January 2015 – grey whisky

Whisky 2015 – 8-11

8 – Berry’s Glen Turret 34 Years
Chocolate, salt water, formic acid, a fruity sweetness I can’t quite place – maybe Kiwifruit. Oatcakes, fruity, lighter and friendlier on the palate than I expected. Finishes with vanilla and gooseberry.

9 – CV Hazelburn Singlemalt
Glue and brown sugar, kinda reminds me of rum with a (good) sickly sweet element. Banana and yeasty.

10 – Benromach – 10 Year Cask Strength
Flinty, herbaceous, caramel, salt, pipe tobacco and chocolate. Slight peat, sage and thyme, slight caramel sweetness and a salty finish.

11 – Kilchoman Port Cask
Wow! What a nose this things has. Loads of caramel, toffee apple a whiff of peat. Peanut brittle, olive oil, dry green bracken, smoked paprika, roasted peanuts.

Whisky 2015 – 7

7 – Glenrothes Robur Reserve
Salty caramel, rum soaked raisins, vanilla essence. Apple strudel and salty butter.

Whisky 2015 – 3-6

Fun night out at my usual Whisky haunt, Whisky and Alement in Melbourne. It was a hot and humid night and I’d gone out for Malaysian with the lads… Not sure my palate was making sense.

3 – Tyrconnell Irish Single Malt Whiskey
Banana rock-melon, tomato water, malt. Cream, salt and water, toasted grains.

4 – Connoisseurs Choice Caol Ila 2001
Slightly medicinal and creamy. Peanuts, slight peat, paprika, cucumber and bacon bits – a real caramel and vanilla finish. Peanuts always peanuts with Coal Ila.

5 – Benriach 12 Year Arumaticus Fumosus Dark Rum Casks
Pine, meringue, cream and caramel. Chargrilled meat, rubber, pepper, salty

6 – Benriach 2005 Virgin American Oak
Dusty maple syrup, crushed ants, caramel and butter. Funky butter, vanilla, Polish wedding sausage, salt.

Whisky 2015 – 2

2 – Yamazaki 21
Brown sugar, over ripe banana, rye bread, maple syrup. Coffee lollies, creamed butter with brown sugar, vanilla, formic acid.

A top whisky except I got price gouged at a nice restaurant. ¥4500 is just completely over the top.

Cocktails at Bar Gen Yamamoto, Tokyo

I’m not a big fruit cocktail kinda guy but all the rave reviews I’ve read about Bar Gen Yamamoto, I had to give it a whirl. And what an amazing cocktail bar it is. More like a sushi bar than a cocktail bar, with a large wooden counter and 8 seats.

Gen-san is a lovely host and his drinks are superb. He happened to have a Sullivan’s Cove American Oak and a get this, Ichiro’s Malt Monochrome Joker! These are used for cocktails mind you. Unfortunately neither were in my cocktails for the evening, however he produced an amazing Yamazaki 12 and Kabocha (Japanese Pumpkin) drink pictured below.

A truly unique and beautiful cocktail bar.

Whisky 2015 – Number 1

1 – Springbank 10
What a great drop. I think in last year’s whisky newness I missed out on a few “classics”. Herbaceous and sweet vanilla nose some glue, smoke and straw. White sugar palate, some gentle peat, marshmallow, fruit and saltiness.