Glenfiddich 18 Small Batch Reserve

”Eighteen Without a Bullet”

Whisky Review # 889

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside

Brand: Glenfiddich 18 Small Batch Reserve - Batch # 3464

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 18 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Oloroso Sherry casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 70-90 (September 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay
Buying Advice: 😔 Nice for Beginners. Not really interesting for the long-time fans

Colour:

Mahogany (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Can a Scotch Single Malt smell like Comfort Food? Probably not but it was the first thing that came to my mind when smelling this Glenfiddich. The comfortable but not overly exciting Aromas of a well-matured modern mainstream Malt. It's agreeable and forgettable at the same time. The Sherry notes are present but not in a very pronounced way. The Nose is Medium-Sweet and ever so slightly Meaty.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Toffee, Marzipan, Sweet Apples & Pears, Dried Fruit like Figs, Raisins and Apricot, Grass and Straw, Nutella, Dusty Casks and Wood Shavings, Cinnamon, Mint and Ginger.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Demerara Sugar, Salted Caramel, Marshmallow, Honey, Vanilla, Wax, Floral Soap, Ripe Banana, Mixed Citrus Juice, Bounty Candy Bar and Pepper.

Palate:

Arrival and Mouthfeel are quite Thin. It should be a crime against the Whisky-loving community to bottle an 18 year old Single Malt at 40%. It's a damn shame! This would be so much better at 46%! Otherwise the Palate is friendly enough to appeal to beginning whisky drinkers. For the advanced fans it holds few secrets like most modern mainstream Malts. The Palate is mainly Sweet with a few light Bitter and Sour notes for balance.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Toffee, Bounty Candy Bars, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Dried Apricots/Figs, Orange Peel, Sweet Apples/Pears, Nutella, Dusty Casks, Cinnamon, Ginger and Licorice.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Salted Caramel, Marzipan, Fruit Cake, Straw, Wax, Espresso, Mixed Citrus Juice, Pepper, Nutmeg and Mint.

Finish:

Short/Medium-Long, Thin and mostly Sweet. A little bit Dry towards the end. I find Toasted Barley, Toffee, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Honey-Nut Cereals, Fruit Cake, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Orange Peel, Bounty Candy Bars, Dried Apricot, Sweet Apples & Pears, Dusty Oak, Herbal Tea, Tobacco, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Mint and Licorice. After a while some Strawberry Cake and Espresso.

Drinking Advice:

This Glenfiddich does not need added Water.

Rating: 84

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion:

Glenfiddich was founded in Dufftown in 1886 by William Grant. It's one of the few distilleries that is still in the hands of the founder's family. In the year 1963 it became the first whisky that was marketed worldwide as a Single Malt. It was the first Single Malt to appear in the Travel Retail and Duty Free shops as well and the chance is huge that Glenfiddich was your first Single Malt. It was mine! It is also the first distillery that opened a visitor centre, back in 1969. The current core range consists of the 12, 15, 18, 21, 26, 30  and 40 years old. We visited the distillery in May 2014 and May 2019. Despite the large number of visitors they still do a good job on the Tours.

After Maturation, Malt Master Brian Kinsman hand-selected 150 exceptional casks and married those in large wooden tuns for another 3 months. So the distillery goes a long way to present this Small Batch Reserve. And then bottles it at 40%! Does that make sense? To me it doesn't! Better to use this fine new bottle and packaging and present a truly up-graded 18 Years with 100% First Fill casks, Natural Color, No Chill-Filtration and a decent ABV of 46%. Now that would make an impact. As it is though the Small Batch Reserve is a nice gift for beginning whisky fans but that's about it. Come on Brian, think this one through again!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                 September 14, 2020

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2019

Chivas Regal 18 Mizunara Oak Finish

”The Sweet Escape”

Whisky Review # 888

Country: Scotland

Brand: Chivas Regal Mizunara Oak Finish - Ultimate Cask Collection

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48%
Maturation: Mix of Ex-Bourbon Casks and Sherried Wood

Finish: First Fill Japanese Mizunara Oak casks
Chill Filtration: No

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many thanks!
Price Range : US$ 160-230 (September 2020 - 1 Liter)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😔 Quite expensive. At around US$ 130 it's a good deal.  
Buying Advice: 😄 Very Nice Blend. It's Sweet but quite Good.

Colour:

Mahogany (Artificially Colored)

Nose:

You immediately notice the Mizunara Wood when nosing this Chivas. It reminds me of Polished Sandal wood. I sometimes get Coconut as well but this time that's not really the case. It's a very nice smell actually but it's rather diluted here by the neutral Grain Alcohol. The Nose is Sweet with (Dried) Fruit, Vanilla and Spices. It's not really powerful despite the respectable ABV. I had expected more to be honest.

Main Aromas:

Barley Sugar, Toasted Grains, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Vanilla, Apricot-Filled Puff-Pastry, Grain Alcohol, Rum-Tea, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Figs, very ripe Banana, Nectarine, Mizunara Wood, Cinnamon, Ginger and Cloves.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Sweet Gelatin, Toffee, Milk Chocolate, Sweet Apples & Pears, Bread Dough, Grass and Straw, Lemon, Dark Red Fruit, Herbs, Pepper and Cardamom. At times I got some Aniseed and Tobacco as well.

Strathisla, the Rainy Home of Chivas

Palate:

Quite pleasant. The Mizunara Wood gives this extra bit of character and it does not overpower the other flavors, probably thanks to the high ABV. It's difficult not to like this one unless you are allergic to Sweetness. Because it is Sweet!

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Vanilla, Rum-Tea, Dried Fruit like Apricot and Raisins, Banana Ice-Cream, Nectarine, Orange, Mizunara Wood, Grain Alcohol, Dark Red Berries, Assorted Nuts, Cinnamon, Ginger and Cloves.

Supportive Flavour Accents:
   
Heather-Honey, Toffee, Grass and Straw, Sweet Apples and Pears, Milk Chocolate, Lemon, Pepper, Nutmeg and Aniseed.

Finish:

Middle-Long and quite Sweet. Medium-Dry towards the end. The Grain Alcohol is quite present at this time but it's still a pretty decent Finish for a Blended Scotch Whisky. You do need to accept the Sweetness however. The Sherry Wood is quite noticeable. I find Sweet Barley, Resin, Sugared Honey Nuts, Toasted Grains, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla, Sweet Apples and Pears, Banana Ice-Cream, Nectarine, Orange, Lemon, Perfumed Soap, Mizunara Wood, Peanuts, Salt, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves and Aniseed.

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water to this Chivas Regal.

Rating: 85.5

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Sweet but Good

Conclusion:

This Chivas Mizunara is part of the Ultimate Cask Collection and was released in  2018. This interesting series had started in 2015 with the First Fill American Oak Finish, followed in 2017 by the First Fill French Oak Finish. It was initially released for the Travel Retail market.

I'm actually pleasantly surprised by this Blend, especially considering the well-balanced Palate/Finish. I find the Nose to be a bit underwhelming though. But in general this exciting maturation in a mix of Ex-Bourbon casks & Sherried Wood followed by the Mizunara Cask Finish works really well. It's quite expensive but if you can spare the cash you won't be disappointed. Sweet but Good stuff!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    September 7, 2020

Mizunara Tree (Picture Credit: The Tozan Tales)

Lamas Nimbus Caledonia Review

”It’s a Long Way to the Top(If You Want to Rock & Roll)” 

Whisky Review # 887

Country: Brazil
Region: State of Minas Gerais

Brand: Lamas Nimbus Caledonia - Prototype - Limited Edition

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS (My Guess: 3-5 Years)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Casks with Fortified Brazilian Wine Cask Finish
Chill Filtration: No

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!
Average Future Price: US$ 25 (August 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐Okay
Buying Advice: 😕Not interesting enough as a sipping whisky. 

Colour:

Dark Amber with hues of Orange and Brown (Natural Color as stated by producers)

Nose:

Quite Sweet. It's Malty but other than that it smells quite different when compared to your average Scotch Whisky. There's a liqueur-like feeling to it. Some Fresh Oak might have been used for finishing this Lamas. You can sense the Eucalyptus Smoke but it's not very prominent. This is certainly a Young Whisky and it lacks complexity and depth. The Alcohol is noticeable but does not interfere with the Nosing process.

Main Aromas:

Malted Barley, Toast and Margarine, Caramel, Yeast, Ale, Smoldering Embers, Dark Red Fruit like Cranberries and Raspberries, Ginger and Menthol.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Butterscotch, Brown Sugar, Pencil Shavings, Dusty Road, Dried Plums, Orange, Red Grapes, Lemon, Grapefruit, Floral Soap and Varnish.

Palate:

Young, Thin, Medium-Dry, Bitter-Sweet and on the Hot side. The Alcohol is much more noticeable by now and so is the slightly Medicinal Smoke. The lack of sufficient maturation leaves it unbalanced. Not something I would enjoy as a sipping Malt.

Main Flavours:

Malted Barley, Caramel, Toast, Sugar, Smoldering Embers, Red Berries, Plums, Lemon, Bitter Orange, Sour Red Wine, Ginger and Menthol.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Dusty Track, Dusty Charred Oak, Dried Fruit, Nuts and Nutshells, Cocoa Powder, Cinnamon, Leather and Varnish.

Finish:

Young, Thin, Short and quite Hot. This Single Malt could certainly use 5 more years or so in the cask. The slightly Medicinal Smoke is even more noticeable at this point. Lots of Menthol after a while. I find Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Smoke, Iodine, Dusty Oak, Nuts and Nutshells, Red Berries, Plums, slightly Sour Red Wine, Cocoa Powder, Bitter Oranges, Grapefruit, Menthol, stale Espresso and Varnish.

Drinking Advice:

I added a bit of Water and while it helps to control the Alcohol it doesn't do a whole lot more. A few drops are okay I suppose.

Rating: 73

Nose: 19 - Taste: 18 - Finish: 17.5 - Overall: 18.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Borderline okay

Conclusion:

The Lamas I'm tasting today is actually still a prototype. It will be launched very shortly though. It's a limited edition based on the existing Nimbus. Both editions are made with Malt that is dried with fresh reforestation Eucalyptus wood giving them a slightly smoky character.

It's not easy to make a good Single Malt at a sympathetic price-level. And Whisky production in Brazil is quite a young activity. So I won't be too harsh on this Lamas. It's sufficient to say that it lacks maturation and it's not interesting enough as a sipping Malt. The "Smoky" touch of this Caledonia is certainly worth perfecting in the future as it provides a differential. Like is the case all over the world, new Whisky makers are tempted to launch young whisky to provide much needed cash-flow. I can understand the economic issue but from a consumer point of view I would prefer they would use Gin, Vodka and Liqueurs for that purpose, granting the Single Malt sufficient time in the cask. I would really look forward to taste a fully matured Lamas in the future and I wish this Distillery all the best!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       August 16, 2020

Bruichladdich Octomore 07.3 Review

”Octomore Than Words”

Whisky Review # 886

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Bruichladdich Octomore 07.3 (169 PPM) - Islay Barley

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Limited Edition
Age: 5 Years (2010-2015)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 63% (Around Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon American Oak Casks + Spanish Red Wine Cask Finish
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 200-240 (August 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍It's too expensive given its age but it's delicious!

Buying Advice: 😍 Great Octomore. The best I had so far!

Colour:

Pale Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

You would expect an explosion of Peat & Smoke given the 169 PPM but that's not the case. It's prominent of course but in a sort of laid-back style. Quite pleasant. Of course you can feel the high ABV but again it's not overwhelming. The influence of  the Red Wine Finish is limited but it does bring a little Berry Sweetness to the peat bog. It's all well-balanced and the smell of freshly polished old Leather reminds me of those private gentleman's clubs in London. In short, I like it!

Main Aromas:

Malted, Toasted Sweet Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Toffee, Vanilla, Coastal Peat, Cold Smoke, Soot, Brine, Honey Glazed Bacon, Green Apple, Banana, Polished Leather, Dried Herbs, Wood Shavings, Blueberry Muffins, Mint & Tobacco.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Caramel, Butterscotch, Demerara Sugar, Yeast, Ashes, Iodine, Straw/Cow Manure Mix, Fish and Shellfish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon, Nuts, Pear, Nectarine, Mushrooms, Violets, Vegetable Oil, Nougat and Pepper.

Palate:

The ABV is quite high of course and that might turn off a few of you. But if you like strong peated Whisky this Octomore is a real treat. What a pity that Bruichladdich doesn't fully mature this range or at least some like the 07.3. Give this some 15 years in good casks, apply the same Finish and I'm pretty sure the result would be stunning and would go straight to # 1 in my Top Whisky list. But it's only a 5 Years old Malt and you can tell at this point. It's still pretty good though!

Main Flavours:

Sweet Toasted and Malted Barley, Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Coastal Peat, Cold Smoke, Soot, Ashes, Brine, Green Apple, Nectarine, Grapefruit, Shellfish and Fish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon, Herbal Tea, Blueberry Muffins, Toasted Pineapple, Leather, Tobacco, Mint, Licorice, Ginger and Nutmeg.
  
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Toffee, Demerara Sugar, Nougat, Iodine, Tar, Straw mixed with Cow Manure, Wood Shavings, Damp Dunnage Warehouse, Pear, Honey-Glazed Pork, Diesel Oil, Pepper, and Cinnamon.

Finish:

Long, Sweet, Powerful and Creamy. The Alcohol is quite strong at this point. Some Sour, Bitter and Mineral notes as well towards the Medium-Dry end. Its Youth is more obvious here as well. What a pity! Imagine a fully matured Octomore 07.3! That would be great! Back to reality: I find Sweet Malted & Toasted Barley, Toast, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Fudge, Demerara Sugar, Coastal Peat, Cold Smoke, Ashes, Soot, Iodine, Tar, Brine, Toasted Pineapple, Green Apple, Nectarine, Fish & Shellfish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon, Honey-Glazed Bacon, Straw mixed with Cow Manure, Vegetable Oil, Leather, Wet Rocks/Sand, Herbal Tea, Wood Shavings, Strong Espresso, Pepper, Cinnamon and Ginger.

Drinking Advice:

I added Water and although that helps calm down the Alcohol it also awakens some less wanted notes like PVC Pipes, Rubber and Green Garden refusal on the Nose. Palate and Finish become easier to drink but it does take away a lot of the strong Magic. If you can handle it, sip it straight!

Rating: 90

Nose: 23 - Taste: 22.5 - Finish: 22 - Overall: 22.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Excellent

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 & Octomore. The basic core range includes Classic Laddie, Islay Barley 2010 and Black Art 5. The annual production amounts to around one million litres.

The Octomore 07.3 was distilled with Barley from James Brown's Octomore farm (Lorgba field) on the island of Islay. It was harvested in 2009, distilled in 2010 and bottled in November/December 2015. The spirit matured on Islay in American Oak Ex-Bourbon casks that were married with Tempranillo Red Wine casks from the Northern Spanish Wine Region of Ribera del Duero (Castile & Leon).

Viva Bruichladdich! This Octomore 07.3 really did it for me despite its youth. I can only imagine how good this would be after 15 years or so. I really hope the distillery will at least fully mature one Octomore some day! Still, the 07.3 is a very good Malt if you like strong peated Islay. This is certainly not for everybody but during the Tasting session this 07.3 took me back to the Rhinns of Islay on a fresh and windy day in 2014. And I loved every minute of it. Back then and now!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                        August 10, 2020

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2014

The Chita Single Grain Review

”Big in Japan”

Whisky Review # 885

Country: Japan
Region: Central Japan (Honshu)

Brand: The Chita

Type: Japanese Single Grain Whisky
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Mix of Sherry, Bourbon and Wine Barrels of White and Spanish Oak
Chill Filtration: Yes

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many thanks!
Price Range : US$ 50-70 (August 2020)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Way too expensive for what it offers!
Buying Advice: 😒 Not good enough as a sipping whisky. Too expensive for Mix!

Colour:

Light Golden (Artificially Colored)

Nose:

An initial waft of Varnish/Nail Polish suggests the possible use of some Fresh Oak in the maturation process. It diminishes rapidly though but remains somewhere in the background. The Nose is Young, Light and mainly Sweet. There's quite a lot of Fruit to be found but it does smell a little artificial. The Grain Alcohol is less harsh than the variety usually found in Blended Scotch. The Nose is okay but not much more than that.

Main Aromas:

Honey Nut Breakfast Cereals, Buttered Cake, Corn, Caramel, Vanilla, Pineapple, Lemon, Mandarin, Coconut, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Banana-Flavored Ice Cream, Pear, Green Apple, Nectarine, Orange, Mango, Grass & Straw, Floral Soap, Varnish/Acetone, Wood Shavings, Slivovitz, Ginger, Herbal Tea, Cinnamon, Pepper, Empty Green Vegetable Cans that contained peas or something like that and Tobacco.

Palate:

Young, Light, Sweet, Thin and a little "Funky". A light Metallic Off-Note. Again lots of Sweet rather Artificially Flavored Fruit. The Alcohol is more noticeable at this point. This is not really my thing!

Main Flavours:

Sugared Honey Nut Breakfast Cereals, Cake and Cream, Butter, Caramel, Vanilla, Green Apple, Slightly Bitter Orange, Mandarin, Banana-Flavored Ice-Cream, Wet Earth, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Milk Chocolate, Coconut, Pineapple, Mango, Pear, Lemon, Grapefruit, Floral Soap, Wood Shavings, Pepper, Menthol, Cloves, Salt, Varnish/Acetone and Herbal Tea.  

Finish:

Light, Young, Short/Medium-Long and Sugary Sweet. I mean really Sweet! A few Bitter, Sour and Salty notes provide a minimum contrast. The Alcohol kick at the end is slightly "Hot". I find extra-Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Caramel, Vanilla, Cake & Cream, slightly Bitter Orange, Lemon, Mandarin, Grapefruit, Green Apples, Unripe Apricot, Pepper, Salt, Nutmeg, Ginger, Menthol, Varnish/Acetone and Herbal Tea. After a while hints of Licorice and Espresso.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water helps to calm down the Alcohol but that's about it. The Finish becomes almost non-existing this way.

Rating: 77.5

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 19.5 - Finish: 18.5 - Overall: 19

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay at the most

Conclusion:

The Chita distillery was founded in 1972 and is located at the Port of Nagoya Sun Grain facility in the Chita district of the Aichi Prefecture. It's the only major Whisky distillery in Japan that is specializing in Grain Whisky. It's owned by Suntori, the company that also runs the Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries. Until 2015, the grain whisky was used only in Blends. Since then however Suntori is positioning Chita as a Single Grain Whisky as well. Suntory's chief blender Fukuyo Shinji and his crew use no less than 10 different grains for The Chita.

I can't tell you a lot about this Chita other than that I don't like it very much. It's very Young, very Light, Thin and Funky. The latter referring to a few light off-notes. It's okay for mixing I suppose but it's way too expensive for that. Everybody wants to ride the huge waves of enthusiasm for Japanese Whiskies in general but this one simply isn't good enough as a sipping Malt. This one might be Big in Japan but at this price level I feel a bit "Chitad"😂.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                          August 3, 2020

Chita Distillery