Glenlivet Master Distiller’s Reserve 40%

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Last in our original Mumbai whisky tasting group‘s October session was a no age statement Glenlivet.

Glenlivet is a global leader in single malt. They know scale. They know what the masses want. You will find Glenlivet practically everywhere. And generally at fairly reasonable prices too.

We sampled it blind, from a new bottle… and here is what we found…

glenlivet

Glenlivet Master Distiller’s Select 40%

  • Nose – Bit organic, sour curd, sour fruits, sweet and ‘green’
  • Palate – At first a burn, bit bitter, again that sense of being ‘green’, quite smooth with no depth
  • Finish – Medium with a hint of cinnamon

We found it quite light, again expected it would be 40% and while there was nothing specifically ‘wrong’ there was nothing that stood out as fabulously ‘right’ either.

The sense of being ‘green’ or young was clear and overall quite smooth. If anything, it was nice yet, well, rather bland.

Created for travel retail, it certainly wouldn’t be for anyone on a quest for something ‘different’ however it is sufficiently light and simple, you won’t realize when your glass is empty.

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

  • Colour – Bright, exuberant gold
  • Nose – Ripe pear, fudge
  • Palate – Fruit, pear, spice
  • Finish – Marzipan, fresh hazelnuts

The distillery shares it is triple cask matured in first fill American and ex-sherry oak.

What all did we try in our October session?

Other Glenlivet sampling sessions:

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Sherry but… Glengoyne 18 year 43%

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Glengoyne is one of those well regarded distilleries with a distinctive sherry berry quality.

Our original Mumbai whisky tasting group has sampled both a 12 and 21 year during sessions I either missed (or missed taking notes). I did encounter a Glengoyne 21 year at an ‘adult whisky evening‘ however it was curiously off, so likely not representative.

For our October session, our host was careful to ensure that while we may have sampled Glengoyne whiskies previously, what we opened that evening would be a different age statement than we had tasted together before.

As usual, we sampled blind before the reveal…

glengoyne-18-year

Glengoyne 18 year 43%

  • Nose – Subdued sherry, strong yet light (yes it sounds like a contradiction but true!), berries, hint of orange cake or apple crisp
  • Palate – Pungent, bitter orange marmalade, decent mouthfeel, good body, smooth, some sweet spice, quite delicious
  • Finish – Nice and pleasant

Overall we found this whisky very accessible, good aromas and gave the impression of being not fully sherry but perhaps a mix of 1st fill sherry with other casks, nicely rounding out the elements so the sherry dimension was not overpowering or too intense. In short, it was sherry but… not. Which worked!

For those of us who drained to the last drop (seemed to be all!), we were impressed by the excellent aromas remaining in the empty Glencairn glass.

For most, this was the whisky of the night!

Here is what the folks at Glengoyne have to say:

Spicy vanilla fruit, ripe apples and a rich, luxurious mouthfeel. This is the result of eighteen long years and a generous proportion of first-fill sherry casks.

  • Nose – Awash with red apple and ripe melon. Heavenly and well rounded, it drifts into hot porridge topped with brown sugar.
  • Taste – Full bodied, round and rich. At first macerated fruits, marzipan and walnuts; then warm spices, dry cocoa and lingering Seville marmalade.
  • Finish – Long, warm and dry.

What was particularly interesting is Glengoyne sharing their cask recipe which is: 

  • 35% 1st Fill European Oak Sherry
  • 15% 1st Fill American Oak Sherry
  • 50% Hand-selected quality Oak Refill casks

What else did we try in our October session?

Related tasting sessions:

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Perplexing peat? Connemara NAS 40%

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1st up in our original Mumbai whisky tasting group‘s October session was a no age statement dram from Ireland. Unlike most Irish whiskies, Connemara uses peat, hence it was an interesting choice to start the evening with.

We sampled it blind, the bottle freshly opened, and didn’t know what to expect!

connemara

Connemara NAS 40%

  • Colour – Bright pale yellow
  • Nose – Initially quite pungent, harsh, wood varnish, sour curd, then as it aired took on some vanilla, spice, hint of citrus while still retaining a sharp quality and dash of sawdust, settling down further it became increasingly sweet
  • Palate – Salt caramel, peat or coal (for some), wood, unidirectional, very oily. As our palates became better acquainted with it, there was an almost dry waxy quality
  • Finish – There was a finish, however surprisingly subtle. It retained some of the oils, with a sweet pine after taste

Overall we found it relatively thin, so assumed it must be 40%, no more. While it lacked depth, there was an oily quality which gave it some character.

Now here is the thing… there was a bit of a debate on the peat element. One of our members simply did not get a trace of peat whereas others found hints, but not a clear stamp.

During the reveal there was surprise. Those familiar with this whisky recalled a much more direct “in your face” type peat, not this gentle tease. Leading to speculation that perhaps Connemara has been tinkering with the recipe? Or something else what at work?

After sampling all three whiskies for the evening, we returned to the Connemara to see if we could solve the perplexing peat question.

This time, when another glass was poured, instant recognition of peat.

Now… was it in contrast with the Glenlivet? Did we not all have our peat detectors fully switched on with the initial go? Or did it need time to fully reveal its peaty character?

While it still did not have a strong peat quality, there was no doubt it did indeed have some peat.

For a previous review on Connemara, check out what fellow Whisky Lady Lina Sonne has to say:

What all did we try in our October session?

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on:

Mixing things up – Connemara, Glengoyne, Glenlivet

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After more than five years, our original Mumbai whisky tasting group has become known for pushing the boundaries with a focus on discovering new and different whiskies.

We’ve had home-made experiments with aging, phenomenal food pairings, independent bottlers, country specific themes, unique blends and more!

Which meant it was high time to revisit slightly different avatars of well known whiskies, completely blind to avoid the influence of advertising and pre-conceived notions.

glenlivet-connemara-glengoyne

What did we try?

No strangers to these brands, we’ve even previously had a session focused on Glenlivet, a couple of Glengoynes over the years and most have separately sampled Connemara.

What made it interesting is the order…

Traditionally, we would start with the lightest (Glenlivet) then sherry (Glengoyne) and close with a peated whisky (Connemara).

Here we did the exact opposite – peat, sherry, light! With some interesting results.

Related tasting sessions:

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Whisky Archives – Glenlivet Nadurra, Scapa, Mitcher’s Straight Rye, Kilchoman Spring 2011 + Caroni

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Another from the tasting archives… This time the post is truly a ‘blast from the past’ – Oct 2011.

This month we were back to our standard format and blind tasted before revealing the whisky. The session featured: Glenlivet Nadurra, Scapa 16 yr, Mitcher’s Straight Rye, Kilchoman Spring release followed by an extra treat Caroni 18 yr rum.

It was an exceptionally lovely evening in Worli with perfect hosts. A comfortable setting, the right music, glasses, spitoon and cucumbers all laid out, followed by the most fabulous nibbles… yum!

The contrast between the different single malts was also a wonderful learning experience… which was, naturally, the real focus of our evening.

Awaiting the revelation!

AWAITING THE REVELATION!

Glenlivet Nadurra 16 years – Batch 1010K Bottled 10/10. Cask Strength 54.9%. Non Chill Filtered. Wood – not stated.

The legs were slow though closely spaced, colour bright gold. The nose was sweet with a hint of honey, grass, a little “woody”. Not off to a bad start… and then we sipped, spit and then sipped and swallowed. While not ‘knock me down’ harsh, the first hit definitely had an edge. Spicy was a word bantered around a bit. The finish was also… well.. not so impressive.

Our overall conclusion was this perhaps wasn’t a keeper… Unveiled we were surprised this is one of the few Glenlivet’s non-chill filtered considered to be ‘good’. The distillers notes included words like ‘fruity’?! Puzzled, we chocked it up to a mass production distillery and moved on… til somewhere along the way a discussion about ambient temperature in Scotland vs India with an impact on flavour led to an inspired idea – why not chill the Nadurra and see if it makes any difference?

PS The debate on alcohol strength was lost by all thinking it was lower than 54.9%.

Scapa 16 years 40%. Wood not stated.

The legs were broad and a little faster than the Nadurra. The nose was certainly also sweet, with a more pronounced heather honey aroma than the bolder Nadurra. First savour was clean, was there a teasing hint of peat? Perhaps a little of the ocean? Neat was clearly best – any dilution simply detracted from its gentle dance on our palates. The finish wasn’t notable however this Oarkney Islands contribution was deemed light, lovely every day enjoyable. Scapa is slightly ‘cultish’ whiskey and we were a bit disappointed about such limited details on its maturation process.

Mitcher’s Straight Rye 10 years 46.4%. Wood – Charred White Oak, Single Barrel.

What a contrast to go from the Scapa to a Rye… Colour very dark – distinctly so. The notes were apple pie… comments were that it is non-whisky or almost wine-like. Our first American offering, it was a fabulous addition to our tasting journey. We learned later is that this is quite a rare bottle with the Mitchers team’s comment “You have tried one of our best!” Lucky us!

Kilchoman Spring 2011 release 46%. Age not stated – estimate 3 years.

Caramel notes… In your face peaty… smokiness of a cigar or pipe. Adding water transformed it – toned down the peatiness and opened up the whisky.  Then some fruity flavours emerged with a nice lingering smoky finish. The surprise post unveiling is that it was quite sophisticated for what we understand is only a three-year old from Islay region. For a few, the Kilchoman Spring 2011 release was the clear favourite. We also experimented by adding a twist of a mosambi peel. What an exceptional combination!

Now back to the Nadurra… Was it the booze in our collective systems, or just residual disappointment from our earlier quaffing? All one can say is there does indeed seem to be a clear correlation between temperature and taste. Cooled – the Nadurra was a delight! The earlier harshness was chilled into submission, allowing the fruity flavours in the distillery’s tasting notes to actually emerge.

Our evening closed with a little ‘extra’… not a whisky but instead a remarkable rum – yum yum!

Caroni 18 years  55%, Heavy Trinidad Rum.

Another special surprise our host pulled out of his marvellous liquor cabinet was a Caroni. Clearly no ordinary offering, it was rich, layered, full of flavours and soooo smooth going down. The alcohol content was deceptively much higher than it seemed – so one to add caution if doing more than sampling! It is also a fascinating story of an Italian so passionate about this rum that he bought the entire distillery just to not be deprived of his favoured Trinidad rum. The packaging is also superbly stylized. Naturally we also added a hint of mosambi to this too… mmm mmm good!

Anyone have other comments on these whiskies and rum?

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Whisky Ladies go on an American Adventure…

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This wasn’t our first flirtation with American whiskies… nope we had an earlier evening combining some whisky standards in cocktails. However that night there was only one American single malt (Hudson).

For this evening, we planned three whiskies which somehow morphed into five bottles and a jar – funny how that happens with these ladies!

american-whiskies

In this case we managed to get our hands on:

The Whisky Ladies debated the whisky tasting order for our American adventures and finally decided to split the evening between single malts – moonshine – bourbons.

Then came the question of which whisky to start our evening off with… given Pine Barrens is known for being geared towards beer drinkers, we thought it a rather fitting start!

From there we moved on to Colorado’s Stranahan’s which… ahem… reminded us why we don’t tend to be big American whisky fans.

Followed by the lovely Westland Sherry which reminded us to stop being such whisky snobs and simply enjoy a good dram!

Break time with the Ole Smoky – dutifully drunk straight from the jar. It felt like we were channeling our inner “Mellie” Grant with her moonshine stashes all over the White House (Scandal).

Then we cracked open the AD Laws Four Grain Straight Bourbon, pronouncing it rather yummy, partly as it isn’t a typical bourbon.

And finally closed our evening with a proper bourbon – the Woodford Reserve.

Other American adventures:

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Caorunn Gin… Beat the Mumbai heat!

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Yes this is a whisky blog.

However I did warn that from time to time another tipple or two may make an appearance.

And I think we CAN make an exception for this gin – given that it is made at a malt distillery – Balmanech.

I’ve had the opportunity to sample it thrice in 2015:

  • Once at a BMC member’s home in a highly convivial social evening
  • Again as the ‘starter’ to sip before getting down to the serious business of a whisky master class with Stuart Harvey, Inver House Master Distiller
  • A wildly popular ‘appetiser‘ for a Whisky Ladies evening with Karen Walker

In all cases, it was served with an apple and an equal portion of tonic to gin. Perfection!

Bright, light, highly refreshing. Delicate notes.

As Karen shared, the five points of the red star bring together the Caorunn gin elements – bog myrtle, rowan berry, heather, coul blush apple, dandelion.

Yet since then… only a whiff in Winnipeg’s liquor mart.

Til today! Thanks to my partner’s recent trip to London, our liquor cabinet is graced by our very own bottle.

As Mumbai’s 2nd summer comes upon us, temperatures rise, a chilled G&T or other assorted beverages seem just right! Oh happy days!

Caorunn Gin (Courtesy International Beverage House)

Caorunn Gin (Courtesy International Beverage House)

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Amrut Bourbon 62.8% (LMdW)

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Last in our Bombay Malt & Cigar club’s blind tasting surprise evening was an unusual dram. Clearly cask strength, clearly different… it was definitely an interesting close to the tasting portion of our evening.. to then shift gears to desi street food snacks and fine cigars.

amrut-bourbon

Amrut Bourbon 62.8%

(circa 2016 via La Maison du Whisky, Singapore)

Here is what we discovered:

  • Nose – Initially lots of phenols, quite ‘chewy’ seeming, woody, then as it began to open up a dark mocha chocolate, shifting between bitter chocolate and espresso coffee, hint of sweet grass smoke. With more time, dried bitter dark berries, some currents, vanilla joined by wheat
  • Palate – Flat…thud. Sweet, clearly cask strength. Did we mention sweet? Some spice, cereal, sugar sweet. Did we mention flat and sweet? Think diet coke opened for days…
  • Finish – Nothing much, a tingle, with a malty chaser

The nose was really quite promising but the palate was simply flat and disappointing. Like pricking a balloon letting all the air out… just simply didn’t even come close to matching the aroma.

We gave it more time. Wet rag, malt and more raisins joined the aromas. The palate? Still lacklustre.

We added water. Sugar sweet.

We waited some more. Sigh…

This was a difficult dram. Definitely different however not an easy one to get to know.

Our efforts to speculate what it could be fell as flat as the palate. We just couldn’t figure it out. Though perhaps someone tossed Amrut out simply as our whisky curator is an Amrut fan.

With the reveal… surprise. Particularly at the strength! “Can a whisky even have an alcohol strength like 62.8%??” Leading to discussion of another of our curators favourites – Aberlour with their cask strength A’bunadh sometimes coming above 60%.

Now here is the challenge. I want to like Amrut’s offerings. I want to be proud of what this Indian distillery is offering and what is exciting the world too! Somehow I struggle…

With the Old Pulteney, we had a clear classic. A terrific start and clearly a whisky to simply enjoy.

With the Westland, you could picture curling up with a warm fire or lighting up a cigar and whiling away the evening, chatting with friends, sharing a laugh or two or three!

However with the Amrut, I simply couldn’t picture a context I would reach out for it. Instead, it fell neatly into the academic category of “I’m glad I tried it once.”

This Amrut Bourbon forms part of a trilogy exploring different effects of peat – all at cask strength.

Here is what the folks at La Maison du Whisky have to say:

Unpredictable and surprising, this unpeated Amrut draws on both malted barley and a perfectly integrated woodiness to express every facet of its personality with great lyricism. With an exotic character overflowing with freshness, it also shows itself to be particularly spicy and vanilla-tinged. Alongside its two peated “sisters” released in our 2016 Collection, they form a trilogy that will mark a milestone in history of the Bangalore distillery.

Tasting notes:

  • Appearance : Burnished gold tinged with orange.
  • Nose : Full-bodied, firm. Majestic malted barley takes centre stage in the aromatic palette. It is accompanied by vanilla, nuts (walnut), strong spices (curry), flowers (lily, iris, lavender) and exotic fruit (pineapple, banana). Gradually, noble wood essences bring out the exceptional quality of its woody character.
  • Palate : Dense, complex. The palate counterbalances the rigour of the nose with a remarkably liberal style. It offers numerous gustatory paths, each as intense as the next. Vanilla acts as a base for fresh and exotic fruits, aromatic plants (vervain, camomile), spices (turmeric, star anise) and white spring flowers (lily of the valley, lilac).
  • Overall : Long, almost never-ending. Without losing any of its exotic character, the finish develops with aromas of liquorice and cocoa powder. The spices become increasingly hot and the fruit bursts with sweetness. Like the nose, it has a phenomenal, superb woodiness. Thirst-quenching retro-nasal olfaction fills the taste buds with the delicious juice of blood oranges. The empty glass leaves a noble spiciness (saffron).

Other whiskies featured in our BMC Blind Surprise tasting:

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New World Classic – Westland Sherry Wood 46%

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Next up in our Bombay Malt & Cigar club’s blind tasting surprise evening was a brilliant example of what attention to detail, quality, marriage of art and science can produce.

With an old world aesthetic but new world know how, Matt and the folks over at Westland are making the world pay attention to what is possible from the West.

westland-sherry

Westland Sherry Wood Whiskey 46%

(circa 2016 via La Maison du Whisky, Singapore)

Here is what we discovered:

  • Nose – While the colour was an instant ‘give away’ that this was likely Sherry cask, the nose wasn’t over the top sherry. Tingly, spicy, cinnamon bark, hint of wood smoke, dark treacle, some cereal, in short – delicious!
  • Palate – Now the sherry comes through rich with stewed prunes, currents with sweet spices, complex
  • Finish – Lovely warm with stewed fruits and a hint of liquorice
  • Water – While initially shy to add, it brought out more sherry sweet in the nose, a dash more spice on the palate. While this whisky can continue to hold its own with a few drops, it honestly isn’t needed.

We had an immediate positive response to this whisky. It hit all the right elements for a darn good dram.

Speculation was this was likely a Speyside though not possible to pinpoint a specific distillery. Without a doubt, it was the most immediately enjoyable of the trio tasted. It also was the most complex, beautifully well-rounded.

With the reveal… lots of surprise and a squeal of delight (Ok that was me).

Let’s just say that many folks assume that only the Scots can produce a decent dram. And that time is required to bring out the best in a single malt.

Matured for a minimum of two years (take that folks who think age automatically means good!), Westland proves that you do not need age or be steeped in traditions to care about quality and translate that passion into making a very fine whisk(e)y indeed.

When I was first introduced last year to a Westland single malt with a hand filled cask strength, I could tell they were doing something special. The fellow whisky adventuress who brought the bottle had met with the team, trying their new make spirit and selecting the whisky she wanted to bring back from the US to India for us to try.

In short – I was impressed.

And with this Sherry Wood, I’m still impressed.

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

  • The nose offers an immediate richness, with honey-dipped oatmeal raisin cookies. Maple syrup follows close behind, drizzled over banana pancakes.
  • The palate initially offers some kiwi with more maple and raisin syrup notes. Extended tastings offer a dazzling array of sweet cookies and pastries, getting darker and richer with time before eventually ceding the palate to stewed yellow fruits on the finish.

Westland’s Sherry Wood is a new world approach to an old world idea. For decades, the use of ex-sherry casks for whiskey maturation has been a favored technique in Scotland and beyond. In marrying the decadence of sherry with our unique grain-forward house style we create something altogether new. Like the grain we source, we hold our sherry casks to high standards of quality. These casks held some of the world’s finest Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry for nearly a century and in the skilled hands of Rafael Cabello and his team at Tonelería del Sur in Montilla, Spain they have been given new life and purpose. Our long-standing partnership with his family-owned cooperage now provides us with one of the largest supplies of sherry casks in America.

It paired exceedingly well with our cigars (Gurkha 17 year) and more than half the bottle had disappeared by the close of our evening!

Other whiskies featured in our BMC Blind Surprise tasting:

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Classic Highland Dram – Old Pulteney 17 year 46%

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First up in our Bombay Malt & Cigar club’s blind tasting surprise evening was a familiar friend in a slightly different age that we ordinarily encounter.

Which seemed to be exactly what our whisky curator wanted to achieve – trip us up with a less usual avatar of a well-known whisky.

old-pulteney-17-year

Old Pulteney 17 year 46%

Here is what we discovered:

  • Nose – Sweet caramel, lots of vanilla, hint of flowers, hay with a touch of dry wood, none of the typical fruity elements, except perhaps pear?
  • Palate – Initially lots of sugar, think warm peaches or apple sauce, very smooth without a single harsh element, nicely balanced with substance
  • Finish – Pleasant then absent

The smoothness was remarkable – particularly as the 1st dram of the evening there was none of the typical 1st sip reactions. A superb choice to start off our tasting!

Our speculations about region began as a default of Speyside (so many come from that region it is an easy pick!) but as we became more acquainted with the whisky, highland became the region of choice.

We pronounced it quite ‘classic’, well constructed, balanced, and while not complex, a quite lovely beginning to our evening.

With the reveal… some surprise.

Typically in recent Old Pulteney whiskies, the maritime quality is quite pronounced – particularly in the standard 12 year and the superb 21 year. What stands apart from many others is that slightly briney salty edge.

Until we were told the distillery, this element was not immediately discernible. Once it was known…. was it there? Naturally it seemed so (oh the power of suggestion or perhaps the inadequacies of our perceptions!)

We are no strangers to Old Pulteney either. While I may be a more recent convert thanks to Inver House entering India, another member has been a fan for decades.

He shared that this particular Old Pulteney reminded him of what the distillery used to produce years ago… a classic, enjoyable, accessible daily dram you would be happy to settle down with.

Here is what the folks over at Old Pulteney have to say:

  • Nose – Sweet with traces of apples and pears: slightly woody with a hint of butterscotch
  • Palate – Sweet with soft fruits: kiwi, guava, peach

Matured in fine oak casks, quietly breathing in the fresh sea air, Old Pulteney is the very essence of this unique place. Intricate, balanced and with a delicate mineral-salted spiciness, Old Pulteney is a distinctive and evocative spirit – truly The Maritime Malt.

It paired well with our cigars (Gurkha 17 year) and a serious dent made in its contents by the end of the night!

Coming up next in our BMC Blind Surprise tasting:

More Old Pulteney tastings in Mumbai:

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