Gerston (Lost Distillery Company)

 “Dirty Water”

Whisky Review # 992

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: North-Eastern Highlands - Hallkirk (Caithness)

Brand: Gerston - Lost Distilleries - Classic Selection

Produced, Matured and Bottled in Scotland by: The Lost Distillery Company

Type: Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 45-55 (June 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😑 Borderline Okay
Buying Advice: 👎 Too Thin and Watery to really enjoy. Try the Gift Box first! 

Colour: Golden Sunlight (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Young with Sweet, Sour, Smoky, Mineral & Salty Notes. I can almost touch the Refill casks. It's not too bad but I can't get excited I'm afraid.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley Sugar, Vanilla, Sugared Breakfast Cereals, Straw, Burnt Toast, Green Apple, Citrus Peel, Dirty Earth, Factory Smoke, Pepper and Ginger.    
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Mixed Nuts and Dried Fruit, Wet Sand, Unripe Pear, Mandarin, Melon, Nectarine, Imitation Leather, Charred Oak, Olive Oil, Mustard and Sea Breeze. A hint of Phosphor.  

Palate:

Young, Light and Thin. A mix of Bitter, Sweet, Sour, Salty and Mineral notes. It's a bit Dirty as well. A Watered-Down version of Ledaig from the isle of Mull. 

Main Flavours:

Toasted and Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Straw, Green Apple, Citrus Peel, Olive Oil, Licorice, Charred Oak, Dirty Earth, Factory Smoke, Dark Chocolate, Wet Rocks, Pepper and Ginger.   

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Dried Herbs, Unripe Pears & Bananas, Mandarin, Melon, Nuts & Nut Shells, Iron, Cinnamon and Mint.

Finish:

Medium-Long. Bitter-Sweet, Thin & almost Watery. A little Hot towards the Dry end. I find Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Straw, Charred Oak, Factory Smoke, Dirty Earth, Citrus Peel, Mandarin, Green Apple, Nuts & Nut Shells, Dark Chocolate, Cinnamon, Pepper, Menthol, Licorice & Ginger. A hint of Old Iron and Peanut Butter. 

Drinking Advice:

Added Water kills this Gerston.

Rating: 6.5 (******1/2)

Nose: 7 - Taste: 6.5 - Finish: 6  

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay

Conclusion:

There were in fact two distilleries operating under this name. Gerston I was a family owned Farm Distillery that was founded by the Swanson Family in 1796 and closed in 1875 after a Water dispute with one of the neighbors. Swanson subsequently sold the distillery. Gerston II was founded in 1886 and was 10 times as big as Gerston I. The new owners hoped to build on the success of Gerston I but could not repeat the taste and the quality of the original distillery. Gerston II closed after nearly two decades in the year 1914. Only Gerston I used Peat to dry the malted Barley so this recreation is based on that Distillery.

Of course there is no way of telling if this version smells and tastes like the products of Gerson I or II. On a stand-alone basis I'm not overly impressed with this fifth Lost Distillery item out of a gift box of 6 miniatures. The last one, Towiemore, will get its Review later this year. This Gerston is very Young and Thin almost to the point of being Watery despite the 43%. It's okay as a miniature but I would not advise to buy a full bottle of this. I have no idea what Distilleries are part of this Blended Malt but I'm pretty sure it contains Old Pulteney & perhaps a bit of Ledaig. If you guys have additional info, please let me know! 

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                           June 15, 2023

Atholl Highlander 10 Years

“War (What Is It Good For)”

Whisky Review # 991

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Unknown

Brand: Atholl Highlander

Produced, Matured and Bottled in Scotland for: The Atholl Highlanders

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Age: 10 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Unknown. Most likely Refill Ex-Bourbon casks

Chill Filtration: Yes

Price: Around US$ 20 in Auctions (June 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐  Okay at around US$ 20
Buying Advice: 👎 Nothing really enjoyable here

Colour: Chardonnay (Probably Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

A rather unexpressive Nose that reminds me of an average Blended Scotch Whisky that matured in 3rd and/or 4th Refill casks. Medium Sweet with some Sour notes. Lots of Grass and Straw with a few Floral tones. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Aromas:

Grain, Buttered Toast, Yeast, Old Bread, Grass and Straw, Nut Shells, Lemon Zest, Floral Soap & some Green Herbs.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Malted Barley, Honey, Vanilla, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Apples, Pears, Apricot-filled Pastry, Pepper, Cinnamon and Mint.

Palate:

Thin. A mix of Sugary Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. It's rather Hot as well. The Atholl Highlanders deserve more than this. And so do I.

Main Flavours:

Grains, Sugar, Caramel, Grass & Straw, Nut Shells, Caffe Latte, Refill Casks, Pepper, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Barley, Toffee, Vanilla, Apricot-filled Pastry, Apple, Pear, Lemon and Orange Zest, Plastic and Grapefruit.

Finish:

On the Thin side. Medium-Long & rather Hot. Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes.  I find Grain, Toffee, Sugar, Honey, Straw, Green Apple, Unripe Pear, Grass and Straw, Caffe Latte, Lemon and Orange Zest, Grapefruit, Refill-Casks, Nut Shells, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Mint. A slight PVC Off-Note.

Drinking Advice:

I added a bit of Water and the Barley starts to peep through. It also becomes less Sharp. A few drops can't hurt here.

Rating: 6 (******)

Nose:  6 - Taste: 6.5 - Finish: 5.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay at best

Conclusion:

The Blair Castle is located in Pitlochry (Pertshire) in the Southern Highlands. It dates from 1269 and has been the home of the Earls & Dukes of Atholl for over 700 years. Queen Victoria stayed at the castle in 1844 and presented the Duke of Atholl with colours for his men, the Atholl Highlanders. They are still in existence today and form the only private army in Europe.

I have no idea where this Single Malt was distilled. You would expect it to be Blair Atholl situated around the corner. But somehow I don't think so as the little box only mentions "Distilled in Scotland". Probably a Highland distillery though. I also don't know if the Atholl Highlanders are good soldiers. But in any case they deserve a better tribute than this 10 year old Single Malt. As the officer in charge of the Atholl Highlanders would command: "Dismissed".

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                           June 13, 2023

Amrut Triparva

 

“Dreadlock Holiday”  

Whisky Review # 990

Country: India 🇮🇳

Brand: Amrut Triparva

Type: Single Malt Whisky - Batch#1 - Triple Distilled

Series: Limited Release - 5400 Bottles

Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 50%
Maturation: Mix of Fresh American Oak and Ex-Bourbon casks

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 100-140 (May 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Quite expensive for a relatively young Whisky
Buying Advice: 👍 A nice alternative for Scotch but not an every day dram

Colour: Dark Gold with shades of Brown (Natural Colour)

Nose:

A mix of Sweet, Bitter, Sour, Malty & Dusty notes. There's definitively some Varnish in the air. Lots of Fruity notes as well, both from (mature) Fresh Fruit and some Artificially flavored Candies. It's certainly different when compared to Scottish Malt or Triple-Distilled Irish Whiskey. The Alcohol is noticeable but within limits. I get images of ripe Tropical Fruit that was soaked in Rum.

Main Aromas:

Malted Barley, Vanilla, Butter Biscuits, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Figs, Dates & Plums, Apricot-filled Puff Pastry, Dusty Oak, Candies (Pineapple, Banana & Cherry flavour), Orange, Grapefruit, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Mint and Cloves.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Toffee, Caramel, Wax, Glue, Yeast, Grass, Varnish, Dusty Track, Rum,  Fresh and Dried Herbs, Floral Perfume, Bounty Bars, Roasted Almonds, Nectarine, Papaya, Mango, Ginger, Curry, Green Plants, Dairy and Olive Oil.

Palate:

The relative Youth of this Single Malt becomes more clear now and the Alcohol is certainly more noticeable at this point. The Palate is a Fruity mix of Sweet, Bitter & Sour notes.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Caramel, Vanilla, Wax, Candies (Banana, Cherry, Pineapple & Melon flavour), Mandarin, Seville-Orange, Grapefruit, Mango, Chocolate, Glue, Ashes, Pepper, Cinnamon and Cloves.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Wax, Bounty Bars, Floral Perfume, Varnish, Slivovitz, Papaya, Nectarine and Passion Fruit, Toasted Almonds, Marzipan, Herbs, Dusty Earth, Tobacco, Nutmeg, Curry and Ginger.

Finish:

Medium-Long and Bitter Sweet. Very Fruity with developing Oak and Ashes towards the Medium Dry to Dry end. The Alcohol is more noticeable by now. A tropical Fruit cocktail mixed with Rum, Syrup & Fresh Orange Juice. I find Malted Barley, Caramel, Vanilla, Honey, Passion Fruit, Mango, Pineapple, Papaya, Seville-Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Nectarine, Apricot, Slivovitz, Almonds, Chocolate, Dark Espresso, Straw, Dusty Oak, Ash, Earth, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, Nutmeg, Curry & Mint.

Drinking Advice:

A little Water eases the Alcohol and enhances the Fruit Flavours. I certainly advise you to add a few drops in this case. 

Rating: 8 (********)

Nose: 7,5 - Taste: 8 - Finish: 7.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Amrut distillery is located in Kumbalgodu, just outside Bangalore. It started producing Whisky in the Mid-80's but the first Amrut Single Malt was released in 2004. It now produces 1 million litres if Spirit per year. The Triparva (Hindu for "Consisting of three Parts") was launched in 2020 as the first Triple-Distilled Indian Single Malt.

Whisky matures much quicker in India as a result of the warm and humid climate. The Triparva is certainly a relatively Young Whisky (5 Years perhaps) but it presents itself ripe and even a bit "heavy". That's the reason I would not consider it to be an everyday dram. But it's well-made and there are moments when the Fruit kind of explodes in your mouth. Triple-distilled Irish Whiskey is often referred to as more Smooth but I can't say that about the Triparva. When drinking this Indian Single Malt I don't get images of the Fresh & Green Irish coast but more of sipping Pina Colada in the Caribic.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                           May 18, 2023

Jura The Bay 12 Years

 “Baywatch”

Whisky Review # 989

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Islands - Jura

Brand: Jura The Bay

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: 12 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 44%
Maturation: American White Oak Ex-Bourbon Casks

Finish: Casks that previously contained 15 Year old Pedro Jimenez Sherry

Chill Filtration: Yes

Price Range: US$ 45-60 (May 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍
Buying Advice: 😐 It's not a bad Jura but it's not quite my style of Whisky.

Colour: Dark Amber with shades of Orange and Brown (Artificially Colored)

Nose:

Quite Sweet. It's cleaner than most of the Jura Malt that I've tasted so far. No real off-notes with the exception of a little Sulphur perhaps. The PX-Finish has left its mark with notes of Nuts and Dried Fruits. After a while some lightly Bitter, Salty and Sour notes come through and provide some balance for the Sweetness. The Alcohol is reasonably well-integrated.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Plums and Dates, Nuts, Nougat, Stewed Apples & Bananas, Dusty Charred Casks, Dried Herbs, Dark Chocolate, Seville Orange, Roasted Coffee, Cinnamon, Ginger and Nutmeg.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Buttered Toast, Toffee, Honey, Butterscotch, Brown Sugar, Marzipan, Dairy, Dough, Straw, Dusty Earth, Tobacco, Pepper and Cloves.

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour and Salty notes for balance. The Alcohol is certainly more noticeable now but it stays within limits. It's not a bad Jura but it's a bit Heavy and Dull. Not really my style.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Sultanas, Figs and Dates, Plum Jam, Nuts, Dark Chocolate, Roasted Coffee, Stewed Bananas and Apples, Seville Orange, Grapefruit, Dusty Casks, Pepper, Licorice, Ginger, Aniseed and Cinnamon.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Vanilla, Dairy, Nougat, Tobacco, Lemon, Dirty Earth, Nutmeg, Cloves, Mint and Slightly Sour Berries. Perhaps a light Plastic note.

Finish:

Middle-Long and mostly Bitter-Sweet. Developing Salty and Sour notes towards the Medium-Dry end. I find Sweet Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Honey, Dairy, Yeast, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Plums and Apricots, Nuts, Dark Chocolate, Roasted Coffee, Dusty Oak, Dried Herbs, Dirty Earth, Seville Orange, Grapefruit, Licorice, Aniseed, Mint, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Mint and Ginger. The PX influence is quite clear. A light Metal note after a while. The Alcohol is a bit more noticeable at this point. I also have the feeling that it's rather heavy on the added Caramel.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water does not improve The Bay. Best way to enjoy is Neat.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 7,5 - Finish: 7.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Drinking Experience On the Rocks: Okay/Good

Conclusion:

Jura means Deer Island. The Distillery is located in the small village of Craighouse the island's "capital". Craighouse lies on the A 846, some eight miles from the Ferry Terminal to Islay. It was founded in 1810 and since 1993 it belongs to Whyte & Mackay Ltd (Now United Spirits). Jura is mostly known as a Single Malt but it's also a very important part of the Whyte & Mackay Special Blend. The Distillery possesses 1 Stainless Steel Semi Lauter Mash Tun, six stainless steel Wash Backs and two Pairs of Stills. In 2022 their total production amounted to around 2,4 million litres. The following Single Malts are part of the new core range introduced during 2018: Journey, Seven Wood, 10, 12, 18, 14 Year Rye and 21 Years (Tide).

Jura has never been on my list of favorite distilleries but they have improved the quality of their Whisky in the last few years. Gone are the Cooked Veggies and Baby Vomit notes I got ever so often. The Whisky is more clean thanks to improved Cask Management &, probably, the shorter running time of the Heart in the Spirit Still. The Bay is certainly not a bad Jura but it's a little Boring. It's also a bit Heavy on the added Caramel if you ask me. Improvements have been made though and I'm looking forward to the day I can fully enjoy a Jura expression.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                           May 11, 2023

Welche's Whisky

“Voyage Voyage”

Whisky Review # 988

Country: France 🇫🇷

Region: Alsace

Brand: Welche's Whisky

Distilled at: G. Miclo, Lapoutroie, France
Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS (Probably Around 3 Years)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Ex-Sauternes Casks (Sweet French Wine)

Chill Filtration: No

Sample provided by Jan from The Netherlands. Many Thanks!

Price Range: US$ 35-45 (May 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Okay.
Buying Advice: 😐 Not for everyday but certainly worth the try

Colour: Amber (Natural Color)

Nose:

Young and Sweet. Not unlike a Fruit Liqueur. The Sauternes cask is quite present. The Alcohol is noticeable but does not interfere with the Nosing. Lots of Fresh and Dried Fruits. There's a bit of rather pushy Perfume as well. Still, not bad all things considered.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Bread Dough, Dried Fruit like Plums, Apricots and Sultanas, Mandarin, Papaya Cream with Cassis, Strong Floral Perfume, Dusty Oak, Cinnamon and Tobacco.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Pastry made with a mix of Butter and Margarine, Poire Williams, Nectarine, Orange, Ripe Banana, Nougat, Nutella, Cognac and White Pepper.

Palate:

Young & mostly Sweet in the beginning but with developing Bitterness for balance. It tastes like a mix of Whisky, Bourbon, Brandy & Slivovitz. Well-made though. Just don't compare it to Scotch Single Malt. It's a different animal. The Alcohol is more noticeable now.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Dried Apricot, Mandarin, Floral Perfume/Soap, Nougat, Dusty Casks, Slivovitz, Milk Chocolate, Cinnamon and Pepper.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Toffee, Buttered Pastry, Orange, Poire Williams, Nectarine, Mizunara Oak, Glue, Grappa, Ripe Banana, Caffe Latte and Tobacco.

Finish:

Bitter-Sweet, a little Thin and on the Short side. Its Youth is more noticeable and so is the Alcohol. It reminds me a bit of Slivovitz. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Honey, Cream, Buttered Pastry, Milk Chocolate, Poire Williams, Plums, Mandarins, Dusty Oak, Tobacco, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Cardamom and Licorice.

Drinking Advice:

Due to the size of the sample I only tasted this Welche's Whisky neat.

Rating: 7 (*******)

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 7 - Finish: 6

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Okay/Good

Conclusion:

Gilbert Miclo founded the distillery in 1962. It soon specialized in quality Brandies and Fruit Liqueurs, aided by the huge amount of fruit trees in the region. They represent about half of the 200.000 bottles produced annually. The rest is flavored vodka (introduced in the early 2010's) and Single Malt Whisky that was added to the portfolio in 2016. The third generation of the family entered the company in 2009. Miclo's products are often found in Michelin star restaurants.

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this Single Malt. Yes, it's different when compared to Scotch Single Malt but that's okay. You can taste the Miclo history in this Whisky as it does remind me of Fruit Liqueur from time to time, amplified by the use of the Sauternes cask. I would certainly love to try a Welche's Single Malt Whisky that matured for 12 years or so in an Ex-Bourbon cask. In any case this little French distillery is certainly going in the right direction with their products!   

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                              May 3, 2023