Sild Triple Cask

“Confused Holzhacker”

Whisky Review # 1033

Country: Germany 🇩🇪

Region: Bavaria

Brand: Sild Triple Cask

Distilled at: Lantenhammer Distillery, Hausham, Bavaria

Type: Single Malt German Whisky

Age: 5 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 44%
Maturation: Mix of 1st-Fill Amontillado, 2nd-Fill Port Wine & Burgundy Wine casks

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 50-55 (September 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😑 Okay
Buying Advice: 😒 Unbalanced and too Woody for me

Colour: Dark Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose:

The Alcohol is noticeable so it's best to nose around the edges of your glass. There is a strong Aroma of New Wood, quite common in West-European mainland Malts. I also get a light Sulphur note. It's Young and mainly Sweet and presents lots of Grain (Bread), Caramel and Oak. It's not bad but the variety of casks is somewhat confusing.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Toasted Barley, German Butter Biscuits, Caramel, Charred Oak, Dried Fruit like Plums, Apricots and Raisins, Baked Apples, Dried Herbs, Straw, Caffe Latte & Pepper.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Cooked Vegetables, Nuts and Nutshells, Sulphur, Varnish, Hazelnut-Milk Chocolate, Nectarine, Nutmeg, Cloves and Sherry.

Palate:

Young, slightly off-balance and Bitter-Sweet. The Alcohol remains noticeable.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Caramel, Charred Oak, Dried Fruit like Apricots, Plums, Raisins & Apples, Straw, Dark Chocolate, Pepper and Cloves.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Nuts and Nutshells, Sherry, Bitter Orange, Hazelnut, Burnt Heather, Dried Herbs, Strong Espresso, Varnish, Cardamom and Nutmeg.

Finish:

Short/Middle Long. Bitter Sweet and quite Dry toward the end. The Malt can't hide its relative Youth and the Alcohol stings a bit. Lots of Oak, Spices and Herbs. I find Toasted Barley, Caramel, Vanilla, Burnt Heather, Charred Oak, Dried Herbs, Dried Fruit like Plums, Apricot and Sultanas, Bitter Orange, Fortified Red Wine, Dark Chocolate, Menthol, Cardamom, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves and Varnish. A hint of Black Espresso.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water kills this Sild.

Rating: 6.5 (******1/2)

Nose: 6.5 - Taste: 6.5 - Finish: 6

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Borderline Okay

Conclusion:

Sild Whisky is a project started by German Whisky pioneer Alexander Sievers, the Lantenhammer Distillery (Anton Stetter) & Slyrs Whisky. The Triple Cask is one of the more recent expressions in the portfolio. It is made with Bavarian Bio Malt and Water from the Bannwaldquelle in the Alps. It matures in the various casks and is married before bottling.

This Sild Triple Cask not only suffers from almost overpowering (Virgin) Oak but also lacks direction and cohesion. The variety of casks looks great on paper but works confused in reality. The Malt is Creamy by itself. It just needs more time in adequate casks. Kilchoman comes to mind as a good example of what young Malt and good coherent casks can produce. Based on the above I can't recommend this Sild Triple Cask.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                               September 19, 2024

Glenlivet White Oak Reserve

“Absolute Beginners” 

Whisky Review # 1032

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Speyside

Brand: Glenlivet White Oak Reserve - Triple Cask Matured

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Mix of 1st Fill American White Oak, Sherried Wood & Traditional Oak 

Chill Filtration: Yes 

Sample provided by Marco from Brazil. Many Thanks!

Price Range: US$ 60-75 (September 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 if you can find it at around US$ 60 
Buying Advice: 😐 Okay for beginners but unremarkable for the advanced fans 

Colour: Light Amber (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

Light, Young and mainly Sweet. A typical MMM (Modern Mainstream Malt). Lots of (Dried) Fruit, Caramel and Coconut. The Alcohol is noticeable. It's quite inoffensive and unremarkable. 

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Caramel, Buttered Toast, Coconut, Green Apple, Pear, Mandarin and Orange, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Apricots & Plums, Hazelnut-Milk Chocolate, Oak, Candy, Cinnamon and Mint.      
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Toffee, Grass & Straw, Lemon, Dark Berries and Cherries, Wet Rocks, Almonds, Gooseberry, Caffe Latte and Ginger.   

Palate:

Young, Thin, Light and Medium-Dry. Mainly Sweet but presenting Sour and Bitter notes as well. The Alcohol remains noticeable. Quite uneventful.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley,Caramel, Heather-Honey, Grass and Straw, Dried Fruit like Raisins, Apricots, Dates and Plums, Green Apple, Pear, Orange, Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon & Ginger.   

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Toffee, Nuts & Nutshells, Lemon, Mandarin, Grapefruit, Artificially flavored Candy (Cherry), Coconut, Hazelnut-Milk Chocolate, Caffe Latte, Dusty Road and Dry Earth, Mint, Nutmeg and hints of Tobacco and Metal (Tin). 

Finish:

Young and on the Thin side. The Alcohol is noticeable. Quite Sweet at first but with developing Bitter and Sour notes towards the finale that comes rather quick. I find Sweet Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Nuts & Nutshells, Orange, Green Apple, Mandarin, Lemon, Dried Fruit like Raisins and Apricots, Caffe Latte, Oak, Dark Chocolate, Coconut, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Menthol and Metal.  

Drinking Advice:

Added Water kills this Glenlivet.

Rating: 6.5 (******1/2)

Nose: 7 - Taste: 6.5 - Finish: 6.5 

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Boring

Conclusion:

The Glenlivet Distillery is located in Ballindalloch (Banfshire) and was founded in 1824 by George Smith. Since 2001 it is owned by Chivas Brothers Pernod Ricard In 2018 a new production extension became operational that has increased the production to around 21 million litres making it the largest Single Malt distillery in Scotland. The core range includes The Founder's Reserve (NAS), The Captain's Reserve (NAS), The Caribbean Reserve (NAS) and the 12, 15 and 18 Years. 

The White Oak Reserve I'm reviewing today is part of the Travel Retail range and therefore aims at a broad public. In many occasions this policy provides us with inoffensive Malts that won't scare off potential whisky fans. As such this White Oak Reserve works. But if you're into whisky a little longer you might find this boring and uninteresting. 

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                             September 11, 2024

Kilchoman Saligo Bay

“Set Fire To The Rain” 

Whisky Review # 1031

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Islay

Brand: Kilchoman Saligo Bay

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Age: NAS - (Stated at Around 5 Years)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon barrels

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 60-100 (August 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 if you can get it at max. US$ 70
Buying Advice: 👍 if you like Young Smoky Islay Malt

Colour:

White Wine - Chardonnay (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Relatively Young and a little Rough with lots of Smoke and Burnt Peat. Quite Dry as well. Not Unpleasant! Give it enough time in the glass to be able to spot the other Aromas. There is a bit of Alcohol in play. All in all a typical Young Islay Malt.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Wet Hay and Grass, Bonfire Smoke, Burnt Peat, Tar, Ashes, Charred Oak, Smoked Fish and Shellfish on the BBQ sprinkled with lots of Lemon and dusted with Green Herbs and Pepper.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Heather-Honey, Toffee, Farm Yard, Dirty Earth, Iodine, Seaweed, Green Apple,  Cooked Vegetables, Tangerine, Grapefruit, Bitter Orange, Leather, Pipe Tobacco, Licorice, Mint and Plastic.

Palate:

Mainly Sweet with a few Sour and Bitter notes as well. Quite Dry. Oily but a little Thin at the same time. It can't hide its relative Youth but it remains pleasant.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Driftwood Fire, Tar, Ashes, Hay and Grass, Farm Yard, Butter, Fish and Shellfish on the BBQ sprinkled with lots of Lemon and dusted with Green Herbs and Pepper, Charred Oak and Mint.

Supportive Flavour Accents:
   
Heather-Honey, Toffee, Iodine, Seaweed, Green Apple, Ginger, Herbal Tea, Milk Chocolate, Sour Orange and Grapefruit, Rubber, Plastic, Licorice and Nutshells.

Finish:

Middle-Long. Young, a little Rough and mostly Sweet with a few light Bitter notes. The Sweetness presents itself a little Artificial. Quite Dry. I find Sweet Barley, Wet Hay and Grass, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Driftwood Fire, Tar, Ashes, Farm Yard and Dirty Earth, Slightly Sour Green Apple, Lemon, Herbal Tea, Charred Oak, Strong Espresso, Plastic, Metal, Rubber, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger and Licorice. Hints of Milk Chocolate, Pipe Tobacco and Gasoline after a while.

Drinking Advice:

In an odd way added Water seems to enhance the Young character of this Saligo Bay. Be sure to try it out! I prefer it neat though.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 8 - Finish: 7

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is 8 or higher you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

The Kilchoman distillery is located at the Rockside farm, close to Bruichladdich. This farm distillery only started production in 2005. It is owned by Anthony Wills and his sons are involved in the day-to-day business as well. It's a  small distillery that currently produces around 600.000 litres per year. The core range consists of the NAS Machir Bay and the NAS Sanaig. Kilchoman has its own malting floor responsible for malting around 25% of their needs. The rest was bought from Port Ellen but since 2022 they only sell to Diageo distilleries. Therefore Kilchoman has ample plans to increase their own malting and distilling facilities.

The Saligo Bay was launched in 2016, initially for Travel Retail only. As of 2021 it is widely available elsewhere. Saligo Bay is one of the three beautiful bays on the West Coast of Islay.

The Saligo Bay is a typical Young Islay whisky that matured for around five years in good casks. There's a lot of Smoke and Burnt notes around and if you like that this Kilchoman will not disappoint you despite a few light off-notes. All in all not a bad effort by this relatively young distillery.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                 September 5, 2024

Clynelish 14 Years

“Daydr(e)am” 

Whisky Review # 1030

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Clynelish

Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Age: 14 Years

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Mix of mainly Ex-Bourbon casks and some Sherried Wood

Chill Filtration: Yes

Price Range: US$ 45-60 (August 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 Good
Buying Advice: 👍 Good day-to-day Highlander at an affordable price

Colour:

Golden Sunlight (Artificially Coloured)

Nose:

There are lots of Fruit to be found but also healthy portions of Clynelish Wax, Malt and Caramel. The Alcohol is slightly noticeable. Sweet, Sour, Mineral and Grassy tones are also a part of the mix. Not spectacular but certainly pleasing.

Main Aromas:

Malted Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Wax, Grass & Straw, Sweet Apple, Nectarine, Lemon, Tropical Fruit Cocktail, Wet Rocks, Dirty Earth, Mint and Ginger.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Brown Sugar, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Resin, Dough, Green Vegetables, Orange, Grapefruit, Pear, Sugared Figs, Dusty Charred Casks in a Dunnage Warehouse, Pepper, Cloves and mere hints of Smoke, Polish and Rubber.

Palate:

A pleasant mix of Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter and Mineral notes. It would even be better if the Alcohol would be fully integrated but that's not the case.

Main Flavours:

Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Grass and Hay, Wax, Apple, Pear, Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Dusty Earth, Charred Oak, Sugared Almonds, Pepper, Ginger and Cinnamon.

Supportive Flavour Accents:
   
Honey, Brown Sugar, Dough, Nectarine, Tropical Fruit cocktail, Herbal Tea, Wet Rocks, Mint, Cloves, Cardamom and Nutmeg. Hints of Polished Leather, Rubber and Gasoline.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Punchy and with a little Alcohol kick towards the Medium Dry end. Quite Mineral as well. A Mix of Sweet, Salty & Sour notes with some Bitter accents as well. I find Malted Barley, Salted Caramel, Toffee, Honey, Vanilla, Wax, Brown Sugar, Yeast, Resin, Grass and Hay, Apple, Pear, Tropical Fruit Cocktail, Grapefruit, Orange, Lemon, Nectarine, Chocolate/Dried Fruit Bar, Wet Rocks, Dusty Oak, Varnish, Pepper, Herbal Tea, Cloves, Ginger, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.

Drinking Advice:

I prefer it neat but you can carefully add a few drops of Water.

Rating: 8 (********)

Nose: 8 - Taste: 8 - Finish: 7.5

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is 8 or higher you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion:

Clynelish was founded in 1819 by the 1st Duke of Sutherland in the small town of Brora. It is owned by Diageo and the spirit is an important ingredient of various JW Blends. It produces around 4,8 million litres of Alcohol per year. Its sister-distillery Brora lies next to Clynelish and has been reopened recently after having been closed in 1983. The pictures were shot during our visit to Clynelish/Brora in May 2019. A new Visitor Centre was opened in 2021. The 14 Years I'm reviewing today is the only official core expression.

There's a lot to like about this Clynelish 14 years. It's pleasant, easy-going and without significant off-notes. And it has an affordable price tag. It's quite Waxy & the Alcohol stings a little at times but other than that you can easily consider this Clynelish 14 Years if you're looking for a suitable daily dram.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                      August 15, 2024

Mackmyra Brukswhisky

“Don’t Take a Chance On Me”

Whisky Review # 1029

Country: Sweden 🇸🇪

Region: Valbo - Gävle

Brand: Mackmyra Brukswhisky (Blended by: Angela d'Orazio)

Type: Single Malt Swedish Whisky

Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 41.4%
Maturation: 1st Fill Bourbon casks plus added whisky that aged in Sherry Oak and Swedish Oak plus some Smokier Malt 

Chill Filtration: No 

Price Range: US$ 45/60 (August 2024) - 700 ML
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎

Buying Advice: 😡 This is not for me. And I don't recommend it to you!

Colour:

White Wine (Chardonnay) -  Natural Color

Nose:

Young, Modest and a little Plain. New Make Spirit boosted by some Swedish Oak. The Sherry influence is very limited. There's a clear note of Limonene. It's used a lot in Brazil in cleaning products for toilets in Shopping Malls. It's not unpleasant but I never found it so clearly in a whisky. A very distant hint of Smoke.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Bread and Margarine, Yeast, Grass, Green Apple, Pear, Limonene & Lemon, Tangerine, Dusty Oak, Coconut and Mint.   

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Vanilla-Banana Milkshake, White Wine, Tutti Frutti Bubble Gum, Herbal and Floral Tea, Alcohol, Musty Cellar, Smoke, Cinnamon, Aniseed and Metal.   

Palate:

Young, Thin and a little Sharp. A Bitter-Sweet and slightly Sour mix of Grapefruit Juice and Limonene-based cleaning agent. I've had some Mackmyra malts in the past but this ranks amongst the worst

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Caramel, Yeast, Green Apple, Pear, Limonene, Lemon, Grapefruit, Bitter Orange, Coconut, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Salt, Cinnamon and Ginger.   

Supportive Flavour Accents:
   
Vanilla, Perfumed Soap, Sweet Almonds, Banana, Herbs, Mint, Aniseed, Unknown Cola brand and a very distant hint of Smoke.   

Finish:

Short with a little Alcohol kick in the end. A rather Thin and Spicy mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. It reminds me a bit of a sparkling Lemonade soft drink. The Limonene is back again as well. I also find Malted Barley, Caramel, Green Apple, Pear, Lemon and Limonene, Grapefruit, Floral Soap, Herbs, Dusty Oak in a Musty Cellar, Pepper, Salt, Ginger & Aniseed. After a few minutes a hint of Banana Bread pops up. Too late to save the day.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water makes it worse!

Rating: 5.5 (*****1/2)

Nose: 6 - Taste: 5.5 - Finish: 5.5 

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is 8 or higher you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Not very pleasant

Conclusion:

The first Mackmyra distillery was founded in 1999. In 2012 a new distillery started production. It is located just outside Gävle, only a few miles away from the first distillery. The new structure is one of the highest in its kind and follows the gravity model where the production process starts on the upper floor and works it way downwards. This process decreases the energy costs substantially. The owners (Mackmyra Svensk Whisky AB) suffered some financial problems in 2014, probably as a result of the huge investment in the new distillery. As a result production went down considerably. 

Latest news: It seemed that the situation was back under control but one of my readers informed me that the distillery filed for bankruptcy on August 19,2024.

I must admit that I'm not really impressed by the Malts from Mackmyra that I've tasted so far. And this Brukswhisky is certainly not going to change my mind. It's Young, Flat, Plain, Sharpish & very Lemon-driven. But don't worry, I'm not giving up the search and I truly hope to discover a good Swedish Single Malt from this 25 year old distillery in the future.

Skål 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                       August 8, 2024