Octomore 9.2 Whisky Review!

A 5-year old Octomore finished in red wine casks. I loved 7.2 and was impressed with the older 8.2, so how will this edition stack up?

The Octomore 9-series was and is an interesting one - a bit of a change in direction. In comparison to the previous Octomore batches the ppm levels weren't huge, and the ages of the releases were almost back to normal after the change-up with the 8-series. It seemed like they were going back to basics in that regard, and there was no _.4 bottling in the line-up. Instead there was the addition of a new 10-year old release, the third 10-year old Octomore bottling to date. The cask maturation recipes were eye-catching, but the series definitely did not enjoy the buzz and hype that the eighth had - which in fairness was helped by the record-high ppm number on the fantastic 8.3, and the three years of extra ageing on the other three bottlings in the bunch. 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3 were back to the conventional (for Octomore) 5-years of age, and the ppm figures dropped significantly to 156, 156 and 133 respectively. The latter was the lowest of the four _.3 Islay Barley Octomores at the time, by a significant margin, but it has since been pipped to that post by the more recent 10.3, which is now down to 114 ppm. A drop like that was always going to be noticed, but we all know that these numbers certainly aren't the definitive measure of how peaty a whisky smells & tastes, let alone how flavoursome it is overall. And it's important to remember that this figure is taken from the malted barley - prior to milling, mashing, fermentation, distillation and maturation - rather than the bottled whisky, so there are an almost countless number of variables involved. Regardless, there's no denying that the mega-high numbers adorning some of the previous releases were a very useful device that helped propel Octomore as a "brand" to new levels of popularity and notoriety, and that will probably wear off now with certain types of customers.

The 9-series was coined "Dialogos" by Bruichladdich, being the Greek word for Dialogue, as a nod to their journey with Octomore and the conversations that it has inspired since the first release back in 2008. 9.1, the 'standard' Octomore expression, featured the usual five-years of maturation in first-fill ex-bourbon casks. 9.3 had a very unusual cask recipe, with both first- and second-fill ex-bourbon casks, second-fill wine casks and third-fill virgin oak all involved in the mix. The fourth release in the series, the 10-year old, had the most interesting cask recipe of the series in my opinion. 88% of the mix came from full-term maturation in a combination of first-fill Port, first-fill Cognac or second-fill bourbon casks, while the remaining 12% seemed to be some remnants of the ground-breaking (and awesome) Octomore 7.4 which spent three years in ex-bourbon casks, then French virgin oak for two years, then back to ex-bourbon casks for another six years to become part of the new 10-year old release. That's a very complicated recipe, which raises a few eyebrows, but makes it all the more intriguing. The more conventional (again, for Octomore) bottling in the series was 9.2 that we're looking at here, being another travel retail (duty free) exclusive bottling that had spent some time in ex-wine casks.

While the first _.2 release, the legendary 2.2 "Orpheus" (that I'm yet to try, sadly) and the second, 4.2 "Comus" were general releases, from the partly-Cognac cask matured 6.2 onward all of the _.2 bottlings have been (painfully) exclusive to "travel retail". This makes them difficult to get a hold of if you or a friend/relative do not frequently travel overseas, and they also have not been particularly affordable. In Australian duty-free stores the standard price for both 8.2 and 9.2 is a whopping $290 AUD, which is roughly on-par with the recent Islay Barley Octomore releases and the latest 10-year old bottling. Thankfully our main duty free stores regularly offer 20% off promotions! I can easily forgive Octomore 8.2 for being more on the expensive side, since it was eight-years old for the first time, but while the age of 9.2 has reverted back to the Octomore standard of five years, the pricing has not changed. While we're on that subject, the five-year old 9.1 general release is actually priced roughly 10% higher than the 8-year old 8.1, which is an interesting move. And don't think that that could be due to a higher bottling strength, and thus more payable tax & duty, in the younger whisky - the 9.1 bottling is actually slightly lower in strength than it's older predecessor. Is it a rarer whisky then, perhaps? Nope, there were exactly the same very generous number of bottles released of each - 42,000 units. Octomore releases have always been relatively expensive, and that's perfectly understandable given their popularity, but we could very reasonably have expected the five-year old bottlings in this ninth series to drop in price after the eighth, and that has unfortunately not been the case. I'll leave it at that though, let's get back to the subject at hand.

Octomore 9.2 was distilled in 2012 from Scottish mainland barley peated to 156 ppm phenols, and was matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks for four years before a final year of maturation in second-fill French Bordeaux red wine casks. As far as I can recollect this is the first time that a _.2 Octomore has been finished in second-fill casks rather than first-fill, which is a little curious, but exciting! 9.2 was bottled at 58.2% ABV, and of course is non-chill filtered and naturally coloured. It's also the equally-smallest release in the 9-series (tied with the 10-year old) with only 12,000 bottles seeing the light of day. Let's see how it goes!

Octomore 9.2, 5-year old, 58.2%. Islay, Scotland.
Distilled 2012 from 156 ppm Scottish barley, matured for 4-years in ex-bourbon casks, finished for 1-year in second-fill Bordeaux red wine casks. Non-chill filtered, natural colour. 12,000 bottles.

Colour: Amber with subtle pink tinges.

Nose: Fruity, vegetal and floral initially, soft and almost shy for a 5-year old Octomore. But it opens nicely with time. There's burnt fatty smoked bacon, dried mixed berries - alternating mainly between raspberry and blueberry, and a little fresh strawberry. Black pepper and dried flowers (pot purri), adding sweet apricot and plum jams and soft ashy smoke with more time.

Texture: Medium-heavy weight, fatty / greasy & warming. Not particularly peaty to my palate, but it's there. Some heat to it as well.

Taste: More burnt fatty smoked bacon and bacon grease, black pepper and dank vegetal peat. Some fresh red chilli, possibly lightly smoked. The apricot & plum jam and dried berries are there again, and it's sweeter than the nose suggested, but also more aggressive.

Finish: Long length. Greasy and fatty with some ashy smoke and more dank vegetal peat. Then the floral pot purri note pokes back through, with some vanilla and steeping malted barley. A light touch of charred & juicy lemon towards the end as well.

Score: 3.5 out of 5.

Notes: This bottle has improved massively since I first opened it. There was a (possibly sulphur-related) rubbery flatness to it over the course of the first few drams, plus a general lack of complexity and more heat, but all of that has faded nicely now that the level is about halfway down. Which is a blessing, because it's completely changed my opinion on this whisky. I'm constantly telling myself this, but never definitively judge a whisky by the first couple of drams, folks - particularly a young whisky at high strength! This is a very enjoyable Octomore now - and they all are, really. I still wouldn't say that this is my favourite _.2 bottling to date, though, that prize so far goes to 7.2 (I'm yet to try 2.2 or 10.2). The wine casks are very well integrated here - the second-fill casks have definitely worked - and the whole package is quite well balanced because of it. The smoke and peat are noticeably more subtle here than in most past bottlings, which seems to be the case with most of these more recent Octomore expressions. Well, relatively subtle of course, since this is still a 5-year old Octomore! That's no criticism though, it's just a little different.

Octomore 9.2 is certainly worth a try if you're travelling in future (not that anyone will be now, probably for a long time), just make sure you let the bottle breathe for quite a while before you look too closely. Patience is a virtue, and it's often rewarded!

Cheers!

Heartwood Market Correction Whisky Review!

In times like these, we sometimes need the whisky-equivalent of a large serving of some naughty comfort food. Normally I'd be reaching for a cask strength Islay, but let's keep it local: Heartwood to the rescue!

Mr. H's summer fashion line - coming soon to a retailer near you!

What we have here is what I'm calling an 'old school' Heartwood. Most of Mr. H's releases over the last couple of years have been younger bottlings at slightly lower strengths than what you might say he's famous (or infamous) for. Don't get me wrong, some of those younger bottlings have been brilliant - Mediocrity Be Damned, Shade of Night and Shot In The Dark come to mind, and they're all very good - Heartwood doesn't release whiskies that Mr. H isn't happy with, and luckily for us the man has rather high standards! This release though, Market Correction, is a bit of a throwback. What we have here is a 13.5-year old single malt from Tasmania Distillery (a.k.a Sullivan's Cove), that like many Heartwoods has been through a fairly difficult upbringing. It's technically a single cask whisky, even though there have actually been four different casks involved - but no blending/vatting/marrying has taken place. Yes, this whisky has been through four different first-fill casks, or if you'd prefer a familiar term, it's undergone three consecutive cask finishes. Starting life in an ex-port cask, it was then transferred to a muscat (sweet fortified wine) cask, then a sherry cask (Oloroso-style Apera), and then a second sherry cask (same again), all of Australian origin. Now you may be asking yourself, "why?" And the answer refers to the above mention of Mr. H having high standards, and not releasing any whisky that he isn't happy with. He will literally beat his whiskies with a stick (a paddle, in fact) or throw them in the "hot box" (a naturally warm room of his bond store / warehouse) to get them whipped into shape, but sometimes that's not enough, so he then puts them through different barrels to get the desired result. Not a particularly cost-efficient or time-efficient process as you can imagine, but that's never been a priority for Heartwood - and we're all the better for it. 

Think that name, Market Correction, is a bit odd? It's a reference to Mr. H's prediction that the Tasmanian & Australian whisky industries are heading towards a marked decline in demand, and subsequently pricing. Obviously he's much more knowledgeable on the subject than myself, but I certainly agree. This is based on the fact that there are now more than thirty distilleries in Tasmania alone, which is up from nine in just the last six years, and up from zero in a little over 25 years. They're all tiny distilleries in comparison to Scotland of course, with Hellyers Road being the largest at the moment, although a couple of more recent additions have very large aspirations. There is also a huge boom in the mainland Australian distilling scene, again with a couple of larger players with very large aspirations, and it often seems like there's a weekly 'first release' bottling coming out of a new small distillery that has popped up somewhere. How many distilleries are there in Australia as a whole? It's actually getting very close to 300! Not all of those are producing whisky at this stage, in fact I'd say most are producing gin (another flooded market), but many have plans to do just that, or other dark spirits. Compare that to the 120 whisky distilleries in Scotland, where distilling whisky has been part of the culture - and a major export - for a couple of centuries and counting, and the global demand is absolutely massive. So the Australian whisky market is well & truly flooded, even in its early years, and many of those small distilleries are going to be competing for many of the same resources (particularly casks), not to mention competing for the same limited number of customers. Don't forget that there's also a rising number of independent bottlers, and even a few contract distilling operations where they produce your spirit for you, and you bottle it as your own whisky. Our whisky 'scene' is still far behind that of most western countries, and our market for single malts is positively tiny in comparison. Remember too that those distilleries are still competing with imported whisky and whiskey from around the world, often at considerably lower pricing thanks to operating costs, production volumes and a few other factors - they're all paying the same ridiculous rates of duty and excise, though, which is often misunderstood. This flooded market is likely to create Australia's own "whisky loch", which as we know from the past does not bode well for the smaller producers, or the pricing of the product in general. And that's all going to be made infinitely worse by the current situation around the world. 

But I think that's enough doom & gloom for now (if not, click here for more of my thoughts on a similar subject from last year), let's get on to more positive things. In case you've gotten this far without knowing much about Heartwood, they're a tiny father & son independent bottling operation in Tasmania who are responsible for both Heartwood Tasmanian whiskies and Tasmanian Independent Bottlers (a.k.a. TIB). They've amassed a huge cult following - deservedly so - for doing things their own way, and arguably also for doing things the right way. There's no chill filtration and no added colouring to be seen, and Heartwood are well known for their brutal honesty, and excellent standards of quality. I've written quite a bit on the subject in the past, so check out this and this post for more detailed information. This particular whisky being a Heartwood means that it's been bottled at cask strength, 64.6% in this case, and as mentioned above it's technically a single cask bottling, but the same spirit has been through four different first-fill casks before it was deemed ready for release by the mad alchemist and his equally-mad apprentice. Cask number TD0053, Market Correction consisted of 280 bottles, and of course is completely sold out. You need to be very quick to get yourself a bottle of Heartwood these days, and very few bottles ever make their way out of Australia - luckily for us down under. Let's get to it!

Heartwood Market Correction, 13-year old, 64.6%. Tasmania, Australia.

Distilled at Tasmania Distillery (Sullivan's Cove) in October 2005, bottled in June 2019. Matured in four successive first-fill casks - port, muscat, and two different sherry casks. Cask strength, non-chill filtered, natural colour. 280 bottles. 

Colour: Dark copper with red tinges. 

Nose: Oily, rich & spicy. Nippy too of course - it's nearly 65% - but it's not aggressive or harsh. There's thick treacle, dusty toasted oak, and sweet, thick stewed stone fruit with a vanilla pod and a few berries thrown in. Also some bitter orange slices, star anise and cinnamon. 

Texture: Heavy weight, viscous & rich. A little heat, but again not aggressive or harsh. 

Taste: Big flavour to go with that big texture. More orange slices, sweet stewed stone fruit, star anise and cinnamon - but it's hot cinnamon this time. Thick fruit dessert sauce - apricot, nectarine and plum. Some dried whole red chillies and a little toasted oak. 

Finish: Long length. Very long, actually. A little drying (astringent), very powerful and condensed. More stewed stone fruit with that vanilla pod, plus bitter orange and more dried red chilli. That dusty oak & some black pepper come through under the fruit. 

Score: 4 out of 5. 

Notes: A massive whisky with a huge amount of flavour. Some of these Heartwoods are almost like drinking cordial concentrate without adding water - there's a lot going on, and they're quite intense, but somehow it works! Masses of flavour, a big texture and an even bigger finish. The classic Heartwood dinosaur flavour profile - long neck, big fat body, long tapering tail. Those extra casks have certainly had an effect - at times this could almost pass for a rum or a cognac, but thankfully that's a fleeting feeling. It's still very much a Heartwood malt whisky! There aren't many whiskies or other spirits that could hold up to spending time in four different first-fill casks, but Market Correction has - that must've been a monster spirit! But more likely it's down to Mr. H's skilled & vigilant (obsessive) cask management. 

This is certainly a nod back to the older (in age and in bottling date) Heartwood releases, particularly with that extra cask influence. It offers a different experience to the younger, more recent bottlings. Not necessarily a better experience, mind you, but a different one. Bravo Mr. H, as usual!

Cheers!

Glendronach 1994 Distillery Exclusive Whisky Review!

A serious sherry bomb from the masters of sherry bombs, Glendronach. And a 21-year old distillery exclusive single cask, no less!

I've long been a big fan of Glendronach, particularly the increasingly scarce 18-year old Allardice expression (named after the distillery founder), the old 15-year old Revival, and their single cask releases which thankfully haven't skipped a beat since the distillery changed hands and brought on a new master blender. In fact since both Ms. Rachel Barrie and American corporation Brown Forman took the reigns the distillery hasn't shown a single sign of anything slowing down, or any obvious change of direction. Which is a good thing, and a bit of a relief, although it's easy to see that Billy Walker took excellent care of Glendronach after rescuing it from Pernod Ricard in 2008, along with sister distilleries Benriach and Glenglassaugh, and the new owners merely had to keep riding the same wave. They have kept up with the pace too, since aside from the re-launch of the 15-year old Revival (albeit with a new cask recipe and a change in character), they've released a few new limited release whiskies - although quite a few have yet to appear on the shelves in Australia - and the yearly single cask release program has only gotten stronger, despite drastic price increases. They do still fare quite well against some of the ridiculously overpriced single cask offerings from a few "luxury whisky" distilleries. I won't single any out here, but there are plenty of examples out there - even some that are closer to home...

For those lucky enough to visit and tour Glendronach in the flesh, there are usually a couple of special treats on hand when they arrive. That's not such an easy thing to do either, because despite being well worth the effort the distillery is a little way off the beaten track. In fact unlike the Speyside distilleries Glendronach is closer to Aberdeen than it is to Elgin, let alone Inverness, so most of the typical tourist crowd will skip it, if they're even aware of it in the first place. It's mostly the enthusiasts and diehard fans that will take that extra step to the Eastern Highlands, but it's more of a pilgrimage for them, really. And when they complete that pilgrimage, the aforementioned treats should be waiting for them. I say should, because there are no guarantees. All going to plan, there'll be a hand-filled single cask available, which you fill yourself from a cask in the visitor's centre, and also a distillery exclusive single cask bottling. If you're unlucky, and commonly during peak season, there'll only be the hand-filled single cask available during your visit, but not all is lost - those hand-fills tend to be excellent! During my first and (so far) only visit to the distillery back in September of 2017 there was no Distillery Exclusive single cask available to taste or to purchase. They were also out of engraved Glencairn glasses at the time, which personally I found even more disappointing. Thankfully I had a PX-matured and freshly hand-filled single cask bottling to help wipe away my tears! It would be much worse at the moment though, since they've closed their visitor's centre completely due to this bloody virus. I can't even imagine the heartbreak of planning a trip / pilgrimage for months, if not years, and then finding out days in advance that it's not going to happen. But I can certainly understand their reasoning.

I've reviewed a few of Glendronach's single cask bottlings over the years, but I have to say (spoiler alert), this one is right up there with the best that I've tasted. This distillery exclusive single cask was distilled in 1994, putting it close to the legendary 1993 vintage that the distillery's hardcore fans go crazy for, although none can really explain why that particular year was so special. There are a few things that certainly help though, such as the four stills being direct-fired at the time (they were converted to indirect steam heating in 2005), and the distillery's floor maltings still being in operation - they were decommissioned in 1996 when the distillery was mothballed. This single cask bottling was fully-matured in a Pedro Ximinez (a.k.a. PX) sherry cask, specifically a puncheon - a 500-litre cask that is shorter and squatter in shape than a sherry butt. I do seem to prefer the PX cask bottlings myself, rather than the Oloroso cask variants, although the very nature of single cask bottlings does make it difficult to pin down a particular preference. This particular single cask was bottled in 2016, making it 21-years old, and coming in at a cask strength of 53.2% ABV. All Glendronach single casks are bottled at cask strength, non-chill filtered and naturally coloured, and many are presented in some of the best packaging to ever hold a bottle of whisky - the famous brown "coffin boxes", including this one. The sample for this review came from a generous fellow whisky nerd who was lucky enough to pick up this bottled from overseas auction. Here comes the sherry train!

Glendronach 21-year old Distillery Exclusive Single Cask, 53.2%. Highlands, Scotland.
Distilled 09/1994, fully matured in a single PX sherry puncheon, bottled 05/2016. Cask #3399, 627 bottles. Non-chill filtered, natural colour.

Colour: Very dark brown / mahogany - the above picture doesn't quite do it justice.

Nose: Oh, hello! This is beautiful. Soft, rich & sweet. Orange-scented furniture polish, oily varnish, tinned peaches in syrup, and rich chocolate mousse. Dried apricots, spun sugar toffee, sweet sultanas and date syrup. More peaches and chocolate shavings further in.

Texture: Medium-heavy weight, rich & decadent. No heat at all. Lovely.

Taste: Again, beautiful, rich & sweet. More date syrup, furniture polish, sweet sultanas, velvety chocolate fondant icing, dried apricot and black pepper. A little more wood-forward here too, but not in an obtrusive way.

Finish: Long length. More chocolate mousse and tinned peaches in syrup, more sultanas and dates, a few currants as well. Some orange rind, more furniture polish and some oily putty. Chocolate, peaches and dried apricots to the end.

Score: 4.5 out of 5.

Notes: Excellent. I can certainly see why this single cask made the cut as a distillery exclusive. This would have to be the best older Glendronach (20yo+) single cask that I've tasted to date. Which if memory serves also makes it the best older Glendronach that I've tasted to date. I do tend to prefer the younger / teenage examples myself (e.g. this one), but this is a very worthy exception. So rich, sweet and decadent. The ultimate dessert dram that is just packed with flavour. It's not ridiculously PX-heavy either, I'd say it's showing just about the perfect level of cask influence & sherry influence for its age. If you were lucky enough to get one of these from the distillery, or from an auction (in which case the seller should be kicking themselves), you've certainly bagged yourself a winner. I'm very lucky to have tasted it without having to do either - a huge thanks to the generous donour for the sample of this one!

It's unfortunate that these older single cask Glendronachs are so expensive these days, because they can be absolute magic. They still sell out at the higher prices of course, but I feel that the buyers will have changed - and I'd have to assume that less are getting opened and enjoyed when compared with a few years ago. But we can't really blame the distillery for doing so in the current market, especially when this level of quality is involved. Great stuff!

Cheers!

Glengoyne 10 Year Old Whisky Review!

My first review of a Glengoyne, and my first go at their entry level 10-year old bottling. Yes it's chill filtered and bottled at 40% ABV, but it's naturally coloured, and also very reasonably priced.

According to the Scotch Whisky Association's regional classifications (which are becoming less relevant these days), Glengoyne is a Highland distillery, but only just - at an easy 30 minute's drive north of Glasgow it's very nearly in the Lowlands region. So very nearly in fact that while the distillery itself is in the Highlands, the distillery's warehouses over the road are located in the Lowlands. Originally founded in 1833 as 'Burnfoot Distillery', it was sold and renamed Glen Guin in 1876, which was changed to Glengoyne - meaning "Valley (Glen) of the Wild Geese - in the early 20th century. Ian McLeod Distillers purchased the distillery from Edrington Group in 2003, and the distillery has seen a number of upgrades in its time, resulting in a modest production capacity of 1.2-million litres of spirit per year through six wooden washbacks and three stills - one larger wash still and two smaller spirit stills. Glengoyne's main claims to fame are the total lack of peat used in production, and a long fermentation and slow distillation - reportedly the slowest in Scotland, while the vast majority of maturation takes place in ex-sherry casks, and thankfully they do not add any artificial colouring to their single malts, although most are chill filtered.

One more interesting point is that Glengoyne did for a time use Golden Promise barley, an older, lower-yielding barley variety that is also more vulnerable to disease than the modern varieties like Concerto and Optic. Unfortunately there isn't any official word on when Glengoyne switched from Golden Promise to Concerto, although that's not surprising. If they were to publicly announce something like this it may affect their sales, and create higher demand for their older bottlings. They were definitely exclusively using it when Ian McLeod purchased the distillery, so I'm guessing it happened relatively recently. A few distilleries have played around with Golden Promise in the past, and it arguably played a big part in the past successes of Macallan (who used it almost exclusively until 1994, while it now makes up less than 30% of their total barley usage), but Glengoyne persisted with the older barley type longer than most after it fell out of favour with most distillers in the early 1990s.

Being so close to Glasgow means Glengoyne is one of the more easily visited in Scotland, attracting its fair share of tourists, but also locals. It's an aesthetically pleasing distillery, with the traditional "pagoda" roof and scenic surroundings, and they offer both a hand-fill bottling and a distillery exclusive bottling known as "The Teapot Dram", which is widely praised. Aside from the large age statement range of 10, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 25-year old single malts, there's also a non-age statement Cask Strength offering, and quite a few travel exclusive bottlings. Aside from the 25-year old and obviously that Cask Strength expression, all are bottled at 43% ABV and are chill filtered, but naturally coloured as mentioned above. Interestingly, while this 10-year old entry level Glengoyne is matured in ex-sherry casks (mostly refill, I'd assume), the more expensive 12-year old is matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, and the NAS Cask Strength does not specify any cask types, while the rest of the range is fully-matured in ex-sherry. The aforementioned Cask Strength bottling is also very reasonably priced, and at under $100 AUD is in fact now one of the cheapest cask strength single malts to be found on Australian shelves, but I must admit that it has never quite pushed the right buttons for my tastes - despite the significantly higher prices, when looking for a cask strength sherried whisky I would (and have) opt for Glendronach's NAS Cask Strength bottlings or Aberlour's A'Bunadh instead. Although the Glengoyne is certainly a lighter style in comparison with those two, so some palates may beg to differ. As always, your experience may vary!

This 10-year old is the entry level Glengoyne expression, and is a more recent addition to the distillery's age statement line-up. Unusually for an entry level expression it's matured in Oloroso sherry casks, both American and European oak, although naturally they're going to be mostly refill casks, if not all refill. It's bottled at the minimum of 40% ABV, and is chill filtered and artificially coloured, but for the asking price and the target market that's understandable. Speaking of price, this one retails for around $75-80 AUD, which is very reasonable, although there are quite a few age stated single malts at that price level that are bottled at higher strength and presented more naturally - Ardbeg 10 and Benromach 10 for example. Let's give it a shot!

Glengoyne 10-year old, 40%. Highlands (just), Scotland.
Matured in ex-sherry casks, American & European oak, presumably refill. Chill filtered, natural colour.

Colour: Gold.

Nose: Red apples, honey, roasted nuts - walnut, chestnut, possibly brazil nut. White pepper, sweet stone fruit - peach, apricot, and some BBQ sauce-like spices, plus a sour / acidic tang. A little dusty oak and overripe banana further on.

Texture: Light-medium weight, warming & nutty. A little heat and youthful at times. 

Taste: More roasted nuts, more white pepper, and more stone fruit. Some toffee, a little oak again, and that acidic / sour note again - not a bad thing at all, just different.

Finish: Short length. More pepper, some solvent-y acetone, then more nuts, dried stone fruit - peach and apricot again. A little honey, overripe banana, and some dry wood spices to finish.

Score: 2.5 out of 5.

Notes: A nice easy, relatively simple dram here, but it still has its own distinct distillery style, which is nice. It's definitely quite nutty and not as sweet as I expected - which is also nice. There's certainly a youthfulness about it, with that pepper and acetone showing themselves - particularly on the finish, but they don't spoil the show. The nose is the highlight of this Glengoyne if you ask me, while the palate and finish are held back by the low (minimum) bottling strength. I can't help but feel the whole experience would be lifted if it was instead bottled at 43% like most of the distillery's range. But at this price point that's an understandable decision, this is an entry-level bottling after all.

I can see this Glengoyne working well for a novice or newcomer, or as a gift - there aren't any particularly challenging or confronting notes here that could put anyone off. It's a crowd pleaser, and it makes for a light & easy thirst-quencher of a whisky. 

Cheers!

Caol Ila 12 Year Old Whisky Review!

One of my wife's favourite whiskies, and one of her "safe" or "go-to" orders at a bar. Although she still prefers that horrid fermented grape juice stuff. Caol Ila 12 does fly under the radar in many circles though, despite being one of the more consistent "standard" bottlings out there.

I would say that the big issues with official bottlings of Caol Ila, apart from the "quiet giant" status of the distillery, are the complete lack of advertising and marketing of the brand in comparison to certain other Diageo distilleries. It was also left out of the line-up of six "Classic Malts" that the company focuses on as single malt whiskies, with fellow-Ileach Lagavulin instead being chosen to showcase the Islay region. That choice is understandable when you consider that when that program was launched back in 1988 - when the distilleries were still under the United Distillers umbrella and were yet to become Diageo - Caol Ila did not have an official bottling of single malt to offer. In fact this 12-year old expression was only launched as a "flagship" or "core" bottling in 2002, while there was a fleeting 15-year old single malt that debuted in 1989 as part of the Flora & Fauna series of bottlings, plus a couple of very limited and now-legendary releases as part of the Rare Malts Collection - that era's equivalent of the now-annual Diageo Special Releases. Nowadays you'll mostly only find unpeated Caol Ila bottlings in those releases, with the notable recent exceptions of the apparently (I haven't had the pleasure myself) excellent 30- and 35-year old cask strength bottlings, plus the Distiller's Edition and the 25-year old that round out the core range. You could easily argue that this quiet workhorse of a distillery has been a little neglected - maybe even underappreciated - for quite some time, with its sizeable contribution to mass-produced blended whiskies getting most of the attention, while single malts from the distillery tend to be better looked after by the independent bottlers. But that's no bad thing, because some of those "indy" versions - Gordon & MacPhail, Signatory Vintage and Elements of Islay come to mind, plus many others - are spectacular, particularly at cask strength and when naturally presented.

Another issue with this 12-year old, at least in Australia, is the pricing. For a 12-year old single malt on its own merit it's not ridiculously priced, but it's often overshadowed by the Islay mainstay that is Lagavulin 16-year old. On Australian shelves the Caol Ila can be found for anywhere between $105-125 AUD, while the Lagavulin can be found for somewhere between $110-120, but is frequently put on special for less. Both are chill filtered and artificially coloured, both are bottled at 43% ABV, and both are produced in relatively massive numbers. For many novices and casual drinkers, and also quite a few enthusiasts I'm sure, that makes for an easy choice - they're going to go for the older whisky that also has the more familiar name and the larger following. Strangely, if you'll permit the slight digression, things are far more clear-cut when it comes to the official Distiller's Edition bottlings - while the Moscatel dessert wine cask-finished Caol Ila ranges from $120-150 AUD, the PX sherry cask-finished Lagavulin won't be found for under $180, and is usually seen at $200. Both are only around a year older than their standard versions, and again both whiskies are chill filtered, artificially coloured, and bottled at 43%. That situation makes for a much easier decision, particularly since (in my opinion) the Caol Ila is the better whisky, although many will probably still go for the more familiar name with the larger following that also makes for a better "status symbol". So if the pricing of the standard expressions were similarly spaced - and for largely selfish reasons I'd rather they decreased the cost of the Caol Ila, rather than increasing that of the Lagavulin - the Caol Ila would quite likely enjoy more of a following in the Australian "scene".

As much as I love Lagavulin, it's also the more divisive whisky to the novice and amateur palate, while Caol Ila's trademark lighter grassy character and softer peat and smoke levels, particularly when served at lower strengths, undoubtedly make for more of a "crowd pleaser". And it makes for a far better introduction to peated Islay whiskies than the more commonly chosen Lagavulin 16 or Laphroaig 10 that are the equivalent of being thrown straight in to the deep end of a swimming pool. Many wouldn't guess that both Caol Ila and Lagavulin use identical malted barley, sourced from the Diageo's Port Ellen Maltings of course, and malted to the same specification at 35 ppm of phenols. The huge differences in style come down to fermentation times and distillation speeds, as well as the size and shape of the stills, and the chosen fill levels and cut points of those stills. Like many of Diageo's official bottlings, you won't find any decent information out there about what casks this Caol Ila has spent its 12-years (minimum) of maturation inside. Which in most cases means that it's been mostly refill ex-bourbon casks, probably re-coopered into larger hogsheads, which is the case with this example. As mentioned above it is both chill filtered and artificially coloured, but I suspect there is far less E150A involved in this case than there is in some of the other Classic Malts - in particular the entry level bottlings from Lagavulin & Talisker.

Caol Ila 12-year old, 43% ABV. Islay, Scotland.
Likely matured in refill ex-bourbon hogsheads. Chill filtered and artificially coloured.

Colour: Medium gold. Certainly lighter in the E150 department than many entry level malts.

Nose: Trademark Caol Ila, sweet, grassy and softly peaty. There's a little coastal 'ozone' (distant ocean) and salt, and some old bandages, plus a sweet, floral and grassy malty-ness, a little liquorice, and that soft, slightly muddy peat.

Texture: Light weight. Clean, gentle and balanced, but there's still enough peat & smoke here - it's still very much a peated Islay malt. No heat to this one either.

Taste: Soft & sweet entry, then a lovely dry, spicy peat with a touch of ashy smoke. That salt and those old bandages are still there, as is the sweet grassy malt and liquorice. It's dryer here than the nose suggested.

Finish: Short-medium length. More soft, dry, spicy peat, and that grassy malt, plus some lemon juice, soft ashy smoke and a little brine. That sweet, grassy spirit with a bit of salted lemon wind things up.

Score: 3 out of 5.

Notes: A perfectly enjoyable, easy drinking Islay dram. And the perfect introductory dram for the peat / peated Islay newcomer, without the need for them to jump straight into the deep end where they can only either sink or swim. This is the gentler side of Islay, along with Bowmore 12 perhaps, but this Caol Ila does a better job of it in my humble opinion. A cleaner, brighter and clearer whisky that will still keep the more seasoned Islay fans happy. As far as the current range of official bottlings go, I think it's a shame that Caol Ila dropped their NAS 'Natural Cask Strength' expression - which happened nearly a decade ago. Since then, you can only really get an official bottling of Caol Ila at 43% ABV, and they're all chill filtered - even in the 25-year old guise. Well, unless you can visit the distillery itself (or the auction sites) and grab one of their excellent Distillery Exclusive or Feis Ile bottlings, that is.  So if you're wanting a Caol Ila with a little more punch and a little more texture, you'll need to turn to the independent bottlers.

For now, if you're searching for this style of Caol Ila at a higher strength then set your sights on Port Askaig 100 Proof, Blackadder Peat Reek, or some of the excellent cask strength bottlings from the likes of Gordon & MacPhail, Signatory Vintage or North Star. But to reiterate, the entry level 12-year old official bottling never fails to please when you're in the mood for a lighter, more summery peated Islay dram, and extra points must be awarded for consistency. It never seems to disappoint.

Cheers!