Scottish Whisky

Cutty Sark 25 Year Old Tam O’Shanter

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Cutty Sark 25 Year Old Tam O’Shanter
Blended Scotch Whisky

46.5% ABV
$200-$320 (released in 2012 @ £199)
Cutty Sark 25 Year Old Tam O'Shanter Blended Scotch Whisky

What the Internet* Says

Cutty Sark owner Edrington is celebrating Burns Night 2012 by releasing Cutty Sark 25 Year Old Tam O’Shanter. Tam O’Shanter is the name of the Rabbie Burns poem which introduced the world to the witch Cutty Sark – the namesake of the famous ship, and ultimately the whisky.

A limited release of 5,000 bottles, this is the first whisky blend created by master blender Kirsteen Campbell.

The release is presented in a substantial wooden box, containing a 134 page book with with over 50 illustrated scenes by the late Alexander Goudie who is considered one of Scotland’s finest figurative painters. The box is also decorated in Goudie’s style.

* As this was released in 2012, there is nothing on Cutty Sark’s web-site about it, but this was gleaned from 2012 reports on its release as well as reputable auction sites.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sherry bomb; rich and thick with raisins, rancio, roasted walnuts, ponzu sauce glazed brisket, worn leather with faint pipe tobacco smoke.
Palate:  Rich and intense, fruitcake with a sherry reduction drizzle, honey, nutmeg, clove, note of balsamic, bit of peat with pepper.
Finish:  Long with dark fruit, spices and fading pepper.
Comments:  Wow – this is a really dark dram! Oh – and f’ing magnificent! A truly complex, luscious pour that is everything I hope for in older scotch. I’ll admit – if someone had told me “Hey, I’ve got this Cutty Sark blend that might crack your top 10 all time pours”, I’d have been willing to bet cash they were wrong. Released back in 2012, finding one on a shelf isn’t likely, although if you do – I can’t recommend it enough. In fact, already past the half-way point in 2021 and this is the first whisky this year I’ve put as a 100% ‘Must Buy’. It is THAT good.

Rating: Must Buy

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John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend
Blended Scotch Whisky

51% ABV
$75
Website
John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend

What the Blender Says

John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend honors the past whilst being an invitation to raise a glass to the next 200 years.

2020 marks 200 years since John Walker first opened the doors to a small grocery store in rural Scotland, setting in motion a chain of events that would change the world of Scotch whisky forever. This is a limited edition release inspired by our first commercial blend ‘Old Highland Whisky’ the first of our whiskies to be exported from Scotland to the four corners of the world.

As John Walker opened the doors to his grocery store two hundred years ago, we invite you to do the same when you open this celebratory Scotch whisky blend to unveil the historic image of where our journey began.

A lot has changed since those early days, but our entrepreneurial spirit remains the same.

THE STORY BEHIND THE JOHN WALKER & SONS CELEBRATORY BLEND LIMITED EDITION

The John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend is inspired by a breakthrough moment, the release of ‘Old Highland Whisky’ in the 1860s, which was created primarily for export and became the first of our whiskies to travel from Scotland to the four corners of the world. With more whisky being sold overseas, the iconic design of the square bottle and uniquely slanted label were distinct and helped the name stand out against other whiskies.

“John Walker & Sons Celebratory Blend is a sensorial journey featuring notes of sweet dried raisins, subtle spice and marzipan, which develop into hints of roasted nuts, icing sugar sweetness and gentle peat, with a soft pepper finish. It celebrates an historic moment in the our story.”
– Jim Beveridge, Johnnie Walker Master Blender

FLAVOR
NOSE: On the nose this whisky has sweet dried raisins, subtle spice and marzipan.
PALATE: The palate develops hints of roasted nuts, icing sugar sweetness and gentle peat.
FINISH: The finish is soft pepper.

(whisky advocate notes)
This spicy concoction, inspired by John Walker’s original Old Highland Whisky, has a nose of marzipan, candied peel, raisin, marmalade, aromatic spices, pepper, and ginger loaf, with a trace of cool smoke and peppermint. The strength and pepperiness give this plenty of clout, with a flavor unique among Johnnie Walker whiskies: brown sugar, hazelnut, royal icing on wedding cake, nuts, pepper, clove, peat, and blackened fruitcake.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruit notes with raisins and apricots, caramel, chocolate, subtle vegetal notes with peat.
Palate:  Rich and thick, dark fruit with toffee, caramel, chocolate, spice notes kicking in with nutmeg, cinnamon, hazelnuts, allspice and pink peppercorn.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with dark fruit, honey and spice.
Comments:  One of the better Johnnie Walker (I know – this is ‘John Walker’) blends I’ve tried. Appreciate the higher ABV, although drinks nicely neat. Takes a bit of water well, opening up the fruit notes more with some apples and pears peeking in. A nicely balanced dram!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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The Macallan Terra

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The Macallan Terra
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

43.8% ABV
$165-$180
Website
The Macallan Terra

What the Distillery Says

– The Quest Collection –
Each single malt within the range is an exploration of flavor and texture, from vibrant and fresh through to rich and intense, concluding with a whisky that signifies the essence of The Macallan. The Macallan Terra represents the story of discovery in the Quest Collection journey in this balanced and complex whisky.

A complex, yet balanced single malt, with a distinctive character of toffee, sweet dried fruit and rich wood spices.

A DEFINING MOMENT
The Macallan Terra tells the story of discovery through a complex, yet balanced single malt, aged in exclusively selected first fill sherry-seasoned oak casks, whose journey spans 10,000 miles.

Matured exclusively in first-fill European and first-fill American oak casks sourced from two of the most distinguished family cooperages, The Macallan Terra honours the very best of sherry seasoned oak from both continents. Celebrating the wonders of spirit maturation this is a whisky with a distinctive character of toffee, sweet dried fruit and rich wood spices, that reveals the intensity of first-fill oak that inspires our quest.

Displaying the bark of the oak tree, The Macallan Terra marks the discovery of the journey, grounded in a defining moment.

THE EXPERIENCE
COLOR: Sunset Orange
NOSE: Dried fruits are tempered by lemon zest, toffee and light ginger. Aged oak rises.
PALATE: Sweet dried fruits, subtle tones of ripening apple. Heavy and fresh on the palate.
FINISH: Medium length. Dried fruit and wood spices.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, thick dark fruits with some lighter notes of lemon, caramel, meaty notes of boiled cabbage and tobacco.
Palate:  Sweet and fruity with apples and citrus notes, a spicy zip, savory notes with cloves and sultanas.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with plums and spices.
Comments:  Another very nice dram – a bit more vegetal and earthy compared to The Macallan Edition No. 2, but not a departure from the style of Macallan. Rather enjoy that difference, and think I’d prefer this over that – although not sure I like this enough to fork over the asking price.

Rating: Stands Out

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The Macallan Edition No. 2

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The Macallan Edition No. 2
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

48.2% ABV
$120-$150
Website
The Macallan Edition No. 2 Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

– The Edition Series –
A unique selection of oak cask styles are combined to yield a new limited edition expression each year. A characterful single malt, Edition No. 2 showcases our extraordinary commitment to sourcing and selecting only the very best oak casks for The Macallan.

Four extraordinary characters, one exceptional single malt.

DEEP AND RICH
A creative collaboration between our Master Whisky Maker and the three Roca brothers – co-founders of world-renowned restaurant, El Celler de Can Roca – Edition No. 2 unites these four masters in one spirit.
The distinctive and dynamic character of Edition No. 2 has been shaped not only by the use of seven exceptional oak cask types from four different bodegas but by the creative spirit of each of the four collaborators; combining flavors to reflect each of their distinctive personalities in the resulting whisky.

THE EXPERIENCE
COLOUR: Golden Syrup
NOSE: Treacle, ginger, toffee apples and rich fruits. Layers of vanilla open into tropical fruits and subtle green wood.
PALATE: Warm with spice as cracked black pepper and cloves join with hints of chocolate, brown sugar, oak and nuts. Finally, liquorice and brandy snaps come through.
FINISH: Full, slow, warm and wonderfully viscous.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Thick sherry, stewed dark fruits, musty spice, oak, sandalwood, fruit cake, dulce de leche, hints of apple and leather.
Palate:  Sweet with sherried fruit, honey, vanilla, clove, cinnamon, cocoa, oak, bit of pepper and anise.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with chocolate, raisins and sherry.
Comments:  A nice dram – fully of sherried fruit but also a fair amount of spice notes. Well balanced overall, and what you’d come to expect from. I tried this along side The Macallan Terra, and found this to be sweeter (but unfortunately didn’t have any more readily available Macallan on hand for a side by side).

Rating: Stands Out

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Oban 18 Year Old Single Malt

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Oban 18 Year Old
West Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey

43% ABV
$120-$140
Website
Oban 18 Year Old West Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

An elegantly matured single malt that balances opulent fruit flavours with rich peat smoke and spicy wood, culminating in a long, smooth, finish.

PALATE: Mouth-filling sweetness tempered with smoked malt dryness.
SCENT: Peat smoke and spicy wood with notes of ripe banana, pear, and plum.
FINISH: Long and sweet. Hints of dark chocolate and salted caramel.
BODY: Medium bodied and rich with good legs.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruit salad with poached pears, apples, apricots, nectarines, heather, wisp of earthiness, sandalwood and leather.
Palate:  Sweet entry with fruit notes, honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper spice followed by peat and soft oak.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with peat, dried fruit and pepper.
Comments:  A very nice and enjoyable pour! Fruity, balanced with a bit more peat on the palate than on the nose. At $120 locally, a quite reasonably priced aged single malt although not sure I’d spend a lot more than that. Water thickens it a bit and tamps some of the pepper spice edge.

Rating: Stands Out

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