Review 221: GlenDronach 18 Year Allardice

Review 221

9/16/14

GlenDronach 18 Year Allardice: 46% abv

Background: Here we are, back at GlenDronach distillery in the Highlands of Scotland. After the 12 and 15 Year core offerings is the 18 Year Allardice. The 18 Year is non-chill filtered, natural color, and bottled at a perfectly respectable 46% abv. It is aged in exclusively Oloroso Sherry butts. GlenDronach then, is giving you another option in the world of sherry malts, which seems to be growing in accessibility. The challenge is, can producers like GlenDronach keep up with the demand for sherry whiskies without the ability to obtain good sherry casks due to the reduction in demand for sherry.

Straight

Nose:  In comes the sherry storm, with a torrent of deep, rich fruit aroma that overwhelms the senses. Red grape, raison and vanilla are big players in the nose right off the bat. Small spurts of malt smell become noticeable, but are really dominated by the other flavors. Dried fruits and cranberry are detectable in the nose, with the sense of old oak and floral notes of garden flowers. As the whisky starts to open up, more complexity of sweet honey, apples, and even slight amounts of caramel are present. The nose is definitely rich, but the initial alcohol intensity in the nose tempers down to a less brutish, complex blend of rich sherry malt flavors.

Arrival: As expected, sweet, syrupy arrival takes on the malt. The arrival doesn’t tend to last a long time, with some spiciness, malt, and sweet grapes noticeable. Sweet, candy like (maybe even bubblegum) sweetness is also ever present in the arrival, which makes for a bizarre transition into the intense palate of the whisky. There is an ample amount of vanilla in the arrival. In general, this arrival seems like it lacks the complexity expected, and could be described as sort of flat.

Body: Similar to the 15 Year, the 18 does have a nice, spicy body. The finish is fairly long and enjoyable. A quick dash of heat, with red wine and grapes makes the body more unique. There is something savory about the body, and despite its relative intensity, the fruit flavors are not as pronounced as we’d like.

Finish: Conclude with that semi-savory, scrumptious malty finish. Bitter, burnt oak will become noticeable as you sip on this whisky more. You’ll find a hot, almost thin grapy flavor that comes into the finish, almost in an artificial nature. There is more oak complexity, some slight pine-like flavors coming out in the finish, and just a tinge of cough medicine like flavor. You could argue there is a bit of saltiness in the finish as well, but it doesn’t at all define the whisky.

With Water

Nose: The nose is demonstrating much more floral and somewhat maltier. The sherry has subsided substantially, but some of the complexities are also not as prominent as before.

Arrival: The arrival shows off more complex, well rounded fruitiness, with apple and pear present. There is some soft spices and vegetal notes present. There is a dry woody flavor in the arrival that translates into the body.

Body: After adding water, a much more noticeable, succulent fruitiness is coming forward in the whisky. It isn’t hard to spot the tannins and grape sour flavor coming out of the body, plus allspice and nutmeg, but there is a strained emptiness halfway through the body.

Finish: There are much more manageable spices in this whisky now, with heavy tannins and bittersweet green tea notes. Unripened, tart fruit notes are easily found in the finish, which is sort of unique, but in some ways it actually detracts from the overall flavor of the whisky. There is still soft maltiness and some confectionary notes here. The finish ends up shorter and somewhat less pronounced than before, but does offer up more complexity with better flavors.

Final Comments: This is one interesting whisky. It seems to be battling to get the right things across, but never quite succeeds in doing it. I’m not sure exactly what holds this whisky back, but it just doesn’t have the complexity and balance it needs to be a true winner. The price doesn’t help the equation either. It is evident that there should be better flavors with better quality going on. It doesn’t make this bad by any means, but it does miss on a couple of key components. It seems as if better casks would make this a better whisky, but chances are that won’t be happening. There is something that makes this whisky really suffer, but I’m not sure what it is.

Why you’d buy it: You’re a patron of Glendronach

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You can get their Single Cask whiskies for less, and with better quality and a higher  proof.

Score: 8.25/10

Review 213: Highland Park Signatory 18 Year 1991/2010

Review 213

4/18/14

Highland Park Signatory 18 Year 1991/2010: 46% abv

Background: We’re back at independent bottlings with a 18 year old Highland Park. Highland Park, as a reminder, is an island distillery and holds the title of the most northern distillery in Scotland. They have a pretty loyal fan base, and tend to produce a wide variety of whiskies. This one sat in a sherry butt for 18 long years. Sherry butts are 500 liter vessels, and they tend to be less common than hogsheads. This Signatory bottling still has good presentation, having 46% abv, natural color, and no chill filtration.

Straight

Nose: The nose starts off with a good mixture of citrus and grain, with malt being a predominant aroma up front. There is a noticeable peat to the Scotch, with a considerable spiciness in the nose as well. The spice includes nutmeg and gingerbread. There is some vanilla and custard in the nose, with a smooth lemon and orange involved as well. There is some white grape acidity and other light fruits as well. There is some old leather and sawdust aroma, with the addition of light cocoa.

Arrival: The arrival starts off with soft, creamy grain notes, and some definitive citrus notes. The arrival has the smoothness of sweet grain, but doesn’t provide terribly complex flavors.

Body: The body really carries out the citrus, with slight amounts of malt. There is a little bit of agave, with some cinnamon and nutmeg in the body. There is a lot of lemon, lime, and orange in the body.

Finish: The finish introduces some tobacco and peat into it, retaining the malt and citrus notes from the rest of the whisky. There is some custard and spices in the finish as well, which add to the smoky, peaty flavor. There is an introduction of grapefruit in the finish as well. There is a salty coastal character in the finish.

With Water

Nose: The nose seems to be essentially the same after adding water. One difference between this and before water is a subtle raison smell that comes through.

Arrival: The arrival is more complex and citrusy than before water.

Body: There is a little more peat flavor in the body, with intense citrus and coastal notes coming to the front much more aggressively.

Finish:  There is some custard and vanilla in the finish, with a large peaty flavor and orange citrus flavors dominating. The finish is still salty and coastal.

Final Comments: This whisky is an interesting one for sure, but it doesn’t deliver on all fronts. Surprisingly, it is worth saying that the cask quality of this particular whisky might be a little under par in comparison to many others we’ve had in the past, especially for an 18 year old Scotch. Although the whisky does exert some mature flavors, and a relatively decent complexity, it doesn’t seem to be competitive with other bottlings from Highland Park or Signatory. That’s not to say this is a bad whisky. It is still an affordable alternative with an interesting personality, and it is not hard to sip and enjoy. 

 

Why you’d buy it: You’re a fan of Highland Park and want to see more dimensions of their whisky.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: Your expectation for a sherried whisky is in the realm of Glendronach

Score:  8.5/10

Review 196: Tomatin 18 Year

Review 196

12/29/13

Tomatin 18 Year: 46% abv

Background: So the last two reviews have been a series of disappointments, with trends of improving quality as the age statement increases. The 18 Year could be a different story altogether though (perhaps wishful thinking…). Here is the theory though: 18 Year Old Tomatin is uniquely different because, besides being bottled older, it is also 46% as opposed to 43%. It is also aged in specifically Oloroso sherry casks. Finally, the 18 Year is explicated stated as being a non-chill filtered whisky. It is KCM’s sincerest hope that this whisky ends up being a better contender than the other two as a reasonably priced alternative to the mainstays.

Straight

Nose: The nose starts off forward in a perfume-like, sherried aroma. It is delicate, citrusy, and floral. The nose, as in every other case, is actually fairly enjoyable. Aromas of marmalade, plums, and cranberry are present in the nose, with a small tartness associated with green apples and other fruits. This is probably the most balanced nose any of these whiskies has displayed. It is more complex, more interesting and more balanced. There is a bit of maltiness, as well as portraying a small amount of raw grain flavor. Ultimately, the unique fruit notes are what set this malt apart. It doesn’t even remind me of an Oloroso sherry, uniquely enough. There is a certain berry-esque blend, and I’m crossing my fingers that this Single Malt actually carries that into the taste.

Arrival: The arrival starts off encouraging. It demonstrates some of the anticipated fruitiness in the nose. It also has a floral, lean, almost coastal flavor to it. There is an intense wood smokiness that is beginning to develop as well. It doesn’t taste peaty though. It tastes ashy and wood-like. There are some interesting older whisky flavors, like leather and hot spices. There is some vanilla, and evident sawdust in the arrival as it enters the body, but it quickly fades off. There is a slight hint of raisons and sherry, but it is hardly noticeable.

Body: The body still demonstrates a strong presence of smoke and malt. There are some big spices in the body of this whisky. Cinnamon and ginger are coming through. The body is hugely woody and intense, uncharacteristic of the last two bottlings. There is a combat of sweetness from the sherry and an interesting bitterness that gives the body great balance and intensity. It is relentless.

Finish: The finish is hugely coastal, and hugely malty. It has some very similar characteristics to Jura. There is a big, beefy saltiness in the finish. There is some definite dry pepper and citrus that also adds to the intensity of this whisky. Hints of apple, pear, and melon are present in the finish as well. There is an interesting mint and nut taste coming through in the finish as the whisky opens up. The finish is complex, and like every part of this whisky thus far, brutally strong.

With Water

Nose: This bottling definitely warrants a second look after adding a little water. At 46%, and with its demonstrated intensity and complexity, there is plenty to talk about. The nose is much more intense in fruitiness and floralness. It has a rounded, rich smell to it, with an almost chocolate raspberry smell off the nose. There is vanilla and spice smell emanating from the whisky as well. Overall, the nose is still tantalizing, and very fruity and rounded.

Arrival: The arrival is spicy, and still very coastal in its presence. It has an intense brininess. There is a lot of wood spice, gingerbread, and hot cinnamon on the arrival. It has lost some of the initial fruitiness, and some of the wood smoke. This is so much better than every other expression that I’ve tasted, and it is also substantially better after adding water.

Body: The body is a good connection from the arrival to the finish, having a soft medley containing most of the flavors, but at a much better balance. There is still a hint of raw grain present in the taste, but it isn’t so distastefully obvious and unbalanced so it actually adds from the whisky instead of muting the complexity.

Finish: This is exactly what this whisky was meant to be. The intensity balances out, the flavors meld together beautifully, and this becomes a tamed beast. After a few drinks, it still has the hot, spicy Clynelish-like highland spiciness and briny coastal flavors. It still has a bit of harshness and intensity to it, but it is definitely tolerable. Finally, a bit of the sherry starts to become somewhat obvious at the very end.

Final Comments: So Tomatin has made a last minute redemption. With three reviews in this series, it was becoming painfully obvious that KCM seems not to favor the new make Tomatin, which is strongly dominant over the oak. The 18 Year, with a number of differences from the previous versions, overcomes this with a compelling complexity, brutish intensity, and craft presentation. This shows that Tomatin isn’t an awful spirit, but I would argue that this indicates older bottlings are probably more favorable in flavor. That being said, it would be interesting to try an independent bottling of young Tomatin and see how it compared. In any case, this is not on the top of the list, but it is a challenging whisky to try to enjoy. I just wouldn’t personally want a whole bottle of it to enjoy.

Why you’d buy it: You like intense, spicy, well rounded whiskies from Scotland.

Why you wouldn’t: There are other Highland malts that do a better job at a better price.

Score: 8.5 /10

Review 193: Caol Ila 18 Year

  

Review 193

12/15/13

Caol Ila 18 Year: 43% abv

Background: Caol Ila, pronounced “Cull Eala”, is probably the most overlooked Single Malt from Islay, even with some of the new comers. Founded in 1846 new Port Askaig, Caol Ila sends most of their whisky to be unnoticed in bottles of Johnnie Walker and Black Bottle, partial due to its light, soft peat balance. Caol Ila generally has only a few bottlings, and it isn’t going to be in your standard supermarket. You might assume that Caol Ila doesn’t bottle a lot of their own whisky because it isn’t worth drinking on its own. Well, here is the very reasonably priced 18 Year Caol Ila, and we’re about to tell you whether or not that’s a safe assumption.

Straight

Nose: A beautiful smooth graininess comes off of the nose right off the bat. There is a slight maltiness, but more significant to note is the blend of different grain flavors that come through in the aroma. There is a slight peatiness to the whisky, but it is a wet, mossy peat smell, not the dark, rich smoky smell you might recognize off of a Laphroaig. There is also a toasty wood smell complemented with floral, rose aromas. Unlike many other Islay malts, there is a very pleasant blend of soft fruitiness, with smells of peaches and tangerines coating over the nose. There is a slight nuttiness that also comes through on the nose as well. To add to the complexity of this malt, there is mild salt, and clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon spiciness that play a subtle role in this Scotch. There is even a little bit of sugary flavor  It is artfully balanced.

Arrival: The arrival starts off unusually calm for a Islay Scotch, displaying an array of malty flavors. It doesn’t take much to realize this isn’t your average peaty beast. There is sweet apple and vanilla notes on the arrival, with a slight clove and allspice flavor following close behind. A little bit of peat and saltiness is found in the arrival, but it stays dormant until the body. There is a bit of sugary sweetness as well, and it adds another dimension to the beginning of this malt.

Body: The body takes a role of integrating some peat and malt tones with the intimate, soft spiciness that is so characteristic of this malt. There is a very unique root beer/cola type flavor that comes through in the body and carries into the finish. It is also filled with a large blanket of vanilla flavor.

Finish: There is a beautiful collaboration between the spice notes here, still being predominantly clove and allspice, and the salty peat flavor that is innate in most Islay malts. There is also some ginger spice to be tasted, but it gets lost under the peat after just a few seconds. There is a cool, refreshing note at the end of this malt that is very similar to other peaty Scotches. A bitter, but quiet cameo from the oak cask comes into the finish, just barely introducing itself and then exiting again. Even hints of smoky tobacco trace through the finish, but it is just light, fleeting instances of this that are noticeable.

With Water

Nose: Adding a small amount of water brings out a little more peat flavor. The brutish smokiness of peat starts to become a little more dominant, and the smooth malt grain begins to fade back.

Arrival: The arrival, reflective of the changes in the nose, is more salty and peaty now than before. It is very much similar to a peat presence that Lagavulin might have. The brininess is surprisingly bigger here. There is still a zestiness to the whisky, and the spice comes through noticeably enough, but it simply is becoming less prevalent with the peat flavor.

Body: The body here is relatively unchanged, still holding the balance between spicy character and peatiness in the whisky. And it is still a really enjoyable experience.

Finish: The finish becomes fairly floral and peaty with water, with a slight likeness to gin botanicals just hiding in the background. There is also some black peppercorn present in the finish as well.

Final Comments:  Referring back to the beginning of the review, there was a question of whether or not this whisky is of lesser quality because of its significant gap in popularity in comparison to some of the other peat beasts in the  Islay category. I believe the only reason this whisky struggles against the others is because it struggles to find a niche. Every aspect of this whisky is exceptional, and without a doubt, it is a bargain as an 18 Year old Scotch. For the people looking for big peat, this might not be on the top of the list, but it is well worth a try. This is a personal favorite.

Why you’d buy it: You aren’t afraid to look less manly than the guy drinking Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Why you wouldn’t: You judge masculinity by the peatiness of the whisky you drink (weirdo).

Score: 9.0/10

Review 87: Glenfiddich 18 Yr

Review 87

6/30/12

Glenfiddich 18 Year Old: 43% abv

I know what you’re thinking: Oh boy. Good old KCM told us that higher percent alcohol content means more flavor, and nicer whiskey and we’ll love this one. And you’re probably thinking also: oh, this is OLDER and it looks DARKER, so it must be BETTER. Well, you are wrong on all accounts. Yes, higher alcohol content is generally associated with more flavor and complexity, but that doesn’t necessarily have to be true. There is a lot of stipulations to generalization about alcohol, so don’t be fooled. 

Secondly, there is an assumption that darker whiskey is always going to taste better than lighter whiskey. This is also not true. Most companies will put caramel colorant (don’t get excited, it’s flavorless) in their whiskeys, because they “know” you’re stupid and will buy it for just that reason. Finally, there is no rule that says older whiskey is better whiskey. Older whiskey is just that; older. So it is different. As whiskey ages more, it starts to lose the characteristics of the spirit and gain the characteristics of the wood. Don’t assume your money is well spent. And that brings us to this review. The more expensive, older of the Glenfiddich range, and therefore the better one. And we plan on proving that in our notes. 

This one is a Single Malt Scotch aged in Oloroso Sherry casks and Bourbon casks. The nose on this sucker will give you some fruity notes of blueberry and light ripe banana, but primarily gives you those classic notes like caramel, vanilla, slight maltiness, with the addition of more rare notes of butterscotch and cloves. Ahh, you see! That whole introduction about horrible whiskey was all a facade! No...it wasn’t. 

The taste can be depicted as flat and dull. It is a malty whiskey, with a large saltiness in the body, a little bit of black licorice, slight tartness, and this inexplicably artificial cherry taste. It is a sweet cherry, but like cough syrup artificial. Not okay. That’s all we really got out of it. The finish doesn’t get better. The salt dominates, with cherry and honey, slight maltiness, and a tiny hint of sherry at the end. The finish is medium-short, which I’m okay with, because I wasn’t missing much. Sorry, we wanted to like this whiskey, but it doesn’t pull through, and we wouldn’t waste the $80 it costs to get this. Highly UNrecommended. 

Score: 6.0/10