Despite the classy packaging with a crown shaped bottle and often wrapped in a richly purple velvet bag, Crown Royal has admittedly lost some of its high class image over the years. Today, the classy image that Crown Royal cultivates in its packaging and advertising feels very phony. The truth seems to be a 3,400,000 litre cash cow in a very marketable glass container. Of course this means nothing when it comes to the actual quality of the product in the bottle. Crown Royal the whisky has some very admirable qualities and is quite authentic relative to its image. It is not rich and luxurious in taste, but does have a smooth, butterscotch scented profile with a nice kick at the end that marks it as authentic Canadian Rye. There is no hint of the bland apple or chemical flavours often found in cheap whisky.

At the bar, Crown Royal sits beside bottles of Canadian Club, Seagram’s and Wiser’s Deluxe as the whiskies most frequently blended with cheap cola. These drinks are intended as a vessel for inebriation and although they lead to enjoyment that is not why most drinkers order them. I actually don’t necessarily have a problem with someone getting drunk from whisky at a bar. The problem is the notion that a decent product like Crown Royal is in a bar well a step removed from generic vodka in a plastic bottle with a built-in handle.  Now that I have a background tasting many whiskies from the British Isles, I believe that Canadians are indeed making some very serious whisky and that we need to start respecting our home grown Ryes a little bit more. Crown Royal has value beyond a session whisky.

The nose begins with a punch of apple, perhaps more (salted) caramel apple, with the characteristic honey and heather notes trailing.  There is a sour milk undertone, hiding behind a light soapiness, and balanced off with a hint of pepper.  The whisky is light on the palate, with more salted caramel, as well as the addition of an almond taste similar to maraschino cherries.  The Aberlour 12 has a bitter charcoal finish, staying in the mouth for long after the last sip.  All in all, a great every day dram, with enough complexity to enjoy time after time.

Glen Turner’s owner, La Martiniquaise, isn’t new to this game.  They own Label 5, a whisky available nearly everywhere in France, and purchased the Glen Moray distillery in 2008.   Also, in late 2009 it was rumoured that they might purchase Whyte & Mackay from United Spirits, but nothing came of the rumours.  The bottle we’re reviewing today is labeled as coming from “Glen Turner Distillery Ltd” which is very strange indeed.

First impact on the nose is strong floral notes, followed by a buttery shortbread overtone.  The nose then settles into the smell of a bakery, with sweet vanilla and cinnamon.  The whisky is smooth on the palate, and has a salty sweet character with more hints of cinnamon.  The finish is dry, with a powery icing sugar feel left on the palate.  After adding water, this dram changes coniderably, losing its sweetness and becoming bitter like cheese or old shoes.  Toffee and molasses notes appear on the nose, and a leathery cigar-like finish emerges.  It’s worth a taste, but not something I would drink regularly.

If anyone knows the distillery this whisky is coming from, please make a note in the comments.  Thanks!

The Banff area, in which Macduff is located, has been described as producing whisky for centuries, although the Macduff distillery is relatively modern having been built in 1960 (or 1962, depending on your source). It was later acquired by William Lawson in 1972, bringing it to its current home within Bacardi Limited.  The distillery, which now produces roughly 2.4 million litres a year, has experimented with several different distillation methods, and alongside Talisker is the only Scottish distillery with two wash stills and three spirit stills.

Macduff’s most popular single malt by volume, Glen Deveron 10 Year boasts of being “a fine single malt of smooth, rich character” according to its label. Smooth? Yes, definitely. Rich, not entirely. A dram of Glen Deveron 10 would be a decent introduction to single malts for the beginner scotchman, but overall it is mediocre.  There is nothing overwhelming wrong with this scotch, but at the same time nothing really stands out.  The first aromas on the nose are sour and buttery, but as the scotch sits it opens up to more fruity (over ripe pear) and sweet tones (caramel and nutmeg). It reminds me of bread pudding with caramel sauce; a family Christmas tradition. On the palate, one tastes a very mild peat and a mild bourbon. The finish is quick and dry with just a hint of wood and salt. The addition of water evokes a peanut brittle characteristic on the nose accompanied by a fruitier palate, but water has no affect on the finish.

Despite being mothballed for most of the 80′s and 90′s, Ardbeg (now owned by Glenmorangie PLC) is now one of the largest and fastest growing distilleries, particularly on the island of Islay.  Ardbeg makes a wide range of whiskies, from the lightly peated Blasda to the 100ppm phenol count Supernova (Octomore lovers?).  Their most recent bottling, Rollercoaster, is vatted from 10 casks — one for each of the first 10 years of Glenmorangie PLC’s ownership of Ardbeg.  Accompanying their wide variety of unique malts comes the Ardbeg workhorse — the 10 year. Having consumed more than a bottle or two among friends, we present this review with knowledge and experience of the joy and good times a dram of Ardbeg 10 can bring.

How can such a lightly coloured whisky pack so much punch?  The whisky’s intense peatiness has an oily, medicinal quality, with lots of toffee sweetness; burned wood on a rainy night.   The body is thick on the palate, starting off slow before peat and spice hit you hard.  Plenty of citrus (pear, melon) notes present themselves, as does an undertone of iodine. Very powerful, yet surprisingly balanced, the taste simmers out to woody espresso notes.  Lingering peaty smokiness and spice finish this dram off.  Best enjoyed (in our opinion) with a drop of water.

This dram had an amber color, perhaps closer to gold.  The nose instantly reminded me of Scapa 14, with it’s notes of heather and honey.  Also present is an abundance of floral notes and a strong herbal overtone.  The nose on Cragganmore 12 is very pleasantly complex.  The body was medium, with a long-lasting creaminess on the tongue.  The palate was quite sweet and fruity, again reminding me of Scapa 14.  A little bit smoky and salty as well.  The finish is long and light.

I am shocked at the complexity.  Every sip brings different flavors and thoughts.  Chestnuts?  Toffee?  Grapes? Ginger? Lemon? Vanilla?  Potentially one of the most complex whiskies I’ve tasted, and given I predominately prefer strong peaty Islays and this is a Speyside, that is really saying something.  You can clearly see why it has historically been used in blends, adding considerable depth in any situation.  Cragganmore 12 is definitely worth a try, even if it is 25% more expensive than the similar Scapa 14.

Heather, the low evergreen shrub, gives of an aroma that is often said to be present in Scotch. Presumably, the flowery scent in the air works its way into the casks over time much like the sea air. I would describe the smell as a cross between hot dry grass and eucalyptus. Scapa 14 really showcases this smell; for me it was like a light went off in terms of identifying this aroma in the scotch. Wild heather grows all over the island of Orkney, and certainly Scapa 14 shares many characteristics with its larger cousin up the road Highland Park. Hits of heather, honey, smoke, all in a light mix could also be a tasting note for Highland Park 12. Scapa differentiates itself by being a little lighter in taste, with a herbaceous twang that makes for a fresh finish with a hint of sweetness. The heathery, herbaceous side makes for a great palate cleanser when drinking scotch with cigars. If you want a daily sipper that’s a step up from the Glen’s, Scapa 14 really fits the bill.

That lies behind them now, though, and business is flourishing. In 1999 they launched their 12 year old expression, which proved to be a very wise move indeed as it has been quite well received in the whisky community. The 12 year old, like the 18 year old, is made using only Scottish ingredients; though it is matured in American (ex-bourbon) white oak casks, but we’ll forgive them for that!

Let’s talk about the whisky, then, shall we? It’s often easy to get caught up in the history of distilleries when writing these posts, simply because a lot of them have rather fascinating backgrounds and a lot of the time I’m learning the history myself as I write the reviews. Where was I again? Ah, yes, Aberfeldy 12 year old!

A fine whisky indeed, distilled near Loch Tay – which I would recommend visiting if you’re planning a Whisky tour in the area, it’s stunning. Putting the dram to your nose you may detect hints of another Scottish symbol, Heather. The scent is quite thick and will fill, almost coat, your nostrils with a warm and sweet duvet of honey. The thickness continues on the palate with a syrupy feel which may remind you of a fruity liqueur with hints of pineapple, mild spiciness and an aftertaste of orange zest and a quite dry finish.

To summarise:

Eye: A warm golden.

Nose: Heathery honey, incense, cereal, vanilla.

Palate: Syrupy thickness, pineapple, mild spiciness, orange zest, medium-dry finish.

This guest post courtesy of Martin, who recently started the whisky blog WhiskyCritic.com.  Feel free to check it out for more whisky reviews like this one.

The Glenlivet 12 Year Old is the staple of The Glenlivet’s production, and is the most accessible price-wise. Coming in at, for instance, 1/2 the price of Longmorn 16 or 3/4 the price of Highland Park 12, The Glenlivet is priced competitively alongside Glenfiddich 12.  Described as “the quintessential Speyside malt” by Michael Jackson, The Glenlivet has been reviewed by dozens of people over the years. In general, it is characterized as floral with cereal notes, fresh wood and citrus. Light and fresh palate, with a clean finish.

Boringly enough, I agree completely — The Glenlivet is one of those drams that you can grab in any circumstance, and it won’t disappoint. While perhaps lacking in some of the strong and unique characteristics of an Islay peated beast or a small-batch American bourbon, it is the consistent, easy-drinking taste that makes The Glenlivet so appealing. Sure, if you feel like exploring something really special tonight, then by all means buy something a bit more rare. However, if you’re purchasing a bottle for home that you’ll be happy to drink without any guilt from consuming a scotch that is $100+ per bottle, this is a great place to start.

The tasting experience of Dallas Dhu 1981 started weak and ended strong. Weak only because when I asked for my dram of this 27 year I was asked if I wanted to “do the Dhu?” When the glass came to my nose  though I noticed an incredible surge of aromas reminiscent of a vintage Madeira – citrus oil, maderised sugar and roasted coffee. Resounding on the palate, filling every corner of the mouth with spices, dates and lemon. A wide variety of taste sensations all in balance. The finish is strong but the flavours last so long as to beat down the alcohol sting. This was a very memorable Scotch experience for me, extra special since the distilling was done in my birth year.