Tag: undisclosed | 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)”

October 10, 2016

Tasting: North Highland 1995 18 yo undisclosed Single Malt by Svenska Eldvatten

Dram data:
Distillery: undisclosed
Bottler: Svenska Eldvatten
Distilled: 3.1995
Bottled: 10.2013
Age: 18
Limitation: 428
Casks: Single Cask
Alcohol: 561%
Unchillfiltered; uncoloured
Whiskybase link

We are getting very close to the 200th whisky review here at MaltKlaus’ headquarters, so let’s find something mysterious in the sample pile… An undisclosed Highland malt, perhaps? Yes, this should do nicely!

Tasting notes:
Colour: amber with a golden sheen
The nose leaves no doubt: sherry cask at work here! Probably European oak, too. On the first contact we’ve got a mixture of fresh lemon with peel, a drop of lime, melissa and mint on the one hand and dried plums, fresh figs, a handful of dates on the other. It’s balanced out with a whiff of wet autumn forest, spent cloves, a cinnamon stick used for three consecutive brews of mulled wine (red wine!) and the smell of walking past an oriental spice shop. A very nice balance between distillery character and cask, still on the light side. Continue reading “Tasting: North Highland 1995 18 yo undisclosed Single Malt by Svenska Eldvatten”

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”

December 3, 2015October 7, 2016

24 drams till Christmas tasting #3: McClelland’s Lowland (Auchentoshan) NAS

Dram data:
Distillery: undisclosed Auchentoshan
Bottler: Mc Clelland’s (Morrison Bowmore)
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2015-ish
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 40%
chill filtered; coloured
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: E150a gold
The nose starts off slightly alcoholic, even at 40% ABV. Ah well, it’s a young malt, it is. The aroma is rather generic and a bit boring – vanilla, malt, caramel, dried oranges, custard, a hint of chocolate spices and yeast – rinse and repeat. No off notes (unless you count the alcohol which might only appear so strong because the aroma is rather weak). Very likeable and unobtrusive, just not very engaging, that’s all. Continue reading “24 drams till Christmas tasting #3: McClelland’s Lowland (Auchentoshan) NAS”

October 25, 2015October 7, 2016

Blind Tasting: McClelland’s Islay NAS (undisclosed Bowmore)

Dram data:
Distillery: Bowmore
Bottler: McClelland’s (Morrison Bowmore)
Distilled: –
Bottled: ca. 2014 (code L142025)
Age: NAS
Limitation: –
Casks: –
Alcohol: 40%
Chillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: gold
Oh, a blind tasting! I love blind tastings! Let’s see what we’ve got here! The nose opens on the fruity and sweet side. Heather honey, caramelised orange peel, vanilla pudding powder, candy floss, baked red apples with cinnamon, cloves and demerara sugar. Mellow oak notes in the background too – I think this dram is in its early to mid teens. Continue reading “Blind Tasting: McClelland’s Islay NAS (undisclosed Bowmore)”

October 21, 2015October 7, 2016

Tasting: (Undisclosed) Talisker 10 yo by Adelphi (Fascadale Release 2)

Dram data:
Distillery: Most likely Talisker
Bottler: Adelphi (Fascadale Release 2)
Distilled: –
Bottled: 2010
Age: 10 years
Limitation: 3746 bottles
Casks: –
Alcohol: 46%
unchillfiltered; natural colour
Whiskybase link

Tasting notes:
Colour: hay
An independently bottled Talisker. Don’t see that too often. Let’s see what it’s like! The nose opens with peat smoke and brine, white pepper, the typical chili catch note combined with quite a bit of fresh menthol and some chalk (scallop shells?)
Continue reading “Tasting: (Undisclosed) Talisker 10 yo by Adelphi (Fascadale Release 2)”