Tag Archives: Oak

A World of Discovery, Balvenie, Let's celebrate!

Balvenie Portwood 21yr & 21yr Duty-Free – a side by side tasting.

Speyside region — 43% ABV (standard bottling) & 47.6% (duty free only bottling) – SB: $125 | £75 | €88 – DFO: £69 | €81

It’s no secret my love for The Balvenie runs deep.  Their whiskies can be delicate, complex, bold, intriguing, thick and rich, light and peppery, etc…  However, what you can always count on are the “classic honeyed Balvenie notes”.  Unmistakable.

You can find all of my Balvenie reviews here.

A while back Sam Simmons gave me a sample of The Balvenie 21yr Portwood Duty Free expression which is both non-chill filtered and has a higher ABV (47.6% as opposed to the standard 43% — the 43% being chill filtered, by the way).

Sam, thanks again!

I’ve been holding off on posting my thoughts on that whisky as I had not yet posted my thoughts on the standard 43% ABV Balvenie Portwood.  I now have some of that 21yr Portwood.

A big thanks goes out to Andrew Weir for that sample!

There is something so rewarding about The Balvenie Portwood.  Come on folks, this is expensive stuff.  Not an everyday drinker.  You break it out for that special, joyous occasion; or perhaps you buy it for a loved one or your boss.  So, to taste two different Portwood whiskies in one sitting… Man, I felt like I was treating myself to a world class massage — my happy ending being The Balvenie x 2!

Balvenie, me love you long time!

Time to share the experience:

On the nose 43% — Classic honeyed Balvenie nose with a good deal of black pepper notes.  Something astringent here; perhaps a touch of witchhazel.  Black grapes.  Honey peppercorn salad dressing.  Poached pear and a touch of green apple.  Oranges.  A tad salty.

On the nose 47.6% Duty Free — Somehow, even with the higher ABV, the nose is softer here.  Much like the off the shelf stuff but with added elements of salted toffee.  Not as peppery as the standard stuff.

On the mouth 43% — Sweet blessed Benjamin, that’s good!  Big grapes.  A good deal of pepper & bite.  Hot pepper and honey.  There’s a creaminess to this whisky that somehow offsets all of the spicy bits I’m getting here.  Cool.

On the Mouth 47.6% Duty Free — A world of difference in the mouth feel.  Excessively oily.  And, though I really don’t like to use this as a descriptor, Sssssmmmmooootttthhhh!  Buttery smooth.  It must be the non-chill filtering – leaving in all of those great fatty acids! Earthier in flavor, almost mushroomy but still very sweet with the grapes and the “hey-hey and the pretty lady!!” (sorry, my inner Jerry Lewis came out.  Yes, I have an inner Jerry Lewis.  You don’t??).

Deep red fruits – over ripe strawberry, strawberry & rhubarb compote.

G-d, I love this!

Finish 43% — Long with hints of hazelnuts and vanilla.

Finish 47.6% Duty Free — Much more nutty on the finish, lasting vanilla and more honey.

In sum — It’s amazing what 4.6% more alcohol and non-chill filtering can do!  I am not knocking the standard 43% 21yr Portwood – it’s a solid, kick-ass dram but, this duty-free stuff was on a whole other level – especially with the mouthfeel – ah’good G-d y’all!

Both are celebratory drams.  Go ahead, give yourself a happy ending and enjoy some Balvenie Portwood soon!

Catoctin Creek, Kosher spirits, Springtime, Summertime, Takin' It Easy, Whiskies

Catoctin Creek – Mosby’s Spirit & Roundstone Rye – organic & kosher (not for Passover)!

What’s that?  Oh, you haven’t heard of Catoctin Creek?  Wait, are you serious??

Actually, I believe it.  And I wouldn’t expect many to have heard about these folks.  Well, things are going to change, my friends!  Catoctin Creek is surely the new kid on the block (please, no Donnie Wahlberg jokes, people).  They started in 2009 and are the first distillery to open in their county since Prohibition.  The brain child of Scott & Becky Harris, I think these folks have something quite good on their hands.  And this something is only going to grow!

For my tree-huggers out there, all of Catoctin Creek’s products are certified organic.  And for my Jews in the audience, their products are kosher certified (Star K).  Oh, and for my booze lovers on the other side of the computer or smartphone screen, their whiskies are really good and… award winning!

Sadly, as it stands now, Catoctin Creek spirits are currently only available in California, Virginia, Maryland & Washington DC.  In speaking with Scott Harris, however, he told me that they are currently working on wider distribution.

Update – Schneider’s of Capitol Hill will ship Catoctin Creek nationwide (USA).

Rather than put it all on the post here, to learn more about Catoctin Creek, click here.

Now, let me learn you on these whiskies.  First, I’ll review their “Mosby’s Spirit” which is unmatured rye spirit, straight off the still then diluted to 40% ABV.  The second is their “Roundstone Rye” which is their “Mosby’s Spirit” aged in new oak barrels for an unspecified amount of time.  Both are 100% rye with no other grain influence.

Mosby’s Spirit – Virginia, USA – Awarded a bronze medal by the American Distilling Institute – 40%ABV – 750ml – $39

On the nose — No doubt about – if the label on the bottle didn’t tell me, or the crystal clear color of this rye didn’t clue me in, this is white dog, new make spirit, what ever you want to call it – it’s straight off the still rye!

Slight citrus notes.  If I didn’t know better, I might confuse the scent of this for a silver tequila.

Hints of gooseberries.

Very sweet nose.  Very clean as well.

Rye bread (duh!).

On the mouth — Thinnish mouth feel.

I enjoy the flavor much more than the nose.  Very drinkable.

A slight saltiness to this.

Here’s a strange note for you: fresh cement.

Light & clean white wine.

Some unripened peach tones in there.

Tinned oranges.  Actually a tin of many fruits (including that one single solitary cherry they throw in for you).

Finish — Medium in length with some of the rye from the nose and an interesting cranberry flavor that popped up.

In sum — I went into reviewing this whisky with the thought that it’s nothing more than a rye for mixing purposes.  Nosing the stuff and I still felt this way.  Tasting it changed my mind.  I would be happy to sip on this stuff, especially in the summertime but I’d equally be happy to make a nice Manhattan with it.  Think I’ll pour a wee bit more…  Nah, have to review the Roundstone Rye now…

Roundstone Rye – Virginia, USA – 40%ABV – 750ml – $39

On the nose — It’s interesting what one year in an oak cask will do.

Upfront with the vanilla and a few hits of coconut.

Wet oak.

Rounded out with soft caramel apple

Peachy peach.

On the mouth — Big and rich in flavor and a nice mouth feel.


Cinnamon sticks.



Grilled apple slices.


Still a good deal of new make-i-ness in there but, I’m a fan of young spirit so no complaints here and after only a small amount of time in a cask, I would not expect anything else.



Unripened peach (just like with the white dog).

Finish — Medium in length with some great notes of caramel and rye.

In sum — A very approachable rye, especially for those just getting into them.  It might benefit from a slightly higher ABV (maybe 46%) but still, a solid whisky (and yes, Catoctin Creek spells it “whisky” without the “E”.


Many thanks to Scott Harris for the generous samples!

Linkwood, Springtime, Summertime

Linkwood 15yr – Old Masters Collection

Speyside region – 59.2% ABV – $|£|€ – ???

I am increasingly becoming more and more fond of single malt whiskies produced by Linkwood – nearly all of which are independently bottled, by the way.  For the most part, the fluid is used in various blends such as Johnnie Walker, Bells & Haig.  This is a shame for those who prefer a single malt, but, good news for those who also enjoy a good blended whisky (I represent both of these types of people) as Linkwood whiskies tend to be nice, rich and complex – the perfect addition to a blend to enhance its deliciousness.

The name “Old Masters” is somewhat new to me.  When you think of independent bottlers some companies come right to mind: SMWS, Signatory, Duncan Taylor, Douglas Laing (who does the Old Malt Cask, Provenance & Premium Barrel lines), etc…

So, let’s see what the Old Masters get us with this Linkwood:

On the nose – Strong spirity nose with an initial attack of blue nail polish remover/acetone.

Big malty notes.  Belgian beer.

Tropical fruits like pineapple and dried papaya.

Shoelaces (think “fat” laces from the old school hip hop days a la Grand Master Flash & Run DMC).

This is some strong stuff so, I decided to add a wee bit of water.

With water, the nose softens tremendously…

Now some big oak and sweet sugared grapefruit halves are revealed.

Vanilla.

On the mouth – Big malt.  Big, big malt.

Hot mouthfeel.

Spicy notes and those tropical notes carry through.

Something highly sour about this schtuff too.  Can’t place it.

Adding water now…

The mouth feel gets chewy and that sour note evolves into lemon pith and dry white wine sangria.

Finish – Long and stinging in feel thought short-ish in flavor.

Like a mouth full of whitehead hornets (poor Winnie the Pooh!).

With water the finish is still very long but with a few less bees a’buzzin’

In sum – A lot going on here.  Very complex but not sure it all worked out in the end.  If you were to go for this whisky, and I’m not sure I’m suggesting such a thing, I would reach for it in the late spring/early summer time.  Very bright & fruity.  I didn’t hate this whisky I just think it could have used a few more years in the cask or perhaps it should have been transferred to a new cask for a Re-JEW-Vination™ of the spirit.

Truth be told, I reviewed this whisky more than a month ago or so and it wasn’t until yesterday when Chris at The Whisky Wall reviewed the same whisky.  You should hop over to The Whisky Wall to check out Chris’ review.

An everyday dram, Nikka, Takin' It Easy

Nikka Whisky from the Barrel

Japan – 51.4% ABV –  50cl – $40 | £25 | €29

Welcome, my friends, to Desert Island dram-land.

This past Friday I ended the week on with a review on quite possibly one of the worst whiskies I’ve ever had.  I’m not one who normally ends the week on a bad note but hey, whatevs – “I do what I want”

I figured, however, that being that I ended on such a negative note last week that I should start off this week with one of the best whiskies out there – especially for the money.

A solid Japanese blended whisky from Nikka that has a permanent spot on my whisky shelf.

Nikka “Whisky from the Barrel”:

On the nose — Jolly Rancher grapefruit sweetness, big oak (like a baseball bat being stuck up my nose), turmeric, floral and spiced, old books…

Some slight pipe tobacco (while pipe is burning).

The list is going on and on and on…

Taking a break…

A return to the nose reveals holiday cake (OK, Christmas Cake) and artificial chocolate.

On the mouth — Spicy, chewy caramels.

Vanilla, more oak (damp, damp oak).

Last year’s gone-soft Werther’s candies.

Finish — A nice length with lasting vanilla and oak spice candles.

In sum — At 25gbp for 50cl, this is an insane steal. This is an everyday dram for me.  Cracking, powerful, easy drinking and a well crafted cask strength Japanese blended whisky.

I’m not the only one who has a woody over this one —  you can read Jason of Guid Scotch Drink notes here, Gal of Whisky Israel’s notes here (toward the very bottom of the post) and you can read the notes from Whisky for Everyone here.

Amrut, Autumn, Cold Winter, Need To Bundle Up

Amrut Peated Single Malt Whisky 46%ABV & Cask Strength – head to head

India – 46%ABV – $62 | £34 | €39

Moving forward with my reviews of the Amrut standard line — let’s jump now to their peated expression(s).

Now, being peated versions of the standard Amrut expressions, these whiskies should prove to have an even more complex and deep profile over the Amrut whiskies reviewed yesterday.  How peated are these?  Well, more so than say a Bunnahabhain or Benromach but nowhere near as peaty/smoky as, perhaps, a Laphroaig, Ardbeg or Longrow.

Let just go onto tasting these whiskies and see what we get…

On the nose – Fried pancetta (ah, more memories from my carnivorous, uber-tref youth).

Caramel chews and tinder sticks (the fire starters, not the band).

Buttered hot bread (just like with the standard NAS 46% from yesterday).

Something immensely sweet about this nose that reminds me of grapefruit jelly beans.

On the mouth – Big oak notes – very much like a humidor with half smoked cigars in it (there’s that peat).

Coconut and lime leaf, a touch of curry.

Gingery mango chutney (again, similar to yesterday’s Amrut).

Grilled cauliflower.

Finish – Oak and vanilla, long and pleasing.

In sum – The peat here is lighter than expected.  While normally a bit of peat will add an extra dimension, I think the addition of peated barley in the expression takes away from their standard NAS, non-peated whisky (which was a cracker, straight up!).

Truth be told, if I’d not have had the standard NAS yesterday, the previous statement might not ring true.  This being said, I did enjoy this whisky and the peat warmed my insides in the ways in which is needed for this time of year.  Oh yes, the heat is on in my house.  I am donning a sweater and all I want to do is snuggle up with the wife.  Tis the season!

And now onto the cask strength version which has nearly 17% more alcohol by volume…

India – 62.8%ABV – $78 | £40 | €46

On the nose – Stuffy nose?

A cold got you down?

Nose some of this whisky and you won’t be complaining of what ails ye any longer.

A big sock to the nose with spirit and lots of it!

If you could turn crispy bacon into a powdered sugar candy for kids, this is what you’d be smelling, just that.

Burnt toast and melted butter.

A Lime Ricky, extra lime.

On the mouth – Great mouth feel.

Yes, this stuff is strong as all hell but it is approachable (more so than yesterday’s Cask Strength though still not for the casual whisk(e)y drinker!).

Orange butter sauce.

A bit briny.

Some seaweed.

Juicy and chewy.

Damp wood.

I’m a fan.

Finish – Smooth and oaky with hints of vanilla extract.

In sum for the Cask Strength and the overall experience between the two – While I thought the added peat to the 46% expression was not up to par with the unpeated version of the Amrut, I found the brashness of this cask strength whisky, combined with the added element of peat, to be a terrific combination.

Many people out there my have a tough time sipping on a whisky that is over 60% and I can appreciate that.  As a note to those people…  Please send your cask strength whisky bottles to my house.  I will ensure the fluid contained within will go to good use 😉

For either of these whiskies, I really do suggest you enjoy there in the cooler months (or, go inside your house during the summer time, crank the A/C unit — pour, sniff, sip, swallow, repeat).