HIGHLAND PARK 1989 29YO - GORDON & MACPHAIL CONNOISSEURS CHOICE

After a detour to Speyside during my last review, we're now back on Orkney with that very highly marketed Viking Pride/Honour/Raven/Axe wielding distillery, Highland Park.

For this review we're staying with Gordon & MacPhails revamped Connoisseurs Choice series, relaunched as a part of the 50th anniversary of the first release of the series.

Highland Park has long been a favourite of mine and was one of the first whisky with just a little peat I started drinking back in my baby whisky years just after the turn of the Millenia. The distillery's got a very dedicated following on Facebook in the group 'Highland Park Appreciation Society' and now seems to be releasing single cask expression every other week. - How dare you? Think of how you're ruining the economy of those poor collectors!!??!! ;-)

Releasing single casks on a regular basis is one thing that has changed, but I also think something else has changed, sadly... and thats the casks they're using at HP - and probably also at Macallan, another Edrington great that uses predominantly sherry casks.

Now, I'm very sensitive to sulphur and seem to, in all the single casks I've tried since they started to come out, detected a variating degree of sulphury notes as well an vinegary edge to the sherry and to be honest I'm very sad to see this. This is probably due to a shortage of proper sherry casks these days, but still I feel its taking a wrong turn...

I know Edrington has long term contracts with a cooperage in Spain and promotes their wood policy (Highland Park - Spanish Wood Story on Youtube) and this is just me (and a few other critical voices) and many others doesn't seem to pick up on this. Whether they just can't taste it or they don't want to alienate themselves with the brand. I think the question here is if the cooperage is cutting corners with the quality of the sherry used for the maturation or if the sherry used for seasoning doesn't manage to draw out the unwanted very woody notes that comes from the fresh cask?? Certainly, the HP devotees in the before mentioned Facebook group doesn't seem to either mind or be able to taste this - some even praises this style :-O

Now, before you flame me for this statement, mind you, this is my taste (and a few others I've seen mentions of online) so lets leave it at that - I just feel sad that HP as I know it has pretty much disappeared over the last decade or so - as even the 12 and 18 standard bottlings are now showing traces of this, IMO...

In February 2019, I'll be revisiting Highland Park after a tasting I've put together with Distillery bottlings vs. Independent bottling, much more on how I think Highland Park is doing after that.

Right, rant over...

Let's get back to speaking of independent Highland Parks and this one from Gordon & MacPhail, who by the way, usually supply their own casks to be filled with new make spirit.

Stills at Highland Park, August 6th 2009 © The Malt Desk

Highland Park 1989 29yo 57% (07.03.1989/18.09.2018) Refill sherry butt#1087, 611 bottles, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice

Nose:
Quite a sweet sherry coating dominates this, I think... Underneath though, there's plenty of charred oak, some mushroom earthy notes, honey glazed meat, dark overripe fruit and a floral note trying to come through... Pretty much standard Highland Park, right? Maybe expect for the heavily charred oak.

Taste:
The no-water experience on the palate was a bit of a let-down! However... Just Add Water!

This one comes alive indeed with water. I getting into the territory of the old Original Bottling of HP 25, just amplified a bit due to the higher alcohol strength - We are, however, not quite there...

I get most of the classic HP traits as we did on the nose - the honey, the floral and dark fruit notes, charred and peaty notes, but the cask both the sherry and oak here is taking this one over a bit - especially the charred note reminds me a bit much of a BBQ event where the BBQ master is more busy drinking beer than tending to the grill ;-)

Like I said, give this one a teaspoon of water if you've poured yourself a 25-30ml dram and watch a little magic happen! Everything is amplified and your sherried Highland Park comes out - proper sherry - not the vinegar sherry style the newer Original Highland Parks carry these days! it'll lift not only the spirit in the glass but also your own experience of this HP!

87/100!

INVERLEVEN 1985 33YO - GORDON & MACPHAIL PRIVATE COLLECTION

I've must not have tried much more about a handful of Inverlevens in the 20 years, I been drinking whisky. This means that my references for Inverleven is stretched thin by far. On the other hand, its pretty much like discovering a new whisky which isn't that bad, is it? :-)

Inverleven, however, are rarer than hens' teeth these days and the chance to try the below expression is a welcome opportunity to expand ones whisky knowledge - and with a rather exclusive bottling too.

Inverlevens scarcity these days are very much a result it being decommissioned in 1991, but up until then there were bottlings to be had - notably again from indie bottlers such as Gordon & MacPhail but also Duncan Taylor and The Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Gordon & MacPhail Sample Room - © G&M Media Library

Inverleven 1985 33yo 57,4% (22.01.1985/06.07.2018) Refill bourbon barrel#33, 130 bottles, Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection


Nose:
Delicate, sweet with vanilla, apples, honey and grassy notes. There's also some gingery and hint of something flowery in there. Some Muscato dessert wine peaks through giving this its hint of old as it rightly should. Very well chiseled but its also very straight forward and doesn't stray far from its path.


Taste:
Love sweet arrival on stewed pears, candies lemons, fresh grass and vanilla. Its then taken over by a little oak, baked and flinty notes but the fruit is ever still present. Its again very delicate Only downside is that the finish comes across short for such an old whisky, IMO

Like I mentioned above, I've not had that many Inverlevens and this is, by memory, one of, if not the best of them... and even though its good, I still feel its missing something a little something - the short finish maybe?

Also, this was a very small sample and I would have loved to spend more time with this, but sadly this wasn't the case this time around...

88/100!

Official sample provided by Gordon&MacPhail

GLENROTHES 1974 43YO - GORDON & MACPHAIL PRIVATE COLLECTION

I've always had a bit of a strange relationship with Glenrothes up through my whisky drinking year and its actually not that many years ago that I started to understand  the distillery and its often very, to me at the time, kind of 'middle-of-the-road' where you had to go to the indies to get something a bit of of the ordinary.

Working my way through more than bit of indie bottlings, many from Cadenheads and the SMWS, I started to see why this seemingly 'boring' (again, at least to me) distillery might just appeal to someone, still...

Its just a great base spirit and I certainly see why it has been a part of blending recipies. Its also a malt that takes time to mature, IMO - so grabbing a bottle of the Select Reserve disappointed me greatly. However, this indie release also a part of Gordon & MacPhails revamping of their bottling series - this time the Private Collection series - does carry quite a bit of age so I am expecting this one to deliver a nice experience.

Approaching Glenrothes distillery, May 5th 2012 © The Malt Desk

Glenrothes 1974 43yo 49,5% (02.12.1974/06.07.2018) refill sherry puncheon#18440, 276 bottles Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection

Nose:
Bit of sweet/sour note at first pour it its gone after just under 1 minute.

The sherry cask comes through immediately, not at all accompanies by invasive oak of any kind, but just mellow honey and gingerbread, dried fruit and hints of polished leather upholstery, 'Old Dublin' sweet pipe tobacco and faint eucalyptus.


Taste:
Ultra clean sherry sherry influence here - you seldom see sherry cask quality like this today unless it contains old whisky like this. This is just about the right drinking strength, IMO although maybe 1-2% more might have taken this even further... There's alcohol soaked fruits, plum cake, cinnamon and and orange peel and brown sugar. On the finish, some Haribo sweet licorices comes through with a
bit of nuts and mint.

Quite a lovely old dram, but I can't help thinking its missing a little something...

88/100!

Official sample provided by Gordon & MacPhail

SCAPA 1988 30YO - GORDON & MACPHAIL CONNOISSEURS CHOICE

As a part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the 'Connoisseurs Choice'-range, Gordon & MacPhail has during 2018 released some bottlings out of the ordinary. I'm about to review another below - stay tuned!

The Connoisseurs Choice-series has had different looks over the years, but if you're an experienced whisky drinker -and probably also if you're not- there's a good chance you will have come across these bottlings at some point.

© G&M Media Kit

I've already reviewed some recent bottlings released as a part of the 50th Anniversary celebration, their reviews can be found here and here.

For this next review we'll head up to the Orkney Islands just off the north coast of Scotland.

Now, Scapa distillery has long been living in the shadow of that more prominent Orkney Distillery - you know the one branding Norse Mythology and Vikings Galore (read: Highland Park) but I remember when visiting the Islands almost 10 years ago, locals telling me that they actually drank Scapa - not Highland Park... or they probably just collect Highland Park, but still drink Scapa ;-) 

This may have changed, of course, but I also have to admit I enjoy a good Scapa... There's not a lot of it out there - especially mature Scapa like the one I'm about to review...

Scapa Distillery seen from across the Scapa Flow, August 5th 2009 © The Malt Desk

Scapa 1988 30yo 53,8% (02.09.1988/13.09.2018) Refill bourbon barrel#10585, 148 bottles, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice

Nose:
Quite an oily feel to this one...
Butter cream caramel and loads of vanilla, a dash of wet chipped wood, mineral notes, bit of chalk maybe? buttercups and freshly squeezed olive oil and a bit of salt/ozone as well. A couple of drops of water reveals oranges, sweet melon and a very honeyed side to this. Love this nose!

Taste:
Thick creamy malt vanilla custard on a sweet bread sponge bed with lemons and orange marmelade on top and raspberries on top. A malt for The Great Bake Off! The malt is a driving force here, yes, but it comes along with a just a little oak influence to keep all the sweetness at bay.

It also still maintains its salty and mineral traits through to the palate as well.

I have a serious week spot for well balanced bourbon cask matured whiskies like this one and this really hits the spot for me!

Finally, before I'm flooded with questions on where to get this magnificent beast then -to the best of my knowledge- this hasn't been released yet.

90/100!

Official sample provided by Gordon & MacPhail

LONGMORN 1961 TWIN CASKS - GORDON AND MACPHAIL PRIVATE COLLECTION

As opposed to many other distilleries whos suffered multible openings/closures Longmorn seems to have maintained a fairly steady pace through history. It was opened in 1893 and even though it has changed hands a few times through history, it has always seemed to have kept running. Longmorn has for a long time been a favourite of blenders but has, through especially Gordon & MacPhail seen fame as a single malt also - I especially remember their 30yo offering as very good!

But lets take a look at these bottlings...
Gordon & MacPhail has launched these twin Longmorn casks from 1961, they're both refill sherry hogsheads, one from American oak and one from European oak. They've matured together in a warehouse in Scotland for 57 years

Marketed as Twin casks its then only befitting that Gordon & MacPhail Managers Richard and Stuart Urquhart is the G&M up-front image, being identical twins themselves.

These Longmorns are the oldest longmorns ever bottled as Single Malt and are only sold as pairs - or twins if you like - at a price of £30.000!

The 1961 twin casks, 512 on the right, 508 on the left © Gordon & MacPhail

Longmorn 1961 57yo (02.02.1961/xx.xx.2018) 40,8%, refill american oak sherry cask#512

Nose:

© Gordon & MacPhail

Mellow and oozing salivating old oak, lots of malt and demerara sugar, Xmas Honey Hearts (baking), a cooling eucalyptus note and overripe oranges and brown banana, a pleasent gingery note and Muscato dessert wine as well. Very fresh for such an old whisky.

Taste:
I was afraid the oak had gotten to this one, but no... Its there yes, but I don't find it at all invasive. It is, if anything wrapping and providing a litte wood sap. There's tea, ginger bread, a little tobacco, hints of walnut, more oranges and pretty much mirroring the nose except for a slight spicy (oak) attack on the finish.

Love this, even if it has a bit of oak - but thats to be expected in a whisky this old.

92/100!


Longmorn 1961 57yo (02.02.1961/xx.xx.2018) 45%, refill european oak sherry cask#508

Nose:

© Gordon & MacPhail

Clearly more sherried than its twin cask... again the nose is quite mellow but its delivering a minty and prune like nose along with very old school sherry notes, something not often seen today. Musty earthen floors, old wet oak, strong coffee with a dash of cocoa powder added. A slight burnt cask note adds to the experience. Stunning!

Taste:
Lots of rhum and dark chocolate and espresso notes, mint, tobacco, prunes - all sorts of dark fruits in fact, some orange liqueur and very old cognac. Also a tad more drying than its twin...

Like with its twin above it there's a fair deal of oak present, but to me its not over the top. Just love, love love this old style!

92/100!

To me, with these two, its simply just a matter of how much sherry you want in your whisky.

Read more about the casks here and watch a couple of youtube videos about these bottlings here: https://www.gordonandmacphail.com/longmorns/

Official samples provided by Gordon & MacPhail

MORTLACH 1987 31YO - GORDON AND MACPHAIL CONNOISSEURS CHOICE

Forgive me... a week has gone by since my last review was posted...

With the risk of sounding like you're sitting in a confessional at Mortlach Church this, yet to some unknown distillery, continues to have a following among whisky anoraks. Although some may have lost their faith and fallen from the good Mortlach grace, or atleast, fallen from the official bottlings from this iconic Speyside distillery, many continues to drink independently bottled Mortlachs.

Sadly there aren't many indie bottled Mortlachs out there these days even though a failed attempt by the distillers to re-launch Mortlach as an ultra premium malt in 50cl bottles should have left them with enough stock to sell on to independent bottlers as sales of that re-launch/revamping failed miserably.

Late July 2018 a press release revealed another attempt to re-lauch Mortlach,  this time with a 12, 16 and 20yo bottling (woohoo, ages statement is back in the entry level bottle) and pricing from £50 to £200, but this time in 70cl bottles.... However, with the general price increase, this will pretty much stay on level with the previous releases, sadly...

I know the bottling I'm about to review also will have carried a significant price tag as well, but as far as I know its sold out and I haven't been able to confirm its original price when writing this review but rest assured that I'd be happy to spend a good handful of money on a bottling like this.

Mortlach Stillhouse, May 1st 2010 © The Malt Desk

Mortlach 1981 31yo 54% Dist. 05.02.1987/bottled 03.07.2018 Batch 18/061 Refill sherry hogshead#425, 200 bottles, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength

Colour is dark mahogany - appearance in the glass is thick with slow logs on the side of the glass

Nose:

© G&M

At first a dash of oak, then notes of old dark well matured Rhum and not whisky plus spiked Bailey's Iced Coffee, extra strong coffee added. Classic old style sherry notes with lots of dark fruits, add to that burnt toffee and wet bung cloth. Love this!

Taste:
Quite a drying feeling upon arrival, but its them filled with brown banana, figs and dark chocolate and strong coffee notes.

The finish goes on forever with a bit of drying oak and those love old school sherry notes. Lovely, just... Lovely!

Its a sherry monster for sure and no real sherried sulphur notes in this one - only hints of Mortlachs own style of spirit sulphur. This one will be popular among the lovers of this particular heavily sherried style - incl. me

91/100!

Official sample provided by G&M

CLYNELISH 1989 28YO - GORDON AND MACPHAIL CONNOISSEURS CHOICE

We're staying north of Inverness for this next review.
Clynelish is one of my all time favourite distilleries and the standard 14yo bottling from the distillers at Diageo is one of the best reasonably standard releases out there, IMO

I last passed the distillery in late September 2016 on a whisky trip together with 4 whisky friends to discover the tours and prices had gone mad! Tours with tastings that were just the slightest bit interesting for the whisky anorak started at £100! Glad we had a bottle of Glenmorangie 1979 and Brora 1983 back at our holiday house, I had brought back to Scotland for our groups mutual enjoyment.

Prices aside, Clynelish makes a great whisky and this one from Gordon & MacPhail is no exception. Something extraordinary just happens to the Clynelish spirit when it passes 20+ years.

On to the review:

Clynelish Distillery fenced off during renovation in October 2014 © The Malt Desk

Clynelish 1989 28yo 49,8% Dist. 15.11.1989/bottled 26.06.2018 Batch 18/035, Refill American hogshead, 221 bottles, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength

Colour is straw - quite thick feling to this when swirled gently in the glass

Nose:
A slight dusty and moldy warehouse note pops op at you right away only to be pushed aside by mild oak and bit of that trademark oily/waxiness often found in Clynelish. Just after that an incredible fruit burst comes through with lots of apple, pears and bananas accompanied by honey and a faint briny note. Just lovely!

Taste:
Lovely thick and mouth coating. There are juicy fruits of a more tropical style this time like a multi fruit juice style thing. A few drops of water brings out a little ginger and turns it more citrussy in style and adding some sugared candy sticks notes to it as well.

A lovely Clynelish for sure! I'd love a full bottle and the time to explore this further..

89/100!

Official sample provided by G&M

OLD PULTENEY 1998 19YO - GORDON & MACPHAIL CONNOISSEURS CHOICE

Its been quiet here for a while - the reasons are many and some of it personal, so on to the whisky :-)

Whisky Merchant and Independent Bottler, Gordon & Macphail, based in Elgin (Speyside), Scotland is celebrating its 50th birthday of their Connoisseurs Choice series this year and that means new bottlings galore, 37 in total actually, including some bottlings over the age of 30.

I've chosen to start with a review of an Old Pulteney from 1998, a bottle that I've also just recently bought a bottle of. I've always had a soft spot for this distillery and its remote location in the far north of Scotland in the town of Wick has only left me to visit this place just under a handful of times even though I travelled Scotland at least a couple of times a year for the past 18 years.

Like I said, I've always had a soft spot of this distillery, especially the 17yo official expression and the oh, so glorious hand bottlings offered to those who make their way up to the north of Scotland. Often these handbottlings have been matured in first fill ex-bourbon casks as the Pulteney from G&M I'm about to try, so expectations are high.

Cask available for handbottling on 20th October 2014 © The Malt Desk

Old Pulteney 1998 19yo 57,5% Dist. 26.08.1998/bottled 21.06.2018, Batch 18/049, First fill ex-bourbon cask, 192 bottles, Gordon & Macphail Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength

Colour is copper - quite heavy and oily in the glass

Nose:
Initially quite heavy on the oak but more is lurking in the background. Have to give it some time zzzZZZzzz... After a good 15mins the oak has settled to a sawdusty note, vanilla spongecake, malt and breakfast tea.

Water makes this go cloudy in an instance (Welcome NCF) Out comes hints of citrus fruit before its all oak and malt galore.

Taste:
Lots of oak on the palate as well, so you have to like that. Again some fruit (overripe apples and pears) is present behind the oak, but its struggling a bit to come out. The finish is all on oak, malt and hints of dark chocolate.

Luckily I like a bit of oak in my whisky, but I think this one has maybe spent a year or 2 too long in the cask. 19 years in a first fill bourbon cask is a long time and it shows in this whisky. Am I glad, I bought a bottle before tasting this sample? Yes! Will I be drinking it and not passing it on? Certainly! It just posseses a style that is maybe not to everyones liking...

85/100

Official sample provided by G&M

DALMORE 2001/2015 - GORDON & MACPHAIL

It's not often I review a Dalmore... Why? well, there's not many releases from the indies and frankly I find the official bottlings very much on the dull side, all drowned in E150a caramel colouring and offered at just 40%.

This time, Gordon & Macphail has stomped up some refill sherry casks no where near as dark as the official bottlings... and we know why - because they don't use E150a caramel coloring in this bottling :-)

Dalmore Distillery with the Cromarty Firth beyond, seen from the road behind the distillery, 19th October 2014 © The Malt Desk

Dalmore 2001/2015 46%, Refill sherry hogsheads, Connoisseure's Choice by Gordon & Macphail

Colour is pale white wine

Nose:

Picture by G&M

Quite light and fresh with baked apple, tropical fruit juice and dusty earthen floors. After a while some lovely malty notes appear accompanied by some fresh lime juice and hint of something floral

Taste:
Lovely mellow yellow fruit arrival, some vanilla and then a rush lemon and peppery spicyness. I find quite a mineral side to this somewhere mid palate and a surprising sharpness from a a rush of citric and grassy notes.

This is a very straight forward dram - not overly complex in any way and it holds its own against e.g. the standard 12yo distillery bottling... a very 'naked' Dalmore :-)

82/100!

Official sample provided by Gordon & Macphail

MORTLACH 1954/2012 58YO - GORDON & MACPHAIL RARE VINTAGE

It's been little over a year since I've reviewed a Mortlach... Time flies! and you can't dismiss the time factor with this next whisky either, it's from... hold on... 1954 !! and bottled in late 2012, making it 58 years old...

Now, with such an old whisky, the thought of 'oak juice' crosses your mind and its with both admiration and a dose of scepticism that you should approach a whisky like this... Why, you ask? Well, we all know that old whiskies these days are rarer than hens teeth and have price labels attached that makes them out of reach for a good many people... so one could fear that a cask of oak juice will be bottled just because of its sheer age and not because its good, but thankfully that's not the case with this one! I've been so lucky to try another great Speysider from 1954 last November but other than that 50s stuff really been few and far between, but if you get the chance to try old stuff like this, do go ahead... but if you like it, don't get too attached to it because of its price tag unless you're really loaded or willing to take out a 2nd morgage ;-)

Anyway, let's have a brief look at the origins of this dram. Mortlach Distillery in Dufftown, Moray has gradually appearing more and more on the radar of most whisky drinkers, who wants to enjoy something a bit more out of the ordinary and with good reason so. The spirit from this distillery is about as robust as they come in Speyside which makes it sought after by the blenders and makes it suitable for long term maturation. Add to that, that Mortlach is often matured in sherry casks which adds another dimension to the whisky from this distillery.

So how well does Mortlach actually mature? Well , of course this has to do alot with the cask it has been laid down in, but we've already seen a bottling as old as 75 years, also from Gordon & Macphail - so a mere 58 years should be no problem, right?

Here's my take on it...

The stills at Mortlach, May 1st 2010 © The Malt Desk

Mortlach 1954/2012 43% (27.01.1954/21.11.2012) 1st fill sherry butt#494, 347 bottles, Gordon & Macphail Rare Vintage

Colour is light mahogany

Nose:
Nougat/praline and strawberry and blackcurrant jam, polished oak and leather, hints of clove, cinnamon cookies, rum raisin ice cream - heavy on the rum. Also in there are charred baked banana dosed with a little brown suger and a cooling fresh feeling. The ultra clean sherry is dosed in such perfect measures, it never overpowers anything else... one to nose for a looong time :-)

Picture by G&M - 2008 version shown

Taste:
Very lively for a 58yo whisky - quite a bit in fact! The age shows, yes, but its never invasive nor thin and underwhelming.  The arrival is much like any other lovely old sherried whisky, but then it takes off on a tropical fruit, clove, cinnamon and slight orangy Xmas theme but only to return to summer with more strawberry, some sweet sun dried tomato and mild chili powder and a mixed herb finish

Ok, I'm really trying hard here to detach myself from the thought of drinking a whisky from 1954 and bottled in 2012.

I'd like to add this piece to my experience I had with this whisky...
I decided to take a short break from nosing and tasting this to give my senses a break and went into another room. When I went back to my office/desk I could already smell it from afar when entering the room - that's how expressive this whisky is.

When I finished nosing/tasting it I allowed myself to have a Pale Ale to refresh my palate - 4 sips of Pale Ale and I can still taste the whisky a bit... That should tell you just how saturated the taste is in this whisky - its just stunning old sherried whisky! Stunning... and some of the best whisky I've had so far in 2016

93/100!

Official sample provided by Gordon & Macphail

GLENTURRET 2002/2015 - GORDON & MACPHAIL

Its been quite some time since I've had a Glenturret... and I honestly can't remember if I ever had a sherry matured Glenturret - so when I opened the small parcel and discovered this, it was my first to try :-)

Located in the town of Crieff about 1½ north of Edinburgh, the distillery is a nice little spot offering both the Glenturret Single Malt, but it also promotes itself as 'The Famous Grouse Experience' which provides a look into the The Famous Grouse Blend and its different versions.

Glenturret Distillery from the road just outside the parking lot entrance, August 16th 2009 © The Malt Desk

Glenturret 2002 / 2015 43%, First fill sherry puncheons, Macphail's Collection by Gordon & Macphail 

Colour is amber

Picture by G&M

Nose:
Lots of sherry influence... Oranges and old cigarbox then candied dried apple snacks, hints of pencil shavings, maple syrup, slightly mentholated hints and old bonfire notes

Taste:
Orange zest, roasted nuts, burnt sugar, dark honey and tobacco. The overall experience is quite smooth... as in no unexpected rough edges and really stand out'ish notes.

This is very well put together! I can certainly see myself having this around as an everyday dram!

85/100!

Official sample provided by Gordon & Macphail

STRATHISLA 1967 - GORDON & MACPHAIL RARE VINTAGE

The months of May has seen a couple of review of old sherry matured whiskies already, so why not continue with this one, a grand old Strathisla bottled by Gordon & Macphail of Elgin.

Strathisla is also know as Home of Chivas Regal as some of the malt that goes into the Chivas Regal blends comes from Strathisla Distillery. This time, however, I'll be focusing on a grand old malt from this distillery, matured for at least a good 47 years before being bottled in January 2015.

This one is bottled in Gordon & Macphail's Rare Vintage-series and is a beautiful example of how the first fill sherry butts have interacted with the Strathisla spirit - or as they say at G&M 'The wood makes the whisky'... you can read more about their wood policy here www.gordonandmacphail.com/wood

Strathisla Distillery in Keith, May 1st 2015 © The Malt Desk

Strathisla 1967 (bottled 26.01.2015) 43%, 1st fill sherry butts, Rare Vintage, Gordon & Macphail

Colour is light mahogany

Picture by G&M

Nose:
Strong whiff of strawberries, furniture polish, milk chocolate, prunes, mint/menthol - like tiger balm muscle warmer

Taste:
You get the obvious dark fruit sherry, yes - but there's more in here. There's cloves, orange peel, hint of cinnamon and then an amazing fruitiness mid-palate rushes in with vanilla baked apple, blood orange finished by rum/raisin ice cream notes and sweetened cough syrup.

This is brilliant stuff! It never feels tired in any way in spite of its age. Again, obviously a bottle from some great sherry casks of yesteryear, like the ones I talk about in this review.

91/100!

Official sample provided by Gordon & Macphail

SMITH'S GLENLIVET 1974/2011 - GORDON & MACPHAIL

In continuation of Gordon & Macphail's 'The wood makes the whisky'-campaign, we once again find ourselves heading back to yesteryear, this time to 1974.

Also I always take extra care when tasting old whiskies like this as:

1. Old whiskies like this can be quite fragile and can easily fall apart, especially if (too much) water is added...
2. Time and oxidation in the glass and/or the bottle if not sealed properly
3. I cherish every chance I get to try old whiskies like this...
   With the way prices are going, it looks like that old whisky like this will be only for a select few in the future (read: people with money to spend on old whiskies) 
   

That, of course, warrants a whole other discussion, one covered elsewhere, both on here and in multiple online Fora and Facebook groups, so not getting into that any further during this post 

I often get a bit nostalgic when trying old whiskies like this,as they were made before computers took over most of the production and when making whisky were still very much 'hands on' ... add to that a great visit to Glenlivet Distillery during Spirit of Speyside 2013, a good tasting and ending the whole tour with quite a bit of 1977 sherry cask matured Glenlivet straight from the cask... Now what's not to love about that :-)

Let's get down to business before the nostalgia takes over and see what the wood have made of this whisky...

Old casks mixed with new ones at Glenlivet, May 4th 2013 © The Malt Desk

Smith's Glenlivet 1974/2011 43%, refill American oak & refill sherry casks

Colour is amber

Nose:

Picture by G&M

Oh, you got to love this nose - lots of things going on...
Polished cedar wood, fresh mint, floral notes and overripe fruit. With time, what I can only describe as dried herbs peeks through. There's also a darker note in there - maybe dark roast coffee beans or dark chocolate...

I could nose this all evening :-)

Taste:

Start off slightly spicy with peppery oak, then a rush of fruit - oranges/apricot style, but getting a bit thin mid-palate which surprises me a the delivery promised so much more... It does come back on the finish with some hints of vanilla, a little anise and some 'Grand Marnier' liquor.

This nose on this one is stunning, but the palate doesn't quite follow through, I'm afraid... still, its very, very good but I did expect just a little bit more from this one...

88/100!

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.

ARDMORE 1996 - GORDON & MACPHAIL

Quite often we see that the maturation of peated whisky in sherry casks turns out quite well, in fact there are already a few contemporary classics out there to prove that already - bottlings like Ardbeg 76 Manager's Choice, the Lagavulin 1985 21yo and the Talisker 1981 20yo. These are all island whiskies, which are often known for their peated style, but there's also distilleries on the Scottish Mainland that produces peated whisky - and one of them is Ardmore Distillery in Kennethmont in the East Highlands between Aberdeen and Huntly.

This particular expression is also matured in refill sherry hogsheads and is bottled by Gordon & Macphail, carrying the G&M Distillery label - a label expression also done by G&M with Glen Grant Distillery.

This whisky is a part of the Gordon & Macphail 'The Wood Makes the Whisky'-campaign... Here's my take on it...

Ardmore 1996 1996/2013 43%, refill sherry hogsheads, Gordon & Macphail

Colour is light amber

Picture by G&M

Nose:
Very sweet, yet distinctly peaty. Not heavily Islay-style peat but a rather delicate, yet noticeable one delivered with intertwining vinous notes. Quite delicious, actually. There's apple and some pepper in here accompanied by some lovely sweet candied and nutty notes

Taste:
Peat and a clear apple/pear theme and slightly burnt pastry. Quite some peated caramel notes and some warm banana over a bonfire. The finish reveals slight citrus notes and then heads towards thick toffee caramel notes and some spicy oak.

I'm most fond of whisky with an abv of 46+ because with those I can add the amount of water that fits my palate.... but one of the things that Gordon & Macphail seems to be quite good at is making sure that the flavour delivery in their whiskies almost never comes across thin. A big pad on the back to the folks at Gordon & Macphail for that... just remember to keep an age statement on your releases in the future too ;-)

85/100!

Official sample provided by Gordon & Macphail

SPEYBURN 1991 - GORDON & MACPHAIL

Another whisky featured by Gordon & Macphail in their 'The Wood Makes the Whisky'-campaign comes from Speyburn Distillery. Hidden away on the outskirts of the village of Rothes, you can catch a glimpse of it of you look to the right when you reach the top of the hill on the A941 road to Elgin. Not much single malt comes from here though... you mostly only seen the their own 10yo and their NAS expression called 'Bradan Orach' and the rest finds its way into blended whisky.

Luckily we have companies like Gordon & Macphail, who over the years have bottled around 3 hand fulls of Speyburn. 

Again no bottling year is given on this sample, but this one is bottled in the 'Connoisseurs Choice'-series, a series that has been around since the mid-60s, albeit with different designs. It has also been bottled at a slightly higher strength of 46%.

Speyburn Distillery, August 26th 2012 © The Malt Desk

Speyburn 1991, 46%, Connoisseurs Choice, Gordon & Macphail

Colour is white wine

Nose:

Similar picture by G&M, showing a 1989

As mentioned above this carries no exact age statement, but rather a vintage, but my best guess would make this around 23-24yo. It's fresh, yet mature with citrus, a little honey and some floral notes. If served blind, I'd have guessed Glenlivet by the nose alone. I also detect a little banana in here.

Taste:
A lovely slightly dry and acidic arrival. Lots of barley sweetened lemons, more honey, vanilla and also a little rosehip, something I don't find much of in whisky. Only on the finish a little spicy fresh wood and ginger notes appears along with vague hints of mint.

A very straight forward light-in-style Speyside dram, an easy drinker, summer aperitif - very good!

84/100!

Official sample provided by Gordon & Macphail

GLEN GRANT 1954 - GORDON & MACPHAIL

Elgin-based independent bottler and Distillery owner (Benromach), Gordon & Macphail has launched a campaign to enlighten people's perception on how much the cask means for the maturation of whisky.

The campaign is called 'The Wood Makes the Whisky' and comes complete with a booklet and a website (www.gordonandmacphail.com/wood) explaining the casks are chosen to match a specific spirit and how the wood interacts with the spirit and resulting in that lovely tipple we all enjoy so much. All the very well made angles on maturation incl. wood types, time and cask sizes are covered in both the booklet and on the very well made website - good job!

'The Wood Makes the Whisky' also comes with almost a handful of samples and I'll start in the deep end with this Glen Grant. No bottling year is given on the sample, but looking at bottling dates for the released versions, this is probably around or just over 50 years old.

The still at Glen Grant, April 29th 2011 © The Malt Desk

Glen Grant 1954 40%, 1st fill sherry butts, Gordon & Macphail

Colour is chestnut

Nose:

Picture by G&M

This just reeks of old whisky. Lots of red fruit and figs soaked in alcohol. Given some time the whole experience turn more towards tropical fruit, a direction I didn't expect from this old sherried number. Also in here are freshly polished hardwood and a little licorice.

Taste:
Quite a powerfull presence and incredibly mouthfilling even at only 40%. Overripe/browned apple, dark honey and Wiener Melange but heading in a spicy/herbal direction. Dark fruits, moist raisins springs to mind later. There's a mint theme popping up on the finish along with what can only be described as an almost smoky/toasted feel, which suits this oldie quite well as everything is very well integrated. This finish just goes on and on... and on :-)

This is most certainly a blast from the past - amazing stuff!

91/100!

Official sample provided by Gordon & Macphail

HIGHLAND PARK 2001 - GORDON & MACPHAIL

While at it I thought I'd do another review of a Highland Park matured in an ex-bourbon cask. As lots (most) of these goes to the indie bottlers who still have contracts with Highland Park, its the only way you get to try them as all of Highland Parks official bottlings are either American oak sherry casks or European oak sherry casks.

This bottling I'm about to review is from Gordon & MacPhail in Elgin (Speyside) and as the geeky ones of you know that they have some great stuff tucked away still...

Anyway, this is a Highland Park review so again, I'll present you with a picture from the magical Islands of Orkney :-) Below picture is from the hill outside Kirkwall (the name eludes me - sorry)



A view to Highland Park Distillery, just a little above to left of the centre of the pic, August 6th 2009 © The Malt Desk

Highland Park 2001 10yo (16.10.2001/13.09.2012) 57,7%, 1st fill bourbon cask#2998, Gordon & MacPhail Cask Strength

Colour is pale straw


Nose:
Fresh barley/yeasty notes, vanilla, apple, very floral (washing up liquid floral). Some smoke and citrus hides behind the alcohol. A bit closed nose on this one...

Taste:
Again very fresh, apple, but also salty and citric (lemons and grape fruit), peppery, hint of smoke in the background. Gets very malty on the finish, almost like old Bunnahabhains :-O

A very straight forward young HP, showing some very impressive malt notes. Maybe a tad simple but very enjoyable :-)

Thanks to RM for the sample

85/100!

LINKWOOD 15YO - GORDON & MACPHAIL

Not had much Linkwood over the years, actually, and the ones I've had has been forgettable, IMO... except an Adelphi 1984 expression reviewed here and a 18yo dark sherry expression from A.D. Rattray not reviewed on this blog.

Having spent so much time in Speyside its really not OK not to have swung by Linkwood on the outskirts of Elgin... Must remember to do that the next time I'm in the area, though I think 'my places'-check list is starting to grow and I will probably need more than 1 trip - Well, I know I do... ;-)

I'm not gonna bore you with trivia about the distillery itself - you can read about that here.



Linkwood Distillery Pagoda - picture from Wikipedia Public lib

Time for the review...

Linkwood 15yo, 43%, Gordon & MacPhail, print on bottle 31/01/12 AB/JJDI

Colour is amber

Nose:
Dried fruit and cinnamon spice, orange chocolate, hint of something floral, polished hardwood and dark raspberries

Taste:
Gentle creamy arrival on very balanced oak, sherry and malt. After that some honey, fruit and caramel. Moves on to deliver a peppery/spicy burst, old cigar box and Xmas spices - cloves maybe? Finish is little dull and very slightly drying, but not enough to ruin the image of a very nice malt! Rum drinkers can start here...

86/100! ...and thanks to SSS for the sample

MORTLACH 1998 12YO - GORDON & MACPHAIL FOR WHISKYSHOP DUFFTOWN

Phew, its been a few days since my last post and the reason for that is that its been incredibly humid here and I... well, have had other plans :-)

Now that its cooled down a bit here, I thought I'd do a review of quite a sherried bottling from that cult Dufftown distillery of Mortlach... and an indie bottling as well. I almost said 'of course' here, as the only official bottling from Mortlach is the 16yo bottling in the Flora & Fauna range from proprietors Diageo... prior to this you could get the odd Rare Malt range bottling some years back, but my recommendation is that you go for an indie bottling if you're not a complete whisky novice - if you are, you should be well challenged with the 16yo F&F bottling.

Mortlach Distillery is not normally open to the public, but you have a chance to visit the distillery during the Speyside Whisky Festival each year in late April/early May... it certainly worth a visit! Especially their stills are very impressive - have a look at one of my previous Mortlach reviews here for a glimpse.

But back to the indies and Mortlach. As distillery bottlings are as rare as hen's teeth, you should obviously explore the indie bottlings. Now, Mortlach has always been a heavy spirit with a natural sulphur/meaty character, so again  if you are a novice or not an experienced malt drinker, approach this one with care... That said, the Mortlach can be hugely rewarding, if you give it time and also very fun - especially to try if you find an ex-bourbon cask version.

Now onto my review... this bottling is done by indie bottler Gordon & MacPhail of Elgin for the Dufftown Whisky shop located about 300 meters up the road from Mortlach Distillery itself.

Mortlach Distillery pagoda and warehouse, 26th September 2010 © The Malt Desk

Mortlach 1998/2010 12yo, 59,1%, Refill sherry hogshead#14438, Gordon & MacPhail for Whiskyshop Dufftown

Colour is dark amber

Nose:
Lovely sweet but also very drying and spicy sherry. Some eucalyptus, chocolate, raisin, old leather and sweet pipe tobacco. Very peppery, almost chili like!

Taste:
Dry oloroso arrival, very drying in fact, partly due to the high alcohol %.
10 drops of water makes this go slightly cloudy which is a clear sign its not chill filtered (which we like!!) and some oak comes out along with ginger and malt/beer notes though water doesn't seem to be taming the spiciness at all.

Also stale fruit, mash and the Mortlach heavy spirit character (meatiness/natural sulphur - not from the cask) can be found on the finish.

This is a lovely Mortlach - no doubt!

86/100!