Category: Highlands | Page 3 | MaltKlaus' Daily Drams

December 14, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #14: Tomatin 14 yo

Dram data:
Distillery: Tomatin
Bottler: original bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 03.04.2014
Age: 14 years
Limitation: –
Casks: Port finish
Alcohol: 46%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: reddish gold
The nose is a summery fruitbomb, opening with vanilla-infused red fruits on Demerara sugar. Which red fruits? strawberries and raspberries, successfuly bringing the warm feeling of summer back on this cold and dreich December day. The fruit garden in the glass must be in close proximity to a vineyard – there are notes of grape skin and sweet grapes as well as a hint of oak and just a trace of spices paired with a note of thick, old balsamico di Modena.
Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #14: Tomatin 14 yo”

December 13, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #13: Glenturret 2001 – 2015 by G&M

Dram data:
Distillery: Glenturret
Bottler: Gordon & Macphail
Distilled: 2001
Bottled: 23.09.2015
Age: ca. 14 years
Limitation: –
Casks: sherry casks
Alcohol: 43%
(most likely)chill filtered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: amber
The nose is unmistakably sherry influenced – there’s no mention about the casks being used on the label so we can only guess, but it’s a safe bet! The vanilla does point into the direction of either American oak sherry casks or a second maturation. Type of sherry? Could be a sweet Oloroso or a PX. So, we’ve got sweet-ish sherry notes, vanilla, ripe cherries, raisins, condensed orange juice, caramel, hints of toffee, wax and just slight spices – more like ginger than European oak oriental spices.
Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #13: Glenturret 2001 – 2015 by G&M”

December 5, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #5: Glengoyne Teapot Dram Batch 002

Dram data:
Distillery: Glengoyne
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: 1998+2002
Bottled: 2013
Age: ca. 11 years (officially NAS)
Limitation: 3200 bottles
Casks: Sherry
Alcohol: 58,5%
unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: dark amber
The nose starts off slightly alcoholic with dark sweet fruit notes underneath. Since this is my last dram from the bottle (a minute of silence, please), I know to add three espresso spoons of water. Let some time pass. Ah ha! Much better! Glengoyne is a fruity and very clean distillate which works very well in ex-sherry casks. Very clean alcohol, dry-ish oloroso sherry (it’s not really sweet on the nose), spicy european oak with citrus fruits on top. Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #5: Glengoyne Teapot Dram Batch 002”

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”

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”

August 24, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Ben Nevis 17yo 1995 – 2013 for Whisky Circle Pinzgau

Dram data:
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Bottler: Carn Mor, bottled for Whisky Circle Pinzgau
Distilled: 23.11.1995
Bottled: 11.08.2013
Age: 17 years
Limitation: 192 bottles
Casks: Sherry Hogshead #965
Alcohol: 51,8%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: wood honey
On the first sniff the nose immediately reminds me of the smell in the local shoemaker’s shop when I was a kid – fresh leather and sweet, dark candy as treats for the kids. A pleasant mixture of leather and old carpeted floors stained with ripe old Oloroso sherry, paired with a lush, dark fruit puree background sweetness, blackcurrant, over-ripe strawberries, oranges, dark chocolate with hot peppers and ginger bits. Continue reading “Tasting: Ben Nevis 17yo 1995 – 2013 for Whisky Circle Pinzgau”

August 2, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Clynelish 14

Dram data:
Distillery: Clynelish
Bottler: Original bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: ca. 2014 – batch L4253CM000
Age: 14 years
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 46%
chill filtered; artifical colouring added
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: deep gold with a fake orange caramel glow
The nose is immediately drawn to the signature wax notes which are so typical for Clynelish. To me it’s a praraffin type waxiness, not the natural beeswax note, but it adds to the character. Continue reading “Tasting: Clynelish 14”

July 5, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Balblair 2003 – 2013 1st release

Dram data:
Distillery: Balblair
Bottler: official bottling
Distilled: 2003
Bottled: 2013
Age: ca. 10 years
Limitation: –
Casks: ex-bourbon
Alcohol: 46%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: white wine
The nose is just as one would imagine a 10-year-old Highland malt from ex-bourbon casks to be. Notes of citrus, sweet vanilla pudding, malt extract on the first nosing. Not too shy thanks to the 46% bottling strength, but not too overpowering either. Continue reading “Tasting: Balblair 2003 – 2013 1st release”

July 2, 2015October 7, 2016

Blind tasting: Glen Ardoch NAS (Deanston)

Dram data:
Distillery: Deanston
Bottler: bottled under the “Glen Ardoch” brand
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2015-ish
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 40%
Probably chill filtered; unknown colouring status
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: gold
The nose is pretty light and shy, classic young mostly refill ex-bourbon style. Vanilla, apples, pears, a touch of malt, more vanilla (pudding), oranges, eucalyptus, white pepper and light green leaves. There’s also something in the background which I just can’t put my finger on (it’s industrial waxy-ish but not full-on wax…) and which I just recently encountered in a Deanston. Continue reading “Blind tasting: Glen Ardoch NAS (Deanston)”