August 2017 - whiskytanuki

Victoria Caledonian Macaloney TWA Cask Blended Malt (Speyside Blend, Highland Blend, Islay Blend)

August 11, 2017October 17, 2017 whiskytanuki Leave a comment

Victoria Caledonian Macaloney TWA Casks Blended Malt Reviews

Thanks to Victoria Caledonian for hosting the event for the Toronto Whisky Society.

Macaloney TWA Cask – Speyside (Benrinnes & Glenlossie)

Region: Speyside
ABV: 56.5%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type: Unknown blend of casks from both distilleries, then vetted into ex-Kentucky cask for final maturation.

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: Candy, melon, honey, floral, malt

Palate: Lush, sweet malt, honey, butter, melon, wax

Finish: Long finish, pepper, mineral water, vanilla, oak.

Score: 78/100

Macaloney TWA Cask – Highland (Blair Athol & Macduff)

Region: Highland
ABV: 57.5%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type: Unknown blend of casks from both distilleries, then vetted into ex-Kentucky cask for final maturation.

Colour: Pale Gold

Nose: Coal, acetone, butter, vanilla, honey, dusty, pear

Palate: Melon, heather, mineral, oak, cereal, red fruits, wood

Finish: Medium finish, sweet malt, faint smoke, mineral

Score: 79/100

Macaloney TWA Cask – Islay (Caol Ila & Bunnahabhain)

Region: Islay
ABV: 56.7%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type: Unknown blend of casks from both distilleries, then vetted into ex-Kentucky cask for final maturation.

Colour: Pale straw

Nose: Creamy corn, ash, peat, cherry syrup, floral, butter

Palate: Ash, butter, citrus, tar, apple, caramel

Finish: Long finish, oily, ashy peat, orange peel

Score: 80/100

Very glad to see another Canadian distillery, especially when they are selling blended cask strength scotch before their own whisky finishes maturing. Big respect on not selling barely-legal whisky to the market and charging “craft whisky” pricing. No further notes taken during the event.

Macallan 12 Double Cask 40%

August 11, 2017October 17, 2017 whiskytanuki Leave a comment

Macallan 12 Double Cask 40%

Region: Speyside
ABV: 40%
E150: Yes
Chill-filtered: Yes
Cask Type: ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry.

Colour: Gold

Nose: Rich stewed red fruits, raisin, plum, bosc pear, icing sugar, soft oak, touch of mineral and wax.

Palate: Syrup, red grape, honey, malt, sugar, oak, cereal, pepper, baking spice.

Finish: Medium+ finish, ginger, pepper, caramel.

Score: 81/100

I went into this dram with very low expectation, since recent years we’ve been drowned with crappy NAS expression that I didn’t even bother writing up the review, despite trying everything from the Amber to Rare Cask. Here in America-Lite (Canada), we get the 40% expression instead of the 43% of our neighboring country.

Anyway, the 12 Year Double Cask performed surprisingly well. As I’ve been drinking mostly cask strength releases lately, and slowly tightening my scoring after trying more higher-end drams than I have previously. I expect this to be another watery release that I’ve come to expect from a 40%.

The nose is sherry dominant, fairly rich, full of stewed fruits, raisins notes that you expect from a sherry influenced whisky, with a touch of bourbon cask influence. Promising so far. The palate is also a big surprise, syrupy, the bourbon cask is showing more of its strength here, leading up to a spicy finish.

This is by no means very complex, but overall as a package is rather satisfying, crowd pleasing dram.

Tullibardine 20

August 11, 2017October 17, 2017 whiskytanuki Leave a comment

Tullibardine 20

Region: Highland
ABV: 43%
E150: Yes
Chill-filtered: Yes
Cask Type: First-fill bourbon

Colour: Light Gold

Nose: Honey, melon, orange, peach, marzipan, sweet cereal, vanilla, ginger.

Palate: Honey, pepper, malt, bitter oak, herbal, orange peel, dark chocolate, melon.

Finish: Medium+ finish, pepper, oak, mineral.

Score: 78/100

Overall, the Tullibardine 20 year old is a rather simple whisky. Very classic bourbon cask influence, personally I think the 43% ABV is a bit too watered-down, would hope to see this expression at cask strength. Especially the given price here in Ontario, Canada from the LCBO, which cost a whopping $300CAD (~$235USD), which is insanity for something that cost 1/3 of the price over in Europe. As usual pricing does not affect my scoring.