Whisky Review : Chivas Regal 12 years old blended Scotch Whisky vintage bottling from the 1980's bottled @ 43%

Whisky Review : Chivas Regal 12 years old blended Scotch Whisky vintage bottling from the 1980's bottled @ 43%

-Old vintage label
-Chivas at 43%

Colour: clear gold, seems they used less caramel back in the 80's.

Nose: sweet, raw sugar, straw, spirit, wood notes, sweet oak. Seems like a medium quality cask.

Taste: sweet arrival, spicy notes, still harsh tones, sweet, but not enough to hide the ripples. Sweet but in a not describable way...it's a vague whisky. Weird that it's still that harsh for a 12 years old. When a dash of water is added it opens to clean wood, apples and sweet notes.

Finish: sweet, wood notes, but still it fades away

B- for taste, still not a convincing blend, fad fad fad.
D- for the price (currently at 75GBP on the current market)
C for presentation, hate the silver foil packaging....

Whisky review : Grant's family reserve blended whisky vintage bottling 1980's bottled @ 43%

Whisky review : Grant's family reserve blended whisky vintage bottling 1980's bottled @ 43%

-Very old packaging
-Much more drawing on the tube and carving on the bottle than now

Colour: soft bright caramel colour indicating the clear use of caramel

Nose: Old woody notes, spirit, nothing else comes through....not a very distinctive nose

Mouth: spirity arrival, harsh, malty, sweetness, wood notes. It's still a rough blend even after all those years, got some harsh tingly notes and peppery vanilla notes. When water is added it turns to ether, hence it drowns.

Finish: ... spirity, leaves ethery notes...



C- for taste, not smooth nor well made as mentionned on the tube
B for the price, even at 25$ it's not a good buy
A for presentation, so much better than now

Whisky review : Glenmorangie 10 years old vintage bottling from the 1990's bottled @ 40%

Whisky review : Glenmorangie 10 years old vintage bottling from the 1990's bottled @ 40%

-Old label
-Old metal tubing indicating provenance

Colour : Bright yellow, very pure colour indicating the benefits of having the tallest stills.

Nose: Soft nose, soft creamy woody nose, very fruity, like a sweet fruit juice, like a melted banana popsicle.

Mouth: Oily, fruity, like a sweet juice, like the old wax tube juices - some will remember this. Honeyish notes, some distant wood notes, indicating again the purity of the spirit. Some spicy touches perhaps pepper ? With a drop of water it clears the nose and leaves a fresh juice, makes it spicier and openness up the woods notes, sweet wood.

Finish: Sweet lingering wood, sweetness.

B+ for the taste a very nice sipping whisky
B Valued at 60 pounds on the current marked, it's a bit pricey
A- the metal tubing seduced me.

whisky review : Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 years old Blended Scotch Whisky 200ml bottled @ 40%

whisky review : Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 years old Blended Scotch Whisky 200ml bottled @ 40%

-paid 80RMB (13-4$) for it
-Classical bottling

Colour: first glimpse, JWB is a definite blend. slightly dark amber warns of the caramel used to blend the spirits.very clear spirit for blend as it has been cold-filtered.

Nose: Sweet, hints of peats, fresh peat, cold toffee, very well put together. It does not have a rough side on the nose, it smells very well balanced. Raw sugar, almost creamy soft side to it.

Mouth: gentle arrival, sweet, ample, cover the mouth, touches of distant peat, not a strong one (I would say more of Bruicladdich or Kilchoman). Very soft spirit, a bit rough around the egdes, and surely not a strong tasty whisky. Due to its inherent quality, this blend does takes a bit of water. It's smooths it down but does not really give way to new flavours.

Finish: this blend quicly disappear upon arrival, which is interesting in itself to leave a soft spirit burn or perhaps we could consider it to be some spicy notes. If so, I'd say a tender chilly burn.

B+ for taste. It' a steady blend and a good introduction to entry-level whisky. However, it remains JWB...no surprise.
A- for the price. It available and affordable almost everwhere.
C+ for presentation. They really should learn to evolve and change the bottling....it's getting old.

Whisky review : Suntory old whisky 700ml, bottled @ 43%

Whisky review : Suntory old whisky 700ml, bottled @ 43%

-my second Japanese whiksy and 1st Suntory
-Nice twist-cap but a cheaper kind than Nikka's
-nice bottling, kind of a vintage looking bottle
-2nd online purchase
-Interesting enough, it is not listed on the Suntory website...


Colour: bright coppery gold. Does not mention whether or not it is a single malt or a blend. However, considering the price, it surely is a blend. I would also assume they used some caramel but not as much as the Highland cream, or even the Grant series.

Nose : spirit, creamy, vanilla, delicate yet some hints of not so fresh woods arise. clear but still very rough. I would think the cask they used was not of premium quality.

Taste: strong spirit arrival, spicy peppery notes, hidden candy sweetness to it, bitter taste, similar to the bitter melon style. Nothing too unpleasant. Still a very rough spirit. I was expecting much more from nosing it. Notwithstanding its higher Alcohol degree (43), this whisky does not take water. not a single drop. It easily drown.

Finish: light, no surprise here. Japanese whisky do not usually have this lingering finish. leaves a sweet tingliness in the mouth but not much else.

B- for taste, not a whisky to remember.
A for presentation, I do like this bottle.
A for the price. Paid 135RMB (23$)