WhiskyCast Episode 175: November 30, 2008

It's time to announce the winners of the 2008 Malt Maniacs Awards, and Serge Valentin will join us with this year's selections from his home in France! In the news, the U.K. flip-flops on a whisky tax increase, we'll take a look at the upcoming 75th anniversary of the…

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Shop info: Shinanoya, Roppongi

A word in your shell like ... the Shinanoya store in Roppongi had a few bottles of Plum Liqueur Cask Finish when I looked in there last week. I had heard it was supposed to be distributed only to bars. Perhaps that was just the initial release? Anyway, the price is just s…

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Macallan 12 YO

One of the most sell­ing and pop­u­lar bot­tle for Macallan. The whisky is blended from more than 50 dif­fer­ent Macallan casks, most are Span­ish sherry casks fist fills. Some of the casks are older than 12 years.

Nose: Vanilla with hints of ginger, dried fruits, sherry sweetness and wood smoke. Palate: Deliciously smooth, with rich dried fruits and sherry, balanced with wood smoke and spice. Finish: Sweet toffee, dried fruits, lingering wood smoke and spice.

Tasting note by Producer's Tasting Notes

Macallan Fine Oak 10 YO

The Macallan Fine Oak is a triple cask which means the the whisky is matured on three dif­fer­ent oak casks, Span­ish sherry, Amer­i­can sherry and bour­bon casks. This process cre­ates a unique Macallan char­ac­ter with a lightly and dryer char­ac­ter com­pared other Macallans.

Colour: Pale Straw. Nose: Complex, with hints of fruit and heather honey. Palate: Soft, with a maltiness, balanced with oak and fruit. Finish: Lingering with hints of oak and fruit. Comment: Our unfaltering obsession with selecting the finest casks and distilling sublime spirit brings an unsurpassed, timeless quality to The Macallan. The unique combination of Bourbon and Sherry oak casks produces a particularly smooth, delicate and light whisky.

Tasting note by Producer's Tasting Notes

The Glenlivet 15 YO

The Glen­livet has a pow­er­ful nose of flow­ers and some sweet­ness. The char­ac­ter is bal­anced with a taste of vanilla, honey and fruitiness.

This bot­tle is only avail­able through the travel retail mar­ket, such as air­ports and ferries.

Nose: Cheery, full summer fruit basket. ripe apricot, juicy peaches. Honeyed custard. Butterscotch. On the sweet side. Palate: Soft and tender. Stewed fruit. Vanilla syrup. Spices gently emerge. Flavours lose their charm with water. Finish: Soft and mellow with a nutty tinge. Comment: A very pleasant summery dram. Quite fragile though. Water tends to wipe out flavours.

Tasting note by Martine Nouet

Be back on Monday

I’m spending the rest of the extended holiday weekend down at the beach at the Jersey shore getting some R&R and doing a little fishing. I love the off season. It’s very peaceful.  I’ll be with some friends and probably won’t be blog…

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Three very old Mortlachs

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Maniacs crown an Indian

The Indian single malt distillery Amrut has won one of the top prizes at this year's Malt Maniacs Awards. Asia continues its rise and the arrival of Indian malts beside the already very well established Japanese products is another step in aninternationalisatio…

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The ‘new new’ Laddies

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Five new Tomatin

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