Bruichladdich Octomore 07.2 Scottish Barley, 5 YO, 58,5 % Ever wondered about the numbering on the Octomore releases? Well, there are a lot of numbers, to be sure. Let’s break it down and clear things up: Edition numbers Up until the 7th generation of Octomore there was only 1 release on the odd numbered generations […]...

An independent Macallan , where do you find that nowadays? Especially from an ex-bourbon cask. It was bottled by The Whisky Agency in 2013 as a Formosa exclusive (that’s the name of Taiwan when it was in Dutch hands). Just 36 bottles…

Macallan 23 yo 1990 (47,3%, Whisky Agency 2013, Formosa exclusive, ex-bourbon hogshead, 36 btl.)

Nose: very much on apples and pears, fairly neutral. Hints of sweet beer and Calvados. Ginger biscuits and almonds. Develops some damp leafy notes after a while and hints of porridge. After a long wait also nice orange blossom water. Mouth: very...

Wemyss Single Cask Release, Bench With a Sea View 46%

Tasted: Jan 2015

Nose: Initially quite oily and a little fishy with gritty oak and violets. Luscious honey balances the gritty oak and as if by magic the oak becomes very mature and sawdusty. The perfumed honey asserts and hints of ginger root, liquorice and herbs appear.

Palate: Soft and mature with barley and oodles of luscious honey and sawdusty oak. A touch of green apple and citrus comes through on the middle to balance the dusty tannins and honey.

Finish: Long and salty with the fleshy fruit and honey...

Double Barrel, Irish Single Grain 42%

3.5 years in first fill Bourbon, finished for 6 months in ex-Oloroso casks

Tasted: Jan 2015

Nose: A little neutral but gently fragrant with hints of herbal spirit. Quite grainy whisky-like with a touch of rum-like dried fruit, some corn-like notes and a touch of toffee.   

Palate: Soft and toffee’d with some developing, lightly oiled Guyana-esque dried fruit. Pretty simple but pleasantly deep.   

Finish: Long and gently spiced with the dried fruit becoming slightly fragrant in character and a herbal grainy nip coming through.   

Conclusion: Unencumbered by complexity, but it’s a...

That Boutique-y Whisky Company, Aberlour Batch 3 49.2%...

Angels Nectar Blended Malt 1 ^st Edition 40%

Tasted: Jan 2015

Nose: Youthful, estery and oily with sweet barley, pineapple chunks, apricot and a touch of acacia. The developing citrus notes add freshness and balance the oils. With time a little American oak character can be discerned.

Palate: Opens with young, oily apricot and barley with developing citrus and mineral notes. It feels a little petilant on the tongue but that morphs into a light sherbet character. Quite herbal on the middle. Pleasantly deep and full.

Finish: Long and lightly gristy with the citrus and minerality making the finish feel...

Oban 21 YO (Special Release 2013), 58,5 % It is very rare to see new releases from the Highland distillery Oban. There are very, very few independent bottlings from this distillery as well. We did, however, get a special treat in Diageo’s Special Release 2013 series, when they presented the Oban 21 YO. This is […]...

Kininvie 1990 23 YO Batch No. 002, 42,6 % Kininvie is a rather unknown Speyside distillery. It was founded in 1990, and distilled their first drops of new make in juli the same year. The distillery is owned by William Grant & Sons, and is located very close to Balvenie Distillery (same owners). Very few […]...

The Ladies’ Share met last Thursday. Our meeting before this one was very peaty with these whiskies in the line-up: Port Ellen 1982 26 YO OMC Bowmore 100 degrees proof Laphroaig PX Lagavulin 12 YO Special release 2014 Kildalton 2007 7 YO Svenska Eldvatten I was supposed to write reviews of these whiskies, but it seems I […]...

Tomatin Cask Strength is a limited release, launched a couple of weeks ago alongside the Tomatin Cù Bòcan Virgin Oak.

It was matured in a combination of bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks.

Tomatin Cask Strength (57,5%, OB 2015, Batch #1, 15.000 btl.)

Nose: starts a bit closed, in the sense that it’s mostly malt, vanilla and vague stewed fruits. Yellow raisins and golden syrup. Quite some toffee as well. There’s a bit of an alcohol prickle, which doesn’t help. Not bad, but youngish and I’m missing some of the Tomatin sparkle. Mouth: good body, malty sweetness again, with some...

I believe Malts of Scotland is one of the biggest sources of independent Glengoyne . While other indies can’t seem to get them, this German bottler keeps a steady stream of releases.

Glengoyne 2000 (52,9%, Malts of Scotland 2015, sherry butt, Mos 15012, 482 btl.)

Nose: bags of oranges and tangerines, mixed with a few dusty grains and hints of brown sugar. Hints of Dutch stroopwafels and latte. Toffee. Apples and plums as well. Mouth: while the nose showed a big sweetness, on the palate it’s fairly dry and spicy, with a bitter edge. Not as thick as...

Bruichladdich 2003 11 YO Svenska Eldvatten, 61,8 % I have just recently visited Islay for the very first time. Wow, I am impressed, really! I want to go back! The island was much bigger than I anticipated. The Swedish independent bottler Svenska Eldvatten took us to almost every distillery at Islay. Lovely! At Bruichladdich we […]...

Verso Rye, 4 months, 46 % I had a nice chat with the CEO of Kyrö Distillery Company, Miika Lipiäinen, in Bergen recently. The distillery is based in Isokyrö, Finland, and was established just over a year ago. They started producing in april 2014. They are a rye whisky distillery, and will have their first proper […]...

The other day I realized how long it had been since I last tried a Banff . I know there was a Banff by Duncan Taylor (Tantalus) fairly recently, but that was outrageously priced, which proves how rare this distillery has become.

Banff 31 yo 1975 (43%, Signatory Vintage 2007, hogshead #3343, 261 btl.)

Nose: hay and dried flowers, with lots of metallic notes and greasy touches. Almost phenolic. Wet chalk and gravel. Hints of cooked apple and a faint honeyed note. Quite odd when you read this description, but that’s Banff. Very old-fashioned. Mouth: a bit funny...