You’re not really a whisky blogger till you’ve reviewed at least one blend that was bottled before you were born and about which not much is known. Here I am with my first; now I can finally retire—what a relief! Well, I guess I should say I don’t know much about this blend; somebody else may well know a lot. If you are that somebody, please write in below. All I know is that it is thought to have been bottled in the 1950s, that its strength is unknown and that Ainslie & Heilbron (now defunct) were once the owners of Brora/Clynelish. This last probably means this harbours some quantity of very old Clynelish, though it probably bears little resemblance to contemporary Clynelish. Bottles of this seem to have (re)appeared recently. Serge reviewed it in February and I got a sample as part of a bottle split a few months ago. How this has come to be I’m not sure either. Did some collector unload a stash? Anyway, let’s get to the whisky itself! Continue reading
Category Archives: Blended/Vatted
Teeling Whiskey, Small Batch
No, this isn’t Teeling whisky from Guadeloupe and it isn’t 8 years old. This is a NAS Irish whisky—it’s just that the sample is from avant garde mixed-media artist, Sku. You may think I’m making fun of him but consider the fact that this sample is of an Irish whiskey finished for 6 months in rum casks. Here’s the short version of the Teeling story: new distillery; hasn’t released any of its own aged spirit yet; in American style is selling purchased whiskey (from Cooley) under its own name; who the hell knows if what they are distilling themselves, once it’s ready to be bottled, will taste anything like the stuff they’re putting out now.
I gather they have more recently put out a single grain whiskey and a single malt whiskey; this one, however, is a blend and it was first released in the US about two years ago . Will it improve my sorry record with Irish whiskeys? I can only hope it will. Let’s see. Continue reading
Peat Monster, 10th Anniversary (Compass Box)
This review commemorates the 2nd anniversary of the release of the 10th anniversary edition of Compass Box’s Peat Monster. The regular peat monster is a bit of a misnomer as it’s not really much of a peat monster—it’s certainly not in Ardbeg Supernova or Port Charlotte or Octomore territory. Nonetheless, it’s quite beloved of whisky geeks. As I’ve noted before, I’m never sure how much of the love thrown Compass Box’s way is on the merits of what they bottle and how much a mix of a love of the idea of Compass Box and/or an appreciation of their laudable transparency about their recipes and processes (at least until the Scotch Whisky Association recently slammed them for it)—I’m sure the bespoke packaging and quirky names help too (as does the fact that John Glaser seems like a very genial gent).
Anyway, my hit rate with them is not as good as their reputation would suggest. I did not care for the widely loved Hedonism and thought Great King Street was just okay; I did like Eleuthera though. Calibrate your opinion of my review of this one accordingly. Continue reading
Faultline Blended Scotch Whisky
K&L released this blend under their Faultline label earlier this year (or was it late last year)? I wasn’t very interested in it at first but when Michael K. suggested a bottle split I decided to give it a go. It’s cheap to begin with and a quarter of the bottle was really cheap. He then suggested we review it simultaneously and roped Jordan D. of Chemistry of the Cocktail in as well. And so here I am. If all goes according to plan Michael and Jordan’s reviews should go up at the same time, and I’ll link to them when I’m awake in the morning. (Here and here.)
I know nothing about this whisky or of what David D. said about it, but I’m sure it’s the very best blended whisky anyone has ever made. I think I remember Sku liking it a lot, so I guess it has a decent ceiling; at worst, the rest’ll get used up in my vattings. Continue reading
Blue Hanger, 7th Release
Blue Hanger is the name of a series of blended malts released by the venerable wine merchant and independent bottler of whisky (and other spirits), Berry Bros. & Rudd. There have been a number of releases over the years, though they seem to have picked up speed in recent years after a bit of a hiatus. “Blended malt”, in case you don’t remember, is the now legally correct name for the old category of vatted malts: i.e. whisky composed of malts from multiple distilleries with no grain whisky in the mix (unlike “blended whisky” which is a mix of malt and grain).
As per the K&L website this 7th release was composed of “one hogshead of Bruichladdich 1992, one butt of Bunnahabhain 1990, four hogsheads of Miltonduff 1997, and two hogsheads of Bunnahabhain Moine (peated) 2006”. If sold with an age statement it would therefore have been a 6 or 7 yo (it was released in 2013). In a case like this one it’s understandable if a bottler wants to go the NAS route; it also goes without saying that it’s creditable that they also make it easy to know what’s in the bottle (and in this case there’s quite a bit of whisky aged 15-22 years in it). An interesting mix too with older sherried Bunnahabhain, younger peated bourbon cask Bunnahabhain and quite a bit of bourbon cask Miltonduff (presumably used for its usually fruity character). But what is it like? Continue reading
Black Bull 30
I don’t really know too much about the Black Bull blends. I know the brand is owned by Duncan Taylor and that this 30 yo was blended at origin in the 1970s and then matured for the full term in an ex-sherry cask. So while this has grain whisky in the mix the grain component is also 30 years old and has been marrying with the malt the whole while (and I believe it’s 50/50 grain and malt whisky). That’s all pretty unusual for blends which are usually heavier on the grain and generally blended after the component casks have matured and then married for only a few months before bottling. As to what the sources of the components are, I have no idea. But I’m sure somebody more knowledgeable than me will be along shortly to fill in the details. I think this was released in the late 2000s and that it’s no longer part of the range (makes sense as one would imagine it would be hard to replicate).
I split this, and some other bottles, with friends some months ago. One of those people, Jordan Deveraux of Chemistry of the Cocktail coincidentally posted his own review a few days ago. I have studiously avoided looking at it and will do so only after this review has posted. [And here it is.] Continue reading
Dewar’s White Label + Some Fooling Around
This is the third, and probably last for a while, of my reviews of easily found mass market blends (see here for the Black Label, which I liked a lot, and here for the Famous Grouse, which I did not like a lot). Unlike the Black Label and the Famous Grouse, I have never previously tasted the Dewar’s White Label (unless I have and have suppressed the memory). Owned by Bacardi, this White Label is claimed by them to be the top-selling blended Scotch whisky in the US. Then again, the Famous Grouse is claimed to be the top-selling blend in Scotland.
The group’s premier distillery is Aberfeldy and their malt is said to be the cornerstone of all their blends. I’ve not had much Aberfeldy before either so that doesn’t really create any particular expectations for me. I’ve also never tried the age stated Dewar’s blends—I believe there’s a 12 yo, a 15 yo and an 18 yo. If you do know those and would recommend them please write in below. Continue reading
The Famous Grouse
I’ve reviewed the Black Grouse but not the member of the family that makes all the money: the original Famous Grouse. Until now.
The Famous Grouse is reportedly the most popular whisky in Scotland, at least in terms of sales. You must remember, of course, that Budweiser is similarly the most popular beer in the US, and McDonald’s the makers of the most popular hamburger. That said, I will admit there are occasions when I enjoy a cold Bud—mostly at sporting events where the other options are Corona or Miller—and I have also occasionally enjoyed the Famous Grouse, with ice and water. Hot on the heels of my very positive review of the very popular Johnnie Walker Black Label, therefore, in a continuing attempt to become the Blogger of the People, here is a review of the Famous Grouse. Will it reward close attention the way the Black Label did or will its flaws be all the more apparent? Continue reading
Johnnie Walker Black Label
Johnnie Walker Black Label, which was Christopher Hitchens’ favourite whisky, is one of the most famous spirits in the world; among Scotch whiskies its name-recognition is probably surpassed only by its younger sibling, the Red Label (which is nobody’s favourite whisky). And at 12 years old it proclaims an age that more and more single malts cannot. Most blends are made for drinking with ice and/or water/soda but I’ve always enjoyed the Black Label straight and so I am going to review it as I would any other whisky.
Johnnie Walker Black Label (43%; from my own bottle)
Nose: Prickly, minerally peat, some orange, raisins and brine. Not a lot of grainy notes—not at first anyway. And frankly not at second either. After a while there’s a bit of burnt toast and a very faint rubberiness. Not much change after that. Okay, let’s add water: the sweetness expands and there’s some toffee too now. Continue reading
Compass Box, Great King Street
Compass Box seem to have the whisky geek version of “most favoured nations” status but try as I might I have not yet come across an expression from this innovative bottler that to my palate has matched its reputation, story or stylish presentation (though I did like the Eleuthera). I should say in advance that this is also true of this bottle of Great King Street (which is a blend of single malt and grain whisky). I opened this as well for our local whisky group’s June tasting and it wasn’t just my lowest whisky of the night, it was pretty much everyone’s—and everyone but me was tasting everything blind. As with all their whiskies, it does have a nice label and an evocative name. Unlike most of their whiskies it’s at 43%.
Compass Box, Great King Street (43%; from my own bottle)
Nose: Mild sweet fruit (apples mostly) and a light grassy note. With more time there’s some soft, buttery oak and some cream. With more time there’s some citrus mixed in with the sweet fruit. Continue reading
Mackinlay’s Shackleton Malt, First Edition.
At this point everyone knows the story: Shackleton and co. left some whisky behind in the Kalahari sometime between 1907 and 1909 while looking for King Solomon’s Mines; this whisky was unearthed a couple of years ago; our Lord and Saviour, Richard Paterson took one look at it and then blew his magic nose into a loch and yea and verily did the water turn into Shackleton’s old school whisky. And then he skied across it, towed by the Loch Ness monster while choirs of cherubs sang hosanna. Or something like that–I’m fuzzy on the details.
I like to refer to it as the Shackleton Zombie Malt but that’s, of course, not true. The true Zombie Malt is not available for purchase; this is in fact a clone. In my experience, mostly derived from the movies, nothing good ever comes of cloning but I keep an open mind. I believe all kinds of old whisky went into the creation of this replica–there’s some irony there as the original was very likely composed of very young whisky (no one was drinking old whisky at the turn of the 20th century). Continue reading
The Black Grouse
The Black Grouse is the smoky one in the Famous Grouse stable of blends. The Famous Grouse itself is a decent blend and very popular, and it has been joined in recent years by the Naked Grouse (sherried), the Snow Grouse (all grain and to be served chilled; and best this way as otherwise you might be able to taste it) and the Black Grouse which sees the core Grouse blended with Islay malts. Which Islay malts, I’m not sure. I’ve not really tasted my way around the smoky blend corner of the market and so I’m intrigued to see how this compares to entry-level smoky malts.
The Black Grouse (40%; from a sample received in a swap)
Nose: Sour, farmy peat with strong mossy, vegetal undertones. Some woody/spicy notes and after a while there’s a little dark honey or maybe it’s caramel. Much later there’s a bit of dried orange peel as well.
Palate: Ashier smoke here but not much else. Very watery mouthfeel. With time there’s a slight stony/minerally sweetness but there’s really not a whole lot happening here. Continue reading
Jameson 18
After the NAS Black Barrel disaster here’s an older Jameson that will hopefully be better. In fact, this is the oldest Irish whiskey I’ve tried. Its makeup is not entirely clear. On the Jameson website there’s an unexplained reference to it being comprised of “3 beautifully matched whiskeys…matured for at least 18 years”. There seems to be some explanation in the TWE listing which refers to it as a “blend of two potstill whiskies and a single grain”. However, while the TWE listing also adds that this blend “is matured in Oloroso sherry casks and finished in bourbon wood for 6 months” the official website suggests a different maturation regime, saying the whiskeys are “matured for at least 18 years in hand selected American bourbon barrels and European oak casks, where they complete their rite of passage and are finished in first fill bourbon barrels”. So as per the website, it would seem that bourbon wood is involved in the primary maturation as well. But what does it taste like? Continue reading
Jameson Select Reserve, Black Barrel
I don’t know too much about Irish whiskey (as I have noted before). I believe this Black Barrel is a blend like the regular Jameson, though priced a rung above. Indeed, a quick glance at the official website confirms this. It also informs me that this is matured only in ex-bourbon barrels–whereas the regular Jameson seems to be from bourbon and sherry casks–and contains a larger proportion of pot still whiskey in the blend; and like all Jamesons this is triple-distilled. The barrels would seem to be charred more than usual a la the Ardbeg Alligator (hence the name, I suppose). Let’s have at it.
Jameson Select Reserve, Black Barrel (40%; from a sample received in a swap)
Nose: Soft vanilla, toasted (dried) coconut and some grainy spice. The toasted coconut transitions quickly to lightly toasted wood. Very clean but not a whole lot happening. After a few minutes it gets quite neutral and borderline unexpressive–wait, there’s something that puts me in mind of talcum powder. Water doesn’t do anything for the nose. Continue reading
Compass Box, Hedonism
Following yesterday’s review of the Eleuthera, one of Compass Box’s vatted malts, here is the Hedonism, which may be the only all-grain blend they’ve released (at least in general release). I’ve not had too many Scotch grain whiskies, and those only much older single grains, which is a category that seems to be picking up steam among whisky geeks these days. The Hedonism also has old whisky in it and as per their site it’s all from 100% first-fill American oak barrels and/or rejuvenated American oak hogsheads. As they specify barrels and hogsheads this would imply that they’re ex-bourbon (sherry is also matured in American oak casks–European oak is used primarily during storage and shipping*–but in much larger butts or puncheons).
*This is something I learned recently from my friend Rich who visited a number of sherry bodegas in Spain earlier this year. Continue reading
Compass Box, Eleuthera
Compass Box, run by John Glaser, are a well-known and highly regarded independent bottler of blended and vatted Scotch Whiskies. They have released a number of vatted malts (this Eleuthera, Flaming Heart, Spice Tree, the Peat Monster etc.) as well as grain-malt blends (Asyla, Great King Street), a blend of grain whiskies (Hedonism), plus some experiments (Orangerie–an infused whisky). The Eleuthera, which is discontinued, is said to be a blend of 15 year old Clynelish and 12 yo Caol Ila; but the language on the Compass Box website suggests that these may not have been the only whiskies in the various releases before it went away. (“Typically it combined 15 year-old malt whisky from the village of Brora, aged in re-charred hogsheads, with 12 year-old malt from the village of Port Askaig.” [emphasis added])
Compass Box’s blends have a higher profile among whisky geeks than most blends; frankly, while I’ve liked all the ones I’ve tried fine, none have overly impressed me. They do have a very bespoke presentation and Glaser is both engaging and very transparent with his methods, and so I always want to like their whiskies more than I do. Let’s see if this Eleuthera will live up to the hype. Continue reading
Monkey Shoulder, Batch 27
Monkey Shoulder is a vatted/blended malt from William Grant & Sons, the family owned company who are the proprietors of Glenfiddich, Balvenie and (the now defunct) Kininvie, and the bottlers of various malt-grain blends besides. This, as I say, is a blend of malts from their three distilleries*; and until very recently was of note, among other things, because it was the only form in which Kininvie (the smallest of their three distilleries, producing for their blends till 2010 when it was closed) could be said to be available in malt form, albeit blended with its better known siblings. Recently, however, a fairly old Kininvie single malt has suddenly seen the light of day. I’m not sure what brought that on or what the fate of this vatted malt may be if the remaining stock of Kininvie is also now to be set aside for release as single malt. Given the low price of this bottle (<$30 in most places in the US), it seems likely that Kininvie forms the bulk of the vatting and there can only be so much of it to go around.
It's an attractive bottle, even if the whisky inside is of a suspiciously bronzed hue, and reports are generally good. I've been looking forward to try it for some time now.
*Note: See the comment below from Florin with a link to another blog where a brand ambassador is quoted as saying that Monkey Shoulder was only originally composed of malts from Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie and has since contained other Speyside malts as well. I guess that means Kininvie’s closure should have no effect on the future of the blend. Now whether future iterations will be very like this one is therefore hard to say.
Monkey Shoulder, Batch 27 (43%; from my own bottle)
Nose: Honey and toffee with light caramel come wafting out of the glass. Then a malty, grassy note emerges underneath along with some toasted wheat/wood. Some light orange peel and clove and nutmeg after a bit; with more time the orange peel is far more assertive. Water doesn’t really do it any favours, mostly bringing out a dusty, salty note.
Palate: Light but not particularly thin. Very much as on the nose: the honey/toffee/caramel combo are the story on the palate as well. And just as on the nose, there’s citrus too after a while; not as much of the spice though. With time some woody/chicory notes. Water knocks the balance off a bit.
Finish: Medium. Gets a little metallic and bitter; later this goes away and there’s a faintly spicy woody quality instead..
Comments: Not a whole lot of character but very nice (but pass on water). And comparable, I think, to a number of single malts of similar profile that cost more. A good bottle to have on hand for easy drinking or for guests who aren’t that into single malt whisky as it could function very well as a gateway malt–especially to the sherried Speyside style. That said, the finish is a bit of a letdown–though this could very well be due to this being a freshly opened bottle. I’ll be interested to come back to it again soon.
Rating: 82 points.