Tag Archives: whisky

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

Nikka Miyagikyou 12

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Distillery/Brand: Nikka Miyagikyou
ABV: 45%
Region: Japan
Colour: Full Gold

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

Review
I have yet to come across a Japanese whisky that I didn’t like. Sure, some are better than others but generally any expression with Kanji symbols on the label is going to be good. And so is the case with this Miyagikyou 12.

A nice nutty nose brimming with honey coated almonds sprinkled over a bowl of treacle with a burnt caramel topping. Finally a drizzle of brandy and coconut shavings give way to something a touch floral.

Here’s where I’m a little stumped. The palate screams unmistakeable sherry but my research shows none of that. Nevertheless there are typical sherry notes in this expression. Honey and clove mixed with big fat red grapes followed by a pleasant cinnamon spiciness and ending with burnt citrus, aniseed and a pod of cardamom.

The dry finish is quite long and has a playful licorice twang to it.

But I keep going back to the palate – I’m sure there is a sherry cask in there. Somewhere!

Rating: 92

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

Glen Scotia 18

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Distillery/Brand: Glen Scotia
ABV: 46%
Region: Campbeltown
Colour: Sunlight

Nose: 20
Taste: 21
Finish: 21
Balance: 19

Review
I have always had a fascination with Campbeltown whiskies and it all started when I tasted a smashing 10 year old Springbank at a friend’s place. Which is why every time I uncork an expression from that part of Scotland I am always urging it to be good. However, it is not the case with this 18 year old.

An unremarkable nose greets me as we are introduced to each other. There is the damp and musty smell of curdled milk in the air along side a day old piece of kneaded dough. I summon all my powers of concentration and eke out a handful of dry raisins. But that’s it.

This journey of unremarkable-ness continues on the palate with a more than necessary burst of fiery black pepper corns. One has to fight through the pin pricks to single out a touch of honey lemon and something faintly nutty.

A mentholated short finish later I am left pondering over what I just experienced.

Rating: 81

Laphroaig PX

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Distillery/Brand: Laphroaig
ABV: 48%
Region: Islay
Colour: Old Sauternes

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

Review
Take a typical Laphroaig (like the 10), pour it over a chocolate rum cake, soak it over night and say ‘Hello’ to the Laphroaig PX Cask!

The nose is quintessential Laphroaig with that familiar seaweed, iodine and peat mixture. But that’s where the similarity ends. Because from within salty seas comes through the most decadent of dark chocolate cakes smothered in ripe bananas, charred citrus and burnt treacle. Finally mossy undertones remind you that you’re being enveloped by the open seas and wet skies of Islay. Quite magnificent, actually.

The full bodied, juicy palate is dark chocolate and maple syrup with a healthy drop of dry fruits, cinnamon and a touch of clove. Burnt citrus re-emerges to add to the complexity followed by a strange spoonful of yoghurt found in a musty drawer.

The oily long finish is lovely and leaves you salivated for hours on end with fennel and banana bread.

This is a malt where you finish an evening with because you don’t want anything else polluting the gloriousness in your mouth.

Rating: 94

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

Tormore 12

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

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

Review
I personally love exploring the not so mainstream expressions out there and so it was quite exciting when I spotted this 12 year old Speyside in a friend’s bar the other night.

It has a typical Speyside nose with butterscotch, honey and almond. Citrusy overtones come next followed by something a touch floral wrapped in a haze of morning dew. Quite fresh and invigorating.

The medium bodied palate is interesting and flavorful. I like the strong minty herbacious attack on a bed of honey, sugarcane and white pepper. Chew it for long and a curious mixture of chalk and nuts forces you to raise an eyebrow. Intriguing.

The decently long finish has a smatter of dry fruits and very strong oaky mint.

This was my first Tormore and, I must say, I quite liked it.

Rating :86

The Macallan 12 Fine Oak

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

Nose: 23
Taste: 24
Finish: 22
Balance: 23

Review
This is what every Speyside single malt should taste like. Delicate and sensitive as well as bold and courageous.

Incidentally this is one of the first single malts I had ever bought and I think it was the reason I fell in love. Familiar aromas of honey, vanilla and hints of coconut remind me of why I got into malting in the first place. Robust barley lightly dusted with brown sugar and then rubbed on bright green pears makes this nose possibly one of my all time favorites to come out of Speyside.

The velvet delivery is almost perfect as it starts off honeyed followed by black pepper and cinnamon. Swish it around your mouth and you can discern the deftest of dark chocolate and a drop of citrus.

The medium to long finish is dry and quite oaky – I think that’s where the Fine Oak comes into it’s own – with a touch of nuts and an eyebrow raising stick of clove.

I have to admit; this malt makes me happy.

Rating: 92

The Macallan 12 Sherry Oak

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Distillery/Brand: Macallan
Region: Speyside
ABV: 40%
Colour: Pale Gold

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

Review
There was a time when I remember wanting to drink only Sherry influenced whiskies and this expression was the reason why.

The nose is pretty much in perfect harmony. Big, fat, juicy, red grapes covered in sugar, sprinkled with black pepper, dipped in caramel and then dusted with dark chocolate are presented to you on a silver platter. A final nose brings out the beautiful wooden sherried oak that makes this nose what it is.

Like most Macallan’s I’ve tasted the liquid is pure velvet. Burnt toast with black pepper and tiny cloves is the first thing to greet you. This is followed by the unmistakable taste of charred orange rind. Finally the palate is wrapped in a swirl of caramel, jaggery and a hint of roasted nuts.

The lovely long finish with it’s dry clove and nuts feels quite mature for it’s twelve years.

Pour your self a dram, sit back and relax. It’s going to be a long night.

Rating: 91