Speyside region – 56.9% ABV – $120

Hey!  It’s been a while since I went on a whisk(e)y speed date!

I guess Kilchoman’s 3rd edition of 100% Islay took up a good chunk of my time.  You will...

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Our second installment of whisky book reviews for the holidays, this one from Jonny McCormick, who appropriately notes on sending it in, “I could murder a drink!”

Whisky Wars, Riots and Murder - Crime in the 19 ^th Century Highlands and Islands

by Malcolm Archibald

Published by Black & White Publishing, 279 pages

As our thoughts turn to the holidays, your relatives maj be looking for an interesting gift for the whisky expert in the family. Rather than a whisky tome, this is a true crime book set in the Highlands and Islands during the Victorian era and imbued with...

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2013/12/06/whisky-books-for-the-holidays-part-2/

I’ve heard nice things about this Glen Garioch 1990 bottled by Kintra . Glen Garioch can be austere and a little rough, let’s see whether the sherry cask made this one behave differently.

Glen Garioch 22 yo 1990 (51,2%, Kintra 2013, refill sherry hogshead #7934, 302 btl.)

Nose: sweet and rummy, with some banana / Pisang notes. Papaya, melon, red fruit gums. Mount Gayrioch? Garioch Club? A nicely candied sherry influence anyway. But there’s more: eucalyptus and mint, some exotic woods, cigar boxes. And a very light coastal kick. Mouth: again surprisingly fruity. Juicy pears, fig syrup, some pink...

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Tomatin 25 yo 1988
(49,7%, The Whisky Agency ‘Perfect Dram’ 2013, refill hogshead, 304 btl.)

Nose: sweet, candied fruits. Angelica cake. Gooseberry pie. Lime. Violets? Also a grassy / herbal side (hay, aniseed, heather). Vanilla. Then some blonde tobacco and banana leafs. Liquorice as well. Pretty complex and wide. Mouth: sweet and rounded, with lemon sweets, gooseberries again, marzipan. Quite oily. Faint hints of pink grapefruit, and again very light violet notes. Evolves towards more grassy notes, with a little nutmeg and liquorice. Ginger too. Finish: medium long, sweet and spicy. Oranges and mocha.

High quality Tomatin, with echoes...

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Another Bunnahabhain 1987 ! A lot of bottlers seem to have them these days. While the Perfect Dram was a Fino cask , this one is much darker and probably Oloroso matured.

It’s part of the new Fishes of Samoa releases, the new Archives label.

Bunnahabhain 26 yo 1987 (50,2%, Archives 2013, dark sherry cask #2557, 233 btl.)

Nose: juicy sherry. Figs and dates, but only half-dried I would say. Also jammy cherries and red grapes (hinting towards raisins, but not quite yet). Toffee. Caramelized banana. Subtle exotic spices and pencil shavings. Cinnamon and cardamom, also a little ginger....

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There is good news for lovers of Mortlach the distinctive, near-triple distilled Speyside single malt, renowned for its meaty full flavor, with the announcement by Diageo of four new expressions. And, I fear, bad.

Due to be available mid-2014 in global markets, the range comprises Rare Old (43.4%, no age statement); Special Strength (49%, no age statement, non-chill filtered, Travel Retail exclusive); 18 Years Old and 25 Years Old (both 43.4%). Packaging details and prices have yet to be finalized, but I understand that the ‘new’ Mortlach will be positioned as a luxury brand, with the entry level Rare Old...

Läs mer http://whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2013/12/02/good-news-and-bad-for-mortlach-lovers/

As you know, four members of the Lindores whisky club turned 40 this year, and for this occasion they threw a birthday party on the eve of the Lindores Whisky Fest .

After some delicious mussels, we were treated with a glorious line-up of drams. Each member selected five bottles from his personal collection. Here goes, in alphabetical order:

• Ardbeg 24 yo 1974 (51,3%, Signatory Vintage 1998, cask #657 + 658, US market, 306 btl.)
• Ardbeg 27 yo 1976 (46%, R.W. Duthie for Alte Tabakstube 1993, cask #921, 341 btl.)
• Aultmore 16 yo 1981 ‘Centenary’ (63%, OB 1997, cask #2508)
...

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Here’s a new Bunnahabhain 1987 in the Perfect Dram series.

Fino sherry , the über-dry type, is rarely used for whisky maturation and in my opinion it’s also the least influential of all types of sherry. It can be hard to pin down exactly what the Fino contributed.

Bunnahabhain 25 yo 1987
(49,4%, The Whisky Agency ‘Perfect Dram’ 2013, Fino hogshead, 255 btl.)

Nose: nicely aromatic. Plenty of citrus notes (grapefruit and lemon) and stewed apples. Subtle notes of whitecurrant and wine gums. Quite some blossomy notes as well. Nice cigar boxes and soft leather. Subtle smoke and wet...

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