tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34005326773977536772024-02-20T23:15:33.580-08:00Malt Mileage - Whisky & Spirit ReviewsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.comBlogger309125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-84421546254364051502014-04-22T05:04:00.001-07:002014-04-22T05:07:55.290-07:00Armorik Double Distillation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BPWnKyQmkZccHtQYtqIxo2r5O78X2aCuDubF3BE7ceVKAE4EOfmv7O1uJZ2q8vrwIBu8k47KcrIhICzdx2EsISIxlxhI6oDuJMCoKw83lS8YxtmeHaDWUUfbWlMMM8z6phR4mNBnqcM/s1600/Armorik+DM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BPWnKyQmkZccHtQYtqIxo2r5O78X2aCuDubF3BE7ceVKAE4EOfmv7O1uJZ2q8vrwIBu8k47KcrIhICzdx2EsISIxlxhI6oDuJMCoKw83lS8YxtmeHaDWUUfbWlMMM8z6phR4mNBnqcM/s1600/Armorik+DM.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score: </b>94/100</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>ABV: </b>46%</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Origin</b>: Brittany, France </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Price: </b>$95</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Armorik “Double Maturation” is another creation from the very talented distillers at the Warenghem distillery in Brittany, France. Warenghem pay homage to the Celtic identity of Brittany with every drop of malt whisky they distill, but this whisky is distinctly French in flavour because it takes advantage of the oak and coast of Brittany. A local cooper provides the distillery with unique casks made from the forests of Brittany and these casks then age the distillate for a number of years before it is matured for a second time in sherry casks. Armorik Double Maturation is interesting because it is matured first in virgin French oak from forests in Brittany, and this is not commonly done when maturing whisky. Combine this with a second maturation in sherry wood and the many years this whisky spends by the sea, and what you have is the rich distillate, salty sea, spicy French oak and fruity sherry wood all in one bottle. It tastes delicious, and refreshingly different to Scotch or Irish whisky. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the nose the soft transparent tannins of European oak dance around orange zest and firm cereal notes that are softened by creamy butter, white chocolate, salted caramel, ripe peach and a floral hue of jasmine. On the palate the oak works its magic, as peppery spices emerge on the entry with undertones of minerality and sea salt, intensifying with chocolate coated cranberry notes that suddenly fade into a mid-palate of cereal and zesty orchard fruit. The finish is possibly the best part, as the lingering cereal notes meld with a coastal theme and hints of salt that melt into bright menthol. This tastes almost like an Island finish, common to whiskies from Islay, but without the peat, obviously. The French oak used is certainly unique in its own special way, and the spices meld beautifully with the fruit and sugars from the sherry wood as the clean flavoursome distillate projects creamy barley and some fine distilling. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is among the very best European whiskies tasted on Malt Mileage, keeping company with two other stars: Spirit of Hven No 2 from Sweden and Fary Lochan Single Malt from Denmark. It almost makes me want to embark on a European whisky trail... did I say almost? It does! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At $95, this is a must buy European whisky and an elegant, creative whisky that showcases great distilling, rare sherry wood and very unique oak from the forests of Brittany. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-20853515878267824772014-04-22T04:09:00.000-07:002014-04-22T04:09:39.372-07:00Amorik Classic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzw2txvqUquGy_gt7Lc7pvcF1ixl_HmgrnVWj7OiVKDkUIwuNFDiyLGjvnedJngpS1z3S1MO_2C6QNhMShSHaCKAEI1iUrqA1NjVMbtGYnw1ElBkRkLH_sqqrTsZlJaHg_4kK3Debp0w/s1600/Armorik+Classic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibzw2txvqUquGy_gt7Lc7pvcF1ixl_HmgrnVWj7OiVKDkUIwuNFDiyLGjvnedJngpS1z3S1MO_2C6QNhMShSHaCKAEI1iUrqA1NjVMbtGYnw1ElBkRkLH_sqqrTsZlJaHg_4kK3Debp0w/s1600/Armorik+Classic.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>Score: </b>90/100<br />
<b>ABV: </b>46%<br />
<b>Origin: </b>Brittany, France<br />
<b>Price: </b>$85<br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Armorik
whisky “Classic” is produced by the Warenghem distillery in Brittany, France.
Brittany is a part of France with an innate Celtic culture and is considered to
be one of the six Celtic nations, together with Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man,
Cornwall and Wales. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Armorik
Classic is made from malted barley and granite filtered Breton water, and this
wort is then fermented and distilled twice. The distillate is then aged on the
coast of Brittany in bourbon and sherry barrels and whisky from these barrels
is married together, un-chill filtered, to create Armorik “Classic”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On
the nose gentle vanillas meld with fresh cereal notes, creamy barley and
chocolate coated raisins with hints of toasted coconut and dehydrated
cranberries. The barley emerges after a while, husky and clean. On the palate
the whisky is mouth-coating with a creamy layered texture that releases raisin
and bourbon themed sugars, vanilla and cereal notes with undertones of spice
that fade into a finish of chocolate coated macadamia nuts and a resurgence of
the dried cranberry on the nose. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">At
$85 this is an excellent value French whisky that offers a youthful punch, but
enough aging to showcase some complex and balanced wood notes. Delicious. <b> </b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-5628988698122540162014-04-22T02:02:00.000-07:002014-04-22T02:10:03.333-07:00Blend 285 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNYq9g0yc92Brp1Pk7DuveE1iPa9WyPRX7XB2ii90uR-lAh_2k2QULcVIHa7kWiOkKjcDE4crcW5NiH53pKYde0to2vIoXR2b7IbDyS1aqRPgRbZWO0bzsMmqG2i7VLK7V6Thyphenhyphen_gKK_s/s1600/Blend+285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNYq9g0yc92Brp1Pk7DuveE1iPa9WyPRX7XB2ii90uR-lAh_2k2QULcVIHa7kWiOkKjcDE4crcW5NiH53pKYde0to2vIoXR2b7IbDyS1aqRPgRbZWO0bzsMmqG2i7VLK7V6Thyphenhyphen_gKK_s/s1600/Blend+285.jpg" height="320" width="156" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Score:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">60/100<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ABV:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">35%<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Origin:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thailand/Scotland
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Price:
</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">~200
Baht ($6)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Blend 285 is a concoction of blended spirits produced by the Red Bull
Distillery in Thailand. It is described on the company’s website as an “admix
spirit, <span style="background: white;">made using a careful blend of local
ingredients and imported vatted malt from Scotland.</span>” These local ingredients
can either be water, alcohol or whisky so what we have in Blend 285 is a fusion
of liquid from Thailand and Scotland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Blend 285 has remained in my whisky
cabinet for over a year, ever since it was placed there after I returned from a
holiday in Phuket. While in Phuket I was keen to try a whisky enjoyed by the
locals and I purchased this bottle of Blend 285 in a reputable chain of convenience
stores for about 200 baht (approx. $6) after a Thai local recommended it. There
is not much written about Blend 285 and its contents is seems to be a closely
guarded secret – an ideal reason to slip on my Singha t-shirt, order some local
Thai food and get into the spirit while I unpack this mysterious blend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The nose presents with hints of peat
within a framework of juicy red apples, cherry jam, dried apricot and soft
vanillas. The whiff of new make emerges after a while, relatively acceptable but
with what smells like a fair bit of smelly higher alcohols and tails from a
distilling run. On the palate the spirit takes on an gelatinous texture and
then the flaws emerge – the acrid burn of alcohol seems very much neutral, like
a cheap vodka, and that astringent bitterness lingers into the finish with the
taste of chemicals and nail polish remover. The nose was definitely promising,
but the whisky showed its flaws on the palate. At around $6, I would not buy
this whisky. I'm not even sure it should be endured even for free, unfortunately. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-70706620555041370702014-04-19T16:32:00.000-07:002014-04-19T16:32:50.601-07:00Fary Lochan Danish Single Malt Whisky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NFsLNOl0o0DEQuOP2ao82WGAEihebokEzNuii6rdB4C7yn4W4ApyGccxP6duhjB6AIEuIRAWiO_O8MVJX9WfTa1UiJibUChau1N7WaZ3SId5Mi8eWJfAsFLMdqTia_MEh4j5ClRIdeM/s1600/fary_lochan_2013_single_malt-p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NFsLNOl0o0DEQuOP2ao82WGAEihebokEzNuii6rdB4C7yn4W4ApyGccxP6duhjB6AIEuIRAWiO_O8MVJX9WfTa1UiJibUChau1N7WaZ3SId5Mi8eWJfAsFLMdqTia_MEh4j5ClRIdeM/s1600/fary_lochan_2013_single_malt-p.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score: </b>94/100</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>ABV: </b>43%</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Origin:</b> Denmark</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Price: </b><span style="line-height: 115%;">€200</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fary Lochan is a distillery located in Denmark, a beautiful country that first caught my attention many years ago when Peter Schmeichel guarded the goals of Manchester United and the Danish national team. Then came the fairy-tale wedding that captured the hearts and minds of all Australians - the marriage of a Prince of Denmark to an Australian we now affectionately call Princess Mary. Denmark is therefore known for producing magic, so let's see whether Fary Lochan can live up to (my) expectations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fary Lochan is delightfully a small batch operation. The expression tasted by Malt Mileage is from batch #1, bottle number 361/555 and cask 2010-02 which was filled on 16 April 2010 and bottled on 14 September 2013. This tells me a few things about the whisky. Firstly, it is a single cask and therefore its character is quite unique, because no cask is exactly the same as the oak in each cask is different and imparts different flavours into the whisky. Second, it is a whisky that has matured for just over 3 years. This seems to follow a trend in European whisky to release whisky after it has been in oak for three years, because only after three years maturation can a whisky legally be called "whisky". There are some obvious problems with this strategy. While whisky in warmer climates (Australia, Taiwan etc) may mature more quickly because oak pores expand when warm and thereby allow more interaction with whisky within oak barrels, countries such as Denmark (or Sweden, Norway, Germany etc) have quite cool climates. This means that whisky from European countries with cooler climates cannot be expected to mature as quickly as whisky from warmer climates. There is a risk, therefore, that such whisky can taste raw and underdone and I have tasted numerous European whiskies that simply taste immature. Fary Lochan appears to represent the evolution of European whisky into something that tastes "ready", young, bright and yet very different to Scotch, Irish, Australian or even Taiwanese whisky. It tastes like European whisky. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fary Lochan smells and tastes distinctly Danish, and it projects a flavour profile that can only be described as lollyshop with red and black jelly beans, resinous honeyed wood, lemon peel sponge, oily barley and hints of maple with floral hues of rose, lavender and a slightly peppery, zesty, finish with anise seed, walnut loaf, raisin, mocha and intensifying wood notes that morph into lingering bittersweet mandarin peel. It is perhaps one of the best European single malts we have tasted on Malt Mileage, keeping company with Spirit of Hven No 2 (a Swedish whisky). It is youthful, but the distiller appears to have carefully selected the cuts to make sure the whisky is clean, sweet, pure and light enough to mature the way it has in three years. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-74635318153859988132014-04-19T07:47:00.001-07:002014-04-19T07:47:10.893-07:00Kavalan King Car Whisky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipQ6b8Bb9Xl7bnF4vefDtb8ffLLkVk3VJ2VVvVzEpVMgjaRnqvXKgQITRd2z6n6RIHLm6VI3H79DP3wnaV1rvgTXvtfWVv9s60b_Hq_EHAPOAp-TfK7uc7qt2nW3Y-eSN73dI3n3hr0I/s1600/PicsArt_1376214212743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgipQ6b8Bb9Xl7bnF4vefDtb8ffLLkVk3VJ2VVvVzEpVMgjaRnqvXKgQITRd2z6n6RIHLm6VI3H79DP3wnaV1rvgTXvtfWVv9s60b_Hq_EHAPOAp-TfK7uc7qt2nW3Y-eSN73dI3n3hr0I/s640/PicsArt_1376214212743.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score: </b>95/100 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>ABV: </b>46%</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Origin: </b>Taiwan </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Price: </b>$140</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">King Car whisky is produced by the Kavalan distillery in
Taiwan and it takes its name from the owners of Kavalan, the Taiwanese King Car
Company. The King Car whisky is intended to be complex, rounded and multi-faceted
to pay homage to the diverse work of the King Car Group. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The whisky itself is evidence that Taiwan can produce world
class whisky that is complex, elegant, interesting and mature. That maturity is
a big part of what makes Kavalan so intriguing. In warmer subtropical climates
such as Taiwan the pores in oak expand from the heat and soak up more whisky
than in colder climates. This means that whisky can mature more quickly in
Taiwan. It also means that a whisky can get too “woody” before being mature
because it soaks up the flavours of the wood without breaking them down
properly or undergoing sufficient oxidization. Whatever oak casks have been
used by Kavalan to mature King Car whisky, they are a masterstroke and testament to the fact that in the right conditions whisky can <i>mature </i>quickly without getting "woody" first. Despite having been matured in such a
warm climate as Taiwan the King Car whisky has an almost perfect balance that
offers a multidimensional display of fruit, vanillas and wood spice with only a
semblance of "woodiness" emerging in the finish. This is a mature world
whisky. Not woody, mature. In my
opinion King Car is one of the most fascinating world whiskies on the market. So fascinating in fact, it has
taken me a while to fully appreciate it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Nose: </i>Banana,
vanilla, sweet custard buns, cherry ripe, toasted coconut, chocolate, papaya,
ground pepper, nutmeg and mild saffron. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Taste: </i> On the entry the whisky is smooth, rounded,
complex and energetic with sparks of spice bursting within its layered creamy texture. Vanilla and reduced banana with
bitter dark chocolate soften sparks of peppery wood spices and cracked cinnamon
as hints of wood begin to emerge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Finish: </i>Hints of
salt with a distinctly umami twist drift over the drying wood notes, bitter
dark chocolate and a resurgence of the papaya and toasted coconut on the nose. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-20764006189179682132014-04-19T07:30:00.003-07:002014-04-28T01:33:46.982-07:00Starward whisky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Score: </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">80/100</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>ABV</b>: 43% </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Origin:</b> Australia</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>initially</b>(Aus)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Austalian whisky has certainly taken the world by storm in
recent years, and one of the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">newest distilleries in Australia is New World
Distillery located in Melbourne, right near Essendon airport. New World
Distillery produces Starward whisky which is now available at Dan Murphy’s for
around $80 – a good price for an Australian whisky because most retail for in
excess of $100. This post follows a
re-tasting of Starward, having first tasted it over a year ago. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The idea of maturing whisky in oak barrels is to smooth out the rough edges of the new make spirit and add flavour to it, through what is in effect filtration through oak (because the pores in oak soak up the whisky, treat it and spit in back out). This takes time, and a whisky should draw out all the lovely flavour compounds in oak without becoming dominated by the wood or tasting woody. The whisky should ideally be <u style="font-weight: bold;">balanced</u>, allowing all components of the whisky - the distillery character in the distillate, oak flavour compounds, wood, previous contents of the oak etc - to play their part. Sometimes, one component dominates. In the case of Starward, in my opinion the wood dominates. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my opinion </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Starward whisky offers a fruity distillate with lashes of barley, banana lip gloss and fortified wine inspired wood notes that radiate dark chocolate but it smells and tastes woody and dominated by wood and fortified wine, not mature. The wood seems to sit over the other components, holding them back and preventing them from shining more fully. The components also seem poorly integrated. For me, it is unbalanced. Granted, it is quite a unique whisky being aged in Melbourne and in Apera casks (until 2010, Australian sherry). However, for $80, this particular batch of Starward (purchased around Christmas 2013) was a disappointing buy because it is so woody. Batches do change, however, and I am looking forward to tasting the most recent batch of Starward soon to see if the wood dominance has receded to allow the whisky to take on a more balanced - and in my opinion much more palatable - character. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Malt Mileage has received a number of communications from Starward which aim to explain why the whisky has a woody character etc. This does not change how Starward tastes to me: woody, not mature. I love all kinds of whiskies - peaty, full-flavoured, spicy, fruity, young, old, those with lots of tails or nice clean spirits - so long as they are balanced and not dominated by one component of the whisky. In the case of Staward, it tastes dominated by the wood. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more information on whisky production and maturation please see: Malt Mileage Guide to Spirit Making. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-42856667191766737002014-04-13T06:48:00.000-07:002014-04-13T06:54:08.072-07:00Compass Box Spice Tree<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdb2ssJ-ZVfxzXpOgj-7aoiwIPoFW3hZwBdvOuTBEgQ7LKCRglVQ1f8GCoYIveQsyI8PjK4e31WPse_HLDdEvCvM9MmwqwhBzHZLa0yIVR9ydi13GCJUCKSPjjscW6ZKCCaRElDxRHWo/s1600/Spice+tree.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdb2ssJ-ZVfxzXpOgj-7aoiwIPoFW3hZwBdvOuTBEgQ7LKCRglVQ1f8GCoYIveQsyI8PjK4e31WPse_HLDdEvCvM9MmwqwhBzHZLa0yIVR9ydi13GCJUCKSPjjscW6ZKCCaRElDxRHWo/s1600/Spice+tree.png" height="400" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Compass Box Spice Tree is a
blend of Highland malt whiskies that have been creatively spiced up with a second maturation in oak casks fitted with new French oak heads with three different levels of toasting. The different levels of toasting allows the spice rich French oak to release different flavour compounds and absorb unwanted flavours through what is in effect carbon filtration, and this contributes to the energetic and intricate display of full-flavoured picante magic that is the Spice Tree. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">At £39 or $85 it is a good value malt blend that showcases high quality Highland malts with a creative spicy twist. </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67M2u0noB6J-cKU0r2ZV8hCCsGm2Wrm0n2pFO7DWceeJzxJ67RubIJ22-Zq_jSeY9ancVnIpSe5OY2tLORHUDkrrQ7y-4-ub44bXthMey5Tbwwe85jYk6jRLml4bxHqHOhO8bH6EFmrQ/s1600/oak_aromatoast.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67M2u0noB6J-cKU0r2ZV8hCCsGm2Wrm0n2pFO7DWceeJzxJ67RubIJ22-Zq_jSeY9ancVnIpSe5OY2tLORHUDkrrQ7y-4-ub44bXthMey5Tbwwe85jYk6jRLml4bxHqHOhO8bH6EFmrQ/s1600/oak_aromatoast.gif" height="155" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Toasting Temperature of oak and flavours, source: World Cooperage</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">The predecessor
to this delicious whisky, also called Spice Tree, was discontinued by Compass
Box because the company was threatened with legal action by the Scotch Whisky
Association (“SWA”). Instead of using new French oak barrel heads, the original Spice Tree had used oak stave inserts which
were placed within used oak barrels and the SWA claimed that this practice was
illegal. Compass Box chose to re-invent Spice Tree as a result, and this is why Compass Box now relies on the new French oak barrel heads, and not inner staves, to give the Spice Tree its unique spicy twist. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818; line-height: 115%;">Nose: </span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818; line-height: 115%;">Rich
waves of vanilla emerge with candied citrus peel, dried fruit, spicy gingerbread, chocolate,
rolled oats and mild scorched nuts, as herbaceous undertones merge beautifully with oily barley and mild bourbon notes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><i style="line-height: 115%;">Taste: </i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Rounded, rich and dark with lots of spice, zest, tang and oak</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">, the whisky has an entry of rich dark chocolate, clove and almond biscuits, orange peel cake, scorched crushed nuts, toasted vanilla, gingerbread, burnt bitter toffee</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> and dried herbs. At mid-palate the heat intensifies with the bite of sweet picked ginger that radiates in the palate, gently warming it with sparks of cinnamon, clove and overtones of a dark chocolate black forest layered with dark cherries and a softer vanilla. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="line-height: 115%;">Finish: </i><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Deliciously</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> oak driven but hardly oak dominated, the finish offers intensifying</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> clove, cinnamon, dark chocolate and burnt vanillas with the lingering sugars of reduced caremalised cherries. </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-2996744283178655062014-04-13T05:02:00.001-07:002014-04-13T05:02:20.857-07:00Compass Box Great King Street Artists Blend <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimS3G4AxT078t311fdJyssw8hSxsmaxWk4mhDo4bQSilMe7GhcNrJe3Xc5yqcbPW0IksyTCDFyWUeIQejmHW4CfLxkKtvGmQmtVhvkKwHdtAFC9bkTjtf4jcMR5ROXlktZY_UWOc1gDvg/s1600/King+street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimS3G4AxT078t311fdJyssw8hSxsmaxWk4mhDo4bQSilMe7GhcNrJe3Xc5yqcbPW0IksyTCDFyWUeIQejmHW4CfLxkKtvGmQmtVhvkKwHdtAFC9bkTjtf4jcMR5ROXlktZY_UWOc1gDvg/s1600/King+street.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Great King Street Artists Blend is a blended Scotch
whisky, which means that it is comprised of both malt and grain whiskies. Produced by Compass Box Whisky Co, the whisky is a blend of different whiskies (46% is Lowland grain whisky, 45% Northern Highland single malt
and 9% Speyside single malt) that have matured in different oak types (mostly American oak, with
66% from first fill American oak, 26% from whiskies finished with French Oak
and 8% from first fill sherry buts). The use of these whiskies and oak types indicates that Compass Box aimed to produce a whisky of great complexity. They have succeeded. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The whisky itself is elegant, smooth, complex and silky with
an inviting nose – the kind of whisky you want to melt into a lounge with,
remote control in hand. The American oak provides the foundation of this blend,
with gentle vanillas and raisin notes mixed with chocolate. The use of French
oak is a masterstroke, because it seems to give the whisky a toasty edge with
hints of spice that are softened by the dried fruit and winy nip from the
sherry butts. The malt content of the whisky also seems high, and the clean
fruity malts meld together beautifully with the more aromatic heavier malts to
create a whisky that is light yet substantial. At £25, or $50, this whisky is an absolute
bargain – a must try. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Nose: </i>Waves of
vanilla with cherry cough drops and dried fruit (dates and raisin) combine with
chocolate, herbaceous mint sauce notes, honeyed ham and flashes of peppery spice.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Taste: </i>Smooth,
light and extremely palatable, the milder grain whisky takes the lead on the
entry with vanilla, caramel and toffee but it is followed closely by the grassy
malts and the heavier fruity malts. At mid-palate the wood becomes more
dominant, adding spice and richer chocolate notes with hints of tannic
herb. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Finish: </i>Toasty,
with slowing dying spice, cocoa and coffee notes supported by dried fruit
counterbalanced by the more bitter wood tannins. </span> <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-75151046072771867062014-04-13T04:42:00.000-07:002014-04-13T04:43:15.584-07:00Compass Box The Peat Monster<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6F6VXuch2GDKdVnDxPUv7ukHM3eAoblBV17oyST0uI6p5g-LBGCtvq8zJv8wu_MyJ3qS8B31zzHFLQbIPnQhKjVh7Xhu_q_CVmb0fMI2m1QPnutdwSXc256q1hLIzMSrnWSUk3SAG8QY/s1600/Peat+Monster.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6F6VXuch2GDKdVnDxPUv7ukHM3eAoblBV17oyST0uI6p5g-LBGCtvq8zJv8wu_MyJ3qS8B31zzHFLQbIPnQhKjVh7Xhu_q_CVmb0fMI2m1QPnutdwSXc256q1hLIzMSrnWSUk3SAG8QY/s1600/Peat+Monster.png" height="377" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No whisky company can ever feel truly complete without the addition of a peaty whisky to its happy little family, and the peaty member of the Compass Box family is Peat Monster. The whisky is a blend of malts from Speyside and two Scottish islands that are known for peaty perfection, Islay and Mull. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peat Monster combines the classic peaty, medicinal, fiery
and tarry notes common to whiskies from Islay and Mull with rich medium-peated
Speyside malts, and marries them together in refill American oak casks. The American
oak imparts vanillas and some sugars but they taste subdued, dominated by the peat rich distillate as it holds back the sugars with its
heavy, almost earthy, character. This is definitely a monster of a whisky, but
a friendly one at that! At £38 or $79 it is a good value malt blend that marries the flavours from Islay, Mull and Speyside and puts them into one bottle. It is
however challenging and seems to be designed for the serious peat lover in mind precisely because it showcases the layers of complexity that can be achieved by blending peaty malts from different distilleries. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Nose</i>: Peat, coastal notes, tarry rope, nylon, cayenne pepper,
sweet paprika and toasty vanilla fill the glass with salted
caramel, mild ground coffee, cocoa and shimmers of cherry flavoured cough drops that carry medicinal notes of betadine and menthol. There are also a few surprises, as the bouquet offers occasional gusts of filo pastry, honey and nuts, raisin, white chocolate and strawberry-vanilla macaroon. No single distillery comes to mind when nosing
this whisky, because it does comprise of whiskies from Mull, Islay and Speyside. Part of
this whisky does however glisten with sherry matured Ardmore, as gusts of
sweetness shine through the fog of peat – intriguing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Taste: </i>Fiery on
the entry, the peat takes the lead with dashes of salinity and a big smoky meaty
core – think thick rashers of oily bacon served sizzling hot, but not crisp,
with some HP sauce slathered on the side with very mild hints of hot English mustard and the (good?) old days of the morning cigarette.
Red peppers emerge within that meaty and peaty haze, and as it settles grassy floral
notes emerge with dried petals and green foliage (not particularly perfumed but aromatic, flowering strawberry fields on a hot sunny day come to mind). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Finish: </i>The grassy
floral notes gradually dry, as the peat lingers with charcoal embers and an
underlying metallic note akin to biting a coin (as you do...). </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-15898090329142907652014-04-11T04:22:00.004-07:002014-04-11T04:28:31.384-07:00Compass Box Hedonism<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71D4EZPXf_hf-iNd9piLKEImr5iPg2lnvRmkD3Raai45qBcTNUS2R1wfd-A7OiDe5sQaPzSXCWI97JjkcdUo_cG0gY2NXlYUJmZP2BCSQ5TEJzGO1HTNGgKOWTmzlBqroMEvheTFnPhw/s1600/CB+Hedonism1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71D4EZPXf_hf-iNd9piLKEImr5iPg2lnvRmkD3Raai45qBcTNUS2R1wfd-A7OiDe5sQaPzSXCWI97JjkcdUo_cG0gY2NXlYUJmZP2BCSQ5TEJzGO1HTNGgKOWTmzlBqroMEvheTFnPhw/s1600/CB+Hedonism1.png" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Compass Box Whisky Co are purveyors <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818; line-height: 115%;">of blended Scotch whisky. Each product in their core range aims to give
consumers a glimpse into one particular style within the spectrum of flavours
offered by Scotch whisky – light, delicate, smoky and full flavoured. Compass
Box buys different styles of whisky from different distilleries and blends them
to create a desired flavour profile in each of their core products, which
include Oak Cross, Asyla, Spice Tree, Great King Street Artists Blend, Peat
Monster and Hedonism. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Compass Box Hedonism is a
blended grain whisky that showcases creativity and a fresh approach to Scotch
whisky, at least in living memory. A century ago blended grain whiskies were
more common. These days the shelves of liquor stores are dominated by either malt
whisky, which is made from malted barley, or blended whisky, which is made from
blending malt whisky with grain whisky. For a very long time t</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">he vast majority of grain whisky has disappeared into the bottles of blended whiskies.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> This all started in</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> 1831 when Aeneas Coffey invented a still that
allowed for the continuous process of distillation and this led to the
production of grain whisky, which, being lighter in style to malt whisky, tempered
some of the fire of malt whisky and therefore malt/grain blends appealed to a
wider market. Grain whisky is usually
designed to be as neutral as possible so that it can balance the fiery kick of
malt whisky and it is this grain whisky that gives grain whisky its reputation
as boring, uninteresting and unspectacular. Some blends also contain grain
whisky that smells very young and this contributes to the bad name of grain
whisky. Times have changed, and while blended whiskies continue to dominate the
market, single malts have become more popular. Rising with the tide is grain whisky,
and heeding to this demand is Compass Box with the release of Hedonism – a whisky
that is designed to be a grain whisky and not blended with malt whisky, which means
this blended grain is comprised of lovely aged whiskies that, when blended, are
rich, complex, full flavoured and, frankly, delicious. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The whiskies used in Hedonism have matured in 100% first-fill
American oak barrels or rejuvenated </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">American oak Hogsheads, and are typically sourced from the
distilleries Cameron Bridge, Carsebridge, Cambus, Port Dundas or Dumbarton. Hedonism
is the kind of whisky you want to selfishly drink alone – smooth, rich and complex
with lots of depth to explore. The spicy fire from the wood and firmer grain
(rye comes to mind) seems to be softened by the caramel, toffee and sweet
vanillas from the softer grains as the anise seed snap of unfiltered
full-flavoured vodka common to more neutral grain distillate melds with an array of sweetened
tea leaves, wood tannins and bourbon themed notes of wood vanilla, dried fruit,
raisin and chocolate that commonly occur when grain whisky, such as corn, wheat
or rye, is matured in American oak. This is a hugely enjoyable whisky that is crafted with lots of creativity and clearly intended for the spirit lover. It is bottled at 43% ABV and non-chill filtered
with natural colour, and at £54 or $110 it is an affordable glimpse into a rare
blend of older grain whiskies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818;">Nose: </span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818;">Toasted coconut macaroon with creamy vanilla and the whiff of a classic
cream layered birthday cake melds with caramel and light strands of toffee
layered over mashmallows. Heavier wood notes bring chocolate as notes of red
pepper seeds combine with the most interesting marriage of bourbon, the dry sugary
gusts from English style pot still rum and the anise seed kick of a sublime unfiltered
vodka. The bourbon notes are entirely understandable, because bourbon is
essentially a grain whisky made from at least 51% corn and then matured in
newly made American oak. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818;">Taste: </span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818;">The entry is smooth, sweet, creamy and bourbon themed with raisin and
dried fruit as the grain itself brings spice and soothing caramels and toffee
interlaced with green tea sweetened with barley sugar, polenta, anise seed and
some fine hints of high quality full-flavoured and unfiltered vodka (the way it
should be, with only the best “cuts” from the distilling run rather than filtered
through mountains of charcoal). Then the oak kicks in, and a flurry of spices
ignite on the palate with chocolate, vanilla, honeyed oats and the twist of
wood tannins. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finish: </span></span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #181818;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The lingering taste of sweet ethanol lingers with bitter green tea ice
cream, that grain filled full flavoured Eastern European vodka,
earl grey, bitter chocolate and toasty American oak. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-11096206198254729442014-04-07T08:54:00.000-07:002014-04-07T09:06:26.583-07:00Glengoyne 25 Year Old <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgz0MOjeBW7CifF5E-Kzkh2haCmxKlJKX2FeC0Z8Q3EyvlS72UKtKrAV5U7tT_51dKWiV0V8_8Jz7MqPUc-74eTHgjrz02ol4wbalG1t1U1RWk0PDfknuSFW00p-Lz0A41RH_jPTTOPAU/s1600/Glengoyne+25+year+old.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgz0MOjeBW7CifF5E-Kzkh2haCmxKlJKX2FeC0Z8Q3EyvlS72UKtKrAV5U7tT_51dKWiV0V8_8Jz7MqPUc-74eTHgjrz02ol4wbalG1t1U1RWk0PDfknuSFW00p-Lz0A41RH_jPTTOPAU/s1600/Glengoyne+25+year+old.png" height="434" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Glengoyne is a distillery located in the Highlands
region of Scotland. It is perhaps most famous for its use of slow distillation
(which means that sulfides in the alcohol can be more optimally absorbed by
copper) and for air drying the barley instead of using peat (which gives its
whisky a clean taste with notes of toffee and apple without a single puff of
peat smoke). Its core range consists of a growing number of expressions, including
the cask strength, 10, 12, 15, 18, 21 year olds (<a href="http://maltmileage.blogspot.com.au/p/tocwidth99margin5px-autoborder1px-solid.html">reviewed here</a>), and, the new 25 year old released
in April 2014. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Glengoyne 25 year old is matured for a quarter century
in first fill ex-sherry casks, which is an increasingly rare and expensive
practice because people do not drink as much sherry as they used to and as a
result sherry casks are getting rarer while demand for them from distilleries increases. We are
advised that sherry casks cost about 10 times more, on average, than bourbon
barrels and that the vast majority of Scotch (95%) is now matured in ex-bourbon
barrels because these barrels are much cheaper for distilleries to buy than
sherry casks. Sherry matured whisky is therefore increasingly rare, and, as a result, the Glengoyne 25 year old is a rare pleasure. If only 5% of Scotch whisky is matured in sherry casks, then the Glengoyne 25 year old in my view sits near the very top of a very exclusive club! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On each nosing and tasting of the Glengoyne 25 Year Old the
resonating sound of BB King’s Lucille guitar echoes in my mind – smooth,
powerful, charismatic, unique, timeless. That Is precisely what captures the
essence of this whisky, as its rich overtones of sherry wood meld beautifully with the clean Glengoyne style – smooth, powerful, charismatic,
unique and timeless. The wood notes in this whisky are a testament to the fine
work being done at the distillery in terms of cask selection and reinforces in my mind at least the traditional edge of Scotch in the world of whisky – you can’t hurry love, because
studies suggest that the compounds in oak need to break down to release optimal
flavours and that takes <i>time</i>, sweet
time. This is not a woody whisky. It is a mature Scotch. At £250 it is certainly
on the higher end of the spectrum but it is important to remember that it has
sat for a quarter century in increasingly rare sherry casks. In the words of BB
King himself:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“You only live but once, and
when your died your done, so let the good times roll.”</span></span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">This whisky may have scored 97 points in a blind tasting which included some of its peers of a similar age, but when savouring this fine dram with the soothing sound of some classic Blues the good times roll to a solid 98 - a delight! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">Nose: </span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">Big
medium-dry sherry notes accompany vanilla, cocoa, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg,
burnt orange, orange zest marmalade, dried dark fruit (dried fig, raisin) and grilled stone fruit with hints of
balsamic and green peppers. As the whisky rests its aromas develop with notes of salty goats cheese, scorched almonds, banana
bread, honey and occasional flashes of a refreshing gust of crushed
peppermint fisherman’s friends. With more time, even more aromas develop with chocolate brownie, caramel, toffee, toothpaste
(in a good way), star anise, Brazil nuts and the dry sugary gust of English style pot still rum. The
bouquet on this whisky can keep me entertained for an hour, and over that time
hints of different aromas sparkle. Amazing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">Taste: </span></i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">So
graceful and smooth, the whisky expresses rich dark chocolate, sherry and dried
fruit as calming waves of vanilla carry sparks of spice, crushed nuts and zesty
sugary marmalade. This is an impeccably balanced full flavoured fruit cake on the palate with
the gradual development of a spicy sweet heat that is the unmistakable magic of European oak sherry wood. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 115%;">Finish: </span></i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Cinnamon,
pepper and other spices emerge with more dominance than on the palate,
glistening in the fog of sherry wood, dried dark fruit and glazed cherries,
candied orange peel and shaved citrus rind with the most curious lingering taste of a medium-dark ale. This is absolutely brilliant that the flavours of the barley still shine, despite 25 years maturation in first fill sherry casks. The finish is long and </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">progressively</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> drying. </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/_Fpx2sPzKMM?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-86290376275090729522014-04-06T07:17:00.000-07:002014-04-06T07:39:59.888-07:00Johnnie Walker Double Black<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI24dCZwKb9kVcT2w4arW4WJo4UpuB-6cctQMp_RU2MyZcv9HPw29TyBBzWfTV1OBXwMBdxdVU75k50yZQt4eOGdHxAdMNAtKouO5frQzSeLabfgTI2vedur4fv1ICFrOxKCFEP-MMHco/s1600/PicsArt_1396780483868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI24dCZwKb9kVcT2w4arW4WJo4UpuB-6cctQMp_RU2MyZcv9HPw29TyBBzWfTV1OBXwMBdxdVU75k50yZQt4eOGdHxAdMNAtKouO5frQzSeLabfgTI2vedur4fv1ICFrOxKCFEP-MMHco/s1600/PicsArt_1396780483868.jpg" height="424" width="640"></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When most people think of whisky, the striding man emblazoned
on Johnnie Walker bottles comes to mind. The vast majority of people enjoy blended
whisky in a mixed drink and, for this reason, Johnnie Walker will most likely be
available in almost every bar, pub, restaurant, liquor store and grandparents dusty
liquor cabinet. Taking heed of changes in the market, however, Johnnie Walker
has seemingly sought to modernize its products with new bottle designs and
some changes to its core line up which now include: Red Label, Black Label,
Double Black, Gold Label Reserve (replacing Green Label), Platinum Label
(replacing Gold Label), and, Blue Label. Each product in the Johnnie Walker
core range offers something different, but perhaps one of the most interesting
is the relatively new Double Black.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Johnnie Walker Double Black is described as a “rich,
intense, smoky blend containing whisky matured in deep charred old oak casks”. It
is intended to be smokier and more intense than the Johnnie Walker Black Label
and as a result Johnnie Walker appear to have created the Double Black for
people who want more smoke, peat, ash and richness than the Black Label. The
whisky itself is a masterful piece of blending, because in my opinion it has
all the hallmarks of a deliciously smooth blend that should appease the mass
market but at the same time bursts on the palate with rich malty flavours that
single malt aficionados often admire in malts from the mainland and Islay – the luscious caramel, toffee, vanillas and chewy honeyed malt
with hints of apple melds with ashy cigar smoke, spicy BBQ, mild medicinal
notes, grassy peat and the mild spray of sea salt with a creamy, almost
buttery, edge. At mid-palate the peat and the wood begin to intensity and
eventually fade into a smoky, drying, finish with lingering sweet malt and
toffee. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Given the arsenal of single malts at the disposal of Diageo
(the owners of Johnnie Walker), it is clear that the Double Black is very
carefully crafted with malts from Islay at its core. The use of the heavily
charred oak casks may also be masterstroke, because studies suggest that heavily
charred oak tends to give a whisky more smoothing sweet vanillas. That is precisely
what, in my opinion, makes the Double Black so delicious – the wood, spice,
peat and sweet smoothing creaminess. The Double Black certainly boasts a rich flavour profile with smokier and more intense flavours than the Black Label, so in this regard Johnnie Walker have succeeded. At $50, it is great value and a fine
example of a peaty whisky that has actually gained a creative edge thanks to the
expertise of a blender. </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looks like the Double Black will now sit comfortably in my whisky cabinet, waiting to be savoured on a frosty night when super smooth easy drinking peat is desired. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-79925635835958197652014-04-06T01:31:00.002-07:002014-04-06T17:50:41.112-07:00Black Grouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20Pz_njkxPfcV-aiWat_fl3fhxbUBYu2YXDTTBthyphenhyphenvB3oO0x4U5vr7hfQDpQyuwgzi9nFVy-oI-kkYR_-uZJmPvXoIGhN9qNaz95Ox4s-t4BN1DfVQj5MOPIR1MmhzoLRL71hvC1tPH4/s1600/Famous+Grouse+Black+Grouse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20Pz_njkxPfcV-aiWat_fl3fhxbUBYu2YXDTTBthyphenhyphenvB3oO0x4U5vr7hfQDpQyuwgzi9nFVy-oI-kkYR_-uZJmPvXoIGhN9qNaz95Ox4s-t4BN1DfVQj5MOPIR1MmhzoLRL71hvC1tPH4/s1600/Famous+Grouse+Black+Grouse.png" height="362" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Famous Grouse can trace its roots back to 1896, when it
was first produced by the merchants Matthew Gloag & Sons. Now owned by the
Edrington Group (who also own The Macallan and Highland Park), The Famous Grouse produces
blended whisky. Its core blend (The Famous Grouse) proudly features the Red
Grouse, the national game bird of Scotland, on all its bottles and has been the
highest selling whisky in Scotland since the 1980’s. The company has also
produced 100% malt whisky blends with age statements, such as the Famous Grouse
12 Year old and Famous Grouse 30 Year Old, but these offerings now appear to be
discontinued as the company moves to a no age statement format which sees it
now have four core products: Famous Grouse, Snow Grouse, Naked Grouse and Black
Grouse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Black Grouse is a blend that includes The Famous Grouse
blended whisky married together with peated malt whiskies from the Isle of
Islay in Scotland, which is the traditional heartland of peat and home to nine
distilleries. Curiously, none of them are owned by The Edrington Group which
prompts some thought as to the origin of some of the Islay malts that have made
it into this blend. The whisky itself is so much more than the honeyed fruit
and vibrant caramel rich malt of the Famous Grouse with a dash of peat. Peated malts
from Islay appear to be added to The Famous Grouse, and this means wonders for the nose and palate – the added peated malts bring a greater malt content, more
oak influence including more textured vanilla and energetic spice, and, some
oily undercurrents of barley that carry the plumes of peat smoke. All this is
smoothed and skillfully tamed with the grain whisky from The Famous Grouse, and
this all translates into The Black Grouse – a highly enjoyable smoky blend with
a noticeable malt content that puts it a level above The Famous Grouse but
which has enough grain whisky to make it smooth enough to be enjoyed by most
people who salivate at the whiff of some peat. At £20, or around $40, Black Grouse
is an exceptional blend that in my opinion can comfortably sit alongside
Johnnie Walker Black Label as one of the best value smoky blended whiskies on
the market. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Nose: </i>A light and
aromatic smoky nose melds peat with honeyed fruit (peach, nectarine, apricot) and
a bright malt interlaced with notes of caramel and vanilla custard. The peat is
soft, sweet and a delight to smell amidst the malt and grain. Hints of salted
butter develop with fresh peppery tropical fruit (papaya, for example) after
the whisky is allowed to rest in the glass, and this appears to introduce the
nose to the wonders of Islay. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Taste: </i>Peat, malt and
toffee take the lead on the entry, but the oak soon follows with notes of
vanilla, wood and hints of cocoa and peppery spice. At mid-palate mild salty notes
and lashes of betadine commonly associated with whisky from Islay are softened
by more dominant overtones of the sweet honeyed grain and bright summery fruity
malt of The Famous Grouse. The Islay malts certainly appear to play an
important role in this blend, adding malt content and mild undertones of salt
and betadine, but the stars of the show are the peat itself, the spices from
the oak and the softening touch of The Famous Grouse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Finish: </i>The spices
continue to tingle on the tongue, peppery and yet fruity all at once, as waves
of caramel and vanilla smooth those sparks of spice and leave the taste of
salted butter lingering. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-41256238711536212752014-04-05T17:21:00.001-07:002014-04-05T17:21:30.043-07:00Ducan & Taylor Smokin'<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks5wWszcI1i9oVeYSprsRXV6zk2W5LJl6NhrDt_9GNS_Oh6qcP1nrGvdEgtiAMeSfFmL10t1i04R7A0Oxw5JKwP9VXAUZRD673fuDvfSUiOpdkrjSzwY0KXmzTSJT4hGBrnEthYrgzBw/s1600/Smokin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks5wWszcI1i9oVeYSprsRXV6zk2W5LJl6NhrDt_9GNS_Oh6qcP1nrGvdEgtiAMeSfFmL10t1i04R7A0Oxw5JKwP9VXAUZRD673fuDvfSUiOpdkrjSzwY0KXmzTSJT4hGBrnEthYrgzBw/s1600/Smokin.jpg" height="400" width="376" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smokin is a blended Scotch whisky produced by independent
bottlers Duncan & Taylor. Duncan & Taylor are known for bottling very
old Scotch whisky at extremely reasonable prices and some of the most noteworthy
among them are the Glenrothes 1969 Vintage 40 Year Old (Octave) and the Black
Bull 40 Year Old. Smokin is a no age statement whisky, and this seems to
detract somewhat from what has made Duncan & Taylor so appealing in the
past – aged whisky at great prices. Nonetheless, with the spike in global
demand for whisky, dwindling supplies of older whisky and more knowledge about
how to mature whisky faster the move to no age statements seems inevitable for
many producers. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is just that it removes
the only objective measure consumers have about the nature of a whisky – how long
it has been in a cask. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smokin is, according to Duncan& Taylor, “whisky as it
used to be” because it pays homage to the heavy smoky blends that were popular
in the past. They joke that Sir Winston Churchill would have approved, which
provides some hints about the inspiration for this blend given Sir Winston’s
apparent love of cigars. The whisky itself comprises of peaty malts from unnamed
Scottish distilleries, but there is an indication that the character of this
whisky is influenced heavily by peated malts from the Scottish mainland rather
than the traditional heartland of peat, the islands – Islay, Skye, Jura, Orkney
etc. Duncan & Taylor write:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Smokin’ – The Gentleman’s Dram contains smoky whiskies from distilleries throughout Scotland, no-longer bound by regional definitions. The Master Blender has perfectly balanced the robust peat smoke flavours now being produced by mainland Scottish Distillers and complimented them with the smooth notes of toffee and vanilla produced by pairing grain whisky and fresh bourbon casks.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Overall, Smokin’ is an enjoyable smoky blend with the
typical sweetness of peaty blends but with an interesting twist of pepper and
sweet n’ spicy condiments such as barbecue sauce, buffalo sauce and </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Worcestershire<span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #545454;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">sauce - saucy indeed! At around £29
it is reasonably spiced for a whisky of a nice peaty persuasion but it seems unlikely
that my hands will ever reach for it over Black Grouse (£20), Johnnie Walker Black
Label (£27) or Johnnie Walker Double Black (£33), some other peaty blends on
the market. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Nose:
</span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;">The
aroma of peat is rich and strong, interlaced with caramel and vanilla with
hints of pepper. A tad shy, the character of the whisky remains beneath the fog
of peat at first and takes its time to open up. There are typical aspects
of peat smoke then noticeable, such as caramelised sugars and the whiff of
cooked hot peppers marinated in barbecue sauce, buffalo sauce and </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Worcestershire<span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #545454;"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">sauce with smoky bacon
– sauce sauce sauce! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">Taste:
</span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;">The
sweetness from the grain is much more noticeable on the palate. Hints of pepper
and dashes of salt occasionally filter through chocolate caramel, vanilla syrup
and the sweet element of barbecue sauce/ketchup as the peat, now sweeter,
remains a constant. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finish:
</span></span></i><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sweetness
lingers with dying embers of peat that crackle with a resurgence of those peppers
on the nose, and sugars from a recently consumed sachet of ketchup and barbecue
sauce. This is a very saucy blend!</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-28853659848181589772014-04-04T21:42:00.001-07:002014-04-04T21:57:47.279-07:00Black Bull Kyloe <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Black Bull Kyloe is a blended Scotch whisky produced by
independent bottlers Duncan & Taylor. Duncan & Taylor are known for
bottling very old Scotch whisky at extremely reasonable prices and some of the
most noteworthy among them are the Glenrothes 1969 Vintage 40 Year Old (Octave)
and the Black Bull 40 Year Old. The Black Bull Kyloe is a no age statement
whisky, and this seems to detract somewhat from what has made Duncan &
Taylor so appealing in the past – aged whisky at great prices. Nonetheless,
with the spike in global demand for whisky, dwindling supplies of older whisky and
more knowledge about how to mature whisky faster the move to no age statements
seems inevitable for many producers. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is
just that it removes the only objective measure consumers have about the nature
of a whisky – how long it has been in a cask.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Black Bull Kyloe is named after a breed of cattle from
the Scottish Highlands that appear to have no issues with the weather, braving
the cold and volatile weather. Either that or they just don’t like to make a
fuss. The whisky itself is a blend with,
apparently, a high malt content and after being non-chill filtered it is
bottled at 50% ABV. It is, overall, a well-priced dram that is hardy just like
the Kyloe but quite a textbook blend with something a tad too young about it that
does not seem to offer much over the other commercial blends on the market.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Nose: </i>The first
whiff of this blend yields no surprises – it is a textbook example of a blend
that, according to my nose, indicates the core of this whisky is young. That
barley s slightly oily, but it still carries the aroma of new make that I would
expect the oak cask to slowly clean up over time. In this regard, it is similar
to a number of entry level whiskies on the market – Ballentine’s Finest comes
to mind. The bouquet is however enjoyable, with a metallic hue that underpins
raisin, powdered chocolate, grain and hints of vanilla with wet varnished pine
wood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Taste: </i>Definitely a
blend on the cheaper end of the spectrum, it is super sweet on the entry with
the grain leading the assault together with syrup, cooked apple, orange essence and hints of
cinnamon and nutmeg with the slight twang of wood. The style of the apple notes
indicates, again, something young is in this blend. Each consecutive tasting
yields the same reaction: “too sweet!”, cringe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Finish: </i>The bitterness
lingers with the syrupy sugars, but they do not seems to be in sync or meld and instead clash with each other
without balancing out. There is more vanilla on the finish, similar to rum and
raisin with shavings of bitter cocoa rich chocolate. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-32169057973450173702014-04-04T06:37:00.000-07:002014-04-05T06:40:05.458-07:00Cutty Sark Tam O Shanter 25 Year Old ★ <div class="MsoNormal">
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Name:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cutty Sark Tam O Shanter 25 Year Old</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Score:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">97/100</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ABV:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">46.5% </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Region:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scotland <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Body:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium-full <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intensity: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium<b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Texture: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium-oily <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Balance:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heavenly <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best served:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neat <b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luscious, elegant, sherry, black roasted coffee, dark chocolate, leather, toffee, cherries, burnt orange, mixed nuts, hints of peat, grassy, hay, wood, spices, ginger, gradually drying mid-palate with a sweetening finish. <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">“</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Weel done, cutty-sark!” </span></span></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tasting notes: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">In 1790 the Scotsman Robert Burns penned the poem “Tam O Shanter”. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">In the poem "Tam O Shanter" a farmer named Tam was riding his horse Meg home from the pub one night, drunk and his belly full of booze, when he spotted witches and warlocks dancing to the tune of the devil playing the bagpipes. He yells “</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Weel done, cutty-sark!” at the sight of a pretty young witch in a short dress, understandably putting his life in jeopardy to draw her attention</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">. I mean, who wouldn't try some smooth talk on a witch who keeps company with warlocks and, apparently, the devil? Needless to say she was not interested in poor Tam who was met with anger and chased away across the river Doon. Lesson learned, Tam. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">About 222 years later, Cutty Sark released the “Tam O Shanter” 25 Year Old blended Scotch whisky to celebrate Burns Night 2012. Cutty Sark needs no introduction. Having enjoyed its heyday in the 1960's and 1970's and famously being ordered by Joe Pesci's character in Goodfellas, the brand is immortalized in popular culture. The problem is that at some stage in the 1980's people began to prefer Johnnie Walker and Chivas Regal which led to a gradual decline in Cutty Sark's market share. Today, Cutty Sark is a shadow of its former self <i>but </i>it appears a re-birth is on the cards thanks to some epic blending work and the use of some rich spicy malts which form part of the signature Cutty Sark style. The Cutty Sark Tam O Shanter certainly showcases brilliant blending and some very old sherry matured malts that taste over 30 years old - a rare pleasure that respects tradition and yet thinks outside the box. This is by no means a simple blend. It clearly attempts to entertain, just as Robert Burns did so many years ago. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Nose: </i>Sherry, beautiful sherry, intermingles with dark chocolate, black roasted coffee beans, leather, preserved dark cherries and mild wood vanilla as grassy undercurrents carry hints of peat and a dry nuttiness typical of the magnificent dark Spanish wooded sherries - Oloroso in particular, being medium-dry. The malt whisky underpins the bouquet, with oily barley and that peaty hay note interacting beautifully with the wood and some mild anise seed. The sherry influence in this whisky is outstanding, a simply stunning example of a sherry matured whisky - a practice that is slowly being eroded by the explosion of bourbon matured whisky as sherry casks become increasingly rare (and expensive!) due to a decrease in sherry consumption. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Taste: </i>A smooth entry brings cocoa, coffee, dates and cherries, and then at mid-palate the flavours explode on the palate and progressively dry - sherry, chocolate, toffee, vanilla, burnt orange with hints of hay, nuts and dashes of Arabic coffee with cardamon and nutmeg all develop, and, as if under some spell, the character of the whisky suddenly reverses as the sweetness and spices begin to dominate into the finish. </span><br />
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<i>Finish: </i>The finish is a delight. The sherry is both sweet and dry, with a bitter nip of wood and almond skin as cocoa lingers with the preserved dark cherries, anise seed and sweet picked ginger. A big fruitcake finish sits on the palate with these flavours - dazzling. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Price: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~<span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">₤200 (UK)</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-87578341926309415312014-04-03T02:57:00.000-07:002014-04-03T03:10:57.252-07:00Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu0FiEGxC4P_XIxJz96C54E5-qkf4B4R1PjftExX2R6jnLzIDAOGZrkmwTlpDyP7NnVb2QNYXnx5IZsknqKU5nZ1ITsZA_SD5Kl7sFapbmOwEmaQRXxCn2ztfMz17isq1eMIdcsWW6Go/s1600/GM+Nectar+d'or.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMu0FiEGxC4P_XIxJz96C54E5-qkf4B4R1PjftExX2R6jnLzIDAOGZrkmwTlpDyP7NnVb2QNYXnx5IZsknqKU5nZ1ITsZA_SD5Kl7sFapbmOwEmaQRXxCn2ztfMz17isq1eMIdcsWW6Go/s1600/GM+Nectar+d'or.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Name:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Type:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Single malt</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Score:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">91/100<b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ABV:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">46%</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Region:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Highlands, Scotland </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Body:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intensity: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Texture: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silky <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Balance:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Superb<b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best served:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cask:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neat </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bourbon casks, finished in <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Sauternes 'Barriques'</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Theme(s):<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">White wine, peach, almond, raisin, vanilla, pastry/bakery (hot cross buns), chocolate, orange zest, cinnamon, spice, raisin, wooded </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tasting notes: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or is matured in bourbon
casks, and then finished in<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
Sauternes 'Barriques'</span> to help infuse the whisky with some flavours from
that particular style of wine. Sauternes is a sweet French wine made from semillion, sauvignon blanc and muscadelle
grapes affected by botrytis cinerea (otherwise known as “noble rot”) which makes
the grapes raisined and therefore concentrates the flavour. <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>This particular whisky therefore has
the foundation of vanilla, coconut and raisin from the ex-bourbon American oak,
but with overtones of sweet white wine that produce a nutty almond like twist
with hints of peach, orange zest and dashes of spice. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Nose: </span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Creamy
barley is interlaced with crushed biscuit, shavings of orange zest and crushed
cinnamon with sharp whips of spice loaf softened by raisin filled bread and
butter pudding. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Taste: </span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">The soft
barley emerges with buttery hot cross buns, waves of chocolate orange, wood vanilla
and sweet winy notes which emit Riesling with peach and almond overtones. The
wood and sweet wine begin to dominate at mid-palate with more spice, and
accompany an increasingly tannic and bitter finish. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">Finish: </span></i></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">The chocolate
darkens, balancing against the sweet wine notes as the wood remains dominant
with hints of honeycomb, coconut, menthol, peppery papaya and a resurgence of the
cinnamon. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">This is an interesting whisky because it has quite a strong
sauternes influence which is counterbalanced by the bitter wood notes that
gradually intensify toward the finish – powerful flavours that may possibly be
amplified as a result of the signature Glenmorangie light style which quietly
sit beneath the storm of character from the oak. It is therefore nicely
balanced and certainly recommended for wine drinkers! The whisky itself is
certainly more dominant on the nose but on the palate the wood and wine
influence dominate at mid-palate and into the finish. </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dGYSpmTjMLk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Likes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Complex, interesting winy twist</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dislikes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Too much wood from the<b> </b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Sauternes 'Barriques'</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Price:</b> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">$85 (Aus)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-86484365605543651862014-04-01T04:13:00.001-07:002014-04-13T06:01:23.992-07:00Spirit of Hven Seven Stars No 2 Merak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<img height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSjcLgMIDDOUw64QmVpajyp6y4GOu7hu78As5rrkXko-D7Wl8u1MqVwyDiJvZ6YkUn_wkdZ2H_8irRQEOGmKTJyNfTa-IqWPW_nx_8dLlxJr-6JfBBWMAy-h4I5g_8-8WuCLfhv68xNQ/s1600/PicsArt_1396348977269.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Name:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Type:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit of Hven Seven Stars No 2 Merak</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Single malt </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">95/100 </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ABV:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />45%</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Region:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sweden </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Body:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium-full </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intensity: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Texture: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oily <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Balance:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Near perfect </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best served:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cask:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neat </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">American, French and Spanish oak </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Theme(s):<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Youthful and vibrant yet oak rich, oily barley, peat, vanillas, dried fruit, maritime salt, caramels, citrus, sweet winy notes, fresh ginger, spice, cigar smoke, tobacco, leather</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tasting notes: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Swedes are not known for their culinary skills.
From <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Surströmming
(which is basically rotted herring) to blodsoppa (blood soup, which says it
all), the Swedes have a traditional palate of peculiar taste and this began to
erode my faith in anything delicious, apart from Rekorderlig cider of course
(and according to my girlfriend, Alexander Skarsgard), coming out of Sweden. Spirit
of Hven’s Seven Stars (No 1) Dubhe provided some shimmers of hope, because it
was a very enjoyable whisky with spice and peat carried by a slightly young
spirit. Then a sample of Seven Stars (No 2), the sequel to this story, arrived
at my door. Wow! Odin himself could not have
crafted a better whisky, and as for the rest of the world, well, take note, the
Vikings are back… but this time the skirmishes will involve some finely crafted
whisky and perhaps a smattering of aquavit to help us with the boredom from vodka
(sorry vodka makers, but you know it’s true). <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Spirit of Hven Seven Stars Merak (No 2) is the second release in the “Seven
Stars” series. It is named after the star Merak in the asterism Ursa Major and
people in the northern hemisphere will know it as one of the pointer stars in
the Big Dipper (or “The Plough” in England) which is an asterism of seven
stars. The whisky itself is matured in American, French and Spanish oak and
blended from only 25 casks.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The balance and complexity of the Merak (No 2) is delightful – oily
barley is interlaced with wisps of peat that underpin a harmonious fusion of
American, French and Spanish Oak. The bouquet offers sweet vanillas, toasted
oak and caramels from the American oak that merge nicely with the more silky tannins,
roasted almond, licorice, musty cloves and floral jasmine from the French oak as
the Spanish oak adds a mysterious twist that melds all the flavours to make
them work together, emitting herbaceous notes (hints of rosemary, oregano) that
shift and change as sure as Loki changed his shape. On the palate that barley
is beautiful, creamy and oily, and it gently shines beneath notes of peat,
dried fruit, orange citrus peel, sweet winy notes, peppercorns, fresh ginger, salted caramel and coastal
rock salt that all emerge almost instantaneously with hints of cigar smoke,
tobacco and leather developing at mid-palate, but in a fascinating turn the pepper and peat intensify as the salt takes on more maritime character and then fades into an ashy finish with overtones of vanilla fudge and almond cake with a tiny bit of red fruit jam. This
is a superstar world whisky that showcases supreme balance, complexity,
freshness, youth, oak influence and the creative twist of a small artisan
distillery from Sweden – the barley is oily, the distillation cuts are clean, the
oak types work together beautifully, the blending is superb and, in my opinion, the </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">strategic</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> use of the casks, peat or both has infused the whisky with salt and
coastal character. This is how you make great whisky and it is unquestionably one
of the finest world whiskies to be tasted on Malt Mileage.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Complex, creative, balanced, enjoyable, interesting </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nNV-FssVlQw7FBphiiX1m3DQ5WdfJa4KeMYfbLF-gpqKaWevIAatFFouxMaXwQdxa5Xghfo4ztVSR2UGBB6Y7SuOWvan3dfQlq52m2BfhsxwfUwS6lS5Zfz8xa8Cwx7uXAwTMJux9no/s1600/PicsArt_1395570345556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nNV-FssVlQw7FBphiiX1m3DQ5WdfJa4KeMYfbLF-gpqKaWevIAatFFouxMaXwQdxa5Xghfo4ztVSR2UGBB6Y7SuOWvan3dfQlq52m2BfhsxwfUwS6lS5Zfz8xa8Cwx7uXAwTMJux9no/s1600/PicsArt_1395570345556.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Name:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Type:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pusser's British Navy Rum</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rum </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Score:<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buy score: </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">93/100</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; line-height: 15.272726058959961px; text-align: start;">★ </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; line-height: 15.272726058959961px; text-align: start;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; line-height: 15.272726058959961px; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; line-height: 15.272726058959961px; text-align: start;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; line-height: 15.272726058959961px; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; line-height: 15.272726058959961px; text-align: start;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; line-height: 15.272726058959961px; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; line-height: 15.272726058959961px; text-align: start;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #f1c232; line-height: 15.272726058959961px; text-align: start;"> </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ABV:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">42%</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Region:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">British Virgin Islands </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Body:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium-full </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intensity: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Texture: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silky</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Balance:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Near perfect </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best served:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neat, mixed</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Theme(s):<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Brown sugars, coffee, dark chocolate, herbal, mild spice, citrus, zest, cola, turkish delight, toffee, cough drops, licorice, vanilla, molasses, wood, tannin rich finish </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thoughts: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yo, ho ho and a bottle of rum! The quintessential navy style rum, Pusser's blue label is modeled on the rum that oiled the cogs of weary British sailors for a few hundred years. Its centuries old wooden pot still, together with this old Navy recipe (which Pusser's purchased from the Royal Navy in 1979), makes it one of the best rum buys since Blackbeard, the notorious British pirate, was keeping the lads in the British Navy busy and fully deserving of a pint or two of rum.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lets get to the rum! It is full flavoured with lots of oak driven notes that accentuate and balance the sugary distillate and bursts with notes of coffee, chocolate, vanilla, citrus, cola, spice, turkish delight, toffee, cough drops, molasses and the drying twist of tannin rich wood towards the finish. This is it, me hearties. The Malt Mileage best buy Navy style rum. I hate to sound repetitive, but splice the mainbrace!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tasting notes: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Nose: </i>Quite light on the nose, the brown sugar develops infused with coffee and dark chocolate as mild surges of vanilla smooth the dry woody pot still notes. Hints of licorice underpin the sugars, together with turkish delight, mild eucalyptus drops and Vicks. I have to say, this is one of the best Navy style rums on the market and it is great to see that Pusser's are not trading on their name but instead continue producing rum of the highest order.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Taste: </i>This rum has a smooth entry that ignites on the palate.<i> </i>Rich brown sugar and denser coffee than on the nose, espresso with lots of brown sugar and a surprisingly delicious nip of Chinotto (cola with bitter citrus) with mild licorice, hits the palate with a spicy twist. There is a solid foundation of vanilla and toffee with herbal and citrus notes, minty and zesty all at once, that brighten up the the smoky haze of wood that begins to develop with intensifying sugar, now molasses, and the slight hint of now rose flavoured turkish delight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Finish: </i>Rich coffee and chocolate notes accompany molasses, as the palate continues to dry with the gradual development of bitter wood notes and associated tanins. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Likes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Complex, smooth, great price </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Price:</b> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">$60 (Aus), £31 (UK)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-60909093261633668712014-03-24T06:49:00.000-07:002014-03-24T06:49:09.248-07:00Wild Turkey Rare Breed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Spirit Name:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Wild Turkey Rare Breed</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Score:<o:p></o:p></b><br /><b><a href="http://maltmileage.blogspot.com.au/p/top-whisky-spirits_10.html" sl-processed="1" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Buy score</a>:</b><br /><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">95/100<o:p></o:p><br /><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="line-height: 15.272726058959961px;">★ </span><span style="line-height: 15.272726058959961px;">★</span><span style="line-height: 15.272726058959961px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 15.272726058959961px;">★</span><span style="line-height: 15.272726058959961px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 15.272726058959961px;">★</span><span style="line-height: 15.272726058959961px;"> </span><span style="line-height: 15.272726058959961px;">★</span><span style="line-height: 15.272726058959961px;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">ABV:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">54.1%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Region:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Kentucky, USA</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Body:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Full<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Intensity:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">High<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Texture:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Slightly oily </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Balance:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Near perfect </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Best served:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Neat, with water, mixed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Its aroma fills the room and suddenly, for whatever reason, the lyrics from John Lee Hooker's "<i>Boom Boom" </i>start pounding in my head. It was at that first whiff I knew I was in for a wild ride that made me ponder just one question at every turn: Can a bourbon get any better? With powdered brown sugar, wood, vanilla, raisins, toasted coconut, mild chocolate, salted caramel, almonds, red pepper, spice and a twist of mint all in near perfect harmony, this uncut barrel proof Wild Turkey is bourbon at its finest. Just like a wild Kentucky stallion - fierce yet elegant, just as nature intended. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Tasting notes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Nose: </i>This bourbon has a gentle yet hugely complex bouquet. Powdered brown sugar mingles with sparks of paprika as smoothing layers of vanilla, mild chocolate and salted caramel moderates the big drying wood notes. There is something spectacular about this whiskey, because as it sweltered in the Kentucky sun it absorbed some delightful notes from the oak - toasted coconut emerges, much like a macaroon with shades of vanilla and cocoa. There is an aspect of earthiness too, with the grain shining with dried fruit - raisins, apricot and sweet strawberry sauce. There is a curious, very mild, maple syrup theme and a brown vinegar that cuts through the sweetness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">Taste: </i><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">A velvet hammer, this whiskey hits the tongue with a thunderous clap and ignites flavours of oak and cayenne pepper all gelled together with the sweetness of maple, sultana, dates and bite of pickled ginger.There is much more wood and spice than on the nose, but the sweetness and undercurrents of vanilla act as a counterbalance.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Finish: </i>The flavours linger on the palate, gradually drying as the wood becomes more dominant. With that comes some cocoa, hints of coffee, glazed cherry compote with vanilla pods and the faintest cinnamon.<br /> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Likes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Big. Powerful. Complex. Smooth. Interesting.... boom boom!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Price:</b><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">$72 (Aus)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-52597822901540620972014-03-23T06:07:00.000-07:002014-03-23T06:07:18.232-07:00Cutty Sark 12 Year Old ★<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoCYonPIoaGSEFCpU5ZEDIl8OcqGiBhglqE8zXaYj9ezf6Zj2-rOOfRZcvgSd1kY_afGKVeDnyksjYpi1icRTEZ5d9-hhpI5xJmuT_7V_L9-atHPVaMawdKR5eJkHgvlbp5EGmgBCqTc/s1600/PicsArt_1374298658533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVoCYonPIoaGSEFCpU5ZEDIl8OcqGiBhglqE8zXaYj9ezf6Zj2-rOOfRZcvgSd1kY_afGKVeDnyksjYpi1icRTEZ5d9-hhpI5xJmuT_7V_L9-atHPVaMawdKR5eJkHgvlbp5EGmgBCqTc/s1600/PicsArt_1374298658533.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Spirit Name:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Cutty Sark 12 Year
Old<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Score:<o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://maltmileage.blogspot.com.au/p/top-whisky-spirits_10.html">Buy score</a>:</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">95/100<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.272726058959961px;">★ </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.272726058959961px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.272726058959961px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.272726058959961px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.272726058959961px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.272726058959961px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.272726058959961px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.272726058959961px;">★</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 15.272726058959961px;"> </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">ABV:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">40%<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Region:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Scotland <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Body:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Medium-full<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Intensity: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Medium<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Texture: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Medium <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Balance:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Near perfect </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Best served:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Neat<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Theme(s):</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This blended whisky has it all - spice, salt, moss, grass, hay, preserved fruit, candy, glazed fruit, mild toffee and malt, vanilla, oily barley, grain, lemon and hints of wood. A masterpiece of blending, the flavours in the Cutty Sark 12 year old meld together until the finish, when a maritime themed saltiness emerges - spectacularly appropriate to honour the ship after which this blend is named, the Cutty Sark. </span> </div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tasting notes: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><i>Nose: </i>The aroma of glazed cherries and red confectionery emerges with moss and drying grass as steaming hot coals release course ashes and some seaweed. There is a mild malt theme about this whisky with a luscious, oily, barley and soft grain. Herbal notes soon develop with anise seed and spicy peppermint , soothed by dry vanilla fudge and the smell of a goey Mars bar. </span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Taste:</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> There is a burst of spicy malt on the palate with oily barley, cherry marmalade with orange rind and hints of lemon and toffee infused vanilla. The flavours are very well integrated, and underlying them is a buttery herbaceous theme, with that distinct mossy/grassy tone but with more earthiness than on the nose and hints of freshly dried Italian oregano. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><i>Finish: </i>Spectacular, a wave a saltiness emerges on the palate with a mossy, almost seaweed, note balancing against the sweetness that continues to sooth the lingering wave of pepper. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Likes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">This is very smooth, complex and interesting whisky.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Price:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">₤34.95<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-91812808256763882222014-03-19T22:07:00.001-07:002014-03-20T05:23:21.059-07:00Glen Grant 16 Year Old <div class="MsoNormal">
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Name:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Type:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Glen Grant 16 Year Old </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Single malt whisky </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Score:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">92/100<b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>ABV:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">43%</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Region:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speyside, Scotland <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Body:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium-full</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intensity: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Texture: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silky <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Balance:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Excellent<b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best served:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cask:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neat</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bourbon cask</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wood, tart fruit, barley, cocoa, butter, nut oils, mild spice, vanilla (natural), light honey, citrus </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thoughts: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Glen Grant is a distillery located in the Speyside region of Scotland and since it was founded in 1840 the distillery has aimed to produce a whisky that is light, smooth and fruity. 174 years later, in 2014, not much has changed at Glen Grant except its size. Glen Grant is now the fifth most popular single malt whisky in the world and the number 1 single malt in Italy. No wonder. The timeless Glen Grant style is so perfectly suited to appreciating <i>la bella vita </i>that I want to kiss the bottle on both cheeks.<o:p></o:p></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite being the fifth most popular malt whisky in the world, Glen Grant only offers a few core expressions – the Major’s Reserve, the 10 year old and the 16 year old. Malt Mileage recently had the opportunity to taste and review the Glen Grant 16 year old, and we found that (unsurprisingly) it offered a slightly fuller mouth-feel and heavier wood notes (with a resulting medium-full body) than the more fruity and lighter 10 year old. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Glen Grant 16 year old is aged for 16 years in ex-bourbon casks. It offers</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> a complex array of tart stone fruit, barley, American Oak and the most delightful citrus peel notes that gradually brighten in the glass as the whisky rests. Despite what the label says, the fruit is more crisp and tart than ripe while the whisky itself is medium-dry on the palate.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most impressive aspect of this whisky in my opinion is not only the wood, but the way the wood accentuates and lifts the oily barley and tart fruit notes in the distillate. Glen Grant prides itself on the use </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of tall slender stills and purifiers, and it is great to see that these purifiers (which basically provide reflux of heavier vapours so that lighter vapours can pass through to be collected) allow the spirit to retain its natural oils and flavours. This means that the whisky does not hide behind the wood or bourbon influence. This is whisky as it should be - full of luscious barley <u><i>accentuated</i></u> by layered and complex wood notes. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more information on distilling and how whisky is made, please see: </span><a href="http://maltmileage.blogspot.com.au/p/when-talking-about-whisky-and-most.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Malt Mileage Guide to Spirit Making</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tasting notes: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Nose: </i>Barley and creamy oats first hit the nose with peaches, yellow plum and a dark chocolate brownie, vanilla fudge cake and spicy (and slightly burnt) ginger bread with caramelized sugars, butter and crushed nuts. As the whisky rests, the creamy vanilla develops with mild honey, almonds and fresh citrus (especially lemon and orange) and those citrus notes gradually brighten into lemon drops and the fresh spritz of peel alongside mild bourbon, crushed bittersweet petals, chocolate coated raisins, mild licorice and coconut coated rum balls. Then the whisky takes on a more consistent aroma - orange peel, dark chocolate, crushed Brazil nuts and anise seed with mild hints of vanilla. <o:p></o:p></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That barley is spectacular. Only beer makers or whisky distillers will appreciate this, and luckily I learned the craft from relatives while in Europe. The barley is oily and rich and it is in fact accentuated by the heavy wood notes. I can smell the cracked barley as it is removed from the boiler. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taste: The entry is silky smooth as the fruit suddenly emerges, crisp, tart and fresh. Yellow plum and orange peel in dark chocolate come to the fore with soft vanilla biscuits and a mild drizzle of honey. Then, at mid-palate, the magic happens. The palate begins to dry as the wood notes become increasingly dominant and interrupt the brief but tranquil start with richer cocoa, mild tanins and natural bitter vanillins. Nestled beneath the wood rests the slowly fading barley - oily, rich and wholesome with hints of crisp green fruit from the spirit.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is by no means a sweet whisky and it has no ripe fruit flavours; they are more crisp and tart with oily barley notes that shine until the gradually dominating wood overtakes it and makes a spectacle of its own on the finish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finish: The finish is bitter and slightly spicy, with drying bitter cocoa and cascading wood notes that are softened by a medium-dry plummy note. </span><br>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Likes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crisp, light yet full favoured and not dominated by bourbon </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Warning:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This whisky was medium-dry on the palate. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Price:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">$80</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-34732175748778574282014-03-06T04:04:00.000-08:002014-03-06T04:06:44.282-08:00Château Du Breuil Fine Calvados<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXKJI_gXqPJyFI3y2W0xKeLUjyRIQdbm2xea7WZJbu-eNcieofY2Ao5ntVBYun1AiDMtet5JTkeq59XLo0qbLLko6iLM-hnIVj9BHAFRv-owWydcS3gF6PlzhA3aAX1-4OFVjTVy1ImE/s1600/IMG_20140306_144339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXKJI_gXqPJyFI3y2W0xKeLUjyRIQdbm2xea7WZJbu-eNcieofY2Ao5ntVBYun1AiDMtet5JTkeq59XLo0qbLLko6iLM-hnIVj9BHAFRv-owWydcS3gF6PlzhA3aAX1-4OFVjTVy1ImE/s1600/IMG_20140306_144339.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Name:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Type:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Château Du Breuil Fine Calvados</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calvados</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Score:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">84/100<b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ABV:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">40%<b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Region:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Normandy, France<b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Body:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Light </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intensity: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Light <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Texture: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Balance:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Excellent </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neat, mixed </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Theme(s):<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simple, uncomplicated, apple cider, puree, hints of oak, spicy (cinnamon) drying finish </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thoughts: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calvados is an apple brandy traditionally made in the
Calvados region of Normandy, France. Produced from fermented apples, or cider
as we know it, this product often plays second fiddle to the grape brandies of
France mostly from Cognac and Armagnac. Exactly why grape brandy is so popular
is a vexing question, particularly after tasting a high quality Calvados while
bearing in mind that there are literally hundreds of apple varieties distillers
can use to craft a Calvados. Be that as it may, for most consumers, Calvados is one of France's best kept secrets. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Château du Breuil has been producing Calvados since 1954, though
quite spectacularly it is housed in a Château built in the 16<sup>th</sup> and 17<sup>th</sup>
centuries. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqHf6TUZ0re3-NNvi0CbxyKyDuACcJ6X4RpnC8M79lUMs12FgD34KDyHCdSCK86qYFzymFGW7RgF63iyIkZ33tprhk3asfaVXtVfXiQw2BMjFGWAng78kUmp7VJg7Q6OctpwGCQSL4Lw/s1600/Chateu+de+Bruil1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqHf6TUZ0re3-NNvi0CbxyKyDuACcJ6X4RpnC8M79lUMs12FgD34KDyHCdSCK86qYFzymFGW7RgF63iyIkZ33tprhk3asfaVXtVfXiQw2BMjFGWAng78kUmp7VJg7Q6OctpwGCQSL4Lw/s1600/Chateu+de+Bruil1.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Château du Breuil produce a number of expressions, the most
readily available are the Fine (2 year old), VSOP (4 year old), 8 year old, 12
year old, 15 year old, 20 year old and Calvados Royal. The distillery also
offers a number of other, more exclusive, expressions. In this review, Malt
Mileage tastes the Château du Breuil Fine, which has been aged for two years on
oak. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is clearly a young brandy that could have benefited from more time in oak, but as the "entry level" Château du Breuil that immaturity is to be expected. As a result, the brandy itself is full of apple cider flavours with very soft hints of oak and the nip of cinnamon on the finish. It is enjoyable, soft and simple without much punch or complexity about it due to its limited exposure to oak. It does not have the typical "hotness" of grape brandies of a similar age, but despite its softness it holds its own in cocktails and mixed drinks if an apple twist is desired. Overall, this is a young, soft and smooth Calvados that is simple, uncomplicated and projects layers of apple that dominate over the oak until the finish. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tasting notes: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Nose: </i>The smell of
apple dominates the bouquet, mostly in the form of a medium-dry cider with a
metallic twist and apple puree. There are hints of oak, with vanilla and cocoa
intermingling with spice. This also smells slightly yeasty. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Taste: </i>Very soft,
the alcohol barely burns the palate as an entry of sweet apple strudel with
raisin dries into emerging spices on the finish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Finish: </i>The fresh
and clean apple notes are accompanied with the nip of cinnamon and the
lingering taste of a medium bodied lager. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Smooth, soft and full of apple flavours </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Dislikes:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Young, but as noted, this is to be expected as it is the youngest of the range </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Price:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">£26 (UK), $55 (Aus)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-26918548310758032802014-03-04T05:11:00.000-08:002014-03-04T05:11:21.778-08:00Espolón Tequila Blanco<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Name:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spirit Type:</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Espolón Tequila Blanco</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tequila </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Score:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">90/100</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ABV:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">40%</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Region:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jalisco (Highlands), Mexico </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Body:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medium-full</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intensity: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soft, with more bite on the finish</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Texture: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silky </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Balance:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Excellent </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best served:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Neat, with lemon/lime, mixed, in a cocktail</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Theme(s):<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Roasted agave, sweet ethanol, "el corazon", tropical fruit, earthy, spicy finish </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thoughts: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Priced at around $45 in Australia and $20 in the United States (remember, Australia has lots of taxes and transport costs), the Espolón Tequila Blanco makes you wonder why other "blanco" or "silver" tequilas command higher prices on the market - it is made from 100% blue agave and follows all the rules of quality tequila production. This is a high quality "blanco" (unaged) tequila with mostly agave inspired notes and at its foundation the golden cut every distiller wants - <i>el corazon</i>, the heart of the run. The sweet stuff. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my opinion, Espolón Tequila Blanco is a great tequila for five main reasons:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The pinas are cooked slowly: </b>Tequila is made from the agave plant, which contains "pinas" (Spanish for pineapple). The pinas are collected and cooked to help produce the agave juice that is then fermented into an alcoholic wash (<i>"mosto"</i>) and then distilled. Espolón cook the pinas for 18-20 hours (as opposed to the <a href="http://www.camparigroup.com/sites/default/files/brand/documents/espolon_press_kit_eng.pdf">industry standard of 12</a>) which means that the agave can, as a result of slow cooking, extract more natural agave flavour while reducing the bitterness associated with caremalisation. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The agave based wash ("</b><i style="font-weight: bold;">mosto</i><b>") is distilled slowly: </b>Slow distillation (<i>"alquitara"</i>) is practiced by Espolón because the distillation takes 5.5 hours (as opposed to the industry standard of 3.5 hours) T<span style="font-weight: normal;">his practice tends to have two benefits for the tequila. Firstly, because </span>the slow distillation (when using a pot still) is usually achieved by using a lower boiling temperature the resulting distilled alcohol tends to be "purer" and does not "carry over" much undesirable compounds. Second, if a copper still is used, the copper is able to absorb more sulfides in the alcohol and accentuate other flavours - the vapours move through the still more slowly and so there is more contact with the copper. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The tequila is made from 100% blue agave: </b>Some tequilas on the market are produced with "fillers" (these are known as "mixtos"), whereas any quality tequila must be comprised on 100% agave. Espolón ticks this box because it is made from 100% blue agave. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It is a good price: </b>For a silver tequila, the Espolón Blanco is great value. For example, Patron Silver is about double the price of Espolón Blanco. Patron comes in a nice squared decanter and it is very smooth tequila, but is it worth double the money? I do not think so. I think Espolón Blanco ticks all the quality boxes - it is made from slowly cooked pinas, 100% blue agave and distilled slowly - so it is hard to mount an argument that a silver tequila can be much better by objective criteria. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>It tastes great: </b>Finally, and most important, this tequila is great tasting! It is smooth and supple with a medium body, and has layers of complexity that burst with roasted agave, mild fruit notes and some spice. </span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tasting notes: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<td style="padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 396.9pt;" valign="top" width="529"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nose: Aromatic roasted agave is the foundation of this tequila, upon which shine notes of mild citrus (limed in particular) and papaya with undercurrents of pepper, sweet caramel and toasted mashmallow. This is fine distilling, with sweet ethanol a constant theme within the agave.<br /><br /> Taste: Smooth, the sweet ethanol bites with the loving nature of "el corazon" - otherwise known as the heart of the run in distilling speak. The agave develops with an initial burst of tropical fruit and more earthiness than on the nose. This is a simple, but elegant, tequila with some bite. The palate then dries, with spice and some pepper.<br /><br /> Finish: A bitterness lingers on the palate, which is drying and almost ashy. With lemon, the tequila really comes out and the bitterness recedes.<br /><br />An old Mexican man once saw me at Costco (Melbourne, Australia). He saw me buying a tequila and he quickly made conversation. I am not sure if this is common in Mexico, but he highly recommended nibbling a lemon or lime with tequila. That is, nibble the lemon or lime <b>slowly</b> and then sip the tequila <b>slowly</b>. We are not talking shots here, but <u>savouring</u> the tequila. I must say, it really does change the flavours. With a wedge or lemon or lime, I would rate this a 92/100.</span></td>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Likes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sweet, elegant, some bite, great value </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dislikes:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mild bitter twang when served neat </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Price:</b> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">$45 (Aus), $20 (US)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400532677397753677.post-80991705981933158262014-03-04T05:04:00.001-08:002014-03-04T05:06:02.095-08:00Wild Turkey Spiced Bourbon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVyz5Ju5KW0nf_oedXHVib9JFIRnPjn7yRoW6EotfaaQAax9Tzzl2P4wjSsPp01ZpUvimPltgcALUyDIRMy8lpuXUdk4pPugq62tZFtUoJ4ocawKqSUh7XtQj1uwcpJr5UznDH-get8Q/s1600/WT+Spiced.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVyz5Ju5KW0nf_oedXHVib9JFIRnPjn7yRoW6EotfaaQAax9Tzzl2P4wjSsPp01ZpUvimPltgcALUyDIRMy8lpuXUdk4pPugq62tZFtUoJ4ocawKqSUh7XtQj1uwcpJr5UznDH-get8Q/s1600/WT+Spiced.jpg" height="325" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Spirit Name:</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Score:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Wild Turkey Spiced Bourbon</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bourbon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">84/100</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">ABV:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">43% </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Region:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Kentucky, USA<b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Body:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Medium </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Intensity: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Medium <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Texture: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Medium <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Balance:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Good, sweet <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Best served:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Neat, mixed, in a cocktail <b> </b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Theme(s):<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bourbon theme, mild spice, vanilla </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Spice is often the domain of the rum lords, as they decide on the mix of exotic flavours to accentuate the sugary character of their rum. No stranger to innovation, Wild Turkey has taken a similar approach with its Wild Turkey Spiced and crafted a spiced bourbon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Wild Turkey Spiced is basically the world famous Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight bourbon infused with natural flavours and spices. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Malt Mileage had the opportunity to taste this new release from Wild Turkey. It is not overly sweet thanks to its natural ingredients, and it exhibits a warming glow of exotic spices that accentuate the flavours of the bourbon - the bourbon flavour remains with only subtle spices, which then intensify towards the finish. It is sweeter than the Kentucky Straight bourbon, with a lighter more rounded mouth-feel thanks to the added vanilla. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is a versatile drink, which holds its own in a mixed drink or cocktail and is enjoyable neat.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Tasting notes: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Nose: </i>The bourbon theme remains, alive and strong, with only subtle shades of spice. Maple cured ham hits the nose, with sweet caramel, vanilla and hints of natural chai. </span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Taste: </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sweet, chocolate notes develop with a Christmas theme of rummy raisin cake and cracked cinnamon as sweet vanilla smooths the drying American oak notes. The bourbon dominates at mid-palate, and then recedes as the spices develop with intensifying sweetness and vanilla. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Finish: </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The sweetness lingers, this time with mild coffee confectionery notes and hints of vanilla. That very mild maple on the nose returns, again with that sweet ham. This is very interesting spiced bourbon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Likes:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Versatile, innovative, tasty</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Warning:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This is a spiced bourbon with some added sweetness from the flavouring </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Price:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">$43 (Aus), $25 (US)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221931743323117711noreply@blogger.com0