Time to try some Bowmore, one of the single malts that I have tried the most expressions of. And to say the least, it's had its ups and downs, never know what to expect from Bowmore. Many older Bowmores from 70's and 80's are cherished items amongst collectors or enthusiasts with whole lotta dough on their hands. I'm not one of them, so I will in this session try 4 whiskies none older than 11yo.
Operation Overlord 2004 D-Day 60th anniversary NAS 43% OB/IB??? btl.2/100
Come to think of it, this is perhaps not even a Bowmore, as there is no label stating that, or any online information to confirm. The only source to back up this conclusion is that the seller said so! I guess I'll just have to believe him until now at least. Time to try and see for myself, can I distinguish if this is a Bowmore or not? Light color, somewhere in the middle of apple juice and white wine. Smells spirity, marshmallows, soft apple and grenadine, a little smokiness and some almond oil. Lots of almond oil actually. The taste is light and spirity, I can't say wether this is a Bowmore or not as there are small smoky hints all the way. If I were to guess I'd thought it'd be a less than good young Ledaig or even a more recent young Bruichladdich. Most of all it is spirity, bad bad spirit.
Can be Bowmore, but far from a good one: 2
Bowmore 10yo 1984-1994 43% OB Commemorating Seve Ballesteros St. Andrews OC winner 1984
A golfers whisky? Seve Ballesteros won the Open Championships back in 1984, with an incredible, I guess, 276 score! I have never known the sport(!) of Golf, so no idea, but I know the sport of whisky, and now I'm going to perform some;) A bit darker than the O.O.-version, albeit more golden, apple juice. Smells light, mild, cream cheese, salt, bonfire, fresh air, day after rain, oranges. This one is far less smoky than the O.O. on the nose, but yet more fun and refreshing. The taste is light, soapy and peppery, one of the lightest Islayers I've ever had. It's not bad in any way, it just doesn't manage to make an impact of anything other than being a sweet, light whisky. Maybe, even though I doubt it in this case, I wonder if this could use some water?Dilution is not the answer here, more off-notes, chalk, industrial glue and spirity notes.
Better on the nose, same on the palate, worse on the finish than the O.O.: 2
Bowmore 10yo 2000-2010 45% James MacArthur's cask#20090
This one is of somewhat younger age than the previous two, and I have a huge appreciation for James MacArthur's as they bottle many great young whiskies at cask strength that's hard to come by anywhere else unless huge money is put on the table. Seems some distilleries are only worth bottling at crazy old age, to the IB's. Money talks, and have always done that. Anyway, back to the notes. Color of white wine, smells more smoky than the other two, and a bit burnt, not sophisticated like older sherried islayers, but it has that smoky, salty style that most "good" islayers do. Real stuff!!! Amazing peatiness, perfect, but it don't get much competition in this one. It tastes like bitter beer, hints of light, summer style salty air, sea style, dried algae, coastal flavors, fish eggs, but all that aside, it's mostly peppery. Hardcore light Islay style, doesn't make sense, but I could drink as much as I'd like of this and never be disappointed.
Light, peppery, coastal, young and new Islay in a glass: 4
Bowmore 11yo 1979-1990 58.4% Cadenhead's
I know there are rumors around saying that something terrible happened to Bowmore during the 80's, the quality of their new-make went down. I have no idea, I have never tried a Bowmore distilled in the 70's. Up until now that is. As I mentioned in last taste note, J.McA. is a company bottling unusual whiskies, and so is Cadenhead's lots of whiskies that you'll probably never be likely to find alikes of was bottled by Cadenhead's in the 60's 70's and 80's. Again this light white wine color, smells phenolic, burnt, ashes, sawdust, honey and vanilla, even coconut oil. Amazing in all it's startled glory. It's one of movies that never would've won the Oscars due to low investments in productions, yet the story is so great it covers the whole range of emotions in the jury. Give it time an it opens up on burnt oak, nuts, almond, extreme peat, smokiness, raw fish, sea salt, honey, bonfire, crushed maize and sweet floral notes and gazebo papers(old books). The taste is so peaty and powerful!!! This seems even more peaty than many Laphroaigs, Octomores, Ardbegs and so on. It's just so concentrated! I'm almost getting angry now!!! Why don't they bottle Bowmore like this anymore? I'll let in some water just to cool myself down. Now it becomes just the perfect dry apple core on caramel and cinnamon finish.
Well, smooth and perfect is wasn't, but it was something else as Sid'd tell you: 7.5
Next tasting: Spirits!!! (A special non-whisky whisky treat)
onsdag 16. november 2011
torsdag 10. november 2011
6 different grain distilleries ranging 10-45 years old
I haven't yet had my grand revelation to the often referred point that many older grain whiskies are solid gold. Maybe this tasting will prove different, at least I hope so. Some of these distilleries I have never tried before. It's gonna be interesting, that I know for sure looking at the lineup.
Invergordon 37yo 1972-2009 44% First Cask cask#63641
I have only tried the 10yo standard Invergordon, which was not to my surprise, a pretty neutral and weak grain whisky. I know much of it goes into the Whyte & MacKay blends. Which is usually much to my liking. At this age it still smells like a light and young whisky, needs some time to open up at this age. Licorice, wheat flour, dried hay, wheat, dry and light, lighter than most blends I've come across. Not much from the cask so far, a bourbon cask by the way. The taste is light (surprise!!!), lemon, vanilla, paper and raw wheat flour. It's so sweet and light I wouldn't dare add water, but for my own research's sake, I will in this case. With a small addition it becomes a bit spirity.
A fine and gentle whisky, but yawn...: 4.5
Garnheath 43yo 1967-2010 44.4% Clan Denny cask#6642
From a hogshead, this one should really have a wood impact, considering it's age in wood. I haven't got much experience with either the bottler or the distillery, having had only one or two bottlings from Clan Denny ahead of this one. And one from Garnheath, which I think also were from C.D. and 45 years of age. Another one that's light in color. smells citrussy, lemons and grape fruit, interesting, but also very light when considering time in cask and that its bottled at cask strength. Some minty and peppery notes as well, again it seems much younger than its actual age. The taste is light and intensely herbal, lots of greens, again some lemon and mint, basil and chives, again a small disappointment, but a step or two up from the Invergordon, a bit fuller in flavor.
At this age, well I guess it could've gone several more years one oak: 5.5
North British 45yo 1963-2008 50.7% Signatory Vintage
The matriarch of the bunch, the old grand-dad, 45 years old, I do not often come across whiskies at this age, and I usually don't even remotely consider buying them because of the ridiculous expense. But thankfully there are cheaper alternatives, like blends or grains, which usually comes much fairer priced. This one is much darker than the prior two, orange hue. Much more powerful on the nose, radishes, phenols, dried sage, dried basils, sort of a sherried take on a very herbal whisky. But then I have to say, if this is the case, after so long time, the spirit stands up well to the sherry influence. Some rum as well. The taste is sweet and burnt, phenolic, sugar candy, more like port than sherry, plums and vanilla fudge. Water is needed. Now it gets some more vanilla and bitterness.
It has more edge to it, but it struggles with some off-notes: 5
Greenore 10yo 2000-2011 52.9% OB for Belgium cask#87
Irish single grain, I've had one before, but this is my first one at cask strength. Pale color, probably from bourbon casks. This most definitively bourbon matured, huge vanilla, cream and lemon on the nose, a sweet treat, but it's so intense it makes up for the lack of so-called complexity. The taste is just what the nose promised, intense lemon, vanilla, vanilla curd, full fat cream and some raisins. Little to no aftertaste. Well done job cask(s)!
Fantastic in all its simplicity: 7
Cameronbridge 30yo Adelphi 1979-2009 56.6% Adelphi
I had a 30yo Cameronbridge from Adelphi a couple of years back, it was superb, I think I rated it a 9.5'er. This one is sort of light, color of very light rosé wine, I remember the 9.5 one to be way darker, but I could be wrong. It smells peppery, soft fruits, tannins, honey, melted butter and sugar, I love it so far. The taste is... oh, now it's all coming back to me, honey, leather, cough syrup, light phenols, sherry, drying (in a very good way), licorice, red paprika, coffee, cream (bailey's), sun-dried tomatoes, cinnamon, wow!!! I don't think I can describe this one much more without becoming pretentiously positive.
Fantastic, but not the same, served more chilled this time, still: 9.5
Carsebridge 26yo 1979-2005 60.3% Duncan Taylor cask#32903
First one popping the 60% limit, I know I'm a bit of a criminal drinking alcoholic beverage at this strength in the country of which I'm residing. It's a strange law as I think there are so many whiskies +60% that's absolutely amazing. But I don't think it's the malt drinkers they're after. Anyway, if opportunity shows, please do try an older sherried 60+% single malt, as I have never been disappointed by such, and I've tried a few. many older whiskies that falls in %abv. into the 40's loses a lit of it's punch(if u know what I mean), but at high proof, the spirit handles the wood impact in glorious manner. Enough now, let's taste. light golden color, smells much more spirity than the Cameronbridge, burnt sugar, some vanilla, and red plums, prunes, sweet rounded fruitiness. Tight stuff, if you know what I mean... Smells dry. The taste is very burnt and dry, yet with a sort of prunes and juniper berries mixed taste, dark fruits. I'll add some water though maybe not needed in this one. With water it becomes lighter, and pretty boring, leather and mashed potatoes, avocado, fat.
It's good enough undiluted, don't add water: 6.5
Next tasting: Bowmore Distillery
Invergordon 37yo 1972-2009 44% First Cask cask#63641
I have only tried the 10yo standard Invergordon, which was not to my surprise, a pretty neutral and weak grain whisky. I know much of it goes into the Whyte & MacKay blends. Which is usually much to my liking. At this age it still smells like a light and young whisky, needs some time to open up at this age. Licorice, wheat flour, dried hay, wheat, dry and light, lighter than most blends I've come across. Not much from the cask so far, a bourbon cask by the way. The taste is light (surprise!!!), lemon, vanilla, paper and raw wheat flour. It's so sweet and light I wouldn't dare add water, but for my own research's sake, I will in this case. With a small addition it becomes a bit spirity.
A fine and gentle whisky, but yawn...: 4.5
Garnheath 43yo 1967-2010 44.4% Clan Denny cask#6642
From a hogshead, this one should really have a wood impact, considering it's age in wood. I haven't got much experience with either the bottler or the distillery, having had only one or two bottlings from Clan Denny ahead of this one. And one from Garnheath, which I think also were from C.D. and 45 years of age. Another one that's light in color. smells citrussy, lemons and grape fruit, interesting, but also very light when considering time in cask and that its bottled at cask strength. Some minty and peppery notes as well, again it seems much younger than its actual age. The taste is light and intensely herbal, lots of greens, again some lemon and mint, basil and chives, again a small disappointment, but a step or two up from the Invergordon, a bit fuller in flavor.
At this age, well I guess it could've gone several more years one oak: 5.5
North British 45yo 1963-2008 50.7% Signatory Vintage
The matriarch of the bunch, the old grand-dad, 45 years old, I do not often come across whiskies at this age, and I usually don't even remotely consider buying them because of the ridiculous expense. But thankfully there are cheaper alternatives, like blends or grains, which usually comes much fairer priced. This one is much darker than the prior two, orange hue. Much more powerful on the nose, radishes, phenols, dried sage, dried basils, sort of a sherried take on a very herbal whisky. But then I have to say, if this is the case, after so long time, the spirit stands up well to the sherry influence. Some rum as well. The taste is sweet and burnt, phenolic, sugar candy, more like port than sherry, plums and vanilla fudge. Water is needed. Now it gets some more vanilla and bitterness.
It has more edge to it, but it struggles with some off-notes: 5
Greenore 10yo 2000-2011 52.9% OB for Belgium cask#87
Irish single grain, I've had one before, but this is my first one at cask strength. Pale color, probably from bourbon casks. This most definitively bourbon matured, huge vanilla, cream and lemon on the nose, a sweet treat, but it's so intense it makes up for the lack of so-called complexity. The taste is just what the nose promised, intense lemon, vanilla, vanilla curd, full fat cream and some raisins. Little to no aftertaste. Well done job cask(s)!
Fantastic in all its simplicity: 7
Cameronbridge 30yo Adelphi 1979-2009 56.6% Adelphi
I had a 30yo Cameronbridge from Adelphi a couple of years back, it was superb, I think I rated it a 9.5'er. This one is sort of light, color of very light rosé wine, I remember the 9.5 one to be way darker, but I could be wrong. It smells peppery, soft fruits, tannins, honey, melted butter and sugar, I love it so far. The taste is... oh, now it's all coming back to me, honey, leather, cough syrup, light phenols, sherry, drying (in a very good way), licorice, red paprika, coffee, cream (bailey's), sun-dried tomatoes, cinnamon, wow!!! I don't think I can describe this one much more without becoming pretentiously positive.
Fantastic, but not the same, served more chilled this time, still: 9.5
Carsebridge 26yo 1979-2005 60.3% Duncan Taylor cask#32903
First one popping the 60% limit, I know I'm a bit of a criminal drinking alcoholic beverage at this strength in the country of which I'm residing. It's a strange law as I think there are so many whiskies +60% that's absolutely amazing. But I don't think it's the malt drinkers they're after. Anyway, if opportunity shows, please do try an older sherried 60+% single malt, as I have never been disappointed by such, and I've tried a few. many older whiskies that falls in %abv. into the 40's loses a lit of it's punch(if u know what I mean), but at high proof, the spirit handles the wood impact in glorious manner. Enough now, let's taste. light golden color, smells much more spirity than the Cameronbridge, burnt sugar, some vanilla, and red plums, prunes, sweet rounded fruitiness. Tight stuff, if you know what I mean... Smells dry. The taste is very burnt and dry, yet with a sort of prunes and juniper berries mixed taste, dark fruits. I'll add some water though maybe not needed in this one. With water it becomes lighter, and pretty boring, leather and mashed potatoes, avocado, fat.
It's good enough undiluted, don't add water: 6.5
Next tasting: Bowmore Distillery
onsdag 9. november 2011
5 recent Glendronachs from sherry casks
I have to admit this, sampling 3cl bottles, which I am today is not the same as 5cl by far. At least not for me.. 3cl is only one mouthful, yes, one should sip the whisky in moderation, but when drinking whisky, sometimes I feel the need for a bigger gulp to really enjoy it. As whisky flavor evolves when given time and air in a glass, 3cl is a little too little, when divided into four or five small sips. But then again, if a whisky is good, it's good, and that's what I'm about to find out here. I haven't tried too many sherried expressions of Glendronach so this will give me a great chance to do so. Last session with Glendronach just a short while back was very enjoyable.
Glendronach 20yo 1990-2011 50.1% OB cask#1032 Sherry Puncheon
If I'm not mistaken, a puncheons are about the biggest casks on the market, which usually means it is going to need more time to mature the whisky. Maybe this gives the same oak influence as 10 years in a bourbon hogshead? This cask alone has produced no less than 728 btls. Smells phenolic and dry sherry, cinnamon and cloves. Some raw shallots as well, sweet onion? Given time it develops into a more honeyed and matured style, much sweeter, like a rich perfume and fresh oil-based paint. The taste is huge, lots of sweetness, cardamum, cinnamon, honey at first before it all get shortly worn down by bitter phenolic notes and a spirity zing. One that needs water. With added water it bursts open and there's mint, paint again, leather, chevre and green olives. Dry and a wee bitter, but all in all a good whisky, I can't decide wether I liked it best bare or diluted.
Good stuff, but won't stand out as much more: 6
Glendronach 19yo 1991-2011 50.4% OB cask#3181 Sherry Puncheon
Another puncheon, maybe this time the sherry influence will not be so dominating, and some of the brilliant flavors I found in my last Glendronach-tasting will shine through in this one as well. This one seems even a bit darker than the last one. Needs more time to open up. Once that's done it becomes clear to me that this is not phenolic, it's not sweet, it's not even remotely sherried, it smells more like a middle dry red wine. Zinfandel? I don't complain as I love a good zinfandel based red wine. Sort of the Ruel Fox of red wines, always doing a good job, but sometimes proves a bit too short (read light-weight), unfortunately. The taste is Much thicker than the #1032, layers and layers of butter, honey, wax, licorice, soy beans, brie curd and black peppers. The aftertaste is more on the bitter and burning side, but a leap up from the #1032. No water in this one.
Thicker and fuller Glendronach: 6.5
Glendronach 21yo 1989-2011 54.1% OB cask#2917 Sherry Puncheon
By the way, all the whiskies up until now in this tasting have come from a PX sherry puncheon, the next two will be from Oloroso butts. This one is much lighter in color than the other two. Smells of turnips, licorice, mint, vanilla, leather, eraser and mashed juniper. A bit different than what I'd expected based on the previous two. The taste is thick and full, honey and cinnamon, the dessert whisky of the bunch. It lacks the phenolic and somewhat peppery aftertaste of the previous two, but that doesn't bother me. There is also sun-dried tomatoes, smoked & salted mutton leg(Norwegian christmas delicacy). Rustic, big, intense taste of layers upon layers of sweet and salty flavors.
Maybe the ultimate christmas whisky: 10
Glendronach 19yo 1992-2011 59.2% OB cask#161 Sherry Butt
Now this should bring something else to the table. What I have always admired with these Oloroso butts is that they seem to keep the %abv at very high level. Some even seem to exceed the alcohol volume after a while. I remember having a 35yo at 65% back in the days, don't remember, but I think it was an Inchgower, and I remember it was excellent. I know, many people are very interested in cask numbers, single casks, cask types, age and such, I do to a certain extent, but try not too. Cause when all is said and done, it comes down to this: Was it a good whisky? Nothing more, nothing less. This is the darkest of the bunch so far what color is concerned. Dark brownish stuff. It smells phenolic at first, not much more, I'll let it rest awhile. Now it becomes even more phenolic, completely overshadows anything else that might be there, I suspect this one might need water but I'm gonna try without first. The taste is a bit peppery and minty, but becomes phenolic and drying very soon. With water added. It's still phenolic, bitter, spirity and over-oaky.
This must be the biggest disappointment I've had so far from Glendronach: 2
Glendronach 17yo 1994-2001 60.1% OB cask#97 Sherry Butt
Another one from Oloroso sherry butt, I thought oloroso was more of a sweet dessert sherry, but if that is true, my last whisky couldn't be fetching much from the cask, or the cask wasn't fetching much from the sherry, who knows. But the color was much darker than this one anyway. It smells sharper, more spirity, grainier, almost as if it'd come from a second or third refill cask. That settles quickly and it gets sweeter, lighter, banana, malt syrup and ginger. Very sweet and light. This reminds me of the HP12 back in the days when the sherry content were higher. The taste is sweet dry and burnt, like burnt sugar and rucola. Needs water. With water it gets blander, nothing much going on here. sweet, dry and burnt, but less off-notes than the #161. I can't have much more of this, it's so weak despite 60+%abv.
Another version that failed miserable as to what I expected/hoped for: 2.5
Next tasting: Grain Distilleries
Glendronach 20yo 1990-2011 50.1% OB cask#1032 Sherry Puncheon
If I'm not mistaken, a puncheons are about the biggest casks on the market, which usually means it is going to need more time to mature the whisky. Maybe this gives the same oak influence as 10 years in a bourbon hogshead? This cask alone has produced no less than 728 btls. Smells phenolic and dry sherry, cinnamon and cloves. Some raw shallots as well, sweet onion? Given time it develops into a more honeyed and matured style, much sweeter, like a rich perfume and fresh oil-based paint. The taste is huge, lots of sweetness, cardamum, cinnamon, honey at first before it all get shortly worn down by bitter phenolic notes and a spirity zing. One that needs water. With added water it bursts open and there's mint, paint again, leather, chevre and green olives. Dry and a wee bitter, but all in all a good whisky, I can't decide wether I liked it best bare or diluted.
Good stuff, but won't stand out as much more: 6
Glendronach 19yo 1991-2011 50.4% OB cask#3181 Sherry Puncheon
Another puncheon, maybe this time the sherry influence will not be so dominating, and some of the brilliant flavors I found in my last Glendronach-tasting will shine through in this one as well. This one seems even a bit darker than the last one. Needs more time to open up. Once that's done it becomes clear to me that this is not phenolic, it's not sweet, it's not even remotely sherried, it smells more like a middle dry red wine. Zinfandel? I don't complain as I love a good zinfandel based red wine. Sort of the Ruel Fox of red wines, always doing a good job, but sometimes proves a bit too short (read light-weight), unfortunately. The taste is Much thicker than the #1032, layers and layers of butter, honey, wax, licorice, soy beans, brie curd and black peppers. The aftertaste is more on the bitter and burning side, but a leap up from the #1032. No water in this one.
Thicker and fuller Glendronach: 6.5
Glendronach 21yo 1989-2011 54.1% OB cask#2917 Sherry Puncheon
By the way, all the whiskies up until now in this tasting have come from a PX sherry puncheon, the next two will be from Oloroso butts. This one is much lighter in color than the other two. Smells of turnips, licorice, mint, vanilla, leather, eraser and mashed juniper. A bit different than what I'd expected based on the previous two. The taste is thick and full, honey and cinnamon, the dessert whisky of the bunch. It lacks the phenolic and somewhat peppery aftertaste of the previous two, but that doesn't bother me. There is also sun-dried tomatoes, smoked & salted mutton leg(Norwegian christmas delicacy). Rustic, big, intense taste of layers upon layers of sweet and salty flavors.
Maybe the ultimate christmas whisky: 10
Glendronach 19yo 1992-2011 59.2% OB cask#161 Sherry Butt
Now this should bring something else to the table. What I have always admired with these Oloroso butts is that they seem to keep the %abv at very high level. Some even seem to exceed the alcohol volume after a while. I remember having a 35yo at 65% back in the days, don't remember, but I think it was an Inchgower, and I remember it was excellent. I know, many people are very interested in cask numbers, single casks, cask types, age and such, I do to a certain extent, but try not too. Cause when all is said and done, it comes down to this: Was it a good whisky? Nothing more, nothing less. This is the darkest of the bunch so far what color is concerned. Dark brownish stuff. It smells phenolic at first, not much more, I'll let it rest awhile. Now it becomes even more phenolic, completely overshadows anything else that might be there, I suspect this one might need water but I'm gonna try without first. The taste is a bit peppery and minty, but becomes phenolic and drying very soon. With water added. It's still phenolic, bitter, spirity and over-oaky.
This must be the biggest disappointment I've had so far from Glendronach: 2
Glendronach 17yo 1994-2001 60.1% OB cask#97 Sherry Butt
Another one from Oloroso sherry butt, I thought oloroso was more of a sweet dessert sherry, but if that is true, my last whisky couldn't be fetching much from the cask, or the cask wasn't fetching much from the sherry, who knows. But the color was much darker than this one anyway. It smells sharper, more spirity, grainier, almost as if it'd come from a second or third refill cask. That settles quickly and it gets sweeter, lighter, banana, malt syrup and ginger. Very sweet and light. This reminds me of the HP12 back in the days when the sherry content were higher. The taste is sweet dry and burnt, like burnt sugar and rucola. Needs water. With water it gets blander, nothing much going on here. sweet, dry and burnt, but less off-notes than the #161. I can't have much more of this, it's so weak despite 60+%abv.
Another version that failed miserable as to what I expected/hoped for: 2.5
Next tasting: Grain Distilleries
lørdag 5. november 2011
3 Dufftowns
Some distilleries that are open is very hard to get hold of other than distillery botllings of, Strathmill, Cardhu, Deanston for instance. Dufftown is also one of these whiskies I think, having only tasted about three versions of it since the start of my blogging in april 2008. This gonna be fun, one of those tasting where I have absolutely no idea what to expect.
Dufftown 20yo 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing
This is one of the darkest whiskies I've tried, red wine color, barely transparent. One of thos old fantastic OMC sherry casks? Smells sweet, honey, raisins, cinnamon, cumin, more honey and caramel toffee, a bit buttery. Amazing! The taste is bitter and resinous, after that lovely nose this is somewhat a letdown. I think it needs some water as it seems somewhat restrained. With added water it gets a bit more synthetic, not much better, but most of the rather awful bitterness (cotton and phenols) disappears. The aftertaste on the other hand is a grace such as the nose, light and peppery, red paprika, honey and lightly phenolic.
A bit off tracks, yet fun to try, one I'd rather nose than taste: 6.5
Dufftown 27yo 1982-2010 53.6% Bladnoch Distillery Forum
This one is way paler in color, I find it's getting further and further between the extreme sherry-bombs nowadays. But when trying fairly new ground(to me), I think it's nice to see it in different colors(literally). Smells bitter perfume, mint candy and bitter herbs. Very bitter, is this the awful flavor that the sherry cask to a certain extent managed to hide in the OMC bottling? When the nose here is the disappointment, the palate is on the other hand very good. Much vanilla, cream, mint, flour sugar, maple syrup and chestnuts. The finish is rather short and peppery, and leaves a little to be desired, although it doesn't ruin it for the exciting palate in any way.
Sweet stuff, matured well with its youth still intact: 6.5
Dufftown 13yo 59.4% James MacArthur's
I see some people often starting with tasting the youngest whisky of the session and saving the oldest, and probably more sought after whiskies till the end, like a grand finale. Not always a good idea, as the young ones often have a higher %abv, at least it's often the case with young cask strengths. And peatiness mellows over time in a cask if you're having an Islay tasting or such alike. I have the 13yo as the last whisky as it's about 6% higher in alcohol volume, so the taste is likely to be stronger. The color on this one is almost like water, one of the lightest colored whiskies I've tried. I wonder what happened if they watered it down, it'd look like Vodka? It smells heavy and spirity. Bitter stuff, this bitterness has followed me through this entire tasting, whatever I have to say about this whisky, in holds a certain standard throughout. It's a bitter whisky. The taste is so dry, it's like licking, and even chewing dry wood, combined with spirity notes. This one needs water. Diluted it becomes even more aggressive, burning my tongue, spirity as hell. This is a kick to any palate, seems so raw it could've been new-make.
Raw and immature. My guess is it's a bad cask: 2.5
Next tasting: Glendronach Distillery
Dufftown 20yo 50% Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing
This is one of the darkest whiskies I've tried, red wine color, barely transparent. One of thos old fantastic OMC sherry casks? Smells sweet, honey, raisins, cinnamon, cumin, more honey and caramel toffee, a bit buttery. Amazing! The taste is bitter and resinous, after that lovely nose this is somewhat a letdown. I think it needs some water as it seems somewhat restrained. With added water it gets a bit more synthetic, not much better, but most of the rather awful bitterness (cotton and phenols) disappears. The aftertaste on the other hand is a grace such as the nose, light and peppery, red paprika, honey and lightly phenolic.
A bit off tracks, yet fun to try, one I'd rather nose than taste: 6.5
Dufftown 27yo 1982-2010 53.6% Bladnoch Distillery Forum
This one is way paler in color, I find it's getting further and further between the extreme sherry-bombs nowadays. But when trying fairly new ground(to me), I think it's nice to see it in different colors(literally). Smells bitter perfume, mint candy and bitter herbs. Very bitter, is this the awful flavor that the sherry cask to a certain extent managed to hide in the OMC bottling? When the nose here is the disappointment, the palate is on the other hand very good. Much vanilla, cream, mint, flour sugar, maple syrup and chestnuts. The finish is rather short and peppery, and leaves a little to be desired, although it doesn't ruin it for the exciting palate in any way.
Sweet stuff, matured well with its youth still intact: 6.5
Dufftown 13yo 59.4% James MacArthur's
I see some people often starting with tasting the youngest whisky of the session and saving the oldest, and probably more sought after whiskies till the end, like a grand finale. Not always a good idea, as the young ones often have a higher %abv, at least it's often the case with young cask strengths. And peatiness mellows over time in a cask if you're having an Islay tasting or such alike. I have the 13yo as the last whisky as it's about 6% higher in alcohol volume, so the taste is likely to be stronger. The color on this one is almost like water, one of the lightest colored whiskies I've tried. I wonder what happened if they watered it down, it'd look like Vodka? It smells heavy and spirity. Bitter stuff, this bitterness has followed me through this entire tasting, whatever I have to say about this whisky, in holds a certain standard throughout. It's a bitter whisky. The taste is so dry, it's like licking, and even chewing dry wood, combined with spirity notes. This one needs water. Diluted it becomes even more aggressive, burning my tongue, spirity as hell. This is a kick to any palate, seems so raw it could've been new-make.
Raw and immature. My guess is it's a bad cask: 2.5
Next tasting: Glendronach Distillery
torsdag 3. november 2011
6 Caol Ilas
It's been awhile since I had a real peat-session, time to try some Caol Ila. 4 cask stregts, one un-peated, 3 OB's and 3 IB's. A well mixed bunch. I've been looking forward to this one. I must mention I had a wee drop of Ileach yesterday (rumours has it it's a Caol Ila), and I was pleasantly surprised.
Caol Ila 12yo 1998-2010 57.6% OB Unpeated
An unpeated version from first fill bourbon casks. Vanilla and banana? Fruit gums? What could be hidden behind this unusual Islay Expression? Smells sweet all on sweet licorice, vanilla and dark chocolate. I'd call it light even though the spirit does have a big say when smelling this one. The taste is heavy and peppery, lots of black pepper, oregano and vanilla, a bit dry too. Again, the spirit speaks up, and it calls for water. It becomes sweeter, thicker, marzipan, vanilla, lemon, more coastal now, salty, a wee hint of peat, could it come from the water? I do like this expression a lot, maybe even better than the 12yo standard CS, who knows, I guess I'll find out in a whisky or two.
Rich Caol Ila, it doesn't need peat with all these other things going on: 8
Caol Ila 18yo 43% OB
Why do you taste a whisky of only 43% right after a CS you might ask? I have no good answer other than that I think peat have a more lasting and overpowering impact on my palate than alcohol. If anyone knows any different, I'd like to hear, cause I think this is one of the things that's not discussed too often. Anyway, here's the 18yo. golden color, smells withdrawn in comparison with the unpeated one? The spirityness did some talking on the nose there. I can detect some wheat, salt and hay, not very exciting, and to me it seems even less peaty than the unpeated so far. The taste is light and peaty, now the peat does create some fuzz in this one, peppery, peaty, salty, herbal notes, sea salt, dried fish, fish stock, this one is good, yet a bit boring after the enormous unpeated one.
18 years, I wish they'd bottled it earlier to be honest: 3
Caol Ila 26yo 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask
A miniature, I don't often see Caol Ila's at this age, I'm not that rich...hahaha! But if it has developed the same way as the 18yo OB, I'm better off without them anyway. Let's not prejudge this one, for all I know it could be amazing. Ooops, I just came to realize, I've had this one before, but I can't remember my score, so why not try it again. Golden color, same as the 18yo, I hope the similarities end here. Smells massively peaty, buttery, gasoline, burnt matches, grass, black pepper and nylon. The taste is peppery and peaty, not far from the 18yo, just a little less off-notes. Maybe it needs some water. I'll give it another try bare first, after 10 more minutes, enough air now? It gets just a bit sweeter and more bitter, red onions and green unripe olives. Let's try adding water. Now it becomes lighter, but still a bit one-dimensional, and it's even thinner in taste (if u know what I mean). I'm a bit disappointed, I was hoping this one would stir up this session after the rather weak 18yo, but it shows to be like just another run of the mill light and sweet Islayer.
It surely hasn't reaped much from the cask for 26 years: 4
Caol Ila CS NAS 59.3% OB
This one should be a cracker, more peat and higher proof than the unpeated one, but again, could this be another one that is too thin in flavor and overpeated on the nose? I hope not. Pale white wine color, lightest one up until now. I'd like to compare this one to the 12yo Unpeated, as the strength aren't that much apart and they're both pretty young. It smells peaty, ashy, smoky, salted fish, dry hay, worchestershire sauce, gorgonzola picante, leather moccasins, paint. This is much more intereseting than the prior ones, but I can't compare it with the 12yo unpeated so far as they're both excellent in each of their own way. The taste is extremely peaty, ad peppery, alongside some herbs, agriculture, grassiness, leather, kindergarden erasers, it's extremely interesting, and the huge peatiness reminds me somewhat of a young Laphroaig, not perfect, by far, but this crazy unbridled style makes it too exciting to say no to.
A really wild one, first so far in this tasting: 8.5
Caol Ila 13yo 1978-1992 63.7% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask# 5347-5315 & 11553-11564
A vast array of casks have gotten into this cask strength bottling from G&M. I remember having liked most of them so far, I even threw an 8 to the youngster from Tamnavulin. I hope that the good people at Gordon & Macphail bottles only the best casks in this series, if not, we are missing out on a lot of good whisky. golden orange color, smells... well.. the peat takes all control here, peat and caramel, sweet peat? I have to taste this stuff before it becomes too excessive. The taste is so dry, so extremely dry, and peaty, the peat is kicking my tooth in, crazy stuff, but if you are a hardcore peat fan, I guess this is a close you get to God. This doesn't mean I hate it, it's rather the opposite, I love a good challenge. But that said, this one needs water, if not my palate's gonna be dried out for the evening. With a small dash of water, the dryness disappears and left is peaty licorice, sweet honey, coriander and sun-dried tomatoes. I have no idea haw they managed this cask series, but it shows that single casks can be overrated, because blending different casks while not diluting can be just as good.
Cask strength, I mean really strong: 9
Caol Ila 13yo 1980-1983 65.5% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask# 10521-10524
Second from the G&M Cask series, bottled at a crazy strength, I hope it'll be as good as the last one. Lighter color, golden without the orange hue. I have to say this although it's not tasting related, I WISH they'd start bottling the CS-series at Gordon & Macphail again. It smells too spirity, as I'm a bit afraid to taste this one. Given enough time it smells burnt, sodium, phenolic, it does need water, but I'll try without first. It's spirity beyond anything else, it needs water. After adding water, it turns into this peppery psychedelic fusion of cooked carrots, fennel and ashtray smoke. This one lacks the sweet sun-burned tomatoes thatt the 1978 had, it just aren't as deep... weird word... It just doesn't cover as much as the other one what taste is concerned.
Extreme, but not as fun as I'd thought: 4.5
Next tasting: Dufftown Distillery
Caol Ila 12yo 1998-2010 57.6% OB Unpeated
An unpeated version from first fill bourbon casks. Vanilla and banana? Fruit gums? What could be hidden behind this unusual Islay Expression? Smells sweet all on sweet licorice, vanilla and dark chocolate. I'd call it light even though the spirit does have a big say when smelling this one. The taste is heavy and peppery, lots of black pepper, oregano and vanilla, a bit dry too. Again, the spirit speaks up, and it calls for water. It becomes sweeter, thicker, marzipan, vanilla, lemon, more coastal now, salty, a wee hint of peat, could it come from the water? I do like this expression a lot, maybe even better than the 12yo standard CS, who knows, I guess I'll find out in a whisky or two.
Rich Caol Ila, it doesn't need peat with all these other things going on: 8
Caol Ila 18yo 43% OB
Why do you taste a whisky of only 43% right after a CS you might ask? I have no good answer other than that I think peat have a more lasting and overpowering impact on my palate than alcohol. If anyone knows any different, I'd like to hear, cause I think this is one of the things that's not discussed too often. Anyway, here's the 18yo. golden color, smells withdrawn in comparison with the unpeated one? The spirityness did some talking on the nose there. I can detect some wheat, salt and hay, not very exciting, and to me it seems even less peaty than the unpeated so far. The taste is light and peaty, now the peat does create some fuzz in this one, peppery, peaty, salty, herbal notes, sea salt, dried fish, fish stock, this one is good, yet a bit boring after the enormous unpeated one.
18 years, I wish they'd bottled it earlier to be honest: 3
Caol Ila 26yo 50% Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask
A miniature, I don't often see Caol Ila's at this age, I'm not that rich...hahaha! But if it has developed the same way as the 18yo OB, I'm better off without them anyway. Let's not prejudge this one, for all I know it could be amazing. Ooops, I just came to realize, I've had this one before, but I can't remember my score, so why not try it again. Golden color, same as the 18yo, I hope the similarities end here. Smells massively peaty, buttery, gasoline, burnt matches, grass, black pepper and nylon. The taste is peppery and peaty, not far from the 18yo, just a little less off-notes. Maybe it needs some water. I'll give it another try bare first, after 10 more minutes, enough air now? It gets just a bit sweeter and more bitter, red onions and green unripe olives. Let's try adding water. Now it becomes lighter, but still a bit one-dimensional, and it's even thinner in taste (if u know what I mean). I'm a bit disappointed, I was hoping this one would stir up this session after the rather weak 18yo, but it shows to be like just another run of the mill light and sweet Islayer.
It surely hasn't reaped much from the cask for 26 years: 4
Caol Ila CS NAS 59.3% OB
This one should be a cracker, more peat and higher proof than the unpeated one, but again, could this be another one that is too thin in flavor and overpeated on the nose? I hope not. Pale white wine color, lightest one up until now. I'd like to compare this one to the 12yo Unpeated, as the strength aren't that much apart and they're both pretty young. It smells peaty, ashy, smoky, salted fish, dry hay, worchestershire sauce, gorgonzola picante, leather moccasins, paint. This is much more intereseting than the prior ones, but I can't compare it with the 12yo unpeated so far as they're both excellent in each of their own way. The taste is extremely peaty, ad peppery, alongside some herbs, agriculture, grassiness, leather, kindergarden erasers, it's extremely interesting, and the huge peatiness reminds me somewhat of a young Laphroaig, not perfect, by far, but this crazy unbridled style makes it too exciting to say no to.
A really wild one, first so far in this tasting: 8.5
Caol Ila 13yo 1978-1992 63.7% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask# 5347-5315 & 11553-11564
A vast array of casks have gotten into this cask strength bottling from G&M. I remember having liked most of them so far, I even threw an 8 to the youngster from Tamnavulin. I hope that the good people at Gordon & Macphail bottles only the best casks in this series, if not, we are missing out on a lot of good whisky. golden orange color, smells... well.. the peat takes all control here, peat and caramel, sweet peat? I have to taste this stuff before it becomes too excessive. The taste is so dry, so extremely dry, and peaty, the peat is kicking my tooth in, crazy stuff, but if you are a hardcore peat fan, I guess this is a close you get to God. This doesn't mean I hate it, it's rather the opposite, I love a good challenge. But that said, this one needs water, if not my palate's gonna be dried out for the evening. With a small dash of water, the dryness disappears and left is peaty licorice, sweet honey, coriander and sun-dried tomatoes. I have no idea haw they managed this cask series, but it shows that single casks can be overrated, because blending different casks while not diluting can be just as good.
Cask strength, I mean really strong: 9
Caol Ila 13yo 1980-1983 65.5% Gordon & Macphail Cask cask# 10521-10524
Second from the G&M Cask series, bottled at a crazy strength, I hope it'll be as good as the last one. Lighter color, golden without the orange hue. I have to say this although it's not tasting related, I WISH they'd start bottling the CS-series at Gordon & Macphail again. It smells too spirity, as I'm a bit afraid to taste this one. Given enough time it smells burnt, sodium, phenolic, it does need water, but I'll try without first. It's spirity beyond anything else, it needs water. After adding water, it turns into this peppery psychedelic fusion of cooked carrots, fennel and ashtray smoke. This one lacks the sweet sun-burned tomatoes thatt the 1978 had, it just aren't as deep... weird word... It just doesn't cover as much as the other one what taste is concerned.
Extreme, but not as fun as I'd thought: 4.5
Next tasting: Dufftown Distillery
Three ups and three downs since I started drinking whisky
The whisky industry sure has changed a lot the last two decades, at least since it's boom in the early to mid 2000's. Here's what I think are the positive and the negative changes within the industry...
Postitives :-)
- There are plenty more bottlings to choose from, many distilleries are showing off a bigger variety of different aged expressions, often at cask strength, as well as single casks. More Independent bottlers are hitting the market with new bottlings as well.
- Higher %abv. 46% seems to be the new 40%, very well, and the aforementioned cask strength bottlings, as well as no coloring and no chill-filtration. All good.
- Online availability, more and more online shops selling whisky, and shipping to most of the world are out there. This makes for a bigger market and easier ways to broaden your horizon when it comes to distilleries or expressions that's maybe not available in your country. Like for me for instance, in Norway there's no Fettercairn. :(
Negatives :-(
- Sherry Finishings. Maybe I'm a bit judgmental as I know there are good finishings out there, but 3-6 months of finishing in a sherry cask doesn't give the same effect as 12 years in one. Fortunately there are distilleries like Aberlour with their A'bunadh that produces quality fully sherry matured whisky.
- Money matters. Far too much whisky is overpriced on today's market, and it doesn't seem to stop. Is single malt on the way to becoming something pretentious, style over substance, for the upper class stuff? I think it to a certain degree already is.
- Tasting notes on labels, the absolute low-down from the industry, what I am concerned. Weird since I write them myself. But I think that drinking whisky is perhaps one of the most individual experiences, as nothing is wrong or right. And being a completely independent blogger I have no trouble admitting that none of my tasting notes should be read as something more than reflections on my personal experience when tasting that whisky. On the other hand, I feel that a note on a whisky label is dubious at least, as they for once, is written to glorify that whisky, and it shows the drinker what to look for, and therefor I think customers might become biased within both expectance and experience. Please let people experience whisky themselves and taste what it does taste to them instead of being given expectations of what to find.
Postitives :-)
- There are plenty more bottlings to choose from, many distilleries are showing off a bigger variety of different aged expressions, often at cask strength, as well as single casks. More Independent bottlers are hitting the market with new bottlings as well.
- Higher %abv. 46% seems to be the new 40%, very well, and the aforementioned cask strength bottlings, as well as no coloring and no chill-filtration. All good.
- Online availability, more and more online shops selling whisky, and shipping to most of the world are out there. This makes for a bigger market and easier ways to broaden your horizon when it comes to distilleries or expressions that's maybe not available in your country. Like for me for instance, in Norway there's no Fettercairn. :(
Negatives :-(
- Sherry Finishings. Maybe I'm a bit judgmental as I know there are good finishings out there, but 3-6 months of finishing in a sherry cask doesn't give the same effect as 12 years in one. Fortunately there are distilleries like Aberlour with their A'bunadh that produces quality fully sherry matured whisky.
- Money matters. Far too much whisky is overpriced on today's market, and it doesn't seem to stop. Is single malt on the way to becoming something pretentious, style over substance, for the upper class stuff? I think it to a certain degree already is.
- Tasting notes on labels, the absolute low-down from the industry, what I am concerned. Weird since I write them myself. But I think that drinking whisky is perhaps one of the most individual experiences, as nothing is wrong or right. And being a completely independent blogger I have no trouble admitting that none of my tasting notes should be read as something more than reflections on my personal experience when tasting that whisky. On the other hand, I feel that a note on a whisky label is dubious at least, as they for once, is written to glorify that whisky, and it shows the drinker what to look for, and therefor I think customers might become biased within both expectance and experience. Please let people experience whisky themselves and taste what it does taste to them instead of being given expectations of what to find.
mandag 31. oktober 2011
4 Aberfeldys at 40%
I have only tried one or two cask strength whiskies from Aberfeldy, the last one being a 27yo from The Whisky Agency, which let me down a bit. This time I'm doing 12yo, 17yo, 20yo and 21yo, all diluted down to a rather unflattering 40%abv. But I know there are some whiskies that can do very well when bottled at a low strength as opposed to cask strength, for example my last tasting, the sort of dreaded Loch Lomond showed to be such. The two diluted versions faring way better than the two at cask strength. Let's not jump to conclusions, but rather enjoy these four examples of a single malts that's most of the time beyond may peoples radar. What I do know is that in amongst all the high proof cask strengths that's flying around nowadays, it's a good idea having a couple low strength drams once awhile.
Aberfeldy 12yo 40% OB
I think this is the standard expression from the distillery, but usually the miniatures does look like a smaller version of the 70cl. In this case it doesn't. This has a green cap and a spli green/white label. According to www.whiskybase.com, this one is from 2005, the recent version was released in 2007. A short-lived edition, could this be a disaster in the terms of the 12yo 1824 Fettercairn from about the same time? I hope not. The label reads "...this single malt whisky with its distinctively peaty nose." I can't smell too much peat here, more waxy, stearic, and phenols. Golden, slightly lighter side of orange hue. Not very interesting so far. The taste is not good at all, phenolic, spirity, like some bad bad grain whisky. Rubbery, soapy and acidic. Water please. Water makes it just bland. I reckon why they stopped this bottling this one after a very short period. As I did with the Fettercairn 1824 from the same time. I just hope the new Aberfeldy will lift this one as the Fior have done for Fettercairn. But that is to be judged in another tasting.
This one was quite unbearable: 1.5 (2 after much time and more water)
Aberfeldy 17yo 1974-1991 40% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & Macphail
The youngest one in this has been distilled at least 19 years prior to the youngest constituent in the 12yo tried prior to this. Considering the 5 years age difference and the possibility of bottle maturation for those that believe in such a thing (and I do!!!), this one could be very interesting. About the same color as the 12yo, maybe slightly lighter, both adjusted with some E's? What the hell, I think a really good whisky should be able to cope with some E's, som I'm not too bothered with them natural coloring devices. This one definitively has that peaty nose alongside some sweet licorice and toasted bread. The taste is also more on the peaty side, a bit more peppery, burnt toast again, lime peel and beef gravy. Initially some light fruity sweetness as well, banana bread and cardboard.
It's no winner for sure, but a couple climbs up from the 12yo: 4.5
Aberfeldy 20yo 1977-1997 40% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & Macphail
Three years older yet three years younger, will this be somewhere along the lines of the last two, or will I experience maybe my first fantastic Aberfeldy? I know this series from Gordon & Macpahil were the poor mans choice of Single Independent bottlings for a long time, but I have to say that if you aren't into all that single cask cask strength vintage stuff, there are quite a number of good ones in the CC range as well. Excactly same color as the last one. The nose is peaty, toasted bread, cereal, much maltier than the prior two. Give it time and it gets even peatier, if nosed only I'd put my money on this being an Islay malt. Or maybe an Arran. The taste is heavy on licorice and toffee, less psirity a´than the 12yo and 17yo, very pleasant and rich, cinnamon, duck egg yolk, some coriander and cactus mints. I'll try adding water just for fun. Now it seems this is a whisky that just can't handle water, this one becomes just spirity, like some bad Vodka.
No water please!!! It was much better bare: 5.5
Aberfeldy 21yo 40% OB
I don't think this one created much fuzz when released, and I'm not sure if it will, but the 20yo were a lot better than the 12yo, so maybe it will be an improvement. A pricey one to say the least, but an improvement nonetheless. Again, this cross between golden and orange what color is concerned, and the fact that both the G&M's were slightly lighter makes me suggest that there's quite some of E's involved here. I don't mind too much, but the fact that a 21yo and a 12yo from same distillery carries same color just makes me think that it's maybe adjusted a bit. It smells much more withdrawn than the others, I need to give it some time. It doesn't evolve much, but remember it did spend 9 more years in the cask so maybe it's been numbed a bit. The taste is well... light describes it very well, just a bit plain, but there is no spirity or sulphury notes. I can detect some sweet cinnamon, gingerbread and leather. It's a nice and convenient dram, enjoyable at any time, but never a thrill.
Fine old stuff, but a bit predictable and boring, needs an x-factor: 5.5
Next tasting: Caol Ila Distillery
Aberfeldy 12yo 40% OB
I think this is the standard expression from the distillery, but usually the miniatures does look like a smaller version of the 70cl. In this case it doesn't. This has a green cap and a spli green/white label. According to www.whiskybase.com, this one is from 2005, the recent version was released in 2007. A short-lived edition, could this be a disaster in the terms of the 12yo 1824 Fettercairn from about the same time? I hope not. The label reads "...this single malt whisky with its distinctively peaty nose." I can't smell too much peat here, more waxy, stearic, and phenols. Golden, slightly lighter side of orange hue. Not very interesting so far. The taste is not good at all, phenolic, spirity, like some bad bad grain whisky. Rubbery, soapy and acidic. Water please. Water makes it just bland. I reckon why they stopped this bottling this one after a very short period. As I did with the Fettercairn 1824 from the same time. I just hope the new Aberfeldy will lift this one as the Fior have done for Fettercairn. But that is to be judged in another tasting.
This one was quite unbearable: 1.5 (2 after much time and more water)
Aberfeldy 17yo 1974-1991 40% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & Macphail
The youngest one in this has been distilled at least 19 years prior to the youngest constituent in the 12yo tried prior to this. Considering the 5 years age difference and the possibility of bottle maturation for those that believe in such a thing (and I do!!!), this one could be very interesting. About the same color as the 12yo, maybe slightly lighter, both adjusted with some E's? What the hell, I think a really good whisky should be able to cope with some E's, som I'm not too bothered with them natural coloring devices. This one definitively has that peaty nose alongside some sweet licorice and toasted bread. The taste is also more on the peaty side, a bit more peppery, burnt toast again, lime peel and beef gravy. Initially some light fruity sweetness as well, banana bread and cardboard.
It's no winner for sure, but a couple climbs up from the 12yo: 4.5
Aberfeldy 20yo 1977-1997 40% Connoisseurs Choice Gordon & Macphail
Three years older yet three years younger, will this be somewhere along the lines of the last two, or will I experience maybe my first fantastic Aberfeldy? I know this series from Gordon & Macpahil were the poor mans choice of Single Independent bottlings for a long time, but I have to say that if you aren't into all that single cask cask strength vintage stuff, there are quite a number of good ones in the CC range as well. Excactly same color as the last one. The nose is peaty, toasted bread, cereal, much maltier than the prior two. Give it time and it gets even peatier, if nosed only I'd put my money on this being an Islay malt. Or maybe an Arran. The taste is heavy on licorice and toffee, less psirity a´than the 12yo and 17yo, very pleasant and rich, cinnamon, duck egg yolk, some coriander and cactus mints. I'll try adding water just for fun. Now it seems this is a whisky that just can't handle water, this one becomes just spirity, like some bad Vodka.
No water please!!! It was much better bare: 5.5
Aberfeldy 21yo 40% OB
I don't think this one created much fuzz when released, and I'm not sure if it will, but the 20yo were a lot better than the 12yo, so maybe it will be an improvement. A pricey one to say the least, but an improvement nonetheless. Again, this cross between golden and orange what color is concerned, and the fact that both the G&M's were slightly lighter makes me suggest that there's quite some of E's involved here. I don't mind too much, but the fact that a 21yo and a 12yo from same distillery carries same color just makes me think that it's maybe adjusted a bit. It smells much more withdrawn than the others, I need to give it some time. It doesn't evolve much, but remember it did spend 9 more years in the cask so maybe it's been numbed a bit. The taste is well... light describes it very well, just a bit plain, but there is no spirity or sulphury notes. I can detect some sweet cinnamon, gingerbread and leather. It's a nice and convenient dram, enjoyable at any time, but never a thrill.
Fine old stuff, but a bit predictable and boring, needs an x-factor: 5.5
Next tasting: Caol Ila Distillery
onsdag 26. oktober 2011
4 whiskies from Loch Lomond, anything that will surprise here?
Loch Lomond is far from the most regarded distillery in scotland, actually I think on the overall impression I get when reading about in online is that it could very well be in the bottom 3 somewhere if not dead last, in many peoples mind. I now it lost a competitor for that title some years back when Littlemill was destroyed. But there's still Speyside, Mannochmore and Glenturret amongst others, of which have been hardly impressive when it comes to distillery bottlings... at least. I have not tried enough of Loch Lomond to make such a verdict for myself, but this tasting should be interesting as it holds two different single cask IB's at 60%+, one blend and one 12yo from Murray McDavid.
Loch Lomond NAS 40% OB Finest Blended
I had one of these a while back from Tormore distillery, or was it Tobermory? Anyway, I remember it wasn't all that bad, if my recollection serves me right I think I gave it somewhere along the lines of 4 or 5 points. Not bad for a young blend. What single malt produce will they put into a distillery blend? Can it be any good? Was the grain whisky also produced at Loch Lomond, yes it is! If the single malt is as bad as its reputation, could this be the winner of this tasting? I hope not... This bottle looks like it was made in the 80's. The color is certainly adjusted with some E's. It smells light and burnt, ashtray, alcohol and skimmed milk, just like any run of the mill bcheap blend. Lacks what I'd call personality. The taste is much better, still light, but with some vanilla fudge and cotton candy, a bit soapy and again this burnt cigar/ashtray stuff that I cannot really decide wether I like or not. For a blend it is quite good. No aftertaste to be found.
I like this one, perfect light-weighter, aperitif whisky: 5
Rhosdhu 12yo 1996-2008 46% Murray McDavid
Should be an interesting whisky, usually when IB's bottle these obscure whiskies at a young age it's got to do with a quality peak in an early stage of maturation. When I think about it, all three IB's in this tasting are bottled at a fairly young age with this one being the oldest, so there could be that the spirit from Loch Lomond usually gets overwhelmed by the oak very early. This one is very dark, somewhere between orange and brown in color, not that usual for a bourbon cask at this age. It smells like roasted almonds, burnt sugar, vanilla, caramel, honey, a sweet treat? The taste is really fat/thick, sweet vanilla and caramel, honey dew, leather and sweet licorice. To some extent it reassembles the blend, but it's so much richer and smoothe on the palate, an excellent surprise. It dies a bit over time, this is one to enjoy right after pouring, for a thicker, smoother, sweeter and rather delightful version of this malt. Definitively my best Loch Lomond whisky so far.
Luxurious whisky... WHAT??? Is it possible???: 8
Rhosdhu 9yo 1985-1994 60.5% Cadenhead's
At this strength, wow! Will it be anything like the rather excellent version from Murray McDavid? I usually like my whiskies at a high strength, but could this be a bit overkill as Loch Lomond whisky usually carries a more spirity palate than most other distilleries? Pale white wine color, Smells spirity at first, give it time, then it turns very light, like smelling wheat flour, like when beating the dough. Also some eucalyptus, mint and bitter, Fernet Branca? The taste is spirity, rather unpleasant, backyard weeds, lots of greens that doesn't work for me. Water is urgently needed. Diluted it comes of as even more spirity, burnt, bitter, rotten tomatoes and brown sugar peas. It's all gone bad in this one.
This one I could easily do without: 2
Inchmurrin 9yo 1985-2004 64% Cadenhead's
I have no idea what could be the difference between Inchmurrin and Rhosdhu as they both are non-peated and usually bottled at a vast variety of age and without any special cask features. I only hope there is some difference what taste is concerned as the last CS Rhosdhu from same bottler was disturbing to my palate. But then again, the 12yo Rhosdhu was stupendously good. Even lighter color than the 9yo Rhosdhu, This is the lighter side of white wine. And at 64%, I'm feeling a bit of enjoyable fear. It smells spirity, but what wouldn't at this strength. No, this is just spirity, nothing else to detect in the nose, maybe the taste will be a bit different? I hope so.. The taste is a bit smoky, burnt, the ashtray sensation I found in the blend. Other than that it is kind of boring, I'll add water to this one as well. Water gives it a small punch, but still it is mostly bitter, sulphury and oh yeah, stale fish stew.
At least there's been one saving grace in this tasting, this is not it: 2.5
Next tasting: Aberfeldy Distillery
Loch Lomond NAS 40% OB Finest Blended
I had one of these a while back from Tormore distillery, or was it Tobermory? Anyway, I remember it wasn't all that bad, if my recollection serves me right I think I gave it somewhere along the lines of 4 or 5 points. Not bad for a young blend. What single malt produce will they put into a distillery blend? Can it be any good? Was the grain whisky also produced at Loch Lomond, yes it is! If the single malt is as bad as its reputation, could this be the winner of this tasting? I hope not... This bottle looks like it was made in the 80's. The color is certainly adjusted with some E's. It smells light and burnt, ashtray, alcohol and skimmed milk, just like any run of the mill bcheap blend. Lacks what I'd call personality. The taste is much better, still light, but with some vanilla fudge and cotton candy, a bit soapy and again this burnt cigar/ashtray stuff that I cannot really decide wether I like or not. For a blend it is quite good. No aftertaste to be found.
I like this one, perfect light-weighter, aperitif whisky: 5
Rhosdhu 12yo 1996-2008 46% Murray McDavid
Should be an interesting whisky, usually when IB's bottle these obscure whiskies at a young age it's got to do with a quality peak in an early stage of maturation. When I think about it, all three IB's in this tasting are bottled at a fairly young age with this one being the oldest, so there could be that the spirit from Loch Lomond usually gets overwhelmed by the oak very early. This one is very dark, somewhere between orange and brown in color, not that usual for a bourbon cask at this age. It smells like roasted almonds, burnt sugar, vanilla, caramel, honey, a sweet treat? The taste is really fat/thick, sweet vanilla and caramel, honey dew, leather and sweet licorice. To some extent it reassembles the blend, but it's so much richer and smoothe on the palate, an excellent surprise. It dies a bit over time, this is one to enjoy right after pouring, for a thicker, smoother, sweeter and rather delightful version of this malt. Definitively my best Loch Lomond whisky so far.
Luxurious whisky... WHAT??? Is it possible???: 8
Rhosdhu 9yo 1985-1994 60.5% Cadenhead's
At this strength, wow! Will it be anything like the rather excellent version from Murray McDavid? I usually like my whiskies at a high strength, but could this be a bit overkill as Loch Lomond whisky usually carries a more spirity palate than most other distilleries? Pale white wine color, Smells spirity at first, give it time, then it turns very light, like smelling wheat flour, like when beating the dough. Also some eucalyptus, mint and bitter, Fernet Branca? The taste is spirity, rather unpleasant, backyard weeds, lots of greens that doesn't work for me. Water is urgently needed. Diluted it comes of as even more spirity, burnt, bitter, rotten tomatoes and brown sugar peas. It's all gone bad in this one.
This one I could easily do without: 2
Inchmurrin 9yo 1985-2004 64% Cadenhead's
I have no idea what could be the difference between Inchmurrin and Rhosdhu as they both are non-peated and usually bottled at a vast variety of age and without any special cask features. I only hope there is some difference what taste is concerned as the last CS Rhosdhu from same bottler was disturbing to my palate. But then again, the 12yo Rhosdhu was stupendously good. Even lighter color than the 9yo Rhosdhu, This is the lighter side of white wine. And at 64%, I'm feeling a bit of enjoyable fear. It smells spirity, but what wouldn't at this strength. No, this is just spirity, nothing else to detect in the nose, maybe the taste will be a bit different? I hope so.. The taste is a bit smoky, burnt, the ashtray sensation I found in the blend. Other than that it is kind of boring, I'll add water to this one as well. Water gives it a small punch, but still it is mostly bitter, sulphury and oh yeah, stale fish stew.
At least there's been one saving grace in this tasting, this is not it: 2.5
Next tasting: Aberfeldy Distillery
søndag 23. oktober 2011
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
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
onsdag 19. oktober 2011
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
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
mandag 17. oktober 2011
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
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
søndag 16. oktober 2011
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
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
fredag 14. oktober 2011
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
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
mandag 10. oktober 2011
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
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
torsdag 6. oktober 2011
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
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
søndag 2. oktober 2011
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.
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.
fredag 30. september 2011
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
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
onsdag 28. september 2011
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
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
søndag 25. september 2011
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
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
onsdag 21. september 2011
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
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.
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.
tirsdag 20. september 2011
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
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
onsdag 14. september 2011
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
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
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