Tag: Speyside | Page 3 | MaltKlaus' Daily Drams

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”

March 20, 2016March 16, 2019

Tasting: Benromach 35 yo / 2016

Dram data:
Distillery: Benromach
Bottler: Original bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2016
Age: 35 years
Limitation: –
Casks: First fill Ex-Sherry
Alcohol: 43%
most likely chill filtered and uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: reddish amber
It’s not every day (for me at least) that there’s a 35 year-old whisky in the glass, so this is a special occasion. Time to assume position, pour the remainder of the sample I was sent for the #Benromach35 tweet tasting and sniff away!
The nose opens just as expected from a whisky past a certain maturation point. Beeswax, polished oak, oak-matured honey (wait, what?), oily, thickened grape juice and dried orange peel paired with chocolat-ey cigar tobacco and an old, slightly dusty leather jacket forgotten in grandma’s closet (but in a good way). Continue reading “Tasting: Benromach 35 yo / 2016”

December 11, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #11: Benriach 12 yo

Dram data:
Distillery: Benriach
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: ca. 2015
Age: 12 years
Limitation: –
Casks: Oloroso and PX
Alcohol: 46%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: dark honey
The label says “matured in sherry wood” and the nose agrees! Medium intensity, rather dry sherry notes (dry-ish Oloroso?) meet red fruits (cherries, plums), oranges with zest, raisins (+sweetness), caramelised ginger, and mixed spices – allspice, cinnamon and cloves. Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #11: Benriach 12 yo”

December 9, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #9: Tomintoul Peaty Tang NAS

Dram data:
Distillery: Tomintoul
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 04.03.2014 (14/02072)
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 40%
chill filtered; coloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: light gold
The nose starts with a quite noticeable level of fragrant peat smoke – quite sweet (malt sweetness mixed with brown sugar) and mingled with notes of vanilla, custard, heather, sweet flowers and orange blossoms. Quite light and pleasing, designed not to overwhelm.
Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #9: Tomintoul Peaty Tang NAS”

October 18, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Benromach 10 yo 100 proof

Dram data:
Distillery: Benromach
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2014
Age: 10 years
Limitation: –
Casks: 9 years ex-bourbon, 1 year ex-sherry
Alcohol: 57%
Probably unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: amber
The nose opens with quite a lot of alcohol – not surprising looking at the strength at 57% ABV – 100 British proof. After the alcoholic note fades down a little we can find fragrant peat smoke, dark european wild-fruit sweetness, ground coffee- and cocoa beans and slightly burnt toffee. Continue reading “Tasting: Benromach 10 yo 100 proof”

October 14, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Benromach 10 yo

Dram data:
Distillery: Benromach
Bottler: Original Bottling
Distilled: –
Bottled: 10.04.2014
Age: 10 years
Limitation: –
Casks: 9 years ex-bourbon, 1 year ex-sherry
Alcohol: 43%
Probably chill filtered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: deep red gold
The nose opens with a mixture of fragrant, light peat smoke (the malt is peated to 10-12 ppm) and sherry influence. Quite astonishing, how only one year in (presumably fresh) Oloroso butts has taken control over the spirit but not getting too loud. Continue reading “Tasting: Benromach 10 yo”

September 2, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Benrinnes 14 yo 1998 – 2013 by Mc Gibbon’s Provenance

Dram data:
Distillery: Benrinnes
Bottler: Mc Gibbon’s Provenance
Distilled: Winter 1998
Bottled: Spring 2013
Age: 14
Limitation: –
Cask: Sherry Butt 9632
Alcohol: 46%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: light gold
The nose opens with a noticeable sweet and dry sherry influence. There’s also vanilla, citrus, light caramel with a hint of menthol and an earthy background note. Continue reading “Tasting: Benrinnes 14 yo 1998 – 2013 by Mc Gibbon’s Provenance”

August 12, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: Balmenach 8 yo 2006 – 2014 Rum Finish by Single Cask Collection

Balmenach 8 yo Rum Single Cask Collection

Dram data:
Distillery: Balmenach
Bottler: Single Cask Collection
Distilled: 02.08.2006
Bottled: 30.09.2014
Age: 8 years
Limitation: 199 Bottles
Casks: Bourbon barrel and rum cask
Alcohol: 55%
unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: copper
The nose is quite a bit high on the alcohol on the first whiff, with a noticeable rum influence underneath. A navy-strength alcoholic rum nose would be the best way to describe it. Also notes of fresh citrus, ginger, molasses, bitter cocoa/chocolate, fermented tea and white pepper. Hmmm… Where’s the malt whisky underneath? Continue reading “Tasting: Balmenach 8 yo 2006 – 2014 Rum Finish by Single Cask Collection”