Kategoriarkiv: Independent bottlers

Glenallachie, Independent bottlers, Signatory Vintage, Speyside

Glenallachie 2008 13 YO (Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection)

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ABV: 63.7 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and powerful. At first there’s a hefty cloud of high ABV floating around on top of a dark pool of espresso, ripe and dried fruits and cacao. When it starts to settle the fruitiness becomes a bit brighter with some fresh fruits mixed with raisins and overripe plums. A vanilla sweetness starts to rise out towards the edges and a leather note appears in the center. The whole is very rich on the nose. The oak is also detectable and it’s a mild oakiness without any sharp edges. This is a fantastic nose which never seems to stop morphing into something different, yet within the same flavour profile.

Mouth: It starts out with a big hit of the high ABV and it’s almost over the top. Underneath the spicyness it feels very balanced between the dark sherry notes and the fruity distillate. There are dark chocolate, leather and raisins mixed with fresh apples, malt, vanilla, toffee and some dusty wooden shelves. There are some almonds floating around as well. The background has a lemon sourness and a coffee bitterness. It’s not as dark on the palate as on the nose but it feels like a logical and interesting development.

Finish: The powerful spicyness spreads out nicely. It’s certainly making a statement at this point but doesn’t feel like it’s attacking the palate. It’s a dusty and bitter start to the finish but it soon shifts towards a mix of lemon, leather, almonds and oak. A floral note is floating around on top as the oakiness start to take over. It’s a dry oakiness which has a nice mix between new and old. It stays around for a long finish. This is a fantastic whisky which is really fun to explore. (It becomes even better with a splash of water!)

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a single ex-Oloroso sherry butt (No. 900372). It was distilled 2008 and bottled 2022. The bottle tried is no. 487/678. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Artist Collective, Independent bottlers, Linkwood, Speyside

Linkwood 21 YO (Artist Collective 2.1)

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ABV: 58 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and fruity. At first there’s a dark overripe plum and raisin note sitting on top of a fresher floral and fruity base. There’s a cooling mint hovering above all as well. The distillate feels very clean and well made but there’s a nail polish remover note attached to it which brings the whole down a bit. When it settles there’s a somewhat gritty note coming through with sulfur and signs of age with some dust and leather. With time in the glass it becomes brighter and delivers dried assorted fruits. This is a nice sherry driven nose with some complexity to it.

Mouth: It starts out with an immidiate spicy punch and a mix of ripe red berries, coconut flakes and dried fruits. There’s a rather big and bitter black coffee note in the back together with sour lemon freshness and baking spices. The leather and dust is still in there as well as a slightly floral complex note. It’s not an easy sipper by no means and it hasn’t got a sweet character although there’s a sweet shell surrounding everything else. It’s slightly astringent at this point but it feels rich overall.

Finish: A dusty fruitiness builds up together with the spicyness. It’s now a rather perfumey note which is dominating the center part. It’s got a citrus base and a floral top note. The bitter black coffee note is still residing in the back and the astringency increases slightly. There’s still not much of a sweetness. After a while the sherry delivers some sweetness attached to the red berries and leather notes. The gritty character is completely gone as well as the nail polish remover note found on the nose. The oakiness arrives late and it really doesn’t show up before most of the other flavours disappear. It’s a nice oakiness with the black coffee note attached to it as well as a walnut nuttiness. This is a very good whisky with a complex character.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 1997 and was drawn from a batch of 5 refill sherry hogsheads exclusivly for Le Maison du Whisky. This is from collective #2.1.

Gordon & MacPhail, Highland Park, Independent bottlers, Islands

Highland Park 18 YO – 2002 (Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength Connoisseur’s Choice)

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ABV: 58.1 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and spicy. At first there’s a mix of baking spices and menthol floating on top of a sweet center. It consists of ripe red fruits, fresh summer berries and icing sugar. There’s a hint of oakiness and caramel as well. A floral, heathery peat sits in the back but it’s not pronounced at all. The whole feels dessert-like, but it’s not overly sweet. It’s not a heavy nose and it feels poised and laid back even though the High ABV helps it along. This is a nice nose overall which feels younger than its age.

Mouth: It starts out with a big and powerful spicyness and a sweet layer of vanilla and caramel. On the outside there’s a layer of sweet syryp-soaked fruits. The center part grows slowly as the spicyness peaks and the fruitiness gets pushed away. There’s a peaty note in the background but the other flavours keep it subdued for the most part at this point. The oakiness is detectable but it’s sort of mixed with the spicyness.

Finish: The spicyness start to subside almost immidiately and gives room to the other flavours. It’s now a bit dusty and the age is finally shining through with a complexity in the center. The baking spices return and together with the sweet vanilla/caramel center and the fruitiness it creates a very pleasant finish, which is the best part of the journey. The oakiness makes a nice entrance at the end and even though it’s not the most special thing, it works both with the lingering fruitiness and the small peatiness which resides around the edges. This is a really good whisky. It’s sort of hard to identify as a Highland Park though.

Additional information
This is a single cask release. It was aged in a refill ex-sherry butt. It was distilled in 2002 and bottled in 2021. Cask no. 6431, batch no. 21/053. 572 bottles were released.

Independent bottlers, Islay, Port Ellen, Signatory Vintage

Port Ellen 1979 (Signatory Vintage)

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a rather pointy and fresh fruitiness up front with a mild vanilla surrounding it. It’s fresh orchard fruits as well as assorted dried berries. In the background there’s a slight paint thinner note which becomes more medicinal as time passes in the glass. There’a also a light peatiness and a touch of salt and sulfur sitting beneath the fruitiness. This is a great and accessible nose with a complexity to keep the explorers occupied for a good while.

Mouth: It starts out with vanilla and a hint of coconut in the center and a very complex mix of medicinal peat, minerals and rubber on the outside. After a few seconds there’s almost a mix of white wine and pilsner coming through which at first comes off as a bit weird but when it merges with the vanilla becomes rather interesting. It’s less fruity and more peaty than on the nose but the fruitiness in there now comes through as orange peel. The whole thing has a sprinkle of dust on top.

Finish: A mild peppermint cloud spreads across the palate as the other flavours try to settle on which one should go first. The white wine and beer notes moves up a bit as well as the vanilla and orange peel. The fruitiness is now residing on the edges of the palate. The peat notes have once again taken a big step back and never really affects the palate in much in the finish. This makes the oakiness come through clearer. It’s a nice oakiness but it kind of brings up the paint thinner note once again. There are some assorted nuts and a hint of orange peel left in the late finish. This is a great whisky with a pretty quirky character. This makes it more fun to explore but less of a balanced High quality dram.

Additional information
This is aged for 22 years in a refill ex-sherry cask (Butt no. 5536). This is bottle no. 612/738. It has natural colour.

Independent bottlers, Islay

Douglas Laing’s Big Peat Christmas 2017 Limited Edition

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ABV: 54.1 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
(Scribbles)
Nose: Very savory, honeyglazed liquid bacon, ashy campfire, iodine, brine and a hint of lemon.

Mouth: Ashy tobacco, savory and meaty. Honey and a touch of vanilla. Very straightforward focus on the peat effect.

Finish: Feels like after smoking a cigarette, ashy, tobacco, brine, still savory, a metallic young note is present.

Additional information
Douglas Laing released Big Peat Christmas Edition for the first time in 2011. This 2017 edition contains whiskies from 7 islay distilleries. Named distilleries are Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila and Port Ellen. It’s cask strength, has natural colour and it’s unchillfiltered.

Independent bottlers, Islay

Macleod’s Islay

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and peaty. At first there’s a medicinal and vegetable peatiness up front. When it settles there are spikes of fresh citrus fruits and a smell of cardboard. The ethanol is coming through in a not so good way and it’s lacking in depth. After a while there’s a tobacco note and a hint of vanilla coming through around the edges. It becomes a bit fruitier with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat and then it becomes honey sweet. After that it takes a second or two for the peat to arrive. It’s a warmer peatiness than on the nose with burning hay and wood. There’s vanilla and a feint scent of assorted fruits buried within. There’s still a taste of cardboard and it still lacks depth. Everything seems to sit in a single layer.

Finish: The medicinal peatiness takes over and the first part of the finish is quite nice. After a while it sort of shifts towards being savory and when the oak arrives there’s a nice complexity to it. The oak is not especially interesting and the finish isn’t very long. There is a small hint of ripe berries peeking through somewhere along the line. This is an okey whisky and it serves it purpose, giving peat lovers on a budget a decent alternative.

Additional information
This is the Islay version of the series ”Macleod’s Regional Malts” by independent bottler Ian MacLeod Distillers. The distillery and the age are not disclosed.

Independent bottlers, Islay, Port Askaig

Port Askaig 12 YO – 2020 Spring Edition

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ABV: 45,8 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a layer of warm campfire peatiness sitting on top of a sweet layer of vanilla, honey and an unscented lotion note. In the background it produces some fresh fruitiness with green apples and a hint of lemon. It feels very balanced overall and the contrasts give it a nice complexity. This is a very nice and pleasant nose but it feels like there are some coastal notes missing.

Mouth: It starts out sweet with honey, vanilla and a hay note. The peatiness spreads out towards the edges and leaves the sweetness in the middle. There’s some sweet liquorice and a hint of seasalt coming through. It’s not as fruity as on the nose and now there’s just a feint lemon note residing in the back. The spicyness builds up over time and adds another side to the whole.

Finish: It starts out with a wave of coastal notes, mainly seasalt and some seaweed. They sit side to side with the friendly vanilla and honey sweetness. The warm campfire is still coming through out towards the edges. After a few seconds the spicyness starts to subside which leaves room for the oakiness. The oak is nice enough, but it’s a bit characterless. The finish is not especially long and the saltiness stays on the toungue after everything else disappears. This is a great whisky with a lot to offer for those who adventure beyond the peat.

Additional information
The 2020 spring edition is made from 18 ex-bourbon hogsheads filled in 2006 and 2007. The distillery isn’t disclosed. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Highlands, Ian Macleod Distillers, Independent bottlers

Macleod’s Highland

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is mild and sweet. At first there’s not much coming out of the glass except a mild and sweet floral note. After a few seconds vanilla and red berries start to appear in the center, but they are not recognizable as specific kinds. The floral note is leaning towards elderflower and a hint of lemongrass. It’s a nice nose but it lacks some depth and complexity.

Mouth: It starts out very mild with vanilla, honey and malt. There’s a toffee note sitting in the middle. There’s a dustiness in the back and a floral note up front. The fruitiness increases with time and after a while it comes through as sweet oranges. In the back there are feint notes of oil and soot and that gives it a nive depth which makes up for the low impact.

Finish: A burst of the orange fruitiness together with the vanilla take lead and afterwards it basically moves directly to the oak finish. It’s a very nice oakiness with some nuttiness to it. It’s mainly hazelnuts. There’s also a fruity quality to the wood which makes it a nice compliment to the nose and the mouth. This is actually a very good whisky considering it’s decently priced and has low ABV.

Additional information
This is a NAS single malt from an undisclosed highland distillery. It’s released by the independent bottler Ian Macleod Distillers.

Highlands, Independent bottlers, Staile Uisge

Staile Uisge – The Drum

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sour and young. At first, there’s a big basket of lemons and a splash of vinegar. There’s also green grapes and a white wine aura surrounding everything. In the background there is a honey and vanilla sweetness, but it’s very discreet. This is very fresh and the sourness is the main character throughout. It becomes sweeter with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out a bit watery and then it becomes very sweet and malty. There are vanilla and honey notes as well as sweet liquorice all mixed up in the center. The white wine notes are still in there but the lemons are now reciding in the background. It needs time in the mouth to reach its potential and when it does it’s actually pretty rich and tasty.

Finish: It starts out with the sweet liquorice and the lemon notes return to the front. It’s not as sweet anymore and there’s not much happening in the finish. The liquorice stays all the way through and an anonymous and rather flat oakiness appears for a short time, but it disappears rather quick. This is a nice whisky for its price, but it feels a bit incomplete and ambigous.

Additional information
Staile Uisge is a brand of the swedish independent bottler Granqvist Beverage House. The Drum is a NAS whisky sourced from an undisclosed highland distillery.

Independent bottlers, Speyside

Lismore 10 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: A bit quiet and laid back at first. When it awakens it’s fruity and floral. There are fresh green apples and yellow pears and a hint of violets. The fruits are covered in a big dollop of vanilla cream. There’s a feint leather note sitting in the background. The fruitiness continuously moves forward. There’s a spicy black pepper touch to it on top of everything else.

Mouth: It takes a 180 degree turn and completely changes its character. It’s spicy with a hefty note of wet leather and it fills the mouth. The fruits turn darker and the apples are now baked together with some figs and raisins. The oakiness comes through after a while. A hint of dill is in there and maybe some oranges. It’s pretty astringent with a bitter tang.

Finish: Very oaky. The spices and the leather note is still the main feature. There’s a chalky note and a touch of dust on top of the oak. The fruity bits return down the line, but both the leather and the oak dominate the palate. There’s a marzipan note showing up near the end. It’s altogether a somewhat weird journey through the experience.

Additional information
Lismore doesn’t disclose the source of their single malt or the cask type used. They produce speyside whisky bottlings. The brand is owned by J & G Grant, which also owns Glenfarclas and Th Royal Heritage brand.

Independent bottlers, Islay

Douglas Laing’s Big Peat

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

Tasting notes
Nose: It starts with a heavy and dense smokiness with honeyglazed bacon and the ashy notes of a campfire just about to die out. When the first impact subsides there’s lemon juice and a whiff of the sea (like being on the shore on a cold, windy day) in the back.

Mouth: It starts out very sweet and ashy. It’s savory with a nice honey and vanilla touch to it. It’s surprisingly mild but still manages to give a big bold array of smoke flavours. Some spicyness arrive late and it’s not a big part of the experience.

Finish: The smoke notes change slightly towards tobacco and a hint of rubber. It’s still savory and ashy though. This is very much a peaty fanfare with just a touch of salt and lemon. The oak note is very well hidden, but shows up as a slight astringency in the tail of the finish.

Additional information
Big Peat is part of Douglas Laing’s ”Remarkable regional malts of Scotland” series. It’s a blend of malts from distilleries located on islay. Douglas Laing mentions Caol Ila, Bowmore, Ardbeg and Port Ellen as components. It has natural colour and it’s unchillfiltered.

Independent bottlers, Islands

Douglas Laing’s Rock Oyster

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ABV: 46,8 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: First thing that pops up is a savory, meaty note. Spicy and ashy, hints of lemon and lime. There’s a metallic note in the back. Quite powerful and unforgiving.

Mouth: Starts out mellow and sweet. The savory note takes over with notes of honey glazed barbecued meat. Still a little sour in the back. Spices build up after a couple of seconds. A bit underwhelming compared to the nose.

Finish: Sweet, savory and ashy. A complex array of ”funky” notes show up in the middle of the finish together with the honey and vanilla which makes it quite interresting. The oak note hides in the background and never really takes over.

Additional information
Rock Oyster is part of Douglas Laing’s ”Remarkable regional malts of Scotland” series. It’s a blend of malts from distilleries located on the islands. Douglas Laing mentions Arran, Islay, Orkney and Jura as Islands where the components come from. It has natural colour and it’s unchillfiltered.

Independent bottlers, Speyside

Douglas Laing’s Scallywag

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: It’s an easy approach with a malty and somewhat dusty baseline. There’s butterscotch, vanilla and a touch of cream. There’s also a fruitiness coming through with ripe red apples and juicy pears as the prominent notes. It’s very pleasant.

Mouth: It feels a bit flat and thin (which probably is a result of the blending of malts). There’s vanilla and honey mixed in with the fruity notes, which now lean towards apple juice. A touch of spicyness comes through after a couple of sips.

Finish: A big burst of mixed fruits. It has now shifted mainly towards pears but with a hint of assorted tropical fruits. The vanilla note comes back when the oak appears. A savory note shows up somewhere near the end and gives a little nice surprise to an otherwise nice finish.

Additional information
Scallywag is part of Douglas Laing’s ”Remarkable regional malts of Scotland” series. It’s a blend of malts from distilleries located in the Speyside region. Douglas Laing mentions Macallan, Mortlach and GlenRothes as components. It’s mainly consists of whisky matured in spanish ex-sherry casks. It has natural colour and it’s unchillfiltered.

Highlands, Independent bottlers

Douglas Laing’s Timorous Beastie

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ABV: 46,8 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: It starts out with a nice vanilla and honey sweetness, yet it still is very bright and shiny. Green apples and a hint of raspberries creates a fruity center within the sweetness. The distillate seems a bit young and a tiny ”cardboardy” note comes through from behind.

Mouth: It’s very different than the nose. It switches from bright and shiny towards a darker fruitiness together with a funky complex note. It’s oily and turns slightly bitter when the oak appears. There’s also an overlay of lemon and lime.

Finish: The finish starts out very sweet with sugar coated ripe plums and vanilla. When the sweet fruitiness subsides the oak reappears. It ends with a nicely balanced bitterness with hints of coffee and hazelnuts.

Additional information
Timorous Beastie is part of Douglas Laing’s ”Remarkable regional malts of Scotland” series. It’s a blend of malts from distilleries located in the Highlands. Douglas Laing mentions Dalmore, Glengoyne and Glen Garioch as components. It has natural colour and it’s unchillfiltered.

Independent bottlers, Lowlands

Douglas Laing’s The Epicurean

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ABV: 46,2 %
Origin: Lowland
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: Floral and sweet with a touch of honey, vanilla and sweet liquorice. There’s a note of fresh garden soil and a hint of seaweed in the background.

Mouth: Lemon, vanilla and honey. Nice and friendly. Slightly spicy on second sip with the oak becoming more present. The sweet liquorice is still in the mix.

Finish: Vanilla, honey sweetness and fresh oak with a hint of coconut. Not very complex but nice throughout all steps.

Additional information
The Epicurean is part of Douglas Laing’s ”Remarkable regional malts of Scotland” series. It’s a blend of malts from distilleries located in the Lowlands. It has natural colour and it’s unchillfiltered.

Campbeltown, Independent bottlers, Springbank

Svenska Eldvatten Springbank 1995 – 22 YO Refill Sherry Hogshead

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ABV: 44,3 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
This was tasted at a whisky festival. No tasting notes were recorded.

Additional information
This is a single cask (#498) release from a swedish independent bottler. It’s a bottling from a european ex-sherry hogshead cask. 137 bottles were filled from the cask.

Gordon & MacPhail, Independent bottlers, Islay, Port Ellen

Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur’s Choice – Port Ellen 1977

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
No taste notes were recorded during the tasting.

Additional information
This independent bottling of Port Ellen was distilled in 1977 and bottled in 1992. The cask type isn’t disclosed. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Dumbarton, Highlands, Independent bottlers, The Sovereign

Hunter Laing’s The Sovereign – Dumbarton 30 YO

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ABV: 50.2 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single grain
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: At first, there’s a whiff of nail polish remover which soon changes into a mix of tutti frutti and menthol. It’s creamy with honey and vanilla notes. Altogether it creates the image of a sponge cake. There’s also notes of breakfast cereals coming through.

Mouth: It’s very ”bitey” and there are hints of an entire breakfast with cereals with honey, and cream. The oak comes through and brings some coffee to the table. It’s very bitter. It matches the nose pretty well.

Finish: The finish is very oak forward and the age really comes through. There’s grey wooden planks and espresso. It comes with walnuts and hazelnuts and it’s quite bitter. The sweet grainy notes resides in the background, but the oak completely takes over.

Additional information
This grain whisky from the closed distillery Dumbarton is unchillfiltered and has natural colour. It’s from a single cask (HL 14327) filled in 1987 and there was with 135 bottles produced.