Tastes

So here is the review for the 12 your old in the correct place. Stop number 40 on the SDT is Old Pulteney. This Highland distillery is the northernmost distillery on the Scottish mainland, any further and you'd be on Orkney. This 12 year old is bottled at 43% ABV and from what I can gather it is chill filtered and has colorant added making it a sort of orange gold. The nose starts off nice and fruity. Apricots and oranges with plenty of honey. There is some under brewed tea, light oak and light vanilla. Fairly salty with a gentle earthiness and dry grass. More fruit appears, melon and citrus, lemon and lime. Dried banana, and quite a bit of it. The barest hint of smoke appears after a while but fades fast. Some toffee and something like nuts but not quite. I can't quite identify it but it's good. The palate is citrusy, lemon/lime. Honey and dried banana. Fairly salty and a light pepper. Apricots and nectarines. A little chocolate, like dark chocolate salted caramels. A very nice sipper at no mistake. A medium bodied mouthfeel. Oily, viscous, luxurious. Turns dry though. A medium long finish that is mostly honey and banana. After hearing so many good things about Old Pulteney I was scared I had built it up too high, but this 12 year old is quite good. It started out a little simple but evolved into a great dram. A fair amount of complexity, a wonderful mouthfeel and a surprising amount of banana that I found most welcome. At $45 it is also a great value. I'd love to try the 17 year old if I can still find it. A big thanks to Scott for supplying this sample, it was well received. 4.25 Cheers 🥃

Stop number 39 on the SDT is Knockdhu, better known as anCnoc. Flaughter is a NAS expression from this Highland distillery that gets its name from a type of spade shovel. Flaughter is peated to a level of 14.8 ppm. It is bottled at 46% ABV, is non chill filtered and is a natural color of pale straw. The nose is peaty and earthy. A fair amount of sea salt and grilled lemons appear soon after you get acclimated to the peat. Some light plum and apricot notes. It's not very complex and shows a good bit of youth. A low level of vanilla, green grapes and some maritime notes. The palate starts off with a medium level of peat. Not too intense at 14.8 ppm, but it is adamant about its peatiness. Earthy, brine/sea salt. A little fruity, but not too sweet. I had a hard time trying to discern individual fruit flavors, just a general fruitiness. It ends a bit ashy with citrus. Medium light bodied. Creamy and a little oily. Mouthwatering and it coats your mouth in a way that is a little unusual, but not in a bad way. Medium long finish, mostly just peat smoke and ashes. I was hoping for much more out of this one. The packaging is aesthetically appealing and gave the expectation that something special was inside. It's not bad, but it just didn't wow me. It's too one dimensional. For the price of $65 it is very much not worth the price of admission. I could see enjoying this once in a while when you want something peated that you can sip without thinking too much about it, but other than that it's not worth buying a full bottle. Thanks to Lee for the sample. 3.25 Cheers 🥃

Stop number 38 on the SDT is Glenfarclas. A family owned Speyside distillery rather than corporate owned, Glenfarclas is rather unique in the scotch world. Not only are they independently owned and operated, but they are one of only a handful of distilleries that still uses direct fired stills. I have reviewed the 10 year old and the 25 and loved them both. Let's see how well this 12 year old fares. Bottled at 43% ABV and as with all Glenfarclas expressions (I believe) it is non chill filtered and natural color. This one is a beautiful golden brown, like a perfectly toasted marshmallow. A very nice sherry nose to start things off. Dense spiced Christmas fruitcake. Nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. Definite mint and black licorice. Some low levels of fruit, plums and raisins mostly, but also some chocolate oranges and caramel apples. A light nuttiness, maybe almonds. Butterscotch and toffee. Not too complex, but great regardless. Sweet and lightly spicy on the palate. Minty sherry. The spice level increases a little the more you drink. Charred oak, black tea and baking spices. Mild toffee and butterscotch. Like the nose, it's not too complex, but immensely drinkable. Light to medium bodied. A light oiliness and mouthwatering. Medium length finish. Pepper, sherry and tea. Fairly dry I was in the mood for a sweet sherried whisky tonight, and while this was not exactly sweet, it is very good. From what I remember, this is years above the 10 year old (2 to be exact lol). No bitterness in the finish like the 25 year old, but it lacks the complexity that comes with longer maturation. My love of Glenfarclas has only been strengthened and I still need to try the 17 and 21 year olds. While I would love to give this one a 4, I think a 3.75 is more appropriate. Thanks to Scott for the sample. Cheers

Like Lee and Pranay, this review is not for the listed version of Invergordon, but for both the 9 year version from Battlehill and the 44 year version from Maltbarn. This is a double review so I apologize for the excessive length. First up is the 9 year: Stop number 37 on the SDT is Invergordon. Like the Girvan that I recently reviewed, this distillery only produces single grain whisky. I really don't have much info on this Highland distillery, but I'm relatively sure it's main purpose is to be used in blends as you can't really find official distillery bottlings. This 9 year old bottle comes from the independent bottlers from Battlehill. Bottled at a beefy 58% ABV, non chill filtered and natural color of a pale straw. There is an initial blast of alcohol on the nose, as is to be expected at this strength. It's very waxy, candle wax or paraffin wax. A fair amount of vanilla and grain (comes off as wheat but it could be another type of grain). Green oak and sawdust. Some honey and another hit of oak, but charred oak this time. At this point it took a turn for the worse and a very sour note emerged. Like sourdough bread. I decided to add a generous amount of water to see what would happen. More grain, oak and honey came out, but so did more of that sour note. Really off putting. The palate arrives hot with sharp oak. Underripe stone fruits like apricots and nectarines and some bitter grapes or bad grapenuts cereal. Some bitter chocolate and perhaps burnt coffee beans. The water brought out that sourdough bread in the palate as well. A weird soap like note came through as well. Not pleasant and it actually made me a little nauseous. The mouthfeel is hot, oily and mouthwatering. Actually a rather pleasant mouthfeel. A medium long finish that is sour with green oak I think I've gotten my point across that this stuff was not very good, at least not for my nose and tongue. Really unpleasant sour notes. Actually it reminded me of Craigellachie with how sour it was (I know most people rave about Craigellachie but I didn't care for it). I ended up dumping about half of the sample that Lee provided me with (sorry Lee). It was just not sitting well with me, and still isn't 30 minutes later. I can't see a time when I would buy or recommend this bottle. The initial nose and mouthfeel are the only redeeming qualities that I found. I'm giving it 2 stars and I thinks that's generous. Cheers Next up is the 44 year version: After the disaster that was the 9 year Invergordon from Battlehill that I had yesterday, I was glad to have another Invergordon to try. This go around involves a 44 year old single cask (ex bourbon) from the independent bottlers at Maltbarn. This was bottled in 1972, making it a full decade older than I am! This is the oldest whisky I've had to date. Bottled at 49% ABV, natural color of an orange amber and non chill filtered. The nose is full on bourbon, so much so that I can hardly detect anything scotch about it. After 44 years in an ex bourbon cask it's sort of to be expected though. A fairly strong mint note up front. Caramel and toffee with a little brown sugar and cinnamon. There is a grainy note, but more corn like than anything else. Some fresh red berries and a lovely oak note. Creamy vanilla custard, a little cocoa powder, cherries, toasted coconut and more vanilla. Really an enjoyable nose. Like the nose, the palate is very bourbon like. It arrives hot and a little peppery. Old oak, slightly bitter but not at all unpleasant. Mint and caramel. It reminds me of Buffalo Trace, with maybe some young Bowmore mixed in. It has a slight earthiness about it. Coconut and maybe even mango. Given its age, it has a surprising youthful zip to it. A little bit of graininess comes out eventually, but it integrates well. A full bodied mouthfeel that is hot at first, oily and mouthwatering. Medium length finish with oak, mint and bourbon. There is a slight metallic note that comes and goes on the finish. When it's there it's distracting, when it's not there it is very enjoyable. If I tasted this blind, you'd have a hard time trying to convince me that it's not a bourbon. I'd be interested to know where the cask was sourced, like I said it reminds me of Buffalo Trace. Invergordon has officially redeemed itself with this beautiful whisky. Thanks to Pranay for the bonus sample provided during this round of our Scottish distillery tour group. Cheers

Stop number 36 on the SDT is Tomintoul. This Speyside distillery is located in the area around the river Livet, in the Glenlivet area to be specific. Not to say it is near the Glenlivet distillery, but in the Livet glen. I think I got that right, but I digress. Bottled at 40% ABV, and as such I think it's fair to say that it is chill filtered and has colorant added that makes it a yellow gold in color. Peaty Tang is a NAS expression. The nose is a lovely soft fruity peat. Not a strong peat at all, somewhere between HP and Lagavulin I would say. It's full of orchard fruits. Apricots, oranges and some lemon. Heather honey and maybe some vanilla. A minuscule amount of oak. A little bit of that ashy/tar note found in many a peated scotch, but it's more fruit than anything else. Plum and white grape juice follow. It's very light overall, but pleasant. A very gentle arrival on that palate. Lightly peated. Peat smoke, some ashes. Grilled apricots and maybe pineapple with a touch of coconut. It's sweet, but the sweetness is tempered by the peat. Again, very light but nice. Very light mouthfeel. A little oily but mostly thin. Mouthwatering. The finish is medium length that turns slightly dry with smoked fruits. What can I say? It's a incredibly light scotch. If it wasn't peated I don't think it would have much flavor at all, except some light fruits. It feels like an Ardbeg 10 that was watered down to 30% ABV or less. Probably a good way to introduce your friends to peated whisky without scaring them off. While there is nothing really wrong with this dram, there isn't anything to grab your attention either. I understand that this is the profile that Tomintoul was going for, but it's just not for me. Bump it up to 48% and nix the chill filtering and you might have something worth buying. As it stands I think $60 for this is too high. $40 would be more appropriate, especially for a NAS. Another distillery checked off the list. Thanks to Ryan for the sample. 3.25 Cheers

I got a sample of this 1940's era blended scotch as a bonus sample from the SDT group. Very excited to try something from so long ago. The bottle actually used the old imperial proofing system. 70 degrees proof, which translates to 40% ABV. No idea if colorant is added or if it's chill filtered (did they do that back then?). It is a deep amber color that really looks natural. The nose is a bit of an oddity. Very different from today's style, but that's not to say that it's bad. Rich, dark, roasted notes. Burnt caramel and roasted Brazil nuts. Vanilla and creme brûlée, coffee and a little wood smoke. Dark sherry and dates. There is a little tar/rubber/creosote smell that is nice but very muted. Caramel apples and a bit of sulfur, but it's actually a pleasant sulfur. Slight oak and a little citrus towards the end of the dram. The palate is rich and echoes the nose. Dark caramel, creme brûlée, vanilla and dark sherry. There is something peaty that resembles the feeling of a Laphroaig or maybe a Bowmore. Not what I was expecting but I like it. Some molasses rounds it out. Light to medium bodied, watery but smooth mouthfeel. Sadly the finish is short. Mostly sherry with some peat smoke. This blend is so different from what is out there today. It's hard to compare it to anything I've had before. I like it, that much I know. If this is a typical example of what was coming out of Scotland 3 generations ago, then it was a good time to be alive...except for WWII. A well put together blend, I'd love to know what's in it. I saw on The Whisky Exchange that these bottles go for upwards of £400 (which I believe is around $475), and while I wouldn't pay that much I would still love to get my hands on more. I considered scoring it at 3.75, but the cool factor bumped it up to 4. Thanks for the sample Pranay. Cheers

I decided to do a second review tonight. Not something I normally do, but after that disappointing Girvan I need something to make up for it. Bottled at 43%, a natural color of dark copper and its most likely chill filtered. There is no age statement, but common belief is that it is between 5-7 years old. The nose is young and fairly rough considering it's supposed age. You know right away that this is meant for mixing rather than drinking neat. A good amount of cinnamon and mint right off the bat. Strong oak and barrel char. Burnt toffee and some vanilla. Cola and a little cherry cough syrup. Corn, lots of it and oaky sawdust. There is a little rye sneaking in as well. The palate feels young and flat. A big handful of corn and oak chips. Like the nose, cinnamon and mint. The cola is there as well with maraschino cherries instead of the cherry cough syrup. Not great, but good enough. Medium bodied but a bit thin on the mouthfeel. Medium long finish that is loaded with mint, corn and oak. It is what it is, a budget bourbon that gets the job done. EW Black Label has become the bourbon of choice in my house for mixing. It's good for a hot toddy, mixed with ginger ale, and something I recently discovered, bourbon and cream soda. This bourbon gave me the most corn flavor I've been able to detect to date. It's probably due to its high corn mash bill. 78/10/12% corn/rye/malted barley. This is the same mash bill as two of my favorites, Elijah Craig and EW single barrel, as well as several other Heaven Hill bourbons. This does give a very good value for money at $15 for 750mL. For this reason I am bumping my score to 2.75. Cheers

Disclaimer: this review is not for the 27 year old but for the 10 year old single barrel from The Creative Whisky Co. Stop number 35 on the SDT is Girvan. A Lowland distillery, and unlike all of the other stops thus far, this is a single grain scotch whisky. Single grain meaning it is made from grains (of any variety), and not of 100% malted barley like a single malt would be. BTW, the term "single" refers to the fact that 100% of the whisky is from a single distillery and not a single type of grain. This single cask is an ex bourbon hogsheads, aged for about 10 years and then finished in rum barrels. This is an independent bottling from The Creative Whisky Co. as part ad their Single Cask Exclusives line. Bottled at 50% ABV, non chill filtered and a natural color of pale gold. The nose on this one is very harsh up front. Strong alcohol and solvent notes. I'm battling a cold right now and it nearly cleared out my sinuses completely! This one needs a few extra minutes to settle down. Very grainy. Some rum sweetness and a fair amount of oak. Green apples, floral, honey and a little vanilla. Wood glue and old rubber, not horrible though. Dried banana and Windex. I had to add water to see if it would help. It did but not much. More apples and honey, but not much else. A strange dichotomy of smells, but the bad outweighs the good here. The palate arrives hot, even at 50%. It's better than I expected after the craziness of the nose. Silver or light rum and oak. Cinnamon apples, vegetal notes and some bitterness. Bourbon notes, but not good ones. Water takes away much of the heat, but washes away most of the flavor. A very hot mouthfeel, but light at the same time. A little oily. Medium length finish that is dry and consists of rum flavored glue and oak. A less than mediocre whisky for me. The alcohol and solvent hits on the nose were too much to overcome. It's like a cheap rum mixed with cheaper bourbon and a few drops of acetone in there to complexity destroy your palate. At $40 a bottle, this is $30 too much. It's not the worst thing I've ever had, but it's light years from the best. Thanks(?) to Pranay for the sample. Glad I can move on from this one. 2.25 Cheers

Stop number 34 on the SDT is Tamdhu. Tamdhu was previously owned by the parent company that owns Macallan and Highland Park but was sold to Ian Macleod Distillers because it just wasn't popular enough to maintain. This 10 year old is matured exclusively in sherry casks, and most or all are first fill. Bottled at 43% ABV and i believe it is chill filtered and has colorant added (although I think it's a minimal amount used to even out variations in batch color) making it a dark copper. Get comfortable, because this is going to be a long one. The nose is a full on sherry bomb. Sherried fruits, dates, raisins and figs. Plenty of vanilla and a warm nuttiness like almonds coated in brown sugar. This has a nose similar to the Macallan 12 year double cask, but warmer and it feels like it has a higher proportion of American oak to European oak. Some lighter fruits as well, chocolate oranges perhaps. Soft but elegant oak, rich dark chocolate salted caramels. There was a low level alcohol burn at first but it faded pretty fast. A little dry grass and anise/licorice root. More chocolate notes, with toffee, like a Heath bar. Really a beautiful nose. Rich buttery popcorn or warm buttercream. Man this thing just keeps evolving. Light cinnamon and mint. Ginger and herbal tea, maple syrup and the barest thread of wood smoke. Truly a superb nose. After that kind of an experience with the nose I was worried that the palate would let me down. So happy to be wrong. Rich and sweet up front. Buttery with a little spice. Ripe red fruits and sherry wine notes. Salted caramels and semi sweet chocolate. Gentle oak, just enough to let you know it's there. A touch of vegetal earthiness and peat. Earthy, mainland forest peat, not Islay peat. Just a hint of it though, nothing crazy. Medium bodied mouthfeel. Luxuriously oily and mouthwatering. The finish, unfortunately falls a bit short. Medium length and very dry. Sherry, dark berries and a little mint. About half way through it becomes a little bitter. This is a fantastic single malt. I was not expecting this level of quality. The use of first fill casks is apparent as the flavors are so full and prominent. This is a 10 year old, but I suspect there are far older casks at work here. This is so good, probably the best Speysider in it's price range that I've ever had. I would love to see this same whisky in an 18 year old release. Whiskies like this one really push me to the sherry matured side vs the bourbon matured side. When done right, like it is here, it's a thing of beauty. The finish could have been better, but it is an all around winner. This sample was provided by Lee and he bought the bottle for $80. While I would indeed pay this amount, it is available here in Michigan for $65, making it a no brainer. A solid 4.5, pretty respectable for a little 10 year old from a relatively unknown distillery. Cheers

Stop number 33 on the Scottish Distillery Tour is Auchentoshan. This is my first scotch from the Lowland region so I had a certain level of anticipation and excitement headed into this review. This single malt is bottled at 40% ABV, has colorant added making it a golden straw color, and it is chill filtered. The nose is young and lively. Full of underripe pears, green oak and toasted coconut. Malty, barley sugar sweetness, vanilla, toffee and light cinnamon. It's grassy, like a mix of fresh green grass and dry brown grass. Some creamy citrus notes, like lemon cheesecake and a little grapefruit. This really reminds me of an unpeated version of the Bowmore Gold Reef. There is a touch of green apples and honey. A little mint and anise in the background. There are some bourbony notes. It I find them to be quite muted. Vibrant and fresh on the palate. Coconut, vanilla cream. Pears and honey, cinnamon, toffee and nutmeg. More green oak. Pepper, not much but more than I expected. Definitely a young whisky and it shows. Light to medium bodied and on the thin side. The finish is medium length, dry, oaky and a tad green. There is much more personality here than I expected but I believe that to be due to its youth. The fact that it's triple distilled reinforces that belief. I would love to try the 21 year old to see what a properly matured Lowland whisky has to offer. This is a good scotch, but it's immature to a fault. I'm not sold on Auchentoshan, but neither am I condemning them based on this one sample. Speaking of which, thank you to Ryan (Lee) for providing this sample. 3.25 seems accurate, especially for the low price of $35. Cheers