Glen Ness Highland Single Malt Scotch

Today I am reviewing Glen Ness Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. There seems to be no information about it since it is a big box whisky brand. The only information I could find on the bottle is the importers Saranity Imports,Stamford CT & a company named Alistar Forfar ltd. No information is found on the web about any of these companies. 

Here are my few guidelines for choosing a quality single malt 

1. It has a distillery name- Ones like Glen Ness does not have a distillery name which keeps us guessing where the contents of the bottle came from. 

2. Tasting notes- A quality single malt will have tasting notes like nose, taste,finish in the product description.

3. Higher ABV- This is a grey area. While many well known brands like Glenlivet have 40% ABV, a good rule of thumb is ABV of more than 43% should have better quality to it. 

Now let's get down to business, my tasting notes and find out this origin less whisky is worth it or not!. Enjoy my tasting notes. 

Vital Stats- Glen Ness Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 

Price- $21.99 for 750 ml($3.49 for 50ml sampler pictured) 

Age- NAS(No Age Statement)

ABV- 40%

Country of Origin- Glascow,Scotland

Company- Alistair Forfar ltd 

Awards won- None found

Tasting info-

Serving glass- The Glencairn whisky glass

Serving style- Neat

Appearance- Medium Amber

Aroma- Well rounded, citrus, vanilla, oak, honey, cinnamon, cloves, peppermint

Flavor- Very neutral, slightly sweet, some light oak. Similar profile to Spey River or Glenlivet, cinnamon, spices, pepper

Body- Medium

Finish- Non existent, very short. Slightly warm and spicy but fades away quickly

SJ's Rating- Middle Shelf 

Not much going on as expected. Just a neutral cheap single malt that is not too bad either. It would be unfair to compare this $20 single malt with some other outstanding single malts. At this price range, it is a fair bargain. 

Occasions- Casual drinking

Food Pairing- Goat gravy & spicy peanuts

Cocktails- None, Enjoy neat or with club soda

SJ's Pro tip- Good for parties because of the value for money

I enjoyed reviewing this whisky, try it yourself and find out. Cheers! 🥃🥃🥃 Enjoy Responsibly. 

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

Absolut Vanilia vodka

Today I am reviewing Absolut Vanilia vodka. In this blog I will include the following information

• My research on the history behind this vodka
• Vital Stats
• Tasting notes
• SJ's Rating
• Food Pairing
• Occasions best enjoyed & SJ's pro tip

Reads the product label "Vanilla. The magnificent flavor that can pretty much enhance everything from cookies to ..well you name it.Perfect for those with a sweet tooth or the ones that are into experimenting with contrast flavors". Absolut is a part of French group Pernod Ricard. The unique thing I found out from wiki is that 

1. Absolute practices a one source production philosophy which means all their production happens around the village of Ahus,Sweden.

2. The water and wheat both are sourced only from the village. 

I believe this strict dedication to quality produces a smooth & creamy vodka like Absolut. Now enough said, check out my tasting notes to find out the verdict ! 

Vital Stats-

Price- $19.46

Age- NAS(No Age Statement)

ABV- 40%

Country of Origin- Ahus,Sweden

Bottler/Distiller by- The Absolut Company now owned by Pernod Ricard 

Awards Won- None found 

Tasting info-

Serving glass- Glencairn Whisky Glass

Serving style- Neat 

Appearance- Clear(No Color) 

Aroma- Like stepping into a candy store, vanilla, chocolate, tangerine, honey

Flavor- Sweet vanilla, dark chocolate, crisp & clean, honey

Body- Full 

Finish- Incredibly smooth, long, lingering , sweet & warm

SJ's Rating-  Middle Shelf

Though it is smooth,it is way too sweet for me. I might enjoy it occasionally. At this price point it is an amazing vodka. 

Occasions Best Enjoyed- Casual gathering, day parties 

Cocktails- None, meant for sipping neat or club soda

Food Pairings- Pair it with light meat like chicken 

SJ's Pro tip- Anyone with a sweet tooth would appreciate this drink 

I absolutely enjoyed sipping Absolut vodka and reviewing this category for the first time.  Give it a shot you might enjoy it as well! Cheers! 🥃🥃🥃. Enjoy responsibly as always. 

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

Jonah's Curse Black Spiced Rum

Today I am reviewing Jonah's Curse Black Spiced Rum. It goes in my Middle shelf & I will be sharing the following information in my blog. 

• My research on the history behind this rum
• Vital Stats
• Tasting notes
• SJ's Rating
• Food Pairing
• Occasions best enjoyed & SJ's pro tip

There is really not much information about this rum except that it is botted by a company called K.D Distilling. This is clearly rum that has been brought from unknown source and bottled at this facility. It is not to bad for a rum without much of originality. I think this is some house brand of Total Wine store. There really is not much information about the source. 

Vital Stats- Jonah's Curse Black Spiced Rum

Price-$14.99 for 750ml($0.99 for 50ml sampler pictured)

Age- NAS(No Age Statement) 

ABV-47%

Country of Origin- USA

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

Awards won- None

Tasting info-

Serving glass-Glencairn Whisky Glass

Serving style- Neat

Appearance- Dark Amber

Aroma- Spices, vanilla , pepper, oak

Flavor- Sweet, spicy, vanilla, oak, cinnamon, medicinal, pepper

Body- Full

Finish- Warm, spicy, long & lingering

SJ's Rating- Middle Shelf 

Except for it's high sweetness level, it is a decent spiced rum for sipping. Recommended to try at least once. 

Occasions best enjoyed- To warm up on a cold winter night

Food Pairings- BBQ pork ribs with umami fries complimented the sweet & peppery dark rum.

Cocktails- Mohito,  Enjoy neat or with club soda 

SJ's Pro tip-  If you are suffering from a cold drink rum with hot water.

I enjoyed tasting this rum and presenting my findings. Give it a shot yourself to find out. Cheers! 🥃🥃🥃 Enjoy Responsibly. 

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

Gold Bar Premium Blended Whiskey

Today I am reviewing Gold Bar Premium Blend whiskey. I will share the following in today's blog- 

• My research on the history behind this whiskey
• Vital Stats
• Tasting notes
• SJ's Rating
• Occasions best enjoyed & SJ's pro tip
• FAQ's  

Lets find out if all that glitters is truly gold or not. Reads the product label "Outstandingly smooth, gold bar is made for moments worth celebrating. A mash bill of 3 quality grains Rye, Corn & Barley. Barrel finished in French Oak wine casks from the idyllic Napa valley. Gold Bar is matured outside by the sea, in the San Francisco Bay. The result is  a traditional American Blend. 

So there is a lot of good stuff going on here. First, they source the best spirits for their blend so it could be any whiskey from Makers Mark to Woodford Reserve(Just my guess). Then they put it in wine casks from Napa valley and let it mature outside in the San Francisco Bay. What could get better than this? Throw in a gold bar packaging, it is simply irrestible. Now it's time to enjoy it and see if the liquid gold actually is worth it or not. 

Vital Stats- Gold Bar Premium Blend Whiskey 

Price- $52.99 for 750ml ($7.49 for 50ml sampler pictured)

Age- 3-6 years 

ABV- 40%

Country of Origin- USA

Distillery/Company- Gold Bar Bottle Company, San Francisco, CA

Awards Won- Double Gold, 2016 among other awards ,San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Tasting info-

Serving glass- Glencairn Whisky Glass

Serving style- Neat

Appearance- Dark Amber 

Aroma-  Oak, plenty of sherry. Similar to Makers 46. Vanilla, caramel, honey, citrus, all the good stuff poured in one.

Flavor- Amazing just like it looks. Oak, vanilla, sherry, honey, chocolate, creamy nutmeg

Body- Full

Finish- Short, medium, slightly lingering

SJ's Rating- Middle Shelf 

The finish is not strong but presentation and flavor is pretty good. The liquid inside of the shiny gold bar is equally flamboyant as the packaging. 

Occasions best suited- Celebrating big moments like anniversary, graduation

Cocktails- None, enjoy neat

SJ's Pro tip- Give this to a loved one to make them feel special. 

I had an absolute blast exploring this whisky - from it's mind-blowing presentation & equally good flavor. Check it out for yourselves & find out if you like it or not. Cheers! 🥃🥃 Enjoy Responsibly. 

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

FAQs 

1. Is gold bar whisky good? 

Just like the packaging, Gold Bar Whisky has a great flavor to match

2. Is Gold Bar whisky good as a gift? 

It makes an amazing gift for a loved one to make them feel special.