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Posts Tagged ‘Whisky Review’

Review: Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 9, 2013

12337A 022The Glen Garioch Distillery (pronounced ‘Glen Geery’) is located in the town of Oldmeldrum, approximately 20 minutes from Aberdeen. It is the Eastern-most distillery in Scotland, in the Valley of Garioch, which is apparently one of the best barley growing regions of Scotland. The distillery was established in 1797.

The Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve is the distillery’s signature Highland malt. The whisky is blended to achieve a specific taste profile which features the Glen Garioch characteristic taste profile of honey sweetness with hints of heather and just a touch of spice. This whisky does not have an age statement specifically because it is blended to have that signature profile rather than to be of any specific age.

You may click on the excerpt to read the full review:

Review: Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve

“… The initial scents remind me of a grassy meadow surrounded by willow thicket with clumps of heather here and there. Light butterscotch and vanilla scents waft through the meadow giving the scene a relaxed atmosphere. Soon some spicier scents drift in over the willow thickets, light oak spices with hints of cinnamon and faint puffs of clean white pepper …”

Enjoy the review which includes a recipe for the traditional Polly’s Cocktail.

Cheers!

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve

Review: South Island 18 Year Old Single Malt

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 1, 2013

South Island 18My reviews of the New Zealand Whisky Collection continue with the South Island Single Malt 18 Year Old Whisky. The now closed distillery at Dunedin on the South Island once produced both Single Malt and blended whisky. After the closure, about 600 barrels of single malt and blended grain whisky remained at the distillery and were left to mature. Two years ago, Mr Greg Ramsey, a young Australian whisky enthusiast from Tasmania, bought those barrels and set about bottling the whisky as part of a plan to revive the New Zealand whisky industry. As part of that plan, he created the New Zealand Whisky Collection.

The South Island Single Malt 18 Year Old Whisky was produced from Single Malt stocks which were aged in American-Oak (ex-bourbon barrels) for 18 years, and then bottled at 40% alcohol by volume. It is currently available in Ontario, Canada through the LCBO, and may soon be available here in Alberta as well.

You may click on the following excerpt to read the full review:

Review: South Island 18 Year Old Single Malt

“… Smells of sweet lowland grasses (sawgrass and timothy), clumps of heather, willow thicket, and freshly harvested grain wander upwards out of the glass. I notice the some butterscotch and fresh honey, gooseberries, and light dabbles of vanilla in the breezes as well. As the glass sits I notice the herbal aroma seems to build in the breezes …”

Please enjoy my second review from the New Zealand Whisky Collection.

Cheers!

Posted in New Zealand Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: South Island 18 Year Old Single Malt

Review: Black Velvet Toasted Caramel

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 27, 2013

BVToastedCaramelThe Black Velvet brand has a long history in North America, originally produced at the Schenley Distillery in Valleyfield, Quebec in the late 1940s. The whisky was originally called Black Label; but because of the perceived smoothness of the whisky, the producers soon changed the name to Black Velvet. It has been a staple of the Canadian whisky scene ever since. It is now produced at the Black Velvet Distillery (also called the Palliser Distillery) in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Black Velvet Toasted Caramel is a new flavoured whisky produced introduced last year by the company. It is apparently constructed from natural toasted caramel flavour and Black Velvet Whisky.  The product is bottled at 35 % alcohol by volume.

You may read the full review by clicking the following excerpt:

Review: Black Velvet Toasted Caramel

“… Black Velvet Toasted Caramel runs towards the sweet side of the palate with caramel and maple flavour leading the way. The strong undercurrent of maple confuses me at first; but upon reflection I suspect this must be the wood and whisky spices showing through and moving some of that caramel flavour to maple …”

Please enjoy the review which includes a nice new recipe, the Canadian Caribou High Ball.

Cheers!

 

 

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Flavoured Whisky, Whisk(e)y | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Black Velvet Toasted Caramel

Review: Dunedin Distillery – DoubleWood 10 Year Old

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 14, 2013

DW 10YOIn 2011 the Dunedin Distillery – DoubleWood was the first whisky launched as part of the New Zealand Whisky Collection. This whisky was distilled at the now defunct Willow Bank Distillery near Dunedin, on South Island (New Zealand). The distillery was mothballed in 1997, but some of the remaining barrels of whisky were left aging in a seaside bond house until they were purchased by Greg Ramsey who formed the New Zealand Whisky Company.

The Dunedin DoubleWood 10 Year Old was produced from stocks which were aged in American-Oak barrels for 6 years and then finished for 4 more in North Island (French oak) wine barrels. The whisky is a blend of 70% Single Malt whisky, and 30% premium grain whisky, bottled at 40% alcohol by volume.

You may click on the excerpt to read my full review:

Review: Dunedin Distillery – DoubleWood 10 Year Old

“… The initial aroma from the glass is a mixture of wooded scents with the light accent of fieldberries (blackberries and currants) and red cherries. As the glass breathes I notice some alpine scents with woody thickets (alders and willow), some green ferns and moss, and perhaps a hint of heather. The impression of fielberries and cherries continues to wander through the breezes accenting the alpine woodland but not dominating it …”

Please enjoy my review and the Autocrat Cocktail which has been included as my suggested cocktail for the New Zealand whisky.

Posted in Cocktails & Recipes, New Zealand Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Dunedin Distillery – DoubleWood 10 Year Old

Review: 8 Seconds Blended Canadian Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 12, 2013

8 Seconds8 Seconds is a new Canadian Whisky from Frank-Lin Distillers, Products Ltd. who have been a bottler and producer of distilled spirits since Frank Maestri founded the company in 1966. (Frank-Lin currently operates out of their new facility in Fairfield California with annual capacity of over 10 million cases of wines and spirits.)

The 8 Seconds brand is marketed with a direct tie to the western rodeo as it makes its push into the North American marketplace. (In case you are wondering, 8 seconds is the amount of time a cowboy must ride a bucking bull, or a bucking bronco, in the rodeo contest before the bell signals his ride is complete.) The whisky itself is a pretty straight forward offering, distilled in Canada and aged in oak. It is (I assume) shipped in bulk from Canada to Frank-Lin’s facility in Fairfield, California for bottling. The whisky has no age statement; but I note that the more premium 8 Seconds Black carries a statement of 8 years. I presume that the less premium 8 Seconds Blended Canadian Whisky would be somewhat younger than that.

You may click on the excerpt to read my full review:

Review: 8 Seconds Blended Canadian Whisky

“… The initial nose carries a fair amount of vanilla and caramel, as well as some rough and tumble wood and rye spices. I let the glass breathe to see if the scents deepen, and indeed the rye spices seem to grow in strength with perhaps a hint of corn joining in.  This is not overly complex, but it is pleasant …”

Please enjoy the review and my cocktail which follows, the Prescott!

Note: The sample was provided by River Valley Beverage Group

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Cocktails & Recipes, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: 8 Seconds Blended Canadian Whisky