Quick End of week Dram : Talisker 57’ North
Today’s Malt comes from a distillery I like very much : Talisker. Talisker distillery is located on the isle of Skye which is the 2nd biggest island in the Scottish isles. The Isle of Skye is much bigger in population size (around 9000 inhabitants) ,and houses only one distillery only – Talisker.
Talisker’s malts are known as strong, quite peaty (for non Islay malts), and most of all peppery. The intense pepper and peat is the so called ‘trademark’ of the Talisker malt. The pepper and peat flavors are attributed mainly to the pearty barley used in the production processs (around 20 ppm) and the water source used by the distillery Cnoc nan Speireag (Hawk Hill), flows over peat which adds additional peatiness to the whisky. More information can be found on the excellent TWE Talisker page.
The Talisker core line consists of the 10 year old (which is the best selling and highly available), the award winning 18 year, and the more expensive and rare 25 and 30 year old. Other versions include the Talisker 57 (which I will review today), Talisker DE and Manager’s choice versions.
The Talisker 57 North gets its name from the Latitude of the Isle of Skye where the whisky is distilled, and also because of the special ABV % that this whisky is bottled at. It’s called “Special Strength” and not Cask strength for a good reason: The folks at Diageo (owner of Talisker) wanted more flexibility with the alcohol percentage of this bottling, and since CS bottling cannot be “enhanced” with water, this version cannot be called “Cask Strength”. The malt is aged in European Oak casks, and there is no age statement.
Now let’s get going with the Tasting notes:
Talisker 57 North , “Special Strength” , 57%
Nose: On first whiff, it reminds me of the ocean. Yes, clearly and island malt. Seeweed , Sugar Candied ginger . Some peat, Spice. Quite a briny character. Pepper is not very strong on the nose, however. Quite restrained in comparison to the Palate and finish (see below).
Palate: Oh dear. This is not a malt for the faint of hearted: Peat intertwined with Pepper (Yes, this is a Talisker, what did you expect, eh? 
). It’s Quite salty on the tongue, salty and Oily. The 57% ABV is definitely felt on the tongue. This is a big-bodied malt.
Finish: Pepper. Chilly. Habanero. You name it. This is one of the most peppery finishes I’ve ever felt. You think the 10 year old is peppery? Try this hot mama of a finish. It’s absolutely biting. Wow! The spicy and chilly effect stays for a loooooong time. Oh,man!
Summing up:
The 57 North is not for the faint of hearted. It’s biting, very powerful and non compromising malt. The nose is restrained in comparison to the muscular body and thrashing finish. I did find the finish a bit too peppery for me at first taste, but on the second tasting I liked it more and more.
This expression is not for everyone : If you are a delicate whiskies fan, then look elsewhere, this is going to shock your system! But on the other hand, if you like the 10 year old, don’t mind a nice portion of peat pepper and spice and want to try something with a little more oomph, it’s a great alternative to the regular 10 year old, and/or peated malts.
Thanks again for my good friend and whisky enthusiast Igal T (@hmemcpy) for this sample.
Slainte!
Quick Dram : Jura Superstition
The Island of Jura, is one of Scotland’s last wilderness. For those how are not familiar with it, Jura can be found North east of the more famous Isle of Islay. The famous “sound of Islay” or Coal Ila , separates those two islands.
Despite the fact that it’s pretty much the same size as Islay, Jura’s population is only 200, and greatly outnumbered by the number of deer who live on the island (5,500). No wonder it’s name is based on the Norse “Island of the Deer”.
There is only one distillery operating on the island, which is called (not very Surprisingly) “Isle of Jura”. The Jura distillery offers a line of single malts , starting a the 10 year old up to a rare 40 year old, and some NAS expressions including the Superstition and the Prophecy.
The Superstition expression which I will review, is named after the superstitious nature of the inhabitants of the island. There are some tales that go in the island : the One eyed Campbell, and an aversion of cutting peat until May… The Superstition is a tribute to the people of the island (according to the Jura site). The Expression itself, is a blending of young and older malts (essentially, younger heavily peated malt and older non-peated malts) which are combined into a rather interesting spirit. It’s not an Islay lover’s alternative, as the RMW site claims, but it’s a very solid good dram, with peaty notes.
Jura Superstition 45% ABV , £25
Color: Rich Gold (not sure it’s not artificially colored).
Nose: Quite peaty. Not Islay peaty, and medicinal but the peat is there. Smoke can also be detected.On second sniff, I am getting some orange notes as well. i hope that my nose is not off due to the cold I've had a few days ago… 
.
Palate: Peat is here to stay. Again, it’s not Islay peat, it’s more earthy, without the coastal stuff. There is something else besides the peat, i guess i can describe it as shortbread with nuts…
Finish: The finish is smokey and quite long. The fruit is also there (remember the oranges?). Not bad at all!
Summing up:
A very different sort of peaty style. a nice drift from the big medicinal tarry Islays, into Jura land. If you like some subtle peat, than this one is up your alley. It’s not Over complex, but it’s not just about peat in your face.
I do think i will have more of this in the future. a Good dram, not excellent, but has quite a unique character to it. Jura style.
Price wise, i think it’s logically priced, and is certainly offers a good ROI.
P.S
After you’ve drunk your Jura, here is a very funny video of the Master Blender Paterson (who is also the ambassador for Jura). this is a killer movie. funny as hell. (watch the entire thing, you will not regret it)
Quick Dram : The Macallan 18 Sherry Oak
Today’s quick dram is peat free. we’re visiting another Speyside distillery bottling. Not just a Speyside, but one of the Iconic Speyside distilleries : The Macallan.
The Macallan needs no introduction as it’s one of the most famous and best selling single malt whisky in the world (among the three biggest single malt selling distilleries) . The distillery is located near the village of Craigellachie , in the heart of the Speyside whisky area near the river Spey. The distillery was founded at 1824, under a different name (The Elchies distillery) and its name was changed on 1892 to The Macallan, when it changed hands , and a new management and owners were introduced.
The Macallan produces two main series of malts, which differ in the wood discipline chosen for aging the spirit : Fine oak (aged 10,15,18,21,30 years old) which are not aged in sherry, or only partially contain sherry casks aged spirit , and Sherry oak (10,12,18) which are aged in only Spanish oak casks which arrive from its Bodega in Jerez, Spain. There are also Cask strength versions and the High end series of very old malts, which are way too expensive to even be mentioned.
The Macallan are famous for their meticulous selection of oak casks, and invest a great deal of time,energy and money in the wooden casks they use for maturation.
I must confess that i’ve tasted the “Fine oak” series and wasn’t very impressed with them until now (only the 10,15 year old, the older ones i have not had access to).
The Macallan 18 years old Sherry - 40% ABV
Color: Dark Golden Amber.
Nose: Wow. what a stunner this one is. Amazing nose on this Macallan. i really love it from first whiff : sweet dried fruit jump up your nostrils, followed by Chocolate , Spice, Sugar cane sweetness, and some prunes. This is one of the greatest noses on a sherry malt i’ve sniffed in a while. this is what you will see in the dictionary under “Rich” .Kudos.
Palate: Sweet, some oaky notes (dry). Chocolate, Sultanas , XMas cake (and thank you Jason from WHISKYhost). it’s sweet, it’s cuddly. it’s a perfect mouth for an Israeli winter night (not to cold mind you, i guess maybe 12 deg C- yes don’t laugh. this is winter here). Although i do like the nose an itsy bit more than the palate.
Finish: Sweeeeeet. Not very long, Medium i should say. but it leaves a tingly spiciness on the tongue after all the sweeties have gone. Strong Prunes influence (Sun dried prunes).
To sum things up:
A real charmer of a dram. Excellent for wintry nights, or when you are into a some sweet nose and palate. Heartwarming, and throat too. Very Good balance on the sweet/spicy stuff. Great work there Macallan guys.
Slainte!
More reviews on the net
- The guys from the Edinburgh Whisky Blog (we love u!) loved this one!
- Jason from (JASON'S SCOTCH WHISKY REVIEWS) also seems to like it .
Thanks for my dear friend (and Islay lover Igal T) for sending me this sample.
Slainte!
Quick Dram: Benromach 10 – peated Speysider
As you know Speyside is not my favorite whisky region. I do have some Malts from that region, which i like (Cragganmore which is spicy and bold , Glenfarclas which i adore for example) , But usually i associate Speyside with lighter un-peated malts, more flowery flavors and delicate aromas.
The Benromach 10 was my first dram from this lovely distillery who maintains a very active twitter account (@Benromach ). I first heard very good feedbacks about this malt from my good friend Josh Hatton, Who raved about this one time and time again. Most of the times, we have a similar taste in malts, so any recommendation he makes, goes straight into my “to taste” list (which is getting longer and longer every day ). However, I've had the pleasure of tasting that malt only last week, after receiving a sample in a mini bottle.
Benromach, so i am told, is the smallest distillery now operating in Speyside, and is one of the smallest distilleries in Scotland. The distillery has quite of history, as it was founded in 1898, under a different name, and was renamed Benromach in 1919. In 1983 the distillery was mothballed by its owners, and was bought by Gordon & Macphail in 1993. Under the G&M management, renovations were made and after 5 years in 1998, the distillery began working and producing new spirit again.
The Benromach 10 is was produced entirely by the new G&M owners, and then matured in Bourbon and Sherry casks (80% / 20%) , later to be “Married” (a term used to describe mixing and aging two different cask whiskies to blend and to co-interact with each other in a different casks than the original). After the 'Marrige' , the spirit spend an additional year in sherry casks, to achieve a more harmonious profile.
One very interesting fact about the Benromach 10, is that it’s heavily peated (OK, not by Islay standards, but for a Speyside…) . You never think of Speyside whiskies as peated ones, and this approach is very refreshing. The folks at Benromach do claim that in the olden times, Speyside whiskies were much peatier than we’re used to them today. It was customary to use more peat, and the Benromach 10 is a step back in time in that respect. interesting.
now to the actual notes:
Benromach, 10 year old, 43%
Color: Golden
Nose: When i first smelled it i was very surprised by the smokiness and earthy peatiness. I was expecting some peat but not at those levels (Speyside after all!!) Some leafy aromas are also detected, and a hint of dried fruit, but subtle. All in all, a great nose.
Palate : Hide and seek of vanilla / malty sweetness. As it develops the smoky peatiness described in the nose is coming through. Earthy smoke, but not quite aggressive as Islay peated malts tend to be. Nice interplay.
Finish : Medium length finish, dominated by the vanilla and smoky notes which in time turns into distant smoke hints.
To sum up:
this is a very nice malt which caught me by complete surprise with its peaty notes, and smoky nature. Great balance of the other flavors with the smoke, and rich body. Pricing is also very competitive (around £30 / $50 ). A great deal. After my sample is all gone, it’s very high on my shopping list for the coming months.
Way to go Benromach.
- Other bloggers have tasted and like the Benromach:
- Matt, from Whisky4everyone visited the distillery and wrote a great post about this one.
- John Hansel from WDJK seems to like this one as well.
- Josh from the Jewish Single Malt whisky society adores this one.
Octomore : Not just about PEAT ?
I’ve been meaning to write this post for a few months now, ever since I got me a bottle of this nectar (Octomore 2.1) yet with no success. A few weeks ago I was able to get a wee sample of the new version of the octomore (2.2) one I was looking fwd to getting a long time. Now that I have tasted them both , It’s a good opportunity as any to be posting this long due review and now comparison. So, let’s go!
Yes, I am a peat addict. I love peaty whiskies, and you all know it by now. Islay’s finest distilleries are making amazing peated malts, and are in the middle of a big Peat war. The two opponents being Ardbeg with their highly acclaimed Peat bomb – the Supernova ( a name befitting this expression, will tell you every whisky lover who ever tasted that malt) and Bruichladdich’s (which is usually known for it’s more fruitier malts) Octomore.
When Peat is concerned, the “index” for measuring who has a stronger peaty expression is , of course , the infamous PPM.
PPM (or Parts per million) describes the concentration of Phenols, the little molecules which give the peaty whiskies their distinctive “smoky”, “Peaty” aromas. Just so you have a reference point :Normal peating levels for highly peated malts (such as Ardbeg 10 , Laphroaig 10 or the like) are at around 30-40 PPM. When talking about the Peated monsters such as those two (Octomore,Supernova) we’re actually climbing a few levels higher, to 100 PPM and higher.
In this post I will focus on the Octomore versions 2.1 and 2.2 I’ve had the pleasure of tasting head to head. Having tasted the Ardbeg Supernova a few months ago during a whisky tasting session with friends, I have only a distant recollection of that tasting, So I will have to get me a wee sample and then review it later on.
Octomore is a farm, near Port Charlotte, two miles from the Bruichladdich distillery. It is also the highest peated whisky available today. The first version of the Octomore was released last year and was peated at 131 ppm. Versions 2.1 and 2.2 were peated even higher at a whopping 140 ppm, and were released a few months apart. The Octomore is a young Islay malt, only 5 years old. Some of you may raise your brows and think that Bruichladdich are bottling this malt too young, but I beg to differ. When peat is concerned, youth is an advantage : Peat tends to break when matured , and at those peating levels, it’s only logical to try and preserve it as much as one can, without of course, releasing an immature youngster which is totally untamed …
Octomore 2.1 , 140 ppm , 62.5% ABV , Matured in American oak
On the outside it looks amazing. Great design work. Sleek lines, tall, black and sexy. Lying
there in a black velvety coffin. Numbered. A whisky fan’s dream come true?
Color : Pale straw. quite light in color, as most of the young Islays which have not been to sherry casks.
Nose : Smoke (no surprise here) , ash, sweet touches too (Laddie or not laddie?) , Wet stable (Someone who rides horses came today with their wet boots, and they smelled just like this one. i swear!). I love the nose on this one.
Palate : can you spell Kabooom?! what a powerful palate. Atom bomb kind of. Bam! in your face, the peat is Huge, but sweet notes on the side of the tongue do penetrate. Definitely some coffee notes (as Serge notes) and wet cereal sweetness developing into ashtray ash. This baby is anything but one-dimensional. Well Balanced . (if you can say thaty about something so peaty by nature)
Finish : Loooooooooooooooong. Looooooooooooong. amazingly long, with some dark chocolate notes on the bitter finish combining well with ASH. have you ever licked an ashtray and then eaten dark 80% chocolate? This is the feeling i am getting here.
Overall : Wonderful dram. At first i was a bit surprised by the sweet nose, as i had expected RAW peat (like the Nova) , but the more and more i visit this one (Happily i have a bottle) i love it even more. I won’t drink it daily, but hey – when i am in the mood for some strong and yummy peat, this is my go-to dram.
Octomore 2.2 “Orpheus” , 140 ppm , 61% ABV , Finished in Château Pétrus casks
This time the unique design has been taken one step further. The Bottle this time is put in a red, yes red! Cylinder, maybe to symbolize the “underground” or the eternal flame of hell. The bottle itself is similar with some small changes with the “O” logo in red.
For those who are not familiar with the Château Pétrus, let me just note that it’s one of the world’s better known Bordeaux wines, one of the top 5 actually. It’s casks when it comes to wine are very rate and it’s very hard to come by with a bottle unless you are very well connected / rich. It is really interesting to see how the Grapes of the Petrus casks are going to mix and mingle with the peaty malt in the secondary maturation period.
Color : Very unique Reddish brown (Mahogany?) it must be greatly influenced by the Petrus finish.
Nose : Sweet peaty candy. The 'Laddie' signature sweetness, and the peat hovering above. One would expect Harsher peat from a 140 ppm malt, but the sweetness is very well integrated into the peat. I left it a few minutes to "breathe" , upon my return the entire room was filled with an amazing melange of peat , and smoked ham. In addition there is a fruity quality to the nose (ripe kumquats, cherries).
Palate : At 61% ABV one would expect a strong malt, and indeed undiluted it’s a Hurricane. It literally Explodes in your mouth. First you sense the prickly sensation on the tongue, then warm sweetness. Then, the red fruits and kumquat are detected. The peat is omnipotent. All those flavours are combined to produce an amazingly complex dram. It’s not only about peat. NO way. Adding a bit of water releases more “Cereal” quality and emphasizes the fruity character, while making the peat sensation milder, but in a very appetizing way.
Finish : Fruity Peat smoke which lingers and lingers. It lasts minutes. I love that finish. sweet,peaty, delicious. you just long for more of this stuff. Ace.
Overall : Very complex, masculine ,deep and exciting dram. I like this one even better than the 2.1 version. The Petrus finish, adds a very interesting dimension to this dram, Not to mention the wonderful color and additional hints of fruit on the nose. I do think it’s one of the nicer drams I've tasted this year.
I would Give it an A grade (Score lower, if you are not a peat-head like my friend Jeff uses to write
Conclusion time 2.1 VS 2.2 Orpheus :
Both Expressions are great. I would rate the 2.2 a wee bit over the 2.1. I do think that the extra maturation in the Petrus wine casks, did a good thing to the great Octomore of the 2.1 version. A more complex nose and those nice fruity notes on the palate , earn the Orpheus a few more points on my scale.
Sadly i have only a wee sample of the Orpheus 2.2 at home, so i guess i will have to go back to my still great 2.1.
So, Is it all about peat? in one word : No!
These two expressions offer much more than just your daily intake of peat. They are quite complex for such a tender age of 5 years, and offer a very good combination of peat, sweetness and malty goodness.
The Octomore is really not for the faint of hearted, but for the real hard core peat-heads. Like my friend Igal whom I've sent a sample of the 2.1, it’s a fine whisky but not your everyday dram. I totally agree. The price of these two expressions is about 80 GBP which is not cheap at all (cheaper compared to the current price of the Supernova, which is at 200 GBP at certain shops).
If you are a big Islay fan, and have most of the “ordinary” expressions, then I'd recommend adding the Octomore to your bar. It’s really more than just peat, and it’s a beauty. If i had to choose between them, i would slightly prefer the Orpheus , as i think the short finish in the acclaimed casks does add an interesting quality, and enhances the complexity of the dram by a few notches.
Well done Jim McEwan, you have created a really gem here.
Other Reviews of Octomore on the Blogosphere:
it’s really interesting and surptising to see that not a lot of whisky blogs / sites have written tasting notes on the octomore. The Octomore 2.2 is even less documented in the Blogosphere.
I would love to see more notes getting posted and compare them with my own notes (Ruben,Jeff,Keith,Oliver, Josh,Serge – anyone??? … hint hint… )
- Serge’s in WhiskyFun - http://www.whiskyfun.com/archiveoctober09-2.html (love this one)
- TWE Blog : http://blog.thewhiskyexchange.com/2009/12/octomore-22-pictures-and-official-tasting-notes/
The Roller Coaster is broken…
So, the 15th of Feb. has come. it’s 08:59 Israel time, and i am logging into the Ardbeg site. the countdown is almost finished, 9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1..0 and?!
Nothing! the countdown is broken. Someone has not thought about other time zones other than GMT that would log in? A twitter friend from SA asked me about this as well. I thought to myself, minor glitch. let’s wait until 11 am my time and log into the store, that will surely work.
Five minutes to 11:00, i try browsing the Ardbeg site. Guess what? yup. the site is down. nothing shows up, no progress, no 404 nothing. dead. caput. So many people are trying to log in i think to myself?
Now, Ardbeg has created an amazing buzz around their new release : Press, Bloggers , mail to the committee members etc. It was no surprise that people are going to be very interested in putting a hand on a bottle. right?
I am a software engineer. i work by certain standards, when a system is defined, the load and redundancy are a crucial step in the design. I am very surprised Ardbeg (or rather their IT guys) have not thought about:
- Capacity planning
- Load Balancing
- Redundancy
- QOS
4 vital aspects of every web site, especially for a commercial site launching a campaign.
A fellow blogger and twitter friend (@olikli) has posted a good post about this embarrassing situation here. Read his notes. i agree with every word.
Ardbeg, Get off the Rollercoaster and start planning ahead so your dear committee members get the service and attention they deserve. If you can't deliver, do not promise.
Update: (16-2-2010 12:10 GMT +2)
After more than 24 hours since my initial try (and after the Ardbeg site was down / non-functional / sluggish as hell ) i was able to finally place an order for the Coaster... The process took my over 10 minutes, as each page loaded extremely SLOW , which was very frustrating.
BTW:
Point #1 : In an apologetic email sent by Ardbeg, they promised to update all Committee members when their site is up and running. I have not received any update email until this moment.
Point #2: As suggested by Ruben from Whiskynotes.be , Ardbeg should have closed the shop completely until it was perfectly operable.
I do hope that the next committe release is going to be a smoother one, now that Ardbeg have learned their lesson the hard way.
I am all hopes that the Roller will be to my liking, after all the time wasted and frustration I've suffered trying to get hold of this "miracle" bottling
Slainte!
Hop on the Ardbeg Rollercoaster!
So, Ardbeg is issuing another “committee” release dubbed as “Rollercoaster” .
The Ardbeg Marketing guys are doing excellent work (as usual) , and every once in a while they pop up a new teaser and make us, drooling Ardbeg fans, count the hours until their next release.
As in the Corryvreckan release , they have stared spreading the rumors on various blogs / twitter and other social media venues, with a link to their Countdown page on the Ardbeg site. As more and more details are released, we’ve learned that this (very weird named) malt will be a vatting of 10 Ardbeg casks from each year from 1997 until 2007. The Oldest being a 10 year old, and the youngest a 3 year old baby Ardbeg.
the actual casks and content are as follows:
1997 Cask: 2nd fill
1998 Cask: Refill Hogshead
1999 Cask: 1st Fill Barrel
2000 Cask: 1st Fill Barrel
2001 Cask: Refill Barrel
2002 Cask: Refill Barrel
2003 Cask: 1st Fill Barrel
2004 Cask: 1st Fill Barrel
2005 Cask: 2nd Fill Sherry Butt
2006 Cask: Refill Hogshead
As you can see, this is going to be a very young malts vatting, but as you can guess, i am counting the minutes to its release (in very small quanity mind you ~ 2500 bottles). Peat is best when young (although some will surely disagree with me), and what is better than a youngish blended malt (yes, this is how we’re supposed to be calling it now instead of “vatted malt”).
The malt will be bottled at 57.3% (yay!, this is how we like it, Cask strength) , No color additives (another yay!) and will cost £50 on the Ardbeg site (American friends, no shipping to the US, but i bet you will be able to get it through some retailers).
Young, strong and hip. Ardbeg’s new image. We like it.
Samples have been already sent to American market whisky ‘Celebs’:
- John Hansell at his WDJK blog was lucky enough as to get a sample bottle of this nectar, and has posted a quick review here.
also below you can find a video by whiskyguild with tasting notes and a bit of information about the dram:
Enjoy & Slainte!
A new addition to WhiskyIsrael :: Carmel
After an easy delivery a new member has joined the Dramming club.
here is our little Carmel. From birth has a tendancy towards peated malts, especially from Islay
we’re going to be a little BZ but when we settle down, some nice new reviews are coming your way.
The Granovs.
Land of the rising sun :: tasting two Yamazaki (12,18)
I have been longing to try the Yamazaki single malts for some time now. Luckily i was able to get hold of a 18 yo sample, just recently when exchanging samples with a local whisky enthusiast (Igal T). A good friend was generous enough as to send me the 12 yo as a holiday present for Hanukah (many many thanks again Y.)
Yamazaki whiskies are hard to get here in Israel. while the 12 year old costs a modest 40$ in retail USA shops, here it's price after taxes and retailer's cut is around 200$. Let alone the 18 which i have not spotted here at all.
Yamazaki was foudned in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii which is “the father of japanese whisky”, and was located in the valley of Yamazaki (hence the name) . The location of the distillery was chosen for two main reasons: The first, water in that area is known to be of exceptional quality (in terms of purity) , and the second reason, because of the location between two major cities (Kyoto and Osaka).
Back then consumption of whisky was low, and only the wealthy could afford the expensive whisky. The Japanese whisky boom started around the 70's when economic growth raised the standard of living in Japan across the board. Whisky consumption soared as the drink began popping up on menus at sushi bars and other restaurants across the country. Keizo Saji, Shinjiro’s second son took a wise decision and focused on single malt whiskies, anticipating that the market would develop a taste for premium whisky made from high quality malt and aged over a long period of time. The Yamazaki single malt was first released in 1984. Currently the distilleries “mainstream” single malt consist of the 10 year, 12 year, 18 year and the very rare 25-year-old (not really mainstream, but compare to the 50-year-old it is).
Yamazaki first used imported scotish whisky casks, and some sherry casks imported from spain, but later switched to local built casks from Japanese Oak ("Mizunara"). The usage of this unique oak for aging and maturing the spirit gives the Yamazaki malt its unique profile and flavours.
The Yamazaki is often compared to a classic Speyside, and although i agree with some of the similar points between those whiskies, I do think it is really very different at the same time, from Nose to Palate it has a unique profile. What will be more interesting as to compare the 12 and the 18 head to head? Will the older expression be better, or will the younger one match or even surpass his elder brother?
Yamazaki 12 yo , 43% Abv (around 40$)
Color: Golden Sunlight
Nose: fruity notes (pears?) , vanilla and some oak (Japanese oak), it has a unique nose in my opinion, slightly differnt than the average Speyside malt. Yet, i cant put my finger on it and say what... interesting.
Palate: Starts with a sweetness, a bit heathery. Next i sense a gentle and welcoming spiciness, which turns a bit peppery towards the finish. Some barley notes are evident as well. It would be interesting to taste this malt at Cask Strength. Wishful thinking....
Finish: The finish is again dominated by Pears and a wee bit of apple puree which lingers quite nicely. The pepper is also there, but in a nice way, combining with the fruity apple-pears combo. A wee bit of smoke? can it be so?!
All in all, a very very good dram. and excellent for its price.
Yamazaki 18 yo, 43% Abv (around 115$)
Color: Dark Amber
Nose: Oak, dried fruit, Sherry. Wow! a very attractive nose. The extra 6 years did their magic in terms of intensity of the fruit and the aromas. After some time, Sultanas dipped in liquor. Wonderful.
Palate: vanilla at first is noticeable, as well as Oak and sweet sherry.Dried fruits galore ( Sultanas, Dates). Some Demerara sugar cane and spices. Complex. Very Complex.
Finish: Woodiness (Oak), Distant smoke (but stronger than the 12 year old), spice and pepper going all the way. A long finish, text book long finish. Ace!
Conslusion:
Indeed the Yamazki offers a unique profile and great value. The 12 year old is very well priced at 40$ and offers a great bang for the buck: It is extremely enjoyable and quite complex for a 12 year old in that price range. If you are a speyside lover you will appreciate this one. I as an Islay devotee was very impressed with this one, tough much milder than the malts i usually find myself drinking.
The 18 year old is a wonderful dram, which demonstrates what 6 more years in the cask can do to the spirit. While very recommended, the price difference between the two is evident, and i can think of other wonderful older scotch whiskies (the HP 18 for example) which give the Yamazaki 18 a good fight.
Indeed the Japanese have learned the art of whisky making, and i can say that those two are perfectly crafted malts. Very impressive. Indeed the land of the rising sun has succeeded again in learning a new art, and perfecting it.
Impressive.
More Japanese whisky in blogs we like:
- whiskyHost writes an excellent review of 4 Japanese whiskies.
- Jeff from the Scotch Hobbyist’s Blog writers about Yamazaki 12.
Johnnie Walker Double Black
I am not a huge fan of the Johnny walker line. The Red label is not that good, Black label is ok (many people think it’s awesome, including Jim Murray in his Bible). The Blue Label is too expensive in my book, although it’s a well balanced old blend, I'd rather buy two single malts which outperform it in any aspect.
The JW Double Black is a new blend which is based on the best selling Black Label, with the addition of more Islay smoky malts and peatiness (which is good). The new blend is still in “testing” mode, and can be bought at only 6 Duty free shops around the globe (Bangkok, Dubai, Beirut, JFK, Singapore and Sydney international airports). The selection of duty free shops is a bit weird to me, why include Beirut and not London ?
The “testing” phase will last until June, then if successful, it will be released to other duty frees around the globe. At first there is no intention of selling it in regular liquor shops not located at airports. Currently it’s already available at the Bangkok (anyone flying to Thailand soon? )
The price of the JW DB will be about 15-20% higher (of course) than the regular black blend.
As an Islay fan and known “Peat Head” i find it rather interesting to sample the so called “extra peatiness” which will be added to this blend. let’s just wait and see.
more information can be found here.
I do hope that someone who goes through the JFK duty free will get me a sample of this nectar sometime in the coming months. (my expectations are low, so i can only be surprised, right?)
Keep on walking! (as the JW slogan says)