Tag Archives: Single Malt

Highland Park 25 Year Old

The Highland Park 25 Year Old has long been one of the highest-end official expressions available from this Orkney island distiller.

As I noted in my earlier review of the Highland Park 18 Year Old, this distillery has an unusual profile of rich sherry-cask notes and distinctive island peat. The additional aging here should further enhance the wood-derived characteristics, and attenuate the peat presence.

I recently had the chance to sample a 2005 edition bottling. This one was bottled at 50.7% ABV cask strength. The current bottling (48.1% ABV) sells for a rather steep for $900 CAD at the LCBO.

Here is how the 25 yo expression compares to other Highland Parks in my Meta-Critic database:

Highland Park 10yo: 8.52 ± 0.26 on 15 reviews ($$$)
Highland Park 12yo (all reviews): 8.66 ± 0.22 on 25 reviews ($$$)
Highland Park 15yo: 8.70 ± 0.22 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Highland Park 15yo Fire: 8.74 ± 0.37 on 9 reviews ($$$$$+)
Highland Park 17yo Ice: 8.72 ± 0.28 on 9 reviews ($$$$$+)
Highland Park 18yo: 9.07 ± 0.22 on 25 reviews ($$$$$)
Highland Park 21yo: 8.90 ± 0.40 on 16 reviews ($$$$$+)
Highland Park 25yo: 9.14 ± 0.23 on 14 reviews ($$$$$+)
Highland Park 30yo: 9.14 ± 0.41 on 12 reviews ($$$$$+)
Highland Park 40yo: 9.17 ± 0.43 on 10 reviews ($$$$$+)
Highland Park Dark Origins: 8.50 ± 0.47 on 20 reviews ($$$$)
Highland Park Valkyrie: 8.74 ± 0.22 on 6 reviews ($$$$)

As you can see, it gets one of the highest scores for this family. Here is what I find in the glass:

Nose: Sweet, and very fruity – including berries, banana, cantaloupe and grapes. Seems almost port-like in its characteristics. I’ve never gotten this much fruit from a Highland Park before. Honey. Strong wood spice, plus some eucalyptus – kind of reminds me of Old Spice after-shave. Anise. Something vaguely Springbank-like with its sweet peat notes. Only lightly smokey, but very complex, with lots going on here. No real off notes.

Palate: ‎ Initial smoke, but it fades quickly. Caramel, and sort of a burnt toffee sensation joining the honey. Berries and mixed fruit salad. Oranges. Wood spice as expected, slightly bitter. Coffee and a touch of chocolate join the anise. Good mouth feel – though not as strong as I expected for 50.7% ABV (i.e., not as thick, but still coats well). You can really taste the extended wood aging. In the end, this really isn’t very smokey.

Finish: Long. Nice mix of fruit and wood spice. No real bitterness or other impairments.   Again, not much smoke though.

Adding water makes it a touch sweeter (bringing up the honey in particular). It also seems to accentuate the wood spice. Your call of course, but I think it benefits from a few drops.

I can see why this scores so well – it is really a pretty flawless presentation, with no off notes at any point. It’s also very complex – especially on the nose, which I like (I’m a big fan of sniffing my whisky). It is heavily oaked without being bitter, which is impressive. If I were to have any criticism it would be the lower levels of smoke than I’m used to from Highland Park. For the price, I’d personally prefer the Caol Ila 30 Year Old over this, mainly for its extinguished campfire notes. And where I am, I can get the fruity and woody Redbreast 21 Year Old for almost a quarter the price (although of course, it is completely unpeated).

There aren’t many reviewers who have compared multiple editions, but Serge of Whisky Fun gives this edition a very similar score to the earlier and later editions. Ruben of Whisky Notes gave this expression is a very good score, slightly higher than newer expressions. For the various versions, most reviewers are very positive – including Jim Murray, Oliver of Dramming, My Annoying Opinions, and Thomas of Whisky Saga. The guys at Quebec Whisky are the typically moderately positive.

Paul John Bold

As I mentioned in inaugural review of Paul John Edited, this Indian single malt whisky maker is starting to get wider international exposure. Next up is my review of Paul John Bold – a fully peated Indian whisky.

Apparently, peat is brought over to Goa from Islay for this expression, where it is used to dry their 6-row Indian barley. This differs from the original Edited edition, where imported peated Scottish barley was added to their standard unpeated Indian barley. As a result, I would expect a more heavily peated expression here – but one clearly showcasing the Paul John house-style.

Bottled at 46% ABV, I picked up a full bottle of this one during my travels in Western Canada late last year. I believe I paid ~$85 CAD for it.

Here is how it compares to other Indian whiskies in my Meta-Critic Whisky Database:

Amrut Bourbon Single Cask: 8.74 ± 0.32 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Fusion: 8.89 ± 0.25 on 25 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Indian Single Malt: 8.26 ± 0.82 on 17 reviews ($$$)
Amrut Peated Single Malt: 8.69 ± 0.32 on 12 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Peated Single Malt Cask Strength: 9.14 ± 0.18 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Portpipe Peated Single Cask (all casks): 8.77 ± 0.40 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Two Continents: 8.81 ± 0.44 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Paul John Single Cask: 8.90 ± 0.33 on 5 reviews ($$$$)
Paul John Classic Select Cask: 8.62 ± 0.37 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Paul John Brilliance: 8.47 ± 0.37 on 8 reviews ($$$)
Paul John Peated Select Cask: 8.78 ± 0.26 on 9 reviews ($$$$)
Paul John Bold: 8.75 ± 0.21 on 6 reviews ($$$)
Paul John Edited: 8.46 ± 0.48 on 8 reviews ($$$)

Let’s see what I find in the glass:

Nose: Definitely a peated malt – phenolic, but more smoke and gasoline exhaust than your typical Islay peated whisky. Almost like toasted barley? Sweet, in an uncomplicated simple syrup sort of way. Some vanilla. Green apples and some citrus (lemon). Cumin seeds. A bit funky, similar to some of the younger Swedish whiskies I’ve reviewed recently.

Palate: Strong honey note now, definitely a sweet one. A bit of caramel. Some red delicious joins the green apple. Lemon drop candies. Scottish oat cakes and arrowroot baby biscuits. Grassy. Not really much peat here. Mouthfeel is a bit light for 46%, would have been better a little higher, I expect. Dare I say it – this is “smooth.” Easy drinking, you could polish this off pretty quickly if you weren’t careful.

Finish‎: Medium length (a bit quick for a peated whisky, though). Surprisingly, a lingering fruity sweetness lasts the longest (plus some vanilla cake frosting). Faint lingering smoke, but not as much you would might have expected from the initial nose.

Water brings up the fruit notes on the nose, but waters down the mouthfeel slightly (and brings up the sweetness even more). I recommend you drink it neat. If you do add water, probably no more than a few drops.

Not a particular complex whisky – but a pleasant enough sipper, and very easy to drink neat. You might even call it elegant. This is one for when you just want to relax with friends (who don’t mind the strong phenolic nose). Certainly better than the Edited I recently tried, but I again would score this slightly lower than the Meta-Critic average.

Among reviewers, Jim Murray is again a huge fan. Fairly positive are Jonny of Whisky Advocate, Serge of Whisky Fun, as well as Unclimbability and Devoz from Reddit. Worth trying out if you get the chance.

 

 

Paul John Edited

Paul John in an Indian single malt whisky maker, based in the southwestern Indian state of Goa. While the Bangalore-based Amrut tends to get all the single malt attention, Paul John has actually been producing whisky since 1992. I’ve noticed Paul John whiskies starting to show up in many countries in the last couple of years (including Canada – Western Canada, at any rate).

Their first unpeated single malt whisky (“Brilliance”) was distilled from Indian 6-row barley. But from what I can find online, this “Edited” second release supposedly uses ~15% peated spirit, made from imported Scottish barley (with malted barley phenol levels of about 20-25 ppm). I don’t know if that is still the case for current releases, or if they have moved to in-house peating yet. In any case, you should a expect a lightly peated expression here.

Like the earlier Brilliance, Edited is matured exclusively in ex-bourbon casks. There is no age statement, but I expect it is fairly young (in keeping with other tropical climate whiskies). Bottled at 46% ABV, it typically retails for around ~$60 USD most places. I actually sampled this at the SWISS Air lounge in Zurich.

Here is how it compares to other Indian whiskies in my Meta-Critic Whisky Database:

Amrut Bourbon Single Cask: 8.74 ± 0.32 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Fusion: 8.89 ± 0.25 on 25 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Indian Single Malt: 8.26 ± 0.82 on 17 reviews ($$$)
Amrut Peated Single Malt: 8.69 ± 0.32 on 12 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Peated Single Malt Cask Strength: 9.14 ± 0.18 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Portpipe Peated Single Cask (all casks): 8.77 ± 0.40 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Two Continents: 8.81 ± 0.44 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Paul John Single Cask: 8.90 ± 0.33 on 5 reviews ($$$$)
Paul John Classic Select Cask: 8.62 ± 0.37 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Paul John Brilliance: 8.47 ± 0.37 on 8 reviews ($$$)
Paul John Peated Select Cask: 8.78 ± 0.26 on 9 reviews ($$$$)
Paul John Bold: 8.75 ± 0.21 on 6 reviews ($$$)
Paul John Edited: 8.46 ± 0.48 on 8 reviews ($$$)

Let’s see what I find in the glass:

Nose: Sweet and lightly peated. Getting a lot of ex-bourbon notes – honey, caramel and tons of vanilla. Apple and pear. Green peas (which is distinctive). Not very complex, but pleasant enough. The peat is relatively light – strikes me as something like a lightly peated Speyside scotch. Touch of old sweat socks. Slight ethanol singe on deep inhale.

Palate: Very sweet again, honey and vanilla in particular, plus corn syrup. The sweetness dominates over everything else, honestly. Hint of fruit compote. Slight tongue tingle, on the back and sides of the tongue. A bit of glue, somewhat dry at end. Watery for 46% ABV, would have guessed lower honestly. Disappointing, but not offensive.

Finish‎: Medium. Has a dry finish, evaporates quickly in the mouth. Faint lingering smoke, more like old paper somehow. Aside from the smoke, the flavours just disappears.

Water brings in nothing new on nose, and lightens the mouth feel further.  It also becomes a touch acidic on finish, which wasn’t there before. Simply put, don’t do it – it is better neat.

At the end of the day, this is a relatively unoffensive spirit – it just isn’t very interesting. Personally, I think the Meta-Critic average score is a bit high – I would have rated it a little lower. Among reviewers, Jim Murray is a huge fan of this one. Moderately positive are Joshua of Whiskey Wash, Dominic of Whisky Advocate and Serge of Whisky Fun. Very negative are TOModera of Reddit and Ruben of Whisky Notes.

Amrut Spectrum 004

Given the success of their initial hybrid cask experiment, Amrut has released a second  batch of Spectrum.

As I explained in my review of Batch 1, Spectrum is a single hybrid cask build from different sources of wood. The custom barrel for the first batch was built from new charred American Oak, new lightly toasted French Oak, new lightly toasted Spanish Oak, ex-Oloroso Sherry staves, and ex-Pedro Ximenez (PX) Sherry staves. This time around, the Spanish Oak staves were left out. As these are considered to have among the least impact on flavour, the expectation is that the new batch should still have a very similar flavor profile to the original. This 4-source cask presumably explains the “004” added to the name for this second batch.

This is a no age statement (NAS) release, but my original bottle of Spectrum batch 1 described the base spirit has having spent 3 years in traditional ex-Bourbon oak barrels before being transferred into the custom hybrid barrel for another 3.5 years. I don’t have the details for the Spectrum 004 – but will update this review if I find out.  Apparently, only 1800 bottles of this second batch were produced (1000 were available the first time around). Again bottled at 50% ABV.

As a big fan of the original Amrut Spectrum, I was glad to be able to swap a sample with Redditor Strasse007 for the new Spectrum 004.

Here is how the two Spectrums compare to other Amruts in my Meta-Critic Whisky Database:

Amrut Double Cask: 9.04 ± 0.19 on 5 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Fusion: 8.89 ± 0.25 on 25 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Greedy Angels (8yo and 10yo): 9.20 ± 0.22 on 8 reviews ($$$$$+)
Amrut Herald: 8.91 ± 0.15 on 6 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Indian Single Malt: 8.27 ± 0.82 on 17 reviews ($$$)
Amrut Intermediate Sherry: 8.95 ± 0.37 on 19 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Kadhambam: 8.91 ± 0.25 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Naarangi: 8.55 ± 0.63 on 10 reviews ($$$$$)
Amrut Peated Single Malt: 8.69 ± 0.32 on 12 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Peated Single Malt Cask Strength: 9.14 ± 0.17 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Portonova: 8.98 ± 0.30 on 17 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Portpipe Peated Single Cask (all casks): 8.76 ± 0.39 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut PX Sherry Single Cask (all casks): 8.79 ± 0.45 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Spectrum (all batches): 9.13 ± 0.17 on 10 reviews ($$$$$)
Amrut Spectrum (Batch 1): 9.16 ± 0.20 on 10 reviews ($$$$$)
Amrut Spectrum 004 (Batch 2): 9.10 ± 0.29 on 3 reviews ($$$$$)
Amrut Rye: 8.87 ± 0.28 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Two Continents: 8.80 ± 0.44 on 13 reviews ($$$$)

There are few reviews of Spectrum 004 so far, but it is still getting a very high score.

Let’s see what I found in the glass.

Colour: Slightly lighter than Batch 1 – a bit more pinkish in hue.

Nose:Similar nose to Batch 1, but a bit lighter overall (and less complex). Figs and raisins remain prominent, plus plums and earth cherries (gooseberries). Orange peel and a touch of lemon. Chocolate notes are even stronger now, and a touch sweeter (milk chocolate). Cinnamon and nutmeg. Coffee. Still earthy, with leather and tobacco – but a bit less sour than the first batch. A touch vinegary. A very nice nose, but I still prefer the first batch on the whole.

Palate:Sweet sultanas and raisins. Sour cherry and green apple (which are novel), and more lemony than the first batch – so, a bit tart overall. Chocolate and a bit of caramel – but less sweet than the first batch. Even heavier cinnamon sensation now. Anise and black pepper like before, plus some chilli pepper now – definitely a bit spicier. Leather, and that same rancio note as the first batch, which I enjoy. Rich mouthfeel. Slight woody bitterness comes in at the end.

Finish:Long. Potpourri, with dried fruits and spices. A bit bitter, with an astringent dryness that comes up at the end – which I didn’t recall on the first batch.

Water brings up the sweetness in the mouth, without affecting the mouthfeel. It also seems to help a bit with the bitterness on the finish – so I strongly recommend you try it with a few drops.

It is true that the overall flavour profile is very similar to the first batch Amrut Spectrum.  But it seems to me that the quality of the staves was a bit higher on that first batch, given the slight bitterness which creeps in here with the 004. I also liked the extra sweetness of the first batch. Not objectionable at all, but I definitely prefer the first batch for the all-around experience and complexity.

Personally, I would rate the first batch of Spectrum even higher than the Meta-Critic average, and the Spectrum 004 as slightly lower. But both are excellent whiskies.

Among reviewers, the most positive is Jonny of Whisky Advocate, who actually prefers 004 slightly over the first batch. Like me, Redditors Devoz and Ethanized both give 004 a lower score than the first batch. Saba007 is also very positive on this whisky.

Mackmyra The Swedish Whisky (Brukswhisky)

I enjoyed my first experience of Mackmyra, The First Edition, with its distinctive earthy and coniferous tones. This expression been replaced by a new variant, known as Svensk Ek. However, this new release is considerably more expensive where I live (and is getting lower scores to date in my MetaCritic Database).

Mackmyra has also released a new entry-level core expression, known simply as The Swedish Whisky (or Brukswhisky). Like Box Dalvve reviewed recently, this new core line is a light Swedish whisky with some peated malt added to the mix. Matured primarily in first fill bourbon barrels, it also includes whisky aged in sherry and Swedish oak casks. And best of all, it is only $50 CAD at the LCBO (which is cheaper than any name-branded Scottish single malt). It is bottled at 41.4%.

Let’s see how it compares to other Swedish whiskies, of similar style, in my MetaCritic Database.

Box Dalvve: 8.49 ± 0.27 on 6 reviews ($$$$)
Box PX: 8.92 ± 0.16 on 5 reviews ($$$$$)
Box The 2nd Step Collection 02: 8.90 ± 0.03 on 5 reviews ($$$$$)
Box The Festival 2014: 8.93 ± 0.13 on 3 reviews ($$$$$)
Mackmyra Blomstertid: 8.19 ± 0.26 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Iskristall: 8.87 ± 0.21 on 3 reviews ($$$$$)
Mackmyra Svensk Ek: 8.33 ± 0.24 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Svensk Rök: 8.71 ± 0.14 on 4 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra The First Edition (Den Första Utgåvan): 8.65 ± 0.36 on 17 reviews ($$$)
Mackmyra The Swedish Whisky (Brukswhisky): 8.45 ± 0.56 on 10 reviews ($$)
Smögen Sherry Project 1:1: 8.71 ± 0.11 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Smögen Sherry Project 1:2: 8.85 ± 0.19 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Smögen Sherry Project 1:3: 8.77 ± 0.25 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Smögen Sherry Project 1:4: 8.84 ± 0.28 on 5 reviews ($$$$)
Smögen Single Cask 4yo 7/2011: 8.94 ± 0.23 on 4 reviews ($$$$$)

While it doesn’t score as highly as The First Edition, this near-overall-average score for my database is very impressive for an entry-level malt.

Here is what I find in the glass.

Nose: Fresh and clean aroma, with vanilla and citrus notes dominating (lemon peel in particular). Green apple and pear, plus cherries (which is distinctive). Pine and juniper. Fresh hay. Not getting any overt signs of smoke here, but it is a bit salty. Just a hint of acetone (less than I expected for the price and presumed youth). Light and youthful, but well-constructed for the style.

Palate: A touch creamier now, with even more vanilla and some of caramel. Loads of citrus (lemon and grapefruit), and even more pine. Red berries. Cinnamon and a bit of all-spice. Earthy, in a way I’ve come to associate with Mackmyra (i.e., a touch of anise and mixed conifers, eucalyptus). Some tongue tingle (surprising for the low ABV). Watery overall, which detracts (definitely lighter than First Edition). On the way out, I’m getting a faint of hint of smoke – although it is coming through more as an underlying mustiness.

Finish: The spiciness lingers the longest (cinnamon in particular), with some cracked black pepper now. Otherwise, light vanilla frosting and some caramel. Bitterness rises at the end, unfortunately.

A very respectable entry-level dram – young without tasting youngish. It shares a lot of similar characteristics to the standard bottling of Box Dalvve, although with less smoke here. Still, the fruitiness and woodiness pick up more, which is nice.

This is probably a reasonable replacement for the Mackmyra First Edition, especially at lower cost. Brukswhisky does have a more watery mouthfeel and less robust finish than its predecessor, however.

The guys at Quebec Whisky are all really big fans of this one (especially Martin). Serge of Whisky Fun gives it an about average score. Less positive are TOModera and Unclimbability of Reddit, and Dominic of Whisky Advocate. The most negative I’ve seen is Thomas of Whisky Saga. Personally, I’d give it a slightly below average score, consistent with the Meta-Critic average. Great value for the price around here.

Box PX

I’ve reviewed a few Box whiskies now, and have been impressed with their offerings (to the point of picking up my own bottles, where possible). The latest one up for review is their PX expression, which has been finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.

Box is a small “craft” producer in northern Sweden, operating one of the most northerly distilleries in the world. They experience extreme fluctuations in temperature, which helps to accelerate the aging of their whisky (along with their use of rebuilt quarter casks and smaller custom casks – see my inaugural review from this distillery for more info).

Box PX was launched in December 2016, exclusively for the international market. As usual, Box provides an incredible amount of detail on the whisky that went into the bottle. Here is the short version: unpeated whisky aged in first-fill bourbon casks followed by finishing in first-fill PX for for a total 5.34 years. 1507 bottles of 500 mL were produced, bottled at 56.7% ABV. It retails for ~85€ (I’ve seen it for ~$145 CAD in Canada). Box PX is neither chill-filtered, nor containing colouring.

Here’s a slightly longer version – for more details, see the PX product page on their website.

100% unpeated whisky. Yeast was the Fermentis Safwhisky M-1 strain, malt was Pilsner malt from Vikingmalt in Halmstad, Sweden. Ingoing barley was Tipple, Quench and Henley, with a batch size of 1.2 tons malt. Distilled between 22nd June 2011 and 5th July 2011.

First matured in 200-litre bourbon casks from Jack Daniels and Heaven Hill for 4.13 years. Finished for an addition 12 months in 55-litre casks of American oak that contained PX sherry, supplied by Miguel Martin, Spain.

Until October 2014, the casks were stored in a damp warehouse, losing some alcohol strength. From October 2014 until August 2016, the cask was stored in a drier environment in Box warehouse number 3. On the 9th of November 2016, the casks were emptied into a blending vat and the alcohol content adjusted to the pre-selected 56.7% ABV for bottling. PX was bottled on the 10th of November 2016 in a series of 1507 bottles.

Here is how it compares to other Swedish whiskies in my Meta-Critic Database:

Box Dalvve: 8.49 ± 0.27 on 6 reviews ($$$$)
Box PX: 8.92 ± 0.16 on 5 reviews ($$$$$)
Box The 2nd Step Collection 02: 8.90 ± 0.03 on 5 reviews ($$$$$)
Box The Festival 2014: 8.93 ± 0.13 on 3 reviews ($$$$$)
Mackmyra Blomstertid: 8.19 ± 0.26 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Iskristall: 8.87 ± 0.21 on 3 reviews ($$$$$)
Mackmyra Svensk Ek: 8.33 ± 0.24 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Svensk Rök: 8.71 ± 0.14 on 4 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra The First Edition (Den Första Utgåvan): 8.65 ± 0.36 on 17 reviews ($$$)
Mackmyra The Swedish Whisky (Brukswhisky): 8.45 ± 0.56 on 10 reviews ($$$)
Smögen Sherry Project 1:1: 8.71 ± 0.11 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Smögen Sherry Project 1:2: 8.85 ± 0.19 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Smögen Sherry Project 1:3: 8.77 ± 0.25 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Smögen Sherry Project 1:4: 8.84 ± 0.28 on 5 reviews ($$$$)
Smögen Single Cask 4yo 7/2011: 8.94 ± 0.23 on 4 reviews ($$$$$)

This is a top score for a Swedish whisky in my database.

Here’s what I find in the glass:

Nose: Apple juice, red berries, figs, sour cherry, and assorted dried fruits. A bit of orange peel. Vanilla. Touch of chocolate. Ginger. Faint hint of old sweatsock funk – which is something I usually associated with lightly peated whisky.

Palate: Creamy caramel, maple syrup and brown sugar – very sweet, but complex. Green banana adds to the fruit notes (mainly apple and raisin/figs – not getting the red berries any more). Definitely more chocolate now. A bit nutty. Fair amount of cinnamon and nutmeg, plus pepper. Has a buttery texture, which is nice – but is a bit hot for the ABV (something I haven’t found on other Box expressions).

Finish: Medium long. Lingering sweetness, balanced with the more oaky elements (i.e., seems a bit woody now). A touch of that sourness I found on the nose returns at the end.

Water dulls the nose, and increases the sweetness in the mouth. It does help a bit with the burn though, and doesn’t affect that buttery texture. So you might want to try a few drops, but go easy.

A very decent expression, it is a nice addition of PX sherry to the base Box character. I personally prefer the 2nd Step Collection 02, but this is very nice as well. There is some similarity to the Smögen Sherry Project 1:4 that I recently reviewed (although without the peat here). Both are very sweet, with some interesting underlying “funky” notes. Another recommended Box offering!

Among reviewers, the most positive I’ve seen are from TOModera and xile_ of Reddit, followed by Devoz. My own assessment is probably closest to Thomas of Whisky Saga, who gives it a slightly above average score. I’m definitely looking forward to more offerings from this producer.

Ledaig 10 Year Old

Welcome to a different kind of peated Scotch whisky experience. Ledaig (pronounced le-chaig or le-chick) is not a very well known single malt whisky – even among peated whisky fans. It is produced by Tobermory distillery on the isle of Mull, just north of Islay.

Established in 1798 under the original name Ledaig, Tobermory distillery reserves its original name for just its peated malt whisky line. Their unpeated whiskies are sold under the Tobermory name.

This 10 year old peated whisky is very reasonably priced in most jurisdictions ($70 CAD at the LCBO). It has garnered mixed reviews over the years, and fell below my radar until a bottle appeared at a recent tasting that I was at. I was impressed enough to pick up my own bottle, which I have sampled over many evenings while preparing this review.

The strength of this one is interesting, at 46.3% ABV.  That might sound familiar to you – Bunnahabhain on Islay also bottles all their malts at this level. Not surprisingly, both Tobermory and Bunnahabhain are currently owned by liquor conglomerate Distell, which acquired the whole set from Burn Stewart Distillers in 2013.

Let’s see how it compares to other peated whiskies, and the unpeated Tobermory line:

Ardbeg 10yo: 8.91 ± 0.32 on 25 reviews ($$$)
Benromach 10yo: 8.69 ± 0.26 on 22 reviews ($$$)
Bowmore 10yo Tempest: 8.80 ± 0.20 on 20 reviews ($$$$)
Bowmore 12yo: 8.40 ± 0.27 on 20 reviews ($$$)
Bunnahabhain Ceòbanach: 8.82 ± 0.26 on 12 reviews ($$$$)
Caol Ila 12yo: 8.73 ± 0.18 on 21 reviews ($$$$)
Jura 10yo Origin: 8.03 ± 0.36 on 17 reviews ($$$)
Jura Superstition: 8.27 ± 0.44 on 22 reviews ($$$)
Laphroaig 10yo: 8.85 ± 0.25 on 23 reviews ($$$)
Laphroaig Quarter Cask: 8.31 ± 0.30 on 24 reviews ($$$$)
Ledaig 10yo: 8.34 ± 0.38 on 22 reviews ($$$)
Ledaig 18yo: 8.65 ± 0.70 on 9 reviews ($$$$$)
Longrow Peated: 8.79 ± 0.19 on 14 reviews ($$$)
Springbank 10yo: 8.70 ± 0.24 on 21 reviews ($$$$)
Springbank CV: 8.27 ± 0.36 on 8 reviews ($$$)
Talisker 10yo: 8.92 ± 0.17 on 24 reviews ($$$$)
Talisker Storm: 8.59 ± 0.26 on 18 reviews ($$$$)
Tobermory 10yo: 8.26 ± 0.43 on 22 reviews ($$$)
Tobermory 15yo: 8.57 ± 0.32 on 15 reviews ($$$$$)

Ledaig is getting a below-average score from my Meta-Critic panel, in-line with the similarly priced Jura Superstition and Laphroaig Quarter Cask.

Let’s see what I find in the glass.

Nose‎: Smoke and peat, reminds me of slightly charred rubber (like a bike tire that has blown out). Just a touch medicinal, with a definite earthy, vegetal characteristic to the peat. Also has some dried tobacco and hay, which is an interesting mix. Otherwise, lightly sweet with vanilla and caramel. Dried fruits, apple and pear mainly. A bit nutty. It is a pleasant sniffer in the moderately peated family. Water brings up the sweetness and dampens the smoke slightly.

Palate: Smokey of course, but less overtly peaty in the mouth. Sweet caramel and vanilla come through the strongest, along with fudge. Malt and hay again. Green grapes join the dried apples. Typical wood spices pick up next, with cinnamon and some pepper. Some tongue tingle, but otherwise a good oily mouthfeel. It’s nice. Water again bring up the sweetness, and lightens the mouthfeel slightly.

Finish: Medium-long. Interestingly, the tingle from the palate lingers a good while. Mild spice and long-lasting sweetness – although not cloying or artificial. A sea saltiness also emerges over time, which I wasn’t getting before – always nice to find something extra on the finish. Water seems to add a touch of bitterness to the finish.

I’m really impressed with this one, especially for the price. It is one of the cheapest age-stated peated bottlings where I live, and one you could easily overlook in your search for the big names. But that would be a mistake – there is more here than I expected. Personally, I would recommend you drink this one neat – water mainly heightens the sweetness, which is prominent enough in my view.

While it is not likely to fully satisfy an Arbeg or Laphroaig enthusiast, the Ledaig 10 year old is a good alternative for peat fans craving something a bit different. I’ve seen one reviewer refer to the peat characteristic here as “muddled”, and there is some truth to that – it is pretty unique in my experience. But I like it, and I’m not typically a big peat head. I’m surprised it doesn’t score higher in my Meta-Critic Database.

For reviews of this whisky, Savannah of the Whiskey Wash is very positive, as is Patrick of Quebec Whisky. Moderately positive are Ralfy, Serge of Whisky Fun, John of Whisky Advocate and Martin of Quebec Whisky. Some of the lowest scores come from Thomas of Whisky Saga, Oliver of Dramming, Andre and RV at Quebec Whisky and Nathan the Scotch Noob.

Mackmyra Iskristall

Following along with the second of the Mackmyra “Season” expressions that I have on hand is Mackmyra Iskristall. Meaning “ice crystal”, this was actually one of the first releases in the Seasons line. It was released in late 2014, and is of course long gone for most now.

This whisky has been matured in a mix of American oak, ex-bourbon casks and Swedish oak (so, more in keeping with standard Mackmyra releases than Blomstertid). However, it has also been finished for a period of time in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Historically, Mackmyra doesn’t finish for extended periods, but this one is supposedly longer than most (but still only months).

While a no-age-statement release, the average age of the contents in the bottle is reported to be about 7 years old (which is also older than most Mackmyras). Bottled at respectable 46.1%. My sample comes from Redditor Strasse007.

Here is how it compares to some other Mackmyra whiskies in my database:

Mackmyra Blomstertid: 8.19 ± 0.26 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Iskristall: 8.87 ± 0.21 on 3 reviews ($$$$$)
Mackmyra Midnattssol: 8.14 ± 0.73 on 5 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Midvinter: 8.54 ± 0.52 on 3 reviews ($$$)
Mackmyra Moment Glöd: 8.84 ± 0.42 on 4 reviews ($$$$$)
Mackmyra Reserve Single Cask: 9.01 ± 0.49 on 7 reviews ($$$$$)
Mackmyra Special 03: 8.69 ± 0.28 on 7 reviews ($$$$$)
Mackmyra Special 04: 8.76 ± 0.35 on 8 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Special 05: 8.50 ± 0.38 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Special 07: 8.50 ± 0.51 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Special 08: 8.35 ± 0.32 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Special 09: 8.62 ± 0.24 on 4 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Special 10: 8.44 ± 0.48 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Svensk Ek: 8.33 ± 0.23 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Svensk Rök: 8.71 ± 0.14 on 4 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra The First Edition (Den Första Utgåvan): 8.65 ± 0.36 on 17 reviews ($$$)
Mackmyra The Swedish Whisky (Brukswhisky): 8.45 ± 0.60 on 9 reviews ($$$)

Although there are few reviews so far, Iskristall gets a very good average score – especially compared to most Special or Season editions.

Here is what I find in the glass:

Colour: Light gold, with a slight reddish-brown tint.

Nose: I might have guessed a wine barrel finishing initially – there are fruity head notes, along with an underlying sourness. Dried red berries (cherries, strawberries) along with typical fresh apple and pear. Vanilla. Cinnamon. Classic Mackmyra menthol and juniper/evergreen notes, definitely woody. Pine sap. Dried glue. It is interesting, I kind of like it.

Palate: Wow, this packs a surprising punch. I get a real hit of one of those “intense ice” chewing gums – tons of mint and eucalyptus. I have never had this much of a cooling sensation before, it is well named! Lots of cinnamon and additional baking spices, plus pepper.  Once that initial rush settles down, I can detect significant honey added to the vanilla. Fruits are still there, but definitely take a back seat. Quite sweet in the end, with that real stinging mint/eucalyptus combination lingering.

Finish: Fruits come back more to the fore in the finish, with the same dried fruits as the nose (plus some raisin now). Toasted oak. Slow menthol fade out.

Now that is more like it – this is classic Mackmyra amped up to an incredible degree. If you are already a Mackmyra fan, you’ll probably love this. That said, I wouldn’t necessarily start with this as your first Mackmyra – it has an intense mint/eucalyptus experience that is quite unique and intense.

I would love to find a bottle of this if I could. While there are elements of Mackmyra First Edition here, it actually reminds me more of Masterson’s Straight Barley. Very much an enthusiasts’ expression.

It gets high scores from Strasse007 on Reddit and Thomas of Whisky Saga. I share that view, very distinctive.

Mackmyra Blomstertid

Mackmyra is an innovative Swedish single malt whisky producer. I quite enjoyed their original signature release, the First Edition, which I found brought in some unusual evergreen/coniferous notes.

They have continued to produce a diverse range of special editions over the years – most recently, through the “Season” series (which replaces the old “Special” series). In this and the following review, I am looking at two specific examples, starting with Mackmyra Blomstertid (“flower time”) here.

This no-age-statement whisky is bottled at a reasonable 46.1% ABV. It is distinctive for the range of casks that have gone into the mix. Specifically, Blomstertid has been matured in:

  • Ex-bourbon casks that previously held cherry wine (about a third of the casks used for Blomstertid)
  • American oak casks (new and first fill)
  • Oloroso sherry casks
  • Pedro Ximenez sherry casks

I don’t think I’ve seen a cherry wine cask before, and so am curious as to what this might bring to the final whisky. Mackmyra Blomstertid was launched on 2016-05-06, and now seems to be long gone. My sample came from Redditor Strausse007.

Here is how it compares to some other Mackmyra whiskies in my database:

Mackmyra Blomstertid: 8.19 ± 0.26 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Iskristall: 8.87 ± 0.21 on 3 reviews ($$$$$)
Mackmyra Midnattssol: 8.14 ± 0.73 on 5 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Midvinter: 8.54 ± 0.52 on 3 reviews ($$$)
Mackmyra Moment Glöd: 8.84 ± 0.42 on 4 reviews ($$$$$)
Mackmyra Reserve Single Cask: 9.01 ± 0.49 on 7 reviews ($$$$$)
Mackmyra Special 03: 8.69 ± 0.28 on 7 reviews ($$$$$)
Mackmyra Special 04: 8.76 ± 0.35 on 8 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Special 05: 8.50 ± 0.38 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Special 07: 8.50 ± 0.51 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Special 08: 8.35 ± 0.32 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Special 09: 8.62 ± 0.24 on 4 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Special 10: 8.44 ± 0.48 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Svensk Ek: 8.33 ± 0.23 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra Svensk Rök: 8.71 ± 0.14 on 4 reviews ($$$$)
Mackmyra The First Edition (Den Första Utgåvan): 8.65 ± 0.36 on 17 reviews ($$$)
Mackmyra The Swedish Whisky (Brukswhisky): 8.45 ± 0.60 on 9 reviews ($$$)

Although there are few reviews so far, Blomstertid gets a below average score for the class, lower than most Special or Season editions.

Here is what I find in the glass:

Colour: Dark amber, but a touch reddish-brownish (likely the cherry wine, I imagine)

Nose: Light and delicate (I might even say a bit closed off). Brown sugar and maple syrup. Mixed berries (red berries especially), but with an artificial candied fruit smell (strawberry licorice). Vanilla. Some black pepper to go with a light nutmeg spice. Some acetone. The nose grows on me with time, but it is a pretty subtle experience. Definitely doesn’t have the boldness of a fresh wine cask finish.

Palate: Oddly flat, with tons of cola and caramel/butterscotch – overwhelmingly so. Milk chocolate. Super-sweet, like a melted Caramilk bar. Way too candied for my tastes, very syrupy (and I can handle a lot of sweetness). Some oaky wood spices show up over time, bringing a bit of (much needed) character. Seems light for 46%.

Finish: Short. Really just the candied sweetness, with a slight bitterness (grapefruit) coming up at the end. Not one you will want to linger over.

Not sure what I expected here, but this wasn’t it – an overwhelming confectionery sugar and caramel explosion, with relatively little fruit. Seems very young, with vague and nondescript flavours. No real off notes, just not a lot of complexity. Definitely more of a dessert whisky.

This might make a good beginners whisky, with its sweet candied tones. But it almost tastes like one of those mixtures of maple syrup and whisky that you can find around here in Canada (which really aren’t my cup of tea).

Both Strasse007 on Reddit and Thomas of Whisky Saga gave this whisky below average scores (although with reasonably positive reviews). My own score matches their, thus explaining the low standard deviation above. There are much better Mackmyras out there to try.

Amrut Single Cask PX (SAQ)

Third in my series of sherried single cask Amruts is a bottle exclusively released for the SAQ in Quebec, Canada.

Bottled at 62.8% ABV, the label indicates that unpeated Indian malt entered into a PX Sherry cask (cask 3516) in August 2010. It was bottled in July 2014, so just under 4 years old. Only 90 bottles were ever available for sale – which is even less than the LCBO version. Now long gone, of course.

Here is how it compares to other cask-strength Amruts in my Meta-Critic database:

Amrut Bengal Tiger PX Single Cask (Canada): 8.67 ± 0.23 on 4 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Bourbon Single Cask: 8.74 ± 0.31 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Double Cask: 9.04 ± 0.19 on 5 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Greedy Angels (8yo and 10yo): 9.19 ± 0.23 on 8 reviews ($$$$$+)
Amrut Intermediate Sherry: 8.95 ± 0.37 on 19 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Kadhambam: 8.91 ± 0.25 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Naarangi: 8.55 ± 0.63 on 10 reviews ($$$$$)
Amrut Peated Single Malt Cask Strength: 9.14 ± 0.18 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Portonova: 8.98 ± 0.30 on 17 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Portpipe Peated Single Cask (all casks): 8.76 ± 0.39 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut PX Sherry Single Cask (all casks): 8.79 ± 0.45 on 13 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut PX Sherry Single Cask 2696 (LCBO): 8.94 ± 0.24 on 6 reviews ($$$$$)
Amrut PX Sherry Single Cask 2701: 8.52 ± 0.68 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut PX Sherry Single Cask 2702: 7.95 ± 0.87 on 3 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut PX Sherry Single Cask 3516 (SAQ): 8.86 ± 0.17 on 6 reviews ($$$$)
Amrut Spectrum (Batch 001): 9.16 ± 0.20 on 10 reviews ($$$$$)

This is again a good score for a single cask PX Amrut. And again sampled blind to previous reviews or scores. My sample came from the Redditor Throzen.

Colour: Medium gold, light brown – a touch lighter than the LCBO PX cask.

Nose: Very sweet, with honey and golden brown sugar. Sultanas, golden raisins and some apple and plums (more stewed than fresh). Citrus (orange peel). Caramel and butterscotch. Oak char, with cinnamon and nutmeg. Definitely PX notes. Surprising lack of ethanol fumes for 62.8% ABV. Mild antiseptic off notes, however (Lisol). Water brings up the citrus notes and sweetness, and seems to help with the off notes – highly recommend you give it a splash.

Palate: On first sip an odd mix of sweet and bitter up-front, turning sweeter in the mouth. Brown sugar and caramel initially, turning more to vanilla and liquefied white sugar over time. Similar fruit notes as the nose (stewed again, but not particularly fruity in the mouth). Chocolate. Tons of pepper added to the cinnamon from the oak, plus anise and a fragrant herbal component (Ricola cough candies). Reasonable amount of heat, although still not as much as I expected for 62.8%. Some mouth-puckering astringency on the way out, but mild. Water really helps here, turning the mouthfeel thick and syrupy. It also seems to diminish the drying effect – highly recommend you add a fair amount.

Finish: Medium-long. Cinnamon and pepper last the longest, with lingering dried fruits. Reminds me of a spiced rum. The sweetness is balanced by a slight bitterness, in consistent measure over time (actually a pretty good balance). Water doesn’t affect the finish much.

A solid PX cask offering from Amrut for the SAQ in Quebec. Although my initial impression was not quite as favourable as the LCBO bottling that I recently reviewed, I’ve revised that opinion with a bit of water here. While it may not be quite as complex on the nose or body, it has better balance and integration – especially on the finish, which is lovely.  Honestly, I think this is just a case of bottling it at a little too high an absolute proof – it does better if you take it to the mid-50s (or potentially lower) ABV.

Again, the PX effect is unmistakable here, but it is different from the LCBO cask. This SAQ casks seems fresher and more vibrant, while the other was older and more complex. PX casks seem to be an interesting fit for Amrut, as it keeps the fruitiness in check while adding some sherry spice and sugary sweetness. Based on these two experiences, I’d certainly say it’s worth picking up a PX aged Amrut if given the chance.

This SAQ specific bottling got very good scores from Devoz, Throzen, and xile_ on reddit, as well as Martin from Quebec Whisky. Personally, my own assessment is closer to the moderately positive scores from Andre and Patrick at Quebec Whisky.

Please see my additional reviews of the Canada and LCBO single cask bottlings.

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