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Posts Tagged ‘Whisky’

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Review: Glenfiddich 30 Years Old – XXX

Posted by Arctic Wolf on January 3, 2013

GF 30 XXXI thought I should start the new year, 2013 off with a bang. A very expensive thirty year old bottle of Scotch from Glenfiddich, which I received as a gift from my wife about one year ago.

The Glenfiddich Distillery was founded in 1886 by William Grant in Dufftown, Scotland. The Gaelic word “Glenfiddich” translates to “Valley of the Deer” in English and as a result the Distillery has adopted the emblem of a large male stag to symbolize the distillery and their whisky. According to the Glenfiddich website, their Malt Master personally selects each Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon Cask that goes into the Glenfiddich 30 Years Old Whisky by nosing and tasting each of them to ensure that they contribute the right character and flavour into the final Malt which is produced from only a handful of vattings each year.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

” … The initial nose brings forward a rich menagerie of wood and honey spices. I sense some willow thicket in the air above the glass as well as a grassy meadow complete with clumps of heather and faint wiffs of woodsmoke as if there were a campfire nearby. As the glass breathes the woody notes grow bringing forward stronger impressions of willow, balsam wood, and oak …”

You may read the full review here:

Review: Glenfiddich 30 Years Old – XXX

Happy New Year Everyone!

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y | Tagged: , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Glenfiddich 30 Years Old – XXX

Tasting the Glenfarclas Range with George Grant

Posted by Arctic Wolf on November 13, 2012

This Sunday, November 18th, the Edmonton Golf and Country Club (6201 Country Club Rd NW, Edmonton) will be the location for an extraordinary tasting event hosted by George Grant, the Sales Director for the Glenfarclas Distillery where the entire core range of Glenfarclas Whisky will be discussed and of course, tasted. (Mr. Grant is part of the 6th generation of the Grant Family who originally purchased the distillery in 1865. His family still controls and manages the distillery today.)

The line-up for the tasting will be as follows:

Price: – $65 per ticket

Please call  780-904-2684 for more information!

(This is quite truthfully an impressive range from one of the only remaining distilleries in Scotland which is independently family owned and managed. I hope I see some of my readers there. Sláinte!)

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Posted in Extras, Festivals and Events, Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Tasting the Glenfarclas Range with George Grant

Review: Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 22, 2012

The Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve, (like all Forty Creek Whiskies), is built upon Whisky Maker, John Hall’s, foundation of three separately distilled grains: barley, corn and rye. Each grain is distilled and aged in oak separately. When each whisky is ready, the three finished whiskies are blended together and ‘married’ in oak once more allowing the three to become one.

Indeed, John Hall’s flagship whisky, the Forty Creek Barrel Select is a perfect example of that concept of marrying three separately distilled and aged grain whiskies into one. The Copper Pot Reserve is a more ‘premium’ version of the Barrel Select. Mr. Hall chose his best grain whiskies as the base for the Copper Pot. He aged these best whiskies a little longer to bring in more flavour from the oak, and then he chose the best of these whiskies to marry together in oak once more to complete the final blend. The Copper Pot Whisky is bottled at 43 % abv (rather than the traditional 40 %) allowing this premium whisky to showcase its robust flavour.

Here is an excerpt from my review:

“… The initial nose of the whisky brings oak and rye spices into the breezes above the glass with an effervescent orange peel zest riding the coattails of the spice. As the glass sits, green tobacco and orange marmalade jump in with a soft punky caramel tainting their scent. I detect some cinnamon and ginger rising up from the glass and my sense is that the Copper Pot is going to be a very interesting and complex whisky… “

You may read the full review here:

Review: Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve

Please enjoy my review of this outstanding whisky!

Posted in Canadian Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve

Review: anCnoc 12 Year old Single Malt Whisky

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 16, 2012

Inver House Distillers own five Scottish distilleries, Pulteney, Balblair, Knockdhu, Speyburn, and Balmenach. The company produces a diverse portfolio of brands which includes not only Scotch Whisky (Single Malt, Blended Malt, and Blended), but also Vodka, Gin, liqueurs, and premixes. The subject of this review, the anCnoc 12 Year is a Single Malt Whisky produced at the Knockdhu Distillery (which is located under the dark ‘Knock Hill’, known to the local villagers by its Gaelic name of ‘Cnoc Dubh’). Production of anCnoc began at the Distillery in 1894 following the discovery of several springs of clear water on the southern slopes of the aforementioned Knock Hill.

The  anCnoc whisky is produced on the distillery’s original style copper pot stills and worms (which condense the vapourized alcohol), and it has been produced that way for over 100 years. The resulting whisky is aged in American oak and Spanish oak barrels (which were previously used to age either bourbon or sherry). These casks are stored in dunnage warehouses where the thick granite walls ensure a stable ambient temperature which results in a consistent (or predictable) aging regimen.

I was sent a sample of the anCnoc 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky by Woodman Wine and Spirits, who are the Ontario distributors for the anCnoc brand. The Whisky has recently been released in Ontario, Canada and is available through the Whisky Shop at the LCBO.

Here is an excerpt from the review:

“…There is so much going on that it is hard to start. Smells of sweet lowland grasses, willow thicket, and almost ripe barley are I guess, as good of a place to begin as any other. Wondering in and out of the breezes above the glass are scents of fresh honey, tart green apples, and lemongrass as well…”

Here is a link to my Review:

Review: anCnoc 12 Year old Single Malt Whisky

Please enjoy the review of this remarkable whisky!

Posted in Scotch Whisky, Single Malt Whisky, Whisk(e)y, Whisk(e)y Review | Tagged: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: anCnoc 12 Year old Single Malt Whisky

Review: Johnnie Walker Gold Label

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 7, 2012

The blend for Johnnie Walker Gold Label was created in 1920 by Sir Alexander Walker to commemorate the Johnnie Walker Company’s 100 years in business dating back to 1820. This is of course how this particular blend of Johnnie Walker received its name.  Although discontinued during the war due to shortage of blending stocks, the label was reintroduced in 1992, with a blend based upon the original blending notes left by Sir Alexander seventy-five years earlier.

Today the Centenary blend is reputed to contain 15 separate single malt whiskies each aged a minimum of 18 years. Of these single malts four in particular have been noted as being key to the distinctive taste of Johnnie Walker Gold: Talisker  generates the general character of the blend; Clynish  generates the brine and seaside ambiance; Royal Lochnagar  imparts the luxurious palate; and Cardhu lingers in the throat and provides the finish. I have read some claims that grain whiskies are in the blend as well, but whether that is true I have no confirmation. I am not snobbish against the grain whiskies, and this review concentrates on the aroma, the flavour, and the character of the whisky.

Here is a link to my review:

Review: Johnnie Walker Gold Label

Please enjoy this re-posting of my original November 2009 review!

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

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