lowland
Ardbeg HYPERNOVA! Reviewing the PEATIEST Ardbeg Ever!
Five WHISKIES To Look Out For In 2023!
Top 5 Peated Whiskies Matured In Sherry Casks For Under £100
Top 5 UNDERRATED WHISKIES For Under £75!
Inverleven 1977 Part Des Anges 29 Years Old
Distillery/Brand: Inverleven | Region: Lowland | ABV: 54.8% | Colour: Pale Straw
Nose: 23 | Taste: 23 | Finish: 23 | Balance: 22 | Rating: 91
Review
This is part two of three independent single malts I tasted with a group of whisky enthusiasts one evening. All part of the Closed Distillery series from Part Des Anges.
This is the closed distillery of Inverleven aka Dumbarton which operated between 1938 and 1991. Michael Jackson considered it a Lowland even though the nearby distillery of Loch Lomond is considered a Highland. Since it’s on the border of both it’s regionality will always be up for debate.
Inverleven was part of the the Dumbarton Distillery complex. At one point it was Scotland’s largest grain whisky producer churning out whiskies for blending for George Ballantines.
Some of the old pot stills of Inverleven were sold on to Bruichladdich shortly after the distillery re-opened, along with a lot of second hand distillation equipment. In fact Port Charlotte is made using the old Inverleven stills.
This particular Inverleven is a single cask bottling and served at a cask strength of 54.8%
My sample is from a brand new bottle.
Nose: Lemon. Citrus. Apricot. Mint. Fennel. Kaffir lime leaves. Lavender. Lemon sponge cake. Oxidization gives it a savory, leafy edge. Tobacco leaf. Fresh wood. Licorice. I like it.
Palate: Nutty. White pepper. Caramel. Limestone. Oak. Plums. The delivery is quite oily. Tobacco. Oak. Cinnamon. It’s quite a nice delivery. Full bodied. Takes to water quite well. Just a couple of drops, mind you.
Finish: Long. Oily. Clove.
This is yet another solid whisky from Part Des Anges. I’ve had only three of their offerings but the consensus that evening was that all three were rock solid.
Rating: 91
Rosebank Signatory Distilled 1989
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
Auchentoshan Three Wood
Distiller:
Auchentoshan
Region:
Lowland
ABV:
43%
Colour:
Pure Gold
Review:
A relatively understated malt, this. Nice nose full of toffee, butterscotch and hints of vanilla. Some fruits in there some where. Palate was a similar undertaking though marginally inferior to the nose. A wisp of smoke made it’s way towards the end. The finish was lacking making this an unremarkable dram.
Rating : 84
Bladnoch 10
Distiller:
Bladnoch
Region:
Lowland
ABV:
43%
Colour:
Young Sauternes
Review:
The nose is quite nice with strong vanilla and figs intermingled with citrusy orange. The palate offers you sweet honey and pudding and then towards the end a warm aroma of spicy burnt ginger and orange. The finish could have been longer, in my opinion. Critics love this whisky but I dont.
Rating : 81
The Malt Activist 