Mark Knopfler - The Ragpicker's Dream - Review

Album: The Ragpicker´s Dream         -    Mark Knopfler                 2002

Producers: Chuck Ainlay and Mark Knopfler. 

Label: Mercury 

The Players:

Mark Knopfler: Guitars, Vocals

Richard Bennett: Guitars

Jim Cox: Piano,Organ

Guy Fletcher: Keyboards,Backing Vocals

Glenn Worf: Bass

Chad Cromwell: Drums

Guest Stars: 

Glenn Duncan: Violin

Paul Franklin: Pedal Steel

Mike Henderson: Harmonica

Jimmy Nail: Backing Vocals

Tim Heal: Backing Vocals

Songs: Why Aye Man, Devil Baby, Hill Farmer’s Blues, A Place Where We Used To Live, Quality Shoe, Fare Thee Well Northumberland, Marbletown, You Don’t Know You’re Born, Coyote, The Ragpicker´s Dream, Daddy’s Gone To Knoxville, Old Pigweed. 

Best Song:  You Don’t Know You’re Born   

Type of Music: Folk/Rock

Comments:

The Ragpicker´s Dream definitively marks the beginning of Knopfler´s career as a solo-artist. It’s true that he already made two solo albums but they were still thoroughly influenced by his Dire Straits past. Gone as well are the prominent guests that starred on Sailing To Philadelphia. 

Finally he’s on his own and I guess that’s what he always wanted. He is The Loner that Neil Young wrote about. And he writes for the loners among us, the castaways, the hobos, the homeless and the unemployed. The Ragpicker´s Dream is a real Beggar’s Banquet and Mark is the King of the Road. (Quality Shoe).     

And the King travels. From the North East of England via the pubs in Germany to Marbletown and Knoxville in the USA. His understated use of folk, country and blues makes it all sound very authentic. Not in the least also thanks to the excellent musicians, basically the same crew as on the last album.

The lyrics are quite strong as well and paint a very accurate picture of  those who lost job, love and home. It’s a very moody record most of the time. A bit too moody maybe and it doesn’t hold your attention as easily as Sailing To Philadelphia. Still, not a bad choice for a rainy day!   

The package also contains a Bonus CD that includes an enhanced video of Why Aye Man and an additional four live audio tracks. Why Aye Man and Quality Shoe were recorded at Shepherd Bush Empire, while Sailing To Philadelphia and Brothers In Arms were recorded at the Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada. On the first two songs Mark and the band are in great shape and the songs easily match the studio versions. Not so in Toronto though. Mark is either not feeling quite well or is trying to save his voice for other reasons. Fortunately his guitar playing is okay. Still there must be better Live versions of Brothers in Arms around.    

Bonus CD: Why Aye Man, Quality Shoe, Sailing To Philadelphia, Brothers In Arms, Why Aye Man (Enhanced Video). 

Rating:                                                  Maximum Points                          

Average Song Quality: 5,90*                           10

Production/Sound Quality: 7,50

Do I want to hear it again soon: 6,00

* The songs on the Bonus CD are not included in the rating.  

Who should buy this Record: Mostly for the true Mark Knopfler Fans. However, if you like JJ Cale and/or Chris Isaak you might give this one a try as well.  

Michel Firino Martell Bas Armagnac 1982 Review - Michel Firino Martell Single Malt 1994 Speyside Review - Michel Firino Martell Single Malt 1995 Speyside Review

“Michel Firino Martell Special”

Whisky Review # 838

Country: France
Region: Armagnac

Brand: Michel Firino Martell Bas Armagnac Ugni Blanc 1982 

Type: Single Cask Bas-Armagnac - Limited Edition- 998 Bottles (2 Single Casks)
Age: 33 Years (Bottled: July 2015)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 45.6%
Maturation: Oak Barrels
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: - (October 2019). Please contact seller.
All of today's reviewed samples provided by Michel from France. Many Thanks!
Buying Advice: 😃 Excellent, well-matured after-dinner Spirit.

Colour:

Mahogany (Natural Colour)

Nose:

It's been more than 15 years since I had my last Armagnac and it's my first take on this Spirit since I started Best Shot Whisky Reviews back in 2011. So I am  very curious. Okay, let's go! On the Nose this Armagnac presents very mature Aromas of Fruit, Nuts, Caramel, Wood and Spices. A mature American Rye Whiskey comes to my mind. It's still remarkably Fresh for a 33 Year old Spirit. The Oak is there of course but it doesn't completely dominate the other aromas. Good Wood Management. Sweet but not in a cloying way. Some Bitter notes for balance. Quite Dry. The Alcohol is nicely integrated. You can nose this Armagnac for more than half an hour and that's what I did in fact.

Main Aromas:

Dried Fruit like Raisins, Plums and Apricots, Roasted Almonds and Hazelnuts, Nougat, Seville Oranges, Papaya Cream with Creme de Cassis, slightly Musty Oak, Pine Resin, Tobacco and Pepper.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Brown Sugar, Caramel, Butterscotch, Honey, Polished Leather Upholstery, Floral Soap, Peach, Lemon, Dried Herbs, Dark Chocolate, Nutmeg and Aniseed.

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet, Fruity, Spicy and a bit Woody. The Age becomes more clear now. This Bas-Armagnac matured quite nicely though!

Main Flavours:

Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas and Plums, Roasted Hazelnuts, Seville Orange, Peach, Dark Chocolate, Leather, Tobacco, Pepper and Menthol.
  
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Brown Sugar, Caramel, Vanilla, Butterscotch, Roasted Marshmallows, Mulled Wine, Rye, Honey, slightly Musty Oak, Pine Resin, Marzipan, Lemon, Licorice, Ginger and Cinnamon.

Finish:

Quite Long, Bitter-Sweet, Fruity, Spicy and Woody. The Spirit clearly shows its old age here but not in a tired sort of way. I find Brown Sugar, Caramel, Vanilla, Pine Resin, Musty Wood, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas and Plums, Seville Orange, Red Wine, Roasted Chestnuts, Dark Chocolate, Leather, Tobacco, Lemon-Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Licorice and Peach-filled Puff Pastry.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and although there's some Fruit development on the Nose, the Palate becomes less interesting and the Finish quite a bit shorter. The ABV is spot-on here and there's no need to add water.

Rating: 88

Nose: 22.5 - Taste: 22 - Finish: 21.5  - Overall: 22

Drinking Experience Neat: Very Nice.

Conclusion:

In 1994, Michel Firino Martell started selling and representing Martell Cognac in America, South-America and Asia. When the Martell label was acquired in 2001 by Pernod-Ricard, Michel decided to join other Family estates dedicated to the "Terroir" of their wines and spirits. Finally, in 2006 he launched Elite Selection, a wine merchant company dedicated to fine wine and spirits located in the city of Bordeaux. This vehicle gives Michel the opportunity to create limited editions of spirits & champagnes next to the commercialisation of rare and old wines from the best chateaux. The limited spirit editions include Armagnac and Single Malt Whisky from Scotland and France. These Spirits are finished in Michel's bonded warehouse in Glasgow and bottled by Michel as well. You can find all relevant information and prices on Michel's new Website Elite Selection.

The two casks used for this selection aged in the cellars of the Gelas house. It was distilled from the Ugni Blanc grape variety in Bas-Armagnac situated in the "departements" Landes and Gers. This grape is also used for the production of Cognac.

I didn't really know what to expect but I'm quite pleased with the quality of this Bas-Armagnac. It's well-matured and the Oak is not as overpowering as could be expected after 33 years. I loved the Nose. Good Cask Management as well. This is not for every day of course but this Armagnac seems perfect to end a fine special dinner. I will certainly try to review some other Armagnacs in the future.

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Whisky Review # 839

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Distilled at: Braeval

Brand: Michel Firino Martell Single Malt 1994 Speyside

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Limited Edition- 304 Bottles
Age: 23 Years - Distilled 20-12-1994 - Bottled in August 2017

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 55.4% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Cask (Heaven Hill)
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ - Please contact seller (October 2019)
Buying Advice: 😀 Good "old style" Bourbon Malt with character. A bit Oaky. 

Colour:

Golden (Natural Colour)

Nose:

This is only my third Braeval review so I don't have a lot of experience with this distillery. Please give this 1994 enough time in the glass as it opens up slowly. On the Nose this Braeval can't hide his age as the slightly Dusty Bourbon Wood makes itself known. It's Fruity but not overly Sweet. Some Grassy, Waxy and Dairy notes as well. The Alcohol is reasonably well-integrated. This Braeval is quite introspective on the Nose. It doesn't immediately show you what it's got so you have to look for it. To find the Fruity notes it's best to Nose around the brim of the glass.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Wax, Grass, Pear, Apple, Orange, Peach Marmalade, Charred Oak, Resin, Milk Chocolate, Pepper, Cinnamon & Ginger.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Caramel, Banana Ice-Cream, Floral Soap, Caffe Latte, Mango Cream, Tinned Pineapple, Sugared Almonds, Dried Apricot and Sultanas. 

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet. Quite strong delivery thanks to the high ABV. On the Palate this Braeval clearly shows its age. The Fruit is still there but it fights for survival against the Dusty Wood and Wood Spice notes.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Butter-Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Resin, Grass and Straw, slightly Musty Wood, Peach-filled Puff-Pastry, Apple, Seville Orange, Milk Chocolate, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves and Ginger.
  
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Caramel, Toffee, Butterscotch, Heather-Honey, Floral Soap, Sugared Almonds, Caffe Latte, Tinned Pear and Pineapple, Cinnamon and a touch of Lemon.

Finish:

Middle-Long. Sweet, Fruity and Buttery at first but with increasing Bitterness towards the Medium-Dry end when Wood and Wood Spices take over. You can certainly tell its age by now. I find Sweet Barley, Brown Sugar, Caramel, Resin, Vanilla, Butterscotch, Wax, Hay, Dried Fruit like Sultanas and Apples, Seville Orange, Herbal Tea, Milk-Chocolate, Peach-Flavoured Yogurt, slightly Dusty Wood, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Licorice, Ginger and Menthol.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and the Alcohol subdues of course thereby giving more room to the Fruit on the Nose. Wood and Wood Spices are more balanced with the other Flavours on the Palate. The Finish becomes less intense. You can certainly add a few drops to this Braeval.

Rating: 85.5

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Braeval distillery was founded in 1973 by Chivas Brothers to secure Single Malt for their blends. In 2001, Chivas was bought by Pernod-Ricard. The current annual production capacity amounts to 4,2 million litres. In 2017 the distillery released its first official bottling, a 16 Year old Single Cask.

This Braeval does not give itself away very easily and you have to dig to find all nuances. That only makes it more interesting though. This is a well-made Malt and a far cry from today's Mainstream Malt Madness. It is a bit on the Woody side though and I think it would have been even better if bottled a few years earlier. This bottling clearly shows that Braeval has Single Malt potential and it's a pity that most Spirit "disappears" in the Chivas Blends.

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Whisky Review # 840

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Distilled at: Tormore

Brand: Michel Firino Martell Single Malt 1995 Speyside

Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Limited Edition- 297 Bottles
Age: 22 Years - Distilled June 15, 1995 - Bottled January 2018

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 55.2% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Hogshead
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ - Please contact seller (October 2019)
Buying Advice: 😃Solid Well-Balanced Bourbon-Matured Speysider.

Colour:

Golden (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Be sure to give this Tormore enough time in the glass as it opens up slowly. The Alcohol is quite strong so you need to find your way around it. Don't stick your nose in the middle of the glass but carefully follow the brim. On the Nose this Tormore is Medium-Sweet while a few Sour notes provide some balance. The Oak is quite present of course. This is a more "classic" Bourbon-matured Single Malt. You get the basic Aromas and Flavours you would expect.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Cake with Whipped Cream, Dusty Charred Oak, Pineapple-Flavoured Yogurt, Milk Chocolate, Orchard Fruit and Cinnamon.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Butterscotch, Toffee, Caramel, Dusty Country Track, Orange, Mango Cream, Coconut, Banana ice-Cream, Sour Berries, Lemon Pepper, Fresh Herbs and Menthol.

Palate:

Good delivery. It's more pronounced than the slightly timid Nose would lead you to believe. It's Sweet and Sour and quite Creamy and really invites you to take another sip.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Fruit Cake with Whipped Cream, Apple, Banana, Milk Chocolate, Charred Oak, Cinnamon, Ginger, Mint and Aniseed.
  
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Brown Sugar, Straw, Bounty Bars, Orange, Berries, Marzipan, Lemon-Pepper and Cardamom.

Finish:

Middle-Long but quite powerful thanks to the high ABV. Its age is clear and Oak and Wood Spice lead the way. A mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes provides a balanced Medium-Dry finish nevertheless. Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Butterscotch, Marzipan, Hay, Sugared Almonds, Marzipan, Milk Chocolate, Bounty Bars, Pear, Orange, Banana Ice Cream, Cinnamon, Pepper, Aniseed, Mint, Licorice and Tobacco.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and Malty, Floral (Heather) and Fruity (Nectarine perhaps) notes develop. The Alcohol retreats a little on the palate and my advise is to carefully add a few drops until you find your preferred balance. The Finish is more Spicy this way.

Rating: 85.5

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Tormore distillery was founded in 1958 by Schenley Int, the owners of Long John Blended Whisky. In 2005 it was bought by Chivas Brothers (Pernod-Ricard) that needed additional Single Malt whisky for their Blends. The only two current Single Malts (14 and 16 Years) were released by the distillery in 2014.

I just noticed I gave the two Single Malts the same rating. That's correct from a quality point of view as they are both well made Speyside Malts. But they are quite different types of Whisky. The Tormore is a little closed on the Nose but immediately shows its hand on the palate and in the Finish. It's a Whisky that comes to you. In the case of the Braeval you will have to dig deeper to get to the soul. You have to explore the Malt until you find what hides behind the Oak. But both are well-made Single Malts and show much more character than the mainstream Speyside Malts that overflow the market in recent years. These well-matured Single malts can't be cheap of course so they can't be considered as daily drams. But they make for perfect birthday presents to enjoy sip by sip.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 October 14, 2019

Bruichladdich Octomore 06.1 Review

“Smoke on the Water”

Whisky Review # 837

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Bruichladdich Octomore 06.1 (167 PPM) - Scottish Barley Series

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Limited Edition- 18000 Bottles
Age: 5 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 57%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 140-190 (October 2019)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎Way too expensive for a 5-year old Single Malt. 
Buying Advice: 😀If you love peated young Islay, go for it!

Colour:

Golden Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

At 167 PPM and 57% ABV I was kind of expecting a Peat Explosion that would blow my mind away. The Peat is there of course and so is the Alcohol. It smells like a Young Islay but in a pleasant mellow way. Be sure to give this Octomore enough time in the glass as it opens up slowly.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Straw mixed with Cow Manure, Sea Water, Dirty Peat, Cold Smoke, Iodine, Band-Aid, TCP Pipes, Tar, Ashes, Bacon on the BBQ, Green Apple, Lemon, Burnt Herbs, Pepper and Leather.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Grass, Salted Nuts, Cooked Vegetables, Yeast, Cherry-Flavoured Cough Syrup,  Oak Char and Mint.

Palate:

Octomore 6.1 shows its Youth here. The Alcohol is strong & not yet integrated. This Octomore would certainly benefit from a longer maturation. It still holds its peaty ground though! A bit Sweeter as expected though.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Burnt Toast, Salted Caramel, Dirty Peat, Cold Smoke, Ashes, TCP Pipes, Tar, Soot, Iodine, Band-Aid, Straw mixed with Cow Manure, Green Apple, Lemon, Pepper, Menthol and Ginger.
  
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Cherry-Flavoured Cough Syrup, Roasted Nuts, Roasted Coffee, Oak, Char, Bitter Orange-Juice, Grass, Bacon on the BBQ, Burnt Herbs, Licorice and Nutmeg.

Finish:

Bitter-Sweet and very Long. Medium Dry towards the end. It's like sucking on a peated TCP Pipe! It just goes on and on. It's a very young Whisky of course and the Alcohol is quite noticeable. But somehow it works. I find Toasted Barley, Burnt Toast, Straw mixed with Cow Manure, Dirty Peat, Cold Smoke, Tar, Soot, Ashes, Iodine, Band-Aid, TCP Pipes, Burnt Herbs, Green Apple, Lemon, Salted Nuts, Salted Caramel, Bacon on the BBQ, Oak Char, Licorice, Pepper, Ginger, Menthol and Coffee-Flavoured Dark Chocolate.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and the Octomore starts to smell like peated Grist that most of you have probably smelled more than once when fortunate enough to visit a distillery. The Malt shines as well. Cold Smoke and Plastic reign on the Palate and in the shorter Finish. You can carefully experiment with a few drops at a time.

Rating: 85

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

Bruichladdich was founded in 1881 by Barnett Harvey. During its history it was mothballed various times, the last time in 1998. In 2012 the Islay distillery was bought by Remy Cointreau (France). Since, Bruichladdich is showing a healthy growth again. The distillery produces 3 types of Single Malt, i.e. the unpeated Bruichladdich, the heavily peated Port Charlotte and the very heavily peated Octomore. The basic core range for Bruichladdich includes The Classic Laddie, Islay Barley 2010 & Black Art 5. The annual production amounts to around one million litres.

The Octomore 06.1 was released in 2013. This is my first Octomore distillery bottling and I was expecting sort of a Peat Bomb. There's a lot of Peat of course and you gotta like that to fully appreciate an Octomore. But to me it's actually quite Mellow, especially on the Nose. It's young peated Islay Malt on steroids. Not for everybody and not for everyday but certainly warming after a long walk along the Islay coast on a cold and misty morning.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 October 10, 2019

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2014

Neil Young - Ragged Glory Review

Album : Ragged Glory  

Artist: Neil Young

Released: 1990

Producer: Neil Young and David Briggs

Label: Reprise

Crazy Horse:
Frank Sampedro: Guitar, Vocals
Billy Talbot: Bass, Vocals
Ralph Molina: Drums, Vocals

Songs: Country Home, White Line, Fuckin´ Up, Over and Over, Love to Burn, Farmer John, Mansion on the Hill, Days that Used to Be, Love and Only Love, Mother Earth (Natural Anthem). 

Type of Music: Grunge

Comments: 

It’s not easy to be a Neil Young Fan. One year earlier he added some slightly distorted guitars to the songs on Freedom and it worked nicely in a couple of songs. 

In 1990 however, Neil probably went to Seattle, discovered Grunge Music, thought it would sell quite good and called his good old friends from Crazy Horse who already played that kind of music long before it was known as such. Everybody went to the studio, completely distorted their guitars and rapidly recorded an album that was called Ragged Glory.  

The first thought that came to my mind when listening to the album was: Hey, this sounds like an industrial version of Tonight’s the Night! Same distorted guitars, same voice that sings slightly out of tune. There are quite some differences though. On Ragged Glory I miss quality songs, I miss a clear production and, most of all, I miss a sentiment. Where Tonight’s the Night reminded me of a backstreet little bar in New Orleans before the flood, Ragged Glory reminds me of a visit I once brought to a steel mill.  

There are some good song ideas to be found in this puddle of mud. Best song on the album by far is Mansion on the Hill. The Crazy Horse background vocals turn it into a catchy pop song. The song is literally followed by two honest sounding grunge-ballads Days that Used to Be and Love and Only Love. And both Over and Over and Love to Burn are basically nice songs that deserve a different kind of treatment.

In the good old sixties we had the EP or Extended Play, a single with three or four songs on it. In my humble opinion, Ragged Glory would have been an excellent EP.

Green: Great Songs - Black: Good Songs - Red: Could Be Better

Rating: Scale 0-10                        

Average Song Quality: 5,10

Production/Sound Quality: 5,00

Do I want to hear it again soon: 3,50

Who should buy this Record: Only for Die Hard Neil Young Fans

 

Glenlivet Master Distillers Reserve Review

“Ballad of a Thin Man”

Whisky Review # 836

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: Glenlivet "The Master Distiller's Reserve"

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Mix of Sherry Butts, American Oak and Traditional Oak casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 35-50 (October 2019)
Price/Quality Ratio: Okay. At least it's not too expensive.
Buying Advice: 😒 Bland and Thin. Not at all my thing! 

Colour:

Golden with shades of Orange (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Light, Young, Sweet, Fruity and Grassy. I notice the presence of Re-Fill casks. I get a few slightly Sour notes as well. The Sherry Wood is hardly noticeable. All in all a bit boring!

Main Aromas:

Barley Sugar, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Raisins, Artificially Flavored Candies (Pineapple, Pear, Green Apple),  Sugared Almonds, Cinnamon, and Ginger.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Buttered Toast, Brown Sugar, Mandarin, Lemon, Wet Stones, Caffe Latte, Milk Chocolate, Floral Soap, Wood Shavings and Mint.

Palate:

Young, Thin, Light, Bitter-Sweet and Medium Dry. A few Sour notes as well. The Alcohol is very present. Quite disappointing really.

Main Flavours:

Barley Sugar, Caramel, Vanilla, Orange Peel, Green Apple, Raisins, Grass & Straw, Nuts and Nutshells, Wood-Shavings, Cinnamon, Ginger, Mint & Nutmeg.
  
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Toffee, Heather-Honey, Mandarin, Grapefruit, Pear, Dusty Track, Acetone, Tin cans, Pepper and Caffe Latte.

Finish:

Short, Light, Young and Nervous. A mix of Sugary-Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. The Alcohol bites a little. I find Barley Sugar, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Raisins, Orange, Mandarin, Lemon, Nuts & Nutshells, Apple, Cinnamon, Ginger, Pepper, Menthol and Caffe Latte.  

Drinking Advice:

Added Water totally kills this Thin Single Malt.

Rating: 77

Nose: 20 - Taste: 19.5 - Finish: 18.5 - Overall: 19 

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

Conclusion:

The Glenlivet Distillery is located in Ballindalloch (Banfshire) and was founded in 1824 by George Smith. Since 2001 it is owned by Chivas Brothers Pernod Ricard and in 2018 a new extension of the distillery was approved that will increase the production to around 21 million litres making it the largest Single Malt distillery in Scotland. The Core range includes The Founder's Reserve (NAS), the 12, 15, 18 and 21 Years as well as the XXV and the Captain's Reserve. The Master Distiller's Reserve I'm reviewing today was launched in 2011 and is part of the Travel Retail range.

If I would be the Master-Distiller at The Glenlivet I would not want to give my signature to this Bleak, Bland, Thin and Boring Single Malt. I bought this at the Sao Paulo Airport as a package together with the Master Distiller's Small Batch Reserve. I hope that one will be better. Today's Master Distiller's Reserve did not bring me any joy at all!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                  October 3, 2019

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2019