Lagavulin 12 Years Cask Strength Review

“The Price of Love”

Whisky Review # 630

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Lagavulin

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 12 Years Cask Strength (Bottled in 2016)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 57.7%
Maturation: Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: No 
Price Range: US$ 130-150 (August 2017) 
Buying Advice: 😐Good Malt but very expensive. Go for the 16 instead!

Colour: Pale Straw/Chardonnay (Natural Colour) 

Nose: Unmistakably Islay with Wet Clay, Smoked Fish, Shellfish and Bacon on the BBQ, Brine, Soot, Iodine, Fresh Asphalt, Campfire Ashes, Horse Saddles, Sweet Malt, Toast with Honey, Vanilla, Toffee, Lemon-Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Grapefruit, Green Apple, Dusty Bookshelves, Dried Herbs, light Menthol, Banana Nut Bars and hints of Pineapple, Plastic Pipes and Rubber. The Alcohol is not fully integrated. Still, this is what Islay is all about and I like it!      

On My Way to Islay - May 2017

Palate: Bitter Sweet with some Sour, Mineral, Herbal and Citrus notes as well. A little Thin despite the high ABV. I find Sweet Barley, Toast, Caramel, Heather-Honey, Toffee, Salted Bacon, Wet Clay, Tar, Soot, Ashes, Toasted Oak, Orange - and Lemon Peel, Grapefruit Juice, Herbal Tea, Licorice, Menthol, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Green Apples, Dusty Road and hints of Dark Chocolate and Espresso.      

Finish: Middle-Long. Bitter-Sweet with a few Herbal, Medicinal - and Sour notes as well. I find Sweet Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla, Toasted Oak, Orange - and Lemon Peel, Wet Vegetation, Ashes, Soot, Tar, Iodine, Heather-Honey, Herbal Tea, Green Apple, light Menthol, light Licorice, Ginger, Pepper and hints of Bitter Chocolate and Espresso.

Drinking Advice:
I added a few drops of Water and the Nose becomes quite Malty and Nutty. The Alcohol is of course less noticeable. More Toffee and less Smoke on the Palate. The Finish gets a little Thin. You can certainly experiment with a few drops of Water. 

Rating: 87         

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

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

The distillery was founded in 1816 by John Johnston and is located on the South-Eastern coast on Islay, close to Port Ellen. It changed hands various times during its history but today it is firmly controlled by Diageo. Lagavulin currently produces around 2.5 million liters. The 12 Years CS is part of the core range next to the famous 16 Years and the Distiller's Edition. Lagavulin Malt is one of the key Malts in the White Horse Blend. 

The 12 Years Cask Strength was launched for the first time in 2002 and since has been released on an annual basis.

Washbacks - Visit May 2014

🍷  The Spirit:  

Lagavulin operates two pairs of stills. Relatively short Copper contact and a slow distillation produce a full-bodied classical Islay Spirit. The water is sourced from Solum Lochs.

Visit May 2014

🌲  The Wood:

The 12 Years Cask Strength matures in Refill American Oak Hogsheads. 

Drinking Experience: Good

Conclusion:

The Lagavulin 12 Years CS is a good Single Malt without any doubt. Personally I think it could live with a slightly lower ABV of say 46 to 48% as the Alcohol is a bit too present at times. That could also lower the price a little as 130 to 150 US Dollars is a lot of money for a 12 Year old Single Malt. Purely from a Price versus Quality perspective the 16 Years does a much better job although the latter could do with a slightly higher ABV as it is now bottled at 43%. Flavour - and Aroma wise, both are good representatives of Islay Whisky. The 12 Years CS is relatively Young, slightly Edgy and a little Wild whereas the 16 Years is more mature, more balanced but also slightly less adventurous. I would like to have both in my whisky cabinet but if I'm forced to choose I'll go for the 16 Years that is more mature and has the better Price/Quality ratio.  

Jan van den Ende                                                                    August 7, 2017

Lagavulin Visit May 2014

Dewar's 18 Years Review

“Mr. Pleasant”

Whisky Review # 629

Country: Scotland

Brand: Dewar's The Vintage

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Blended by: John Dewar's & Sons Ltd. (Bacardi Group)
Age: 18 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: American Oak Bourbon Casks.     
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 55-80 (August 2017) 
Buying Advice: 😉 Nice, very Soft Blend. Safe buy at 50/60 US Dollars. 

Colour: Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: Relatively Light and Soft for an 18 Years Old. Sweet, quite Dry, Malty and Floral. The Grain Alcohol is noticeable but not in the pungent way you often find in bottom shelf blends. I find Sweet Grain, Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Hay, Heather-Honey, Toffee, Raisins covered in Milk Chocolate, Roasted Almonds, Warm Apple with Vanilla Sauce, Dirt Road, light Citrus, light Spices, Toasted Oak, Salt and hints of Green Coffee Beans and Brown Sugar. The Alcohol is not fully integrated but inoffensive.

Tasting at Aberfeldy May 2017

Palate: Sweet and Creamy, the latter despite the low ABV. I find Cereals, Sweet Barley, Straw, Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Toasted - and Salted Almonds, Stewed Apples, Orange Zest, Toasted Oak, Marzipan, Pepper and Cinnamon. I constantly perceive a very light hint of Smoke throughout the Tasting session. On the Nose and in the Finish it's more like Oak Char but on the Palate it's a bit more than that. Am I dreaming?

Finish: Creamy and slightly Edgy at the same time. The Grain Alcohol is more noticeable by now. The Finish is Middle-Long and mostly Sweet with Cereals, Heather-Honey, Straw, Grass, Vanilla, Caramel, Marzipan, Toasted - and Salted Almonds, Toasted Oak, Red Apples, Pepper, Cinnamon and Cardamom. After a while I get Maraschino Cherries as well.

Tasting at Aberfeldy May 2017

Drinking Advice:
I added a little Water and the Dewar's 18 years becomes even softer. I get some Fruitcake on the Palate and additional Floral notes as well. The Finish completely disappears however. You can very carefully experiment with a few drops. 

Rating: 83      

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

General Remarks:

John Dewar founded  his business in 1864 in Perth and was one of the first pioneers of blending Single Malt - and Grain Whiskies. His son John Alexander succeeded him and appointed A.J. Cameron as Master Blender. The latter introduced the technique of allowing the Single Malts and Single Grains to marry together in Vintage Oak casks thus producing a smooth and harmonious end product. The 18 years was produced this way as well. The whiskies that are part of this Blend initially matured in American Oak Bourbon casks for 18 years. They were then blended and married together for around 6 months in Vintage Oak casks. The 18 Years is composed of around 40 whiskies and include Single Malts from the Highlands and Speyside as well as Lowland Grain Whiskies. At its heart lies the Aberfeldy distillery but I'm sure it also contains Malt Whisky from Aultmore, Craigellachie, MacDuff and Royal Brackla as they are all part of the Bacardi Group. Packaging and Bottle are really nice. 

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion:

The Dewar's 18 Years is a nice and soft Blend. Only in the Finish does the Grain Alcohol become more present. I like the Aroma and Flavor profile although it's pretty Mainstream and I really wonder how good this Blend would be when matured in first class casks and bottled at 46%. It could easily compete with lots of today's Middle of the Road Single Malts. As it stands it's still a nice Blend that you can enjoy either Neat or with a little Ice. Newbies will love it. More accomplished Whisky drinkers might find it slightly boring though. The price varies a lot depending on where you live but at around 60 US Dollars it's a safe buy. I would not spend a whole lot more though. It's also available in the Duty Free Shops in 1 Liter bottles.

Jan van den Ende                                                                   August 2, 2017

Visit Aberfeldy May 2017

Old Pulteney 21 Years Review

“A Salty Dog"

Whisky Review # 628

Country: Scotland
Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Old Pulteney

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 21 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Bourbon and Sherry Casks 
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 120-160 (July 2017) 
Buying Advice: 😕Interesting Malt with a negative Price/Quality ratio! 

Colour: Golden Amber with shades of Orange (Artificially Coloured)

Nose: The Bourbon and the Sherry casks are fighting for control and I miss a little balance here. On the Nose, the 21 Years presents Sweet, Sour, Spicy and Herbal notes. I find Malted Barley, Butterkekse (German Butter Biscuits),Dusty Earth, Straw, Toasted Oak, Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Treacle, Caramel, Heather-Honey, Dried Fruits like Raisins, Figs and Apricot, Apple, Pear, Orange, Lemon, Banana Ice Cream, Salted Nuts, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Clove and hints of Leather, Menthol and Herbal Tea. There are some nice Aromas to be found here and the Alcohol is reasonably well-integrated but the combination of it all does not quite convince me. It's also very Light for a 21 Year old Malt.

Palate: I wasn't expecting a lot after the slightly disappointing Noise but this is not bad at all. On the Palate, the 21 Years is Sweet, Oily, Creamy, Oaky, Spicy and Herbal. I find Toasted Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Marzipan, Toasted Oak, Straw, Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon, Salted Nuts, Sour Green Apples, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Clove, Chocolate covered Raisins and hints of Leather and Espresso.

Finish: Quite Long, Bitter-Sweet, Oily, Creamy and a little Edgy. Very Dry in the end. I find lots of Toasted Barley, Straw, Butterscotch, Caramel, Vanilla, Salted Nuts, Honey, Toasted Oak, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit and Spices like Pepper, Nutmeg, Clove and Ginger. I also detect traces of slightly Sour Berries, Menthol, Herbal Tea, Wax and Apple Cider.     

Drinking Advice:
I added a few drops of Water and on the Nose I find more Orange (Oil) and some Floral Perfume. More Orange on the Palate as well. I prefer it neat but you can add a few drops if you like.

Rating: 85.5        

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

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

The Pulteney distillery was founded in 1826 by James Henderson and is located in Wick in the very North of Scotland. It changed hands various times during its history but since 2006 it is ultimately owned by Thai Beverages PLC. Until very recently, the core range consisted of the 12, 17, 21 and 35 years as well as the NAS Navigator. Unfortunately dwindling stocks and high demand have forced the Distillery to discontinue the 17 and 21 Years. The annual production currently amounts to around 1.6 million liters, all destined to the production of Single Malts.

The 21 Years was launched in 2005 and was elected Whisky of the Year in 2012 by Jim Murray. He scored it 97.5 points and I'm quite sure that this nomination signed the death warrant for the 21 years as demand rocketed afterwards.

🍷  The Spirit:  

Old Pulteney only possesses one pair of stills but the shape is quite unique. They have no real heads and swan neck. The Lyne arms are pointed downwards and the Spirit is condensed by stainless steel worm tubs. The result is a medium bodied Floral and Fruity Spirit with a Salty touch. The water is sourced from Loch Hempriggs.

🌲  The Wood:

The 21 Years matured in a mix of Bourbon casks (2/3) and Sherry casks (1/3). The Sherry casks are a mix of mainly Fino (Second Fill American Oak) as well as some Oloroso (First Fill Spanish Oak). The American Oak is slightly Sharper as the European Wood and that's noticeable. Clean Sherry Wood. No Sulphur.

Drinking Experience: Good

Conclusion:

This 21 year Old Pulteney clearly has a mind of its own. This is by no means a dull mainstream Malt! It starts off with a Light, slightly Unbalanced Nose. But just as I was fearing for the worst, the Palate strikes back with an interesting and flavourful combo of Malt, Citrus, Spices and Wood that stretches out until the Spicy, Creamy and Salty Finish that immediately invites you to have another sip. Does this Malt deserves 97.5 points? No. Is it worth the spicy price tag? No. But it's a pity that it's being discontinued as it fully deserves its place on the Single Malt map. If only Jim Murray would score objectively! But that's crying over spilled Whisky. I must admit that Old Pulteney is not one of my favourite distilleries but I wouldn't mind receiving a bottle of the 21 Years for my birthday.  I wouldn't buy it though as it's too expensive for what it offers.

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 30, 2017

Tomatin 18 Years Review

“Not Perfect But Dangerously Drinkable”

Whisky Review # 627

Country: Scotland
Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Tomatin

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 18 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Bourbon casks with Sherry cask Finish.   
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 70-90(July 2017) 
Buying Advice: 😀 Positive. Good Price/Quality Ratio. A few flaws! 

Colour: Golden Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose: The Sherry Cask influence is obvious. Lots of Dried Fruits like Sultanas, Raisins and Apricots. A long time ago I had some fortified wine in the South of France near Perpignan and the border with Spain. I believe it was called Muscat de Rivesaltes and this Tomatin brings back those (literally) sweet memories. I also find Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, both Sweet and Tart Apples, Blackberries, Cinnamon, Clove, light Pepper, Dusty Sand Road and faint hints of Leather, Toasted Oak and Tobacco. The Alcohol is not fully integrated and it actually stings a little.

Palate: Good delivery thanks to the adequate ABV. A combination of Sweet Sherry, Spices and Wood. I find Sweet Barley, Butterscotch, Vanilla, Dried Fruit, Sweet Apples, Heather-Honey, Orange, Dark Chocolate, Pepper, Nutmeg, Clove, Ginger, Dusty Road and hints of Leather and Tobacco. The Alcohol remains present.

Tasting Visit May 2017

Finish: Long and Spicy. It's Oily as well and it coats your mouth nicely. Quite Dry and Oaky towards the end with a light Alcohol burn that I could do without. I also find Sweet Barley, Toffee, Vanilla, Dried Fruit, Nuts, Heather-Honey, Clove, Nutmeg, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Citrus, Dark Chocolate, Sweet Red Apples and Toasted Oak.

Drinking Advice:
I added a few drops of Water and in all three departments the Alcohol is less noticeable now. That's a good thing! I do get a little extra Menthol in the Finish. I would advise to add a few drops of Water in this case.

Rating: 85       

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

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

Tomatin was founded in 1897 by the Tomatin Spey Distillery Company. In 1985 the distillery went into liquidation and was bought in 1987 by Takara Shuzo Co. and Okara & Co, both from Japan which was quite remarkable at that time. In fact, Tomatin was the first Scottish distillery that became fully owned by Japanese companies. Currently the shares are being hold by Takara Shuzo (81%)  Marubeni (14%) and Kokubu (5%). Tomatin has always been a distillery that produced large quantities of Spirit for Blends but in the last 10 years they started to concentrate on producing and marketing Single Malts. As a result, the production decreased from well over 10 million litres in the 1970's/1980's to around 1,6 million litres this year. They still produce Blends as well though. (Antiquary, Big T and the Talisman). Today's Single Malt core range includes the NAS Legacy, the 12, 18 and 36 years. In 2016, new packaging and bottles were introduced for the entire core range.

The 18 years I'm reviewing today was introduced in 2006. We visited Tomatin in May this year and we really enjoyed the Tour and the Tasting session despite the fact that it was Friday afternoon when the production is stopped to be able to clean the equipment.

Visit May 2017

🍷  The Spirit:  

At one point in time in the 1970's Tomatin was operating a staggering 23 stills. Today there are still six pairs of stills but only 4 of the spirit stills are being used. The Lyne arms of the round, tall and slim copper stills point either straight or slightly  upwards creating a Sweet and Malty medium bodied Spirit. The water is sourced from the Allt-na-Frith (the Free Burn).

Visit May 2017

🌲  The Wood:

The Tomatin 18 Years matures for over 16 years in Refill Bourbon casks bought from Maker's Mark. The spirit is then finished for at least 18 months in First Fill Spanish Oak Oloroso Sherry butts. These butts must have been of reasonable quality as I get no Sulphur notes. 

Drinking Experience: Good

Conclusion:

The Tomatin 18 Years shows that this Distillery deserves its place on the Single Malt map. It also shows how important good casks are. In this case the Sherry butts certainly left their clean marks. This is  especially noticeable on the Nose where you can discover a variety of (mostly) Dried Fruits. It's not a perfect Malt though as Spices, Alcohol and Wood are slightly dominant on the Palate and certainly in the Finish. In this case I think the Spirit would probably have benefited from a few years less cask time and perhaps a slightly lower ABV. That way, you might preserve some of the Fruit for Palate and Finish. These are all minor flaws though and the Tomatin 18 years is actually extremely drinkable. You better take care if you have a bottle at your side on a cold winter's night. 

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 26, 2017

Visit May 2017

W.L. Weller 12 Years Review

“Pappy Van Weller”

Whisky Review # 626

Country: USA

Brand: W.L. Weller

Type: Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 12 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 45%
Maturation: Charred New American White Oak Barrels     
Price Range: US$ 25-35 in the USA (July 2017). An average US$ 100 elsewhere. 
Buying Advice:😄 You should buy it if you can get it under 35 US Dollars. No need too spend more. Go for Maker's Mark as an affordable alternative!

Colour: Bronze with a shade of Red (Natural Colour)

Nose: Sweet and Pleasant. Reminds me of Maker's Mark. Thick layers of Sweet Corn, Vanilla and Caramel. It clearly misses the punch of the Rye but it's quite nice in its own right. I also find Toasted Oak, Buttered Toast, Banana, slightly Sour Blackberry-flavoured Yogurt, Freshly Baked Apple Pie, Honey Nuts Cereals,  Peach Jam, Cinnamon, Ginger, Fresh Mint, Sugared Almonds, Acetone and a few traces of Orange, Dirt Road, Rum and Leather. Not overly complicated but quite delicious! Could smell this for hours!

Palate: Medium-Sweet with a few Sour, Herbal and Spicy notes. I find Sugared Cereals, Buttered Toast, Toasted Oak, Vanilla, Caramel, Toffee, Caffe Latte, Rum, Orange-Flavoured Chocolate, Toasted Nuts, Leather, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Dirt Road, Fresh Mint, Aniseed, Honey Nuts and Herbal Tea. A bit of Tutti-Frutti Bubble Gum after a while. It's not bad but it's a lot less Sweet than you would expect after the Nose. A bit disappointing quite frankly!   

Finish: Bitter-Sweet, Herbal and quite Dry in the end with Honey Nuts, Toasted Oak, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Orange-Flavoured Dark Chocolate, Blackberry Muffins, Dried Herbs, Leather, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Rum and Herbal Tea. The Alcohol and something that reminds me of Varnish spoil the fun a bit in this department. A bit too dry for my taste as well. This is the weaker part of this Bourbon.

Drinking Advice:
No Need to add Water to the Weller 12 Years. It's quite nice over Ice as well but you should at least Nose it neat!

Rating: 86

Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks:

The W.L. Weller 12 years is produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, owned by Sazerac Company Inc. The Mash Bill is undisclosed but is said to be the same recipe as the Van Winkle Lot B. The only difference seems to be that hand picked barrels are used for the Van Winkle. Therefore, the W.L. Weller 12 Years is very often called the "Poor Man's Van Winkle". As a result, prices have increased dramatically over the last few years, mostly in the secondary market. Corn is of course the main grain used for this Bourbon but it is followed by Wheat rather than Rye. A little Malted Barley completes the Mash Bill. William Larue Weller was said to be the first American distiller that used Wheat in the Mash Bill.

Drinking Experience: Good. Great Nose!

Conclusion:

It's quite amazing that such a nice Wheated Bourbon is available at around 30  US Dollars. If you can find it at that price of course. And that's not at all easy depending on where you live. On the Internet I've seen prices in the 75-100 US dollar range. Don't spend that kind of money though. Go for Maker's Mark in that case. But at an average 30 US Dollars, the W.L. Weller 12 Years is a must buy! If only for the Nose! If you like Sweet Bourbons, you will love this Nose! As so often, Palate and Finish can't maintain the same high level. They are not as Sweet as the Nose would let you to believe and the Finish is really too dry. At least in my opinion. Still, at 30 US Dollars this would certainly be my every day Wheat Bourbon if I could find it in Brazil. Unfortunately I've never seen it around here. Not even in the Duty Free Shop at the Sao Paulo airport. I'll have to stick to my Maker's Mark for the time being! 

Jan van den Ende                                                                        July 24, 2017

Buffalo Trace Distillery

Hankey Bannister Regency 12 Years Review

“Sir Winston Liked It”

Whisky Review # 625

Country: Scotland

Brand: Hankey Bannister Regency

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Casks   
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 30-40 (July 2017) 
Buying Advice: 😐 Neutral. Reasonable Blend if priced at +/- US$ 30.

Colour: Golden Amber (Artificially Coloured) 

Nose: Light but certainly not unpleasant. The Grain Alcohol is of course quite present. I can't say that the Aromas are jumping out of the glass. You will need some patience with the Regency. After a while I find Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Dusty Straw, Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Nutella, Dried Fruit, Caffe Latte, Orange Peel, Fresh Coriander, Cinnamon, light Pepper, light Ginger, Apple and a hint of Tinned Pineapple in Syrup.

Knockdhu

Palate: Light but acceptable. This should have been bottled at 43%. This Blend deserves that. The Grain Alcohol is there but not at all in an aggressive way. I find Toasted Cereals, Toasted Oak, lightly Buttered Toast, Dusty Straw, Vanilla, Caramel, Toffee, Dried Fruit, Orange-Peel, Nutella, Heather-Honey, Apple, Caffe Latte, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger and perhaps the faintest whiff of Smoke.   

Finish: Medium Long. Sweet and Spicy at first. Dry in the end when a light Bitterness pops up. I find Grain Alcohol, Toasted Cereals, Refill Oak, Caramel, Vanilla, Toffee, Treacle, Sultanas, Heather-Honey, light Lemon and Orange Peel, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Milk Chocolate-covered Nuts and the faintest hint of Smoke.

Balblair

Drinking Advice:
I only Nosed and Tasted this Hankey Bannister neat as I merely had a very small sample at my disposal. It's certainly drinkable neat and I suspect it will do nicely over Ice as well.

Rating: 82     

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

General Remarks:

Hankey Bannister & Co was founded in 1757 by Beaumont Hankey and Hugh Bannister. Winston Churchill was a fan of this Whisky. Currently, the Blend is owned by Inver House Distillers (Thai Beverage PLC). Next to the 12 Tear Old Regency, the range also includes the NAS HB Original and the 21, 25 and 40 Years. The Regency is made with 70% Grain Whiskies (Mainly North British and Port Dundas) and 30% Malt Whisky. The Balblair distillery forms the heart and additional Malts are, amongst others, sourced from Knockdhu, Balmenach and perhaps a touch of Old Pulteney as they are all owned by Inver House. The 12 Year old Regency matures in Ex-Bourbon casks and presents a reasonable Price Quality ratio. 

Drinking Experience: Good.

Conclusion:

The Hankey Bannister Regency is certainly better than your average Scottish Blend. There are no real off-notes. The Grain is there but it doesn't quite punch you in the face like in most Bottom-Shelf blends. The casks are slightly better as well and I suspect a mix of 2nd and 3rd Refill Ex-Bourbon casks. It could surely do with a higher ABV. So while the Hankey Bannister Regency is not at all a bad Blend, it's also utterly forgettable. After five minutes or so, you will have some difficulties in remembering it if you get my drift. It's a drinking Whisky, not a Sipping Whisky. You can safely buy it at around 30 US Dollars though as it will not disappoint you at this price level.  

Jan van den Ende                                                                       July 15, 2017

Balmenach