The Winter Queen, 9yo, 52.7% – Fusion Whisky

Posted on 20 March 2018 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

The blending of whiskies from different countries is nothing new. Ages ago this was done with American and Irish whiskeys, and in more recent years Bruichladdich mixed their product with some Irish whiskey as well.

Now, under the flag of Fusion Whisky there is a batch of new ones. The Glover was the first, mixing Scotch and Japanese whisky. Next was The E&K was a mix of Indian and Scotch, and now two new ones are out.

The Winter Queen is a mix of Dutch and Scotch whisky, and the Brisbane (not unexpectedly) mixes Australian and Scotch whiskey.

What I don’t really get is ‘Fusion Whisky’ pushing their name in all press releases, while the box shouts ‘By Adelphi’ on the front. Anyway, the font size on the front label and positioning of that label is a dead giveaway too. It’s an Adelphi product. Adelphi generally releases cracking booze, so expectations are high.

The Winter Queen (more on the name of it here) is a mix of Glenrothes, Longmorn and Zuidam whiskies. My expectations were that this whisky is a fruity sherried take on the high spiciness of Zuidam.

2018-03-20 07.21.422018-03-20 07.21.29Sniff:

The nose makes good on that promise. Insanely spicy and almost rye whiskey like, which certainly comes from the Zuidam part. Then there’s sweet, fruity sherry with a lot of oak. I guess the sweetness and fruit scents are from the Speysiders. Apricot, peach and cherry stones.

Sip:
The palate is relatively sharp with a lot of oak, and again a lot of spiciness. And with a lot, I mean a lot. Quite some fruit too. The rye-like Zuidam influence with the apricot and peach works wonders. Rather bitter with almond and cherry stone.

Swallow:
The finish continues down the same road, but adds more flavors of ground tree bark, crusty bread, fruit and barley.

Well, this is a cracker. I certainly love what they’ve done with the mix of the whiskies. It’s like the fruit and spice really builds on each other and elevates both flavors to a new level of intensity.

Apart from this being a gorgeous whisky (I love rye whiskey, which helps), I really like that Adelphi, whoops, Fusion Whisky, is experimenting with the blending of whiskies from different countries. It opens up a whole lot of new possibilities. Also, now I want to try the other ones too.

It’s still regularly available for about 140/145 euros.

90/100

The Winter Queen, 9 years old, Sherry and Bourbon cask, 52.7%, Fusion Whisky

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Old Pulteney 10, 1990-2001, 57.8% – Hart Brothers

Posted on 16 March 2018 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Halfway through January I went to De Whiskykoning’s Bottoms Up tasting. He put out all open bottles that got too low to use in a tasting and we were allowed to randomly pick a number of drams for tasting. I guess there were about 250 options available to us, so we were spoilt for choice.

Near the end of the tasting I spotted this Old Pulteney from 1990. A fairly magical year for the distillery, since a lot of the ‘whisky of the year’ thingies Pulteney Distillery has won was for either 1989 and 1990 distillates.

I asked whether I could take the tail end of the bottle with me in trade for a yet-to-be-decided-upon sample, and that was okay. Yesterday I decided it was time for this one to be emptied properly.

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Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
Marram grass and salty coastal notes. Some vanilla and American oak, even slightly floral and dry. Sand, pastry cream and straw.

Sip:
The palate is sharp (it was my first dram of the evening, so that didn’t help) and dry. Straw, marram grass, vanilla. Oak and some fresh yellow fruit (apple, pineapple). Quite sweet and salty.

Swallow:
The finish is quite full, like the palate, with lots of coastal notes and fruit. Pineapple, apple, salt, sand, grass, windy beaches. Very lightly earthy and some more oak than before.

Well, this is a real Old Pulteney, and I can see where the 20+ year old editions come from. Those are slightly less crisp and a bit more oaky, but in general they are in the same vein.

A very solid whisy, this. To think this stuff used to cost about 30 guilders when it came out (about 14 euros) is hard to imagine. Note to self: if I ever see Old Pulteney from this vintage in an auction and I have some money to spend… It’s very good stuff, this.

88/100

Old Pulteney 10, 1990-2001, 57.8%, Hart Brothers

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Family Silver 1972-2017, 44yo, 41% – Cooper’s Choice

Posted on 14 March 2018 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

When this one popped up last year, I instantly bought it. A bit of an impulse buy that I try to stay away from, but in this case it all turned out well. Especially after tasting it.

The blend is a small batch blend consisting of only three distilleries: Invergordon and Garnheath make up the grain part, while Lochside was used for the single malt.

So, in a way, you’re drinking 1972 Lochside.

Also, this bottle comes with a cask reference (VM1972BSW), which indicates to me that this was matured in a single cask for a longer period of time than just some marriage happening before bottling.

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Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
The nose is crisp with lots of fruit. The sweetness of the grain whisky with apple and pineapple. Some mint and fresh coconut. Simple syrup, with hints of vanilla crumble.

Sip:
The palate is very gentle with a bit more oak than on the nose. Crisp and fruity again, with lots of grain flavors. Apple, pineapple and coconut. It’s rather light, but full flavored. Dried pineapple too, and an increasing amount of oak after a while. White pepper too.

Swallow:
The finish is slightly dry, but still crisp and sweet with lots of fruit and some oak. White pepper and dried pineapple come through.

Well, I don’t know the percentages used in this bottling, but the fruitiness of old Lochside certainly is present, and so is the sweetness of the grain. The big layer of coconut is really good and the sweetness is never overpowering. This is a stunning bit of blending.

If you’re interested in such a rather ridiculously old whisky, it’s still available online, but the price has gone up a bit to 250 euros. Still good value, I think.

91/100

Family Silver 1972-2017, 44yo, Cask VM1972BSW, 41%, Cooper’s Choice. Available in Germany and other countries

Posted in - Blended Whisky, Garnheath, Invergordon, Lochside | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Balvenie Peat Week, 2002-2017, 14yo, 48.3%

Posted on 7 March 2018 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Balvenie produces a very lightly peated whisky throughout the year, but once every year (since 2002 at least) they’ve been producing heavily peated whisky. The first whisky of this ‘Peat Week’ program was released last year.

Ever since visiting Balvenie at the tail end of 2015, I have a soft spot for the distillery. I’m not their biggest fan, but I do keep an eye out for affordable special releases. This one, even though it’s heavily peated (normally a reason for amped up prices) falls in that category, clocking in at £ 59 (€ 66).

Also, somehow I think the bottle, label and tube look gorgeous. In the end the packaging doesn’t count, but I like that they put in some effort without it suddenly costing the world (cough Highland Park cough).

balvenie-peat-week-aged-14-year-old-2002-vintage-scotch-whiskySniff:
Quite a lot of peat on the nose, but still the whisky has the lightness of Balvenie. The sweet, honey-like character of Balvenie is present, but a bit more restrained than in their normal releases. Old white oak shavings, straw and ears of fresh barley. Later I get some cigars.

Sip:
The palate is reasonably dry and intense. I think the slightly higher ABV is noticeable here. Lots of oak and earthy peat, with hints of heather and white oak shavings. Rather old fashioned with golden syrup and straw.

Swallow:
The finish is a bit lighter than I expected, but still has quite a lot of flavor. The oak shavings are back, as is the earthy peat. I get some candied lemon here.

The short of it is: I really like this whisky. I like that there is a special release that is really something else than the distillery produces. I like that it’s still affordable and that they didn’t release some 60% scorcher. The complexity isn’t the highest you’ll ever encounter in a dram, but there’s some and that makes it an easy sipper, while also a whisky that’s rather entertaining. Good stuff!

88/100

Balvenie Peat Week, 2002-2017, 14yo, 48.3%. Available from Master of Malt for £ 59.33

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Bad-ass Whisky Night at De Whiskykoning #3

Posted on 4 March 2018 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Last Friday it was time for the sort-of annual bad-ass whisky night at Whiskyslijterij De Koning in my old home town of Den Bosch. Man have I dropped a year’s salary there over the last decade…

Anyway, the concept of the night is, as always, that each participant gives the good man 50 euros, and he test drives some luxurious whiskies for us that are going to pop up over the coming year in a variety of tastings.

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All the hints we were getting…

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Before the tasting commences, he generally gives us a hint of what’s in store. Of course, Rob wouldn’t be Rob if the hint isn’t less than useful. So, this year’s hint was a shot of the tops of some boxes, with ‘greatest common divisor’, after we figured out one was the new Laphroaig 25. Apparently, everything was 25 years old. All except one were new bottlings, with 1 being from 2015, 4 from the end of 2017 and one from 2018.

The line-up, as we found out, was Pittyvaich 25, Old Pulteney 25, Glen Scotia 25, Springbank 25, Talisker 25 and Laphroaig 25. So, damn…

Pittyvaich 25, 1989-2015, 49.9% – Diageo’s Premium Releases

Some vanilla at first, with big hits of malt right after. Some apple, pear and gentle oak. The palate continued on oak, but mostly malt. A very 2018-03-02 20.40.14malt driven dram. Slightly floral with vanilla and honey.

89/100

Old Pulteney 25, 46% – OB

This whisky was matured in bourbon casks for 25 years, before being finished for three years in Oloroso casks.

The nose is funky with soup spices and oak. Some earthy hints of mushrooms and stewed fruits. The palate is very intense and even slightly sharp. Funky, old oak and some serious age to the whisky. A true cracker.

92/100

Glen Scotia 25, 48.8% – OB

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The label boasts that this is a Campbeltown Classic Malt. Contrary to what, I wonder… But anyway, Glen Scotia is a nice preparation for our pending trip to Islay and Campbeltown in early April.

The nose starts with old bourbon wood with some hints of vanilla, still earthy with mushrooms but very different from the Old Pulteney. Somehow. Slightly more fresh and coastal. The palate is lighter, with malt and a serious dry mouth feel.

89/100

Springbank 25, Refill Sherry, 46% – OB

This is the first Springbank 25 in recent years that doesn’t contain some measure of port casks, as I was told.

That’s noticeable on the nose with it being slightly lighter than expected. Lots of fruit with peaches and apricot. Slightly less funky than a lot of Springbanks but very, very good indeed.

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92/100

Talisker 25, 45.8% – OB

Somehow, this is one I was looking forward to. I really, really love old Talisker, and this is about as old as you’re getting without selling body-parts out of your trunk.

It is a true Talisker with lots of pepper throughout the dram. There’s a whiff of peat and salt and iodine. But still it’s rather smooth and farmy. The palate is intense and drying with more focus on the black pepper, but with some coastal notes. Brine and ropes and such.

90/100

 

Laphroaig 25, Bourbon & second-fill Oloroso Sherry, 48.9%

2018-03-02 21.19.00

Honestly, I thought the days of tasting modern day bottlings of properly aged OB Laphroaig were far behind me, but here we go.

It’s lighter and more delicate than I expected. Lots of peat, but not in a ‘kick-in-the-nuts’ kind of way. Medicinal with salt, but also some sweet tropical fruit with peaches and banana. After these flavors there’s a lot of dryness and peat and charcoal going on.

92/100

As you’ve probably noticed, my tasting notes were a bit shorter than normal, but that’s mostly due to the fact that I was out having fun with friends instead of doing complete assessments of whiskies I was having.

 

Still, something that stands out is that we STARTED the tasting with the highest ABV of the night. Still, that was the lightest dram of them all.

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All of the whiskies were cracking and it was a truly luxurious night. I will start making arrangements for next  year’s event, I guess!

Thanks Rob (of De Whiskykoning)

Also, what helps is that the crew that joins me at this tastings gets to know each other better and better and the jokes become more rude every year. And we all love it.

And finally I got to make fun of Bram (of The Whiskynerds) because he had the guts to put out a 300 euro bottle of Springbank without so much as a box around the bottle…

Posted in Glen Scotia, Laphroaig, Old Pulteney, Pittyvaich, Springbank, Talisker | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Travellers Distillery 10yo, Belize, 66.6% – The Duchess Rum

Posted on 27 February 2018 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

My whisky buddy Nils keeps releasing some nice casks of high end, and in this case high ABV, booze. Well, actually, Best of Wines in Bussum is, but he is more or less in charge of the spirits there.

This surprise sample came in the mail last week and it got me curious. I don’t think I’ve had rum from Belize before, and 66.6% ABV is not something to scoff at either.

I have no idea about Belize rum, or the distillery, so let’s get right to the tasting notes, shall we?

15104_bigSniff:
On the nose I get overripe mangos at first. The very sweet, almost cloying, and yeasty fruit scent. As with most of these high end rums, if you take a big whiff of it, you get some slightly chemical notes. Slightly plastic like even. After that there’s charcoal and honey, with slightly waxy honeycomb and beeswax.

Sip:
It’s very sharp on the arrival, but that’s not surprising at all! A lot of alcohol heat of course, but it’s so much that my mouth start feeling numb after a few seconds. That doesn’t last very long and there a lot of heat coming back after half a minute or so. It’s sweet with brown sugar and burnt caramel. Honey and fruit. The sweetness doesn’t feel artificial, which sometimes happens with rums.

Swallow:
The finish does mellow a bit, but it’s got some ways to go before I can call it smooth with a straight face. It’s dry with oak, honey and burnt sugar. Sweet with a slight bitterness towards the end. There’s a LOT of flavor.

I guess that goes for the entire rum. A lot of things are happening and all of it is good. For me, the ABV could have been a bit lower, but a true cask strength dram like this certainly has its charms. I love the fact that there’s that slight chemical hint on the nose, but I don’t find it on the palate or finish. This way, it’s just right.

What I also like about this rum is that it costs 70 euros. In today’s day and age, for a drink like this, that’s rather affordable and I expected it to be more expensive.

All in all, I find this a highly recommendable rum! Kudos to Best of Wines/The Duchess for bottling this, and thanks a million for sending a sample!

88/100

Travellers Distillery 10yo, 10/2007 – 22/12/2017, Belize, cask 14, 66.6%, The Duchess Rum. Available in The Netherlands for about € 70.

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Bruichladdich 1992, 23yo, 50.5% – Cadenhead’s Cask Ends

Posted on 22 February 2018 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

In early April I’m going on a road trips with some friends to Islay. On the way back we’re going to have an afternoon in Campbeltown. We’ve booked the Cadenhead’s Warehouse tasting! It’s insane how much I’m looking forward to that, not in the least because of the Cask Ends bottles I’ve been able to try (here, here and here).

Add to that, that most of the whiskies I’ve had or seen from this series have been from distilleries I really like (especially Highland Park and Bruichladdich). I am sooooo looking forward to that. Also to Islay, and the time with friends, and Islay Ales and so much more, of course.

Anyway, a properly aged Bruichladdich, at a decent strength, from a bourbon cask. All is good in whisky land. Or at least, that is what I was hoping for.

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Random Cadenhead’s Cask Ends bottle.

Sniff:
Lots of barley and a prominent, but gentle oakiness. Light, and very crisp, in a ‘forest in spring’ kind of way. Tobacco leaves, oak, malt and tad dry. A very light whiff of vanilla crumble, with shortbread.

Sip:
Full and dry, with white pepper and oak. Autumn leaves, tobacco and some baking spices. Rich, with custard.

Swallow:
Consistent with the palate, albeit a bit more focused on the spices. Oak and vanilla, baking sices. Tobacco and autumn leaves.

Well, it is a bit more focused on the vanilla and custard flavors that I expected, or hoped for. However, with the autumn leaves, tobacco and baking spices, it is simply delicious. There’s still quite a lot to be gotten and the vanilla never gets overpowering in any way.

I’m glad this kind of older Bruichladdich is still out there, especially from Cadenhead’s it seems. I love this style and you really taste a whisky that shows its age in a good way. There’s not much that’s not to love.

91/100

Bruichladdich 1992, 23yo, 50.5%, Cadenhead’s Cask Ends. Obviously it’s gone now.

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Springbank 21, 1995-2016, Fresh Sherry Pipe, 49% – Starkicker, Austria

Posted on 20 February 2018 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Recently I got a little bit confused about this bottling, since I thought it was from 2017 instead of 2016. That led to some strange comments from me on Facebook and some confusing discussions about it afterwards. Apparently I am so old now that a year means nothing anymore. Or at least it passes really fast.

As with the previous Starkicker bottling that was reviewed here, it’s bottled by an Austrian whisky club. That’s all I know about it.

But again, 21 year old Springbank. Can’t really go wrong with that.

135022-bigSniff:
It’s very funky sherry like you’d expect from Springbank. Slightly bitter with something I described as ‘pickled dates’. Furniture polish, old oak and walnuts.

Sip:
The palate is very dry and very nutty. Slightly funky again, with lightly bitter and earthy notes. Lots of oak, European oak, I guess. Dates and apricot.

Swallow:
The finish is dry and earthy again, and exactly like the palate.

By now, and with all the awesome Springbank reviews I did in January, I have gotten to a state that a 21 year old Springbank like this is no longer very surprising.

I’m getting rather spoiled, so to say. Especially since this one didn’t really make an imperssion, but it is a very good one. Much, much better than that strange sherry matured, port finished concoction that was the other Starkicker bottling.

This one is an extremely funky sherry cask If you don’t really like those, but prefer the clean sherry style of, for example, old Glen Grant and such, I guess this one isn’t for you. I really dig those earthy, nutty and funky flavors to a certain level. This one is on the brink of being too funky, but does it *just* right for me.

89/100

Springbank 21, 1995-2016, Fresh Sherry, 49% – Starkicker, Austria. Available in Austria for € 245,00

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Caperdonich 39, 1977-2017, 50.4% – Cadenhead’s 175th Anniversary

Posted on 15 February 2018 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

Well, there’s no mistaking this being from a sherry cask. It’s a butt too, so a more proper sherry cask as well. No information about the kind of oak is given though.

Last year Cadenhead’s, the rather awesome bottler of liquid gold, celebrated their 175th anniversary. With it came a plethora of interesting bottlings, of which I obtained exactly none. I tried to do a bottle share with the bottles that came to the Netherlands, but they were sooooo expensive by then, that I passed.

The biggest problem for/with Cadenhead’s is that they are really expensive outside of the UK. This one went for, I believe, 360 quid in the UK, which translated to some 400 euros back then. In The Netherlands it went for 700 euros. A difference too big to overcome, for several reasons.

Anyway, I managed to get my hands on a sample of this thanks to a UK based bottle share club I’m in. And, now that it’s all gone, I am sooooo happy I got my hands on a sample.

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Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
The nose starts with very smooth and fruity sherry. Lots of oak, but in a way that it supports the other aromas instead of trying to trump them. There’s dates and figs, with some dry sherry. Cold brew coffee with steamed milk. Somehow it also reminds me of St. George’s NOLA Coffee Liqueur. Slightly foresty with moss and ferns. Plums and peaches later on.

Sip:
The palate is slightly tingling, so it suggests a bit more alcohol than I’d expect at 39 years old (no ABV on the sample bottle and I didn’t look it up). Dry, warming and gently oaky. Hints of dry spices and a very light bitterness. Sweet citrus with blood orange, sherry and loads of other fruits, mostly dates and peaches.

Swallow:
The finish starts with a full and intense hit of sherry, with loads of fruit. A slight bitterness, with oaky and foresty notes. Very complex and long with plums, dates and figs.

To summarize: If I had properly reviewed this last year, it would have been my whisky of the year.

I’m still trying to find my way with ratings, especially in the 84-88 zone, but apparently that also goes for the 91 and up area of whisky points. This, however, sits at a comfortable 94 points for me, without a shadow of a doubt. What a stunning whisky.

The complexity is stunning. The depth and layeredness (a parfait, not an onion, for you Shrek lovers) is stunning. The combination of the sherry and the forest like notes remind me of (although not quite similar) the best Karuizawa and sherried Hakushu whiskies I’ve had. It’s amazing, believe me.

94/100

Caperdonich 39, 1977-2017, 50.4%, Cadenhead’s 175th Anniversary. Available in Denmark for 675 euros, if you manage to get one.

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Clynelish 1997-2017, 55.8% – Archives (Fishes of Samoa)

Posted on 13 February 2018 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer

This was THE bottling for The Whiskybase Gathering last November. For some reason I decided not to go in 2016, the first time it was held. I decided to correct that last November and had a blast. The festival itself is insane and I heard numerous references to “Limburg an der Maas”.

Before the festival started you could get your hands on a bottle, if you were keen on carrying it around all afternoon, which I didn’t mind. Luckily so, since they sold out very quickly and I heard some people missing out on a bottle during the festival. Maybe they were able to get their hands on one after, since the proprietors of Whiskybase held a few back for in the shop on the following Monday.

Anyway… Clynelish. 1997. Cask strength. What can go wrong?

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Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
It’s waxy Clynelish from the moment you pour a glass. No intense sniffing required to get that note! Lots of caramel too, but also peaches and nectarine. Honey and beeswax. A rather creamy Clynelish, with the caramel it reminds me of Caramac bars.

Sip:
The palate is rather sharp, and a lot more crisp than the nose made me expect. Both fresh and stewed apple. Some dryness from the cask, with resin and beeswax. Rich and full.

Swallow:
The finish is dry at first, but the richness takes over after. More oak than before, and more like the nose in regards to there being quite a lot of caramel, with grilled peaches.

Well, apparenlty not a lot can go wrong with 1997 Clynelish. When the 1996 and 1997 vintages started coming out a few years ago, you sometimes found one that was just a lot of oomph with not enough mellowing, and flavor from the cask to back it all up. That period seems to have passed and this one is glorious.

If you like Clynelish, this does everything you want it to do. The only remark I have with this, and that’s not even really about this one, is that The Ultimate put out a 1997 one in the same month that cost less than half of this one, which is a bit peculiar.

But, I doubt it is as good as this, because not much is. Insanely tasty. I wish I hadn’t bottle shared it!

90/100

Clynelish 1997-2017, Bourbon Hogshead 12355, 55.8%, Archives – Fishes of Samoa

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