Glen Fohdry 12 Single Malt Scotch

Glen Fohdry Speyside Single Malt Whisky is for today's review. This brand is completely new to me & I intend to uncover the story behind it & also the tasting notes in today's post. 

Selected this one because it has a higher ABV of 47.1% & is Non-Chill filtered. After reviewing close to hundred whiskies, I have developed a liking for higher ABV's because of the flavor. Let's see if this meets my expectation. 

Reads the product story "The Glen Fohdry Single Malt Whisky has been distilled and matured in the renowned Speyside Whisky region of Scotland in traditional American Oak casks and has laid undistributed for a minimum of 12 years prior to bottling." It is a brand owned by a larger company called  Quality Spirits International that manages private label business for the group. I think this is a private label of Total Wine. 

Vital Stats- Glen Fohdry Aiteal on Oir Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Price- $39.99

Age- 12 years

ABV- 47.1%

Region- Speyside 

Distillery- The Glen Fohdry Malt Company, Bellshill,Scotland

Awards won-  Double Gold,2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition 

Tasting info-

Serving glass-Glencairn Whisky Glass

Serving style- Neat

Appearance- Bright Gold

Aroma- Spices, cinnamon, fruits, pears, apple, vanilla. Oak & dark chocolate.

Flavor- Sweet, creamy butternut, vanilla, oak,green apple, caramel

Body- Medium bodied

Finish- Short, sweet,slightly lingering

SJ's Rating- Middle Shelf

Disappointed because I expected it to be a little strong and flavorful as it is 47% ABV & non chill filtered. It did not meet my expectations & failed to impress my palette.  

Occasions Best enjoyed- Casual Drinking

Cocktails- None.Enjoy neat, rocks or with club soda

Food Pairing- Protein rich chicken dumpling soup

SJ's Pro Tip- For similar price range I would gladly buy Glenfiddich 12 instead of this.

I have been on this journey to find out the truth behind every bottle of liquor. Some bring joy, some do not.This one disappointed me, the quest continues..One World Many Malts! 

Enjoy responsibly! Let me know your experience if you have tried it. Cheers! 

Not in the mood to read? Listen to my SingleMaltLives Podcast instead.

Ensign Red Fine Canadian Whisky

Hello Single Malters, today I am reviewing Ensign Red Fine Canadian Whisky. I will present some facts about this Canadian Whisky & the fun part- tasting notes. This whisky I believe is a store brand of Total Wine which is why there is not much information about it online. It is a rye whisky, which makes sense as rye is winter hardy crop grown in colder places. No wonder it is made in Canada.

Slow aged in Oak barrels claims the label in the bottle.I am highly skeptical about the authenticity of this whisky because there is not clear information on how long it is aged or who the master distiller is. In other words it does not have substance nor personality like a Crown Royal. Anyway this is where SJ comes in , to sample one bottle at a time. Enjoy my tasting notes!

Vital Stats- Ensign Red Fine Canadian Whisky

Price- $19.99 for 750ml ($0.99 for 50ml sampler bottle pictured)

Age- NAS(No Age Statement)

ABV- 40%

Region- Canada

Bottled by- K.D Distilling Co, Louisville,KY 

Awards won- Silver Medal, Tastings.com

Tasting info-

Serving glass- Glencairn Whisky Glass

Serving style- Neat

Appearance- Medium Amber

Aroma- Very pleasant oak, fruity goodness, rye spices, peppermint

Flavor- Sweet, oak, fruity, hint of spices

Body- Light

Finish- Short, sweet & non-lingering

SJ's Rating- Middle Shelf

It is an ok drinkable whisky, nothing special about it. I might enjoy it once in a while if there was no choice of anything else. 

Occasions Best Enjoyed- Casual

Cocktails- Enjoy it in many ways with a splash of coke,club soda or any other whisky based cocktail

SJ's Pro tip- Go for Crown Royal if you are looking for similar Canadian whisky but which is much more enjoyable and original. 

If you have tried this let me know your experience below. Cheers! Enjoy Responsibly! 

Not in the mood to read, listen to my SingleMaltLives Podcast Instead. 

The Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso Cask Finish

Today I am reviewing The Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso Cask Finish.I did some research on what makes this whisky so amazing.Surprisingly it has no age statement but packed with vibrant flavor & mind blowing aroma.

Nadurra in Gaelic means natural. According to the product label,it is bottled & released in small batches with No-Chill Filtration & matured exclusively in First Fill Oloroso Sherry Oak Casks which comes from the Jerez Region of Spain. Not to mention it is bottled at Cask Strength.

Now let me break down all these fancy looking words. 

No Chill-Filtration is it has not undergone the Chill-Filtration process.

First Fill means the barrel has not been reused prior to bottling which retains more flavor than used casks. 

Cask Strength means it is bottled directly from the cask without adding water. 

Oloroso(meaning scented in Spanish) is a variety of fortified wine(sherry) made from while palomino grapes. All these attributes create a very special & magical golden liquid in this case the Nadurra.Ok now that the boring terminologies are out of the way let's get to the fun stuff now, Enjoy my tasting notes ! 

 

Vital Stats- The Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso Matured Single Malt Scotch 

Price- $76.99

Age-  NAS(No Age Statement)

ABV- 60.2%

Region- Speyside 

Distillery-The Glenlivet Distillery,Moray,Scotland 

Awards won- 2019 1st Place, Best Speyside Single Malt & 2nd place Best Cask Strength(over 57%)

Tasting info-

Serving glass- Glencairn Whisky Glass

Serving style- Neat

Appearance- Bright Gold

Aroma- Sherry comes in very strong. It has pepper, spice, citrus, honey. Also, oaks with nutty dark chocolate.

Flavor- Similar to Glenlivet 12 First Fill with higher ABV. Sherry goodness bursting with flavor & overpowers the vanilla. Vibrant fruity, creamy with hints of dark chocolate.

Body- Full Bodied

Finish- Long,sweet & smooth followed by dry spicy finish

SJ's Rating- Top Shelf 

It is a work of art & I enjoyed it beyond all expectations. With it's high ABV of 60.2% and first fill casks, the flavor & aroma it imparts is beyond words. You have to try this one out is all I can say.

Occasions Best Enjoyed- Special occasions, mood for complex flavorful sipping whisky.

Cocktails- None, Enjoy it neat

Food Pairings- Lamb Kabobs. The robust ABV goes well with the texture of fatty goat meat. 

SJ's Pro Tip- Try it as a flight with other Glenlivet First Fill whiskies

Take a sip of this work of art & experience the magic yourself. Cheers! to responsible drinking. 

Not in the mood to read? Listen to my Single Malt Lives Podcast instead. 

Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Today I am reviewing a very classic bourbon- Maker's Mark. This(pictured above) is no ordinary Maker's Mark bottle, it is the one I dipped myself at the Maker's Mark Distillery back in Oct 2018.Maker's Mark is my go to bourbon just like Glenfiddich is for Single Malt. Enjoy my tasting notes and my love for this bourbon in this blog I have already reviewed Maker's 46 in my previous blogs & saved the good stuff for the last. Check out Maker's Mark Distillery Tour & Makers 46 Review .

Maker's Mark is a name that commands respect by all bourbon lovers. It has been churning out high quality golden pour since 1953. Having seen the their bourbon making process myself during my visit, I have a special bond with Maker's Mark as compared to other bourbons. 

Getting ready to dip my own bottle during Maker's Mark Distillery Tour 

Vital Stats- Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky 

Price- $21.49 for 750ml bottle(Pictured 375ml bottle for $14.49)

Age- About 6 years

ABV- 45%

Region- Kentucky,USA

Distillery- Makers Mark Distillery, Loretto,Kentucky

Awards Won- Gold,2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition 

Tasting info-

Serving glass- Glencairn glass

Serving style- Neat

Appearance- Soothing dark amber

Aroma- Amazing aromatics of vanilla,oak, citrus,dark chocolate,cinnamon, pepper & other spices

Flavor- Matches the aroma & appearance. Vanilla, oak, chocolate, fruits & spices

Body- Full bodied 

Finish- Smooth, very long & lingering

SJ's Rating- Middle Shelf

It is one of my best bourbon whisky. Solid flavor, robust ABV of 45% & smooth finish. All the essential qualities for a well rounded bourbon. The reason it is in my Middle Shelf is I prefer Maker's 46 (Top shelf) as it  has more flavor & complexity. It would not be justice to Maker's 46 even though this regular Maker's Mark is a classic delicious bourbon. 

Occasions Best Enjoyed- A robust drink suitable for all occasions

Cocktails- Old Fashioned

SJ's Pro Tip- Try Maker's 46 for enhanced oak flavor

A quintessential classic bourbon, give it a shot if you have not. Cheers! to responsible Drinking. 

Not in the mood to read, listen to my SingleMaltLives Podcast 

Smokey Joe Blended Scotch

Anyone smell the smoke :-) ? Today I am reviewing Smokey Joe, blended malt scotch from the Islay region. When it comes to smokey whisky I cannot distinguish if it is single malt or blended because the peat flavor dominates the palette. Enjoy my tasting notes , it will be a smokey ride!

In the label it proudly boasts "Non Chill filtered, promisingly different, uncompromisingly peaty" which pretty much sums it. Oh wait , but what is this fancy word Non chill filtered? It simply means that the whisky has not under gone Chill filtration. The chill filtration consists of being cooled and passing through a filter in order to remove particles that would affect the cosmetic appearance of a whisky. This process is done for whiskies lower than 46% ABV.  More about Chill Filtration in my up coming blogs as I research & find out more. As for now enjoy this smokey one!

 

Vital Stats

Smokey Joe Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Price- $36.99 for 750ml bottle ($3.99 for 50ml sampler)

Age- No age statement

ABV- 46%

Region- Islay

Bottler- The leading scotch whisky Co.Ltd,Scotland

Awards won- Gold Medal, San Francisco Spirits Competition

Tasting info-

Serving glass- Glencairn Whisky Glass

Serving style- Neat

Appearance- Pale Yellow

Aroma- Smokiness comes through right away,sea salt, hints of pine,earthy & grassy,some fruitiness.

Flavor- It is like any other smokey whisky,intense smokey flavor & heavily peated.Taste profile is similar to Benriach but with lower ABV. 

Body- Medium

Finish- Medium, lingering, does not stay too long 

SJ's Rating- Middle Shelf

It is a decent blended smokey whisky.Anyone who likes smokey whisky, this is for you.

Occasions best enjoyed- Casual setting with bbq

Food Pairings- Grilled chicken drumstick

SJ's Pro tip- Grilled food complements the smokiness of whiskey

I enjoyed this one, try it out & find if it suits your palette. Cheers! Enjoy Responsibly

Not in the mood to read? Listen to my SingleMaltLives Podcast instead