Kategoriarkiv: Islay

Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Still Young

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ABV: 56.2 %
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 mineral note sitting together with ashy peat on top of a young spirit note. On top of that, in the center, there’s a sweet honey and vanilla note. When it settles the peat notes switches to a warmer burning woodfire smokiness and gentle coastal notes. There’s a mild menthol note spreading out like a cloud above everything else and a hint of unscented lotion somewhere within. This is not a complex nose but it’s an interesting whisky nontheless.

Mouth: It starts out with very sweet and spicy. The honey is up front together with a chili spicyness. Underneath a green apple and lemon fruitiness tries its best to fight through a very rowdy and young peat. It’s still young (pun intended) in character. There’s a savory note in the back and a mineraly and ashy peat with coastal notes within. It’s a bit more complex on the palate than on the nose and has a bigger impact as well.

Finish: The fruitiness spreads out over the palate and it’s now more of an assorted fruit note. The menthol and chili spicyness moves to the back and sort of stays there throughout the finish. The peat is still coming through as a mix of burnt wood, minerals and coastal notes. The finish is less sweet than before which gives a very nice oakiness a chance to peek through. It’s a mix of old and new wood. It feels fresh at first and after a while it becomes a bit dusty and nutty. In the late finish there’s a beer note coming through unexpectedly. This is a great whisky with a nice peat and ABV punch. The series it belongs to makes it even better.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2006. It’s the second release in a series that lead up to the Renaissance 10 YO. It’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Kildalton 1980

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ABV: 57.6 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and medicinal. At first there’s a mix of iodine and peppermint sitting on top of sweet vanilla and liquorice root. There’s also a fruitiness coming through in the center. It’s a mix of lemon and lighter red berries. There is a charcoal as well but it’s not especially peaty or smoky. With time the charcoal and vanilla mixes with an oak note and the liquorice note now shows up in the center. The fruitiness moves forward as well. It feels maritime and there are notes of salt and seaweed as well. This is great, complex nose with a lot to offer.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet mix of vanilla, honey and oranges. It’s quite spicy from the get-go and it really packs a punch. At first, it feels very fresh despite the 23 years in casks, but after a while there’s a thin veil of dust sort of sprinkled on top of everything on the palate. There’s also a black coffee bitterness showing up in the background. The fruitiness becomes quite sticky and complex and for those who wait it becomes assorted dried fruits and bitter orange peel.

Finish: The peppermint spicyness flare up and then settles down quite quickly. First out after that are the dried fruits with orange peel and coconut flakes. It’s still quite dusty and the age is really shining through. There’s a tiny toffee note in the center. The oakiness moves slowly forward together with the bitterness. It’s a nice old and grey, nutty oak which matches the fruitiness very well. When all else fades the maritime and medicinal peaty notes peeks through once again. This is an absolutely fantastic dram with a nice journey and great complexity.

Additional information
This was aged for 23 years and released in 2004. It was limited to 1300 bottles. It’s made from both unpeated and lightly peated barley. Cask type(s) isn’t disclosed. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Supernova 2009 Stellar Release

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ABV: 58,9 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and very peaty. At first there’s a big hit of ashy peat and a medicinal young distillate with a mineral note somewhere within. In the background there’s vanilla and burnt wood. There’s also a cooling mint note hovering above everything else. After a few seconds the ashy peat mellows out a bit and it becomes slightly sweeter. It’s not a complex nose, but for those who search there’s a fruity note way back in the distance as well as some hazelnuts. This is nice and rowdy, yet straight forward.

Mouth: It starts out very sweet with vanilla cream and a nice ABV spicyness. It’s very ashy on the edges and the peat also fills the center with burnt wood and sort of a funky complex cheese note. It’s very different from the nose. There’s a bitterness coming through from the back and after a few seconds it moves out towards the edges which leaves place for the medicinal and mineral notes. It’s extremely peaty all over the palate and it still comes through as young and spirity.

Finish: At first there’s a slight dip in the ABV spicyness which leaves room for the vanilla sweetness and the funky note to take center stage. The cooling minty top note slowly returns and the peat punch once again comes through with ashes, iodine and a hint of seasalt. It’s still bitter in the back but as time passes by it more and more becomes burnt wood with an ashy overtone. This is a very good whisky and a massive peat monster. It is a bit young and spirity as expected.

Additional information
This is an Ardbeg with a PPM level over 100. It’s aged for an undisclosed amount of time in ex-bourbon barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg 17 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and peaty. At first there’s a fresh juicy pear note with a base of burnt wood. It’s very mild and easy on the nose but it’s not thin or brittle. After a few seconds there’s a vanilla cream coating forming around the pears. There’s also a hint of unscented lotion, but it sits in the background behind the peat together with a tiny medicinal note. In the end all the flavours seem to level out and create a complex mix of sweet, fruity and peaty. This is a great nose which slightly suffers from the low ABV.

Mouth: It starts out with the fruity pear note sitting together with burning wood in the center. It’s surrounded by vanilla cream and a quite noticable oakiness. The whole thing comes through as quite mineraly and way too mild to make an impact. The lotion note as well as the medicinal is not present on the palate. The fruitiness develops over time and moves towards a more acidic fruitiness. There’s also a slightly bitter note in the background.

Finish: The tranisiton is seemless and it just seems like the flavours keeps on going without a big kick or anything flaring up. It’s still pears, now with a twist of lemon, with a peaty and oaky exterior with a dash of vanilla added. There seem to be a separation between the fruity center and the burnt wood and vanilla after a few seconds and when the fruitiness fades out there’s just a nice mellow woodfire burning in the background. This is a great whisky which would have been fantastic with a bit more bite to it. The nose is the best part of the journey.

Additional information
This whisky was part of the Ardbeg core range but it’s now discontinued. It’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 18 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is leather and dark fruits. A mellow peatiness with leather and tobacco notes sits in the middle of a dark fruitiness with overripe plums and raisins. A row of old books and a tropical fruitiness (with a twist of lemon) sit in the background. The contrast between the dirrerences make this a complex nose. All flavours seem integrated and they fit nicely into the whole. The dark fruits become more pronounced over time and they bring a black liquorice sweetness. This is a fantastic nose.

Mouth: It starts out mild yet flavourful. It’s very sweet with the dark fruitiness up front. A lemon note shoots through the dark fruits and, together with a saltiness and the peat, it creates a complex sensation. The old books still sit in the back and after a few seconds the tropical fruitiness return. The peat is now leaning towards tobacco with a hint of burning charcoal. It becomes spicier with time. The oak is not yet present.

Finish: At first, it becomes very dusty and the age is coming through clearly. The darker fruitiness is immidiately toned down to make room for a brighter tropical fruitiness with pineapples as the main flavour. Within this fruitiness the oak slowly emerges. It’s a dry oak with a hint of walnuts and black coffee, but it still got a freshness to it. The bitter notes never really take over, they just seem to add another layer. In the late finish the leather returns. The tropical fruitiness stays in the mouth long after everything else has subsided. This is well made, and a great dram. It is a bit too mild, but still delivers complexity and a lot of flavours.

Additional information
This was added to the core range in 2007. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon oak barrels and ex-sherry casks separatly and then mixed together.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 17 YO – White Sands

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is Lemon and leather. The fruitiness soon turns into assorted tropical fruits and the leather note expands to include smoke from a warm burning campfire. There’s a layer of honey, vanilla and butterscotch, but it stays in the back seat. It shows some age with a somewhat elusive note of dusty old books. The fruitiness grows clearar as time passes and there are mango and pineapple found together with the lemon note. It grows sweeter and gets more of the vanilla with time in the glass.

Mouth: It’s very mild and honey sweet at first. The leather note comes through and creates a nice layer around the palate. In the center the fruitiness is even more pronounced than on the nose. It’s still a tropical fruitiness with mango, pineapple and lemon. It’s got a nice backbone of vanilla and a hint of butterscotch. The spicyness is lacking in intensity and never really picks up speed.

Finish: A whiff of the old books passes by before going back to the tropical fruitiness. It grows even fruitier and sweet over time and when the oak arrives it adds to that sensation. The oak is very pleasant and interacts well with all the other flavours instead of bringing a contrasts. It feels very well balanced all the way through and just about every flavour follows along to the now slightly bitter end.

Additional information
This was released in 2014 as a part of the distillery’s travel exclusive series. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon oak barrels. It was discontinued in 2017.

Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg An Oa

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ABV: 46.6 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is peat, fruits and creamy vanilla. At first there’s a really big dollop of vanilla cream and a core of oakiness. just outside there’s a ring of fresh red berries. It’s mainly raspberries but there’s also a darker side to it. Surrounding everything is a sweet and warm peatiness with a hot burning fire and a hint of fresh hay. In the background there’s a creamy soft note, like unscented lotion. This is a beautifully rich and welcoming nose.

Mouth: It starts out with sweet vanilla cream and a fresh hay peatiness. It’s quite mild at first and it gives room for the complexity to build up. After a few seconds the fruitiness arrives. It’s a mix of fresh raspberries, overripe black grapes and a hint of lemon. The peatiness increases over time and gently fills the mouth from the outside layer working inwards. A hint of salt is added along the way. The oakiness is hiding in the background and it’s sending out a bitter note and some spicyness.

Finish: The finish starts out with a cloud of peatiness together with a sligthly bitter and spicy oakiness. The fruitiness is pushed back and the unscented lotion returns. This gives it a soft and creamy contradiction to the dry oakiness. After a few seconds the oak is very much the main attraction, accompanied by the peat. It remains a dry, spicy and bitter oakiness with a speck of dust on it. The finish is not as nice as promised by the nose and mouth, but this is still a very nice dram.

Additional information
An Oa is made from whiskies matured in Pedro Ximenez ex-sherry casks, new charred american oak barrels and american ex-bourbon barrels. The varieties are put together in a french oak marrying vat before being bottled. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg 19 YO – Traigh Bhan (Batch 2)

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ABV: 46.2 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is heavy peat and fresh red berries. At first there’s a heavy peatiness with minerals, leather and campfire smoke surrounding around a small core of ripe red berries. There’s also vanilla, honey and unscented lotion sitting slightly behind and to the sides. With time the peatiness and fruits retreat and the sweetness comes forward. In the background there are coastal notes with ocean air and a hint of seaweed. This is a fantastic and rich nose with a lot of details to explore.

Mouth: It starts out with the peatiness, mainly minerals and leather, together with a fresher batch of berries and a hint of lemon in the back. It takes a few seconds for a pepper note to arrive but when it does it creates a nice spicy side to the otherwise well-rounded character. The lotion, vanilla and honey notes are still in there but they have taken a step back into the background. It still carries its roudy, coastal heritage with iodine and brine floating around even though the age has mellowed everything out.

Finish: A big hit of the minerality and the brine are soon followed by black prepper, honey and the rest of the peatiness. The red berry fruitiness is sort of wedged in between the peat and the sweetness. When most of the flavours settle the oakiness start to come through and it’s accompanied by campfire smoke, the minerals and an ashy back note. The finish is long and rewarding. This is an absolutely fantastic whisky which balances the age and the rowdy heritage extremely well.

Additional information
The Traigh Bhan is released in small batches. It’s aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. The batch number is TB/02-18.09.00/20.JT.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg 21 YO Committee Release 2001

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ABV: 56.3 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
This is fruity and peaty. It’s a very complex whisky with a lot of different sensations and flavours. It’s a lot fruitier than later releases from the distillery. It was tasted in a big Ardbeg blind test which means there are no detailed tasting notes taken. It won against 17 other Ardbeg releases.

Additional information
This Ardbeg was released in 2001 and was limited to 2500 bottles. It’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels and it’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bruichladdich, Islay, Port Charlotte

Port Charlotte 10 YO Heavily Peated

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ABV: 50 %
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 very round and gentle honey and vanilla sweetness with a savory note mixed in. It’s surrounded by a dry and earthy peatiness which gives it a nice contrast between sensations. There’s an ocean spray saltiness, as well as mixed fruits, floating around somewhere in between the other layers. They sort of act like a cohesive between everything else. The fruitiness is coming through as fresh, leaning towards green apples and pears with just a hint of ripe plums. This is a fantastic nose with a lot to discover.

Mouth: It starts out with a rich maltiness together with honey and vanilla as a core. The peatiness is somewhat subdued and lets the fruitiness come through towards the edges. It’s overripe red grapes and blueberries and the fruitiness is a lot different compared to the nose. With time a mild spicy black pepper note arrives together with a dry smoke and earthy peatiness. The backbone has a complexity to it with a salt and savory character.

Finish: The finish starts out with the ripe fruitiness on the edges and in the back while the peatiness and the sweetness sort of dips down for a few seconds. When they once again increase in intensity it’s the peatiness that picks up pace and takes over. The sweetness creates a caramel note in the center though. It moves along together with the oakiness which shows up fashionably late. At first it’s a rather anonymous oakiness but in the late finish it shifts towards a nice walnut nuttiness. This is a great whisky for the explorer and there are tons of small things to discover.

Additional information
The Port Charlotte 10 YO is aged in a mix of 65 % first-fill and 10 % second-fill ex-bourbon barrels together with 25 % second fill french ex-wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Ian Macleod Distillers, Independent bottlers, Islay, MacLeod’s (Islay)

Macleod’s Islay

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

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

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

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

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

Islay, Laphroaig

Laphroaig 1989 Vintage 23 YO

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ABV: 48,9 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and very mild peat. At first there’s a fruity floral note up front and a tobacco and leather peatiness in the back. It’s a very mild peat with medicinal and coastal notes but they are extremely subdued. With time the fruitiness turns darker and becomes overripe plums, raisins and cherries. The fruitiness creates a lid over everything else. There is a minerality and signs of age within but only for those who choose to dig through the fruity top notes. This is a nice nose but it has sort of lost its flavoursome heritage to become a bit flat with a weird floral and metallic character.

Mouth: It starts out with a lemon note in the back and a heavy lid of fruits and vanilla. It mirrors the nose very well with the fruits on top and the peatiness in submission in the back. The minerality increases in intensity but the medicinal and coastal notes are lost within. It feels very metallic and weird in the background. There’s nice delicate bitterness somewhere in between. After a second or two there’s a floral note coming through which certainly shouln’t be there.

Finish: The finish starts out with the same sweet fruitiness, but everything seems a bit muted. There’s just a hint of ashes added to the thin peatiness but otherwise it still resides in the back and on the sides. The oakiness is, like everything else, not daring to make a statement. There’s a savory note in the back and a chalky layer on the oak. When all else die down it leaves a metallic note and a wierd floral note floating around in the mouth. This is an ok whisky at best and it’s just not the great Laphroaig it should be.

Additional information
This vintage Laphroaig was released for the nordic market. The release was limited to 3200 bottles. The cask types aren’t disclosed.

Independent bottlers, Islay, Port Askaig

Port Askaig 12 YO – 2020 Spring Edition

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

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

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

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

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

Islay, Lagavulin

Lagavulin 9 YO – Game of Thrones Limited Edition: House Lannister

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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 savory peat and honey sweetness. At first, the peat shines through with savory honey-glazed meat and ashes from a burnt out campfire. There’s a fruitiness coming through from behind. It’s a mix of green apples and ripe green grapes. There’s an overlay of vanilla which makes it feel very desserty even though the peaty flavours are present. The vanilla grows more intense as time passes in the glass. The contrast works and it feels quite balanced.

Mouth: The vanilla and the fruitiness are the first things to come through, but they are soon replaced by spicy notes and ashy peatiness. It’s less savory and sweet in taste than on the nose. It’s a little bit dry even though the oakiness is hidden behind the peat at this point. It’s a touch bitter and a touch dusty, but the main features are intact.

Finish: A dusty start goes by and then it goes back to the savory peatiness. There are vanilla, honey and black liquorice sitting in the back and the finish is not fruity at all. The oakiness is maintaining and adding to the dry mouthfeel. It’s a very nice oakiness which is intertwined with the peatiness all the way to the end. It steers towards a leathery note in the finish. This is a very good whisky and the tie-in to the GoT series was worrying, but they executed it in a good way.

Additional information
This Lagavulin 9 YO is a limited edition from the Game of Thrones whisky range. It’s been aged in first fill american ex-bourbon barrels.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 15 YO – Mariner

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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 dark fruits and tobacco. At first there’s a ripe plums and raisins center and a peaty outer layer with notes of tobacco and leather. There’s also smoke from a burning hot campfire coming through. In the background there are seashore notes with salt and ocean air together with some assorted tropical fruits. It feels somewhat dry on the nose. With some time in the glass the sweetness moves forward and notes of vanilla and honey appear. This is a nice nose, with a nice dark fruity character.

Mouth: It starts out with an outer layer of lemon sourness and a very mild and sweet center part. It’s ashy and the peatiness is very different from the nose. There’s still a leather note and a dark fruitiness coming through, now together with black liquorice. There’s also the tropical fruitiness coming through and it moves forward after a few seconds. This gives it a nice transition from dark to bright. The oak is also noticable in the background, but it doesn’t intrude on the other flavours.

Finish: The tobacco notes return and show up together with a hint of the ashes and the raisins and plums. It changes rather quickly towards the tropical fruitiness once again and the salty background notes also reappear. It takes a short amount of time before the oakiness start to shine through and when it does it’s a nice oakiness but it doesn’t bring much to the table. The tropical fruits linger together with a mellow peatiness and a touch of seasalt. This is a great whisky which delivers a lot of flavour even though it lacks some power.

Additional information
This is a discontinued travel retail exclusive release from Bowmore. It’s aged in both american ex-bourbon barrels and european ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 25 YO

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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 tropical fruits and leathery peat. The smoke is dry and feels like it’s coming from a hot, burning campfire. Within the smoke the age shows with old leather and dusty old books. It’s a sherry driven nose with dark fruits, such as raisins, dades and ripe plums, liquor soaked cherries, sugar and liquorice. There’s also a big bowl of tropical fruits coming through, with mangos, pineapple and peaches.

Mouth: It’s a mild and very fruity start with all the tropical and dark ripe fruits creating a very nice mix. There’s leather and dust, but the smoke notes are otherwise toned down. A maritime feel is lurking in the back (which mainly brings a hint of saltiness). A spicyness comes through after a couple of seconds.

Finish: The tropical fruits are dominating, which makes it feel younger than its age. It’s very vibrant and it takes a while, but when the oak finally shows up it’s like old grey planks that bring quite bitter notes with walnuts, espresso and toasted coconuts. It’s dusty and astringent. The smoke is still in there, but toned down as a nice base flavour throughout the experience.

Additional information
This 25 YO expression of Bowmore sits at the top end of the distillery’s core range. It’s aged in both american ex-bourbon oak barrels and european ex-sherry casks.

Bruichladdich, Islay, Port Charlotte

Port Charlotte MC:01 2009

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ABV: 56.3 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is peaty, fruity and quite complex. At first there’s a savory peatiness and a very dark fruitiness. Raisins and black liquorice sit together with a nice funky note and an almond nuttiness in the middle. There’s vanilla, coffee beans and way in the back there’s a thin note of green apples. There’s also an overlay of coastal notes with a sense of a seashore. This is an extremely beautiful nose.

Mouth: There’s an immediate savory peatiness creating an outer layer with vanilla, a honey sweetness and a black pepper spicyness just within its boundaries, which leave the middle open for the dark and funky fruit notes. It comes through as very nutty with almonds and now also with hazelnuts which contribute to a dry mouthfeel. The peatiness adds a rubbery, oily note after a few seconds. The fruitiness comes through as raisins and ripe black grapes.

Finish: Black pepper and raisins are the first thing to come through before the savory peatiness swoops in and takes over. It turns quite medicinal for a while, with iodine and salt, before it moves over to the oakiness. The oak brings a big bag of nuts with hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts. The rubbery note is still in there and it creates complexity together with the red wine notes. This is a very tasty whisky and it really rewards those who explore.

Additional information
The MC:01 2009 is a travel retail exclusive release from Bruichladdich. It’s aged in american whiskey casks and french oak casks for 6 years and then combined and finished for 2 years in sicilian ex-wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Islay, Laphroaig

Laphroaig Port Wood

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and ashy. A cold, put out, ashy campfire is first to arrive together with a funky sweet red berry note. It’s medicinal and iodine and brine are sitting in the middle of it all. After a few seconds dark fruits come through mixed with a quite pronounced vanilla note. Liqueur-soaked cherries and sweet liquorice are also found which make it a bit rounder. This is very approachable.

Mouth: It starts out very sweet and ashy. It’s slightly spicy with a black pepper touch to it. It still produces plenty of dark fruit notes and a nice vanilla layer surrounding everything. It’s not as medicinal and salty as on the nose and there’s a tiny hint of toffee coming through together with the liqueur-soaked cherries and the vanilla. It’s a touch dry, but there’s no astringency.

Finish: A big ashy peat punch is followed by a very sweet note of the same sweet, ripe, darker fruits together with vanilla and now also with honey. The ashy note steps to the side, but still holds its ground. A tropical fruit note appears together with a nice oaky finish. The funky sweet notes with red berries return in the late finish and lingers in the background while the oakiness slowly subsides. This is a great, approachable version of Laphroaig.

Additional information
Laphroaig Port Wood is the replacement for Brodir, and the content is said to be the same. It’s a travel retail exclusive matured in american ex-bourbon oak barrels and then finished in european ex-Ruby port oak casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. It has about 45 ppm.

Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Drum

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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 sweet and medicinal. At first approach it’s iodine and honey sweetness with a warm woodfire burning in the background. A peppermint note sits on top of everything and a cinnamon note resides in the far distance. When it settles in the glass it grows sweeter and vanilla starta to come through. It feels quite young and the rum cask finish is not very prominent, but it adds a roundness to the whole. A small thin layer of fruitiness can be found somewhere in the middle, but it needs some hunting to be found.

Mouth: At first it’s honey sweet and spicy with a touch of vanilla and caramel. It’s not as peaty as on the nose. Soon after, it turns around and becomes quite strict and medicinal. Iodine, bitterness, ashes, oakiness and seasalt create a high impact mix. It still feels very young and it’s very rowdy and it’s kind of diappointing compared to the nose.

Finish: The peppermint comes back for a quick visit. The sweetness is now nowhere to be found. It’s salty and medicinal. It’s very bitter and there’s espresso and hazelnuts found in the oakiness. A small touch of tropical fruits do come through after the initial impact, but they are easily missed. The peatiness turns towards the ashy notes in the late finish. The nose promises a lot more than the taste can deliver, but it most definitly makes an impact.

Additional information
This limited edition Ardbeg was released for Ardbeg Day, june 1st, 2019. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon casks and then finished in ex-rum casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 10 YO – Inspired by the Devil’s Casks

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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 dark fruits and new leather. The cask influence is extreme and seems to sit on top of everything else. There are raisins, figs, sweet liquorice, black grapes and a thick brown syryp and it almost feels like they are attacking the nose. Behind the dark fruity wall notes of new leather and smoke coming from a warm, burning campfire. It’s got a salty touch and a hint of lime is peeking through. There’s a cool mint piercing the thick sweetness.

Mouth: It starts out very thick and sweet. Almost immidiately a dusty oak note shows up together with leather. A black pepper spicyness arises slowly. There are dark notes of raisins, anise and liquorice within the dense sweetness. It’s slightly bitter and the mild leather and smoke note has taken a step back. The cask influence is still a bit too close for comfort. A bitter note and some salt is sitting around the edges. The brighter fruitiness normally found in Bowmores is nowhere to be found.

Finish: A big burst of red and dark fruits and some spicyness. The sherry notes are still very much the focal point and the same notes come marching through once again. The red wine with black grapes and a hint of blueberries are coming forward a bit more in the finish. It takes a long time for the oakiness to break through. It’s slightly astringent and very mild and never really steps up in front. A black liquorice note is left in the mouth long after everything else is gone. This is a very good whisky, but the previous cask content is a bit over the top.

Additional information
This is a limited release that was released in september 2016 as a travel retail exclusive. The main part of the maturation is done in first fill european ex-Oloroso sherry casks and then for a finishing period in ex-red wine barriques. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.