Whiskylive Singapore Part 1: Brora 1972, Glendronach 1970 and Port Ellen 18yr

 

Photo courtesy of whiskylive.sg

My favourite, and only large scale, whisky event in Singapore is the annual Whiskylive Singapore organized by La Maison Du Whisky. This year we were fortunate to get access to the Collector Room where there were many (too many in fact!) outstanding rare whiskies to be sampled. Let's get started on some of the highlights! The first three are interesting drams from independent bottlers.

The legendary 1972 vintage Brora

One of the first whiskies that caught my eye was the G&M 1972 Brora. I've always wanted to try a Brora, which is a silent distillery and quite rare to come by. In the world of whisky, the 1972 vintage for Brora was dubbed the finest ever produced (similar to a Bordeaux 1982 vintage) and is what generated tremendous interest in this distillery. While not an original bottling, I suppose I can't complain!

Comments: Salty smoke, grassy, followed by vanilla and lemon notes. Finish is peppery and waxy. What an unusual and complex whisky. Takes awhile to savour and appreciate and really grew on me with every sip.

They call this a dumpy bottle

Glendronach. Increasingly one of my favourite distilleries and go to whiskies if I'm in the mood for a sherry cask whisky. First time trying an independent bottling but this came highly recommended by the experts at LMDW.

Comments: The aroma of citrus and apricots followed by toasted sesame hits your nose immediately. The taste is honeyed with hints of bitter plum and a long smooth finish. Quality.

 

Can you ever go wrong with a Port Ellen?

Port Ellen, how I miss thee. My first Port Ellen was a 1978 4th release from Diageo (reviewed here). I was only just starting out my adventures in whisky and how I regret not buying more at the time particularly looking at the prices today. So naturally, when I saw this bottle my eyes lit up, ordered a glass and took a sip...

Comments: Hmmm....not quite what I expected. Light and grassy with floral and astringent notes followed by a dollop of smoke. Think of a Lowland whisky mixed with peat, a bizarre combination. Just didn't do it for me. Guess the answer to the aforementioned question is Yes. Sigh.

Tokyo tastings - Ichiro's Malt Single Cask, Balvenie from the 80s and The Spoon

Bar Keith named after the Glen Keith, the owner's favourite distillery

Tokyo always never ceases to amaze me with the infinite number of whisky bars that have fascinating collections. Went to Bar Keith in Shinjuku after doing whisky shopping in Shinanoya and had the fortune to try 3 sublime whiskies thanks to the owner Koji-san, who was extremely knowledgeable AND spoke decent English.

Interesting label for an Ichiro's Malt

First up was a hidden gem, an Ichiro's Malt Single Cask! Bottlings from the now defunct Hanyu distillery are really hard to come by these days. This is my first Ichiro's Malt review and hopefully many more to come from this cult whisky maker...

THE REVIEW

Comments: Bursting with fruits, citrus and plums come to mind, followed by hints of cinnamon and vanilla notes finished. Drops of water bring out the maltiness just a tad. Great whisky! If only I could get my hands on some.

Is this Balvenie masquerading as Cognac? 

I mentioned that Balvenie was one of my favourite distilleries and this was what showed up on the table, a 1980s bottling of a Balvenie 18! It must've been my lucky day as there was only 1 serving remaining in the bottle. I could see Koji-san holding back the tears as he poured the last drop from the bottle.

THE REVIEW

 

Comments: The distinct Balvenie cereal malt taste is more mellow and a fresh vanilla and oak finish hits you with hints of leather at the end. The water, barley and casks used must have been different back then. How the taste of Balvenie has evolved over the years.

Balvenie and Glenfiddich elope

Time for a nightcap and I was shown this interesting bottle called 'The Spoon' which is essentially a 23 year Balvenie single cask diluted with a teaspoon of Glenfiddich (in whisky circles Balvenie+teaspoon of Glenfiddich=Burnside). Apparently, this is done as stipulated by the distillery so the independent bottler cannot label the whisky they bought a single cask and dilute the parent distillery brand. Nonetheless, a 23 year Balvenie single cask is a 23 year Balvenie single cask, even if diluted with a drop of Glenfiddich. I was more intrigued by the cool label then anything else. On to the review...

 

Comments: Spice, honey and citrus tones with a medium long finish that is tannic and oaky at the same time. Quite enjoyable and a great way to end the night.

Highland Park 18 yr

Highland Park is one of the distilleries owned by Higland Distillers, which also owns the Macallan distillery. It is also one of the main constituents in the Famous Grouse blend, which we have yet to officially review. Highland Distillers has done a great job with its Macallan marketing machine and are now attempting to do the same with its Highland Park brand. It's called 'The Best Spirit in the World' on the website and the 18 year (older bottlings) is considered 'The greatest all-rounder in the world of malt whiskey' by Michael Jackson. Let's see how this dram scores objectively.

THE REVIEW

Comments: Maybe I'm getting bored with whiskies that have a winey (sherry) and slightly peaty flavour, a la Speysides (even though Highland Park is from the Isle of Orkney). Don't get me wrong. Overall, there's nothing really wrong with this whisky and it is very well rounded and easy to drink. Verdict - not exciting but definitely worth having in the cabinet

Talisker Vertical

Talisker is the only distillery from the Isle of Skye in Scotland and currently owned by Diageo. It is used extensively in Johnnie Walker blends and most notably in the Green Label series. As one of our favourite distilleries, a vertical of the 10 year, 18 year and 1991 Distiller's edition in our collection was long overdue.

THE REVIEW

Talisker 10 Year
Comments: This is the perfect dram to have with a barbeque (mmm...chicken wings and steak) on a sunny day. Has very strong peat and wine flavors and excellent finish. If I had to sum this drink in one word it would be 'Macho'.

Talisker 18 Year
Comments: A more fruity, honeyed drink compared to the 10 year. The vanilla oak stands out and it is very smooth and easy to drink. Whether you would pick the 18 year or the 10 year would probably depend on your taste and mood at the time.

Talisker Distiller's Edition
This is a pleasant, friendly and palatable drink. It does not taste like a Talisker and somehow the flavours are not as exciting. Two words to describe this drink: 'Crowd pleaser'.

Singleton 18 Year

Glen Ord is one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland and is known to produce fine, award winning whiskies. It's current owner, Diageo, launched The Singleton of Glen Ord as it's new range of whiskies catered to 'a new generation of malt whisky drinkers'. Hmm...we must be their target audience. Let us try the 18 year old expression.

The Review

Comments: The nose and taste was pleasant with the usual characteristics of a Speyside whisky, slightly sherried and peaty. However, the finishing was very much lacking and overall we were not impressed. Nice packaging and bottle though...it looks good as a gift.

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?

Caol Ila 18 Years

Islay malts seem to be the rage these days. Whisky aficionados are slowly moving from the traditional Highland Malts (Macallan & all the Glen_ labels) to the more pungent and richly flavoured Islay style. As you must know by now, Lagavulin is one of our favourite Islay whiskies (if not our favourite whisky), although we have yet to do an official scoring of the Ardbeg and Laphroaigs that we own. Stay tuned for those tastings... Tonight, we sampled the Caol Ila 18 years to discover if it is the 'hidden gem' in Islay as boldly stated on the label.

The Review

Taste Profile


The Scoring

Conclusion: This is quite a decent whisky with nice citrus notes combined with the peaty, salty flavours of the sea. It is one of the lighter Islays out in the market.