Clean, very crisp with a pronounced intensity of re-fill sherry fruit, orange, earth, hints of light toffee/coffee, dried fruit and sweet oak. Dry, soft with pronounced rich, silky re-fill sherry fruit and spices. Rounded and mouthfilling with dries fruit notes. Medium bodied, long and tangy with cinnamon notes and a touch of wood smoke.
Bourbon/ Calvados Crisp, clean and very coastal. I wouldn’t be surprised if this had been matured at a certain distillery on Islay! There is a nice depth and sweetness with some vanilla oak, toffee, citrus, apple and earth notes. Very complex on the palate, rich and luscious, a veritable strudel of crisp apples, oily/ salty tangy fruit, earth and wonderfully soft spices. Lovely purity. Develops a stewed apple note on the finish. A distinctly different Macallan!
A clean, textbook young Laddie nose. Distinctly old school with crisp apples, coastal apricot fruit and barley. Nicely aromatic with a touch of cereal and practically no wood influence. It?s all distillery character here! Light oiled palate, soft and fruity showing more maturity than the nose suggests. Again classic coastal apricot, apple and barley with a very salty middle. Lovely length with a touch of soft spice. It reminds me of the old distillery 10 year old.
Clean, smoky aromas. Very fruity with loads of iodine and Laphroaig-esque peat. Lovely sweet fruit and a touch of cereal. Very much the equal of the Ardbeg still young ? possibly better. Lovely sweet entry, with soft apricot and honeysuckle, a touch of ?off the still? cereal with surprisingly gentle Laphroaig-esque peat building to a tangy finish. This is incredibly sweet, not cloying sweet, just fruit sweet with a late salt and coal dust note drifting in. Unlike the distillery bottling this is 100% Bourbon cask and is far closer to the almost new make sample I tried awhile ago.
Quiet rounded and rich. Nicely fruity with orange, apricot and lots of rubber! A touch of smoke, menthol, bog myrtle, clove, ginger and coastal notes rounds the nose off nicely. The palate opens with a wave of coal smoke and gentle peat followed by mouth filling, rich fruit. The peat really builds fading into a sooty mouthful. Maybe not as complex as the nose suggests but very nice nevertheless. Quiet an oily finish that leaves a definite coating and finishes with late coastal fruit and vegetation notes.
This is a vatting of one third Bourbon cask and two thirds Port cask aged malt. A deep, rich and extremely fruity nose. Candied orange fruit, port notes, spice, sweet bourbon oak and costal notes. Lovely balance with a slight perfumed note, A lot less girly than the Murray McDavid bottling, it develops an earthy/ bog myrtle/ medicinal peat note over time. On the palate it is quiet sweet with creamy red winey fruit (berries), bourbon oak and buckets of salt on the middle. Youthful and intense with coal dust and earthy peat coating the palate. Perfectly integrated, one of the best wine cask matured malts I’ve tasted in a long time.
Clean, with pronounced aromas of coastal fresh fruit, toffee, lovely delicate sherry sweetness develops. Dry on the palate, very fruity, crisp, clean and elegant. Medium bodied. The palate opens with gentle smoke and brine followed by vanilla fruit and the smoke returns on the middle with heather and gorse notes. Very long, clean and balanced with the smoke and brine lingering.
A very oily nose, which seems to me about half it?s age. Light, honied orange fruit, cereal and malt. Like the Laddie there is no real cask influence here, it?s all pure distillery character. There is a slightly floral top note along with some perfume and sawdust. On the palate it is quiet oily and again seems a lot younger than 16 years old, with a distinct cerealy character. It reminds me a bit of Tequilla. It has a pleasant length with a touch of coal smoke and quiet a dry finish.
Incredibly oily aromas hit you light a speeding train with waves of raw, young sherry fruit which has a slightly creamy edge and a touch of white chocolate and sweet spices. Rich and succulent on the palate with the raw sherry, well roaring at you. Quite spirity with sweet spices and coffee. This is the epitome of raw without a drop of water. On the nose it tames and emphasises the white chocolate, dusty spices and oily vanilla note. On the palate it brings out a chocolaty/ mocha/ coffee note, taking the edge of the spirit and allowing a delightful toasted caramel flavour to appear along with gin like botanicals and a touch of seaweed on the finish. If you love your sherry cask young, unfettered and wildly exuberant, then this is your baby!
Quite floral and youthful on the nose with a perfumed malty character and an apple blossom note. Light-Medium bodied, quite soft and a bit winey. Very different from the distillery bottling, full of malty/ cereal flavours, lovely soft and sweet middle with a long rounded finish. It takes a drop of water to tease out its complex aromas and flavours ? a floral, winey vanilla note on the nose and sumptuous oily fruit, rich dark chocolate, peat and salt on the palate.
Deep and quite perfumed with herbal tea, old honey and deep spices, licourice, caramelised fruit, angelica and lots of sherry oak. The spirit lurks somewhere beneath! Dry on the palate with coffee, caramel, dark sherry spices, prunes, dried fruit and orange along with lots of sherry oak. Very long with oak, oak and more oak. A serious coffee liquor finish with a creamy after taste.
Crisp, lots of clean, waxy vanilla oak fruit, cereal, sweet caramel and a slight perfumed note. Very dry on the palate with cereal fruit, vanilla, wood tannins, slight spice and gin like botanicals. Water brings out it?s oily character, sweet fruits and tames the tannins and adds a spicy note.
Clean, elegant, fresh and grassy on the nose with soil, flax/ straw and a slightly nutty touch of buttery oak. Apricot and a touch of tangerine waft from the glass. I have only tasted sherry cask bottlings of Glenrothes before and this Bourbon cask is rather delightful with a delicate, playful sort of lowland character. On the palate it is oily, fruity with apricot and citrus followed by cerealy-malt, nuts and a delicate intensity of creamy oak and soft, sweet spices. A drop of water emphasises the grassy, citrus fruit on the nose, while on the palate it brings out lemon and lengths it as taken neat, the alcohol cuts it a bit short.
Light, clean and youthfully playful on the nose. Floral with violets, malt, orange, coastal and earthy aromas. Dry, light bodied initially a fleeting sweetness gives way to crisp malt, citrus lime, butter-cream and nutty flavours. Very smooth alcohol with a slight twang of sea air. Water really brings out its perfumed, nutty, floralness and emphasises its butter/ cream/ toffee/ salty character
Clean, fresh and youthful aromas of perfumed, spicy orange fruit and dusky spices arise from the glass. This whisky is quite light but?has a superb depth with earthy nuances. It has a deft balance of dry-sweet aromas and liquefied orange fruit. Med-dry on the palate with a rich entry of cereal and malt. Deep and viscous, loaded with naturally sweet citrus fruits, honey and spices, which build nicely. Soft yet tangy alcohol and an intensely spicy middle. Superb length with a drying finish. Water bring out a touch of oak on the nose but doesn't really add much to the already complex palate, thus ideally it should be drunk neat.
I loved their earlier bottling of Benriach at 15 years old and thought this would have to go some to top it and boy does it just. This bottling is heavier and oilier on the nose with a sumptuous array of waxy citrus fruit, a lovely complexity with some dunnage floors, a touch of orange blossom and a light sprinkling of peat. The palate is much like the nose, oily and subtly mouth filling. Creamy yellow fruits meld with the oak and there is a delightful grassy middle. When a touch of water is added the nose gets even better. The orange fruits have taken on a yummy liquid honey veener with no shortage of wonderful malty notes. It really pulls the palate together, now slightly less oily but the wonderful soft citrus fruits bounces over the tongue and the grassy notes return on the finish.
A lovely nose! Delicate and deep with bags of character. Dusty spices mingle with rich apricot, tangerine fruit and wonderful mature honey. The complexity of the aromas seems unending, next comes a delicate floral peach note followed by toffee and vanilla cream. The palate is creamy and soft with apricot, peach, tangerine, earth, spices and maturing honey. A lovely intensity which develops a leafy/ botanical note. The finish is long and somewhat dominated by the alcohol. With the addition of water one word springs to mind – Wow! It’s sublime, just like a floral orange liqueur. The palate isn’t bad either! It’s now a wonderful mouthful of citrus/ honied deliciousness and the spices! Like angels dancing on your tongue – Superb!
Another superb nose. Deep and silky with spicy orange fruit, dripping in oodles of natural honey and beeswax along with an earthy/ dunnage floors note. On the palate it is soft and honied as the nose suggests with earthy, spicy orange fruit. Not the most complex of malts (given its age) but the depth is exceptionally good, the orange fruit flavour last for ages and finishes with an estery, very spicy finish. A drop of water softens and melds it into a harmonious mouth full bringing out a light vanilla note
Big and fruity. A classic Mortlach with orange, apricot, barley and no shortage of malty notes along with a gentle floral top note. The palate is equally juicy and fruity with a lovely honied entry followed by apricot, malt and juicy citrus fruit, although the high alcohol masks the complexity. A drop of water makes it truly delightful brining out a touch of straw and summer meadow fruits and gloriously creamy oak on the nose, whilst on the palate it unleashes a deluge of mouth filling fruit and deft touches of coffee and straw like nuances.
A gloriously dense, heavy aromas of orange oils ? Wow you can really smell the viscosity. This is sumptuous with an infinite depth of creamy vanilla laced fruit. On the palate it is obviously heavy and oily with sweet, sensuous orange fruit and big wood. Time has melded the components wonderfully ? It might not be the most complex of flavours, but the depth is stunning. Do not add water, it kills its density and gives it a gin like botanical note.
Lovely clean aromas of citrus fruit, toffee, malt and lazy spices. A wonderful depth with a delightful honied note. Slightly oily on the palate. Quiet gristy and malty, with intense citrus fruit and subtle spices. This is a really chewy mouthful although the alcohol dominates the finish. Water emphasizes the oak on the nose and slightly subdues the citrus fruit but it opens out the palate a treat. Soft, pleasant and mouth filling. The fruit now has a lovely juicy sheen to it and the finish is delightfully long with the soft spices lingering. Another private bottling which beats the distillery bottling hands down in my opinion.
Bourbon Quiet oily aromas with a whiff of diesel and smoke. Extremely fresh with tangerine and orange citrus fruit, candy, earth and a floral top note. On the palate it is soft and oily opening with a touch of smoke followed by oily vanilla, orange and a touch of salt. Finishes dry with alcohol dominating. A drop of water softens the nose and brings out a leafy/ bark note and emphasizes the creaminess and floral character. Again it is more creamy on the palate. Very smooth with a lovely background of smoke and a touch of peat. Delightfully soft and fruity with a lovely length and a dry finish.
A lovely, clean and crisp nose of citrus fruit and a faint touch of coal smoke. Quiet estery without water a vague note of tropical bananas. On the palate it again displays the crispness evident on the nose with lovely, delicate, very pure citrus fruit. Easy going with a very long length displaying the tropical banana notes in the finish. A drop of water brings out a grassy, garden fruits note on the nose and on the palate really gives it a lovely, creamy texture, emphasising the white floral notes and botanical notes on the finish. It has a lovely delicacy and would be ideal for those of you who love good Irish whiskey.
Nice nose. Fruity and sherried with menthol, earth, green herbs and honey. Rounded, soft and fruity on the palate with no surprise sherry fruit and earth. Lovely and clean, easy drinking, nice balance. Good fruity length with late lazy spice notes. Great value.
Sherry Ooh I have reservations about this. Private bottlings of Bowmore are like private bottlings of Highland Park – far too often disappointing. So……… Actually it doesn’t start especially well, there is an initial vegetal note, but I’ll forgive it as it does blow off quiet quickly. It’s a bit of a rowdy brute this one it has to be said, there is no shortage of character here! Iodine, bog myrtle, smoke, soot, peat and pure rubbery salt encrusted sowesters. On the palate it is oily yet quiet dry with rich leafy sherry battling with the iodine, peat, menthol and latex for dominance, and there’s that veggy-ness again on the finish. A drop of water thankfully saves the day. It brings out the toffee infused sherry spices and sort cleans it up a bit, or should that be sobers it up? – I really want to like this. Yes it’s flawed, but by god it has character by the bucket load, and do you know what? It’s kind of growing on me!
A wonderfully crisp, fresh and granity nose of clean, oily fruit, vanilla, earth and a lowland-esque grassy citrus note. More weighty on the palate. Uite oily with delicate orange fruit followed by a big hit of dry spices. Lovely length with coffee and demerara sugar along with juicy and sweet fruit. Lovely length. No need for any water
Very peated, youthful aromas with a faint note of fishermans wellies. Beneath the raw peat is a soft fruitiness, crisp and granity orange, apricot and peach remind you that you are on Speyside not Islay. Immaculately clean on the palate, quite sweet, slightly salty arrival with oily coal/ peat smoke, crisp cereal fruit, but it is the peat which dominates the proceedings. Lovely sweet-dry balance, very long with the oak and granity fruit coming through on the finish.
Sugary nose and unmistakably phenolic ? Pine resin and glue. Thick and juicy with sawdust, smoky wood fires. Sweet and spicy with a nice pepperiness and liquorice. Less phenolic than the nose suggests and finishes with sweet wood smoke (JM)
Big, rich and deep aromas of luscious honied fruits followed by tons of fresh oak and vanillins. Very weighty just like a good bourbon with a late spice note drifting in. On the palate it is softer and more whisky like with the malty, honied fruit flavours leading the way, followed by the vanillins. Very weighty with a lovely tangy spiciness to the fruit. The wood masks the innate youth of the spirit and makes this a very enjoyable dram.
A light nose of grassy, citrus lemon fruits, herbs, late peat smoke, creosote, earthy dunnage floors, orange and a touch of oily/ creamy vanilla. Quiet complex for all its youth with a lovely soft balance. Again light on the palate, maybe a touch watery initially, but the delicate oily citrus fruit evolves along with herbs, grass and light spice. There is less peat than the nose suggests, it is more in the background. Finishes dry and crisp with a touch of gentle late spice and lingering peat notes. A nice delicate Speysider with a touch of peat!
Very light & grassy to start. In time becoming more sappy like a pine forest in the summer. Some creamy nuttiness as well. On the palate it is heathery, very light, dry & nutty with that light sappy note returning. A bit evanescent but enjoyable.
Incredibly clean, crispy malt, custard pie, slightly sweet and enormously chewy with hints of smoke to keep the vanilla in check, still the malt goes on and on.
A warm dry sweet scented malt. On the palate it is clean, flavourful & lightly malty with hints of honey , herbs & heathery notes. A fresh, sweet, lightly syrupy & herbal finish.
Fresh for its age, though the old smoke has gone. Attractive, fruity complexity and quite a decent spice prescence, quietens and dies rapidly with quite a bit of vanilla. (JM)
A spicy, spirity nose of sherry, pear drops, pine & mint-toffee. The palate is med-bodied, fruity with hints of honey, spice & malty toffee & a whiff of smoke in the finish.
Exceptionally cleaver use of oak to add a drier element to the sharper boiled cooking apple and a whiff of fermenting vessel too. The sharp fruit of the nose is magnified ten times for one of the strangest mouth arrivalas I?ve (Jim Murray) have ever come across, the roof of the mouth won?t know what?s hit it ? wave upon wave of malt concentrate, quite unique; freaky even. Really a whisky to be discovered and ridden. Once you acclimatize, you?ll adore it.
Massively malty, slightly garainy with loads of rich, creamy orange fruit and a slight perfumed note. Superb complexity with a touch of smoke, earthy manure and pepper. On the palate it is multi-layered, opening with the delicious malt and followed by softly, juicy, slightly sweet fruits. Reminds me of a good Irish!
Smoky aromas of citrus with hints of honey. Dry, refreshing, rounded somewhat straight forward with a slight sherry cask sweetness & lingering finish. Very smooth but a touch simple.
Each cask forms a limited edition of hand-numbered bottles - there will be a maximum of 350 bottles from any one cask - so each bottle is unique, yet the quality is always high. I prefer this to either the 10 or 12 year old. It is has greater purity and subtlety to it. Often honied and spicy with loads of sweet malt..
A perfumed, fruity nose with passion fruit, raisins, marzipan & a nutty dryness. Rich & complex, creamy toffee with wine & aniseed notes. Very long with a touch of dry ceder.
Immediate scent of pine nuts, earth, creamy oak, cooked dough & a malty sweetness. On the palate it displays bready, nutty flavours with a bitter sweet edge. Short, pleasant finish with a hint of salt.
A rich, moist, cake-like nose of lemon grass, Assam tea & a hint of peat. Silky smooth with spiced cake, candied lemon peel which develops in the mouth. Lightly smoky on the finish with a touch of treacle.
Just about the cleanest, most uncluttered, pure, sweet malt you will ever find. A touch of apple, perhaps, giving an extra dimension; again the malt is pure and rich [on the palate] just a thread of oak adding some dryness and depth; vanilla and malt, a classic (JM)
Clean, dry light nose, a curious mix of chlorine fresh orange/lemon fruit, heather, oak, salt and a gentle peat. Dry on the palate, sweet and silky fruit and malt, then comes a wave of sugar and soft peat finishing with cocoa, salt and sweet honey notes ? very nice.
Clean, youthful, oily nose, quite weighty with charming heather, biscuits, toasted honey, dry sherry and citrus fruit. Med-sweet with honey, heather, quite viscous, medium body, very floral on the middle, nice tangy length with the oak appearing on the finish. Good length with a long heathery after taste- A bit sweet for me
An interesting nose, quite heavy & oily reminiscent of boiled sweets & rum toffees, with a trace of diesel oil, violets & a whiff of smoke. Salt & pepper show on the palate, which is soft, smoky & full of sherried fruit. Peat & smoke flavours jostle on the middle. Very long & rather good.
A fruity nose with hints of sherry & peat. On the palate it is smooth with a clean delicacy, plus spice & peat notes. A long finish & spicy aftertaste.
A hugh sherry impact followed by aromas of malt, spicy & smoke. Big, rich, full bodied with an initial sherry burst, plus malt & hints of peat & smoke. A long, rich, warming finish.
Clean, pronounced dark malt and rich Oloroso sherry. Very deep with a balanced citrus sharpness. Dry, med-full bodied, rich malt and Oloroso sherry, nuts, fudge and dried fruit. Lovely tangy middle, long complex finish with a dark, bitter liquorice/ dried fruit note.
Clean aromas of dark malt, vanilla fudge, assam tea and dried fruit against a background of clean sherry. Dry, medium bodied, intense, oily apricot, rich malt, coffee, dried fruit, wood tannins, assam tea leaves, integrated clean sherry and a long complex length. Water brings out a custard cream note plus a touch of gun flint and floor polish. It softens the palate brining out the rich fruit cake flavours, still the tannins and the tea leaves remain in the finish.
Clean, deeper nose than the 10, more about the spirit than the wood. Lovely intense complexity of orange citrus fruit, ferns, minerals and vegetal notes. Dry, cleaner, crisp, intense apricot, slightly oily/ creamy citrus fruits, ferns/ braken, with the wood tannins very evident on the finish. Firm, medium bodied, good length with a touch of smoke.
Brandy butter & trifle. Floral notes with undertones of sweet oak & coconut. Velvety on the palate with oak & sweet dried fruit. Medium bodied, very smooth & smoky with a long dry finish.
Mellow, earthy, sherried fruit, a touch of Bourbon. Quite sweet on the palate, straightforward sherry fruit, a tangy middle with Bourbon oak on the finish. Pleasant.
A mellow yet quite intense nose. Earthy sherry, sweet oak, a touch vegetal & spicy. Nice depth & complexity of citrus, orange fruit. Very smooth & oaky palate, a bit simple with sherried fruit & a dry finish.
Quiet a sweet nose, slightly floral with marzipan, rum soaked almonds, banana, toffee, pure vanilla pod, cinnamon and the crisp ‘fiddich fruit underpinning. Creamy on the palate with the oak leading the way followed by the rum finish and the crisp ‘fiddich fruit. Like the nose it is quiet sweet with sultanas, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and a touch of smoke. The crisp barley bites through the sweetness and it finishes quiet dry with a late spice note. Very complex!
Softer, less resiny on the nose than the first bottling. I suspect that this is due to the fact that the Scottish oak casks are know re-filled. The nose is also sweeter with a huge depth of orange/ apricot fruit, earth and dunnage floors. Rounded and fruity with a touch mint/ menthol, light coffee and a hint of pine. The palate opens with waves of sweet orange/ tangerine fruit followed by wood tannins and subtle spice, a touch of mint/ menthol and an almost sherry cask sweetness. An unbelievably huge finish with the creamy Seville orange flavour lasting.
A complex nose. Oranges, lemons, sherry, toffee, apricots & sugared almonds with a briny whiff. Medium bodied, sweet oak, apricots, stewed fruit & a long finish with a hint of oakiness towards the end. Quite a superb malt.
A luscious nose. Ripe and rich with barley sugar and beeswax mixed with Greek yoghurt and honey. Caramelised peach, raffia and an exotic note. A citric lift (lemon, kumquat) stops it being a sweet bomb. Some crisp cereal and subtle spice. The palate is clean and sweet, zesty (lime) in the centre then all the honeyed flavours come through. Barley sugar again, then apricot, quince and coconut. Light chocolate and cardamom notes in the finish. (DB)
The nose is a mix of red (rasps, currant) and black (tayberry, sloe) fruits. More alcohol. Lush with water where hibiscus and Turkish delight emerge. Silky and very sweet on the palate. Broad with good concentration. Firm with more oak, mix of ripe fruits and chocolate. Finishes with a light tobacco note. (DB)
A pleasant, surprisingly complex nose, fruity and oily with hints of vanilla, caramel, salt and peat. The palate is however rather straight forward with a soft, smooth fruity character with a touch of salt in the finish.
Rich & heavy nose. Hows some maturity with floral notes (pot pourri/ violets) & spices (ginger, allspice, nutmeg, candied peel). Oily with floor polish & sandlewood. On the palate it is lively, fruity with sweet spices & oak. Big with a silky mouthfeel, very long with hints of cocoa butter.
Rich, creamy, youthful nose. Sweet and silky with sherry, soft creamy fruit, orange and a touch of earth/ smoke. Dry, med body, sweet and smooth, lots of sherry fruit, a touch of salt and a long sweet finish.
Clean, quite a dull nose, slightly sherried, slight bourbon, slight fruit. Dry medium body, unexiting, slight fruit, sherry and salt. Soft, med length with a slight astringency on the finish.
Now this is brand spanking new! Oh so clean, textbook aromas of rich, oily orange fruit, coastal peat, fisherman?s sowesters and tar. Compared to the 'Still Young' it has a more pronounced oiliness. It?s amazing what a couple of years has done to the depth and complexity. It has been a fascinating journey from the 'in yer face' brashness of the 'Very Young' through the flawed excellence of the 'Still Young' to where it is now.
On the palate it is silky, quiet oily with a citrus sea fruit entry, followed by gentle peat and coal smoke wafting in. It really builds on the tongue and without water it is so silky smooth. Lovely length with the tar, fisherman's outer garments, a touch of grapefruit and bonfires partying on the palate. This is really showing it fruitiness now. Again it is a lot more oily than the 'Still Young', less orangy and quiet mellower, the peatiness is a lot subtler, now playing a supporting role rather than screaming at you.
Whereas a drop of water killed the 'Still Young' with the 'Almost There' it emphasizes its glorious coastal fruit and rubberyness and brings out a lovely sweet note on the nose. On the palate it brings all the flavours together, emphasizing the bonfire smoke and the palate coating juicy/ oily fruit. It really brings out the monstrously intense yet subtle peat, enveloping the senses. Really you just sit there and go wow after a few sips with a silly grin on your face!
Well first off it seemed more lively and complex on the nose, opening with a gentle medicinal pure peat, smoke, coffee, hickory and a charred wood note. It now seems to have a greater degree of elegance as opposed to vague-ness! There is a lovely sweetness of delicate orange fruit, menthol, bog myrtle, dunnage floors and coastal notes. In the mouth it is amazingly fruity, no longer dull and flat but bursting with apricot and soft yellow fruits and coastal notes. Then comes some fern, pine, gentle medicinal peat, bonfires and charcoal. It is mouth filling with a lovely sweetness to the barley along with hints of spice and pepper, finishing with a gloriously sooty peat smoke finale.
Initially slightly soapy aromas of vanilla, linseed oil and mature, crisp smoky citrus fruit, light vegetation and a floral note, followed by a touch of kippers and charred wood. Oily on the palate with soft, gentle peat, seaweed and blood oranges. Lovely depth with an intense, tangy middle of coastal bomfires, roasted meat and a touch of coal tar and soft peat. A long, mellow finale with a touch of liquorice, coffee and a dry, salty finish. A lovely old Ardbeg with a peppery bite!
Quite a rich, spicy nose. A superb marriage of bourbon and sherry oak. Clean quite youthful aromas of sherry fruit, gentle almost restrained medicinal peat, Seville orange marmalade, bonfires on the beach, seaweed, soil, cocoa and parma violets. Initially the sweet, smooth coastal sherry fruits dominate the palate, then along comes the peat, charcoal, soot and soil, slowly building in the mouth. The rich fruit returns with a touch of vanilla oil and fades into a lovely long cocoa and smoky finish.
A quite complex nose of sherry, slightly smoky with seaweed & iodine notes with a touch of lemon. The palate is quite smoky, peaty & earthy. Quite rich with honey, heather & lemon lockets on the middle. The finish is pure charcoal/peat.
Full & round with a gentle softness. Aromas of nutty, toasty malt and fresh herbs compliment the sherry & peat notes. Creamy sherry & oak glides over the palate ending with a toffee & hazelnut sweetness.
Bourbon Ah, I love this nose. Classic Bourbon oaked young Laddie! With those familiar aromas of honeysuckle, green apples and coastal notes. There is a touch more complexity that the old 10 year old. It develops a lovely creamy vanilla and light toffee notes along with a touch of orange/ tangerine fruits. Dry on the palate, initially quite salty with the honeysuckle and vanilla fruit laced with a delicate spice. Softer and a bit more rounded than with less of the ?Sauvignon-esque? character of the 10 year old, and much more spicier, but it retains the lovely crisp nature which makes it such a good aperitif whisky.
Ex Bourbon cask, which has spent a further 25 weeks finishing in ex Chateau Yquem casks. Lovely maturing aromas of floral, earthy, apricot, apple, creme brulee, vanilla and a delicate toffee digestive, sweet note along with orange blossom and a touch of salinity. Off-dry on the palate with a lovely balance and complexity. Delicate with soft apricot, apple, orange spice and creamy oak, drifting into a lightly peated, smoke and coastal fruit finish, leaving a delicate sweetness and just a suggestion of the Saturnes cask. Lovely mouth feel and very long.
Wow what a nose! It is extremely complex with aromas of sweet cereals, vanilla, green apples, pear, grapes, a hint of spice & a mere whiff of the sea. The palate again begins with lots of super smooth, sweet malty flavours, then the fruits evolve on the tongue with a wonderful freshness all wrapped up in a pure, oily, maple syrup sweetness. Yet it never becomes cloying due to the impeccably balanced acidity.
Bourbon/ Chateau Lafleur Pomerol Cask There is very little of the wine cask evident on the nose, just a slight suggestion of herby black/red currants. What is more evident is its smokiness along with bitter chocolate, coffee, ginger bread, cinammon and clove notes. On the palate it is very sweet with the winey flavours initially pounding the taste buds with plumy black/red fruits, some strawberry conserve. The middle is quiet spicy with clove, cinnamon, ginger and a hint of pepper. The finish is long and fruity, obviously winey with some tannin at the very end. If you loved the previous ‘Blacker Still’ you will love this!
Bourbon/ Malmsey Madeira Cask The peat is evident on the nose from the word go. Thankfully there is very little influence from the Madeira cask ? It just hovers in the background adding a touch of smoke, rich coffee/ toffee fruit and roasted ginger. Quality wise it reminds me of the very young Ardbeg, but judicious use of the Madiera cask has given it an added edge. On the palate, again the peat open the proceedings, which is softer than the nose suggests, slightly medicinal with a whiff of smoke and coastal fruit. Finally the Madeira fruit comes through on the finish. Obviously this is very young, but there is no ?off the still? notes and it is crisp and clean with soft peat and an extra dimension given to it by the Madeira cask. Highly recommended!
Takes a little while to open on the nose but develops aromas of honey dew melon, peach, and beeswax along with some coffee/ mocha notes. Quiet reticent and maybe a bit shy but there is something about old Laddie! There is a pleasant freshness to the palate with that classic mature apple, melon, citrus fruit and cinnamon notes. The oak is quiet noticeable and quiet drying leaving the finish a bit tannic.
Deep and intense on the nose, more smoky bacon and kippers than the series 4 bottling along with the mature classic Laddie fruit, butterscotch, some pepper and spice notes. A little sweeter on the palate than the series 4, again more smoky bacon and juicy mature dried fruits. A lovely complexity with some toffee, burnt caramel, roasted malt and a more noticeable medicinal edge. Great length with the medicinal notes lasting.
Bourbon/ Madeira Cask Like the PC5, subtle it isn’t. It’s raw, unfettered and rampaging! Stinky bog myrtle peat, manure, leather, cereal and the merest whiff of a winey note. Mind you it is going to take something mighty pungent to break through those raw aromas. On the palate the extra year seems to be adding more structure to it with a more discernable pepper and spiciness amid the rampaging peat and coal smoke, which smother any suggestion of a winey note. This baby definitely needs a drop of water and in doing so it seems to be fresher than the PC5 with more of a garden fruit note and now the peatiness is almost perfect. No more rampaging, just purring.
Quite a soft nose of juniper, garden mint, peat and burnt grass. Lightly oily with lots of complex developing peaty flavours. Lovely complexity it becomes more spicy with vanilla, nutmeg, white mustard noticeable in the finish.
Very fragrant with menthol, vegetal and nutty vanilla pod aromas. Much fuller bodied and more assertively expressive, sweeter with peat, spring greens, crushed almonds, ceder and a leafy sweetness. Powerful and long.
Massive oak injection for something so relatively young with the malt coming in to a world of dry toast and cardboard dust. Good spices; mouth filling barley of decent, juicy intensity at first then surprisingly dry. No faulting its structure and depth. Scores higher on novelty than genuine thrills – but entirely enjoyable malt. (JM)
Actually quiet a delicate nose. Almost shy! Once it opens up there is a myriad of aromas – slightly medicinal peat, pure tobacco leaf, ferns/ bracken and a very distinct note of pine needles. The graceful smoke wafts in with the coastal nuances. Nowhere near as powerfully peaty as the 16 year old. Oily and nicely fruity on the palate. Lovely purity of subtle orange, elusive peat, fern/ bracken and pine needles. Late peat smoke lazily drifts in. Very, very long with oodles of coastal character and although the peat is delicate and far from booming it slowly fills the mouth! A drop of water emphasises the salinity whilst on the palate it emphasises the oils, the fruit and the wood tannins. The refined Islay!
A powerfully peaty nose, yet underneath is a very complex malt. Smoked kippers, sherried orange fruit, earth, malt, a slight toffee ness & a sprinkling of sea air. Smooth, rich &. full bodied with a nice oiliness. Pungently peaty, long & intense with tangy fruit on the middle & the peat returning on the finish.
A big, rich and very sweet nose, tempered by sea spray, peat, tar and beeswax. Very syrupy on the palate, almost overwhelmingly sweet with the smoky medicinal peat and seaweed flavours breaking through. Definitely distinctive, but a bit too sweet for me!
Clean, deep and very complex, unmistakably Lagavulin, full of rich matured sherry, sweet peat, Islay fauna and flora, animals, smoke, spice and a touch of orange fruit. Stunning with a crisp, fresh edge to it. Soft, dry and rounded on the palate. The peat gently builds, followed by sherry fruit which lusciously coats the mouth, coal smoke and iodine. This has power and maturity. Water brings out the fauna and orange on the nose, and makes the palate purr! A well honed mature Islay.
A full peaty, slightly medicinal nose, drier than the 40% bottling with ?tarred rope? notes. Medium bodied with some syrupy viscosity. Very seaweedy, both salty & sweet with peat & tar. The finish is quite medicinal with phenols, tar, peat earth all melding into a superb complex mouthful.
A pure, mildly smoky malt with hints of citrus fruit, peat, creamy bourbon & salt, with an underlying sweetness. Smooth, & soft, the extra five years has removed some of the peat, yet it is still succulent with sea hints & fruit. Good length, pure & unadulterated.
Clean, young and very pungently peaty with iodine, coal tar, coastal rubber bonfires, sawdust and an almost sherried sweet orange fruitiness. Dry, med bodied, rubber tyres burning on a coastal bonfire, an unsubtle roar of peat (lots of it!) and coal tar, and hints of bog myrtle and alpine grass, yet its time in small casks has definitely rounded the edges. Is there some sherry cask malt in the blend or does quatering really bring out that much fruit? ? What alchemy is going on at Laphroig?
A lovely balanced coastal nose of smoke, peat, seaweed, leather, tobacco and a paraffin/diesel oil note. Initial quiet sweet and honied on palate, with the peat, smoke, beeswax and leather flavours being joined by a resiny/ caramely / oaky touch which dries out the finish a little bit.
A very youthful nose with ‘off the still’ cereal, salt, a hint of apricot fruit, some light coffee and smooth orange marmalade. After awhile the fruitiness jumps from the glass. Dry on the palate, again cerealy, definitely new make-ish with an intense, tangy, salty middle. Delicate fruit, apricot and a slight marmalade and citrus sweetness add to the fun. A very good quality spirit, a bit straightforward, probably needs a bit more time and wood influence, yet it is an interesting experience to taste the spirit unencumbered by cask and peat etc.
A pungent nose of peat smoke & subtle tar notes. The palate is dominated by its peaty character yet has a delicate vanilla sweetness with an intense peaty, smoky finish.
Clean, maturing nose with a youthful edge. Intense earthy/ medicinal, clean peat, waxy citrus fruits, shortbread/ pastry/ dough and a minty, fresh note. Dry, medium bodied, intense earthy/ loamy-peat, citrus fruit and loads of ginger and spicy chilli on the middle. Very long and complex with the different flavours wafting in on the finish ? charcoal, smoke, mint, toffee and a slight saltiness. Superb dry/ sweet balance. Sublime.
A fresh aromatic malt with a hint of peat & a slight oily/saltiness. On the palate it has an initial sweetness followed by distinctive flavours of sea, salt & malt. Powerfully fruity with great depth & a long smooth finish.
Wow, deep, rich & pungent. Slightly vegetal, mature sherried fruit with a nice restrained nutty richness. The aromas are endless, still it serves up hints of earth & dunnage warehouse floors, loam, orange cream, ripe apricots, figs, creamy bourbon oak, vanilla, light oil, marzipan. Wow?On the palate it lives up to its promise. Smooth, rich & mellow with a bracing salty, coastal freshness. Seamless, rich, honeyed fruit intermingles with mature citrus, sherry & delicate spicy, peat smoke. Very long & very luscious.
[Nose] The depth and complexity of the latest wood expression is to be expected, given that the whisky has been 8 years in bourbon casks followed by 8 years in demerara rum casks. Initially light, fruity and sweet, further nosing reveals notes of elderflower and roses, coupled with butterscotch and toffee. Given yet more time to breath, the nose becomes creamy and buttery, like a light lemon mousse with a memory evoking hint of play-doh (childrens toy made from wheat flour.) [Palate] Surprisingly, the rum wood and Springbank are very well balanced. Initially, flavours of honey and demerara sugar coat the front and side of the tongue. As these mellow, notes of malt, vanilla and raisins combine with light oak flavours. [Finish] Lingering sweetness reminiscent of the tun room, subtle sweetness with notes of citrus and green apples. Very moreish! (Distillery tasting note)
Wow, deep, rich & pungent. Slightly vegetal, mature sherried fruit with a nice restrained nutty richness. The aromas are endless, still it serves up hints of earth & dunnage warehouse floors, loam, orange cream, ripe apricots, figs, creamy bourbon oak, vanilla, light oil, marzipan. Wow?On the palate it lives up to its promise. Smooth, rich & mellow with a bracing salty, coastal freshness. Seamless, rich, honeyed fruit intermingles with mature citrus, sherry & delicate spicy, peat smoke. Very long & very luscious.
Pungent biting spices, a hint of something smoky and piny. Heavy on the wine at first, but as the barley picks up the pace and the body lightens a fabulous injection of swaming, buzzy, piny spices kick in; long with lots of wine sticking to the cocoa-sprinkled finale. Easily one of the spiciest Springbanks for a long time; the Sicilian influence makes this an offer you can’t refuse! (JM)
Clean, pronounced & complex aromas of tar, old rope, iodine, heather, rich sherried fruits, blood oranges, a touch of peat & vegetal notes, with the creamy oak coming through later. Complex & majestic on the palate. Dry, med-body & quite viscous. The flavours are initially quite delicate but build to a complex intensity of sherried fruit, salt & heather. Very soft with a touch of charcoal/ peat on the middle. Very long with a youthful salty, smoky tinge.
A huge nose, full of the aromas of peaty bonfire embers, oodles of honey, beautifully sweeter than the 12, with toffee and salty butter notes. On the palate it is beautifully chewy, a touch oily and very full with a superb balance of citrus fruit, heather, oak, cocoa and peat. Incredibly complex, very long and rewarding.
Clean, with an obvious maturity of heather, honey and gentle spices, plus hints of oak and coastal smoke. Firm and full with soft smoky spices giving way to layers of burnt rich honey, barley, heather, peat and coastal notes. Long and complex.
A pleasant nose of honey and barley mingling with slightly bitter and salty notes. The palate is much like the nose with layers of crisp fruit, honey and salt.
A blend of old unpeated malt & young peated malt. A sot, delicately fruity, aromatic nose. Sherry, pine, salt with a young oily edge & hints of peat. On the palate it is young, yet soft, sweet & fruity with tangy caramelised orange, peat & salt. In time it opens up to display spicy honey, peat & salt, exiting with a crisp, tangy, marine ending. Young & exuberant but with lovely rounded edges.
Clean,a bit muted/ delicate coastal nose, followed by lashings of creamy oak, slight orange fruit and a hint of wood smoked kippers. Dry med bodied, slightly floral, quite saline with bourbon oak and honey. Tangy alcohol, quite viscous, long length with oak evident and a touch of smoked kippers in the finish.
Subtle and restrained by Talisker standards, with plenty of orange peel to compliment the unusually even peats. There is a lovely Talisker buzz, though, if not particularly loud; a toffeed, gentle sweetness accompanies the smoke and though some of the trademark peppers and spices escape the creamy clutches, it’s all pretty restrained stuff. A very good whisky? Yes. Great Talisker? No. (JM)
Clean, deep aromas of rich orange and tangerine sherry fruit, gentle smoke and a coastal freshness with vanilla oak and spices attempting to break through. A vast improvement on the 10. Dry, full bodied, soft, deep and rich with sweet malt, dried, oily fruit, sherry, coal smoke and a gentle build up of floral peat which fades into a spicy fruity, saline finish with a suggestion of vanilla oak on the after taste.
An exceptional sherry butt that brilliantly allows full scope for the spicy excesses of the distillery to spill over. Sensational, almost unreal marriage of ultra rich and clean sherry with explosive peat. The usual Talisker viciousness with the sherry somehow hanging on for the ride. Quietens to something approaching fireworks with the spices now being subdued by the fruit?? though not quite. (JM)
An intense and very clean nose. Opens with lashings of crisp barley, a refreshing breezy coastal note and distant smoke. Great depth and complexity the aromas continue to exude! Apricot, orange, tropical fruit, quince, lime - the list goes on. Superbly clean with a hint of vanilla oak, malt and dunnage floors. Again the palate is extremely clean and fruity. Like the nose it starts with the wonderfully crisp barley followed by apricot and fleshy tropical fruit. It goes on! – next up creamy vanilla, spices, delicate smoke and coastal notes. Lovely long coastal saturated after taste. What a character!
A fresh aroma yet quite heavy & oily with sherry & honey, a touch of citrus & some raisin notes. The palate is soft & sweet with honey, sherry, a hint of oak & lemon, a touch of salt & a long rounded after taste.
Quiet oily on the nose, distinctly herbaceous with citrus orange, tangerine. Less heavy and rich than the 55% bottling, with more of a highland-esque granity hardness, yet it is a classic Lowland nose, with subtle earthy notes. Juicy and herby on the palate, with grass, yellow soft fruit, citrus and a minty freshness. Nice length with hints of malt, barley and subtle ginger. Very much and aperitif malt
A very heavy and oily nose. Deep and luscious with apricot fruit followed by grassy citrus and loads of clean vanilla. A lot oilier and heavier than the 46% bottling, loads of rich apricot fruit followed by subtle spice, wood notes and a late touch of citrus. A drop of water emphasises the American oak giving it a cr?me caramel note, softens and lengthens. Superb!
Cask 2617 A very intense nose of pure, earthy, sherry cask and spices. Not an off note in sight. It has a lovely sweetness with notes of toffee, and a developing floral note. Over time there is a suggestion of grass as the distillery character fights its way through. Strangely enough the distillery character is more discernable in a Glen Cairn glass. The palate follows the same pattern as the nose, opening with an intensity of sherry cask, drying tannins and alcohol. Yet there is a wonderful, silky60% chocolate ganache smoothness to this malt. Later the grassy notes appear, just like the nose.
A drop of water subdues the rampant sherry, bringing out a delightful orange and citrus note. The palate really now displays the wow factor! Creamy, ultra smooth and awesomely chocolatey. It’s actually quiet sweet for a Bladnoch, yet it finishes quiet dry. Now I’m not the worlds biggest fan of sherry casked whiskies, as you all know, and this bottling definitely edges towards the cask side. However……………. This is a marvellous sherry cask
One word. Wow! Great nose! (Ok that’s three!) Deep, heavy and lusciously oily with loads of apricot, orange, grass, earth, citrus and vanilla. Extremely harmonious and stunning. Definitely Bladnoch at it’s best. The palate like the nose is deep, rich and pretty much mirrors the nose. The finish is stunning with a wonderful sweetness. A drop of water emphasizes the grass and sweet spice notes along with fern and bracken (?). On the palate it certainly has the wow factor, emphasisng the sweetness, and like the nose bringing out the fauna and spice (cinnamon). Now it has a real spicy kick to it and the finish lasts for ages!
An aromatic nose of orange blossom, spice, brown sugar, honey and wax. Smooth, light malt with a rounded flavour with a hint of sweetness, lots of honey and spice on the mid palate, lighter than the nose would suggest. Nice mouth coating finish with smoke, heather and menthol notes
The name was taken from a gate into the old city of Brechin. It has a dry, grassy nose, light to medium bodied with hints of tropical fruit & a toasty, dry finish.
Cask 2608 My, this is a truly amazing sherry cask! Intense and earthy aromas of glorious fruit, chocolate, mature honey, a touch of spice, floor polish, vanilla and a slight floral note. Just the nose is worth the entry fee! The aromas envelop the senses. Truly amazingly mature. The palate is pure liquid honey heaven! Along with chocolate, a touch of wood tannins, sherry spice and the most amazingly mature fruit. The mid palate is stunning and has this rum like dried spiced fruit thing going on. Intense, rich, fruity and exceedingly long. Finishes with menthol and reedy grass notes.
A drop of water makes no changes to the nose, but on the palate it makes it much more floral with a violety note. It really emphasises the natural oils. It removes a bit of the intensity but the spices just dance on the tongue. This is just too damn good! Take it neat or with water, either way it is one hell of a dram!
Cask 3496 A clean, lean, fighting machine! A veritable coffee overload, along with wood, dried mature orange fruit, old floor polish, beeswax, musty-ish dried spice, waxed, worn leather armchairs, old libraries! This is an amazing nose to fall into and just wallow in! I love it! The palte is mellow, deliociously oily with coffee, dried fruit, old wooden spice boxes, wood tannins, ceder, a touch of violets, old cigar smoke and dusty leather. I need to get the smoking jacket and an extremely large Cuban to accompany this magnificent old dram and sit in an old library next to a roaring fire – I think you kind of get the picture. In all this maturity it still has a balancing lively edge to it, it ain’t dead yet! A great mix of good spirit and wood. Absolutely no need for any water!
Cask 3490 Wow, definitely a first fill sherry butt! Rich and intense with some serious malty/ coffee drama going on, but the sherry takes the high ground. Oh god this is luxurious. A superb cask. Slightly floral and nutty notes emerge. An almost orgasmic experience, endlessly deep. Not an off note or a sulphur blemish in sight! The palate is dry, full of sherry fruit (surprise!). Intense, oodles of coffee, spice and wood tannins along with orange fruit. Superbly clean and intense with rich, malty dried fruit. A big wow! A drop of water brings out a very slight vegetal note on the nose and reminds me of a spicy madeira sponge cake soaked in coffee and sherry. On the palate it softens and rounds it out. This is so good, mature, mellow with a wonderful balance. Nuff said I think!
Quiet a floral nose with crisp honey, youthful cereal and the trademark heather note. Young, pleasant and summery! The palate is pretty much the same as the palate with a lovely juiciness along with the heather, gorse and late spice and coffee notes.
Cask 1886 Initially a big hit of vanilla. A real marzipan overload. A clean, lean Kentucky orientated aroma! Damn it’s big and saturated. Once it settles down some perfumed orange fruit becomes apparent along with a slight menthol, spice and earthy note. The palate pretty much mirrors the nose. Oak, oak and more oak, but wonderfully clean oak that is! Definitely one for the Bourbon lovers!
Stunning, deep, mature and complex nose with a pronounced intensity of cognac-esque dried citrus fruit, apricot, orange and peach along with sumptuous spicy, cinnamon wood notes, ginger, liquid toffee, a touch of vanilla along with a slight floral top note. The aromas come rolling in waves. Mellow, medium-full bodied opening with the cognac-esque fruits, then lavender, floor polish, tangy honeyed apricot and orange, followed by bucket loads of spice, a touch of smoke, sherry spice, marmalade orange, citrus peel finally descending into a mellow cinnamon and ginger conserve, liquid honey and a touch of black pepper on the finish. Do not under any circumstances add any water to this venerable malt it really kills the intensity. Definitely one for after dinner.
Yum, rich, oily orange fruit and intense bog myrtle-peat. Very deep and very good with that classic stinky Islay cow pat aromas! Oily on the palate with oodles of earthy orange fruit along with waves of earthy-peat and wood tannins. It’s intensely peaty and definitely takes no prisoners as the peat, peat and more peat verily bludgeons the palate. It definitely does what it says on the tin! Great length with hints of coal and garden fruit on the finish. A little drop of water actual makes it a bit less one-dimensional and brings out crisp garden fruits, peas manure, vanilla and herbs. On the palate it knocks back the sheer intensity but be in no doubt – the peat is still there, but it seems like it is in its purest form and literally crumbles on the tongue! Damn this is good!
Cask 5662 Initially the nose is quiet spirity but once it settles down it displays a lovely depth of orange fruit along with malt and grassy notes. Quiet full for a Lowland with a touch of buttery vanilla, banana and toffee. Soft and creamy on the palate with vanilla, cherries, citrus grass (especially on the middle) yet the alcohol dominates the palate. Lovely garden fresh (peas?) finish. A drop of water softens the nose emphasizing the grass and crisp fruit. On the palate it brings out a lovely sweetness. It has become very full bodied and displays a superb dry, spicy finish. Is this really 28 years old it tastes more like mid teens. Who said Lowlands can?t age? This is an exceptional cask.
Cask 15516 Big, juicy aromas of distinctive Bourbon-esque character. No surprise there is a huge array of dried fruit, sultanas, figs, candied citrus fruit, honey and a lovely menthol top note. In fact this is a lot more herbal than previous bottlings. Soft and juicy on the palate, maybe not as full bodied as previous bottling, but it is still delightful. Very complex with and quiet sweet with the juicy Bourbon-esque fruits balanced by a subtle grainy-ness. And not forgetting the riot of herbalists! The length is divine with a touch of salinity in the finish.
Sherry Cask 128321 Yes, it’s a sherry monster! Intense, leafy and very slightly vegetal (although that can be forgiven!) It’s earthy and honied with pure cocoa bean notes. There’s the crisp grain intensity lurking beneath all the buckets of mature honey, along with a touch of dried fruit and a slight floral note. The palate is no surprise quiet leafy and ever so slightly vegetal (again forgiven!) Wow, it’s 70% pure dark chocolate all the way, oily and intense with the grainy fruit coming through on the middle. It gently meanders into dried Guyana rum-like fruit, cane sugar, figs, raisins and hints of linseed oil. Finishing with a pure cocoa intensity. It doesn’t take to water particularly well, take my word for it, so if you are choco-holic then take it neat!
Clean, quite spirity but with an appealing aroma of citrus and vanilla, a touch of gooseberry and sugar cane, a drop of water brings out delicious aromas of tropical fruit, coconut and orange oil. Dry, yet rich and spicy?on the palate with?layers of oak and subtle tropical fruit unfolding, followed by pine, cereal and ginger. Lovely balance?and a crisp clean finish. Very rum like.
Cask 74063 There is a slight but not unappealing spirity-ness to this, more whisky-like than the Invergordon with citrus, cereal, light sugar cane and botanical aromas. The palate is a lot more together than the nose again quiet grainy and cerealy with delightfully juicy, soft honey, botanicals and herbaceous notes. It really fills out in the mouth with a touch of tangy tropical fruit and wood notes and a lovely sweet finish
Cask 1424 Brora was closed for good in May 1983, so there can’t be that much of it still left around, so one always jumps at the chance to taste one! The nose is very intense, crisp and clean with a delicate peaty aroma along with manure, a slight iodine, tar and rubber nuance. However there is the Clynelish character of rich fruit lurking somewhere in the background. It kind of reminds me of old bourbon casked Lagavulin. The palate is very obviously mature, light and delicate, with quiet a lot of wood tannins to begin with. Then in drifts the soot, coal dust and peat. The alcohol sort of masks the mid palate a bit, yet it is quiet fruity. It’s also very oily, and it definitely leaves a coating. It sort of hangs around rather than finishes – No it lurks! If it had gone to uni it would have got a first class degree in lurking!
A drop of water brings out a lovely liquid orange note on the nose, subdues the peat to an almost imperceptible level and emphasises the vanilla oak. On the palate it becomes a veritable sooty mouthful, leaving a smoky/ oily/ mature residue. Ok, so it’s not the most amazing bottling of Brora I’ve ever tasted, but like the Mosstowie it is a lovely mature dram and you are experiencing liquid history, never to be repeated again. So if I was going to be picky I would have like to have seen this bottles around 6 years earlier.
Cask 42 A little bit spirity and grassy to begin with. This dram needs a bit of patience because it takes awhile to open up. Eventually it beguiles with a lovely depth of creamy vanilla infused orange and tangerine fruits, followed by the building oak notes of crème caramel and burnt toffee. The palate initially is a bit oak dominated, but it is wonderfully soft and full of crème caramel, again a bit of patience is rewarded with oodles of spicy orange fruit, a slight floral note and a crisp granity finish.
A drop of water emphasises the granity notes on the nose, teasing out a lime not and subduing the oak. On the palate it is stunning, mouthfilling and mellow, with an absolutely devine mouth feel. Ok so it’s not the most complex of Dallas Dhu’s but it is a wonderful mature dram.
Cask 4031 Very clean and rich. Full of sherried orange fruit, dried, dusty spices and coffee. Luxurious and mature with malty fruit notes. You can quiet happily loose yourself in this nose for hours! Soft and quiet oily on the palate, mature, restrained, clean, focused earthy, mature sherry fruit along with coffee/ chocolate, and old leather armchairs. Lovely balance and very mouth filling with grilled nuts notes in the finish. No need for water this is just perfect.
Cask 5811 Amazingly rich and aromatic. Absolutley oodles of earthy, liquid orange and toffee, vanilla oak, and soft, sweet spices. There’s a lovely hard barley note in the background which stops it being to fluffy (technical term there!) with hints of liquid honey and ginger. The palate is wonderfully soft and inviting, with ginger spices, vanilla, mature apricot, banana, white fleshy fruit, a touch of raisins and finishing with a cinnamon flourish. Its sounds amazingly complex, and the nose is but the palate is a bit linear, maybe I’m being a bit picky and the alcohol is more intrusive than one would expect.
Water mutes the nose a bit, making it a bit oilier, and on the palate homogenises it, emphasising the spiciness and definitely lengthening, leaving behind a fleshy, white fruit after taste. Although I’ve not tasted many Mosstowies in my time, the ones I have tried have tended to be all mature dried fruit, but one thing I can say about this one is that it is definitely not showing its age!
Cask 775 Classic nose of crisp lemony fruit, grass, rushes and barley sugar. It has a lovely depth and a deft sweetness to the aromas. On the palate the creamy oak enhances the grass and citrus flavours. A lovely middle with barley sugar and spice notes which linger until the end. Finishes with a grass/rush after taste.
Cask 5639 Deeper and a lot more oilier than the sample of cask 5638. It has oodles of honied orange fruit, a touch of grass and a better balance of vanilla. Delightfully awesome with hints of soft, ground, sweet spices. A quiet oily entry. Soft, smooth with gloriously honied fruits and a winey sauvignon blanc-esque middle. Clean, hard and mineral finish with the sauvignon character persistent along with a touch of botanicals. A drop of water really doesn?t bring any further revelation so I would drink it neat.
Sweet bubblegum and citrus fruits on the nose. Delicately spicy with lemonade and cream soda. Water brings out banana, strawberries and cream along with floral and herbal notes. Light bodied, peppery with cedar wood and a slight creaminess. Water brings out charred wood and toasted, nutty linseed oil. (G&M)
This distillery was renamed Braeval in 1985. Sexy and alluring, gristy and fresh despite many years in wood, even a touch of peat: just astonishingly fresh and grassy despite the massive age. Mouth watering, clean, sweet, deftly smoked and glorious with the softest of oak presence. (JM)
A nice nose. Light, slightly sweetish, with distinct traces of cereal & smoke. Light to medium bodied, syrupy, with oranges & walnuts. Slight bitter finish with hints of oak & a slight woodiness in the aftertaste.
An intense, clean nose with oodles of maturing sherry fruit, herbs, slightly floral, tangerine/ orange with a developing earthy note. Dry, medium bodied with a hint of peat, then oloroso sherry fruit, smoke, earth and citrus fruit. Long with lots of smoke on the finish.
Initially a fruity lemonade winey note with herbal toffee and menthol aromas. Later the sherry wood, bruised apples and pear aromas become apparent. Rich and creamy on the palate with fudge and spicy crème caramel flavours. Finally the sherry notes become evident along with smoky nuances (GM)
Smooth, remarkably young & spirity nose. The sherry aromas are quite pronounced with hints of marzipan. The palate is like the nose, youthful, yet soft & smooth. Very fruity & tangy middle with spice & marzipan. Good length with a touch of salt in the finish.
A deeper more intense, mellow & complex nose with a touch of vanilla, oloroso sherry, moist fruit cake, dried fruit & spice. The palate is superb. Rich, complex & deep with dried fruit, sherry, hints of white fruit (esp on the middle) & honey. Very long, soft & smooth with hints of coffee on the finish.
A flowery, buttercup like nose. Light to medium bodied & quite oily. Fresh, floral & oily on the palate with a lightly clean maltiness & a long flowery dry finish.
Ripe, warm, furity nose with orange, tangerine, caramel, a hint of peat & salt. Rich, full bodied, sweetish with tangy citrus, oak, sherry & spice flavours. An intense, tangy middle with a lovely length
[Nose] Stunning aromas of mature, rich orange marmalade fruit, candied orange skins, mature honey and wonderfully mellow sherry spices. Seamless with a lovely crisp edge to it and a delightful floral top note.[Palate] Light and crisp. The flavours come in waves of spicy orange fruit, earth, malt and coffee. Again there is a lovely balancing hardness to the flavours.[Finish] Soft and very long with a pleasant tanginess and a touch of menthol.[Conclusion] Lovely balance of maturity with a youthful edge. Definitely not soft and fluffy!
Wow! Loads of delicate clean sherry fruit, candied orange, herbs, spice and pepper. Very, very creamy and malty. Incredibly fruity with a touch of tropical – banana, nectarine, tangerine all sprinkled with delightfully soft demarara sugar. Superb! A lovely clean, vivid, cream soda entry on the palate, followed by delicate sherried, juicy fruit, sweet orange and nectarine. It has a wonderful purity with loads of mouth watering barley sugar. Lovely length with a sweet spice flourish.
The peat arrives in its gristy, powdered form; the barley remains fresh and young with hints of orange. Mouth filling, gently oiled, the peat fills the palate at leisure while the oak offers the dryer chalky backdrop. Sweet and beguiling one of the peatiest, most sublime Adrmores ever to hit the market. This lothario of a malt is the closest you will ever get to seeing Port Ellen at its long lost peak. (JM)
The aroma is of creamy oak & orange, with some sherry & distinct tangerine notes. Light, smooth & sweetish on the palate, with some traces of tangerine/ orange, a touch of spice & subtle bourbon oak on the finish..
Rich, concentrated, prune, sultana, fig, Christmas cake, waxed floor & clove nose, which develops a luscious cr?me caramel note. On the palate it has sherry sweetness, a beautifully syrupy feel. Candied oranges & a burst of chocolate & spices. Very long and lingering
Quite a sweet nose, full of candied fruit, bourbon oak, honey, spices & a touch of peat. Full & soft on the palate. Fruity with honey & subtle spice. Quite weighty with a tangy middle with that slight touch of peat. A mouth watering finish with a citrus/ orange note.
A full bodied aroma, including scents of beeswax, malt & some sherry along with a curious sweet caramel note that can be best described as fresh meringues. The taste is sweetish, slightly salty & vaguely musty.
Hot cross buns, doughy, icing sugar, genuinely beautiful with sugared almonds and oak. Quite a lot of oak on the palate but the charisma of a great malt shines through. (JM)
[Nose] Crisp apples, pear and mature honey magically combine along with leafy mint and sweet, succulent orange fruit. Lovely depth, quiet aromatic and very complex with late sweet creamy oak. A perfect nose! [Palate] Crisp and mouthfilling with lovely mature, light honey, citrus orange fruits all wrapped in a delightful seductive, creamy oak shell. Delightful and harmonious with a touch of spice. [Finish] Soft, long and endlessly fruity with a lovely minty, leafy aftertaste. [Conclusion] Superb. Great balance between oak and spirit.
Aromatic, elegant with rich apricot fruit, almonds, crushed bananas in milk sprinkled with brown sugar very malty with leafy notes. Very oily & rounded on the palate with an appetising spiciness. Rich with dried fruit & toffee notes. A great whisky. (JM)
Oaky and a little starchy with lots of malt on the nose. Oak again but levels out to let in the sweet, biscuity barley. Lovely balance as the oak receeds to allow figs and vanilla in. A real sweet fest.
The nose is aromatic, with a trace of sherry & some peat smoke. A sweetish nose, although the taste is on the dry side - rich & complex, with malt & indeterminate floral flavours & spice. Long finish.
A slightly floral, rather light, bourbon oak dominated nose. Soft, clean & fruity with aromas of cr?me caramel & sweet vanilla. Fruity on the palate with a touch of spice. Straightforward & tangy with a long finish & a touch of salt in the aftertaste.
A lightly sherried nose with traces of toffee & rubber, then a deep fruity note. The flavour is indeterminate, slightly sweet & sherried, becoming dry - then suddenly explodes into more sherry at the end
Shows classic distillery characteristics of cod liver oil, black olive, dried seaweed & smoke. The palate builds slowly, mixing these flavours within a firm structure. With a touch of germolene on the finish. (JM)
Closed in 1993 - Lowland Sherry Confident, structured and beautifully balanced; nothing too sweet or dry despite the powering barley. [Palate] like the nose, perfect structure, controlled acacia honey; barley that is far more mouth watering than can be possible for its age and a softening marriage of natural toffee and spices which add further solidity. Layers of vanilla of varying intensity; a late gristy maltiness and a deft sprinkling of muscovado sugar.
The aroma is dry, spicy & strongly perfumed - roses, fresh black pepper, dry hemp rope - dusky, oriental & delightful. Very smooth & perfectly balanced, with a distinct smoky, artichoke flavour. Clean & dryish, with a perfect tapering finish.
Light in body, delicate with a sweetish, floral nose with a touch of peat & cereal. A delicate sweetness on the palate with a cut grass freshness, citrus fruits & a drying spiciness.
