Yoichi 12 Year

The Yoichi 12 year is the first single malt Japanese whiskey that we have tried. Before, we only tried the blended Suntory Hibiki series, which is excellent. Yoichi is the flagship distillery for Nikka. Let's see how it tastes:

The Review

Comments: Oak and vanilla dominate the nose and tongue. Pleasant. However, like a great wine, somehow it is a bit lacking at 12 years and I feel that it has potential if aged more. Will have to buy the older statements to confirm this judgment. Stay tuned.

Ardbeg 10 Year

Ardbeg is another Islay whisky that is popular with most whisky lovers. They boldly proclaim to be the ‘Greatest Distillery on Earth’ on their website (www.ardbeg.com) and is well regarded in the Whisky World. We are quite excited about this one so let’s get down to it.

The Sample

The Review

Comments: This whisky really hits you hard like a crashing wave and makes no apologies about it. The salty tang, iodine seaweed flavour and the powerful smokey, oily peat combination makes any newcomer to whisky do an about turn and politely decline this beast of a dram (yes, this has happened on more than one occasion when a whiff of the pungent aroma was enough to make them run back to Johnny Walker!). Did I forget to mention that it is non-chill filtered to give it an extra 'oomph'? One of our favourite whiskies where we admire it's audacious but yet balanced taste. Slainte!

Strathisla 12 Year

Here is an interesting bottle that we dug up from our collection: a Strathisla 12 year bottle. Strathisla is one of the oldest (some say the oldest distillery) in Scotland and is the showpiece distillery for Chivas. Naturally, this single malt is dominant in the blends for Chivas Regal and Royal Salute.

The Sample

The Review

Comments: A bold scotch with weighty malt, dried fruit and vanilla flavours. A good standby for any occasion.

Rosebank Signatory Vintage 1991

Lowland malts are characterized by their light, floral notes and are typically regarded as a ‘beginner’s whisky’. As a result of poor marketing efforts and a flight by whisky lovers to heavier styles, such as Highland or Islay, this leaves only a handful of distilleries left in the region as many have been closed down (or ‘mothballed’ in whisky industry-speak), due to lack of business. One of the unfortunate casualties is the great Rosebank distillery, which is regarded by many as the best of Lowland whiskies. Thankfully, most of these gems are can still be savoured by buying from independent bottlers, who specialize in buying casks from these ‘mothballed’ distilleries and bottling it under their own label. The three big independent bottlers in the market now are Signatory, Gordon & MacPhail and Wm. Cadenhead.

The Sample

Our collection consists of one solitary bottle of Lowland whisky – The Rosebank Signatory Vintage 1991 (aged 13 years), Cask Number 4740, 4741, Bottle 312 of 651.

The Review

Conclusion: Chardonnay is the first flavour that came to our minds when we tasted this. Nice citrus and floral notes dominate this well balanced, exceptional whisky.

Macallan Vertical (Finally)

We've been wanting to do our Macallan vertical for quite a while now but haven't been able to find the suitable occasion to do so. The opportunity presented itself when one of our good friends, GC, decided to pack up and leave for London to do an MBA. When asked to come over for the Macallan vertical, his reaction was a very subtle 'Why not?' Macallan is very well marketed as a premium whisky in Asia so let's see if it lives up to the hype. Tonight, we are attempting to be a bit ambitious and sampled 4 whiskies: Macallan's 1851 Inspiration, Fine Oak 18 Year, 25 Year and 30 Year.

The Review

Taste Profile

The Scoring

We were uninspired

Macallan's 1851 Inspiration: A very disappointing watered down Macallan. Absolutely not worth drinking at all. Stay away if you can!

Macallan's Fine Oak 18 Year: Sharp vanilla flavour and sherry on the nose. Apricot notes and hint of peat round up this fine whisky. A delightful whisky for any occasion. Worthy for rich yuppies and towkays (slang for boss in Chinese). Word of caution: Do not mix with Coke. I've seen it done before and it was painful to watch.

Macallan's Fine Oak 25 Year: Vanilla, pear, oak and a hint of peat. A wonderfully complex whisky that brought a tear to our eyes. Sensational in every aspect. A must for every collector!

Macallan's Fine Oak 30 Year: Strong flavours of bitter chocolate and leather. You can chew on the wood for ages. This whisky has a mature taste and a long, constant finish.

Verdict: The 1851 Inspiration was uninspiring to say the least. Nuff said. However, we feel that the Macallan Fine Oak series is an excellent range and an interesting change from the regular 'sherried' Macallans. I bet there are a few Macallan aficianados out there who would be willing to challenge me on this. Here is an article that I found that explains the Fine Oak Series more in detail. Enjoy!

The Macallan Fine Oak - How Fine Is It?

Glenmorangie Wood Finish Selection

Glenmorangie's title of 'Scotland's Favourite Malt' is probably due to the complexity and value for money 10 year bottling (our first whisky review here). Of course, marketing plays a part too and that accounts for part of the success story.

Besides the 10 year bottling, which is aged in bourbon casks, Glenmorangie is also famous for experimenting with wood finished whiskies. Finishing means that the whisky is transferred to another cask, usually previously used for storing wine, to give it an extra dimension. For this post, we sampled the Glenmorangie Sherry and Burgundy wood finishes. Read on!

The Review

Taste Profile

The Scoring

Conclusion: We were extremely disappointed with both whiskies. Bland and without any character. P & J (two guys who market Glenmorangie here in Singapore) - send us the Margaux Cask finish to redeem the brand!!!