Etikettarkiv: Recension

Ian Macleod Distillers, Independent bottlers, Islay, MacLeod’s (Islay)

Macleod’s Islay

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and peaty. At first there’s a medicinal and vegetable peatiness up front. When it settles there are spikes of fresh citrus fruits and a smell of cardboard. The ethanol is coming through in a not so good way and it’s lacking in depth. After a while there’s a tobacco note and a hint of vanilla coming through around the edges. It becomes a bit fruitier with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat and then it becomes honey sweet. After that it takes a second or two for the peat to arrive. It’s a warmer peatiness than on the nose with burning hay and wood. There’s vanilla and a feint scent of assorted fruits buried within. There’s still a taste of cardboard and it still lacks depth. Everything seems to sit in a single layer.

Finish: The medicinal peatiness takes over and the first part of the finish is quite nice. After a while it sort of shifts towards being savory and when the oak arrives there’s a nice complexity to it. The oak is not especially interesting and the finish isn’t very long. There is a small hint of ripe berries peeking through somewhere along the line. This is an okey whisky and it serves it purpose, giving peat lovers on a budget a decent alternative.

Additional information
This is the Islay version of the series ”Macleod’s Regional Malts” by independent bottler Ian MacLeod Distillers. The distillery and the age are not disclosed.

Craigellachie, Speyside

Craigellachie 13 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and malty. At first there’s an icing sugar sweetness and a sour maltiness coming through. There are green apples, toffee and a squeeze of lemon sitting in the middle. After a while the sweetness becomes honey and vanilla and merges with the toffee notes. It takes a while for the sherry fruits to arrive but when they do it’s a mix of fresh forest berries. There’s also a mild minty cloud hovering above everything. This is a great nose which highly benefits from time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with a round core of butterscotch and citrus fruits. It soon reveals a nice black pepper spicyness. The sherry notes are now much darker and have become a mix of dried raisins and dades together with notes of citrus fruits. Meanwhile the background gets filled with bitter zest and oak. It feels quite lively and produces a lot of flavours and sensations.

Finish: It starts out with the black pepper note and the butterscotch. The fruitiness is very subdued which leaves room for the oakiness to step forward early. It’s still connected to the bitter zesty lemon notes yet it feels quite dry and dusty. The maltiness is still coming through as the finish subsides. This is a great whisky which presents itself with standard flavours, but does so in a rich and engaging way.

Additional information
The 13 YO is the entry level to Craigellachie’s core range released in 2014. It’s aged in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie Dornoch – Limited Edition

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and slightly fruity. At first there’s a big honey and vanilla impact. Behind the sweet layer lies a touch of mixed dried fruits. Deeper down there’s a hint of a smoky peat, but it’s very subtle. When it settles it reveals a fruity distillate with green apples within and a maltiness with a hint of toffee. The whole thing is covered in mild menthol. This is a nice laid back and subtle nose without being flat and boring.

Mouth: At first there’s a thin layer of fresh oak and very mild peat surrounding a sweet inner core. That layer soon shifts into a coffee bitterness and moves back, but it stays connected to the sherry notes arriving in the center. The sweetness subsides and makes room for dried fruits and a hint of walnuts. All the flavours seem to grow richer with time. The apples are still detectable in the back.

Finish: The fresh oakiness and the mild smoky peat seem to stay constant through the transition. There’s a hint of pine shining through before the coffee bitterness and the dry fruits comes through once again. The maltiness is present as well as the walnuts but it’s no longer sweet. After a few seconds there’s a tropical fruitiness somewhere within. When the oak takes over it carries the very mild peat, the walnuts and the tropical fruits in its wake. This is a very good whisky with a somewhat complex character. It’s a bit mild at times, but it’s not bland.

Additional information
This limited edition release is made from classic ex-bourbon cask matured Glenmorangie as well as some lightly peated distillate matured in Amontillado casks. A donation is given to the Marine Conservation Society for the reservation of the Dornoch firth for each bottle sold.

Speyside, Tamdhu

Tamdhu 12 YO

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ABV: 43 %
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 vanilla coating surrounding a mixed bag of fruits, with both fresh citrus fruits and ripe dark fruits. There are oranges, raisins and overripe plums. Cinnamon, honey sweetness and vanilla come from the edges and move inwards over time. The fruitiness turns a bit darker too. This is a nice nose with a mild, round character without any big outliers or surprises.

Mouth: It starts out very mild but with a direct impact of honey, vanilla and dried fruits. As the flavour impact increases the cinnamon shows up together with toffee and oranges. A very pleasant spicyness slowly rolls in over the palate and creates a much needed intensity to the whole. A nice bitter note shows up in the back which creates depth and complexity when it merges with the rest of the flavours.

Finish: The transition is quite uneventful and it sort of dips for a second before it once again produces mixed fresh and dry fruits together with a round toffee and honey sweetness. The oakiness shows up early and rolls in from the sides. The finish feels a lot brighter and fresher with the oranges and red berries coming through more clearly. The oakiness stays in an outer layer and in the back which gives the rest of the flavours a chance to come along throughout the finish. This is a really good whisky which just lacks the final little push towards greatness.

Additional information
This whisky is aged in a mix of first and second fill american and european ex-Oloroso sherry casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Heaven Hill, Kentucky, Larceny

Larceny Small Batch

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and sweet. At first there’s a a protruding note of nail polish remover and hard fruit candy. When it settles a vanilla and dusty corn sweetness takes over and sort of flattens the whole thing into one layer. There are hints of green apples and liqueur-soaked cherries. The high wheat makes it bright and shiny and gives it a slight metallic note. A small whiff of cinnamon comes and goes. This is an okey and quite simple nose.

Mouth: It starts out sweet with a fruity kernel. It’s slightly dry and a vanilla oakiness is creating an outer layer surrounding the fruity center part. It’s somewhat chalky and there’s still a shiny metallic note. There’s also a cinnamon note which gives it a nice and warm character. There is a sort of umami savory note somewhere in the middle which is unusual to find in a bourbon.

Finish: It starts out by creating a thin layer of the metallic note on all sides and then a spicy touch with cinnamon and spicy oak builds up over time. There’s still some dusty corn and the fruitiness returns with the same green apples and cherries as before. When the oakiness starts to take over it’s still covered in vanilla. The sweetness is now represented by a honey note. The oak inherits the dusty notes from the corn. When all else start to fade away, the metallic still lingers and covers the palate. This is an okey bourbon and an easy sipper.

Additional information
This is a wheated straight bourbon produced by Heaven Hill. The mash bill is made up from 75 % corn, 20 % wheat and 5 % barley. A batch consists of 100 barrels.

Heaven Hill, Kentucky

Heaven Hill Old Style Bourbon

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Type: Straight Bourbon
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very mild and sweet. The first thing to come through is a dusty layer. It sits on top of a mix of brown sugar, cinnamon and cherries. There’s an immidiate oakiness that really comes through from the start. Vanilla resides in the back and a caramel note sort of comes and goes. This is a sweet, low-proof, standard bourbon.

Mouth: It’s very watery. A tiny touch of spicyness sits alone before a bitter note is first to break the silence. When the other flavours arrive, they’re not as sweet as on the nose and it becomes a bit astringent and dry. The oakiness is really coming through hard and the sweet and fruity notes are taking a step back. The cinnamon is also less prominent but still noticable.

Finish: A small peppermint freshness pass by before the bitter note returns. The oakiness is now up front and the whole thing is even less sweet than before. A swift visit from the sweetness and fruitiness do occur, but the very pronounced, dry oakiness returns and takes over again. It becomes very chalky in the late finish. This really lacks some power. It seems like it should be a good recommendation for people who want to get into bourbon.

Additional information
This straight bourbon is aged for about 4 years. The mash bill contains 78 % corn, 12 % rye and 10 % barley.

Highland Park, Islands

Highland Park Einar

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Islands
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 sweet round layer of honey and vanilla surrounding a core of fresh red berries. Underneath a mild and herbaceous peatiness creates a backdrop. There’s also a fresh peach and sour lemon freshness somewhere within. Cinnamon, oak and black liquorice are all in there as well. It becomes sweeter over time. This is a good nose but it feels a bit thin and shallow with the peatiness not really connecting to the other flavours.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat, but soon there’s a honey and butterscotch note arriving together with a leathery and smoky peatiness and a mild black pepper spicyness. The fruitiness is sent to the back and the liquorice and honey notes are up front. There’s a nice gritty background flavour with oak, rubber and a hint of sulfur. This creates a much needed layer of complexity. The fruitiness comes back together with vanilla notes after a while.

Finish: The black pepper returns in small sprinkles as the finish starts with an otherwise flat array of sweetness and mild peat. There are still red berries within but they are now darker. There are raisins and overripe plums peeking through. The gritty background notes return and they stay behind together with vanilla and butterscotch when the oakiness starts to build up. The oakiness is a nice mix of fresh and dry oak and it’s got a nice spicy character. There’s also a small nutty side to it. This is a very good whisky but it really lacks some power.

Additional information
The Highland Park Einar was released as a travel retail exclusive in 2011. The ppm is 20 and it’s aged in both american and european Oloroso sherry seasoned oak casks. It has natural colour.

Deveron, Highlands, MacDuff

The Deveron 12 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruits and soft toffee. There’s a bright fresh fruitiness with apples, pears, green grapes and just a slight hint of grapefruits. It rests on a base of toffee and/or butterscotch. Vanilla and honey is in there, but they are just fillers in between the other flavours. The whole thing is covered in a thin aura of eucalyptus.

Mouth: It starts out very mild but quickly turns to a sour lemon and a small spicy note. Butterscotch comes rolling in and it brings some oakiness along. The fruitiness is a long way back and it’s not as bright as on the nose. The oakiness and the butterscotch are divided equally and it makes it a bit bland. It turns more towards honey as time passes in the glass. This is a bit disappointing compared to the nose.

Finish: It sort of just disappears. After a few seconds the eucalyptos note returns and the oakiness comes through again. The oakiness is nice and there’s no astringency. There’s a thin note of walnuts and a touch of anise coming through. After a while the butterscotch and honey start to make themselves noticed and it somewhat changes character. In the end, there’s a chalk note covering the oak. This is very mild and an easy sipper.

Additional information
This is an expression from the MacDuff Distillery released in 2015 as a part of Dewar’s ”Last Great Malts of Scotland” series. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon oak barrels”.

Islands, Isle of Raasay

Isle of Raasay Inaugural Release 2020 – Limited Edition

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ABV: 52 %
Origin: Islands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a layer of herbacous peat and darker red berries with a bottom note of vanilla and honey. It feels very rich and lively. The top note is very sharp and pointy. When it settles it becomes brighter with fresh berries and citrus fruits with a soft layer of mint on top. The peat falls back and moves out towards the edges. This is a nice and interesting nose which lacks some depth, but that’s not too much of a bother.

Mouth: It starts out very oaky, sharp and pointy. The peat is creating an outer layer and the core is malty and has a very beer-like quality to it. There’s a pine note as well as red berries and a weird saltiness within. There’s also a bitter side to it which comes through with time. It’s astringent and sort of attacks the palate with all the flavours at the same time. This means it becomes sort of overwhelming and not all that pleasant on the palate.

Finish: The ABV spicyness flares up and creates a nice peppery overtone. It then reverts to oak and pine together with astringent sour red berries and a hint of vanilla. It doesn’t have a sweet base anymore and the peat is slowly subsiding. The ”beery” maltiness stays in the core for a good while before the wood takes over. It still feels like a mix of pine and oak a long way down the line which isn’t all that great. This is a decent whisky with some nice flavours but it feels like it’s undecesive and all over the place. That makes it a bit hard to access.

Additional information
This is the first legal whisky from the distillery. It’s aged in ex-Tennessee whisky barrels and finished in first fill ex-Bourdeaux red wine casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. This is bottle number 301/7500.

Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet Nàdurra – Oloroso Matured

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ABV: 60.2 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and spicy. Chili and black liquorice sit on top of a quite young and lively distillate. Raisins, dades and tobacco creep up along the inside of the glass. The longer it sits the sweeter it gets with notes of Amaretto, honey and a touch of vanilla. A tiny hint of green apples is in there somewhere. This is very powerful with great cask influence.

Mouth: At first there’s a tobacco note and a hefty ABV spicyness. After a few seconds some dried fruits come through together with a quite nice bitterness. There are still notes of raisins, dades and a now prominent honey sweetness. There’s a toffee note in the background. It feels more mature than on the nose and there’s some dustiness on top.

Finish: A strong menthol cloud goes by and it’s start out with quite low key flavours. After a few seconds the bitterness returns together with muted notes of the Oloroso with liquorice, raisins and honey up front. It takes quite the long time before some oakiness appear. It’s a very laid back oakiness that never picks up speed. It’s a short finish that is somewhat disappointing. It’s still a great dram overall.

Additional information
This cask strength release is aged in first fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. The bottle tried was from batch OL0818.

Macallan, Speyside

The Macallan Amber

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and vanilla. At first there’s a thick layer of dark fruitiness with raisins, plums and liqeuer-soaked cherries together with a vanilla coating. There are also a fresher fruitiness within, as well as a hint of cinnamon. The sherry notes feel like a lid on top of the distillate. They do grow more three-dimensional and darker with time in the glass. There are hints of oak peeking through at times. There is also a heavy sweetness coming through and it feels very connected to the dark fruitiness. This is a nice nose, but it feels somewhat divided into two parts.

Mouth: It starts out with lemon in the back and assorted dry fruits up front. After a few seconds it shifts and turns towards a darker character with ripe blackberries and bitter black coffee notes in the back. It turns even darker with time and it’s not as sweet as on the nose. The vanilla and cinnamon are still in there together with a hint of toffee but they are subdued by the dark fruits and black coffee. It’s very mild and even though it’s flavourful it’s not producing any hard impact on the palate.

Finish: It starts out with a quick minty fresh sweep before the dark fruits and black coffee notes return. The vanilla and cinnamon is now really pushed back and that leaves room for the oakiness to emerge from within the coffee notes. It’s a nice oakiness which matches the profile very well. The contribution to the coffee notes aside it doesn’t deliver any other specific characteristics. The lemon note returns in the late finish which isn’t all too suitable. This is a good whisky which has a couple of flaws when scrutinized, but it’s still a nice and easy sipper.

Additional information
Amber is a part of Macallan’s 1824 series. It’s aged in a combination of refill ex-sherry american oak casks and first fill spanish ex-sherry casks. It contains whiskies from 8-18 years old.

Bergslagen, Engelbrekt, Sweden

Engelbrekt

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and sweet. At first there’s a thin layer of honey, vanilla and toffee sitting on top of a fruity and ethanol driven background. There are apples and coconuts as well as floral and oaky notes floating around within. With time the sweetness increase in intensity which is much needed to balance out the young distillate. This is a nice but very spirit driven nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a quite noticable distillate and when the sweetness arrives it resides out on the edges. The fruity and floral notes are in there but it feels like they’re pushed away. The same goes for the toffee as well. There’s a hint of coconut left and it’s connected to a fresh oakiness which also comes with a bitterness in the tail end. There’s lemon and a metallic note in the back. The toffee notes move forward with time though and somewhat covers the young distillate.

Finish: There’s a nice spicyness passing through at the start of the finish. When it settles the distillate takes over once again. The apples return for a quick visit. The toffee flavour return as well and leads way into the oakiness. It’s a nutty and fresh oak with a lot of character. The late finish is certainly the best part of the journey. This is a young and spirit driven whisky which has some nice notes, but it really could do with a couple of more years in a cask.

Additional information
Engelbrekt is aged for at least 5 years in ex-bourbon hogsheads and then finished in virgin oak barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Glenmorangie, Highlands

Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is rich and sweet. At first there’s a honey and white chocolate sweetness covering a large part of the impact. There’s a thin floral layer floating on top and a hint of citrus fruits in the back. There’s also an eucalyptus note within as well as an almond nuttiness. It becomes sweeter with time and vanilla and sweet liquorice start to move up towards the edges. This is a great and rich nose with a lot of different things to discover.

Mouth: It starts out with a powerful impact of honey, malt and eucalyptus. The core is surrounded by citrus zest and white chocolate. There’s a hint of tropical fruits floating around within as well. It’s somewhat astringent and the oakiness is peeking through every now and then. The liquorice shifts and moves towards the background. It feels very rich and textured. It’s not as floral and as on the nose.

Finish: The eucalyptus is spreading out over the palate and gives it a nice cooling effect. The citrus and tropical fruitiness are close behind as well as the white chocolate, honey and vanilla notes. The liquorice is still in there but it’s more subdued. The oakiness comes through quite late but when it does it’s a very nice nutty oakiness with a white chocolate coating. This is a fantastic dessert whisky. It’s very sweet but it still gives away a lot of different flavours to balance it out.

Additional information
This is part of the Glenmorangie Extra Matured series. It’s aged for 10 years in american ex-bourbon barrels and finished in french ex-sauternes wine casks for 2 additional years. It’s discontinued and replaced with a no age statement whisky with the same same.

Glendullan, Singleton, Speyside

The Singleton of Glendullan Select – Game of Thrones House Tully

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a layer of red apples surrounded by vanilla and oak. There’s a brighter lemon note floating around somewhere within. There’s a maltiness, and with time also a butterscotch note, slowly moving forward. It stays somewhere behind and then merges with the other flavours. This is a nice, straight forward nose. It is mild and a bit uneventful though.

Mouth: It starts out a bit flat for a short moment and then starts with the maltiness, vanilla and butterscotch on top. It soon starts to spread out and become more textured which is a very nice and surprising transition. There’s a hint of sweet liquorice coming through as well as the red apples although they tend to lean more towards being ripe at this point. The butterscotch note seems to move back and then stay as a baseline throughout.

Finish: It starts out with a boost of the fresher fruitiness with a top note of mild menthol. It soon mellows out and return the same flavour profile as before. The finish is quite long, first with the ripe apples, vanilla and maltiness then with a quite nice fresh oakiness. This is a decent whisky with some nice flavours muted down to suit the inexperienced palate.

Additional information
This whisky is matured in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed amount of time. There’s not much more information to be found about this GoT release.

Ireland, Jameson

Jameson Black Barrel

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Ireland
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and oaky. At first there’s a sweet core with a spicy oak cloud surrounding it. There are notes coming through with rye, charcoal and liquorice. When it starts to settle there are grain spirit, vanilla, toffee and honey starting to shine through in the background. It’s a very mild nose with few changes over time. It’s a bit boring but good enough to not be off-putting.

Mouth: It starts out quite flat with notes of banana, honey, bread and red apples. It is quite sour in the background and it’s very different from the nose. There is also a metallic note intertwined with the sourness. The longer it stays in the mouth the more it becomes flat. It does muster up a spicy side though, which is very much needed to keep it alive. It becomes slightly astringent after a few sips.

Finish: The spicy oak flares up and the red apples start to come through once again. It’s still spicy and a bit astringent but within there’s just a pretty flat and boring array of grains, apples, toffee and a hint of play-doh. The oakiness is present but surprisingly anonomous. It’s mostly the apple and banana notes which sets the tone for the late finish. When everything die down the metallic notes in the back return and leaves an unpleasant taste in the mouth. This is not the greatest of whiskies. It’s quite boring and uneventful but it should work very well for people new to whisky.

Additional information
The black barrel is aged in re-charred ex-bourbon barrels somewhere between 8 and 16 years. The distillate is triple distilled.

Jack Daniel’s, Tennessee

Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Tennessee, USA
Type: Tennessee whiskey
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 5
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and oaky. At first there’s a bright green apple fruitiness and a fresh newly cut oak. There’s also vanilla, cinnamon and marzipan. After a while unripe bananas start to appear as a thin outer layer, otherwise it keeps its profile throughout. This is very pleasant and easy on the nose. It’s lacking in power, but it still doesn’t feel thin.

Mouth: It starts out extremely mild with a lot of banana fruitiness. After that it becomes somewhat dusty and the oak is once again very fresh and clear. There’s also a brown sugar sweetness and vanilla. The cinnamon is not present, neither is the marzipan. The banana note is getting stronger the longer it stays in the mouth and it seems to be intertwined with the oakiness.

Finish: A fresh, yet mild, breath of eucalyptus fills the mouth and then the oakiness takes over. The green apple note and the vanilla return for a quick visit before the bananas once again team up with the oak. It becomes a little bit chalky down the road, but the finish is very much focused on the fresh oak. This is not a powerhouse nor a complex whiskey, but it is quite tasty nonetheless.

Additional information
The Old No. 7 is one of the best selling whiskies in the world. The mash bill consists of 80 % corn, 12 % barley and 8 % rye. It’s aged for at least 4 years and it’s charcoal filtered before bottling.

Glenfiddich, Speyside

Glenfiddich Experimental Series – IPA Experiment

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very fruity and friendly. There’s a rather strong cinnamon and apple cider vibe to it, with a sweetness from vanilla, toffee and honey. There’s also a layer of green grapes and together with the hops from the IPA gives notes of a sweet sparkling white wine. The hops note isn’t dominant. It gets richer and the hops move forward a little bit with time in the glass.

Mouth: Lots of honey, lemon, dustiness, butterscotch and red ripe apples. After a while the bitter hops note appears in the back of the mouth. When it settles, the vanilla and oak flavours take over, but it’s still hoppy. The oak is very nice and sits well between the fruitiness and the bitterness. It’s not very spicy and still friendly and easy on the palate.

Finish: It starts out very sweet, with the honey note up front. It soon becomes very oak forward with a butterscotch and vanilla baseline. The hops follow along with the oak. It’s a tiny bit astringent, but the bitterness is all about the IPA. The oak is dusty and dry and the IPA also releases a sour note. It’s an easy sipper and very approachable.

Additional information
The IPA experiment is the first release in the ”Experimental series”. It’s finished in american ex-bourbon barrels that previously held their single malt and then seasoned with Indian Pale Ale for a month. The finishing period is about 3 months.

Glen Moray, Speyside

Glen Moray Elgin Classic – Sherry Cask Finish

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and fruity. At first there’s a rather thin layer of dried mixed fruits and a very present ethanol cloud. There’s a vanilla background and a hint of cinnamon up front. The whole thing is very laid back and nothing pops from the glass. This is a very simple and thin nose. It’s not offensive in any way, but it comes through as a bit boring.

Mouth: It starts out with baked red apples and vanilla up front. It feels richer than what the nose offered. A spicy note builds up and a sulfury gritty note comes through from behind. After a second or two the dried fruits return and replaces the apples. The cinnamon note is still there and it still feels young and spirity. There’s a bitter oakiness coming through in the back and on the sides which isn’t all that nice.

Finish: It starts out a bit spicy and when the initial ethanol cloud settles down there’s a big blur of everything coming through in the center. There’s mixed dried fruits, a lemon note, vanilla and a bitter not so pleasant oakiness all rolled up in a small ball. It takes a while before everything separates and leaves room for the sulfury note and the bitter oak. There is a sort of weird savory note popping up in the back as well. The finish is longer than expected but that is not a very good thing. This is a so and so whisky with both good and bad sides.

Additional information
This version of the Elgin Classic is aged in american ex-bourbon oak barrels and is finished in ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

Ballantine’s, Glenburgie, Speyside

Ballantine’s Glenburgie 15 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and sweet. At first there’s a fresh, fruity top note with yellow pears and green apples. Underneath there’s a sweet layer of honey and vanilla. The layers slowly shift and trade places with each other. The fruitiness settles in the back and a maltiness appear in the middle. It’s a pretty solid sweet core with all the flavours within. A hint of sweet liquorice also appears when this happens. This is a very approachable and mild nose with a straight forward flavour profile. There’s no sharp edges or surprises.

Mouth: It starts out quite flat and tasteless. It takes a while for the flavours to start coming through. First out is a thin layer of vanilla around the edges and a bitter note in the back. The center is a bit thin and the fruitiness is almost gone but there are malt and oak notes coming through. The sweetness found on the nose isn’t reflected in taste. There’s also a wet cardboard note coming through which isn’t all that pleasant.

Finish: The bitter notes rush forward and basically takes over everything. The fruitiness floats around within and it’s more of a ripe red apple fruitiness now. The maltiness is still there but it’s also thin. There’s vanilla, sweet honey and liquorice but they seem to disappear into the background. The oakiness comes through quite quickly which is a good thing. It’s a nice, dusty oakiness with a nutty character and a very thin tropical fruitiness within. This is a very easy sipper with too many corners cut. It’s thin and too mild at times, but produces an easy access experience for the mass market.

Additional information
The Glenburgie 15 YO was released in 2017 and it’s aged in a combination of refill and first fill american ex-bourbon casks.

Benromach, Speyside

Benromach Organic Special Edition

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ABV: 43 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and sweet. At first there’s a mix of honey, oak and kitchen spices. A young spirity note is initially very protruding, but then it moves back and settles behind the main flavours. After a few seconds a citrus fruitiness moves forward and it sort of morphs into oranges and clementines. There’s a pine note sitting in the back, which doesn’t help. The whole very much reflects the pretences of this whisky very well.

Mouth: It starts out a bit bitter with the wood notes, both oak and pine, in front of everything. After a few seconds a savory, meaty note starts to emerge from behind, and it does so together with black liquorice and an overripe fruitiness. The honey is still in there and a vanilla note sits behind everything else. The bright citrus notes are not present at first, but a thin lemon note do come through after a while.

Finish: The oakiness fills the entire palate and even though the savory note and the honey sits in the center they are soon overshadowed by an extremely fresh oakiness. It’s basically planed, new oak. There’s a young green note coming through which isn’t all that pleasant and the young spirity note is still in there. The thin citrus note remains just that and the oranges arrive once again in the late finish. It becomes astringent over time. This is young and fresh, and it has an array of nice and not so nice flavours. It’s interesting for what it is.

Additional information
This release is a certified organic whisky aged in virgin american oak casks for approximately 6 years. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.