Category Archives: Whisky

Review: Teeling Port Cask

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Teeling Port CaskTeeling 2002/2015 Single Cask – 54.2% abv

Info: Teeling Port Cask is a Single Cask, #902.
Colour: Light and bright with salmon pink hues.
Nose: Bubble Gum fruits, gooseberries, stewed fruits and apples.
Palate: Barley followed by sweetness from the stewed fruits. Warmth from the higher abv, and a nice amount of oils over your mouth.
Finish: Fresh, tropical, medium sweetness and fruits. Long lasting!
Thoughts: Yummy stuff. I’ve not had too much Teeling, but what I have had has always been great. Nice puff of cask char at the end!
Available: Probably long gone, around €60 originally.

Thanks to whoever gave me the sample (really sorry I’ve forgotten who?!).

Review: Bruichladdich’s 10 Year Old Second Releases

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Bruichladdich Logo

A NEW ‘TROIKA’ OF TENS

In 2011, Bruichladdich released their first new 10 year olds made from the spirit distilled since they re-opened for business in 2001.

Now Bruichladdich have released their second batch of 10 year olds, described by their Head Distiller Adam Hannett as “Very different – all three represent a snapshot in time. There is a respectful nod to those that have gone before… Although they are all fundamentally built on first-fill bourbon, I have used different suites of casks to construct each dram. There is Grenache Blanc in the Octomore, Tempranillo in the Port Charlotte and this new Laddie Ten vatting has some spirit matured in beautiful old sherry wood.”

So, without further ado, let’s see what my thoughts on them are…

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Review: Old Pulteney 17yo & anCnoc 22yo

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Old Pulteney 17yo & anCnoc 22yo

So I’ve reviewed many of the Old Pulteney, anCnoc and Balblair range, but I’ve missed these two gems out of the list, so without further ado let’s remedy that!

old pulteney 17yoOld Pulteney 17yo – 46% abv

Info: “Aged in both American and Spanish oak casks, the mid-range Old Pulteney 17 Year Old strikes the perfect balance between maturity and distillery’s signature coastal style, winning hearts of whisky enthusiasts the world over.”
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Review: Glenfiddich Project XX

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glenfiddich project xx bottleGlenfiddich Project XX – 47% abv

Info: Don’t let the Glenfiddich Project XX tempt you into thinking this is a 20yo… read on just a wee bit further and you’ll quickly realise this is a blend of Glenfiddich whiskies selected by 20 ambassadors and put together to form this NAS release. “It’s a mix of sherry casks, bourbon casks and more, with a rich and spicy character”. Interesting stuff, those ambassadors should know what they’re on about! It’s bottled at 47% abv, with no chill filtration, good stuff.
Colour: A nice full gold, slight autumnal hints to it.
Nose: Rather a nice nose here, full of flavour. Plenty of malt, and some wine type notes which meander between fruits tones, over to more flinty stone type notes, to fizzy hints and more regular vanilla and cream notes.
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Review: Three Year Old Deluxe by Compass Box

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Three Year Old Deluxe by Compass BoxThree Year Old Deluxe by Compass Box – 49.2% abv

Info: Is the Three Year Old Deluxe by Compass Box slightly tongue in cheek? Oh yes I think so! Good for them. 0.4% total liquid volume in this blend is 3 years old, the entire rest of the bottle is lots older, but because of EU regulations they can’t say how old. Unless you ask them directly, which you should (drop them an email and they’ll tell you the recipe!).
Colour: Bright, clear and golden.
Nose: Quite a lot of this whisky is from Clynelish distillery, and you can tell, it’s quite a familiar nose (if you know your Clynelish), it’s definitely got that north highland coastal, heathery tang to it. Behind it is malt, oak, and small, gentle peaty hints with spices.
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Review: Spice Tree Extravaganza

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compass box spice tree extravaganzaSpice Tree Extravaganza – 45% abv

Info: Spice Tree Extravaganza, sees former banned bottling The Spice Tree reinterpreted with the use of “older components” and a “significant portion” of Sherry-cask matured aged malt whisky. 12,240 bottles, no colouring, no chill filtration.
Colour: Fully golden with autumnal hints.
Nose: The nose is, as you’d expect, spicy! Wood spices galore. With some air you start to get lots of other wonderful aromas, malt and citrus and summer fruits with cream.
Palate: The palate is upfront with spice and oils, it covers your tongue with a tingly spirit that stops getting too spicy that it overpowers you and remains really enjoyable. Wood oaks and sweet fruity malt is there along with a creaminess and hints of char smoke.
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Review: Three new Wemyss Batch Strength Editions

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wemyss malts logoThree new Wemyss Batch Strength Editions

Wemyss’ core range of blended whiskies covering various regional styles include ‘The Hive’, ‘Spice King’ and ‘Peat Chimney’. They’ve been around for a while, but Wemyss have now released some limited special edition Batch Strength versions

Let’s take a look at them…

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Review: The Macallan Edition No. 2

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The Macallan Edition No. 2The Macallan Edition No. 2 – 48.2% abv

Info: The Macallan Edition No. 2 is a collaboration between master blender Bob Delgarno and Spanish chefs Joan, Josep and Jordi Roca. It’s comprised of a combination of sherry puncheons, butts and refill hogsheads.
Colour: Rich rusty autumnal gold.
Nose: Rich, fruity, plump, damp mustiness, earthy raisins. Chocolate and pepper.
Palate: Fairly thick and chewy, there are spices, but they build nicely rather than slapping you in the face. There’s darker sherry fruit notes there, but it remains quite a bright dram.
Finish: Oak lead finish that warms your stomach nicely, leaving a balanced mix of fruits and spices on your palate. There’s a certain grippyness to the finish.
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Review: The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask

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macallan 12 yo double caskThe Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask – 40% abv

Info: Aged in a combination of American oak and European oak ex-sherry casks.
Colour: Lightly golden.
Nose: Nutty, mashed autumn fruits with an oaky backdrop. Slightly dusty, musty.
Palate: Medium thick, and more spicy than expected, it may need a tiny drop of water, or at least holding on your tongue for a bit to dilute. Oily sherry fruit notes.
Finish: The spices help to give this a fairly long and warming finish on your chest.
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Review: Highland Park Fire Edition

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highland park fire bottleHighland Park Fire Edition – 15 Year Old – 45.2% abv

Info: Highland Park Fire Edition is the second of a two part series, which started with Ice Edition. It was matured in 100% refill Port seasoned casks (I’m not totally sure what that means, how long were they seasoned for?). 28,000 bottles, natural colour.

Colour: Gold, with just the smallest hint of pink.

Nose: Musty, dusty, heathery floral malt with hints of sweet smoke, cinnamon and dark chocolate. With enough time hints of barley start to come out. There’s notes of black and red wine gums.
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