Tag: blend | MaltKlaus' Daily Drams

May 19, 2017July 5, 2017

Tasting: Sandy Macdonald Special Scotch Whisky Blend 1950s – Glendullan

Dram data:
Distillery: Blend with Glendullan
Bottler: Sandy Macdonald
Distilled: –
Bottled: ca. 1950s
Age: –
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 40% (70 UK proof)
unknown filtering/colouring
Whiskybase link

Preparing for my 2017 Scotland whisky trip, I think this old oddball whisky will be just what the doctor ordered. It’s a ca. 1950s bottling, with a spring cap. There’s not much info on the (original, not the pictured sample) bottle, but after some research it seems to be a blended whisky, which highlights Glendullan as the “pure malt distillery”. Is it the only malt whisky in the mix? I have no idea, but it might just be – other bottlings from the same era feature several distillery names on the label. Let’s nose and taste it and see if it’s as interesting and intriguing as it looks!

Tasting notes:
Colour: red gold
The nose is quite peculiar. A slightly alcoholic tingle up front with a hint of menthol. Light and fresh – very well-preserved! There are notes of lemon zest, orange oil, lychee, melissa, white peaches on a light backbone of honey, toffee and a hint of machine shop with oil and a sooty chimney. After many minutes in the glass, a cognac-like note emerges in the background. Continue reading “Tasting: Sandy Macdonald Special Scotch Whisky Blend 1950s – Glendullan”

January 29, 2017February 23, 2017

Tasting: Black Mountain Whisky Selection Notes Fumées Blend

Dram data:
Distillery: – (Blend)
Bottler: Black Mountain Compagnie
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2016
Age: NAS (5-6yo with ca. 2 years additional maturation)
Limitation: 3000 bottles
Casks: French spirits cask finish
Alcohol: 45%
probably chill filtered, no colouring info
Whiskybase link

Finally, the first whisky review of 2017 after what feels like an eternity of “bad nose days”. Why not start with a surprise package from France, from the guys behind the “Black mountain compagnie”. They already released two different blended whiskies, one of which I’ve reviewed here. This latest release is the same basic blend recipe, but with an added 20% of “two different smoky whiskies” followed by a marrying stage – not in Scotland, but in France. All in all about 2 years of maturation were carried out in France, so despite having Scottish ingredients, it cannot be called Scotch. Let’s take a look!

Tasting notes:
Colour: straw
The nose features an undeniable smoky note right upon the first contact. Delicate smoke, almost like burning flower petals. Light and floral with delicate vanilla notes and early spring flowers, oranges, grapes, pickled ginger, green apples, some coconut and fudge. Not an in-your-face whisky but thanks to the 45% ABV with a bit more oomph than your standard blends and more elegant. Undeniably the same base (house) style as the BM 1, but the added smoky component does add an additional layer. Continue reading “Tasting: Black Mountain Whisky Selection Notes Fumées Blend”

November 3, 2016November 2, 2016

Tasting: Cadenhead Creations Rich Fruity Sherry 36 yo blend

Dram data:
Distillery: – (Blend)
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2016
Age: 36 years
Limitation: –
Casks: Sherry Butts
Alcohol: 44,5%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

How can you say no to a sherried 36yo blended whisky, especially a small batch product from Cadenhead’s? Too right – you can’t!

Tasting notes:
Colour: red amber
The nose opens on the dark, dense, mysterious side. You might also call it closed-up. But, hang on, it’s a blend, that’s supposed to feature a rather tightly woven net of aromas. A mixture of dark, dried fruits. All the dark, dried fruits you can think of put in a blender and mixed thoroughly – after adding a pint of orange juice with bits, and a handful of orange peel. A pinch of spices – cloves, star anise, cinnamon, pimento – paired with a whiff of peat smoke, cask smokiness and polished oak cupboard. I usually prefer a not so tight and closed-down aromatic profile, but it is a blend after all, and a very good one at that. Let’s see how the palate holds up. Continue reading “Tasting: Cadenhead Creations Rich Fruity Sherry 36 yo blend”

June 8, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Black Mountain Whisky Selection BM No.1 Blend

Dram data:
Distillery: – (Blend)
Bottler: Black Mountain Compagnie
Distilled: –
Bottled: ca. 2015-2016
Age: 9 years (acc. to webpage)
Limitation: –
Casks: French spirits cask finish
Alcohol: 42%
probably chill filtered, no colouring info
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
The story behind this dram is certainly interesting. I hope I’ll get it right, I’m relying partly on an automated translation of the French website. The French “Black Mountain Compagnie” seeks to build their own distillery in the national park of Haut Languedoc in the coming years. For now they’re maturing and bottling Scotch – in France. This blend “No 1” has a high malt content and the youngest whisky is 9 years old, which is quite high for a blend. After being reduced to a marrying strength of 45% they’re maturing it in casks from the south-west of France previously used for French spirits (Cognac? Armagnac? Brandy?) for a period of at least six months before it’s being bottled at 42% ABV. Well, let’s taste it!
Colour: (slightly red) gold
The nose is light and delicate. A dominating slightly green grape note with crushed grape seed bitterness. That’s the influence from the ex-Cognac/Armagnac/Brandy cask maturation/finish. A whiff of spicy French oak, green banana, oxidised green apple, freshly mown grass, lovage with molasses and honey in the background. Continue reading “Tasting: Black Mountain Whisky Selection BM No.1 Blend”

August 19, 2015October 7, 2016

Blind tasting: Johnnie Walker Double Black

Dram data:
Distillery: – (Blend)
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: ca. 2015
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 40%
chill filtered; coloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: fake-looking orang-ey dark gold.
Ah yes, another blind tasting – haven’t done one of these in a while. The only hint I have is that it’s a travel retail 1l-sized bottling. Let’s get going then, shall we?
The nose starts off pretty light and muted at first contact, no way this is bottled at more than 40% ABV. A nose not to offend anyone: A profound generic / honey sweetness paired with vanilla, toffee, orange rind, slight spices (allspice, cinnamon) and perhaps a hint of peat smoke in the background or is the cask fooling my senses here? Continue reading “Blind tasting: Johnnie Walker Double Black”

February 25, 2015October 7, 2016

Blind tasting: Campbeltown Loch Blended Scotch Whisky

Dram data:
Distillery: – (Blend)
Bottler: Springbank Distillers Ltd.
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2014-ish
Age: 5 years (acc. to Whiskybase)
Limitation: –
Cask: –
Alcohol: 40%
Unchillfiltered, most likely uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: White wine.
The nose is very light and perfumy. I’ve got a suspicion this is a blend. Unripe and ripe apples mixed with grapes. Continue reading “Blind tasting: Campbeltown Loch Blended Scotch Whisky”

May 30, 2014July 5, 2017

Tasting: VAT 69 Vintage Austrian Import bottle

Dram data:

Distillery: Blend
Bottler: WM Sanderson & Son Ltd
Distilled: –
Bottled: 1980s? 1990s?
Age: – (probably 3 years)
Limitation: unknown
Price at the time of purchasing: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: doesn’t say! Most likely 40%

Tasting notes:
Colour: Well, E150a reddish-gold. On the nose I get quite a sharp alcoholic first impression with a bit of old glue mixed in. Continue reading “Tasting: VAT 69 Vintage Austrian Import bottle”