Review: The Epicurean by Douglas Laing

Posted on 11th Aug 2016 by Steve Prentice

Info: So I’ve been a bit lax and naughty for not reviewing this sooner, sorry Douglas Laing! Anyway, the press release information for this was posted on my site a while back, and available here. It’s the last of the company’s Remarkable Regional Malts collection, and in this release features just lowland malts in the blend. It’s 46.2%abv, unchillfiltered and uncoloured. Perfect.

Colour: Light straw, very natural. Great oily legs produced.

Nose: Much more buttery than I expected, creamy buttery malt. Fairly powerful if you inhale too deeply. Slight metallic notes. Medium sweetness with some fruity tones (peach?).

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Review: Gosling’s Rums

Posted on 9th Aug 2016 by Steve Prentice

I don’t know that much about rums to be honest with you, but I do know that sometimes they make a nice alternative drop of drammage to whiskies.

I know I like Appleton Estate rums, via previous twitter tastings… but recently I was lucky enough to be invited along to a twitter tasting of Gosling’s offerings, and very happy I was to be able to check them out. The rums come with various stories and names which I’ll skip over right now, and get straight on to the good stuff…
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Review: Cù Bòcan 1988 Limited Edition

Posted on 5th Jul 2016 by Steve Prentice

Info: A combination of refill Hogshead and refill Sherry butt matured whisky which was distilled on 2nd December 1988, the casks being ex-Islay. 51.5%abv, non chill-filtered, 2200 bottles.
Colour: Light yellowy gold, nice natural colour.
Nose: For something that’s nearly 28 years old, the nose still has a good barley note to it, along with lemony citrus smells, and good hints of smoke. It’s gently sweet and alluring.
Palate: It’s oily on your tongue with a good crack of spice and heat from oaks and the higher abv (although not overpowering). There’s definitely a slight coastal earthy mustiness from the old Islay casks that have been used in the maturation here. Still gently sweet with gentle tropical tones mingled pears.
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Review: Glen Moray Sherry Cask Finish

Posted on 4th Jul 2016 by Steve Prentice

Info: Glen Moray matured in American oak casks and then finished for at least 8 months in Spanish oak Oloroso sherry casks, a mixture of 500 and 600 litre butts. 40% abv, chill filtered.
Colour: Straw to light gold.
Nose: Rich, sweet fruity barely meets Christmas cake. There’s cinnamon spice notes and caramel toffeeness.
Palate: Glen Moray is usually fairly gentle, but the sherry influence here has really given it some big spices, along with the barley sweetness and oaks.
Finish: The sherry finish here really gives this a fairly long finish, warming, fruity and with tingley spices.
Thoughts: Glen Moray’s PR describes this as “approachable and well-priced”… I couldn’t say it better myself! Great every day whisky for a price that isn’t going to hurt your pockets too much, perfect. The sherry finish here really works well and adds much more spice than I was expecting. Bargain.
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Review: anCnoc Blas

Posted on 30th Jun 2016 by Steve Prentice

Info: anCnoc Blas is the newest special edition to be released from anCnoc and was created in collaboration with fashion designer Patrick Grant, judge on The Great British Sewing Bee. It’s a NAS whisky at the high strength of 54% abv, from a combination of bourbon and sherry casks.
Colour: Bright and shiney golden, nice and natural looking.
Nose: A nose packed with barley and nuts, it’s got a good strong and heady smell to it which really draws you in.
Palate: The palate is smooth and oily at first, soon building to a hotter and more spicy affair, much related to the high ABV. It’s gently sweet, well balanced with good zingy citrus bursts and plenty of barley and barley sugars. A touch of wax.
Finish: The finish is warming and gently spreads, it’s sweet enough with just a hint of tannins backing it up.
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Review: SMWS Feis 2016 release – 127.44

Posted on 19th May 2016 by Steve Prentice

SMWS release their Feis 2016 offering – 127.44

Info: This is a 12yo Port Charlotte from Bruichladdich, at an awesomely high 65.9% abv. Labelled as Cantina Mexicana.
Colour: Rich dark amber, plenty of rusty colour.
Nose: Buttery and rich, slightly lactic. Mushed down autumn fruits with a buttery malty crumble topping and a dollop of cream that’s kind of nearly on the turn. Ozone and slightly salted peat. With time more blackberry tones come forward.
Palate: On the palate this is hugely slick and velvety at the high abv, you’d think it’d instantly kill your tongue but it doesn’t. It’s fairly sweet, with hints of bbq embers
Finish: Long, strong, tasty and moorish. Good stuff.
Water: It’s really high with alcohol, so a drop of water can’t really hurt. With a drop a little more biscuit malt note comes forward with an increase of coal notes. I prefer it that way! With a few more drops of water there’s a definite tropical note that comes out and the slight lactic note becomes totally integrated and works well for the dram. It stays buttery.
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Review: Ardbeg Dark Cove vs Dark(er) Cove

Posted on 18th May 2016 by Steve Prentice

I’m off up to Glasgow tomorrow before heading over to Islay for the Feis on Friday… Therefore now seems the perfect time to review the 2016 Ardbeg Feis Ile release, Dark Cove. Something to do with olden times, pirates, coves, smuggling. Blah blah. Whisky.

There’s two versions, the stronger (55% abv) Committee Edition, and the regular (46.5% abv) version which will be released during the Feis. They did the same last year with the 2015 release, and in that case I preferred the lower strength version, so how will the 2016 versions compare? Let’s see…
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Review: Lagavulin 8yo

Posted on 17th Apr 2016 by Steve Prentice

Lagavulin 8 Year Old – 48% abv

Info: It’s Lagavulin’s 200th anniversary year this year, so they’re celebrating in various ways, one of which is by releasing this 8yo special release. It’s a limited edition and won’t be around forever, but there’s plenty of it we’re told.

Colour: Light straw, very natural; if colouring has been used then it’s quite a light touch.

Nose: The nose is somewhat lighter than expected, it’s quite sweet, with those good oily tarrey basey peat notes that I love in Lagavulin. Behind the peat there’s some slightly overripe tropical fruits. Fresh and sea breezy.
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Review: Benromach 35 Years Old

Posted on 15th Apr 2016 by Steve Prentice

Benromach 35 Years Old – 43% abv

Info: Distilled before Benromach was mothballed in 1983 (and then subsequently purchased and brought back into production by Gordon & MacPhail in 1998). Matured in first fill sherry casks.
Colour: Golden amber, autumnal.
Nose: Deep and fruity, jam packed with… jam. Refined old oak notes, sweet brown sugar which is balanced with fresh citrus notes – think kiwi, gentle honey, peach and orange peel going to marmalade.
Palate: Instant gratifying sweet malty goodness which becomes a bit cinnamon spicy after a while. The fruits are all there packed and ready, grapefruits, orange, kiwi, all adding a nice sweetness to things. It’s not overly oily on your palate, has it been a little filtered? Slight char puffs.
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Review: Balblair 05 & 99 Vintages

Posted on 10th Apr 2016 by Steve Prentice

Balblair 05 & 99 vintages

Back in Feb 2016 I visited Balblair distillery, and two of the drams – 05 and 99 vintages – were some of the ones we tasted as part of the tour. Because I was driving, Julie the distillery visitor centre manager, kindly popped the samples into 3cl bottles for me to take home. What a great idea and very responsible, especially in the light of lower drink drive limits in Scotland… well done to Balblair for offering this service!

Let’s take a look at the two vintages now…