Category: Islay | Page 5 | MaltKlaus' Daily Drams

June 28, 2014July 5, 2017

Tasting: Ardbeg Auriverdes

Dram 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”

May 26, 2014October 7, 2016

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

Dram 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”

May 24, 2014October 7, 2016

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”

May 21, 2014October 7, 2016

Tasting: BigPeat Tweet tasting

I 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”

May 14, 2014October 7, 2016

Tasting: Kilchoman Single Sherry Cask 3009/2007

Dram data:

Distillery: Kilchoman
Bottler: Official bottling / exclusively for distillery shop
Distilled: 14.11.2007
Bottled: 24.05.2013
Age: 5 years
Limitation: 270 bottles
Price at the time of purchasing: ?
Cask: Single sherry cask #3009/2007
Alcohol: 59,1%
Unchillfiltered & natural color
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:

The dram has a deep, copper-gold color and features quite long legs. The nose is immediately met with a complex mixture of dark fruits and berries, toffee, lemon rinds, ripe peaches, well integrated smoke and faint hints of earth and floral notes. Continue reading “Tasting: Kilchoman Single Sherry Cask 3009/2007”

May 7, 2014July 5, 2017

Tasting: Ardbeg Corryvreckan

Dram data:

Distillery: Ardbeg
Bottler: Official bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2009 (lot: L9 231)
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Price at the time of purchasing: 57€
Casks: french oak + ex-bourbon
Alcohol: 57,1%
Unchillfiltered & natural color
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
The dram has a very nice amber/red-gold colour. On the nose I get an immediate hit of alcohol paired with the very typical, phenolic, punchy Ardbeg peat which people tend to either love or hate – I happen to like it very, very much. Continue reading “Tasting: Ardbeg Corryvreckan”

May 5, 2014October 7, 2016

Tasting: Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC8

Dram data:
Distillery: Bruichladdich
Bottler: Official bottling
Distilled: 18.07.2001
Bottled: 27.07.2009
Age: 8 years
Limitation: 30.000
Price at the time of purchasing: 79€
Casks: American Oak?
Alcohol: 60,8%
Unchillfiltered, no added colouring
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
The first sniff is very peat-smoky – no doubt about it, this is what many people associate with Islay whiskies. Continue reading “Tasting: Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC8”

April 12, 2014October 7, 2016

Tasting: Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2013

Dram data:

Distillery: Kilchoman
Bottler: Official bottling
Distilled: 2007
Bottled: 2013
Age: 5 years
Limitation: 10.000 bottles
Price at the time of purchasing: 69€
Casks: Oloroso sherry butts / Oloroso hogsheads finishing
Alcohol: 46%
Unchillfiltered & natural color
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:

The dark, reddish color immediately gives away the fact this malt was matured in sherry casks. For how long? If I didn’t know, I’d guess around 8+ years judging from the nose which features a good measure of Islay smoke, dried fruits, raisins, dried apricots, overripe pineapple – reminding me of a fruit salad infused with a few spices and some chocolate on top. Continue reading “Tasting: Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2013”