Category: Tasting Notes | Page 12 | MaltKlaus' Daily Drams

June 30, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Teeling The Revival Vol. II 13 yo Calvados finish

Dram data:
Distillery: most likely Cooley (undisclosed)
Bottler: Teeling
Distilled: 2002
Bottled: 2016
Age: 13 years
Limitation: 10.000 bottles
Casks: 12 years ex-bourbon, 1 year Calvados casks
Alcohol: 46%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured

Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: golden white wine
Calvados-matured/finished whisk(e)y is a very uncommon thing. Apart from a Springbank, which I really liked, and sadly didn’t review, I don’t think I’ve ever had another. Until today, that is, tasting this Irish whiskey by the Teeling company, finished for a year in Calvados casks after an initial 12-year bourbon maturation. What do I expect? A few apple-ish notes and perhaps spices from the French casks (if they used French oak, that is…) Let’s stick the nose in! Light, with a whiff of alcohol (though that might be the glass with the very narrow opening) and, yes, light “continental European” fruits. Ripe red apples, red, juicy pears, also baked apples stuffed with cinnamon sugar and a clove or two, slightly grassy apple peel, cake frosting with a splash of lemon, mixed tinned fruits in glucose syrup.

Continue reading “Tasting: Teeling The Revival Vol. II 13 yo Calvados finish”

June 28, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Kavalan Solist Peaty Cask 2007 R070514069

Dram data:
Distillery: Kavalan
Bottler: original bottling
Distilled: 14.05.2007
Bottled: 2016
Age: ca. 7 years
Limitation: 112 bottles
Casks: Peated cask
Alcohol: 52,4%
unchillfiltered and uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: dark wood honey – quite dark for a young whisky matured in refill oak casks
The nose is quite strong on the alcohol on the first sniff. And on the second. On the third nosing the aromas finally get through. A hint of peat smoke on top, if you’re looking for it, with a fleeting whiff of Chinese tiger balm (mostly the eucalyptus and menthol talking). Slightly burnt butter cookies, dark cherry juice with cracked stones, sweetened virginia pipe tobacco, old leather, gentian and mixed spices with black pepper, ginger and chili powder on top with an ever-present oaky base note – probably a tad too loud even? Continue reading “Tasting: Kavalan Solist Peaty Cask 2007 R070514069”

June 14, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Glentauchers 1996 / 2015 by Gordon & MacPhail

Dram data:
Distillery: Glentauchers
Bottler: Gordon&MacPhail
Distilled: 1996
Bottled: 2015
Age: 18/19 years
Limitation: –
Casks: first fill sherry butts
Alcohol: 43%
chill filtered and uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: light honey
The nose opens on the rich, fruity-sweet and spicy side. The first impression reminds me of mulled apple wine with loads of rock sugar. Sweet baked apples with cloves and cinnamon powder, heather honey, dried pineapple, dried apricots, dried orange zest, reduced orange juice, roasted almonds and a very well-integrated oaky richness in the background. A rich, fruity, spicy delight! Continue reading “Tasting: Glentauchers 1996 / 2015 by Gordon & MacPhail”

June 8, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Black Mountain Whisky Selection BM No.1 Blend

Dram data:
Distillery: – (Blend)
Bottler: Black Mountain Compagnie
Distilled: –
Bottled: ca. 2015-2016
Age: 9 years (acc. to webpage)
Limitation: –
Casks: French spirits cask finish
Alcohol: 42%
probably chill filtered, no colouring info
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
The story behind this dram is certainly interesting. I hope I’ll get it right, I’m relying partly on an automated translation of the French website. The French “Black Mountain Compagnie” seeks to build their own distillery in the national park of Haut Languedoc in the coming years. For now they’re maturing and bottling Scotch – in France. This blend “No 1” has a high malt content and the youngest whisky is 9 years old, which is quite high for a blend. After being reduced to a marrying strength of 45% they’re maturing it in casks from the south-west of France previously used for French spirits (Cognac? Armagnac? Brandy?) for a period of at least six months before it’s being bottled at 42% ABV. Well, let’s taste it!
Colour: (slightly red) gold
The nose is light and delicate. A dominating slightly green grape note with crushed grape seed bitterness. That’s the influence from the ex-Cognac/Armagnac/Brandy cask maturation/finish. A whiff of spicy French oak, green banana, oxidised green apple, freshly mown grass, lovage with molasses and honey in the background. Continue reading “Tasting: Black Mountain Whisky Selection BM No.1 Blend”

June 6, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Bunnahabhain Peated 8 years MacPhail’s Collection

Dram data:
Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Bottler: Gordon&MacPhail
Distilled: 2006
Bottled: 2015
Age: 8 years
Limitation: –
Casks: refill/first fill sherry hogsheads
Alcohol: 43%
chill filtered and uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: white wine
The nose opens with fragrant and well-integrated peat smoke. Not too phenolic – somewhere in between Bowmore and the south coast distilleries. Behind the layer of peat smoke we’ve got fresh oak vanilla sweetness, milk toffee, milk chocolate, brown shortbread which work in harmony with the peat influence. Supporting aromas in the background are a pinch of salt, crushed shells and the (positively) dirty aromas I often get in Bunnas – a hint of oil and earth. This is a surprisingly balanced, multi-faceted dram for 8 years! Continue reading “Tasting: Bunnahabhain Peated 8 years MacPhail’s Collection”

May 31, 2016October 7, 2016

Nosing, tasting and casting my vote for the #ArranWhiteStag second release

Three drams of Arran Malt, sent to 20 panel members, all to be tasted completely blind, in a quest to choose which one will become the second “White Stag” release. This will be a single cask bottling of Arran whisky, exclusive for the members of the (free!) White Stag club. I was chosen as one of the panellists and now face the hard task of choosing my preferred sample. All drams were tasted on the same evening at the same time – first the nose of all three drams, then palate and finish afterwards. Hey, you’re here for the whisky, so let’s get going!

Sample 1

Info: Single Sherry Butt No. 96/1320 filled on 17^th September 1996. 54.5% abv. 3 votes overall
Colour: copper gold
The nose opens on what I love about Arran. Perfect dram to start with! Light fruits (red apples, sweet pears), orange juice, orange peel, the signature is there. It’s also getting a bit tropical with mango and sweet pineapple. Progressing into darker berries with a slightly bitter note of cracked berry seeds on light, fragrant oak. Delicate, yet with a substance in the background provided by the cask. Continue reading “Nosing, tasting and casting my vote for the #ArranWhiteStag second release”

May 24, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Dalmore 1992 22 years by Cadenhead’s

Dram data:
Distillery: Dalmore
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: 1992
Bottled: October 2014
Age: 22 years
Limitation: 264
Casks: refill bourbon
Alcohol: 59,5%
unchillfiltered and uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
I’ve been sitting on this miniature for a while now, but Dalmore matured in (refill) ex-Bourbon is not something you see released by the distillery. All the more intriguing – let’s see…!
Colour: copper gold
The nose opens on a light, summery note. Quite a bit of alcohol there – no wonder at close to 60% ABV! Mentholated ginger/orange drops, orange zest, gooseberries, white grapes, icing sugar with a dollop of lemon juice, red apples and fresh pears. Big on the light, fruity side. There’s a hint of oak in the background – light and shy, adding depth, but not more. Continue reading “Tasting: Dalmore 1992 22 years by Cadenhead’s”

May 18, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Glasgow Distillery new make + 8-month-old spirit

Every time a new distillery opens up, everyone wants to know, what it’s going to be like when it’s whisky. Stills are tuned to support the style the distillers want to achieve, mashing and fermentation are dialled in to support wanted and get rid of unwanted characteristics – as much as possible. And then, after distillation is complete, there’s the choice of which type of casks to fill. Decisions, decisions – and they all influence what the final products is going to be like – a product no one can predict with 100% certainty. I was given samples of both the new make and an 8-month-old spirit, matured in a virgin American standard barrel from the Glasgow Distillery at an event during the Spirit of Speyside festival last month, so let’s have a peek at where they’re at so far, shall we?

New Make – unpeated, 63.4% ABV

Colour: Crystal clear
The nose is, of course, quite a bit alcoholic, but not astringent. On the lighter side of the different new makes I’ve had so far – almost a bit floral (no FWP!), with red berries, wee bitter bramble seeds and cereal (wet oats) in the background. A hint of what remains after distillation as pot ale is to be detected, but that’s the job of the casks to get rid of, perfectly normal! Continue reading “Tasting: Glasgow Distillery new make + 8-month-old spirit”

May 13, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Wolfburn 3 yo First Release

Dram data:
Distillery: Wolfburn
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: 2013
Bottled: March 2016
Age: 3 years
Limitation: 16000
Casks: refill quarter casks
Alcohol: 46%
unchillfiltered and uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
It seems just like yesterday that the Wolfburn distillery way up in Thurso, in the north of Scotland, was constructed and started production. It doesn’t feel like it’s already a year ago that I paid them a visit. And yet here it is: Their first general release of a three-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Well, let’s get cracking and see how it turned out!
Colour: pale white wine
The nose opens on a waft of alcohol – it is bottled at 46% – with a hint of peat smoke from the maturation in quarter casks which previously held peated whisky. There are also notes of shortbread with sweet icing, vanilla pods, freshly ground malt, sweet grape juice and a slight grapefruit rind and juice tingle. The quarter casks did a great job on the clean distillate – no harsh youthfulness anymore. Continue reading “Tasting: Wolfburn 3 yo First Release”

May 10, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 years (2016 re-release)

Dram data:
Distillery: –
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: -2016
Age: 15 years
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 43%
chill filtered and coloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: light amber (E150a…)
Many people lamented the loss of the old Johnnie Walker Green Label and now, after about two years of absence, it is back – worldwide. Johnnie Walker Green Label is a 15-year old blended malt, thus a vatting of only single malt whiskies – Cragganmore at the core, with Talisker, Caol Ila, Linkwood and others blended in. I have never tasted the old version, so let’s try the new one without expectations to live up to…
The nose is aromatic, medium-intense and, this might be my mind playing tricks here, “green” – meaning a grassy (but pleasantly so) top note. This fresh note is underpinned by vanilla-scented honey, honey melon, orange oil, shortbread, caramelized ginger, a dense mixture of spices, a pinch of white pepper and a smidgen of peat smoke. Continue reading “Tasting: Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 years (2016 re-release)”