Honest Whisky

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Along with a group of over 30 #bunna enthusiasts, we had a chance to sample a variety of rare and unique whiskies, some which have never even been offered on this side of the Atlantic.

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The tastings included the American Craft Ale, 1988 30yo New Acquaintance, 2007 Port Pipe Finish, 2018 limited edition Burgundy Finish, Rubha A’Mhail (only offered at the 2015 Islay Festival), and the 2017 PX Cask Finish.

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Each whisky had its own unique characteristics along with the subtleties of the distillery to always remind you, that you’re drinking a #bunnahabhain. Can’t wait for the next one!

BALVENIE PORTWOOD 21 YEAR

Balvenie is most certainly known for the consistency and quality of their core range of whiskies, and the 21 year PortWood is nothing short of spectacular. Their flagship single malt (specifically from their PortWood series) is finished in 30 year old port pipes (casks).

The packaging is one of the nicer presentations for a 21yo bottling. A perfectly clear bottle, foil-wrapped cork, an elegant off-white label, and a red-felt lined box; no cardboard tube (as I would expect in this price-range).

To me, this is the perfect dram to be sipping while sitting out on the deck on a cool September night, or in front of the fire place. Take a sip, contemplate life, and watch the world pass by.

The only issue for me with this whisky is the price. In the US is priced relatively well at $299 but on this side of the border you’re looking at anywhere from $380-$450 depending which province you hail from. My suggestion, scoop a bottle if you can next time you’re in the U.S..

Cheers!

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Score: 9.5/10

Colour: Bright copper

Nose: Fruity, raisins, roasted nuts and a hint of smoke

Palate: Think raspberry coulis meets lightly burnt sugar (before it turns black), creamy (malt), slightly dry and a blast of sherry

Finish: Very long, sherry and oakiness with a touch of smoke and slightly bitter or even tartness

(WB-94.5, Distiller-93, WineMag-94)

Price: $380-$450 CAD depending what province you hail from

W.L. Weller 12 Year Old Bourbon - This is definitely one of my favourite bourbons to date, and I ration my bottles because of how difficult it has become to score one.

Produced by Buffalo Trace (BT), Weller 12 is often referred to as the "poor man's Pappy"; for those new to the Bourbon/Whisky game, Pappy Van Winkle bourbons are some of the most sought-after bourbons on the planet, that cause amateurs, connaisseurs and drinkers alike to fight over them, camp out overnight at their local stores, and fetching ridiculous prices on the secondary market. The "W.L." stands for William Larue, who is supposedly credited with being the first to swap rye for wheat in the recipe for bourbon. Weller goes as far to say, on their labels, that they are the "Original Wheated Bourboun". Let it be noted, that there is a lot of information floating around that says the Weller family never made whiskey, they only sold it or re-distilled it; Believe what you will, it all makes for an interesting read.

As the recipe card goes, "wheated" bourbon contains wheat as the second largest componenet of the mash bill after corn, instead of rye. Wheated bourbon normally produces a sweeter flavour profile, but a lot of the flavour will stem from the barrels and aging process. Weller 12, as the name so clearly states, is aged for 12 years in new, charred American-oak barrels before it is bottled. Compared to a regular bourbon recipe, the wheat and the age most certainly contribute to the smoothness of this bottling, and it's very easy to want to pour a second or third glass in the same sitting.

If you fancy a try, your best bet is a collector or serious amateur of this one as it's almost impossible to get your hands on these days. When a store declares inventory it's usualy gone inside a hour or so. Don't overpay in the secondary market as bottle prices have jumped to over $150 a pop.

Cheers!

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Score: 9/10

Colour: Bronze

Nose: Vanilla, dark chocolate, bitter orange (think orange peel) and caramel

Palate: Maple sypup, pecans and/or almonds (think marzipan) and baking spices

Finish: Smooth, "syrupy", long finish, with hits from the charred oak, vanilla and caramel

(WB-, Distiller-93, BB-4/5)

Price: $50 CAD

Glenfiddich 1️⃣4️⃣yo Bourbon Barrel - Originally released for the 🇺🇸 market only (see image), Glenfiddich, the world’s best selling single malt, has decided to drop their 1️⃣4️⃣ year-old rich oak and replace it worldwide the 1️⃣4️⃣ year-old bourbon barrel reserve. There are some rumours that the bold blue colour of the tube and bottle label were purposefully selected to represent the state flag of Kentucky.

This offering, as its name so aptly illustrates, was designed to promote strong bourbon characteristics from nose to finish. It is aged for the full 1️⃣4️⃣ years in ex-bourbon casks, and briefly finished in heavily-charred, new American oak barrels, specifically sourced from Louisville, Kentucky.

There are a few reviewers/bloggers/aficionados out there who claim that Glenfiddich created this variation to try and woo traditional bourbon enthusiasts into the single malt market; I’m sure this worked for a small group of drinkers, but there’s still a far gap between both spirits. That being said, this is a great example of an attempt to bridge whiskey and whisky, and for a bourbon enthusiast looking to ease into the world of single malt, try this one on for size.

The bottle can be easily found across 🇺🇸 and is starting to appear on the west coast of 🇨🇦. Lookout for it on the east coast later this year and into early 2020.

Cheers!

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Score: 8.5/10

Colour: Caramel meets honey

Nose: Vanilla, toffee and caramel with hints of spice (cinnamon)

Palate: Sweet, rich toffee, molasses, and baking spices or banana bread

Finish: Smooth, medium dryness, oak, dark chocolate and caramel

(WJ-85, Distiller-90, WW-82)

Avg Price: $65 CAD

Glenfarclas 12 - One of the few remaining family-owned distilleries in all of Scotland, for over 130 years Glenfarclas has been offering a large core range of age-stated whisky that runs from 8️⃣ all the way to 4️⃣0️⃣ years old! They’re also one of the few distillers who make use of 🔥 stills instead of steam-filled heaters.

Self-proclaimed as a Highland whisky, most reviewers, websites, etc have it pegged as Speyside based on its location. Glenfarclas makes good use of both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks throughout its core range and the influence of both is evident in all of their bottlings. The distillery stores their whisky in earth-floored “dunnage” warehouses which helps limit the evaporation loss.

A lot of reviewers will say that the true flavours of Glenfarclas only come out in the 25-30-40 and 50yo expressions but I bed to differ. There’s a distinct “nuttiness” that’s unique to Glenfarclas that I think you’ll find across the entire range. The sherry definitely pops more as the age goes up, but for a 1️⃣2️⃣ year expression I think this one definitely holds its own. It’s no sherry 💣 like you’d find with Macallan, Glengoyne or Glendronach but the notes are there, along with a few other interesting ones.

If you have the opportunity, try an age flight and compare all the way up to the 2️⃣5️⃣ (personally think it’s the most affordable 25yo single malt out there) and watch the flavours change and develop as you move up the range.

Cheers!

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Score: 7.5/10

Colour: Gold

Nose: Light notes if 🍏, sherry, and 🍯 with a hint of oak/char

Palate: Sherry, toffee and 🍏 (think caramel-covered or baked), a soft creaminess, and walnuts with a touch of 💨 on the end

Finish: Crisp and long with profound hits of allspice, cinnamon and citrus

(WB-94, Distiller-85, WJ-84)

Avg Price: $70 CAD

Macallan 23 bottled exclusively for Kensington Wine Market of Calgary

This is a one-off, bottled exclusively for KWM and limited to 66 bottles. Unlike the standard sherry-casking of Macallan whiskies, this 23yo is slightly different, as it was matured in Bourbon casks, and then finished in Sherry Octaves.

Side note: an octave is a smaller barrel, 1/8th the size of a standard “butt”, made from the wood of an original-sized cask. The smaller the barrel, the more interaction there is between the spirits and the barrel, giving the liquid a greater depth of flavour in a shorter period of time.

Being a fan of Macallan, specifically sherry-based, I really couldn’t pass this one up, but I probably should have let it go. Unfortunately I only figured this out after I opened it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s delicious and smooth, as it should be for a 23yo single malt whisky from one of the most famous, and largest (by volume of sales) distilleries in the world; but I expected more. The first glass was incredible underwhelming, but things did improve on dram #2 after having poured for a few others, allowing the bottle to breath for a good hour. It was flat and it just missed on a lot of different levels. Maybe I psyched myself up too much, maybe the bar was set too high, but I just expected more. For something of this age, with such pedigree and reputation backing it, I expected a greater level of complexity, more depth and bigger flavours. Then again, it was aged in bourbon casks and only finished in sherry.

In the end it was a sweet deal for a 23 year-old Macallan, but knowing what I know now, I could have spent the same money or less on bottles I would have enjoyed more. I’m still going to enjoy the rest of it, I mean it is a 23yo Macallan, but the sherry bomb you’ve come to expect, is very much missing from this project.

I’m giving this a low score based on my expectations vs. reality after sampling, but because it’s a 23yo Macallan I almost feel obliged to boost it by a full point.

I may revisit this review and put an addendum to my comments and scoring when I go back to this in a few months.

Cheers!

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Score: 7/10

Colour: Dark Caramel

Nose: Caramel, dark chocolate and some soft spices (cinnamon mostly)

Palate: Butterscotch and dark chocolate again, with cinnamon candy and a small hint of fruit (think fruit punch juice)

Finish: Really short, vanilla and caramel dominate, relatively dry

(No scores available)

The Dalmore 12 - Dalmore, which translates from both Gaelic and Norse as “big meadowland” is one of the most renowned single malt distilleries in Scotland, and was founded in 1839. The founder actually came to Scotland to retire at the ripe age of 34 after striking it rich in the opium trade in China.

There’s a story about how Scottish King Alexander III was saved from a charging Red Stag, and how that lead to the 12-point “Royal Stag” which now adorns every bottle since 1867; if you’re interested send me a message and I’ll point you in the direction of the details. Nonetheless it makes for one of the most beautiful bottles in whisky today.

Dalmore prides itself on its possession of some important milestones in the industry. First single malt exported from Scotland (1870 to Australia), bottler of some of the most expensive scotch to date ($1.5million commemorative collection for Master Distiller Richard Patterson and the 62yo Dalmore $48,000 per bottle)

The 12yo is originally aged for 9 years in ex-bourbon barrels, after which the stock is split; half remains in the ex-bourbon casks while the other goes on to finish aging in Matusalem Olorosso Sherry casks. The nose and palate are a mix of sweet fruits (raisins, plums, apricots) and some citrus (orange) but mostly toffee, vanilla, cinnamon and all-spice is what you’ll pick up on throughout. The colour leaves something to be desired on the palate however, as the expectation is unfortunately greater than the results. It’s known that Dalmore uses artificial colouring to intensify the look of their whisky and I’d say on the younger end of their offering it’s quite apparent.

Nonetheless it’s a decent 12yo offering that plays nicely in sherry sandbox with the likes of Glendronach, Macallan, and Aberlour, but at this price I won’t be running to restock it so quickly.

Cheers!

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Score: 7.5/10

Colour: Mahogany

Nose: Rum raisins and honey with vanilla, all-spice and cinnamon

Palate: Slightly dry, sweet, predominant notes of toffee and brown sugar. If you let it open a little you can pick up on some oranges, apricot, and dark chocolate. There’s also somewhat of a heavy fatty/oily texture (actually nice)

Finish: Medium length, toffee and vanilla still dominate with some softer notes of orange a hit of coffee (bitterness)

(WB-90, Distiller-88, WW-80)

Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch Bourbon - Concocted from barrels selected directly from Warehouse C (built by Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr., himself in 1️⃣8️⃣8️⃣1️⃣) and regarded as their entry-level bourbon, EHT (owned and operated by Buffalo Trace) SmB, like the rest of their core lineup is Bottles In Bond (BiB). This means that the whiskey is the end product of one distillation season, from one distiller, all done at a single distillery, and most importantly aged in a federally bonded warehouse under United States government supervision for at least 4️⃣ years. Oh yeah, it also needs to be bottled at exactly 💯 proof.

Definitely the easiest to drink from the entire EHT lineup, SmB is a great comparative to the likes of 4 Roses Small Batch but I find it to be a bit on the sweeter and “warmer” side with less bite; if you let it site for five minutes before nosing and taking the first sip.

EHT has been branded as the premium offering from Buffalo Trace (not including the antique collection or PVW) and considering its price-point I think it’s a really great option for someone wanting to try a more evolved bourbon that’s a cut above regular store-shelf brands.

The only drawback to small batch bourbon is that there can be variations from batch to batch. Some can be sweeter, some more acidic, some more wooded, but all will still encompass the basics that EHT SmB is known for.

If you’ve taken a liking to the EHT brand, there a plenty of rare bottlings and one-offs, but stash some 💵 before hunting down likes of 4-Grain, Seasoned Wood, or the coveted Warehouse C Tornado Survivor. Not only are they produced in low numbers (or discontinued), but outside of Kentucky nearly impossible to find. Secondary market prices have ballooned dramatically in the last few years as well. Stick to their core lineup until you fancy a bourbon hunting trip to Kentucky in January or February.

Cheers!

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Score: 8.5/10

Colour: Light Copper

Nose: Butterscotch, caramel, raisin 🍞 and a substantial hit of alcohol (let it sit for 5min in the glass and the alcohol on the nose disappears)

Palate: Vanilla, raisins and brown sugar with a light hit of charred oak and tobacco

Finish: Medium length, more vanilla and brown sugar, a nice “warming” sensation with a little spiciness (cinnamon) right at the end

(WB-94.5, Distiller-90, BB-3/5)

Price: $98CAD ($40 USD across most of the states)

Glenrothes Whisky Maker’s Cut - Taken from the distiller’s “Soleo” collection, this NAS is part of Glenrothes 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣8️⃣ makeover which includes the discontinuation of their vintage line and relaunch of age-stated variants (10, 12, 18, 25). Their entire line is aged in sherry oak casks (primarily Jerez sherry) and is naturally coloured only (no additives). The whisky maker’s cut differs from the standard line in that it is aged in first-fill sherry casks instead (primarily PX) and bottled at 48.8 abv as per the preference of head whisky maker Gordon Motion. The initial batch is said to be aged 16 years but we’ll see what future batches bring to the table. According to Glenrothes, the red label on this bottle “reflects the colour of the 🍇 just before it begins to ripen”.

Cheers!

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Score: 7/10

Colour: Golden Yellow with a touch of red

Nose: Vanilla, strawberries

Palate: Sweet, butter toffee, dulce de leche (think decadent caramel) and spicy

Finish: Long, dry, orange peel, nutmeg and vanilla

(WB-n/a, Distiller-90, Flaviar-7/10)

Price: $100 CAD

Macallan 12yo Double Cask - The 12yo DC was the first release of an aged statement whisky by Macallan in an effort to bolster sales after the poor performance of the 1824 series (Gold, Amber, Sienna, Ruby). Aged in a combination of Sherry-seasoned American Oak and European Oak the 12yo DC is a soft combination of what you’d expect from the standard 12yo Sherry Cask, with a very subtle hit of ginger and citrus on the end; Nestled perfectly between the Sherry and Fine Oak series you could almost consider this a blend of both camps. For those who enjoy the 12yo Sherry Cask, you’ll find this expression a little weak as it’s bottled at 40% abv (43% outside Canada). The softness of it makes it a solid choice for a daily drinker, but Macallan enthusiasts will say that it lacks a certain “punch” that’s to be expected from their two fundamental aging methods. All in all decent, but as a Sherry lover, I’m leaning more towards some alternatives in the same price range like Glendronach 12 or Balvenie 12yo DW.

Cheers!

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Score: 7/10

Colour: Dark Amber

Nose: Dried fruits, butterscotch and fresh oak

Palate: Soft and syrupy, with hits of honey, cinnamon, orange peel and ginger

Finish: Short, vanilla and citrus, slightly flat

(WB-86, Distiller-87, Flaviar-8.1/10, WA-90)

Price: $100 CAD