Buchanan's 12 De Luxe

Buchanan's 12 De Luxe

A review by Tommy Byrne

Overall rating: 8,2/10 (Blended whisky notation)

It’s interesting to see how segmented blended whisky brands are.  A top selling European brand such as J&B is very little known in Latin America, while a top selling brand in Latin America, like Buchanan's, is hardly recognized in Europe and in the rest of the world.  I was absolutely amazed about the huge fad surrounding Buchanan’s blended whiskies when I moved to Mexico.  With ambassadors such as Sting, Elton John, Bon Jovi and many Latin artists, their promotional campaigns reaches a huge number of consumers.   I had never heard about this brand in Canada or in Europe, but I soon realized that in the Latin America upper classes (mainly Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela), Buchanan 12, 18, 21 or Red Seal is the posh drink of choice…with lots of ice and mineral water!  No comments!

Buchanan's 12, also called the De Luxe version, is a gold/light amber whisky.  At first, it has a sharp and floral nose with hints of green apple and pineapple. After opening up, it develops a smooth nose with notes of white chocolate, nutmeg, light caramel and toffee.  The palate is amazingly smooth, some oak, cereals and leather are the most recognizable notes Not much going on there, but I guess that’s exactly the point. It has a short to medium finish.

This 12 years old expression of Buchanan's is probably the best blend in its own category; smoother than the Johnnie Walker Black Label and way more refined than the vulgar Chivas Regal 12.  On the down side, I believe it is way overpriced for a product with no or very little personality. Glenfiddich 12 is probably the best alternative for a better experience at the same price.  To my own experience, this blended whisky is bought not for its actual intrinsic qualities, but rather for the statement it is making in its top markets.   

Some thoughts on blends

Some thoughts on blends

By Tommy Byrne

Many purists will flay me for this, but I recently had a change in attitude vis-à-vis blends in general. It is true that the majority of blends are produced industrially. It is also widely admitted that they generally do not offer as much complexity as the majority of single malts. Often too expensive, their prices are mainly based on a rigorous marketing strategy funded by millions of dollars. However, it is not right to say that blends are inferior products strictly aimed at a market of uninitiated consumers.

All blends are not intended to be drunk neat in a Glencairn glass. Raising your eyebrows when spotting someone pouring a J & B, Johnnie Walker Red Label or Ballantine’s on the rocks and then adding mineral water or cola is foolish, because these blends are specially designed for mixology. Now, doing the same with a Johnnie Walker Green Label or a Buchanan's Red Seal is pretty stupid and you may lecture that person on the do’s and don’ts of whisky etiquette!

How many times I wish I could have had a simple glass of Jameson’s or Johnnie Walker Black Label in a tumbler instead of a young  Speyside malt with too many hints of green fruit, such as a Balblair 2000. With the rising popularity of single malts since the mid-90s, it is important to stress that the majority of whisky production has declined in quality. Major brands of single malts are over playing the card of their glorious past in their marketing department, and many whiskies are no longer quite the same, the Macallan distillery is a perfect example illustrating this point. This gives blends an advantage with their impressive consistency toward single malts. After all, there is a time for everything. A time to enjoy complex single malts carefully matured in fine sherry casks, and a time for blends, on those evenings when you do not want to break your head analyzing the many subtleties of our drink.

Johnnie Walker Black Label

Johnnie Walker Black Label

A review by Tommy Byrne

Overall rating: 8/10 – (Blended whisky notation)

There are so many ways to view Johnnie Walker’s whiskies. It’s by far the best-selling brand of blends in the world and it has been like this for a while. In the beginning of the 20^th century, while Coca-Cola was sold only in 3 countries, Johnnie Walker was already available in roughly 95 of countries (counting former colonies who are nowadays sovereign States). If the Red Label (the start of the line product of JW) is to my sense a terrible blend only to be mixed in a cocktail, it can’t be compared to its older brother in the line, the Black Label (JWBL). Made with roughly 40 whiskies aged at least for 12 years, JWBL is fine blend with interesting features, even for single malt initiés, like me, who despises Chivas Regal 12.

JWBL is a dark gold leaning toward amber blend with a fresh and sharp nose. First come notes of raisins, dried plums and apples, then some peat and Jerez (Fino) aromas. The palate is quite rich and round. Slightly toasted, the blend presents itself with a hint of burned honey, bitter chocolate and some leather. It finishes smoothly, but could last longer.

As I once heard on a television interview with a key person at Johnnie Walker’s, even if they don’t admit it, almost all distillers in Scotland have a bottle of JWBL hidden in their liquor cabinet. This makes a lot of sense, while a certain snobbism exists in the single malt community; JWBL uses more robust and complex single malts than its competitors. Though it’s no secret that Cardhu 12 and Caol Ila 12 are strong components of the JWBL structure, I’m quite sure that other distillers are always interested in figuring out how their own single malt comes out in this emblematic blend.

Suntory Hibiki 17 years old

Suntory Hibiki 17 years old

A review by Tommy Byrne

Overall rating: 9,5/10 - Good and Unique (Blended whisky notation)

As many western whisky enthusiasts, I discovered the Suntory whisky brand a few years ago thanks to Bill Murray’s sells pitch in Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translations: “For relaxing times, make it Suntory time”. Having first tried the Yamazaki 12 years old Single Malt, I had huge expectations from the brand who made me forget it was not actually drinking a true scotch whisky.

Swirling in my very favourite Glencairn glass, the old gold fluid already let you know you are dealing with an almost full body whisky. Starting with some dried bananas and apricots nosing notes, honeydew and pineapple soon appear after the first sip. While the toasted barley and dry fruits blends in with balance to an insinuation of toffee in the palate, I found it a little too sharp for a 17 years old whisky. However, the addition of a drop of water will definitely make up for it. Reaching the finishing line, we know we are dealing with a fine-aged product, it last remarkably in the mouth, reminding you that you are drinking a hundred dollar whisky.

I’ve never been a strong fan of scotch-type blended whiskies; they always seem to lack of a true essence and hide their original personality. Why blend this sweet nectar with an obscure array of distilled spirits, when the angels delightfully take their shares in the untainted form? Then again, let’s be clear, the 17 years old version of Suntory Hibiki is a great product made with a thorough process by Japanese master blenders who have perfectly reproduced the style and character of a Speyside whisky to my sense. Being an unconditional devotee to Islay Malts, I think that a stronger hint of peat would really transform this whisky into what some have already branded it: “The best whisky in the world”.