Benromach Contrasts, 10yo Air Dried vs 10yo Kiln Dried, 46%

Posted on 8 January 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Benromach tries to highlight some aspects of whisky making with their Contrasts series. In the past there have been variants between peated and unpeated malt, organic and non-organic barleys, and different strains of barley. Now, they wanted to highlight the difference between kiln dried oak and air dried oak that is used for the casks to mature the whisky in.

Being the whisky geek, I am very enthusiastic about things like this. Tasting whiskies is all nice, and I love that too, but trying to get the hang of what every little detail during the making of whisky does to the final product is something I think is really awesome. So, of course, I bought the pair of bottles when they came out, did a share with them and had the rest to myself.

Over the weekend I emptied both bottles and wrote tasting notes, so here we go!

Image from Whiskybase
Image from Whiskybase

Benromach Contrasts 10, 2012-2023, Air Dried Virgin Oak Barrel, 46%

Sniff:
A clear aroma of oak, in a rainy forest. Lots of leaves, branches. Fairly green but well balanced. A rather rich nose with hessian, ripe fruit with a whiff of smoke.

Sip:
The palate has some bite, a heavy flavor of mulch, forest floor, lots of fresh oak. Straw, hay, peat. Very Benromach, but very wood forward.

Swallow:
A dry finish, again lots of wood. Straw, hay, mulch, oak, twigs and branches. Very foresty, very ‘rainy’.

Benromach Contrasts 10, 2012-2023, Kiln Dried Virgin Oak Barrel, 46%

Sniff:
This, somehow, is more modern. Still woody, but less natural. Cleaner, with a simpler approach of oak. More room for barley and there’s a hint of copper.

Sip:
Quite punchy. Oak, pepper, straw, barley. Again, it has quite a different feel to it than the air dried one. It mellows rather late, but the hint of copper, pepper and some smoke linger. Almost Talisker-like.

Swallow:
The finish is rather lovely. Still wood forward with a modern, less engineered, less forced flavor. The pepper is gone, but the copper and barley are stronger

So, I think there is a clear difference between these two whiskies. I also have a clear preference for the air dried one. The kiln dried tastes a lot more modern, which is not a bad thing necessarily, but I prefer the slightly more rustic air dried casks.

The modernity shows itself in the slightly more harsh notes of oak, it feels a bit more forced upon the whisky than the air dried oak. The air dried oak comes across as more ‘mature’ and more gentle, in an old fashioned way.

It’s a very interesting thing to put these together and I really commend Benromach for doing this. I understand that air drying is far less efficient, but I would absolutely not mind distilleries taking this approach more often.

Air Dried: 87/100
Kiln Dried: 85/100

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Burnside 24, 1997-2021, Hogshead 6542, 54.1% – Archives

Posted on 4 January 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Another undisclosed Balvenie that is tea-spooned. A few years ago there were a lot of them, but this specific one was bottled for the Taiwanese market. By Archives / Whiskybase, with a bird from the orient on the label.

Genereally, I tend to like these Burnsides and (a few years ago at least) they were far more affordable than the Balvenies without a drop of Glenfiddich or Kininvie in there. This one used to go for € 175, but I expect it to do more in recent times.

I got a sample from Tom ‘MadMaster’ who came by to pick up a boatload of samples last week. The plan was to have this together, but my wife’s migraine ended that plan, unfortunately. At least I got to try it! Blind, I might add. The wee sample bottle only had the Whiskybase number on it, and I decided to try it before I looked at it.

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
The nose starts with liquid apple pie. There’s baked apples, some cinnamon, and quite a bit of vanilla. It starts rather gently, and after a minute or so it loses a bit of its fruitiness and turns more towards hessian and hay, and steeped barley.

Sip:
The palate arrives gently, but does build up to some peppery heat after a few seconds. The vanilla sweetness and dry notes battle for attention. They seem to end up in a draw. There’s that note of pie crust again, with some sweet baked apple. A dry note of apple seeds, sawdust, and straw.

Swallow:
The finish seems to give preference to the dryness with the vanilla, pastry sweetness taking a back seat. Sawdust, a bit of a rubbery or whale skin texture. Quite long.

Throughout it all there’s a little bit of honey sweetness, but not so much that it becomes a ‘too sweet’ dram. I should have been able to guess it was a Balvenie, but I didn’t really guess at all, or send my mind in that direction. It’s a bit middle-of-the-road Speyside and bourbon cask. So a lot of apple pie and vanilla. If we have to say something less positive (a big if in this case) it’s that it doesn’t really stand out from similar casks. Then again, if something works, why change the approach?

89/100

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Secret Islay 14, 2008-2023, Refill Sherry Hogshead 13C, 54.4% – Whisky Nerds

Posted on 3 January 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

With the C and the I highlighted on the label, the guessing to which distillery this is, is brought back to a minimum.

Also, with things being what they are in Islay whisky’s popularity, there aren’t that many options left if you know this one sets you back some € 130.

Anyway, Bram and Floris released one last cask towards the end of 2023, and it’s this one. My sample came in just before Christmas and on a quiet afternoon last week, I sat down to try it and make the holidays ever so slightly more bearable.

Sherried Caol Ila is something the WhiskyNerds have mixed success with, since their earliest release from a 1990 distillate is still for sale, more than four years since its release. The quality is there, but the price was a bit over-represented in most whisky fanatics’ minds.

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
For a Caol Ila it seems to be quite low on the peaty scents. There’s a sherry note that translates more to almond flour and cherry stones than dried fruit. After a little air has been allowed it turns slightly yeasty, with hints of fermenting fruit and washbacks. Quite a bit of oak too.

Sip:
The palate packs quite a punch, even though this isn’t my first dram of the day. Some dried fruits but more almonds flour and cherry stones for some bitterness. There definitely is some smoke and engine grease on the palate, but not as much as you’d expect from Caol Ila.

Swallow:
The finish mellows quickly and leaves your mouth watering and dry (or is that the same thing?). The finish is of medium lengths and leaves the same flavors as there were before, but without the heat and it’s less dry too.

This is a solid dram! The sherry cask is clearly represented, but is very well integrated in the spirit. It diminishes the peated character of the spirit a little bit, but leaves more than enough room for the engine grease and diesel notes that I have come to expect from a well chosen Caol Ila.

I’m off to find people to share samples with so I can justify getting my hands on a bottle!

88/100

Available at the regular outlets for WhiskyNerds bottlings: Van Zuylen, Zonneveld, Whiskysite, The Old Pipe, and WhiskyKoning.

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Ben Nevis 22, 1996-2019, Refill Sherry Cask 980, 55% – Adelphi

Posted on 2 January 2024 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Such great memories. Ben Nevis from the mid-nineties that was sort of affordable. And by sort of affordable I mean it still set you back north of € 200, but at least it was just shy of € 500, which seems to be the trend now.

Anyway, apart from starting the year with a complaint about things, I remember this whisky fondly. I emptied my bottle around Christmas, when I also wrote the review. I got it a couple of years ago from The Old Pipe, which is a shop I’ve not been to for ages. A shame, really.

Ben Nevis from 1996 is known for its massive fruity notes of lovely citrus and green apples. Sometimes accompanied by some funky things that seem to come and go with this distillery. Let’s see where this one ends up!

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
A very light fruitiness and a lot of focus on barley and straw. Surprisingly so, for a 1996 Ben Nevis! Apples, star fruit and lychees. Slightly dusty too, maybe even a hint of chalk. With some time it becomes slightly more rich and more sweet.

Sip:
The palate packs a punch and the dustiness changes to white pepper. There still is some light fruitiness with the same notes as before. A bit of grape seed bitterness on top it. Still quite focused on straw and barley.

Swallow:
The finish is suddenly a lot more fruity. A lot more typical for the distillery and vintage. It still is dry and dusty, quite fierce, but a lot more fruity. Apples, lychees, star fruit. The light green things, so to say.

So yes, those fruity notes are present, but not as much as I’ve come to expect from other, similar bottlings. This one is far more barley driven, which is not overly surprising, but still atypical for this vintage from the distillery. In the end it makes for a really, really good whisky that probably scores a little bit lower than it should based on the fact that it is unfavorably compared to similar vintages from the same distillery. I really enjoyed my bottle, and if it was still available, I could be tempted to get myself another one.

88/100

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Sagamore Spirit Rye, Cask Strength, Batch 11AB, 56.1%

Posted on 29 December 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Based on some really enthusiastic reviews by Bourbon Junkies, I wanted to get my hands on whiskies from Sagamore Spirit in Baltimore, Maryland. Of course, with American whisky imports being what they are in The Netherlands I had to look across the border and found some in Luxemburg. I got one, used in a tasting and then the group decided to order the rest of the stock there, at the time.

Image from Whiskybase

It ended up with me walking through Alkmaar with a backpack full of bottles of Sagamore whisky. Good times, although back then my spine might have disagreed.

Anyway, yesterday I cleaned my home office and moved all bottles around looking for ones that are almost empty. This one fit that category and I decided to empty it yesterday evening. A good evening, with the following review as a result:

Sniff:
Slightly dry and forward on the wood spices and tree bark. There’s a hint of orange and pumpkin seeds. Dark, crusty bread, oak. It’s a classical rye whisky, but it’s done very well. Cinnamon after a little while.

Sip:
The palate packs a bit of a punch, but not as much as you’d expect for 56%. Some chili heat, some other dry spices too. Wood spices like cinnamon, black pepper. Roasted pumpkin seeds, tree bark. Lots of dry, mulchy wood.

Swallow:
The finish brings a bit more heat, and adds more dryness. Very classical for rye whiskies, but as said on the nose, done extremely well. The combination of the incredibly dryness, spices, and a hint of orange and dark bread works for me. It always does.

I am a sucker for rye whiskies, so they tend to do well with me. This one is no exception and the combination of a very dry whisky with lots of flavors to be found really works for me. With this clocking in under € 100 including shipping from Luxemburg makes this a really solid scoring whisky, and one that just might end up on my shelf again!

89/100

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Aultmore 9, 2013-2023, Madeira Wine Octave, 50% – Glaschu Spirits Co.

Posted on 27 December 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

There’s a second batch (I think it’s the second) of Glaschu whiskies being released. I know of two bottlings, of which one isn’t on Whiskybase yet. The other is this Aultmore from a Madeira cask finish.

Image from Whiskybase

To me, Aultmore is a fairly brash Speyside whisky with lots of big flavors. Not a subtle dram, so to say. I expect the Madeira cask to only add to that, since that is also a rather big flavored wine. Let’s find out what Glaschu did with this!

Sniff:
For a nine year old there is quite some oak. A little bit of heavy funkiness does justice to the distillery. Some nuttiness, and a hint of mango.

Sip:
The palate is, again, quite sharp. A lot of oak, hazelnuts, slightly tannic with white peppery heat. The heat doesn’t dissipate.

Swallow:
The finish has a lingering heat, in a very nice way. After a minute or so there’s a bit of tropical fruit coming through. During the entire finish there’s a nuttiness that works well.

If you would have just said Madeira and Aultmore, this is more or less what I would have expected. I think that’s a good thing, because it will probably not leave anyone disappointed and, in itself, it’s also a fine dram! The big flavors work really well together and there’s not one thing that’s vying for first place. Very enjoyable indeed!

86/100

Available in The Netherlands for € 95 and in the UK for £ 79

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Caol Ila 14, 2008-2022, Bourbon Barrel 304738, 52.4% – Wu Dram Clan

Posted on 24 December 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Another Wu Dram Clan bottling, but this time from my own supply. I believe this one was a festival bottling for a festival somewhere in Germany (Munchen?). I was able to get my hands on a bottle and did a bit of a share with it (obviously). The rest was destined to end up in yours truly.

Image from Whiskybase

Yesterday, in the run up to Christmas, I finished my bottle with a sizeable dram, which means I can bring another one down from the whisky room / game storage / home office / den / whatchamacallit.

Sniff:
This is a rather gentle cask strength Caol Ila. There’s some punch, of course, but the peat has mellowed over the years of maturation, and gives room to so some pastry cream, and some milky and coastal notes. Some barley, a bit of grease, heater and sea weed.

Sip:
The palate continues down the same line, but is slightly more heavy in regards to flavor. Some diesel, some engine oil. After a little while there’s a hint of white pepper and peat. Dry sawdust, some chalk and basalt. Rather coastal indeed.

Swallow:
The finish does bring some heat, as much as you’d expect from this ABV. It’s rather long with hints of white oak, sawdust, white pepper, peaty smoke and some heather. Less coastal than the palate was, but still rather typical for the distillery.

In a way it’s all over the place with several different styles of Caol Ila passing by. With this being only 14 years old, it punches quite a bit over it’s weight, tasting far older than that. My bottle being almost empty might help with it mellowing out, but this is some quality whisky!

89/100

Still available in Germany for € 159

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Ruadh Maor 12, Bottled in 2023, 1st Bourbon Hogshead Finish, 56.4% – Dràm Mòr

Posted on 20 December 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Another name that is not a distillery. This time it’s Glenturret’s brand of peated single malts that are not released under their own name. It’s not something that Kenny and Viktorija came up with, some 30 other bottlers use the same name.

I like the simple fact that even though they are not using the distillery’s name, you can quite simply know what distillery it’s from. It would be very unpractical if everybody would just make stuff up. Now it’s only the first bottler to come up with it that does…

Image from Whiskybase

This specific one is from the latest releases from Dràm Mòr that were released this autumn. It took a while before the samples got to me after being shipped from Scotland, but in the end, I got them and for a change, things aren’t sold out already!

Sniff:
Thick, greasy smoke. Soot, barley, scones with clotted cream. Vanilla and creamy caramel too.

Sip:
The palate starts gentle, but builds gradually to something quite fierce. The alcohol bite, with a metallic hint. Copper, oak, earthy peat and a hint of heather.

Swallow:
The finish has a bit of acidity. It’s not too long but the peat (more so than smoke) lingers nicely.

This one holds a really nice balance between cask influence, smoke and spirit. It’s quite well balanced and very enjoyable. The greasy notes on the nose make for an interesting experience, since you don’t often get that outside of Islay drams, but those are coastal and this one is not. Good stuff!

87/100

Available in The Netherlands from Best of Whiskies, for € 111

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Journeyman ‘Featherbone’ 4, 2018-2022, FB-18-0223, 45% – OB for The Barrel Baron

Posted on 19 December 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

So, I got this whisky in a weird way. The Barrel Baron is a Dutch bottler and I applaud more limited edition Bourbon being available in The Netherland. It was made available through a web shop after all pre-sales had been handled. I managed to snag one, but for some reason things went a bit strange.

Initially, as far as I remember, and keep in mind that it might just be my limited research and investigation being the culprit here, the website didn’t state the size of the bottle. Getting a 50cl one when expecting 70cl is a bit of a bummer, from a ‘price per liter’ point of view.

Also, I noticed only after ordering that I didn’t check correctly, but the main ABV mentioned was 52.5% or something. Apparently that was the cask filling strength or something, because the bottling itself is at 45%, and while it was there, you had to look for it.

So, with it not being the bourbon that I expected it to be, I tried cancelling the order but didn’t hear back from the shop in ages. Then, after several weeks the bottle suddenly just showed up. Not entirely un-understandable, but annoying nonetheless.

Hopefully the booze is good, right?

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Fresh oak, cigars and a bit of glue. There’s a slightly roasty sweetness behind it. Not exactly popcorn, but something similar. Interestingly, it is quite light on the nose. A very clean distillate.

Sip:
The palate packs more of a punch than I expected at 45%. There’s quite some peppery heat happening, as well as dry oak and a note of tobacco. Some corn, popcorn indeed. Tree bark, acorns, some maple syrup too.

Swallow:
The finish is long and continues with the combination of popcorn, oak and pepper. It’s quite dry, not entirely surprising. A hint of almond and maple syrup close it out.

While all the flavors seem to be there, I just can’t shake the feeling that this is a rather boring Bourbon. It’s not bad, although I could have done without the glue note on the nose. It just doesn’t seem to be a dram I’ll remember in a week’s time. It’s slightly thin, and due to the peppery note on the palate a bit too hot for said thin-ness.

81/100

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GlenDronach 17, 1995-2013, PX Sherry Puncheon, 56.6% – OB for The Whisky Exchange

Posted on 18 December 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Ah, remember those days when ordering from the UK was affordable? When whisky coming from across the North Sea didn’t cost another 60-ish Euros in taxes and fees?

Back in those days I ordered this GlenDronach. The distillery was all the hype when they started releasing amazing single casks going all the way back to the 1970s. I managed to get and go through a couple of them and this was the last one in my collection. I opened it some time ago, I think it was for a tasting. Yesterday afternoon, I finished it with a massive dram from the bottle.

Anyway, The Whisky Exchange’s bottling. Let’s dive in!

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Full on old-fashioned GlenDronach. There is a LOT of sherry on this one. Massive notes of dried fruits. Raisins, plums, apricots. Date paste and milkshake, and oak behind all that. Notes of cinnamon and almond start popping up later.

Sip:
The palate packs a surprisingly dry punch. I know I say that a lot, but there was no heat on the nose and there is quite some on the palate. Generally those things match. As said, it’s dry. Notes of almond flour and the crust of pound cake. Dried fruits, with a bitter touch of fruit stones. Dates, plums, raisins, almonds, cherry stones.

Swallow:
The finish lingers with bitter notes, almonds, cherry stones, dates. There’s more oak than there was on the palate. Sawdust, roasted breadcrumbs.

Very old fashioned GlenDronach that I’ve not had for quite some years now. Great to have a couple of sips left, and I think this one tastes a bit older than its 17 years. Mostly because there is so much cask influence, even though there’s not too much oak. Great stuff, of which there isn’t enough affordable and available stuff nowadays.

90/100

I have no idea how much it set me back in those days, but I’m sure it was far less than the € 380 it’s going for now!

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