Etikettarkiv: Recension

Myken, Norway

Myken 4 YO Sweet Peat 2021

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ABV: 47 %
Origin: Norway
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and mildly peated. At first there’s a very spirity top layer coming from a young distillate. Underneath lies a thin mix of vanilla, oak, peat and anise. It feels quite robust despite being young and there’s some weird spices and herbs coming from the oak notes. When it settles in the glass there’s a more noticable vanilla and green fruit note taking over. There’s a big improvment to the nose with time in the glass. This is a decent nose overall. The peat is too mild to help the young notes along though.

Mouth: It starts out quite spicy and there’s an immidiate sour fruitiness with sour grapes and lemon pushing through together with a more hefty peat note compared to the nose. There is still a weird spices and herbs combination coming from within the oakiness, which sits in the back at this point. It’s got a coffee bitterness and anise in the back as well. It still feels very robust and it produces a big flavour profile.

Finish: The transition starts out with a big increase in oakiness and the weird spices and herbs come along for the ride. It’s a very aromatic oakiness. The peat moves to the back and the whole becomes quite savory. There are still vanilla, sour grapes, coffee and anise in there but the oak overruns everything quite quickly and the rest of the finish is all about the weird wood notes. This is an interesting whisky. It’s got a big profile but it doesn’t produce the greatest of flavours.

Additional information
This whisky is a vatting of 5 casks (2 Ex-Sauternes, 2 ex-bourbon and 1 hungarian oak). Both peated and unpeated distillate was used for a 23 ppm level. 1850 bottles were released. The bottle tried is no 1277. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Arran, Arran Malt, Islands

Arran Port Cask Finish

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there are assorted dark red berries and vanilla along with a thin cooling mint layer on top. Underneath lies a subtle but nice earthy layer of dry soil and herbs. There are also a honey and liquorice sweetness somewhere in between. Both increase in intensity over time and it ends up quite sweet. This is a fantastic nose which feels like it’s gentle but extremely volyminous when it’s allowed to open up in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with a heavy impact of dark fruits and berries together with honey sweetness. A peppery spicyness accompanies it as well as a quite gritty and roudy background with a mix of very dark and ripe fruits, anise and a hint of sulfur, oil and soil. There’s also a hint of dust and dried fruits floating around. A light and floral note is in the as well. It feels very rich and has a nice texture. The flavour impact is impressive.

Finish: It starts out peppery with an even mix of sweetness, dark fruits and the earthy and dirty notes. The impact is immediate. It’s not as sweet as before but there’s now room for additional dried fruits like raisins and nectarines. A hint of lemon peeks through as well. Everything seem intertwined with the dark ripe berries to create a very nice whole. The oak makes a nice entrance from back to front and it’s a very potent oakiness with walnuts, mild coffee and even a sort of savory note on the tail end. This is just a fantastic whisky.

Additional information
This is part of the Arran’s range of wine finishes. It’s aged in refill casks for 8 years then finished in ex-port pipes. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie 12 YO The Accord

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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 dark fruits and spicy oak. At first there’s a dark fruitiness with red ripe berries mixed with some fresh ones. There are christmas spices and fresh oak floating around within. It feels quite sticky and sweet overall and there’s a small top note of nail polish remover. When it settles the whole becomes more balanced but it feels a bit engineered and top heavy. The background seems to be missing due to this. A floral note can be found every now and then but it’s quite elusive. This is a nice nose but it lacks depth and complexity.

Mouth: It starts out with a bit underwhelming compared to the nose. It starts out with a mild sweetness and a hint of oak. First out after that is a lemon note in the back and then a red berry fruitiness arrives up front. It feels way too oaky at this point which really makes it less appealing. The spicyness arrives soon and it mainly comes from the oak. There’s a maltiness in the middle and a hint of tropical fruits start to come through for those who wait.

Finish: The transition is mellow and there are no spikes or dips. The oak and red berry mix continues for a while before the tropical fruitiness kicks in and becomes really pronounced. It comes from within the oak and finally a vanilla note arrives as well. The late finish is all about a sawdust oakiness and is quite boring. This is a good whisky. It’s the new kind of single malt which is way too oaky with a lot of top heavy flavours, which works as a drinker’s dram but not for an interesting and genuine whisky experience.

Additional information
This started out as a travel retail exclusive whisky. It’s aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

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Arran, Islands

Arran Sauternes Cask Finish

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and sour. At first there’s a thick layer of sweetness with honey, vanilla and sweet, green grapes sitting on top of a mix of fresh lemon and tropical fruits. There are pineapple, mango and passion fruit notes within the fruitiness. It feels rich and there’s a spicyness somewhere out towards the edges and it comes from a fairly fresh oakiness. There’s also a salty caramel floating around somewhere on top. This is a very nice nose. It’s not complex and it’s a bit too sweet, but it still feels decently balanced.

Mouth: It Starts out with sweet green grapes and gooseberries and a sweet honey and vanilla richness. Behind the sweetness there’s lemon in the back, now with a bit of zesty bitterness. The tropical fruits can still be found as well. There’s a slight dustiness, some malt and a pinch of salt in the center. It very much has a white wine aura from the finishing casks. After a while a quite complex mix of savory and sour starts to arise in the background and it has a gritty note attached to it. A mild spicyness builds up around the edges for those who wait.

Finish: The spicyness slowly intensifies and it doesn’t take long before the whole array of flavours follow. The tropical fruits gets to shine but they do have the lemon zest in the background as back-up. The front of the palate consists of the honey and vanilla sweetness, but it feels slightly more generic at this point. It’s a long finish and when the flavours start to fade the oak, lemon and spicyness stays behind and gives it a very nice send of. The oak is competent and brings a nice coconut flavour to the late finish. This is a great whisky. It’s a little bit too sweet but overall gives a nice journey throughout.

Additional information
This whisky was aged for around 6 years in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for 8-12 months in Sauternes wine barriques. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islay, Laphroaig

Laphroaig 10 YO Cask Strength Batch 015

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ABV: 56.5 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a sweet vanilla and menthol layer sitting on top of a hot burning campfire. When it starts to settle the whole becomes more medicinal, but the sweetness and the menthol remain on top. There are iodine and tar notes sitting in the center together with a hint of green sour apples. It’s quite mellow despite the heavy peatiness and the high ABV, which makes it very balanced in regards to the sweetness and the rowdy peat notes. Dry soil, liquorice and fresh oak is part of the main character as well. This is a great nose. It’s not very complex, but it delivers a lot of nice flavours.

Mouth: It starts out with a medicinal and mineral rich peatiness building up in the back while the sweetness and warm campfire notes stay at the edges. There’s a spicyness slowly increasing in power and when it reaches its peak becomes a nice powerful effect. It’s not as sweet as on the nose but there’s a nice little tropical fruitiness peeking through in the back. Otherwise there’s still iodine, dry soil and vanilla floating around and they never seem to reside anywhere for a long period of time. This makes it very nice to explore.

Finish: The spicyness increases through the tranisiton and hides most of the flavours. When it slowly disappears it gives room to a nice oakiness which has tiny tropical fruitiness attached to it. There’s a lemon note in the back and an anis root note up front. There’s also a slightly nutty quality to the oakiness, but it’s mostly a grey old oakiness coming through. The finish is still mineral rich with the dry soil note ever present. This is a fantastic whisky which gives a rowdy impression, but it’s a very balanced and flavourful. It’s a brute, but a sophisticated one.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in ex-bourbon barrels. It was bottled in december 2021. This is a limited release. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islands, Thorabaig

Torabhaig Allt Gleann – The Legacy Series

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a heavy honey and vanilla sweetness and a dry smoke peatiness. Soon there are notes of mixed fruits arriving in the center. It’s mainly apples and grapes but also a thin ripe note from red berries. It’s young and slightly spirity but it feels really well made which creates an added volume and it does not come through as harsh. There are notes of pipe tobacco and dry soil within the peatiness. The whole feels balanced and well thought out. This is a great nose with a very nice character.

Mouth: It starts out with a lemon note in the back and black pepper up front. In between lies a mix of wet peat and the same fruit mix as on the nose. It’s a slightly more pronounced fruitiness and the fresher fruits are more defined. It’s less peaty in taste than on the nose but there are still tangible peat notes, especially around the edges. There are notes of a very young distillate shining through at this point, but it still doesn’t come through as harsh.

Finish: The transition features a nice increase in intensity without being intrusive. When it settles the peatiness flares up and the ripe grape notes return. It feels quite savory at this point. It doesn’t take long before the oakiness returns and it’s a very nice oakiness with a weird but lovely side note of beer. As time passes the oakiness really get defined and it delivers a great late finish.

Additional information
This whisky was mostly aged in first fill ex-bourbon barrels, but ex-sherry and ex-Madeira casks were also used. 2500 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Bruichladdich, Islay, Port Charlotte

Port Charlotte 16 YO Feis Ile 2020

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ABV: 55.8 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a mineral rich peatiness with a base of honey and vanilla. There’s a minty overlay and a fruitiness in the back. A hint of nail polish remover floats on top at first, but settles as the whole gets sweeter after some time in the glass. The fruitiness is sweet and bright but stays in the back. It’s lemon and sweet ripe grapes. A rounded and mellow oakiness is also found. Everything feels very integrated and well composed. This is a very nice nose with a lot of small things to discover, but has a big character.

Mouth: It starts out with a sweet and sour initial impact with a peppery overlay and a hint of black liquorice. The peat comes next and it resides at the edges of the palate. The whole is mineraly and slightly medicinal, but the heavy and gritty notes are nicely balanced with the sweetness and the fruitiness. It’s still a honey, vanilla and sweet grapes mix with a twist of lemon in the back. It feels quite oily and rich and after a while there’s a dry soil note floating around as well.

Finish: The transition offers a slight increase in intensity but just sort of continues along the same path as before. The peat spreads inwards a bit more and the fruitiness stays in the background. It comes a bit more ripe than before and the lemon note is overrun at this point. The peat paves way for the oakiness, which seems to emerge from within the peat, first as a campfire, then as a fresh woodshop oakiness. The late finish is nice, with the peat and oak sticking around for a bit. The oak is a bit uninteresting in the end though. This is a great, well put together whisky. It somewhat feels like a thug in a fancy suit.

Additional information
This whisky was made with three different cask combinations: Refill hogsheads/first fill ex-bourbon, first fill ex-bourbon/ex-Sauternes and ex-sherry/ex-bourbon/Virgin Oak. 3000 bottles were released. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glen Grant, Speyside

Glen Grant 12 YO (Travel Exclusive Version)

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ABV: 48 %
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 mild honey sweetness sitting in top of a fruitiness with apples and pears. As it sits in the glass there’s a top note of ethanol and baking spices slowly emerging. It feels quite dessert-like at this point. It’s rather fresh and lively. Notes of marzipan and coconut are also detectable. When the fruitiness spreads out it also reveals a floral note floating around on the center. This is a very nice nose. It’s not complex nor especially interesting to explore, but works well and has a pretty solid character.

Mouth: It starts out with a big honey sweetness with a malty center. There are notes of vanilla, marzipan and pears, but the fruitiness is toned down a bit from the start. There’s a nice spicyness and it has a nice amount of power coming from the ABV although the ethanol note on top is all too detectable. There’s some notes of age in there as well, but it still feels young and lively. There’s not much happening at this point in the journey. It pretty much stays the same throughout.

Finish: The fruitiness and the marzipan increase in intensity at the beginning of the transition. There’s a late increase in intensity as well. When it fades it almost immidiately moves towards the oakiness. There’s a thin dusty coating over some grey old oak planks. There are hazelnuts as well. This is a good whisky which feels a bit spirity and simple. The late oak finish salvages a lot though.

Additional information
This whisky is a travel retail exklusive version of the standard 12 YO. The cask types aren’t disclosed. It’s has higher ABV than the original and it’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islands, Jura

Jura 18 YO

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ABV: 44 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and mild peat. At first, a mix of overripe dark berries and raisins create a top layer above a sweet core of vanilla and honey. There are baking spices and a slight dustiness within. A funky complex note is sitting in the middle of it all which makes this quite interesting even though it seems to lack some flavours from the long maturation. The peat is creating a nice backdrop. It feels like the red wine finish sort of creates a lid on top instead of being integrated with the rest of the content.

Mouth: It starts out with a nice and mild spicyness. The peat comes through as a mild bottom layer with a touch of sulfur, leather and tobacco. The main part is still a sweet honey and vanilla core with the ripe berries and raisins on top. The cinnamon is not detectable anymore. It does a better job in taste than on the nose to create a whole. After a second or to there’s a bitter coffee note coming up from the back. It still feels a bit younger than its age.

Finish: It picks up where it left off and the flavour profile is intact all the way through. There’s still a mix of vanilla and honey together with ripe grapes and raisins. The peat is still very mild and creates a nice surrounding layer of leather and tobacco as the oak starts to show up. It’s a very nice oakiness with a walnut nuttiness and a coffee bitterness to it and the late finish is the first time it feels like its age. This is a great whisky, yet it feels a bit manufactured to cover up less active casks used for the long maturation period.

Additional information
This whisky was released in 2018. It’s matured for 18 years in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in ex-Premier Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux red wine casks.

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Glenallachie, Independent bottlers, Signatory Vintage, Speyside

Glenallachie 2008 13 YO (Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection)

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ABV: 63.7 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and powerful. At first there’s a hefty cloud of high ABV floating around on top of a dark pool of espresso, ripe and dried fruits and cacao. When it starts to settle the fruitiness becomes a bit brighter with some fresh fruits mixed with raisins and overripe plums. A vanilla sweetness starts to rise out towards the edges and a leather note appears in the center. The whole is very rich on the nose. The oak is also detectable and it’s a mild oakiness without any sharp edges. This is a fantastic nose which never seems to stop morphing into something different, yet within the same flavour profile.

Mouth: It starts out with a big hit of the high ABV and it’s almost over the top. Underneath the spicyness it feels very balanced between the dark sherry notes and the fruity distillate. There are dark chocolate, leather and raisins mixed with fresh apples, malt, vanilla, toffee and some dusty wooden shelves. There are some almonds floating around as well. The background has a lemon sourness and a coffee bitterness. It’s not as dark on the palate as on the nose but it feels like a logical and interesting development.

Finish: The powerful spicyness spreads out nicely. It’s certainly making a statement at this point but doesn’t feel like it’s attacking the palate. It’s a dusty and bitter start to the finish but it soon shifts towards a mix of lemon, leather, almonds and oak. A floral note is floating around on top as the oakiness start to take over. It’s a dry oakiness which has a nice mix between new and old. It stays around for a long finish. This is a fantastic whisky which is really fun to explore. (It becomes even better with a splash of water!)

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a single ex-Oloroso sherry butt (No. 900372). It was distilled 2008 and bottled 2022. The bottle tried is no. 487/678. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islay, Klichoman

Kilchoman Sweden Small Batch Release No. 3

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ABV: 48.2 %
Origin: Campbeltown
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and ashy. At first there’s a mild and sweet center core with a soft berry fruitiness, vanilla and oak. On the outside there’s a layer of peat with ashy notes towards the edges and savory ones nearer the middle part. When it settles a very young and spirity distillate shines through and the the top layer gets more accentuated with ashes, peat, vanilla and oak. The sherry notes are quite subdued but mixes nicely with the other notes. This is a good nose which comes through as a bit too young to be great.

Mouth: It starts out with a heavy peatiness with a mix of ashes and minerals attached to it. It feels really young and spirity at this point. There’s a sweet and soft fruitiness with red berries and a slight nuttiness, but it’s not enough to hide a harsh spirit note. There’s a bitter note in the back and the peatiness increases in intensity throughout and a savory note is floating around which really doesn’t make any sense.

Finish: There’s a nice amount of spicyness showing up through the transition. The middle part becomes larger and now presents a mix of vanilla, honey, gentle fruits and earthy peat. The outside stays the same as before with the ashy notes on the edges. A floral note is hiding somewhere in between. The late finish is not the most interesting part. It’s the same notes fading out and they leave peat and oak behind. It’s a nice enough oak. This is a good whisky. It’s too young and not very balanced, but offer a nice peat punch whenever one needs it.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of ex-bourbon, ex-Oloroso and ex-PX casks for an undisclosed amount of time. Batch size was 1260 bottles. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Islay, Laphroaig

Laphroaig 25 YO (2019)

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ABV: 51.4 %
Origin: Islay
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fresh fruits and peat. At first there’s a fresh fruitiness with green apples and a hint of tropical fruits. There’s a nice, mild peatiness with a tobacco character and just a tiny amount of iodine. Every note seems to be intertwined and it fits together nicely. After a good while in the glass there’s a lemon and elderflower freshness arriving, as well as the ambience of a dusty old cellar. A sweet side completes the whole. It consists of milk chocolate, vanilla and honey. A lot more fleeting and illusive notes pass by throughout. This is a fantastic nose which feels complex and extremely balanced.

Mouth: It starts out with a honey sweetness up front while a nice spicyness gently spreads out over the palate. A tropical fruitiness starts at the edges and moves in towards the center where green apples and lemons meet up. The peat is integrated in both the sweetness and the fruitiness and brings iodine and minerals to the mix. At this point it feels fresh and lively for its age but there are notes of age in the back with some dusty old bookshelves. It’s a sweet and sour character overall.

Finish: The transition feels logical and there are no surges or dips in flavour. The tropical fruitiness and the lemon note are really taking charge up front while the peatiness lingers out on the edges. It’s almost a sweet white wine character in the early finish. When it starts to fade the fruitiness hangs on, and so does the peat, while the oakiness starts to emerge from the back. It merges with the fruitiness and brings some notes of age with it. It’s a slightly nutty and dusty oakiness which seems to fit perfectly with everything else. This is a fantastic whisky. It’s extremely balanced and brings with it a wide arrange of sensations and flavours.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in ex-bourbon casks and it’s a cask strength release. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park Cask Strength – Release No.2

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ABV: 63.9 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 2
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a big hit from the high ABV spicyness. After a few seconds it mellows out and reveals a mix of dark fruits surrounding a sweet honey and vanilla core. There are raisins and overripe plums with some dark chocolate and earthy notes within. The sweet core has some toffee coming through. There’s also a heathery floral side to it. The high ABV creates a medicinal character which gives the whole another dimension. With time the sherry cask influence increases. This is a great and powerful nose which gives the explorer nice layers to peel off one by one.

Mouth: It starts out with a very spicy ABV kick which affects all parts of the mouth. The front of the palate is now full of fresh lemon while the back part houses the dark fruits, pipe tobacco and dark chocolate. In between lies the floral notes. It is almost too powerful at first impact which makes it somewhat hard to approach even for a seasoned whisky drinker. If water is added there are mixed dried fruits and cinnamon arriving and for those who persevere it becomes very balanced between the different flavour elements.

Finish: The spicyness spreads and creates a nice warm blanket on top. It immidiately becomes darker and the focus lies on the raisins, overripe plums and the dark chocolate. The sweet side is subdued throughout the finish. After a while a very nice damp and dusty oakiness starts to emerge. It evolves into a big hazelnuts and old cellar combination which fits the flavour profile extremely well. The late finish consists of dark chocolate, tobacco and the nutty oakiness and it delivers an extremely long and rewarding finish. This is a great whisky. It’s young and rowdy, but has been given a very nice suit to grow in.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of both european and american oak ex-sherry casks and a small portion of ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Highlands, Tomatin

Tomatin 18 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 very fruity. At first there’s a mild honey and vanilla base with a nice ripe berry fruitiness. There’s a grittier side to it as well with raisins, a hint of rubber and dry garden soil. When it starts to settle there’s a nice cinnamon note on top and some fresher fruits in the back. The vanilla evolves into a fudge/toffee note. It feels quite vibrant for its age and it takes a good while before notes of age appears. This is a very nice and well balanced nose which delivers a nice experience overall.

Mouth: It starts out with a mild toffee sweetness. Everything grows quickly and becomes quite big and rich. There’s a nice pepperiness approaching from the back while the ripe fruitiness starts to push through the sweetness in all directions. There are raisins and overripe plums as well as a lemon peel bitterness in the back. It really shows age at this point with some dusty leather books mixed in with everything else. The cinnamon note is still in there as well. It still feels very balanced.

Finish: The spicyness spreads slowly over the palate and a fresh orange/lemon fruitiness mixed with the dusty book notes arrive first. The ripe fruits and the gritty notes have moved backwards and now creates a nice dark backdrop. Everything is in its place and the movements almost feels orchistrated. The oakiness is fashionably late which is a good thing. It lets everything shine to its fullest before taking over. It’s a nice slightly hazelnutty oakiness which feels… very well balanced. This is a really great whisky which is very well put together. It feels almost too predictable at times.

Additional information
This whisky has been aged in refill casks and then finished in first fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Balvenie, Speyside

The Balvenie 14 YO – Caribbean Cask

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very sweet and fruity. It’s got a really thick layer of brown sugar and brown syryp. Underneath the classic Balvenie fruitiness comes through with orange peel as the main attraction, but red apples and some raspberries are in there as well. A touch of cinnamon and chocolate completes this full and very rich nose.

Mouth: First impact is a very mild one. The sweetness, now with honey added, is first to come through and then cinnamon follows together with a small spicy note. The oak shows up and brings walnuts and dark chocolate. There’s a bitter tone to it and that sort of transcends from the oak into a fruitiness. It’s leaning heavily towards orange peel that, together with the sweetness, creates a layer of marmelade.There’s still a hint of red apples and raspberries but those are now well hidden in the background. There’s a touch of dust and it’s slightly astringent.

Finish: The flavours are very immidiate and a warm cinnamon spicyness teams up with brown syryp, honey and the orange peel. The rest of the fruitiness is not present anymore. It turns more and more towards the bitter side the longer the finish goes. It ends with oakiness, dust, walnuts and some cocoa powder. This is a christmas dessert in a glass.

Additional information
This 14 YO is aged for around 13-14 years in traditional american ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in new american oak casks seasoned with caribbean rum for about 9 months.

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Highlands, Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond Madeira Cask

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Highlands
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 mild vanilla and and mixed fresh and dried fruits. There’s a gentle and sweet minty layer on top as well. It’s malty in the middle and it grows sweeter over time. The fruitiness feels less fresh once it settles. It’s a mix of red berries and oranges and maybe a hint of violets. There’s a lemon note in the back as well. The sweetness feels a bit sticky and everything feels a bit top heavy. The oak shines through with the vanilla notes too. The distillate comes through and it feels ethanol driven behind the madeira curtain. This is a decent nose but it’s not without faults. The cask finish makes for a nice cover-up.

Mouth: It starts out with a mild, slightly watery sweetness but it doesn’t take long for a spiky spicyness to arrive. There’s a fresh fruitiness building up in the back at the same time but the spicyness is a bit unpleasant and takes the focus from it. It’s a nice background with mixed fruits, vanilla and malt as well as a honey sweetness. The distillate is still shining through and it’s not the greatest thing in the world. The whole displays a weird mix of being watery and unpleasantly spiky at the same time.

Finish: The spicyness calms down a bit through the transition and reveals the fruitiness at its fullest. It’s once again a nice mix of oranges, red sweet berries and some lemons. There’s a floral side to it as well. The vanilla and the sweetness slowly changes and becomes the oakiness while the fruitiness is hogging all the attention. The distillate is not as protruding anymore and the finish is the best part of the journey. It’s a nice mix of fruits and a decent oakiness. There’s a sweet liquorice note in there as well. This is a decent whisky for the price point. Corners are cut but the cask finish does a good job of hiding the less desirable sides of it.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in american oak casks for an undisclosed amount of time and then finished in ex-madeira casks for about 6 months.

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Spirit of Hven Backafallsbyn, Sweden

Spirit of Hven Backafallsbyn Old Hare

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ABV: 40.4 %
Origin: Sweden
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 1/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and spirity. At first there’s a bad, spirity ethanol note popping out of the glass which is quite unpleasant. Underneath lies a butterscotch, vanilla and honey sweetness with young, green apples within. There’s a metallic note in the back which eventually switches to more of a lemon sourness. There’s also a very rounded oakiness floating around and maybe a hint of red berries. This is not the best of noses. It’s very simple and unpleasant.

Mouth: It starts out with a small surge of apples and lemon before the cheap ethanol note takes over. It soon gets contested by the butterscotch/vanilla and a heavy oak. There’s a hint of dusty corn in there as well. The heavy oak brings a lot of spicyness to the mouthfeel which simulates a higher ABV, which in this case is a good thing. The entire thing gets overrun by the oak fairly shortly in the journey.

Finish: Except for the spicyness of the oak, the transition is fairly uneventful. The background is filled with bad ethanol notes, butterscotch and woodshop oak while the spicyness is high. When it settles the woodshop oak takes over and the late finish is like chewing on an oakboard. There is a fruitiness floating around on top and the metallic note in the back is barely noticable. This is a not the greatest whisky out there. It tries to cover up the bad spirit with a heavy new oak maturation, which somewhat succeeds.

Additional information
The grain whisky part was aged for 3-5 years in new european and american oak casks and then married with single malt for 6-12 months in ex-PX sherry and ex-red wine casks.

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Islands, Jura

Jura The Sound

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ABV: 42.5 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and spirity. At first there’s a base of vanilla and butterscotch with some darker dried fruits floating around. On top there’s a mix of ethanol and slightly nutty oak. When it starts to settle the baseline becomes more fruity with a mix of fresh berries and a bitter lemon/orange freshness. It has a slightly tart character with a sweet and sour kind of thing going on. It feels young and spirity all the way through which makes everything feel a bit off. This is a decent nose with a nice flavour combination, which is brought down by a lack of age.

Mouth: It starts out with a bitter note in the back and a toffee sweetness up front. It takes a while but a fruitiness do appear around the edges and it consists mainly of oranges. It still feels young and there’s a bad ethanol note floating around. The bitterness merges with the fruitiness to create orange peel. Everything feels a bit chemical and fake at this point and it’s not a nice experience at all. The bitterness has a coffee note somewhere within and the oakiness peaks through but it doesn’t help.

Finish: The transition produces a slight, much needed, spicyness but it comes with the off notes as well. When they disappear it opens upp and produces a very nice orange peel and hazelnut finish. It becomes pleasantly fruity and a quite nice oakiness starts to take over. It’s slightly dusty and nutty and creates a nice balance to the bitter notes and the fruitiness. Luckily, the finish is the best part of the journey. This is not the best of whiskies. It’s a good enough whisky to have when the dram isn’t the main event, but it doesn’t stand up to scrutiny.

Additional information
This whisky is a travel retail exclusive. It was first aged in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in ex-PX casks.

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Artist Collective, Independent bottlers, Linkwood, Speyside

Linkwood 21 YO (Artist Collective 2.1)

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ABV: 58 %
Origin: Speyside
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 dark overripe plum and raisin note sitting on top of a fresher floral and fruity base. There’s a cooling mint hovering above all as well. The distillate feels very clean and well made but there’s a nail polish remover note attached to it which brings the whole down a bit. When it settles there’s a somewhat gritty note coming through with sulfur and signs of age with some dust and leather. With time in the glass it becomes brighter and delivers dried assorted fruits. This is a nice sherry driven nose with some complexity to it.

Mouth: It starts out with an immidiate spicy punch and a mix of ripe red berries, coconut flakes and dried fruits. There’s a rather big and bitter black coffee note in the back together with sour lemon freshness and baking spices. The leather and dust is still in there as well as a slightly floral complex note. It’s not an easy sipper by no means and it hasn’t got a sweet character although there’s a sweet shell surrounding everything else. It’s slightly astringent at this point but it feels rich overall.

Finish: A dusty fruitiness builds up together with the spicyness. It’s now a rather perfumey note which is dominating the center part. It’s got a citrus base and a floral top note. The bitter black coffee note is still residing in the back and the astringency increases slightly. There’s still not much of a sweetness. After a while the sherry delivers some sweetness attached to the red berries and leather notes. The gritty character is completely gone as well as the nail polish remover note found on the nose. The oakiness arrives late and it really doesn’t show up before most of the other flavours disappear. It’s a nice oakiness with the black coffee note attached to it as well as a walnut nuttiness. This is a very good whisky with a complex character.

Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 1997 and was drawn from a batch of 5 refill sherry hogsheads exclusivly for Le Maison du Whisky. This is from collective #2.1.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 15 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is a big bowl of assorted fruits with a baseline of tobacco, leather and smoke from a hot, burning campfire. There are tropical fruits, red berries and darker notes with ripe plums and raisins. The sweetness comes as white chocolate and vanilla surrounding the fruits. This is extremely pleasant and well balanced on the nose.

Mouth: Lemon sour approach with the leather and tobacco notes up front. It comes with some spicyness and a tiny amount of coffee bitterness. The ripe plums together with the tropical fruits are pushing forwards together with a speck of dust tagging along. It’s not as sweet as the nose would suggest. The oak can be noticed in the background. It’s not dry nor astringent, but brings the bitter tone to the mix. There’s also a salty caramel note laying as a thin layer on top of everything.

Finish: The darker sherry notes move forward together with the now refined tobacco notes. The tropical fruitiness comes as a wave rolling through together with some spicyness just before the oak finish takes over. The oak comes with espresso and the chocolate has now switched from white to dark. It’s a long finish which rewards the flavour seeker. All the fruitiness can be found over and over again all the way to the end.

Additional information
This Bowmore is supposed to be the same as the ”15 YO – Darkest”. It’s matured for 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels and finished for 3 years in Oloroso sherry casks.