Kategoriarkiv: Scotland

Islay, Klichoman

Kilchoman Machir Bay

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 46 %
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 big dollop of an ash and dry soil peatiness. When it settles a sweet honey and vanilla layer starts to fight for attention and pushes the peatiness out towards the edges. Underneath the big flavours a fresh and sour fruitiness peeks through. It’s lemon and a hint of sour apples. It feels young and lively but it doesn’t present any metallic or ethanol harshness. This is a simple yet effective nose with a high emphasis on the peat.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet outside layer together with a quite medicinal and dry iodine note with a sprinkle of salt somewhere within. After a few seconds vanilla arrives in the center and with time it evolves more towards a butterscotch note. It’s a lot less sweet compared to the nose. The ashy side of the peat is residing in the back together with a savory note. The sour fruitiness is still found in the back but it comes through together with a small metallic note and a zesty bitterness. For those who wait a nice chili spicyness builds up over time.

Finish: The finish is a straight line continuation from the mouth. There’s still the dry medicinal notes on the edges, a savory peat in the back together with a zesty bitter lemon. The chili spicyness is nice and spreads out over the palate but never gets spiky or unpleasant. The butterscotch notes are first to disappear and soon it’s only the medicinal peat and a quite anonymous and boring oakiness left. This is a good whisky in many ways but it feels a bit unfinished and young which is good for the peatiness but bad for the rest of the dram.

Additional information
The Machir Bay is the Kilchoman core range signature malt. It’s a vatting between ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry . It leans heavily towards the ex-bourbon. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Ballechin, Edradour, Highlands

Ballechin 15 YO – Small Batch Cask Strength

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 59.4 %
Origin: Highlands
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 sweet, burnt oak with vanilla and caramel attached to it. On top there’s a nail polish remover sharpness and underneath there’s a mixed fruitiness. There are baked red apples, ripe red berries and a mild lime sourness. There’s a chalky/ashy note within as well but it takes a few seconds before it arrives. There are also notes of cinnamon and almond floating around. This is a nice but rather sharp nose with a nice balance underneath.

Mouth: It starts out with an immidiate spicyness and an ashy peat covering the outside of the palate. In the center part it’s a mix of fresh mango, apples, honey and milk chocolate. It’s slightly soapy. The burnt vanilla oakiness is acting like a bridge between the ashy peat and the fruitiness. There’s also a rounded maltiness as well as bitter notes and black liquorice. It still feels quite sharp, but underneath the balance is very nice between the flavour components.

Finish: The nail polish remover note slowly transitions into a menthol cloud while the fruitiness in the center slowly turns a bit darker and riper. It feels quite soapy at this point. There’s still a burnt vanilla oakiness as well as a bitterness. The liquorice note is still in the mix. It’s astringent and when the oak starts to take over it brings the soapy note along for the late finish. This is a good, but somewhat weird, whisky. The soapy note and the sharpness brings it down a notch or two.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of first fill ex-bourbon barrels and second fill ex-sherry casks. 3126 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Speyside, Tamnavulin

Tamnavulin Red Wine Cask Edition – Cabernet Sauvignon

Lämna en kommentar

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and sour. At first there’s a mix of vanilla, sour red berries and a small amount of honey. It feels fresh and very approachable. There’s a nice sweet center part underneath with malt and butterscotch. The distillate shines through but it’s not protruding. When it settles in the glass there’s a nice and rich outer layer forming with darker fruit notes from the cask finish as well as a gooseberry fruitiness in the center. This is a nice nose with a lot to offer even though it’s a bit too mild.

Mouth: It starts out with a rounded off butterscotch and malt note. There’s a honey and vanilla sweetness as well. It’s a lot sweeter than on the nose and becomes even sweeter with time in the glass. There’s an immidiate oakiness forming around the edges together with a sour lemon note, which unfortunatly is slightly metallic. The whole is extremely mild and easy on the palate. It’s very different in taste compared to what the nose presented and it lacks a bit of balance. It becomes slightly spicy after a few sips which is a much needed feature.

Finish: There’s an increase in darker fruit notes and sweetness through the transition and when it settles those notes lie on top while the oakiness overruns everything else underneath. There’s an almond note somewhere in between. It becomes slightly astringent and the oak feels like a mix of fresh oak and a nutty, bitter grey oak. The finish ends rather quickly, but the fresh oak note stays behind and gives somewhat of an interesting fade out in the end. This is a pretty decent whisky for what it is; A budget single malt.

Additional information
This is a single malt first aged in american ex-bourbon casks and then finished in Cabernet Sauvignon red wine casks. There is no information on aging time. This bottle is from batch 001243.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Speyside, Tamnavulin

Tamnavulin Red Wine Cask Edition – Pinot Noir

Lämna en kommentar

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a mix of butterscotch and overripe red berries. There’s a strawberry and vanilla cream note within which gives it a dessert-like quality. Underneath a rather young distillate and a not so great bitter oak note are found. The whole feels top heavy. There’s a shiny sour lemon/metallic note peeking through from behind. This is a decent, uncomplicated nose with a nice cover from the cask influence. The corners cut shows through though.

Mouth: It starts out very mild with a heavy vanilla and butterscotch center. The same shiny lemon and metallic note is filling up the background and makes it a bit unpleasant. After a few seconds some spicy notes appear which seem to come from the oak rather than the alcohol which gives it a small, but much needed, boost. The red berries are still creating a small coating over the vanilla and butterscotch and it’s still mainly strawberries, but also a hint of more ripe berries. The longer it stays in the mouth the more of the young distillate comes through and a bitterness starts to appear.

Finish: The finish starts out pretty flat and the sweet center deteriates rather quickly. The fruitiness and the metallic note stays a bit longer and they reside mainly towards the edges. Left in the center is a rather astringent and simple oakiness which struggles to decide whether it’s raw oak or a bitter black coffee oakiness. It still seems to be connected to the spicyness. It’s not a long finish. This is a so-and-so whisky which delivers just about what’s expected from a budget single malt.

Additional information
This is a single malt first aged in american ex-bourbon casks and then finished in Pinot Noir red wine casks. There is no information on aging time. This bottle is from batch 000164.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Glenfarclas, Speyside

Glenfarclas 25 YO

Lämna en kommentar

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and dried fruits. At first there are two layers of fruits sitting close together. One is the dark fruits with raisins, plums and a hint of blueberry and the other contains brighter dried fruits like pineapple and apricots. With time they merge and create a single mixed fruitiness. There’s vanilla around the edges and a hint of sulfur in the back. A thin note of seaweed is surprisingly showing up somewhere in the middle. With time a black coffee bitterness start to come through in the background as well as a hint of oak. This is a nice nose but it’s really mild and doesn’t make a big impact (It becomes more noticable after about 20 minutes in the glass though).

Mouth: It starts out mild with a vanilla creaminess with a layer of fruits underneath. It’s liqueuer-soaked cherries, raisins and plums and it’s all accompanied by a black coffee bitterness as a background. It takes a few seconds for the spicyness to come through but when it does, the whole starts to demand a lot more attention. The fruitiness is moving out towards the edges to make room for the coffee, oak and a thin complex array of flavours like leather, dust and old books.

Finish: The finish starts out with a huge impact of an espresso bitterness. The sherry fruitiness seem to cover all the sides to create an outer boundary which keeps the rest of the flavours inside. The age related flavours are still sitting in the background and creates a nice complex layer. When the oak finally takes over it’s a spicy and dry oakiness intertwined with the espresso note. This is a great whisky, but the somewhat low ABV makes it a bit muted, especially on the nose.

Additional information
This 25 YO is part of the Glenfarclas aged range. It’s aged for the entire period in european ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park Cask Strength Edition Batch 4

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 60.8 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
(from Batch 2. Notes will be revised)
Nose: This is sort of laid back and sweet. There is an ABV spicyness coming through but it’s not invasive. There’s honey and vanilla together with a red fruitiness but the whole thing isn’t jumping out of the glass. There’s a subjective note of how a closet full of old clothes smell. The core flavours tend to move forward over time in the glass with red berries and dark dried fruits. It opens up and improves substantially with time.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and quite ABV spicy. A lemon note flies by before the red berries and dark fruits show up. There’s liqueur-soaked cherries and raisins. There’s a dusty note and just a thin leather note. The cask influence is sort of limited and it’s not a complex dram, but flavourful nontheless.

Finish: The high ABV shoots off a peppery spicyness before the sherry influence and a honey sweetness comes through. Vanilla is residing in the background together with some raisins and there’s not much of an oakiness, just a touch in the end. It comes through together with the thin leather note. There’s no astringency and basically no bitterness. A small chalk note comes through late in the finish.

Additional information
This expression was first released in 2013 as an exclusive for the swedish market. It’s aged in european ex-sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time.

Campbeltown, Kilkerran

Kilkerran 8 YO Cask Strength (2021)

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 56.9 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and dried fruits and peat. At first there’s a dark and thick fruitiness with liqeuer-soaked raisins and cherries. There are notes of sulfur and leather attached to the fruitiness which creates a bridge over to a mild and slightly savory peatiness. With time in the glass the fruitiness becomes a bit brighter with some mixed dried fruits on the outside edge. There is also a quite complex background with a lot of gritty notes floating around. They are hard to pinpoint due to the heavy cask influence. Oak and a mellow menthol note comes through out on the edges as well. This is a great nose with a nice array of things to discover.

Mouth: It starts out with a mix of assorted brighter fruits and a mild spicyness. After a few seconds the background slowly fills with dark high percent bitter chocolate, leather, molten plums, raisins and a nice mix of peat, sulfur and leather. It feels nice and oily with just the right amount of spicyness. It ends up with a mix of just about everything everywhere on the palate. There’s also a hint of motoroil coming through as well. It feels a bit unbalanced overall.

Finish: At first there’s a sour lemon on the back part of the palate but it soon gets overrun by the massive complex center part with all the dark and gritty flavours intact. The bitter chocolate note has moves back into the background and the brighter fruits show up in front. The center consists of peat, sulfur, leather, molten plums, raisins and a lot more of subtle notes swiftly passing by like pipe tobacco and heather. The oakiness comes through like it’s been a part of everything all along and it matches the heavy character very well. It’s a fresh yet nutty oak with a hint of hazelnuts and some sawdust too. This is a great whisky with a very demanding character. It comes through as a bit too bitter and hard to approach though.

Additional information
The Kilkerran is made by the Glengyle distillery. This was aged in first fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Islay, Lagavulin

Lagavulin 12 YO Special Release 2020

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 56.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. A big hit of ashy and vegetal peat, with the ashy notes on the outside and the vegetal notes in the center, is the first thing to come through. There’s a vanilla and oak sweetness in the center which contrasts the rowdy exterior. There is a coastal side to it as well with notes of the ocean and just a hint of seaweed. It feels young but settles nicely in the glass. There isn’t much of a journey to talk about in this one, it stays nearly the same throughout. The maltiness do move forward a bit and a tiny hint of lemon breaks through now and again. This is a solid nose but it could offer a broader variety in sensations.

Mouth: It starts out with a a sour lemon note in the the back and a black pepper spicyness up front. In between, the peat and the vanilla are joined by a beer-like maltiness. It almost feels like an IPA with an ashy peat layer surrounding it. All the flavours seem to move forward and increase in intensity as a whole. It’s not as vegetal and coastal in taste as on the nose. The lemon note in the back sort of shift towards other cirtus fruits like grapes and oranges, but never as much as needed to keep the notes in focus.

Finish: The spicyness sort of rolls through the palate as the citrus notes fills the background. It takes a few seconds before the beery maltiness returns in the middle. The vanilla is still in there but it’s less detectable in the finish. The peat is now a top note and it’s once again more of a vegetal peatiness. The oak arrives at this point, mostly because the other flavours start to subside. It’s a so-and-so oakiness which neither impresses or deminishes the overall journey. This is a very good whisky. It’s a lot more interesting in taste than on the nose though.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2007 and aged in refill ex-bourbon barrels for the whole maturation period.

Campbeltown, Hazelburn, Springbank

Hazelburn 13 YO Oloroso (2020)

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 50.3 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet, dark and fruity. At first there’s a big hit of dark and dried fruits with raisins and overripe plums and a liquorice and tobacco note attached to them. Underneath lies a complex sweetness with brown sugar and vanilla mixed with gritty and earthy notes, yet it feels very clean and well made. With time in the glass it becomes brighter and leans more towards a mixed bag of dried fruits and less of the ripe notes. This is a great nose which delivers exactly what the premisses promises.

Mouth: It starts out with a big hit of sweetness filling up the edges and a bright fruitiness in the middle with a slight bitterness attached to the backside of it. It’s rich of lemons and dried tropical fruits as well as some coconut flakes. The liquorice and the tobacco is still detectable and sit with the sweetness around the edges. There’s a nice spicyness which slowly builds up over time and gives it a nice power-up after a few seconds. The gritty and earthy note is somewhat hidden in the background at this point but it’s still in there.

Finish: The transition is quite logical without any surges. It’s just continues the journey with the brighter fruits in the middle becoming slightly more sour around the edges. The sweetness start to fade first, which gives the fruitiness a few seconds to shine before the oakiness start to take over. It’s a slightly dusty oakiness with a hint of walnuts. The liquorice and tobacco notes from the sherry casks tag along quite a while down the road. This is a great whisky from start to finish with good cask influence and a clean distillate.

Additional information
This whisky was triple distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2020. 9900 bottles were released. It was aged in ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Campbeltown, Longrow, Springbank

Longrow 10 YO – Single Cask

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 56.9 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is oak, fruits and peat. At first there’s a leathery and mineral rich peatiness and a warm, toasted oak note. The fruitiness comes from a surrounding layer and it’s a rather bright mix of fresh berries. On top lies a weird, funky locker room note, like old sweat and sneakers. It’s sort of connected to the toasted oak note. In the background there are grease and rubber notes. This is a great nose with a lot of weirdness to it. It’s great for exploring but it’s a somewhat strange experience.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet vanilla note before a very fresh fruitiness with dried apricots, lemon and raisins in a mix with chalk and dust and a very mineral rich peat. The toasted oak note is mixed with the peatiness and there’s a caramel note which fills out the space between the other flavours. It’s got a spicyness to it as well and it feels like it’s givning it just the right amount of power to make it extremely balanced. The gritty background flavours are toned down at this point.

Finish: It starts out with a surge of the dry dust and chalky notes and the mix of fruits. It’s very consistant through the transition and the beginning of the finish mirrors everything well. It’s still a balanced yet rich and oily experience. The peatiness is still mineral rich, the fruits are still fresh and the background is still greasy and gritty. When it starts to fade the peat and oak takes over and now there are notes of leather and sawdust appearing. The sweaty locker room note reappears down the line which is not the best way to finish. This is a great whisky with a quirky character.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2018. 306 bottles were released. It was aged in a re-charred sherry butt. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. This was specially selected for Hanseatische, Bremen.

Finlaggan, Islay

Finlaggan Batch Strength

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 50 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and very peaty. At first there’s a big hit of wet and fresh peat. It soon gets an ashy layer surrounding it as well. There’s a sweet core with malt, toasted vanilla and honey but it gets downplayed by the peatiness. It feels young and spirity and quite lively. A thin note of assorted apples can be found far in the background but it takes quite the hunt to find it. This is a young, straight forward nose with a nice mix of peat and sweetness.

Mouth: It starts out with toasted oak, vanilla and honey in the center and an ashy and wet, earthy peat in an outside layer. A spicyness is slowly crawling up in the back of the palate. The toasted oak gets more pronounced with time as well as the honey sweetness. There’s a chalky texture to it after a while. The fruitiness is nowhere to be seen at this point except a sour note coming through from the back.

Finish: A mild peppermint cloud spreads out over the palate before the center part with toasted oak, vanilla, honey and the same earty and ashy peatiness returns early in the finish. When it starts to fade, toasted cocnut flakes comes through as well as the sour note from the back. It’s soon all about the virgin oak casks though. It’s fresh and toasted oakiness and a hint of peat. It almost gets unpleasant after a while. It becomes slightly astringent as well. This is a great whisky but it feels a bit unbalanced and chewy.

Additional information
The Finlaggan is made from whisky coming out of two southern islay distilleries. It has a PPM value of 40 and it’s aged in first fill ex-bourbon barrels for ~5-6 years. It’s unchillfiltered.

Cragganmore, Speyside

Cragganmore 20 YO – Special Release 2020

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 55.8 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and oaky. At first there’s a sweet honey and toasted vanilla oakiness building up in the center. It’s very mild and easy on the nose although there are hints of nail polish remover and a smell of vinegar as well. The sweetness becomes a mix of caramel and toasted oak in the same pace as a slight fruit note arrives. It’s a sweet white wine fruitiness with overripe green grapes. After a while the age shines through with a dusty and old note in the back. This is not the greatest of noses and the oakiness feels like an afterthought to salvage the otherwise not so great first maturation.

Mouth: It starts out with a second or two of sweet baked fruits before it becomes very hot and starts to attack the palate. Underneath lies a sour white wine fruitiness as well as the vinegar note. It’s sweet and very dusty in the background and even though it’s extremely hot the age is still showing through. The sweet toasted oak is still in there and gives a much needed sweetness to the other very demanding sensations. It’s impossible to keep exploring at this point due to the hotness.

Finish: It keeps on being extremely hot during the tranisition but it doesn’t spike any further. All the other flavours stay and patiently wait for the hotness to subside. When it does the fruits and the sweetness already lost its edge and it leaves a slightly astingent oakiness to itself. It creates a bitterness around the edges as well as a sawdust freshness. There is a sour note left in the back though. This is not a great whisky and it feels like an attempt to rescue a poorly made distillate. It’s too hot and too oaky, to the point of it being almost unbearable to drink.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 1999 and aged in a mix of refill ex-bourbon barrels and new fresh-charred oak casks.

Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie X

Lämna en kommentar

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is mild and sweet. At first there’s just a gentle and sweet vanilla and honey oakiness coming through. There’s also a tiny maltiness in the center. After a while a fresher fruitiness with lemon and a hint of pears starts to emerge but it’s very afraid to make its precence known. The whole is very flat and nothing pops out of the glass in anyway. There’s not much of a journey either. This is not offensive, it’s just a bit boring and uninteresting to explore.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat and watery with a slight bitterness in the back. A mild and sweet butterscotch and toasted oak arrives almost immidiately though. The butterscotch resides in the center and there is a mild oak spicyness out on the edges. The fruitiness returns and it’s the same lemon and pear notes as on the nose. The fruitiness joins the oak spice on the edges. A honey sweetness comes forward for those who wait.

Finish: The finish is at first sweet and minty. After a few seconds the fruitiness returns as well as the butterscotch but it’s too little, too late. The oakiness takes over and the last part of the finish just gives a toasted oakiness and a gentle minty note which, together with the sweetness, has a tooth paste feel to it. This is a decent whisky with a ”made for mixing” tag on the bottle, which feels accurate. This is not the best neat pour out there, but it can hold its own against a lot of cheap entry malts.

Additional information
This is a whisky made for drinks and cocktails. It’s aged for an undisclosed amount of time in a mix of ex-bourbon and new charred oak casks.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore The Devil’s Casks Limited Release III – Double the Devil

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 56.7 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and fruity. At first there’s a mild menthol layer sitting on top of a very homogenous fruity, sweet and peaty base and center. It feels very mild and approachable and there’s a nice array of flavours and complexity. The fruitiness is a mix of dried tropical fruits and darker black and red berries. The sweetness is mainly attached to the fruitiness but there are both honey and vanilla notes to be found. The peat is very much a leather and tobacco peatiness which feels a bit subdued behind the fruitiness but creates a nice frame. The whole feels quite young behind the heavy cask influence. This is a great nose which is nicely balanced between the casks and the house style.

Mouth: It starts out with a peat kick with tobacco, leather and a slightly herbal note. It mainly shows up on top but also on the outside edges. It feels a bit hot and the spicyness is producing an immidiate impact on the palate. The sweetness sits on the outside and the fruitiness and a black coffee note resides in the center. The fruitiness is still tropical and darker fruits and berries all mixed up in one big fruit bowl. Everything do seem to be a bit shallow at this point and it feels like it’s lacking some depth.

Finish: The spicyness continues at the same pace but the darker fruit note with raisins, overripe plums and a splash of coffee takes over and hides the tropical fruits at the start of the finish. It takes a while before the tropical fruitiness once again shows up as well as the sweet vanilla notes. There’s still not a big depth to this whisky. It takes a long time for the oak to be a part of this whisky and when it does, it’s nice enough but way too anonymous. This is a great whisky but it feels a bit rushed. It still produces very nice flavour combinations all in all.

Additional information
This is the last release in the Devil’s Casks series. It’s aged in first fill ex-Oloroso and first fill ex-PX sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Campbeltown, Glen Scotia

Glen Scotia Exclusive Cask 2012 – Ruby Port Cask Finish

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 55.3 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is spicy and sweet. At first there’s a sweet vanilla with a peppery layer on top. It’s immidiately woody with oak tannins punching through. When it settles in the glass a layer of sticky sweet red berries and a hint of sweet pipe tobacco gets spread on top of the vanilla. It then sort of reach stasis and stays layered with pepper, oak, sticky fruits and sweet vanilla. It takes a good twenty minutes in the glass before the layers start to merge together. This is a nice enough nose, but it doesn’t feel especially balanced and/or logical.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet and sour fruitiness on the edges of the palate incapsulating a sweet vanilla and honey center. It’s slightly bitter and still has a very peppery character. The oakiness is not as aggressive as on the nose. There’s a maltiness coming through, as well as liquorice and some assorted nuts in the back part of the core. It feels a bit hot and it’s not the best mouthfeel in the world.

Finish: The finish starts out with the sticky sweet fruits on top while the bitterness creates a backplate which everything rests on. The fruits now have a slightly darker character. It still has a lot of oak tannins but they are subdued by the pepper spicyness and some blueberry and lemon fruitiness floating around on top. This is a contrast to the darker notes within. It feels quite dry and it’s not as sweet as earlier in the journey. When the oak takes over it becomes slightly astringent and the oakiness comes through as a mix of fresh oak and old dusty grey oak planks. This is a good and competent whisky but it’s a really weird one.

Additional information
This whisky was bottled exclusively for the Swedish market. It’s was distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2021. It was aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in a ex-ruby port pipe. 300 bottles were released. The cask number is 19/660-7. It’s unchillfiltered.

Campbeltown, Longrow, Springbank

Longrow 11 YO Rundlets & Kilderkins

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 51.7 %
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 peaty cloud sitting on top of a sweet center with vanilla, oak and honey. It feels herbal and slightly medicinal on top but underneath the sweetness lies a complex gritty base with dirty oil and rubber notes. With time in the glass it becomes a lot sweeter and the peaty cloud moves out towards the edges and becomes more ashy than before. There’s a fruitiness hidden within which leans towards sweet and ripe red apples. It feels younger than the age statement at first aquaintance. This is a very nice nose with a lot to offer for the whisky explorer.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet and bitter mix that consists of a dusty oak note up front and a fruity and sweet core. There’s a pretty strong coconut note and burnt caramel coming through in the middle as well. The peat is a bit subdued off the starting grid and it takes a while for it to shine. The red apples are joined by a mild lemon peel note and the peat moves together with that note up along the edges. The gritty core stays in the back and the peat notes are now more like leather and tobacco. The dusty oak is very prominent throughout.

Finish: The dusty oak, with a mix of vanilla and bitter lemon peel, stays strong through the transition. The finish starts out slightly fruitier than before with red apples dipped in caramel but it’s all about the oakiness from here. The peatiness becomes less important quite soon and resides in the background along with the gritty notes. It’s still a complex dram but it gets rather uninteresting in the late finish due to the bitter and quite protruding oakiness from the small casks. This is a very good whisky overall but it doesn’t go all the distance. It’s complex and well made but it tips over and becomes slightly unbalanced in the late finish.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2001 and bottled in 2013. 9000 bottles were released. It was aged in rundlets and kilderkins. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 15 YO Laimrig Batch 2

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 54.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and fruity. At first there’s a mix of heavy dark fruits and vanilla. There are raisins and overripe plums mixed with tobacco and spices. It feels very powerful and rich. After a few seconds notes of oak and baking spices break through as well as a tropical fruitiness. It’s quite sweet overall with honey notes nestled within. It slowly changes and gives new subtle notes over time without compromising the initial character. Notes of leather and lemon pops up as well. This is a great nose. It leans heavily towards the oloroso sherry casks without it being top heavy.

Mouth: It starts out with honey and a swift nod to the tropical fruitiness the leather and the tobacco notes before the dark fruitiness takes over. It’s spicy and a bit dusty which fits the heavy character perfectly. There’s a slight bitterness, maybe a black coffee note, in the back as well as vanilla and a drizzle of honey. The oak shines through every once in a while which creates depth together with the tropical fruits which now resides in the back. It’s a very balanced, yet very powerful experience.

Finish: The finish starts with a dusty and complex center with the dark fruitiness now moving out towards the edges of the palate. This leaves room for the leather, tobacco and the tropical fruitiness to shine through. It still has a very rich and powerful character. It stays like this for quite some time before the oakiness finally breaks through. It’s a nice oakiness but it really never gets to shine. The dark fruits never leave its side. This is an amazing whisky. It’s powerful yet balanced and has a nice journey through and through.

Additional information
This whisky is first aged in undisclosed casks and then finished in ex-sherry casks. This was bottled in 2011 and is limited to 15000 bottles. The bottle reviewed is 05033/15000. It’s unchillfiltered.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Glenallachie, Speyside

Glenallachie – 11 YO Grattamacco Wine Cask Finish

Lämna en kommentar

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet ripe berries and malt. At first there’s a big emphasis on the ripe berries with a thick top layer coming from the red wine casks. Underneath lies a malty and sweet core with a mild spicyness attached to it. Vanilla and fudge notes can be found within. When it settles there are light floral notes and a fresher tropical fruitiness coming through along the edges of the glass with a hint of peaches and violets. There’s also a mild and thin menthol layer on top. This is a very good nose but it feels a bit top heavy. It greatly improves with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with the soft, ripe berries covering the outer parts of the palate. There’s an almond/marzipan note attached to the outer layer as well. It comes through as slightly bitter, but it’s not an offensive bitterness. The whole is not as sweet on the palate as on the nose. The fresher fruitiness creates an orange peel note in the background and the peaches are still in there. There’s still a toffee sweetness in the center, but it’s not especially pronounced and it feels a bit dusty. The floral notes are nowhere to be found.

Finish: The ripe berries stay in the outer layer through the transition and the orange peel notes stay in the background. It’s a logical transition without any spikes. The peaches is now once again showing themselves in the back part of the palate but they are soon competing with the oakiness, which seems to emerge from the orange peel in the background. It’s a nice nutty oakiness which fits nicely with the rest of the character. It carries the fresher fruits a long way down the late finish. This is a very good whisky overall. It feels a bit top heavy and the wine cask finish feels a bit detached from the rest of the whisky.

Additional information
This whisky is first aged in american ex-bourbon barrels for 9 years and then finished in ex-Grattamacco wine barriques for 2 years. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Balvenie, Speyside

The Balvenie 25 YO – Triple Cask

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is rich, dense and fruity. It’s surprisingly fresh for its age with a big bowl of fruits in focus. There’s oranges, ripe apples, gooseberries and a touch of liqeuor soakad cherries. There’s a generous amount of vanilla, honey and cinnamon and some oak spices clinging on towards the edges. Very pleasant.

Mouth: It starts out quite muted before the flavours come through. The fruit notes are toned down and leave place for a maltiness and some mild spices. The cinnamon and vanilla is still strong and come through together with some notes of dusty old leather books. The oakiness shows up with a slight bitterness and a hint of assorted tropical fruits within.

Finish: A sweet fruitiness (like marmelade) shows up then quickly subsides and gives room to a slightly bitter oak with notes of coffee, walnuts and some tropical fruitiness. The cinnamon is still present. The oak finish is long and very satisfying. As it slowly fades away there’s a tiny rye note with anis peeking through.

Additional information
This expression sits on top of the Balvenie travel exclusive range. It’s aged in refill and first fill american bourbon barrels and first fill spanish Oloroso sherry butts. Those are then married for at least 6 months before bottling.

Speyside, Tomintoul

Tomintoul Seiridh Batch 3

Lämna en kommentar

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. A very thick layer of assorted dried fruits with detectable raisins cover everything else. There are walnuts and a hint of ripe berries as well. The distillate behind feels somewhat flat due to the low ABV. It seems to be young but it’s hard to push through the waxy sherry layer. The sweetness seems to be leaning towards brown syryp with a hint of vanilla but it mainly comes attached to the fruits. This is a decent nose which is top heavy and way too mild underneath.

Mouth: It starts out with a spirity young distillate in the back and the dried fruits and waxy walnuts up front. There’s a black coffee note in the center of the palate and the raisins and ripe fruits are coming through as well. There’s a fresher fruitiness in the background with a mild citrus note. It feels very unbalanced and it really feels like a cover-up with the thick sherry lid trying to make up for the lack of quality behind it. The low ABV doesn’t help it to reach any heights either.

Finish: There’s a mild spicyness and an ethanol layer sitting on top of a mix of fresh citrus in the back and the dried fruits and sweet syryp up front. It just sort of crumbles early on in the finish which is a good thing because it reveals an absolutely marvellous oakiness filled with both walnuts and hazelnuts, a touch of wax and a hint of vanilla and coffee. The oakiness stays for a long time and leaves a fantastic experience for a long finish. This is a rather bad whisky but the finish is just breathtaking and makes one forget most the bumps along the way.

Additional information
This is a whisky aged for an undisclosed amount of time in a mix of ex-Oloroso sherry butts and whisky aged in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in ex-Oloroso sherry butts. This is bottle no. 2818/3000 of batch 3.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button