Kategoriarkiv: Scotland

Bruichladdich, Islay, Octomore

Octomore 09.3 – Dialogos

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ABV: 62.9 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is peat and oak. At first there’s a big hit of an ashy, dry woodfire peat with a surrounding layer of rounded vanilla and a thin, ripe, red berry note. It’s a very dry nose with the oakiness really accentuating the peatiness. There are notes of unscented lotion as well. With a bit of imagination some brighter fruits are detectable behind the big woodfire. This is a nice nose but it’s not especially complex or interesting. It’s very dry and very oaky.

Mouth: It starts out with a mix of oak and peat, where the peat now presents itself a lot more interesting with dry soil, seasalt, ash, iodine and fresh burning wood. It’s quite astingent and mineral rich. The oakiness is really pushing itself through to the point where it almost outshines the peat. The whole thing comes through as very rich and has a nice power to it which feels essential to pulling this off. There’s still a thin, surrounding layer of vanilla and ripe fruits.

Finish: There’s a second or two of very dry and astringent oak before the peat and the spicyness take front. It’s now once again more ashy and mineral rich and less medicinal/coastal. In the background lies a complex mess of ripe fruits, malt and peat but it feels a bit irrelevant since the whole feels way too oaky and astringent. The finish is extremely long and the woodfire keeps on burning a long time down the road. This is a very good whisky but the virgin oak mixed with the high PPM level creates a big woodfire which at first is impressive bit soon gets a bit annoying.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2012 with a PPM value of 133. It was aged in a mix of first fill ex-american (25 %), third fill virgin oak (25 %), second fill ex-Riversaltes (20 %), second fill Syrah (20 %) and lastly, spirit aged in second fill ex-bourbon barrels (10 %). It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

The Arran Malt Finished in a Rum Cask

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ABV: 57.6 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and spicy. At first there’s a layer of vanilla, coconut and sweet fruits underneath a cloud of nail polish remover. When it settles it becomes sweeter and fruitier as well as a bit more acidic. It feels young and vibrant. It takes a while in the glass before it reaches its full potential and when it does, there’s a nice complexity in the back and a nice balance between sweet and sour in the center. At this point the sherry fruitiness, with liqueuer-soaked red berries as its main feature, is creating a thin outside layer towards the edges of the glass. This is a great nose when given time to open up.

Mouth: It starts out with a mix of sweet and dusty vanilla, coconut and a nice powerful, yet pleasant, spicyness. It’s acidic overall and has a lemon sourness which contrasts the sweet flavours. The sherry notes are somewhat subdued and resides in the background together with the sour notes and an elusive cinnamon note. There’s also a small bitterness floating around. It’s not the most interesting development and it feels like the different components compete for attention instead of adding to the whole.

Finish: The transition is very logical. The sweetness increase in intensity as well as the spicyness. It’s not spikes, it’s more of a slow increase. The fruitiness then arrives around the edges and it’s a general fruitiness without any specific recognizable sorts. It still feels more like a fight between components than a cohesive character. The bitterness is still in there and it slowly turns into walnuts. The late finish is a very nutty and frankly amazing oakiness and becomes the best part of the journey. This is a very good whisky, but it feels a bit over-engineered.

Additional information
This is a single cask release. It was aged in an ex-sherry cask and then finished in a rum cask and bottled in 2004. The bottle reviewed has no. 96/260. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran Malt, Islands

The Arran Malt 12 YO – Master of Distilling II The Man With The Golden Glass

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ABV: 51.8 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and sweet liquorice. A veil of menthol surrounds everything at first. When it’s lifted the dark fruitiness appears. It’s a two-layered fruitiness with raisins, overripe black grapes and plums on top and a brighter layer with ripe apples and a hint of lemon underneath. The longer it stays in the glass the more a sweet liquorice note takes over. The background consists of a solid backdrop of vanilla, honey and a hint of oak. This is a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: The impact is very immidiate and the mouth fills with menthol and dark fruits. The sweet liquorice is still in there and the background still contains vanilla and honey notes. After a few seconds the fruitiness sort of makes a full 180 and becomes a lot brighter with lemon, oranges and grapefruit. There’s a speck of dust on top and it’s already a touch astringent.

Finish: The high ABV makes the menthol become really pronounced at first. When it settles it reveals a fruitiness that is even brighter than before. Even though the dark fruitiness still can be found, it’s now leaning heavily towards tropical juice with pineapples, mangos and oranges. There’s still a lemon sourness peeking through. The oak comes through quite clear, and it’s a very nutty oakiness. There’s a big hazelnut flavour and the late finish is absolutely fantastic. This is an amazing whisky.

Additional information
This expression comes from casks filled in 2006. The cask type for the first maturation period isn’t disclosed. It’s then finished in european ex-Palo Cortado sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. It’s limited to 12 000 bottles worldwide.

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Arran Malt, Islands

The Arran Malt 21 YO – The Explorer’s Series Volume 2: Lochranza Castle

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ABV: 47,2 %
Origin: Islands
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 thick layer of honey and dark fruits. There are raisins and overripe plums, but also a layer of dried apricots. There’s a nice balance between the sweetness and the fruitiness. After a few seconds in the glass there are notes of vanilla starting to come through as well as a maltiness. There’s a complexity to it and fleeting notes of leather and tobacco are found in the background. It feels very three-dimensional. This is a very nice nose with a lot to offer.

Mouth: It starts out with a subdued lemon sourness and a sweet honey top layer. The fruitiness is a lot brighter and the darker fruit notes move into the background. There’s a black coffee note somewhere in between and there’s a dusty leather note in there as well. With time it turns darker and at one point it feels like there’s a creamy coffee liqueuer within. There’s also vanilla, sweet liquorice and just a tiny whiff of smoke.

Finish: It starts out with a layer of the dark sherry notes in the back. It takes a second or two for the front layer to appear but when it does, it reveals the same notes once again with coffee, fruits, leather and, once it settles, a nice oakiness. The oak seems to be in balance, it’s present, but it doesn’t overpower the rest of the finish which makes it a long and very rewarding experience. The oakiness is dusty with a hint of hazelnuts and there’s still a whiff of smoke. This is a fantastic whisky. It’s well balanced and full of flavour.

Additional information
This is the second release in the Explorer series. It’s limited to 9000 bottles worldwide. It has been aged in ex-sherry hogsheads and finished in ex-Amontadillo sherry casks from Bodegas Tradicion. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

The Arran Malt The Devil’s Punch bowl Chapter II: Angels and Devils

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ABV: 53.1 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet, sour and slightly peaty. At first there’s a mix of honey and vanilla sitting on top of a base of sour candy, raisins, raspberries and a gritty note with peat mixed into it. On top a mix of nail polish remover and menthol is floating around. After a while the vanilla and a malty note increase in intensity, and so do the sherry notes, which adds butterscotch and strawberries. This makes the peatiness move out towards the edges and a chance for the oak to peek through. This is a great and complex nose which retains the Arran house style very well even though it has some unique and strong flavours from the casks.

Mouth: It starts out very sweet with vanilla, coconut and honey, but the sour side isn’t far behind. There’s a tropical fruit basket arriving in the back while a nice black pepper spicyness spreads out over the palate. In between there’s a fresh red fruitiness and some baking spices, butterscotch and malt. It’s got a quite savory background note and a slightly salty overtone. It feels very balanced and the different sensations goes well together. The oakiness is present throughout.

Finish: The sweet and sour notes really push through and takes the tropical fruitiness along. There are cinnamon and oak around the edges and there’s a speck of dust somewhere within. The peatiness is nowhere to be found at this point. When it settles the sherry notes once again come through and they’re pushed back a bit and have more of the fresh berries than the butterscotch now. The finish is long and extremely rewarding. The oakiness shows up together with the peat. It’s an aromatic oakiness with hazelnuts which feels attached to the cinnamon note and the tropical fruits. The peat is nicely balanced to add to the mix instead of taking over. This is an amazing whisky with too many flavours, sensations and small notes to describe them all.

Additional information
This whisky is a vatting of 27 casks (17 sherry hogsheads and 10 ex-bourbon barrels. The different casks holds whiskies, both peated and unpeated, distilled between 1994 and 2004. It was bottled 2013. 6660 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

Arran 15 YO Rare Batch – French Oak: Argonne

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ABV: 53.5 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and spicy. At first there’s a spicy layer floating on top of a very sweet mix of vanilla, sweet liquorice, honey and dark fruits. It’s a very rich center part and it’s almost sticky sweet. There’s a complex note floating around somewhere in the back which seems to come from the wine casks. There are some blueberry notes attached to it. It takes a long time for it to settle in the glass and when it does there are floral notes floating up to the surface as well as cinnamon and lemon. This is a very nice nose which feels slightly secretive on what to expect of the rest of the journey.

Mouth: It starts out with a very sweet initial impact. The ABV spicyness comes through quite fast and almost immidiately balances out the sweetness. There are notes of old bookshelves in the background with a speck of dust on top. It’s dry and astringent at this point. After a few seconds there’s a sour lemon note revealing itself in the background which really helps it along and makes it a lot more interesting. The fruitiness now feels a bit more fresh and bright than on the nose but it still feels a bit toned down.

Finish: The start of the finish brings all kinds of fresh fruits with mango, pineapple, lemon as well as blueberries and red berries. There are floral notes on top and the lemon note is residing in the background. There are vanilla and honey notes and the book shelves are still in there. When all the sweet flavours start to fade a sprinkle of salt, cinnamon and a very nice oakiness start to take over. It’s a slightly nutty and astringent oak and it fits the other flavours very well. This is a great whisky with a lot to offer, yet it somehow feels like a slightly incomplete experience.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in french oak casks which previously held still wine from Argonne. 3060 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Islands

Arran The Explorer’s Series Volume 4 – Drumadoon Point

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ABV: 49.5 %
Origin: Islands
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 layer of dried fruits and red berries with cinnamon and vanilla mixed in. It’s raisins and raspberries, but when it settles in the glass it becomes more of a sweet and sour mix with mixed baking spices and lemon peel. Underneath lies a complexity and rich background with notes of age as well as a spicy oakiness. There are a lot of tiny fleeting notes passning by along the way like ginger, oranges and freshly cut grass. It feels extremely balanced and well made. This is a fantastic nose with a clear direction, yet it goes off script and produces nice little surprises here and there.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet and spicy mix of malt, vanilla and a row of dusty old books. The sweet and sour mix is very much the main focal point with lemon peel and fresh raspberries as a contrast to the sweetness. It feels oily and has a great depth and texture to it. It almost feels savory at times. The oakiness follows along in the background and creates a nice amount of background noise to create a base for the other flavours to stand on. There’s a nice bitterness coming through. The whole basically gives all the sensations a run for their money.

Finish: A gentle spicyness oversees the transition while the malty sweetness and the lemon peel once again creates a rich and oily center core. It still is quite complex and there still are a lot of small nudges to other fruits and spices. The oakiness is residing around the edges with a bitter nuttiness and a spicyness attached to it. The flavour profile stays in the mouth for a very long finish and the oakiness bides its time and prolongs it even further. This is just pure magic. It’s a fantastic whisky and it doesn’t get much better than this in the unpeated category.

Additional information
This is the fourth release in the Explorer series. It’s limited to 9000 bottles worldwide. It has been aged in ex-sherry puncheons directly from Jerez, Spain which probably means first fill. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Islands

Arran The Smuggler’s Series Volume 1 – The Illicit Stills

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and slightly peated. At first there’s a vanilla, honey and sweet liquorice mix sitting on top of a mild herbal peat and some fresh red berries. When it settles it becomes maltier and a vanilla fudge note comes through in the center. There’s a squeeze of lemon and a slight dustiness in the background as well as a gritty note, which gives the whole a nice complexity. There’s also a hint of nail polish remover floating around on top. The peatiness resides after a while and becomes more of a floaty top note. This is a great nose with a lot of nice, small things to discover.

Mouth: It starts out with a honey sweetness up front and a quite strong sour lemon in the back. The spicyness is strong at first but once it settles reveals a very funky mix of herbal peat, rubber, dark ripe fruits and leather sitting together with vanilla fudge in the center. There’s also a savory note in the background and a mild bitter black coffee note close by. It feels slightly dusty, complex and interesting but the spicyness interfers with the exploration. It gives it a nice powerful character though.

Finish: The spicyness carries over without any spikes and very generously lets everything through early on. There’s still a nice contrast between sweet and sour as the main feature while the ripe dark notes and the herbal peatiness merges and creates the same complexity found earlier. It’s still dusty and the sweet liquorice note returns at this point. When it starts to fade out the lemon note comes forward together with a newfound oakiness. The oak feels like a mix of old and new. There’s a slightly bitter walnut note which lingers when everything else die down. This is a very good whisky which feels like it’s trying to be everthing at once, which results in a disarray of flavours.

Additional information
This whisky was released in 2015. This is made from both peated and unpeated distillates. It was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-port pipes for an undisclosed amount of time. 8700 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

Arran Amarone Cask Finish

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and sweet. At first there’s a honey and vanilla sweetness with a dark fruitiness sitting just behind. There’s a mix of sugared blackberries, black grapes and a twist of lemon. On top there’s a cloud of mild menthol. With time in the glass it becomes a bit sweeter with toffee and a hard to pinpoint floral note floating around in the back. It continuously changes but never strays from the main path. This is a great nose with a lot of things to Discover.

Mouth: It starts out with a big hit of honey sweetness and dark berries. It’s very rich and textured from the get-go. There’s also a bitter lemon note as well as a gritty layer in the back with notes of wood, sulfur and rubber. After a while there’s a tropical fruitiness emerging from the back which slowly moves towards the center. There’s a complexity to the whole thing and it feels very three-dimensional. All of the sensations are coming through to a various degree.

Finish: The finish starts out with the red wine dark fruitiness in the back and it sort of grows bigger and bigger in a forward motion. The sweetness ,the menthol and a sprinkle of dusty earth notes come through as well. It takes a few seconds before the gritty notes and the tropical fruitiness once again join in. The bitter lemon is still residing in the back. The oakiness arrives late and never takes over. It just seem to create another layer of complexity. This is a fantastic whisky with an array of complex flavours floating around.

Additional information
This is part of the Arran Wine Cask Finish series. It’s aged for around 8 years in traditional ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in Amarone red wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

Arran 15 YO Rare Batch – French Oak: Bordeaux

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ABV: 52.8 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a menthol layer sitting on top of a sweet and fruity layer which consists of vanilla and liqeuer-soaked red berries. In the background there’s a small, dark and gritty complexity which consists of raisins, oil and just a hint of sulfur. When it settles it becomes sweeter and slightly sour. The lemon note can be found as a part of the center and in the back. The whole thing is a bit laid back and doesn’t pop out of the glass, but it still comes through as quite easy to access. This is a great nose with a little bit of everything nicely put in its place.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet shell of coconut and vanilla. It’s a big contrast between the richness of the nose compared to the initial impact in the mouth. It’s immidiately rich and complex and there’s too much going on to really describe what’s happening. There’s a mix of fresh fruits, lemon, dark fruits and everything sits in a nice, floral vanilla and lemon center part. There’s also the oily and gritty note within, as well as notes of age, like dust, old wood and leather. It almost feels slightly smoky as well. It’s just an absolutely amazing experience at this point.

Finish: At the start of the transition the dusty notes move first and take seat on top. There’s a surge of spicyness which for the first time reveals its high ABV. It does hide some of the other flavours for a while before it starts to fade. The coconut is still in there and sits together with the dust and the floral notes on top of everything else. The center part is very sweet and fruity but it’s now moving towards the sour lemon note. The finish is long and it sort of sits in this manner for a good while without any changes. When it finally fades it reveals a slightly bitter and dry oakiness which feels slightly underwhelming. This is a great whisky with a fantastic middle part of the journey. It’s an explorer’s dram through and through.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in french oak casks which previously held red wine from The mêdoc region north of Bordeaux. 2580 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Islands

Arran The Smuggler’s Series Volume 2 – The High Seas

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ABV: 55.4 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and slightly peaty. It starts out with a sweet layer of vanilla, honey and coconut. Underneath lies a nail polish remover note and a mild earthy peat. When it starts to settle in the glass the nail polish remover mixes with the vanilla and becomes like a minty piece of candy. It becomes maltier and a bit peatier over time. There is a fruity side to it but it’s somewhat hidden by the other flavours. When it shows, it’s a whiff of peaches as a top note. This is a nice but slightly sharp nose with a nice development in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with a juniper note and soon becomes quite peppery. The sweetness mixes with a bitter tang in the center and while the peatiness builds up in the back. There’s a savory note in the back as well as some seasalt. It soon becomes slightly astringent and oaky. The peach note and the coconut are still in there but gets overrun by the spicyness quite quick. It’s feels a bit double-edged where one side feels young and rough while the other is aged and delivers dusty notes and leather.

Finish: The peppery notes spike as the dusty and fruity notes finally make a real appearance. It’s lemon (with a metallic note) on the outside and peaches, now attached to a dusty wood note in the back. The peat is still savory and resides on top of the palate. The sweetness is generic sugar sweetness mixed up in everything else and it’s very toned down. It still is a bit salty in the finish and stays that way while the oakiness takes over with the peach note still attached to it. It’s a nice mixed oakiness with a bitter note and some vanilla still in there. This is a very good, yet very weird, whisky. It’s both amazing and mediocre all mixed up in one.

Additional information
This whisky was released in 2016. It was aged in a mix of first fill ex-bourbon barrels and ex-rum casks (with peated whisky) for an undisclosed amount of time. 8700 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

The Arran Malt 12 YO Cask Strength Batch 4

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ABV: 53.2 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and sour. At first there’s a vanilla heavy sweetness with oak and honey sitting on top of a quite powerful and thick center part with a lemon backdrop. There’s a nice harmony between everything and it’s very well balanced. After a few seconds a nail polish remover note creeps up from behind. There are notes of coconut and green fruits as well, which mainly resides out on the edges of the glass. This is a great nose which really accentuates the Arran house style.

Mouth: It starts out with a mild honey sweetness. This lasts for about a second before a big hit of everything arrives. It’s a malty mix of lemons, oranges, honey, sweet liquorice with a dusty coating. It’s quite spicy and powerful which adds to the experience. The oakiness peeks through every once in a while. A tiny amount of a black coffee and almond bitterness starts to shine through After a while as well as some milk chocolate.

Finish: The transition is warm and spicy. It’s a slow increase not a spike and it lasts for a long time. The continuation of flavours is logical and the balance between sweet and sour is superb. There are some baking spices popping up somewhere along the way which is a very nice surprise. It’s a very long and rewarding finish and it takes a while before the oakiness starts to take over. It’s a nice oakiness with a touch of assorted nuts within. This is an amazing whisky with a lot to offer to both the drinker and the explorer. It’s extremely well balanced and delivers very approachable flavours.

Additional information
This whisky was bottled in 09/14. Cask type is not stated. 15 000 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

The Arran Malt Non-Chillfiltered

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and sour. At first there’s a sweet layer of malt, honey and vanilla wrapped around a sour green apple and lemon core. There are hints of gooseberries in there as well. It feels young and fresh without being ethanol driven or metallic. When it settles there are notes of freshly cut grass and vanilla cream added to the whole. It’s a lemony dessert which feels well balanced between the sensations. A hint of sweet liquorice and a mild oakiness are detectable as well. This is a great nose. It’s not complex, but really pleasant.

Mouth: It starts out with a hit of lemon in the back together with a mild spicyness and a slightly bitter note. The sweetness then arrives and makes it quite rich. There are still notes of honey, vanilla and liquorice. The fruitiness is mostly citrus fruits at this point and it’s slightly subdued by the sweetness. It doesn’t feel young and there are signs of time spent in the casks. It’s a slightly dusty dessert-like character which feels very balanced and poised.

Finish: The spicyness mellows out and a fruit explosion ensues. There’s citrus fruits, tropical fruits and gooseberries in spades and it’s a very nice surprise, yet it feels quite logical. The sweetness moves out towards the sides and it just seems to grow the further down the road it goes. When the oakiness arrives it seems to amplify the fruitiness even further and when it finally gets to shine it manages to produce a fantastic nuttiness with mainly hazelnuts. This is a fantastic whisky which just gives more and more the longer it goes. There’s not a lot of complexity but it’s just absolutely delicious.

Additional information
There is not much information to be found about this whisky. It’s an older NAS release from the distillery. It’s unchillfiltered has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

The Arran Malt St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe Wine Cask Finish (2008 Vintage)

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: Islands
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 mix of red ripe grapes and ripe plums with a fresher blueberry note attached. There’s also vanilla mixed with a sweet and sour maltiness. The fruitiness sort of releases the fresher parts which after a while start to float on top. Underneath everything else there’s a black coffee bitterness and a smidge of milk chocolate. The vanilla moves out on the edges and leaves room for even more fresher fruits with a fleeting glimpse of peaches and mangoes somewhere on top. This is a nice nose. It’s not as well balanced and appealing as other Arrans tends to be though.

Mouth: It starts out with a lemon sourness in the back and a big peppery impact coming from the high ABV. It’s dusty and there’s a dark fruitiness and black coffee spreading out over the palate. There’s no sweetness and it’s a very hard to access arrange of flavours. There’s a nutty oakiness peeking through and the milk chocolate has turned into a bitter dark chocolate. After a while the sweet and sour Arran house style shines through which really makes the experience a lot better.

Finish: The transition is slightly weird, where the spicyness somewhat increases in intensity but the rest is just a mess of flavours which sort of brings out a strange funky taste. It’s quite spirity at this point as well. When all the weirdness subsides there are notes of toffee, ripe fruits and a slightly nutty oakiness with coffee and walnuts. It just feels a bit too bitter and unbalanced. This is a good whisky, but it really doesn’t measure up to the normal quality of Arran Single malts.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 8 years and then finished in grand cru wine casks for 12 months. 6636 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Islands

Arran The Smuggler’s Series Volume 3 – The Exciseman

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ABV: 56.8 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and spicy. At first there’s a sweetness coming through behind a quite powerful ABV spicyness. It takes a while in the glass for it to open up and first out is vanilla on the outside and ripe grapes and and a sticky sweetness in the center. A fresh oakiness and spices are floating around as well. In the background there are notes of ginger, lemon and oranges which makes it very three-dimensional. The whole feels very much like a mix of old and new. This is a very nice nose but it takes a good while in the glass before it delivers most of the flavours.

Mouth: It starts out quite mild and sweet before the ABV kicks in. First through is a dark note with blackberries, pipe tobacco and sweetend coffee. There are notes of vanilla and fresh oak and underneath lies notes of dust and leather. After a few seconds it becomes floral and violets join up together with apricots to create a very nice floaty top layer. There’s a savory note in the back and it sits there together with the fresh oak note. There are a lot of sensations happening all at once and it somehow works very well.

Finish: The transition begins with another ABV spike, it’s powerful but it doesn’t attack the palate. After it settles it’s once again delivers blackberries and tobacco as well as the violets and apricots. The coffee note is now more bitter than before which is good because the fruitiness and the vanilla needs it to create balance. When it starts to settle there’s a beautiful mix of old and new oak coming through. It delivers vanilla, coconut, cinnamon, oak spices, sawdust, dust and hazelnuts all at once. There’s even a hint of bananas in there. This is a great whisky and it’s a wild one. It delivers a huge array of flavours in a quite chaotic way.

Additional information
This whisky was released in 2017. It was aged in a mix of quarter casks and ex-Madeira casks for an undisclosed amount of time. 8700 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Islands

The Arran Malt 21 YO – Limited Edition Exclusively Bottled for Sweden

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ABV: 52.5 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. The first thing to come through is a mild vanilla sweetness together with liquorice and assorted dried fruits. It’s a gentle nose and it’s not popping out of the glass. After a few minutes it grows a tiny bit more confident and start to deliver a bigger array of nuances with black currant, ripe red berries and a slightly gritty background. A menthol note is also present. It feels quite young and lively for its age and the distillate is really showing through. It becomes a bit sweeter over time but it’s the fruitiness which is the main note. This is a great nose if it gets a lot of time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet and dusty malt note in the center. There’s a fresh sour fruitiness coming through around the edges which develops into a mix of red and black berries. A black coffee bitterness and an oak note build up in the back. There’s a mild black pepper spicyness sprinkled in as well. The sweetness subsides and it becomes quite complex after a few seconds when an earthy note gets added to the center. The fruitiness is not as pronounced at this point and still resides at the edges.

Finish: The finish starts out with the dusty note in the center and the sweet malty note up front. It then turns up the volume on everything else and gives a nice push of spicy pepper, liquorice and a black coffee bitterness. The vanilla is still in there as well as the berries. When everything subsides, all that remains is a slightly bitter and dusty oakiness, which isn’t the greatest end to an otherwise pleasant journey. This is a great whisky with both ups and downs throughout.

Additional information
This is a single cask release. It’s aged in an ex-sherry hogshead. It was distilled in 1996 and bottled in 2017. Cask no. 187. The bottle tried has no. 15 out of 327.

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Speyburn, Speyside

Speyburn 16 YO Travel Exclusive

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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 fresh apples and pears fruitiness with a surrounding of honey, vanilla, baking spices and marzipan. When it starts to settle the sweetness increases and the fruits ripen. Notes of old dusty oak slowly emerges from the back as well as a sour lemon which creates a nice contrast to the sweetness. Everything seems to fit together nicely and there’s a nice balance between the different components. This is a nice nose. It’s very dessert-like and easy to approach.

Mouth: It starts out very mild, vanilla rich and sweet. The fruitiness is still ripe apples and pears. It soon turns astringent and it pulls moisture out of the mouth while a bitterness forms in the back together with a zesty lemon sourness. There’s a lot of cinnamon and wood spices floating around. It’s not as balanced as the nose suggests. Everything becomes a bit perfumey after a while, but the age really comes through overall with a dusty old character.

Finish: The tranisiton comes with a dip in flavour but a nice spicyness spreads out on the palate. When it subsides the whole becomes very fruity and floral with tropical fruits attached to a dusty oakiness and floral, perfumey notes floating above. After a few seconds the lemon zest arrives in the back and follows the fruity oak notes far along the finish. This is a very good whisky with an easy to read palate without being boring. It lacks balance in taste and it could do with a bit more power to give the flavours a push forward.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in american oak ex-bourbon barrels. It’s a travel retail exclusive release.

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Famous Grouse, Scotland, Unspecified

Famous Grouse Sherry Cask Finish – Christmas Release (2023)

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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 sticky sweet and fruity. At first there’s a lid of sticky sweet sherry syryp with vanilla and assorted dried red fruits. When it settles, it reveals harsh grain spirit as well as a fresher fruitiness, malt and toffee. It’s very top heavy and the extra maturation never really feels attached to the other parts. The sherry does give some seasonal spices and fruits which help it along. This is a decent nose for a cheap blend. It’s a major cover-up though.

Mouth: It starts out very mild with heavy vanilla and fruit syryp notes up front and oak, together with a slight bitterness, out on the edges. The fresher fruitiness starts in the back and then slowly wraps around the center part. it’s quite sour and metallic in the back. It doesn’t take long before the harsh grain spirit overruns most of the palate and everything becomes rather unpleasant. There is a spicyness to be found but it takes a long time before it arrives. There is a malty and fruity side within but it’s not enough to fight the unpleasantries.

Finish: The start of the finish is quite flat with just a touch of spicyness. The heavy vanilla notes carry over and do a good job of covering up the unpleasant spirit underneath. It doesn’t take long before the facade breaks though. The late finish is just a tedious oakiness, harsh grain spirit and a thin veil of sherry surrounding everything. This is a not-so-good whisky. The cover-up is blatantly obvious. It’s just famous grouse with a sherry clown mask on top. It certainly improves on the original though.

Additional information
The Grouse Brand was released in 1896 and two years later the name was changed to The Famous Grouse because of its popularity. Edrington generally uses Glenturret malt in its blends.

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Islands, Ledaig, Tobermory

Ledaig 15 YO (2000) (Auld Rare)

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ABV: 57.0 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is peaty and sweet. At first there’s an ashy peatiness with floral character. It’s quite powerful from the start. Underneath lies a different, moist peatiness together with heather honey and vanilla. The background consists of a rather rowdy and gritty complexity. It feels a bit younger than its age statement with a fresh and vibrant character. Notes of liquorice and tar floats around within as well. This is a great nose. It’s missing some telltale signs of age though.

Mouth: It starts out with the ashy peat with the same floral notes found on the nose. Soon after the spicyness rushes in at full speed. The moist peatiness then arrives together with a peachy kind of fresh fruitiness and the gritty, ripe notes to create a nice backbone. It still feels fresh and vibrant but now there are notes of dust and old oak furniture coming through. The floral notes becomes heathery as it mixes with vanilla, a slight bitterness and a malty note.

Finish: The spicyness towers through the tranisiton and it’s very powerful. When it settles there are lemons and violets in the back together with a bitterness. The center part fills with notes of age and wet peat. It doesn’t take long before a grey, slightly nutty, oakiness start to come through. The late finish is filled with oak and floral notes and it takes a long time before everything dies down. This is a great whisky with a really interesting character. It’s not without its faults though.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a single ex-bourbon barrel. The cask no. is 71. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Highlands, Tullibardine

Tullibardine the Murray Double Wood Edition – The Marquess Collection 2005-2020

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a big vanilla sweetness up front and honey and butterscotch underneath. The sweetness is intertwined with a dark fruitiness consisting of raisins and overripe plums. The darker notes get mixed with dark chocolate as well. It feels slightly top heavy, but it still has some nice things underneath to discover like a malty richness and baked apples. There’s a small gritty note in there as too. This is a great nose with a lot of small things to discover.

Mouth: It starts out a bit fresher and more powerful than on the nose. First out is dark chocolate and raisins soon followed by lemon zest in the back. The apples are now fresher as well. Underneath there’s a small rubbery gritty note which adds to the complexity and creates depth to the experience. The oakiness is present around the edges and after a while the whole becomes very peppery and slightly astringent.

Finish: The transition is logical and the spicyness spreads out over the palate. The gritty notes, the dark chocolate and the ripe fruits come back for a second or two before they get pushed back by the oakiness. The zesty notes and the apples are still in there, but they also get demoted by the oak. It’s a fresh woodshop oakiness. It’s astringent and really doesn’t suit the dram at all. This is a great whisky with a slightly disappointing ending.

Additional information
This is whisky aged for the entire maturation period in first fill ex-bourbon barrels mixed with whisky which are finished in first fill ex-sherry casks. 17550 bottles were made for this release.

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