Tasting: Ardbeg Auriverdes

ardbeg_auriverdesDram data:

Distillery: Ardbeg
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2014
Age: ?
Limitation: 6600 (inofficial sources)
Price at the time of purchasing: 89€
Casks: ex-bourbon with freshly toasted lids
Alcohol: 49,9%
Uncoloured & Unchillfiltered
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: Red gold. The nose is typically Ardbeg. Salty, briny, iodine, burnt newspaper, ground coffee, vanilla sweetness. A bit more burnt vanilla than the standard Ardbeg Ten, but that’s the only cask influence I can detect. Liquorice, honey and caramel in the background. Continue reading “Tasting: Ardbeg Auriverdes”

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Tasting: Macallan 1990 by Whiskybroker

macallan_1990 Spirit whiskybrokerDram data:

Distillery: Macallan
Bottler: Whiskybroker.co.uk
Distilled: 23.01.1990
Bottled: 05.03.2013
Age: 23
Limitation: ?
Price at the time of purchasing: – (sample)
Casks: Hogshead
Alcohol: 34,9%
Uncoloured & Unchillfiltered
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: Dark straw. The nose is rather funny – my first impression was one of rather old, stuffed cupboard – I guess that’s the influence of the cask which let this dram slip under the 40% mark. Continue reading “Tasting: Macallan 1990 by Whiskybroker”

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Tasting: Glenfarclas 25

Dram data:

Distillery: Glenfarclas
Bottler: Official bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 17.03.2009 (lot-nr 314:30BB)
Age: 25 years
Limitation: unknown
Price at the time of purchasing: 85€
Casks: Ex-Sherry
Alcohol: 43%
Most likely chill filtered & natural color
Whiskybase link

(Blind) Tasting notes:
Colour: Amber
Nose: Fresh and fruity. Wild berries, lemon and orange zest, orange juice, canned tangerines, peaches, honey, slight background maltiness. Continue reading “Tasting: Glenfarclas 25”

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Tasting: Longrow Peated NAS

longrow_peated_nasDram data:
Distillery: Springbank (Longrow brand)
Bottler: Official bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2013 (bottle code 13/89)
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Price at the time of purchasing: 38€
Cask: –
Alcohol: 46%
Unchillfiltered & natural color
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:

Colour: pale gold. On the nose there is an initial intense smoky note, but it is a bit more refined and not as phenolic as the offerings from nearby Islay, very distinctive. Continue reading “Tasting: Longrow Peated NAS”

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Tasting: Glen Garioch 1990 21y cask 252 by “Archives”

glen_garioch_1990_ARCDram data:

Distillery: Glen Garioch
Bottler: Archives
Distilled: 28.12.1990
Bottled: 05.01.2012
Age: 21
Limitation: 267
Price at the time of purchasing: – (sample)
Casks: Hogshead
Alcohol: 54%
Uncoloured & Unchillfiltered
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: bright gold. On the nose I get an immediate impression of a fresh summer fruit basket. Red apples, pears, gooseberries, strawberries, plums. Continue reading “Tasting: Glen Garioch 1990 21y cask 252 by “Archives””

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Tasting: VAT 69 Vintage Austrian Import bottle

vat_69_vintageDram data:

Distillery: Blend
Bottler: WM Sanderson & Son Ltd
Distilled: –
Bottled: 1980s? 1990s?
Age: – (probably 3 years)
Limitation: unknown
Price at the time of purchasing: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: doesn’t say! Most likely 40%

Tasting notes:
Colour: Well, E150a reddish-gold. On the nose I get quite a sharp alcoholic first impression with a bit of old glue mixed in. Continue reading “Tasting: VAT 69 Vintage Austrian Import bottle”

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Tasting: Caol Ila 1996/2012 cask 14611 by Ian MacLeod’s Chieftain’s Choice

caolIla_1996_IMDram data:

Distillery: Cao Ila
Bottler: Ian MacLeod / Chieftain’s Choice
Distilled: 10.1996
Bottled: 03.2012
Age: 15 years
Limitation: 308
Price at the time of purchasing: – (sample)
Cask: Hogshead 14611
Alcohol: 50%
Possibly Unchillfiltered / Natural Colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour:
ripe barley. On the nose I get a huge initial hit of alcohol followed by fiery, spicy smoke, pepper, citrus oil and limes. Continue reading “Tasting: Caol Ila 1996/2012 cask 14611 by Ian MacLeod’s Chieftain’s Choice”

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Tasting: Caol Ila 18

Dram data:

Distillery: Cao Ila
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2011
Age: 18 years
Limitation: –
Price at the time of purchasing: – (sample)
Casks: –
Alcohol: 43%
Possibly Chillfiltered / Colouring added
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
On the nose I get a big hit of lovely peaty smokiness initially covering most other flavours. Some vanilla peeks through, white pepper, green apples, orange rind, orange juice, a very subtle honey sweetness in the background. Continue reading “Tasting: Caol Ila 18”

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Tasting: BigPeat Tweet tasting

IMG_20140515_170614I was selected as one of the lucky tweet tasters for the Douglas Laing @DLaingWhisky #BigPeat tweet tasting hosted by @TheWhiskyWire on the eve of the 21st of May 2014. Big thanks to DouglasLaing, Steve Rush and all the fellow tweet tasters for the great evening! Worthy of a repetition in my book!
In preparation for the tasting we all received a lovely little package from Scotland (see picture on the right). It contained five mystery samples (which were tasted blind) and a few assorted goodies like a bottle of rainwater, peat cones (to fill the air with lovely peat flavour), an Islay pebble to chill our dram on hot summer days and a mystery key to Big Peat’s house (still waiting on this mystery to be solved…) – all in all a very lovely package – very well thought out!

Without further ado, here’s my tasting notes for the five drams: Continue reading “Tasting: BigPeat Tweet tasting”

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Tasting: Redbreast 12 Cask Strength

redbreast_12_CSDram data:

Distillery: Midleton
Bottler: Official bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: Batch 1 /04.04.2012
Age: 12 years
Limitation: unknown
Price at the time of purchasing: 63€
Casks: Sherry
Alcohol: 58.6%
Unchillfiltered
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
For a sherry cask matured whiskey (according to the label) the colour is relatively light (a dark red-gold). The nose is initially met with a big amount of alcohol – no wonder, looking at the bottling strength. Continue reading “Tasting: Redbreast 12 Cask Strength”

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