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

Boxing Hares Review

“Raising Hairs”

Country: Scotland/USA/Germany

Brand: Boxing Hares

Type: Spirit Drink (Flavoured Whisky)
Bottled By: Whiskey Union - Released March 2016.

Age: NAS

ABV: 35%
Chill-Filtration: Yes
Contains: Stabiliser E-414 and Malt Aroma.
Whisky Review # 575
Buying Advice: 😢  Negative. There are cheaper and better alternatives if you are looking for a mixing Alcohol.

Colour: Golden Sunset (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: The Bitter-Sweet Hop Aromas are fighting the Industrial Grain Alcohol and it's an uneasy battle. Boxing Hares does not really smell like Whisky although I do find Malted Cereals in the mix. But the Aromas remind me more of a mix of Beer and Obstler. Besides the mentioned Aromas I also get Pine Needles, light Caramelised Pineapple, Artificially Cherry-Flavoured Cough Drops, slightly Sour Apple Juice or Cider, Nougat, Ginger and some Floral - and Mineral tones. It's all quite Light and Young and not totally unpleasant. But it's got little to do with Whisky as we know and love it.

Palate: Thin, very Harsh and Sugary Sweet in an almost undrinkable way. This is not at all a pleasant experience. I have to force myself to take another sip. I find Grain Alcohol, Artificially Cherry-Flavoured Cough Drops, Sugar lumps that have been soaked in Alcohol, Hop, Bitter Apple Juice or Cider, Gin flavoured with Artificial White Grape Aroma, light Pineapple and Nougat. 

Finish: Short but still too long! The main drivers are the Sugar, the Alcohol and the light Bitterness of the Hop.   

Added Water does not ease the Pain!

Rating: 55

Nose: 17 - Taste: 12 - Finish: 12  - Overall: 14

General Remarks: Boxing Hares is a mix of Blended Scottish Grain Whiskies and two Hop varieties namely Cascade, used in the production of American craft beers and Hallertau, used in the making of German Pilsner. It was created by Pete Brewin, a master distiller at Whiskey Union, a creative collective, looking for unconventional Blends and flavour sensations. It's part of the Diageo Group and its products are distributed a/o by Flaviar who describe themselves as " a band of Spirit enthusiasts inspired by culture, rich history and also the art of distillation who forage the world of Spirits for the finest, rarest and most unique expressions out there and pack it all into a 21st century Members Club". Boxing Hares is priced in the 20-25 US Dollar range (November 2016). Whiskey Union also released Smoky Goat, a blended Scotch Whisky and Huxley, a blend of Scotch, Canadian and American Whisk(e)y. I will review these two in the coming months as well.

Drinking Experience Neat: On the Nose, the Boxing Hares is okay but the rest is rather unpleasant.

Conclusion: In principal I am a huge fan of innovation. As such, I fully applaud the initiatives of Whiskey Union and Diageo. Only with research and initiative we can create wonders. But in this process we will inevitably create monsters as well and I'm afraid that Boxing Hares is one of them. On the Nose it's still okay although it reminds me more of Beer and Obstler than of Whisky as such. But Palate and Finish are so obnoxiously - and artificially Sweet that this Spirit drink becomes almost undrinkable. Adding Water and/or Ice does not solve this problem. I can only imagine drowning it in Ginger Ale or Tonic but why would I need Boxing Hares for that. Any cheap Gin or Vodka would do the job as well. I am sure that Diageo is aiming at the young mixing public with Boxing Hares and I will admit that the presentation and bottle are actually quite nice. But I do not think this product has a bright future although you never know of course. When I think about the Tasting experience I imagine "Raising Hairs" instead of Boxing Hares. But that wouldn't do commercially would it!

Jan van den Ende                                                              November 21, 2016

Bowmore 12 Years Review

“The Road to Islay”

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Bowmore

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 12 Years

ABV: 40%
Chill-Filtration: Yes
Buying Advice: 😀  Fully Recommended. Excellent Price/Quality Ratio.
Whisky Review # 574

Colour: Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Classic Bowmore with Toasted Malt, Buttered Toast, Coastal Peat, Brine, Coal Smoke, light Tar and Soot, Cigar Ashes, Iodine, Leather, light Vanilla, light Shell Fish, Sour Apples, Citrus Peel, Mango Creme, Dark Red Fruit (Berries and Grapes), very light Honey, Straw, Dusty Road, Pepper and Ginger. Everything is nicely balanced but this Single Malt really deserves a higher ABV.  

Palate: Quite Strong and Spicy delivery despite the standard ABV. I find Iodine, Brine, Peat, Smoke, Soot, Tar, Leather, Charred Oak, Dried Herbs, Citrus Peel, light Vanilla, Nuts, Mango, light Honey, Dark Red Fruit, Cocoa Powder, Burnt Toast, Toasted Barley, Pepper, Ginger and Licorice.   
      

Finish: Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet, Dry, Smoky, Spicy and Salty. The Bitterness increases towards the end. I find Sweet Barley, slightly Burnt Toast, Peat, Coal Smoke, Brine, Charred Oak, Soot, Tar, Cigar Ashes, Hospital, Iodine, Straw, Nuts, Lemon, Bitter Tea, Leather, Pepper, Ginger, Honey, Dried Herbs, Mango, Licorice and Dark Chocolate.

I added a little Water and on the Nose, the Peaty Aromas make way for Citrus and a Tropical Fruit Mix sprinkled with Heather-Honey. Palate and Finish become too Thin for my taste but you can carefully experiment with a few drops.

Rating: 87

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

General Remarks: The Bowmore Distillery was founded in 1779 by John Simpson. It's the oldest Islay distillery, located in Bowmore. Since 1994 it is completely owned by Morrison Bowmore Distilleries, part of the Japanese Suntory Group. It's one of the very few Scottish Distilleries with an active Malting Floor that provides around 30% of the Malt used by Bowmore. The 12 Years is part of Bowmore's core range for the domestic markets alongside the Darkest 15 Years, the 18 Years, the 25 Years as well as the NAS Small Batch Reserve. The average price is around 45 US Dollars (November 2016). 

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: The Bowmore 12 is an excellent Malt to start your Islay Whisky adventure. It's a typical Islay whisky, make no mistake, but the Peat and Smoke levels are quite moderate when compared to most of the other Islay icons like Ardbeg or Laphroaig. This Bowmore is very well-balanced and consistent from Nose to Finish. The price tag is attractive and the Price/Quality ratio is really excellent. Much better than most of the NAS whiskies that are currently thrown at us at higher prices. The only issue I have with the 12 Years is the low ABV. This could have been a great whisky at 46%. But that would have made it more expensive of course. Nevertheless, I can fully recommend the Bowmore 12. A great start on your Road to Islay.     

Jan van den Ende                                                              November 18, 2016

Glenmorangie Tusail Review

“Barley Babe”

Country: Scotland
Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Glenmorangie Tusail (Private Edition)

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS (Said To Be Around 10 Years)

ABV: 46%
Chill-Filtration: No   
Buying Advice: Interesting and Different. Quite expensive though.
Whisky Review # 573

Colour: Bright Gold (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Young, Creamy and very Malty. Certainly different from your average Glenmorangie. I find Sweet Barley, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Pastry stuffed with Apricot Jam, Bounty Bars, Vanilla, Toffee, Grass, Straw, Orange - and Lemon Peel, Heather-Honey, Ripe Banana, Milk Chocolate with Nuts, Fresh Coriander, Sugar Coated Red Apples, Cinnamon, Ginger and very light Oak. The Alcohol is reasonably well-integrated. Nosing this Glenmorangie is almost like walking into a Bakery shop early in the morning. The Malt and ripe Fruits are the dominant drivers here with the Glenmorangie Citrus as a mere support act. Quite pleasant altogether!   

Taste: The Tusail shows a bit more of its relative youth here with a tiny bit of Sharpness. On the Palate, the Tusail is Malty and Bitter-Sweet. A few more Spices and a little more Cask time would have helped the Malt here. I find Sweet Barley, Butter Kekse, Bounty Bars, Toffee, Brown Sugar, Puff Pastry stuffed with Apricot Jam, Vanilla, light Heather-Honey, Dusty Roads, Grass, Straw, Sweet Red Apple, Banana Ice Cream, Grapefruit Juice, Citrus Peel, light Oak, light Cinnamon, light Ginger, light Cardamom and Lemon-Pepper.   

Finish: Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet and Malty with a few Sour and Spicy notes as well. I find Malted Barley, Toffee, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Banana Ice Cream, light Heather-Honey, Bounty Bars, Milk Chocolate, Sweet Red Apple, Cinnamon, light Lemon Pepper, light Cardamom, light Nutmeg, light Ginger, Nuts, light Oak and Dusty Roads. It's a little Dry in the end but not overly so. I would have liked the Finish to be a bit longer.

The Tusail does not improve with added Water. I did get some Orange Blossom on the Nose but otherwise it becomes too Thin. 

Rating: 86.5

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

General Remarks: Glenmorangie was founded in 1843 by William Mathesen. A nice Visitor Centre was opened in 1994 and a museum followed in 1997. Since 2004 it is owned by Moet-Hennessy. Glenmorangie has always been one of the pioneers to experiment with different Wood Finishes and other novelties.

The Tusail was launched in 2015 as the sixth entry to Glenmorangie's Private Edition series. Tusail is the Gaelic word for "Originating". It is made with the traditionally floor-malted Maris Otter Barley. This malt was first introduced in 1965 as a low yielding but high quality Brewing Malt. The Tusail matured in Ex-Bourbon casks. It's for sale at an average 90 US Dollars (November 2016).

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: It is often discussed in Whisky Land if the type of Barley used has a big influence on the final product. Based on the Glenmorangie Tusail I tend to think it does. Because I can't remember ever having tasted such a Creamy and Malty spirit. Of course I have no way of knowing if this is exclusively caused by the use of the Maris Otter variety. Fact is that the Tusail smells and tastes quite different. It's almost as if the Whisky received a Finish in Ex-Beer casks! That's the feeling to this Glenmorangie. It's a very tasty whisky and I only have two issues with it. In the first place, a somewhat longer maturation surely would have provided more balance. As it stands, the Fruit, Pastry, Bounty Bars and Malt dominate the other Aromas and Flavours. And in the second place, it's very expensive for a NAS Single Malt. If you don't have problems with these issues I can fully recommend the Tusail. It's a very interesting Whisky indeed!

Jan van den Ende                                                                November 9, 2016

Old Ville Review

“I’ll Stick To Caipirinha”

Country: Brazil
Region: Sao Paulo State

Brand: Old Ville

Type: Whisky Drink

Age: NAS

ABV: 36%
Chill-Filtration: Yes  
Buying Advice: If you are a regular drinker of "Brazilian" Whisky, you might give this a try. Global Whisky lovers should stay away from this. 
Whisky Review # 572

Colour: Deep Copper (Artificially Coloured)   

Nose: To be honest I thought it would be worse. It's quite Thin and the Sugar Cane Alcohol rules. There's not much else actually. I find a bit of Burnt Toast, Sugar, Nut Shells, Refill Oak and mere hints of Treacle, Wood Spice, Toasted Cereals and Cooked Apples. I'm really trying but I can't make much more of it. It's not really unpleasant mind you, there's just not much there. It's almost like there's a ghost in your glass. You think you smell something and then it's gone again. Still, for 8 US Dollars a bottle you can't put your hopes up too high can't you!

Taste: Not exactly pleasant but again I was expecting much worse. It's very Thin, Watery, Bitter-Sweet and a little Sharp with Alcohol, Sugar, Burnt Toast, light Toffee, Wood Pellets, Nut Shells, Licorice and Pepper.

Finish: Short, a little Sharp and Bitter Sweet with Sugar, Alcohol, light Toffee, Burnt Toast, Nut Shells, Wood Pellets, Licorice and Pepper. Quite Dry in the end. The slightly Hot and Sharp Alcohol stays with you for a while.

Added Water eases the Sharp Alcohol somewhat but otherwise the Old Ville becomes too Thin.

Rating: 65

Nose: 17 - Taste: 16 - Finish: 16 - Overall: 16

General Remarks: Old Ville is a Whisky Drink produced from a mixture of Water,
Industrial Alcohol distilled from Sugar Cane, Malt Whisky and Oak Extract. The latter is a natural product that provides Spirits and Wines with Oak Aromas and Flavours. Old Ville is produced at Industria de Bebidas Pirassununga Ltda in the city of Pirassununga in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo. This company was founded in 1921 and also produces Cachaca, Vodka as well as Energy Drinks. 

Old Ville isn't a Blended Whisky by law. The packaging does not show where the Malt Whisky used in this mixture was produced. The ABV is below the required 40%. The mixture probably matured for 1-2 years. It's cheap at an average 8 US Dollars (November 2016). 

Drinking Experience both Neat and on the Rocks: Below average. Better than expected however given its very low price.

Conclusion: Most of you know by now that I mainly use samples and miniatures for my Tasting sessions. I collect the miniature bottles and guard them in a nice cabinet. To give them a little more "life", I refill them with cheap local Whisky. So that's why I bought a bottle of the Old Ville as I have bought bottles of quite similar stuff in the past. These locally blended Whiskies or Whisky drinks are indeed very cheap and in today's Whisky world you can't expect miracles at this level. So I was really worried what lay in store for me as I opened the bottle of Old Ville. But in all honesty it wasn't that bad. There are no delicious Aromas and Flavours to be found but it also doesn't smell and taste like Lamp Oil like some of those I have tasted before. The Old Ville is ruled by Alcohol, Burnt Toast, Sugar, Wood Pellets, Licorice and Wood Spice. It's Bitter-Sweet and a little Sharp, especially in the Finish. The Old Ville is not really a Whisky and not only according to the law. But I've nosed and tasted far worse Spirits at this price level!

Jan van den Ende                                                               November 7, 2016

Glendronach 1995 (Whiskybase) Review

“I Don’t Love You But I Think I Like You”

Country: Scotland

Region: Eastern Highlands
Brand: Glendronach 1995

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 19 Years  

ABV: 54.2%
Chill-Filtration: No  
Buying Advice: Difficult. I kinda liked this Malt but it's too expensive. 
Whisky Review # 571
Sample provided by Menno from the Netherlands. Many Thanks!

Colour: Dark Amber (Natural Colour)  

Nose: Please give this Glendronach enough time in the glass. The Alcohol is quite strong and you carefully need to find your way around it. The Sherry cask influence is obvious but fortunately I only get a very light Sulphur note that does not spoil the Nosing pleasure. The Nose is mainly Sweet but there are some Sour notes as well. I find Sweet Barley, Butterkekse, Caramel, Treacle, Brown Sugar, light Heather-Honey, Dried Fruits like Raisins and Figs, Assorted Nuts, Cherry-Flavoured Cough Drops, Orange Peel, Peach Marmalade, Lemon Peel, Fortified Red Wine, Blueberry cones, Wax, Dark Chocolate, Dusty Shelves, Polished Leather, Thyme, light Winter Spices, Tobacco, Fresh Cappuccino and Balsamic Vinegar. I like the Nose although the ABV is slightly too high. It should improve with a few drops of Water. 

Taste: Bitter Sweet, slightly Sour and more Herbal and Spicy than the Nose gave away. The Sherry influence is quite strong and you need to appreciate that specific Flavour profile to fully enjoy this Glendronach. There's a strong Tannic aspect to the Palate that won't work for everybody. I find Toasted Cereals, Burnt Toast, Caramel, Toffee, Brown Sugar, Treacle, Dried Fruits like Raisins and Figs, light Dark Honey, Orange Peel, Nutella, Apricot Jam, Blueberry cones, Wood, very light Sulphur, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon, Ginger, Dried Herbs, Dark Chocolate and Licorice.         

Finish: Bitter-Sweet, Sour, Medium Spicy and quite Tannic with Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Toffee, Cappuccino, Dark Beer, Dark Red Fruit (Berries), Dried Fruits like Raisins and Plums, Dark Chocolate, Cocoa Powder, Orange Peel, Sherry, Dusty Shelves, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger, Licorice, Tobacco, Mint and Brown Sugar. Quite Dry in the end. The Dark and slightly Bitter Chocolate note stays with you for a while.

As I merely had a small sample at my disposal, I only tasted this Malt neat. 

Rating: 85.5  

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

General Remarks: Glendronach was founded in 1826 in the town of Forgue. It changed hands many times during its history. In 2008, Pernod Ricard sold the distillery to the owners of BenRiach. In 2016, Glendronach was bought by the Brown Forman Group.  

The Single Cask Glendronach 1995 I'm tasting today was distilled on September 20, 1995 and matured in an Ex Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon (cask # 3804) It was bottled for Whiskybase Rotterdam in August 2015. The cask provided a total of 694 bottles. It is priced at around 165 US Dollars (November 2016)

Drinking Experience Neat: Good 

Conclusion: In my opinion, this Glendronach is a great After-Dinner Whisky for those who also like Brandy, Port Wine or Madeira after a good meal. I say this because the PX Sherry influences are quite dark and strong. I quite liked the Tasting experience and it's a pity I only had a small sample. The title of this Review says it all as far as I'm concerned. The only serious problem with this Glendronach is the price. It's way too expensive and there are many cheaper alternatives, even within the Glendronach core range. The 18 Years Allardice comes to mind here. To sum it all up, the Glendronach 1995 is a good Single Malt but it's not sufficiently special to justify its price tag.   

Jan van den Ende                                                               November 3, 2016