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Archive for the ‘Whisk(e)y’ Category

Whiskey Review – Bushmills 16yr Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 7, 2009

A good Irishmen will tell you that Ireland is the birthplace of Whiskey.  (He probably will not tell you that this original Irish Whiskey was made from oats not barley and it tasted disgusting.)  Whether Ireland really was the birthplace of whiskey is a matter of debate, (for a good Scotsman overhearing the conversation might just roll up his sleeves and start swinging at the mere suggestion that his ancestors did not invent the stuff).  But actually the evidence tips slightly to the Irish who are not above tipping and tottering after a dram or two.   In fact it is said that the Irish first spelled whiskey with an  “e”  and the Scots decided to drop the “e” just to point out that their whisky was different, which originally it probably wasn’t,  but soon was.  And if you follow all of that you probably need a dram of the stuff right about now.  So let me introduce an outstanding Irish Whiskey:

Bushmills 16 Single MaltBushmills 16yr Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Irish Whiskey has its own unique flavour heritage,  spicy anise and a smooth grainy profile.  Personally I find Irish whiskey to be a smooth and easy to drink.  Bushmills 16yr Single Malt  does not disappoint in this regard.  The Irish heritage stands proudly here, but this is a single malt, not a grain whiskey.  This means we get a little more sweetness on the palate.  The anise flavour is more licorice like.  However the whiskey has other complex flavours not commonly found in other Irish whiskeys.  A firm but mellow vanilla bourbon (from the American whiskey oak), a subtle but slightly heavy sherry influence (from the Oloroso cask), and fruity cherry like flavours from the port pipes. ….

You may read the full review here:

Review – Bushmills 16yr Old Single Malt (Ireland)


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Whiskey Review: Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 5, 2009

P1010001Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select is a Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey, distilled and bottled at the Woodford Reserve Distillery in  Versailles Kentucky.  I have found no age statement on the bottle or on the Woodford Reserve Website.  My belief is that the spirit is 6 to 8 years of age although where I gleaned this bit of information has been forgotten.  Perhaps the shopkeeper who sold me the bottle mentioned it.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“Bourbon has its own unique flavour,  spicy honey and a rich woody profile.  This bourbon has a heavy  texture  in the mouth. It seems like having a thick corn syrup resting on the tongue even though the liquid is much more viscous….”

You can read the full review here:

Whiskey Review: Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select

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Whisky Review – Amrut Indian Single Malt Whisky (India)

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 4, 2009

Now I will take you to Bangalore India where great spirits are being made.  The Amrut Distillery is making some of the best whisky and rum in the world.  With water from the Himalayan Mountains, and locally grown grains, their whisky is proudly Indian in character and heritage:

P1010006

Amrut Indian Single Malt Whisky

I’ll start by saying that I am glad Amrut had the sense to make an Indian single malt whisky. There are flavours here I have never encountered in other whiskies. Whether this is from the locally selected Indian grain used, or due to aging in the Bangalore tropical climate I am not sure. The only comparison I can make is to the floral nature of Highland Park whisky and its unique heather infused peaty taste. This has no peat and no heather, but there is a tremendous floral note in the whisky which is unique to this brand. An anise/citrus/lilac/oriental spice taste that is divine. We get a small vanilla and toffee compliment which really kicks the complexity into high gear….

Read the full review here:

Review – Amrut Indian Single Malt Whisky (India)

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Scotch Whisky Review: EDRADOUR 1996 SFTC

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 4, 2009

For my first Scotch Single Malt Whisky review, I thought I would go to the smallest distillery in Scotland.  The Edradour Distillery in Perthshire.   Friends of mine visited the distillery on a recent holiday in Scotland and they raved about the tour and the whisky.

edradour

EDRADOUR 1996 SFTC Rum ‘Grande Arome’
A Rum Cask Finished 11 Year Old Single Malt Scotch

Edradour holds the distinction of being the smallest distillery in Scotland. It is also the last original farm distillery in Perthshire. The same wooden equipment is used to mash and ferment the whisky today, that was purchased by the distillery 170 years ago. Edradour uses the smallest copper stills in Scotland. In fact they are the smallest permissible by Scottish law. They also use the only working model of a Morton refrigerator (used in the distilling process) in the industry. You’ll find this unique distillery nestled in a small glen above Pitlochry in the Southern Highlands. A truly unique distillery……

Read the full review here:

Review: EDRADOUR 1996 SFTC Rum ‘Grande Arome

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Scotch Whisky Review: EDRADOUR 1996 SFTC

Whiskey Review: High West Whiskey – Rendezvous

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 2, 2009

This is the second whiskey review to be added to my blog.  Let me introduce:

High West Rendezvous

High west Whiskey – Rendezvous

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“…Upon pouring the bottle we have a really nice nose. Full spicy Rye with a ribbon of bourbon vanilla. Swirling the glass we get some small legs indicating a little oil in the mix. Nice! Letting the glass sit the bourbon note becomes stronger but still spicy ryeness dominates. I wouldn’t call this floral, but we do have a bit of alpine meadow here….”

You may read the full review Here:

Review: High West Whiskey – Rendezvous

……………………………………………………………………………………………….
When I first wrote the review I sent it to David Perkins the proprietor of High West Whiskey.  His reply to me was very cordial and went as follows:

(Quote)
Thanks for forwarding this well written review with a thoughtful scoring system. I always learn something. A couple follow-ups:
1) we are replacing our corks with a straight sided vs conical. A definite improvement.
2) sleeve: haven’t really considered this yet. It just adds cost and I wanted to keep costs down, assuming the collector would keep the bottle out of the light. But its on the list for consideration now!
3) we did not marry the whiskies in oak.
4) we don’t chill filter, maybe responsible for some of the aftertaste. I elected to not chill filter for the benefit of the long finish.

Best regards and hope to keep in touch,
(Unquote)

There was more than that and we had a email discussion back and forth about what rye should taste like and what our favourite whiskeys were. It was really nice to be treated with such respect.

………………………………………………………………………………………………..

I would be remiss if I did not point out that this review and the information regarding my email discussion with David Perkins was published first on  Refined Vices.

I should also provide you with a website link to HIGH WEST WHISKEY.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

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