Kategoriarkiv: Islay

Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg 5 YO – Wee Beastie

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ABV: 47,4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is peaty and medicinal. At first there are notes of seaweed, minerals and smoke from a hot burning campfire. In the background there’s a sweetness with vanilla and unscented hand lotion attached to it. It’s young and quite rowdy even though there’s a very thin but dampering layer of red berries resting on top of everything else. It still leans very heavy towards the distillate and not on the cask influence. With time in the glass the minerals and a hint of iodine moves forward. This is an unsettled dram, but it’s still a welcoming and interesting nose.

Mouth: It starts out quite spicy and medicinal. It takes a second or two for the sweetness to come through and when it does, it never really becomes more than a background noise. It’s salty and the seaweed is still in there, but it’s not as coastal as the nose suggest. The campfire smoke is now creating an outer layer surrounding everything. After a second or two there is a slight ripe and dark fruitiness floating around in the back together with the vanilla sweetness and a hint of dark chocolate.

Finish: It starts out by presenting all the background flavours without anything up front. It’s a combined layer of vanilla and unscented lotion, ripe dark fruits, dark chocolate and burnt oak. After a few second the main flavours start to build up. It produces the same flavours once again with seaweed, minerals, iodine and seasalt. There is a metallic note coming through in the late finish which gives away the young age. This is not a balanced and well behaved whisky. It’s young and rowdy both in smell and taste, but it still produces a nice experience.

Additional information
Wee Beastie was added to the Ardbeg core range in 2020. It’s aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-Oloroso sherry butts. 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
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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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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Islay, Lagavulin

Lagavulin 18 YO Feis Ile 2018

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ABV: 53.9 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and ashy. At first there’s a mix of a very round honey and vanilla sweetness and an ashy peatiness which also has a savory side to it. There’s a fresh oakiness in the back as well as some assorted fruit notes which are too thin to separate at this point. The whole has a nice mix of old and new and feels quite approachable. When it settles there’s a menthol layer on top and a campfire smokiness overall. A thin layer of lemon and raspberries is detectable with time in the glass. It feels slightly brittle and it could use a bit more body for it to really shine. This is a great nose overall though.

Mouth: It starts out with a bitter espresso note in the back and a big spicy sweetness up front. In between lies notes of age and sherry with old oak, leather and some raisins. Everything comes with a dusty coating. It tastes quite different from the nose and it really doubles down on all flavours except the sweetness. It’s not as sweet as on the nose at first but grows sweeter with time. The ashy side of the peat has almost disappeared and the peat is hiding behind the other notes. The lemon/raspberry notes remain as a thin layer and it’s now closer to the front with some coconut flavour added.

Finish: The transition starts with a spicy kick and it feels warm and powerful. When it settles down there’s a mix of old oak and lemon. It’s dusty overall and feels a bit astringent. The leather and espresso notes reveal themselves once again. The peat is quite hard to pinpoint at this point. The old oak takes over and is joined by a fresher oakiness which isn’t as nice, but adds to the whole. It’s a very oaky late finish with a hint of walnuts peeking through. This is a great whisky which feels like it could be amazing, but it’s slightly off-balanced throughout.

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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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Single Cask 7170 (2006) – Exclusive for Sweden

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ABV: 58.6 %
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 mineral heavy peatiness with notes of a burning campfire. Underneath lies vanilla, raisins and oak and the whole feels quite hard and unapologetic. When it settles in the glass an unscented lotion note pops up in the center and it really has the Ardbeg character coming through. Honey and black liquorice arrive as well. The peat slowly shifts towards coastal notes with a mix of tar and seaweed. This is a great nose with all the boxes ticked for the peat lover.

Mouth: It starts out with a heavy mix of ashy peat and ABV spicyness. Immidiately a bitterness starts to build up in the back with dark chocolate, raisins and espresso. It’s still rich with minerals and it’s not as sweet as on the nose, but vanilla, liquorice and a bit of honey are still there. The cask influence is more pronounced now with a very mature character overall. The tar and seaweed return after a while together with dry garden soil.

Finish: The transition starts with a surge of raisins, dark chocolate and espresso in the back before the High ABV spicyness and the mineral heavy peat once again come rushing in. After a while it becomes very spicy and it has a lot of power to back up all the flavours. When it starts to fade the unscented lotion note and vanilla return and the finish is extremely long with all the flavours intact. The oakiness sneaks up through the peatiness and it’s almost a surspise when it takes over. It’s not the most characterful oak, but it sits nicely together with the lingering peat notes. This is a great whisky. It’s most certainly not an easy access experience but for the whisky explorer it gives a very nice time indeed.

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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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Renaissance

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ABV: 55.9 %
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 an ashy peatiness on top with a sweetness underneath. There are coastal notes from the get-go, but the main peatiness has a mix of campfire smoke, ashes and dry soil. The sweetness consists of vanilla, honey, oak and an unscented lotion note. The ABV spicyness floats on top and creates a peppermint layer. When it settles there’s a squeeze of lemon peeking through which fits nicely as a contrast to the thick and heavy notes already there. This is a great nose. It’s not especially complex but the whole is very flavour- and powerful.

Mouth: It starts out with honey in the center with a bitterness underneath. There’s an immidiate spicy kick with a lot of peppermint top. It’s got a mineral rich peatiness and a burnt wood note within. It feels extremely powerful and the flavours are really pronounced. The coastal notes are gone and the lemon notes are buried deep within. There are notes of vanilla and anise coming through after a while and it really feels like an Ardbeg at this point.

Finish: The peppermint peaks through the transition and underneath the vanilla, honey and unscented lotion returns. The peatiness sort of fills the rest of the palate with a wide arrange of unruly flavours like tar, ocean spray, campfire smoke, minerals and ashes. The bitterness and the lemon note merge into a peel note in the background while the other flavours slowly start to fade. In the late finish the campfire note once again shifts towards burnt oak and it stays that way for a long time. This is an amazing whisky. It’s not the most complex thing in the world but it delivers flavours as subtle as a smack to the face, and it’s just a treat to recieve the punch.

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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Islay, Laphroaig

Laphroaig Cairdeas Master Edition Feis Ile 2010

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ABV: 57.3 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was aged for 11-19 years in ex-bourbon hogsheads. 5000 bottles were released.

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Bruichladdich, Islay, Octomore

Octomore 09.3 – Dialogos

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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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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 10 YO – Tempest I

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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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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg 13 YO – Fermutation Committee Release

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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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Bunnahabhain, Islay

Bunnahabhain 12 YO

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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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Caol Ila, Islay

Caol Ila 25 YO

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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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Islay, Laphroaig

Laphroaig 10 YO Cask Strength Batch 015

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a sweet vanilla and menthol layer sitting on top of a hot burning campfire. When it starts to settle the whole becomes more medicinal, but the sweetness and the menthol remain on top. There are iodine and tar notes sitting in the center together with a hint of green sour apples. It’s quite mellow despite the heavy peatiness and the high ABV, which makes it very balanced in regards to the sweetness and the rowdy peat notes. Dry soil, liquorice and fresh oak is part of the main character as well. This is a great nose. It’s not very complex, but it delivers a lot of nice flavours.

Mouth: It starts out with a medicinal and mineral rich peatiness building up in the back while the sweetness and warm campfire notes stay at the edges. There’s a spicyness slowly increasing in power and when it reaches its peak becomes a nice powerful effect. It’s not as sweet as on the nose but there’s a nice little tropical fruitiness peeking through in the back. Otherwise there’s still iodine, dry soil and vanilla floating around and they never seem to reside anywhere for a long period of time. This makes it very nice to explore.

Finish: The spicyness increases through the tranisiton and hides most of the flavours. When it slowly disappears it gives room to a nice oakiness which has tiny tropical fruitiness attached to it. There’s a lemon note in the back and an anis root note up front. There’s also a slightly nutty quality to the oakiness, but it’s mostly a grey old oakiness coming through. The finish is still mineral rich with the dry soil note ever present. This is a fantastic whisky which gives a rowdy impression, but it’s a very balanced and flavourful. It’s a brute, but a sophisticated one.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in ex-bourbon barrels. It was bottled in december 2021. This is a limited release. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bruichladdich, Islay, Port Charlotte

Port Charlotte 16 YO Feis Ile 2020

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ABV: 55.8 %
Origin: Campbeltown
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 mineral rich peatiness with a base of honey and vanilla. There’s a minty overlay and a fruitiness in the back. A hint of nail polish remover floats on top at first, but settles as the whole gets sweeter after some time in the glass. The fruitiness is sweet and bright but stays in the back. It’s lemon and sweet ripe grapes. A rounded and mellow oakiness is also found. Everything feels very integrated and well composed. This is a very nice nose with a lot of small things to discover, but has a big character.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet and sour initial impact with a peppery overlay and a hint of black liquorice. The peat comes next and it resides at the edges of the palate. The whole is mineraly and slightly medicinal, but the heavy and gritty notes are nicely balanced with the sweetness and the fruitiness. It’s still a honey, vanilla and sweet grapes mix with a twist of lemon in the back. It feels quite oily and rich and after a while there’s a dry soil note floating around as well.

Finish: The transition offers a slight increase in intensity but just sort of continues along the same path as before. The peat spreads inwards a bit more and the fruitiness stays in the background. It comes a bit more ripe than before and the lemon note is overrun at this point. The peat paves way for the oakiness, which seems to emerge from within the peat, first as a campfire, then as a fresh woodshop oakiness. The late finish is nice, with the peat and oak sticking around for a bit. The oak is a bit uninteresting in the end though. This is a great, well put together whisky. It somewhat feels like a thug in a fancy suit.

Additional information
This whisky was made with three different cask combinations: Refill hogsheads/first fill ex-bourbon, first fill ex-bourbon/ex-Sauternes and ex-sherry/ex-bourbon/Virgin Oak. 3000 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bruichladdich, Islay, Octomore

Octomore 10.4 – Dialogos Virgin Oak (CSL Remy Cointreau)

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ABV: 63.5 %
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 savory peatiness in the center surrounded by honey, vanilla and oak. It’s quite approachable even though it has a high ABV. There’s a spicy layer on top with menthol and iodine. The peatiness meets the oakiness in a warm burning campfire somewhere in between. There’s also a herbal side to the whole as well as a dark chocolate. This is not especially complex, but it balances the virgin oak and the peat very well, This is a very good nose which really feels older than its 3 years.

Mouth: It starts out with an ashy outer layer and a chili spicyness. Underneath lies a mix of dark chocolate, savory peat and oak. There are notes of vanilla and honey, but it’s not as sweet as on the nose. There’s a maltiness moving along nicely throughout as well. After a few seconds the oakiness starts to push through, but the high ABV is really helping the other flavours along until it gets too overwhelming. There’s no fruitiness coming through at all. It feels very young at this point which brings it down a notch.

Finish: The spicyness spreads out over the palate and it’s a very powerful transition. When it settles there are notes of black liquorice, dark chocolate and a herbal oakiness. When the power subsides it becomes more bitter in the background and a miniscule grapefruit note shows up far away from the spotlight. There’s a charcoal note in the middle and the peat has now moved out towards the edges. The late finish is all about the virgin oak casks though. This is a very good whisky with a lot more to offer than percieved by the young age. It’s not the easiest whisky to approach, but for those who can take the heat, there’s a lot to offer.

Additional information
This whisky was aged for 3 years in virgin european limousin oak casks. The PPM value is 88. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islay, Klichoman

Kilchoman Sweden Small Batch Release No. 3

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ABV: 48.2 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and ashy. At first there’s a mild and sweet center core with a soft berry fruitiness, vanilla and oak. On the outside there’s a layer of peat with ashy notes towards the edges and savory ones nearer the middle part. When it settles a very young and spirity distillate shines through and the the top layer gets more accentuated with ashes, peat, vanilla and oak. The sherry notes are quite subdued but mixes nicely with the other notes. This is a good nose which comes through as a bit too young to be great.

Mouth: It starts out with a heavy peatiness with a mix of ashes and minerals attached to it. It feels really young and spirity at this point. There’s a sweet and soft fruitiness with red berries and a slight nuttiness, but it’s not enough to hide a harsh spirit note. There’s a bitter note in the back and the peatiness increases in intensity throughout and a savory note is floating around which really doesn’t make any sense.

Finish: There’s a nice amount of spicyness showing up through the transition. The middle part becomes larger and now presents a mix of vanilla, honey, gentle fruits and earthy peat. The outside stays the same as before with the ashy notes on the edges. A floral note is hiding somewhere in between. The late finish is not the most interesting part. It’s the same notes fading out and they leave peat and oak behind. It’s a nice enough oak. This is a good whisky. It’s too young and not very balanced, but offer a nice peat punch whenever one needs it.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon, ex-Oloroso and ex-PX casks for an undisclosed amount of time. Batch size was 1260 bottles. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islay, Laphroaig

Laphroaig 25 YO (2019)

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fresh fruits and peat. At first there’s a fresh fruitiness with green apples and a hint of tropical fruits. There’s a nice, mild peatiness with a tobacco character and just a tiny amount of iodine. Every note seems to be intertwined and it fits together nicely. After a good while in the glass there’s a lemon and elderflower freshness arriving, as well as the ambience of a dusty old cellar. A sweet side completes the whole. It consists of milk chocolate, vanilla and honey. A lot more fleeting and illusive notes pass by throughout. This is a fantastic nose which feels complex and extremely balanced.

Mouth: It starts out with a honey sweetness up front while a nice spicyness gently spreads out over the palate. A tropical fruitiness starts at the edges and moves in towards the center where green apples and lemons meet up. The peat is integrated in both the sweetness and the fruitiness and brings iodine and minerals to the mix. At this point it feels fresh and lively for its age but there are notes of age in the back with some dusty old bookshelves. It’s a sweet and sour character overall.

Finish: The transition feels logical and there are no surges or dips in flavour. The tropical fruitiness and the lemon note are really taking charge up front while the peatiness lingers out on the edges. It’s almost a sweet white wine character in the early finish. When it starts to fade the fruitiness hangs on, and so does the peat, while the oakiness starts to emerge from the back. It merges with the fruitiness and brings some notes of age with it. It’s a slightly nutty and dusty oakiness which seems to fit perfectly with everything else. This is a fantastic whisky. It’s extremely balanced and brings with it a wide arrange of sensations and flavours.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in ex-bourbon casks and it’s a cask strength release. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 15 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is a big bowl of assorted fruits with a baseline of tobacco, leather and smoke from a hot, burning campfire. There are tropical fruits, red berries and darker notes with ripe plums and raisins. The sweetness comes as white chocolate and vanilla surrounding the fruits. This is extremely pleasant and well balanced on the nose.

Mouth: Lemon sour approach with the leather and tobacco notes up front. It comes with some spicyness and a tiny amount of coffee bitterness. The ripe plums together with the tropical fruits are pushing forwards together with a speck of dust tagging along. It’s not as sweet as the nose would suggest. The oak can be noticed in the background. It’s not dry nor astringent, but brings the bitter tone to the mix. There’s also a salty caramel note laying as a thin layer on top of everything.

Finish: The darker sherry notes move forward together with the now refined tobacco notes. The tropical fruitiness comes as a wave rolling through together with some spicyness just before the oak finish takes over. The oak comes with espresso and the chocolate has now switched from white to dark. It’s a long finish which rewards the flavour seeker. All the fruitiness can be found over and over again all the way to the end.

Additional information
This Bowmore is supposed to be the same as the ”15 YO – Darkest”. It’s matured for 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels and finished for 3 years in Oloroso sherry casks.

Bunnahabhain, Islay

Bunnahabhain Mòine

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ABV: 46.3 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 3
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet peat with a hint of fruits. The first thing to come through is wet hay, a warm burning wood fire and mild honey sweetness. In the center there’s a savory note coming through and in the back vanilla and some red apples create a nice solid backdrop. This is not especially complex on the nose. It is nice, but needs quite a bit of time in the glass to open up.

Mouth: The honey sweetness is first to arrive and then the peatiness comes after. It’s still hay and woodsmoke, but now there’s a medicinal note attached to it. The savory note is toned down and the fruitiness is barely noticable. After a second or two a layer of bitterness builds up around the edges.

Finish: A mild spicyness creates a small introduction to a very medicinal peat note. It soon changes back to the warmer notes again with the woodfire and honey still as main flavours. A hint of the vanilla returns and together with the mild bitterness it transcends into a fresh ”wet” oakiness. There’s no astringency and the peat, the honey and the oakiness sits together in a long, very pleasant finish.

Additional information
This was released in 2015. The cask type used isn’t disclosed but smell, taste and colour suggest american ex-bourbon oak barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bruichladdich, Islay

Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2011

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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 was distilled in 2011. It was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels (75 %) and european ex-wine casks (25 %) for 6 years. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bunnahabhain, Islay

Bunnahabhain Mòine Brandy Finish

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ABV: 55.3 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is ashy and fruity. At first there’s an ashy layer sitting on top of a fruity center part mixed with both herbal and coastal peat notes. The fruitiness comes through as mainly ripe grapes and apples. When it starts to settle, vanilla and honey notes add to the center part and a slight dustiness appears in the back together with a floral (almost soapy) note. There’s a nail polish remover note somewhere within as well. This is a very rich and interesting nose with a lot of different roads to explore. It lacks a bit of logic and at times it feels like it’s all over the place.

Mouth: It starts out with a big peat punch with a herbal and wet peatiness growing in the center part while the ashy notes spread with a peppery note in all directions. The peatiness switch character halfway through and becomes very mineral rich. It’s dusty and after a few seconds the ripe grapes appear in the middle of the palate. It’s not especially sweet and it’s a very rough character at this point. There is a liquorice note appearing after a few sips. The floral note is still found in the back but it’s easy to miss behind the big wall of peat.

Finish: The transition is logical without any big spikes or dips. A gentle rise in the pepper spicyness occurs, otherwise the flavours carry over in a nice way. The ashy peat is still floating around on top and it’s still a mineral rich peat in the center with the ripe grapes and an apple or two.. Once the heavy peat settles the floral notes with lavender, coconut and the dustiness start to take over and becomes the main feature until the oakiness start to appear. The oakiness arrives in a nice, slow pace and seem to let the other flavours have their time to shine. It’s a nice old and dusty oakiness with a touch of hazelnuts. This is a great whisky which is really interesting to explore.

Additional information
This is a limited release aged in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in ex-brandy casks. It was distilled in 2004 and bottled 2017. The bottle no. is 718-4152. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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