Sweet Barley, Candle Wax, Buttered Toast, Mandarin, Lemon, Sweet Apple, Grass, Oak, Vanilla, Grappa, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Salted Licorice, Milk Chocolate and Mustard. This is the second time I pick up Mustard in a Clynelish.    

Finish: Middle-Long. Sweet, Sour and Fruity at first. Dry and Spicy towards the end. I find Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Mandarin Juice, Grapefruit Juice, Oak, Pine Resin, Lemon, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger and light Licorice.   

I only had a very small sample so I just Nosed and Tasted it neat.

Rating: 84 

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21

General Remarks: The Single Cask Clynelish I'm tasting today was distilled on the 14th of June 1995. It matured in a Sherry Hogshead with Cask # 4630 and was bottled by Indie Bottler Dewar Rattray for The Specialists' Choice (NL) on the 17th of April 2013. It was not Chill-Filtered before bottling. It might be hard to find but it was for sale at around 75 US Dollars last time I saw it.

The Clynelish Distillery was opened in 1819 and rebuilt in 1896. In 1968 a new Clynelish Distillery was erected nearby and the old Distillery was renamed Brora (The Bridges River). Brora was closed in May 1983 and part of the buildings are used by Clynelish, now owned by Diageo. A lot of the production is destined to be part of the JW Blends.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: This 1995 Clynelish is a relatively simple Single Malt. It's Fresh and Clean for its age and should be enjoyed as an Aperitif. There's nothing really wrong with it except for the fact that, in my opinion, 17 years in an Ex-Sherry cask should have given it more Depth and Complexity. In this case I must blame the cask rather than the Spirit. If you're a Clynelish fan and like the described Aroma and Flavour profile you should give it a try if you can find it as it's not really expensive for a 17 Years old. If you like Sherry bombs however you should leave this Malt alone. As for me, I found this Clynelish pleasant but forgettable.   

Jan van den Ende                                                                February 22, 2016

Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Review

    “Saddle Your Horses”

Country: USA

Brand: Bulleit Frontier Whiskey

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 

Age: NAS (Said to be around 6 Years)

ABV: 45%

Colour: Light Copper with a dash of Orange.

Nose: The first impressions include Artificially Fruit-Flavoured Bubblegum and Glue. That's not a great start and I decide to give the Bulleit more time in the glass. After an additional hour or so I put my curious nose to work again. The extra air contact certainly helped although hints of the above mentioned Aromas are still there. But I also find Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Charred Oak, Toffee, Sweet Red Apples, light Corn Syrup, Sugar coated Nuts, Orange, Cinnamon, Fresh Mint and some Floral tones I can't quite place. It's Sweet but not overly so thanks to the relatively high Rye content. After a while I get images of saddling a horse. It might be Leather but it's not just that. Odd! The Alcohol is not fully integrated.

Taste: The Delivery, while Hot Sharp and Spicy, is nevertheless a bit on the Thin side. The Rye is very noticeable though and the overall Flavour profile is Bitter- Sweet and Spicy. I find Sweet Corn, Vanilla, Caramel, light Syrup, Charred Oak,

Orange, Sugared Nuts, Red Apple, Cinnamon, Pepper, light Menthol and hints of Leather, Bitter Chocolate and Floral Soap. 

Finish: Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet. Dry towards the end. The Rye Spices are quite evident as well as the Cherries and the slightly Metallic Alcohol Burn. I also find Sweet Corn, Charred Oak, light Menthol, Toffee, Dusty Road, Vanilla, Floral Soap, Sugared Nuts and Orange Liqueur.

The Bulleit Frontier Whiskey does not improve with added Water.  

Rating: 84.5 

Nose: 22 – Taste: 21 – Finish: 20.5 – Overall: 21

General Remarks: The original Bulleit was distilled between 1830 and 1860 by Augustus Bulleit. Only in 1987 the Brand was revived by Thomas E. Bulleit Jr., a great-great-grandson of Augustus. The new mash bill consists of Corn (68%), Rye (28%) and Malted Barley (4%). A Bulleit Distillery does not exist. At least until 2010 the Spirit was produced at the Four Roses Distillery. But Diageo, the owner of the Bulleit Brand since 2010, sold Four Roses to the Kirin Group. It's likely that at least a large part of the Spirit used for Bulleit is still produced at Four Roses but no one knows for sure. In the future, Bulleit will be produced in the new Diageo distillery that is being constructed in Shelbyville , Kentucky as we speak. Production is expected to start still this year. What we do know for sure is that all Bulleit Whiskey matures in the old Stitzel-Weller warehouses in Louisville. The Bulleit Frontier Whiskey is priced between 25 and 45 US Dollars, depending on where you live (February 2016).

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good. I would love to see it a little Sweeter but I'm afraid they won't change the Mash Bill just for me!

Bulleit 40% ABV

In 2008, Bulleit was launched in the UK market. It was bottled at a lower ABV of 40% however. I tasted a sample that I bought at Master of Malt. As Bulleit is produced in relatively Small Batches, the quality may vary of course. Fact is I did not like it a lot. I'm not sure if it was just this sample but I got lots of Young Oak, Varnish, Alcohol and Cooked Vegetables on the Nose. On the Palate and in the Finish it was Thin, Dusty, Metallic and Mineral without pleasant Aromas. Like I said, it may have been just a bad Sample or a bad Batch. To avoid any risks however I would advise you to go for the 90 Proof only.  

Conclusion: A decent everyday Bourbon, especially if you like Rye Whiskey. Just be sure to give it some time in the glass when you have just opened your bottle for the first time. The Nose is the best part of the Bulleit and I'm still wondering why I got images of Saddling a horse! On the other hand, Whiskey and Horses were a common sight in the Wild Wild West! On the Palate and in the Finish the Bulleit is Bitter-Sweet, Spicy and a little Hot & Sharp. And there are a couple of slightly Artificial Aromas and Flavours that I don't care for too much. However, if my notes are in line with your preferred Bourbon profile you can't go wrong with Bulleit, especially when you can buy it at around 25 bucks. However, if you, like me, prefer your everyday Bourbon a little Sweeter I would like to recommend Wild Turkey 101 or Maker's Mark. 

Jan van den Ende                                                              February 18, 2016

Scallywag Small Batch and Scallywag Cask Strength Review

“Who Let The Dogs Out”

Country: Scotland 

Region: Speyside

Brand: Scallywag (Small Batch)

Bottled by/for: Douglas Laing, Glasgow

Type: Blended Malt Whisky

Age: NAS 

ABV: 46%

Colour: Golden Amber (Natural Colour) 

Nose: The Sherry influence is there but it's a bit Dusty and Tired, almost Stale. 

I suspect that many older Refill casks went in the mix. I also believe that the heart of this Blend is formed by Glenrothes. On the Nose, this Scallywagg is mostly Sweet although it's got some Sour, Herbal, Spicy and Metallic notes as well. I find Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Toast with Margarine, Toasted Barley, Nuts, Straw, Toffee, Vanilla, Treacle, Dried Fruit, Overripe Apple, Citrus, Cherry Flavoured Candies, Floral tones, Chocolate, Tobacco, Dusty Road, Ginger, light Pepper, Cinnamon and other Christmas Spices. The Spirit is still Young and the Alcohol is not fully integrated. After a while I get some Heather-Honey as well. It's not bad but it's a bit of a mixed bag without sufficient balance.

Palate: Malty and Quite Spicy. Much more so than the Nose would want you to believe. Less Sweet as well and a bit Sour. It's a Scallywag indeed! I find Toffee, Toasted Barley, Caramel, Dried Fruits (Raisins), Vanilla, Refill Oak, Orange Peel, Tobacco, Dried Herbs, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cardamom, Apple Sauce, Cherry Flavoured Candies and Chocolate.      

Finish: Short, Bitter-Sweet, Spicy, Herbal and slightly Sour. I find Sugared Cereals, Malt, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Dried Fruit, Green Apple, Tobacco, Licorice, Menthol, Charred Refill Oak, Alcohol, Pepper, Ginger, Cardamom, Herbal Tea, Citrus Peel, Nuts and Dark Chocolate. A bit Edgy and Dry towards the end. 

I added a bit of Water but the Scallywag Small Batch does not improve that way. It's a bit more Floral on the Nose and with some extra (Wood) Spice on the Palate. 

Rating: 80.5

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good 

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Country: Scotland 

Region: Speyside

Brand: Scallywag Cask Strength (Limited Edition # 1)

Bottled by/for: Douglas Laing, Glasgow

Type: Blended Malt Whisky

Age: NAS 

ABV: 53.6%

Colour: Dark Gold (Natural Colour)

Nose: Although the Nose of the CS is not significantly different from the Small Batch it does become clear that selected casks were used for this quite Limited Edition. The Sherry notes are once again clear but this time with less Sour notes. And no Metals around. Glenrothes still dominates with its Nutty and Spicy character. I find Buttered Toast with Peach Marmalade, Toasted Barley, Nuts, Straw, Caramel, Vanilla, Marzipan, Espresso, Dried Fruit, Honey, Orange, Cherry Flavoured Candies, Floral tones, Milk Chocolate, Tobacco, Salt, Ginger, Nutmeg, Pepper, Cinnamon and Cloves. The Spirit is still Young and the Alcohol is not fully integrated. Despite this, the CS leaves a more balanced impression than the Small Batch.  

Palate: Sherry and Spices. The Macallan makes itself known. Again, the heavy Spices come as a surprise after the Nose. I find Toasted Barley, Roasted Nuts, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla, Dried Fruit, Apple Sauce, Chocolate, Dried Herbs, Oak, Alcohol, Orange Peel, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg and Cardamom.     

Finish: Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet, Spicy, Herbal and slightly Sour. I find Cereals, Malt, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Dried Fruit, Green Apple, Tobacco, Chocolate, Licorice, Menthol, Charred Refill Oak, Alcohol, Pepper, Ginger, Cardamom, Dried Herbs, Citrus Peel, Marzipan and Dark Chocolate.

I added a bit of Water and you get more Tobacco and Spices on the Nose. Almost like an After Shave with those characteristics. The Palate and Finish become Sweeter and the Chocolate notes become stronger. There is certainly room to play with a bit of Water. 

Rating: 84

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

General Remarks: The name of this Blended Malt was inspired by the long line of Fox Terriers owned by the Laing family through the years. Fox Terriers are known for being Sweet and Mischievous at the same time. It was launched in 2013 and forms part of a series of four called Remarkable Regional Malts that covers the Highlands (Timorous Beastie), Speyside (Scallywag), Islay (Big Peat) and the Islands (Rock Oyster). The Scallywag CS was launched as a Limited Edition in 2015. Only 6000 bottles went to the market. It is not Chill-Filtered and contains Single Malt from a/o Glenrothes, Macallan and Mortlach. It matured in a mix of Refill Ex-Bourbon Hogsheads and Refill Ex-Sherry Butts. It sells at an average 70 US Dollars (February 2016).

Drinking Experience Neat: Good  

Conclusion: The presentation of the Scallywag is certainly original. It's funny to see that the Fox Terrier on the CS Packaging has wide open eyes and looks more confident than the one pictured on the Box and Bottle of the Small Batch. That surely is representative for the two Blended Malts. The CS is stronger and more balanced than the Small Batch and has less Off-Notes. It's clear to me that selected casks were used to compose the CS. When compared Head-to-Head, the CS is the clear winner although it's quite expensive for such a young Whisky. The main difference is that the Small Batch comes close to being a young Glenrothes in disguise that matured in indifferent Refill Casks. The CS clearly benefits from being composed of selected casks. It makes this Blend more balanced and gives the Macallan more room to shine. So despite the price difference my advice is to stick with the CS if you can afford it and leave the Small Batch alone.   

Jan van den Ende                                                               February 14, 2016