Tastes

Stop number 98 on the SDT is Teaninich. For a history on this Highland distillery, see @LeeEvolved’s review just before mine. Thanks for doing the research for me Lee! Part of the Flora and Fauna series by Diageo, this single malt is bottled at 43% ABV and most likely has colorant added making it a golden straw color and being 43% it is surely chill filtered. The nose is somewhat light, but rich. Concord and white grapes, dark berries. A bit of a confectionary feel to it. A little nutty like pecan or hazelnut. Sherry notes, mostly figs and raisins. Floral honey, light lemon oil, green tea and faint mint. A pinch of coffee grounds together with hazelnut and vanilla creamer. The palate is sweet and bitter at the same time, but it definitely leans to the bitter side. Pepper and very little oak, if any. Licorice, light sherry notes, nutmeg and hazelnut. Orange oil and a hint of lemon. A malty taste but not too strong. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is dry but a little creamy. The finish is medium long with tea, licorice, nutmeg and nougat. I rather enjoyed the nose. Not great, but good. The palate was a touch too bitter and not very cohesive. I do like the style, but it was a miss. Not a swing and miss, but more like a foul down the 3rd base line. Overall it’s not too bad and I can see its appeal as a blending component. A decent price at $55, but a tough buy at that price. I would turn down a dram if there wasn’t anything better on the table, but I’m not running out to buy it either. 3.25 and thanks to @Telex for the sample. Cheers

Stop number 97 on the SDT is Miltonduff. A little known Speyside distillery with a huge capacity of 5.5 million liters per year, second only to Glenlivet. The vast majority of their whisky goes into Ballentines blends but they did release a 10 and 12 year old official bottling, which from what I could find was a number of years ago. These days they have a kind of partnership with Gordon and MacPhail to release a semi official 10 and 15 year old. This 10 year old is bottled at 43% ABV (which I believe was done for the US market because all information I could find about this bottle showed it as 40% [including this entry on Distiller but it’s close enough to not warrant making a new entry], even on the G&M website). It is likely natural color of golden straw and it is chill filtered. Matured in a combination of refill and first fill sherry casks. The nose starts floral with fresh hay and grasses. Funny that it’s sherry matured because I’m getting a distinct bourbon sensation. Light oak, pine resin and vegetal like celery. After time the sherry notes do start to come through. Light raisins, plums and red apples. A light but well integrated buttery toffee and caramel with vanilla. The palate...well, there wasn’t much there to get excited about. Slightly bitter oak and a very generic whisky taste, probably why it’s so popular with blenders as a base component. Sharp at times with a faint metallic note. Possibly some tobacco but I can’t say for sure. Malty with a bit of honey. Some peppery heat even at 43%. Like the nose, I get more of a bourbon feel than a sherry one. Maybe I’m just off tonight. A medium light bodied mouthfeel that is thin but lightly oily. A medium length finish that is mostly just pepper and oak. Another poor example of an independent bottling (even though this is supposedly approved by the distillery). The nose was ok but the palate was nearly impossible to dissect and it was very uninspired. Not impressed. At $55 for a 10 year old the price is just ok, but the value isn’t there. Thanks to @Scott_E for the sample. 2.5 and a hope that the rest of the final round goes better. Cheers

Stop number 96 on the SDT Abhainn Dearg. A newer distillery located on the Island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and it is the westernmost in Scotland. The stills were based on designs used by early illicit distillers. Look them up, they are funky looking. This bottle is a 3 year old single cask limited release. Quite an expensive bottle at $250 (glad I wasn’t the one that bought it). Bottled at 46% ABV and is non chill filtered and natural color of pale white wine. The nose begins with a brief hit of sweetness, followed by intense floral notes. Jasmine, orange blossom, honeysuckle and maybe some lavender. Strong, slightly sour oak, vanilla and something like marshmallows or whipped cream. It’s different, but not bad. Those odd stills really make a difference. Vegetal like bamboo shoots or water chestnuts and a little earthy. Honey and barley malt. Damp peat comes through but it’s rather light. Salty, damp wood and a hint of coconut. Barrel char, anise, perfume and a long forgotten memory of bourbon. Water brings out unsweetened raspberry green tea and more honey. The palate is fairly light overall. Earthy, somewhat sour and peaty, but more earthy peat than smoky. Almost no smoke at all. The peat is more like a Highland peat than an Islay peat, but still different than either one. Pears and cinnamon, sour oak and vegetal. Water brings vanilla cream, faint coconut, light fruits, oranges mostly and colada. A hint of pepper and it becomes less sour. A light bodied mouthfeel that is thin and dry. The finish is medium long with light earthy peat, green tea, vegetal and slightly sour. I used the term sour a lot here, but it’s not an unpleasant sensation, just another layer of complexity. Much better than I was expecting. A wealth of flavors for a 3 year old. I would compare this to Hedonism, not so much in flavor profile (although there are some similarities), but in the way it breaks stereotypes. Who would have thought a blended grain whisky could produce the wonder that is Hedonism? The same goes with this 3 year old. How can something so young have so much depth to it? While it’s not even close to spectacular, this is a good whisky. It shows it’s youth, yet also has maturity beyond its years. Looking forward to trying it as a 10 year old. It’s not worth the huge price tag, not even close. Thanks to @PBMichiganWolverine for the sample. A solid 3 Cheers

Stop number 95 on the SDT is Inchgower. Another obscure Speyside distillery brought to the public’s attention through Diageo’s Flora and Fauna series. This 14 year old single malt is bottled at 43% ABV and most likely has colorant added making it a yellow gold and is surely chill filtered. The nose starts off with white grapes/grape juice and honey. Slightly tannic oak follows, but it’s quite nice along with a brief hit of sawdust. Green apples and pears and some mild peaches. Anise, licorice and ginger with a hint of smoke. It’s not peaty in the least, but that whiff of smoke weaves it’s way in and out. A sweetness appears after some time in the glass, cocoa dusted oranges, some light vanilla. A bit of nutmeg, more cocoa and honey. After a long while (at least 25-30 minutes) some caramel, butterscotch and maple appear. Not the most engaging nose out there, but it has some serious depth to it. The palate does not deliver quite the way the nose does (which wasn’t superb to begin with). Peppery oak with ginger and a little barrel char. Slightly bitter and vegetal. Anise, licorice and a distinct root beer flavor in the background. Bitter tangerines and a bit of a sour note, but not too sour. Some honey, a little malty and vanilla. Middle of the road, if not a bit lower than that. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is mouth coating and dry with a bit of a fuzzy feel. Not sure how else to describe it. The finish is medium long with tangerines, oak tannins and slightly sour. While this has nice depth and complexity on the nose, it just doesn’t have a standout character. I wouldn’t refuse a pour, but there are so many better options out there. I’d say throw a big ole ice cube in a glass and hearty pour and enjoy this guy on a warm day. It’s a easy sipper if you don’t want to ponder your whisky. For $56 plus international shipping, I’ll probably pass. But if you can get it for under $60 our the door, give it a chance. A solid 3.5 and a thanks to @Telex for the sample. And with that review, we commence the 7th and final round of the Scottish Distillery Tour. Cheers

Well I’m back! It’s been nearly 3 weeks since my last review. A combination of travel, family responsibilities, home maintenance and a rather annoying summer cold kept me from having the time and faculties to do a proper review. The cold is still lingering, but I’m clear enough to get a review in. The final round of the SDT has begun, but before I dive into those samples I wanted to review this beauty as it marks my 250th review. I wanted to mark this occasion with an Islay as they are my first love. This bottle was one of the premium bottles we had at our hotel room tasting in DC at Whiskyfest, provided by @LeeEvolved Ardbeg Twenty Something is a 23 year old that, from my understanding, is the recent 21 year old with an extra 2 years of finishing is sherry casks. It’s bottled at 46.3% ABV and is non chill filtered and natural color of honey gold. The nose is pure Ardbeg peat smoke up front. Quite smoky given its age really, I’m impressed that the phenols in the distillate held up this well over its long life. Bonfire ashes, creosote and smoked ham with a honey glaze. Once the smoke subsided a little there is vanilla cream and custard, cherries and cherry wood, almonds. Very light sherry notes after some time, not too strong given it’s two year finishing period. Light mint and lemon notes, black tea and a hint of red grapes. After a good 45 minutes in the glass it develops a chalky note, so I would advise not letting it sit that long. A huge peppery arrival on the palate with sharp charred oak and a decent amount of peat smoke. I want to use the word elegant here, but it’s not quite on that level. I can say it’s about as elegant and an Ardbeg can be, but it’s still a powerhouse of a dram. Almonds, cherries/cherry cough syrup. Briny, slightly bitter black tea, a hint of sherry and vanilla. Way in the background there is some mint. A medium to medium full bodied mouthfeel that is mouth coating and lightly oily The finish is long with peat smoke, pepper, oak and more smoke. This stuff is good, really good. It’s powerful yet sophisticated, like a 24 oz. framing hammer with a velvet covered hand grip. Definitely better than the 21 year old which I found to be a bit on the weak side. I think Lee paid upwards of $500 for this bottle, and while I can’t say it was worth that kind of money I will say it’s worthy of a special occasion pour. In the hotel room this was hands down a 5 star dram, but under closer scrutiny it’s just not quite at that level. I gave the 21 a 4.25, and I think this one fits somewhere between 4.5 and 4.75. Given the price tag, I’ll go with the lower score and say it’s a solid, respectable 4.5. Cheers

Valour is a travel retail exclusive from Dalmore. I bought this bottle after passing on it several times while shopping at my favorite duty free shop. I had heard good things about it and figured what the hell, I’ll give it a try. $80 later I walked out with the 1L bottle that came in a deep purple box. Let’s see what I got myself into. On the box it states the following: “Matured in American white oak and Oloroso sherry wood. Finessed in port pipes from the Douro region in Portugal.” I’m not sure what “finessed in port pipes” means, but is sounds like they poured a few gallons into a port cask, sloshed it around a couple times and then poured it back out. Anyways, I digress. Bottled at 40% ABV and is chill filtered and has enough colorant added to make it a dark copper typical of most Dalmores. The nose is as strong as you would expect for 40% ABV. Oak and cardboard with moderate wood spices. Nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. Chocolate, light toffee, vanilla, maple and light sherry. Possibly some port notes, though it’s hard to differentiate the port from the sherry in this case. Mixed berries, plums, orange oil and faint candied pineapple. Walnuts and almonds. A hint of furniture polish and a very light citrus. Some complexity to it, but everything is subtle and nuanced. Everything except for the oak, that’s always in the foreground. The palate, like the nose, is mainly oak. Dark chocolate and cinnamon, toffee and sherry. Licorice, tangerines/oranges and and dates. Notes of cardboard and sawdust. The oak takes over again with some tannic bitterness. A decent presence for 40%. Medium-light bodied, thin and dry. The finish is medium length, oak, tannins, light sherry and dry. This is one of the bottles I brought with me to DC for Whiskyfest and @LeeEvolved, @Telex and I pretty much were in agreement that this was the weakest offering of the night during our hotel room tasting. I know some people liked this expression and consider it a worthy addition to the Dalmore lineup, but I find it to be another one of Richard Paterson’s over engineered attempts at pleasing everyone. At times the nose shows promise, but then the oak overtakes everything. The palate is more is the same. Valour is further evidence that you need to pay significantly more for a Dalmore with real depth and personality, like the 18 and the Cigar Malt. While this is a good single malt, it is far from great and that is why it gets a 3.5. Cheers

Another of the wonderful samples from the hotel room tasting in DC, courtesy of @Telex. This Bunnahabhain is aged 10 years in ex bourbon casks and then finished for 3 years in Marsala red wine casks. Bottled at 46.3% ABV and is non chill filtered and natural color of a nice amber. Strong red wine notes on the nose, but this is what I call a slow breather. Take this one in slowly, allow it to fill the senses gradually. Big sniffs will kill all of the wonders trapped within. Almond butter, marzipan, cherries and concord grapes. Vanilla, bourbony oak and light mint. Mixed berry pie filling, glazed jelly donuts, and light brown sugar. It has a similar feel to a good port finished whisky. Buttercream frosting and it becomes syrupy at the bottom of the glass. Water nearly kills the nose but brings out more of a buttery note and some grasses. Red wine, cherries and red grape skins are the main notes on the palate. Buttery with a hint of pepper. Slightly grassy with light toffee and brown sugar. Water brings vegetal and herbal notes, but does nothing to improve the taste. Medium bodied mouthfeel that is lightly oily, mouth coating and dry. The finish is long with red wine, almonds and grapes. Dry. This one is all about the nose. I could nose this all day. The palate is less exciting but still solid. An all day, every day kind of dram...if you have a sweet tooth. I’m not sure the price point on this one, but I would say if it’s under $125 it’s a no brainer. Definitely do not add water, this one is best as is. 4.25-4.5 easily. Cheers

Now that I’m between rounds of the SDT I can catch up on a few samples that have been gathering dust. Up to bat is Springbank 13 Green. This was one of the bottles that was brought to the hotel room for Whiskyfest in April by fellow attendee @Telex. The Green designation is due to the fact that the barley used is 100% organic. Bottled at 46% ABV and is non chill filtered and natural color of yellow gold. The nose is tart with lemon and honey. A distinct note of citronella is present. Odd but strangely nice and comforting. Malty/barley, green apples and green bananas. Very earthy and vegetal, green oak. Very light peat and smoke, a touch salty/briny. Light sherry notes like raisins and sherry oak. More green bananas show up. Water brings out more honey and a little ginger. The barley varietal really makes a difference on the palate. Green/unripe fruits like bananas, melon and apples. Some lemon rind, citronella and floral notes. Water brings more cereal malt, light sherry and slightly bitter. Light to medium bodied mouthfeel, very mouthwatering. The finish is long, green and tart, mouthwatering throughout. I used the word green a lot as a descriptor because, well, it fits. This single malt is more green than any other I’ve had, except maybe the Glen Spey from Berry’s, but that one was garbage. This is not exactly something I would seek out as it is quite different, but different is good to have once in a while to keep the senses sharp. I’m not sure if the cost on this one, but being that there were only 9000 bottles released I would think it’s not cheap. Either way it’s still good. 3.75-4 Cheers

Stop number 94, and the final stop of round 6 of the Scottish Distillery Tour is the Speyside distiller, Speyside. Yes the distillery with enough hubris to name itself after the region in which it was built. Beinn Dubh translates to The Black Mountain and is a NAS release. For a more detailed history on the distillery see the review by @LeeEvolved He is also the one that provided this sample. Bottled at 43%, chill filtered and with enough colorant added to make this a deep dark purply-red with brown hues. The nose is super rich/sweet. Lots of vanilla and chocolate. Toffee, caramel and coffee. Plenty of sherry, some blackberries, baked apples and cherries. Anise, root beer and hints of cola. Strong notes of grape/mixed berry jelly that get stronger the more it sits. Hints of oak and damp, musty basement. Really not a bad nose, but it all feels artificial. Sticky sweet on the palate. If you want to attract ants, just pour some of this on the ground in late spring and watch them swarm. Lots of sherry, cherry cough syrup with about a cup of sugar added. Vanilla, milk chocolate, caramel and anise. Some ginger and a definite note of teriyaki. Some bitter nuts and oak. A light to medium bodied mouthfeel. Watery, but mouth coating and mouthwatering. The finish is medium long, sticky sweet with sherry, caramel and teriyaki. This is a strange one. I’d like to see what this thing looks like without all of the colorant. It’s a sherry bomb for sure, but I suspect that rather than years upon years of maturation in quality sherry seasoned oak, that they left more than a few casks 10-15% full of sherry before they filled them. I like a sweet sherry bomb the likes of Macallan or Tamdhu, but this is a little ridiculous. The nose is decent enough, but the palate really shows the youth and flaws. Quite the good value though at only $48 if you can find it. I’ll have to give this a 3.5. Looking forward to round 7 in a few weeks and enjoying the final leg of out tour. Cheers

The final bonus sample from this current round of the SDT is from everyone’s favorite Island distillery, Talisker. 57° North is a travel retail exclusive. Not only does the 57 refer to the strength of the whisky, but also the distillery’s global coordinates (which happens to be Lat 57° 17’.9N, Long 06° 21’.5 W). Bottled at 57% ABV and is most likely natural color of honey gold and I can confirm that it is non chill filtered. The nose is pepper and peat smoke, although the latter is somewhat restrained. Slightly medical. Malty/cereal, herbal and floral. BBQ meats, mostly chicken and maybe some hamburger, both of which are over cooked and dried out. Earthy and vegetal (more peat). Honey, lemon, dried apricots and grilled oranges. Balanced oak, faint mint, fennel or maybe licorice. Olive brine/salty, lemon custard and vanilla sweetness. With water there is more honey and grilled fruits, hay and chalkiness. It becomes chalky pretty quick. The palate is sweet up front but the signature Talisker pepper quickly takes control and overpowers any sweetness that was there. Not much peat or smoke at first, but it does build a bit. Ashes and barrel char, salty. Water brings out honey and citrus in the form of lemons and pineapple. A medium-full bodied mouthfeel that is semi-dry and mouth coating. The finish is medium length, dry, slightly nutty with plenty of pepper, oak and a puff of smoke. The opposite of the 18 year old. Instead of elegant and refined, it’s a battering ram of pepper and spice. This is definitely a young whisky. Based on the high ABV and lack of real depth this is more than apparent. It’s main attribute is its brute force and ability to assault your senses (in a good way). Not much water needed, if any, to enjoy this one. Still, I would take the iconic 10 year old over this one any day of the week. I’d take the Storm/Dark Storm too. At $95 it’s not a great bargain either, considering the Dark Storm is about $30 less and they are both TREs (no tax since I got them at duty free) and both are 1L bottles. Yes the 57 gives you an extra 11.2% ABV, but in my opinion the trade off isn’t worth the money. Having said all that, this is still a solid 4 star single malt. Cheers