Haig Gold Label Review

“Another One Bites The Dust”

Country: Scotland 

Brand: Haig Gold Label

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS 

ABV: 40 %

Colour: Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Despite the 40% Malt content, the Grain Whisky is quite present on the Nose. Haig Gold Label is both Sweet and Sour with Sugared Cereals, Toast and Margarine, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Refill Oak, Nut Shells, Mandarin Juice, Lemon Peel, Grass, Straw, Sour Apples, White Grapes, light Heather-Honey, Peanut Butter and distant hints of Burnt Tyres and Dried Apricot. The Alcohol is not fully integrated.    

Palate: Sugary Sweet and Watery with Sugared Cereals, Caramel, Toffee, very light Vanilla, Nut Shells, Refill Oak, light Citrus, Grass, Straw and hints of Thin Coconut Milk and Cold Smoke.  

Finish: Short, Bitter-Sweet, Edgy and Sharp with Sugared Cereals, Caramel, Toffee, Straw, Nut Shells, Lemon, Refill Oak, Grain Alcohol, Pepper and distant Cold Smoke. There's something Artificial about the Finish that I can't quite place.

Haig Gold Label does not accept Water very well. Everything just gets watered down.

Rating: 73

Nose: 19 - Taste: 18 - Finish: 17,5 - Overall: 18.5

General Remarks: Haig Whisky is one of the oldest whiskies in the world and was first distilled by John Haig in 1824 in Cameronbridge in Scotland. It was very popular until some 40 years ago when it left the Haig Family Ownership. After exchanging hands a couple of times it is nowadays owned by Diageo and the brand name is gaining popularity again with the Gold, Dimple and Pinch Blends as well as the Haig Club Single Grain. Haig Gold is made of some 30-40 whiskies and contains 40% Malt a/o from Linkwood, Glenkinchie, Cragganmore, Knockdhu, Mannochmore and Glenlossie. The Malt whiskies used for Haig Gold matured in Refill Ex-Bourbon casks from Kentucky. It's reasonably cheap and usually priced in the 25 to 30 US Dollars range.    

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average.

Conclusion: Whisky is very expensive these days and unfortunately many people can't afford to drink good Single Malts on a regular basis. So they are either forced to drink Bottom Shelf Blends like this Haig Gold Label or will consider Bourbon or other Alcoholic Beverages like Vodka or Gin. To me, Bourbon is still the best option. The main reason is the wood used to mature Whiskies that go into blends like Haig Gold. We know that over 70% of the taste of Whisky comes from the cask. And Refill casks that have been used many times simply don't have much interesting Aromas and Flavours left to give to the Spirit. As a result Haig Gold Label and many of its peers are simply not good enough to sip neat. It doesn't give you any pleasure. On the Rocks or Mixed are the alternatives. I have tasted many standard Scottish Blends in the meantime but I always come back to JW Black as it has the best Price/Quality ratio as far as I'm concerned.

Jan van den Ende                                                                    March 28, 2016

Glenkinchie

Linkwood 1995 (Anam Na H-Alba) Review

“Strawberry Fields Forever”

Country: Scotland

Brand: Linkwood 1995 (Anam Na H-Alba)

Region: Speyside

Type: Single Malt

Age: 17 Years

ABV: 51.1%
Sample provided by Tom from Germany. Many Thanks!

Colour: Light White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose: Light, Sweet, Malty, Fruity and Floral. I find Sweet Barley, Grass, Straw, Yeast, Heather Honey, Vanilla, Fresh Herbs, Green Apple, Strawberry Flavoured Yogurt, light Citrus, Caramel, Buttered Toast, light Spices, Bourbon, Marzipan, light Oak and Almonds. Quite Clean and Fresh for a 17 Year old Malt. The Wood and Alcohol are noticeable but nicely integrated. I would have liked to find a bit more complexity though.

Taste: A combination of Sweet, slightly Bitter and Sour Flavours. I find Sweet Barley, Grass, Caramel, Vanilla, Almonds, Orange, Green Apple, Strawberry, Floral Perfume, Butter, Aniseed, Pepper, light Licorice, light Ginger, Cardamom and Oak.

Finish: Quite Long. Bitter-Sweet and Sour at first. Dry towards the end. I find Sweet Barley, Grass, Floral Perfume, Lemon, Green Apple, Grapefruit Juice, Orange Juice, Strawberry Ice Cream, Aniseed, light Licorice, Ginger, Pepper and Oak.  

I added a few drops of Water and on the Nose the Floral notes develop. Palate and Finish do not show significant changes but you can certainly add a little Water to this Linkwood.

Rating: 85

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

Picture Credit: Whiskyraritaeten and More DE

General Remarks: The Linkwood Distillery was built in Elgin in 1821. A second facility was constructed in Linkwood in 1971. The old distillery went out of production in 1985. It reopened in 1990 but produces only during a couple of months per year. Today it is part of the Diageo Group. Most of the production is destined for Blends like Bell's, Haig and White Horse. The Linkwood Single Cask 17 Years I'm tasting today was distilled on June 5, 1995. It matured in an Ex-Bourbon Hogshead with Cask # 7126 and was bottled at Cask Strength for Independent bottler Anam Na H-Alba from Germany. No Chill Filtration took place. Average price: Around 80 US Dollars. It won't be easy to find though!

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: It's not everyday that I come across a 17 Year old Linkwood Malt. So I was really looking forward to tasting this Anam Na H-Alba expression. And I must say that the Linkwood did not disappoint. The Nose is Pleasant albeit it a bit Modest. A few drops of Water help to develop it a little more. On the Palate and in the Finish two Flavours require special attention namely Strawberry and Aniseed. Not an obvious combination but somehow it works. When I add it all together I conclude that this 1995 Linkwood is a good but not spectacular Malt. The price/quality ratio is about right. It's not a whisky I would care to drink on a regular basis but it's interesting enough to sip from time to time. 

Jan van den Ende                                                                   March 21, 2016

Bunnahabhain 1991 (Berry Bros & Rudd) Review

“Restrained Power”

Country: Scotland

Region: Islay

Brand: Bunnahabhain 1991 (Berry Bros & Rudd - Berry's Own Selection) 

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 20 Years

ABV: 46.1 %

Colour: Golden Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose: Sweet and Discrete. Very Light Peat and Smoke in the background. The Alcohol is not totally integrated. I find Sweet Barley, Butterkekse, Grass, Hay, Toffee, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Orchard Fruit, Melon Juice, light Mandarin, Oak, Toasted and Salted Nuts, light Spices and hints of Marzipan, Chocolate and Banana-Flavoured Candies. It's remarkably Fresh for a 20 Year Old Single Malt. The bottle does not state in what type of Cask this Bunnahabhain matured but I'm pretty sure it was a good, medium-toasted Ex-Bourbon barrel. It's a very clean and pleasant nose but I would have expected more complexity after 20 Years in the cask.   

Palate: Sweet, moderately Spicy and a little Waxy. Good Balance. Still quite Fresh although the Oak is there of course. I find Sweet Toasted Barley, Grass, Straw, Vanilla, Toffee, Apple, Banana, Melon, Mandarin, Herbs, Salted Nuts, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Mint and a touch of Smoke and Licorice. The Alcohol is nicely integrated at this stage.
      

Finish: Middle-Long, Malty, Creamy and moderately Spicy. Dry towards the end. The quality Oak is more noticeable now but it certainly does not dominate. I find Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Toffee, Straw, fresh Herbs, Apple, Melon, ripe Banana, Mandarin, creamy Milk Chocolate, Pepper, a little Salt, Cardamom, Licorice and Cinnamon. The faintest hint of Smoke gives some support.
  

I only had a small sample and just smelled and tasted it neat.

Rating: 86.5  

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

General Remarks: The Single Cask Bunnahabhain I'm tasting today was distilled in 1991. It matured for 20 years in Cask # 5525 and was bottled at CS in 2012 by Indie Bottler Berry Bros. & Rudd. It is Non Chill-Filtered and is sold at around 90 US Dollars.

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.

Drinking Experience Neat: Very Nice.  

Conclusion: I really enjoyed this Bunnahabhain, especially on the Palate. The Nose is pleasant but quite discrete given its age. It's on the Palate that this Malt shows its hand. Not overly complex but well-balanced and with a restrained Power. Quite liked it. The Finish is still good but the Oak is more noticeable by now. If you can find it at 90 US Dollars you can safely buy it. You won't regret it. This Bunnahabhain shows that Islay Whisky can be so much more than just Iodine, Peat, Tar and Brine. Well done! 

Jan van den Ende                                                                    March 17, 2016

Visit May 2014 (Closed Unfortunately)

Old Pulteney 8 Years (Gordon & MacPhail) Review

“Tutti Frutti (Oh Rudy)”

Country: Scotland

Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Old Pulteney 
Matured and Bottled by: Gordon & MacPhail, Elgin

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 8 Years

ABV: 40%

Colour: Golden Amber

Nose: Medium Sweet, Malty, Waxy and a little Musty. I find Toasted Barley, Dried Fruit (Apricot and Raisins), Orange Peel, Honey, Salted Nuts, light Vanilla, Toffee, Grass, Fresh Herbs, Pencil Shavings, Pastry, Pepper and light Cinnamon. I also notice underneath it all a light Smoky note that somehow reminds me of Burnt Nut Shells. The Alcohol is not fully integrated. Uncomplicated Nose. Malt, Honey and Salt are the main drivers. I don't know if other reviewers do this as well but I always pour a few drops of the Whisky on my hands and then rub my palms together. In the case of this Old Pulteney you can enjoy the wonderful smell of German Butterkekse (Butter Biscuits) and a little Pineapple this way. Give it a try next time! 

Taste: Slightly Thin delivery. Bitter-Sweet and Salty. I find Toasted Barley, Dried Fruit (Apricot and Raisins), Orange Peel, Resin, Wood Shavings, Vanilla, Tutti-Frutti Gum, Salted Nuts, Floral notes, Pepper, Mint and Licorice.   

Finish: Middle-Long, a little Thin, Bitter Sweet and Malty with Toasted Barley, Salted Nuts, Orange Peel, Raisins, light Coconut, light Vanilla, Tutti-Frutti Gum, Toasted Oak, Pepper and Licorice.  

I added a little Water and on the Nose I find some more Apricot. Palate and Finish become too Thin. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 84 

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

General Remarks: 

The Old Pulteney Distillery was founded in 1826 in Wick by James Henderson but was rebuilt in 1958. Over the years it changed hands many times but since 2006 it's owned by Thai Beverages PLC. The core range of the distillery consists of the 12, the 17, the 21 and the 35 Years old. In August 2013, Old Pulteney launched the NAS Lighthouse series, originally for the Travel Retail shops only. There are 3 Non Chill-Filtered expressions, all named after lighthouses around Wick. The Noss Head matures in Ex-Bourbon Casks, the Duncansby Head in a mix of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry Casks and the Pentland Skerries in Ex-Sherry Casks. The latter was replaced by the Dunnet Head in 2015. Today however I'm tasting an 8 Year Old Old Pulteney that was matured and bottled by Gordon & MacPhail, the independent bottler from Elgin. It's been around for quite a while in their Distillery Labels range. It matured in Refill Ex-Bourbon casks and is not really expensive. The average price is around 35 US Dollars.  

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: The Old Pulteney 8 Years by G&M is a young and uncomplicated Highlander. It's absolutely drinkable but not overly complex. Malt, Honey, Orange and various Salty flavours are the main drivers along with some Wood, Spices and a very clear Tutti-Frutti Chewing Gum flavour in the Finish. Still, I liked it better than the standard 12 Years Distillery Bottling. It's much Cleaner and less Musty. I'm pretty sure that Wood Management is the deciding factor here. If you're looking for a good and relatively cheap and simple everyday Highland Whisky you could certainly consider this Old Pulteney expression. If you prefer depth and complexity however, you should look elsewhere! 

Jan van den Ende                                                                   March 14, 2016

Talisker Skye Review

“Middle of the Road”

Country: Scotland

Region: Highland (Island: Skye)

Brand: Talisker Skye

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS

ABV: 45.8%

Colour: Bright Gold with a touch of Orange (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Be sure to give the Skye some time in the glass as the Alcohol is very present at first. This is obviously a Young Whisky and most of the Aromas are still underdeveloped. I find Dirty Earth, light Smoke, light Soot, light Ashes, Pencil Shavings, Charred Oak, Sweet Cereals, slightly Burnt Toast, Salted Butter, Toffee, Treacle, Honey, Vanilla, light Medicinal and Floral notes, Light Leather, Unripe Bananas, Citrus, Pepper, Ginger and Nutmeg. A distant hint of Fish on the BBQ. Even after half an hour in the glass the Alcohol remains strong. If this is your first Talisker you might actually like this. If you love the 10 and 18 Years however you will be quite disappointed. The Sky is Young, Sweet and does not pack the same Punch.

Taste: A slightly Thin delivery despite the adequate ABV. The Smoke is more noticeable now and and so are Salt and Spices. I find Sweet Barley, Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Campfire Smoke, Dirty Earth, Wet Grass, Ashes, light Soot, Caramel, Honey, Vanilla, Charred Oak, Unripe Fruit (Apple, Banana), Citrus, Pepper, Salt, Nutmeg and Ginger. Distant hints of Bitter Chocolate and Salted Nuts.   

Finish: Middle-Long, Spicy and Ashy. Quite Dry actually. The Alcohol remains present until the very end. I find Malted Cereals, light Smoke, Charred Oak, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla, slightly Bitter Orange Juice, Pepper, Salt, Licorice and Ginger. Images of Wet Rock and Wet Sand.    

I added a little Water and on the Nose the Smoke becomes more noticeable. I get a little Bitter Chocolate as well. Palate and Finish become too Thin. Better sip it Neat. 

Rating: 83.5 

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

General Remarks: The Talisker distillery is located in Carbost on the shores of Loch Harport on the Isle of Skye. It was founded in 1830 by Hugh and Kenneth MacAskill and produces around 3 million litres of Alcohol per year. It is part of the Diageo Group. The Talisker Skye was released in early 2015 as a Sweeter and Mellower Alternative to the Rougher, Spicy Expressions like the 10 Years. The Skye matured in a mix of refill and toasted American Oak Casks. The Toasted Casks are used to increase the Sweetness. It costs around 50 US Dollars on average but in some places you can get it for as little as 30 US Dollars (March 2016).

Drinking Experience Neat: Good  

Conclusion: After having tasted the Storm, the Port Ruighe and the Skye it's now time to evaluate these recent Talisker NAS expressions although I must admit I haven't tasted the Dark Storm as yet. Let me start by saying that all three of them aren't bad Single Malts. They are actually quite drinkable. But I have two problems with them. The first is the lack of age. No way, this can be compensated or masked by a higher ABV. In fact, the Alcohol is overly present and the Aromas and Flavours are underdeveloped. The second problem is even worse. All these NAS expressions are aimed to please the mainstream Whisky public. Therefore they steer away from the original Talisker Distillery profile. As a result you get Middle of the Road Whisky accompanied by a nice little Story and modern attractive Packaging. True Talisker fans however will miss the sheer Punch of the 10 Years and the rounded balance of the 18 Years and some of the Distillers Editions. Let's hope that the market circumstances will change again over time. If not, you won't be able anymore to taste the differences between say Caol Ila and Talisker in 10 years from now. And that would be a great pity! 

Jan van den Ende                                                                   March 10, 2016

Springbank 15 Years Review

“Older But Not Wiser”

Country: Scotland

Brand: Springbank

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Campbeltown

Age: 15 Years

Alcohol: 46%

Colour: Light Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose: Sweet, Fruity, Floral, Waxy and a bit Musty. I detect a very light Sulphur note but it's nothing serious. It's not really an overwhelming Nose and the Alcohol is quite present. I find slightly Burnt Toast, Toasted Cereals, Sawdust, Straw, Salted Nuts, Brown Sugar, Toffee, Tobacco, light Leather, Green Apple, Papaya, light Pineapple, Dried Fruit (Raisins and Apricot), Citrus, light Honey, Syrup, Starch, Wet Cardboard, Varnish and light Spices. Most of the Aromas are mere hints. In the background I find a very light Earthy Peat. On the Nose, the 15 Years is not really my kind of thing. I liked the 10 Years a lot better.    

Palate: Here, the Mild Smoke, Dry Peat and Sulphur are more noticeable. On the Palate, this Springbank is Bitter Sweet, slightly Sour and Spicy with Toasted Barley, Nuts, Cereals, Lemon, Grapefruit Juice, Papaya, Melon, light Leather, Tobacco, Dried Fruit, Oak, Ashes, Dried Herbs, Aniseed, Menthol, Pepper, light Licorice and Nutmeg. Again, the Alcohol is quite present.   

Finish: Bitter-Sweet, slightly Sour, Nutty, Spicy and Dry with Malt, Nuts, Cocoa Powder, light Peat and Smoke, Tobacco, light Ashes, light Leather, Salt, Pepper, Cardamom, Oak, Alcohol, Dried Herbs, Menthol and Licorice.

Rating: 83

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

I added a couple of drops of water and the Nose becomes Fruity and Floral. On the Palate, Oak, Peat Smoke, Malt, Fruit and Spices are a bit more Balanced. The Finish becomes Short and Boring. Still, there's room to play with a little Water.

General Remarks: The Campbeltown region is the most southerly point on the west coast of Scotland. Today only three distilleries remain in the area namely Springbank, Glengyle and Glen Scotia. Springbank is the only distillery left in Scotland that malts all its Barley. The whisky is distilled 2,5 times. The distillery also produces Hazelburn and Longrow. The latter two each represent around 10% of the production. A lot of Springbank Spirit is used for the Campbeltown Loch Blend. The core range of the distillery includes the 10,15,18 and 21 Years as well as a 12-Year-Old CS. The average price of the 15 Years is around 80 US Dollars but it can get as high as 140 US Dollars depending on where you live. It matures in Ex-Oloroso Sherry Casks and is not Chill-Filtered. 

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: I bought this Miniature bottle a couple of years ago. Most likely it was bottled in 2006/2007. The impression I have is that quite a lot of Refill Casks were used to mature this 15 Years. The Sherry notes are there but they are not very clear. I must admit I had high hopes when I started the Tasting Session, as I really liked the 10 Years that I reviewed some years ago. But I'm quite disappointed to be honest. Five extra years in refill casks didn't serve the Spirit well. I find the 15 Years to be lacking in confidence and I miss balance as well. It's a bit of an expensive weird mixed bag of Sweet, Bitter and Sour. As such I can't really recommend it. I'm sure there are quite a lot of people who will like this expression as Springbank has got some cult status worldwide. But I'll stick with the 10 Years for the time being! 

Jan van den Ende                                                                   March 3, 2016