Clynelish 1997 (Chester) Review

“Messy, But Somehow It Works”

Country: Scotland
Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Clynelish 

Bottled By/For: Chester Whisky & Liqueur Company Ltd, Chester (UK)
Type: Single Malt Whisky (Single Cask) 
Age: 15 Years 

ABV: 53.2% 
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 581
Buying Advice: 😃  Positive. Interesting! Adequate Price/Quality Ratio.

Colour: Golden Chardonnay (Natural Colour) 

Nose: Ripe Fruit, Green - and Cooked Vegetables and Fresh Herbs are my first impressions. The typical Clynelish Wax is there as well and it's slightly aggressive this time around. I also find Malt, Buttered Toast, Straw and Grass, Heather-Honey, Orange, Lemon, Pineapple in Syrup, Banana, White Grape Juice, Vanilla, Mango, Green Tomato, light Pepper, light Salt and some Mineral - and light Metallic notes. The Alcohol is strong but reasonably well-integrated. There's some Acidity around as well. It's not a very complicated Nose but it's quite interesting as it's not easy at all to name the various Aromas, especially the Vegetables and Herbs. This Clynelish might keep you busy for an hour or so!  

Palate: Fruity, a little Mineral and Bitter-Sweet. The delivery is good and the Spirit is slightly Oily. I find Malt, Toasted Cereals, Straw and Grass, White Grape Juice, Pear, Pineapple, Grapefruit, Vanilla, Nuts, Lemon, Tutti Frutti Bubble Gum, Nuts, Heather-Honey, Pepper, Salt, Ginger, Cloves, Cinnamon, Candle Wax and  a little Milk Chocolate.   

Finish: Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet. Quite Dry in the end with some Mineral, Metallic and Salty Notes. I also find Toasted Cereals, Nuts, Vanilla, Orchard Fruit, Banana, Pineapple, Bitter Lemon, Heather-Honey, Herbal Tea, Coriander, Tutti Frutti Bubble Gum, Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Cloves and a hint of Milk Chocolate.    

I added a little Water and on the Nose, the Lemon practically explodes. Quite Mineral as well. Palate and Finish become too Thin for my taste.

Rating: 86

Nose: 22 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: 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. 

The Clynelish I am tasting today was distilled in 1997 and matured in an Ex-Bourbon Hogshead. It was bottled at Cask Strength by Independent bottler Chester Whisky & Liqueur Company Ltd, Chester (UK) in 2012. Unfortunately, this company closed its doors a year later. It costs around 80 US Dollars but it won't be easy to find as only 197 bottles went to the market (December 2016).

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I've tasted several Clynelish Indie expressions that were distilled in 1997. Some I did like, others less so. I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of this Distillery in general but I kinda liked the Tasting Experience of this Chester Clynelish. There's a lot to discover and you won't get bored when sniffing and tasting this Single Malt. I wouldn't call it a very Well-Balanced Malt but somehow this mixed bag of Aromas and Flavours works. I can't see me drinking this Clynelish on a day-to-day basis but I certainly wouldn't say no to the occasional dram.

Jan van den Ende                                                              December 12, 2016

Wolfburn Review

“Will the Wolf Survive“

Country: Scotland
Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Wolfburn (Handcrafted)

Type: Single Malt Whisky 
Age: NAS (In fact 3 Years) 

ABV: 46% 
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 580
Buying Advice: 😔  Negative. The Price/Quality Ratio is inadequate at this point in time. This distillery has potential but only time can give us the answer.

Colour: Pale Straw/White Wine (Natural Colour) 

Nose: Young and Underdeveloped but not totally Unpleasant. The Earthy, Dusty Peat and the Smoke from a Distant Fire are noticeable but they remain quietly in the background. Toasted or even slightly Burnt Cereals, Green Vegetables , Grass and Straw are important drivers. I also find Vanilla, Unripe Orchard Fruit (mainly Pears), Lemon-Grass, Salted Nuts, Pencil Shavings, Dough, Toast, Fresh - and Dried Herbs, light Plastic and light Floral notes. By law, this Wolfburn can be qualified as a Whisky and in fact it developed well in just three years. Still, I get frequent images of German Obstler and Italian Grappa when nosing this Malt. The Alcohol is not fully integrated of course and it's a little Edgy. There are promising signs on the Nose but this Wolfburn is still far away from being a sufficiently developed Scottish whisky.

Palate: Slightly Creamy and a little Hot but certainly not Watery. The Alcohol and Youth are quite noticeable now. I also find Toasted Cereals, Unripe or Green Orchard Fruit, Green Grapes, Salted Nuts, Dough, Vanilla, Grass, Lemon, light Plastic, Dusty Road, Caramel, Floral Notes, Pepper, Ginger, Grappa, Mint and Oak. The Earthy Peat and light Smoke remain in the background.     

Finish: Not overly Long, Bitter Sweet, a little Hot and with a light Metallic (Iron) off-note at the end. The Dusty Peat and light Smoke remain in the background and are certainly not aggressive. I find Toasted Cereals, Toasted Salted Nuts, Beer, Vanilla, Unripe Pear, Grapefruit Juice, light Oak, Pepper, light Licorice and hints of Tutti-Frutti Bubblegum, Tobacco and Chocolate. 

I added a little Water and on the Nose, the Orchard Fruit develops. It's actually closer to a New Make Spirit this way. Palate and Finish become too Thin.

Rating: 80 

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

General Remarks: Wolfburn is a very young distillery. It was founded in 2013 on the outskirts of Thurso, very close to the ruins of the old Wolfburn distillery that was founded in 1821 but closed down at the end of the 19th century. Wolfburn is owned by Aurora Brewing Ltd and has a current production capacity of 135.000 litres. It replaced Pulteney as Scotland's most northerly distillery on the mainland. The Wolfburn I'm tasting today was released in early 2016 and is the first general official bottling. It matured in Refill Ex-Bourbon Barrels and a few Quarter casks that previously held Islay Malt. The average price is around 50 US Dollars (December 2016). 

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good. 

Conclusion: The Wolfburn certainly shows potential as the Spirit developed quite nicely in only three years time. We all love new distilleries and we all wish them well. We also understand the necessity of young distilleries to make some quick money to control the cash-flow as the investments are heavy. Nevertheless, we also need to look at it from a consumer's perspective. Should we really pay 50 US Dollars for such a young, underdeveloped Malt as is this Wolfburn? Our hearts may say yes but our heads will tell us to wait a little longer. We can only hope that this young distillery, like others in a similar situation, will manage to overcome the first difficult years. In fact, I honestly believe the Scottish Development Bank should have adequate credit lines in place for new, starting whisky distilleries. Lines that consider the fact that good whisky needs time to mature. So the question is: Will the Wolf Survive?". Based on this young Malt I certainly hope that Wolfburn will.     

Jan van den Ende                                                                December 8, 2016

Wolfburn Distillery

Peat's Beast Cask Strength Review

“The Beauty Within the Beast“

Country: Scotland
Region: Unknown (Possibly Speyside)

Brand: Peat's Beast 

Type: Single Malt Whisky 
Released by: Fox Fitzgerald Ltd, Hereford, UK 
Age: NAS 

ABV: 52.1% (Cask Strength)
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 579
Buying Advice: 😐 
Negative if you're not into Peated Whisky. If you're a fan of young Islay Whisky, the Peat's Beast could be an interesting alternative.

Colour: Golden Hay/Chardonnay (Perhaps Lightly Artificially Coloured) 

Nose: Floral Peat, Wet Soccer Field, light Smoke, light Ashes, light Soot, light Plastic, Medicine, Yeast, slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Toasted Cereals, Straw, Salted Peanuts, Vanilla, light Heather-Honey, Caramel, Orchard Fruit, Shell Fish or Fish on the BBQ, Lemon-Pepper, Cinnamon, Dried Herbs and hints of Dusty Road and Tobacco. There's a quite Young feel to the Noise and I would assume that 5-7 Year old whiskies were used for this Malt. The Alcohol is quite strong of course and it's not fully integrated. But it also doesn't interfere too much with the Nosing procedures. The Peat is strong but not in an aggressive way. With more cask time the Peat's Beast has certainly the potential to develop into a well-balanced whisky. It's good to give the Beast some time in the glass. This way the Fruity flavours are able to develop and after 20 minutes or so I found slightly Sour Apples and some Pineapple.   

Palate: Young and Strong with Earthy Peat, slightly Dirty Smoke, Soot, Ashes, Tar, Oak Char, Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Vanilla, Fish or Shell Fish on the BBQ, Salted Bacon, Sour Green Apples, Pineapple, Banana, Herbal Tea, Lemon, Licorice, Pepper, Cardamom, Cumin Gouda Cheese, Strong Black Espresso, Dark Chocolate, Cocoa Powder and Leather.    

Finish: Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet, slightly Hot, Spicy and Dry towards the end. I find Toasted Cereals, Earthy Peat, slightly Dirty Smoke, Soot, Tar, Ashes, Herbal Tea, Cumin Gouda Cheese, Leather, Caramel, Sour Apples, Grapefruit, Bacon, Oak Char, Vanilla, Pepper, Ginger, Cardamom, Licorice, Strong Black Espresso and Dark Chocolate with a high Cocoa content.     

I added a little Water and on the Nose, the Peat and Smoke retreat to give more space to Floral - and Citrus Aromas. On the Palate, the Fruit develops better. It does make the Finish rather Short and Thin. You can add a few drops but please don't overdo it.

Rating: 84 

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

General Remarks: The Peat Beast was a monster that roamed the peat bogs of Scotland hunting down the purest dirtiest peat. Or so the legend tells us at least. In 2011, Fox Fitzgerald released the first Peat Beast in its honour with an ABV of 46% and a peat level of 30-35 ppm. Packaging and Presentation are very nice and the Beast was drawn by Brazilian born artist Doug Alves. In 2014 the Cask Strength expression that I am reviewing today hit the market. It's a big secret where this Single Malt was distilled. As there is no reference to Islay on the packaging I will assume it was not produced there. The Peat Beast is not Chill-Filtered and matured in Ex-Bourbon casks. It is priced at an average 50 US Dollars (December 2016). More recently, a Peat's Beast Cask Strength PX cask Finish has been released by Fox Fitzgerald.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good despite its obvious Youth.

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: First of all I would like to give kudos to Fox Fitzgerald for the nice Story, Presentation and Packaging of the Peat's Beast. The marketing part really deserves full marks. As for the whisky itself, it's certainly not bad if you are into peated whiskies. The Peat is strong of course but not in an aggressive way. The ABV is probably a tad too high for such a young Spirit. And here we come to the main issue. The Peat's Beast is a young whisky and it did not get time to fully take advantage of the wood contact. And that's a real pity because I believe that this Spirit would benefit tremendously from a longer maturation, especially in terms of balance. I would love to try a 12 Years Cask Strength version! Well, who knows what the future holds. Because there is certainly beauty within this beast. Finally, do I have an idea where this Single Malt was distilled? Honestly I don't have a clue. The only thing I can say is that the Peat's Beast reminded me of a more mature version of the BenRiach Birnie Moss that I reviewed earlier. But your guess is as good as mine! 

Jan van den Ende                                                                December 5, 2016

Could this be the home of the Beast?

Crested Ten Review

“We 'll Drink…..Until We Sink”

Country: Ireland
Region: N/A

Brand: Crested Ten

Type: Triple Distilled Irish Whiskey
Distilled by: Jameson

Age: NAS (Contains 7-8 Years Old Pot Still Whiskey)

ABV: 40%
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 578
Buying Advice: 😐  Neutral. If you like Jameson, the Crested Ten is a good option. It's nothing special though.

Colour: Golden (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Sweet Cereals, Malt, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Toffee, Resin, Hay, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Honey Melon, Dried Apricot, White Chocolate, Citrus Peel, Raisins, Nuts, Nectarine, Cinnamon, Ginger, Fresh Mint, New Oak and a hint of Dust.  The Sherry casks are certainly noticeable. The Alcohol is not fully integrated but it doesn't really interfere with the Nosing procedures. On the Nose, the Crested 10 is quite pleasant and easy-going but don't expect a lot of depth and complexity. It's funny but after 15 minutes or so I thought I got a light hint of Sweaty Socks. Nothing serious though! Maybe I'm just drinking too much whisky!

Palate: The delivery is on the Thin side and the Alcohol is more noticeable now. The relative youth of the Spirit becomes quite clear now. It's mostly Sweet but with a little Bitter Herbal note towards the end. I find Sweet Cereals, Toffee, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Resin, Straw, Heather-Honey, Toasted Oak, Melon, Orange peel, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Mint and Dried Herbs.   

Finish: Short and a little Edgy. It's mostly Sweet but a little Bitterness pops up towards the end as well as a light Metallic off-note. The Alcohol is quite present here as well. I also find Sweet Cereals, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Milk Chocolate, Toffee, Nuts, Heather-Honey, Nectarine, Cherry Flavoured Candies, Melon, Charred Oak, Dusty Road, Cocoa Powder (Toddy), Pepper, Cinnamon, Mint and Ginger. 

The Crested Ten does not improve with added Water. It simply becomes too Thin.

Rating: 81.5 

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

General Remarks: The Crested Ten was launched in 1963 and is a Blended Irish Whiskey, made with Grain Whiskey and a fairly high percentage (60%) of Single Pot-Still Whiskey, partly aged in Ex-Sherry casks and partly in Ex-Bourbon barrels. Recently the Crested Ten has been replaced by the Crested. Name, bottle and presentation are new but the Blend itself remained the same. It is priced at an average 40 US dollars (November 2016) but it's not easy to find outside Ireland.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion: The Crested Ten is perfectly drinkable, even dangerously so. But it's also a little Harsh and Thin and I did find a couple of odd off-notes. It's a tad better than the standard Jameson but it suffers from something I find in almost all affordable Irish Whiskey. It completely misses the Wow factor. As soon as you swallow the stuff you have forgotten all about it. It's a drinking Whiskey but not a sipping Whiskey. If you love Jameson you can't go wrong with the Crested Ten. If you're looking for an Irish Whiskey that is a little more special, you might consider Yellow Spot, Green Spot or Redbreast.  

Jan van den Ende                                                              November 24, 2016

The Old Jameson Stills

Chivas Regal Mizunara Review

“Scotland Meets Japan”

Country: Scotland

Brand: Chivas Regal Mizunara (Special Edition)

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 40%

Chill-Filtration: Yes

Whisky Review # 577

Buying Advice: 😕 At 30 US Dollars you might give it a try.

Colour: Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: The Mizunara tones are quite clear, even slightly dominant. The Grain Alcohol is there as well and the two of them are the main drivers on the Nose. It's all a bit Thin and the ABV of 40% is most certainly inadequate. In addition to the Wood and Alcohol, I find Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Toffee, Straw, Grass, Pizza Dough, light Vanilla, Nuts, Dried Apricot, Nectarine, Pear, Banana, Fresh Herbs, Citrus Peel, light Honey and traces of Black Tea and Tobacco.

Taste: The delivery is quite Thin and the Wood is pretty dominant again. The Fruity tones are merely noticeable in the background. I find Toasted Cereals, Grain Alcohol, light Vanilla, Banana, Pear Drops, Salted Nuts, Dried Apricot, Orange Peel, light Honey, Straw, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Clove, Herbal Tea and Licorice.  

Finish: Middle-Long, slightly Tannic and mainly Sweet. There's a light Bitterness towards the end that reminds me of Black Tea and Salted Licorice. I also find Toasted Cereals, Grain Alcohol, Sugar, Caramel, Toffee, Oak, Nut Shells, light Peanut Butter, Banana, light Vanilla, Pepper, Clove, Ginger and Aniseed. It's the weakest part of this Blend.   

With added Water the Alcohol subsides and the Nose becomes quite Floral. The Mizunara Wood remains present. Palate and Finish become too Thin however.

Rating: 73   

Nose: 20 - Taste: 18 – Finish: 17 - Overall: 18

General Remarks: The Chivas Regal Mizunara was launched in October 2014. A trip to Japan inspired Chivas Master Distiller Colin Scott to create a Blend using 12 Year Old Scottish Grain - and Malt Whiskies partly finished in Casks made from Mizunara (Japanese Oak) wood. Quite unique I would say. It was intended for the Japanese market but in the meantime some bottles are available outside Japan as well. The main malts used in this Blend are Strathisla and Longmorn. The price of the Mizunara may vary considerably depending on where you live. I have noticed prices between 30 and 70 US Dollars (November 2016).

Drinking Experience Neat : Okay/Average

Conclusion: It's basically a standard 12 Years with Mizunara finish. This wood gives an additional Aroma/Flavour to the Blend but it also tends to dominate the other Flavours and Aromas, especially the Fruity ones, leaving the Blend rather off-balance. And that's a pity. I liked the experiment but I don't see this being continued in the long run. I think that a solid, powerful Single Malt could benefit from a Mizunara Finish but this Wood is too dominant for your average Grain Alcohol. The idea was interesting but in my opinion it didn't quite work out well enough.

Jan van den Ende                                                              November 28, 2016

anCnoc Cutter Review

“Guilty Pleasure” 

Country: Scotland
Region: Highland (Eastern)

Brand: anCnoc Cutter (Limited Peated Edition 20.5 ppm)

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Distilled at: Knockdhu

Age: NAS

ABV: 46%
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 576
Buying Advice:😐 Interesting alternative for Peat lovers. Stay away if you're not into Young Peated Whisky. Perhaps a little too expensive!

Colour: Pale Straw/White Wine (Natural Colour)

Nose: The Peat Aroma is surprisingly coastal for a peated Highlander. I find Iodine, Campfire Smoke, Dusty Earth, light Soot and Tar, Cigar Ashes, Salted Meat on the BBQ, Sweet Malted Cereals, slightly Burnt Toast, Toffee, light Cocoa Powder, Mocca, Salted Nuts, light Vanilla, light Heather-Honey, Demerara Sugar, Charred Oak, Lemon Peel, Herbs (Mint), a little Dark Chocolate and some Mineral/Metallic notes. The Alcohol is not fully integrated and comes across as a little aggressive. There are some Fruity notes but they are hidden under a screen of Peat. Give the Cutter some time in the glass and you will find some Nectarine. On the Nose the Cutter is not unpleasant but the Peaty Aromas are very dominant and the Alcohol is a little harsh. The Cutter could have done with some more time in the cask, that's for sure. 

Palate: Quite Young, a little Edgy but still quite interesting. I find Dusty Earth, Campfire Smoke, Cigar Ashes, Soot and Tar, Iodine, Toasted Cereals, slightly Burnt Toast, Salted Nuts, Dried Herbs, Leather, Apple Juice or Cider, Nectarine, light Vanilla, Citrus Peel, Lemon-Pepper, Aniseed, Espresso and Dark Chocolate.    

Finish: Quite Long, Peaty, Spicy and Fruity with Dusty Peat, Campfire Smoke, Cigar Ashes, Iodine, Soot and Tar, slightly Burnt Toast, Bread Dough, Toasted Cereals, Apple, Pear, Lemon - and Orange Peel, Pepper, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Aniseed, Salted Nuts, Grapefruit Juice, Leather, Espresso and Dark Chocolate. This is my favourite part of the Cutter.

I added a little Water and the Nose becomes quite Floral while the Peat and Smoke retreat. Quite Fruity and a little Floral as well on the Palate. The Finish is a bit on the Short Side this way. Still, you can carefully experiment with a couple of drops.

Rating: 85.5

Nose: 21 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 22 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: The Knockdhu distillery was constructed in 1893 by DCL. It closed 90 years later in 1983 but was acquired in 1988 by Inver House Distillers Ltd. Production started again in 1989. Most of the whisky is used in blends like Haig, Hankey Bannister and Pinwhinnie. In 1993 Knockdhu started to market its Single Malt under the name anCnoc. They did this to avoid confusion with the Knockando distillery in Speyside. The core range consists of the 12, 18 and 24 Years. In 2014 some Limited Peated Editions were launched under the names of Rutter, Laughter, Tushkar and Cutter, all of them tools used in the extraction of Peat. This peated range was replaced in 2015/2016 by Rascan, Peatlands and Stack. The anCnoc Cutter I'm reviewing today was the peatiest whisky of the 4 released in 2014 with 20.5 ppm, measured over the finished Malt. It matured in Ex-Bourbon casks. It is still available in places at an average price of around 55 US Dollars (November 2016).   

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I kinda liked the Cutter although I probably shouldn't have. It's a Young Whisky, it's still rather immature and the Peaty Aromas and Flavours are quite dominant while the Alcohol is noticeable. But somehow there's just enough Fruit and Spices to keep things interesting. The Finish is really long considering the relatively short maturation. It's also surprisingly Briny and Coastal for a non Islay Whisky and in a Blind Tasting the Cutter could have been easily identified as a young Islay Malt. It's not very cheap for a NAS whisky but I have to admit that the people at Knockdhu did a decent job here. I feel that many of you might disagree with me on the Cutter as it's easy to consider it to be just a Young, Peaty NAS whisky. But take your time with this one as I did and you might come to respect the Cutter. A bit of a Guilty Pleasure, this one!

Jan van den Ende                                                              November 24, 2016