The Cask Whisperer Bruichladdich Amarone Cask Whisky Review!

Another private cask from Bruichladdich Distillery? Sure, why not! This one is a little different, though...

Like my previous review of the Octomore Farm 9-year old Octomore, this is a private cask bottling that was distilled at Bruichladdich. But while that Octomore came from James Brown's private stash, this one is a little different. This private cask belonged to "The Cask Whisperer", which was a nickname for the legendary Jim McEwan after he picked up a reputation for talking to maturing casks of whisky on a regular basis. Whisky warehouses can be cold, dank, almost spooky places, so I don't think we can blame him for a little anthropomorphism (there's your word of the day) during those long days on the shores of Loch Indaal. For those who aren't aware, Jim has worked in the whisky industry for over 55 years, and was a vital part of the team that resurrected Bruichladdich Distillery back in 2001. He officially left Bruichladdich in 2015 after the distillery's sale to Remy Cointreau, and technically retired, although he's since been heavily involved in the creation of Islay's latest addition and ninth operating distillery, Ardnahoe, and a few other consultancy roles since - including a gin distillery here in Australia. We should all be thankful that he hasn't disappeared altogether, and it's no surprise either, he still lives next door to the distillery!

It would seem that he had quite the stash of private casks slumbering away in those cold, dank warehouses on Islay, and the first release of "The Cask Whisperer" featured six single cask bottlings: two Bruichladdichs, two heavily peated Port Charlottes, and two super-heavily peated Octomores. As you might have guessed, wine & sherry casks feature heavily in these six bottlings, but none were merely finished in said casks, they were all fully matured, and all were first-fill casks, meaning they last held their previous contents and haven't previously been used for whisky maturation. And of course all were bottled at cask strength and without chill filtration or added colouring. I couldn't tell you why, but they were bottled and distributed by a Swiss liquor merchant by the name of Reto, proprietor of the Whisky Newmarkt shop in Zurich. All six bottlings were released in April 2019, and as you might expect they're extremely difficult to get a hold of if you're located outside of Europe. There's a glaring difference in the label details from what we've come to expect from recent Bruichladdich official bottlings - the wine varieties, and in some cases the wine makers themselves, are named right there on the labels in plain language. No need for any confusing acronyms, subtle hints or vague descriptions here!

This particular Cask Whisperer bottling is a nine-year old unpeated Bruichladdich that was fully matured in an Amarone Italian wine cask. Amarone is a dry red wine produced in the Valpolicella region of Verona in Northern Italy, roughly halfway between Milan and Venice. The word Amarone actually translates to "the great bitter" (amaro meaning bitter), and the grapes are traditionally air-dried for around four months before crushing, and are dry fermented for up to 50 days - meaning there are no residual sugars left in the wine. They're typically aged for a minimum of five years and usually in French oak, so we can assume that to be the case here. This single cask was distilled in 2009 and yielded 349 bottles at a cask strength of 51.9% in 2019, and while it sells for around $180 AUD from the aforementioned shop in Switzerland, that obviously excludes international shipping and local customs charges. I was lucky enough to grab a sample of this whisky from an Australian whisky lover who was residing in Switzerland at the time these bottlings were released, and it's very safe to say that I would never have seen one otherwise! Let's see how it goes...

The Cask Whisperer Bruichladdich 9-year old, 51.9%. Islay, Scotland.
Jim McEwan's private cask, distilled 2009, fully matured in a single Amarone wine cask, bottled 2019. Non-chill filtered, natural colour, 349 bottles. Distributed by Whisky Neumarkt in Zurich.

Colour: Amber.

Nose: Interesting! A nice mix of mild 'laddie lactic sweetness & malty-ness and dry, sour wine and oak. Slightly yeasty, with musty & sour red grapes, a little tannin, and some dusty golden malt hiding behind it.

Texture: Medium weight, richly flavoured but dry overall. Very little heat.

Taste: Much less wine-forward here, with a nice toasty, malty sweetness, and a surprising touch of wood ash too - maybe due to cask charring? A bit of spice and wine tannin again as well, but they're subtle and quite pleasant - and I'm no wine lover by any means.

Finish: Medium length. Buttery & spicy oak, more light wine tannins. A little yeasty too, almost like a subtle Vegemite / yeast extract funky-ness that is very enjoyable. More musty red grapes and a bit of chilli flake spice to finish.

Score: 3.5 out of 5.

Notes: A tasty dram, of course! It does remind me of some of the older Bruichladdich bottlings that I've tasted, particularly the WMD II Yellow Submarine, but there's more character and more balance in this private single cask bottling. In fact this Cask Whisperer is very well balanced, despite being fully-matured in a first-fill wine cask, with both cask & distillery character showing through at different times. That shouldn't be a surprise of course, we all know that Jim McEwan was and still is a true master of his craft, and he wouldn't release a sub-standard cask with his name printed on the label. It's an honour to taste one of the legend's private casks, and it's a great move of his to sell them on. There have been plenty of private casks and independent bottlings of Bruichladdich over the years, but none of them came from the distillery's master distiller himself!

If memory serves this is only the second Amarone cask single malt that I've tasted, and the first was a cask-finished Arran, so there's no comparison really. Nonetheless this one is very enjoyable, and I'm not a red wine fan by any means, so it's been very well done. Bravo as usual Jim, and thanks for all of your hard work over the last 55+ years!

Cheers!

Belgrove 'Any Port In A Storm' Rye Whisky Review!

One of my all-time favourite Tasmanian whisky producers, who is responsible for my favourite non-malted barley whisky, in this case with a little help from my all-time favourite Tasmanian whisky producer, Heartwood. Exciting stuff!

Belgrove is a tiny Tasmanian farm distillery located just outside the town of Kempton, about 45 minute's drive north of Hobart. Situated in a small stone building on mad scientist / farmer proprietor Peter Bignell's family farm, Belgrove is easily one of the world's most sustainable distilleries, if not the most sustainable. From making his own bio-diesel for use both on the farm and at the distillery, and growing his own rye grain on said farm, to direct-firing his still with the used fryer oil from local food outlets, and using water from the farm's own dam or collected from the roofs of the distillery & farm buildings, with any subsequent waste water then recycled and put to use on the farm. Oh, and the spent grain is then fed to the farm's sheep after distillation, who provide fertiliser for the crops in return. Peter also made his own copper pot still, and re-coopers, toasts and chars his own casks, and is a keen sand- and ice-sculptor in his spare time. He has a degree in agricultural science, and has also studied physics, chemistry and microbiology. The term 'multi-talented' doesn't quite cover it, so "mad scientist" will have to do! I've covered the distillery in more detail here, following my inaugural visit to Belgrove back in 2016, and it is an experience that I cannot recommend highly enough. This is not a polished or rehearsed corporate visitor's experience, this is a no-frills working farm distillery that is absolutely unique, and you'll see, learn and taste - and be able to buy - things at Belgrove that you absolutely will not find anywhere else. Just make sure you email ahead to schedule your visit, as all tours are by appointment only.

While he does dabble in single malt whisky and a number of other spirits - from a white spirit distilled from ginger beer named Ginger Hammer, to experimental rye whiskies where the rye was smoked with sheep dung, or where the cask itself was smoked with peat rather than the grain, and many others - rye whisky is Peter's main focus. Although a couple of mainland distilleries have since followed suit, for quite some time Belgrove was producing Australia's only rye whisky, and this is still the only distillery in Australia to grow, malt (where applicable), mill, mash and ferment their own rye on site, which is also then distilled, matured and finally bottled on site. And as you can probably guess, nothing here is chill filtered or artificially coloured, or mucked with in any way. These whiskies and the other Belgrove spirits have the sustainability, terroir and "trace-ability" that larger distilleries can only dream of! While American rye whiskeys such as Rittenhouse and Michter's are only legally required to be made from at least 51% rye grain, with corn, wheat and/or barley making up the balance, Belgrove's rye whiskies are made from 100% rye, generally all malted in Peter's converted industrial tumble-dryer. Likewise American rye whiskeys are required to be matured in virgin oak casks, while Belgrove is almost unlimited in that regard. Each release is as unique, funky and quirky as the distillery itself - and the man behind it. I'm not a fan of bourbon or corn whiskey / whisky, generally finding it too sweet and too woody, while I find rye whiskey / whisky to be more up my alley thanks to the spicy and often earthy notes that the rye grain imparts, generally with less sweetness and less overt impact from virgin oak. Belgrove's rye whiskies have without doubt been some of the best that I've ever tasted, and are a big step apart from your typical American rye whiskey. And also from the other Australian rye whiskies, for that matter - to date, none of those have been made from 100% rye.

The majority of Peter's rye whiskies are aged in ex-malt whisky casks, from 50- to 200-litres in capacity, sourced from other Tasmanian distilleries such as Lark, Overeem, Old Kempton (formerly Redlands Estate) and Sullivan's Cove, among others. Others are matured in Australian wine casks, such as Pinot Noir or Shiraz. But this particular Belgrove rye whisky has been matured in something very special. Regular readers won't be surprised to hear that I'm a huge fan of Tasmania's Heartwood, one of Australia's few independent bottlers, and the cream of the crop in my opinion. I've visited the mad alchemist "Mr. H" a few times now (see here and here for more details), as well as reviewing nine of his whiskies so far with a tenth not far away - quite possibly more than any other whisky blog. This Belgrove rye whisky has been matured in an ex-Heartwood malt whisky cask, specifically the cask used for the 'Any Port in a Storm' blended malt (reviewed here) that was released back in 2015. That very tasty whisky was a mix of 95% 15-year old Sullivan's Cove and 5% 7-year old Lark single malt, and had been fully-matured in first-fill ex-port casks. So this is essentially a Belgrove rye whisky that has been matured in a second-fill port cask that previously held Tasmanian malt whisky, but the fact that the previous contents were a Heartwood whisky immediately put that cask on a different level. This is actually the second Belgrove rye whisky to be matured in an ex-Heartwood cask, with the first being bottled in mid-2018 which was matured in the sherry cask used to finish / marry Heartwood's "Release the Beast" that was bottled in 2014. This particular Belgrove, from the ex-Heartwood Any Port in a Storm cask, was bottled in November 2019, which puts it in the range of 3-4 years of age, at a cask strength of 62.7% ABV. At the time of writing it's surprisingly still available for purchase from Belgrove's website for $230 AUD, and also for $240 AUD from The Old Barrelhouse - the source of the picture below. The sample for this review came from a fellow whisky geek, and fellow Belgrove fan. Let's get to it!

Belgrove Rye Whisky, ex-Heartwood cask. NAS, 62.7%. Tasmania, Australia.
Distilled from 100% rye grain, grown on Belgrove's own farm. Matured in ex-Heartwood 'Any Port in a Storm' malt whisky cask for 3-4 years. Cask strength, non-chill filtered, natural colour.

Colour: Medium gold.

Nose: Minty, sweet and spicy. Dry rye spicy-ness, and some dank old stone buildings with packed earth floors. Some honey, sweet mint, and sweet stone fruit - apricots and nectarines in spiced honey. More dry spice and sweet fruit. There's a little alcohol nip, but it's a young whisky at nearly 63%, so that's to be expected.

Texture: Medium-heavy weight, rich & fatty. A slight heat, but not excessive for the strength.

Taste: More sweet stone fruit in honey, then a flash of mint before the dry rye spice comes through. Dry, lightly toasted rye bread with a few spices - ginger & all-spice - mixed in, and a little fresh chilli.

Finish: Long length. The raw chilli carries through, then the spices and toasted rye bread return, followed by that dank, earthy, dusty, old stone walled farm building - which is exactly where this whisky was matured. Some woody cologne, roasted nuts - peri peri peanuts, and honey behind the spicy rye grain.

Score: 4 out of 5.

Notes: Very good stuff. In more ways than one, Belgrove is Australia's Springbank. With those dank (dunnage warehouse) notes, the grain (rye) character, and the texture and character showing through nicely. This whisky takes you straight back to the distillery, that old, dirty stone building on the working farm in the middle of Tasmania. Right through to the smell of the farm, the rye mash, and the dusty old bond store (warehouse). Excellent stuff, and the unique and incredible story behind it just adds to the experience. This particular Belgrove is delicious. Yes, it's a little raw, but for a young whisky at nearly 63% it's full of depth and character that many significantly-older whiskies can't manage. I'd say the ex-Heartwood cask has added a bit of extra sweetness and stone fruit, but don't go looking for any overt port cask influence - which is no criticism by any means. It's allowed the character of the spirit itself to shine through, and all the better for it. Great stuff Peter!

The previous ex-Heartwood cask Belgrove rye (the ex-Release the Beast cask) had more overt cask influence and more complexity, and was a little less "raw", but that just makes for a different experience. You'd be hard-pressed to find any Australian whisky - rye or otherwise - that is this unique, and that shows this level of character.  And when you remember the who, where and how of its production, this is one absolutely unique Tasmanian whisky experience. If you haven't tried a Belgrove whisky before, and you don't mind a quirky, flavoursome and characterful dram, you need to track one down. And if you're heading to Tasmania any time soon, you'll need to setup a distillery visit. Just make sure you have some luggage space to spare!

Cheers!

Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old Whisky Review!

A reasonably priced 15-year old single malt from an often-overlooked Highland distillery - although it could also pass for Speyside geographically. My first time trying it too!

Dalwhinnie, pronounced "dell-winny" and derived from the Gaelic for "meeting place", has to be one of the prettiest malt distilleries in Scotland. But that's not really down to the buildings themselves, but to its location in the village of the same name. Dalwhinnie sits at the south-western end of the strikingly beautiful and very dramatic Cairngorms National Park and the Grampian mountains, just over an hour's drive south of Inverness. The scenery in the area is absolutely stunning, with massive mountain ranges, often sporting snow caps, waterfalls and very little intrusive human development. Apart from the A9, at least, which is the main highway from the Highlands to the South of Scotland, and also of course the distillery. Dalwhinnie Distillery is owned by Diageo and is one of their six "Classic Malts", with this 15-year old expression being the flagship bottling, joined by an Oloroso sherry-finished 'Distillers Edition' and the controversial 'Winter's Gold' expression - controversial because it's recommended to be served very chilled - "straight from the freezer, and in a chilled glass". Although that might be intended to bring the whisky down to the ambient temperatures at the distillery - it can be bitterly cold at almost any time of year, and is also three hundred metres above sea level. I haven't tasted that last one myself so I'll reserve judgement, but there are certainly a growing number of Scotch whiskies that are "designed" to be served chilled, and this was one of the first. That said, even the flagship 15-year old that we're looking at today is said to be "great when chilled". A good choice for the Australian summer, then? I won't be testing that out, though.

Dalwhinnie's main claim to fame is their worm tub condensers, a more traditional type of spirit condenser which results in a weighty and more sulphurous (meaty / vegetal) new make spirit, which sit directly in front of the distillery, basically in the car park. Thankfully they're elevated and shielded to protect them from rented campervans and confused tourists. Interestingly - and tellingly - in 1986 they actually removed the worm tubs and replaced them with modern shell & tube condensers, but the spirit was affected so dramatically that they switched back to worm tubs in 1995 - albeit with a slightly more modern design than the originals. Normally a distillery's condensers would be found inside or at the back of the still house, and certainly not visible from the main regional highway, but Dalwhinnie was built to face the now-defunct railway line and not said road, and the lyne arms coming from their single pair of pot stills actually run through the roof before connecting with the condensers. The distillery was founded in 1897 but was originally named Strathspey, then being re-named under new ownership only a year later. Just as well too, because aside from being the name of a small village on the south-western coast of Scotland, Strathspey is also a term often used to refer to the centre of the Speyside region and the upper part of the River Spey, which although technically in the same region is not particularly close to Dalwhinnie. So I'd say they avoided some future confusion by renaming the distillery after the village that it calls home.

The distillery actually uses very lightly peated malt in its production, much like northern stablemate Clynelish, and likewise you'll struggle to find any discernible influence in the finished product, particularly after 15 years of maturation. That may seem like a fairly high age for an entry level expression, and in today's whisky world it certainly is, but that is partly explained by two factoids: one, that the heavier, sulphurous new make spirit produced by those plain stills and their worm tub condensers can take a little longer to mellow and mature, and two, that the cold conditions at the distillery - and the externally-located condensers - mean that with the sharp drop in temperautre the spirit vapours rapidly condense back into liquid, resulting in even less copper contact during that crucial part of the process. Which is probably why those temporary shell & tube condensers had such a negative and marked effect on the spirit. Much like the other Diageo "Classic Malts" Dalwhinnie 15-year old has almost no information available on the type of casks that it was matured in. Aside from the age, the strength and the fact that it's a single malt Scotch whisky, you won't find any real details out there. That lack of transparency usually means that it has been matured in ex-bourbon casks, most likely refill, and it is of course chill filtered and artificially coloured. Points must be given though for the slightly higher bottling strength of 43% ABV, rather than the legal minimum of 40%, particularly with this being the entry level Dalwhinnie expression. It's also a reasonably priced malt for its age, at around $95 AUD on Australian shelves. Let's give it a shot!

Dalwhinnie 15-year old, 43%. Highlands, Scotland.
Presumably matured in refill ex-bourbon casks, no information available. Chill filtered, artificially coloured.

Colour: Gold. Probably not a huge amount of colouring added in fact, which is nice.

Nose: Hmm, like a cross between Clynelish & Craigellachie. Rich honey, But not overtly sweet, red apples, and a little dusty vegetal note - that'd be those worm tubs, then! Some light mint around the edges, with dried bitter lemon and dried flowers (potpourri). Dried herbs (sage?) and a little gravy powder come through with more time.

Texture: Light weight, dry, vegetal and lightly spicy. More Craigellachie than Clynelish now. No heat at all.

Taste: More savoury honey and dried bitter lemon, some drying wood spices too - think powdered cinnamon and powdered ginger, plus a little cayenne pepper. More dried flowers around the edges, along with that dusty vegetal note.

Finish: Short length. More spice - particularly powdered ginger now, and that dried bitter lemon, along with some burnt toffee and a little lime juice under that savoury honey and bitter root vegetables.

Score: 2.5 out of 5.

Notes: A perfectly enjoyable dram, and it's not the typical Speyside style that we expect from the region so it's definitely more suited to the Highland classification that they've given the distillery. The nose did remind me of both Clynelish and Craigellachie, but the Clynelish had disappeared by the time it landed on the palate, it was more Craigellachie there but with more dryness and less weight. Which makes for a very easy drinking dram, without it being too boring in character. It all falls over in the finish though, the ABV doesn't help of course and it just doesn't have the staying power. It's a pleasant and interesting experience though, and I can actually see it working well on the rocks (ice) like they suggest. And I wouldn't say that about many drams, so maybe there's something to their claims. Even as it is it hit the spot quite nicely on this hot & humid summer's day.

For the price it's a reasonable offering, but it's almost exactly the same price as the Clynelish 14-year old and only a few dollars less than Craigellachie 13-year old, both of which are bottled at 46% and have more of a presence on the palate and finish. There was a 30-year old cask strength Dalwhinnie in 2019's Special Releases from Diageo, so I think I'll need to get my hands on a dram of that for my next Dalwhinnie experience - since it'll be over $1,200 AUD I don't have the disposable income to buy a bottle, and there are hardly any independent bottlings to be found.

Cheers!

Springbank 12 Claret Wood Whisky Review!

A red wine finished cask strength Springbank, with a pretty serious colour, bottled nearly 10 years ago. If memory serves this is actually one of the oldest Springbank bottlings (by bottling date) that I've tasted so far, which is very exciting!

This Springbank is - or rather was - part of the fleeting and much-celebrated old "Wood Finish" series of bottlings which has undergone a change in both concept (from cask finishing to full-term maturation) and packaging in the last couple of years. The contemporary bottlings, with their updated packaging and move to full maturation, were a 12-year old Burgundy cask matured, a 14-year old Bourbon cask matured, and the recent 15-year old Rum cask matured, which have all been very tasty. But this is one of the "old school" bottlings from the previous generation of releases, sporting the old hand-written-style brown labels and very basic packaging. Many of the more exotic cask finishings in this series were one-offs, and this is one of them: a 12-year old cask strength Springbank that was matured for nine years in refill ex-bourbon casks, and finished for three years in first-fill Claret red wine casks. Despite their traditional outward appearance and small production output, Springbank certainly aren't afraid of experimentation, and even in today's veritable ocean of cask finishings a red wine-finished Campbeltown malt is not something you see very often. That said, with only three distilleries in the town you'd have to expect that! It's always interesting to see how Springbank's dirty, funky, farmyard-y malt works with these exotic cask types, especially so for myself in this case since I'm generally not a fan of most non-fortified wines, particularly the red variety. Although the Burgundy cask-matured expression that I mentioned above was very delicious, and I'm a huge Springbank fan, so there's no real danger here!

What is undeniably traditional with this distillery is their production methods, since this is one of the very few distilleries in Scotland, and indeed the world, where every step of the process - sans the growing of the barley itself - happens on site. From floor-malting 100% of their barley requirements, to milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling, maturing and bottling, it all happens on the distillery grounds. Some of that floor-malted barley also goes fifty metres down the road to Campbeltown's third distillery, Glengyle, to produce their Kilkerran single malts. Both distilleries are privately owned, along with independent bottler Cadenhead's, by J&A Mitchell & Company. Being a Springbank single malt, this is the lightly peated (12-15 ppm) and 2.5-times distilled spirit from the distillery, as opposed to the un-peated and triple-distilled Hazelburn, and the heavily peated (50-55 ppm) and double-distilled Longrow. That 2.5-times distillation, in very basic terms, is derived from a portion of the low wines (the result of the first distillation) being distilled three times, while the remainder is only distilled twice before being directed to the spirit receiver. Springbank spirit makes up around 80% of the distillery's total production each year, with Hazelburn & Longrow spirits halving the remaining 20% between them. When you consider the distillery's total annual production capacity of just 750,000 litres of spirit (with actual production being under that), it certainly helps to remind you just how small this operation is, and how little Hazelburn and Longrow is actually out there!

One interesting thing here is that Claret isn't actually its own wine variety. It's a generic (largely-British) term for the red wines either coming from, or simply made in the style of, the Bordeaux region of south-western France. So these casks could have held any of the main grape varieties used in the region, most likely Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc, or a blend of different grapes, or they've simply held wine that was similar in style to those varieties. Either way they've definitely had a big effect on this single malt, both in colour and flavour! This Claret Wood Springbank was distilled in May 1997 and bottled back in February 2010, at a cask strength of 54.4% ABV, with an out-turn of 9,360 bottles. Naturally it's non-chill filtered and naturally coloured, as is the case with everything the distillery produces. Since this is not an easy whisky to find these days, being bottled a decade ago, the sample for this review came from a swap with a fellow whisky nerd. Let's do this!

Springbank Claret Wood, 12-year old, 54.4%. Campbeltown, Scotland.
Distilled 5/97, matured for nine years in refill ex-bourbon casks, finished for three years in first-fill Claret (Bordeaux) red wine casks, bottled 2/2010. Non-chill filtered, natural colour, 9,360 bottles.

Colour: Very dark amber, with rust-red tinges.

Nose: Sweet, musty & grape-y. Red apple skins, nutmeg and cinnamon, with sweet spearmint around the edges. Oily wood polish, musty dark grapes, and a little muddy peat. Some sweet stone fruit in syrup and some soft old leather further in. 

Texture: Medium-heavy weight, quite thick and reasonably oily. Some heat to it.

Taste: Not nearly as sweet as the nose suggested. More musty red grapes, a little hot ash, and a welcome dose of the Springbank "funk" dunnage warehouse note. Muddy peat again, and a pinch of chilli salt. The apple skins, wood spices and stone fruit are there too, but they've receded. A touch of chocolate mousse in the background too.

Finish: Long length. More wood spice, chilli salt and leather. The stone fruit follows through, but it's not sweet here, while the grapes are there too but they're in the background now. Leather, more wood spice and a few old cherries winding up.

Score: 3.5 out of 5.

Notes: Very tasty, and a bit of an outlier for Springbank - I can't say I've ever tasted one like it, and that includes the 12-year old Burgundy release from a few years ago. In fact aside from the trademark dunnage 'funk' and muddy peat notes I don't think I'd pick it as a Springbank at all. Although the empty glass does tell a different story - as is often the case. None of that is a negative though, it's just a different style compared to what I'd expected. Which is the name of the game, after all. There's still plenty of flavour and plenty of character on offer, but given the choice, I think I'd be reaching for the 'regular' 12-year old Cask Strength over this one. There's just more Springbank and Campbeltown DNA on show there, regardless of the batch number.

Still, this Claret Wood finish is (or was) a great opportunity to see a different style of Springbank to what we may expect. And thankfully the wine cask influence wasn't too intrusive. Springbank are never one to rest on their laurels, and whiskies like this just keep proving that point.

Cheers!

Talisker 8 Year Old Whisky Review!

This would have to be the highlight of the 2018 Special Releases from Diageo. Especially when you factor in the affordable pricing and excellent value for money.

A cask strength Talisker is not something you see everyday, even among independent bottlings - which are also quite rare. Rarer again is a cask strength official bottling with an age statement, and one that tells you the specific type of cask/s that it was matured in. Yes, there's the distillery's enjoyable 57 North expression, but that's a non-age statement malt that is not bottled at its full cask strength, and is artificially coloured, and doesn't mention what cask type/s it's matured in. In typical Diageo fashion (looking at you, Lagavulin 12-year old) this 8-year old Talisker doesn't specifically tell us that it is non-chill filtered and/or natural colour, but both looking at it and subsequently tasting it will quickly convince you that it has been spared these travesties. Talisker of course tends to be extensively chill filtered and even more extensively artificially coloured in almost all of its offical bottlings, which are usually bottled at 45.8% - even their 25-year old release, which was last bottled at cask strength back in 2010. Since it's no longer the only operational malt distillery on the Isle of Skye, having been joined by newcomer Torabhaig in late 2017, it's refreshing to see a naturally presented Talisker enjoying some time in the spotlight and joining the ranks of these highly-anticipated annual releases. In fact there's a 15-year old Talisker, again at natural cask strength, coming with the 2019 Special Releases that debuted recently in Europe. And if this 8-year old release is anything to go by, that'll be very sought after.

I first encountered this 8-year old Talisker during my pilgrimage to Scotland in 2018. I had seen quite a bit of fanfare on social media, along with very positive feedback, and in the lead-up to the trip I was beginning to worry that I had already missed out. It was a bit of a surprise release really, since this was the first Talisker to be included in the annual 'Special Releases' program since its inception back in 2001. Even more surprising was the age statement (something not always seen in the Special Releases), and the clearly stated "natural cask strength". Diageo aren't afraid of releasing younger whiskies with single-digit age statements these days, and they should be commended for it. Every now and then we all need reminding that older whisky is not better whisky, and in my opinion in many cases the opposite is more accurate. So when I was lucky enough to find one of the last bottles in stock (and I had to ask) at The Whisky Exchange in London, I didn't hesitate. I was then lucky enough to taste it a few days later at Edinburgh's excellent The Black Cat bar, and immediately knew that I should've brought two bottles, before reality set in and I realised that I still had a lot of distillery visits ahead of me. Thankfully Diageo Australia came through a few months ago and finally put some of this excellent single malt on the physical & digital shelves down under, and at roughly the same price that I had paid in London almost a year prior. For reference, that was around $125 AUD including the VAT but without the Australian customs charges and GST taken into account, while when imported officially it was generally retailing for $129 on the Australian shelves. An absolute bargain for a whisky of this calibre. Once again I didn't hesitate, and finally picked up that second bottle!

This medium-peated (to around 20 ppm) single malt from the Isle of Skye was distilled in 2009, aged for eight years in first-fill deep-charred American oak ex-bourbon casks, and was bottled in 2018 at a cask strength of 59.4%. I must admit that the deep-charred American oak maturation (but not the first-fill bit) did briefly concern me, because the remainder is reminiscent of both the very lacklustre Talisker Game of Thrones / House Greyjoy bottling and the travel retail-exclusive Dark Storm, which didn't blow my socks off. But I shouldn't have worried, because this 8-year old cask strength expression is on an entirely different level. The age of this whisky isn't as random as it may seem, by the way. It's actually a nod to the 8-year old Talisker that was a big part of the distillery's core range, and a precursor to the 10-year old in fact, that was around in the 1980s. But that one wasn't cask strength, and it was most likely chill filtered and artificially coloured. Rumour has it there were only 4,680 bottles released of this cask strength Talisker, which is a very small number in the worldwide scheme of things. A far smaller number made it to Australia of course, and they're all sold out - unless you want to pay secondary market prices, of course. Again, Diageo Australia need to be commended for setting such reasonable pricing on this whisky. Now I'm actually wishing I had bought a third bottle...

Talisker 8-Year old Cask Strength, 59.4%. Isle of Skye, Scotland.
2018 Special Releases. Distilled 2009, matured in first-fill deep-charred ex-bourbon barrels, bottled 2018. Non-chill filtered and naturally coloured. 4,680 bottles.

Colour: Lemon-y gold.

Nose: Lovely. Sweet, citrus-y, lightly medicinal plus plenty of Talisker salt & pepper. Loads of charred sweet lemon, warm sand, vanilla custard ice cream and ground black pepper. There's also smoked salty bacon, chopped green chilli, almonds and a little grilled apricot.

Texture: Medium-weight, peppery, sweet and full-flavoured. Very little heat for nearly 60% at 8-years.

Taste: Also lovely. Loads of ground black pepper and a little table salt, more charred lemon & freshly chopped green chilli. A little briny musty-ness, more smoked bacon, plus some sweet oak and a hint of salted vanilla in the background.

Finish: Long length. Brine, that muddy musty-ness again, and more black pepper & lemon zest. A little shellfish-like briny sweetness, and more fresh green chilli. More smoked bacon, some salted almonds, grilled peach & apricot, and more salt & pepper.

Score: 4.5 out of 5. Especially once you factor in pricing.

Notes: Yes, that's a high score, but this whisky deserves it, it's singing. Very, very good stuff. One of the best Taliskers I've ever tasted. Actually, make that the best Talisker that I've ever tasted. I'm sure there'll be many of you out there that have tasted the old cask strength 25-year olds or bottlings from decades ago that will argue with that, but for an obtainable and affordable contemporary Talisker I can't see this being beaten easily. A really lovely peppery, briny & dry dram that shows what this under-utilised distillery is really capable of. That pepper, brine and green chilli note is something that I find in the better Taliskers, and it's here in spades in this 8-year old. Plus there's an almost Campbeltown-like musty & dirty-briny character to this dram that works very well with the pepper, chilli & lemon. If only Talisker had more chances to shine like it does here! Especially at such an affordable price.

The flavour, the character and the value for money that this 8-year old has to offer make it a real contender for BFYB (Bang For Your Buck) whisky of the year - in 2019, that is. I'd have no qualms lining this one up against the legendary Springbank 12-year old, Lavagulin 12-year old and Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength - which is really saying something. And none of those were $129 AUD. Bravo Diageo, we need plenty more like this - please & thank you!

Cheers!

Bruichladdich Golder Still Whisky Review!

An old & rare 23-year old Bruichladdich that was bottled over a decade ago and was distilled in my birth year. This one has been on my Bruichladdich bucket list for quite a while!

Bruichladdich Golder Still was the last of the "Still" trio of bottlings that were distilled in the 1980s and were released in series back in 2006, 2007 and 2008. All were unpeated and bottled at cask strength, and were named after both the colour of the whisky and as a nod to the cask types that had been used, with around 3,000-4,000 bottles released of each. First in the series was "Blacker Still", with an opaque black bottle, which was distilled in 1986 and was fully matured in first-fill Oloroso sherry casks before being bottled in 2006. The second was "Redder Still", with an opaque red bottle, which was distilled in 1984, matured in ex-bourbon casks for 20 years and finished in French red wine casks for around two years, before being bottled in 2007. The third, and the subject of this review, "Golder Still", with an opaque gold bottle, was fully matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks before being bottled in 2008. They weren't just any ex-bourbon casks though, they were experimental "dumpy" ex-bourbon hogshead casks that American cooperages played around with in the early 1980s. More of a squat puncheon shape than your typical American Standard Barrel, their shorter and wider shape provided a higher ratio of wood to spirit for increased wood contact. The idea doesn't seem to have caught on in the bourbon industry, but at least it gave us this delicious single malt! Bruichladdich's virtually-unpeated spirit from this era was a little different to the current cleaner, brighter style that we now know & love them for, but a fully-bourbon cask matured example from the distillery's time in the shadows is not something you see every day, so this should make for an interesting peek into the past. Two of the "pre-closure" examples that I've tasted have been during the distillery's outstanding warehouse tasting experiences on Islay, and they were both truly excellent.

It's important to remember that back in 2008 Bruichladdich had only been "reborn" for just over seven years, and prior to that it had been closed for almost eight. It was still privately owned then of course, and while their own spirit was definitely coming of age - the first Octomore was released late that year, and the excellent PC7 as well - the team was still largely relying on the stock that they had purchased from the previous owners as part of the deal. Many of the often quirky early releases were finished - or 'Additional Cask Enhanced' in 'laddie speak - in different casks to bring them up to scratch and help move them along, and they had famously exotic names and stories attached. The legendary trio of Jim McEwan, Mark Reynier and Duncan McGillivray were hard at work ensuring that this previously neglected Islay distillery stayed out of the darkness that they'd dragged it from, and they were already on their way to the phenomenal success that Bruichladdich enjoys today. All three of those legendary personalities are no longer directly involved with the distillery, but their legacy is undeniable - which makes tasting a Bruichladdich bottling of this era all the more special. Back then they did have a little more old stock to play with, even releasing the oldest Bruichladdich bottled to date - a 40-year old single cask, back in 2004, but a Bruichladdich distilled in the 1980s is still quite the rare thing. The recent "Rare Cask Series" releases, aside from being extremely expensive, are quite possibly some of the last casks from this era that we'll see released by the distillery. Ten years ago you could find a bottle of this Bruichladdich Golder Still for around $250 AUD, and in the last year or two it could still be found for around $550-600 on the secondary market. Those current "Rare Cask" releases from the distillery, distilled in the same era and aged a few years more, sell for around $1,400 AUD. And it's a similar story with the fabled Black Art bottlings. But that's just a sign of the times and of the boom that we're in, price records are being broken all the time, so we can't begrudge any distillery for wanting a high price for the last of their old stock. Suffice to say, if you managed to get one of these "Still" series of bottlings back then, you bagged yourself a serious bargain!

Distilled in 1984 and bottled in late 2008, Bruichladdich Golder Still was the largest release in the "Still" series, with 4,866 bottles leaving the distillery at a cask strength of 51.0% ABV. As with everything that Bruichladdich produce, it's non-chill filtered and naturally coloured. At 23-years of age, bourbon cask-matured and bottled over a decade ago it gives us a nice insight into a slightly different take on the distillery, which is not something to be taken lightly. The sample for this review came from a generous fellow whisky nerd, who was lucky enough to find a forgotten dusty bottle on a local store's shelves quite a few years ago now. The days of stumbling on to old dusty bottles like this seem to be long gone, unfortunately! Another sign of the times... Anyway, time for a dram!

Bruichladdich Golder Still, 23-year old, 51.0%. Islay, Scotland.
Distilled 1984, matured in first-fill ex-bourbon squat / dumpy hogsheads, bottled 11/2008. Cask strength, non-chill filtered, natural colour. 4,866 bottles.

Colour: Full gold.

Nose: Yes. The extra cask influence is apparent, with sweet toasted oak and loads of creamy vanilla custard. A little savoury honey as well. There's also spearmint, red & green apples, white pepper and a little sawdust. Ripe tropical fruit and dried lemon come through with more time.

Texture: Excellent. Medium weight. Syrupy, velvety & warming. No spirit-y heat at all.

Taste: Delicious. More red & green apples, creamy vanilla custard and a light golden syrup sweetness. Then white pepper and the toasted oak again. Some savoury honey, dried lemon again and a slight hint of salted liquorice.

Finish: Long length. Syrupy & sweet with ripe tropical fruit, spearmint lollies and white pepper balancing it out. A hint of the 'laddie lactic "funk" here too which is good news. Becomes a little dry then with more sawdust and mild white pepper under the syrup.

Score: 4.5 out of 5.

Notes: Really delicious. What a dram! There's definitely a notable wood influence, and 23 years in first-fill casks is a considerable length of time, but it's all worked beautifully for my tastes. The pepper, mint and liquorice have stopped things getting overly sweet, balancing everything out and adding extra complexity. It's interesting to see some of that 'laddie DNA (the tropical fruit & citrus, and that tasty lactic note) showing through as well, when you consider that this malt was distilled under Whyte & Mackay's ownership and has spent nearly a quarter of a century maturing in first-fill casks. There's no real downside here, from the nose to the finish, it all works beautifully. As we can usually expect from the team at Bruichladdich. What a showing!

This Golder Still was a real bargain at its original price, and if you can find it at a reasonable price on the secondary market, go for it. What a way to round out 2019! Now I need to get hold of a sample of Redder Still & Blacker Still to see how they compare. Never say never, and happy new year folks!


Cheers!

Glendronach 19 Year Old Single Cask Whisky Review!

A 19-year old Glendronach single Oloroso cask, cask #2406, distilled in 1991 and bottled back in 2011, as part of the fifth batch of SC releases. They're now up to Batch 17, so that's going back a while!

The Glendronach single cask bottlings have attained legendary status over the last few years. Unfortunately, the prices have increased massively as well, particularly for the older bottlings as you'd expect. In fact this Highland distillery's general popularity has exploded, alongside the current worldwide whisky boom, with the resulting pressure on their maturing stock demanding new and different expressions at younger ages or without an age statement. I'm not at all concerned by the latter, but some of those newer expressions are way outside the realm of what fans of the distillery would consider to be their house style. From a peated expression with no discernible sherry cask influence (reviewed here), to a spate of PX sherry or port cask-matured / finished releases - including a peated port finish - that are definitely not what you'd expect from Glendronach. They've also more recently introduced a couple of expressions bottled at 43% rather than the previous 46% baseline, including a couple that are travel retail / duty free exclusive. But all of that is just the reality of the current market, with the constantly increasing demand for sherry cask whisky and the subsequently increasing scarcity and prices of those casks creating a demand on supply that is not easy to fill. From Macallan to Aberlour to Highland Park and many more, almost all Scotch whisky distilleries that were previously famed for their sherry matured styles have had to change and adapt. And many have changed so much that they have lost a huge portion of their following in the enthusiast arena.

Thankfully that doesn't apply to Glendronach though, since they have re-released the much-loved 15-year old Revival expression (albeit with changes in cask recipe and overall style), and while becoming increasingly scarce the 18-year old Allardice and 21-year old Parliament can still be found for a reasonable price. A lot of that aforementioned pressure has been made all the worse thanks to the distillery being mothballed (closed) from 1996 to 2002. That meant that some of their age stated expressions contained stock that was significantly older than the stated minimum, which has of course now created more pressure on any older expressions. Looking at the 21-year old Parliament, an example bottled in 2019 must be at least 23 years of age, thanks to the distillery closure. Likewise the 18-year old Allardice, which if bottled in 2019 must also be at least 23 years of age, until the stock distilled after the distillery reopened finally comes of age in 2020. This was also the reason for the aforementioned 15-year old being discontinued for almost four years, only becoming available again in late 2018. All of this had distillery fans concerned about the future of Glendronach's single cask releases, which only worsened after the distillery was purchased by American spirits company Brown Forman in 2016, and the appointment of a new Master Distiller, Dr. Rachel Barrie, in early 2017. They shouldn't have worried, though, because each new batch of single cask releases seems to be larger than its predecessor, there are still older casks being released, and the last few batches have also included exotic cask types like port and virgin oak. So there doesn't seem to be any sign of the program slowing down, and Dr. Barrie is certainly not resting on her laurels. Which is good news!

This particular single cask expression was released before any of that had ever been imagined. Back in 2011 the distillery already had a significant following, largely thanks to then-Master Distiller Billy Walker (now looking after Glenallachie) who had purchased the distillery in 2008, but the entire whisky world was quite a different place - particularly in terms of pricing and popularity. This bottling was part of the fifth batch of releases, with the first batch released in 2009, and was distilled in 1991, when Glendronach's four pot stills were still direct-fired, and when they were still floor-malting a portion of their barley requirements on site - including a small amount of peat being thrown into the kiln. That malting floor was decommissioned in 1996, prior to the distillery closure, and the stills were converted to internal steam coils in 2005, a couple of years prior to it being sold by Pernod Ricard to the aforementioned Billy Walker, who I would argue actually resurrected the distillery properly. The bottling that we're looking at today is from Cask #2406, a Spanish Oloroso sherry butt (500-litre cask), which was bottled at a cask strength of 55.4% ABV. Interestingly it was bottled just one month shy of becoming 20 years of age, with a yield of 532 bottles, and is non-chill filtered and naturally coloured. The sample for this review came from a generous fellow whisky nerd. Incoming sherry bomb! 

Glendronach 19-year old Single Cask, #2406, 55.4%. Highlands, Scotland.
Distilled 11/1991, fully matured in a single Oloroso sherry butt, bottled 10/2011. Non-chill filtered, natural colour, 532 bottles.

Colour: Dark amber.

Nose: Sweet & spirit-y, lighter than expected as well. Sweet vanilla, dark chocolate, red apples, stewed peaches & plums, and a few dried cherries for good measure. A little leather, brown sugar and walnut with more breathing time.

Texture: Medium weight, sweet and syrupy but dries out quickly when a decent whack of spirit-y heat kicks in.

Taste: Not as sweet as the nose suggested, but still quite syrupy. More dark chocolate, more of a creamy chocolate mousse here, plus some brown sugar and black pepper. More red apple and some spicy wood notes with spirit-y heat fighting them back.

Finish: Medium length. The chocolate, apple and spicy wood notes carry through, but so does the spirit-y heat. Some more black pepper, leather and stone fruit further on, with a little toffee and more fruit trying to break through.

Score: 3.5 out of 5. But only just.

Notes: It's tasty, of course, but also certainly a little on the hot side, and certainly not as complex or satisfying as most sherry-matured Glendronachs of this age. Each of these single cask bottlings is unique, of course, which is all part of the fun, but this one isn't quite on the level of most that I've tried to date. There's plenty of chocolate and syrupy sweetness, but it doesn't have the sheer volume of flavour that I've come to expect from these older single cask expressions. So it's not quite the sherry bomb that I was hoping for on Christmas eve, but it's still an enjoyable Glendronach. Besides, if they were all the same, that'd spoil the fun!

Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays folks, and as always many thanks for reading.

Cheers!