Average

Advent Day 9: The Naked Grouse

/ / Review, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky /

It gets naked on Day 9 of Advent…Naked Grouse…

The Naked Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky
40% ABV
$30
Website

What the Blender Says
Whisky at its most uncomplicated.

Convention said that blended malt got its flavour from bourbon casks, used again and again. This got us thinking… What if instead, we used first fill sherry casks to add another layer of rich and fruity flavour to our malts? It didn’t just work, it was a joyful exuberance of flavour that changed the possibilities of whisky enjoyment.

So hats off (and everything off!) to Naked Grouse, for taking a liberating leap into the unknown.

What Richard Says
Nose: Oily polished oak, stewed fruits, malt, and vanilla custard.
Palate: Very light flavored with bits of jarred cherries and vanilla cream.
Finish: Short and mellow.
Comments: Meh. Nice and easy to drink but very light and nothing that stands out to make you want more. A scotch for vodka drinkers?
Rating: Average

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Advent Day 8: Cardhu 12

/ / Review, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

A classic from Diageo and Cardhu on the 8th day of Advent…

Cardhu Single Malt Scotch Whisky 12 Years Old
40% ABV
$50
Website

What the Distillery Says
Nose: At full strength, heady, nose prickle, pear drops and tightly integrated heather, resin and sweet honey-nut notes. Enticing. Intriguing. With a little water, still harmonious but less pronounced, allowing some malt cereal, soft, spicy wood, moorland and faint traces of wood-smoke to appear.
Palate: Well balanced, smooth mouthfeel; short punch, sweet and fresh, then a pronounced drying effect. Moorish. Enjoyable at any time, with little or no water.
Finish: Quite short. Some lingering sweet smoke in the attractive, drying aftertaste.

What Richard Says
Nose: Malty and nutty with honey sweetness.
Palate: Wildflower honey, lightly smoky, orange marmalade, sweet nuts, and creamy vanilla.
Finish: Floral and spicy laid on a woody base.
Comments: Cardhu was hard to come by for a while. It was a huge seller in Spain but the decline in their consumption made it more available. Most Cardhu goes into Johnnie Walker blends but more expression are being made available as a single malt. The 12 Year Old is a great introduction to the distillery.
Rating: On the better side of Average

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Advent Day 7: Roe & Co Irish Whiskey

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review, Richard's Blog /

Diageo’s new brand was the surprise on day 7 of Advent…

Roe & Co Blended Irish Whiskey
45% ABV
$35
Website

What the Blender Says
Roe & Co is made from finest hand-selected stocks of Irish malt and grain whiskies, aged in bourbon casks. Using her 30 years of experience, Master Blender Caroline Martin has created a versatile, premium whiskey. Roe & Co is a luxuriously smooth blend with a perfect harmony between the intense fruitiness of the malt and the mellow creaminess of the grain whiskies. The high proportion of first-fill casks gives notes of creamy vanilla balanced with its hints of fruit and soft spice and a remarkable depth for such an elegant and refined whiskey. Roe & Co is non-chill filtered and bottled at a higher than usual ABV of 45%. Perfect in a cocktail, with a mixer or on its own Roe & Co will initially be available in the hottest bars around Europe.

On the nose Roe & Co is creamy, delightfully fragrant and remarkably rounded with notes of soft spice and mellow spun sugar along with warm hints of woody vanilla. The quality and perfect balance of the blend is immediately apparent on the palate through its velvety texture and sweet flavours including spiced pears and vanilla. The finish is lingering and gentle, ending with a light creaminess. The sweet pear notes readily apparent in Roe & Co are a wonderfully apt tribute to the once-great Dublin whisky distillery of George Roe & Co. Among the remnants of George Roe’s distillery are its old windmill tower, known as St. Patrick’s, and a magnificent pear tree dating from 1850.

What Richard Says
Nose: Vanilla sugar, nutmeg, and citrus zest.
Palate: Tinned pears, vanilla custard, and hard tack.
Finish: Apple skins and a lingering bitter oakiness.
Comments: There is nothing wrong with this pleasant whiskey but it isn’t anything special either. It is not unlike numerous new-ish Irish blends. See it out? Nah, just grab a Jameson.
Rating: Average

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Advent Day 5: Jim Beam Double Oak

/ / Bourbon, Review, Richard's Blog /

Beam…Jim Beam. I try most Beam products shortly after they make it to the Atlanta market but for whatever reason the Double Oak has eluded me. Thanks to my trusty Advent calendar that is now rectified.

Jim Beam Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
43% ABV
$22
Website

What the Distillery Says
Like all of our bourbons, the new Jim Beam® Double Oak is crafted in charred oak. Its rich flavor comes from being aged a second time in another separate barrel.

Jim Beam® Double Oak is first aged in charred American white oak barrels, then we pour it into another freshly charred barrel to mature for a second time. The added interaction with the oak wood results in a liquid intense in flavour, smooth in taste.

What Richard Says
Nose: A big kick in the nose of woody vanilla and burnt caramel.
Palate: Toffee candies, black pepper, artificial vanilla soda additive, and that weird peanut thing Beam whiskeys have going on.
Finish: Dry and wood forward.
Comments: You really get the “double oak” on the finish. The spiciness in the nose and palate are nice but it’s all dry wood at the end. I applaud Beam for trying new things without resorting to more sickly sweet flavors but there isn’t really enough here to merit it over regular Jim Beam
Rating: Average

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Advent Day 4: Boutique-y Irish 13 Year

/ / Irish Whiskey, Review, Richard's Blog /

I’ve wanted to sample some bottlings from That Boutique-y Whisky Company for quite a while. So I was pretty excited when Day 4 brought this…

That Boutique-Y Whisky Company Irish Single Malt No. 1 Batch 2 – 13 Year Old
48.4% ABV
$80
Website

What the Bottler Says
Ah, lovely Irish whiskey! Booming now, but it wasn’t so many years ago that the number of distilleries dwindled precariously, all joining forces at one stage simply to survive. It should also be remembered, however, that Irish whiskey has a long and glorious history and was the most popular spirit in the world back in the 19th century including (whisper it…) in Scotland!

Tasting notes:
Nose: Fruity and Floral; Banana skins and Melon initially, softening to Banana custard. Jasmine brings the floral element. There are hints of icing sugar and cinnamon spice.
Palate: Soft and sweet initially, Cantaloupe melon, brown sugar, then warming woody spices follow.
Finish: A nice balance between sweet melon and wood spice that lingers

What Richard Says
Nose: A beautiful ripe fruity sweetness. Diced melon fruit salad comes to mind.
Palate: The palate is not nearly as sweet as you would expect from the nose. It is malty with more of a burnt sugar sweetness.
Finish: Oak, black pepper, and a touch of ground cinnamon. When that fades, you are left with a lingering bitterness that is not very pleasant.
Comments: I don’t love this expression. There are a lot pieces here that make this stand out from standard offerings available but I’m not itching for more. I’m glad I got a dram of this instead of the whole bottle.
Rating: Average

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