Category Archives: Review

Bruichladdich (Bowmore House B&B Private Cask) 13yo

Posted on by
Reply
Bruichladdich 13yo Bowmore House Bottle

It’s been a while since i’ve last posted a review, doesn’t time fly?! That’s family life for you with a young one. What better way to pop my head up than to taste one of my good friend’s private casks of Bruichladdich… Distilled on 9th July 2012, popped into an ex-bourbon cask, kept onsite in Bruichladdich’s warehouse number 4, and bottled by hand in the dining room of Bowmore House B&B – you can’t get a more micro provenance bottling if you tried! This would be somewhat equatable to a half fill at Bruichladdich, but this private cask bottling is only available if you’re staying at Bowmore House B&B.

Right, on to the notes…

Continue reading →

Review: The Balvenie The Tale Of The Dog

Posted on by
Reply

The Balvenie The Tale Of The Dog 42yo

Bottle shot of The Balvenie The Tale Of The Dog 42 Year OldInfo: It comes as chance and luck that a friend has given me a sample of The Tale Of The Dog, The Balvenie’s 2021, 42yo release from stock comprising of two casks, from 1978 and 1974. 47%. RRP £9,000. Ouch. It comes in a posh box though!
Colour: Rich, fully golden ripe corn in the evening sun light.
Nose: Gently fruity with plenty of old leathery notes along with nuts and polished oak, and more vibrant vanilla tones.
Palate: The 47% here works a treat, it’s oily but not overpowering; it’s gentle, fruity, and although obviously “old” it’s sprightly with vanilla tones, honey, dates and oak. Continue reading →

Review: The Singleton of Glen Ord Celebratory Bottling

Posted on by
Reply

The Singleton 70cl Bottle Glen Ord Whisky GroupThe Singleton of Glen Ord – Celebratory Bottling

“The Singleton” is a Diageo brand umbrella that covers various distilleries, and Singleton of Glen Ord sadly isn’t one that’s so well known in the UK (although it is elsewhere in the world). That may start to change as Diageo have launched a renewed Singleton visitor “experience”, based at the Glen Ord distillery north of Inverness.

To celebrate the new visitor centre launch they’ve released a special distillery only bottling, although to be fair it’s not easy to find Singleton of Glen Ord anywhere else other than at the distillery, at least in the UK. Continue reading →

Review: Ardbeg Wee Bestie

Posted on by
1

Ardbeg Wee Bestie – 47.4% abv

Info: Ardbeg’s latest permanent expression. Five year old matured in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.
Colour: Ripe straw golden.
Nose: Barley, toffee and mossy wet peat. Hints of beach fire embers.
Palate: Oily mossy damp sweet peat, grassy barley, hints of creamy toffee. The sweetness shows the distillery character well; the younger age meaning there’s still plenty of sweet new make distillery spirit left undominated by wood.
Finish: Hints of tannin right at the end, along with those lasting barley and peat notes. Long finish, but didn’t overly warm my chest.
Time: With some time hints of coffee grouts and bacon show their head.
Continue reading →

Review: Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2012

Posted on by
Reply

Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2012Bruichladdich Islay Barley 2012 / 8yo

Info: Produced using barley grown on Islay in 2011 by eight farmers from western and central farms on the island, which was dried, malted and distilled in 2012. Unpeated, matured in a combination of first-fill American oak barrels and French wine casks. 8 years old, 50% abv. Around £55 (via Bruichladdich’s website).
Colour: Light summery barley tones in the sun.
Nose: Slightly spirit lead, but sweet and moreish. Earthy (but not peaty) barley notes with hints of creamy vanilla and nuts.
Palate: Creamy and easy (considering the highish abv), sweet and full of Bruichladdich signature. Barley sweetness and nuts.
Finish: Warming and long, full of sweetness, with a a small hint of tannin at the end, just how I like it!
Continue reading →

Review: Bruichladdich The Ternary Project

Posted on by
Reply

The Ternary Project

Info: A mix of roughly 3rds (30%, 40%, 30%) of Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore. It’s a NAS, but dates (and I’m giving vaguely informed guesses here) are roughly 28+yo, ~20yo and ~13yo respectively. 4000 bottles, ballot only (closed). £275. 52.1% ABV.
Ex-sherry, ex-bourbon and ex-wine casks.
Colour: Lovely deep autumn gold.
Nose: Initially I’d describe it as a sweet and sour nose; lovely and sweet with rich fruits, but balanced with salt and peaty hints. With time fabolous old hessian and dunnage warehouse notes come out.
Palate: Oily and warming, lightly spiced to make your tongue dance a wee bit. Sweet fruity barley oils mixed perfectly with costal mossy peat. Hints of eucalyptus and tannins.
Finish: Long and warming, sweet yet tanniny and the ever present feeling you’re on a beach with a fire crackling away in the breeze.
Continue reading →

Quick Review: Ardbeg Kelpie Committee Release

Posted on by
Reply

Ardbeg Kelpie Committee ReleaseArdbeg Kelpie Committee Release 2017

Info: Ardbeg’s Feis Ile 2017 Committee Release, matured in casks made from virgin Black Sea oak and more traditional bourbon casks. 51.7% abv.
Colour: Fairly ripe straw.
Nose: Fairly strong, salty and coastal with oaky peat smoke.
Palate: Thick and oily, spiced charred peat and maple & bacon.
Finish: Spiced and very long, oak, smoke and tar coal hints.
Thoughts: Fun and slightly different, however I’d like a little more sweetness from this, maybe a hint of sherry maturation.
Available: Sold out, likely only available at auction sites.

My own sample as part of a bottle share.

Quick Review: Auld Acquaintance Blended Whisky

Posted on by
Reply

Auld Acquaintance Blended Whisky

Info: From Gleann Mór Spirits, 46.1% ABV.
Colour: Lightly ripening barley.
Nose: Barley, hints of smoke, sweeties, red apples, toffee and tobacco.
Palate: Lead by oils and cream, followed by light spices with smoky hints.
Finish: Spiced and lengthy, sweet and easy.
Thoughts: A fairly robust blend where the high percentage (at least 50% we’re told) of malts shines through to give it great flavour.
Available: Various places online including Amazon for around £35, very reasonable.

Continue reading →

Quick Review: Angels’ Nectar Cairngorms & Islay Editions

Posted on by
2

Angels’ Nectar Cairngorms & Islay Editions

Cairngorms Edition

Info: Bottled in partnership with the Cairngorms Trust, to support environmental and community projects in the Cairngorms National Park. 46% ABV, 11 years old, 263 bottles, single cask.
Colour: Bright gently golden ripe barley.
Nose: Ripe banana and red apples, wet barley, autumn woodland moss and cracked nuts. A hint of hessian.
Palate: Upfront spiciness which soon mellows into autumn fruits and barley. A fairly good oily mouthfeel.
Finish: A subtle, gently warming and smooth finish, fairly long because of the oils. Sweet with a hint of tannin at the end.
Thoughts: An easy drinking quality dram for after dinner; would work well if I had a log fire, unfortunately my house is too modern.
Available: Whisky Castle – £67.99

Continue reading →

Quick Review: The Scalasaig Island Hopper

Posted on by
Reply

The Scalasaig Island Hopper

Info: A blended malt featuring a variety of peated whiskies from the likes of Orkney and Islay, married together in first-fill Spanish sherry casks. 43% ABV.
Colour: Dark golden, very autumnal.
Nose: Pungent, mossy, hessian. Also some lightness there with citrus notes coming though the gentle smoke.
Palate: Sweet, fairly spicy, rich and intense. The mossy peat comes though as if near a bonfire on a beach.
Finish: It seems to get sweeter as it goes on, which it does for quite a long while, very moreish. Some cask tannins and grass / barley at the end.
Thoughts: It’s a whisky that I keep coming back to; packed with flavour that’ll keep you wanting more. For me there’s a vague hint of Black Bottle here, but even better.
Available: Master of Malt – £49.95

Continue reading →