Category: Islay | Page 3 | MaltKlaus' Daily Drams

December 24, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #24: Bunnahabhain 1988 24 yo by Signatory Vintage

Dram data:
Distillery: Bunnahabhain
Bottler: Signatory Vintage
Distilled: 10.10.1988
Bottled: 30.07.2013
Age: 24 years
Limitation: 588 bottles
Casks: refill Sherry Butt
Alcohol: 55,9%
unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: amber
How fitting! A 24 yo single malt whisky to conclude the 24 drams till Christmas series! This better be a good one for a great finish or I’ll have to extend it to 25 days… The nose starts off slightly alcoholic but there’s greatness underneath! Classic European oak sherry cask matured whisky – post Paxarette! Spices up front – cloves, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg. The cask is strong with this one (excuse the Star Wars pun…), no oaky notes, just letting the spices talk. Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #24: Bunnahabhain 1988 24 yo by Signatory Vintage”

December 19, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #19: Laphroaig 1990 19 yo by A.D. Rattray

Dram data:
Distillery: Laphroaig
Bottler: A.D. Rattray
Distilled: 29.03.1990
Bottled: 30.06.2009
Age: 19
Limitation: 203 bottles
Casks: refill ex-Bourbon #2239
Alcohol: 56%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: straw
Dirty, peaty, smoky Islay as we love (or hate…) it on the nose! Phenolic peat smoke, damp oily rags used to wipe down a puffers’ engine, cigarette ash and iodine wound disinfectant paired with a lemon-infused get-well-tea in the Bowmore hospital. Oh and a eucalyptus shrub as a twisted gift for the patient thrown in for good measure! Salty too – licking sea-stones at the Laphroaig pier.

Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #19: Laphroaig 1990 19 yo by A.D. Rattray”

December 15, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #15: Caol Ila 1993 21 yo by A.D. Rattray

Dram data:
Distillery: Caol Ila
Bottler: Dewar Rattray
Distilled: 19.07.1993
Bottled: 11.08.2014
Age: 21 years
Limitation: 311 bottles
Cask: Refill Butt 11144 (Part)
Alcohol: 56,8%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: white wine
The nose has an astonishing amount of peat smoke left for a 21-year-old dram! Peat smoked salted herring with tang, cigar ash, burning hard wood and latex gloves on much more mellow sweet notes of cake icing with a dash of lemon, honey and malt extract with vanilla pudding. Hm… the label says “sherry butt” – probably american wood and 3rd fill, so there’s no trace of sherry left.
Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #15: Caol Ila 1993 21 yo by A.D. Rattray”

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”

October 25, 2015October 7, 2016

Blind Tasting: McClelland’s Islay NAS (undisclosed Bowmore)

Dram data:
Distillery: Bowmore
Bottler: McClelland’s (Morrison Bowmore)
Distilled: –
Bottled: ca. 2014 (code L142025)
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 40%
Chillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: gold
Oh, a blind tasting! I love blind tastings! Let’s see what we’ve got here! The nose opens on the fruity and sweet side. Heather honey, caramelised orange peel, vanilla pudding powder, candy floss, baked red apples with cinnamon, cloves and demerara sugar. Mellow oak notes in the background too – I think this dram is in its early to mid teens. Continue reading “Blind Tasting: McClelland’s Islay NAS (undisclosed Bowmore)”

October 11, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Caol Ila 1984 30 years Rum Cask Finish by Riegger’s Selection

Dram data:
Distillery: Caol Ila
Bottler: Riegger’s Selection
Distilled: 04.1984
Bottled: 23.10.2014
Age: 30
Limitation: 360 bottles
Cask: Rum Cask Finish
Alcohol: 56,2%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: straw
In the glass is a (hopefully) nice Caol Ila from the mid-80s, distilled at a time, when many distilleries sadly closed down forever during the last big downturn of the Scotch industry. Let’s get started! The nose is surprisingly fresh from the get-go! I haven’t looked up the details but I guess this was at least a 2nd fill cask. Alcohol, salt spray, a slight hint of menthol, citrus peel and -juice, industrial cleaner (hey, what?) all mixed together with earthy, dirty peat smoke and a whiff of cough lozenges. Continue reading “Tasting: Caol Ila 1984 30 years Rum Cask Finish by Riegger’s Selection”

September 13, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Kilchoman 5 yo 2009 – 2014 for Whisky Circle Pinzgau

Dram data:
Distillery: Kilchoman
Bottler: Bottled for Whisky Circle Pinzgau
Distilled: 05.08.2009
Bottled: 05.08.2014
Age: 5
Limitation: –
Cask: 379/2009 – PX Finish
Alcohol: 59,3%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: amber
The nose (neat) opens with a blast of the typical Islay peat smoke note paired with a citrus note I happen to find in most Kilchomans. There’s also Iodine wound disinfectant paired with brine. The smoky, medicinal, citrussy aspect is really strong, overpowering the other aromas at first. Continue reading “Tasting: Kilchoman 5 yo 2009 – 2014 for Whisky Circle Pinzgau”

September 9, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Kilchoman Feis Ile 2015 bottling

Dram data:
Distillery: Kilchoman
Bottler: original bottling
Distilled: 22.05.2008
Bottled: 22.05.2015
Age: 7
Limitation: 742 bottles
Cask: 3 bourbon barrels 245, 449, 450
Alcohol: 58,2%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: light gold
The nose (neat) opens with the typical, phenolic, slightly medicinal Islay peat smoke paired with brine. Despite the strong alcohol and the still relatively young age (but quite old for a Kilchoman) there are already some mellow vanilla notes paired with sweet cookies and citrus peeking through – growing stronger as the nose adjust itself to the smoke. Continue reading “Tasting: Kilchoman Feis Ile 2015 bottling”

July 13, 2015October 7, 2016

Blind Tasting: Laggan Mill (Lagavulin) NAS Butt 2772

Dram data:
Distillery: “Laggan Mill” (yeah, come on, it’s Lagavulin…)
Bottler: Cooper’s Choice
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2014
Age: NAS
Limitation: 575 bottles
Casks: Butt 2772
Alcohol: 53,5%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: very pale white wine
The nose screams at me: I’m a young peat monster from Islay. I’m going out on a limb here, but I don’t think this is not an Islay dram 😉 Peat smoke, peat smoke, alcohol (not overpowering), peat smoke, brine, fresh iodine (if such a thing even exists), boiled seaweeds, peppermint (from the alcohol), white pepper, citrus aroma, freshly cut flowerbed (more on the grassy side), malty background sweetness, a hint of vanilla and a faint metallic note (probably pretty young). Continue reading “Blind Tasting: Laggan Mill (Lagavulin) NAS Butt 2772”