Stands Out

Glenfiddich 18 Year

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 18 Years Old
43% ABV/86 Proof
$70 to $75
Available worldwide
Website

What the Distillery Says:
At eighteen years, our single malt is exceptionally smooth and mellow wit notes of oak, apple and cinnamon. Matured in the finest Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks and then married in small batches for remarkable depth and complexity. Judged to be the best 18 Year Old Scotch Whisky in the world.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Rich cream, tobacco, cinnamon crumb cake.
Palate: Very spicy and malty.
Finish: Clean with a slow fade leaving woody, nutty notes.
Comments: This is definitely the Solera’s big brother. Part of it is the 43% bottling strength which I’d like to also see in the 12 and 15 year olds. But mostly the extra years have bee kind to Glenfiddich. It’s smooth, easy to drink, and has some pleasant notable characteristics. Would I call it the “best 18 Year Old Scotch Whisky in the world” you may ask? No, but it’s a good value and you really can’t go wrong with it.
Rating: Stands out

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Balvenie Golden Cask

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The Balvenie Golden Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years
47.5% ABV/95 Proof
$60 to $65
Travel Retail Exclusive
Website

What the Distillery Says:
“characterised by fruity sweetness and subtle spice”

In the crafting of GoldenCask, Balvenie is carefully aged for many years in traditional oak whisky casks and then transferred into barrels that had previously held golden Caribbean rum for a final period of maturation.

Characterised by fruity sweetness and subtle spice, The Balvenie GoldenCask is only available in Duty Free and is non chill-filtered and bottled at a strength of 47.5% abv.

NOSE: Light and fruity with notes of vanilla and honey. Delicate layers of orange and subtle flora add complexity.
TASTE: Sweet and spicy with a beautiful syrupiness. Chocolate orange and vanilla oak combine with hints of aniseed and liquorice.
FINISH: Long, dry and oaky.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Very light with lots of creamy honey fruit notes that remind me of cognac. Maybe scotch + rum = cognac? (I’m kidding!)
Palate: There is just a hint of sweetness. I’m mostly picking up a spicy smokiness. That’s not really what I expected from a rum cask finished scotch.
Finish: The finish is long with lots of smoky oak.
Comments: I don’t get out of the country too much. I’m not the international man of mystery the internet would lead you to believe. When I do I try to look for travel retail bottlings. A lot of them really are nothing special but I’m sucked in by the exclusivity of only being able to buy them in travel retail. This particular bottling is nice. I enjoy it from time to time but I was really hoping for a little more sweetness. Something closer to the Havana Reserve Glenfiddich 21 Year Old. I would’ve recommended that you pick up a bottle last year but with the new 14 Year old Caribbean Rum Cask as part of their standard line I’m not so sure anymore. I’ll have to grab a bottle and do a side by side to see if this is really just the same thing with 4.5% extra alcohol.
Rating: Stands Out

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Balvenie Doublewood

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside / ,

The Balvenie Doublewood Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
43% ABV
$37 to $42
Widely available around the world
Website

What the Distillery Says:
“characterised by rich honey sweetness and a delicate layer of sherry”

The Balvenie DoubleWood is a 12 year old single malt which gains its distinctive character from being matured in two woods. Over its period of maturation it is transferred from a traditional oak whisky cask to a first fill European oak sherry cask. Each stage lends different qualities to the resulting single malt ~ the traditional casks soften and add character, whilst the sherry wood brings depth and fullness of flavour.

NOSE: Sweet fruit and Oloroso sherry notes, layered with honey and vanilla.
TASTE: Smooth and mellow with beautifully combined flavours ~ nutty sweetness, cinnamon spiciness and a delicately proportioned layer of sherry.
FINISH: Long and warming.

What Richard Says:
Nose: I get a lot of honey and fruity notes but somehow I’m missing the vanilla and sherry.
Palate: Very smooth. Sweet at the start and then it settles into notes of oak, oranges, and hazelnuts.
Finish: The finish is as smooth at the palate and very warm. It’s a little more tart and bitter on the finish though.
Comments: I really like this particular dram, especially under the $40 price point. I think it’s a great value dram and shows great craftsmanship coming out of William Grant & Sons.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

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Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2010

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, 2010 Edition
47.5% ABV/95 Proof
$35 to $40
Available across the U.S.

What the Distillery Says:
George Garvin Brown, founder of Old Forester bourbon and the first person to bottle bourbon, was born in Munfordville, Kentucky, on September 2, 1846. This vintage release of Old Forester has been selected to honor the birthday of this bourbon pioneer, innovator and industry leader.

This year’s vintage release of Old Forester is crafted from a 72 barrel batch of 97J24. These barrels were evenly matured together in the very middle of Warehouse K, on the 5th floor in ricks 42, 43, and 45, surrounded by open space. This environment allowed the barrels to easily breathe during maturation and develop a rich fruit and spice character.

Color-Deep caramel brown.
Aroma-Rich hints of cedar, dark chocolate and tropical fruit underscored by caramel and butterscotch notes.
Taste-Crisp cedar and nutty oak mingle with fig, berry and citrus character.
Finish-A long, crisp wood spice note ends with a touch of fruit.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Very rich on the nose. Sticky toffee and cedar wood with an almost oily resinous smell.
Palate: Raisins, Christmas spices (think mulled wine or pumpkin pie spice) with a little mint right before the finish.
Finish: The finish is long and woody. Pepper and oak seem to stay around forever.
Comments: Are you looking for good bourbon for under $40? Here you go. This annual release has swung widely from year to year. This year’s is some of the best 12 year old coming out Brown Forman. Not a must try but it really stands out.
Rating: Stands Out

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Evan Williams Single Barrel 2000

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Single Barrel Vintage 2000, Barrel No. 438
43.3% ABV/86.6 Proof
$25 to $30
Available nationwide

What the Distillery Says:
This Bourbon was personally selected by our Master Distiller, only after meeting his exacting standards for this vintage. Taken from a single barrel, it is the purest achievement of the Bourbon making art. Bottled unblended with other barrels to preserve its individuality. Hand-numbered as a sign of its limited availability.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Fresh grass, wildflowers, and butter on the nose.
Palate: The palate is very clean and subdued. Vanilla notes stand out and it is overall creamy, oaky, and infinitely drinkable.
Finish: A little sweetness clings to the oak on the finish and plays around with a slight bit of spice too. Mild and very enjoyable.
Comments: Evan Williams has released vintages every year beginning in 1986 through 2000 at around the 10 year old mark. The quality has varied over the years as can be expected but this year’s vintage is something really nice. Generally speaking, the vintage bottling tends to be some of the best stuff coming out of Heaven Hill in the 10 year age range for each given vintage. I really enjoyed this dram. It’s not particularly bold or unique but it is sinfully drinkable and at this price why not buy two.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

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