Category: Speyside | Page 3 | MaltKlaus' Daily Drams

October 12, 2016October 12, 2016

Tasting: William Cadenhead 40yo Single Speyside Malt (Review #200)

Dram data:
Distillery: undisclosed (see below…)
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: 1970s
Bottled: 09.12.2015
Age: 40 (stated; actually 43yo*)
Limitation: –
Casks: ex-bourbon (my impression)
Alcohol: 40,2%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Unless I’ve lost the ability to count, this is whisky review #200 – time for a small celebration! How about… oh, a 40yo “undisclosed” Single Speyside malt by William Cadenhead’s? Only they could be so cool as to print the completely unrelated letter combination “Glenfarclas” just above the bottling number. No, I’m sure these letters don’t mean anything to anybody… I love you guys up there in Campbeltown!

Tasting notes:
Colour: honey
40,2% ABV – this better not be weak on the nose! Ah…. no! Oh! Ah! Properly aged whisky from a refill ex-bourbon cask, that’s a style I love! Golden honey with a bit of beeswax, majestic oak jam cupboard (just the right amount of oak) with a leather jacket and garden herbs for drying hanging from a hook on the side, sweet summer sunset in an orchard captured in a glass, tropical fruits (dried mangos and papayas ), condensed orange juice, slightly vanilla-flavoured Virginia pipe tobacco (non-vulgar vanilla!), ah, what a lovely, dense yet still elegant and fragrant mixture. Just the dram to pour those “age doesn’t matter” folks, that’ll teach ’em! Continue reading “Tasting: William Cadenhead 40yo Single Speyside Malt (Review #200)”

September 28, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Miltonduff 2006 9 yo “Golden Reserve” by Single Cask Collection

Review: Miltonduff 2006 9 yo by Single Cask Collection

Dram data:
Distillery: Miltonduff
Bottler: Single Cask Collection
Distilled: 22.03.2006
Bottled: 13.12.2015
Age: 9 years
Limitation: 204 bottles
Casks: Bourbon barrel #30452
Alcohol: 57,3%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

September’s almost gone and I’ve only managed to publish three whisky reviews (this one included) this month and no article in a while – sorry about that. Things have been quite busy during the summer and the decreased volume of posts is not a sign of me getting bored (only getting bored of high-class whisky prices, but that’s nothing new).
So to spice things up here’s a whisky review of a chance buy – an independently bottled single cask Miltonduff, bottled for an Austrian own-label whisky distributor in a range sold in Austrian supermarkets (no idea how widely distributed, just found it in a bigger one…). The market is definitely changing and I applaud the placement of indie bottles in stores to spice up the whisky shelf – if it’s a good one, as we’re about to find out…

Tasting notes:
Colour: pale gold
The nose opens on quite a hit of alcohol – no wonder at 57% ABV. Citrus peel, a hint of orange, apple pie prepared with green apples, slightly green mango, yoghurt with a hint of real vanilla and a touch of nuts as well as oak with wood smoke. With a considerable amount of water: Roughly the same profile, just a tad mellower and without the dominating alcohol. A bit more on the grassy/green side now, but this is still young, fresh and citrussy overall, yet not without substance. Continue reading “Tasting: Miltonduff 2006 9 yo “Golden Reserve” by Single Cask Collection”

September 20, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Glenrothes 1997 18 years “Chocolate Orange Segment” by Wemyss

Dram data:
Distillery: Glenrothes
Bottler: Wemyss
Distilled: 1997
Bottled: 2015
Age: 18 years
Limitation: 357 bottles
Casks: Hogshead
Alcohol: 46%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: golden apple juice
The nose opens on… well, the suggestive title seems to work, there is orange up front, actually more like tinned tangerines, but that’s the same category. Oh, and orange sherbet powder. The fizziness usually associated with sherbet powder comes in form of a constant alcoholic tingle. Chocolate? Hmmm… not really. Oh, hang on, Well, maybe something along the lines of a well-known chocolate treat filled with cherry and cherry liqueur. But definitely more on the cherry and liqueur side than chocolate. The background is made up of notes of vanilla, ginger and an herbal, flowery note that’s hard to pin down. Cherry blossom perhaps? Light-ish and summery. Continue reading “Tasting: Glenrothes 1997 18 years “Chocolate Orange Segment” by Wemyss”

August 24, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Tomintoul Tlàth NAS

Dram data:
Distillery: Tomintoul
Bottler: original bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2016
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Casks: American oak
Alcohol: 40%
chill filtered/unknown colouring status
Whiskybase link

When the press release for the Tomintoul Tlàth (which translates to gentle, mellow) hit my inbox, something caught my eye. These past few years distilleries seemingly seemed to battle out a competition on who could do the most finishes, find the most extravagant casks and come up with all kinds of nonsensical tweaks of the whisky theme. Not this one, it is plain and simple, a “collection […] of whiskies of various ages matured in first-class American oak bourbon barrels”. My preferred style of Scotch. And attached with it: No far-fetched story, no flannel and a “daily dram” worthy price tag of about 30 GBP/39€ (I’ve seen street prices announced for less than that). Yes, it’s NAS (no age statement), but we’ll see whether it’s one of the good ones. Let’s dig in!
Tasting notes:
Colour: gold
The nose fits the “the gentle dram” tagline. A slight alcoholic hint up front which disappears quickly revealing notes of citrus and orange with a touch of menthol, sugar-reduced cake frosting with a dash of lemon juice in it, a sneaky lychee, gooseberry and a slice of apricot with a mixture of vanilla and caramel pudding in the background (not too loud on the vanilla). We’ve got 20°C inside – this works quite well. Light, fresh and young-ish, but with a twist to keep it interesting. Continue reading “Tasting: Tomintoul Tlàth NAS”

August 18, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Glenallachie 1992 23 yo by Cadenhead’s

Dram data:
Distillery: Glenallachie
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: 1992
Bottled: Apr. 2016
Age: 23 years
Limitation: 126 bottles
Casks: Bourbon Hogshead
Alcohol: 47,2%
unchillfiltered/uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: dark white wine
The nose starts off quite intense – do we have liquid from a freak cask in our glass? Let’s see! Dark honey with a touch of palm honey up front with an intense sweet fruit note. Sweet apricot puree, mango (mango lassie due to a hint of yogurt), papaya, lychee, tinned peaches with glucose syrup, pickled ginger (without any spice) – layer upon layer of sweet fruitiness, almost like a fruit perfume. Where do they grow these fruits in Scotland? Oak? Err, yep, very well-integrated oak notes in the background, just as one would expect from an active cask after 23 years. Oh, and there’s a sneaky, dusty leather book cover as well. Fruits in a library? Huh! Continue reading “Tasting: Glenallachie 1992 23 yo by Cadenhead’s”

July 27, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Tormore 10 yo (late 70s / early 80s bottling)

Dram data:
Distillery: Tormore
Bottler: official Long John bottling
Distilled: late 60s/early 70s
Bottled: late 70s / early 80s
Age: 10 years
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 40%
unknown filtering/colouring
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: orange-ish gold
On the nose you immediately get a hard to define smell from yesteryear, something lost in modern day whisky. In this case it is comprised of waxy fruits, oranges, red apples, apricots and sweet tinned peaches+tangerines wrapped in wax paper. This reminds me of a 30 yo Tomatin I have yet to review – that kind of fruitiness is lost in modern whiskies. Very lovely stuff indeed. Not over-the-top complex or mid-90s score worthy, just oh so much more lovely than 99% of current mass-market supermarket whiskies (which, essentially, is what this was 30-some years ago). Back to the nose. The fruitiness is paired with background notes of an old leather book cover, pickled ginger, the tiniest hint of menthol, chewing gum base rubberiness (Hubba Bubba chewed on for 2 hours?) and a whiff of makeup powder sprinkled over an oak stave used for maturing Cointreau (as if…). Very delightful stuff indeed, perfect for this hot summer weather! Continue reading “Tasting: Tormore 10 yo (late 70s / early 80s bottling)”

July 10, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Glasgow Distillery Company Prometheus 27 yo

Dram data:
Distillery: undisclosed
Bottler: Glasgow Distillery Company
Distilled: 04.1988
Bottled: 12.2015
Age: 27 years
Limitation: 1500 bottles
Casks: 1st fill ex-Sherry casks
Alcohol: 47%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: amber
New distilleries need a source of revenue while they wait for their own stock to mature. Besides making gin and selling casks of spirit the Glasgow distillery company has also secured a number of casks with aged stock from an undisclosed Speyside distillery which they now release on a yearly basis. The plan is for the final release to be a 30 yo whisky. So let’s take a look at the 27 yo, their second release, which has been out for a while now. I had a chance to try it at a company presentation in Speyside this year and also got a sample to take away for an in-depth review.
On the nose you can immediately tell the fresh European oak sherry casks this whisky was matured in. Spicy notes in the foreground – Cinnamon, allspice, cloves, dried orange peel – almost like a spice mix used for mulled wine. Speaking of wine, there are also dry tannins, but not too much. The background layer is formed by notes of dark bitter chocolate, fresh leather shoes and a dark, moody, condensed, slightly burnt dark fruit component (plum spread and figs for the most part). Continue reading “Tasting: Glasgow Distillery Company Prometheus 27 yo”

June 14, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Glentauchers 1996 / 2015 by Gordon & MacPhail

Dram data:
Distillery: Glentauchers
Bottler: Gordon&MacPhail
Distilled: 1996
Bottled: 2015
Age: 18/19 years
Limitation: –
Casks: first fill sherry butts
Alcohol: 43%
chill filtered and uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: light honey
The nose opens on the rich, fruity-sweet and spicy side. The first impression reminds me of mulled apple wine with loads of rock sugar. Sweet baked apples with cloves and cinnamon powder, heather honey, dried pineapple, dried apricots, dried orange zest, reduced orange juice, roasted almonds and a very well-integrated oaky richness in the background. A rich, fruity, spicy delight! Continue reading “Tasting: Glentauchers 1996 / 2015 by Gordon & MacPhail”

May 7, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Benrinnes 15 years Flora & Fauna

Dram data:
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: ca. 2015-2016
Age: 15 years
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 43%
chill filtered and coloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: amber (E150a…)
The nose is true to the beefy, meaty spirit style of Benrinnes – not at all unlike Mortlach, rich and oily with a dash of engine grease on top! Ex-sherry casks dominate, with rich, creamy, fruity-sweet notes of cherry juice, dried plums and raisins and milk chocolate.
Continue reading “Tasting: Benrinnes 15 years Flora & Fauna”

April 11, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Kininvie 17 + 23 years

Last weekend I got the chance to taste the Kininvie 17 + 23-year-old releases while visiting malt mate Keith Wood for a dramming session (or two). Oliver Klimek also popped over and we had a great chat about both malts (and possibly a few more). You’ll find my tasting notes below – a tad shorter than usual due to the handwritten notes.

Dram data Kinivie 17 batch 001:
Distillery: Kininvie
Bottler: original bottling
Distilled: 1996
Bottled: 2014
Age: 17 years
Limitation: –
Casks: American Oak and Sherry Casks
Alcohol: 42.6%
chillfiltered and coloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
The nose has baked apples with walnuts and hints of vanilla pods, slightly sour apples, milk toffee, a hint of fruit cake with spices – rich and sweet, a tight christmas-cake mix, with bitter Kiwi kernels in the background. The palate is quite different. green apples with peel, Kiwi, gooseberries, quite mouth-coating. A hint of acetone emerges upon adding water (disappears soon afterwards). More bitter apple peel and dried oranges. Continue reading “Tasting: Kininvie 17 + 23 years”