Teeling Brabazon 02 – Port

The second edition of Teeling Whiskey’s Brabazon series which focuses on the influence of fortified wines on the taste of Irish whiskey. After the first edition which was matured in sherry casks , this time maturation is done in port casks and it is bottled at a satisfying 49.5%. Arriving in stores as we speak, for around € 80.

Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2008

The next Bruichladdich Bere Barley is a 2008 vintage produced with Islay grown barley from Dunlossit Estate. Bottled at 50% after 9 years of maturation in traditional oak casks.

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This Mortlach 1998 was hand-picked by The Whisky Exchange from the Signatory stocks. It is technically a single cask but not quite. Apparently multiple bourbon hogsheads were poured into a single Oloroso sherry butt for a period of 54 months – quite an extensive finish indeed. A sister cask #4 was released on the German market.

Mortlach 18 yo 1998 (55,8%, Signatory Vintage for The Whisky Exchange 2016, sherry finish, cask #5, 681 btl.)

Nose: very leathery, with rather sharp hints of fresh oak and menthol. Then juicy plums and red berries, as well as some clove oil....

Yesterday there was the 7th incarnation of Bruichladdich ’s live digital whisky tastings. You buy a sample pack (3x 20cl for around € 60 + shipping) and open them while watching a live tasting streamed directly from Islay.

#LaddieMP7 featured three single cask whiskies, all made from barley grown on Islay and all matured in first-fill bourbon casks, which makes it interesting to single out variations in barley and age.

Head Distiller Adam Hannett introduced these variations together with Hunter Jackson, one of the 76 farmers on Islay who grows barley for the distillery.

The live video stream was very...

Benromach is experimenting with different distillation and maturation methods and the latest result is the Benromach Triple Distilled .

It has been distilled once in the wash still, and then twice in the spirit still, before being matured in first-fill bourbon barrels for eight years. Triple distillation usually leads to a lighter, smoother style of whisky.

I’m trying it head-to-head with a recent batch of Benromach 10 .

Benromach Triple Distilled 2009 (50%, OB 2017, 15.600 btl.)

Nose: a lot more narrow than the 10yo, although it’s easy to see the common DNA. Pear and lemon, rubbed orange...

GlenDronach 1993 is something I am still getting excited about, especially the ones filled 15th januari 1993 with cask numbers up to #43, more or less. Above this number there is a big gap to #388 and above, but these were filled a month later. I guess the numbers in between were used for wide-scale expressions?

I’m surprised the label says sherry butt whereas they usually specify the type of sherry. I always thought all of these early 1993s were exclusively matured in Oloroso casks .

GlenDronach 24 yo 1993 (59,2%, OB 2017, sherry butt #43, 588 btl.)...

Ardbeg Grooves

Not really news, we already reported on the Committee version of Ardbeg Grooves in juli . Now the regular label appeared in the TTB COLAs, bottled at 46%, which is further confirmation for the fact that this will be the Ardbeg Day 2018 bottling. This Ardbeg is matured in their grooviest casks, intensely charred wine casks.

Benromach 2009 Château Cissac

Benromach will soon announce a new release in their Wood Finish series . Like Hermitage and Sassicaia , this edition is matured in first-fill bourbon casks and finished for 25 months in casks from Château Cissac,...

The nearby whisky club Crann has just released a club bottling selected from the Claxton’s stocks.

It’s a 10 year old Ledaig , originally matured in a bourbon hogshead but re-racked into several Octave sherry casks. Crann selected a Pedro Ximénez sherry octave, whisky store Anverness went for an Oloroso cask, I’ve heard one was released in Austria and another part was taken by Van Zuylen. There’s also a sister cask, also finished in different octaves.

Ledaig 10 yo 2007 (53,8%, Claxton’s 2017, bourbon hogshead & PX sherry octave #1715AV2 – 700641)

Nose: Cuban cigars, deep sooty notes,...

The fifteenth Invergordon bottling already from That Boutique-y Whisky Company . Since a few years they come with an age statement, in this case a huge sales asset as you don’t see 42 years old grains every day.

Invergordon 42 yo (48%, That Boutique-y Whisky Company 2017, Batch #15, 665 btl.)

Nose: typical warm, varnished grain whisky. Tinned pineapple, hints of guava and caramel cream. Vanilla custard. Bananas flambéed and rummy notes – Barbados style. Some charred oak provides a spicy backbone. Mouth: less sweet than expected, there is quite a lot of oak influence with pepper and...

It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed GlenDronach single casks . It has become slightly problematic for whisky bloggers. There was a time when I reviewed nearly every single cask thanks to bottle shares, purchased bottles and samples, etc.

In recent years their popularity skyrocketed, which made shops put their entire allocation on the shelves instead of making some samples available. The distillery itself has never really worked with bloggers either (especially those outside of the UK), why would they if their products sell like hotcakes? A situation that also makes reviews a bit superfluous perhaps.

Anyway, Batch 15 of the...

More artisan Mezcal – and quite a random bunch. We’ll have the common Espadín but also other types of agave, and different ages. All three from the wider Oaxaca region though.

If you’re new to mezcal, see last year’s article with some basic information about mezcal .

Ilegal Reposado mezcal (40%)

One of the half-artisan American brands. Produced for the Ilegal brand by the Tlacolula distillery in Oaxaca from 100% wild Espadín agave. The piñas are cooked in a clay oven fuelled by mesquite and eucalyptus. Distilled twice: first in stainless-steel alembic stills and then in copper alembic....

There’s a second batch of Antique Lions of Spirits , the Butterflies series , with equally impressive decorations.

This time, I also think the selection is more impressive. The first batch contained quite a lot of less reputed names (Blair Athol, Fettercairn, Tormore…) but now we’re seeing old Bunnahabhain, old Irish malt, this Bowmore 1991 , a Bladnoch… Can’t wait.

Bowmore 25 yo 1991 (48,7%, Antique Lions of Spirits 2017, bourbon cask, 218 btl.)

Nose: complex, rewarding nose, starting on smoked salt, coastal hints with hay and seaweed. Also smooth fruity notes: pears, gooseberries, lemons, nice hints of...

This Highland Park 12 Years ‘ Viking Honour’ was the first expression from the new core range at Highland Park to hit the shelves. I think the reception of the ornately decorated new bottles has been quite warm, and it maj be a new batch but with the same recipe.

The new Highland Park 18 Year ‘Viking Pride’ is also arriving in stores now. We should be able to try it in a few weeks, alongside the Highland Park Dragon Legend and Highland Park Magnus expressions.

Highland Park 12 yo ‘Viking Honour’ (40%, OB 2017)

Nose: nicely comforting....

Balvenie Peat Week 14 Years

We mentioned the Balvenie Peat Week already some time ago. It’s here and it turns out to be a permanent addition to the core range, taken from peated experiments of the early 2000s, at a time when not that many Speyside distilleries were doing peated runs. The first batch uses 14 years old whisky distilled in 2002 , matured in American oak. It recently arrived in stores for around € 60.

Benromach Triple Distilled

Surprising news from Benromach: Benromach Triple Distilled (ABV 50%) is distilled in a wash still once and twice in...

Twenty years old , bottled at cask strength 51%, uncoloured and reasonably priced for a fairly rare expression, what’s not to like in this year’s limited edition from Jura distillery?

The new Jura One And All is a celebration of the community spirit among the 200 inhabitants of the island. The whisky is an assemblage from ex-bourbon casks, ex-sherry, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon casks, and Pinot Noir barriques.

Jura One and All 20yo (51%, OB 2017)

Nose: quite complex. Nice fruitiness: kumquats and fragrant apricots, later some blackcurrant too. Lots of gingery notes, baked apple with cinnamon,...

With only a handful of official bottlings, Benrinnes is very much a blender’s malt. Between 1974 and 2007 Benrinnes distillery used a unique partial triple distillation. I’m not sure whether this is the only explanation for its often a little bulky, sulphury spirit that sometimes reminds me of Mortlach. I don’t think I’ve ever had a Benrinnes that was bad or uninspired…

Benrinnes 20 yo (50%, The Whisky Exchange ‘Time series’ 2016, bourbon cask, 280 btl.)

Nose: a fresh mix of lemon peel with grassy notes and a mineral / waxy touch. Pears and apples underneath, light floral...

The oldest Bunnahabhain to date is this Bunnahabhain 46 Year Old nicknamed Eich Bhana Lìr meaning The great waves of the God Lìr .

The whisky is from a single second-fill ex-Oloroso sherry butt selected by the Distillery Manager Andrew Brown. It has been maturing in warehouse #4 since mid-1969.

Bunnahabhain 46 yo 1969 ‘ Eich Bhana Lìr’ (41,8%, OB 2017, Oloroso butt, 198 btl.)

Nose: lots of lovely hints of beeswax and manuka honey, then baked apples and orange water, blackcurrants, moving towards mango and pineapples. Sweet cinnamon. Gingerbread and almond paste. Old leather and cedar...

A recent release in the Lads of Lobland series, the sixth already, bottled by The Whisky Mercenary for the BYOB-C club.

Ledaig 9 yo 2007 (52,3%, Whisky Mercenary for BYOB-C ‘Lads of Lobland’ 2017, bourbon cask, 100 btl.)

Nose: right on the money, which means lots of peat and soot to start, then some tapenade and medicinal notes like iodine and eucalyptus. Lime. Brine. Malty / bready notes. Light hints of vanilla in the background. Mouth: lemony peat, saltwater, gherkins, olives. Cracked pepper and plenty of aniseed. Mentholated freshness. Very clean if not for the slight rubbery edge....

This is the new 2017 edition of Ben Nevis 10 Years , which has a newly designed label since april 2017. It’s funny how a brand-new label design can look instantly retro (but probably not willingly, if you know what I mean).

In fact Ben Nevis distllery is a bit of an outsider: no marketing tricks, outdated website, on the whole a bit forsaken by its Japanese owners (Nikka), with a highly unmodern, often irregular output.

Ben Nevis 10 yo (46%, OB 2017)

Nose: rather unique for an entry-level 10yo. It’s oily, leafy and slightly dusty, with green...

Macallan Edition No.3

Last week I’ve reviewed the very good Macallan Edition No.2 and now we received the news that the Macallan Edition No.3 is arriving in stores. This limited release is created with Master Perfumer Roja Dove (who already created an aroma box for the distillery in 2011).

He selected a combination of American and European oak casks, mostly sherry casks and mostly first-fill. It is said to be a ‘sweet and fruity’ Macallan which brings fresh oak to the fore. Available for around € 90.

Jura One and All / Jura Seven Wood

Jura distillery has...

The Craigellachie 23 Years is part of the 2014 core range makeover (see my post on the Craigellachie 17 Years ). It was the oldest expression until the long overdue 31 Years came out recently.

Craigellachie 23 yo (46%, OB 2014)

Nose: a bit funky unique, very fatty and old-style. Buttercups and other meadow flowers, hints of honey and subtle fruits like melons, kiwi and overripe pineapple. Brass polish. Hints of tobacco. Toasted oak. Seems like a 1970s distillate, not 1990s – very good. Mouth: again very oily, with hints of waxed papers, wet oak as well as...