Comment: This is like a gingerbread with a chocolate-chili coating, very appropriate for the season. The Oloroso smell and hints of a dry n‘ spicy classic ooze out of my tasting tulip. I am getting sherry, old wood, orange zest, soaked gingerbread, dusty warehouse, green tea and herbs, dark chocolate, Maraschino cherry gelee, dates, apricot, humidor, and: Chili! Altogether rather an old style dram … and on the palate? Less dry than expected! Great stuff with an exciting back n‘ forth between sweetness (jammy) and spiciness, yet in very good balance. Cough syrup-complexity It finishes lengthy and full of finesse, echoes of cherries, chocolate, dates and sloeberries linger. A real recommendation!

Score: 90

Speyside Region 28 y.o. Mancarella 1989 – 2018, Bourbon cask, 93 btl., 47,6%

Comment: Very fruity (pink grapefruit, maracuja, garden fruits) and full of blossom honey. This has good maturity and balance, the wood is exactly right. Mint, chili, bloody steak, a trace of ginger and the sweetness of vanilla pastries in the nose. On the palate it delivers similarly. very soft but lacking a bit of power. However, it is so refined, I forgive – a winner, again.

Score: 90-91

Invergordon 44 y.o. Mancarella 1973 – 2018, Bourbon cask, 106 btl., 52,3%

Comment: Those Grains are winning ground in the community of whisky nerds. A profile in the middle between Rum, Scotch and Bourbon makes them very complex at higher age. This one is no exception. Clear grainy whiffs meet Barbados-Rum (coconut, pineapple, soft smoke, vanilla), demerara sugar, lime blossom, blueberries, resin, maple syrup, apple crumble with cinnamon, gingerbread and what not, an amazing Bourbon cask did ist work here. For sweet teeth and lovers of complex drams. Wow!

Score: 91+

Tobermory 20 y.o. maltmountains 1995 – 2015, hogshead, 48,4%

Comment: The nose reminds me of a breakfast near cow stables – hints of muesli, green tea, nutella, wholegrain bread, fennel, cumin, cinnamon, canned apricots and pears, ginger and ginger bread, and also a whiff of, well, manure pile (in a good way) … Serge calls this ‚farmyardy‘ – same idea. As Bavarian boys this makes us feel at home   The palate is way different, which I always like: very round, coastal, briny, discrete peat and earth a la Garioch (no smoke though), and so quaffable, darn good. A long finish leaves you wanting another shot. Still available for 125.- Euro.

Score: 89

Speyside Region 20 y.o. 1994 – 2015, sherry cask, 52,4%

Comment: What a muscular and big dram. Powerful, spicy, well-sherried. The spicy part consists of chili, wasabi and tanned leather. The sherry adds dark chocolate, cherries, plums and aniseed. I am also getting reminiscences of old dusty library shelves. The palate is very much the same but the wine adds a nice layer of complexity to the combo. I liked to tame it with a dash of water, but if you prefer it heavy, neat is fine. 124.- Euro.

Score: 87

Oliver also has a 20 y.o. Glen Keith which scratches the 90-points-mark (had it only passing by at a fair). Great value there, as well.

Auchentoshan 23 y.o. Whisky-Fässle 1990 – 2014, Hogshead 6850, 47,7% (joint bottling with Whiskybase)

Comment: To begin with, this one needs water to unfold (essential). It noses rather untypical, more mature but also a little flat (less lemony, few head aromas). I am getting marshmallow, mushroom, almonds, grapefruit, orange zest, chicory, creamy sweetness and discrete wood. The taste is sharper than expected, fennel, bitter almond, licorice, grass and lemon dash, a malty sweetness, nuts and vanilla cream come out with water. The finish turns a little bitter and woody. Not my personal style, but water does magic here.

Score: 85-

Auchentoshan 21 y.o. Whisky-Fässle for Malt Monkey 1992 – 2014, 51,1%

Comment: I prefer this on over the other as it reveals lemon freshness right from the start. We also get dried flowers, heather, grapefruit, orange zest, pollen, green peppercorns, licorice and old weathered oak. On the palate it dances between bitter elements (wood) and lemon sourness (great acidity) plus malt and vanilla cream. It finishes on grass and the mentioned aromas.

Score: 86+

Speyside Region 2008 – 2014 Whisky-Fässle, Sherry Cask, 46,9%

Comment: Aromatic flowery start with hay, dried flowers, malt, licorice, apple, peach, quince, charcoal, window cleaner and pizzeria smells (wet sour dough, oregano, tomato). It tastes malty sweet with hints of licorice and bitter oak. H2O doesn’t change it, only dilution happens. However, a good one for its age.

Score: 82

Clynelish 1995 – 2014 Whisky-Fässle, Hogshead, 52,7%

Comment: An absolute classic version (candle wax, apple, ozone of upcoming storm, quince, apricots) but more on the smoky side with lemon freshness, really deep and intense. It tastes typical with no offnote, pronounced mashmallow and incense aromas add complexity. Long finish, all very balanced, a good dram. Recommended.

Score: 87+