The Whiskey Reviewer A World of Whiskey, Poured Every Weekday
By Richard Thomas
The Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask
(Credit: William Grant & Sons)
Springtime is here and the winter chill is fading. But for most of the (northern half) of the world, this is a time when it is best to say the weather is warmer, not actually warm. Take today; as I am writing this, it’s raining, damp and just a touch chilly. In other words, it is the perfect weather for a pour of a Scotch, especially a lighter, fruitier Scotch. Whether it was in Portugal, India or the American South, the heat of the summer disinclined me to reach for Scotch whiskies, and springtime is just warm enough that I put away the smoky, heavy malts. Yet Scotch has embraces a wide sweep of styles and flavors, and there are plenty of options for sitting on the front porch after a downpour and enjoying the many blossoms, as I plan to do as soon as I finish writing this.
Auchentoshan 18 Year Old: (£78/$160): Auchentoshan is a natural for this list, as it is the Lowland Scots distillery that makes the (usually) Irish style of triple distillation, which naturally tends to produce a lighter whisky. Aged entirely in ex-bourbon barrels, this middle aged malt is endowed with a crisp, citrus backbone and a refreshing character, accented by modest notes of green tea, nuts and a dash of spiciness.
Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask (£58/$78): If you are reading this, you are probably already familiar with this particular fan favorite, but that is no reason not to remind you of it. Taking Balvenie’s house style and putting a rum cask polish on it put a pineapple twist on the vanilla and toffee core, producing a sweet and mid-bodied whisky for springtime sipping.
Asyla blended scotch
is a superb aperitif
(Credit: Compass Box)
BenRiach 10 Year Old (£40/$55): This first-rung expression from Speyside’s BenRiach is made from ex-bourbon barrel and Sherry butt-aged stock. It’s a fruity and almost effervescent pour, with a backbone that brings together lemon with apples and peaches. Throw in just enough mint, cinnamon and aniseed for spiciness to make things interesting, and you’ve got BenRiach 10: light bodied, quite flavorful and easily enjoyed.
Compass Box Asyla (£60/$80): Compass Box themselves billed this blended whisky as the “ultimate” sipper for lazy Sunday afternoons. The scent is fruity and light, with the sweetness of crisp, green apples and melons, plus a hint of spiciness. That spiciness grows on the palate, turning a touch peppery, giving the whisky a crisper character.
Glencadam 10 Year Old (£38/$67): For starters, this whisky is billed as “The Rather Delicate Highland Malt,” so it’s knocking on the door of our springtime flavor profile right there. It’s a light malt with a honeyed, vanilla’ed lemon current running through it, ideal for springtime drinking.
Glenfiddich 12 Year Old (£34/$34): Whenever I’m at the bar and someone says they don’t like Scotch because it is bitter and/or smoky, I ask for a pour of Glenfiddich 12. This is for three reasons: 1) that pour is very reasonably priced; 2) this ubiquitous expression is either the #1 or #2 bestselling single malt in the world, depending on current sales data; 3) it’s light, easy drinking and pear-like is a classic.
