GLEN MORAY 2004 15YO - DISTILLERY EDITION OB

This will be the last Glen Moray, I'll be reviewing for now...

While I feel the other expressions have been somewhat underpowered - its certainly not the case for this one. More of this, please Glen Moray... or at at least bottle at 46% and don't chill filter - it just takes away too many natural oils and flavors

This one doesn't suffer from either of the above, this is pretty much as close as you get to get your whisky straight from the cask, except for some rough barrier filtering and this is how whisky is supposed to be, IMO

A conclusion of the reviews I've made must be that Glen Moray is whisky very well made - but I knew that already. But as with many of the bigger producers they still fail to see that 40% and chill-filtration just kills off their whisky - with the exception of the one below

Different casks at Glen Moray incl a wine cask. You can recognize a wine cask by its extra hoops around the cask © Glen Moray

Glen Moray 2004 15yo 60,1% Burgundy Cask#213 - Distillery Edition

Nose:
initially a lot of wood, but that was to be expected coming from a wine cask - let's leave it for a bit...

Coming back 10mins later it's now it's bursting with sweetness - marzipan, sweet crushed blackberries, sweet mandarins, and icing sugar, concentrated garden roses and candies apples. After a while, hints of milk chocolate comes through as well.

Taste:
Lovely malty sweet arrival with much of the above mirroring itself on the palate after that. In addition, I get a little more wood than expected from the nose, but nothing invasive.

The wine notes are more dominant now, adding a distinct drying edge to this whisky. If you're a wine drinker it'll not feel invasive, but again, it is distinct. Finally, the alcohol delivery is significant but I do recommend not adding water to this if you can handle the abv% as water brings out more bitter notes, which some might not find desirable.

This sure is a whisky if you have a sweet tooth - and want your flavour delivered with a punch

86/100!

Official sample provided by the Danish importer

GLEN MORAY 10YO 'FIRED OAK' - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

We're on to the next Glen Moray review - this time I'll be reviewing the 10yo 'Fired oak' which is a combination of ex-bourbon and heavily charred fresh American oak casks.

So what does heavily charred oak add to the whisky, I hear you ask?
In this case, the good folk at Glen Moray have chosen to get American oak casks that have never been used before, charred, or burnt of you like, on the inside of the casks to a degreed where the casks produce a layer of charred oak, much like a piece of charcoal - on the outer layer of the oak staves.

This degree of charring brings out a more heavy cask influence than regular oak staves will, as the charring will have brought out more flavor compounds from the oak. The charring will also remove unwanted, usually natural sulphury notes from the maturing spirit - much like charcoal filtering normally do.

However, there is a fine balance to keep when using charred oak for maturation.
Some spirits lighter in character, like e.g. Glen Moray can easily be overpowered by charred oak, IMO - and this is probably why they have chosen to mix it with regular oak cask matured Glen Moray... A wise choice if you ask me!

Let's take a closer look:

Cask rows at a Glen Moray Warehouse © Glen Moray

Glen Moray 10yo 'Fired Oak' - Distillery Bottling

Nose:
Fresh warm baking, hints of orange peel, dark honey and overripe banana.
It's all carried forward by candied apples on a stick. After a while, a strong vanilla note comes through.

Taste:
Quite laid back and very much driven by the fired oak casks, making up what I would think is a large portion of this. A hint of burnt toast, thick malt, burnt caramel and some vanilla notes. The finish continues with quite some wood influence, turning it slightly bitter.

I like the nose on this and flavor-wise this is a notch heavier compared to the Elgin Classic edition. If you're new to whisky you'll either love or hate this as it introduces some new flavors that might need some getting used to. On the other hand, this also produces some more candy, burnt caramel-like notes that might appeal to some.

I actually felt more a sense of original Glen Moray whisky, drinking the 'Elgin Classic' than I do this. Also, I would also be more inclined to pick up the regular 12yo instead if this after comparing (UK) prices.

77/100!

Official sample provided by the Danish Importer

GLEN MORAY 'PORT CASK FINISH' - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

After a short break, I'm back with another Glen Moray review.

Now, I've always liked Port cask matured whisky - 'cause I'm also a Port Wine drinker. However, it comes very much down to if it has spent all its years in a port cask or if it has only been finished.
The latter is the case here... and as always it comes down to a combination of the original casks but especially the quality of the port casks, in my opinion.
I mean, like with whisky there's 'your run off the mill' and there are great quality casks - the same goes for port - There's what your Granny likes for Xmas and then there's the Prime Douro Valley stuff

But let's try this one...

A peak inside a Glen Moray Warehouse © Glen Moray

Glen Moray 'Port Cask Finish' 40% Distillery Bottling

Nose:
As expressive as the 'Egin Classic' was, this is its absolute counterpart - it definitely needs time to open up... zzzZZZzzz and we're back, now picking up some obvious vinous notes, wet cask staves, bung cloth, mint, and whiffs of strawberries

I feel like it's really being held back by either the quality of its initial maturation rather than the Port casks that have imposed a pinkish-orange hue to the whisky.

Taste:

More expressive on the palate for sure. Lovely cask spices, slight orange zest, alcohol-soaked blackberries, and generally quite earthy in style. The oak is very active and drying, especially on the finish, which this whisky sadly cannot withstand.

Now,  as I mentioned I normally like port cask matured whiskies but this one seems a bit rushed. Maybe a year or 2 more in the port casks to smooth out the rough edges? and would think Glen Moray could do better with a Port Cask whisky than this?

72/100!

Official sample provided by the Danish Importer

DIAGEO SPECIAL RELEASES 2020 - REVIEWS

The 8 Special Releases for 2020 © Diageo Press Kit

Very recently an invitation to join a virtual tasting of the Diageo Special Releases 2020 found its way into my mailbox - an invite hard to ignore and meaning a very nicely packaged tasting kit was received and an online link was provided.

How did I approach this tasting?

The tasting kit contained 8 x 3cl of each whisky.
The first 1-1½cl were tasted and preliminary notes were taken during the online event itself - mainly nosing notes were taken along with a few tasting notes.
Then 2 hours after the tasting and a thorough palate-cleansing, more serious work was put into the notes, on both smell and taste and I'll let you know right away - this changed my first perception quite a bit on more than a couple of the whiskies.

Before you scroll down and try to find scores on each of the bottles, then I have to disappoint you this time. I have not scored these, but reading my notes and finishing comments should still give you an idea of what I think of each whisky.

Cardhu 2008 11yo 56% Refill and new ex-bourbon hogsheads

Nose:

A good sweet malty edge with some white garden fruit and juice from mixed tinned fruits

Palate:
The palate shows quite some active wood, very much citrussy notes, honey and
malt

Water brings out more vanilla on the nose but increases the spiciness on the palate. A very refreshing and nice Cardhu but lacking a bit compared to the Special Release from 2019

Singleton of Dufftown 2002 17yo 55,1% Refill American Oak Hogsheads

Nose:

Lovely fresh and grassy, some vanilla and citrus ripe honey melon. also a dusty note in there...

Taste:
Quite sweet and honeyed, still... some garden fruit and fresh ginger coming through

Almost too sweet in the long run but a nice surprise in this otherwise impressive lineup. 

Dalwhinnie 1989 30yo 51,9% Refill ex-bourbon hogsheads

Nose:
Lovely old bourbon cask style nose, Lots of honey, boiled fruits and oak spice. Also in there a slight mineral and olive oil note along with a slight hint of wet newspaper

Taste:
I may be a bit sentimental here as Dalwhinnie 15 was one of my first single malts 20 years ago, but I was instantly taken back to that time. Honeyed, a slight mineral note, good spirit feel - citrus and pears

Do I even detect a slight hint of smoke on the very long finish of this?

A lovely, lovely dram! Yes, I'm a bit sentimental about Dalwhinnie since it was one of my first malts but this is indeed a very nice dram. I'd rush out and buy a bottle if it wasn't for its very high price tag.

Pittyvaich 1989 30yo 50,8% Refill casks finished in 1st fill ex-bourbon casks

Very different to begin with - will probably need time

Nose:
Initially some mint, herb garden, very malty
Returning to pour the rest this after a good 4 hours the nose has now shed all its distinctiveness and returned to more classic old whisky notes
Mellow and wet oak, lightly scented candle wax, tinned peaches and malt

Taste:
The palate carries a huge malty profile, along with overripe banana wet hops turning into a very ale-like on the finish

This is one of those drams that are really hard to decode but I do know I've really enjoyed this. And it's certainly better than the old 2009 Special Release...

Mortlach 1999 21yo 56,9% finished in toasted PX and Oloroso sherry casks

Nose:
Nice and characterful nose not drowned entirely in sherry.
Also, no sulfur from the sherry cask finishing - a big plus!

Quite a heavy nose, in fact, as one would expect from a Mortlach but the sherry is pretty much kept in the background. Instead, it's promoting a lovely array of fruity notes.

Taste:
Lovely heavy arrival, thick and rich - and quite waxy - is this a Clynelish? (Just Joking)

The sherry is more pronounced on the palate but in no way invasive - only a slight drying and bitter note on the finish reveals its presence.

As pleasant as this is, I can't help feel that this is also a bit one-dimensional as it never strays from a very fine line of fruity notes and some oak spice.
This is also a dram I think many people would take a liking to but sadly this also carries quite a hefty price tag.

Cragganmore 1999 20yo 55,8% Refill and new freshly charred ex-bourbon hogsheads

Nose:
A heavier than normal style for Cragganmore if you ask me - Are the re-charred casks speaking quite loud here?

Getting a hint of red berries but with burnt orange notes taking over and delivering something resembling sherry cask influence even though the official cask make-up says otherwise. (those re-charred casks again?) 

Think dark honey, slightly burnt caramel - think creme brulee. Also getting very sweet dessert wine notes. Very expressive!

Taste:
Quite a traditional Speyside whisky arrival turning towards darker notes straight away. I feel that this is very much cask driven and not so much letting the Cragganmore spirit shine. This is like going half-way with caramel Macchiato maybe? Also licorice root and added walnut for extra bitterness.

I was initially impressed with this, especially with its nose but the palate lets this one down a bit after a re-taste. Just too bitter and out of balance for me. Is it bad? no - just not my kinda preferred profile.

Talisker 2011 8yo 57,9% Refill casks finished in Caribbean Rum Casks

Nose:
Drying smoke, seaside salt, bbq flavored crisps with a hint of vanilla and cracked white peppers. Also a hint of white wine downwind from a garden bonfire.

Taste:
Very drying on arrival - is this distillate driven? If yes, I would like some more cask influence, please... sweet peat, notes of white rum indeed along with some vanilla influence. Salty green olives and rocket salad bitterness.

A bit disappointed to be honest having tried a few young Taliskers over the years.
I so much more prefer the excellent Special Release 2018 8yo over this any day!

Lagavulin 2007 12 56,4% Refill hogsheads and butts

Nose:
A more delicate Laga12 than some of the previous years' releases? Certainly less smoky/peaty and 'in your face'. Notes on bbq'ed burnt lemon slices, smoked mustard glazed ham, peat bog after the rain and wet gravel

Taste:
Great arrival on peat, olives in seawater, some mineral note (chalk?) More lemony notes coming through as well - all finishing on a smoked paprika note

A Laga12 a bit out of the ordinary style - quite refreshing, IMO

Conclusion:
There are no bad whiskies here. All range from good to excellent.
Sadly, some of these whiskies carry a price tag higher than your average whisky drinker is willing to spend- but maybe that's why they're bottled in the Special Release series. All are bottled in limited numbers - but still in the several 1000s.

I hope you've enjoyed my review of the DSRs for 2020

Official samples were provided by Diageo Denmark. All pictures from the official Diageo Press Kit

GLEN MORAY 'ELGIN CLASSIC' - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

It's time to review a small handful of more commonly available whiskies - 4 to be exact - all from Glen Moray Distillery in Elgin, Speyside.

I'll start off with what Glen Moray themselves also call 'Elgin Classic' which pretty much sums up what this is - Straight forward easy drinkable whisky from this giant hidden in a residential neighborhood in Elgin.

The last time I visited was in September 2019 and would like to go back - and quite possibly pick up one of the very nice hand-bottlings offered there.
Since circumstances currently prevent travel, I'll have to settle for a virtual trip down Bruceland Road

Glen Moray Distillery at the end of Bruceland Rd. in Elgin © Glen Moray

 

Glen Moray 'Elgin Classic' 40%, Distillery Bottling

Nose:
Very expressive, much more than expected - promising...
I expect a lot of 1st fill ex-bourbon casks at work here.
Lots of grassy notes, a floral hint, and then green apples and malty notes and sugary lemony sponge case fresh from the oven.
After a while, some wood chip notes and a hint of wet newspaper peeps through

A nose that would appeal to many first-time whisky drinkers, I expect

Taste:
Quite warming for 40% as if the casks have a bit too much to say here? Slightly off-balance, maybe... The palate is very much an echo of the nose with warm apple, some citrus, and grassy notes, and a quite surprisingly long finish

I do not recommend you add water to this one - doing so kills it off and brings out an unwanted note of varnish/paint thinner on the palate.

Do I like it? yes, I do... Will I drink if offered, yes, I will...
I would have loved to try this at 43% or even 46% where I think this would be much better as the delivery still leaves a few things to be desired.

All in all a good starter whisky for new malt drinkers as well as fairly inexpensive compared to other entry-level whiskies.

77/100!

Official sample provided by the Danish Importer

SPRINGBANK 1993 26YO - VIRTUAL OPEN DAY 2020 DISTILLERY BOTTLING

Due to Covid19 this year, lots of festivals and whisky gathering have been cancelled. However, quite a few have also moved online and the Campbeltown Malt Festival 2020 that was originally scheduled for May 2020 was also moved online - placed in the last week of October.

The festival gave us a tasting each night from Monday - Friday, each tasting having at least a couple of star drams. One of those and one highly anticipated was the Springbank 1993 26yo Open Day bottle - a vatting of 2 bourbon casks. This was included in the Springbank Tasting Kit for the Friday night tasting along with 5 other drams, incl. a preview tasting of the next Local Barley - don't try and chase it down, folks - it will not be released until sometime in 2021.

Anyways, the purpose of this writeup was to review the Springbank 26yo - a, for some, a bit had to interpret dram. At least that was my impression from the comments during the tasting which left me thinking that the people giving this a not so good review, maybe didn't give this dram the time it deserved?
However, I did... I poured it a good 45min before I even approached it except for an initial sniff thinking it seems very closed up.

So what did I get from it once I went back to it? My notes are below the picture...

The Springbank 1993 26yo Virtual Open Day 2020 Bottling

Springbank 1993 26yo 51,1%, 2 Refill Bourbon Hogsheads, 432 bottles, Springbank Virtual Open Day 2020

Nose:
The Open Day has a cracking nose, initially dusty and notes of wet sand.
A bit closed but opens up nicely showing a slightly peaty side before going fruity. Quite some brine in there as well. The fruits, some tropical and citrus ones are struggling a bit to come through but give this time and you will be rewarded. All in all quite vibrant for a 25yo+ whisky

Taste:

Quite potent on arrival, peat, overripe apples and pears, honey, cask spices... Ginger and pepper, a little salty, the peat linger along with a nice malty finish. A few drops of water brings out more tropical style fruit notes but never leaving its Springbank DNA behind.

As with the 24yo Springbank from Cadenhead released in 2019, this needs time.
Time to breathe in the glass and time on the palate. It cannot, or I'd rather say, it must not be rushed. Give it time and you will be rewarded. A cracker!

91/100!

SPRINGBANK 1995 18YO FRESH PORT HOGSHEAD - SPRINGBANK'S 'THE CAGE'

Outside, the World is going mad, trying to escape the Corona virus.
Inside and trying to keep sane I popped this Springbank distilled on 26. May 1995 and matured for 18 years in a fresh Port Hogshead before being bottled at 51,7% on 14. May 2014, just 12 days short of its 19th birthday.

Honestly its not fair reviewing this as its a one off, so no chance of picking up a bottle like it - only a similar one - if you're extremely lucky

Springbank 1995 18yo Fresh Port Hogshead 51,7% - Springbank 'The Cage'

Nose:

The nose is stunning, the Springbank character is there with both brine and peat, but its wrapped in this delicate wine sweetness that never manages to take over completely but instead delivers both oranges and Christmas cake notes. Stunning!!

Taste:
The feel in the glass is heavy as are the curtains on the glass. The arrival is mellow at first, the wine paving the way but never taking over. The Springbank DNA is so close behind, it instead delivers a mix of all things Springbank mixed with a very clean spot on port cask. Sorry Folks, this has to be tasted to get the full impression. Only thing I can say now is that I know this bottle won't last long... Again stunning! Lost for words! But you'll have to like this style of almost too much cask influence...

91/100

HIGHLAND PARK 2003 12YO - DISTILLERY BOTTLING FOR BRAUNSTEIN & FRIENDS

Its been a while since the last update here on The Malt Desk itself. As always other stuff (life) seems to interfere incl a 10 day trip to Scotland (Speyside & North Highlands) did provide for updates for The Malt Desk's Facebook page and Twitter (@themaltdesk)

But there has also been a streak of writers block much derived from some of the things happening with whisky at the moment but I will not get into that in this post...

In March this year, at the Danish Whisky Fair, plans were revealed to me that Highland Park try and return to their roots and start doing stuff like single cask bottlings for various markets again - something that had not been done much of over the past 5+ years... and on the 15th October this year, the first single cask for Denmark in a number of year was released as a part of Danish Distillery Braunstein's Whisky Fair. The bottle is a 2003 12yo heavily sherried release that immediately caught the attention of Highland Park fans - especially through the Highland Park Appreciation Society group on Facebook.

I decided to order the 2 bottles per person limit in pre-order and upon receiving the bottles, the online chatter about this bottling had really taken off with most asking how to get a full bottle as it had sold out over the release weekend or asking how to obtain a sample. Some had also tasted it at the Braunstein Whisky Fair and was raving about it, statements that spiked my curiosity further. After posting of my (so far closed) bottles bottles on Facebook, I had more and more people asking for my opinion on it - both in regular posts and in private messages which means there must be at least a few people out there that values my opinion ;-)

Anyway, its good to see Highland Park returning to releases like this. The only sad thing is that people are selling them off straight away for a profit...

Oh, wait I just did get into one of the things that's been keeping me away from the blog for a while...

So, let's take a look at this single cask Highland Park... 

I had a couple of friends try this one out as well and got a couple of interesting descriptions from them :)
The most descriptive one must be this from my friend MBO:

"This whisky is so massive that its the fluid embodiment of Brand Ambassador Martin Markvardsen, sweaty and reeking of masculinity in nothing but a kilt charging down onto the beaches from the cliffs of Yesnaby while wielding a two-handed viking broadsword, defending the Islands from whisky raiders"

My other friend MP was a bit more traditional:

"This whisky is such strong sherry influenced whisky, so strong it resembles red  balsamic vinegar and spicy oak juice and leaves little else to the drinker"

You can read my personal notes and thoughts below the picture...

The entrance to Highland Park Distillery, August 6th 2009 © The Malt Desk

Highland Park 2003/2016, 12yo, 58,3%, 1st fill European Sherry butt#5878, 648 bottles, Distillery Bottling for Braunstein & Friends, Denmark

Colour is dark mahogany
Lets hope it doesn't have any s-notes - regular readers will know I'm sensitive to that :O

Nose:
Huge on sherry and struck matches on the nose, turning towards reduced tomato glace - a little sweet peat smoke is surfacing, but its struggling to make its way through. There's some dark chocolate, charred oak and with water some café latte and mentholated notes. The peat smoke is also more noticeable now along with a fruity sweetness subdued by the strong sherry, charred and struck match notes. The reduced nose down to maybe 45% leaves little or no trace of unpleasentries.

Taste:
Again big on the sherry, red balsamic vinegar, charred wood chips and prune juice, grilled beetroot left too long on the bbq, dark old style sugar cane rhum and burnt molasses, spicy sherry oak notes, burnt grilled sausages, damp peat and something like inhaling the smoke from burning your organic garden waste. The finish is carried a long way by the sherry but then gets the dreaded pop-up of sulphur of the matchstick kind - like on the nose. It's certainly quite a massive release this one and in trying to come up with a conclusion to this one and it must be that, as my initial impressions followed through...

Closest comparison I'll make is that its a Highland Park 'Dark Originis' on steroids. That said, there's still something more in this one as in quite bit more sherried, there's more peat smoke and charred notes. Sadly there's still noticeable matchbox sulphur in here too. I know that a lot of people like this note and on top of that statistics also shows that close to 30% of all people can't even pick up the note.

I remember older bottlings of Highland Park not having this distinct note (reference here are the old OBs e.g. the 12 & 18) and when I argue this its because I also find it, very vaguely though, in the new releases of the OBs and vaguely probably because they've:

1. Been watered down to 40/43%
2. The amount of first fill casks going into these are obviously smaller than when dealing with a single cask bottling like the Braunstein & Friends-bottling 

I'm sadly left with the feeling that its just the style of sherry casks Highland Park get from their contracted bodega - or at least it was back in the day when this cask was laid to rest in 2003.

What I'm then left to ponder over is whether the 30% not able to taste these notes + those that like these notes is such a large part of the customer base that its not worth spending time and money trying to get rid of it??

All these things said (some less flattering) its still good whisky as you can water your way out of the matchstick sulphur in this - or at least down to an acceptable level. Luckily for me the matchstick kind isn't the type I'm overly sensitive to (its the rubbery kind) so Yes, I can drink this neat but the presence of matchstick sulphur just irritates me as this bottling could have been a belter without it!

Are you looking for a score? ok, I'll give you one...

78/100

HIGHLAND PARK 'HOBBISTER' - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

As with many recent bottlings of Highland Park, there was also a bit of fuss surround the release of the 'Hobbister'... The fuss, however was a bit more of a technical kind. Only 1200 bottles was released of this one and it was only available at the distillery itself and/or online in the distillery webshop...

The web traffic generated when the bottles went online made the Highland Park website crash so you couldn't finish your order. People were also queueing outside the distillery to get a bottle, so what a start for this bottling, eh? :) Bottom line is that it sold out in a flash when the website was working...

Official picture by Highland Park 

Anyway, this bottling is the first of 5,  in a series called the 'Keystone'-collection where Highland Park will be focusing on the following:

• Aromatic Peat
• Sherry oak
• Cool maturation
• Harmonisation
• Hand turned malt

This one, the 'Hobbister' is named after the moor where Highland Park cuts its peat used in about 20% of their production. The whisky itself is supposedly made up of 6yo Highland Park from 1st and refill ex-bourbon casks, mixed with some 12yo...

So how did I get my hands on some?
As I mentioned above, this sold out in a flash, leaving a lot of people frowning.
Luckily a bottle was offered up as samples by Thorfinn Craigie from the Highland Park Appriciation Society on Facebook and then kindly administered by Ian Moir- Huge thanks, gents!

The 'price'? A donation to RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) This ended up with a total donation of £700 for the RNLI, some of it also raised at a local tasting on Orkney. Well done, all! :)

The cheque of £700 is handed over to the RNLI by Thorfinn Craigie, Martin Markvardsen and Ian Moir - Picture by Jim Lyngvild (thanks for the use, Jim)

Highland Park 'Hobbister' 51,4%, 1200 bottles, Distillery bottling (RRP was £75)

Colour is pale amber

Nose:
Quite upfront with lots of burning twigs and leaves, like burning your garden cuttings, but underneath you get some very nice tropical fruit and quite a bit of floral notes, like fabric softener.

After a while the peaty smoke notes retreats somewhat allowing a more citric and malty edge to peak but also revealing a few notes of young whisky.... this, however, comes and goes and is never uncomfortable in any way and I fell it somehow carries the floral forward

Taste:
A good burst of floral peat and honey to start with, then lots of crisp malt and a brown sugary note... There's also some vanilla pods and hint of smoked pineapple here.

The sherry influence is coming through a bit more here with hints of candied apple and charred oak. The floral peat pops back up mid- to end palate and leaves a taste of something pleasant reminding me of kissing my grandmother on the cheek, like a mix of perfume and cigar...

What do I think if this? Quite good, actually - its very lively and fresh Highland Park... and very different too, I think with its very aromatic peat style. The whole thing is quite well put together and it constantly bounces back and forth producing both young and notes of older whisky. Finally bottling this at 51,4% was the right choice as I think some of its flavours would have gotten lost at a lower abv%

87/100!

LAGAVULIN 8YO 200TH ANNIVERSARY - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

This year, Lagavulin Distillery celebrates its 200th anniversary and this 8yo release is a part of that celebration. Now, we all know the 16yo Lagavulin well and there's a chance you've tried the Distiller's Edition as well - the expression matured in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks... hey, maybe you have even tried the 12yo annual release at cask strength?

Anyway, there's no doubt that Lagavulin is an Islay Great, so I was really looking forward to see if they were able to hold their flag high with this 8yo release... It's supposedly matured in both refill European and American oak and then bottled at 48% abv.

The Lagavulin Pagodas, May 11th 2015 © The Malt Desk

Lagavulin 8yo 48% 200th Anniversary edition, Distillery bottling

Colour is pale white wine

Nose:
A bit young but that was to be expected... quite some  barley sugar sweetness coming through wrapped in camp fire smoke and a mineral/flinty note. A little honey, banana and melon on the grill and smoky white rum. Very well behaved for an 8yo, I must say...

Taste:
Surprisingly little youth influence, although its noticeable...
I get the feeling that there's some whisky, slightly older than 8yo making up this one. There's a lot of campfire notes again, like lipping the end of a burnt log, very drying like ash and wet wood and leaves. Again I get that mineral and flinty note but this time its very well wrapped in gingery and slightly nutty notes... almonds maybe? - especially with water... the finish is very much on smoky, salty seaweed so here its leans a bit more on the Lagavulin 12 style... I just wish it would have been bottled at, maybe 55%??

Its certainly an enjoyable whisky and its being sold for €40 in discount supermarket here... so certainly a bang for you buck whisky here!! However that won't affect my mark

86/100!

SPRINGBANK 1999 16YO LOCAL BARLEY - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

This highly anticipated bottling have been reviewed to death on a number of blogs already, but I'm going to review it anyway. I'm of course talking about the 2016 edition of Springbank's Local Barley... it's a revival of a tradition Springbank has, using barley grown locally on Kintyre for a range of bottlings. The first ones were distilled all the way back in 1965, 1966 and 1970 and bottled mainly in the 1990s (although a couple were bottled in 2000) and are some of the biggest cult bottlings you get from Springbank except for the 1919 and Millenium bottles.

This particular release saw the light of day in February this year and the bottles flew off the shelves everywhere at a price of close to £100. I'm guessing many were bought purely in an attempt to make a quick profit as we now see many of this 9000-bottle release appearing left and right on auction sites, which is sad really 'cause its cracking whisky... but I guess its just another sign of the times.

The 99' Local Barley is made with 'Prisma'-barley, a strain not often used anymore but was used widespread around the turn of the Millennium. It was grown on Low Machrimor Farm near Southend on the very tip of the Kintyre peninsula, then malted, distilled (of course), matured and bottled on-site at Springbank Distillery. The bottling is a mix of 80% ex-bourbon casks and 20% ex-sherry casks-

So, just how cracking is it? Let's take a closer look...

The stills at Springbank, May 10 2011 © The Malt Desk

Springbank 1999 16yo (xx.09.1999/xx.01.2016) 54,3%, 9000 bottles, Distillery bottling

Colour is pale gold

Nose:
My bottle has been open for about 2 weeks now and just removing the cork and splashing about 3½ cls in my glass raises delightful aromas of citrus and vanilla before my nose even gets close to the glass. I already mentioned the citrus and vanilla, but there's also quite a bit of a waxy note as if someone poured a large splash of Clynelish in here.

I get some dirty chimney and noticeable peat, honey, lemon oil, fresh grass and and wet dirt like stepping out onto the lawn after the rain. Quite refreshing and I dunno why but this gives me the feeling of nipping at a whisky mojito when water is added. The water also makes the nose give off some pineapple and lemon wrapped in a thin layer of brine... What a fantastic nose !!

Taste:
The palate is very well behaved without water, but add some and there's that whisky mojito packed with malt, loads of lemon and mint leaves on top +  plus a little peat!

The water gives the whole thing quite a Schweppes fizzyness but it never lets you forget you're dealing with a Springbank here. There's lots of light oils, like the ones you used for your toys when you were a kid. There's ash, vanilla again, mere hints of pencil shavings, juicy malt, delicate wood spices (peppers)...

Everything's just here in beautiful measures!

Brilliant stuff!!

91/100!

BENROMACH 1974 41YO - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

Benromach Distillery in Forres in Speyside just released this oldie from 1974 as a follow-up to their release of a 35yo expression earlier this year.

The packaging is similar til the 35yo, however this is a vintage 1974 where as the other didn't carry a vintage. This is also bottled at a higher strength which I expect will do this one good :-)

To me, the 70s are one of the golden decades in whisky, so here's to hoping that also applies to this single cask from Benromach.

Time to try this...

Picture by G&M

Benromach 1974 41yo 49,1%, sherry butt#1583, 452 bottles, Distillery bottling

Colour is amber

Nose:

Picture by G&M

Polished wood, oranges, resin, bung cloth, pencil shavings, Pickwick multi dried tea leaves and hints of apricot and Madeira and just a little clove.

Taste:
A lighter arrival and initial mouth feel than expected. Through comes polished leather, dark honey, malt extract, elderberry juice, stewed apple and overripe banana and hints of rum soaked raisin. The finish is on alcohol soaked sponge cake and coffee grounds and a tiny bit of smoke.

A lighter experience than expected as already mentioned but still very delicious! Since I don't give ½ points here, it places itself along side the 35yo which I found just a tad more lively, even though it was only 43% abv.... but I'm really splitting hairs here!

90/100!

Official sample supplied by Gordon & Macphail

LAPHROAIG 'LORE' NAS - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

A good whisky friend of mine offered me a sample of the Laphroaig 'Lore' - and who am I to say no to that - So thank you, A! :-)

My initial thoughts were that the 'Lore' is a whisky I wouldn't go out and spend my money, at least not until I've tried it so here was a golden opportunity to do just that.

Regular readers will know that I'm not a big fan of NAS (No Age Statement) whisky as I often find that the price and quality don't match. At the moment we're seeing more and more distillers moving towards NAS and to me that's a slippery slope as a consumer as I want to know what both what I'm drinking and last but not least, paying for...

OK, enough on the NAS issue - let's if this one is compatible with my taste buds

Stainless steel washbacks at Laphroaig, June 12th 2007 © The Malt Desk

Laphroaig 'Lore' 48%, Distillery bottling

Colour is pale gold

Nose:
Immediate hit of cigar ash, some vanilla, cooking with ginger, overripe banana, fresh flowers, layer cake sweetness and only then some sweet peat. The peat seem quite restrained to me as if its not what you want as a driving force in this whisky - which too bad when its Laphroaig we're talking about. Water releases some more kiln smoke and quite some earthy notes in this one...

Taste:
OK, there's a bit more Laphroaig here. Sweet peat lands right away.
Sweetness seems to be the theme going all the way through here with vanilla, banana, lots of barley sugar (wort). More fruit notes peaks through after a little while, mainly apple and hints of citrus. Those are wrapped in more gingery notes and a bit of oak spices for a quite short finish leaving only a bit of peat...

Like the Laphroaig Quarter Cask I also felt that in this one, there's been some smaller casks involved and looking up information online confirmed my suspicion - it contains quarter casks and adds that bit too much non integrated oak notes and sweetness but no depth.

To me, it seems the profile of Laphroaig these days is one that caters for drinkers with a sweet tooth. That said, its not a bad whisky, by no means, but it just lacks both punch and character. I like my Laphroaig more rough around the edges, which is why I go for the 10yo Cask Strength edition or indie bottlings as cask strength.

Finally, is it worth around the £80 they're charging for it?
No, not in my book, its not! The problem with NAS bottlings are often that the price doesn't match the quality of the whisky and this is a good example of just that.

Will I drink this again if offered?
Yes, I didn't say it was bad, did I?

Is it good?
It's good, but frankly I've had better...

Will I be buying a bottle?
No, I'd go for an indie bottling with an age statement and at full cask strength instead!

Again, as with many official bottlings these days, its made for the large consumer group and not the whisky anorak. We need to remember that official bottlings like this are the bread and butter for the distilleries - it's where they make their money... and we need people to buy bottlings like this - if they don't, anoraks wouldn't be getting what we like ;-)

Again, thanks to AC for the sample!

83/100!

HIGHLAND PARK ICE 17YO - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

Another anticipated release for this spring, is the Highland Park 'Ice'...

It's the first Highland Park Limited Edition after their 'Valhalla'-series and with this one, they remain with the Norse Mythology, this time going back to the legend of the creation of the realms, starting with 'Ice' and ending with 'Fire' in late summer/early autumn of 2016. Official sources confirm that there will not be 9 bottlings even though there are 9 realms in the Norse Mythology - Just to clear that up right away :-)

What else, you ask? well, the 'Ice' is made up of 100% ex-bourbon casks. There is, however, a small twist to these casks... they all had toasted oak cask ends, adding just a bit more to the whisky. It's also 'limited' to 30.000 bottles, 'limited' here meaning its a one-off bottling, there will not be another batch. Its RRP is £190, which is about 5% more than the last bottling in the 'Valhalla'-series, but it may, of course, vary depending on your location.

Preliminary rumors say this will taste much like the 'Freya' from the 'Valhalla'-series, so let's see if that's true...

Official picture by Highland Park

Highland Park 'Ice' 17yo 53,9%, ex-bourbon casks, 30.000 bottles, Distillery bottling

Colour is pale straw

Nose:
Very closed right after its poured - this needs a little TLC. After 10 mins with my hand around my Glencairn, this is a whole other creature. The nose is very deep and warming with vanilla, papaya, pineapple, orange blossoms, fresh ginger, sugary wort, hints of mint, buttered toast and a dash of smoke. Very nice :-)

Taste:
The arrival is thick and creamy and right away it gives off a little alcohol bite. This is replaced with lashing of honey, vanilla, spicy malt, overripe lemon, hints of cinnamon, gingerbread, orange liqueur and and some mellow peat. The finish shows a little licorice and spicy/peppery and vanilla'ed malt.

Not as light in style as expected, this one...

It carries that warm and thick feeling through both on the nose and palate and I don't really think it lives up to its name in that respect, but I do see where the official statement about this one being similar to the 'Freya' comes from. They are similar, yes, but I think if Highland Park had called 'Freya' for Ice and vice versa, the names and styles, would have fitted more properly.

Other than that, its there's not much to comment on other than its good straight forward whisky...

86/100!

Sample provided by Edrington Denmark

WOLFBURN 3YO (2016) - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

A very anticipated released in March 2016 is the first whisky from Wolfburn Distillery in Thurso, on the very edge of Caithness in northern Scotland.

Those of who you doesn't know Wolfburn, the distillery is rebuilt very close to where the original Wolfburn Distillery was built in 1821. The original distillery only operated for about 40 years before fell silent and into ruin.

The planning for the new Wolfburn Distillery started in 2011 and already in January 2013 the first spirit flowed off the stills at the new Wolfburn Distillery and for the past few weeks the guys at Wolfburn have been bottling their first release - a 3yo from ex-bourbon casks.

Read more about the story and resurrection of Wolfburn on their official website here: http://www.wolfburn.com/

You're probably very interested in what this tastes like, so let's get down to business...

Wolfburn Wall of Casks - Picture from Wolfburn Media Kit

Wolfburn 3yo 46% ex-bourbon barrels & quarter casks (2016) - Distillery bottling

Colour is pale white wine

Nose:

Picture by Wolfburn DK

A sweet and very mellow nose with vanilla and some apple, lemon, ginger shortbread, green banana and warm laundry out of the dryer. Yes, its young whisky, but served blind I would have guessed around 6-7 years as it has no real rough edges - you really have to take you time to find just vague hints of real youth in this, very impressive in fact!

Taste:
Just a slight bit more youth on the palate than on the nose, but still far from anything invasive. Lots of grassy and lemony notes. If left for a short while it gets slightly more fruity with nectarines coming through, along with ginger and a bit of vanilla again. Eventually some green grapes and an acidic and peppery and drying punch comes along with some cooling cucumber notes towards the very finish - a finish which is surprisingly long for such a young whisky!

OK, this is perhaps not a super complex of whisky, but people, it's just 3 years old and what they've managed at Wolfburn in such a short time is really commendable and its probably some of the best 3yo whisky I've tried.

Gonna love watching this one grow up... it definitely has potential!

83/100!

Wolfburn is available from March 18th 2016 in the UK and around Easter elsewhere, though it may vary from country to country.

Sample provided by the Danish Wolfburn Distributor

BENROMACH 35YO - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

Early in the 1980s, the production team at Benromach laid down some of sherry casks that has gone onto to becoming the new 35yo Benromach. Very few casks from that era remains as Benromach Distillery in was mothballed in 1983 and for that reason we're now looking at a production gap from 1983 until 1998 when Gordon & Macphail started production there again.

On its way to the retailers now are the Benromach 35yo which will land at a price of around £425 depending on where in the world you are. Its beautifully packaged and if you ask me, it could have been a lot more expensive than it is, when you compare it to similar bottlings from other distilleries... that said, the price tag still places it in the premium range of whiskies out there.

So, what's all the fuzz about, you ask?

Picture by G&M

Benromach 35yo 43% - Distillery bottling

Colour is Amber

Nose:

The first thing that comes to mind is just lovely old mellow whisky. There's a bit of lacquer, lots of overripe fruit - some very tropical in style, orange peel, honeycomb, barley wine, a noticeable smoky/burnt note in there as well along with a very present cinnamon note.... there's something about this whisky that reminds me of Xmas :-)

Picture by G&M

Taste:

Again very mellow, brown banana, fresh raisins, honey cake, marinated pear, some resin, slightly musty, more oranges and chocolate. On the finish, some toasted oak and traditional tobacco shop along with a refreshing hint of mint

This is great whisky from when I was still in school - time flies!

90/100!

Official sample provided by Gordon & Macphail

RARE BENROMACH 35 YEARS OLD SINGLE MALT WHISKY UNVEILED

The Benromach Distillery Company Ltd. today reveals one of their rarest expressions to date, Benromach 35 Years Old, an exclusive whisky crafted at the distillery before the Urquhart family, owners of leading whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail, revived it in 1998.

Handcrafted using the finest natural ingredients at the Forres distillery, Benromach 35 Years Old is an exceptional whisky with real heritage and an original tale or two, having been laid down to mature in the 1980’s.  

Golden amber in colour, Benromach 35 Years Old (ABV 43%) is a most satisfying Speysider with cinnamon hints and beeswax polish, stewed pear and a delicate charred Oak edge.

The bespoke decanter style bottle protecting the precious whisky is encased within a wooden presentation box, reflecting the various elements which have gone into making the whisky; the copper stills, the dark, grained wood of the original washbacks, and the white of the limewashed distillery walls.

This rare whisky, dating back to a time before Benromach was restored in the ‘90s, exudes the heritage of the Speyside distillery. Created under the watchful eye of Donald MacDonald, former Distillery Manager, the casks this whisky was matured in have long been a part of the Benromach history. Willie McArthur, former malt man and warehouseman, was one of the workers responsible for protecting the precious casks remaining in the bonded warehouses.  

Benromach Distillery Manager Keith Cruickshank said: “Benromach 35 Years Old is a very special whisky for everyone at the distillery, as very few casks of Benromach remain from this time period. “Benromach today is created respecting the traditional working practices of yesteryear and is lovingly handcrafted by sight, by sound, and by touch, using the finest natural ingredients. The 35 Years Old is the perfect dram to toast the past, present and future of Benromach.”

Official Tasting notes:

Benromach 35 Years Old, 43% ABV

Colour: Golden amber

Aroma without water: Rich sherry influences with orange marmalade, kiwi and grapefruit aromas, complemented by gorgeous cinnamon spice

Taste without water: Initially, it is sweet on the palate with honey, fruitcake, ripe banana and melon flavours. Watch out for the smooth white chocolate edge as it develops, combined with a soft menthol note, giving a full body and long and smooth fruity finish

Aroma with water: Sherry influences with honey, blackcurrant and beeswax polish aromas, complemented by a subtle hint of cloves

Taste with water: A fabulous combination of white pepper followed by dried tobacco, dewy stewed pear, raisin and zesty orange peel flavours, heightened by a delicate edge of charred oak… the result of lingering for over three decades in oak casks.

Benromach 35 Years Old is available to purchase at specialist whisky retailers with an RRP in the United Kingdom of £425. Prices may vary in international markets due to duty and import taxes. For more information on Benromach, and to explore the wide range of expressions available, please visit www.benromach.com

About Benromach

Originally built in 1898, Benromach Distillery was brought back to life when leading whisky specialists Gordon & MacPhail purchased it in 1993. The distillery was extensively re-equipped over a five-year period before it was officially opened by HRH Prince Charles in 1998.

In reopening Benromach Distillery, Gordon & MacPhail decided to create a classic Speyside single malt – a style that draws its influence from Speyside whiskies pre-1960s.

Benromach Distillery is located on the outskirts of the ancient market town of Forres. A four-star visitor centre is open to the public throughout the year for tours and tastings. Benromach Distillery is a member of the world famous malt whisky trail.

THE ARRAN MALT 2001 13YO - DISTILLERY BOTTLING FOR GLASGOW WHISKY CLUB

We're almost at the end of this Arran Verticale, but this a couple of more to go - this one included.

As a member and Chairman of a Whisky Club myself, its always fun to try bottling done for other clubs/societies. This one I was looking particularly forward to as I through acquaintances with some of the guys in gWc had heard many good things about it... But we all know how tastes can vary - so would this also fit a Danish palate?

The Arran Malt 2001 13yo (28.05.2001/06.01.2014) 54,7%, sherry hogshead#2001/098, Distillery bottling for Glasgow Whisky Club

Colour is mahogany

Nose:

A deep almost syrupy nose, raisin, prunes, truffle, chocolate and overripe oranges - absolutely fantastic!

Taste:

Sun dried grapes, very PX (is this a PX sherry-cask?) blackberry, prunes, nutmeg, dark cherries. There's an underlying herbal note and some licorice in there as well. The finish hangs on for quite a while, but there is a slight dirty pop-up of something there which prevents this one from hitting the 90-mark.

89/100! it's fantastic whisky! Good job, Lads!

THE ARRAN MALT 1999 15YO - DISTILLERY EXCLUSIVE

Next up is another Arran Distillery Exclusive, but this time from an ex-bourbon cask, probably from a barrel when you look at the relatively low bottle output.

I also tried this at the distillery in May this year and quite liked it so I was looked forward to trying it again at the Arran Verticale.

The Arran Malt 1999 15yo (19.07.1999/13.02.2015) 53,5%, ex-bourbon cask#130, 164 bottles, Distillery Exclusive

Colour is pale gold

Nose:
Ohh nice... Fresh cut apple, some lemon, ginger and vanilla shortbread, truckloads of malt heading in direction of breakfast bran cereal and some mineral notes as in clay/wet sand, gravel - very 'highland' in fact.

Taste:
Vanilla, grapeskins, a little honey, love fruits notes of melon, citrus, kiwi and apple. The mouth feel is quite creamy at 53,5% - the oily feel of Arran showing itself beautifully here. The finish heads towards more spices, pepper, ginger, caraway seeds, but its never invasive in any way... 

Love this! A very 'naked' Arran and I think its incredibly delicious!

90/100!

THE ARRAN MALT 1997 17YO - DISTILLERY EXCLUSIVE

Now straight on to the next Arran, this time a Distillery Exclusive bottling.

This I first tried at the distillery in May this year and I was taken with it right away and knew a couple of bottles of this had to follow me to Denmark.

One ended up on the Arran Verticale - here's my take on it:

The Arran Malt 1997 (10.02.1997/05.11.2014) 57,1% sherry cask#169, 189 bottles, Distillery Exclusive

Colour is light amber

Nose:

Certainly lighter than the previous expression(read: less sherried).

This is far from bad though, as it present itself beautifully with thick mentholated malt, brown sugar, milk chocolate/cappuccino and whiffs of Madeira wine. After a while some hints of cinnamon and overripe apple comes through.

Taste:

I normally find the Arran malt very oily, but this is a bit different. Some of the oily mouth feel is still there, yes, but its lighter and more lively than usual. Again overripe apple is a big theme here (love that note!) but there's also some light ginger and a little aniseed in here.

On the finish, a big rush of malt sweetness comes through along with a little nutmeg and a burst of menthol and peppery oak... Quite a fun finish and 'cool' finish and it works - for me at least :-)

Another gr8 Arran malt!

89/100!