2017

Advent Day 3: Bain’s Single Grain

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review, Richard's Blog /

And on the third day of Advent my calendar gave to me…

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky
40% ABV
$30
Website

What the Distillery Says
Bain’s Single Grain Whisky is a double matured whisky produced from 100% South African Yellow Maize, you may call this corn. We first mature it in specially selected first-fill bourbon casks for a period of three years, we then transfer it to a second set of first-fill bourbon casks for a further 18 to 30 months to extract a full rich flavor like no other.

COLOR: Warm, golden amber
NOSE: Combination of toffee, floral and vanilla aromas
PALATE: A hint of spice softened by the sweet undertones of oak
FINISH: A warm and extended mouth-feel with an exceptionally smooth finish

What Richard Says
Nose: Clearly grain with the signature light toffee and floral notes. At the back there is a bit of vanilla and something slightly astringent.
Palate: Creamy and sweet with a big helping of vanilla ice cream with butterscotch sauce drizzled on top.
Finish: Herbal and slightly spicy with a bit of high cacao dark chocolate.
Comments: Like many younger grain whiskeys, this is not terribly complex. It is oozing with sweetness that makes it terribly easy to drink. This comes from the same providence as the Three Ships brand. With only a couple of distilleries in South Africa putting out aged whiskey, this is good chance to give it a try at a modest price. Fans of Haig Club should definitely check this out.
Rating: Stands Out

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Advent Day 1: Glenfarclas 25 Year

/ / Review, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Day one of my new Whisky Advent Calendar and BOOM! Glenfarclas 25 Year comes roaring out of the gate…

Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 25 Years
43% ABV
$170
Website

What the Distillery Says
Colour: Amber with dark gold highlights.
Nose: Complex, yet refined, with tempting aromas of marmalade, honey, freshly ground coffee, sherry and nuts. Some oaky tannins.
Flavour: Full-bodied and robust, the sherry and the oak fight for your attention yet neither overpowering.
Finish: Intense, long lasting, dry and malty. Beautiful dark chocolate taste at the back of your mouth to complete the 25 years old.

What Richard Says
Nose: Rich, deep, and refined sherry character with just a little bit of oak and tannins in the back.
Palate: Creamed honey, lighter sherry than the nose would foretell, oak, and a pinch of cracked pepper.
Finish: Lots of lingering cocoa powder and oak.
Comments: This is a lovely example of an older sherried single malt. Glenfarclas also seems to be priced rather attractively for a 25 year old. However, this particular malt is a little less complex than I would expect or hope for. Oak, tannins, and sherry are the predominate notes (understandably) but I’m not getting much else. Even still, this is a very nice dram and one you should consider trying, given the opportunity.
Rating: Stands Out

(Gary reviewed this whiskey later here)

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Tis the season for…Advent!

/ / Bourbon, Irish Whiskey, Other Whisk(e)ys, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky

Did you ever have one of those chocolate advent calendars when you were a kid? I did. I didn’t have one every year but the few times I did I really enjoyed it. It was fun to open a new box every day leading up to Christmas and see what surprise laid in wait. Wouldn’t it be a form of Christmas magic if such a thing existed for whiskey? Well…it does. Whiskey advent calendars have been a thing for a few years now. It’s taken me until this year to give one a try.

I chose the standard “Whiskey Advent Calendar” from Master of Malt as my first foray into Advent whiskey style. It’s around $170 which seems to be a pretty good deal for a month (more or less) of whiskey fun. So since we finished running through reviews and coverage on all the new releases flowing through Whisk(e)y Apostle HQ recently I thought it would be fun to chronicle Advent this year.

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

– Richard

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McCarthy’s Single Malt

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review / ,

McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Pot Distilled Whiskey
Batch W16-02
42.5% ABV
$50
Website

What the Distillery Says
McCarthy’s® Oregon Single Malt Whiskey is distilled in a Holstein pot still using one pass distillation. This premium, non-chill filtered product is then barrel-aged in air-dried Oregon Oak barrels. The result is remarkably smooth for a 3-year-old whiskey.

What Gary Says
Nose: Peat and cereal malt, with some vegetal/herbal notes; a bit of sour oak and smoke.
Palate: A subtle barley sweetness with peat and some savory spice notes, pepper bite in the back.
Finish: Moderately long and drying, but also gets sweeter.
Comments: For only being three years old, I’m very impressed. Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t a richly complex dram that would leave you thinking it was a 12 year single malt – but it is a helluva lot better than most three year whiskey I’ve tried. I haven’t been a big fan of single malt whiskey done here in the States (whether from smaller craft distilleries or even the Parker’s Heritage Collection offering by Heaven Hill). I’m wondering if barley malt just needs to be dumped much earlier when aged in new wood? Either way – if you like peaty Scotch, I’d definitely be open to this. And if you’re a whiskey nerd – I’d look for an opportunity to experience it!
Rating: Stands Out / Must Try

What Richard Says
Nose: An interesting mix of delicate peat, wet pine needles, and campfire smoke.
Palate: A rich honeyed sweetness intermingled with an authoritative peat and pine straw.
Finish: The finish is lingering smokiness, cracked pepper, and a bitter tinge.
Comments: “Oregon Pot Still Whiskey”, what the hell is that? This is easiest to describe as an American version of Laphroaig 10 Year. It tastes A LOT like that. The fact that this is only three years old really blows me away. Fans of smoky Scotch should really give this one a try. It is incredibly impressive.
Rating: Must Try

We would like to thank Hood River Distillers for sending us a bottle for review.

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