JAMESON GOLD Reserve 40%

Nose:
More bourbon-like than ever with pleasant nutmeg-ish oak shaking hands with the pot-still. A honey-fruit theme grows in stature as the glass becomes warmer.




Palate:
A sort of Yin & Yang experience with two contrasting forces on display. One being a robust alliance of oak and pot-still. The other a fusion of dried fruit, honey and toffee. They proceed to amalgamate in splendid fashion.





Nose:
Figs and stewed apples amidst some nicely balanced wood flavours. A faint echo of pot still at the end.

Comment:
An immaculate balance of flavours with some new oak aging giving it an extra edge. Better than the earlier, slightly spirity bottling. Perhaps not as engrossing as the true pot-stills (Redbreast, Green Spot) but certainly the most enjoyable Jameson that I know of.

Rating: 8,5/10

THE SPEY CAST 12 years old 40%

Nose:
Freshly baked bread with caraway seeds surrounded by creamy fruit salad and lavender. Earthy yet modest spices join in on the fun.




Palate:
Fat mouthfeel. Soft and chewy fruitiness dominates but the malt is more upfront than the nose would suggest. The latter eventually fuses with liquorice. A bit static in nature.




Finish:
Short-ish. The somewhat distant malt-liquorice plays the lead role amidst faint echoes of mineral spices and some soft grains.


Comment:

Brilliant nose and good tasting to boot. Some points docked due to a rather undynamic mid-palate and the decidedly anonymous finish. I have no idea which malts go into this blend but somehow it made me think of Glenrothes. Just a wild guess, though, and probably wrong.

Rating: 7 3/4 /10

THE ANTIQUARY 21 years old 43%

Nose:
Dried apricots lead the way, flanked by waxed honey and surprisingly fresh malt. Smoky oak holds up this lovely firmament. Restrained yet beautiful.




Palate:
Gentle honey and apricot/orange marmalade secure the soft qualities, counterbalanced by dry malt and some modest grains. The oak more minty now.



Finish:
Small in size but very concentrated and tasty, first with menthol-ish spices, followed by pronounced orange peel before eventually bowing out with some chewy oak.


Comment:
This is a whisky that grows on you. At first I dismissed it as being too non-descript but as you can see, I have changed my mind. Good blends are very much about exquisite balance and this one achieves that in no uncertain terms.

Rating: 81/4 /10

CANADIAN HERITAGE 21 years old 60%

Nose:
Toasted oak infiltrates a tasty morsel of orange peel and luxurious caramel sauce. Not that far removed from an extra aged grain whisky but there are noticeable bourbon traits, as well.



Palate:
Velvety texture. The caramel is clearly the leader of the pack here but is augmented by frighteningly attractive brown sugar. A thick syrupy fruitiness tries to gain a foothold but is only allowed a couple of short peek-ins.


Finish:
More toastiness to begin with. Then chewy oak and lip-smacking juicy orange-laced caramel sauce.

Comment:
This whisky has an interesting route. Distilled and bottled in Canada on behalf of a UK company, then imported to California and finally bought by me in Germany! As for its origins, I cannot tell for sure but there is a persistent rumour tracing it to one of Hiram Walker´s dismantled distilleries in British Columbia but I cannot know for sure. Mystery also surrounds its age. Distilled in 1976, bottled 2001, the neck label reads, which would make it 24 or 25 years in my book but the front label claims it to be 21 years old. Confusing but that shouldn´t stop you from enjoying it if you manage to track it down.

Rating: 8 1/4/10

DEWAR´S Special Reserve 12 years old 43%

Nose:
Dried fruit with mango-ish traits. Spiciness that almost borders on something burnt. Semi-sharp grains vie for attention at the back.




Palate:
Heavy spices, sweet maltiness and blackberries merges into something quite akin to burnt treacle toffee. Rather nice, actually!Something citrus-ey tries to join the fun but fail and remains in a submissive position.



Finish:
Ozone fresh with light spices. The treacle re-emerges at the back of the throat for the final bye-bye.


Comment:
An individual style for this one. I bumped into another Dewar´s 12 at the Munich airport the other week. That one had a different label and was 700 ml (mine is 750). I actually had the chance to try it for free but instead opted for 12yo Aberfeldy. In retrospect I regret this since it had been interesting to compare it to my bottling.

Rating: 8/10

BALLANTINE´S Finest 40%

Nose:
Smoky peat dancing on the edge of a volcano filled with soft grains. Actually at its best if you don´t warm the glass too long.




Palate:
Initial peat and malt dominace. Successive waves of grain get ever more louder albeit in a highly well-behaved manner with delicate vanilla and modest fruit.




Finish:
Puffs of delicate smoke rise up from a bed of light fruity grain and restless peat.


Comment:

Nah, I ain´t suggesting that this would be a worthy replacement for your Ardbegs and Laphroaigs but I still think a lot of people would be surprised if they gave it a try.

Rating: 7,5/10

MITCHELL´S 12 years old 43%

Nose:
Modest sea saltiness. Sugar free toffee. Pleasantly oaky.





Palate:
At first, marvellous toffee cake with ice cream tries to remain on even terms with the saltiness. The latter eventually wins out, in the process almost metamorphing into salmiac.




Finish:
Salty liquorice in almost full command. Some prickly spices accompanies it along the way. Surprisingly long for a whisky of this stature.

Comment:
A blend from the folks at Springbank. Containing something like 60% malt, mostly from their own make. Apparently this has recently been discontinued, so you should waste no time in hunting down a bottle. Especially considering the fact that this beats most malts that I´ve tried.

Rating: 8,5/10

HIGH COMMISSIONER 40%

Nose:
Sharp grainy fruitiness mixed with cloves. Slightly spirity. After warming glass for a minute or so, a malty pocket of resistance appears.



Palate:
Initially caramel blunts out all opposition. Gradually a rather nice if somewhat metallic fruitiness takes command. The malt refuses to make an encore.




Finish:
Suprisingly long and expansive. Hard flinty grain merges with the oak.


Comment:
Hardly likely to sweep up the premium awards, this is all the same a decent everyday whisky. Upping the malt level just a little bit wouldn´t hurt, though.

Rating: 6,5/10

BUSHMILLS 1608 Anniversary edition 46%

Nose:
Sherry and freshly baked bread, eventually merging into something rosy. Seem to recall it as more vivid when brand new.




Palate:
Sweet and sour fruitiness. Cherries and raspberries. Hefty spices rumble in the background. As smooth as the label promises but certainly not bland. Somewhat oily (or is it the caramel?).




Finish:
Dry candy-laced oak. Quite tasty.


Comment:
A special bottling made for the supposed 400th anniversary. Some quality sherry casks put to good use here.

Rating: 8/10

JOHNNIE WALKER Gold Label The Centenary Blend 18 years old 40%

Nose:
Warm and invigorating honey sweetness. Sophisticated fruit.




Palate:
Delicious creamy texture, indicating a perfect marriage between malt and grain. Less sweet than the nose suggests. Apples and blackberries.





Finish:
A surprising appearance of peat battling it out with the complex grains.


Comment:
One of those bottles where you just know that when it´s empty you have to replace it pronto! The best JW I´ve had in recent times.

Rating: 9/10