Whisky and Steak - Part 1 (Balvenie 16 Yr Triple Cask & 15 Yr Single Barrel Sherry Cask)

Last minute steak dinner pulled together at Y's house with some good friends. Had some really good wine to pair with the food but of course had to end the night with some whisky. We had a very random selection of 2 Balvenies, a 24 year New Zealand (yes New Zealand) whisky and the award winning 21 year Old Pulteney.

Let's start with the Balvenies which are recent additions to the range. The first is a 16 year Triple cask available exclusively for travel retail and the second is the newly released 15 year Single Barrel Sherry Cask that is replacing the Oak cask series (reviewed here)

THE REVIEW

 

Balvenie 16 yr Triple Cask: A bit light on the palate and somewhat disappointing. The usual vanilla and honey notes are there but lacks the usual full bodied flavour of a Balvenie. Maybe the 40% abv has something to do with it? For the price point there are other better Balvenies to be had.

Balvenie 15 yr Single Barrel Sherry Cask: A worthy successor to the Oak cask Single Barrel and great if you like sherried whisky. Apricots, raisins dominate with a hint of nuttiness and the finish is long and smooth.

Lagavulin Distiller's Edition (1994 & 1995) and Glendronach 15 Years Revival

Had dinner at one of our favourite sushi restaurants in Singapore after returning from Tokyo. Yes, I love Japanese food. Knowing that the head chef loves his whisky, we brought a bottle of Glendronach 15 Revival to savour as an after dinner drink. Before you knew it, he took out his personal stash of Hibiki 30 (reviewed here, what an amazing dram which was sold out everywhere in Tokyo!) and Lagavulin Distiller's Edition 1994 and 1995 (previous review of 1989 version here).

THE REVIEW

Lagavulin DE 1994: A sherried Lagavulin! Have forgotten what it tastes like already as it has been awhile since I've had the Distiller's Edition version. This one treads the balance nicely between sherry and smoke. The debate will forever rage whether this is better than the 16 YO.

Lagavulin DE 1995: The sweetness in this one overpowers the peat slightly in this one. A little more tannic on the taste buds as well. I prefer the 1994 although I know of people that prefer this one, probably because they prefer less smoky whiskies in general.

Glendronach 15Yr: Not in the same class as the single cask series but nonetheless very impressive for the price point. Fresh floral notes and a strong sherry punch hits you when you taste it with a candied finish. I'm stocking up on this one as an everyday dram!

Laphroaig Tasting

Being our favourite distillery, it is really surprising and shameful that we have not had a single review of Laphroaig on this blog. Well, that comes to an end now as we post our first official Laphroaig review with not one but FIVE bottlings!

THE REVIEW

Laphroaig 10 year: The base of where all the great Laphroaigs come from. Iodine, medicinal, seaweed, sublime.

Laphroaig 15 year: A smoother, more elegant version of the 10 year old. You can almost call it the 10 year old's older brother. Has won multiple awards at whisky competitions so taste to find out why.

Laphroaig 25 year: Cask strength and the marriage of aged Laphroaig whiskies matured in both Oloroso sherry casks and bourbon oak casks, this dram is surprisingly refreshing and tangy. You can taste both the sherry and the peat playing in your mouth followed by a long semi-fruity finish. What a great dram!

Laphroaig Quarter Cask: Matured in smaller quarter casks to speed up the maturation process, this experiment has turned out to be a great success for Laphroaig. Jim Murray calls it the closest to the classic Laphroaigs he has tasted 30 years ago. The taste is a little sweeter than a normal Laphroaig and the finish to be long and velvety.

Laphroaig Vintage Dec 1989 17 yr 2007 Feis Ile: Wow! A surprisingly complex Laphroaig for its age. Winey, lemoney, liquorice flavours take the foreground while the typical peat and medicinal flavours of Laphroaig sit nicely in the background. Very highly recommended.

Yamazaki 15 years

Here's a whisky we bought from the Yamazaki distillery that we've been meaning to try. Strangely enough, the usual 12, 18 and 25yr whiskies at the distillery shop were a lot more expensive than at duty free or in any decent whisky shop. The Yamazaki 15 years, something which is not commonly found on the mass market, was the only one that seemed more reasonably priced at ~US$100.

THE REVIEW

Comments: A very fruity Yamazaki with a burst of citrus that hits you upon initial contact. Hints of sherrywood linger in the aftertaste. A yummy whisky for a social gathering or for the happier moments in life!

Glenfiddich Cask Strength 15 Year

Our great review of the Solera Reserve prompted us to try out more of the Glenfiddich range. Looking through the selection, we picked this bottle as 'cask strength' invoked feelings of power and greatness (typical men).

THE REVIEW

Comments: Unfortunately, we were half the men we thought we were and this dram completely overpowered us with leathery and tobacco-ey overtones. We added a few drops of water to save ourselves and it tasted slightly better with traces of fruit and sherry making an appearance. Not for the weak.

Balvenie Vertical

Balvenie has always been one of our favourite whiskies from Speyside. The fact that they grow their own barley, do the maltings by hand, imparts a special 'crafted' taste to the whisky that sets it apart from other labels. We are not alone in our praise for Balvenie as they have won numerous awards in recent years. Today we will treat ourselves to the Balvenie 12 Year Doublewood, 15 Year Single Barrel and 21 Year Portwood in our collection.

The Review

Balvenie 12 Year Doublewood
This is a very drinkable malt with vanilla and sherry layers dominating the nose and taste. It has a clean finish and balance. I would drink this baby anytime, anyday.

Balvenie 15 Year Single Barrel
Mmmm....I fell in love with the rich malty flavour the moment I sipped this. The oak and and hint of apricot kicks in nicely after. Truly delicious.

Balvenie 21 Year Portwood - Gold Medal 2005 International Spirits Challenge
The marriage of oak and port casks has been delicately balanced in this malt. Is it a whisky or a wine? Hmm... As an oldtimer would say 'stop thinking and just bloody drink the damn thing!'

Verdict
The quality of Balvenie shows in every bottling we tried. We attest it to the quality control and adherence to time honoured traditions at the distillery. Hopefully it stays like that for a long time to come.

Glenfiddich 15 Years Solera Reserve

Glenfiddich is a ubiquitous Speyside whisky found in many bars and shops. Let's see how their 15 year Solera Reserve edition measures up.

The Review


Taste Profile


The Scoring

Comments: The best Glenfiddich in our opinion which is also value for money. The combination of the vanilla and oak flavours make it an easy whisky for anyone to appreciate.