Glenglassaugh 2011

 

”Half a Boy and Half a Man”


Whisky Review # 909

Country: Scotland
Region: Highlands
Brand: Glenglassaugh 2011 - Bottled at Distillery on May 27, 2019
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Distilled on November 20, 2011
Age: Around 7.5 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 58.6% (Cask-Strength)
Maturation: Marsala Hogshead - Cask # 1374
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 80-90 (0,5 ltr) - April 2021
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Borderline okay for such a Young Whisky.
Buying Advice:😐Good Nose but Palate and Finish are Young and Unsettled.

Colour:

Deep Amber, almost Brown (Natural Color)

Nose:

Sweet, Herbal, Spicy. This is Christmas in a glass. Despite the high ABV, the Alcohol is nicely integrated. In general it feels like this Single Malt had much more cask time than its roughly 8 Years. The Marsala cask really left its mark but in this case that seems to work well.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Toasted Barley, German Butter Biscuits. Molasses, Brown Sugar, Marzipan, Slightly Sour Red Berries and Cherries, Sweet Red Wine, Cooked Apples spiced with Cinnamon and Nutmeg, Dried Herbs, Oak, Candied Orange, Ginger and Cocoa.
  
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Wax, Dough, Caramel, Vanilla, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Plum-Jam, Peach-Flavored Yogurt, Nectarine, Grapefruit, Grass and Straw, Leather, Tobacco, Pepper, Cloves and Mint.
   
Filling the Bottle!

Palate:

Both the Alcohol and the relative Youth of this Glenglassaugh become more visible. It's more Rough and Unsettled than the soft Nose would want you to believe. Mostly Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes as well.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Brown Sugar, Molasses, Butter, slighty Sour Red Berries and Cherries, Marzipan, Candied Orange, Red Wine, Dark Chocolate, Dried Herbs, Mint, Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Ginger and Licorice.
   
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Toffee, Vanilla, Wax, Resin, Grapefruit, Lemon, Plum Jam, Peach/Apricot- flavored Yogurt, Leather, Tobacco, Cinnamon and Cloves.


Finish
:


Middle-Long. Mainly Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes for necessary balance. Quite Dry towards the end. The Alcohol is much more noticeable now and the Marsala cask can't hide the Youth of this spirit anymore. The Finish is a bit Unsettled and Edgy. I find Toasted Barley, Burnt Caramel, Molasses, Toffee, Vanilla, Honey, Oak, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Resin, Dried Herbs, Orange Peel, Grapefruit, Stewed Apple, Dark Chocolate, Espresso, Red Wine & Red Fruit, Tobacco, Leather, Licorice, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Menthol and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

I added a little Water and while that doesn't significantly change the Aroma and Flavor profile, it does calm down this Single Malt. You can try it out both ways but in this case a few drops can't hurt!

Rating: 85

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

Drinking Experience Neat:

Good

Conclusion:

The Glenglassaugh Distillery is located in Portsoy, Banffshire and was founded in 1875 by James Moir and his two nephews William and Alexander Morrison. In 1892 the distillery was sold to Highland Distillers and it remained in their possession until 2008. It was closed three times in its history, most recently between 1986 and 2008. In the year 2008 it was revived by the Dutch Scaent Group. Finally, in 2013, Glenglassaugh was bought by The BenRiach Distillery Company that also operates BenRiach and GlenDronach. The core range consists of the Revival, Evolution and Torfa. The distillery produces around 800.000 litres annually. On May 27, 2019 we visited the distillery and did a very nice private tour. At the end of the visit I bottled a 0,5 litre bottle directly from the cask. It was distilled in November 2011 and did mature in a Marsala Hogshead. Just writing this brings back happy memories and a smile to my face. The location of the distillery is just breath-taking close to the bay and I highly recommend a visit.

Marsala is a fortified Italian wine made close to the city of Marsala on the island of Sicily. It's a protected brand name.

This Glenglassaugh is not a bad Single Malt and the Marsala cask works well here. The Nose is quite good and doesn't give its Youth away. But Palate and Finish do and clearly show that this Glenglassaugh needed more cask time. So it's Half a Boy and Half a Man as Nick Lowe once sang. I think that 10 years in good Ex-Bourbon casks and a two year Finish in a Marsala cask would  have really done the trick. As it is, it's okay and Sherry-Bomb lovers might cherish this one too. Personally, I really loved the whole Glenglassaugh experience but I would not buy another bottle of this specific Single Malt.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                            April 7, 2021

Ardbeg Grooves


”Let’s Groove”


Whisky Review # 908

Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Brand: Ardbeg Grooves - Limited Edition Feis Isle 2018
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: A mix of Ex- Bourbon and Portuguese Ex-Wine Casks
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 150-230 (March 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎Too expensive for such a Young, Experimental Ardbeg
Buying Advice: 😑 It's not bad and you might like it but it leaves me stone-cold! 

Colour:

Dark Amber (Natural Color)

Nose:

A mix of familiar Ardbeg Coastal/Medicinal Aromas & Sweet Red Wine casks. Herbs & Spices are there as well. It's a Young Whisky for sure and the Alcohol is slightly noticeable. It's certainly interesting but I don't think it's the direction I want Ardbeg to take in the future. The Nose leaves me a bit confused actually and I'm not quite sure what to think of it. It's not bad though.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Malted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Cold Smoke, Peat (Wet Clay), Ashes, Soot, Sweet Dark Red Fruit, Lemon, Smoked Pork, Paprika Schnitzel served with Fresh Coriander and Lemon, Leather, Oak Char, Pepper, Ginger and Menthol.   
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Marzipan, Tar, Iodine, Mix of Straw and Cow Manure, Band-Aids, Wet Rocks and Sand, Resin, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Seville Orange, Polished Old Wood, Green Apple, Cinnamon, Cloves and hints of Rubber and strong Espresso.   


Palate:

Quite Sweet and a little Young and on the Thin side. A few Bitter, Salty & Sour notes for balance. It's okay I guess but I'm not getting Into the Groove!

Main Flavours:

Sweet Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Peat (Wet Clay), Cold Smoke, Ashes, Dark Red Fruit, Cherry-Flavored Cough Syrup, Leather, Fish and Shell-Fish on the BBQ, Lemon, Green Apple, Charred Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Licorice and Menthol.
   
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Vanilla, Soot, Tar, Iodine, Band-Aids, Resin, Seville Orange, Rum-soaked Raisins, Coriander, Smoked Paprika Powder, Mix of Straw and Cow Manure, Herbal Tea, Cinnamon and Cloves.

Finish
:


Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet. Increasingly Bitter, Dry, Salty and Ashy towards the end. I find Sweet Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Peat (Wet Clay), Cigar Ashes, Cold Smoke, Soot, Tar, Leather, Charred Oak, Dusty Cellar, Wet Rocks and Sand, Smoked Nuts, Bacon on the BBQ, slightly Sour Red Wine, Herbal Tea, Cocoa Powder, Lemon, Green Apple, Cardboard Office Boxes, Resin, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Menthol and Licorice. Hints of Strong Espresso & Iron.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water spoils this Ardbeg.

Rating: 85

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

Drinking Experience Neat:

Good but not my kinda thing.

Conclusion:

The current Distillery was founded in 1815 by John MacDougall, close to the little town of Port Ellen on the island of Islay. In 1997 the distillery was bought by The Glenmorangie Company (part of French based Moet Hennessy) from the previous owners Allied Distillers. This company closed Ardbeg between 1981 and 1989 and only produced yearly during 2 months between 1989 and 1997. As a result, Ardbeg is lacking older stocks and is almost forced to launch Limited Editions while maintaining a very limited core range that consists of the 10 Years, Corryvreckan, An Oa, Traigh Bhan, Wee Beastie and Uigeadail. Like Glenmorangie, Ardbeg likes to experiment with Wood, Toasting and NAS expressions. In 2020 Ardbeg produced around 1,4 million liters of Alcohol.

Ardbeg Grooves was released on the occasion of Ardbeg Day 2018. Part of the Malt used to make Grooves was matured in Red Wine casks that were heavily charred resulting in heavy grooves in the surface of the wood.

People that follow my reviews on a regular basis know that I'm always in for new ways of maturing Whisky. So I will applaud Ardbeg's work and thinking in creating the Grooves. And I'm sure there will be people who will like it despite the fact that the price is very steep for such a Young Whisky. But it doesn't work for me although it's not a bad Single Malt. And I'm a big Ardbeg fan! But to me the Grooves strays too far from everything I love about Ardbeg. And why would I buy an Ardbeg that isn't an Ardbeg. Innovation is good when it adds value to the distillery character. In my opinion that's not the case here. Look forward to hear your opinion!

Cheers!


Jan van den Ende                                                                         March 31, 2021

Aultmore 21 Years


”The Aultmore Down the Road” 


Whisky Review # 907

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Aultmore
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - Batch 00107
Age: 21 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Refill Sherry Hogsheads
Chill Filtration: No
Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!
Price Range: US$ 200-240 (March 2021).
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Too expensive for what it offers.
Buying Advice: 😐 The Nose is nice but Palate and Finish do not quite convince.

Colour:

Golden (Natural Color)

Nose:

Sweet, Pleasant, Uncomplicated Nose. You certainly wouldn't give it 21 Years. Easy-going casks. Quite Fruity & Buttery. Be sure to give it some time in the glass before Nosing.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, German Butter Biscuits, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Caffe Latte, Fresh Herbs, Lemon Ice Tea, Fresh Green Apples, Oak, Pizza Dough and Ginger.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Butterscotch, Caramel, Wax, Bounty Bars, Peach-Flavoured Yogurt, Meadow Flowers, Pear drops, Nuts, Forest Floor, Bourbon, Ginger and Wet Stones.


Palate:

A bit more Hot and Aggressive than the Nose would like you to believe. Oak and Spices come to the front in strength. A mix of Bitter, Sweet and Sour notes with a light Metallic feel to it.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Grass and Straw, Fresh Herbs, Green Apple, Lemon, Grapefruit, Oak, Cinnamon, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Menthol and Licorice.   
Supportive Flavour Accents:

Heather-Honey, Butterscotch, Marzipan, Wax, Nectarine, Banana, Seville-Orange, Bounty Bars, Cloves, Bourbon, Slivovitz and Pizza Dough.

Finish
:


Middle-Long, Bitter Sweet & slightly Hot. Oak and Spices are more noticeable at this stage. A few Sour notes as well. 
The Bitterness increases towards the end and that's a pity. It takes a little while before your palate is ready to take another sip. I find Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Vanilla, Caramel, Honey-Nut Cereals, Vanilla, Grass & Straw, Green Apple, Lemon, Bitter Grapefruit, Caffe Latte, Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cinnamon, Menthol, Licorice, Bourbon, Oak and a little Marzipan.

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water. The ABV is spot on.

Rating: 85

Nose: 22 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience Neat:

Good but not really shining.

Conclusion:

The Aultmore Distillery was founded in 1896 by Alexander Edward. He had to sell it in 1923 to John Dewar & Sons. Dewar currently belongs to the Bacardi Group who bought it from Diageo in 1998. Most of Aultmore's Spirit goes into the Dewar's White Label, the #1 selling Scotch in the USA. Beats Me! In 2014 the core range was reviewed and nowadays include the 12, 18 and 21 Years, the latter originally only for Travel Retail. We almost managed to visit the distillery during our last tour in Scotland in 2019 but in the end it didn't work out. We did get to sample a few Aultmores during a fine dinner in the village of Oldmeldrum, home to the Glen Garion Distillery.

I had a few mature Independently Bottled Aultmores before and quite liked them. I was therefore eager to try this 21-year old that's part of today's core range. It did not quite convince me though. It started well with the unpretending but pleasant Nose but Palate and Finish left to be desired. A bit too much Heat and Bitterness for my taste. I must blame the casks for that. This Aultmore is not a bad Single Malt mind you but with a little extra care it could have been so much better and would have justified its price. As it is I would certainly recommend to try a sample first before deciding to buy a full bottle.

Cheers!


Jan van den Ende                                                                         March 24, 2021

Glenfiddich Winter Storm Batch 1



”Riders on the Storm”


Whisky Review # 906

Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Glenfiddich Winter Storm Batch 1 - Experimental Series # 03 - Bottled: 2017
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - 8000 Bottles
Age: 21 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Probably Ex-Bourbon with ca. 6 months Canadian Icewine Cask Finish
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 400-700 (March 2021). Huge price differences! Be aware!
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 This is way-overpriced even considering its 21 Years.
Buying Advice: 😒 It's just way too expensive for what it offers.

Colour:

Golden Amber (Artificially Colored)

Nose:

Light and Sweet. After 21 Years in the various casks, this Whisky deserves an ABV of around 46%. I find this to be a recurrent problem of Glenfiddich's older and more expensive Single Malts. They really should take a good look at this. Other than that the Nose shows a slightly boring but well-balanced mix of Fruit, Caramel, Wine & Spices. Surprisingly, the Alcohol is not fully integrated.

Main Aromas:

Barley Sugar, German Butter Biscuits, Apple, Pear-Drops, Artificially-Flavoured Fruit-Candies, Grass and Straw, Cinnamon-Spiced Tea, Pepper and Dried Herbs.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Honey, Vanilla, Fresh Meadow Flowers, White Wine, Nectarine, Gooseberry, Lemon, Wax, Studentenhaver (Mixed Dried Fruits and Nuts) and Arabian Sweets.



Palate
:


A mix of Sugary-Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. The Icewine finish is certainly more noticeable here than on the Nose.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Sugar, Toffee, Caramel, Apples, Artificially Flavoured Fruit Candies (Pear, Melon, Nectarine), Grass & Straw, Seville-Orange, Grapefruit, Oak, Menthol,  Pepper, Cinnamon and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Wax, Vanilla, Marzipan, White Wine, Lemon, Milk-Chocolate, Herbal Tea and cheap Spanish Brandy. I can still remember drinking the latter back in 1972 in Calafell on Spain's Costa Dorada.
 

Finish
:


Short to Middle-Long and Thin. Almost Sugary Sweet at first but with increasing Bitterness and Sourness towards the Medium Dry end. The Alcohol is noticeable and so is the Wine Finish. I find Sweet Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla Fudge, White Wine, Oak, Seville-Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Apple, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Milk-Chocolate, Menthol & hints of Salt, cheap Spanish Brandy & Cardboard boxes. The Menthol & Mint seem to almost explode in your throat. It's certainly different but I can't say I like it a lot. 

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water. It's Thin enough as it comes.

Rating: 84

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

Drinking Experience Neat:

Okay/Good. It's not bad but I won't enter the fanclub!

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.

The Winter Storm was first released in October 2017. Glenfiddich's Malt Master Brian Kinsman got the inspiration when he visited the Icewine producing Peller Estates Winery near Niagara in Canada. The grapes for this wine are picked during the Canadian Winter in January. The grapes need to be very hard and are harvested at moonlight at minus 10 degrees C. Working together with Mr. Craig McDonald, Peller's VP of Winemaking, Brian experimented with several French Oak Icewine casks, filling them with Glenfiddich aged Malts of different ages for upto 6 months. It appeared that only the older whiskies (21 Years) could cope with the very sweet Icewine intensity.

I always applaud experiments so I congratulate Mr. Kinsman on trying to find a new road. I must confess however that this specific road doesn't seem to go anywhere. The Nose is okay but Palate and Finish are merely regular. I think that expensive projects like this deserve Better Cask Management and a higher ABV. The way it is presented it doesn't deserve the high prices at which Winter Storm is offered. The industry should sell excellent whisky at these prices and not stories and hypes. That way they avoid them being seen as Riders on the Storm!

Cheers!


Jan van den Ende                                                                         March 17, 2021

All pictures were taken during our visit in May 2019

Ballantine's Bourbon Finish


”I’m Glad I Reached the Finish”


Whisky Review # 905

Country: Scotland
Brand: Ballantine's Bourbon Finish
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS (Probably 3-5 Years)
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Refill Ex-Bourbon casks. Finish: Married in Ex-Bourbon casks.
Chill Filtration: Yes
Average Price: US$ 20-25 (March 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍Okay
Buying Advice: 😑 Mixing/On the Rocks okay. Not good enough for sipping.

Colour:

Golden Honey (Artificially Colored)

Nose:

Thin, Young, Soft and Sweet. The Grain Alcohol is quite present. The Bourbon casks make themselves known with lots of Caramel, Toffee and Vanilla. A bit of Fruit and Nuts and that's about it. Not too much going on here. No Off-Notes.

Main Aromas:

Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Grain Alcohol, Vanilla, Caramel, Gras/Straw, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Sultanas, Nuts, Orange, Sweet Apple, Cinnamon and Pepper.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Butterscotch, Bounty Bars, German Butter Biscuits, Lemon, Nectarine, Wood Chips and Smoke from an extremely distant fire.


Palate:

Young, Soft, Watery Thin and Sugary Sweet. The Grain Alcohol rules despite all the innovative Finish efforts. Flavorwise, it basically follows the Nose.

Main Flavours:

Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Vanilla, Toffee, Caramel, Straw, Dried Fruit and Nuts, Sweet Apple, Cinnamon, Pepper, Nutmeg and Ginger.

Supportive Flavour Accents:
   
Heather-Honey, Butterscotch, Bitter Orange, Caffe Latte, Dried Herbs, Wood Chips, Lemon, Licorice, Mint and the afore mentioned Smoke.

Finish:

Short and Thin. Sugary Sweet at first but with a light Bitterness popping up towards the end. I find Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Vanilla, Toffee, Caramel, Butterscotch, Grain Alcohol, Dried Fruit, Nuts, Straw, Candied Orange Peel, Caffe Latte, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Ginger, Wood Chips, Licorice, Dried Herbs and this far away Smoke.

Drinking Advice:

No need to add Water to this Ballantine's. It's Thin enough as it is

Rating: 77 

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

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Okay/Good

Conclusion:

Ballantine's Blended Whisky was created in 1910 by the family of the same name. The main Single malt components are Miltonduff and Glenburgie but it is said that the Blend contains upto 50 different whiskies including four Grain Whiskies. Bourbon Finish was introduced over here in December 2020. In other parts of the world a 7 Year-old Whisky was released under the same name. The whiskies for this Blend mature separately before being married and finished for an unknown period of time in Ex-Bourbon casks. This procedure is quite new in the Blended Whisky segment. 

I like innovative initiatives and I must congratulate Ballantine's on this novelty that's quite common in Single Malt maturation but not so for Blends. Having said that I must also notice that the effect of the, probably short, finish is limited. It takes away a bit of the harshness that I find in Ballantine's Finest. The makers like to think of this expression as a bridge between Whisky and Bourbon fans. That goes a little too far in my opinion. This Ballantine's remains a Refill cask matured Blend that is okay for mixing and over Ice but not interesting enough as a sipping Whisky. It's a Party drink in that sense. And Ballantine's will be fine with that as they are obviously reaching out to a young public with this Bourbon Finish.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                          March 1, 2021