Aldi Single Malt Whisky - Glen Marnoch

Quite happy with the bargain whiskies from Aldi.  The ubiquitous supermarket chain has its own label, Glen Marnoch, and under this have released a variety of Scotches from different regions and age statements.  Aldi tends to announce these ahead of release date, and only small allotments go to the stores, and then only selected stores.

My good mate Dennis offered to do the queuing, so he picked up for us the 21 and 25 year olds, at $90 and $100 respectively.  Show me a $100 25 year old anywhere else in the world..... They get some good press too.

There are quite a few distribution companies that acquire barrels from various distilleries and then bottle under their own labels (e.g. Gordon & MacPhail and Berry Bros & Rudd). But these will generally advise of the original distillery. Aldi does not do this, so their providence is a mystery. 

A couple of weeks back I had great delight in pouring a couple of samples, sat in front of the Friday night TV, and sniffed, sniffed, sniffed and occasionally sipped.  Over time the aromas opened up and changed subtly. The two are considerably different in this regard. Personally, I found the intrigue mostly on the nose, rather than the palate, although they are both very approachable, smooth, and long.

Glen Marnoch 21 year old
A: Cigar leaf, vanilla custard, dried apple & fig. Honey and caramel.
F: Base notes of vanilla, but plenty of brandied/candied fruit. Palate more interesting than the 25's flavour.

Glen Marnoch 25 year old
A: Faint acetone early, not unpleasant, evolving into pear, rosewater, vanilla, citrus peel, pudding.  Orange notes later on. Far more interesting than the 21's aroma.
F: Smooth, sherry and fruit salad. Warming, but nothing particularly distinctive.

Looking forward to other releases, which from searches may include 18s, 24s, as well as different regions.

20 Litres of Whisky

Oh.. the Scotch-man's wet dream.. Your own whisky... .

The marvellous Manly Spirits are currently (but not for long) offering a barrel deal.

40 or 20 Litres of their finest malt spirit, entombed in a custom-made oak barrel, held in bond for 24 months, bottled to your specifications, and labelled uniquely.

Well, it took me some time, but I managed to cobble together three blokes to go four ways in a 20L purchase. Sure, the $1,000 investment (each) might seem risky.... The Nant Whisky saga continues today, casting doubt over barrel programmes.

But hats off to Rob, John and Kieron who came to the party and are sharing the risk.

Mind you, the decision was made infinitely easier by Manly's head, David Whittaker, who offered a year-old sample from 40 litres of sherry-wood malt.

Candied fruit, Christmas cake, and a cask-strength heat to remind that this is no beginner's game. Rich, powerful, and a big future.

Dave, here's our money.

Now for the 2 year wait (sigh)...

Single Malt Whisky of the month

For a couple of years I've been subscribing to The Whisky Club., which has been kicking on from strength to strength for four years now. Ostensibly free to join, it's an opt-out arrangement whereby a monthly whisky is offered, and if you don't want it, you follow the links and specify as much through the web site buttons.

I think it's a good arrangement. The monthly offer is always an interesting whisky - certainly hard to find through normal channels and, quite often, a specific barrel prepared for The Whisky Club itself. The trick of course is remember to read your emails at the start of the month, as you only have a couple of days to opt-out. You forget, you're up for a bottle plus freight.

But, generally, even with this oversight you're up for about $120-$140, which considering the standard on offer is pretty good.

Before I continue, if any reader is interested in joining, please email me first, as I will get a referral bonus for anyone I sign up, which takes the form of free whisky !

July 2018 has an interesting offer. Coming out of Brittany in northwest France, this is a fine example of how non-Scotch whisky is one of the growth areas in world spirits.

Armorik Small Batch Whisky de Bretagne, Lot F270 318 - American Oak.

The tasting notes describe it as Golden yellow, with elegant intensity of vanilla, peach, jasmine flowers.  I quickly note the American Oak, as it gives me flash-backs to my first experience with Jim Beam, as a 16 year old. While that incident need not be explored further, I hasten to add that my more recent bourbon experiences have, for the most part, been pleasurable.

As the malt opens up, the vanilla sweetness becomes more evident, with less oaky aromas. Not sure what jasmine smells like in this context, but peach I will go with, plus some light spiciness.  It promises a nice, light flavour and mouthfeel.

I taste fruit, maybe some green apple or pear, with a touch of spice - maybe nutmeg or light pepper. It's a delicate mouthfeel, without oiliness or the heaviness of a big oak influence.  Finishes quite tingly and dry.

I recall the late Michael Jackson (not the gloved one) describing certain lighter Scotch styles as 'breakfast malts'.  Far be it from me to judge the wisdom of this, I however could see this cutting nicely through some muesli and fruit.