Tag Archives: highland

Glenmorangie Finealta

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Distillery/Brand: Glenmorangie
Region: Highland
ABV: 46%
Colour: Full Gold

Nose: 22
Taste: 23
Finish: 22
Balance: 22

Review
There are few whiskies that you can seldom go wrong with and Glenmorangie is one of them. So when I picked out the increasingly rare Finealta off a friend’s shelf I already had fairly high expectations.

The nose is soft smoke with sherry undertones mixed in with vanilla and fruit drops. This is followed by a touch of honey and some crushed red grapes. Finally a handful of roasted chestnuts give the nose a nice layer of complexity.

The full bodied delivery is cinnamon spicy at first and then a nice caramel and treacle sweet next. The slightly smoky oak then weaves in quite expertly and brings with it a deft minty touch.

The medium dry finish is a very nice mix of minty leaves and oak shavings.

Rating : 89

Inchmurrin 12

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Distillery/Brand: Inchmurrin
ABV: 40%
Region: Highland
Colour: Sunlight

Nose: 21
Taste: 21
Finish: 21
Balance: 21

Review
Again a not-so-mainstream expression – something I quite like exploring. This one was a 12 year old Highland I nicked off a friend’s bar.

It has quite a strong floral nose reminding me of rose infused incense sticks that you use sometimes as an air freshener. Swirling in the incense smoke is a spoonful of maple syrup, sugar cubes and almonds. It’s quite a heady experience and it takes a while for your nose to adjust to any thing else after that.

Red licorice, cinnamon, grapes, purple fruits drizzled with white pepper course through your palate in an unusual delivery. Like a big plate of all these ingredients which you’re forced to eat all at once. A bit tricky to get your head around it.

The medium finish full of red licorice and cherry drops rounds off an interesting Highland experience but the question is would I drink this one again?

Hhhmmmm, I don’t know. Maybe.

Rating: 84

Glenmorangie 10

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Distiller:
Glenmorangie

Region:
Highland

ABV:
40%

Colour:
Pale Straw

Nose: 23
Taste: 23
Finish: 23
Balance: 23

Review:
This gem is used as a base to make the exceptional Quinta Ruban and Necta D’Or. And that’s what this entry level Glenmorangie is. Exceptional.

The nose is bright and sunny like the first day of spring. A picnic basket of goodness sits nearby with buttery biscuits covered in honey dipped raisins. A small fruitbasket of citrus, tinged with vanilla, comes out next followed by just a handful of moist almonds. The air is then filled with a touch of something delicate and floral.

The surprisingly robust delivery brings with it the juiciest of sugarcane and orange and lemon zest. Then adding complexity to the palate are cardamom seeds coated in the most faintest of silver mint. Finally the spices appear accompanied by a trickle of nuts.

The medium finish brings with it spicy black peppers which dry out to a more oaky finish. All in all a dram worth savoring.

Rating : 92

Dalmore 18

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Distiller:
Dalmore

Region:
Highland

ABV:
43%

Colour:
Old Sauternes

Review:
I had the pleasure of meeting Richard Paterson recently and one of the whiskies he shared with us was the Dalmore 18.

Very much like Mr Paterson’s personality the nose is big! Huge creamy chunks of sugar and vanilla. Like dipping your head in a bucket of caramel. As you shake your head from side to side capturing all the sweet honey vapors you’re hit in the face with black berries and strips of licorice. Then there is the unusual aroma of black salt. Like picking up a black rock on the beach and smelling the salt on it.

A lot of flavors on the palate though I’m not sure always in balance. The dry delivery brings with it the obvious honey and vanilla notes. Then there is the black salt. It appears suddenly and then just sits there among the toasted nuts. A second sip makes you think of banana smeared on wood and then dipped in citrus.

Once again I am torn between Mr Paterson’s infectious enthusiasm and my own palate. It is not my favorite dram but there is something unusual about that black salt that’s stuck to me for some reason. Just to experience that I will drink this one again.

Rating : 87

Dalwhinnie 15

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Distiller:
Dalwhinnie

Region:
Highland

ABV:
43%

Colour:
Full Gold

Review:
My first review of a Dalwhinnie and the 15 year old expression I was after for a while. Finally managed a taste and it seems like I’ll be sourcing a few more.

The nose is typical Highland complexities with a strange floral inclination. My first impression is lavender bath oils and touch of rose water. A subsequent nose confirms the presence of barley and then, just like a nostalgic surprise, comes the comforting smell of wet wood.

The palate is a tad dry as the oak makes it’s presence felt. Then peeking from around the corner are the most delicious coffee beans I’ve ever had. This is all wrapped in swirls of honey. Honey that’s been exposed to gentle smoke and infused with star anise.

Go out and get one now!

Rating : 92

Old Pulteney 17

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Distiller:
Old Pulteney

Region:
Highland

ABV:
46%

Colour:
Pale Gold

Review:
A very soft and delicate nose with swirls of citrusy lemon and juicy pears. There is a whiff of something heathery too. The delivery is beautifully understated as it dances off your palate. At 46% ABV this is a man’s drink but with a feminine touch. Ripe juicy barley coated in vanilla make their way to the back of the throat where the spices come into play. Creamy texture with a dash of five spice.

After a second sip I felt the presence of cereal and biscuits made in butter. There’s something warm and cozy about this drink.

Rating : 93

Glengoyne 21

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Distiller:
Glengoyne

Region:
Highland

ABV:
43%

Colour:
Young Sauternes

Review:
Beautiful floral nose interspersed with ground nuts like almonds and a subtle spiciness brought on by nutmeg. A surprisingly curious delivery. Starts of sweet with a mixture of toffee and hints of citrus and as it prepares to go down the gullet some one throws in a big stick of cinnamon laced with lovely spices! A very distinct and satisfying finish.

Rating : 91

Dalmore 12

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Distiller:
Dalmore

Region:
Highland

ABV:
40%

Colour:
Copper

Review:
The color is a very nice deep, dark amber thanks to the Oloroso sherry finish and I suspect the sherry is behind the thick dollopy legs that cascade down the side.

I find the nose quite complex with touches of honey, orange peel, cinnamon (maybe clove?), a faint wisp of oak and quite a strong presence of butterscotch toffee! It’s very easy on the palate but I would have preferred a few percentage ABV points more than the 40% it has on offer. I found understated raisins and red apples initially and that gave way to toffee and barley in the middle. It ended rather quickly for my liking on a note of heathery dryness. But that quickly goes away. Three precise drops of water make it quite chewy and a full bodied affair. For some reason it makes it a tad dryer in the end as well.

Overall this is a beautiful dram though I think the bottle is what I like best about it!

Rating : 90