Lagavulin Game of Thrones Review

“Wildling”

Whisky Review # 828

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Lagavulin Game of Thrones (House Lannister)

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 9 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: First Fill Ex-Bourbon Casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 60-80 (August 2019)
Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many thanks!
Buying Advice: 😀Pleasant & Young but too expensive Islay Malt. P/Q ratio: 👎

Colour:

Light Gold (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Soft Young Islay. The Smoke and Peat are there but they are not overwhelming by any means. It's a Sweet mixture of Maritime, Fruity, Mineral & Green Notes. It's nothing really special but certainly pleasant. In short, it's all what House Lannister isn't.

Main Aromas:

Malted & Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Toast, Vanilla, Grass, Straw, Farmyard, Fallen Leaves, Coal Smoke, Soot, Ashes, Tar, Orange, Apple, Banana, Melon, Pepper, Licorice, Cinnamon and TCP Pipes.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Salted Caramel, Honey, (Brown) Sugar, Wax, Fish and Meat on the BBQ, Oak Char, Wet Sand, Iodine, Ginger, Mint, Caffe Latte, Rubber and Tobacco Leaves.

Palate:

Its Youth is clear now. Mostly Sweet with a few Bitter and Sour notes. Medium-Dry. The Smoke and "Green" Peat are much more present now. A bit of Alcohol but it stays within limits.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Smoked Ham & Fish, Wet Earth, Wax, Straw, Farmyard, Tar, Soot, Ashes, Wet Sand, Charred Oak, Orange, Apple, Tobacco, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves and Rubber.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Toffee, Nuts and Nutshells, Herbal Tea, Caffe Latte, Ginger, Gooseberry, Funky Mushrooms, Wet Paper, TCP Pipes and Licorice.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Sweet and Oily. A few Bitter and Sour notes as well. Its Youth is  even more noticeable here. The Rubber and Tar notes linger in your mouth for a while. Medium-Dry in the end. I find Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Wet Earth, Straw, Farmyard, Vanilla, Tar, Soot, Ashes, Smoked Ham, Charred Oak, Honey, Herbal Tea, Banana, Lemon, Pepper, Ginger, Licorice, Grapefruit, Milk Chocolate and Tobacco.

Drinking Advice:

Added water does not improve this Lagavulin. It simply becomes too Thin.

Rating: 84.5

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Lagavulin distillery was founded in 1816 by John Johnston and is located on the South-Eastern coast of 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 litres. Lagavulin is one of the key Malts in the White Horse Blend. The distillery range consists of the 12 Y CS, 16 Y and the Distillers Edition. In 2017 an 8 Year old bottled at 48% was added.

A Lannister always pays his debts. Well, you have to pay around 70 US Dollars to get this young Lagavulin. So it's definitively overpriced. But thanks God it isn't really bad like the White Walker. It's actually a rather pleasant young Islay. Especially on the Nose. Palate and Finish are a bit Artificial but not in a bad way this time. I think I would consider buying a bottle if it was around 45 US Dollars.  I must admit it doesn't really do justice to the House of Lannister. They are very shrewd, complex, immoral and vicious plotters. It would make a great Greyjoy but that House was taken by Talisker. This Lagavulin 9 Years is Young, Wild, Unpredictable and Daring.  Ygritte comes to mind!  Therefore, I unofficially proclaim this Lagavulin to be a Wildling!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 August 28 , 2019

Strathmill 1993 (Old Particular) Review

“Bitter-Sweet Symphony”

Whisky Review # 827

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: Strathmill 1993 - Distilled: January 1993
Bottled By: Douglas Laing (Old Particular Series) in December 2014
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # DL 10585 - 320 Bottles

Age: 21 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 51.5% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Refill Sherry Hogshead
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 110-120 (August 2019)
Buying Advice: 😏 You must like Liquid Wood! The price is okay given its age.

Colour:

Golden Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose:

The Sherry Cask influence is not overly strong although I do get some Sulphur. It's not too bad though. Give this Strathmill enough time in the glass as it opens rather slowly. The Nose is Fruity and Grassy with some Bitter, Sweet & Mineral notes. It's not too Woody given its age. The Alcohol is noticeable. Still, it's the best part of this Strathmill.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Grass and Straw, Candied Fruit like Pineapple and Pear, Orange Peel, Refill Oak, Dried Herbs and some Sour Citrus (Grapefruit & Lemon).

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Nuts, Resin, Ripe Banana, Peach, Stewed Fruit like Apples and Plums, Green Leaves and Wet Stone. A light off-note that reminds me of Cooked Vegetables or perhaps slightly Sweaty Feet.

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet. Sulphur and Cooked Vegetables remain present. A bit of heavy Motor Oil as well. I do miss a bit of balance here. The Palate is saved by Fruity notes. The Alcohol is not fully integrated.

Main Flavours:

Barley, Yeast, Tinned Pineapple, Ripe Banana, Artificially Flavoured Candies, Cooked Fruits (Apples and Pears), Dark Berries, Refill Oak, Grapefruit, Orange, Pepper, Ginger and Menthol.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Resin, Dairy, Nutmeg, Dried Herbs and Dirty Earth.

Finish:

Middle-Long. Sweet at first but with increasing Bitterness towards the Dry end. The Bitter Oak notes don't invite you to have another sip. It's been a while since I find such deep Bitterness in a Single Malt. I also find Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Dark Fruits like Berries and Prunes, Nuts, Refill Oak, Stewed Fruit like Pears and Apples, Vanilla, Orange, Grapefruit, Dried Herbs, Cooked Vegetables Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Menthol and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

Added water does not improve this Strathmill but makes it a bit easier to drink. The Alcohol subsides but the strong Bitterness remains.

Rating: 82.5
                         
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Good but for this extreme Bitterness.

Conclusion:

Strathmill was founded in 1891 in Keith and is a part of the Diageo group since 1997. Almost all of the production of around 2 million litres is used for the J&B and Spey Royal Blends. The only official bottling is a 12 Year old Flora & Fauna. In 2014 a 25 Year old Special limited release was launched.

This Strathmill is certainly not a mainstream Malt. It's Unbalanced and slightly Dirty. So it does show character which is always a plus in my book. So I would have given this Single Malt a higher rating but for this absurd Bitterness. Is it the Cask? Did the Spirit mature too long? Or both? In fact I can't remember the last time I had such a Bitter Single Malt. You won't notice this on the Nose but Palate and Finish suffer greatly. Well, it is as it is. I feel that Douglas Laing could have watched this cask a bit more carefully!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                  August 19, 2019

Third Whisky Trip to Scotland May 20 - May 29, 2019

“Drams Come True 2019 ”

Our 3rd Whisky Trip to Scotland May 20-29, 2019

The Trip.

On May 20, 2019 we took a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Aberdeen. We hired an almost new, fully automatic and extremely comfortable Mercedes for our tour. Steering Wheel on the "wrong" side of course. It took a little while to get used to that but it all went well in the end. From Aberdeen Airport we drove to Stonehaven for the night. On May 21 we visited the Fettercairn distillery in Fettercairn and the Royal Lochnagar distillery in Crathie. The next day we went on a long trip to Wick for a visit to the Old Pulteney distillery. On May 23 we took the ferry in Scrabster for a 90 minutes trip to Stromness on the Orkney isles where we visited the Scapa and Highland Park distilleries.

The following day we returned with the ferry to Scrabster for a visit to the nearby Wolfburn distillery. After that on our way for a long trip to Speyside. On May 25 we visited the well-known Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown. The next day we visited the new Macallan distillery in Craigellachie and the GlenDronach distillery in Forgue. On May 27 we went to Sandend for a visit to the Glenglassaugh distillery. On our last day in Speyside we visited the Knock Dhu distillery in Knock and the Glen Garioch distillery in Oldmeldrum. To finish the trip we had an Ardmore tasting in the Cave Bar of the Meldrum House Hotel. On May 29 we returned to Aberdeen for our return flight to Amsterdam.

Logistics.

We mainly stayed in B&B facilities and in a few hotels. Around noon we would always find a nice place to enjoy Soup of the Day with Bread. At night we would look for the best Pub in town for Beers, Whisky and Food. On May 20, we stayed at the Arduthie House B&B in Stonehaven and had dinner at The Marine Hotel Pub close to the harbour. The B&B was nice but we were unpleasantly surprised by a Power failure in the town making a hot shower impossible. The B&B itself is good and well-located and the people are very friendly.

On May 21 we stayed at the Deeside Inn in Ballater. It's a very typical and a bit worn-out British small-town hotel. The restaurant is quite good. Better reserve a table and don't wait too long with ordering as they run out of a few dishes very quickly. Their Haggish is perfect! On May 22 we slept at the Harbour House Bed and Breakfast in Wick. It was okay but I would not go back there.

On May 23 we booked a room at the Rosevale Guesthouse in Stromness on the isle of Orkney. This was the best venue of the trip and I can fully recommend it. The breakfast is okay but did not impress as much as room and bathroom. On May 24 and 25 we stayed at the very cosy Speybank B&B. The room is good, the breakfast is excellent and the owner really makes you feel at home. At night we went to the Highlander Inn for whisky and dinner.

A lot has changed there however since our last visit in 2014. The food is still OK but the size of the Whisky collection has diminished greatly. Most of the special bottles and Indie casks have gone and have been replaced by more common whiskies. A pity that! On May 24 we wanted to have dinner at the Craigellachie Hotel but they were fully booked. We ate at the Highlander Inn for lack of alternatives as it was pouring with rain. We then returned to the Quaich Bar at the hotel however and spend a few very pleasant Whisky hours there with our barman Angus.

On May 26 and 27 we stayed at the Hillview B&B in Huntley. The owners are nice but I would not go back there. Both nights we had diner at the excellent Indian restaurant Cafe India. Recommended! On our last night on the 28th we had booked an apartment next to the Morris hotel in Oldmeldrum. Lots of room! We had breakfast at a good bakery on the square. For dinner and an Ardmore tasting we went to the Cave Bar of the Meldrum House hotel. A very nice place situated in a large park that also contains a golf course. A perfect way to end this trip.

Distilleries and Tours.

Like we did during our last Tour we made a fun ranking of the visits to all the distilleries considering the quality, enthusiasm and knowledge of the Tour guide, the length and depth of the Tour, the Price/Quality of tours and samples and the charisma of the distillery. Although we did visit Wolfburn we didn't rate it as there is no official Visitor Centre and the Tour scheme did not match our trip schedule. I can tell you though that it's certainly worth a visit. The owner and his crew are very nice and the quality of the Whisky promises for the future! Here is the final table for this trip:

Distillery		Tourguide	Tour	Price/Quality	Charisma	Total
GlenDronach		16	16	18	16	66
Glenfiddich		16	16	15	16	63
Glenglassaugh		15.5	16	15	15	61.5
Highland Park		16	15.5	13	16.5	61
Old Pulteney		16	15.5	12.5	15	59.5
Scapa		14	14.5	14.5	15	58
Fettercairn		12.5	14	16	15	57.5
Royal Lochnagar		14.5	16	10	16	56.5
Glen Garioch		12	13	12	16	53
Knock Dhu		11,5	12	13.5	15.5	52.5

The big winner this time was the GlenDronach distillery where we did the very nice Connaisseurs Experience Tour that costs 35 pounds. Not cheap but you get an excellent Tour that ended with a superb tasting of the whole distillery range provided at the impressive old Distillery House.

A very nice surprise was the Spirits of Innovation Tour at Glenfiddich that costs 25 pounds. Despite the massive number of visitors this Distillery maintains a high quality standard for their tours. The knowledge of the guide stood out here.

Another pleasant surprise was the Behind the Scenes Tours at Glenglassaugh. It costs 35 Pounds. It was just fun to be there and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit that ended with the beautiful view of the sea from the distillery grounds.

To conclude this part just a few remarks with respect to the other distilleries. Scapa was not in production during our visit and that has of course a negative impact on charisma of the  distillery at that moment. The staff was very nice though. Fettercairn and Knock Dhu are very nice but small distilleries that are not entirely prepared to receive visitors at this point. A pity as they are quite interesting in their own rights. The Viking Heroes Tour at Highland Park was okay despite the huge number of visitors but the drams were few and small. Old Pulteney is a very compact distillery and is certainly worth a visit. We did the Extra Tour there. And finally Royal Lochnagar. Next to Strathisla one of the most beautiful and picturesque distilleries I have visited so far. They also have an excellent Visitor Centre. What completely killed the Warehouse Experience Tour (25 pounds) was the small number of drams that only included one Royal Lochanar whisky namely the uninteresting 12 years. I have left my comments and hope the distillery will improve here. Because otherwise it's a great place to be and you should certainly go there if you can. It's next to the Balmoral Castle so you can combine the visits.

If the above is applicable to you, you should not visit Scotland. We had only two reasonable days this time and for the rest there was rain, rain and rain. It's not that essential when you're on a Whisky trip but it does make the days a bit gloomy. Be sure to take a pill as well if you have a sensible stomach if you're taking the ferry to Orkney. The ride can be a bit rough at times!

But other than that it was another great whisky trip to Scotland together with my dutch brother in law Jan Bronkhorst who took all the pictures again. Thanks for that! Look forward to our next whisky trip that could well be to Ireland!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                  August 15, 2019

 

Dunville's 10 Years Review

“Weird Scenes inside the Gold Mine”

Whisky Review # 826

Country: Ireland

Brand: Dunville's
Distilled: Unknown. Probably Bushmills or Cooley.
Finished and Bottled By: Echlinville Distillery Ltd, Northern Ireland

Type: Irish Single Malt Pot Still Whiskey (Very Rare Old Irish Whiskey)
Age: 10 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Refill Ex Bourbon casks with Pedro Ximenez Cask Finish
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 50-60  (August 2019)
Buying Advice: 😕Very Weird Whiskey. P/Q ratio:👎 

Colour:

Golden Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

A Varnish/Paint Thinner note strikes first but diminishes with time. Be sure to give this Dunville's enough time in the glass. It remains a bit weird on the Nose though. Perfumed Soap comes to mind. Luckily there's some Fruit behind it too. I don't think I ever had a Whisk(e)y that smelled like this before. The Nose is Light, Medium-Sweet and Grassy. I wonder if some Virgin Oak was used for maturation as well. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Grass, Candies with Artificial Banana Flavour, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Apricot, Nuts, Tart Apple, Green Leaves, Dusty Oak, Cinnamon and Menthol.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Honey, Pineapple, Citrus, Pear, Dark Berries, Wet Newspaper, Pepper, Dried Herbs, Leather and Tobacco.

Bushmills Distillery

Palate:

Young and a little Nervous. The Alcohol is not really integrated. Bitter, Sweet & Sour notes fight for your attention.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Tart Apples and Pears, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Figs, Mixed Nuts, Varnish, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cinnamon. Menthol and Cocoa Powder. 

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Caramel, Honey, Dark Berries, Pineapple, Leather, Tobacco & Black Espresso.

Finish:

Short/Middle-Long, Spicy, slightly Edgy & Bitter-Sweet. The Bitterness increases towards the Dry end. The Alcohol stings a little and the relative youth of this Whiskey is more noticeable at this point. I find Barley, Grass and Straw, Vanilla, Biscuits, Tart Apple, Dark Berries, Nuts, Pineapple, Honey, Herbal Tea, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Menthol, Varnish, Dusty Oak and Cocoa Powder.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water does not improve this Whiskey.

Rating: 78

Nose: 19.5 - Taste: 19,5 - Finish: 19.5 - Overall: 19.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Strange/Okay

Conclusion:

The Echlinville Distillery received its license in May 2013 so we will have to wait a bit for their own Whiskey. In the meantime they sell Gin and release Whiskey that was distilled elsewhere under the Dunville's Brand. Next to the 10 Years I'm reviewing today, a NAS expression has also been released.

I didn't like this Dunville's very much. The Spirit seems unbalanced and a little Dirty. The Dusty and Musty Oak suggests that a longer maturation would have turned the Spirit in Wood Juice. The strong Varnish note suggests Virgin Oak although I didn't find any evidence of that. It smells and tastes a little Weird in my opinion. Some might call it funky but it didn't convince me. And it's quite expensive for what it offers as well. I think I will wait for the first proper home-made Echlinville!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                  August 13, 2019

Cooley Distillery

BenRiach 1990 (Sansibar) Review

“Wooden Heart”

Whisky Review # 825

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: BenRiach 1990 (Samurai Label)
Bottled By: Sansibar/Spirit Shop's Selection in 2015 - 239 Bottles
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky

Age: 25 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 50.8%
Maturation: Sherry cask
Chill Filtration: No
Average Price: US$ 640 (August 2019) - Lowest Price: US$ 245 (August 2019)
Buying Advice: 😔 The Malt is okay but Wood-driven. P/Q ratio: 👎

Colour:

Golden Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

It's hard to believe that this BenRiach matured for 25 Years. It's Fruity but does not show a whole lot of complexity. Quite clean actually. It can't have been a very active cask as well as the Sherry influence is rather limited. It's not bad of course but I would have expected so much more considering age and price level. The ABV is quite stiff but the Alcohol is reasonably well-integrated.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Mandarin, Banana Ice Cream, Apricot, Apple, Dried Herbs, Cinnamon, Pepper and a touch of Aniseed.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Pineapple, Pear, White Wine & Red Wine (Never got that before!), Nuts and Nutshells, Trees and Leaves, Raisins, Musty Refill Oak, Cloves and a hint of Milk Chocolate.

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet, Creamy and Spicy. The Age makes itself known at this point. It's not as Fruity as the Nose would suggest.

Main Flavours:

Malted Barley, Straw, Vanilla, Mandarin, Grapefruit, Slivovitz, Mandarin, Nuts & Nutshells, Banana, Musty Refill Oak, Herbal Tea, Pepper, Cinnamon, Aniseed, Menthol and Licorice.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Salted Caramel, Honey, Apple, Pear, Dark Red Fruit (Cherries?), Lemon, Wet Stones, Cocoa Powder, Leather, Tobacco and a hint of Bacon.

Finish:

Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet. Some Sour notes as well.The Bitterness increases towards the Medium-Dry end. Quite a bit of Wood and Wood spice. It really shows its age by now. There's also a very creamy mouth feel to it. I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Honey, Yeast, Straw, Farmyard, Apple, Lemon, Grapefruit, Herbal Tea, Refill Oak, Nuts and Nutshells, Orange Liqueur, Red Grapes, Cocoa Powder, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Aniseed and Licorice. After five minutes or so the Dry Menthol like Bitterness kinda returns to your throat. It does not really invite you to taker another sip.

Drinking Advice:

Despite the respectable ABV, this BenRiach does not improve with added Water. You're left with Spicy Oak. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 84

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good but disappointing given Age and Price.

Conclusion:

The BenRiach distillery was founded in 1897 by John Duff & Co and is located in Longmorn, Elgin (Morayshire). It changed hands a couple of times in its history but in April 2016 it was bought by Brown Forman. BenRiach produced more or less 1,8 million litres in 2018. The core range includes a/o the NAS Heart of Speyside, the 10, 12, 21, 25 and 35 years. The peated varieties include a/o the Birnie Moss, the Curiositas 10 and the peated Quarter Cask. I have not yet been able to visit this Distillery as yet. We passed by in 2014 but it was closed for maintenance at the time. BenRiach Spirit is also used in Blends like Chivas Regal, 100 Pipers and Queen Anne.

I was really looking forward to taste this 25 Years old BenRiach but it did not live up to expectations. I mainly blame the cask for this. It's hard to detect any decent Sherry influence and it mostly gave Wood and Wood Spice to the Spirit. That Spirit is quite Fruity actually as you will perceive on the Nose. But on the Palate and in the Finish that Fruit is being overpowered by Wood and Spices. High prices are asked on the Internet as not many bottles are left. The Whisky itself though does not justify these high prices. Better save your money for an other occasion. It's a pity though as it promised so much on the outset!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    August 9, 2019