Impressions of a Whisky Advent – Scotch versus World Whiskies
It’s been months since I’ve done a post on whisky because I’ve been so focused on my running this year! However, wintery weather and the coming of the holidays create the perfect atmosphere for appreciating my favorite beverage. For the past two years, we’ve enjoyed Whisky Advent Calendars from Drinks by the Dram. The first year it had a Scotch focus, and the second year it focused on whiskies from single casks. This year, we decided to mix it up and use their Build Your Own option! We chose half while our friends, Ali & Alison, chose the other half.
As all four of us have had quite a few Scotch whiskies, we wanted to see how some other whiskies of the world stacked up. Our calendar was half Scotch and half world whiskies, and what an interesting 24 days it was!
In previous years, I’ve given detailed notes about each dram. However, unless you’re a major whisky enthusiast, that doesn’t make for the most riveting blog post. I’ll give you notes on some standouts (good and er, different ones.) If you’re curious, here is a full list of the whiskies we sampled in our calendar:
- Day 1: Puni Nova – Malt Whisky (Italy) 43% ABV
- Day 2: Armorik 13 yr Old 2002 (cask 3260) – Single Malt (France) 55.5% ABV
- Day 3: Talisker Neist Point – Single Malt Scotch (Island) 45.8% ABV
- Day 4: Aberlour 23 Yr Old Sept. 1992 Single Cask (Master of Malt) – Single Malt Scotch (Speyside) 53% ABV
- Day 5: Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky – Single Grain (South Africa) 40% ABV
- Day 6: Penderyn Dylan Thomas (Icons of Wales) – Single Malt (Wales) 41% ABV
- Day 7: Mackmyra Sweden Rock 2015 – Single Malt (Sweden) 40% ABV
- Day 8: Slyrs 6 yr Old 2010 Single Cask (Master of Malt) – Single Malt (Germany) 60.5% ABV
- Day 9: Glen Breton 10 Yr Old Ice – Single Malt (Canada) 40% ABV
- Day 10: Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt – Blended Malt (Japan) 43% ABV
- Day 11: GlenDronach 21 Yr Old Parliament – Single Malt Scotch (Highland) 48% ABV
- Day 12: Glenkinchie 12 Yr Old – Single Malt Scotch (Lowland) 43% ABV
- Day 13: Balvenie 21 Yr Old Madeira Cask Finish – Single Malt Scotch (Speyside) 40% ABV
- Day 14: Teeling Single Malt – Single Malt (Ireland) 46% ABV
- Day 15: Nikka Coffey Malt – Single Malt (Japan) 45% ABV
- Day 16: Arran Madeira Cask Finish – Single Malt Scotch (Island) 50% ABV
- Day 17: Tullibardine 228 Burgundy Cask Finish – Single Malt Scotch (Speyside) 43% ABV
- Day 18: Glenfiddich Experimental Series IPA Cask Finish – Single Malt Scotch (Speyside) 43% ABV
- Day 19: Auchentoshan 25 yr Old 1992 (cask 538) – Single Malt Scotch (Lowland) 47.9% ABV
- Day 20: Langatun Old Deer Classic – Single Malt (Switzerland) 40% ABV
- Day 21: Teerenpeli Distiller’s Choice Karhi – Single Malt (Finland) 43% ABV
- Day 22: Bunnahabhain 27 Yr Old 1989 (casks 5798 & 5799) – Single Malt Scotch (Islay) 45.4% ABV
- Day 23: Tomatin Cù Bòcan Virgin Oak – Single Malt Scotch (Highland) 46% ABV
- Day 24: Amrut Portonova – Single Malt (India) 62.1% ABV
One of the more unique drams was Day 5’s Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky from South Africa. The nose was very artificially sweet smelling, like bubble gum. (I agree, not the most appealing descriptor for a whisky.) The palate was a one-note sweetness with a short finish. Immediately after tasting it, I said it really reminded me of a bourbon which meant either corn in the mash bill or a new American oak barrel. I was pleased to learn that it’s a single grain made from…maize! I was glad to know my palate wasn’t far off! While this South African dram was certainly interesting, I didn’t particularly love it. However, it definitely stood out.
I’ve noticed a lot of new expressions with madeira cask finishes, and we got a few to try in this calendar. One of note was Day 13’s Balvenie 21 Year Old Madeira Cask Finish. This bottle was the most expensive in the calendar, so I had high hopes. The nose could be described as “sweet sunshine,” golden raisins, and vanilla. The palate was subtly warming, sweet, easy to drink, and very well rounded. It was very enjoyable, but I don’t know that it was worth the hefty price tag. We went off-calendar, and compared it with one from our shelf, Glenmorangie Bacalta (also a madeira cask finish). We all agreed that the Glenmorangie expression was more complex and dynamic, and at a much more affordable cost. Proof that more expensive whiskies aren’t always better!
One that I got specifically for Adam was Day 18’s Glenfiddich Experimental Series IPA Cask Finish. Adam really enjoys IPAs, while I only like distilled beers (aka whisky.) 😉 As a rule, I’m also not a huge fan of the character of Glenfiddich. There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just not my jam. However, I’d never heard of such a finish before, and had to try it. When opening the little bottle, the first whiff just screamed hops, but it quickly dissipated. The nose had the floral, citrusy notes you’d expect, with some nuttiness and brown sugar on the end. The palate had citrus, a little spice, and it was buttery and almost yeasty. It was finished for three months in an IPA cask, and it really made an impact. It wasn’t as sharp and spicy as other Glenfiddich expressions I’ve tasted before. While I don’t want to purchase a bottle for my shelf, it was very interesting and a good choice for beer lovers!
A demonstration of the impact of subtlety was in Day 20’s Langatun Old Deer Classic from Switzerland. The nose was very light with some artificial sweetness, oak, and floral notes. The palate could only be described as delicate. It was well-balanced, with a little sweetness, spice, and vanilla. Very soft and pleasant, but not boring. It is triple distilled, which accounts for the lightness of the spirit. It was matured in a combination of sherry and chardonnay casks, which also explains the flavor. This is a dram to be enjoyed slowly, to appreciate the subtle flavor.
One that was not subtle was Day 24’s Amrut Portonova from India. At 62.1% ABV, this one captures your attention immediately! The nose was sharp due to the ABV, and to me, smelled of dusty raisins and perhaps something else I couldn’t place. The palate screamed RAISINS with a long, warming finish. It was finished in Portuguese port pipes, which explains the fruitiness. It needed water for that ABV, of course, but everyone seemed to love this dram. Everyone except me. 😉 I found the raisin flavor overpowering (and I have very particular opinions about raisins in general, just ask Adam.) To quote my grandmother, “that was different.”
My absolute favorite of the whole calendar was Day 4’s Aberlour 23 Year Old September 1992 Single Cask. The nose was green grass, vanilla, and caramel. The palate was dynamic with light spice, and buttery, sweet grains. The nose make it smell young, but was a fooler as it was complex and delightful! All four of us agreed that this was the standout of the calendar.
Our overall takeaway was that Scotland still makes the best whisky! Although Japan does a damn fine job. The other world whiskies, from Canada, Finland, France, India, Ireland, Italy, Germany, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and Wales, respectively, were all very interesting in their own ways. Of course there were standouts from around the world, but by and large, we preferred Scotch. I really enjoyed this year’s offerings, and I can’t wait to see what next year’s Advent calendar will bring!
