We all like a good crossover – be it Predator vs Alien, Batman vs Superman or Godzilla vs King Kong. Twice the star power, double the fun and possibly two fold the action, not to mention the potential for some popcorn chomping moments! But what happens when a distillery goes borderline rogue, possibly quote-unquote innovative,…
Tag: mywhiskeydiaries
Review : Aberlour Suthainn
Sherry lovers unite! Aberlour had recently introduced a travel exclusive, The Suthainn. A sherry affinite whisky, drowsed and drowned in red wine goodness, that comes adorned in a flowy pistachio green. The thick neck, the stubby contours, and the dark caramel coloured liquid are all traditional Aberlour and we shall soon get to what’s housed…
Review : Highland Park 14 “Loyalty of the Wolf”
The names of distilleries, the contours or the labelling on their bottlings aren’t always flashy marketing gimmicks, nor trivial unthought design consequences that give an expression its mark or identity. Many of these distilleries are over two centuries old, strongly entwined with history and the culture of the land. One example and the subject of…
Review : Grand Old Parr 12 YO
A bottle that got me almost nostalgic! This not because I’ve had the Old Parr before, in fact I had never heard of it and was surprised to see such an expression. The real reason was because the bottle drew several parallels with the wildly famous Old Monk (see below), a dark rum that garnered…
Review : Laphroaig 12 Years
It was a cold yet moist laiden day at the beach, the sound of waves crashing against the ocean floor only to be overwhelmed by crackling sounds as the large bonfire puffed thick black smoke into the vast darkness. Warmth began to crawl its way closer, as burning embers and hot charcoal grew brighter. A fusion…
Review : Scapegrace Anthem Single Malt Whisky
The East has always had a larger whisky footprint than the beach blessed, sun kissed West. The subject of this review takes us a bit further east, over to our neighbours, the Black Caps! Scapegrace is a New Zealand based distillery that was started in 2014 by brothers in law Dan McLaughlin and Mark Neal. The…
Review : Watkins Whisky Small Batch Single Malt
It took a second visit to Queensland, a work trip, that had me catch a glimpse, a dark blur of what later (on second glance) was an unorthodox shaped bottle. The last time I entered this very shop at the airport, plus a few runs around the local liquor stores yielded nothing more than crickets,…
Review : Benriach 12 – The Lunar New Year Edition, The Year of the Horse!
The weekend that passed was wet, the garden drenched, the roof bearing more than its fair share of blown away leaves and my three year old cavoodle trotting home with muddied feet and a trail of paws from the door to our living room. Western Australia had been visited by cyclone Narelle along its coast, and…
Review : Nikka Coffey Malt
I’ve always had a fondness for Japanese whisky, which if I were to rewind, started at first with the Yamazaki. Both the Distillers’ Reserve and the Y12 integrates very deeply with their culture – be it the subtle floral notes reminding me of pink cherry blossoms, the incense like nuances that best represent their love…
Review : Coastal Stone Xplore
The off white shaped sails, the metal architectural wonders that towers over carpets of blue ; and a green velvety patch that lies in the girth of the city. Sydney certainly had a lot more zing, energy and the bustle, but at the same time was crowded with older structures and narrow arteries that seem…
Review : Glenfiddich 16 Grand Prix Aston Martin F1 edition
The year has possibly been one of F1’s biggest, foraging on the success of their collaboration with Netflix with the “Drive to Survive” and “F1 academy” series. Lest we forget the “F1” movie and then a host of blunders, last minute surprises, constant drama and media play, which gave loads of popcorn worthy moments and…
Review : Glenglassaugh 12 YO
A catch up with ol mates at one of the local whisky bars, and a very entertaining and knowledgeable bartender had got us to try out this curvy, swirly ice cream inspired bottle that was little known to me. But with all that talking, low lighting, and 90’s music, all I got was a sliver of…
Review : Starward Ginger Beer Cask #8
Starward comes out with its eighth release of the Ginger Beer Cask finish as part of their “Project” series, but this time dressed in a more vivid and lively theme, aligning closer to its siblings. Filled in 2019, this ginger beer influenced dram was bottled and released mid this year. Initially part of their experimental…
Vlog : How does wood influence whisky?
A quick 2 min take on how wood can impart flavour to the underlying spirit – aka whisky! Slainte!
Review : Dalmore 12 YO Sherry Cask
The deer and its 12 point antler is not to be confused with the ever so famous Glenfiddich. The Dalmore’s is more bold, aggressive and well detailed; taking more real estate across their bottling. The Dalmore isn’t a stranger to the average sherry lover and their 12 albeit expensive does offer good complexity and depth….
Review : Glenfiddich 12 Amontillado Sherry Cask Finish
Over the years, distilleries have been busy innovating things at their end, in the hopes of being relevant with an ever changing and evolving consumer base. They’ve tried chucking in different maturation techniques, finishing their whiskies in rum, champagne or beer casks, or even storing these casks at warehouses underground, some at sea or even…
Review : Esperence’s Single Malt Whisky, American Oak, Cask No 3, Lisandras Series
It’s the break of dawn, with a drive to the airport on the itinerary; what ensues is a hot cuppa, followed by a two hour flight, a taxi ride, and a hotel checkin. Fast forward a few days later, and the same process was to follow but in reverse; the only difference being a quick…
Review Godawan 02 Indian Single Malt Series
The Godawan 02 is the second of the series, from the house of Diageo and keeps with the ethos of sustainability and conservation. Considering the distillery calls the deserts of Rajasthan its home, water conservation is not just a responsibility but also prime. The whisky is very much artisan, just like its sibling, embracing the…
Review : 36 South Double Grain Whisky
At 36 degrees south latitude, comfortably nestled in Victoria’s countryside is the Morris of Rutherglen; a region that receives its fair share of hot summer days and cool, wet winter nights. The temperature variations provide the conducive conditions that help age their whisky, promoting greater wood to whisky interactions. The geographical location also serves as…
Review : Bushmills 15YO
When you think of the Irish, chances are the ever so famous Jamesons might be the first to pop, or at least for most. No hate for the Bushmills here, as in all liklihood they would take an obvious second. But what might not be known to most is the latters history, credited to being…
Uisce Beatha | My Whisk'e'y Diaries 