Speyside

The Glenlivet 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The Glenlivet 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

40% ABV
$28-32
Website
The Glenlivet 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

One of the world’s most popular malts, the double-oak-matured 12 Year Old whisky embodies The Glenlivet’s signature fruity style.

Fruity, Smooth & Balanced
Representing the heart of The Glenlivet’s signature fruity style, this 12 year old single malt is double oak matured, intertwining tropical fruit and sweet vanilla flavours notes. The result is an irresistibly smooth whisky, crafted to be savoured slowly.

The mineral-rich water that comes from Josie’s Well helps form the flavours during mashing and fermentation, whilst the specific height and width of the copper stills add a delicate yet complex character.

Nose: An elegant combination of banana and pineapple, vibrant aromas of summer meadows
Palate: Sweet fruit notes of peaches and pears complemented by vanilla and toffee.
Finish: Smooth, gentle and long.
Cask: European and American Oak.

What Gary Says

Nose: Soft, floral with fruit notes (apples & pears), honey, vanilla, malt and a hint of peaches.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, vanilla, peaches, light caramel, honey, shortbread cookies, canned mixed fruit and a hint of anise.
Finish: Short and smooth with a bit of vanilla, oak, and poached apple.
Comments: Richard and Matt reviewed this back in the early days of 2009, as it’s one of the more popular single malts out there. I honestly had forgotten they had reviewed it before I ventured out to do so myself, but had similar conclusions with Matt on it being pretty average (although it is noteworthy that the price today is similar to what it was 15+ years ago). Nothing objectionable in the glass or on the news, but also nothing that really stands out.

Rating: Average

The Glenlivet 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky Read More »

GlenAllachie 15 Year Old

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The GlenAllachie 15 Year Old
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$100-125
Website
The GlenAllachie 15 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

This spectacular Scotch whisky embodies our unwavering dedication to obtaining Sherry wood of the highest standard. A watchful eye throughout the maturation journey ensures the whisky is bottled at its optimum.

With an intense mahogany hue, this single malt exudes sheer indulgence with layers of cinnamon, orange zest, vanilla toffee and dark chocolate.

We proudly present The GlenAllachie 15-year-old with integrity; at a high strength of 46%, without added colouring or chill filtration, enabling its true charm to shine through.

What Gary Says

Nose: Dried fruit, raisins, figs, cherries, orange marmalade, oak spices and brown sugar.
Palate: Honey and vanilla with cherries, raisins, orange zest, baked apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper.
Finish: Moderate in length, drying with cocoa, oak, brown sugar and spices.
Comments: A nice sipping dram. Sherried for sure but not a ‘bomb’. Fairly well balanced, a bit on the dry side – almost sharp with the spice notes. This is the first GlenAllachie I’ve reviewed, although have some single casks I’ll get to at some point.

Rating: Stands Out

GlenAllachie 15 Year Old Read More »

Benriach The Thirty Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

/ / Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

Benriach The Thirty
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Four Cask Matured

46% ABV
$800-$900
Website
Benriach The Thirty Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

This exquisite single malt has been crafted from peated spirit and four cask matured for at least thirty years in sherry casks, bourbon barrels, virgin oak casks and port casks from the Douro Valley. During long maturation Benriach’s sweet Speyside smoke mellows and integrates with the fruit, malt and oak. After thirty years, rich layering develops into sublime honeyed smoke, further enhanced through multi-layered cask maturation. The whisky from each cask type, imbued with particular flavour characteristics, is then expertly married together to create an exquisitely harmonious single malt, layered with dark fruits, rich walnut and velvety oak spice with a long, complex, smoked honey finish. All in perfect balance.

TASTING NOTES
COLOUR: Mahogany
NOSE: Stewed plum, baked orange, smoked walnut and cinnamon cocoa
PALATE: Dark fruit, manuka honey and chocolate raisin, with a long and complex smoked honey finish
SMOKE LEVEL: Complex

RACHEL BARRIE – MASTER BLENDER: “The Thirty has an incredible intensity of flavour but also exceptional refinement. The deepest, richest expression of Benriach on every level.”

What Gary Says

Nose: Fruit notes with figs, raisins, currants, orange, leather, hint of smoke with a nuttiness.
Palate: Dark fruit notes of raisins and plums, honey, chocolate, peaches, cinnamon and a bit of peat smoke.
Finish: Long and damp with fruity floral notes, faint spice and just a wisp of smoke.
Comments: This is a quite nice, mature, and elegant single malt. With this kind of age, you expect depth and nuance which this delivers. With a few drops of water, the nose brings forward more orange notes and a bit of cedar, while on the palate the mouthfeel thickens and becomes creamier. All that said, it isn’t intense with the flavor – and the price point is ridiculous. But if someone is offering a pour, nothing objectionable in the glass – this is a nice dram to sit and ponder with.

Rating: Average/Stands Out

Benriach The Thirty Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky Read More »

Cragganmore 1995 26 Years Old Single Cask Bottled 2022

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Cragganmore 1995 26 Years Old Single Cask Bottled 2022
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

54.7% ABV
$375-600
Website
Cragganmore 1995 26 Years Old Single Cask Bottled 2022

What the Bottle Says

The First Editions – Aged in a Single Cask
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled at Cragganmore Distillery
1995
Speyside Region
This Single Cask Was Bottled 2022 Aged 26 Years

From This Single Malt Scotch Whisky Expect

A rich, fruity, slightly spicy nose with plums, cherries, walnuts and some leather. Spicy on the palate with cinnamon, some ginger, walnuts and dark chocolate-coated raisins, leading into a long peppery finish.

Bottled at Cask Strength, Non Chill Filtered, Not Couloured

Approved by Andrew Laing

One of 300 bottles from a Sherry Butt
HL19119
54.7% Alc by Vol
Edition Spirits LTD. G3 6AX 700 mL

What Gary Says

Nose: Rich with coffee cake, stewed plums, raisins, floral notes, earthy with citrus notes.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel with fruitcake, raisins, figs, apples, pears, ginger, cinnamon and chili oil.
Finish: Moderately long and damp with dark fruit, bit of peat and chili oil.
Comments: Very interesting trying this alongside the Cragganmore 25 Year Limited Edition; you can definitely pick up on the familial resemblance (especially the chili oil note). This was otherwise more intensely flavored, and far more darker given the sherry butt maturation which isn’t a surprise. This also benefits from some time in the glass, and a bit of water which brings out notes of toffee on the nose and some dark chocolate notes on the palate..

Rating: Must Try

Cragganmore 1995 26 Years Old Single Cask Bottled 2022 Read More »

Cragganmore 25 Years Old Limited Edition

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Cragganmore 25 Years Old Limited Edition
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

51.4% ABV
$375-600
Website
Cragganmore 25 Years Old Limited Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Bottle Says

Aged 25 Years
The Best of Speyside
Cragganmore
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Natural Cask Strength
An elegant, sophisticated Speyside with the most complex aroma of any malt. Astonishingly fragrant with rich dried fruits and a finely scented finish.

[Additional details found on various other websites indicate this was released in 2014 as part of Diageo Special Releases; distilled in 1988 and matured in refill American and European oak casks, with only 3,372 bottles released; my sample was from bottle 2,765.]

What Gary Says

Nose: Light, heather, floral, vanilla, honey, grassy with a hint of earthy mineral note and nylon rope.
Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, warming with vanilla custard, orange blossom honey, baked apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and chili oil.
Finish: Moderate in length, drying with citrus and cracked pepper.
Comments: This is a nice, nuanced single malt. It definitely benefits from some time in the glass.  I also preferred it with a few drops of water, which brought out notes of tangerines on the nose and thickened the mouthfeel as it tamped the spicier edges (and brought more citrus to the party). I tried this alongside another Cragganmore offering of similar age (26 year old), and this was noticeably lighter in color.

Rating: Stands Out

Cragganmore 25 Years Old Limited Edition Read More »