Whisky Club Meets in February: 6th and Final!

Whisky: Compass Box Eleuthera

 

Distillery/Brand:

Compass Box

Bottling:

Compass Box Eleuthera

Region:

Scottish Blend 

 

ABV:

46%

Colour:

Pale Straw

Review:
Our whisky club that had met on the first Saturday of February had been a complete success.

We'd enjoyed whiskies from just about every single whisky producing region in Scotland along with Irish.

Everyone pretty much chose a region to dive into and just enjoy.

My brother in law and myself followed one another closely, going straight into Campbeltown, then Islands and then finally Islay.

In order to wrap up the lovely evening I decided to end on something I'd never tried before and something a little different.

A vatted whisky.

Compass Box Eleuthera to be exact.

I knew nothing about this whisky other then that it was a vatted whisky, initially I thought that
it was a grain whisky, but further research has proven me completely wrong.

My brother in law decided to follow me into Compass Box whiskies with a Compass Box Spice Tree.

Sadly I have realized that the Compass Box Spice Tree is not a grain whisky either.

I'm not quite sure where I got the idea that Compass Box whiskies are grain, but now I feel a little bit stupid about getting so excited about it.

Sigh oh well you live and you learn.

Anyway....

Now that I've confirmed for myself that this isn't a grain whisky let's get into some of the details.

This is a vatted or blended whisky which draws it's whiskies from a variety of distilleries, specifically 18 year old Glenlossie, 12 year old Caol Ila and 12 year old Clynelish single malt whiskies.

But you don't care about all that! You wanna know how the whisky smells and tastes dont you?!

In the glass you immediately get the Caol Ila with salty peat coming through clean as day, there are some small hints of meat wafting around the glass, ham to be exact, but loads of citrus from lemons hide it before it can ever really develop. Honey and vanilla go into making this a fairly sweet nose with an interesting contrast with the peat.

Not a bad nose, however it doesn't immediately grab me the way I hope a whisky will.

Time for that taste though!

Again the peat comes through immediately backed up by the honey and citrus. The palate however moves to some oak bitterness, pepper spicyness and some salt as the flavors move back and forth, however I was hoping for a bit more complexity.

Again not bad, just not awesome.

A long spicy oaky salty finish ends the whisky, however I'm left feeling a little deflated as I expected a bit more out of this whisky.

To be honest I'm not quite sure what else I expected, I guess more complexity, something to grab me and draw me in. Again it's not a bad whisky and I certainly don't regret trying it, however I don't think I'd be purchasing a bottle of it, especially considering that if you can find a bottle I'd expect to pay $100 to maybe $130 AUS which in my opinion I can't justify that sort of price tag on a blend that is not absolutely brilliant, especially considering that you have Johnnie Walker Green at $65 or so a bottle which is a lovely little vatted whisky.

If the idea of the Compass Box whiskies intrigue you awesome. I've now had 3 of their whiskies without a single one of them being bad, however with the possible exception of Spice Tree which I sadly didnt a chance to spend much time with, none of them have made me want to run out and purchase them.

This is definitely a case for me of try before you buy.

Nose:         20/25
Taste:        20/25
Finish:       20/25
Balance:    20/25

Overall:     80/100

February Whisky Club Meets: 5!

Whisky: Ardbeg Blasda

 

Distillery/Brand:

Ardbeg

 

Bottling:

Ardbeg Blasda

Region:

Islay

ABV:

40%

Colour:

Sunlight

Review:
Our local whisky club had met for the second time a couple weeks ago and the evening was slowly winding down.

Everyone had encountered whiskies that they enjoyed with the members trying Ardbeg Galileo, Aberlour Abunadh, Talisker 10 year old, Glenmorangie Nectar D'or and a semi unfortunate Jameson's 12 year old.

My brother in law had joined me in Campbeltown, Islands and Islay whiskies with very pleasurable results for the two of us. Lots of flavors and aromas and awesome mouth feels.

It was time for us to grab our next drams and I was eying the Ardbeg Blasda.

Ardbeg is one of my favorite distilleries and at this time possibly my favorite Islay distillery and I'm always eager to try a whisky from them.

So I grab a dram of the Ardbeg Blasda at the very reasonable price of $16 for a dram and join the group.

Now from everything I've heard and read the Blasda is an experiment by Ardbeg in producing a whisky with much lower peat levels, something like less then half of the normal peat levels.

And it shows.
 
The nose is still peaty, but it's nothing like the Ardbeg's that most of us have tried before, 10 year old, Uigeadail, Corryvreckan, Galileo, etc.

It's a light peat smoke with just hints of charcoal, fruity with pears, apples and LOTS of lemon and lime. Very citrusy.

The palate follows the nose pretty closely, less smoke, more fruit. It's fairly sweet and even
tart at times and is definitely an interesting deviation from the standard Ardbeg.

A short finish with peat and lemon sherbert end this interesting little experiment from Ardbeg.

This was an enjoyable little whisky and one that I'm glad that I got a chance to try. If you look hard enough you can find it in Australia for roughly around $110 or so, not a bad price for a nice little whisky.

However all that being said, if you're a huge peat freak I don't think you're going to walk away as happy as I did.

Nose:           20/25
Taste:          20/25
Finish:          20/25
Balance:       20/25

Overall:        80/100

February Whisky Club Meets: 4!

Whisky: Lagavulin 12 Year Old Bottled 2012

 

Distillery/Brand:

Lagavulin

 

Bottling:

Lagavulin 12 Year Old Bottled 2012

 

Region:

Islay

 

ABV:

56.1%

Colour:

Pale Gold

Review:
Our whisky club had been enjoying some beautiful whiskies at our second meeting at Helvetica.

This tasting unlike our last one, was not about sweet, fruity, or floral. We were talking about big bold flavors, big bold whiskies.

My friends had started with Ardbeg Galileo and Talisker 10 Year Old, another one grabbing Aberlour Abunadh, my brother in law grabbing a Longrow, myself I'd jumped straight into
Campbeltown moving into Islands and now it was time for me to move into Islay.

The reason why was because I discovered that Helvetica had a very sexy little whisky that runs hundreds of dollars, an annual release from Diego.

Lagavulin 12 year old.

What's this you say?! Lagavulin 12 year old doesn't run hundreds of dollars? You're right it doesn't!

However when I saw that they had it, it was going for $25 a dram my brain shut down and immediately started thinking Lagavulin 21 year old.

I immediately blow a gasket in excitement and know EXACTLY what my next dram is going to be.

I grab a dram of it and sit down, giggling in pleasure.

An Islay distillery I enjoy, cask strength, limited release?!

Sign me up!!

I immediately give it a nose and I smile.

Sweet peat smoke immediately hits me, which makes me look up at my brother in law and ask him if he remembers the days when a big Islay whisky's smoke was rough and harsh instead of soft and sweet as it is these days.

He agrees.

Sweet peat smoke, coal smoke, almost charcoal at times, brine, lots of brine and salt with at times lemon and some other citrus fruits, then a small amount of cocoa and spicy tobacco.

God that's nice!

Definitely worthy of a bottle that runs at several hundred dollars (mind you at this point I haven't realized that this whisky is much cheaper)

Time for a drink!

Again the peat immediately makes itself known along with some sexy smoke, vanilla, tar that reminds me of cigarettes, the cocoa makes an appearance again along with the lemon and more citrus fruits, salt, wow, just wow.

Loving it!

God this is an awesome whisky! It bloody well sucks that this is such an expensive whisky because I'd love a bottle of this.

A long drying smoky, sooty finish full of charcoal and peat ends this bloody sexy whisky. Wow.
Once more wow.

I'm so lucky that they had such a hard to get whisky for sell, even at $25 a dram.

Then a couple days after this meeting I'm looking online for this bad boy, trying to see how much it will set me back and I'm oh so pleasantly surprised.

It would odds are run around $120 AUS which for this is a STEAL! I can't believe it! However I do feel a little stupid about how excited I got when I saw it and kept commenting on the price I THOUGHT it was running, makes me feel like a bit of an idiot, however I'm so happy that I got a chance to try it.

Would I pay $25 a dram for it again? I doubt it. A whisky has to be rare, stupidly so for me to pay more then $20 a dram, but if you ever get a chance to try it, do so!!!

Nose:           24/25
Taste:          23/25
Finish:         23/25
Balance:      23/25

Overall:       93/100

February Whisky Club Meets 3!

Whisky: Arran Amarone Finish

 

Distillery/Brand:

Arran

 

Bottling:

Arran Amarone Finish

 

Region:

Islands

 

ABV:

50%

Colour:

Old Sauternes

Review:
My whisky club had met at Helvetica last week and I'd immediately jumped into the Campbeltown whiskies, followed shortly by my brother in law.

One of my whisky friends, who'd just finished Ardbeg Galileo and proclaimed it brilliant then started looking for another whisky to sample.

I suggested Aberlour Abunadh.

At this time the other two whisky club members come in and join us and we're ready to roll!

They start looking for their first dram and ask me what I think about Talisker. They're looking at the Talisker 10 year old to start.

I can only inform them that the Talisker 10 year old is in my opinion one of the best entry level single malts out there and that Talisker is one of my favorite distilleries.

They decide to give that a shot.

My brother in law grabs another Longrow 7 Year old Gaja Barolo Finish another try. God that's a nice whisky.

Now it's my turn!

I take a look at the Islands, encouraged by my friend's grabbing Talisker and see Arran Amarone Finish.

Hmmmmm

I've never had an Arran.

Today's the day to start!

The whisky comes out and it's a pinkish hue.

Weird. Very weird.

Let's give this bad boy a shot!

A sweet nose, very sweet.

It's got bags of honey, and heaps of fruit in it. I'm getting oranges, melons, grapes, raspberries, black currants, pears, almonds, and caramel.

Very sweet nose and you can definitely see the wine finishing influence on the whisky.

Time for a taste though.

More sweetness. But hints of bitterness.

Nice!

Honey, vanilla, grapes, cherries, cinnamon, dark chocolate, oak, and a hint of licorice.

A decent finish that is a little bitter with the dark chocolate making another appearance.

Not a bad whisky and one that I'm glad that I tried. I've never seen it for sell here in Australia, but I'd expect to pay $120 to $140 AUS for it, which isn't half bad all things considered.

I don't think this whisky is for everyone though, I think you'll either enjoy it or you wont. It might be a little too sweet for some people. However if you get a chance to try this whisky, I'd suggest doing so! It's a little bit different and a little bit interesting!

Nose:           23/25
Taste:          21/25
Finish:          20/25
Balance:       20/25

Overall:       84/100

February Whisky Club Meets 2!

Whisky: Springbank 12 year old Calvados Wood

 

Distillery/Brand:

Springbank

 

Bottling:

Springbank 12 year old Calvados Wood

 

Region:

Campbeltown

 

ABV:

52.7%

Colour:

Pale Straw

Review:
Our whisky club met up just a few days ago for our second whisky tasting at the local whisky bar, Helvetica.

I'd arrived early in order to enjoy a dram, and when I flipped through the whisky menu I decided I was going to be in big whiskies only today.

Campbeltown and Islay.

I'd started the night with Longrow 11 Year old Cabernet Sauvignon Finish. As I was enjoying this little dram I was joined by the first member of the group to arrive.

As I went up for my second my brother in law arrives.

He decides he's following me a little bit tonight and also jumps straight into Campbeltown, heading right for the Longrow Cabernet Sauvignon Finish.

Something catches my eye as I head up to place my next order.

Springbank 12 year old Calvados Finish.

A whisky that's been making the blogger rounds lately and one that has had my interest ever since I heard about it due to the fact that I import Calvados into the country to sell.

So I immediately snag a dram of this and head for more seat to take a look at it and see what I can see.

An interesting nose that shows off the Calvados cask finishing.

An initial soft peaty nose gives way to lovely fruit. Apple cider, green apples, some citrusy fruits, cinnamon, a lovely dose of vanilla, a little pear and just a hint of smoke as the whisky's nose develops.

Earthy and smoky with fudge and pepper, a little leathery, brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla make for a nice and sweet, yet slightly smokey palate.

It's very enjoyable. A little too sweet at times for me, but still very enjoyable.

A very long dry, smokey and peaty finish ends off this whisky and once again makes me question why I don't have any Campbeltown whiskies in my cabinet.

This is a problem that needs to be remedied, as soon as possible, but thankfully I can pick up this whisky for a reasonable amount of cash with just a little bit of looking. Runs at around $145 AUS at the few online liquor stores that I've seen carry it. Which considering what I'm getting, is more then worthwhile.

If you're lucky enough to spot this whisky, definitely give it a try, it's excellent!

Nose:              23/25
Taste:             23/25
Finish:            21/25
Balance:         20/25

Overall:          87/100

February Whisky Club Meets 1!

Whisky: Longrow Red  11 Year Old  Cabernet Sauvignon Finish

 

Distillery/Brand:

Longrow

 

Bottling:

Longrow Red  11 Year Old  Cabernet Sauvignon Finish

 

Region:

Campbeltown

 

ABV:

52.1%

Colour:

Old Gold

Review:
The Perth Whisky Club was meeting for the second time this month, on the first Saturday of the month. The meeting was at our standard tasting location: Helvetica Whisky Bar in the CBD.

Now I wanted to get there a little bit early so I grabbed a book to read, a couple pens and my handy dandy tasting notes journal and immediately caught a cab after getting off work.

Sadly I wound up being too early and Helvetica wasn't due to open for another 25 minutes.
This is what happens when you don't bother checking opening times on the internet in advance.

As a favorite tv show once said "what have we learned?"

Anyway I sit on a milk crate in the alley, reading my book and enjoying the delightful aromas of rotting garbage permeating the air around me.
25 minutes later the doors open and I immediately head in so that I can enjoy some lovely aromas of good whisky instead of rotting garbage.

I take a look at the whisky list and for some reason I immediately decide that Campbeltown is where I'm going to start tonight and odds are that's where I'll be all night.

As I peruse the list I notice a new Longrow on the menu. An 11 year old aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels and bottled at cask strength.

$19 a shot doesn't sound half bad so sign me up.

I take a seat in the corner and pretty quickly out comes my Longrow.

Wow it really is a reddish color!

Soft aromas of peat and immediately the wine casks influence can be noticed and smelled.
Cherries, raspberries and grapes ooze throughout the nose along with some sweet vanilla and some faint phenolic notes. At times there is a soft smokey campfire that wafts in and out of the fruit.

Very enjoyable nose.

Just as I get ready to take a taste the first member of the club shows up and joins me. I suggest that he might want to try Ardbeg Galileo which he immediately orders.

Time for my taste!

Immediately I get the peat, it's not shy or subtle at all and then the whisky goes oaky, with some bitter chocolate, then leather, some sweet fruits, but faint. At times this whisky is salty and at other times a little overly sweet.

The finish is long and drying with oak, raisins, cherries and at the very end is a hint of charcoal smoke.

Not a bad whisky, especially to start the night out. However there's something just a little bit lacking. It's good, at times quite good, but something holds it back from great.

Meanwhile the first member is enjoying the Ardbeg Galileo immensely!

I'd happily enjoy the Longrow Red 11 year old Cabernet Sauvignon again, and even better this whisky can be purchased for around $130 AUS if you look around some of the specialty bottle shops.

Nose:         22/25
Taste:        21/25
Finish:        20/25
Balance:     20/25

Overall:      83/100

24 Days of Christmas: Day 18;
A Sexy Christmas Pudding Whisky!

Whisky: Glenfarclas 30 year old

 

Distillery/Brand:

Glenfarclas

 

Bottling:

Glenfarclas 30 Year old

 

Region:

Speyside

 

ABV:

43%

 

Colour:

Old Sauternes

Review:
I've saved the best for the last! 

Odd little way to start a whisky review, but it's true.

My wife had bought me a whisky advent calender from Master of Malt that was made up of 24 different whiskies, from all over the world, different styles, all the good stuff.

I'd decided to start the calender with whiskies that I'd already had and had reviewed.  They got no reviews.  Hahaha because that was already done.

Then I moved to entry level whiskies that I'd had, but never reviewed.

Then entry level single malts from distilleries that I'd never tried before.

Then whiskies from distilleries that I never thought I'd ever get to see or try, such as Wasmund's Single Malt.

Moving older and older into cask strengths, older whiskies, whiskies from my favorite distilleries.

Whiskies that I COULDN'T WAIT TO TRY!

This would culminate in the 50 year Master of Malt Speyside.

There are 2 more whiskies to come, not counting this review until I reach that bad boy.

This whisky, one that had me so eager to try as it comes from one of my favorite Speyside distilleries was Glenfarclas 30 year old.

I love the Glenfarclas 10 year, I personally think it's one of the best entry level Speysides, love it to death so when I saw that I had several Glenfarclas samples in the calender I knew I had to save them for the end.

The Glenfarclas 30 year was for me, the beginning of the end.

Pouring a lovely dark amber color that made me smile and just look forward in anticipation of what was to come I just spent a solid 90 minutes nosing the glass and admiring the lovely thick legs that slid down the glass.

It smells like a Christmas pudding, it's so beautiful!

Sweet fruit of sultanas, raisins, figs, and lots of spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla.  Oak makes it's presence known as is to be expected of a whisky of this age.

However that's not all! 

There's wisps of smoke to the nose, hints of green apple and as the whisky opens up, candied oranges.

Lovely, just absolutely lovely.

This is the kind of nose that intrigues you and invites you to take a sip.

So I do!

The oak makes it's presence known immediately, but it's not over the top.  A little bitter, but not unpleasantly so, but it's also sweet and salty.  Very odd, but entertaining. 

Oak, sultanas, nutty, chocolate and vanilla move back and forth with one another going from sweet, salty and bitter again and again, mainly sweet and salty, but so enjoyable.

A long sweet, soft, silky finish full of candied oranges and chocolate end this whisky.

Wow. 

Just wow.

Holy Crap.

Beautiful, so very beautiful.

Makes me SO very eager and excited to know that in just a few months I'll be visiting Glenfarclas and picking up quite a few of their high end whiskies. 

Family Cask 1981 here I come!

This whisky is extremely gorgeous.  One of those that I feel very lucky to have got a chance to try and even better you can find it for sell in Australia!

However it's not cheap, running at around $300-$350 a bottle depending on where you purchase it.  But if your looking for a special occasion bottle, one that would be awesome to share with good friends. 

If you ever get a chance to try this whisky I'd strongly suggest you do so.  It's beautiful and proof once again why Glenfarclas kicks butt!

Nose:        24/25
Taste:       23/25
Finish:       23/25
Balance:    23/25

Overall:    92/100