All posts by Paul Dietrich

Tomatin Oloroso

The nose of this scotch came of quite sweet as notes of caramel and toffee competed for dominance. As my nose drifted closer and closer to this pleasantly coloured taster, I started to detect vanilla, nuts and fruit.

With anticipation I went in for a taste. My nose was correct and tasted very much like sweet caramel, almost too sweet, but wait what’s this, a little bit of an oak flavor to round out and balance the sweetness comes into play. These flavors danced a great duet on my tongue, always flirting on the edge of overpowering, than fading as the other took the lead. When the duet finished all too soon, curtains refused to fall on the performance. The flavour lingered as my taste buds cheered, and I found myself begging for an encore. To my delight, I looked down to see a tiny bit left in my glass and thought to myself with excitement, as I greedily drank what I should have rationed better, as to what dance will I experience this time.

Obviously I thoroughly enjoyed this Scotch. Although I did find a balance, initially it is rather sweet leading me to believe 2 glasses would be plenty for me before overload. This would pair nice with any savory dessert, such as a panna cotta with foie gras. This would be a nice bottle for any collector to put into their collection.

Oban Little Bay

The nose on this was slightly malty. I could detect honey, oak and maybe dried fruit. As I brought the glass closer this did not change, it just intensified. As I took my first sip, I was hit with the dry fruit element, waxy honey, and a strong oak.

As this rolled over my tongue, it started to mellow and I could slightly detect an orange component that surprised me as there was no hint of citrus until now. I found this scotch finished clean, a good one to sip on a summer patio all evening long. This scotch would pair well with seafood, or Mexican dishes as I think the sweetness from the fruit and honey would benefit from a spicy component that I did not find present in my glass.

Overall I enjoyed this scotch. At a $100 a bottle I do feel there are better choices for that price point. If you find an opportunity to taste this it’s definitely worth a try, but I will pass this one over when it comes to my personal collection.

Dalmore 15

The Dalmore 15 from the Highland region of Scotland, matured for 13 years in American white oak and then for a further year in a combination three styles of sherry wood (Matusalem, Apostoles, and Amoroso), definitely showed signs of this on the nose. This was the first Dalmore that the club has sampled and it did not disappoint.

Dalmore15Known for their orange overtones, you could understand this as the first sip hits with a blast of citrus flavour. With the additional year of sherry cask maturation, it smoothes out the citrus with what you would typically find in a more mature smooth sherry finish. After the initial taste, this dram does show some heat but finds a way to warm nicely as you finish it off. The finish was medium-long and brought in some additional flavour including a note of vanilla.

This moderately priced bottle for one of its class is one to be added to your collection, if you enjoy a nice warm whisky near the fire on a cold winter’s day, but has a hint of summer as shown by its citrus flavour.

BenRiach 20

The first impression of the BenRiach 20 is exciting.  The nose is spicy with a presence of oak which easily excites you into the full bodied flavour to come.
WP_20150626_20_42_36_Pro 1As you take the first sip of this speyside you will be greeted with a surprising smoothness and subtle appearance of smokiness that blends very well with the spiciness and oak picked up on the nose.

The long evolving finish is sure to please! The flavours slowly drift off into a sweetness of caramel and last but not least light note of chocolate.

This 20 yr single malt with its light, yet long lasting complex profile would be a great choice this summer!

Craigellachie 17

First impressions of the Craigellachie 17 are definitely enticing. With a very light amber color and sweetness on the nose, this malt presents you with long, enduring legs on the glass. The nose itself yields a caramel or perhaps toffee coming to the forefront.

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Letting the first sip roll around the mouth, the first thing that really stood out was the somewhat uncharacteristic warmth that comes from this Speyside. Not overpowering at all, the palate also presents you with the same sweetness found on the nose, which slowly evolves into a bit of smokiness, and a bit of spice too (pepper maybe?), though all in excellent balance.

The finish is mid length, with the warming lingering only slightly. The harmony of flavors stays around long enough for you to enjoy, and begs for another sip.
My recommendation to best enjoy a dram of Craigellachie 17 is to drink it neat, outside on a cool night at the beginning or end of summer, and let all of your cares fade away with the warmth of the first sip.