Tastes
-
Linkwood 18 year 2005 refill sherry wood
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed May 6, 2024 (edited May 7, 2024)Nose: Grass, vanilla, lime, honey, lots of stewed black tea. With water there is diluted honey and tropical fruit salad from a tin. Palate: Very grassy and herbal, pine resin, honey-water, bitter orange marmalade, and with water there is some oak tannin and tropical fruit. The texture is good but not remarkable. Finish: Medium. Honey, fruit and vanilla. A slightly off-kilter malt for me, but it was well-liked at the tasting. It was very tight when neat but just a drop of water seemed to over-dilute it. Maybe it needed a longer time to recompose than I could give it but I thought the distillate and the wood were fighting and there was definitely a sour note that became bitter and intrusive with water. At the same time there was little indication of sherry influence. Still, a nice Linkwood, but certainly not the best I’ve had and frankly not up to the quality level of the OB Flora and Fauna 12 year old. Not available for sale, this was a distillery exclusive tasting. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars) -
Nose: Cereal, banana, slightly beer-like but delicately floral (distant rose and jonquil). Palate: Semi-sweet, malty, oily and lip-puckering at cask strength but without any sulphurous flavours. Sweeter, softer and oilier when diluted. Finish: Medium. Cereal fading to malt. Not as sweet as some other Scottish new-make I have tasted and with a slightly ale-like flavour. Tasted at cask-filling strength this was a little “hard” but when reduced it gained softness. Like all barley spirit it reminds me of genever, but not one I would particularly want to enjoy neat. The fragrant notes on the nose of this new-make are quintessentially Glenfarclas and they show up in every expression, even the very old caskings. I rate new-make spirit according to how well I think it works as a mixing base, which seems the only valid way to me. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)
-
Nose: Grass, banana, cereal, porridge, mint, ethanol. Palate: Sweet, oily and intense when neat from the still with a lip-tingling alcohol burn. No sourness. Much sweeter when diluted. Finish: Moderately long. Cereal fading to slightly off fruit. A standard Scottish new-make profile, although sweeter than some others I have tasted. Off the still this is too intense to enjoy but when tempered down to 40%abv or so it is eminently drinkable. In fact at that strength it is similar to jonge genever, and could easily be used in cocktails. I tasted the sample I took away neat, slightly diluted, and as a mixer with tonic water and it was delicious. It is fascinating how the grassy, tropical notes you notice on this are still present when it has matured into whisky, and particularly how some caskings can even enhance those qualities. Rating new make spirit is questionable because it can mutate dramatically through maturation. Glenfarcles, for example, is not particularly attractive as new make but once it has spent enough time in sherry wood it completely transforms. However this is very pleasant right off the bat. I rate them according to how well they work as reduced spirits for mixing. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)
-
Linkwood 12 Year Flora & Fauna
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed May 6, 2024 (edited May 7, 2024)Nose: Light and grassy, white grape juice, vanilla, pear. There is a sweet but somehow savoury tropical aroma but it’s not heavy like mango or banana. I think pineapple bubblegum is the best way I can describe it, but it’s a furtive aroma. Palate: Sweet but light and crisp like a chilled white wine and there are vanilla, malt, beeswax and lychee flavours as well. A little mixed tropical fruit shows through but less than I remember from previous batches. The texture is waxy and creamy, and a touch oily. Finish: Medium. Cold black tea, pineapple bubblegum again and lychee as the finale. A very pleasant style of whisky. Linkwood is always crisp and grassy and the tropical notes are always there regardless of the casking, but this expression does seem a little more conservative than previous batches. It’s a sweet whisky but crisp, and a great summertime dram. Tasted at the distillery from a 2024 batch. “Good” 83/100 (3.5 stars)160.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glenfiddich 21 Year Reserva Rum Cask Finish
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed May 5, 2024 (edited May 6, 2024)Nose; Raisins, malted honey, marzipan, a curious smidge of smokiness no doubt coming from the rum casks. Water makes the nose a little more fragrant. Palate: Sweet and soft arrival, very easy and approachable. Demerara sugar opening onto toffee and chocolate covered raisins. A light spice note of ginger and clove, and a mild coffee presence but it is all very soft. The texture is light but there is an oily quality. Water turns the texture creamy, which is pleasant, and it also opens the palate by bringing out more sugars but I did not detect much rum character. If adding water don’t add more than a half teaspoon to a dram as this is only 40% abv. Finish: Short. Sweet malt fading to cereal. The rum cask influence on this extremely approachable malt is subtle. The distillate speaks clearly of its Glenfiddich origin and the wood has not been allowed to overtake the proceedings. There is no tannin whatsoever. Glenfiddich does not garner love from hard-core enthusiasts, which is a pity. It may lack the intense character and complexity of some whiskies but I can honestly say that I’ve never had a Glenfiddich that I’ve actively disliked. They can be very good but for me they don’t ever rise to a sublime level. However the two biggest things against this dram are the cost and the measly alcohol level. AUD$275 is the best local price I’ve seen and for that money there are other bottles I’d rather buy, and crippling a nice whisky like this by bottling it at only 40% is criminal. If it was 46% (preferably) or even 43% it would be substantially more impressive and much better value. Tasted at the Glenfiddich Whisky Lounge, from a 2024 batch bottle. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)275.0 AUD per Bottle -
Benromach 40 (Batch 2 2022)
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed May 3, 2024 (edited May 4, 2024)Nose: Enormous, full-bodied and enveloping velvet curtains of rum-soaked raisins, butterscotch sauce, honeycomb, golden syrup and cherry liqueur. There is just a touch of fragrant tobacco, opulent leather jacket and cinnamon brioche, and over time it gets bigger and softer. With patience you will eventually smell sandalwood and cedar. One of the best whisky noses I’ve experienced. 96/100. Palate: Intense arrival balancing exotic spices, nuts (with bitter skins on), and fruits preserved in armagnac. There is a rising dry note that surges towards peppery astringency as the ancient tannins threaten to take over, but suddenly this subsides into an enjoyable buzz that gradually becomes quite sweet and uncannily like Christmas pudding. There is not a trace of the alcohol presence and I feel no desire at all to add water. 90/100 Finish: Long. Very, very long. A fine mild cigar with a cup of sweet, slightly over-brewed Keemun tea and a pistachio baklava. 92/100. This review is based on a bottle of batch 2 of this whisky, the bottle code being 12/09/22 220257. it’s a magnificent thing that like all really great whiskies deserves an entire chapter of a book to describe its prowess. As I sit here with the last sip or two in my glass it is still evolving. This is a drama, not just a dram. Tasted at the distillery. “Truly Outstanding” : 90/100 (5 stars)2000.0 GBP per Bottle -
Benromach Heritage 35 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed May 3, 2024 (edited May 6, 2024)Nose: Orange juice, apple juice, apricot, beeswax, turmeric, old leather-bound books in a waxed bookshelf, cedar wood cigar box, fragrant unburnt pipe tobacco. Over time you notice a smoky or ashen note but this is not a peated whisky and the fragrance is of old, old wood char. With water the nose explodes with orange oils. Palate: Crisp dry arrival that is way more like fino sherry than oloroso, and somewhat unexpected given the nose. The flavours match the aroma in lightness of character but not in sweetness. Orange marmalade, roasted almonds with the skins on, wood resin, bitter dark chocolate. The texture is good and just slightly oily. Water makes the palate very soft and approachable. Finish: Medium. Peanut skins, old oak, dry sherry. A very fine old whisky that avoids the pitfall of a heavy oloroso sherry character. It is light, crisp and completely unlike anything currently made by Benromach (this dates from the era prior to Gordon & Macphail’s resurrection of the distillery and the use of lightly peated malt). It is also unlike just about every other 30+ year single malt I have tasted. I went to the distillery and did their “Heritage” tour specifically because I knew that this whisky was on offer as part of the after-tour tasting. I was expecting a lot, and was not disappointed. Highly recommend if you have absurdly deep pockets. Otherwise take a few days off, fly to Speyside and taste a dram at the distillery. It will cost about the same, probably less. “Excellent” : 89/100 (4.75 stars)1500.0 GBP per Bottle -
Nose: Herbal, grassy, leafy, stewed black tea, wet wood, dates, mustard and treacle. It’s a hefty and “determined” nose. Palate: The arrival is sweeter than you might expect but it turns dry in the later palate as walnut skins, dark chocolate, orange marmalade and other sweet but simultaneously bitter flavours dominate. There are vanilla, raisins and Christmas cake spices as well which balance the palate. The texture is full but surprisingly not heavy. Finish: Long. Dark fruits and oily roasted nuts with a spicy and tannic edge. Very different to the OB 10 year old which is sweet, fruity and drenched in vanilla. This expression has a grippy sherry oak finish which adds cocoa, tannin and walnut skin characteristics in addition to dark fruits. It was also greatly improved by generous dilution (in my opinion) which balanced out the dry characteristics with dark sugars. It was very popular at the tasting session but although it has lots of character and is excellently made it did not particularly appeal to me (I preferred the 10 and 18 year expressions). It was somewhat reminiscent of Glenfarclas 15 which is a good thing, but then again that whisky is my least favourite Glenfarclas. Tasted at a distillery masterclass. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)
-
Benromach Distillery Exclusive (2004/2023)
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed May 1, 2024 (edited May 2, 2024)Nose: Relaxed, mild smoke with a flowery fragrance and a hint of citrus. It’s like a blend of peat, rose petals and lemon blossoms. No sulphur, a smidge of vanilla and some very fresh oak aromas. With water the smoke gains sweetness. Palate: Sweet, fruity smoke pours onto the palate when tasted neat. It makes the mouth water with crisp citrus and light smoke but you can tell the palate is locked tight behind the alcohol. It’s only when it is watered that this truly shines. The palate then becomes almost alive with luscious orange and lemon flavours intertwined with sweet smoke. The texture, which is oily when neat, becomes deliciously creamy when watered. This is pretty close to a perfect smoky palate for me. Finish: Medium/Long: Lemon fading into the distance. An unusual, but delightful, distillery exclusive that does not smell anything like 19 years old, but neither is it young or brash. It’s curiously light and lively and the level of peat is still strong, but very elegant. This is like a refined version of the classic 15 year old. Neither the nose nor palate are particularly complex, but what they do have is perfectly presented. This is not a symphony, it’s a composition of few elements executed perfectly, like a Liszt prelude or a Mondrian. Distilled on 17/05/2004 and bottled on 01/08/2023, cask #358 (a virgin oak cask) produced just 279 bottles of this nectar. This is the best Benromach I have tasted to date and it fully deserves a high rating. If you visit the distillery (which is the only way to experience it) make sure you have a taste. “Excellent” : 89/100 (4.75 stars) -
Nose: Subtle peat smoke, like pipe tobacco. Citrus oils, stone fruits, vanilla, brown sugar and leather. With water more citrus comes forward but the smoke is further suppressed, and overall the nose becomes more rounded and balanced. Over time the smoke reasserts itself. Palate: Dry arrival with lots of spices, pepper, salt and orange oil. A hint of smoke. Water sweetens the arrival a little and makes the spice notes less spiky (more like cooked curry spices rather than fresh) however it also introduces an astringent sourness. The texture is good but not remarkable. Finish: Long. Drying. Some preserved ginger and orange marmalade. This is the more elegant and aloof older brother of the 15 year old but it does not have the heft and gravitas of the younger malt. The 15 definitely presents as “bigger” and is notably more smoky, and for me it is simply more fun. Like most smoky whiskies, at around 18 years of age Benromach starts to noticeably lose pungency, and given the particularly fine, warm and soothing nature of Benromach peating I see that as an overall negative. This is a fine malt but I do not feel tempted to buy it. Tasted at the distillery. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)260.0 AUD per Bottle
Results 11-20 of 1152 Reviews