Longrow 14 Years

”Digging in the Dirt”

Whisky Review # 903

Country: Scotland
Region: Campbeltown

Brand: Longrow
Distilled at: Springbank Distillery, Campbeltown in September 2003
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Bottled in July 2018 - 9000 Bottles

Age: 14 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 57.8% (Around Cask Strength)
Maturation: Refill Oloroso Sherry Casks
Chill Filtration: No

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many thanks!
Price Range: US$ 180-220 (February 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 It's quite expensive but it's a limited Edition
Buying Advice: 😋 Delicious Dirty Pleasure!

Colour: Chestnut (Natural Color)

Nose:

Please give this Longrow sufficient time in the glass before Nosing. There's some initial wafts of Alcohol and Sulphur you might wish to avoid. This is, thanks God, a long way from Mainstream Malt. This smells authentic and a little Dirty. My first thought was like looking for an old book in a leather cover on a dusty shelf in a Dunnage Warehouse in Campbeltown. Hope you get the picture. You might perhaps expect a Peat monster but that's not the case. Peat and Smoke are there of course but they remain quietly in the background. I'm not a huge fan of Sulphur but here it seems to work somehow. In short, I like it! It's quite Sweet by the way with a few Sour notes for balance.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Soft Cold Smoke, Earthy Peat, Pine, Leather, Dusty Book Shelves, Dunnage Warehouse, Mixture of Straw and Manure, English Marmalade, Dark Chocolate, Munster Cheese, Pepper and Mint.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Molasses, Salted Caramel, Hospital, Diesel, Brine, Old Driftwood, Oak Char, Ashes, Sour Wine, Lemon, Grapefruit, Green Apples, Bacon on the BBQ, Wet Stone, Slightly Burnt Herbs, Tobacco, Dark Berries, Slivovitz, Ginger and a hint of Rubber.

Palate:

Quite strong and Intense. A delightful mix of Sweet, Sour and slightly Bitter Notes. The Alcohol is there but in a good way and so is the Sulphur that might feel a bit overdone to some but somehow it works here for me. Smoke is more prominent at this point.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Cold Smoke, Dirty Earthy Peat, Iodine, Hospital, Bacon, Fish and Burnt Pineapple on the BBQ, Leather, Old Books, Dunnage, Apple, Grapefruit, Dark Berries, Orange, Lemon, Pepper, Cloves and Cinnamon.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Molasses, Burnt Heather, Pine & Herbs, Soot, Tar, Cigar Ashes, Wet Stones, X-mas Cake with lots of Sultanas, Dried Plums and Raisins, Charred Oak, Munster Cheese, Ginger, Nutmeg, Mint and an Espresso served with Bitter Mint-Chocolate.

  

     

Finish:

Middle-Long/Long and on the Dry side. A mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. The Alcohol is quite noticeable but not in a bad way. Much more Cold Smoke here than I would have expected after Nosing. There's certainly Sulphur around but it sort of combines with the slightly Dirty character of this Longrow. This is not for everyone, nor for everyday but it makes me smile and that's what interesting Whisky is all about. I find Toasted Barley, slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Molasses, Cold Smoke, Earthy Peat, Brine, Hospital, Iodine, Soot, Tar, Ashes, Pine, Dark Berries, Plums, Sultanas, Grapefruit, Orange, Leather, Tobacco, Bacon on the BBQ, Charred Oak, Dark Chocolate, Bitter Espresso, Pepper, Mint and Plastic.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and that increases the Sherry Cask influence. Lots of Dried Fruits and a general Christmas atmosphere on the Nose. The Palate and Finish get more Spicy this way. I like it both ways!

Rating: 88

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Good. Quite consistent from Nose to Finish

Conclusion:

The Longrow peated Single Malt is produced at the Springbank Distillery. In 1973, Springbank started a project that would try to produce a peated Islay type of whisky on the Scottish mainland. The name of the project was Longrow, named after the old Longrow distillery that was located close to Springbank. In 1990 the first peated Longrow appeared on the market. The Longrow Malts are dried for 48 hours over peat smoke. Longrow represents only about 10% of the total Springbank production. In 2020 Springbank only produced 120.000 litres in total due to Covid.

There's mainstream Malt and there's Longrow. Or Ledaig just to name another Dirty Diana. I can imagine that many beginning Whisky fans will have difficulties in liking this type of old school dirty malt full of Dunnage, Leather and Sulphur. It's for sure an acquainted taste. But once you like it, you might get hooked. Not your everyday Whisky to be sure but certainly a dirty joy once in a while.   

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                     February 11, 2021

Compass Box Transistor

”Who Let the BrewDogs Out”

Whisky Review # 902

Country: Scotland

Brand: Compass Box Transistor - BrewDog's Boilermaker Series

Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Mix of 1st Fill American Oak Barrels and French (Vosges) Oak Casks

Chill Filtration: No - Only a light 5 Micron Filtration

Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many thanks!
Average Price: US$ 60 (February 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😑 Slightly expensive for what it offers
Buying Advice: 😴Boring. It's said to pair well with the BrewDog Punk IPA though!

Colour:

Chardonnay (Natural Color)

Nose:

Please give Transistor a little time in the glass before Nosing in order to get rid of some serious initial waves of Grain Alcohol. There's not too much going on in this department I'm afraid. The Aromas are comparable to your slightly above average Blended Scotch. It's a bit less harsh suggesting a higher percentage of Malt Whisky. The Nose is Sweet and Creamy with Fruity, Cereal and Floral notes. No off-notes but nothing of particular interest as well. Reasonable Cask Management.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Grain, Buttered Toast, German Butter Biscuits, Orange, Lemon, Fresh Herbs, Bounty Bars, Oak, Dried Figs, Cinnamon and Cloves.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Butterscotch, Yeast, Apricot-filled Pastry, Apple, Green Grapes, Raisins, Grapefruit, Wet Stones, Pepper and Nutmeg. A distant hint of some Campfire Smoke.

Palate:

Young, Thin, Dry, Bitter-Sweet, Fruity & Creamy. The Grain Alcohol remains ever present and overpowers the Malt Whisky. It's not bad but you don't have to wake me up for it.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Grains, Buttered Toast, Bounty Bars, Seville Orange, Grapefruit, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger, Oak, Fresh (Mint) and Dried (Coriander) Herbs.

Supportive Flavour Accents:
   
Honey, Caramel, Butterscotch, Candied Apple, Dried Fruit like Raisin & Figs, Lemon, Wet Stones, Marzipan, Smoke, Iron and Roasted Nuts.

Finish:

Middle-Long & Bitter-Sweet. A few Sour notes as well. Quite Dry towards the end. The Grain Alcohol remains noticeable. A bit Thin despite the acceptable ABV. I find Toasted Grain, Caramel, Vanilla, Honey, Seville Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Bounty Bars, Marzipan, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cloves, Cinnamon, Menthol, Dried Herbs, Oak, Candied Apples and light Smoke.

Drinking Advice:

Due to the small size of the sample I only tasted the Transistor neat.

Rating: 82

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good. On the Thin side.

Conclusion:

John Glaser is one of the Whisky Makers at Compass Box, a Blending company in the UK. John's grandfather Jack from Chicago had the habit of drinking a cold Beer together with a Whisk(e)y of choice. This combo became known as a Boilermaker. Based on this, John, together with his colleague James Saxon and Steven Kersley, the Head of Distillation at Beer-Brewery BrewDog created a Blended Whisky that goes perfectly with the BrewDog Punk IPA. They called it the Transistor as the whisky amplifies the beer. I couldn't find the beer unfortunately but I can imagine that the Sweetness of the Whisky combines well with the bitter hops of the IPA. I hear that the combination works well so by all means give it a chance if you have the opportunity. Today I will concentrate on the Whisky as such, a blend of Grain Whisky from Cameronbridge and Single Malts from Linkwood, Teaninich, Dailuaine and Clynelish. Transistor is only for sale in the UK.

This Whisky was specifically made to pair the BrewDog Punk IPA and unfortunately I was not able to taste them together. On a stand-alone basis however, the Transistor is a reasonable Blended Scotch Whisky without off-notes but also unexciting. Boring to be honest. And it's a little too expensive for a boring Whisky. If you are in a pairing mood 😬by all means go for it. But Transistor is not interesting enough as a sipping Whisky on its own.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                     February 8, 2021

Girvan 1994 (The Exclusive Grains - TCWC)

”Glue Wine”

Whisky Review # 901

Country: Scotland
Region: Lowlands

Brand: Girvan 1994 - Distilled on March 24, 1994
Bottled by: The Creative Whisky Company in 2017 -  Bottles: 189
Series: The Exclusive Grains

Type: Single Grain Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # 605727
Age: 23 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 53.8% - Cask Strength
Maturation: Sherry Hogshead
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: Around US$ 100 (January 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍You won't find Single Malt Sherry Bombs at this price level
Buying Advice: 😐It's well-made but somehow it doesn't work for me

Colour:

Golden Amber (Natural Color)

Nose:

Please give this Girvan enough time in the glass before Nosing. The initial waves of Varnish, Acetone, Glue and Alcohol need to calm down. This is the first time I'm nosing a Single Grain Whisky that matured in a Sherry Cask. As you will probably know, most Single Grains are matured in Ex-Bourbon casks. I have mixed feelings about this Sherry cask to be honest. On the one hand it adds lots of Sweet Red Fruit and Rum Flavors but it also tends to overpower the Girvan Spirit. Looking forward to hear your thoughts on this subject!

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Vanilla, Demerara Sugar, Rum-soaked Raisins, Roasted Nuts, Plum Jam, Acetone, Varnish, Glue, Dark Chocolate, Caffe-Latte, Buttered Toast, Bounty Candy Bars, Cloves & Oak. The Alcohol is not completely integrated. The Sweet nose will remind you of Rum and, to a lesser extent, Brandy.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Honey, Golden Syrup, Butterscotch, Blackberries, Sweet Apple, Bananas, Cinnamon and Leather.

Palate:

Medium Body. The Sherry Cask totally controls the Girvan Spirit. It's quite Sweet with lots of Dried Fruit, Caramel and X-Mas ingredients. It's difficult to get rid of the Glue, Varnish, Acetone and Alcohol waves.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Christmas Cake soaked with Rum and Raisins, Plum Jam, Dark Chocolate, Alcohol, Glue, Acetone, Varnish, Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Syrup, Butterscotch, Figs, Blackberries, Black Cherries, Bounty Candy Bars, Roasted Almonds, Seville-Orange, Cloves, Licorice, Mint, Leather and Tobacco.

Finish:

Middle-Long and Sweet at first with a few Bitter notes towards the Dry end. The Alcohol remains ever present and Oak & Wood Spices come to the front. The Sherry Cask influence is overwhelming. I find Toasted Cereals, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Honey, X-Mas Cake soaked with Rum and Raisins, Plums, Seville-Orange, Figs, Mint-Chocolate, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger, Licorice, Oak, Glue, Varnish, Acetone, Alcohol and Leather.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little water and that helps to partly calm down Palate and Finish. On the Nose the Alcohol seems to intensify somewhat and that's remarkable. I do get a light Metallic note on the Finish. But on the whole I would advise you to add a bit of Water to this Girvan.

Rating: 85.5

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Well-Made but not really my thing!

Conclusion:

Girvan Distillery was founded in Girvan (South Ayrshire) in 1963. It is owned by William Grant & Sons. Most of the production is used in the William Grant Blends like Grant's and Clan MacGregor. The Grain Whisky is produced with 91.5% Wheat and 8.5% Malted Barley. The distillery has six Column stills with a total annual capacity of 115 million litres. The distillery also produces Hendrick's Gin.

It's generally accepted that 65 to 70% of the Flavors of any Whisky are formed by the contact of the Spirit with the Cask during maturation. I would guess that this percentage is even higher for Grain Whisky. That's why many Single Grain Whiskies go the market with more than 20 Years of Cask time. The Girvan I'm tasting today matured in an Ex-Sherry Cask and that's unusual. But 23 Years is a long time and the cask really took control over the Spirit. That probably will excite Sherry Bomb fans looking for a relative bargain. They should not forget one thing though. This is not a Single Malt Whisky and the Grain Alcohol, Glue, Varnish and Acetone spoil a bit of the Sherry party. If you're okay with that, go for it as the Price is this Girvan's greatest asset. My personal opinion: This Glue Wine is well-made but doesn't ring any Whisky bells!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      January 31, 2021

Caol Ila 1990 (Sansibar)

”Perfect Imperfection”

Whisky Review # 900

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay

Brand: Caol Ila 1990 - Chinese Theater Mask Label
Bottled for: Sansibar Germany and Spirits Shop's Selection Taiwan in 2016
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # N/A

Age: 26 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 49.2% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Bourbon Cask -  Bottles: 210
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 300-400 (January 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐It simply can't be cheap but it's a lot of money!
Buying Advice: 😋Delicious well-matured Islay. 

Colour: Golden Straw (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Please give this Single Malt a bit of time in the glass before Nosing. On the Nose this Caol Ila is a pretty straightforward but very delicious well-matured Islay. Peat and Smoke are still there of course but they have calmed down with time. It's pretty rural actually and Cattle and Leather are never far away. It's also Sweet & Buttery with some Pineapples and Shellfish being readied on the BBQ. Too make it short, I love it!

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, A mix of Wet Clay, Straw, Grass and Cow Manure, Campfire Smoke, Coastal Peat, Shell Fish and Pineapple on the BBQ, Leather, Green Apple, Herbs, Quality Oak, Pepper and Aniseed.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Brine, Iodine, Tar, Soot, Cigar Ashes, Wet Rocks, Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Wax, Marzipan, Tobacco, Coffee Beans, Cinnamon, Ginger and Licorice.

Palate:

Strong arrival. Mainly Sweet with a few light Bitter and Sour notes for balance. Lots of Character & Flavor. The Alcohol is there of course but it's pretty nicely integrated. It's not extremely complicated or refined. It is what it is supposed to be. A well-matured straight forward Caol Ila. Well done.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Campfire Smoke, Coastal Peat, Mix of Wet Clay, Grass, Straw and Cow Manure, Fish/Shell Fish, Bacon and Pineapple on the BBQ, Seville Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Green Apples, Leather, Herbs, Pepper, Ginger, Aniseed and Menthol.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Burnt Grass, Soot, Tar Cigar Ashes, Brine, Iodine, Wax, Tobacco, Quality Oak, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Licorice.

     

Finish:

Long and, again, straightforward but oh so delicious. It's mainly Sweet with a few light Bitter and Sour notes. Medium-Dry. A mix of Coastal and Rural Flavors. I find Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, the mix of Wet Clay, Grass, Straw and Cow Manure, Campfire Smoke, Coastal Peat, Brine, Iodine, Tar, Soot, Cigar Ashes, Wet Rocks and Sand, Fish/Shell Fish and Pineapple on the BBQ, Heather-Honey, Leather and Tobacco, Herbs, Marzipan, Seville-Orange, Grapefruit, Dark Chocolate, Pepper, Ginger, Menthol, Aniseed and Fresh Green Apples. A little Burnt Rubber after a while.

Drinking Advice:

You can certainly add a bit of Water to this Caol Ila although it seems to stimulate Wood and Wood Spices, especially in the Finish. I like it both ways though.

Rating: 89

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Very Good

Conclusion:

The Caol Ila Distillery was founded in 1846 and is located close to Port Askaig on Islay. It was bought by DCL in 1927 and through some mergers is now part of Diageo. The distillery was rebuilt in 1974 and only one old Warehouse reminds us of former days. Traditionally, Caol Ila is an important component of Blends like Johnnie Walker, Bell's and White Horse. But during the last 15 years Diageo has made great efforts to position the Distillery as a Single Malt as well. Caol Ila is really beautifully located alongside the strait between Islay and Jura. The Core range includes the 12, 18 and 25 Years, the Distiller's Edition as well as the NAS Moch. We enjoyed both our visits to the distillery in 2014 and 2017 respectively despite the fact that you're not allowed to take pictures.

I love well-matured Islay Malts and this is certainly one of them. If only all Whiskies that I review would be like this. Wishful Thinking! It's very expensive of course but how can it not be after 26 years in the cask. If you got the cash and you can find a bottle somewhere, go for it. It's worth it. This combination of Coastal and Rural Aromas and Flavors intermingled with this mature Smoke and Peat profile provide a breath-taking mind trip to Islay. Enjoy it if you can!

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                       January 25, 2021

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2014

Jim Beam Black Extra-Aged

”Black Is Black( I Want My 8 Years Back)”

Whisky Review # 899

Country: USA

Brand: Jim Beam Black Extra-Aged

Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: NAS (Around 6 Years)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%

Maturation: New Charred American White Oak Barrels
Charcoal Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 18-25 (January 2021)

Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Good at around US$ 20
Buying Advice: 😐 It's good enough if you're after a cheap basic Bourbon.

Colour:

Deep Golden with shades of Orange

Nose:

Sweet. The Alcohol is noticeable. Sweet Grain, Caramel/Vanilla & Ripe Fruit lead the way. Simple Basic Bourbon Aromas. Nothing special really. No Off-Notes.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Grain, Buttered Toast, Caramel, Vanilla, Very Ripe Banana, Dried Fruit like Apricot and Raisins, Sweet Apple, Charred Oak, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Butterscotch, Sugar, Citrus Peel, Bounty Candy Bars, Nuts, Dried Herbs, Pepper, Cloves, Mint and Glue.

Palate:

After the decent Nose, the Palate slightly disappoints as it's rather on the Thin side despite the decent ABV. The Flavor profile follows the Nose confirming this is a Kentucky Straight-Forward Bourbon. Not quite good enough as a sipping Bourbon but thoroughly enjoyable over Ice.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Grain, Caramel, Vanilla, Cherry-Flavored Cough Syrup, Charred Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon. The impression of saddling a horse!

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Demerara Sugar, Banana Ice-Cream, Mint, Coriander, Nutmeg, Cloves, Mixed Nuts, Orange Peel, Glue and Leather.

Finish:

Middle-Long and a little on the Thin side. Mainly Sweet but with a little Bitterness from the Oak towards the Medium-Dry end. I find Sweet Grain, Caramel, Vanilla, Nuts, Orange Peel, Charred Oak, Cherry-Flavored Cough Syrup, Nuts, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Glue and Leather. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Drinking Advice:

I added some Water and that helps calm down the Alcohol of course. You'll get more Spice in the Finish this way. You can enjoy it both ways but I actually prefer Jim Beam Black over ice!

Rating: 83

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21  - Finish: 20  - Overall: 20.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good. On the Thin side.

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion:

Jim Beam is produced in Clermont in the state of Kentucky. In the early part of the last decade Jim Beam Black was called Double Aged and matured 8 Years according to the label. In 2015, the Age statement was dropped and the name changed to XA or Extra Aged. Halfway 2016 Jim Beam rebranded the portfolio and changed labels and bottle design. During this process the XA in the name disappeared and Black was subsequently called "Extra-Aged". It is generally accepted that the new Black matured for around 6 Years as was the case with the bottle I purchased in Brazil in 2011 and reviewed here. The Mash bill for the Extra-Aged consists of Corn (77%), Rye (13%) and Malted Barley (10%).

Jim Beam Black Extra-Aged is a basic inexpensive Bourbon and as such it's okay. Don't expect miracles though. I really enjoy it over Ice but I wouldn't recommend it as a sipping Whiskey. I rated the similar Black a little higher back in 2011 but I was just starting to review at that time. As far as Jim Beam is concerned I have a slight preference for the Bulleit although it's a bit more expensive of course. My preferred day-to-day Bourbon remains the Maker's Mark 46. Cheers, Jan.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                      January 6, 2021