Tomintoul Cigar Malt

   

“Don’t Have a Cigar” 


Whisky Review # 1035

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Region: Speyside
Brand: Tomintoul Cigar Malt
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Either fully matured in - or finished in Oloroso butts from Andalusia
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 70-90 (October 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay I guess
Buying Advice: 👎 Not good enough to pair with a first class cigar.

Colour: Very Dark Amber with shades of Red (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Please give this Tomintoul enough time in the glass and avoid nosing in the middle the glass as there is Alcohol around. It's quite Light and Thin on the Nose and it's a Young Malt. I assume that most of the Spirit only had a Sherry Finish. You can smell the Sherry casks but certainly not in an overwhelming way. The Nose is Sweet but not overly so and there are a few Sour & Salty notes for balance. Only a touch of Smoke in the background as well as a very light Sulphur note. My first thought was that this Cigar Malt seems on the light side to be able to accompany a good Cigar.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Apricot, Plums, Dates & Figs, Sour Red Berries & Cherries (Strawberry, Raspberry) Dark - & Milk Chocolate, Nuts, Tobacco, Cinnamon, Cloves, Ginger and Nutmeg.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Wax, Demerara Sugar, Smoke, Earthy Peat, Ashes, Polished Upholstery, Orange, Banana Bread, Licorice, Aniseed, Pepper, Herbs and a hint of Pork.


Palate:

Relatively Young, a little Hot & on the Thin side. A mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. Quite Dry. The Smoke is more noticeable but remains in the background. A good Cigar deserves a Single Malt with more character in my opinion.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Dried Fruit like Sultanas, Raisins, Dates and Plums, Nuts, Dark Chocolate, Sour Red Berries and Cherries, Tobacco, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger and Cardamom.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Honey, Toffee, Wax, Smoke, Earthy Peat, Grass, Charred Oak, Cigar Box, Orange, Cooked Apples, Leather, Peanut Butter, Metal, Aniseed, Cinnamon and a hint of Pork.


Finish
:


Middle-Long. Young, Thin and a little Hot. A mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. Quite Dry and slightly Metallic towards the end. The Smoke is more present now. I find Sweet Barley, Buttered Toast, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Wax, Golden Syrup, Dried Fruit like Plums, Sultanas & Dates, Nuts, Smoke, Earthy Peat, Ashes, slightly Sour Red Berries/Cherries, Orange, Dark Chocolate, Charred Oak, Black Coffee or Tea, Tobacco, Leather, Pepper, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cardamom & Aniseed.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water kills this Cigar Malt.

Rating: 7 (*******)

Nose: 7 - Taste: 7 - 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: Okay

Conclusion:

The Tomintoul distillery was founded in the year 1965 and was bought in 2000 by the current owners Angus Dundee Distillers who also acquired Glencadam in 2003. It is located in Ballindaloch (Banffshire), one of the highest distillery locations in Scotland. The core range currently consists a/o of the NAS Tlàth and Seiridh, the 10, 14, 16, 21 and 25 years old, the Cigar Malt and some other peated Malts like the Old Ballantruan and the Peaty Tang. The Tomintoul Malt is used in blends like Dundee and Parker's.

The Cigar Malt is a mix of classic Tomintoul Single Malt and rare peated Tomintoul Single Malt. Each of these individual Single Malts have either matured fully or were finished in Oloroso Sherry butts from Andalusia, Spain.

The Cigar Malt is a Young, Thin and slightly Hot Single Malt. It's not really bad but I really don't see this as an adequate companion for a good Cigar. It simply lacks sufficient maturation, active casks and a more adequate ABV. I'm not a regular Cigar Smoker but if I would smoke a good Cuban on a special occasion I would not pair it with this Tomintoul.

Cheers! 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                                      October 3, 2024

Caol Ila 2009 (James Eadie)


"Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”


Whisky Review # 1034

Country: Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Region: Islay
Brand: Caol Ila 2009 - Distilled: 28-10-2009
Bottled By: James Eadie in 2021 - Exclusive Selection for The Netherlands
Type: Single Malt Single Cask Scotch Whisky - Cask # 358023 - 367 Bottles
Age: 11 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 56.6% (Cask Strength)
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Cask with 7 months Finish (Refill Palo Cortado Hogshead)
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 90-105 (September 2024)
Price/Quality Ratio: 😐 Okay
Buying Advice: 👍 Very pleasant Young and slightly Hot Islay Malt

Color:

Yellow Gold (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Pleasant, Light and relatively Young Coastal peated Malt. All the usual Aromas are present. They are mainly Sweet, Fruity, Vegetal and Mineral. A few Musty & Sour notes as well. I almost always like Caol Ila & on the Nose this James Eadie seems to be no exception. The Alcohol does not interfere with the Nosing procedures.

Main Aromas:

Sweet Barley, Slightly Burnt Buttered Toast, Cold Campfire Smoke, Wet Coastal Peat, Ashes, Soot, Tar, Brine, Iodine, Yeast, Straw and Grass, Bacon and Fish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon & Herbs, Green Apple, Pear, Banana, Charred Oak, Nutmeg and Mint.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Burnt Heather, Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Brown Sugar, Wet Sand & Paper, Dusty Track, Musty Dunnage, Farmyard, Cooked Vegetables, Sour Grapefruit and Seville  Orange, Tobacco, Leather, Gas Station, Apricot Jam, Cinnamon & Licorice. A hint of Strong Cheese.


Palate:

A pleasant albeit slightly Hot mix of Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Sour and Coastal notes. A few more years in the cask and, as a consequence, a lower ABV could have made this a great Whisky. It's still quite good though and thoroughly enjoyable.

Main Flavours:

Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Yeast, Campfire Smoke, Coastal Peat, Ashes, Soot, Tar, Iodine, Grass and Straw, Bacon, Fish and Shellfish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon & Herbs, Green Apple, Pear, Charred Oak, Pepper, Ginger and Cinnamon.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Burnt Heather, Honey, Vanilla, Toffee, Dusty Track, Wet Sand & Stones, Almonds, Tobacco, Dairy, Dried Fruit like Apricots and Raisins, Papaya Cream with Creme de Cassis, Sour Grapefruit and Seville Orange, Nutmeg, Mint, Aniseed, Licorice, Caffe Latte and Leather.


Finish:

Middle-Long and slightly Hot. Sweet at first but with developing Sour & light Bitter notes towards the Dry end. Its relative Youth is more noticeable now and so is the Alcohol. I find Sweet Barley, Salted Caramel, Buttered Toast, Burnt Heather, Tar, Campfire Smoke, Coastal Peat, Cigar Ashes, Brine, Iodine, Grass & Straw, Bacon, Fish and Shellfish on the BBQ sprinkled with Lemon & Herbs, Dusty Track, Green Apple, Sour Citrus Fruit, Charred Oak, Tobacco, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Mint, Aniseed, Ginger, Licorice, Milk Chocolate and Metal.

Drinking Advice:

I added a bit of Water and although it does not improve the Nose, it will get you more Fruit on the Palate. But it also alters the Coastal profile of this Caol Ila. I prefer it neat but you can certainly experiment with a little 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:

The Caol Ila Distillery was founded in 1846 and is located close to Port Askaig on Islay. It was bought by DCL in 1927 and through some mergers finally became part of Diageo. The distillery was rebuilt in 1974 and only one old Warehouse reminds us of former days. Traditionally, Caol Ila is an important component of Blends like Johnnie Walker, Bell's and White Horse. But during the last 15 years Diageo has made great efforts to position the Distillery as a Single Malt as well. Caol Ila is really beautifully located alongside the strait between the islands of Islay and Jura. The Core range includes the 12, 18 and 25 Years, the Distiller's Edition as well as the NAS Moch. We thoroughly enjoyed both our visits to the distillery in 2014 and 2017 respectively despite the fact that you're not allowed to take pictures. Caol Ila is certainly one of my favorite distilleries and Single Malts.

Caol Ila has become one of my favorite distilleries and this 11 Year old expression by James Eadie does not disappoint. It's still a bit Young and Rough around the edges but quite enjoyable. The Sherry Finish adds just enough Sweetness. If you like Young and peated Islay Whisky you can't go wrong with this one!

Cheers 🥃

Jan van den Ende                                                              September 26, 2024

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