Category: Tasting Notes | Page 17 | MaltKlaus' Daily Drams

December 3, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #3: McClelland’s Lowland (Auchentoshan) NAS

Dram data:
Distillery: undisclosed Auchentoshan
Bottler: Mc Clelland’s (Morrison Bowmore)
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2015-ish
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 40%
chill filtered; coloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: E150a gold
The nose starts off slightly alcoholic, even at 40% ABV. Ah well, it’s a young malt, it is. The aroma is rather generic and a bit boring – vanilla, malt, caramel, dried oranges, custard, a hint of chocolate spices and yeast – rinse and repeat. No off notes (unless you count the alcohol which might only appear so strong because the aroma is rather weak). Very likeable and unobtrusive, just not very engaging, that’s all. Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #3: McClelland’s Lowland (Auchentoshan) NAS”

December 2, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #2: Ardmore Tradition NAS

Dram data:
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: official bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2015
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Casks: Quarter cask finish
Alcohol: 46%
Unchillfiltered, coloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: gold
The nose opens with a fragrant waft of peat smoke – not an in-your-face Islay peat monster, but a very noticeable, yet refined peat bonfire smoke. Unterneath the peat there’s… alcohol and menthol. I guess I’ll let it breathe for a bit. Right, back to work, err, nosing: Vanilla, light honey, orange juice and oil, ginger, white pepper. Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #2: Ardmore Tradition NAS”

December 1, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #1: Mortlach 1988 26 yo by Cadenhead’s

Dram data:
Distillery: Mortlach
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: 1988
Bottled: 10.2015
Age: 26 years
Limitation: 570 bottles
Casks: Sherry
Alcohol: 56.1%
Unchillfiltered, uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: honey
The nose opens with quite a bit of alcohol and the signature meaty notes of sherry-matured Mortlach. I think last year’s bottling was a tad richer if I remember correctly (and re-read my tasting notes on that one). Let’s give it some time. *tick tock tick tock*. Well, as meaty as they come. Influenced by old european oak sherry casks too – leather, dampened spices, grandma’s old wardrobe (but in a good way), caramel, semi-dark chocolate and old ginger root. Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #1: Mortlach 1988 26 yo by Cadenhead’s”

November 28, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Bruichladdich 15/297/543 Cask Evolution Exploration – Port wood 12 yo

Dram data:
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Bottler: Original bottling
Distilled: 18.06.2003
Bottled: 04.11.2015
Age: 12 years
Limitation: ca. 250 bottles
Casks: Single Port Hogshead 15/297/543
Alcohol: 60,1%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured

Tasting notes:
Colour: red cherry juice
The nose opens with surprisingly little alcohol. It’s there, but not 60% ABV there – no idea what they’ve done here but I like it! Toasted oak with slight cask smoke (that’s quercus robur talking loudly!), brambles, cassis, cherries, liquorice, roasted walnuts and assorted spices (again, that’s the oak talking). Continue reading “Tasting: Bruichladdich 15/297/543 Cask Evolution Exploration – Port wood 12 yo”

November 22, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Bunnahabhain 12 yo

Dram data:
Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Bottler: Original bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: ca. 2015 (lot P035644L5)
Age: 12 years
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 46,3%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: red-gold
The nose opens with a light alcoholic note mixed with sea salt and brine and a slight smoky note with darker undertones. The smoke isn’t peat smoke, (from what I was told standard Bunnahabhain is unpeated these days), but a mixture of cask spices and wine cask note which give the illusion of fragrant smoke. Continue reading “Tasting: Bunnahabhain 12 yo”

November 16, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Teeling The Revival 15 yo Rum Cask Irish Single Malt Whiskey

Teeling The Revival 15 yo Rum Cask Irish Whiskey

Dram data:
Distillery: Cooley (undisclosed)
Bottler: Teeling
Distilled: 1999
Bottled: 2015
Age: 15 years
Limitation: 10.000 bottles
Casks: rum casks
Alcohol: 46%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: golden straw
The nose opens with a slight hint of rubbing alcohol, making place for stewed apples, pears, green apples, slightly unripe gooseberries, pineapple, grapefruit, banana chips, slight tropical spices, “fizzers” sweets (don’t know how international these are…) and a light demerara sugar note. Continue reading “Tasting: Teeling The Revival 15 yo Rum Cask Irish Single Malt Whiskey”

November 15, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Glenrothes 1988 25 yo bottled by Archives

Dram data:
Distillery: Glenrothes
Bottler: Archives
Distilled: 06.06.1988
Bottled: 06.11.2013
Age: 25 years
Limitation: 213 bottles
Casks: Refill Sherry Hogshead 7318
Alcohol: 53%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: golden straw
The nose opens with vanilla and light, continental fruits – sweet red apples and ripe pears. Also sweet honey melon, light honey, banana chips, vanilla pudding and a slight layer of oak in the background to round things off. Not the most complex nose, but a nice, well-aged refill cask. Continue reading “Tasting: Glenrothes 1988 25 yo bottled by Archives”

November 11, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve – with guest writer Jo Lawson

Dram data:
Distillery: Forty Creek
Bottler: original bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2010 (Lot 1867-D)
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Casks: Canadian Oak Finish
Alcohol: 40%
most likely chill filtered and coloured
Whiskybase link

This is a special tasting today in honor of whisky blogger Johanne McInnis’ birthday today. She gave a bottle of this Canadian whisky to my friend Jo Lawson, who in turn gave me a sample so Jo and I decided to do a joint tasting blog post on it.

Ladies first!

Tasting notes Jo Lawson:
Colour: Dark honey
Nose: initial maple syrup sweetness, raisins, buttered popcorn with some underlying spices, develops into banana, vanilla and caramel.
Palate: Rich, soft and rounded, sweet oranges, white pepper, and oak, then marzipan, dates, figs and toffee.
Finish: Long, soft, slightly dry with some light spices.
Overall a rich, well balanced, complex whisky, that needs to be slowly sipped and savoured.

Tasting notes Klaus Doblmann:
Colour: amber
The nose starts with just the faintest whiff of acetone – a wee bit bourbon’ish. Quite light, but no wonder at 40% ABV. Sweet oak notes, palm syrup, vanilla-toffee pudding, milk chocolate, chocolate chip cookies, banana split, caramelised orange peel and half a cinnamon stick. Continue reading “Tasting: Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve – with guest writer Jo Lawson”

November 4, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Ardmore Triple Wood NAS

Dram data:
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: original bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2015
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Casks: ex-bourbon / quarter casks / ex-bourbon puncheons
Alcohol: 46%
Unchillfiltered; coloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: gold with an orange hue
The nose starts off with a fresh alcoholic note (menthol) paired with light peat smoke poking out underneath. Not getting too much at first here. Mint leaves, very low-alpha wet hops (wait, what?), green mango, grapefruit with kernels, tangerines, green grain and fresh malt. Continue reading “Tasting: Ardmore Triple Wood NAS”

November 1, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Ardmore 12 yo Port Wood Finish

Dram data:
Distillery: Ardmore
Bottler: original bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2015
Age: 12
Limitation: –
Casks: ex-bourbon / “half port casks” finish
Alcohol: 46%
Unchillfiltered; coloured

Tasting notes:
Colour: red-gold
The nose opens with light, fragrant, aromatic peat smoke on sweeter notes – the additional maturation in port casks is definitely very noticeable here. Dark, red, sweet grapes with skin, rose wine, sweet grape juice, nectarines, plum distillate, Port. Vanilla from the american oak barrels is also still present, as is a hint of spices and a dry note. Continue reading “Tasting: Ardmore 12 yo Port Wood Finish”