Category Archives: Beyond Scotland

Kavalan Concertmaster 40%

Posted on by
Reply

Our whisky ladies evening from the far east enabled us to contrast and compare two very different Kavalan whiskies.

For those not familiar, Kavalan is Taiwan’s answer to the whisky world. While founded only in 2005, it is winning award after award – in 2014 alone over 100 awards! Master blender Ian Chang and the team take full advantage of Taiwan’s warmer climate to produce no age statement experiments, maturing in different casks and playing around with finishes.

Back in 2008, just three years after the distillery was constructed, Kavalan launched its first ‘Classic’ whisky. A year later in 2009, Concertmaster was released.

The bottle I shared with our Whisky Ladies was acquired in Taipei a few years ago. It was honestly a disappointment when first tried and was brought as a ‘base line’ before sampling the Solist.

Concertmaster (Whisky Lady)

Concertmaster (Whisky Lady)

Kavalan Concertmaster Port Cask Finish 40%

  • Colour – Light gold
  • Nose – Initially a bit peculiar, like it was pretending to have peat but isn’t, then honey, sour, a bit citrusy, formaldehyde, some vanilla, followed by caramel and orange peel
  • Palate – Smooth. Not horrible but sorta a whole lot of nothing, neutral, non-descript, innocuous, inoffensive
  • Finish – Warm with some bitter orange peel
  • Water? No need, already quite light and thin
  • Comments – “Dare I say… insipid?” “Definitely NOT a concert or symphony of aromas or flavours!”

While overall not bad, it was not particularly memorable either. Clearly we struggled to discern specific elements on the palate. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a bad whisky at all. Just not one to make the heart sing… let alone a full blown concerto!

Here’s what the folks over at Kavalan have to say:

Using Portuguese ruby, tawny and vintage Port wine casks as the main flavour, Kavalan Concertmaster single malt whisky is the first matured in specially selected American oak cask and then finished in port barriques. The marrying in the barriques mellows the flavours and adds indefinable smoothness to the whisky. It is rich bodied with natural sweetness and complexity. 

  • Colour – Pleasant brownish red
  • Nose – Tropical fruitiness with honey, vanilla, coconut and candy floss
  • Palate – Rich bodied with natural sweetness and complexity

If you look today on the Kavalan website, you will no longer see Concertmaster prominently featured though it is still very much present. However there are rumours of its production being phased out. We have to say its absence would not be a great loss to the world of whisky. And if it means more attention on Solist and other experiments? Please! Please!

For the story on my initially acquiring and sampling this bottle from Taipei… read here.

Related notes from our Whisky Ladies April session:

From time to time, you can also find other whisky related updates and activities on:

The surprising Amrut Spectrum 50%

Posted on by
Reply

Sometimes our sessions have a small ‘bonus’ offering. A little something extra tagged on after the main show. Call it an ‘encore’ performance.

Usually there is a specific reason it is kept separate from the main trio of whiskies sampled. Hosts often have a little ‘surprise’ like my sharing a rather unique tequila like Tapatio Excelencia Gran Reserva Extra Anejo or another evening with a post dinner El Dorado Rum.

Amrut Mystery Malt

In this case, after dinner we were offered a sample of a sample… introduced blind with no context.

  • Nose: Immediate in your face sherry replete with all the usual dried fruits, diwali crackers smoke, burnt brown sugar, kopra, dry roasted coconut, chokecherry, port wine, rubber and kokum
  • Taste: Dry… then stewed prunes, hint of spice, chilli chocolate, honestly a bit peculiar – very much on the dry spice side without sweetness, different
  • Finish: Wine finish, prunes, closes with spice

Observations: Prunes were consistently there in nose, palate and finish. Distinctive and difficult to adequately describe. None could place. And frankly it wasn’t exactly the kind of whisky that appealed immediately. Like a novel experiment but not necessarily one you would run out to repeat or share with the world.

Our mischievous supplier of the mystery malt then started to drop obscure clues to prompt our guessing the whisky like:

  • Single malt that is a mixed palate
  • If in Scotland, may not meet the rules
  • James Bond…

We gave up.

Reveal? A sampling of Amrut Spectrum which has sparked both controversy and admiration for the innovation of its approach.

Amrut Spectrum (www.amrutdistilleries.com)

Amrut Spectrum (www.amrutdistilleries.com)

Here is what the folks over at Amrut have to say:

One of the uniquest whisky malt in the world, to make this whisky malts were initially matured for a period of 3 years in ex-Bourbon barrels after which they were transferred to a custom built barrel. This barrel was constructed at an undisclosed location in Europe with the help of a few experts. Whisky is traditionally aged in a barrel made of one type of wood, which lends the flavor and complexities to the malt, however, Amrut Spectrum in matured in a barrel with five different types of wood. 

Tasting Notes from Biskopen Gustavs Maltklubb
  • Nose: raisins, rum, nougat, figs, oranges, tiramisu, cocoa, caramel, coffee, dried fruit, burnt rubber.
  • Palate: sherry, rum, butterscotch, chocolate, prunes, molasses, pecans, walnuts, almonds, English wine gum.
  • Finish: caramelized almonds, old cognac, apricots, Brazil nuts.

Those who’ve followed Whisky Lady tasting adventures for some time would know that I’m very proud of my adopted home India. I’m also delighted to see its nascent single malt whisky experiments begin to garner attention.

However I’ve had mixed experiences with Amrut whiskies sampled til date. In large part that is because what is available in India is NOT the same as what folks outside India rave about!

Case in point, the Fusion we buy in Mumbai does not have the same alcohol strength as what I sampled in Singapore last December. Fusion at 50% is certainly much more interesting than what you can pick up from your local Mumbai ‘wine shop.’

Spectrum is certainly different. And there is something to be said for pushing the boundaries… so bravo for that.

Want to explore more Indian whiskies?

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

Whisky Ladies visit the Far East – Kavalan + Nikka

Posted on by
Reply

Our whisky ladies tend to travel – both for business and pleasure.

This is a huge bonus when you are a whisky fan based in Mumbai as our local offerings are relatively limited.

When one member was stopping at Singapore airport on her return from a conference, she asked for suggestions and ably rose to the assignment to acquire a whisky from Taiwan.

Another runs her own travel adventure company plus her spouse shares her passion for exploring whiskies. Compliments of their procurement prowess, we already sampled the yin yang contradictory character of Nikka Blended Whisky. So when a theme of ‘anything but Scottish whisky’ morphed into the ‘Far East’…. naturally she had a whisky from Japan to share!

We began our evening with an experiment… our host infused grapefruit and rosemary with a local gin to create a highly refreshing aperitif – delightful!

Kavalana Concertmaster, Solist + Nikka Coffey Grain

Kavalan Concertmaster, Solist + Nikka Coffey Grain

We then moved on to our main focus where we contrasted and compared:

From the shores of Taiwan and Japan, we hit mainland China to try a country liquor that was much more fun to puzzle out how to open than taste! It was, in short, undrinkable.

Finally closed our evening with a thimble of JD Tennessee Honey liqueur to go with our chocolate pizza – yum!

It was a delightful change to explore whiskies beyond Scotland for an evening and a reminder that there is a very good reason Kavalan attracts attention for its Solist range.

From time to time, you can also find whisky related updates and activities on:

Rocky Mountain Breckenridge Special Release 43%

Posted on by
2

The final whisky in our American trilogy was from Colorado…

Aged 2 years in charred new American oak barrels. Its key claim to fame is that it uses water from “snow melted from the rocky mountains.”

As always with our original Mumbai tasting group, we sampled blind, then revealed the whisky. Here is what we found…

Breckenridge

Rocky Mountain Breckenridge Special Release 43%

  • Nose – Reassuringly bourbon banana sweet mellow raisins, fruity
  • Taste – The closest to being Scottish in taste, a bit chewy sweet, a very good whisky but was slightly tricky to describe and nothing specific jumped out at us
  • Finish – Light spicy finish
Best quote of the evening:

“Feel like cowboys / gals in leather chaps riding off to the sunset just like in those old Westerns. Yeehaw!”

What do the folks over at Breckenridge have to say?

Deep honey-amber hue with warm, pronounced aromas of under-ripe banana and brown sugar, with spicy notes of white pepper and toasted sesame. Light body with warm texture and long sweet oak, vanilla finish with a touch of bitterness to balance. Reminiscent of a slice of toasted rye bread with honey drizzled on it.

We mash, ferment and distill a lot of Bourbon in house. Our Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys also consists of Barrels selected from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana chosen for their unique qualities, heritage, and ability to marry in our blend, always made from a high-rye mash bill.

Rough Rider, Breckenridge, Russel's Reserve
And that folks, concludes our American tour from the tasting archives!

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

Rough Rider ‘Bull Moose’ Three Barrel Rye 45%

Posted on by
Reply

Next up in our American tour was a surprise from New York – bottled by Long Island Spirits.

This rye is matured for only one year and made from a mash of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, matured in three barrels – new American oak, straight bourbon cask, then finished in casks used to age Pine Barrens Single Malt Whiskey. The ‘Bull Moose’ name comes from the nickname of Roosevelt’s Progressive Party, formed in 1912. True Americana!

As usual we sampled blind then revealed the whisky. Here is what we found…

Rough Rider
Rough Rider ‘Bull Moose’ Three Barrel Rye 45% cask select 1

  • Colour – Deeper amber than the Russell’s Reserve
  • Nose – Lemon soapy scented bubble bath, fresh sawdust
  • Taste – Ruafza (sweet rose syrup), sweet on the tongue while harsh at the back, wine notes with a chardonnay brightness or gewürztraminer sweetness, smooth
  • Finish – Very surface level, slightly sour
Observations:
  • One thought had slightly synthetic flavour
  • Another suggested would be best drunk at a brunch, paired with a lemon tart
  • For a one-year old baccha (child),  not bad… but not qualifying for favourites category

Here’s what the folks over at the WineBow group have to say about their Three Barrel Rye:

Crisp with a fruity sweetness on the nose followed by spice, caramel, vanilla and blackberry on the palate with a long, warm, toasty, velvety finish.

Sampled together with:

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

Russels Reserve 10 year 45%

Posted on by
Reply

Our monthly whisky sessions tend to have a theme. As our host curates the evening, planning and sourcing is completely his or her domain – we never know what we are in for!

However… there are some clues… for example, one of our club members used to travel to the US for work. So… no surprise that his session had a decidedly American twang with two Bourbons and a Rye!

We toured three different states – Kentucky, New York and Colorado.

First up from Kentucky was the Russel’s Reserve!

Russel's Reserve

Small batch Kentucky straight bourbon matured in ‘alligator-charred’ virgin American oak casks.

  • Colour – Bright amber (don’t let the pic fool you!)
  • Nose – Banana caramel desert, vanilla, spirity with a slightly peaty element, agarbati smoke, curry leaves with a faint hint of fresh mint sprigs
  • Taste – Bitter kerela, baby puke sour, dry and oaky
  • Finish – Still bitter
  • Water – BLAND, tamed the sharpness but added nothing new

Conclusion – A nice, easy drinking whisky. And we all enjoy a bit of that from time to time!

Here’s what the folks over at Wild Turkey have to say:

Master distillers and premier whiskey makers Jimmy and Eddie Russell have brought nearly 100 years of combined experience to artfully crafting Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Old Bourbon. Bottled at 90 proof, this hand selected small batch bourbon has a rich, caramel and vanilla taste and a uniquely smooth finish.

Up next:

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

French whisky – Armorik Classic 46%

Posted on by
Reply

There was one more whisky I sampled at La Maison du Whisky in Singapore last June that missed getting into the original line-up. And I just recently stumbled across my notes…

Like the now mythical Kornog, this other French whisky Armorik was one I hoped to easily acquire and re-sample at leisure. It was one on a list of possible bottles to pick up in our trip through London – eminently more affordable than Singapore.

Alas that was not the case so here goes my quick impressions from a wee dram…

Armorik Classic NAS 46% – A single malt whisky from Breton just bursting with sweet currents, cereal and toasted nutty bread. On the palate gorgeous light fruits, cereals and spices. Finish is a light sprightly spice dance. In short – simple, spicy and delicious.

Amorik Classic (Whisky Lady)

Armorik Classic (Whisky Lady)

Armorik is produced at the Warenghem distillery in Lannion in north Brittany and is a marriage of sherry and bourbon cask whiskies of various ages.

Official tasting notes:

  • Nose: Rich and elegant with touches of nuts (hazelnut) and toasted bread.
  • Palate: A fruity attack that gradually reveals its complexity, with notes of dried fruits and cereals, highlighted by spices.
  • Finish: Long-lasting spicy and sea breeze notes.

Here’s what others have to say:

Related posts:

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

Hunt for Glann Ar Mor’s Kornog

Posted on by
2

Since June 2015, I’ve spread feelers to track down something more from the Glann Ar Mor distillery…

Heck I have a friend who works for a global company with their headquarters in Paris. Surely she could find there when on a business trip?

Or another that has a chateau in France, how difficult would it be to locate on a jaunt between there and India?

Numerous other friends who travel back and forth between Europe and Asia…

How difficult could it be to track down just one more bottle?

Well… it is…

Partly this challenge stems from questions around its continued existence. Earlier in 2015, the distillery announced it would close in August 2015. What?! No!! Say it isn’t so! With the rules on what does / does not qualify as a whisky from Bretagne, the distillery gained an extended lease on life.. however finding their whiskies? Remains elusive!

Kornog (Whisky Lady)

Kornog (Whisky Lady)

I originally tried their peated expression – Kornog – in June 2015 as part of a remarkable evening sampling 8 distinctive whiskies at The Auld Alliance.

Here is what we found:

Kornog 2013 58.7% bottled for The Auld Alliance 

  • Nose – Smooth flowers, garden greens, nail polish or varnish, very sweet – almost too sweet, smells light, bright and fresh… just couldn’t get beyond the sweet
  • Taste – PEAT as in serious peat, horses kick kinda peat, with bitter tamarind, super sour yet also rich and creamy – may sound like a contradiction yet it works
  • Finish – Smoooooth, warm, beautiful and simply delightful
  • Impression – Has a distinctly different character. Superb. We speculated that it may be cask strength

Here is what they have to say about their Peated Single Malt from Breton:

“Born from fire, raised by the wind.”

Traditional pot-still distillation without chill-filtration or caramel colouring. Peated at about 35/40 PPM, it is matured in first fill “barrique” of ex Sauternes wine and first fill bourbon barrels.

Of all the world whiskies sampled, the Kornog stood out as memorable. I resolved to explore more from this distillery.

Why mention any of this at all?

Because one of our whisky ladies has acquired a bottle! Not sure yet when we will have an opportunity to try… or even how hers will compare with its cask strength cousin… however looking forward to sampling in due course!

PS – After that teaser, we tried the Kornog Taourac’h Trived 10 BC 46% – and it certainly did NOT disappoint!

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

Straight from Sweden – Mackmyra Svensk Rök 46.1%

Posted on by
5

I’ve been impatiently waiting to sample this beauty since December. I knew one of our Whisky Ladies made the trek back to Sweden with the intention of picking up something interesting. I also knew her personal preferences lean towards peat so was secretly hoping for this very bottle to make its way back to Mumbai.

I remember sampling the Mackmyra Brukwhisky at La Maison du Whisky – while I quite enjoyed its fresh youthful dance and loved what the folks at Mackmyra are doing, was looking for something with a bit more complexity and depth for an upcoming tasting session.

However I remained curious to try more and have avidly been reading Whisky Saga‘s adventures with Nordic whiskies – Sweden specifically.

To say I was delighted to sample their Swedish Smoke avatar is putting it rather mildly.

Mackmyra Svensk Rok

Mackmyra Svensk Rök 46.1%

  • Nose – Juniper, a perfumy smoke, light, honey, quite herbaceous, woodsy, sweet in a way that is almost florals but not quite, cut grass, coriander, a minty freshness that softens into vanilla
  • Palate – Smoke and spice and everything nice! Warm not sweet. A delightful ‘tingle’ that wakes you up.
  • Finish – Has an oaky smokey linger
  • Water – 2 drops rounds the smoke, 3 drops dampens to much! (Precise distinction!)

Talk turned to where this whisky would best be sampled? Consensus was after a vigorous ski, relaxing in a chalet where the whisky warms and perks up at the same time.

This is not an ‘easy’ whisky and is certainly distinctive. There is something quite appealing about how it has a clean ‘minimalist’ quality with no pretence.

Personally I also find a 50cl bottle just right. Enough to amply share in a tasting session with a dram left to enjoy at home later. If I could only find 4 such bottles on international trips, could bring in more variety within the 2 L import limit to India!

Here is what the Mackmyra folks have to say about their Svensk Rök:

In Sweden we have used juniper to season our food for generations. Now you can enjoy the timeless flavor in a golden form. The aroma is slightly smoky and spicy, with a much smokier flavor and peaty juniper notes. Together, the flavors unites in a quite unique Swedish flavor.

Swedish Smoke is the only smoky single malt whisky made on Swedish ingredients only.

  • Nose: The nose is slightly smoky and spicy with aromas of peat, juniper, vanilla, caramel, citrus, pears and raisins. Spicy oak notes such as toasted bread and anise.
  • Taste: Smokier than the nose with smoky, peaty, juniper notes. Dry, oaky aromas found with light tobacco leaves and herbs. A slight saltiness with minerals, anise and green fruits.

Mackmyra Svensk Rok Label

Other whiskies sampled that evening were:

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

Whisky ladies go sweetly smokey – Dalmore 15, Mackmyra Svensk Rök, Smokehead ‘Rock’

Posted on by
Reply

Our whisky ladies are a diverse lot and each bring something a bit different to the equation. We are also quite international – most travel regularly and lived in different parts of the world than the land of their birth at some point in their lives.

What this means for us in whisky terms, there is a certain pride in discovering something interesting to share from diverse corners!

Hence the Sheringham William’s White double distilled grain whisky was introduced by a fellow Canadian. Or an offering chocolates designed for pairing with whiskies from a recent European jaunt.

We revel in such treats! March featured one specific whisky that would ordinarily be rather tricky to track down… instead came courtesy of a Christmas trip ‘home’ to Sweden.

March featured whiskies ranging from sherry sweet, to refreshing smoke to in your face peat! Here’s what we sampled:

Notes to follow in the next few days…

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on: