Spirits list Whisky tasting This year s whisky (or whiskey) feature incorporated an extension of our successful wine tasting panel and some painstaking personal research. Forty-five whiskies, the majority of which hailed from Scotland, were blind tasted by region and price range. For the first part of the tasting the panel got together at The Den bar in The Ivy complex and tasted thirty of the single malts; this was followed by some additional blended whiskies, and four leading Irish whiskies. Some general comments made by the panel on the regions were: Lowlands; a really good entry point to whisky and a good aperitif style, the examples submitted were well balanced and structured, achieving exactly what they set out to do. For Speyside the samples showcased quite a spectrum, some with sherry influence and others not. However they all were well balanced with some maritime influences, fragrant and had a malty The panel character. The Highland whiskies were, as expected, more robust in style, with solid mouth feel and a depth of flavour not necessarily more complexity. Next up was Islay and Islands where we found refined styles of the Islay style offering not just peat and smoke but also sweet malt and maritime spray. To finish off the Scottish day the art of blending showcased from young to old. The older blends demonstrated good crafting and a balanced flavour spectrum. The Irish whiskies were tasted outside of the panel environment, again with a range of age. Across the group we found a different style of smoothness on the palate and influences from grain with spices and stone fruit sweetness. The expansion of our tastings is planned to roll out from this edition; we encourage your feedback and opinions on how to make this information as useful as possible for your business. You can contact Ashley Pini at ashley@hipmedia.com.au or 02 9415 1836. Dan Woolley bar owner Arcane (opening soon) Elaine Mitchell WSET Spirits Trainer Ben Davidson national spirits ambassador, SIGNE Samuel Spurr journalist and regular contributor to Drinks Trade Andrew Derbidge director and cellarmaster The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Mike Enright group bars manager Merrivale Group Single Malts Lowlands Nigel Weisbaum manager Club Suntory Auchentoshan Three wood ABV: 43.00% Nose: Burnt brown sugar and golden syrup Palate: Mid-palate sherry with spice notes Finish: Complex finish that turned a little syrupy Comments: Triple Distilled Chris Middleton - whisky writer and chairman - Firestone Distillery (VVD) Ashley Pini publishing editor Drinks Trade Highland Katrina Holden managing editor Drinks Trade Deanston 12YO ABV: 46.30% Nose: Light honeyed nose, floral, lingering citrus Palate: Smooth and once again light with a malty mid palate Finish: Citrus continued through to a lighter finish Auchentoshan 12YO ABV: 43.00% Nose: Cut grass, light and fragrant. Soft ceral but not malty Palate: Sweet, soft honey Saltiness, lightly peated, crisp with a mineral profile Finish: The medium body pleasantly finishes with subtle fruit Comments: Lingers on the palate stretching across the tongue Longmorn 16YO ABV: 48% Nose: Overripe banana Palate: Rich mouth feel, nougat and chewy toffee Finish: Long finish, mouth lingering Comments: Deep gold colour and biscuity flavours with banoffee pie 44 drinks trade
Balblair 89 Nose: Sweet, with hints of pear Palate: Spice, vanilla (bourbon), coconut Finish: More spice, citrus (orange) Comments: Bright and sharp, with a zesty lift ancnoc 16YO Nose: Intense nose, citrus and soft vanilla Palate: Apples, pears and hints of spice and lovely toffee Finish: Good length, rather Moorish Comments: Distilled and bottled at the old Knockdhu distillery Glenmorangie Original Nose: Floral and complex Palate: Deep sweetness (toffee or fudge), toasty and spicy Finish: Classically Highland, wonderful length and complex Comments: Highly rated across the panel Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 12YO Nose: Sweet prunes, sherry Palate: Toffee and butterscotch, reminded me of crème brulee Finish: Long, silky, dark chocolate and traces of orange Comments: The darkest and most intense whisky in the extra-matured range, has spent 10 years maturing in American white oak casks, before being transferred into ruby port pipes Glenmorangie necta d or 12YO Nose: Citrus and rich dried fruit, nutmeg Palate: Wood tannins and intense mid-palate with honeycomb sweetness, lemon and biscuit Finish: Long and sweet finish with lemon zest, pleasant alcohol Comments: Ten years in American white oak casks before spending its final two years in Sauternes casks from France Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength Angove Family Winemakers ABV: 60% Nose: Very intense on the nose (Ed tasters not told alcohol strength), honey aroma Intense spicey aged characters Palate: Lovely fruit (peaches and nectarines) Higher alcohol is evident, Dry to taste, but spiciness carries through. A more robust whisky. Good winter drinking! Finish: Intensity of flavour carries through on the long finish Comments: Whisky changes dimension when cut with water, allowing complex flavour notes to develop Glenfarclas 15YO Angove Family Winemakers Nose: Sherry influence evident. Rich toffee and butterscotch, good depth and a hint of huon pine Palate: Huge mouth feel and lovely expression of flavour. A very good whisky with long dry fruit Finish: Spicey and long, similarities to a Nicaraguan rum Perfect length, alcohol strength. Old world style Comments: A panel favourite Dalwhinnie 15YO Nose: Lightly peated Some soft fruit, dry spice and roasted nuts Palate: Good transfer from aroma to flavour, classic Highland Classic Highland whisky, malty, cereal like Finish: Bold with a bit of spice Comments: Sweet and spicy, black pepper and orange zest Oban 14YO Nose: Beautifully understated, sweet, peaty A touch of honey and some coastal notes apparent. Some light sweet spices, also cooked pastry, Tantalising! Palate: Lemon citrus, sweet malt. A wee tang of salt and a dry finish Finish: Finishes to a sweeter flavour from the very nice deposit of peat upfront Comments: Beautiful honey colour with light peat and earthy flavours Glenmorangie Signet Nose: Complex rich fruit, sweet oak and spice Palate: Silky smooth body, dark chocolate and vanilla Finish: Long, but considered; spicy follows through Comments: Chocolate malt evident, this is an exceptional blended whisky from some whiskies up to 35YO The Dalmore King Alexander III Thinks Spirits Nose: Citrus fruits, plums and hints of chocolate Palate: Coffee and Christmas cake, mixed spice and the citrus from the nose Finish: Orange and spiciness Comments: Balance, complexity and character drinks trade 45
The Dalmore 12 YO Thinks Spirits Region: Highland Nose: Dark plums and marzipan Palate: Christmas cake and cinnammon Finish: Orange, vanilla and plums Speyside The Glenlivet Nadura 18YO ABV: 57.7% Nose: Intense and complex Palate: Fruit (raisin), vanilla backed by a powerful punch. Nice spice balance Finish: Peppermint, dried fruits (sultanas) Comments: At 57.7% this whisky changed when cut with water bringing some of the dried fruit tastes to the fore Glenfiddich 15YO Nose: Toffee, creamy vanilla Palate: Mouth coating, rich and spicy Finish: Long finish, mouth lingering Comments: Deep amber colour sets the scene Glenlivet 25YO Nose: Richly sherried malt, very complex. Orchard notes (apples), dried fruits (raisons, figs, dates) and almonds Palate: As thick as a port, honey, caramel, almond and pecan notes Finish: Very intense sherry with massive length Comments: Stunning whisky with real complexity finished in Oloroso casks Glendronach 18YO Nose: Flavour. Heavy oak Gentle hint of sherry, Warming and teasing (perhaps oloroso?), tempted to dive in Palate: Beautifully balanced, malt and oak are in harmony Sherry finish, fruity, raisins, dryness Finish: Full flavoured sherried characters, nutty finish nice age; very well balanced Glenfiddich 18YO Nose: Subtle sweetness, oak barreling Implressive, light oak, medium bodied Palate: Rich and sherried. Not quite perfectly balanced, very nice though Despite the sweet nose I found the palate a little drier Finish: Finished shorter than I wanted, oak and malt are again well balanced Comments: One of the world s favourite single malts widely available The Balvenie 12YO Nose: Gentle and approachable mellow flavours Palate: Sweet, caramel, sherry fruitiness Finish: Rich and full, long and warm The Balvenie 15YO ABV: 47% Nose: Less cask influence, allowing the spirit to wield more tellingly. Nose reviles more esters, tinned fruits, pear drops and lychees Soft and light, sandalwood. For a light nose it s very complex Palate: Soft tropical fruits, lychee and pear. Fruity, peaches and nectarine Finish: Good alcohol length, retaining it s flavours and in balance Comments: Distilled in Dufftown since 1893 Cragganmore 12YO Nose: Sweet and floral, some honey Palate: Strong malts with hints of sweet wood and smoke Finish: Long finish displaying slightly smoky characteristics Comments: Michael Jackson called this The most complex aroma of any malt 46 drinks trade
Islands & Islay Jura Prophecy Heavily Peated Region: Island Nose: Ripe banana and golden syrup. Sweet with peatiness, BBQ and smokiness Palate: Toasty, slightly green or vegetal. Intriguing Finish: Spicy and quite big Comments: Despite the name, the peatiness is understated with smokiness and salt at the back of the palate Talisker 10YO ABV: 45.8% Region: Isle of Skye Nose: Powerfully peat, with seawater salt and citrus sweetness Palate: Rich dried fruit sweetness and pepper Finish: A big finish, the pepper coming through again Comments: Consistent trophy and gold medal winner in both London and San Francisco Lagavulin 16YO Nose: Upfront Islay peat, spice and sweet fruit Palate: More sweetness and chewy Christmas cake, drier than expected Finish: Very pleasant, more smoke and dry finish great depth Comments: Pronounced Laggavoolin. One of the six classics Ardberg 10YO Moët Hennessy Nose: Zest citrus and mocha mixes with the Islay peat and smoke Palate: More peat and complexity, ripe bananas and burnt coffee, oily and mouth filling Finish: Smoke, deep and toasty almonds Comments: A powerful Islay malt; hefty peat and smoke that remains in balance Bowmore 12YO Suntory Australia Nose: Peat, smoke and sea salt Palate: Refined yet youthful, citrus (lemon) and honey sweetness Finish: Finishes with sour apples balanced with honey sweetness Comments: Trophy winner at the International Wine and Spirits Competition Bowmore 18YO Nose: Heavy peat Fragrant smoke, black jelly babies and licorice Palate: Slightly dry and refined, some oak influence, wonderfully smokey Finish: Lovely balance of confectionary sweetness finishes with subtle smoke Comments: A great partner to the 12YO, very complimentary Jura 10YO Nose: Oily, with fruit upfront banana and malt Palate: Fresh malt, chewy with a spicy dryness Finish: Soft finish, malty sweetness Jura Superstition Nose: Light peat, butterscotch Palate: Butterscotch once more with floral smoke and honey Finish: Smoky drinks trade 49
Blends Pig s Nose 5YO Southtrade International Nose: More difficult to identify (ed tasting was conducted blind even between blends and region), tobacco Palate: Smooth. Apricots and peaches, bananas and spices, well rounded Finish: Soft yet rich, finishes with well-integrated flavours Comments: Approachable and satisfying with peat and hints of smoke Sheep Dip 5YO Southtrade International Nose: As a blend should, a little bit of everything Palate: Subtle, even mild, flavours; soft malt Finish: More rounded but less defined Comments: Woven from 16 single malts, making this a vatted malt Johnnie Walker Black Nose: Beautifully textured, oily and oaky Palate: Creamy vanilla spices, medium bodied Finish: Sweet and zesty, the spirit retains good balance Comments: Begins your journey from Red label into the world of Johnnie Walker colours and special editions. Johnnie Walker Gold Reserve Nose: Complexity on the nose lots of stone fruit exotic spices and honeyed aromas Palate: Textured palate with silk and stone fruit; delicately smoked Finish: Delicate describes this whisky well, including the finish Johnnie Walker Blue Label Nose: Dried fruit and liquorice, Christmas cake and tobacco Palate: Big, but constrained offers loads of spices and stone fruit as it develops in the mouth Finish: Long. The whisky continues to open up and surprise right through to the end Comments: A stunning blend of some of s rarest whiskies, positioned for the whisky lover and special gift market Irish Chivas Regal 25YO Nose: Deep opulent aged aromas, chocolately, peach and marzipan Palate: Caramel and buttery. Rich and creamy, a good blend that brings together all the elements; delivers them in a balanced harmonious package Finish: Rounded, bigger than many; great Comments: Our first of the top end whiskies; the age is evident in lovely balance RS38 Stone of Destiny 38YO Nose: Rose petal and sherry notes Beautifully rich, fruit, stewed fruits. Kiwi, honey and leather, pine and tree sap. Very complex and multi-layered Palate: For an old whisky the wood doesn t dominate. The spirit is still lively and the balance is maintained A big, well executed blend A whisky of rare intensity, beautifully full and round, deep and thick Finish: The fruity intensity continues on the palate through to the finish, displays a freshness that belies its age Comments: A real treat to cap off a fantastic tasting Tullamore Dew Nose: Grassy, toasty and heady Palate: Light, fruity and smooth Finish: Lightly sweet Tullamore Dew 12YO Nose: Grainy, more perfume and approachable Palate: Caramel and spice Finish: Medium length Jameson 18YO Nose: Brings everything to the glass; stone fruits, citrus (orange) and sweetness (caramel) Palate: Oily smoothness that delivers right across the palate Finish: Rich and developed Midleton Nose: Crème Caramel, toffee and sandalwood Palate: Smooth and delicate, dried spices and stone fruit sweetness Finish: Surprisingly long considering how delicate the palate was, this is a high-class whiskey drinks trade 51