Laphroaig 13yo 1988-2001 46% Murray McDavid cask#2108

It's rather unusual to find young IB Laphroaigs at low strength these days, except from the distillers, of course. Lets try this "old" one to maybe shine a light on why. The color is pale golden. It smells medicinal, coastal, salt, turmeric, ashes, charcoal, honey, seaweed, bitter herbs, grassy, burnt sugar. The taste is peat, white wine, white pepper, sunflower oil, turnips, pumpkin seeds, broad beans, its nothing like the peat bombs they release from Laphroaig nowadays. This is actually an utmost gentle and lowland-ish version of Laphroaig, who'd imagine. The finish is peat, mint, quite sweet and refreshing. This one crushes every image I held of Laphroaig as something out of the norm, but on the other hand, it's still a decent malt whisky.

Laphroaig in a cage: 5



Next tasting: Glenlossie Distillery

Isle of Jura 13yo 1989-2002 46% Murray McDavid cask#1564

One distillery that's seen a certain gain in interest the last few years. Where Whyte & Mackay went in one direction with a huge number of older bottlings from Dalmore and Fettercairn, they reinvigorated the interest in Jura Distillery by peat variations and NAS-bottlings. Time to try an "older" bottling then. From a single bourbon cask, don't know which size. The color is white wine. It smells salty, coastal, foul milk/cream, a bit rotting, rotten eggs?, cooked ham, peat, black pepper, iodine, much more peat after a couple of minutes. The taste is cinnamon sticks, sweet licorice, cranberries, chalk, bitter schnapps, very intense, but far from as coastal now. This does remind me of some of the unpeated Caol Ilas, or even a Glen Scotia. The finish is quite mild, some briny notes, salty cheese and lemon drops.

A mellow Islander, perfect for aperitifs: 6



Next tasting: Laphroaig Distillery

Glenfarclas 20yo 1969-1989 58.2% Signatory Vintage cask#52,53,54 btl.148/1200

As you may very well know, whiskies with the written name "Glenfarclas" is now illegal to bottle by other than the distillers. But this one was bottled no less than 24 years ago. A bit of evaporation. From three casks, presumably sherry casks. The color is reddish brown. It smells cinnamon, butter, licorice, caramel, dark chocolate, cardamum, curry spices, tannins, dry red wine liqueur, sulphur, ashes, brick dust. It comes of very clogging and almost like glue at first, needs time to open up. The taste is leather, varnish, raw beetroot, spicy cinnamon, burnt rubber, ashtray, charcoal, I believe it needs some water, although its as extreme as it gets in its own style,so please try it neat first. Adding water. Now it turns sweeter, more cinnamon, honey, juniper berries, butter, caramel, dark chocolate, salmi, gunpowder, cigars, dried leather, smoked beef. The finish is long on sulphur, cinnamon and rubber.

The finish aside, this is a near perfect display of indie Glenfarclas: 9

Next tasting: Jura Distillery

Highland Park 12yo 1979-1991 65.2% Cadenhead's

Remember, some of these older casks have held spirits that kept a far higher %abv when filling than the spirits produced in Scotland nowadays. That can make for some interesting bottlings. This youngster is an example. And I shall try it neat... The color is white wine. It smells huge, floral, honey, vanilla, candy sticks, gelatin, more vanilla and then some vanilla, did I mention vanilla? Crazy, its almost like entering a candy store, or a room full of vanilla fudge to be more precise. Not complex, but if you enjoy vanilla... The taste is peppery, spearmint, vanilla, cauliflower, parsnips, potato starch, so sweet that I don't even notice the strength one bit. Adding water. Now it turns more synthetic, poor vodka, rubber, glycerin, stearic, burnt plastic, not good at all. The finish is sweet.

This is a whisky of two worlds, a neat 8, and a diluted 2. No water, thank you: 8



Next tasting: Glenfarclas Distillery

Futurists heading for the unknown: NAS and beyond!!!

As you may all be aware of, the 10yo, 12yo and so on are these days joined by the ever so slightly cheaper NAS-Versions from the distillers. But ever so often, it seems, the prices may go the opposite direction of the age. Personally I never cared too much for many of the standard bottlings, but the recent explosion in young NAS-releases makes me a bit nervous that we all be sitting down enjoying a "7yo Glen the Elder 60%" in a couple of years. I've made my observations about those NAS-versions, and some are better than others, even much better than others. So here are my top list of NAS-Versions to have a go at, of course, you might disagree, but these are my preferances:

1. Talisker 57 North
2. Ardbeg Uigeadail
3. Bowmore Tempest
4. Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or
5. Glenfarclas 105
6. Jura Prophecy
7. Laphroaig Quarter Cask
8. Springbank CV
9. Longrow CV
10. Fettercairn Fior

Enjoy!

Talisker NAS 57% OB 57 North

I remember this one, I had a sample some years ago, let's put a score on it now. I imagine this one was coloured, and I think it's no older than 8yo at most. Anyway, it is golden with an amber shine. It smells spirity, peat smoke, coastal, salt, cod liver, dried seaweed, the usual peppery notes from Talisker as well as some heather, corn flour and crushed rhubarb stems. The taste is on sawdust, cinnamon, ashes, ginger, peat smoke, caramel, dark chocolate, vanilla, charcoal. This is Talisker much how it should be at young age. A real treat for fans of costal wild peat notes. The finish is long and smoky, peap and black peppercorns. I have added water to this one time before, and I will not do it again. I just doesn't improve on any level.

A celebration of the environment in which it was produced, perfect: 8

Next tasting: Highland Park Distillery