Scotland | Page 10 | NYC Whiskey Review

HM – The King Scotch

January 7, 2021 Scotland

Name: HM – The King Scotch

Color: Yellow

Nose: Malt, flowers, fruit, vanilla

Taste: Vanilla, fruit, light honey

Review:

HM – The King Scotch is a blended scotch whisky that is bottled at 40% abv and appears to be of natural color. If the title sounds familiar it is probably from movies that describe British Naval Ships as the “HM (fill in the blank)”. In the United Kingdom the ships are HM for “His/Her Majesty” in the United States they are the “USS (fill in the blank)”. In this case is it is “His Majesty” as the scotch is titled “King.”
On the producer’s web page is states, “exquisite blend of Highland single malts……worked with most storied houses including Dalmore, Jura, and The Highland Queen”. Sounds nice, but there is not much else I could find, which makes me wonder what is really in the scotch. Remember, just because it is written in marketing material, does not make it true.

I sampled this scotch at my sisters’ home in Florida as she had an extra one from her liquor sales days. HM -The King Scotch is a good example of how a blend can have a good flavor profile and not be overpriced. The ongoing debate in the whisky world whether blended scotch whisky or a single malt is better continues to hurt my ears. If you want an 18-year-old single malt go and pay for one, if your you budget does not allow for $100+ bottle, buy a blend and see if you like it.

HM – The King Scotch is light, fresh, and easy to drink. It has a nice balance but is nothing amazing, however, I do not think it is trying to be amazing.

Priced around $30 and its good for a try or grabbing a bottle for a party. I have not seen it on the shelf here in the NYC area.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2011

December 23, 2020 Scotland

Name: Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2011

Color: Light Yellow

Nose: Malted barley, lemon, green apple, flowers, light smoke and oak

Taste: Barley, oak, peat, lemon citrus

Review: 3 Days until Christmas! Do you have your bottles bought and ready for the Holidays!

Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2011 was distilled in 2011, aged 6 years in oak casks and bottled in 2018. The expression is un-chilled filtered, non-peated, and 100 proof. From my research the flavor comes from the terroir and the casks it is aged in along with the quality of production.

The Terroir: This whisky expression has two types of barley that are grown at three different farms. The barley is Publican and Oxbridge and the farms are: Claggan, Cruach, and Island & Mulindry. In short; 3 farms + 2 barleys = 1 scotch. The differences between the barleys are too much to go into in a short review but the terroir assist the barley with the flavor

The Casks: 75% of the scotch was aged in first fill American whiskey casks.15% of the scotch was aged in second/third filled Sauternes and Austrian sweet wine casks.10% of the scotch was aged in first fill Rivesaltes (French sweet wine) casks. The scotch was then merged for 6 months before bottling. I think this might explain the excellent taste.

I am still yet to be disappointed with Bruichladdich. Each expression I have tried has been excellent. I do wonder if some of their higher priced expressions are worth the money. If you want to learn about Bruichladdich watch “Scotch: A Golden Dream” on Amazon Prime.

This scotch works well as a summer drink on the rocks on the back porch or a winter scotch neat by the fire.

Priced around $65 and worth the money.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Bunnahabhain 12-Year-Old

December 22, 2020 Scotland

Name: Bunnahabhain 12-Year-Old

Color: Light brown

Nose: Barley, lemon, light wood, ocean notes

Taste: Malt, honey, lemon grass, light oak, white pepper

Review: 4 Days until Christmas! Do you have your bottles bought and ready for the Holidays!

Bunnahabhain 12-Year-Old Scotch is from the Islay Region of Scotland. The name is Scottish Gaelic for “foot of the river” and is also the name of the village on the Northeast Coast on the Isle of Islay. The distillery was established in 1881 and the 12-year-old was first released in 1979. The scotch is 46.3% abv, natural color, un-chilled filtered, and is double matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks.

I had not yet tried Bunnahabhain, so I bought this bottle on a gamble to see how it tastes. I was pleasantly surprised once took a few wee sips. The scotch is well balanced and much lighter than expected for a whiskey originating from Islay. It has a medium body taste but is light enough to work as a summer scotch on the rocks or a winter dram neat next to the fire place.

I really enjoyed this scotch and I will be keeping a bottle on the bar and I look forward to trying other expressions from Bunnahabhain.

Priced around $50 and worth the money.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

The Macallan 15-Year-Old – Triple Cask

December 21, 2020 Scotland

Name: The Macallan 15-Year-Old – Triple Cask

Color: Yellow

Nose: Light malt, flowers, vanilla, pepper

Taste: Malt, wood, spice, honey

Review: 5 Days until Christmas! Do you have your bottles bought and ready for the Holidays!

The Macallan 15-Year-Old Triple cask was introduced in 2018 to replace The Macallan Fine Oak expression. The 15-Year-Old Triple Cask is bottled at 43% abv and is aged in European sherry casks, American sherry casks, and American ex-bourbon casks.

The Macallan Distillery is in Craigellachie, Moray which is in the Speyside region of Scotland. It was founded in 1824 and has numerous expressions and ages available. The age statement expressions range from 8 to 72 years old and the price can sky rocket with older expressions to a WTF level of cost. The Macallan is one of those “gold standards” in scotch that people either know or have heard of because of product placement in television and movies along with seeing it on the store shelf. My guess for the replacement (or change of name) is that the marketing team at Macallan has learned that an age statement on a bottle sells better than fancy worded title to the average consumer. Marketing, my least favorite part of whiskey, is heavily based on consumers lack of knowledge, so please read my blog. I had the Fine Oak before, but I do not remember the taste profile.

I can confidently say that the Triple Cask is much better than the 10-year old expression which is the base line. The three additional years adds extra softness the scotch, but you will have to pay for those additional 3 years. If you have not had any of The Macallan Scotch before I recommend you start with the 10 Year Old for a baseline and to save a few dollars.

Priced around $100+ and worth the money if you have the money.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Johnnie Walker Blue – 200ml

December 19, 2020 Scotland

Name: Johnnie Walker Blue – 200ml

Color: Light Brown

Nose: Cedar wood, flowers, almond, barley

Taste: Malt, vanilla, light pepper, lemon citrus on finish

Review: 7 Days until Christmas! Do you have your bottles bought and ready for the Holidays!

I have reviewed Johnnie Walker Blue Label before but I wanted to revisit it when it comes to the 200ml sized bottle. One of the things I have learned about “Blue” is that everyone knows the name like they know the champion of Champagne that is “Dom Perignon”. People know it is expensive so therefore, it means it must be good. Right? Maybe. Someone once complained to me that he bought a bottle of Blue for a meet up with four friends and the scotch was gone in less than an hour. I tried not to laugh as I thought, “No shit? I am shocked”. Everyone gravitates to the Blue.

JW Blue is very good stuff and I will drink it if offered, but to me, it will always be $200+ bottle blended whisky. It is good, but I can recommend 2 or 3 amazing scotches for $200. However, anyone who enjoys scotch should try Johnnie Walker Blue at some point, but maybe you should not pay $200 for a bottle. You might want to try a dram at a tasting, a glass at a bar or in this case, the 200ml bottle.

The 200ml has 6 ounces of scotch which works out to be (3) two ounce pours that works out to be $16 a a glass. It may seem like a lot of money, but a glass of Blue in a bar is going to start around $40 (which will be a perfect 2oz pour) and a rooftop cocktail in NYC starts around $18. The math is pretty simple.

JW Blue is price around $50 for the 200 ml bottle and worth the money to try it for the first time for yourself or a plus one. Treat yourself, you are worth it!

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Johnnie Walker -Red Label

December 18, 2020 Scotland

Name: Johnnie Walker – Red Label

Color: Light brown/gold

Nose: Lots of alcohol with some mix of sweet pine

Taste: A sweet yet slightly peat flavor

Review: 8 Days until Christmas! Do you have your bottles bought and ready for the Holidays!

I had to drink some of this last week when I was visiting my Mum in Florida so I thought I would do a quick review. The Red Label is the basic Scotch they make and is blended with 35 different whiskys so don’t expect anything amazing with this one. I find it rough and cheap and to be very honest, I would roll my eyes if someone gave it to me to drink (unless its me Mum!). However, if you are making Scotch cocktails or cooking and require Scotch I believe this would be a good one.

Prices around $30 and a wee bit rough to drink.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Bruichladdich – The Classic Laddie

November 26, 2020 Scotland

Color: Bruichladdich – The Classic Laddie

Color: Light gold

Nose: Citrus, light oak, iodine

Taste: White fruit, apples, grapes, apples, toffee, honey

Review:

The Classic Laddie is an unpeated, non-aged statement (NAS), non-colored, 100% Scottish barely Islay Scotch. The whisky is light, fresh, clean, and not what you would expect from this region of Scotland. The Island of Islay is mainly known for what I like to refer to as “big boy” Scotch. Whisky from distilleries such as Laphroaig, Ardbeg, and Lagavulin all come from this area and have big flavors with a lot of wood and peat. In comparison, The Classic Laddie is at the other end of the taste spectrum.

One thing that really stands out is the color of the bottle. The color code is somewhere between Baby Blue and Tiffany & Company Blue. On a liquor store shelf full of mainly clear glass bottles filled with brown spirits this bottle will not be hard to locate. I am not a fan of the color of the bottle, nor was I blown away by the flavor profile of the whisky. It was good, but not great. My first sip immediately reminded me of another whisky but I could not put my finger on it. This reaction was probably because the master distiller has been in the business for over 50 years. He has worked at other distilleries in the region and this might be why I found the flavor oddly familiar for tasting this whisky for the first time.

I am keeping this bottle on my bar for friends who want a dram of something light. I do not plan to purchase another bottle, but if I had to bring whisky to party this summer I would bring this bottle. The Classic Laddie would stand out nicely among all that Rose wine everyone drinks in the NYC area. For some reason, beyond my understanding of human behavior, Rose wine aka shitty White Zinfandel is extremely popular to drink.

Classic Laddie is a good whisky, but not amazing. It is a light clean tasting type whiskey at a decent price.

Price around $60, you be the judge.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

Johnnie Walker – Green Label

November 19, 2020 Scotland

Name: Johnnie Walker – Green Label

Color: Medium Brown

Nose: Apple, citrus, malt and oak

Taste: Spices with sweetness, smooth, slight sherry oak finish

Review:

Green Label is a blended malt whisky but it is from all single malts (4 malts) with no other grain added and aged 15 years so you are getting something I feel is much nicer than Red, Black and Double Black but you are going to pay more for the quality. Green Label was removed from the market by Diageo (owner) for few years in the USA but has returned which puts a smile on my face. This is a lovely, well balanced whisky and the green bottle stands out and on its own. I enjoy this label the most of the Johnnie Walkers when looking at flavor, age and price. It is a good one for yourself or a special thank you gift to someone.

Prices range from $60-$70.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

The Balvenie Peat Week 14 Year Old

November 17, 2020 Scotland

Name: The Balvenie Peat Week 14 Year Old

Color: Light brown

Nose: Peat, sea salt, smoke, wood, malt barely

Taste: Smoke, oak, ocean, slight honey

Review:

The Balvenie Peat Week 14-Year-Old is one of the many expressions produced by the Balvenie Distillery. To this day, I have not yet sampled a bad Balvenie. I do not think they make one.

The Balvenie Distillery was found in 1892 in Dufftown which is in the Speyside region of Scotland. It has been making whisky for 127 years and has three groups of expressions which are Core, Triple Cask, and Limited Expressions.

Core Expressions:

12, 17, Signature 12, Cuba Selection 14, Caribbean Cask 14, Single Barrel 12 & 15, Portwood 21, Single Barrel 34, 30, 40, 50, and 50-year-old Single Cask.

Triple Cask Expressions:

12, 16, and 25.

Limited Edition (age varies):

Golden Cask, Islay Cask, New Wood, New Oak, Sherry Oak, Rum Cask, Madeira Cask, Peated Cask, Craftsman Reserve No.1, Portwood (1989, 1991, 1993), and Tun (1401, 1858,1509).

Peat Week was distilled in 2003 and was created with peat/smoke profile which is not Balvenie’s main component or method of distilling. It is 100% peated barley, 48.3% abv, aged in American Oak for 14 years, and is non-chilled filtered. The balance of the flavors is very well done. Not too soft and not too overpowering.

Price around $110 and very good and well worth the money if you like the flavor profile. If you need more peat stick with Laphroaig or Lagavulin.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

The Peat Monster

November 12, 2020 Scotland

Name: The Peat Monster

Color: Light gold

Nose: Smoke, lighter wood, sea salt

Taste: Smoke, wood, sea salt (add a splash or ice cube)

Review:

Winter is coming…. The cold weather sends me to the big boy whisky’s on my bar that warm me up so I decide put The Peat Monster on my shelf. I was surprised, not much of a “monster” if you ask me. It is good, but I was expecting something stronger.

The Peat Monster is a blended malt whisky, non-chilled filtered, and naturally colored. It is not too heavy, smoky or peaty. Compass Box does not distill whisky, they buy it from other distilleries and then blend it. This is good for them and good for your budget, but does not give the most complex or rich flavors. From my research Compass Box is supplied by; Laphroaig, Ledaig, Caol Ila, Ardmore, Clynelish, Teaninich, and Dailuaine. When I opened the bottle, I could immediately smell Laphroaig as the base blend.

Many whisky producers buy product from distilleries and use it to make their own spirit. It is not something to look down upon just something to realize. Not everyone has the money to build a distillery from scratch and then spend years storing whisky in casks before they can legally sell it. This is why most craft distilleries start with gin and vodka before producing whisky. Whisky takes time to mature and has laws that require its aging.

Price around $55 and worth the price if you like peat. I will be heading to the Islay for my favorites this winter.

If you like it, drink it! – Christopher

If you like it, drink it!

HM – The King Scotch

Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2011

Bunnahabhain 12-Year-Old

The Macallan 15-Year-Old – Triple Cask

Johnnie Walker Blue – 200ml

Johnnie Walker -Red Label

Bruichladdich – The Classic Laddie

Johnnie Walker – Green Label

The Balvenie Peat Week 14 Year Old

The Peat Monster

Search:

Newsletter Subscription

Recent Posts

Categories