Review

Benromach Peat Smoke Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Benromach Peat Smoke
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$60 – $75
Website
Benromach Peat Smoke

What the Distillery Says

A wonderfully fruity and SERIOUSLY SMOKY single malt, we only produce very small batches of this GORGEOUS Speyside whisky that’s big on unique flavour.

Tasting Notes
Pour yourself a dram of this seriously smoky single malt whisky… we only produce very small batches of this unique Benromach Speyside whisky, so you’re one of the few people who are able to enjoy it. The finest Scottish barley is malted with high levels of peat smoke at 67ppm (parts per million: the phenol level, to those in the know). Take in the AROMA WITHOUT WATER… sweet vanilla, honey and cured meat aromas, hints of apricot and lemon combining with a beautiful subtle tobacco note. Dive in and enjoy the TASTE WITHOUT WATER. There’s cracked pepper with sweet strawberry and orange flavours, a delicate hint of aniseed… combined with a lingering edge of bonfire embers. Now enjoy the AROMA WITH WATER… the delicate smokiness complements lemon, honey and vanilla aromas with sweet hints of apricot and sugared almonds developing on the tongue. Lift it to your lips and savour the TASTE WITH WATER. Slow cooked apple, pear and tangy grapefruit give way to a trace of cocoa powder and an absolutely gorgeous edge of lingering cigars. It’s a wonderfully fruity and smoky single malt whisky.

Matured in first fill oak Bourbon barrels

What Gary Says

Nose:  Peat smoke with a sweet tar note, leather, smoked meat, a touch of iodine; a bit of water gives just a hint of lemondrops.
Palate:  Peat up front that evolves into a fruity spongecake with bits of butterscotch; bit of water softens up and brings more fruit sweetness.
Finish:  A tad short, drying with a note of butterscotch and hint of peat.
Comments:  This was very different from the Benromach 10 Yr and Organic, and for me was a bit too tilted.  I lose the fruit notes on the nose but find them on the palate – which feels disconnected to me (the nose sets me up for a meaty, smokey dram – more like a highland single malt, and the palate was closer to the other offerings other than more peaty).  Don’t get me wrong, nothing objectionable in the glass, but maybe my least favorite of the three.

Rating: Stands Out

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Benromach Organic Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Benromach Organic
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

43% ABV
$60 – $75
Website
Benromach Organic

What the Distillery Says

A WORLD FIRST when launched, even the wood we use for maturing our beautifully balanced organic single malt whisky is specially selected to nurture it to PERFECTION.

Tasting Notes
Pour yourself a dram of this beautiful Speysider, lift it to the light and notice the golden brown colour, imparted by our virgin oak casks. Even the wood we use for maturing the spirit is an intrinsic part of producing this beautifully balanced Organic Single Malt Whisky… a world-first when it was launched. With that in mind, enjoy the sumptuous AROMA WITHOUT WATER. It’s delightfully sweet and malty at first, and after a few inhalations you may detect vanilla, toffee and banana influences coming through. Enjoy the TASTE WITHOUT WATER… roll it around your mouth and savour the creamy pepper and sweet fruit flavours, particularly ripe bananas. Add a trickle of water to release the whisky and take in the AROMA WITH WATER… fresh and malty with darker, delicious hints of coffee and cocoa. You may smell some vanilla notes, and a touch of the fruit bowl coming through once again – this time with citrus fruits, especially lemons. Now for the TASTE WITH WATER… the smooth and mellow body has an exotic carnival feel with some gorgeous chilli spice and tropical fruit flavours, balanced with creaminess and a dark chocolate edge: a mouth-watering balance with a smooth and long finish. Our whisky is certified Organic from start to finish, meeting rigorous UK Soil Association standards for growing the ingredients, distillation, maturation and bottling. Unique on launch in 2006, it is still very rare today.

Matured in virgin oak casks

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel, brown sugar, vanilla bean, subtle malty/floral notes, oak, a hint of leather; some water brings out bananas and pears.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel that sharpens, cereal sweetness with brown sugar that turns into herbal spices in the back with banana pudding; some water tamps the sharpness and introduces a hint of cocoa.
Finish:  On the shorter side, drying with vanilla and grain notes.
Comments:  The virgin oak influence is evident, with more vanilla and grain notes than the 10 year old.  Definitely more sharp and a bit more intense.  I didn’t get the earthy notes or peat that the 10 yr old has.  A bit of water brings out some fruit notes on the nose and a bit on the palate.  A very pleasant dram, but if given the choice between this and the 10 yr, I’d go with the 10 yr.

Rating: Stands Out

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Benromach 10 Yrs Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Benromach 10 Yrs Old
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

43% ABV
$50 – $60
Website

What the Distillery Says

Grain by grain, drop by drop, we handcraft our GORGEOUS Speyside single malt to TASTE the way whisky should from our beautiful part of Scotland.
Tasting Notes
Pour yourself a dram of Benromach – not too wee and not too big. Swirl the golden liquid around your glass and notice the AROMA WITHOUT WATER. In other words, take a sniff. Indeed, indulging in several little inhalations is the best way to pick up all the different notes… rich sherry with fruit & nut chocolate, delicate spice, green apples, malty biscuit and a touch of light peat smoke. Now sip your dram, roll the whisky around your mouth and enjoy the TASTE WITHOUT WATER… juicy raspberries and brambles, sherry, creamy malt and a light peat. Next, take in the AROMA WITH WATER… it’s a wee bit nutty with a touch of charred oak and malt, and there’s also some fancy pineapple and kiwi. Add a drop or two of water to release the full TASTE WITH WATER. Savour the succulent mouth coating and taste the toasted malt, delicate peat smoke and lingering sweet sherry… our gorgeous classic Benromach Speyside style of single malt whisky.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel with poached pears, sandalwood, malt, fresh pecans, a touch of plums, hint of peat and leather.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel, barley sweetness with fruit notes that evolve into a smokey, herbal but soft spiciness.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with an earthy smokiness and hint of peat.
Comments:  This is a very nice 10 year old single malt.  Well balanced, approachable, incredibly drinkable with a lot of complexity for a 10 year old.  Bit of water opens it up nicely with some floral notes on the nose and more fruit on the palate.  If you’re a fan of Speyside single malts, I’d consider this a ‘Must Try’.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Girvan 24 Yr Single Grain Scotch Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Single Grain / ,

Girvan 24 Year Old Cask Strength Single Grain Whisky
Sovereign K&L Exclusive Single Cask

50.3% ABV
$100
Website
Girvan 24 Yr Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky

What the Reseller Says

Our grain whiskies from the Sovereign label have been some of the most beloved in our store’s history, which is why we’re back with another fabulous Girvan; the William Grant Lowland distillery located in the South Ayrshire (where Ladyburn distillery was once located). Remember that grain whiskies are not single malts, but rather column-distilled whiskies usually made from corn (like Bourbon). The Girvan 24 year is full of soft vanilla right off the bat, almost like an older version of the Nikka Coffey expression, but with more pop due to the higher proof. The vanilla turns into caramel on the mid-palate and it finishes with more soft sweetness before the alcohol comes roaring in. With grain prices as low as they are, expect more outstanding values like this in the near future.

From the bottle:
Distilled 1990, Bottled September 2014
A robust, sweet nose is slightly peppery with toffee apples.
Buttery on the palate with vanilla and chocolate,
followed by a long, nutty finish
Cask Ref: HL10574

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sweet, subtle honey with musty oak, hints of vanilla and baked apples.
Palate:  Sweet start with a viscous, buttery mouthfeel, vanilla and almonds before pepper spice.
Finish:  Long, nutty and peppery, drying as it goes.
Comments:  Full disclosure – single grain isn’t my favorite category of whisky. There isn’t anything objectionable about this dram, but also nothing really stood out for me compared to other similarly aged single grain Scotch whiskies. For my palate, single grain is a very gentle, subtle, nuanced pour – typically on the sweet side with a buttery mouthfeel. Very drinkable, and while there’s pepper spice it is somehow softer than you might expect (not a ‘sharp bite’). Hard to find a 20+ yr old anything in this price range.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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Medusa American Whiskey

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

Medusa American Whiskey

40% ABV
$100-$125
Website
Cadee Distillery Medusa American Whiskey
We would like to thank Cadée Distillery for sending us a sample to review (and for making the time for a call to answer questions!)

What the Producer Says

Enjoy the Timeless Pleasure of our Best American Whiskey
Handmade in small batches, Medusa is a beautifully finished American Whiskey for the discerning palate.
Sweet on the nose with an array of spices and the smell of the sea. This five year old “Straight Bourbon Whiskey” is finished for at least 18 months in 10-year-old imported Madeira wine barrels. Very smooth notes of toffee and mild spice give way to a lingering caramel Madeira blush. A truly exceptional whiskey that calls out to new and seasoned tasters.

Looking for the finest Straight bourbon whiskey for an unmatched tasting experience? Cadée Distillery brings you Medusa— a beautifully finished American Whiskey for discerning palates. Our five year old bourbon is finished for an additional 18 months aging in imported Madeira barrels. Possibly the best whiskey made in America!

Our unique finishing process creates a rich combination of unforgettable flavors ranging from toffee and mild spice to a lingering caramel Madeira blush. Bold enough for seasoned whiskey lovers, yet friendly to the novice. Very few American whiskeys will provide you the truly great and unique experience of Medusa. Try it for yourself and see. Order Medusa Select Reserve American Whiskey online above through our Medusa product page. You owe it to yourself and your friends.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich fruit notes of apricots, plums, dates, honey, thyme, wisps of sea air and heather, toasted oak with hints of salted caramel.
Palate:  Soft sweetness with caramel, plums, raisins, tangerines and a subtle spice notes of nutmeg and pepper, soft oak, and a hint of clove.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with a nutty fruit salad quality.
Comments:  This has been my favorite of the three whiskies I tried from Cadée Distillery. A very pleasant pour, where the Madeira finishing is evident but again not overdone.  I’ll be honest – when I read ‘American Whiskey’, I was skeptical and asked the fine folks at Cadée Distillery why they chose this label.  I explained that folks well-read on labeling requirements and restrictions may be skeptical of avoiding ‘bourbon’ or ‘straight’ on the label.  Cadée Distillery’s founder Colin Campbell explained that their intention with choosing ‘American Whiskey’ over ‘bourbon’ was to cut through the clutter of bourbons on the shelf, and hopefully stand out.  He acknowledged that in retrospect, labeling it as a straight bourbon whiskey finished in Madeira maybe would have been better.  Thankfully I’ve found the label doesn’t alter the taste (if you’re doing it right).  This is a delicious whiskey, and the only bourbon I’ve had finished in Madeira casks – making it a unique experience.  I was also excited to pick up notes of sea air on the nose.  As the oldest of the three products I tried, I hope this means future products with more age will bring more of that quality, as I do rather enjoy that where I find it in Scotch whiskey.

Rating: Stands Out

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