Scottish Whisky

Compass Box No Name Vol 1

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box No Name Vol 1
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

48.9% ABV
$130 – $150
Website
Compass Box No Name Vol 1

What the Blender Says

For this, our peatiest whisky yet, we have decided on No Name.
The idea for this limited edition was sparked by the discovery of a parcel of casks of mature, heavy-peated single malt whisky from a well-known distillery located along Pier Road, in the Southeast of the island of Islay.

This whisky was given NO NAME to let the whisky speak for itself. It is massive in terms of the intensity and complexity peatiness, but tempered with hints of fruit character and an underlying sweetness.

The recipe is primarily sourced from the Pier Road distillery. The tempering single malt is from the Islay distillery in Port Askaig, with its more elegant, restrained peaty malt whisky.

To add dimension, fruit character and an ethereal element, we have added a small portion of malt whisky from a much-loved distillery in the Northern Highlands village of Brora. We finished things off with just a touch of malt whisky finished in French oak, providing a lovely underlying sweetness and richness.

AVAILABILITY: Limited Edition release of 15,000 bottles worldwide. Bottled September 2017.

FLAVOUR DESCRIPTORS: A bonfire-like smokiness on the nose with a peatiness that is by turns tarry and medicinal with hints of autumn leaves. A powerful smokiness and peatiness follow, accented by hints of ripe cherries, plums and spice.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Peat fire on the coast with sea salt, smoked meat and dried seaweed, bit of tar, hints of vanilla and honey just under the smoke.
Palate:  Sweet with peat and medicinal notes, pepper spice bite that fades into tropical fruit, bit of crème brûlée with nutmeg dusting.
Finish:  Moderately long with smoke and subtle fruit notes.
Comments:  On the nose this is clearly Ardbeg, and made me think more of an independent bottling of Ardbeg than a blend of any sort.  With some time in the glass it opens up a bit more and unveils the complexity within. The palate is a bit of a roller coaster – starting sweet, then a bit of a harsh bite that then fads into more gentle spice notes. My first sip I wasn’t terribly impressed with – thought it was too much Ardbeg (which I enjoy), but letting it sit helped it more than most.  A few drops of water also really open it up.

Rating: Must Try

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Compass Box Delilah’s XXV

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Delilah’s XXV
Blended Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$105-$115
Website
Compass Box Delilahs XXV

What the Blender Says

Happy 25th Anniversary, Delilah’s!
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the legendary Chicago punk rock whisky bar, Delilah’s, we have once again created a limited edition Scotch whisky in collaboration with owner and whisky enthusiast, Mike Miller.

The recipe for our second Compass Box homage to Delilah’s was built around a small parcel of the original Compass Box Delilah’s blend released in 2013 – a luscious, American oak-aged whisky that we aged in cask for a further five years. With this as a base, Mike suggested adding malt whisky aged in Spanish Sherry casks, also made of American oak.

The result is a delicious Scotch whisky with notes of vanilla and spice, and rich Sherry character. It’s another incarnation of the shared vision Mike and I have for whiskies that everyone can appreciate and enjoy!

AVAILABILITY: Limited Edition release of 8,520 bottles worldwide. Bottled April 2018

FLAVOUR DESCRIPTORS: An effusive aroma of dried fruits, baking spices and light Sherry wine character. On the palate it’s soft and rich, with a complex sweetness in the form of vanilla and spice, and a finish of fresh green fruits and cream.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruity with pears, figs, tangerines, hints of darker fruits, cereal notes, biscuits with honey, musty oak, a whiff of spent matches, nutty, baking spices and heather.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel to start, fruit salad that slowly sharpens a tad with a spicy, oaky bite before settling in with vanilla, malty cereal notes, honey and cinnamon.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with honey and oak.
Comments: Just a delicious blend, which Compass Box is known for. Chockfull of fruit notes, but not overly sweet – balanced nicely with oak, spice and a bit of smoke. And as always, appreciate that they bottle without chill-filtration or additional colorant.

Rating: Must Try

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Dewar’s Ilegal Smooth

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Dewar’s 8 Year Old Ilegal Smooth
Mezcal Cask Finish Blended Scotch Whisky

40% ABV
$21.99
Website
Dewars Ilegal Smooth
We would like to thank Dewar’s and Nike Communications for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

DEWAR’S® Scotch Whisky, the world’s most awarded blended Scotch whisky, announces the unprecedented first-to-world launch of DEWAR’S Ilegal Smooth: DEWAR’S 8 year-old double-aged Blended Scotch whisky, finished in Ilegal Mezcal casks for a pleasant and unexpectedly sweet, smooth blend with a wisp of smoke. The second in a new cask-finished series of whiskies, DEWAR’S Ilegal Smooth aims to reflect the Scotch spirit’s progressive new face and invite in new whisky appreciators through partnering with Ilegal, the leading artisanal mezcal in the US. This follows on from the successful debut of DEWAR’S Caribbean Smooth last September and the ethos of bringing together two exciting cultures, this time with Scotland and Mexico.

“DEWAR’S is thrilled to launch this second in a series of double-aged cask finishes, which further pushes the boundaries of the whisky category in line with DEWAR’S commitment to innovation,” says Brian Cox, Vice President, DEWAR’S, North America.

“We’ve been considering experimenting in the mezcal space for a while and are thrilled to partner with Ilegal for this exciting world first. It’s a fortuitous collaboration as there are many parallels between Tommy Dewar, one of the DEWAR’S founders, and John Rexer, founder of Ilegal. They both have grit, wit and passion for creating something new on an ambitious scale – the very best ultra-premium, smooth spirits. DEWAR’S Ilegal Smooth pays homage to both of their successful legacies by dispelling myths about what’s possible between whisky and mezcal and ultimately breaking new ground in both categories. The end product says it all,” added Cox.

DEWAR’S Ilegal Smooth’s 8-year-old mezcal cask finish offers brown spirit drinkers a refreshing alternative. “We’ve blended our signature recipe of up to 40 single malts and grain whiskies that have laid in casks for at least 8 years, double aged the blend to ensure our distinctive extra smooth DEWAR’S profile, and then finished in ex-Ilegal Mezcal casks, sourced from Oaxaca, Mexico, all fulfilled in our ageing warehouses in Glasgow,” says Stephanie Macleod, Master Blender, DEWAR’S. “DEWAR’S Ilegal Smooth’s unique flavor profile features subtle notes of caramel, sliced green pepper and a wisp of smoke – making it an ideal pairing for your next dinner party, or as a spirit to enjoy neat, on the rocks or in highball recipes,” added Macleod.

“Many of the barrels utilized in aging mezcal are used whisky barrels. It’s a nice shift to have our used Ilegal Mezcal barrels crossing borders to age whisky in Scotland. The finished product is delicious,” says Founder of Ilegal Mezcal, John Rexer. Ilegal Mezcal is made in Oaxaca, Mexico by Oaxaqueños. The company is composed of Mexicans, Guatemalans, Mexican Americans, an El Salvadoran American, Venezuelans, an Ecuadorian, New Yorkers, Californians and a Philadelphian … people from an array of ethnicities and cultures. We live, work, and play across borders. This partnership between Ilegal and DEWAR’S is about sharing cultures and creating an opportunity for education around the mezcal category,” added Rexer.

Tasting notes: Subtle notes of caramel, sliced green pepper and a wisp of smoke

What Gary Says

Nose:  Malt with a vegetal nose of boiled cabbage, subtle smoke, heather, agave syrup and hints of floral notes.
Palate:  Sweet entry of honey with vegetal notes of green pepper and cabbage, a slight bit of pepper spice.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length, with a lingering spice – almost a chili spice note.
Comments: This one is definitely on the vegetal side of things. More savory than sweet by comparison with Dewar’s White Label. Definitely interesting and unique.  Not what you’d call a complex pour, but not presenting itself as such either.  I haven’t tried Ilegal Mezcal so can’t say how close any resemblance there might be. I like that Dewar’s price point on these new offerings is such that if you’re curious, giving it a try isn’t going to really set you back.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

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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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