Highland Park Mjolner Australian Exclusive Whisky Review!

An Australian-exclusive 14-year old cask strength Highland Park that was 'hand selected for' the Norse-themed Mjolner bars (named after Thor's hammer) in Sydney and Melbourne by the Australian importers. 

A cask strength Highland Park official bottling is a rare thing on this side of the planet. At least until the recently-announced NAS Cask Strength lands in Australia - and it's bottled at a whopping 63%! This one uses the same packaging and design as the Single Cask Series, which is nicely understated compared to most of their core range and limited editions or travel exclusive bottlings - of which there are very, very many. The single cask range tends to be bottled for specific European and American bottle shops, bars and duty-free stores, and they only make the trip down under if someone buys one at auction or imports one privately. But despite that similar packaging it's not a single cask bottling, and there were a relatively large number of bottles released for an Australian exclusive single malt - which can be slow-burners as far as sales go, and this one is still readily available. The Mjolner bars are rustic, meat-heavy Norse- and Viking-inspired bars/restaurants located in Sydney and Melbourne, so it was probably inevitable that they would wind up doing something with Orkney's Viking-obsessed Highland Park. Before you ask, yes they do have a Mjolner hammer, but it's actually a custom-made whisky decanter! I believe it was given to them by Balvenie a few years ago now, but that's still a very cool thing. Since I'm not in Sydney or Melbourne I'm yet to visit either of their venues, but the concept does sound good - it could've easily become overdone, even chintzy or cringeworthy, but from what I've seen they have a more 'authentic' and high-end feel to them. Also, yes it should be spelled Mjolnir, but I'm assuming they've replaced the 'i' with an 'e' to avoid any potential legal issues.   

I've already said plenty about my dislike for most of Highland Park's ladled-on Viking marketing. In my experience so far it actually seems that their less Viking-heavy whiskies - the likes of Full Volume, Dark Origins and some of the age-stated core range - are often the hidden gems of their extensive (overcrowded) arsenal of bottlings. Likewise the two examples of their Single Cask Series that I mentioned above were also quite impressive, although I've seen mixed reports on some of the other examples - but that's both the beauty and the curse of single cask whiskies after all. Thankfully these bottlings are much more simple in their presentation - a simple canvas / jute sacking-type bag, and an understated bottle with small labelling and the bare essentials of the details. Which is great to see, especially on the limited edition bottlings that are properly limited since they could've gone the other way. I do have one complaint though, if you'll indulge me. This bottling, and also those of the Single Cask Series, do not mention chill filtration anywhere. They all appear to be cask strength and most have age statements, most also give cask details, and Highland Park do not use e150a colouring as a rule - although it'd be nice if they'd state that on the packaging & label, too - so this is a rather glaring admission. There have been a few official bottlings that do actually declare that they're non-chill filtered - Dark Origins and the recently announced Cask Strength, for example - so it's not a blanket rule for them to not mention it. The distillery has made plenty of mentions of the fact that they chill filter at higher temperatures (which means less aggressive filtration) than most who still use this practice, but they're still chill filtering the vast majority of their whisky. Whether that still applies to these limited cask strength bottlings or the single cask series I can't say, but you'd certainly hope that it doesn't. 

This particular limited cask strength Highland Park has been matured for 14-years in 'predominantly' European oak sherry casks, plus some American oak sherry casks and refill casks, and 1,731 bottles were released which is quite the number for an Australian exclusive. Many of those will have been allocated to the two Mjolner bars of course, and probably also many of the parent company's other whisky-focussed venues like Eau de Vie and Boilermaker House. It was bottled in mid-2019 at a cask strength of 56.5% ABV, retails for $210-220 AUD which I would say is reasonable, and as mentioned above it's still readily available. This bottling is back to the standard mix of roughly 20% Highland Park's own floor-malted lightly-peated barley and 80% unpeated commercially malted barley sourced from the mainland - which used to come from the Saladin box maltings at Tamdhu, but that won't be the case anymore. The end result is a very light peat influence, particularly with Orkney's famously light, floral and heathery peat. Highland Park has always been a suitable introductory whisky for those who are new to peat, but don't go expecting anything close to Islay or the other peated Hebridean malts. The sample for this review came from a generous mate who decided to take a punt on a bottle. Time to put the hammer down and see if we're worthy, then?

Highland Park Mjolner 14-year old, 56.5%. Orkney, Scotland.

Bottled for Mjolner bar/restaurants, Australian exclusive. Matured in European and American oak sherry casks and refill casks. 1,731 bottles. Unknown chill filtration, assumed natural colour.

Colour: Amber. Darker than the above photo appears. 

Nose: Spiced fruit mince - stone fruit, raisins, red apple, orange peel. Old leather and orange schnapps, very Christmas-y. A little nippy (alcohol nip) if you get too close. Some furniture polish, dark caramel fudge and baking spices - clove in particular and some five-spice. A bit of dried sage too (woody savoury herb). Touch of dried raspberry and heathery smoke in the background. 

Texture: Medium weight, rich & warming, but with some definite aggressive spirit heat to it, heading towards harsh. 

Taste: More leather and dried fruit - more red apple here too. That raw alcohol heat is a shame, it's distracting and is killing off some of the other more subtle flavours. Dark caramel fudge with a touch of honey and boozy plum pudding - before it's set alight. 

Finish: Medium-long length. Vanilla fudge this time, and the drying alcohol heat leaves wood spices and a flash of savoury honey-roasted nuts. Soft, dry peat smoke which is floral and heathery as expected. A touch of almost-rubbery bitterness before the dried fruit, apple, and orange schnapps return. 

Score: 3 out of 5. 

Notes: Undoubtedly would've scored higher without that distracting raw spirit heat. It's hinted at on the nose, but then really shows itself on the palate and overstays its welcome through most of the finish. Yes, this is a cask strength whisky, but it's also 14-years old which is not exactly young, and the 'predominant' first-fill casks should've helped as well. I've tasted whiskies half this age and at higher strength that are far less aggressive. So the nose is certainly the highlight of this Mjolner bottling, but this is still a tasty whisky with some great flavours and plenty of character. It's a darker, slightly "dank" and more aggressive style of Highland Park that I'm not sure I've come across before. This whisky would certainly go well after a Christmas dinner - just have the air conditioning pumping if you're in the southern hemisphere, and a have big glass of water on the side regardless of climate - adding a couple of drops to the dram doesn't have much of an impact either. 

There's decent value for money on offer here too, provided you don't mind a more aggressive whisky with some raw heat to it. If you can get past that, this is a rewarding and tasty dram that shows a different side of Orkney with plenty of punch. I can see it working well during a meat-heavy meal as well, or even in a boilermaker with the accompanying beer helping to cool things down. Which would probably make it ideal for Mjolner, then. 

Cheers!

Clynelish 8 Year Old Single Malts of Scotland Whisky Review!

My first bottling from Single Malts of Scotland, and one of only a few independent bottlings of Clynelish that I've tried. This should be interesting!

Single Malts of Scotland is one of three independent bottler whisky brands put forth by Elixir Distillers (formerly Specialty Drinks), the London-based company owned by Sukhinder Singh and his brother Rabjir, the owners of founders of The Whisky Exchange, one of the world's greatest liquor retailers - if not the outright greatest. Single Malts of Scotland, or SMoS for short, was the first of those brands when it was first launched in 2002, followed by Elements of Islay and later Port Askaig, and now Black Tot rum. While SMoS has typically bottled single cask, cask strength Scotch whiskies, more recently they've dabbled in 'small batch' bottlings drawn from handfuls of casks that are known in the trade as 'parcels'. While still limited bottlings, they're obviously much more widely available and more budget-friendly than their single cask cousins, with simplistic packaging and with the 'Reserve Casks' range also being bottled at 48% ABV rather than full cask strength. There have been three 'parcels' of these Reserve Casks bottlings so far, each drawn from 'a maximum of eight casks', being mostly on the younger side, and largely coming from the usual suspects for independent bottlings: the likes of Diageo's Caol Ila & Clynelish, plus the usual 'unnamed Orkney', and a few others. Single Malts of Scotland is not imported into Australia, so the bottle that I'm reviewing today came from 'across the ditch' in New Zealand, from Christchurch's Whisky Galore - which would have to be another of the world's greatest liquor retailers. Before you ask, yes, it was intercepted by Customs on the way over, and yes, there was a relatively hefty excise and duty bill to pay - in comparison to the original purchase price at least, which was a ridiculously cheap $105 NZD, or around $97 AUD. I can't say what the final landed cost was since it was combined with another bottle, but at a guesstimate it would've been around $160-170 including its half of the shipping. So not terrible, but not quite the bargain that it would've been. But that's the price we pay for importing spirits into Australia, and it's not likely to change any time soon!

This particular Reserve Casks bottling is from their second parcel / second lot of bottlings, and was distilled at Diageo's Clynelish Distillery in the Northern Highlands - specifically in the village of Brora (yes, that Brora), around 90-minutes drive north of Inverness. One of Diageo's 'Classic Malts', Clynelish is known and loved for its fruity, waxy style of spirit, which is believed to stem from an oily build-up in their feints receiver - they discovered that after a thorough deep clean, then found that the waxy characteristics had been removed from the spirit! They now empty the receiver for cleaning, and then tip the contents back in before the stills are fired up again to keep that distinctive character intact. There are only a few official bottlings of Clynelish single malt out there, with the 'flagship' bottling being the very enjoyable 14-year old that is the most accessible, and the distillery is also a major contributor to the Johnnie Walker blends - particularly the Gold Label variant. Independent bottlings are plentiful from the likes of Signatory Vintage and Gordon & MacPhail, and can sometimes be found in sherry casks which is something that the distillery owners don't generally offer. 

That's not the case here though, because this Single Malts of Scotland example was matured in five ex-bourbon casks, and based on the smell & taste I'm guessing they were first-fill. At 8-years of age this is the youngest Clynelish that I've tasted - well, depending on the age of the rather lacklustre Game of Thrones NAS bottling that probably isn't/wasn't much older. That was the one that some Australian collectors & flippers went nuts over (we're talking $600 nuts), and ended up with a lot of egg on their face when it eventually landed here for as little as $80 - and it turned out to be a bit of a flop. I must admit that this SMoS bottling was something of an impulse buy for me, since it suddenly became available when I was ordering that second bottle, but I'm a fan of Clynelish, and pretty much anything that Elixir release is a reasonably safe bet - some are better than others of course, but I'm yet to taste anything of theirs that has disappointed. As mentioned above, this one was bottled at 48%, without chill filtration or added colouring. Let's see if this bottling keeps that streak alive, shall we?

Clynelish 8-year old, Single Malts of Scotland, 48%. Highlands, Scotland.

Distilled 2010 & 2011, drawn from five ex-bourbon casks - presumably some first-fill. Non-chill filtered, natural colour. 

Colour: Pale gold. 

Nose: Fresh, waxy and floral-sweet. Beeswax, fresh banana peels, lemon balm (e.g. lip balm) with extra lemon, and fresh floral sweetness. White (honeydew) melon and crisp pear, and some dry spices - sandalwood - with more time. Dry malty-ness in the background. Lovely summery nose. 

Texture: Medium-weight. Warm, bright & fruity, not as sweet or floral as the nose suggested. No heat. 

Taste: Dry spice again, sandalwood and some ground black pepper. Whole (unpeeled) under-ripe bananas, and more waxy lemon balm with extra lemon. A little dry herbal honey, a couple of vanilla malt biscuits, and a tiny hint of earthy peat heading in to the finish. 

Finish: Medium length. Crisp pear and honeydew melon, and a refreshing drying salinity. Sandalwood again - woody aftershave / eau de toilette. Candlewax, a hint of that dry biscuit-y malt again, and some dried apricot. 

Score: 3.5 out of 5. 

Notes: Not the most complex whisky out there, but a very tasty easy-drinker that showcases the distillery style well, while being distinctly different from the official bottlings - which is one of the hallmarks of a good independent bottling, if you ask me. It's interesting to see a younger, fresher style of Clynelish here, but it still has most of the classic notes that we expect from the distillery - the wax, the floral & fruit, and the very subtle salt & tiny puff of peat to dry things out. There are shades of younger modern Bruichladdich here, and that's certainly a good thing! 

Was it worth those extra duties & taxes and the higher landed cost? I'd say so. Mainly because once you've tried (and enjoyed) the 14-year old official Clynelish, then there's a large gap in price before you hit most of the cask strength independent bottlings - and then there's another very large gap in price before you hit the higher-strength official bottlings. So this is something of a mid-way point, and it's a refreshing experience to try this youthful, bright & fresh expression of Clynelish. Some will probably baulk at the idea of paying more for a younger whisky at a similar strength, but when you want to get to know a distillery you need to try different examples at different ages, to see it from different angles. That's just part of the fun, and in many cases the younger whiskies will actually come out on top! 

Cheers!

Bruichladdich 1990/25 Whisky Review!

A travel-exclusive 25-year old sherry-finished Bruichladdich that was bottled back in 2016, but is still readily available. Unlike many of these 'travel exclusive' bottlings, it's a bit of a hidden gem!

Unlike most of the Scottish distilleries, Bruichladdich seem to actually put some effort in to their travel retail / duty-free exclusive offerings. In fact I'd say they're well & truly leading the curve. From the excellent Port Charlotte CC01, to the expensive but generally-delicious _.2 Octomore releases (particularly 7.2 and 10.2 if you ask me), and the fantastic and underrated Laddie Eight, Bruichladdich's releases stand out in the sea of glitzy packaging containing very forgettable whiskies that can be found in most of the world's airports. As frustrating as it can be for those of us who don't often travel internationally (which is probably most of the world this year!), these releases do give us something to look forward to when those rare occasions come along, or when a friend or family member is willing to play 'mule' with their duty-free allowance. At the moment there'll be plenty of whisky gathering dust in near-empty airport terminals, and a sizeable portion of it won't be missed, but in a few cases that's a bit of a tragedy! It'll be interesting to see how 2020 affects the emphasis that many brands put on this market, particularly those that work on exclusive releases that will have stopped on a dime with the current and recent restrictions on international travel and post-travel quarantine requirements. Maybe in the interim distributors can do some lateral thinking and release some of that stock to the general market. Bruichladdich's Australian distributor has done that with the aforementioned Laddie Eight, using it to fill the hole in their line-up when they sold through their entry-level Laddie Classic. The Eight actually comes in slightly cheaper than the Classic, and it's also the better whisky if you ask me, so get on to that one if you're a 'laddie fan! Let's hope that starts to happen with some more of these currently-neglected bottlings. 

Back to today's subject, a 1990 vintage, 25-year old sherried Bruichladdich! 1990s Bruichladdich is becoming more scarce, last seen in 2013's Black Art 4.1 and now only in one of the extremely expensive 'Rare Cask Series'. The now much-loved Islay distillery was owned by Invergordon at the time, which became part of Whyte & Mackay a few years later, and it had suffered under their ownership, to the point where the distillery had been thoroughly neglected and production had slowed to a crawl before it was canned altogether in 1995 with the distillery's closure. Bruichladdich was famously rescued six years later by Mark Reynier's consortium, and the purchase included a significant amount of dormant maturing stock, although it had also been neglected by the previous owners. A huge amount of cask finishings (particularly wine casks) and limited editions were spearheaded by Mark, Jim McEwan and team, and the bottling that we're looking at here was no different. There are two separate parts to its maturation; Part one consisted of 17-year old refill bourbon casks that were transferred to first-fill French red wine casks for five years, before being transferred into first-fill PX sherry casks for a further four years. The second part consisted of 18-year old refill sherry casks that were then transferred into first-fill Oloroso sherry casks for seven years. So like many of its ilk this old Bruichladdich has had a typically complicated upbringing! The proportions of each part haven't been declared, but regardless it's certainly worked in this whisky's favour! Those final sherry casks were sourced from Bruichladdich's preferred sherry bodega, the widely-acclaimed Fernando de Castilla that is situated right in the heart of Jerez in southern Spain. 

Properly sherry-influenced Bruichladdich official bottlings are few & far between, since the distillery tends to prefer wine casks and different types of fortified wine casks. But when you do find an example, they can be utterly brilliant - for example, this Friends of Bruichladdich single cask bottling, and Elements of Islay Br7 from the independent bottlers, which were both outstanding. Both of those were fully-matured in Oloroso casks though, so this 1990/25 will be very interesting, being finished in both PX and Oloroso casks, and for substantial lengths of time - more of an extra-maturation rather than a finishing really. This whisky was limited to 6,000 bottles and was bottled back in 2016, but is still readily available from the usual duty-free outlets - at least in Australia. Bottling strength for this one was 48.1% ABV, and there's no mention of whether that was the full natural cask strength, but it could well be given the age and the number of casks it's been through. Naturally (pun intended) it's non-chill filtered and naturally coloured, as is the case with everything Bruichladdich bottle. Pricing is quite reasonable at $590 AUD, which is significantly lower than many similar aged single malts - at decent bottling strengths - these days, but you'll obviously need to travel internationally to get the chance to pick one up - which is a real shame. The sample for this review came from a generous mate who brought this bottle along to a session to help celebrate his own birthday, and it went down a treat!

Bruichladdich 1990/25, 25-year old, 48.1%. Islay, Scotland.

Distilled 1990, part one matured in refill bourbon casks for 17 years, then first-fill red wine casks for 5 years, then first-fill PX sherry casks for 4 years. Part two matured in refill sherry casks for 18 years, then first-fill Oloroso sherry casks for 7 years. Non-chill filtered, natural colour. Travel exclusive, 6,000 bottles. 

Colour: Dark bronze. 

Nose: Deep, fruity & dank. Thick grape must, roasted hazelnuts and rich dark chocolate mousse. Baked red apples, brown sugar crystals and orange zest. A little vinegary, sour rancio mustiness (cured pork), some dank old oak and dark toffee. Hints of chewy mint lollies, sour lemon boiled sweets and sea salt in the background. Dried tea leaves and old soft leather further in. Takes time to unfold (even after a 15-minute wait), but it's absolutely worth the time & effort. 

Texture: Rich, fruity & decadent. Medium weight, gentle silky texture, no heat at all. 

Taste: A little aged balsamic vinegar to start, then rich sweet rancio (almost dirty) sherry, orange peel and roasted hazelnut. Loads of dark chocolate mousse, sour dried fruit (think plum, black cherry & apricot with a couple of bits of lemon & orange peel) and a little vanilla cream. Tobacco, soft leather and bitter tea leaves. A little sugared (vienna) almond and a little soft ginger heading into the finish. 

Finish: Medium-long length. Chocolate orange, rich vanilla cream, more aged balsamic vinegar and dark grape must. A little sea salt drying things out, some dark chewy toffee - from brown sugar, with a couple of dried sour raspberries and roasted nuts thrown in to the mix. Turning slightly herbal (dried herbs) and earthy. 

Score: 4.5 out of 5. 

Notes: Delicious dram! It's a musty, dank and deep Bruichladdich, but that sweet, floral and citrus-y spirit is still there in parts, so the sherry casks haven't completely stolen the show. There's a lovely decadent richness to this 'laddie that makes for an excellent dessert dram, or maybe a cigar malt if you're that way inclined, and it demands that you take your time with it. This is not a whisky to be rushed! And it's worth every bit of that time and effort - particularly on the nose. Just goes to show how different a sherry-driven older Bruichladdich can be, and how well it can work! This one is going on my list for the next duty-free / travel retail shopping opportunity. 

It offers very good value compared to a lot of the more recent 25-year old single malts too that have skyrocketed in price over the last year or two. But since this is a 'duty-free' bottling maybe that's not a fair comparison. Still, it's saddening to think of these 25-year old Bruichladdichs that are gathering dust in the quiet, shadowy corners of the nation's duty-free stores at the moment. Let's hope some of them see the light of day before long!

Cheers!