whisky review

Port Dundas 12 & 18 Year Old Single Grain Whisky Reviews

The doors of Port Dundas distillery were closed in 2010.  The distillery provided spirits giant and parent company Diageo  a large amount of grain whisky.  According to maltmadness.com, Port Dundas was one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, just shy of its 200th anniversary when it was shuttered.  Its grain whiskies were used in a lot of blends, including Johnnie Walker.  Diageo is releasing some of the aged stocks of the shuttered distillery in 12 and 18 year expressions.

Port Dundas 12-Year

Photo courtesy of Diageo

Photo courtesy of Diageo

Bottled at 40% abv, this 12-year-old whisky has a light nose with honey, vanilla and a floral note.  I also get a hint of buttered bread.  The palate stays light as well.  Honeyed oats and vanilla bean comprise the majority of the tasting experience.  On the back of the palate, a nuttiness appears, as well as candied flower petals.  As expected, the finish is crisp and clean.  Flavors here are a tad muted, and the whisky is far from complex.  However, lemon peel and a splash of soda water added to this would make for a great summer-time drink.  A bottle of Port Dundas 12-year should cost around $49.99.

7/10 – Port Dundas 12-Year-Old
(Note: A review sample was provided by Diageo.)

 

Port Dundas 18-Year

Photo courtesy of Diageo.

Photo courtesy of Diageo.

Port Dundas 18-year is bottled at a slightly higher 43% abv.  With the added age comes a larger price tag.  This one runs about $99.99 a bottle.  The nose here is louder than the 12-year.  Honey, fresh orange slices, and vanilla bean blend nicely together.  The citrus note is particularly strong here.  Taste-wise, a slightly toasted grain weighs in first, followed closely by vanilla ice cream, light toffee and orange liqueur.  The finish is short and slightly sweet.  There’s just more going on here compared to the 12-year.  Flavors and aromas are a bit more robust while still keeping things light.  After all, this IS as grain whisky.

8/10 – Port Dundas 18-Year-Old
(Note: A review sample was provided by Diageo.)

The Glenlivet Nadurra Peated Cask Finish Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

Photo courtesy of The Glenlivet.

Photo courtesy of The Glenlivet.

The latest entry to The Glenlivet’s Nadurra line is this Peated Whisky Cask Finish Single Malt.  If you’re unfamiliar with their Nadurra (Gaelic for “natural”) whiskies, let’s catch you up.  These are small batch, non-chill filtered, cask strength expressions from the distillery.  The current bunch have no age statement, but that doesn’t really matter so long as the whisky inside the bottle is good. Joining this Peated Cask Finish expression are an Oloroso-Cask matured whisky (I’ll review this one soon) and a First Fill Selection using first fill ex-bourbon casks for maturation.

Glenlivet’s Peated Whisky Cask Finish is exactly what it sounds like.  After maturation, the whisky was finished in casks that previously held peated whisky.  My sample bottle is from batch PW0715 and is bottled at 61.5% abv.  The suggested retail for a 750mL is $84.99.

The peated cask is evident from the start, but not overpowering.  I get an aromatic blend of fresh, ripe fruit (a Glenlivet signature), sweet toffee, vanilla extract and a dab of peat.  That dab of peat goes a long way.  It’s a balanced nose.  On entry, a welcoming sweet smoke coats the tongue.  Unusual for The Glenlivet, but a throwback to how whiskies were release many, many years ago, including whiskies from this distillery.  The high proof provides a surprisingly easy-drinking experience.  Candied fruit, creamy toffee, orange marmalade and a touch of spice lead to a long, sweet, and slightly smoky finish.  A little water tames the smoke and allows the sweeter notes to shine.

A peated Glenlivet expression?  It’s about what I thought it would be.  A tasty, interesting offering from the classic whisky distillery.  The added touch of peat smoke makes this whisky that much more complex.  Yet it still carries the Glenlivet DNA.  Very well done and highly recommended.

8/10
(Note: A review sample was provided by The Glenlivet.)

Oban 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Review

Oban 14

Oban is a member of Diageo’s “Classic Malts” collection, representing the Highland region along with Dalwhinnie.  Bottled at 43% abv, Oban single malt is aged 14 years although other expressions exist, namely an 18 year version and the new non-age statement (NAS) Oban “Little Bay.”  This whisky hails from the town of Oban, located in the western Highland region of Scotland.  The Oban distillery isn’t named after the town.  Quite the opposite – the town was built around the Oban distillery.  That’s a neat story, but there’s good news and bad news here.  The good news is that this small distillery produces great whisky.  The bummer is there is no room for growth.  Because since the town was built around the distillery, there is physically no way the distillery can expand.  Oban was founded in 1794, making it one of the oldest whisky distillery around.  As mentioned earlier, Oban is on the west coast of Scotland, in the Highland region.  It’s placement next to the sea not only earned its nickname “Gateway to the Isles,” it also helps impart some of that maritime essence into its whisky.

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