Etikettarkiv: Recension

Glenfarclas, Highlands

Glenfarclas 17 YO

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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 dried fruits and sweet vanilla. At first there’s a mix of dried apricots and berries taking point. Beneath there’s a thick layer of vanilla, oak and honey. There’s also some darker fruits in there with some raisins and fresh plums. A tiny hint of seaweed can be detected but it sort of comes and goes. A sprinkle of cardemum and cinnamon on top makes this a very round and welcoming nose.

Mouth: It starts out mild and sweet. A spicyness is first to make itself known and shortly everything else follow. It’s still the same mix of dried and dark fruits and berries. The age really comes through with a middle layer of dusty oakiness and bitter liquorice. There’s an outer layer with lemon peel and coconut. The cardemum and cinnamon is still present and they create a thin veil above everything else. It’s not as sweet as on the nose and the vanilla notes are very low key.

Finish: It starts with a warm spicyness and vanilla. The fruitiness is now in the background and in the front there’s a nice coffee and walnuts bitterness coming from a spicy and dusty oakiness. When it starts to subside the fruitiness comes through once again, but now it’s leaning more towards the lemon peel and the dried fruit mix and not so much of the darker notes are left. This is a great whisky which produces a lot of interesting things, even though it feels a bit like it’s a ”in the middle of the ex-sherried scotches” road. The age really helps it along.

Additional information
The 17 YO was originally intended to be a travel retail exclusive mainly for the asian market. It’s aged in ex-Oloroso casks for the entire aging period. It has natural colour.

Benromach, Speyside

Benromach 10 YO

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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 dark fruits and mild peat. At first there’s a warm campfire smokiness together with raisins, red berries and vanilla cream. The oakiness is detectable from the start and it sits nicely in the sweet center core together with black liquorice. The sherry notes increase in intensity with time in the glass and after a minute or two the different elements feel very balanced. There’s a Bassett’s allsorts kind of sweet, fruity and liquorice candy-like quality to it.

Mouth: It starts out with a herbaceous peatiness. It’s quite savory and it’s got a nice texture to it, even though it’s very mild. There’s soot and dark fruits in the center. After a second or two some sour red berries come through as well as a fresh, but slightly bitter oakiness. There’s black coffee and a dusty layer sitting on top of the oak. There is a sweeter side to it with some vanilla, honey and coconut, but it’s not as sweet nor as balanced as on the nose.

Finish: A quick spicyness pass by and then it immidiately moves back towards the black coffee bitterness and the darker sherry notes. There’s still a savory note in there. The peat has moved out towards the edges and it’s still quite herbaceous, but the campfire smoke has returned. After a while a tropical fruitiness start to emerge in the middle of it all and it also brings a lemon sourness with it. It takes a while for the oakiness to show up, but when it does, it stays for a long finish together with the peat and the fruitiness. This is a great whisky with a lot of possibility for exploration. It could have been fantastic with a higher ABV presentation.

Additional information
This 10 YO is aged in a mix of 80 % ex-bourbon barrels and 20 % ex-Oloroso sherry casks for 9 years and then married together in first fill ex-Oloroso sherry casks. The malt has a ppm value of 10-12.

Benromach, Speyside

Benromach Peat Smoke 2004

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is bright and fresh. At first there’s a big bowl of lemons next to a burning woodfire. The character is lively and young and in this case, that’s a good thing. There’s vanilla and cream and, besides the lemons, a hint of green apples. The base is earthy with a base of dry soil. This isn’t very complex or interesting, but it is a very nice nose.

Mouth: At first there’s a dry earthy peatiness and a sweet honey baseline. It is a bit ”cardboardy” behind everything and it it still is young and lively. When the first impact settles the warm campfire peatiness returns together with the green apples and lemons. The vanilla and the cream notes can be found somewhere in the back, but it takes a few seconds before they arrive.

Finish: A peppermint cloud slowly passes by, but it soon turns into a young spirity note before the dry earthy peatiness takes over once again. The fruitiness is still in there with mainly lemons. The flavour profile is very consistant from nose to finish. The oakiness do come through but it’s not especially interesting. This is a very stringent whisky and that makes it a bit uneventful. A high ppm level doesn’t automatically make it interesting. It’s a nice enough experience overall.

Additional information
This peated release from Benromach was distilled in 2004 and aged in refill american hogsheads for an undisclosed amount of time. The malt has a ppm value of 53.

Glen Moray, Speyside

Glen Moray 12 YO – Elgin Heritage

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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 fruity and sweet. At first there’s a honey sweetness and a maltiness on top and some fresh fruits in the back. There’s a lemon freshness surrounding everything and when the fruits start to move forward they reveal both oranges and apples. There’s a sprinkle of cinnamon and a vanilla creaminess appearing after a while. This is very pleasant and easy to nose.

Mouth: It starts out sweet and slightly dusty. A mix of honey, vanilla and malt creates a thick top layer. It’s a dense character, which contrasts the fresher aromas on the nose. The fruitiness is now leaning towards orange peel with the bitterness intertwined with both peel and the oak, which is coming through from behind. The cinnamon is still in there givning the whole a desserty overtone.

Finish: It starts out with a quick visit from a mild minty cloud and then returns to being sweet and malty with an orange peel fruitiness. It’s once again a bit more fresh and some yellow juicy pears appear together with the citrus fruits just before the oakiness arrive. It’s a nice enough oakiness with a savory note coming along for the ride. The oakiness doesn’t stay for too long and the late finish is just orange peel and a sprinkle of dust. This is a good whisky without any bells and whistles. You get what you see; A nice 12 YO speysider.

Additional information
This is the entry level expression in Glen Moray’s Elgin Heritage series. It’s matured for the full period in american ex-bourbon barrels.

Glen Moray, Speyside

Glen Moray Elgin Classic – Port Cask Finish

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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 vanilla covering everything up. After a while there’s a soft core of berries and honey appearing. It’s a bit young and spirity, but the whole thing is very laid back. There’s a hint of cinnamon and it evolves towards being floral and a bit perfumey. This is a bit too mild and reclusive on the nose.

Mouth: It starts out with quite a hefty flavour rush compared to the nose. It’s liqeuer-soaked raisins, vanilla cream and black coffee. There’s hops and malt in a surrounding layer and the whole thing feels a bit ”hot”. The cinnamon is still in there. There is a touch of honey but the sweetness mainly comes from the port finish. It feels somewhat undecisive on what to bring to the table.

Finish: A spicy flare comes and goes before it returns to the sweetness and malt. There is a beer quality to the main flavour and it’s accompanied by oak and a fruity, floral aura. It doesn’t take very long for it to become oaky. It’s a nice oakiness with a slightly nutty quality to it. The black coffee note is still in there as well as the vanilla. This is a nice whisky with a bit of blemishes here and there.

Additional information
This expression was released in 2014. It’s first aged in american ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for 8 months in ex-Tawny Port casks before being bottled. It’s aged for 7-8 years.

Glen Grant, Speyside

Glen Grant The Major’s Reserve

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and floral. At first there are unripe sour green apples and vanilla. There’s a thin maltiness coming from behind and an ethanol cloud on top. There’s a perfumey lemongrass aura surrounding everything and that’s what creates the floral notes. It almost smells like a scented soap. It gets sweeter and maltier with time and honey starts to show after a few minutes. It’s a nice enough nose but it’s not complex or especially interesting.

Mouth: It starts out with a surge of sweetness and then it turns very bitter with oak and malt as main flavours. It’s a bit unpleasant. There is a slight spiciness building up and the fruity and floral notes are still detectable, but the oak and the malt together with the bitterness beat them to the punch. The ethanol cloud is still circling around everything else. The vanilla and honey sweetness has taken a step back and it’s now just a part of the background.

Finish: It starts out where it left off without anything exiting happening in between. It’s still sweet, the ethanol cloud is still there and it’s still bitter from the oak. The maltiness is a bit toned down though. The fruitiness is still in the background and subsides fairly quick in the finish. All that is left in the mouth afterwards is an unpleasant oaky bitterness. This is not a bad whisky, there are just too many corners cut along the way.

Additional information
The Major’s Reserve is the entry level whisky in Glen Grant’s core range. There’s not much information about the content except that it’s aged in ex-bourbon barrels.

Cutty Sark, Unspecified

Cutty Sark Original

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and ethanol driven. At first there’s a cloud of ethanol coming from the grain spirit together with mild vanillin and some fresh fruits. There’s sweet honey and just a hint of a floral note coming through, as well as some seaweed. The nose is quite monotone and not that interesting, but it’s alright for a cheap blend.

Mouth: It starts out a bit watery but soon there’s a nice fruity and malty core. There’s a grain spirit note surrounding the core and it’s somewhat metallic, but it’s not overpowering and doesn’t really make it taste too bad. There’s a nutty oakiness on the edges and a slightly bitter note somewhere on the inside. The core produces ripe red apples, vanilla and a hint of sweet liquorice.

Finish: It starts out surprisingly malty and the fruitiness and sweetness are intact with honey and ripe apples. The grain spirit slowly builds up and when it’s on the top of the curve it’s somewhat unpleasant, but still not too bad. The oak comes through once again and it’s still a nice, nutty oakiness. The sweet liquorice lingers in the mouth in the late finish. It feels slightly better than the standard cheap blend.

Additional information
This blend has been around since 1923 and is owned by Berry Brothers & Rudd. The content isn’t disclosed but the base is said to be whisky from The Glenrothes Distillery.

Islay, Lagavulin

Lagavulin 9 YO – Game of Thrones Limited Edition: House Lannister

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is savory peat and honey sweetness. At first, the peat shines through with savory honey-glazed meat and ashes from a burnt out campfire. There’s a fruitiness coming through from behind. It’s a mix of green apples and ripe green grapes. There’s an overlay of vanilla which makes it feel very desserty even though the peaty flavours are present. The vanilla grows more intense as time passes in the glass. The contrast works and it feels quite balanced.

Mouth: The vanilla and the fruitiness are the first things to come through, but they are soon replaced by spicy notes and ashy peatiness. It’s less savory and sweet in taste than on the nose. It’s a little bit dry even though the oakiness is hidden behind the peat at this point. It’s a touch bitter and a touch dusty, but the main features are intact.

Finish: A dusty start goes by and then it goes back to the savory peatiness. There are vanilla, honey and black liquorice sitting in the back and the finish is not fruity at all. The oakiness is maintaining and adding to the dry mouthfeel. It’s a very nice oakiness which is intertwined with the peatiness all the way to the end. It steers towards a leathery note in the finish. This is a very good whisky and the tie-in to the GoT series was worrying, but they executed it in a good way.

Additional information
This Lagavulin 9 YO is a limited edition from the Game of Thrones whisky range. It’s been aged in first fill american ex-bourbon barrels.

Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 15 YO – Mariner

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark fruits and tobacco. At first there’s a ripe plums and raisins center and a peaty outer layer with notes of tobacco and leather. There’s also smoke from a burning hot campfire coming through. In the background there are seashore notes with salt and ocean air together with some assorted tropical fruits. It feels somewhat dry on the nose. With some time in the glass the sweetness moves forward and notes of vanilla and honey appear. This is a nice nose, with a nice dark fruity character.

Mouth: It starts out with an outer layer of lemon sourness and a very mild and sweet center part. It’s ashy and the peatiness is very different from the nose. There’s still a leather note and a dark fruitiness coming through, now together with black liquorice. There’s also the tropical fruitiness coming through and it moves forward after a few seconds. This gives it a nice transition from dark to bright. The oak is also noticable in the background, but it doesn’t intrude on the other flavours.

Finish: The tobacco notes return and show up together with a hint of the ashes and the raisins and plums. It changes rather quickly towards the tropical fruitiness once again and the salty background notes also reappear. It takes a short amount of time before the oakiness start to shine through and when it does it’s a nice oakiness but it doesn’t bring much to the table. The tropical fruits linger together with a mellow peatiness and a touch of seasalt. This is a great whisky which delivers a lot of flavour even though it lacks some power.

Additional information
This is a discontinued travel retail exclusive release from Bowmore. It’s aged in both american ex-bourbon barrels and european ex-Oloroso sherry casks.

Dunstone, Germany

Dunstone Finest Blended Whisky

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is anise and cough syryp. At first there are heavy anise and liquorice root notes. The grain spirit is sitting on top and creates a thin layer of butterscotch. After a few seconds a hint of raisins and red berries comes through, but they are feint and almost disappears in the heavy liquorice. The sweet notes are dark like molasses and the entire thing kind of smells like a cough syryp. This is not an especially nice nose.

Mouth: Vanilla and the heavy liquorice note are really protruding and take place up front. There’s not much else coming through for a good amount of time. A dark fruitiness seems to exist, but isn’t really placeable. The oak does shine through for those who wait and it becomes somewhat astringent when that happens. It still feels like it’s a cough syryp more than it feels like an actual whisky.

Finish: Once again it’s vanilla and liquorice root with a dark sweet note as company. The oak comes through quite quickly which is very welcome. It’s a very dry oak and it feels pretty fresh. The astringency increases over time. This is not a pleasant experience in any stage of the tasting process. Fortunatly the finish is very short and most of the flavours are gone soon after swallowing. After a few sips it leaves a feint note of butterscotch from the grain spirit though.

Additional information
This is made by Braun Spirituosen in Germany (Wilhelm Braun Erben GmbH & Co. KG). There’s no information on the content or cask type or if there’s sourced whisky included.

Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet 21 YO – Archive

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is fruity and sweet. At first there’s a fruitiness with apples and pears up front. Beneath there’s a sweeter layer with honey, vanilla and fresh red fruits. There’s also cinnamon and a hint of marzipan. With some time in the glass it becomes floral and perfumey. A top layer of black liquorice start to form and becomes more pronounced over time. This is a very pleasant nose but it’s feels younger than its age.

Mouth: The first impact is honey sweet and malty. The fruitiness is now oranges and overripe red berries and it is not as fruity as on the nose. There are feint notes of dust and old books in the back. A hint of lemon comes through on the sides. There is also black liquorice coming through and a bitterness builds up in the back which merges with the oranges to give hints of peel. It’s very rich and full bodied.

Finish: It starts out mild and sweet once again. Honey and vanilla sits in the middle together with a fruitiness still leaning towards oranges and ripe berries. The maltiness moves forward with time and it sticks around when the oakiness starts to come through. It’s a very nice oakiness with hints of nuts and a thin coffee bitterness. The finish is very long and very rewarding. Overall it feels somewhat younger than its age and it lacks some complexity, but it’s still a great whisky and it offers a lot of flavours.

Additional information
The Glenlivet 21 YO is aged in a mix of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry casks. There are both american and european oak casks used. Since it’s created in batches made by selected casks the content varies over time. This bottle is drawn from batch 1016P.

Glenlivet, Speyside

The Glenlivet Nàdurra – First Fill American White Oak Casks

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ABV: 60.3 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and sweet. At first impact the high ABV hits the nose. When it settles there’s a sweet mix of honey and vanilla together with a slight hint of fruits. With time in the glass it becomes fruitier though, and it’s a green apples and pears kind of fruitiness. There’s also a hint of cinnamon somewhere in the middle. It’s quite young and the distillate is very much the main focus of the presentation, even though good casks are used.

Mouth: It starts out with honey and ripe red apples. It’s got a thick maltiness and there’s a beer note coming through. The vanilla is still in there and there’s a nice oakiness shining through every once and a while. The ABV makes it quite spicy, but it takes a while for it to really bite back. It’s oily and it’s got a savory note sitting in the back. This gives it a great texture and a nice depth.

Finish: The high ABV shoots by but soon leaves place for the sweet and fruity flavours once again. It’s the same flavours as before with vanilla, honey, a beer note and the ripe red apples. The oily texture and the savory note is still in there. The oak arrives late, but it is a fresh and nice oakiness. The pear notes return in the background in the late finish. This is a young powerhouse. It’s well made and has a lot of flavours to offer.

Additional information
This cask strength release is aged in first fill ex-bourbon sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour. The bottle tried was from batch FF0717.

Deanston, Highlands

Deanston Virgin Oak

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ABV: 46,3 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is young and spirity. At first there’s a vanilla and honey oakiness and a clean young distillate coming through. There’s a green apple note but it’s very feint and it sits in the center together with an equally thin toffee note. After some time in the glass there are notes of lemongrass and liquorice appearing. This is not a complex nor especially interesting nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a honey sweetness and a fresh maltiness. There’s a toffee layer and a tang of sour lemon on the sides. The oak is ever so present and gives it a nice fresh frame. It’s got some ABV spiciness together with a mix of kitchen spices and a hint of cinnamon. It doesn’t hide its young spirit, but it’s a clean and well made distillate.

Finish: The toffee and the maltiness is first to come through and the lemon sourness is still covering the sides. After a second or two the oak completely takes over. It’s still a very fresh woodshop oakiness. It becomes slightly astringent down the line. When the oak flavours start to subside the maltiness returns once again and gives it a beer like finish. This is a rowdy, young and unapologetic whisky. It’s not complex, but it covers some ground by being well made and nicely presented.

Additional information
This whisky is first aged in american ex-borubon casks for an undislosed amount of time and then finished in virgin oak casks for 6-9 months. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

Fettercairn, Highlands

Fettercairn 12 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and floral. At first it comes through as very low key and everything seems to be a bit distant. There’s a thin layer of butterscotch and heather. It’s a very clean nose and after a few minutes in the glass there’s a lemon note starting to emerge, but even the lemon sourness is not daring to take the main stage. It get’s more floral with time. This is a quite thin, but nice nose.

Mouth: It starts out much more flavourful than on the nose. A big bucket of butterscotch with a floral touch to it, with scents of assorted wild flowers. There’s lemon, some vanilla and a dusty oakiness peeking through. There’s a gentle spicyness on the tip of the toungue. After a while, a nice malty note appears in the center of it all.

Finish: A honey sweetness flares up and then it turns into the same butterscotch as before. There’s a nice gentle spiciness. The main character persists and still just sticks to the mellow floral and lemon character until the oak arrives. It’s a dry oakiness with a savory note and a walnut nuttiness. The finish is quite nice. This is too mild and it’s rather uninteresting until the finish. It’s a decent background sipper and ought to be a great gateway whisky for beginners.

Additional information
This 12 YO standard expression was first released in August 2018. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon casks.

Dundee, Unspecified

For Peat’s Sake

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ABV: 40 %
Origin: Scotland unspecified
Type: Blended
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 2/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is very vanilla heavy with an artificial butterscotch note attached to it. There’s a wet peatiness surrounding everything, which kind of masks the unpleasant harsh young grain spirit notes. There’s still a cardboardy smell coming through though. There’s a lack of depth and it’s not promoting a wider search for things within.

Mouth: It’s just watery and bland. The main focus is still on the vanilla and an unpleasant sweetness is now added. The butterscotch is still there. A small fruit note briefly passes by and the peaty touch is there, but more subtle than on the nose. After a few sips the peatiness is nowhere to be found. There’s also a metallic note coming through.

Finish: There’s an increase of the already heavy vanilla from the start and a slight spicyness shows up. The whole thing then basically collapses leaving just a tanniny oak and some scattered peat notes. The butterscotch reappears and clings to the mouth and together with a metallic note makes the finish rather unpleasant.

Additional information
This is made by Angus Dundee Distillers. They tell a story about a maltman nicknamed Mr. Peat, who shuffled way too much peat into the Kiln, and thus created a heavily peated whisky. The content is not disclosed, but the company owns two single malt distilleries, which probably contributes to the taste. Those are Tomintoul and Glencadam.

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Bell’s, Unspecified

Bell’s Blended Scotch Whisky

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This Is sweet and unpleasant. A mix of harsh grain spirit and menthol fight with butterscotch and vanilla for the attention. A hint of baked red apples and pie crust come through after some time in the glass, but it remains one-dimensional and shallow.

Mouth: Watery at first then the overly sweet butterscotch note comes marching in. There’s a hint of fruitiness behind the unpleasant harshness. A tanniny oakiness slowly builds up. It’s very bitter, but not in a good way. The vanilla notes is kind of surrounding everything in a thin outer layer.

Finish: Everything except the oak and the harshness dies quite quickly and things just end in an unpleasant oakiness. There are traces left of butterscotch and vanilla, but they just kind of make the bitterness worse. There are hints of good things within, but they are well hidden.

Additional information
Bell’s consists of malts from the islands as well as speyside. Blair Athol, Dufftown, Glenkinchie, Caol Ila and Inchgower are identified as parts of the whole.

Dundee, Unspecified

The Dundee Finest Blended Whisky

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and grainy. At first the grain spirit really hits the nose. It’s harsh and a bit unpleasant. After a few seconds vanilla and butterscotch build up. The sweetness coming through feels somewhat like a generic artificial sweetener. A feint smell of seashore and a metallic note both reside far away in the back.

Mouth: It starts out very watery with a metallic note as the only thing coming through for a second or two. After this it becomes very grain heavy with a clingy butterscotch, a hint of bitter oak and a soft vanilla base, which actually isn’t too bad. There’s a hint of sweet liquorice surrounding the edges. This is quite unpleasant.

Finish: A big hit of the butterscotch and vanilla soon disappears and a very bitter oak together with the grain spirit take over. There’s not much more to be found. This should be used as a mixer and not be consumed neat. It’s a cheap blend and that really shines through.

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

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Bowmore, Islay

Bowmore 25 YO

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is tropical fruits and leathery peat. The smoke is dry and feels like it’s coming from a hot, burning campfire. Within the smoke the age shows with old leather and dusty old books. It’s a sherry driven nose with dark fruits, such as raisins, dades and ripe plums, liquor soaked cherries, sugar and liquorice. There’s also a big bowl of tropical fruits coming through, with mangos, pineapple and peaches.

Mouth: It’s a mild and very fruity start with all the tropical and dark ripe fruits creating a very nice mix. There’s leather and dust, but the smoke notes are otherwise toned down. A maritime feel is lurking in the back (which mainly brings a hint of saltiness). A spicyness comes through after a couple of seconds.

Finish: The tropical fruits are dominating, which makes it feel younger than its age. It’s very vibrant and it takes a while, but when the oak finally shows up it’s like old grey planks that bring quite bitter notes with walnuts, espresso and toasted coconuts. It’s dusty and astringent. The smoke is still in there, but toned down as a nice base flavour throughout the experience.

Additional information
This 25 YO expression of Bowmore sits at the top end of the distillery’s core range. It’s aged in both american ex-bourbon oak barrels and european ex-sherry casks.

AnCnoc, Highlands, Knockdhu

AnCnoc Peatheart

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. Thick honey and savory peat are both very pronounced from the start. There is also a hay note coming from within the peatiness. In the background there are green fruits and yellow pears with some dust on top. After a few seconds vanilla and mint start to appear. The fruitiness keeps on moving forward until the whole thing almost becomes a peated dessert. This is a very pleasant nose.

Mouth: It starts out quite spicy and it takes a second or two for the main flavours to push through. There’s a savory peatiness and dry soil and they both help create an outer layer. On the inside there are yellow juicy pears and lemons. The desserty notes are still there and the vanilla is now joined by butterscotch and a hint of the oakiness. It’s not as sweet as on the nose.

Finish: The spicy mouthfeel doesn’t carry over to the finish. It starts out quite dusty with dry soil and the savory peat as main flavours. The fruitiness is almost completely gone. After a few seconds a very clean and fresh oak note appears and basically takes over everything except a thin peaty layer on the outside. It’s a freshly cut oak with hints of hazelnuts. It’s still very juicy and there’s no astringency. This is a solid peaty whisky with a fruity heart, but it feels a bit undecided on what it’s supposed to be.

Additional information
This is made by the Knockdhu distillery and it’s part of the AnCnoc core range. The barley used has 40 ppm. It’s aged for more than 10 years in american ex-bourbon oak barrels.

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Ardbeg, Islay

Ardbeg Drum

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

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and medicinal. At first approach it’s iodine and honey sweetness with a warm woodfire burning in the background. A peppermint note sits on top of everything and a cinnamon note resides in the far distance. When it settles in the glass it grows sweeter and vanilla starta to come through. It feels quite young and the rum cask finish is not very prominent, but it adds a roundness to the whole. A small thin layer of fruitiness can be found somewhere in the middle, but it needs some hunting to be found.

Mouth: At first it’s honey sweet and spicy with a touch of vanilla and caramel. It’s not as peaty as on the nose. Soon after, it turns around and becomes quite strict and medicinal. Iodine, bitterness, ashes, oakiness and seasalt create a high impact mix. It still feels very young and it’s very rowdy and it’s kind of diappointing compared to the nose.

Finish: The peppermint comes back for a quick visit. The sweetness is now nowhere to be found. It’s salty and medicinal. It’s very bitter and there’s espresso and hazelnuts found in the oakiness. A small touch of tropical fruits do come through after the initial impact, but they are easily missed. The peatiness turns towards the ashy notes in the late finish. The nose promises a lot more than the taste can deliver, but it most definitly makes an impact.

Additional information
This limited edition Ardbeg was released for Ardbeg Day, june 1st, 2019. It’s aged in american ex-bourbon casks and then finished in ex-rum casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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