This months Regional Wines tasting focused on new whiskies that have arrived recently on our shores. Pricepoints were all middle, with one exception (Aberfeldy 18yo).
N: sweet, marshmallows, cut grass, bourbon, parma violets
P: prickly, sweet, spritzic, citrus, honey (when added water)
F: med-long, hint of oily finish.
7.5/10 This came 5th (7.82) I liked it as a quaffing dram.
Glenglassaugh 9yo USA wine hogs #522 9.5.2012-2022 bottled for Aotearoa 58.9%
N : sweet, hint of smoke and peat, bonfire, light
P: warm, 'sick', ashes, malt, burnt wood, bitter
F: long and not very nice.
5/10 Although others liked it (4th, 8.22) it didn't work at all for me. Everything was pretty unpleasant - another case where just because you can rack it in wine, doesn't mean you should. Sure, some of them are great, but this isn't one of those. Our group suspected they were offloading it on NZ :)
I liked the old Glenglassaugh's I've had, but the new ones have been underwhelming.
Benrinnes 'The Benn' 10yo 55.5%
N: apples, shampoo, cider, dry, pears, stonefruit, ginger
P: ginger, pears, interesting, white wine?
F: medium - adding water made it more mellow and opened it up
8/10 (8.5 with water). The group didn't like it (7th, 6.87), however I did. Really loved the nose, and quite tempted to buy a bottle, it's different, light and interesting.
Blackadder 10yo Red Snake 108 1st fill bourbon July 2021 57.4%
N: coconut rough, sooty peat, incr alc., bourbon, custard, spritzic/citrus/lemon
P: spikey but no real flavour, salt, grapefruit
F: short and soapy
5/10, another disappointment for me. Came 6th, 7.2
Tamdhu #7 sherry casks batch strength 57.5%
N: sherry, sweet, complex, oldish, toffee, caramel, sulphur, spicy, rubber, tannins
P: big sherry, tasty, dark chocolate, rubber
F: warm and long, hint of pepper
9/10 loved this. Predictably ticked a lot of boxes for me, came 2nd 8.79
Benriach 10yo Hart Brothers sherry butt 57.5% 10.2011-3.2022.
N: sherry, sweet, complex, meths!, caramelised sugar, butterscotch, very sweet
P: caramel, sugar, oily, bitter chocolate, tannin
F: long, bitter
8.5/10 again very nice and tasty, came first 8.96
Aberfeldy 18yo 52% exceptional double cask sherry finish #3080 11.11.2002-22.06.2021
N: watery, light, wood, light sherry
P: very smooth veering to bland, civilised, one dimensional,
F: short
6.5/10 For the price of this one, it's very disappointing. Actually, as a whisky it's very disappointing. Others loved it, 3rd 8.78, but for me, there wasn't much in the flavour department.
Interesting tasting, all of the whiskies were relatively young which I guess is now the default position for most distilleries as old stock is worth far more. But there's some interesting, and great, things happening in these drams...
