Etikettarkiv: island whisky review

Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

Arran 15 YO Rare Batch – French Oak: Bordeaux

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ABV: 52.8 %
Origin: Islands
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 menthol layer sitting on top of a sweet and fruity layer which consists of vanilla and liqeuer-soaked red berries. In the background there’s a small, dark and gritty complexity which consists of raisins, oil and just a hint of sulfur. When it settles it becomes sweeter and slightly sour. The lemon note can be found as a part of the center and in the back. The whole thing is a bit laid back and doesn’t pop out of the glass, but it still comes through as quite easy to access. This is a great nose with a little bit of everything nicely put in its place.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet shell of coconut and vanilla. It’s a big contrast between the richness of the nose compared to the initial impact in the mouth. It’s immidiately rich and complex and there’s too much going on to really describe what’s happening. There’s a mix of fresh fruits, lemon, dark fruits and everything sits in a nice, floral vanilla and lemon center part. There’s also the oily and gritty note within, as well as notes of age, like dust, old wood and leather. It almost feels slightly smoky as well. It’s just an absolutely amazing experience at this point.

Finish: At the start of the transition the dusty notes move first and take seat on top. There’s a surge of spicyness which for the first time reveals its high ABV. It does hide some of the other flavours for a while before it starts to fade. The coconut is still in there and sits together with the dust and the floral notes on top of everything else. The center part is very sweet and fruity but it’s now moving towards the sour lemon note. The finish is long and it sort of sits in this manner for a good while without any changes. When it finally fades it reveals a slightly bitter and dry oakiness which feels slightly underwhelming. This is a great whisky with a fantastic middle part of the journey. It’s an explorer’s dram through and through.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in french oak casks which previously held red wine from The mêdoc region north of Bordeaux. 2580 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Islands

Arran The Smuggler’s Series Volume 2 – The High Seas

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ABV: 55.4 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and slightly peaty. It starts out with a sweet layer of vanilla, honey and coconut. Underneath lies a nail polish remover note and a mild earthy peat. When it starts to settle in the glass the nail polish remover mixes with the vanilla and becomes like a minty piece of candy. It becomes maltier and a bit peatier over time. There is a fruity side to it but it’s somewhat hidden by the other flavours. When it shows, it’s a whiff of peaches as a top note. This is a nice but slightly sharp nose with a nice development in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with a juniper note and soon becomes quite peppery. The sweetness mixes with a bitter tang in the center and while the peatiness builds up in the back. There’s a savory note in the back as well as some seasalt. It soon becomes slightly astringent and oaky. The peach note and the coconut are still in there but gets overrun by the spicyness quite quick. It’s feels a bit double-edged where one side feels young and rough while the other is aged and delivers dusty notes and leather.

Finish: The peppery notes spike as the dusty and fruity notes finally make a real appearance. It’s lemon (with a metallic note) on the outside and peaches, now attached to a dusty wood note in the back. The peat is still savory and resides on top of the palate. The sweetness is generic sugar sweetness mixed up in everything else and it’s very toned down. It still is a bit salty in the finish and stays that way while the oakiness takes over with the peach note still attached to it. It’s a nice mixed oakiness with a bitter note and some vanilla still in there. This is a very good, yet very weird, whisky. It’s both amazing and mediocre all mixed up in one.

Additional information
This whisky was released in 2016. It was aged in a mix of first fill ex-bourbon barrels and ex-rum casks (with peated whisky) for an undisclosed amount of time. 8700 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

The Arran Malt 12 YO Cask Strength Batch 4

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ABV: 53.2 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and sour. At first there’s a vanilla heavy sweetness with oak and honey sitting on top of a quite powerful and thick center part with a lemon backdrop. There’s a nice harmony between everything and it’s very well balanced. After a few seconds a nail polish remover note creeps up from behind. There are notes of coconut and green fruits as well, which mainly resides out on the edges of the glass. This is a great nose which really accentuates the Arran house style.

Mouth: It starts out with a mild honey sweetness. This lasts for about a second before a big hit of everything arrives. It’s a malty mix of lemons, oranges, honey, sweet liquorice with a dusty coating. It’s quite spicy and powerful which adds to the experience. The oakiness peeks through every once in a while. A tiny amount of a black coffee and almond bitterness starts to shine through After a while as well as some milk chocolate.

Finish: The transition is warm and spicy. It’s a slow increase not a spike and it lasts for a long time. The continuation of flavours is logical and the balance between sweet and sour is superb. There are some baking spices popping up somewhere along the way which is a very nice surprise. It’s a very long and rewarding finish and it takes a while before the oakiness starts to take over. It’s a nice oakiness with a touch of assorted nuts within. This is an amazing whisky with a lot to offer to both the drinker and the explorer. It’s extremely well balanced and delivers very approachable flavours.

Additional information
This whisky was bottled in 09/14. Cask type is not stated. 15 000 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

The Arran Malt Non-Chillfiltered

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and sour. At first there’s a sweet layer of malt, honey and vanilla wrapped around a sour green apple and lemon core. There are hints of gooseberries in there as well. It feels young and fresh without being ethanol driven or metallic. When it settles there are notes of freshly cut grass and vanilla cream added to the whole. It’s a lemony dessert which feels well balanced between the sensations. A hint of sweet liquorice and a mild oakiness are detectable as well. This is a great nose. It’s not complex, but really pleasant.

Mouth: It starts out with a hit of lemon in the back together with a mild spicyness and a slightly bitter note. The sweetness then arrives and makes it quite rich. There are still notes of honey, vanilla and liquorice. The fruitiness is mostly citrus fruits at this point and it’s slightly subdued by the sweetness. It doesn’t feel young and there are signs of time spent in the casks. It’s a slightly dusty dessert-like character which feels very balanced and poised.

Finish: The spicyness mellows out and a fruit explosion ensues. There’s citrus fruits, tropical fruits and gooseberries in spades and it’s a very nice surprise, yet it feels quite logical. The sweetness moves out towards the sides and it just seems to grow the further down the road it goes. When the oakiness arrives it seems to amplify the fruitiness even further and when it finally gets to shine it manages to produce a fantastic nuttiness with mainly hazelnuts. This is a fantastic whisky which just gives more and more the longer it goes. There’s not a lot of complexity but it’s just absolutely delicious.

Additional information
There is not much information to be found about this whisky. It’s an older NAS release from the distillery. It’s unchillfiltered has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

The Arran Malt St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe Wine Cask Finish (2008 Vintage)

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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 fruity and sweet. At first there’s a mix of red ripe grapes and ripe plums with a fresher blueberry note attached. There’s also vanilla mixed with a sweet and sour maltiness. The fruitiness sort of releases the fresher parts which after a while start to float on top. Underneath everything else there’s a black coffee bitterness and a smidge of milk chocolate. The vanilla moves out on the edges and leaves room for even more fresher fruits with a fleeting glimpse of peaches and mangoes somewhere on top. This is a nice nose. It’s not as well balanced and appealing as other Arrans tends to be though.

Mouth: It starts out with a lemon sourness in the back and a big peppery impact coming from the high ABV. It’s dusty and there’s a dark fruitiness and black coffee spreading out over the palate. There’s no sweetness and it’s a very hard to access arrange of flavours. There’s a nutty oakiness peeking through and the milk chocolate has turned into a bitter dark chocolate. After a while the sweet and sour Arran house style shines through which really makes the experience a lot better.

Finish: The transition is slightly weird, where the spicyness somewhat increases in intensity but the rest is just a mess of flavours which sort of brings out a strange funky taste. It’s quite spirity at this point as well. When all the weirdness subsides there are notes of toffee, ripe fruits and a slightly nutty oakiness with coffee and walnuts. It just feels a bit too bitter and unbalanced. This is a good whisky, but it really doesn’t measure up to the normal quality of Arran Single malts.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in ex-bourbon barrels for 8 years and then finished in grand cru wine casks for 12 months. 6636 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Islands

Arran The Smuggler’s Series Volume 3 – The Exciseman

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ABV: 56.8 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and spicy. At first there’s a sweetness coming through behind a quite powerful ABV spicyness. It takes a while in the glass for it to open up and first out is vanilla on the outside and ripe grapes and and a sticky sweetness in the center. A fresh oakiness and spices are floating around as well. In the background there are notes of ginger, lemon and oranges which makes it very three-dimensional. The whole feels very much like a mix of old and new. This is a very nice nose but it takes a good while in the glass before it delivers most of the flavours.

Mouth: It starts out quite mild and sweet before the ABV kicks in. First through is a dark note with blackberries, pipe tobacco and sweetend coffee. There are notes of vanilla and fresh oak and underneath lies notes of dust and leather. After a few seconds it becomes floral and violets join up together with apricots to create a very nice floaty top layer. There’s a savory note in the back and it sits there together with the fresh oak note. There are a lot of sensations happening all at once and it somehow works very well.

Finish: The transition begins with another ABV spike, it’s powerful but it doesn’t attack the palate. After it settles it’s once again delivers blackberries and tobacco as well as the violets and apricots. The coffee note is now more bitter than before which is good because the fruitiness and the vanilla needs it to create balance. When it starts to settle there’s a beautiful mix of old and new oak coming through. It delivers vanilla, coconut, cinnamon, oak spices, sawdust, dust and hazelnuts all at once. There’s even a hint of bananas in there. This is a great whisky and it’s a wild one. It delivers a huge array of flavours in a quite chaotic way.

Additional information
This whisky was released in 2017. It was aged in a mix of quarter casks and ex-Madeira casks for an undisclosed amount of time. 8700 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Islands

The Arran Malt 21 YO – Limited Edition Exclusively Bottled for Sweden

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ABV: 52.5 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. The first thing to come through is a mild vanilla sweetness together with liquorice and assorted dried fruits. It’s a gentle nose and it’s not popping out of the glass. After a few minutes it grows a tiny bit more confident and start to deliver a bigger array of nuances with black currant, ripe red berries and a slightly gritty background. A menthol note is also present. It feels quite young and lively for its age and the distillate is really showing through. It becomes a bit sweeter over time but it’s the fruitiness which is the main note. This is a great nose if it gets a lot of time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet and dusty malt note in the center. There’s a fresh sour fruitiness coming through around the edges which develops into a mix of red and black berries. A black coffee bitterness and an oak note build up in the back. There’s a mild black pepper spicyness sprinkled in as well. The sweetness subsides and it becomes quite complex after a few seconds when an earthy note gets added to the center. The fruitiness is not as pronounced at this point and still resides at the edges.

Finish: The finish starts out with the dusty note in the center and the sweet malty note up front. It then turns up the volume on everything else and gives a nice push of spicy pepper, liquorice and a black coffee bitterness. The vanilla is still in there as well as the berries. When everything subsides, all that remains is a slightly bitter and dusty oakiness, which isn’t the greatest end to an otherwise pleasant journey. This is a great whisky with both ups and downs throughout.

Additional information
This is a single cask release. It’s aged in an ex-sherry hogshead. It was distilled in 1996 and bottled in 2017. Cask no. 187. The bottle tried has no. 15 out of 327.

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Islands, Ledaig, Tobermory

Ledaig 15 YO (2000) (Auld Rare)

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ABV: 57.0 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is peaty and sweet. At first there’s an ashy peatiness with floral character. It’s quite powerful from the start. Underneath lies a different, moist peatiness together with heather honey and vanilla. The background consists of a rather rowdy and gritty complexity. It feels a bit younger than its age statement with a fresh and vibrant character. Notes of liquorice and tar floats around within as well. This is a great nose. It’s missing some telltale signs of age though.

Mouth: It starts out with the ashy peat with the same floral notes found on the nose. Soon after the spicyness rushes in at full speed. The moist peatiness then arrives together with a peachy kind of fresh fruitiness and the gritty, ripe notes to create a nice backbone. It still feels fresh and vibrant but now there are notes of dust and old oak furniture coming through. The floral notes becomes heathery as it mixes with vanilla, a slight bitterness and a malty note.

Finish: The spicyness towers through the tranisiton and it’s very powerful. When it settles there are lemons and violets in the back together with a bitterness. The center part fills with notes of age and wet peat. It doesn’t take long before a grey, slightly nutty, oakiness start to come through. The late finish is filled with oak and floral notes and it takes a long time before everything dies down. This is a great whisky with a really interesting character. It’s not without its faults though.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a single ex-bourbon barrel. The cask no. is 71. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islands, Talisker

Talisker 10 YO

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ABV: 45.8 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 3
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. A mild peatiness and some seasalt are the first things to come through. There are leather and black liquorice together with a fruity backdrop of apples and a squeeze of lime. Honey and vanilla act as fillers and sits in the gap between the peat and the fruits. A medicinal note comes forward after a while as well as a savory one. It’s nicely balanced and quite pleasant on the nose.

Mouth: A slightly bitter start, with a bit of spicyness to it, is followed by a very pronounced medicinal iodine note. The peat is not as present on the palate as on the nose but it’s still easily detectable. Now it leans even more towards the leather note. Both the spicyness and the bitterness continously move forward over time. There’s also a sweeter side to it with honey, vanilla and a complement in some salted caramel. There’s dry oak and it’s slightly astringent. The fruitiness is basically hidden by everything else but there’s still a lime note in the back.

Finish: There’s an initial dip in flavour before it picks up speed again. The bitterness comes first and then the medicial note follows. It soon moves over to a dusty oakiness that kind of lacks character. The savory note returns and sits in the center of the palate together with honey and baked apples. It’s still a bit spicy and astringent. The peat notes return in the tail together with the oak. A nice surprise pops up and black liquorice suddenly appears a long way down the line.

Additional information
This is a part of Diageo’s ”The classic malts of Scotland” series. It has around 20 ppm. It’s aged in reconstructed american ex-bourbon oak barrels. The reconstructed casks are made into a larger size than the original barrels.

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Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park Cask Strength – Release No.1

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ABV: 63,3 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is laid back and sweet. There is an ABV spicyness coming through but it’s not invasive. There’s honey and vanilla together with a red fruitiness but the whole thing isn’t jumping out of the glass. The core flavours tend to move forward over time in the glass with red berries and dark dried fruits. It opens up and improves substantially with time. It’s young and a bit spirity, but it’s a nice nose.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and quite ABV spicy. A lemon note flies by before the red berries and dark fruits show up. There’s liqueur-soaked cherries and raisins. There’s a thin leather note and a hint of cinnamon. The cask influence is sort of sitting on top like a lid and it’s not a complex dram, but flavourful nontheless.

Finish: The high ABV shoots off a peppery spicyness before the sherry influence and a honey sweetness comes through. Vanilla is residing in the background together with some raisins and there’s not much of an oakiness, just a touch in the end. It comes through together with the thin leather note. There’s no astringency and basically no bitterness. This is a young and rowdy powerhouse in a nice suit.

Additional information
This expression is aged in sherry-seasoned american oak casks. The casks varies in age. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Claxton’s, Islands, Ledaig, Tobermory

Ledaig 14 YO Single Cask #C22037 (Claxton’s)

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ABV: 57.2 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruits, mint and peat. At first there’s a warm and sweet peatiness with a minty overlay and a dark red fruity base. Everything feels immidiately balanced and everything fits together. There are ripe plums and raisins which feel like they’re coated with a sweet liqueuer. The peatiness slowly fades over time, and that gives room for the other flavours. The peat comes through as a mildly burnt oakiness with a medicinal backside. There’s a spicyness from the ABV, but it’s not protruding in any way. This is a fantastic nose with both complexity and balance.

Mouth: It starts out with a ripe fruitiness up front and a lemon freshness in the back. The spicyness slowly builds up to a nice level and joins the minty overlay while the peatiness starts to emerge around the outside. It’s slightly astringent and it’s a big and rewarding start. There’s some coffee notes building up in the back as the fruitiness once again becomes liqueuer-soaked dark fruits. There’s a hint of age coming through in the back when a slight oakiness meets the peatiness. It’s almost got a dessert-like quality to it at this point.

Finish: The spicyness doesn’t spike, it just spreads out and leaves room for the fruitiness, which still consists of the dark fruits as well as lemon and coconut. The coffee note is still in there and is now joined by dark chocolate. The sweet minty layer is still coating everything, as do the peatiness. The finish is full of flavour and it’s full of complexity, with tiny things floating by like a speck of dust, a mineral note, raspberries and dry soil. The late finish is a nice hazelnut oakiness with a hint of the coffee note. The age shines through in the late finish as well. This is an absolutely fantastic whisky. It’s extremely balanced and complex and it’s full of flavour.

Additional information
This single cask whisky was distilled in 2008 and aged in a Merlot barriques. The bottle tried is no. 068/263. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park 30 YO (2007 Vintage)

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ABV: 48.1 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and fruity. At first there’s a fruitiness which mostly consists of dark dried fruit notes. They are covered in a thin vanilla layer and a lot of Christmas spices. There’s a thin nail polish remover note on top as well. This whisky really shows some age on the nose and everything within seems connected and integrated. There are notes of heather, old varnished oak furniture, a hint of lemon and just a tiny hint of tropical fruits. It gets fruitier with time in the glass. This is an amazing nose which really reflects the suggested content.

Mouth: It starts out with a dark and bitter background espresso note and a gooseberry and lemon top note with the old varnished oak furniture in between. There’s a nice amount of power and the christmas spices are still in there helping everything along. There’s a complexity to it, and an especially unplacable nutty note really denotes this. The vanilla is gone and so are the tropical fruits. It’s now a sweet dark fruit marmelade which seems to wrap itself around all other flavours. The age is very much present and it’s dusty and slightly damp. It’s very much takes its place and it’s not especially mellow. Good casks are present.

Finish: A surge in dried fruits leads the transition and it feels very logial and continues on the same path as before. It’s coffee in the back and christmas spices up front with old varnished oak in between. When everything start to die down the old oak takes the spotlight. The complex nuttiness re-emerges and the late finish is an amazing old, nutty and fragrant oakiness which lasts for a very long time. The gooseberry note is still in there (it’s not as sour as the berries, just the overall character of the taste). This is a great whisky with a lot to offer. It’s not an easy sipper by all means and it really presents itself as an aquired taste overall.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in Spanish ex-sherry casks for the entire aging period. It has natural colour.

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Islands, Tobermory

Tobermory 17 YO – 2004 Oloroso Cask Matured

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ABV: 55.9 %
Origin: Islands
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 healthy serving of vanilla, toffee and soft red berries. There’s a mild layer of menthol floating around on top. Underneath the sweetness a darker character with dark chocolate, dried fruits and overripe plums creates a nice backplate. The fresher berries are joined by baked apples in the center and a rather translucent coastal note. With time in the glass everything seems to merge together to create a nice thick experience. This is a great, straight forward nose without any surprises. It delivers a solid profile which is nice overall.

Mouth: It starts out with a coastal note in the back and a quite peppery spicyness up front. There’s an immidiate increase in volume which makes the initial impact quite powerful. There are dark fruits and walnuts slowly emerging on the sides with notes of dark chocolate, overripe plums and leather. On top there’s a sprinkle of dust and some fresher fruits. The center is filled with vanilla and toffee. It still delivers a profile which is exactly on point with what to expect. After a few seconds it almost gets too spicy and forces a move on to the next step.

Finish: Surprisingly the transition almost immidiately reduces the intensity and the whole gets back to being powerful and spicy without being too aggressive. The dark fruits, chocolate and leather stay towards the edges while the center, still filled with vanilla and toffee, gets somewhat perfumey and aromatic. This seems to be connected to an oakiness which starts to build up in the back. The bitter note from the dark chocolate is now stronger and it really shows its age in the late finish. It takes a good while to get there but the late finish reveals a very nice and nutty oakiness with telltale signs of the 17 years spent in a cask. This is a great whisky which does everything by the book. It’s a solid creation (which, to be a bit picky, maybe lacks a bit of fun for the explorer).

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2004 and bottled 2021. It was aged in ex-Oloroso sherry casks. 11124 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

Arran Small Batch – Heavily Peated Sherry Casks

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and peat. At first there’s a layer of sweet dark fruits with raisins, overripe plums and coffee liqeuer. On top lies a thin fresh oakiness and underneath lies a peat note and a sweet and sour mix of fresher fruits. Soon the peat starts to merge with the dark fruits and it’s creating tobacco and leather notes within. When it’s settled it becomes sweeter and vanilla and honey are added to the mix. This is a great nose. It’s young and lively but offers a pretty good balance between the flavour components.

Mouth: It starts out with a sour note in the back and a dark fruits and coffee mix up front. It’s quite spicy from the start. It hasn’t got a sweet character. The peat is creating a somewhat weird layer around the edges together with the sour note, which now is coming through as bitter lemon peel. It’s a lot brighter compared to the nose and the Arran house style shines through clearly. There’s a lot of sensations peaking at the same time and it’s a bit hard to navigate through it.

Finish: The spicyness flare up through the transition while the sweet vanilla and dark fruits move towards the edges. Left in the middle is a mix of fresher assorted fruits and sour bitter lemon. The peat is in there as well but it’s not the main attraction. A savory note pops up in the back together with the oakiness. It’s a very fresh and uninteresting oak which lacks a bit of character. This is a very good whisky but it lacks a bit of structure and balance. It’s just a big pile of flavours stacked upon each other. It still makes it a great experience overall.

Additional information
This whisky is a Sweden exclusive release. It’s aged for at least 7 years in heavily saturated ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It’s nicknamed ”The Crazy Swede”. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islands, Talisker

Talisker Port Ruighe

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ABV: 45,8 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is mixed fruits and mild peat. At first there’s a sweet fruity center with an outside layer of mild tobacco peatiness and dried tropical fruits. The background is salty and coastal and comes through with a hint of toffee. With time in the glass the fruitiness moves forward and reveals red berries and apricots. The peatiness shifts towards dry soil with a feint note of cold ashes. The whole thing is sweet and a vanilla notes comes through towards the edges. The sweetness seems connected to everything else and doesn’t produce notes on its own. This is a nice and pleasant nose which offers opportunity to explore but it feels somewhat subdued.

Mouth: It starts out with a salted caramel center with a coating of sweet dark and ripe fruits. The fresher fruits seem to have disappeared at this point. The peatiness is still earthy and keeps a thin note of tobacco and it stays around the edges. The coastal feeling is still found in the background. The different components feel somewhat separarted and resides in their own space of the palate. There’s a black pepper spicyness to it but it’s very mild and it takes a few seconds for it to show up.

Finish: The finish starts with a fresher fruitiness coming through with a mix of dried tropical fruits and a hint of lemon. The finish starts off quite narrow and it takes a few seconds for the peatiness to once again show up as a surrounding layer. The port cask influence are not very noticable in the finish except for a very nice nutty oakiness. The late finish offers a mix of walnuts, a mild black pepper spicyness and a hint of fruitiness. This is a very good whisky with a lot to offer. It lacks a bit of the rowdy and vibrant heritage and the flavour components could use some more time to merge.

Additional information
The Port Ruighe was released in 2013. It’s aged for an undisclosed time in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in ruby port casks.

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Islay, Klichoman

Kilchoman Saligo Bay

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and ashy. At first there’s a mix of warm ashy peat, burnt hay and a vanilla and honey sweetness. Underneath there’s a hint of baked red apples. In the background there’s a dry soil earthiness coming through. With time in the glass the ashy notes increase in intensity. This is a nice, very straight forward peat dominant nose without any perticular complexity.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and quite spicy. The peatiness is strong and creates a thick outside layer. The core reveals ripe apples and a hint of toffee. There’s a lemon zest sour and bitter side to it in the back which actually fits rather nice together with the otherwise warm and thick profile. It still lacks a bit of complexity but it has a nice texture to it. There is a spirity youthness which do come through after a few seconds but the cask influence and the heavy peat do a good job of covering it up.

Finish: The sweetness slowly turns towards toffee and there is a small spike in the spicyness. The peatiness remains as a thick outside layer throughout the transition. The oakiness emerges from the ashy peat notes and after a few seconds there’s a burnt oakiness with vanilla dominating the finish. The fruitiness disappears quickly but the lemon notes in the back stays and turns a tiny bit metallic when everything else dies down. This is a very nice and well made whisky even though the young age is shining through.

Additional information
The Saligo Bay was originally released as a travel retail exclusive. It’s aged for 5 years in ex-bourbon barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islands, Talisker

Talisker 25 YO (2013)

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

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

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

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

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

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Islands, Ledaig, Tobermory

Ledaig 19 YO – 1998 PX Cask Finish

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

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

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

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

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

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Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park 15 YO Viking Heart

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

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

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

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

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

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Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park Cask Strength – Release No.3

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

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

See the queue here.

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

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