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Aberfeldy 21 yo
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
40% abv
£89
$150 (USD)
Winner of the Best Mainland Whisky award at the 2007 World Whisky Awards, this 21 year old expression from Aberfeldy distillery was introduced in 2005, 7 years after Bacardi acquired the distillery (along with Dewar's blends and 4 other malt distilleries) from Diageo. The award winning vistors' centre Dewar's World of Whisky opened in 2000 and has been visited by almost a million people.
Although Dewar's dominance in the USA market has slipped a little in recent years, the brands diversification into 12, 18 and ultra premium while raising the blend's association with this fine distillery has helped it's appreciation among malt enthusiasts and widened its consumer base beyond the scotch and soda crowd, if those old fogies even still exist.
For all Dewar's whiskies had on the mission, click HERE. Thanks to SM for sending along the drop and sorry for taking about a year to feature it.
TASTING NOTES:
Sweet, rich and beautiful. Creamy with incredible aroma integration. Nothing out of place or prickly. Toasty, woody, and full of honey and heather, even a gorse-y coconut aroma among a luscious creaminess.
Gorgeous first impressions, flavours so well bound. Macadamia nutes, marzipan, chocolate and buttermilk pancakes then a toasted nut effect, almond butter, with honey, oranges, and malty malty goodness.
SUMMARY:
A great balance of European and American oak influences after 21 years in casks make this excellent drop worth every penny. One for everyday dramming if you could afford it.
Malt Mission #311
Malt Mission #312
Malt Mission #313
Malt Mission #315
Malt Mission HOME
Dewar's Signature
Blended Scotch Whisky
43% abv
£180
$200(USD)
Another week, another 5 drams. Thanks again for reading.
Next week will be week 20 (TWENTY!!!)
And will bring us up to Malt Mission 100 (ONE HUNDERED!!!)
So we hope to have a few fun surprises to commemorate(SURPRISES!).
To wind off this week, I am tasting Dewar's super-hyper-ultra premium expression of their world famous blended whisky. Other Dewar's HERE.
This is effectively Dewars' response to Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Chivas' Royal Salute, Cutty Sark 25yo, etc. Jim Murray called it "an outstanding addition to the highest echelons of blended Scotch."
Tom Aitken, the 6th Master Blender in Dewar's history, created this blend out of very mature Aberfledy (27yo) as well as old and rare whisky from all over Scotland. Not since the advertising campaigns of Tommy Dewar, with calls to be a 'Dewar's Man', has the company used age or exclusivity to pursue the 'upper crust' of the market. With the introduction of the 12yo in 2002, the 18, and this Signature, all that changed.
In the UK, Dewar's Signature comes in as the most expensive of the immediate competitors (JWBlue, Royal Salute, Cutty 25). In the US, it is price pointed to be in-line with Johnnie Walker Blue ($200). Before you email me, YES, it can be found cheaper. That is called 'freedom'.
Big thanks to Michael and Royal Mile Whiskies for sharing a few drops.
TASTING NOTES:
Fresh and fruity off the start, soft and sweet with lots of honey and berries. Chocolate and cream. Some aged grain whisky, corn and some sweet smoke. Earl Grey tea. Satsuma tangerine Body Shop soap. Like with the Dewars 18, one can sense the growth of the malt flavours in the glass.
Gentle, but active. Christmas-y spices and apricots. A bit of baby powder. French toast/eggy bread. Burst of dry sherry that comes and then goes, firesmoke, and then some pine or sappy oak. Flavours linger through the finish, but in a subdued manner, with the more aged malts making their presence known.
SUMMARY:
As above, time really lets this dram open up, and is needed to fully appreciate the depth. Nose just keeps on giving, but the ride on the palate is a bit short. Seems quite expensive for what it offers flavour-wise, but certainly not disappointing. The bottle is pretty cool, too, especially the deceptively heavy stopper.
Malt Mission #91
Malt Mission #92
Malt Mission #93
Malt Mission #94
Malt Mission HOME
Dewar's 18yo Founders Reserve
Blended Scotch Whisky
43%
£54
In 2006, Bacardi, owners of Dewar's, launched an advertising campaign using "Dewarisms", because, after all, "If you don't advertise, you fossilize". These were lines uttered from the mouth of the irrepressible Tommy Dewar (1864-1930) and the aim was to reverse the stagnation of sales of Dewar's in the US (the blends' biggest market).
"It's a wicked world-- that's why nobody wants to leave it"
"Life is full of trials, with an occasional conviction"
"Don't question your wife's judgment. Look who she married."
See the "Dewarisms" link above for more visual examples.
Other Dewar's HERE.
TASTING NOTES:
Succulent grain hook with very sweet malt below and a layer of thin smoke between. The malt is a bit shy, but eventually comes to the front offering some trail mix and more peaty smoke. Seeds(caraway, sunflower, flax) and margarine also appear. Rich and enriching.
Big in the mouth and so soft upon swallowing. Beautifully integrated flavours of citrus and chocolate-coated oaty biscuits, a touch of pepper. A real package that is best enjoyed in full-on swills. Again, mighty in the mouth physically and flavour-wise, but goes down like skin on skin. Waves of toffeed smoke waft up and the finish is refreshing with plenty of oak and a twinge of kiwi or green grapes.
SUMMARY:
Time in the glass really changes this one, a decanting whisky? Not a practice I regularly endorse with whiskies, but could be beneficial in this case. Either way, a very satisfying dram with an array of flavours that blow on your neck rather than stab you in the back.
Malt Mission #91
Malt Mission #92
Malt Mission #93
Malt Mission #95
Malt Mission HOME
Dewar's 12 yo Special Reserve
Blended Scotch Whisky
43% abv
£24
$40.45(CAD)
$30(USD)
If James Buchanan was a marketing gentleman back in the 19th century, Tommy Dewar was a marketing maverick. He innovated the style of using romantic Scottish images of tartans and bagpipes in the marketing of their blends. Dewar's was the first whisky to be advertised by an electric sign, a giant kilted Scotsman raising a dram positioned at the south side of the Thames at Waterloo bridge. It was the largest of its day. Like Buchanan, he also took to thoroughbred breeding and horse racing and became one of the first people to own a motorcar. Additionally, he created one of the first ever commercials, a cinema advertisement, 'moving pictures' that had a Scotsman doing a jig with the words, "Dewar's--Its Scotch". More on advertisting tomorrow.
In 1915 John Dewar and James Buchanan became partners and it made perfect sense: Tommy Dewar and Jimmy Buchanan had been working in parallel for so many years, with such great energy, to promote not only their brands, but to build the social acceptability of Scotch whisky and blends in particular.
More on Dewars at the Whisky Pages. And other Dewar's tasted in the mission, HERE.
This is a blend I have been lucky enough to try once or twice because at UK duty free stores they sell two 1L bottles for £30.
TASTING NOTES:
Fruity and vibrant with grainy sweetness, wheatabix, sugary breakfast cereal, apples and pears, some kind of cleaning agent or varnish. A little smoke comes out with time as well as some citrus.
A chocolate and coffee start that opens up to firm, oaky grain in balance against toasty(smoky?) malt and sherry. The finish is glassy, a little salty, and not well bound, if you know what I mean; flavours are distinct and separate, esp some of the flatter grains.
SUMMARY:
Overall, a completely pleasant blend, and 2 x 1L bottles for £30 at UK Duty Free is worth every penny. One ice cube or something just might help by silencing the some of the more dull grains and allow the hearty cereal notes and cask toastiness to rise above.
Malt Mission #91
Malt Mission #92
Malt Mission #94
Malt Mission #95
Malt Mission HOME
Dewar's White Label Blended Scotch Whisky
40% abv
£13.50
$23.15(CAD)
$20(USD)
The first in a string of Dewar's blends we are going to have this week (other Dewar's HERE).
John Dewar established his wine and spirit business in 1846 and by the 60’s
began selling his own blended whiskies in branded bottles rather than jars or small casks. The salesman skills of his son, Tommy, led Dewar’s White Label to huge success in London and the international market by the 1890s. In 1892, he began a two year world tour in which he would enlist 32 agents in 26 countries. More on this tomorrow.
Check out THIS video about the Dewars Wall Ads in NYC.
Dewar's is #5 in the world in terms of sales, #1 in the US, and more of an oddity in the UK, moving around 4 million cases per year worldwide.
Malts included at one time or another: Aberfledy, Aultmore, Benrinnes, Craigallachie, Glen Ord, and Royal Brackla
TASTING NOTES:
Bright with youth. Pepper, gravy, chilli powder, taco spice. Green chillies. But that's the good news. After this comes an organic acid smell, a touch of vinegar. Some fresh cookies or sponge cake saves the day late in the game.
Nice plum pudding start that turns into bar floor after a busy Saturday night: boozy and barfy. Some toffee emerges creating a bittersweet balance. Surprisingly long finish.
SUMMARY:
Pow. Not subtle, but good, distinct separation of malt and grain, toasty toffee and vanilla. Real spirit caramel presence, E150. Not awful.
Malt Mission #91
Malt Mission #93
Malt Mission #94
Malt Mission #95
Malt Mission HOME
Aberfeldy 12 yo
Single Malt Whisky
40% abv
£26
$40(USD)
It seems we are gonna make it to 100 in this Malt Mission. Still blows my mind. And even though it is a Bank holiday Monday here (long weekend), there ain't no rest for the mission.
This week we'll be drinking our way through the Dewar's range of blends and start with the heart of the range, Aberfeldy (Other Dewar's HERE). In 1896, the Dewar family decided to build Aberfeldy to guarantee a supply of a good blending malt whisky to be used in Dewar's White Label.
Distillation began in 1898 (a tough time for the whisky industry), but apart from short closures during wartime, Aberfeldy has been in continuous production ever since. In 1998, Dewar's and Aberfeldy became a part of the Bacardi company in what was one of the most expensive purchases in whisky history. It included Bombay Sapphire and 4 other malt distilleries. In 2000, they built the Dewar's World of Whisky "exhibition and interactive centre" at the distillery near Perth, Scotland. It receives 40,000 visitors a year.
Tasted with Colin Harvey at The Whisky Exchange at Vinopolis. His notes appear in quotes.
TASTING NOTES:
Perfumy aromas, fragrant with apple skins and fudge. Freshly baked goods in a flat full of flowers. Bourbony creamininess, toffee. "Green wood. Bracken, stubble burning. Butterscotch."
Instantly sweet, fudge and oak again. Sappy or waxy. There is a mint gum element, cinnamon. "Green-ness, not quite sappy, but succulent."
SUMMARY:
Completely pleasant nose, spicy, creamy and inviting. But on the palate, it all sort of falls flat, like cold tea. Michael Jackson has called this malt 'lively', but we found nothing of the sort. That being said, we found nothing unpleasant about the stuff. Colin summarised with "not doing much for me."
Malt Mission #90
Malt Mission #92
Malt Mission #93
Malt Mission #94
Malt Mission #95
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