Stands Out

Balblair 1983

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey 1983 Vintage
46% ABV
$285
Website
1983_Black_background_whisky_detail
What the Distillery Says:
Matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, Balblair Vintage 1983 is a rich, warm dram, combining all core Balblair characteristics. Only just launched to replace the 2nd release of 1975 this stunning dram is sure to be just as popular as its predecessor.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: The first release of Balblair 1983 has a rich golden appearance.
Aroma: On the nose there are warm aromas of butterscotch, toffee and vanilla that come from the long years of maturation in American oak ex-bourbon barrels. Citrus fruits can also be detected in the aroma adding to the complexity of this exceptional Vintage.
Palate: On the palate it is sweet and spicy; with overtones of fresh fruits and honey.
Finish: A long, warming and full bodied finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: There is surprisingly (for a scotch this old) lightness to this with interplay of fruity and floral. Later it develops into vanilla, lemon drops, butterscotch and egg custard.
Palate: Again, surprisingly light and delicate. Honey sweetness drizzled over poached fruit. then it goes to all bourbon barrel vanilla tinged wood spice moving into the finish.
Finish: A tart woodiness that I’m not a fan of with cinnamon dusted raw wood.
Comments: As I continue to get older it is rarer that I get to drink whisky nearly as old as I am. While still a few years shy of me this one comes close. Sadly, this one doesn’t really do it for me. Of the four Balblairs we received samples of it was the 1999 and 1990, both sherry finished, that really stood out. The 1983, in all it’s bourbon cask woodiness has it’s highlights but it doesn’t jump out and grab you like the two younger expressions from the 1990’s. If it were me i would grab that 1990 and two 1999’s rather than drop the coin on the 1983.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Lukasz with Alembic Communications for sending over the review sample.

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Balblair 2003

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey 2003
46% ABV
$65
Website
2003_Black_background_whisky_detail
What the Distillery Says:
Launched alongside 1990 & 1983 in November 2013, Balblair Vintage 2003 replaces Vintage 2002. The American oak, ex-bourbon barrels used in maturation impart toffee, butterscotch and vanilla notes.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Balblair 2003 is golden amber in appearance.
Aroma: On the nose there are the signature Balblair aromas: floral and fragrant punctuated with citrus fruits, apricots and honey.
Palate: On the palate it is full bodied, with notes of oranges, lemon, honey and spice.
Finish: The long lasting finish is sweet yet spicy; a superbly well-balanced dram.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Floral,fruity, slightly herbal with hints of vanilla. Citrus zest with a little back nuttiness.
Palate: A lovely light honey sweetness. As light as it is the higher proof gives it more of a viscous creamy mouthfeel that is very nice with the honey and just a bit of pepper on the back end. Poached pears and cereal grain compote.
Finish: A little bland and a wood not that reminds me of toothpicks dusted in ground white pepper.
Comments: This is a nice approachable and easy to drink dram. It’s not terribly complex but it is terribly drinkable. I like it much better than the 2002 it replaced. The pricing is steep though.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Lukasz with Alembic Communications for sending over the review sample.

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George Dickel Hand Selected Barrel – 9 Year

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review /

George Dickel Hand Selected Barrel – 9 yr (Dickel Distillery Bottling)
Barrel No. 03J30D20-4-19
51.5% ABV
$100
Website
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What the Distillery Says:
George A. Dickel & Co. is very proud to offer you this special hand selected, handcrafted Tennessee whisky. We have carefully chosen a limited number of barrels to be sold one at a time to only our most discerning loyal customers. These barrels hold our most precious, mellow George Dickel whisky at peak periods of maturation. We invite you to enjoy & savor this truly one-of-a-kind whiskey.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Corn, oak, caramel crème
Palate: Sweet corn, creamy mouthfeel balanced nicely with oak and a bit of cinnamon spice
Finish: Moderate, drying a bit sharply
Comments: Of the three Dickel Tennessee whiskeys, this was hands-down my favorite. Still reminds me of corn whiskey more than bourbon, but the additional age gives it more depth and balance. While I like this the best, it doesn’t hit me for the price they ask – let alone the price some folks apparently pay at the distillery gift shop – not to name any names. However, if you are a fan of Dickel 8 or 12, you might find it is worth the price.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: After nine years it is starting to smell more bourbony with more vanilla and oak but the corn still dominates.
Palate: The proof helps the palate a lot. It’s a more viscous mouthfeel with a creamy sweetness like corn pudding. The oak and vanilla carry through from the nose nicely.
Finish: Dry wood with hints of black pepper and cinnamon.
Comments: This is a pretty good pour. I can’t recommend you buy it because from the distillery it’s $100 before tax and that’s just ridiculous. The hand selected barrels available at retailers are more in the realm of $45 and for that I would pick one up. The funny thing with these Dickels is that no matter how old they are they are still very corn forward. Much more so that other high corn mash whiskeys. I wonder if the filtration processes their whiskeys go through can’t strip out some of the “impurities” and oils from the corn as well as the rye, and barley.
Rating: Stands Out

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George Dickel Rye

/ / Review, Rye Whiskey /

George Dickel Rye Whisky
45% ABV
$25
Website
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What the Distillery Says:
George Dickel Rye Whisky is the only rye finished in the style that made George famous. We start with the finest rye whisky available, made from 95% rye and 5% malted barley. Then we finish it the Dickel way – chilled, then charcoal mellowed.

Spicy and smoky with an exceptionally smooth finish.

What Gary Says:
Nose: Young rye spice, bit of dill, bright but a bit soft
Palate: Citrus spiciness with a hint of pickle and a mellow sweetness
Finish: Moderate, and it seems to get wetter (which I rarely find in a whiskey – odd in that way, but not off putting)
Comments: Dickel has been very transparent (and we appreciate that!) that this rye is distilled by a partner in Indiana, who also distills rye distillate for many NDPs. On the nose, that relationship is pretty clear if you are familiar with some of the others (Bulleit Rye and James E Pepper Rye are two examples). Dickel employs charcoal mellowing when chill filtering the whiskey (although at the time of bottling rather than before aging – again, something different). This adds to the smoothness, and I suspect makes the finish more unique. I am glad they are bottling this at 45% ABV, a tad higher than their Tennessee whiskies, and a tad below some of the other ryes created from the same distillate. For those reasons, I would consider having a bottle around – in particular if you are a fan of rye.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says:
Nose: That minty rye nose jumps out with a creamy herbal backing. It reminds me a bit of Ricola drops. Even though this is contract produced with some tweaks of Dickel’s own it still shows it’s Indiana heritage.
Palate: Sweet mint, a mild bitterness, a pepper back beat.
Finish: Black pepper and mint essential oils that remind a bit of Italian menthol shaving creams.
Comments: With this rye Dickel isn’t your typical non-distilling producer (NDP). First, they use the same charcoal mellowing technique that they do on their Tennessee whiskeys. Second, according to the folks at Dickel this rye is produced using Dickel’s strain of yeast rather than just buying whatever they are making up in Indiana. Those two things make this a distinct contract distilling relationship rather than what I would call a sourced whiskey relationship. It’s made for them in a specific way rather than being made and then subsequently bought by them. So don’t look at it and think just another MGP rye like so many others. It has it’s own unique qualities and stands out from the crowd.
Rating: Stands Out

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SMWS Cask No 36.67

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, SMWSA Whiskies /

SMWS Cask No. 36.67
Speyside, Spey
59.9%% ABV
Distilled June 2004
$?
US Allocation: ? Bottles
January 2015 Outturn Release

What the SMWSA Says:
A good example of whiskey transformed by water – we didn’t know what to make of the nose – quite fruity (baked apple, fruit salad, watermelon, lemon curd, pear-drops) with an odd assortment of other aromas – Hawaiian pizza (pineapple, ham, pizza dough) pine forests and model kits. With water, suddenly the sweetness was released – caramel wafers, honeycomb crunch ice-cream and vanilla fudge. The unreduced palate seemed sweet and sour – pineapple dusted with chilli and salt, peppery Cream Soda and a slightly metallic finish – but water settled it down to zesty key lime pie and biscuity flavours – intensely tasty. Named after Speyside’s biggest mountain.

Drinking tip: As an aperitif or to awaken the senses.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Aromatic fruit cream with pears and pineapples being the most prevalent. Water opens up a honey sweetness and a back note reminiscent of craft root beer.
Palate: Surprisingly rich for a young malt with a wisp of smokey wood. Water mellows the heat but also the richness. It’s very easy to drink when you add the water but it settles into more of a malty note that has less dimensions to it.
Finish: It finishes much for malty and cereal like than expected. Not unpleasant but it leaves me wanting a drink of water.
Comments: This dram has a bit of a love/hate relationship to water. It mellows the alcohol and makes it more drinkable but also makes it more bland. The nose is better with water but the palate is a bit worse off. Play with the water on this one with care.
Rating: Stands Out

Review sample provided courtesy of the SMWSA and is available to society members through their website or 800.990.1991.

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