Auchentoshan 11y.o. SMWS 5.27, 1999, second-fill Bourbon Hoshead, 58,3%

Comment: Malt, lemon zest, hay, heather, licorice, vanilla, altogether not a very convincing dram.

Score: 77

Glen Moray 39 y.o. SMWS 35.55, 1971, Refill Hogshead, 50,3%

Comment: A whole lotta Bourbon wood influence, which is ok for an old whisky of this kind. All I miss is originality.

Score: 89+

Macallan 20 y.o. SMWS 24.117, 1990, first-fill Sherry Hogshead, 55,4%

Comment: This is a great Christmas Dram (yes, these notes are late ) and quite typical of a Macallan. Wonderful cigar smoke, orange peel, sweet malt, sherry, apple, raisins and cinnamon are its key elements.

Score: 89-

Scotch Grain Whisky 21 y.o. SMWS G-8.1, 1989, 51,2%

Comment: Very rum-like (which is not a bad thing) and loaded with vanilla, citrus aromas and marshmallows. I couldn’t find the exact grain distillery – soon to be revealed.

Score: 86

(Isle of) Jura 21 y.o. SMWS 31.22, 1988, second-fill Bourbon Hogshead, 56,5%

Comment: A very complex and creamy dram with beautiful spice-combo. It also offers sweet malt, ginger bread, licorice and Bourbon-Cask oak  character.

Score: 89+

Laphroaig 10 y.o. SMWS 29.101, 2000, refill-Sherry Butt, 587 btl., 52,8%

Comment: A weird Laph somehow, you have to like it extremely herbal (weeds) and dirty. Aside from the typical notes of peat, seaweed, rusty fishing-boats in the harbour and all that stuff you get sour and lemony aromas, quite some acidity, sherry and flinty sulphur in the nice finish. However, it lacks power in the middle. Not bad, but there are better ones out there.

Score: 86

Ardbeg 7 y,o, SMWS 33.101, 2003, first-fill Bourbon Cask, 245 btl., 59,6%

Comment: Typical Ardbeg, but not as interesting as other releases. A nice whisky anyway.

Score: 88+

Port Charlotte 8 y.o. SMWS 127.12, 2002, Bourbon Barrel, 160 btl., 66,3%

Comment: Funny, this one also heads towards ‚Ardbeginess‘ in some moments but it is saltier and more on camphor, rooty peat, flints and iodine. A great whisky at a young age – again. Look out for Port Charlotte.

Score: 89

Bowmore 25 y.o. Signatory Vintage 1975 – 2000, Cask 1924, 49,5%

Comment: This is a classic, and exactly in the middle of the old 1960ies style and the later lilac-type Bowmores, but without the perfume. One could say old 1960ies-Bowmore minus the extreme dextrose-fruitiness. Great wood of the dark kind and a maritime freshness with a lot of depth. Noble it is!

Score: 90

Glen Elgin 10 y.o. SMWS 85.20, 1999-2009, Refill Sherry Butt, 650 btl., 60,2%

Comment: Raisins, earth, not bad, but rather simple.

Score: 86

Dailuaine 23 y.o. SMWS 41.42, 1986 – 2010, Refill Hogshead, 220 btl., 57,3%

Comment: On the sweet side, good Bourbon woodiness, but a bit hot altogether, seems a bit younger.

Score: 87

Auchentoshan 11 y.o. SMWS 5.27, 1999-2011, 2nd-fill Bourbon Hogshead, 262 btl., 58,3%

Comment: As a friend of Auchentoshan (oh boy, they made some great whiskies, and the Three Wood is one of the great standard bottlings out there) I was a bit disappointed in this release. It displays lemon zest, malt, hay, heather, honey, licorice and vanilla, altogether nice but not very impressive. And another minus, it is not very smooth for a triple-distilled Lowland Malt. Look for better Auchies, they are not hard to find.

Score: 79