Tasting a mix of 9 very different whiskies (so it seemed)

After being exhausted by some crazy big sessions of closed down distilleries, I then went into a state of nearly a dram a week. Even less than what my doctor recommends. But I'm now feeling its time for a session of variation, and this is it. Variation, yes!


Goldlys 12yo 43% OB 2012 (PX sherry finish)

Belgian. The color is amber, nutty brown. It smells rich, toffee, cinnamon, heather, burnt tarts, honey. The taste is quite bitter, grainy, mustard, raw onions, chewing tobacco, quite off. (I won't be adding water to these whiskies by the way) The finish is bitter on sawdust, coffee beans and lime rind. Quite peppery as well.


Speyside 15yo 1996-2012 46% Strictly Limited Carn Mor (Sherry Butt)

The color is lightly tanned golden. It smells like wet wool, sage, rotting grass, Drumguish(?), waxy, all sorts of wet/rotting vegetables, like carrots cooked for broth. The taste is  on camembert, vieux du pane, salty cheese, a bit gunpowder and some leather. The taste is waxy and peppery, dry and sweet licorice, maltodextrin, not very complex, but a real kicker. The finish is dry and short.


Islay House Malt 21yo 1990-2012 46% Wilson & Morgan (Sherry Butt#50)

Many say this is a Bunnahabhain. The color is deep golden brown. It smells sweet sherried, something in the line of cream sherry, salt, custard, rib fat, oysters, acrylic paint, fabric, apple cider. The taste is tannic, phenolic, blueberry wine, some ginger and cider vinegar. The finish is long on wheat, yeast and black pepper.


Amrut NAS 50% OB Fusion 2013 batch#21

Indian. The color is golden brown. It smells restrained, some flour sugar, menthol, honey and mint. The taste is rich, sweet, unripe apples, dry white wine, vanilla, fruit syrup, a bit cloying actually. Reveals its young age by some spirity notes of vodka and yeast. The finish is long, black pepper, some peat, vanilla and phenol.


Braeval 14yo 1997-2012 52% Creative Whisky Company Exclusive Casks (cask#126678 Sherry Finish)

Exclusive Casks perhaps wasn't that creative name of a series of single cask whiskies? The color is golden brown. It smells sweet, bubble gum, air freshener, vanilla, some light notes of cinnamon and hay. The taste is sweet and almost sticky, candy, syrup, ginger, chillies, quite intense an strong behind all that sweet stuff, unbalanced. The finish is rather peppery and austere.


Greenore 10yo 2000-2001 52.9% OB for Belgium cask#87

Irish grain whisky. The color is pale straw. It smells rich and buttery, butter crackers, grassy, lavender, vanilla. Pleasant enough. The taste is vanilla, honey, barley, onions, leeks, mashed parsnip, grainy, some children crayons and rubber. The finish is on wheat, pickles, cumin, curry paste.


Glenburgie 23yo 1989-2012 54.8% Chester Whisky & Liqueur Co. (Bourbon Barrel)

An IB I've never come across before. The color is pale straw. It smells soapy, honey, sweet yet more like some lavender or flower. The taste is malty, peppery, vanilla, oaky, more traditional so to speak. This one carries nothing that you can't find in a 12yo malt. The finish is zesty and oaky.


Redbreast 12yo 57.7% OB 2011 (batch#1)

Irish. The color is golden. It smells rich, vanilla, heather, butter, grassy, oregano, cinnamon. The taste is very phenolic, burnt sugar, malt syrup, coffee, buttery, salty. The finish is smoky, peppery, cured ham, a lot of salty notes, smoked bacon.


Cooley 13yo 1999-2013 51.4% The Whisky Mercenary

Irish peated. Pale color. It smells sweet vanilla, honey, brittle, ashes, grapefruit, leather and beetroot puree. The taste is sweet, coal, ashes, heavy peaty notes, some ashes and grape seeds. The finish is pretty oaky and seems a bit underdeveloped. Oak and spirit.



Next tasting: Glann Ar Mor Distillery

Glenlivet 26yo 1974-2000 54% Danehill cask#8180 btl.33/197

This was a millenium edition for Danehill, which I've never heard of before, to tell you the truth. Only 197 bottles. I bought this from the whisky exchange. If you've done the same thing, and notice my cork top is a bit different than yours, its because the original cork in mine was ruined. Lets hope the whisky isn't. The color is golden. It smells sweet, rich peat, vanilla, burnt oak, cinnamon, heather, stewed onions, caramel, burnt sugar, glue. The taste is clean and peppery, again very peaty, austere, black peppers, mustard, yeast. I've never encountered such a peaty Glenlivet before. Time to add some water.  Be generous with water on this one, that is my tip. The taste is now much sweeter, more vanilla, custard, honey, green paprika, initially a bit too light for me, but the finish hits with serious peppery, peaty, mustardy notes.

Quite an extreme Glenlivet: 7



Next tasting: Mixed bunch, Scotland and the World

Longmorn 14yo 1990-2004 56.7% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#30049 btl.

There was drawn a mere 219 bottles from this bourbon hogshead. I usually like this series a lot, and I've always been found of Longmorn. A match made in heaven? The color is deep golden. It smells banana, creamy, vanilla, oaky, spicy, cinnamon, garlic, red onions, some dry hay and nice gin notes. The bottler actually suggests on the label, to add water to this, to "help release its FULL FLAVOUR". I'll try it neat first anyway.. The taste is on dry green herbs, green paprika, leeks, oregano, vanilla, very nice even without water. It's a pretty light and easy-drinking malt. Lets add some water. Now it turns sweeter, fuller, rum and raisin notes, heather, rich vanilla and banana notes, I must say this is a very decent 14yo, one of the better I've had to be fair. The finish is long on peppery and honey, a perfect finish on this rich whisky.

Longmorn, time go get some more: 9



Next tasting: Glenlivet Distillery

Port Dundas 46yo 1965-2011 43,3% Scott's Selection

I don't think I've ever had a Port Dundas before, or wait, I had a 20yo OB a while back. I remember it as an easy-drinking grain with little personality, despite high strength. This one is in the top flight on my list of whiskies what age is concerned. Not the vintage though. Port Dundas was closed down in 2009, so its not a scarce whisky, but if you can, please get hold of one before grain-prices starts sky-rocketing as well. The color is brown/orange. It smells oaky, lacquer, paint thinner, quite spirity, lets give this some time to open up, remember, its an old whisky that can make you miss its magic if you rush it. Ten more minutes of breathing. Now it turns more fresh, minty, leather, peppermint, much more vigrant, but far from your typical 40yo+ whisky. The taste is slightly bitter, gritty, acidic, sweet coffee, banana. A mix of two worlds, first bitter and closed, then some nice sappy sweet notes, almost like a sweet vegetable broth. I do like this, and I have to try with water added. Water added. Now it turns more gritty again, grassy, very tame. Water kills this otherwise interesting single grain.

For this age, it seems underdeveloped, but its a decent dram: 5.5



Next tasting: Longmorn Distillery