Whisky Corner

GLENDRONACH ALLARDICE 18 years old 46%

2009-12-22T08:35:00.006+11:30

Nose:
Inviting buttery notes complement the expected Oloroso. Malt laced with black pepper fleshes out the nosing experience.

Palate:
Dangerously appetizing with the typical raisins befriended by blueberries, cranberries and even som acidulous rowanberry jelly. Supported by a fabulously enchanting smokiness slowly evolving into an outstanding oak-malt-chocolate fusion.

Finish:
Enlivening spices form a bed of nails, deliciously sprinkled with fruit-flavoured hard candy.

Comment:
Very nice indeed! If they are able to develop this into something other than a limited edition it could, considering its lower price, blossom into a true rival of The Macallan of the same age. Bottled July 09 Lot 2. Bottle number 7320/10 000.

Rating: 9/10

JAMESON GOLD Reserve 40%

2009-12-11T08:36:00.006+11:30

Nose:
More bourbon-like than ever with pleasant nutmeg-ish oak shaking hands with the pot-still. A honey-fruit theme grows in stature as the glass becomes warmer.

Palate:
A sort of Yin & Yang experience with two contrasting forces on display. One being a robust alliance of oak and pot-still. The other a fusion of dried fruit, honey and toffee. They proceed to amalgamate in splendid fashion.

Nose:
Figs and stewed apples amidst some nicely balanced wood flavours. A faint echo of pot still at the end.

Comment:
An immaculate balance of flavours with some new oak aging giving it an extra edge. Better than the earlier, slightly spirity bottling. Perhaps not as engrossing as the true pot-stills (Redbreast, Green Spot) but certainly the most enjoyable Jameson that I know of.

Rating: 8,5/10

OLD FORESTER 80´s (?) bottling 43%

2009-11-30T09:26:00.013+11:30

Nose:
Mesmerizing nose with cherries, violets, citrus and superb thrilling spices. Delightfully creamy and oak-chewy.

Palate:
Just the right amount of creamy vanilla holds together a marvellous mixture of red fruits, cheesecake and liquorice. All this complemented by a healthy dose of vibrant spices.

Finish:
Long and dry with a distinct corn-oak dominance. A little strawberry sweetness manage to break through just before the dying stages.

Comments:
Points docked for the slightly too oaky finish but all in all this is true beauty for being merely an "everyday"whiskey. Truth be told, I have never tried the current OF (impossible to get where I live) but I have to say that this old bottling holds up very well compared to other Brown-Forman products of today that I have sampled.

Rating: 8 1/4 /10

THE SPEY CAST 12 years old 40%

2009-11-18T07:09:00.008+11:30

Nose:
Freshly baked bread with caraway seeds surrounded by creamy fruit salad and lavender. Earthy yet modest spices join in on the fun.

Palate:
Fat mouthfeel. Soft and chewy fruitiness dominates but the malt is more upfront than the nose would suggest. The latter eventually fuses with liquorice. A bit static in nature.

Finish:
Short-ish. The somewhat distant malt-liquorice plays the lead role amidst faint echoes of mineral spices and some soft grains.

Comment:

Brilliant nose and good tasting to boot. Some points docked due to a rather undynamic mid-palate and the decidedly anonymous finish. I have no idea which malts go into this blend but somehow it made me think of Glenrothes. Just a wild guess, though, and probably wrong.

Rating: 7 3/4 /10

MACALLAN Thirties 40%

2009-11-16T02:35:00.011+11:30

Nose:
Seductive creamy texture with light touches of raisins and dying bonfires. Gradually a peat-salt hybrid stamps its mark on the proceedings.

Palate:
More upbeat now with typical Macallan de luxe pralines consisting of equal parts cream toffee and rich raisiny fruit. All this contrasted with a pronounced saltiness and some discreet peat.

Finish:
By now the fruit is almost out of the picture, leaving lots of space to salty liquorice, charcoal and light peat.

Comment:
Slightly more distinctive than the Fifties bottling this is, however, hardly a revelation. Top quality whisky as you might expect from this distillery but bearing in mind the price that it commands, perhaps best suited for the trainspotters of the whisky community.

Rating: 8 1/4 /10

BANFF 21 years old 57,1% Distilled 1982

2009-10-27T08:53:00.021+11:30

Nose:
Fresh lemon cough drops embedded in a light creamy texture. Constantly harassed by prickly, aggressive white peppers.

Palate:
Lemon curd fit for a Royal Court. Syrupy texture. Gradually the citrus dies off, allowing an ozone-fresh malt to shine. Oaky spices constantly on the move.

Finish:
In the grip of a tyrefitters hand. Dry and smoky oak envelopes the whole sector of the mouth. A small lemon pocket of resistance hangs on at the roof. Slightly too dry, perhaps.

Comment:
Maybe, just maybe the oak acts in a tad too obtrusive manner but that is still a minor complaint about this whisky from a defunct distillery (demolished 1983). Get some before prices start to sky-rocket. Bottle No. 4320.

Rating: 8 1/4/ 10

GEORGE DICKEL Barrel Select 43%

2009-10-21T04:53:00.012+11:30

Nose:
Trademark Dickel flavours with toasted oak and lush tobacco sweetness. Here lifted to another level thanks to some marvellously fresh oranges.

Palate:
Exceptionally good mouthfeel. Traces of toast and cocoa mix effortlessly with smooth rye of world class quality.

Finish:
Sharp oranges leap out from the dark closely followed by cocoa and spicy menthol-fresh oak. All flavours get entangled into each other in harmonious fashion.

Comment:
Clearly, a lot of care and thought has gone into this whisky. Perhaps not so conquering in nature as the classic No. 12, but for sheer sophistication and hedonism you can´t beat it. Similar in some ways to the 10yo Barrel Reserve that made the rounds during the 90´s but this is much better.

Rating: 8,5/10

BLADNOCH 10 years old Flora & Fauna 43%

2009-07-22T05:02:00.011+11:30

Nose:
Wonderfully chewy and fresh apricots with some citrus added for good measure. Forceful and sophisticted malt provides for some much needed masculinity.

Palate:
Marmalade-like fruitiness rules the roost initially. The malt, at first a bit on the shy side, eventually comes into its own in wonderful confident fashion.

Finish:
Almost perfect malt-oak fusion produces hedonistic strands of coffee, chocolate, toffee and liquorice.

Comment:
Truly glorious! All the flavour components of this whisky is in utmost balance. Could be the perfect summer dram for those who prefer the smoothness to be accompanied by something more robust. Not sure how long this one will be available, now that this long-threatened distillery has managed to produce some bottlings of their own. Better not take any risks: get one today.

Rating: 8 3/4 /10

PLATTE VALLEY Straight Missouri Sour Mash 5 years old 80,6%

2009-07-17T05:19:00.010+11:30

Nose:
Well balanced, moderately oily corn benefits from confident support of spices.

Palate:
Smooth buttery corn. Nothing else, really but very tasty all the same. Nice creamy texture.

Finish:
More corn abetted by short bursts of helpful white pepper. Perhaps a bit subdued.

Comment:
This is the original bottling from the McCormick distillery in Missouri. I have never tried the current version thus being unable to make any comparisons. Complexity is not the first word that springs to mind here. Still, a charming little rascal. Approach with an open mind if you can find it.

Rating: 8/10

JOHNNIE WALKER Green Label 15 years old 43%

2009-07-09T06:07:00.012+11:30

Nose:
Dry anise and sweet malt coalesce perfectly. A dash of peat heightens the nosing experience. Some gingery notes on top, as well.

Palate:
Liquid honey encapsulates charming and sophisticated malt, bordering first on the liquorice-like before eventually metamorphing into chocolate and coffee.

Finish:
Long, almost levitating finish. Dry chocolate followed by bursts of smoky and spicy malt. The chocolate then returns laced with acerbic tea notes.

Comment:
Johnnie Walker is a byword for top quality whisky and this one is no exception. There are curious echoes of the Black Label here, but (of course) without the wall of hard grains. Next time you´re out shopping, try skipping the Highland Parks and Taliskers in favour of this one. You won´t be disappointed.

Rating: 8,5/10

THE ANTIQUARY 21 years old 43%

2009-07-02T06:08:00.003+11:30

Nose:
Dried apricots lead the way, flanked by waxed honey and surprisingly fresh malt. Smoky oak holds up this lovely firmament. Restrained yet beautiful.

Palate:
Gentle honey and apricot/orange marmalade secure the soft qualities, counterbalanced by dry malt and some modest grains. The oak more minty now.

Finish:
Small in size but very concentrated and tasty, first with menthol-ish spices, followed by pronounced orange peel before eventually bowing out with some chewy oak.

Comment:
This is a whisky that grows on you. At first I dismissed it as being too non-descript but as you can see, I have changed my mind. Good blends are very much about exquisite balance and this one achieves that in no uncertain terms.

Rating: 81/4 /10

JIM BEAM Rye 7 years old 40%

2009-06-17T06:00:00.005+11:30

Nose:
Good fatness on the nose lays the ground for attractive juicy fruit and hard candy. Firm spices spearheaded by cloves broadens the palette.

Palate:
More or less a continuation of the nose with some chewy toffee added for good measure. Alluring spice bite.

Finish:
Lemon cough drops aided by ozone-fresh spices. Perhaps a bit on the short side.

Comment:
I have no idea whether this is a discontinued whisky or merely limited to certain regions. It´s a 1000 ml bottle which points firmly towards an airport existence. Perhaps not as fun as the younger and zestier standard version but retains enough qualities to be able to save the day.

Rating: 8/10

OLD BARTON 8 years old 43%

2009-06-15T01:23:00.010+11:30

Nose:
Flavoured tea, soft cherries and sweet chewy corn. When body temperature has been reached, a mesmerizing tobacco sweetness appears.

Palate:
All grains work in tandem here, producing a potpourri of flavours consisting of ginger cookies, overripe berries and surprisingly visible malt. All this even further enriched by chewy oak and buzzing spices.

Finish:
Orange marmalade followed by spicy oak and toffee. Fading out with soft cherries.

Comment:
A fine array of flavours but somehow not as well constructed as the 8-year old I sampled a couple of weeks ago. A good whiskey, no doubt, but where the constituent parts do not gel to 100%. The nose is wonderful, though. From when does it date? Your guess is as good as mine. I only knew of Very Old Barton before I laid my hands on this one.

Rating: 73/4/10

CANADIAN HERITAGE 21 years old 60%

2009-06-11T06:44:00.023+11:30

Nose:
Toasted oak infiltrates a tasty morsel of orange peel and luxurious caramel sauce. Not that far removed from an extra aged grain whisky but there are noticeable bourbon traits, as well.

Palate:
Velvety texture. The caramel is clearly the leader of the pack here but is augmented by frighteningly attractive brown sugar. A thick syrupy fruitiness tries to gain a foothold but is only allowed a couple of short peek-ins.

Finish:
More toastiness to begin with. Then chewy oak and lip-smacking juicy orange-laced caramel sauce.

Comment:
This whisky has an interesting route. Distilled and bottled in Canada on behalf of a UK company, then imported to California and finally bought by me in Germany! As for its origins, I cannot tell for sure but there is a persistent rumour tracing it to one of Hiram Walker´s dismantled distilleries in British Columbia but I cannot know for sure. Mystery also surrounds its age. Distilled in 1976, bottled 2001, the neck label reads, which would make it 24 or 25 years in my book but the front label claims it to be 21 years old. Confusing but that shouldn´t stop you from enjoying it if you manage to track it down.

Rating: 8 1/4/10

CARSEBRIDGE 25 years old 56,4%

2009-06-02T05:39:00.006+11:30

Nose:
Vanilla ice cream with peaches, held together by steadfast oak.

Palate:
Chewy oak supports a river of delicous summer berries. Hints of old-fashioned candy.

Finish:
Dry and spicy at first. Followed by tongue-based waves of soft, fruit-infused charcoal. Very long.

Comment:
A single grain whisky from the dismantled Carsebridge distillery. If you are willing to sacrifice complexity on the altar of hedonism, you´ll find plenty to savour here. Date distilled: 03.1979. Date bottled: 01.2005.

Rating: 8 1/4

SPRINGBANK 18 years old 46%

2009-05-31T06:15:00.005+11:30

Nose:
Top quality sherry in raspberry guise, freshly baked bread and trademark Springbank saltiness. The latter becomes more visible when the whisky reaches body temperature.

Palate:
Outer sphere: raisiny and syrupy sherry of top-notch quality. Middle sphere: the expected saltiness. Inner sphere: delicious nutty bread. Intermittent oaky spices add a little robustness to the overall picture.

Finish:
Self-confident sherry lifts off like a rocket from a bed of vanilla bread. Soon joined by cloves and nutmeg. Perhaps a bit dry at the end. An authoritative yet relaxed finish.

Comment:
The Springbank revival continues unabashed. In the wake of the 1997 vintage comes another goodie. As far as my understaning goes, only 3500 bottles made, so hurry up!

Rating: 8 3/4

SPRINGBANK Vintage 1997 55,2%

2009-05-28T07:10:00.006+11:30

Nose:
Excellent fruit/malt interplay. Rich fruitcake and powerful potent malt. The longer you warm the glass in your hand, the more obtrusive the malt becomes.

Palate:
A fruit extravagaza served up with a tasteful creamy texture. Aggressive and buzzing malt together with some modest white peppers acts as a good counterbalance.

Finish:
Extremely powerful finish. From a bed of heavy malt, the fruit sends out estery stings on an almost eye-watering level. Stunning.

Comment:
Together with the recently released 18yo, this indicates a genuine return to form for this legendary distillery. All of which must come as a true relief to all those fans who lived through earlier bottlings that haven´t really managed to reach the heights most people crave from this whisky. Outstanding balance between fruit and malt. Top quality sherry casks, to boot. Batch No. 1

Rating: 8,5/10

EAGLE RARE Single Barrel 13 years old 45%

2009-05-25T01:29:00.007+11:30

Nose:
Criminally seductive honey sweetness. Fruitiness that switches between cherries and blueberries. Cinnamon-laced corn. A light touch of woodsmoke adds to the mesmerizing palette.

Palate:
Magnificent melt-in-the-mouth liquid honey with crystal clear rye fruitiness floating on top. Chewy oak and coconuts. After a minute or so, a chocolate toffee character with faint echoes of liquorice takes over.

Finish:
Honey in pole position with some fragmented corn and rye trying to get a foot in amidst a wave of spicy oak.

Comment:
Produced exclusively for the renowned French whisky shop La Maison du Whisky. Bearing in mind that the folks at La Maison and them guys at Buffalo Trace know their stuff, it hardly comes as a surprise that this is a goodie. Perhaps not as distinctive as Blanton´s or Stagg, what this whiskey lacks in individuality it more than enough compensates for with both elegance and sheer hedonism. BT-collectors note: this bottle is more or less identical to the ER 10yo. The only difference being a silver sticker on the neck and the number 10 being drawn over on the back label. Cask No. 23.

Rating: 8,5/10

JAMESON Pure pot still "Millenium" 15 years old 40%

2009-05-24T02:05:00.009+11:30

Nose:
Light strawberry sweetness and soft honey. Polished, almost cuddly oak offers a pinch of woodsmoke.

Palate:
Vibrant yet gentle pot still character, aided by sweet sherry and soft almost apologetic oak. The latter produces some modest but appetising spices.

Finish:
Medium length. Fruit and sharp spices interweaved.

Comment:
A limited edition produced for the Millenium shift. I guess they chose to call it Jameson instead of Redbreast for marketing reasons. Not bad at all but somehow comes across as flat compared to the Redbreasts. A little more dynamics wouldn´t have gone amiss. My third bottle of this and most definitely the last I will get for a humane sum. For the price it commands today, I can only recommend it to pot still and Jameson completists. Bottle number: 07040

Rating: 8/10

VERY OLD BARTON 8 years old 43%

2009-05-20T05:43:00.008+11:30

Nose:
Very appetising nose. Good corn/rye interplay produces creamy fruitiness, cinnamon and flavoured tea.

Palate:
Vanilla fudge with wood extracts supporting sweet oily corn, melons and a little sharp-ish malt.

Finish:
Dry aggressive spices at first, followed by exuberant corn and marmalade-sharp fruitiness.

Comment:
Haven´t got the foggiest what period of time this hails from. From its looks I would say the 70´s but the Barton distillery has a penchant for old-fashioned labels so it might very well be of a more recent date. Not too recent, though, since 8-year olds haven´t been produced for quite a while. No matter what, this is a little gem. A surefire sign that quality bourbon wasn´t invented with Blanton´s.

Rating: 8,5/10

MACALLAN Fifties 40%

2009-05-18T01:51:00.017+11:30

Nose:
Slightly floral at first.Then a modest cranberry fruitiness develops allowing cinnamon and caraway-seeds to break through. A restrained nose.

Palate:
Creamy texture. Sherry more active here, showing off both violet and raisiny qualities, residing around a core of bread and chewy oak. Just the slightest hint of peppers in the background.

Finish:
Sharp raisins all over the place, accompanied by buzzing spices and chewy oak.

Comment:
An attempt to re-create the distillery character of the 1950´s. Not that far removed from the average Macallan, however. Those who yearn for something more exotic might feel a bit let down but this is still a very good whisky. Highly suitable for the incoming summer season.

Rating: 8/10

LAPHROAIG 10 years old cask strength 55,7%

2009-05-11T05:42:00.019+11:30

Nose:
A nose that hits you yards away from the glass and yet, at the same time, curiously calm and relaxed. Like a heavyweight champion who knows he´s gonna win and doesn´t need to fool around. Tar in extremis, sweet-ish peat, leathery oak and a sniff of blood oranges. After warming, a pleasant sea-saltiness emerges from the bottom of the spices.

Palate:
Decidedly medicinal in character.Less sweet than the standard 10yo. Heaps of tar. After a while, fat chilli-like waves laced with blood oranges enter the stage. All held together by confident, spicy oak.

Finish:
Dry and complex peat hits you like the paw of a grizzly. Fades out with discreet bursts of salmiac.

Comment:
It´s been quite a while since I last had this one at home. Back then I remember it as extremely powerful and very good. Now it is extremely powerful and extremely good. To describe it as world class would not be an exaggeration.

Rating: 9/10

FAMOUS GROUSE Malt whisky 12 years old 40%

2009-05-10T02:06:00.009+11:30

Nose:
Enticing fruitcake eventually fails to conceal a potent biscuity malt.

Palate:
Mouthfilling and well-rounded. Intensive fruitiness battles it out with the malt. Sporadic outbursts of spices. A little gingery.

Finish:
Understated yet potent mixture of malt and minty oak. A faint whisper of chewy fruit sees the whisky off.

Comment:
Forget whatever prejudice you might have when it comes to vatted malts. This is a tasty morsel indeed. The balance between fruit and malt is exceptionally well done.

Rating: 8/10

BLANTON´S GOLD Edition single barrel 51,5%

2009-05-03T04:11:00.012+11:30

Nose:
Bananas, British toffee and caramelised oranges. Glue-ish. Perhaps a bit more closed than usual.

Palate:
Perfect marriage between rye and corn produces a sublime marmalade toffee that switches enticingly between sweet and sour. White peppers grab for attention in the background.

Finish:
Long and complex with chewy oak and explosive bursts of white pepper, followed by hard candy and hefty liquorice.

Comment:
When this is on top form it is one of the best whiskeys in the world. Here it is merely very, very good. Which, for the moment, will do just fine. Dumped on 12-2-05 from Barrel No. 132. Stored in Warehouse H on Rick No. 8.

Rating: 8,5/10

VAN WINKLE Family reserve rye 1985 50%

2009-04-20T07:48:00.005+11:30

Nose:
Big vanilla thrust eventually letting through some ultra-inviting spices. Cinnamon, black peppers and anise are some that I can pick out. Moderate doses of cherry and even blueberries augment the complexity.

Palate:
Creamy and mouthfilling. Cherry interweaved with hedonistic vanilla and just a little cocoa. Spices present but a bit more subdued compared to the nose. Certainly shows its age but the sappiness is on an entirely acceptable level.

Finish:
Estery fruitiness and spicy oak. Very long.

Comment:
Alas! The last drops of this no longer available bottling (made for the French market, I believe). Unlike most Van Winkle products, this is, I understand it, not from the sleeping Stitzel-Weller distillery in Louisville. No matter its origin, this is a true whiskey beauty. If you happen to see it on an auction or in a dusty corner, make sure you´ll get it. Or better still, tell me so I can grab it. :) In retrospect, I should have bunkered up on this one but I have to be grateful that I managed to own two bottles.

Rating: 8,5/10