Whiskyfun February 2023 - part 2 - Ardmore, Auchentoshan...

February 2023 - part 1 <--- February 2023 - part 2 ---> March 2023 - part 1


February 28, 2023

New Japan in February, Kanosuke and Shizuoka

Shizuoka

Shizuoka Distillery (photograph Shizuoka)

I think it is not exactly obvious that the Shizuoakas will crush the Kanosukes (the new darlings), not at all. Kanosuke was started in 2018 in Kagoshima, under the guidance of shochu (and sake I would believe) maker Komasa Jyozo. The better known Shizuoka Distillery was founded one year earlier and is located near the coast, somewhat between Tokyo and Nagoya. They're famous for their dazzling first new makes and for their main coup, which was to buy all three Karuizawa stills, even if only one was in working order.

Kanosuke 'Limited Edition 2022' (59%, OB, Japan, single malt)

We love this wee piece of advice, 'Enjoy the flavour as it lingers on your palate, like the sun setting slowly over the East China Sea'. We'll try! I'll add that we also loved 2021's First Edition BTW (WF 87). Colour: gold. Nose: rather on sour bread and walnuts at first, with unexpected notes of ripe strawberries in the background. Whiffs of old wine cellar (or a Jerezian bodega) and very fragrant lilies. It's a little restless and is moving rather a lot between those strawberries and old dunnage, let's add water. With water: very fermentary now. Artisan sour ale, fermenting fruits of all kinds (especially plums), more damp old wood, a touch of stewed bok choy, old mimolette cheese, leek, aniseed and caraway… This is almost more food than whisky (but whisky is food, S.!) Mouth (neat): pretty heavy, with a lot of marmalade and pickled ginger, fresh turmeric, peppered cranberry sauce (would you pass the grouse) and leather. With water: rather less leathery, and more on sweet oranges, orange drops, easy marmalade, allspice… Finish: rather long, and gentler and easier yet, which is exactly not what happens with most whiskies that are getting drier. Now the aftertaste is very peppery. Comments: rough, tough and extremely good. Rather a fighter. I'm having the brighter 2021 ex-bourbon on the side and first thought it was superior, but in the end, I find them similarly excellent.
SGP:561 - 87 points.

Shizuoka 'Pot Still W 100% Imported Barley First Edition' (55.5%, OB, Japan, single malt, 5,000 bottles, 2022)

So not one of the 'Prologues' anymore. This one from the still that's direct-fired with wood. I like it that they would write about the origin of their barley, shouldn't the Scots do the same? Game? Colour: gold. Nose: starts with fresh paint, fresh putty and garden smoke, goes on with rather a lot of shoe and metal polishes. Lanolin, grapefruit zests, touches of sage, lovage and parsley, old-school embrocations, a feeling of UHU glue (our favourite brand), marzipan… With water: a pile of magazines. Lovely ink, carbolineum, new sweater (say Uniqlo while we're at it)… Mouth (neat): excellent, rather fat, much simpler on the palate, and yet no less good. Lemon, peat, glue. With water: the magic of good bourbon wood on good peat, which generates perfect citrus, as often seen on Islay. Perfect carving. Finish: long, a tad spicier. Excellent citrus once again, orange wine (I mean wine made out of oranges), tiny salty touch… Comments: a devilish malt, it's not often that this happens. Wonderful, pure simplicity.
SGP:666 - 89 points.

Back to Kanosuke…

Kanosuke 2019 'Sushi + Soul Owners Cask' (50%, OB, Japan, 2022)

I would believe Sushi + Soul in Munich is the place in Europe where you could try the widest range of new J-whiskies. I haven't tasted their sushi yet (I'm not sure they would travel well, ha) but I will as soon as I can bring my Lederhosen back to lovely Munich. Oans, zwoa, drei… Colour: amber. Nose: hey hey, preserved peaches! And tarte tatin, all-flower honey, mango jam, the freshest nougat and many dried figs. Pure, integral pleasures on the nose, at times it reminds me of the best Amruts. With water: peaches in syrup, a little saffron, honeys, mirabelle jam… Mouth (neat): fab. Pinot Gris SGN (or Grauburgunder Trockenbeerenauslese), figs and raisins, dates, fudge and a very tiny amount of pencil shavings. With water: the cask was super, there's some wonderful cedarwood, a drop of raspberry liqueur, apricot liqueur, then some tighter citrus, blood oranges, a drop of first-class rum agricole (like Neisson)… Finish: long, extremely well balanced. Honey and pepper. Comments: breaking news, the stunning Shizuoaka W did not crush it at all!
SGP:651 - 89 points.

Some peaters again, please…

Shizuoka 2020/2021 (61.3% OB, Japan, wooden fired still, for Kuma, No Whisky, cask #2020-647)
No picture that I could find. You're exactly right, this is not whisky, but at least it is (barely) one year old. Let's do this one quick. Colour: light gold. Nose: good fun, with litres of ammonia, acetone, black olives and fermenting bananas. An acetic side for sure. With water: yeast and glues, rotting oranges, cloves, mulled wine… Mouth (neat): acids, varnish, overripe fruits of all kinds, glue, varnish… With water: very sour, with a lot of lime juice and always a lot of varnish, paint, paraffin, rhubarb… Finish: long, very sour and full of smoke and good chemicals. See what I mean. Massive almonds and cherries in the aftertaste, amaretti... Comments: a spectacular JPS (do they use the wording Japanese Plain Spirit?) I could really sip this smoked and varnished Japanese mezcal. Was the very acetic profile caused by the use of Pinnacle yeast?
SGP:576 - 87 points.

Shizuoka 2018/2022 'Chagata Park' (64.8%, OB, Japan, peated cask, bourbon, cask #215)

Colour: gold. Nose: not much peat, rather some gentle yet firm bourbonness, with some vanilla, bananas, apples and acacia honey. Some kind of smoky pepper in the distance, but as soon as water will be added, I'm sure everything will change. With water: it's getting more acidic, with the usual lemons, kiwis, rhubarb and granny smith, but all that remains coated with some easier honey. Mouth (neat): ah good! But really too strong for me, I'll need my tastebuds again before the end of the year. With water: quality medium peat, as I understand it this is some unpeated malt matured in an ex-peater cask, so in-cask blending. Not sure anyone's done much rinsing out here. Finish: long, well balanced, good. Comments: surely, totally excellent, it's just that I find it a little tiring that so many new-cat Distilleries, all over the world, would make use of so many 'peated casks' these days. PX, STR, Peated. Easy.
SGP:565 - 87 points.

(Vielen Dank again, Chris at Sushi + Soul in Munich!)

Check the index of all Japanese Whiskies we've tasted so far


February 27, 2023

Little duos, today Auchentoshan
OB vs. IB

We keep 'following' Auchentoshan almost reflexively, because it used to be a big name and because we all remember the extremely superlative old sherried officials from around the… Gasp, late 1990s – early 2000s!

Auchentoshan 12 yo (40%, OB, +/-2022)

We liked the 12 five years ago. Five years, that's a good pace. Colour: gold. Nose: it's warm and warming, with some gingery oak in the background and rather Turkish delights and oriental pastry in the front. Baklava, angel hair, makrout, then some oranges and various apples… Despite this bizarre spicy oak, it's working pretty well. Mouth: good, rather honeyed at first, with once more touches of ginger, malt, biscuits, then beeswax and proper sour cider. An unexpected saltiness – or is that me? I don't think so. Touches of caramel, cinnamon rolls, a touch of lavender sweet, nougat… Finish: not that short at only 40% vol. Some ginger and some cinnamon, and some young bourbon. Comments: very fine. I'm wondering if all this spicy oak/ginger wasn't rather brought by some pretty walnutty sherry. We'll keep following this baby, so see you in 2028.
SGP:551 – 83 points.

Auchentoshan 24 yo 1998/2022 (52.6%, Thompson Bros., 321 bottles)

This baby from two refill barrels, so things should go just tip-top, as they say in the Alps. Colour: light gold. Nose: good one, this is rhum agricole blended with mirabelle eau-de-vie and bison vodka. A lot of custard too, beeswax, and a pack of Camels (they'll shut us down eventually). With water: oranges and cake, with whiffs of shoe polish. Mouth (neat): extremely good, mainly on preserved fruits (mirabelles once more, and peaches). Some flower syrups (elderflower, mullein) and a camphory side, eucalyptus, bidis… Then limoncello and lemongrass. Extremely all right. With water: papaya juice! That's new. And something of those old Littlemills… Finish: medium very fruity, citrusy, with some pink grapefruit. Eminently – and imminently, which could be a flaw - drinkable. Comments: wonderfully fruity, but it is not quite 'a fruit bomb'. Rather logically, there's also a wee Irish side to this lovable baby.
SGP:651 - 88 points.

Check the index of all Auchentoshan we've tasted so far


February 26, 2023

A word of caution
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are done from the point of view of a malt whisky enthusiast who, what's more, is aboslutely not an expert in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or any other spirits. Thank you – and peace!

Rums on the desk once more

Rums of various origins. You'll have noticed that we always try to taste quite some very pedestrian sugar bombs or empty 'marketers' brands', that's because if we would only try the heavy hitters (the Jamaicans, Demerara, agricoles or else), they would soon take over little Whiskyfun and reign supreme on our lists. What could any inflated NAS from Speyside do in that case?

Creol column at Bellevue (Distillerie Bellevue)

Naga 'Pearl of Jakarta' (42.7%, OB, Indonesia, +/-2022)

Well, this is rather labelled as some 'spirit drink' but naturally, all retailers advertise it at proper rum . What's quite cunning as well is this wording on the bottle, 'made with Indonesian aged rum'. We've tried a Naga 10 yo 'Siam Edition' just one year ago, and despite the very unlikely branding, we thought it was pretty good (WF 76). Colour: deep gold. Nose: rather not totally on corn syrup, Toplexil, vanillin and cruise-ship peach liqueur. Nice touches of rose petals, Turkish delights, aromatic honey, candied angelica and Szechuan pepper. So not exactly rum, but this nose is pretty pleasant, let's only hope the palate won't be buried under a lorryload of saccharose. Mouth: well it is, and indeed this is more a liqueur, but the taste is fine, rather on Bénédictine, yellow chartreuse, pancake syrup and molasses honey. A little Toplexil and strawberry liqueur too, to be honest. Finish: medium, very sweet, but bizarrely, not exactly cloying, even if I couldn't drink more than 2cl without any ice. Comments: same category as that of the 10 'Siam'. Pretty acceptable, but ice is needed.
SGP:730 - 76 points.

Hacienda Coloma 2010/2022 (46%, OB, Colombia, Maison du Rhum, batch #5, 4975 bottles)

The ultra-sweet 8 yo had been pretty terrible a few years ago (WF 50). Apparently, it is 'what the people want'. Sugar, driving our civilization to obesity and global chaos for one hundred years already, good to see things keep accelerating on the rum side, with the growing help of the larger multinationals. Colour: deep gold. Nose: banana liqueur and butterscotch, with a metallic touch and rather a lot of coconut and flowers (ylang-ylang). Custard and nougat. It is absolutely not unpleasant. Mouth: not exactly a sugar bomb, rather some rum as they would make it at Starbucks'. Caramel, roasted nuts, black nougat, cappuccino, Nutella, vanillin… Finish: medium, gently drier, with some chocolate and coffee, plus sweet marmalade. The aftertaste is sugary. Comments: hold on, I've just checked that this was done with some 'refining in ex-coffee liqueur barrels'. Explains a few things. Seriously, I find it kind of okay.
SGP:631 - 75 points.

Let's get serious…

Longueteau 2018/2022 'Rhum Vieux Constellation Edition 2022' (50%, OB, Guadeloupe, French oak, 3000 bottles)

Red cane juice and colonne créole and ex-cognac casks. There's also a white one. The first Constellation I tried, which was a 2018 as well (white) had been brilliant (WF 87). Colour: gold. Nose: the vegetal wonders of cane juice. Asparagus, salsify, hay, dried flowers, patchouli, fennel, aniseed… I don't think I'm getting much from the cognac wood, but better like this, I say. With water: moves towards aged aquavit. Very lovely smokiness (lobster on the barbecue). Mouth: rather terrific. Starts spicy (fennel seeds, caraway, liquorice) and gets then citrusy, with a rather fat body. As if they had added glycol (which they haven't, I'm 100% sure!) With water: nods at some Scottish coastal malts, except that you wouldn't find this much fennel (and endives) in any Scottish malt. Very singular, very good. Finish: long and at times, not unlike some of those modern high-brow artisanal pastis. Coming next! Some green olives in the aftertaste. Comments: I think I liked the white even better, but I'm finding this odd one excellent. If odd.
SGP:471 - 85 points.

Venezuela 17 yo 2005/2022 (61.9%, Tamosi, Venezuela)

Made at the Corporacion Alcoholes Del Caribe (CADC) and aged for 12 years in the tropics, then 5 years in Europe. Never been a huge fan of Venezuelan rums but I'm sure quite a few French crypto-communists love them. Seriously, I'm barely joking. Colour: golden amber. Nose: grass, peel, some nicer honeyed touches in the distance, mead perhaps, a little varnish… With water: sameish, no amounts of water would change it. Light molasses. Mouth (neat): very strong, not bad, but burns your oral cavity. With water: pretty good, with macaroons, amaretti, some hazelnut liqueur and a touch of dry white wine (of fino type). However, the body remains thin. Finish: rather short, a tad metallic and 'peely'. Comments: all we could do is acknowledge the high quality, while stating that this is absolutely not our cup of rum.
SGP:440 - 80 points.

Long Pond 2007/2022 'ITP' (58.3%, Barikenn, Jamaica, 301 bottles)

13 years in the tropics and 2 years in Europe. At Long Pond ITP is not the lowest marque as far as esters go (those would be CRV and CQP), it would rather mean around 100 gr esters/HLPA. Colour: golden amber. Nose: what I've learnt throughout my few years of non-expertise wrt rum is that my favourite Jamaicans are not the ones displaying the highest ester counts, far from that. What I'm trying to say is that this is rather perfect, fully on olives, cigars, Swiss cheese and coffee toffee. What's pretty funny too (well) is that it would also remind me of Jamaican coffee. With water: old copper kettle and metal polish, autumn leaves, more cigars. Mouth (neat): very good, if a tad brutal. Smoked fudge, black olives, brine… With water: brine and a lot of liquorice. Unexpected touches of rose and flower liqueur (rose, perhaps). Finish: long, not eternal. Those lovely small pink olives, shall we say… Grapefruit and polish in the aftertaste. Comments: it got a little thinner on the palate but given its age, I think it's a very successful Long Pond.
SGP:462 - 86 points.

Hampden 8 yo (54.2%, Secret Cask, Jamaica, American oak, 2022)

Young Hampden, that's exactly what the world needs these days. Colour: gold. Nose: unmissable. Gherkins, olives, brine, rotting bananas, gym socks and spent engine oil. What could go wrong? With water: very high viscimetry! Other than that, we find pinewood smoke and banana wine. Mouth (neat): boringly, expectably brilliant. All sorts of salty and bacterial things, cheeses, vegetables both in brine and pickled, rotting fruit… With water: salted liquorice and olives. Classic. Finish: long, salty. Lemon, olives and liquorice. Comments: unbeatable. There's another brilliant Distillery on the island but they would tend not to let the indies use their name, which is a strategic (and tragic) mistake if you ask me. No notoriety, no image.
SGP:463 - 90 points.

Why not two Bellevue before we call this a session?

Bellevue 24 yo 1998/2022 (51.5%, The Roots, Guadeloupe, refill barrel, cask #25, 115 bottles)

Actually on Marie-Galante, but Marie-Galante is part of Guadeloupe. Bellevue is the largest Distillery in Guadeloupe and is making, it seems, around 1mio litres of rhum agricole per year. We've always loved Bellevue's pretty intense rums. Colour: amber. Nose: you smell glue and benzine from a distance of three metres, seriously. Which is a good sign in my book. Gets then more floral (monoi cream, ylang-ylang) and massively cane-y and earthy. Big liquorice too. As we may have said before, it's quite possibly the funkiest of all agricoles, although that would rather be zouk than funk. L'égoïne la kassé… With water: fantastic, softer, exceptionally floral and fruity. Mimosa and fresh pineapples. Mouth (neat): huger than 51% vol. olive-y, glue-y, varnishy, with a little cologne (4711), tar, and the expected rotting bananas and pineapples. With water: stays firm and tight even if you bring it down to 25% vol. Some saltiness and more tar and liquorice. Finish: long, saltier yet. Would you stew black olives in caramel sauce? The glue is back in the aftertaste – glue that you may drink, of course. Comments: I also believe Bellevue is the most Jamaican of all agricoles. Siyé, siyé…
SGP:562 - 91 points.

Bellevue 23 yo 1998/2022 (54.3%, Wealth Solutions, The Colours of Rum, Guadeloupe)

Colour: reddish amber. Nose: how and why would we complain about the fact that this baby is extremely similar? There's perhaps just a little more pencil shaving, cedarwood, perhaps red flowers (peonies)… And a little more ethanol, naturally. With water: old garage, spent oil, toolbox, tar, paint, carbolineum. It's amazing how our brains work, I'm reminded of the brand new Renault 8 that my godfather had just bought, sometime. Great little car but tricky to 'ride' – and pretty smelly indeed. Petrol, oils, tyres, leatherette... Mouth (neat): sublime, once more. And 'equivalent' indeed. With water: what a ride indeed. Someone may have smoked bananas using cane dregs or something. Finish: very long, very perfect. Very salty aftertaste. Comments: you can trust all these 1998s, unless some mad bottler would have inadvertently done a PX finish on it. Or there, a Laphroaig 'affinage'. Oh the horror…
SGP:562 - 91 points.

Check the index of all rums we've tasted so far

UPDATE It seems that I'll never get it right about those Bellevues from Marie-Galante vs. Damoiseau's Bellevues from Guadeloupe. So I was most certainly wrong once more (see, no rum expert), as quite a few friends pointed out, indeed those 1998s are molasses based and stem from Damoiseau. Thanks a lot to Rob B., Rowald G., Ivar DL and other good rum folks. More information at Lance's Lone Caner and at Marius's Single Cask Rum, who know much more about those issues than your truly.


February 24, 2023

Balvenie vs. Burnside, reloaded

We did such a little session in January, here's another one.

Photograph, a cask of Burnside 'vatted malt' somewhere in Scotland, sometime in 2017 (Whiskyfun Archive)

Balvenie 16 yo 'French Oak' (47.6%, OB, 2022)

More finishing craze here, as this noble baby was finished in French Pineau des Charentes, which is must (moût, grape juice) fortified to approx. 17% vol. with some cognac and aged in oak for at least 1 year for the whites. There's white pineau, rosé pineau and red pineau, not too sure which one has been used by Balvenie. Young Pineau is pretty cheap but they age very well in wood and you could find some old ones that would command higher prices. Grosperrin make some excellent old Pineau. Now Pineau has a flipside, it drinks way too fast so make sure not to have it with ice, or it will drink even faster. Colour: light gold. Nose: I find it extremely mirabelle-y, which was already one of the Distillery's traits in my book. So they have added mirabelles to mirabelles, while I love mirabelles. Also flowers (dandelions), apricots, golden delicious and quinces, plus some lighter acacia honey, some golden sultanas, hochicha (roasted tea) and early grey. Almost a middle-aged ex-bourbon Balvenie seen through a magnifier. Mouth: rather tarter, much more citrusy and spicy than your usual unsherried Balvenie this time. Grapefruit liqueur with some turmeric and ginger. Touches of bitter and tonic water, which imparts a feeling of… say Balvenie Spritz. The background remains rounder and softer, with the usual quinces, mirabelles and, this time, sultanas from the Pineau. Finish: long, spicy and citrusy. Tangerines. Similar feeling of turmeric – does turmeric still cure everything? Comments: I like this fusion malt a lot. Totally Balvenie on the nose, much more 'deviant' on the palate. Things could have gotten much, much worse.
SGP:651 - 86 points.

Burnside 26 yo 1994/2021 (49.8%, The Whisky Cask Company, bourbon, cask #5115, 245 bottles)

This 'vatted Burnside' by our most friendly neighbours in lovely Switzerland. Colour: white wine. Nose: totally pure Balvenie of proper age. Orange blossom mirabelles, quinces, vanilla, meadow honey, dandelions, hay in the barn, nougat and Szechuan pepper. Tiny touches of pink grapefruit (which you would find in Szechuan pepper, I agree). Mouth: very creamy mouthfeel, think 'a blend of mirabelle liqueur and limoncello'. Then more Szechuan pepper (and there, pink grapefruit). A little peach syrup, quince jelly, lemongrass syrup, custard tart. I find it so very Balvenie! Finish: medium, a tad tarter, with more oranges, early grey, perhaps even a drop of Manzanilla (I know, bourbon). Comments: extra-point for the purity of it. In other words, the malt did it almost all by itself here, with the help of a proper un-rinsed barrel. Currently a very nice article about rinsed ASBs in Whisky Mag, check it out. Great Balvenie, hoppla.
SGP:651 - 88 points.

Very pleased.

Check the index of all Balvenie we've tasted so far


February 23, 2023

A load of Ardmore, the last part

I agree it was about time.

Picture, take control of Ardmore Distillery like you're Keith Emerson. (WF Archive)

Aird Mhor 10 yo 2009/2020 (59.5%, The Single Malts of Scotland, for USA, ex-Laphroaig cask, cask #707921, 228 bottles)

These will become Laphroaig sessions! Did the owners sell these parcels? Colour: white wine. Nose: peat, rocks, radish, mustard, mercurochrome and gentian. With water: softer and rootier yet. Celeriac, gentian, white carrots. Mouth (neat): a little tough, very mustardy and peppers. And black radish are all over the place. With water: some lemon and green apples. Nice sourness. Finish: long, on pepper and iodine, always with a big rooty side. Massive peppery peatiness in the aftertaste. Comments: not easy, but very good.
SGP:466 - 84 points.

Ardmore 5 yo 2013/2019 (56.4%, Asta Morris, sherry, cask #AM034, 211 bottles)Ardmore 5 yo 2013/2019 (56.4%, Asta Morris, sherry, cask #AM034, 211 bottles)

Ardmore 5 yo 2013/2019 (56.4%, Asta Morris, sherry, cask #AM034, 211 bottles)

Hello, frogs. Colour: amber. Nose: one of those hypra-young varnishy malts, boosted with fudge and butterscotch, black nougat, with a little cedar wood in the background. Pleasantly modern, was the sherry casks STRised? With water: lovely, on cappuccino and old pu-her tea, with this mouldy, earthy side. A lot of lovage too. Mouth (neat): sweet, on more nougat and sweet varnish, more toffee, maple syrup, muscovado, Corinth raisins… With water: more spices, clove, cinnamon rolls… But the wood does all the talking, not sure I'd have recognised Ardmore. Well, I'm sure I would not. Finish: long, slightly prickly, pepper… Almost a little fizzy. Gingery aftertaste. Comments: all cleared, even it's a tad bestial here and there.
SGP:653 - 86 points.

Ardlair 11 yo 2010/2022 (50%, Thompson Bros, refill barrel, 287 bottles)

There, Ardlair! That's the official name of unpeated Ardmore, but indeed, within the company, they sometimes call it 'Ardless'. Luckily, it's not an Ardlair ex-Laphroaig cask, which would have made even less sense than a tomato with wheels (copyright Black Adder). Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: pure gravensteiner eau-de-vie, green melons, kiwis and green apples. With water: even more eau-de-vie-ish. Let's say tutti frutti. Mouth (neat): unpeated Ardmore is good, especially if you enjoy peaches and green melons, and Szechuan pepper too. With water: lovely barley-y sweetness, plus small berries, holly eau-de-vie, mirabelles... Finish: medium, very clean, deliciously fruity. Comments: not exactly a surprise, but I believe this is excellent. Some sides also remind me of young Balblair.
SGP:651 - 88 points.

Ardmore 11 yo (56.6%, James Eadie, 2nd fill oloroso quarter cask finish, cask #361832, 133 bottles)

They said it's a 10m finish, so I first thought 'what, ten minutes'? Whisky ought to remain fun. Colour: deep gold. Nose: good sulphur, so rather truffles and 'new Chinese plastics' than cabbage and gas. Plus speculoos, walnuts, a little burnt sugar, fig leaves and just touches of strawberry jam. Those strawberry molecules are really fun, they may just pop out anytime. With water: walnut cake and a little grilled bacon. Mouth (neat): ginger, chocolate and marmalade, with a rather strong Campari side, and some peppermint liqueur. With water: oranges on the top now, how awesome. Finish: long, fat, on pepper, ginger and triple-sec. Touches of that sulphur in the aftertaste (mineral) plus artichokes. Comments: unlikely at times but excellent fun. Oloroso over Laphroaig, perhaps…
SGP:563 - 85 points.

Ardmore 11 yo 2008/2020 (59.3%, Fadandel, barrel, ex-Laphroaig cask, cask #709235, 235 bottles)

Laphroaig, yet again! We might start to call this disease that's striking all over Scotland 'Laphoaigitis Vulgaris', as there already was 'PXitiss Vulgaris'. Colour: white wine. Nose: now it rather worked a treat here, nice roots, earth, humus, parsley, kelp, spearmint, camphor… With water: and sliced radish! Mouth (neat): rather wonderful, rooty and peaty, with lemons and oysters. I'd love a proper single malt that would be like this. With water: indeed. The barrel was rather sweet and fat, it was not a 'rinsed' one (https://whiskymag.com/story/why-more-bourbon-distillers-are-rinsing-their-used-barrels). Finish: long, with some lemony honey and some waxes, plus pepper and brine. Comments: an Ardphroaig that really worked, I would suppose ChatGPT would make something like this.
SGP:655 - 85 points.

Perhaps an unpeated again?...

Ardlair 10 yo 2011/2021 (66.1%, Signatory Vintage for Whisky Spirits and Weiser, refill sherry butt matured, cask #900035, 661 bottles)

Whisky of mass destruction, probably, but remember Ardlair is supposed to be gentler. Colour: straw. Nose: butterscotch and ammonia, Mars bar, roasted peanuts, pancake sauce, milk chocolate, nail polish and spicy pizza oil. With water: once again this feeling of young Balblair, with bananas, peaches and melons. Mouth (neat): cherry liqueur, lime juice, varnishes, bubblegum and, well, ethanol. With water: jelly babies of all colours and flavours, citrus being dominant. Finish: long, pleasantly acidic. More wine gums. Comments: probably not as gracious as the Thompson's Ardlair, but I love this one too. Ardmore's Antilongrow.
SGP:651 – 86 points.

Ardmore 10 yo 2012/2022 (57.7%, Double V, ex-Laphroaig, 237 bottles)

Hmm, Laphroaig or Marsala? The ex-Marsala by Double V had been very good the other day… Colour: pale white wine. Nose: a lighter young Laphroaig. Perhaps some boosted Laphroaig Select? Nice seaweed and root vegetables. We've never mentioned celeriac this often, have we. Turnips are obvious too, this is some soup! With water: whiffs of new plastic, not unseen in Ardmore. New Nikes, bandages, plaster… Mouth (neat): sweet roots. Gentian liqueur, wild carrots and aniseed, melissa water… With water: almost syrupy, sweet, are sure no one ever dumped 30 kilos of cane sugar into this cask? The worst part being that the end results is very good, in my opinion… Finish: pepper liqueur all the way, the aftertaste being more medicinal. Comments: these are all good, even if they're not exactly the Vincent Van Goghs of malt whisky.
SGP:655 - 85 points.

Ardmore 16 yo 2000/2016 (55.8%, Golden Cask, cask #CM231, 80 bottles)

Tell me about a micro-bottling! We're also a little late with this baby… No Laphroaig cask here, it seems, phew! Colour: light gold. Nose: perfectly all right, rather on roots again, lemons, humus, then resins (propolis?) and manioc. With water: candlewax, wool, a little mustard, radishes (radishes have been running the show those days), roots… Mouth (neat): it's a funny one, rather on resinous roots, should that exist (of course it does). Some bitterness, more propolis, grapefruit… With water: root beer and kirschwasser. Finish: rather long, rooty. Pepper and some cardboard in the aftertaste. Comments: still very, very good, just a notch flatter and less 'wow' on the palate.
SGP:553 - 83 points.

Ardmore 12 yo 2009/2022 (56.3%, Fadandel, 6 months 1st fill oloroso octave finish, cask #2643B, 67 bottles)

Hold on, hold on, hold on, what exactly was finished, this Ardmore or the oloroso? All this feels a little 'fantasy', but s***w preconceptions… At least, no Laphroaig was involved here. Colour: amber. Nose: loads of varnish, turon, Werther's Originals and nougat. With water: walnuts and sour sweet wines. I'm thinking pineau or some VDNs. Mouth (neat): caramel, coffee, chicory coffee, walnut wine. With water: some leather, more walnuts, some tobacco, and mustard sauce (à la diable). Finish: medium long, a little leathery and on tobacco. Walnut and apple peel and skins, some pepper, some mustard. Comments: goody good, just a notch tiring. But rather Octave or his father Caesar, let's discuss that later…
SGP:562 - 81 points.

I'm always finding it a little embarrassing when Scotch malts would integrally rely on the casks they were matured and/or finished in. Who keeps talking about stills? Yeasts? Cuts? I agree, nothing new, but it's getting worse every day with the generalisation of those lousy, miserable, stinky NAS releases that so many brands are having these days. Issues that the QWA will have to deal with sooner or later. That's the Quercus Whisky Association by the way, it's the new name of the SWA. What's more, we've heard the Keepers of the Quaich (I'm a proud member by the way) are about to be rebranded 'The Keepers of the Chainsaw' and sponsored by Husqvarna. I tell you, the times they are a-changing.

Ardmore 10 yo 2008/2019 (54%, Asta Morris, fresh bourbon, cask #AM094, 272 bottles)

The frogs are back again. Colour: straw. Nose: clean doughy arrival on the nose, with touches of liquorice wood and even aniseed. Almost some artisanal pastis, what's more its mentholy side is rather spectacular – and unusual – too. It should love water, philosophically at least. With water: back to bread dough, porridge, green tea. We'd call this hard-landing. Mouth (neat): I find it extremely good, appropriately sooty and mustardy, and very 'Ardmore' (which is hard to define, even after around 40 different expressions in a row). Turmeric is particularly discernible. With water: once again water rather flattens it. Too hell with water, 54% remains reasonable and I'm sure the Vatican will approve. Finish: medium, very good, rooty, with some soft mustard and, indeed, turmeric and 'smoke'. Comments: just very good.
SGP:463 - 85 points.

Ardmore 'Legacy' (40%, OB, +/-2017)

Excuse me, that would be 'The Ardmore'. And this is 'The Whiskyfun', by the way. Interestingly, this is 'a marriage of peated and un-peated malt whisky'. And I just realised that we never, ever tried this very popular official expression. I feel shame, it was about time (even if this is from an older bottle). Colour: straw. Nose: mashed potatoes, ashes in an ashtray, French beans, grilled eggplant, charcoal… This is very light, but certainly not un-nice. Perhaps a little too much paraffin. Mouth: rather good stuff, with some smoky cider, asparagus, green tea, soft herbs… The problem is that It's really light, hence frustrating. Ardmore's 'Select', clearly. Finish: short, but nicely salty. Comments: very nice foundations, but why very skilled Distillers such as Suntory would rather murder their own makes like this, I don't quite know.
SGP:543 - 78 points.

Ardmore 12 yo 'Port Wood Finish' (46%, OB, +/-2016)

Another one that we should have tried before. Colour: gold. Nose: nicely metallic and floral. Copper coins and gorse, peonies, geranium flowers… It is certainly much nicer than your average, lousy Port-finished malt whisky. Raspberry drops, Montenegro vermouth, americano Gancia… It really is a time machine. Mouth: good fun. Smoked strawberries, rosehip tea (big time), cold mulled wine perhaps… Finish: not short, well composed, with notes of solid rosé wine and raisins. Comments: absolutely not our favourite style, and indeed if we ever feel the need to 'mix' things we could do that ourselves, but this was clearly very well made. I was having my Colt 45 on the tasting table but that's been unnecessary. As strictly always, since I don't think we're impotent. No weapons please!
SGP:642 - 82 points.

Time to have a very last Ardmore, don't you think. We've lost count, but we sure had quite a few already…

Ardmore 24 yo 1977/2002 (58.6%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, butt, 636 bottles)

A 1977, that should be very rock and roll, and punk, and new wave, and jazz-rock, and disco (gulp)… in short, anything. Colour: light gold. Nose: touches of coconut water, green banana, marzipan, beeswax, overripe apples, pumpkin mash… And no smoke that we can detect. With water: stays the same, I would say. Fresh meringue, marzipan, beeswax… Mouth (neat): very good, very tart, very green, sending shivers down your spine. Like it or hate it – we would tend to like it. Nothing to do with the nose. With water: water makes it rounder and, I have to say, a little duller. On the other hand, 58.6% vol, that's hefty. Oranges and olive oil coming in then, for the better. Oranges and olives do work like Page and Plant or Charisse and Astaire, if you ask me. Or Coltrane and Ellington (what a record indeed). Finish: good length, good profile. Waxy, sweet, apples, bananas… Awesome saltiness in the aftertaste. Comments: frankly, it's wonderful, it's just hard to classify. Certainly not 'disco'.
SGP:552 - 86 points.

Good, 43 Ardmores tsted this week, not too bad. Next Ardmore session, when pigs fly and chicken have teeth. Cheers.

(Thank you Tim!)

Check the index of all Ardmore we've tasted so far


February 22, 2023

A third load of Ardmore

We told you there would be many more…

Photograph, Ardmore's monster (Whiskyfun Archive)

Ardmore 2010/2021 (60.4%, Signatory Vintage, Seasons Winter 2021, 2nd fill sherry butt finish, cask #4, 723 bottles)

Colour: yellow gold. Nose: dough, chalk, porridge, walnut cake, allspice and clean lees. Touch of smoky mustard in the background. With water: our new friends the black radishes, a.k.a. horseradish, plus some porridge, ink and soot. Mouth (neat): extremely potent, robust, doughy and peppery. Crunching grape pips. With water: some welcome sweetness coming out, triple-sec, grapefruit liqueur, more walnuts (rather walnut cake) and leather too. Finish: long, well balanced, with a sherry + Ardmore combo that's not generated too much bitterness. Sweet pepper liqueur and some barley sirup in the aftertaste. Comments: this young baby never stopped getting sweeter. Good fun and a proper winter warmer.
SGP:563 - 85 points.

Ardmore 12 yo 2009/2021 (57.7%, Whisky Is The Limit, 1st fill bourbon barrel, cask #261B/2009)

Colour: white wine. Nose: this one's more austere again, sootier yet, grassy, leafy… Porridge and eggplant. Some lemon and granny smith in the distance. With water: root vegetables stewed in honey and sweet white wine. Mouth (neat): at first much sweeter and that's the barrel. Custard, sirups, then pepper and ginger liqueurs, cinchona, those radishes… With water: same two-step acting, first sirup and liqueur (Chambord), then spices, pepper, and those radishes. Finish: sameish. Comments: exactly the previous one, only without the sherry finish. Similarly excellent.
SGP:563 - 85 points.

An utter baby just for fun…

Ardmore 3 yo 2013/2017 (61.6%, Cadenhead, Cask Ends, bourbon hogshead)
No picture. Let's do this real quick. Quite some black 'congeners' in this one… Colour: white wine. Nose: smoked apples and pears, ink, soot, porridge. With water: bread and brioche, plus some coal smoke and concrete. Mouth (neat): ultra-limey and peppery! Say a blend of white rum at column strength, plus limoncello and black pepper. With water: very good, at 3! Grapefruit, pepper, barley sirup, a little williams pear (spirit). Finish: long, sweet, rather on wine gums, more smoke, pepper and spices in the aftertaste. Comments: incredibly good at just 3.
SGP:554 - 85 points.

Ardmore 11 yo 2008/2019 (59.4%, The Bookinist, Latour-Martillac finish, 2016 bottles)

A tribute to Dostoevsky's Brothers Karamazov. Latour-Martillac is a very good wine from Pessac/Graves, according to the colour here, it could have been a 'red' barrique. Colour: gold with faint apricot hues. Nose: not 100% sure. There's this smoky, mustardy pepperiness indeed, but also mirabelle jam, quinces, panettone… So white or red? With water: I wouldn't say it takes water extremely well. Washing powder, some mouldiness… Mouth (neat): same feeling as on the nose, some peppered mirabelle jam, with dissonances. With water: the barrique comes to the surface, which doubles the spiciness. Finish: long, pretty bitter and rubbery, with echoes of sulphur. Comments: probably red. It's absolutely fine, but it feels a little overdone here and there. And wine and peat, well… But many friends have and will love it.
SGP:563 - 78 points.

Ardmore 23 yo 1997/2021 (55.1%, The Single Malts of Scotland, hogshead, cask #901281, 238 bottles)

Colour: pale straw. Nose: the glory of time again. Marzipan, white asparagus, custard, popcorn, paraffin, barley sirup and cough sirup. With honey, eucalyptus and menthol inside. With water: same plus beeswax, maple syrup and peanut butter. A little pinot gris too. Mouth (neat): tops. Banana cream, spicy mango chutney, white clover honey, Szechuan pepper… You would almost believe a chef made this one in his/her lab. With water: it loves water. Grapefruit liqueur, IPA and more pink peppers. I, for one, cannot resist this. Finish: only medium, but monstrously fruity. Peppery aftertaste. Comments: some kind of witchcraft, most certainly. Oh and spells.
SGP:652 - 90 points.

Ardmore 13 yo 2008/2022 (56.3%, Single Cask Collection, ex-Laphroaig cask, cask #709240, 233 bottles)

More tautological (or pleonasmic) peater. This combo rings a bell… Colour: white wine. Nose: lovely blended malt. Ardmore got more coastal, there's more iodine, more grass yet, more lemons, more oysters, more bandages. With water: fresh bark, broken branches, kelp and whelks… Mouth (neat): excellent. The citrus and medicinal peat of Laphroaig, plus the pepper and mustard (and radish!) of Ardmore. With water: indeed. I think this one worked out (even) better than the 11 yo that we tried earlier. The pepper remains wonderful – should you enjoy pepper as much as I do. Finish: long and Ardmoreishly spicy. Comments: excellent in-cask blended malt. But Ardphroaig or Laphmore?
SGP:555 - 87 points.

Ardmore 15 yo 1997/2012 (58.5%, Gordon & MacPhail Reserve for Van Wees, refill sherry hogshead, cask #900669, 312 bottles)

I'm glad we were still having this one in the library. A sister bottling for Van Wees had been rather superb (WF 87). Colour: white wine. Nose: very oily, on sunflower oil and stearin, church candles, beeswax, then moving towards leatherette and new Vuitton bag. Cigarettes and croissants in the back. With water: perhaps not the best swimmer ever. Woolite and new stuff by Patagonia coming through. Imagine! Mouth (neat): very good, all on peppered limoncello, meadow honey, honeydew and corn syrup. All that always with a peppery structure. With water: good one, there's some Clynelishy wax this time. Some grassy kind of wax. Finish: long, with the pepper fighting back. Comments: honestly, it's a great fatter one.
SGP:563 - 86 points.

We need to speed it all up…

Ardmore 13 yo 2008/2022 (56%, The Whisky Barrel, This IS Really Spectacular, ex-Laphroaig cask, cask #TWB1031, 135 bottles)

Ardmore 13 yo 2008/2022 (56%, The Whisky Barrel, This Is Really Spectacular, ex-Laphroaig cask, cask #TWB1031, 135 bottles)

All right, more Laphroaig sorcery. It's that, or STR, or PX. Colour: white wine. Nose: beach bonfire, turnips, olives, gentian, gherkins and brine. Really, this one is not particularly medicinal. With water: feels like a super-young, rather pearish and rooty Laphroaig, which can't be bad, we agree. Mouth (neat): pretty mineral. Licking limestone, drinking riesling, sucking your sweater. The pepper keeps roaming the place. With water: very good, if simple. Peppery and lemony smoke. Finish: long, more lemony. Brine and riesling from a cold vintage (no we weren't born my friend). Cough syrup in the aftertaste. Comments: I'm really curious about the future of malt whisky. Why wouldn't, say Auchentoshan release a similar make? Mind you, you don't need to make peat to do peat§(or peatier)… And it's good.
SGP:565 - 85 points.

Ardmore 10 yo 2010/2020 (59.4%, Deerstalker, The Wild Scotland Collection, barrel, cask #804043, 234 bottles)

I'm afraid I'm not very well acquainted with this bottler. Colour: white wine. Nose: mustard, dough, chalk, pepper, cider apple and radish. With water: it works. Fattish, doughy, with a little shoe polish and even kippers (tiny wee bits). Mouth (neat): yeah for sure it's good. Sweet smoke and peppery herbs. With water: feels peatier than Ardmore, really. Finish: long, fat, very peaty, spicy. Smoky fatty curry. Grapefruit juice in the aftertaste. Comments: this was truly very 'wild' Scotland. And very good, once more.
SGP:554 - 85 points.

Ardmore 7 yo 2009/2017 (59.6%, Archive, ex-Laphroaig barrel, cask #709301, 249 bottles)

Their 1999 had been a little difficult. This is another in-cask blended malt. Bizarrely, they keep using Laphroaig. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: iodine, medicinal alcohol, young kirschwasser. This is really very young. With water: damp paper, Barbour grease, coal tar, rainwater. Mouth (neat): icing sugar, pear drops, pickled ginger, salty lemons. An acquired taste. With water: dirty lemons, bitter grasses. Finish: long, very grassy, challenging. Saltier aftertaste. Comments: not too sure. What's more, the Laphroaig trick is becoming boring – yeah indeed they dd that in 2017 already.
SGP:466 - 82 points.

Ardmore 22 yo 2000/2022 (54.9%, WhiskySponge, refill hogshead / 1st fill Sherry finish, 541 bottles)

If the Sponge did a finishing, there must have been a reason (probably an unfathomable one). Colour: dark amber, almost mahogany. Nose: I believe there was an OB like this, on fresh young bourbon, balsamico, acetone, paint thinner, old Demerara rum and chestnut purée. With water: Partagas, walnut stain, green coffee and nocino. Mouth (neat): varnish, curry, clove, pipe tobacco and more acetone. With water: rounder, cakier, on Linzertorte and… well, Linzertorte. Clove and cracked pepper in the back. Finish: long, peppery as always. And always a little acetone-y. Some easier butterscotch in the aftertaste, plus some Demerara rum. Comments: delicately heavy. The sherry did a hell of a job (hate to hear me say that).
SGP:465 - 88 points.

While we're doing mad ones…

Ardmore 8 yo 2013/2021 (56%, Double V, 2nd fill Marsala barrique, cask #591, 273 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: oh this is fun, we're nosing rather a few Italian antipasti, artichokes in oil, pecorino, bresaola, burrata… and grilled eggplant. God, the power of Marsala! With water: a grassier smoke. Burnt grass and leaves. Mouth (neat): pine resins, pepper, mustard, bitter oranges and deep-smoked bacon. Right, smoked capicola, capocollo, whatever. Con scuse. With water: green pepper and citrus regaining control. Finish: long, peppery, grassy, a tad rubbery. Green peppercorn. Comments: not an easy one, but I'd happily have it on a lot of crushed ice, while enjoying gnocco fritto with good friends. Oh yeah, by the way, Marsala is Italian, while Malaga is Spanish. The things we saw…
SGP:464 - 84 points.

Ardmore 10 yo 2010/2021 (60.4%, James Eadie, USA exclusive, refill bourbon barrel, cask #802944, 164 bottles)

Colour: light gold. Nose: slight ammonia, Bovril, chicory coffee, varnish, butterscotch, pancake sauce, corn syrup, molasses… Not much smoke this far. With water: more doughs, cakes, banana cake, moist fresh brioche… Mouth (neat): impeccable wood technology. Varnish, butterscotch and smoke at the power of three. With water: sweet curry and walnuts, butterscotch, peanut butter and sweet mustard. Ashes. Finish: long, on the same notes. Lovely sweet/spicy curry, tannins in the aftertaste. Comments: pretty irrefutable.
SGP:454 - 85 points.

(Thanks to Tim and Tom)

Check the index of all Ardmore we've tasted so far


February 21, 2023

A second load of Ardmore

What we've learnt yesterday is that age does much good to Ardmore (S., haven't we been through this 1,000 times?)

(Teacher tray on display at Ardmore Distillery, 2014, WF Archive)

Ardmore 21 yo 2000/2021 (57.1%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, Conquête, refill Sherry hogshead, cask #1695, 237 bottles)

I should have tried this one a long time ago. Colour: deep gold. Nose: a little varnish and paint thinner, otherwise tobacco and leather, balsamico, plus litres of fresh-bottled amontillado and walnut wine. With water: it adores water. Superb cigars, walnut liqueur, marrow quenelles, beef stock… Mouth (neat): very tight. Huge walnuts, more varnishy amontillado, heavy chocolate, millionaire shortbread, a little malt extract, drops of double-stout… With water: once again, water does wonders, even if it does remain a little brutal. Chocolate filled with kirschwasser. Finish: very long, with a little salt and pepper beyond all this tobacco. Smokier aftertaste, but once again it is some very grassy smoke. Comments: pretty incredible that this would have been refill sherry.
SGP:463 - 87 points.

Ardmore 11 yo (46%, Cadenhead, Original Collection, pinot noir finish, 2022)

Bourbon, then 18 months in pinot noir, for reasons I just can't imagine. Why would anyone dump some fine whisky into pinot noir? Or gouda in coffee? Orange juice in bisque? Chocolate in mustard? Is this only provocation? Colour: gold. Nose: rather dissonant, as expected. Fumes, geranium leaves, cassis buds, cat litter… I don't know why they're always this crazy about red wine in Campbeltown, is that a genetic trait or something? Some kind of secret sect? Or just love? Mouth: right, it is not that terrible, on the contrary, some smoky and buttery cakes do combine well with the peppery malt. Some marmalade and ginger tonic. Finish: rather long, peppery, peaty. Peppered marmalade, some blood orange in the aftertaste. Comments: probably not a nosing whisky, but the palate was fun. Not my d**e, but fun.
SGP:464 - 79 points.

Ardmore 12 yo 2009/2021 (59%, Fadandel, puncheon, cask #2643, 138 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: what a relief, a clean, all-natural one. The puncheon was refill. Mustard, dough, pepper, burning grass, yogurt, cider apples, lemons… With water: once again these discreet plastic-like notes (new sneaker), surely some butter, and a lot of porridge. One green olive. Mouth (neat): big peat, this time we're rather Islay-bound, with a fattish smoke (some CI) and quite some pepper and lemon. With water: very good, I'd have said Caol Ila CS. Oysters, seaweed, smoke, pepper, ashes… And crab! Finish: long, oilier. Perhaps this touch of peach that means Ardmore in my humble book. Peppery aftertaste. Comments: simple, very good, excellently natural.
SGP:555 - 86 points.

Ardmore 22 yo 1998/2021 (49.7%, Malt, Grain & Cane, hogshead, 154 bottles)

We're in Singapore this time. One day I'll tell you that story about your truly riding an old purple water-cooled Suzuki 750 in the streets of Singapore… a looong time ago. Not the place, not the time. Colour: white wine. Nose: we're extremely close to the natural 2009, just with a little more depth and roundness. Some lovely rooty notes, around gentian, seawater, peppery ashes, leaves and a lot of apple peel… Mouth: sweet but with much pepper, even chillies, horseradish, this grassy smokiness… It shouldn't need any water, but I do feel we should add a little water. With water: yep, seaweed, menthol, oysters (I agree menthol and oysters sounds strange), a little wasabi, red radish… Finish: rather long, peppery and on more radish, lemon, roots… Comments: excellent, if, once again, a little circumvolutory (good one S.) Now after 20+ years, I'm starting to wonder if 'radish' wouldn't be one of Ardmore's main markers. Slow as a snail.
SGP:564 - 86 points.

Aird Mhor 9 yo 2009/2019 (58.5%, The Whisky Exchange, Laphroaig barrel, cask #707912, 242 bottles)

London cocketry as far as the name's concerned. So Ardmore or Laphroaig? In any case, in my book, this is a blended malt. Not obligatorily bad news, mind you… Colour: white wine. Nose: totally a blend of peaters. More medicinal than Ardmore, more on radish (yeah!) than Laphroaig. With water: mercurochrome, raw wool and burnt macaroons. Mouth (neat): proper gentian eau-de-vie (fermented, not macerated), aged in sweet oak. With radish (yeah!) With water: same, just a little rounder. Finish: long, very peaty and rooty. A little candy sugar in the aftertaste, plus one black olive. Comments: very good hybrid.
SGP:466 - 84 points.

We need to accelerate…

Ardmore 18 yo 2003/2021 (51.9%, Maltbarn, sherry cask, 122 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: panettone! And kougelhopf! And lighter pipe tobacco, and rum, and banana flambéed… Well this is very intriguing. With water: new wardrobe from IKEA's, varnish, leek and onion soup, miso… All stuff we rather love. Mouth (neat): smoked butterscotch and nocino! With water: pepper sauce, masala, prunes, raisins, arrack, liquorice, pastis… What an unusual one. Finish: long, superb. Chocolate, coffee, plasticine and varnish. Tobacco and radish in the aftertaste. Radish, I told you. Comments: we did this one quick but it's 1st-grade for sure. The sherry cask behaved like a real gentleman.
SGP:464 - 89 points.

Ardmore 22 yo 1998/2020 (49.2%, Catawiki, refill bourbon, cask #7508092, 66 bottles + 1,000 minis)

It's important to remember that they have been using coal-fired stills until 2001 at Ardmore. Colour: straw. Nose: raw, acetic, acidic, varnishy. But that's all nice (!), since granny smith and limes would handle the situation. Wool, butter, porridge… Mouth: another one that's not that strong and yet is calling for water. Pepper and honey. With water: these Ardmores are really difficult to catch. Dry, peppery, ashy, drying, tough. Finish: long, grassy, a little bitter, smoky, peppery. Comments: in truth it's very good, it's just not a bed of roses.
SGP:364 - 84 points.

Ardmore 24 yo 1997/2022 (49.6%, Whisky Nerds, hogshead, cask #901451, 258 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: good fun, with gentian (Suze) and vanilla liqueur, then soot and limoncello. Toasted bread, old copper coins, eggplant, artichoke, quinine. Way nicer than it sounds. Mouth: what's this? Porcini soup, very old red Bourgogne, cigar ash, marc de Bourgogne, citrons, lemongrass, wild asparagus, cep carpaccio… And gentian! Rather Avèze than Suze this time, stuff for either our grandmothers, or for the trendiest mixologists in Dubai. Finish: long, rooty, salty, pretty bitter. Resins in the aftertaste, not the easier part. Comments: some stunning moments, others were a little tougher.
SGP:364 - 86 points.

Check the index of all Ardmore we've tasted so far


February 20, 2023

An avalanche of Ardmore at random

That's right, Teacher's Ardmore. We've been lazy with our Ardmores at Château WF and they have been piling up. Really, piling up, like many dozens. Only one easy solution then, have some at random, a few at a time, including some unpeated Ardlairs (A.K.A. Ardless). We'll do these quickly, and please do not expect any kind of logic…

Ardmore 11 yo 2009/2021 (56.1%, Thompson Bros. for Kirsch Import, barrels, 239 bottles)

Lovely label, it would have been nice on a Sun Ra, Art Ensemble or Pharoah LP too. Colour: white wine. Nose: soot, plaster, fresh mown lawn, fern, green peppercorn and herbal ashes. Burnt maize and peach skin. With water: fresh almonds and even more grass. Garden bonfire. Mouth (neat): raw eau-de-vie, Gravensteiner, kirschwasser, lees, stems, a little rubber… With water: smoked apples or something. Lemon oil. Finish: grassy, long, sooty and ashy. Granny smith in the aftertaste. Comments: really not easy to pinpoint. Not a fruity one, not a peater, not a malty baby, not quite a grass bomb, no cakes either… Love the Distillery, love the history, love the people, but I'm afraid I never quite understood the make. Now this is certainly one of the better ones (amongst the youngsters).
SGP:463 - 82 points.

Another 11 please…

Ardmore 11 yo (52.1%, Morisco Spirits, Koval bourbon barrel, +/-2021)

Colour: light gold. Nose: a slightly metallic smokiness, branches and leaves, ashes, soot… With water: manzanilla, plaster, soot, charcoal, polyamide, yogurt… Mouth (neat): candied oranges, dried apples, zests, touch of plasticine and green pepper. With water: plasticine up. Grapefruit. Finish: long, herbal. Lapsang souchong blended with apple juice. Mild smoke. Comments: very okay. It's just that there are zillions.
SGP:463 - 81 points.

Another 11 please…

Ardmore 11 yo 2008/2019 (61.1%, Single Cask Collection, ex-Laphroaig cask, cask #707531, 245 bottles)

Some in-cask blending again, a trick that more and more whisky folks are doing these days, for the better (rarely) or for the worse. Now remember both 'more and 'phroaig belong to Beam. I'm surprised no one's ever done a Caol Ila Port Ellen finish. Colour: straw. Nose: naturally, a straighter, more iodine-y smoke, pebbles and rocks, bandages, peach stones, a drop of pine liqueur… With water: this is strange, we chatted about Port Ellen a few seconds ago and what I'm getting now is some very young Port Ellen, with this tarry side. The mind works in mysterious ways, does it not. Mouth (neat): of course it's good. Grapefruit, grass, lemons, and an ultra-tight smokiness, pretty un-Ardmore. With water: excellent, with a little vanilla fudge, beyond the rawer peat. Finish: long, saltier, medicinal. Lovely lemony aftertaste. Comments: lovely blended malt. Laphroaig's a perfect dresser (well, a crutch), as more and more maltmakers are finding out these days.
SGP:566 - 85 points.

Ardmore 10 yo 2010/2021 (60.5%, James Eadie, export exclusive, bourbon barrel, cask # 802939, 162 bottles)

Export exclusive, love that, I guess we'll soon see some planet earth exclusives… Colour: white wine. Nose: this one is more on brine, seawater, tight riesling and pencil shavings (not unseen at J. Eadie's). With water: cool soot and, indeed, riesling. Rather fermentary. Mouth (neat): they always do it right. Lemon juice, white pepper, smoked kiwi. With water: embarrassingly modern and good. Very smart 'wood technology', as they would say in Tain (with that inimitable accent). Finish: long, precise, carved, lemony, with even notes of, wait, Hampden? Comments: that's right, there's something Jamaican in there. To think that we haven't even mentioned olives (well we just did).
SGP:554 - 85 points.

Ardmore 8 yo 2010/2019 (54.2%, Cadenhead, sherry hogshead, 222 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: all on nougat and milk chocolate, you would believe this was distilled by Rudolph Lindt. Not an unpleasant feeling. With water: some leather and some old teas (from those old tin boxes in the old kitchen in the old holiday house in the old country). Mouth (neat): more jumbled, dirty, uncertain and unlikely. Pepper, vinegar, amontillado, walnut wine, smoked almonds, pipe tobacco… With water: sour, acetic, chocolaty. Some walnuts and litres of oloroso. Finish: long, sour, vegetal. Sorrel soup and green walnuts. Comments: good, a little disjointed and a tad difficult. Another why-not drop, I would say, but probably not one for posterity.
SGP:364 - 80 points.

Believe me, this is not an easy session. Young Ardmores can be a little boring, no?...

Ardmore 10 yo 2010/2020 (62.7%, Signatory Vintage for Whic, The War of Peat, refill sherry butt finish, cask #1, 706 bottles)

The War of Peat? No, please, no wars… Colour: white wine. Nose: no Ardmores are the same. This is all on raw porridge, soot and fermenting fruit. I agree that's nice, but let's see… With water: it's okay. Good doughs, breads, beers and stuff. Mouth (neat): sweet peat, as Eurythmics would have sung. Having said that, it is undrinkable when neat, even one single drop will beat the hell out of you. Assassins! With water: muscovado and smoked almonds, bitter ashes, Orval. With cheers to our Belgian friends. Finish: long, with more spices, clove, juniper, mustard, some leather too, bitter oranges… Peppery aftertaste. Comments: right, it is a fighter indeed. Not an easy drop for sure, I believe we rather need peace these days (but peace is not obligatorily Glenkinchie at 40%, capeesh?)
SGP:374 - 80 points.

Ardmore 1999/2019 (55.8%, Archives, cask # #801661, 185 bottles)

Not some very engaging fish on the label, but remember the ugliest fish make the best soups (a brand new motto on WF!) It's from their 'Fish Of Samoa' series, everybody knows that the fish of Samoa and the Scottish malts have been tightly connected for centuries. Colour: white wine. Nose: nice average Ardmore, with some cigarettes, charcoal, green apples, peaches and mustard. With water: appropriately muddy, leathery, leafy and fermentary. No smoke bomb. Mouth (neat): very good. Sweet mustard, walnuts, pepper. With water: more of all that, plus green apples and glasses of the driest ciders ever. Finish: long, extremely dry, not unlike the whackiest amontillados. The greenest walnuts in the aftertaste. Comments: the going gets tough at little Whiskyfun, I believe we could live without Ardmore.
SGP:363 - 81 points.

Ardmore 1988/2021 (48.6%, Michiel Wigman, They Inspired, 192 bottles)

These great folks on the label should be Satchmo and Ella, no? You say tomato… Now vorsicht, alert and attention, this is a much older Ardmore… Colour: white wine. Nose: rather another planet. Imagine someone would have smoked apples and swiss cheese. I think this is stunning. Meadow flowers, pine smoke, cream cheese (hey Suzy!), sylvaner and weissbeer… Mouth: what time does to malt whisky will always remain one of the deepest mysteries. Extraordinary smokes (including weed, seriously) and all kinds of apples of the creation of this planet in this world. Pine and fern. Finish: long, sourer, more fermentary. A medicinal side in the aftertaste. Comments: it's far from being the most perfect malt whisky ever, but it sure is our utter favourite today. Until now. Love it, and you know, Louis and Ella, you cannot beat them anyway… (I'm about to put Ella in Berlin again on the stereo, what a f***** record!)
SGP:573 - 89 points.

Calm down… but since we're doing older ones…

Ardmore 36 yo 1985/2022 (49.7%, Gordon & MacPhail, Private Collection, LMDW, refill sherry hogshead, cask #958, 164 bottles)

Colour: light gold. Nose: where else would you find Brussels sprouts, zucchini, gentian roots, celeriac, slate, tiles, sake, porridge and clay? And these damp old magazines? (like, Adenauer in Paris, Man on the moon, or Nixon resigns!) Mouth: Ardmore is just always unlikely, uncertain, hesitating and complex. Soups of all kinds (cabbage, leek, potatoes, turnips) plus some olive oil and eggplant gratin. Not exactly moussaka, but we're close. Finish: medium, a little sour, on fermented fruits. Smokier aftertaste, with notes of 'old Caol Ila', even if 'old Coal Ila' is usually superior in my book. Comments: Ardmore is never simple, whether it's 10 or 36. It's not impossible that we should have given this one two hours rather than just fifteen minutes. Our bad.
SGP:563 - 88 points.

Many more Ardmores soon…

Check the index of all Ardmore we've tasted so far


February 19, 2023

Malternatives on Sunday, Armagnac's turn

I have to admit we've been neglecting quite a few malternative categories lately, mezcals, genevers, eaux-de-vie, calvados, marcs and fines, gins… Right, not gin but I promise we'll do all those within the coming months. In the meantime, let's tackle one of our three main categories, namely dear little armagnac.

Grapediggaz 'XO' (46.3%, Wu Dram Clan and Kirsch Import, armagnac, 2022)

Not to be confused with the rather fantastic eponymous cognac. They had an Aurian in this line a few months ago, but not too sure this is Aurian too, let's simply, err, dig deeper… Colour: gold. Nose: a walk in the woods, with these wonderful mushrooms, mosses, fern, autumn leaves, little berries that you would crush between your fingers, whiffs of old iron (did you bring your old hunting rifle?), all that with a growing fruitiness around ripe apples and plums. I find it pretty terroiry, although I couldn't tell you which terroir we're talking about (right, well done S.) Very slight umami, with a few bits of old tobacco forgotten deep inside your jacket's pockets. Mouth: firm, starting with leaves and fruit peel, plus liquorice and tobacco indeed. There's this wonderful, terroiry rusticity, cakes (walnuts), only a few raisins, bitter fruits and herbs, cinchona, bitters, that's all wonderful unless, unlike me, you don't like them a little bitter. I'm sure you could pour a few drops into a Champagne that's been doséed too much. Finish: pretty long, on the same flavours, while it would get more grapy in the aftertaste (stalk, pips). Comments: a lovely one for a proper silver hipflask. You could then bring it with you whenever you go for a walk in the woods. Same high level as that of the wonderful cognac in my book.
SGP:461 - 88 points.

Darroze 7 yo 'Biologic' (48%, OB, Bas-armagnac, 2021)

Made out of baco, colombard and ugni blanc grapes, all organic. We've already tried quite a few excellent organic spirits, even if we had been traumatised by a very ugly Springbank 7 years old 'Da Mhile' around twenty years ago. Colour: gold. Nose: rather a lot of fresh wood, muscovado, toasted bread, liquorice wood, some gingerbread, macaroons, chicory coffee… It's all nice and well, I have to say. Nice honeyed touches, but a little more sawdust as well. Mouth: very caramelly, toasted, liquoricy, even molassy. More toasted bread, brioche, green walnuts, nocino liqueur, Fernet… And once again, rather a lot of cinchona. Finish: pretty long, pretty drying. Cloves, cinnamon, oak, black tea. Comments: some similarities with the Grapediggaz but I find this little Organic a little dry, young and, well, rustic. Not quite a post-prandial armagnac, I would say, but indeed it remains very good. No fears at Darroze's anyway.
SGP:461 - 83 points.

Domaine de Saoubis 2009/2023 (49.4%, Hootch, Bas-armagnac, single cask, 490 bottles)

100% baco and biodynamic, made in Ayzieu in the Gers, north of Nogaro, and selected by some awesome new French bottler named 'Hootch'. The bottle itself is lovely too, as soon as it's empty you could make a perfect Molotov cocktail out of it – how very French indeed. Colour: gold. Nose: very close to the Grapediggaz, with once again many smells 'from under the woods', moss, mushroom, then overripe apples, prunes and damson tarte, some black nougat, the expected preserved peaches and apricots, sultanas, dried dates filled with marzipan, old stump, perhaps a drop of artichoke liqueur… This one really smells of the country. Mouth: a spicy and floral start, on liquorice wood and cinnamon (mints) plus mullein syrup, white clover, woodruff… It is a wonderful arrival, pretty poetic, if I may. What's lovely too is that the oak would never get in your way, with no excessive teaishness, no big tannicity etc., rather apricot tarte lightly drizzled with grated cinnamon, shortcrust, speculoos... It does not call for any waters. Finish: long and very well balanced. More liquorice and cinnamon mints, while peaches and apricots keep standing guard. Comments: already brilliant at just 13 or 14. I can't wait to try some 20 or 25 yo Saoubis.
SGP:561 - 87 points.

Domaine de Charron 2008/2022 (50.4%, OB, Bas-armagnac, cask #115)

100% baco again, but this time from Perquie in the Landes. We've already tried several Charrons, always with success and often with delight. I'm glad they keep their zebra on the label, it's a wonderful animal that reminds me of a pioneering carmaker called 'le Zèbre", they have one at the Musée de l'Automobile in Mulhouse (highly recommended but remember, never drink and drive!) But back to this armagnac… Colour: gold. Nose: hey hey, our beloved wood varnish at first, which is always a sign of quality in my book. Then some indulgent mirabelle jam, apricot pie, acacia honey and quince jelly. Stuff I just cannot resist. With water: peach, raisins, liquorice, toasted cake, blueberry muffins, some mentholated honey… Mouth (neat): this is mirabelle eau-de-vie, matured in good oak. Unless it would be some Balvenie. Or a blend of both. With water: fantastic. Chamomile, mint, lemongrass, peaches, raisins… Finish: medium, clean, fruity, easy. Peach pie spread with honey and caramel sauce. Comments: wonderfully fruity until the finish.
SGP:651 - 89 points.

Domaine de Charron 1996/2022 (48.6%, OB, Bas-armagnac, cask #4)

Colour: deep gold. Nose: wow. All on cakes, jams, yellow flowers, yellow fruits, chamomile (big time), elderflowers, acacia flowers, acacia honey, baklavas, orange blossom, earl grey, figs, chen-pi, manuka honey, … This nose is plainly and simply wonderful. Mouth: wonderful indeed. Honeyed herbal teas of all kinds, rooibos, orgeat, marmalade, quince jelly, liquorice, yellow chartreuse, apricot liqueur, bergamots… Finish: medium, mainly on bergamot and liquorice. Comments: it is a stunning armagnac, perfect on all accounts. As I may have said before, no AI needed, 25 years is a good age…
SGP:651 - 90 points.

Maison Aurian 1986/2022 'Le Frêche' (50.8%, Wu Dram Clan, Bas-armagnac, 258 bottles)

80% Baco and 20% ugni blanc this time. Le Frêche is a tiny estate that L'Encantada have already bottled a few years ago (it was a 1980). Colour: deep gold. Nose: all on caramelised and honeyed raisins, nougat, molasses, toffee, something savoury, miso perhaps, tiny whiffs of acetone, something malty… Another awesome nose. With water: more acetone, cigars… Mouth (neat): a tad heavy on oak, which is typical with many older armagnacs, but this menthol and this liquorice work extremely well. Varnish and old bourbon. With water: quince, apricots, varnish, a little tar, tea, mate… Finish: rather long; perfect, with a wonderful leafiness. Pu-her, liquorice and Jamaican rum in the aftertaste. Comments: just impeccable and pretty 'cross', or 'fusion'. Did they check their esters?
SGP:561 - 90 points.

Update, Le Frêche is actually a village in the Landes and not a proper Domaine/Estate. So there are several estates in Le Frêche. Thanks Sebastian.

Last one…

Château de Gaube 58 yo 1963/2022 'NAS' (46.3%, Decadent Drinks, Bas-armagnac)

Château de Gaube belongs to Domaine de Lassaubatju in Hontanx in the Landes, I believe Darroze bottle it quite often. As for that NAS mention, it's a Scottish thing, I think it means 'No Armagnac Stolen', unless I'm wrong. Colour: gold. Nose: old cognac, old Yquem, heather honey, quince jelly. Emphasis on 'Old Yquem', and I am not joking. Good, to tell you a little more, that would mean leather polish, beeswax, botrytis, dried porcini, dried apricots and, once more, bergamots. Mouth: stunning. Fantastically herbal and mossy, with some very old Bénédictine (the liqueur that easily beats Chartreuse from Tarragone in my book) plus various meads. A huge feeling of humus and, indeed, moss and lichen. Finish: medium, fresh, with some mint, verbena and genepy. Comments: I could as well say it's worth 93 or 94 points but some bored people might say I'm biased, so it's only gonna be 92 (but it's worth 93 or 94). Alert alert alert alert (remember I get a free trouser button every time they sell a case).
SGP:661 - 92 points.

Check the index of all armagnacs we've tasted so far


February 18, 2023

	Angus's Corner From our correspondent and skilled taster Angus MacRaild in Scotland
	Two Glenburgie
	Not much to say about Glenburgie, except that it's a make I tend to enjoy whenever I encounter it - which isn't too often in all fairness. Let's have a couple of older ones this week.

Glenburgie 45 yo 1975 (44.1%, Berry Brothers, cask #6011, 136 bottles)

Glenburgie 45 yo 1975/2020 (44.1%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, Exceptionnal Casks, cask #6011, 136 bottles)
Colour: deep gold. Nose: you do feel every one of those 45 years with this densely layered mix of cedar and sandalwoods, earthy potting shed notes, many tobaccos, lamp oil, barbour grease, vapour rub and eucalyptus oils. Feels extractive but, at least on the nose thus far, it actually works rather wonderfully with these intense concentrated aroma that delve deeply into medicines and leave impressions of old herbal liqueurs and many shades of wax. Mouth: ok, the wood feels a little too much now. Lots of pine wood, cedar and soft, peppery wood spice. Jasmine, ginger and a drying waxiness that goes towards dried honeycomb at times. Also some pot pourri and chai tea with extra wood spices beneath that. Lovely old whisky, but a tad long in the wood I think. Finish: medium, honeyed, very resinous, herbal and with a nicely warming peppery note. Comments: charming, lovely and easy to sip, just probably a bit too old. As has been said so often on these pages: gorgeous nose, slightly disappointing palate.
SGP: 561 - 87 points.

Glenburgie 23 yo 1974/1997 (61.6%, SMWS 71.21 'Not complex, just delicious')

Glenburgie 23 yo 1974/1997 (61.6%, Cotch Malt Whisky Society, #71.21 'Not complex, just delicious')
Colour: deep gold. Nose: pine resin, acacia and fir woods. Also things like face cream, wet paint and a rather trebly, top level waxiness sitting over everything. With time the honeyed components begin to dominate more and we're in more classical territory of pollens, nectars and glazed pastries. With water: cedar wood cigar boxes, cough medicines and lots of stuff like verbena, wormwood and fennel seed. Love it! Mouth: superb! Big, brilliantly waxy, coconutty, gloopy overripe yellow and green fruits, spiced orange marmalade, putty, herbal tonic wines and camphor! Big, chewy and almost chunky whisky. With water: sherbet lemons dunked in tiger balm! Lots of cough medicine type stuff such as throat lozenges and vapour sweeties, also dried herbs, mint tea and eucalyptus oil. Remains steadfastly big, textural and mouth-slathering. Finish: good length, a little more bitter, green peppery and sharp with some mineral notes coming through and things like shoe and furniture polishes. Comments: great old school distillate in a slightly more active cask that delivers a very big and characterful dram. An extremely fun style of whisky that is almost tailor made for pouring blind to all your whisky chums and making sure they're all armed with pipettes. I also think it's rather cool how it shared many similarities with the Berry Bros bottling, only the relative youth really sets this one apart in terms of quality.
SGP: 561 - 90 points.

Check the index of all Glenburgie we've tasted so far


February 17, 2023

Three wee Knockdhu

A.K.A. AnCnoc or An Cnoc. Not a lot to add.

AnCnoc 'Peated Edition Sherry Cask Finish' (40%, OB, +/-2022)

Why you would do a finish on such a whisky, I don't quite know. Not happy with the make? Something that went wrong with the peated malt? Too immature? Bah anyway, it's just an NAS at 40% vol., so stakes should be low anyway. Colour: gold. Nose: nice, in fact, with tobacco and autumn leaves, walnuts, some hay, touches of mustard, cassis leaves, cigarettes, and something akin to… Laphroaig Lore (with apologies both to AnCnoc and Laphroaig). Mouth: light and rather thin, sooty, peppery and pretty ashy. Green walnuts and a little salt, plus rather a lot of oversteeped black tea. Little depth and not much oomph., but as they say, it does go down effortlessly. Finish: short, ashy. More black tea and more walnuts. Almost no aftertaste. Comments: pleasant, I'm just not sure the whisky world really needed some NAS peated AnCnoc at 40% vol. that was finished in sherry. Not any boxes ticked.
SGP:354 - 75 points.

Knockdhu 16 yo 2006/2022 (54.2%, Hidden Spirits, cask #KNO622, 298 bottles)

Oh, I'm seeing this one too was 'heavily peated'. Having said that, I've noticed that Distilleries that usually don't do peat (but Knockdhu started more than 20 years ago, as far as I can remember) would usually call anything remotely smoky 'heavily peated'. Colour: straw. Nose: butter, proper mashed potatoes (50% potato, 50% butter), mustard, limestone, parsnip, garden bonfire (and light compost), leaves, stalk, stems… Indeed it's not that peaty this far, it's rather pretty grassy. With water: more on porridge, ink, soot, fruit stones… Mouth (neat): huge peppery and grassy smoke. Looks like they've burnt grapefruit skin. Fruit peel, a little green rubber, lemon zests… its rather toughish this far. With water: some lemon marmalade coming to the front, but it would remain extremely grassy. Touch of verbena and touch of dill. Green banana skin. Finish: rather long, grassy, still a little austere. The smoke is not huge. Comments: very good, yet rather a tough boy that would have reminded us of Glen Spey or Glendullan.
SGP:365 - 81 points.

Knockdhu 16 yo 2006/2022 (51.5%, Chapter 7, bourbon hogshead, cask #6, 334 bottles)

They have it in their 'Monologue' series, well we certainly hope it's going to be more talkative than its siblings. Colour: white wine. Nose: I'm not sure this one's heavily peated, we're rather having a whole jug of a blend of sauvignon blanc and rhubarb wine in front of us. Plus some chalk, limestone, flints, porridge indeed, lime juice and natural yogurt. As we sometimes say, 'it's rather a blade'. With water: even nicer. Wonderful raw malt, grist, chalk, sourdough… Mouth (neat): very good porridgey arrival, appropriately sour, peppery, limey and yoghurty. Then green tea, some honeysuckle, grapefruit juice, brioche dough, green banana flesh (not skin)… With water: all very good, if a little austere. Cider, green apples, grapefruits, greengages, gooseberries, green tea… Finish: rather long, tight, peppery, doughy, green, grassy… Some green tannicity in the aftertaste. Comments: well, it just totally crushed the peaters. Remember that since almost no one's still using proper kilns, peat has become just a flavouring agent that no one actually needs for malting purposes. In the case of lovely Knockdhu, I believe peat remains very unnecessary, just like jalapeno on potato crisps. Well done Chapter 7.
SGP:461 - 87 points.

(Gracias, Tom!)

Check the index of all Knockdhu we've tasted so far


February 16, 2023

Little Duos, today two Aultmore

We haven't got thousands of Aultmore reaching our shores, so de facto, our Aultmore sessions remain short and narrow, but it's a drop we enjoy. (Picture Andrew Wood)

Aultmore 12 yo 'Foggie Moss' (46%, OB, refill hogsheads, +/-2022)

We tried this wee 12 not too long ago, in 2019, but here's a newer batch. Our humblest opinion had been that it was worth WF 84. Colour: white wine. Nose: all on fresh malt, grist, sunflower oil, pumpkin seeds, wholegrain bread, beer and cider… Nutshell, it is really very 'natural'. Mouth: indeed, extremely close to the raw materials, so first barley and yeast, then beer. The tiniest touches of grapefruit and pear in the background. Squash. Very bready globally, in a very pleasant way. Finish: medium, clean, always very bready, with some tarte tatin and a maltier signature. Comments: indeed, I find it very good, very solid, it's approaching the 85-boundary in my humble little book.
SGP:451 - 84 points.

Aultmore 2012/2021 (58.3%, Or Sileis, 1st fill oloroso octave, cask #8000963B)

An octave, let's be extra-careful then… Colour: gold. Nose: it's not only about fresh sherry, it's first and foremost about wood spices, with even some pine smoke but I have no idea where that came from. It is a very intriguing nose and I'm not sure I'd have said 'Scotch'; there's even some rye character. Water should help us learn more about this strange baby… With water: smoked almonds, bicycle inner tube, pistachio nougat (or turon) and marzipan. More unscotchness, but I'm rather a fan. As long as they don't do approval committees… Mouth (neat): very thick mouthfeel, some natural rubber, some grapefruit peel, some menthol, pine resin indeed, some rye indeed, green peppercorn indeed… What's sure is that we're extremely far from your average young Speysider. Indeed. With water: camphor, sauna oils, green pepper, rubber, propolis, caraway, rye… Finish: long and spicy. Breads, flours, cinnamon… Comments: probably the work of some crazy wood technologist. Blind, I'd have said something by Mars (the whisky, not the chocolate bar), really. Or even a new American malt. Great, great fun here, despite some kind of, say uncertainty. Or mystery. Should be me, must be me.
SGP:562 - 87 points.

Check the index of all Aultmore we've tasted so far


February 15, 2023

	A new trip around the world
	As usual, we'll leave from France, where we keep doing strikes and demonstrations for tourists once or twice a year. As they say, a French person who doesn't whine all the time is called a Belgian (or a Swiss, or a Canadian). Me? I'm an Alsatian!

Armorik 'Double Maturation' (46%, OB, France, +/-2021)

Armorik, or rather the distillerie Warenghem, in Lannion, are the true pioneers of French whisky as they started distilling some in 1983. Since back then, everyone who's got a spare pressure cooker started a whisky distillery (not only in France!) What's good to know is that they're using Breton oak and proper French barley. Who's using only Scottish barley in Scotland, apart from a few new small operations? What's Scottish in Scotch whisky anyway? Answer on a postcard… Colour: light gold. Nose: right, it's classic… Scotch malt whisky, as far as style's concerned. Great news if you ask me. Tarte tatin, orange cake, nougat, fudge and toffee, mirabelle jam, croissants au beurre (after all, this is French whisky)… Mouth: excellent, if a notch spicy/oaky here and there. Honey, apple pie, cinnamon, plum pie, nougat… And just a touch of cedar wood. Finish: medium, honeyed, with a little marmalade and more mirabelle jam. Comments: totally an allrounder, with echoes of middle-aged Macallan 'Fine Oak', only b… Very smart, and imagine, no French wine casks were harmed in the making of this whisky!
SGP:551 - 85 points.

To India!...

Kamet (46%, OB, India, +/-2022)

There's more quality distillers in India, that's good news even if I shall always remain partial to Amrut. I vividly remember the first time I stumbled upon their first whisky, around twenty years ago, an event that I suppose you could summarise like this: WTF -> WOW. Colour: gold. Nose: a funny start, with some sulphur, menthol and ultra-ripe mangos. Loads of jams, overripe tropical fruits, moist cakes, baklavas, Turkish delights, and less and less sulphur. Was it even 'sulphur'? Mouth: some awesome tropical fruit salad, matching jams and liqueurs, some very fruity herbal teas (rosehip?) and some custard. Having said that, the woods are about to get a tad dominant, which will feel in the finish I would suppose… Finish: yes and no. Still some good fruit syrups (papaya) with some mead, but indeed some fizzy, dusty and bitterish spiciness is taking over towards the aftertaste. Comments: very good for sure, but you do feel some spicy and bitterish European oak in the end. Erase it and presto, a winner! (if I humbly may…) A matter of balance, as the Shankars would have said.
SGP:751 - 82 points.

Back to Europe…

Millstone 5 yo 2017/2022 (54.7%, Whisky Druid for Kirsch Import, 1st fill oloroso sherry, cask #170446, 284 bottles)

Millstone 5 yo 2017/2022 (54.7%, Whisky Druid for Kirsch Import, Netherlands, 1st fill oloroso sherry, cask #170446, 284 bottles)

Do you still call it 'import' when it is within Schengen? Yeah, another stupid question, typical. What's sure is that I remember we've had some mirific Millstones in the past. Colour: amber. Nose: right, heavy peat and heavy sherry. They should have issued a warning. Coal pit, old tools, rye bread, spent engine oil (say from an old shovelhead), then Maggi and Bovril, sauna oils, borage and lovage, bull-dog sauce, wasabi, pipe tobacco and umami sauce. What a joyful mess. With water: good one, old copper, more old engines, stewed leek… Mouth (neat): much better focused, yet hugely extractive, with immense spices, caramel and well, spices indeed. Sour-sweet background, some crazy chilli sauce… With water: I think we might have tamed it. Say leek stewed in honey sauce, with some Port Ellen and coal oil sprinkled over it. Finish: extremely long, a little sweeter and pretty medicinal. 'Embrocationary', would you use that word? Comments: a crazy, potent whisky that keeps slapping you… the following morning. But aren't all proper whisky enthusiasts a little masochistic?
SGP:565 - 85 points.

To Israel…

Milk & Honey 3 yo 2019/2022 (67.5%, Buds & Barrels, Israel, rye cask, 124 bottles)

Who is it on the label? Socrates? Billy Abbott? Colour: gold. Nose: mangos, pink grapefruits, speculoos, lemon curd and custard. It's a gentle, simpler (an asset!) M&H. Yes, I've noticed the bottling strength, thank you. With water: more pink grapefruits, some oranges, some muscovado, and some carrots. I find it a little bizarre that no one ever notices that some whiskies are rather about carrots on the nose. Mouth (neat): spicy oranges, ginger syrup and liqueur, and an extremely creamy mouth feel. There. With water: wine gums everywhere, jasmine tea, triple-sec, a touch of violet (violet sweets) and that's pretty it. No huge rye-ness, but I suppose that was not the point. Finish: long, creamy, fruity and very bonbony. Rivella in the aftertaste – that's a Swiss soda, do you know it? Comments: young, but rather brilliant. I would believe the rye was anecdotal.
SGP:661 - 86 points (at 3 years of age).

English Whisky Co. 12 yo 2009/2022 (57.1%, Watt Whisky, England, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 228 bottles)

From St. Georges Distillery, and possibly made by dear Iain Henderson. Not too sure but nevertheless, I find it cool that the best wee Scottish indie bottlers would do some whiskies 'from the rest of the world'. Especially some English ones! Colour: gold. Nose: citron and tangerine liqueurs, balms and ointments, some sour wood and creams (all nice), pinewood, sauvignon blanc… With water: lol, metal polish, brake fluid, old copper coins… Mouth (neat): very good! A tad wood-forward (sweet, creamy, liqueury spices), with also Italian herbal liqueurs and vermouths (they make so many, some are stupendous). Echoes of Jägermeister here and there (with apologies to the Watts). With water: some earths and roots springing out, that's always good news. Oh and I'll say it, some parts remind me of Longrow. There, I said it. Finish: rather long, more vegetal and farmy. Some leather - perhaps not the best part - and a little old wood in the aftertaste. Some curious hints of OBE, in a new bottling. Comments: this baby loses you a wee bit at times, now remember the simplest ideas are usually totally wrong. That was your five minutes of Greek philosophy.
SGP:562 - 86 points.

After all, we could as well stay in England…

Cotswolds 6 yo 2016/2022 (59.9%, OB, Kirsch Import, England, oloroso, cask #722, 297 bottles)

Another newish operation that's doing it neatly and without cutting too many corners. Colour: full gold. Nose: butterscotch running the show at first, together with chicory coffee, Frappuccino (apologies) and pipe tobacco. Add Demerara sugar, add Nescafé, and add prunes and raisins, old-armagnac-style. With water: sameish, it's just that it wouldn't further burn your nostrils. Mouth (neat): a very impressive malty, caramelly and orangery thickness. It's huge and it's thick, but as usual, the oranges keep it afloat and even kind of refreshing. Viva las naranjas! With water: lovely, with maraschino, orange cordial, Cointreau… Finish: long, on orange and coffee. Back to the beginning. Comments: in the comfort zone, with few idiosyncrasies. Nothing wrong about that.
SGP:651 - 85 points.

A last one, not even knowing what it actually is…

Saillt More 8 yo 2014/2022 (57.1%, WhiskySchwamm, Germany, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 230 bottles)

Number 73A. That's right, the pestering Sponge once more, this time doing some German whisky. All is lost, our old Scottish-centric vision of whiskydom is being beaten by the fine fleur of Scotland themselves. Colour: light gold. Nose: a funny smoke, some resinous oils, some juniper berries and some capers? Some sour woods, perhaps mizunara, perhaps the woods they use in cachaça making, surely eucalyptus… With water: it's nice, but I'd say it's only the umpteenth variation on peat they're making from Ulan Bator to Las Canarias. I'm not hundred percent sure the world needs it, after all peat is only used as a flavouring agent these days. Mouth (neat): frankly, not too sure. Too many wood spices for me, too many resins, too many rubbers… With water: it's not bad at all this time. A grassy and rubbery smoke, plus some saltiness. Finish: long, on 'grassy smoke'. Comments: pretty good, but in my wee book, it's still an inelegant peater. I believe there is another cask, but we'll probably have it… later. A little un-Sponge, this one, perhaps…
SGP:466 - 82 points.

February 2023 - part 1 <--- February 2023 - part 2 ---> March 2023 - part 1

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Best spirits Serge tried those weeks, 90+ points only

Ardmore 23 yo 1997/2021 (55.1%, The Single Malts of Scotland, hogshead, cask #901281, 238 bottles)

Bellevue 23 yo 1998/2022 (54.3%, Wealth Solutions, The Colours of Rum, Guadeloupe)

Bellevue 24 yo 1998/2022 (51.5%, The Roots, Guadeloupe, refill barrel, cask #25, 115 bottles)

Hampden 8 yo (54.2%, Secret Cask, Jamaica, American oak, 2022)

Domaine de Charron 1996/2022 (48.6%, OB, Bas-armagnac, cask #4)

Maison Aurian 1986/2022 'Le Frêche' (50.8%, Wu Dram Clan, Bas-armagnac, 258 bottles)

Château de Gaube 58 yo 1963/2022 'NAS' (46.3%, Decadent Drinks, Bas-armagnac)