Scottish Whisky

Compass Box The Peat Monster Cask Strength Origin Story

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box The Peat Monster Cask Strength Origin Story
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

56.7% ABV
$125
Website
Compass Box The Peat Monster Cask Strength Origin Story

What the Blender Says

While The Peat Monster may boast purely Scottish ancestry, this is a whisky born in the USA. To mark its 20th birthday, and to celebrate America’s influence on Scotch whisky more broadly, we have finished some of this whisky in very special seasoned virgin American white oak barrels.

FLAVOUR PROFILE
On the nose; sooty barbecue smoke, green apple and powerfully aromatic citrus oils, all underpinned by warming cinnamon. On the palate; tarry, smoked almond, with the seasoned virgin oak delivering added richness and vanilla notes alongside seaweed, cayenne pepper and saltiness.

SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS
Wherever you enjoy your whisky, join us in toasting two decades of The Peat Monster and the close whiskymaking ties linking Scotland with America.

TECHNICAL DETAILS
Bottled at 56.7% ABV | Natural colour | Not chill-filtered
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
A limited edition of 9,126 bottles
December 2022

LEAD WHISKYMAKER
James Saxon & Alex Driver

What Gary Says

Nose:  Smokey peaty goodness! Creosote, nylon rope, sea salt, toffee, cocoa and butterscotch.
Palate:  Rich and thick, sweet with caramel, marzipan, cinnamon, chocolate, peat, coconut, brown sugar and chili oil.
Finish:  Long and syrupy yet drying with toffee, peat and pepper.
Comments:  Thick, sweet and peaty – all the things I’d hoped for! Just delicious. This opens up with some time in the glass, bringing out more sweet notes on the nose that initially are squarely ‘in your face peat’ (which I don’t mind). A bit of water thickens this dram up even more. I’ll be honest – The Peat Monster was never my favorite from the core range at Compass Box, but I always enjoyed the Cask Strength versions. I don’t have any others laying around to directly compare against, but fairly certain this would be my favorite one yet.

Rating: Must Try

Compass Box The Peat Monster Cask Strength Origin Story Read More »

Clynelish 1995 26 Year Old 50th Anniversary

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Clynelish 1995 26 Year Old 50th Anniversary
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The Whisky Exchange Exclusive

51.5% ABV
$475-$500
Website
Clynelish 1995 26 Year Old 50th Anniversary Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Retailer Says

A specially selected 26-year-old Clynelish, distilled in 1995 and bottled for the 50th anniversary of The Whisky Exchange’s co-founders’ family starting in the drinks industry. This was bottled from a pair of casks – a refill sherry butt and a hogshead – and brings together the best of both of those styles of Clynelish whisky: rich and fruity, and fresh and fruity, all-wrapped in the distillery’s classic waxy character.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Toffee apples, raisin-studded shortbread and candied citrus peel at first. The fruit intensifies, backed up by gummi bears, buttered apples, white-wine-poached pears and traditional Clynelish waxed-jacket notes. Hints of sweet butter poke out in between the fruit, with milk and white chocolate hiding behind.
Palate: Royal icing and sugar-coated almonds fade beneath mint fondant and the fruit from the nose – fresh orchard fruit, gummi sweets, zingy citrus and some sweet pineapple. Gently drying apple skin notes develop alongside a touch of menthol.
Finish: Mint and green grass are joined by milk chocolate. Green apples linger.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich but delicate, fruity with pears, apples and apricots, heather, pineapple, mango, tahini and melted wax.
Palate:  Thick and cream mouthfeel, waxy with fruit notes before a sharp bit of pepper spice, lemon and pinepple.
Finish:  Moderately long and syrupy with fruit salad, sandalwood and tahini.
Comments:  Classic Clynelish waxy notes. As with many mature whiskies, this benefits from time in the glass (some say a minute for every year; I’m not that patient but a good 10-12 minutes definitely made a difference). A very nice dram to sit back and sip on. While I enjoyed it, the nose advertised a complexity and nuance that I didn’t get on the palate (although could just be me). The palate turned sharp before all of the fruit notes stepped forward, although the tahini note is one I don’t come across often and I did enjoy here.

Rating: Stands Out

Clynelish 1995 26 Year Old 50th Anniversary Read More »

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Legendary Eight

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Legendary Eight
Blended Scotch Whisky

43.8% ABV
$350
Website
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Legendary Eight Blended Scotch Whisky

What the Retailer* Says

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Legendary Eight is a smooth, mellow Scotch made using some of their rarest whiskies from across the untamed fields of Scotland, including exceptionally rare whiskies from ‘ghost’ distilleries. Each whisky is hand selected from eight legendary distilleries – featured on the bottle and pack – that existed when John Walker made his first steps embarking on his journey that began 200 years ago.

Johnnie Walker’s small team of 12 expert whisky makers came together to create this exceptional Scotch inspired by rare whiskies from these iconic and pioneering distilleries. This new limited edition release of Johnnie Walker Blue Label is a rare jewel crafted using Scotch from the legendary distilleries of Oban, Blair Athol, Lagavulin, Teaninich, Brora, Cambus, Port Dundas and Carsebridge.

“It’s fascinating to reflect on the idea that these famous distilleries also walked a 200-year journey and their whiskies still inspire us today. This new limited edition celebrates that shared experience and the contribution these rare whiskies continue to make to Johnnie Walker today and into tomorrow.”
-Jim Beveridge, Johnnie Walker Master Blender

NOSE: The blend is rich with layers of brown sugars, soft fruit and sweet wood. These flavors evolve to reveal hints of green apple and a subtle zest; complementing the gentle peat unfolding in the background to give an overarching warming sensation.
PALATE: A wonderful sweetness envelops the taste buds, through which notes of stone fruits, stewing apples and cocoa emerge.
FINISH: A wisp of smoke comes through to deepen the flavor resulting in a soft and lightly peppered finish.

* Could find no reliable source of information from the blender/producer; above is from a retailer’s description.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Pleasant, floral, dried fruit with peaches and apple cider, brown sugar and earthy underpinnings.
Palate:  Apples, pears, peaches with a tangy butterscotch with subtle but building pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long with fruit, vanilla and pepper.
Comments:  This is a well balanced dram, with sweet, savory, and just a hint of peat. Very easy to drink, although at this price point I’d expect more complexity. Johnnie Walker Blue is one of these well known higher-end pours that I’ve never quite gotten (don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate it, but didn’t love it either). I bought a JW sample pack years ago just to try it, and unfortunately that sample is long gone. But in reviewing my review notes from that, this strikes a very similar note. A nice enough dram, but premium price would leave me passing it by personally.

Rating: Stands Out

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Legendary Eight Read More »

Duncan Taylor 30 Year

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

Duncan Taylor 30 Year
Blended Scotch Whisky

40% ABV
$250
Website
Duncan Taylor 30 Year Blended Scotch Whisky
We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Retailer* Says

Scotland – A rare blend of whiskies aged at least 30 years from Scotland’s most iconic distilleries. Soft aromas of oak and citrus are found on the nose, while the mouthfeel is viscous. This well balanced whisky consists of complex flavor notes like cereal, caramel and fresh fruit.

* Could find no reliable source of information from the blender/producer; above is from the retailer’s description.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla spongecake, floral, orange creamsicle, heather and honey.
Palate:  Sweet and malty with honey, vanilla, hint of citrus and apples with cinnamon near the back.
Finish:  Moderate in length with citrus and pepper spice.
Comments:  With 30 years maturity, I’m looking (nay – expecting) layers and complexity. This disappointed on both fronts, and was more a showcase of subtly. Having said that, there weren’t any notes I found off-putting, and this left me wanting more – like teasing at what a great whisky it might have been, if only . . . (higher ABV? less grain in the blend?) But when you get to this price point, the absence of off notes isn’t the bar.

Rating: Probably Pass/Average

Duncan Taylor 30 Year Read More »

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
Blended Scotch Whisky

40% ABV
$65
Website
Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky

What the Blender Says

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is the perfect blend for an indulgent celebration. Luxurious, creamy and honeyed, it is a wonderful tribute to the harmonious partnership of Speyside and Highland Whiskies, with just a hint of smouldering embers from the West Coast. Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is made for those unforgettable nights out with amazing friends.

Enjoy Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve in any way you like – on its own, with a dash of water, or along with your favourite mixer.

FLAVOURS
Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is known for its creamy smoothness. It opens with a luxurious burst of delicate nectar and gentle smokiness that develops into sweet fruits and deeper, velvety, honeyed tones before giving way to sublime, lingering whispers of smoke and oakiness in the finish.

STORY
Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is the Celebration Blend, a personal creation of Master Blender Jim Beveridge for very special nights out with very special friends. Included in the blend is the Clynelish Single Malt, whose distillery was fed with water from hills where gold was once discovered. Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve is every bit as luxurious and indulgent as its name suggests.

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve has won several major awards, including four Le Monde Selection Grand Golds and four Double Golds at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich with sponge cake, peaches, plums, heather, vanilla, honey, floral with poached pears
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, fruity, peaches, bit of earthiness underlying tropical fruit notes (kiwi?), blackcurrants, blackberries and pepper spice.
Finish: Moderately long with fruit notes, pepper spice and vanilla.
Comments: A nice, balanced dram that’s fruity with a bit of earthiness (wouldn’t go so far to say ‘peaty’). The palate bends towards tart fruits, and it takes a bit of water well, dropping the pepper spice edge a bit and rounding out the mouthfeel. This is really just the newer version of the Johnnie Walker Gold Label that dropped the 18 year age statement years ago (but added ‘Reserve’, so there’s that!) I don’t recall the 18 year version, but Rich’s review from 14 years earlier had the same price point – which tells you it isn’t the same. But for the price point I thought it was pretty good.

Rating: Stands Out

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve Read More »