Some ask why I don’t score my whisky reviews. I have scored a few whiskies in the past, however I feel that in lieu thereof offering as objective a review as possible better serves my readers. This is because what tastes good to me may not appeal to you and vice versa. I have found the discussion of which whisky is “better” would be best served when debating quality of execution versus which bottle appeals the most to me for whatever reasons I can dram-up on a given post (yes, I said dram-up when it should read drum-up *bah dum che* both puns intended). For me, this comes down to quality of grain and the technical aspects of production leading up to distillation, as well as the aging process and, where applicable, the blending process.
I will be the first to admit I am not a technical expert on the topic of whisky production. I am neither an engineer – I am a biochemist and microbiologist – nor do I yet possess my certifications in blending, malting and distilling through the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, which remains on my to-do list. However, having placed what I would estimate as approximately 500 drams to my lips I certainly have my experienced opinion on the matter. Over the past few years since beginning to sample and enjoy drams from all over the world, I have found that on average drams originating from historically entrenched distilleries with an excellent reputation do tend to produce higher quality whiskies. These samples offer an enriched flavour profile, which blossom and develop intentionally on the palate offering a deeper and more pleasing reflection of the libation the more often explored. Although, it can be argued that all drams from every bottle tend to “blossom and develop” the longer you spend with the liquid on your palate due to dilution and oxidation, I have found that certain distilleries have developed a way to cause the whisky they age to marry with the palate in an enriching highly pleasurable manner, something not every distillery has mastered. Good examples of distilleries that have mastered this art are Bunnahabhain, The Dalmore, The Macallan, and in Canada I would say the same of older age statements from J.P. Wiser’s and Canadian Club. There are several more examples but it would be impractical to list them all. I am presently on a journey learning about bourbons, their history and production. I have found similar results from Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select, the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby. I am enjoying getting to know bourbon.
One of my pet peeves are people who trash talk reputable distilleries for the sake of sounding as if they know what they’re talking about when it comes to evaluating whiskies. My first thought is always, “based on which metrics have you founded your opinion?” It’s one thing to say you feel The Macallan is poor quality Scotch and overpriced, however based on what parameters? Do you feel The Macallan is out of touch with the historical importance of Scotch to the Scottish people – a drink of the people – or do you simply not like having to spend a lot of money of a bottle of whisky? The position is ludicrous. It’s akin to asking Ferrari or Aston Martin to create a vehicle for the average income person. At the end of the day, commerce is going to drive price points and The Macallan based on quality and its reputation is certainly deserving of its status. This said, I do agree that it is important for larger distilleries with historically important brands to remember usquebaugh is a drink of the people and as such, dare I be so bold, there rests a moral obligation on distillery boardrooms to remember bottles must remain within reach of the average consumer, quality bottles. I think many luxury global brands have achieved this and I applaud them. For example: The Macallan 12YO Double Cask, $59.95CAD; Highland Park 12, $39.95CAD; Deanston Virgin Oak, $57.95CAD; Glenmorangie X, $58.75CAD; JP Wiser’s 15, $50.95CAD, Lot No. 40 Dark Oak (World’s best rye 2021 World Whiskies Awards), $62.95CAD; Alberta Premium 20YO Rye, $89.95CAD; Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select, $53.05CAD; 1792 Bourbon, $49.95CAD etc… The list goes on to describe distilleries that care about the average consumer. At this point in time, I certainly cannot afford some of the bottles I would like to enjoy and as such I am entirely grateful to the many distilleries listed above as well as others who make a point of keeping their eye on the people making luxury whisky available to all of us. Bravo Zulu and thank you.
You might be wondering if this is a blog post discussing whether or not to rank whiskies, or if it’s about praising big-name whisky? In truth, it’s both because I have found that on average quality drams tend to originate from better known distilleries. Of course, we know multi award winning bottles arise out of distilleries from all over world in every walk of whisky life, however when it comes to choosing a brand you know you can trust to provide a quality dram every time it does tend to be the “big names”; popular distilleries. Why do I think such? I believe it comes down to production practices founded on the ability to turn-out a consistent product every time resulting from industrial know-how and individual experience. At day’s end, it’s consumers who decide which brands are the most popular, and if you compare the “on-average quality of drams” (x axis) with “distillery popularity” (y axis) there tends to be a direct correlation between these two factors. Knowingly or unknowingly, consumers can detect quality in the glass and gravitate towards it. Desiring excellence is true of every industry. Consumers prefer quality products. Jazzy marketing only goes so far when it comes to consumer choice. It’s one thing for a distillery to own a copper still from Scotland, but it’s another thing all together to intimately understand the inner workings of said still and manipulate its machinery to produce high quality, desirable, consistent, drinkable drams over time. Anyone can distil a porridge of fermented grains, but producing a crowd pleasing product appears to remain reserved for the learned and experienced. A well learned newcomer with some decent marketing, especially possessing a recent competition win can contend on the market and these distilleries tend to stand-out upon their arrival to the whisky drinking scene. However, when it comes to new distilleries, which stand-out at first the trick is to produce more than one unicorn to continually draw crowds over the long haul. True excellence arises from the ability to pour quality whisky into every single bottle hitting shelves and this is something not every distillery accomplishes yeah though they try. Consistency in quality across the line-up over time is what separates the good from The Greats in every industry including whisky.
Therefore, am I for or against ranking whiskies? Certainly, yes. Whisky competitions demand quality over quantity. Competition is a merciless destroyer of egoistic marketing thereby reducing all talk to all walk. Ha. It occurred to me just now that perhaps this is the premise behind Johnnie Walker, a brand I trust and enjoy because they possess the walk to justify the talk. Perhaps, I’m correct? Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoy annual reports of whiskies that have won awards at the Canadian Whisky Awards, San Francisco World Spirits Competition, New York International Spirits Competition, and of course the World Whiskies Awards. Therefore, is grading whisky something I will do in future? The short answer is perhaps. To me, scoring whisky is serious because numeric values bestowed upon bottles both my readers and consumers might choose to trust. It is important to me that any numbers I ascribe to a bottle does more than reflect my opinion of how the liquid tastes. There are whiskies I do not enjoy the taste of and it isn’t because they are “bad” whiskies. Rather, it is because I gravitate towards saccharine nosings and palates, which is consistent of my Canadian heritage, so I read somewhere once. An excellent example is Basil Hayden bourbon. I like this bourbon without water, but the addition of water dilutes its sweetness to the point I no longer enjoy my dram. By no means whatsoever does this mean the whisky is poor. Truth is entirely the opposite. Basil Hayden is known to be one of the most trusted bourbon brands on the market and rather popular with bourbon drinkers. I would be inclined to give this bourbon a high score if I were to score whiskies, however I don’t think I could do the bottle justice until I feel more comfortable describing with reproducible precision why I would render a high score. Sure, I could discuss the clarity of nose, complexity of palate and the non-aggressive inviting finish, but to really drill down to why it should be preferred over any other type of bourbon isn’t something I’m prepared to do yet. For me, the methodology used to develop metrics for comparing one dram to another must branch well beyond my OPINION of how the dram tastes and dive into the more technical aspects of the whisky such as its ability to stand the test of exposure to oxygen: does it sour quickly or can it stand the test of a reasonable length of time? Whiskies that can stand up to O2 exposure tend to develop better on the palate unfolding a more pleasurable balance of flavours as they rest on the tongue. Another metric could be a dram’s intentional nostalgic or innovative value. How many of us love a dram that speaks to the history of the region it arises from? It might seem like an odd metric to consider when scoring whiskies, but what if we have two exceptional whiskies from the same region and one grasps an understanding of its geographical origin whereas the other is just a gosh darn amazing dram of whisky? If we’re talking about a tie-breaking metric its things like this, which I feel should be considered. Scoring whisky is something I might do in future, but if I do the metrics will be anything but arbitrarily based on my personal opinion of the dram. Rather, I will offer clearly defined and easy to understand metrics that can be used by anyone to assess the quality of whisky in their glass. An arbitrary rating is something that won’t be coming out of my blogging site, ever. If it wasn’t already evident, quality and integrity of products is important to me. My blog is an intellectual product that I am asking others to take the time and energy to consume, and I want to ensure each keystroke is worth your time.
To give you an idea of what can be expected when I offer a review, here are some Review Samples from over the years. I try to be as descriptive as possible for the purposes of creativity – I am a writer after all and I love language – and to provide readers with the most accurate description of a dram that I possibly can. My goal is for you have a good understanding of what to expect before you pop the cork or twist the cap. Slàinte
April 27, 2021: @the_macallan triple cask aged 15 years natural colour 43% abv
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Nosing: The most delightful symphonic burst of late springtime and early summer orchard fruits – pear🍐 apple 🍎 orange and cherry blossoms 🌸 – greets the senses lightening into a vesseled aromatic plunge of stone fruits, caramel and vanillas, and wood characteristic of American and European oaked Scotch. A hearty Speyside, The Macallan 15 carries deeper notes of lightly tred upon seaside earth and the city following a sunset rain shower 🌧
Palate: Strong yet tempered wood 🪵 showcases the expert craftsmanship of this beautiful Scotch. Whilst remaining present, orchard fruits decrescendo as the remnants of what once was Bourbon – peaches and cream corn 🌽 sharp turnip and the bite of sweet radish – 🎶rushes forth intertwining with wood in such intensity that one must sit with their dram to embrace the humble counterpoint of stone fruit, which beckons us to contemplate the marriage between la joie et gratitude de la vie.
Finish: long and smooth leaving a sweet lingering all spice and wood amalgamation ripening forth to nostalgia of father’s shop leaving one asking the question, “to which seaside land must I travel where my spirit and wandering soul may conjoin in pleasure?”
June 30, 2021 : J.P. Wiser’s Deluxe ~ A Whisky for the People
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Colour: Wheat in a Saskatchewan farmer’s field on a bright sunny afternoon. As a girl we drove across Canada a couple of times and I am well acquainted with the gentle breezes blowing long stocks of wheat across my country’s plains. Canadian plains are left behind from receding glaciers at the end of the last ice age.
Nose: a gentle sweet spice of melon, cherry blossoms, rum infused tapioca, and peppercorn.
Palate: a rush of rum filled milk chocolate washes over the entire surface of the mouth evoking a strong pleasure response. Flavours are layered and include dark and milk chocolate, brandy soaked cherries, summer ripened blackberries and cassis, candied orange peel, and a light rye spice.
Finish: long, spicy and velvety
With H2O: apple blossoms open up on the nose while orange and cherry blossoms intensify. The spice nearly disappears, which is quite inviting. On the palate a rich dessert like sweetness opens up, which combines with a low viscosity that releases a gentleness to the rye. This dram invites you in deeply enough to retain your full attention while requesting that you explore its depths further. It is rather coquettish. The finish is pleasantly sharp at first and evolves into a long and lingering dessert like flavour.
Final Thoughts: It’s delicious. I want to turn on the fire, kick up my feet all snuggled into my favourite @indigo reading socks, and watch a well known movie. This whisky is all about comfort. I love it!
October 10, 2021: Bunnahabhain 30 (46.3%abv)
@CHANTAILLEMARIE via Instagram
Colour: Late winter sunrise whose rays glint off a fallow field’s snowpack turning towards spring’s melt☀️❄️
Nosing: Warmed wildflower meadow🌸on a hot, humid summer afternoon with the essence of sweetgrass 🌱and honeysuckle 🍯There is plenty of pear, tart apple pie, and mandarin Christmas oranges with a hint of caramel and vanilla💖
Palate: An initial sharp tart pear🍐and apple🍏 with some wood quickly blossoms into a glorious symphony of melodious top note citrus fruits intertwined with the counterpoint of soothing vanilla and caramel, rounded out with vegetal notes and Caribbean rum🏝⛱
With H2O: lightens the nosing making all notes more accessible whilst allowing for the gentle breakthrough of wood. The palate sweetens somewhat enhancing aforementioned notes making for a more dramatic, enticing approach to the dram.🎭
Finish: long, smooth and totally satisfying leaving behind the rich essence of caramels and rum infused toffee embracing tropical notes such as papaya and pineapple.😎☀️🍍🥭🌺
October 11, 2021: Bruichladdich 1985 “Hidden Glory” 32 Year Old Rare Cask Series (48.7%abv) Unpeated, aged in 3rd-fill bourbon casks for 27 years, recasked it into fresh, first-fill bourbon casks for five years, and then for another five was years recasked into French oak.
@CHANTAILLEMARIE via Instagram
Colour: signet marigold in full bloom (Tagetes tenuifolia)
Nosing: There is an earthy nostalgia here reminiscent of soil that is mixed well with healthy compost, a sweetness to it; fertile. Brandy and rum greet you at the threshold inviting you in to pass time with a landscape of dewy hills lined with pines and cedars where one can view a wetted bog beyond the way leading to the local lesser known craggy beach releasing its distant ocean brine that is shuttled throughout the dram weaving a harmoniously sweetened loamy-seascape balance.
Palate: An ideal balance between American oak sweeter notes – rum raisins, caramel, vanilla, toffee, honeysuckle – and gentle Islay ocean brine. This is married to a background vegetal earthiness, which grounds the senses.
With H2O: The nosing opens up into an intensified fragrant bouquet of aforementioned notes increasing the dram’s desirableness. The palate crescendos to a bursting effervescent symphony of light American oak notes perfectly balanced with a subtle sweet earthiness resting upon the ocean’s evening summer breeze.
Finish: Islay. Everything about the finish is what you would expect from a fine Islay Scotch. Long, exceedingly smooth, rich in rum and toffees while vegetal and briny notes soothe the palate. The finish tapers off slowly revealing a sight dryness whetting the palate beckoning an eager next sip.
Overall Thoughts: An Islay dram come true. This velvety, exquisite Scotch is quintessential, a piece of island history in a glass.
October 15, 2021: Laphroaig 25 Year Old Cask Strength 2019 (51.4% abv)
@CHANTAILLEMARIE via Instagram
Colour: Marigold Calendula officinalis ‘Bon Bon Light Yellow’
Nosing: A swirl of the glass is recommended to release the volatile compounds. Right away a lovely warm and gentle peat with some smoke greets the nose. There is the slightest hint of ocean brine. Walking arm in arm with these notes are apple, pear, and orange blossom married to a hint of vanilla and toffee. It is a promenade of subtle sweetness 100 metres away from a seaside campfire.
Palate: the warmth of smoke mixed with the sweetness of peat and ripened fruits – cantaloupe, melon, pear, apple, lychee – arrives wrapped in delicate brine. It really is a multi sensory experience, a delightful one.
With H2O: on the nose the smoke and peat mellow out revealing a bouquet rich ripened fruits similar to that of a Pinot Grigio. The first note to greet me was an incredible peach followed by gooseberry, and long stem yellow rose.** I even enjoyed cucumber, nutmeg, and cinnamon on the nose (it is important to note that cinnamon is not always “spicy,” but when ground it is quite earthy and sweet; sultry).
**For a refresher on 🌸floral notes🌹 in whisky visit my website https://whiskyfloralcatalogue.wordpress.com
On the palate water mellowed the aforementioned notes, which balanced and rounded out the dram creating a smoother experience making every aspect of the dram more accessible.
Finish: it’s truly lovely. All tasting notes are present and linger for quite some time eventually leading to a dryness that whets the palate in anticipation of the next sip.
Overall Thoughts: This is an ideal dram for introducing someone to a peated whisky for the first time. The peat and smoke are both gentle, married gingerly with those sweeter notes and wrapped in a nearly imperceptible ocean brine. It truly is a pleasurable way to enjoy peat in a luxurious manner.
September 29, 2022 Deanston Virgin Oak finished. You really can taste the subtle spicy difference on the palate and finish.
@CHANTAILLEMARIE via Instagram
Colour: golden straw. A lovely pale colour with richness of early sunrise hue.
Nosing: all the richness and sweetness we love about Deanston’s. Slightly grain forward blending idyllically into a harmonious milieu of the classics vanilla, caramel and honey met with a touch of toasted marshmallow. If I stretch my memory back far enough I could even imagine my father drizzling honey onto my morning porridge. It’s really a lovely nostalgic nosing.
Palate: the most inviting texture of oils coats the entire tongue and palate warming the cockles with familiar saccharine toffees, honey suckle, lemon and orange freshly grated zest, and a lovely spiciness akin to what you might enjoy with a bourbon or high rye mash-bill. The spice perfectly rounds out the other available flavours making for an exciting yet soothing dram.
Finish: long and warm from the back of the lips to the centre of the belly.
Overall Thoughts: Yes! I mean, just yes! Get a bottle. It’s incredible.
January 27, 2023: Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is exactly that, indulgence.
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Colour: tawny sunset
Nose: beautiful caramels and toffees with lots of dad’s garage turpentine, organic honey, apples and pears, some vegetal notes and thick, rich Christmas pudding.
Palate: saccharine delight! It’s utterly effervescent with toffee, taffy, caramel, and chocolate dancing on the palate. These notes intermingle with apples, pears, lemon, orange, mandarin orange, and the slightest hint of cherry to round out the mouth.
With H2O: the nosing lightens revealing plenty of vegetal notes, a bit more turpentine, and a mixing of sweet and sour notes, like a sour candy when we were kids. Kind of like the crazy dips in the 80s. It’s quite nostalgic. On the palate, the notes are comparable to the nosing. With water, this dram loses a lot of its sweetness, which for some people is rather pleasurable and for others is a turn off. Therefore, if you’re looking for a light yet complex dram lacking the overwhelming richness of caramels and toffees then this is the dram you’ve been looking for.
Finish: long, smooth, engaging, fun, inviting and sensuous. There’s a slight tingle on the lips and palate that make you want to return to the glass for another deep sip.
The author, HRH Chantaille Buczynski, is a Kingston Ontario, Canada based independent blogger. She enjoys Irish dance and Highland dance, especially since she is Scottish-Canadian and Irish-Canadian with French roots. HRH Chantaille’s interests include playing flute and piccolo in concert band, drums with a pipes and drums band, photography, nature walks/hiking, and being mother to her two fabulous children ages 8 and 10. Follow HRH Chantaille on Instagram and Twitter @chantaillemarie and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/womenswhiskyworld
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