Kategoriarkiv: Scotland

Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

Arran 1998 (Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur’s Choice)

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and sour. At first there’s a mild lemony sweetness with honey and vanilla at the base. There’s also a fresh fruitiness, mainly pears, sitting in the center with a sprinkle of cinnamon within. The whole is very dessert-like. It’s also very top heavy and the background comes through as quite spirity. A very vanilla rich oakiness forms around the edges of the glass and brings some coconuts with it. This is a nice nose. It lacks a bit of balance between the components and there’s no apparent complexity.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet and sour mix with the coconut surrounding the palate. It’s more lemony in taste than on the nose. Honey, vanilla and a smidge of toffee makes out the bulk of the flavour. The sour note travels backwards with time. It still feels very spirity and harsh though. It lacks refinement and comes through as a bit unpleasant in the mouth. The flavours that exist are very dessert-like and nice. There’s a dusty note floating around as well.

Finish: The transition doubles down on the ethanol notes and the start isn’t all that pleasant. It soon reverts to the dessert-like character with the lemony sweetness, pears and coconut. It dies down just as quickly though. The oakiness is very shy and it doesn’t come through until the late finish. It’s a grey old oakiness with a bit of dust and a miniscule nuttiness. This is a good whisky which really doesn’t do the distillery any justice. It’s simple and slightly harsh but still puts on a nice array of simple flavours.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2007 which makes it ~ 9 YO. It’s aged in refill ex-sherry hogsheads.

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Glenlossie, Speyside

Glenlossie 10 YO Flora & Fauna (2023)

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and malty. At first there’s a mild toffee sweetness sitting in the center with a mix of ethanol, vanilla and a mild perfumey floral note on top. Underneath lie some earthy notes and sour lemon. With time there’s a smoky note unraveling on top which pushes the spirity note away. There are fresh apples and a peat note slowly forming in the middle as well. This is a decent nose. Everything feels a bit unbalanced and it certainly lacks power and complexity.

Mouth: It starts out very spirity and quite harsh. There’s a bitterness in the back and it takes a while for the malt and toffee to arrive. It’s quite peppery and everything is just in disarray from the get-go. The bitterness morphs into a zesty note and a vanilla note forms out on the edges of the palate. There are still some perfumey floral notes floating around, but they are too weak to battle against most of the unpleasantries.

Finish: The spicyness peaks through the transition. When it dies down the toffee, malt and vanilla notes come through once more. They are now joined by an oakiness which doesn’t have much character to it. It mixes with the bitterness and the zesty lemon. The earthy notes peek through as well. This is a so-and-so whisky. It’s not especially easy to access, it’s a bit hot and unbalanced over all.

Additional information
There is no information to be found on the aging process of this whisky. It’s the only standard release of Glenlossie, yet it is limited.

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Highlands, Oban

Oban Distiller’s Edition 2006/2020

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and dry. At first there’s a mix of fresh and ripe fruits mixed with sweet honey. There are overripe dark fruits and liqeuer-soaked cherries, but after a few seconds the fruitiness becomes a bit brighter and some peaches and grapes start to come through together with vanilla. The background notes are somewhat medicinal and mineral rich. This is a very good nose with a nice array of things to discover.

Mouth: It starts out with somewhat spicy and quite medicinal. It’s dry and a big coffee and dark chocolate bitterness fills the background. There’s still a minerality within and the fruitiness is now all about the dark overripe fruits. The bitterness is dominating the palate and it feels a bit overwhelming after a while.

Finish: An initial dusty honey and vanilla note pass by quickly and leaves room for the bitter notes and a quite plain oakiness. It’s very dry and slightly astringent. The fruitiness is almost entirely gone and the finish is all about coffee, oak and dark chocolate. The medicinal side of it remain all through the finish though, and in the late finish there’s a tiny smoky and sulfury note residing behind everything else. This is a very good whisky with a complex but slightly unbalanced profile.

Additional information
This Distiller’s Edition is aged in american ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for at least 6 months in european ex-Montilla Fino sherry casks.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 15 YO Laimrig Batch 1

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and peat. At first there’s a mix of peat, heavy dark fruits and some vanilla. Raisins, overripe plums and tobacco dominate the initial impact. A tropical fruitiness comes through after a while and there are mild spices floating around as well. There’s a richness to it and the peat really frames everything in a nice way and sort of lures out the old age notes with some old bookshelves and an old leather chair. This is a great nose with great balance between very pronounced flavours.

Mouth: It starts out with sweet dark fruits and leather while the spicyness increases in intensity. Tropical fruits and tobacco are soon to arrive as well. The whole is a bit dusty and rowdy which accents the other flavours nicely. There’s a dark chocolate bitterness shining through and the peat is still sitting all around the outside of the palate. It feels very balanced and rich with a lot to discover at this point.

Finish: The finish starts with the tropical fruitiness and a nice lemon note in the back while the dark and dusty fruitiness moves out towards the edges. Dark chocolate and old leather get added one more time and the finish goes on for a long time. The oakiness arrives fasionably late. It’s a nice oak with walnuts and grey old oak planks. This is an amazing whisky. It’s powerful yet balanced and has a nice journey throughout.

Additional information
This whisky is first aged in undisclosed casks and then finished in ex-sherry casks. This was released in 2009 for the swedish market and is limited to 4500 bottles. The bottle reviewed is 4460/4500. It’s unchillfiltered.

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Islands, Talisker

Talisker 10 YO

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ABV: 45.8 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 3
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. A mild peatiness and some seasalt are the first things to come through. There are leather and black liquorice together with a fruity backdrop of apples and a squeeze of lime. Honey and vanilla act as fillers and sits in the gap between the peat and the fruits. A medicinal note comes forward after a while as well as a savory one. It’s nicely balanced and quite pleasant on the nose.

Mouth: A slightly bitter start, with a bit of spicyness to it, is followed by a very pronounced medicinal iodine note. The peat is not as present on the palate as on the nose but it’s still easily detectable. Now it leans even more towards the leather note. Both the spicyness and the bitterness continously move forward over time. There’s also a sweeter side to it with honey, vanilla and a complement in some salted caramel. There’s dry oak and it’s slightly astringent. The fruitiness is basically hidden by everything else but there’s still a lime note in the back.

Finish: There’s an initial dip in flavour before it picks up speed again. The bitterness comes first and then the medicial note follows. It soon moves over to a dusty oakiness that kind of lacks character. The savory note returns and sits in the center of the palate together with honey and baked apples. It’s still a bit spicy and astringent. The peat notes return in the tail together with the oak. A nice surprise pops up and black liquorice suddenly appears a long way down the line.

Additional information
This is a part of Diageo’s ”The classic malts of Scotland” series. It has around 20 ppm. It’s aged in reconstructed american ex-bourbon oak barrels. The reconstructed casks are made into a larger size than the original barrels.

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Speyside, Strathmill

Strathmill 12 YO Flora & Fauna (2023)

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a fresh apple and pear fruitiness sitting on top of a mix of vanilla, malt and honey. Inside of the sweetness there are notes of cinnamon and dry garden soil. When it settles it becomes less fresh and more rounded overall. It never really shakes a slight spirity note away though. There’s a hint of some more ripe notes far away in the back but they really bring anything substantial. This is a good nose. It’s easy access and pleasant enough. There’s a lack of complexity and character though.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and quite flat for a second or two before the spicyness arrives. It comes through together with a sharp lemon note in the back and a cardboard box note in the center. It’s quite spirity and unpleasant at this point. There are some fresh fruits involved and it’s quite dry and astringent. The oakiness peeks through as well. The dry soil note doubles down and is very pronounced. This is not a great part of the journey.

Finish: The spicyness flares through the transition and the sweetness follows. When it settles there’s a very dry soil note and an astringent oakiness. The cardboard note and the spirity feel both remain. It doesn’t take long before everything crumbles and leaves a very unpleasant feeling on the palate with a not so great oak note, as dry as it can be. This is not the greatest of whiskies. It’s unpleasant at times and lacks character and complexity.

Additional information
There is no information to be found on the aging process of this whisky. It’s the only standard release of Strathmill, yet it is limited.

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Linkwood, Speyside

Linkwood 12 YO Flora & Fauna (2023)

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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 sweet and fruity. At first there’s a mix of green fruits and vanilla. There’s honey on top and it’s mixed with some baking spices and a hint of marzipan. After a while, the fruitiness separates slightly with juicy, sweet yellow pears on top and some lemon notes underneath. There’s an earthy undertone which creates a nice, small nugget of complexity to an otherwise pleasant and straight forward character. This is a great nose which feels balanced and easy to access.

Mouth: It starts out with a big honey and coconut sweetness. There’s an early spicyness which helps it along the way. It’s still fruity, but the fruits have gone a bit less bright. Underneath the sweetness, a slightly misplaced bitterness mixes with earthy notes. This creates a more complex dram overall, but it makes everything feel less balanced. The lemon notes have increased in intensity in the back and the sweet and sour character is really enjoyable.

Finish: The transition offers a nice, small increase in spicyness before the fruitiness once again parks itself in the center. The sweetness is there, but it’s the first thing to disappear. After a few seconds the bitterness, the earthy notes and the lemon note return together with the oakiness, which has been quite anonomous up until this point. The oakiness is not a fantastic one but it does a fairly good job of keeping the finish together. This is a really good whisky with a lot to offer, both to the explorer and to an unexperienced palate.

Additional information
There is no information to be found on the aging process of this whisky. It’s the only standard release of Linkwood, yet it is limited.

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Blair Athol, Speyside

Blair Athol 12 YO Flora & Fauna (2023)

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a dark fruitiness with a fresher top side mixed with vanilla and honey. It’s quite sweet and it has christmas spices coming through. It has a darker feel overall and it feels like there’s a tiny peatiness floating around as well. With time the vanilla really takes over and becomes the main feature. The fruitiness settles and it comes through as ripe plums and raisins. This is a really good nose. It does have some complexity to it even through it lacks a bit of power.

Mouth: It starts out with a coating of vanilla with a nice immidiate spicyness. In the center there’s a dark red fruitiness with overripe plums, tobacco and black coffee. It feels slightly astringent and the oakiness is already present. There’s a mild lemon note in the back and a fresh fruitiness on top. The peatiness comes through as mineral rich and quite mild. It could have been more noticable though, to make everything feel more balanced. It’s a lot less sweet in taste than on the nose.

Finish: The finish starts out with a small increase in what feels like a black pepper spicyness. After a while the dark fruits take over once again and the fresher fruits on top are now joining the lemon and the ripe fruits and creates a nice assorted fruit note in the center. The oakiness is moving in towards the center and it’s a newer oak which really doesn’t fit the dark character of the dram. The peatiness is not especially interesting in the finish. This is a really good whisky with a slightly disappointing finish.

Additional information
There is no information to be found on the aging process of this whisky but it’s a sherried expression. It’s the only standard release of Blair Athol, yet it is limited.

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Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park Cask Strength – Release No.1

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ABV: 63,3 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is laid back and sweet. There is an ABV spicyness coming through but it’s not invasive. There’s honey and vanilla together with a red fruitiness but the whole thing isn’t jumping out of the glass. The core flavours tend to move forward over time in the glass with red berries and dark dried fruits. It opens up and improves substantially with time. It’s young and a bit spirity, but it’s a nice nose.

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

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

Additional information
This expression is aged in sherry-seasoned american oak casks. The casks varies in age. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie 14 YO – Quinta Ruban

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

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This is one out of three expressions in the Glenmorangie ”extra matured” series. It’s aged 10 years in ex-bourbon casks and finished for 4 years in ruby port pipes. This replaced the 12 YO.

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Auld Rare, Storm, Unspecified

Storm (Auld Rare)

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky is a mix of Speyside and Highland whiskies. It was made in 2011 for the Whisky Shack store on Isle of man.

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Auld Rare, Bruichladdich, Islay

Bruichladdich 14 YO (2001) (Auld Rare)

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ABV: 57.2 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was aged in a Single ex-bourbon barrel. The cask no. is 569. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Heavy Vapours

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This limited release was made without any purifier on the still. It was aged in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Claxton’s, Islands, Ledaig, Tobermory

Ledaig 14 YO Single Cask #C22037 (Claxton’s)

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ABV: 57.2 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruits, mint and peat. At first there’s a warm and sweet peatiness with a minty overlay and a dark red fruity base. Everything feels immidiately balanced and everything fits together. There are ripe plums and raisins which feel like they’re coated with a sweet liqueuer. The peatiness slowly fades over time, and that gives room for the other flavours. The peat comes through as a mildly burnt oakiness with a medicinal backside. There’s a spicyness from the ABV, but it’s not protruding in any way. This is a fantastic nose with both complexity and balance.

Mouth: It starts out with a ripe fruitiness up front and a lemon freshness in the back. The spicyness slowly builds up to a nice level and joins the minty overlay while the peatiness starts to emerge around the outside. It’s slightly astringent and it’s a big and rewarding start. There’s some coffee notes building up in the back as the fruitiness once again becomes liqueuer-soaked dark fruits. There’s a hint of age coming through in the back when a slight oakiness meets the peatiness. It’s almost got a dessert-like quality to it at this point.

Finish: The spicyness doesn’t spike, it just spreads out and leaves room for the fruitiness, which still consists of the dark fruits as well as lemon and coconut. The coffee note is still in there and is now joined by dark chocolate. The sweet minty layer is still coating everything, as do the peatiness. The finish is full of flavour and it’s full of complexity, with tiny things floating by like a speck of dust, a mineral note, raspberries and dry soil. The late finish is a nice hazelnut oakiness with a hint of the coffee note. The age shines through in the late finish as well. This is an absolutely fantastic whisky. It’s extremely balanced and complex and it’s full of flavour.

Additional information
This single cask whisky was distilled in 2008 and aged in a Merlot barriques. The bottle tried is no. 068/263. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park 30 YO (2007 Vintage)

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ABV: 48.1 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and fruity. At first there’s a fruitiness which mostly consists of dark dried fruit notes. They are covered in a thin vanilla layer and a lot of Christmas spices. There’s a thin nail polish remover note on top as well. This whisky really shows some age on the nose and everything within seems connected and integrated. There are notes of heather, old varnished oak furniture, a hint of lemon and just a tiny hint of tropical fruits. It gets fruitier with time in the glass. This is an amazing nose which really reflects the suggested content.

Mouth: It starts out with a dark and bitter background espresso note and a gooseberry and lemon top note with the old varnished oak furniture in between. There’s a nice amount of power and the christmas spices are still in there helping everything along. There’s a complexity to it, and an especially unplacable nutty note really denotes this. The vanilla is gone and so are the tropical fruits. It’s now a sweet dark fruit marmelade which seems to wrap itself around all other flavours. The age is very much present and it’s dusty and slightly damp. It’s very much takes its place and it’s not especially mellow. Good casks are present.

Finish: A surge in dried fruits leads the transition and it feels very logial and continues on the same path as before. It’s coffee in the back and christmas spices up front with old varnished oak in between. When everything start to die down the old oak takes the spotlight. The complex nuttiness re-emerges and the late finish is an amazing old, nutty and fragrant oakiness which lasts for a very long time. The gooseberry note is still in there (it’s not as sour as the berries, just the overall character of the taste). This is a great whisky with a lot to offer. It’s not an easy sipper by all means and it really presents itself as an aquired taste overall.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in Spanish ex-sherry casks for the entire aging period. It has natural colour.

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Islands, Tobermory

Tobermory 17 YO – 2004 Oloroso Cask Matured

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ABV: 55.9 %
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 healthy serving of vanilla, toffee and soft red berries. There’s a mild layer of menthol floating around on top. Underneath the sweetness a darker character with dark chocolate, dried fruits and overripe plums creates a nice backplate. The fresher berries are joined by baked apples in the center and a rather translucent coastal note. With time in the glass everything seems to merge together to create a nice thick experience. This is a great, straight forward nose without any surprises. It delivers a solid profile which is nice overall.

Mouth: It starts out with a coastal note in the back and a quite peppery spicyness up front. There’s an immidiate increase in volume which makes the initial impact quite powerful. There are dark fruits and walnuts slowly emerging on the sides with notes of dark chocolate, overripe plums and leather. On top there’s a sprinkle of dust and some fresher fruits. The center is filled with vanilla and toffee. It still delivers a profile which is exactly on point with what to expect. After a few seconds it almost gets too spicy and forces a move on to the next step.

Finish: Surprisingly the transition almost immidiately reduces the intensity and the whole gets back to being powerful and spicy without being too aggressive. The dark fruits, chocolate and leather stay towards the edges while the center, still filled with vanilla and toffee, gets somewhat perfumey and aromatic. This seems to be connected to an oakiness which starts to build up in the back. The bitter note from the dark chocolate is now stronger and it really shows its age in the late finish. It takes a good while to get there but the late finish reveals a very nice and nutty oakiness with telltale signs of the 17 years spent in a cask. This is a great whisky which does everything by the book. It’s a solid creation (which, to be a bit picky, maybe lacks a bit of fun for the explorer).

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2004 and bottled 2021. It was aged in ex-Oloroso sherry casks. 11124 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islay, Kilchoman

Kilchoman Cognac Cask Matured

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was aged for at least 6 years in ex-cognac barriques. 15100 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Singleton, Speyside

The Singleton of Dufftown Malt Master’s Selection

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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 heavy vanilla sweetness with a young spirity note on top. After a while it shifts towards caramel with a hint of fruits underneath. It takes a while before the fruitiness turns into something substantial and when it does, it’s an apples and pears mix. When it finally settles in the glass there’s a decent balance overall. This is an okey nose. It lacks a bit of flavour, complexity and comes through as too mild to be interesting.

Mouth: It starts out with a few seconds of nothingness and a young spirit note before a rush of flavour components start to compete to reach the front. There’s a black pepper spicyness on top of some fresh fruits. Underneath lies a mix of ripe fruits and a very bitter coffee note. There are pears, bananas and overripe plums coming through. It’s much more flavourful in taste than on the nose. It feels a bit all over the place though, with a lack of general direction.

Finish: The transition really highlights the overripe plums and the caramel. Soon it reveals a bitter and nutty oakiness and a lemon sourness in the back. The spirity note is sitting on top of everything throughout the finish. After that it really doubles down on a grey old bitter oakiness which actually works pretty well. This is a good whisky with a nice array of flavours. It lacks power, complexity, age and balance.

Additional information
This entry level whisky was aged in refill casks, ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks for an undisclosed anoumt of time. The bottle tried is apparently from batch 1106.

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Cragganmore, Speyside

Cragganmore Distiller’s Edition 2009/2021

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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 sweet honey and vanilla sweetness with cinnamon and red berries within. There are raspberries and strawberries and they are very pronounced. Everything seems like it’s coated in a small tobacco and leather note coming through. When it settles everything becomes more balanced and notes of white wine and liquorice emerges. There’s also a lemon note floating around out on the edges. This is a great nose with a lot of nice and balanced flavours. It could use a bit more power to really pop out of the glass.

Mouth: It starts out very mild with a lemon freshness on the outside and a ripe funky adventure in the center. There are tobacco, leather and overripe fruits which makes up the funky part. The sweetness with honey, vanilla and cinnamon is still in there as well as a bit of oak. The whole is very well put together, but still lacks a bit of power. It feels like there are oranges within as well.

Finish: The transition is very mild and a malty vanilla and fudge center is first out of the gates. A hint of the dark fruits mixed with oak is in there, but the fresher, brighter fruits are now downgraded. The oak eventually takes over and brings a nutty touch with hazelnuts which makes the tail somewhat dry. The smokiness gets more noticable in the later part of the finish. This is a good whisky. It’s a bit too round and mild to be interesting but it’s a nice and easy sipper.

Additional information
The Distiller’s Edition is a limited yearly release of the Diageo series ”The classic malts of Scotland” finished in special ways. This is matured in american ex-bourbon barrels and finished in port pipes.

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Glenturret, Highlands

Glenturret Triple Wood Batch 3

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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 fruity. At first there’s a vanilla and red apple center part with baking spices sprinkled on top. There’s honey and a slightly funky maltiness as well. It feels slightly young and spirity, but that isn’t overpowering the character as a whole. With time in the glass the sherry notes start to take up more space with ripe and dried darker fruits and berries. It feels like a hint of peat is in there as well but it might be a tobacco note from the sherry. It feels decently balanced overall. This is a nice nose. It lacks a bit of complexity and age, but it’s pleasant enough.

Mouth: It starts out slightly flat with a spirit driven frontside and a bitterness in the background as a starting point. It does increase in intensity a bit and there are notes of caramel, cocnut and vanilla coming through. It feels a bit boring at this point but the tobacco note and the funky malt do arrive and make it somewhat better. The fruitiness is almost hiding far back and the baking spices, although detectable, doesn’t bring much to the table.

Finish: The transition is logical and just a continuation from the mouth. There’s an immidiate wood spicyness spreading out and it doesn’t give much of the other flavours any chance to follow along down the finish. The bitter note, maybe dark chocolate, do follow as well as a small hint of the dark fruits, but the main event is a very aromatic and sawdusty oakiness. There’s some bad refill casks involved as well it seems. This is a decent whisky, but it lacks power, complexity and depth to be great.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and sherry seasoned european and american oak casks. The bottle tested is from batch 3.

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