Deanston, Highlands

Deanston 18 YO Batch 3

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ABV: 46.3 %
Origin: Highland
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first theres’s a big honey, vanilla and baked red apples mix. When it starts to settle there are notes of ginger and cinnamon added. An old, slightly dusty oakiness floats around in the back. With time it becomes slightly malty and a fresh tropical fruitiness gets added to the mix. It’s has a peppery top note which gives it a nice touch. This is a fantastic nose with a great mix of sensations.

Mouth: It starts out with a lemony background and a dusty maltiness in the middle. There are ginger, honey, vanilla, pipe tobacco and almonds in the center. It shows its age immidiatly with the dusty character and an old oakiness gently sprinkled within. There are still baked apples and cinnamon  and a mild tropical fruitiness. It still delivers a nice peppery spicyness which never become unpleasant but still gives it a really nice sense of power. It feels rich and has an oily texture adding to the experience.

Finish: The tranision is logical and the spicyness remain constant. The lemon in the back are also retaining the same level of intensity throughout the early finish. All the main flavours gently fade in the center and the old dusty oakiness, which seems to be mixed with a newer oak, slowly take over coming from the back moving forwards. It’s a really pleasant oakiness with a mix of old and new. It becomes slightly astringent after a while. This is an amazing whisky with an extremely well thoughout balance and character. It’s very easy to sip, yet has a lot to explore. The perfect mix.

Additional information
This whisky was first aged in hogsheads and then finished in first fill ex-bourbon barrels. It’s unchillfiltered.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg 13 YO Anthology – Harpy’s Tale

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a very sweet peatiness with a lot of vanilla and a hint of unscented lotion. It’s quite ashy and mineral rich and the peat feels very Ardbeg-esque, as it should. There’s a sweet fruity mix surrounding the center in a thin layer, which sort of feels thicker up front. It’s lemon curd and honey with a fresher undefined bright fruitiness within. As it settles in the glass there’s a toffee note appearing as well as coastal salty vibes. This is a great nose and a nice and sweet take on the otherwise rough housestyle.

Mouth: It starts out with a mineral rich peatiness with and ashy top note and a lemony backdrop. There’s a speck of dust and an iodine medicinal note whitin as well. It’s not as sweet in taste as on the nose and the character overall shifts towards a more standard profile. The lemony backdrop spreads out towards the sides and there’s a very nice mellow spicyness spreading out over the palate. The coastal notes follow along to the taste as well. The oakiness is in there at this point but it still lurks within vanilla and a slight bitter note.

Finish: The transition is slightly uneventful and everything keeps the same level throughout. It almost feels like it could do with a bit more power at this point. The unscented lotion note returns in the late finish and the peat coats the entire mouth which creates a nice three dimensional feel. The lemony notes and the oak is taking front stage in the late, late finish. It’s a nice, slightly dusty oakiness with a hint of hazelnuts. This is a great whisky. The seuternes casks fits really well with the heavy housestyle, but it feels like it brings down the madness a bit too much.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-seuternes wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Mackmyra, Sweden

Mackmyra Svensk Rök

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ABV: 46.1 %
Origin: Sweden
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and smoky. The juniper wood smokiness is really jumping out of the glass. The smoke is subtle yet clearly present. There are notes of honey, lemon and a hint of oak. It feels young and fresh with a vibrant and aromatic character without being too spirity. This is a good nose overall with a twist on a smoky whisky without using peat.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweetness with honey and muted butterscotch notes. The juniper wood mixes nicely with the dusty, dry smoke. A spicyness builds up, which fits well with the special wood notes that the juniper wood brings. It’s not especially complex but brings its own version of smoke.

Finish: The transition starts with a menthol note before the smoke and wood takes over. The dusty juniper wood is a red thread throughout. The wood gives a hint of mango and peaches somewhere in the middle of the finish. The spices carry all the way through. The late finish is nice and the original smoke and wood notes lingering. This is a great and original take on a smoky whisky.

Additional information
This expression was released in 2013. The smoke comes from burning both peat and juniper to stop the germination. The casks used for maturation is american oak, swedish oak, refills and ex-oloroso sherry casks.

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Islay, Lagavulin

Lagavulin 8 YO – 200th Anniversary Edition

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very ashy, warm and sweet. There are big honey, vanilla and butterscotch flavours and the oak is surrounding its sweet heart. There’s a salty, seaweed, ocean note coming through from the distillate. A hint of lemon is the only fruity contribution. There’s also a fresh minty breeze. It has some fresh youthness to it, but not in a harsh way. It complements the ashy notes and makes it pop from the glass. This is a very good, simple peaty nose.

Mouth: It starts out honey sweet and spicy. The peat still shows up as ashes, but it’s not as dry as on the nose. The lemon finds a friend in some green apples. Overall it’s still salty and peaty. There’s some vanilla cream in the background which gives a nice base to the sweetness. It’s very viscous and oily on the palate

Finish: First comes a big spicy burst before it switches to an ashy and sweet character once again. There’s a savory bacon note coming along with the salty notes. The cask influence is strong but the oak is laid back. It’s not dry nor astringent. The honey, vanilla and butterscotch show up, stay a while and then fade away to give room to the ashy peat, which stays long after everything else. It’s a very pleasant finish overall. This is a great, straight forward peaty whisky.

Additional information
This was a special release in 2016. It has since then been added to the core range. It’s aged in refill american ex-bourbon oak barrels. The release is an homage to a statement from journalist Alfred Barnard in the 1880’s, referring to an 8 YO Lagavulin as ”exceptionally fine”.

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Islay, Laphroaig

Laphroaig Lore

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is medicinal peat and dry oak. At first there’s a mineral rich medicinal peatiness in the center with a mix of dry oak and ash on the outside. The oak brings notes of vanilla and honey but it’s not especially sweet overall. Underneath the medicinal peat is a layer of assorted red fruits and bitter chocolate. With time all the different flavour profiles seem to move closer together. It also seems to become more oaky with time in the glass. This is a very interesting nose with a lot of nuances to discover.

Mouth: It starts out with honey and dry oak up front but those are soon overridden by chili flakes, bitter chocolate and a rowdy peat with a lot of complexity within. It’s medicinal iodine with salt, rubber and pipe tobacco within. There’s even an ashy side to it. The bitter chocolate moves back and becomes more of a strong coffee note over time. The fruitiness is found on top and it’s a darker more ripe fruitiness than before.

Finish: The chili spicyness, the coffee and the chocolate notes arrives first but are soon pushed back by the medicinal peat and a very dry and in-your-face oakiness. There’s still a hint of tobacco within and it feels like there’s a nuttiness somewhere within. The fruitiness is once again noticable just around the edges. In the late finish it’s just the oak, the peat and the bitterness left behind, and they stay for a long time. This is a great whisky with a unique character. It’s a very interesting journey throughout.

Additional information
The Lore is aged between 7-21 years in 5 different cask types. Named are 19th century quarter casks, european oak, ex-Bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Blaaack Committee Release

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ABV: 50.7 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet peat and red berries. The initial impact is quite medicinal and rowdy. After a few seconds a sweet, rounded baseline emerges with notes of hot burning wood together with unscented lotion and vanilla cream. On top there are iodine and salty coastal notes. The fruitiness starts to come through as an outer layer and slowly takes over. It’s overripe black grapes and plums. There’s also a cooling mint effect up front. This is an interesting nose.

Mouth: At first the vanilla sweetness and the warm peatiness swells up. It’s still hot burning wood and now there’s a hay note coming through. It’s quite mild and the red wine influence has a juicy vibe to it with fresh red and black berries. There are still coastal notes and a small touch of iodine, but those are pushed back into the background. It’s slightly astringent and the oakiness shines through in the background.

Finish: A minty cloud passes by before the juicy berries and the warm peatiness return. The medicinal and coastal notes still reside in the background and the finish mirrors the mouth very well. The whole thing feels slightly subdued. The oak is fashionably late, but when it arrives it’s a very tasty nutty oakiness with hazelnuts a hint of dust on top. The overripe grapes and plums return as a thin note following along through the entire finish. This is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Additional information
The Blaack is a 2020 limited release exclusive to the Ardbeg committee members. It’s aged in ex-Pinot Noir wine casks from New Zealand. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Four Roses, Kentucky

Four Roses Yellow Label

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and mellow. It starts out with a vanilla heavy oakiness and a shiny distillate note. When it settles there are notes of rye bread and mild sweet liquorice added as well as a hint of menthol floating around on top. Brown sugar, apples and a hint of banana mix with cinnamon to make a nice center part. This is a good solid nose overall. It’s not complex and very easy to access.

Mouth: It starts out with a very mild vanilla before spicyness from the oak arrives. There’s a menthol layer on top, a hint of dusty corn and a coffee note forming in the center while the sweet flavours are on the outside. It’s a bit spirity and shiny overall. There’s still a rye bread note floating around as well. The oakiness is increasing with time but everything is a bit muted due to the low ABV.

Finish: The fruity notes return and surge through the transition. The oakiness and coffee notes remain as well and make up a big part of the finish. It doesn’t take long before the shiny and spirity notes become metallic and moves back. The late finish revives the liquorice but it’s not as pleasant as on the nose. A hint of brown sugar lives on as well. The oakiness keeps a nice level throughout the late finish. This is a standard Bourbon which gives a decent amount of space to the rye notes. It’s low proof and a bit spirity, but it’s easy to drink.

Additional information
Four roses uses 5 different yeast strains to create 10 different mash bills. The yellow label is their stock expression and is usually made up by a mix of 8-10 of the mash bills. The content’s age varies from 4-12 years old. The char level used is between #3 and #4.

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Bladnoch, Lowlands

Bladnoch Samsara

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ABV: 46.7 %
Origin: Lowlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a round sweetness with honey and vanilla fudge in the center. There’s a mixed berry fruitiness sitting in a thin layer surrounding the sweetness. There’s a ginger note and a hint of nail polish remover on top (which mellows out over time). There’s a lemon sourness which increases slowly over time. A weird rubbery side note floats around and it feels really misplaced. This is a decent nose which feels a bit in disarray and weird.

Mouth: It starts out with a chili spicyness together with an umami/bitterness mix in the back. Up front a fresher berry fruitiness resides. It lacks sweetness though. The bitterness increases and the oak arrives fairly quickly and makes the whole dry and astringent. Hints of vanilla and honey is in there but really doesn’t contribute to the whole. Black liquorice is also found, as well as the same weird rubbery side note as was found on the nose.

Finish: The transition is very dry and oaky from the get-go. The lemon note is static in the back throughout. The astringency makes it hard to savor the rest of the finish, but the vanilla fudge returns as well as the weird rubbery note and the red berries. The late finish is just a dry and astringent, slightly unpleasant oakiness. This is a decent whisky. It feels unlogical and comes through as unbalanced and too oaky.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in ex-bourbon barrels and californian red wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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South Africa, Three Ships

Three Ships 12 YO

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ABV: 46.3 %
Origin: South Africa
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and sour. At first there’s barley sugar and a malty note which feels unrefined and rough. Underneath there’s a sourness which is quite pronounced and it increases over time. There’s also an anise and/or liquorice note in the center and as time goes by honey and vanilla increases in intensity along the edges of the glass. It takes a while, but for those who take their time there are notes of violets and baked apples to be found. This is a good nose. It feels slightly unbalanced overall though.

Mouth: It starts out with a nice spicyness coating the mouth while the initial flavour impact feels a bit thin. It’s mostly liquorice and malt with a bitter background note at first. Then the sourness arrives and takes over the background which moves the bitterness forward a bit. It feels a bit boring at this point and it doesn’t seem to evolve at all. This is a bit disappointing. It’s not bad, just uneventful.

Finish: The finish starts out with a transition without spikes but it retains the spicyness in a nice way. First out is a slightly off-putting damp cloth note but then it really evolves into a great finish with a balance of sweet and sour with a fresh oakiness which doesn’t feel overpowering at all. It then delivers a nice dollop of fresh assorted fruits and the violets return on top. The last part of the finish is the best part of the journey. This is a very good whisky. It’s by no means perfect but it has some nice sides to it.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of old and new small american oak casks. This is the first release in the ”Master Distiller’s Private Collection.”

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Benromach, Speyside

Benromach 15 YO

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a honey and vanilla sweetness surrounded by sweet red fruits, coconut and a mild peat. After a while the different parts start to merge and becomes very rich and three dimensional. The peatiness has a seaside character which balances out the otherwise overly sweet cask maturation. Raspberries give a freshness on top, the center part is vanilla, honey and comes through as fudge. There’s white chocolate note as well. This is a very good nose. It lacks notes of age and comes through as way to simple for its age.

Mouth: It starts out with black pepper and fudge center with a peatiness which is a lot more potent than on the nose. There’s dark chocolate, tobacco and overripe fruits. It’s not as rich, but it comes through as more complex in taste. There’s a hint of oak in the back and a dusty note on top. The sweetness is in there, but everything feels more balanced at this point. The fresh red berries are gone. There’s a small hint of oranges and some sort of roasted malt.

Finish: The transition is gentle and just seems to increase the existing flavours. It does add a bit more acidity to the mix which refreshes the palate. The peatiness is coating the palate while the dark chocolate and the dark fruits slowly give room for the oak to shine through. It’s a nice oakiness which brings some dust, tobacco and coconut with it. The late finish does have a slightly weird flowery note lingering which doesn’t give it the best send-off. This is a great whisky overall though with a nice array of flavours to discover.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and first-fill ex-sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Smoketrails – Manzanilla Edition (2022)

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes

Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mineral rich and warm peatiness with a side note of unscented lotion. When it settles it becomes sweeter and a layer of ripe fruits and almonds start to form around the center but there’s also a small fresher green fruitiness in the back. The nuttiness increases with time and the sweetness from the ripe notes mellows the peatiness and creates a nicely balanced, yet very peaty, profile. The peatiness contains notes of smoked ham and a hint of oak as well. This is a great nose overall with a lot to offer. There’s a shift from rowdy to settled which is really nice to follow along with.

Mouth: It starts out with a bit milder than expected. The first thing to arrive is a mix of sweet honey, ripe berries, black coffee and a lemon note in the back. It doesn’t take long before the very mineral rich peatiness comes rushing in together with a peppery spicyness and some burnt toast. There’s a menthol overlay and the coffee note moves to the back. It feels slightly chaotic and lacks balance at this point. It has good flavours, but they’re not working together.

Finish: The transition slowly pulls everything together again and the sweetness, the ripe notes and the peatiness all just line up and merge. The Black pepper spicyness stays on the edges of the palate and let’s everything shine. There’s umami, minerals and warm oaky peat moving everything along. At one point there’s a wet sock note which is sort of odd, but it disappears quickly and the late finish is all about an oaky warm campfire with a hint of nuts and ripe fruit on the side. This is a great whisky. It’s nowhere near perfect and feels a bit unbalanced at times, but it still delivers a solid and interesting experience.

Additional information
This limited travel retail exclusive whisky was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and manzanilla sherry casks from Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenglassaugh, Highlands

Glennglassaugh Portsoy

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ABV: 49.1 %
Origin: Highland
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mineral rich peatiness sitting in the center with a soft coating of red, ripe berries. Vanilla, honey and a hint of ginger are also found within. When it settles roasted almonds, chalk and sweet liquorice are added to the mix as well as a fresher lemony fruitiness. Time in the glass makes this a very complex experience. This is a great nose with a lot to offer to those who are patient.

Mouth: It starts out with a dusty and sweet center with an outside layer of assorted dry and fresh berries and lemon. It’s quite dry. There’s a note of leather and tobacco in the center as well as a funky background note coming from the peat. The sweet liquorice resides on the outside and covers the palate together with the honey and vanilla. There’s a lot of complexity within which makes it very fun and interesting at this point.

Finish: The transisiton sees black pepper and sweet liquorice increasing in intensity. The lemon note is in the back and the dusty layer comes through in the center together with the ripe fruits and the leather note. After a few seconds there’s an oakiness arriving which really feels misplaced due to it’s new oak character. Everything else feels balanced, ripe and well made, but the oak character feels wrong and too pronounced. The late finish is all about that oakiness with a background note of ripe and sweet red berries. This is a very good whisky which has a slightly disappointing finish.

Additional information
This whisky was aged for 12 years in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels, ex-sherry and ex-port casks.

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Bunnahabhain, Islay

Bunnahabhain Cruach-Mhòna

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

See the queue here.

Additional information
This whisky is a limited peated release exclusive to travel retail. There is no information about maturation period or casks used. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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India, Woodburns

Woodburns Contemporary Indian Whisky

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ABV: 42.8 %
Origin: India
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mild woodsmoke peatiness with a vanilla rich sweetness attached to it. Underneath is a mix of liquorice, green fruits and ginger. On top there’s a menthol layer floating around. When it settles there’s a toffee note forming in the center and the vanilla becomes even more pronounced. With time it shifts back to be peat oriented. This is a very good nose. It lacks a lot of power and complexity but somewhat makes up for it with a balanced nose overall.

Mouth: It starts out very mild and sweet with a hint of black pepper on top and a small green fruitiness underneath. When it develops, the vanilla returns together with a fresh oakiness and some butterscotch. The peatiness increases its precence out on the edges and it’s still a campfire smokiness but it feels a bit ”wetter” and ”earthier” than before. The whole feels quite clean and well made, but as time passes it becomes quite unbalanced and a bit too oaky. The peat fight against it but loses the battle fairly quick.

Finish: The transition is quite uneventful and a lot of the flavours disappears for a good while. At this point a lot of the flavours never return and the peat and oak are what remain. It doesn’t take long before it becomes all about a fresh oakiness which is dry and overpowering. The finish is not long and the last bit is somewhat like chewing on a piece of oak. This is a good whisky overall. It’s clean and simple and uses fresh wood to overcome the lack of age and complexity, which unfortunatly never works.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in barrels made by the ”finest coopers in the country”. It’s made from 100 % indian malt.

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Campbeltown, Hazelburn, Springbank

Hazelburn 10 YO (2019 Release)

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a honey sweetness with notes of vanilla and fudge. Close behind there is a big bowl of fruits and red berries. There are mainly pears, but also assorted tropical fruits and a hint of strawberries. There’s also a floral quality to it, and a small hint of dry soil. This is very gentle on the nose.

Mouth: It starts out quite spicy and dry. The honey layer sits on top, but it’s not as sweet as on the nose. The fruitiness have shifted from pears towards bitter lemon and grapefruit. It’s a mix of bitterness and fresh fruitiness. A touch of the Springbank oily/rubbery character shines through just before the oakiness arrive.

Finish: It’s still spicy, but the focus is mainly on the citrus fruits with grapefruit and orange peel. The honey still sits as a top layer but the whole isn’t especially sweet. The vanilla and fudge notes return for a second before the oak comes through. The oakiness changes the fruitiness towards tropical fruits. There’s a nutty quality to the late oak finish. It’s still quite bitter all the way through. This is a competent whisky from good casks. It doesn’t impress, but it really doesn’t disappoint either.

Additional information
The Hazelburn 10 YO was first released in 2014. It’s a triple distilled, unpeated expression from Springbank. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon barrels and it’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Speyburn, Speyside

Speyburn 10 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a very spirity layer on top and it’s quite unpleasant from the get-go. Underneath lies a mix of honey, vanilla, green apples and a hint of vinegar. A hint of liquorice is also present. It almost comes through as a blended whisky. The whole becomes sweeter over time and there’s a butterscotch sweetness in the center. The spirity note resides over time and the fruitiness becomes less sharp. This is not the greatest nose. It feels cheap and spirity.

Mouth: It starts out with a very harsh spirity layer and it still feels like a cheap blend. There’s a bitterness in the back and a bland butterscotch in the center. The apples are more like baked red apples now and there’s a nice but unfitting layer of violets on top. The honey is still in there as well but nothing really helps it to shy away from the harshness of it all. A hint of lemon and ginger can be found, as well as heather, malt and a thin veil of tobacco.

Finish: The transition doubles down on the harsh spirity note. It still feels like a blend and the butterscotch notes do stay for a second or two before everything dies down. In this case that’s a good thing. It feels quite metallic in the mouth at this point. The oakiness is left to fend for itself and it’s a decent oakiness with a nutty side to it. The late finish is the best part of the journey. This is a weird whisky and it’s not a great one. It’s harsh and spirity while trying to be a easy accessible fruity speysider.

Additional information
This whisky was aged for in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks. This is the standard core range version.

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Campbeltown, Springbank

Springbank 15 YO (2018 Release)

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet, salty and savory. There are rubber, motoroil and ash notes together with assorted dark fruits, red berries and salt. It’s got a sweet aura of honey and peat, but it’s so well integrated it almost feels like it’s coming from within every other flavour. There’s a tiny minty note hiding in the background. This is a well balanced, complex nose with a phenolic touch.

Mouth: At first it’s got the honey sweetness up front and soon the savory note shows up as a baseline. All the other flavours then comes through one after another. First red berries and ripe plums, then salt, ash, rubber and a squeeze of lemon. There’s a spicyness coming through after a few seconds.

Finish: A whiff of ashy smoke comes through before getting back to the savory notes and the sweet fruitiness. The rubber note flares up and goes back down again. The fruitiness comes through, but now it’s more leaning towards tropical fruits. It’s still very savory and now slightly astringent. The ash note hangs on when the oak starts to take over. This is nothing short of absolutely fantastic.

Additional information
This is distilled 2.5 times and matured in ex-oloroso sherry casks for the entire 15 years. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islay, Laphroaig

Laphroaig 10 YO Sherry Oak Finish

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and medicinal. At first theres’s a rounded sweetness with vanilla, honey and liqueuer-soaked berries in the center with a hefty medicinal and ashy peat on the outside. There’s an oakiness in between and as time passes everything merges and fit together nicely together like a quilt. There are minerals and pipe tobacco as well. The berries are slightly fading with time in the glass but they fortunately never disappear. The oakiness turns into a campfire smoke. This is a great nose with a lot of small nuances as well which is nice to explore.

Mouth: It starts out with a mild sweetness and a hint of bitterness before the full medicinal and mineral peat charges in together with a nice black pepper spicyness. It’s not as sweet as on the nose and the berries are covered in tobacco, high percentage dark chocolate as well as the peatiness. It feels a little less balanced but it delivers a big array of flavours. There’s iodine and ginger which gives it an extra rowdy touch. There’s some almonds hidden within as well.

Finish: The Black pepper spicyness spreads out over the palate before the main flavours return. It once again gives a tobacco vibe with bitter chocolate and iodine. When it starts to settle there are some fresh berries floating around on top while the oakiness emerges from the peat. It stays very peaty throughout and holds up against a slightly dry oakiness. This is a great whisky. It’s rowdy and it’s not easy accessible, yet very interesting to explore.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of refill ex-sherry casks and refill ex-bourbon casks and then finished in european oak ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg 10 YO

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a warm, sweet, and ”wet” peatiness, like smoke from a campfire when water is thrown on it to put it out. There’s honey, vanilla and an unscented lotion note. There are also a touch of seaweed, brine and iodine. There’s a feint hint of green fruits and lemon far away in the back. This is a very nice nose. It’s not especially complex but it’s still interesting.

Mouth: It starts out with very sweet honey and vanilla, which turns into a big burst of savory smoke. The honey note lies up front and it’s carried by a black pepper spicyness, some seasalt and a touch of bitterness. The lotion note is in there bit it’s not as pronounced as on the nose. It’s a quite mineral rich peat and it’s slightly dry.

Finish: The finish starts with menthol, honey, lemon and bittersweet smoke. It’s still savory and the wet burned wood carries through. The peat is very much the main event but the honey note isn’t far behind. The oak is slightly bitter. The finish is a never-ending story with a tar note appearing when the wet oak subsides. This is a great whisky. It’s not the most complex experience but it does its job extremely well.

Additional information
This whisky was launched in the year 2000 and is the entry level in Ardbegs core range. It’s aged in both first fill and refill ex-bourbon oak barrels. The barley has 55 ppm. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Arrrrrrrdbeg!

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ABV: 51.8 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is green fruits and peat. At first there’s a green pear and apple fruitiness with a spicy, mineral heavy peatiness. When it settles a layer of minty candy cane gets mixed into the fruitiness. There’s vanilla and, when given time, an unscented lotion note as well. The oakiness is present as an outside layer together with the peat which create a warm burnt woodfire note. The rye is also in there, but it’s not especially ”bready”. This is a great nose which feels lively and there’s a lot of things to discover.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and spicy with a big dose of peppermint spreading out. Underneath the peat still comes through as mineral heavy with an aura of burnt wood. The rye sits a bit back on the palate and gives the whole thing a quite unique character in combination with the peatiness. There’s a bitterness coming through from the back as well as some coastal notes. The fruitiness is now almost completely gone.

Finish: The transition starts with small increase of the spicyness before it turns to a mix of oak, peat and rye bread. The sweetness has subsided and it’s more focused on the bitter side which has a hazelnut vibe to it when combined with the oakiness. The longer the finish last, the more of the rye bread and the oak comes through. The fruitiness peeks through as well. The peatiness moves out to an outer layer and stays a good while down the late finish. It becomes somewhat astingent in the end. This is a great whisky with a very interesting profile.

Additional information
The Arrrrrrrdbeg! is a limited committee release celebrating Mickey Heads retirement. It’s aged for an undisclosed amount of time in ex-rye casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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