Tasted #34: Laphroaig 18yo (#101drams)

Thanks to two recent trips through Singapore's Changi airport, and two visits to the excellent Terminal 1 Duty Free store (I forget the name, but it's the one right near the "Social Tree" and the Changi Millionaire stand), I've been able to try a few fantastic whiskies that would otherwise be difficult (or expensive) to come across in Australia.

First up - Laphroaig 18 (conveniently a #101drams whisky). I'd tried the 15yo on this blog previously (and given it 90/100) so was keen to see how the 18yo stacked up.

Whisky Lovers' paradise - SIN T1 Duty Free sample cabinet

Laphroaig 18yo Original Bottling (48% ABV, 18yo, Islay, Scotland)
------------------------
Nose: As with the 15yo, fresh fruit, slightly sweet, and with peat, but muted compared to the 10 and 15yo (unsurprising given peaty whiskies have a tendency to lose their overt peatiness over time in oak).

Palate: Big medicinal hit, as has come to be synonymous with Laphroaig. Still sweet, but that peat / "iodine" comes through. Incredibly smooth. I'd love to try the 25yo and see how it continues to mellow.

Finish: Mid-length (I expected slightly longer), and whilst the peat is subdued, it's still there in spades. The medicinal notes follow through to the end, with some residual sweetness.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100. I considered buying a bottle (though after the Glenfiddich Age of Discovery Red Wine Cask, Glenfiddich 125th Anniversary, Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or and others there wasn't much duty-free allowance left!) 

Cheers,

 - Martin.

Tasted #26: Johnnie Walker "The Gold Route" (#101drams)

I added this to the #101drams in the hope that I'd be able to try it at a Duty Free shop on my next trip overseas. Sure enough on a recent long weekend trip to Singapore (during which I sampled many excellent whiskies and visited two fantastic whisky bars - posts to follow!) I spotted it for sampling at SYD Duty Free.

(So what if it was 8am? I was on holidays and there were #101drams to tick off the list...)

Johnnie Walker Explorer's Club Collection - "The Gold Route" (40%, Blend, NAS, Scotland)

----

Nose: No peat that I could discern (so I doubt there's a lot of Islay whiskies in here as with some JWs). Rich and sweet, with a hint of caramel.

Palate: Rich and oily. A sweet, almost ice-cream like creaminess follows.

Finish: Smooth, very smooth. I was expecting a harsh finish but wasn't disappointed. I'd say there are some well-aged whiskies in here (I'd love to know the composition). Some sweetness and a whole lot of mouth-puckering dryness.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100. A decent blend.

Cheers,
 - Martin.

Tasted #7 & #8: Glenfiddich 125th Anniversary and Glenfiddich 19yo Age of Discovery Bourbon cask (#101drams)

It's a rare event when duty free works out to be cheaper in Australia than, well, anywhere else in the world, but that's what happened on a recent trip to NZ, so on return into SYD I picked up two 'fiddichs I'd been keen to get my hands on - the 125th Anniversary Edition and the 19yo Age of Discovery Bourbon cask finish. Both to join my shelf of "special 'fiddichs":

Having been a huge fan of the original AoD Madeira cask finish, and realising that the 2nd release (Bourbon cask) wasn't going to be available for regular retail sale, I was keen to get my hands on a bottle. As for the 125th Anniversary - a peaty, limited edition 'fiddich? Too interesting to pass up!


Both are presented in typical limited edition Glenfiddich fashion - i.e. very well, in sturdy and attractive boxes with (in the case of the 125th Anniversary) a few extra add-ons (call them gimmicks if you like, I think they're pretty nice) -  a signed certificate by Malt Master Brian Kinsman, a (very heavy) solid copper bottle stopper, and a small booklet on the malt.

..but enough of the small talk. How do they taste?




Glenfiddich 125th Anniversary Edition (43% ABV, No Age Statement)

Nose: Peat! Not in a "blow your head off" Ardbeg style (as much as we all love it), but not in the subtle "hello, I promise I'm here!" style of say the Caoran Reserve either. Certainly not what you expect from any Glenfiddich. Pleasant though. While the smoke is hard to ignore, it reminded me more of an Aussie peated whisky (like say, Hellyers Road Peated) than a subtle Islay. There's a slight fruity sweetness too.

Palate: Vanilla, smoke, again - reminiscent of the Hellyers Road Peated. Pleasant, but you can only just tell it's a Glenfiddich. Certainly the most different Glenfiddich I've tried.

Finish: All the vanilla, sweetness, fruitiness clears, and leaves smoke. Not overpowering, but definitely the dominant characteristic. It lingers, but doesn't overstay its welcome.

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

Fantastic presentation, as we've come to expect
from special edition Glenfiddichs 

The AoD Bourbon finish (left) is lighter than the
125th Anniversary, but not by much.

Glenfiddich 19yo Age of Discovery Bourbon cask finish (40% ABV, 19yo)

Nose: Vanilla - a big hit of sweet vanilla at first. Slight notes of banana, maybe a hint of pear?

Palate: Bananas, pear. The vanilla sweetness so evident on the nose is nowhere to be found.

Finish: Apple and pear. Not dissimilar to Glenfiddich 12yo, but much smoother. Not a long finish, but not too short either.

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



All up, two very enjoyable whiskies. While I slightly preferred the AoD Bourbon cask finish to the 125th Anniversary, I'm very glad I grabbed a bottle two bottles of the latter. If it's anything like the Snow Phoenix (just search eBay), it's sure to be a popular and highly sought-after dram!

Cheers,
 - Martin.