January 2020

Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

The Yamazaki Single Malt Japanese Whisky Distiller’s Reserve

43% ABV
$70
Website
Yamazaki Single Malt Japanese Whisky Distiller's Reserve
We would like to thank Paul (check out his reviews here, or on Dapper Drams) for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says*

* Note that there is no mention of this product on their web-site, the below content is from various sources including packaging images.

Yamazaki Whisky is Suntory’s flagship single malt whisky, from Japan’s first and oldest malt distillery, multi-layered with fruit and Mizunara aromas. Released in Spring 2014, this is one of two Distiller’s Reserve single malt whiskies from Suntory in Japan. This single malt from the Yamazaki distillery is jam-packed with superb red berry notes, gained from the whisky being matured in Bordeaux wine casks and Sherry casks. It also features malt matured in Mizunara casks, adding subtle fragrant oak notes.

TASTING NOTES
Color: Gold
Nose: Strawberry, cherry, Mizunara (Japanese oak)
Palate: Raspberry, white peach, touch of coconut
Finish: Sweet vanilla, clear finish with, hint of cinnamon

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruity with citrus, peaches, green apples, banana, grapes, a bit of red wine casks and Mizunara oak, hints of strawberries, cherries, and almonds.
Palate:  Sweet and full of fruit notes, peaches, pears, fresh berries, caramel sauce, honey, and almond cookies.
Finish:  Moderately long with lingering mixed fruit and notes of wine.
Comments:  This is like a liquid fruit salad in whisky form. Quite light and fruity, it has a lot going on – albeit it mostly in the fruity/nutty spectrum. Not a critique, but an observation. If you like fruity whisky, this is a lovely dram that you could spend some time with picking out all of the varieties.  You also get the nuance from the various casks which is interesting. While I rather enjoy it, I can see where others might find it lopsided and lacking balance (maybe a bit more spice and savory notes).

Rating: Stands Out

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Jim Beam Straight Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

40% ABV
$20
Website
Jim Beam Rye

What the Distillery Says

(This is a discontinued label, replaced with the Jim Beam Pre-Prohibition Rye in early 2015 which is bottled at 45%)

What Gary Says

Nose:  Soft rye spice with mint, eucalyptus, vanilla, honey, charred oak and a hint of cherry and lemon zest.
Palate:  Thin mouthfeel with vanilla and cinnamon, a sour oak note and just a touch of citrus pepper spice.
Finish:  Short with oak and pepper.
Comments:  This is the older version, and as a straight whiskey with no age statement, safe to assume it is just over 4 yrs old. The new version is similarly non-age stated, although bottled at 45% ABV. The nose is rye, but light – and the palate reminds me more of a young bourbon than rye. Nothing objectionable, but not very good either.

Rating: Average

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Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram

62.1% ABV
$160
Website
Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram
We would like to thank Paul (check out his reviews here, or on Dapper Drams) for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Tamdhu Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky has launched an exclusive limited edition malt, the Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram, at the 2018 Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

The bottling honours Dalbeallie train station, and the part the Victorian railway played in receiving Tamdhu’s precious sherry oak casks from Spain. Dalbeallie Dram is 100% matured in Oloroso sherry casks from Jerez in Southern Spain, bottled un-chill-filtered at cask strength (62.1% ABV). Only 1,000 individually numbered bottles will be made available of Collectors Journey 01 with future limited edition Dalbeallie Dram Collectors Journey releases planned annually for each Speyside Festival.

Carefully chosen by a team at the distillery, Tamdhu Dalbeallie Dram has notes of blackcurrant jam, mint tea and Bakewell tart on the nose, with sherry oak, cream soda, orange and nutmeg on the palate – then a finish of malt biscuit, dark chocolate and cinnamon. Like every bottle of Tamdhu, the rich natural colour comes from sherry casks alone.

Sandy McIntryre, Tamdhu Distillery Manager, said:

Having a new expression of Tamdhu is always exciting, and launching to guests during the Speyside Whisky Festival makes it all the more special. John Glass, our Master Blender, prepared a selection of drams for the team to nose and sample before we decided what we thought would best compliment the current Tamdhu range. We are absolutely delighted with the end result.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich and thick, chockful of sherry with raisins, plums, dates, figs, clove, nutmeg, allspice, worn leather, old books, pipe tobacco, mixed nuts. A bit of water brings out some caramel fudge and toffee notes along with hints of pears and apples.
Palate:  Luscious, rich and creamy with dark fruits, honey, chocolate, anise, clove, walnuts, cherries, and bits of melon. Some water brings out more chocolate with pecans and a bit of caramel.
Finish:  Long and gently drying with nutty chocolate and dark fruit.
Comments:  Wow. Just wow. This is only the second Tamdhu offering I’ve tried, and damn – this is just as delicious (maybe a touch better – and retailed for roughly half the other!). Easily one of the top three drams I tasted in 2019 (when I started my review notes). This whisky has such a rich and dense flavor, with a thick and creamy mouthfeel. It reminds me a bit of Macallan cask strength (in the glass it has that super-dark color, although a bit more brown than red by comparison), which is one of my favorites. If I had the opportunity to snag one at the $160 it was sold at, I think I’d buy multiples. Sadly unlikely to ever have a chance to buy one at anything close to that (or buy one period). This would be a contender for my Top 5 of all time, with the likes of Compass Box The General (and for those familiar with that dram and me, yes . . . it’s that good).

Rating: Must Buy

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Tamdhu 120th Anniversary Single Cask

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Tamdhu 120th Anniversary Single Cask #7389

59.3% ABV
Distilled 12/12/2002; Bottled April 2018
European Oak First Full Sherry Butt
603 Bottles (sample from bottle 238)
$342 (SRP £250)
Website
Tamdhu 15 Yr Single Cask 7389
We would like to thank Paul (check out his reviews here, or on Dapper Drams) for sending us a sample to review.

What the Distillery Says

Tamdhu Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky has released an exclusive Single Cask Distillery Team Edition, bottled to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Speyside distillery.

Selected by the 15-strong Tamdhu distillery team and bottled un-chill-filtered at cask strength, only 603 individually numbered scarce bottles will be released. Matured in a European oak first-fill sherry butt, the single malt has a smooth, long-lasting finish and a deep natural colour.

To find the cask best suited to mark the momentous anniversary, a range of ages and cask types were selected, including European and American sherry oak, and blind-tasted by the expert distillery team

Sandy McIntyre, Distillery Manager at Tamdhu Distillery, said:

“The distillery team had a lot of fun nosing and tasting nine samples and voting for their favourites. The final top three were then selected for a blind nosing and tasting and ranked by each of the team members to agree on the winning cask.”

The victor was a European first fill sherry butt, which boasts an exceptional natural colour from years of maturing in Tamdhu’s traditional dunnage Warehouse Number Five.

Sandy McIntyre continued:

“This cask is something to savour and enjoy over a prolonged period. I would expect this bottle to be opened on special occasions when you would share a dram, or two, with close friends and family or even just to keep for yourself – selfish, perhaps, but who can blame you!”

Tamdhu is owned by one of Scotland’s leading, independent family-owned distillers, Ian Macleod Distillers. Tamdhu Single Malt is matured exclusively in the finest Oloroso sherry oak casks from Spain, nothing less. This scarce wood bears two great gifts; colour and taste. Tamdhu’s deep natural amber is developed by the cask and each dram owes its rich, complex taste to the wood.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Hello sherry bomb! Loads of sherry with raisins, plums, dates, figs, clove, nutmeg, pecans, allspice and hints of cinnamon with wisps of smoke.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel that starts off with rich dark fruit, dark chocolate covered cherries, and sharpens a tad with some pepper; cloves and allspice along with pecans.
Finish:  Long and gently drying with dark cherries, smoke and cocoa.
Comments:  This is delicious. The first Tamdhu offering I’ve tried, I fear I’ve started at the wrong end of the spectrum. Very rich and intense dram, and an unabashed sherry bomb (if you like that sorta thing, which I do!) One of the best whiskies I’ve tried in 2019, and reminds me a bit of Macallan cask strength. Yes, it is pricey for a 15 yr single malt – and one can argue that any single cask is just as exclusive. For a special anniversary bottling, this is just as special as you’d like it to be. And remember that age isn’t everything; I’ve had 20 yr single malts I liked less than this. A brash whisky that definitely has me looking to explore Tamdhu further . . . which is fortunate as I have another sample from them to get to shortly!

Rating: Must Try

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Black Bull 21 Year Old

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Black Bull 21 Year Old
Blended Scotch Whisky

50% ABV
$135
Website
Duncan Taylor Black Bull 21 Yr Blended Scotch Whisky

What the Blender Says

Stoically independent and without compromise. Black Bull was first released to discerning drinkers in 1864, and has since grown to become a renowned whisky of quality, offering a powerful sensory experience, and delivering indulgent, uncompromised depth.

Black Bull is still blended to the same formula today as was used in the very beginning, using a large percentage of quality Speyside and Highland malts, matured in sherry and bourbon casks, blended to a high malt to grain ratio, and finally bottled at a robust 50% abv.

Black Bull 21 is unfettered by chill filtration, allowing the character of each carefully selected 21 year old whisky to shine through to its full potential, resulting in a unique blend that is outstanding in its field.

TASTING NOTES
COLOUR: Bright gold.
NOSE: Citrus, red apples, tangerines with a touch of caramel.
TASTE: Very lively and fresh with zesty notes. Nutmeg and cloves with sweetness of vanilla and barley sugars emerging. An excellent balance.
FINISH: Warming pepper, gentle nutty notes and toasted marshmallows to finish. A fantastic expression, reminds us of Christmas.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Lovely stewed fruits – apples, pears, apricots and figs, with nutmeg, clove, leather, oak and a faint hint of balsamic.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with honey, malt, subtle pears, bit of nutmeg, fresh cracked pepper and a hint of peat.
Finish:  Moderately long drying with oak, earthy pepper and a hint of fruit.
Comments:  The nose on this is really nice, but the palate was disappointing. Just less complex and intense – and one of those rare drams where I enjoyed it less with each sitting. Just a fairly mediocre dram that isn’t in my wheelhouse. Nothing off putting about it – like a funk or anything like that, and the nose is nice – but the palate tops out at highly ordinary for me.

Rating: Average

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