World Whisky Tasting: Ireland 2021, by De Whiskykoning

Posted on 10 September 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Contrary to regular years, in which I visited the shop in Den Bosch regularly for tastings, I now visit the shop semi-regularly to pick up tastings. As in, samples, for later tasting.

I generally get a sample pack of each tasting since it’s a very good way to try new whiskies at a very affordable price. Also, since De Whiskykoning is fiercely independent, and has been for a few decades, he tends to stray off the beaten path and have some stuff in his line-up that I’d otherwise never try. Not always, as you’ll see, but often.

This tasting consists of 6 new Irish whiskies, all released in the last year and a half or so. From big on-brand releases to independent single casks. What you expect from Rob Stevens. Let’s dive in!

The Busker Single Pot Still, Bourbon and Sherry casks, 44.3%

Sniff:
Young and sharp with lots of fresh oak. Very reminiscent of American craft distilleries, in the way the focus is on the sharp wood and the young distillate. Star fruit and a sharp graininess.

Sip:
Dry and sharp again, but it does mellow quickly. Light and grainy, with apple and sharp alcohol notes. Straw too, and that youthy flavor too.

Swallow:
The finish is slightly more rich and full.

With American craft whiskies that ‘harsh’ flavor is something they tend to get over when the product gets a bit older. Here it is present too, and it too is not a very good thing. This stuff is too young and not matured enough (no, that’s not the same thing).

79/100

Kilbeggan Single Pot Still, Limited Release 2019, 43%

Sniff:
Puff pastry with sweet apples, cinnamon and brown sugar. Milky brioche too.

Sip:
Soft, baked apples with brown sugar. Dry oak and pepper. It starts sweet but gets more hearty and dry as time goes by. Some grains too.

Swallow:
The finish is a combination of dry grains, sweet apple and puff pastry.

It’s a lot more mature than the Busker, but it’s still a tad young. And also, it’s a bit simple. There aren’t too many layers to peel back.

81/100

Hinch Single Pot Still, The Time Collection, 43%

Sniff:
Flint and oak on the nose, with grain and apple too. Again, very young, but more rich than the previous two. A bit sweeter (and in my opinion, therefore more Irish too) than the Busker.

Sip:
Sharp and dry with fresh oak and lots of grain. Slightly spirity with apple, lychee and chalk.

Swallow:
The finish suddenly brings a note of copper and iron. Chemical, apple candy, wine gums and a bit of dryness.

This one is very inconsistent between nose, palate and finish. I’m not entirely sure what they were going for with this one, but I’m not overjoyed.

80/100

Writer’s Tears Copper Pot, Florio Marsala Cask, 45%

Sniff:
Initially, lots of wine on the nose and some grain in the background. Fruit, hazelnut praliné, and a whiff of orange.

Sip:
Sweet citrus with oranges. Hazelnut, clove, oak, grain and wine.

Swallow:
The finish is slightly more balanced than the palate, balanced between fruit, grain and oak.

I generally quite like Writer’s Tears. Especially the higher proof ones and that Mizunara cask of a while ago. This one is a bit too sweet for me, though. The wine just lifts it up too much, in the sweeter regions. Still, it’s a more mature or better made products, and that shows.

85/100

Teeling 14, 2005-2020, Brabazon Series 3, 49.5%

Sniff:
Sweet sherry with sweet whisky. Slightly grainy with brown sugar, cinnamon and a hint of molasses.

Sip:
The palate is a bit more dry, with a hint of red chili pepper. Oak, black pepper, peach. Very sweet.

Swallow:
The finish shows even more sherry, and doesn’t feel very well integrated.

Initially I though I’d find this a little bit better than the Writer’s Tears but that layer of not-so-well-integrated sherry on the finish pushes it back a little bit. Again, too sweet for me. It’s an already sweet whisky (nothing wrong with that) but the PX brings more sweetness, and that’s, again, a bit too much.

85/100

The Irishman 17, 2003-2020, Sherry cask 6949, 56%

Sniff:
Scottish in style, with dry hints of straw and grass, grain and oak. Some red fruits too.

Sip:
Dry with oak and straw. Some chili pepper and black pepper, peaches too.

Swallow:
The finish is full and rich, without becoming too sweet. Fruity, with straw and grass, grain and oak again. The sherry brings nice hints of peach.

I guess this is how it is supposed to be done. A much dryer whisky that can stand up to a sweet sherry cask without getting overly cloying. Very, very good stuff indeed!

88/100

So, once more, the younger Irish whisky brands haven’t been able to convince me, while the older ones seem to be going steady in levels of quality and flavor. Especially that last one.

All whiskies are still available at Whiskyslijterij De Koning, just click the images!

Posted in - Irish Whiskey, Busker, Hinch, Kilbeggan, Teeling, Undisclosed, Writer's Tears | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Caol Ila 3, 2018-2021, First Fill Quarter Cask, 52.1% – The Whisky Jury ‘1 Day Old’

Posted on 9 September 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer
Image from Whiskybase

Of course this isn’t really one day old. It’s whisky after all, and the vintage and bottling year are given. It’s more like they wanted to provoke us drinkers to indicate this is a very young whisky and challenge you to try/buy/drink it anyway.

But, it is a Caol Ila that received some good reviews in the past. And I like Caol Ila, generally, so I’m game. Especially if I can buy it by the sample, instead of a full bottle.

Somehow, it reminds me of the ‘Three Year Old Deluxe’ from Compass Box, some years ago.

Sniff:
It’s an all-out assault on my nostrils, and the aromas are far more sharp than I would expect of a 52.1% whisky. Heaps of peat, vanilla and alcohol heat. Pastry cream and a whiff of diesel and old engine grease. A minor note of brine later one.

Sip:
The palate is very similar to the nose, but mellows a bit. A bit hot at first, of course. Diesel, pastry cream, vanilla and a whiff of baking spices. Slightly briny.

Swallow:
The finish brings more coastal salinity than before, with more engine smoke and smoke in general. Not overly long.

Well, what this does is be a very typical and solid Caol Ila. The combination of the pastry cream and diesel smoke is rather typical and something I quite like. I’ve read some other reviews which mentioned more citrus notes and hints of mezcal, but I didn’t find much of that.

So, good, especially since it was very cheap at not even € 50! Of course, it’s long gone, since it was released more than a few weeks ago and was positively received.

87/100

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Highland Park 15, 2003-2018, 1st Fill European Oak Puncheon 1306, 58.1% – OB for the Independent Whisky Bars of Scotland

Posted on 8 September 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Longest. Title. Ever.

Anyway, this sherry’d Highland Park sits in my collection, waiting for a moment to be opened. When at Maltstock in 2018, it was used in a tasting by Jon Beach and Tatsuya Minagawa in their ‘Japan vs Scotland’ tasting. I seem to remember this one winning the round.

Luckily, for a proper review, it was also in last year’s Advent Calendar and I got to sit down for it properly.

Quite contrary to most of these private cask bottlings by Highland Park, the IWBOS (Independent Whisky Bars of Scotland, that is) are keeping their casks reasonably affordable. This one went for £ 90, I believe, while similar bottlings for Dutch cask owners often ended up around € 150. Of course, this is now sold out and selling on the secondary market for € 400…

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Wet hay, fruity sweetness. Almost something farmy. Almonds en cherry stones, plums. Cherries, but also something ashy. A grassy ash, burnt leaves. A heathery dryness. Some beeswax, but also a crisp hint of ‘coastalness’. A whiff of licorice toffee.

Sip:
Surprisingly gentle at first, but there is some bite after a while. The slightly sweet sherry cask keeps that in check. Beeswax, heather, oak. A bit sooty, greasy. The bitterness of the almonds and cherry stones is present here too. Later on, the licorice shows up here too, with some bay leaf.

Swallow:
At first it’s pretty fierce but it mellows quickly. It continues with the licorice notes, and some baking spices. Oak, a hint of smoke, dirt.

As far as first fill sherry casks go, this one isn’t overly sweet and that’s a good thing. It gives more room to other flavors and aromas. Especially towards the finish. I like the complexity, and the addition of the slight sootiness, with the waxy notes too. All in all, it combines Highland Park with a whiff of Clynelish and a touch of Caol Ila. Some of my favorite distilleries.

90/100

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A Tennessee Distillery 13, 2003-2017, 50.7% – The Whisky Agency

Posted on 7 September 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

And now a complete rarity. An undisclosed Tennessee whiskey isn’t too rare, of course, but one bottled by The Whisky Agency, at a decent age, for the Taiwanese market is.

I got a sample of this from Whiskay.com and had to do some digging, since the stated ABV is slightly off (50% stated, but it is 50.7%). Anyway, it’s from a bottling series called ‘APXAΓΓEΛOΣ’, which I have no translation for. Neither does Google Translate, by the way.

I guess there are ways to find out what it all means, but I’m not entirely sure I care enough. Let’s keep it at ‘it’s a bit chaotic’. An American whisky, from a German bottler, with a Greek label for the Taiwanese market. Probably THE most international whisky ever.

Let’s just dive in, because there’s not much else to tell.

Image from Whiskay

Sniff:
Quite an impressive bourbon (tasted blind, so we’re going with bourbon for that) without being overly rich. Dry with corn husks, some grainy and grassy notes too. Brown sugar and spices too.

Sip:
A bit of bite, not too much. There’s oak and golden syrup and spices. A bit of corns husk, grass and woody spices. I suck at identifying spices, but they weren’t the obvious baking spices, there was more too it.

Swallow:
The finish gets a little bit more dry, wiht more oak. It’s not overly long with the molasses and spices again. Brown sugar too.

Interestingly, it’s not rummy even though it has hints of molasses and golden syrup. Even the corn husks could be found in rum, and this is completely different. The spices really add a massive layer of depth and while there’s definitely oak, it’s not overpowering.

It’s like a solid bourbon, but done without the bitterness you normally get from an older one.

89/100

Now, on the hunt for a bottle…

Whiskay.com has samples available

Posted in - American Whiskey, Undisclosed | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Fettercairn 18, 1990-2009, Oloroso Quartercask 2902, 50%

Posted on 6 September 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

I haven’t reviewed many Fettercairn on this blog, and it’s fair to say I haven’t tried many more either. It’s one of those distilleries that used to have a bit of a shitty reputation with their whisky being too funky, too rich and not showing enough depth.

It seems, however, that they’ve been remedying that consensus over the last couple of years, although I’ve not tried many more since that has started to happen. It just never crossed my path, or didn’t catch my fancy when getting bottles for tastings and shares and such.

A while ago, though, I got a sample from whisky friend TT that just said ‘guess’ on it. It took me a while to get around to it, and after tasting it, and then asking what it was, and TT thinking long and hard because he forgot as well, it turned out to be this one. It’s been verified by tasting it again.

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
The nose starts subtle with a light whiff of orchard fruits, on top of heavier, and slightly funky, notes of candied orange and pastry. White grapes, green apples and some fresh barley too. Some grass, wildflowers, and a minor note of vanilla. Some baking spices too. A bit like raisinbread without the raisins.

Sip:
The palate continues down the same lines, but brings some astrigency. Some slate, hessian and straw, but still the green apples. The grapes turn into the slight bitter note of their seeds. A bit of syrupy vanilla, with a floral note too. Orange pulp and pith, oak and barley.

Swallow:
The finish brings a surprising note of acidity, not unlike white wine, but not the lightness. Although, it must be oak aged white wine at that. Apples, grapes, flowers and, once again surprising, a note of charcoal en graphite. The bitter note of the palate turns into grapefruit instead of orange.

It’s a highly complex and interesting dram, and the sherry influence, while present, isn’t too overpowering. Quite different than I’d expect from a quartercask.

I can’t really tell which kind of oak was used because there’s notes of American oak in the grapes, apples and vanilla. It could also be European oak based on the spices and hessian.

Anyway, good whisky, although ‘they’ seem to be a bit more enthusiastic about it than I am.

88/100

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Ben Nevis 24, 1996-2021, Hogshead 1408, 45.6% – Wu Dram Clan

Posted on 4 September 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

It took some doing and the sample that Wu Dram Clan sent me has now seen more of Europe than I have in the last decade, but eventually it arrived home.

Of course, it was a rather highly anticipated whisky, since it’s a Wu Dram Clan bottling, and it’s a Ben Nevis from 1996! This must be the top scoring vintage for the distillery, much like 1981 is for Lochside, 1972 was for Caperdonich, and if I would think a bit longer and a bit harder, I’d be able to come up with some others too.

Image from Whiskybase

Anyway, Ben Nevis Distillery, at the foot of the mountain of the same name, in Fort William. A distillery I have driven past on several occassions, but have never visited. I would love to, but having to sit through ‘Hector the Giant’, or having no time to do so held me back.

Anyway, a highly anticipated whisky, initially available for € 260, but currently going for at least € 600. It’s been a week since it’s release, after all. Prices are bound to go up if you wait long enough…

Sniff:
The initial wave of citrus is unmistakable. Quite some orange, but heaps of lemons follow that. Some coriander seeds for a bit of spiciness. Somehow, it reminds me of rye whisky, with the citrus and spice combination, but much more gentle and a bit more rich too. A whiff of mint, gentle oak and fresh barley. After half an hour it gets a bit more foresty with ferns and moss.

Sip:
It’s gentle on the arrival, with orange and lemon leading the way again. Fresh grain, freshly cut oak and spices. Even though spices are important (and I’m very bad at indicating which is which) it’s not a harsh whisky at any point. The palate has some vanilla and other orchard fruits (apples and pears), but mostly lemon.

Swallow:
The finish focuses on fresh lemons and a bit of lemon balm more than the palate did. It’s more in line with the nose. Some notes of vanilla and pastry too, with the spices coming back after a couple of seconds. That rye whisky like thing again.

This, dear reader, is an absolute stunner of a dram. I might be a bit more inclined to love this since I love rye whisky, and happen to love most lemon-flavored things too. But, in short, this whisky shows what great Ben Nevis should be like and it shows why the distillery is so popular nowadays. An absolute belter, flavorwise.

92/100

Thanks to Wu Dram Clan for the sample. I should have bought the bottle…

Posted in Ben Nevis | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Redbreast 12, 40% – OB from Bow Street Distillery

Posted on 2 September 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

In 1971 Bow Street distillery stopped producing. Redbreast didn’t disappear forever, of course. It just stopped being produces for a while. In the mid-90s the brand was relaunched with production of the whiskey happening at Midleton Distillery in County Cork.

So, that means this is quite some old liquid, with it being made in a distillery that hasn’t been producing since ten years before I was born. Rare stuff indeed!

Image from Whiskybase

Now, normal Redbreast is a fine product with their more luxurious versions often being very good whiskey. Let’s find out what they were about, some 40-50 years ago.

Sniff:
Lots of dusty barley, paper and hessian, some stale beer and old oak planks. Sawdust too, but all quite gentle.

Sip:
The palate is a lot more intense than I expected, with a lot more grain, oak and dryness. It takes a while before the typical Irish whiskey sweetness kicks in. Then there’s fruit, some wood spices, wine gums too.

Swallow:
After a swallow the wine gums and the grain linger, with a nice spicy tingle.

With this being bottled at only 40%, it is a lot more intense than I expected. Not harsh, but it does have more impact. I guess old-fashioned distilling techniques make themselves known here.

It’s interesting to see it display some of the more typical Irish Whiskey qualities in being rather grainy and wine gum like, although it’s never too sweet.

88/100

Thanks to MaltMartin for the sample!

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Four Roses Single Barrel 4-1V, 50%

Posted on 1 September 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

These Single Barrels are always a bit of a lucky shot. As in, Four Roses uses ten different recipes for their bourbons, and I’m not sure if these single barrels are always from a subset or use all ten at semi-random.

What’s also extra confusing is that the ‘single barrel’ is the readily available one, and the ‘small batch barrel strength’ is the one that’s the really rare one. I know of one shop making the mistake at some point, about a decade ago, that sold the SBBS (normally some € 200) for the Single Barrel price of € 35.

Image from Whiskybase

A friend of mine bought the entire stock and then sold one on to me. I was quite happy, as you might imagine.

Anyway, I tried this one a while ago, from a sample I got from MaltMartin, who also added this bottle to Whiskybase. Let’s give it a spin!

Sniff:
It’s rather sweet with a whiff of tobacco. Some dried fruits, corn and lots of oak. Baking spices, apricots, peaches, vanilla pipe tobacco.

Sip:
The palate is a bit of a two way street with sweetness and dry oak. It’s a bit chili peppery, with cinnamon, tropical fruits and a bit tobacco.

Swallow:
The finish is a little bit sharp with hints of chili pepper. Apart from that there’s the same sweetness as on the palate, very oak driven with hints of caramel popcorn.

It’s been ages since I had any of these single barrels, other than this one. If this is the average level of quality they come at, it should be a no-brainer when a new release comes out. It’s a very solid bourbon and although it might not change the world, it sure is one of the best one available at this price point. Highly recommended!

86/100

Posted in - American Whiskey, - Bourbon, Four Roses | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Kilkerran 8, Cask Strength Batch 4, Re-charred Oloroso casks, 57.1%

Posted on 31 August 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Anything that comes from one of the Springbank brands is going to be popular. When it turns out to be a sherry cask matured something, at cask strength, it’s never going to be on a shelf in a shop until the shops starts increasing the price.

The same happened with this one. It’s now available for € 130 but it used to cost around half of that, if memory serves.

Image from Whiskybase

With me sounding quite cynical in the first paragraph, I should state that I’m also one of these guys that perks up when Springbank releases something new. Unfortunately, nowadays it means one of three things, generally:

  • It’s either sold out by the time I read my email
  • It’s available only in the UK or at Springbank Distillery (which is the same thing)
  • It’s so expensive I won’t even consider getting it for a bottle share.

Of course, who’s to blame there. I understand distilleries taking the easy route. If you don’t have to move stuff abroad to sell it, why do the more work-intensive thing?

If you can ask the world and people are willing to shell out, why would you not make money?

As long as we buy into everything, we’re as much to blame as anyone else.

Aaaaanyway, enough ranting about something that’s barely relevant to this bottle anyway. Sherry matured Kilkerran, at cask strength. What’s not to like?

Sniff:
Very dry and rich, with a lot of that typical ‘Campbeltown (read: Springbank)’ mustiness. Lots of old, dried fruits, with some bitter notes like apple seeds and sour cherry too.

Sip:
The palate is very dry and reasonably sharp. It gets even drier after a few seconds and focuses on the fruity bitterness. Dark cherries, apple seeds, almonds even. Some sulfur, but not in a bad way. Insanely dry.

Swallow:
The finish has a bit of an afterburner, with a lot of heat from the alcohol that lingers. After that, there’s oak, prunes and their stones. Dark cherries too.

Typical for the distillery, but not overly complex and it could have done with a bit more of a gentle touch. It’s a bit harsh over all, with the alcohol and the dryness making it a bit less gentle than I’d like. Still quite a solid dram and one that is unsurprisingly popular.

I’d happily have gone through a bottle of this, but I don’t regret not buying it, is what I’m trying to say.

86/100

Available through links found here.

Posted in Glengyle, Kilkerran, Springbank | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Port Charlotte 14, 2004-2019, 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead, 53.4% – Dramfool for Feis Ile 2019

Posted on 30 August 2021 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Peat and sherry always works. Almost always at least. And when a dram get vetted for use in Fiddler’s Advent Calendar, you know you’re in for a treat.

Image from Whiskybase

A sample bottle this dark with a lovely whiff of briny smoke coming off it is a great way to close out the night, which is exactly what JP and I did some months ago.

Sniff:
Sulphur, shoe polish, graphite, heavy sherry, barbecue smoke, burnt grease. Roasted grain, like a dry stout. Some red fruits.

Sip:
The palate has some sharpness, but nothing out of the ordinary. A bit of chili pepper, and shoe polish, and leather. Pencil shavings, some sulphur, matches, but also cherry and blackberry. Sunseed oil, bacon.

Swallow:
The finish is surprisingly hot, with red fruits, grilled peaches, spicy sherry. Far less sulphur, more oak. Smoke, greasy barbecues. Strangely, some menthol near the end.

Yes, there are hints of sulphur, and the whisky is better for it. I understand some people’s disdain for it, but sulphur comes in many guises, and this is a good one. It’s the hellfire and brimstone kind, instead of the boiled vegetables kind.

It’s a rich whisky, with many flavors and layers. There definite influence from the smoke, from the distillery’s location, from the cask. And it all works very, very well.

90/100

Posted in Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment