Whisky Reviews

Whisky Review #31 – The Single Cask Deanston 15 Years Old

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Deanston 15 years old is a single malt Scotch from Deanston Distillery. It was distilled in 1997 and matured in its cask for 15 years before it was selected by TSC. Cask #1958 was then bottled at 45.8% abv under the label of TSC. It is one of the four exceptional choices offered by TSC to its new members as a welcome gift at the moment. It will be replaced once it is completely sold out!

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Deep Gold
ABV: 45.8%

Nose: The immediate sweet notes on the nose feels like walking into a store full of fresh perfume. Almond vanilla crackers with key lime custard tart mix with honey tea and wild lilies follow after. (16/20 points)

Palate: A sweet and citrus palate like a honeycomb cracker with limes and grapefruits hits the palate pleasantly. It gradually turns into a mellow peppercorn with creamy vanilla burnt wood (16/20 points)

Body: The body is reasonably balanced with honey and vanilla. (28/40 points)

Finish: The finish is short but sweet with a pleasant oaky woodiness (15/20 points)

Total Grade: 75/100 points

Comments:

Geek Flora: “I like how it reminds me of a perfume shop with all my favourite perfumes. A sweet and easy drink that goes well as an after-dinner dram.”

 

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    Whisky Review #30 – Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013

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    This is the single expression that propels the Yamazaki brand and Japanese Whisky to fame. Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 is a no-age statement and was matured solely in oloroso sherry casks. Only 18000 bottles were produced for this expression. This single malt whisky is also produced from malts that created the flavours of the Yamazaki brand. Coupled that with the maturation in oloroso sherry casks, and you get a rich, complex whisky.

    In 2015, whisky expert Jim Murray named this 2013 expression of Yamazaki as the World Whisky of the Year with a whooping score of 97.5! It was also the same year that none of the Scottish distilleries made it to the top five! Since then, the Yamazaki brand and Japanese Whisky gained a major foothold in the industry. The rest of the world finally took notice of this Asian giant that has slowly creeped up behind the Scots. Even Jim Murray said that the Scottish whiskies “fell flat” in his books. 2015 was certainly a “wake-up call” for the Scottish brands.

    Jim Murray described this whisky as “rich and fruity”, with a nose of “exquisite boldness” and finish of “light, teasing spice”. In addition, he said,”If anyone wants to find out roughly what the first Macallan 10 year old I had in 1975 tasted like, then grab a bottle of this …” Wow! That certainly felt like gold.

    Unfortunately, the whisky was sold out so quickly that we were not in time to grab one in the primary market. Prices of this expression sky-rocketed in the secondary market. Surprisingly, the bottles found in the secondary market were sold out pretty fast as well. At present, only selected shops across the world still have stocks of this expression. The price, of course, is crazy.

    We are sad that we are unable to taste this exquisite whisky but we hope to taste it in future!

    What about you? If you have tried the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013, why not share your experience with us here?

    Awards

    World Whisky of the Year 2015 – Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible

    Tasting Notes – Not Available

    Comment:
    Geek Choc: “I remember back in 2010, I tried my first Yamazaki 12 years, and that made me realized that Japan is not only about sake. Subsequently, I managed to get hold of a bottle of Yamazaki 18 years from DFS, and WOW, I was really awed by the quality of the liquid. If I have the chance, the Sherry Cask is a must-try for me!

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      Whisky Review #29 – Yamazaki 25 Years Old

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      Yamazaki 25 Years Old is a luxury bottle from the range of Yamazaki whiskies. It was released in 1999 and is still in production today. It has 12,000 bottles yearly. Yamazaki 25 years old is aged completely in sherry casks, which is a delight for sherry lovers! Similar to Yamazaki 18 years old, this expression of the 25 years old has won numerous awards. However, the drawback from this expression appears to be its inconsistency in its production.

      Awards

      Best Japanese Single Malt – Winner, World Whisky Awards 2014
      Japanese Single Malt 21 Years and Over – Gold, World Whisky Awards 2014
      Best Japanese Single Malt – Winner, World Whisky Awards 2013
      World’s Best Single Malt – Winner, World Whisky Awards, 2012
      Best Japanese Single Malt – Winner, World Whisky Awards 2012

      Tasting Notes

      Colour: Dark Amber
      ABV: 43%

      Nose: Strong sherry with rich dark chocolate at first nose. Red dates, raisins and prunes come after. Burnt campfire wood with hints of apples tops the nose after a while. (17 points)

      Palate: Sweet sherry and chocolate at the beginning but astringent wood and extreme spice raid the palate soon after, overpowering all the sweetness that came before. (14 points)

      Body: Decent balance with sweet sherry and chocolate. Unfortunately, the astringent wood and extreme spice is also presented in the nose, palate and finish. Nonetheless, a balance whisky that can be enjoyed by those who like oaky wood spice. (30 points)

      Finish: Long and dry finish with bitterness that comes from the astringent oaky wood. (14 points)

      Total Grade: 75 points

      Comment:
      Geek Flora: “I have heard various comments about the inconsistency of the production for the 25 years old. The dram that I had definitely did not come from one of its award-winning bottles. I had high hopes for this expression, but was solely disappointed that it did not live up to its reputation.”

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        Whisky Review #28 – Yamazaki 18 Years Old

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        Credits: WhiskyGeeks

        Yamazaki 18 Years Old is released in 1994, 10 years after the success of Yamazaki 12 year old. It was received with much anticipation by the industry. This legendary whisky is a classic and up till today, it is highly praised for its complexity and flavours. Yamazaki 18 years old has received numerous awards, but the most prominent ones are a gold award in the World Whiskies Awards in both 2014 and 2016 as well as Best Japanese Single Malt in 2015.

        The price and rarity of Yamazaki 18 years old has steadily increased with the number of awards it won. It is no longer a bottle that you can easily find in duty-free stores, not even in Japan. You can find it on the secondary markets, but at a crazy price.

        Awards

        (1) San Francisco World Spirit Compeition 2005 – Double Gold
        (2) International Spirit Challenge 2007 – Gold
        (3) World Whiskies Awards 2014 – Gold for Japanese Single Malt 13 – 20 years
        (4) World Whiskies Awards 2015 – Best Japanese Single Malt
        (5) World Whiskies Awards 2016 – Gold for Japanese Single Malt 13 – 20 years

        Tasting Notes:

        Colour: Copper
        ABV: 43%

        Nose: Rich fruit cake on Christmas Day comes to mind as you take in the nose. Raisins, apples and cinnamon sticks coupled with dried dates are mixed with woody oakiness, some sulphur and a pleasant smokiness. (17 points)

        Palate: Smooth and mellow, with strong raisins and red fruits on the palate before the oakiness and smoke comes in to balance it off. Hint of a rich, sinful chocolate cakes comes in towards the end. A perfect mix of sweet and spice. (17 points)

        Body: It is a well rounded whisky that is rich and flavourful. The smooth velvety feel in the mouth feesl luxurious. (30 points)

        Finish: Long, lingering finish of a luxuriously rich chocolate cake, raisins, light peat and some wood. (16 points)

        Total Grade: 80 points

        Comments:
        Geek Flora: “I love the Yamazaki 18 years old because of its rich fruity notes. The hints of chocolate adds appeal. Even the wood and light peat is pleasant. Nonetheless, it is still another whisky that I can live without, especially when the price  has risen considerably since it started bagging numerous awards.”

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          Whisky Review #27 – Yamazaki 12 Years Old

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          Credits: WhiskyGeeks

          The Yamazaki 12 years old is the flagship single malt whisky of the Yamazaki Distillery. Released in 1984, it remains the best selling whisky in the distillery. Due to the shortage of aged whisky in recent years, the Yamazaki 12 years old is getting harder and harder to find in retail shops or duty-free stores. Most of the time, you can only find it in the secondary market.

          Despite the popularity of the Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask (the winner of the Best Whisky in the Year in 2015), the 12 years old is still a great choice for most whisky drinkers. Its relatively mellow notes makes it a pleasant drink on most occasions.

          Tasting Notes:

          Colour: Gold
          ABV: 43%

          Nose: Rich tropical fruits with hints of orange hits first before butter cookies and honey toast makes an entrance. Makes a pleasant nose. Feels like a breakfast cereal. (15 points)

          Palate: Tropical fruits and buttery cookies melt on the palate as you chew on the whisky. Citrus notes mix with vanilla and a dollap of honey softens the spice that comes in shortly after. (16 points)

          Body: A decent balance with a light body and a velvety feel (29 points)

          Finish: Medium finish, notes of sweet malt accompanied by toast, tropical fruits and a slight spice. (14 points)

          Total Grade: 74 points

          Comment:
          Geek Flora: “I drink the Yamazaki 12 years old for some years now. It is getting harder to find, but I can live without it. I enjoyed it as a simple drink that is great for after dinner or a gathering with friends.”

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            Whisky Review #26 – The Single Cask Glenrothes 19 Years Old

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            We have kept the rarest whisky as the last bottle from The Single Cask Masterclass. The Glenrothes 19 Years Old is a dark sherry whisky – generally considered as an expensive and hard to find whisky in the industry due to the lack of sherry casks. Bottled at cask strength in Speyside, Scotland, it is also a single malt Scotch. There is only 86 bottles produced because the guys behind The Single Cask has only bought 60 litres of this whisky (roughly about 10% of a whole cask). Imagine how unique this is! Moreover, this bottle is not for sale. You can only taste it if you head over to The Single Cask for a dram or two.

            This dark sherry is from Glenrothes. The oldest distillery in Speyside, it was founded in 1775 and is still a functioning distillery today. It is owned by the Edrington Group today. The distillery started out as a blending house, supplying both the Famous Grouse and Cutty Sark. They use mainly bourbon casks, but kept some special sherry casks as well. 50 of these special sherry casks was released by Glenrothes in late 2016 for purchase, and that is how The Single Cask got their hands on this!

            Tasting Notes:

            Colour: Dark Red Sherry
            ABV: 58%

            Nose: Aeration of minimum 30 minutes is needed. After 30 minutes: sherried notes of rich Christmas fruit cake engulfs the nose completely, with no other companions. 40 minutes later: dark stone cherries start to develop, pushing the fruit cake to the background. 50 minutes and counting: the oaky notes start coming out, softening the overpowering sweetness. Now the dark stone cherries complement the rich Christmas fruit cake to present a pleasant sweetness that feels really pleasant. (17 points)

            Palate: Rich dark sherry, dark fruits like red grapes and berries fills the palate like a Christmas fruit cake in a glass. Black pepper, nutmeg and clove stay in the background with hints of spices but overpowered by the sweetness. Paired with a 70% dark chocolate, the palate changes. Sweetness is reduced to allow the spices to come out. Nutmeg is especially pronounced after the chocolate pairing. (17 points)

            Body: Well-balanced whisky that needs a lot of aeration. The nose, palate and finish of dark fruits and Christmas fruit cake is exceptional. (33 points)

            Finish: Very long finish with dark fruits and Christmas fruit cake leading the way from the start to the end. Tingles of spices accompanied at the side of the palate, making it a very pleasant finish. (16 points)

            Total Grade: 83 points

            Comments:
            Geek Choc: “It is a little too sweet for my liking (I prefer the Islay peats) but it is a pleasant and well-balanced drink. Due to its exclusivity and uniqueness, I would recommend that you go for a try to judge it for yourself.”

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              Whisky Review #25 – The Single Cask American Sour Mash 5 Years Old

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              The America Sour Mash is a unique Tennessee whisky from George Dickel. Tennessee whisky is normally called straight whisky and must be produced only in Tennessee. Sour mash is a special technique that uses leftovers from a previous fermentation process to add a certain “sourness” to the current batch of fermentation. Bottled at cask strength, the America Sour Mash looks nothing like a 5 years old whisky. In fact, it looks more like an 18 years old! This unique 5 years old can easily be misunderstood as a whisky with added colours, but due to the US mandate that no colouring can be added to any whisky made on its land, you can be assured that the colour of the sour mash is certainly genuine.

              Tasting Note:

              Colour: Caramel
              ABV: 59.7%

              Nose: Nail polish removal on the high! Glue alert! Strong, creamy vanilla tries to cover the acid but succeeds only partially. Caramel popcorns with leather come in shortly, with herbal or tobacco leaves. It feels sharp on the nose, likely to need some water. Gradually, it releases notes of chrysanthemum flowers with acetone. (17/20 points)

              Palate: Aggressive and spicy even as the rich sweetness of corn syrup engulfs the palate, almost like burnt plastic. The hint of sourness mixes with sweet peppercorn and bitter orange chocolate as you keep the liquid in the mouth. Vanilla fades in and out just like the typical American bourbon with hints of salted caramel. (16/20 points)

              Body: A Relatively balanced whisky with overpowering sweet corn and malt. Aggressive and spicy but yet sweet on the palate. (31/40 points)

              Finish: A long finish of over-boiled sweets lingers on the palate with hints of sourness and a sharp spiciness. The overpowering sweetness lingers on your palate long after the drink is gone. (16/20 points)

              Total Grade: 80/100 points

              Comments:
              Geek Choc: “I did not like this very much due to the sweetness of caramel and vanilla. However, I’ve got to admit that the finish is great even if I do not completely agree with it. I think it will be an enjoyable drink for those who like sweet long finishes.”

               

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                Whisky Review #24 – The Single Cask Tobermory 22 Years Old

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                The Tobermory 22 Years Old is an exclusive single malt Scotch whisky bottled by The Single Cask at cask strength. With only 86 bottles available in the market, this whisky is special. The Tobermory distillery is located on the Island of Mor, and to make this whisky, they employed a very special technique. The distillery obtained ex-sherry butts to make this whisky, but instead of using the ex-sherry butts directly, they sent it to a cooperage, had them scraped the inside of the cask, recharred them and put in white sherry. After some time, they removed the white sherry and put in the new spirit and matured it for 22 years. They literally created a whisky out of a second fill sherry butt.

                The result of this unique method is a whisky with a light golden hue instead of a dark red that is typical of a sherry cask. It is nonetheless a whisky made from ex-sherry butts, making it special in its own ways.

                Tasting Notes:

                Colour: Light Golden
                ABV: 59.1%

                Nose: White pepper rushes into the nose with hints of flint and gunpowder with fruity sweetness at the background. After aeration of 10 minutes, the fruity sweetness comes forward to soften the spiciness of the whisky. (15 points)

                Palate: The fruity sweetness greets the palate for a very short while before the peppery spice commands a complete takeover. The spice tingles and burns the tongue slightly but not in an unpleasant way. I had a chance to taste this whisky again after 1.5 months and the palate changes significantly. Now, the entry is brine, pepper and sweet fruits. The spice no longer overwhelms but mix nicely with the slightly salty notes and sweet fruits. It becomes very pleasant indeed! (17 points)

                Body: Generally a balanced whisky that sorts itself out nicely between sweetness and spice. Might be a little spicy for some but those who like a strongly flavoured whisky should like the whisky. (33 points)

                Finish: Unique, long and dry finish with some spiciness to lead the way. Fruity sweetness takes over the spice and after some time, hints of bitter oranges can be felt at the tip of the tongue. (17 points)

                Total Grade: 82 points

                Comments:

                Geek Flora: “Overly spicy for my liking but I do like the finish of the Tobermory. I find the unique long finish pleasant even with the spiciness leading the way because it is softened by the sweetness towards the end. I must say that I like the bitter oranges that came in right at the end.” – 13 August 2017

                Geek Flora: “It has been 1.5 months since I last tried the Tobermory 22 Years Old and I had a chance to taste it again in the masterclass collaboration between TSC and Whisky Butler. The change in the palate of the whisky is amazing! I like the whisky more now. The brine, pepper and sweet fruits mix really well now, and the balance is just fantastic!” – 30 September 2017

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                  Whisky Review #23 – The Single Cask Macduff 19 Years Old

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                  The Single Cask Macduff 19 Years Old is a single malt from Scotland Speyside. As a Scotch, it has a certain reputation to uphold. Featuring the similar sweet notes that are typical in a Speyside Scotch, the Macduff 19 Years Old is bottled at cask strength. Despite the high alcohol contents, the whisky is surprisingly mellow and an extremely pleasant drink.

                  The Macduff distillery is considered as an unfashionable distillery in Speyside because much of its whiskies go to Dewar for the making of the Dewar whisky. Macduff does not have a lot of single malts to its name, but the two that are known are Glen Deveron and The Deveron. The Glen Deveron can be found in DFS in Singapore. Currently owned by Bacardi, the distillery still provide whisky to blending houses, but has developed a range of its own single malts.

                  The bottle from TSC is distilled in 1997, and matured in bourbon casks for 19 years before it was bottled in 4 May 2017.

                  Tasting Notes:

                  Colour: Dark Gold
                  ABV: 53.5%

                  Nose: Floral with some fruity and citrus sweetness are the first to meet the nose. Hints of oak floats in soon after. Slight tints of vanilla at the background. Surprisingly mellow with hardly any hint of spice despite the high ABV. (16 points)

                  Palate: Sweet and malty at the first sip; flowery oak notes greets you before spiciness hits the side of the palate. Vanilla notes lingers in the back. After aeration of a few minutes, the palate changes with the vanilla notes taking a stronger hold. The spiciness also follows with a stronger bite. After aeration of 10 minutes, the spice mellows and takes a back seat and citrus notes overpowers everything else. (18 points)

                  Body: An extremely well-balanced whisky with some surprise up its sleeves. The mellowness is not expected but it made the drink pleasant and easy. Aeration of the whisky also brings out more flavours to add complexity to the drink. (34 points)

                  Finish: Medium to long finish with the sweet and citrus notes lingering for a time. (16 points)

                  Total Grade: 84 points

                  Comments:
                  Geek Flora: “This is a pleasant drink that caught my attention from the first sip. The surprising mellowness and the balance between sweet and spice makes this a wonderful drink for any occassion.” 

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                    Whisky Review #22 – The Single Cask Diamond Rum 12 Years Old

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                    Rum is of course, very different from whisky and it might not sit well with whisky lovers, especially those who are Scotch fans. The Diamond Rum 12 Years Old is bottled at 57% but the original cask strength of this rum is a crazy 71%! Shocking for whisky fans perhaps, but this is a rum that is worth exploring. It needs some time for aeration, allowing the air to mix with the alcohol so that the flavours and characteristics of the rum can fully be developed for enjoyment. Every 10 minutes of aeration creates something new in the rum.

                    Tasting Notes:

                    Colour: Dark Red
                    ABV: 57%

                    Nose: At the first nose, you can only think of brand new sticky tape or perhaps nail polish remover. The sticky acidity is high and it burns your nose with it. As you allow it to aerate, some whiffs of cane sugar float in, followed by molasses towards the end. (15 points)

                    Palate: Acetone engulfs the mouth immediately; the tingle of spiciness hits right after the acids begins to fade. Rock sugar sweetness comes after, with hints of lemons and oranges. Rock sugar overwhelms the citrus zest soon after and sweetness is all you get. Aeration after 10 minutes will bring you new flavours. Now, cane sugar takes centre stage, and the rum becomes even sweeter, reducing the acetone into the background. The citrus notes become stronger and sit well together with the cane sugar. (17 points)

                    Body: A relatively well-balanced rum that is sweet acid. With such high ABV, it is reasonable to have the burn. The cane sugar softens the acidity and makes the rum a relatively easy drink.  (34 points)

                    Finish: The finish was short at first, with the sweetness evaporating almost immediately after you swallow. After aeration, the finish becomes longer, the citrus and cane sugar lingers for a while. (15 points)

                    Total Grade: 81 points

                    Comments:
                    Geek Choc: “The overpowering spiciness overwhelms me almost immediately. The waves of acidity further burn the tongue and throat to prevent further enjoyment for me at the first try. However, after patiently waiting for the aeration to take place, the rum becomes more pleasant as the sweetness gets stronger and I acknowledge that it can be a pleasant drink for some. For me, I just prefer whisky.”

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