Tasting one Laphroaig

A Laphroaig from 1998, matured in a sherry butt, I don't think I've ever experienced such a young Laphroaig entirely from sherry wood before.



















Laphroaig 13yo 1998-2011 61.5% Van Wees "The Ultimate..." cask#700348 btl.43/555

The color on this one is mahogany orange/brown. It smells of sweet sherry, syrup, caramel, cinnamon, oranges, bbq glaze, stewed onions, earthy, burnt clay, cough mixture, coffee drops, very nice one initially. Then the peat hits like a bomb and totally blocks out anything but peat, smoke, coal, salt and rubber. The taste is sweet sherry, not unlike Glenfarclas or even Macallan at first, then after 0.7 seconds it turns volatile with extreme peaty character, smoke, coal, bitter herbs, raw onions, salt, peppery, iodine, cough syrup, textbook Laphroaig in my opinion. The finish is salty, tarry, long, and again what a Laphroaig should be like. This is macho whisky, for macho whisky drinkers, that can handle extreme peat. Now you're warned! It seems to me, that the high alcohol level and sherry influence enhances the peat as that character is much more effervescent (excuse my language) in this than any other 1998 Laphroaigs I've had, which all have been from bourbon casks of course. What's really fun about this one is that even at this strength, undiluted, it has no spirity notes at all.

One great Laphroaig, superb stuff: 8



Next tasting: Lagavulin Distillery

Tasting 1 Aberlour A'bunad

Another heavily sherried youngster from oloroso wood in the most popular A'bunadh-series. There's been quite some whiskies in this series, but I hope they keep some of these oloroso casks to bottle as single casks in ten or twenty years from now. I believe only Aberlour knowns

















Aberlour NAS 59.8% OB A'bunadh batch#30

The color is amber brown, nice color, but not as dark as I remember the first batches. I believe Aberlour is one of the lucky few distilleries that's fixed themselves up with a constant flow of sherry casks through an owned plant. This one smells of honey, white wine, pencil shavings, coal, rubber, bitter, yarn, cotton, earthy, licorice, this seems quite thin and earthy, iron, steel, strange whisky coming from oloroso casks. Weird one so far, I would've liked some sweetness, rich, fruit, cinnamon or just anything else assembling a sherried character in this one. This seems more like some refill port wood. The taste is bitter, rubbery, charcoal, grape kernels, earthy, black cheese mould, acrylic paint, this is quite unpleasant, lets add some water. The taste is now lighter, unripe cherries, bitter white wine, sulfur, rubber, a bit of light sweetness initially on the palate this time around, in that case water helps quite a bit, but after that it slips back to its neat ways of rubbery misery.

My biggest disappointment from this series so far: 2.5



Next tasting: Laphroaig Distillery

Tasting Kilchoman for Denmark

Danish whisky importers F.C. Whisky have established a good relationship with Kilchoman Distillery which are regularly bottling single casks exclusively for them. I have two in my collection, let's try one of them today.


















Kilchoman 3yo 2008-2011 61% OB cask#400 Eclusively bottle for FC Whisky Denmark #5

The fifth single cask bottling for FC Whisky Denmark by Kilchoman, I'm also in possesion of the 6th one, having tried the 3th and 4th in Denmark last year I thought they were just a bit raw and young for me. This one comes from a bourbon cask, and it is 100% Islay, which means all in this production except the yeast comes from Islay. A bit like the Inaugural release, but at cask strength. Must remember that this is a very young whisky. The color is white wine. It smells of vanilla, flour sugar, peat, sweet yoghurt, minty, chewing gum, not much peat character here. Only about 20% of Kilchoman's malting is one on their premises, the rest is bought from Port Ellen maltings. The difference is that Kilchomans own maltings have a significantly lower peat level at only 20ppm. So perhaps this whisky is mainly produced by Kilchomans own maltings. The taste is sweet, vanilla, marzipan, vanilla ice cream, butter cookies and peat(!). This is very sweet and light, far from Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Port Charlotte and such, this reminds me more of young bourbon casked Taliskers actually. Cadenhead's had a couple of them. The peatiness is kind of drying and sweet, dry white wine, a peculiar one. I have to emphasize that this whisky is only 3 years old, but for a 3yo it could stand up as a winner amongst many of the 12yo's I've had. Great stuff!

Certainly an active bourbon cask: 6.5



Next tasting: Aberlour Distillery

Tasting the 24yo Fettercairn

I must first say that this is the oldest Fettercairn I've bough what OB's are concerned, and if you want reviews on the 30yo and 40yo you'll have to look someplace else. The reason it that they're just too expensive for me to buy at this stage of my life. What the future holds, no one knows. I must admit I was a bit thrown off when Fettercairn launched these old whiskies alongside a NAS whisky with both peat and heavy sherry influences. But I was pleasantly surprised by the Fior, so this might be a smart move by Whyte & MacKay? Crossing my fingers..










Fettercairn 24yo 44.4% OB

The color on this one is amber, lighter than the Fior if you do your decisions by color. It smells of leather, honey, sweet, caramel, burnt sugar (same thing?), oily, maize, cream, corn starch, potato starch, led, mashed potatoes, turnips, sauer-kraut, asparagus, chives, a very vegetal 24yo. The taste is malty, bitter, maize, wheat, leather, very straight-forward, but a malt enjoy on most occasions as long as it isn't too special. I'd say this one has the caliber of an everyday dram, and for this price, but the very pompous box and the rather high pricing makes it a rather bad buy.

I doubt Fettercairn is on its way to redemption with todays standard range: 6



Next tasting: Kilchoman Distillery

Tasting one Ardmore from three casks

There aren't many bottlings released in G&M's Cask-series anymore, but when they do I hope they still, like often before, knows to choose great casks. An young Ardmore surely is a whisky that would be wasted at 46%abv.


















Ardmore 14yo 1991-2006 57.9% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#6158,6159,6160

A mix of three neighboring casks, and a bottling that's still quite available even though being bottled more than 6 years ago. I do not know why there is only a NAS bottling available from the distillery at this moment, perhaps they've sold too much older stock to IB's and blenders? The Ardmore Traditional Cask is however, not a fair representative of the quality Ardmore is capable of. Buts lets see how this one fares. The color is wheat golden. It smells of peat and vanilla, I must say that very few highlanders carry peat as well as Ardmore. Some fresh marshmallow and wheat, light smoky notes, vanilla, citrussy, lemon icing, peach. The taste is sweet, vanilla, banana jam, raspberry, fig jam, burnt sugar, peaty, intense peat, but not smoke-driven peat, more raw peaty notes. Very sweet and gentle for an Ardmore, this is even a bit nervous malt. Needs some water to open up. Now it turns more raw, grassy, dusty, bitter, paint, oily, lacquer, kinda spirity, some wax and leather too. I wouldn't add water to this if I knew the consequences. Its perfectly good bare, but if you're looking for a lavish malt more so as to a lightly sip-able dram, this one is not for you.

A fun, recreational dram, one to enjoy at the races, not at the opera: 6.5



Next tasting: Fettercairn Distillery


(And yes, this dusty glass was for photo purpose only)

Tastin one young Laphroaig

Just one Laphroaig to catch a break after the very good Strathisla, Highland Park, Longmorn and Glenlivets that I just had.





















Laphroaig 7yo 2001-2009 57.6% The Whisky Trader btl.49/120

A bottling bottled for german online shop Getränke Welt-Weiser by Signatory. Or at least that is what I've heard. If thats the case, the name sure fits well. The color is dark golden. It smells of vanilla, peat, honey, sulphur, pistachio, tobacco, sugar, syrup, peat, smoky, butter. Not as medicinal as you'd expect from such a young Laphroaig. The taste is oaky, butter, sulphur, cotton, wool, old fabric, cheddar, oily, grapefruit, lighter red wine, zinfandel?. The finish is long, peppery, peaty, honey, straw, wheat, burnt, licorice, phenols, kinda over-oaked for only 7yo. I'd love for this one to have a bit more of that iodine smoky medicinal coastal notes, but as for now, its just a bit hard to handle.

Sweet one, sulphury syrup, honey, keeps going this one: 5.5


Next tasting: Ardmore Distillery

Tasting Old, Older and Oldest Glenlivet

I've saved this tasting for awhile, some very rare and old whisky. Actually the second oldest vintage I've ever tasted, 1946 Glenlivet, beaten only by a 1938 Mortlach. Also a Glenlivet "pure malt" called Highland Lady that I'm very curious about.




Glenlivet 22yo 1968-1990 50.1% Signatory Vintage cask#4828,4829 btl.256/1300

One of the very early bottlings from Signatory, many of them were great and established SV as an attractive indie. I think that more recent bottlings often holds more average quality. The color is golden. It smells of vanilla, peaty, peppery, flinty, concrete dust, malty, minty, toothpaste, basil leaves, extremely fresh for its age, but not in any way does it seem any younger than 22yo. Rich and minty sweetness. The taste is sweet, mandarin, honey, butter, stewed onions, butterscotch, dry white wine, fino sherry with less bitter notes, sulphur, smoked barley, cured ham. The finish is peppery, sweet, caramel, dark chocolate, creamy and coffee.

Superb Glenlivet, good there was a big number of bottles from these casks: 9


Glenlivet 28yo 1977-2005 53.6% James MacArthur's Old Master's cask#19753

These Old Master's bottlings from J.McA are a must-have for anyone that want to try older great whisky without spending a couple of pay-checks and still get that old quality which is so rare these days. But not all are shining stars. The color is golden. It smells of malt, citrus, spirity, ginger, lemon peel, oregano, bail, cumin, a lot of cumin going on here. Rather short nose compared to the SV. The taste is sweet, honey, vanilla, banana, creamy, not creamy like dairy cream, more like honey thick. After that initial sweetness it turns peppery, pistachio, a bit burnt and it has a rather peppery, oaky and burnt finish, which is really a nice contrast to the intensely sweet start. Balances this one out perfectly.

Great stuff, just lacks that magic old style of the 1968: 8.5


Glenlivet 21yo 56% OB/IB? Highland Lady

This says Pure Malt, but since the label states "Glenlivet" I'm assuming its a single malt. The underline text says "Glenlivet... long in wood... mild as milk and the true contraband gout on it" Elizabeth Grant Memoirs of a Highland Lady. I should've done some more research on this bottling, but that might ruin some of my growing curiosity when it comes to this whisky. The color is amber brown. It smells of raisins, mandarins, oily, cigars, malt syrup, honey, lavender, olives, dark grapes, dry red wine, tannic, marzipan, lamp oil, I could go on and on, but I guess this is the sort of malt that carries so much scents that everyone would come up with different notes. Superb stuff! The taste is leather, sweet, honey, cinnamon, oranges, butter, toffee, zinfandel red wine, oysters, caramel, ashes, tea, peaches, heather, vanilla, meringues, little by little I'm discovering there is such a thing as a perfect sherried whisky.

All about this whisky I'll never know, and that's probably best: 10


Glenlivet 25yo 1976-2001 59.9% James MacArthur's Old Master's cask#4311

Bottled one year before the rather excellent 1977 from same series of same bottler. But with a much higher strength. How will it compare? The color is amber orange, borderline light brown. It smells of fresh thyme, flinty, butter, minty, ashes, cigar smoke, coal, vanilla, licorice, pistachio, basil. This is one of them that leans on the edge between perfection and "almost there". The taste is creamy, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, oaky, butter, caramel, raw onions, kiwi, red wine, vinegar, slightly perfumy. The finish is burnt, peppery, honey, drying.

I'd say this just edges the 1977, but very different: 9


Glenlivet 50yo 1946-1996 40% Gordon & Macphail

The label states this as "Rare Highland Malt", I guess the rare part is just because of its age, as Glenlivet really is one of the most available whiskies out there. After tasting the prior ones it this session, it'll be hard to to anyone, really. But this should be a bit special, and if bottled today it'd probably be at CS. The color is amber. It smells creamy and buttery, sweet vanilla, floral, raspberry jam, orange chutney, indian light spices, turmeric, garam masala (I know its a mix), and cardamum, even some cinnamon and fish stock in this one. The taste is clean, leather, red paprika, chili, spices, orange zest, honey, vanilla, figs, dates, white grapes. This is absolutely superb, one of them whiskies you probably only get one chance to try, and if at CS, I'd guess it'd be a 10'er, but as of now, it just seems a tad too mundane.

Superb, the quality is beyond anything Glenlivet could accomplish today, I think: 9.5



Next tasting: Laphroaig Distillery


PS: http://www.dcs.ed.ac.uk/home/jhb/whisky/gleanings/hilady.htm

Tasting Old, Older & Oldest Strathisla

I've been really looking forward to this and the next tasting. This one, Strathisla, and then some even older and rarer Glenlivet. Strathisla first, a big contributor to the Chivas blends, and on its own, often a slow paced sherry-driven whisky that handles a lot of water and improves even further if you're patient.



Strathisla 37yo 1965-2002 51.7% James MacArthur's Old Master's

I will not taste these whiskies in the direction the title implies, but rather start with the lightest alcohol level and finish with the strongest, as usual here on maltdiary.com. The color is amber orangey. It smells of honey, licorice, oak, cedar wood, vanilla, grassy, feints, hints of leather, camomile, tea, heather, floral, juniper, dust, rustic, sand, flinty, old warehouse, concrete. A real aristocrat, never vile, but still very dominant. A whisky that would be dangerous when nosing in group sessions as it'd be talked about and referred to ever since. The taste is sweet, oaky, prunes, phenolic to the max, sulphur in loads. This is somewhat over-oaked for my palate, but I know a few people who'd love it. I'll add some water. Now it turns sweeter, more prunes, raisins, peppery, sulphury, a lot of sherry notes, bitter, salty licorice, really austere, lots of rubbery notes, and to be fair, quite hard to enjoy.

One to nose for hours, talk about, and then drink if you love bitter sherry: 6.5


Strathisla 18yo 1974-1992 57.8% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#2206,2207

Amer orange hue, a bit darker than the 1965. It smells of peat, smoke, honey, banana, peppery, spicy, smoked paprika, grilled onions and mushrooms, gasoline, chorizo, a lot of that smoky red paprika here, sweet and salty, give this one time and you'll be rewarded. The taste is leather upon leather, smoke and oil, a bit burning initially, rubber, phenolic, peppery, glue, cotton. With water added it turns more bitter, more phenolic, sulphur, peppery, chili oil, really a hot one, to keep warm with in winter time?

Another sherry monster from Strathisla: 6


Strathisla 41yo 1970-2011 59.6% Malts of Scotland / The Whisky Agency

A joint bottling, which if I'm correct, means they've vatted some, maybe just two, casks together for this bottling. Sherry matured, and by the high strength despite low age, this might be one of those great old sherried ones. I remember having a 30-something Inchgower at 65+%abv, which was superb. The color is dark brown. It smells of cinnamon, black peppery, cough mixture, syrup, honey, leather, sawdust, oloroso sherry, butter, gingerbread, quite fantastic old style mellow sherry. The taste is sweet, oloroso, honey, mustard, lemon rind, cinnamon, chili, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, emmental cheese, oregano, basil, earthy. Keeps impressing me. Time to add some water for sake of research. Now it turns more peppery, mustard, blackberries, apricot, apple seeds, oloroso sherry, black pepper, nutty.

I'd say, if a sherry freak, this is that one you can't live without: 8.5


Strathisla 22yo 1972-1995 61.8% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#7520,7521,7522,7523

A mix of four different casks. Distiller pre and bottled past the 1974 from G&M, I wonder why? At a very high strength for this age indeed. From some very tight casks? The ones I like the best? Really, really, really? If I were a dog right now I'd waggle my tail, but the human putting on the boots doesn't always mean a walk, or? The color is golden, the lightest one in this session. It smells of peppery, vanilla and earthy notes, some mint, sage, fresh thyme, lime juice, lavender oil, blackberries, honey, grassy, bitter, potato spirit, caraway, this is a totally different kind of beast. The taste is sweet, oily, perfumy, banana, vanilla, honey, heather, most definitively some great bourbon casks in this one, more on oak, gin, vanilla and sour notes of mango, oranges and lemon shows in the finish. Quite an unusual, but rather superb Strathisla.

Seems Strathisla also works in bourbon wood: 8



Next tasting: Glenlivet Distillery

Tasting 6 Highland Parks

I had a great session with some older sherried HP's from Grdon & Macphail's Cask series a while back. All above 8 points. 4 young ones from the same series in this session, but I have no clue what wood is used. And two older ones to get them going.





Highland Park 23yo 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask

Not that many HP's in this range, strange as sherried casks seems to be their speciality. The color on this one is dark amber. It smells honey, cinnamon, barbecue sauce, mustard, toffee, vanilla cream, hot chocolate, phenolic, swiss cheese, musty, most certainly a rather active sherry cask. The taste is caramel, honey, spicy cinnamon, chili, peat, leather, oak, musty, dry cider, tannic. Unmistakably a sherried Highland Park. The finish is peppery, rubber, earthy, bitter, lime rind.

Old school sherry bomb: 7


Highland Park 30yo 48.1% OB

I've tried the 40yo and was quite satisfied, but even more so with the 25yo, will this be a mix between the two? The color is brown-orange, sort of dirty looking. It smells of sweet cinnamon, gingerbread, honey, butter, raisins, wheat buns, fresh pastry, vanilla sugar, pear drops. The taste is smoky, peppery, honeyed, cinnamon, a bit lower sherry profile on this one, sweeter, lighter than the DL. Some nutty, sweet vinegar, grassy, austere, not too pleasant I'm afraid. Or, wait, let me rephrase that, it's just a bit too pleasant. This lacks some real coastal aromas and maybe some peat, reminds me of some light sherried speysiders.

This is not value for money in my opinion, but a very fine whisky it is: 6


Highland Park 12yo 1982-1994 56.9% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#784,785,786,788

Four different casks mixed together in this one, anyone knows what happened to #787? The color is amber golden. It smells of sea salt, seaweed, white pepper, onion, honey, mashed potatoes, peppery, earthy, clay, orange zest, dark minced meat, garlic, lamb stock. The taste is sweet, vanilla, peppery, PEATY(!), like some Islay peat in this one, Lagavulin and Ardbeg comes to mind, butter, raw onions, coriander, lemon grass, black pepper, this is a whisky that seems to come from another Island, really a great macho peat-bomb. Much to my liking. Maybe HP is a bit like Laphroaig, it used to taste more of peat a couple decades back.

This style should be re-invented on Orkney: 9


Highland Park 10yo 1983-1993 58.6% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#884,887

100 casks later, let's buy another one, but it seems they've bottled it a year earlier. I'm hoping for another excellent HP. Amber color, a bit darker than the 1982. It smells of peat, honey, cigar smoke, burnt oak, spirity, cauliflower mash, cream, bitter, vodka, cranberry juice, earthy. The taste is caramel, dark chocolate, honey, ripe oranges, nectarine, peppery, blueberry jam, dark grapes, where the 1982 excelled on both levels, this one is quite better on the palate, but what a palate! The finish is peaty, peppery and a lot of dry cinnamon and camphor.

The palate is of the best kind, can't go any lower on this one: 9


Highland Park 10yo 1989-1999 60% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#2871,2872

Another one from this great series. More close to the modern HP's as its distilled in closer proximity to now? Some cask sediments in this one, did G&M pull a Cadenhead's? The color is white wine. It smells of vanilla, wheat, rye, spirity notes, gasoline, burnt oak, austere, some young Ledaig have shared some of the difficulties this one struggles with. Obviously from a very lazy cask. The taste is warming, sweet, vanilla, honey, watermelon, white grapes, more vanilla, flour sugar, meringues, butter, cream, butter and sugar mixed, this superb sweet spirit, even though its not very complex it has this sweet zing which really makes it stand apart from many others. The nose then, its a bit of a freak-show.

Good and interesting palate, but it smells of new-make: 6.5


Highland Park 9yo 1987-1997 63.7% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#15474,15475,15476,15477,15490,15491,15492

Seems the first batch of these casks #15474-15477 were distilled in july 1987, whilts the rest were distilled in october 1987, which means not all whisky in this bottling was bottled 10yo. The color is light golden. It smells of moss, wet grass, spirity, burnt, austere, seaweed, honeysuckle, butter, burnt orange zest, peat smoke, damp, ashes. Remember, this is 63%abv, and for that, this is very little spirity. The taste is peach, pears, watermelon, vanilla, hay, very sweet and light, one of those active young bourbon cask(s)? It's sweet, light, fruity, and far from what you might initially think when seeing a whisky over 60%abv. In this session it reminds me mostly of the 16yo OB, without the off-notes.

Light and easy HP, but dangerous: 6



Next tasting: Strathisla Distillery

Tasting 4 Longmorns from various IB's

The most acclaimed in many peoples eyes, importer of spirits to Norway, mr Jon Bertelsen once discussed the distilleries on offer in Norway with me on a forum, having imported some quite shocking whisky from Loch Lomond Dustillery. I compared the swedish market to the norwegian and pointed out that many more distilleries are to be found in Sweden. mr J.B. (not me) stated that the whiskies that were not on the norwegian market weren't there due to being considered of inferior quality. I believe that Longmorn, which was not to be found in Norway at that time, is a much superior whisky to Loch Lomond anyhow you put it. There, now I've said it. Thankfully there is now a bottling of Longmorn from Adelphi available in Norway.



Longmorn 15yo 1974-1989 46% Signatory Vintage cask#85/194-101 btl.751/1000

Anyone who can crack this cask code? Some evaporation in this one. The color is amber. It smells of peat, oaky, dry licorice, gingerbread, sweet peat, smoky, butter, cream, vanilla. A whisky that suits the christmas season? The taste is sweet, gingerbread, peaty, butter, onions, creamy, the sherry wood starts talking now, red wine, garlic, olive oil, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, malty, basil. This is a great old style sherried Longmorn, one to be on the lookout for.

Top quality and perhaps not that expensive?: 8.5


Longmorn NAS 1976 54.7% James MacArthur's Old Master's

I haven't been able to find any cask numbers or bottling date for this one. The color is amber orange, turns hazy immediately. It smells bitter, burnt grease, oil, leather, smoky, orange zest, creamy, dark chocolate, butterscotch. I wish I had more information about this one as I'd immediately start searching for a full bottle, and I haven't even tasted it. The taste is sweet, cinnamon, honey, earthy, peppery, licorice, red berries, feta cheese, olive oil, butter, garlic. The smokiness is a bit less prominent than in the SV, but that leaves room for more sweetness and honey, and how could that be wrong? The finish is sweet cardamum, cinnamon, honey, peat, wax and cigars.

Wow, I can't find anything to criticize in this one: 10


Longmorn-Glenlivet 12yo 57% Gordon & Macphail for the US Market

If I'm right, this is a bottling from the 80's, so perhaps not far off the prior two vintages. The color is bronze brown. It smells of dry sherry, sweet, nutty, cinnamon, definitively a lot of sherry oak used to produce this one. The taste is honey, sweet, perfumy, cinnamon, almonds, syrup, heather, coffee, dark chocolate, butter, red bell peppers, dried paprika, tomato soup. Once again its a superb whisky from Longmorn, I wonder how the more recent batches will compare to these older stars.

Superb whisky, if just a little too sherried for me, close to perfection: 9.5


Longmorn 11yo 1984-1995 60.7% Cadenhead's

The youngest (probably) and closest to modern Longmorn in this session. There's been some excellent youngsters from Cadenhead's, especially St. Magdalenes. The color is amber orange, not far from the one from JMcA. It smells of white wine, smoke, peat, why do I get these peaty notes, I thought that Longmorn was an un-peated whisky. This one is more fresh, herbs, grassy, sweet, sage, lime, pears, great stuff, but a bit unlikely considering the heavily sherry influenced ones I've had in this session. Perhaps it was time for a change. This one has a fascinating fruity coastal character. The taste is leather, cinnamon, orange zest, burnt, clay, needs water I believe. With three teaspoons added it turns sweeter, more sulphury, esters, bitter, not better, but more bitter. If you like your whiskies bitter, add water to this one.

This one lacks some sherry zing in comparison, but neat its a very good whisky: 7.5



Next tasting: Highland Park Distillery

Tasting 4 young Highland parks and an older one

The fact that HP can be excellent at all ages is no question about, horrible intro, let's taste!












Highland Park 8yo 40% The Macphail's Collection, Gordon & Macphail

An alternative to the Connoisseur's Choice series? The color is golden. It smells of peat, tarry, seaweed, smoke, ashes, spirity, bitter licorice. The taste is heather, spirity, caramel, small peaty notes, salty, ginger, perfumy. A quite short aftertaste and all in all a rather short experience.

Young and raw-ish HP: 3.5


Highland Park 10yo 40% The Whisky Connoisseur

TWC usually bottles at CS, perhaps there's a valid reason this one's bottled at 40%abv? The color is amber golden. It smells sweet, caramel, honey, cocoa, peaty, bitter, herbal, medicinal. The taste is sweet, spicy, onions, vinegar, maize, peppery, spirity, also this one is rather short and lacks a finish.

Same as the 8yo: 3.5


Highland Park 8yo 1986-1994 43% The Ultimate, Van Wees cask#92 btl.318/600

Another low strength youngster, will this fare any better? The color is amber. It smells of leather and tobacco, oak, sawdust, spice, rum, burnt notes, camphor, syrup and honey. This is a vast improvement, at least on the nose. The taste is herbal, spirity, bitter, dark chocolate, green olives, raisins, dry, hay, salty, lime juice.

Certainly an unlikely, but just as interesting HP. One to try!: 5.5


Highland Park 20yo 1975-1995 43% Signatory Vintage cask#1294,1295 btl.1842/2080

20 years on oak should make for an interesting Highland Park. A shame that watering down old whisky was that easy back in the days. Well, its not any harder today but you know what I mean. The color is golden. It smells butter, honey peat smoke, cigars, oranges, vanilla, malt syrup. This a profile likely that you'll recognize in many older HP's. More caramel as time goes by. The taste is sweet, vanilla, raisins, peat smoke, oily, rich, cauliflower, rhubarb, cream, sweet yoghurt, zesty, grapefruit, sea salt, shrimps. Yes, this is good HP! The finish is peppery, burnt notes, gingerbread, honey and peat.

Get one of these before they're gone, great stuff: 8.5


Highland Park 13yo 1992-2005 50% James MacArthur's Old Master's

I've never had a Highland Park from James MacArthur's before, should be good stuff. Golden color. It smells of leather and tobacco, shoe polish, waxy, diesel, perfume, chili oil, cinnamon. The taste is sweet, vanilla, bananas, mushrooms, honey, mango chutney, sweet'n'sour sauce, port wine reduction, pears, sour leaves. Superb stuff once again from J.McA, I wish they still released as many whiskies as berfoe, they might do, but them bottles goes elsewhere if that.

I bet this comes from a bourbon cask, and what a cask!: 8.5



Next tasting: Longmorn Distillery

Tasting 4 Glenlivets, some younger and some older distillate

Glenlivet is a distillery of great past, but perhaps more of a standard presence. They've created a bit of a fuzz with their Nadurra bottlings, but they're far from the frontrunner of scotch single malts that they once used to be. Mostly young whiskies in this session, I'll have another one with older Glenlivets in not too long.

Glenlivet 12yo 40% OB French Oak Finish

Finished in French Limousin Oak it says. I believe this is the predecessor to the recent 15yo French Oak Reserve. The color is amber brown. It smells of wheat, smoky, leather, oak impact, kinda foul, winey, nothing attracts me in this one. Sulphury, yeast, paint, vegetal. The taste is sweet, honey, vanilla, stewed onions, bittersweet, licorice, honeycorn cereal. Not bad actually, a light and sweet whisky, perhaps not as much wine influence as they initially hoped for, but it would please most whisky-lovers.

Light and easy whisky, superbly smooth and dangerously drinkable: 6.5


Glenlivet 18yo 1972-1990 53.7% Cadenhead's

Six more years, at CS, but no fancy finishing. And did I mention it was distilled probably just over 40 years ago? The color is grey-ish golden. It smells of tobacco, sour leaves, rhubarb, honey, cinnamon, egg yolk, bitter herbs, straw, peppery, superb! The taste is honey, cinnamon, spicy, bitter, leather, biscuits, dry white wine, strawberries, lemon juice, this is really a great Glenlivet, one of the best Glenlivets I've had. I wonder if this comes from a fino cask? Remember, although not stating any cask reference, which really has little value to the average whisky drinker, they always bottle single casks.

Great Glenlivet: 8.5


Glenlivet 12yo 1996-2008 57.8% James MacArthur's Old Master's

Another fairly recent bottling of a Glenlivet youngster. This time at CS. A fun fact is that some of these James MacArthur's miniatures have screw tops designed to be screwed to the left, which would fit for a left-handed connoisseur more than a right-handed one. Why? I have no idea!!! The color on this one is golden. It smells of bitter notes, honey, eucalyptus, mint, vanilla, oregano, basil, heather, almonds. The taste is floral, honey, sweet, aniseed, vanilla, spearmint, peppery and a bit spirity, but this is first and foremost a sweet after-dinner drink.

Actually its a pretty perfect light-weighter: 7.5


Glenlivet 16yo 1978-1994 58.6% Gordon & Macphail cask#4814,4815,4816

Another old youngster, this time from the ranks of Gordon & Macphail, and thankfully bottled at CS. I must say I've been very pleasantly surprised by Glenlivet in this session, let's hope it continues. The color is amber orange. It smells of strong peppery and honey notes. Butter, creamy, bitter, almonds, nutty, perfumy, herbs, licorice, raw onions, butter, salty. The taste is dark chocolate, honey, bitter, spirity, vodka, leather, butter, wine, peaty. This is a bit hard to follow, very raw, needs a bit of water to open up I think. Now it turns more bitter, heavy coffee notes and licorice, bitter liqueurs, fernet branca.

Definitively the outcast of the bunch, for experienced whisky drinkers: 5.5



Next tasting: Highland Park Distillery

Tasting 4 Strathisla, one older and 3 young strong ones

These 3 young and one older whiskies will be followed by 4 older ones later on. Time to see the difference between older and more modern distillate from Strathisla? Nothing distilled on this side of the millennium anyway.






Strathisla 28yo 1976-2004 45% Samaroli cask#3480

The biggest source for older Strathisla these days are Gordon & Macphail. They've had a lot of 40 and more year olds in the past couple of years. We don't see many Samaroli bottlings these days. Let's hope they'll make a rebound on the market soon. The color on this one is amber/orange. It smells of wheat, onions, licorice, hay, burnt notes, eraser, burnt oak, blueberries, blue cheese, coffee, cocoa. The taste is very light, tea, linseed oil, cucumbers, pickled apples, tannic, caramel, white wine, wine gum, not far from some older Chivas Regals actually.

Not a demanding malt, hardly complex, but easily enjoyable: 6


Strathisla 12yo 1989-2002 61.3% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#9411

From a sherry cask. The color is white wine, very pale, perhaps from a fino cask? A fair amount of cask sediments as well. It smells of leather, tobacco, vanilla, eucalyptus, mint, phenols, dark grapes, very fresh and clean. I'd say its certainly one of the better noses I've had without being too oak-driven. The taste is white pepper, metallic, grape seeds, cinnamon, vanilla, grassy, this clean, good, fun, absolutely superb whisky in its right element. But put it together with something just a bit spicy or smoky and it'll fall through.

I'm a bit torn here, its quaffable and fun, but how enjoyable is it?: 8


Strathisla 14yo 1989-2004 62.8% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#9413

From a sherry hogshead, jut one cask apart from neighboring the 61.3%. The color is amber brown, once again with a good amount of cask sediments. From another type of sherry cask? It smells of charcoal, peat, butter, garlic, celery, dried apples, fruit gum, phenolic, rubbery. The taste is perfectly meaty, thick, peppery, beetroot, wildflowers, honey, butter, mashed potatoes, strawberries, nutty, lemon rind, spicy cinnamon. This is super, I wonder why there are not many more young CS Strathislaes around.

Great whisky, and surely at an affordable price: 9


Strathisla 7yo 1989-1997 64.5% Clydesdale cask#9408

Once again from a nearby cask to the other 1989's in this session. I do however not know what kind of cask is used here. The color is matte golden. It smells of sawdust, floral notes, bananas, banana liqueur, vanilla, peppermint, fresh, melon, jackfruit, sweet and fruity. Suggests more maturity than 7 years. The taste is peppery, smoky, ripe red apples, onion, malty, wheat, pineapple, sweet'n'sour, lemonade. Long and peppery finish with notes of iced sugar, honey and tortilla chips. How good are these young Strathislas?

Certainly some active casks from 1989 at Strathisla: 8



Next tasting: Longmorn Distillery