Mortlach 9 y.o. Hepburn’s Choice 2004, Refill Hogshead, 46%

Comment: This pale and malty dram tastes exactly like a raw peppered steak with spinach on the side. We also got apricot and peach, morello cherry and sandalwood aromas. Steely Dram (sorry, Steely Dan!)

Score: 84

Longmorn 11 y.o. Hepburn’s Choice 2003 – 2014, Bourbon Barrel, 46%

Comment: Their best release so far! What a fruitbasket with incredible maturity after these years (it already displays dextrosity). Coconut, vanilla, pineapple, passion fruit, gooseberries, pear, lemons, elderflower combined with white chocolate, tinned milk, honeysuckle and toffee. Creamy and voluptuous mouthfeel, a sour-fruity and baroque Longmorn, Speyside goes Caribbean.

Score: 90

Glengoyne 7 y.o. Hepburn’s Choice 2007 – 2014, Refill Sherry, 46%

Comment: This dram is somewhat tragic because it has great potential but was bottled way too early (baby murder, so to speak) as it is very green, mashy and close to a new make. Nevertheless there is complexity and some weight already: apple compote, sour apple mash (like in a cider factory), autumnal flowers, kiwi, Haribo peach gums, honey, pistachio and candy floss – this would have been amazing some years in the future. Now it is interesting but not there yet.

Score: 76

Miltonduff 7 y.o. Hepburn’s Choice 2007 – 2014, Refill Butt, 46%

Comment: This one stands like a champion for its young age, especially on the palate. A wonderful sherry influence on a medium dry and flowery base. Don’t rush this Miltonduff! One can detect dried flowers, hay, blood oranges, bergamotte, lit sandwood sticks, tinned coffee cream, some oak and good acidity. The finish leaves you craving for more.

Score: 88

Auchroisk 12 y.o. Hepburn’s Choice 2001, Refill Hogshead, 46%

Comment: A very unsusual whisky, in parts it reminds me of mezcal (agave, white pepper) and steely gins (juniper). Quite dry and austere, lots of hay, celeriac, wet earth, chili, leather and peaches. Malt for Mexicans. Bring out the Mariachi.

Score: 80

Caol Ila 5 y.o. Hepburn’s Choice 2008 – 2014, Refill Hogshead, 414 btl., 46%

Comment: A typical and fresh Caol Ila that surprises me (only five years old) – peat, twig smoke, olive oil, juniper, lemon, chalk, mint, nettles, pepper and spice in the nose. Only the taste reveals its youth with greener elements ans some mash. Nice finish.

Score: 86

Laphroaig 11 y.o. Hepburn’s Choice 2002 – 2014, Refill Hogshead, 151 btl., 46%

Comment: It is one of these green-banana-like Laphs (like original bottlings these days, which often perform less good than indie bottlings), limestone, green tea, peat smoke and old port aromas. Some might love this more than I do. A solid Islay dram though.

Score: 86+

There also is a Talisker 6 y.o. from 2008 in the new range – it is not a green as one would think, already a typical maritime beach-BBQ dram, way better than Storm (86 points).

Overall, one can say that the quality has risen and became more consistent. Moreover, there are some definitive highlights in the series which I recommend (and partly bought for myself). Our friend Lorenz Schreier, the man behind the project, can be proud of his new ‚babies‘ which sell really reasonably (check their website).

Let’s start with the Bourbon-cask bomb Glen Keith 21 y.o from 1992 (Barrel 120610, 49,5%) – a typical vanilla-laden, creme brulee whisky that also renders oily fruitiness, butter, marzipan and caramel, mouthfilling and big. Great whisky in every way: 90 points.

My second favourite is the 17 y.o. Miltonduff from 1995 (Cask 2802, 58,1%) – a fruity and elegant Speysider on plums, peardrops and flowers with impeccable balance. It drinks like an ‚Apfelstrudel‘ and remains classy all the way. A real steal at 65 Euro. 89 points.

Two more really good ones need to be mentioned: The 18 y.o. Braeval from 1994 (55,3%) is smooth as a velvet glove and a great mature allrounder (yellow plums, raspberries, apples, leather and herbs. 89 points. On par with this one I find the sherry cask version of a 17 y.o. Glentauchers from 1996 (57,2%) – being a bit rum-like from the sherry elements, it is complex and nutty (almonds) with dark and bright fruits, vanilla, resin, discrete wood and so much more,  all well balanced (no water necessary). 89 points. All these are great drams well below 100.- Euro.

The other bottlings scored like this (find notes on the Tasting Fellows page):

– Glenburgie 21 y.o. (1992): 87 points

– Mortlach 17 y.o. (1996): 87 points

– both Fettercairn 15 y.o. (1997): 86 points

– Macduff 15 y.o. (1997): 82 points

To sum it up, there wasn’t a bad one in the bunch and many are really convincing. Great picks in difficult times: Kudos Lorenz.

My Tasting Fellows Bottlings

Cask Sampling at Dalwhinnie

Serge Valentin and Pit Krause

Mortlach's funny odd set of stills

Aaaahhh, those Maniacs!

Charles 'Charlie' Maclean and Pit Krause

New Make Analysis at DIAGEO lab

One of those average drams: Mortlach 1942

Martine Nouet and Pit Krause

Raw Materials like Barley and Peat

Pub Impressions on Royal Mile

More of such pictures will appear later in the gallery …

Auchentoshan 11 y.o. / 1999 SMWS 5.29, 60,6%

Kommentar:
Apfel und Birne, Holzkohle, Heu und Trockenblumen, grünes Malz, Vanille; im Geschmack recht scharf, auch viel Wasser hilft da nicht.

Bewertung: 77

Glenmorangie 18 y.o. / 1992 SMWS 125.39, 55,7%

Kommentar:
Voll, süß, tropisch reif, sehr deutliches Bourbon Cask, dezenter Rauch, Vanille, Toffee, Nelke, Pfirsich; im Geschmack ein Grenzgang zwischen reifem Single Malt und Bourbon, aber man muss schon ein Bourbon-Freak sein, in dieser Richtung extrem: dennoch klasse.

Bewertung: 90

Mortlach 20 y.o. / 1989 SMWS 76.75, first-fill Sherry, 58,8%

Kommentar:
Überraschend maritim und rau, recht torfig für einen Mortlach, Leder, Pflaumen und Datteln, Spur Schwefel; die Rosinen treten im Geschmack wieder in den Vordergrund, dennoch eine gelungene Abwechslung zu den sonstigen eindimensionalen Rosinenbombern, dazu gute Würze, Moos.

Bewertung: 88

Bowmore 16 y.o. / 1994 SMWS 3.169, Refill Sherry Butt, 56,6%

Kommentar:
Bowmore auf dem Bauernhof: starke Noten von Heu und Mist, Harnsäure, Torf, Schwefel, dazu Zitronen-Aromen und Cappuccino – was für ein wilder Mix! Im Geschmack kommen Noten einer Dampflok auf, Jod, Trafobrand, Farn, Schwefel, viel deutlicher Islay als Bowmore früher war. Was für Leute, die klare Islay-Power mögen, die klassische Bowmore-Mitte mit Balance fehlt hier.

Bewertung: 89

Ardbeg 8 y.o. / 2001 SMWS 33.92, 57,5%

Kommentar:
Ardbeg, wie ich ihn mag: sehr klassisch im Stil, keine Offnote, richtig gelungen. Tipp!

Bewertung: 90

Aultmore 28 y.o. / 1982 SMWS 73.39, Refill Sherry Butt, 55,4%

Kommentar:
Obstig, reif, braucht Wasser zur Öffnung; Pfirsich; Geschmacklich sehr ausgewogen und reif, komplexe Frucht und feine Bourbon-Weißeiche, florale Noten, Vanille. Tipp!

Bewertung: 90

Glen Moray 10 y.o. / 2000 SMWS 35.48, 59,3%

Kommentar:
Apfel, Birne, Rauch, Vanille, Passionsfrucht, Brennnessel, Bärlauch und weitere Anteile an Kräuterlikör (jedoch erst nach Wasserzugabe); im Geschmack tropische Frucht in schwermütigem Charakter (Dose), Eiche und Vanille.

Bewertung: 89

Linkwood 27 y.o. / 1982 SMWS 39.78, 55,1%

Kommentar:
Heu, Rauch, Holundersirup, Beeren, Heidehonig, viel Komplexität, die im Geschmack mit voller Kraft auftritt: wow! Beeren und Frucht ohne zu viel Holzeinfluss bringen den Trinker in Verzückung. Tipp!

Bewertung: 91

Benrinnes 13 y.o. / 1996 SMWS 36.51, 61,9%

Kommentar:
Kräuter, heimisches Obst, Mandarine und deren Schale, Kondensmilch, Spur Kaffee, Honig; Im Geschmack dominiert das trockene Milieu mit Heu und Trockenblumen, Lakritz und Vanille – ein typischer Speysider.

Bewertung: 87

Port Charlotte 6 y.o / 2003 SMWS 127.6, 65,2%

Kommentar:
Es übermannt einen sofort der typische Kräuter-Torf-Jod-Mix dieses Destillats. Auch Kreide, Pflaume und Zitronensäure sind riechbar. Im Geschmack setzen sich der moosige Torf, Schwefel und Jod durch, im Hintergrund verweilen Sattelfett, Wurzeln und Cola. Trotz der Fassstärke keine Verdünnung notwendig. Tipp!

Bewertung: 92

Mortlach SMWS 76.78 ‚Foamy bananas dipped in cayenne pepper‘, 15 y.o., July 1995, first fill Sherry Butt, 625 bottles, 55,8%

Nose: Quite alcoholic at first, then a nice mix unfolds – rum-raisins and vanilla ice cream, a touch of Marsala wine, chili and black pepper add to a slight woody spiciness, dry but not overwhelming Sherry-influence, buttered toast, apples and peaches. One can already smell that this dram needs water.

Palate: Surprisingly elegant with some water (necessary): Apples pave the way to a medium-sweet and creamy mouthfeel with maltiness and smoke.

Finish: Rum-Raisins with Marsala and Sherry are counterbalanced by nice warm oaky notes.

Score: 89

Comment: Much more complex than many other mono-dimensional raisin drams by Mortlach of that time.

Bowmore SMWS 3.175 ‚On the dunes – watching a puffer‘, 16 y.o., April 1994, refill Sherry Butt, 572 bottles, 56%

Nose: Like many great Bowmores, the nose is perfectly balanced between Islay roughness and the complexity this distillery brings to the table. The Sherry is well-integrated and fits the combo. Leafy ferns (typical for Bowmore once) and herbs, fresh sea spray and ozone, Chesterfield couch in mahogani room, remotely lemony and exotic fruitiness, sweet cherries as well,humidor and Asian spices.

Palate: Drinkable with or without water; stays high class all the way through, all notes above woven together. The Sherry adds such a wonderful  and discrete sweet dimension with many tertiary aromas.

Finish: Waving the Bowmore flag proudly. A noble dram with a nice hint of sulphur like from old fired children’s guns (red stripe) at carnival.

Score: 91

Comment: A must-have at a reasonable price!

Ardbeg SMWS 33.96 ‚Chocolate Caviar‘, August 1996, refill Sherry Butt, 668 bottles, 56,9%

Nose: A powerhouse of a nose: Clearly Ardbeg! The infernal trio of peat, sulphur and iodine is accompanied by burnt tires, a bit of resin, leather, white pepper, celp, lemon and orange zests, espresso, milk chocolate and chalk – plus the well integrated Sherry tones (plum cake) from the Refill Butt.

Palate: No water needed; The taste is the one of older Ardbeg before the takeover in 1997. Not as complex as the nose suggested

Finish:  A harmonic finish with iodine, chocolate, peat and sulphur.

Score: 90

Comment: Really good Ardbeg, but doesn’t fully live up to its nose.

Port Charlotte SMWS 127.7 ‚A sense of elemental freedom‘, 7 y.o., August 2003, refill Sherry Butt, 687 bottles, 66,6%

Nose: Another monster of a nose – deep rooty peat and herbal notes, beef jerky, Maggi, Sherry, pine branches in a beach fire with resinous smoke, oil and tar, black pepper, Sicilian-style- roasted coffee beans, touch of Jägermeister – all rather raw and untamed.

Palate: At 66.6% this is diabolic and becomes better with water, but one can sip it pure as well. Really smoky and dry with a slight herbal bitterness and the aromas of the nose.

Finish: Stays untamed and true to itself. An outdoor barbecue dram that takes no prisoners.

Score: 87

Comment: One has to like it raw, I would love to try this mustang in its older and more mature days…