Tasting: Royal Lochnagar 12 yo – 1990s bottling

Royal Lochnagar 12 yo - 1990s bottling

Royal Lochnagar 12 yo - 1990s bottlingDram data:
Distillery: Royal Lochnagar
Bottler: official bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 1990s
Age: 12 years
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 40%
coloured / chill filtered
Whiskybase link

While this should probably be tasted head to head with a recently bottled sipling, lacking a sample of one I’ll have to make do with what I’ve got – a Royal Lochnagar distilled in the “dark days” of the 1980s, bottles sometime in the 90s. Let’s see how this one fares!

Tasting notes:
Colour:
 light copper
The nose is quite delicate upon the first contact, with the alcohol vapours being somewhat noticeable. Once the nose cuts through that, there’s a tiny whiff of smoke – not peat smoke, mind you – on a base of sweet things! Vanilla, sweetened coconut milk, fudge, dried mango pieces, canned peaches and apricots with a pinch of ready-made spice mixture on top. This is very likeable indeed and quite a lot deeper than modern supermarket drams in this price range. Let’s see if it holds up on the palate! Continue reading “Tasting: Royal Lochnagar 12 yo – 1990s bottling”

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

Laphroaig 1990 19 yo by A.D. Rattray

Laphroaig 1990 19 yo by A.D. RattrayDram 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”

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Tasting: Littlemill 24 yo 1990 – 2015 by Cadenhead’s

Littlemill 24 yo 1990 by Cadenhead's

Littlemill 24 yo 1990 by Cadenhead'sDram data:
Distillery: Littlemill
Bottler: Cadenhead’s
Distilled: 1990
Bottled: 2015
Age: 24 years
Limitation: 582 Bottles
Casks: Bourbon hogsheads
Alcohol: 53,7%
unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour:
light gold
The nose is prototypical Littlemill. Lots of fruit skins – apples, grapes, pears. Also notes of citrus, white peaches, apple juice, diluted grape juice, rhubarb, grapefruit, milled stone dust and a light sweet white wine note in the background. Continue reading “Tasting: Littlemill 24 yo 1990 – 2015 by Cadenhead’s”

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Tasting: Strathmill 24y 1990 Strohwein Finish by C&S

Strathmill 24y 1990 Strohwein Finish by C&S

Strathmill 24y 1990 Strohwein Finish by C&SDram data:
Distillery: Strathmill
Bottler: C&S
Distilled: 04.05.1990
Bottled: 08.09.2014
Age: 24 years
Limitation: 282 bottles
Casks: Nr. 2251 (Ex-Sherry with Stohwein Finish)
Alcohol: 54,8%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour:
light gold
The nose opens very “green” and herbal. Fresh garden herbs, fermented tea, beeswax, propolis, eucalyptus, wormwood. As time progresses notes of vanilla, malt and pear start to appear, but they don’t make it a  fruity or sweet nose, it stays herbal. Continue reading “Tasting: Strathmill 24y 1990 Strohwein Finish by C&S”

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Tasting: Glen Garioch 1990 21y cask 252 by “Archives”

glen_garioch_1990_ARCDram data:

Distillery: Glen Garioch
Bottler: Archives
Distilled: 28.12.1990
Bottled: 05.01.2012
Age: 21
Limitation: 267
Price at the time of purchasing: – (sample)
Casks: Hogshead
Alcohol: 54%
Uncoloured & Unchillfiltered
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: bright gold. On the nose I get an immediate impression of a fresh summer fruit basket. Red apples, pears, gooseberries, strawberries, plums. Continue reading “Tasting: Glen Garioch 1990 21y cask 252 by “Archives””

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Tasting: Bladnoch 1990 cask# 4644

bladnoch1990_cask4644Dram data:

Distillery: Bladnoch
Bottler: Official bottling
Distilled: 31.08.1990
Bottled: 07.06.2013
Age: 22 years
Limitation: unknown
Price at the time of purchasing: 62€
Cask: Single bourbon cask #4644
Alcohol: 52.4%
Unchillfiltered & natural color
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:*
For a 22 year old whisky the color is very light (might have been a refill cask), but this dram is a prime example of color being a poor indicator of quality. At 52,4% alcohol you get a fresh, clean, vanilla-honey sweetness as the first impression but the alcohol note fades quickly, even without adding any water. Continue reading “Tasting: Bladnoch 1990 cask# 4644”

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