Author Archives: Steve Prentice

Review & Comparison: Talisker Storm vs Talisker 10yo

Posted on by

talisker-storm-whiskyTalisker Storm – NAS – 45.8%
(NAS = No Age Statement)

Light golden in colour, a touch of E150a so I’m told.

The smell is sweet and sour, peat and smoke, with dry grassy/mossy undertones and lashings of vanilla.

The mouthfeel is medium to light oils, and surprisingly smooth especially considering there’s probably some younger whisky here, and a reasonable abv, which is great to see. This does seem a little more Islay in style, but not quite so costal or iodiney maybe.

The finish is really fairly long with sweet woody notes coming through.
Continue reading →

News: Kilchoman Announce New Loch Gorm Release

Posted on by

Loch_Gorm_2013_B_Lo Kilchoman announce that the launch of an entirely new range called Loch Gorm is due on the 8th of April! Named after a famously peaty loch at the end of the Kilchoman drive, Loch Gorm will be the only fully ex-sherry cask matured release from Kilchoman. Loch Gorm will be periodically re-released as a more mature version with each bottling differentiated by distillation and bottling years printed on the label.
Continue reading →

Review: Highland Park Loki

Posted on by

HPLokiHighland Park Loki – OB – 15yo – 48.7%
(Sherry casks and heavily peated casks)

This is the second release in the Valhalla Collection series from Highland Park (previous was Thor last year).

Golden yellow in colour. Great nose, buttery and creamy, with tonnes of stewed summer and winter berry fruit notes along with costal aromas and a definite peaty smoke whiff.

The mouthfeel is light to medium oily, but full and mouth coating. Spices kick in straight away, a really big spicy dram is this big boy, it’s soon tempered a little however by sweet fruity malty notes with a good background of peat and lashings of smoke. Holding it on your tongue for a while allows you to get used to the spices and then wood notes happily come through.
Continue reading →

Blog: Five Independently Bottled Bunnahabhains Reviewed

Posted on by

Bunnahabhain

IMG_5436I’ve recently posted a mini series of five reviews of independently bottled Bunnahabhains, all of which have their own charm. Please see individual reviews for tasting notes.

The bottlings featured were:

21yo Oloroso Cask – The Maltman
23yo/1989 – The Rare Casks/Abbey Whisky
23yo/1989 – Master Of Malt
Bn1 – Elements of Islay
10yo – Adelphi

Continue reading →

Review: Bunnahabhain 10yo – Adelphi

Posted on by

bunnahabhain-10-year-old-2000-adelphi-whiskyBunnahabhain – 10yo/2000 – Adelphi – 59.8%

Dark gold to copper in colour leading you to prepare yourself for a nicely sherried dram, presumably from a first fill cask.

The nose has a strong spirity quality, this is over 10 years younger in age than others reviewed in this series. It’s beautifully fruity and strongly sherried with slight gingery notes and hits of smoke and a drop of citrus.

The mouth feel is medium thick with warming oils washing around your mouth. It’s the highest ABV in this series of reviews, but it’s still very smooth on way down, nice and fruity with a wee bit of a peat tickle right at the end of the finish. Continue reading →

Review: Bunnahabhain / Bn1 – Elements of Islay

Posted on by

bn1-elements-of-islay-speciality-drinks-bunnahabhain-whisky
Elements of Islay – Bn1 – 55.7%

Colour: Golden.

The nose is salted buttery vanilla nuts (if such a thing existed) and peat, lashings of peat, smoke, iodine and more peat, good sweet Islay peat (similar to southern Islay style drams).

A good oily mouthfeel that covers your palate with spicy and peaty sweet malt. Slightly hot from the fairly high abv and possibly some younger whiskies, it’s hard to tell as this has no age statement. The tcp notes are nicely evident. Continue reading →

Review: Bunnahabhain 21yo Oloroso Cask – The Maltman

Posted on by

07 Maltman Range-1-1Bunnahabhain 21yo Oloroso Cask – The Maltman / Meadowside Blending Co – 49.5%

Golden in colour.

An unpeated glorious nose on this Islay drop of beauty. Salt hits your nose at first followed by gentle fruits and malt. By the colour and nose it would seem like a second fill sherry cask which has added a little depth over the normal bourbon matured Bunnas.
Continue reading →

Review: Bunnahabhain 23yo/1989 – Master Of Malt

Posted on by

Bunnahabhain 23 Year Old – MoM – 46%.

bunnahabhain-23-year-old-single-cask-master-of-malt-whiskyLight straw in colour.

A light vanilla nose with malt and wisps of smoke leading to light summer citrus fruits – this is unpeated (as are most Bunnas).

The abv works well here, a wee bit of a spicy sweet kick. A fairly full oily mouthfeel allowing the sweet summer fruits to come through. The finish is warming, sweet and long with faint smoke wisps returning on the finish.

A great middle aged island dram presented without the usual Islay peat that you’ll most certainly enjoy.

Sample provided by Master Of Malt – £74.95

Review: Bunnahabhain 23yo/1989 – The Rare Casks/Abbey Whisky

Posted on by

the-rare-casks-release-bunnahabhain-1989-abbeywhisky-380

Bunnahabhain 23yo – The Rare Casks / Abbey Whisky.
44% Medium peated.

Light straw in colour.

Similarly light and delicate on the nose, a little citrusy with some lovely smoke notes because of the peat which sits there patiently waiting… It’s a delicate peat, not full on Islay iodine, but a gentle nose inviting you in. There’s some vanillary butter notes holding up the background. Continue reading →

Article: Malt Whisky and Place – Part Four

Posted on by

This article is part four of the Malt Whisky and Place series. Please refer to parts one, two and three if you haven’t yet read them yet.

Georgie Crawford

lagavulin-16yoThe last speaker for the evening was Georgie Crawford, manager at Lagavulin Distillery. The dram here was a Lagavulin 16 for us all.

From past experience in places such as the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) Georgie starts to talk about whiskies and their regionality; customers like to know what region their whisky comes from so that they could know what style to expect, be they Lowland, Highland, Speyside, Islay, etc. Continue reading →