Macduff 25yo 1983-2009 56.8% C&S Dram Collection cask#4093 btl.250

Sadly, it seems www.blogger.com, for whatever reason, refused to post my notes on the st. Magdalene I was gonna have, and now its all disappeared... Let's try to redeem that loss with a Macduff...

I must admit that although having tried a good number of Macduffs aka Glen Deverons through the years, I have not yet found a clear or slightly consistent taste pattern for this whisky. I find its a bit of an either or whisky. If you get what I'm trying to say. This one comes from a sherry butt. The color is mustard brown. It smells immediately very sherried. Vegetal, grassy, chives, raw onions, austere, vinyl, sour citric notes, bitter and burnt. This is somewhat intriguing though not very pleasant, another kind of beast? The taste is very bitter and peppery, those bitter sour citric notes comes plunging forward. Lemon and lime peel, grassy, raw onions, bitter sherry, almost a bit too much of that. Not much distillery character, or is that it? Its bitter and burning, needs a dash of water to release its potential I believe. Adding about 4 teaspoons. Now it turns a bit drier, maltier, wheaty, burnt toast, rubbery, glue, this is rather unpleasant, but I know some lovers of bitter drops that would appreciate this kind of whisky. For me, and I emphasize me, this is not a good whisky, too much oak influence for a spirit that seems to have been weak initially. But when had neat, its just more of an experience, a lot more happening. The finish is sweet and intense on sour fruit gums, syrup and vanilla.

One that needs a lot of breathing, and a bitter tooth (what?): 4



Next tasting: Port Dundas Distillery

Fettercairn 15yo 1989-2006 62.6% OB cask#2224 btl.118/225

                                           

This was bottled on the sixth of june 2006, so 666 then... That cannot be all by coincidence, or? This comes from a hogshead, which have been finished in, well, "Spanish White Oak Sherry Finish" it says. But the color has more of a copper tone. And what a strength! You see 3-5yos from different distilleries these days carrying well below 60%abv at CS. It smells heather, orange liqueur, dark chocolate, vanilla, plum wine, sherry, dark roasted coffee, leather, cherries. The taste is chili, spicy, bitter licorice, juniper, ginger, waxy, salt, really intense and powerful. Some sweetness such as cherries, honey and ashes joins after a while. I will not add water as you can see from the bottle I've had some of it and some with water indeed. I remember it as becoming far more spirity then. I believe this is edging from the usual character of Fettercairn, but maybe it can work as an eye-opener for the skeptics out there, I know there are a few. The finish is peppery, sherried, dry sherry, red onions, dry red wine, tannic, gotta love your dry and bitter sherries to love this one I think.

I rarely enjoy sherry finishes as much as this: 8.5


Next tasting: St. Magdalene/Linlithgow Distillery

Glenkinchie 20yo 1987-2008 46%First Cask cask#2846 btl.37

It's rarely I get to try Glenkinchie, and a single cask IB bottling is a real treat. Bourbon cask. The color is straw/golden. It smells ginger, mustard, grassy, floral, rhubarb, minced garlic. Textbook lowland style. The taste is just a huge punch of lemon, sour and bitter, I don't think I've ever encountered such strong hints of lemon in a whisky before. It's hard to find anything else, but it delivers just the smallest touch of smoke on the finish. Lets add some water. Now it turns sweeter, garden fruits, honey, floral, apricot jam, more smoke and oaky notes. It's not that it improves a lot with water, but it gets more complex, more flavors on display. Overall I'd say its a nice, maybe a bit pricey, everyday dram alternative. Or just a nice presentation of the lowland region.

Clean and fun spirit, no big thrills though: 6



Next tasting: Fettercairn Distillery

Glen Garioch/Intravagan'za NAS 50% Michel Couvreur

Another spirit from Glen Garioch thats rested in caves in cognac country. This one holds 50% abv and is said to be both cask strength and matured for 3 years. I can't confirm any of that at this point, but since its been maturing in a dry and cold cave I find 50%abv as a weird CS at such a young age. The color on this is light bronze. It smells leather, honey, dry licorice, hay, clover, boiled grits, stilton, cinnamon, I recognize the sherry influence but also a clear Glen Garioch character. Oh yeah, didn't mention this came from a sherry hogshead, did I? The taste is sweet, peppery, marzipan, chillies, honey,  sweet sherry, tannins, dry red wine, peat, black pepper, grits again, bittersweet. Impressive! The finish is long and peppery with dry licorice and dry spices.

A great alternative to maturing in Scotland, fab spirit: 7



Next tasting: Glenkinchie Distillery

Couvreur's Clearach 3yo 43% Michel Couvreur

I bought this bottling in Denmark, its the result of a crazy Belgian citizen importing Scotch single malt spirit to France and storing it in some caves traditionally used to mature cognac/brandy. So its not really a Glen Garioch, but the mentioning of Meldrum House on the label strongly suggests its origin. And its not even a whisky, as scotch whisky must've been matured for at least 3 years in Scotland. This spirit was, according to information by seller, matured for three years in very humid and moist conditions. Therefore it has caught a bit of a hazy appearance. One small practical issue is, as you can see, the cork. The bottle is designed for screw caps, but they've used a cardboard cork instead, without a top, so if you haven't got a spare alternative cork lying around, keeping this spirit intact will be a hard task. Lets try this bastard!


Couvreur's Clearach 3yo 43% Michel Couvreur

I must add that this was matured in a sherry cask. The color is hazy light cinnamon/honey. It smells buttery, nougat, dark chocolate, charcoal, orange zest, white wine, wheat beer. The taste is peppery, rich, starchy, potato starch, flinty, raw onions, undeniably a spirit from Glen Garioch. I've gotta commend MC for thinking out of the box with this one. I've got another one that was matured in a very dry and cool cognac cave from same bottler, but that's due for another tasting later on. The finish is sweet and peppery.

(Non-whisky character): 7



Next tasting: Glen Garioch

Loch Lomond 5yo 2000-2006 46% OB Dá Mhile Single Grain

Loch Lomond is one of the few distilleries producing both grain and malt whisky. This is however, the first ever single grain I've tried from them. 46%abv is good news, I think they usually bottle at 40%abv. This is one of 6500 bottles(!). No chill-filtering, no colouring... nice! But is that enough to make for a decent 5yo grain-whisky? The color is straw/pale. It smells rice vinegar, wheat, leather, vanilla, floral, watercress, marzipan, white wine, mint. The taste is very sweet, vanilla candy, minty, fresh and floral, grassy notes, a bit of honey and stewed onions. The finish is light, some dry apple cider and floral notes. This is an easy-drinking aperitif grain with good flavors and no heavy notes.

Pleasant: 6



Next tasting: Glen Garioch

Tasting 2 Port Charlotte for Norway

Daracha is a norwegian importer of foreign spirits, and they've succeeded in getting two casks of Port Charlotte bottled for them. Creds! Time to taste those two.


Port Charlotte 10yo 2002-2012 %? OB for Daracha cask#1168

This one was kept in a bourbon hogshead for 10 years, should be a well refined peatster. These PC's are sure coming a bit of age these days, perhaps its time for them to really blossom? The color on this one is amber orange. It smells peat, spirity, honey, leather, caramel, burn sugar, licorice, minty, ashes, smoke, vanilla, sulphur, rubbery, salty. What a start! The taste is intens, peppery, peaty, smoky, cigar notes, butter, green chillies, ginger. This is a taste-bomb, and you gotta love it a bit rough, a whisky that really rocks!

I wish I had a cask, let alone a bottle of this: 9


Port Charlotte 10yo 2002-2012 60% Adelphi for Daracha cask#1162

One from a sherry hogshead. Peat and sherry oak often give varied results, but when the match is right the result can be the best of the best. How funny, the bourbon casked one in this session was deep amber, while the sherried one is merely golden. I guess Ralfy was right all along. It smells honey, buttery, sage, leaves, onions, grassy shrimps and crab meat, coastal, but in a weird fashion. I can't go much further on the nose, but its one you gotta try! The taste is sweet, vanilla, licorice, peppermint, sage, black olives, burnt rubber, glue, rich and creamy, but this intense bitterness almost kills it off. I guess the bitter and peaty notes kinda works in a very strange way.

Another one you gotta try: 7.5



Next tasting: Loch Lomond (grain)

Tasting one young Bruichladdich

Many peated youngsters are flying out of Bruichladdichs warehouses these days, but how does a regular low-peated Bruichladdich compare at similar age?



Bruichladdich 7yo 55% OB Isle of the Blessed for Whisky & Dreams (www.whiskyanddreams.de)

This one was matured in a bourbon cask before being finished in sherry wood. I don't believe this is bottled at cask strength. But it could also be from some leaking wood. The color is amber orange. It smells dry, sulphur, rubbery, cinnamon, oranges, waxy, leather, earthy, moulded cheese, peat. The taste is peppery, earthy, spicy cinnamon, chillies, burnt notes, very powerful. The finish is peppery, sweet chili sauce, honey, apple vinegar, sweet white wine. Also vanilla, pear juice, root vegetables, red wine vinegar, sweet and spicy. Lets add some water. Now it turns more spirity, more rubber, less heat and less sweetness. I believe water just ruined an otherwise good whisky.

Use your time with this one, its not an easy whisky: 7.5



Next tasting: Bruichladdich (Port Charlotte)