Glenfarclas, Speyside

Glenfarclas 12 YO

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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 sweet and fruity. At first there’s a layer of vanilla and honey on top and sweet liqeuer-soaked red berries in the back. There’s a hint of dry smoke floating around as well as hint of sulfur which together create a nice, slightly gritty background. With time the fruitiness settles and the honey becomes the top note. A mix of lemon and ginger can be found in the back. This is a pretty straight forward sherried nose with a nice array of sensations to discover.

Mouth: It starts out with lemon and honey. It then becomes malty and the sherry fruitiness starts to emerge around the edges with raisins and overripe plums within. There’s a dusty texture to it and the smoke and sulfur is still creating a nice gritty background noise. There’s also a good amount of wood spices coming through as well as a hint of the oakiness itself.

Finish: It starts out quite spicy and it feels potent despite the low ABV. The lemon and honey do come through around the edges quite early. When it settles it a nice complex mix of everything emerges. The sherry notes, vanilla, malt, ginger, smoke and sulfur are all fighting for attention in the center of the palate. This leaves room for the oakiness to come through in the surroundings. It’s a very nice oakiness with a lot of hazelnuts within. This is a great whisky which produces a lot of flavours despite the low ABV. It rewards both the explorer and the occasional drinker.

Additional information
The 12 YO was originally intended to be a travel retail exclusive but it’s now part of the distillery’s core range. It’s aged in ex-Oloroso and ex-Fino sherry casks for the entire aging period.

Singleton, Speyside

The Singleton of Dufftown 12 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. Juicy pears and a mild butterscotch are first to present themselves. There is a slight spicyness floating around but it’s not protruding in any way. There are honey and vanilla notes deep down underneath together with a speck of dust. After some time in the glass it gets maltier and the fruitiness changes towards dried apricots. This is a nice and easy nose, but a bit too mild and uneventful.

Mouth: It starts out a bit watery and then the butterscotch sweetness takes lead. After a few seconds it becomes malty and the fruitiness returns. It’s now assorted dried fruits with a lemon note in the background. The oakiness creates a very thin layer surrounding everything. It’s a dry, slightly spicy and bitter oakiness. With patience the dried fruits turns into a feint tropical fruitiness. It’s richer in taste than on the nose.

Finish: There is a small window where the fruitiness comes through before the spotlight turns towards the oak. Vanilla lies on top and there’s a spicy quite bitter note underneath. It doesn’t take long before the oakiness completely takes over and now with its bitter side up front. It’s almost too bitter in the end. There’s a small walnut note coming through and maybe some very dark chocolate. This is a good, solid speysider with a twist in the end.

Additional information
This whisky is matured in both ex-bourbon american oak barrels and ”a high percentage” of ex-sherry european oak casks. This is one of the main components in Bell’s Blended Whisky.

Macallan, Speyside

The Macallan 12 YO – Double 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: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a layer of honey and vanilla sitting on top of fresh red berries. When it settles both cinnamon and a hint of sweet liquorice arrive. There’s a nice balance between the sweetness and the fruitiness. It’s mild and not especially complex. After some time in the glass the fruitiness shifts towards dried assorted fruits with Raisins as well as dried coconut flakes. This is a straight forward nose with a lot of nice things within.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat for a second or two before a mild spicyness builds up. The oak is present in the background from the get-go as well. The fruitiness is much darker compared to the nose with a heavy emphasis on raisins and overripe plums. There are still notes of cinnamon and vanilla and it feels very dessert-like. There’s a fresher fruitiness peeking through from behind but it takes a few seconds before it’s noticable. It doesn’t feel as balanced as on the nose and it feels like the different components never interacts with each other.

Finish: The sherry fruitiness starts out around the edges and the center part feels sort of empty. The fruitiness then moves towards the center to make room for the oakiness around the edges. There’s a hint of orange marmelade coming through as well as raisins and figs. It’s a fresher fruitiness than before. The oakiness is a bit indecisive, with a mix of fresh vanilla and sligthly nutty and bitter oak. There’s a slight spicyness coming from the oak as well. This is a good whisky but it lacks power and feels a bit unbalanced to the taste.

Additional information
This expression from Macallan is matured in a combination of American and European oak for at least 12 years. The american oak casks are also ex-Sherry and haven’t contained any bourbon.

Dalmore, Highlands

The Dalmore Gran Reserva

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dense, sweet and fruity. Honey, liquorice and vanilla fight for attention against a fruitiness from both dark and dried fruits. There’s rum-soaked raisins and sultanas, liqueur-soaked cherries and a fruity red wine. There’s also some dark chocolate with a hint of cinnamon sprinkled on top. The oak is already noticable. The fruity red wine notes, now leaning towards fresh berries, move forward a bit with time in the glass and so does the dark chocolate.

Mouth: At first it’s just sweet but soon the other flavours join in. It’s dark and bitter with raisins, dark chocolate, oak, walnuts and coffee. The vanilla is still in there and so is the red wine note. A touch of spicyness lies on the top of the toungue. The bitterness increase with each sip. It’s slightly astringent.

Finish: The oakiness flare up and basically hogs all the attention from everything else. When it makes way for other flavours a savory note shows up in the middle of the palate. The vanilla reappears but resides in the back. A tropical fruitiness arrives late and comes through within the oakiness creating a nice break from the otherwise dark and bitter flavours. The dark chocolate, liquorice, honey and coffee notes are clinging on to the finish before the oak takes over again.

Additional information
The Gran Reserva is an expression aged for somewhere around 10-15 years. 40 % of its content is aged in first fill american ex-bourbon barrels and 60 % in first fill european ex-Oloroso sherry casks. The marriage period is about 6 months. It’s now discontinued.

Highlands, Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond Inchmurrin 12 YO – The Island Collection

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a mix of honey, vanilla and malt with an apple and pear fruitiness. After a few seconds a nice subtle peatiness starts to show up together with red berries, oranges and a hint of sulfur. With time the fruitiness becomes the main focal point. It is a very well balanced and pleasant nose with a lot of subtle nuances.

Mouth: It starts out with lemons and oranges in the back and a big bunch of apricots and dried tropical fruits up front. In between there’s a sweet malty layer with vanilla and honey. The oak is detectable and sits together with the peat and the sulfur towards the sides. It’s got a nice rich texture to it. A hint of butterscotch and a tiny amount of oak spices appear after a while.

Finish: It starts out with the apricots and oranges up front. Another fruity layer with dried tropical fruits and pears sits in the back and vanilla and oak is floating around in between. The peatiness is now covering the edges and the sulfur is still sitting in the back. The finish is long and the fruitiness follows along a long way down the line. When the oak finally gets to come through it’s a nice oakiness but it’s a bit generic. This is a great whisky with a lot of things to discover.

Additional information
This was rebranded and relaunched in 2015. It’s aged in a combination of first fill, second fill and refurbished newly toasted american ex-bourbon barrels.

Dundee, Unspecified

The Dundee 10 YO – Vintage Reserve

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very sweet and slightly fruity. At first there’s a thick and heavy vanilla and butterscotch sweetness which covers everything else. When it settles a green apple fruitiness comes through together with the grain spirit. It’s very mild and round without any pointy bits. With time the butterscotch and vanilla shifts towards more of a toffee note and a hint of the oak shines through, otherwise it basically stays the same throughout the nosing. This is a decent nose but it’s not especially interesting.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet layer of vanilla and toffee and a metallic and ethanol heavy background. The oakiness pushes through and it’s a bitter and not so pleasant oak. The toffee switches to a metallic butterscotch coming from the grain spirit. There’s also a hint of cinnamon floating around. The fruitiness is less noticable and it feels like there’s a very small variety of red fruits somewhere within. It’s still very mild and round but it doesn’t feel flat.

Finish: The impact is rather weak and uneventful. The metallic butterscotch note returns with the oakiness and a mild minty note. Everything else never really pops up and everything just crumbles and leaves the oakiness behind. It’s not a nice oakiness at all. It feels bitter and intrusive. This is not a good whisky, but it’s a bit better than the average cheap blend. It should be used in cocktails and not consumed neat.

Additional information
This is made by Angus Dundee Distillers. The content is not disclosed, but the company owns two single malt distilleries, which probably contributes to the taste. Those are Tomintoul and Glencadam. The grain whisky part comes from the Lowlands.

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Spirit of Hven Backafallsbyn, Sweden

Spirit of Hven Backafallsbyn – The Nose

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ABV: 44,9 %
Origin: Sweden
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is spicy oak and dark fruits. The oak is very pronounced from the get-go. There are notes of pine and ethanol connected to it which seems to come from the vodka casks. The combination creates a prickly sensation which is rather unpleasant. Underneath lies a layer of undefinable dark ripe fruits and berries. The fruitiness is wrapped in a vanilla coating which becomes sweeter over time. There’s also a hint of green apples coming through from the back. After a while a hint of sulfur and peat starts to emerge which gives it a nice depth. This is a very busy nose which seems rather unbalanced and a bit over-oaked. It’s an interesting exploration nevertheless.

Mouth: It starts out with a fruity sweetness together with the same piney oakiness as on the nose but it’s now a bit less prominent. It’s still not a great addition to the whole though. It takes a few seconds before the sweetness and fruitiness starts to give out vanilla and ripe red grapes with a hint of lemon in the back. The peat and the sulfur are still creating a nice gritty background but it’s overrun by the top notes. It’s still very busy and sort of unbalansed, but a lot better than on the nose.

Finish: When the initial impact subsides the first thing to push through is a mix of the peat, vanilla and the oakiness which now has shifted and started producing a nice hazelnut nuttiness. It finally seems to have found its balance between the flavours and the late finish is actually pretty good. The gritty background seem to follow along in the late finish which gives a pleasant experience in the end. This is a good whisky which seems a bit over-engineered and all over the place. It’s a nice exploration but not the best tasting whisky out there. And ironically, the nose is the worst part of the journey.

Additional information
This single malt is aged for at least 8 years in a mix of 21 casks. 14 Querqus Petraea french ex-wine casks and 7 american Querqus Muehlenbergii casks, some virgin oak, some ex-vodka. It’s then been married in spanish Querqus Robur ex-Oloroso casks.

Speyside, Tomintoul

Tomintoul With a Peaty Tang

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a pleasant mix of butterscotch, vanilla and a toned down savory peat smoke coming through as a cohesive center. When the initial impact resides a hint of marzipan and a slightly metallic note is also detectable. It feels young and slightly harsh. The butterscotch note increases in intensity over time. This is a decent nose for a budget whisky.

Taste: It starts out very mild and approachable with the sweetness, with notes of honey, butter and toffee as the most prominent feature. There’s also fresh oak and a heathery peat layer that covers the mouth. Some oak spices show up after a short while and bring some walnuts along. It’s still coming through as quite young.

Finish: A very mild mint develops over the sweetness. Some assorted green fruits shows up quite unexpectedly underneath. The vanilla and butterscotch notes follow along but die rather quickly. A hint of bitterness shows up in late in the finish together with the oakiness. It’s a short finish with a mild floral peat note lingering when everything else disappears. This is a decent budget whisky. It’s a bit flat and uneventful but There are som nice flavours presented.

Additional information
The peaty tang is a mix between 6 YO peated whisky (55ppm) and older unpeated whiskies. It’s matured in refill ex-bourbon barrels.

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Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie Legends – The Duthac

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. It starts out with a mix of assorted fresh fruits and berries with a vanilla coating. There’s a laid back oakiness sitting around the edges and a honey and liquorice sweetness. With time in the glass a tropical fruitiness starts to come through from the back as well as a feint charcoal smokiness. The overlying fresh fruitiness becomes clearer and reveals rapsberries and lemon, but are soon joined by ripe darker fruits. This is a nice nose overall which seems balanced between the components.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and malty. It takes a while for the fruitiness to arrive and when it does, it seems less fresh and leans more towards a mix of overripe and dried fruits. The oakiness is creating an outside layer and creates a bitter black coffee bitterness. The whole is less fruity than the nose and not nearly as balanced. The sweetness is quite clingy and syrypy.

Finish: It starts out with a mild spicyness and a small dip in flavour except for the clingy sweetness. When the fruitiness returns it once again produces the nice mix of overripe red berries and a mix of dried tropical fruits. The oakiness is still creating an outside layer with a coffee note and a feint hint of charcoal. There’s also coconut coming through in the finish. This is a good whisky with a very nice nose.

Additional information
The Duthac is a part of Glenmorangie’s travel retail series called Legends. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon barrels and combined with whisky finished in ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks and charred virgin oak casks.

Glenfiddich, Speyside

Glenfiddich 15 YO – Unique Solera Reserve

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very fruity and sweet. Baked red apples and honey create a core with ripe bananas and a hint of flowers surrounding it. A layer of aromatic oak sits in the back creating a nice richness to it. There’s also a vanilla note somewhere in between. The age shows with a nice hint of dustiness and well-rounded distillate. A sour lemon note can be found somewhere in the background.

Mouth: It starts out honey sweet with some dustiness within. It soon turns towards a slightly more bitter character and astringent dry oakiness comes through before the fruitiness kicks in. A bit of spicyness comes through together with baked red apples with cinnamon and toffee. The oakiness brings some coffee and hazelnuts.

Finish: The oak is very up front from the get-go. It’s very aromatic and dry. A spicy note hits the tip of the toungue before the sweetness and fruitiness come through. Apples, cinnamon, vanilla and toffee are all found once again. The oak is still very much in focus. It still delivers notes of hazelnuts and coffee. It’s astringent, especially after a few sips. Far down the finish a hint of anise appears. This is an easy sipper and a dessert in a glass.

Additional information
The Glenfiddich 15 YO is aged in european ex-sherry casks, first fill, and refill american ex-bourbon barrels. It is then married together in a 50 000 liter big solera vatting tun that is never emptied below the halfway point.

Glenrothes, Speyside

GlenRothes Robur 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: This is sweet and fruity. At first there are a lot of vanilla, red berries and oranges. Just underneath lies a thin layer of darker ripe plums and raisins. There’s also a floral note somewhere in between. It’s got a light character with a minty note on top but there’s a slightly complex sulfur and malt note coming from the background which gives it a nice three-dimensional character, but it’s fighting against a younger distillate with some sharp egdes to it. This is a nice nose overall. It feels a bit rough around the edges though.

Mouth: It starts out with a mild vanilla and malt sweetness on top with dried fruits and a hint of sulfur in the back. The fresher fruits have taken a step back, but there is a hint of orange peel and lemon in the back. It’s very round, easy to approach and gives a nice setting for the sherry cask notes which at this point covers the slight harshness of the somewhat young distillate.

Finish: The initial impact is a bit too mild and weak. It takes a second before the malt and the vanilla starts to awaken and for the fruitiness to return. The fruitiness is now spreading out in the background with mainly an orange peel fruity bitter note. It co-exists with a nice nutty oakiness and a slightly savory note in the back. The oakiness slowly moves forwards and the late finish is very nice. This is a good whisky with a lot to offer despite the low ABV. It ought to be a good introduction to sherried whiskies.

Additional information
The Robur Reserve is a travel retail exclusive release. It’s been aged in first fill european ex-Oloroso sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time.

Japan, Tenjaku

Tenjaku

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Japan
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and unpleasant. At first there’s a very sharp ethanol layer on top. Underneath there’s another layer with generic sweetness, vanillin and a metallic note. It’s very thin and grain spirit heavy. There’s a soapy note somewhere around the edges which can be described as floral or, with some imagination, green apples. This is a really unpleasant nose overall.

Mouth: It starts out with a metallic sweetness and the grain spirit up front. It takes a few seconds before other flavours appear. A thin maltiness and apples appear which makes it a bit better. The oak starts to shine through and a clingy butterscotch note soon takes over everything. There’s a bitterness coming through from the back which isn’t helping it along. It becomes much sweeter with time in the glass.

Finish: The finish starts out with basically every flavour just disappearing and it almost immidiately moves towards the oakiness. It starts out as a quite generic oakiness but then a very nice tropical fruitiness with a hint of cocnut appear, and the late finish ends up being the best part of the journey. This is not a very good whisky when considered as a neat pour.

Additional information
This japanese blend is supposed to be made from japanese made distillates only. The grain part is corn heavy. It’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 3-5 years.

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Glen Garioch, Highlands

Glen Garioch 12 YO

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. Vanilla and honey creates a warm and comforting center. On the outside there’s a combination of black liquorice and anise root. Dark and dried fruit notes from the sherry, mainly raisins and ripe plums, sit all the way out on the edges. It’s quite dusty and the maltiness comes through as a bread note somewhere in the back. This is a quite complex and interesting nose.

Mouth: The first thing to come up is a bright fruitiness. Red berries and lemon are followed by a nice spicyness. It’s still quite dusty and the vanilla is still in there. The honey sweetness is reduced compared to the nose. It’a quite dense and malty. The raisins comes through after a while when the fruitiness becomes darker. A bitterness grows slowly on the edges and after a while it reveals the oakiness. The sherry notes move forward with time in the glass.

Finish: A layer of dust lies on top of the now clear dark sherry notes. It’s black grapes, ripe plums and raisins together with black liquorice. It’s still malty and dense and the bread note reappears. The oak arrives late, but when it does it comes with some great flavours such as walnuts and dark chocolate. There’s even a nice little touch of tropical fruits.

Additional information
This 12 YO was released as a core range whisky in 2010. It’s aged in a combination of american ex-bourbon oak barrels and ex-sherry casks. It’s unchillfilitered and has natural colour.

AnCnoc, Highlands, Knockdhu, Speyside

AnCnoc Sherry Cask Finish – Peated Edition

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is mild peat and dried fruits. At first there’s a mix of fruits with a sour baseline and top notes of dark berries and dried fruits. Close behind is a mild smokiness with tobacco and a hint of leather. There’s also a generic sweetness mostly connected to the fruitiness. A hint of vanilla creates a thin line through everything. The sweetness moves foward and becomes honey with time in the glass. There’s also a menthol cloud above everything else. It feels very shallow and there’s a lack of background notes. It’s a nice nose but everything is presented up front as if it’s trying to hide something underneath.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweetness up front, a bitterness in the middle and a metallic sour note in the back. It’s very mild but a spicyness do show up after a few seconds. There’s a slight sprinkle of dust and a cardboard note within which is less than pleasant. The bitterness becomes louder as the peat and fruits move to the sides. It’s still a mild peatiness and a handful of dried assorted fruits. The bitterness seems to be generic, but it’s closer to coffee and cocoa than a bitter nuttiness. There’s a butterscotch note showing up in the mix, but it takes a while to arrive.

Finish: The peat and fruits stay at the sides during the transition and the sweetness goes away then shows up again together with the butterscotch. It’s now a bit further back than before. There’s still a metallic note in the back and the bitterness in the center. As the oakiness start to take over it merges with the bitter notes and create a nice enough oakiness. It’s not a long finish and in the end it’s just a dry oakiness and a metallic note left in the mouth. This is a budget whisky and it feels like the sherry cask finish is there to do a cover-up. It will work just fine as a background dram, but falls short when scrutinized.

Additional information
This whisky is made at the Knockdhu distillery. It’s matured in american oak casks and finished in ex-sherry butts. This is exclusive to the swedish market.

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Ben Nevis, Highlands

Ben Nevis 10 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and acidic. At first there’s a strong vinegar note with a honey and vanilla base close behind. There’s a floral quality to it, but it’s like a generic air freshener scent. There is a dirty rubbery peatiness covering the edges of the glass which gives it an interesting touch. There’s also an IPA note to be found as well as notes of lemon peel. This is kind of an odd nose. It’s not bad, but it’s kind of protruding and sharp. It does settle a bit with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and malty with bitter and sour notes coming through. In the middle sits a speck of dust, wet hay, honey and vanilla. On the edges there are lemon peel and in between the IPA maltiness and the dirty rubbery note reside. A touch of chilli spicyness builds up after a few seconds. The vinegar and the floral notes are not as pronounced as on the nose, but the floral notes do sit like a thin cloud over everything else.

Finish: Honey and dry soil are immidiately pushed forward and covers most of the other flavours for a couple of seconds. When they settle the rubbery note reveals itself together with lemon and a very nice oakiness. It’s grey and old sun-dried wood with a touch of hazelnuts. The finish is very long and when everything else settle there’s a realization that the floral notes are still creating a thin cloud above everything else. This is a great whisky with a so-and-so nose.

Additional information
The cask types used in this 10 YO from Ben Nevis aren’t disclosed and there’s not much information to be had regarding this whisky.

Glen Moray, Speyside

Glen Moray Elgin Classic – Peated Single Malt

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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 fresh fruits and peat. The first impact is a wet peatiness with notes of fresh grass and heather together with a red apple fruitiness. Behind the peat there’s a young and rather unpleasant spirit note with a cardboard feel to it. It brings notes of green apples, chalk and with time toffee builds up in the center as well as a honey sweetness. This is not a great nose. it’s young, spirit driven and a bit flat.

Mouth: At first there’s a generic butterscotch note coming through as well as a young, rather unpleasant distillate. After a short while the peatiness starts to take over the whole center of the palate. It’s a bit metallic and it’s got a mineral side to it. It’s also floral with heather as a main note. The honey sweetness and a tiny black pepper spicyness start to come through as well as sweet liquorice. There’s also a feint fresh fruitiness with apples and bitter lemon in the background.

Finish: There’s a small gap where most of the flavours dip, but when they return it’s with the minerals and a mild black pepper. After a short visit from the honey sweetness and the peat, the finish just about crashes and leaves a very fresh oak note. The peat and some liquorice return for a short background visit. It’s somewhat metallic throughout. This is a so and so budget whisky. It lacks complexity and refinement but it’s a decent quality for the money.

Additional information
This was released in 2015 and is a part of Glen Moray’s core range. It’s aged for about 7 years in american ex-bourbon barrels. The peat level is about 15-20 ppm.

Glenkinchie, Lowlands

Glenkinchie 12 YO

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Lowlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a big hit of apples and pears covered in honey. There’s also a floral side to it which sort of floats on top. Vanilla and a hint of oak are slowly emerging towards the edges of the glass. In the back there are both a sour lemon and a slightly bready note. There’s also a very mild menthol layer somewhere in between the floral and the fruity notes. This is a nice and straight forward nose without any complexity, but it doesn’t come through as boring.

Mouth: It starts out with a mix of sweet and sour. The sweetness moves forward and the sourness moves to the back which leaves room for a maltiness and some fruits in the middle. There are now grapes coming through which gives it a white wine aura. The fruitiness is somewhat subdued and the floral notes increase in intensity with time. There’s a sprinkle of dust as well as some earthy notes floating around inside. After a while the lemon note turns somewhat bitter, which actually works very well with the other flavours.

Finish: The menthol layer returns for a second or two but the rest of the flavours don’t really let it take over. It still produces the floral and fruity white wine notes, the bitter lemon and now there’s a toffee note peeking through in the middle as well. The oakiness makes a late entrance and it’s not the most interesting oak. It’s there but it lacks a bit of character. This is a very good whisky which produces some nice flavours. It’s quite mild which makes it a good choice for those who are new to whisky.

Additional information
This is one of the whiskies in the Diageo series ”The classic malts of Scotland”. It was released as the entry level of the core range in 2007. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon oak barrels.

Highlands, Tomatin

Tomatin 14 YO – Port Casks

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweetness and dark fruits. There are raisins and vanilla with a minty overlay. Behind that there are notes of honey and sweet liquorice which create a nice depth and richness. Black grapes show up after a while and they come through somewhere in the middle of the vanilla note. The liquorice is moving forward and becomes darker and more concentrated. There is a brighter fruitiness showing up in the back with a hint of green apples. This is nice and quite complex.

Mouth: It starts out very sweet and peppery. The fruitiness comes through, at first bright then moving towards the dark side. Ripe plums are now added to the raisins and black grapes. The sweetness is dark syryp. A savory and ”rubbery” note is sitting in the dead center of everything and it’s surrounded by vanilla and raisins. After a few seconds it turns a bit bitter when the dry oak comes through.

Finish: A minty breeze pass by before a thick sweetness with syryp and honey takes over. The fruitiness is consistant throughout with the same notes coming through. There’s still a savory note in the middle. The oak is dry and dusty with a chalky texture and taste. There’s a nice amount of bitterness and some hazelnuts. And as a surprise, a tobacco note is found at the very end.

Additional information
This was added to the core range in 2014 and is matured in american ex-bourbon oak barrels for 12-13 years and finished in first fill Tawny port pipes for up to 2 years.

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Knockando, Speyside

Knockando 15 YO – Vintage 1999

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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 sweet and fruity. At first there’s a mix of sweet liquorice, fruits and vanilla with a minty freshness on top. The fruitiness is a mix of green apples and ripe berries with an emphasis on the apples. There’s also a gentle oakiness which sits along the edges of the glass surrounding everything else. A hint of dusty old books can be found but it’s well hidden in the background. With time in the glass it becomes a bit sweeter and a honey note starts to emerge. This is a nice nose with plenty of things to discover.

Mouth: It starts out very mild, sweet and malty. After a few seconds a ripe fruitiness comes through as well as a mild black pepper. There’s a floral undertone and a vanilla and honey background. It’s got a nice texture to it and there’s a nice richness overall. The oakiness is present but it lets the other flavours shine. There’s also a pinch of salt somewhere in the middle. The fruitiness is very hard to pinpoint and it feels like a basket of assorted fresh fruits with some ripe berries on top.

Finish: The minty freshness return from the start of the finish as well as the malty and sweet core. The fruitiness is still a mixed bag of different varieties. The old books comes through as well as the oakiness and the vanilla. There’s also a feint marzipan sweetness within. In the late finish all the flavours slowly fade except for the oakiness which stays constant throughout. It a nice oakiness with a nutty character without being bitter or protruding. There’s also a savory note which lingers in the background. This is a very nice whisky which never gets boring.

Additional information
This expression is part of the Knockando core range and it’s aged in european ex-sherry casks and american refill ex-bourbon barrels.

Ballantine’s, Miltonduff, Speyside

Ballantine’s Miltonduff 15 YO

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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. At first there’s a sweet layer with honey, vanilla and black liquorice. Underneath a baked red apple and a maltiness gets mixed with yellow pears and a decent amount of oak. With time in the glass it just grows sweeter and it feels very dessert-like. It’s a nice enough, very straight forward nose without any shifts or surprises.

Mouth: It starts out with the maltiness up front with a sprinkle of black pepper on top. A somewhat unpleasant bitter oakiness spreads in the back. The fruitiness is subdued and doesn’t contribute much to the whole. There’s also an ethanol layer coming through which isn’t all that nice. It feels way younger than its age and it just doesn’t produce anything good at this point. After a few seconds a hint of vanilla and honey shows up but it’s too little too late.

Finish: A small increase in fruitiness, the same red apples and yellow pears, starts out the finish but it disappears as fast as it shows up. Afterwards the maltiness together with a thin honey and vanilla sweetness takes over. Everything except the oak disappears quite fast. The oakiness is still a bit bitter but not in an especially good way. In the late finish the oak actually becomes a bit nutty with a hazelnut quality to it which is nice. This is a so and so whisky which doesn’t live up to the age statement. The nose is simple but by far the best part of the experience.

Additional information
Miltonduff is one of the cornerstones of the Ballantine’s blends. This 15 YO was released in 2017 and is aged in american ex-bourbon barrels.

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