5 old Longmorns, 4 distilled in the 70's and 1 in the 60's.

Longmorn is highly regarded by many whisky-lovers, but I haven't yet come around to figure why. Could it be that the reputation hales from earlier days? Recent younger bottlings I have found to be a bit boring. I haven't tried to many older bottlings, but if my suspicion is true, the ones in this tasting will be very good.


Longmorn 34yo 1976-2010 50.2% TWA Landscapes

One from The Whisky Agency, which I'm suspecting bottles many casks at an age where its a bit past its peak. A very personal opinion as it seems they harvest much good words in companionships where whisky is discussed. From an ex-bourbon hogshead.Lots of vanilla, leather and pine wood on the nose, bonfire. Radishes and red onions as well. The taste is thick and sweet, vanilla milkshake and hot cinnamon, a bit rubbery as well. Bananas and salty licorice, contrasting flavor on the palate as well as some spirity notes, water is needed here. Water makes it sweeter and spicier, now there is hot cinnamon, earthy and ginger, I enjoy this thoroughly although the flavors aren't much to get excited about.

Given water it climbs a point more: 6


Longmorn 35yo 1975-2010 52.5% TWA Still Lifes II

Another one from The Whisky Agency, one year up and even higher %abv. Another ex-bourbon hogshead matured. Same light golden apple juice color as last one, I hope the taste and smell is more divided from the 34yo than what it appears unopened. Smells Much oakier and smokier than the 1976. Burnt sugar and hayseeds, fruity bubble gum and dark chocolate. The taste is muy picante, spanish hot chorizo and chilies. This hot stew is all very good, but it ends too fast and is replaced by an extreme oakiness. This is one of the TWA bottlings I've come across that I think has matured for too long on oak. I think this one could have been absolutely perfect 15-15yo and closer to 60%abv.

Too oaky, but up until the finish it's rich, spicy and very enjoyable: 6.5


Longmorn 21yo 1973-1994 54.9% Signatory Vintage cask#9279 btl.405/600

Third one distilled in the 70's, but bottled long time before the ones from TWA. Will this be as different as I anticipated for a whisky with a shorter time disposed to oak? Or maybe there is a very good reason they let it stay in cask for so long? It smells much thicker and heavier than the first two. Caramel and nut desserts, roquefort and cheddar cheeses, the best of two totally different cheeses? Honey liqueur and pisang, slightly bitter, rustic. The taste is dry and spirity, pisang again and some dark toffee. This one needs water. Water makes it more gingery, wheat biscuits and leather. Again it's perfectly drinkable, but the flavors just aren't much to my liking.

Given time and water it works, but not my favorite profile: 6.5


Longmorn 30yo 1976-2006 54.3% MacKillop's Choice cask#5879

One I just traded a sample of way back in 2010 or 2009 with a fellow from Sweden, the other whiskies I got from him has all been fabulous, maybe this will be the same? I cross my fingers for this one. By the looks of it it's another bourbon or ex-bourbon cask, same color as the past three, but looks can be deceiving, especially when judging what casks whiskies could come from. Or even more so, when people make assumption of taste based on the color of the whisky. Smells sweet, dark fruits, blueberries, blackberries, juniper berries, just about every dark berry that's out there, alongside some peat and honey, marzipan and almonds. This is amazing, what an attack when compared to the other ones in this tasting! The taste is thick, syrupy, honey, black pepper, chili, cardamom, cloves and licorice. Could this one come from a sherry cask? It was so enjoyable I forgot to try it with water. This is special stuff.

Amazing whisky, best Longmorn so far: 9


Longmorn 22yo 1969-1991 61.0% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask#3716&3717

Amazing strength for a whisky this age. Some tight casks up in Elgin? Darkest whisky of the bunch so far as well. I have to say I wish more whiskies were bottled at this strength as there can be some much more flavors packed in. Orange color. It smells extremely peppery, lots of nice herbal notes as well, thyme, cinnamon, cloves, oregano, basil and ferocious peat as well. This is the extreme version. Lots of sweets, eucalyptus and licorice. The taste is huge, red onions, red chilies, honey, sulphur, dry, salty crackers, salted butter, fish stock, amazing. Given what I had tried prior to this, this is amazing, and it actually outdoes the MacKillop's Choice by far. I guess this must be one of the ones creating the current reputation of Longmorn as a distillery having outstanding older bottlings.

To do this justice I had to expand my rating scale, unfortunately I won't: 10



Next tasting: Loch Lomond Distillery

4 Arrans

I have thoroughly enjoyed some of the different wine casked Arrans, but I feel to a certain extent that they are putting out to many single cask bottling as to what's gainful for their reputation. Hopefully these will be crackers so that I might have to swallow my words on this one as well. Anyway, it's good to see that there are so much produce around from this distillery that many IB's already got a share.


Arran 10yo 46% OB

The third most recent standard, as the 12yo and 14yo are now making way on the market. I have heard that the 14yo is not quite living up to its expectations, but that's for me to find out on another tasting. This was the crucial one, the standard OB that first gave way for a gathered impression from whisky-lovers based on the same expression of Arran. It's hard to make a judgement on a malts quality only on single casks, as the variations are much bigger. The palate gives vanilla and peppery notes, peat, coffee and white wine, light stuff. The taste is peppery, grassy, dry white wine and sweet tea.

Light: 4


Arran NAS 49.9% OB Cask Strength and Carry On

One bottled for the website http://caskstrength.blogspot.com/, I hope they have made a good choice of cask despite the low strength after approximately 14 years in the cask. There are good casks of low strength out there for sure, but too often I whisky that have been settling on wood for far too long to enhance price (My personal opinion of course). A whisky could be just as good when 7yo and 65%abv as to 34yo and 42.3%abv . It's all a matter of cask quality. But then far from all bottles drains %abv's at this pace and many 30yo+ bottlings still holds well above 60%abv. Pale whisky, smells much lighter than the 10yo, caramel and butter, no peat influence here. Not the most exciting whisky, but no off-notes. The taste is very oaky and peppery, some burnt sugar and kindergarden glue. With water? Now it becomes more spirity, my guess would be this is well under 10yo, but how is it that the abv is under 50%? A real disappointment, I have to read up on this version to see what else is there to know? I couldn't bare having more than 2cl of this

Oakiness was all the oak gave, best(slightly better) undiluted: 2


Arran 12yo 1998-2010 56.3% OB cask#679 btl.203/204

The possibly fabulous but often jus quite good, in my book, Bourbon Cask-series from the distillery. I think most modern whisky nowadays are filled in casks like this, so why not just make it single casks, no extra expenses.. But I think the best casks must go to this series instead of into standard vattings? Yes, yes, yes, I have tried fantastic CS sherry casks and even wine cask finishings, so maybe there is lots of potential in these Bourbon single casks? Let's try this one. Smells light and airy, cotton candy, gets a bit peppery and some grassiness after a while. Burnt oak? A very well burnt cask? The taste is much peatier than the past two. This has much bigger balls than the other two, it couldn't be all due to the higher %abv, or could it? The nose is about as bland s it gets. The palate is far more robust, yet perfectly simple with oak, peat and spirity notes standing out. A fine whisky to get drunk on, for those who'd like that, but what enjoying the whisky is concerned, it's not too much to enjoy.

Easy, slightly silly peatbomb: 4.5


Arran 11yo 1999-2010 56.6% OB cask#93 btl.83/200

Last one in this vertical, maybe this can raise the standard a bit, I think I have still to find an Arran that can stand on its own from a bourbon cask and not being depended on some wine cask finishing to stand apart in a positive way. The nose is fuller than the other ones, some greasy oil and honey, sweet and creamy, bursts of peat as well. The firmest of the bunch. The taste is phenolic, raw onion, rubber, papery, candle bar, stearic. The aftertaste is drying, which is somewhat more than what've been in the previous three, but its not a very good finish nevertheless.

I like it but it will never be a favorite: 4

4 Macallans, 2 IB's from Gordon & Macphail and 2 OB's for Italy

It's been awhile since I was really blown away by a Macallan, I believe it was back in 2007 or thereabouts, and it was a fully sherry-matured 12yo OB. A standard version that is unfortunately to my knowledge now of the market. Giovinetti & Figli is an italian importer of Macallan, and I'll be trying two expressions bottled for the today as well as two expressions of G&M's Speymalt Range. All 4 youngsters, but of very different bottling dates.


Macallan 10yo 40% OB for Giovinetti & Figli

Bottled back in the 70's or 80's, not sure, some evaporation but not much. It's gonna be nice to try such an old Macallan, as most/many bottles of this age are priced to ridicule whoever buys them, that's my opinion at least. nice red hue, could be E150 but I'm not sure, could also be from sherry casks(I hope so). Smells sherried, Oloroso, creamy, cinnamon, lavender, white peach, honey, rustic, amazing stuff. This is amazing, and given time it develops more and more, I'm grateful there are still some bottles of this around. The taste is sulphury, peppery, sweetness, caramel and cinnamon, cognac-style more so than sherry. Maybe water will do it good, although it's far from a bad or even mediocre whisky neat. Water brings out all the delicate sherry flavors along with even more sweet stuff including some red bell peppers, garlic, honey, kiwi, mangos, green grapes and light syrup.

With water this becomes more for the sweet-toothed, but I like it still: 8


Macallan 7yo 40% OB for Giovinetti & Figli

Second one from G&F, now three years younger and a bit less evaporated than the last one, close to fill level that means. Oh, and this has the only label of which I can remember that carries the picture of a distillery worker pushing a cask. Looks somewhat artsy compared to the standard white and golden labels of that time. I believe this is from the same period as the 10yo. about the same color, deep orange to red hue. Sherry notes again? This one also needs some time to develop on the nose. It opens up wonderfully and the sherry is there again along with some surprisingly raw spirity notes. Was it bottled prematurely? Sweet honey nectar alongside mango as well. Now lets taste. It tastes sweet, sweet vinegar, red bell peppers, sweet malt beer, small hints of smokiness in the end, not as intriguing as the 10yo, maybe water will help it along. Water adds impression of chewing wool, not good, I recommend this one neat.

Good whisky to start with, can't handle water, a bit too young perhaps: 6


Macallan 9yo 1998-2007 43% G&M Speymalt

Done with the Italian stuff, and pleasantly surprised by at least one of them. But they were bottled a while back so maybe it's time to start discussing bottle maturation again. The two from G&M are of much more recent bottling dates, maybe they'll surprise me as well. By the looks of it, neither of them have enjoyed time in oloroso sherry casks. Starting of with this one, the youngest of them. I must admit having read little or nothing about this Speymalt range, but I have seen there's a many Bunnahabhains and Macallans in it, is there a link between those distilleries and G&M? Pale yellow color. The taste is a bit punchier than the G&V's. Very nice actually, banana and sugar grease comes to mind, you know the latvian snacks? No? Well, burn of spirit alongside sugar and butter in a pan, there is the smell, much better than the taste! This seems to be thick, I'd expect something more in the lines of a thin diluted whisky when nosing this, but it has got some serious balls so far. The taste is incredibly thick, sweet, lemon meringue, banana pie, vanilla ice cream and oily. I don't want to experiment with water on this one, it is good enough neat, I could easily drink a pint of this one, but I won't.

Sweet, juicy, creamy, perfect balance: 7.5


Macallan 10yo 1996-2006 40% G&M Speymalt

the third one bottled at 40% in this tasting, could this make a big difference? I guess I'm about to find out now. What I do know is that the last one, the 1998 with 43%abv. was a lot thicker, or fuller if you like, than the two from Italy. Or maybe the cask or the distillate of today is different? It smells more spirity than the 1998 version, and agin, not nearly as thick and bold. The taste is mostly spirity, again I get this sense of chewing wool, it needs water, at least I hope so, if not, this is pretty below par. With water it gets lighter, a bit easier, but far from good. this extreme wool flavor, when ironing a woolen shirt a bit too much, or chewing your close in kindergarden, really strange, I'd pass on this if offered.

Horrible stuff, like a cheap Vodka actually: 2

4 Cragganmores distilled in the 60's 70's 80's and 90's

Cragganmore is one of the distilleries that I have least experience with. I have enjoyed the 12yo at some level, but then I discovered the 14yo Oban, somewhat similar yet much better in my book. And the Cragganmore fell off my radar. I think that all in all I have only tried three different expressions, time to add to the tally.


Cragganmore 14yo 1969-1983 40% CC G&M

One with the old map label from Gordon & Macphail, I haven't had too many from this series since my initial whisky days a couple years back. Thankfully G&M have upped the %abv in the CC-series lately, as I often found these 40%-whiskies to be a tad dull. But there were occasional gold to be found in amongst them as well. It smells sherried, mustard, phenol and feta cheese. A strange mix, Cragganmore distillery's produce is far from light. The taste is Peppery, again mustard, bitter, phenolic again. It's not very pleasant, but an interesting challenge for the palates, hard to tell the nuances apart. Maybe water will make a difference? Water makes it a bit sweeter, orange peal and bitter licorice. I think I'd pass on this one if opportunity would ever strike again. Make sure you give this enough time.

I think some would like this hardcore bitter style, not me: 3.5


Cragganmore 20yo 1991-2011 54.2% Master of Malt

I think this is my first Cragganmore bottled at cask strength ever. I'm glad there are so many distilleries and expressions around that there always will be something new to try. pale color, straw or white wine. Smells much smokier than the 1969'er, this is an ashtray, more Islay style than I've found in any Highlander yet. Time mellows it a bit and gives way to oak, vanilla, sunseeds and hay. Black pepper and cardamoms as well, reminds me of sweet home bakery. The taste is huge on vanilla and smoke, easy yet very powerful, this is a classy example on how fresh a twenty-year old can be, yet still benefitting massively from an active cask. Potent cask and spirit is all I can say.

A speysider that's perfectly smoky/peaty, I thought I'd never find it: 7


Cragganmore 15yo 1976-1991 55.8% G&M Cask cask#3583-3584

Second one from Gordon & Macphail in this tasting, from a series that I usually enjoy much more. Much darker color than the 20yo, smells nicely rounded, like some older oloroso matured Glenfarclas'es I've tried. Not much peat or smokiness to trace here, but instead a rich honey and cinnamon dominated smell. The taste is phenolic, waxy, white pepper, cinnamon and honey. The phenol is a bit too much so I'll add some water. Now it turns more sweet and a bit smoky, this isn't far from earlier, more sherried batches of Talisker 18yo, which was some of my all time favorite OB's. When given time it develops even more smokiness, this is fantastic stuff.

Powerful stuff, perfectly balanced, all served with a smoky punch: 8.5


Cragganmore 12yo 1982-1994 60.1% Cadenhead's

Lately I have tried many many splendid examples from the series of green bottles, Authentic Collection, Dumpies and so on from Cadenhead's. Most of their whiskies of younger date I find a bit harder to enjoy for some reason, maybe the casks aren't at the same level anymore? This should be right up my alley anyway. Color is pale, white wine, about the same as the Master of Malt-version. The nose suggests this comes from a fresh bourbon cask, loads and loads of vanilla and some pepperiness. Give this time and the smokiness that I found in the aforementioned Master of Malt-bottling comes in with a bang and suddenly it's all smoke and vanilla, just way more this time. The taste is stewed onions, curry, yellow bell peppers and thyme. A special one. It's all very good, just not that interesting, the flavors seems to withdraw just after a second or two on the palate, maybe water will help open it up. Remember, 60+% doesn't mean it always needs water, it's just that it usually does. Now it reaches a more peppery and fruity style, sun roasted tomatoes, chili and mango, very pleasant. Water lifts it a bit, but it neer becomes an exciting malt. It's just a bit too bland even at 60.1%. Smooth but lacks a distinctive palate.

If tasted blind this could be anything, the nose was spectacular though: 6.5

6 whiskies from Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa and South America.

I'm taking a world tour today, only leaving out North America. I know I do these tastings just for fun, and these whiskies especially, but if lucky, maybe I'll discover a fantastic whisky along the way? Who knows, at least it gives me a break from the scottish malt palate once in a while. And I believe that is important. And also, after my last Bruichladdich Vertical ending with three whiskies around 60%, it's nice to give my palate something a bit more comfortable (hopefully).


Tullamore Dew 10yo ?% OB Blend Ceramic Decanter 60's/70's

An old miniature decanter with no abv. statement, my guess is that it's 40% anyway. But after this much time in the decanter there's probably even a little less. The whisky has got a beautiful orange hue, some E's perhaps? There seems to be little or no evaporation in this one as the contents are 5cl on the mark. It smells fresh and light, and a little malty. The taste is grainy and spirity, with a light phenolic touch. But on the more positive side, it's very fresh, even after all these years. It needs a while to let loose that malty and herbal flavor often found in triple distilled mainland whiskies. But when it does it shows to be a fine old whisky, far from excellent, but it has something about it, I guess it's the freshness combined with an old rustic malty style that's hard to find in newer bottlings. The aftertaste is long, mundane, and very malty, and it's not even a malt whisky.

Old style whisky: 6


Bond 79 NAS ?% Blend Kenya Wine Agencies Ltd.

Yesterday I saw a fishing show with british actor Robson Greene fishing in Kenya, so why not get inspired to try some Kenyan whisky. One without an abv.statement, so I'll once again guess that it is somewhere around the 40% 70proof mark. This is, as the leather bound cyprus whisky I had a while back "A blend of Superior Scotch malt whiskies and extra quality local spirits". I love the designation "extra quality local spirits", there's just so much to read from it(!). This could be some whisky blended with african moonshine, who'd know? The regulations outside Europe, Japan and America aren't as strict as I'm used too. Time to stop being condescending and instead try the spirit for myself. Funky color, sort of like white tea. It smells light, almost as light as white tea, if I had this blind I'd thought it be some sort of diluted sake. The taste is watery, some spirit in the background, a bit like blossom liqueur, or orange liqueur, just without the orange, this is actually worse than what I could imagine.

The first whisky ever to be poured down my drain: 1


Diplomat NAS 40% Blend Colombia Industria Colombiana

Let's head west again after the last disaster, way west, I fear this one could be somewhere in the lines of the Bond 79, but at least it's 40%abv. The Bond 79 seemed to be more like somewhere int the 15-20%abv. Orange hue, surely lots of artificial coloring. It does taste like some low end blends, not too bad, or better than the Bond 79 that is. Maybe I've just found a new low when comparing whiskies. The taste is, well, as undemanding as it gets, a small spirity note and some sweet licorice, but that's about it. At least it doesn't go in the sink.

A bit better than Bond 79, but not much: 1.1


Mashity 18yo 40% Blend China DIJ 99 Wine Industries Ltd.

A blend from the Shantou region of China, that seems to be not so much chinese as it tries to be scotch. The label and bottle looks like a bad replica of the 12yo Chivas Regal. The label states "Mashity 18yo Scotch Taste Whisky" and on the backside it says "Mashity 18yo SCOTLAND(yes, with capital letters only on this word) Whisky". It says it's made by morisson distillers, so actually it could actually include some 18yo(+) Bowmore? A very good purchase at 2.5quid a 7cl then? OK, so its not chinese then, just made for the chinese market, slightly peated (hopefully) and stuff. It smells a bit peaty, small amount of Bowmore in this one, it's quite fresh and young for an 18yo, some saltiness, herbs, newly washed linen and marker ink. Green apples, freshly cut grass(when emptying the lawn mower), and some buttery biscuits. The taste is smooth and fat, like grease of a steak and white wine reduction. The aftertaste is peaty and plastic, some funky stuff in the end to ruin what would otherwise be a very god example of a whisky that could knock down a few single malts.

Smooth until the finish: 5


King Barleycorn NAS 43% OB Czech Republik

I have heard bad things about this whisky, but I know there are many very good czech whiskies around, so their distilling techniques should be up to par. First single malt in this session, smells slightly burnt, burnt matches and ashtray. The nose is spice, cinnamon, spirity, grassy, ink, glue. I'm afraid this doesn't strike a chord with me either so far. The taste is sweet, candy, butterscotch, not much more, teenage booze. It's a sweet and fine whisky, but it lacks a real aftertaste and some depth.

This one says "Hi, I'm spirit, have a shot".: 4


Milford 20yo 43% OB New Zealand

The only one of today's session that I predicted was gonna be able to play with the big boys, good scotch single malts that is, but I have to admit that the Tullamore Dew from some decades back really surprised me. Natural color in this one, and twenty years, could be a cracker. It smells light and fresh, bourbon cask, lots of vanilla and hay, along with some paint thinner, but it's mostly a delicate piece. The taste is oily, silky and a bit burnt, this could use some h2o. Now it becomes more sour, much bigger, sour apples, guacamole and fat creme. It is good, and for those who like this kind of flavor it will be absolute excellent, but I have a slight problem with this thick and burnt smell, it's sort of smoky just without peat and the needed rawness.

A light, smoky, fruity whisky: 5.5

5 Younger, and mostly way peatier Bruichladdich's

A couple weeks ago I tried some little or no peated Bruichladdichs in the range 10-14yo, with pretty decent results. Now let's see how the peat crafted youngsters that are roaming the markets nowadays makes it. Two CS octomores, one CS Port Charlotte, The Peat and The Rocks (just to get a smooth start.)


Bruichladdich NAS 46% OB Rocks

This one is not peated as of what I know, as I haven't read much about it, Maybe there is some old stock in it from when the usual peat level was at 5ppm on the contrary to todays 0ppm. What should it taste like? The peat and the waves should be clear, should I expect something briny? The color is transparent caramel sauce, know what I mean? The thin supermarket ones. It smells Dry, briny, dusty, some fino sherry, slightly bitter, but again very maritime, salty water, sea ands sand, very promising. The taste is not up to par, sort of rubbery, my guess is there is some red wine casks involved here. Weird hints of stale or cheap red wine and some cardboard notes. I hope the peated ones will be better than this.

As said before, I'm still suspicious to wine casked whisky in general: 3


Bruichladdich NAS 46% OB Peat

I think this one is a moderately peated Bruichladdich, 20ppm or so. I think this one alongside the Waves have gotten fairly better reviews than the Rocks version. But I could be wrong, at least this one got a much paler color, now red wine casks? It smells straight forward peaty, not much else, as described on the label. There are some nice coastal notes too, saltiness, earthiness and a lot of peat. The taste is very light, some apple juice and peat, all in all far less off-notes than I found in the Rocks, but also far less notes all in all.

Light, peaty stuff: 4.5


Port Charlotte 7yo 2001-2008 61% OB PC7

A highly peated version of Bruichladdich, named Port Charlotte after some old distillery that once operated on the Island. I had the one called Sgioba a while back, and it was absolutely amazing, but it was also heavily influenced by a very active sherry cask. This one comes from bourbon wood (mostly at least), a strength that I like and at an age that I consider right about the quality peak of most heavily peated Islay Malts. I know that many people loves older versions of Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Bowmore and so on, and rightly so, but I often find the peat influence to deteriorate through many years in a cask. The color is light golden, it smells of peat, marshmallows, smoke, iodine, dark chocolate, smoked salmon and seaweed. The taste is sweet, again this soft, marshmallow, sugar coated sweetness. At first that is. Then the peat explosion comes, leathery, cinnamon, peaty, rubbery, lots going on, but in the end it is a peat bomb, I think this one needs a cask with a more powerful influence than bourbon wood. But in the future, there will be brilliance in this brand for sure.

I could easily recommend this to all my peatheaded friends: 7


Octomore NAS 59% OB 03.1

The peat monster from Bruichladdich, I have not yet read up on what the peat level in this version should be, but its getting more and more by every new expression I think. Hopefully it won't be just like licking an ashtray. It smells smoke, burnt smoke, not like cigarette smoke, more like house on fire smoke. And in a certain way like grease and old wood boats, you know, like skiff boats, yes, some coastal stuff in this one as well, but it is pretty well hidden behind the massive smokiness. The taste is an absolute killer, smoky as it gets but also very fat, like oily olives, green olives soaked in oil. And there is a bit of sweetness here as well. I guess many would try to dilute this one, but I'm afraid that will only help kill everything but the peat. Is this good? Yes, it is massive, I love it, but you have to love peat.. I think.. or wait a minut, I don't...hmm..

Amazing stuff, I thought it was gonna be all on peat, surely it weren't: 8


Octomore 5yo 59% OB 3_152

I didn't know if this was the same version as the last one, as the %abv is the same, but is it slightly darker in color. It smells light, smooth and.. oh yeah, extremely smoky. There is hard to describe it other that sweet and peaty/smoky. A bit greasy oil, you know, the same as the smell that hits you when you open the stove fan. The taste is much spicier than the 03.1, basil, red bell peppers, salty, OK, maybe I'm going a bot out of bounds here, but I actually prefer the much less complex 03.1, just because the peat plays extremely well with just one or two strong and clear other touches on the palate. This one has too much going on for me, I find myself looking for a taste that plays along with the peat, as the oily/greasiness in the 03.1. In this one there is just a bit too much to get a view of that, it just becomes a bit too messy for me. But it's not a bad whisky, by far.

If you like a complex peated whisky, go for this one: 6.5

4 Glendronachs from 70's 90's and 00's.

There have been some kind of revival at the Glendronach distillery in the last decade or two. New technics and new expressions creating a reinforced reputation. But to see if there is improvement to trace I have to try some new ones besides some old ones. This is perhaps not fair due to the age difference, but I think it will be fun anyway. The strength is pretty similar though.


Glendronach 8yo 2002-2011 55% OB Cask in a Van 3rd.edition cask#2009


According to online sources, this cask has been driven around on the european continent in the backside of a Van. I don't know what efect this will have other than the cask being exposed to a larger array of change in weather and temperatures. But then again, aqua vitae producers are sending spirit across the world seas in ships to attract flavors, so why can't Glendronach drive a cask around in europe? I just wonder why they do it? Maybe the taste will prove my doubts unreasoned. It smells heavy sherried, cinnamon and roasted pecan nuts. The initial odors fades fast and it becomes much lighter. The taste is spirity and sweet, too spirity, again these roasted nuts, like the ones you get at the fried almond-stands in London. But not much more than that.

A slight disappointment, a bit too young for me: 5.5


Glendronach 14yo 1996-2010 57.2% Malts of Scotland cask#195

From a sherry butt, dark color, smells a bit phenlolic and burnt, also some butter and rubber, spicy as well. The taste is amazing, dark sweet dried fruits, grapes, rum, some peat but not much. A bit spirity, need some water I think, but I think for a thick oloroso sherry-lover this would be pretty perfect. With a small amount of water it gets lighter, again these sweet dark fruits, figs, dates and raisins. To be honest, the only thing diluted when adding water seems to be the alcohol sting and the phenol. There is a sweet palate with the aforementioned fruits alongside a lightly peated orange peel finish.

This is very much to my liking, though maybe a bit too "clean": 7


Glendronach 20yo 1970-1990 56% Signatory Vintage cask#513-518 btl.1358/2400

6 sherry casks have gone into the batch for this bottling, about the same color as the Malts of Scotland, maybe a bit lighter, sort of peach tea. This one smells much lighter, less heavy sherry and more light peatiness. This one develops into a more heavyily sherried whisky after a while. Totally opposite of the Van-whisky. Smells burnt, bitter, blueberries, blackberries, banana, butter cream and dried mutton meat. The taste is perfect dry & sweet sherry-inspired, Amoroso, I love it, plumbs, figs, raisins, prunes, dark chocolate, cream, sweet licorice and some peat in the aftertaste.

Perfect, it's all very well put together, smooth, fruity, creamy and rich: 8.5


Glendronach 22yo 1975-1998 57.7% Signatory Vintage cask#1686 btl.61/625

Five years newer vintage, and the only one in this tasting matured in a bourbon cask, as all the other are sherry-matured ones, no double casks or whatever here. Smells far less complex than the sherry matured ones. Vanilla and peppermint drops, light and sweet. The taste is much richer, sour fruits, honey, melon, grape fruit, apple juice, a fruity bourbon cask? Alongside some soapy and bittersweet notes. The aftertaste is peppery and rather short. Another fruitbomb from Glendronach, but far from as thick and rich as the other ones. A pleasant surprise.

Shows that Glendronach can pull of many kind of casks, Quality: 8

Some rambling on distillery policies.

Lately, say the last 5-10 years, the whisky industry has expanded hugely, well done! But then again, many spectators, commentators, customers and so on, seek out single casks, cask strengths, or older standards, at least that is my impression. Going way back there is hard to find the array of single cask cask strength IB bottlings that's hitting the market nowadays. Except from WMC, G&M, SV and some european mainland bottlers, there weren't many around. And due to only a small amount of output being sold to IB's there were lots of good stock to be put into the original bottlings. (We all now the best casks weren't going into blends, or?)
Now that the numbers of IB's are expanding rapidly and buying much of the older stocks intended for single malt batches, what does the distilleries do? If I'm correct, they watch and learn. More and more single cask releases, funky finishing, cask strength editions, and younger NAS-editions are hitting the market. Also many distilleries are experimenting with peat, and newer cask types to cope with the more and more expensive sherry casks. Thankfully Aberlour and Glenfarclas, alongside maybe some others have gotten deals that won't deprave them of sherry casks anytime soon. The answer to this seems to be, for what the distilleries are concerned, to start bottling more of their sherry casks as single cask bottlings. Very well many must say, as they often can be quite brilliant. The backside of the medal for most of us that don't have a tree growing bills in the backyard, these bottles are becoming more and more expensive, and in my opinion are now far beyond the point of ridiculously expensive. So we'll settle for the 12yo 46% Moscatel or Cabernet-Sauvignon-finish, or standard OB. But what about the standard OB's? I think that when there now is much less older whisky to go around in the batches, NAS-versions, like the Uigeadail, A'bunadh, CV's and so on will be expanding on the market.

The abv.% has been lifted from 40 or 43% to 46% or more at many distilleries, which is a good thing, I hope it continues. And more so, I hope that the young produce that's put out will be at a price that doesn't exclude the everyday man from having, occasionally at least, a fantastic experience, read: early to mid-nineties 12yo's from Highland Park.

4 Aberlours

There are so many good older sherried Aberlours, but how are the new batches? And how are the non-sherried older ones? Much Aberlour yet to discover for me. In this vertical session I'm going to mingle older and new bottlings.



Aberlour 16yo 43% OB

A fairly recent edition, double cask matured which means its first matured in bourbon casks for further enhancing in sherry casks. I bought this bottle in France in the summer of 2010. Golden red colour, smells light and sweet, vanilla and cinnamon, the top cream of an Irish Coffee, rhubarb sundae and strawberries, very light. The taste is all on vanilla fudge and caramel sauce. It's a sweet treat, a definite summers dram. Quite uninteresting and unchallenging yet perfectly drinkable to any occasion. I'm gonna use this as an initiation malt when friends with little or no experience in whisky are coming over. Big sips of this one is needed to get a tasteful kick out of it, its just to light for modest nipping.

The lighter side of Aberlour: 6.5


Aberlour 8yo 50% OB Campbell's Distillery ltd

A square bottle from Italy, dating back to the 70's or 80's. A great opportunity to try Aberlour from a bygone era. Actually its a beautiful decanter for a miniature, with a C and some barley impregnated on the glass, good stuff. Slightly lighter color than the 16yo, some or all sherry-matured here? Smells sweet and intense, burnt rubber, hay, linseed oil, roasted almonds and licorice. I guess its younger age of bottling and higher %abv really shines through. The taste is bittersweet, sulphury, really burnt, too intense for me, needs water to settle down hopefully, as the initial nice and honeyed sweetness on the palate is totally overshadowed by phenolic notes just after a second or two on the tongue. When diluted it becomes lighter, sweeter, green bell peppers, lightly austere, peppery, or more like chili and phenol, a real ashtray, but where they peating the barley back then? Anyway, Aberlour in a new(old) light.

This is fantastic, but only when diluted, anyway, more liquid to enjoy: 8


Aberlour 27yo 1963-1991 55.2% Cadenhead's

I think this is the oldest Aberlour I've had up until now, both in age of maturation and vintage. What were the Aberlour spirit like back in 1963? And what will it be at this age when bourbon matured? I think this one is from a single cask as well, a rare treat. White wine color, after all these years.. The nose screams of dry gin and vanilla, a weird mix that's totally different from what I usually find in Aberlours. When given time even more vanilla and some flour sugar appears alongside sweet licorice and mint. The taste is again full on vanilla, some moscatel wine, almond cake, turkish delight, there are so many different layers of sweet in this one I could easily get loose track of all the peppery notes, the smoked ham, the oak and all that jazz that comes along with it. I have to say, this sure isn't easy to get hold of, but if you get a chance it's highly recommended, at least by me!

Perfect old bourbon wood Aberlour: 9.5


Aberlour NAS 60.3% OB A'Bunadh batch#35

One of the newer editions of this long-running sherry-matured series. I have yet to be amazed the way many others have, but of what I've heard, the more recent batches should be a step up. It's not nearly as dark as the batches 30 and 32, the last ones that I tried. Shorter maturation? Less old stock? casks that've been used more times? Smells all on cinnamon and cardamum, nice but a bit boring, red beets and thyme. It seems much lighter than 60+percent, and much lighter than prior batches, but lets taste first before making any judgement. The taste is firm and peppery, a cracker, but not much more than that, some sweet oloroso notes as well. Needs water to open up I think. When diluted it gives some much needed cheese flavors on the palate, but it needs to be swirled around in the mouth a bit, mascarpone and gruyere is the ones I find, along with smoked pork leg, the ones found in supermarkets in spain, a bit dry and much more tasty than the boring northern european ones. I think it steps up a game when diluted, but all in all this is a bit disappointing, but keep in mind that I've just tasted two marvelous Aberlours just before this one.

I like it, but it lacks what I'd call extend of contents, it ends too fast: 6

5 relatively young Bruichladdichs

I have tried many Bruichladdich's, but again, there are so many versions, makes it kinda hard to get a grip of what Bruichladdich really should taste like. Port Charlotte, Octomore, Different wine finishes and so on. Time to try 4 different OB expressions alongside a youngster from Douglas Laing.


Bruichladdich 12yo 46% OB

One of the many age expressions from the Bruichladdich Distillery, smells very peaty for a Bruichladdich. Very coastal on the nose, salty, peaty, smoky, lime peel, orange peel and ashes. But it's sort of austere as well and a bit burnt, I think I can detect some Fino matured whisky in this one. I could be wrong however, let's taste. The taste is nicely burnt, marzipan, white chocolate, toffee, ammonium(not that I ever tasted it) and dark chocolate. The aftertaste is full of licorice and dry red wine, bitter juice and tonic water. Lets try diluted. I'd definitively have this without water. When diluted it gets more peppery and one-dimensional, and the aftertaste vanishes.

A good one, much bigger than what I expected: 6


Bruichladdich 15yo 46% OB

3 years up from the 12yo, which means that most of this whisky probably aren't any older than the 12yo. As the Bruichladdich distillery was closed from 1995-2001 except from some months in 1998, in which I believe the age difference in the 12yo and 15yo batches must've been made. A much gentler nose on this one, less peaty more salty, iodine, sea water and fish stock. The taste is again softer than the 12yo, peaty but not smoky, more burnt and sweet fruits, raisins, honey melon and unripe apples, kind of sour. All in all it doesn't compare to the twelve years old as it lacks the firm and powerful Islay-style.

Beaten by his younger brother: 4.5


Bruichladdich 10yo 1998-2008 46% OB Oloroso Sherry

From an oloroso cask, this is from one of the batches that were produced in the period when the distillery were closed between 1995-2001, It i sort of pale for a whisky 100% matured in ex oloroso casks, could there be some second fills or even third fill involved? Sort of the lighter side of yellow tea. Smells thick and burnt, very sulphury, needs time to open up. In 1bout 7-8 minutes it gets sweeter, dried figs, plum juice and blackberry jam. The taste is not sulphury, more in the lines of cinnamon, dark chocolate and bitter agricultures. Some water brings it all down a notch, not recommended.

I'd say its a very good combination of sherry/peat, not that many around: 6.5


Bruichladdich NAS 50% OB Infinity 3.10

Refill sherry and Tempranillo casks. Will it be in the same lines of the 1998 oloroso casked? The color is pretty similar at least. Smells much peatier than the oloroso, according to internet sources this one should contain about 20ppm. I believe the standard bottlings usually contain about 5ppm. This one should be a cracker. The taste is amazing, the peatiness in this one reminds me a bit of Laphroaig actually. Sweet honey suryp, fino sherry style, salty butter and iodine. The aftertaste is so rustic, much better that the lighter standard Ob's.

Explosive stuff, peaty and sherried: 7.5


Bruichladdich 14yo 50% OMC Doulas Laing

First and only IB in this vertical. I have neither seen or heard about this one online. I know an eleven year old Macallan created a bit of fuzz a while back, but other than that I find the better OMC-bottlings to be way older than this one. From a bourbon cask, the palest one in the bunch. Smells light, sliky-smooth, cream cheese and leeks, extremely light and delicate. The taste is rather boring, peppery and butter. This one needs water. Water makes it spicier, chorizo and burnt rubber. Weird for a bourbon cask. There's also some unripe bananas.

A totally middle of the road malt, the total mean: 5

4 Closed Distilleries (maybe just three???)

As I quietly pronounced when starting doing mostly verticals were that I was still gonna have my usual tastings with mixed distilleries once in a while. Up until now I have kept those tastings outside Scotland, but lets change that. Glenlochy, Glenugie, Ladyburn and Imperial, I'm not sure if Imperial is all closed down or just mothballed, hopefully the latter. Let's start with the Imperial.


Imperial 14yo 1969-1983 40% Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice

Old vintage at only 40% and only 14yo, maybe this will differ a lot from the newer CS/SC/Older(!) bottling that are flying around nowadays. It smells really nice, distinctive caramel and creamy butter. Sweet marmalade and ginger. Impressive! The taste is very spirity and burnt at first, fairly bad-tasting. But then it turns into a sweet marzipan and licorice aftertaste. It's like the initial odors are smooth and all good, the palate a small disaster, before the good start is reincarnated in the finish. Extremely smooth, almost like a perfect blend. The palate being a small letdown however.

I guess Imperial will be missed by some, at least by me: 6.5


Ladyburn/Rare Ayrshire 34yo 1975-2009 45.2% Signatory Vintage

I know that IB's aren't allowed to name their cask from the long gone distillery Ladyburn "Ladyburn". I like that they have kept it at cask strength, a chance to taste something, if not utterly great, then at least utterly rare. I think that the single malt bottled at Ladyburn, if any of it were, were bottled at low strength. Nice golden color. Smells herbal, grassy, mashed leaves, over-ripe bananas and mint. The taste is burnt, cinnamon, again this over-ripe banana/brown banana half-nauseating sweetness. Then it gets a bit drying and it finishes of on a good note with more cinnamon and grassiness.

Good old single malt, although pretty predictable from start to finish: 6


Glenugie 29yo 1977-2006 49.6% Part Des Anges Closed Distilleries cask#360

The few ones I have tried from Glenugie up until now have all been utterly fantastic if I remember correctly. Lets hope this helps keep the score. Much bigger on the nose than the latter two, a smoky one. With time it gets even bigger, smoky, barbecue sauce, Galliano, mustard, curry, oaky, a lot happening here. The taste is sweet, brown sugar, honey, smoked pork serrano style, amazing whisky, it just lacks a bit on the palate when compared to what the nose promised. The aftertaste is also rather short, needs a small drop of water? Water makes little difference in this one.

Rich nose, beautiful palate, little to no aftertaste: 7


Glenlochy 27yo 1980-2007 58.3% btl.123/231 Closed Distilleries

Second on from Closed Distilleries, Glenlochy... I used to love Glenlochy when I started drinking whisky back then it wasn't all that expensive. But I guess that is the story with most closed distilleries nowadays. Anyway, I think Glenlochy is a whisky that is depraved of recognition compared to the produce it puts out. But its been a while since I last had a Glenlochy so lets see what this one has to offer. The much higher abv is recognizable on the nose, smells malty, oaky and burnt, bitter too. This is not what I expected, maybe it needs water, but lets taste neat first at least. The taste is dry, but shows promise of buttered corn and dried bell peppers. I'll add some h2o. Now it's much better, lots of soy sauce and pistachio flavor, red wine vinegar and dry apple cider. I wish this one was available today as I would have stopped hoarding Fettercairn and started on Glenlochy.... or maybe I'd just done a little of both. Who says you can't have two favorite distilleries?

Brings tears to my eyes: 8.5

4 different Glenturrets

Another session with whiskies from a distillery that usually doesn't make my boat float if you know what I mean. Maybe I'm in for a positive surprise, as I had when tasting Glen Keiths the other day.


Glenturret 14yo 43% OB for the Wee Dram Blackpool Trams

A commemoration of the the Edinburgh Car #35, a two story tram. Very well, pale color, sort of white wine-ish. It smells extremely light, natural orange juice and sweet tea. It's very different from the standard expressions, much fruitier. The taste is light and fruity, green apples and glue(?). A weird whisky, fruity and easy-drinking, yet a bit off. I think there is something going on with the distilling at Glenturret which creates these off-notes of industrial glue and rubber. It isn't the first time I've found them in a dram of Glenturret. With water it gets lighter, old book-dust and peppery. Now it seems mor like the good old slightly off Glenturret that I unfortunately have encountered to often.

Enjoy neat, yet there's only some light fruity notes, no challenge here: 4.5


Glenturret 14yo 43% Signatory Scottish Wildlife

Same age and abv as the one for the Wee Dram, same color as well. Smells more spirity and a bit burnt, burnt rubber. Burnt rubber and disinfecting medic spirit. The taste is more sour, sweet and sour, like sweet chili sauce with lemon juice, it gives a bit of a bite and has much more charisma than the one for the Wee Dram. This is much better than expected, could it some from a single cask? A very good pick by Signatory in that case. The finish is smooth and long, all on sweet herbs and lavender.

This is a fine Glenturret, I hope there's many more around: 6.5


Glenturret 18yo 1990-2008 46% Chieftain's Choice

I think there's some questionable expressions in the Chieftain's Choice-series, far more so than the rather good Dun Bheagan's. But I have not found what is the difference between these two. Could it be that DB is bottled at Cask Strength and CC is diluted? Again it doesn't give much odorwise, rubbery and spirity, can this be a late bloomer too? It tastes very peppery and somewhat acrylic, paint? Needs water. Water just lightens the peppery notes a bit.

This was somewhat a letdown: 3


Glenturret 27yo 1978-2005 50.1% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#354

3 bottlings of low expectations up until now, but this one ought to be something new. I usually enjoy the Raw Cask series from Blackadder quite a bit, but this one has no cask sediments. One of my favourite things to do is to chew the remaining sediments. It's fantastic! Well, after looking through my magnifying glass, I can see some small black dots. Hallelujah! Now let's taste. Light color, in fact, all the whiskies in this tasting has had the same light white wine color. Smells strong, spirity, rubbery, grassy and iron. The taste is burnt, hickory smoke and sugar free licorice lozenges, you know the ones that aren't sweet at all. This isn't the best of the bunch so far, maybe it needs a bit of water to open up. Now it gets sweeter with the sourness that I discovered in the Wildlife version. Much better! This sweet and sour stuff combined with a lot of pepperines makes for a good trio of flavors.

Water is needed in this one: 6

A follow-up on my cask project.

OK, this is a follow-up on this post http://www.maltdiary.com/2011/06/making-my-own-whisky-in-1-2-3.html from 27th. of June this year. I set some cream sherry in cask#1 on 19th of march and refilled it with new-make from Glenglassaugh distillery at 50% on 15th. of June this summer. Now I know this is far from whisky yet, but with such a small cask I've been warned to be very careful as it matures much faster and the wood impact can soon become a bit too big. Anyway, the glass in front of the cow holds the result as of today, and it seems to have gotten a very nice color in just over 3 months. I just hope that the alcohol hasn't evaporated too much, bear in mind only 50%abv newmake.

Let's give it a small tasting note just for fun.

Dark red color, way darker than the spirit drink that blushes... Smells heavy sherried, prunes, cinnamon, earthy, coffee, dark chocolate, not bad at all I must say, and from what I can smell there are still well above 40%abv in this one. The taste then? Oh, this is too sweet for me, I recognize the taste of malt spirit, but the sweet sherry influence is rather extreme. And it is so thick, sweet and a bit smoky, a sherry monster... no,no,no.. it's A SHERRY MONSTER!!!! Anyway, if you are into heavy sherry this is very good, but for me? I can drink one occasionally, but right now it is just a bit too much of the good stuff. Water helps and in the end I consider this a nice dessert whisky, could be put on vanilla ice cream or had on rocks as well.

5 whiskies representing 3 different produce from Tobermory Distillery

Ah, there are so many good whiskies from the Islands, the light and often single casked Arran, the beast Talisker, the connoisseur favorite Highland Park and even the Jura with the new range of cask strengths and different peat leveled whisky... And then there's Tobermory, on the Isle of Mull, a whisky that doesn't seem to fit into any category. Not much talked about, and sort of a light-weighter. But I haven't tried to many of ´em so lets see what it can do here.



Tobermory NAS 40% OB Blend

A blend consisting of unpeated Tobermory and grain, I think this whisky is a couple of decades old. Smells light and fresh, wet grass, fresh mint and toothpaste. Extremely light and fresh. The taste is light, sort of buttery, dark chocolate and oily. That is all fine but lasts only for a short second before it turns spirity and bitter. Water might help? Not much but it streches the initial flavors a second or two. And the water takes down the spirity notes a bit. But all in all it is a light starter malt, and lacks the complexity of the single malts. I hope so.

Well balanced blend when diluted: 4


Tobermory 14yo 1995-2009 46% Flickenschield

I don't know much about the bottler Flickenschield, but I have seen some of their bottles for sale at online auctions. A dark version this one, could come from a sherry cask? But I guess they would have mentioned that on the bottle then, in these days of massive legend information. It smells Extremely light, much lighter than the blend, cinnamon tea and incense from a lighter cigarette, Prince Mint? Very withdrawn, but there are some notes of oloroso sherry in there. Needs tome to open up. The taste is perfectly sweet and balanced sherried whisky, oloroso style. Reminds me of the old Highland Park 12 back when there were bigger sherry amounts in the batches. Though the nose promises nothing, the palate delivers on a high note. The taste is of cinnamon, honey, coriander, lemon peel, toasted rye and just a small phenolic zing in the finish.

Simply the best Tobermory I've had up until now, by far: 8


Tobermory 10yo 46.3% OB

The new standard expression of Tobermory, bottled at 46.3%. I remember being sort of disappointed with the rather bland 40%-bottling a while back, so hopefully the risen abv. will bring a new dimension to this one. Another light nose, but not as odorless ad the Flickenschield bottling. Smells instantly herbal and grassy, with some vanilla and honey too. Where does this sweet honey-flavor come from? Interesting, almost like a Talisker without the peat, and I do like a Talisker. The taste is, well, on the contrary to the nose, it does have a bit, I'd think there were peat in this one if I didn't know any better. Sweet, grassy, herbal and oily at first, then develops into a more sort of coffee and spirity thing. caramel, coffee and gasoline?
Maybe water will help. Yes it does, not in the initial palate, but as with the blend it does restrain the spirity notes.

A good whisky with a kick to it, and some off-notes unfortunately: 4.5


Ledaig 18yo 1974-1992 43% OB

I don't think I have come across such an old Ledaig or Tobermory yet, and according to word of mouth, the Ledaig and Tobermory bottlings of past days could be pretty miserable. But 18 years old should give time for improvement? By the way, this is one of two 18yo Ledaigs I'm trying today. Pale color. Smells heavy and peaty, greasy to be precise. This reminds me sort of smoking a cigar over frying bacon. I'll give it that it's definitively not something you find in many other single malts. Oh yeah, this whisky talks. The taste is again fat, oily, thick, greasy if you know what I mean. And it's peaty, after the bold sensation of deep fried fat it's got another thing coming, a straight and kind of light peatiness. What I'm concerned, this one plays ball with the big peaty guys (Ardbeg, Lagavulin, Talisker) any day of week.

Not refined in any way, just bloody good whisky that handles the peat beautifully: 7.5


Ledaig 18yo 55.2% James MacArthur's

The only cask strength of this session, last sip showed that Ledaig really can handle a low strength, but what will happen when upped to cask strength. Same age, 18 years, maybe ledaig is a whisky that's just being bottled at a too young age? The good thing about James MacArthur's is that they often buy very good casks, but they keep to cheaper casks, which makes for an affordable IB. I do like it a lot as I can buy just about any bottling from JM and expect a good ordinary refill CS bourbon-casked whisky. It smells peaty and spirity alingside some lemon peel, vanilla and egg creme. Give it time and the peat really bursts out. The taste is extremely peaty and it burns, acidic, peat and peppery. It's much more extreme than the 1974. It's gonna need some water. Water makes it very sweet, apricot marmalade and honey melon. The peat disappears when diluted.

Try it undiluted and you'll be overwhelmed, dilute and be bored: 5.5

5 Highland Parks from 5 different IB's

The last Highland Park session was a cracker with only G&M-bottlings scoring about 8.5 in average, and especially the ones from the old Cask-series stood out. Now let's see what some other IB's and one OB for "Master of Malt"(I don't think they bottle themselves) can bring to the table.
At least, if this goes as planned, and I hope so, I won't have to reconsider Highland Park again anytime soon, as its now once again shining as one of my favorites.


Highland Park 22yo 1987-2009 43% Signatory Vintage

A very light colored Highland Park, as are all the ones I'm about to try in this vertical. I have always felt HP did best when there were at least some sweet sherry wood involved, but let's see. It smells sweet, eucalyptus, heather and vanilla, newspapers, needs time. Opens up more and more as it minutes goes by. But it also gets more subtle, strange. The taste is amazing, maybe one of the smokiest HP's I've tried, lots of vanilla, smoke, peat, ashes, herbal, lots of dried herbs like coriander, mint and basils. This is almost like smelling the scent of a finer society lady before going down to find she got the biggest balls of all. Extraordinary to say the least, and my rather sick comparison aside, it's a nice and powerful whisky. It could use some water, let's see. Now it got more of the usual honey-flavor that I often find in HP's but also some wax, reminds me a bit of Clynelish.

A thunderbolt Islander: 6


Highland Park 16yo 1989-2005 46% Cask & Thistle

I cannot recall ever trying a Cask & Thistle bottling before, so why not start with a Highland Park? This one is very pale in color, similar to a youngster. A rounder and lighter smell on this one, freshly washed linens and creme fraiche. Sort of fat and fresh, hard to describe, oily perhaps. The taste is burnt and peated, more of a coastal character. Almost like a caol Ila, or even a Laphroaig just less iodine. It needs water as it comes of a bit monotonous. There are some greens and some herbal notes here yet, but the water makes it lots sweeter and much more bitter. Lime juice and sugar, Caipirinha anyone?

A playful whisky that swims extremely well: 6.5


Highland Park 14yo 1995-2009 46% Murray McDavid Mission

This one is from a refill sherry cask, a light pink hue on it. Looks like some rosé wine. It smells much lighter that the 22yo and 16yo. Maybe the sherry cask has killed a bit of the initial flavors? Even when given time it is a lot lighter than I'd expect from anything above 20%abv. Theres some rubber and onion to be found. The taste is more in the lines of a dry vermouth than a sherry, at least a sweet sherry. Fino refill? Is it good? Maybe if you are into the cask experimentations going on at Bruichladdich a while back. I remember they could be very good, but far too often winded up a bit of a mismatch together with the peatiness of the malt. I have to give this a thumb down, but I'm sure there are someone that'll love it out there.

The prior Bourbon-matured ones were way better, unexpected: 2


Highland Park 13yo 57% Master of Malt

One bottled for (or by) online retailer Master of Malt. A nice online shop, a bit pricey but with an excellent selection. This one is as pale as white wine. I have had a Highland Park bottled at 100 proof from G&M in the past, and from what I can remember, it was a very good dram. It smells peaty and rubber boots, a bit waxy and salty, I can already tell this is going to needs some water. The initial taste is burnt and sweet, toasted chillies and gorgonzola bacterials. Water brings it down a bit, and now its quite similar to the 16yo from C&T. All in all, the quality of the malt does most of the talking here. And it is a very good malt, much more peated than older versions.

A fine whisky, a small peat monster: 5.5


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

I have always been a big fan of Cadenhead's as I find they have stock of many whiskies that other IB's yet are trailing to get. Say the Fettercairn or the Glenfarclas. And the %abv. of 65%+ I have only found one place else, at the also very excellent James MacArthur's. Good bottlers that aren't afraid to bottle at young age when the whisky is in its prime rather than letting it rest for extreme pricing at higher age contra good quality(of course not always the case). This one is pale and gets hazy straight away. Smells minty, very dry, cinnamon, heather, honey, spring onions and licorice. The taste is BIG!!!, Honey and vanilla with huge whiffs of peat and coastal salty character. Cream crackers, parmesan and lots of iodine.

This is a malt that's gonna challenge your tastebuds to the max: 7.5

4 young Auchentoshan OBs

I'll be away for around 14 days as of tomorrow I'll be heading for Alicante in Valencia, Spain. Maybe I'll find some good whiskies there? And as summer in Norway is on the withdrawal, and when I get back autumn will be arriving, so I'll finish the warm season with a vertical of some light Auchentoshans. A whisky where there are far between the highlights, as of up until now at least.



Auchentoshan NAS 40% OB Pure Malt

I believe this one is from the 80's or early 90's, the "pure malt" instead of "single malt" is nearly abolished by serious bottlers these days. Golden color. It smells extremely dry, yet sweet, sort of dark chocolate. Thick malt syrup and dark chocolate, truffles. The taste is rustic, somewhat sweet, but more than that it reminds me of rotten wood, cinnamon, ashes and mushrooms. Needs water. Water creates this burnt phenolic finish.

Tripple distilled scotch, does it work? Not here: 3



Auchentoshan 5yo 40% OB

Another one from a while back. 5 years old! I think that there weas produced some 5yo's in the 70's and 80's. Before the market cracked and many distilleries were mothballed or didn't manage to sell enough to get rid of old casks. So the nineties came with a boom and older whiskies were hitting the market at rapid pace. Now I see more and more youngsters out there, but thankfully at Cask Strength, and often released due to new distilleries on the market and good quality rather than the possibility of making good money selling young crap. Lighter color than the pure malt. It smells stearic, soap and floral. The taste is light and citrussy, much better than the nose anticipated. Light, easy, wheat, hay, grassy, a summers dram. The aftertaste is short and peppery.

A light middle of the road malt: 3.5



Auchentoshan NAS 43% OB Three Wood

Jumping fast forward to more modern times and this triple distilled and triple wood matured version. A young light lowlander with 3 different cask influences to confuse the palate. Doesn't seem to be a malt with much character, but lets not judge too soon. Dark golden brown color, some sherry cask influence? The nose is not far from the 5yo, wheat, oat meal, and some red wine, dry red wine that is. Now let's taste this one. Initial sweetness, light and fruity, strawberries and peach ice tea. The palate develops into a fino-like dryness before it turns a bit peppery and bitter (in a good way) on the finish. Water. Water kills it. Now its just like some sort of malt concentrate, malt soft drink without fizz? Weird and unpleasant stuff.

Don't add water to this surprisingly rich and complex whisky: 6.5



Auchentoshan NAS ?-2011 57.5% OB Valinch

If I'm correct, this is my first ever cask strength bottled Auchentoshan. A brand new bottling. Again one without aa age statement. I would believe that Auchentoshan were a distillery with much older malt to go around. The color is very light, bourbon cask? It smells rich, toffee pudding, yellow jello, herbal and grassy, not far from the Fettercairn 1997, but it lacks the enormous vanilla impact and slight peatiness that made the Fettercairn 1997 one of a kind, in my opinion. Given time it develops even more sweetness. The taste is extremely dry and spirity, I can't detect any real flavours, it needs water. With water it bursts into this burnt and extremely grassy thing.

It'll be a long time before I have an Auchentoshan Vertical again: 2

6 Whiskies from all around

This is the one I've been looking most forward to of the alternative origin tastings I've done this summer, it is also the last one in a while. A couple of Kavalan singles from Taiwan, a mexican from the 1930's, one from Brazil and a couple more. The reason for these weird tastings was not only to broaden my horizon, but I also felt a bit stuck in a rut when it came to scotch, as it was about 99% of what I tasted it became slightly boring. Well, not any more, as lately even whiskies like Glen Rothes and Glen Keith (not normally my favorites) have become characters to be reckoned with in the whisky play. I believe its the result of a combination of trying whiskies from outside Scotland and doing verticals. Anyhow, up until now I think the only whiskies from abroad I'd be willing to buy a full bottle of is the french Glann Ar Mor and the Glen Els from Germany. Time to discover more!


Mark One NAS 40% Blend Brazil

A Brazilian blended whisky, when drinking blends from South-America, Asia and so on, it is important to make sure its not just imported scotch whisky that's been blended abroad, at least if you like to try something exotic. This looks like an older bottling, weary sticker and a funky 80's looking triangle bottle. Smells licorice and Vodka and some caramel fudge. The taste is pleasant at first, initially this caramel fudge flavor that I found on the nose, shortly overturned by a dry wheat-flavour, not unlike Vodka. It's a nice whisky, but somewhat undemanding and it has this plastic aftertaste that won't go away for a while.

Boring, bland, like some of the sub-par scotch blends: 3.5


Magisa NAS 40% Blend Spain

I had the Embrujo from Spain the other day, and it was to put it politely, a bit boring. This one has the color of straw, and the bottle seems to be from a while back. It smells This one smells dry yeast and hay. I have tried some lowlanders with this light and dry expression. Bladnoch and Auchentoshan being two of em. It develops a bit when given time, and it's rather nice in all its simplicity. The taste is sweet and light, lots of honey, cigar, syrupy, a bit cloying. A dessert malt. Not much on the finish. I have to say that it would work perfect as a starter to just about any whisky night, except if the theme were to be Islay.

Fresh, dry and sweet, perfect starter malt: 5.5


Old Sailor Viejo Marino NAS ?% Mexico 1930's

This whisky used to cost 6 cents back in the 30's. It says on the label that its a bourbon Type whisky, and it bears the print of the face of a freaky looking sailor's in front of some sailboats. I see that some of the glue inside the cork has fallen down into the liquid, but I'll sift those sediments out before tasting, of course. Dark brown color, smells bourbon, or Gentleman Jack to be a bit more precise. The taste is This is horrible, far from my finest moment, it smells like rancid ice-tea, peach flavor. I can't have more than a sip of this one, next please!

Quite terrible: 1.5


Kavalan NAS 40% OB Concertmaster Port Cask Finish

It's far between each time I'm blown away by a whisky that's been in a Port Cask, but I remember one Laphroaig that was amazing. This is the first single malt of this session, and I certainly hope its a massive jump up from the sailor whisky. It has a nice, red hue, an active port cask? The nose suggests sweet port style whisky, tawny, small amount of peat, now this seems to be the real deal, or am I desperately looking for something that assembles scotch? Let's taste. The taste is burnt, sulphury, not pleasant at all. it's hard to find anything else to describe it with. Maybe should it be bottled at higher strength, something seems to have gone completely wrong with this one although it smells nice.

No thanks, too much cask influence, and a weak spirit: 2.5


Kavalan NAS 58.7% OB Solist Sherry-matured

From what it looks like, this has been fully matured in a sherry cask. And by the way, at this strength, and the temperatures in Taiwan, it can't be matured much longer than 5-6 years. If I'm wrong, please e-mail me so that I can change my statement. Dark brown color, let's see if my prediction of a better whisky at cask strength is true. It smells very strongly of sherry, cream sherry, a fantastic nose, but will the tasting be more uplifting than the Concertmasters?. The taste is rich, sweet and dry, like some amontillado, right between oloroso and fino sherry. The cask influence is extreme, I can't remember ever trying a whisky with an influence that completely overpowers all other flavors in a way that this do. I have to say that combined with the Aberlour A'bunadh, which is the closest I can think of from Scotland, it is in the same league, it just lacks a distillery character, a bit like the Concertmaster, or maybe Kavalan's just a very impotent spirit. I believe it can handle some water. Now it becomes much more fragrant, peppery, red wine vinegar, some peat and some dry red wine.

Very well made whisky, best of the international bunch so far: 6.5


Amrut NAS ?-2007 61.9% Indian

I believe this is the most famous of the foreigners I've tried up until now in whisky-circles. I have never fallen for Amrut the way I know many others have, but maybe this one will change my mind. It smells vanilla, licorice, orange marmalade and butter. I like it a lot, much better than the watered down versions I've tried up until now. No, wait.. It also smells a lot like strong ale. The taste is oh so sweet, intense vanilla at first, the aftertaste is just spirity. Let's add some water. Now it becomes a bit more spirity. To be honest I did enjoy it more before it was diluted. Anyway, this is a really good whisky when given time.

A perfect ending to this rather two-sided tasting: 6.5

5 Single Malts (maybe just 4) from europe

I was actually going to do an Auchentoshan vertical today, but Auchentoshan is for me, amongst the lightest malts in Scotland, a definite summer's dram. So as the temperature lowers and I'm still not through with my discovery journey of whiskies from alternative geographic origin, let's do another strange tasting, this time from the european mainland, all single malts.


Embrujo Whisky Puro Malta NAS 40% OB Spain

One from Paloma, from Destilerias Liber S.L. Please don't ask, I just know they have a pretty decent looking website confirming its a single malt, and the representation box and bottle are exquisite with blue photos of very clean distillation gear. Bronze color, probably added some e-stuff. It smells very nice, but also dusty and oaky, one-dimensional and boring, maybe this isn't single malt? It's just too mild one the nose, minty, oaky, with some vanilla as well, fresh bourbon cask? Am I dreaming? Lets taste. The taste is light, sweet, again vanilla, and some short peppery finish. Water? Yes! It gets a bit rounder, but now its as light as apple juice. Next one!

Light aperitif, but you can't have it alongside a shrimp, the flavor will drown: 2



The Glen Els NAS 45.9% OB Germany

"Nordisch by Nature" is the slogan for this whisky, I don't know what is the catch in that phrase, but lets try it, the Germans have adapted other things with great luck, such as artsy triples from Belgium. Lots more strength on the nose, it smells sweet and smoky, promising, but still there's this weird vanilla-like sweetness that, granted I'm right about the Embrujo, definitively don't come from a bourbon cask. The initial interesting smokiness soon disappears and it becomes uninteresting. The taste is dry and a bit sour with a rich, buttery and creamy aftertaste. A really buttery whisky, I can't remember coming across such one before. Buttered and sugared pancakes.

Nice one, I'm going to buy more of these if opportunity is presented: 6



Goldlys 20yo 1991-2011 46% OB First Release Belgium

A first release at 20yo, you don't see many of those these days. From a bourbon cask and limited to 1100 bottles. I Belgian never tried malt before, but are they as skilled as they are with brewing beer, I gthink I might be in for a pleasant treat. It'd be perfect if they bottled it at cask strength as well, a small slap in the face to all the new whisky distilleries bottling spirit and weird cask enhanced youngsters. It smells fat, peaty, creamy, fresh, scallops, honey and beer braised beef. Meaty is the word I was looking for. The taste is mild and short compared to the nose, slight rubbery, a bit like overdone duck eggs and bitter weeds. The aftertaste is bitter and herbal. It's not far from some scotch whisky, on some respects, but again far from the best scotch. Best without water.

Nice on the nose, after that it misses its momentum: 4



Mackmyra NAS 50.6% OB 02 10th. anniversary Sweden

Time to try this one then, I believe it is my first cask strength whisky outside Great Britain and Ireland. From our neighboring country Sweden, both they and the Danes have a handful distilleries running at this point. I guess its typical for us Norwegians to be a bit behind, but we're coming along, as the Aas & Egge Single Malt eau di Biere is on the market, well all sold out now that is. If you wonder, they couldn't call it whisky as it was distilled from beer which contains hops. This one smells light and citrussy, lemon peel and fresh wood fruits, berries and wet moss. The taste is burnt, spirity, far from a good experience, it needs more layers to create a complexity that I look for in a good malt. This is a straight forward spirity adventure for the ones that likes that.. no wait, let's see if water helps. It gets lighter, and a bit more drinkable, a massive improvement from the rather raw and oak and alcohol clustered beast it started as.

Seems to me the biggest benefit of the scottish are the experience: 3



Glann Ar Mor NAS 46% OB Kornog Taouarc'd

If my sources are correct, is this a peated whisky from France, 3years old. I have tried a very little intriguing 3yo Bowmore bottled for a shop in Germany near the whore district in Hamburg. Could it be a fake?:) Anyway, this one isn't, and I think this is the first peated whisky I've tried from outside Great Britain and Ireland. Oh the Connemara... It smells peaty and perfumy, sort of this sweet peatiness that I find in some of the diluted Laphroaigs. The peat overshadows everything else except some sweet woody stuff, lawn right after autumn rain. Fresh and peaty. The taste is peaty and minty, the minty flavour is kind of withdrawn as it doesn't strike me until after the initial peat sensation is over. OK, it's not fantastic, it's kind of light and uninteresting, but in comparison to the other whiskies I've tried today, its not as spirity as the others, and the peat and other flavors gets to have a say.

Definitively the most balanced up until now, hence the score: 6.5

Glen Keith in its 20's 30's and 40's

I haven't had the best experiences with Glen Keith so far, I can't actually remember ever having a real good one. But the foursome of which I am about to try now should hopefully help that matter. Btw. I think it's easy to become biased and blended by the feel of exclusivity when tasting rarities, so I'll enjoy this one when there still are many reasonably priced Glen Keiths left on the market.



Glen Keith 40yo 1970-2010 45.1% The Whisky Agency

From an ex-bourbon hogshead, hopefully forty years will be enough to remedy the usually quite bitter and perfumy malt. But as I was mentioning becoming biased by positive associations its equally important not to pre-judge malt from a distillery based on former experiences, as every whisky tells a story of its own, doesn't it? And what story won't a 40 year old whisky be able to tell? Pretty light in color, smells very restrained, gonna need some time to develop, I'll let it sit.. After doing laundry, taking a shower and changing to a more festive outfit, it finally starts developing, lets say 20-30 minutes. And now there's this rich custard and moscatel reduction that is perfect for a hot summers day. The taste is peppery, a bit perfumy, and these beautiful sour and spicy notes, kind of like laurel broth (which I have never tasted, but the laurel adds this flavor to my irish stew.) Amazing, not as complex as I could've hoped for, but still a fantastic whisky altogether. A bit heavy on the aftertaste, the pepper notes gets the best of it now, maybe water will help. No. A bit of a letdown at the end, but the palate is sour and rich, and way more to my liking than other versions of Glen Keith that I've tried.

The wood has done an excellent job on this one: 8



Glen Keith 21yo 1973-1994 50.9% James MacArthur's

Going down a couple of decades in maturation, an older bottling, will the alleged effect of maturing in a bottle for almost twenty years have an impact, as of then, this shouldn't be very far from the 40 year old, but again, lets not get biased before I try this one. Also this one with a light color, sort of like apple cider. White wine perhaps. It smells instantly much more than the one from TWA. Perfumy, burnt sugar, burnt oil, sort of like a dessert meltdown. Some dark chocolate as well, and, oh yeah, there's definitively some dried apricot going on. The taste is peppery, honey, nylon, oaky, green tea, brick dust, much more dry than the TWA. It doesn't blow me away on the palate, but that doesn't mean its bad, not at all. It's just more rustic and a bit more subtle. The aftertaste is again too peppery, and water doesn't help here either.

An old style whisky, very pleasant: 6.5



Glen Keith 22yo 1978-2000 51.2% James MacArthur's

Another one from J.M. About the same age, bottled 6 years later, maybe they found an age profile that fits Glen Keiths malt spirit, without the time in cask making it an overpriced luxury product. But since its scotch, I guess it already is. Again this light, almost greenish yellow pale color. This time it smells much lighter than the 21yo, almost a bit oily, no not oily, more like, you know the damp that comes off when cooking fish stock. Like, it doesn't smell much but you know its gonna taste good, well I certainly hope so. After some time it gets spicier, but not as perfumy as its predecessors in this tasting. Much lighter, a certain highland style, I remember a couple of Fettercairns that reminded me of this one on the nose. The taste is much more like the TWA. These fantastic sour notes, sour leaves is the best I can describe it with, fantastic! It has a striking resemblence to the 40yo from TWA, not as smooth, and just a tad wilder. If you like your malt loud and clear, this is the one for you. Some pepperiness in the aftertaste, which again is the letdown for this malt.

I have to say this is sort of an intervention for a Glen Keith skeptic: 7



Craigduff 32yo 1975-2007 53.9% Signatory Vintage

An alternative version made at Glen Keith distillery. A peated Glen Keith, I think Glen Keith might have been the first distillery to make a peated version with a different name, which we are now seeing elsewhere, such as the Old Ballantruan of Tomintoul Distillery. It's gonna be fun to try this one. Golden color, Smells much sweeter than the previously tasted ones. Not that much of a peat influence, but it gets bigger and bigger as it sits. Air brings out quite some peat character in this one, and for that, there aren't much else to trace by using the nose. The taste then, it's peaty, perfumy and spirity, the bad things that I often find in Glen Keith, plus the peat. Peat doesn't make it a good whisky on its own, well documented by the 12yo Bowmore, and so is the case here. I don't think it even helps the case. How can this whisky be so raw and spirity after 32 years on wood? Well, I can perfectly understand why they decided not to move forward with this experimental speysider.

I'm sad to end a surprisingly good vertical on this note: 3

5 weird whiskies of different origin

I'd have hoped that last session with whiskies from asia would have diversed more from the scotch palate than what it did. Except from the Grand Royal which was another kind of "whisky", yet enjoyable. But from these ones I have no idea what to expect, other than that I'd be amazed if it's anything like scotch whisky. Trying new whiskies allows me to furthermore find brilliant producers, but it also to an extent confirms my trust in scotch whisky makers as the solely best of the art.



Cyprus Whisky - from Cyprus with love NAS 40% Cyprus Wineries

I have no idea what the history of this bottling is, seems to be a tourist flirt. It is a plastic bottle with a brown plastic top wrapped in some kind of leather envelope. This is tied together with a leather lace, and on one of the leather leaves it says "Hand made by Santa Marina Ltd." This all fancy and stuff, but how's the whisky? Golden orange color, smells burnt, but not bad, peppery, onion and stout. The taste is Fat, thick, oily, fruity, custard, cinnamon peel, very good stuff! It's very light and creamy, and at first it's more like a Barcardi white rum, extremely light, but the aforementioned flavors soon appears, and all in all its a rather perfect light summer malt, at least if I'd live in a hotter climate like Cyprus.

More layers of flavors than expected: 6


Well, I just had to open the leather condom to see the bottle inside. It turns out there is a miniature with a label called Old Oak Whisky, and it says " Imported Whisky Malt ennobled and well balanced with pure and absolutely neutral and double distilled alcohol at our distilleries." Anyway, it says its a whisky from cyprus, and I think they would've sould more selling just the miniature as it is instead of with a ridiculous brown cork top and a leather vase.



Zuidam 5yo 40% OB Dutch Rye Whisky

I haven't tried too much rye whisky yet, and certainly never from europe. Seems to have gotten much color from just 5 years in the cask, and being watered down to only 40%, maybe it's loaded with E150? Anyway, 40% whiskies gets harder and harder to come by if your not into blends. But the rising abvs on standard bottlings are all a sign that quality in increasing on the single malt market in my opinion. Smells peppery and dry/dusty. The taste is just peppery, a bit spirity and oaky, plain and boring. There is no aftertaste and it doesn't change with water, although it opens up a bit more.

Boring stuff: 3



Jacob Stück 43% Blend Germany

A small miniature with about 2 cl. volume. A very pale whisky, 3 years old. I feel that just under 2cl is a little too little when it comes to making a comprehensive whisky review, but on the other hand, there's always a first impression and usually its very right. Sometimes a whisky grows on me during a session, and if it isn't all that to begin with I ket it rest for a while and try it later, or even have a couple whiskies in between sips. Nothing on the nose, absolutely nothing, or ait a minute, maybe some tea and grassy notes. The taste is grassy and spirity.

One to have with coke, club soda or whatever, it's not enjoyable alone: 2



Old Grand-Dad NAS 43% Kentucky Straight Bourbon

I know a lot of these are going around on auctions and so on nowadays. In the past I have found it hard to find really enjoyable bourbons, maybe this one can make a change. I know there are a 100 proof version of this as well that I will try to get a hold of if it strikes me as whisky that could benefit much from higher abv. The colour is golden bronze, a nice red hue. It smells best of the bunch, honey, cinnamon, cloves, lots more honey and roasted red peppers. The taste is not as good, more burnt, bitter, a bit like the aftertaste of tonic water. Maybe it needs to be diluted although I don't think that is the way to go with bourbon? No, doesn't help, the smell was very good, but when the taste doesn't follow up its hard to give a good score.

I'm still waiting for my bourbon epiphany: 3



Fireball NAS 33% Red Hot Cinnamon Whisky Canada

I thought the rule of a minimum of 40% abv. to allow it to be called a whisky applied in Canada as well? Anyway, the bottle looks like something the teens on the block would mix with battery to make a high intensity energetic rave-mix to drink while listening to scooter or whatever is on the teenage charts today. But I'm a free and willing spirit, so let's try this one and see if it could be a disguised beauty. Appearance aside, cinnamon doesn't sound too bad in a whisky as it is one of the most common flavor notes when tasting Oloroso sherry cask matured whisky. Oh yeah, and on the back of the label it's very hip and coll written "Ignite the Nite". Now, it smells sweet, like some dry port wine, no whisky whatsoever. The taste is Sweet, sugary, honey and strawberries, before it turns peppery, more like hot 'n'sweet, or licorice Vodka if you like, but these spicy notes in the end are much more, chili, nuts, a bit of cinamon and curry. To say it in another way, it actually does taste very good although the initial sweetness is a bit too overpowering. I'd like to split this one in two and say that the palate initially is nauseatingly sweet, but the finish is perfectly sippable and a drink I easily could down a bottle of in one night. Even have beside some light cheese like mozzarella or an apple tart.

A perfectly good drink, but as a whisky it doesn't quite work: 3.5

4 asian whiskies from the lower shelves

I haven't had the best experiences with asian whisky yet although I must admit there have been occasions where some Japanese single malts and whiskies from Amrut Distillery in India has impressed me. Maybe one of these whiskies can turn out to be a wild card as I'm about to explore more whiskies from other parts of the world.



Grand Royal 43% Myanmar(Burma)

OK, is this a whisky? The label states "Premium Quality Malt Whisky Matured in Oak Casks", all right, so far... Furter reading shows "...Produced from imported whisky concentrate and high quality potable alcohol." So what this means is that the spirit, which should be malted barley, referencing first quote, is then again mixed with whisky concentrate imported from well, possibly anywhere whisky is made. This is again mixed with "potable spirit" meaning just an alcoholic beverage made for consumption, again referencing to first quote, it should be malt. I do not know enough of this to conclude on anything, but the back label says it's "Proudly bottled by Myanmar Winery & Distillery Co. under technical supervision of International Experts." Please, if anyone have further details of what this is made of, please e-mail me. Grand Royal is also the first whisky ever to be exported from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar a.k.a. Burma. Light color, apple cider. The nose is very light and fruity, aperitif style, minty and flour sugar, not much more, but it has none of the off-notes that I've sometimes found in strange whiskies from the Himalayan outback, Sikkim Gold anyone? The taste is mild, sweet, minty, herbal, linseeds and green tea. A pleasant surprise, and far from the train-wreck one could've anticipated. It has something of Loch Lomond going one, and its far from matured long enough. But it has some charm in al its simplicity.

Well made aperitif, I'd have tonic water and a piece of lemon with this one: 4



Jade Supremacy Taiwan Whisky

I don't know the strength on this one as it's all a bunch of asian letters other than the statement "Smooth and Rich - Distilled, Blended and Bottled in Taiwan". And it was bottled 28.10.2010, as I hope it isn't the expiry date. I have some Kavalan single malts I'm gonna try down the road, but for my first Taiwanese whisky adventure I thought I'd have something with a bit more traditionally charged name. The smell is kind of stale, burnt rubber and old coffee. The taste is peppery and almost peaty. Sweet and burnt, but the aftertaste is just plain spirity.

Like a low-shelf blend: 2.5



Super Nikka NAS 43%

Japanese Blend, I don't think I've tried too many of these. It's a fancy decanter at least. It smells of light flintiness, sort of dry but not drying, if you get what I mean? There aren't much too it. Light and easy with some cream and caramel toffee. A sweet treat? Dessert blend? The taste is sweet and toffee-ish, with a bitter licorice and school eraser bite. Again dry, but not like sherry-dry or anything, just that it doesn't bring anything assembling fruitiness, oak or even malt, just like some kind bitters. Genever? Stroh? The aftertaste is light and toasted, like some toasted wheat bread and salty butter. One to take in big mouthfuls as if sipped the taste is just too short/light to get a real glimpse of.

Light, easy, like any other blend: 5



The Blend of Nikka 45%

Another japanese blend from Nikka, now up 2%abv more and with the label statement of "Maltbase whisky" will this be a more powerful and malty whisky? Another fancy decanter, this time a square one, slightly darker than the Super. The nose is a bit more phenolic, salty, cotton, cinnamon and burnt grease. The taste is dry and peppery, again not as complex as I'd hoped. A rather easy whisky with a firm peppery style, reminds me a bit of some of the archetypal Mortlachs I've tried. The aftertaste is also peppery and keeps on the same note till the end. A one-dimensional blend, but the taste is well up there amongst some of the standard malts around.

Peppery style from start to finish: 5.5

4 Glen Grants distilled pre 1975

I don't believe I've ever been blown away by a Glen Grant yet, but I remember a standard OB that I really enjoyed a while back. Word of mouth has it that the Glen Grant's maybe in need of a few more years on wood to develop an interesting character, than most other single malts. Maybe these ones will work out for me?



Glen Grant 18yo 1972-1990 46% Cadenhead's

One bottled back in the days when a lot of good casks still were diluted down to 40-46%abv. Nice golden brown color, big on the nose, prunes, dark grapes, dark chocolate, malt syrup, coffee and caramel. The taste is amazingly sweet, chilled sherry and radishes, earthy and herbal yet syrupy with caramel, honey and chili, amazing! No water please! The aftertaste is long, and it keeps on developing into a dry sherry style until the end. Fino style.

Maybe the top dog amongst GlenGrants so far: 8.5



Glen Grant 26yo 1974-2000 50.5% Scott's Selection

I'm not sure if I've tried a bottling from the Selection of Robert Scott yet, but I know I have a few lying around. I know they have a Fettercairn I'm looking forward to try. This one has a light golden color and is bottled at "natural cask strength" as the label states. Are there any "un-natural cask strength" or "artificial cask strength"? It smells much lighter than the Cadenhead's, no sherry influence, just some oak, vanilla and... no, wait a minute, there's no alcohol influence at all in the odor, even at 50+%abv. Maybe it needs water, but lets not jump to any conclusions just yet, I'll try it bare at first. Now I've waited about 15 minutes, but no improvement on the nose. The taste is oaky, minty, light, fresh, a summers dram, with no aftertaste. It'd be a perfect 30 quid 12yo OB for everyday enjoyment. But at this age and price I feel it should be a bit more assertive, let's add water. Now it opens up, same citric cidity, and sweet marmalade comes forth. The finish is of red onions and basil.

A massive improvement with water: 6.5



Glen Grant 38yo 1972-2011 52.8% TWA Grotesque Crocs

From a refill hogshead, matured over twice as long as the rather excellent 18yo Cadenhead's. Will it be twice as good? Or even at the same level? One of my small problems with TWA (the only one actually), is that they sometimes leaves the whisky to mature too long in cask. At least that's my opinion, as their whiskies always seems somewhat flawless, they also can come across as a bit dull and lacking what you'd call heart and soul, or character if you like. This one has a very mellow sherry-mark on the nose. It needs time to open up. After well 10 minutes there's some developing of fruitiness, red juices, watermelon, grapefruit, kiwis and raspberries. The taste is at first intense, sweet and sharp, flavors of berries and red bell peppers. Flawless, yet also a bit boring, needs a bit more punch and potency, lets add water. Now its still fruity, actually almost identical, and there's still very little or no aftertaste from this one.

Perfectly flawless summer malt: 7



Glen Grant 36yo 1973-2010 53.6% TWA Insects

Another one from the Whisky Agency, from a fresh sherry cask this time, although not any darker than the Grotesque Crocs. Shows that Ralfy maybe right, that color doesn't really tell you anything and its all a variation of "the color piss":). Anyway, to me its dark golden, or creamy cinnamon to be more reference-specific. The smell is burnt, a bit sulphury, dry rubber and burnt hair, rather unpleasant unfortunately. The taste is sweet and sulphury, bitter, not to my liking, a bit like chewing bitter leaves from different garden plants. Maybe water will help. Now it becomes even harder to swallow, one of the few TWA bottlings I've come across that actually makes me feel nauseated.

Rubbery and sulphury, sweet and grim: 2

3 Glenrothes at Cask Strength

Glenrothes is a distillery that I have not tried enough of yet, probably because I think their standard bottlings are mediocre at best. But I have tried some really good Glenrothes from IB's before and I hope there will be released more of it in the near future.




Glenrothes 17yo 1988-2005 54.1% James MacArthur's

Light golden color on this one, the first of two from JM in this small vertical. It smells plain spirity, no vanilla, no oak, no sherry, More in the new-make style. Needs time. It develops on toffee and licorice, much better after a couple of minutes. The taste is honeyed and burnt toast, still spirity, needs water. With some water it becomes very "bready", burnt toast and wheat flour. Nothing wrong with it and definitively an unforeseen outcome. The spirity notes are gone and a finish on molasses and pepper, ground chili and cinnamon.

It starts raw and spirity, but develops into a mellow, yet eccentric malt: 7



Glenrothes 18yo 58.2% The Golden Cask

I have little experience with the Golden Cask, but I remember a Springbank that was spot on. Same light golden color as the 1988 JM. Turns quickly hazy when poured, something that didn't happen with the JM1988. This one has a much more distinct flavor of wood, tobacco and eucalyptus/mint. A weird odor, but it doesn't put me off, not at all. The taste is, what do you call it, soulful? Malt syrup, roasted almonds, gaspachio, red wine, melted sugar, raw tender meat, garlic, sherry, amaretto, and it's so thick! This is almost like a well made barbecue glaze. I'll add water just to see what happens, although obviously not necessary. With water it gets this tonic water feel, grows in your mouth, I was stupid to dilute, but I'm going to rank this one as if not tasted with water.

A mighty warrior, would be the last one to kill in battle: 8



Glenrothes NAS 1989-? 63.8% James MacArthur's Old Master's

One Glenrothes at a crazy strength. Usually I have a sort of mixed view on whiskies above 60%. If a Fettercairn of other light highland/speysider, it might be fantastic, just as well as any young Islayer, I remember a Port Sgioba(or something like that) Port Charlotte that was utterly fantastic. But then again, the middle of the road classic malt (Macallan, Tamdhu, Linkwood, Aberlour etc..) I feel should be bottled around 50%abv. And Glenrothes falls into that category for me, but maybe this will change my mind? Color is the same as the last two, light golden, and again it gets hazy pretty quickly. The smell shows lots of spirityness. Sort of a stronger version of the 1988Jm. Needs a lot of time. Later its still spirity above anything else, usually I'd just put water in this one, but for the sake of personal science I'll try this one bare. The taste is like expected, spirity like a new-make, or high strength vodka. Needs water. Water makes it a bit better, but still it's mostly this dry spirity feeling. Something like a very dry riesling. Not as fun as the other two. Not my kind of malt.

Spirity stuff, one to get drunk with, nothing more for me unfortunately: 2.5

Two Glenlossies' hard to tell apart

First of all, these two Glenlossies are bot miniatures in green bottles from James MacArthur's. They're both 12 years old and they're both 62.4%. Seems like the same whisky? Oh yes. But the labels difference slightly as one bears a vintage statement of 1977 whilst the other one carries the cask reference "Cask 4992". Are there anyone out who knows for sure wether these are from the same cask or if it's just coincidences?



Glenlossie 12yo 1977-1989 62.4% James MacArthur's

The color varies a bit on these ones, as this is slightly darkerthan the "cask 1992". It smells extremely strong, peppery, and oaky, needs time, and water if I'm not mistaken, let's see. The taste is It's so fucking strong, excuse my language, but this is just too much. Peppery and oaky, needs definitively watery. With water it gets sweeter, still a bit raw and spirity, like sugar and vodka, crazy style, sugar, spirit and bitter kräuter-likör.

Is it good? Yes! Is it to extreme for most people? Sure: 5



Glenlossie 12yo 62.4% James MacArthur's Cask#4992

This one is slightly paler than the 1977-version, and just a bit more diluted from what I can tell by somparing the fill level, but on the other hand, it could be stored in a different climate, or the bottle could even have been filled at a slightly lower level. It smells lighter, nutty, peaty and peppery. The taste is just the same as the 1977-version, just a bit more exotic? Replace the pepperiness with some red chili and chorizo.Needs some water. Water brings this one down, way down, to blend-style.

Good, but different from the 1977?: 5