ABV: 53.9 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
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Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of refill ex-bourbon, rejuvenated american oak hogsheads and ex bodega european butts. 6000 bottles where released.
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ABV: 55.9 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
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Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2008. It was the last release in the ”Young Ardbeg Series”. 21000 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 58.6 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
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Additional information
This whisky was first aged for at least 15 years in a second fill ex-Oloroso sherry butt. The bottle tried is 526/590. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 62.9 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is peat and oak. At first there’s a big hit of an ashy, dry woodfire peat with a surrounding layer of rounded vanilla and a thin, ripe, red berry note. It’s a very dry nose with the oakiness really accentuating the peatiness. There are notes of unscented lotion as well. With a bit of imagination some brighter fruits are detectable behind the big woodfire. This is a nice nose but it’s not especially complex or interesting. It’s very dry and very oaky.
Mouth: It starts out with a mix of oak and peat, where the peat now presents itself a lot more interesting with dry soil, seasalt, ash, iodine and fresh burning wood. It’s quite astingent and mineral rich. The oakiness is really pushing itself through to the point where it almost outshines the peat. The whole thing comes through as very rich and has a nice power to it which feels essential to pulling this off. There’s still a thin, surrounding layer of vanilla and ripe fruits.
Finish: There’s a second or two of very dry and astringent oak before the peat and the spicyness take front. It’s now once again more ashy and mineral rich and less medicinal/coastal. In the background lies a complex mess of ripe fruits, malt and peat but it feels a bit irrelevant since the whole feels way too oaky and astringent. The finish is extremely long and the woodfire keeps on burning a long time down the road. This is a very good whisky but the virgin oak mixed with the high PPM level creates a big woodfire which at first is impressive bit soon gets a bit annoying.
Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2012 with a PPM value of 133. It was aged in a mix of first fill ex-american (25 %), third fill virgin oak (25 %), second fill ex-Riversaltes (20 %), second fill Syrah (20 %) and lastly, spirit aged in second fill ex-bourbon barrels (10 %). It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 55.3 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a layer of honey, vanilla and sweet liquorice. Underneath lies a mix of tropical fruits, lemon and a mild leathery peat. It’s malty and round in the middle and the whole thing comes through as warm and welcoming. There’s a mixed spices note coming through towards the edges as well. With time in the glass the vanilla and honey sweetness grows bigger. This is a great nose which makes a good introduction to the rest of the journey.
Mouth: It starts out with a sweetness up front and the peatiness sitting in the back together with a lemon note. The peat is now a mix of leather and campfire smoke. It’s a lot more powerful and rich compared to the nose but a bit less sweet and a bit more mineraly. There’s a nice and mellow bitter note in the background and a sprinkle of seasalt too, which adds another dimension to the otherwise dessert-like character.
Finish: A big burst of mixed tropical fruits spread across the palate. The spicyness is rather consistant through the transition and so is the peatiness. It still feels very warm and approachable. The campfire smoke side of the peat soon start to take over and mix with the now detectable oakiness and the tropical fruits. This creates an extremely nice and fruity background note with a nice and mellow vanilla oakiness within. This set-up stays for a long and absolutely amazing finish. This is a fantastic whisky through and through.
Additional information
This whisky comes from the first batch of six in the Tempest series. It was aged in first fill ex-bourbon barrels. 12000 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 55.7 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a sweet minty layer and a vanilla note mixed with a warm campfire peatiness. In the background there are coastal notes with a hint of salty air and seaweed. In between there are nuts, leather and a sticky liqeuer sweetness. It’s not overly sweet though, and the nose is very rich, pleasant and extremely well balanced. With some time in the glass everything sort of joins together. It’s a very unorthodox mix of flavours which works very well together. There’s a darker, gritty note showing up in the back with dried fruits attached to it, but the main focus stays on the sweet and minty wood fire peatiness. This is a fantastic and original nose.
Mouth: It starts out with a fresher fruitiness in the back with some assorted tropical fruits. The sweet and minty peatiness sits up front together with vanilla and honey. In between there are sweet dried fruits, leather and pipe tobacco. It’s salty and rowdy and it’s quite mineral rich. It’s not as sweet as on the nose but it’s got more complexity to it. It feels savory in the back and after a few seconds it becomes peppery as well. It still feels very original and interesting and it’s very lively for its age.
Finish: The center part with dried fruits, leather and tobacco really steps forward in the transition. The minty layer and the peppery spicyness just keep their levels and there are no sharp edges. There are notes of heather and honey sitting together with the warm peatiness out on the edges. The center part is still mineral rich and there’s still a savory note in the back. The finish is long and rewarding and it takes a long time before any flavour gives way. When the oakiness start to break through, it starts out directly from the peatiness and spreads inwards. It’s a nice, nutty oakiness with a sprinkle of dust and for the first time there are notes of age shining through. This is an amazing and original whisky with so many notes floating around that it’s impossible to catch them all.
Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 1998 and bottled 2018. It was aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in ex-PX sherry casks. It’s a limited release. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 49.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is peat and green fruits. At first there’s a powerful and mineral rich peatiness with notes of campfire smoke, ash and iodine. Underneath lies a sweet layer of oak, vanilla and unscented lotion mixed with a salty maritime note. When it settles in the glass it becomes a bit fruitier with green apples, lemons and gooseberries. It’s cereal rich and feels very well put together. There’s a minty fresh layer floating around on top and small notes of nuts and green banana seems to come through in the center. This is a fantastic and interesting nose with a lot to discover underneath the peat punch.
Mouth: It starts out with a savory note in the back and the mineral rich peatiness up front together with coastal notes. The ashy campfire smoke comes though out on the edges together with a quite spicy black pepper. The fruitiness sits in the center surrounded by the vanilla, some honey and the unscented lotion note. It’s not as fruity as on the nose and it’s a lot more zesty with a bitter tang in the back of the palate. The gooseberries are still in there. The whole comes through as rich and slightly dry.
Finish: The finish starts out with a surge in the mineral rich peat and the ABV spicyness. When it settles the campfire and ashy notes return. They stay towards the edges and gives room for the fruity and zesty notes in the center. It becomes more ashy and fruity as the finish progresses. The vanilla is still in there but it just acts as a nice filler between other sensations. It’s dry and slightly astringent throughout and when it starts to fade there’s just a beautiful mix of laid back nutty oak, gooseberries and ashy peat. This is a fantastic whisky and one of the better committee releases as of late.
Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2007 and aged in ex-bourbon barrels. 8000 bottles were filled in 2021 and released in 2022. The fermentation period was prolonged for this release. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 64.1 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
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Additional information
This whisky was aged in first-fill seasoned american and european oak casks as well as refill casks. This release has a higher peat content than the previous releases. It has natural colour.
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ABV: 44 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet fruits and floral peat. At first there’s a floral peatiness with notes of heather, tobacco and rubber. There’s also a top layer of red, sweet and sticky fruitiness with fresh sugared berries and baked apples. This layer increases with time in the glass. The whole is very mild and easy to access from the start. Underneath lies a malty mix with vanilla and honey, as well as mixed herbs and cinnamon. This is a great nose which feels slightly top heavy.
Mouth: It starts out very mild. First out is the vanilla sweetness which are soon followed by the floral peat and the fruitiness. There’s a lemon note which soon becomes slightly bitter and cesty. It’s not as sweet and sticky as on the nose and it feels a bit more balanced at this point. There’s still a lot of fragrant spices and herbs within and there’s a nice mix of sensations going on.
Finish: The transition increases the intensity at first, but not too much. It’s a nice and needed power boost. The peat lingers around the edges while the fruitiness now feels more fresh and tropical. The lemon zest is still residing in the back while a spicy and herbal oakiness start to take over. This is the first time the age makes itself known. It’s a very nice and aromatic oakiness with signs of some age to it. This is a good whisky with a lot to offer for both the explorer and the drinker, yet it lacks a bit of power and presence.
Additional information
This whisky was aged in sherry seasoned european and american oak casks as well as refill casks. It has natural colour.
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ABV: 68.9 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
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Additional information
This whisky was aged between the years 2011 and 2022 in a sherry butt. 563 bottles were filled. The cask reference is 900094. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 48.8 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5
Tasting notes
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Additional information
This whisky is a part of the Soleo Collection. It was aged in seasoned first fill sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. It has natural colour.
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ABV: 45 %
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Type: Bourbon
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
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Additional information
This straight bourbon is s limited release of 6000 bottles and is the third annual special release. It was aged for more than 4 years and then finished for 6 months in ex-Tawny Port Casks.
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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is dirty, dark fruits. At first there’s a top layer of fresh red berries and dried dark fruits. A gritty layer of soil, motoroil and sulfur fills up the background and gives the immidiate feel of depth and complexity. As it opens up there are sweeter notes appearing somewhere in between and sort of ties everything together. There’s a hint of vanilla and a rubber note in there as well. It creates a funky experience overall with a lot to discover. This is a great nose.
Mouth: It starts out with a quick sweetness before the background notes comes rushing forward. The funkiness is really demanding attention and the oily, rubbery, dirty notes are up front. The fruitiness is now residing at the edges and it’s more like a mixed bag of dried fruits with a dash of lemon. Raisins and overripe plums are definitely in there as well as brighter fruits. There is a peppermint element and a thin vanilla sweetness floating around. A thin bitter note can be found in the back and this really involves all the different sensations.
Finish: The finish starts out somewhat uneventful before any flavours start to return. First out is the sweetness and the dried fruits on the edges. The peppermint comes in shortly after and then the complex dirty center come along as well. It’s much more toned down and tame and doesn’t deliver what the nose and mouth promises. That leaves room for the oakiness though and it’s a very pleasant oak with a savory note and hazelnuts as well. There’s a very thin chalk layer on it which isn’t all that great but it disappears down the road. The sherry notes come back as a top layer in the late finish. This is a great, well made whisky but the finish lets it down a tiny bit.
Additional information
This Springbank was released in 2015. It’s made from organic barley and aged in ex-sherry casks for the whole aging period. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Ireland
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5
Tasting notes
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Additional information
This whisky was made at the Cooley distillery with peated (20 PPM) barley from Scotland. It’s double distilled and then aged in ex-bourbon barrels.
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ABV: 40.5 %
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Type: Rye
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5
Tasting notes
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Additional information
This Rye is aged for at least 5 years in barrels with No. 4 ”alligator” char. The mashbill consists of 51 % rye, 37 % corn and 12 % barley.
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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Mexico
Type: Corn Whisky
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5
Tasting notes
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Additional information
This whisky is made from nixtamalized Mexican Cacahuazintle corn and aged in a mix of virgin oak and refill corn whisky casks.
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ABV: 46.3 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is salted caramel, red fruits and vanilla oak. From the start there’s a fruity front of raspberries and a salt and vanilla base. The oakiness is found somewhere in between and it’s very much present from the start. It has a tiny pine note attached to it, as well as some anise. After a few seconds a sweet caramel and honey note builds up in the middle together with some sweet oranges. There is also a backdrop with ocean air and a hint of oil and seaweed. This is a very interesting nose.
Mouth: It starts out sweet, salty and slightly bitter. It’s also peppery and there’s an immidiate astringency. There are grapefruits and oranges a-plenty and the raspberries get pushed back into the background. The vanilla and caramel are still in there, but not as pronounced as on the nose. The sweetness is mainly honey driven. There’s a speck of dust and the oily note is still acting as a backdrop. Overall, it’s quite hot and intense.
Finish: The salty caramel takes a step forward and creates a fruity dessert together with grapefruits, oranges, raspberries and just a hint of tropical fruits. The intensity rises slowly but steadily in the first part of the finish. When the oak arrives it brings an espresso note and it sort of transforms the fruitiness towards a more sour experience. It’s grey, weathered, dry oak planks. In the late finish there’s a smokiness coming through. This is a great expression, but it really demands your attention.
Additional information
This expression is distilled in small batches and aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and oaky. At first there’s a hefty vanilla oakiness sitting on top of a malty and honey driven sweetness. There’s a hint of lemon in the back, but the oakiness overruns everything for a long time. It’s very top heavy and the new oak finish makes the quite long maturation time useless. There’s a caramel added to the sweetness after a while, but it really does nothing. This is a weird nose. It’s not very bad, it’s just way over-oaked.
Mouth: It starts out with an immidiate caramel sweetness and a very spicy and protruding vanilla oakiness. Underneath lies a bitter coffee note and maybe just a drop of lemon in the back. There’s not much more happening at this point. It’s still way too oaky which makes it uninteresting and slightly unpleasant. The caramel sweetness grows over time.
Finish: The finish starts out with a surge of the bitter notes in the back before the oakiness once again attacks the palette. At this point it’s actually very unpleasant and the late finish just consists of too much oak and a wait for it to disappear. This is a bad whisky which is completely destroyed by the new oak finish. There’s no complexity nor balance, just a big piece of oak to chew on. This could work well as a mixer though.
Additional information
The Elementa is a part of Glenmorangie’s travel retail series called Legends. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon barrels and finished in charred virgin oak casks.
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ABV: 56.2 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 4/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and spicy. At first there’s a sweet honey and vanilla layer with oak spices on top. The oakiness is present from the start which brings coconut to the mix as well. Underneath is a zesty lemon note and after a while it’s joined by a mix of yellow fruits like mangos and peaches. The sweetness and the spicy oak is the main event though and it lacks a bit of balance overall. There’s not much complexity to it. It does settle a bit with time in the glass. This is a very nice nose, but the oak is a bit too protruding.
Mouth: It starts out with a spicy oakiness around the edges and a nice fruit mix in the back. The sweetness with vanilla, coconut and honey sits in the center. There’s a savory note in the back and somewhere in the middle a gritty note floats around and makes the whole a lot more interesting and adds complexity to the experience. The fruits are more sour and a bit bitter at this point, with lemon zest as the main note. The spicyness increases over time and adds a nice power-up.
Finish: The fruitiness comes crashing in and delivers a very nice mix of tropical fruits. It’s still mangos, lemons and peaches and now they get to shine for a couple of seconds before the oakiness takes over once again. It’s still packed with oak spices and coconut. It’s not as sweet as before and the main focus is on the oak. It once again becomes unbalanced and the late finish is a woodshop oakiness which comes through as a bit dry. It’s not bad at all, but it obscures the fantastic flavours behind it. After a while the coconut returns as well. This is a very good whisky and you get what the label suggests; A fantastic distillate overrun by small casks.
Additional information
This whisky was aged first fill ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in american oak quarter casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.
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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5
Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a sooty peat with a fresher hay note within. The whole feels dry and mineral rich at first. When the peatiness settles there’s room for a honey sweetness and just a hint of marzipan and sponge cake underneath. An apple and pear fruitiness is in there as well as orange marmelade. There’s a ginger note floating around as well. Everything is quite laid back and mellow. This is a very nice nose. It feels a bit younger than the stated age though.
Mouth: It starts out with a mix of ginger and peat and it’s quite spicy even though it has low ABV. It’s lemon peel in the back, mineraly peat on the edges and a slightly spirity, aromatic and very sweet center with honey and vanilla. It feels way younger than its age at this point. There is some old oak notes floating around and there’s a hint of cooking spices attached to it, but at this point this isn’t the greatest experience. It feels pointy and unbalanced and nothing feels like it’s sitting in the right place. There’s a savory note arriving in the back for those who wait.
Finish: The transition is a continuation of the existing spicyness and the old oak, which is now increasing in intensity. It’s finally really showing its age with a lot of dusty oak notes and a hint of leather. The peat is still residing at the edges and never really feels like a part of the whole. The sweetness fades quickly and the late finish is all about a nice old bookcase and some lemon peel notes. This is a good whisky, but it really doesn’t deliver as a high end expensive islay whisky should. It’s all over the place, and it lacks power and complexity.
Additional information
This core range was aged for mostly in ex-bourbon barrels with some ex-sherry casks added as well.
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William’s Whisky Database 