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!

Glendronach 23 Years 1989 Cask 5470

How do you end a fantastic wine dinner night with good friends? With a great whisky of course! Found this hidden in my stash that I've been meaning to try for awhile.

THE REVIEW

 

Comments: Yummy raisins and citrus notes dominate with a long clean honeyed finish. Lovely, lovely stuff. If you love sherried whiskies, these Glendronachs are the way to go. I am becoming a fan...

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.

Longmorn 16 Year

Longmorn is an old Speyside distillery known for churning out great whiskies. The 15 year expression is known as the 'Hidden Jewel of Speyside' and according to most reviews, excellent and affordable. The distillery is currently owned by Chivas, and they have decided to let the cat out of the bag by launching a 16 year edition in a fancy packaging as one of their upmarket brands. Let's see how it tastes...

THE REVIEW

Comments: A nice, refreshing fruity and honeyed dram suitable for a relaxing, sunny afternoon by the pool. Highly recommended!

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.

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.

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!!!

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.

Our First Whisky Review: Glenmorangie 10 Years

On the 27th March 2007, we tried an entry level Glenmorangie 10 year bottle. Something easily available and affordable.

The Review

Taste Profile

The Scoring

Conclusion: Good nose with floral, honey, toffee and fruity notes. Taste is sharp but overall value for money.