Luxco’s Director of Brand Research and Development and I talk bourbon, Luxco’s new distillery and more as we taste the new Blood Oath Pact No. 3 and Rebel Yell 10 year bourbon.
A Review of The Singleton of Glendullan Series
The Singleton brand of whiskies refers to several Speyside distilleries, including Glen Ord, Dufftown, and Glendullan. It’s a bit of odd branding, and I can see where it can be a touch confusing. Here we’re looking at the Glendullan portfolio, newly available in the US market. Glendullan isn’t a well-known distillery, though it’s not new. It was founded back in 1897 in Dufftown. Most of the whisky is matured in American oak, though some European oak is also used. I love tasting through a distillery’s whiskey portfolio side-by-side. It’s a great way to dive into the distillery style, giving you an intimate look at how the spirit matures over time.
All whiskies in the distillery’s US portfolio (12-, 15-, and 18-year-old) are bottled at 40% abv. At the moment, they’re only available in CA, FL, NY, CO, TX, PA, WA and NJ markets.
GLENDULLAN 12
The youngest and lightest of the bunch, Glendullan 12-year-old is very reminiscent of Glenlivet 12. The nose features hints of slightly caramelized orchard fruits, lemon zest, honey and very light spice. The entry is a bit subdued, but opens to welcoming crisp apples and orange blossom honey, with vanilla pod and light spices developing. The finish is short and leaves a spiced honey note. This is an uncomplicated, easy-sipping entry level whisky. $34.99 7/10
GLENDULLAN 15
A couple more years of maturation add a bit more richness. That means more refined fruits on the nose, as well as toffee, fig preserves and spice. I find the 15 doesn’t have as much citrus zestiness on the nose as the 12. Taste-wise, the low abv means a slightly watered down entry. In terms of flavors, honeyed tree fruit, dried fruits and candied pecans dominate, accented by some oak spice and mulled wine notes. The finish is a bit longer than its younger brother, with hints of zesty malt, honey and spice. Overall, a bit darker and richer malt that features more dried fruits and spice. $49.99 7.5/10
GLENDULLAN 18
Described as “balanced, light and elegant” on the bottle, Glendullan 18 is the oldest of the distillery’s US offerings. The nose is full of rich and spicy cinnamon cake, stewed apples & pears, and dried figs & raisins. Hints of vanilla, toasted almonds and seville oranges with a touch of dried tobacco. The palate is the richest of the three expressions, with wave after wave of dark caramel and dried fruits with hints of vanilla creme brulee, peanut brittle and leather. The finish is long, featuring dark fruit jam and spices, turning a bit dry. I think the 18-year-old mark is where this whisky starts to find its sweet spot. Glendullan 18 is rich and full of dried fruits and spice. Nicely done. $79.99 8.5/10
Thanks to Diageo for the samples. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Tap 357 Canadian Maple Rye Whisky Review
I’m generally not a fan of flavored whiskey. However, I won’t pass up the chance to try one. After all, you can’t know if you dislike something until you taste it. Enter Tap 357 – a Canadian rye whisky blended with Canadian maple syrup. Here’s some info straight from the producer:
The cask-aged 3-, 5-, and 7-year old blended rye whisky used in TAP 357 is produced at the oldest distillery in Western Canada, where it is distilled four times then matured in a combination of new, second-, and third-use bourbon barrels.
TAP Whisky’s Master Blender Michel Marcil then blends these whiskies and adds pure Canada 1 Light maple syrup from the Quebec area. It’s then married for a period and bottled at 40.5%.
The nose is dominated by maple syrup, which is accentuated by notes of vanilla extract, baking spices and spice cake. Taste-wise, we’re talking maple. Lots of maple! Loads of maple! The whisky is expectedly very rich, but not cloyingly sweet. Rye spice compliments and cuts through. Creamy vanilla and oak spice add some depth. The finish features creme brulee and light maple syrup.
The maple nature of this whisky doesn’t taste artificial. Of course it doesn’t. The producers are using real maple syrup. Maple syrup is generally a note I pick up in Canadian whiskies, so it feels natural to use it to flavor the whisky. Like I mentioned earlier, Tap 357 is rich, but not cloyingly sweet. It leans strongly on the maple syrup side, but has just enough other flavors to keep things interesting. Does this mean Tap 357 is the first flavored whisky I actually like? I believe so. Nicely done! 8/10
Thanks to Tap 357 for the sample. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Adventures In Whiskey 