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Fahrenheit 173 - Whisky

"The king o' drinks, as I conceive it, Talisker, Isla or Glenlivit"   (R.L. Stevenson)

Premium blended Scotch: Five 12 year old whiskies

 28 Aug 2011  

Another flight of blended Scotch whisky - this time in the "premium" category:

Ballantine's Gold Seal, 12 y.o.:
Rather nice nose with notes of dried fruits, gin­ger­bread, oak, white pepper and a hint of peat. The palate is very nice at first: sweet and fruity with lime and vanilla but then the oak takes over. The finish is oaky, spicy, hot, fairly dry and a little bitter - dis­ap­point­ing after the nice start. (84 p)

Chivas Regal, 12 y.o.:
Weak nose with faint but nice notes of grain whisky, toffee, citrus and oak. Mild, sweet, bal­anced palate with dried fruits (sherry wood), also peat, de­velops oak and spices. Oaky, spicy, slightly peaty finish. A very nicely bal­anced, easy drinking Scotch (much nicer than a few years ago). (86 p)

Dewar's Special Reserve, 12 y.o.:
Nice nose with a fresh grain whisky character, fragrant oak shavings, sherry fruits and a hint of aniseed. Sweet, bal­anced, very mild palate with soft fruits, vanilla and toffee. De­velops a little pepper. The finish is oaky, a little peppery and just a little peaty. (85 p)

Johnnie Walker Black Label, 12 y.o.:
Nice nose with notes of both grain and malt whisky, also custard, citrus (blood orange), oak and a little peat. Medium-bodied, malty palate with a little smoke. It's muscular, fairly power­ful, slightly fiery. A little rough yet charming. Turns sweeter and de­velops notes of dried fruits. Nice oaky, spicy finish with toffee and some peat at the end. However, it seems younger than 12 years and it's not as nice as a few years ago. (84 p)

Scottish Prince, 12 y.o.:
Nice nose: subtle and complex with notes of fudge, honey, orange and grain whisky, also oak, vanilla and cinnamon. Mild, smooth, bal­anced palate. It's rather sweet but the sweetness is nicely offset by oaky spices. Drying and de­velops notes of fennel and orange. Lovely finish with oak and aniseed. (86 p)

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