Kategoriarkiv: Islay

Bruichladdich, Islay, Octomore

Octomore 10 Years – Dialogos

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ABV: 56.8 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and very peaty. At first there’s a burnt, sweet oakiness with vanilla on top. Underneath lies a very ashy and medicinal peatiness. As it settles in the glass the peatiness becomes more and more prominent and after a few seconds a complex note arrives in the center. It’s a mix of red berries, apple juice and aged cheese. There’s a freshness to it and a hint of ginger ale can be found floating around. With time in the glass the cask influence gives the peatiness a good fight for attention. This is a fantastic nose with a lot to discover, both in within the peatiness and behind the peat curtain.

Mouth: It starts out quite mild and fruity with honey, vanilla, toffee and fresh grapes. There’s some oak notes shining through as well. After a few seconds the peatiness burst through as well as a peppery spicyness. It’s an outer layer of ashy peat and a center part with leather and a complex funky note. The back of the palate fills with overripe berries as well as the medicinal notes. The intensity of the flavours keeps on growing and the pepper notes are very intense in a good way.

Finish: The peppery spicyness sort of glides over the transition and turns into a cloud of peppermint while the back of the palate still contains the ripe berries, the complex funkiness and the medicinal notes. It’s less sweet through the finish and the vanilla and toffee are barely noticable. The peatiness is now more vegetal and medicinal and less ashy. The oakiness is found in the background but it’s overrun by the intensity of the other flavours for a long time. When it shows up it mixes with the residual peat notes and gives a toasted impression. This is a fantastic whisky in every way. It’s a peat monster in a nice fancy suit.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2008 with a PPM value of 167. It was aged in a mix of first fill ex-port pipes (37 %), first fill ex-cognac casks (31 %), second fill ex-bourbon barrels (20 %) and lastly, spirit aged in first fill ex-bourbon barrels, then in virgin oak casks and then ex-American whiskey casks (12 %) . It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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 15 YO Laimrig Batch 1

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ABV: 50.3 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and peat. At first there’s a mix of peat, heavy dark fruits and some vanilla. Raisins, overripe plums and tobacco dominate the initial impact. A tropical fruitiness comes through after a while and there are mild spices floating around as well. There’s a richness to it and the peat really frames everything in a nice way and sort of lures out the old age notes with some old bookshelves and an old leather chair. This is a great nose with great balance between very pronounced flavours.

Mouth: It starts out with sweet dark fruits and leather while the spicyness increases in intensity. Tropical fruits and tobacco are soon to arrive as well. The whole is a bit dusty and rowdy which accents the other flavours nicely. There’s a dark chocolate bitterness shining through and the peat is still sitting all around the outside of the palate. It feels very balanced and rich with a lot to discover at this point.

Finish: The finish starts with the tropical fruitiness and a nice lemon note in the back while the dark and dusty fruitiness moves out towards the edges. Dark chocolate and old leather get added one more time and the finish goes on for a long time. The oakiness arrives fasionably late. It’s a nice oak with walnuts and grey old oak planks. This is an amazing whisky. It’s powerful yet balanced and has a nice journey throughout.

Additional information
This whisky is first aged in undisclosed casks and then finished in ex-sherry casks. This was released in 2009 for the swedish market and is limited to 4500 bottles. The bottle reviewed is 4460/4500. It’s unchillfiltered.

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Auld Rare, Bruichladdich, Islay

Bruichladdich 14 YO (2001) (Auld Rare)

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ABV: 57.2 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was aged in a Single ex-bourbon barrel. The cask no. is 569. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Heavy Vapours

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
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 limited release was made without any purifier on the still. It was aged in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islay, Kilchoman

Kilchoman Cognac Cask Matured

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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.

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Additional information
This whisky was aged for at least 6 years in ex-cognac barriques. 15100 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Scorch Committee Release

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ABV: 51,7 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is oaky and peaty. At first there’s a heavy impact from a hot burning woodfire with a sweet honey and vanilla baseline. Underneath a mineral rich peatiness struggles to keep up and it takes some time in the glass before the whole becomes balanced. There’s iodine and coastal notes floating around as well. With time the vanilla becomes more noticable. There’s black liquorice and a tiny hint of fresh fruits coming through from the back and with time the liquorice note becomes dominant. This is a great, heavily peated nose with a nice balance between the peat and oak.

Mouth: At first it’s spicy and mineral rich with top notes of fresh oak and honey. The iodine is very pronounced and it takes a few seconds before it’s pushed back by the sweetness, charred oak and peat. The whole is vanilla and liquorice heavy. In the center there’s a nice maltiness peeking through as well. The charred oak becomes quite sooty over time. There’s also a fresh fruitiness, leaning towards grilled pineapple, in the background.

Finish: It starts out with a joint surge of wood spices and ABV spicyness. The burning woodfire is covering most of the palate at this point and the iodine and coastal notes have taken a few steps back. The liquorice is now also residing in the back. After a few seconds there’s a smoky woodfire exterior and a fresh oak center with a tropical fruitiness within. The late finish becomes a bit too oaky. This is a great whisky which does a nice job of balancing extreme flavours against each other. Time in the glass before drinking is recommended.

Additional information
This was released for Ardbeg Day 2021. It’s aged for an undisclosed amount of time in heavily charred ex-bourbon barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bunnahabhain, Islay

Bunnahabhain An Cladach

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and oaky. At first there’s a honey sweetness with vanilla and a piney new oak note within. Those three flavours are exeptionally strong, which is good when it comes to the first two. The pine note is not all that pleasant. There is a mix of fresh and ripe red berries underneath but they are more like an accent than anything else. The sweetness and the vanilla merge to a fudge note after a while. This is a weird nose which feels a bit over-oaked, and the oak delivers not so good flavours.

Mouth: It starts out with a sour background note and a sweet center. There’s a nice spicyness slowly spreading out over the palate. There are lemon, honey, vanilla and the same piney oak as on the nose. It feels young and a bit spirity underneath. There’s still caramel in the center part but it feels slightly cardboardy and salty. There’s a speck of dust and a hint of rapsberries and dried fruits as well. After some time there’s a ripe fruitiness arriving in the back.

Finish: The transition is slightly weird and for a second or two everything dips and feels slightly thin. The ripe and dried fruits are now coating the mouth while the fudge fights with the piney oakiness for attention in the center. Unfortunatly the wood notes win all too quickly and leaves a piece of astringent wood left in the mouth. This is a weird whisky from Bunnahabhain. It most certainly is a cask selection cover-up job, but the thing used as a cover isn’t good enough.

Additional information
This whisky is a limited travel retail exclusive release. There is no information about maturation period or casks used, but there are ex-sherry casks involved. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bruichladdich, Islay

Bruichladdich Islay Waves – The Rhinns Edition

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is honey sweet with warm peat notes. The peat brings gentle notes of leather and a warm burning woodfire. The sweet layer consists of vanilla, honey and a small hint of caramel. In the back there’s a very clean distillate note with just a small hint of lemon and heather.

Mouth: At first a small hint of the leather pass by before a very nice spicyness takes control. There are honey and tobacco notes together with some dry soil, dust and a touch of seasalt. The lemon note is still found in the back and some sweet liquorice move forward with time in the glass. The texture is quite thick and oily.

Finish: The leather and a quite savory, meaty note take lead. There are some overly ripe fruits coming through somewhere in the back. It’s now more salty with an ashy note and it stays that way for a while before moving over to the fashionably late oakiness. The oak is fresh and slightly dry. It stays for a long time and the earthy part of the peatiness return late in the finish. This is a well made, very sippable dram.

Additional information
This version of Bruichladdich was released in 2012 and is aged in american ex-bourbon barrels and ex-wine casks. The PPM level is 15. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Uigeadail

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet och peaty. Sweet savory smokiness from a recently put out campfire mixed with green fruits, vanilla, honey, plums, raisins and a quite tangy overtone. There’s a note that reminds me of being on an early morning sea shore walk.

Mouth: Sweet and quite spicy, turns to brine, ashy smoke flavours, vanilla and ripe red fruits. The sherry casks are dominant and gives plums, raisins and a hint of liquorice.

Finish: The smokiness takes a turn to the ashy side after swallowing. It’s a mouth watering finish with a sweet yet slightly bitter oakiness as the main flavour. Walnuts and dark chocolate can be detected after a few seconds. The finish is long and very satisfying. Very well balanced.

Additional information
Uigeadail is the lake from where Ardbeg takes the water to produce whisky. This expression is a vat between whisky aged in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry butts. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Caol Ila, Islay

Caol Ila Distiller’s Edition 2006/2017

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is peat and fruits. At first there’s a varm and sweet herbal and earthy peatiness with hay as a main direction. Inside there’s a mix of honey, green grapes, green apples and yellow pears. There’s a perfumey note on top and a funky complex note within. The moscatel finish really comes through the heavy peat. This is a great nose with a lot to explore. It feels balanced overall.

Mouth: It starts out very mild with a fruity mix and a sour tang in the back There’s a dusty oak note, it’s malty and there is a sweet chili-like rounded off spicyness. The peat covers the palate but lets the other flavours shine in the middle. There are ashes, warm campfire smoke and hay within. There are also ripe grape notes contrasting the otherwise bright fruitiness.

Finish: The transition is spicy but there’s not enough power in it to excel. It’s dry soil with white wine, a smokiness (like burning yellow grass) and a dusty note. The funky ripe note makes a reappearance but leaves just as fast. The oak brings tropical fruitiness but really never takes over. There’s a slight oak note with a peaty cover left in the mouth when the rest of the flavours fade. This is a great whisky. It could have been really amazing if it had a bit more power.

Additional information
All whiskies in Diageo’s ”The classic malts of Scotland” series are accompanied by a special Distiller’s Edition. This version of Caol Ila is finished in ex-Moscatel wine casks.

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Islay, Laphroaig

Laphroaig Four Oak

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ABV: 40 %
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, this is a burning log fire. Behind the heavy layer of peat there are notes of a salty seashore breeze and a medicinal iodine. Strong notes of vanilla together with a sweetness moves forward. It gets ashy with time in the glass. Assorted ripe red berries are found in the background somewhat integrated into the wall of flavours. This is a decent nose which suffers slightly due to low ABV.

Mouth: A lemon note rushes by and sweetness spreads out. It doesn’t take long before it turns very peaty and medicinal though. The fruitiness is still found, but it’s covered by vanilla and honey. A more earthy and grassy peatiness also comes through. The oak starts to move forward with a tiny bitterness. The note of honey is still very noticable and there is a savory note somewhere in the middle. A spicyness slowly builds up over time.

Finish: A mild burst of spicyness quickly pass by and then the medicinal peat and the oakiness takes over again. The oakiness is dry but not astringent and it brings more of the vanilla and a hint of walnuts. There’s no fruitiness nor honey found in the late finish but the savory note comes through once again. The peaty notes stay for a long time after everything else has subsided. This is a decent whisky which could be a lot better with a more powerful impact.

Additional information
This travel retail exclusive expression was released in 2017. The maturation is done in four different cask types; Ex-bourbon barrels, quarter casks, virgin oak casks and european hogsheads. It has about 40 ppm.

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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
Nose: This is medicinal and peaty. At first there’s a mix of iodine, dry soil, campfire smoke and honey. When it settles there’s a slight fresh fruitiness starting to emerge. Vanilla and honey continuosly move forward and the whole becomes very balanced between sensations after a while but it’s still rowdy. There’s a lot of small things floating around like lemon, butterscotch and coastal notes as well. This is a great nose with a lot to discover.

Mouth: It starts out with an immidiate dry astringency and a nice spicy touch with a sweet outer shell. There’s a big hit of iodine and coastal notes together with a burnt oakiness with a hint of old wooden furniture. It’s sweet and there’s still a vanilla and honey layer surrounding everything. It’s not fruity at this point and the spicyness is hiding a lot of the intricacy found on the nose. It’s got a rich mouthfeel nontheless. After some time the complexity grows and the notes of old oak becomes more clear.

Finish: The transition is surprisingly soft and it never spikes. The spicyness is still high but it adds to the experience without overpowering everything else. The lemon note is now quite strong in the back. The middle part is accentuating the old wooden furniture with some dust. The sweetness is still surrounding the edges and the medicinal notes float around somewhere in between. The late finish is old oak and peat. There’s a thin, bitter coffee note added in the late finish. It lasts a long time before it fades. This is a fantastic whisky which accents the Laphroaig character really well.

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

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore Darkest

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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 balanced mix of dark and dried fruits, tobacco and vanilla. There are baking spices and brown sugar as well as dark chocolate. When it settles the whole becomes slightly sweeter and the fruitiness becomes raisins and overripe plums. There’s an elusive soapy floral note coming through from the back and a thin layer of menthol on top. There’s peat coming through, but it feels so integrated within the whole to be a main event at this point. This is a great nose with a balanced profile, minus the soapy note.

Mouth: It starts out with a tobacco and campfire smoke peatiness with fresh red fruits mixed in. There’s a slight cocoa bitterness coating the mouth while the other flavours try to find their place. It’s less sweet than on the nose and it really makes good on its name on impact. The dark fruits are dominating the center with a mix of raisins and overripe black plums. There’s a tropical fruitiness forming in the back together with the soapy floral note, which persists from the nose.

Finish: The transition is just a continuation of the flavours from the mouth. The low ABV is definitively a factor here, but it still feels rich and flavourful. The cocoa bitterness is still coating the mouth and the center part continuosly becomes brighter and fruitier. It’s a big bag of dried tropical fruits and blackberries. The peat and tobacco notes moves out towards the edges and the oak finally gets a chance to peek through. It’s a nice laid back oakiness with a hint of hazelnuts and tropical fruits. The weird soapy note never goes away. This is a really good whisky with a balanced and well thought out flavour profile. It would have been exceptional without the weird soapy off note though.

Additional information
This whisky is the original NAS version of the Darkest release. It’s aged for 12+ years in a mix of spanish and american oak and then finished for ~2 years in ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

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Islay, Klichoman

Kilchoman Saligo Bay

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and ashy. At first there’s a mix of warm ashy peat, burnt hay and a vanilla and honey sweetness. Underneath there’s a hint of baked red apples. In the background there’s a dry soil earthiness coming through. With time in the glass the ashy notes increase in intensity. This is a nice, very straight forward peat dominant nose without any perticular complexity.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and quite spicy. The peatiness is strong and creates a thick outside layer. The core reveals ripe apples and a hint of toffee. There’s a lemon zest sour and bitter side to it in the back which actually fits rather nice together with the otherwise warm and thick profile. It still lacks a bit of complexity but it has a nice texture to it. There is a spirity youthness which do come through after a few seconds but the cask influence and the heavy peat do a good job of covering it up.

Finish: The sweetness slowly turns towards toffee and there is a small spike in the spicyness. The peatiness remains as a thick outside layer throughout the transition. The oakiness emerges from the ashy peat notes and after a few seconds there’s a burnt oakiness with vanilla dominating the finish. The fruitiness disappears quickly but the lemon notes in the back stays and turns a tiny bit metallic when everything else dies down. This is a very nice and well made whisky even though the young age is shining through.

Additional information
The Saligo Bay was originally released as a travel retail exclusive. It’s aged for 5 years in ex-bourbon barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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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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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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