Historic Distilleries: Brora

This perhaps the most hyped lost distillery, much due to online praise, high prices and very few bottlings being available.





Brora 26yo 1982-2008 43% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

Starting with a pretty modern bottling from G&M, perhaps one of the last watered down Broras to be bottled? The color is light golden. It smells heather, herbal, waxy, perfumy, stewed onions, ashes, earthy, damp smoke, peat. The taste is peppery, licorice, salmi, honey, ginger, waxy, perfumy, earthy, tary, peaty, hay, vanilla, ashes, herbal liqueur. The finish is peppery, licorice, sweet gums, honey, oranges. I won't add water to this, as its already done by the bottler and I can't imagine it getting much better, rather the opposite.

A rare star amongst newer CC-bottlings: 9


Brora 18yo 1981-2000 43% Signatory Vintage cask#1081 btl.1582/1850

Lets hope for another revelation from a series that seems a bit under the weather these days, aka the "no colouring, no chill-filtration" series by Signatory. The color is golden. It smells herbal, waxy, raw onions, roasted almonds, acidic, oaky, peppery. The taste is buttery, ashes, rubbery, bitter, salty, nowhere nears the CC. This is much lighter and more one-dimensional. Lets add some water. Now it turns sweeter, vanilla, waxy, sugar, wheat.

No zing here, monotonous stuff: 5.5


Brora 24yo 1981-2006 46% Chieftains cask#1522

One that comes from a cream sherry butt, again I find it hard to understand why they watered this down to 43%, but rumor has it its a very unlikely Brora. The color is amber orange. It smells rubbery, coffee beans, ashes, burnt, salty, burnt rubber. The taste is spicy, nutty, ashes, rubbery, phenolic, drying, coal. This sure is a weird one, seems the cask has mostly added some sulphury rubbery off-notes. The peat is barely recognizable. Time for some water. Now it turns sweeter, caramel, nougat, toffee, burnt oak. This really is a whisky that improves with water, not a little, it really goes from under mediocre to highly enjoyable.

A two-edged sword: 6.5


Brora 26yo 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask

Another old miniature with no vintage or cask reference of from Douglas Laing, probably from the early 2000's sometime. The color is golden. It smells rich, peaty, herbal, grassy, nestles, salted butter, oregano, basil, cumin, coriander, honey, toffee, dark chocolate, coffee beans, fantastic!!! The taste is bacon, salty, ashes, herbal, coastal, honey notes, I'd imagine this comes from some very active bourbon cask. The finish is all on bacon, smoked ham, onions, herbal, ashes, peaty, leather, feta cheese. Lets add some water. Now it turns sweeter, lighter, more honey, peaty, some young Talisker in this one?

Old whisky with the spirit of a youngster: 8


Brora 22yo 1981-2003 58.3% Signatory Vintage for LMDW cask#1588

Another one from a sherry butt, this time a refill, let's hope its mellowed with less intensity than the #1522. Lets jump some strength at least. It smells sweet, vanilla, honey, light, crisp, onions. The taste is waxy, butter, pepperies, chillies, onions, very strong and complex, but just a bit too oaky now. Adding water. Now it turns more malty, sugar sweetness, honey, ripe oranges, grape juice. The finish is peppery, oaky, nutty, drying, dried sherry, tannic, dried herbs.

Complex and probably perfect for someone who cares less about clean flavors than me: 6.5


Brora 13yo 1982-1995 60.4% Cadenhead's

I can already tell you that this whisky probably never will be available for mass consumption of any kind. 13yo Brora! Some evaporation, but after 18 years in a miniature bottle, one might expect that. I trongly advice, if you want to relive stills as they were before closure, please try to get some younger bottlings instead of that 30-something thats might be impeccable, yet dominantly oak-driven. Youngsters like this might give you real insight to why the distillery was lost in the first place, or to what treasure we all might have lost. The color is golden. It smells wheat, withdrawn sherry, some sweet white wine, buttery, dried onion, marshmallows, custard, dried herbs, thyme, basil, rosemary, rich, I imagine stewing some lamb in this, but it'd been one hell of an expensive meal. The taste is rich, peppery, vanilla, banana, coffee, burnt, peaty, peppery, caramel, cinnamon, ashes, yeast, tannins, sweet, honey liqueur, ginger, vanilla, brittle, smoked meat. Wow! The finish is waxy, buttery, drying, tannic, rich, cinnamon.

Water could never make this any better, its the best Brora I've had so far: 10


Brora 23yo 1981-2004 60.8% Duncan Taylor

Duncan Taylor is a bit of an odd IB with strangely positive reviews in my opinion. I have had a couple "rarest of the rare"-bottlings that have been nothing but rare, so to speak. I've also had both supreme whiskies for a very fair price and bad, or less good if you like, whiskies at abnormally high prices. The color is golden. It smells wheaty herbal, peppery, yeasty, spirity, wheat beer. The taste is sweet, black berries, dried onions, spirity, oaky. Lets add some water. Now it turns rubbery, more bitter, earthy, dark berries, duck liver, burnt, quite extreme. In my perception, this could easily have benefited from 10 more years in the cask(s)?

It seems 1982 was a better vintage than 1981: 4



Brora 30yo 2002 52.4% OB

Time to try some of the posthumous OB Broras. I have bot chased down samples of all the vintages, but heres a handful, lets enjoy them vertically and start off with the 2002 bottling. The color is golden. It smells heather, earthy, ashes, peat, leather, spirity, raw onions, oaky. The taste is sweet, honey, spicy, earthy, burnt oak, sulphury, acidic, lime rind, briny. Just a bit raw, lets leave to breath for a while. It doesn't get rid of that vulgar acidic note. Lets add some water. Now it turns sweeter, more grassy and herbal, peaty, peppery, caramel, iodine, briny, lots of iodine and salty notes. The finish is peaty and peppery, long lasting with some earthy and oaky notes.

A bit too tannic and oaky for me, also spirity: 6


Brora 30yo 2003 55.7% OB

Same age, but a bit stronger this time, I hope the strength will help dominate a bit of the oakiness in this one. Perhaps like the 13yo, so I won't have to add water. The color is dark golden. It smells peaty, minty, leather, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, white peppers, butter, seasalt, iodine, rich, a rather more tempting nose than the 2002. The taste is caramel, butter, honey, peaty, vanilla, licorice, rubbery, orange marmalade, salty, earthy, creamy, thick sweetness combined with hints of earthy bitter notes makes for a great palate. The finish is heather, briny, peppery, earthy, peaty.

A superb peaty profile here: 9.5


Brora 30yo 2005 56.3% OB

Even higher strength on this one, and to me it seems the spirit of Brora is so good that I could've even enjoyed it as a new-make. Lets hope for another high strength winner here. The color is dark golden. It smells peppery, burnt oil, acidic, vanilla, honey. This is a rather light one it seems. The taste is sweet, vanilla, bananas, yoghurt, melon, tomato sauce, peat smoke, wet leaves, earthy, rucola leaves. Lets add some water. Now it turns sweeter, cinnamon, peppery, peaty, ashes, duck gravy, roasted almonds, a lot more happening now. The finish is salty, waxy, iodine, earthy, great!

This one takes water very well, and runs with it: 9


Brora 30yo 2006 55.7% OB

It seems they must have had quite some casks left from Brora after its closure, wonder what the reputation Brora would have today if these were put out there as single cask OBs instead. One can only wonder, but I think they've done it most traditional way, which is good. The color on this one is dark golden. It smells peaty, restrained, peppery, sulphur, citric. Another closed and restrained one it seems at first. The taste is well rounded, honeyed, buttery, creamy at first, before it turns peaty, smoky, like an ashtray I'd imagine with some intense peppery notes too. The peated Bunnahabhain wasn't far from this one. Lets add some water. Now it turns more bitter, grassy, herbal, boiled carrots, onions. Quite dreadful actually, I must say I'm a bit surprised how just a nudge of water squeezed the life out of this otherwise half-decent Brora.

It promised to be a floral one, but with water it just became vegetal and grassy: 3


Brora 30yo 2007 55.7% OB

Third one at 55.7% in this session, I believe they've mixed with precision to get them at same strength. But then again, priorly one 3 and one 9.5 shows strength maybe not that important? The color is dark golden, strikingly similar to many others in this sitting. It smells honeyed, buttery, creamy, fresh pastry, aniseed, thyme, peat, earthy, minty cigarettes, stout. The taste is feinty, licorice, red meat, cinnamon, caramel, coffee beans, pear syrup, peaty, onions, I'm guessing there's quite some sherried malt in this one. The finish is licorice, acidic, drying, earthy. Adding water. Now it turns more peaty, earthy, clay, burnt, honeyed, spicy cinnamon, chillies, this ones packing some heat. The finish is fresh, minty, peppery, quite bizarre finish on what is a really fine Brora.

Some sherry notes, some spicy notes and some minty notes: 8


Brora 30yo 2010 54.3% OB

Seems they dropped the strength in 2010, maybe getting low on high strength whiskies in the warehouses? But then again, this could surprise me and be the best of the bunch. The color is golden. It smells vanilla, onions, earthy, perfumy, peat, gravel, clay, grease. The taste is ashes, perfumy, spirity, coal, peat smoke, ginger, honey liqueur, a pretty decent bourbon oak-driven malt. Lets add some water. Now it turns sweeter, vanilla, perfumy, rosé wine, wine vinegar, not very much better I'm afraid. The finish is sour apples and floral.

An all over pretty MOTR Brora: 5.5





Brora then



Brora buildings in 2011



Next tasting: Banff Distillery

Historic Distilleries: Linlithgow/St. Magdalene

Linlithgow was a lowland distillery who produced a single malt known as st.Magdalene, therefore its often referred to as either one, or even both names. It got closed back in 1983 alongside many other scottish distilleries, and there are unfortunately little chances of ever re-opening. If still open it would be one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, and operated illegally for some decades. In 1927 the distillery was revamped into the machinery that's made the whisky we find in a few whisky shops today. There used to be 5 stills operating at st. Magdalene/Linlithgow, before being reduced to 4, before closure. Which meant at their heyday they produced a significant number of liters a year compared to most other distilleries. Wether Linlithgow did triple-distill their spirit or not I've found little information about, but as most lowland distilleries did, I would guess as did Linlithgow. Since this session is dominated by two IB's, I've decided to take a break in between those two with a mixed second sitting.



St. Magdalene 23yo 1982-2006 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask cask#2918

First starting off with no less than 6 different St Magdalene's from Douglas Laing. Seemes they've piled up on those casks, a bit like they did with Port Ellen. The color is light golden. It smells sweet, vanilla, barley sugar, honey, white wine, stewed onions, dry citric notes. The taste is citric, burnt, oaky, zesty, grape fruit, citron, lime, white grapes. The finish is bitter, raw onions, grape sode, grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange peel. This is a tight whisky, hard to get a real feeling of the palate, it's just a too concentrated. Adding some water. Now it turns more sweet fruity, kiwi, strawberries, melon, mango, pears, white tea.

A citric and intense whisky, which is mellowed by water, a two-edged sword: 6


St. Magdalene 24yo 1982-2007 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask cask#3560

This one comes from a refill bourbon hogshead. bottled one year later. Perhaps its mellowed a bit more? The color is white wine. It smells vanilla, mint, sugar, orange liqueur, pear spirit, kiwi, big vanilla, creamy coffee and caramel notes in this one. The taste is sweet, citric, concentrated, lime, lemon, vanilla, white grapes, grape fruit, cranberries, oranges, pretty similar to #2918. The finish is more drying, peppery, gingery, red onions, dry grapes. Time to add some water. Now it turns sweeter, melon, oranges, kiwi, papaya, strawberries, mango, plums, pears. Fruity extraordinaire, and light as it gets.

Little change, score remains the same: 6


St. Magdalene 26yo 1982-2008 50% Douglas Laing Old malt Cask cask#4712

Small changes here as this one comes from a refill butt, so perhaps a bit less concentrated as this cask held about 200 more bottles than the prior two. The smaller the cask, the more concentrated the oak impact is, very often. The color is light golden. It smells melon, apple cider, cod liver, junipers, star anise, licorice, melon, cream. The taste is acidic, leather, raw onions, peppery, peaty, dry white wine, ginger. The finish is bitter, lemon, peppery, acidic, it doesn't derive much from the other DL's so far, but that just shows its a clear distillery profile. I just wish they did all of these at CS. Water added. Now it turns sweet and fruity, mango, fruity, strawberry, plums, pears and so on, sweet and fruity.

A little more change now, and just a little more to my liking: 6.5


St. Magdalene 27yo 1982-2010 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask cask#6478

More recent bottling, lets see if holding on to these cask more time, for more profit, or more quality, hopefully both. From a bourbon hogshead. The color is golden. It smells vanilla meringue, lemon meringue, papaya, sweet bakery, heather, caramel, stewed onions, white wine vinegar, marzipan, honey, cooked pears. The taste is wheaty, peppery, intense, rich, butter, caramel, richer and more complex than the prior ones. And less concentrated on citric fruits this time. The finish is peppery, gingery, bitter. Adding water. Now it turns honeyed, mango, lentils, fruity, strawberries, bananas.

Slightly richer and more rounded whisky this time: 6.5


St. Magdalene 28yo 1982-2010 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask cask#6810

Comes to mind now, all these bottlings was distilled in 1982, so even if Douglas Laing have chosen to keep them a couple thousand cask numbers apart, they could very well be sister casks when they spent their first years at the distillery warehouses. The color is light golden. It smells caramel, licorice, onions, honey, burnt sugar, roasted chestnuts, orange zest, cilantro, asparagus, some light green notes. The taste is onions, leather, earthy, butter, vanilla, camphor, ginger. The finish is cinnamon, sweet pineapples, white grapes, watermelon, melons, vanilla.

Great stuff, really one of the finer lowland expressions I've had: 9


St. Magdalene 26yo 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask

Another one of those miniatures with no cask reference. But I wouldn't be surprised if this is another 1982. The color is golden. It smells cinnamon, sweet, phenolic, orange zest, sweet licorice, burnt sugar, wheat beer, hops, caramel, stewed onions, vanilla, rubbery. Great oak!?! The taste is rich, strawberries, cinnamon, grapefruit, honey, lemons, vanilla, buttery, stewed onions, stout, chili, sweet spices. I won't add water to this as my instinct tells me this is a whisky which needs to be this concentrated on the flavors it has. The finish is peppery, vanilla, licorice and cinnamon, hay and leather.

Superb! The last two whiskies in this first sittings shows what Linlithgow was capable of IMO: 9.5



#2

St. Magdalene 18yo 1981-1999 40% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

Starting with the first Linlithgow distilled before 1982, how refreshing! Bu then its watered down to 40%abv, rarely a good sign, but I could be wrong here. The color is golden, right, E150. It smells buttery, brioche, fat cream cheese, brie, heather, chives, floral, rose water, green peppers, grassy, olive oil, pickled olives, pickled cucumber, well done! This is authentic lowland style. The taste is sweet, floral, rubbery, ginger, shoe polish, burnt rubber, tonic water, bitter, grassy, apple core, sour grapes, a lot of green herbal notes thats not too pleasant. The finish is grassy, herbal, a bit like chewing flowers, as I remember from childhood tasting experiments. Time to add some water. Now it turns more grassy, rose water, herbal liqueur, green tea, boiled onions.

Drink this neat, it has a great lowland character: 5.5


St. Magdalene 34yo 1975-2009 43% Gordon & Macphail Rare Old

Time for a real oldie, this one comes from a refill sherry hoghshead. I don't think G&M bottles the "Rare Old" series anymore, just like the "Macphail's Collection", but I remember they had some real good Rare Olds. The color is amber. It smells licorice, honey, mustard, rich, cinnamon, certainly an active old refill cask. The taste is rich, creamy, ripe cherry tomatoes, red grapes honey, ginger, sweet licorice, butterscotch, cinnamon. The finish is cinnamon, oaky, dust, dairy cream, leather, hay, grassy, sweet onions, star anise, pumpkin seeds. Well, lets add some water now. Water makes this one fall flat, more dry licorice and spirity notes appears. Remember, most older bottlings does well with water, because they are bottled at cask strength. Water helps it open up. But this whisky was opened up by, probably quite some water prior to bottling, therefore it might be hard to get something from adding more of it.

A good whisky that surely could've done wonders at CS: 6


Linlithgow 28yo 1982-2011 46% The Ultimate... Rare Reserve cask#11

This one comes from a wine treated butt. Murray McDavid did made that almost a trademark some years back. I've not had too many shining moments with that sort of oak. But then again, this one is much older than most malts from wine-invigorated casks bottled these days. The color is pale golden. It smells drying, tannins, wheat, bitter, grassy, lemon, lime, raw onions, cotton. The taste is sweet, bitter, white wine, lime rind, waxy, great stuff. The finish is drying, minty, lime, white wine, rich and fun. I'm starting to think they added some white wine to rejuvenate this butt, and if so, it sure was no bad alternative. Lets add some water now. With water added it turns more bitter, and quite plane.

A wine-treatment that actually works, not too many of those around: 6


Linlithgow 30yo 1973-2004 59.6% OB

So, the oldest whisky in this session is a post-mortem OB. I guess they've had every best chance to choose a perfect combination of casks for this release. The color is amber. It smells of honey, vanilla, orangey, buttery, leather, oaky, powerful, gingery, waxy, nail polish remover, oil based paint. The taste is peppery, intense, waxy, peaty, leather, citric, lime, lemon rind, peppery. This one needs a drop of water to open up. Now it turns sweeter, oranges, papaya, honey, bitter, lime, dried sage, hops, yeasty, flinty! Wow, it really seems Linlithgow produced a stronger palate back in the the early 70's. But then, this is the first CS in this session. The finish (with added water) is, green apples, grapefruit, lime, peppery.

I's a well-mannered monster, with these bitter citric notes I've come to enjoy: 7


St. Magdalene 25yo 1982-2007 63.4% Silver Seal cask#789

The 7th 1982 in this session, but the first CS of that vintage. And what a strength after a quarter of a century in an oak cask. The color on this one is golden. It smells peppery, citrus, lime, citron, grape fruit, seems pretty restrained, and I can already at this point suggest that water will be needed in this one. The taste at 63.4%abv is sweet, peppery, citric, oranges, kiwis, mangos, papayas, sweet citric fruits. Hold the water, wait, no fire? Yes, this is rather light and delicate despite its strength. The finish is peppery, cinnamon, vanilla, sugary. No water needed, but just for fun lets add some and see what happens. Now it turns much more grassy and peppery, peaty, numbs my tongue, it surely opened up, but was it an improvement? A bit like if they made Laphroaig in the lowlands, maybe, I don't know, this is a monster!

Dangerously drinkable when neat, add water and it'll numb your palate for hours: 7



#3

St. Magdalene 24yo 1975-2000 41.6% Cadenhead's

From a leaking cask? Certainly another strength than the #789. The color is amber. It smells fresh, thyme, sage, grassy, lavender, caramel, cinnamon, coriander, basil leaves, honey, beautiful sweet herbal style. The taste is salty, herbal and salty, fried mushrooms, crisps, barbecue, oily, heather, soy, leather, really pungent despite its young age, but whats most alluring are these great salty notes. The finish is peppery, light, malty, white pepper. Lets add water. Now it becomes more grassy, moss, engine oil, no water here please.

Reminds me of some 50+% older sherried Bunnahabhains: 8


St. Magdalene 25yo 1964-1989 44.2% Cadenhead's

Even older St. Magdalene, but also at low strength for a CS its age. But if the 1975 from same bottler was anything to judge by, this should be a winner as well. The color is amber orange. It smells peaty, peppery, chopped onions, vanilla, herbal, citric, acidic, flinty. To be fair its hardly a complex nose, but the clean peaty character is interesting and unusual enough to make this a must-have dram. The taste is caramel, peppery, peaty, honey, quite extreme peatiness, seriously, if blind-tasted I'd thought this might be a Caol Ila. Did they ever use peat at Linlithgow? After a while it becomes more peppery, iodine, raw garlic, I swear I've had less peaty Laphroaigs than this. The finish is peaty, peppery, heather, cinnamon, oranges, buttery. I just won't add water to such peaty whiskies.

Fantastic, a lowland peat-bomb: 9


Linlithgow NAS 48% The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

I'd sure like the bottler to put a bit more information on this bottle, but I guess the less hooks to put a whisky on, the more openly one can enjoy it. The color is white wine. It smells grassy, green leaves, thyme, herbal, basil leaves, oregano, leathery, perfumy, quite refreshing. This is more what I'd presume to find in a lowlander, but not necessarily better though. Remember, its usually the ones that stand out that puts me into love or hate mode. The taste is green leaves, herbal, perfumy, oily, honey, peppery, licorice, vanilla, spirity. A peculiar one. The taste is peppery, citric, bitter, lemons, grapefruit, unripe oranges, reminds me of some of the 1982s. Lets add some water. Now it turns sweeter, syrup, sugary, lemon, grapefruit, citric. The finish is lemonade and grassy notes.

I'd say it has a classic lowland profile: 6


Linlithgow 25yo 58.8% The Single Malts of Scotland

My guess is that this is another one distilled in the early 1980's. I can't find much more information on this one. The color is golden. It smells honeyed, perfumy, feta cheese, caramel, dried fruits, agave tequila, peppery, grassy, dried herbs, spearmint, gasoline, indian pale ale, hops, yeasty. The taste is honey, smoked salmon, oysters, cherry wine, rhubarb, red wine vinegar, strawberries, red berries liqueur, almonds, marzipan. The finish is sweet and dry, licorice, cardamum, parsley, quite liqueur-ish, Dirty Harry? Water will not help here, don't add.

The initial sweet coastal notes are most pleasant: 9


St. Magdalene 10yo 1982-1993 62.3% Cadenhead's

Ahhh, back at the vintage of 1982, but its certainly different with this crazy strength and young age. The color is apple juice/darker white wine. It smells grassy, herbal, intense, dry white wine, peppery, gingery, spirity, vanilla, banana, creamy. Mostly its herbal, but with added time it turns really nice and sweet, fennels and bourbon notes. The taste is waxy, gingery, creamy, black pepper, green chillies, vanilla, apple cider. Rich, fruity and waxy, it doesn't get much better than this at this age. The finish is bittersweet, granulate, cherries, honey, quite superb. Lets add some water. Now it turns more sour, grape fruit, ketchup, nutty, fish sauce. It's a completely different whisky now and I really should've had enough for 2 tastings, one with and one without water. Nothing is classic lowland here when water is added.

As a 10yo this surely makes my top three list: 8.5


St. Magdalene 11yo 1982-1994 62.6% Cadenhead's

How could we stop with those 1982's after the last one? Let's have another even stronger one. It's always a sign of initially good output if an IB bottles the same vintage two years in a row. But why aren't there any 1982's bottled in 1995 from Cadenhead's? Yeah, that was a bit farfetched.. The color is pale golden. It smells very spirity and oaky, some leather, cigar smoke, ashes, raw, spirity, as pungent and powerful as it gets, this is rocket fuel! The taste is vanilla, peppery, chillies, grapefruit, moonshine, really strong and bitter. The finish is drying, vinegar, apple cider and spirity. This really is a hate it/love it whisky. No one should try this unless they want what most other men can't handle. To me it seems pretty decent, adding enough time and water it actually gets kinda minty, eucalyptus, grassy, honey, ginger, olives, strawberries.

Hard one indeed It'd grown to a beautiful 20-someting, but for now its just a bit too spirity: 5

Linlithgow/St. Magdalene then

Linlithgow/St. Magdalene now







Next tasting: Banff Distillery

Historic Distilleries: Pittyvaich

Pittyvaich was one of the shortest lived distilleries in Scotland, at least in modern times, and they distilled only for 18 years, between 1975 and 1993, before being demolished in 2002. Pittyvaich was erected to be a sister distillery to neighboring Dufftown Distillery by owners Arthur Bell and Sons.Pittyvaich never released any Ob's except from one in Diageos Flora and Fauna-series which was bottled just two years prior too its mothballing in 1993. The more recent 20yo CS is of course bottled way after the distillery was closed. Pittyvaich also had a short runnin with the distillation of gin. The distillery's spirit and wash stills were modified to accomodate the production of gin and as it turned out, no one could tell the difference between the 'real' Gordon's and the one produced at Pittyvaich. As a result of this successful experiment, Gordon's Gin is now wholly produced in produced at Cameronbridge Distillery. As Caperdonich stills were exact copies of Glen Grants, so were Pittyvaich's stills exact copies of those at Dufftown Distillery.



Pittyvaich 12yo 1993-2005 43% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & Macphail

From the last year of distillation at Pittyvaich. The fact that they bottled this after just 12years and in the CC-range might not be a good prospect, but lets keep an open mind. The color is white wine. It smells wheat, spirity, bitter, raw, clearly not very good cask or spirit, seems more like poor new-make than a 12yo. The taste is wheat, peppery, raw onions, pecan nuts, a bit austere, but most of all it's a superclean spirity profile. You could serve me this and tell me its triple distilled vodka and I'd believe them. The finish is peppery, gin, eau de cologne.

Clean spirity stuff, they one produced gin at Pittyvaich?: 4


Pittyvaich 25yo 1976-2001 43% Blackadder cask#8423

Distilled just one year after the distillery was built. I feel now at this point I must underline that there are great Pittyvaichs out there still, to an affordable price, so this is one to look out for. The color is white wine. It smells, once again, very clean and spirity, some vanilla, oak, tonic water, drying. The taste is sweet, heather, gingerbread, vanilla, spicy, wheat crackers. The finish is peppery, dry, hay, bay leaves, dried coriander.

Not far from the 1993, clean and spirity: 4


Pittyvaich 18yo 43% Blackadder

Third aggressively diluted Pittyvaich in a row, hopefully this will derive a bit from the first two. At first, the color is very different, hazel reddish. It smells extremely clean, some faint sherry notes, burnt, dark chocolate, tonic water and red paprika. Silence is often golden, but not necessarily in a whisky. The taste is peppery, bitter chocolate, coffee, rubber, spicy cinnamon, apple cores, waxy, wow! Just as I was starting to lose faith in this lost distillery, it shows great complexity. The finish is sweet, creamy, cinnamon, vanilla. Great stuff, the cask really intwines with the clean spirit here and gives a great result.

Sherry magic: 8


Pittyvaich 18yo 1990-2009 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask cask#4823

Another 18yo, and by the bottler, this could just as well be another sherried one, but what impact will the higher %abv have? The color is amber orange. It smells leather, orange liqueur, dry red wine, oaky, butter, bacon crisps, malt syrup, malt vinegar, heather. The taste is burnt, heather, sugary, cinnamon, maize, ginger, tonic water, orange zest. I had a full bottle of this one back in the days, and remember it as very spirity. Now it seems to have opened much more by breathing in a miniature for a couple of years. The finish is rich, leather, mushrooms, peppery, stamp glue, old books, dusty. Water changes little in this one.

Easy and enjoyable, light sherried one: 5.5


Pittyvaich 18yo 1976-1994 53.3% Blackadder Limited Editions cask#15084 btl.58/120

First CS Pittyvaich in this session, let's hope for a good one. Seems Blackadder have bottled quite some Pittyvaichs, and I think the "Limited Editions" were a bit of a high end series. The color is golden. It smells peppery, spirity, bitter, wheat, potato starch, hops, soapy. hmm... Does Pittyvaich work without sherry impact? The taste is sweet, vanilla, peppery, spicy, bullet chili, raw ginger, raw garlic, a whisky with a real bite too it. Water added. Now it turns hazy right away. The taste mellows a bit, more vanilla, banana, honey, maize, sweet red berries, caramel, this one is definitively a swimmer. The finish is rich, creamy, biscuits, honey, peppery. Water makes this an elegant and fine dram, really showcases what difference a little water can make to an initially sub par whisky.

With water this is easily a: 7



#2

Pittyvaich 15yo 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing

Seeing this, I think there are many young Pittyvaichs in this session, only one have passed 20yo. Maybe a bit unfair, but a great distillate will shine even at 6 or 7yo. The color on this one is pale golden, borderline white wine. I believe its from a bourbon cask, but I haven't got all the data on this bottling. It smells austere, spirity, clean, tropical fruits, papaya, mango, pears. Slight hints of vanilla and hay, but once again it reminds me of disinfection balm, the ones used in hospitals for cleaning your hands. The taste is spirity, wheat, oily, perfumy, cointreau, orange liqueur, vanilla, cinnamon, waxy, heather, one of the most complex palates I've found on a Pittyvaich. Lets add just a little drop of water to this. Now it turns more peppery, grassy, vegetal, this one can't handle water, enjoy it neat. The finish is peppery and bitter.

When neat, this whisky is fruity and complex: 6.5


Pittyvaich 12yo 54% James MacArthur's cask#15096

A strike of three young Pittyvaichs of nearly same age and strength in a row from James MacArthur's. I must assume they found the recipe for a successful bottling of Pittyvaich? The color on this is golden. Once again I'm just assuming it comes from a bourbon cask of some kind. It smells spirity, lemon, ginger, grapefruit, oranges, bitter leaves, coriander, kiwi, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, curry. The taste is sweet, dry, raisins, grapefruit, buttery, salty licorice, iodine, intense, butterscotch, leather, great salty fun. The finish is caramel, banana, coconut, ashes, burnt sugar, honey. If it wasn't for the complex salty, spicy licorice notes this would be just a tad too sweet, but it comes of as perfectly balanced.

Great complexity, another side of Pittyvaich altogether: 8.5


Pittyvaich 13yo 54.3% James MacArthur's

Just a bit older and stronger than the very good #15096. But I can't see any cask reference here, perhaps this is just a CS vatting of less good casks. I know some IB's does that to get rid of unwanted stock. The color on this one is light golden. It smells peppery, dry white wine, burnt sugar, potato starch, gingery, wheat, molasses spirit, wheat. The taste is honey, buttery, caramel, banana, apple pie, marzipan, green apples, maple syrup. Once again its a much richer and more complex whisky than most of the other ones in this session. Seems Pittyvaich, maybe even more so than other whiskies, needs to be bottled at CS to reach full potential. The finish is buttery, vanilla, dry sherry, cinnamon, iodine.

Another winner from Pittyvaich by J.McA: 8.5


Pittyvaich 14yo 54.4% James MacArthur's

Third one from J.McA, and it seems these three comes from pretty similar casks when you look at the age and strength. Let's hope the quality is the same on this one as well. The color is light golden. It smells honeyed, pistachio, vanilla, red onions, dried fruits, dried berries, vanilla, honey, a much sweeter variant than the past two, at least on the nose. The taste is sweet, salmi, licorice, vanilla, salty, iodine, a bit like the first Pittyvaichs of this session, but more classic bourbon style, less spirity so to speak. The finish is rich, creamy, sweet, honey, onions, gingerbread.

James MacArthur's, I think they've once again bottled an unlikely malt at its prime: 8.5


Pittyvaich 11yo 1977-1989 56.6% Cadenhead's

Time for another one of my favorite IBs, Cadenhead's, with two bottlings of the strange distillate of Pittyvaich. I hope they've been as good as J.McA when it comes to selecting casks. Maybe a sherried one here? Once again I don't have all the details on these bottlings. The color is pale amber. It smells sweet, ginger, peppery, toffee, caramel, honey, pistachio, dairy cream, cinnamon, dry red wine, an intriguing nose on this one as it switches between nasty sulphury and creamy rich. The taste is peppery, peaty, vanilla, aniseed, stronger, more powerful peppery notes than the J.McA's, even more spirity. Adding some water. Now it turns more peppery, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, camphor, grapefruit. I'd add water to this one any day, no doubt, but I'd always try it neat first, two very different version neat and diluted. The finish is pistachio again, green bell peppers, banana peel, burnt sugar.

Lovely whisky, old style, complex, nut many like these around: 6.5


Pittyvaich 13yo 1977-1991 58.4% Cadenhead's

A couple years older this one. Let's hope for a quality equal to, or even better, than the J.McA at same age. But this is much stronger, which could mean that its a bigger cask or even another type of oak, european in this case. But don't forget there are differences between similar cask types as well. The color on this one is dark brown. Maybe a sherry cask? Remember, even if Cadenhead's don't reference their casks, all of their bottlings are singles. It smells rich, cinnamon, cigar smoke, ashes, buttery, dry herbs, malt syrup, oregano, basil, dried spices, heather, sulphur, iodine, peat, dark chocolate. I wonder where these peaty notes comes from, I had no idea they peated the whisky at Pittywaich. The taste is burnt, cinnamon, peaty, leather, sulphur, rich, tobacco, stewed onions, balsamic vinegar, oloroso. The finish is licorice, honey, burnt oak, ginger. Time for some water. Now it turns cinnamon, buttery, fresh pastry, honey, vanilla, much sweeter, but some of that great oloroso complexity fades. I'd say this is a complete winner when tasted neat.

A sherry bomb of proportions, I don't think there are many of these around anymore: 9.5


Pittyvaich 28yo 1979-2007 51.4% Duncan Taylor Rarest of the Rare

This one arrived a bit too late for the photos. I must admit I've not tried many Rarest of the Rare from DT, except from a Glen Albyn which I found a bit off. But it improved when the level in the bottle started coming to an end. It pours a golden color. It smells malty, wheat, sawdust, soapy, mild oaky notes. The taste is malty, spicy, sulphur, lime peel, black pepper, warming spicy notes, cinnamon, grape fruit, ginger. Usually I'd add water to this, but right now its as good as this whisky can get I believe. No, lets add some water anyway. It turns more earthy and bitter with water. The spiciness fades and leaves room for some more unpleasant rubbery notes.

When neat, this works great on the palate: 6

Pittyvaich then

Pittyvaich Warehouses now
















Next tasting: Linlithgow/St. Magdalene Distillery

Historic Distilleries: Lochside

Lochside is one of the more recent distilleries to both being established and closed. It was an old brewery that was rebuilt in 1957 that became Lochside Distillery. It was closed down in 1992, so its lifespan reached about 35 years only. Most distilleries in this region have seen their fair share of problems through the years and many have closed, Glenury Royal, Nort Port, Glenesk, Glencadam (fortunately revived). Unfortunately there is no chance of a re-opening of Lochside as its since closeure been demolished. Most of the output from Lochside went into MacNab's blends, and sold on the spanish market. There is little information on how the distillery operated, but I believe they relied on the techniques available in the 1950's. Lochside also produced grain whisky, but I've only tried one of those, and to be fair, it is not worth the prices they go for those days unless you're chasing nostalgia. Lochside Distillery have been linked up with both Glenfarclas and Springbank in similarities of taste. But please, don't try your Lochside with those kind of blinds on. It was a distillery of its own and should be tasted as such.



Lochside 17yo 1991-2008 43% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

From a refill bourbon cask. Lets see what reason G&M might have for putting such a recent bottling of a closed distillery into the CC-series. The color is golden. It smells oaky, bitter, oak chips, leather, acrylic paint, glue. The taste is sweet, honey, floral, peppery, butter, oily, rubbery, ginger, vegetal, decent stuff. The finish is peppery, rich, butter, marzipan.

A good whisky, but a bit too ordinary to thrill me: 6


Lochside 30yo 1981-2011 46% Berry Bros & Rudd cask#808

This should be something else, one might wonder how there can be so many old bottlings left from such a short-lived distillery. The color is amber golden. It smells of vanilla, peppery, rich, bacon crisps, rubber, gouda, chili, orange zest. The taste is peppery, butter, rotting eggs, milk chocolate, rubber, hops, ginger, oaky, bitter. This is a great Lochside, but I think it could've just edged perfection if bottled at cask strength. The finish is peaty, peppery, oranges, cinnamon, honey. A complex finish.

I'm a fool for doing this, but it reminds me of a very good Springbank: 8


Lochside 18yo 1991-2010 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing cask#6303

From a bourbon cask, I remember back in the days when the OMC range were all 25+yo sherried whiskies. More recently, youngsters from bourbon hogsheads makes up more of the portfolio, I guess they're the future casks for scotch whisky. The color is white wine. It smells wheat, crackers, spicy, vanilla, lemon, leather, marzipan, grape fruit. The finish is sweet, vanilla, peppery, spearmint, honey, minty, fresh, really nice. This is another good great whisky, but from a very active cask, I's say it could've enjoyed a couple more years on oak. With added water it turns sweet 'n' sour, mango, ketchup, honey.

Despite an active cask, this is a bit spirity: 6.5


Lochside 29yo 1981-2010 54% The Whisky Agency

This one is called "Insects", The Whisky Agency have some reptiles, animals and other creature series. But also they have a some great whiskies. The color is amber golden. It smells rich, honey, buttery, creamy, rich, peaty, cinnamon, orange zest. The taste is thick and rich, butter, sweet sherry, mushrooms, caramel, milk chocolate, rich and creamy. The finish is raw garlic, salty butter, apple cores, licorice, rich. With added water it tastes burnt and grassy. This should really be enjoyed neat.

Great sherried Lochside, not many of those around: 8


Lochside 29yo 1981-2010 55.5% Market House for Whisky Box cask#962

This one comes from a sherry butt, I hope this will shine a new light on this distillery, which is growing on me as we speak. Thankfully I've stacked up on some really badass sample to try later on in these sittings. The color is honey brown. It smells buttery, honey, caramel, stewed onions, rich, butterscotch, cinnamon. This seems like a dessert malt to be had after a good meal. The taste is rich, sweet sherry, buttery, peppery, stewed onions, milk chocolate, butterscotch, caramel. The finish is caramel, buttery, orange zest, cinnamon. Great sherried whisky, but you gotta have a bit of a sweet-tooth to fully enjoy this.

Here you are tasting more the cask than the distillery character, but what a cask!: 7.5


Lochside 29yo 1981-2010 58.8% Whisky-Doris cask#960

Third one in a row with the same age and vintage. This one comes from a Fino Sherry Butt. I've had somewhere between 10-15 Whisky Doris bottlings up till now, and nearly all of them comes from fino sherry casks. Perhaps they've found a small niche within the world of cask types? Personally I think fino casks are very underrated as to the output they bring. The color is golden. It smells butter, mint, cloves, honey, malty, barley, ashes, orange zest, limoncello, sweet lemon, oat meal, yeasty, pistachio, wasabi. The taste is rich, cream barley, sugar, stewed onions, syrup, sweet ale(?), red apples and honey. This much sweeter and less bitter than what I usually find in whisky from fino sherry casks, but besides that, its certainly a great whisky! Water added. Now it turns more yeasty, vinegar, rather more raw now. The finish is sweet, peppery, grainy, honey, leather, sweet and complex!

Great stuff, another superb old Lochside: 9



#2
Lochside 29yo 1981-2010 48.6% The Nectar of the Daily Dram & The Whisky Agency joint bottling

A joint bottling, I haven't tried many of these before, but one Strathisla from same bottlers were great. And as seen so far in this Lochside tasting, there were quite a few casks from 1981. The color is golden. It smells grainy, leather, sulphur, rubbery, burnt, ashes. The taste is peppery and spirity, not much to my liking. Rather one of the shortest and least fun Lochsides I've had. The finish is bitter and peppery, rather short. This can't compare to the prior 1981s in this session, not nearly.

Rather give me two single cask whiskies instead!: 3.5


Lochside 29yo 1981-2010 52.7% The Whisky Agency

The last in this series of 1981-2010 Lochsides. This whisky comes from an ex fino hogshead, just as the one from Whisky-Doris, and if that is something to go by, this ought to be a bit of a treat. Seems TWA have bottles quite some Lochsides. The color is amber. It smells of leather, fino sherry, cinnamon, oranges, vanilla, honey, sprite, sweet citric notes, grapefruit, oregano. The taste is bitter, peppery, grapefruit, club soda, tonic water, lime, pineapple juice. The finish is bitter, grape seeds, lime rind, red onions.

It seems to me these rather leaking casks haven't paired to well with Lochside: 4.5


Lochside 19yo 1981-2000 46% Murray McDavid cask#9636

About a decade younger than the prior 5 ones. This one comes from a refill sherry butt. I did buy a full bottle of this one back in 2010 in denmark, where it's still available in many shops alongside a Highland Park by MM at same age, strength and price. The color is amber. It smells peppery, creamy, rich, heather, honey, nutty, oranges, varnish. The taste is bitter, peppery, vanilla, oranges, lime, bread crumbs, onions. Time to add some water. Now it turns richer, tannic, dry red wine, plumbs, grape skin, leather, salmi. The finish is peppery, iodine, burnt, radishes, grassy.

Maybe shows a bit more of why this distillery shut down: 3.5


Lochside 28yo 1981-2009 56.1% Gordon & Macphail for LMDW

A hogshead which made for 205 bottles altogether, probably a bourbon one. One cask that initially was purchased by G&M and then sold on to/bottled for LMDW. Makes me wonder why G&M sold this in the first place, but then again, money talks in this industry, so if the price is right I guess the quality of the whisky doesn't really matter. The color is amber. It smells dry, caramel, burnt sugar, syrup, honey, peaty, orange zest, lavender, oily, diesel, grassy. The taste is peppery, chili, cinnamon, ripe oranges, grapefruit, mandarin, kiwi, strawberry sorbet, pistachio, watermelon kernels, a fruitbomb! The finish is dry, buttery, peppery, gingerbread, malt syrup, ashes, dry licorice.

Again, this reminds me a bit of Springbank...damn: 8


Lochside 47yo 1965-2012 54.6% OB cask#6779 (Single Blend?!...?)

I have to ask myself, even before tasting this, how can a whisky that have not become either grain or malt whisky be a single cask blend? Well, perhaps they've joined cask as new-makes but if they did that back in 1965 I guess they were well ahead of their time. The color is orange amber. An Lochside from 1965 huh? My guess is that there's a very small share of single malt in this, but such an old whisky from one single distillery is still a chance not to miss. It smells of white wine, leather, cigar smoke, gruyere cheese, buttery crackers, creamy, swiss cheese, even some brie here. The taste is buttery, rich and fat, much more so than what any Lochside single malt would be. The finish is rich, dark roast coffee, tannins, dry red wine, buttery, licorice, a really rich and powerful whisky, but the age wares it down a bit.

I wish there were more single blends around: 8.5



#3
Lochside 22yo 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask

These old miniatures from Douglas Laing wears no cask reference number or vintages, but I believe more accurate info on this could be found by sources like www.whiskybase.com. The color is golden amber. It smells of leather, wax, honey, butterscotch, dark chocolate, caramel, oaky, pear cider, clover, nutmeg, orange peel. The taste is herbal, grassy, flinty, metallic, not classic Lochside, it actually reminds me a bit of some Littlemills or even Glen Scotia. Water added. Now it turns more rubbery and peppery, dry sherry, sour herbs. The finish is unripe strawberries, grassy, musty, ashes, glue.

There are many off-notes in this one, not pleasant at all: 2


Lochside 46yo 1963-2010 46.6% First Cask 5th Anniversary bottling

Only 71 bottles, perhaps this cask(s) was shared. 46yo and only second oldest in this session, but oldest vintage. The color is amber orange. It smells cinnamon, buttery, orange zest, honey, nutmeg, cardamum, earthy, caramel, peat. The taste is honey, vanilla, caramel, peanut butter, orange liqueur, stewed onions, peach tea, bourbon, a rich and sweet whisky. Time to add some water. Now it turns sweeter now, more vanilla, buttery, red paprika, honey, syrup, caramel, bold and sweet, clearly from some very decent bourbon oak. The finish is vanilla, peppery, ashes, cinnamon, rich, maize.

Flawless, rich, sweet, honeyed whisky: 8.5


Lochside 23yo 1981-2004 55.4% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#616

This one comes from a bourbon hogshead. I remember it as a kindly priced Lochside when I first bought a full bottle back in 2007, I believe at around 60GBP. I remember it as a very good whisky, but I never took notes, so thankfully it was released in miniatures as well. The color is golden amber. It smells rich, creamy, peaty, peppery, oregano, cinnamon, spicy honeyed notes, very concentrated, buttery, pistachio, vanilla. The taste is rich, heather, creamy, vanilla, stewed onions, caramel, cinnamon, one of the fullest and richest whiskies I've ever had. I will not add water to this as I can hardly see it get any better, its a dangerously good whisky. The finish is spicy, chili, malt syrup, honey, oranges.

Wow! Please enjoy this neat, and use long time, its well deserved: 9.5


Lochside 19yo 1981-2000 60.9% Cadenhead's

How many 1981 Lochsides are out there? Well, its perhaps like 1989 Fettercairn or 1998 Laphroaig, I don't believe its random what vintages the distillers chooses to sell to IB's. A good vintage can make for quite a résumé for a distillery. And it seems the 1981's from Lochside usually holds steady and good quality. The color is orange amber. It smells sharp, oranges, cinnamon, caramel, raw onions, red onions, garlic, sauteed broth, vanilla, peppery. Pretty strong and raw. The taste is peaty, grassy, honey, caramel, butterscotch, dark chocolate, chili. This needs some water to improve I guess, its just a bit too raw right now. Now it becomes more oaky, bitter, peppery, raw, seems much younger that 19yo. Well, it seems, after all, that any Lochside can be a bit "hit or miss".

Raw and peppery, young-ish whisky: 4


Lochside 25yo 1966-1991 62.7% Signatory Vintage cask#3909 btl.153/1200

The 60's distillates in this session have been great. Lets hope for a new success from '66. Very high strength for a 25yo, and I believe this cask have all gone to miniatures, hence the high number of bottles. The color is amber golden. It smells licorice, thyme, minty, vanilla, creamy, pistachio, leather, hay, grassy, much more raw and powerful than the other 60's, but indeed a malty and fresh one. The taste is sweet, marzipan, honey, pecan nuts, sugar, licorice, cloves, nutmeg, sweet tea, very light and drinkable despite the pungent nose. I would not add water to this as it already seems a bit like a light and fragile malt. The finish is peppery, ginger, herbal, onions, thyme, nutmeg, gorgonzola.

An awkwardly light 25yo at 62.7%abv: 6





Lochside then



Lochside in 2004, one year before the last buildings burnt down




Next tasting: Pittyvaich Distillery

Historic Distilleries: Rosebank

There are strong rumors suggesting a re-opening of Rosebank Distillery. Arran Brewery seems to be the revolutionaries whom will be distilling whisky and brewing beer on the site in years to come if everything goes as planned. But let's focus on the Distillery that once was a thriving lowland distillery which produced a great whisky until its closure in 1993. There's said to have existed an illicit still called Rosebank raised in 1773 or 1774, but the legal Rosebank Distillery was first built in 1840. Rosebank did not change much over the years, apart from updating the malting equipment in 1968, Rosebank used the same distilling equipment most of its lifetime. Thus one might claim Rosebank to be a distillery of old style and character. Like some other lowland distilleries Rosebank used triple distillation to get a cleaner and smoother whisky. Most of Rosebank, if not all, stands today but it's been housing some shops and a restaurant among other things the last decade. Let's enjoy some good old Rosebank while we wait for a possible revival.



Rosebank 20yo 1990-2010 46% Dun Bheagan cask#90721,90722

From two french oak casks that held enough for 762 bottles. I remember the 15yo Glenlivet French Oak, quite a good one. The color is golden. It smells of floral, onions, grassy, soapy, hay, dry minty. The taste is wheaty, wheat crackers, buttery, floral, white wine, apple juice and honey. The finish is honey and mustard, creamy, wheat again, floral, honey, syrup, very sweet. The difference between this sweetness and that one from a bourbon cask is that this is more mellow, lingering and lasts much longer, while the bourbon sweetness is shorter and more intense.

Great whisky, perfect example of a mellow lowlander: 8.5


Rosebank 21yo 1990-2011 54.6% Murray McDavid

From a bourbon cask, other than that, and the fact that this is bottled at cask strength its pretty similar to the Dun Bheagan. Good possibility to check out differences between american and european oak. The color is golden. It smells vanilla, oaky, syrup, mint leaves, burnt rubber. The taste is apples, floral, oily, orange zest, peppery, ginger. Time to add some water. Now it turns more peppery, syrup, condensed milk, dark chocolate, burnt. The finish is rubbery, earthy, a bit harsh.

I preferred the european oak: 3.5


Rosebank 16yo 1989-2005 55.3% Cadenhead's

This one comes from a bourbon hogshead. The color is golden. It smells vinegar, citrus, lemon, lime, grapefruit, a lot of sour citrus fruits coming through. I saw a video from whicky commentator Ralfy the other day, stating that Rosebank is a variable malt, I'm already getting that sense, but variation doesn't always have to be bad, remember different folks different strokes, some like them spirity young styles that seems a bit raw. The taste here is peppery, burnt, oaky, spirity, fish sauce, salty, olive oil, chili oil, pretty raw. I'll add some water now. With water it turns much cleaner, peppery, ripe blackberries, morning glory, boiled black beans. The finish is buttery, leather, drying, heather, wheat.

A better bourbon-masked Rosebank: 6


Rosebank 20yo 1991-2011 56.7% Silver Seal

I've not tried much from Silver Seal, but I know they have a good reputation stemming from some decades back. I don't know what cask this comes from, but I assume its a bourbon one. The color is golden. It smells sweet, vanilla, toffee, tea, bitter seeds, lemon zest. The taste is sweet, cardamum, cinnamon, buttermilk, soapy, red gums. The finish is rich, creamy, cinnamon, butterscotch, butter, I must say the finish is the definite highlight in this whisky. But please, this is not bad lowlander at all, not nearly, I know I can come across a bit picky sometimes.

Rich, sweet and peppery Rosebank: 6


Rosebank 16yo 1990-2006 56.7% Malt Pedigree by LMDW cask#1513

243 bottles makes me suggest this comes from a bourbon hogshead. There aren't many european hogsheads around. The color is golden. Its smells honeyed, linseed oil, exotic fruits, papaya, kiwi, grape fruit, sharon fruit, malty and creamy, banana. The taste is sweet, custard, creamy vanilla, barbecue sauce, thyme, lavender, peppery, rich. This is a pretty perfect mixture of rich, sweet and peppery notes, not far from the Silver Seal, but I'd say its even better as the nuances are even cleaner and clearer. The finish is peppery, sour, bitter leaves and lemons.

Seems they hooked a great cask: 8


Rosebank 23yo 1981-2004 61.1% OB/Diageo Rare Malts

I'll have two post mortem OB's in this sitting, the first one starts at no less than 23yo and 61.1%, so it seems they had some very tight casks at Rosebank. The color is amber. It smells of bananas, vanilla, minty sweets, orange liqueur, cointreau, wheat, rich, oily, burnt meat. The taste is rich, honeyed, sweet, lemon meringue, vanilla buttery. It's a rich and intense whisky with no floral lowland-ish notes, but rather some creamy rich vanilla. With water it turns more peppery, earthy, caramel, dark chocolate, intense honey and floral. This is amazing! The finish is sweet and vanilla, some salt water and aubergine.

I imagine Rosebank would be a household whisky if still available at fair prices: 8.5


Rosebank 20yo 1981-2001 62.3% OB/Diageo Rare Malts

I wonder what casks they selected for these Rae Malt bottlings as the strength is far superior to what the age would imply. The taste is rich and sour, grapefruit, buttery, lemons, mango, more sweet and spirity than the 2004. I'll add some water. Now it turns sweeter, rounder, more orangey, white grapes, sweet rieslinger, butter, honey. This is another sweet Rosebank, perfect mellow lowland style with water added, but just a bit too pungent neat. The finish is creamy, vanilla, toffee, buttery.

Another rich and sweet Rosebank: 8



#2
Rosebank 17yo 1991-2008 43% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

The CC-series was bottled at 43%abv just for a short while in the late 2000's before once again being upped to 46%abv in 2010. Anyway, good news for a series I think was in need for some. The color on this is golden. It smells bitter and peppery, wasabi, oaky, spirity. The taste is bitter and peppery, dry, rubbery, glue, really raw and spirity. Let's add some water and see if it might help. Now it seems a bit like a lost one. With water it turns more spirity, grassy, bitter, malty, gingery, raw, seems like flawed whisky to me. The finish is soapy an peppery.

Something is off with this Rosebank, it just seems raw and undeveloped: 1.5


Rosebank 14yo 1989-2003 43% Master of Malt

Youngest Rosebank so far. And it seems so too, the color is slightly darker than water. It smells peppery, wheat, vanilla, grassy, bitter, vegetal, vegetable broth, broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, really a lightweighter. The taste is syrupy, honey, sweet white wine, vanilla, citrussy, grape fruit, lime, really clean and sweet whisky. The finish is citrussy, lime, lemon, apple cider and champagne. Great stuff, this is great lowland style whisky, you may like it or not, but its an easily drinkable, smooth whisky.

No flaws, no fun? It's a delightful dram but no thrills here: 7


Rosebank 12yo 1989-2001 43% Signatory Vintage cask#25312

The letters on the small cask at the label is a bit hard to read, but I think its #25312. Or if it's the numbers on the right bottom thats the reference number, its cask#792 I'm about to taste. The color is about as pale as water. It smells peppery and spirity, grassy, weeds, rubbery. The taste is vanilla, pistachio, grape fruit, quite drying. The finish is drying, sweet and peppery. This is just as clean as the MoM version but it lacks some of the sweet nuances, more of a straight-forward experience.

No flaws, less fun: 4.5


Rosebank 9yo 1990-1999 43% Signatory Vintage cask#505 btl.13/1850

The youngest Rosebank in this session, I've seen quite a few Rosebanks from SV at young age and low strength. I hope they didn't buy bottle these just because they came from a closed distillery. The color is light golden. It smells wheaty, citrussy, oranges, white wine, definitely a low strength, hay, grassy, not much to get excited about. The taste is bitter, peppery, oranges, gingerbread, grape fruit, grassy, silver onions, leeks. The finish is drying, wheat, grassy, pine seeds. Water added. Now it turns grassier, banana leaves, pineapple.

Light and mundane, a bit cramping: 3


Rosebank 17yo 1974-1992 43% Signatory Vintage cask#5061 btl.432/2400

Oldest vintage thus far, but also the third Singatory bottling in a row. I guess that is not hard to achieve as I've said there's many young SV Rosebanks from about a decade ago still around, but there sure aren't many from the 70's. The color is hazy golden. It smells cinnamon, butter, grainy, grassy, white wine, leather, rosé wine, oily. The taste is peppery, grassy, bitter, raw onions, earthy, musty, a bit different than the more recent distillates bottled by SV, but not much better. The finish is sugary, sweet, leather, onions, grainy.

A bit more spirity than the recent bottlings, but fun for Rosebank enthusiasts I guess: 3


Rosebank 14yo 1990-2004 58% The Coopers Choice cask#489

First CS in this sitting, I had a full bottle of this, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. But many other experiences of Coopers Choice have been really good. But my last tasting of tis was many years ago, perhaps years in 5cl miniature bottle have done this one good. The color is golden. It smells spirity, grassy, papery, oily, paint thinner, oak. The taste is raw, peppery, spirity, cinnamon, bitter, needs some water I guess, right now its a bit hard to enjoy. With water it turns sweeter, creamy, aubergine, squash, sweet and wheaty drying vegetables, watermelon seeds. The finish is bitter, lime, lemon, hard to enjoy and way too spirity for a 14yo.

Certainly a whisky that could more time on oak: 2.5



#3
Rosebank 18yo 1991-2009 55.3% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#2119,2120,2121

This one come from a refill bourbon barrel, as you might know a barrel is a bit bigger than a hogshead, and therefore takes a bit more time to impact the whisky. The color on this one is light amber. It smells wheaty, shoe polish, chalky, dusty, leather, leeks, gorgonzola, rich and bitter. The taste is citrussy, grapefruit, dark grapes, bitter oranges, a bit hard to wnjoy on its own. Lets add some water. Now it turns grassy, whisky sour, lemon, oranges, tomatoes, mangoes, really weird. The finish is peppery, grassy and spirity, just too spirity to fully enjoy for me.

So may whiskies in this series, why choose this Rosebank?: 3.5


Rosebank 14yo 1990-2004 56.3% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#225

Thins one come from a hogshead, but ad shares the same vintage and age as the Coopers Choice, lets just hope that is the only similarities. I love then pieces of oak in this series, not that it delivers anything to the whisky, but its just amazing when crushed between my teeth. The color is amber. It smells spirity, burnt, hay, burnt oak, leather, spirity, citron, grapefruit, bitter and twisted. This one is hard to swallow I imagine. The taste is intensely oaky, buttery, gingery, leather, heather, quite strong, peppery, dry cider. Crazy stuff, gotta add some water. Now it turns bittersweet, sweet white wine, butter, raw onions, earthy, not one of my fvs from this distillery. It's a bit funny how diluted whiskies are on decline, while none if these CS'es so far have seemed to impress me. The finish is sweet, clay, leather, onions, green grapes, club soda. Its much better than the Coopers Choice, but I guess, that only shows the varieties between casks within any vintage of one distillery.

Great stuff, but time and water is needed: 6.5


Rosebank 28yo 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask

This might be the oldest Rosebank I've had, and the way they are selling their old stock these days I don't know if I'll have many older ones in the future. The color is dark amber. It smells dry, sweet, melon seeds, tannins, port wine, dark chocolate, grassy, herbal, perfumy, porter ale. Intense and rich sherry notes. The taste is all on soft licorice, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, honey, dried fruits, dried peaches, pineapple. Water added. Now it turns more bitter, hay, biscuits, rubbery, leather, canned mushrooms, stale meat. The finish is sweet, caramel, milky way, dates, figs, rather light and mellow.

Let's hope they keep some of the older casks to release in years to come: 7


Rosebank 13yo 1978-1991 58.9% James MacArthur's

Another sherried one. This James MacArthur's should stand apart here as its all from oloroso casks and bottled before the closure of the distillery. I find that if this cask wasn't bottled prior to the closure of the distillery it would probably be in a heavier price range. The color is dark brown. It smells cinnamon, dark roasted coffee, coffee beans, cocoa, dark chocolate, cigars, mustard, honey, meaty, roast beef, dried paprika. This is just amazing sherried whisky. The taste is rich, dark coffee, dark chocolate, honey, dry red wine, tannic, buttery, caramel, cinnamon, cigar smoke, ashes. This is great stuff, the perfect mix of dry, sweet and rich, but no sulphur or rubbery notes, superb! The finish is burning, sweet, caramel, cinnamon, cigar smoke and honey.

Best Rosebank ever? I can't see how not: 10


Rosebank 10yo 1992-2002 60% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#1452

Matured in an oak hogshead. An american one I'd imagine. The color is pale golden with quite some cask sediments. I like that. It smells of wax, vanilla, oranges, pisang liqueur, wheat, peppery, sour milk, acidic, wasabi. The taste is vanilla, peppery, syrup, honey, banana, meringue, sweet white wine, sweet yoghurt, mint leaves, spearmint, a real dessert treat of a whisky. Would suit perfectly as a finish after a better meal, or besides some dark chocolate cake. The finish is peppery, oaky, burning, burnt sugar, a really thick and smooth bourbon-matured Rosebank.

An active cask with lots of vanilla, which dominates this whisky: 8.5

Rosebank then

Rosebank recently


















Next tasting: Lochside Distillery