The Glenlivet 12 Years of Age: Review

Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Speyside

George & J.G. Smith, Ltd.

The Glenlivet Distillery

Banffshire, Scotland

40% abv

Theglenlivet.com

Appearance: crystal amber

Aroma: toasted caramel, lightly toasted marshmallow, smoky wood

Flavors: slightly smoky, honey, oak, sweet toasted caramel, slight ginger warmth

Mouthfeel: smooth and sweet on the delivery, warmth on the mid and late palate, light ginger and warmth lingers on the palate

My Strength Rating: 6 – medium-full 

Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whisky 15 Years Old: Review

Highland Park

Distilled in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland

Highlandpark.co.uk

43% abv

750ml bottle

$80.00

Appearance: light golden crystal

Nose: touch of floral, vanilla, candied fruit, wood, hint of peat

Flavors and Mouthfeel: honey, vanilla, touch of salt, trace of floral maybe lavender like, hint of peat, light smoky feel on the finish, smooth, nice viscosity, moderate warmth on the finish, fairly simple in style but tasty.  

This single malt pairs well with a full bodied cigar.  

Glenmorangie Original 10 Years Old

I bought a four pack sampler of Glenmorangie

Each bottle is 100ml
Contains:
10 Year Old Original
12 Year Old Lasanta Matured in Sherry Casks
12 Year Old Quinta Ruban Matured in Port Casks
12 Year Old Nectar D'or Matured in Sauternes Casks


This Review: Glenmorangie Original
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
43% abv

This is the Glenmorangie you will usually see in restaurants and bars. 

Appearance: straw-yellow

Aroma: alcohol overwhelms, kind of grassy, nothing impressive

Flavors: sweet grains, then the peppery warmth from the alcohol kicks in, little pear, touch of oak,

Mouthfeel: fairly smooth, good warmth, the aftertaste is not much to talk about,

To the Point: to me not that impressed, sure glad I didn’t buy a fifth or a shot at the bar.  I’ll skip this one.  I had half the bottle and I'll pass the other half on to someone else. I am not going to waste a cigar on this one.     

Butera Fumo Dolce and Glenmorangie 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch: Pairing

The Scotch

Glenmorangie 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Region: Scotland Highlands

Perfected by The Sixteen Men of Tain

43% alc/vol

Purchased: Super Fine Wine & Liquor, Canton, Michigan

$99.99

Reviewed: On the ‘neat’ side

Appearance: rich amber

Nose: lightly toasted vanilla, hint of coconut,

Flavors: on my first sip I picked out the coconut, vanilla, and honey notes.  After that I get a light syrupy sherry tone, spice from the oak, a mix of pink and green peppercorn – (sweet and light peppery feel), with each sip I get a honey-nut taste on the delivery.  Maybe a little golden raisin. 

Mouthfeel/Body: light warmth, light peppery feel on the cheeks and gums, a faint yet pleasing glow on the aftertaste, mild-medium body overall, a sophisticated feel on the palate.  Kind of like slipping into a satin sheet bed with a fine looking women. 

Mouthfeel: short finish, light malty aftertaste.  I preferred the ‘neat’.

To the Point: to me this is one tasty Scotch.  In my short Scotch tasting experience, a dozen different one, this has been my favorite by far.  I’ll be buy more of this baby. 

The Cigar

Butera Fumo Dolce

Wrapper: Connecticut / USA

Binder: Indonesian

Fillers: Dominican

Size: 5.5 x 44

$8.00 in Michigan from Smoky’s of Northville

Taste Profile: light cedary wood note off the light.  As the smoke continues the tasty cedar style continues with light toasted grains and classic tobacco notes.  The Fumo Dolce is mild in body and fairly simple in style.  While the tasting notes are simple in style the cigar has a sophisticated mouthfeel.  The Butera line-up is always billed as having a creamy style.  To me I have never thought of the texture as creamy when smoking the cigar by itself.  The texture is smooth.  I have always thought of the Butera line-up as a having a Spanish cedar and a classic mild tobacco taste. 

The Pairing

This is a very nice pairing.  After a few puffs of the cigar and a sip of the Scotch I think this cigar allows me to experience all the tasty flavors of this Scotch.  The sherry notes and the honey-nut flavors just shine. 

After a few sips and then a puff or two of the cigar the cigars profile comes across as mellow as can be.  I think the oak of the Glenmorangie mixes the cedar notes of the Butera Cigar for a tasty experience. 

I think the only way to make this better would be to smoke a Cameroon wrapped cigar with a good nutty style.  

Partagas Decadas 1998 Cigar and Dalwhinnie 15 Years Old: Review

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

43% abv

Dalwhinnie Distillery

Dalwhinnie, Inverness-Shire, Scotland
$60+ a bottle - I didn't write down the actual price

Always interesting info on a box and here it is:

What are the six classic malt whisky making regions?

Highland

West Highland

Islay

Skye

Speyside

Lowland

I did not know the six regions and ask me in six months and I still won’t remember.

Let’s get on to the review

Appearance: light golden

Nose: very light bouquet, after a swirl of the glass and a sip of the whisky a soft baked pear with a drizzle of honey and a dash of ginger.  Damn, I am going to try making that. Let me through in a little oak and a faint touch of smoke.

Flavors: boy, do I like this!  It is smooth and mellow.  It is most elegant in its style.  A light warmth greets the palate with a creamy vanilla-honey biscuit sliding over the first third of the tongue.  Light sweet grains and sea grass on the mid and the light warmth continues.  The finish has a pleasing warmth and touch of spice – a light ginger spice and warmth.  The aftertaste has a short light spice and warmth. There is a light smoky feel that floats over the flavors as I inhale on the sip and exhale on the swallow. 

If you are not thinking about this little Scotch you would say it is just mellow. 

The Cigar

Partagas Decadas 1998

I am at my summer place and I only have about 25 cigars with me and none of them have the elegant style that I am thinking of for this Dalwhinnie. 

I do have a cigar that a student gave me.  It is the Partagas Decadas 1998 and it retails for $20.39 and comes in a glass tube.  Maybe, the student thought that leaving the price would help with his grade – well, he didn’t need my help.  He was damn good all on his own. 

Let’s get to this cigar.  I have never had this Partagas before and after I review it I’ll look up and see if anybody else has reviewed it.

Off the Light: light spice that reminds me of a dash of white pepper and a pinch of ginger.  As the burn continues a nice woody tone appears to give the flavor some structure. 

Now, it is time for a sip of the Dalwhinnie.  Oh boy, this is a treat.  That sweet vanilla-honey biscuit still slides over the tongue on the deliver but, I think the spice on the Scotch gets kicked up a tad while pairing it with the cigar. 

Mid-Point: nice meaty toasted tobacco leafs and rich soil on main profile.  The spice is still in play with good touch of cedar twang.  This Partagas has some style. 

This pairing is going so well that I am heading out to the campfire pit and finishing this stick with the Dalwhinnie.  

San Lotano Oval Robusto and The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old: Review

The Single Malt Scotch

Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Region: Scotland Highlands

The Balvenie Distillery

Banffshire Scotland

43% alc/vol

Thebalvenie.com

First aged in whisky oak casks and then a few months in sherry oak casks

Here is their description from the web site:

Nose: Sweet fruit and Oloroso sherry notes, layered with honey and vanilla.

Taste: Smooth and mellow with beautifully combined flavours – nutty sweetness, cinnamon spiciness and a delicately proportioned layer of sherry.

Finish: long and warming.

My review:

Appearance: honey amber

Nose: sweet malt, honey, vanilla

Flavors: the sherry plays a nice role mingled with honey, vanilla, touch of oak, brown spice (I can see the cinnamon), when I leave it on the palate and swirl it around I do get the cinnamon – it reminds me of a cinnamon toothpick,

Mouthfeel: oh yes, smooth and mellow all the way, creamy texture, cinnamon warmth of the finish that lingers for a while on the palate.

My Strength Rating: 4.5 – a nice medium mouthfeel.  I could see a mild-medium call on this DoubleWood. 

To the Point: a very tasty Single Malt Scotch.  

The Cigar

San Lotano Oval Robusto

By: A.J. Fernandez

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano 2000

Binder: Nicaragua

Fillers: Nicaragua, Honduras & a secret

Size: 5.5 x 54

Taste Profile: the Robusto size has a rich soil tone, some hardwood, a dash of white pepper like spice, light-medium coffee, and a dry texture on the finish. 

My Strength Rating: 6 – on the light side of medium-full

To the Point: a quality earthy smoke that will need a beverage to keep the palate refreshed.    

The Pairing

I was wondering if the dash of white pepper spice from the cigar would collide with the cinnamon stick from the Scotch – well, it didn’t.  They did work together. 

The rich soil tone and light-medium coffee note of the San Lotano cigar complemented the honey, vanilla, and touch of oak of the Doublewood Balvenie. 

The Scotch was tasty enough to also refresh the palate while smoking this cigar.  

The MACALLAN Ten Years Old: Review

Fine Oak Triple Cask Matured

Speyside, Scotland

The MACALLAN Distillers Ltd.

Easter Elchies, Craigellachie, Scotland

$42.90

Served ‘neat’ 

Appearance: gold; about the color of my gold ring on my hand

Nose: light malt; clean

Flavors: light honey, light-moderate sherry, pink peppercorn on the mid and late palate, oak

Mouthfeel: light-moderate ginger spice warmth on the finish, a light sweet sherry warmth lingers for a short while.

To the Point: another decent to good beginners Scotch.  I think I may like the Cardhu a little more.  

Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky 15 Year Old

The Valley of the Deer

“Oregon pine Solera Vat marries together whiskies matured in three types of casks. (Sherry, bourbon, and new oak casks)”

Glenfiddich.com

Region: Scotland Highlands

40% alc/vol

Color: light golden amber

Nose: delicate, faint, candied honey, vanilla.  Overall, a sweet bouquet.

Flavors: sweet light bodied honey, the vanilla on the nose follows with each sip, on the mid palate a bit of spice that reminds me of allspice, little peppery, just a hint of oak and sweet fansy raisin.

Body: medium body, slightly oily, mellow finish and aftertaste, smooth in an elegant way, every once in a while a slight burn,

To the Point: for this Scotch beginner (me) this is nice and smooth; the aftertaste is a bit too mellow, nice flavor when you pay attention to details.  

Cardhu 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky: Review

The Cardhu Distillery

Morayshire, Scotland

Region: Speyside

40% Alc/Vol

Purchased: Super Fine Wine & Liquor; Canton, Michigan

$39.99

First: I am not a Scotch drinker.  I have only tried a few in the last couple of weeks with Tony and those two experiences have peeked my interest.  So, off to the store to buy a few bottles to start learning about Single Malt Scotch.  The guys at the Super Fine Wine & Liquor store guided me to this Single Malt Scotch with the understanding that I am a beginner. 

Color: light golden honey

Nose: light oak with a touch of pear and a light vanilla bourbon

Flavors: a thin yet almost creamy vanilla, applepear (if you have not had one – try it), then there is a slight void, and then a soft pink peppercorn like note on the late mid and finish

Body/Mouthfeel: a mild-medium body, soft and smooth, light warmth and low burn on the mid palate, slightly oily texture, faint finish at first but warms up a little after a few sips but that is not saying much, short lived on the finish

I added a couple of small rocks to the second glass and I really liked then. 

My Strength Rating: 4 – mild-medium

To the Point: Just the aroma lets me know that the guy at the store headed me into the right direction.  A very mild nose for a scotch and I think a bold one would have turned me off at this point in my game. 

I personally agree with them, at the party store, that this is a good one to begin with.  The warmth is light and the burn is low. 

I enjoyed this with a Viaje Oro Cigar.  In the past few weeks trying Single Malt Scotches I have found out that I really like them with a quality cigar more than the drink by itself.