Distillation Date: January 1997 Bottling Date: September 2016 Wood Type: Pedro Ximenez Finish Cask Number: 91822 Number of Bottles: 437 Unchill-Filtered Natural Colour
What Gary Says
Nose: Honey suckle, barley malt, heather, vanilla, hint of spent matches, coffee cake, ginger, dark fruits, bit of anise, smoked pork, figs, pipe tobacco and nutmeg. Palate: Rich and thick mouthfeel, warm with honey, stewed fruits over coffee cake, cinnamon, pepper, clove, nutmeg and molasses. Finish: Long and wet, honey dripping with raisins and a bit of sulfur. Comments: Wow – a really nice, robust, intense dram – balanced with sweetness and a bit of savory smoky notes. A bit of water brightens it up without thinning. I liked this quite a bit more than Glenrothes 18 yr I tried, and I’m pretty sure it is the Pedro Ximenez finish (which I do like). This is also one of those drams where I actually prefer the nose over the palate, which isn’t to short-change the palate. This is a winner on all fronts, but the nose is really enchanting!
Stellum Bourbon Cask Strength Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskies
57.49% ABV $55 Website We would like to thank Stellum Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.
What the Blender Says
Stellum Spirits is a new national brand created and produced by Barrell Craft Spirits® (BCS). Please see this release for additional details!
Stellum Spirits, a new national brand created to celebrate the modern-day whiskey drinker, today officially launched its inaugural flagship offerings, including bourbon (blue label), rye (green label), and single barrels, which are all bottled at cask strength. By embracing the vitality of American whiskey today, Stellum is focused on creating the next generation of classic whiskeys that include all facets of the American story in its vision.
Stellum Bourbon finds its flavor in the tension of three Indiana Bourbon mash bills, two of which are high-rye, with the third being almost exclusively corn. Older barrels from both Kentucky and Tennessee are folded in slowly, through a multi-step blending process. This brings added layers of depth and complexity, ultimately allowing us to round out a uniquely Stellum flavor profile.
TASTING NOTES Appearance: Amber gold. Nose: Intense clove and allspice immediately jump out of the glass, supported by creamy macadamia nuts and light tobacco. As the whiskey opens up, sweet aromas of honeysuckle, green apple, and nectarine begin to show, rounded off by toasted rye and oak. Palate: The tip of your tongue is met with a hint of vanilla, marshmallow, and cotton candy. The whiskey quickly transforms as it spreads across your tongue, revealing spicy notes of black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon baked apples. The spice is supported by tart underripe blackberry and apricot that contrasts perfectly against the initial sweetness. Finish: The spiciness of the palate carries over into the finish with candied ginger and more black pepper before slowly fading into a syrupy sweet honey.
With the Addition of Water: The strong pepper notes are more subdued, allowing for sweet cinnamon streusel and stewed apples to come to the forefront of the palate.
What Gary Says
Nose: Caramel, oak, orange zest, vitamins, cinnamon and clove. Palate: Rich mouthfeel, vanilla, bit of milk chocolate, baking spices including clove, nutmeg and cinnamon followed by cracked black pepper and tart berries. Finish: Moderately long and drying with berries and pepper with honey. Comments: Wow! The nose on this was nice, but was a bit deceptive in that I wasn’t expecting the intensity and richness that the palate delivered. Having tried several products from the folks at Barrell Craft Spirits who are behind Stellum Spirits, I shouldn’t have been surprised. The Dickel notes are present but not prominent on the nose, and I found the palate on this to be comparable to some of their Barrell Bourbon releases. A bit of water brings out some caramel corn on the nose, and tamps the edges of the palate – although it doesn’t need water in my opinion. Given the trend in prices of premium brands and labels in recent years, I found this priced incredibly reasonably. I hope that they’re able to keep this profile fairly consistent – although if so they’ll probably struggle to keep up with demand!
This is our sixth edition of Flaming Heart, a whisky born of oak, smoke and fire.
First released in 2006, Flaming Heart was the first whisky to combine the rich, complex spice of Scotch aged in new French oak with the evocative peat-red smoke of Islay malt.
It created a genre-defying style that was smouldering, spicy, complex – and so popular that we’ve re-released it five more times in the years that followed.
In this 2018 edition, we have reintroduced a subtle sherry-cask influence that adds an additional layer of complexity and richness. A medium smoky-peaty base is enriched by a sweet maltiness and notes of baking spices and dried fruit.
It’s a whisky to enjoy late into the night, perfect served neat or paired with rich cheeses.
FLAVOUR PROFILE: A medium smoky-peaty base is enriched by a sweet maltiness and notes of baking spices and dried fruit. Full on the palate and very long on the finish. SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS: This is a whisky to enjoy late into the night. Drink it neat or with water, or try pairing it with rich cheeses. TECHNICAL DETAILS: Bottled at 48.9%. Natural colour. Not chill filtered. A limited edition of 15,050 standard bottles and 800 magnums. June 2018. LEAD WHISKYMAKER: Jill Boyd, 2018.
What Gary Says
Nose: Smoke and peat with sherried fruit nuts under a fog of sea air, smoked meats and a touch of iodine. Palate: Thick and creamy mouthfeel with peat smoke, stewed fruits – berries, plums, peaches – exotic spice notes with honey and a hint of anise along with a touch of sea salt. Finish: Long and smokey with an ashy earthiness and hints of fruit. Comments: Flaming Heart is one of my favorite offerings from Compass Box, and probably the brand I’ve bought more bottles of than anything else in terms of Scotch whisky. When I first discovered it in 2015 (although ironically finding a 2012 release!), I bought it based solely on a review I read (this one!) and my experienced lined up with Richard’s. I probably picked up a half-dozen bottles of the 2015 release over the course of 2 years (never bought more than 1 at a time!), so I did compared my sample of this 2018 edition (thanks Rich!) to that. Very similar for sure – this has maybe a touch more ash/smoke, and the 2015 has maybe a touch more fruit. When I did a blind side-by-side, I wasn’t sure I could tell any difference. If you like smokey, peaty whisky that has a nice balance of fruit and spice – I can’t see how this would disappoint.
Scotch whisky has a rich array of stories, myths and legends.
However, what start as myths can become received wisdom, influencing our understanding and restricting our enjoyment. We have deployed blending to challenge assumptions, biases and prejudices concerning Scotch in this limited edition series we call Myths & Legends.
Myths & Legends II blends together malt whiskies of different ages from a single Speyside distillery. We wish to show how process matters more than provenance when it comes to the flavours of single malts. In addition to the aromas of tropical fruits and butterscotch you will also discover subtle savoury notes and spiciness.
The distinctive profile has nothing to do with “Speyside”; process decisions made at the distillery, the effects of maturation, and our own choices regarding the balance of the final blend determine the whisky’s quality and character. Clues to a whisky’s flavour lie in the glass and not the distillery’s region.
FLAVOUR PROFILE: Expressive tropical fruitiness combines with silky butterscotch and sweet spices.
SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS: Serve neat to appreciate the spicy and waxy character. Alternatively, pour over a large cube or ball of ice to accentuate the deliciously rounded mouthfeel and tease out notes of pineapple.
Not Chill-Filtered, Light 5 Micron Filtration | Natural Colour | Lead Whiskymakers: Jill Boyd and James Saxon | A limited edition of 4,446 bottles | July 2019
What Gary Says
Nose: Tropical fruit salad with coconut, peaches and mangos; toffee, subtle oak, heather and floral notes. Palate: Thick and creamy mouthfeel, rich fruit notes of peaches and pears, spices, butterscotch, light caramel, toffee, nutmeg, a faint hint of clove. Finish: Long with a bit of pepper amongst fruit notes. Comments: Wow – Myths & Legends stepping up with the second installment! A lovely, rich dram. Another distillery which I’m unfamiliar with – this time Glen Elgin, consisting of casks from 16 to 23 years old. I need to find some independent bottlings (which isn’t to detract from the blending skills involved in creating this gem). This is both elegant and robust at the same time – an absolutely lovely whisky. Raising the bar as I look to the conclusion (although to be clear – nothing says you have to try them in succession).
Distilled: December 2003 Bottled: April 2017 Cask Type: Fresh Sherry No. of Bottles: 474
What Gary Says
Nose: Rich sherry bomb, plums, raisins, dates, smoked meat, leather, pipe tobacco, clove, oak. Palate: Rich and thick sweetness, fruit, berries, cherries, honey, brown sugar, toffee, balsamic, dark chocolate, clove and pepper spice. Finish: Long with sherry dripping and a bit of clove. Comments: Just delicious! Takes water like a champ, bringing out some maple candy notes on the nose. An unapologetic sherry bomb that hits all the right notes.
