| |
Home
Thousands of tastings,
all the music,
all the rambligs
and all the fun
(hopefully!)
Whiskyfun.com
Guaranteed ad-free
copyright 2002-2015
|
 |
|
| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
| |
|
| |
| |
December 15, 2015 |
|
  |
All over the world, four by four,
today Japan vs. Sweden |
Tasting ‘world’ whiskies without any preconceptions just like we did several times already, flying from one continent to another, in no particular order, just for fun. We’ll see what happens, but you may expect both the great and the unlikely… |
|
Fujikai 10 yo (43%, OB, Japan, 8,808 bottles, +/-2015)  Not too sure what this is, not even sure it’s a single malt. Monde Distillery seen to have been involved, somewhere. Colour: deep gold. Nose: plum wine and sawdust, plus pumpernickel bread and a little cardboard. Perhaps a little sake. I don’t find this unpleasant, just a little un-whisky. Mouth: really unusual. Something weird in the arrival, with some dust and, perhaps, some cold tea that should have been served hot. Some gingerbread, more pumpernickel, and a sourness in the background. Stale lemon juice? Finish: short, dusty, with more sawdust, perhaps tapioca, and always these touches of sake. Comments: I don’t find this totally bad, just weird. The oak’s rather too loud. SGP:341 - 69 points. |
|
Chichibu 2011-2012/2015 ‘ePower’ (61.1%, OB, Japan, casks #1490+1683, 538 bottles)  It’s amazing how Chichibu quickly acquired a ‘grand cru’ status and matching prices (this goes for approx €500), while no Scottish distillery ever managed to do that. No, not even that one. It’s a vatting of a hogshead bearing mizunara heads and a hard-charred new barrel. Some heavy oak to be expected, perhaps… Colour: full gold. Nose: very hot, very pungent. Raw kirsch and a lot of varnish, plus whiffs of hand lotion. And vanilla, fudge, Mars bar... Quick, water… Wirth water: huge viscimetry! Gets shier and a little plankish. I think I’ve nosed much nicer Chichibus! Mouth (neat): creamy and loud. Very oily mouth feel, and an avalanche of sweet oak. Oak-aged fudge? With water: easier, rounder, with some oranges, but also a big tannicity taking the lead. Finish: medium, oaky, young. Comments: a strange bottling, too young and too oaked for my taste. As I said, I’ve had some much greater Chichibus! SGP:461 - 72 points. |
|
Box 2011/2014 (58.2%, OB, Sweden, for Hasse Peters, oloroso sherry, cask #A414)  This baby was aged in small 40l casks. The malt was peated to 45ppm. Colour: amber. Nose: very compact, with some sweet leather notes, some bitter oranges, lit cigars, a little curry, drops of walnut liqueur, and a spoonful of black olive brine. This kind of combo usually works, in this case it works even better. With water: oh perfect! Caraway, oranges, smoked ham, lapsang, and all that. It was good wood. Mouth (neat): as creamy as honey, first sweet (bitter orange liqueur), then firmer and spicier. Black chocolate, a touch of salty mustard, some tobacco, a handful of salted liquorice, Dutch-style, and then a little menthol snuff (as far as I remember). With water: it’s the balance that’s impressive, as well as this herbalness that may cure any wintery illness. Colds, influenza, et al. Myrtle, eucalyptus… Finish: long, sappy, mentholy, spicy, and always balanced. That’s the main achievement in this context. Comments: remember the first Port Charlottes ex-bloodtub? They were quite different, and yet kind of smiliar, ‘in the spirit’. Very well done, this is craft – although the 45ppm don’t feel mucho. SGP:463 - 89 points. |
|
Mackmyra Bruks Whisky (41.4%, OB, Sweden, +/-2015)  This is the regular Mackmyra. I have to say when I first tried an earlier version, a few years ago, I liked it better than almost any ‘special’ bottlings by them (WF 83). Colour: straw. Nose: an easy bready, slightly floral, and partially grassy style, very fresh and pleasant. Fresh baguette, a little cumin and mint, then a second layer, with more vanilla, juniper, and grapefruits. Balance was found. Like this clean freshness. Mouth: really good, easy spicy, with grapefruits again, ginger and cardamom, lemon grass, a little rye and buckwheat (Breton galettes), sweet bread… This might be very young, but it’s not youngish. Finish: medium, perhaps a little rougher this time. Cloves. Pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: as I remembered it, perhaps even a little smoother, although the finish was frankly spicy. Same personal score. SGP:451 - 83 points. |
Sweden clearly won this time – and they didn’t even need Zlatan. (with thanks to Hasse) |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
