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LATEST
GREAT FINDING
Caol Ila 1998/2009 (60.9%, Malts of Scotland, cask #12374, 226 bottles)
SGP:547– 91 points |
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2009
June 1
- 2
May 1
- 2
April
1
- 2
March 1
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2
February
1
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2
January 1
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2
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2004
December
1
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2
November
1
- 2
October
1
- 2
September
1
August
1
July
1
June
1
May
1
April
1
March
1
February
1
January
1
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The
Malt Maniacs Monitor
(PDF,
printable, 3.5MB, sorted alphabetically, updated June 7, 2009)
The file
contains 281 pages.
At the moment, we have collected 37,085
ratings on 12,107 different single malts and whiskies.
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Serge's
Statistics
Shack
The
data on the MMMonitor allows us Malt Maniacs to play around
with the numbers for our own amusement. Please note that only
the results and conclusions published on Malt Maniacs are
'official'. However, these statistics are often used as the
foundation for our 'official' opinions.
Top
Maniacal Malts
Recent bottlings
version
Old
bottlings version
( updated 06/08/2009)
We've
taken all the malts that have been sampled by at least six
different certified malt maniacs and simply ranked them from
'best' to 'worst'. Please note that these results can be very
different than our Awards', the latter addressing only malts
that have been submitted by the industry, whereas most of
the malts on the monitor have been, yes... bought by us!
Strange
Bits on Bottlers
(updated
06/08/2009)
As
we already came up with around 32,000 ratings in June 2009,
we felt we could try to come up with a ranking of the various
bottlers. Nothing really official or too serious, though,
especially because the bottles' prices have not been taken
into account and because a bottler that specializes in rare
and expensive whiskies will be 'advantaged' anyway. But if
you're a number crusher, please go ahead and browse the list!
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A Messy History
1969 - 1983
All
the bottlings
Well, almost...
latest
update
May 21, 2005
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Serge's
Tasting Sheet: Back
on this website by popular demand. PDF, printable. Click here
to download.
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All the linked files (mp3, video, html) are
located on free commercial or non-commercial third party websites.
Some pictures are taken from these websites, and are believed
to be free of rights, as long as no commercial use is intended.
I
always try to write about artists who, I believe, deserve
wider recognition, and all links to mp3 files are here to
show you evidence of that. Please encourage the artists you
like, by buying either their CDs or their downloadable 'legal'
tracks.
I
always add links to the artists' websites - if any - which
should help you know more about their works. I also try to
add a new link to any hosting website or weblog which helped
me discover new music - check the column on the right.
I
almost never upload any mp3 file on my own server, except
when dealing with artists I personally know, and who gave
me due authorizations, or sometimes when I feel a 'national'
artist deserves wider recognition. In that case, the files
will remain on-line only for a few days.
I
do not encourage heavy consumption of alcoholic beverages,
nor dangerous motorbike riding. But life is short anyway...
As
they say here: 'L'abus d'alcool est dangeureux pour la santé
- à consommer avec modération' |
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Leave
feedback |
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| July
2, 2009 |
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| SPEED
TASTING – FIVE YOUNG MACALLANS (some old) |
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Macallan
7yo (40%, OB Giovinetti & Figli import, Italy,
+/-1985, 75cl) 
The 7 was getting rather poor in its last years
but this should be better, even if the older 8 was
in a different league (many fakes made in Italy
actually contain that old 8yo, which explains why
they’re so good and why nobody (even at very
high places) never complained). Enough said. Colour:
gold. Nose: rather big but unusually grassy for
The Macallan, with a combination of apple peeling,
walnut skin and plain paraffin. Metal polish, sour
apples, wet clay. Not very aromatic to say the least
and far from the good 12 or even 10 that were also
available at the time. Mouth: very bizarre. It’s
not that it’s unpleasant but some notes of
candle wax – not too nice on the palate –
plus something such as rotting oranges just don’t
work. Varnish. Finish: medium long, more on bitter
‘things’ (leaves, fruit skins and so
on). Comments: it’s not an OBE that went wrong.
Not the best old Macallan for sure but some parts
are interesting. SGP:362 - 72 points. |
Macallan
11 yo 1997/2008 (43%, Signatory, hogsheads #929-930,
797 bottles) 
Colour: white wine. Nose: this one
screams ‘young Speysider’ with a lot
of apple juice, pear juice and a little beer. Also
whiffs of wood smoke plus a little ginger tonic.
Simple but not unpleasant at all. Mouth: simple
but clean, very fruity, nicely balanced and very
‘natural’. Not much cask influence.
A little bubblegum. Finish: medium long, on oranges
and a little ginger. Comments: good spirit from
a rather inactive cask, at an easy drinking strength.
A few ice cubes (or better yet, chilled rocks) would
work. SGP:431 - 80 points. |
Macallan
12yo (43%, OB, Screw Cap, Imported by ETS Couin,
France, +/-1989) 
Colour: amber. Nose: this popular old version
is in a completely different league, with the typical
sherry notes upfront as well as the same kind of
grassiness as in the 7, only much more refined and
elegant. Whiffs of old books (no mouldiness, though)
and then old roses and high-end perfume (your pick).
A lady’s perfume of course. Quite some smoke
again, much more smoke than in recent bottlings
for sure. Coal stove. Beautiful nose. Mouth: oh
yes, this is nice whisky. It’s not very big
but complex and kind of ‘antiquated’,
with some sweet/leathery notes, crystallised orange
zests, marmalade, Indian soft spice mix (we’ll
spare you the maltoporn here), deep-roasted coffee,
praline, herbal tea (a mix again)… Beautiful
palate, very complex. Many whisky lovers came to
maltmania with this one – no wonder! Finish:
medium long but still complex, maybe a little more
‘toasted’ and smoky. Comments: utterly
classic and classy. SGP:553 - 89 points.
(and thank you, Konstantin) |
| Macallan
1995/2008 (46%, Coopers Choice, refill sherry)
Colour:
straw. Nose: it is probably not as complex and thrilling
as the old official 12 but some parts are well here,
such as the smoke (unexpected), the fine sherry,
then a little leather and old books again (or old
wardrobe in the attic), oranges, a little caramel…
A perfect nose for a recent 12/13yo Macallan and
one that’s rather more ‘official’
than ‘independent’. More smoke and even
flints after a while. Mouth: it’s quite amazing
how this one is similar to the old 12 again. Maybe
a tiny-wee-bit simpler (and punchier) but other
than that, we’re in presence of very similar
malts. Excellent. Finish: long, a little more on
caramel crème, toffee and fudge. Comments:
excellent cask selection by the Coopers’ Choice,
closer to the old official wonders (‘though
less smoky) than to the recent official… bottlings.
SGP:552 - 88 points. |
Macallan
12yo 1979/1991 (57%, Cadenhead's, dumpy black label)
 One
of the very last bottlings in this ‘dumpy
black label’ series. Sob… Colour: full
gold. Nose: oh no, I had hoped the old 12 or the
Coopers’ would win this little battle but
with these sneaky black dumpies, the dirtiest tricks
may be played at the very last minutes and once
again, it’s what seems to happen here, at
least on the nose. Same profile as the old 12 but
bigger and more profound, a tad drier, maybe more
austere but also (even) more elegant. More herbal
too (parsley, lovage and sage). And quite some smoke,
both wood and coal. With water: added whiffs of
wet wool, that’s all. Mouth (neat): creamy
and unexpectedly lemony. Amazingly lemony in fact,
and disturbingly so as well because it’s becoming
kind of chemical (cheapo readymade lime juice.)
Something chalky as well, and also a little salt.
Not too good and possibly flawed here. Cardboardy.
With water: that didn’t work. And pipe juice?
(only pipe smokers or former pipe smokers will understand
– good for the others.) Finish: long but –
cough, cough – still oddly lemony and chalky.
Comments: fantastic nose but a flawed palate. Too
bad. SGP:641 - 79 points. |
| PETE
McPEAT AND JACK WASHBACK on holidays in St Tropez |
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| July
1, 2009 |
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TASTING
– ANOTHER THREE GLEN SCOTIA (a redemption
in my book?) |
| We
had quite a few disastrous experiences with Glen
Scotia in recent times but I know that the humble
Campbeltown distillery can be great, so just like
Boileau advised, let’s ‘twenty times
on the loom, put back our work…’ |
Glen
Scotia 17 yo (46%, Duthies, +/- 2009)
 Colour:
straw. Nose: light and grassy, spirity, austere,
inexpressive, faintly smoky… Also hints of
linseed oil, graphite, mustard… Slivovitz…
It’s not that it’s ugly whisky, it just
doesn’t offer much pleasure. Mouth: ha-ha,
this is better! It’s still very grassy but
the heavy notes of white rum and citrus (mojito!)
make it rather enjoyable. It’s also rather
leafy, still mustardy, peppery… Some character,
no doubt. Finish: rather long, peppery and ‘green’
(cider apples). Comments: interesting malt in its
big grassiness. And no flaws that I can detect this
time (provided what I think is a flaw is actually
a flaw, of course). SGP:261 – 83 points.
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Glen
Scotia 16 yo 1977/1993 (57.60%, Cadenhead, Authentic
Collection) 
Colour: gold. Nose: the same kind of grassy and
flinty notes as in the Duthies but it seems that
this one is rather cleaner and straighter. Apple
peelings. Let’s try to bring it round with
a little water. With water: well, I wouldn’t
say it got more expressive but there are some pleasant
whiffs of menthol and eucalyptus now. Mouth (neat):
starts a bit acrid but just like the Duthies, it’s
nicer on the palate than on the nose, even at 57%+.
Herbs liqueur, a little wasabi, green apple liqueur
like they make in Spain and quite possibly a little
peat. With water: same notes, only smoother and
rounder. Marzipan. Very good I must say. Finish:
long, with a little salt and quite some mint flavoured
green tea. Comments: not sexy but full and kind
of closer to its high-profile neighbour starting
with a S. SGP:452 - 86 points (and
many thanks, Tomislav) |
| Glen
Scotia 13 yo 1977/1991 (58.8%, Cadenhead's Dumpy,
Black Label, 75cl)
Colour:
old. Nose: not many differences with the 16yo. Maybe
even more ‘narrowly’ grassy. With water:
this is funny, it went in the opposite direction
when compared with the 16yo. Much more buttery at
first, then a tad resinous . Whiffs of wet moss,
fern and mushrooms. Slight mouldiness. Mouth (neat):
this one is obviously from the same batch as the
16yo. Same profile, a tad rougher and also fruitier
(in other words, even more Spanish apple liqueur).
With water: oh, it’s the same whisky as the
16yo again, which is great news. Finish: long, similar
to the 16, maybe a tad peatier and more herbal.
Comments: a big dram with quite some peat, globally
a little closer to its high-profile neighbour starting
with a L (made at the S. distillery). SGP:353
- 84 points. |
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