St. Magdalene 25yo 1982-2008 61.8% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#2180 btl.220/603

A very high strength, which often has to do with the size of the cask. I remember a 36yo Inchgower at nearly 66%abv. That one also came from a butt. I don't know wether its a sherry or bourbon butt. St. Magdalene is often stated as one of the most beloved closed distilleries. Personally I've had both ups and downs with it, but a youngster from Cadenhead's once made it very clear to me that at its best, st. Magdalene/Linlithgow can be stunning. The color is pale golden. It smells sweet, lemon, limonade, craft cider, ginger peel, some bitterness, fino sherry wood? It's not as spirity as I feared on the nose, rather a mellow one. The taste is malty, lemon peel, fresh lime juice, ginger, sherry bitterness, sour ale, lowland-style through and through with this one. I'd say it doesn't need water, but I also believe it could be opened up a bit. With water it instantly becomes more sour, unripe apples, lime, lemon, vegetable stock. I will say this is the most citric dominated whisky I've ever had. The finish is long and citric. I think this is just lacking a small hint of caramel, vanilla or anything sweet and savory to elevate it into a perfect dram.

It's too citric to reach a perfect score, but it's damn close: 9

Next tasting: Macallan Distillery

Glen Moray NAS 40% OB Elgin Classic

Glen Moray now has a NAS bottling, really? Who doesn't these days? Oban maybe? I don't know, but lets have a go at this. Think I've read somewhere that Glen Moray uses primarily ex wine oak, could be interesting. The color is pale straw, perhaps natural color, a positive! It smells big on ginger and chopped onions, some lemongrass and hints of mint as well, a vegetal whisky! It's light and easy at first, no off-notes, but seems very young and distillate driven. The taste is burnt, hints of sour leaves, tobacco, ginger, rhubarb, chestnuts, white beans. It's not a bad dram, it's just underdeveloped, I think it reminds me a bit of gin. Unfortunately, I believe I'm now sitting with the future for most working class whisky drinkers, for this could've been great with a couple more years on oak. With added water it collapses into a mild minty aperitif style drink. There is very little to non finish.

More wood please: 4

Next tasting: Linlithgow/st.Magdalene Distillery

Clarke's Westpoint NAS 40% Clarke's Distilling Company

First of all, let me tell you I'm no expert on bourbon whiskey, and I often find them rather bland. So how will this ultra-cheap supermarket bourbon fare? The CDC was established in 1866 so they've been in the game for some time. The color is golden orange, certainly not natural. It smells leather, flint and gunpowder, not much else, perhaps its one of those to add coca cola to. The taste is more leather, smoked ham, balsamic vinegar, some positive meaty notes here. Also crayons, full fat milk, black pepper, caramel, astringent waxy notes. This is far from the worst I've had, and at about 12$ a bottle its not a bad deal. But the finish leaves a little to be desired. It's short what flavor is

concerned, but leaves a bitter soapy note that hangs for awhile.

Half decent whiskey for a less than decent money: 4



Next tasting: Back to Scotland! (Glen Moray)

Fettercairn 30yo 1972-2002 53.6% OB cask#2895 btl#219

This one comes from an oak butt, could be sherry, could be bourbon, who knows. And it was chosen by The Nose himself, blending legend Richard Paterson. I believe this one was bottled exclusively for the Japanese market. The color is golden auburn, dark golden if you like. It smells toffee pudding, resinous, camphor, vanilla, onions, beef jerky, bbq-sauce, rather huge on the vanilla, also some mint, malt syrup, green tea and heather. There's no nutty notes as one often find in younger versions. The taste is strawberries, honey, caramel, sage, vanilla, toffee pudding, dark chocolate, custard cream, onions, boiled stout, raspberries, butter, ginger, sugar snaps. Most of all there is a heavenly vanilla going on here. One could not add water here in my opinion, but let's try for fun. With water it becomes more bitter-sour, some vinegar notes emerges, but still a very goo dram.  The finish is long, malty, cinnamon, coffee, baking ammonia. Richard, splendidly chosen!

A spirit that's still fresh, yet the cask influence is massive, and altogether a perfect match: 9.5



Next tasting: America!

Kilchoman 5yo 2006-2012 60.7% OB Exclusively for Denmark/for FC Whisky cask#314

Matured in a sherry butt. Bottled for FC Whisky which imports most, if not all the SC Kilchomans going to the danish market. I remember getting the rests in this bottle, after a tasting with John Maclellan, for a very small money, mind you, nothing wrong with that. I remember it as one of the most interesting bottlings there. The color is amber golden. It smells mildly peaty and minty, mint julep, after eight, leather, ashes, oaky, phenolic, licorice, kiwi, heather, rubber eraser, nice dry rubber notes. Seems to me this cask has worked fast and effective. The taste is immensely dry, peaty, reminds me instantly of older CS Lagavulins, even some drier versions of Laphroaig, its so coastal, salty, smoky, tarry, ashes, waxy, heather, phenols, smoked cod liver, tobacco, salty licorice, dark chocolate, buttery, just so rich, seems at least 4 times its real age. I remember one Laphroaig for a whisky shop in germany, in port wood a couple years ago which this one resembles very well. I gave that one 10points. Think it was Whisky & Cigars, the shop it was bottled for. The finish is on salty iodine, musty salty notes, garlic, saffron, longlasting. I wonder how many more 2006 Vintages like this there are left at Kilchoman.

Should this one've matured longer? I couldn't tell, but its pretty close to perfect in my opinion: 9.5



Next tasting: Fettercairn Distillery