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August 31, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Kilchoman 100% Islay 5th edition / 2015

Dram data:
Distillery: Kilchoman
Bottler: original bottling
Distilled: 10.2009
Bottled: 06.05.2015
Age: 5 yo
Limitation: 10.000 bottles
Cask: ex-bourbon
Alcohol: 50%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: straw
A whisky made from 100% Islay ingredients. Barley grown on Islay, malted in Kilchoman’s own floor maltings, dried over Islay peat, distilled, matured and bottled on site. Well, bottle, cork and cardboard box are not from Islay, but everything else is. Let’s stick our nose in!
The nose opens with a whiff of alcohol, but you can already taste barley sweetness and (comparatively) light peat notes underneath. Let it breath for a minute or two. Now we get the gentle side of the peaty Islay drams. Sweet wort going into the fermenters with a splash of lemon on top, ginger, tangerine peel and canned tangerines, physalis, unobtrusive vanilla, a hint of honey, Werther’s Original sweets, a mineral, chalky note, and, of course, light peat. Nowhere near as loud as the south coast Islay drams or the Kilchoman whisky made from commercial peat, but still rather noticeable, it’s definitely an Islay dram. It seems to be a sweeter style of peat too, if such a thing even exists. Yum, this is exquisite! Young, but already very, very good! Continue reading “Tasting: Kilchoman 100% Islay 5th edition / 2015”

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”

August 10, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Box Early Days Batch 001 4 yo

Dram data:
Distillery: Box
Bottler: official bottling
Distilled: Sept. 2011
Bottled: Oct. 2015
Age: 4 years
Limitation: 2109 bottles
Casks: 130 ltr 1st fill ex-bourbon
Alcohol: 51,2%
unchillfiltered/uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: white wine
The nose doesn’t try too hard to hide the relatively young age of the whisky, but it is a lovely nose for just four years! Vanilla pods maturing in a citrus orchard. Yep, that’s it! But there’s more… A mineral character paired with oxidising green apple, Physalis, nectarine, tinned tangerines and a pinch of spices. Light, fruity, summery. I’d say perfect for the season, but it’s 16°C outside and raining… Continue reading “Tasting: Box Early Days Batch 001 4 yo”

August 3, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: J.P. Wiser’s Red Letter 10 yo 2014 release Canadian Whisky

Dram data:
Distillery: Hiram Walker
Bottler: official bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2014
Age: 10 years
Limitation: –
Casks: American oak, Virgin oak finish
Alcohol: 45%
unchillfiltered / unknown colouring
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: red gold
The nose starts out with a whiff of alcohol followed by loads of vanilla (scraped vanilla pods) and fresh oak – thanks to the virgin oak finish. In fact, the vanilla and oak mix reminds me of sniffing fresh bourbon barrels after arriving in Scotland for filling. A fresh cask-driven spirit. But what else do we have? Mixed spices (cloves, allspice), a touch of forest honey, caramel and a hint of tonka bean give the very “modern type” whisky enough backbone so it isn’t just oak and vanilla. Continue reading “Tasting: J.P. Wiser’s Red Letter 10 yo 2014 release Canadian Whisky”

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 23, 2016October 7, 2016

#Malternative tasting: Wagging Finger Gin batch 1

Dram data:
Distillery: Wagging Finger
Bottler: Original bottling
Distilled: 2016
Bottled: 2016
Age: unaged
Limitation: –
Alcohol: 44%

Tasting notes:
Colour: crystal clear (what else…?)
With whisk(e)y prices at an ever-increasing all-time high many whisky drinkers are branching out, on the lookout for so-called malternatives, alternatives to malt whisky. Well, I can’t blame them, even though malt whisky is still my main tipple. But I am a curious mind so I might just as well publish the odd non-whisky review from time to time if I stumble across something interesting. Let me know if that’s something that interests you as well!
The subject of this review is batch #1 of the Wagging Finger gin, by the new Wagging Finger distillery in the Netherlands. Let’s stick our nose in!
The dry nose has a touch of raw (but not unpleasant) alcohol on the first sniff paired with loads of fresh, slightly woody, resiny juniper berries followed by sandalwood, orange oil, mixed flower petals and a very dense, dried herbal mixture as a base – layered and complex. After several minutes lighter citrus notes appear. Dry, layered, fresh and very pleasant. Continue reading “#Malternative tasting: Wagging Finger Gin batch 1”

July 17, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Slyrs Bavarian Single Malt 3 yo

Dram data:
Distillery: Slyrs
Bottler: Original bottling
Distilled: – (unknown)
Bottled: –
Age: 3 years
Limitation: –
Casks: American white oak
Alcohol: 43%
probably chill-filtered; uncoloured

Tasting notes:
Colour: light honey
Wow, a premiere! The first German single malt whisky I’m reviewing on this blog. And the first time I’m trying Slyrs. So let’s dive right into it…
The nose is… interesting. Not you usual single malt, light yet with a very dense, tightly interwoven flavour profile, quite sweet with a touch of oak right up front. This reminds me more of a dry Cognac (with added wood extract) than of a malt-based distillate. Vanilla, fresh oak staves, grape distillate with a touch of bitter seeds, dusty, dried apricot, banana chips and a young-spirit metallic note in the background. Continue reading “Tasting: Slyrs Bavarian Single Malt 3 yo”

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 30, 2016October 7, 2016

Tasting: Teeling The Revival Vol. II 13 yo Calvados finish

Dram data:
Distillery: most likely Cooley (undisclosed)
Bottler: Teeling
Distilled: 2002
Bottled: 2016
Age: 13 years
Limitation: 10.000 bottles
Casks: 12 years ex-bourbon, 1 year Calvados casks
Alcohol: 46%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured

Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: golden white wine
Calvados-matured/finished whisk(e)y is a very uncommon thing. Apart from a Springbank, which I really liked, and sadly didn’t review, I don’t think I’ve ever had another. Until today, that is, tasting this Irish whiskey by the Teeling company, finished for a year in Calvados casks after an initial 12-year bourbon maturation. What do I expect? A few apple-ish notes and perhaps spices from the French casks (if they used French oak, that is…) Let’s stick the nose in! Light, with a whiff of alcohol (though that might be the glass with the very narrow opening) and, yes, light “continental European” fruits. Ripe red apples, red, juicy pears, also baked apples stuffed with cinnamon sugar and a clove or two, slightly grassy apple peel, cake frosting with a splash of lemon, mixed tinned fruits in glucose syrup.

Continue reading “Tasting: Teeling The Revival Vol. II 13 yo Calvados finish”