Category Archives: Scotland

Speyside 12 year 40%

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Knowing we were in for a sherry trio with the Edradour and GlenDronach, we deliberately decided to start with a light ‘appetizer’ mini from Speyside.

And the whisky?

speyside-12-year

Speyside 12 year 40%

Here is what we found…

  • Nose – Phospherous like we just lit a match, sharp alcohol, then prunes, slightly musty, light herbs of perhaps basil, rosemary, juniper and a hint of pine, was there an elusive whiff of apple? olives? Or just a sliver of toffee caramel before sliding into turpentine then back to a generic sweet…
  • Palate – Thin and watery… 40% just doesn’t give it enough ‘oomph’. Very dry and a bit bitter. One likened it to the dryness the way your tongue feels after chomping down on a mouthful of dry crackers.
  • Finish – Was there one? Perhaps the lightest dash of cinnamon before disappearing?

Overall it was completely nondescript. Like a generic Speyside without anything that distinguished it remarkably and a few elements that were not entirely appealing. We really had to push ourselves to find much.

I felt exactly the same when I went to research to find out more about this particular bottle.

We know it is a single malt, from Scotland, specifically Speyside, matured for a minimum of 12 years and bottled at 40%.

The bottle also shares:

The cool, clean waters of the River Spey, beloved by generations of fly fisherman, are at the heart of Scotland’s whisky-making tradition.

But beyond that?

Erhm… nothing except you can buy a 700ml bottle for $40 at Marks and Spencer in the UK.

  • You can taste the history in each distinctively creamy sip, redolent with notes of mature vanilla and warm, spicy cinnamon. 
  • About this bottle: This smooth Speyside classic is made using time honoured, traditional methods that haven’t changed for over 130 years. In the heart of north-eastern Scotland runs the fast- flowing waters of the River Spey. On whose banks, it’s cool clean waters are at the heart of the country’s treasured and esteemed whisky making tradition.
  • Allergens: Sulphites

I’m not kidding…

After the spectacular surprise from The Whisky Exchange with their Edition No 1 Speyside 10 year, this was a complete let down.

What more should we know about this whisky?

Other miniatures sampled:

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More Miniatures – Speyside, Edradour, Glendronach 18 + 21

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My fellow Mumbai whisky aficionado and I kept up our dedication to explore the world of whiskies through miniatures…

So enthusiastically did we embrace our task that we even invited another friend to join the sipping sampling fun!

And what did we explore this time?

speyside-edradour-12-glendronach-18-21

Our session featured a Speyside appetizer and a revisit of three familiar Highland sherry friends:

Tasting notes will be coming soon, however if you missed any earlier miniatures explorations, check out our experiences here:

You can also find Whisky Lady (in India) on:

Dailuaine (2002/2013) 46%

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Last in our experimental evening was another whisky you don’t often get to try as a single malt. If you are Johnnie Walker fan, you’ve had Dailuaine without even realizing it!

The folks over at Diageo describe Dailuaine as a “A complex whisky that can impress mightily.” Considered a Diageo ‘workhorses’, the distillery name is taken from the gaelic ‘dail uaine’ meaning green valley.

However you won’t often find this whisky outside of independent bottlers. Currently there is only the Dailuaine 16 year, part of the Flora and Fauna series, available as an official bottling.

dailuaine

Dailuaine 10 year (2002/2013) 46%

Distilled 30 May 2002, Bottled Aug 2013, Cask No 7068, Bottle No 382, Sherry Hogshead, Gordon & MacPhail Reserve, bottled for La Maison du Whisky

We sampled it blind… and what did we find?

  • Nose – Cherry, prunes, soaked rum, very dense, tight with concentrated aromas, wood, leather book, dry spice, apple, pungent, sweet
  • Palate – Very full, creamy, rounded…. pronounced “a proper whisky”, black chewy liquorice, oily fat and full, gorgeous Christmas spices, cupcakes, coffee, toffee, a hint of toasted nuts
  • Finish – Such a lovely finish, rich spice with more coffee, liquorice, cinnamon. One of those rare finishes that just keeps on keeping you company for a long time… where a little goes a long way
  • Water – Caution… don’t add too much. Just a drop brings out more toffee coffee chocolate. A few more and muddles the magic.

This one took time to fully open up and reveal all its secrets. A completely sinful desert so rich that just a small spoonful satisfies.

Comments included:

  • “Stop teasing and lift the veil pretty please?”
  • “One sip is nearly enough!”

As a Gordon & MacPhail bottling exclusive for La Maison du Whisky, you won’t find tasting notes online however the bottle noted:

  • Nose – Subtle sherry influences with stewed apple, cinnamon and a hint of eucalyptus
  • Palate – Mild spices with green apple, orange and grapefruit flavours, Becomes creamy with a liquorice edge
  • Finish – Medium in length with fruit elements

In describing drams from this distillery, Diageo shares:

This is not just an after dinner dram, it’s an after-dinner mood in a liquid. Thick, rich yet pleasantly, palate-cleansingly sweet. Try Dailuaine whisky with the cheese course, or just nose the cheese rind, fruit and citrus aromas hidden in its depths.

Would we agree? Yes. It was a wonderful close to our experimental evening that also featured:

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New kid on the old block… Wolfburn 46%

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After an experiment that clearly demonstrated how ‘greedy’ the angels in a warm climate can be… we moved on to sample a completely different whisky.

Once upon a time, there was a distillery in the town of Thurso, the northernmost Scottish mainland distillery. It was founded in 1821 by William Smith and was apparently one of the largest producers in the country. However by the 1850s, production of Wolfburn ceased.

However what was once old, is now new… again! The new Wolfburn avatar opened near the site of the old distillery, using un-peated malt, pot distillation with no automation.

wolfburn-batch-1

Wolfburn 46% Batch 1 (Mar 2016) 

What did we find?

  • Nose – Sharp, earthy, organic, wet soaks, sour lemon, lab, cereals, initially no smoke but then after sipping, could easily discern a faint wisp of peat
  • Palate – Quite a zing, honey flower sweet, strong with some mocha walnut ‘oomph’ with a lovely echo of peat
  • Finish – Short, bitter sweet. As one put it “It stops at the tonsils”

While clearly young, showed promise and what we particularly enjoyed was the echo of peat – that added a quality that made this whisky stand out in its approach. It also has more substance than one normally expects from a mere three year old.

Apparently this comes from it being aged in an ex-Islay quarter cask. The smaller cask clearly contributed to accelerating the absorption of the cask flavours.

wolfburnHere’s what the Wolfburn folks have to say:

“On the nose you’ll find fruit and malty aromas, with just a hint of peat. On the tongue, sweet and nutty flavours are present, which coat the palate to leave a very slight pleasant flavour of smoke. It is a joy to drink – I hope you enjoy every drop.” Shane Fraser, Distillery Manager

We agreed it is a promising start and look forward to seeing what comes next!

PS If you are keen to try, Wolfburn is available in India through The Vault Fine Spirits

Here’s what others say:

PS Tobi from Barley Mania has an interview with Shane Fraser worth checking out here!

Other whiskies sampled in our experimental evening:

You can also find Whisky Lady (in India) on:

India’s greedy angels – an experiment

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Have you ever wondered just how ‘greedy’ the angels are in a warm climate like Bombay?

One of our whisky tasting club members decided to do a little experiment. Only we had no idea!

We started with two whiskies… sampled blind with no further information. Here is what we found….

1st whisky “Citrus”

  • Nose – Lemon citrus, sweet, lightly organic, honey, fruit, banana, floral though not specifically distinct, bit of pale hay
  • Palate – Tangy citrus, a little sour bitter, cough syrup, linear with no spice
  • Finish – There and gone

A light, sweet start with subtle perfume notes… One member immediately recognized the whisky. Another dubbed it “White shirt, white pant”

2nd whisky “Wood”

  • Nose – Wood shavings, saw mill, varnish, a bourbon-y feel, pepper, mint steam, dry spices, sweet, an attic full of wood furniture or an antique store
  • Palate – Spice, black liquorice, pepper, very dry, quite sour, thin, astringent
  • Finish – Spice pepper

Not at all complex….

cask-experiment

So what was the experiment exactly? Our host managed to get a hold of a new oak mini cask!

His plan was to see the affect of wood on whisky at quarterly intervals:

  • 0 Months – Into the cask went 2 Litres less a 250 ml sample
  • 3 Months – Remove approx 250 ml
  • 6 Months – Remove approx 250 ml
  • 12 Months – Bottle the balance, timed perfectly with hosting the October session

The control sample and 3 month sample went fine but then… by 6 months… nothing. Seriously – nothing! Not a drop!

So to answer the original question posed… just how greedy are the angels? Very verrrry greedy indeed!

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

Experimental Evening – Glenmorangie, Wolfburn + Dailuaine

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Finally after a two month hiatus our original tasting group re-united with full quorum!

As usual, we sampled completely blind… before revealing the whisky. In this case, there was a twist…

glenmorangie-wolfburn-dailuaine

Whiskies sampled included:

Related posts:

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Whisky Ladies like variety! Akashi, Spirit of Hven + Linkwood

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Variety is the spice of life! And why not with whiskies too?

This Whisky Ladies session with a few ladies gallivanting around the globe, those remaining in Mumbai decided to merrily abandon the idea of a co-ordinated theme.

Instead we decided to mix up whiskies from three different countries and styles.

Whisky Ladies, Sept 2016

Whisky Ladies, Sept 2016

The Linkwood was a gift from our Bombay Malt & Cigar session, so I had sampled it earlier, however for everyone else joining, it was a 1st for them! Pronounced a rather lovely drinking dram, it kicked off our evening’s tasting session.

The Akashi is one of the few whiskies blended in Japan available at Mumbai duty free. The Akashi is an example of a ‘ji-whisky’ and has an apple cider quality. It works well as a ‘starter’ whisky for those who like something simple, smooth and unchallenging… and was meant to be our ‘appetizer’ except our poor Whisky Lady got stuck in nearly 2 hours of traffic to reach! (that’s dedication!)

The Spirit of Hven was acquired by a new whisky lady on her recent trip to Sweden. Much bolder with fabulous packaging, the Tycho’s Star swaggered into our senses and was much enjoyed. The irony was our Swedish whisky lady happened to be… well… in Sweden so missed the session however this was clearly one she would enjoy!

PS With desert, we decided to share a few drops of the Blair Athol 27 year with it full cask sherry burst – yum!

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

TWE Covent Garden Reserve Edition No 2 – Islay

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After the excellent start with the The Whisky Exchange’s Covent Garden Reserve collection Edition No 1 – Speyside, our miniature exploration turned to the next edition – Islay.

TWE Islay

Edition No 2 – Islay, NAS, Hogshead Cask, Bottle No 288, 55.2%

  • Nose – Clear stamp of Islay character – smoke, dry bark, a tinge bitter, leather, bogs, bitter, sweet smoke, over rite fruit, moss, some cereals, liquorice, cracked black pepper
  • Palate – For such a promising nose, the palate was not so complex, still in character with the nose but in a sharp way, almost harsh and young… however when later revisited seemed like it had settled into its own and much more in harmony with the nose and finish
  • Finish – Sweet long finish with a bitter edge… nice and ‘big’
  • Water – Lost a lot on the nose, became almost too sweet – like cinnamon candy

After a a wonderful range of aromas, bit disappointing palate initially, the finish completely redeemed itself. After airing for some time, all three elements started to play much better together.

Above all – there was absolutely no doubt this was an Islay whisky! If you were randomly asked to pluck something off the shelf that meets the stereotype of a what one associates with the ‘Islay region’ – this would be perfect.

Wanting to know more, I wrote to the gentlemen over at the Whisky Exchange.

Most amusingly, they came back with a teasing clue…

a distillery from the town of Port Askaig

What’s your guess?

The other miniatures sampled in August:

You can also find Whisky Lady (in India) on:

TWE Covent Garden Reserve Edition No 1 – Speyside

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Next up in our miniatures session was the 1st of The Whisky Exchange‘s Covent Garden Reserve collection…

TWE Edition No 1 Speyside

Edition No 1 – Speyside 10 year, Sherry Butt, Bottle No 240, 51.6%

  • Nose – Lemon zest, wood, malty, complex with a dry spice like allspice and clove, sharp and then kept changing.. crisp pear, fresh tart apple then morphed into stewed fruits, almost wine-like quality, then musty compost, sweet toffee salt
  • Palate – Initially hits the upper palate, very robust, chewy sweet, spice, toffee pudding
  • Finish – Medium dry, sweet cloves… a big finish
  • Water – Brought out a tasty sourness and peppers, with a spice kick, liquorice,

What a treat!! It has been some time since we enjoyed such wonderful shifts in aromas, it has a ‘kick back’ but in a beautifully well-rounded way.

We gave it time and found with the revisit the sherry dimension was even more pronounced full of ripe plums, prunes, dates, mince pie. Delicious!

Wanting to know more, I wrote to the gentlemen over at the Whisky Exchange.

Most amusingly, they came back with a teasing clue…

a famous speyside distillery in Ballindalloch that does everything in sherry casks….

Pretty obvious which distillery…

Other miniatures sampled recently include:

*Tasting notes coming soon!

You can also find Whisky Lady (in India) on:

MacPhail’s Orkney 8 Year 43% (Highland Park)

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Next up in our miniatures tasting session was a Highland Park…

The MacPhail’s Collection is a small range of single malt whiskies bottled by Gordon & MacPhail.

The focus of this collection is the quest for younger, quality drams at affordable prices. You won’t find a rich mature complex aged marvel here, instead a younger, better than decent dram for a reasonable cost.

Macphail's Orkney 8 year

MacPhail’s Orkney 8 year 43% (Highland Park)

  • Nose – Banana, apricot, lemon zest, butter toast with sugar sprinkles, woodsy, vanilla, citrus soft, wet cloth with a bit of brine
  • Palate – Peat, malty cereal, a little pepper spice, smooth
  • Finish – Enjoyable finish, like a puff of smoke then dry, bitter ending sweet

Overall a drinkable dram… much more so than the Highland Park 1998. Light balance between sweet and smoke, coming together so smoothly.

Here are the official tasting notes:

  • Nose: Soft fruits – peaches/mangos, heather/earthy notes and a touch of saltiness.
    With Water: Fruity (green apples), subtle sherry influence and touch of floral.
  • Palate: Rich, mulled fruits with a touch of smokiness.
    With Water: Sherry wood with smoky notes (charred oak). A vanilla sweetness emerges
  • Finish: Long with a delicate sweetness.

Check out what other’s have to say too:

Other miniatures sampled recently include:

You can also find Whisky Lady (in India) on: