Category: Uncategorized

Famous Grouse Malt 43%
Sherry, musty wood note, a hint of smoke, liquorice allsorts, sweet orange marmalade.
The palate offers sweet fruits with a dry grapey finish.
Water opens up more of the smoke, sherry wood, citrus and an orange blossom fragrance, then a top note of vanilla and fruit gums.
The palate becomes citrusy sweet and the finish drier.
There is so much more of this dram on the nose than on the palate. 84

Famous Grouse Malt 12 yo 43%
Rich sherry on the nose immediately sensing that this is the unaged malt on steroids. Richer, fuller, fruitier then orange chocolate starts to dominate.
A little thicker on the palate but now more reminiscent of a seville orange marmalade with a similar dry grapey finish.
Water opens with candied orange peel, a hint of smoke.
This has now sweetened the seville a touch with toffee arriving on the tongue but still retains the dry wooded finish.
The palate again disappointing after the stunning nose. 86

Famous Grouse Malt 18 yo 43%
An odd funky note of overipe bananas dipped in a sherry marinade.
The palate generously gives sherried honey, raisins and sultanas but an immensely dry finish.
These disparate molecules added together eventually reveal themselves as floor polish.
Advisable not to add water to this whisky as the astringent palate dries to a chilli tartness. 80

Famous Grouse 30 yo (Blue label) 43%
Matabele ant predominates, with sweetened stewed prunes and Pedro Ximenez sherry. This dram is luscious, rich rumtopf, pineapple and a touch of smoke.
The palate is rich, oily and tongue coating, molasses, salty with an Oloroso sherry finish.
Water releases a battalion of matabele ants, rich spice and the pineapple now swamps the stewed prunes. Outstanding blended malt. 92

Famous Grouse Malt 30 yo (Purple label) 43%
Imagine cut pieces of pineapple and prunes dipped into a flaming PX fondue. The matabele ants have left this nest, leaving a more subdued, sherried tropical fruit combo…a master blenders dream concoction, an exquisite balance of sweet fruits, sherry and old smoked oak.
The palate is a sublime mix of syrupy sweet tropical fruits, salt and a rich lingering Oloroso and woody smoke finish.
Arguably the greatest blended malt ever. 96
We shall miss them all…a huge loss to the industry!

Drayman’s Highveld single Malt Whisky French Oak Reserve 43%
Dynamic nose of intense vanilla, rumtopf, spicy fruit cake mix swimming in sherry and candied citrus peel.
The palate, however, is watery thin.
A hint of vanilla, then a fierce fiery chilli that ambushes the throat finishing with a new make grapey finish…mampoer style.
Quite a nice grappa actually.
Water enhances the fabulous nose but makes the palate more wretched and undrinkable. 66 (Nose 82 Palate 50)

Three Ships 5y0 43% James Sedgwick.
Soft sweet grain, intense vanilla, butterscotch, a hint of smoke and orange Sparkles (boiled sweets), then sweet marmalade.
The palate is honeyed creamy barley, orange sherbet and finishes with the sweet marmalade morphing to seville.
An outstanding whisky that will stand up to any Scottish blend caber tossed in its direction and with a general retail price at under R 100.00…huge value for money. 85

Clear Creek’s McCarthy’s Oregon single malt 3yo 42.5%
I’ll read to you the blurb on the label: “Distilled from a fermented mash of peat-malted Scottish barley, barrel-aged 3 years”
Instantly, new rubber is prevalent indicating it’s youth but then an aroma of kippers drizzled with honey pervades the dram and then massive all spice, pepper and vanilla emerge.
The palate at this stage offers the vanilla with powerful pepper and kippers on the finish.
A dash of water matures this whiskey and a strong nutmeg note appears.
The palate opens beautifully and intensifies the vanillas and smoky pepper.
Outstanding!
I am in shock and awed at how complex and balanced this American youngster is. 90

The Big Smoke – Blended Islay Malt 60% Duncan Taylor.
Vanilla and clean peat, initially Ardbeg on the nose, then a slight vegetal note and caramellised fried onion rings, elastoplast and new paint tin.
The palate has salt, vanilla, tar and then explosive robust smoke that lingers through the finish.
Don’t attempt to put this fire out with a dash of water…it will fizzle out.
Best just to face the furnace and take it on the chin…it’s worth it! 85

Big Peat – Islay Blended Malt 46% Douglas Laing.
Woah! Surprisingly sophisticated and complex on the nose for what appeared to be a marriage of some bolshy Islay malts.
A salty sea breeze of seaweed dipped in wintergreen, the sweetness of fabled Port Ellen’s vanilla and paint tin and just a hint of youth with struck matchsticks.
The palate matches the nose note for note, a chilli note adding to the character and then a finish of salted tarry rope.
Mmmm….this is a gentle peat, a cultured peat, refined peat, scholarly……
Water brings out an eclectic mix of new rubber, citrus, menthol and Port Ellen’s salivating vanilla solvent.
The palate thickens and then leaves a lightly tarred surface sprinkled with vanilla icing.
Despite the caricatured label this dram is not “Big” but svelte, elegant, polished peat. 90

Ardbeg Uigedail 54.2%
Initially, predominantly sherry, raisins and spicy stewed fruit cooked over a smouldering peat fire….then molasses and caramelised brown sugar that develops into Pedro Ximenez sherry. Eventually a touch of horse sweat and woodsmoke.
This nose is so overpowering in its beauty, as the multitude of layers develop.
The palate is sherry, old oak and chocolate chilli that finishes with the sweetest tarry seaweed and iconic Ardbeg peat smoke that lingers….forever.
Water opens this dram Corryvreckan style with oily butterscotch, caramel, citrus, peppery peat that leaves your palate just gasping for more.
This has got to be the most exquisitely balanced whisky I have ever experienced…..addictive, extraordinary, unbeatable, Ardbeg. 98