Dalmore Valour, NAS, 40 % The Dalmore Valour is a Travel Retail Exclusive, selling at around GBP 60 for a 1 litre bottle. Quite decent, especially if the whisky is good. So, let’s find out. Here is what Dalmore say about their whisky: Matured initially in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, the spirit is then […]...

We like the folks at Signatory . Andrew and his team know good whisky and we’re very pleased they sometimes let us into their warehouses to choose some casks. Our latest four TWE-exclusive drams have just landed – here’s what I thought:

BLAIR ATHOL 1988 27YO CASK #6545

Nose : Sharp aromatics leap out of the glass immediately after pouring – green leaves, freshly cut grass, and sweet and sappy oak – but they quickly burn off to reveal more sweetness underneath. Toffee and butter shortbread are joined by lemon drizzle cake, mixed fruit jam, apple sauce and thickly buttered fruit...

The Antiquary is a blended whisky created by the Tomatin distillery . In september 2015 they released 800 bottles of this 35 year-old expression . It’s supposed to be 50% Tomatin and 50% Girvan.

The Antiquary was originally created by the Hardie brothers back in 1888. The name is taken from the famous Gothic novel written by Sir Walter Scott, redolent with family secrets, stories of hidden treasure and hopeless love.

Their specific, faceted bottle design reminds me of some 1970s or 1980s blends, but they chose to put the 35yo in a more classic bottle.

The Antiquary...

We already heard some rumours about an upcoming Lagavulin 25 Year Old and they have just been confirmed. This limited edition is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the distillery, just like the wider Lagavulin 8 Year Old release.

There used to be a 25 Year Old expression, a 1977 vintage bottled at cask strength in 2002. The new one is a limited release again and will be a one-off release with just 8000 bottles. It was matured exclusively in Sherry casks and will be available for around € 1000.

The name of each distillery manager and the dates of their...

Wemyss Vintage Malts, ‘Smoke on the Water’ 1982 (31 year old) 46%

Coal Ila. Dist: 1982 Btl: 2013

Tasted: Apr 2015

Nose: Quite fresh and briny but beneath oily apricot, orange and barley notes can be discerned. Gentle, phenolic peat smoke and hints of parma violets appear and with time a touch of tar. However the citric, briny freshness balances and enhances the freshness of the aromas.

Palate: Oilier and a little denser than the nose with more toffee’d oak and barley, which impedes the fresher citric elements somewhat. Hints of coffee appears and some briny notes eventually muscle their...

That Boutique-y Whisky Company North British Batch 2 49.3%

Tasted: juni 2016

Nose: Very fragrant with cereal husks, apricot, coconut and plenty of sweet, dried fruit. With time it becomes quite herbal with a touch of wood smoke. Water emphasises the cereal and oils.

Palate: Fuller than the nose with fleshy apricot, herbs, coconut and milk chocolate. Very grainy on the middle (showing its youth) but pleasantly intense. Water emphasises the natural oils but flattens too.

Finish: Intense and sharp with a touch of oak softening the edges. Neat it is still austere though, diluted a little bitter.

Conclusion: A...

Glasgow Distillery Company Prometheus 26 year old 47%

Tasted: Sept 2015

Nose: Pungent, earthy, straw-like mature fruit aromas. A lovely melange of edgy Colombian coffee, dry, sherry spices, lush honey, plummy stewed fruit, prune and dark chocolate. Evocative and deep with a developing citrus character.

Palate: Gentle, full and mature with prune, walnut, dark honey and a sub-Armagnac-esque rancio. A lovely combination of mature fruit and oak with some biting, bittering, balancing wood spice, citrus and mineral notes.

Finish: Very long and juicy with the mature Armagnac-esque dried fruit and spice lingering. Finishes with a touch of dusty cocoa powder....

The Quiet Man “An Fear Ciuin” 2006 (8 year old) 40%

Tasted: Nov 2015

Nose: On the one hand it’s a lightly estery and slightly soapy nose but on the other it’s edgy and slightly grainy with green apple, pineapple, apricot and bolstering creamy oak. With time hints of dunnage.

Palate: A little underpowered and watery. Straightforward with hints of honey, apricot, earth and creamy oak. A little grassy note adds balances but the oak begins to dominate.

Finish: Good length with some light buzzy spices amid the toffee’d oak.

Conclusion: Not the greatest Irish whiskey I’ve ever tasted, but...

Jameson 40%

Tasted: Nov 2011

Quite a dense nose, with that boiled sweet/ confected sherry character. Actually quite well balanced with some oily Pot Still malt and pleasantly integrated floral grain balancing. With time a touch of spice appears.

Softly sherried with a slightly more homogenous palate, but the oily Pot Still malt is still present and the floral grain notes come through on the finish.

Jameson Select Reserve Small Batch 40%

Nose: Burnt tar, burnt toast and heavy treacle. Chunky and clunky with what appears to be a good degree of malt. With time some light smoke.

Palate: Soft,...

Inishowen Blended Irish Whiskey 40%

Cooley Distillery

Tasted: Jan 2013

A releatively pleasant, soft nose of squidgy fruit, banana along with a spicy grain note. Very, very lightly peated with a late tar/ rubber note and a touch of coffee.

Ah, and now it all goes a bit pear shaped on the palate! Its light, slightly feinty with a building sulphur note. Flat, grainy and murky with an unpleasant metallic finish.

Kilbeggan 40%

Tasted: Sept 2011

The nose is initially quite grainy but there is some lovely balancing honey notes and caramel oak. Good depth with a touch of citrus...

Grindlay’s Single Cask Release Glentauchers 1996 (19 year old) 54.5%

Cask 7811

Tasted: juni 2016

Nose: Gorgeously mature and tropical with lemon zest, orange blossom honey, pear, peach and barley. Hints of freshening mineral laced gooseberry and citrus. Water emphasises the honey, mature barley and orange.

Palate: Luscious and honeyed with more barley and less tropical fruit. Wonderfully layered and deep with a touch more creamy oak. Good citric and mineral middle. Water emphasises the juicy orange and honey.

Finish: Long and crisp with mouth-watering citrus with hints of straw and herbs. Water makes the finish exceedingly juicy.

Conclusion: Now...

Bushmills Original 40%

Matured for 5 years in American Oak

Tasted: Nov 2011

An inviting and seriously crisp nose with some lovely hard, brittle cereal and citrus. Quite austere with an edgy floral/ perfumed grain note.

The palate is soft but brittle, opening with the crisp barley and honey followed by some creamy oak. majbe this is a tad austere for some palates but I love that. Good length with a lively citrus finish with hints of floral botanicals.

Bushmills Black Bush 40%

Tasted: maj 2009

Quite a floral and grainy nose, but it is backed by some wonderful sweet...

Box Single Maltwhisky, The 2 ^nd Step Collection 01 51.1%

Tasted: juni 2016

Nose: A beautiful tropical fruit bomb! Sugar sprinkled apricot, melon, pear and apple, followed by crisp green apple, gooseberry, lime and honey. Suddenly a gentle thread of lightly medicinal and smoky peat appears.

Palate: Slightly darker with more malt character and dark honey. The tropical fruit notes are still present though and begin to emerge along with hints of barley, lime and green apple. The slightly medicinal peat begins quite quietly but builds up a head of steam!

Finish: Intense and chewy with coffee coated banana...

Willett 6 YO Family Estate Bottled Single Barrel Bourbon, 61,2 % This single barrel release (barrel #1552) was distilled on 2001-11-07 at Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. The total outturn was 180 bottles. Nose: Super smooth and delightful bourbon nose. Just the right balance of deep corn sweetness, vanilla, light spices, leather, polish and soft perfume notes. […]...

Mackmyra Special 03 Små fat, stor smak, NAS, 48,2 % I continue working my way through old Mackmyra releases. Today I am looking at the third whisky in the Special series. The Mackmyra Special 03 Små fat, stor smak (small casks, big flavor) was released on november 2, 2009. This whisky is made up from unpeated […]...

Teeling Single Malt, NAS, 46 % About time I tried an Irish whiskey, and this time it is an Irish single malt whiskey. It is a product from the Teeling Whisky Co. The new Teeling Distillery in Dublin started production in 2015, so the whiskey in this bottle is not produced at the new distillery. It […]...

I love barbecue. From the dry Memphis styles to wet-rubbed Saint Louis ribs, I could eat it every day, and it pairs so well with a good dram.

In an upcoming issue of Whisky Advocate , you’ll read about some great bourbon-related barbecue dishes, including mains, sides, and sauces. One thing I learned while writing the story is I need to start barbecuing more with the good stuff. So, I went to Louisville pit master Michael Mack, whose barbecue I eat every week at a farmer’s market, and asked for a bourbon-barbecue recipe.

At a glance, the recipe is a...