Kategoriarkiv: Speyside

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.

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.

Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet 21 YO – Archive

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and sweet. At first there’s a fruitiness with apples and pears up front. Beneath there’s a sweeter layer with honey, vanilla and fresh red fruits. There’s also cinnamon and a hint of marzipan. With some time in the glass it becomes floral and perfumey. A top layer of black liquorice start to form and becomes more pronounced over time. This is a very pleasant nose but it’s feels younger than its age.

Mouth: The first impact is honey sweet and malty. The fruitiness is now oranges and overripe red berries and it is not as fruity as on the nose. There are feint notes of dust and old books in the back. A hint of lemon comes through on the sides. There is also black liquorice coming through and a bitterness builds up in the back which merges with the oranges to give hints of peel. It’s very rich and full bodied.

Finish: It starts out mild and sweet once again. Honey and vanilla sits in the middle together with a fruitiness still leaning towards oranges and ripe berries. The maltiness moves forward with time and it sticks around when the oakiness starts to come through. It’s a very nice oakiness with hints of nuts and a thin coffee bitterness. The finish is very long and very rewarding. Overall it feels somewhat younger than its age and it lacks some complexity, but it’s still a great whisky and it offers a lot of flavours.

Additional information
The Glenlivet 21 YO is aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks. There are both american and european oak casks used. Since it’s created in batches made by selected casks the content varies over time. This bottle is drawn from batch 1016P.

Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet Nàdurra – First Fill American White Oak Casks

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ABV: 60.3 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and sweet. At first impact the high ABV hits the nose. When it settles there’s a sweet mix of honey and vanilla together with a slight hint of fruits. With time in the glass it becomes fruitier though, and it’s a green apples and pears kind of fruitiness. There’s also a hint of cinnamon somewhere in the middle. It’s quite young and the distillate is very much the main focus of the presentation, even though good casks are used.

Mouth: It starts out with honey and ripe red apples. It’s got a thick maltiness and there’s a beer note coming through. The vanilla is still in there and there’s a nice oakiness shining through every once and a while. The ABV makes it quite spicy, but it takes a while for it to really bite back. It’s oily and it’s got a savory note sitting in the back. This gives it a great texture and a nice depth.

Finish: The high ABV shoots by but soon leaves place for the sweet and fruity flavours once again. It’s the same flavours as before with vanilla, honey, a beer note and the ripe red apples. The oily texture and the savory note is still in there. The oak arrives late, but it is a fresh and nice oakiness. The pear notes return in the background in the late finish. This is a young powerhouse. It’s well made and has a lot of flavours to offer.

Additional information
This cask strength release is aged in first fill ex-bourbon sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. The bottle tried was from batch FF0717.

Ian Macleod Distillers, MacLeod’s (Speyside), Speyside

Macleod’s 8 YO Speyside

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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 bright fruitiness with citrus fruits and raspberries sitting on top of a darker fruitiness with plums and prunes. There is a malty funkiness in the background and there is a small note of hay somewhere in the center. It gets sweeter with time in the glass and that reveals honey, vanilla and just a hint of sweet liquorice. This is a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat, with just a sweetness and a white bread note. The honey arrives pretty early as well as a bitter note. There is way less fruitiness compared to the nose. A small hint of lemons and maybe a thin layer of tropical fruits do come through, but it goes rather fast towards the oakiness. The liquorice comes through if it’s kept in the mouth for a good amount of time.

Finish: It starts out with vanilla and honey and with the darker, sweeter fruit notes. It then, via a malty note, trancends into an undefinable tropical fruitiness connected to the upcoming oak flavours. It’s a very nice oakiness that feels fresh and fruity. The dark fruitiness creates a backdrop for the final part, in which a nice oaky flavour stays in the back of the palate. This is a good whisky, but it feels a little thin at times, especially at first impact on the palate.

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

Glentaucers, Speyside

Ballantine’s Glentaucers 15 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and very fruity. At first there’s a big citrusy explosion with lemons and oranges. When it settles a background of vanilla and honey reveals itself. There’s a black liquorice layer somewhere in between and a maltiness which is really helping everything along. This is a very clean and simple fruit bomb. It’s nice and mellow, without ever being boring.

Mouth: It starts out with a toffee note and a dusty maltiness. The fruits are not as protruding as on the nose and it’s now leaning more towards the black liquorice note. There’s a lemon sourness in the background though. The oakiness shows through after a few seconds and it has a nutty character. There is a spicyness which gives the whole thing enough power and intensity to give it a nice mouthfeel.

Finish: The fruitiness returns and it’s back to lemons and oranges, with a bit of the peels too. The oak comes very early and the maltiness is tagging along. The black liquorice is still creating the same middle layer as before. Just about every flavour follows along down the road. Hazelnuts and oranges are the flavours left when all else disappear. This is a fruity fanfare and it brings a lot of flavour to the table even though it has got low ABV.

Additional information
This is a single malt from one of the distilleries that makes whisky for the Ballantine’s finest blend. The casks used is not disclosed. This is series No. 003.

Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet Nádurra – Peated Whisky Cask Finish

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ABV: 62.0 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet fruits and mild peat. At first there’s a mild bonfire smoke on the edges of the glass and a cardboardy note in the center. The high ABV creates an intense, yet rounded, cooling effect, but even though it sits up front it doesn’t hide everything else. There are red baked apples, vanilla and a hint of butterscotch. There’s also a lemon sourness coming through from the back. This is a pleasant nose that comes with a youthness and a big punch.

Mouth: It starts out honey sweet and the peat is still creating a surrounding circle out on the edges. The peat is much more present in taste than on the nose and it’s more of a hay and dry soil peatiness at this point. The power of the high ABV is there but it’s not as powerful as the number suggests. There’s a maltiness combined with vanilla and a complex, deep note that’s leaning towards overripe apples.

Finish: A lemon note, a spicy cloud and a maltiness really pushes through from the start and it takes a while for it to settle. When it finally lets other flavours through it reinstates the outer circle of peat and the vanilla and butterscotch in the center. The oak does come through, but it takes a long time for it to show up. It’s a pretty anonomous oakiness and it’s not especially interesting. The peat lingers after everything else have died down. This is a young powerhouse with a lack of clear direction. It’s still a tasty dram in its own right though.

Additional information
This cask strength release is aged in casks which previously held peated whisky for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. The bottle tried was from batch PW1016.

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Speyburn, Speyside

Speyburn 10 YO (Travel Exclusive Version)

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is malty and fruity. This is apples and pears with a base of maltiness and a thin note of honey. It’s quite perfumey and fresh. There’s a thin layer of vanilla sitting on top of the fruits. After a while the sherry notes start to appear. The apples and pears gets accompanied by fresh raspberries and ripe plums. A thin note of cardboard comes through in the back.

Mouth: It starts out very mild and sweet. Honey and vanilla is dominating and the maltiness is still working as a base. A pepper spicyness builds up over time. A bitterness creates an outside layer and it’s connected to a slightly dusty oakiness. It’s not as fruity as on the nose and it’s leaning more towards ripe fruits.

Finish: The peppery spicyness flare up and then quickly subsides. The fruitiness returns as apples and pears once again, together with vanilla and a hint of fudge. Then it quickly turns to a bitter oakiness. When it arrives it takes over completely and the late finish is nothing but the oakiness. It’s dry grey oak planks with notes of coffee and walnuts. This is a nice solid experience with the extra ABV helping it along the way.

Additional information
This version of the Speyburn 10 YO was released in 2018 as a travel retail exclusive. It’s stated that it’s a limited edition. The maturation is done in both american ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered.

Speyburn, Speyside

Speyburn Hopkins Reserve

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and fruity. Ripe grapes and apples together with vanilla and honey create a quite thick layer. Behind that, it feels a bit shallow and a little cardboardy. It grows sweeter with time in the glass and the honey is dominating heavily. A hint of cinnamon comes through together with a miniscule hint of earthiness after it opens up in the glass.

Mouth: It’s quite spicy at first before the fruitiness kicks in. It’s very fruity with green apples and pears, much more so than on the nose. It’s dry and dusty and the oak comes through early. It’s a nice oakiness with some bitterness on the sides. It feels a lot more mature on the palate and there’s more depth. Butterscotch comes up after a while as a nice little twist for those who wait.

Finish: A small cloud of menthol pass by. It’s still very fruity now moving towards ripe pears. A very nice note of almonds appear before the oak takes over. The oakiness makes it a touch astringent and it comes through as newly cut wood with inlays of watermelon and hazelnuts. The honey sweetness returns together with a slight touch of butterscotch. There’s maybe a tiny veil of peat in the late finish otherwise the cask influence is not very prominent.

Additional information
The Hopkins Reserve is a travel retail exclusive release. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon barrels which previously also held peated scotch single malt. It’s unchillfiltered.

Cardhu, Speyside

Cardhu Gold 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 sweet and fruity. Honey, vanilla and toffee are sitting on top of some baked red apples. It’s very mild and nothing really pops from the glass. It’s dusty and there’s just a hint of oak in the back. The toffee note moves forward with time in the glass. It’s very rounded around the edges even if it has a youthness sitting in the back, which manifests as a thin metallic note.

Mouth: A very sweet start with honey and a lemon note quickly passing by. It stays very sweet for a long time with vanilla and toffee slowly moving forward. There’s a white pepper spicyness, but it never really amounts to anything. When it finally sets some of the sweetness aside it slowly reveals a slightly bitter oak, but it just stays in the back. It’s still extremely mild and round like a marble.

Finish: The finish is just a continuation of the sweet and mild parade. A few seconds of honey, vanilla and toffee goes by before it lands in a bland oakiness. It’s a little dusty, but otherwise laid back and it feels like it doesn’t want to be noticed. The toasted flavours do come through though, but they do not do much to create anything. This is too mild and too well rounded to be interesting. It’s definitely a good dram if someone needs an introduction into scotch.

Additional information
The Gold Reserve was first released in 2014. This is aged in toasted casks. The Cardhu distillate is primarily used in Johnny Walker blends. Cardhu is also very popular, as an example, it’s the best selling whisky in Spain.

Macallan, Speyside

The Macallan 12 YO – Triple Cask

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

Tasting notes
Nose: Dense and very sweet. There’s a thick mat of raisins and honey. Underneath there are liqueur soaked cherries, sweet liquorice and vanilla. There’s a thin layer of seaweed on top which brings the experience down a little. The cask influence (not the oak) completely covers the distillate. In the background there’s a note of wet clothes after a walk in the rain.

Mouth: Very sweet and mild. The vanilla is very much up front together with butterscotch and pure white sugar. There’s a thin note of violets sitting in the middle as a nice easter egg. The sherry notes are still very heavy on the raisins, but now the distillate shines through with some pears and lemons. It’s oily and it’s got a luxurious texture. There’s a black pepper in the surroundings but it’s not pronounced.

Finish: The sherry notes are now the main feature pushing everything else back. The violets are still to be found. It still got vanilla and raisins a-plenty together with a butterscotch note. The oak finally peeks through, but never takes over. The black pepper note is building up as a nice contrast to the thick sweetness. Overall it feels a bit over-engineered.

Additional information
This was renamed from ”Fine Oak” to ”Triple Cask” in 2018 and is a part of Macallan’s new core range. It’s aged in separate casks from european sherry seasoned casks, american white oak sherry seasoned casks and american ex-bourbon barrels and then married together before bottling.

Balvenie, Speyside

The Balvenie 16 YO – Triple Cask

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. There’s a mix of oranges, apples and pears together with syryp, vanilla and a hint of butterscotch and/or toffee. The sherry notes are also present, but it takes a while before it opens up. It adds dried druits and berries and gives the nose a great span from darker to lighter notes. There’s a slight bitterness coming from a mix of orange peel and the oakiness. This is very pleasant on the nose.

Mouth: A very mild and easy approach brings the vanilla up front together with oranges and grapefruits. The oak shows up early with a nice walnut bitterness to it. There’s chocolate and a touch of cinnamon. There’s also a salty note which helps the the butterscotch and toffee to change towards salted caramel. A tiny amount of spicyness and a speck of dust sits on top. It’s quite complex despite the low ABV.

Finish: The finish just brings more of the same notes with vanilla and both plums, raisins, citrus fruits and berries. The oak moves forward and a big bucket of assorted tropical fruits appear. It’s still slightly bitter with orange peel and walnuts. It’s a very mild experience all the way through.

Additional information
This was released in 2013 as a part of the Balvenie’s travel retail range. It’s aged in three different cask types individually; First fill and refill american ex-bourbon oak barrels and first fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It’s then married together in a tun.

Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet Triple Cask Matured – Distiller’s Reserve

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

Tasting notes
Nose: The first approach is fudge and vanilla heavy. The fruitiness, with ripe red apples and green grapes, is feint at first. The distillate shines through and gives it a slight cardboard note in the background. There’s a tiny hint of sherry, but it’s not sharp nor pronounced. The spicyness leans towards eucalyptos. It’s a bit uneventful on the nose.

Mouth: The vanilla spreads out and a nice spicyness follows. The fudge is now more of a toffee note and honey has joined the sweet side. The fruitiness is still way back and finally steps forward when the oak arrives. There’s a bitterness coming from the european oak and it brings a nice touch of hazelnuts. The sherry casks are basically nowhere to be found.

Finish: A mild start with the spicyness a bit muted at first, but then it quickly builds up. The toffee, vanilla and honey flare up and then settles again leaving the oakiness in charge. Finally a hint of the sherry reappears with some dark dried fruits. The hazelnuts are still in there and a pear note tags along down the road. This is not an adventure by any means, but still a decent dram.

Additional information
This was launched in 2019 as part of Glenlivet’s travel retail exclusive range. It’s aged in ex-sherry casks, traditional (refill) casks and american ex-bourbon barrels.

Independent bottlers, Lismore, Speyside

Lismore 10 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: A bit quiet and laid back at first. When it awakens it’s fruity and floral. There are fresh green apples and yellow pears and a hint of violets. The fruits are covered in a big dollop of vanilla cream. There’s a feint leather note sitting in the background. The fruitiness continuously moves forward. There’s a spicy black pepper touch to it on top of everything else.

Mouth: It takes a 180 degree turn and completely changes its character. It’s spicy with a hefty note of wet leather and it fills the mouth. The fruits turn darker and the apples are now baked together with some figs and raisins. The oakiness comes through after a while. A hint of dill is in there and maybe some oranges. It’s pretty astringent with a bitter tang.

Finish: Very oaky. The spices and the leather note is still the main feature. There’s a chalky note and a touch of dust on top of the oak. The fruity bits return down the line, but both the leather and the oak dominate the palate. There’s a marzipan note showing up near the end. It’s altogether a somewhat weird journey through the experience.

Additional information
Lismore doesn’t disclose the source of their single malt or the cask type used. They produce speyside whisky bottlings. The brand is owned by J & G Grant, which also owns Glenfarclas and Th Royal Heritage brand.

Cardhu, Speyside

Cardhu 12 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: Very fruity and fresh up front and musty and dusty in the back. This results in baked apples with vanilla cream, yellow pears and a fudge note. There’s some oak notes peeking through and sweet black liquorice develop with time in the glass.

Mouth: Very mild. It’s still quite dusty and the vanilla and fudge move forward. The apples are still there, and so are the cream. There’s just a hint of spicyness. Very approachable and (dare I say it) smooth. The oak arrives early and creates a much needed baseline to the other flavours.

Finish: The oak comes through immediately pushing everything aside except a thin fruity green note. The oak is very bright and straight forward. It’s nice, not bitter nor astringent. After a while the oak changes towards assorted tropical fruits. This is not a very complex whisky but it serves well as an easy sipper.

Additional information
The Cardhu distillate is primarily used in Johnny Walker blends, but the single malt is also sold and it’s even the best selling whisky in Spain. They tried to change it to a blended malt somewhere around 2003 but had to change it back after a year or two. The cask type isn’t disclosed but the flavour profile suggest american ex-bourbon barrels.