Glendronach 15yo 46% OB Moscatel Finish
I wasn't too happy with the Moscatel-finished Caol Ila, perhaps a less peated malt will interact better with these types of wood? Smells sweet and intense, not unlike some of the less sweetened french Muscat wines. Golden brown color, it develops even more just sitting in the glass, now it's getting sweeter and lends more towards some Valencia Moscatel wines. The taste is sweet, syrupy, a bit peppery, woody and dry polyester. Water is needed, Now it gets a bit more like the 16yo Highland Park, some peaty notes and lots of sweetness. The aftertaste is short and lacks what you'd call.. a real flavor.
I'm usually not to happy about finishes, this reinforces my stand: 4
Glendronach 16yo 1993-2009 61.7% LMDW cask# 528
A very dark sherried malt from Glendronach at the tender age of 16. I have not been too impressed with the pretty new version OB's, but let's not compare since they're dilluted to point ridiculous. This one has a very strong smell, dry, honey, cinnamon, burnt toast, heavy cask influence I guess. The taste is very dry and sour actually, lemon and intense herbs and green tea. I'll add some water. Water makes little difference other than it becomes much less sour. Unfortunately does little other aromas show. The aftertaste is mostly dry and a bit peppery, but very very long.
A very demanding malt, but if you're experienced, try it: 5
Glendronach 12yo 43% OB
I've tried some amazing sherried Glendronachs lately. Let's see what the traditional cask can bring to the table. A very apple and cinnamon-like nose, old cinnamon candy sticks? The taste is fresh, just a bit grainy and spirity. The fruitiness of green bananas and pears quickly fades away. he aftertaste is very strong and has much alcohol notes going on. I'm very disappointed, but then again, the young standard Glendronach never been a favourite of mine anyway.
It strikes me as kind of unfinished: 3
Glendronach 16yo 1992-2009 60.8% OB for Versailles Dranken Nijmegen 306btls.
This is a sherry-matured whisky bottled for some dutch company. It has a nice red colour, just a bit darker than rosè wine. It smells very strong, not surprisingly since it's more than half doubled the abv to the other ones I've tried today. The taste is very dry, and chewy, marcipan, sweet sherry, ricotta, paint thinner and honey mustard. With some water it gets even sweeter, like dark syrup, it's just too sweet for me. I couldn't bring it down just because it's so sweet, as I know many people like a fullbodied and extremely sweet malt. The aftertaste is dry and very concentrated on dark berries.
A bit less sweet and it'd be a top score: 8
Glendronach 15yo 46% OB Revival
This one is sherried and called Revival, I guess it's a revival, but I can't remember the older version sherry-matured. It has a smooth odor, flowers, roasted tomatoes and sherry. The taste is so wonderful, fruits in syrup, nectar, honey, grapes, with an aftertaste of grapecores. I'd say it has a nice nose, a beautiful palate and a bad finish. Water helps a bit on the finish but again erases the palate totally. it's an allright malt, but I'd like the allardice better.
a pretty two-dimensional malt, I prefer the first dimension only: 4.5
Glendronach 18yo 46% OB Allardice
A pretty bland smell on this new Glen Dronach bottling called "Allardice". It's beautifully golden brown with strong hints of tingling caramel in the tasting. On the finish there are some quite strong salty tones, and it lasts for quite some time. A malt that's designed to please the modern malt enthusiast, no doubt.
Good job by Glendronach: 8
onsdag 30. mars 2011
12 Glen Grants tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Glen Grant 11yo 43% James MacArthur's
I haven't tried too many diluted ones from James MacArthur's. This one is almost as pale as Vodka. I have had good experiences with young Glen Grants, maybe this will be another one? It smells sweet and synthetic. The taste is sweet and again synthetic, plastic, like some weird vodka. You could add green tea in this and it would overpower the whisky/vodka flavors. This is fun stuff if you wanna get drunk in a hurry, but to enjoy as more than that, it's a total waste.
Bland whisky from a bland cask: 3
Glen Grant 12yo 40% OB
After the last peat-derby its back to some Glens, starting with this one from Glen Grant, which seems to be a bottling from the 80's. Smells light, tea, wax, shoe polish, dry polyester. The taste is sweet, citrussy, a bit dry, hard to find some distinct flavours in this one. The aftertaste is light and sweet, some apricot and orange liqueur. Given some time it develops a bit but its a bit light for my palate.
A beginners dram: 4
Glen Grant 23yo 1985-2009 43% Schoner Nikolaus www.whiskyauction.com
One of these bottlings for Thomas Krüger and occasionally sold at whiskyauction.com and other auctions online. Glen Grant is a malt that I've tried many a time but it lacks what I call an easily recognizable distillery character. A malt perhaps more than others depending on a good cask to impress, not unlike Glengoyne. Golden colour, smells spirity, malty, woody, dry oak, seems much younger than its age. A lot of malty notes in this one, very one-dimensional. With water it becomes a bit peppery on the finish.
A kind/borderline bland malt: 4.5
Glen Grant 26yo 46% Cadenhead's
A deep dark red Glen Grant from Cadenhead's, probably bottled a couple decades back so I'd say it could've been distilled somewhere in the 60's or perhaps even late 50's. It smells dry, old, vinous, leather, hickory, kind of smoky, but not peat-fashion smoke, more a subtle and gentle smokiness, cubans? The taste is extremely dry, stale red wine, lemon and peat?(This is seriously smoky). Could there been used peat at the normally so light and kind Glen Grant back in the days? I have to try with water. Now some of the smokiness has disappeared and it's plain bitter and sweet.
Old style, for true sentimentalists: 6
Glen Grant 34yo 1975-2009 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing
Glen Grant is a whisky which rise abnormally when reaching about 30yo, at auctions and so on, as its standard bottlings of today maybe a bit looked down on by many. I love the young versions of today, although I've rarely tried such old ones as this. Smells very light, almost nothing at all, some banana thing and a bit floral. The taste is a bit floral, grassy, a bit dry and quite bland. I don't mean to be disrespectful but if a nice and gentle malt like Glen Grant is to be bottled at the age of 34, it would have benefited from a more active cask.
Underdeveloped old Glen Grant: 3
Glen Grant 20yo 1948&1961-1981 40% Charles & Diana wedding commemoration G&M
I'm doing two royal commemoration wedding malts from Gordon and Macphail today. Both same vintages and for the mariage between the late princess Diana and Charles. This one is really fresh, fruity, cloves, nectarine and mint. I wonder how much of the content is 1948? The taste is kind of bland, reminds me actually a bit of the standard 5yo's. It gives me absolutely nothing, watery, diluted apple juice and wheat. I guess this is a bit like the afforementioned marriage, starts really good, but ends.. well, you know..
Yawn: 3
Glen Grant 15yo 40% OB
The bottles from Glen Grant are as far from being visually attractive as an elephant birth, but they still manage well salewise. Especially older bottlings. I once had a 70's NAS bottling of absolute brilliance. This one has a dark, bronze colour, but I guess that could as well confirm it's a good source of E150. The smell is very nice, an absolute summers delight with soft fruits like kiwi and mango, and a small hint of rosé. It needs a couple minutes to breath. The taste is dry, red wine, not bad, it reminds me of some oloroso finishes from the past. Add a bit of water, it gets more robust and some dry sherry-notes appears.
A nice surprise from a distillery looked down on by many: 6
Glen Grant 12yo 57% OB
A CS or close to CS glen grant is a new one for me, as I've never been able to get my hands on one of the many much talked about older CS versions. If you like it strong you'll love the nose on this one. If blind I'd thought it'd be peated. The taste is kind of sour, and a bit sweet, honey and unripe apples. Very nice, not dry at all. The aftertaste is a bit short, a bit like the ones on calvados, apples again, yes. I guess at the usual, for this distillery, 40% abv it'd be a bland and semi-fruity experience. But this is wonderful, the first honey shock, then the apple bonanza and the finish of southern europe is excellent.
Very well Glen Grant: 8
Glen Grant 5yo 40% OB
Today I'll try 3 pale youngster, and first of all the 5yo Glen Grant, one which is reaching very high prices on ebay despite it's young age. Last time I tried this I was positively surprised. The nose is young and spirity, but not in a very excessive way. It holds back. The taste is watery and a bit slow, it's not showing character until the finish. It has a light malty aroma and isn't bad at all, but there's just not enough going on. Feels like a poor blend.
Add a drop of water and you'll have a whisky soft drink: 2.5
Glen Grant NAS 43% OB
One from the 70's with no evaporation, rare to find. Very strong and spirity smell, a young age, no doubt. The taste is very intense, flowery, roses, turnips, grass, malt extract and fine grounded coffee. A couple drops of water creates a beautifully balanced whisky with all the aforementioned flavours, just longer and firmer.
I'm totally astonished, why don't they taste like this no more?: 9.5
Glen Grant 16yo 46% Cadenhead's
Glen Grant is a classic speysider, in old style. This version seems to have matured in sherry or portcasks, very dark. Some incredibly sweet nuances of chocolate and caramel, and a very powerful taste of dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa, on the palate. Finishes off with an aftertaste dominated by much cask character.
A nice and mature speysider: 5.5
Glen Grant 8yo 40% OB
Glen Grant's never been described in big words, but it does have something going for it. The rather soft nose is honey, carnation and roses. The just as soft taste combines watermelon, brown sugar, caramel, girly perfume and apricots. The finish ruins a bit as it's very rancid.
hardly complicated, but very enjoyable: 5
I haven't tried too many diluted ones from James MacArthur's. This one is almost as pale as Vodka. I have had good experiences with young Glen Grants, maybe this will be another one? It smells sweet and synthetic. The taste is sweet and again synthetic, plastic, like some weird vodka. You could add green tea in this and it would overpower the whisky/vodka flavors. This is fun stuff if you wanna get drunk in a hurry, but to enjoy as more than that, it's a total waste.
Bland whisky from a bland cask: 3
Glen Grant 12yo 40% OB
After the last peat-derby its back to some Glens, starting with this one from Glen Grant, which seems to be a bottling from the 80's. Smells light, tea, wax, shoe polish, dry polyester. The taste is sweet, citrussy, a bit dry, hard to find some distinct flavours in this one. The aftertaste is light and sweet, some apricot and orange liqueur. Given some time it develops a bit but its a bit light for my palate.
A beginners dram: 4
Glen Grant 23yo 1985-2009 43% Schoner Nikolaus www.whiskyauction.com
One of these bottlings for Thomas Krüger and occasionally sold at whiskyauction.com and other auctions online. Glen Grant is a malt that I've tried many a time but it lacks what I call an easily recognizable distillery character. A malt perhaps more than others depending on a good cask to impress, not unlike Glengoyne. Golden colour, smells spirity, malty, woody, dry oak, seems much younger than its age. A lot of malty notes in this one, very one-dimensional. With water it becomes a bit peppery on the finish.
A kind/borderline bland malt: 4.5
Glen Grant 26yo 46% Cadenhead's
A deep dark red Glen Grant from Cadenhead's, probably bottled a couple decades back so I'd say it could've been distilled somewhere in the 60's or perhaps even late 50's. It smells dry, old, vinous, leather, hickory, kind of smoky, but not peat-fashion smoke, more a subtle and gentle smokiness, cubans? The taste is extremely dry, stale red wine, lemon and peat?(This is seriously smoky). Could there been used peat at the normally so light and kind Glen Grant back in the days? I have to try with water. Now some of the smokiness has disappeared and it's plain bitter and sweet.
Old style, for true sentimentalists: 6
Glen Grant 34yo 1975-2009 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing
Glen Grant is a whisky which rise abnormally when reaching about 30yo, at auctions and so on, as its standard bottlings of today maybe a bit looked down on by many. I love the young versions of today, although I've rarely tried such old ones as this. Smells very light, almost nothing at all, some banana thing and a bit floral. The taste is a bit floral, grassy, a bit dry and quite bland. I don't mean to be disrespectful but if a nice and gentle malt like Glen Grant is to be bottled at the age of 34, it would have benefited from a more active cask.
Underdeveloped old Glen Grant: 3
Glen Grant 20yo 1948&1961-1981 40% Charles & Diana wedding commemoration G&M
I'm doing two royal commemoration wedding malts from Gordon and Macphail today. Both same vintages and for the mariage between the late princess Diana and Charles. This one is really fresh, fruity, cloves, nectarine and mint. I wonder how much of the content is 1948? The taste is kind of bland, reminds me actually a bit of the standard 5yo's. It gives me absolutely nothing, watery, diluted apple juice and wheat. I guess this is a bit like the afforementioned marriage, starts really good, but ends.. well, you know..
Yawn: 3
Glen Grant 15yo 40% OB
The bottles from Glen Grant are as far from being visually attractive as an elephant birth, but they still manage well salewise. Especially older bottlings. I once had a 70's NAS bottling of absolute brilliance. This one has a dark, bronze colour, but I guess that could as well confirm it's a good source of E150. The smell is very nice, an absolute summers delight with soft fruits like kiwi and mango, and a small hint of rosé. It needs a couple minutes to breath. The taste is dry, red wine, not bad, it reminds me of some oloroso finishes from the past. Add a bit of water, it gets more robust and some dry sherry-notes appears.
A nice surprise from a distillery looked down on by many: 6
Glen Grant 12yo 57% OB
A CS or close to CS glen grant is a new one for me, as I've never been able to get my hands on one of the many much talked about older CS versions. If you like it strong you'll love the nose on this one. If blind I'd thought it'd be peated. The taste is kind of sour, and a bit sweet, honey and unripe apples. Very nice, not dry at all. The aftertaste is a bit short, a bit like the ones on calvados, apples again, yes. I guess at the usual, for this distillery, 40% abv it'd be a bland and semi-fruity experience. But this is wonderful, the first honey shock, then the apple bonanza and the finish of southern europe is excellent.
Very well Glen Grant: 8
Glen Grant 5yo 40% OB
Today I'll try 3 pale youngster, and first of all the 5yo Glen Grant, one which is reaching very high prices on ebay despite it's young age. Last time I tried this I was positively surprised. The nose is young and spirity, but not in a very excessive way. It holds back. The taste is watery and a bit slow, it's not showing character until the finish. It has a light malty aroma and isn't bad at all, but there's just not enough going on. Feels like a poor blend.
Add a drop of water and you'll have a whisky soft drink: 2.5
Glen Grant NAS 43% OB
One from the 70's with no evaporation, rare to find. Very strong and spirity smell, a young age, no doubt. The taste is very intense, flowery, roses, turnips, grass, malt extract and fine grounded coffee. A couple drops of water creates a beautifully balanced whisky with all the aforementioned flavours, just longer and firmer.
I'm totally astonished, why don't they taste like this no more?: 9.5
Glen Grant 16yo 46% Cadenhead's
Glen Grant is a classic speysider, in old style. This version seems to have matured in sherry or portcasks, very dark. Some incredibly sweet nuances of chocolate and caramel, and a very powerful taste of dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa, on the palate. Finishes off with an aftertaste dominated by much cask character.
A nice and mature speysider: 5.5
Glen Grant 8yo 40% OB
Glen Grant's never been described in big words, but it does have something going for it. The rather soft nose is honey, carnation and roses. The just as soft taste combines watermelon, brown sugar, caramel, girly perfume and apricots. The finish ruins a bit as it's very rancid.
hardly complicated, but very enjoyable: 5
fredag 25. mars 2011
5 Allt-á-Bhainne tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Allt-á-Bhainne 28yo 1975-2004 60.2% Dun Bheagan cask#33152
This strength at this age? Not too often I come across that, from a refill sherry cask. Golden brown color. I usually, unlike some other people I know, enjoy an occasional Allt-á-Bhainne as I find they have a very delicate peppery theme. The smell is raw and peppery, with hints of mushrooms and autumn leaves. The taste is just so thick and fat it's almost hard to swallow, but with this immensely sweet dark syrupy, honey, oloroso-like sweetness that can be detected at a lot lower level in for instance the Aberlour A'bunadh. This sweet honey expression could easily be too much, but the finish is extremely peppery and even peaty(???).
I'm totally blown away by this one: 9
Allt-A-Bhainne 18yo 1980-1999 43% Signatory Vintage btl. 328/2450 cask 19000
Allt-A-Bhainne is a pretty new distillery, opened in the mid 70's. They doesn't have any OB's that I know of either. It's light golden and has a soft and mild nose with strong notes of pistachio. The taste keeps going with pistachio, sugar, cinnamon and herbs. With water it gets more liquoricy and slightly bitter, definately not recommended. The aftertaste is short and weak, some potato thing?
A light aperitif malt: 6.5 (without water)
Allt-Á-Bhainne 13yo 1979-93 43% The Castle Collection
A distillery that's back after a little break in the early to mid 2000's. Not too much is said about this malt. Has an enticing funky odor, something fruity which is a little hard to get a hold of. Very clean fragrance, sweet, citrus-like, with a finish of white pepper and oregano.
Makes me excited: 7
Deerstalker/Allt-A-Bhainne 12yo 40%
Royal Mile Whiskies says this one comes from the Allt-á-Bhainne Distillery, one that I don't come across too often. But I remember a good one from James MacArthur's. Smells of lavender, turnips, honey, oranges, papaya, butter, smoked bacon, an interesting mix. The taste is a bit off, very spirity, doesn't quite follow up the nice nose. There's oaky notes, dark ale, ground coffee, some burnt fat and finishing on a high note with hints of mint and coriander leaves.
A good 12yo: 6
Allt-A-Bhainne 10yo 1995-2005 59.8% James MacArthur's Old Masters
Another Bourbon-matured tonight, this has turned out to be a run of the Bourbon-matured. Allt-A-Bhainne on the other hand is far from your everyday dram. The nose is extremely sweet, much vanilla.It has a very fresh and sweet taste, much vanilla still but also some sour fruits, mango, apple, lemon and much more, I love it. At this strength it really shows all it's diversity. The aftertaste is kind of straight-forward on vanilla and oak, but that really doesn't make any difference here. This is a wonderful strong malt that shows that also about 60% abv can be sophisticated
A thunderbolt that we all should try: 9
This strength at this age? Not too often I come across that, from a refill sherry cask. Golden brown color. I usually, unlike some other people I know, enjoy an occasional Allt-á-Bhainne as I find they have a very delicate peppery theme. The smell is raw and peppery, with hints of mushrooms and autumn leaves. The taste is just so thick and fat it's almost hard to swallow, but with this immensely sweet dark syrupy, honey, oloroso-like sweetness that can be detected at a lot lower level in for instance the Aberlour A'bunadh. This sweet honey expression could easily be too much, but the finish is extremely peppery and even peaty(???).
I'm totally blown away by this one: 9
Allt-A-Bhainne 18yo 1980-1999 43% Signatory Vintage btl. 328/2450 cask 19000
Allt-A-Bhainne is a pretty new distillery, opened in the mid 70's. They doesn't have any OB's that I know of either. It's light golden and has a soft and mild nose with strong notes of pistachio. The taste keeps going with pistachio, sugar, cinnamon and herbs. With water it gets more liquoricy and slightly bitter, definately not recommended. The aftertaste is short and weak, some potato thing?
A light aperitif malt: 6.5 (without water)
Allt-Á-Bhainne 13yo 1979-93 43% The Castle Collection
A distillery that's back after a little break in the early to mid 2000's. Not too much is said about this malt. Has an enticing funky odor, something fruity which is a little hard to get a hold of. Very clean fragrance, sweet, citrus-like, with a finish of white pepper and oregano.
Makes me excited: 7
Deerstalker/Allt-A-Bhainne 12yo 40%
Royal Mile Whiskies says this one comes from the Allt-á-Bhainne Distillery, one that I don't come across too often. But I remember a good one from James MacArthur's. Smells of lavender, turnips, honey, oranges, papaya, butter, smoked bacon, an interesting mix. The taste is a bit off, very spirity, doesn't quite follow up the nice nose. There's oaky notes, dark ale, ground coffee, some burnt fat and finishing on a high note with hints of mint and coriander leaves.
A good 12yo: 6
Allt-A-Bhainne 10yo 1995-2005 59.8% James MacArthur's Old Masters
Another Bourbon-matured tonight, this has turned out to be a run of the Bourbon-matured. Allt-A-Bhainne on the other hand is far from your everyday dram. The nose is extremely sweet, much vanilla.It has a very fresh and sweet taste, much vanilla still but also some sour fruits, mango, apple, lemon and much more, I love it. At this strength it really shows all it's diversity. The aftertaste is kind of straight-forward on vanilla and oak, but that really doesn't make any difference here. This is a wonderful strong malt that shows that also about 60% abv can be sophisticated
A thunderbolt that we all should try: 9
16 Laphroaigs tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Laphroaig NAS 48% OB Triple Wood
After a couple of really good cask strength Laphroaigs lately I'm down to find out if my palate has changed and perhaps I've become custom to the peaty Laphroaig character. Maybe this standard OB can shed some light? Smells delicious, peaty and floral, quite subtle for a Laphroaig. The taste is even more peaty and floral, very good, no question about that, but it lacks some rawness. The aftertaste is peaty and long, intense smoky flavours, sort of like a sweet cigar.
Light and easy peaty Laphroaig: 6
One bourbon matured Laphroaig bottled for the german whisky retailer Whisky-Fässle which combines low-prices with big selection. I find that the modern bottlings from Laphroaig lacks some of the peaty character of older days, but maybe the high %abv will make up for it in this one. Smells huge peat and full of nice floral detergent notes as well as some sweet creamy oyster and shrimp eggs. So far this is fantastic!!! The taste is of citrus fruit, lemon, peppery and salty. But it's still incredibly fat and creamy and sweet... The finish just goes on and on and on with peaty notes.
This might be the best Islay malt I've ever tried: 9.5
Laphroaig 25yo 50.9% OB
I liked the 10yo CS, and now they've performed a CS version of the 25yo as well. The nose shows a much rawer peat, almost like some new make peated whisky. At 25yo that means to me its a very burnt odor, like some burnt rubber. The taste is coastal, licorice, long and peaty with a massive finish on vanilla and rustic dried lemon notes upon mustard creme.
A palatable Laphroaig, very good: 8
Laphroaig NAS 48% OB Triple Wood
One that's always stood in the shadow of the quarter cask version. I have tried some triple woods before, with the Auchentoshan coming out on top if I remember correctly. A totally fidderent malt than Laphroaig. Smells sort of clean peat with some red wine nuances. needs some time, it's not bad at all, clean and nice, but as far as peat and the well known coastal laphroaig character are concerned there's not much left. The woodwork overpowers much of the distillery character and it becomes sort of impotent. The taste is Vanilla, peat, licorice, red wine, citrus-flavored ice cream, honey, a lot going on here. The aftertaste is more classic Islay Laphroaig with medicinal notes as well as a dry sherry fragrance in the end.
A very good Laphroaig that I actually prefer to the QC: 7.5
Laphroaig NAS 1996 49.8% Whisky and Cigars Port
A port wine finished Laphroaig from the Whisky und Cigar shop in Berlin, I've tried this once before from a friend that brought a bottle home, and as far as I remember it was definately the best Islay malt I've ever tried. Oh the smell! It is so thick and fat, smoked ham, blue cheese, grilled peppers, sweet, salty and some restrained beautiful bitterness. The taste has some really pronounced flavours of chorizo, aslt and dry red wine, amazing. This is a whisky for gods, to drink and enjoy this is nothing short of heaven.
Score, well, absolute stunner, no surprise here: 10
Laphroaig 18yo 1990-2008 55.2% Berry Bros & Rudd cask#2251
I don't think I've ever tried such an old Laphroaig, will the raw medicinal notes in this one be more restrained? The smell is round, full of nice vanilla and honey notes with some discreet smoke. If I didn't know better I'd think this might be a peated speysider or highlander, peaty tang? The flavours shows that the cask have done some really nice work, lots of sweet vanilla and peppery notes. Far from the rawness of younger versions. But again that seems to be some of the problem here, all the balls that makes laphroaig stand apart from other whiskies tastewise seems to be gone. The aftertaste is fairly short and plain.
If you want a light and easy Laphroaig initiation, try this: 5
Laphroaig 11yo 1999-2010 42% Vinmonopolet
I don't know who's bottled this Laphroaig, but my sources says it's bottled in Denmark. Now this has some heavy medicinal notes, not far from the standard 10yo OB, a bit darker in colour, could this come from a single cask? Here's peat, ashes, dry notes, herbs, salt, peppery notes, a hardcore old style Laphroaig. If you're a peathead, and I don't say that in a bad way, this for you. Reminds somewhat of the peatiness in Ardbeg just without
the lemon and sugar notes. Like chewing lime seeds, quite bitter.
A typical Laphroaig: 6
Laphroaig 11yo 1999-2010 59.5% Daily Dram
My first, at least that I know, all exclusively sherry matured Laphroaig. And at this strength!! This could be a killer. This one reeks of smoke, smoke, coastal salty dry character and black pepper. But not bad, I've felt that the charismatic Laphroaig profile have faded a bit the last years, so perhaps this IB can show former glory? The taste is sweet, peppery, salty, but most of all PEATY!!!, which makes it hard to find other flavours, except small hints of the aforementioned sweet, peppery and salty.
A tastebomb: 6
Laphroaig NAS 48% Quarter Cask
Time to try this double matured Laphroaig, or is it really double matured when the casks both bourbon, but the size is the difference? The label states that smaller casks enhances flavours that used to be in whiskies of bygone days. Let's see. This smells like thunder, musky, muscat, peaty, dry, strong, earthy. The taste is peppery, floral, cedarwood, mustard, honey, waxy, many flavours I don't recognize in the 10yo. Not as coastal, but pleasant however. I believe this is one for Laphroaig fans mainly. Not my favourite Laphroiag, but if you like to try a new expression, go on.
Special Laphroaig, one that handles water: 5
Laphroaig 10yo 58.3% OB Batch#2
This is the second batch of the 10yo cask strength Laphroaig distillery released a couple years ago, if I remember correctly. It smells classic Laphroaig, peppery, coastal, peppery and even more peppery. The %abv's been raised, but I guess the whisky stock included should be pretty similar. The taste is stearic, burnt rope, sea salt, chilli and butter. So far it's a vast improvement from the earlier batch. This is classic Laphroaig with much of the hardcore peatiness that I feel is missing in many of the recent bottlings. The aftertaste is fairly long, peppery and just a slight disappointment when compared to the nose and palate.
Very well Laphroaig: 7
Laphroaig 12yo 57.5% OB Cairdeas
Laphroaig can be fantastic, and it can be crap, I have a more ambivalent impression of their malt than the one of any other distillery. This one has the usual smell of disinfect balm and dry liquorice. Sweet, spirity, liquorice, peaty, salty and once again, extremely sweet. Please do add water, it becomes a bit less sweet and a rounder and more mature taste appears, dry red wine, raw tuna and mustard. It's one for the Laphroaig geeks, and I guess to them it will be an absolute treat. For me on the other hand, It's not what I'd prefer other than on a small boat on the ocean in a storm while freezing.
A macho-whisky: 7.5
Laphroaig 10yo 43% OB
This is a flat bottled version from the 80's or earlier. It's up 3%abv compared to the recent 10yo. Other than that its also packed with E150. I've heard/read that older bottlings from Laphroaig should have much more punch and balls than the newer versions. It smells very good, peaty, coastal, salty, vanilla and spice. The taste is classic Laphroaig, peaty, peppery and sweet. I'm not getting the medicinal notes people seems to be talking about, this is maybe a more elegant Laphroaig? Anyway, its got a drying and sweet finish that complements the style perfectly.
My favourite OB Laphroaig so far: 8
Laphroaigh 12yo 1996-2009 56.9% The Perfect Dram II
I haven't yet quite understood why they put roman letter behind the "Dram", but there's probably a good reason. Anyhow, a bourbonmatured young cask strength from Laphroaig, this should do the trick! This nose is more like it, much more coastal with some medicinal hints. The taste is at first sweet, with much vanilla. Then the peat really shows and creates a wonderful warming, salty, coastal and herbal aftertaste that's quite long. I have to admit that it lacks some integration between the initial sweetness and later peat attack. It doesn't quite hang together. Other than that it's a good old Laphroaig within it's traditional characters.
Just what to expect from a Laphroaig: 6
Laphroaigh 16yo 1987-2004 46% Silver Seal
I'm feeling a bit of a cold coming on today, that's why I'll try a double of the good old Laphroaig to cure myself. This one is dark, seems like a sherried malt. The nose is very nice, some fine creamy sherry notes, but no sign of smokiness whatsoever, could the peat be so easily camouflaged? The taste is very sweet, sherried, a bit dry, wineish, like a Glen Moray? The aftertaste is also very weak, coming from Laphroaig that is, like a Bowmore Legend or even Benriach Authenticus. There's something strange here, it's a decent whisky, but not like any Islay I've ever known.
Laphroaig shows a soft side: 5
Laphroaig 10yo 55.7% OB
This Laphroaig bottled on cask strength of 55.7 smells like a classic Islay malt. Lots of smoke, peat, salt and pepper. Surprisingly sweet taste, much more robust than other Laphroaigs I've tried. An exciting creamy vanillaflavour stands out, but the finish is very peaty and phenolic. I think many would like this, but personally I like to add a bit water, and for this one it doesn't take away any of the flavour, just makes the finish a bit more smooth.
A peppery massacre: 6
Laphroaig 10yo 40% OB
One of the most peated and smoky Islay malts, but also one of the mildest after my taste. The first thing hitting the palate is some smoke and burnt sugar, then nothing... A good finish with some hints of apple, cigar and citrus. A good whisky that doesn't require much.
Fruity smoke: 6
After a couple of really good cask strength Laphroaigs lately I'm down to find out if my palate has changed and perhaps I've become custom to the peaty Laphroaig character. Maybe this standard OB can shed some light? Smells delicious, peaty and floral, quite subtle for a Laphroaig. The taste is even more peaty and floral, very good, no question about that, but it lacks some rawness. The aftertaste is peaty and long, intense smoky flavours, sort of like a sweet cigar.
Light and easy peaty Laphroaig: 6
One bourbon matured Laphroaig bottled for the german whisky retailer Whisky-Fässle which combines low-prices with big selection. I find that the modern bottlings from Laphroaig lacks some of the peaty character of older days, but maybe the high %abv will make up for it in this one. Smells huge peat and full of nice floral detergent notes as well as some sweet creamy oyster and shrimp eggs. So far this is fantastic!!! The taste is of citrus fruit, lemon, peppery and salty. But it's still incredibly fat and creamy and sweet... The finish just goes on and on and on with peaty notes.
This might be the best Islay malt I've ever tried: 9.5
Laphroaig 25yo 50.9% OB
I liked the 10yo CS, and now they've performed a CS version of the 25yo as well. The nose shows a much rawer peat, almost like some new make peated whisky. At 25yo that means to me its a very burnt odor, like some burnt rubber. The taste is coastal, licorice, long and peaty with a massive finish on vanilla and rustic dried lemon notes upon mustard creme.
A palatable Laphroaig, very good: 8
Laphroaig NAS 48% OB Triple Wood
One that's always stood in the shadow of the quarter cask version. I have tried some triple woods before, with the Auchentoshan coming out on top if I remember correctly. A totally fidderent malt than Laphroaig. Smells sort of clean peat with some red wine nuances. needs some time, it's not bad at all, clean and nice, but as far as peat and the well known coastal laphroaig character are concerned there's not much left. The woodwork overpowers much of the distillery character and it becomes sort of impotent. The taste is Vanilla, peat, licorice, red wine, citrus-flavored ice cream, honey, a lot going on here. The aftertaste is more classic Islay Laphroaig with medicinal notes as well as a dry sherry fragrance in the end.
A very good Laphroaig that I actually prefer to the QC: 7.5
Laphroaig NAS 1996 49.8% Whisky and Cigars Port
A port wine finished Laphroaig from the Whisky und Cigar shop in Berlin, I've tried this once before from a friend that brought a bottle home, and as far as I remember it was definately the best Islay malt I've ever tried. Oh the smell! It is so thick and fat, smoked ham, blue cheese, grilled peppers, sweet, salty and some restrained beautiful bitterness. The taste has some really pronounced flavours of chorizo, aslt and dry red wine, amazing. This is a whisky for gods, to drink and enjoy this is nothing short of heaven.
Score, well, absolute stunner, no surprise here: 10
Laphroaig 18yo 1990-2008 55.2% Berry Bros & Rudd cask#2251
I don't think I've ever tried such an old Laphroaig, will the raw medicinal notes in this one be more restrained? The smell is round, full of nice vanilla and honey notes with some discreet smoke. If I didn't know better I'd think this might be a peated speysider or highlander, peaty tang? The flavours shows that the cask have done some really nice work, lots of sweet vanilla and peppery notes. Far from the rawness of younger versions. But again that seems to be some of the problem here, all the balls that makes laphroaig stand apart from other whiskies tastewise seems to be gone. The aftertaste is fairly short and plain.
If you want a light and easy Laphroaig initiation, try this: 5
Laphroaig 11yo 1999-2010 42% Vinmonopolet
I don't know who's bottled this Laphroaig, but my sources says it's bottled in Denmark. Now this has some heavy medicinal notes, not far from the standard 10yo OB, a bit darker in colour, could this come from a single cask? Here's peat, ashes, dry notes, herbs, salt, peppery notes, a hardcore old style Laphroaig. If you're a peathead, and I don't say that in a bad way, this for you. Reminds somewhat of the peatiness in Ardbeg just without
the lemon and sugar notes. Like chewing lime seeds, quite bitter.
A typical Laphroaig: 6
Laphroaig 11yo 1999-2010 59.5% Daily Dram
My first, at least that I know, all exclusively sherry matured Laphroaig. And at this strength!! This could be a killer. This one reeks of smoke, smoke, coastal salty dry character and black pepper. But not bad, I've felt that the charismatic Laphroaig profile have faded a bit the last years, so perhaps this IB can show former glory? The taste is sweet, peppery, salty, but most of all PEATY!!!, which makes it hard to find other flavours, except small hints of the aforementioned sweet, peppery and salty.
A tastebomb: 6
Laphroaig NAS 48% Quarter Cask
Time to try this double matured Laphroaig, or is it really double matured when the casks both bourbon, but the size is the difference? The label states that smaller casks enhances flavours that used to be in whiskies of bygone days. Let's see. This smells like thunder, musky, muscat, peaty, dry, strong, earthy. The taste is peppery, floral, cedarwood, mustard, honey, waxy, many flavours I don't recognize in the 10yo. Not as coastal, but pleasant however. I believe this is one for Laphroaig fans mainly. Not my favourite Laphroiag, but if you like to try a new expression, go on.
Special Laphroaig, one that handles water: 5
Laphroaig 10yo 58.3% OB Batch#2
This is the second batch of the 10yo cask strength Laphroaig distillery released a couple years ago, if I remember correctly. It smells classic Laphroaig, peppery, coastal, peppery and even more peppery. The %abv's been raised, but I guess the whisky stock included should be pretty similar. The taste is stearic, burnt rope, sea salt, chilli and butter. So far it's a vast improvement from the earlier batch. This is classic Laphroaig with much of the hardcore peatiness that I feel is missing in many of the recent bottlings. The aftertaste is fairly long, peppery and just a slight disappointment when compared to the nose and palate.
Very well Laphroaig: 7
Laphroaig 12yo 57.5% OB Cairdeas
Laphroaig can be fantastic, and it can be crap, I have a more ambivalent impression of their malt than the one of any other distillery. This one has the usual smell of disinfect balm and dry liquorice. Sweet, spirity, liquorice, peaty, salty and once again, extremely sweet. Please do add water, it becomes a bit less sweet and a rounder and more mature taste appears, dry red wine, raw tuna and mustard. It's one for the Laphroaig geeks, and I guess to them it will be an absolute treat. For me on the other hand, It's not what I'd prefer other than on a small boat on the ocean in a storm while freezing.
A macho-whisky: 7.5
Laphroaig 10yo 43% OB
This is a flat bottled version from the 80's or earlier. It's up 3%abv compared to the recent 10yo. Other than that its also packed with E150. I've heard/read that older bottlings from Laphroaig should have much more punch and balls than the newer versions. It smells very good, peaty, coastal, salty, vanilla and spice. The taste is classic Laphroaig, peaty, peppery and sweet. I'm not getting the medicinal notes people seems to be talking about, this is maybe a more elegant Laphroaig? Anyway, its got a drying and sweet finish that complements the style perfectly.
My favourite OB Laphroaig so far: 8
Laphroaigh 12yo 1996-2009 56.9% The Perfect Dram II
I haven't yet quite understood why they put roman letter behind the "Dram", but there's probably a good reason. Anyhow, a bourbonmatured young cask strength from Laphroaig, this should do the trick! This nose is more like it, much more coastal with some medicinal hints. The taste is at first sweet, with much vanilla. Then the peat really shows and creates a wonderful warming, salty, coastal and herbal aftertaste that's quite long. I have to admit that it lacks some integration between the initial sweetness and later peat attack. It doesn't quite hang together. Other than that it's a good old Laphroaig within it's traditional characters.
Just what to expect from a Laphroaig: 6
Laphroaigh 16yo 1987-2004 46% Silver Seal
I'm feeling a bit of a cold coming on today, that's why I'll try a double of the good old Laphroaig to cure myself. This one is dark, seems like a sherried malt. The nose is very nice, some fine creamy sherry notes, but no sign of smokiness whatsoever, could the peat be so easily camouflaged? The taste is very sweet, sherried, a bit dry, wineish, like a Glen Moray? The aftertaste is also very weak, coming from Laphroaig that is, like a Bowmore Legend or even Benriach Authenticus. There's something strange here, it's a decent whisky, but not like any Islay I've ever known.
Laphroaig shows a soft side: 5
Laphroaig 10yo 55.7% OB
This Laphroaig bottled on cask strength of 55.7 smells like a classic Islay malt. Lots of smoke, peat, salt and pepper. Surprisingly sweet taste, much more robust than other Laphroaigs I've tried. An exciting creamy vanillaflavour stands out, but the finish is very peaty and phenolic. I think many would like this, but personally I like to add a bit water, and for this one it doesn't take away any of the flavour, just makes the finish a bit more smooth.
A peppery massacre: 6
Laphroaig 10yo 40% OB
One of the most peated and smoky Islay malts, but also one of the mildest after my taste. The first thing hitting the palate is some smoke and burnt sugar, then nothing... A good finish with some hints of apple, cigar and citrus. A good whisky that doesn't require much.
Fruity smoke: 6
mandag 21. mars 2011
4 Glenury Royals tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Glenury Royal 36yo 1968-2004 51.2% OB
Another whisky from a bygone day from a distillery not as lucky as Glenglassaugh. Glenury Royal is not as much talked about as Brora or Port Ellen, but just as pricy. Let's see if this one can surprise me. Very pale for its age, and the smell shows perfect bourbon notes with lots of vanilla, cream, barley and white peach. Needs some time to really open up. The taste is creamy, a little syrupy, but most of all it bursts of maltiness, barley, dark ale, stoutish, roasted coffee beans, definitively an old style that's hard to find these days. The aftertaste is peppery and papery, quite weird.
Whisky with flavor of strong beer: 6
Glenury Royal 12yo 40% Gordon & MacPhail
A bottling for John Gillon & Co in the 70's. Very powerful on the nose, sulphur and strong hints of deep frying pan and burnt ribs. Astonishing considering it's age and only 40% abv. It has a weird taste, a bit like licking a nylon rug, rough at first, but with a short and light aftertaste, which for me is hard to describe as anything other than vaseline.
One of a kind: 4
Glenury Royal 13yo 46% Cadenheads
Glenury Royal is another distillery which future seems a bit cloudy. This young malt reeks of dark syrup, eucalyptus and black pepper, very robust on the nose as well as the palate. A little water will bring forth a milder taste, and remind me more of the gentle taste of which the malt is fairly known. Exciting but indeterminate.
Lacks some real flavours: 3
Glenury Royal 14yo 1978-93 43% Signatory Vintage
This distillery has a saying of being one of the softer and finer malts out there. calm and sea-breezy on the nose, reminds me of the summers of my youth... Heather and juniper, mild and herbal with some salt and leather. Good potential, perhaps not reached it's best age yet.
Like strong green tea: 5
Another whisky from a bygone day from a distillery not as lucky as Glenglassaugh. Glenury Royal is not as much talked about as Brora or Port Ellen, but just as pricy. Let's see if this one can surprise me. Very pale for its age, and the smell shows perfect bourbon notes with lots of vanilla, cream, barley and white peach. Needs some time to really open up. The taste is creamy, a little syrupy, but most of all it bursts of maltiness, barley, dark ale, stoutish, roasted coffee beans, definitively an old style that's hard to find these days. The aftertaste is peppery and papery, quite weird.
Whisky with flavor of strong beer: 6
Glenury Royal 12yo 40% Gordon & MacPhail
A bottling for John Gillon & Co in the 70's. Very powerful on the nose, sulphur and strong hints of deep frying pan and burnt ribs. Astonishing considering it's age and only 40% abv. It has a weird taste, a bit like licking a nylon rug, rough at first, but with a short and light aftertaste, which for me is hard to describe as anything other than vaseline.
One of a kind: 4
Glenury Royal 13yo 46% Cadenheads
Glenury Royal is another distillery which future seems a bit cloudy. This young malt reeks of dark syrup, eucalyptus and black pepper, very robust on the nose as well as the palate. A little water will bring forth a milder taste, and remind me more of the gentle taste of which the malt is fairly known. Exciting but indeterminate.
Lacks some real flavours: 3
Glenury Royal 14yo 1978-93 43% Signatory Vintage
This distillery has a saying of being one of the softer and finer malts out there. calm and sea-breezy on the nose, reminds me of the summers of my youth... Heather and juniper, mild and herbal with some salt and leather. Good potential, perhaps not reached it's best age yet.
Like strong green tea: 5
6 Glenglassaughs tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Glenglassaugh 26yo 46% OB
One that claims to be hand bottled at the distillery... What difference can it achieve by that(?!?) Anyway, this is some of the whisky left from last period of distilling at Glenglassaugh, and although often very good I have at times found myself wondering why of all the mothballed distilleries in scotland Scaent Group chose this one. Full flavor of honey and cinnamon on this one, probably from one of the youngest casks in the warehouse. The taste is dry, sweet, prunes, chalkdust, grapefruit, something lowland-ish. The finish is earthy with some oloroso notes, quite unexpected but very well received.
Smooth and shy Glenglassaugh: 7
Glenglassaugh 21yo 46% OB btl.0988
I know Glenglassaugh is back in business with som undaring and blushing spirits. If one of the old mothballed should some back I believe I'd put my money elsewhere than Glenglassaugh, but let's see if this will make me stand corrected. A light bronze colour, seems to have a good portion of sherried malt in the mix. A nice sherried smell, sweet, prunes, very nice if not the most complex. The taste is definately sherried, fino, bitterness, lime, dryness, just too spirity for my taste.
I hope the new owners can bring a renaissance to Glenglassaugh: 2.5
Glenglassaugh 32yo 1976-2008 44.4% Signatory Vintage
After the brilliant young, old/young verical last time I will now try three real oldies, all cask strengths from Signatory and G&M. Starting with this Glenglassaugh, frankly not one of my favourite distilleries, but I've heard some of the older stuff's great. Fresh, hay, leather, citrus and dry liquorice on the nose. Sweet and citrussy flavours, honey, lemon, oranges and pineapple, lots of pineapple. The aftertaste becomes sort of earthy and waxy, a bit strange. Anyway, a very good example of a fruity Glenglassaugh, one of the best so far in my book.
A fruity aperitif: 6.5
Glenglassaugh 13yo 1977-1991 59.8% Cadenhead's
Such a young Glenglassaugh from the good old days are far between. It smells really malty, like the old styled Glenlivets or Glenfiddichs. It's very salty on the palate, salty at first, then finishes minty, a bizzare combination. It needs a bit of water as it's peppery as hell, and spirity as well. With water it becomes a bit winey, moscatel, pretty boring actually, far from what I expected, but it's worth trying. Give it a chance, then judge, as I did.
A pretty obscure malt: 5
Glenglassaugh 31yo 1978-2010 44.6% Whisky Exchange's 10th Anniversary
Glenglassaugh is back from a long period of inactivity with new owners and some newmake bottles with glorious names like "the spirit drink that dare not speak its name" and "the spirit drink that blushes to speak its name". Well well, this one is from the old era and matured in a sherry cask. It smells dry with some sherry sweetness, a bit burnt as well, Oloroso? Give it some time and it develops a fruitier character with some unripe banana notes as well. The taste is fruity sweets, raddish, very peppery, a bit sulphur and some wool-like taste, hard to explain. The aftertaste is long and peppery.
A bit too straight-forward, little complexity: 6
Glenglassaugh 25yo 1984-2009 54.7% Malts of Scotland cask#186 x/213 btls.
I'm doing a cask strength verticale today, and starting off with Glenglassaugh, who will soon be back on the market with some new malt after a 20-something break from distillation. This one is from a sherry cask, smells very phenolic, dry red wine, blackberries and rum, it needs time to open up. The taste is very sherried, and dry, like some of the young fino casks, it needs some water. With a small percentage additive water it gets a lot more peppery and gives a real kick. I usually do not enjoy these ultra-dry sherried malts too much, but this one is pretty good as the sherry doesn't dominate as much here.
A fine Glenglassaugh with balanced sherry and dryness: 6
One that claims to be hand bottled at the distillery... What difference can it achieve by that(?!?) Anyway, this is some of the whisky left from last period of distilling at Glenglassaugh, and although often very good I have at times found myself wondering why of all the mothballed distilleries in scotland Scaent Group chose this one. Full flavor of honey and cinnamon on this one, probably from one of the youngest casks in the warehouse. The taste is dry, sweet, prunes, chalkdust, grapefruit, something lowland-ish. The finish is earthy with some oloroso notes, quite unexpected but very well received.
Smooth and shy Glenglassaugh: 7
Glenglassaugh 21yo 46% OB btl.0988
I know Glenglassaugh is back in business with som undaring and blushing spirits. If one of the old mothballed should some back I believe I'd put my money elsewhere than Glenglassaugh, but let's see if this will make me stand corrected. A light bronze colour, seems to have a good portion of sherried malt in the mix. A nice sherried smell, sweet, prunes, very nice if not the most complex. The taste is definately sherried, fino, bitterness, lime, dryness, just too spirity for my taste.
I hope the new owners can bring a renaissance to Glenglassaugh: 2.5
Glenglassaugh 32yo 1976-2008 44.4% Signatory Vintage
After the brilliant young, old/young verical last time I will now try three real oldies, all cask strengths from Signatory and G&M. Starting with this Glenglassaugh, frankly not one of my favourite distilleries, but I've heard some of the older stuff's great. Fresh, hay, leather, citrus and dry liquorice on the nose. Sweet and citrussy flavours, honey, lemon, oranges and pineapple, lots of pineapple. The aftertaste becomes sort of earthy and waxy, a bit strange. Anyway, a very good example of a fruity Glenglassaugh, one of the best so far in my book.
A fruity aperitif: 6.5
Glenglassaugh 13yo 1977-1991 59.8% Cadenhead's
Such a young Glenglassaugh from the good old days are far between. It smells really malty, like the old styled Glenlivets or Glenfiddichs. It's very salty on the palate, salty at first, then finishes minty, a bizzare combination. It needs a bit of water as it's peppery as hell, and spirity as well. With water it becomes a bit winey, moscatel, pretty boring actually, far from what I expected, but it's worth trying. Give it a chance, then judge, as I did.
A pretty obscure malt: 5
Glenglassaugh 31yo 1978-2010 44.6% Whisky Exchange's 10th Anniversary
Glenglassaugh is back from a long period of inactivity with new owners and some newmake bottles with glorious names like "the spirit drink that dare not speak its name" and "the spirit drink that blushes to speak its name". Well well, this one is from the old era and matured in a sherry cask. It smells dry with some sherry sweetness, a bit burnt as well, Oloroso? Give it some time and it develops a fruitier character with some unripe banana notes as well. The taste is fruity sweets, raddish, very peppery, a bit sulphur and some wool-like taste, hard to explain. The aftertaste is long and peppery.
A bit too straight-forward, little complexity: 6
Glenglassaugh 25yo 1984-2009 54.7% Malts of Scotland cask#186 x/213 btls.
I'm doing a cask strength verticale today, and starting off with Glenglassaugh, who will soon be back on the market with some new malt after a 20-something break from distillation. This one is from a sherry cask, smells very phenolic, dry red wine, blackberries and rum, it needs time to open up. The taste is very sherried, and dry, like some of the young fino casks, it needs some water. With a small percentage additive water it gets a lot more peppery and gives a real kick. I usually do not enjoy these ultra-dry sherried malts too much, but this one is pretty good as the sherry doesn't dominate as much here.
A fine Glenglassaugh with balanced sherry and dryness: 6
mandag 14. mars 2011
21 Bruichladdichs tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Bruichladdich 26yo 1965-1991 53.5% G&M Cask cask#5525/5530/5531
An amber orange colored Bruichladdich, distilled in the days when most Ib's were merely sold in Italy and Britain by Gordon and Macphail. Bottled twenty years ago I guess this could be exposed to some bottle maturation. Smells a bit burnt, sulphury, and sweet, ripe mangos and kiwi, along some more coastal notes of dried seaweed and parmesan cheese(???). The taste is really concentrated on a mix of middle sweet sherry, let's say amontillado, and a nice peaty/coastal finish of salt, pepper, fish stock and lemon skin.
Amazing old style peat/sherry mix: 8.5
Port Charlotte 8yo 2001-2010 66% OB cask#826 btl.245/286
A highly peated whisky at an amazing strength. It has definitely caught some colour from the cask. Fantastic nose, lots of herbs, lemon, mint, tawny port, dark chocolate, lime, earthy notes, there's just a lot going on here and it works very well together. The taste has a lot of apples, dark berries, forest fruits, wet grass, custard sauce, caramel, rock dust, this is amazing.
To me it seems when it comes to peat, its the young one's game: 9.5
*I've received a mail from owner of bottle saying that this is a sherry-matured whisky, and Port Sgioba really means Port Charlotte in gaelic. No port wine here then.
Port Charlotte NAS 46% OB An Turas Mor
The sidekick of Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte is a fairly new project. I believe I was very pleased with the first version I tried, one bottled for Michael Krügers Whiskyauction.com. Smells of herb, mints, greens, autumn leaves, wet grass, some small hints of peat. The taste is sweet and coastal, like crab meat, really delicate even though the peat in this one is far too weak compared to what I expected. When that is said he has a warming taste of leather and onion, it's just the aftertaste that brings the whole thing down a notch with some bitter spirity notes.
A nice whisky, just a tad bland: 4.5
Bruichladdich NAS 2009 50% OB Infinity Edt.3.10
A Bruichladdich matured in American oak, also known as Bourbon, and Syrah red wine cask. Smells sort of vanilla and anis, like a sweet jägermeister, weird but exciting stuff. The taste is sweet, bourbonised at first, really sweet anis and hints of mint. Then it turns burnt and sulphury. It finishes on spirity notes and I believe it needs water. Now it turns lighter, just way too spirity and sulphury, almost like a fino sherry.
These dry red wine notes needs a milder spirit: 4.5
Bruichladdich NAS 46% OB Laddie Classic Edt.1
Another one from the ever-expanding range of NAS-bottlings from the very inventive Islay distillery Bruichladdich. Smells like some "sterile" peat, just not enough balls, a tame peatiness with lots of grassy flavours, agricultural greens, mosqito-spray, cheap aftershave. The taste is the same, I remember this taste from licking deodorant stick when I was a small kid. Water helps a bit, creates some sweet grainy notes, like cereal and tofu, and it gets rid of much of the awful spirity notes.
With water it leaps one point extra: 2
Bruichladdich NAS 46% OB Rocks
This one's supposed to taste like the old rocks on which Bruichladdich distillery stands, I don't know what to expect to be all fair. Sweet smell, salty, caramel, peat, oysters, cuba libre, espresso. The taste is also peaty and unfortunately a bit spirity with a bitter taste of agricultural weed. The aftertaste is bitter and burnt, but far from peaty, a disappointment from Bruichladdich, a distillery of which I find many of its experimental young malts sort of like playing bingo. There's no chance even trying to guess what's gonna come.
Starts good, but needs bigger amount of older vintages, I guess: 4.5
Bruichladdich 36yo 1970-2006 40.1% OB btl.x/2502
I traded about 1dl of this baby for some 1972 Glengoyne about half a year ago, finally time to try some as I've already retraded a bit of it. Yes, trading whisky opens new doors. This has a pretty restrained, mild scent, pears, honey, no smoke that I can detect in this one. The taste is spicy, dried juniper berries, dark roasted coffee, tickles the tip of my tounge with some sweet and sour notes. Just a perfect and beautiful Bruichladdich, with some half masked peatiness that doesn't show before the finish.
A stunner: 9
Bruichladdich 19yo 1989-2008 51.1% OB Black Art
Finishing this Bruichladdich vertical with this sherry-matured Black Art, perhaps Bruichladdichs trying to make something like Bowmore Black? I hope not. This smells Oloroso, honey, cinnamon, dark chocolate and chilli. The taste is both peaty, coastal, peppery, dry, herbal, but this classic Islay notes completely overshadows any possible sherry influence. A nice malt, that needs some water to bring out the characters from the cask. It has a long and sharp peppery aftertaste. Enough alternative casked malts for now.
A good malt, but not quite up there: 5
Bruichladdich 16yo 46% OB Chateau D'Yquem Sauternes
A sauternes finished Bruichladdich, I love many of the sweet sauternes finishes on unpeated malts, for instance the Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or. On the other hand, how will it work combined with coastal peatiness? Smells sweet, bananas, figs, tangerines, maybe a christmas malt? The taste is definately Sauternes influenced, lots of sweetness, fruits, a bit spirity, very little peatiness as far as I can detect. It reminds me sort a banana liqueur. Something if your a sweet tooth, for me it's a fun malt, but not refined enough to enjoy as more than a fruity starter malt. Do not add water, the sweetness will disappear.
A non-coastal Islayer: 6
Bruichladdich 17yo 46% OB Pedro Ximenez
Pedro Ximenez is a sweet and dark sherry, not far from the Oloroso perhaps? The smell is sweet, dry, cinnamon, hay, burnt cotton. Taste, oh yes, we're absolutely in Oloroso country here, very sweet, again cinnamon, toffee, honey, krauterlikör, leather and lots of liquorice. With water it gets drier, just not my cup of candy. When undiluted I think this is a noce surprise, as I'm usually not a huge fan of sherried Bruichladdichs under 30yo.
A good try, but these finishing tactics will never be my first choice: 5
Bruichladdich 15yo 46% Alchemist
Alchemist is a serie of which I've not tried too many, but rumours say they have/had w very good bottling of Highland Park. Anyway, after a travel last week, on which I tried mostly highlanders I believe it's time to go to Islay. This has a pale straw colour, smells like a classic, the old 12yo OB, before they started all the experimentation with casks at the distillery. Malty, peaty and spirity. The taste is dry, spirity, needs water. When watered down it gets even more spirity, maybe not more, but all other tastes disappears. The aftertaste is austere and lacking any real flavours even after 15 years in wood.
An old style laddie, not that that's a quality mark: 2
Bruichladdich/Octomore NAS 61% OB 02.2 Orpheus
I don't know the excact ppm level in this one, as it seems to be an ongoing scientific experimental phase to see how much peat you're able to put into malt whisky. I've been interested to try one anyhow, just to see if it's some quality whisky in there as well or if it's just spirit peated to the max? It doesn't smell that strong, but the peat is there, very smooth. For a 61% I'm surprised, I'd expected something far stronger. The taste is really peaty and minty, a strange combination, like an after eight with alcohol and ashes. It needs some time to develop character, then it becomes creamy, toffee-like, and very burnt, malt syrup, and gasolin. I'd never believe I'd like this one so well. It's a very sweet, smoky malt, kind of like a cuban cigar with more oakiness. The aftertaste of course, is peat, peat and even more peat, ashes and burnt tyres.
A kind peaty malt, not like those Ardbegs. hmhmhm...: 6
Bruichladdich 14yo 46% OB Links st. Andrews
I don't know to much about the golfcourses on Islay, but I believe they are few and far between. Anyway, this is a commemoration to the st. Andrews Course. It smells peaty and coastal, peat and salt, classic islay. The taste is actually very soft, a round, woody, calm, irony and rustic intro before topping it all with a gentle peaty finish. This is one to reckon with anyhow, a beautiful flavour designed peaty malt. Finally a generous, brave and wonderful islay at an affordable price.
All creds to Bruichladdich for this one: 7.5
Bruichladdich NAS 46% OB Waves
Bruichladdich are hitting the market with a huge variety of bottlings nowadays, everything from older sherried varieties, to crazy peated youngsters. Waves, I have no clue what this consists of, but I'm sure it's out there on the web somewhere. The nose is very flat, no peat, no sherry, no bourbon, no whisky? The taste is all on vanilla and peat, a very good combination. It's a bit like a milder, watered down version of Ardbegs Almost There. Now there's nothing much to get excited about, but it's fresh, good and tasty.
A good, young(I guess) whisky: 6
Bruichladdich 17yo 46% OB XVII
I'm finishing off with a small peat vertical today, starting with one of the more matured OB bottlings from Bruichladdich. This one is quite mildly peated at a modest 5ppm and bourbon matured. This is also a very sweet and light malt, so the peat is undoubtfully very present odorwise. The taste has at first a bit vanilla and some coastal salty thing. It's a nice semi-fruity malt with hints of watermelon and kiwi, but it doesn't challenge me at all. Kind of two-dimentional and on the verge of being boring.
I like some of the young alternative/pretentious ones better: 4
Bruichladdich NAS 46% OB 3D3
This is the third edition of these Bruichladdichs consisting of different batches making around 40ppm when combined. As far as I know this is the most peated whisky from Bruichladdich distillery apart from the peat-beast Octomore (Port Charlotte as well?). I believe the nose says it all, it just reeks of peat, peat, peat and even more peat. The taste shows another side of it, it's like a bit dry and sweet floral and sour thing, madeira? I guess it could be a result of the many idividual Bruichladdich components of this one. It's a charming and easy whisky with a nice and interesting peatiness.
Beautiful whisky, crafted to the max: 8.5
Bruichladdich 7yo 2002-2009 46% OB for Jon Bertelsen
A surprisingly sweet and mild Bruichladdich, hard to recognize any peat at all compared to other distillery bottlings I've tried. The taste is maritime, salty, shrimps, sushi, olive oil, and white pepper. It's a very pale whisky, and a good choice by Jon Bertelsen, well developed at such a young age. Much more straight forward and honest, if I should say so, than the much peat- and cask-masked varieties Bruichladdich are flaunting themselves with nowadays.
An easy youngster, one to start off with: 6.5
Bruichladdich 13yo 1994-2007 46% OB (Exclusive to Oddbins)
A special bottling for Oddbins, matured in Oloroso sherry casks. Very intense, sweet sherried nose, much the same on the flavour. Just a bit too much for me I'm afraid. Very young, alcohol, peat and sherry, chaotic. Add some water and a sweetness with hints of radish appears.
A fancy Islay: 4
Bruichladdich 10yo 40% OB
An 80's bottling with the very flatering statement "Scotland's most Westerly Distillery". I guess there's advertisement in just about anything. Smells a bit smoky, bourbon, vanilla, toast, boiled ham and tuna. It tastes peaty, but not too much, as I find it's more an example of the peat shining more than usual as a result of absence of other flavours. A straight-forward, clean bourbon-matured Bruichladdich.
Traditional Bruichladdich, nowadays a rarity: 5
Port Charlotte 7yo 2001-2009 46% Thomas Krüger
An exciting new project from Bruichladdich, it's a peaty young whisky, about 40ppm, but it's not that different from the standard Bruichladdich I think, just more peat. It comes of a tad bland to me. It's very smoky on the palate as well, peat and some blackberries. The aftertaste is, I'm afraid, just a mixture of peat and alcohol. If I was to blindtaste this, I'd guess it was a newmake, definately needs some more time to mature.
Can eventually turn interesting, let's keep an eye on it: 4
Lochindaal 10yo 43% OB
A Bruichladdich-thingy, they really do market their whiskies under many a name these day. It smells kind of bland, actually very bland, perhaps it needs some water? Let's try without first. The taste is much like the nose, sweet and tame, with absolutely no Islay-character at all, I'll try with water. Now there's some taste of unripe apples, grape cores and rum'n'chocolate coming forth.
A strange Islay: 5
An amber orange colored Bruichladdich, distilled in the days when most Ib's were merely sold in Italy and Britain by Gordon and Macphail. Bottled twenty years ago I guess this could be exposed to some bottle maturation. Smells a bit burnt, sulphury, and sweet, ripe mangos and kiwi, along some more coastal notes of dried seaweed and parmesan cheese(???). The taste is really concentrated on a mix of middle sweet sherry, let's say amontillado, and a nice peaty/coastal finish of salt, pepper, fish stock and lemon skin.
Amazing old style peat/sherry mix: 8.5
Port Charlotte 8yo 2001-2010 66% OB cask#826 btl.245/286
A highly peated whisky at an amazing strength. It has definitely caught some colour from the cask. Fantastic nose, lots of herbs, lemon, mint, tawny port, dark chocolate, lime, earthy notes, there's just a lot going on here and it works very well together. The taste has a lot of apples, dark berries, forest fruits, wet grass, custard sauce, caramel, rock dust, this is amazing.
To me it seems when it comes to peat, its the young one's game: 9.5
*I've received a mail from owner of bottle saying that this is a sherry-matured whisky, and Port Sgioba really means Port Charlotte in gaelic. No port wine here then.
Port Charlotte NAS 46% OB An Turas Mor
The sidekick of Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte is a fairly new project. I believe I was very pleased with the first version I tried, one bottled for Michael Krügers Whiskyauction.com. Smells of herb, mints, greens, autumn leaves, wet grass, some small hints of peat. The taste is sweet and coastal, like crab meat, really delicate even though the peat in this one is far too weak compared to what I expected. When that is said he has a warming taste of leather and onion, it's just the aftertaste that brings the whole thing down a notch with some bitter spirity notes.
A nice whisky, just a tad bland: 4.5
Bruichladdich NAS 2009 50% OB Infinity Edt.3.10
A Bruichladdich matured in American oak, also known as Bourbon, and Syrah red wine cask. Smells sort of vanilla and anis, like a sweet jägermeister, weird but exciting stuff. The taste is sweet, bourbonised at first, really sweet anis and hints of mint. Then it turns burnt and sulphury. It finishes on spirity notes and I believe it needs water. Now it turns lighter, just way too spirity and sulphury, almost like a fino sherry.
These dry red wine notes needs a milder spirit: 4.5
Bruichladdich NAS 46% OB Laddie Classic Edt.1
Another one from the ever-expanding range of NAS-bottlings from the very inventive Islay distillery Bruichladdich. Smells like some "sterile" peat, just not enough balls, a tame peatiness with lots of grassy flavours, agricultural greens, mosqito-spray, cheap aftershave. The taste is the same, I remember this taste from licking deodorant stick when I was a small kid. Water helps a bit, creates some sweet grainy notes, like cereal and tofu, and it gets rid of much of the awful spirity notes.
With water it leaps one point extra: 2
Bruichladdich NAS 46% OB Rocks
This one's supposed to taste like the old rocks on which Bruichladdich distillery stands, I don't know what to expect to be all fair. Sweet smell, salty, caramel, peat, oysters, cuba libre, espresso. The taste is also peaty and unfortunately a bit spirity with a bitter taste of agricultural weed. The aftertaste is bitter and burnt, but far from peaty, a disappointment from Bruichladdich, a distillery of which I find many of its experimental young malts sort of like playing bingo. There's no chance even trying to guess what's gonna come.
Starts good, but needs bigger amount of older vintages, I guess: 4.5
Bruichladdich 36yo 1970-2006 40.1% OB btl.x/2502
I traded about 1dl of this baby for some 1972 Glengoyne about half a year ago, finally time to try some as I've already retraded a bit of it. Yes, trading whisky opens new doors. This has a pretty restrained, mild scent, pears, honey, no smoke that I can detect in this one. The taste is spicy, dried juniper berries, dark roasted coffee, tickles the tip of my tounge with some sweet and sour notes. Just a perfect and beautiful Bruichladdich, with some half masked peatiness that doesn't show before the finish.
A stunner: 9
Bruichladdich 19yo 1989-2008 51.1% OB Black Art
Finishing this Bruichladdich vertical with this sherry-matured Black Art, perhaps Bruichladdichs trying to make something like Bowmore Black? I hope not. This smells Oloroso, honey, cinnamon, dark chocolate and chilli. The taste is both peaty, coastal, peppery, dry, herbal, but this classic Islay notes completely overshadows any possible sherry influence. A nice malt, that needs some water to bring out the characters from the cask. It has a long and sharp peppery aftertaste. Enough alternative casked malts for now.
A good malt, but not quite up there: 5
Bruichladdich 16yo 46% OB Chateau D'Yquem Sauternes
A sauternes finished Bruichladdich, I love many of the sweet sauternes finishes on unpeated malts, for instance the Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or. On the other hand, how will it work combined with coastal peatiness? Smells sweet, bananas, figs, tangerines, maybe a christmas malt? The taste is definately Sauternes influenced, lots of sweetness, fruits, a bit spirity, very little peatiness as far as I can detect. It reminds me sort a banana liqueur. Something if your a sweet tooth, for me it's a fun malt, but not refined enough to enjoy as more than a fruity starter malt. Do not add water, the sweetness will disappear.
A non-coastal Islayer: 6
Bruichladdich 17yo 46% OB Pedro Ximenez
Pedro Ximenez is a sweet and dark sherry, not far from the Oloroso perhaps? The smell is sweet, dry, cinnamon, hay, burnt cotton. Taste, oh yes, we're absolutely in Oloroso country here, very sweet, again cinnamon, toffee, honey, krauterlikör, leather and lots of liquorice. With water it gets drier, just not my cup of candy. When undiluted I think this is a noce surprise, as I'm usually not a huge fan of sherried Bruichladdichs under 30yo.
A good try, but these finishing tactics will never be my first choice: 5
Bruichladdich 15yo 46% Alchemist
Alchemist is a serie of which I've not tried too many, but rumours say they have/had w very good bottling of Highland Park. Anyway, after a travel last week, on which I tried mostly highlanders I believe it's time to go to Islay. This has a pale straw colour, smells like a classic, the old 12yo OB, before they started all the experimentation with casks at the distillery. Malty, peaty and spirity. The taste is dry, spirity, needs water. When watered down it gets even more spirity, maybe not more, but all other tastes disappears. The aftertaste is austere and lacking any real flavours even after 15 years in wood.
An old style laddie, not that that's a quality mark: 2
Bruichladdich/Octomore NAS 61% OB 02.2 Orpheus
I don't know the excact ppm level in this one, as it seems to be an ongoing scientific experimental phase to see how much peat you're able to put into malt whisky. I've been interested to try one anyhow, just to see if it's some quality whisky in there as well or if it's just spirit peated to the max? It doesn't smell that strong, but the peat is there, very smooth. For a 61% I'm surprised, I'd expected something far stronger. The taste is really peaty and minty, a strange combination, like an after eight with alcohol and ashes. It needs some time to develop character, then it becomes creamy, toffee-like, and very burnt, malt syrup, and gasolin. I'd never believe I'd like this one so well. It's a very sweet, smoky malt, kind of like a cuban cigar with more oakiness. The aftertaste of course, is peat, peat and even more peat, ashes and burnt tyres.
A kind peaty malt, not like those Ardbegs. hmhmhm...: 6
Bruichladdich 14yo 46% OB Links st. Andrews
I don't know to much about the golfcourses on Islay, but I believe they are few and far between. Anyway, this is a commemoration to the st. Andrews Course. It smells peaty and coastal, peat and salt, classic islay. The taste is actually very soft, a round, woody, calm, irony and rustic intro before topping it all with a gentle peaty finish. This is one to reckon with anyhow, a beautiful flavour designed peaty malt. Finally a generous, brave and wonderful islay at an affordable price.
All creds to Bruichladdich for this one: 7.5
Bruichladdich NAS 46% OB Waves
Bruichladdich are hitting the market with a huge variety of bottlings nowadays, everything from older sherried varieties, to crazy peated youngsters. Waves, I have no clue what this consists of, but I'm sure it's out there on the web somewhere. The nose is very flat, no peat, no sherry, no bourbon, no whisky? The taste is all on vanilla and peat, a very good combination. It's a bit like a milder, watered down version of Ardbegs Almost There. Now there's nothing much to get excited about, but it's fresh, good and tasty.
A good, young(I guess) whisky: 6
Bruichladdich 17yo 46% OB XVII
I'm finishing off with a small peat vertical today, starting with one of the more matured OB bottlings from Bruichladdich. This one is quite mildly peated at a modest 5ppm and bourbon matured. This is also a very sweet and light malt, so the peat is undoubtfully very present odorwise. The taste has at first a bit vanilla and some coastal salty thing. It's a nice semi-fruity malt with hints of watermelon and kiwi, but it doesn't challenge me at all. Kind of two-dimentional and on the verge of being boring.
I like some of the young alternative/pretentious ones better: 4
Bruichladdich NAS 46% OB 3D3
This is the third edition of these Bruichladdichs consisting of different batches making around 40ppm when combined. As far as I know this is the most peated whisky from Bruichladdich distillery apart from the peat-beast Octomore (Port Charlotte as well?). I believe the nose says it all, it just reeks of peat, peat, peat and even more peat. The taste shows another side of it, it's like a bit dry and sweet floral and sour thing, madeira? I guess it could be a result of the many idividual Bruichladdich components of this one. It's a charming and easy whisky with a nice and interesting peatiness.
Beautiful whisky, crafted to the max: 8.5
Bruichladdich 7yo 2002-2009 46% OB for Jon Bertelsen
A surprisingly sweet and mild Bruichladdich, hard to recognize any peat at all compared to other distillery bottlings I've tried. The taste is maritime, salty, shrimps, sushi, olive oil, and white pepper. It's a very pale whisky, and a good choice by Jon Bertelsen, well developed at such a young age. Much more straight forward and honest, if I should say so, than the much peat- and cask-masked varieties Bruichladdich are flaunting themselves with nowadays.
An easy youngster, one to start off with: 6.5
Bruichladdich 13yo 1994-2007 46% OB (Exclusive to Oddbins)
A special bottling for Oddbins, matured in Oloroso sherry casks. Very intense, sweet sherried nose, much the same on the flavour. Just a bit too much for me I'm afraid. Very young, alcohol, peat and sherry, chaotic. Add some water and a sweetness with hints of radish appears.
A fancy Islay: 4
Bruichladdich 10yo 40% OB
An 80's bottling with the very flatering statement "Scotland's most Westerly Distillery". I guess there's advertisement in just about anything. Smells a bit smoky, bourbon, vanilla, toast, boiled ham and tuna. It tastes peaty, but not too much, as I find it's more an example of the peat shining more than usual as a result of absence of other flavours. A straight-forward, clean bourbon-matured Bruichladdich.
Traditional Bruichladdich, nowadays a rarity: 5
Port Charlotte 7yo 2001-2009 46% Thomas Krüger
An exciting new project from Bruichladdich, it's a peaty young whisky, about 40ppm, but it's not that different from the standard Bruichladdich I think, just more peat. It comes of a tad bland to me. It's very smoky on the palate as well, peat and some blackberries. The aftertaste is, I'm afraid, just a mixture of peat and alcohol. If I was to blindtaste this, I'd guess it was a newmake, definately needs some more time to mature.
Can eventually turn interesting, let's keep an eye on it: 4
Lochindaal 10yo 43% OB
A Bruichladdich-thingy, they really do market their whiskies under many a name these day. It smells kind of bland, actually very bland, perhaps it needs some water? Let's try without first. The taste is much like the nose, sweet and tame, with absolutely no Islay-character at all, I'll try with water. Now there's some taste of unripe apples, grape cores and rum'n'chocolate coming forth.
A strange Islay: 5
lørdag 12. mars 2011
7 Tobermory/Ledaigs tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Ledaig 12yo 46.3% OB
Both Bunnahabhain and Ledaig/Tobermory have introduced us to new OB's this year at 46.3%, or perhaps it was late last year? Let's see if it improves it? It smells sweet and lightly peaty, not unlike the Ardbeg Blasda. The flavors are quite heavy, lots of peaty smoke and some dirty rum notes. It lacks some maltiness for me to enjoy it thoroughly, some flowers and weeds, bitter stuff. After a bit of time, lets say 15 minutes, some dark chocolate, strong coffee and sweet almonds appears. Now it talks more of my language, definitely an improvement to old NAS version.
Fine combination of a good spirit and massive peat: 6.5
Tobermory 14yo 1996-2010 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing
Tobermory hass recently had a boom due to some very well received versions of their peated malt Ledaig. The unpeated version is one you hear far less about, so let's see if the spirit can deliver without peat. It smells coastal, nice salty, briny, crystal salt, cod liver and lime skin. The taste is peppery, complex, salty, sweet, caviar and cream, a wonderful blast of different flavors. The aftertaste is long and peppery, with pistachio and cannabis (relax, I've only tried a bun in amsterdam). A very well made malt with lots of characteristics.
A damn good dram: 7.5
Tobermory 11yo 1996-2007 60.1% Alambic Classique x/60 btls.
A very limited edition this one, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's just because it's so bad they wouldn't continue. I guess it's from a barrel or quarter? Does size matter tastewise? I'm sure it does. It's almost as pale as water, probably bourbon wood. The smell is very spirity. The taste is actually quite simple, sweet, bourbony, vanilla and pepper. It's so straight-forward I'll add water right away. For a whisky at this high % abv I think it's weird to be as light and easy as any other bourbon-matured diluted 40% malt. The water brings out some more bourbon notes and gives a bit longer and drying finish. Other than that it's flawless but quite uneventful.
A limited edition everyday malt: 5.5
Ledaig 11yo 1993-2004 43% Signatory Vintage cask 125
Today I'll try three alternative peated malts, which means they're not from Islay. This one, stated on bottle comes from Ledaig Distillery, which actually isn't a distillery, it's just a peated version of Tobermory. It has a nice coastal smell, and of course some peat, 35ppm to be excact. Initially it does taste like the soft and mild Tobermory, but when the peat hits it's actually very nice. Unfortunately it does get kind of one-dimensional then as all the distillery character disappears and all I'm left with is peat.
One to use as a peat initiation, it lacks many many other things: 5
Ledaig 9yo 1990-1999 40% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & MacPhail
The peated version from Tobermory Distillery, I've not heard too much about it yet. It has a very nice and perfumy smell, like a male cologne, don't know what to expect tastewise. It is sweet and sour, like dried oranges, it's hard to recognize the peat. The aftertaste is long and minty, like mint drops. With some water it gets more peppery, but doesn't improve to much.
I'll have a regular Tobermory instead, thanks: 2.5
Tobermory NAS 40% OB
So this is a version of Ledaig without the peat, from Tobermory distillery, let's see... A very light fragrance, some cinnamon and bag of unpolished rice. The taste is much the same with some dried berries at first, but it's totally lacking any finish at all. It reminds me of Chivas Regal 12 in a way. I think a cask strength version perhaps could have raised my eyebrows, but money talks in this industry...
Comfy grannymalt: 4
Ledaig 14yo 59.6% Cadenhead's
It strikes me as a bit weird that a whisky of this strength has almost no fragrance on the nosing at all. Perhaps a faint hint of freshly cut grass. Anyhow, the taste has exciting hints og burnt sugar at first, then a robust and massive expression of dark chocolate in the finish. An absolute delight.
Different and enjoyable: 6.5
Both Bunnahabhain and Ledaig/Tobermory have introduced us to new OB's this year at 46.3%, or perhaps it was late last year? Let's see if it improves it? It smells sweet and lightly peaty, not unlike the Ardbeg Blasda. The flavors are quite heavy, lots of peaty smoke and some dirty rum notes. It lacks some maltiness for me to enjoy it thoroughly, some flowers and weeds, bitter stuff. After a bit of time, lets say 15 minutes, some dark chocolate, strong coffee and sweet almonds appears. Now it talks more of my language, definitely an improvement to old NAS version.
Fine combination of a good spirit and massive peat: 6.5
Tobermory 14yo 1996-2010 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing
Tobermory hass recently had a boom due to some very well received versions of their peated malt Ledaig. The unpeated version is one you hear far less about, so let's see if the spirit can deliver without peat. It smells coastal, nice salty, briny, crystal salt, cod liver and lime skin. The taste is peppery, complex, salty, sweet, caviar and cream, a wonderful blast of different flavors. The aftertaste is long and peppery, with pistachio and cannabis (relax, I've only tried a bun in amsterdam). A very well made malt with lots of characteristics.
A damn good dram: 7.5
Tobermory 11yo 1996-2007 60.1% Alambic Classique x/60 btls.
A very limited edition this one, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's just because it's so bad they wouldn't continue. I guess it's from a barrel or quarter? Does size matter tastewise? I'm sure it does. It's almost as pale as water, probably bourbon wood. The smell is very spirity. The taste is actually quite simple, sweet, bourbony, vanilla and pepper. It's so straight-forward I'll add water right away. For a whisky at this high % abv I think it's weird to be as light and easy as any other bourbon-matured diluted 40% malt. The water brings out some more bourbon notes and gives a bit longer and drying finish. Other than that it's flawless but quite uneventful.
A limited edition everyday malt: 5.5
Ledaig 11yo 1993-2004 43% Signatory Vintage cask 125
Today I'll try three alternative peated malts, which means they're not from Islay. This one, stated on bottle comes from Ledaig Distillery, which actually isn't a distillery, it's just a peated version of Tobermory. It has a nice coastal smell, and of course some peat, 35ppm to be excact. Initially it does taste like the soft and mild Tobermory, but when the peat hits it's actually very nice. Unfortunately it does get kind of one-dimensional then as all the distillery character disappears and all I'm left with is peat.
One to use as a peat initiation, it lacks many many other things: 5
Ledaig 9yo 1990-1999 40% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & MacPhail
The peated version from Tobermory Distillery, I've not heard too much about it yet. It has a very nice and perfumy smell, like a male cologne, don't know what to expect tastewise. It is sweet and sour, like dried oranges, it's hard to recognize the peat. The aftertaste is long and minty, like mint drops. With some water it gets more peppery, but doesn't improve to much.
I'll have a regular Tobermory instead, thanks: 2.5
Tobermory NAS 40% OB
So this is a version of Ledaig without the peat, from Tobermory distillery, let's see... A very light fragrance, some cinnamon and bag of unpolished rice. The taste is much the same with some dried berries at first, but it's totally lacking any finish at all. It reminds me of Chivas Regal 12 in a way. I think a cask strength version perhaps could have raised my eyebrows, but money talks in this industry...
Comfy grannymalt: 4
Ledaig 14yo 59.6% Cadenhead's
It strikes me as a bit weird that a whisky of this strength has almost no fragrance on the nosing at all. Perhaps a faint hint of freshly cut grass. Anyhow, the taste has exciting hints og burnt sugar at first, then a robust and massive expression of dark chocolate in the finish. An absolute delight.
Different and enjoyable: 6.5
torsdag 10. mars 2011
3 Balmenachs tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Balmenach 10yo 43% Signatory Scottish Wildlife
Balmenach's another one that I haven't ranked too high in the past, but I have a couple lying around that I'm looking forward to try. Smells spirity, burnt sugar, nothing that gets me excited before tasting. The flavors are better, but very neutral, almost like a gin tonic only less sweet. This is like some middle ground blend, not bad, just lacking any real flavors. Could've been just any other spirit.
allright spirit: 3
Balmenach 10yo 43% Scottish Wildlife SV
Second Wildlife version today then, maybe third if you count the eagle. Anyway, Balmenach is a distillery hard to come by as they don't seem to produce any regular OB's? I've got this one and a 12yo Deerstalker and I guess that's about as close as you get then? Golden colour, The smell is of some harsh liquorice you know, the bitter ones and wet woolen carpets. The taste is spirity, just spirity, like some molasse spirit. Spirity aftertaste as well.
Youngish and spirity, new-make style: 1.5
Balmenach 16yo 1971-1987 40% CC G&M
I'll do 3 71's Chosen by the Connoisseurs today, let's find out if that's agreeable. This one is sort of a rarity, not much Single Malt from Balmenach is to be found. It smells nice and cozy, finnish sauna, juniper on fire and danish sausages. It does taste a bit withdrawn, some salt, mussels, with a bitter and charismatic finish.
Much flavour for a CC: 5
Balmenach's another one that I haven't ranked too high in the past, but I have a couple lying around that I'm looking forward to try. Smells spirity, burnt sugar, nothing that gets me excited before tasting. The flavors are better, but very neutral, almost like a gin tonic only less sweet. This is like some middle ground blend, not bad, just lacking any real flavors. Could've been just any other spirit.
allright spirit: 3
Balmenach 10yo 43% Scottish Wildlife SV
Second Wildlife version today then, maybe third if you count the eagle. Anyway, Balmenach is a distillery hard to come by as they don't seem to produce any regular OB's? I've got this one and a 12yo Deerstalker and I guess that's about as close as you get then? Golden colour, The smell is of some harsh liquorice you know, the bitter ones and wet woolen carpets. The taste is spirity, just spirity, like some molasse spirit. Spirity aftertaste as well.
Youngish and spirity, new-make style: 1.5
Balmenach 16yo 1971-1987 40% CC G&M
I'll do 3 71's Chosen by the Connoisseurs today, let's find out if that's agreeable. This one is sort of a rarity, not much Single Malt from Balmenach is to be found. It smells nice and cozy, finnish sauna, juniper on fire and danish sausages. It does taste a bit withdrawn, some salt, mussels, with a bitter and charismatic finish.
Much flavour for a CC: 5
onsdag 9. mars 2011
6 Glen Morays tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Glen Moray 10yo 40% OB
A flat bottle similar to those of OB's bottles by G&M a decade or two back. Label seems weary so it could be from about the same time. Another pale one this, Smells of apple vinegar and cinnamon, a nice combination although again very light. The taste is bitter and raw, unpleasant. This taste of rotten ropes and iron kills it dead, perhaps some water can mellow it down a bit. With water added it gets a bit sweeter, but still there's these weird rotten woody flavors.
All in all a disappointment: 2
Glen Moray 27yo 1962-1989 55.1% Cadenhead's
This one I've been looking forward to all week, as Glen Moray is far from a favourite amongst the IB's, rare to be found at CS and at an age above 18yo. I don't know for how long the Glen Moray distillery have matured their whisky exclusively in wine casks, if for long it's going to be something new, if not, an extremely rare occasion. The colour is pretty dark, bronze-like. It smells even better than the Fettercairn, definately some sort of wine cask. it's sweet, raisins, plums, cooked apples, fresh fruits, apple cake straight from oven, cinnamon, it's absolutely beautiful. The taste is at first sweet, many of the flavours on the nose, but then it sort of gets a bit bitter and dies. Water brings a bit of life and gives way to hints of bitter red wine on the finish.
A pleasant experience: 7.5
Glen Moray 12yo 40% OB
I'm doing a bit of time travelling today and trying some older bottlings that probably never really had their glory days. This Glen Moray is not the same as the current version, but an older, paler version from the 70's or 80's. The smell is huge, spicy, malt syrup, pekanese duck soho style, barbeque, not that winey, but still a bit acidic. I'm tempted to believe the %abv have increased a bit in this one due to evaporation. The taste is very grainy, woody, some peppers, water please! Just a small drop of water makes it as soft as it gets, not unlike the 5yo Glen Grant. This is an either/or whisky. It can suite both the masochist and the finer connoisseur, but it probably won't blow any of them away.
No ace but very different from the current version: 4
Glen Moray 12yo 40% OB for Japan
One from Japan or something, at least if I judge the signs on the bottle right. So I'm only assuming this to be 40%. What I know is that it's, like almost all other Glen Moray OB's, matured in some sort of white wine cask. The smell is kind of boring, reminds me slightly of champagne, or it's actually just like champagne. The taste is very easy, nothing to complain about, but again amazingly boring. Hard to recognize any flavours at all except maybe some dry white wine. It's funny that I need to dilute a 40% to find flavours, but with water some earthy notes appears, but the aftertaste is still silent.
Nothing to get excited about I'm afraid: 4
Glen Moray 16yo 40% OB
When I tried the 8yo I thought it was too sweet and lacked complexity, let's see on double age. It definately has much of the same concentrated sweetness, with some more more oakiness. The taste is acidic and spirity, some canned pear and coconutmilk. Unfortunately there aren't much to be said about the finish, some drops of water helps a little smokiness to diverge.
Powerful at first, then it dies: 6
Glen Moray 8yo 40% OB
Young and sweet, but far too sweet for my taste buds. Taste a bit of ripe pears and non-fizzy softdrinks. Perhaps a whisky that can satisfy curious newbies, but lacks really both taste and substance.
Needs a couple more years in the cask: 2
A flat bottle similar to those of OB's bottles by G&M a decade or two back. Label seems weary so it could be from about the same time. Another pale one this, Smells of apple vinegar and cinnamon, a nice combination although again very light. The taste is bitter and raw, unpleasant. This taste of rotten ropes and iron kills it dead, perhaps some water can mellow it down a bit. With water added it gets a bit sweeter, but still there's these weird rotten woody flavors.
All in all a disappointment: 2
Glen Moray 27yo 1962-1989 55.1% Cadenhead's
This one I've been looking forward to all week, as Glen Moray is far from a favourite amongst the IB's, rare to be found at CS and at an age above 18yo. I don't know for how long the Glen Moray distillery have matured their whisky exclusively in wine casks, if for long it's going to be something new, if not, an extremely rare occasion. The colour is pretty dark, bronze-like. It smells even better than the Fettercairn, definately some sort of wine cask. it's sweet, raisins, plums, cooked apples, fresh fruits, apple cake straight from oven, cinnamon, it's absolutely beautiful. The taste is at first sweet, many of the flavours on the nose, but then it sort of gets a bit bitter and dies. Water brings a bit of life and gives way to hints of bitter red wine on the finish.
A pleasant experience: 7.5
Glen Moray 12yo 40% OB
I'm doing a bit of time travelling today and trying some older bottlings that probably never really had their glory days. This Glen Moray is not the same as the current version, but an older, paler version from the 70's or 80's. The smell is huge, spicy, malt syrup, pekanese duck soho style, barbeque, not that winey, but still a bit acidic. I'm tempted to believe the %abv have increased a bit in this one due to evaporation. The taste is very grainy, woody, some peppers, water please! Just a small drop of water makes it as soft as it gets, not unlike the 5yo Glen Grant. This is an either/or whisky. It can suite both the masochist and the finer connoisseur, but it probably won't blow any of them away.
No ace but very different from the current version: 4
Glen Moray 12yo 40% OB for Japan
One from Japan or something, at least if I judge the signs on the bottle right. So I'm only assuming this to be 40%. What I know is that it's, like almost all other Glen Moray OB's, matured in some sort of white wine cask. The smell is kind of boring, reminds me slightly of champagne, or it's actually just like champagne. The taste is very easy, nothing to complain about, but again amazingly boring. Hard to recognize any flavours at all except maybe some dry white wine. It's funny that I need to dilute a 40% to find flavours, but with water some earthy notes appears, but the aftertaste is still silent.
Nothing to get excited about I'm afraid: 4
Glen Moray 16yo 40% OB
When I tried the 8yo I thought it was too sweet and lacked complexity, let's see on double age. It definately has much of the same concentrated sweetness, with some more more oakiness. The taste is acidic and spirity, some canned pear and coconutmilk. Unfortunately there aren't much to be said about the finish, some drops of water helps a little smokiness to diverge.
Powerful at first, then it dies: 6
Glen Moray 8yo 40% OB
Young and sweet, but far too sweet for my taste buds. Taste a bit of ripe pears and non-fizzy softdrinks. Perhaps a whisky that can satisfy curious newbies, but lacks really both taste and substance.
Needs a couple more years in the cask: 2
3 Tullibardines tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Tullibardine NAS 1993-? 40% OB
I'm doing some youngsters today, this one surely is the oldest of the two. I remember the 10yo and 12yo Tullibardine as kind of futile whiskies, so hopefully this will boost the sale of standard OB's down in Blackford. White wine colour, The nose os floral and extremely light, a summers malt? If nosing this blind I'd never guess it was a whisky. The taste is slightly oaky, lemon peel, fresh and sour, lemonade sundae and bitter riesling. A pleasant surprise , pretty complex for an unpeated and unsherried highlander at only 40%. The aftertaste is peppery and a bit drying but not too much.
A whisky to have with scallops?: 6.5
Tullibardine NAS 1993-? 40% OB
A lighter whisky than the last two, light yellow with some green notes, can that be good? No wonder it comes in a green bottle. This one smells a bit grassy, some coastal notes, but again a bit on the bland side. The taste is nice, a bit minty, fresh, sushi, soy beans, cedar wood and earthy notes. The aftertasteis very nice, minty and earthy, just a bit too earthy and bitter for my taste, but I'm sure there are many out there who would appreciate this one as a light aperitif malt.
It has something a bit unique: 4
Tullibardine 10yo 40% OB
Tullibardine has still to really make it's mark among the modern single malts. It reminds me of liquoricefudge and grass, typical smells for whiskies that perhaps haven't matured long enough. Very light-flavoured, dried herbs, smoked salmon, burnt clay, very light and dry. Could have done well if less diluted.
A pretty bland experience: 3.5
I'm doing some youngsters today, this one surely is the oldest of the two. I remember the 10yo and 12yo Tullibardine as kind of futile whiskies, so hopefully this will boost the sale of standard OB's down in Blackford. White wine colour, The nose os floral and extremely light, a summers malt? If nosing this blind I'd never guess it was a whisky. The taste is slightly oaky, lemon peel, fresh and sour, lemonade sundae and bitter riesling. A pleasant surprise , pretty complex for an unpeated and unsherried highlander at only 40%. The aftertaste is peppery and a bit drying but not too much.
A whisky to have with scallops?: 6.5
Tullibardine NAS 1993-? 40% OB
A lighter whisky than the last two, light yellow with some green notes, can that be good? No wonder it comes in a green bottle. This one smells a bit grassy, some coastal notes, but again a bit on the bland side. The taste is nice, a bit minty, fresh, sushi, soy beans, cedar wood and earthy notes. The aftertasteis very nice, minty and earthy, just a bit too earthy and bitter for my taste, but I'm sure there are many out there who would appreciate this one as a light aperitif malt.
It has something a bit unique: 4
Tullibardine 10yo 40% OB
Tullibardine has still to really make it's mark among the modern single malts. It reminds me of liquoricefudge and grass, typical smells for whiskies that perhaps haven't matured long enough. Very light-flavoured, dried herbs, smoked salmon, burnt clay, very light and dry. Could have done well if less diluted.
A pretty bland experience: 3.5
fredag 4. mars 2011
10 Springbanks tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Springbank 23yo 53.7% James MacArthur's
My problem with Springbank is the fact that they produce a peaty quality malt that all to often is put in some weird wine cask. Gaja Barolo anyone? But when presented at a high strength in a traditional bourbon cask I often find it to be amazing. The label says nothing about what cask(s) this has endured during its lifetime, but the colour is pale and the abv is high. The smells is peaty, herbal, burnt wool, farm, barnyard, salty. The taste is Sweet, peppery, slightly peaty with lots of fruity notes, honeycomb, melon, sweet green grapes, pears, perfect, just perfect. This is too good to criticize for lacking puch. It's just a perfect summers dram, or all year dram for that matter.
Perfect Springbank: 10
Springbank 16yo 1993-2010 52.4% OB Private Bottling
From a second fill sherry hogshead, light orange hue, let's see how much influence the sherry has during a second fill maturation. Smells peppery, flinty, a bit peaty, licorice allsorts, not much sherry influence that I can detect. The palate is sweet and slightly peppery, almost a bit bland. Its saved by a finish of peat and peppery notes, but all in all this is a pretty unilateral whisky, not much going on.
Less complex than any standard OB Springbank: 3
Springbank 10yo 57% OB
I tried the Longrow 100proof the other day, and it was amazing, lets see how this less peated variant functions. It smells of sour candy, soap, cream, dried berries, burnt matches, chilli and dark tap ale. The taste is rustic, kind of old-fashioned kirschwein, red wine, tannins, goat cheese and chili peppers, nothing short of perfect if you like your red wine dry. And I do!! The aftertaste is just a bit too much on liquorice, I wish they'd given this another year in the cask(s).
Great springbank: 8
Springbank 21yo 46% OB
I'm taking the plunge with some finer older whiskies, and rarities indeed, this sunday. First of is this rather rare, and quite expensive 21yo Springbank. Older Springbanks are reaching astronomical prices nowadays so get your hands on some before it's to late and they start producing more like Bruichladdich. This smells sweet, honeyed, camphor, ginger, reminds me of older more sherried versions of Highland Park, nice!!! The taste has sort of a lowland-style, burns the throat, but not peaty or anything, just sourness and heavy spices. It needs a wee drop of water. Elegant and rustic, reminds me of the air in some german cities, Trier, Münster... Fresh but with a true prescence of older days if it makes any sense.
I'll have this over Hazelburn and Longrow any day: 7
Springbank 15yo 46% OB
I love the fact that a place so little known for good whiskies as Campbeltown has such a highly regarded whisky as Springbank. Let's try this one then. It needs some time to open up, but when it does it's all on citrus and oak, very complex but still subtle scents. The taste is fresh, cinnamon, white pepper, sour cream, a fantastic taste it is indeed. The aftertaste is again on lemon, with a nice addition of some peppery notes. I guess I like the good old Springbank a whole lot compared to the Longrow, Hazelburn and whatever else is produced there these days.
Marvellous malt: 8.5
Springbank NAS 46% OB CV
This one is bottled in 2010, what CV means I have no idea, only that it's a whisky without age statement. A pretty strong smell, almost like liquorice and alcohol. Seaman's Shot maybe, infused with more alcohol? This is a peppery malt, pepper, pepper and even more pepper. You could garnish a steak with this and some salt. Addition of H2O, still an extremely peppery profile, and an aftertaste that just goes on with even more pepper, an some sour notes at the very end. It's a very uninspiring malt as there's not much going on, but also hard to put the finger on any particular flaws.
A clean and fun malt, but not for the connoisseur I'd say: 5.5
Springbank 10yo 46% OB
First of all, this is far lighter than any of the other expressions I've ever tasted from this distillery, I'd say it's even lighter than the Hazelburn! The taste is very sweet, red apples, iced sugar, pears, salt water and baking soda. The aftertaste is unfortunately nowhere to be found. If tried blind I'd put money on this was a tripple distilled whisky. This is a dangerous malt, as I could easily drink far too much in one evening.
Nice and clean fruitiness: 5.5
Hazelburn 12yo 46% OB
Hazelburn is a pretty new tripple distilled whisky from the Springbank distillery. Very dark, red, sweet, sherry matured? It's sweet, delicate, with some pear, glazed fruits, honey melon and applejuice. Much of the finish is very tame, due to the tripple distillation I guess.
A very gentle Springbank: 6
Springbank 10yo 50% The Golden Cask
A bottling from "The Golden Cask", of which I'm not familiar, looks a bit like the old Signatory-labels. It's very mild, reminds me on the nose about a young Glen Scotia. The taste is also awfully nice and mild, some red onions, mild chilli and the brown parts on the slamon cutlet. The aftertaste is nicely smoked and lifts my overall impression of this malt.
A soulless springbank: 4
Longrow 10yo 57% OB
Springbanks highest peated malt at 57%abv, I've heard good rumours about this one. Last high strength Lowngrow I tried was the Gaja Barolo finish, that was a very pretentious piece of malt whisky. Perhaps this one will be better. The odors are there, earthy, smoky, oaky, vanilla and apple cores. Honest and good, no funky wood here. The taste is very peaty at first, usually the peat comes in the finish, but here's a butter, strawberry, caramel and leather aftertaste that lifts this from good to very good. An honest whisky that I believe is best when had in a bourbon cask, and not dilluted too much.
Not a shelf-display malt, but fantastic in a glass: 7.5
Longrow 7yo 2000-2008 55.8% OB CS
This one is double matured in bourbon and a last month and a half in Gaja Barolo wood. It's a very strong version. It has a very dry, strong, acidic and phenolic smell, Gaja Barolo? The taste is very dry and concentrated, do need water. Then it seems the Double maturation has paid off, as it's initially very sweet with some vanilla until the dryness takes over again.
What would this be, given more time in the cask?: 5.5
Longrow 10yo 1996-2006 46% OB
This is the peated version of Springbank I guess, the nose is more powerful and far more coastal, some liquorice. The taste is very sweet, butterscotch, creamy caramel, perfumy and woody flavours. It has a long and soothing aftertaste after the initial taste is quite peppery. To me, this doesn't need water, but I believe some will say it's a bit "put". A couple drops does enhance the liquoricy flavours, if that's to your liking.
A strong, but very persuasive malt: 7
My problem with Springbank is the fact that they produce a peaty quality malt that all to often is put in some weird wine cask. Gaja Barolo anyone? But when presented at a high strength in a traditional bourbon cask I often find it to be amazing. The label says nothing about what cask(s) this has endured during its lifetime, but the colour is pale and the abv is high. The smells is peaty, herbal, burnt wool, farm, barnyard, salty. The taste is Sweet, peppery, slightly peaty with lots of fruity notes, honeycomb, melon, sweet green grapes, pears, perfect, just perfect. This is too good to criticize for lacking puch. It's just a perfect summers dram, or all year dram for that matter.
Perfect Springbank: 10
Springbank 16yo 1993-2010 52.4% OB Private Bottling
From a second fill sherry hogshead, light orange hue, let's see how much influence the sherry has during a second fill maturation. Smells peppery, flinty, a bit peaty, licorice allsorts, not much sherry influence that I can detect. The palate is sweet and slightly peppery, almost a bit bland. Its saved by a finish of peat and peppery notes, but all in all this is a pretty unilateral whisky, not much going on.
Less complex than any standard OB Springbank: 3
Springbank 10yo 57% OB
I tried the Longrow 100proof the other day, and it was amazing, lets see how this less peated variant functions. It smells of sour candy, soap, cream, dried berries, burnt matches, chilli and dark tap ale. The taste is rustic, kind of old-fashioned kirschwein, red wine, tannins, goat cheese and chili peppers, nothing short of perfect if you like your red wine dry. And I do!! The aftertaste is just a bit too much on liquorice, I wish they'd given this another year in the cask(s).
Great springbank: 8
Springbank 21yo 46% OB
I'm taking the plunge with some finer older whiskies, and rarities indeed, this sunday. First of is this rather rare, and quite expensive 21yo Springbank. Older Springbanks are reaching astronomical prices nowadays so get your hands on some before it's to late and they start producing more like Bruichladdich. This smells sweet, honeyed, camphor, ginger, reminds me of older more sherried versions of Highland Park, nice!!! The taste has sort of a lowland-style, burns the throat, but not peaty or anything, just sourness and heavy spices. It needs a wee drop of water. Elegant and rustic, reminds me of the air in some german cities, Trier, Münster... Fresh but with a true prescence of older days if it makes any sense.
I'll have this over Hazelburn and Longrow any day: 7
Springbank 15yo 46% OB
I love the fact that a place so little known for good whiskies as Campbeltown has such a highly regarded whisky as Springbank. Let's try this one then. It needs some time to open up, but when it does it's all on citrus and oak, very complex but still subtle scents. The taste is fresh, cinnamon, white pepper, sour cream, a fantastic taste it is indeed. The aftertaste is again on lemon, with a nice addition of some peppery notes. I guess I like the good old Springbank a whole lot compared to the Longrow, Hazelburn and whatever else is produced there these days.
Marvellous malt: 8.5
Springbank NAS 46% OB CV
This one is bottled in 2010, what CV means I have no idea, only that it's a whisky without age statement. A pretty strong smell, almost like liquorice and alcohol. Seaman's Shot maybe, infused with more alcohol? This is a peppery malt, pepper, pepper and even more pepper. You could garnish a steak with this and some salt. Addition of H2O, still an extremely peppery profile, and an aftertaste that just goes on with even more pepper, an some sour notes at the very end. It's a very uninspiring malt as there's not much going on, but also hard to put the finger on any particular flaws.
A clean and fun malt, but not for the connoisseur I'd say: 5.5
Springbank 10yo 46% OB
First of all, this is far lighter than any of the other expressions I've ever tasted from this distillery, I'd say it's even lighter than the Hazelburn! The taste is very sweet, red apples, iced sugar, pears, salt water and baking soda. The aftertaste is unfortunately nowhere to be found. If tried blind I'd put money on this was a tripple distilled whisky. This is a dangerous malt, as I could easily drink far too much in one evening.
Nice and clean fruitiness: 5.5
Hazelburn 12yo 46% OB
Hazelburn is a pretty new tripple distilled whisky from the Springbank distillery. Very dark, red, sweet, sherry matured? It's sweet, delicate, with some pear, glazed fruits, honey melon and applejuice. Much of the finish is very tame, due to the tripple distillation I guess.
A very gentle Springbank: 6
Springbank 10yo 50% The Golden Cask
A bottling from "The Golden Cask", of which I'm not familiar, looks a bit like the old Signatory-labels. It's very mild, reminds me on the nose about a young Glen Scotia. The taste is also awfully nice and mild, some red onions, mild chilli and the brown parts on the slamon cutlet. The aftertaste is nicely smoked and lifts my overall impression of this malt.
A soulless springbank: 4
Longrow 10yo 57% OB
Springbanks highest peated malt at 57%abv, I've heard good rumours about this one. Last high strength Lowngrow I tried was the Gaja Barolo finish, that was a very pretentious piece of malt whisky. Perhaps this one will be better. The odors are there, earthy, smoky, oaky, vanilla and apple cores. Honest and good, no funky wood here. The taste is very peaty at first, usually the peat comes in the finish, but here's a butter, strawberry, caramel and leather aftertaste that lifts this from good to very good. An honest whisky that I believe is best when had in a bourbon cask, and not dilluted too much.
Not a shelf-display malt, but fantastic in a glass: 7.5
Longrow 7yo 2000-2008 55.8% OB CS
This one is double matured in bourbon and a last month and a half in Gaja Barolo wood. It's a very strong version. It has a very dry, strong, acidic and phenolic smell, Gaja Barolo? The taste is very dry and concentrated, do need water. Then it seems the Double maturation has paid off, as it's initially very sweet with some vanilla until the dryness takes over again.
What would this be, given more time in the cask?: 5.5
Longrow 10yo 1996-2006 46% OB
This is the peated version of Springbank I guess, the nose is more powerful and far more coastal, some liquorice. The taste is very sweet, butterscotch, creamy caramel, perfumy and woody flavours. It has a long and soothing aftertaste after the initial taste is quite peppery. To me, this doesn't need water, but I believe some will say it's a bit "put". A couple drops does enhance the liquoricy flavours, if that's to your liking.
A strong, but very persuasive malt: 7
3 Braes of Glenlivets tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Braes of Glenlivet 16yo 1979-1996 59% Signatory Vintage cask#16045 btl.947/980
Sherry matured, golden brown colour, from this little acclaimed distillery. I have tried some good CS from Braeval but its often a bit one-dimensional. Let's see. Smells of the usual Breval peppery notes, with some dry and bitter sherry. The taste is peppery and dry along with some restrained oloroso sweetness. I'll add a couple drops of water. Now it turns sweeter, minty grassy, a fine whisky but it ends too quickly. Although it has its flaws its an exciting malt and a new take on sherry-matured whisky for me.
Very good, one for the adventurer: 8
Braes of Glenlivet/Braeval 18yo 40% Robert Graham's x/480 btl.
This is a bottling made especially for Robert Graham's online store I think. Colour of applejuice, an elegant and modest nose, gingerbread and caramelized fruits. It has a very fruity and sour taste, unripe apples, sour grapes and cooking salt. It is just a bit too playful and edgy to take seriously as a malt at this age, but I think it's got potential, and I wish I could try it sherry matured.
A weird malt: 4.5
Braes of Glenlivet 18yo 1979-98 43% Signatory Vintage
Braes of Glenlivet, also known as Breaval, must be one of lightest and simplest whiskies I've ever come across.The taste is dry and there's quite a large and dominating peppery flavour to it. I think there could have been more cask influence after 18 years in the warehouse.
Peppery: 4
Sherry matured, golden brown colour, from this little acclaimed distillery. I have tried some good CS from Braeval but its often a bit one-dimensional. Let's see. Smells of the usual Breval peppery notes, with some dry and bitter sherry. The taste is peppery and dry along with some restrained oloroso sweetness. I'll add a couple drops of water. Now it turns sweeter, minty grassy, a fine whisky but it ends too quickly. Although it has its flaws its an exciting malt and a new take on sherry-matured whisky for me.
Very good, one for the adventurer: 8
Braes of Glenlivet/Braeval 18yo 40% Robert Graham's x/480 btl.
This is a bottling made especially for Robert Graham's online store I think. Colour of applejuice, an elegant and modest nose, gingerbread and caramelized fruits. It has a very fruity and sour taste, unripe apples, sour grapes and cooking salt. It is just a bit too playful and edgy to take seriously as a malt at this age, but I think it's got potential, and I wish I could try it sherry matured.
A weird malt: 4.5
Braes of Glenlivet 18yo 1979-98 43% Signatory Vintage
Braes of Glenlivet, also known as Breaval, must be one of lightest and simplest whiskies I've ever come across.The taste is dry and there's quite a large and dominating peppery flavour to it. I think there could have been more cask influence after 18 years in the warehouse.
Peppery: 4
3 Obans tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Oban 32yo 1969-2002 55.1% OB
Due to trading some samples with a swedish malt buddy I'm gonna try a series of exciting malts today. This is the first CS Oban I've tried, not the most popular malt amongst IB's or just a distillery reluctant to sell casks to such. A pale colour, smells peaty, sweet, vanilla, Ardbeg-ish. Not as rich as the darker 14yo ob, but a nice intensity in this one. The taste is extraordinary it's rich, sweet, peaty, coastal, fresh, floral, herbal, balm, smoke, buttery, just perfect. The aftertaste is fat, peppery and lasts a long time.
Perfect Oban: 9.5
Oban 12yo 40% OB
A 12-year old made for export purpose. Quite strong and clean, distinctive smell, like alcohol inc. It has a pretty pure and straight-forward taste as well, chestnuts, nuts, wheat grain and herbal tea. There's lots of easy and simple favours in this malt, but none of them really sticks out, I'm missing the smokiness of the 14 year old.
I don't think this will last long on the market: 4.5
Oban 14yo 43% OB
An elegant, but still smoky highland whisky, hints of dark chocolate, suits as dinner companion to dark meat or with a good cheeze, say gorgonzola or smoked gruyere. Shows of with some subtle sweetness on the finish.
A pleasant experience: 7
Due to trading some samples with a swedish malt buddy I'm gonna try a series of exciting malts today. This is the first CS Oban I've tried, not the most popular malt amongst IB's or just a distillery reluctant to sell casks to such. A pale colour, smells peaty, sweet, vanilla, Ardbeg-ish. Not as rich as the darker 14yo ob, but a nice intensity in this one. The taste is extraordinary it's rich, sweet, peaty, coastal, fresh, floral, herbal, balm, smoke, buttery, just perfect. The aftertaste is fat, peppery and lasts a long time.
Perfect Oban: 9.5
Oban 12yo 40% OB
A 12-year old made for export purpose. Quite strong and clean, distinctive smell, like alcohol inc. It has a pretty pure and straight-forward taste as well, chestnuts, nuts, wheat grain and herbal tea. There's lots of easy and simple favours in this malt, but none of them really sticks out, I'm missing the smokiness of the 14 year old.
I don't think this will last long on the market: 4.5
Oban 14yo 43% OB
An elegant, but still smoky highland whisky, hints of dark chocolate, suits as dinner companion to dark meat or with a good cheeze, say gorgonzola or smoked gruyere. Shows of with some subtle sweetness on the finish.
A pleasant experience: 7
6 Balblairs tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Balblair 38yo 1966-2004 OB Spanish Oak
Probably a sherry cask then, and at this age, amazing. The colour however isn't that dark, more of a golden hue, like some batches of my favourite Balblair, the old 16yo. Smells wine-influenced, rose-like, very light considering its age, and a bit dry, somewhat floral, reminds me of the 21yo Glanfarclas. The taste is silky smooth, warm, no sherry here, but a lot of honey, caramel, sweet, rich, creamy, toffee, absolutely amazing. A Highlander disguised as a Speysider(?) Yes I know, same region.
A dessert whisky: 7
Balblair 19yo 1990-2009 53% Adelphi Selection
Adelphi is one of the independent bottlers I've tried far too few from. This one has a nice nose, oloroso sherry, creamy sweets, hints of cinnamon, choriander and malt. The taste on the other hand is dry, very phenolic, just a bit over the top if you aren't a sherry-freak then. Could this be matured in some amoroso butt? I'll add some water then, doesn't change much. Reminds me more of some young sherried highlanders than the 16yo balblair, thus I hoped it would as that's still my preference and milestone when it comes to Balblair.
Instead get some old 16yo bottlings before they're all gone: 4.5
Balblair 17yo 1989-2006 43% OB
I've tried many Balblair's, but to be honest I have to say, none have ever compared to the 16yo OB, maybe this one will. Bourbon-matured, smells of vanilla and fresh eucalyptus, very minty. The taste is creamy, sweet, burnt sugar, dark toffee and mint leaves, after eight? It lacks the raffinement that the 16yo got, but let's stop comparing... With a generous addition of water it becomes a bot more dry, oaky, red onions, nuts, rubber notes. The aftertaste is short and a bit vanillish.
I wouldn't say it's great, it isn't, but straight and honest, yes: 5
Balblair NAS 40% OB Elements
I found the 16yo to be a giant leap ahead of the 10yo, so a NAS could be dodgy at least, but anyway, here it goes. A sweet marshmallow, nutty, milk chocolate and corn cereal nose. The taste is sweet, dark chocolate, vanilla, roasted onions and red peppers. This is a very nice surprise, I think this could give any standard 12year-old a run for it's money. It has some of the fresh notes that dominated the fabulous 16yo. A swell dram.
For a youngster, very well crafted: 6
Balblair 10yo 40% OB
One more 10-year old, this time from the highlands. The nose is very mild and reminds me vaguely of the classy 16 year old. My first impression is half ripe red apples, some water creates a more rustic flavour with some tannins and citrus cores, with a little hin of red hot chillies in the end, not too bad actually.
Pretty advanced for it's age: 5.5
Balblair 16yo 40% OB
It's stated on the label that this malt comes from the place in Scotland's with cleanest air(?), it could very well be trough, as it smells very fresh, like wet grass in springtime. In the beginning it's very sweet, hints of sweet caramell, and it finishes off with some flowery, peppery aftertaste.
Simply pleasure: 8
Probably a sherry cask then, and at this age, amazing. The colour however isn't that dark, more of a golden hue, like some batches of my favourite Balblair, the old 16yo. Smells wine-influenced, rose-like, very light considering its age, and a bit dry, somewhat floral, reminds me of the 21yo Glanfarclas. The taste is silky smooth, warm, no sherry here, but a lot of honey, caramel, sweet, rich, creamy, toffee, absolutely amazing. A Highlander disguised as a Speysider(?) Yes I know, same region.
A dessert whisky: 7
Balblair 19yo 1990-2009 53% Adelphi Selection
Adelphi is one of the independent bottlers I've tried far too few from. This one has a nice nose, oloroso sherry, creamy sweets, hints of cinnamon, choriander and malt. The taste on the other hand is dry, very phenolic, just a bit over the top if you aren't a sherry-freak then. Could this be matured in some amoroso butt? I'll add some water then, doesn't change much. Reminds me more of some young sherried highlanders than the 16yo balblair, thus I hoped it would as that's still my preference and milestone when it comes to Balblair.
Instead get some old 16yo bottlings before they're all gone: 4.5
Balblair 17yo 1989-2006 43% OB
I've tried many Balblair's, but to be honest I have to say, none have ever compared to the 16yo OB, maybe this one will. Bourbon-matured, smells of vanilla and fresh eucalyptus, very minty. The taste is creamy, sweet, burnt sugar, dark toffee and mint leaves, after eight? It lacks the raffinement that the 16yo got, but let's stop comparing... With a generous addition of water it becomes a bot more dry, oaky, red onions, nuts, rubber notes. The aftertaste is short and a bit vanillish.
I wouldn't say it's great, it isn't, but straight and honest, yes: 5
Balblair NAS 40% OB Elements
I found the 16yo to be a giant leap ahead of the 10yo, so a NAS could be dodgy at least, but anyway, here it goes. A sweet marshmallow, nutty, milk chocolate and corn cereal nose. The taste is sweet, dark chocolate, vanilla, roasted onions and red peppers. This is a very nice surprise, I think this could give any standard 12year-old a run for it's money. It has some of the fresh notes that dominated the fabulous 16yo. A swell dram.
For a youngster, very well crafted: 6
Balblair 10yo 40% OB
One more 10-year old, this time from the highlands. The nose is very mild and reminds me vaguely of the classy 16 year old. My first impression is half ripe red apples, some water creates a more rustic flavour with some tannins and citrus cores, with a little hin of red hot chillies in the end, not too bad actually.
Pretty advanced for it's age: 5.5
Balblair 16yo 40% OB
It's stated on the label that this malt comes from the place in Scotland's with cleanest air(?), it could very well be trough, as it smells very fresh, like wet grass in springtime. In the beginning it's very sweet, hints of sweet caramell, and it finishes off with some flowery, peppery aftertaste.
Simply pleasure: 8
onsdag 23. februar 2011
7 Glenburgie/Glencraigs tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Glenburgie 26yo 1983-2010 53.7% Bladnoch Forum cask#9801
It's been awhile since last I tried a Glenburgie. I believe it was Glenburgie that produced the Glencraig, a malt that I have enjoyed a lot at earlier occasions, well, those were the days! Golden colour, Smells pretty much alcohol, immediately a huge punch. Need water I guess, lets try without first. The taste is at first some creamy caramel before the spirity notes hits me again. With water it becomes a bit rounder and gentler, but the sweet initial caramel flavour is gone and left is some slightly bitter grassiness.
It'll be awhile until I buy a bottle of Gleburgie: 2.5
Glenburgie 26yo 1983-2010 48.5% The Daily Dram
I have, at least up until this day, prefered the Glencraig malt made at this distillery over Glenburgie. But since they stopped making the Lomond spirit, there's got to be a reason, let's see if I can find it here. The nose is very fresh, autumn air, fresh leaves and some mineral notes. The taste is pretty dry and kind of stiff, so to speak. Something a bit edgy and overpowering. Strong malty notes. With some water it gets a strange sour/salty flavour, oat meal, beef jerky and bitterness. Theres some sourness like unripe apples that's teasing my tastebuds, but it vanishes very quickly and brutally because of the extreme bitterness.
I'm afraid I still prefer the Glencraig: 3
Glencraig 33yo 1974-2008 50.5% SMWS
An old bottling which unfortunately someone stole from me, I did manage to come across a small sample online fortubately. Light and soft nose, grassy and citrussy. Pale colour. It seems to have little cask influence, even though it's 33 years. At first it's very sour, lime, wood, cream, dessert topping, dryness, flint, exciting but not very enjoyable. A couple drops of water added, and it becomes grainy and kind of burnt, the aftertaste is strong, phenolic but quite short.
Some good parts, but seems very tired: 4.5
Glenburgie 8yo 40% Gordon & MacPhail
A whisky that rarely is bottled as a single malt. I'm gettin rosé wine, very harmonic for a whisky at such a young age. Tastewise it's carrotjuice, orange liqueur and vanilla fudge. Definately one of the lightest and fruitiest whiskies I've ever come across. Brown sugar dominates the finish.
An uplifting experience, something to start with: 7
Glencraig 16yo 1968-1984 40% Captain Burn's Selection
I think this one is a Gordon & Macphail bottling, sold under a different name on the southern european market, france and beyond. Anyway, Glencraig is a rare gem these days, and very hard to get a hold of. It was produced on Lomond Stills at the Gleburgie distillery from 1958-1981. A disappointment on the first nosing, as it's very anonymous, but give it some time, air, and circle the glass a bit, and some notes of nuts appears. It tastes very classic and old-fashioned, whipped cream, wax and oil, some water brings out some hints of dried turf as well.
Like whisky used to be, too bad there's so little left of it: 7
Glenburgie 11yo 59.8% Cadenhead's
A delightful light golden color on this IB, smells really fresh and clean, nice! But on the palate it hits like a bomb, far too strong to drink alone, needs a couple drops of water. With water, rather strong hints of banana and caramell comes to the surface, a bit of some maritim taste as well.
A powerful banana: 5
Glencraig 19yo 1981-2001 59.5% Cadenhead's
Finally I get my hands on a real Cask Strength Glencraig, this must be from one of the last casks distilled at Glenburgie. Very dark, obviously matured in a sherry cask. Smells of Sherry as well as dried meat and red paprika. Does taste like a dry speysider, except from a lovely sherryish finish. Heavy whisky, but a treasure for the ones that can handle it.
Extreme Classic: 8.5
It's been awhile since last I tried a Glenburgie. I believe it was Glenburgie that produced the Glencraig, a malt that I have enjoyed a lot at earlier occasions, well, those were the days! Golden colour, Smells pretty much alcohol, immediately a huge punch. Need water I guess, lets try without first. The taste is at first some creamy caramel before the spirity notes hits me again. With water it becomes a bit rounder and gentler, but the sweet initial caramel flavour is gone and left is some slightly bitter grassiness.
It'll be awhile until I buy a bottle of Gleburgie: 2.5
Glenburgie 26yo 1983-2010 48.5% The Daily Dram
I have, at least up until this day, prefered the Glencraig malt made at this distillery over Glenburgie. But since they stopped making the Lomond spirit, there's got to be a reason, let's see if I can find it here. The nose is very fresh, autumn air, fresh leaves and some mineral notes. The taste is pretty dry and kind of stiff, so to speak. Something a bit edgy and overpowering. Strong malty notes. With some water it gets a strange sour/salty flavour, oat meal, beef jerky and bitterness. Theres some sourness like unripe apples that's teasing my tastebuds, but it vanishes very quickly and brutally because of the extreme bitterness.
I'm afraid I still prefer the Glencraig: 3
Glencraig 33yo 1974-2008 50.5% SMWS
An old bottling which unfortunately someone stole from me, I did manage to come across a small sample online fortubately. Light and soft nose, grassy and citrussy. Pale colour. It seems to have little cask influence, even though it's 33 years. At first it's very sour, lime, wood, cream, dessert topping, dryness, flint, exciting but not very enjoyable. A couple drops of water added, and it becomes grainy and kind of burnt, the aftertaste is strong, phenolic but quite short.
Some good parts, but seems very tired: 4.5
Glenburgie 8yo 40% Gordon & MacPhail
A whisky that rarely is bottled as a single malt. I'm gettin rosé wine, very harmonic for a whisky at such a young age. Tastewise it's carrotjuice, orange liqueur and vanilla fudge. Definately one of the lightest and fruitiest whiskies I've ever come across. Brown sugar dominates the finish.
An uplifting experience, something to start with: 7
Glencraig 16yo 1968-1984 40% Captain Burn's Selection
I think this one is a Gordon & Macphail bottling, sold under a different name on the southern european market, france and beyond. Anyway, Glencraig is a rare gem these days, and very hard to get a hold of. It was produced on Lomond Stills at the Gleburgie distillery from 1958-1981. A disappointment on the first nosing, as it's very anonymous, but give it some time, air, and circle the glass a bit, and some notes of nuts appears. It tastes very classic and old-fashioned, whipped cream, wax and oil, some water brings out some hints of dried turf as well.
Like whisky used to be, too bad there's so little left of it: 7
Glenburgie 11yo 59.8% Cadenhead's
A delightful light golden color on this IB, smells really fresh and clean, nice! But on the palate it hits like a bomb, far too strong to drink alone, needs a couple drops of water. With water, rather strong hints of banana and caramell comes to the surface, a bit of some maritim taste as well.
A powerful banana: 5
Glencraig 19yo 1981-2001 59.5% Cadenhead's
Finally I get my hands on a real Cask Strength Glencraig, this must be from one of the last casks distilled at Glenburgie. Very dark, obviously matured in a sherry cask. Smells of Sherry as well as dried meat and red paprika. Does taste like a dry speysider, except from a lovely sherryish finish. Heavy whisky, but a treasure for the ones that can handle it.
Extreme Classic: 8.5
søndag 20. februar 2011
10 Edradours tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Edradour NAS 1997-? 55.8% OB Port Wood
I love that the act that the smallest distillery in scotland got one the widest ranges of special casked single malts. Having been highly impressed by a 8yo PC from a sherry butt the other day, I hope Edradour ad Port Wood can create some magic here. Lovely red hue, like cherry wine. The taste is extremely dry, red grape seeds, concentrated aromas, needs some water. With some water it doesn't improve much, gets a bit oily, the aftertaste is the biggest disappointment as it is sulphury and makes the initial palate far too short to make a real impression.
A bad cask, or as one of my theories goes, port needs peat?: 3
Edradour 20yo 1983-2003 46% OB Port
An all port casked Edradour 20yo, I'll have to say I've enjoyed some of their finished work in the Straight-from-the-Cask series very much, although I find that port cask often is in need of a more flavorful spirit not to completely dominate the taste. A nice red colour, The nose shows strong hints of smoked ham, some salt and sweet caramelized onions, say (kantareller) and spring onions. The taste is clean, woody, actually pretty fragrant with some caramel and (rødbetter). It's just a bit too modest to intrigue me, needs higher strength maybe?
Not too far from the standard ob, only less sweet: 4
Edradour 10yo 1999-2009 57.6% OB SFTC Sauternes
Another straight-from-the-cask from Signatory, which owns Edradour Distillery, so I guess that makes it an OB then? Sauternes is a sweet white dessert wine, I have tried and enjoyed some of it before. Smells very nice, sweet and tender, a bit like the Glengoyne Nectar D'Or, just with more punch, like the Fettercairn 1997 NAS CS. The taste is fresh, syrup, greens, malty with a hint of lime juice. The aftertaste is acidic and intense, a bit too much, lets try with water. It doesn't get any lighter, just a bit too intense on the finish for me, a bit too much alcohol sting.
Edradour seems to work well in red wine casks: 4
Edradour NAS 57.2% OB Chateneuf-du-Pape
Chateneuf-du-Pape is another french wine region, south-east in the country. This one has been all matured in a cask formerly carrying Chateneuf-du-Pape wine. This one smells lighter, more like some olorose sherry, just not that sweet, a tad one-dimensional. There's some sweet liquorice also. The taste is extremely concentrated, a bit like Aberlour A'Bunadh. Peppery and medicinal, not bad, but just a lot different than what I'd expect.
A good malt, but it's just not as refined as the other two: 6.5
Edradour NAS 56.9% OB Cassicaia
I believe Cassicaia is an Italian red wine, not too far from the bordeaux style of what taste is concerned. Smells a bit more spirity than the Bordeaux casked one. Lemons and unripe blackberries, very bitter and sour. The taste is sweeter and far more peppery than the bordeaux, seems almost like a vanilla bourbony Islayer. But there's this dry, prickly taste of sweet fruits, green grapes, mangos and kiwis. Another expression, but not necessarily better or worse, its in this case all a matter of personal taste.
Once again brilliant from Edradour: 8
Edradour NAS 56.5% OB Bordeaux
Well, now let's try something totally new, a vertical of CS specially maturated single malts from same distillery(!) Edradour!!! This ones all matured in a bordeaux cask, french wine then. It smells perfectly balanced, a bit sweet, a bit bitter and a bit drystings of red wine and apple vinegar. The taste is more on bittersweet white wine than red. But this is fantastic, sour pears, apples, cinnamon, bay leaves and a dry peppery aftertaste. I've always liked Glenmorangies cask experiments, but most of them were dilluted. And yes, I believe that bottling them like this just enhances even more cask influence.
Dry white apple wine? Strange as it sounds, perfect!: 8.5
Edradour NAS 1996 57.2% OB
One Edradour of natural cask strength, sample purchased from Masterofmalt.com Said to come from an Ibisco Decanter, to me, I don't care to much about what decanter of origin, but rather I'd like to know what casks been used. It's pretty dark, perhaps it's some sort of wine cask? Or as the usual 10yo, a blend of sherry and others? The taste is lingering and sweet, really young style, one of the better Edradours in my opinion. Perhaps it's a bit like Glengoyne or Fettercairn, just a bit soft when watered down, but excellent at cask strength. The smell is a bit sulphury, cinnamon, leather and honey and sun-dried tomatoes. Just the smallest hint of Cointreau, I know that sounds like an insult to every scotch, but here it isn't really. Add just a small sip of water and it's the perfect summer dram.
Jubilations: 8
Glenforres/Edradour 12yo 43% OB
The Glenforres was a malt produced at the Edradour distillery, I believe back in the 80's. By the colour I'd say there aren't much sherry matured whisky compared to todays standard OB. It smells pretty bland, bourbon, a bit vanilla, dry oak, lacquer and bitter white wine. It's peppery, vanilla and very sweet on the palate, I don't think it's a bad alternative to the fudgy sherry-dominated standard at all. The aftertaste is creamy, vanilla, wedding cake and toffee.
Edradour in a new light: 7
Edradour 12yo 46% Dougie MacLean's Caledonia Selection
Though it's been a while since I tasted it, I remember the 10yo OB from Edradour to be a marvellous dram. This one states natural colour on the label, and it's very dark, perhaps it's been in some sort of red wine cask? The nose is very fresh, herbal and minty. The taste is very flavourful, again herbs, brickdust and oak, and it has a very long and peppery aftertaste. A nice and powerful youngster that definately stands its ground against many others. With some water it becomes a bit sweeter, but doesn't moderate itself at all.
One fine example of a youngster with class: 6.5
Edradour 10yo 40% OB
Scotland's smallest distillery with only three employees produces this young, vibrant and easily drinkable malt. Smells of honey and pistachio. Tastewise it's fresh and mild, mountain air, both relaxing and really, really enjoyable.
Luxurious lightweighter: 7.5
I love that the act that the smallest distillery in scotland got one the widest ranges of special casked single malts. Having been highly impressed by a 8yo PC from a sherry butt the other day, I hope Edradour ad Port Wood can create some magic here. Lovely red hue, like cherry wine. The taste is extremely dry, red grape seeds, concentrated aromas, needs some water. With some water it doesn't improve much, gets a bit oily, the aftertaste is the biggest disappointment as it is sulphury and makes the initial palate far too short to make a real impression.
A bad cask, or as one of my theories goes, port needs peat?: 3
Edradour 20yo 1983-2003 46% OB Port
An all port casked Edradour 20yo, I'll have to say I've enjoyed some of their finished work in the Straight-from-the-Cask series very much, although I find that port cask often is in need of a more flavorful spirit not to completely dominate the taste. A nice red colour, The nose shows strong hints of smoked ham, some salt and sweet caramelized onions, say (kantareller) and spring onions. The taste is clean, woody, actually pretty fragrant with some caramel and (rødbetter). It's just a bit too modest to intrigue me, needs higher strength maybe?
Not too far from the standard ob, only less sweet: 4
Edradour 10yo 1999-2009 57.6% OB SFTC Sauternes
Another straight-from-the-cask from Signatory, which owns Edradour Distillery, so I guess that makes it an OB then? Sauternes is a sweet white dessert wine, I have tried and enjoyed some of it before. Smells very nice, sweet and tender, a bit like the Glengoyne Nectar D'Or, just with more punch, like the Fettercairn 1997 NAS CS. The taste is fresh, syrup, greens, malty with a hint of lime juice. The aftertaste is acidic and intense, a bit too much, lets try with water. It doesn't get any lighter, just a bit too intense on the finish for me, a bit too much alcohol sting.
Edradour seems to work well in red wine casks: 4
Edradour NAS 57.2% OB Chateneuf-du-Pape
Chateneuf-du-Pape is another french wine region, south-east in the country. This one has been all matured in a cask formerly carrying Chateneuf-du-Pape wine. This one smells lighter, more like some olorose sherry, just not that sweet, a tad one-dimensional. There's some sweet liquorice also. The taste is extremely concentrated, a bit like Aberlour A'Bunadh. Peppery and medicinal, not bad, but just a lot different than what I'd expect.
A good malt, but it's just not as refined as the other two: 6.5
Edradour NAS 56.9% OB Cassicaia
I believe Cassicaia is an Italian red wine, not too far from the bordeaux style of what taste is concerned. Smells a bit more spirity than the Bordeaux casked one. Lemons and unripe blackberries, very bitter and sour. The taste is sweeter and far more peppery than the bordeaux, seems almost like a vanilla bourbony Islayer. But there's this dry, prickly taste of sweet fruits, green grapes, mangos and kiwis. Another expression, but not necessarily better or worse, its in this case all a matter of personal taste.
Once again brilliant from Edradour: 8
Edradour NAS 56.5% OB Bordeaux
Well, now let's try something totally new, a vertical of CS specially maturated single malts from same distillery(!) Edradour!!! This ones all matured in a bordeaux cask, french wine then. It smells perfectly balanced, a bit sweet, a bit bitter and a bit drystings of red wine and apple vinegar. The taste is more on bittersweet white wine than red. But this is fantastic, sour pears, apples, cinnamon, bay leaves and a dry peppery aftertaste. I've always liked Glenmorangies cask experiments, but most of them were dilluted. And yes, I believe that bottling them like this just enhances even more cask influence.
Dry white apple wine? Strange as it sounds, perfect!: 8.5
Edradour NAS 1996 57.2% OB
One Edradour of natural cask strength, sample purchased from Masterofmalt.com Said to come from an Ibisco Decanter, to me, I don't care to much about what decanter of origin, but rather I'd like to know what casks been used. It's pretty dark, perhaps it's some sort of wine cask? Or as the usual 10yo, a blend of sherry and others? The taste is lingering and sweet, really young style, one of the better Edradours in my opinion. Perhaps it's a bit like Glengoyne or Fettercairn, just a bit soft when watered down, but excellent at cask strength. The smell is a bit sulphury, cinnamon, leather and honey and sun-dried tomatoes. Just the smallest hint of Cointreau, I know that sounds like an insult to every scotch, but here it isn't really. Add just a small sip of water and it's the perfect summer dram.
Jubilations: 8
Glenforres/Edradour 12yo 43% OB
The Glenforres was a malt produced at the Edradour distillery, I believe back in the 80's. By the colour I'd say there aren't much sherry matured whisky compared to todays standard OB. It smells pretty bland, bourbon, a bit vanilla, dry oak, lacquer and bitter white wine. It's peppery, vanilla and very sweet on the palate, I don't think it's a bad alternative to the fudgy sherry-dominated standard at all. The aftertaste is creamy, vanilla, wedding cake and toffee.
Edradour in a new light: 7
Edradour 12yo 46% Dougie MacLean's Caledonia Selection
Though it's been a while since I tasted it, I remember the 10yo OB from Edradour to be a marvellous dram. This one states natural colour on the label, and it's very dark, perhaps it's been in some sort of red wine cask? The nose is very fresh, herbal and minty. The taste is very flavourful, again herbs, brickdust and oak, and it has a very long and peppery aftertaste. A nice and powerful youngster that definately stands its ground against many others. With some water it becomes a bit sweeter, but doesn't moderate itself at all.
One fine example of a youngster with class: 6.5
Edradour 10yo 40% OB
Scotland's smallest distillery with only three employees produces this young, vibrant and easily drinkable malt. Smells of honey and pistachio. Tastewise it's fresh and mild, mountain air, both relaxing and really, really enjoyable.
Luxurious lightweighter: 7.5
7 Glenrothes tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Glen Rothes 12yo 43% OB
An older bottling as it states "Berry Bros & Rudd" on the label, from the late 80's or early 90's? Smells concentrated, rich bitterness, some chalk dust with some raw spirit notes, like antibacterial handwash. I have to admit that Glenrothes, or Glen Rothes as its called on this label, is a distillery yet to impress me. The taste is sweet, fruity, peppery, green grapes, watermelon, grapefruit, oranges, but it has this last finishing bitter sensation. A really refreshing single malt with enough complexity to stand out.
Smooth, fruity, bitter: 7.5
Glenrothes 18yo 1990-2009 43% Krügers Whiskygalerie cask#1994
This one is bottled for the same guy that's responsible for the brilliant whiskyauction.com site. Of course, that's where I found this bottle. This smells oaky, a bit grassy, neutral flavours that makes me wonder why there aren't more alcohol domination flavourwise. Seems almost too mild. Let's taste. The taste is again very withheld, does not show any character. A bit grassy, underlying oakiness. Smooth and a bit boring, sadly. With water the finish gets a bit longer with some peppery notes. Other than that it's sad to say a big disappointment.
A very boring malt: 3
Glenrothes NAS 1989-? 63.8% James MacArthur's Old Master's
Just to top this rising abv-tasting I have to go well above 60%, so why not try this one from Glenrothes at a crazy almost 64%? This one is not some sort of sherried monstrosity, but a young, I guess, Bourbon-matured malt. Oh, the alcohol almost completely blanks out every other possible odor. The taste to, peppery, liquorice, vanilla, some dryness and very much alcohol flavours. Needs water! With a fair amount of water it gets sweeter, more vanilla, almost sort of rum-like. The aftertaste is bitter, orange peel, but more bitter than that.
Shows that anything goes at James Mac's: 4
Glenrothes 14yo 1994-2008 43% OB
One of those vintage originals from Glenrothes, they seem to be in just about every airport these days. Let's try this one then. The nose is muscular, but not in a bad way, tickles my nostrils, like a newly opened bag of marshmallows. But the taste is awful, very dry for such a young age, some phenolic thing, very grainy. The aftertaste is nothing, really, it's as futile as it gets. With a drop of water the finish becomes somewhat sweeter.
Not worth the price, but it's semi-drinkable: 3.5
Glenrothes 35yo 1968-2004 40.3% Duncan Taylor CS
A really old one of the Glenrothes Distillery, which usually, at least when it comes to OB's, are bottled at young age. This one has a very strong and distinctive fragrance, phenolic, much what I remember from earlier tastings. The taste is very clean, oaky, nuts, coffe, cream, white wine and prunes. The aftertaste is also of a fine and delightful character, this is not a malt designed to blow you away with, but rather to be gently sipped when on a good couch.
Too nice to criticize:): 8
Glenrothes 8yo 40% Gordon & MacPhail
A distillery that I'm not usually too fond of. Strong smell for only 40%, almost a bit foul, like old white ashes. The taste is very mellow compared to the smell, I would not recommend adding water to this one. A small notion of marcipan along with some caramel syrup strikes me as the best to discover in this dram. A very uninspiring experience.
Boooring!: 2.5
Glenrothes NAS 43% OB Select Reserve
People never seem to agree on this distillery, nor it's whisky. No age, strong smell, young, burnt rubber and paint thinner. Not too bad on the palate, well developed, sweet, basil, peppermint, vanilla and a long and soothing finish with black pepper.
Not a bad effort: 6
An older bottling as it states "Berry Bros & Rudd" on the label, from the late 80's or early 90's? Smells concentrated, rich bitterness, some chalk dust with some raw spirit notes, like antibacterial handwash. I have to admit that Glenrothes, or Glen Rothes as its called on this label, is a distillery yet to impress me. The taste is sweet, fruity, peppery, green grapes, watermelon, grapefruit, oranges, but it has this last finishing bitter sensation. A really refreshing single malt with enough complexity to stand out.
Smooth, fruity, bitter: 7.5
Glenrothes 18yo 1990-2009 43% Krügers Whiskygalerie cask#1994
This one is bottled for the same guy that's responsible for the brilliant whiskyauction.com site. Of course, that's where I found this bottle. This smells oaky, a bit grassy, neutral flavours that makes me wonder why there aren't more alcohol domination flavourwise. Seems almost too mild. Let's taste. The taste is again very withheld, does not show any character. A bit grassy, underlying oakiness. Smooth and a bit boring, sadly. With water the finish gets a bit longer with some peppery notes. Other than that it's sad to say a big disappointment.
A very boring malt: 3
Glenrothes NAS 1989-? 63.8% James MacArthur's Old Master's
Just to top this rising abv-tasting I have to go well above 60%, so why not try this one from Glenrothes at a crazy almost 64%? This one is not some sort of sherried monstrosity, but a young, I guess, Bourbon-matured malt. Oh, the alcohol almost completely blanks out every other possible odor. The taste to, peppery, liquorice, vanilla, some dryness and very much alcohol flavours. Needs water! With a fair amount of water it gets sweeter, more vanilla, almost sort of rum-like. The aftertaste is bitter, orange peel, but more bitter than that.
Shows that anything goes at James Mac's: 4
Glenrothes 14yo 1994-2008 43% OB
One of those vintage originals from Glenrothes, they seem to be in just about every airport these days. Let's try this one then. The nose is muscular, but not in a bad way, tickles my nostrils, like a newly opened bag of marshmallows. But the taste is awful, very dry for such a young age, some phenolic thing, very grainy. The aftertaste is nothing, really, it's as futile as it gets. With a drop of water the finish becomes somewhat sweeter.
Not worth the price, but it's semi-drinkable: 3.5
Glenrothes 35yo 1968-2004 40.3% Duncan Taylor CS
A really old one of the Glenrothes Distillery, which usually, at least when it comes to OB's, are bottled at young age. This one has a very strong and distinctive fragrance, phenolic, much what I remember from earlier tastings. The taste is very clean, oaky, nuts, coffe, cream, white wine and prunes. The aftertaste is also of a fine and delightful character, this is not a malt designed to blow you away with, but rather to be gently sipped when on a good couch.
Too nice to criticize:): 8
Glenrothes 8yo 40% Gordon & MacPhail
A distillery that I'm not usually too fond of. Strong smell for only 40%, almost a bit foul, like old white ashes. The taste is very mellow compared to the smell, I would not recommend adding water to this one. A small notion of marcipan along with some caramel syrup strikes me as the best to discover in this dram. A very uninspiring experience.
Boooring!: 2.5
Glenrothes NAS 43% OB Select Reserve
People never seem to agree on this distillery, nor it's whisky. No age, strong smell, young, burnt rubber and paint thinner. Not too bad on the palate, well developed, sweet, basil, peppermint, vanilla and a long and soothing finish with black pepper.
Not a bad effort: 6
tirsdag 8. februar 2011
11 Unknown Distilleries tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Speyside NAS 40% Marks & Spencer
This one must not be confused with the Speyside distillery as it is not confirmed to be distilled there. On the other hand I've read comments made about its similarities to Drumguish which I believe is a 3 year old single malt from Speyside Distillery. Smells liquorice and spirit, like some licorice flavored vodka. No thanks, this is just a young and impotent whisky. No flavors have really evolved in this one yet.
A bland experience: 1.5
Inverey NAS 40% Marks & Spencer
A Highland Single Malt bottled for Marks & Spencer by an anonymous distillery. I have tried some of the cheap Marks & Spencer whiskies before and I haven't been too impressed as I feel its if they try to choose safe whiskies with little flavors to not alienate the high street punters. This one is light and mild, creamy at first, then turns into a nice compote of cream, chives and black peppers. This is a traditional light whisky, very young and too diluted to catch my attention.
Light, easy, nothing more: 4
Old Elgin 8yo 40% Fine Old Malt Whisky
I'm doing a bag of alternative whiskies today. I don't know for sure that this sin't a single malt, but it's a bottling by Gordon and Macphail and they've been bottling some "singles" as "pure" back in the days. Caramel, colored by E150, smells of grain spirit and rotten wet wood. The taste is The taste is more mature, some green tea, herbal notes, grassy, some interesting dry notes and it turns pretty rustic in the end. Cigar? Add some water an it becomes a bit rounder and sweeter and even gets a longer finish of more cigar, burning the tongue like a good cuban's last two inches.
For a blend(I believe), it stands very well at 8 years: 5.5
The Bramley Grange Hotel NAS 40% Foremost Products
I know there's more of these Hotel malts around there, but I'm not sure if there's different malts for different hotels or it's all from a batch bought from same distillery. Some light herbal and minty scents, The taste is quite grainy, some soft notes of orange peel at first, then turns grainy and bitter. Finishes grassy and spirity, I hope the The Bramley Grange Hotel has more malts to offer in their bar than this one.
Not for me: 2
Pride of Islay 12yo 40% Malt Gordon & Macphail
I don't know whether this is a blend, a vatted or a single malt from an unknown distillery. Either way its an islayer with lots of E150, artificial colouring. Hmm.. this smells really sweet and sherried, a bit dry, oloroso? Could it be matured in some good old style sherry wood, could I be wrong about the E150? A hidden treasure? The taste is fresh, sweet, raisins, phenol, cinnamon, som very fine custard and honey. This is absolutely a hidden gem that I believe can be found at very low prices, even though the bottle probably is a couple decades old.
No peat or coastal character, just old style Oloroso, a beauty: 7
Auld Reekie 12yo 46% Duncan Taylor
I'm doing an IB peated vertical today, starting off with this one from Duncan Taylor, which some say is a Caol Ila, I really have no idea. Colourwise it's very pale, like white wine. It smells a bit rougher than the Caol Ila 12yo. It's peaty for sure, but there aren't much else to it. I'm getting a lot of peat on the palate and just some small hints of vanilla. The aftertaste is light and less peaty, some notes of black pepper and white wine vinegar.
This feels more like a Bruichladdich to me, a pretty poor one: 4
Poit Dhubh 12yo 46% IB(?)
A malt from an unknown still, I've read online somewhere that it's an illicit distillation. Probably from Islay somewhere I would guess, or an Island. Very sweet and balanced odors, freshly ground coffee, and newly washed linens. I could have guessed Highland Park, but the taste of peat, seasalt, and pepper makes me think of Islay.
Wonderful smokiness: 9
Cu Dhub NAS 40% Mannochmore Dist(?)
A young whisky packed to the max with artificial colouring. A danish project to resurrect the old Loch Dhu, or at least something similar. Reeks of bad Vodka, the ones you get at german bordershops. Needs some time, but nothing really helps, there's not much more than alcohol and water as to flavours in this one. What saves it from bottom place, is just the faintest hint of coffee in the aftertaste.
A disgrace: 1.5
Glenfoyles 12yo 40% OB/IB(?)
Strange whisky, produced in Glasgow, while the original Glenfoyles Distillery, which were in another part of the country shut down in 1928. Taste quite OK, but very sweet and a bit plastic, lots of artificial colouring and such.
Bizarre stuff: 2.5
Glen Avon 25yo 40% Gordon & MacPhail
Glen Avon is a bottle of, said to be, Glenfarclas. Hints of pine and air freshener on the nose, very sweet. Has a couple similarities with the 21yo Glenfarclas, but not as elegant nor good, perhaps a cask issue? Anyway, this isn't that bad, and pretty much what you could expect of a good 10 to 12 year old. But a 25 year old should show some more signs of age and uniqueness.
Pretty much like an everyday malt: 5.5
Smokehead 12yo 43% IB
On the box there's mentioned about fifty different fragrances, all recognizable in this bottle. This seems also to be the problem as it comes across quite undefinable and unbalanced. Besides this, Smokehead does have the typical whiffs of smoke that's typical for Islay.
A smoky apocalypse: 5.5
This one must not be confused with the Speyside distillery as it is not confirmed to be distilled there. On the other hand I've read comments made about its similarities to Drumguish which I believe is a 3 year old single malt from Speyside Distillery. Smells liquorice and spirit, like some licorice flavored vodka. No thanks, this is just a young and impotent whisky. No flavors have really evolved in this one yet.
A bland experience: 1.5
Inverey NAS 40% Marks & Spencer
A Highland Single Malt bottled for Marks & Spencer by an anonymous distillery. I have tried some of the cheap Marks & Spencer whiskies before and I haven't been too impressed as I feel its if they try to choose safe whiskies with little flavors to not alienate the high street punters. This one is light and mild, creamy at first, then turns into a nice compote of cream, chives and black peppers. This is a traditional light whisky, very young and too diluted to catch my attention.
Light, easy, nothing more: 4
Old Elgin 8yo 40% Fine Old Malt Whisky
I'm doing a bag of alternative whiskies today. I don't know for sure that this sin't a single malt, but it's a bottling by Gordon and Macphail and they've been bottling some "singles" as "pure" back in the days. Caramel, colored by E150, smells of grain spirit and rotten wet wood. The taste is The taste is more mature, some green tea, herbal notes, grassy, some interesting dry notes and it turns pretty rustic in the end. Cigar? Add some water an it becomes a bit rounder and sweeter and even gets a longer finish of more cigar, burning the tongue like a good cuban's last two inches.
For a blend(I believe), it stands very well at 8 years: 5.5
The Bramley Grange Hotel NAS 40% Foremost Products
I know there's more of these Hotel malts around there, but I'm not sure if there's different malts for different hotels or it's all from a batch bought from same distillery. Some light herbal and minty scents, The taste is quite grainy, some soft notes of orange peel at first, then turns grainy and bitter. Finishes grassy and spirity, I hope the The Bramley Grange Hotel has more malts to offer in their bar than this one.
Not for me: 2
Pride of Islay 12yo 40% Malt Gordon & Macphail
I don't know whether this is a blend, a vatted or a single malt from an unknown distillery. Either way its an islayer with lots of E150, artificial colouring. Hmm.. this smells really sweet and sherried, a bit dry, oloroso? Could it be matured in some good old style sherry wood, could I be wrong about the E150? A hidden treasure? The taste is fresh, sweet, raisins, phenol, cinnamon, som very fine custard and honey. This is absolutely a hidden gem that I believe can be found at very low prices, even though the bottle probably is a couple decades old.
No peat or coastal character, just old style Oloroso, a beauty: 7
Auld Reekie 12yo 46% Duncan Taylor
I'm doing an IB peated vertical today, starting off with this one from Duncan Taylor, which some say is a Caol Ila, I really have no idea. Colourwise it's very pale, like white wine. It smells a bit rougher than the Caol Ila 12yo. It's peaty for sure, but there aren't much else to it. I'm getting a lot of peat on the palate and just some small hints of vanilla. The aftertaste is light and less peaty, some notes of black pepper and white wine vinegar.
This feels more like a Bruichladdich to me, a pretty poor one: 4
Poit Dhubh 12yo 46% IB(?)
A malt from an unknown still, I've read online somewhere that it's an illicit distillation. Probably from Islay somewhere I would guess, or an Island. Very sweet and balanced odors, freshly ground coffee, and newly washed linens. I could have guessed Highland Park, but the taste of peat, seasalt, and pepper makes me think of Islay.
Wonderful smokiness: 9
Cu Dhub NAS 40% Mannochmore Dist(?)
A young whisky packed to the max with artificial colouring. A danish project to resurrect the old Loch Dhu, or at least something similar. Reeks of bad Vodka, the ones you get at german bordershops. Needs some time, but nothing really helps, there's not much more than alcohol and water as to flavours in this one. What saves it from bottom place, is just the faintest hint of coffee in the aftertaste.
A disgrace: 1.5
Glenfoyles 12yo 40% OB/IB(?)
Strange whisky, produced in Glasgow, while the original Glenfoyles Distillery, which were in another part of the country shut down in 1928. Taste quite OK, but very sweet and a bit plastic, lots of artificial colouring and such.
Bizarre stuff: 2.5
Glen Avon 25yo 40% Gordon & MacPhail
Glen Avon is a bottle of, said to be, Glenfarclas. Hints of pine and air freshener on the nose, very sweet. Has a couple similarities with the 21yo Glenfarclas, but not as elegant nor good, perhaps a cask issue? Anyway, this isn't that bad, and pretty much what you could expect of a good 10 to 12 year old. But a 25 year old should show some more signs of age and uniqueness.
Pretty much like an everyday malt: 5.5
Smokehead 12yo 43% IB
On the box there's mentioned about fifty different fragrances, all recognizable in this bottle. This seems also to be the problem as it comes across quite undefinable and unbalanced. Besides this, Smokehead does have the typical whiffs of smoke that's typical for Islay.
A smoky apocalypse: 5.5
fredag 4. februar 2011
7 Caol Ilas tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Caol Ila 30yo 1979-2010 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing cask#5731 266btls
A refill cask of Caol Ila, usually I don't like peated malts at this age too much as I find too much time in cask removes too much of the peatiness and the character of the whisky fades. Smells fresh, flinty, sawdust, smoked salmon, fat and rustic. The taste is dry, peaty, not as raw as the best Caol Ilas, some bitter lemon and sea weed. I'm quite disappointed in this one as it's kept the peat influence but there seems to be other things lacking. I don't know how many times this cask has been retreated but with this produce it seems perhaps a time too many.
A (re)tired Caol Ila: 4
Caol Ila 12yo 63.5% James MacArthur's
Another crazy, high strength, James MacArthur's bottling, now from the Islay distillery Caol Ila. I love these bottlings as usually CS bottlings are either really old and expensive, or youngsters from specially selected casks. Here's an opportunity to see what the distillery's all about. Smells wonderful, nytrogin, acid, burnt butter, goose liver and plain black pepper. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it gives me something totaly different. It's sweet, probably from bourbon wood, really numbs my tongue, once again easy, cereals, butterscotch, tobacco, tin soil, burnt wood and salt. I know many peat-posterboys out there argues about what's the most flavourful Islayer, well, try this!!!
If you're into peaty stuff: 7.5
Caol Ila 13yo 59.8% James MacArthur's
Let's go whooping bananas with a Caol ila almost 60% as an ender to this fabulous whisky evening. I don't know if this is a single cask, but its all on bourbon that's for sure. It smells marvellous, all on lemon and vanilla, could it be too sweet? Let's taste. The taste is extremely oily, a fat islayer and also vanilla and some sour notes. This is a fantastic whisky, the bourbon notes plays me a trick but they don't last too long and then an aftertaste og citrus notes, vanilla, cedarwood and floral notes comes along.
Fantastic Caol Ila, very sophisticated for this strength: 7.5
Caol Ila 26yo 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing
I believe this is my first really old(!) Caol Ila, of course there's probably much older ones out there, but 26 is old for an islay malt in my opinion. It's much darker than most Caol ila's. It smells really light, like a malt aperitif, malt liqueur? I know that years in cask decreases the level of peat, but this one is definately on the light side. Smells a bit smoky, but very herbal and coastal. The taste is sweet and minty at first, but then gets very dry, like some older bourbon-matured Macallans, before it finishes on a high note with lots of peat and salty, crisp notes.
I'd love to give this a higher score, but it's just too dry: 7
Caol Ila 13yo 1993-2006 OB Moscatel Finish
A Caol Ila finished in dark moscatel wood? I've never tried Dark Moscatel, but is it similar to the white one, I guess I'm in for a sweet dram. It smells sort of like a sherried Caol Ila without the sulphur. Red wine, sweetness and earthy notes. It has the peatiness of Caol Ila on the palate, but all the coastal Islay character is gone, it's sweet, a bit anis, some bourbon, tannins and oak. It's a totally different expression, but I love it. I think if it were to be a whisky with more similarity to the Caol Ila 12yo it would've had trouble standing on it's own.
The sound of Moscatel?: 7
Caol Ila 12yo 57.9% OB
It has a sweetness that I found in the older versions of the standard OB, the ones from back in the early 2000's, older...(?). Anyway, I guess it could be that more of the distillery charistica is kept due to less dilution. Marzipan, sugar and salty, coastal, maritime notes. The taste is at first very sweet and reminds me somewhat of the Glengoyne 12yo CS OB at about 57%. But not for long, here comes the peat in large proportions, with more coastal notes added. Water is not needed if your not looking for something more similar to the standard 12yo.
A very good Caol ila: 7
Caol Ila 12yo 43% OB
Light Whisky, smells beautiful of summer and flowers. The taste gets me on other thoughts. It's very smoky, almost like a rough dominican cigar. A classic Islay malt that's very firm in the mouth, not very nuanced, and obviously not for the finer malt enthusiasts.
A classic Islay: 5.5
Caol Ila 26yo 1982-2008 54.6% DTC cask 2738
A very peaty presence on this Islay no doubt. The nose is a real appetizer. The taste is fruity, loafy and seems much lighter than the OB's I've tried from this distillery. The taste is very dry, peated, starch, nuts, burnt grass and onions. The aftertaste is strong, peppery, acidic and eucalyptic and very influenced by the plain oak cask.
For the ones with a special interest: 4
A refill cask of Caol Ila, usually I don't like peated malts at this age too much as I find too much time in cask removes too much of the peatiness and the character of the whisky fades. Smells fresh, flinty, sawdust, smoked salmon, fat and rustic. The taste is dry, peaty, not as raw as the best Caol Ilas, some bitter lemon and sea weed. I'm quite disappointed in this one as it's kept the peat influence but there seems to be other things lacking. I don't know how many times this cask has been retreated but with this produce it seems perhaps a time too many.
A (re)tired Caol Ila: 4
Caol Ila 12yo 63.5% James MacArthur's
Another crazy, high strength, James MacArthur's bottling, now from the Islay distillery Caol Ila. I love these bottlings as usually CS bottlings are either really old and expensive, or youngsters from specially selected casks. Here's an opportunity to see what the distillery's all about. Smells wonderful, nytrogin, acid, burnt butter, goose liver and plain black pepper. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it gives me something totaly different. It's sweet, probably from bourbon wood, really numbs my tongue, once again easy, cereals, butterscotch, tobacco, tin soil, burnt wood and salt. I know many peat-posterboys out there argues about what's the most flavourful Islayer, well, try this!!!
If you're into peaty stuff: 7.5
Caol Ila 13yo 59.8% James MacArthur's
Let's go whooping bananas with a Caol ila almost 60% as an ender to this fabulous whisky evening. I don't know if this is a single cask, but its all on bourbon that's for sure. It smells marvellous, all on lemon and vanilla, could it be too sweet? Let's taste. The taste is extremely oily, a fat islayer and also vanilla and some sour notes. This is a fantastic whisky, the bourbon notes plays me a trick but they don't last too long and then an aftertaste og citrus notes, vanilla, cedarwood and floral notes comes along.
Fantastic Caol Ila, very sophisticated for this strength: 7.5
Caol Ila 26yo 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing
I believe this is my first really old(!) Caol Ila, of course there's probably much older ones out there, but 26 is old for an islay malt in my opinion. It's much darker than most Caol ila's. It smells really light, like a malt aperitif, malt liqueur? I know that years in cask decreases the level of peat, but this one is definately on the light side. Smells a bit smoky, but very herbal and coastal. The taste is sweet and minty at first, but then gets very dry, like some older bourbon-matured Macallans, before it finishes on a high note with lots of peat and salty, crisp notes.
I'd love to give this a higher score, but it's just too dry: 7
Caol Ila 13yo 1993-2006 OB Moscatel Finish
A Caol Ila finished in dark moscatel wood? I've never tried Dark Moscatel, but is it similar to the white one, I guess I'm in for a sweet dram. It smells sort of like a sherried Caol Ila without the sulphur. Red wine, sweetness and earthy notes. It has the peatiness of Caol Ila on the palate, but all the coastal Islay character is gone, it's sweet, a bit anis, some bourbon, tannins and oak. It's a totally different expression, but I love it. I think if it were to be a whisky with more similarity to the Caol Ila 12yo it would've had trouble standing on it's own.
The sound of Moscatel?: 7
Caol Ila 12yo 57.9% OB
It has a sweetness that I found in the older versions of the standard OB, the ones from back in the early 2000's, older...(?). Anyway, I guess it could be that more of the distillery charistica is kept due to less dilution. Marzipan, sugar and salty, coastal, maritime notes. The taste is at first very sweet and reminds me somewhat of the Glengoyne 12yo CS OB at about 57%. But not for long, here comes the peat in large proportions, with more coastal notes added. Water is not needed if your not looking for something more similar to the standard 12yo.
A very good Caol ila: 7
Caol Ila 12yo 43% OB
Light Whisky, smells beautiful of summer and flowers. The taste gets me on other thoughts. It's very smoky, almost like a rough dominican cigar. A classic Islay malt that's very firm in the mouth, not very nuanced, and obviously not for the finer malt enthusiasts.
A classic Islay: 5.5
Caol Ila 26yo 1982-2008 54.6% DTC cask 2738
A very peaty presence on this Islay no doubt. The nose is a real appetizer. The taste is fruity, loafy and seems much lighter than the OB's I've tried from this distillery. The taste is very dry, peated, starch, nuts, burnt grass and onions. The aftertaste is strong, peppery, acidic and eucalyptic and very influenced by the plain oak cask.
For the ones with a special interest: 4
12 Bunnahabhains tasted between 1.4.2008-28.5.2011
Bunnahabhain 30yo 1978-2008 53.1% Murray McDavid
Another 30yo Bunnahabhain from same vintage, again this dark orange hue, just a bit more intense, perhaps due to not being diluted. Smells spirity, sulphury, restrained, dark grapes, lime and worchestershire sauce. The taste is The taste is peppery, a bit zesty and got some nice malty notes with dark syrup playing in the background. Better than the OMC, but still there not that dissimilar, with water they're quite alike. The aftertaste is drying, and has some ruounded egg cream flavor.
This needs time, but it's well worth it: 6.5
Bunnahabhain 30yo 1978-2009 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask cask#5120 566btls.
A vertical tasting of 30 years old whiskies today. Not my everyday tasting for sure. Notes of mustard, phenol, restrained sweetness and herbal bitterness. Dark orange colour. The taste is very restrained and sulphury, seems to need some water. I find this to be a whisky that lacks some punch, I'm used to more cask influence from the OMC series, and I find the Bunnahabhain has always been a whisky in need of a good cask as it quite frankly isn't the most characteristic spirit. Now I'm sure many will disagree, but for me this one just doesn't cut it.
A bland and even when given time a pretty "dead" Bunnahabhain: 4
Bunnahabhain 17yo 1979-1996 58.4% Signatory Vintage cask#5110 btl.4/730
A sherry casked Bunnahabhain, the kind Islayer, brown dark colour, could this be from one of the good old sherry casks from Signatory Vintage that's becoming just harder and harder to find nowadays? Colour of dark rosé wine. It smells of caramell, oloroso sherry, a quite sharp flavour, wild berries. The taste is dry, very dry, unfortunately it doesn't develop much from this. With water. No thanks, doesn't make it better.
A weird Bunnahabhain, seems much young than it's age: 2
Bunnahabhain 9yo 59.6% Adelphi cask#5265
A young cask strength Bunnahabhain, I traded this one from another whisky sample gatherer. Most OB's from Bunnahabhain is darker and partly sherry matured, this one is straw pale. The taste is spirity and acid, acrylic clothing. The taste diabolical, dry, like chewing dry oak soaked in high spirit alcohol. Turns cloudy with water, The taste is just foul and off, spirity on all notes.
I'm no fan of Bunnahabhain unless 15+yo it seems: 1
Bunnahabhain 14yo 1995-2009 46% Dun Bheagan
Bunnahabhain's recently upped the abv on the standard 10yo to 46.3% with even bigger amount of sherry if I'm not mistaken, so this fresh sherry matured Bunnahabhain should maybe be around the same level. This one smells grainy and bitter, sulphury, another fino expression? or amoroso? The taste is rather burnt, oily, fat fish, smoked ham, salt. By adding water the expression gets a bit sweeter, with some tannins. The aftertaste is just rather bitter.
It's OK, but I'd rather have the standard OB: 5
Bunnahabhain 12yo 46.3% OB
I'm finishing off tonights sampling session with and old aquaintance, everything looks to be the same, but the alcohol level have been elevated from 40 to 46.3%abv. Let's see what impact this makes. Seems of its red hue that it's still partly sherry-matured. Smells roasted coffee beans, phenol, dry red wine, goat cheese and hickory. The taste is sweet, dry sherry, viciously bitter, seems to me even more sherried than its predecessor. Needs more water! Now it becomes amazing, oaky, chili, walnuts, oregano, oloroso, with a hot and rustic long aftertaste, something of the indian kitchen I presume.
An improvement, hopefully they'll keep it up: 6.5
Bunnahabhain NAS 46.3% OB Darach Ur batch#1
This Bunnahabhain was one of the first releases with batch statement, something that nowadays, which at also Laphroaig and Aberlour seems to becoming an alternative to the cask and bottle numbered bottles. It smells very fresh, sea-air, salty and smoky. The taste is dry and peppery, phenolic, rustic, I do like it, but it doesn't follow up the nose. I believe there could be a good portion of sherried malt in this? The aftertaste is long, drying and burning.
Something's taken hold here, far away from the distillery profile: 5.5
Bunnahabhain 8yo 1992-2010 54.4% Malts of Scotland cask#1419 btl.x/603
Bunnahabhain is a malt that reaches abnormal prices when bottled at 30+yo, 8yo on the other hand, I have no clue what to expect. This one has been matured exclusively in a fresh sherry cask. Combined with cask strength I guess I can expect something quite different than the standard Bunnas. The taste is extremely dry, I guess it needs water. With some water it gets peppery, but most of all floral. The aftertaste is long and sweet.
A nice bunnahabhain, but when diluted, it just gets a bit bland: 6
Bunnahabhain 20yo 1979-1999 57% James MacArthur's Old Master's
Another lightweighter bottled at cask strength, this one from the James Macarthur's. They bottle everything from crap to gold, so I guess this could fit just about anywhere on the scale. As JM usually don't artificial colour in their whisky, and this one is very dark, I believe it could be a sweet sherried one. The nose is very light, third light one in a row, could there be something wrong with my sense of smell today? The taste is sherried, no doubt. Sulphur, red onions, cigars, dry, dusty, blackberries, lemon peel and grape seeds. A drop of water makes little difference. If you enjoy a dry sherry, you'll love this.
For me it's a beautifully balanced pure sherried malt: 7.5
Bunnahabhain 12yo 40% OB
The nice and friendly Islayer, I think I've heard, from Ralfy that Bunnahabhain is best at young age. It has a creamy and very vanillish nose, sweet but not too sweet. Very nice vanilla flavour, some tannic notes, a little dry and a strange kind of leather aftertaste. I'll add water and it becomes a little more pleasant on the finish. This is absolutely an enjoyable and easygoing malt.
A Standard welcoming malt for arriving guests: 6
Bunnahabhain 36yo 1967-2004 40.7% Duncan Taylor
Bunnahabhain is normally considered best when bottled at a fairly young age. This is dark, with a beautiful scent of freshly baked apple pie and some caramel, christmas malt? The taste on the other hand is very dry, almost like licking cardboard, needs water. Some thin fruitiness emerges, but it also becomes more spirity. The finish gives more alcohol and some vanilla.
A poor old dram: 3
Bunnahabhain 17yo 1984-2001 43% Signatory Vintage
Bottled 4 days after my date of birth, fun to try. Smells of peat, burnt alcohole, like gasoline on fire and tannic redwine. It does taste of some very ripe blackcurrants, peat and porous cream. This is the kinder brother of all the other Islay distilleries.
The finish doesn't quite make it: 5.5
Another 30yo Bunnahabhain from same vintage, again this dark orange hue, just a bit more intense, perhaps due to not being diluted. Smells spirity, sulphury, restrained, dark grapes, lime and worchestershire sauce. The taste is The taste is peppery, a bit zesty and got some nice malty notes with dark syrup playing in the background. Better than the OMC, but still there not that dissimilar, with water they're quite alike. The aftertaste is drying, and has some ruounded egg cream flavor.
This needs time, but it's well worth it: 6.5
Bunnahabhain 30yo 1978-2009 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask cask#5120 566btls.
A vertical tasting of 30 years old whiskies today. Not my everyday tasting for sure. Notes of mustard, phenol, restrained sweetness and herbal bitterness. Dark orange colour. The taste is very restrained and sulphury, seems to need some water. I find this to be a whisky that lacks some punch, I'm used to more cask influence from the OMC series, and I find the Bunnahabhain has always been a whisky in need of a good cask as it quite frankly isn't the most characteristic spirit. Now I'm sure many will disagree, but for me this one just doesn't cut it.
A bland and even when given time a pretty "dead" Bunnahabhain: 4
Bunnahabhain 17yo 1979-1996 58.4% Signatory Vintage cask#5110 btl.4/730
A sherry casked Bunnahabhain, the kind Islayer, brown dark colour, could this be from one of the good old sherry casks from Signatory Vintage that's becoming just harder and harder to find nowadays? Colour of dark rosé wine. It smells of caramell, oloroso sherry, a quite sharp flavour, wild berries. The taste is dry, very dry, unfortunately it doesn't develop much from this. With water. No thanks, doesn't make it better.
A weird Bunnahabhain, seems much young than it's age: 2
Bunnahabhain 9yo 59.6% Adelphi cask#5265
A young cask strength Bunnahabhain, I traded this one from another whisky sample gatherer. Most OB's from Bunnahabhain is darker and partly sherry matured, this one is straw pale. The taste is spirity and acid, acrylic clothing. The taste diabolical, dry, like chewing dry oak soaked in high spirit alcohol. Turns cloudy with water, The taste is just foul and off, spirity on all notes.
I'm no fan of Bunnahabhain unless 15+yo it seems: 1
Bunnahabhain 14yo 1995-2009 46% Dun Bheagan
Bunnahabhain's recently upped the abv on the standard 10yo to 46.3% with even bigger amount of sherry if I'm not mistaken, so this fresh sherry matured Bunnahabhain should maybe be around the same level. This one smells grainy and bitter, sulphury, another fino expression? or amoroso? The taste is rather burnt, oily, fat fish, smoked ham, salt. By adding water the expression gets a bit sweeter, with some tannins. The aftertaste is just rather bitter.
It's OK, but I'd rather have the standard OB: 5
Bunnahabhain 12yo 46.3% OB
I'm finishing off tonights sampling session with and old aquaintance, everything looks to be the same, but the alcohol level have been elevated from 40 to 46.3%abv. Let's see what impact this makes. Seems of its red hue that it's still partly sherry-matured. Smells roasted coffee beans, phenol, dry red wine, goat cheese and hickory. The taste is sweet, dry sherry, viciously bitter, seems to me even more sherried than its predecessor. Needs more water! Now it becomes amazing, oaky, chili, walnuts, oregano, oloroso, with a hot and rustic long aftertaste, something of the indian kitchen I presume.
An improvement, hopefully they'll keep it up: 6.5
Bunnahabhain NAS 46.3% OB Darach Ur batch#1
This Bunnahabhain was one of the first releases with batch statement, something that nowadays, which at also Laphroaig and Aberlour seems to becoming an alternative to the cask and bottle numbered bottles. It smells very fresh, sea-air, salty and smoky. The taste is dry and peppery, phenolic, rustic, I do like it, but it doesn't follow up the nose. I believe there could be a good portion of sherried malt in this? The aftertaste is long, drying and burning.
Something's taken hold here, far away from the distillery profile: 5.5
Bunnahabhain 8yo 1992-2010 54.4% Malts of Scotland cask#1419 btl.x/603
Bunnahabhain is a malt that reaches abnormal prices when bottled at 30+yo, 8yo on the other hand, I have no clue what to expect. This one has been matured exclusively in a fresh sherry cask. Combined with cask strength I guess I can expect something quite different than the standard Bunnas. The taste is extremely dry, I guess it needs water. With some water it gets peppery, but most of all floral. The aftertaste is long and sweet.
A nice bunnahabhain, but when diluted, it just gets a bit bland: 6
Bunnahabhain 20yo 1979-1999 57% James MacArthur's Old Master's
Another lightweighter bottled at cask strength, this one from the James Macarthur's. They bottle everything from crap to gold, so I guess this could fit just about anywhere on the scale. As JM usually don't artificial colour in their whisky, and this one is very dark, I believe it could be a sweet sherried one. The nose is very light, third light one in a row, could there be something wrong with my sense of smell today? The taste is sherried, no doubt. Sulphur, red onions, cigars, dry, dusty, blackberries, lemon peel and grape seeds. A drop of water makes little difference. If you enjoy a dry sherry, you'll love this.
For me it's a beautifully balanced pure sherried malt: 7.5
Bunnahabhain 12yo 40% OB
The nice and friendly Islayer, I think I've heard, from Ralfy that Bunnahabhain is best at young age. It has a creamy and very vanillish nose, sweet but not too sweet. Very nice vanilla flavour, some tannic notes, a little dry and a strange kind of leather aftertaste. I'll add water and it becomes a little more pleasant on the finish. This is absolutely an enjoyable and easygoing malt.
A Standard welcoming malt for arriving guests: 6
Bunnahabhain 36yo 1967-2004 40.7% Duncan Taylor
Bunnahabhain is normally considered best when bottled at a fairly young age. This is dark, with a beautiful scent of freshly baked apple pie and some caramel, christmas malt? The taste on the other hand is very dry, almost like licking cardboard, needs water. Some thin fruitiness emerges, but it also becomes more spirity. The finish gives more alcohol and some vanilla.
A poor old dram: 3
Bunnahabhain 17yo 1984-2001 43% Signatory Vintage
Bottled 4 days after my date of birth, fun to try. Smells of peat, burnt alcohole, like gasoline on fire and tannic redwine. It does taste of some very ripe blackcurrants, peat and porous cream. This is the kinder brother of all the other Islay distilleries.
The finish doesn't quite make it: 5.5
onsdag 2. februar 2011
My stock of whiskies
The other day I actually received a mail from a guy politely questioning if I really have tried all the whiskies on my site, and if I really have all the whiskies on my expectations list...
So therefor I made the drastic action of trying to upload a videos with my whiskies, so here's the first batch of videos of my bottles. The talking is about 90% Norwegian, but the pictures speaks hopefully for themselves.
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0479nOx3tk
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODC2bB2DmFc
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzBEIJQZvoA
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUo8p0SgdN4
this is 4 of the total of 7 videos I'm gonna upload of my stock, so more to come.
So therefor I made the drastic action of trying to upload a videos with my whiskies, so here's the first batch of videos of my bottles. The talking is about 90% Norwegian, but the pictures speaks hopefully for themselves.
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0479nOx3tk
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODC2bB2DmFc
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzBEIJQZvoA
4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUo8p0SgdN4
this is 4 of the total of 7 videos I'm gonna upload of my stock, so more to come.
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