Drams at The Auld Alliance: SMWS 1.168 "Delightfully dulcet deliciosity" (Glenfarclas) [Tasted #587]

In the run-up to our "Epic 10" tasting posts from 12th October (as part of our 10th anniversary celebrations) we figured we'd post a few drams that, whilst not quite making the cut, are still great drams in their own right. On that note, I dusted off my notes from my last trip to Singapore, which was back in 2016. Martin recommended visiting a quaint whisky bar in Singapore, a bar many of us are familiar with - The Auld Alliance.

Martin first reviewed the Auld Alliance back in 2013 [in its old Chijmes location] and since then the bar has grown to become a globally known establishment. Its comprehensive old and new whisky offerings are impressive and you can literally spend all day at Auld Alliance and only get through a small portion of their collection.

I remember sitting down that night to sample a few different bottles but one of them stood out, a 28yo Society bottling from distillery 1 (Glenfarclas) that I thought was sensational and super delightful dulcet delicious.

SMWS 1.168 "Delightfully dulcet deliciosity" Glenfarclas 28yo 1984/2012 (53.3% ABV, 28yo, Speyside, Scotland, SMWS, 189 bottles)

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A lovely, rich, creamy malt packed with flavours and a dram I would have to celebrate a momentous occasion.

Colour: Amber gold

Nose: Shortbread cookies with strawberry jam filling, cherries, Arnott Iced Vovo, paint thinner (in a good way), pineapple, tropical fruits, raisins

Palate: Sweet, rich, creamy, fruity, citrus opening then translates to honeydew, strawberries fruit salad, malty caramel, slight maritime overtone 

Finish: Long, oaky with bitter melon finish 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100.


Cheers,
Hendy

Tasted: Glenfarclas "Whisky & Wisdom" Edition 2 (Tasted #413)

It has roughly been two years since Andrew Derbidge blessed the whisky community with his own Glenfarclas bottling, dubbed "Whisky & Wisdom." - the name of Andrew's whisky resource site.

For those who do not know Andrew Derbidge, Andrew is a prominent figure in the whisky industry, both locally and abroad. Andrew's passion for whisky and especially his infectious love for Glenfarclas have been known by many for quite a long time. His incredible palate has allowed him to differentiate and appreciate the multitude of different whiskies over the years and have coveted him his special role as the Cellarmaster of the Australian branch of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. This is partly why, during his visit to Glenfarclas last year, that he pored through a series of butts and hogsheads at the distillery's warehouses and found the "second" perfect cask that Andrew felt exhibited what a good sherry-matured malt should be.

The first release was a relatively young 9yo first fill ex-sherry Glenfarclas and t was very well regarded. Personally, I savoured through and through until the last drop. It was a rather bittersweet moment when I poured my last dram out of that bottle. Needless to say, you can imagine my excitement when I saw Andrew's note on his second Glenfarclas pick - dubbed the Whisky & Wisdom Edition 2.

Distilled in July 2008, Cask 1270 stood head and shoulders above the rest and one that got Andrew's attention, so much that he proceeded to bottle the cask (the cask yielded 319 bottles). At 59.8% ABV, the second edition of this bottling contains Glenfarclas whisky that has been aged in 1st fill, European oak, ex-oloroso hogshead for 10 years. This second edition bottling has been exclusively released entirely into the Australian market, all 319 bottles!

So how does it rate, Andrew was kind enough to send me a sample ahead of the full bottling arriving.

Glenfarclas 2008 "Whisky & Wisdom Edition 2" (59.8% ABV, 10yo, Speyside, Scotland, $220AUD)
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A classic sherry matured malt that brings you all the goodness from the ex-sherry hogshead and as well as notes that are simply fitting for this joyous Christmas season. The whisky is rich, complex and multi-layered and one that you can sit on for some time to let the whisky continue to develop its flavours and aromas.

Colour: Maple syrup

Nose: The nose is rich and filled with rum and raisin ice cream, caramelised figs, dried sultanas, prunes and a stream of rich, buttered panettone.

Palate: The palate is juicy and started with sweet and sour candies, fruits; fresh berries and pomegranates before they are followed by a mixture of speculaas (the Dutch cinnamon cookie), cloves and caramel glaze.

Finish: The finish is very long, with oak notes, lingering sweet cinnamon and a continue whiff of

Rating (on Hendy's very non-scientific scale): 94/100.

The whisky is now available to consumers directly through the new online shop page at www.whiskyandwisdom.com, RRP is $220.

Cheers,
Hendy.

Tasted #336: Glenfarclas 2007 9yo for Whisky and Wisdom

Whisky fans can be an obsessive bunch (myself included). If we like a whisky enough, we might start to build a collection around it (like say, Heartwood), or even start to stockpile a single type of bottle (the many GlenDronach 15yo bottles I have stashed away would suggest I'm guilty of this too...)

It takes a special kind of whisky fan though to try a whisky, and say "Yep, I like that. I'll take a cask."
(Note: cask, not case)

That however is exactly what the Mr Andrew Derbidge of Sydney did recently, when presented with a sample of a 2007 First Fill ex-Sherry Glenfarclas (well, he took half the cask, but we're splitting hairs here - he still took 252 bottles!).

As Director / Cellarmaster of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society Australia, long-time whisky writer, more recent whisky blogger, Glenfarclas tragic and all-round nice bloke, "AD" is probably Sydney's most well-known whisky personality, so it's fair to say he knows his way around a dram. Having shared many a dram with AD over the years (and tried many of his SMWS picks), I knew he had an excellent palate, so had no hesitation buying this before sampling it.

...and I'm glad I did.

Glenfarclas 2007 "Whisky & Wisdom" (60.5% ABV, 9yo, Speyside, Scotland, $229AUD)
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Colour: Dark mahogany copper (or put more simply - "correct").

Nose: Huge, rich Christmas cake and Brazil nuts. There are classic Oloroso sherry notes everywhere you look, but they're all incredibly "clean" - not a hint of sulphur, dustiness, or what have you. Glacé cherries, fresh cherries, and even some macerated blueberries.

Palate: Instantly, a massive, oily, warming (but not "hot") mouthfeel. This is every bit a Christmas (or winter) dram. There are walnuts, sherry-soaked raisins, Brazil nuts and loads of red berries. With a few drops of water, some humbugs and fresh laundry (a trait I often find on "clean" sherried whiskies - and this is one of the cleanest!)

Finish: Long, vibrant, warming. Red berries, tobacco and raisins. With some water, a little herbal.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100. I'll be honest, whilst I've tried some excellent Glenfarclas releases (at least 8 I can recall over 30yo), it's a distillery whose core range, and younger whiskies I'm generally not hugely fond (give me a GlenDronach any day). This 'farclas however, is absolutely beautiful - showing an incredible amount of character, flavour and refinement for merely 9 years of age. Top pick, AD.

Sidenote: I've shared this whisky with a lot of people (which probably explains why my bottle is now empty) - whisky fans and novices alike, including a few people who are definitely not used to whiskies above 43% ABV (let alone 60%+). Everyone has loved it, and more than one person has asked where they can buy a bottle. It's not often you find a whisky that appeals to whisky geeks and novices alike, but this one seems to. 

The Whisky & Wisdom Glenfarclas is available for $229AUD from The Whisky Empire. Andrew's even offering a discount for the Christmas season (presumably because it makes a bloody good Christmas dram) - $25 off for Dram Full members. $204 for a whisky like this is, to be honest, a very good deal.

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #252: Glenfarclas 105 40 year old

Happy New Year!

Our first post of 2016, and 6th tasting note for a 40 year old whisky (the others being from Balvenie, Glenfiddich, The Glenrothes, Glenfarclas and Master of Malt) comes courtesy of this Glenfarclas 105 40 year old, which I tasted recently at the excellent new Malt Whisky Bar in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong (review up soon).

For those unfamiliar with the "105", it's Glenfarclas' sherried cask strength release, released regularly and considered by many to be one of the best value "sherry bombs" out there, often compared with Aberlour's A'bunadh. At $778HKD,  $119.90AUD  or  £45.13, it's definitely one worth having in your collection (you can see our recent tasting notes with George Grant here).

That's not the whisky above though. The whisky above is significantly more special.

One of only 893 bottles, the 105 40 year old was released in 2008 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 105. Bottled at the same 60% as the regular 105, but with significantly more years under its belt, I was particularly keen to see how it fared with the other two Glenfarclas 40 year olds we've tried (and for that matter, the 50 and 60 year old Glenfarclas "secret Speyside whiskies" we've tried in recent years).

I count myself incredibly lucky to have tried this, and am hugely grateful to those who allowed me to do so....


Glenfarclas '105' 40 year old (60% ABV, 40yo, Speyside, Scotland, $3,500AUD / $19,800HKD)

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Colour: Molasses, treacle.

Nose: Huge amounts of cola - rich juicy cola - sour 'Coke bottles' (lollies) and sour gummy worms. Exactly the same notes I've had on almost every single Glenfarclas I've tried over the age of 30 years (which is 8 and counting), but ramped up big time.

Palate: Initially hot and a little closed up, but with clear notes of sherry-soaked dates, raisins and brazil nuts. With a few drops of water - almonds, red wine, aged leather, cigar smoke. Absolutely everything you want in a dram to just sit and "chew" on. Marvellous.

Finish: Long and tannic, but beautifully so. Some heavily sherried whiskies can be overly bitter/drying (especially some older Japanese expressions, I find). Not this - it's perfect. Some cigar smoke, some earthiness, and a little more cola round it out.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100. Absolutely fantastic. Worth trying without, and then with a few drops of water (but not too much). However you drink it, if you ever get the chance, you're in for a treat.

Cheers,
Martin.

Glenfarclas tasting with George Grant (Tasted #212 - 216)

Having run this blog for a few years now, we're lucky to get regular invites to various industry / media / trade events - many of which you end up reading about here. There's still the odd event though that we stumble upon completely by chance - this one being a perfect example. 

A few weeks ago I was at Tiffany's New York Bar in the Intercontinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong, enjoying a cold beer (respite from the stifling summer heat) ahead of an epic Islay whisky dinner, when I got chatting to their affable resident manager John. In the course of conversation, John mentioned that in just over a week, George Grant of Glenfarclas (Brand Ambassador and 6th Generation family member) would be hosting a tasting at the bar, and would I be interested in joining? You don't have to ask me twice! This would be the second noted Speyside figure I'd be meeting in Tiffany's in just a few months (the other being David Stewart of The Balvenie, back in June), and a good chance to speak to "the man behind the brand", after Steph and I had just visited the distillery a few weeks earlier.

There are some great whisky bars in Hong Kong, and Tiffany's (in our opinion) sits up there with the best of them. The range mightn't be the largest in Hong Kong (though it's quickly getting there), but they have an eclectic mix of IBs, OBs, and even some of their own cask finished whiskies (and if there was ever a bar with a décor that screamed "whisky bar", this would have to be it. Warm, welcoming, classy, elegant.)

Arriving on a hot Monday night, we took our seats and admired the lineup of drams, consisting of:

• Glenfarclas 12yo
• Glenfarclas 17yo
• Glenfarclas 25yo
• Glenfarclas 105
• Glenfarclas "Mystery Malt" (which we knew was a Family Cask, and later turned out to be the 1995 Release IX)

Having been to our fair share of tastings over the years, we've discovered there are brand ambassadors / master distillers who really need to work to hold the attention of a room, and there are those to whom it comes naturally. George clearly falls into the latter group, with his open, honest and humorous demeanour befitting his family-owned distillery perfectly.

Explaining the family naming convention (John, then George, George, George, his father John, and George himself), George recalled being slightly shocked at first seeing a grave with "his" name on it (actually his grandfather's), but slightly more at ease when he walked into one of the warehouses and realised there were also 55,000 casks of whisky with his name on them (enough to put anyone's mind at ease, we think).

Translating to "Valley of the Green Grass", Glenfarclas remains wholly family-owned to this day, which makes their global reach (76 markets until they added the Caribbean, bringing the total to 102 countries) all the more impressive. It was interesting to note that Germany is their largest market, and was the sole driver for their recent "Trilogy" series. George also had some other interesting insights, such as the myth of the "great Chinese whisky market" (which in his opinion, doesn't exist) and the growth he's seen in whisky in HK, having previously lived here for 12 years.

After a few more anecdotes and (truly interesting) insights into different whisky markets, we dived into the tasting...

Glenfarclas 12 year old (43% ABV, 12yo, Speyside, Scotland, $600HKD / $89.95AUD)
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Colour: Golden caramel (ironic given Glenfarclas' staunch lack of caramel colouring)
Nose: Flint, spice, a hint of smoke. Definitely sherried, but a "fresh" sherry - vibrant and youthful.
Palate: Spice, cinnamon, oat cakes and Brazil nuts. Slightest hint of smoke.
Finish: Medium length, spicy. Slightly "thin" towards the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100. A simple, easy drinking, every day dram.



Glenfarclas 17 year old (43% ABV, 17yo, Speyside, Scotland, $1,100HKD / $160AUD)
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Originally released exclusively for Japan, then HK, then other Asian markets, and now everywhere.
Colour: Orange gold
Nose: Well-rounded and sweet. Dried fruits, cherries. Almost port-like notes, and a lot of crème brûlée.
Palate: Smoother than the 12, but still with some of the spice the 12 showed. Much sweeter though, more "chewy", and more legs on the glass. More mouth-filling, more Oloroso notes.
Finish: Medium to long. The spice tones down and the Christmas cake notes amp up. Lots of Brazil nuts.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100.



Glenfarclas 25 year old (43% ABV, 25yo, Speyside, Scotland, $2,400HKD / $189.90AUD)
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Colour: Bright orange.
Nose: A hint of flint, orange peel, a little crème brûlée, and strangely, a hint of salty sea air.
Palate: Much more sherry influence than the nose suggests. Lots of raisins and other dried fruits, nuts, but also big citrus notes.
Finish: Long. Slightly drying, bitter dark chocolate-dipped orange slices.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100.



Glenfarclas 105 (60% ABV, NAS, Speyside, Scotland, $790HKD / $119.95AUD)
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George's grandfather's favourite apparently - so much so that he was secretly squirrelling away 6 bottles a week - 3 from George, and 3 from George's father!
Colour: Dark copper.
Nose: Huge toffee notes. Overwhemling(ly good). Dark chocolate. Thoughts instantly turn to dessert.
Palate: Big, slightly hot, lots of dark chocolate. A few drops of water adds some heat and orange zest.
Finish: Long, slightly hot, but smooth. Oranges and toffee.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100. Yes please.



Glenfarclas Family Cask 1995 Release IX (55.2% ABV, 17yo, Speyside, Scotland, no longer available in HK / AU it seems)
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I tried this a few weeks earlier at the distillery, and enjoyed it just as much the second time around. As the notes show, quite different to the previous drams!
Colour: Dark dirty copper.
Nose: Sugary sweetness - cola bottle lollies, and some pine nuts. Quite a mix!
Palate: Honied sweetness gives way to Brazil nuts, all with an undertone of those cola bottle lollies (which I loved as a kid). Unique, different...which really is what you want when you're paying significantly more than the standard 17yo!
Finish: Medium to long, with some residual barbecued meat notes at the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100.

Soon after the drams were tasted, out came a birthday cake - it turns out it was George's birthday! (Lucky him, getting to spend it with us.)

Happy Birthday George, and thanks for a fantastic tasting (and for signing my bottle of £511.19s.0d)!

Keep an eye out for our write-up of the Glenfarclas distillery tour shortly.

Cheers,

Martin.

TimeforWhisky.com would like to thank InterContinental Grand Stanford Hong Kong for the invite, and George Grant for giving up his time (on his birthday no less).

Tokyo International Bar Show + Whisky Expo 2015 review

Moving to Hong Kong has provided us with some great whisky experiences over the past year - meeting David Stewart, sharing a few 'fiddichs with Ian Millar and enjoying a 1969 Glenrothes with Ronnie Cox to name a few.

What living in Hong Kong has also done though, is put us a lot closer to the rest of Asia, and allowed us to visit distilleries in Japan, India, and in the case of this post, spend a crazy 36 hours in Tokyo for the Tokyo International Bar Show + Whisky Expo. 

It all started when a friend suggested the Tokyo International Bar Show ("TIBS" for short) sounded like a fun weekend. While he didn't end up attending, another friend (Eddie Nara of Barrel Concepts) made plans, and I decided to join in. My plan was simple - fly out of HKG at 1am Saturday, land in Tokyo at 6am, get to the hotel, shower, dump the bag, then head to the bar show and catch up with Eddie just in time for opening. Stay all day Saturday, visit a whisky bar Saturday night, do it all again on Sunday, and fly out Sunday night, back home in time for work on Monday. Simple right? Thanks to the general efficiency of Cathay Pacific (and Japan), that's exactly how it went down.

Arriving at TIBS, I was faced with a queue of at least 400 people, snaking around the Tokyo Dome City Prism Hall venue. Luckily I'd arranged a press pass, and managed to walk straight in via the (empty) media entrance. I made a bee line straight for the Shinanoya stand to order a bottle of the (quite limited) TIBS bottlings - a 6yo single cask ex-French Oak Chichibu, and a 4yo single cask ex-American Oak Komagatake.

TIBS always held special appeal for me - mainly because it combines two things I love - whisky and bar culture (and as we've mentioned before, Japanese bar culture is about as good as it gets).  The venue wasn't big, but showcased a significant number of stalls with every spirit you can imagine, and a number of cocktails to sample too. 

The "+ Whisky Expo" part of the name was evident by at least half the venue being filled with whisk(e)y brands - from the big names (Suntory, Nikka, Beam, Bacardi / Dewars etc..) to independent distilleries (Arran, Glenfarclas) to smaller or lesser-known whisky players (Chichibu, Shinshu (Komagatake / Mars), Kirin) and everything in between. It was particularly exciting to see Kirin - who brought their 17 and 18yo single malt, and 25yo single grains along.

Independent bottlers were also present, with the larger-than-life Robin of Blackadder, complete with his 10 gallon hat, proudly proclaiming his complete lack of filtering for the excellent "Raw Cask" series).

A masterclass theatre provided a variety of masterclasses throughout the day (I attended a rum class with Ian Burrell the "Global Rum Ambassador" on one day, and a Hibiki component class with Suntory's Master Blender Shinji Fukuyo on the other).

A live stage added another dimension, showing various demonstrations and cocktail competitions, including demonstrations from headliner Julio Bermejo of Tommy's Mexican Restaurant (home of the world famous Tommy's Margarita). Enjoying one of these made fresh by Julio and handed directly from the stage was a pretty special experience, and provided a nice break to reset the palate after tasting 20+ whiskies!

The Chichibu booth was crowded for most of both days, and it wasn't hard to see why - with a full line-up, including a few pre-release bottles that read "Bottle 1 of 2"! Akuto-san was also around to greet fans and pose for photos / sign bottles. A top bloke and very humble!

Food within the venue was limited, but with okonomiyaki, tempura, takoyaki and sushi, covered most of my favourites. When a break from the spirits was needed, there were a few options including Nikka (with their Highball machine, showcasing the new Nikka Black), and Brewdog, the Scottish craft brewery famous for making some insanely high-ABV% beers.

The rest of the story is probably best told in pictures - enjoy!

I'm really glad I went to TIBS, and would encourage anyone who likes whisky, cocktails or bar culture to try to visit at least once in their life! A huge thanks to Tokyo International Bar Show and Hidetsugu Ueno (of Bar High Five and the Cocktail Culture Foundation) for the press pass.

Tasting notes to follow in a further blog post.

Cheers,
Martin

Tasted #200: Master of Malt 60yo Speyside

It wasn't all that long ago that we tried a few 40yo whiskies on this blog (like this OB Glenfarclas, this IB Glenrothes and this OB Glenrothes), and we thought they were pretty special. Not the best whiskies we'd ever tried, but without a doubt special (especially this 1973 Balvenie, hand-drawn by David Stewart just a few weeks earlier).

Then we discovered Master of Malt, and their 40yo unnamed Speyside whisky (tasted here), and even their 50yo unnamed Speyside whisky (tasted here).

Surely a 50 year old whisky would be pretty hard to top, right? Short of winning the lotto (or meeting an incredibly generous, whisky-loving person who did), I thought that would be about the limit for me in terms of well-aged whiskies....

Then Master of Malt released their 60 year old unnamed Speysider.

SIXTY. YEARS. OLD.

Sure, there are whiskies older than 60 years old, but when was the last time you found one that was even close to accessible? They're usually the sort of whiskies you see selling for $20,000+ AUD (~$120,000 HKD) for a bottle, or $1,000+ AUD (~$6k HKD) for a nip in any bar lucky enough to have an open bottle.

Which made this 30mL sample, at £52.93, all the more interesting. I'd wanted to try this for a while, but wasn't too keen to try Master of Malt's high shipping costs for a few sample drams. When a work trip to London came up though, it was on for young and old.... (and by that I mean, I ordered a dram, along with a few others, to my hotel in advance, so it was there waiting for me on arrival).

(For what it's worth, while no-one has published a definitive answer on which distillery this whisky comes from, the general consensus is that it's a Glenfarclas, which would make sense given there are a number of older 'farclas casks out there with independent bottlers. I also got similar notes to other well-aged Glenfarclas releases I've tried in the past, and if you need any further proof, I was told these were from Glenfarclas by, let's just say, someone who would know...).

Master of Malt 60yo Speyside (42.2% ABV, 60yo, Speyside, Scotland, £999.95)
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Colour: Dark, dark brown copper.

Nose: Wow. Truly a bit of everything going on here. Citrus (limes and burnt orange), spice (pepper), a hint of sulphur, even some juniper! Lots of sour gummy worms (hmm, I got those notes once before...)

Palate: Initially light, but clearly "well-oaked" (read: "overly oaky"). Drying and tannic, with Taiwanese Pineapple Cake, furniture polish, and the slightest hint of smoke. No Citrus like on the nose, but some coconut. Talk about a mixed bag!

Finish: Medium to long. A little smoky. A lot of varnish. Oaky, but not too tannic. Whole oranges.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 89/100. Look, for a whisky to make it to 60yo (and still be at least 40% ABV and therefore legally allowed to be called whisky in Scotland) is an impressive feat. Was it the best whisky I've ever tried? No, and I didn't expect it to be. Older does not always mean better. The Nose was A+++ fantastic. The remainder, interesting, but not quite as exciting. All over, it feels like a whisky that would have been in its prime about 10 or so years earlier. But hey, when you're experiencing a whisky that was distilled in the 50s, none of that really matters. It's all about the experience...and what an experience this was.

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #173: Glenfarclas 1979 34yo Family Cask for Shinanoya Tokyo

During our recent visit to Campbelltoun Loch, Tokyo (part of our JapanTour14), we were keen to try as many good drams as (sensibly) possible, but especially those which were either unique to Japan, or very difficult to find elsewhere. One that placed a big tick in that first box was this 34yo Glenfarclas Family Cask release, bottled specifically for Shinanoya (a bottle shop in Japan) on 31st July 2013 and distilled in 1979.

Glenfarclas 1979 34yo Family Cask bottled for Shinanoya (52.1% ABV, 34yo, one of 209 bottles from cask 8800, Speyside, Scotland, no longer available)
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Colour: Light gold

Nose: Steph and I walked past a lolly (sweet / confectionary) shop earlier in the day, and this smelled exactly like that - big sugary confectionary notes - boiled lollies most predominantly.

Palate: Easily one of the most unique whiskies I've ever tried. The notes on the nose carry right through, giving big notes of sour warheads and sour gummy worms (Steph got green frogs). There were some honey notes, but they took a big back seat to the sour lollies.

Finish: Medium to long, and sour to the very end. Certainly not what I was expecting.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. Really good. But REALLY odd. But really good.

Cheers,
Martin (and Steph).

Tasted #49: Master of Malt 40yo (2nd edition) (#101drams)

As I've mentioned on the blog before, Master of Malt run a fantastic sample service called "Drinks by the Dram", with literally hundreds of drams available at very reasonable prices. They're based in the UK, and their shipping costs aren't too friendly unless you're buying a few full-size bottles too (or a LOT of samples), but it really is a great way to try a special dram without forking out hundreds (or thousands) of dollars for a bottle. From Southern Comfort to a 1958 Glenfarclas, if you're keen to try something, it's worth checking out. I've found generally the prices are much better than ordering similar whiskies at Australian bars (if you can even find the whisky at a bar).

I'd been keen to try their 50yo for a while (see tasting notes here), so figured I'd give the 40yo a go too (a ful bottle is $445AUD but the sample is only $22 or so). 

In the interests of being mysterious (and you know, probably protecting the original distillery's reputation and whatnot), Master of Malt don't mention the distillery from which the 40 and 50yo drams come, except to say they're Speyside single malts. I really don't know which distillery this came from, nor will I take a guess, though they do call it a single malt so it's not from a teaspooned* cask (so unlikely to be from Glenfiddich or The Balvenie, who are known to teapsoon the majority of casks they release externally).

On with the tasting then...

Master of Malt 40yo (2nd Edition) (43% ABV, 40yo, Speyside Scotland, £28.24 for a dram)

Colour: Rich copper - not overly dark, but not dissimilar to other 40yo whiskies around this strength.

Nose: As I was expecting/hoping for - complex, with the expected leather and oak notes, but also sesame seeds and fresh laundry! 

Palate: Lighter than the nose suggests. Slightest hints of smoke give way to tangy orange notes, and some residual oak (though not so oaky that I felt like I was chewing an oak stave).

Finish: Oaky and long, but with none of the complex notes I've had on other similarly-aged whiskies. Reminds me of a Glenfiddich 30yo.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100. An enjoyable dram, but I wouldn't rush out and buy a bottle at $445AUD.

Cheers.
 - Martin.

* "Teaspooning" is when a small measure of one distillery's malt whisky is added to a cask of another, effectively making the whisky a blended (or vatted) malt, and no longer a "single malt". Typically done to protect the reputation of distilleries who are putting their casks out there on the market for blenders / independent bottlers. If anyone ever comes across a "Burnside" (Balvenie with a dash of Glenfiddich) or "Warhead" (the reverse), please let me know!

Distilleries of the United Kingdom - Part 3

Part 1 saw visits to Oban & Talisker, Part 2 took in Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet. For part 3 - Glen Moray, Abelour, Dalwhinnie, Glenfarclas and Jameson.

Enjoy!

Cheers, 

 - Martin.