Whiskylive Singapore Part 3: Balvenie Tun 1858 and George T. Stagg

Taiwanese Tuns

This is the final part of the Whiskylive 2014 whisky tasting session. After so many amazing whiskies, what else could be on offer that could tempt us to have more as most of us were getting a little tipsy. Then we saw the Balvenies and it was a no brainer. The delectable pair that they had was the Tun 1858s, Batches 2 and 3. After the success of the Tun 1401 (Batch 4 reviewed here), Balvenie master distiller David Stewart decided to experiment again with another marrying Tun to create these batches exclusively for the Taiwan market.

Batch 2: Great nose with the usual honey, vanilla with a little leather overtones. Spicy on the palate with prunes, apricots and liquorice. A lingering sweetness on the finish but somehow feels that it lands slightly short overall.

Batch 3: Almost identical nose to Batch 2. Or maybe my olfactory receptors have been shot after so many whiskies. Taste and finish is a lot more balanced on this one though with chocolate and biscuit notes rounding up the profile.

One for the road

We wanted our last dram for the night to be something different from what we had tried. What better way to end with probably one of the most famous bourbons in the market, the George T. Stagg. This beast was a staggering 70.3% alcohol, which is classified as 'hazmat'. i.e. you cannot carry this stuff on airlines! We were almost afraid to touch it without adding water...almost...

 

Comments: Wow, what a punch! Toffee, vanilla, chocolate with spicy fruits with lots of oakiness in the finish. With a dash of water, it opens up with citrus and floral notes. What a way to end the evening.

SMWS 26.63 and 125.30

My very first 2 bottles from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society purchased in Paris when I was in France for G's wedding more than a year ago. They believe in the beauty of single cask whisky and the variations in taste profile that occur cask to cask even within the same distillery. In my opinion, this is the 'true' single malt and is what makes whisky so fascinating and how it should be enjoyed.

THE REVIEW

SMWS 26.63: My very first Clynelish! Has a punchy nose with cinnamon and grassy notes. Upon tasting, lemon and apricots come through. Slightly too sweet for my liking but still a nice whisky.

SMWS 125.30: Oh my goodness! I would never have thought this was a Glenmorangie. Sublime honey (exactly as per the description of Winnie the Pooh!) with peaches and vanilla notes finishing the smooth and long finish. Very, very good and is hands down favourite of anyone who's tried it.

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 4

From one of my favourite distilleries this is my first review of the very popular Tun 1401 series. We have Batch 4 here which is the marriage of 3 Sherry Butts & 7 American Oak Barrels. An interesting blended Single Malt!

THE REVIEW

Comments: Herbacious notes followed by zesty lemon and vanilla and honeyed finish. A good dram but not sure if worth the current prices they are selling for now.

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.

Ichiro's Malt Chichibu The First

Good whisky is meant to be shared. This one is no exception. At a BBQ no less. Presenting the legendary Ichiro Akuto's first whisky from the Chichibu distillery. For those of you who are not acquainted with Japanese whisky, Ichiro is the grandson of the founder of the now defunct Hanyu distillery and is carrying on the family tradition with some of the biggest cult whiskies in Japan (see details on the Card series here). This one is destined to be a collector's item one day...

THE REVIEW

Comments: You would've never guessed this was a 3 year old whisky with its level of complexity. The notes evoke caramel and honey and this follows through with thick layers of spice and citrus on the tongue. This goes on for a wee bit then ends abruptly. Good things, as they say must come to an end.

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...

Laphroaig 14 Years Signatory 1998

Had a happy hour session with my reservist army mates and decided to bring an interesting bottle for them to try. This was a bottle picked up from our good friends from LMDW and came highly recommended.

THE REVIEW

Comments: The cask strength style definitely gives a punch! Grassy, floral waves followed by the inevitable smoked brilliance of Laphroaig. Crisp, medium finish makes it a good nightcap.

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.

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.

Port Ellen 1978 - 4th Release

Port Ellen is a wonderful distillery that unfortunately has been shuttered since 1983. However, Port Ellen Maltings still supply the malts to Caol Ila and Lagavulin, which may partly explain why they are excellent whiskies. Diageo (who seems to be buying all the best distilleries out there) is the current owner of the distillery and is slowly releasing stocks remaining in the warehouse.

I managed to find this gem at the Charles de Gaulle airport during one of my travels. It called out to me when I saw it was the year I was born and there are only 5,500 bottles in existence.

The Review

Comments: As you can tell from the high score, we like this whisky very much. Bold and powerful, it that opens up even more when you add a few drops of water. The balance between the peat, malt and oak is immaculate, coupled with a sprinkling of fruity pear and citrus notes. Outstanding stuff.

Isle of Jura Superstition

The Story
It was just a random weekday night out at a popular after work bar here in Singapore. I surveyed the scene (the whisky of course) and they seemed to have a decent selection with the usual Macallan, Lagavulin, Glenmorangie etc. A nice Lagavulin and decent conversation with some friends would have been a decent way to cap off the evening as I was not feeling too adventurous. I took a look at the menu. I took a look at the prices. Bloody hell! They were charging S$37 (US$24) for a glass of Lagavulin 16 year! Simply outrageous! I was going to give up and go for a beer something caught my eye. The Isle of Jura Superstition bottle has a distinctive symbol (someone who’s read Da Vinci Code countless times please tell me what it means) and it was calling out to me from the corner of the bar. I then remembered that Isle of Jura was the solitary distillery on the island and it had decent reviews. Price: A more reasonable S$16 (US$11). Yes, it was a sign…

The Whisky
Taken from the website (www.isleofjura.com):
The people of Jura are superstitious. From the prophecy of the one-eyed Campbell to an aversion to cutting peat before May, age-old island beliefs resonate to this day. Drawing on our finest older malts and spring-peated younger whiskies, Jura Superstition is a tribute to the people, the traditions and the mystical heritage that make Jura island life unique.

The Review

Comments: Lip and GH (budding whisky lover and superstar private banker) immediately noticed the smokey and toffee flavours in the nose. The phenols, nutty oak and malt kick in after some swirling in the mouth. One word: Good.

Lip: Why don't I remember this? Too much mem loss.

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?