Tag Archives: scotland

Glenlivet 15 Years French Oak Reserve

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Distillery/Brand: Glenlivet
Region: Speyside
ABV: 40%
Colour: Sunlight

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

Review
This has been one of my favorite malts for a long time. Not because it’s the best malt out there but because it was one of the first I tried early on in my career as a malt enthusiast. And I’m glad it was this one for who knows what would have become of me had I tried something vile.

The uncomplicated Speyside nose is bursting at the seams with an orangey citrus burst on a bed of smooth melon rind. The honey and delicate flowers accompany this fruitiness and make for quite a nice bouquet of aromas.

The beautifully textured spirit is a touch spicy but that quickly gives way to a lovely warm fruit basket mixed with marshmallows. Something oddly comforting about this delivery.

The long and oily finish with a touch of oak keeps taking me back to why I began this glorious journey in the first place.

Rating: 91

Glenfiddich 19 Age Of Discovery – Madeira Wine Finish

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Distillery/Brand: Glenfiddich
Region: Speyside
ABV: 40%
Colour: Pale Straw

Nose: 21
Taste: 22
Finish: 20
Balance: 21

Review
This is part one of three of the, now über popular, Age of Discovery series. A 19 year old malt finished in Madeira Wine casks complete with gorgeous box that has, not one, but two doors! So you can understand if I was a little gutted that this one did not blow me away.

The honey sweet nose is both woody and citrusy at the same time. But you really have to coax the aromas out. If you keep at it you’ll be rewarded with a hint of sweet red melon and a touch of something grassy.

The same honey and oak mixed with white pepper are first to greet the palate followed by a spoonful of marmalade, roasted nuts and butterscotch.

The abrupt finish is a little disappointing. I would have liked to nurse the flavors a bit more but there was none of that.

I don’t mind drinking this one again but I would gladly pass this over if offered the 15 or the 18 year old instead.

Rating: 84

Bruichladdich – The Organic

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Distillery/Brand: Bruichladdich
Region: Islay
ABV: 46%
Colour: Chardonnay

Nose: 22
Taste: 22
Finish: 21
Balance: 21

Review
Bruichladdich are the ever experimenting single malt brand and, even though, it’s hard to keep track of them all there are few expressions that are below par. The Organic is another example of a decent (not mind blowing, mind you) expression – this one made purely from organic Scottish barley.

The lightly peated nose evokes images of green apples strewn on moist grass as you sit on a wooden porch made damp from the morning dew. Completing the picture is a basket of freshly laundered clothes atop which sits the tiniest bale of hay.

The delivery is full bodied and sweet smacking of honeyed cinnamon, moist lemon slivers and a touch of fennel. All this enveloped in a feathery wisp of smoke.

The long and oily finish is chewy and a little minty though, as it fades, it develops a slightly bitter chalky characteristic.

Rating: 86

Glenlivet Master Distillers Reserve

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Distillery/Brand: Glenlivet
Region: Speyside
ABV: 40%
Colour: Gold

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

Review
Let’s start with the fact that there is really no bad Glenlivet. Consistent & classic flavors is what this single malt is known for. So even when they come out with cute marketing gimmicks like this expression it’s something still worth drinking!

But first the nose.

Sweet honey; and quite a strong honey at that. Quite zestfully sweet and delicately floral at the same time. Followed by moist barley in a cereal bowl topped with a whisper of vanilla essence. It’s almost like sitting in a field of pretty white flowers.

The lovely, full bodied, honey delivery is first intertwined with a playful pinch of white pepper. Then a caramel-ish toffee sweetness infused with a not-so-overpowering mint sprig coupled with crushed nuts. Very pleasant.

The medium to long finish is oily with a touch of spice. A lovely Speysider that embodies all that is good about that region.

Rating: 88

Bowmore 18

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Distillery/Brand: Bowmore
Region: Islay
ABV: 43%
Colour: Full Gold

Nose: 22
Taste: 21
Finish: 22
Balance: 22

Review
I think Bowmore is a dependable distillery with some solid expressions (Tempest Batch 2) and some not-so-solid expressions (Mariner & Enigma). And that’s what makes a distillery exciting and human, in my opinion. So when I uncorked the 18 year old I had no idea what to expect.

The nose is salty and instantly reminds you of a dank warehouse. The musty smell, I imagine, can be found in the actual Bowmore warehouses housing all the maturing casks. From within the salty sea spray then comes a warm mix of bananas, tangerines and peaches followed by nutty peat and a touch of iodine. The final flourish is unmistakeable butterscotch.

The palate is strong and oaky with a vigorous application of dark spice rub. Bananas and nuts then decide to make a come back accompanied by something pleasantly sweet

The woody medium finish is, of course, peaty with a touch of salt and fennel. There is, though, a hint of something bitter but it’s faint enough not to be a nuisance.

Rating: 87

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

Ardbeg Galileo

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Distillery/Brand: Ardbeg
Region: Islay
ABV: 49%
Colour: Young Sauternes

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

Review
If anyone wants to know how to build a cult following have them intern with the folks over at Ardbeg. Who would have thought of sending new make spirit up in space? And then releasing an expression commemorating that? Say ‘hello’ to the Galileo.

I would like to say it has a typical Ardbeg nose but it doesn’t. I mean it has the trademark peaty smoke (which is more pronounced than it’s cousins) and strong honey notes. There is a slight saltiness with a touch of grass which gives way to a chocolatey fruit basket. But the smoke and the wood tend to overpower a little.

The full bodied palate is much more familiar though not as sophisticated as you would expect from this monster distillery. Intensely spicy amidst the dark chocolate, nuts and some citrus.

The rather long oily finish has slivers of phenol and aniseed. There is also, dare I say it, a drop of something bitter.

This is an increasingly rare bottling and a must in the collector’s bar. Even though I would prefer to admire it on the shelf more than on my palate it still is a very drinkable expression.

Besides I heard it just won the World Whisky Award for best Single Malt. I must be daft or something…

Rating: 89

Port Charlotte PC8 Ar Duthchas

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Distillery/Brand: Port Charlotte
Region: Islay
ABV: 60.5%
Colour: Pale Gold

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

Review
I know people say ‘What the hell is Bruichladdich doing? Churning out an expression a day?’ But you know what? They make sure each expression is worth the trouble. And the PC8 is no exception!

Obvious smoky peat on the nose, of course. Let’s get that out of the way and try to find what’s hidden amid the swirls. First some nuts. Then a nice piece of sausage on the barbecue grill. Accompanied by a glass of honey milk. Sprinkled with a nice pinch of rock salts. Quite glorious actually.

The 60.5% makes it a touch hard to get around the alcohol and the only flavors I can make out are black peppers, honey and smoke. A couple of drops of water opens up the nose and makes the liquid a touch more palatable. This enhances the honey in the mouth and introduces a touch of salt. Must be that rock salt.

The dry long (extremely long) finish is curiously minty with a touch of fennel. Certainly a powerhouse malt to be handled by seasoned experts only.

Rating: 91

Rosebank Signatory Distilled 1989

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Rosebank signatory

Distillery/Brand: Rosebank
Region: Lowland
ABV: 43%
Colour: Sunlight

Nose: 22
Taste: 21
Finish: 22
Balance: 22

Review
It’s always a treat to sample some juice from a closed distillery so it was nice to savour this particular expression from the Lowlands.

The pleasant nose starts of quite fresh and chock full of greens – almost a wet grassy morning hue in the air followed by big yellow lemons being drizzled on hard boiled candies. Finally a touch of mint and a light dusting of coconut complete a very nice nosing experience.

The velvety palate starts of white pepper spicy but then morphs into a juicy mixture of honey, mint and barley. It is very pleasant but I felt lacks the complexity favored by seasoned palates.

The dry finish is a touch minty with a not so unpleasant after taste of spicy wood.

What sets this one apart is that it is possibly the smoothest drink going down. Absolutely flawless texture.

Rating: 87

Glenfarclas 105 – 20 Years Old

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Distillery/Brand: Glenfarclas
ABV: 60%
Region: Speyside
Colour: Copper

Nose: 23
Taste: 24
Finish: 24
Balance: 23

Review
This is a special bottling of the already awesome Glenfarclas 105, matured in sherry casks for 20 years. Served up at an eye-watering 60% ABV this single malt is not to be messed with!

The nose is strong and floral with an intense rose garland aroma. Strong sugars, flowing jaggery and a sprinkle of black pepper spices make up the dominant nose. Spend a little more time and you can discern pleasantly ripe bananas too!

The delivery is nothing short of spectacular! Imagine a dark chocolate hand grenade with a side of black pepper C4 exploding in your mouth without mercy. The 60% ABV comes into it’s own here carrying with it dark plums, juicy raisins and a touch of something minty all swirled in gorgeous dark rum. A delivery hard to forget.

The nutty long finish is intensely spicy with an oaky dryness rounding off a smashing high strength sherry rendezvous.

Rating: 94