Stands Out

Balblair 2003

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Balblair Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey 2003
46% ABV
$65
Website
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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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Compass Box Great King Street Glasgow Blend

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Great King Street Glasgow Blend Blended Scotch Whisky
43% ABV
$45
Website
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What the Blender Says:
Our Great King Street range is dedicated to applying a contemporary approach to the creation of Blended Scotch Whiskies in the full-flavoured style of the late 19th century blending houses. To this, we lend a 21st century sense of exploration and innovation, for which the Compass Box Whisky Company is known, to create Scotch whiskies that surprise and delight people seeking great spirits.

In his 1930 book “Whisky”, Aeneas MacDonald teaches us that Glaswegians historically preferred fuller bodied and more flavour-packed whiskies than
people in other parts of the world.

So what better name for a whisky such as this? You’ll find here a rich vein of peaty-smokiness, underpinned by sherry cask-aged whiskies, full of dried fruit and wine character. The palate is full and round, with a sweetness typical of whiskies from our company.

For decades, The Wellington Statue, outside Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art, has been cheekily topped by a traffic cone, something the local population has taken to heart as a symbol of their sense of humour. It has become one of Glasgow’s most iconic images, and graces our label for the Glasgow Blend.

Flavour Descriptors
Full, rich and smoky on the palate, with notes of baking spices and sherry wine notes.

Recommendations
Perfect for drinking neat, with a splash of water or with ice. You can also enjoy Glasgow Blend with soda water as a classic Highball, or in all manner of cocktails.

Distillery Sourcing
33% Lowland grain whisky from a Fife distillery.
67% Malt whisky from the regions of Islay, the Highlands and Speyside.
The Islay single malt comes from south shore distillery (approximately 20% of the total recipe), vatted with a fruity malt from the village of Brora and a rich sherrried Speyside malt from the Aberlour region (approx. 33%). A small percentage of Speyside and Highland malts complete the recipe.

Wood
A combination of first-fill Sherry casks, first-fill and refill ex-Bourbon barrels and a small portion of new French oak finishing.

Bottling details
Bottled at 43%
Not chill-filtered
Natural colour

What Richard Says:
Nose: This has a lovely rich earthy sherry nose with a balanced undertone of peat smoke.
Palate: Creamy in the mouth with a mellow brown sugar baked apple sweetness that plays with light campfire smokiness.
Finish: Smoky and spicy on the way out.
Comments: There’s a lot going on here. It’s like the culmination of all the scotch fads of the last 15 years. It weaves together in a surprisingly balanced way which speaks to John Glaser’s talent. This is probably my least favorite of the three releases to hold the Great King Street to date name but it’s still a cracking dram worthy of a spot on your shelf.
Rating: Stands Out

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