Category: Tasting notes Page 1 of 4
Here we go again with the Wemyss Malts Cream of the Crop tasting notes. The Wemyss family has a passion for whiskey since the beginning of the 19th century when Haig’s founded its first distillery on the island of Wemyss. They make their own blends but are especially appreciated for their job as independent bottlers. Each bottle name has a special name to guide the buyer to its favorite flavors. So what about this “Cream of the Crop”? This one is a Glen Garioch, from the Garioch Valley’s distillery in the Highlands, founded in a very small village at the end of the 18th century. Distilled in 1989 and bottled in 2016 (it’s a 27 or 26 years old whisky, we do not have precise dates, 261 bottles). Let’s see this Wemyss Malts whisky!
Today, let me introduce to you the Arran 21yo, specially bottled for whiskybase.com. This whisky spent 21 years in bourbon casks before being bottled for a limited edition of 180 bottles only. In other words, this one was quickly sold out. Arran (the island’s only distillery, but there were more than 50 of them in the past) is renowned for its special finishes in different barrels of wine or other spirits. But, sometimes, “simplicity” also pays with only “simple” bourbon casks.
Hi everyone!
Here is a little feedback from my last masterclass at the O’Flaherty’s irish pub in Namur on the theme “Whiskeys of the World” (organized by Whiskey-Select). Some options were available for some whiskeys so I will only talk about the ones I’ve tasted (logic eh!). Once again, I would like to thank them all for the explanations provided and the price they asked for!
25 € for 6 glasses including a 5 € voucher for a bottle purchase or a drink in the pub. If you’re in Belgium, do not hesitate to register for the next special tasting “Road of the peat” scheduled for the end of January (well, you have to love peat, necessarily… Otherwise take a good beer, like the McDouglas).
The Talisker is probably not the most affordable (and, here, I’mnot speaking about his price), especially for people who just appreciate a few hint of peat. He is generally quite complex in his younger expressions, and I think i’m not the only one to think that. This Talisker Distillers Edition (45.8%) has an Amoroso sherry casks finish (softer than the Oloroso), which makes it softer than another young whisky in bourbon casks. That’s why its usual peat power is reduced and its fruity potential is inversely accentuated. More informations about that with the tasting notes 😉
The Spey Fumare is the first peated whiskey from a Speyside Distillery, Since 2-3 years, they are several to try something they’re not used to do. So far, I’m used to say “Doing new things is good but people should try to excel what they do the best”. This kind of “test” is rarely conclusive but, ok, let’s try it… Finally, after having poured it in my glass, I wasn’t sure that this was whisky, as its color was sooooo clear… maybe pure spirit or, well, some water. But let’s try it…
I’ve had the pleasure of participating to a masterclass entirely dedicated to the Teeling distillery. This is the opportunity for me to give you a little return about the whiskeys tasted at this event organized at the O’Flaherty’s (a pub that I highly recommend if you’re spending some time in Namur, Belgium). I already knew the Single Grain and Stout Cask discovered recently and for which tasting notes have already been published on this blog, so i’ll speak about the Brabazon, Small Batch Rum, Revival V (Cognac & Brandy Casks) and the 19-year-old rum bottling for The Nectar 😉
North Star Spirits is an independent bottler who started bottling whisky in 2016 but has already gained a great reputation, thanks to its series Vega and that I will introduce here with the second pretty baby, the Vega 40yo ( 43.1% – 2018). After a 23 years old blend (of excellent quality), whisky lovers were impatiently waiting for this 40 years old blend! Not only because they (and I) had some hope to taste a whisky of even higher quality but also because of the incredibly low prices asked for these bottles. And nobody was disappointed, regarding the price and the quality of this whisky. Here come the tasting notes 😀
Well, dear friends, here come the tasting notes of Glengoyne 15yo (43% – 2017). This whisky was partially aged in bourbon casks (1st fill) and in sherry casks. Glengoyne has forged its very good (and deserved) reputation, especially, with its older whiskies aged in sherry casks . These barrels are supposed to bring fruity aromas of candied lemon and pineapple, and the sherry casks to bring intensity and balance to the whole thing. That’s what they tell us on paper… But on paper it always looks pretty, so let’s see the reality with the tasting notes 😀