Never Been to Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis is one of those distilleries that I really like for its distillery character. I think I've found my sweet spot - the balance between light peat, fruitiness, and a nutty, leathery side. So, that narrows me down to Springbank, Talisker, Highland Park, Ben Nevis, Mortlach, Benromach, Glendronach...usually. These probably are more likely to hit that spot for me, though there are many many honourable mentions everywhere, though in other distilleries, I maybe tend to like individual bottlings than the distillery in general. Hm. Only way to be scientific about this is to test many bottles.

Here's a bottle procured via Vom Fass.

Ben Nevis 17 years old, World of Orchids (50.5% abv)

Nose - This is really complex. Many subtle hits all round. Which makes it not very focused, but leaves lots to be explored. Smells oily on first nosing. There's also a touch of the sea on this. Kelp, mackerel. Citrusy too, with lemon and orange peel. There's a classy pine note on this, which mixes very nicely with the mint and eucalyptus scents, like nosing a Fisherman's Friend lozenge (supposedly something only my father's generation eats in Singapore. That's not true.) Give it some time, and you get some honey and vanilla. Pretty great nosing!

Palate - Big, big grapefruits. Plenty of seed oil. And wow. Big pepper punch. Fades to ginger and maybe some kind of chilli. There's a menthol and liquorice edge, and something savoury that reminds me of smoked salmon- without the fishiness (wait, is that still smoked fish?) Coconut. Turns a little bitter, unfortunately.

Finish - Mint, pepper, and a bit of seaweed. There's even a whiff of smoke at the end.

Overall - Good, really good. Not flawless, not perfect, but I really liked this. Perhaps not as classic Ben Nevis as, say, the Traditional Malt 10 years, or something, but still good!

Complimentary Tasting at LMDW - A big mixed bag

For the month of April, La Maison is hosting complimentary whisky tasting in the afternoons, from noon till 6pm, when the bar opens. If you're free, in the area, and wanna sip some good, cheap whiskies and have a lovely chat with the lovely Sarah, then do pop down. A word of warning, though: tasting good and cheap whiskies has a strange effect on you; it makes you a lot more willing to buy. After the complimentary tasting, I bought 2 bottles - the Redbreast 12 Cask Strength, and a Caol Ila from LDMW's The Ten series of whiskies for beginners.

Quick notes of the whiskies that were on offer:

Picture taken from LMDW's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/finespiritsLMDW/

I didn't try everything, and the Kilchoman Caroni Cask ran out.

Whisky de Table
Nose: Could be my eyes playing tricks on me with the colour and packaging of the bottle, but this smelt like white wine. Citrusy, tannic, sour and refreshing. A light malty notes comes out after some time in the glass.
Palate: Ok, yes, this is more like whisky. A lemon and lime edge, slightly smoky, with this whisky carrying a significant proportion of Clynelish. Texture is pretty smooth. Very easy, very quaffable. Sarah kept this bottle refrigerated, and I don't disagree with that.
Finish: Short, slightly sweet notes of honey. Vinous.

Redbreast Cask Strength
Nose: Intense, this one. Rich fruits. Apricots, figs, apples, pears, some hint of minerality...limestone and copper. A little vinous, but maybe more on dessert wine - more sweet, less sour. That's gotta be the sherry talking Rich, velvety vanilla and oak. There's so much going on here.
Palate: Ok, the alcohol packs a punch. After that subsides...rich and smooth. Mouth coating and full bodied. It's like ramping up the normal Redbreast 12 several notches - this one has more flavour coming in huge waves. Similar to the nose. Very consistent, with maybe a touch of floral about it. Maltier on the palate than on the nose.
Finish: Long, intense, clean. Fruity, spicy, oak.

Clynelish 8 years (2008/2015), Signatory 'Very Cloudy'
This one is very cloudy because it is un-chill filtered.

Nose: Mm. Smokier, maltier. Spicy, even on the nose. Compared to the Whisky de Table, of course.
Palate: Lemon, pear, malted barley. Clean, simple, very straightforward. I think I preferred the Compass Box blend...
Finish: Short, slightly spicy, a little woody. Good spirit, young age.

Glenrothes 8 years, G&M 'The Macphail's Collection'
Nose: This is rather meaty and chewy. I would say it smells more chewy than the Mortlach 21 I finished some time back. Chewy, malty too. It's sherried, but the sherry cask must have been a refill, I think. It's not very dominant on the nose, forming more of a backdrop. Like a fruitcake made with preserved fruits.
Palate: Spicy, slightly sherried. Fruits are dried - raisins, dried cranberries. Still chewy and slightly waxy texture.
Finish: Short, spicy and woody.

Cambus 24, Signatory
Nose: Intense. Bubblegum sweetness, corn syrup. Smells more like maize than rye. Mm. Spicy, on ginger and pepper. Big smells, really. Wood behind all the sweetness. Vanilla comes up too, if you get behind the corn syrup. Floral and perfumed.
Palate: Big hitting syrup, but not without complexity - honey, spicy. Ginger, cinnamon, saffron. Toffee, caramel. Solid oak backing too. Pretty good, these old grain whiskies
Finish: Long, spicy. A slight sour note here. Like wine tanginess, if there's such a word.

AnCnoc 12
Nose: Rather straightforward. Honeyed, with wood and light spiciness. Raisins and apple, cinnamon. Simple, good Speyside. But not very special.
Palate: same as above. The body runs out of ideas quite quickly. It starts out nice and supple, but turns flat fairly quickly. Easy, quick drinking. Not one to be mulled over.
Finish: short, sweet. Mm. Slight bitter note here. Artificial colouring, perhaps...?

Ben Nevis Mcdonald's Traditional 
Nose: Whoa. Really old school. The makers wanted to replicate an old style highland whisky, and I think they've succeeded. Big on rocks and charcoal. Sooty, even. A touch of engine oil. Smoky, but on the ashy side. Some lemons and pears too, under all that.
Palate: Slightly peaty - but it's closer to ash than iodine. Big on leather and rubber, but made less brutal by a touch of apples that lies under those big, old-style, industrial notes. Mm. Pomelo - Sour and slightly tannic. I really like this style, but maybe a little more fruit, or wood, or spice would have helped pick it up. I like this, but found it too brooding to buy a bottle.
Finish: Medium, on leather, tannins, and a slight spiciness. Mm. A slight bitter note too.

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And, that's a wrap. Didn't try the rest: Highland Park 8 from the Macphail's Collection, and a Caol Ila G&M Reserve. Whew. Couldn't taste anything for the rest of the day.

Many thanks to Sarah, who very graciously talked PY and I through all the whiskies, sharing thoughts, stories, tasting notes from Google, and for being very patient while we deliberated on what to buy. Benefits of going to LMDW on a rainy afternoon eh?

Long weeks and long maturations (Ben Nevis and Kilkerran)

This week has been a long and tiring week, with deadlines, chasing people for deadlines, and then worrying about the quality of work that was rushed out due to impending deadlines. Oh gosh. A long week deserves a long drink, and preferably one with a long(ish) maturation period. I guess the usual industry standard for "old" whisky is something above 18 years? Or thereabouts?

Serendipitously, Auld Alliance made a big announcement on FB about their updated menu! New items added, more tasting sets, and more independent bottlings by The Auld Alliance. The stars of the unveiling were a 32 year Port Ellen, a 27 year old Irish whisky of undisclosed origins, and a 19 year old Ben Nevis.

So, off I went on my own to Auld Alliance for some happy alone time!

Ben Nevis 19 year old, bottled for the Auld Alliance and Three Rivers (50.2% abv)

Oh look! An owl!

 I believe Three Rivers is a friend of the Auld Alliance bar in Japan. They do these split cask arrangements with Auld Alliance once in a while, I believe. This bottle was matured in a sherry butt for 19 years, though it said 20 on the menu.

Colour - Close to amber, and this bottle says that the whisky has not had colouring added. Nice colour!

Nose - Sherried, definitely. Blackcurrants, liquorice, oak. Slightly sour, like strawberry-sour. The sour strawberries you often get from Singapore supermarkets. Smells oily and fat. After a while, freshly plucked mint leaves, coriander and parsley. Vanilla floats up after a while.

Palate - Slightly salty on entry, and fairly obvious oak. Light sprinkling of spice - cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, the usual suspects. Slightly rubbery, with tea tannins giving it a drying feel. Some light peat, punctuated with bursts of fresh fruit - berries and one lemon. Incidentally, I read that lemons are not naturally occurring fruits, but the result of humans cross-breeding several fruits. Boom. Mind blown. When life does not give you lemons, go engineer them yourself. Burnt sugar, and with time in the glass, a lot of honey comes to the fore. Nice development!

Finish - A slight suggestion of machine oil. Spices remain, with some smoke. The whisky coats the mouth well, so there's some sweet sherry leftover around the mouth. Tea, a little bitter, and, at the end, crayons.

Overall - I like this style! Not typically highlands a la Highland Park or Oban, but good still. I like the fatty/oily feel and the complexity of development. Reminded me a bit of Springbank. But since I've already tried the affordable Springbanks on the menu...

Kilkerran WIP First Release (46% abv)

Really excited about this. I hope I get to buy a bottle of the Kilkerran 12. Preferably not from an overpriced bar/retailer...

Colour - White wine. This is pale, and rather young (about 4 to 5 years in bourbon cask)

Nose - Big on machine oil and a very strong metallic touch. Yet at the same time, still smelling fat and reminds me a bit of freshly de-shelled crustaceans. Slight peat and smoke, some tobacco, and juicy grapefruit/pomelo. Since it's the Mid-Autumn festival, pomelo it shall be.

Palate - Oh, rather different from the nose! Surprise! Coconut and oak, light honey, and some vanilla. Transits to minerals like wet rocks, silica-rich sand. Texture is smooth and creamy. Alcohol is quite unnoticeable, which is impressive for something so young. The mineral quality of the spirit really shines in this young make, and I expect age and wood would work wonders on it.

Finish - spicy and smokey. I'm getting some ginger-linger (such similar spelling but different pronunciation!) Drying, with suggestions of smoked, salted fish. Minerals again with a little bit of sea spray. Fairly short finish, but this is a good demonstration of distillery distinctives.

Overall - I'm impressed with the Kilkerran, and I think anyone who likes Springbank will like this too. This was just the first WIP too! Wish I had easy access to all the other Kilkerrans, and Springbank. But alas, there is one bar that is the sole distributor of Springbank in Singapore (and thus also having sole distributor rights to Springbank's other distilleries Hazelburn, Longrow, Kilkerran, and Cadenhead), and we all know what happens in a monopoly. Springbank 18 for $280 is steep. Springbank 13 Green for $300 is downright prohibitive.

One can hope, eh?