Comment: This one has not been talked about recently. Of course it is winey (albeit not sweet or Port-like), but also very elegant and typical for a 1980ies Bowmore with a lot of distillery character (leafy, ferny, lilac, herbal as hell, in fact, and: chlorine – yeah, yeah, some hate this style – discrete peat and pepper spice) and the Bowmore-esque balance. The taste is identically typical, which is good or bad news, depending on your view on this period of Bowmore distillation. I like it. But it will definitely split the opinions. The 56% abv. are not evident. Nice dram, but no ‘must-have’.

Score: 88

Caperdonich 39 y.o. Whisky-Fässle 1972 – 2011 Refill Sherry Cask 45,0% (Joint Bottling with Whiskybase.com)

Comment: This summer dram is mainly built on four pillars: 1) tropical fruit (apricots, banana, lemon, kiwi, grapefruit, passionfruit), 2) charcoaled white oak and the spiciness/vanilla going with that, 3) honey, and 4) a field of flowers with honeybees, pollen and discrete herbs. That is quite something already. On the side, there are aromas of fine Earl Grey tea, white chocolate, peanuts and a bit of smoke. It reminds me of a fine sweet wine from Italy in some moments (a Vin Santo or a South Tyrolean Passito). The whole combo is surprisingly fresh and alive for such an age, but also a bit oaky. Like with many other Whisky-Fässle-bottlings, the Sherry influence is rather low here. Fino? Third-fill? Whatever, utterly awesome whisky! If the oak had a slightly smaller role this would be legendary!

Score: 90

Nose: Starts uber-fruity and very nice, I am getting loads of passionfruit here (like an old Bruichladdich) along with tangerine, lime, peach, grapefruit, all very oily. Whoops, now the nut-express arrives (esp. almonds and macadamia), wonderful, and almost no wood or spice to be found without being boring. Some flowers add to the great depth and complexity.

Palate: This is high-class all the way in textbook-balance. On the light and delicate side, but with a fruity tail. Subtlety can be a charm.

Finish: Tropical fruit oil (passionfruit leads it), coconut and what not, a real stunner from this underrated distillery.

Score: 91-

Comment: Buy this! Have it in the morning or in the afternoon – or put it at the beginning of your tasting to spoil it for the following drams.

Bunnahabhain 42 y.o. Whisky-Fässle 1968 – 2011, Refill Sherry-Cask, 43,8% (Joint Bottling with Whiskybase)

Comment: From a great vintage for that distillery. This doesn’t disappoint at all and displays typical old Bunna-charm and complexity: Wonderful fruits, spice cake (cinnamon as leading element), honey, fruit tea, maritime freshness, leather, creme brulee with Sauternes wine, plums, Kirschbrand, tangerines, bananas, marshmallows, discrete oak and the noblesse of a fine Sherry. The taste is more on tea than I have ever encountered…is there such complex tea around?

Score: 90+

Clynelish 38 y.o. Whisky-Fässle, 1972 – 2010, 46,2%

Comment: Again, a typical Clynelish from the glory-years, excellent from the start. Seems like Jens is a great cask-picker! Waxy green apples, honey and pollen, apricots, vanilla, grass and herbs, lemon zest, lemongrass, a whiff of Asian spice and tea. Peat, smoke and moss are there but play only a minor role. Mmmmh, just great and also maritime (thunderclouds rolling in from the sea). Some austerity as well, altogether.

Score: 90

Glen Grant 37 y.o. Whisky-Fässle, 1973 – 2010, Whisky-Fässle, Sherry Cask, 46,2%

Aroma: Holzwürzig-tropenfruchtig, wie ein Obstkorb in der Schreinerei: Sägemehl-Tannine, Vanille, lösende Stoffe (Leim), weißer Pfeffer, eine Spur Harz und Eiche treffen Aprikose, Guave, Passionsfrucht, Grapefruit, gelbe Äpfel, Birnen, Multivitaminsaft, Mandeln. Der Sherry ist kaum zu bemerken, eher die Fruchtigkeit der Quercus Alba (amerikan. Weißeiche) dominiert.

Geschmack: Ein spannendes Spiel zwischen den Hauptelementen Holz und obstiger Frucht, das die Frucht gewinnt. Das Alter dieses Drams ist zu erschmecken, kein Balanceking, sondern ein ‚Schaukler‘. Mit Wasser deutlich cremiger und weniger Eiche (Empfehlung).

Abgang:

Great Bottler and very nice guy: Jens Unterweger, the face behind 'Whisky-Fässle'

Die Holzigkeit legt sich unbemerkt um die nun deutlichen Fruchtnoten und die Vanille singt ihr exotisches Lied. Langer Abgang.

Note: 87+

Kommentar: Man muss alte Whiskys mit Holznote lieben, doch dann ist dieser eine gute Wahl! Trotz der 46,2% Wasser zum Verdünnen verwenden!