Trying Three Whiskies From Around the Globe (Again!)

Yes yes, I know I've done this before, but I was going through my whisky tasting notes that I haven't published and I realize I have a good amount of whiskies from around the world to highlight! Today, I'm going for two very very famous whiskies and one more boutique and unique one. It's an odd trio, but hey, I think they all deserve some air time don't they!

So here is an odd trio of whiskies to sink one's teeth into: The Yamazaki Puncheon, The Singleton of Glen Ord 12 and Maker's Mark Kentucky Bourbon.


Let's start with good ol' Scotch and the Singleton of Glen Ord:

Name: The Singleton of Glen Ord 12YO
Distillery: Glen Ord (Highland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 12YO
Alc/Vol: 40%


The Singleton of Glen Ord is the Singleton expression bottled for the Asian market. Don't be confused with the other two Singleton expressions released by Diageo as part of the Singleton range, the expression sold to the American market is from Glendullan, and the expression sold to the European/African market is from Dufftown distillery. It appears from what I found looking up on the information on this expression that the Singleton of Glen Ord replaced a more popular 'square bottle' expression from the distillery, so it may seem that this expression is getting a bit of bad flak. Let's see how it is.

Nose: Light sherry sweetness, some oak, barley maltiness, citrus and cream. Touch of nuttiness as well in the form of lightly toasted nuts. Not bad (20)


Taste/Palate: Sweet nutty entry, some preserved fruits and a nice barley note. Some honey as well. This is pretty decent drinking whisky (20)


Finish: Some creamy nuttiness and lemon drops, but only a hint in a slightly underwhelming finish (18)


Overall: It is a drinkable whisky that is pleasant, but it is pretty simple and quite light on flavours (19)


Found at: Drinks Fellas


Moving on from Scotland, let's have a look at a really famous Bourbon, Maker's Mark!

Name: Maker's Mark
Distillery: Maker's Mark
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
Origin: USA
Age Statement: Nil
Alc/Vol: 45%


A lot has been said about this 'rising star' in the Bourbon scene, with Maker's Mark starting to make a real impression in the world of whisky. It's been a new whisky of choice for many a cocktail, and bottled at 45%, it makes for a good whiskey drunk neat. Let's have a look at this one!

Nose: Sweet lemon, corn syrup, orange, rye sweetness, vanilla and Sweetcorn Ice Cream. Very sweet, vibrant and attractive! (22)


Taste/Palate: Sweet and spicy entry with notes of corn syrup again and warm ginger and cinnamon. A hint of vanilla and orange sweets too. Pleasant and enjoyable! (21)


Finish: More spice at the end, with a decent mouth-watering rye sweetness, but overall a bit light and flat (19)


Overall: This is pretty good stuff for what it's worth, and is definitely a Bourbon that can be used as a nice introduction to whisk(e)y due to its versatility. (20) 82/100


Found at: Most good bars, Drinks Fellas, B28, Auld Alliance


Last but not least, let's end off closer to home with a new whisky that has been brought in exclusively by La Maison Du Whisky. Here is the Yamazaki Puncheon

Name: Yamazaki Puncheon
Distillery: Suntory Yamazaki
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Origin: Japan
Age Statement: Nil
Alc/Vol: 48%


This is a fairly interesting Yamazaki which is aged in a barrel (a puncheon to be exact) that is probably ex-Bourbon. A puncheon is a type of barrel that is used in maturation, though I'm personally not too sure of the exact capacity, which is said to range from 200+ litres to 450 litres. Whilst Yamazaki is known for its sherried whiskies, this expression is far more vibrant, hinting at the previously mentioned belief that a bourbon cask was probably used for this one. This allows more of the vibrant notes of Yamazaki to come through, and in a good way!

Nose: Highly malty and complex. Notes of vanilla, papaya, ripe mango, sweet honey. Extremely sweet and vibrant notes make for a real pleasant nose! (22)


Taste/Palate: Salty and oaky and malty palate. Buttery notes mix with a pleasant woodiness and is accompanied by sweet papaya and pineapple juice. Really interesting! (22)


Finish:  More woody notes that bring up a drying mouthfeel, with slight notes of crystallized pineapple. The drying mouthfeel is not irritating, but very pleasant to the palate (22)


Overall: Once again, the Japanese show their craft in this whisky. It's not home run quality whisky, but it is great tasting and well balanced (as seen in the scores!), definitely worth a try (22) 88/100


Found at: Fine Spirits at La Maison Du Whisky