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I have waited for this like a little child. The Supernova releases thrilled me, so what will this 170ppm phenol monster bring to the glass? Educated whisky drinkers know that the ppm content of the barley is not necessarily the defining number for tasting peatiness in the make – which Octomore shows occasionally. The phenols should be measured in the whisky instead because loads of reactions and proceedings strip away peatiness along the production process and during maturation (I can explain more in tastings if you are interested). So watch out, some parts of this peat race are a gimmick.

However, the 1970s Ardbegs had huge smoke. One should measure and compare e.g. a 1972 with the Hypernova to see numbers. I am so curious. Let’s hope it is good:

Comment: Yes, Ardbeg nose, pale colour, around 8 – 10 years, I guess… but way more farmyardy, also a bigger concentration on tar, camphor, burning green herbs and coal, less of the sweet BBQ-style at first. Composting pile in front of a mine? With time it becomes more typical, all is there, aromas like peat, soot, iodine, milk coffee, caramel (Dulce de Leche), tires, ointment, chalk, burnt oak, white pepper, weapon oil, old brown bandaids and plaster, but somehow different in array. The smoke is big, yet not as monstrous as I expected it. It renders the effects described though.

On the palate and in the finish, this becomes a real winner! Peated mocca! Sweeter now than it was to expect from the nose, a smoky chocolate bar with salt sprinkles meets sooty iodine. So Ardbeg, peatier, huge … yesss. The finish is deep and eternal. Powerhouse, but not hurtful or sharp at all – it has the thin silhouette in the middle that classic Ardbeg possesses. Maybe some time in the bottle makes this even better, I already love this project.

Is this worth the 210 clams? You decide. I bought some and look forward to cracking it open.

Score: 90+

Within the LVMH organization Dr. Bill has already implemented such dark malt at the Glenmorangie Signet version- unpeated though – and one can really taste the difference in terms of chocolate and coffee aromas there. How does this roasting work on peated malt?

As usual, there are two versions to look out for: The Committee Release with 50,1% (April 26th) and the Ardbeg Day Edition with 46% (May 17th), both priced 125.- Euro in Germany. I am going to drink these head to head now:

Comment: Let’s cut to the chase – this clearly is Ardbeg with its typical features, great quality as most of the times. Only nuances differentiate these dark roast versions from the regular distillate, the effect seems less in a peated environment, I guess. The strong phenolic elements might interfere with the experimental roast malt because usually the difference is recognizable.

As to be expected, the 46%-version comes across way more opened on the nose, on the palate, the 50,1%-release takes the trophy though. Give the latter lots of time.

The 46% has an impeccable balance and gives us more of the roast effects. The focus is on BBQ-sauce, coffee, chocolate, roasted steak, soot and vanilla. I am also getting thistle and aloe, deep peat, iodine, sweet smoke, suede, charcoal, tar, resin, mustard seed, oatmeal cookies and antiseptic spray on old bandaids.

The stronger version is greener over all and plays it close to the chest. Peat, hazel, aloe, herbs, chocolate, tar, tanned leather, resin, tires, hot transformer and phenols are the main characteristics, it takes time to open up. However, in the mouth the strength in abv is an asset, and it turns less green. The soot, lively acidity and iodine along with typical Ardbeg tastes make this a winner as well.

Both versions punk well. Hard to decide – let’s call it a tie.

Scores: 89 – 90 (both)

Just like us, they want to share their passion for fine grape juice, esp. Armagnac, with the world and with whisky connoisseurs in particular. They sampled, traveled and learned that only few products match their expectations. So they wanted to change that and import themselves. They aim for unaltered and undiluted single casks of high quality, a road less traveled but so rewarding. The boys don’t limit themselves to Armagnacs only as their third release is a Saint Lucia Rum.

Let’s try their first releases:

Armagnac Domaine Le Frêche 13 y,o, GotA #1, 2007, 57%

Comment: This was found in the cellars of L’Encantada and stood out for quality, the cask only rendered 150 bottles at cask strength. I am stunned how mature it is after ‚only‘ 13 years. An amazing nose, dense, juicy, powerful yet balanced and with quite some rancio already. There are marzipan, assorted glazed nuts, leather, vanilla, dandelion, marigold, pepper and fruit (plums, raspberries, morello cherries, red- and blackcurrant, berry tea), Indian joss sticks and incense. Deep, dude! In the mouth it starts drier than expected and a bit demerara-esque. Licorice, mahogani and furniture polish, concentrated grape juice with dark fruitiness, chocolate raisins and spices. The heaviness carries on into a wonderful finish that leaves you craving another glass. A worthy first pick!

Score: 90

Armagnac Domaine Séailles 20 y.o., GotA #2, 2000, 54%

Comment: The second release has a nice unearthing story, let me quote: „Today we introduce you to Domaine de Séailles from Ténarèze – a small, artisanal wine & Armagnac producer founded by the Labérenne family and now passionately run by the super sympathetic winemaker Julien. By a stroke of luck, we followed a road sign as we passed through and ended up at a rustic and lovely estate. There we were allowed to explore the entire atmospheric warehouse (with chandeliers!) and were just blown away by the variety of styles!“ Again, cask strength, no additives, a single cask, 195 bottles of joy.

And yep, they picked another winner. This is sporting brighter fruits and oaky elements like caramel, vanilla, Asian spice, pepper, cedar – white oak? It is even more complex than its predecessor. I find glazed pastries, marzipan, nuts, rancio, flowers, tea, fruits (lemons, plums, chriies and berries) and this succulent red grape juiciness. It tastes excellent, even better than the nose, less wood now, more fruit juice and rancio, a complex balance with echoes of the nose. Elegant finish, very quaffable too. Super!

Score: 90+

Rum Saint Lucia Distillers 15 y.o., Chairman’s Reserve for GotA & Rum X, 2005, 61,5%

Comment: A real authentic rum that aged in a Bourbon cask in tropical climate only- wow. The make consists of 50% John Dore and 50% Vendôme. And what a funky fella‘ this is, holy cow. Not for beginners, sweet teeth or faint-hearted, more for us suckers of ‚da dirt‘ Imagine a small plastic producer’s backyard near a forest on which all kind of junk is stored: old paint, tar, diesel, rubber, dried-up glue stick (Pritt), bruised blood oranges, bananas and limes and the production hall smells on the side – weird but nice. The forest freshness and earthy tones I am getting now are joined by hints of vanilla, salt, leather, ground pepper, spices (cinnamon, cardamom), minty gum, licorice and black olive tapenade. On the palate it arrives oily and dirty as expected. Sour battery acid meets sweet minty lemon drop (Gletschereis candy), olives, rubber and pine cones. It is becoming sweeter with fruit, almonds and spice, huge complexity, rewarding finish. Don’t get me wrong, it is an unusual and funky one, but very interesting and of high quality. But you should be into such rums.

Score: 87+

Good luck, boys, and thank you for letting me sample – carry on!

Consequently, this new Ardbeg is of great learning effect. It represents a taste stemming from much longer fermentation due to a broken boiler in November 2007: three weeks instead of 72 hours, the longest in Ardbeg history! I don’t know if the yeast stopped working for a while during the cooldown. The Ardbeg team, led by Dr. Bill Lumsden, opened the washbacks to allow Islay air penetrate more intensively. An experiment was born. Dr. Bill always wanted to find out the effects of longer fermentation and the boiler accident presented itself as the chance to see. Fitting the long fermentation, a longer maturation time was granted (13 years). Ardbeg fans, be excited for this one.

Comment: This is a typical spirit-driven Ardbeg of the good kind, to start out with. The nose is a stunner, very balanced and old-school Ardbeg, sweet peaty joy. I am getting a smouldering forest fire here, loads of pine and beech smoke, soot, resin, tar, sweet BBQ-sauce, sulphur and big iodine (which I love in such drams). Of course, tires, leather, coffee roast, milk chocolate, chalk, aloe, menthol, lemon drop and herbs are there too. Also some food analogies: A burnt steak with black pepper and chili rub comes to my mind somehow. Despite the discrete wood (I guess mostly refill) there is vanilla creme with toffee sauce for dessert, some orange and apple slices on the side. All this is so enticingly sweet, harmonious and well-integrated. I expected way more funk, but this is a fine and pronounced smokiness with deep iodine and phenols.

On the palate, this has the slim and drinkable profile that is so typical of Ardbeg. Mild start on spritely, minty and acidic tones, then it builds itself up towards spice and burning embers. Round again, quaffability is king.

It finishes on depth! Iodine! Peat, tanned leather, old wood, salt, soot and chalk – and this great sweetness again.

Altogether I think the longer fermentation resulted in a profile from older days of Ardbeg in parts. Iodine, a spice-laden maltiness and round integration of all aromas are to mention. I am getting a bottle and drink it with an old friend!

Score: 90

Join the Ardbeg Committee to get your bottle (in Germany, this is 8th February 2022)!

Cognac Jean-Luc Pasquet ‚Organic‘ 2006-2021, Cask 27, Grande Champagne, Kirsch Import, 50,1%

Comment: This is as ’single‘ as it gets! From their own hand-picked organic grapes, this eau de vie was self-distilled on gas, and filled into single casks. I kid you not, it starts out like a Calvados. So many apple aromas (pie, green apple, compote, tart tatin) and vanilla jump out of the glass, then big banana, pears, raisins and butter join in. Sandal wood and oak are also playing a major part. Fresh linen, lime-infused cake glaze and white chocolate complete this unusual but harmonious nose – fresh!

On the palate it arrives sweeter than expected, mainly on baked apples, butter and oriental spice. Round and sound – winey acidity, grapes and yes, Calvados, show up. Very alive!

It finishes on medium-length with spice from exotic woods, fruit (apple, banana, grapes) and vanilla pod. A wild and unusual ride with a fresh experience in the field of Cognac! One to learn a lot from …

Score: 87-88

Cognac Vallein Tercinier ‚Small Batch‘ 41-43 – 2021, Kirsch Import, Bons Bois, 78 btl., 48,2%

Comment: A rare Single Estate and cask strength Cognac gem from WWII. which is now sold by a German importer – how times have changed for the better! That alone is heart-warming. It has spend its life in cask until 2006, then in Dame Jeannes (glass balloons). Let’s nose: ooops, who put the Bowmore 1968 in here? Almost kitsch in terms of fruitiness (passion fruit, guava, papaya, pink grapefruit, apple, lychee, plum, raisins, cherry) and berry aromas (all kinds, cassis etc.), uber-fruity, joined by minerality and the discreetest old wood – almost purely spirit-driven! It also plays fir twigs, moss, humidor, rancio, vanilla, lilacs, violets and so much more – in perfect balance like a finely tuned stereo!

It builds itself up on the palate, from mild to strong, from floral, acidic and wood-spice elements to huge exotic fruits, berries and a nutty rancio aspect with sweets! An amazing development in my mouth! I recommend big sips here – don’t miss this!

The finish should be illegal! All is reunited like on a huge water colour painting in which every now and then another highlight shines out. A piece of art, and not tired at all! Amazing pick with history – get it!

Score: 92

Cognac Bache Gabrielsen American Oak (Double Maturation) VSOP/4 y.o. for Kirsch, Single Cask, Fins Bois, 64,1%

Comment: This is a crazy one, very unusual. The producer with Norwegian roots is known for going modern and special ways in Cognac maturation. We loved the blue XO at cask strength from 15 years ago. This new release for Germany has spent its life in French and Tennessee oak and the Ugni Blanc grapes came from the Fins Bois region. Not your classic stats. But boy, taste this powerhouse. Heavy Hervé-style :).

With this one you can fool most people at a tasting – mix it among the whiskies and nobody complains. The mature nose is clearly showing American oak characteristics like vanilla, pineapple, banana, peaches and coconut. The grapes and raisins play second fiddle. Also there is some marzipan and white oak. Basically like a Pina Colada from the Charente! It tastes and swims well, no off-notes at all, vanilla-cream-style, and: more cognac shines through now. Honey, flowers, espresso, creme brulee, hints of tropical fruits. The sheer power is fun and the balance is surprising. Of course, it is no complexity monster after four years of maturation, but it tastes darn good! Not for cognac purists, but great for whisky fans and people who love to transgress borders. Simply a good drink. Stay curious! The long finish leaves you puzzled by what you just had. Cool and fun choice!

Score: 87

Finest Jamaican Rum, over 25 years old, Duckhammers / Wu Dram Clan, 164 btl., 50,1% 

Comment: I love the label. And estery rums. So let’s dive into the parrot’s feathers: Often older Jamaicans lose their funk, but here it is well-preserved yet more balanced and mature – a great nose! It starts out with old brown bandaids soaked in iodine, olive tapenade, almonds, ripe banana, star fruit, hot mulch, glue and bitumen – all with a sweet overtone, enticing! Gletschereis drops (a classic German sweet for refreshment from way back, lemony-minty in taste) meet caramelized burnt sugar, licorice, veggie stew, burnt raisins, roots, fence coating colour can, malaga ice cream (rum-raisins), Yuzu and Sicilian lemon.

It tastes likewise and so goooood – noble funk! Milder than one would expect (great alcohol integration), all on high class, lending itself perfectly for the early session of estery rums – or for an introduction into this category on highest quality. Long finish! I NEED MORE.  On the side, this probably is the most guyanese Jamaican I had, which is not a bad thing – both worlds meet here. Wow. Me want parrot now!

Score: 90+

Ledaig 25 y.o. Wu Dram Clan / Duckhammers / The Whisky Kingdom / Kyoto FWS 1995 – 2021, Hogshead 143, 50,6%

Comment: Education first: The peated Tobermory has risen to stellar quality in the vintages 1972/73, when they shared the malted barley with Brora, Talisker and such, as rumors go. Try and you know what I mean. After these years, Ledaig somewhat changed into a lesser peaty, leathery dram with somewhat volatile distillates, not often bottled. Only after 2005, the heavy peat returned with partly great results and higher outturns in the indie market.

This specimen is a perfect example of an outlier of the good kind. I am glad the Wu-sters dug up this one. After a great younger Kraken which I loved, they follow up with the second octopus.

The nose clearly is in the in the sour-fruity and spicy camp, autumnal somehow (fallen leaves), very nice and off the beaten track. At first I am getting tangerine, raspberry, kiwi, kumquat, grapefruit, peach, lemon drops, ginger, malt, yeast, leather, willow wood (aspirin, anyone) and glazed nut pastries. Inriguing mix. There also is sheep wool in a woollen mill, wet earth and discrete peat, hay, ginger bread, hazelnut, vanilla, incense, licorice, egg salad, brine and pepper. Compexity! It keeps getting fruitier by the time.

On the palate it is powerful and laden with spices, sour fruits and leather. Old wood meets shoe shine on fine leather brogues, willow branch, peach and licorice again. Water is not hurting it, try as you please.

It finishes long while becoming sweeter, the spices remain, nuttiness also joins the crescendo. The perfect dram for this time of year on a walk through the forest. Beware of tree krakens!

Score: 90

Ardbeg 20 y.o. OB 24.05.2001 – 10.06.2021 Wu DRAM Clan’s Private Reserve, Refill Bourbon Barrel 348, 155 btl., 46,6%

Comment: Let’s start by NOT arguing about its price. It is a personal decision to splurge on great booze, which this undoubtly is, and such are prices of Single Cask releases by Ardbeg or DIAGEO these days. No one has to buy, so leave it there. I think it takes big hairy balls to bring such babies to the market. So kudos – why not! We don’t judge price , only quality matters.

Many people were so keen on trying this. I am glad to be in the position now, I gave it two sessions. Not the shabbiest of moments :).

A typical Ardbeg right from the start, the refill Bourbon barrel allows the oily spirit to shine. Weapon oil (Ballistol), tires, burning pine cone, iodine, peat, leather, ointment, tarry rope with kelp, lemonized oyster, chalk, minerality, coal, aloe, menthol and mezcal, dirty harbour smells, cannon smoke – the whole spiel of a great Ardbeg in sweet background, aaahhh.

It tastes even better than it noses as it takes the direction of old-style Ardbeg now on leather, soot, flinty smoke and pine resin – no off-note here, just classic mature South coast Islay goodness with the typical slim and sweet profile in the middle, which every Ardbeg should have (sorry 8).

The amazing finish swells with iodine, soot, peat, flint, chalk, hints of espresso and burnt tires. A very good mellow cask that takes us back into the 1970s for moments!

Score: 92

Today on September 7th, the new manager Colin Gordon and Dr. Bill Lumsden send a third release into the ring, sourced from American oak and ex-Oloroso casks. On the label it actually reads ‚Bottled: In a lockdown‘. It took a while as it was stuck in the UK for months due to Covid-related shipping issues, but now the wait is finally over. Let’s go into the infight:

ARDBEG TRAIGH BHAN 19 y.o. Batch 3, 46,2%

Comment: A group of pot-smoking cowboys on sweaty horses rubbed with ointment underneath their old leather saddles ride into a coffee roastery while firing their guns in the air. After that, they clean their silver pistols with Ballistol oil, have some hot chocolate, milk coffee, others sip on Pu Erh tea, sherry or even lime juice, one replaces his iodine-soaked bandaid, another one writes ‚Islay Renegades were here‘ with chalk on the blackboard of offerings, one removes the nettles, thistles and resin from his socks and boots, as they all rode in from a nearby peat bog Sorry, but it noses like that. It is a wonderful and typical Ardbeg on the sweet and leathery side with discrete Oloroso influence. I am also getting nuts, completely nuts, and white pepper. Older style indeed, complex and balanced.

On the palate the fired weapons rule over all the other aromas, really cool – I love this profile. However, it is a bit too thin and low in alcohol to fully keep the amazing promises of the nose – for me. Some might exactly like this subtlety. Big sips help. This is suitable for being served in the middle of a tasting session to start the peatsters. Then it shines.

It finishes sweet, sooty and kelpy with loads of iodine. It grows on you and goes the long way if you let it. Now the cowboys have a BBQ on the beach after a storm. Join them and get a bottle of this noble Islay dram. The George Foreman of Ardbeg whiskies, or was that Axel Schulz?

Score: 89+

P.S.: Here is the official tasting note in German:

Ben Nevis 24 y.o. Wu Dram Clan / Duckhammers / The Whisky Kingdom 1996 – 2021, Bourbon Hogshead 1408, 290 btl., 45,6%

Comment: Aaaahh, a spirit-driven, waxy fruit bomb that develops. Gooseberry, white peach Bellini, grapefruit, passionfruit, kiwi, baby banana, yellow plum, pineapple, caramellized blood orange, redcurrant, wild strawberries and meet vanilla, gorse, New World Sauvignon Blanc, whipped cream, coconut, macadamia, fresh linen, latex (yes!), white pepper, ginger powder and discrete oak.

On the palate it delivers in balanced and gentle yet growing manner. The 45,6% are fine, just fill your mouth. Sour fruit compote, salty brine, exotic fruit, chocolate, kurkuma, ex-Bourbon oak, toffee, all very well-integrated. It is getting bolder by the minute and finishes big and fruity.

Drink this in bigger sips for full pleasure – rather early in a tasting session. I love its subtle details of excellence like in a fine watercolor painting. A tropical treat from the Highlands, Wooooorrrd!

Score: 91

Cognac Grosperrin No. 71 Heritage 1971 – 2021 – for Flickenschild – Petite Champagne, 52,3%

Comment: This was chosen as a Malternative at full proof – a Cognac for whisky drinkers that Guilhem Grosperrin inherited somehow (it was originally sold for two NGOs) and took care of it. Now it was bottled exclusively for Flickenschild / whizita.de. The story is on the bottle to read up on. Let’s taste it:

The oak is playing a role after 50 years, but it is well in check – malt heads will enjoy this (vanilla, pepper). Floral elements (lilac, lavender, violets, roses, mint, lemon verbena, flowerpot) meet glazed lemon cake (Amerikaner), white chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beeswax, tobacco… more and more aromas emerge, it needs time to unfold. Then nutty rancio joins in and many (dried) fruits like apricots, lemons, limes, orange skin, wild strawberries, mirabelles, lychees and gooseberries. Complex and balanced, the alcohol is well-integrated.

On the palate sweet and sour elements battle like in a familiar westernized Chinese duck recipe. All in all, it is darker now. Raisins, figs, dried apricots, nuts, lemony tastes and waxy maturity make their presence felt.

The finish takes you on a journey through all the stages from before, very exciting and long.

Score: 89

Jean-Luc Pasquet Cognac Lot 68 – 72 Kirsch Import Limited Edition, 1968…1972 – 2021, Fins Bois, 59,1%

Comment: This multi-vintage assemblage (1968 – 1972) from the Fins Bois was Sebastian’s first pick in his role as grape ambassador for Kirsch Import. And these crus really combine into a super power. A dream of a Cognac, which wasn’t to be expected from its sheer stats – such stuff usually vanishes in the blends of big houses. With this example you can discover how great this alternative way can be, I am so glad it was bottled this way – read why:

Enticingly sweet, nutty and leathery start, a tightly-knit and balanced potpourri of darker elegance. A fist inside a velvet glove. Juicy, balsamic complexity, quite some rancio, soaked spice cake, cherries, dates, maracuja, kiwi, cristallized orange, marzipan, macadamia, nutty pastry (Nusshörnchen), chocolate, vanilla, juniper berries, tobacco, humidor. Crazy!

It tastes as good as it noses, more berries like cassis chime in into the complex mix, even black truffles can be found. And it swims well, try water too, just amazing. This is truly a legendary cognac.

The crescendo leaves you crying for more of this awesome grape juice. Amazing pick! With each tasting session you love it more as it has a drinkability despite its power. Don’t buy, leave more for me !

Score: 92

As a pre-release, the somewhat stronger Committee Edition has been released now (115 Euro). The 46%- version will follow from May 25th on for the same price at embassies, online and in shops. Go get Colin Gordon’s inaugural release.

This scorchy Ardbeg was matured in heavily charred white oak casks (ex-Bourbon). Knowing former expressions, this is a winning formula for me. It just works magic on the peaty spirit, adding a sooty and sweet environment that elevates iodine, tar and BBQ-notes. Let’s see:

Comment: Yes, winner. The charred casks rendered an old-style cokey Ardbeg that takes you right into a rainy pit lane on a racing track: tarry tires, diesel, wet gravel (chalk and flint stones), oil, driver’s leather gloves and what not. We also smell hospital notes like old bandages, antiseptic spray, big iodine, cough pastilles and camphor. Nuuuurrse, please! The third world I get teleported to is a BBQ at the beach with grilled lobsters and herbs, a fish smoker (Arbroath Smokie), olive spread, coal fire, sweet smoke, soot, peat and embers, BBQ-sauce, honey-mustard dip and cocoa nibs for dessert with fine tea. Somehow the Scorch keeps all these together in good integration and harmony. Additionally, there are fired pistols, black liquorice, saddle leather, burnt cake, pepper and chili-flakes, resin, plums, vanilla and oak. Big and bold. On the palate is also appears bigger than usual Ardbegs, more spice, green elements lead in and get burnt away by the big black smoke of heavenly sooty sweetness, aaah. Iodine, peat, all crazy stuff from the nose reverberates here. A powerful, sweet, smoky and harmonic finish ensues this pleasure sip for chimney sweepers. Complexity and joy. Well done, little dragon!

Score: 89+

Having been a brandy buff and collector for many years, the situation is exciting for me and our club. Slowdrink has always been focused on being open for various drink categories. We have released Brandy many years ago, I met with great producers to learn, educated people in tastings and at fairs about it and I blend products and judge ‚grape juice‘ in competitions. So finally our enthusiasm is catching on. Therefore, I forgive the lack of experience and knowledge of some newbies in this huge and difficult field for the love of many new Cognac and Brandy lovers who come from the whisky world and expect equally high standards of quality and transparency. This helps Brandy too … and it helps whisky people develop finer sensoric skills because Cognac and its brothers are way harder to differenciate.

The grape distillers did many things long before whisky producers did, and many Scotch and Irish techniques originate in France and Spain as Cognac was the main noble spirit of the world back then and for so many years – phylloxera helped other fine spirits become visible but Cognac stayed king way into the 1980s. Nowadays it lost some track in Europe, but this is about to change – if the Charente learned from mistakes and can adapt. I also see a rise in quality in Grappa, another very exciting drink distilled from pomace.

Cadenhead, LMDW, SMWS, Maltbarn, WhiskySponge and others have started to release single cask Cognac and Armagnac recently, some great, others atypical. Woody and fruity brandies like those of Vallein Tercinier become sought after because they can offer what only very expensive old Malt Whiskies render in terms of matured esters (e.g. Bowmore fruit and berries) despite not being typical. The departing from burdening tradition has negative sides to it but I like the general development to a large extent and wish that a broader variety of producers and crus will follow soon. We will also release something again in the future. Stay tuned!

Come to a tasting and learn more, e.g. rancio, boise, prune juice faking, wine choice and crus, oak differences etc. – Brandy is awesome and historical.

Our friends at Wu Dram Clan joined the crowd recently and have released a very old VT from a single cask from the renowned cru of Grand Champagne. I feel confident to test-drive this baby now:

Comment: What makes older VT great is the immense complexity. We have it here too. A mix of spicy (cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, pepper from wood, oriental spices), fruity (crystallized fruits like apricots, plums, figs, sour cherries, apple rings and berries), floral (violets, lilac, elderflower, marigold, daisies), bitter (lemon and orange peel, Italian apero bitters) and sweet elements (white donut, sugar-coated pineapple, marzipan, marshmallow) in fine harmony boggles the mind. What a spirit, so vivid yet mature! Little to no rancio. It is slightly on the woody (hey, it is 53 years old!) and floral side on the palate at first, then the big wave of aromas follows suit. It lands so softly and mildly, more berries and cassis notes emerge. As a single cask, it has atypical and exciting moments. In comparison, the VT Hors d’Age is darker, rounder and sports quite some rancio, this version is spicier, drier and more complex, a wilder ride all in all. Hold on tight, it is a world-class Cognac that will blow you off the rocker if you like it wild and challenging!

Score: 90+

Verkostung: 4,7% weniger Alkohol also die Committee-Version, gleiches Vatting? Schwer zu sagen. Ich bin gespannt. Auf jeden Fall ist der Pinot Noir-Einfluss deutlicher als beim Committee, Kirschen und Erdbeeren, alles gut eingebunden, schnell verfliegend, dann alte trockene Holzplanke, Senfkorn, Leder, viel Rauch, Jodsüße, heißer Spielzeugeisenbahntrafo, antiseptische Pflaster, Teer, Kohle, Ruß, Tannenzapfenfeuer, mineralische Elemente (Kalk, Kreide, Muscheln), Salz, Schokolade und Kaffee, sogar Bittermandel und Vanille. Am Gaumen gewinnt er gegen die Vorversion, hier ist das Weinfassthema wirklich gut eingebunden, die Ardbeg-typische Süße bleibt erhalten und zieht sich durch bis in den mittellangen Abgang. Süffig, filigran, alle Elemente angehaucht. Der Cloudy Bay-Spätburgunder (Neuseeland) hält sich eher zurück, gibt aber positive Einflüsse und zähmt den Ardbeg bzw. sortiert ihn. Eine Schoko-Kirsch-Torte, die versehentlich auf dem Räucherofen stand. Kein Brecher, ein eleganter Altrocker in Tweet, im Ledersessel sitzend – spannend. Selten, dass die „dünnere“ Variante den Sieg holt. Ein gelungener Ardbeg, gefährlich trinkig und sicher kein schwarzes Schaf!

Bewertung: 88

Comment: Release the Kraaaaken! Cool label, thanks to Boris for providing me with a sample. I am a sucker for Ledaig anyway. Let’s taste: Very clear and focused, no nonsense peated Mull malt: immediately a bath of island peat, nice sweetness too, like digging herbs from wet earth. Aaah, historic shoe wax on polished Italian calf leather Oxfords, green apples and tea, pineapple, Lardo ham, stewed plums, tar and quite some chalky minerality (Loire wine). It evokes several images in my head like grey wood planks on an old windswept shed, freshly shorn sheep wool (no joke!), sea shells and Galician octopus cooking in a creamy Rias Baixas white wine reduction with herbs – high class! This is a very elegant version (compared to sister casks I had). It also shows great balance with enough power and a well-dosed oak influence that renders a seductive sweetness to the leather-peat-Island Combo. Long and complex finish that echoes the mentioned aromas and turns nicely flinty. Super choice, boys, I hadn’t expected this great quality from the stats on paper. One of the finest younger Ledaigs out there! Recommended.

Score: 90

This sample arrived late due to postal issues with Covid-19. I was so happy when it made it. Great to see an addition to Ardbeg’s core range, especially as this ‚Little Beast‘ has an age statement. The five years don’t worry me, peated whiskies are way more drinkable in younger years than normal ones. Of course, you lose some complexity but gain sheer power on the other end. However, a higher abv would be even more to my liking… but this has to fit newer palates in the market as well, so this is ok. And, forgive me, it really looks cool. The contents were taken from Bourbon and Oloroso casks, refill, I would reckon. Let’s have a dram:

Comment: Powerful and typical, extremely smoky (like thick clouds packed into a hole in the earth – quite mezcal-esque) and direct hit. No mash aroma, this is good antiseptic and peaty Ardbeg. Altogether it has a greener profile (herbs, green tea, pear, apple, Aloe, pickles) and spices are key (pepper, leather, jalapeno). It also sports chocolate, chalk, flinty sulphur, lemon dash, prosciutto ham, cold brew coffee and vanilla, even shortbread and a hint of cherry brandy. However, my beloved iodine is tuned on low. Not low on complexity, but wilder an greener than usual. On the palate you can detect the rounding-off effect of the sherry casks (well done), the Ardbeggian sweetness is there – and big smoke. Still balanced, not overpowering, not weak, just about right. Vanilla, and „welcome“, iodine, green elements, fired guns, leather and discrete old wood. Nice long finish. No monster, a good Islay Mezcal Proven: For this whisky, no weird finishes are necessary. Absolutely recommended for its price below 40 bucks.

Score: 88

Kommentar: Toller erster Eindruck, noch eindeutiger als das Standard-Destillat, reif wirkend. Hier ist Jod, starke süße Rußigkeit, Torf und Kaffee stehen sofort im Raum, Fischräucherofen, Wildleder, Tabak, Moos, Kampfer-Sauna-Aufguss, Trafobrand, H0-Schienenöl, Kreide, Vanille und Schokolade, dafür kaum die Aloe-Note und Eukalyptus (ich nehme dies anders wahr als die offizielle Verkostungsnotiz). Genau meine Baustelle, keine Schärfen und doch so komplex und würzig. Im Mund wird er tatsächlich mentholischer, dann zündet das Islay-Feuerwerk, das in perfekter Balance zur Süße steht. Erdloch-Lagerfeuer-Kaminkehrer. Aaahh. Kein reines Powerhouse, eher rund und süßlich-rauchig, wie eine gepimpte Barbecue-Sauce. Der Abgang bringt schöne Rauch-Schwefelwolken zum Torfruß, Arbroath Smokie-Planke, abgefeuerte Kanone, Harz und Jod. Man will sofort nachschenken.

Score: 90

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

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

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

Bewertung: 90

Wir bringen unseren Klassiker nach München. Zu bestem Preis-Leistungsverhältnis erlebt ihr hier ein Traum-Whiskyseminar, das sowohl Neulinge als auch Kenner voll befriedigt. Viel Wissenswertes rund um das Thema Whisky, verschiedene Fassreifungen, Regionen, Altersstufen und Stile, Tipps und Rohstoffe sind in ca. acht ‚Drams‘ zu erleben. Alles im Edutainment-Stil (Spaß, Kult und Wissen), locker moderiert von zwei slowdrink-Experten, die tiefste Passion für das ‚water of life‘ haben. Mit Herz eben. Die Whiskys sind auch nichts von der Stange, wir legen Wert auf das Besondere – sie stammen aus dem Keller von Whiskyguru Pit Krause (Raritäten, Geheimtipps, Top Daily Drams usw.), der das Lineup zusammenstellt (69,90 Euro Unkosten inkl. Snack und zwei Cocktails)

Anmeldung: info@slowdrink.de

Pit Krause beim BR

Nose: Very round, holding back at first – not a loud and aggressive one, finesse is the key. It reminds me of long-gone expressions, which is a good thing: no green notes or aloe vera. Absolutely well-matured, but not in your face. Classic Ardbeg. The sherry had a nice polishing effect without causing a loss the spirit-driven character too much (not a modern make-up). Aside from the softened peat-sulphur-iodine combo I am getting campfire, chocolate cake and coffee immediately, then suede and leather shoes, mustard seed, pepper, chili, Nicaragua tobacco leaf, dates and sultanas, lime zest and the typical aromas associated with Ardbeg. The heat of peppery notes renders a nice counterpart to the sweetness without standing out too much.

Palate: Velvety and smoother than your average Kildalton dram. Softly it coats your mouth for a while, then a peppery bite, brine near the sea, cocoa, really stylish. But you need to take big sips to fully grasp the experience. Lovers of powerful drams might be disappointed a bit, but if you are into harmony without any offnote, this is your choice. I dig this style. Having worked with several Ardbegs in sherry casks myself, I found the effect the very same: raw power turns into mature sweet complexity in the mouth but Islay is still enough there. It is not a weakling. The drinkability is off the chart, but a lower abv might hurt it. We’ll see at what strength the regular version will be bottled.

Finish: Darn good, really seductive, leaving you wishing for more. Flints, soot, sweet peat (does that exist?), iodine, embers, growing bigger by the minute. Kudos, a nice addition to the core range. Chimney sweeper’s delight!

Score: 90

Overall, one can say that the quality has risen and became more consistent. Moreover, there are some definitive highlights in the series which I recommend (and partly bought for myself). Our friend Lorenz Schreier, the man behind the project, can be proud of his new ‚babies‘ which sell really reasonably (check their website).

Let’s start with the Bourbon-cask bomb Glen Keith 21 y.o from 1992 (Barrel 120610, 49,5%) – a typical vanilla-laden, creme brulee whisky that also renders oily fruitiness, butter, marzipan and caramel, mouthfilling and big. Great whisky in every way: 90 points.

My second favourite is the 17 y.o. Miltonduff from 1995 (Cask 2802, 58,1%) – a fruity and elegant Speysider on plums, peardrops and flowers with impeccable balance. It drinks like an ‚Apfelstrudel‘ and remains classy all the way. A real steal at 65 Euro. 89 points.

Two more really good ones need to be mentioned: The 18 y.o. Braeval from 1994 (55,3%) is smooth as a velvet glove and a great mature allrounder (yellow plums, raspberries, apples, leather and herbs. 89 points. On par with this one I find the sherry cask version of a 17 y.o. Glentauchers from 1996 (57,2%) – being a bit rum-like from the sherry elements, it is complex and nutty (almonds) with dark and bright fruits, vanilla, resin, discrete wood and so much more,  all well balanced (no water necessary). 89 points. All these are great drams well below 100.- Euro.

The other bottlings scored like this (find notes on the Tasting Fellows page):

– Glenburgie 21 y.o. (1992): 87 points

– Mortlach 17 y.o. (1996): 87 points

– both Fettercairn 15 y.o. (1997): 86 points

– Macduff 15 y.o. (1997): 82 points

To sum it up, there wasn’t a bad one in the bunch and many are really convincing. Great picks in difficult times: Kudos Lorenz.

My Tasting Fellows Bottlings

Geniale Erlebnisse aus den Gebieten Whisky, Rum und Cognac, teils aus vergangenen Zeiten warten auf Euch. Unser Gastgeber Markus Ziegler wird wieder ein würdiges und wunderschönes Ambiente schaffen. Hier die Details, und dann schnell anmelden, die Plätze sind limitiert:

Summer Jamboree – really special Whiskies, R(h)ums and Cognacs

Zeit / Ort: Mittwoch, 28. Mai um 19:30 Uhr bei Ziegler – Feine Kost (Regensburg)

Kosten: 65.- Euro

1) Cognac Otard X.O. 40% aus den 1970ern (bis zu 50-jährige Cognacs, beeindruckend, erzielt Höchstpreise)

2) Brugal 1888 Ron Gran Reserva Familiar – Edicion Limitada 2013, 40% (exklusive Jahrgangsabfüllung des tradit. Hauses aus der Domenikanischen Republik, 14 jahre in Weißeiche gereift, Spitzenklasse im kubanischen Stil)

3) Auchentoshan 11 y.o. Hepburn’s Choice 2001 – 2012, Single Cask Lowland Scotch Whisky, 46% (sehr weiche und cremige Einzelfassabfüllung aus den Lowlands, dreifach gebrannt, wie Creme Brulee und Obst)

4) Glen Grant 25 y.o. Gordon & Macphail, distilled in early 1960ies, Sherry Cask Single Speyside Malt (Scotland), 75cl, 40% (sehr alteund gereifte Rarität, die die Qualität alter Whiskys vor Augen führt und einen schwärmen lässt)

5) Tomatin 34 y.o. Whisky-Doris 1976 – 2011, Single Cask (Sherry Hogshead No. 9), 139 btl., 49,5% (Vielleicht das Highlight, diese gesuchte Abfüllung aus den besten Jahren der Speyside-Brennerei in Monsterqualität rechtfertigt Ihren Preis jenseits der 300.- Euro durch Kraft, Cassis-Beeren-Aromatik und Weichheit bei endlosem Abgang – zu Recht ein Kultwhisky, den es nur 139 Mal gab!)

6) Ron Cubata ‚Ocho‘ 8 y.o., Uruguay, 40% (Neuheit und für uns DER Budget-Rum aus frischen Bourbon-Fässern – wird Euch begeistern und die Konkurrenz schocken)

7) Ron Centenario Fundacion 20 Anos – Seleccion Premium, Sistema Solera, Costa Rica, 40% (der beste Rum im Anden-Stil seiner Preisklasse, Kaffee, Rosinen, Karamell, Schokolade, Tabak und feine Würze umschmeicheln den Gaumen bei optimaler Reife – ganz großes Rum-Kino)

8) Bowmore 17 y.o. A.D. Rattray for Germany 1991 – 2009, Islay Single Sherry Cask Whisky (Cask 2059), 340 btl., 58,1% (Die Whiskys von Bowmore aus diesen Jahren sind außergewöhnlich und sehr gefragt; diese Abfüllung heißt bei Afficionados ‚Die Dampflok‘ und begeistert durch Ihre Islay-Intesität, Torf, Sherry und Komplexität)

9) Caol Ila 29 y.o. Signatory Vintage 1982 – 2012, Single Cask 6484, 263 btl., 56,3% (Caol Ila werden im hohen Alter extrem vielseitig und mineralisch, sie erinnern ein wenig an Port Ellen aus ähnlichen Jahren, jedoch weniger malzig, dafür mehr Olivenöl, Seeluft, Wacholder und Torfrauch)

10) Smith & Cross ‚Traditional Jamaica Rum (Pure Pot Still – Plummer & Wedderburn – Navy Strength), 57% (Zum Abschluss ein High Ester Rum aus Jamaica, so etwas habt Ihr wahrscheinlich noch nicht getrunken, 300 Aromen, sauber, tropisch und auch dreckig im Wechsel, kreisen im Mund – echt krankes Zeug vom Feinsten)

Tamdhu 25 y.o. Whisky-Fässle 1988 – 2013, Bourbon Hogshead, 50,7%

„Kirschschnapps with cereals“ I’d call it. This dram reveals a nice cherry aroma on a solid malty core, also dried flowers, hay straws, scorched earth, gentian, ginger, chili, lemon zest and peach liqueur. There is a good balance between the Bourbon wood and the fruit. Enjoyable! 88 points.

Auchroisk 22 y.o. Whisky-Fässle 1990 – 2013, Sherry Cask, 49,8%

„A bright version of a Christmas Cake“ is my reference here. Ruben said he didn’t get this dram completely. Let’s try it for ourselves: There is a well-integrated sweetness of sherry-related aromas just like in a soaked chocolate cake (with Port and Sherry) plus the dried fruits like raisins, dates, figs, cherries etc. I like the blood orange and cinnamon in the second row. It tastes not too dry for a sherry-matured dram with earthy and peaty undertones (discrete though) and wonderful Asian spices in the finish. Good stuff for under the tree! 89 points.

Glen Keith 20 y.o. Whisky-Fässle 1992 – 2013, Bourbon Barrel, 51,8%

Can this one follow its 90-point predecessor from 2012 (Duck series)? Yes it can, it is a fat and oily woodworm on vanilla, coconut and loads of Bourbon character (Willett?). Baileys Irish Whiskey Creme and creme brulee, almonds, macadamia, pineapple, peaches and other tropical fruits chime in. But you have to like oak. The fruit oils and coconut taste plus so much more are amazing on the palate. As mentioned before, I love how Glen Keith translates the Bourbon character into the Scotch realm, they must have had great casks back then which fitted the dram perfectly. 90 points.

Bunnahabhain 22 y.o. Whisky-Fässle 1990 – 2013, Sherry Cask, 52,0%

„Aldi chocolate-gingerbread hearts with cherry-filling“ – another one for under the tree. It starts off on leather, sherry and raisins. The sherry aromas are big, a touch too much for my personal taste as it bulldozes the salty and maritime distillery character a bit. Maraschino cherry, cardamom, white pepper, dates and figs stand in second row, but this dram is not overly complex altogether, a bit plump. Not bad though. 86 points.

Clynelish 16 y.o. Whisky-Fässle 1996 – 2013, Sherry Cask, 53,3%

A leafy and leathery (tannic) Clynelish with medium-strength sherry influence, not very typical at first, but then getting more ’normal‘ on beeswax, Atlantic depression and apples. I am also getting sea air, soy sauce, peaches, pears, spices, caramel and gentle smoke in fine balance. 88+ points.

Bowmore 18 y.o. Whisky-Fässle 1995 – 2013, Sherry Cask, 54,9%

„Beachfront BBQ with high class seafood at the Mediterranean sea“ – these words characterize the dram best. This amazing Bowmore displays aromas of grilled crayfish (langostin), lobster butter, oysters, green herbs, freshly cut cactus, cabbage (cole slaw) by the sea, pine needles, leather, cedar wood, peat smoke, childrens steam train, struck matches, English gunpowder tea and quite some soot. The sherry notes are maybe not too integrated but ride on top beautifully (morello cherry) and match the profile that is rounded off by smells of a walk in the woods close to the sea. What a great dram with impeccable balance and adventurous spirit! This could the best cask out of the series. 91+ points.

Littlemill 21 y.o. The First Editions 1991, 47,7%

This is a great Lowland malt right from the start, mostly on vanilla, American oak (with quite some Bourbon traces) and thyme. I also find other mediterranean herbs, soft smoke, green tea, nettles bark, big marshmallow sweetness (almost like a liqueur in moments), lemon zest, caramel and almonds (Amaretto, especially on the palate). It is powerful in the mouth and less woody than the nose would suggest. Water helps this but adds bitter notes. 88 points.

Bladnoch 21 y.o. The First Editions 1990, 58,3%

Don’t rush this one. It is a very green (herbal) and lemony altogether. I am getting a sharp grassiness on loads of alcohol, some nettles, blue cheese (indeed also the aromas of a fondue with cheese and beef), vanilla and lemon, lemon balm, verbena, orange zest and caramellized orange skins, grapefruit, cardamom and soft smoke. Water releases more orange power and improves the sharpness. 86+ points.

Miltonduff 17 y.o. The First Editions 1995, 59,4%

Andrew Laing and his First Edition Releases

My title on this one would be ‚Apricot Heaven‘. Miltonduff always offers interesting drams that can deliver, and this one is no exception. It starts off very fruity (infusion, tea-like in general) and intense (great concentration). The big aroma is apricot (liqueur, fruit, canned fruit, schnapps, etc.) accompanied by peaches lemon zest, white pepper and vanilla. No water is necessary (but can broaden the mouthfeel) and the sweet Miltonduff maltiness coats the tongue along with wonderful fruit oiliness. Maybe not overly complex but simply nice. 89 points.

Caperdonich 20 y.o. The First Editions 1992, 55,5%

This one didn’t fully convince me but still is a nice but shy dram. It is rather malty with honey, heather, aromatic smoke, cider, white chocolate, ginger and some zestiness (lemon and orange). On the palate it is too hot for my taste (ginger and spices going wild in the ethanol), so I add water: a rounding off-effect takes place but no gain in complexity. 82 points.

Glen Elgin 26 y.o. The First Editions 1985, 46,6%

Nicely concentrated on bergamotte and Asian spices (nutmeg, ginger bread, white pepper). In the second row we find pears, yellow apples, figs and pistachio. The palate shows huge complexity and fruit oils in perfect balance (no water!). I love it but it is hard to pin down the aromas here, maybe spinach and all the aromas above with fruits of all kind … well, let’s say loveable and unique, tightly knit. 90 points.

Bunnahabhain 23 y.o. The First Editions 1989 ‚Bordeaux Finish‘ 50,2%

My favourite dram in this session is this one, although I hadn’t expected the finish to work so well. Well, never judge a book by its cover … . This Bunnie is austere and very complex at the same time, revealing amazing maritime aromas (salt, fresh sea air, ozone-laden sea spray, mossy peat whiffs, etc.). The complexity goes on with jamon on melon, polished leather, black pepper, Roquefort cheese, lemon drops and the notes from the wine (red grapes, raisins, etc.) which really fit here. To me it noses like an old elegant Islay dram from a time gone by, and the palate matches this experience. Soft peat and spice round off the excellent show. Kudos! 91- points.

Clynelish 23 y.o. The First Editions 1988, 50%

This cheesy Clynelish is a funky one with unusually big notes of caramel, (blue) cheese, milk coffee and leather along the typical profile with candelwax, green apples and Atlantic depression moving in. I can’t fully decide if I like this mix in the nose. However, it turns way more classic Clynelish on the palate (plus a little cheese again). This dram screams for a piece of Cheddar. Nice spices in the finish. No water necessary. 88+ points.

Caol Ila 30 y.o. Archives 1982 – 2012, Bourbon Hogshead 758, 207 btl., 51,2%

Comment: Unusually fruity at first whiff but still with the typical peaty DNA of Caol Ila or even the one of older medicinical Islay drams like Ardbeg (indeed) but only for seconds. This amazing stuff turns towards mineral austerity after a while and then displays fruit again – a tightrope dancer with impeccable balance between these worlds. I am getting lemon zest, salt, olive oil, tarry tires, chalky and discrete oak, minty freshness, tropical fruits (peaches, pineapple, banana), herbs for soups and only a little juniper. This is mature Islay whisky for the connoisseur of elegant drams. No water needed.

Score: 90+

Caol Ila 28 y.o. The Whisky Agency ‚Sea Life‘ 1984 – 2012, ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 254 btl., 53,5%

Comment: Same basic maritime style minus the fruitiness of above’s bottling, yet wonderfully austere and mineral again with a touch of lemon zest. This is spicier and more Talisker-esque, dare I say. The peat layer is thin and and very elegant but develops some grip on the palate. Chalky oak again, tar, burning embers and juniper combine in great balance with wonderful of sea salt on the palate. Great choice.

Score: 89

Caol Ila 21 y.o. TheWhiskyCask 1990 – 2012, Bourbon Cask, 55%

Comment: This one is different, a farmyardy and herbal peater with quite some spice (white pepper, coriander, a little cinnamon), altogether the most typical of the three (white pepper,olive oil, juniper, lemon chicken, suede leather) – and it is notably younger and a little less balanced, but has more power and oak. The dry attack with some sulphury moments is best tamed with some drops of water.

Score: 86

Littlemill 20 y.o. Liquid Library (The Whisky Agency) 1992 – 2012 Bourbon Hogshead, 313 btl., 51,6%

Comment: Nice one again, aahhh, wonderful freshness and amazing complexity! I am getting green grass, spinach, pine needle, vanilla, fudge toffee, sweet malt, thyme and rosemary, cinnamon, cilantro, cardamom, pepper, ginger ale, smoke, wet earth, nutty elements, pineapple, maraschino cherries and plums. It tastes very fruity and vanilla-toffee-like, berries, malt, spice and grass join in. The finish brings back all aromas of the nose in soft waves. Kudos, one of the best Bourbon cask Littlemill from those years up to date, i.m.h.o.!

Score: 90

Littlemill 22 y.o. Malts of Scotland MoS 28.03.1989 – 05.2011, sherry butt 2511, 325 btl., 52,8%

Comment: Smokier, slightly darker, sherried and spicier than its predecessor. Surprisingly rummy as well but overall the same fresh profile (rosemary, thyme, pine needle, maraschino sherry, pineapple, plums, cinnamon, cardamom, smoke). The taste is on the herbal side and displays a dark woodiness of the fine kind – there must have been great sherry casks used at Littlemill back in the late 1980ies. The depth of the finish is breathtaking. High quality!

Score: 91

Littlemill 23 y.o. TheWhiskyCask 1988 – 2012, first-fill sherry butt, 54,9%

Comment: Way darker stuff! It possesses beautiful aromas of old sherry casks in this noble style – like early 1970 Bowmore wood, I daresay, clearly there but unobtrusive. This one adds cigar and humidor notes to the earthy smokiness, very close to the excellent 1989 sherry cask releases by Archives and Whisky-Fässle (check their tasting notes here on the page by following the link above). Great balance, too, amazing! The taste has dry moments and the other features of such casks while bringing the usual qualities to the table as well, just a darker style that dampens the profile a bit overall.

Score: 90+

Bonus:

Littlemill 22 y.o. Liquid Library (The Whisky Agency) 1989 – 2011, sherry wood, 221 btl., 48,3%

Comment: A bit thinner and more fragile than the bottlings before but a great Littlemill nonetheless. Like the smoother and softer brother of the MoS release.

Score: 89

No words make sense here: R.I.P. Tommy

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

New Whisky Agency Bottlings (Sea Life and more)

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

Score: 89+

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

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

Score: 86+

Where the FUCK are my cookies?

Glen Garioch 36 y.o. Douglas Laing Platinum Selection 1967 – 2003, 132 btl., 55,5%

Comment: Definitely a classic in a timeless style. Leather, earthy smoke, spices (also ginger) and glue, honey, dark wood, morello cherries and peaches caress the nose. On the palate, it is a real powerhouse with bright and dark elements in one (which I love). The spiciness bites but there also is a great maltiness. Aditionally, armchair seat aromas emerge. A tiny drop of water helps this dram to become creamier, rounder and more accessible overall – but avoid more H2O as it also evokes soapy elements (not uncommon in 1960 Gariochs). The finish is long and warming on spices, malt, leather, mahogani and pralines. A heavy old malt with distinction.

Score: 90

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

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

Score: 90

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

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

Current Score (if that makes sense): 89+

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

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

Score: 88

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

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

Score: 91

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

New Duck Editions

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

Score: 89

Littlemill 23 y.o. Archives 1988 – 2012, Sherry Cask, 48 btl., 49,3%

Comment: Close to the Whisky-Fässle version, but a bit less elegant at first (please compare my nitpicking here), however after a while it becomes just as nice. The same whisky (look at the numbers …)? Obvious sherry influence, super combo of dark and bright fruitiness, big sandalwood, a little peat and moss, discrete vanilla, altogether great from the start with intensity – an old  Macallan-like moment just as in the one from Whisky-Fässle (sweet maltiness, morello cherries, discrete raisins, earthy notes, orange zest and fine cigar). Later, whiffs of cinnamon, plums and berries join in, a high class malt with impeccable balance, no doubt that this stands out from so many others in the whisky ocean. It tastes as great as it noses and is again comparable to the Whisky-Fässle release in profile, but a tiny bit less deep in my memory – but it might as well be identical with a little treatment and time. Only few know … and who cares, I wouldn’t mind having more bottles of such quality.

Score: 91

Littlemill 20 y.o. Whisky-Doris 4.1991 – 2.2012, Bourbon Cask 554, 49%

Comment: Quite some oak and tannin (a tad too much for the subtlety of this dram), dry maltiness, sawdust and alcohol, loads of licorice, vanilla, dried flowers, freshly cut grass, then some fruits (pineapple, watermelon, grapefruit, kiwi, gooseberries, tangerines, lemon dash, peaches), orange zest, traces of coconut and macadamia. On the palate, it convinces me much more with an explosion of fruit, vanilla, licorice  and hay which counter the oak well until the tannics and the dry malt win over in the finish. Water is recommended as it tones down the oak and puts more weight on the fruit. As expected, another nice Littlemill. Where have you been in recent years?

Score: 87

Caol Ila 14 y.o. Scotch Malt Whisky Society, distilled 3.1997, SMWS 53.152, Refill Hogshead, 291 btl., 57,7%

different number, same outfit

Comment: This is a toffee and vanilla bomb at first, but then it develops into a classic Caol Ila of the good kind. Nice herbal edge, even with mint and camomile, we also have olive oil, juniper, lemon chicken, coal, tar and pine resin. Very drinkable at 57,7 % but even better with a drop of water. Sooty and spicy, very long finish! Simply classic.

Score: 88

Caol Ila 1987 – 2012 Whisky-Fässle, Bourbon Hogshead, 51,5%

sorry, no picture yet

Comment: Aromatic smoke! I am getting lemon zest, lots of herbs (from Provence), camomile, pine, altogether somewhat unusual for this distillery as it is more on spiciness (white pepper) than on peat (it is still peaty though). If I had a cold I would inhale this one to clear my sinuses. In the background we have the more typical notes. It also seems antiseptic now with a little bit of vanilla, tar, pine needle, juniper and green olives. Without water it tastes very hot and spicy, so let’s add some drops. Yep, here come more balance and way more aromas, just like in the nose. Medium length in the finish.

Score: 88

Knockando 12 y.o. The Managers‘ Choice 1996 – 2009, Sherry Cask 800790, 58,5%

Nose: A very sherried and nutty profile that doesn’t show a lot of distillery character but presents a paradise for first-fill Sherry cask lovers. I am getting plums, cherries, raisins, bitter chocolate, chestnuts, beef jerky and some sulphur in a slightly dry style.

Palate: My umami-detectors are in full action here. This powerhouse of a Knockando tastes pretty much like the nose but has some bitter elements that go with that kind of style. In addition to the aromas mentioned there are Demerara sugar and hints of cigar tobacco to be found. Nice but not utterly complex.

Finish: Quite long and – you guessed it – sherryish. The cask is doing all the talking.

Score: 89

Comment: A great dram for the Sherry heads among you but definitely a different experience from the usual Knockando dram. I would like to taste more single cask Knockando from various ages and cask types to get a better understanding of their capability.

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)

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

2003 and 2004 were great wines

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

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

Score: 92 (2011/12)

The beautiful Estate

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

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

Score: 90

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

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

Score: 86

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

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

Score: 87

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

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

Score: 89

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

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

Score: 90+

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

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

Andrew Laing and his First Edition Releases

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

Score: 91+

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

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

Score: 89+

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

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

Clynelish Sister Cask sold in Auction

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

Score: 91-

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

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

Score: 93

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

Bottle on the right (find the typo!)

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

Score: 90+

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

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

Score: 91

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

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

Score: 88

same outfit but a different bottling

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

Score: 87+

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

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

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

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

Score: 91-

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+