Whisky and Steak - Part 2 (Old Pulteney 21 Year & New Zealand's 1987 24 Year)

The third dram we tried that night was the Old Pulteney 21 year which I have been longing to try since it won the Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray's 2012 edition.

THE REVIEW

Comments: Refreshing lemon zest and pears on the nose. The palate is oily with hints of chocolate, vanilla and a dash of smoke in the end. What a beautifully balanced whisky and worthy addition to any whisky cabinet.

Another interesting dram for the night...a 24 year whisky from New Zealand's only and closed Willowbank distillery. This one commemorates the year of the 1st Rugby World Cup, which was of course won by the All Blacks. Only 1000 bottles of this whisky are in existence. A rare treat indeed.

THE REVIEW

Comments: Refreshing spring grassy mouth followed by a spicy toffee and citrus finish with woody vanilla undertones. Nice tipple and great effort from the Kiwis.

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.

For Relaxing Times, Make it Suntory Time

Japan is the baby and nascent darling in the world of whisky. Ever since Masataka Taketsuru visited Scotland in the 1920s and brought home the knowledge of distilling whisky, his work gave birth to what is widely regarded as the new whisky superpower alongside Scotland and Ireland. To read more about Japanese whiskies, go to the wikipedia link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_whisky

I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce a very interesting and candid Japanese Whisky blog that we've been reading:

http://nonjatta.blogspot.com

Nonjatta is probably the most comprehensive Japanese Whisky resource on the Internet (in English which helps). I especially love the Mizuwari Deathmatch Championship that he has going on. To find out more, check out his site. :)

Billboard from the movie 'Lost in Translation'

For those of you who watched 'Lost in Translation', I'm sure you get quote reference in the title of this post. Tonight, we are going to sample the Suntory Hibiki 17 and 21 year bottlings. Here are the results.

The Review


Taste Profile



The Scoring

Suntory 17 Year Old HibikiStrong peach and oak notes especially on the nose. A soothing dram that is easy to drink but ends up just a little short on the finish.

Suntory 21 Year Old HibikiEven fruitier and more floral than it's 17 year old sibling, this bottling just delivers on all aspects. Very clean. Very good. Highly recommended.

This man knows his whisky

Royal Rumble!

Strange Bedfellows

Chivas Brothers launched The Royal Salute range of exclusive blends on 2nd June 1953 as a tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on her Coronation Day. Tonight we will sample both the 21 year and the very rare 38 year 'Stone of Destiny' bottlings.

The Review

Taste Profile

The Scoring

Royal Strip Tease

Royal Salute 21 Years Comments: An exceptional, well balanced blend that is perfect for any special occasion. Comes in multiple flagon colours (red, blue and green) so collect them all!

Snoop Dogg would be proud...

Royal Salute 'Stone of Destiny' 38 Years Comments: The Royal Salute 'Bling' Edition. Check out the size of that rock! Another excellent blend from Chivas. They really take pride in their older blends and it shows. Although at US$400, it is only marginally better than the 21 Year and debatable if it is worth that much more.