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Impressionen

Ob Whiskytram, Rhum-Verkostung in der Havana-Bar, Whiskywalk, Höhlentasting, Schottland-Fahrt, Jubiläums-Verkostung, spirituelles Dinner (Foodpairing 2.0), niveauvoller Junggesellenabschied, Probe zu Weihnachten und Geburtstagen,

good times at slowdrink

Salzboottour, Movie and Malt oder die klassischen Seminare – viel Wissenswertes und gute Stimmung stehen bei uns im Mittelpunkt. Auf Augenhöhe holen wir die Genießer ab und geben neue Impulse. Dabei helfen uns auch die engsten Kontakte zu diversen Brennereien, die wir mitunter sogar beraten. Gerne senden wir Euch Referenzen.

Für ein paar Eindrücke von slowdrink empfehlen wir unsere Galerie oder folgende Bilder:

papstgesegneter Club

Malt Maniacs

Aroma: Wunderbar balancierter und typischer Neunziger-Ardbeg (sweet n‘ deep), der schon die kaktusartigen Aloe Vera-Anklänge späterer Jahre aufweist. Keine Offnote, gut, jodig-tief, würzig und vegetal (Tomatenstauden), wirklich fein und zwischen den Gegensätzen leicht und schwer wandelnd. Hauptsächlich findet man Torf, Teer, Harz, Kalk, Gerbleder, Milchschokolade, Kaffee, Ananas, Zitronenzesten und Paprikapulver. Zwar bemerkt man die Sherryanteile nicht direkt, doch indirekt verleihen sie dem Traigh Bhan Tiefe.

Geschmack: Kohlig-vegetaler Antritt, alles eher leicht, dann süßer und schwerer werdend durch Jod, Torf, Harzrauch, Teer und Leder – auch klassisch und gelungen, Ardbeg mal elegant.

Nachklang: Mittellang, erdig-torfig, stimmig. Wer auf puren und gereiften Brennereicharakter steht, mag diesen Vintage Islay. Bitte mehr davon!

Bewertung: 90

Littlemill 22 y.o. The Whisky Agency ‚Sea Life‘ 1990 – 2012, refill sherry butt, 719 btl., 52,2%

New Whisky Agency Bottlings (Sea Life and more)

Comment: Cookie-like (sweet malt) and very complex. All kinds of fruit (also maraschino cherry), green elements (fresh grass, herbs), huge vanilla notes, natural caramel, almonds, quite some coconut, cinnamon, white oak, dry earth and a little peat, all well mixed. The palate is just as fine as the nose with impeccable balance. Sour fruitiness with some berries (cassis), coconut, apple crumble with vanilla sauce, ginger, lemon zest in medium weight show up as well. The fruits get bigger in the finish (hello pineapple), wrapped in gentle peat and oak. It makes you want another glass. Adorable, just like a cookie-coconut dessert!

Score: 89+

Littlemill 21 y.o. Scotch Malt Whisky Society SMWS 97.21 ‚Laurel, meadowsweet and honeysuckle‘, 07.03.1990 – 2011, first-fill barrel, 217 btl., 54,7%

Comment: Fruity (pears, cherry, plum, passion fruit) and oaky at first with this amazingly sweet malt note like Macallan (sorry for repeating this, the maltiness is just very similar). There also is vanilla, cookie and caramel, but less intense than in the Sea Life release due to louder wood. In addition I am getting cocnut and hazelnut, cinnamon, grass and peat, so the two Lowlanders are not far from each other. On the palate it reveals the Littlemill fruit and grass charm with slightly more wood than usual, somehow it is sweet n‘ sour and oozes beautiful Indian spices. It finishes just like that with the oak in domination. That is its weakness, but on a high level.

Score: 86+

Where the FUCK are my cookies?

Spirit Hunter: Simon Thompson

White wines from Ugni blanc and Colombar varietals from the Bordeaux region are first double distilled (“à repasse”) in traditional copper pot-stills and then set down to mature in oak casks, only to be woken from a deep slumber – like a sleeping beauty – by a subject of Her Royal Majesty, who has fallen in love with this absolutely unique elixir from Bordeaux. Inspired by the region’s wine making craftsmanship and rich history, resolutely contemporary, the Thompson’s® range offers uniquely selected “eaux-de-vie”, exclusively from the Bordeaux region. The shared history between Bordeaux, Aquitaine and England is long and rich. The discovery of this forgotten treasure will add a new page to that special relationship.

As I love a good brandy, I am curious to try these rare distillates. Only a few hundred bottles of the 25 and 30 year old versions exist. Find out more about them here. Simon Thompson wants to become an established producer in Bordeaux. But can his distillates become rivals for cognacs. Unique, they are! To answer that, let’s try all three currently available versions:

Thompson’s Single Distillery Finest French Grape Brandy, 40%

Comment: On paper, this is not the real deal yet (hence the name) because it is only married with a little Fine Bordeaux A.O.R. However, I am positively surpised. The mixing seems to enhance complexity and the Limousin oak did a good job. The lead notes are hay, straw, dried flowers (geranium)

Union Jack Version

and licorice, which don’t immediately become associated with brandy. In fact, it is a bit whisky-like at first nosing, somehow between the worlds. I am also getting vanilla, soft peppery spice, raisins, green grapes, crystallized oranges, lemons and pineapples. On the palate it clearly presents itself as a grape distillate in a very gentle, light and slightly creamy style. The vanilla and the brighter fruits get bolder and are well in tune with the licorice and hay. This youngest version also finishes like it tastes, a real smooth and light sipper of good quality.

Score: 86

Thompson’s Fine Bordeaux 25 y.o. A.O.R. Single Distillery, Very Limited Edition, 40%

Comment: This brandy actually is 26 years old and way heavier and deeper in style than its predecessor, also more typical. Wonderful aromas of tobacco and soft smoke from fine cigars in cedar wood caress the nose as well as some rancio, marzipan and vanilla. Intriguing Indian restaurant smells join in (sandalwood sticks, Tandoori, Ghee butter, curry), very interesting. There also are raisins, prunes, dates, cherries in chocolate, ginger bread, dough, lemon grass, crystallized citrus fruits, pineapple and a whiff espresso to be found in this complex combo. This complexity translates into the palate and the long finish in a full and slightly creamy style that bears gentle smoothness. The raisins take center stage without going overboard. This is better than many cognacs of the same price category. Recommendation!

Score: 89+

Thompson’s Fine Bordeaux 30 y.o. A.O.R. Single Distillery, Very Limited Edition, 40%

Comment: Here comes the ‚headliner‘, actually being 33 years of age. And how those seven more years in Limousin oak make a difference! There is so much going on in this Fine Bordeaux, amazing. A wonderfully balanced nose without any edges and a depth that displays perfect maturity that reminds me of an old Demerara Rum or a heavily sherried Speyside whisky (Glenfarclas) in its thirties but with still enough trademark brandy features. It is sweeter and darker than the 25. This kind of complexity leaves me speechless: Muscovado sugar molasses, lit cigar, humidor, cedar wood, chocolate-covered coffee beans (mocca), vanilla pod, mahogani, sandal wood, marzipan, old balsamico vinegar, fresh dough, ginger bread, soft smoke, flowerpot earth, geranium, malt beer, walnut liqueur and many fruity elements (dried apricots, prunes with a Hoisin Sauce touch, dates, red grapes and raisins, crystallized oranges and lemon skin) and what not – I kid you not, it’s all there! This elixir from Bordeaux coats the tongue and mouth in fat and creamy fashion and finishes at medium length. Utter bliss. Imagine this dram in cask strength. It would easily rival great cognacs. A ‚must-have‘ at a price point below 100.- Euro.

Score: 92

P.S.: I kept this article back to celebrate the first birthday of this blog (not the page) – which is today :)! Thanks for reading, everyone. Here’s to many more years!

Ledaig 7 y.o. Archives 2004 – 2012, Hogshead 90009, 302 btl., 61,9%

Comment: Ok, this is complex for its age, the lead aromas are peat, farmyard (compost pile), iodine and mustard. In the second row there are tires, soot, salt and ferns detectable. I am also getting a little sulphur, the smoke of a beach bonfire, wet cowboy boots (leather), lemon juice, white beans, chalk, black pepper, cocoa and stinging nettle in the nose – all that is more clean than dirty. On the palate this Ledaig is greener than the nose had suggested, there are green malt, ferns, eucalypt, pistachio, green tea, mustard, mint and nettles in good balance. Then it becomes quite South Coast Islay leading into a long and satisfying finish on peat, iodine, tires, mustard, cocoa, a dash of lemon and some green stuff, altogether not totally unlike younger Ardbeg. I like this a lot. Recommendation!

Score: 90

Port Ellen 2.2.1983 – 4.2011 Reifferscheid ‚Romantic Rhine Collection‘, Cask 229, 180 btl., 54,3%

Comment: This one has a touch of everything somehow and belongs to the clean side. Slightly farmyardy, malty and spicy altogether at first whiff. Despite the ‚peat-oil-tire-sulphur combo‘ and some soot, ropes and iodine, this Port Ellen has an elegant side to it. Maybe it is the dash of lemon and a pinch of sea salt/brine in the background that render this nice zestiness as a counterpart to the powerful Islay aromas. In addition to that, we detected milk coffee, leather and white pepper in the nose. On the palate the dram focuses way more on farmyardy and peaty aromas as suggested before. A discrete saltiness leads into the eternal flinty and sooty finish. Simply a great whisky with minor cask influence. I got me a bottle, what else can I say.

By the way, its sister cask #230 by Old Bothwell is equally as great and The Whiskyman release (Serge: 93) came from identical sources. I think Ruben scored it at 92 as well. I can confirm and recommend.

Score: 92

A great source of information by Ulf

Some releases are true legends like the 1972 Broras, others were a bit inexpressive. If you want to know more about the Rare Malts selection you should read fellow Maniac Ulf Buxrud’s book about them (see picture).

1972 was definitely not a bad year for Brora/Clynelish and I would like to find out if one of the Clynelish Rare Malts releases of that year can hold a candle to the Brora nectar, or at least, can show some similar features. Let’s see:

Clynelish 24 y.o. Rare Malts Selection 1972 – 9.1997, 61,3%

Comment: Great from the start. It shows the typical distillery notes in an austere yet complex  style, e.g. green waxed apples, beeswax and honey, big minerality and the smell of a stormfront rolling in from the sea. We also have aromas of bonfire smoke, resin, artificial leather, apricots, pineapples, vanilla and flowers in the enticing nose. On the palate it is really intense, powerful and similar to its bouquet, but the honey becomes much bigger and licorice joins in the mix. The bold spiciness is necessary to balance all these bees. Big malt here! I recommend some drops of water but it is drinkable at full strength as well. However, water opens the dram a lot and you get more of everything. Don’t worry, this dram is still far from being weak – actually it is quite a monster in terms of power but retains its austerity in character, which makes this Clynelish a great drinking experience. Not for beginners, though. As for the comparison: The Broras from 1972 add a complex layer of soot, iodine and peat to this profile and possess even more depth.

Score: 91

Glenrothes 30 y.o. Gordon & MacPhail ‚The Macphail’s Collection‘, 43%

Comment: This quite dark liquid with a nice Sherry-cask influence reveals a very complex nose consisting of dark fruits (plums, raisins), baked apple, dark forest honey, nougat, pomegranate seeds, pine needle, pepper and cinnamon. On the palate this unusual yet harmonic profile renders pine resin, apples, sandalwood, fallen leafs, pomegranate and this wonderful Sherry note again. The medium-length finish follows the described style and reminds the taster of mulled wine (hot wine punch with Christmas spices). Nicely strange, altogether and therefore, a recommendation!

Score: 90

Rittmayer Hallerndorf ‚Rauchbier‘, 4,9% (European Beer Star Gold Award 2007, 2008 and 2009)

Comment: Lager-like with fine sweet malt, some lighter barley aromas, whiffs of lemon, dark toast, chestnuts, smoked ham, cereals, caramel and sugared almonds, suede, slightly more acidic than the others. Aromatic smoke with wonderful wood notes (cedar, sandalwood and loads of beech, which is traditional in Frankonia) hovers over the combo, used in small amounts. In the mouth it has a fine balance between beer aromas and the soft discrete smoke and is very moreish and quaffable, also easily accessible. Elegant, fresh and clean smoke for everyone, so to speak, yet complex enough for the connoisseur. The ideal starter into the world of smoky beer.

Score: 91 (this is right down my alley)

Rittmayer – Hallerndorf  ‚Smokey George‘ aus orig. schottischem Whisky-Rauchmalz, 5,0%

Comment: The producer (same as above) is an ardent fan of smoky Single Malts and a member of the Highland Circle. This beer can be a testimony of that. Darker but still in a lager-like area, quite yeasty in comparison, clearly malt-driven. Discretely sour, earthy-peaty and oily (this is the dark and dirty one of the three), pretzel dough, burnt caramel, walnuts, old couch leather, the most phenolic of the three. You can actually smell the whisky barley it is made from. Just like sitting inside a field – this is the leading theme here. Dark and big aromas of malt roll over the tongue in creamy fashion, whisky malt, oil and resin coat the mouth, like hanging on the exhaustion pipe of a Harley. This is a big one with a little sour and dry side kick. The finish is soothing and moves the whole experience into harmony. One for rough Islay fans.

Score: 90 (really good and complex – great stuff if you are into this profile)

Helios-Braustelle/Freigeist Bierkultur ‚Mac Heath’s Murder Malt – Cal. 45‘, 6%

Comment: This was the official Festival Beer of the ‚Braukunst live!’2012. Our plan was to connect the worlds of beer and whisky, just like the two Munich Festivals did connect . But it was hard to get peated malt within a short frame of time, but we did it. This rare beer has a stout base, it is the sourest of the three. Brewed by my friend Sebastian Sauer at Braustelle, this surely is complex: Dark whole grain bread, traces of banana, only little smoke or phenols in the nose though. Fatty acid, some yeast, scorched earth, tar and whiffs of resin. I love how two worlds collide here: the dark aromas and the exotic fruit, quite mindboggling and intellectual. It also is the most demanding beer in this comparison with a dry, slightly adstringent and sour touch that is not for beginners. Belgian sour-bitter reminiscences come up in some moments, also dark coffee, oak and 100% cacao chocolate. Medium intensity and weight, long finish with whiffs of smoke and tar.

Score: 87 (lovers of this style might score it higher)

Bowmore  13 y.o. The Maltman, Cask sample for Pit, Sherry Cask (no further information)

Comment: New style Bowie, more intense and on primary notes than the others below at the first whiff, quite some acidity, more fruity than herbal in its basic style. Still recognizable Bowmore character though. In the background I find pine resin and atlantic freshness with sea spray (ozone). No obvious Sherry is detetable (which I don’t mind). It finishes really impressive. All in all it reminds me of the Tempest (Original Bottling). I’d say it is ready to be bottled but could mature two or three more years but not longer as it might lose intensity. Don’t dilute for filling – thanks for this personal sample!

Current Score (if that makes sense): 89+

Bowmore 21 y.o. The Maltman, Bourbon Cask, 46%

Comment: This dram is more in the old style of the late 1980ies/early 1990ies but fortunately lacks the perfumy part to a great extent, a real elegant sip, but altogether not dramatically different fom the 13 y.o. reviewed above. We have vanilla, ferns, mustard seed, leather, some fruits hinted at (like in an aquarelle picture), forest floor, discrete smoke and on the whole a greener and more vegetal style. In taste it suffered a bit from dilution as it is too thin on the palate, but that on a very high level … if you like smooth Islay drams this is the one to pick.

Score: 88

Bowmore 1994 – 2009 Berry Brothers & Rudd, Cask 1681, 56,3%

Comment: Again close to 13 y.o. from above in the basic profile, but way sootier and more peppery. This also displays wonderful saltiness and a mineral acidity. It is very Bowmore in style with all the complex elements this classic has, but it is also very powerful, a hidden power somehow, because it holds back at first. I like the notes of soot and iodine on one end, the vanilla and lilac on the other a lot. Both worlds of Bowmore in one dram. It really explodes in the mouth and departs from the understatement of the nose. This Bowmore is extra-special, a most elegant yet strong interpretation of the peat genre with great balance and a very long finish. It needs no water whatsoever. After one sip you wish for a bottle…and so did everyone in our tasting in the streetcar (Dram in a Tram).

Score: 91

Bowmore 15 y.o. Whisky-Fässle 1997 – 2012, Bourbon Hogshead, 53,7%

New Duck Editions

Comment: Duck fetishist Jens Unterweger brought us a new Bowmore in his duck-series. Quack! Aaah yes, it is one of those Bowies that retain distillery character but deliver a lot of power. Great freshness and balance to boot, altogether more on the spicy side. I like the white pepper and herbal plays in the background here … definitely one for a Bowmore sucker like me – if you like spiciness and herbs. Finally, there are soot and flints plus the classic Bowmore character in the finish. Water helps to balance the spiciness.

Score: 89

Isle of Arran 14 y.o. The Maltman 46%

Comment: This is very round and full from the get-go. Vanilla, toffee, marzipan-like sweet malt, maritime freshness, many fruits of all kind (bright and some dark as well), honey, ginger, some dried flowers, gentle spices and a juicy oakiness – altogether more modern and lush (in a good way). This works its charms and grows on me, a great nose. Let’s see what it does for me in taste: Starting dry with a firm malty grip, then honey, spice and fruit play their cards. The intruiging mix of the nose echoes in the finish in different waves wrapped in vanilla and malt. I am sure there are only few people who wouldn’t like this.

Score: 87

Bunnahabhain 36 y.o. Liquid Sun 1973 – 2010, Sherry Hogshead, 50%

Comment: Spicy maritime freshness, wood, vanilla and toffee, crystallized oranges and peaches, nuts, brine, marshmallow, camomile and camphor. Elegance and maturity define the taste, dark mahogani-like woodiness without any edges, polished whisky, so to speak. The freshness and some mild spices in the long finish make this a great example of an old Bunnie.

Score: 89+

Bunnahabhain 38 y.o. Malts of Scotland 26.3.1973 – 5.2011, MoS Sherry Cask 3463, 50,2%

Comment: Not very different from to the Liquid Sun release, but some more sherry notes and spices (mostly black pepper, brine, Cayenne pepper and ginger) at first, then toffee, nuts, sweet honeyed malt, crystallized oranges, camomile, dark wood, resin, pine needle, vanilla, maritime freshness. Complexity and that old style maturity on the palate, great in balance and taste plus whiffs of blue cheese and a salty tingle, like crisps in a pub. It also could be called the camomile tea of old whisky as these notes become bolder (in a good way). Long and satisfying finish. Great pick again by MoS.

Score: 90

Port Ellen 12 y.o. James MacArthur ‚Fine Malt Selection‘ 62,7% (released around 1985)

Photo: Langer (thanks!)

Comment: Holy yodeling Wolpertinger! Right from the start this intense yet balanced bottling has everything that makes (young) Port Ellen great – ahh, this maltiness in an antiseptic surrounding, just awesome. It is not as pale as I would have expected (hard to see through the green glass). The lead notes aside from the ones mentioned are soot, glowing embers, dirty tires,

Some Younger Port Ellen Bottlings

ropes and big peat but there also are tar, resin, bonfire smoke, herbs, salt, brine, pepper, green apples, lemons, diesel, honey, heather and sponge cake. A true monster in the nose. The palate shows brutal power and concentration with tingling spice (salt, chili), the aromas from above, sulphur and iodine. Needless to add that the finish is endless in length and complexity. What I personally adore is that it is becoming even sootier in the end. In a nutshell, one of the finest peat monsters I know.

Score: 94

Young PE Minis

Photo: nasawatch.com

However, I won’t push a wheelbarrow with peat to apply for the purchase of a young bottle, neither will I welcome a ship in a port with its peaty load nor am I becoming a rocketman – I am simply going to taste two exceptional drams from there just as the Gods of Ardbeg wanted it. This is how I obey, that’s my way of creating cult. But thanks for the invitation, guys.

My friend Michael – who deserves knighthood for this – gave me two samples of Ardbeg Single Casks that still mature at the distillery in Sherry Hoggies: a 1975 and a 1998. Something special already. As I own the empty sister, Sherry Cask #4716 bottled for Germany in 2002 (this cask sits in my cellar and was used for an Ardbeg rematuration), this is even more special to me. Let’s taste:

Ardbeg 1975 Refill Sherry Hogshead #4714 (sampled 27.09.2011, 45,3%)

Nose: Wow, what a great start for Ardbeg Day – it has the perfect balance and smell of good old Ardbeg from sherry

Photo: The Wine and Cheese Place

casks with enough power. I love the deep peaty tones, the soot and the iodine along with notes of chalk, sulphur, tires, overheated power transformator, herbs, tealeafs, camphor, cocoa, milk coffee, plums, pepper, oyster, sea air, lemon zest and other citrus components, also only a little wood (dark plank). Close to perfect, I would say.

Palate: Very similar to its nose, but milder, not a powerhouse – it could be a bit heavier for my taste. This also translates into the mouthfeel which also is a bit thin. However, the finish brings a growth of flavours again.

Finish: Now we’re talking! The magic is back, consisting of iodine, soot, sulphur, deep-toned peat, tires and plums. Nothing but great.

Comment: This work in progress should be taken out soon, but it also won’t suffer from becoming a 40 y.o., who knows what is planned with it. Some people say it won’t be bottled at all. Why that is, I don’t know. The old showcase cask? Whatever will happen, I wanna be part of its future .

Score: 93+

Ardbeg 1998 Refill Sherry Hogshead #2722 (sampled 27.09.2011, 53,9%)

Nose: Altogether the same DNA (deep peaty aromas, soot and put-out campfire, dirty tires, lemon zest, camphor), but with the usual hints of post-1997

Photo: The Wine and Cheese Place

elements like aloe vera, agave and other cactus’s juice. I am also getting aromas of Pu-Erh tea and pine resin. The sherry is very discrete but helps in terms of complexity.

Palate: Displays a good balance, this is not a wild beast yet it retains good power of spice and peat and the aromas mentioned. I can taste its potential.

Finish: Mainly on soot, peat, matchstick sulphur and tires but the complete nose appears in the distance after a while. And here it is, late but there: Chocolate and French roast coffee. Aaaaahhhhh.

Comment: This cask is pretty close to the old style, especially in the finish. I am quite convinced that it will come close to the old Ardbeg quality when it is over 20 years old – if they let it sleep.

Photo: The Wine and Cheese Place

With some patience, we will get wonderful old Islay drams like the 1975 from above again. Along with Port Charlotte and Kilchoman, Ardbeg will be stellar when it becomes older. The future is bright. Aside from that I think that inactive refill sherry is just the perfect wood to age Ardbeg for more than 15 years.

Score: 91+

P.S.: In November there will be an Ardbeg Vertical Tasting in Regensburg …

Joke or not - it is cult: The Ardbeg Galileo (Photo: ardbeg-whisky.ch)

„Die »Selección de la Familia« ist so etwas wie die ganz persönliche Botschaft von Iñaki Nuñez, erzeugt aus einer strengen Selektion der Sorten Merlot, Tempranillo und Cabernet Sauvignon. Logische Konsequenz, es gibt nur wenige Flaschen von dieser Essenz, deren tiefe purpurne Farbe traumhaft im Glas funkelt und zugleich die großartige, tiefe Konzentration erahnen lässt.“ – so der Werbetext. Mal sehen, was der Tropfen wirklich kann:

2003 and 2004 were great wines

Kommentar: Ein unkomplizierter Wein im besten Sinne, sehr gut balanciert, nicht zu maskulin, nicht zu feminin, getoastete Holzaromen dezent eingebunden in ein Netz von weichen Tanninen, saftiger Waldfrucht und ein wenig Würze. Auch der Cab-Anteil ist durch die Paprikanote zu erahnen. Eine Preis-Leistungs-Flasche erster Güte. Von der Haltbarkeit erwarte ich noch bis 2015 einen guten Genuss, danach wird er schwächer werden. Übrigens: der 2003er war ebenso klasse!

Preise: Concours Mondial Gold in 2007, International Wine and Spirits Competition Gold, Decanter World Wine Awards Silber

Score: 92 (2011/12)

The beautiful Estate

Imperial 16 y.o. Whisky-Fässle 1995 – 2011, Bourbon Hogshead, 53,9%

Comment: A very fruity start on pineapple, peaches, apricot jam and banana accompanied by loads of vanilla, almond oil and sweet malt. I am also getting notes of oak, smoke, white pepper, herbal elements (camphor, green plants) and green tea. On the palate it is creamy and shows good balance. Aside from the aromas mentioned (here mainly peaches, green elements and a nice peppery spiciness) there are ginger and licorice coming through. This imperial duck’s highlight is the finish: very long and pleasant on vanilla, peaches and almond oil. Pretty darn good.

Score: 90

Strathmill 37 y.o. Archives 1974 – 2011, Bourbon Hogshead 1231, 180 btl., 44,5%

Comment: This one starts oaky and fruity, pretty much the typical old Bourbon cask stylistics. It is a bit wild and unsettled, maybe water is needed. I am also getting apple crumble, peaches, vanilla and a whiff of passion fruit. With the water mentioned it opens up, gets rounder and releases lemon aromas along with smoky elements, green tea and even more peaches. On the palate the wood is a bit too big for my taste, the other aromas are trailing more in the background. It is on the dry side, not overly complex and should have been taken out of the cask some years earlier. However, water brings our some sour elements which I like. Don’t get me wrong, good fruity whisky from way back but not a king of its category. My colleagues scored it slightly higher – but I prefer other Archive releases …well, personal taste.

Score: 86

Clynelish 14 y.o. The First Editions 1997, 56,3%

Comment: This one is peppery and has quite some cask influence (more than the Archives version). Leather, apple and pear, green grapes and raisins are wrapped in a vanilla-malt quilt. And of course, the typical Clynelish features (visit link above). It has a creamy texture and can be drunk with or without water. A good dram.

Score: 87

Clynelish 14 y.o. Archives 1997, Bourbon Hogshead 4634, 160 btl., 53,9%

Comment: An amazingly fresh and coastal nose, mostly on apples, pears, lemon zest, wax, soft peat and moss. In the mouth it posesses a great balance: everything is there in good delineation, only the pears stand out. This one has some nice acidity to it as well and finishes just as good as it tastes. Recommendation!

Score: 89

Tomintoul 44 y.o. The Whisky Agency ‚Fungi‘ 1967 – 2011, ex-Bourbon Wood, 196 btl., 47,0%

Comment: Herbal and flowery (dried flowers) at first, then becoming oilier with vanilla, green bananas and some sour elements (lime). There is almost no wood, but a delicate mix with whiffs of tropical fruit, moss, ferns and brine. It takes some time to become more expressive, but then it rewards you. It tastes clean, a bit mossy and reveals tingles of a fruity sourness on the tongue. No water is needed. The finish has medium length. Altogether a good dram, but not too typical of the Tomintoul style. Big gulps recommended.

Score: 90+

Tomintoul 44 y.o. The First Editions 1967 – 2011, Single Cask ES 007/01, 50,9%

Comment: This one is more typical, very cristalline and clean with quite some power. It reminds me of the smell of a good peach hand lotion my wife owns (I know this doesn’t make sense). For 44 years it has not got much wood, but more than the Agency version. Wonderful aromas of banana, coconut, coconut oil, vanilla, nettles and mint complete this great nose. On the palate it shows perfect balance and should not be diluted with water. Again it makes clear that it is no weakling after all these years. I love the back and forth between cristalline fruit

Andrew Laing and his First Edition Releases

and spicy wood elemens. It finishes oily and vanilla-laden with discrete echoes of the Bourbon wood. A winner! Great pick, Andrew.

Score: 91+

Clynelish 15 y.o. Scotch Malt Whisky Society, SMWS 26.82, 8.1995 (Soft Light at Sunset), refill Sherry Butt, 571 btl., 57,9%

Comment: Fruit-oils, farmyardy tones and fresh coffee join the above already mentioned trademark aromas – with just the right amount of sherry fusion. Peaches and big vanilla become bolder with time and set this apart from many other Clynelish bottlings. Also, sandal wood scents, macadamia and some shy berries appear. Soft smoke and spices add to the fruitiness in nice balance. The taste, which encapsulates all the mentioned notes, is wrapped in a vanilla cloud and needs no water. Only hints of sherry can be found on the sweet palate. It is more a creamy crowd-pleaser, a bit like a Starbucks vanilla coffee drink. Nice, though.

Score: 89+

Clynelish 14 y.o. Single Cask Collection 14. 07. 1997 – 13.02.2012, refill Sherry Hogshead 6891, 302 btl., 56,8%

Comment: A sister cask (#6888) from Bladnoch’s warehouses with 158l was auctioned at Krüger’s for 2.305 Euro. I should have bid then, I was tempted, but didn’t go for it. At the current bottle price of almost 60 Euro it is worth almost 10k – nice gain! Darn! This also shows that there is a lot of cask swapping going on behind the scenes as it becomes harder to buy quality whisky from distilleries. Well, let’s not cry over by-gones and taste the neighboring cask 6891: Being darker in colour than the SMWS, this Austrian choice has more dark wood, leather and spice, but bears many resemblances to the SWMS-version in general (the basic character, coffee, farmyard) in the beginning. The sherry

Clynelish Sister Cask sold in Auction

evocates dried fruit (sultanas, dates, red grapes and cherries) and fruit cake aromas and renders more depth. But after a while these two drams depart from each other more and more. Milk chocolate, almonds and walnuts ride in, welcome guys. It is also slightly more on the dry and coastal side. On the palate, the dark and dried fruits dominate, but are countered by powerful spice (pepper, chili). Toffee and woody spices fight in a long  finish that never seems to end, really. Wow! With water this Clynelish becomes more civilized and creamy, not better or worse, just more approachable … and there is way more chocolate. Maybe not the most typical, but: this cask seems like the more mature and bolder brother of the two versions of today – with lots of character and some dark sides to it. Very good and very interesting.

Score: 91-

Laphroaig 13 y.o. SMWS 29.102, ‚Cowboy’s Campfire Dram‘, 1998, Refill Sherry Butt, 64,1%

Comment: Holy cow! This reminds me of the sherried Signatory version from 1974, or even 1979 Talisker Cadenhead or the famous Brorageddon, all of these with their crazy flinty and sulphury aromas – I love this nose to death! Despite a lot of sherry influence, this isn’t flawed at all. Dark wood, cooked dark fruits (led by morello cherries and tons of baked plums wrapped in bacon), tobacco, pepper, freshly ground coffee, nougat and anything good that is dark can be found. I refuse to destroy this miracle by tearing it apart. Oh my God, it tastes like it noses with that good sulphur-, iodine- and peat action going on. Fabulous and close to perfect, also in the finish! Time travel? I kid you not when I say that this is probably one of the finest young whiskies I had in a very long time. This Monster-Laphroaig is a show stopper and today’s headliner. Encore! Get a bottle of this, it might become legendary.

Score: 93

Laphroaig 13 y.o. Malts of Scotland 3.1998 – 9.2011, MoS Sherry Hogshead 11007, 52,5%

Bottle on the right (find the typo!)

Comment: Quite hard for this one with such an opponent in a head-to-head – but it can hold its own! Again, much fuller than the recent Bourbon Cask versions without losing its balance or the wonderful distillery character (some Laphs are becoming too dominated by the Sherry or turn ‚blue-cheese-fungi-like‘ in sherry casks – as mentioned above). It is fresh, spicy (pepper, chili) and herbal (camphor), but also retains lemon and lime notes. The sherry is totally unobtrusive but clearly there and paints impressionist dots of distant dark fruits on the colourful canvas of this bottling. Coffee whiffs, minerality and chalk make it complete. The taste is equally as wonderful as the nose and a classic young Laphroaig from a less active sherry cask.

Score: 90+

Talisker 10 y.o. OB ‚Split Label‘ (bottled around 1887), 45,8%

Comment: A modern classic. Wonderfully coastal with fresh sea air, salt, oysters, peat, pepper and a subtle fruitiness (pears, peaches, apples, lemon squash)  in the background. Also pine needles and resin, iodine, soot, farmyardy notes and discrete oak. Altogether this one is a bit Brora-esque (with the smell of rain coming in from the sea), which is a good thing. In perfect balance. On the palate it is just as lively, balanced and complex and finishes on all the notes mentioned in soft echoes.

Score: 91

Talisker 10 y.o. OB ‚Split Label‘ for Da Bema (Italy), distilled late 1970ies/early 1980ies, 75cl, 45,8%

Comment: The Italian version is said to be even better, and it is older than the version from above. Let’s see: This one plays it closer to the chest at first, deeper in tone and less vibrant, briny and salty in fact a bit dead in the glass. Wake up, honey! Some earthy aromas limp out of the glass, also pickles. Strange. After ten minutes, the fruit, peat and pepper are coming out with whiffs of mahogani wood, also some coffee beans, heather and some malty tones. Don’t rush this one! It keeps on evolving. Unfortunately it drinks a bit like a good old blend, no real chili catch or other things associated with this great Skye Malt – however, it is very oily, if that style is yours. Just a good dram, but nothing more. Was that sample taken from a tired bottle? I will check … I am a bit surprised.

Score: 88

same outfit but a different bottling

Comment: This one is powerful and strong on alcohol. Water is necessary. I am getting fresh fruit, pepper, berries, oak, peat, some Oloroso dryness and whiffs of tobacco in general, the water makes the dram cleaner, more honeyed and better delineated. A raw version altogether, but not atypical.

Score: 87+

Springbank 40 y.o. Chieftain’s (Ian Macleod) 1968 – Oct. 2008, Oloroso Butt 1414, 398 btl., 54%

Nose: Quite typical, spicy (sea salt, pepper, this one has a Talisker-esque catch) and maritime. A lot of nutty aromas (hazelnut, coconut, almonds), sherry, Serrano ham, melon, wild strawberries, canned peaches, toffee, vanilla and oaky tannins.

Palate: Again on the spicy and woody side, but not going over board with this profile. The notes from above become clearer once you add water, which I recommend, it really levels things out here and renders greater balance.

Finish: Without water it finishes a bit too dry, but H2O makes this really good stuff. It is in line with the Chieftain’s releases of the past. So go for four or five of those instead of this one, I’d say.

Score: 91-

In case of the Peat’s Beast, things are the same (‚untamed‘, ’not for the faint hearted‘, ‚monstrously peaty‘) but also a bit different. It is a Single Malt, a peaty one of good quality, but not from Islay. Of course, I would also underscore its peatiness to sell it to the phenol crowd. It is easily missed that it is no Islay Malt. Rumour has it that it is a BenRiach.

The friendly people at Kammer-Kirsch were so kind to provide German whisky clubs with a sample bottle, which I find a good way to introduce a new release. Let’s not judge this book by its burnt monster cover:

Peat’s Beast (Fox Fitzgerals Ltd.) Single Malt, 46%

Nose: Farmyardy and peaty in general, it renders elements of bonfire smoke, resin, pepper, Granny Smith apples, lemon zest, coffee beans and chalky oak. Brine, fallen autumn leafs and discrete vanilla sit in the backseat.

Palate/Finish: Just like above – and some green maltiness. The coffee and stable aromas lead into the finish with nice sulphur, peat and even iodine. The chalk joins in later. Not the most complex dram, but a very nice addition to the ‚everyday-peat-genre‘ – and one for a blind tasting ! This is not inferior to Islay’s releases of that kind.

Score: 85

Octomore 5 y.o. ‚Comus 04.2_167‘, Bourbon/Sauternes Casks, 18.000 btl., 61%

Nose: Octomore finished in Sauternes Casks (Chateau d’Yquem) – not as peaty and strong as the mere facts would suggest, the Sauternes is there from the beginning, having a calming and smoothening effect on the rough Islay dram altogether. These two worlds meet here and make it unusual: Islay (peat and bonfire smoke, tar, white pepper, hot chili, herbs, camphor, resin and fresh sea air) and d’Yquem’s Sauternes wine (apricots, peaches, apples, honeysuckle, toffee caramel, butter, vanilla, almonds and macadamia). The winey shoe fits, I think – in fact, this is one of the most intense Sauternes influences I had in a while. Daddy like !

Palate: The palate is a bit hot and nervous, mainly on herbs, peat and camphor, but in the back the grapey fruitiness hangs on, making it somehow voluptuous. No water needed.

Finish: Peat smoke, resin, burning embers, sulphur and chalk, then some of the wine’s influence. Quaffable stuff. But the very first edition was even better and deeper.

Score: 88+

Port Charlotte 8 y.o. Malts of Scotland 14.12.2001 – 2.2010, MoS Bourbon Barrel 967, 220 btl., 60,2%

Nose: This one is weird at first, like a mentholated cigarette, or more like a peated Benedictine herb liqueur. Smells healthy to me, just like a chest rub. Definitely unusual. These first aromas take to the background after a minute, giving way to vanilla and the more typical PC character traits (oysters, peat, altogether rooty). Somehow this is really plant-like, THE gardener’s dram. The more you wait the more it becomes a son of Islay. Chalk, wet sheep wool, almonds, tobacco, citrus notes and pepper round it off.

Palate: This dram can’t be serious. Now it shook off all the Benedictine and healty stuff and tastes more like old Ardbeg (minus the iodine-tire-mix), I kid you not! Some dashes of water are needed. It is on the dry side, also reminscences of Port Ellen come to mind, but on a less complex level.

Finish: Late matchstick sulphur and chalky dark wood accompany the notes of the palate, very intense and lingering.

Score: 90+

Bowmore 40 y.o. Duncan Taylor Peerless Collection 5.1966 – 5.2006, Cask 3317, 171 btl., 43,2%

Comment: Amazing, one of the best 1966 versions out there, full and grand! This one has much more than the crazy fruit-berry-mix. Recommendation!

Score: 94-

By the way: The sister cask 3317 (5.1966 – 8.2006, 43,5%) is almost as good: 93+

Bowmore 36 y.o. Hart Brothers 5.1966 – 10.2002, 40,0%

Comment: Discrete and noble in style, yet typical. A bit less on kitschy fruit and more on the wood. Many friends score it slightly higher.

Score: 93-

Bowmore 33 y.o. Duncan Taylor Peerless Collection 11.1969 – 2003, Cask 6085, 42,5%

Comment: Of course, slightly peatier than 1964-1968, but it somehow holds back more than others, slightly less expressive.

Score: 89

Bowmore 43 y.o. ‚White Bowmore‘ OB 1964 – 2008, Bourbon Cask, 732 btl., 42,8%

Comment: Classic 1964 profile from the start with its uber-cristalline tropical fruitiness and loads of berries, wine gum, ozone and all that jazz – really fresh and not woody throughout. Close to a perfect nose. In terms of taste it is mindboggling-good as well, but it lacks the intensity that the younger versions had – but that is splitting hairs. It is as elegant and subtle as possible, but could simply use a bit more weight to reach olympic status. It sounds funny to recommend big sips for this dram at a price of 3.000 Euro a bottle, but that is key for getting more out of it, just like it should be done with the Laphroaig 40, another fragile beauty. The medium-lengthy finish reverberates the nose wonderfully. Altogether, this is already on the wane after 43 years. Great stuff, but the best Glenglassaugh, BenRiach and Lochside are easily on par with Mr. Whitey. Well, who cares, I loved every second we could spend together.

Score: 93

Springbank 45 y.o. OB (Mini-Series from around 2000), 46%

Comment:

Springbank 40 y.o. and 45 y.o. Miniatures (left)

Something salty to start out with, Springbank it is. Unfortunately, the 40 y.o. version suffered from its cap and tasted very metallic – a very sad end for such a dram – unscorable, but one could still grasp that it was a fantastic whisky. However the 45 y.o. was fine and resembled just to a trip in a glass because it kept changing. Being softly sherried, cookie-like, maritime and immensely salty, this has quite some distillery character at its core. Pepper, fine discrete oak (after 45 years!), sandal wood, and toffee are joined by many nutty elements (coconuts, walnuts, macadamia and peanuts) and some fruit (passionfruit, melon). On the palate, all aromas from above are wrapped in old sherry and show off their balance, the finish reverberates this but is a bit on the short side. Historically and experience-wise great, but not as great as the 35, 25 or 30 y.o. Millenium Editions (in this order).

Score: 89

Lochside 44 y.o. The Coopers Choice 1967 – 2011, Single Malt Whisky, Sherry Butt 802, 320 btl., 41,1%

Comment: There is another version around with 41,5% (Cask 807), both reputed as okayish, but not great. Let’s check that: Cask 802 has a very fresh, clean and citrus-oriented nose at first, almost Riesling-like. What’s amazing again is: after all these years there is such discrete wood influence (dark wet wood, but no obvious sherry notes) but huge focus on distillery character. We also have big grapefruit, gooseberries, cassis, apricots, marzipan, milkshake-flavour and nice flowers in spring. It lacks power in the mouth, that is the only downside, but I can forgive that due to this fragile profile. The finish is longer than one would expect and underscores the elegance of this dram.

Score: 91-

BenRiach 40 y.o. OB 1971 – 2011, Cask 1947 (Batch #8), 229 btl., 49,8%

Comment: I only had a tiny amount of 1,2 cl to taste but it was enough to say that this bottling has everything what makes old BenRiachs special: cristalline fruit, lemons, tangerines, grapefruit, pineapple, vanilla, unobtrusive wood and a sightly herbal edge. Aaaaahhh!

Score: 92-

Preview:

For Easter, I have packed Auchentoshan 1957, White Bowmore, Ardbeg cask samples from 1975 and 1998 OB, some great wines and more – stay tuned and have a bunny-good time!

Highland Park 21 y.o. First Editions 1989, 50,9%

Comment: A round and powerful first impression with lead aromas of crystallized oranges and orange peel, fudge toffee, vanilla, discrete peat smoke, honey, white chocolate and dry malt. In the second row there are glazed doughnuts and candy floss, dusty bookshelves, leather, white pepper, ginger and peat bog notes. The fruity elements (aside from the oranges) consist of canned peaches, red currant and apple crumble. Complex, I’d say. This ‚HP sauce‘ tastes dry and malty on the mid-palate at first, then warming spices and dried fruits (mainly apples) lead into a very well-rounded finish with a mix of the aromas mentioned above. However, it is less impressive than its nose suggested – give this some time. A really good daily dram for allround purposes.

Score: 87

Macduff 11 y.o. Whisky-Doris 15.11.2000 – 19.11.2011, Sherry Butt, 54,8%

Comment: A spicy sherry nose hits big time. These two main elements battle, which makes the dram alive and nervous but also somewhat unsettled … depends on what you like in your whisky. The sherry, which evoked raisins, prunes and other dark fruits in this dram, is more of the matchstick kind (again a question of preferance) and not fully integrated yet. Oak, peaches, smoke, blue cheese dressing and moss jump on board of this wild Speyside spice train (white pepper, bell peppers, chili, cloves, licorice and ginger). Water brings out farm notes and toffee in a creamier style. Long oaky finish. This is an interesting and complex dram – wild though – that might not appeal to everyone, but if you like spicy Spey malts, this is just right for you. It would go perfectly with Nachos.

Score: 83

Ardmore 19 y.o. Whisky-Doris 18.06.1992 – 25.08.2011, Bourbon Barrel 4652, 197 btl., 49,6%

Comment: Wonderful fresh, clean and fruity nose, very seductive with whiffs of peat, moss and soot, all perfectly balanced. Kiwi, apricots, orange zests, limes, grapefruit, cider, vanilla and berries make this dram appear much older than 19 years. Its elegance makes it a rather atypical Ardmore. On the palate, it also delivers! What a perfect allrounder. I have a peaty start with mossy undertones, then berries and the ripe fruit ride in, just like a recent Dom Perignon (which have discrete mossy peat and earth), amazing, then the peat comes back, wrapped in vanilla and apricot brandy. No water, please, it is perfect as it is. The medium-length finish is not the most intense because of the finesse this whisky posesses, but it leaves you with the desire for a second glass – or an entire bottle. Very late, there are sulphur and nice gunpowder that erase the fruity memories. Wow, what a great ride! Usually, only old bottles offer such profiles. Great choice, Doris and Herbert!

Score: 91

Chateau Closiot 2006 Sauternes ASC 13,5%

Comment: I could get a really cheap lot with Closiot 2005 (already reviewed) and 2006, which is said to be the better vintage. In general, I tend to go for the bigger names as it is really worth it with Sauternes/Barsac wines, e.g. Rieussec, Suduiraut and some other ones that really deliver.

The Owners

However I couldn’t refuse the good offer and received a good Sauternes that only lacks a little finesse and acidity to be a great one. Everything is there, but not as defined as in the great ones. This chateau (4,5 h) is historically attached to Chateau Coutet (classed growth).

Score: 89

Seppeltsfield ‚Rare Tokay‘ 1983 Rutherglen (AU), 17%

Nice Line-Up

Comment: Rare stuff, this Tokay from Australia. Their vintage Ports that date back to the 19th century rank among the best sweet wines ever made. This Tokay is from their medium-aged stock. It boasts a mix of Australian wine aromas and dark cooked fruits (loads of raisins, some figs and blackberries as well). Dark chocolate and whiffs of tobacco complete the nose. It tastes very sweet, the soft acidity can’t counter that. Nice, but no stunner.

Score: 92

Seppeltsfield 1909 Para Vintage Tawny Port 100 y.o., 23,7%

Comment: I had the sister cask from 1910 and score it at 100 points, my first full score (see here). This is also made from Mataro, Shiraz and Grenache grapes from Barossa Valley and matured in a Puncheon (500l) for 100 years. Again I am in awe. The colour alone is opaque olive brown with a green edge and the oily viscosity is amazing. But this is pricy stuff (37,5 cl for 1000 Aussie-Dollars). Let’s see if it can rival the perfect 1910: The nose is full of tar, resin, glue, cloves, Blaukraut (cooked red cabbage from Germany) and coffee at first. Then there is a strong nutty character like in a fine Nocino, dark chocolate and balsamic whiffs. Great again, but not as complex as its sister. The ultra-big weight on the mid-palate is nutty and resiny with amazing acidity left after all these years. Morello cherries and dark chocolate join in for a great finale. High class, but I’d clearly go for the 1910.

Score: 97

Talisker 18 y.o. OB 45,8% (from 2008/09)

Comment: This bottle was part of my house bar for a while, but now I am going to review the 4cl that remained of this wonderful classic more thoroughly: First, I am overwhelmed by the great balance of its seductive nose. Talisker 18 is very fresh and maritime with notes of smoked mackerel, oysters, brine and some seaspray on the shoreline. I also get just the right amount of peat for this style of whisky with discrete sulphur and chalk in the back, along with a beechwood bonfire. The complexity goes on with aromas of orange and lemon zests, baked apples, pineapple juice and an intriguing connection of plums and apricots. The typical Talisker pepper and some snus-tobacco sort of hover over the whole mix. On the palate we have the famous chili catch in a mild way, because this whisky is more on balance, austerity and finesse than on extremes due to a longer ageing process that took away some edges but added seconary and tertiary aroma components. It could have some more power, though. I would love this at cask strength even more. I consider it to be  a great daily dram and a bang for your buck (around 55.- Euro), but it is not an easy one as it takes time and some experience. Talisker rarely disappoints. Kudos!

Score: 90

This bottling is more of an exotic find for fans – Maggie sourced another nice cask back then, I think. People loved it at our stand on several whisky fairs. Here my short review taken in Munich 2011:

Tomatin 28 y.o. Scotch Single Malt Circle 12.01. 1982 – 23.02.2010, Sherry Cask 29, 574 btl., 55,3%

Comment: Sweet, deep and vanilla-laden, well-balanced between spice (white and black pepper) sherry, malt and a bowl of fruit. Nice coffee notes round off this autumnal dram.

Score: 88

Starka V.S. 10 y. Old Polish Vodka ‚Polmos‘ 40%

Comment: In Poland it was a habit for some families to fill a small cask with vodka at the birth of a child and enjoy the matured distillate at the kid’s wedding or a special birthday at legal age. Good idea! Polmosages some of their Starka vodkas up to 50 years and allows us a totally new perspective on this drink. Their 10 y.o. is the entry-level into the world of aged vodka, so to speak. It starts with a very surprising nose that is very balanced and not vodka-like at all – at least what I connect with this spirit. I bet you that 97% of blind tasters would take this for a whisky. I also like the spice element (pepper) and the soft vanilla touch, which does not go overboard like in the ‚woodka‘ (another interesting oak-aged vodka from Germany). Lemon zest, whiffs of ginger, apples, dates, raisins and an aromatic freshness complete this enjoyable nose, which has improved with a little bottle age. In the taste it shows its true colors of vodka with raisins, ginger, fudge, hints of fruit and vanilla, not overly complex but good in its easy style with a medium-length finish. Nice Polish stuff, I must say. Thanks to Christine and Jörg for the sample.

Score: 83

1767 Vanilla Cane Likör aus 15 y.o. Karibik-Rum (28% / 35%)

Comment: There are two versions of this with different abv. It is made in Flensburg, Germany (a city looking back on a long tradition of rum import), where 15 y.o. quality Caribbean rum is flavoured with natural Bourbon vanilla and diluted with glacier water, no additives, really natural and hand-made in all aspects. The makers and some connoisseurs claim that it is not meant for mixing – let’s see: Wow, indeed not artificial and full of harmony in the nose, more like a good rum that has big vanilla notes, like real vanilla pod to be precise. I am also getting tea with caramel sugar, traces of Amaretto almond liqueur, canned peaches and cheese cake with raisins, which means that it departs from rumminess with some time in the glass. I can picture it already accompanying creme brulee, Bavarian creme and stuff like that, even vanilla ice cream, Stracciatella or Malaga (rum-raisins). In terms of taste it is much sweeter than the nose would suggest, a bit too sweet for me, but maybe perfect with a cigar or in a tea – and it is a liqueur, so let’s not criticize sweetness (there is a law in Germany that forces you to add a certain big amount of sugar to call your product a liqueur). The intense and long finish adds whiffs of tobacco, coffee and marzipan to the aromas mentioned. Natural indeed, and drinkable on its own. Well done, Flensburg and thanks to Krissi (involuntarily providing me with a sample )!

Score: 83

New Grove ‚Lime Delight‘ Rum 40%

Comment: Mauritius born rum infused with hints of lime and spices, the base being the New Grove Plantation Rum. The nose reveals big lime aromas (slightly artificial and a bit like Sprite indeed, limoncello or toilet flush stone) and some white rum, that is pretty much it, but that’s what the label says. Chewing gum in the second row with traces of mint in a Mojito. The taste seems somewhat watered down with lime and mint in a rather neutral white rum. Nothing really happens here. Not fully convincing – but in a club, this is fine.

Score: 72

New Grove ‚Vanilla Touch‘ Rum 40%

Comment: Aside from another flavoured rum called ‚Orange Bliss‘ by New Grove, this is a new third version with vanilla and citronella. Let’s nose this one: The dominating vanilla aromas are way more unnatural here (in comparison to the Vanilla Cane from above), like the vanilla puddings you can buy – okeyish, not bad, but also not very original. Citronella and whiffs of warming spices (aniseed and cinnamon) are the only other notes to be found, no magic of the rum happening. Oh my God, I tasted it, it is quite a mess with much more aniseed and alcohol that seems cheap, altogether really artificial. Only for mixing, but good barkeepers only use quality if they are good … so … mmmmh, I don’t know what to do with this one. Forgive me, Mauritius, I love your oak aged rum, but this stuff is pointless.

Score: 67

Stewarts Dundee Cream of the Barley ‚De Luxe‘ Blended Scotch Whisky, Reina Import (Italy), 43 gradi

Comment: I had the mini on the photo, the big bottle from the same importer is even darker – and maybe better. A neck-hanger says it is smoothened out with over 20 y.o. whisky – quite promising. The nose is a mix of a typical old blend nose with OBF (Old Bottle flavour with aromas of  cardboard, old dusty library etc.) and the one of a great old sherry-cask Single Malt, really well-balanced and not weakish at all. Big notes of coffee, cognac, apricots, cherries, flower-shop aromas, honey and pepper make this seductive. The taste is just like the nose, very quaffable, I must say. Did somebody pour cognac into one of the casks for this by mistake? Curious. It is a ‚whisgnac or cognsky‘ somehow, but in a good way. The finish can’t compete with the wonderful nose, though. Maybe not the most intense and complex dram on earth but a darn decent blend in a long-gone style that could kick some modern malt’s finished ass. A good starter into a tasting session or the world of old whiskies.

Score: 87

Cragganmore 18 y.o. SMWS 37.51, 23.03.1993 – 11.2011, first-fill Sherry Butt, 583 btl., 58,3%

Comment: The first-fill Sherry-Cask speaks in a loud and spicy way with a lot of pepper, but in a classic style. I think this one needs water, but let’s first nose it straight a bit more. Toffee, nettle tea, dark cooked fruits (plums), herbs and honey appear with some time. The sweetish taste reveals sherry and cherry (morello) in a malty surroundment (clever, Pit, it’s a malt), a bit Macallan-like overall, but  more herbal altogether. Good quality that leaves the distillery character untouched but underscored. Dark fruits like raisins and the plums and clothes on the line come up again in the long and intense finish. Water helps to broaden the spectrum of aromas, but it performs well with time without water as well.

Score: 88

Glenglassaugh 40 y.o. The Whisky Fair 1965 – 2006, Fino Sherry Butt, 361 btl., 46,7%

Comment: When I received a sample of this one back in 2006, I thought they had a mix-up  at the bottling hall … an old classy Bowmore instead of a Glassa. But my comparisons showed that it was a real Portsoy-distillate. I ordered two bottles right away because I loved it and put one bottle into a tasting. This is now history and the bottle a classic. Let’s revisit: It shows bright dextrose/cristalline fruitiness to the max (somewhat ‚1960-Bowmore-esque‘ as I said) and is very clean. The wood is there, but not in front. I also get berries, lots of cassis, white peach, passion fruit, orange liqueur, grapefruit, pineapple, gooseberry and kiwi – wow. Later, mild white pepper notes avoid an overall kitschiness. Oh my God, this goes on and on – a load of apricot jam on a pancake, even some maple syrup and a little natural caramel. Needless to say, it posesses a perfect balance with more vanilla and a malty edge in the mouth – and with enough strength despite such a bright profile. I love the discrete Fino Sherry influence in this, like in so many old malts. However, some might call it a bit boring after some time – I don’t.

Score: 92+

Glenglassaugh 36 y.o. OB (‚over 30‘), 1972 – 2010,  43,02%

Comment: This one was older than its decanter suggested and is the most sour of the three. Bright and dark elements, mainly fruit and cookies hit the nose. Some sherry elements are clearly there, quite well integrated and high class, but not overwhelming, they let all the brighter elements exist as well. Then we have baked apples, lime, gooseberries, raising dough, raisin bread, mahogani wood, candy floss, musk, fresh male sweat and tomato straw. Overall, it holds back more than the others and is unusual in some moments. What is this sour element somewhere in the back? It is not as powerful as the others but a great dram nonetheless.

Score: 91

Glenglassaugh 45 y.o. OB 1966, Refill Sherry Hogshead, 49,2%

Comment:  I had this first in Portsoy with the man himself, Stuart Nickerson. I loved and scored it (see here), but didn’t take proper notes. So here they come: This one is spicier and more tannic (in a good way) than the others. This dram is also more mineral and powerful, it is the deepest in terms of wood, fruit (bright and dark) and character. Wonderful apricot jam, morello cherries, marzipan, ginger bread and spice cake, a little black pepper and balsamic whiffs caress the nose. This cask could mature to perfection! Old cognacs come to mind when you nose it again, but the intense and inbelievably complex taste is like a rummy Christmas Cake with an old Vintage Port on the side. It is amazing how the brighter and fresher aromas coexist with the dark intense ones. Long finish! Maybe the second-best Glenglassaugh release so far (slightly trailing the 40/41 y.o.).

Score: 94+

Bladnoch 21 y.o. Single Cask Collection 30.1.1990, Bourbon Hogshead, 51,9%

Comment: I like Bladnoch, but recently I had some disappointingly thin and unexpressive bottlings. This one is much better and talkative right from the start with quite a potent nose. Notes of vanilla, grass, flowers, buttered toast, lemon, orange zest, peaches, malt, apples, pears, licorice and raise from the glass in oily fashion. The taste doesn’t let you down either: malt and licorice, then almonds, grass and lime plus a discrete peppery spiciness paired with a whiff of smoke. Unusual but nice. Medium length in the finish.

Score: 88

Linkwood 27 y.o. Single Cask Collection 1984, Bourbon Hogshead, 57,0%

Comment: Linkwood is an underrated distillery, one for the second look, not so much on primary notes. There were few bottlings I didn’t like. It is essential to give these drams some time to develop. I hope this one is in line with my positive experience.  Let’s see: well-balanced, I must say. I am getting unfiltered apple juice, apricots, lemon zests, flower bouquet, spicy white oak with good Bourbon influence (e.g. vanilla, fudge, cloves, some rum notes), cinnamon, marzipan, marshmallows, smoking sticks in an Indian restaurant and sandal wood. It is becoming even more high class in the mouth, wow, this is wonderfully balanced and needs no water in general – but water helps it in terms of accessibility and more flavours come out, whatever you prefer here. Close to perfection in maturity and very complex, it is hard to nail down aromas on the mile-high-layered mid-palate, very fruity (also grapefruit, citrus fruit and white peaches), exotic spices, flavoured marzipan, white chocolate and wonderful oak. The long finish leaves you positively puzzled and demands for another sip to grasp this complexity. At a price point below 100.- Euro, this is a real steal! Please put a bottle of this on reserve for me, Roland.

Score: 91

Blair Athol 12 y.o. Single Cask Collection 4.8.1998, Bourbon Hogshead, 60,3%

Comment: A classic Highland nose with honey, malt, licorice, ginger, white pepper, heather and grass, peach, vanilla, roasted nuts and cereals. On the palate, it is hot but also fruity (peaches and pineapple) –  a real honest malt with good intensity, somehow reminding me of Lochnagar. Water helps to polish the edges. The long finish focuses on the fruity aspects and adds big vanilla. Old style, good whisky, really fair in price (below 40.-).

Score: 87

Port Dundas 37 y.o., Duncan Taylor Rare Auld, 01.1973 – 04.2010, Sherry Cask 128324, 259 btl., 56,1%

Comment: Is this an ultra-premium rum? Worlds collide here in a nice way. Fresh despite its age, like a Caribbean breeze in Key West. Sugar cane, big vanilla- and coffee-notes, tobacco, chocolate, Cointreau, limejuice, tinned pineapples, coconut, agave and mint, fudge and great oak (that doesn’t go overboard). The sherry is really discrete. Awesome all the way, if you are into mature rum or grain. The more old grain I try, the more I love them. Another quite undiscovered category…

Score: 90

Longmorn 23 y.o. ‚First Cask‘ (Whisky Import Netherlands) 13.10.1988 – 9.1.2012, Refill Sherry Hogshead 14379, 259 btl., 52,6%

Comment: From a quite unfamiliar label so far (Jan Kok and Marcel Bol are behind the project), of which I just bought a 1963 Lochside (not open yet). I am curious. A sweet nose with very obvious sherry and its effects (dark cooked fruit, raisins, morello cherries), but also some typical white oak aroma with toffee, glue and vanilla. Later, it becomes very intersting and more typical: ripe autumnal fruit, redcurrant, white chocolate-glazed banana and some spice to counter (pepper, resin). On the palate the sherry is dominant, but doesn’t overwhelm the other notes and doesn’t become too dry – it is way too sweet for that, a real Christmas cake plus spice, maltiness and some fruit. The finish goes down with dark and ripe autumn fruits, quite some maltiness and the sherry that covers all like a blanket. A rather sweet warm-up, but doable.

Score: 87

Caol Ila 30 y.o. Malts of Scotland 5.1981 – 8.2011, Bourbon Hogshead MoS 11009, 59,2%

Comment: What a sooty nose with peaty iodine, nice! The whole dram is rather sweet, has discrete sulphur and one can’t believe its high abv.-strength. I get apple juice and a trace of blue cheese as well, but in a good way, this is not spoiled or funky at all. In the mouth there is a great balance between spicy elements (pepper, chili, juniper) and some sweeter notes (from the Bourbon cask) that lead into the joyful finish. A great pick of a mature sooty Caol Ila that has grown softer and more complex with the years.

Score: 90

Caol Ila 10 y.o. Single Cask Collection, 2000, Bourbon Hogshead, 58,5%

Comment: Roland Hinterreiter has done a good job in sourcing casks as Austria’s first independent bottler so far. And this Caol Ila makes no difference. It is very classic without any off-note and possesses a great balance – a real quaffer that somehow reminds me of the smell when a low pressure area with rain and thunder is rolling in from the sea. Lead aromas are juicy Granny Smith apples, green olives, lemon, hay, coal smoke, sulphur, pepper, pine resin and medium-level peat. The Bourbon cask left traces of chalk and vanilla. Plain good and clean Southcoast Islay Single Malt. P.S.: We are at the Austrian Whisky and Spirits Festival in Linz in April (www.ssms.at) with a stand and some great bottlings to try, visit us. Roland is the host/organizer.

Score: 89

Caol Ila 17 y.o. SMWS 53.150, 7.1993, Refill Sherry Butt, 556 btl., 61,1%

Comment: Not bad, but a bit weird and atypical due to a herbal side that doesn’t fit the dram. Not my cup of Caol Ila tea/whisky… it is also not very expressive in my eyes. But remember, taste is personal, this is no fail at all. Sorry for the brevity, I had this one for the road.

Score: 84

Ardbeg 13 y.o. SMWS 33.102, 10.1997 – 2011, 2nd-fill Bourbon Barrel, 223 btl., 55,2%

Comment: A bit more on the spicy side than the others (white pepper, chili), also more citrus aromas (orange, lemon, lime) coming through. Oysters, chalk, rope, pine resin, camphor, big peat smoke and bonfire, later even latte macchiato coffee and minty menthol join in. It is very hot and spicy on the palate, begging for dilution. Water makes it a classic fine Ardbeg with great balance and brings out the leather.

Score: 89

Ardbeg 11 y.o. SMWS 33.104, 31.8.1999 – 2011, Refill Sherry Butt, 538 btl., 55,7%

Comment: A round and voluptous version with quite some toffee, raisins and a store full of new tires. The discrete sherry takes away the edge and some peatiness as well. Somehow winey. On the palate it is more peppery than expected, but soon the sherry’s sweet notes soften the catch a bit. It keeps jumping between these two worlds until the hot spice wins.

Score: 85

Ardbeg 11 y.o.SMWS 33.109, 8.1998 – 2011, Refill Sherry Butt, 468 btl., 55,6%

Comment: Very close to 33.104, also a load of new tires, but more herbs and camphor and a bit less toffee. Discrete sherry influence in the nose causing that rounding effect again, but this is peatier than 104 – sulphur and iodine make this one more interesting. It has a good balance in the mouth without losing character and ooommpphh. Later raisins and resin show up. I love the flinty and spicy finish. Not bad at all, I must say.

Score: 89

Bowmore 15 y.o. SMWS 3.180, 1996, 61,2%

Comment: Vegetal and flowery like a young Rhum Agricole at first, also leather in the beginning, but don’t be fooled. It soon becomes a true South Coast Ileach! Great balance – the leathery aroma builds a bridge between the two elements mentioned. The downside: altogether a bit subdued, also on the palate with a leather-spice-finish. Start talking to me, sweetheart… . Here is some water to open up: still no change, but more drinkable. One for patient guys, the silent type.

Score: 84

Bowmore 14 y.o. Whisky-Fässle ‚Duck Edition‘ 6.1997 – 2.2012, Bourbon Hogshead, 51,8%

Comment: Maritime and fresh at first (salt), also big notes of white wine (a mix of barrel-fermented Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand with the fruitiness and berries coming along with those) and creamy vanilla. Then herbs and ferns come into focus. The Islay character is there but more in the background. The complexity translates into the palate with berries, fruit, herbs, tea, spice and peat. Not only ducks will love this.

Score: 88+

Bowmore 12 y.o. Malts of Scotland (MoS) 22.09.1999 – 10.2011, Cask MoS 110014, Bourbon Hogshead, 61,2%

Comment: Farmyardy at first, then it becomes more South Coast Islay on coal, smoke, pepper and peat. Also dark wet wood and the typical ferns emerge. Later short bread, honey, orange jam and liqueur make a nice afternoon dram – on a farm, that is. It finishes on sulphur, flints and peat.

Score: 85+

Port Ellen 28 y.o.  Silver Seal / whiskybase.com, 1983 – 2011,  Cask S1462, 55,5%

Comment: Big intense spice nose that has everything that makes Port Ellen such a gem nowadays. This one is right in the middle of all possible PE profiles. Some maritime dirtiness, sea spray and brine, herbs, oil, ropes, peppery and chili-esque spice, leather, the wonderful crispy maltiness (like salted crisps), camphor, discrete mint, peat smoke, but also fruit (apricots and green bananas) and vanilla provide for immense complexity that dances on a tightrope between the poles of balance und untamed roughness. Hooorraayy, it delivers on the palate as well and becomes more peaty! A crazy Port Ellen that adds iodine, coal smoke, hay and matchstick sulphur to the mindboggling mix from above and never really finishes. Yet it is very quaffable and screams for a second glass – which I just poured. Awesome!

Score: 92+

Comment: Revisiting a classic, that is how I feel. Let’s see how this baby tastes nowadays. The nose reveals honey, dried flowers, grapefruit- and lemon juice and hints of ginger. It tastes spicier than the nose would suggest, I am getting an ever-increasing pepper catch, licorice and ginger. The finish is all about flowers and honey again and simply pleasant. A good daily dram.

Score: 83

Longmorn 30 y.o. Gordon & Macphail (G&M) 43%

Comment: Always a bang for your buck and a reasonable way to enter the world of aged whisky coming from fine Sherry casks. I love this profile with perfectly integrated sherry fruit, raisins, all kind of berries (even cassis), juicy gummibears, dark wood and dust, all that in balance and perfect harmony. Maybe this is no powerhouse but great in its own way.

Score: 90

Mount Riley 2008 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, NZ) 13%

Comment: A great alternative to the cult wine Cloudy Bay. This one is a stunner, yet typical for its grape. Hay, loads of gooseberries, tropical fruits, cassis and enough acidity to counter. A reasonably-priced recommendation!

Score: 91 (2011)

Cantine Due Palme ‚Selvarossa’2004 Salice Salentino Rosso Riserva (IT) 14%

Comment: Italy’s heel (Salento) is THE region to buy great wine for little money, and I am fond of Salice Salentino wines. The Negroamaro grape renders a nice profile with radicchio and red jam flavours that can hold its own even with high class competition on the table. This one is no exception and deserves the ‚three glasses‘ by Gambero Rosso. A lot of character, and aside from the typical aromas mentioned it offers scorched earth, plums, berries, tobacco and chocolate. Great for food pairing as it is not a concentration bomb but still powerful.

Score: 92+ (2011)

Ermitage du Marsalet 2006 Monbazillac (FR) 13%

Comment: This noble rot specimen comes from a lesser-known area for sweet wine in France but usually doesn’t fail to impress. Some excellent wines were made there already. The Ermitage du Marsalet 2006 is decent but a bit oaky for my taste. It reminds me of a slightly diluted Sauternes (a terrible comparison, I know, but that was my feeling), altogether more on finesse than on power.

Score 89: (2009)

Lieselehof ‚Sweet Claire‘ 2006 Passito (Trockenbeerenauslese) Kaltern IGT (IT) 12,5%

Comment: One of my favourite discoveries in 2011. This South Tyrolean Passito is made from the Bronner grape (existing since 1975) which doesn’t need any chemical protection in normal years (which therefore is excellent for organic and  biologically uninvasive production). It blew our socks off! Oranges, peaches, apricots, figs, honey, dried flowers, cooked apples and what not: A fresh yet fully loaded nose and a perfect balance with good acidity on the palate. Simply great stuff that can also age well. A must-buy at the price of 30+ Euro.

Score: 96 (2011)

Kaapzicht Steytler ‚Vision‘ 2002 Cape Blend Stellenbosch (SA) 14%

Score: 92 (2011)

Stadt Regensburg ‚Salutaris‘ 2007 Regent trocken (GER) 13%

Comment: These local wines are only given to jubilars and really hard to get. I could try it at a 90th birthday, so no notes. However, I was positively surprised, decent red wine (Landwein) with regional style. Also see the the rosé below.

Score: 83 (2011)

Stadt Regensburg ‚Salutaris‘ 2008 Rotling (GER) 13%

Comment: This pink stuff is really fresh and quaffable, but lacks depth. The Müller-Thurgau grape seems dominant here. Uncomplicated in every way but emotionally very special to a Regensburgian.

Score: 85 (2011)

 Stadt Regensburg ‚Salutaris‘ 2007 Müller-Thurgau trocken (GER) 12,5%

Comment: This one is very flat. Sorry. If you want to try good Müller-Thurgau from this area in Bavaria, take a bottle of Heitzer (Bach).

Score: 80 (2011)

Comment: I have heard great things about this bottling – and it is exciting to try rare whisky from this closed Lowland distillery, one of the oldest in Scotland, by the way (established 1772). However, there were great variations in quality and I had terribly soapy Littlemills but also quite decent ones. Menno Bijmolt from whiskybase.com has unearthed this inaugural bottling for their brandnew Archive series. Let the spirit talk:

I am getting a nice and clear Sherry-influence and sweet maltiness right away, accompanied by a white pepper and ginger spiciness. Morello cherries, dried peaches, raisins. apple crumble, shortbread, marshmallows, Italian almond sweets, moss, pine needle, rose petals, blackcurrant and a pleasant oakiness also come into focus, like some fruit oils. Quite unusual in a good way! The fruity and oily taste is wonderful, somehow tropical at moments. It even increases in terms of complexity: hello berries and cassis, you come late, but I love you anyway. Good oak influence, medium finish with a rummy vanilla-fudge note. I love its unique character and also enjoy this profile a lot. An amazing choice, Menno!

Score: 91

Glen Ord 09.03.1999 – 10.2011 Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Hogshead 110013, 54,4%

Comment: Glen Ord is completely underestimated. Thomas Ewers presents this younger version in his Malts of Scotland series. I hope it can prove my words:

It takes off spicy and fresh and remains closed for two minutes. Then apple, dried fruits (apricots and grapefruit, mainly), cereal bar, eucalypt, ginger, beeswax and spicy wood notes emerge, but it still holds back. Give it its time. After some minutes it offers pine resin and Mediterranean herbs. The taste also evolves step by step and is more openly accessible. A mix of malt, apple, oak, honey, vanilla, toffee, pineapple, maple syrup, cereal bar, resin, nutmeg and quite some cumin. Water really changes the dram  (more vanilla, fudge and fruit) – it is like an experimenting kit – hard work but fun. Use this in a tasting to show the diluting effect in whisky. The finish is long and dominant. One for the second look.

Score: 85+

The following five Single Malts range in the ‚pale category‘. Let’s see if they lack character:

Benriach 15 y.o. Single Cask Collection 1996, Bourbon Hogshead, 54,3%

Comment: This dram comes from the first Austrian independent bottler. Our friend Roland Hinterreiter, who also organizes the Austrian Whisky Fair in Linz this year, is the man behind the project. I am going to write more on his bottlings soon.

His Benriach is very typical. A plate of mature garden fruit in autumn (apple, pear, plumcake), licorice and slightly greenish malt are in the leading roles. More restrained there are flowers, coal, banana skin, grapefruit and orange zest. And of course, leather! In terms of taste it seems more mature and sweet: vanilla, fruitiness, Bourbon wood, leather, natural caramel and dried flowers caress the mid-palate with medium weight  – no water needed. The finish is quite long and mainly on apple and sweet malt. Gimme a second glass…

Score: 85

Highland Park 30 y.o. The Whisky Agency ‚Fungi‘, 1981 – 2011, ex-Bourbon Wood, 198 btl., 52,2%

Comment: What a beautiful fresh nose, it reminds me of the HP-versions called ‚Old Man of Hoy‘ by Blackadder, perfectly round and encapsulating everything great about highlands and coast. Wonderful fruitiness (tangerines, grapefruit, lime), berries (cassis), whiffs of mossy peat smoke, heather, almonds  (marzipan-like) and coconut traces, latte macchiato and fudge. And all that is in place. It tastes like it noses, but adds some hay and turkish delight. It is clean, Riesling-like and has amazing cassis notes reminding me of old 1960ies Bowmore at times. No edges, just great, austere and very drinkable. Sorry Carsten that I couldn’t taste this earlier. I promise to be better – in my own interest to get a bottle.

Score: 92

Bowmore 22 y.o. Liquid Sun, 1989 – 2011, ex-Bourbon Wood, 50,7%

Comment: Bowmore, but on the peaty and herbal side altogether. Tea, ferns, seaweed and nori, sweet iodine and sulphur. A Sushi dram because it smells like a Maki roll! Great balance on the palate, where it becomes more typical in a good way. A great dram with a medium-length finish which also shows some flintiness. Sensitive Islay.

Score: 90

Caol Ila 10 y.o. Archives 11. 2000, – 08.2011, Bourbon Barrel 3309899, 220 btl., 59,1%

Comment: Whiskybase.com now also bottles whisky – and they started very well. This out-of-the-ordinary Caol Ila is powerful yet clean on peat, juniper, green olives, lemon juice, sulphur, some seaweed, oysters, pipe tobacco, chalk and herbs (nettles). Despite high abv. it should be savoured without water, but it also can swim well. Great smoke like a put-out bonfire with peat on the beach, the flinty sulphur and iodine-combo leads into a finish that was invented for Islay devotees – long and satisfying. This perfect finish is worth 93 points but the rest is ‚only‘ jolly good. Altogether: one great pick! I want a bottle of this.

Score: 89

Port Charlotte 9 y.o. SMWS 127.16, 2002 – 2011, refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 242 btl., 65,4%

Comment: Closed somehow, menthol at first, followed by pebbles on the beach, loads of salt, minerality, peat, lavender, roots, chalk, lemon juice, leather, ashes and bonfire smoke. I recommend water for this one. In the mouth it displays a lot of resin and peat smoke, then the phenoly peat-sulphur-flint finish has its say. Not bad at all, we are talking about a 9 year-old dram, but it lacks the finesse and complexity some other PCs already have at that age. Anyway, if you are into full-on peat power and salt, this one is not to miss.

Score: 87

Aultmore 13 y.o. SMWS 73.41, 1997, 2nd-fill Bourbon Hogshead, 286 btl., 58,8%

Comment: Autumn fruits, many peaches, apricots, like homemade jam. Then I am getting hay, hints of  ginger, white pepper and vanilla. Seems more mature as its age would suggest. It tastes a bit more spicy (ginger, pepper again) with a bite and needs some water, but overall it renders the same profile like the nose and adds a nice maltiness, dried flowers and a licoricy touch. Almost creamy with more water, long finish. Aultmore keeps surprising me.

Score: 84

Mortlach 14 y.o. SMWS 76.79, 1995, first-fill Sherry Butt,  551 btl., 56,3%

Comment: Sherry, smoke and spice at first. The wine’s sweetness and the malt’s dry character battle in the nose. Some dried fruits, tea and white pepper are watching in the background. The typical raisins and sherry cream show up on the palate along with some spice, smoke and figs. Some water helps the balance.

Score: 83

Tullibardine 21 y.o. SMWS 28.23, 1989, Refill Sherry Butt, 57,7%

Comment: Unusual (plants, herbs), mature, fruity, malty, slightly dry with discrete spice. Big tea notes, toffee, pears, peaches, grass, flowers, earthy traces, altogether like a green house in the nose. It tastes more fruity than expected with a lot of natural caramel and vanilla, quite nice but not overly complex. One for gardeners and botanists

Score: 83

Caperdonich 16 y.o. SMWS 38.20, 1994, Refill Hogshead, 57,4%

Comment: Wow, I like this from the start. Very pleasant, deep and fresh. A bit from everything (citrus fruit, dextrose, moss, herbs and peat, minerality, honey, candyfloss, maritime freshness, etc.), which makes this a true allrounder. It delivers all this on the palate in beautiful balance! No water needed, this is simply great. Recommendation!

Score: 90

Glen Scotia 12 y.o. SMWS 93.46, 1999, Refill Sherry Gorda, 59,8%

Comment: Blue Cheese Dressing, leather, pepper and chili, sherry, grapes with noble rot, Kahlua, mint and leafs. The sherry is not really integrated and seems a bit too raisiny-rotten and cheesy, but the whisky is mild, sweet and creamy on the other hand. I know some people who like this profile but for me it is too much on primary notes of the sherry cask.

Score: 77