Menu

scotch review

Deveron 12 Year Review

, , , , 0

Tobacco Power Flavor for the Adventurer after Dinner
Deveron 12 Year Review

Product Specifics

  • Scotch Reviewed: The Deveron 12 Year
  • Distillery: Macduff Distillery
  • Region: Highland
  • ABV: 40%
  • Suggested Retail Price:  $60+

Mark Garbin’s Review

So you walk into a cigar bar. You crave deep dark paneling and a quiet scene. The server brings over a humidor and asks if you want a Havana. You blush and say ‘I love the smell but I don’t indulge. What would you suggest?’ With a grin and not m issing a beat, he breaks out the Deveron 12 bottle and a Glencairn. A dram, in a puff of magic, appears in your glass.

Scents of red delicious apples, honey and lemon greet you, but it wasn’t that Upmann-esqe aroma you wanted. Just as you’re about to lift your hand to complain, phenolic tobacco pummels the sweetness. Hmm…Interesting for a low ABV spirit. From where did that appear? Wow! Ok, let’s try it. Arggghh. The fruit and sugar come back but…what’s going on? Whew! A Maduro fragrance returns and the initial tastes in my mouth disappear replaced by a good Cuban. But wait, now I sense a massive pepper extract. Please stop this merry-go-round! Sigh.

Sometimes, you meet a whisky where everything is not in balance and it winds up being valued. Closer to spirits designed for Power, its strong qualities rotate. The Adventurer will yearn for those flummoxed taste buds. A Rob Roy made with this, creates a cocktail pleasing for its changing flavors. A Rusty Nail all of a sudden becomes more than a mere sweet vs alcohol smack down. It transforms into a collage of style. Forget water. All you’ll find is total dilution. Open your arms, heart and palate to a multi-one-sided Scotch. If a mixed drink or a cordial doesn’t suit your fancy, pick out a medium strength stogie. Then sit outside in pleasant weather and pour yourself a measure of Deveron 12. If you light up, the UFC Speyside flavor cage match takes your smoke to a new level. If not, you’ll get the tobacco without fumes, anyway.

Mark Garbin’s Evaluation

Aromas & Flavor Appeals to

 Optimal Client Type Great For

Subtlety Aficionado

 Apprentice

Cocktails

Power Flavor Admirer

 Enthusiast Neat Before Dinner
Balanced Devotee Adventurer

With Food
Chameleon Lover Hedonist

Dessert or Afterwards

Distiller rating: “There’s a humble elegance to this whisky. It has all the sensory pleasures of retiring to a small farm house. You stick your nose in and smell wet hay, a dab of honey in your morning oatmeal, and a pot of white flowers by the windowsill. You have to work at it but underneath the charming bouquet you’ll discover dry wood smoke, orchard fruit, and ground white pepper on the palate. All of this is cleansed at the end with a warm splash of Lapsang tea. The whole experience is light and fleeting of course, because the dram.” -Sam Davies

Whiskeyreviewer rating: “The Deveron 12 is not as sherried as its stablemate, Craigellachie, but it has its own charms. It is a great starter malt for a novice scotch drinker, but it has enough presence to make it a fine after work sipper for more seasoned whisky fans.” –Kurt Maitland

Jura 18 Year Review

0

Power Flavor for the Adventurer with After Dinner Cigar

Product Specifics

  • Whisky Reviewed: Jura 18 Year
  • Distiller: Jura Distillery
  • Region: Inner Hebrides
  • ABV: 44% (88 proof)
  • Matured in: ex-bourbon / ex-red wine

Mark’s Review

“Friendship is a smoke made with the fume of sighs”. Shakespeare’s Romeo must mean Jura 18. I can’t recall drinking such a smoke grenade but if you’re a cigar lover, it’s a magnificent bomb. Don’t concern yourself with the toffee ocean spray red wine tannin nose. Forget the acrid iodine Scottish seaside taste. Focus on the campfire starting at mid-palate continuing to the ever-lasting grilled tobacco white pepper finish.

People I know speak in hushed tones of the Cu Avana Punisher stogie and its stunning hot spice.  Katman’s quote is hilarious: “I believe this cigar was really invented by Otolaryngologists who are drumming up business . . . I’m pretty sure I will need to see one to remove the scar tissue from the tip of my tongue.” He too describes this 18-year-old dynamo.

A power monster, water only diluted the force. So skip the aqua. Apprentices say “not for me.” An Enthusiast wonders “Who on earth…?” The Hedonist, always in search of stunning flavors, won’t find any here. But the Adventurer, who conquers mountains because they exist, finds comfort in this dram. Note the huge disparity in ratings. (3 out of 10? Huh?) Like I say: One person’s 95 is another’s 75. It means if you don’t crave it, move on. Otherwise prepare to fall in love. Pack either the Punisher or a stick of strength. You’ll require a companion on this trip!

Mark Garbin’s Evaluation

Aromas & Flavor Appeals to: Optimal Client Type Great For:
Subtlety Aficionado Apprentice Cocktails
Power Flavor Admirer Enthusiast Neat Before Dinner
Balanced Devotee Adventurer With Food
Chameleon Lover Hedonist Dessert or After Meal Cigar

Other expert reviews of Jura 18

Distiller.com review: The classic Jura flavors of light smoke and intense brininess are regally framed by the bourbon cask’s indulgent tones of toasted honey comb, pie crust, and vanilla cream. On the palate the red wine casks are felt with a pleasant impact of sweet red currant and dried cherry. The malt has a nice full-ish body and a lingering finish that shows a return of the peaty and salty maritime flavors of the distillate. –John Rankin

USC review: This enigmatic scotch shows overlapping tones of packed salt, preserved cherry, and baked figs. There is distinct red fruit character in the mouth that plays a beautiful contrast to intense maritime iodine that underpins the experience of the dram.

Malt-Review: A pretty lacklustre 18 year old by any stretch of the imagination. I can name several similarly aged whiskies for around this price point. Go find a Tasliker 18 or the delightful Inchmurrin 18 year old and really experience a well made whisky that hasn’t been messed with.

Hapa Mag review: There’s only one way for me to describe this whisky: spicy!! This single malt packs a fiery punch as it dances down your gullet. With sharp hints of cinnamon and holiday aromatics, this is a whisky I’d use for mulled wine, eggnog, or a hot toddy. If you have a holiday cocktail party in your future, spice things up with Jura 18. –Melissa Slaughter

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve Scotch Review

, , 0

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve

A couple of days ago I stopped by Warehouse Spirits near NYU and picked up this bottle of The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve. I’ve been excited to finally sit down and give this spirit a proper review since I’ve enjoyed the few sips I’ve had of it up until now.

This is a no age statement bottling from The Glenrothes, and clocks in at about $40 per bottle. There aren’t many details available on the Glenrothes website, save a bit of flowery text that reads:

The combination of different Vintages aged in a variety of casks creates a balance of mature experience and vibrant youth. The oldest constituent brings mellow oak and dried fruits; the greatest proportion adds soft, mature, sweet vanilla; the more youthful add exuberance and lemon citrus, creating a sharp and uplifting taste.

Sounds great, but I think we can all agree that this kind of language is pretty common and doesn’t tell us a ton. So what we’ve got to go on at this point is experience, so let’s get to the review, shall we?

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve Label

Product Specifics

  • Distiller: The Glenrothes
  • Age: No Age Statement
  • ABV: 40% (80 proof)

Appearance

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve is light and corn colored. The bottle itself is, depending on your tastes, either squat and humble or elegant and reserved. For myself, I’m a big fan and always enjoy having a bottle of this brand on my shelf. But appearances aren’t everything.

Nose

A fairly simple nose, with floral notes along with fresh fruits and breadiness.

Palate

Approachable, light, and fruity, with a dominant banana note. Just sweet enough to be a great after-dinner scotch that’s easy on the palate and on the wallet.

Finish

A fairly short, smooth finish, reminiscent of cinnamon sugar toast.

Conclusion

The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve is not a stand-out whisky. BUT, for the price, I think it’s a good value, especially if you can find it in the $35 – $39 range. While some reviewers have slammed this scotch—Scotch Noob compared it to floor cleaner (totally unfair)—I think it really does deserve a place on many shelves, particularly for beginner scotch sippers who enjoy other entry-level Speyside whiskies.

For the value and quality of this scotch, I give it an 86 rating.

Final Rating: 86

Whisky Review: Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch 10 Year Triple Grain

, 0

I happened across a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch 10 Year Triple Grain (called “Johnnie Walker 10 year Triple Grain” for the remainder of the review–too much of a mouthful) at my local liquor store and was intrigued enough to pick it up. I’m glad I did.

Interestingly, as of my writing of this article (2/14/2017), there’s almost zero information about this product available online. The whisky isn’t even listed on the Johnnie Walker website under the “Limited Edition” category.  Either way, the bottle came with a bit of information. This whisky is a blend of 10 year whiskies from the Port Dundas, Mortlach, and Cardhu distilleries. The bottle’s “Blender Notes” includes this description:

“Three Grain whiskies using wheat, barley and corn – blended with select Malts. Sweet and creamy with fresh fruits and gentle, spicy smoke. Aged 10 years in American oak casks.”

On with the review…

Product Specifics

  • Brand: Johnnie Walker Blended Scotch Whisky
  • Distillery: combination of Port Dundas, Mortlach, and Cardhu distilleries
  • Age: 10 years
  • ABV: 41.3% ABV (82.6 proof)

Nose

The nose is gentle, but complex, with hints of fresh-sliced bananas, vanilla, sweet maltiness, all rounded off with a touch of sea-salt.

Palate

On entry, this scotch tingles the tip of my tongue. As the liquid expands in my mouth, the flavor is complex and balanced, with sweet spiciness, hints of vanilla, caramel, touches of smoke, charcoal, and salt.

Finish

The finish is long and pleasing, with cereal and sweet maltiness followed by hints of sea salt and light smokiness.

Conclusion

Other blogs will surely go into much more detail about the origins and innovations of Johnnie Walker 10 Year Triple Grain. As for your humble servant, this is a scotch I recommend. It has most all that I look for in a quality offering: complexity, balance of competing flavors, and a mix of sweetness, spice, and smoke.

If my local liquor store wasn’t currently closed, I’d be walking over now to pick up at least another bottle. At $33/bottle, I could see this bottle being a standard on my shelf, alongside my other standards at this price point (Monkey Shoulder and Tomatin 12 year to name two).

Final Grade

A-

Scotch Review: The Macallan 12 Year

, , , 0

the macallan 12 year

So, my usual bourbon aficionados and I were checking out at our usual store in Tampa when we spotted this prominently placed on a display. The red box immediately caught our eye, and we’ve had some good experiences with sherry cask finishes, so, we picked it up and enjoyed it so much we thought it deserved its own review.

Spirit Info

  • Distillery: The Macallan Distillers LTD
  • Spirit: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey (matured in selected sherry oak casks from Jerez, Spain)
  • Age: 12 Years
  • ABV: 43%
  • Purchase Price: $57.99

Nose

A strong peat, charcoal, and sweet sherry scent immediately overtake the nose, followed by a light aroma of orange peel and floral-honey.

Palate

The sherry immediately hits you full-force and recedes into the typical Macallan single malt flavors of oaky-peat and smoky-charcoal. Undertones of citrus and dried cherries make a pleasant appearance, peaking at the middle of the taste.

Afterglow

For having such a bold flavor, the afterglow is surprisingly light. Honey and floral flavors stay on the tongue with slight tones of sherry and charcoal in the background.

Conclusion

Overall, it was a rather enjoyable pour. The depth of flavor and complexity added by the sherry oak cask finish is a wonderful addition to an already established selection. There is a very slight bite that comes a second or two after it hits the tongue, but it fades quickly and with it comes that beautiful complexity of competing flavors.

Grade:A-

Whiskey Review: SLAUGHTER HOUSE AMERICAN WHISKEY

, 10

SlaughterHouseBtl

The other evening I picked up some Slaughter House American Whiskey for a choice tasting. For those that may not know Slaughter House is a creation from wine Rock Star Dave Phinney of Orion Swift Cellars fame. This is the man who created “The Prisoner” red blend in 2000 which catapulted his company into legendary status. He went on to form Orion Swift Cellars and sold “The Prisoner” to what is now known as The Prisoner Wine Company. For years Orin Swift has been making sourced wine blends that have garnered high scores and critical acclaim. His combination of high quality sourced grapes, meticulous vinification practices and creative labels have made him one of the more sought after and well respected California wine producers.

Recently Dave made his foray into Whiskey making in which Phinney continues his attention to quality and innovative label design with this recent release. Upon acquiring high level whiskey the spirit spends nine years in American oak and is then finished in Orion Swift Papillion wine barrels. Papillion is a high end Bordeaux blend created by Orion Swift. When bottled a touch of pure water from a natural spring in Phinney ‘s Alexander Valley property is added to enhance its aromatics. The combination of aging, finishing and filtration creates a harmonious whiskey. Here is my review:

Spirit details: Proof 88

Price: $40

Origin: USA

Description: The Slaughter House label dons a butchers meat cleaver with a white backdrop invoking a murderous intention with an old school slasher/movie feel. This seems appropriate for this whiskey as it cuts right through your senses.

Nose: Intense vanilla and baking spice that hits you immediately.

Palate: Honey, marmalade, and vanilla swath the forefront while spice and candied fruit coat the palate. A bit of heat touches the tongue with honey and vanilla rounding it out. An intensely focused spirit yielding just the right amount of spice and sweetness for an American Whiskey.

Finish: Vanilla, spice, butterscotch and toast produce a finish that lingers on.

Conclusion: This is everything you would expect from an American Whiskey. Dave Phinney manages to capture the spice, vanilla and toasty qualities from the American oak while giving the whiskey a weighty mouthfeel from its Bordeaux barrel finishing. While I didn’t feel like I was being hacked with a cleaver, Slaughter House Whiskey oozes with flavors that are a cut above the rest. A solid effort from this wine producer and worth a bottle purchase.

Scotch Review: Tomatin Dualchas

, , , 2

tomatin dualchas

Since the beginning of my journey into the single malt Scotch world in 2013, Tomatin has been a favorite value brand for me. Tomatin Dualchas represents the brand’s first no age statement scotch, and another huge win for the company.  At about $30 per bottle, this scotch deserves a spot (or two) on your whisky shelf.

Cask Type: Matured in a combination of Bourbon barrels and Virgin Oak casks
Strength: 43% alc./vol.

Nose

The nose is deep, a bit fruity, with touches of vanilla and spice.

Palate

Although this scotch isn’t peaty, it is a bit of a flavor bomb. On one side are the woody notes brought out by aging in ex bourbon and virgin oak casks. On the other are bright citrus notes of lemon and a touch of pine. A really delightful combination.

Finish

The finish for Tomatin Dualchas is simultaneous long and sweet while also being light and refreshing.

Conclusion

As mentioned, this scotch is well worth the price. I’m a huge fan of Tomatin 12, 15 and 18 year (also wonderfully priced), so those could be worth looking in to as well.

 

 

Scotch Review: Ardbeg 10 Year

, 0

20141219_234231

Up for review today: Ardbeg 10 Year. This spirit is one of the peatiest of the single malt’s, and though not my favorite scotch certainly ranks in my top 20. Let’s see why:

Ardbeg 10 Year

Bottling Specifics

  • 46% ABV, non chill-filtered
  • Age: 10 Years
  • Region: Islay
  • Distiller: Ardbeg

Nose

The nose lets of a multitude of enjoyable notes. Initially black pepper, smoke and menthol. After a moments pause and another smell, I pick up a hint of vanilla and ocean spray.

Palate

Taste the Ardbeg 10 and you’ll understand why some call it one of the most complex Scotches in the world. There is, quite simply, a lot going on. Vanilla, smoke, wood, subtle spices, and charcoal… and probably four or five more flavors I had a harder time picking out. Starting gently, the flavor of this scotch ends with smoke, medicinal notes, and charcoal, at full flavor.

Finish

The finish is by far my favorite part of this spirit. On one hand, the finish is clean and precise. On the other, after each sip I’m left with a nice long finish of sea salt and floral notes.

Conclusion

Ardbeg 10 is proof that the journey is more important than the destination. Just in the process of writing this review I’m reminded of how much I appreciate the complexity of this scotch.

Final Grade: A