New Whiskies

Batch 214

by
GlenAllachie 10 Years Old Port Finish; GlenAllachie 12 Years Old, Pedro Ximénez Sherry Finish; Glenlossie 11 Years Old (Single Malts of Scotland); Jameson Triple Triple; Loch Lomond 14 Years Old; Loch Lomond 25 Years Old, Three Wood Matured

There’s a focus on wood in this week’s new whisky reviews as Dave Broom samples cask-finished and triple-matured whiskies from GlenAllachie and Loch Lomond, with Richard Woodard throwing in Irish blend, Jameson Triple Triple.

Broom starts off with two of GlenAllachie’s new Wood Finish range: the 10-year-old Port finish which keeps things ‘delicate and fragrant’, while the 12-year-old Pedro Ximénez finish pulls out the distillery’s more robust, heavier-fruited elements.

The Single Malts of Scotland range by bottler Elixir Distillers returns for another week with a heated 11-year-old Glenlossie. A generous dollop of water is needed here to bring out the whisky’s softer fruit elements.

Jameson’s new travel retail exclusive, Triple Triple, has been matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon, Sherry and Malaga casks, and for Richard Woodard is a sweet concoction of peanut brittle, toffee apples and crème caramel – a dram for drinkers with a sweet tooth.

Hits of gingerbread and pineapple add lift to a Whisky Shop-exclusive 14-year-old single cask from Loch Lomond, which Broom deems a ‘big bear hug of a dram’.

Finally Loch Lomond’s limited edition 25-year-old Three Wood Matured, created in partnership with golfer Colin Montgomerie. With waxy fruits, oily notes of linseed, savoury white pudding and fondant cream simultaneously diverging on the palate, this dram gives drinkers food (or whisky?) for thought.

The playlist follows an equally twisting route. It kicks off with Tim Hecker’s electronics, then finds the Grateful Dead in country style, dallies with The Staple Singers, nods towards the Canterbury Scene with Soft Machine, and stirs in some sweet Jackie Wilson and a track from Daniel O’Sullivan’s new (and rather excellent) album.

Scoring Explained

Overview

  • GlenAllachie 10 Years Old, Port Finish

    Score

    85

    GlenAllachie 10 Years Old, Port Finish
    Price band
    £ £ £ £ £
    ABV
    48%
    Production type
    Single malt whisky
    Region
    Speyside
    Flavour camp
    Fruity & Spicy
    Nose

    Sweet and quite delicate fruitiness: strawberry, raspberry, rosehip syrup, glacé cherry and a light touch of hibiscus tea. In time there’s a pleasant dustiness. This is playing to GlenAllachie’s floral side: lilac blossom and buddleia. Soft and quiet, but with character. When water’s added (and don’t be heavy-handed) there’s the bloom on damson skin, fruit bread and peony.  

    Palate

    Honeyed and sweet (again with that almost savoury quality) along with maraschino cherries, and blueberry bran muffin. It’s all front and middle, a mixture of the dusty, the perfumed, and the slightly fragile. Water continues things in this vein, adding touches of honey, which further sweetens the gentle red fruits.

    Finish

    Lightly drying.

    Conclusion

    The Port is barely there, just nudging the whisky into the realms of summer pudding. Rather lovely.

    Right place, right time

    The colour of A Rose Petal in the Dying Light.

    (Dave Broom)

    Available to buy from The Whisky Exchange. It may also be stocked by these other retailers.

    GlenAllachie 12 Years Old, Pedro Ximénez Finish

    Score

    83

    GlenAllachie 12 Years Old, Pedro Ximénez Finish
    Price band
    £ £ £ £ £
    ABV
    48%
    Production type
    Single malt whisky
    Region
    Speyside
    Flavour camp
    Rich & Round
    Nose

    A sweet aroma of blackcurrant Jelly Babies, powdered ginger and the baked quality of Pedro Ximénez. Water closes things down to begin with, but eventually there’s some raisin, speckled banana skin, orange and blue fruits.

    Palate

    Quite fat, with the Pedro Ximénez pulling out GlenAllachie’s more robust, heavier-fruited elements and being given more breathing space, resulting in a mix of plum sauce, black cherry and briary fruits. By the end, you get a lovely mixture of fragrant fruit cut by an almost savoury quality. You lose the concentration with water, so keep things neat.

    Finish

    Sweetly spicy.

    Conclusion

    Pedro Ximénez Sherry can be like the extra slice of chocolate cake at the end of a rich meal. This, however, has balance.

    Right place, right time

    Shake it Sugaree.

    (Dave Broom)

    Available to buy from The Whisky Exchange. It may also be stocked by these other retailers.

    Glenlossie 11 Years Old (Single Malts of Scotland)

    Score

    85

    Glenlossie 11 Years Old (Single Malts of Scotland)
    Price band
    £ £ £ £ £
    ABV
    59.4%
    Production type
    Single malt whisky
    Region
    Speyside
    Flavour camp
    Fragrant & Floral
    Nose

    Light and clean, with extra virgin olive oil and some daffodil. An unusually textural smell (if you know what I mean), then some green bracken in the heat, and lemon posset. Water brings out cookie dough, pear and then dew-wet grass.

    Palate

    Very bright, fragrant and zesty, with a clinging quality; lime, green apple, then ginger and lemongrass, but the heat is building all the way through. The oak begins to show around the back palate, adding a biscuity quality (custard creams, perhaps). It does need water – and be generous with it – to calm it down, bring out the softer fruits and turn it into a gentle aperitif.

    Finish

    Spicy and buzzy, even with water.

    Conclusion

    Balanced and rather delicious.

    Right place, right time

    Sipping on a cup of Buttercup Tea.

    (Dave Broom)

    Jameson Triple Triple

    Score

    84

    Jameson Triple Triple
    Price band
    £ £ £ £ £
    ABV
    40%
    Production type
    Blended Irish Whiskey
    Region
    Ireland
    Flavour camp
    Fruity & Spicy
    Nose

    This is several shades darker than the standard Jameson offering – burnished copper versus pale straw – hinting at the impact of the mix of Bourbon, Sherry and Malaga wine casks. Immediately sweet to the point of confection, with Red Delicious apples coated in treacle toffee. There are sunny flavours of juicy tropical fruits and very light spice, with fresh hayloft aromas adding to the summery feel. In time, barley sugar and butterscotch.

    Palate

    As sweet as you’d expect, with a smooth texture adding to the slightly syrupy sensation on the tongue. Even at 40% abv, there’s a mid-palate prickle, but this soon subsides into sugary caramel and peanut brittle. Crème caramel, a little spice and an edge of black pepper. A feeling of sweetness tipping over into torrefaction, like a slightly singed meringue nest.

    Finish

    Back to the toffee apple; quite short.

    Conclusion

    There’s a sense here that everything’s been smothered in crunchy brown sugar. Perfectly enjoyable at the price (€32/litre at an airport near you), but diabetics need not apply.

    Right place, right time

    Jackie’s right: this gives you the Sweetest Feeling.

    (Richard Woodard)

    Loch Lomond 14 Years Old, Single Cask #15/624-1

    Score

    88

    Loch Lomond 14 Years Old, Single Cask #15/624-1
    Price band
    £ £ £ £ £
    ABV
    54.4%
    Production type
    Single malt whisky
    Region
    Highland
    Availability
    The Whisky Shop Exclusive
    Flavour camp
    Rich & Round
    Nose

    Big, sweet and slightly fig-like with light date, caramel toffee, toasted malt and mocha. In time, there’s a massive hit of gingerbread cut with some clove. A splash of water brings out more dried fruits and bosky woods.

    Palate

    Things start dark and sweet with grape jelly, then comes the mixture of gingerbread, toffee, dried fruit and then amber malt. The tannins are supple, allowing a soft, even flow. As it opens, there’s a sudden hit of pineapple, adding lift. A drop or two of water shows the underlying clinging quality and some malt extract. In time things become spicier, with allspice now coming into the mix.

    Finish

    Lightly bitter, which is a good thing for the balance.

    Conclusion

    A big bear hug of a dram.

    Right place, right time

    Michty me! Just feel The Weight.

    (Dave Broom)

    Available to buy from The Whisky Shop. It may also be stocked by these other retailers.

    Loch Lomond 25 Years Old, Three Wood Matured

    Score

    87

    Loch Lomond 25 Years Old, Three Wood Matured
    Price band
    £ £ £ £ £
    ABV
    46.3%
    Production type
    Single malt whisky
    Region
    Highland
    Flavour camp
    Fruity & Spicy
    Nose

    A touch of malt kicks things off, along with green and yellow wine gums, then peachiness. In time, there’s a coating of linseed oil and a hint of cold pastry. With water added, you get overripe pineapple, apricot and dessert apple as things also become waxy.

    Palate

    Mature, yet also estery: pineapple, fondant cream and nut sprinkles to start, before it softens and becomes lightly oily along with almond flour, lemon zest and cut flowers, then a surprising hit of white (Mealie) pudding. Water shunts the soft fruits to the back, allowing the malty elements to come through. It becomes more mature with notes of French polish and dried orchard fruits.

    Finish

    Juicy and long. Lightly oily.

    Conclusion

    A thought-provoking dram that moves in many directions simultaneously.

    Right place, right time

    ‘Tis of A Certain Kind.

    (Dave Broom)

    Available to buy from The Whisky Shop. It may also be stocked by these other retailers.
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