Kategoriarkiv: Scotland

Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve

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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 fruits and ethanol. At first there’s a mix of apples and pears with a vanilla coating. They are covered by a big cloud of ethanol. It takes a minute of two before it settles in the glass and become a little less spirity. When it does settle it becomes round and malty with hints of honey and sweet liquorice. There is a sour note coming through in the background. The fruits are still the main focal point through the nosing. This is a half-decent nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet honey and vanilla layer sitting on top of the same fruits as on the nose. The background delivers quite a hefty and rather unpleasant bitterness coming through together with a prickly oakiness. It’s quite metallic to the taste and the ethanol cloud is still hovering over everything else.

Finish: A big surge of the unpleasant bitterness pops up before the oakiness pushes through. The fruitiness is much fresher here and it’s more like pears and assorted tropical fruits. It’s a nice fruitiness, but it is overrun by the bitter notes and the oak. The late finish is all about a mix of the oak and the fruits. There is a sharp metallic note and the ethanol makes itself known even in the long run. This is a budget whisky and it tastes exactly like the presets. It’s not too bad, but the corners cut are hard to ignore.

Additional information
This was launced in 2015 as the new entry level of Glenlivet’s core range. It’s aged for the most part in american first fill ex-bourbon casks.

Cluny, Unspecified

Cluny Blended Scotch Whisky

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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 harsh and slightly unpleasant. It starts out with a very heavy and rough dose of the grain spirit. When it settles it turns over to malt and a feint butterscotch character. It’s also got a metallic smell to it. It’s basically one-dimensional and doesn’t produce any other detectable aromas. This is a bad nose.

Mouth: It starts out very sweet and mild with the slightly bitter and artificial butterscotch note up front. It still leans heavily towards the unpleasant grain spirit. There is a slight hint of dried out grey oak planks in the background.

Finish: An immidiate drop in flavour makes everything just disappear. All that’s left is the dry and bitter oakiness and a taste of the ethanol. This is not a good whisky and it shouldn’t be consumed neat. The entire thing is a bit muted and the whole is not very protruding, which makes it a good choice for mixing; If hiding the whisky flavours is the goal.

Additional information
The Cluny brand is owned by Whyte & McKay. It’s supposed to contain up to 30 different malt and grain whiskies from Scotland.

Singleton, Speyside

The Singleton of Dufftown – Spey Cascade

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

Tasting notes
Sample in queue. Tasting notes pending.

See the queue here.

(Scribbles)

Nose: Pears and green apples, vanilla, malt, very friendly, citrus fruits.

Mouth: Honey, malt, dusty, no spicy notes, a bit thin and boring.

Finish: Bitter oak, astringent. A bit unpleasant after a while. A coffee note can be found in the midst of the bitterness.

Additional information
The Spey Cascade is a whisky matured in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks.

Benromach, Speyside

Benromach Organic Special Edition

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and sweet. At first there’s a mix of honey, oak and kitchen spices. A young spirity note is initially very protruding, but then it moves back and settles behind the main flavours. After a few seconds a citrus fruitiness moves forward and it sort of morphs into oranges and clementines. There’s a pine note sitting in the back, which doesn’t help. The whole very much reflects the pretences of this whisky very well.

Mouth: It starts out a bit bitter with the wood notes, both oak and pine, in front of everything. After a few seconds a savory, meaty note starts to emerge from behind, and it does so together with black liquorice and an overripe fruitiness. The honey is still in there and a vanilla note sits behind everything else. The bright citrus notes are not present at first, but a thin lemon note do come through after a while.

Finish: The oakiness fills the entire palate and even though the savory note and the honey sits in the center they are soon overshadowed by an extremely fresh oakiness. It’s basically planed, new oak. There’s a young green note coming through which isn’t all that pleasant and the young spirity note is still in there. The thin citrus note remains just that and the oranges arrive once again in the late finish. It becomes astringent over time. This is young and fresh, and it has an array of nice and not so nice flavours. It’s interesting for what it is.

Additional information
This release is a certified organic whisky aged in virgin american oak casks for approximately 6 years. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Glenfarclas, Highlands

Glenfarclas 17 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dried fruits and sweet vanilla. At first there’s a mix of dried apricots and berries taking point. Beneath there’s a thick layer of vanilla, oak and honey. There’s also some darker fruits in there with some raisins and fresh plums. A tiny hint of seaweed can be detected but it sort of comes and goes. A sprinkle of cardemum and cinnamon on top makes this a very round and welcoming nose.

Mouth: It starts out mild and sweet. A spicyness is first to make itself known and shortly everything else follow. It’s still the same mix of dried and dark fruits and berries. The age really comes through with a middle layer of dusty oakiness and bitter liquorice. There’s an outer layer with lemon peel and coconut. The cardemum and cinnamon is still present and they create a thin veil above everything else. It’s not as sweet as on the nose and the vanilla notes are very low key.

Finish: It starts with a warm spicyness and vanilla. The fruitiness is now in the background and in the front there’s a nice coffee and walnuts bitterness coming from a spicy and dusty oakiness. When it starts to subside the fruitiness comes through once again, but now it’s leaning more towards the lemon peel and the dried fruit mix and not so much of the darker notes are left. This is a great whisky which produces a lot of interesting things, even though it feels a bit like it’s a ”in the middle of the ex-sherried scotches” road. The age really helps it along.

Additional information
The 17 YO was originally intended to be a travel retail exclusive mainly for the asian market. It’s aged in ex-Oloroso casks for the entire aging period. It has natural colour.

Benromach, Speyside

Benromach 10 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and mild peat. At first there’s a warm campfire smokiness together with raisins, red berries and vanilla cream. The oakiness is detectable from the start and it sits nicely in the sweet center core together with black liquorice. The sherry notes increase in intensity with time in the glass and after a minute or two the different elements feel very balanced. There’s a Bassett’s allsorts kind of sweet, fruity and liquorice candy-like quality to it.

Mouth: It starts out with a herbaceous peatiness. It’s quite savory and it’s got a nice texture to it, even though it’s very mild. There’s soot and dark fruits in the center. After a second or two some sour red berries come through as well as a fresh, but slightly bitter oakiness. There’s black coffee and a dusty layer sitting on top of the oak. There is a sweeter side to it with some vanilla, honey and coconut, but it’s not as sweet nor as balanced as on the nose.

Finish: A quick spicyness pass by and then it immidiately moves back towards the black coffee bitterness and the darker sherry notes. There’s still a savory note in there. The peat has moved out towards the edges and it’s still quite herbaceous, but the campfire smoke has returned. After a while a tropical fruitiness start to emerge in the middle of it all and it also brings a lemon sourness with it. It takes a while for the oakiness to show up, but when it does, it stays for a long finish together with the peat and the fruitiness. This is a great whisky with a lot of possibility for exploration. It could have been fantastic with a higher ABV presentation.

Additional information
This 10 YO is aged in a mix of 80 % ex-bourbon barrels and 20 % ex-Oloroso sherry casks for 9 years and then married together in first fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks. The malt has a ppm value of 10-12.

Benromach, Speyside

Benromach Peat Smoke 2004

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is bright and fresh. At first there’s a big bowl of lemons next to a burning woodfire. The character is lively and young and in this case, that’s a good thing. There’s vanilla and cream and, besides the lemons, a hint of green apples. The base is earthy with a base of dry soil. This isn’t very complex or interesting, but it is a very nice nose.

Mouth: At first there’s a dry earthy peatiness and a sweet honey baseline. It is a bit ”cardboardy” behind everything and it it still is young and lively. When the first impact settles the warm campfire peatiness returns together with the green apples and lemons. The vanilla and the cream notes can be found somewhere in the back, but it takes a few seconds before they arrive.

Finish: A peppermint cloud slowly passes by, but it soon turns into a young spirity note before the dry earthy peatiness takes over once again. The fruitiness is still in there with mainly lemons. The flavour profile is very consistant from nose to finish. The oakiness do come through but it’s not especially interesting. This is a very stringent whisky and that makes it a bit uneventful. A high ppm level doesn’t automatically make it interesting. It’s a nice enough experience overall.

Additional information
This peated release from Benromach was distilled in 2004 and aged in refill american hogsheads for an undisclosed amount of time. The malt has a ppm value of 53.

Glen Moray, Speyside

Glen Moray 12 YO – Elgin Heritage

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and sweet. At first there’s a honey sweetness and a maltiness on top and some fresh fruits in the back. There’s a lemon freshness surrounding everything and when the fruits start to move forward they reveal both oranges and apples. There’s a sprinkle of cinnamon and a vanilla creaminess appearing after a while. This is very pleasant and easy to nose.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and slightly dusty. A mix of honey, vanilla and malt creates a thick top layer. It’s a dense character, which contrasts the fresher aromas on the nose. The fruitiness is now leaning towards orange peel with the bitterness intertwined with both peel and the oak, which is coming through from behind. The cinnamon is still in there givning the whole a desserty overtone.

Finish: It starts out with a quick visit from a mild minty cloud and then returns to being sweet and malty with an orange peel fruitiness. It’s once again a bit more fresh and some yellow juicy pears appear together with the citrus fruits just before the oakiness arrive. It’s a nice enough oakiness with a savory note coming along for the ride. The oakiness doesn’t stay for too long and the late finish is just orange peel and a sprinkle of dust. This is a good whisky without any bells and whistles. You get what you see; A nice 12 YO speysider.

Additional information
This is the entry level expression in Glen Moray’s Elgin Heritage series. It’s matured for the full period in american ex-bourbon barrels.

Glen Moray, Speyside

Glen Moray Elgin Classic – Port Cask Finish

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ABV: 40 %
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 layer of vanilla covering everything up. After a while there’s a soft core of berries and honey appearing. It’s a bit young and spirity, but the whole thing is very laid back. There’s a hint of cinnamon and it evolves towards being floral and a bit perfumey. This is a bit too mild and reclusive on the nose.

Mouth: It starts out with quite a hefty flavour rush compared to the nose. It’s liqeuer-soaked raisins, vanilla cream and black coffee. There’s hops and malt in a surrounding layer and the whole thing feels a bit ”hot”. The cinnamon is still in there. There is a touch of honey but the sweetness mainly comes from the port finish. It feels somewhat undecisive on what to bring to the table.

Finish: A spicy flare comes and goes before it returns to the sweetness and malt. There is a beer quality to the main flavour and it’s accompanied by oak and a fruity, floral aura. It doesn’t take very long for it to become oaky. It’s a nice oakiness with a slightly nutty quality to it. The black coffee note is still in there as well as the vanilla. This is a nice whisky with a bit of blemishes here and there.

Additional information
This expression was released in 2014. It’s first aged in american ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for 8 months in ex-Tawny Port casks before being bottled. It’s aged for 7-8 years.

Glen Grant, Speyside

Glen Grant The Major’s Reserve

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and floral. At first there are unripe sour green apples and vanilla. There’s a thin maltiness coming from behind and an ethanol cloud on top. There’s a perfumey lemongrass aura surrounding everything and that’s what creates the floral notes. It almost smells like a scented soap. It gets sweeter and maltier with time and honey starts to show after a few minutes. It’s a nice enough nose but it’s not complex or especially interesting.

Mouth: It starts out with a surge of sweetness and then it turns very bitter with oak and malt as main flavours. It’s a bit unpleasant. There is a slight spiciness building up and the fruity and floral notes are still detectable, but the oak and the malt together with the bitterness beat them to the punch. The ethanol cloud is still circling around everything else. The vanilla and honey sweetness has taken a step back and it’s now just a part of the background.

Finish: It starts out where it left off without anything exiting happening in between. It’s still sweet, the ethanol cloud is still there and it’s still bitter from the oak. The maltiness is a bit toned down though. The fruitiness is still in the background and subsides fairly quick in the finish. All that is left in the mouth afterwards is an unpleasant oaky bitterness. This is not a bad whisky, there are just too many corners cut along the way.

Additional information
The Major’s Reserve is the entry level whisky in Glen Grant’s core range. There’s not much information about the content except that it’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels.

Cutty Sark, Unspecified

Cutty Sark Original

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and ethanol driven. At first there’s a cloud of ethanol coming from the grain spirit together with mild vanillin and some fresh fruits. There’s sweet honey and just a hint of a floral note coming through, as well as some seaweed. The nose is quite monotone and not that interesting, but it’s alright for a cheap blend.

Mouth: It starts out a bit watery but soon there’s a nice fruity and malty core. There’s a grain spirit note surrounding the core and it’s somewhat metallic, but it’s not overpowering and doesn’t really make it taste too bad. There’s a nutty oakiness on the edges and a slightly bitter note somewhere on the inside. The core produces ripe red apples, vanilla and a hint of sweet liquorice.

Finish: It starts out surprisingly malty and the fruitiness and sweetness are intact with honey and ripe apples. The grain spirit slowly builds up and when it’s on the top of the curve it’s somewhat unpleasant, but still not too bad. The oak comes through once again and it’s still a nice, nutty oakiness. The sweet liquorice lingers in the mouth in the late finish. It feels slightly better than the standard cheap blend.

Additional information
This blend has been around since 1923 and is owned by Berry Brothers & Rudd. The content isn’t disclosed but the base is said to be whisky from The Glenrothes Distillery.

Lauder’s, Unspecified

Lauder’s Finest Scotch Whisky

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is a big bucket of butterscotch. Behind that massive wall there are notes of vanilla and a layer of harsh grain spirit. There’s a metallic note in the back together with a small hint of salted peanuts. It’s very mild and easy on the nose.

Mouth: Very mild start, again with the massive butterscotch and vanilla flavours. There’s an aspartam sweetness and a bitterness both sitting in the back. There’s still a metallic layer coating the mouth and notes of the harsh grain spirit is still coming through the pretty butterscotch. This is very one-dimensional.

Finish: The Butterscotch and vanilla dominates from the start, but they are soon replaced by a dry, very bitter oakiness. It’s not a very pleasant oakiness and the bitterness clashes with the remaining butterscotch note. The metallic layer is still coating the mouth long after everything else disappeared. This is drinkable neat but should be used as a mixer.

Additional information
The Lauder’s brand was created in 1836 and the origin of this blend goes back as far as 1815. The only information about the content is that it’s made from a blend of Highland, Lowland and Speyside whiskies.

Latitude 55 Degrees, Unspecified

The Latitude 55 Degrees

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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 badly aged grainspirit and butterscotch. At first, there’s a piercing metallic sweetness and a hint of vanilla. After a few seconds it switches towards butterscotch. With some Imagination, there are some coastal notes in the background with seaweed and ocean air, but overall this is just unpleasant.

Mouth: It starts out flat and sweet and after a while the butterscotch builds up and takes over. The unpleasant grain spirit notes are still in there, but they have taken a step back. There’s no coastal notes here at all but there is a hint of the oak coming through. There is a small glimmer of ripe fruits in the background, but it’s in no way helping this along. This is one-dimensional, and it’s not a good dimension.

Finish: It starts out with the metallic note up front and once again the butterscotch note comes out thick and pertruding. The oakiness is a bit late, but when it comes it’s actually not that bad. It’s got a nutty side to it, close to walnuts. This is not a whisky to be used as a neat pour. This should only be used as a mixer.

Additional information
Produced for the swedish market and blended by a swedish blender, Folke Anderson, known for making Grönstedts cognac. According to the official representatives it contains some islay malt and a lot of the content is sherry matured.

Grant’s, Unspecified

Grant`s Family Reserve

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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 grainy and sweet. At first there’s a thick layer of badly aged grain spirit and an aspartame sweetness. There’s also a black liquorice note and just a tiny hint of heather, and, with some imagination, a hint of fruits. With time in the glass vanilla starts to come forward. This helps it along a little, but it’s basically just very unpleasant and sharp.

Mouth: It starts out very watery and after a second or two the grain spirit start to come through which isn’t a good thing. It comes with some vanilla, liquorice and honey notes, but mostly with a not-so-good bitterness. There is still a tiny hint of fruits and heather, but it’s buried deep within the unpleasantries.

Finish: A small surge of vanilla sweetness pass by on the way to a very flat and boring oakiness. The vanilla hangs on, but it’s just creating a thin veil above the bitter oak. The finish is rather short which in this case is a good thing. This is one of the worst scotch blends I’ve ever tasted and should not be had neat, nor be used as a mixer. In fact, it should only be used as a last resort kind of drink.

Additional information
The Family Reserve contains a lot of different whiskies and is based on single grain whisky from Girvan. It is aged in virgin oak, american ex-bourbon oak, and refill american ex-bourbon oak barrels. It’s made by William Grant & Sons.

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.

Campbeltown, Springbank

Hazelburn 14 YO – Oloroso Cask Matured (2019 Release)

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ABV: 49,3 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is heavily sherried. A thick layer of liqueur-soaked dark fruits is the main focal point. There are cherries, ripe plums and some black grapes together with a handful of raisins, vanilla and sweet liquorice. A fresh note of menthol comes through but this is all about the Oloroso sherry cask influence. There’s also a perfumey note somewhere within, but it’s too thin to pinpoint. There’s a note somewhere in the middle which is leaning towards notes of rubber and motor oil.

Mouth: Sweet and spicy. The dark fruits coming through are now leaning towards more of the raisins and it’s quite spicy. There’s a dustiness sitting together with the same rubber/oily note as on the nose. There’s a hint of grapefruit in the back. The oak is subtle and the bitterness also brings some freshly brewed coffee notes.

Finish: A big wave of the rubber/oily note and a chili spicyness rolls by before quickly switching over to the dark fruitiness again. The oak is starting to move forward. It’s dusty with a bitterness that is just about perfectly balanced. The grapefruit is still in there and so are the coffee notes. It’s still spicy and the very long finish includes the hint of rubber/oil, the oaky bitter note and the grapefruit. This is a very well made whisky.

Additional information
This is a triple distilled whisky that is matured exclusivly in first fill spanish ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It’s limited to 9900 bottles worldwide.

Glenglassaugh, Highlands

Glenglassaugh Revival

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes

Nose: This is young and very sweet. At first there’s a cloud of young, albeit well made, spirit sitting on top of a base consisting of sweet honey and butterscotch notes. The oakiness is coming through strong from the beginning. There is a sweet fruitiness somewhere in the mix but it’s hard to define. Sweet strawberries maybe. With time in the glass it leans more towards the butterscotch, honey and a nice vanilla. This is a very pleasant nose for such a young whisky.

Mouth: It starts out with a flare of the oakiness before it moves back to the butterscotch and honey. There is now a black liquorice note mixed in and the vanilla hovers on top. There’s also a rubbery/oily note far in the back which gives it some complexity. A hint of grapegruit seems to appear, but the earlier fruity notes with strawberries has disappered. Afterwards it switches over to becomes very oaky.

Finish: At first there are grapefruits and a peppermint cloud. When it settles it almost immidiately becomes oaky, but the baseline stays sweet with honey, vanilla and butterscotch. It’s a fresh woodshop oakiness with a little bit of grey oak planks mixed in. The grapefruits return in the late finish. This is a really good whisky for its age. It offers a lot of flavours and it presents a well made and tasty distillate with a lot of potential.

Additional information
This is the first whisky to be released with spirit made after the reopening of the distillery in 2008. It’s aged in first fill ex-bourbon barrels for three years and then finished for 6 months in first fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Islands, Scapa

Scapa Skiren

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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 fruity and floral. At first there’s a floral note sitting on top of a cola and honey layer. Somewhere in between there’s a hint of cherries and mild ginger. In the background there is an earthy soil note which gives the whole thing a dry character. With time it becomes sweeter and the honey note is increasingly getting stronger and eventually joined by a vanilla creaminess. This is a nice and pleasant nose.

Mouth: It starts out mild without giving anything away. The first thing to come through is the honey and vanilla cream sweetness. It takes a while for the fruity and floral side to arrive. It’s quite savory and the fruitiness is more leaning towards apples and a hint of coconut. The mild ginger and the cola note are now in the background but they are still detectable. A hint of citrus fruits is also in there. The oakiness do peek through, but it takes some time.

Finish: A mild spicyness and a sour note is first to arrive. After a second or two the ginger and the cola note start to build up and they stay in the mouth for a long time. They are eventually joined by a pretty anonymous oakiness. There is a slight nuttiness, but the cola note is sort of surpressing it. The fruitiness and the floral notes are almost completely invisible. After a few sips there is a small build up of a greasy oily note in the back, which gives it an extra dimension. This is an nice whisky with some good notes in there, but it lacks some complexity.

Additional information
Scapa Skiren was released in september 2015. It’s aged in first fill american ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed amount of time.

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.

Highlands, Ian Macleod Distillers, Independent bottlers, MacLeod’s (Highland)

Macleod’s Highland

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is mild and sweet. At first there’s not much coming out of the glass except a mild and sweet floral note. After a few seconds vanilla and red berries start to appear in the center, but they are not recognizable as specific kinds. The floral note is leaning towards elderflower and a hint of lemongrass. It’s a nice nose but it lacks some depth and complexity.

Mouth: It starts out very mild with vanilla, honey and malt. There’s a toffee note sitting in the middle. There’s a dustiness in the back and a floral note up front. The fruitiness increases with time and after a while it comes through as sweet oranges. In the back there are feint notes of oil and soot and that gives it a nive depth which makes up for the low impact.

Finish: A burst of the orange fruitiness together with the vanilla take lead and afterwards it basically moves directly to the oak finish. It’s a very nice oakiness with some nuttiness to it. It’s mainly hazelnuts. There’s also a fruity quality to the wood which makes it a nice compliment to the nose and the mouth. This is actually a very good whisky considering it’s decently priced and has low ABV.

Additional information
This is a NAS single malt from an undisclosed highland distillery. It’s released by the independent bottler Ian Macleod Distillers.