Whisky I've Drank: King Car Whisky Conductor Single Malt 46% ABV

By The Dramble
When your single-digit aged sherry expressions are commanding the same prices as mature Scottish stock from the 1960’s it’s fair to say that something spectacular has happened. So it is with King Car who, despite only being founded in 2005, have picked up a string of industry awards for their Kavalan Taiwanese single malt.
King Car Conductor is the only whisky in the King Car range to be named after the distiller itself and not carry the 'Kavalan' brand. It's made the same way though - single malt whisky produced in a country where the warm weather speeds up maturation rapidly and the angel's share is a cracking 10-12% annually.
Nose: Sweetness via honey and vanilla immediately upfront. Coconut and banana reinforce the tropical aroma often associated with King Car Distillery and their hot and rapid maturation. A certain degree of cinnamon, musk and incense which becomes more pronounced with the addition of water.
Taste: A somewhat hot attack (acetone) which contains tropical fruits (coconut and banana again) along with a smattering of greener fruit (apples and pears). Heavy and clinging taste of malts which is best decribed as 'gripy' in terms of mouthfeel. Winey notes come through with some vibrant wood spicing, in the form of cinnamon and pepper. Vanilla is ever present from what is clearly a heavy oak dosing.
Finish: Long, spicy (pepper) and fairly astringent.
Warm weather rapid ageing has allowed this whisky to develop and integrate some interesting tropical flavours and depth, but its youth is still fairly obvious. The usually spot on ABV of 46% feels pretty boozy here, and whilst a dash of water reduces the hostility, it also detracts away from the expansive fruit flavours. Perhaps I just didn't find the precise number of drops to add?!
Score: 83/100

Whisky I've Drank: Cutty Sark Aged 12 Years

Reviewed by @Rantavahti
Cutty Sark is probably more known as a cocktail whisky and one of the first light-coloured blended whiskys. The legendary name comes from the Cutty Sark ship, which had recently been retired to England for naval training.
Cutty Sark 12 yrs is surprisingly good for a blended whisky. Round and light, refreshing and as complex as a blend can be. This is no Titanic, except it sinks well down my throat.
Don't know much about this 12YO drams reputation but when it comes to price, I'd say it is very underrated. 30 euros even in Finland(!) for this stuff is like a heist.
Nose: 

Light but buttery, salty with fresh hay and pears.
Taste: 

Tropical fruits and vanilla are the main characters. Like perfume, everything is very light. Hints of citrus and honey.
Finish: 

Nice length. Oak and fruity, sweet notes.
Balance: 

Well in balance, an okay dram. And for blended whisky, very fine. Real "bang for the buck" whisky.

Whisky I've Drank: Cutty Sark Storm

By Ruben Luyten
We’re seeing a big push forward by Cutty Sark lately, with a new master blender, updated packaging and well-made limited editions like Cutty Sark Tam o’Shanter 25 years old.
They’ve now introduced a new member in their core range: Cutty Sark Storm. It’s an entry-level blend (under the 12yo and 18yo) based around North British grain whisky but with a higher malt content and considerably older malts than before.
Cutty Sark Storm (40%, OB 2012)
-Nose: 

fresh and vibrant, with many fruity notes. Think peach, pineapple, banana and gooseberries. Some oranges as well. A little vanilla. Hints of polished oak in the background. Indeed not very grainy. -Mouth: 

sweet, light, not too powerful but remember we’re dealing with a different kind of target customer here. Quite a nice, creamy texture anyway. Again peaches and pears on the foreground. Popcorn. Icing sugar and vanilla. Then some fresh oak and very light spices like pepper. Finish: okay length, still quite sweet and popcorn-like, with a softly drying oaky touch.
This was a preview sample, and I have no information about pricing yet. I suppose it will be sold for a very low price (the current Cutty Sark NAS is around € 15). If you take this into account, it’s a very good offering with decent complexity and a big step up from what our uncles and other blend drinkers are used to. An opponent for Bailie Nicol Jarvie when it comes to value for money.
Score: 80/100

Whisky I've Drank: Grant's Aged 12 Years

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B-

I like to think of Grant’s 12 Year Old as the label’s middle of the road entry. In terms of both quality and price, it is a full step above the mass market Grant’s Family Reserve, but not as expensive or as rarefied as the label’s more aged whiskeys. However, just because Grant’s 12 Year Old is very middle of the road does not make it easy to find. The scotch is not in general international distribution. I can find it here in Portugal readily enough, and the same is likely true if you live in Continental Europe or South America. Locating a bottle in North America or the UK will prove more of a challenge.

The Scotch:

Grant’s 12 Year Old is best identified by the blue-black label and the customary Grant’s triangular bottle. It is a half-and-half blend of grain and single malt whiskeys, individually aged for at least 12 years. After blending, the scotch is seasoned for another six months in first-fill American whiskey casks. It is then bottled at 40% alcohol.

The nose of Grant’s 12 Year Old scotch is something like a spicy Christmas fruitcake, with a full-bodied dose of vanilla. The vanilla and cinnamon come across very strongly on the palate, and the finish goes over warm, sweet and smoky.

The Price:

I often see Grant’s 12 Year Old scotch priced in the 25-euro range, making it a real bang for the buck choice in whiskey.

Awards:

Grant’s 12 Year Old won Best Scotch Blended Whisky (12 years and under) at the 2007 World Whisky Awards, and then landed gold at the International Spirits Challenge that same year. In 2008, the 12 Year Old went back to the World Whisky Awards and won Best Scotch Whisky, and then bagged the gold at the Scotch Whisky Masters. The 12 Year old then captured another gold medal in 2009, this time at the International Spirits Challenge.

Whisky I've Drank: The Macallan Fine Oak 12 Years Old

By Richard Thomas
Rating: B-
So it was when my wife and I went to Paris for a long weekend trip. After a nice dinner that was exactly I expected — good, but not excellent food in small portions that were therefore somewhat overpriced — we went out for drinks with a friend studying at the Sorbonne. Instead of ordering something I knew well, like Glenmorangie or Grant’s 12 Year Old, I asked for the (to me) unfamiliar Macallan Fine Oak 12 Year Old.In my experience, being a whiskey writer changes your drinking habits, making one more experimental. Writers in general are always looking for their next story, so a whiskey lover turned whiskey writer (such as myself) finds himself enjoying his familiar favorites less often in favor of trying something new, taking notes, and writing the thing up later.
-The Scotch:
Whiskeys from The Macallan’s Fine Oak Series are triple cask-aged, going through a series of maturations in Spanish oak sherry, American oak sherry, and American oak bourbon barrels. As the bottle statements indicate, all the scotch in the Fine Oak 12 Year Old is at least 12 years old and comes only from The Macallan, and is bottled at 40% abv.
The Fine Oak 12 Year Old has the color of pale straw, pale enough to have a slight, but noticeable translucence around the edges. The nose is mellow and restrained, but complex, showing a balance of floral sweetness, maltiness, and oak, with slight notes of vanilla and toffee. The whiskey’s flavor has no surprises vis-a-vis the smell, with all the same characteristics there and in the same relative balance, coming across with a silky texture. The finish is of middling-length, with a sweet and cool quality.
Overall, I think of this as a pleasant scotch in the restrained mold. Whiskey lovers looking for something bold won’t like it, but those who prefer their sipping whiskey to be from a cast that is mellow, sweet, floral and subtle ought to come away satisfied.
The Price
The Macallan Fine Oak 12 Year Old is listed on their website shop for £37.50 (about $60). Technically this scotch is discontinued, but at the time of writing it is still available through regular retail channels.

Whisky I've Drank: Haig Supreme

By Jan van den Ende
Country: Scotland
Brand: Haig Supreme
Type: Blended Scotch Whisky
Age: NAS
ABV: 40 %
Colour: Amber
Nose:
The Grain whiskies make themselves known. I do wonder if I ever really will appreciate their Aroma. A bit of Malt and slightly Sour Sherry and lots of Oak, Nuts and Dried Fruits (mainly Apricot). A touch of Honey and Smoke. It's not too much really although it isn't as aggressive as some of the lower shelf Blends.
Palate:
Sweet at first with Sugared Orange Peel, Honey and Caramel but more dry and slightly bitter towards the end with Oak, Nuts, Pepper and Straw.
Finish:
Short and Dry with Oak, Caramel, Straw, Pepper, Nuts and a puff of Smoke.
Haig Supreme does not accept Water very well. Everything just gets watered down. Except for the fact that on the Nose the Dried Apricot becomes more evident.
Rating: 76,5
Nose: 20 - Taste: 19 - Finish: 18.5 - Overall: 19
General Remarks:
The oldest family name in Scotch Whisky is Haig. Robert Haig began distilling on a farm in 1627. To honour this remarkable heritage, John Haig & Co. of Edinburgh, Scotland/Diageo Group launched the Haig Supreme, a blended Scotch whisky made of 20 different Grain- & Malt Whiskies that aged in European Oak casks. It's not expensive at around 30 US Dollars.
Drinking Experience Neat: Okay
Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Okay
Conclusion:
This is not a bad choice if you are looking for a relatively cheap Blended Scotch whisky. It beats various competitors that are offered at this price level. I'll have this over JW Red anytime, especially neat. The Haig Supreme is NAS but I suspect that most whiskies used are between 5 and 8 years with probably a touch of older whiskies as well. So why don't you score it higher than I hear you ask. Because drinking these Blends neat doesn't give me any pleasure. Nothing of any interest is happening on my Palate. Just the same old Nuts, Dried Fruits and Oak with a bit of Caramel. Honey and Orange Peel. And always that slight Bitterness just around the corner. So if you are looking for a pleasant taste experience, look somewhere else. If you want to drink, you could certainly consider this. Or try a nice Bourbon for a change!