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September 13, 2024 |
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Quick, a few Aultmore
We quite like Aultmore, we'll enjoy them gradually.
Patchouli (Wiki)
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Aultmore 9 yo (46%, James Eadie, Small Batch, first fill bourbon and refill barrels, 1119 bottles, 2024) 
According to the label, it seems like a bottling meant for the Vatican, doesn’t it? You might laugh, but WF does have readers in the Vatican. Okay, one reader, and apparently a loyal one at that. Colour: straw. Nose: exactly like a young Speysider matured in fine American oak. Candle wax (perhaps for the Vatican), vanilla, sourdough, banana skin, and very fresh brioche (still alive and kicking). Very charming, amen. Mouth: a bit rougher, more herbal, with apple peelings, Nescafé, fresh branches, and a fair amount of yeast and vanilla sugar. Perhaps not entirely certain of itself. Finish: rather long, with some lemon appearing but not quite managing to bring order this time around. Still, there’s that Nescafé in the aftertaste and a touch of bitterness. Comments: pleasant but slightly off the usual James Eadie mark for me. They did have an 8 yo that was more to my liking (WF 83).
SGP:571 - 80 points. |
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Aultmore 11 yo 2013/2024 (55.4%, Lady of the Glen, hogshead and rum cask finish, cask #300445, 272 bottles)
As long as the rum stays discreet... Colour: white wine. Nose: the rum isn’t going to change the Earth's rotation here. Very young malt, barley, hints of oranges and bananas, but everything is very, very discreet, almost shy. Almost reminiscent of Jameson. With water: dough, grist, flour. Mouth (neat): it goes down well, with oranges and pink grapefruits. Nothing to complain about, it’s fresh, it’s simple, it does the job. With water: same story, it does the job. A nice citrusy touch. Finish: same. A bit of yoghurt, then green pepper. Comments: it’s good.
SGP:551 - 81 points. |
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Aultmore 17 yo 2007/2024 ‘Exceptional Cask’ (57.1%, Signatory Vintage ‘100 Proof Edition 1’, 1st fill oloroso butt) 
So many promises! Colour: darker gold. Nose: I get it. Pure oloroso and walnut wine, plus cigars and a few prunes. No need to overdo it (I mean us, not the whisky). With water: water from the Guadalquivir. Just kidding. Old walnuts, pine bark, cocoa pods. Mouth (neat): indeed an earthy sherry, but also spicy, with bitter oranges and cardamom. Bitter almonds too. With water: the raw chocolate returns. Coffee isn’t far off but doesn’t quite reveal itself. Finish: long and oddly salty, like an amontillado from Sanlúcar. Comments: joking aside, we know that Aultmore takes sherry particularly well, but it still needs to be good sherry. And it is, there’s certainly enough here to have some fun with your pipette and your mineral water – but not too mineral, while still being sufficiently mineral. Right.
SGP:461 - 87 points. |
Let’s find an old barrel to finish up (and no, we’re not talking about one of our old friends from Glasgow or Edinburgh)... |
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Aultmore 1992/2023 (45%, Malts of Scotland, Rare Casks, bourbon barrel, cask #MoS 23023, 175 bottles) 
Such a cask surely doesn't come by every day. Imagine, 30 years, or perhaps 31. Colour: pale gold. Nose: very reminiscent of that Strathmill 1988 MoS we had the other day. Lots of delicacy here, herbal teas, patchouli, a fresh pack of bidis straight from Goa (or wherever that may be), wilted rose petals, baked apples with butter, and pears poached in sweet wine... This is absolutely gorgeous, like an Impressionist landscape, showing no signs of fatigue at this point. Mouth: exactly the same, only with a bit more firmness. Orchard apples, various plums, a touch of grapefruit, a hint of myrtle, a bit of wormwood and verbena, and those notes of dried flowers. A little barley sugar brings roundness, along with even a few drops of pear liqueur. Finish: not immensely long, but elegant and refined. Apple and pear compote with a touch of cinnamon. Comments: I love this slightly improbable, thoroughly unexpected old malt. Bravo, MoS, it's superb. To sip while reading Goethe (jawohl).
SGP: 561 - 90 points. |
A little bonus pour the road… |
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Aultmore 17 yo 2006/2023 (52.3%, Maltbarn, Circles, sherry cask, 113 bottles)
This one slipped through my fingers, but we’ll soon set that right. Colour: gold. Nose: pleasant, in the style of Macallan (oops), very, very lightly smoky, with a basaltic edge, then malt, coffee, roasted pecans, and a few spent matches. This isn’t exactly Duke Ellington’s big band. With water: aubergines and used fireworks. Well, you get the picture. Mouth (neat): rather oily, but with a quirky side, mutton suet, black pepper, grilled gingerbread, and more spent matches. With water: it returns to a more righteous path, but that plasticine note remains quite prominent. Finish: rather long. Artichokes, Angostura bitters… Comments: not bad at all, but it ‘clicks’ with me less than the vast majority of Maltbarn’s whiskies. The sherry has introduced a slightly disjointed and sulphury note here. Well, in my very humble opinion.
SGP: 461 - 81 points. |
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September 12, 2024 |
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WF's Little Duos, two
artistic extremes of Glenturret |
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| The Jaguar Type C lightweight at Le Mans in 1953 (24 Heures du Mans) |
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| Let's say a young peated whisky – the peated ones, known as Ruadh Mhòr, are generally very successful IMHO – and the latest Glenturret ‘1953 24 Hours’. Overall, it must be said that among the current old Scottish wonders, some of the ‘decanters’ are a bit like a modern Lamborghini, you’d be keen to try it, but probably wouldn’t want to be seen driving it. That’s not the case with this Glenturret ‘1953’, with its elegant bottle, naturally signed by owners Lalique. But let’s start with a young peated one, as Glenturret doesn’t really have any old peated whiskies... |
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Ruadh Mhor 11 yo 2010/2021 (52.6%, WhiskyJace, Art Edition, 1st fill sherry cask)
Gorgeous label! But peat and sherry together, well, one must tread carefully—it can be magic, or it can be... not. Colour: gold. Nose: smoky and highly medicinal, almost like a pharmacy. A bit like aspirin dissolved in water, followed by a squeeze of lemon and a bold, lively smoke. The sherry is playing it shy so far. With water: here comes that long-anticipated wet chalk. Mouth (neat): lovely, sharp, citrusy, and vibrant. You’d think it was a fino cask, if it really was first fill. There’s a hint of mezcal here, reminiscent of the peated Glenturrets we’ve encountered before. Mezcal and green apple. With water: easy on the water now, mind. The medicinal side comes back, along with hints of a certain Islay distillery whose name begins with an L but doesn’t end in ‘lin’. Very, very pretty, with the sherry still keeping a low profile—or perhaps it’s perfectly integrated. Finish: long, precise, utterly classic. Lemon, apple, smoke, chalk, and so on. Comments: a delightful young peater. I reckon we might just have another peated dram before grabbing a coffee, then a large glass of Perrier, followed by a large glass of Vittel (Nestlé, where’s the cheque?) … and then perhaps the infamous ‘53’.
SGP: 556 - 87 points. |
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Ruadh Mhor 11 yo 2011/2023 (54.9%, WhiskyFacile, refill bourbon hogshead, 335 bottles)
This one’s bottled by A.D. Rattray for WhiskyFacile in Italy. Got to love that note on the label: ‘Distilled to be Ruadh Mhor at Glenturret Distillery’. Brilliant, isn’t it? Colour: white wine. Nose: a bit less peaty, a bit fruitier, mainly on green apple and equally green pear. There’s also a rather pronounced green and black olive note, which I find thoroughly delightful—it’s quite something, really. With water: same impression. A touch of damp earth creeps into the background. Mouth (neat): much the same! A wonderful burst of energy with those olives still very much at the fore. With water: seriously, did they add olives to this? Lovely salinity and, as Romain, the famed sommelier at Lalique (the restaurant), might say, beautiful verticality. Finish: same again. Super precise, olives, lemon, apple, smoke. One must bow to it. Comments: on par with the excellent 2010.
SGP: 565 - 87 points. |
Alright, as we said, coffee, Perrier, Vittel... see you with a brand-new palate after the smoky ones. |
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Glenturret ‘1953 24 Hours Winner’ (42.3%, OB, Jaguar C-Type 70th Anniversary, 220 bottles, 2023)
Right, this one's a bit tricky. Despite the name, it's not from 1953, but rather a vatting of five casks, with a minimum age of 32 years—so more accurately a 32-year-old. Comprising four oloroso hogsheads and one PX hogshead, but no old solera casks in sight. Colour: gold. Nose: simply superb. Vineyard peaches, wildflower honey, ripe apples, papaya, and mango, with a definite nod towards a 30-year-old Sauternes (like 1st Cru Classé Lafaurie Peyraguey, same owners as Glenturret) before shifting to soft pine, sweet resins, sugared vegetables, and a lovely orange sauce (the kind you'd serve with duck, naturally). It’s a wonderfully ‘gastronomic’ nose, which will surprise no one. Mouth: a perfect reflection of the nose, but with more oomph than expected. Honey, wax, peaches, apricots, sultanas, and little cinnamon biscuits. That faint pine bud note is still present, along with a touch of liquorice wood. Finish: not overly long but well-balanced by citrus and orange blossom. A delightful honeyed aftertaste lingers. Comments: you'll have noticed I’ve carefully avoided any cheap mechanical metaphors.
SGP:661 - 92 points. |
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September 11, 2024 |
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Fettercairn in great numbers
About twenty-five years ago, Old Fettercairn aka Fettercairn was scarcely available, and its reputation was maybe a wee tad mediocre. No amount of rebranding seemed capable of turning things around. |
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However, as they say, a rising tide lifts all boats, and the owners took full advantage of this to bring the brand back into the spotlight, notably thanks to the spirit’s bold character and the drive of Master Blender (and of the Universe), Richard Patterson, aka The Nose. So much so that today we’ve decided to try and set a world record—the most different Fettercairn whiskies reviewed in a single post (though not necessarily in one tasting session, we’re not mad). Are you ready? |
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Fettercairn 16 yo (46.4%, OB, 2023) 
The 2022 edition had been rather excellent, so expectations are high. Colour: gold. Nose: that unmistakable walnut cake and sweet mustard character comes through beautifully, joined by bitter oranges and an unexpected coastal touch – oysters, of all things! Hints of tar and rubber are present, but far less than in older releases, and in any case, that’s part of Fettercairn’s charm. Mouth: rich, honeyed, thick, and delightfully spicy, with a pleasing firmness. Chestnut cream, more nuts, a touch of earth, a light salinity, and perhaps once again, a cheeky oyster. It’s really very good, though one might suspect some of this richness comes from rather exuberant casks. Finish: long, turning peppery, yet still salty and honeyed, with notes of honey-lemon biscuits. There’s a return of that earthy element in the aftertaste. Comments: for me, this has become one of the finest middle-aged official bottlings around, and there aren’t that many at this level, if you ask me. Softer compared to the 2022 batch, with a touch more bitterness. A great start.
SGP:562 - 88 points. |
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Fettercairn 2014/2022 ‘Warehouse 2 Batch 004’ (48.8%, OB, bourbon and Hungarian oak)
These warehouse stories don’t always convince, but never mind. This one contains 6% Hungarian oak (wow!), which is essentially cheaper European oak, but as it’s petraea, it’s not half bad. Colour: white wine. Nose: barley sugar and the sweetness of bourbon, with vanilla cream, then a lovely floral touch of geranium and jasmine. Caraway and green walnut remind us we’re still in Fettercairn territory. Mouth: no, this is very good indeed, and I promise you could easily mistake it for Ben Nevis. It’s fantastic that they’ve allowed the distillate (very bold, let’s admit) to shine through, despite the use of active wood. I think it’s brilliantly done – they just need packaging that feels a bit more 2024, though. Right, not my business. Finish: long, with notes of walnuts, sweet mustard, ripe apples, clove, and a hint of juniper. Comments: it’s better than Batch 1 from the same warehouse, those warehouses are something else! Though it still sits slightly in the shadow of the magnificent 16-year-old.
SGP:562 - 86 points. |
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Fettercairn 2014/2023 ‘Warehouse 14 Batch 001’ (51.2%, OB, bourbon and Scottish beer)
And here we go, Warehouse No. 14. But how many warehouses do they have at Fettercairn? This bottle is said to include three types of Scottish beer – pale ale, dark ale, and stout. Incredible. Colour: white wine. Nose: it’s sweeter, younger in spirit, with notes of apple and quince jelly, barley, banana, even a bit of papaya… Could it be the yeasts from those Scottish beers doing their magic? With water: it tightens up a bit, but that’s not a bad sign. A well-mannered dram, we might say. Hints of grist and limestone linger. Mouth (neat): really very good, with more lemony notes. Pink grapefruit and a touch of sage. With water: it’s really very good – I’m repeating myself, but it is! Cloved orange zest and roasted pistachios. You get the idea… Finish: fairly long, very clean for a Fettercairn, though not without a bit of texture. A return of honeyed mustard and walnuts in the aftertaste. Comments: there’s nothing more satisfying than watching a distillery evolve like this. Let me remind you, twenty years ago, my friends wouldn’t touch it, by and large.
SGP:552 - 87 points. |
This time, it might not be as easy for the IBs... |
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Fettercairn 10 yo 2011/2021 (47.5%, Carn Mor, bourbon barrel, 1244 bottles) 
This one should be entirely natural. Colour: white wine. Nose: pears and porridge, with touches of cardboard, fresh wood, and plaster. And, most notably, a whole stein of Weissbier. A hint of bitter almond and the usual mustard lurking in the background. Mouth: ultra-typical, indeed. Once again, walnuts, mustard, bitter almonds, a touch of earth… Then it shifts towards cider apples and lemon zest. A lovely ‘nervous’ austerity here. Finish: long, turning peppery. Lemon peel, pepper, then a bit more sweetness coming through. Comments: very, very close to the distillate, and in that sense, rather wild. Nice bitterness.
SGP:461 - 84 points. |
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Fettercairn 2009/2022 (50.6%, Liquid Art, 140 bottles)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: very much in the same style as its predecessor, though this one carries a bit more cask influence, lending it a touch more roundness, but it remains austere, distinctive, with a mustardy edge and packed with green walnuts, sourdough, and a whiff of old newspaper. There’s also a hint of bitter apples in the background. With water: it becomes chalkier, earthier, in other words, even more Fettercairn. Mouth (neat): this time we’re edging closer to the excellent official bottlings, with a lovely body and a salty-bitter-fruity mix, some honey, and amusing notes of white asparagus, all followed by the signature Fettercairn pepper. With water: very good indeed, with apples, mustard, green tea, bitter almonds, and walnut wine. Finish: long, more mineral, though there’s a hint of olive oil. Comments: top-notch, though it makes you wonder, which warehouse did this one come from? Just kidding.
SGP:562 - 86 points. |
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Fettercairn 15 yo 2007/2023 (53.5%, Cadenhead, Rum Cask Matured, 240 bottles)
It’s true that Cadenhead bottles some lovely rums, so they’ve probably got a few empty casks on hand to fill with malt. Colour: white wine. Nose: this is quite unexpected, we start with even more porridge and fresh morning bread dough, alongside green walnuts and the ever-present mustard, before a surprising Jamaican-like twist of tar, overripe bananas, and a touch of seawater sneaks in. With water: the original distillate takes charge again, so back to the walnuts and co. Mouth (neat): perhaps less precise than others, but possibly more complex. The walnuts are now smoked, coated in tar, and drenched in a sort of salty, honeyed molasses. With water: it’s a lively tango, reminding me of a Martinican rum aged in an Islay cask, the reverse situation, which also worked quite well (surprisingly). Finish: long, more lemony and maritime. A bit of pepper and tar in the aftertaste. Comments: there’s almost a double-Fettercairn character to this at times. Nicely done.
SGP:562 - 85 points. |
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Fettercairn 14 yo 2007/2022 (54.4%, Oxhead Whisky Company, Singapore, amontillado hogshead, cask #201506)
Colour: gold. Nose: this one leans more towards oils—rapeseed, sunflower, sesame—though the familiar notes of cardboard, chalk, and fresh ink (new book) are also back. There’s even a touch of vegetables, cabbage, leek... which I think can be quite ‘Fettercairn’ as well. With water: the distillate’s walnuts and the amontillado’s walnuts are thick as thieves. Lots of cement and chalk too. Mouth (neat): pure Fettercairn, almost to the point of seeming peaty. Plenty of paprika, pepper, lemon, and once again, cardboard, mustard, black radish, mead, with a slight soapy edge. With water: apple juice emerges, with some gin-like notes that verge on soapiness (not huge gin fans here). Finish: long, compact, and a bit eccentric. Quite the character. The mustard and walnuts continue to sing loudly. Comments: another wild one.
SGP:562 - 84 points. |
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Fettercairn 10 yo 2011/2022 (54.6%, Best Dram, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #800355, 220 bottles)
We quite like these labels—you could hardly be less flamboyant. In these AI-dominated times, it’s a bit of a relief. Colour: white wine. Nose: almost nothing at first—just a trickle of limestone water, the faintest hint of apple juice, and a touch of grapeseed oil… and that’s it. You really couldn’t be less exuberant, especially for a Fettercairn. We’re into that. With water: more body now, with devil’s sauce, honey, and walnut cake making an appearance. Mouth (neat): ultra-precise. Barley, paraffin, bitter almonds, walnut oil, horseradish, and a splash of seawater. With water: perfect. Now we’re in Ben Nevis territory. Finish: same. A lovely acidic touch, with lemon juice and Muscadet. Comments: a young Ben Nevis in high-precision mode. Oops, sorry, a Fettercairn.
SGP:562 - 87 points. |
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Fettercairn 12 yo 2008/2021 (52.9%, Whisky-Fässle, barrel)
It’s true, we don’t always need loads of details and superlative adjectives on our malt labels. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: well, this is very, very close to the previous one. A precious modesty, with a bit of apple, rubber, chalk, and sunflower oil. With water: wax paper and a hint of Barbour grease… Mouth (neat): absolutely delightful! Various kinds of apples, a touch of lemon, a drop of mead, tar liqueur, green pepper, and the classic duo of green walnuts and mustard. The texture is fairly oily, as always. With water: sweeter this time, little agave candies, mild pepper, and a bit of mandarin. Finish: indeed, a bit oilier and sweeter, though nowhere near what you’d call a sweet finish. Well, you get the idea. Comments: this is just so good.
SGP:552 - 86 points. |
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Fettercairn 16 yo 2006 (54.7%, Malt, Grain & Cane, Barbados rum cask, Cranes)
A 6-month finish in a Foursquare barrel. If it was one of their ‘single blends’, that shouldn’t have caused too much trouble for such a Fettercairn. Colour: pale gold. Nose: yes, it’s in line with the rest—slightly overripe apples, walnuts, ink, tar, old paper, mustard… In short, all is well, madame la marquise (as the old French song goes). With water: white chocolate! Could you get more delightfully nostalgic? Mouth (neat): 87 points. Wait, we’re going too fast. Walnuts, radish, mustard, green tea, sorrel, oil, lime… It’s just perfect. With water: doesn’t need much water. A touch of bitter oranges. Finish: medium length, a bit rounder now. Almond milk and oranges, with the ever-present mustardy note. Comments: we could debate for hours about whether or not to add water. And the value of such commentary (indeed, S.).
SGP:552 - 87 points. |
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Fettercairn 10 yo 2012/2023 (58.16%, Or Sileis, hogshead, cask #DL15976, 131 bottles)
The structure of this cask number for Taiwan points to a Douglas Laing origin (well done, Sherlock). In any case, our dear friends over there seem even more cat-crazy than us, which hardly seems possible. Lucky cat? Colour: white wine. Nose: back to pure Fettercairn, packed with walnuts, plaster, mustard, and little sour apples. Amusing hints of bottarga. With water: wet chalk, clay, slate, and fresh radishes. Mouth (neat): simple yet magical. Green apple, walnuts, radish, earth, turmeric, and a drop of seawater. The precision of a true Swiss watch. With water: I absolutely adore this one. To be clear, I loved all the others as well. Finish: whoops, wait, it turns slightly sweet. Candy sugar and marmalade. Remember, the devil’s always in the finish. Comments: jokes aside, another excellent young Fettercairn.
SGP:652 - 86 points. |
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Fettercairn 12 yo 2009/2021 (57%, Whisky Peter, hogshead + first fill bourbon barrel, cask #800300)
I love these 'amateur' labels that look like they were made on an Atari or a Commodore. At least, that’s how they seem, and it’s absolutely charming. Colour: white wine. Nose: similar, of course. Cider apples, green walnuts, mustard, chalk, paraffin—you know the tune. With water: ah, that young Burgundy Chardonnay vibe, all about the limestone… Unstoppable. Mouth (neat): so good! Green apples, chalk, walnuts, beeswax, liquorice, horseradish… With water: now this is fun, beyond grapefruit I’m also getting pickled samphires. Or am I dreaming? Finish: fairly long and simply perfect. Lemon paraffin and chalk in all their glory. Comments: it seems all these young Fettercairns hover between 85 and 87 points in my little book. Such consistency is rare, and of course, a sign of very high quality. With all due modesty.
SGP:652 - 87 points. |
I think we're going to stop with the younger Fettercairns, anyway they're all pretty fantastic. Let's see if we can find one or two older ones to wrap up this session, which in the end wasn't as extreme or unconventional as we initially thought. |
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Fettercairn 22 yo (47%, OB, +/-2024)
We tried the 22-year-old four years ago and rather enjoyed it, but here we have a recent batch, so purely for science, we’ll give it another go. Colour: gold. Nose: very mustardy and bitter on the nose, once again marked by green walnuts and coal dust, followed by peppermint and orange peel. To be honest, we quite like this. After a minute or two, aubergine and green propolis join the mix. Mouth: this isn't an easy whisky; there’s that pronounced bitterness again, with plenty of green pepper, bitter oranges, paprika, and that very earthy character so typical of Fettercairn. Naturally peppered mushrooms, a bit like some boletes. We love it. Finish: it remains somewhat extreme in profile, with loads of green and black pepper. Comments: as they say, it doesn’t take many prisoners, but it’s rather spectacular, perhaps even more so than the earlier batches. If they ever made it cask strength, I reckon you’d need a firearms licence to own a bottle. I still love it.
SGP:472 - 88 points. |
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Fettercairn 27 yo 1995/2022 (61.3%, Whisky Sponge, refill hogshead, 174 bottles)
The strength of Angus’s Whisky Sponge (and of the following ranges), beyond the obvious quality of the spirits, was lying in the utterly singular and inimitable nature of what we might call its 'brand environment' – a strong personality and a fearless, unconstrained expression, which is a rare find in such a conservative Scotland (yes, indeed). But enough of that personal drivel, let’s taste this one. Mind you, an old Fettercairn isn’t necessarily better than a young one, just saying. Colour: bright straw. Nose: well, the youthful tension here is replaced by the sheer power of the alcohol percentage. Strangely enough, the result is incredibly similar – chalk, apple peels, lemon zest, yellow melon, shoe polish, sourdough, fresh cement… With water: fresh focaccia and apple juice. Admirable, but still feels ‘young’. Mouth (neat): almost oily, yet packed with lemon essence and a riesling concentrate, if such a thing existed. Watch out for the alcohol! With water: it becomes gentler, but more complex, with pastry notes, roasted pistachios, nougat, lemon tarte, drops of verbena liqueur and, above all, genepy, putty, and orange marzipan. You’d almost think this drop came not from Scotland but from, say, Salzburg. Finish: lovely length, very elegant. Comments: this Fettercairn demands your full attention, but it’s well worth it. Superb, given the vintage.
SGP:652 - 89 points. |
One last one, and so much for the Fettercairn world record – we’ve bitten off more than we can chew, once again. |
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Fettercairn 31 yo 1990/2022 (42%, Skene, American oak hogshead, cask #648086)
Skene may be a rather discreet house, but they’ve been releasing some remarkable bottlings, with a pleasantly old-school vibe, which is increasingly a virtue in these days of sometimes somewhat ‘fake’ and, above all, conformist modernity. Colour: straw. Nose: where have these old Fettercairns been hiding? Bursting with glorious whiffs of farmhouse cider, natural Riesling, Chardonnay from Jura and Savoie, and even a touch of Petite Arvine from Valais while we're at it. It’s not often we find ourselves this close to wine, but remember the rule of Leerdam cheese – the less there is, the more there is (*). Mouth: magnificent white wine. I’m barely joking. Actually, I’m not joking at all. Lovely fresh oak, with the tiniest hint of coconut and the finest vanilla, followed by limestone and a myriad of delicate flowers and herbs – borage, for instance. Finish: not overly long, but simply perfect. Tangerines and chocolate mint right at the end. Comments: where on earth did this come from? Even the ABV is spot on. If you find a bottle, you know what to do.
SGP:561 - 91 points. |
Just to realise how far we've come, in 2003 I tasted the brand-new Fettercairn 12 yo '1824' (40%, OB). I didn't write a tasting note, but I gave it a modest score of 70/100. It's true that the fact 1824 was also the year of Macallan, and that this was starting to be marketed, really made me question whether it was appropriate to use it for Fettercairn. But that was 21 years ago, and nowadays, we surely wouldn't make such a fuss about it. |
(*) The more cheese there is, the more holes there are, and the more holes there are, the less cheese there is. This could be rephrased as: 'the less wine is added to a malt, the more that malt can showcase the qualities of a fine wine, and the more wine there is (finishes, etc.), the less that's the case. Anyway, let's move on. |
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September 10, 2024 |
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WF’s Little Duos, today some of the craziest recent Lagavulins
It's always a pleasure to taste Lagavulin, even if just two at a time. We'll start with the oldest one, as it has the lowest alcohol content, by far.
Iain McArthur (Diageo)
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Lagavulin 31 yo 1991/2023 (45.6%, OB, Cask of Distinction, selected by Sebastian Jaeger for GourmetPool, fresh-charred American oak hogshead, cask #6498, 213 bottles)
A cask destined for Germany, though these bottles have surely crossed many borders by now. No need to introduce the 1991s, but what’s particularly intriguing here is the cask, far from the hefty sherry types. Colour: pale white wine (remarkably). Nose: ah, we’ve landed squarely in the heart of Lagavulin. It’s like being locked inside the Port Ellen Maltings for a good three days. I find heaps of cold and hot ashes, olives and capers, entire packets of nori, curries, roasted pistachios, dried kelp on the beach, miso, and even mussels in white wine and rollmops. There’s a distinctively intense shochu-like quality here, utterly mad and almost entirely devoid of fruit here. Mouth: adios, bye-bye, auf Wiedersehen. It’s as if this whisky has been matured in pure ashes (fill a jar with ashes, add new-make, wait). Only after a moment do the olives, smoked fish, Far Eastern soups, seawater, and the like come through. The precision and austere grandeur are extraordinary. Right then, let’s settle down. Finish: massive mezcal. Well, actually, massive Lagavulin, with a touch of fir wood. Comments: before this regenerated hogshead, could this baby have secretly spent time maturing in stone jars? You’d be hard-pressed to get closer to the pure distillate than this, and at over thirty years of age, no less.
SGP:377 - 94 points. |
Mr. Iain ‘Pinkie’ McArthur, the floor is yours… |
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Lagavulin 18 yo ‘Iain’s Farewell Dram’ (58.7%, OB, 2nd fill manzanilla, 212 bottles, 2023)
Pinkie’s retirement was akin to dismantling the remains of Dunyvaig or flattening the Paps of Jura—it’s left quite a mark. The choice of a 2nd fill manzanilla cask shows a level of intellectual brilliance that surpasses even that of Sharon Stone (though the resemblance stops there). Colour: gold. Nose: this is huge. There’s a pronounced ‘sulphurous’ quality that isn’t actually sulphur, if you catch my drift. A freshly extinguished beach fire, white truffles from Piedmont, green walnuts (thank you, manzanilla), wild mushrooms, whiffs of pickles in brine, and heaps of seaweed. Again, the fruit is incredibly discreet. With water: no changes whatsoever. Mouth (neat): for a 2nd fill, there’s still quite a lot of manzanilla influence, which is just as well—we’re fans of manzanilla, especially when En Rama. So, seawater, chalk, walnuts, mustard, radishes, oysters, and an avalanche of ashes. Dazzling, though this style does tend to divide opinions. Buying a bottle doesn’t exactly entitle you to master this liquid, does it? With water: again, little change. Perhaps even more smoked oysters and a true punch of salt, or more accurately, salinity. Finish: monstrously long. Salt, olives, vinegar, oysters, mustard, cigar ash, ‘sulphur’, and walnuts. Dry as a bone, with absolutely zero sweetness—there’s more sugar in a piece of granite. Comments: how many times can one retire in a career on Islay?
SGP:377 - 94 points. |
It's a tie. I have to say, we saw it coming. I believe these two bottles alone more than make up for the very slightly questionable tequila flavourings imposed upon this magical whisky that is Lagavulin. Just saying. |
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September 9, 2024 |
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Two little indie Knockdhu
In other words, some AnCnoc. It’s true that you don’t come across them too often these days, but we still make a point of sampling whiskies from all the distilleries, for the cause. On top of that, these two little Knockdhus are going to be ex-hogshead, so not "wineskies" like the many you see around these days (even though some of them are actually quite good).
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Knockdhu 17 yo 2006/2023 (46%, Hunter Laing, Hepburn’s Choice, refill hogshead, 360 bottles)
Colour: pale white wine. Nose: smoky right from the start! A whiff of carbon paper (remember that?) and ashes, even a bit of mustard, followed by strong fermentative notes—think baker’s yeast and a white beer from a fledgling craft brewery. There’s a hint of damp plaster too. Altogether, it’s rather singular, austere, and extremely close to the grain. Mouth: it feels young, but there’s an appealing simplicity, with raw ingredients like yeast and malted barley taking centre stage. Green apples come through next, with lemon and rhubarb stretching the whole thing taut like a bow. Just a faint touch of floral honey. Finish: fairly long, with mustard making a return, accompanied by fresh bread and under-ripe apples. Comments: this wild, natural style won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, that’s for sure. The cask seems to have been little more than a vessel here, and that’s probably for the best, though you might wonder if some wouldn’t have preferred it had spent three months in a Port or Cabernet Sauvignon seasoned cask. Hmm.
SGP: 362 - 85 points. |
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Knockdhu 10 yo 2013/2024 (52.3%, The Maltman, hogshead, cask #128, 295 bottles)
This one might be even more ‘au naturel’, though you wouldn’t guess that from its colour… Colour: deep yellow gold. Nose: toasted white bread, malt, a few roots, scones, and hints of turnip and celery. It’s austere, for sure not overly exuberant, but that’s quite appealing. With water: it wakes up, bringing in notes of candle wax and mandarin peel. Mouth (neat): much more presence on the palate than on the nose, with a real burst of citrus, plus touches of horseradish, radish, and mustard again… With water: not many changes. There’s also a hint of garden cress. Finish: nice and long, with a saline touch, more of those rooty notes, and radishes of all kinds in the aftertaste. Comments: I don’t see why this would score any differently. A very good Knockdhu, broad and natural. The mandarin and radish duo works superbly, not improbable at all.
SGP: 451 - 85 points. |
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September 8, 2024 |
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Summer isn't over yet,
here are some more rums |
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| Naval battle, oil on canvas (WF Collection) |
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Botran 15 yo ‘Reserva Especial’ (40%, OB, Guatemala, +/-2023) 
A mention of the ‘sistema solera’ is rarely a good sign, particularly when considering the actual age of this dram, especially at €29-35. Colour: dark gold. Nose: heavily stewed fruits, such as pear and pineapple, with caramel, coconut, candy sugar, and a touch of coffee liqueur… To be fair, it’s not half bad and doesn’t reek of syrup like so many others. Mouth: sweet, but not overly so, slightly soft with a strong note of powdered coffee and pineapple liqueur. The syrupy texture makes it hard to appreciate without ice, though, honestly, we’ve had worse. Finish: of medium length, leaning towards molasses and ‘cheap’ maple syrup, with tinned pineapple and corn syrup. Comments: honestly, it’s drinkable; just needs some ice. It’s not absolutely necessary to drown it in Coke or other cheerful mixers, in my humble opinion.
SGP:530 - 72 points. |
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Chairman’s Reserve ‘Original’ (40%, OB, St. Lucia, +/-2023)
We're more accustomed to their superb single casks that occasionally pop up, so let's see how this entry-level offering fares… Colour: full gold. Nose: rather nice! Very much on fermented sugarcane, with whiffs of petrol, engine oil, fresh tar, and liquorice. The flavours do compensate for the low ABV, we’d say. Mouth: very nice indeed! Quite a bit of saline and tarry depth, even touches of olives, anchovies, salted liquorice, a hint of fresh rubber (bracelets), and vesou… This is certainly better than another entry-level Chairman’s Reserve that wasn’t ‘Original’ a few years back. Finish: surprisingly long, with brine and liquorice lingering. Comments: this is top-notch for a very well-considered price. Lovely style, and for once, we won’t even complain about the low alcohol content.
SGP:552 - 85 points. |
Definitely, some pleasant surprises today... |
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Pusser’s Rum ‘Gunpowder Proof’ (54.5%, OB, Guyana, +/-2023)
Advertised as being at ‘Gunpowder Proof,’ but I thought that was supposed to be around 56.9 to 57.1%, or 100° proof UK, wasn’t it? They also mention ‘admiralty strength,’ but ‘admirability strength’ would perhaps be more fitting (though that’s another weak pun, S.). This is indeed a Demerara, although it’s bottled in the British Virgin Islands—no, nothing to do with tax shenanigans. Colour: orange gold. Nose: parsley, coriander, molasses, tar, raisins, and a subtle ‘saucy’ note, which seems quite intentional and stylistic. Plum juice, umeshu... With water: it becomes more earthy, which we rather like. Mouth (neat): it’s good! Liquorice, caramel, a hint of salt, a touch of tar, molasses, and some meaty juice—perhaps soy sauce. With water: the salty liquorice and meaty juice continue, with a few drops of seawater added to the mix. Finish: long, rich, and getting sweeter at this stage, with that famous prune juice making an appearance. Comments: it certainly does the job, and even more so at €35. Very El Dorado-like, though it doesn’t quite have the elegance of Chairman’s Vat—no, wait, Reserve.
SGP: 641 - 80 points. |
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Hooded Skunk Rum (58%, OB, Denmark, +/-2023)
I’m not entirely sure what this is, and frankly, I’d rather not know, even if Danish sugarcane plantations are famous the world over. Right, they don’t have any colonies in the tropics, do they? Colour: gold. Nose: it’s amusing, with notes of bubblegum and, indeed, fresh cane juice. There’s also hay, strawberries, and roasted tea, something like Japanese hojicha. Puffed rice too. With water: a touch of earthy strawberry and mezcal comes through. Mouth (neat): well, it’s not bad at all, very different, very ‘meta-spirits’, with gentian, mezcal, celery eau-de-vie, and yes, even the expected aquavit... It’s really fun, and for now, I’m enjoying it. With water: yes, it’s quirky and tasty. Not the sugary horror you sometimes encounter ‘elsewhere in this direction’. Finish: long, and even smoky. Beechwood smoke, anchovies, liquorice, and overripe strawberries. Comments: what on earth are we tasting here, S.? It’s fun!
SGP: 563 - 80 points. |
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Secret Cuban 12 yo 2009/2022 (59%, Dràm Mor, bourbon barrel, cask #139, 227 bottles)
One always dreams of Sancti Spiritus or Santiago, yet everyone remains tight-lipped about these secret Cubans. Colour: gold. Nose: it’s very lovely, highly refined, with not a hint of vulgarity, featuring fresh cane juice and the most elegant vanilla. There’s a tiny touch of petrol, perhaps indicating a few drops of ex-pot still aguardiente in the mix. With water: it turns fresher, with notes of agricultural oils (rapeseed, sunflower) and crushed almonds. And that cane juice. Mouth (neat): well, here we go, I’m sorry to say this is the best young Cuban rum I’ve tasted in a very, very long time. Beautiful oranges, cane, hints of anise, biscuit dough, with another touch of varnish and petrol, and a splash of orange blossom water... With water: even better, becoming wonderfully delicate. Some overripe fruits and a hint of mastic. Finish: not as long as a Fidel speech (ha) but this slightly salty note is, well, quite sexy. Comments: there are some much older indie Cubans around at the moment, and they’re very good indeed, but as far as young island rums go, this one is superb. I can’t wait to return to Cuba. Right, let’s bump it up by two points.
SGP: 562 – 87 points. |
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Foursquare 19 yo 2002/2022 (56%, Silver Seal)
I adore the old ships that Silver Seal adds to its labels. It’s true they played an absolutely enormous role in trade between Europe and the wider Caribbean, contributing to the development of sugarcane. Colour: white wine. Nose: wait, is this pot still? Overripe bananas, Riesling, kerosene, olives... With water: by Jove! A myriad of small herbs, smoked or otherwise. Dill, wild carrots, wild garlic, and so on. Mouth (neat): yes, pure pot still, no doubt about it (or I’ll eat my hat). It’s magnificent, with earthy lemon and olive oil smoked over cypress wood. Well, more or less that. With water: smoked lemon, if such a thing existed. Finish: long, lemony, salty, and truly complex, with a slightly liquoricy and mentholated aftertaste. Comments: it’s obviously not my business, but I do hope they’re filling loads of Foursquare pure pot still casks at the moment. Single blends were a charming idea, but like at Ben Nevis, the real deal is the pot still. That’s my humble personal opinion, anyway.
SGP: 562 - 91 points. |
Come on, something crazy... |
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TDL 2002/2024 (55.7%, The Whisky Jury for The Antelope, Macau, Trinidad, The Many Faces of Rum, cask #10, 238 bottles)
We prepare ourselves, stretch a bit, have some coffee followed by Perrier… right, we’re ready. Colour: pure gold. Nose: one can’t deal with these folks and their spirits anymore. The nose is rather magical, very pure, with a strong focus on small pink banana, vineyard peach, and guava that knows how to behave. It’s insanely precise and pure. With water: as the youngsters say, it’s too beautiful. Polishes, ripe tropical fruits… It quite simply floors you. Mouth (neat): it’s detestable, it’s so good. It ought to be banned. Pink grapefruit, white Irouléguy from Arretxea, and there you have it. With water: it’s so good, we stop, we give up. Finish: as I said, we give up. Fir wood and pine nuts in the aftertaste. Comments: none. Website on strike. We’re French, after all.
SGP:651 - 93 points. |
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T.D.L. 13 yo 2009/2023 (62.8%, The Colours of Rum, Trinidad, barrel, cask #107, 256 bottles)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: incense, sandalwood, orange cake, the jury’s still out. Mind you, nearly 63% vol. With water: shoe polish, ski wax (I’m aware it’s not the season), almond oil. Mouth (neat): call me Suzy. Varnish and preserved apricot juice. With water: right, this is a simpler version of TDL, certainly top-notch, though a touch more rustic. But it’s got passion fruit! Finish: indeed. Comments: another brilliant drop, but the 2002 was something out of this world. A touch of a death seat effect, perhaps.
SGP:641 - 87 points. |
 Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far
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September 7, 2024 |
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Angus's Corner
From our correspondent and
skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland
Old bottles and new(ish) distilleries
It's the Whisky Show in London this weekend, and both the French and Scottish divisions of Whiskyfun will be in attendance (although, I am technically working). |
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Once again I've added an old and rare bottle selection to my stand again this year (woohoo!) and as such I've opened quite a few tasty old bottles these past months in preparation. I've also, rather typically, neglected to publish any notes for most of these bottles as yet. Hopefully there will be time to catch up on that in the next couple of months. For now, and as this is usually a great weekend, a few celebratory older bottlings, preceded by a few, also celebratory, more recent bottlings from relatively new distilleries. Do Daftmill and Ardnamurchan still count as 'new cats', Serge? |
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Ardnamurchan 2018/2024 (59.1%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, cask #1058, 1st fill sherry butt, 702 bottles) 
Colour: amber. Nose: salty game meats, bacon jam, pork scratchings, caraway, salted liquorice, cigar humidor and resinous fir wood. Also some rather prickly spiciness with pink peppercorns, paprika and clove oil. Big whisky! With water: loads of caraway, toasted fennel seed, ground ginger, black pepper, curry leaf - you could probably add this to a curry! Mouth: very good, excellent arrival with syrupy sherry and a great sense of thickness and texture, underlying that a lot of cupboard spices, dark beers, spicy dark grained breads, dark honey and a slightly smoky chocolatey note, like dark chocolate with chilli. With water: evolves nicely towards a more leathery and gentle profile, back towards rich bready and beery notes, drier earthy and tobacco qualities and notes of cedar wood, pinecones and dried herbs. Finish: long, spicy, slightly jammy and with a nice herbal, resinous quality. Comments: excellent modern malt whisky, in the very best sense. A big, assertive cask, but the Ardnamurchan distillate meets it squarely and the result is pretty delicious. Just come armed with some water and a pipette! It's one of those drams that I suspect you could tease several different profiles out of.
SGP: 571 - 87 points. |
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Ardnamurchan 2017/2023 (59.7%, Berry Brothers & Rudd 'The Pioneers', cask #374, sherry hogshead, 302 bottles) 
Colour: deep gold. Nose: excellently salty, tarry and full of cured meats, smoky bacon crisps, smoked dark beers, rye bread, iodine and camphor. Really superb, concentrated nose with the sherry and peat seemingly very well integrated. Love this peppery and tarry combination. With water: feels even more concentrated around herbal bitters, medicines, tarry peat and pine wood now. Great singular and very powerful profile. Mouth: excellent arrival, again a feeling of concentration, with a lot of thick, tarry smokiness, more dark beers, smoked meats, paprika, iodine drops and some hints of salted liquorice and eucalyptus. Also quite a few smoked teas and cough medicines. With water: again a sense of increased concentration and cohesion with water. Wonderful notes of pine wood, smoked olive oil, pure tar extracts, iodine, camphor and caraway. Finish: long, some fresh espresso, then wood smoke, more pepper, tar, cured game meats and hessian. All tinged with a rich, tangy peat smoke. Comments: An awesome cask! I feel that the peated Ardnamurchans are leading the charge at this age, but the unpeated ones, like the 2018 we tasted before this one, will likely catch them up by around 10 years of age.
SGP: 477 - 90 points. |
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Daftmill 15 yo 2007/2023 ‘Fife Strength’ (56.3%, OB for UK Independent Whisky Retailers, 1st fill bourbon barrel) 
Francis has told me before what Fife Strength means, but I can’t recall just now I’m afraid. Colour: bright straw. Nose: hyper clean and full of sweet, buttery cereals, cut grass, lemon rind, crushed parsley, olive oil and wee touches of strop leather and barley water. Immaculate! With water: the same but slightly brighter, more floral, a feeling that it becomes ever so slightly drier and more peppery and with some wonderful notes of soda bread and flower honey. Mouth: the same, but with added juiciness in the form of ripe pineapple chunks, jellybeans, lemon curd and custard. You feel the wood closing in a bit but there’s a definite feeling this has been bottled well in time. More lemons, lemon barley water, cream soda and more subtle green herbal notes. With water: cider apples, yellow plums, myrtle, heather honey and impressions of youthful calvados, freshly milled malt and more lovely grassy olive oil notes. Finish: good length, a nice tension between these peppery notes, green grassy qualities and softer floral aspects. Comments: really excellent, rather the epitome of what I think of as the ‘Daftmill house style’, which is bright, sweet, grassy, citric and honeyed.
SGP: 641 - 89 points. |
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Daftmill 15 yo 2007/2023 (56.4%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, #009, bourbon barrel with PX sherry finish, 171 bottles)
Apparently a bourbon barrel, then into PX for just two months before being put back into the same barrel, how many residual litres of PX were in that cask? Colour: reddish amber. Nose: there’s a definite PX sticky quality, but it’s also toned everything down slightly compared to the bourbon 15yo. Some black coffee sweetened with brown sugar, ruby ales, cloves, chai tea. With water: a little more cohesive and ‘deeper’ with freshly baked brown bread, darjeeling tea leaves and some elegant floral notes emerging. Mouth: sweet raisins, sugary black tea, birch beer and spiced dark winter beers. It’s good but I can’t get away from this feeling that it has been somewhat flattened by the PX. With water: indeed, it’s much better with water, you feel the Daftmill sitting behind the sherry a little more clearly. Some grassy notes, plums stewed in Armagnac, spiced pumpernickel bread and more beers and slightly sour ales. Finish: quite long, on rye bread spice, cloves, aniseed sweets and toasted fennel seed. A re-appearance of sweetened coffee in the aftertaste. Comments: I find this one a little more challenging if I’m honest. On one hand the sherry is surprisingly well-integrated at only two months, on the other hand, you can kind of see the joins and they aren’t always totally balanced or cohesive. I’d also add that I find it much, much better with water, but I definitely prefer the excellent ‘Fife Strength’ 15yo.
SGP: 561 - 85 points. |
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Now for the older stuff, this one seems like a suitable way to pivot into the older bottlings... |
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Glen Grant 24 yo 1998/2023 (51.2%, Club Qing, cask #13087, sherry hogshead, 224 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: it begins on rich notes of marmalade, stem ginger in syrup and fresh brown bread. Also herbal teas, wormwood and chamomile. A very lovely and nicely robust sherry profile. With water: very charming and slightly more old school with these notes of hessian, light camphor, beeswax and herbal tonic wines (Buckfast, let's be honest!) Mouth: quite a grapey profile, with lots of sultan and raisin sweetness, that even goes into blackcurrants, Ribena and cassis. It's still a little bready though which brings this impression of treacle cake and candied walnuts. With water: still pretty sweet, but with herbal bitters, caraway and eucalyptus notes adding complexity. Finish: good length, a lovely balance between sweeter dark fruits and richer, spicier bready tones. Comments: great modern Glen Grant from a sherry cask, one which shows that this was still a rather fuller and more characterful distillate during these years.
SGP: 561 - 88 points. |
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Glen Grant 1972/1993 'The Dark Side of the Moon' (56.1%, Signatory for Velier Import, casks #6024-6025, sherry)
Colour: amber. Nose: holy moly! Immensely concentrated dark fruits! Damsons, figs, dates, prunes and sultanas all soaked in very old Armagnac. Also aged mead, cough medicine, salted dark chocolate and heather flower honey. A stunning tension between these richly honeyed beehive vibes and a perfectly salty, earthy and rich sherry character. With water: rather unbelievably it becomes even more honeyed and full of nectars, exotic fruit pulps, hardwood resins and tropical fruit teas. The sherry is still there but the way it evolves rapidly towards the underlying Glen Grant distillate is amazing. Mouth: magnificent! Again this amazing balance and interplay between earthy, gamey, leathery and salty sherry with this rather ancient bodega style funk, and then honeys galore, loads of beeswax, pollens, old crystalised dark honeys and hessian. Amazing, singular and stunningly complex profile. With water: just magnificent! Camphor, old leather, rolling tobacco, linseed oil, herbal cough syrups, old Drambuie, spiced marmalade and yellow Chartreuse. Finish: very long, circling back onto the saltier and drier sherry aspects now, a stunning tension still on display between all these various influences. Comments: I had it around 91-92 but when you add water it just explodes! Totally stunning old Glen Grant that treads the most sublime tightrope between distillate character and some totally amazing sherry cask influence. Bottlings such as are why I love Glen Grant so much.
SGP: 661 - 93 points. |
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Glen Grant 25 yo (86 US proof, Stuart MacNair for USA, stopper cork, bottled early 1960s)
It may have been a mistake to place this after that ridiculous 1972, but we'll see. This is a bottle I opened just the other week for the show. Colour: very pale gold. Nose: what's amazing is that you can really spot the share DNA between this and the 1972, which is to say: honeybomb! It's really a stunning combination of flower honeys with sea salt, pure honeycomb, beeswax, linseed oils, hessian and camphor. Rather like the pure refill 1972s but with added subtle peat influence, that manifests more as herbs, roots and medicines, and a bigger and more vivid waxiness. Mouth: We needn't have worried too much. It's a beautiful arrival full of herbal liqueurs, many more medicinal and herbal qualities, the honey character is there, but it feels older, saltier, drier, more like some very well aged mead. Then there's also this beautiful coconut note, which feels reminiscent of some older G&M malts from the late 1930s, so potentially coming from old American oak ex-sherry casks? Continues with many dried fruits, pressed flowers, mineral oils, bouillon, dried tarragon and suet. Still heavily on waxes and camphor in the background. Amazing complexity while also possessing an incredible elegance and almost fragility, but without actually being fragile, if you see what I mean. Finish: long, perfectly drying, lightly salty, full of herbal medicinal notes, furniture polish and mineral oils again. Comments: stunning old style Glen Grant, between this and the 1972 I would say you have the two most important profiles of this distillery from its greatest era.
SGP: 562 - 92 points. |
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Glendronach 1970/1992 'Reserve Cantarelli' (43%, Signatory for Velier, casks #546-547, sherry hogsheads, 1200 bottles)
Colour: deep amber. Nose: such a different profile to those Glen Grants. This is a much leaner, drier, more powerful and earthier profile of sherry. Full of freshly brewed espresso, toasted walnuts, bone dry VORS oloroso, salted liquorice and stewed prunes. Given time it begins to show a little more of this darkly fruity aspect which adds balance and suggests sweeter qualities too, but it remains a big, chunky beast. Mouth: fantastic arrival on pure chocolate. Bitter, expensive, very dark chocolate flecked with sea salt and chipotle chilli. Then game and beef stocks, bouillon, camphor, tar extracts and bone barrow. Some boozy Tiramisu and salted treacle. Finish: long, deeply earthy, very gamey, dark fruit chutneys, very old balsamic and pickled walnuts. Comments: hard to argue with this. Teeters on the brink of being 'too much' at points but it always manages to pull back with little fruity notes that come out of the blue at the perfect moment. One for anyone seeking pure, old style sherried malt whisky.
SGP: 662 - 91 points. |
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Glendronach (56.02%, OB, 1950s)
A bottle I opened a few months ago and was delighted to discover - thanks to my electric hydrometer - was actually a full proof version of this famous and rather influential old official label. The level was just in the top of the shoulder of the bottle, so I would imagine this was probably originally bottled at 100 proof (57.1%). I opened a 75 proof version just under ten years ago for my 30th birthday and it was good but not as stellar as we might have hoped for. This on the other hand... Colour: pale gold. Nose: what's most impressive is the freshness and sharpness, many green and citrus fruit qualities, grassiness, grapefruit, olive oil, chalk, fennel seed and waxed hessian. Also petrolic vibes, mineral oils, sea salt and this slowly unfurling, bone dry peat smoke note. A deep but almost crystalline smokiness. With water: animal fats, coal dust, cooking oils, sheep wool! Emphatic old-style territory and bursting with the impression of texture and fatness. Mouth: a stunning arrival, again on bone dry, crisp peat smoke, sea salt, camphor, tiny hints of pickling brine, mineral oils, toolbox grease, waxes, old dried out herbal liqueurs, wee hints of mustard powder and again some aniseed and fennel notes. Amazing sharpness, power and freshness, a sense of control about it which is very compelling. With water: it's funny how the peat sort of disappears and leaves instead this wonderfully pure, saline and citrus combination, the sharpness of fruit acids, grapefruit, more chalk, aniseed, clay, camphor, lemon rind and shoe polish. Stunning distillate that carries flavour and texture in a totally thrilling and cohesive way. Finish: long, drying, very mineral, chalky and sooty with the peat smoke coming back in the aftertaste. Comments: hard not to get carried away but it's a brilliant example of how older style malts such as this were just so much fatter and more textural complex distillates, something we especially see when they're captured at higher strengths like this.
SGP: 563 - 93 points. |
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Lagavulin 16 yo (43%, OB 'White Horse', 1 litre, early 1990s)
Another bottle I've cracked for the show, I always try to have one of these open where possible these days. Colour: gold. Nose: dried out seaweed, waxes, iodine, paraffin, seawater and hessian. With time gets a little fruitier, which I don't usually find with Lagavulin, some grapefruit and smoked teas. Rather stunning as expected. Mouth: just superb. Oily, camphory, full of natural tar extracts, smoked sea salt, more iodine, TCP, dried kelp and old rope. Really a feeling of the seashore and early dunnage warehouses about it. Finish: long, full of deep, drying peat smoke, warming peppery notes, old medicines, herbal liqueur vibes and more camphor and hessian. Comments: we do these old Laga 16s ever so often on WF and it's always the same story. Totally brilliant and rather indisputable whiskies. Maybe not quite as mesmeric as the very early 75cl 16 year olds, but that's not saying much is it.
SGP: 566 - 92 points. |
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Lagavulin 12 yo (43%, OB 'White Horse', Montenegro import, green glass, dark vatting, mid-1980s)
This one seems to carry a bit of a mixed reputation, Serge tackled it twice in the past (WF89 and WF90) but there's also different versions it would seem. My experience with pretty much all the old Lagavulin 12s is that they seem generally brilliant. But let's see... Colour: amber. Nose: it's certainly earthier and more sherry-driven than the 16yo. I'd also add there's more dark and dried exotic fruits in the mix. Some wonderful coastal dryness, umami seasonings, soy sauce, dried seaweed, wormwood, heather ales and some beautiful tarry notes. The peat is perhaps more subdued in the mix that some other old 12s, but it still has this wonderfully deep, thick, dry peat smoke character for sure. Undeniably pretty awesome. Mouth: definitely less peaty than you might have expected, and more driven by thick, syrupy sherry with a touch of sweetness, like some very high-class old cream sherry perhaps. Notes of balsamic, tar, salted caramel, old hessian cloth, very tiny flecks of iodine and more subtle impressions of dried seaweed and Maggi. I can see why Serge perhaps didn't go too high on this one, but I think it's still pretty excellent old Lagavulin. Finish: good length, getting drier, earthier, saltier and more directly peaty now. Comments: I would agree this perhaps doesn't hold up to some of the 16s that came immediately after it, but as a standalone, old school sherried Lagavulin I still find it pretty excellent. There's a syrupy character to the palate that makes it more of a tumbler dram than a copita dram, but that's only an asset in my view.
SGP: 656 - 91 points. |
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Lagavulin 31 yo 1991/2022 (49.2%, OB 'Casks of Distinction' for the 50th anniversary of Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh's family business, cask #P5D4, 1st fill PX sherry hogshead, 264 bottles)
Colour: pale amber. Nose: creosote, old tarred rope, the very same dried kelp and seaweed we found in the 16yo and wonderfully rich, slightly salty, slightly earthy and nicely rancio-accented underlying sherry influence. Very singular, cohesive and 'old Lagavulin' in style. Easy to see why they would select such a cask. Mouth: excellent tension between the savoury peat smoke, earthier aspects, big gamey and salty notes and then those slightly sweeter, raisiny PX characteristics - although it never tips over into cloying. Finish: long, tarry, back on iodine, dried seaweed, camphor, rancio and a rather emphatic and wonderful peaty note. Comments: a great, very singular and cohesive old Lagavulin, perfect fusion between sherry and peat that elevates distillery character front and centre.
SGP: 666 - 92 points. |
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Big, slightly too long hugs for Iain, Carsten and Enrico for their contributions to this extremely enjoyable session! |
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September 6, 2024 |
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Two Royal Lochnagar and Their Blend
There’s still very little Lochnagar around, and none at all from independent bottlers, for a good fifteen years now. As an aperitif, we'll start with the distillery's famous signature blend, ta-dah, John Begg! Incidentally, that's also the name of the distillery's founder, back in 1845.
(Magazine ad, USA, 1968)
You may read or re-read Manager Mike Nicolson's old interview on WF.
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John Begg 'Blue Cap' (43%, OB, blend, +/-1955)
The neck label bears the inscription ‘By Appointment to the late Majesty King George V’, making it quite straightforward to date. It’s our first time tasting an expression from this era, but we remember the pre-war ‘gold cap’ was rather very good. Colour: gold. Nose: a wonderfully old-school blend, somewhat in the vein of White Horse but less smoky, more medicinal with a hint of camphor, and just as earthy with pronounced hydrocarbon notes. A rather magnificent nose, evoking memories of old Islay Mist as well. I nearly forgot to mention the ubiquitous polish found in many of these robust old blends (we avoid the word ‘virile’). Mouth: absolutely magnificent—oily, lemony, salty, and much more coastal than your usual Lochnagar. You’ll even find oysters here, along with citron liqueur, pink peppercorns, and, of course, that familiar polish. This venerable blend hasn’t lost an ounce of power. Finish: long, salty, peppery, with that typical broth-like character of old blends, but virtually no metallic notes. Comments: very, very impressive, this old John Begg—almost reminiscent of an old Islay. Or as one might say, an old Islay Mist.
SGP:463 - 89 points. |
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Royal Lochnagar 12 yo (40%, OB, +/-2023)
I have the impression that it is becoming a rarer sight on the shelves, but we still revisit it every couple of years. It’s a very good malt, though it’s always lacked a bit of oomph, probably due to a slightly stingy ABV. Colour: pale gold. Nose: paraffin and soap are present as usual, along with a hint of shampoo, candle wax, mashed turnip, vegetable soup, fruit peels, damp cardboard… and finally, apples that are not particularly fruity or aromatic, more like those from a very old apple tree. A handful of barley grains as well. Mouth: this is truly an old-school malt, somewhat austere, much in the style of its neighbour at Balmoral (in its day). Paraffin and polish again, a touch of leather and tobacco, ashes, but also some very high-quality orange marmalade and heather honey. It seems a bit better than I remember. Lovely oily texture. Finish: there are hints of the John Begg, particularly the curiously maritime side. Very nice pepper. Comments: I find this recent batch to be noticeably superior to its recent predecessors, even including the famous 'Game of Thrones' edition, a series that gave malt whisky enthusiasts quite a chuckle.
SGP:451 - 83 points. |
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Royal Lochnagar 10 yo ‘The Manager’s Dram’ (57.2%, OB, European oak, 2006)
I’m not sure who the manager was at the time, as the signature on the label doesn’t seem to match either Mike Nicolson or Donald Renwick. I do love the delightful mention of ‘European oak’—what a relief! It brings back fond memories of the days when managers only spoke of two types of casks, ‘European’ or ‘American’. The rest? Well, we couldn’t have cared less. Colour: gold. Nose: quintessential Lochnagar, packed with polish and old papers, but also orange zest and grilled polenta. One can’t help but applaud this refreshingly ‘different’ character. With water: a return of the medicinal notes (a mix of various pills) and even a touch of Fanta. Mouth (neat): superbly different indeed. Peppery lemon, slightly industrial oils, grass juice, polish, green walnuts, Chinese mushrooms (those large black ones), pipe tobacco, mead, with a certain lightly mouldy note that’s not unpleasant at all, and even a few feints. With water: this unleashes the citrus, which is splendid. The whole becomes much livelier and fruitier, also ‘cleaner’. Oranges, as well as apples and yellow peaches. Finish: long, oily, textured. Bitter oranges, leather, tobacco, lemon, and green pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: it’s easy to see why a manager would have selected this cask—it’s brimming with personality. Almost 88/100.
SGP:662 - 87 points. |
We want more Lochnagar! Perhaps there will be some in the upcoming Prima & Ultima or Special Releases? |
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September 5, 2024 |
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A few independent Royal Brackla
That’s become better in order to get as close as possible to the distillate, no? However, note that people really like, for example, the official 12-year-old finished in sherry and so do I.
Wine in whisky: check the Leerdam theory below… |
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Royal Brackla 11 yo 2006/2018 (55.2%, North Star Spirits, refill bourbon hogshead, 296 bottles)
Colour: Chardonnay. Nose: Chardonnay indeed. Seriously, there's no wine in this wee dram (triple hooray!), but it comes across like a rather lovely white from the Côte de Beaune, with just the right amount of damp chalk, limestone, honeysuckle, apples, a wee touch of grapefruit, a smidgen of fresh butter and roasted hazelnuts... With water: slate and fresh wool join the party, which we rather enjoy. Mouth (neat): bright, taut, and almost aggressive with that herbaceous character and lemon peel, but we do like that. With water: white and yellow fruits now cheerfully spread across the palate, with white mulberries, white currants, then apple and just plain lemon. A very, very light saline tension in the background. Finish: long, very lively, and beautifully herbal. A couple of pine needles in the aftertaste. Comments: a very, very charming young Brackla, which didn’t need any sherry.
SGP: 461 - 85 points. |
Couldn't one say that with malt whisky, the less wine there is in it, the more it resembles wine? It's a bit like the Dutch Leerdam theory, you know: the more cheese there is, the more holes there are, and the more holes there are, the less cheese there is. Right, anyway, let's move on… |
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Royal Brackla 15 yo 2008/2024 (54.9%, Lady of the Glen, refill barrel, cask #6787, 232 bottles)
Colour: Chardonnay. Here we go again. Nose: we're extremely close to the previous one. If we mixed the glasses on the table, we'd be hard-pressed to tell them apart this time around. That said, there’s a bit more sweetness here – think jelly babies, limoncello... But other than that, we’re in the same territory. With water: a bit of nail polish, pear, and yes, even a touch of Sprite (sorry!). Mouth (neat): even closer now. Chalk, gooseberries, lemon, green tea, white currants, orange pastilles, and just a tiny hint of honey. Really vibrant. With water: almost identical, perhaps with a tad more cereal and a sliver of underripe banana. Finish: long, a bit oilier than the 2006, but once again, we may be splitting hairs here. Comments: more like a Chardonnay from the Mâconnais. A young Pouilly, for example. Anyway, moving on…
SGP: 461 - 85 points. |
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Royal Brackla 2009/2023 (57.2%, Or Sileis, hogshead, cask #WG884, 280 bottles)
Colour: white wine. Here we go again. Nose: just the same. Gooseberries, chalk, fresh wool, lemon, white and green apples, honeysuckle, white wine, more gooseberries… With water: once again, we get some chalk, slate, grist, and muesli… It’s perfect. Mouth (neat): superb, fresh, lemony, vibrant, yet also quite fat (we used to say “as fat as a monk” in the old days), with rhubarb liqueur and limoncello. Nothing more to add, it’s excellent. With water: just like the others, really, though there’s perhaps a bit more yellow melon here. Finish: the same. Slightly fruitier, slightly less herbal. Comments: honestly, it's impossible to say if one is better than the others at this point, that would be total nonsense.
SGP: 551 – 85 points. |
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Royal Brackla 2008/2024 (50.5%, The Whisky Jury, 10 years of Wine4You, refill hogshead, cask #6784, 58 bottles)
That’s the entire outturn, as the cask has been leaking (sounds like a Tom Waits song, no?). Colour: white wine. Nose: I wouldn’t say you can smell the leakage, but it does come across as a bit fruitier, more tropical – bananas, oranges, and papayas, for instance. You really can’t help but notice that this is a style that suits The Whisky Jury, and frankly, it suits us too. With water: indeed, it’s a touch more aromatic than the others, leaning a bit more towards southern grape varieties rather than Chardonnay, if you prefer. Think Viognier, Manseng, Marsanne, and the like. Mouth (neat): once again, we’re close to the others. Muesli, grapefruit, white wine, chalk, rhubarb, limoncello, and all that. With water: acacia honey, honeysuckle (and herbal tea), orange, banana, pear, melon, papaya, and even a hint of mango. Finish: fairly long, fruity but less showy at this point, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Comments: an extra point for the mango.
SGP: 651 - 86 points. |
It feels a bit like you could taste dozens of Bracklas of similar ages and ex-refills and end up with as many drams that are almost identical. This no doubt ‘may’ explain why the owners feel the ‘need’ to do some finishing – not necessarily because the whiskies are bad, but because otherwise they may all be... the same |
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September 4, 2024 |
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