Tastes

I have never agreed that Glengoyne is the natural rival to Glendronach. This is a statement that i have heard quite a few times, and i don't think those two whiskies taste even 1% alike. Having said that, i respect Glengoyne, and that is why i bought the Cask Strength Batch 9. This expression is bottled at 59.6%abv, and it was matured in a 1st fill Oloroso cask; then a refill Cask, and finished in a Bourbon Barrel. On the nose, it is super sweet. Coffee with dulce de leche; christmas cake and oranges. Spongy cake with toffee. Some citric notes as well. After a first sip, i got salted caramel. Orange juice. On the palate, it is delicious. "Arequipe" dulce de leche; herbal notes. This is exactly a dulce de leche birthday cake. Aftertaste is a little short, but follows tje same rythm. Toffee, salt, caramel; a little metallic. Overall this was very, very enjoyable. Not complex at all, with simple, straightforward notes that are beautifully delivered for a very rewarding experience. Suprisingly good, my score for it is 89 over 100.

The super famous Danish Whisky Retailers released some years ago a very interesting Arran expression, from a 1999 vintage. This 12 year old was finished in Pinot Noir casks for the last 3 years of the maturation, and was bottled at 46%abv. The bottle does not look like the new "milk" decanters, since it is was 2011 release, which in my humble opinion, were much better looking bottles. On the nose, wonderful aroma of nutella, hazelnut, chocolate and oranges all at the same time, at the first sniff. Its like pineapples dipped in cappuccino. Caramel. There is something that feels old and humid, like sawdust. Elegant and thick on the nose. Pineapple juice. The most incredible marshmallow note ever has appeared. Peach halves and white chocolate. On the palate, i get pineapple notes right away, it feels a little light, almost watery. Sugar notes for a second, then it becomes a salty water. On the second sip, this is definitively sugary, with sawdust notes. Aftertaste is beautiful. Tobacco and dark cake notes. Burnt hay. Very rewarding and full. It feels like drinking the cask's loose wooden threads. Overall, a very enjoyable 12yo expression from Arran, but i did not feel the Pinot Noir Cask influence at all. It feels more like a standard Arran, which is always a very good dram in my books, but it did not offered me anything new. Still, this is a very good whisky; my score for it is 88 over 100.

I finally got the chance to taste one of the most famous and renowned expression of Glenfiddich in the past 2 years. This 26yo expression called Grande Couronne, is finished in elegant cognac casks, and it is bottled at 43.8%. The decanter itself is absolutely wonderful. The aroma is beautiful. Its like peaches dipped in an elegant honey/apple syrup. It is a mixture of aromas; a frankenstein made out of grapefruits, gooseberries and lime. It is a fruit salad. There is watermelon here, kiwis, apples, everything super fruity. Even the spiciness i get on the nose feels fruity. I did not like how it fell a little after a first sip: it gave me honey and some grassy notes. Yellow apples. Milk & spices. It Starts a little light on the palate. Grapefruits, gooseberries, farm fruits. On the second sip i get a little more sugary notes, milk with sugar, corn flakes. Very light. Hay. Aftertaste is nice, rich. Cake and tobacco. Vanilla, super elegant notes. Honey, cough syrup and ginger. Very rewarding. After a second sip i can confirm this is is a good aftertaste. Hay. Mouth watering and long. Nougat. Overall, the below average palate here is disonant to a pretty nose and a great aftertaste. If the palate were a little bit better, this would be a memorable dram. My score for this quite hefty whisky from Glenfiddich is 86 over 100.

My final review on Glenfiddich's latest travel retail releases called "The Perpetual Collection" was the 18yo, the most expensive (not super pricey though). Matured in ex bourbon and sherry, it also goes to the famous solera vat. I appreciate it comes at 47.8%abv, to develop more flavor and aromas. On the nose, it is has a very beautiful, fancy apple and honey notes. Dark cake and cinnamon. Definitvely honeyed. Christmas cake. Very delicate. After the first sip, the aroma fell a little. Its mostly apples cake and honey. Raisin notes have risen. On the palate it is not very complex. Very easy to enjoy: Honey, grassy, tobacco leaf, salty water. On the second sip, it is very watery, not much here. Aftertaste is very simple as well. Grassy, burnt hay, tobacco. Hints of ginger and salt. Nothing too special. Overall, this one was a dud. I really expected this one to be the best of the series, but that just didn't happen. I also think the standard 18yo is not the best "fiddich" out there. A boring, simple and underwhelming expression, my score for it is 75 out of a 100.

Back in 1995, Chivas Regal was granted once again the Queen's Awards for Export Achievement; it was the fourth time they have won that prize. I already drank, not only tasted (lol), two bottles of the 1990 expression, which was fantastic, and now i managed to get my hands on this 1995 bottling. Bottled at 40%abv, this was awarded to "the Chivas & Glenlivet group", and never hit the markets, since it was given to the distillery and administrators of Chivas as a gift for their achievement. On the nose, this are the classic Chivas Aromas, but delivered in a quite elegant and fancy way. Oranges, green apples, caramel. Ginger and pancake maple syrup. On the palate, this is delicious. Very thick body. Caramel and dark chocolate. Oranges. Salt and butterscotch. Aftertaste follows the same path, everything very elegant. Ginger, oranges and caramel. Herbal and velvety. Overall, this is a Chivas 12yo on steroids. It has all the classic flavors of a standard blend, but delivered in a much more fancy, thick way. Absolutely enjoyable, it is always good to drink a whisky that can go extinct due to its rarity, my score for it is 88 over 100.

I have told you before that if you ever google "the king of wines" you will get "Barolo" as the first result. Well, did you know there is a "Queen of Wines"? It is Barolo's sister, Barbaresco. Made out of the same grape, nebbiolo, which means that it grows in the fog, at Piamonte, Italy. Edradour has fully matured this single malt in ex Barbaresco casks, and bottled it after 12 years, at 48.2%abv. On the nose, it starts with Latex notes; water balloons, tropical punch and gooseberries. Mostly farm fruits. Very floral. On the palate, very light and winey. Farm fruits, milk chocolate and spices. It feels like being hit by a water ballon, when you accidentally drink a little water of it. Aftertaste is a different thing. Tobacco, chilli, cigarrettes. Very rich. Overall, this wasn't near the Barolo Cask from Edradour. It is a fine, enjoyable dram, but it felt very light and gentle. Maybe too gentle for me, since i am more on the "punch in the face" side of whiskies. A good dram, not my favorite Edradour. My score for it is 88 over 100.

Chivas regal has released for the travel retail market some nice 18yo expressions called "The Wine Casks Series", and the first one was this Chateau Margaux. The name comes from a Bordeaux Winery, who make a premier grand cru red wine, mostly made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc grapes. Of course a very good looking 1 litre bottle, at 48%abv which is very nice and interesting for a blend. On the nose, this is SUPER FLORAL. Peaches clove and flowers. It is like a thorned rose in the aroma. Red fruits, herbal and.... smokey?. Eucalyptus. It feels "hippie". Nice. On the palate, very winey and dry. Red fruits and floral notes. Red berries everywhere. Aftertaste is very good as well. Dry mouthfeel, tobacco, red berries and ginger. It is actually slightly smokey. Beautiful. Overall, this is a fantastic everyday whisky. Most whisky connoisseurs might feel that this one lacks some complexity, but it is so enjoyable that is a dram you can share with friends and family in an important gathering. Nicely done by Chivas, my score for it is 88 over 100.

The final dram of the Bourbon and American Whiskey night tasting event that i went om late december, was one that i have been craving for a long time: Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof. A very good looking bottle, actually a label that has already been changed, this whiskey was bottled at 58.4%abv (116.8 Proof). Lets see if it was any good: On the nose, i get Banana, ice cream; it doesn't seem to have 58.4%, since it doesn't have a strong alcohol note. Creamy brie cheese. Vanilla, honey and recently made coffee. Burnt caramel. Sour prunes. A very nice aroma here. On the palate it was a lot more normal. Honey, caramel, sugar, sour prunes. Ginger. Aftertaste was a little rough and very sugary. Hints of burnt tobacco; not very enjoyable due to roughness. Very dry. Very short. Overall, this started with a great nose, then a normal palate, and finished with a sub-par aftertaste. The nice notes on the nose were i told you that it didn't seem to be a 58.4%abv dram, became too rough on the finish. It lacked some complexity as well on the palate. A whiskey that manage to barely pass the test, my score for it is 80 over 100.

The best whiskey i had on a Bourbon and American Whiskey tasting event that i was invited was this great Rittenhouse Straight Rye, bottle in bond. A 100 proof whiskey, (50%abv), it has a 4 age statement declared in their website. It belongs to Heaven Hill distillery. On the nose, it was out of this world. The first note was a crazy one: trout food, the one people use in trout farms. Rye and red fruit marmalade. Letting it breath will release marschino cherries and hints of capuccino. After a sip, it gave me notes of coffee and caramel, sawdust. Very mellowed. Spicy pepper and chilli. This is my type of aroma. I loved it. On the palate, it is very good. Red fruits syrup and brown sugar. Capuccino coffee and strawberry marmalade. Aftertaste is outstanding as well. Spicy red fruits, cherries and red chilli. Absolutely amazing. Very well delivered. Overall, this is one dram that even if it is not super complex, it is quite enjoyable and delicious. The nose is full of wonderful layers of aromas. If you can get your hands on this one, you definitively should. My score for it is 93 over 100.

Continuing my journey through some rather difficult for me to obtain bourbons, i got my hands on a bottle that i have only had one other expression ever: E.H. Colonel Taylor. This is the small batch, which is actually not a real whiskey term, lol; since there is no legal quantity standard to determine what constitutes a "Small Batch". This one has been bottled at 50%abv (100 proof). On the nose, i get some classic notes of honey, apples, dim hay, yeast and pear. After letting it breath, it releases a nice note of caramel. On the palate, it has a nice spiciness upfront. Red apple peel. Cinnamon. Quite spicy really. Aftertaste is great. If the nose and palate were a little dissapointing, the finish was a good revival moment for this dram. It has a really mellow finish; lovely honey and burnt hay. Tobacco. Nice stuff. Overall, the wonderful aftertaste it has, made this dram pass the test. I can see how people enjoy this one due to its great finish. For me, a whiskey i can soon forget, but an average score of 80 over 100 to be fair with it.