Dive into blends

So about a year ago I bought a bunch (well two bottles) of blended sctoch, Ballantine's and J&B,When I started on them I had no idea about whisky ect. I shottet them like cowboys of old.
When I actually tried to drink them I couldn’t and they ended up being given to my stepfather, who can drink just about anything.

I have since kept to Single malt, and American stuff, but on Saturday I was at my parents and my step dad had two blended scotch. Upper Ten and Ballantine's Finest, the Ballantine’s came in a nice metal box, with ice cube tray, seems a bit fancy for a cheap blend.

I was not really looking forward to trying these, as last time I tried blends it didn’t go to well.First up was the upper ten, in past years it was almost the only whisky you could get in Norway.I let it breath for a few minutes, and nosed it, first impressions were not that good, it had whisky nose, but also a distinct nose of raw grain alcohol, almost vodka like. Luckily the raw alcohol nose did not bleed over to the taste; the taste was typical whisky, not a high or a low.

Next up was the Ballantine's it had even stronger raw alcohol nose, it was overwhelming I didn’t even smell the whisky, only raw vodka like nose. But again the nose did not run over to the taste, the taste was again distinct whisky.

In the end this was perfectly palatable, but blends are so expensive in Norway I don’t see why you would spend £35-40 on blends, when a single malt only cost £45-50.

A light beer with a light whisky.

By light I don’t mean low alcohol volume, but the body and type of beverage.

In my continuing attempt to mix beer and whisky I’ve tested Nøgne Ø Wit and bladnoch whisky.

I was quite happy when I learned I liked dark beer, and was quite satifised by that, by I had to try the Nøgne Ø wit, it is made in the Belgian style wit beer, made from wheat as well as other grains. It is very light and cloudy, it very frothing and refreshing, really something that fit into the summer and barbeque, so why I’m I drinking it with Christmas on the door step, well it’s a very good beer, and since I can’t afford to buy a whisky every month to post it on the blog I have to find other things to talk about, and it’s easier to talk about beer/whisky mix then finding something ells to talk about.

So I took out my bladnoch it’s a very delicate fine light whisky, I’ve talked about it before. I kinda hate to take it out because it’s less than a 5th left in the bottle, and I don’t have access to more bladnoch, as you might know, it only makes about 100 000 liters a year, and that’s next to nothing compared to the big distilleries, the bottles are expensive and you have to snipe them when you got the option. I got this 16 year old in spring and it was the last of two bottles left in all of the Oslo area, and right now there is no bladnoch available in Norway. But I thought hey I got this very light refreshing beer and this very light and delicate whisky they might go together.
And they do, the bladnoch is as close to refreshing a whisky can get, it is sweet and light and the wit IS refreshing. Very good, not the seasons, both the beer and whisky really should be enjoyed in the spring or summer I also think this would be quite good with a refreshing apple on the porch during the first hot spring day.

Bushmills 10 and HP12

Highland Park 12 Y.O

This I bought because I thought it would work as a present for my dad, and it sure was, this is in many ways like the archetype Scotch, lots of sweet malt, a little smoke, when people say they don't like Scotch it's becasue of this taste, of course that only means they should try other types, that taste completely different, I like the taste, not the most interesting whisky, very little nose, but a classic taste, well made well tasting.After having tasted the HP18, I kinda knew what I was gonna get, I was more interested in the Bushmills

Bushmills 10

I'm drinking this as I type, and WOW what a special thing this is, my first taste of Irish Whiskey, I let it it open up and breath for quite some time, and I started to sniff, I was listing to music as I did it, then suddenly a smell hit me, I recognized it, but were I had to find out, it was so familiar but distant, I had to turn off the music to really concentrate, where the hell had I smelled this before, it took a good minute to really think about it, then it hit me, Bourbon, Jim Beam Black to be precise, this sweet chemical smell, yes that was it, naturally not as strong, but there was no hiding it, this just got more more interested, a single malt that smells of bourbon, I know Single malts often are matured on Bourbon casks, but I never actually smelled or tasted any bourbon in them, this was the first, it wasn't a hint of it, it was a clear strong smell, it was the primary smell in fact, now this is not a bad thing at all, I like the smell, I liked the minute it took me to find remember the smell to it was fun, to really have to think about it dig down into the olfactory memory. I REALLY enjoy this nose, it's nice to have a bourbon smell with out having to battle with the taste of the rather strong and harsh taste of Jim Beam Black, not that there is anything wrong with it. This is the kid of Whiskey I could just sit at nose for hours,The nose is sweet, chemical, Lacquer.

The taste, oh shit I forgot to taste it.

There is no Bourbon taste to it, only a hint of the nose of it comes along with the taste. Actually the Jim beam comes back, after the first taste which is classic malt, the bourbon comes back in the after taste it coats the mouth with lacquer, I never expected a malt to be so dominated by the casks it was in.You get a bourbon but it's really a malt, you get the smoothness of malt, but with strong hints of bourbon, very nice, very drinkable, I must say this one out did my expectations.This one I'll be drinking and NOSING often in the weeks and months ahead.

Laphroaig Quarter cask

Laphroaig is probably one of those whiskies you need to learn to like, unless you are a peater one of those people you see walking the streets begging for money so they can buy their next fix of peat, they are Scotland's answer to crack whores.The first I thought when I took a sniff was Lagavulin, naturally this was the smoke/peat.I won't say put up a list of what I smell and taste because my noobie nose and taste buds have problems getting past the smoke, what I can say is that at 48% I NEED water, I tried it dry and the alcohol just bit my nose, when I tasted it, it burned my moth.So I put two tea spoons of water in it, and it became quite drinkable.What I can say about the smell, taste etc. is smoky, peaty, abit salt, but the peat and smoke just overwhelms me, and I can't get more specific. That's not to say it's not enjoyable, I'm still not sure I'm that big of a fan of smoke but I don't hate it, I might prefer less smoke, but I can drink a smoky whisky and enjoy it very much.

One last thing, I actually had to watch Ralfy's video on this to actually get it, he says there's this clean finish, and I think I get that, when the finish happen, you have the smoke, but at the same time, your mouth feel very "clean" like you just had a drink of spring water, but you still have the smoke at the same time very curious, maybe what I like the best so far about it, feels just like you just drunk a full glass of icy fresh water, it takes time for it to happen something like a good minute or more after, then suddenly the fresh soft water taste.

Anyway Now I have one whisky from, Islands, Islay, Speyside and Lowland I need one for highlands, but which one, post a comment and let me know which one I should get.

Aberlour 10 Years Old

OK, new bottle today trying to stock up a small collection so I have several to choose from if I want a dram,Being only 10 this is my first jump into the younger malts.Also being young I think there might be a good amount of caramel in this one.But I highly doubt i can taste it or smell it, but it makes it feel a little like a blend, lets dump some caramel in it for consistency. I think a single malt should raise about stuff like that.

The nose: very sweet very fruity, smells almost like a pear liqueur

Taste: again sweet, sweet spices, maybe a little pepper, and there is one taste that comes at the end of the taste but before the real finish starts, the problem is that it only last a very short time and I can't put a name on the taste, very brief "oh that's a new taste" kind of thing.

Finish: is malty and dry it does leave a sweet coating on your mouth, dry malty and sweet.I fine dram especially for the price, it's about half of the bladnoch.I did not taste the smoke and it has very little malt taste only in the finish does it show up.

Highland Park 18 Y.O

Well as you can see I've drunk allot of this one over the last week, to much as this is expensive stuff.At first I wasn't really sure about this one, it tasted allot like lagavulin 16, only less peat/smoke.But as I tried it sevral times and my dad did the same I've come to appreciate it.My dad and me had a whisky tasting evening on Friday, we tried the Bladnoch HP 18 and a Glen moray 8 yo. While I'm partial to the bladnoch, my dad did point out that HP18 taste like whisky it taste the way whisky should taste when you think of whisky. But at the same time, it's not in your face, none of the tastes overwhelm you. it had peat, but just a little, it has the classic whisky taste with it out being to strong, it's sweet(but I still can't taste the toffee) and has lots of malt taste.I can now see why allot of people think so highly of it.I'll defiantly buy more of this one.

Bladnoch First impressions

This bottle was freaking expencive 799kr or about $135 or £88

Thats almost twice what it cost in other countires, but short of staring a bloody coup and over thoughing the goverment, not much I could do, if I buy it from retailer in the UK for half of what I pay here, I would have to pay the other half in taxes.

Now this was the LAST bottle Briskeby Vin monopol had of this whisky, it was more expencive and older then I had planed on buying, I had made a decition to keep to 12 year or less, so I could develop my taste and smell on the cheaper(but not neceraly less good) whiskys.

But I just fell in love with the description of this one, and liked it was independet, non chill filtarted and obviously not added caramel, because it's very light,.

To be honest, I can bearly tell whiskys apart, I highly doubt I can tell chill or not chill filtarted apart, neither the caramel, but it's kinda cool.

First impressions:

Smell:

Well it smells DIFFRENT

While my untrained nose bearly can tell the diffrence from Lagavulin 16 and Highland park 18(other then the smoke and peat) this was very diffrent, sweet like brandy infact it smelled alot like brandy, but still clearly whisky.

I'm having problems putting the smells into words, it feels very fresh and young(yes I know it's 16 years old, but feels very young and fresh), some flowers. it becomes even more open and frech with two tea spoons of water, with out water it bites your nose beeing 46% abv, but with water it's more gentile. diffently sweet brandyesc

Taste:

The brandy smell does not flow over to the taste, it's CLEARY whisky in taste, clear crisp malt none peaty smoke, it should have sitrus or oranges in taste, but I can't cleary tell the sweetnes apart, mabye floral sweet flower type thing, it becomes fresher with water, again it feels young and fresh, smooth, not as smooth as the HP 18 but still smooth, the taste on the whole is deepr and stronger then HP, more taste more sweet taste, malt. floral. I do not taste the licorice or the red berries,

Finish:

Short, hint of malt, no peat

A very nice dram, so far the one with most clearly difined taste and smell. alot sweeter then the others