Review 218: G&M Glenburgie 10 Year

Review 218

7/26/14

Gordon and MacPhail Glenburgie 10 Year: 43% abv

Background: What’s there to say about Glenburgie? More than you’d think, actually. Here’s the scoop. The Glenburgie distillery was founded in 1829, under the name of Kilnflat. The distillery ceased production in 1870 and went through a series of changes. Water has been a short commodity at Glenburgie, and they have exchanged, on and off, a series of stills called Loch Lomond stills, which are substantially different than the typical swan neck pot stills that are used in most distilleries. Now, the Glenburgie whisky we’re drinking today is interesting, because Gleburgie just built a new building in 2004, so this might not be the same whisky you’ll be drinking tomorrow if you find a bottle. This is a G&M bottling, an independent bottler that provides some killer whiskies. G&M do tend to be pricier than their Signatory counterparts though.

Straight

Nose:  The nose starts off malty and creamy, having a gentle bready aroma and full barley complexity. There is a good amount of lemon, lime and vanilla in the nose, with tangerine citrus, along with bits of pineapple and banana. There is some nuttiness as well, which counterbalances the advertent sweetness, with salty water and green tea leaves adding some bitterness. There is fresh green mint leaves, as well as other herbal green notes. The smell is crisp, clean, and fresh. The nose is complex and presents some unique aromas that are unusual in Scotch.

Arrival: The arrival starts off with a nice blend of sweetness and zestiness. There is a unique, but strong mintiness that comes out. There is some earthiness and maple wood in the arrival, with a syrupy honey flavor as well. There is a vegetal note, one of dewy grass, that is quite interesting. There is a bitter green tea in the arrival, along with some spurts of pine. There are some hot spices in the arrival, which carry into the body.

Body: The body presents a full flavor of fresh, cooling mint. There is also a wonderful fullness of cocoa. The body is woody and full of flavor. The body has some sugar notes to it, but it still has some earthiness and spiciness in it.

Finish: The finish is incredibly minty and refreshing. It is cool and has some botanical flavor like the arrival. Cocoa is present in the finish, with citrus and wood notes as prevalent contributors to flavor. There is a certain IPA-like flavor as the finish carries through the whisky. Look hard enough, and you might find a little bit of tobacco on the finish.

With Water

Nose: After adding water, there is a bit of brown sugar and floral notes that come through. The balance in the nose is fairly good at this point, with the citrus notes backing off and giving more play to the rest of the notes.

Arrival: The arrival comes off as much more spicy, with pronounced cinnamon and nutmeg in the arrival. The flavors are more balanced, with spiciness. The arrival loses some of the flavors from before, and replaces it with the vegetal, mineral notes.

Body: The body displays mineral notes and spices, still sustaining some of its previous character. The whisky is very peppery. The body presents some caramel notes that weren’t present before.

Finish:  The finish is now more malty than before, but displays some oily notes as well. It has a good blend of vegetal flavors and spices. The caramel from the body is very dominant in the finish.

Final Comments: This is a very excellent whisky. It provides a great balance, complexity, and an extremely unique character that we haven’t seen in a lot of whiskies. Although there are mixed reviews out there on Glenburgies, this is evidence that they can put out a really great product that is approachable and compelling for advanced drinkers and beginners. At 43%, this whisky presents itself as a46% whisky at minimum, although we wouldn’t complain if they gave us the extra 3%. It is important to realize, however, that despite this very positive review, Independent bottlers don’t promise the kind of consistency that you will find from the big companies. This is a major deterrent for some.

Why you’d buy it: You are looking for something outside of your normal Glens and you’re willing to take a gamble on an Independent Bottling

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You’re a conservative drinker that doesn’t want to try something new and interesting, and good.

Score:  9.5/10

Review 186: Aberlour 16 Year

Review 186

11/23/13

Aberlour 16 Year: 43% abv

Background: Back in Review 126, we reviewed Aberlour 12 Year. Both Aberlour 12 Year and Aberlour 16 Year are “double casked”, which means they are aged in two separate barrels. They’re both bottled at 43%, they both move from a bourbon to a sherry cask, so this is a pretty good comparison of what 4 extra years of maturation will add to a whisky. Two batches were separately aged in sherry and bourbon casks for 16 years each, and then blended appropriately to get the right flavor. When we reviewed the 12 Year, we said it lacked the complexity to compete with some of the other Scotches we’ve tried. The big question now is, did the extra time help to add to the complexity of this big branded Scotch.

Straight

Nose: The nose starts off with rich notes of chocolate and caramel. There is a definite presence of raison sherry and rich fruits. The fruit flavors include strawberries, raspberries, and cranberry. There is an odd hint of banana present as well. All of these fruit flavors mix well with an aroma of yogurt. There is a suggestion of Murphy’s Oil that hides in the back of the nose, but does not dominate. There is a little bit of malt grain flavor, but being a malt addict, there could be much more. There is a miniscule herbal note of parsley.  

Arrival:  There is a nice creamy, malt flavor that comes through in the arrival, which is nice and refreshing. There is a bit of caramel syrup flavor that compliments the malt flavor. The arrival is pretty woody, with a bit of oak and interestingly maple as well. There are some fruit notes, with some berries and apples at the forefront. From the arrival into the body, there is a strawberry jam flavor.

Body: There is a definitive woodiness that starts to build up in the body. This should be expected from the 16 Year old. A pleasant orange peel is also present in the body. Again, apple is present here. The sherry comes through here with a creamy yogurt covered raison flavor. A noticeable amount molasses and agave are present in the body as well. The body also takes on a confectionary sweetness.

           

Finish: The finish has a variety of complex flavors, including banana, salted caramels, and malt. There is a lot of malt flavor in the finish. There is a good amount of candy strawberry flavor in the finish, with some marmalade as well. The fruity flavors are still lasting through the finish. There are also some sweet cinnamon and pepper notes that sit in the background as well. The confectionary notes in the body carry through to the finish, and a sweet cookie-like flavor.

With Water

Nose: The nose has more hints of maple and fall spices. There is definitely more cinnamon and nutmeg after water is added. The nose is a little more dry and astringent, with some lemon zest in the nose. The orange peel is dominant as well. The maltiness is a little more noticeable as well. There is also some vanilla on there as well.

Arrival: The malt is more dominant now than before, with prominent citrus notes. There is a black cherry tartness, coupled with some vanilla.

Body: The fruitiness is a little bit less dominant in the body now. The orange peel as now become more akin to an orange juice flavor, and the overall experience is more creamy than before. There is now actually a big almond flavor that wasn’t present without water. There is a little bit more saltiness in the body now as well.

Finish: There is more cherry in the finish now, adding to the tartness. There is still thick, confectionary sweetness. The finish is now slightly grassy, and somewhat medicinal as well.

Final Comments:  This is a major step up in quality and complexity from the 12 Year, as we see it. The difference between the two is substantial. The question should then arise to the astute reader as to whether or not the price difference in these similarly styled whiskies is worth the upgrade. In our minds, it seems like the difference is noticeable, but for the novice drinker, it might not be worth the price jump. In either case, this is a very solid whisky for a casual, sweeter sipper. And while Balvenie differentiates their range with different casks and styles, Aberlour keeps the sherry/bourbon theme throughout their brand. This makes Aberlour a great source for consistent sherry-style Scotch in different age groups.

 

Why you’d buy it: A great sherry-style Scotch at a reasonable price

Why you wouldn’t: Glendronach is starting to expand its presence in the US.

Score: 9.0/10

Review 184: Signatory Longmorn 1992/2010 18 Year

  

Review 184

11/16/13

Longmorn Signatory 1992/2010 18 Year: 46% abv

Background: These are some of my favorite, but perhaps most useless, reviews. This is a limited release Signatory bottling of Longmorn single malt whisky. It is a Scotch from Moray, Scotland. Longmorn started in 1893. Through various change of hands and amalgamations, Longmorn fell under the hands of Pernod Ricard which took over Chivas Brothers. Although Longmorn has a well rated 16 year old variant, we don’t get to see much of it here in Michigan. Most of Longmorn’s stock plays a backstage role in Chivas Regal blended Scotch. Unfortunately for us consumers, that means it is hard to find one. That’s where independent bottlers like Signatory come into play. This 18 Year old is aged in a Hogshead barrel, which I’m confident previously contained sherry (PX maybe?). I normally don’t talk about price in my reviews, but in this case, at $75, this is one of the most competitive 18 year old Scotches I can think of. Unfortunately, a majority of people won’t find this exact bottling, so this might only tell you a little about the quality of Longmorn in general.

Straight

Nose: As soon as you stick your nose in the glass, you get a mixture of complex aromas coming out of this single malt. There is an intense, woody complexity displays itself proudly, with hints of vanilla, huge malty sweetness, and dry fruits. It is the dry fruit aromas sprinkled in with the bold malt that I find truly intoxicating in the nose (no pun intended). There is aromas of cranberry, plums, subtle grape, and some apple in the nose. There is also a slightly vegetal grain note to it (a sort of green note), that hides in the background and just adds a little more bulk to the scent. There is even a bit of agave smell that is present here, which is quite unique for a Scotch. There is some soft sherry that probably goes along with the fruit notes commented on earlier. This would explain the darker color as well. There is some soft spice as well, with a little tickle of ginger on the nose, followed up with gentle nutmeg.  Overall, the nose is incredibly well balanced and enjoyable, with an endless amount of complexity to tap into.

Arrival: The arrival starts off just like the nose: bold and full of flavor. The initial flavor is packed with the same sherry-filled, oak heavy influence that we initially noticed. 46% paid off for this whisky without a doubt. The initial fruit notes include rich cherry, plums, succulent apple and cranberry. This is coupled with a big blast of vanilla and woodiness. There is a definite hot spiciness too, akin to cinnamon and allspice. There is also the maltiness that starts materializing in the arrival, but really making its largest appearance later on. To add to the sweetness, a bit of honey is added in, but fights against the spices and bitter pepper notes that are present in the arrival.

Body: The body is slightly less eventful than the arrival, partially due to how dramatic the arrival actually is. The body has a good showing of maltiness and woodiness to it, but the fruity flavors sort of thin out. Instead, there is a dry, semi-sweet character to the body. There is more bitterness in the body than anywhere else, but it is still very appropriate.

           

Finish: The finish comprises some hot, spicy notes in parallel with more vanilla and malt based notes on the gentler side of things. The spiciness is most dominant in the finish than anywhere else, and tends to overtake everything else, but there is still honey, malt, and wood flavors present as well. The finish is not as long as I would like it to be, and the flavor dies out slightly quicker than expected, but an endurance race between sherry and malt to last the longest. It is dry and has a good amount black peppercorn present. Overall, the finish is probably the weakest part of the whisky.

With Water

Nose: After adding a little bit of water, the Longmorn undergoes a little bit of a transformation. On the nose, a little more confectionary aroma is present, along with a very subtle savory jerky note as well. The malt notes are more prominent after water.

Arrival: The arrival is slightly less intense now, while still having the honey and vanilla prevalent up front. Along with that, flavors of caramel covered apples, cinnamon and nutmeg, and molasses come through in the arrival as well.

Body: The body is still alive and kicking here. The fruits are coming through more in the body now, although the whisky has to be agitated slightly to notice them. The plums and cranberries are big. Otherwise, the body is pretty much the same animal as before.

Finish: What is most surprising about the finish here is that it is even bigger than it was before. The finish lasts longer and has more intensity, bringing forth some of the ginger from the arrival, along with strong notes of honey and wood spices. The finish is still dry, and has a thin mouth feel, but it seems to be more alive after just a little water.  The finish definitely has a more dusty and peppery character now. 

Final Comments:  Longmorn is a fairly off-the-map distillery, but I have to say, I’m more than impressed enough with their whisky. If you were to pin this up against Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, and Macallan 18 Yr olds, this would be undoubtedly the best quality, best value for money, and most unique whisky among them by a large margin. It also tastes like a mature whisky, having more presence of wood and complex flavors that might not be found in a 10 year old whippersnapper. This is a personal favorite, although there is plenty to be desired in terms of complexity. Since this is the only Longmorn I’ve had, I can’t recommend them in all earnest, but I can say I will be buying another bottle someday, without a doubt.

 

Why you’d buy it: You have the chance to.

Why you wouldn’t: You’ll probably not find it anyway.

Score: 9.25/10

Review 171: Balvenie 12 Year DoubleWood

Review 171

7/31/13

Balvenie 12 Year DoubleWood: 43% abv

Background: Balvenie, as we have talked about before, is a Speyside single malt owned by Grant and Sons, the same group that owns Glenfiddich. We talked about the fact that Glenfiddich 12 Year and Balvenie 12 Year aren’t very similar in taste due to the commanding difference in sherry influence between the two. To add on more details about the distillery itself, not only does Grant and Sons own Balvenie as a company, but William Grant actually founded Balvenie in 1892. Balvenie as a distillery has gotten to be quite large, at a capacity of 5.6M liters a year. Balvenie has a lot of their own original bottlings, with a healthy core range to choose from. Last year, we reviewed the Balvenie 14 Year Caribbean Cask whisky, an exclusive US edition single malt. Besides this and the DoubleWood, they have a 10 Year, a 15 Year Single Barrel, a 12 Year Single Barrel, a 17 Year DoubleWood, a 17 Year Peated cask, a 21 Year Port Wood cask, and several older whiskies. The 12 Year, which is aged in both American Bourbon casks and European sherry casks, is distinctively like Aberlour 12 Year, but they are by no means the same. This leads us to our review section. We will now tell you about tasty smelly stuff:

Straight

Nose:  The nose on this whisky starts off with a dense blend of different flavors, including some subtle notes of Oloroso sherry, subtle tartness, nice raisony richness, and moderate malt character. This definitely has a contrast of notes on display. The Oloroso does bring out some slight nuttiness, and there is a surprising harshness that makes nosing this single malt somewhat challenging. There is a sense of bitterness that comes through in this, with harsh grain notes and a thick oak flavor. There is even a small hint of botanicals and floral notes that tickle the nose when you start to get further into the experience. As far as fruits go, there is a sweet orange citrus flavor that helps add character. Overall, this is a pretty satisfactory introduction to this Balvenie.

Arrival: The arrival definitely starts off grainy with a slight hint of sweetness. The grain is thick and creamy malt, and it reminds me a lot of anCnoc in that sense. There is a combination of vanilla and honey that get into the beginning here, with a subtlety of white wine coming through. Even still, the arrival is very woody and holds back on any sense of sherry. There is a slight harshness in the arrival, with a little bit of cinnamon leading into the body. There is also an earthy, herbal character coming through.

Body: The body finally introduces the sherry, and although it does not come across as over-dominant, there is certainly a sense that the whisky has the raison-esque quality of an Oloroso, with some minimal nuttiness creeping into the taste buds as well. There is still some vanilla and malt coming through. At this point, you will taste an earthy, rooty taste in the whisky. There is definitely a small amount of the citrus from the nose sneaking into the body, which helps keep it prominent and fresh. The body in this whisky actually lasts for a little bit. 

           

Finish: The finish powers in with some dominant black pepper bitterness, strong burn and residual graininess. The graininess feels strained and flavorless here, not like the fresh flavor you get in the arrival. There is a fleeting notion of vanilla and sherry that dwindles away much faster than the bitterer aftertaste that lingers onward. It certainly contains an earthy, almost chicory flavor to it. The herbal tastes from the body carry over into the finish, and it makes for a good blend of sweet sherry and almost oily, modestly salty character to contrast.

With Water

Nose: After giving the whisky some time to merry with a few splashes of water, the initial nosing reveals a honey-sweet, malty, sherry-dominant aroma. There is still some harshness in the nose, but it isn’t terribly overpowering. Some of the other flavors get a little bit washed out at this point.  

Arrival: Although a bit lighter, the arrival is more sweet now and generally less intimidating. The sherry is replaced with a more agave-like flavor, and the complexity goes away quite a bit.

Body: The orange flavor still sits strong here, along with some hints of honey and sherry. There is a strong presence of sweetness, but the bitterness that we knew before comes back after just a little while. Although it’s hard to be sure, it almost feels as if this happens quicker after adding water. The body is rather dumbed down after adding water.

           

Finish: There is a nice sweetness that comes through now, which helps to balance out the heavy earthy, bitter notes that came through before. Although the presence is a bit watered down, it does help balance the differences out quite a bit. To some degree, there is a slight burnt wood quality that resonates at the end, in an unpleasant way. It is almost ashy without a great flavor.

Final Comments: This is a pretty solid offering by Balvenie, although there are a few things about it that aren’t my favorite. As a casual sipper, it really is a fantastic whisky, but as soon as I get any deeper into it, the flavor becomes a little bit unfavorable at the end. The complexity isn’t horribly impressive, but it isn’t disappointing either. Balvenie definitely runs a higher price than other offerings in its class, and after this review, the 12 Year DoubleWood doesn’t convince me that it is worth the premium, although I would much rather drink this than Glenlivet 12 Year.

 

Why you’d buy it: You like the mixture of sherry and bourbon cask influences and enjoy the pronounced flavors.

Why you wouldn’t: You are afraid of a little harshness in a whisky, and don’t want to spend your money on a rougher 12 Year.

Score: 8.25/10

Review 160: Macallan 12 Year

Review 160

5/17/13

Macallan 12 Yr: 43% abv

Background: We are back to our second review of Macallan. You might observe that we bought a miniature of this single malt, and you might be wondering why. Well that is a perfect opportunity for me to get on my soap box and talk about my problem with Macallan. My problem with Macallan is not that they are a large scale producer of Scotch. My problem is that they have started advertising in partnerships with people NOT involved in Scotch. Do you know what that is? It is a distraction from what really matters. Macallan’s late and “great” 22 year old “The Flask” Scotch is a partnership between Oakley and Macallan. What does Oakley know about Scotch? Nothing. To make matters worse, the 22 year old Scotch is $1,500. I haven’t heard anything about the Scotch itself in all of Macallan’s advertising. That is why KCM chooses not to buy a lot of Macallan. They are focused more on brand recognition than they are their spirits. That being said, Macallan 12 is a very common single malt to see at the bar, and you need to know if you should take your chances with it.

Straight

Nose: This is probably one of the simpler and more straightforward sherried Scotches available. You certainly get that right in the nose, with a huge sherried, raison-like smell, with even some red grape and confectionary smells in the nose. It has an interesting blast of sugary sweetness to it, and throws some vanilla in to compliment the soft, pleasant aromas. Then again, this distracts you from the malt character that you might be getting otherwise. There isn’t much grain to be found here. Instead, you might find some vegetal qualities, with even some rose-like floral compliments, albeit they aren’t hugely prominent. Interestingly, there is also a rather leathery quality to the Scotch which you wouldn’t really expect from a 12 Year old, but it is a pleasant contrast to the sweetness. Despite all of these pleasant notes, you will still get some tingling and burn from the smell, and a mild spiciness, akin to cloves and mild white pepper. Overall, the sherry dominates the smell, but take the time and you will find some interesting alternative smells in there.

Arrival: Despite the strong smell, the arrival to this Scotch is actually pretty light. This certainly has a taste which creeps into the picture. It does not start off big or eventful, breaking down the doors. What it does do, is introduce some initial sweetness and gives off some graininess that you missed in the nose. There is also a hint of black pepper that can be evoked if the whisky is rolled around the tongue. On a different note, now and again you might start to notice an almost plastic-like taste coming forward in the later part of the arrival. I don’t get it all of the time, but it can be slightly unpleasant if you hold onto the flavor too long. You will start getting the sherry in the arrival, but not nearly as much as you would think. Just wait…

Body:  Here is where you start to get the sherry profile in the whisky, but it also introduces a decadent milk chocolate flavor right up front. It is a sweet, whipped chocolate and sherry flavor, which inspires. Why not make a sherry chocolate cake? First person who does this, let me know how it works out. You will also notice a mild pepper note will carry over from the arrival, along with some malty barley. The body does have a pretty big presents with big, sherry flavor.

           

Finish: This is where the sherry really takes over, which is saying a lot considering how much it plays into the whole presentation. There is some significant maltiness that comes through at the end here, which is complimented with the notes of vanilla, milk, and rich chocolate which resonate from the body through the end of the Scotch. This is a pretty substantial finish, but doesn’t strike me as the most complex either. Like in the nose, you get a sugary, confectionary finish which has some semblance to Drambuie.

With Water

Nose: Well you might suspect that water will have an impact on this Scotch. It hasn’t really changed the nose at all. I mean, it is really exactly the same. Even after giving it fifteen minutes to marry with the Scotch and open up the flavors, it smells overbearingly of sherry.

Arrival: We have really pulled forward some grain character after adding water. It seems the arrival provides a much more malty and earthy character after a little water. It is actually a nice addition to the arrival, and it is much appreciated. Vanilla is also a big player here.

Body: The body doesn’t change much, although water does seem to help remove some of the less favorable tasting notes. There is still some pepper coming through here, but the sherry seems to become drier with the addition of water. There is some spiciness in the body as well, that wasn’t nearly as present before adding the water.

           

Finish: The finish actually pushes back some of the sherry after water, and brings out some vegetal and custard-like notes. It is a pleasant addition of complexity that really makes this a more interesting and diverse experience. There is definitely something with the aftertaste of fresh greens that jumps to the forefront after a few seconds. We got really excited when we started to taste some apple and even more so some pear in the finish, complimenting and adding to the raison quality that was already there. The diversification of fruit flavors makes this a less boring experience. After sitting for a second, wait and you might get some pleasant subtle nuttiness coming through as well. On the flip side of things, as was present in the arrival of this Scotch, there does appear to be a small hint of some worn flavors, that seem tired and almost stale. This comes in the aftertaste, and we believe this probably comes from the overuse of the cask or even just less quality grain.

Final Comments:  This is actually one of my favorite Scotches to get out at the bar. It is affordable, pleasant, and more complex than it initially seems. It is also fairly easy to find if you aren’t looking for it at McDonalds. When comparing this to Glenfiddich or Glenlivet 12, I always grab this particular Scotch. There is no comparison in quality and complexity, and I truly enjoy the simple, but not overbearing presence of sherry, probably even more than I like drinking sherry by itself. That being said, it does not compare in the maturity of flavors, to a Glenfarclas or Highland Park, but I don’t think it is really meant to. I believe Macallan’s quality will continue to diminish, but for the time being, this is actually a really decent offering for a reasonable price.

Why you’d buy it: You want to know what a sherry-aged Scotch is.

Why you wouldn’t: You are like us, and don’t like ridiculous marketing.

Score: 8.25/10

Review 155: Glenlivet Nadurra 16 Year

Review 155

4/7/13

Glenlivet Nadurra 16 Yr: 59.7% abv

Background: Glenlivet is a Speyside malt, as you may already know. If you know any single malt Scotch, you probably think of one of two distilleries: Glenfiddich and Glenlivet. Although Glenfiddich holds the crown for being the bestselling single malt in the World, Glenlivet is more popular in America, being the #1 selling malt whisky in the US. So, with a volume of about 5.9 million liters being produced per year, there is quite a lot of Glenlivet going around. We aren’t huge fans of the 12 year, which lacks a great balance and appears far too fruity for its own good. So why would we review a Glenlivet then? Nadurra, a non-chill filtered, 16 year version of Glenlivet at cask strength, which is aged in French Oak casks, takes Glenlivet to a different level in terms of quality and notability.

Straight

Nose: The nose starts off the with classic Glenlivet notes, including some champagne and green grape notes, along with a cooked apple smell, which contributes a crisp, refreshing aroma to the whisky. If you dig deep enough, you can get the soft, ripe smell of a banana in the nose as well. It is a very malty nose, with wood and grain notes making for a dry, sweet smell coming through. The wood notes include some maple and oak tones, with vanilla influences from the wood coming out as well. There is a subtle citrus note that cuts through, but it doesn’t over-dominate the aromas. Along with the sweet notes, you get some allspice and nutmeg smells coming through.

Arrival: Naturally, in a whisky at this proof, there will be an intense spiciness that presents itself. There is some cinnamon intensity, with vegetal, bitter notes starting off the cadence of this whisky. There is a small amount of honeydew and vanilla that adds to the sweetness in the arrival, which is relatively masked by the burn of the alcohol.

Body:  There are some tropical fruits coming through in the body with pineapple notes. There is a large contribution of maltiness to the body. The cinnamon presence from the arrival continues through to the body, and lingers onward. There is also a dominant vegetal characteristic to it that seems to provide a grassy character to the whisky.

           

Finish: The finish holds some bold malty flavors, with some grapefruit citrus notes coming through. There is some green grape that come through as well. There is vanilla bean flavor that resides in the finish, with some cinnamon notes and fresh mint as well. The vegetal quality of the body lingers through to the finish and does not at all diminish.   

With Water

Nose: With a little bit of water, I would venture to guess you’d find this closer to its distant cousin, bourbon. The nose brings out some soft melon notes, akin to cantaloupe, with a contrasting grapefruit smell. Along with this, it is more creamy and soft. It becomes more vegetal as well.

Arrival: The arrival, after some water, will be much more pleasant than you last remembered it. There is a malty creaminess to it, almost like a vanilla malted shake.

Body: The spiciness is less prominent than before, with a good balance coming about as a result. There is still a big vanilla character involved, which seems to dominate the flavors on the palate in the body. Nothing more really happens in the body at this point, and it isn’t until the finish that big flavor changes happens.

           

Finish: The finish, after adding water, becomes more sugary and sweet, retaining the big malty character from before, and holding onto some of the grape character that came from the arrival. There is some orange rind that we noticed later on in the finish, and some grain bite as well. There is also an odd pumpkin spice note that starts to develop as you focus more on the departure of the flavors. There is still some smooth banana flavor that comes in.

Final Comments:  This is quite a hot whisky out of the gate. You might not expect this out of a Speyside, or even a Glenlivet for that matter. Fortunately, despite its hotness, it has quite a bit of engaging material to offer up to your palate. After water, there is more balance and complexity, but be weary. With too much water, the body will lose some of its rich complexity that you’ll find at the natural presentation. The real problem with this bottling of Glenlivet is that it shows that Glenlivet can make a super-high quality whisky, and people should expect that from them. For this reason, KCM encourages NOT to buy Glenlivet 12 Year, or Glenlivet 18 Year, but if you’re going to buy Glenlivet, this one is the way to go.

Why you’d buy it: Because you enjoy intense cask strength whiskies and want to see how French Oak plays into the taste profile

Why you wouldn’t: It is far too intense or intimidating

Score: 9.25/10

Review 143: Glen Grant 10 Yr

Review 143

2/23/13

Glen Grant 10 Yr: 40% abv

Background: Glen Grant is one of those distilleries I tend to overlook, but don’t be fooled. This Speyside whisky distillery is one of the biggest in Scotland. It is the third biggest whisky producer in Scotland, below Glenfiddich and Macallan, and just barely above Glenlivet. This gets to be a very scary statistic to publish, partially because there are two metrics “Produced whisky”, and “sold whisky”. In any case, Glen Grant is big. They have capacity to produce a measly 5.9 million liters a year. That being said, we are looking at their bottom statement, the 10 year. This whisky sits at around $40 a bottle, so it is very reasonably priced.

Nose: Light, fresh grain, vanilla, vegetable oil, malt, wheat, subtle spice, minimal heat

            A/W: Not much different

Arrival: Sweet, malty arrival, honey

            A/W: Honey and vanilla

Body: Sweet malt, vanilla, wheat, nutty

            A/W: Slightly vegetal, caramel

Finish: Dry, malt, straw, wheat, vanilla, lemon, citrus, cinnamon, subtle pepper, hot, spice, honey

A/W: Pear, nutty, vanilla, slightly vegetal, agave

Final Comments: This whisky should be competing as a Speyside with the likes of Macallan 10, Glenfiddich 12, Glenlivet 12, and so on. To be honest, I don’t think it does. Although it is a good whisky, it doesn’t have the fruity nature of Glenlivet 12, it doesn’t have the sherried nature of Macallan, and it doesn’t have the combined balance of Glenfiddich. If KCM were going to compare this to anything, we would compare this to Glengoyne 10 . This is a simple, straight forward, whisky, without the influence of sherry or peat to weigh it down. Its light and grainy, with a dry sweetness to it.

Why you’d buy it: You want a simple, gentle starter whisky for an affordable price

Why you wouldn’t: You want to go for something a little more advanced like Glengoyne

Score: 7.75/10

Review 111: Balvenie 14 Yr Carribean Cask

Review 111

12/5/12

The Balvenie 14 Yr Caribbean Cask: 43% abv

Unfortunately, Balvenie thinks that they are THE Ohio State, so I titled is as they did, but I it against any fiber in my being to do so, because this is actually quite an awesome brand of Scotch. So for the rest of The Review, I will be calling this Balvenie. Balvenie is owned by Grant’s & Sons, which makes Grant’s Blended Scotch and owns Glenfiddich. Glenfiddich and Balvenie are also geographical neighbors as well, which makes this an interesting comparison. Here’s a fun experiment for you to try. Put Balvenie 12 Yr Double Wood and Glenfiddich 12 Yr next to each other and compare. You’ll be absolutely shocked by the differences, if you pay enough attention. So here we go. Balvenie 14 Yr. You don’t see a great number of rum casks being used for whisky, partially because the regulation on how often you can use casks for a rum don’t exist, so rum producers have very little reason to dispose of their casks. There is more to it then that, but this is also why sherried whiskies are more expensive and rare. 

How does this one fair and what does it add to the whisky? Well, on the nose we get a complex blend of flavors, including barley, malt, oak, light green grape, vanilla, a subtle blend of bananas and anise, molasses, nutmeg, slight lemon, soft apple, toffee, white chocolate, and spicy fruits. {Deep inhale}. Alright. So yeah, this one has a lot to it on the nose. And after adding water, you’ll get more malt in the nose, with additions of caramel and sea salt. The arrival is strangely going to contradict the nose. There is malt and huge vanilla on the arrival, with some spiciness and caramel. After adding water, the arrival deteriorates greatly. The body makes up for this with more complexity. Vanilla, malt grain, caramel, cinnamon, ginger, slight mint, apple, honeydew, honey and slight saltiness are all present in the body. Vanilla is first in line here for a reason. The vanilla in this is so huge, as a compliment of the cask it was aged in. The body will not do well in water, as it just backs off the flavor. The finish contains vanilla, toffee, malt, slight saltiness, caramel, molasses/brown sugar, cinnamon, confectioner’s sugar, dry black pepper, honey, and slight mint. 

The finish remains relatively unchanged with water. So this is a complex Single Malt. This whisky will not do well if left out for over a half hour or so. It will thin out and taste dull. So pour small drams and enjoy at a leisurely pace. This isn’t the MOST complex Scotch, partially due to the fact that the Caribbean cask is very dominant in influencing the flavors with sweetness. All the same, it is a wonderful expression and we know many people who love this. Do note: this isn’t one of their standards so if you want it, buy it now. And we suggest you do. 

Score: 9.0/10

Review 89: Glenfiddich 21 Yr

Review 89

7/15/12

Glenfiddich 21: 40% abv

Well, here’s the conclusion, about a month later. You must understand, I’ve been very busy, as my car has exploded on me and I spent most of last week acquiring a new car. Glenfiddich doesn’t care about that though. What they care about is a redemption after their 18 year flop. And they’ll get that. Not to give any spoilers, but this is much better than last time. The 21 takes a completely different approach, using Caribbean rum casks instead of sherry and bourbon casks, which is good. That mixes up their lineup a little more. Not that you’ll ever buy this, because it’ll cost you too much just to finance this bottle. 

Okay, so onto the bottling itself. Obviously, at 21 years old, this is an old whiskey, but maybe not as old as you’d think. Some experts say that these spirits reach maturity at 25 years of age. What do we think about this particular one? Well let’s talk about it. You’ll not be able to tell, but there was some slight sediment in the bottle when we were drinking it. That might suggest they didn’t over filter it, but that’s just a guess. 

The nose is defined and easy, containing the standard malt flavors, malt, caramel, etc. But more importantly, there is a slight graininess of wheat, coupled with some hints of hay and oak. There are many fruity notes, including over-ripe apple, slight pear, light lemon, ripe banana, and maraschino cherries. There is hints of toffee, pine scent, and after water, even some fresh mint. We were pleasantly intrigued by the complexities of the nose, although it didn’t have the full-bodied nose that we come to love. 

Continuing on with the taste, we found a prominent syrupy texture and taste, which was unique to the Glenfiddich line. Once again, probably thanks to that rum-like background, we see ourselves visiting fruity flavors. Aforementioned flavors include cherry in the body, green apples, and lemon. The maltiness is still there, but the spicy notes come out more, including ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. There are more unique flavors, with some sweet honey smoothing out this whiskey. After water, you might even find something resembling the taste of cookie dough. Like I said, this is unique, and not in a bad way. 

The finish won’t disappoint, sticking with the common themes mentioned before, but pulling out some molasses, hay, tobacco, agave, blackberry, powdered sugar, slight briny salt, and parsley. So this particular whiskey wins points on uniqueness. Water will also pull out the rum like flavors from the whiskey, and even at 40%, it takes water alright. Not really what I’d say worth the buy, but it certainly does alright, and proves to be complex and well rounded. 

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