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!

Old Pulteney OB 17 y.o., 46%

Comment: This is the younger brother of the „World’s Greatest Whisky 2012“ according to Jim Murray – my sample of the actual winner (21 y.o.) is under way, but I had the 21 at our stand in Munich two years ago, I scored it at ’90-‚ then. Not a bad dram at all, but it didn’t change my whisky world. Funny, not many people wanted to give it a try then. That might have changed by now.

Its younger brother at 17 years is equally as fine and very recommendable. The nose reveals Marshmallows, moss, berries (gooseberry, cassis), apricots, apples and passionfruit and seems nicely fresh. Flowery and smoky elements join in as well. I tastes like its nose and shows great roundness – an absolutely convincing dram!

Score: 89

Ardmore 18 y.o. Dewar Rattray 1992, 46,8%

Comment: Great Speyside elements mostly on hay and dried flowers and a lot of lemony notes meet just the right amount of smoke and peat that can be taken by the rather fragile distillate. Honey and ginger whiffs add to the mix. Two worlds colliding, not bad, but a bit mind-boggling.

Score: 87-

Arran 15 y.o., The Maltman 1996, Sauternes Cask, 46%

Comment: Donald Harts new series of independent bottlings has hit the markets. My first specimen of these drams is this Arran, a very creamy and fat dram, mostly built on primary notes. It might not be the most complex one, but it is darn good, especially when the Sauternes/Barsac sweet wine is talking (Chateau Climens Cask). A worthwhile Arran.

Score: 88+

Cooley 10 y.o. Dewar Rattray 2000, 46%

Comment: Very typical Irish Whiskey with a lot of class. Grass, vanilla, lemon, soft fruitiness and gummibears without any edges. Very smooth.

Score: 87+

Ben Nevis 13 y.o. Dewar Rattray 1996, Sherry Cask, 58,2%

Comment: Displays this wonderful Ben Nevis character made of forest floor notes, Curry, chocolate and so much more – my winner of that night because it is real Single Malt – no other distillery can produce drams like this. If you like Ben Nevis and cask strength, go for it.

Score: 90

Longmorn 30 y.o. G&M, 43% (bottled ca. 2009)

Comment: These old Sherry Cask Gordon & Macphail bottlings never disappoint. If only they were a bit stronger in abv… however, with some distilleries like Macallan or Strathisla it doesn’t matter, these whiskies already convince at 40% or 43%. This Longmorn is no exception, but it could have scored three points higher with a bit more intensity. I am getting Haribo ‚Saftbären‘ gummibears (again, sorry!) and fine well-integrated Sherry at first, also Cassis and loads of dark fruits – like a compote. The taste satisfies with berries, dusty books, dark wood and the notes from above in a round and sweet way and the right amount of bitterness in between. One for sipping all night.

Score: 90+

Last weekend I had the honor to hold a tasting (and a little stand) at the second Whiskyfest in Biberach. There was a great atmosphere among guests and exhibitors alike. Rolf and his wife Alexandra were perfect hosts with their team on this small fair.

Host Rolf and me

The tasting-lineup is described in another article here on www.slowdrink.de – when I put it together, I knew that the BenRiach 1970 Pedro Ximinex (sic!), the Glen Grant 1969 Lonach and the Port Ellen 1982 Acorn Sherry Cask would rock people’s worlds because I had tried them before, but the other two bottlings were new to me as well, and on paper and in reviews they didn’t look as if they could keep up the high level of these other whiskies.

How unnecessary my fear was … every dram was above 90 (everybody agreed) after all and the styles were still really different in the line-up. Check out the short notes I could take during moderating. What a night!

Highland Park 1968, 34 y.o., Duncan Taylor for Becking, 1998 – 2002, Sherry Cask 9535, 40,1%

Short Note: Perfectly balanced, already some ‚old bottle flavour‘ with library smells and wet cardboard, the Sherry is well integrated, the oak is not overboarding (I disagree with Serge here) and rather dark (mahogani). This complex dram is more on dark things in general (fruit, honey, liquorice, etc.), a gentleman in a dark coat. It is very drinkable and quite a masterpiece with understatement.

Score: 92-

Glen Grant 1969 Lonach, 38y.o., 1969 – 2008, 51,7%

Short Note: I knew this one from the blind tastings in the Malt Maniac Awards 2009 and immediately bought it after the revelation. Great intensity of ripe autumn fruits and berries, wonderful Bourbon Cask aromas, as mature as it can get without becoming too woody. People liked this even more than the Highland Park.

Score: 92

BenRiach 1970, 38 y.o., OB, 1970 – 2009, Pedro Ximinex (sic!) Sherry Cask 1035, 49,1%

Short Note: This one defies belief, it has everything you look for in a whisky: from bright to dark fruit, spice, berries, etc. in perfect balance and strong on the mid-palate with the finest of Sherry – holy cow! What a stunner! Among the best I had this year. The only shortcoming is that there could be a little more complexity. People drooled after this one and said it was probably the best dram they had in a long time. Consequently, the remainders of the bottle were gone at the speed of light once the word spread. The question then was: What to drink after this?

Score: 94+

Glen Ord 1983, 20 y.o. Signatory, 1983 – 2003, Sherry Butt 378, 59%

Short Note: This comes from the last year in which Glen Ord used their own malting floor. People expected this to be the weakest dram and a rapid drop in quality (Ord has no high standing within the scene), but at Glen Ord they used to make fine drams in the past and this one is no exception. Really complex and powerful. It departs from the predecessors in style with its intense maltiness, apple, fruit, white pepper, flowers, heather and honey. A real good whisky.

Score: 90-

Port Ellen 1982, 24 y.o. Acorn’s (Japan), 1982 – 2007, Sherry Cask, 55,6%

Short Note: What can be said about this dirty Islay beauty in sweet dark Sherry that finished our session? It is typical for the distillery and – despite maybe not being the most comlex – one of the tastiest and most supple versions of PE out there. Give this one some time and it will reward you.

Score 91-

It is quite rare that you get so lucky with a tasting range. Again, it was about finding out for yourself, because on paper and in previous reviews, some of these treasures didn’t look so appealing.

All participants won’t forget the magic of this wonderful night in a nice small round of knowledgeable connoisseurs soon, I hope – I won’t. Such events are what Slowdrink.de is all about – liquid memories!