1) Cragganmore 1999 – 10.2011 Malts of Scotland, Bourbon Hogshead MoS 11012, 55,1%

Photo: thewhiskycask.de

Comment: A lot of Bourbon cask character welcomes you here in this dark dram, big white oak, tropical fruit (pineapple) and sweet vanilla – almost an American nose. There is not much distillery character left, indeed have I never encountered such a huge Bourbon influence in a Scotch. This is Scourbon (or Bourtch). I am also getting rising dough and some honey. How is the taste of this mid-atlantic dram? Well, a lot like a fine Bourbon with hints of Scotch. Water makes it more accessible and complex, but not different in style. One more to put down to experience, not bad at all, just very…Southern. Drink that one with a chicken-fried steak.

Score: 87

2) Cragganmore 12 y.o. Scotch Malt Whisky Society 2.1999 – 2011, SMWS 37.49, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, 248 btl., 54,2%

Comment: Brighter than its predecessor. It reveals a nice complexity on the herbal side, also many tropical fruits (tangerines, grapefruit, peaches, passion fruit), dry malt and whiffs of sawdust. Behind these lead aromas I can find almond oil and reminiscences of a fat Riesling Auslese from Baden. On the palate it has a wonderful balance, everything is there and in place, no water is necessary in this oily dram. It develops into a ‚fruitcakey‘ direction and finishes really well, no offnotes, just plain good malt.

Score: 89+

3) Cragganmore 21 y.o. The First Editions 1989 – 2011, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, 268 btl., 55,4%

Photo: Sixtyseven-Seventy

Comment: Again, a different profile, fragile, well-balanced and Chardonnay-like – more typical of the distillery as herbs come through as well in amazing complexity (quite mediterranean and minty overall). There also is grass, malt, lemon zest, pear (with blue cheese), peach and a trace of vanilla pod. It tastes less fragile as the nose would suggest – good grip on malt, herbs and wood. Water makes it more elegant. A good pick.

Score: 89

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)

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

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

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+

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-

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

Let me mention some of the names you can’t go wrong with. You should try some small-batch-Bourbon by Jim Beam (yes!), e.g., Booker’s and Baker’s. I have also liked Wild Turkey’s Rare Breed, Old Pappy van Winkles Family Reserves (15, 20, 23 y.o.), the expensive George T. Stagg or the 18 y.o. Elijah Craig in the past. However, the two bottlings to be reviewed might even beat all of the above, I think. They are not THE best Bourbons around, but pretty rare and excellent examples. I had them head-to-head:

Willett 14 y.o. Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey, Barrel 1067 for Whiskeykeller, bottled around 2010, 57,6%

Comment: Willett might have produced (and nowadays fills) the world’s finest Bourbons. Every single bottling I had – even their Rye – was a stunner. But these sips can be quite tannic sometimes. Their small family-owned business focuses on old drams now, but their 6 y.o. single casks also rule and show many older bottlings who’s boss. The new stuff can keep up with their legends. Check out their stills and general history, it is very interesting. If you liked Olde St. Nick’s, Johnny Drum, Old Bardstown or Joshua Brooks bottlings from the old days (Willett/Evan Kulsveen), you sure will be into this one. This 14 y.o. nutty (hazelnut, coconut) and spicy (black and white pepper) bottling has a darker and less obtrusive wood note than the Kentucky Crown below but plays it close to the chest at first. Once you work at it, the whiskey reveals notes of pickles, cucumber, natural yoghurt, vanilla, whiffs of tropical fruit and hazelwood. On the palate it explodes to an enormous volume, really mouthfilling, complex and slightly adstringent. The finish becomes brighter and even nuttier in character and adds laurel and vanilla pod to the mix. Size matters!

Score: 91

Kentucky Crown 16 y.o. Straight Bourbon Whiskey, bottled around 2003, 53,5%

Comment: This ugly bottle with its plastic screw cap (see picture above, or the one Jim holds on to) has been a rare myth and one of Jim Murray’s favourites. I tasted it with friends against many other Bourbons and it always came out on top or at least among the better ones.  As it is also made by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, this is Willett as well, somehow. It is slightly darker than the 14 y.o. from above. The nose reminds me of Guatemalian rum a lot because of its immense sweetness and the vanilla/toffee combo. Gluey and spicy white oak wood transports tropical fruit, lemon and lime aromas, glaced pastries and Germknödel (vanilla-plum-dumpling) with great balance but is kept at bay despite 16 years of maturation in Dixie. On the palate, its sweet creaminess takes you in. It is less edgy than the wood would suggest at first, all the elements of the nose can be found again. Smooth but complex! The long and balanced finish is less on power than on finesse and leaves you wanting another glass. Great rummy Bourbon, folks!

Score: 92

Laphroaig 13 y.o. Single Cask Collection 30.06.1998 – 2011, 60,8%

Comment: Very typical, clean and minerally fresh. Lime juice, Italian herbs, iodine, brine, cocoa, chalk, bacon and pepper. It becomes really big and satisfying in the mouth (also acidity) and finishes just like a Laphroaig should, we even get the beloved matchstick sulphur, iodine and coal smoke after some time, looooong. Everything is there, it is powerful but needs no water. Simply a great selection by our friend Roland Hinterreiter, who hosts the Austrian Whisky & Spirits Festival in Linz on April 13th, 2012 (we have a stand there with rarities). Recommendation!

Score: 89

Laphroaig 13 y.o. Archives (whiskybase.com) 14.05.1998 – Dec. 2011, Bourbon Hogshead 700228, 54,2%

Comment: On the vegetal side, nettles, camphor, dry green tea, parsley, moss, lime, apples, hints of milk, pepper and maritime freshness. A good green daily dram.

Score: 86

Laphroaig 13 y.o. Malts of Scotland, 5.1998 – 5.2011, MoS Bourbon Hogshead 5920, 53,4%

Comment:Earthy peat, moss, rooty soil, iodine, peat smoke and tires, but also the fruity (apples) and limey aspects. it becomes more farmyardy on the palate. Nice with some mineral acidity but it could have a bit more ooommpphh. Late in the quite long finish, flints, sweet iodine, oil, tires and sulphur return for a great finale. Again a good choice by Thomas.

left bottle - and nice typo on the right (to be tasted soon)

Score: 88

Laphroaig 13 y.o. Malts of Scotland 5.1998 – 5.2011, MoS Bourbon Hogshead 5921, 52,9%

Comment: A bit closed at first, spicy and vegetal, coffee bean, brine, oil, later it becomes fresher, but it lacks the expression that the others have. This Laphroaig seems almost like watered down but is still nice. One for drinkers of smooth drams.

Score: 79

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

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

Talisker Berry Bros. & Rudd 1974 – 2001, Cask 6268, 43%

Comment: This rare baby is surprisingly powerful at 43% with a cherry-like sherry influence, gunpowder sulphur and loads of plums. Altogether a smaller version of the BBR Talisker 1972 – really good and unique with quite some spiciness.

Score: 91

Talisker 50 y.o. ‚Secret Stills 01.01‘ G&M (Gordon & Macphail), 1955 – 2005, Sherry Cask 1312, 45%

Comment: Deep dark plummy notes (jam of ripe dark fruits), peppery spice, brooding but also balanced at the same time, mainly on maraschino cherry, coal and red dark grapes. Polished mahogani and a maritime character join the complex nose right from the start. However, it keeps changing, now we have ginger bread, milk chocolate cookie, even vanilla and toffee in the foreground. This legend tastes much smoother than expected, high class without too much of a chili catch. It goes on with whiffs of humidor, coffee, matches and christmas cake. The grand finale is ultralong on great sherry and coal dust, gunpowder-sulphur and dark fruit.

Score: 92+

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

Auchentoshan 11y.o. SMWS 5.27, 1999, second-fill Bourbon Hoshead, 58,3%

Comment: Malt, lemon zest, hay, heather, licorice, vanilla, altogether not a very convincing dram.

Score: 77

Glen Moray 39 y.o. SMWS 35.55, 1971, Refill Hogshead, 50,3%

Comment: A whole lotta Bourbon wood influence, which is ok for an old whisky of this kind. All I miss is originality.

Score: 89+

Macallan 20 y.o. SMWS 24.117, 1990, first-fill Sherry Hogshead, 55,4%

Comment: This is a great Christmas Dram (yes, these notes are late ) and quite typical of a Macallan. Wonderful cigar smoke, orange peel, sweet malt, sherry, apple, raisins and cinnamon are its key elements.

Score: 89-

Scotch Grain Whisky 21 y.o. SMWS G-8.1, 1989, 51,2%

Comment: Very rum-like (which is not a bad thing) and loaded with vanilla, citrus aromas and marshmallows. I couldn’t find the exact grain distillery – soon to be revealed.

Score: 86

(Isle of) Jura 21 y.o. SMWS 31.22, 1988, second-fill Bourbon Hogshead, 56,5%

Comment: A very complex and creamy dram with beautiful spice-combo. It also offers sweet malt, ginger bread, licorice and Bourbon-Cask oak  character.

Score: 89+

Laphroaig 10 y.o. SMWS 29.101, 2000, refill-Sherry Butt, 587 btl., 52,8%

Comment: A weird Laph somehow, you have to like it extremely herbal (weeds) and dirty. Aside from the typical notes of peat, seaweed, rusty fishing-boats in the harbour and all that stuff you get sour and lemony aromas, quite some acidity, sherry and flinty sulphur in the nice finish. However, it lacks power in the middle. Not bad, but there are better ones out there.

Score: 86

Ardbeg 7 y,o, SMWS 33.101, 2003, first-fill Bourbon Cask, 245 btl., 59,6%

Comment: Typical Ardbeg, but not as interesting as other releases. A nice whisky anyway.

Score: 88+

Port Charlotte 8 y.o. SMWS 127.12, 2002, Bourbon Barrel, 160 btl., 66,3%

Comment: Funny, this one also heads towards ‚Ardbeginess‘ in some moments but it is saltier and more on camphor, rooty peat, flints and iodine. A great whisky at a young age – again. Look out for Port Charlotte.

Score: 89

Highland Park 1970 – 2010 OB ‚Orcadian Vintage‘ 48,0%

Comment: A lesson in roundness, all is perfectly integrated, a  quite creamy-sweet dram lead by brighter fruits (pear, apricot) and (dried) flowers, toffee, turkish delight, Grand Marnier, a whiff of mint and Fino Sherry. Darn good, but very expensive.

Score: 92+

Highland Park 1971 – 2011 OB ‚Orcadian Vintage‘ 46,7%

Comment: Altogether quite similar to the 1970 in profile, but this one is more on herbs and heather/honey. Again I am getting the apricot and all that candyfloss jazz to be smelled at county fairs. This 1971 has a nicer oak influence but is a bit less complex than its predecessor from 1970. Anyway, great stuff.

Score: 92+

Highland Park 25 y.o. OB, 1980 – 2005, Single Sherry Cask 7363 for Germany, 55,5%

Nose: Where to start? At espresso, nougat, the earthy spice, the army of dark fruits (morello cherries, dates, prunes), at polished oak or the maritime freshness? Mmh, let me just mention the single elements of this peacock’s tail of dark aromas. Hazelnuts, maritime freshness with a hint of peat, dry sherry, candyfloss and resin should not be forgotten therein. Wow!

Palate: Coffee bean in chocolate at first, then dark wood, tobacco and the Sherry-influence (dark dry fruit) take over, even with some sulphur of the good kind. All is dark and brooding in a full-on attack with spice. Water can (but doesn’t have to) be added, which brings out the fruit more.

Finish: Eternal! Tobacco and earthy peat meet dark wood and fruits. Like having a 100% chocolate with a fine Port.

Score: 91

Comment: This chewy and potent malt is not for beginners, really. It is like a powerful sports car that needs an experienced driver. Quite rare, that such a power house also has such high complexity. This amazing single cask HP-Sauce doesn’t fit every day, but if it does, it is a real stunner.

Donald Hart and Pit Krause

I have been a sucker for the old Hart Bros. whiskies because I can’t really remember a bad one, they were all in the categories good to great, decent at least. These guys proved that they can pick good casks with balance, a trademark quality of the Harts. Let’s just mention the 1960ies Bunnahabhain, Bowmore or Highland Park, or that crazy 1957 Bowmore. Now let’s see if the new offspring of the Hart bottling family can keep up with its predecessors and if it is alike in style.

Bunnahabhain 9 y.o. The Maltman 2001 – 2011 Sherry Butt 46%

Nose: Nice maltiness, soft smoke, maritime freshness, very mature for its age. I am getting pears, dried fruit, vanilla and Creme Brulee, toffee, marshmallows, candy floss, walnuts and flowers.

Palate: A malty and dry bite at first. Then it gets much sweeter with raisins in the lead (maybe a tad much, the whole shebang takes the direction blue cheese and noble rot grapes). The pears and dried fruits (peach slices) show up again, also licorice and coal.

Finish: More on the short side with creaminess, fruit, flowers and honey.

Score: 83

Comment: This makes a good aperitif – for me, the raisiny Sherry-touch is a bit too dominant, but the rest is fine.

Macallan 20 y.o. The Maltman 46%

Nose: Very balanced with a dry sweet maltiness. Orange zest, hints of sherry, ginger, maraschino cherries and cigar smoke complete the picture.

Palate: Now even more typical Macallan, which is good news. A balance and sweetness with a wonderful whiffs of sherry, chocolate, smoke and cherry, but nothing stands out.

Finish: Harmony as described above. It finishes with a pleasant leafiness.

Score: 87+

Comment: A very decent Macallan with textbook balance and drinkability.

Macduff 23 y.o. The Maltman 43%

Nose: Wow, this one noses like an old Laddie with amazing freshness and fruit (dextrose-like): passion fruit, peaches, pineapple, blood oranges. This is a quite perfect Bourbon Wood whisky with a mineral edge of a Mosel-Riesling and discrete vanilla.

Palate/Finish: It goes on like this, a soft and gentle giant full on fruit and wonderful oak aromas, always in balance, very multi-faceted and pleasing.

Score: 90

Comment: This is amazing nectar and a must-have-dram. It was just filled in the bottle at its peak.

Ben Nevis 45 y.o. The Maltman, Sherry Cask, 40,6% (no image yet)

Donald and Andrew Hart

Nose: Yes! Curry and assorted Asian spices meet forest lawn (pines), old butter, ferns and ginger bread. Very unusual in a wonderful way – as always with Ben Nevis, so this is rather typical. Later, hints of coconut, some fruits, white chocolate, latte macchiato, green tea and quite some herbs emerge. It is amazing how little wood influence we got after so many years. The distillate is speaking, only the far background displays a polished mahogany woodiness, which makes the dram noble somehow.

Palate: Elegant and well-balanced, unobtrusive, almost Cognac-like. Very complex without being too intellectual. The notes from above come echoing in soft but mighty waves. Some berries join this mix in front of the discrete dark old wood.

Finish: Medium length, high class. It reminds me of an evening in an old hunting hut. Nothing tastes like an old Ben Nevis, a true Single Malt of exceptional quality. Soon to hit the stores.

Score: 91

Comment: Many older Ben Nevis bottlings became too oaky. With this specimen you taste distillery character to the max even after 45 years. What it might lack in power it delivers in complexity.

Clynelish 13 y.o. The Maltman 46%

Nose: Typical again: smoke, green malt, beeswax and pollen, green apples, vanilla, peaches, moss, peat and brine. It also reminds me of the smell of a stromfront moving in from the North Sea.

Palate: I like this Clynelish for its balance and typicality (as described in nose). Very drinkable and accessible.

Finish: Quite long and pleasant, making you want to pour another glass.

Score: 88

Comment: Clynelish is a very reliable distillery in terms of quality, and this is slightly above their average. Why didn’t they bottle this at cask stength?

Caol Ila 10 y.o. The Maltman 46%

Nose: Lemon chicken! Then we find peat, juniper, olives, camphor, sulphur, dust of tires, Pu Erh tea, chalk, coal, hints of iodine and white pepper.

Palate: Much milder than expected, a Bowmore-esque Caol Ila, somewhat tamed but beautifully balanced again. More on the herbal side altogether.

Finish: The Islay roughness only slightly reoccurs with late iodine, sulphur and peat.

Score: 85

Comment: This would have profitted from a higher abv. A great starter to get into peaty whiskies but not for passionate peat heads.

Allow me a little summary. These drams fit the tradition of Hart Bros. bottlings very well. Balance and distillery character seem to be key elements in most of their bottlings. Less power, more on finesse. If you are into that, give them a try.

Tomorrow the German chapter of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society will present their new releases for Christmas time. Our friend Ralf Dänzer and I don’t want you to find any bad drams underneath the X-mas tree – that’s why he sent me some samples via the reindeer express yesterday. Blitzen looked kind of hammered, maybe it tried from the Port Charlotte .

As the most-wanted-distillery bottlings sell out quickly, I tasted them right away to give you a notion. Good luck in filling your stockings with these releases. I couldn’t find a bad one yet.

Highland Park 26 y.o. SMWS 4.151, 1984, Refill Sherry Butt, 53%

Comment: Quite spicy in the nose at first, the Sherry is talking loud and clearly,  then it smoothens out with maritime freshness and gets much rounder. Soft smoke, honey, Turkish delight, apples and cider, peaches, Werthers Original toffee, café au lait, nice dark wood and a spicy backbone of white pepper and chili. Nice but incomparable to the amazing palate. It drinks beautifully and is a dream of balance that still has power, the Sherry is well-integrated, heavy and light at the same time. Water makes it creamier and more accessible. Long finish.

Score: 90

Clynelish 25 y.o. SMWS 26.71, 1984 – 2010, Refill Sherry Butt, 57,3%

Comment: Very typical Clynelish (apples, candlewax, tropical fruit, quince, maritime air with a hint of peat smoke and all that jazz) in the nose. A fine balance with the fruit as spearhead hits the palate, also vanilla now. A soft and fruity Clynelish with a medium finish. Water is not necessary but makes it a bit more spicy and interesting.

Score: 89

Laphroaig 20 y.o. SMWS 29.97, 10.1990 – 2011, Refill Sherry Butt, 608 btl., 59,1%

Comment: Tyrolian bacon and a red Passito, that’s what I would call it. Rooty peat, camphor, herbs, juniper, Stilton cheese, sulphur, dirty machine oil, and other unusual notes for a Laphroaig. The Sherry really changed the spirit to a great extent – into a profile not everybody likes (lost identity, lots of personality). The palate also is Sherry- and sulphur-dominated, gunpowder, roots, camphor, blue cheese again, not bad but different. It reminds me a bit of the 1974 Singatory Sherry bottling, but without the old Laphroaig characterstics. Really hard to judge…some will love this, some might call it flawed. I would have liked more Laphroaig in my glass but enjoyed the dram anyway.

Score 90+

Ardbeg 12 y.o. SMWS 33.97, 09.10.1997, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, 55,5%

Comment: Recent Ardbegs from the Society were convincing and this is not an exception. It is a textbook example of an Ardbeg of that particular time, a really well-balanced one again. More old than new style in the nose but on the palate you discover, among typical Ardbeg characteristics, the newer notes of eucalypt, methol and cactus that came into the distillate after 1996 in general. Green Ardbeg so to speak – with a great finish.

Score: 90+

Caol Ila 10y.o. SMWS 53.147, 11.1999, Refill Bourbon Hogshead, 66,6%

Comment: Very intense and herbal, big Islay power, flints, but it needs some drops of water to be tamed. No offnotes, simply great Caol Ila with depth. I recommend this for anyone who loves young South Coasters that do their job well.

Score: 91-

Port Charlotte 7 y.o. SMWS 127.11, 8.2003 – 2011, Refill Sherry Butt, 67,1%

Comment: Smells a bit like one of those PCs out of a Sherry Bloodtub, broodingly intense on rooty peat, camphor, herbs, tar, ox tail soup and Sherry. Blue cheese, dried flowers, moss, toffee, pepper and coffee complete the bouquet. You might not believe this, but it is drinkable at 67,1% without needing water. Anyway, it can swim too. The power on the mid-palate and the endless finish are ridiculous. Another stunner PC – how excellent will these monsters be with more maturity?

Score: 91+

Today I am clearing my whisky cabinet from those bottles that are almost history – you know, those bottles with 2-8 cl left in them but that still never seem to get empty although they are quite good. Of course I could refill them in samples … but I really have enough samples to wait, too. So, let’s kill them off, two old and two new ones. No huge tasting notes this time, just comments:

Glenberry 5 y.o., Straight Malt Scotch Whisky ‚de luxe‘, pear-shaped bottle, Premier Scotch Whisky Co., Italian Import by S.E.I.B.A. for Supermercati Pam-Spinea-Venezia, 75cl, 40 Gradi

Comment: Complex! Big wonderful OBF (Old Bottle Flavour), well-balanced between peachy fruit, dusty malt sweetness and peppery spice plus vanilla, toffee and whiffs of smoke from the oak. Later almonds, white chocolate, licorice, sawdust, orange zests and tangerines chime in. How can it be so complex with only five years of age? Good ole‘ times… . It even doesn’t fade away in the finish like other old blends and has traces that remind me of old Macallan and Tomatin 5 y.o. from the 1970ies. This Glenberry, bottled for a supermarket and priced below 10 Euros back then, can keep up with any standard Single Malt of today.

Score: 90-

Balblair 5 y.o. OB Pure Malt, Italian Import by Spirit S.p.A. Genova, 75cl, 40%

Comment: I have seen this in auctions for a very reasonable price and went for it – and never looked back. Well-made whisky that contributed to the world-renowned Ballantine’s blends. It is very flowery and light, again no offnote, but less impressive than the Glenberry. Hay, malt, honey, licorice, ginger, pepper, Marshmallows, apples, peaches and a little white oak can be found. A light ‚quaffer‘ that does no harm.

Score: 84

Glendullan 14 y.o. Murray McDavid for Malts and More, 5.5.1993 – 23.08.2007, Bourbon / Rioja Cask, 493 btl., 46%

Comment: It is rare that we get rather young Glendullan from the Speyside. Our friend Thomas Mansen from Malts and More recommended this one to me and it was enjoyed by most people who have tried it at our stands at fairs. Jim McEwan selected it for Thomas who made it an exclusive Malts and More bottling. Of course, this is modern whisky now, finished in a wine cask – a totally different ball game from what I had before in this tasting session. This is much more on primary notes. The wine is right there with the malt, herbs, blood orange and assorted (Asian) spices leaving a rather dry impression altogether. The nose is not overly complex at first, but after a while it becomes alive with melon, tangerine skin, berries and vanilla pod. On the palate I am getting grapes, raisins and sweet malt with whiffs of spice and smoke, really pleasant as a combo and quite sweet in the finish. Juicy! At 45 Euro, this is not a bad choice. If you mention ‚www.slowdrink.de‘ at your purchase, Thomas might give you a discount on it.

Score: 87

Bunnahabhain 13 y.o. ‚the Octave‘ by Duncan Taylor, 1997 – 2010, Cask No. 383244, 73 btl., 51,2%

Comment: These peated Bunnahabhains from 1997 were always nice, but a bit simple. Now, as they gain greater age, they convince more and more people and show Bunnahabhain’s diversity. This one is a textbook example for that. And it is another bottle from Thomas Mansen. This Bunna with atttitude has rooty peat like a Port Charlotte but counters it with a bigger body to balance the phenolic load more evenly. Ashes and powerful spiciness meet maraschino cherries, lime, latte macchiato, leather, herbs, tar, diesel, kola nut, salt, chalk and traces of Nocino (green walnut liqueur). The palate reveals the three months in a small Sherry cask because of sweet wood-rancio-sulphur-mix that often comes with drams from such Octaves – unusual and more Bunnahabhain now, but you have to like sweet Islay Malts with gunpowder. This is a real alternative to the South Coast whiskies and screams for its use in blind tastings. Priced around 55 Euro. Same deal as with the Glendullan from above: mention us to Thomas for a discount.

Score: 88+

Sauternes-Weine können ewig reifen und bieten in jedem Alter ein gelungenes und interessantes Trinkerlebnis. Der Jahrgang 2001 gilt als einer der Besten aller Zeiten. Ich konnte bisher so einige Sauternes aus diesem Jahr verkosten und war nie enttäuscht. Vor allem der Suduiraut 2001 hat es in sich (für mich 99/100), doch auch Rieussec rockte in diesem Jahr. Der Primus von Chateau d’Yquem und der Chateau Climens reifen noch ungeöffnet im Keller.

Großartiger Sauternes aus dem Topjahr 2001

Heute möchte ich den gelungenen Chateau Guiraud vorstellen, der ein überzeugendes Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis besitzt und ein toller Start für Neulinge on die Sauternes-Welt wäre – oder eben für den Genießer mit mittlerem Budget in Sachen Dessertwein.

Chateau Guiraud 2001, 1er Cru Sauternes, 13,5%

Kommentar: Ein sehr gelungener Sauternes mit nur geringen Schwächen – Die Eichennoten sind ein wenig zu dominant (was mit größerer Reife weniger auffallen wird) und er könnte am Gaumen noch fülliger auftreten. Doch das ist Jammern auf hohem Niveau. Herrliche Aromen von tropischen Früchten, insbesondere Ananas und Pfirsich, dazu Vanille, edelfaule Trauben, Geißblatt, Karamell, Butter und Mandeln. Dieser Wein hat seine beste Zeit noch vor sich. Ideal zu Creme Brulee.

Bewertung: 94+ (2009)

Ansicht auf Chateau Guiraud im Sauternes-Gebiet

Weitere Bewertungen lauteten:

Bettane & Desseauve Carnet N° 28 (16.02.2004) : 8/10

Gault Millau N° Guide 2004 : 96-100

Parker N° 153 (01.06.2004) : 94 Trinkreife : 2007-2025

A medium gold color is accompanied by notes of caramelized oranges, citrus, honeysuckle, creme brulee, and smoke. Full-bodied and opulent, with tremendous intensity, good acidity, and a persistent finish that lasts nearly a minute, this large-scaled, thick, heady Guiraud is one of the finest examples from this estate that I have ever tasted. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025.

Wine Spectator (16.09.2004) : 96

Bilden Sie sich jedoch selbst ein Urteil über diesen Wein. Sie werden es nicht bereuen.

Let’s have Bowmore Single Malt today, two youngsters, head-to-head. The distillery has regained a good standing among the real Islay fans because the whiskies after 1990 (with 1993 being outstanding but also atypical) have turned more consistent and peaty while having lost the lavender/chlorine offnote some people hated. I have to state that I never had problems with that kind of Bowmore profile, even in the 1980ies – and I have always cherished their distillates over time because of the roundness in character and complexity while being absolutely unique. You surely can tell a Bowmore from other distilleries‘ drams. It is great to see that they managed to regain their ‚terroir‘ after 1994 by also keeping the new steamtrain power notes. Sweet completeness.

Bowmore’s Scientific Secret

A Very Interesting Chart

However, what they know about distilling can’t be translated to the fields of science, I guess. Take a close look at this graph, or what they call the Bowmore version of the Beaufort Scale (nice marketing though) printed on the box of the ‚Tempest‘: There is an x-axis for complexity and a y-axis for, well, smokiness AND storm levels (on the right). So smoke equals storm, or what? Or what do the two x-determiners mean. I am lost. Shouldn’t the product of both axes deliver the final result? Drop me a mail if you can explain Bowmore math to me – or the responsible marketing guy’s logic .

Who cares anyway, let’s get down to what matters most: the whisky inside the bottles:

Bowmore 10 y.o. OB ‚Tempest‘, bottled 2010, Small Batch Release No. 2, First-Fill Bourbon Casks, 56%

Nose: The first-fill Bourbon Casks make this fruitier and slightly oakier than the Ambassador’s Cask – it is very round and the peat, smoke and spice (white pepper, Chipotle) stand only in the background – but add to the mix. I find vanilla, toffee, Orange Pekoe tea, goarse, lemons, apricots, apples, green bananas and lots of orange marmelade as well. It becomes spicier with time but overall, it remains on the gentle side of peated Islay drams. Late tobacco joins the unusual mix.

Palate: Now we have much more Bowmore typicality, different from what the nose had suggested. I love this profile, it reminds me of the old Mariner, but with more fruit and orange liqueur covered by chocolate (hence sweeter) – without losing the Island traits. It is so round that water would be an insult to it.

Finish: The fruit is equal in weight to softened Islay notes and the Bowmore character. Medium length, definitely shorter than the Ambassador’s Cask. Very easy to drink so that a second dram is desired.

Score: 88

Comment: Clean and fruity style, but still true Bowmore. It is well-priced and a recommendable bottling for those who like the softer elements of Bowmore. Only the name doesn’t fit. I’d call it Bowmore ‚Tropical Depression‘ .

Islay Single Malt Scotch (Bowmore) 13 y.o. for the German Malt Ambassadors 1996 – 2009, Bourbon Cask, 180 btl., 58,8%

(identical to Bowmore 13 y.o. James MacArthur’s ‚Old Masters‘ 1996 – 2009, 58,8%)

Nose: Less fruity but more spice, a lot of spice (black and white pepper, chili, salt, even juniper like in a Caol Ila) and Islay (maritime freshness, seaspray, peat, smoke, dirty harbour) in here. Intriguing: There is bell pepper (which I love). This should be called Tempest. It clearly shows Bowmore characteristics (more than the Tempest) like ferns, leafs, lilacs, forest floor and ozony chlorine after a while. The only fruit components I can detect are lemon zests and apples. This one sings Iggy Pop’s greatest hit.

Palate: Brine, salt, spice combo, peat, tar, herbs (stinging nettle) and harbour aromas, even old tires and ropes hanging in oily seawater. No water again, but hotter on the palate than the Tempest.

Finish: Long, complex and spicy, slightly flinty later with traces of iodine, a bit like a peppered and salted steak on a steamtrain – and an apple as dessert. This is a true South Coast Islay.

Score: 89

Comment: A very nice bottling, which was relabeled from a James MacArthur release only for the German Malt Ambassadors. If you like your Bowmore spicy and more phenolic, this is your choice. More tempesty than the Tempest. I like!

Photo: L. Langer (link) - Thanks! His shop is worth a visit!

It was a hard day, so I need a bit of a treat. Mmmmh, let’s go for Islay power, an Ardbeg. But a special one: How about a bottling from the good old days, complex, but bottled at young age…the choices get narrower – maybe even at cask strength … and sherried … extremely hard to find. As I go through my samples I suddenly hold this nice specimen in my hand:

Ardbeg 13 y.o. Gordon & Macphail for Intertrade, 26 June 1975 – 13 July 1988, 543 btl., 75cl, 54,2%

This might save my day. I remember it as very powerful and pleasantly sulphury – in its very own style. As I am pouring the reddish-ambered liquid there is an astonishing viscosity visible. The aroma quicky fills the room, wow, the peaty cavalry comes through. Let’s see if it turns out well (the day and the Ardbeg) …

Nose: Close to perfection, I could smell this forever. Islay freshness at first. The elegance of Sherry traces (dark fruits, dark European oak) meets the raw peat-iodine-sulphur-combo (gunpowder-cavalry again), but all that in great complexity and depth, not only on primary in-your-face notes. Whatever you look for in an Islay Whisky is there! And more: fine tobacco, high-end chocolate, pepper and spice and roasted coffee as well, but nothing is disjointed or bitter – all aromas blow into the same horn, so to speak. OBF (Old bottle flavour)  rounds off this killer.

Palate: Oh my God. It is as good as I feared it to be. Full on, but also elegant and round – this malt builds a bridge between these opposites. Maybe it is the ‚in-between-age‘. All is there again with a slightly dry entry. Flints, peat, sulphur, iodine, gunpowder, Sherry, dark fruit, spicy chocolate, tires, malt, Culatello ham and fine wood build a tower on the mid-palate. No water!

Finish: Let’s play ’spot the weakness‘. It might not have the longest and most sustaining of all finishes, but it still is quite long and really impressive. It is a simplified copy of the nose that comes in waves like at the Southern coast of its natural mother. Jolly good.

Score: 94-

Comment: Great great Ardbeg, and I love the medium-age effect in this one. It has made my day! Thank God it was a 4cl-sample: 2 cl left for me to savour without taking stupid notes .

World's Greatest Whisky, Mr. Murray?

Before we will talk about the World’s Greatest Whisky made at Old Pulteney 21 years ago – according to whisky-writer Jim Murray in the new Whisky Bible – soon (with tasting notes) we stay modest and humble today and try a blend for a change … which comes from the same owner’s company:

„Blended Whisky is Crap“

A Great Blend

This quote from the Hollywood movie Malice might be shared by some Gung Ho Single Malt Hardheads. These guys shouldn’t forget that soaring Blended Whisky Sales in the past brought us many cherished distilleries in the first place and kept the exotic product Single Malt alive inhard times – although blending demands were also responsible for the closing of distilleries later on.

In terms of taste, there are great blends and vats out there, no question about it. I think of Cutty Sark 25, the old Campbeltown Loch 25 (dumpy bottle), the Compass Box series and many others – not necessarily very old. Young vintage blends from the past can be a special treat and kick some Single Malt’s butt easily because they show surprising maturity at an early age and maybe some OBF (old bottle flavour). But can modern blends do the trick as well? Some can – we are just not willing to try them!

Today’s article wants to give you such an example of a well-done blend that wouldn’t negatively stand out within a decent line-up of Single Malts.

Hankey Bannister 12 y.o. ‚Regency‘, 40%

Recently, I could revisit Inver House’s moderately priced blend Hankey Bannister 12 y.o. – a name with a long history. Honestly, I didn’t expect much from it – but it really surprised me and tickled my fancy:

Nose: Very well-balanced with some heat at first – dried flowers, heather and hay, powerful spice combo (white pepper, ginger, coriander), licorice, raisins, apricots, grapefruits and sweet malt.

Palate: Round and very drinkable, slightly dry, becoming sweeter with notes of botrytis-infested grapes, raisins, almonds and the sweet malt again, accompanied by a mix of the mentioned aromas of the nose.

Finish: Long and satisfying without any off-note, a real ‚quaffer‘!

Score: 87+

Comment: Try it for yourself, it is affordable. Try blends in general from time to time. With this bottle I would invite some friends (not necessarily Maltsters) and just savour it during a nice poker night or a football match. Perfect.

Stuart Nickerson and Peter Krause

At the end of our wonderful visit at Glenglassaugh Distillery, Managing Director Stuart Nickerson held a nice and very generous tasting session. Among many drams (e.g. New Make, a young Californian Zinfandel Cask and an incredibly mature Bourbon Cask from 2009), about which I am going write soon in an article about the visit, he let me try the new 45 y.o. and two real stunner cask samples that will be released soon. They have just been filled into bottles some days ago. My intention is to inform you in time so that you can get your wallets ready and make an ‚early-bird-order‘ not to miss them, because they absolutely are Must-Have-Drams.

What a View!

These whiskies really left me speechless – again the case with old Glenglassaugh. Like old Bowmore, Lochside, BenRiach or Longmorn, they display a complexity, cristalline fruit and smooth texture which is only to be found in legendary bottlings from the past.

Old Cask in the Warehouse

Despite their age no woodiness occurs in these masterpieces that are surprisingly light on their feet. Here are some quick notes I could take:

Glenglassaugh 1975 – 2011, 36 y.o. (Over 30 years old-Series) Sauternes Cask Finish, Cask No. R10/02/01, 43,00%, 280 Bottles

Comment: A very unique style that is owed to 18 months in Sauternes wood after the regular maturation in a Sherry Cask. Reminiscences of the 1964 Bowmore Fino Sherry come to mind – overripe fruits led by pineapple and passion fruit meet Creme Brulee. The traces of fine Sauternes noble rot grapes enhance this ‚uber-fruitiness‘ even more. It gets you addicted with every sip you take. Wow!

Score: 93+

Glenglassaugh 1972 Sherry Cask No. 2900 (to be bottled in 2012, maybe by Andrea Caminneci, Germany)

Comment: This is a sister cask of Andrea Caminneci’s 2010 bottling, which is promising for a start. After pouring it needs time to develop – it is tightly-knit – but after some minutes it becomes quite expressive and shows the profile described in the

Glenglassaugh Still(wo)men

introduction. Lead aromas are plum, cherry, exotic fruit, marzipan and almonds. It is hard to say if it is better or worse in comparison to the Sauternes-finished 1975, we are in a really high league here. I call it almost a tie, but the unusual style of the 1975 settles the fight.

Score: 93

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

Comment: This already released beauty might have a much higher price than the predecessors will cost but keeps the promises and fully delivers pure drinking joy. It is not fully on a par with the 40/41 y.o. release from the year(s) before, but it comes really close (a statement agreed to by Stuart Nickerson) and in a similar style (see my notes of the 40/41 y.o. here on www.slowdrink.de or use fellow Malt Maniac Serge’s recent descriptions on both on www.whiskyfun.com). Simply put, it is old style Sherry-casked whisky at its finest. Name an aroma and you will find it in this amazing dram.

Glenglassaugh 30 and 45 y.o. Decanters

I will post more detailed notes about it – and about Andrea Caminneci’s new bottling – right here when my sample from The Whisky Show will be delivered to my house by my friend Michael (along with White Bowmore, Auchentoshan 1957, Springbank 1968, Isle of Skye 50 y.o. and other monsters). How could we all have ignored these old Glenglassaugh Malts in the past? A crying shame.

Score: 94

New Legends in the Making - Glenglassaugh's Spirit Safe (the only one with beach view in Scotland)

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

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

Bewertung: 77

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

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

Bewertung: 90

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

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

Bewertung: 88

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

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

Bewertung: 89

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

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

Bewertung: 90

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

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

Bewertung: 90

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

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

Bewertung: 89

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

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

Bewertung: 91

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

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

Bewertung: 87

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

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

Bewertung: 92

Runners-Up #2:

Caperdonich 1972 ‚the Octave‘ (Duncan Taylor) for Malts and More, 38 y.o., 1972 – 2011, Cask 414293, 71 btl., 52,5% (finished 3 months in Sherry Octave)

Recently, Caperdonich whiskies, especially from 1972, found a well-deserved spot in the hearts of connoisseurs. Our friend Thomas Mansen imported this one and it is no exception to the rule. It is awesome. I usually don’t fancy the idea behind the Octave bottlings, but here it worked again.

An amazing fruit basket (apples, pineapples, figs, green grapes, peaches, cherries, Riesling-grapes) that is kept from being kitsch by perfectly balanced spices and an amazing freshness. The sherry is already well-integrated and not dominating, it adds darker fruits to the utterly complex mix. Butterscotch, vanilla, almonds, cinnamon, pepper and white oak can also be found. The palate screams „input overload!“ This juice doesn’t need water but can „swim well“.

At a price below 140 Euro, this is a must-have. Maybe Thomas from Malts and More will take 5% off from the bottle price if you mention that you read about this one on www.slowdrink.de.

Score: 92

Port Ellen 1981 Old Malt Cask (Douglas Laing), 18 y.o., 12.1981 – 11.2000, Sherry Cask, 444 btl., 50%

Many people say that Port Ellen malts should be drunk at a young age when they still have untamed power, oil and dirt. This is quite true, but we could recently see that PE ages really well without losing too much of its character – maybe even more so than other Islay drams. So here is the good news: We can drink Port Ellen at any age. As people get older version more often, I decided to put a younger bottling in the line-up.

The Sherry is there but not in a lead role. This role is taken by coastal Islay notes. We have sweet malt, peat, sulphur, blue cheese, an oily port rope, iodine, chalk and dark fruits. Modern Islay whiskies rarely can only hold a candle to this profile. Despite a brooding power underneath, this is so easy to drink and in great balance. Simply a great and slightly untypical PE for fans of complex peated whisky with secondary and tertiary notes.

Score: 92

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Runners-up #3:

Benriach 1976 Signatory, 29 y.o., 22.12.1976 – 16.01.2006, Cask 9441, 401 btl., 54,6%

Many 1976 Benriach have been great, but I would not go as far as to say that this is the best vintage. I love BenRiach and try to taste everything I can get from them as they are so versatile and mostly high class.

This bottling has the typical notes (freshness by acidity, tangerines, oranges, apricots, apples, yes, grapefruits as well, vanilla, a hint of berries like cassis) and Chardonnay-grapes, kiwi and passion fruit. There are more expressive 1976ers out there, but this is more than decent. It is a bit fragile – which it has in common with many old Laddies. So place this one early in your tasting (we had it too late and after a hearty meal). Under the right circumstances it really unfolds.

Score: 91

Springbank (Longrow) 1992 Berry Bros. & Rudd, 1992 – 2009, Cask 71, 46%

Marketed as Springbank, this clearly is peaty Longrow at its finest. Really typical (medicinical, mineral, smoky and herbal, slightly farmyardy, cedar resin, pine, lemon zest, stinging nettle, hints of fruits and leather) and high class, also very complex yet aggressive. I would have loved to try this at cask strength. Nice iodine notes accompany the long finish.

There is a follow-up bottling that has been released this year that is said to be as good. The older young Longrows around the early 1990ies are really promising. Seems like Longrow is back on track – and it makes a great contribution to the peat genre!

Score: 91

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Runner-Up #4:

Bowmore 1987 Blackadder Raw Cask, 21 y.o., 1987 – 2009, Bourbon Hogshead 2783, 257 btl., 48,7%

Bowmore of that vintage really splits the tasters: Some people simply dislike the profile of that time (lavender, chlorine, ferny forest floor), others find it really interesting. This phenomenon happened with this bottling as well and the scores were all over the place. I must admit that I am on the side of Bowmore-fans, whatever the age. For me, this was a nice dram.

Score: 88+

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As you can see, this line-up was on a very high level throughout. That’s how we like it Come join us next time!

Clynelish 1997, 14 y.o., Bourbon Cask 5711, 57,9%

Nose: Nougat, apple, candle wax, honey, hazelnut, peach and pine resin, discrete peat

Palate: sweet arrival at first, a mirror of the nose plus a bit of chili; great mix between fruit, spice and wood

Finish: very long, more peat shows but never takes over;

Score: 90

Comment: This was most people’s favourite among the four drams reviewed. That’s why we took it on the steam train Again a high class Clynelish that could be said to be an allrounder, just like Highland Park ... and a bang for your buck.

Miltonduff 1998 – 2011, 13 y.o., Cask 3619, 59,9%

Nose: somehow chemical at first, darker , berries and a slight Sherry influence, latte macchiato coffee, overrripe apples;

Palate: amazingly fat and sweet fruit, wonderful complexity;

Finish: led by overripe fruit, this develops into a autumny pleasure of all sorts;

Score: 90

Comment: This Miltonduff isn’t for everyone, but the more experienced drammers got a real kick out of it. It needs time! I regard it as very good because it has personality.

If you look for the maximum value for your buck, C & S Drams should be one of your choices. Our friend Andrea Caminneci (now Keeper of the Quaich) and his partners don’t like to do the  chicken dance, create fancy labels and work on coffin bottle outfits, they rather bottle quality whisky for a fair price to trade and consumer. This might be the very reason why every series is sold out within hours at this importer. Consequently, Andrea also doesn’t send out samples, his stuff speaks for itself. Find out more here:

http://www.wein-and-spirit-partner.de/was/modules/smartpartner/partner.php?id=11

However, on our trip to Scotland, I had the privilege to try four new Single Malts that will hit the market in a week or two. And hush, I could also sample some bottlings to come…keep an eye out for those too, esp. the Mortlach). Here are my first two reviews, the others will follow:

Bladnoch 21 y.o., C & S Dram Senior, 26.1.1990, Bourbon Cask 30009, 59,7%

Nose: Typical Lowland style (lemons, grass, vanilla, some tropical fruit like passion fruit), seemingly younger at first, heather, haystack, dried flower bouquet, honey, liquorice, white pepper and a slightly bitter touch of white oak.

Palate: This needs water; it even stood up to the Laphroaig, so this Lowlander is no wimp at all; great creaminess;

Andrea with his finest Drams

Finish: Long and soothing.

Score: 88

Comment: A typical Lowlander with the power of an Islay Malt, maybe therefore not ideal as a starting dram.

Laphroaig 1998 – 2011, 13 y.o., C & S Dram, Sherry Butt, 64,4%

Nose: This one screams BREAKFAST BACON! Alongside we have typical Laphroaig and sulphury notes, the sherry is present but doesn’t produce the blue cheese aroma like other bottlings of that kind.

Palate: Full on, seaweed and algae, very maritime, peat and iodine in a lovely combo, accompanied by subtle sherry waves. Did I mention bacon?

Finish: Lovely, brutal, eternal and complex – the sulphur of children’s guns (red stripe) appears and fits the sherry, peat and iodine mix in their sea-laden context.

Score: 91

Comment: Many Laphroaigs of that time are a bit identical to each other (but always high quality). This one really stands out from the crowd with its power and character. Never did I have such an English breakfast on peat before. Not even the Regensburger Lagavulin is close to this in terms of bacon. A must-have!

As I love to sip a fine cognac from time to time, I would like to tell you about this discovery: the Pitaud Cognac range. These bottles (basic range: V.S., V.S.O.P., X.O., Extra, but there are three others: Borderies, Petite Champagne and the oldest one, the Albert Pitaud) mostly outrank their famous rivals within the same price category, and from younger makes I only remember the cask-strength BACHE Gabrielsen Pure & Rustic (~ 30 y.o.)  that can compete. Many connoisseurs claim, the EXTRA would rule the price category below 1000 Euro at a price of about 300 Euro. I wanted to check this out.

The founder Albert Pitaud (1882 – 1968) was called to serve in WWI. in 1914. Before he went he made made sure that his dear Cognacs were safe and sound: he filled them into oak casks and dug them in the ground. And until today, some Cognac still matures in these casks that were put into the family vaults after the war. Actually, even today every Pitaud Cognac contains parts of the 1914 Eaux-de-Vies! So 1914 wasn’t only bad after all… . The producers explain that their success stems from a rigorous selection of grape types and grapes and the use of smaller stills, which helps the character of the „bonne chauffée“ at the second distillation.

Tasting the Range

I am going to taste the V.S. (at least 4  y.o., Limousin Oak), the V.S.O.P. (at least 6 y.o.), the XO (average age of 22 years recently, now raised to 35 y., much longer than other X.O. Cognacs) and the sought-after Extra (50 y.o. Cognacs as an average, many parts were distilled by Albert Pitaud himself prior to 1968, multi-award-winner), which is actually said to be better than the oldest Pitaud Cognac called ‚Albert Pitaud‘ (1914, Petite Champagne, unblended). To have a reference, I also reviewed a renowned benchmark Cognac, the Remy Martin XO Excellence. This was still done in German, but soon, all reviews will be in English only.

Pitaud Cognac V.S. 40%

Angenehm rund, viel Kraft, Zigarrenkiste, Orangenzesten, Petrolnoten (altes Autan Mückenspray), Datteln, Kirschen,Rosinen, rote Trauben, Vanille, Mentholrauch, Piniennadeln, Edelholz, grüne Bananenschale, Blüten und Rumanklänge.

Score: 87

Pitaud Cognac V.S.O.P. 40%

Tiefer und dunkler, ja geheimnisvoller als sein jüngerer Bruder, insgesamt auch balancierter: Maraschinokirschen, Edelholz, Waldboden, Vanille, Zigarrenschachtel, Orangenzesten, Rosinen, grüne Bananenschale, Honig, Petrolnote, Demerara-Zucker, Zimthauch und Lebkuchen.

Score: 89

Pitaud XO 40%

Das Konzentrat des VSOP, Aromen hier wesentlich dichter verschmolzen, schöne Reife; auch hier die Petrolnote, jedoch dezenter, Waldbeeren und Waldhonig, Kirschen, Datteln, dunkles Edelholz, Piniennadeln, Orangenzesten, dunkle trockene Erde, Mentholrauch, Vanille, Demerara-Zucker; Persipanspur; Im Geschmack mit dichter Viskosität kommt noch eine feine Nuance Trüffelpraline mit dunkler Schokolade hinzu.

Score: 90+

Pitaud Extra 40% (limited to 300 bottles per year, mostly 1955, 1956 and 1957 distillation), version before 2011

Ein wenig  anders als die jüngeren Pitauds, wie ein feiner alter Speyside-Whisky, keine Offnotes, kristallin-dextroseartige Fruchtpalette mit viel Honig, Capuccino-Keksen, Passionsfrucht, Pfirsich, Cassis, Orangenzeste, Trauben, Rosinen, Vanille, Nüssen, Rancio, dezentes Holz und Süßholz, Toffeekaramell, Marzipan, edle Gewürze; Komplexer geht es kaum! Alte Bowmore und Lochside Whiskys lassen im Geschmack grüßen bei kristalliner Dextrosefrucht, natürlichem Karamell, Beeren, Trauben und Cassis ohne Ende, dazu eine edle zurückhaltende Balance. Wow! Und außerdem auch noch endlos im Abgang. Der kann es mit den besten Whiskys und R(h)ums aufnehmen!

Score: 94 (!!!) for the version before 2011, after: 92+;

Remy Martin XO Excellence

Heller in Farbe und Charakter als die Pitauds, eher Zitronenzesten, weniger Holzeinfluss, was ihn weniger reif wirken lässt; Pfirsich, Petrolnoten, Piniennadeln, Rhum Agricole-Hauch, Zimt, Asche, Toffee, Vanille, eher gefällig denn komplex, aber doch gut; Grapefruitsaft leitet den Geschmack über in den traubenbetonten Abgang.

Score: 87-

In my tasting session the Pitauds really convinced me. Especially the XO and the Extra proved that Cognac isn’t dead. If you want to know more about this brand and their products, please click the following picture of Cognac vinyards – it might change your perspective on the ‚unsexy‘ French spirit.