The Arran 10-Year-Old is the entry level to its incredible range of whiskies. Made with the occasional whisky drinker in mind, this whisky is approachable and easy to drink. If it is the first time you are trying Arran, the 10-Year-Old is an excellent bottle to start. The liquid that made up the 10-Year-Old is 20% from ex-sherry casks and 80% from ex-bourbon casks. The result of this mixture is a sweet, fruity and slightly spicy concoction.

Let’s check out the review without further ado.

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Pale Gold
ABV: 46%

Nose: Sweet vanilla cupcakes greets the nose with a touch of spicy cinnamon. Notes of citrus fruits (oranges, lemons) follow after to create a sweet and gentle nose. With some time, fresh oak appears to deepen the complexity of the whisky. (15/20)

Palate: Sweet vanilla notes couple with red apples coat the palate beautifully before citrus fruitiness rush in to fill the palate. The mouthfeel is soft and mellow, creating an almost silky feel. (16/20)

Finish: A relatively long finish with sweet apples and a slight citrus zest. Hints of spice linger in the throat. (16/20)

Body: Reasonably balanced for a 10-year-old whisky with a straightforward character. It is indeed an entry level whisky that can be enjoyed by everyone. (29/40)

Total Score: 76/100

Comments:

Geek Flora: “I like the Arran 10-Year-Old for its simple character. It is an approachable dram and one that beginners can easily adapt to. The sweet, fruity spice adds complexity to the mellow notes of the whisky.”

Geek Choc: “It is a simple drink that can be enjoyed anytime. If you have friends who are not whisky drinkers, this is a good dram to introduce if you want to convert them into whisky lovers!”

 

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Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky is a single grain whisky that shares its home with Three Ships at James Sedgwick Distillery. As a single grain whisky, it is highly regarded in South Africa and also in the world. The distillate is made from yellow maize (corn) and matured in first fill bourbon American casks. Bain’s Cape Mountain may not be well-known in Southeast Asia, but it is popular in its home country.

Let’s see how this measures up to some of the American straight rye that we have tried previously.

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Dark Gold
ABV: 43%

Nose: Straight-up toffee sweetness engulfs the nose immediately with hints of white pepper in the background. The sweetness is not overwhelming like most grain/rye whiskies. (16/20)

Palate: Fantastic delivery of toffee sweetness in the palate without numbing the senses to the hints of gentle spices in the background. Similar to the Sazerac Rye but Bain’s is less sweet. (18/20)

Finish: The finish is reasonably long with sweet toffee trailing all the way to the end. It is slightly astringent towards the end but nothing major. Good dram. (17/20)

Body: This is a well-balanced single grain whisky that is not overwhelmingly sweet. It is sweeter than Chita, the Japanese grain whisky from Suntory, but the sweetness is pleasant. Lovely toffee notes that warms the body also add to the appeal. (34/40)

Total Score: 85/100

Comments:

Geek Flora: Well, this is a pleasant dram to enjoy on a lovely night. The gentle spice and toffee sweetness are spectacular on the palate. I love how it balances the sweetness with a little spice to create more character than what Chita offers.”

Where to buy: If you are looking to purchase this bottle, you can find it at Quaich Bar, Singapore’s first whisky bar. Alternatively, visit their online store at www.whiskystore.com.sg to get it delivered to your doorstep.

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The Three Ships 10-year-old is the only single malt in the Three Ships range of whiskies. James Sedgwick Distillery made the distillate in 2005 after a successful run of their single malts in 2003. As the first ever single malt whisky to carry an age statement in their core range, this expression is carefully crafted by Master Distiller, Andy Watts.

Andy made the distillate from peated barley and used the winter months for fermentation so that the yeast can follow its natural fermentation curve without too much influence from the hot weather in South Africa. After distillation, he housed the spirits in older American oak to compliment the gentle flavours of the spirit.

Let’s look at how this whisky performs.

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Amber
ABV: 43%

Nose: Sweet oak mixed with honeyed roasted meat wafts up the nose with slight peat. White pepper surfaces after a while with dark toffee and digestive biscuits in the background. (18/20)

Palate: Rich, honeyed sweetness coats the palate before some creamy butterscotch notes appear. Gentle peat smoke lingers at the back to complement the sweetness of the whisky. (18/20)

Finish: It has a relatively long finish with sweet oak, honey and peat smoke lingering in the mouth. (18/20)

Body: It is a well-balanced and complex single malt whisky. The lovely peat smoke combines with the honey sweetness to bring on a beautiful expression from Three Ships. Good stuff. (35/40)

Total Score: 89/100

Comments:

Geek Choc: “This whisky is my favourite from Three Ships. It has depth, and yet it is approachable even for beginners. The spice is minimum, and the peat smoke is gentle. It is not a peat monster for sure, but one that lures you to keep trying. Good efforts!”

Where to buy: If you are looking to purchase this bottle, you can find it at Quaich Bar, Singapore’s first whisky bar. Alternatively, visit their online store at www.whiskystore.com.sg to get it delivered to your doorstep.

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The Three Ships Bourbon Cask Finish (BCF) is a special release by James Sedgwick Distillery (JSD) in 2005. It is the first blended whisky that is 100% South African because JSD distilled and matured both the malt and grain whiskies used in this expression. The Three Ships BCF matures in American oak casks for three years before being placed into first fill American Bourbon casks for another 6-month marrying period. It results in a blended whisky with an interesting character.

Let’s check out the whisky next.

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Rich Gold
ABV: 43%

Nose: Soft caramel sweetness wafts into the nose gently followed by hints of vanilla cupcakes. White pepper spice lingers in the background. (17/20)

Palate: Soft caramel and vanilla notes complement each other beautifully in the palate. As the liquid stays in the mouth, the vanilla notes became stronger but did not overpower the caramel notes. Gentle spice swirls in the background pleasantly, creating a sweet and spicy flavour. (18/20)

Finish: The finish is medium with sweet vanilla lingering in the mouth. (16/20)

Body: Well-balanced whisky with pronounced vanilla notes and caramel sweetness. The bourbon cask finish gives a higher complexity to the whisky. While it may not be the most complicated whisky, it has an interesting character that makes it better than the Three Ships Select Whisky. (33/40)

Total Score: 84/100

Comments:

Geek Flora: “I love my bourbon cask, and this whisky did not disappoint me. The influence of the bourbon cask finish may be a little stronger than needed but it has a good character. Overall, this is a fantastic bottle.” 

Where to buy: If you are looking to purchase this bottle, you can find it at Quaich Bar, Singapore’s first whisky bar. Alternatively, visit their online store at www.whiskystore.com.sg to get it delivered to your doorstep.

 

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We visited Quaich Bar recently to catch up with the wonderful people there and had some special drinks that are available at the bar. Springbank 17 Years Sherry Wood was one of them. Now, this is different from the Springbank 17 Years Sherry Wood CASK STRENGTH version, which we did not get the chance to try it yet. This baby here is bottled at 49.2%, much lower than the Cask Strength of 52. 3%.

Let’s dive into the review!

Tasting Notes:

Colour: Deep Amber
ABV: 49.2%

Nose: Strong sherry (read: caramel) with relatively high sulphuric notes. There is a hint of white pepper hiding in the background. After airing for 15 minutes, sweet aromas of honeyed meat (like honeyed bbq meat) waft into the nose elegantly. The sulphuric notes recede into the background. (17/20)

Palate: Oily mouthfeel with sweet caramel coating the palate at the first sip. Malt is noticeable on the palate as well with a hint of sulphur at the back of the tongue. After 15 minutes, the sweet caramel becomes more prominent, coming firmly to the forefront and muscling the malt and sulphur out of the way. Peppery spice springs out as well, bringing an additional layer of complexity to the palate. (17/20)

Finish: It is a relatively long finish with sweet caramel lingering in the mouth. (16/20)

Body: It is a lovely full-bodied whisky with a robust profile. Moderately complex for a 17 years old especially after airing the whisky. Makes me want to try the cask strength version to see how it differs. (32/40)

Total Score: 82/100

Comments:

Geek Flora: “Well, it is a great dram, but perhaps I was looking for more complexity in the whisky. Nonetheless, it is a bottle that I would gladly buy if my pocket allows it as I think it is an interesting whisky to share amongst good friends.” 

 

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