Quite a few Wardhead 1997 have popped out in recent years, Wardhead being the name of 'teaspooned', thus vatted, Glenfiddich-based blended malt. But did you ever spot anyone carrying teaspoons at any Scottish whisky facility, except at tea-time? Colour: straw. Nose: they're all a little rustic and grassy, peely, on apples and green pears, then lager and a little sourdough. No exception here. With water: fresh bread, a little plaster, oats, chalk, porridge sweetened with honey… Mouth (neat): malt whisky exactly au naturel, with some barley, soft liquorice, apple juice, apple pie, ale and orange zests. Perhaps for barley freaks. With water: it swims extremely well on the palate, gaining wideness and assertiveness (please explain, S.) Even more sweet barley and ales, which I find lovely. Finish: medium, very barley-y and kougelhopfy (you're hopeless, S.) Almonds and pistachio syrup in the aftertaste. Comments: it took its time but water helped a lot, esp. on the palate. Well done, Mahalia Jackson! (because she's Mahalia Jackson on the label, is she not? Sarah Vaughan? Ella?)
BOW (88.50)
serie 2.3 artwork and design by Hans Dillesse.
Unlike what the label claims, this in fact a teasponed (blended) malt.
Malt Fascination (89)
As far as blended malts go, this one keeps things very close. It’s 99.999% Glenfiddich with a teaspoon of Balvenie, if that has even been added and not only stated to have been added. Anyway, it’s not the first Wardhead, and hopefully it won’t be the last either. Or Fiddichside, I’ll take either one!
Michiel Wigman bottled this almost three years ago and since I was a participant back then, I automatically got a bottle and an invoice. While I loved getting the bottles, the surprise invoices were not really my cup of tea…
Sniff:
Lots of classical notes with straw, barley, vanilla and oak. It’s quite dry with fruity notes of apple and pear. A whiff of orange zest too. Tangerines, more and more fruit as it opens up.
Sip:
A dry palate, with initially lots of things like barley, oak shavings, an apple seed bitterness. There’s an orange bitterness too, but that kicks in a little bit later. Citrus, zest, some hessian too.
Swallow:
The finish is pretty long with lots of the same dry notes as the palate. Very long even, with a citrus seed bitterness. The pear and apple are left behind, and hessian and tobacco leaves are added.
If you want sort-of affordable classic whiskies like older Glenfiddich, this one is a very good one.. I love that it’s not overly sweet and shows a lot of different smaller flavors to be discovered. It’s like a careful composition of subtlety.
