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Posts Tagged ‘Blended Whisky’

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Review: Nikka Whisky From the Barrel

Posted by Arctic Wolf on May 15, 2011

Nikka is the second largest distiller of whisky in Japan owning two distilleries at Yoichi and Miyagikyo. The Yoichi Distillery is located on Hokkaido which is Japan’s northernmost Island where the climate is apparently very similar to Scotland. The Miyagikyo Distillery is located on Honshu island in central Japan.  Information on this blend is a little hard for me to decipher from the bottle, but gleaning what I can from Internet sources I have found that the whisky apparently includes Malt whiskies from each of the Nikka Distilleries as well as grain whisky from Miyagikyo. The label says the whisky is double matured, and I believe that the final maturation was in a first run bourbon barrel. I taste a sherry influence as well making me believe that at least some of the whiskies which comprise the blend have seen time in Sherry casks.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…There is quite a wallop of flavour associated with the Nikka Whisky as one would expect from a cask strength offering. Rich burnt caramel, woody tannins and rich baking spices all mingle together. I taste a whisper of Apricot Brandy winding through the flavour profile. Raisins, dates and prunes add to the complexity…”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Nikka Whisky From the Barrel

Please enjoy my first review of a Japanese Whisky!

Posted in Japanese Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Nikka Whisky From the Barrel

Whisky Review: The Black Grouse

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 7, 2010

The Black Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky is relatively new whisky from the makers of The Famous Grouse.  The company has a history in Scotland reaching back in time to 1896 when Wine Merchants, Matthew Gloag and Son, first blended what they called their ‘Grouse’ Whisky.  Over the next century The Famous Grouse would become one of the most popular brands of whisky in Scotland.

The Black Grouse is an offshoot of its popular cousin, The Famous Grouse, which is a blended whisky containing premium Single malts such as The Macallan and Highland Park. These single malts (as well as others in the blend) are married with a selection of fine grain whiskies in fully seasoned oak casks.  The Black Grouse begins where The Famous Grouse ends, and is the result of a further blending of the Famous Grouse Whisky with Islay Malt Whiskies.  The resulting whisky has a peated flavour profile with a reportedly dark smoky character.

As a side note, The Black Grouse, Tetrao tetrix, is a rare relative of Scotland’s national game bird, the Red Grouse.  When the new blend was launched, The Famous Grouse made a commitment to preserve this rare game bird by donating 50 pence from each bottle sold to the conservation efforts of The Black Grouse habitat.

This information is expanded upon on The Black Grouse Website.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“…The initial impression in my mouth is of beguiling sweetness coupled with a ribbon of soft smoke and organic peat.  As I noted earlier, the peat and smoke are gentle rather than forceful. The sweetness manifests itself as a honeyed caramel.  The smoke shows evidence of a sherry influence with dried fruit (raisins and prunes) and soft pops of cherries.  The peat seems organic coming across as soft and chewy with a distinctive boggy taste…”

You may read the full review here:

Whisky Review: The Black Grouse

As well  two of my three suggested cocktails for this whisky have been placed in my recipe section, The Rusty Nail and The Black Cove.

Enjoy the review everyone!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Scotch Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Whisky Review: The Black Grouse

Review: The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 26, 2010

The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky has a history in Scotland reaching back in time to 1896 when Wine Merchants, Matthew Gloag and Son, first blended their Grouse Whisky. Over the next nine years, the whisky became so popular that Matthew Gloag decided to add the word ‘famous’ to the name in 1905. Over the next century it would become one of the most popular brands of whisky in Scotland.

According to The Famous Grouse Website, the whisky is a blend which contains premium single malts such as The Macallan and Highland Park. These single malts (as well as others in the blend) are married with a selection of fine grain whiskies in fully seasoned oak casks. The resulting blend is a complex whisky full of character and smoothness. This information is expanded upon on the website, where you can also find information regarding the full range of The Famous Grouse brand.

Here is a snippet from my review:

” …The initial nose is sweet and spicy with a hint of boggy peat rising into the breezes. As I allow the glass to decant the nose becomes richer with the aroma of toffee and vanilla entering the fray with mixed scents of citrus peel with a wisp of dry fruit….”

You may read the full review here:

Review: The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Scotch Whisky, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky

Review: Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on September 11, 2010

The Johnnie Walker Brand of whisky is one of the most iconic brands in all of the world. with its unique square bottle and the labels tilted a 24 degrees off-center, the company has created a strong brand image and is considered by many to be the quintessential Scottish whisky. The company was born in about 1820, and has grown steadily to become one of the most important Scottish whisky brands in the world today.

The Black Label is a blended Scotch Whisky, which is composed of up to 40 malted and grain whiskies. The origins of the blend can be traced back to 1867, when Alexander Walker copyrighted and began to bottle Old Highland Whisky. In 1909 the name of the blend was changed to Johnnie Walker Black label in reference to the color of the label which had become the generic means of identifying the blend amongst the Johnnie Walker customers.

I had a chance to get to know This Black Label Whisky and here is a sample of the review:

“…In my first tasting of Johnnie Walker Black I was impressed by the overall flavour I encountered. All of the elements which I expected to find were in the right places and at the right strength. A rich fruity sherry smoke underlain with a nice floral organic peat seemed to anchor the whisky and to carry lighter sweeter elements forward….”

You may read the  full review Here:

Review: Johnnie Walker Black Label

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on Review: Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky

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