Tastes
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Nose: Immediately full and commanding. Fresh and preserved tropical fruits, roasted nuts, leather car seats, a hint of smoked tea, treacle toffee, crème caramel, stewed stone fruits and a touch of orange oil. Lovely. 9/10 Palate: Luscious and seductive from the first drop, the oily texture carries flavours of grilled tropical fruit, chocolate mole, butterscotch sauce and oatmeal biscuits but all the rich sweetness is perfectly balanced by a delicate melange of spices. There is a meaty quality to this malt but it’s not a barbecue presence, more like Cumberland sauce suggesting the presence of red meat laced with fruit. 8/10 Finish: Long. Oily, slightly drying and delightfully grubby with the dark tropical, almost rum-like notes persisting. 8.5/10 A stunner. I have not tried this previously, due to the cost, but when I found a bar-pour at the Aberfeldy distillery it just had to be done … and now I want a bottle. This is like all the best parts of an old vintage Balblair crossed with a light, fruity-style Mortlach. Lovely whisky, if you can afford it then just buy a bottle and enjoy. Everything produced by Craigellachie is worth tasting, but this is the best of their lineup that I have so far tried. Tasted as a 30ml pour at a distillery bar. “Excellent” : 89/100 (4.75 stars)15.5 GBP per Pour
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The Leith Export Company Single Grain
Single Grain — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed May 1, 2024 (edited May 2, 2024)Nose: Balsa wood, pencil shavings, sandalwood, vanilla, cornflakes. Water makes the nose more “grainy” and cereal in character. Palate: The arrival is reminiscent of pine-tree resin but rather than being bitter it is curiously sweet and creamy. I guess it’s a little toffee-ish but the bright cereal and wood notes keep the sweetness in check. Adding water is not a good idea as it unleashes bitterness. Finish: Short. Cereal and light wood, sour if watered. This “Table Whisky” (as Port of Leith calls it) is a single grain sourced from the massive North British distillery in Edinburgh and is matured in virgin oak and oloroso sherry casks. The maturation is, however, clearly minimal and I’d be surprised if this is any more than 4 or 5 years old. The distillery is making this a virtue by focusing on the crisp, youthful character of the spirit and promoting it as an everyday dram for casual consumption. It’s OK but not something I would recommend as anything other than a curiosity. It is clearly a stop-gap product to hold the fort until Port of Leith has their own single malt ready, and when that day comes I expect this whisky will be quietly dropped from their range. Tasted at the distillery. “Average” : 77/100 (2.5 stars)35.0 GBP per Bottle -
Aberfeldy 21 (2002/2023 cask #310629)
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed April 30, 2024 (edited May 2, 2024)Nose: Honeyed fruit with a slight sulphur/camphor stain, however a drop or two of water diminishes this. Palate: Full texture with honey, brine and ginger spice. Some dusty oakiness from the cask but it’s too light to be fully sherry-cask matured. Finish: Medium/Long. A little bitter towards the finale. A quick-hit review of the current cask-strength Aberfeldy that is part of the tour flight. It’s interesting and unmistakably Aberfeldy dialled up to 11, but it’s not the most subtle of drams. Something similar to this is always on the tasting mat for their tours, but in my opinion the OB 21 year old is a better malt. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars) -
Isle of Harris The Hearach
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed April 28, 2024 (edited April 29, 2024)Nose: Mild peat, citrus. 7/10. Palate: It arrives dry, and this character persists throughout the palate. Spicy, hot ginger, black pepper, mild smokiness and a strong briny note in the later palate. 4/10. Finish: Medium/Short. All peated whiskies have a good degree of persistence but in this case there is not much else contributing length. Cereal trailing to sour mash. 4/10. “Soft/Dry” is a standard polarity for whisky, but this spirit goes beyond dry into a profile I would describe as distinctively “Hard” with sour and briny notes competing against hot spices. It’s not what I would call a friendly or particularly impressive whisky and despite being 7-8 years old (apparently) it tastes very young and undisciplined. The nose is the best aspect by far and if the palate and finish were equivalent I’d be giving this 3.5 stars. Sadly, this is not the case. However, to be fair, it was hard to review this whisky properly as the distillery only gives you a tiny tasting sample in a plastic shot glass, and I’m sure I missed a lot of nuance. They really need to invest in proper tasting glasses and provide a better tasting environment. Selling samples in 50ml and 200ml bottles in addition to the full bottles would also be a good idea. I will give this another try some time, as I have a feeling it is better than my first impression indicates. “Average” : 76/100 (2.5 stars)170.0 AUD per BottleIsle of Harris Distillery -
Port of Leith New Make Spirit
Spirit — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed April 25, 2024 (edited April 30, 2024)Nose: Light floral and honey aromas with a little malt in the background. A touch of brine but it’s primarily sweet. Palate: Initially dry but quickly gaining sweetness. The predominant flavour is light cereal but there is an ethanol presence as well. Finish: Fast and short. Cereal flavours that quickly fade into ethanol. The Port of Leith distillery is located in Leith, a northern suburb of Edinburgh, literally right on the water in a re-developed industrial and docklands area. It is highly unusual as it is one of the only “vertical” distilleries I have ever seen. This design is partly due to limited space in what is a very expensive area, and partly due to the company’s determination to be energy efficient. All distilleries depend on moving large quantities of material through the plant constantly and this usually requires a lot of energy. Port of Leith went for a vertical (8 story high) design in other to use gravity for as much material transport as possible. They only ran their first new-make a few months ago so it will be years until they have “whisky” for sale, but in the meantime they are giving tastings of their new make, which is undergoing a lot of experimentation. The version I tasted was fermented with Voss Kviek yeast but if you visit it is possible you will try something else. We also tasted a new-make that was fermented using a strain of yeast called “BE-256” and it was quite different, with a much more cereal character and comparatively little sweetness. The sample I tried was a little like new-make cut with vodka, which I think was due to it being reduced to 40% abv. Previous new makes I’ve tasted from other distilleries have been at still strength, or just slightly reduced, so in comparison this seemed simpler but it was very palatable and drinkable neat. I think Port of Leith has a great future and I look forward to trying their whisky when it is finally released. Their guided tour is also one of the best I have attended, and it is the only way to sample the new-make, so if you are in Edinburgh do not pass up the opportunity. Tasted as part of a distillery tour. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)The Port of Leith Distillery -
Bottega Limoncino Limoncello
Fruit Liqueurs — Veneto and Sicily - Italy, Italy
Reviewed April 13, 2024 (edited April 14, 2024)Appearance: Translucent pale yellow. Aroma: Crisp, bright, sweet lemon. Very zesty but not at all artificial. Flavour and Texture: Sweet, crisp and almost effervescent lemon. The central flavour is utterly lemon, but there is a degree of unexpected complexity and it has a sherbet-like "zingy" quality. A very pure distillate showing a fruity, fresh profile in spades. Finish: Medium/Long. Sweet, crisp lemon with no trace at all of bitterness or sour flavours and a lingering, oily quality. This is, quite simply, a very well crafted limoncello. Limoncello is a liqueur that requires two simple things in order to excel, but if either is missing or flawed it will be a disaster. The first is top-quality fruit with a sweet, tangy flavour and the second is precise crafting in order to avoid any pith in the maceration (which causes bitterness). Thankfully, this particular limoncello is an exemplar of how to do it right. Recommended. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)55.0 AUD per Bottle -
Port O Ahuriri Golden Rum (National Distillery Company)
Gold Rum — Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
Reviewed April 13, 2024 (edited April 20, 2024)Nose: Dry, slightly smoky, herbal. A note of molasses and brown sugar but way less than is usual in most gold rums. Palate: Semi-sweet arrival with honey-herbal and lightly spicy notes. Toasty oak, light vanilla and a little brine. The texture is unusually light and crisp, but delightful. Finish: Medium. Spicy and with muted “rum” flavours, but much drier than expected. An unusual, but equally delightful, rum that is quite unlike any other I have tried. In fact, initially both the nose and palate are more characteristic of whisky and it is only in the later palate that typical gold rum characteristics show through. I found this to be singularly instructive, interesting and pleasant to taste. You probably know that the vast majority of “whisky” that is made in India is produced from molasses rather than grain, and I’ve always found it difficult to wrap my brain around that. However, having now tasted this rum, I can certainly appreciate how a whisky character can be derived from sugar-based wort. It’s not just an alternative, it’s a delicious one but I guess it helps that my preference is for dry, hogo-forward Jamaican-style rums and agricoles rather than syrupy styles. I thought this was compelling and much more than average and I bought a bottle on the day. At the price I thought it was a no-brainer. We tried this and the other National Distillery gins that I’m reviewing here at the distillery in Napier, New Zealand, and their tour of the distillery and following tasting was gracious, engaging and very well worth the time and cost. Highly recommended if you happen to be in Napier. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)70.0 AUD per Bottle -
National Distillery Company Damson Plum Gin
Flavored Gin — Napier, New Zealand
Reviewed April 13, 2024 (edited April 14, 2024)Nose: Plum, light lemon zest, raspberry. Palate: Sweet but not sugary arrival with plum and berry flavours obvious but not coarse. It has a refined, underplayed character which is very welcome and the texture is plush and creamy without being overdone. Finish: Medium. Like everything from National Distillery there is a sour hint in the finish and aftertaste. It appears to be a distillery character but what causes it? Maybe the stills are run too fast? Tasted neat this was fine but not inspiring, however when teamed with lemonade it was much improved. This is clearly a spirit that needs to be mixed and when handled correctly the results are palatable and individual. It has a certain similarity to sloe gin but is less sweet and liqueur-like and more akin to a demi-sec eau-de-vie. We enjoyed it a lot and purchased a bottle on the day. We tried this and the other National Distillery gins that I’m reviewing here at the distillery in Napier, New Zealand, and their tour of the distillery and following tasting was gracious, engaging and very well worth the time and cost. Highly recommended if you happen to be in Napier. “Above Average” : 81/100 (3 stars)80.0 AUD per Bottle -
National Distillery Company Art Deco Gin
Modern Gin — Napiet, New Zealand
Reviewed April 13, 2024 (edited April 14, 2024)Nose: Mixed citrus (lemon, orange, tangelo, grapefruit) with mild juniper. Palate: Bright citrus flavours on the arrival with mild juniper in support (just like the nose). Soft and easy to drink neat. The texture is creamy. Finish: Medium. Citrus and juniper but it finishes a little sour, although this is ameliorated when the gin is mixed with tonic, which adds sweetness from its sugar content. This was my favourite of the classic London Dry formulations we tried at National Distillery on the day. It had the best balance with a pleasant, spritzy citrus-forward profile and the texture was creamy and satisfying. It worked well with tonic water and I think it would make an interesting modern-style wet martini. I would not describe it as more than an “average” gin but it only misses out on 3 stars by a whisker. The National Distillery has a core range of gins but they also produce many small one-off batches such as this, and I can’t help but wonder if it is at least partly because they are still finding their way and experimenting. Their “house style“ is becoming evident but I think it might take a couple more years of work to nail down. We tried this and the other National Distillery gins that I’m reviewing here at the distillery in Napier, New Zealand, and their tour of the distillery and following tasting was gracious, engaging and very well worth the time and cost. Highly recommended if you happen to be in Napier. “Average” : 79/100 (2.75 stars)75.0 AUD per Bottle -
National Distillery Company Hemp Gin
Modern Gin — Napier, New Zealand
Reviewed April 13, 2024 (edited April 14, 2024)Nose: Dry herbal aromas, nutty, seedy. Dried grass, hay and dust. Palate: Oily and herbal on the arrival, turning nutty later. Creamy and warming rather than peppery. Finish: Medium. Nutty but a little sour. I’ve tasted many hemp gins now but I’ve never tasted one I’ve liked. It seems to be a minor obsession with distillers to use flax and hemp seed as gin botanicals but I’m at a loss as to why. Maybe it's a rite of passage for them to try all things wacky before settling on their final recipe. This is just one more in a long line of failed, dull or uninteresting experiments with hemp, IMHO, which is frustrating because I'm sure the distiller at National Distillery can do way better. Full marks for experimentation, but as for selling the stuff to customers? Nah. We tried this and the other National Distillery gins that I’m reviewing here at the distillery in Napier, New Zealand, and their tour of the distillery and following tasting was gracious, engaging and very well worth the time and cost. Highly recommended if you happen to be in Napier. “Adequate” : 73/100 (2.25 stars)70.0 AUD per Bottle
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