Month: September 2016

Aultmore 12

Region: Speyside

ABV: 46%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

Container: Glencairn Neat with a few drops of distilled water
Colour: Straw
Nose:Fruity sweet notes, pears, hints of bananas, fresh, green apples, pineapples, malt, floral, well rounded.
Day 2: I noticed the grassy notes people are on about, maybe placebo or maybe my nose is better today, and honey as well.

Palate: Chocolate, dried fruits, slight malt, tartness, hints of spice, slight citrus, a bit of heat on the back end.
Day 2: a bit of raw notes.

Finish: Medium-long finish, malt, slight vanilla, hints of spice and fruit,
Score: 82/100
Pretty decent summer dram, not exactly complex, this dram would’ve been more interesting if more first fill casks were used. A whisky in a good direction, 46% ABV, NCA, NCF, looking forward to more Aultmore expression.

Edit: Adjusted score after trying another dram today. Note that scores are based on my personal preference and experience.

GlenDronach 12

Region: Highland

ABV: 43%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

 

Container: Spiegelau Whisky Snifter with a few drops of distilled water.

Colour: Light Amber

Nose:Upfront Sherry notes, raisins, slightly under ripe strawberries, slight caramel, more red fruits, hints of spices, plums.

Palate:Red fruits, thins out quickly, spicy, cinnamon, apple pie.

Finish:Short finish, Pepper, hints of cinnamon and oak, dry.

Score: 82/100

 

One of the first few sherried whisky I have purchase, near the end of the bottle, not sure has it changed, I was enjoying this a bit more few weeks ago, thin on the palate, the finish falls a bit short, still really decent for the money. Can’t wait to pop open the cask strength sample, and waiting for the 18 to come in. Not sure if I would re-buy in the future when whiskies like Bunnahabhain 12 exist for $20 more, which comes in a much more balanced and complex presentation.

Stronachie 10 Year Old

Stronachie (pronunciation: “Stron-a-key”)
Gaelic for “prominent nose/headland in the valley”

Background of Stronachie: A. D. Rattray acquired a bottle of Stronachie single malt which dated back to 1904. Using this, they tried to find a current day whisky that matched the flavour of the expression from the long closed distillery. They decided that whisky from the Benrinnes distillery in Speyside matched it very closely and have bottled some under the Stronachie name. (Source: Master of Malt)

Region: Speyside

ABV: 43%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

Container: Glencairn Neat, rested for 20 minutes with a few drops of distilled water

Colour: Pale Gold
Nose: Honey, lots of honey, slight earthiness, hints of stone fruits, slight citrus undertone, all covered by layers of honey, hints of floral notes, hints of pineapples, also covered by honey.
Palate:Interesting mouth feel, kinda massages my tongue a little bit, more honey, makes me wonder if I am drinking honey whisky without the added sweetness. Cereal notes, spicy, honey fruits, slight chocolate feel, lingering notes of pepper, some oak and slight earthy notes on the exhale.
Finish:Long lingering finish accompanied with spice, and hints of oak, and a tiny tiny tiny faint appearance of seaweed. Dry.
Score: 82/100

I am not sure where I got the slight hint of seaweed from, but it’s in my mouth for a brief moment, in the very end of the finish, I swish my mouth a little as it’s drying. Overall an interesting dram, dominating honey notes throughout, not exactly complex, but that seaweed note in the end got me thinking.

 

Benrinnes 14 Hart Brothers

Never had anything from Hart Brothers, this would be my first! Matured in ex-Bourbon casks, aged for 14 years.

Region: Speyside

ABV: 46%

E150: No

Chill-filtered: No

Container: Glencairn Neat, rested for 20 minutes with a few drops of distilled

Colour: Gold
Nose:Minty on the nose, honey, but not dominating like the Stronachie 10, some spice, pepper? Fruity pineapples and light floral notes.
Palate:Weird, the very initial expression reminds me of sesame oil, or skunk spray, but not unpleasant, I get that distinctive relation with sesame oil, odd. Tropical fruit, some citrus, and oaky. (Is it the oak that I am relating to the sesame oil??)
Finish: Long finish, more tropical fruit on the exhale, spicy, slight seaweed salt, just like the Stronachie (are they supposed to be salty), pepper.
Score: 83/100