Islay, Lagavulin

Lagavulin 8 YO – 200th Anniversary Edition

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very ashy, warm and sweet. There are big honey, vanilla and butterscotch flavours and the oak is surrounding its sweet heart. There’s a salty, seaweed, ocean note coming through from the distillate. A hint of lemon is the only fruity contribution. There’s also a fresh minty breeze. It has some fresh youthness to it, but not in a harsh way. It complements the ashy notes and makes it pop from the glass. This is a very good, simple peaty nose.

Mouth: It starts out honey sweet and spicy. The peat still shows up as ashes, but it’s not as dry as on the nose. The lemon finds a friend in some green apples. Overall it’s still salty and peaty. There’s some vanilla cream in the background which gives a nice base to the sweetness. It’s very viscous and oily on the palate

Finish: First comes a big spicy burst before it switches to an ashy and sweet character once again. There’s a savory bacon note coming along with the salty notes. The cask influence is strong but the oak is laid back. It’s not dry nor astringent. The honey, vanilla and butterscotch show up, stay a while and then fade away to give room to the ashy peat, which stays long after everything else. It’s a very pleasant finish overall. This is a great, straight forward peaty whisky.

Additional information
This was a special release in 2016. It has since then been added to the core range. It’s aged in refill american ex-bourbon oak barrels. The release is an homage to a statement from journalist Alfred Barnard in the 1880’s, referring to an 8 YO Lagavulin as ”exceptionally fine”.

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Australia, Starward

Starward Fortis

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: Australia
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was aged in american oak ex-Australian red wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Australia, Starward

Starward Nova

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ABV: 41 %
Origin: Australia
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was aged in ex-Australian red wine casks for about 2 years. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Australia, Starward

Starward Left-Field

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Australia
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was aged in french oak ex-Australian red wine casks. This is released exclusively on the european market.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Blaaack Committee Release

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ABV: 50.7 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet peat and red berries. The initial impact is quite medicinal and rowdy. After a few seconds a sweet, rounded baseline emerges with notes of hot burning wood together with unscented lotion and vanilla cream. On top there are iodine and salty coastal notes. The fruitiness starts to come through as an outer layer and slowly takes over. It’s overripe black grapes and plums. There’s also a cooling mint effect up front. This is an interesting nose.

Mouth: At first the vanilla sweetness and the warm peatiness swells up. It’s still hot burning wood and now there’s a hay note coming through. It’s quite mild and the red wine influence has a juicy vibe to it with fresh red and black berries. There are still coastal notes and a small touch of iodine, but those are pushed back into the background. It’s slightly astringent and the oakiness shines through in the background.

Finish: A minty cloud passes by before the juicy berries and the warm peatiness return. The medicinal and coastal notes still reside in the background and the finish mirrors the mouth very well. The whole thing feels slightly subdued. The oak is fashionably late, but when it arrives it’s a very tasty nutty oakiness with hazelnuts a hint of dust on top. The overripe grapes and plums return as a thin note following along through the entire finish. This is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Additional information
The Blaack is a 2020 limited release exclusive to the Ardbeg committee members. It’s aged in ex-Pinot Noir wine casks from New Zealand. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park Single Cask Series Thyra Danebod – Dronning av Danmark

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ABV: 62.8 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was aged in a refill puncheon for 12 years (2007-2020). This is cask no. 4939 and it’s limited to 568 bottles.

Islay, Lagavulin

Lagavulin 12 YO Special Release 2023 – The ink of Legends

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ABV: 56.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was first aged in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in Don Julio Añejo Tequila casks. This is a limited release.

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Johnny Walker, Unspecified

Johnny Walker Blue Label

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland Unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
Johnny Walker doesn’t disclose age, distilleries or casks used. The bottle tried here is no. OA2 72650.

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Glenallachie, Highlands

Glenallachie 11 YO – Moscatel Wood Finish

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ABV: 48 %
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 thick honey and vanilla sweetness. Close behind are a layer of bright and juicy fruits. There’s also heather and toffee creating a nice background together with a peppermint freshness. It feels very there-dimensional and textured. With time in the glass the sweetness mellows out and it becomes more balanced overall. This is a very nice and balanced nose with small nuances to discover.

Mouth: It starts out very sweet and malty. There’s a big surge of ABV spicyness pushing through slowly from the get-go. A very pleasant fruitiness with peaches and lemon comes through from behind and there’s a slight bitterness in the background which is attached to a dry oakiness. Over time everything seem to merge into one big mass with sweet, sour and bitter extensions. It even has a salty overtone to it. This is really playing to a lot of different senses.

Finish: It starts out with another ABV spicyness surge but it’s less powerful than the initial one. The first thing to come through is a big basket of peaches. The salty overtones remain as well. it’s less sweet and bitter than in the mouth and the peaches remain the main focal point throughout the finish. The honey and vanilla notes are residing on the edges. With time a nice but somewhat anonymous oakiness fills the background and that supports the fruitiness and creates an extra dimension. This is a great whisky which has a lot to offer, both in smell, taste and sensations.

Additional information
This is a part of Glenallachie’s Wood Finish Series. It’s aged for over 9 years in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in ex-Moscatel casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Smoketrails – Manzanilla Edition (2022)

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

Tasting notes

Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mineral rich and warm peatiness with a side note of unscented lotion. When it settles it becomes sweeter and a layer of ripe fruits and almonds start to form around the center but there’s also a small fresher green fruitiness in the back. The nuttiness increases with time and the sweetness from the ripe notes mellows the peatiness and creates a nicely balanced, yet very peaty, profile. The peatiness contains notes of smoked ham and a hint of oak as well. This is a great nose overall with a lot to offer. There’s a shift from rowdy to settled which is really nice to follow along with.

Mouth: It starts out with a bit milder than expected. The first thing to arrive is a mix of sweet honey, ripe berries, black coffee and a lemon note in the back. It doesn’t take long before the very mineral rich peatiness comes rushing in together with a peppery spicyness and some burnt toast. There’s a menthol overlay and the coffee note moves to the back. It feels slightly chaotic and lacks balance at this point. It has good flavours, but they’re not working together.

Finish: The transition slowly pulls everything together again and the sweetness, the ripe notes and the peatiness all just line up and merge. The Black pepper spicyness stays on the edges of the palate and let’s everything shine. There’s umami, minerals and warm oaky peat moving everything along. At one point there’s a wet sock note which is sort of odd, but it disappears quickly and the late finish is all about an oaky warm campfire with a hint of nuts and ripe fruit on the side. This is a great whisky. It’s nowhere near perfect and feels a bit unbalanced at times, but it still delivers a solid and interesting experience.

Additional information
This limited travel retail exclusive whisky was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and manzanilla sherry casks from Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bunnahabhain, Islay

Bunnahabhain Cruach-Mhòna

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

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky is a limited peated release exclusive to travel retail. There is no information about maturation period or casks used. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands, Lagg

Lagg Inaugural Release 2022 Batch 1

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is peaty and sour. At first there’s a hefty, yet slightly brittle, peatiness. Underneath lies a sweet and sour honey and lemon mix. The whole thing feels very clean and well made but it is quite simple and straight forward. There’s vanilla, and an ashy side to the peat is coming through, but not much more than that. When it starts to settle in the glass there’s oakiness slowly emerging around the edges. This is a nice nose which feels decently balanced but it lacks complexity and feels a bit boring.

Mouth: It starts out with a much bigger and powerful character compared to the nose. It’s peppery and quite bitter in the background. In the middle the peatiness feels chewy and unrefined. After a while there’s a return of the vanilla. The oakiness is pushing through strong at this point and the whole comes through as a bit unpleasant. Underneath there’s a hint of the sweet and sour notes and a thin green apple note. There’s a weird undefined note floating around in the back as well.

Finish: The spicyness shifts to become a pepparmint throughout the transition. When it settles the peat once again turns a bit brittle and has no chance against a quite strong oakiness. It feels unbalanced and the lack of age is really shining through here. There are notes of leather and hay, but all in all it’s just the oakiness which is left in the end. It’s a bland oakiness which lacks character. This is a good inaugural release which shows some promise going forward. But this as a standalone whisky is not the best thing in the world.

Additional information
This whisky is the first release from Arran’s new distillery. It was aged in ex-bourbon barrels. The PPM value is 50. 10 000 bottles was released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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India, Woodburns

Woodburns Contemporary Indian Whisky

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ABV: 42.8 %
Origin: India
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mild woodsmoke peatiness with a vanilla rich sweetness attached to it. Underneath is a mix of liquorice, green fruits and ginger. On top there’s a menthol layer floating around. When it settles there’s a toffee note forming in the center and the vanilla becomes even more pronounced. With time it shifts back to be peat oriented. This is a very good nose. It lacks a lot of power and complexity but somewhat makes up for it with a balanced nose overall.

Mouth: It starts out very mild and sweet with a hint of black pepper on top and a small green fruitiness underneath. When it develops, the vanilla returns together with a fresh oakiness and some butterscotch. The peatiness increases its precence out on the edges and it’s still a campfire smokiness but it feels a bit ”wetter” and ”earthier” than before. The whole feels quite clean and well made, but as time passes it becomes quite unbalanced and a bit too oaky. The peat fight against it but loses the battle fairly quick.

Finish: The transition is quite uneventful and a lot of the flavours disappears for a good while. At this point a lot of the flavours never return and the peat and oak are what remain. It doesn’t take long before it becomes all about a fresh oakiness which is dry and overpowering. The finish is not long and the last bit is somewhat like chewing on a piece of oak. This is a good whisky overall. It’s clean and simple and uses fresh wood to overcome the lack of age and complexity, which unfortunatly never works.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in barrels made by the ”finest coopers in the country”. It’s made from 100 % indian malt.

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Speyburn, Speyside

Speyburn 10 YO

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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 sweet and fruity. At first there’s a very spirity layer on top and it’s quite unpleasant from the get-go. Underneath lies a mix of honey, vanilla, green apples and a hint of vinegar. A hint of liquorice is also present. It almost comes through as a blended whisky. The whole becomes sweeter over time and there’s a butterscotch sweetness in the center. The spirity note resides over time and the fruitiness becomes less sharp. This is not the greatest nose. It feels cheap and spirity.

Mouth: It starts out with a very harsh spirity layer and it still feels like a cheap blend. There’s a bitterness in the back and a bland butterscotch in the center. The apples are more like baked red apples now and there’s a nice but unfitting layer of violets on top. The honey is still in there as well but nothing really helps it to shy away from the harshness of it all. A hint of lemon and ginger can be found, as well as heather, malt and a thin veil of tobacco.

Finish: The transition doubles down on the harsh spirity note. It still feels like a blend and the butterscotch notes do stay for a second or two before everything dies down. In this case that’s a good thing. It feels quite metallic in the mouth at this point. The oakiness is left to fend for itself and it’s a decent oakiness with a nutty side to it. The late finish is the best part of the journey. This is a weird whisky and it’s not a great one. It’s harsh and spirity while trying to be a easy accessible fruity speysider.

Additional information
This whisky was aged for in ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks. This is the standard core range version.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Arrrrrrrdbeg!

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ABV: 51.8 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is green fruits and peat. At first there’s a green pear and apple fruitiness with a spicy, mineral heavy peatiness. When it settles a layer of minty candy cane gets mixed into the fruitiness. There’s vanilla and, when given time, an unscented lotion note as well. The oakiness is present as an outside layer together with the peat which create a warm burnt woodfire note. The rye is also in there, but it’s not especially ”bready”. This is a great nose which feels lively and there’s a lot of things to discover.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and spicy with a big dose of peppermint spreading out. Underneath the peat still comes through as mineral heavy with an aura of burnt wood. The rye sits a bit back on the palate and gives the whole thing a quite unique character in combination with the peatiness. There’s a bitterness coming through from the back as well as some coastal notes. The fruitiness is now almost completely gone.

Finish: The transition starts with small increase of the spicyness before it turns to a mix of oak, peat and rye bread. The sweetness has subsided and it’s more focused on the bitter side which has a hazelnut vibe to it when combined with the oakiness. The longer the finish last, the more of the rye bread and the oak comes through. The fruitiness peeks through as well. The peatiness moves out to an outer layer and stays a good while down the late finish. It becomes somewhat astingent in the end. This is a great whisky with a very interesting profile.

Additional information
The Arrrrrrrdbeg! is a limited committee release celebrating Mickey Heads retirement. It’s aged for an undisclosed amount of time in ex-rye casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie 10 YO – The Original

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and malty. At first there’s a very clean and simple sweetness with a mild vanilla and honey tone mixed with a slightly sour maltiness. It’s very laid back and never really pops out of the glass. When it settles there’s a lemony freshness on top of a very balanced center with the sweetness and a hint of liquorice. This is a good nose. It lacks power and complexity but comes through as very deliberate in its simple profile.

Mouth: It starts out with a honey sweetness and a very clear maltiness. A sweet and sour character quickly forms and it feels logical in comparison to the nose. It’s still fresh and simple and, even though it’s a bit too mild, it has a gentle spicyness spreading out over the palate. The sour notes is stronger in the back and the sweetness occupies the front, but they come together nicely in the center.

Finish: The transition is mild and the spicyness keeps on spreading throughout the palate. It’s still a mild experience through. The mix of sweet and sour becomes even more integrated and when a nice, gentle oakiness arrives out on the edges, it seems to match the other flavours balance wise. The oakiness is a mix of dried old grey oak and slightly younger oak, but they mix well and never becomes too oaky. There’s a slight hazelnut note coming through as well. The honey and liquorice notes follow along throughout the finish. This is a very good whisky. It lacks power and complexity but feels well made, clean and made with thought.

Additional information
This is the base for Glenmorangie’s core range. It’s aged in first and second fill american ex-bourbon barrels. It’s distilled in the highest stills in Scotland, which makes it a very refined whisky.

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Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park Spirit of the Bear

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This was released in 2018 as a travel retail exclusive. It’s aged in a mix of first fill sherry-seasoned european and american oak casks and refill casks. It has a higher proportion of peated malt. It has natural colour.

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Daftmill, Lowlands

Daftmill 2010 – Summer Batch Release

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Lowlands
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a delicate mix of fresh yellow and green fruits and vanilla with a maltiness attached to it. When it settles the vanilla increases in intensity and the fruits shift and become a mix of juicy yellow pears and a lemon freshness with a light floral note on top. There’s a big spoon of honey as well. This is a nice nose with a balance between the flavours overall. It lacks complexity and does have the characteristics of a small artisan distillery with a hard to describe ”unpolished” maltiness.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweetness surrounding the palate and a slightly astringent center part. The lemon sourness is also found around the edges, but mainly in the back. The vanilla are joined by a dark chocolate, liquorice, ginger and a nice peppery spicyness. The yellow pears are not especially noticable at this point. There’s an oakiness which feels integrated in the whole which makes it very tannic and astringent.

Finish: The lemon starts the transition from the back together with a dark chocolate bitterness. The oakiness is immidiatly taking over with a vanilla rich new oak note. It becomes more and more tannic and astringent over time and the late finish is not pleasant at all. The dark chocolate note comes and goes and almost become a black coffee note at times. The liquorice note is following along as well. This is a good whisky which clearly has the small distillery vibe to it. The oakiness is too aggressive overall which brings it down a little.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in 25 ex-bourbon barrels. It was distilled in 2010 and bottled in 2021. 6250 bottles were released. It has natural colour.

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Big Peat, Douglas Laing, Independent bottlers, Islay

Douglas Laing’s Big Peat Christmas 2017 Limited Edition

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ABV: 54.1 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Blended Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a very savory, honeyglazed liquid bacon peatiness with an ashy campfire overlay. It’s mineral rich with a young and spirity iodine note. There’s not much complexity to the whole and it’s slightly metallic in the back. This is a very good nose with a straight forward, well executed peat driven character.

Mouth: It starts out by coating the palace with a mixed sweetness. It doesn’t take long before a very spicy and dry peatiness arrives. It’s very ashy and has tobacco, minerals and umami notes within. Honey and a touch of vanilla are present, as well as a dried oak note. It’s young and rowdy and still come through as very straight forward with a focus on the peat effect.

Finish: The ashiness increases throughout the transition and the character becomes slightly different. The peatiness loses many flavours and becomes a bit boring. There’s a bitterness in the back and a weird, slightly unpleasant note somewhere in the middle. In the late finish it’s just a burnt oak dried oak. This is a good whisky which delivers its promise. The peat have interesting sides to it which makes the experience a nice experience.

Additional information
Douglas Laing released Big Peat Christmas Edition for the first time in 2011. This 2017 edition contains whiskies from 7 islay distilleries. Named distilleries are Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila and Port Ellen. It’s cask strength, has natural colour and it’s unchillfiltered.

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Lochlea, Lowlands

Lochlea Our Barley

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Lowlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of first fill ex-bourbon barrels, ex-Oloroso sherry casks and STR rioja barriques. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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For the love of all things whisky/whiskey