Tag Archives: Cedar wood

Autumn, Glenrothes

Chieftain’s Range (4th release for the US) – Glenrothes 12yo single cask # 16415, first fill sherry

Speyside region – 46%ABV – $53 – $67 (pretty wide spread here – I’ve provided a link to the store that offers it for $53)

What is “Chieftain’s“?  Chieftain’s is a well respected and award winning independent bottler owned by Ian MacLeod Distillers (the same people that own Glengoyne) and have the good fortune of being able to choose their whiskies from one of the largest (if not THE largest) whisky warehouses in Scotland: The Ian MacLeod warehouse which houses many tens of thousands of casks of whisky at any given time.  That’s a nice position to be in for an independent bottler!

This single cask of The Glenrothes interestingly enough, was bottled at 46% ABV rather than cask strength.  When it comes to independent bottlers, and as ABV’s are concerned, Chieftain’s seems to do things a bit different.  As a rule of thumb, most indy bottlers will bottle single casks at 40%, 43%, 45%, 46%, 50% or cask strength and they will stick to that ABV for nearly every release.

Rules, however are meant to be broken.  Chieftain’s seems to bounce around a bit and will bottle somewhere between Cask Strength and 46% depending on the release, yet they are always non-chill filtered (thankfully) and have no added coloring.

As mentioned, this whisky was bottled at 46%; a full 3% higher than nearly all OB bottlings of The Glenrothes (and again, non-chill filtered and no added coloring).  Let’s see what happens.

On the nose –  Seems very true to the Glenrothes house style – Soft sherry, saw dust and slivovitz (plum brandy) fill the nostrils.

It’s like an off-the-shelf, owner’s bottling, Glenrothes with a bit of a kick (the extra 3% ABV points, perhaps?).

Notes that I usually associate with a nice Sassacaia wine – cedar wood, cherries, earthy chocolate.

Fresh birch tree bark (golden birch).

On the mouth – Decent attack with a touch of burn and mild viscosity.

While this isn’t a peated whisky, I’m struck with some coal soot from the start then a slight metallic quality (household knives and forks).

After that I’m presented with spiced apple sauce and spice drops.

Bitter chocolate (80% cocoa bars).

Cedar bark and fresh gardening mulch.

Finish – Bitters and a touch of mint.  Decent length.

In sum – Comparable in experience to The Glenrothes standard 90’s vintages out now – the Glenrothes quality really shines through and if that’s your bag – you’re in for a treat here!  While I think of sherried whiskies as digestifs, I’m more apt to suggest this as an aperitif.

Special thanks goes out to Impex Beverages for the sample!

The Scotch Tasting Bums seemed to like this one.

Refreshed, Springtime, Takin' It Easy

SMWS 39.74 – Linkwood 19yr Single Cask 47.1%

Speyside region – 47.1%ABV – 750ML bottle – Go here to get a bottle

So, shortly after I signed up to become a member of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (of America) a nice package came in the mail which contained a welcome booklet, a fun and fancy SMWS pin (which my daughters kindly helped in the losing thereof) and four 100ml samples to give me an idea of what I will come to expect from the society’s single cask bottlings.

The four bottles included a Macallan (#24.110), a Highland Park (#4.142), a Bowmore (#3.156) and a Linkwood (#39.74 – this one here that I am about to review).  The society introduced me to Linkwood and for that, I am ever grateful.

The sad thing is that this is not available as a 750ml bottle for the US arm of the Society so I am not able to get a full bottle.  I had to savor the 100ml I got, and savor I did.

Now, you can savor my notes:

On the nose – Delicious salted fruits & salted tomatoes.

Black licorice and candy coated fennel seeds after a good indian dinner.

Brighter fruit notes (think pears and cantaloupe… notes you usually only smell in the younger whiskies).

This is an easy noser.

On the mouth – The entry is as smooth as baby’s behind and chewy as a piece of Laffy Taffy™.

Cedar wood and herbal teas.

That saltiness returns.

Tangerines and a hint of fresh tobacco.

Fennel seeds and a malty & bready goodness that is tough to describe but, it’s there and it’s damn good.

Finish – Slightly numbing the sides of my mouth and lingering like the long goodbye of a chance meeting of an old girlfriend.

In sum – A lovely expression that I could find myself sipping on as a morning pick-me-up (very refreshing!) or as an evening wind-down.  What’s interesting is I chose to read the societies notes AFTER I nosed and tasted this whisky (I did not want to be influenced in any way).  I found that their nose and my palate were very similar but reversed.