whisky | William’s Whisky Database

ABV: 46.3 %
Origin: South Africa
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and sour. At first there’s barley sugar and a malty note which feels unrefined and rough. Underneath there’s a sourness which is quite pronounced and it increases over time. There’s also an anise and/or liquorice note in the center and as time goes by honey and vanilla increases in intensity along the edges of the glass. It takes a while, but for those who take their time there are notes of violets and baked apples to be found. This is a good nose. It feels slightly unbalanced overall though.

Mouth: It starts out with a nice spicyness coating the mouth while the initial flavour impact feels a bit thin. It’s mostly liquorice and malt with a bitter background note at first. Then the sourness arrives and takes over the background which moves the bitterness forward a bit. It feels a bit boring at this point and it doesn’t seem to evolve at all. This is a bit disappointing. It’s not bad, just uneventful.

Finish: The finish starts out with a transition without spikes but it retains the spicyness in a nice way. First out is a slightly off-putting damp cloth note but then it really evolves into a great finish with a balance of sweet and sour with a fresh oakiness which doesn’t feel overpowering at all. It then delivers a nice dollop of fresh assorted fruits and the violets return on top. The last part of the finish is the best part of the journey. This is a very good whisky. It’s by no means perfect but it has some nice sides to it.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of old and new small american oak casks. This is the first release in the ”Master Distiller’s Private Collection.”

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first, vanilla and honey covers a base of assorted red berries and a tiny leathery peat note. After a few seconds black liquorice starts to come through. The flavours slowly build up to become very pronounced but nothing more really happens on the nose. It’s laid back from the start but really opens up with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out mild, and the first thing to come through is a dusty honey note. Soon after a maltiness comes through together with some fresh red berries and a spicyness finally shows up. The fruitiness gets more pronounced with strawberries and plums. The small peat note is still found, but it’s sitting a long way back. There’s also a salty note somewhere in the middle of the palate.

Finish: A mix of the leathery peat note and dark fruits flare up. Now it’s ripe plums and raisins and they are accompanied by honey and vanilla. It takes a while for the oak to come through, and when it does it’s quite discreet. It’s sitting underneath the peat note and the dark fruits a long way down the line. It’s a nutty oakiness with hazelnuts. It’s juicy and there’s no astringency. The finish is without question the best part. This is a good solid whisky, but a bit muted and uneventful overall.

Additional information
The Ambassador’s Choice was originally only released in Sweden. It’s aged for 10 years in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks made out of american oak.

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