Stands Out

Advent Day 6: Glenfiddich XX

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

Day 6 of Advent brings another curiosity that has peaked my interest but I had to experience…

Glenfiddich Experimental Series Project XX Single Malt Scotch Whisky
47% ABV
$65
Website

What the Distillery Says
Our second experiment of the series took place privately at our Conval warehouse. Shrouded in secrecy, malt Master Brian Kinsman invited 20 whisky experts from around the world to select any expression of their choosing from the thousands of stacked casks. The final 20 chosen malts, matured in everything from port pipes to virgin bourbon barrels, have created an unusual, innovative and unexpected whisky, one that has exceeded even our expectations.

20 of the whisky industry’s most exceptional minds came together to create this truly unique, pioneering single malt expression.

With its deep golden hue, Project XX embodies the warm, fruity character of a classic Glenfiddich whisky with hints of apple blossom, summer fruits and ripe pear. But its multiple personalities are revealed with hints of sweet candyfloss, cinnamon spice, almonds and rich port tannins with the odd whisper of liquorice. Deep and mellow, the finish is long lasting with a lingering sweet oakiness.

What Richard Says
Nose: Sweet barley wine, under ripe crisp green apples, and wet pine needles.
Palate: Cotton candy sweet, cinnamon Red Hots, and vanilla malted milkshake.
Finish: Black pepper and heavy cinnamon spice with a linger nutty and malty character.
Comments: This is a dram for those with a sweet tooth. While this is enjoyable, it doesn’t quite meld together as well as I would hope. This is nice and easy drink but it isn’t something that I would come back to very often. It is more of a curiosity rather than something you should seek out.
Rating: Stands Out

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Advent Day 3: Bain’s Single Grain

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review, Richard's Blog /

And on the third day of Advent my calendar gave to me…

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky
40% ABV
$30
Website

What the Distillery Says
Bain’s Single Grain Whisky is a double matured whisky produced from 100% South African Yellow Maize, you may call this corn. We first mature it in specially selected first-fill bourbon casks for a period of three years, we then transfer it to a second set of first-fill bourbon casks for a further 18 to 30 months to extract a full rich flavor like no other.

COLOR: Warm, golden amber
NOSE: Combination of toffee, floral and vanilla aromas
PALATE: A hint of spice softened by the sweet undertones of oak
FINISH: A warm and extended mouth-feel with an exceptionally smooth finish

What Richard Says
Nose: Clearly grain with the signature light toffee and floral notes. At the back there is a bit of vanilla and something slightly astringent.
Palate: Creamy and sweet with a big helping of vanilla ice cream with butterscotch sauce drizzled on top.
Finish: Herbal and slightly spicy with a bit of high cacao dark chocolate.
Comments: Like many younger grain whiskeys, this is not terribly complex. It is oozing with sweetness that makes it terribly easy to drink. This comes from the same providence as the Three Ships brand. With only a couple of distilleries in South Africa putting out aged whiskey, this is good chance to give it a try at a modest price. Fans of Haig Club should definitely check this out.
Rating: Stands Out

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Advent Day 1: Glenfarclas 25 Year

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

Day one of my new Whisky Advent Calendar and BOOM! Glenfarclas 25 Year comes roaring out of the gate…

Glenfarclas Single Highland Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 25 Years
43% ABV
$170
Website

What the Distillery Says
Colour: Amber with dark gold highlights.
Nose: Complex, yet refined, with tempting aromas of marmalade, honey, freshly ground coffee, sherry and nuts. Some oaky tannins.
Flavour: Full-bodied and robust, the sherry and the oak fight for your attention yet neither overpowering.
Finish: Intense, long lasting, dry and malty. Beautiful dark chocolate taste at the back of your mouth to complete the 25 years old.

What Richard Says
Nose: Rich, deep, and refined sherry character with just a little bit of oak and tannins in the back.
Palate: Creamed honey, lighter sherry than the nose would foretell, oak, and a pinch of cracked pepper.
Finish: Lots of lingering cocoa powder and oak.
Comments: This is a lovely example of an older sherried single malt. Glenfarclas also seems to be priced rather attractively for a 25 year old. However, this particular malt is a little less complex than I would expect or hope for. Oak, tannins, and sherry are the predominate notes (understandably) but I’m not getting much else. Even still, this is a very nice dram and one you should consider trying, given the opportunity.
Rating: Stands Out

(Gary reviewed this whiskey later here)

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McCarthy’s Single Malt

/ / Other Whisk(e)ys, Review / ,

McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Pot Distilled Whiskey
Batch W16-02
42.5% ABV
$50
Website

What the Distillery Says
McCarthy’s® Oregon Single Malt Whiskey is distilled in a Holstein pot still using one pass distillation. This premium, non-chill filtered product is then barrel-aged in air-dried Oregon Oak barrels. The result is remarkably smooth for a 3-year-old whiskey.

What Gary Says
Nose: Peat and cereal malt, with some vegetal/herbal notes; a bit of sour oak and smoke.
Palate: A subtle barley sweetness with peat and some savory spice notes, pepper bite in the back.
Finish: Moderately long and drying, but also gets sweeter.
Comments: For only being three years old, I’m very impressed. Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t a richly complex dram that would leave you thinking it was a 12 year single malt – but it is a helluva lot better than most three year whiskey I’ve tried. I haven’t been a big fan of single malt whiskey done here in the States (whether from smaller craft distilleries or even the Parker’s Heritage Collection offering by Heaven Hill). I’m wondering if barley malt just needs to be dumped much earlier when aged in new wood? Either way – if you like peaty Scotch, I’d definitely be open to this. And if you’re a whiskey nerd – I’d look for an opportunity to experience it!
Rating: Stands Out / Must Try

What Richard Says
Nose: An interesting mix of delicate peat, wet pine needles, and campfire smoke.
Palate: A rich honeyed sweetness intermingled with an authoritative peat and pine straw.
Finish: The finish is lingering smokiness, cracked pepper, and a bitter tinge.
Comments: “Oregon Pot Still Whiskey”, what the hell is that? This is easiest to describe as an American version of Laphroaig 10 Year. It tastes A LOT like that. The fact that this is only three years old really blows me away. Fans of smoky Scotch should really give this one a try. It is incredibly impressive.
Rating: Must Try

We would like to thank Hood River Distillers for sending us a bottle for review.

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Trail’s End

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Trail’s End Crafted with 8 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Finished with Oregon Oak
Batch 002
45% ABV
$36
Website

What the Bottle Says
Trail’s End® is an ultra-premium, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished with Oregon Oak. Crafted using premium barrels of Kentucky straight bourbon, Trail’s End traveled along the treacherous terrain from Kentucky to Oregon, following the path that Lewis and Clark once blazed. Not too far from the end of the Oregon Trail, our bourbon is finished with Oregon Oak and the result is exceptional!

Smell the aroma of floral honeysuckle, apricot, spearmint and orange blossom with roasted hazelnut and traces of cereal sweetness and chocolate. Next, take a sip and enjoy the smooth sweet malt and chocolate flavor bolstered by toasted hazelnut with notes of tobacco and a touch of rye. Lastly, savor the long and warm finish, oily and buttery with a lovely malt spice kick and slight char note.

To the Explorer in All of Us!

What Gary Says
Nose: Sweet but sharp, oaky cinnamon with vanilla crème brulee dusted with allspice.
Palate: Almost creamy mouthfeel with sweet vanilla honey and some earthy/oaky spice; cinnamon red hots near the end.
Finish: Moderately long and dry with a slight bite at the end.
Comments: A bit more oak than you’d expect for an 8 year old bourbon but not too oaky (although getting close for my taste), although you have to keep in mind that being finished in new oak after aging for 8 years is going to make it more oak forward. The finishing gives it a unique earthiness that I think is interesting; gives it a sharp edge that emphasizes a rye kick.
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says
Nose: Caramel, under cooked toffee, vanilla bean ice cream, and a bit of mint.
Palate: Straight up rye bourbon goodness. It presents in a vanilla, honey, and caramel sweetness with nutty undertones. But then you get a kick in the mouth. The rye spice and oak are aggressive to the point of being rough.
Finish: The finish is big doses of aged tobacco, cocoa powder, and mint.
Comments: To be clear, this is 8 year old Kentucky straight bourbon. It spent a little time in some Oregon oak and was cut with local water but it’s Kentucky bourbon. I mention this, not to dispute the bottling classification, but rather to make the point that if you don’t like bourbon, you won’t like this. It is not some super special and unique Oregon whiskey unlike all others. It presents like an 8-ish year old rye forward bourbon. However, the aggressiveness of the palate is something of which you should be aware. For a 90 proofer, it drinks like a 110-120. Not in terms of mouthfeel or fullness but in terms of heat. I do commend the pricing. For sub-$40 it’s worth taking a gamble on a bottle. You find that it is right up your alley.
Rating: Average

We would like to thank Hood River Distillers for sending us a bottle to review.

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