Campbeltown, Springbank

Springbank 12 YO Calvados Wood

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 52.7 %
Origin: Campbeltown
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 funky fruitiness in the center and a fresher fruitiness mixed with honey and vanilla on the outside. There’s a mild earthy peatiness surrounding the edges of the glass. The fruitiness is one part fresh lemon and oranges and one part green apples and yellow ripe pears. The funky notes in the back are now more of a gritty rubber and motoroil baseline and bring a lot of complexity to the whole. With time in the glass it becomes more honeyed and some baking spices are added to the mix. There’s a sprinkle of dust in there as well. This is an amazing nose with a lot of body and depth.

Mouth: It starts out with a hefty mix of baking spices, honey and coconut with the gritty notes in the back. There’s a dusty layer on top of a more ripe frutiness. It’s still a fruitiness full of apples and pears with a twist of lemon though. There’s a mild peatiness sitting around the edges with a dry soil character to it. A malty note increases in intensity in the center. The oak is in there, but it’s well hidden by all the other flavours.

Finish: The transition starts with a big hit of baked apples and pears with baking spices and a hint of liquorice. The spicyness increase slightly, but overall it feels very well balanced between flavours and sensations. The oakiness starts to break though and it makes everything feel a lot older than the stated age. It’s dusty old bookshelves and old cellar notes. There’s a nuttiness coming through as well with a walnut character. There are orange marmelade notes popping up after a few seconds. The finish is long and extremely pleasant. This is a fantastic whisky which hits well beyond its age. It almost feels 4-dimensional.

Additional information
This whisky was first aged for 6 years in refill ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for 6 years in fresh Calvados casks (2012/2020). 9420 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Glendronach, Highlands

Glendronach 21 YO – Parliament

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 48 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and sweet. At first there’s a dark, dried fruitiness with prunes and raisins sitting in between a minty top note and a honey, brown sugar and vanilla sweetness. There are notes of tobacco, sulfur and a slightly gritty complexity in the center. Underneath there’s a fresher fruitiness with mainly apples. When it settles it becomes more floral and it feels much younger than its age. The sweetness is a bit sticky throughout and the whole thing has an acidity to it. This is a decent nose, but it lacks a bit of the notes which would come from a 21 year aging period.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet coating on the outside and a mix of black coffee and dark fruits in the middle. After a few seconds a brighter fruitiness gets added to the mix as well. The notes of age missing from the nose are now very pronounced with dust, a hint of old books and a damp cellar note. There’s a spicyness slowly creeping forward as well. The mouthfeel really doesn’t match up to the flavours though and it’s not as sweet as on the nose.

Finish: The spicyness spikes through the transition before the dark flavours comes through once again. It’s still a mix of coffee and dark dried fruits like prunes and raisins. The dusty note and the minty top layer soon follows. The background is filled with a lemon note at this point. It takes a good while before the flavours start to give up and give room to the oakiness. It starts att the edges and slowly moves inwards. It’s a nice mix of hazelnuts and both old and fresh oak. It gets fresher with time though. This is a really good sherried whisky with a half decent nose.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of ex-Oloroso and ex-PX sherry casks for the entire aging period. This is the new chillfiltered version. It has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Highlands, Tullibardine

Tullibardine 20 YO

Lämna en kommentar

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is mild honey and coconut. It takes a while for the heavier flavours to really come through, but when they do, it’s honey, vanilla and sweet liquorice with the coconut resting a long way back. There’s a thin floral layer, which leans towards violets and there’s also a fruitiness which feels like it sits somewhere in between sweet citrus fruits and green apples.

Mouth: It starts out with a thick layer of honey. There’s a spicyness, but it’s really fine tuned and integrated within the whole. The coconut is very pronounced again and now there’s a very nice butterscotch note. The undefined fruitiness is now coming through as oranges and orange peel. There is a hint of age coming through as a fine layer of dustiness sitting in the back. It’s a very mellow, but not boring, experience.

Finish: A big surge of coconut and black pepper comes through before it lands in the honey jar once again. The dusty layer is still there and the fruitiness is now settled as oranges. After a while the oakiness starts to develop. It’s a very nice oakiness, not dry nor astringent. It just sits there for a long time before it charges to a undefinable nuttiness. The whole of this whisky is not a powerhouse, it’s just a refined gentleman with good manners.

Additional information
The Tullibardine 20 YO was released in 2013 as a part of the distillery’s core range. It’s aged in a combination of first- and second-fill american ex-bourbon casks.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Glenrothes, Speyside

GlenRothes The Whisky Maker’s Cut

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 48.8 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very sweet and fruity. At first there’s a thick lid of clingy sweetness and fruits. It’s honey, vanilla and ripe red berries. It’s very top heavy and it takes a while before the background notes start to appear. There’s a sweet liquorice coming through as well as a small string of fresher, less sweet fruits. They are overrun by the thick sweetness though. It’s very dessert-like and it feels very manufactured. There are malt and marzipan in the mix as well. This is a nice nose, but it feels more like sherry syryp than whisky.

Mouth: It starts out with the same thick sweet mix of honey, vanilla and sweet ripe red fruits and berries. It’s mainly overripe plums and baked red apples and now mixed with a hint of leather and tobacco. It’s still extremely top heavy. There’s a nice spicy power to it which gives a nice relief from the thick swetness. The whole has got a nice oily texture and when the background notes of malt, fresher fruits and a slight bitter tang peek through it feels like it’s not enough. It feels quite unbalanced.

Finish: The transition is very nice, with a warm slow increase in spicyness. The thick and sweet lid finally lets go and there is a nice mix of liquorice, leather and tobacco together with a nice array of fresh and ripe fruits appearing. The late finish is very nice and finally it becomes balanced. The oakiness feels competent and has both a new oak vibe to it as well as a nutty, older side. This is a very good whisky, but it feels unbalanced and over-sherried. It should be very approachable to people who are new to whisky. It could use a splash of water for that though.

Additional information
This whisky is a part of the Soleo Collection. It was aged in seasoned first fill sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. It has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Connemara, Cooley, Ireland, Kilbeggan

Connemara 12 YO

Lämna en kommentar

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and herbal with a hint of peat. At first there’s a mix of grass, herbs and green fruits. The peatiness is found out around the edges and it’s a floral peat with a hint of bonfire smoke. There’s also a vanilla and heather honey sweetness in the center. The whole character is rather unique and slightly weird. The fruitiness is green apples and a squeeze of lemon. This is a great nose, but it comes with a love or hate feel to it. It’s not for everybody.

Mouth: It starts out with a mild sweetness. After a few seconds a lemon and vanilla note starts to to rise in the back. After that, a surge of floral and herbal notes comes in together with peat and apples. There’s a slight dustiness and a thin nail polish remover note as well. The heather honey return with time. It’s just as unique in taste as on the nose. There’s a big flavour profile but it lacks in power.

Finish: The transition is mild and highlights the peat for a short while, which still is herbal, but now has a gritty note added. Afterwards all the other flavours return and it just continues down the same grassy, floral and fruity path as before. It has a quite long finish with the gritty peat note as main focal point in the late finish. The oakiness arrives late and it’s a nice enough addition, but nothing special. This is a good whisky with a big and weird flavour profile but it lacks power to support it. Some will adore it, but many won’t.

Additional information
This whisky was made at the Cooley distillery with peated (20 PPM) barley from Scotland. It’s double distilled and then aged in ex-bourbon barrels.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Kentucky, USA, Wild Turkey

Wild Turkey Rye

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 40.5 %
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Type: Rye
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and minty. At first there’s a minty cloud sitting on top of sweet vanilla and anise. It’s very mild and easy to approach and never really seems to change. The mint becomes slightly sharper over time in the glass and it becomes more pepperminty. The oak is peeking through out on the edges and there’s a slightly spirity note pushing through in the center. This is a decent nose. It’s not especially interesting nor complex. It lacks a lot in power and body though.

Mouth: It starts out very flat and it’s way too mild. There’s a brown sugar sweetness which soon is joined by the vanilla, mint and anise. There’s a tiny marzipan note in the back but when the tiny spicyness start to arrive it brings the peppermint forward. The oak is still out on the edges and the middle becomes slightly fruity with time. It’s a green apple kind of fruitiness, but it’s not especially specific.

Finish: The transition is very straight forward. A small increase in peppermint is there but otherwise it’s just a continuation of the other flavours. Everything drops quite fast though and the finish is mostly a new sawdust oakiness with a minty overlay. This is a decent whisky. It’s way to flat and boring but it delivers an extremely easy approach and decent flavours.

Additional information
This rye is aged for at least 5 years in barrels with No. 4 ”alligator” char. The mashbill consists of 51 % rye, 37 % corn and 12 % barley.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Islay, Lagavulin

Lagavulin 18 YO Feis Ile 2018

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 53.9 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and ashy. At first there’s a mix of a very round honey and vanilla sweetness and an ashy peatiness which also has a savory side to it. There’s a fresh oakiness in the back as well as some assorted fruit notes which are too thin to separate at this point. The whole has a nice mix of old and new and feels quite approachable. When it settles there’s a menthol layer on top and a campfire smokiness overall. A thin layer of lemon and raspberries is detectable with time in the glass. It feels slightly brittle and it could use a bit more body for it to really shine. This is a great nose overall though.

Mouth: It starts out with a bitter espresso note in the back and a big spicy sweetness up front. In between lies notes of age and sherry with old oak, leather and some raisins. Everything comes with a dusty coating. It tastes quite different from the nose and it really doubles down on all flavours except the sweetness. It’s not as sweet as on the nose at first but grows sweeter with time. The ashy side of the peat has almost disappeared and the peat is hiding behind the other notes. The lemon/raspberry notes remain as a thin layer and it’s now closer to the front with some coconut flavour added.

Finish: The transition starts with a spicy kick and it feels warm and powerful. When it settles down there’s a mix of old oak and lemon. It’s dusty overall and feels a bit astringent. The leather and espresso notes reveal themselves once again. The peat is quite hard to pinpoint at this point. The old oak takes over and is joined by a fresher oakiness which isn’t as nice, but adds to the whole. It’s a very oaky late finish with a hint of walnuts peeking through. This is a great whisky which feels like it could be amazing, but it’s slightly off-balanced throughout.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of refill ex-bourbon, rejuvenated american oak hogsheads and ex bodega european butts. 6000 bottles where released.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Single Cask 7170 (2006) – Exclusive for Sweden

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 58.6 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mineral heavy peatiness with notes of a burning campfire. Underneath lies vanilla, raisins and oak and the whole feels quite hard and unapologetic. When it settles in the glass an unscented lotion note pops up in the center and it really has the Ardbeg character coming through. Honey and black liquorice arrive as well. The peat slowly shifts towards coastal notes with a mix of tar and seaweed. This is a great nose with all the boxes ticked for the peat lover.

Mouth: It starts out with a heavy mix of ashy peat and ABV spicyness. Immidiately a bitterness starts to build up in the back with dark chocolate, raisins and espresso. It’s still rich with minerals and it’s not as sweet as on the nose, but vanilla, liquorice and a bit of honey are still there. The cask influence is more pronounced now with a very mature character overall. The tar and seaweed return after a while together with dry garden soil.

Finish: The transition starts with a surge of raisins, dark chocolate and espresso in the back before the High ABV spicyness and the mineral heavy peat once again come rushing in. After a while it becomes very spicy and it has a lot of power to back up all the flavours. When it starts to fade the unscented lotion note and vanilla return and the finish is extremely long with all the flavours intact. The oakiness sneaks up through the peatiness and it’s almost a surspise when it takes over. It’s not the most characterful oak, but it sits nicely together with the lingering peat notes. This is a great whisky. It’s most certainly not an easy access experience but for the whisky explorer it gives a very nice time indeed.

Additional information
This whisky was first aged for at least 15 years in a second fill ex-Oloroso sherry butt. The bottle tried is 526/590. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Islands, Talisker

Talisker 25 YO (2013)

Lämna en kommentar

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is peat and fruits. At first there’s a mild pipe tobacco peatiness which soon mixes with vanilla and apricots. With time in the glass everything merges together nicely and expands. There are notes of almonds, honey, lemon and green apples all mixed up into the whole but apricot jam with tobacco remain the main features. There are hints of newly oiled old wooden furniture for those who wait as well. This is an amazing nose which gives more and more as time passes. It’s very well balanced and nicely put together.

Mouth: It starts out with a mix of honey and a big hit of the oiled oak furniture, minerals and apricots. It immidiately gives out a lot of subjective notes of age, like dust and old leather books as well. There’s a nice little spicyness on top, but it’s very round without any sharp edges. After a second or two the leather books are joined by the tobacco notes from the peat. The lemon also returns in the back, but now as a peel note with a bitterness attached to it.

Finish: The transition is slightly more spicy, but it’s a mild increase. It could do with a bit more power overall. At this point the apricot jam has disappeared and been replaced with the lemon peel note. The old oak furniture notes start to take over and takes the tobacco and leather notes with it. The finish really accentuates the notes of age. It’s dusty old oak, oil and lemon peel all the way. In the late finish there’s an umami note arriving in the back. This is a fantastic whisky which delivers on its premisses. It really shows off both the age and the Talisker house style.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in refill casks, which type is not disclosed. The bottle tried is no. 5146/5772.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Renaissance

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 55.9 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s an ashy peatiness on top with a sweetness underneath. There are coastal notes from the get-go, but the main peatiness has a mix of campfire smoke, ashes and dry soil. The sweetness consists of vanilla, honey, oak and an unscented lotion note. The ABV spicyness floats on top and creates a peppermint layer. When it settles there’s a squeeze of lemon peeking through which fits nicely as a contrast to the thick and heavy notes already there. This is a great nose. It’s not especially complex but the whole is very flavour- and powerful.

Mouth: It starts out with honey in the center with a bitterness underneath. There’s an immidiate spicy kick with a lot of peppermint top. It’s got a mineral rich peatiness and a burnt wood note within. It feels extremely powerful and the flavours are really pronounced. The coastal notes are gone and the lemon notes are buried deep within. There are notes of vanilla and anise coming through after a while and it really feels like an Ardbeg at this point.

Finish: The peppermint peaks through the transition and underneath the vanilla, honey and unscented lotion returns. The peatiness sort of fills the rest of the palate with a wide arrange of unruly flavours like tar, ocean spray, campfire smoke, minerals and ashes. The bitterness and the lemon note merge into a peel note in the background while the other flavours slowly start to fade. In the late finish the campfire note once again shifts towards burnt oak and it stays that way for a long time. This is an amazing whisky. It’s not the most complex thing in the world but it delivers flavours as subtle as a smack to the face, and it’s just a treat to recieve the punch.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2008. It was the last release in the ”Young Ardbeg Series”. 21000 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Cambodia, Holly Creek

Holly Creek Silver Label

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 40 %
Origin: Cambodia
Type: Corn Whisky
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and sweet. At first there’s a thin spirity note and a mild vanilla. There’s a shiny and slightly unpleasant distillate in the back with a metallic note within. There’s a tiny hint of caramel and cherries in between the distillate and the vanilla. It’s quite shallow and doesn’t pop out of the glass. There are notes of honey, oak and liquorice as well, but it comes out a bit flat overall. This is a so and so nose which really suffers from the low ABV.

Mouth: It starts out with a really unpleasant and young distillate and a tiny spicyness coming from the immidiate oakiness. There’s caramel with a weird hard-to-place flavour within which really doesn’t fit. It seems to come from the oak but doesn’t belong there. The whole is sharp and pointy and slightly bitter in the back. The caramel increase in intensity after a while.

Finish: The unpleasant distillate take front through the transition and fortunatly dies down rather quick. It does stick around in the back for a while. The finish is all about a very dry new oakiness. It’s not a bad oakiness, just a standard one. It feels like a relief since it covers up some of the initial unpleasantries. This is a bad whisky which unsuccessfully tries to mimic Jack Daniels. It doesn’t come close.

Additional information
This is the first release from the distillery. It’s a mixed mashbill corn whisky aged in both american and european oak. It’s charcoal mellowed.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Carpathian, Romania

Carpathian Romanian Wine Cask Collection – Feteasca Neagra

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 46 %
Origin: Romania
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and sweet. At first there’s a vanilla and honey sweetness on top of a mix between a young distillate and assorted baked fruits. The initial impact is original and hard to place. When it settles there’s a big liquorice note which, together with the vanilla, becomes the main focal point. The liquorice arrives together with honey and the wine finish. This brings out some blackberries as well. This is a nice nose with a lot to offer. It’s young and a bit shallow, but still delivers a decent amount of things to discover.

Mouth: It starts out with a very sour background note and a mild spicyness up front. In the center there’s the vanilla and honey sweetness and a tiny amount of fresh grapes. The different parts doesn’t really seem to connect to each other and floats around by themselves. It’s quite oaky on top and it’s a dry, spicy oakiness which isn’t all too pleasant. The wine finish is really showing up mid-palate and the wine character really doesn’t suit the distillate. The whole just comes through as a bit weird.

Finish: The transition starts with a big dip in flavour. The spicyness, mainly from the oak it seems, is the only thing coming up for a few seconds. The sour notes and the grapes arrive first but stays in the background throughout the finish. The wine notes and the dry oakiness take over when the spicyness starts to fade. It still feels like the wine and the distillate is a mismatch. This is not the best whisky in the world and it’s a bit strange and weirdly put together, but it’s a good start and a nice try from the distillery.

Additional information
This whisky was first aged in first fill ex-bourbon casks and then finished in ex-Feteasca Neagra wine casks. Cask no. 3801. The bottle tried is no. 136/405.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Benromach, Speyside

Benromach Contrasts: Organic 2013/2022

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 46 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and oaky. At first there’s a mild vanilla and a toasted oakiness with a piney side note. It’s young and spirity and there’s a minty candy cane layer floating around as well. There’s a sour note in the back. It’s not especially fruity but there’s a hint of green apples within the sour notes. It feels a bit too simple and lacks complexity. This is a decent nose, but it feels a bit overoaked.

Mouth: It starts out with a nice peppery spicyness from the ABV. When it settles a sweet and oaky center part is revealed. There’s a hint of toffee and coconut. It’s very sour in the back and the oakiness really contributes to the spicyness. It feels a bit astingent from here on out. The piney note persists and there’s a bitterness developing in the back After a few seconds.

Finish: The peppery spicyness slowly spreads out. When it settles there’s a mix of toast, oak, banana and lemon. As the finish progresses the flavours merge and creates a nice tropical fruitiness and a dry oakiness. The bitterness in the back is still there and it mixes with the lemon note and becomes zesty. It still feels astringent and the late finish is a dry woodshop oakiness. This is a good whisky, but it’s way to unbalanced and oaky.

Additional information
This is the first certified organic whisky since 2006. It was aged in virgin oak casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Islands, Ledaig, Tobermory

Ledaig 19 YO – 1998 PX Cask Finish

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 55.7 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a sweet minty layer and a vanilla note mixed with a warm campfire peatiness. In the background there are coastal notes with a hint of salty air and seaweed. In between there are nuts, leather and a sticky liqeuer sweetness. It’s not overly sweet though, and the nose is very rich, pleasant and extremely well balanced. With some time in the glass everything sort of joins together. It’s a very unorthodox mix of flavours which works very well together. There’s a darker, gritty note showing up in the back with dried fruits attached to it, but the main focus stays on the sweet and minty wood fire peatiness. This is a fantastic and original nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a fresher fruitiness in the back with some assorted tropical fruits. The sweet and minty peatiness sits up front together with vanilla and honey. In between there are sweet dried fruits, leather and pipe tobacco. It’s salty and rowdy and it’s quite mineral rich. It’s not as sweet as on the nose but it’s got more complexity to it. It feels savory in the back and after a few seconds it becomes peppery as well. It still feels very original and interesting and it’s very lively for its age.

Finish: The center part with dried fruits, leather and tobacco really steps forward in the transition. The minty layer and the peppery spicyness just keep their levels and there are no sharp edges. There are notes of heather and honey sitting together with the warm peatiness out on the edges. The center part is still mineral rich and there’s still a savory note in the back. The finish is long and rewarding and it takes a long time before any flavour gives way. When the oakiness start to break through, it starts out directly from the peatiness and spreads inwards. It’s a nice, nutty oakiness with a sprinkle of dust and for the first time there are notes of age shining through. This is an amazing and original whisky with so many notes floating around that it’s impossible to catch them all.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 1998 and bottled 2018. It was aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in ex-PX sherry casks. It’s a limited release. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park 15 YO Viking Heart

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 44 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet fruits and floral peat. At first there’s a floral peatiness with notes of heather, tobacco and rubber. There’s also a top layer of red, sweet and sticky fruitiness with fresh sugared berries and baked apples. This layer increases with time in the glass. The whole is very mild and easy to access from the start. Underneath lies a malty mix with vanilla and honey, as well as mixed herbs and cinnamon. This is a great nose which feels slightly top heavy.

Mouth: It starts out very mild. First out is the vanilla sweetness which are soon followed by the floral peat and the fruitiness. There’s a lemon note which soon becomes slightly bitter and cesty. It’s not as sweet and sticky as on the nose and it feels a bit more balanced at this point. There’s still a lot of fragrant spices and herbs within and there’s a nice mix of sensations going on.

Finish: The transition increases the intensity at first, but not too much. It’s a nice and needed power boost. The peat lingers around the edges while the fruitiness now feels more fresh and tropical. The lemon zest is still residing in the back while a spicy and herbal oakiness start to take over. This is the first time the age makes itself known. It’s a very nice and aromatic oakiness with signs of some age to it. This is a good whisky with a lot to offer for both the explorer and the drinker, yet it lacks a bit of power and presence.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in sherry seasoned european and american oak casks as well as refill casks. It has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg 13 YO – Fermutation Committee Release

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 49.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is peat and green fruits. At first there’s a powerful and mineral rich peatiness with notes of campfire smoke, ash and iodine. Underneath lies a sweet layer of oak, vanilla and unscented lotion mixed with a salty maritime note. When it settles in the glass it becomes a bit fruitier with green apples, lemons and gooseberries. It’s cereal rich and feels very well put together. There’s a minty fresh layer floating around on top and small notes of nuts and green banana seems to come through in the center. This is a fantastic and interesting nose with a lot to discover underneath the peat punch.

Mouth: It starts out with a savory note in the back and the mineral rich peatiness up front together with coastal notes. The ashy campfire smoke comes though out on the edges together with a quite spicy black pepper. The fruitiness sits in the center surrounded by the vanilla, some honey and the unscented lotion note. It’s not as fruity as on the nose and it’s a lot more zesty with a bitter tang in the back of the palate. The gooseberries are still in there. The whole comes through as rich and slightly dry.

Finish: The finish starts out with a surge in the mineral rich peat and the ABV spicyness. When it settles the campfire and ashy notes return. They stay towards the edges and gives room for the fruity and zesty notes in the center. It becomes more ashy and fruity as the finish progresses. The vanilla is still in there but it just acts as a nice filler between other sensations. It’s dry and slightly astringent throughout and when it starts to fade there’s just a beautiful mix of laid back nutty oak, gooseberries and ashy peat. This is a fantastic whisky and one of the better committee releases as of late.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2007 and aged in ex-bourbon barrels. 8000 bottles were filled in 2021 and released in 2022. The fermentation period was prolonged for this release. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park Cask Strength – Release No.3

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 64.1 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

See the queue here.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in first-fill seasoned american and european oak casks as well as refill casks. This release has a higher peat content than the previous releases. It has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Craigellachie, Speyside

Craigellachie 10 YO (The Single Malts of Scotland)

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 68.9 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

See the queue here.

Additional information
This whisky was aged between the years 2011 and 2022 in a sherry butt. 563 bottles were filled. The cask reference is 900094. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Bunnahabhain, Islay

Bunnahabhain 12 YO

Lämna en kommentar

ABV: 46.3 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is salted caramel, red fruits and vanilla oak. From the start there’s a fruity front of raspberries and a salt and vanilla base. The oakiness is found somewhere in between and it’s very much present from the start. It has a tiny pine note attached to it, as well as some anise. After a few seconds a sweet caramel and honey note builds up in the middle together with some sweet oranges. There is also a backdrop with ocean air and a hint of oil and seaweed. This is a very interesting nose.

Mouth: It starts out sweet, salty and slightly bitter. It’s also peppery and there’s an immidiate astringency. There are grapefruits and oranges a-plenty and the raspberries get pushed back into the background. The vanilla and caramel are still in there, but not as pronounced as on the nose. The sweetness is mainly honey driven. There’s a speck of dust and the oily note is still acting as a backdrop. Overall, it’s quite hot and intense.

Finish: The salty caramel takes a step forward and creates a fruity dessert together with grapefruits, oranges, raspberries and just a hint of tropical fruits. The intensity rises slowly but steadily in the first part of the finish. When the oak arrives it brings an espresso note and it sort of transforms the fruitiness towards a more sour experience. It’s grey, weathered, dry oak planks. In the late finish there’s a smokiness coming through. This is a great expression, but it really demands your attention.

Additional information
This expression is distilled in small batches and aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie 14 YO The Elementa – New Charred Oak Cask Finish

Lämna en kommentar

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and oaky. At first there’s a hefty vanilla oakiness sitting on top of a malty and honey driven sweetness. There’s a hint of lemon in the back, but the oakiness overruns everything for a long time. It’s very top heavy and the new oak finish makes the quite long maturation time useless. There’s a caramel added to the sweetness after a while, but it really does nothing. This is a weird nose. It’s not very bad, it’s just way over-oaked.

Mouth: It starts out with an immidiate caramel sweetness and a very spicy and protruding vanilla oakiness. Underneath lies a bitter coffee note and maybe just a drop of lemon in the back. There’s not much more happening at this point. It’s still way too oaky which makes it uninteresting and slightly unpleasant. The caramel sweetness grows over time.

Finish: The finish starts out with a surge of the bitter notes in the back before the oakiness once again attacks the palette. At this point it’s actually very unpleasant and the late finish just consists of too much oak and a wait for it to disappear. This is a bad whisky which is completely destroyed by the new oak finish. There’s no complexity nor balance, just a big piece of oak to chew on. This could work well as a mixer though.

Additional information
The Elementa is a part of Glenmorangie’s travel retail series called Legends. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon barrels and finished in charred virgin oak casks.

If you like my reviews and wish to offer a small donation, please click the ”donate” button below!

Small Donate Button

For the love of all things whisky/whiskey