Campbeltown, Glen Scotia

Glen Scotia Exclusive Cask 2012 – Ruby Port Cask Finish

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ABV: 55.3 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is spicy and sweet. At first there’s a sweet vanilla with a peppery layer on top. It’s immidiately woody with oak tannins punching through. When it settles in the glass a layer of sticky sweet red berries and a hint of sweet pipe tobacco gets spread on top of the vanilla. It then sort of reach stasis and stays layered with pepper, oak, sticky fruits and sweet vanilla. It takes a good twenty minutes in the glass before the layers start to merge together. This is a nice enough nose, but it doesn’t feel especially balanced and/or logical.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet and sour fruitiness on the edges of the palate incapsulating a sweet vanilla and honey center. It’s slightly bitter and still has a very peppery character. The oakiness is not as aggressive as on the nose. There’s a maltiness coming through, as well as liquorice and some assorted nuts in the back part of the core. It feels a bit hot and it’s not the best mouthfeel in the world.

Finish: The finish starts out with the sticky sweet fruits on top while the bitterness creates a backplate which everything rests on. The fruits now have a slightly darker character. It still has a lot of oak tannins but they are subdued by the pepper spicyness and some blueberry and lemon fruitiness floating around on top. This is a contrast to the darker notes within. It feels quite dry and it’s not as sweet as earlier in the journey. When the oak takes over it becomes slightly astringent and the oakiness comes through as a mix of fresh oak and old dusty grey oak planks. This is a good and competent whisky but it’s a really weird one.

Additional information
This whisky was bottled exclusively for the Swedish market. It’s was distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2021. It was aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in a ex-ruby port pipe. 300 bottles were released. The cask number is 19/660-7. It’s unchillfiltered.

Campbeltown, Longrow, Springbank

Longrow 11 YO Rundlets & Kilderkins

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ABV: 51.7 %
Origin: Campbeltown
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 peaty cloud sitting on top of a sweet center with vanilla, oak and honey. It feels herbal and slightly medicinal on top but underneath the sweetness lies a complex gritty base with dirty oil and rubber notes. With time in the glass it becomes a lot sweeter and the peaty cloud moves out towards the edges and becomes more ashy than before. There’s a fruitiness hidden within which leans towards sweet and ripe red apples. It feels younger than the age statement at first aquaintance. This is a very nice nose with a lot to offer for the whisky explorer.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet and bitter mix that consists of a dusty oak note up front and a fruity and sweet core. There’s a pretty strong coconut note and burnt caramel coming through in the middle as well. The peat is a bit subdued off the starting grid and it takes a while for it to shine. The red apples are joined by a mild lemon peel note and the peat moves together with that note up along the edges. The gritty core stays in the back and the peat notes are now more like leather and tobacco. The dusty oak is very prominent throughout.

Finish: The dusty oak, with a mix of vanilla and bitter lemon peel, stays strong through the transition. The finish starts out slightly fruitier than before with red apples dipped in caramel but it’s all about the oakiness from here. The peatiness becomes less important quite soon and resides in the background along with the gritty notes. It’s still a complex dram but it gets rather uninteresting in the late finish due to the bitter and quite protruding oakiness from the small casks. This is a very good whisky overall but it doesn’t go all the distance. It’s complex and well made but it tips over and becomes slightly unbalanced in the late finish.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2001 and bottled in 2013. 9000 bottles were released. It was aged in rundlets and kilderkins. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 15 YO Laimrig Batch 2

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ABV: 54.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and fruity. At first there’s a mix of heavy dark fruits and vanilla. There are raisins and overripe plums mixed with tobacco and spices. It feels very powerful and rich. After a few seconds notes of oak and baking spices break through as well as a tropical fruitiness. It’s quite sweet overall with honey notes nestled within. It slowly changes and gives new subtle notes over time without compromising the initial character. Notes of leather and lemon pops up as well. This is a great nose. It leans heavily towards the oloroso sherry casks without it being top heavy.

Mouth: It starts out with honey and a swift nod to the tropical fruitiness the leather and the tobacco notes before the dark fruitiness takes over. It’s spicy and a bit dusty which fits the heavy character perfectly. There’s a slight bitterness, maybe a black coffee note, in the back as well as vanilla and a drizzle of honey. The oak shines through every once in a while which creates depth together with the tropical fruits which now resides in the back. It’s a very balanced, yet very powerful experience.

Finish: The finish starts with a dusty and complex center with the dark fruitiness now moving out towards the edges of the palate. This leaves room for the leather, tobacco and the tropical fruitiness to shine through. It still has a very rich and powerful character. It stays like this for quite some time before the oakiness finally breaks through. It’s a nice oakiness but it really never gets to shine. The dark fruits never leave its side. This is an amazing whisky. It’s powerful yet balanced and has a nice journey through and through.

Additional information
This whisky is first aged in undisclosed casks and then finished in ex-sherry casks. This was bottled in 2011 and is limited to 15000 bottles. The bottle reviewed is 05033/15000. It’s unchillfiltered.

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Amrut, India

Amrut Naarangi

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: India
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. The orange peel fruitiness dominates the nose from the start. It sits on a sweet and soft berry layer. There’s vanilla and a touch of aromatic oak as well. When it settles in the glass the orange peel gets a bit less powerful but it never seems to merge with the sweetness. There are assorted dried fruits added to the mix as well. The distillate becomes more noticable and it’s a rather nice and well made base but it just creates a third individual layer. The whole thing sort of feels like a layered cocktail. This is a nice nose overall though.

Mouth: It starts out with a big sweetness and it’s quite spicy on initial impact. The orange peel and the oak mixes and the whole thing becomes a weird aromatic concoction which almost resembles cedar wood. There’s cinnamon and other baking spices as well. It becomes somewhat bitter after a while which makes the whole thing even weirder. It’s not unpleasant, it just tastes very unorthodox. It feels quite young and spirity which doesn’t help it along.

Finish: A small surge in ABV spicyness gives a much needed rest from the plathora of layered flavours on the palate. When it calms down the Oloroso sherry finally becomes recognizable with the mix of dried fruits in the forefront. There’s still a fresh and slightly bitter orange peel note but it seems to have let go of the other flavours which is a good thing. The oakiness is pretty anonymous on its own though. This is a decent but very weird whisky. It’s interesting in itself, but it’s not the best tasting whisky out there.

Additional information
This whisky is first aged for 3 years in undisclosed casks and then finished for another 3 years in casks which previously held Oloroso sherry with orange peels.

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Glenallachie, Speyside

Glenallachie – 11 YO Grattamacco Wine Cask Finish

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet ripe berries and malt. At first there’s a big emphasis on the ripe berries with a thick top layer coming from the red wine casks. Underneath lies a malty and sweet core with a mild spicyness attached to it. Vanilla and fudge notes can be found within. When it settles there are light floral notes and a fresher tropical fruitiness coming through along the edges of the glass with a hint of peaches and violets. There’s also a mild and thin menthol layer on top. This is a very good nose but it feels a bit top heavy. It greatly improves with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with the soft, ripe berries covering the outer parts of the palate. There’s an almond/marzipan note attached to the outer layer as well. It comes through as slightly bitter, but it’s not an offensive bitterness. The whole is not as sweet on the palate as on the nose. The fresher fruitiness creates an orange peel note in the background and the peaches are still in there. There’s still a toffee sweetness in the center, but it’s not especially pronounced and it feels a bit dusty. The floral notes are nowhere to be found.

Finish: The ripe berries stay in the outer layer through the transition and the orange peel notes stay in the background. It’s a logical transition without any spikes. The peaches is now once again showing themselves in the back part of the palate but they are soon competing with the oakiness, which seems to emerge from the orange peel in the background. It’s a nice nutty oakiness which fits nicely with the rest of the character. It carries the fresher fruits a long way down the late finish. This is a very good whisky overall. It feels a bit top heavy and the wine cask finish feels a bit detached from the rest of the whisky.

Additional information
This whisky is first aged in american ex-bourbon barrels for 9 years and then finished in ex-Grattamacco wine barriques for 2 years. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Balvenie, Speyside

The Balvenie 25 YO – Triple Cask

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is rich, dense and fruity. It’s surprisingly fresh for its age with a big bowl of fruits in focus. There’s oranges, ripe apples, gooseberries and a touch of liqeuor soakad cherries. There’s a generous amount of vanilla, honey and cinnamon and some oak spices clinging on towards the edges. Very pleasant.

Mouth: It starts out quite muted before the flavours come through. The fruit notes are toned down and leave place for a maltiness and some mild spices. The cinnamon and vanilla is still strong and come through together with some notes of dusty old leather books. The oakiness shows up with a slight bitterness and a hint of assorted tropical fruits within.

Finish: A sweet fruitiness (like marmelade) shows up then quickly subsides and gives room to a slightly bitter oak with notes of coffee, walnuts and some tropical fruitiness. The cinnamon is still present. The oak finish is long and very satisfying. As it slowly fades away there’s a tiny rye note with anis peeking through.

Additional information
This expression sits on top of the Balvenie travel exclusive range. It’s aged in refill and first fill american bourbon barrels and first fill spanish Oloroso sherry butts. Those are then married for at least 6 months before bottling.

Speyside, Tomintoul

Tomintoul Seiridh Batch 3

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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. A very thick layer of assorted dried fruits with detectable raisins cover everything else. There are walnuts and a hint of ripe berries as well. The distillate behind feels somewhat flat due to the low ABV. It seems to be young but it’s hard to push through the waxy sherry layer. The sweetness seems to be leaning towards brown syryp with a hint of vanilla but it mainly comes attached to the fruits. This is a decent nose which is top heavy and way too mild underneath.

Mouth: It starts out with a spirity young distillate in the back and the dried fruits and waxy walnuts up front. There’s a black coffee note in the center of the palate and the raisins and ripe fruits are coming through as well. There’s a fresher fruitiness in the background with a mild citrus note. It feels very unbalanced and it really feels like a cover-up with the thick sherry lid trying to make up for the lack of quality behind it. The low ABV doesn’t help it to reach any heights either.

Finish: There’s a mild spicyness and an ethanol layer sitting on top of a mix of fresh citrus in the back and the dried fruits and sweet syryp up front. It just sort of crumbles early on in the finish which is a good thing because it reveals an absolutely marvellous oakiness filled with both walnuts and hazelnuts, a touch of wax and a hint of vanilla and coffee. The oakiness stays for a long time and leaves a fantastic experience for a long finish. This is a rather bad whisky but the finish is just breathtaking and makes one forget most the bumps along the way.

Additional information
This is a whisky aged for an undisclosed amount of time in a mix of ex-Oloroso sherry butts and whisky aged in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in ex-Oloroso sherry butts. This is bottle no. 2818/3000 of batch 3.

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Hakushu, Japan, Suntory

The Hakushu Distiller’s Reserve

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. Honey and a vanilla oakiness sit on top of green grapes and apples and there are marzipan and pine notes somewhere in between. There’s also a veil of cooling mint surrounding everything else. The whole thing comes out very perfumey and it feels a bit young. After some time in the glass a lime note starts to emerge from the fruitiness. It feels a bit over-engineered, but it’s still a decent nose.

Mouth: It starts out extremely mild and it never really picks up speed. Fudge and a dusty honey sweetness arrive first and then the pine returns. There’s a strong coconut flavour and it’s much sweeter than on the nose. The fruitiness is sitting in the back and it’s now leaning towards oranges and just a small hint of raspberries. It still comes through as very perfumey.

Finish: A minty fresh start soon moves over to make room for a dusty oak. The fudge and the citrus freshness are still intact but pushed back into the background. There’s a top layer of honey and coconut. The marzipan returns and creates a bridge between the fudge and the oak. It’s a dry slightly bitter oakiness with a miniscule flavour of hazelnuts. This is an extremely mild and approachable whisky, but it is a bit uneventful and underwhelming.

Additional information
Hakushu distillery is owned by Suntory. This is the entry level in their core range. The content isn’t disclosed. It’s a mix of different ages and cask types.

Glencadam, Highlands

Glencadam 13 YO – The Re-awakening (Batch 2)

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first, honey sweetness and a thick maltiness create a sweet layer on top of a lot of fresh fruits. Watermelon, yellow pears and green apples come through, but it feels like there are more to be found. With time in the glass vanilla arrives, but it never take over from the original flavours. This is a sweet dessert whisky and it’s a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and dusty and it feels older than its 13 years. After a few seconds a spicyness prickles the toungue. It’s still malty and fruity. The fruitiness makes it very juicy and it’s now leaning towards sweet ripe clementines, but the fruitiness is now further back than on the nose. The honey and vanilla are slightly toned down which leave room for the oakiness to come through early.

Finish: The finish starts out very bright and spicy. The sweetness starts in the center and then slowly rolls out towards the edges. There’s marzipan and a floral note coming through just before the oak and the fruitiness return. The clementines are still in there but take a background role to a very nice oakiness. There’s just a hint of bitterness coming from the oak, but it’s enough to add some zest to the fruitiness. There are hazelnuts at the tail end and the floral notes survive for a long time. This is a very nice whisky all the way through.

Additional information
This expression is a limited edition bottling. This is batch 2 which consists of 5994 bottles. The bottle tried had no bottle number printed on the label. It’s aged in american ex-Bourbon barrels and it’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 12 YO – Enigma

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is ripe fruits and leathery peat. At first there’s a big bucket of raisins, overripe plums and liqueur-soaked berries with a tropical fruitiness peeking through from behind. A toned down peatiness creates a surrounding layer of leather and tobacco. The whole thing is very sweet and it’s like the fruits are coated with a tiny layer of vanilla and icing sugar. This is a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: It starts out very mild with a lot of the ripe fruits coming through, but it seems a little fresher than on the nose. Black liquorice start to emerge, and after a few seconds it takes over together with the darker overripe fruits and the raisins. The peatiness is there and it’s still leather and tobacco, but now with a hint of burning wood. It suffers a bit from the low ABV and that hurts the impact.

Finish: At first, vanilla, tropical fruits and red berries arise and expand from the center and out. The peat is still surrounding the edges and it stays there and never becomes the main attraction. The ripe fruitiness then once again takes over, but now with a base of honey. It takes a long time for the oak to show up and there’s a shift in the fruitiness towards the tropical fruits just before it arrives. It’s an anonomous oakiness without character. This could have been a fantastic whisky, but it lacks some power to deliver its best side.

Additional information
This expression was a part of Bowmore’s former travel retail range that was discontinued around 2014. It’s aged in both american ex-bourbon barrels and european ex-sherry casks with a heavy emphasis on the latter.

Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Galileo

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ABV: 49 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sticky sweet fruits and peat. At first there’s a sweet and ashy peatiness which has a layer of floral and fruity clouds surrounding it. There are notes of vanilla, liquorice and quite sticky, sweet and ripe berries. There’s also a different side to it with pipe tobacco and walnuts peeking through. When it settles the peat is pushed back by the heavy cask influence and it feels a bit subdued. There are some coastal notes deep within but the main focus lies on the fruitiness. This is a fantastic nose by all means but it strays a bit from its rowdy legacy.

Mouth: It starts out with a slight bitterness in the back and the main sweetness, liquorice and vanilla out on the sides and in the back of the palate. The middle is reserved for a mineral rich medicinal note. It’s not nearly as sweet as on the nose and the fruitiness is noticable but subdued at this point. It is quite spicy which helps it along. After a few seconds a tobacco note arrives in the back together with the bitterness and a feint but slowly increasing mix of lemon and dried dark berries.

Finish: The finish begins with a spike of spicyness and minerality. The mix of lemons, liquorice and ripe berries is now creating a backdrop to the medicinal peat which arrives as soon as the spike dies down. It gets less sweet the further down the line it goes and the main focus is on the medicinal and mineral rich peat, which feels a bit uncharacteristic. The oak arrives late, but when it shows up it’s an excellent addition with a nice coffee and walnut bitterness. It’s a grey weathered oak which fits nicely with the rest of the journey. This is a great whisky which strays a bit from its heritage (it tastes more like a Laphroaig than an Ardbeg).

Additional information
This whisky was made to celebrate the space experiment between NASA and Ardbeg. It was distilled in 1999 and bottled in 2012. It’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels and sicilian ex-Marsala casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Highlands, Tullibardine

Tullibardine 15 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a rich layer of honey and vanilla with notes of liquorice and baking spices within. It sits on top of a fresh red juicy apple fruitiness. With time it becomes more malty and fruity as the sweet layer seems to mellow down. It feels like a natural progression and when it reaches its final form it feels very well balanced. This is a great nose. It’s not especially complex but still offers a nice journey.

Mouth: It starts out with a very sweet and round center part with butterscotch, vanilla and honey. A thin outer layer offers a fresher lemon but it disappears when the core expands from the center outwards. It’s nicely textured and there’s a mild peppermint cloud floating around on top. It feels somewhat flat due to the rather low ABV, but it never feels watery. It’s still malty all the way through as well. For those who wait there’s liquorice emerging from the back which then moves forwards on the edges of the palate.

Finish: The red apples and sweet liquorice starts the finish from the back of the palate moving forward. The sweet honey, butterscotch and vanilla mix isn’t far behind and neither is the maltiness. The peppermint increases in intensity as the finish progresses and follows along until the oakiness makes a late entrance. It’s a nice fresh oakiness with a nutty hazelnuts quality to it. This is a great whisky with a lot to offer, especially for a sweet tooth.

Additional information
The Tullibardine 15 YO is part of the distillery’s core range. It’s aged exclusively in first-fill american ex-bourbon casks.

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Highlands, Tullibardine

Tullibardine 225 – Sauternes Finish

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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 very sweet. There are notes of butterscotch, caramel and honey up front with vanilla as a baseplate. This sort of gives it a sponge cake vibe. A hint of seaweed is present and it really doesn’t belong with the other flavours. There’s a fresh distillate with a hint of green fruits coming through from behind. There’s also a salty, buttered popcorn note on top. Altogether it’s very warm and welcoming on the nose.

Mouth: Sweet and Spicy. It’s a little bit different than on the nose. There’s a new fruitiness with oranges and grapefruits. The sweetness is still there with honey and vanilla, but now with some orange marmelade added. The oakiness is quite bitter with some cocoa powder and the orange peel from the marmelade mixed in. It’s an astringent oak that sort of surrounds everything.

Finish: A very fresh burst of cirtrus fruits and peppery spices fade away as quickly as it arrives. The finish is all about the astringent oak. It’s a bright and heavy fresh oak, like newly cut oak boards. A hint of grapefruit peeks through somewhere down the line. The astringency increases with every sip. The sweetness is overpowered by the oak all the way through, but when it finally subsides the honey and vanilla notes remind you that they were there all along.

Additional information
The 225 in the name stands for the size of the barrique used for the ex-sauternes cask finish. It starts out for an undisclosed number of years in american ex-bourbon barrels before the 12 months of finishing.

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Highlands, Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond Signature Blended Scotch Whisky

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a very round vanilla, butterscotch and toffee note with an apple fruitiness within. The grain spirit contributes to the sweetness but it’s not protruding. There’s a mild spicyness hovering above everything else. With time the fruitiness turns to baked apples and it sort of smells like an apple pastry. This is not complex but it’s still a great nose considering it coming from a blended whisky.

Mouth: It starts out with a honey and vanilla sweetness with a black pepper shell around it. It takes a while before other flavours catch up. First one through is the apple fruitiness. It’s back to a fresher profile and there’s a lemon note coming through from the back. The mix between malt and grain spirit feels very balanced. A hint of oak is peeking through as well but it’s not revealing anything special at this point.

Finish: It’s back to the baked apples and the toffee notes. The finish starts out as a pastry but soon turns a bit bitter towards the edges. The grain spirit is for the first time a bit unpleasant on the palate but fortunatley it soon subsides and leaves room for the oakiness which actually is rather nice. It feels like a mix of old and new with a hint of walnuts. It becomes somewhat astringent towards the late finish. This is a good whisky. It’s not complex but it offers a nice array of sweet flavours.

Additional information
This is a blend made from putting both malt and grain spirit through a solera system of 100 casks. The types used are ex-Oloroso casks and recharred american ex-bourbon barrels.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore Small Batch

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is honey, peat and tropical fruits. At first there’s a big bucket of tropical fruits covered in vanilla and honey. It’s surrounded by a layer of tobacco and worn leather. In the background there’s a lemon sourness and a hint of salty ocean air. With time, a savory peat note comes up somewhere in between the layers. This is a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and salty. The honey note is up front and the tropical fruits have moved to the back of the palate. It takes a second for the peat to show up and now it’s leaning heavily towards the tobacco side. There’s also a medicinal side to it and it comes through together with the saltiness.

Finish: A big burst of menthol and tropical fruitiness fills the mouth. It’s now a clear mango note. The tobacco peatiness and the medicinal notes comes shortly after. It takes a while before the oak appears and when it does, it’s a quite nice oakiness. It’s wet planks and walnuts and it stays a long time before fading. It’s salty all the way through. This is a good, albeit young, version of Bowmore matured in very good casks. It’s not their best, but it offers a lot of flavour even though it’s low strength.

Additional information
This expression was released in 2014. It’s aged in first and second fill american ex-bourbon oak barrels. It was discontinued in 2017 and replaced by Bowmore No.1.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore Legend

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is lemon fresh and fruity. A layer of peat, mostly leather and smoke from a hot campfire, is sitting in between the fruitiness and the sweetness. The fruitiness is mostly lemon and star fruits and the sweetness is a classic mix of honey and vanilla. There is a thin layer of mint sitting on top. This is mild and easy on the nose.

Mouth: Bitterness hits the mouth directly and then it turns to the peaty notes and they are leaning more towards leather now. It’s salty and the fruitiness is still the same as on the nose but with some pinapple and grapefruits added. There’s a small hint of a dry oakiness in the back. The vanilla and honey is nowhere to be found. It’s still very mild.

Finish: A spike of fruitiness passes by and then the mint and peat takes over. The lemon note stays for a long time and surrounds all the other flavours. The oak starts to push through and brings a big bag of tropical fruits with it. The oak itself is dry and a bit muted. The last part of the finish is all about the fruitiness. This is not especially complex and it’s a bit too mild. It’s still a decent dram though.

Additional information
There’s not much information to be found on this bottling. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon oak casks.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore Gold Reef

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is tropical fruits in a leather pouch. It starts out very fruity with pineapples, mangos and a hint of ripe bananas. The leathery peat notes are subtle and sits with some honey and vanilla in the back. There is a savory, quite complex center behind everything else, which gives it a nice depth. This is very pleasant on the nose.

Mouth: A spicy note sort of slingshots in before the whole thing turns very fruity and quite dusty. It really shows some age with some dusty leather-bound books. The tropical fruits are still the main focal point and they are joined by some ripe red apples and lemon zest. It’s salty and got a small note of seashore residing in the back. It’s very mild and easy on the palate, yet still quite rich and with an oily texture. The oak do show up, but it takes quite the patience to find it and when it finally shows up it comes with a bitter note and a piece of milk chocolate.

Finish: A big burst of tropical fruits sets the pace. There’s smoke coming from a warm burning campfirein the back. It also still got a hint of leather. The oak comes slowly and settles down around the tropical fruits. It’s a very nice oakiness with a small bitter note to it. It’s a dusty, slightly astringent oak with notes of chalk, hazelnuts and old grey wooden planks. The salty note is still in there and the fruitiness stays for a long finish.

Additional information
This was released in 2014 as a travel retail exclusive. It’s primarily aged in first fill american ex-bourbon oak barrels. It was discontinued in 2017.

Independent bottlers, Islay, Port Ellen, Signatory Vintage

Port Ellen 1979 (Signatory Vintage)

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a rather pointy and fresh fruitiness up front with a mild vanilla surrounding it. It’s fresh orchard fruits as well as assorted dried berries. In the background there’s a slight paint thinner note which becomes more medicinal as time passes in the glass. There’a also a light peatiness and a touch of salt and sulfur sitting beneath the fruitiness. This is a great and accessible nose with a complexity to keep the explorers occupied for a good while.

Mouth: It starts out with vanilla and a hint of coconut in the center and a very complex mix of medicinal peat, minerals and rubber on the outside. After a few seconds there’s almost a mix of white wine and pilsner coming through which at first comes off as a bit weird but when it merges with the vanilla becomes rather interesting. It’s less fruity and more peaty than on the nose but the fruitiness in there now comes through as orange peel. The whole thing has a sprinkle of dust on top.

Finish: A mild peppermint cloud spreads across the palate as the other flavours try to settle on which one should go first. The white wine and beer notes moves up a bit as well as the vanilla and orange peel. The fruitiness is now residing on the edges of the palate. The peat notes have once again taken a big step back and never really affects the palate in much in the finish. This makes the oakiness come through clearer. It’s a nice oakiness but it kind of brings up the paint thinner note once again. There are some assorted nuts and a hint of orange peel left in the late finish. This is a great whisky with a pretty quirky character. This makes it more fun to explore but less of a balanced High quality dram.

Additional information
This is aged for 22 years in a refill ex-sherry cask (Butt no. 5536). This is bottle no. 612/738. It has natural colour.

Ardbeg, Islay

Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur’s Choice – Ardbeg 1995

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and ashy. At first there’s a mineral rich and ashy peatiness covering the edges of the glass. On the inside there’s a fresh fruitiness, vanilla and liquorice. It’s quite mild and easy on the nose. In the background there are coastal notes. With time the ashy notes subsides as the peat slowly evolves into a distant woodfire note. A darker red fruitiness can then be found in the outer edge. This is a rather uncomplicated yet pleasant nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet and slightly bitter outside layer and a fruity and mineral rich center. It’s very mild and gentle even though there’s a peatiness peeking through from behind. It’s salty and the sherry casks are producing a hint of dark fruits and sulfur. The bitter notes increase in intensity over time as well as the sweetness. There’s an old and grey oakiness with a hint of dust on top shining through as well.

Finish: The finish starts out with a mild peppermint on top and the dark sweet fruits surrounding the edges. The bitterness have moved back into the background and sits together with the old oakiness. The center is filled with minerals and seasalt. It gets less sweet as the finish moves along. The sweetness stays a long time and accompanies the oak through the late finish. When all else disappears the ashy note is once again revealed. This is a great whisky, but it lacks some of the telltales of its heritage.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 1995 and bottled in 2005 making it 10 YO. It’s aged in refill ex-sherry casks.

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore Black Rock

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and fruity. At first there are tropical fruits mixed with raisins and dark chocolate. Honey, vanilla and black liquorice sits in the back and create a nice rich backdrop. A brigther note of red berries with some raspberries sort of comes and goes on top of the dark fruitiness. The peat manifests as a leather note and sits in between the layers of sweetness. The focus lies on the heavy sherry overlay.

Mouth: At first honey, red berries and a slight bitterness turn up. It then slowly changes into black liquorice, vanilla and raisins. There’s a lemon note surrounding the other flavours. The oakiness comes through together with leather and tropical fruits. It’s a nice oakiness with a slight bitterness that sits well with the other flavours.

Finish: A thin note of menthol passes by before moving directly into a big bowl of assorted tropical fruits. The oakiness comes through as well as the darker sherry notes and the leather, but the main focus is all about the pineapples and mangos and a slight hint of grapefruits. There’s a chalk note sitting on top of the oak in the finish and the oak is somewhat dry and bitter with some coffee and hazelnuts. There’s no astringency until after a few sips. This is very good for an entry level NAS travel retail release.

Additional information
Black Rock is the entry level of the travel retail exclusive range released in 2014. It’s primarily aged in ex-sherry casks. It was discontinued in 2017.

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