Kategoriarkiv: Campbeltown

Campbeltown, Hazelburn, Springbank

Hazelburn 8 YO Sauternes Wood

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ABV: 55.9 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and spicy. At first there’s a dark syrup sweetness combined with a mixed spicyness. It’s quite powerful in its initial impact. There are notes of ginger, vanilla, white pepper, dried fruits and assorted nuts all attached to each other in the center. On the outside there are yellow tropical fruits like mango and pineapple creating a thin layer. With time the fresher fruitiness increases in intensity and together with a honey note they become the main attraction. There is also a coffee note floating around on top. This is a great, complex nose which develops in a great way over time.

Mouth: It starts out with a dusty black pepper veil with a very fruity and sweet center underneath. There are still dessert-like notes of mango, pineapple, honey, vanilla and nuts within and in the background a gritty and oily note with rubber, leather and black coffee starts to emerge. The whole is very complex and there are ripe fruit notes and coconuts floating around as well. The black pepper creates a nice spicyness throughout but it never becomes too spicy.

Finish: The transition is mellow without being bland. The spicyness never spikes and now it’s a mix of pepper and baking spices. The ripe fruit notes and the same gritty and oily background notes carry over without any dips in flavour. Coconut and a hint of banana come through before the mango and pineapple notes return. The coffee bitterness in the back returns as well. The finish is very long and rewarding and it almost feels like a christmas in the middle of summer. This is a somewhat weird but absolutely fantastic whisky. It offers equally much to both whisky exploring and being the occasional easy drinking tasty dram.

Additional information
This whisky was first aged for 5 years in refill ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for 3 years in Sauternes casks (2002/2011). 9180 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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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: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
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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Campbeltown, Springbank

Springbank 18 YO (2019)

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity with a funky complexity to it. A big fruit basket with green grapes, oranges and assorted tropical fruits is first to come through. On top of those there are also layers of vanilla, honey and hint of sweet liquorice. There’s also a floral side with an almost perfumey freshness to it. In the background the Springbank rubbery/oily funk creates the complexity together with a gentle peat. A hint of menthol creates a cooling effect in the nose. This is quite beautiful on the nose.

Mouth: A bitter tang and a pleasant spicyness arrive first and they are soon joined by the fruitiness and the oily rubbery note. There’s a dusty old book note sitting on top of everything. There’s honey and vanilla but they’re not as sweet as on the nose. The fruitiness is now leaning heavily towards citrus fruits with grapefruit, oranges and a hint of lemon. The peat is present but it’s not very prominent. After a few seconds the oakiness peeks through from behind. It’s a soft, fresh oak and it sort of just emerges from within the vanilla.

Finish: A big dollop of the Springbank funk and peppermint flare up and soon after the fruitiness takes over. It still produces a lot of citrus fruits with grapefruits and oranges. The lemon is a bit toned down and replaced by sweeter tropical fruits like mangoes. The old dusty books still sit on the top shelf and stays there for the entire finish. The oak arrives fashionably late but when it does it really fits the perfect profile. There’s no astringency whatsoever, and the whole thing is very thick and juicy all the way through. As always a great dram from Springbank with a lot to discover.

Additional information
The different releases of the Springbank 18 YO varies. This version was bottled in 2019 and it’s been aged in american ex-bourbon barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Campbeltown, Kilkerran

Kilkerran 8 YO Cask Strength (2019)

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ABV: 57.1 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and dirty. At first it’s just a thick layer of dark fruits and high ABV. When it settles a gritty background noise of oil, rubber and soot reveals itself and creates a nice complexity. The dark fruits, overripe plums, blueberries and raisins, are joined by vanilla and black liquorice. The high ABV turns into a pleasant menthol cloud with time in the glass. There’s also an oakiness floating around outside of the core. This is a wonderful nose which offers more the longer it’s explored.

Mouth: It starts out with a heavy dose of black liquorice and liqeuer-soaked raisins. The ABV then hits the mouth hard as the base flavour changes to vanilla and the oily, sooty rubber notes. When it settles a slightly fresher fruitiness ends up on top, but it still consists of dark fruits. There’s a complex correlation between all the parts and it creates a fantasticly rich experience.

Finish: Once again the ABV makes its presence known. After it once again settles, the sherry notes completely takes over and everything else takes a step back. After a few seconds the soot and rubber starts to grow and brings the oakiness along. It’s slightly astringent and there’s a slight hint of tropical fruits connected to the oakiness. There’s also a black coffee bitterness and some hazelnuts showing up in the late finish. The entire finish is kept together by a black liquorice ceiling. This is absolutely amazing from start to finish.

Additional information
The Kilkerran is made by the Glengyle distillery. This was released in november 2019 and this is aged in re-charred ex-Oloroso casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Campbeltown, Springbank

Springbank 15 YO – Rum Wood (2019)

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ABV: 51 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and sweet. The first impact is a lemon and vanilla sponge cake. Honey and icing sugar together with a mild peatiness sit at the edges of the glass. The normal Springbank oily/rubbery note is there, but it’s extremely toned down and overrun by the rum influence. It becomes sweeter with time which also changes the fruitiness slightly. It’s a very round, warm and welcoming nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a big hit of the rubbery/oily peatiness before the fruitiness and a hint of dust return. It’s still vanilla, lemon and honey, but the main focus is now steered towards the peatiness. It’s not as sweet as on the nose. The oakiness is already making an impact and creates a nice backdrop. After a few seconds the sour lemon really takes on a more leading role. The whole thing is now sort of surrounded by a floral and perfumey cloud.

Finish: A dusty and malty thick note leads way before the ABV spiciness slowly increases in intencity. The lemon and vanilla sponge cake is still there and when the oak starts to come through the lemon note changes and becomes pineapple syryp. The peatiness has now moved back towards the edges. The oakiness shows some age and it feels like grey weathered wood planks. The floral note is still sitting as a top layer through the entire finish. This is per usual a great expression from Springbank.

Additional information
This Springbank was distilled in december 2003 and bottled in August 2019. The release is limited to 9000 bottles. It’s been aged in ex-rum casks for the whole aging period. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Campbeltown, Springbank

Springbank 9 YO – Local Barley 4th Edition

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ABV: 54,2 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and earthy. There’s an aura of dry soil surrounding a honey and vanilla center. There’s black liquorice and a very mild peatiness sitting on top of the sweetness. There’s a blueberry note in the background together with rubber and a savory note. All flavours are well integrated and well balanced. The darker notes of the sherry with raisins and plums can be found, but it takes a while in the glass before they show up.

Mouth: It starts out very ABV spicy. When it settles the honey and vanilla are first to show up. After that a quite ”funky” mix of some peat, rubber and a savory note shine through. The sherry notes come with blueberries, but now with some raisins and ripe plums in the mix. The sweetness is balanced against a lemon note sitting in the back. It’s a little dusty but it still feels young and fresh.

Finish: It’s still very spicy and the finish mirrors the mouth with spices first, then honey and vanilla and after that rubber, peat and the savory note. A black liquorice note moves forward and takes its place up front. Raisins and plums is still present in the back. The oak arrives fashionably late when the spicyness finally gives it some room to do so. It’s a very ”wet” oak with the savory note still clinging on. There’s a very thin note of assorted tropical fruits coming through the oakiness. It’s too feint to pinpoint. The earthy notes comes through in the late finish completing the full circle. This is a complex whisky.

Additional information
This is the 4th release in a 5 part series. Previous releases has been 16 YO, 11 YO & 10 YO. This whisky is distilled 2.5 times and it’s aged in a mix of 80 % american ex-bourbon oak barrels and 20 % european ex-sherry casks.

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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: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
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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Campbeltown, Springbank

Springbank 13 YO – Green

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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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Campbeltown, Longrow, Springbank

Longrow Red 15 YO – Pinot Noir Cask Matured (2022)

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ABV: 51.4 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was first aged for 11 years in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for 4 years pinot noir barriques. 9400 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Campbeltown, Glen Scotia

Glen Scotia 8 YO Peated PX Cask Finish – Campbeltown Malts Festival 2022 Limited Edition

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ABV: 56.5 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was first aged for 7 years in firstfill ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for 1 year in PX hogsheads. 24000 bottles were released.

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Campbeltown, Longrow, Springbank

Longrow 13 YO – Red (2020 Release)

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ABV: 51.6 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet fruits and peat. At first there’s a sweet toffee center and a layer of dirty peat with a hint of tobacco and motor oil. An outer layer with sweet notes of red grapes and dried fruits from the red wine cask is creating a very nice complexity together with the sweet core and the peat. In the background there’s the classic Springbank rubbery funky note which creates depth. Every once in a while a hint of marsipan comes through and with time in the glass a very pronounced black liquorice note sits around the edges. This is a marvelous nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a mild lemon sourness around the edges before honey and peat sort of grow from the center and out. The toffee comes through once again, now together with a dark ripe fruitiness with overripe red berries. There’s a speck of dust in the middle. With time it becomes quite spicy. There’s also some cardemum and cinnamon floating around together with the rubbery funky note. A small bitterness comes through after a while too, but the oakiness stays way back in the background.

Finish: A big peat punch with soil, hay and tobacco hits the palate and it takes a few seconds for it to mellow out. When it does, the whole thing starts to shift towards a tropical fruitiness and the oak. The toffee and honey moves back but doesn’t disappear. The rubbery funky note and the red wine notes are ever so present and the finish goes on for a long time. The oakiness comes with a speck of dust and some walnuts. This is an absolute masterpiece.

Additional information
This january 2020 release of Longrow Red is aged for 10 years in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. It’s then finished for 3 years in chilean ex-Cabernet-Souvignon red wine casks. Only 9000 bottles were produced in this batch. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Campbeltown, Springbank

Springbank 10 YO – Local Barley 5th Edition

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ABV: 56.2 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and earthy with a big bucket of fruits. At first dry soil and honey comes through sitting on top of raspberries, tropical fruits and lemon. As usual the Springbank character with notes of rubber and oil creates a base layer and complexity. With time in the glass the honey, with vanilla and sweet liquorice takes over more and more.

Mouth: It starts out very honey sweet and quite spicy. It’s fruity, but very dirty and rough around the edges. Dry soil, rubber, oil, ash and tar creates a powerful outer layer with the fruitiness trapped within. The fruitiness is now leaning more towards citrus fruits like oranges and lemon, but there are notes of ripe red berries and raisins sitting in the background. It’s somewhat astringent, but there’s no oakiness present yet.

Finish: A nice spicy cloud fills the mouth and lemon is the first thing to break through followed by a growing center of red berries and a tropical fruitiness. The rough and dirty notes is a bit toned down in the finish, but that just seems to help the oakiness to push through. It’s a fresh oakiness with a bitter touch, vanilla and a walnut nuttiness. The finish is very long and rewarding. This is a great whisky with a complex array of flavours.

Additional information
This is the 5th Edition of Springbank’s local barley series. It’s made with Optic barley from High Cattadale farm. It consists of whisky aged in ex-bourbon (77 %), ex-sherry (20 % and ex-port (3 %) casks. It’s limited to 9000 bottles worldwide. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Campbeltown, Springbank

Springbank 12 YO Calvados Wood

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ABV: 52.7 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a funky fruitiness in the center and a fresher fruitiness mixed with honey and vanilla on the outside. There’s a mild earthy peatiness surrounding the edges of the glass. The fruitiness is one part fresh lemon and oranges and one part green apples and yellow ripe pears. The funky notes in the back are now more of a gritty rubber and motoroil baseline and bring a lot of complexity to the whole. With time in the glass it becomes more honeyed and some baking spices are added to the mix. There’s a sprinkle of dust in there as well. This is an amazing nose with a lot of body and depth.

Mouth: It starts out with a hefty mix of baking spices, honey and coconut with the gritty notes in the back. There’s a dusty layer on top of a more ripe frutiness. It’s still a fruitiness full of apples and pears with a twist of lemon though. There’s a mild peatiness sitting around the edges with a dry soil character to it. A malty note increases in intensity in the center. The oak is in there, but it’s well hidden by all the other flavours.

Finish: The transition starts with a big hit of baked apples and pears with baking spices and a hint of liquorice. The spicyness increase slightly, but overall it feels very well balanced between flavours and sensations. The oakiness starts to break though and it makes everything feel a lot older than the stated age. It’s dusty old bookshelves and old cellar notes. There’s a nuttiness coming through as well with a walnut character. There are orange marmelade notes popping up after a few seconds. The finish is long and extremely pleasant. This is a fantastic whisky which hits well beyond its age. It almost feels 4-dimensional.

Additional information
This whisky was first aged for 6 years in refill ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for 6 years in fresh Calvados casks (2012/2020). 9420 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Campbeltown, Longrow, Springbank

Longrow Peated (2021 Release)

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

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
The Longrow Peated is a NAS core range release from Springbank. There’s no information about which casks are used. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Campbeltown, Springbank

Springbank 12 YO – Cask Strength (2019 Release)

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ABV: 54,2 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
(Old Scribbles)

Nose: Sweet Liquorice, vanilla, butterscotch, dark berries, raisins,and ripe red apples. A soft breeze of a campfire, leather and some maltiness.

Mouth: Honey, vanilla, chili fruit, oak, raisins and dades. Springbank’s ”funky” complex note is very much present, but a bit toned down.

Finish: Big puff of peat smoke, sweet sherry notes, mint that changes into a mild oakiness, walnuts. The finish is long and dry.

Additional information
This whisky is a 50/50 mix between american ex-bourbon oak barrels and ex-sherry casks (previous releases have had a 30/70 ratio). It’s distilled 2.5 times. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Campbeltown, Hazelburn, Springbank

Hazelburn 10 YO – Rundlets & Kilderkins

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ABV: 46.8 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and very fruity. At first there’s a cinnamon and apple center with a vanilla and honey coating. It feels very dessert-like. There are malt and wood spices which sort of fills the gaps between the other flavours. With time in the glass the fruitiness evolves and the whole becomes more acidic and sour, which fits nicely as a contrast to the otherwise sweet character. It also becomes more oaky. This is a nice nose which has a nice journey throughout.

Mouth: It starts out with a small gap in flavour and then it becomes quite sour with vanilla and honey mixed in. It has a very nice rich texture with a slightly dusty coating. There’s a bitterness on the outside and together with the sourness it becomes a lemon peel note. There’s still cinnamon and now a heavy oakiness with a lot of spicyness attached to it arrives. A small fresh fruitiness comes through as attached to the oakiness but it’s undefinable. With time the lemon peel note becomes a bit too much.

Finish: The finish starts out with a one second dip in flavour before the lemon peel note completely takes over with the spicy oak sitting around the edges. There’s a slightly weird floral note in the back, otherwise it’s very sour and bitter. After a few seconds it slowly becomes more sweet with vanilla and honey. The late finish is all about a very fresh, aromatic and spicy oak. For those who are patient the oakiness turns very nutty. Still, it’s a bit too much in the end. This is a good whisky and it has a very interesting journey, but the quirky character becomes a bit unbearable.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2003 and bottled in 2014. 12000 bottles were released. It’s aged in rundlets and kilderkins. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Campbeltown, Kilkerran

Kilkerran 8 YO Cask Strength (2018)

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ABV: 56.5 %
Origin: Campbeltown
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 thick vanilla and honey sweetness. Underneath, a young and vibrant distillate peaks through with a very noticable peatiness. When it settles there’s a mix of rye bread, malt and sweet liquorice added to the mix. In the background there’s a lemon note and a gritty complexity with hints of rubber and motor oil. It takes a while for a fruitiness to show up, and when it does, it has a mild and sweet apple character with a hint of tropical fruits. There’s a fresh menthol layer hovering above everything else. This is a great nose overall with a nice balance between the different components.

Mouth: It starts out with a lemon note in the back and a big vanilla sweetness in the center. It has a nice spicyness and it’s a powerful impact from the get-go, but it’s not attacking the palate. In the background it feels dirty and interesting and the gritty note from the nose carries over. The peatiness is coating the palate together with a fresh oakiness. After a few seconds the lemon note merges with the oakiness and creates a tropical fruitiness in the background. The vanilla sweetness evolves and sweet liquorice and honey are added to the mix.

Finish: The fresh lemon and tropical fruitiness surge through the transition and becomes the main attraction for a few seconds. The outside now consists of a chili spicyness, a mineral rich peat and a fresh oakiness. The oakiness moves inwards, slowly taking over the center part. The sweetness disappears and soon it’s just a fresh oakiness with coconut and sawdust mixed with the tropical fruits in the center, while the peat and spicyness stays at the edges of the palate. This is a great whisky. It’s the opposite of discreet and refined; It’s young, rowdy and it was aged in very active casks.

Additional information
The Kilkerran is made by the Glengyle distillery. This was aged in ex-Bourbon barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Campbeltown, Glen Scotia

Glen Scotia Victoriana (Batch 001)

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ABV: 54.8 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is honey and ABV spiciness. At first, there’s a massive ”in-your-face” honey sweetness. On top of that floats a peppermint cloud and underneath there are notes of vanilla, black liquorice and just a small hint of peat. After a few seconds a middle layer consisting of red fruits with a hint of lemon starts to appear, but the honey sweetness remains the main focal point. When it settles the base starts to move towards a butterscotch flavour. This is pleasant but slightly too sweet on the nose.

Mouth: It starts out equivalent to the nose with a massive honey sweetness and a spiciness from the ABV. After a few seconds vanilla, black liquorice and butterscotch spread out creating a whole with a big impact. There’s a slight bitterness around the edges and a fruitiness on top and in the background. The oak comes through sort of as a background noise, which isn’t a bad thing.

Finish: The start of the finish is still very sweet but not as sweet as before. There’s some dusty old bookcases in the back and the black liquorice and vanilla is still in there. The fruitiness is hard to pinpoint since it sort of shifts through the layers. There’s most definitely a citrus side to it though. The oak sits in the back and it’s a dry, slightly bitter oakiness. It’s just a solid, nice oakiness without any specific add-ons. There’s black liquorice and a tiny peatiness when all else subsides. This is a nice whisky, and a dessert in a glass.

Additional information
This cask strength release is aged between 12-17 years in 70 % heavily charred ex-bourbon barrels, 30 % ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and then finished for 6 months in first fill ex-bourbon barrels. It consists of 10 % peated and 90 % unpeated malt. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. This is batch 001, but there has been an earlier release 2015.

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Campbeltown, Glen Scotia

Glen Scotia 10 YO – 2021 Campbeltown Malts Festival Limited Edition Bordeaux Red Wine Cask Finish

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ABV: 56,1 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and spicy. At first there’s a powerful mix of high ABV, vanilla, oak and kitchen spices. There’s also a liquorice root note as well as a subdued red berry fruitiness underneath. Everything seems to expand over time in the glass and it’s sort of hard to pinpoint individual notes specifically. After a while a gritty background noise and a round contrasting butterscotch note start to shine through. This is a very interesting and quite complex nose with a lot to offer for the explorer.

Mouth: It starts out with sour lemon coming through on the edges while the center part fills with ripe red berries, butterscotch and a chili spicyness. It takes a few seconds for the full effect of the spicyness. The oakiness, vanilla and the liquorice root are now covering the entire background of the palate. It’s quite salty and savory which gives it a nice array of sensations. There’s not much of a shift or development at this point.

Finish: The ABV spicyness flares up and hides most of the flavours. First out it the salty and savory notes in the back followed by the liquorice and oak. The ripe red berries are still in there but are somewhat lackluster. The finish is less sweet and is more focused on liquorice root, kitchen spices and herbs, now with a detectable cinnamon note somewhere within. The oakiness feels fresh and lacks a bit of character. This is a great whisky by all means but it’s really hard to break through the gnarly and hard exterior (It improves immensely with a few drops of water).

Additional information
This is a limited Campbeltown Malts festival release aged in first-fill ex-bourbon casks and then finished in first-fill ex-Bordeaux red wine casks. Lastly it was married together in refill casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Campbeltown, Springbank

Springbank 10 YO (2019 Release)

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is at first very fruity and spicy. There’s orange zest, peppermint, ripe red apples and vanilla together with the easy to recognize Springbank peatiness. The latter sits as a backbone with notes of rubber, tar and burning coal. This all comes together with some darker sherry notes, sweet liquorice and a whiff of milk chocolate.

Mouth: It’s salty, but the main focus is on the fruits. Oranges, lemons, ripe apples and now also some tropical fruits are added. It’s milder than on the nose and honey and vanilla cover the fruits. It has a very oily texture. The spicyness comes slowly and the oak and the peaty notes lurks in the background. There’s also a copper note detectable on the edges.

Finish: There’s a burst of peat smoke at first. When it settles it gets replaced with a complex array of fruitiness with a mix of darker fruits, red berries and fresh tropical fruits. There’s a salty note on top. The oak is savory and comes through together with the rubber and tar notes. The oakiness is very laid back and let’s the rest of the complexity shine. The finish is almost like a sangria, with red wine, spices and a lot of different fruits and berries.

Additional information
This whisky is distilled 2.5 times and it’s aged in a mix of 60 % american ex-bourbon oak barrels and 40 % european ex-sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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