Two Old Glens: Glen Keith 1965 and Glenugie 1977

It's been a while and this entry has been slightly overdue with the introduction of the Glen Keith 1965 as one of August's 1965 vintages. Pairing up with the 1965 Glen Keith is another old(ish) whisky from another closed distillery, Glenugie. So here's the low down on the two whiskies...

Name: Glen Keith 1965 Gordon & Macphail Connoisseur's Choice

Distillery: Glen Keith (Speyside)

Type: Single Malt Scotch

Age Statement: Nil

Bottler: Gordon & Macphail

Alc/Vol: 40%

For those who aren't familiar with Glen Keith, it is one of the distilleries in the bustling Speyside region, located near the town of Keith where it gets its name from. Unfortunately for the distillery, it was mothballed by current owners Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard in 1999. This means there is still hope that the distillery may open again, but for now Glen Keith's whiskies will be ever dwindling. 

Nose: Beeswax (very very waxy), fresh honey, some warm cinnamon, salt and fresh fruit notes of apple and pear. Interesting, light and fresh (22)

Taste/Palate: Fresh with a hint of malt and cured meat. Then it becomes very oaky and dry with notes of bitterness. (20)

Finish: Intense notes of licorice build up, with a lingering bitterness and slight hints of the fruit coming up again on the finish. The bitterness is a bit too strong though (20)

Overall: A good dram to try out if one wants to know more of Glen Keith, though the bitterness is a bit too strong for me overall (20) 82/100

Found at: Auld Alliance

Now let's turn our attentions to an even more lesser known distillery, Glenugie

Name: Glenugie 33YO 

Distillery: Glenugie (Highlands)

Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch

Age Statement: 33YO

Bottle No: 105/577

Vintage: 20/12/1977

Bottler: Signatory Village

Alc/Vol: 58.1%

The distillery of Glenugie has made a name for itself as a hidden and little known gem in the whisky world. Closed in 1983, its history was littered with periods of closure and ownership changes. Nevertheless, the whisky that came out of this distillery has been lauded for its high quality. The quality of the whisky has even led Serge Valentin of Whiskyfun to name Glenugie as one of his highest ranked distilleries. This particular old Glenugie was distilled in 1977, during its last period of operation, and it was actually finished in Oloroso sherry casks for a whopping 84 months! That's a 7 year finishing period, which is extremely long. Let's see how this baby tastes

Nose: Really rich and full. Notes of red fruits, strong sweet English Breakfast Tea. Apple juice, caramel and chocolate and some even stronger black tea. Great stuff! (22)

Taste/Palate: Rich and Oily entry with notes of bitter cocoa on creamy chocolate like Royce chocolate. Mid palate it is extremely sweet with notes of chocolate mousse, red fruits and sweet cream. Lovely and pleasantly complex (23)

Finish: Long and extremely pleasant. Sweet and slight fruity with notes of apple rose tea and rose syrup. Great stuff! (22)

Overall: A great whisky that does prove that Glenugie is one worth sourcing out for. Quite strong though! (22) 89/100

Found at: Auld Alliance

Two Speysiders (anCnoc and Mannochmore) + 1 Highlander

Today let's have a look at the distillery expressions of two lesser known Speyside distilleries which don't have much coverage here in Singapore. Nevertheless, their presence here is very much encouraging, and let's hope the brands keep on coming! The two brands are anCnoc (Knockdhu) and Diageo workhorse Mannochmore. Both expressions are 12YOs, so this should be an interesting head to head to see if the Speyside 'Style' is present in both.

Name: anCnoc 12YO
Distillery: anCnoc (or Knockdhu) (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 12YO
Alc/Vol: 40%


The distillery of anCnoc or Knockdhu is located in Huntly, Aberdeenshire near the East side of Speyside. As one would notice by now, it goes by the name of Knockdhu. The reason for the change was to avoid confusion with another Whisky Distillery in Scotland, Knockando, also a Speyside distillery. Under the ownership of Inver House, anCnoc saw a re-branding in 2003, so this is the new look whisky coming out of the distillery since the ownership change. Let's see how it fares.

Nose: Pleasant nose with a very classic honey and spice notes. Honey, ginger orange spiciness, apples and some lemon. Little hints of vanilla, malt and eucalyptus as well. Pretty straightforward though (20)


Taste/Palate: Extremely woody and with bitter and burnt notes on the palate. Burnt nuts, dark roasted malt (like those used in Stout), burnt sugars. Hints of ginger, dried bark, honey, hibiscus flowers and some beer. Overly burnt for me sadly (18)


Finish: Slight licorice, more beer notes as well and a hint of fresh barley. Not too long lasting in my opinion. (18)


Overall: It is pleasant on the nose but I think the roasted notes are a tad too overpowering on the palate. Overall, the whisky is quite straightforward as a dram (19) 75/100


Found at: Drinks Fellas

Name: Mannochmore Flora and Fauna 12YO
Distillery: Mannochmore (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 12YO
Alc/Vol: 43%


The distillery of Mannochmore is one of Diageo's workhorse distilleries, with most of its whisky production going to the drink behemoth's blends. Interestingly enough, it is also the distillery responsible for what is popularly known as the worst whisky ever produced, Loch Dhu Black Whisky. Its black colour and offensive profile has led Johannes Van Den Heuvel, the leader of the Malt Maniacs, to name it 'Aqua Crematoria'. Thankfully this 12YO Flora and Fauna expression, which was released by Diageo to showcase the 'house style' of its many workhorse distilleries, is very much different in style.

Nose: Malty, fruity and honied. Fresh barley water, fresh green pears, fragrant pears and apricots. A hint of raisins and grapes. Light, fruity and overall very pleasant! (21)


Taste/Palate: Notes of pear continue on entry with (interestingly) a light hint of peat. Oak and light creamy nuttiness as well. It continues with notes of malt and a touch of honey. (20)


Finish: Malty at the end with rich barley sugars and some oak. A pretty simple finish (19)


Overall: All in all this is a very drinkable and pleasant whisky. Nothing too exciting, but this is one that will go down easily when drank amongst friends or on a hot day. (20) 81/100


Found at: Auld Alliance, Quaich Bar

Last but not least, let's add in a bonus! Glengoyne is a distillery whose whiskies I've always wanted to try. Fiercely proud of their traditions like air drying their malted barley (meaning no peat at all!) and using the famous but notoriously low-yielding Golden Promise barley, this distillery should promise much... I hope!

Name: Glengoyne 17YO
Distillery: Glengoyne (Highlands)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 17YO
Alc/Vol: 43%


Glengoyne distillery is an interesting distillery due in part to its locality. Located very near Glasgow (which is home to the Lowland distillery Auchentoshan), it is nevertheless classified as a Highland distillery, so their style should maybe be a mix of both? I'm skeptical about classifying all Highland malts under one style, so I'll rather try this with no pre-conceived notions of what it should taste like.

Nose: Full of honey, pear drops and vanilla. Extremely pleasant and rich. These are accompanied with hints of saltiness, oak and the artificial sweetness found in sweets. (21)


Taste/Palate: The fruity, oaky and honied notes continue on the palate with hints of banana, Manuka honey and marmalade. Loads of warm spice like ginger and licorice. Extremely pleasant. (21)


Finish: Creamy and malty with hints of very light white bread, barley and Chinese Malt Candy (麦芽糖 for those who know what this sweet is!) I also get a hint of a light flour candy I ate as a child! Interesting. It's not powerful but it is certainly pleasant (22)


Overall:  I really did enjoy this whisky, it's pleasant and is very enjoyable. Definitely worth a try I must say (21) 85/100


Found at: Auld Alliance

Strathisla 1965 LMDW Exclusive

Oh boy I love it when I see such a line on bottles in Singapore, it fills me with pride:) And now that we are in August, why not share some 1965 joy! Trying a special Strathisla bottled for Singapore's market by Gordon & Macphail is about one of the best things to do for the month of August, and this was what SGwhisky was lucky enough to get to do courtesy of the good people at Fine Spirits At La Maison Du Whisky, who is the retailer behind this bottling. A very old Strathisla cask which was bottled just shy of its 46th birthday, let us see how this compares to other big old sherry expressions...

Name: Strathisla 1965/2011 (Bottled for La Maison Du Whisky, Singapore Exclusive)
Distillery: Strathisla (Speyside)
Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch
Vintage: 1965 (09/12/65)
Cask No: 3473
Age Statement: Not on bottle but 45YO
Alc/Vol: 48%

This whisky was a real beauty in general to me. Very complex on the palate, and very pleasant in general. This is a good whisky!

Nose: Really fruity, red apples, stewed plums, peaches, nectarines coated in honey, sweet chocolate. Some time in the glass reveals some notes of citrus, unripe fruit, burnt sugar (22)


Taste/Palate: Mild sweet entry builds up to a mid palate crescendo of pear, apple and more vibrant fresh fruit notes like berries. Some spice, dusted sugar before mellowing down to some stewed fruit (23)


Finish: Sugary with notes of dusted icing sugar and burnt sugar. Hints of fruit still remain, but in general, just very pleasant and long lasting. (22)


Overall: A nice whisky in general, very pleasant and appealing, definitely worth a try! (23) 90/100


Found at: La Maison Du Whisky

1965 Vintages for National Day #2: Strathisla 1965

1965 Vintages for National Day


Strathisla 1965

Following on from the first 1965 vintage highlighted for the month of National Day, the Glen Keith 1965, SGwhisky would like to present to you another great 1965 beauty, this time from the Speyside distillery of Strathisla. For those who don't know much about this distillery, it is actually the oldest Speyside distillery, and is also famed for some stupendous sherry casks. This 1965 vintage is no different. Bottled at a healthy 48%, this whisky is also bottled for the Singapore market. About 200+ bottles of this single cask expression are available through La Maison Du Whisky, who was the retailer that managed to obtain this lovely whisky.

 
Price wise, the 1965 is also very reasonable, especially for a 45YO whisky. So for the month of August, why not get a 1965 expression bottled especially for Singapore itself, and enjoy a great tasting dram whilst the Nation celebrates!

Detailed tasting notes of the Strathisla 1965 and Glen Keith 1965 will be put up over the weekend!

Found at: La Maison Du Whisky

1965 Vintages for National Day #1: Glen Keith 1965

1965 Vintages for National Day


Glen Keith 1965 (Speyside)


To commemorate Singapore's 46th Birthday, SGwhisky will be highlighting a set of 4 1965 vintages for one and all to have a shot of as we toast to Singapore's good and continuing health! Adding on to that, we've gotten the who's who of the Singapore whisky industry to give their blessings to Singapore as well!

1965 vintages can be pretty pricey, but let's start off with a reasonably priced old bottling from Gordon and Macphail. Distilled in 1965 at the now closed Glen Keith distillery, this whisky is easy drinking and is considerably well priced for a whisky distilled so many a year ago! The fact that it is from a closed distillery adds to the overall value of the whisky, making it one well worth trying.

Detailed tasting notes for this expression will be placed up soon, along with other 1965 vintages that have yet to be highlighted on this blog so hang on to your hats!

Found at: The Auld Alliance

Our Birthday Wish for Singapore:


'A Happy and Healthy nation. And many good years ahead!"
For the best of Spirits!
-Khoon Hui and Joyce
Owners
Quaich Bar

Whisky of the Month (July 2011): Glenfarclas 15 & An Independent Glenfarclas

And so here we are at the end of another month of heavy dramming and happy blogging. This month's whisky of the month segment has been a bit lacking in structure, but we've got there in the end, and to sum end off the whisky of the month segment for July 2011, SGwhisky would like to highlight two great little drams from Glenfarclas, one being their entry level 15YO and the other being an independent bottling!

Glenfarclas has always consistently produced great whisky, and it is no surprise that regardless if you go for an entry level expression or a big old monster, more often than not you will get something good. So let's end off this July segment of whisky of the month with a really interesting pair.

Name: Glenfarclas 15YO
Distillery: Glenfarclas (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 15YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


Although Glenfarclas does have a 12YO expression, the 15YO seems to be the entry level expression of choice for most Glenfarclas retailers here. Having said that, it is not even considered an entry level malt by some, with many swearing by it. It is a highly drinkable expression, and one worth having a try of!

Nose: Fruity, winey and oaky notes on the nose with notes of grapes, ripe plums and blackcurrent pastilles. The woody notes are of dry and clean smelling wood (no varnish). Slightly nuttiness (22)


Taste/Palate: Sweet and spicy entry with honey, malty, cinnamon and muted pepper. The mid palate is buttery and creamy with notes of dark coffee, cocoa and some light cream cheese (22)


Finish: Slightly salty and quite nutty. Some burnt nut notes and an interesting burnt butter note (21)


Overall: A real understated dram. Refined and good stuff, pity it is quite pricey! (21) 86/100


Found at: Duty Free Singapore, Auld Alliance, La Maison Du Whisky, Connoisseur Emporium, Quaich Bar, Connoisseur Divan, Drinks Fellas

The Glenfarclas 40YO Official bottling by the distillery blew me away when I drank it. Even though I may have succumbed to that bit of grade inflation, it is still an amazing dram all round. Let's see how this independent bottling measures up.

Just an interesting side note though: Glenfarclas is one of the few distilleries that jealously guard their brand name when it comes to independent bottlings. This means that the name Glenfarclas cannot be printed on the labels of independent expressions of their whisky. As such, you can spot Glenfarclas whiskies under interesting names alluding to a 'Great Speyside Distillery'. In the case of this Douglas Laing expression, it is named 'Probably Speyside's Finest Distillery'. Don't mix it up with Speyside Distillery, which is a new distillery in, unsurprisingly, the Speyside region.

Name: Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask 41YO
Distllery: Unnamed (Probably Speyside's Finest Distillery: That's Glenfarclas!)
Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 41YO
Cask No: Ref 4191
Vintage: 1966 (326 Bottles)
Alc/Vol: 50%


Nose: Chocolate and winey, notes of red berries, cherries (fresh and preserved), citrus, banana, notes of leather and red apples as well (22)


Taste/Palate: Extremely rich and flavourful palate with notes of coffee and vanilla being the main flavours. Notes of mocha and latte, dark molasses sugar and cinnamon. Extremely pleasant (22)


Finish: Burnt coffee beans, dark sweet floral coffee (Nespresso's Onirio special edition comes to mind), cocoa and brown sugar. Superb finish that is complex, long and satisfying (23)


Overall: Brilliant stuff but it does not seem to hit the lofty heights of the 40YO in my opinion. (22) 89/100


Found at: The Auld Alliance.

So with that, SGwhisky concludes its coverage on Glenfarclas! Many thanks to everyone who has helped SGwhisky with the coverage this month. Stay tuned next month as we bring you our Whisky of the Month: August 2011, Bunnahabhain! 

The Three Silver Seal Whiskies + 1 More!

L-R: Macallan 22, Highland Park 18, Ardbeg 18

A few days back SGwhisky wrote on the interesting new Independent bottler making waves in the Singapore scene (resonating from The Auld Alliance no less), Silver Seal. The independent bottler has been garnering acclaim from the whisky world, and from the regular patrons of The Auld Alliance. But as the saying goes, the proof of the pudding is always in the eating. That phrase is chronically overused in this blog, but the fact of the matter is I truly believe in it, that's why I repeat it till it gets really old.

But I digress, today is about the whiskies that were tasted at the Silver Seal tasting last week. There were 4 altogether, but as the last one was a Rum, it will be better to focus on the 3 whiskies that were tried. So without further ado, here are the 3 whiskies in the order that was tasted.

Name: Silver Seal 'Sestante Collection' Ardbeg 1991
Distillery: Ardbeg (Islay)
Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 18YO
Vintage: 1991
Bottler: Silver Seal
Alc/Vol: 50%


Ardbeg is considered by Max (Silver Seal's owner) as an elite malt. Sadly, due to the immense popularity of Ardbeg in recent years, they are now jealously but totally understandably guarding their best casks. This works against the independent bottlers who have lesser quality casks to choose from. This Ardbeg seems lightly peated, and is quite an interesting malt.

Nose: Loads of lemon, grass and antiseptic. Salted anchovies, and the slightest hint of peat that comes out a bit more with some water. An interesting Ardbeg (21)

Taste/Palate: Very salty but yet clean, like high quality potato chips with sea salt, along with an ashy smokiness. These then give way to some fruity notes of Blood orange, cherries and sweet lemon drops. The flavors then give way to a very mineral-ly finish, like drinking mineral water (almost metallic) (21)

Finish: Very mineral-ly again, with a slight saltiness and notes of lemon drops. (20)

Overall: This might be one of the casks Ardbeg selected for lower peating levels as it tastes lightly peated. The mineral taste is interesting, but I found it a bit intrusive. Overall a drinkable dram though (21) 83/100




Name: Silver Seal Highland Park 18YO (bottled to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Silver Seal)
Distillery: Highland Park (Islands)
Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 18YO
Vintage: 1992
Alc/Vol: 53.1%


Arguably my dram of the day, the Highland Park 18 is a truly unique whisky, extremely aromatic, beautifully complex on the nose and palate, it is a great Highland Park.


Nose: A real beautiful Highland Park nose. Fruity (red fruits), heather honey, unique aromatic peat of Highland park. Lavender, stewed fruits, even some banana. Beautiful (23) 

Taste/Palate: Amazingly complex. First notes of burnt sugar, kiwi, banana, lemon drops, orange sweets. Then the malt, heather honey, rich peat and lavender come in. Notes of honeycomb cake as well, and a touch of nuttiness and peanut butter. The only weakness is that it all comes too close together so its hard to make out all the flavours, but that is just nit-picking (24)


Finish: Lavender, honey, green banana and even some aldehydes in the form of leather. Trails off a bit quickly though. (21)


Overall: Despite the slightly disappointing ending, this is a truly unique and beautiful whisky. Definitely one for the big occasion. It costs quite a bit more than the standard HP 18 bottling, but it is definitely one worth trying! (23) 91/100




Name: Silver Seal Macallan 22YO 
Distillery: Macallan (Speyside)
Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 22YO
Vintage: 1988
Alc/Vol: 56.7%


This Macallan was given a very good 90/100 from Serge Valentin, and according to Max, a recent re-taste has led to a conclusion that some time in the bottle has made it even better. This could be the closest approximation to the 'old styled' Macallans the whisky lovers of the world rave about.

Nose: Absolutely brilliant and complex. Icing sugar, cocoa, candied orange, fresh bananas, banana cream, banana skittles, ripe papaya, honeydew, toffee, red apples, Chinese fragrant pears. This is one amazing nose. One of the few that deserve the accolade of 'Nearly flawless' in my book (25)


Taste/Palate: Vanillia cream, sweet milk chocolate (the rich Valronha sort), chocolate lava cake, green banana, sweet cream ice cream, banana chips? Interesting (22)


Finish: Icing sugar is the main note in an otherwise slightly short ending, quite disappointing actually (21)


Overall: A brilliant nose but the flavours don't seem to keep up sadly. This affects its overall balance too... (21) 89/100

And to round it off, let's have a look at one last Silver Seal Bottling, a very interesting Longmorn 22!

Name: Silver Seal Longmorn 22YO
Distillery: Longmorn (Speyside)
Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 22YO
Vintage: 1988
Bottle No: 116/315
Alc/Vol: 53%


A Bourbon matured Longmorn (quite different from the classically Sherried Longmorns), this is a real interesting dram.

Nose: Creamy and fruity. Banana cream (again!), icing sugar and pears. Sweet, and pleasant! (22)


Taste/Palate: Rich, sweet, but has a strong bitterness to it. Notes of sweet cream ice cream, ripe rock melons and even some ginseng (21)


Finish: More rock melon, and some sweetened milk (21)


Overall: Interesting, a great drinking dram in general, and not too complex (22) 86/100


All Whiskies Found At: The Auld Alliance

Whisky of The Month: The Glenfarclas 30YO

Name: Glenfarclas 30YO
Distillery: Glenfarclas (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 30YO
Alc/Vol: 43%


My apologies one and all for the difficulties for this month's Whisky of the Month so far. It's already down to the last week of the month of July, so SGwhisky will try its utmost to get the remaining few Glenfarclas expressions out for one and all to see and appreciate! We started off the coverage for Glenfarclas with the  Glenfarclas 175, which was an interesting dram. Now we head into the Glenfarclas core range, and sample a nice oldie which is well regarded, the Glenfarclas 30!


Nose: Woah! What a nose! Creamy and reach with notes of espresso with loads of sugar. Raisins, fruit cake, coffee stained sugar, rum and raisin Ice Cream. This is a real classic Glenfarclas quality nose. (24)


Taste/Palate: Mouth coating with notes of coffee, burnt nuts and rich forest fruits (22)


Finish: Slight bitterness with a lovely dry and oaky feel. Fruity sweetness continues as well (22)


Overall: Great stuff but it falls short of the brilliance the 40YO portrays (22) 90/100


Found at: The Auld Alliance, Connoisseur Emporium, Connoisseur Divan, La Maison Du Whisky, Quaich Bar

Whisky of the Month July 2011 (Glenfarclas): The Glenfarclas 175

A quick apology for the lack of exposure to the Whisky of the Month for the first week as Korea came calling. Now back in the comfort of Singapore, it is definitely time to give our whisky of the month, Glenfarclas, some airtime with a look at the Glenfarclas expressions available in Singapore. And where better to start than with the expression that spawned Marketing Executive Ian McWilliam's visit to Singapore, and the expression that has been bottled to celebrate Glenfarclas' 175th Anniversary, the Glenfarclas 175.


Name: Glenfarclas 175
Distillery: Glenfarclas (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: No Age Statement
Alc/Vol: 43%


The story behind the 175 is one that is highly interesting and also lends to the grandeur of the expression and the occasion it is commemorating. A vatting of casks from 6 different decades (1 cask from each decade from the 1950s-2000s), the expression speaks of a rich history of the distillery, and comes in a smartly design tube with prints of the labels used by the distillery through the years. It is a great story and a well-designed bottle, but how does the taste hold up? Let's have a look!

Nose: Notes indicative of both age and youth can be detected. Coffee, rich spices and mellow sherry. Milk chocolate, and hints of creamy young barley. Nicely balanced stuff (23)


Taste/Palate: Spicy and young with an interesting cereal note and dry cocoa before notes of red fruit come in. The young notes dominate (21)


Finish: A nice pleasant fruity finish is the main star in a slightly light ending in my opinon (21)


Overall: In general, the story behind this whisky really helps it alot. Not as emphatic as I had expected, but it is an otherwise good dram. A real collector's item though! (21) 86/100


Found at: The Connoisseur Emporium


Bottled this year to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Glenfarclas

Whisky of the Month (July 2011): Glenfarclas

Distillery Information (From Malt Madness):

Name: Glenfarclas

Region: Speyside

Founded: 1836

Ownership: J & G Grant (Since 1865)

Address: Ballindalloch, Banffshire

Website: www.glenfarclas.co.uk

On the back of the rather successful and thoroughly enjoyable first ever SGwhisky Whisky of the Month last month, we're back for more with July's whisky of the month, Glenfarclas.


Located in the central Speyside region of Scotland, Glenfarclas distillery's main claim to fame is that it is one of the few remaining family-owned distilleries in the rapidly commercializing world of whisky. The licence to distill for Glenfarclas distillery was given in 1836 to one Robert Hay, and it eventually switched hands to John Grant in 1865, starting the relationship between the Grant family and the distillery, a relationship that has been maintained till this day.

The history of Glenfarclas, however, is anything but rosy. It was one of the distilleries that was right in the centre of the Pattison Crisis at the turn of the 20th century. Johannes from the Malt Maniacs has a great write up on that part of Glenfarclas' history on his Malt Madness blog (for my money one of the best online whisky resources one can find), but to cut a long story short, the Pattison brothers were an infamous pair of businessmen whose less than legal business dealings brought the scotch whisky industry to its knees in the early 1900s. Glenfarclas was one of the distilleries that the Pattison's had a significant stake in, but thankfully for the distillery, the Grant family (who co-owned the distillery at that time) made sure it didn't have to close.

Today, Glenfarclas is a highly traditional Speyside distillery which emphasizes quality in its whisky, and not quantity. It has also chosen to go down the route of strict adherence to traditional whisky production methods and expressions, using only top quality Oloroso Sherry Casks and Bourbon Casks in their maturation. Their expressions hence do not include any special wood finishes that many a distillery are coming up with today, the only 'experimentation' being releasing numerous whiskies with different age statements so that one can see how age affects the maturation of its whisky. Glenfarclas is also famous for its extensive range of vintage releases under the name 'Family Casks', which has garnered critical acclaim from the whisky world. The House Style of Glenfarclas is hence naturally very sherried with rich flavours of fruit, cocoa and coffee, and its older expressions are honestly quite complex stuff!

Glenfarclas in Singapore

In Singapore, Glenfarclas is slowly gaining popularity within the niche market of whisky lovers and enthusiasts Distributed by Spirit of Scotland, it is found in almost every whisky bar in Singapore, including The Auld Alliance, Connoisseur Divan, Fine Spirits @ La Maison Du Whisky, B28 and Quaich Bar. Retailers like Drinks Fellas and La Maison also have a great selection of Glenfarclas whisky, making it a real popular whisky amongst the whisky drinking populous in Singapore.

One of the biggest champions of Glenfarclas though would be The Connoisseur Emporium, who have a great selection of Glenfarclas whiskies that include the 15YO, 25YO, 30YO, 40YO, Glenfarclas 175 and a healthy range of the Family Casks. In June 2011, Glenfarclas' Marketing Executive Ian McWilliam visited Singapore to raise awareness for Glenfarclas whisky and SGwhisky managed to catch up with him for a quick word. The interview between Ian and SGwhisky will be released in conjunction with this month's whisky of the month! Till then, keep your eyes peeled!

A Sherried Journey (Extras): A Macallan 8YO from the 1970s

It's funny how things turn out the way they do sometimes. Last week, SGwhisky had a quick look at Sherried whiskies and even had a taste of 4 such whiskies, and lo and behold, another Sherried marvel comes knocking! Last week, I paid a visit to The Auld Alliance, and owner Emmanuel Dron brought in front of me a Macallan 8 YO bottled for Renaldi (Circa 1975). Yes, a Macallan from the late 1960s-70s. Perhaps not the best of the best, but definitely from the era which shot Macallan to sherry (and whisky) super-stardom.

Naturally, chances like this don't come everyday, so I took it with both hands! So as a nice little extra for SGwhisky's Sherried Journey, here is the Macallan 8YO (circa 1975)

Name: Macallan 8YO
Distillery: Macallan (Speyside/Highland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 8YO
Bottled for: Rinaldi (circa 1975)
Alc/Vol: 43%

Nose: Rich, creamy and sweet sherry, notes of toffee, chocolate, rich fruits like black berries (and red apples?) and some barley. This really is a classic sherry nose! (23)


Taste/Palate: Dark chocolate, dusted cocoa and red fruit bring up the entry, with sweet caramel, light fragrant pear and even a hint of ginger. Rich, creamy and extremely sophisticated and brilliant for an 8YO! (23)


Finish: Rich sweetness and creaminess continue with a slight estery note (21)


Overall: Brilliant stuff. Bar owner Emmanuel Dron reckons he can drink such a whisky all night, and I'm not inclined to disagree with that. Balanced, easy drinking yet extremely sophisticated (23) 90/100


Found at: The Auld Alliance (won't be surprised if it is gone by now though!)

Whisky of the Month (June 2011): The Final Duo!

Time really flies and its time to wrap up SGwhisky's first ever whisky of the month! During the past month, BenRiach has been highlighted as our whisky of the month and it was great to see people expressing interest in some of the interesting expressions that this distillery has to offer. In many ways, it is a truly progressive distillery that deserves immense praise.

To end of this month's segment, SGwhisky would like to highlight two special expressions from BenRiach, in hopes that we end the inaugural whisky of the month in style. So here's the final two expressions, the BenRiach Solstice and the BenRiach Authenticus 21YO. 

Name: BenRiach Solstice
Distillery: BenRiach (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 15YO
Alc/Vol: 50%


The BenRiach Solstice was one of the two latest special releases from BenRiach that have recently hit the market, the other being the BenRiach Horizons. Whilst the Horizons is a Triple Distilled expression, emphasizing the smoothness and flavours, the Solstice is a real power house of flavour that shows some of the impressive experimentation that is ongoing at this distillery.

The Solstice is a combination of Heavily Peated and Port Finished experimentation, not unlike the Port Wood expressions they have released. This however, is supposed even more peated and aged in Tawny Port Pipes, before being bottled without filtration or colouring. It is also bottled at a whopping 50%, making it a much stronger dram.

Nose: Wine and peat mingle in an extremely balanced way. Notes of sweetened grapefruits, crushed grapes, and rose bring up the strong winey characteristics, with an alluring dash of peatiness as well. (22.5)

Taste: Sweet winey and fruity entry with notes of honey, rich berries that have been stewed. This is followed by a real spicy and peaty kick before both blend into a nice sweet smokiness with a hint of salted fish and capers! Nice and complex (23)


Finish: Very fruity with the wine lingering on with notes of lavender, rose, sweet pears and strawberries (21)


Overall: Maybe a tad too wine influenced, but to me this is almost like Beauty and the Beast dancing a Tango, with neither really stepping out of line. (23) 89.5/100


Found At: The Auld Alliance, Drinks Fellas

Name: BenRiach Authenticus 21YO
Distillery: BenRiach (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 21YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


The BenRiach Authenticus has always been one of the most well renowned expressions of BenRiach. Peated and matured for a long period of time, it is known for its rich flavours and the mellow smokiness.

Nose: Warm peat mingling with ginger and warm spices. Slightly fruity with some orange and malty sweetness (21)


Taste: Thick, oily and malty. The oak hits with a real warmth and the notes of ginger continue on the palate. The orange note seems to come out as well, but the oak really does dominate (20)


Finish: Very mouthwatering, with the notes of malt and fruity sweetness taking control. (21)


Overall: Nice but perhaps too much oak for it to be a real rounded malt (21) 83/100


Found at: Drinks Fellas

A Sherried Journey 2: Aberlour A'bunadh Batch #34 and Ichiro's Card Series 7 of Hearts

(Note: I changed the scores for the Aberlour slightly after a second and third taste. I did feel it was a tad aggressive so I marked it down a wee bit. Nevertheless this is still a great dram)

To continue on from yesterday's foray into the world of sherried wonders, SGwhisky presents to its readers a second 'head to head' review of a Sherried monster from Scotland, and another from Japan! I have to admit, the first one wasn't so much of a head to head as the Dailuaine was more of a proficient almost introductory sherry malt that is great, but the Yamazaki is a totally different monster altogether. Today's head-to-head however is on more equal ground! Presenting to one and all the Aberlour A'bunadh and Hanyu's Ichiro 7 of Hearts!

Name: Aberlour A'Bunadh Batch #34

Distillery: Aberlour (Speyside)

Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch

Age Statement: Nil

Alc/Vol: 59.5%

Working quietly in the shadows of much larger and more visible distilleries, Aberlour has slowly started to make its mark in the world of whisky. Boasting an impressive portfolio and not to mention a great distillery tour, Aberlour certainly has all the makings of a great distillery. But it is the whisky that is making the real waves that have made this brand one to watch. In fact, in recent years, connoisseurs have turned to Aberlour as the go-to distillery for a great sherry whisky, especially since Macallan is starting to release more Bourbon matured whisky (possibly pointing to a lack of supply of good sherry casks for maturation). 

Leading the charge towards sherried whisky immortality for Aberlour is undoubtedly the Aberlour A'Bunadh. A single cask, cask strength expression released by batches by the distillery, its original release received rave reviews and has never looked back since. At roughly 35-40 pounds (S$80) a bottle, it is also a real steal, but unfortunately tax and lack of availability in Singapore means the price is a bit higher than a straightforward conversion. Nevertheless, the whisky has been so well received it has gone on to release numerous batches, with the newest being #35. This whisky is from batch #34.

Nose: A real fruit farm. Some fresh, some unripe, some stewed. Apples, grape, lemon, pineapple, mango, unripe banana, fresh fragrant pears. Dark chocolate. This is simply amazing. Close your eyes and inhale this medley of clean and clear flavours... (23)

Taste/Palate: Cinnamon, liquorice and pepper lead a real spicy kick, followed by a fresh fruit and creamy middle (almost like a nice fruit tart!) with notes of thick caramel. A tad aggressive though (21)

Finish: Mouthwatering and rich with notes of fresh barley (not too sure here but is very long lasting the sweetness), sweet cream and cooked apples. (22)

Overall: Beautiful stuff. Great in every way, but sadly the palate is a tad aggressive, the only negative in what is an otherwise fantastic dram. (22) 88/100

Found at: Quaich Bar

Name: Hanyu's Ichiro's Malt Card Series: 7 of Hearts

Distillery: Hanyu (Closed) (Japan)

Type: Single Cask Single Malt

Age Statement: Nil (But it is 17YO)

Vintage: 1990

Bottle No: 500/656

Alc/Vol: 54%

The Ichiro's Malt card series is released by the now closed Hanyu distillery. Using poker cards to differentiate each whisky, it has grown an almost cult status amongst followers and it is now a real collectors item. Some expressions (like the Ace of Spades) are now legendary, and are extremely hard to find!

Nose: Vanilla, toffee, and an amazing rich caramel of the highest quality. Raisins, berries, walnuts, chocolate cake. Amazing rich, clean and brilliant nose! (24)

Taste/Palate: Buttery and salty, oak and lovely rich malt and honey. With water more fruit and influences come to the fore with a note of bitter cocoa (21)

Finish: Tasty sweetness, slightly cerealy and sweet caramel. Ends a bit too quickly though (20)

Overall: Great nose but the rest seems to trail off a bit! Nevertheless one worth trying simply for the experience! (21) 86/100

Found at: The Auld Alliance

A Sherried Journey 1: Dailuaine 16YO and Cask of Yamazaki 1990

Sherried whiskies always seem to have the capability to wow many a person. It also definitely commands a real cult following around the world. For Singapore, sweet sherried whiskies are also seeing a real uptrend in followers, making it one of the whiskies of choice for Singaporeans. Hence SGwhisky thought it would be a good idea to dedicate a post or two to some great sherried whiskies that were tried recently.

This post, however, takes one into the relative unknown with two lesser known sherried whiskies, in the hopes that it gets the name out a bit more. One of the two is slightly more popular (Yamazaki), the other however is a workhorse distillery for Diageo and hence most of its single malt doesn't really see the light of day as single malt expression. So here's two great Sherry marvels for one to sink their teeth into!

Name: Dailuaine 16YO Flora & Fauna
Distillery: Dailuaine (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 16YO
Alc/Vol: 43%


As mentioned, Dailuaine is essentially a workhorse distillery that focuses on producing single malt for blends. According to trusted whisky site maltmadness.com, most of its production goes to Johnnie Walker blends, with only 2% going to single malt production. Most of the single malt expressions found end up in the Flora & Fauna series, a series of single malt expressions by Diageo to showcase the individual character of their distilleries. Dailuaine as a distillery, is considered one of the few unlucky ones that have good stuff about them but did not make the cut for Diageo's Classic Malts Selection, hence the F&F (along with some independent bottlings) are the closest one can get to trying the single malts from this distillery.

Nose: Nicely sherried and mellow. Creamy milk chocolate, warm pepper and cinnamon spice mixed with dusted cocoa. Slight saltiness as well as some fruitiness in the shape of orange and some red apples (not too sure about this one) (22)


Taste/Palate: Sweet and fruity with loads of spice like ginger and pepper that has been used to cook soup (hence it is more mellow). Light hints of wood smoke (19)


Finish: Berries and a nice estery sweetness and some rose syrup (21)


Overall: A great little sherried dram which is very affordable and good to try. The taste was complex but slightly unbalanced. (21) 83/100


Found at: The Auld Alliance, Quaich Bar

Name: The Cask of Yamazaki 1990
Distillery: Yamazaki (Suntory, Japan)
Type: Single Cask Single Malt
Vintage: 1990 (Bottled 2008)
Age Statement: None (But it is 18YO)
Cask Number: ON70645
Bottle Number: 5/471
Alc/Vol: 60%


Woah now that is a long list of descriptions! The Japanese are highlight meticulous and hence every detail is not spared in this whisky. It also isn't for the faint of heart, with a whopping 60% percentage of alcohol. This baby though, is a real class act, showcasing the real sherried masterpieces that this distillery is famed for producing!

See, 60%, I kid you not! This is a real full-flavoured and powerful monster. Beware!

Nose: Rich dark chocolate, dark chocolate coated oranges, rich sweet cream. Very strong earthy and grassy notes as well. With water, fruit notes come out with notes of strawberries (23)


Taste/Palate: Rich & Oily with notes of vanilla, chocolate and fresh red fruits and oranges. Notes of brandied fruits as well, with an almost syrupy feel reminiscent of liquor filled chocolates. Slight notes of rose syrup can be detected with water (22)


Finish: Amazingly sweet and long with notes of rich berries, liquorice and wood (23)


Overall: A real monster that has many sides to it. Overall a great dram (22) 90/100


Found at: The Auld Alliance (though sadly I have been told the remaining bottles have already been purchased

Whisky of the Month (June 2011): The Pedro Ximenez Twins

Whisky of the Month (June 2011): BenRiach


Apologies for being a day late, but here is the third segment of the BenRiach series of tastings for the Month of June 2011!

This week, the pair highlighted are the peated and unpeated expressions of BenRiach finished in Pedro Ximenez Sherry. Pedro Ximenez (or PX), actually refers to a type of grape that is used in the production of Sherry, this type of PX grapes being indigenous to Spain. Recently, PX sherry has no grown into a popular choice of wine casks to finish whisky in. Some people also go on to stress the challenge of finishing whisky in PX due to the strong flavours of the sherry, which have a tendency to overpower the whisky that is maturing in it. This leads to the belief that it is indeed a challenge to mature whisky in PX butts properly, retaining the character of the whisky whilst infusing the subtle influences of the PX.

For this expression of BenRiach, the PX is sourced from the famous Jerez de la Fontera region found in the south of Spain near the port city of Cadiz. So without further ado, presenting the BenRiach PX Twins!

Name: BenRiach 15YO PX Sherry Finish
Distillery: BenRiach (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 15YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


This version of BenRiach was very well received by whisky writer Jim Murray, who gave it a whopping 94.5/100, praising its subtle PX influences. I personally felt it was good, but did not give it that high a score.

Nose: Rich and honied, lovely notes of raisins, malt and cocoa. A sharp wine note shows that the PX is definitely present (21)


Taste/Palate: Great stuff! Lovely and creamy with sweet notes of honey, raisins, wolfberries (almost Ginseng like again!). Refreshing notes of Eucalyptus, ripe papayas with a slight note of the PX sherry (24)


Finish: Sweet and oaky with some more Papaya, but a slight sour note hampers it. Trails off too quickly as well (21)


Overall: Great flavour, but the nose and finish lag behind a little (22) 88/100

Name: BenRiach 12YO Heredotus Fumosus (Peated with PX Finish)
Distillery: BenRiach (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 12YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


The peated sister of the BenRiach PX finishes is good stuff, but in general, there is a feeling that the Peat dominates the Sherry in this case

Nose: Sweet smokiness reminiscent of honey glazed ham mix nicely with notes of honey and malt. The PX influence fights hard, but is left behind sadly (22)


Taste/Palate: Nice and oily with a real sweet sherry kick before the gentle peat comes in. Notes of salted capers, smoked ham, basically the rich saltiness one gets with preserved food. (22)


Finish: Rich and smoky with floral notes (21)


Overall: It is a great whisky, but unfortunately I don't feel it balances that well, especially with the PX influences (19) 84/100


Found at: Drinks Fellas

Whisky of the Month (June 2011): Tawny Port Twins

SGwhisky Whisky of the Month (June 2011): BenRiach Tawny Port Twins


As part of SGwhisky's continuing coverage of BenRiach as its whisky of the month, we proudly present to you the first set of the BenRiach Twins, unpeated and peated expressions of BenRiach that have been finished in barrels that contained Tawny Port.

A subset of Port Wines that are native to Portugal, Tawny Port is aged in wooden barrels using a process that exposes them to slow and prolonged oxidation and evaporation called the Solera process. The result is a sweet and medium dry wine.

Name: BenRiach Tawny Port Finish
Distillery: BenRiach (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 15YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


The non-peated version of the Tawny Port BenRiach is a 15YO expression that is known for its sweetness. It was pretty good stuff!

Nose: The Tawny Port sweetness dominates the nose with notes of burnt sugar, vanilla and citrus. Light hints of malt and smokiness (Phenolic?) (21)


Taste/Palate: Rich with a salty and creamy note, with strong hints of maltiness and winey sweetness before the smoke comes in (it's quite prominent for a non-peated expression) (21.5)


Finish: Slightly smoky and sweet with a mouthwatering barley maltiness (22)


Overall: A dram that is balanced in terms of the quality of the offering, but the sweetness of the port may be a bit too overpowering (22) 86.5/100

Name: BenRiach Importanticus Fumosus Tawny Port
Distillery: BenRiach (Speyside)
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 12YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


The peated version of the Tawny Port is slightly younger, but the peat really does add an extra level of powerful influences that really bump it up beyond its unpeated twin. Definitely SGwhisky's personal favourite amongst the twins

Nose: Rich notes of seaweed are paired with a very very smoky sweetness that seems almost like a great marriage of sweet smoke and port influences. Slight notes of alluring saltiness too (22)


Taste/Palate: Rich and malty with note of vanilla before the seaweed and honey baked ham kick in. The sweetness of the port then comes in with notes of berries and some citrus. Balanced, not over intruding (23.5)


Finish: Sweet and smoky with a hint of dry ash. Almost like enjoying a good cut of ham with a glass of fine port (ok that was a bit too... obvious). Hints of light vanilla too! (22)


Overall: Great stuff all round! (23) 90.5/100


Stay tuned next week as we do the Pedro Ximeniez twins for BenRiach!

Found at: Drinks Fellas

Whisky of the Month (June 2011): Tasting Two BenRiachs

Whisky of the Month (June 2011): BenRiach


The BenRiach 16YO and BenRiach Curiositas


For the first installment of the Whisky of the Month tasting series for June, SGwhisky would like to highlight two 'standard' expressions from BenRiach (though as the introductory post on BenRiach might suggest, when it comes to BenRiach, there is nothing really 'standard' about them seeing as to how innovation is one of the buzzwords for them). Nonethless, it would make sense that the first two would be standard, non-finished whiskies that showcase the 'house style' of BenRiach. So here's presenting to you a peated and unpeated expression of BenRiach, The BenRiach Curiositas 10YO and the BenRiach 16YO.

Name: BenRiach Curiositas 10YO
Distillery: BenRiach
Region: Speyside
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 10YO
Alc/Vol: 46%


The 10YO Curiositas is the peated version of BenRiach's malt that I can only guess is the base that goes into their peated wood finishes. It's a great way to find out more about what BenRiach's peated whiskies taste like without any additional influences of wood.


Nose: The nose is fairly simple with notes of saltiness and some peat, with some citrus and a touch of red fruit, and a little bit of ginger orange (21)


Taste/Palate: Malty and sweet entry before the peat kicks in with a sweet smokiness. Oakiness then comes in with a slight honied note, with a little bit of sweet citrus (20)


Finish: Rich and malty with notes of fruit (21)


Overall: Simple and clean, but nothing really exciting. The 46% strength does add a bit of a strength to it that plays to its advantage (21) 82/100

Name: BenRiach 16YO

Distillery: BenRiach

Region: Speyside

Type: Single Malt Scotch

Age Statement: 16YO

Alc/Vol: 46%

The slightly older version of the BenRiach standard bottlings offer a bit more complexity and depth than the 12YO. It is also another great way to see how the BenRiach single malt tastes like in its pure, unaltered self!

Nose: Rich in malt, spicey and honey with a note of citrs and a hint of sweet smoke. Rich and vibrant! (22)


Taste/Palate: Rich honey and malt again come in with a clean cinnamon spice note and liquorice. The oakiness comes in at the end (21)


Finish: Oaky with notes of liquorice continuing on with some light fruit (20)


Overall: The extra years in the barrels have afforded the whisky an added complexity, but it seems the wood finishes are starting to become the star of the show for BenRiach. Stay tuned to SGwhisky to see reviews on these wood finishes! (21) 84/100


Whiskies available at: Drinks Fellas, La Maison Du Whisky, Quaich Bar, Auld Alliance, Basement 28 (for the 10YO Curiositas)

SGwhisky's Whisky of the Month: June 2011

SGwhisky Presents: Whisky of the Month for June 2011: BenRiach!


Dear readers, as promised in the June edition of Singapore Whisky Monthly, SGwhisky is starting a whole new segment from this month onwards, known as SGwhisky's Whisky of the Month. This segment will go on all month, and it includes in depth views into the distillery itself, its style and, of course, tasting notes of some of its releases! The whole point is to raise awareness of the different brands and styles of whisky that one can find in Singapore. As SGwhisky is quick to say always, Singapore may be small, but it definitely has a vibrant and rapidly growing whisky scene.

So for the inaugural SGwhisky Whisky of the Month, SGwhisky is proud to present: BenRiach distillery!

Credits: de.wikipedia.org

Distillery Information (From Malt Madness):

Name: BenRiach

Region: Speyside

Founded: 1898

Ownership: Billy Walker and Others

Address: Longmorn, Elgin, LMorayshire, IV30 3SJ, Scotland

Website: www.benriachdistillery.co.uk

SGwhisky's inaugural whisky of the month for the month of June 2011 is the up-and-coming Speyside distillery, BenRiach. Founded in 1898 by John Duff (who also built Glenlossie and Longmorn distilleries), BenRiach has had an extremely patchy history, littered with periods of closure and numerous leadership changes. In fact, most of its owners decided to close it almost as soon as they acquired it! This was the story of BenRiach till 2004, when Billy Walker and his partners purchased BenRiach distillery.

Since Billy Walker's takeover, BenRiach has grown from strength to strength, placing itself firmly amongst the most progressive distillers in Scotland. Besides a smart revamp of the packaging and label, BenRiach has also led the way in wood finishes, being one of the distilleries in Scotland who has invested the most in experimenting with wood finishes. 

BenRiach Madeira Wood Finish

The result of this heavy experimentation is a line of wood finishes, ranging from Port to Madeira, Pedro Ximenez to Rum. Whilst quite a few distilleries in the world have experimented with one or a few of such finishes, BenRiach is one of the few that have done almost all of them! Whilst the outcome does differ, with some tasting a bit rough and some being absolute gems, credit has to go to BenRiach for such a great effort to open a new frontier in whisky production.

The BenRiach Curiositas. Credit: For peat's Sake

However, BenRiach's innovation does not stop there, on top of the experimentation with wood finishes, BenRiach has also done quite a bit of experimentation with peat levels. Whilst the BenRiach's standard expressions have only a bit of peat in it, BenRiach has released numerous expressions with whisky containing a higher peat level. The BenRiach Curiositas, and its older brother the Authenticas, are two examples of heavily peated BenRiach expressions.

But wait, who says they had to stop there? Why not use the Peated whisky and finish them in the special casks like we did the normal expressions of BenRiach? Yes, in fact they did! Almost every wood finish has spawned a pair of twins, a peated version and an unpeated version! These twins offer a unique insight into how wood finishes interact with different types of single malt whisky, and how well the flavours blend. 

So what is the result here? SGwhisky daresay the result is a comprehensive selection of whisky that reflects a dynamic and modern leadership and outlook towards whisky. So often this could lead to the dilution of the distillery's character, but BenRiach's standard releases show that there is stuff about the whisky they put into casks for finishing. 

BenRiach in Singapore

As this is a Singapore blog at the end of the day, it is important to show how BenRiach fares in Singapore. It is not one of the juggernauts of course, but it is making inroads, especially in the specialist whisky scene. Distributed by local dealers Drinks Fellas, its owners have tried to increase the popularity and visibility of BenRiach for a while now. BenRiach, for example, was at Whisky Live 2011 this year, and was the only distillery that had gotten one of their very own people to come down. James Cowan shared his insight into the brand, and brought his unique experience to the event.

James Cowan

Whisky-wise, BenRiach also holds a special place for Singapore's whisky market. It is one of a few brands in Singapore to have actually released 'Singapore Only' single cask selections of their whisky. SGwhisky covered the 'Generations 1988' release that arrived in Singapore's shores earlier in the month, and this is indeed something worth shouting about for such a small country like ours!

So throughout the course of this week, SGwhisky will be bringing you tasting notes from some of the distillery's releases. It will taste a few of the twins, as well as some special distillery releases that are worth trying. It will also try the standard expressions, and give its take on the distillery style and quality. Keep your eyes on this space as SGwhisky pulls out all the stops for its first ever whisky of the month!

An Sgwhisky Exclusive: Generations, A Singapore Exclusive

Dear readers of sgwhisky! Today, sgwhisky is proud to present to you An Sgwhisky Exclusive thanks to our great friends at Drinks fellas, a leading distributor of whiskies and other spirits in Singapore. This exclusive is a first look at a new bottling from BenRiach that has been bottled from a cask specially selected by Jack Ong, Brand Manager of Drinks fellas for the Singapore market! Here at sgwhisky, the focus has always been Singapore and its whisky scene, and what better way than to highlight a whisky that was bottled specially for our beautiful country!

Sgwhisky was lucky enough to be present at Drinks fellas yesterday to have a first look and taste of this unique BenRiach bottling, which has been named 'Generations, A Singapore Exclusive' to commemorate the Gen Y Singaporeans that were born in the mid to late 1980s, and the cask that this expression was drawn from was an aptly aged 22 year old 1988 vintage. Whilst this expression has yet to be made available to the commercial market, sgwhisky can reveal that there were only 269 bottles that were drawn from this single cask bottling, hence this would be one special bottling that will be in very short supply! Another unique characteristic of this BenRiach bottling is the cask used for this whisky itself. This whisky was matured in a Barolo cask (or hogshead) from the famous Gaja Barolo winery in Italy rather than the standard American, Bourbon or Sherry Oak casks.

However, as they all say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so without further ado, here is sgwhisky's exclusive review of the BenRiach 1988 Generations: A Singapore Exclusive.

Name: BenRiach Single Cask Bottling: Generations, A Singapore Exclusive
Distillery: BenRiach
Region: Speyside
Type: Single Cask Single Malt Scotch
Age Statement: 22 Years Old (It says 21 Years Old on the bottle though)
Vintage: 1988, Cask 4423
Bottle No: 16/269
Alc/Vol: 54.8%

Nose: A rich and luscious nose with no alcohol burn despite its heavy percentage. Extremely sweet with notes of honey and figs (both dried and fresh), slightly grassy as well. With water notes of cocoa and caramel come through (22)

Taste/Palate: If the bite was not in the nose, it surely is in the palate. Powerful, spicy and citrusy on the tongue. Notes of fresh orange, orange marmalade and honey, before the sweetness of figs hits the back of the tongue. The slightest tinge of peat and chocolate bring up a real powerful end (23)

Finish: A lovely nutty and floral finish that reminds me of a nice non-acidic coffee made in the style of a Latte. Creamy, linger and pleasant (23)

Balance: This is not for those who prefer their whiskies well balanced, as it is rich on the nose, robust on the palate and light on the finish, with a complex flavour profile. However, for a whisky that is seemingly weirdly balanced, this works brilliantly in my book! Another real winner for the Singapore market! (24) 92/100


Found at: Drinks fellas (For now!)

Once again, sgwhisky would like to thank Jack and the people at Drinks fellas for the opportunity to have an exclusive sneak peek at this lovely dram!