Kategoriarkiv: Scotland

Islands, Jura

Jura 10 YO – Origin

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is vanilla sweetness and ripe fruits. At first there’s a mix of ripe red apples and dark red berries with a honey and vanilla sweetness on top. There are floral notes floating around as well as a cinnamon note. The whole thing is very centered and it feels like there are flavours missing around the edges. The vanilla note moves forward with time and there’s a gritty complexity which kind of builds up in the background but never seems to spread out. This is a straight forward and pleasant nose, which really benefits from time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with a somewhat thick layer of honey. After a few seconds the fruitiness breaks through and it’s still ripe apples and berries. The vanilla is still in there and there’s a thin smoky note floating around as well. It feels a bit narrow and it still refuses to spread out over the palate. After a while the honey and vanilla becomes a toffee note. There’s a tiny hint of tropical fruits coming through from the back but it’s very subdued and miniscule.

Finish: A fresher tropical fruitiness pushes through in the start of the transition but it’s soon covered by the honey and vanilla sweetness. It takes a couple of seconds before the sweetness start to break down and for the tropical fruitiness return. It now sits together with a very nice and nutty oakiness. It’s mainly hazelnuts but there’s a mixed nuts quality to it. The late finish is by far the best part of the journey. This is a decent whisky which suffers from being to mild and quite narrow on the palate.

Additional information
This Jura 10 YO is matured in ex-bourbon american oak barrels for the entire aging period. It’s now discontinued.

Ballantine’s, Unspecified

Ballantine’s Finest – Hard Fired

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and sharp. At first there’s a mix of red berries and green apples sitting on top of a very sharp and unpleasant distillate. Vanilla and butterscotch notes are sitting in the background. The heavily charred oak is coming through quite clear and the charcoal is very much a central part of the whole. With time in the glass the sharpness sudsides and it becomes mild and mellow. This is a decent nose for a cheap blend.

Mouth: It starts out with a big hit of butterscotch and vanilla with a lining of mixed fruits and charcoal. The sweetness is a bit unpleasant like aspartam and it’s mixed with a sweet liquorice note. There’s a nice mellow peppery note within and a not so nice bitterness. It’s sharp and metallic in the back and there’s a wet cardboard note as well. The charcoal slowly increases in intensity for those who are patient.

Finish: The transition is a bit flat and the vanilla, butterscotch and aspartam sweetness sort of just continue on. After a second or two there’s a brighter fruitiness arriving as top notes. The sharp ethanol layer is still making up most of the background together with a slightly bitter oakiness. The charcoal disappear fast as well as the fruitiness and it doesn’t take long for it to fall apart. All that’s left is a flat oakiness and some aspartam sweetness. This is not the best of whiskies but there are some decent casks involved and it lives up to its ”hard fired” claim.

Additional information
This blend was released in 2016. It’s aged in second fill american ex-bourbon barrels. The special thing about this is that the barrels are emptied, then ”hard fired” (recharred) and then the whisky is put back in the barrel for a finishing period. Also, it’s supposedly not the same blend as the original.

Singleton, Speyside

The Singleton of Dufftown Tailfire

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and spicy. At first there’s a center note of red apples and raspberries. It’s surrounded by a cloud of kitchen spices and vanilla. The background is made up by a maltiness and a young spirity note. With time in the glass it becomes fruitier and leans more towards red berries. It feels a bit flat, but it’s a nice enough nose.

Mouth: It starts out with vanilla and honey and a not so pleasant note of underaged spirit. After a few seconds the fruitiness arrives and it’s now back to a mix of overripe red apples and berries. The oakiness is dry and brings the kitchen spices along. It becomes slightly bitter and the maltiness is in there.

Finish: A surge of the overripe apples and vanilla goes by quickly and the finish is all about the european oak casks. It’s a dry and spicy oakiness with a hint of hazelnuts. It stays for a long time and the bitter side of the oakiness stays for quite the time. The finish is the best part of this whisky. It’s a bit flat and young, but there are nice enough flavours within to make it a good experience.

Additional information
This expression was released in 2014 as a part of the core range. It’s aged in a combination of european ex-sherry casks and american ex-bourbon barrels.

Glenfarclas, Speyside

Glenfarclas 105

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ABV: 60 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and spicy. At first there’s a sweet layer of dried dark fruits and berries covered in dark syryp with anis and herbs coming through from behind. The ABV creates a cooling effect on top which gives it a nice contrast to the dark fruitiness. The oakiness can be detected within the sweet notes but it’s residing in the background. It doesn’t change much over time in the glass except for the arrival of vanilla after a few minutes. This is a very nice and powerful nose but it lacks some depth and development to be fantastic.

Mouth: It starts out with a dark fruity center with honey covered raisins and overripe plums and then it immidiately becomes slightly astringent. The high ABV deals quite the punch and it becomes very peppery after a second or two. The fruitiness is darker up front and fresher in the back with a hint of lemon. There’s a nice gritty and complex chaos going on in the background. It feels earthy and herbal with a hint of dry soil coming through when it settles. There’s also a black coffee bitterness which starts to build up after a few sips.

Finish: The transition is straight forward and there’s no big spike in any flavour or sensation. It sort of continues on its set path along the way. The flavours doesn’t change until the oak starts to take over. There’s a thin floral note floating around somewhere up top with a resemblance to violets. The oakiness is nice enough and does a competent job in keeping the finish going and becomes a bit nutty along the way. The slight astingency never increases which is a good thing. This is a great whisky and a nice powerful sherry bomb.

Additional information
Tracable back to 1968, this was the first cask strength whisky released. It’s aged for around 8-10 years, 70 % in european ex-Oloroso sherry casks and 30 % in american ex-bourbon barrels.

Speyside, Strathisla

Strathisla 12 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. Honey, red berries and ripe plums create a layer that sits on top of a very clean distillate. Sweet liquorice, vanilla and a hint of salted caramel comes through after some time in the glass. This is not complex and everything seems a bit muted and soft, which makes this very approachable.

Mouth: A very mild start with a thin line of bright fruits coming through. Butterscotch is dominating the whole thing together with vanilla, honey and a hint of darker fruits like ripe plums and black grapes. It’s got a quite thick texture and a nice touch of chili spicyness. Everything is still a bit muted though.

Finish: At first there’s nothing but the mild spicyness. When they finally return the flavours has become less sweet and fruity and more bitter. There are notes of pears and butterscotch in the back, but they are soon overrun by the oakiness. The oakiness follows the same low key profile as the rest of the flavours. This is extremely approachable and easy to drink, but that also means that it lacks complexity and power.

Additional information
Strathisla is one of the main components of the Chivas Regal blends. This 12 YO is matured in a combination of ex-sherry casks and ex-bourbon casks.

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Dalwhinnie, Highlands

Dalwhinnie 15 YO

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very bright and fruity. It’s a big basket of green pears and apple juice. There’s a floral overlay and the honey note is subtle and feels like the natural sweetness of the fruits. It’s very mild on the nose and very approachable. There’s a hint of oakiness and a whiff of smoke but they are well hidden. Very pleasant. It gets more dense and sweeter with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with a tiny bitter note before becoming dusty and sweeter. There are honey, vanilla and musty apple notes. A little spicy touch arrives after a second or two. The bitterness turns into the oak note, which gives away the age with a grey weathered feel to it. Just as on the nose, the sweetness increases with time in the glass.

Finish: At first it’s spicy and fruity but then turns musty and dusty. The oakiness comes through with a hefty bitterness like an espresso. The oak is still old and weathered. The fruitiness is still around, but it has turned into something more like red juicy apples. It tags along down the road. There’s no astringency and it’s a very easy and approachable experience.

Additional information
This whisky is a part of Diageo’s ”The classic malts of Scotland” series. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon oak barrels.

Cragganmore, Speyside

Cragganmore 12 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. It’s a center of vanilla, honey and toffee with a surrounding disc of fresh green grapes, white wine and a hint of elderflower. There’s also a hint of menthol surrounding everything. This is a one-layer, all-in-one experience. There’s no twist and turns nor changes and the presentation is very tasty in its own right. This is a great comforting easy accessible nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a mix of honey, lemon and vanilla. A speck of dust is present and the white wine note is now creating an aura around everything else. There’s still a toffee note within. The fresh green grapes are gone and the floral note has slightly changed. After a few seconds there’s a increase in spicyness. At the same time the oakiness starts to shine through. It also becomes more floral with time.

Finish: At first there’s a small gap where the floral and fruity white wine flashes by before the honey and vanilla return. They quickly subside and the white wine and elderflower once again take over together with a very pleasant, nutty oakiness. It brings some hazelnuts, but without the bitter tang. In the late finish there’s a lemon note and the oak and the sour note stays for a long finish. This is mild, but it’s still a fantastic malt. This is an easy sipper with a lot to offer.

Additional information
This is one of Diageo’s six bottlings in their classic malts of Scotland series. The cask type isn’t stated anywhere, but it’s suggested on many sites that It’s aged in 2nd fill and/or refill ex-bourbon casks.

Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie Legends – The Tayne

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and slightly fruity. At first there’s a vanilla and honey sweetness together with a hint of rye and liquorice. In the center a dark and syrypy fruitiness can be found but it’s somewhat muted from the start. The whole thing is a bit withdrawn and hard to get. There’s an oakiness floating around in the back as well as a hint of lemon. This is a nice enough nose but it’s not especially interesting.

Mouth: It starts out with a nutty oakiness surrounding a sweet center core. There’s a walnut bitterness in the back and up front there’s a mix of honey, dark fruits and coffee liqueuer. There’s a mild chili spicyness which creates a much needed impact on the palate. There’s no journey through it though, except for the mild spicyness everything is just sitting there, no surprises along the way.

Finish: The same goes for the start of the finish. It sort of just seemlessly tranisitons without anything flaring up or disappering. It’s still a nutty walnut oakiness in the back and a coffee liqueuer and dark fruitiness up front. The spicyness stays at a reasonable level throughout. With time the oakiness takes over and it becomes somewhat dry and slightly astingent. The oakiness is nutty and becomes quite tasty when it leaves most of the other flavours behind. This is a good whisky but it comes of as a bit one-dimensional and boring.

Additional information
The Tayne is a travel retail exclusive released in january 2016. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in european ex-Amontillado sherry casks.

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.

Craigellachie, Speyside

Craigellachie 13 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and malty. At first there’s an icing sugar sweetness and a sour maltiness coming through. There are green apples, toffee and a squeeze of lemon sitting in the middle. After a while the sweetness becomes honey and vanilla and merges with the toffee notes. It takes a while for the sherry fruits to arrive but when they do it’s a mix of fresh forest berries. There’s also a mild minty cloud hovering above everything. This is a great nose which highly benefits from time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with a round core of butterscotch and citrus fruits. It soon reveals a nice black pepper spicyness. The sherry notes are now much darker and have become a mix of dried raisins and dades together with notes of citrus fruits. Meanwhile the background gets filled with bitter zest and oak. It feels quite lively and produces a lot of flavours and sensations.

Finish: It starts out with the black pepper note and the butterscotch. The fruitiness is very subdued which leaves room for the oakiness to step forward early. It’s still connected to the bitter zesty lemon notes yet it feels quite dry and dusty. The maltiness is still coming through as the finish subsides. This is a great whisky which presents itself with standard flavours, but does so in a rich and engaging way.

Additional information
The 13 YO is the entry level to Craigellachie’s core range released in 2014. It’s aged in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie Dornoch – Limited Edition

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and slightly fruity. At first there’s a big honey and vanilla impact. Behind the sweet layer lies a touch of mixed dried fruits. Deeper down there’s a hint of a smoky peat, but it’s very subtle. When it settles it reveals a fruity distillate with green apples within and a maltiness with a hint of toffee. The whole thing is covered in mild menthol. This is a nice laid back and subtle nose without being flat and boring.

Mouth: At first there’s a thin layer of fresh oak and very mild peat surrounding a sweet inner core. That layer soon shifts into a coffee bitterness and moves back, but it stays connected to the sherry notes arriving in the center. The sweetness subsides and makes room for dried fruits and a hint of walnuts. All the flavours seem to grow richer with time. The apples are still detectable in the back.

Finish: The fresh oakiness and the mild smoky peat seem to stay constant through the transition. There’s a hint of pine shining through before the coffee bitterness and the dry fruits comes through once again. The maltiness is present as well as the walnuts but it’s no longer sweet. After a few seconds there’s a tropical fruitiness somewhere within. When the oak takes over it carries the very mild peat, the walnuts and the tropical fruits in its wake. This is a very good whisky with a somewhat complex character. It’s a bit mild at times, but it’s not bland.

Additional information
This limited edition release is made from classic ex-bourbon cask matured Glenmorangie as well as some lightly peated distillate matured in Amontillado casks. A donation is given to the Marine Conservation Society for the reservation of the Dornoch firth for each bottle sold.

Speyside, Tamdhu

Tamdhu 12 YO

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a vanilla coating surrounding a mixed bag of fruits, with both fresh citrus fruits and ripe dark fruits. There are oranges, raisins and overripe plums. Cinnamon, honey sweetness and vanilla come from the edges and move inwards over time. The fruitiness turns a bit darker too. This is a nice nose with a mild, round character without any big outliers or surprises.

Mouth: It starts out very mild but with a direct impact of honey, vanilla and dried fruits. As the flavour impact increases the cinnamon shows up together with toffee and oranges. A very pleasant spicyness slowly rolls in over the palate and creates a much needed intensity to the whole. A nice bitter note shows up in the back which creates depth and complexity when it merges with the rest of the flavours.

Finish: The transition is quite uneventful and it sort of dips for a second before it once again produces mixed fresh and dry fruits together with a round toffee and honey sweetness. The oakiness shows up early and rolls in from the sides. The finish feels a lot brighter and fresher with the oranges and red berries coming through more clearly. The oakiness stays in an outer layer and in the back which gives the rest of the flavours a chance to come along throughout the finish. This is a really good whisky which just lacks the final little push towards greatness.

Additional information
This whisky is aged in a mix of first and second fill american and european ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park Einar

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a sweet round layer of honey and vanilla surrounding a core of fresh red berries. Underneath a mild and herbaceous peatiness creates a backdrop. There’s also a fresh peach and sour lemon freshness somewhere within. Cinnamon, oak and black liquorice are all in there as well. It becomes sweeter over time. This is a good nose but it feels a bit thin and shallow with the peatiness not really connecting to the other flavours.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat, but soon there’s a honey and butterscotch note arriving together with a leathery and smoky peatiness and a mild black pepper spicyness. The fruitiness is sent to the back and the liquorice and honey notes are up front. There’s a nice gritty background flavour with oak, rubber and a hint of sulfur. This creates a much needed layer of complexity. The fruitiness comes back together with vanilla notes after a while.

Finish: The black pepper returns in small sprinkles as the finish starts with an otherwise flat array of sweetness and mild peat. There are still red berries within but they are now darker. There are raisins and overripe plums peeking through. The gritty background notes return and they stay behind together with vanilla and butterscotch when the oakiness starts to build up. The oakiness is a nice mix of fresh and dry oak and it’s got a nice spicy character. There’s also a small nutty side to it. This is a very good whisky but it really lacks some power.

Additional information
The Highland Park Einar was released as a travel retail exclusive in 2011. The ppm is 20 and it’s aged in both american and european Oloroso sherry seasoned oak casks. It has natural colour.

Deveron, Highlands, MacDuff

The Deveron 12 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruits and soft toffee. There’s a bright fresh fruitiness with apples, pears, green grapes and just a slight hint of grapefruits. It rests on a base of toffee and/or butterscotch. Vanilla and honey is in there, but they are just fillers in between the other flavours. The whole thing is covered in a thin aura of eucalyptus.

Mouth: It starts out very mild but quickly turns to a sour lemon and a small spicy note. Butterscotch comes rolling in and it brings some oakiness along. The fruitiness is a long way back and it’s not as bright as on the nose. The oakiness and the butterscotch are divided equally and it makes it a bit bland. It turns more towards honey as time passes in the glass. This is a bit disappointing compared to the nose.

Finish: It sort of just disappears. After a few seconds the eucalyptos note returns and the oakiness comes through again. The oakiness is nice and there’s no astringency. There’s a thin note of walnuts and a touch of anise coming through. After a while the butterscotch and honey start to make themselves noticed and it somewhat changes character. In the end, there’s a chalk note covering the oak. This is very mild and an easy sipper.

Additional information
This is an expression from the MacDuff Distillery released in 2015 as a part of Dewar’s ”Last Great Malts of Scotland” series. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon oak barrels”.

Speyside, Tomintoul

Tomintoul 16 YO

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very sweet and juicy. At first there’s a thick layer of vanilla, honey and sweet liquorice sitting on top of sweet oranges, clementines, heather and cinnamon. Behind those sits a backdrop of fragrant oak. There’s also a tiny hint of dill somewhere in the far distance. It’s a rich and very welcoming nose with very accessible aromas.

Mouth: It starts out a bit mild but with a hefty dose of black liquorice, together with black coffee and malt. It’s filled with mild kitchen spices and the age is coming through as a dusty oakiness spreading out over the palate. It’s still very honey sweet and the oakiness keeps increasing in intensity. It’s somewhat astingent. The sweet juicy citrus fruits have taken a step back, but they are still present in the background.

Finish: It starts out uneventful and it just seems like it continues seemlessly. The fruitiness moves forward a bit and the oranges and clementines are now joined by some assorted tropical fruits. The sweetness still has a big roll, but it starts to tone down and move out towards the edges. The oakiness is there all the way from the beginning and it’s a very nice, dusty oakiness intertwined with the tropical fruits and some sweet liquorice. This is a good whisky which is a bit too watered down, yet produces some nice flavours.

Additional information
Tomintoul is owned by Angus Dundee Distillers and is known as ”The Gentle Dram”. This is aged for 16 years in american white oak ex-bourbon barrels.

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Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet Nàdurra – Oloroso Matured

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ABV: 60.2 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and spicy. Chili and black liquorice sit on top of a quite young and lively distillate. Raisins, dades and tobacco creep up along the inside of the glass. The longer it sits the sweeter it gets with notes of Amaretto, honey and a touch of vanilla. A tiny hint of green apples is in there somewhere. This is very powerful with great cask influence.

Mouth: At first there’s a tobacco note and a hefty ABV spicyness. After a few seconds some dried fruits come through together with a quite nice bitterness. There are still notes of raisins, dades and a now prominent honey sweetness. There’s a toffee note in the background. It feels more mature than on the nose and there’s some dustiness on top.

Finish: A strong menthol cloud goes by and it’s start out with quite low key flavours. After a few seconds the bitterness returns together with muted notes of the Oloroso with liquorice, raisins and honey up front. It takes quite the long time before some oakiness appear. It’s a very laid back oakiness that never picks up speed. It’s a short finish that is somewhat disappointing. It’s still a great dram overall.

Additional information
This cask strength release is aged in first fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. The bottle tried was from batch OL0818.

Knockando, Speyside

Knockando 21 YO – Master Reserve (Vintage 1990)

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is ripe fruits and dusty vanilla. At first it’s all about ripe red apples, ripe bananas and thick vanilla custard. The age is showing through with a dusty layer sitting on top of all the main flavours. A touch of oak together with marzipan and a maltiness makes this a very rich overall experience. After a while it becomes floral with heather as the main contributor. There’s also a thin layer of fruitiness coming through from the ex-sherry casks. It’s a brighter note with red berries but also a touch of raisins. This is a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: The start is very musty, dusty and just a touch spicy. A somewhat unexpected asparagus note comes first and is soon joined by a thick maltiness and dusty old bookshelves. After a few seconds honey, anise and a muted fruitiness arrives. It’s not as fruity and not as floral as the nose. Ripe apples are still the main fruity element. The oak starts to shine through and it’s got a character of old, grey wooden planks that’s been sitting in the rain.

Finish: It starts out with the same asparagus note, but soon changes towards the fruitiness and the floral notes again. Heather, ripe apples, honey, anise and the old dusty notes linger for a while before it moves towards the oakiness. It’s still the grey oak planks. There’s a small bitter tone coming through, but it fits perfectly within the oakiness. It seems like the fruitiness adapts to it and switches towards grapefruits and orange peel after a while. The finish is very long and very pleasing to the palate. This is a well made whisky. It’s great, but not fantastic.

Additional information
This Knockando 21 YO was bottled in 2014, which actually makes it 23/24 years old. It’s aged in a combination of ex-sherry casks and american ex-bourbon barrels.

Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie 18 YO – Extremely Rare

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a very nice lemon freshness with vanilla, honey and a maltiness coming through from behind. Floral notes with a very ”hoppy” feel to them join the lemon in creating a very bright character. A small hint of red berries and a thin veil of cinnamon appear after a while in the glass. This is a very approachable nose.

Mouth: At first, there’s a creamy toffee with a spicy touch. It shows some age with a dusty layer and notes of old bookshelves. The base is still malty with honey and vanilla and the whole thing is a touch dry. The taste is not as bright as on the nose, but after a few seconds tropical fruits appear and they bring back the citrus fruits as well. The slight bitter notes coming from the oakiness steer it towards grapefruits. The oak itself is very nice and sits just right in between the other flavours.

Finish: It’s still lemon fresh with a creamy toffee base. The oak comes through fast and brings back a big bucket of assorted tropical fruits and grapefruits, lemon and a tutti frutti candy note. The oakiness is very nice and clear. A coffee note peeks through in the late finish. This is a well made comfort whisky.

Additional information
This 18 YO is a part of Glenmorangie’s prestige range. It’s aged for 15 years in american ex-bourbon barrels. Then it’s separated and about 30 % is moved to ex-Oloroso sherry casks while the rest remains in the ex-bourbon barrels. After three more years, the distillates are married back together and bottled.

Caperdonich, Speyside

Caperdonich 18 YO – Peated

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Speyside
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 thin layer of honey, heather and vanilla with a base note of leathery peatiness. There are also notes of hay and tobacco. It’s very aromatic and with time a layer of friendly green fruits start to appear. A small hint of black liquorice is also floating around inside. The peat sort of mellows out over time. This is a nice nose and everything is very mild but it’s still not flat and boring.

Mouth: It starts out with heather, honey and vanilla up front and a lemon note in the back. It soon turns very astringent, dry and bitter almost to the point where it’s unbearable to keep it in the mouth. It feels a bit ”hot” too. The peat is creating an outer layer and it’s a grassy and herbaceous peatiness. The leather and tobacco notes are now separated from the peatiness and is sitting in the center telling a tale of age. There’s still a green and fresh fruitiness floating around within.

Finish: It starts out with chili spicyness together with a rush of the fresh fruitiness and the heather. It soon turns astringent, dry and bitter once again which overshadows most of the finish. The peat is there, as well as the leather notes in the center. The oakiness is coming through but it’s hard to categorize due to the astringency mixed with the peat. This is an interesting experience, but it’s not the greatest of whiskies. There are nice flavours but they are hidden behind an array of bad sensations.

Additional information
This 18 YO is part of Pernod Ricard’s ”Secret Speyside collection” . It’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. Caperdonich is a closed distillery.

Macallan, Speyside

The Macallan Amber

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and vanilla. At first there’s a thick layer of dark fruitiness with raisins, plums and liqeuer-soaked cherries together with a vanilla coating. There are also a fresher fruitiness within, as well as a hint of cinnamon. The sherry notes feel like a lid on top of the distillate. They do grow more three-dimensional and darker with time in the glass. There are hints of oak peeking through at times. There is also a heavy sweetness coming through and it feels very connected to the dark fruitiness. This is a nice nose, but it feels somewhat divided into two parts.

Mouth: It starts out with lemon in the back and assorted dry fruits up front. After a few seconds it shifts and turns towards a darker character with ripe blackberries and bitter black coffee notes in the back. It turns even darker with time and it’s not as sweet as on the nose. The vanilla and cinnamon are still in there together with a hint of toffee but they are subdued by the dark fruits and black coffee. It’s very mild and even though it’s flavourful it’s not producing any hard impact on the palate.

Finish: It starts out with a quick minty fresh sweep before the dark fruits and black coffee notes return. The vanilla and cinnamon is now really pushed back and that leaves room for the oakiness to emerge from within the coffee notes. It’s a nice oakiness which matches the profile very well. The contribution to the coffee notes aside it doesn’t deliver any other specific characteristics. The lemon note returns in the late finish which isn’t all too suitable. This is a good whisky which has a couple of flaws when scrutinized, but it’s still a nice and easy sipper.

Additional information
Amber is a part of Macallan’s 1824 series. It’s aged in a combination of refill ex-sherry american oak casks and first fill spanish ex-sherry casks. It contains whiskies from 8-18 years old.