Tastes
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When talking about rare whiskies, an open bottle of an Ardbeg, that has been matured for at least one quarter of a century is quite the finding. Since the release of this new 25yo expression, i have been searching for a glass of it, but it was impossible to get until the day i entered the great bar at Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. There, along other incredible findings, it was available for the humble public to drink it without having to pay for a full bottle. Bottled at 46%abv, it is the oldest age statement for an Ardbeg these days. The only other 25yo expression that existed before this one, was the mythical "Lord of the Isles", a whisky that i have been seeking but i never found. On the nose, it took a long time to fully open. Cardamom, red chilli and Ardbeg's traditional peat. Acid prunes, a pair of new socks and floral notes. It has an orange aroma that i find so rare for an Ardbeg. It is like a pair of wet converse shoes. A little dim, not too clean and lacking some emotion. On the palate, it starts with vanilla and a note that i can describe as muddy water. Acid prunes, earthy and herbal. Spices and smoke on the second sip; salt. Grassy and herbal. Aftertaste was too straightforward, but rewarding. A classic note of a can of new tennis balls. Red chilli and salt. Overall, i was a little underwhelmed by this one. It is not a bad whisky by any means, but for a thousand dollars, you expect complexity, layers of aromas and flavors, but that does not occur here. This one feels like it has lost the smokey profile and the power that you know from this distillery, and that is something that i have been noticing in old Ardbegs, and this one is no exception to that rule. I truly believe that younger expressions are better. My score for it is a honest 89 over 100.
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GlenDronach Grandeur (Batch 11)
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 19, 2023 (edited July 30, 2023)There comes a time in a whisky enthusiast life, where he meets an open bottle of a single malt that he has been wanting to taste but just couldn't afford a whole bottle, lol. Well, that was my story with the almighty Glendronach 28yo Grandeur. The notoriously different decanter makes this "Glendro" quite eye-catching, and of course, with a 28 year old age statement, it is something worth seeking. Bottled at 48.9%abv it has a lovely chesnut color. On the nose, it is a heart-stopper. The aroma here is really unprecedented. It has this intense oloroso sherrines; lime, red fruits, strawberry marmalade. The nose is magnificent. Cinnamon, cherry syrup, hazelnut. It is so good, i tried it with some friends, and we went 20 minutes just nosing it without even trying it on the palate. Floral notes. This is a million point nose. Pure perfection. On the palate it is just heaven. Red fruitiness, red chilli, and the most accurate strawberry note ever (even with the leaf). Red wine, white chocolate, almonds. Everything is surrounded by a winey profile. Aftertaste is amazing, but way to oaky. Sawdust and bitter chocolate. It is very good but not as perfect as the palate and nose. It is not the first time that i feel an overly oaky note on old Glendronachs. Overall, this is superb. It is one legendary dram, with an impressive aroma and full of flavor. Having said that, i will deduct 2 points on the finish, but not on the balance since that overly oaky note still feels right for this elegant and rare dram. My score for this marvelous whisky is a honest 98 over 100. Slàinte! -
Highland Park 25 Year (Spring 2019)
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed June 18, 2023 (edited June 19, 2023)Highland Park recently changed their marketing strategy, and not-so-lately they have created this bottles that have a viking style carved in the glass. After doing that, they re-released all of their expressions, and most of them aren't too expensive as you would expect from a top distillery. This is the case of this 25yo, 2019 release, which i believe that is not super expensive, or at least it wasn't when it was first released. Bottled at 46%abv, it has been matured in both bourbon and sherry casks. On the nose, it starts with oranges, and then you get the heather but not peat. Red fruits, flowers, Alka Setzer. After a first sip, the aroma changed into grass and smoke. Povydone. On the palate, it is a bit dry; Paper, raw rice, hay and burnt grass. Bitter and grassy. Salty lip destroying. On the second sip: Red fruits; it changed a lot on this sip, to a fruitier, nicer profile. On the third sip i got cherries. It improved in every sip. Aftetaste is all about a dim aromatic smoke and salt. Also cherry syrup. Overall, i believe this is a very enjoyable dram, but it lacks emotion, and i truly think that you should get a better whisky for a 25 year old offering. My score for this dram is 89 over 100, which feels a little bit dissapointing. -
Hazelburn Hand Filled for Usquabae, Edinburgh
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed June 16, 2023 (edited June 18, 2023)Lately i have been seing in auctions this hand filled expressions from Hazelburn and Longrow. They have called my attention and i wanted to try them but never really had the chance before. I was at Usquabae in Edinburgh, and i was trying every single dram i could. One of those, was this Hazelburn Hand Filled at 57.8%, specially bottled on 29 of december 2022 for this scottish bar. On the nose, it gave me this new spirit note, very clean and easy to find. Spongy cake, vanilla, biscuit, and after a couple of sips i found a cigarrette note. On the palate it was very winey, and it has the Hazelburn profile you usually expect. Blackberries, wine. It feels young; rough but astringent. Vanilla, paper and spices. Aftertaste is dry, winey and spicy sweet. It remind me of a white sherry wine to change "tapas" in Spain. Overall, this wasn't the greatest dram in the world, but it wasn't bad either. It definitively can mature a little more before been bottled, since it is a little rough on the edges. My score for this one is 87 over 100. -
Ardbeg's Supernova releases started back in 2009, and one year later they doubled the bet. The 2010 Supernova is one famous whisky, since it is a powerful dram at 60.1%abv. I have had some supernovas before (2015, 2019) and the not-so-good Hypernova, and all of those offer a peaty explosion, let's see if this one lives to its legendary name. On the nose, it starts with Ardbeg's beautiful peat; wet socks, cotton dipped in medicinal alcohol. Wet grass. This one can pierce your nose. This feels like the heart of Ardbeg. It smells like holding an acid prune next to your nose, while being at a Rainforest. After a first sip, the aroma became a fantastic lemon meringue. Perfect score here. On the palate, it is really sweet, that was surprising. Impalpable sugar mixed with an scorching ginger. The most atomic black pepper explosion ever. Meringue sweets; brown sugar. It is like milk with sugar. Aftetaste has the crazy notes. New shoes, socks, clean towels. It is so thick it feels chewable. Coal and pencil notes. Superinteresting. Overall, this can change its name to "supersweet" instead of Supernova. Of course it has the peaty crazy notes, but it is mostly sweet, which might be appealing to non-traditional Ardbeg drinkers. A really wonderful dram with power and spices. I liked it a lot. Ardbeg was better. They must return to their former flavor glory. My score for it is 97 over 100.
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Am i dreaming? Is this true? Have i really tasted a Lagavulin 37 year old single malt? Well my friends, luckily, i have. Lagavulin just might be not only the king of Islay (controversial statement, i know), but it can also be considered into the top 3 best distilleries of the world im my humble opinion. (Try to deny it, lol). I have never even seen this bottle before, i did not knew it existed. But i found one at Usquabae bar in Edinburgh. I couldn't avoid tasting it, i had to have it. It was distilled in 1976 and bottled in 2013 at a lovely 51%abv. Matured in refill american oak and european oak casks. Only 1868 were ever made. A true rarity. On the nose, it was incredible. Smokey cigarrettes, ham, sherry. The smokiness on the nose is so great, specially when it turns into this glazed pork note after a few seconds. Salty and waxy; prunes, lemon and ashtray aromas. Fish and lulo fruit peel. It smells delicious; sherried cherries. Oh my god the palate is spectacular. A big chocolate note mixed with hazelnut and vanilla. Salt, red chilli and plants. Very herbal after holding it some seconds in the palate. Wet grass and smoke. On the second sip, the sherry and red fruits appeared. The sherriness, the fruitiness, the saltiness, everything is so rounded; mud and earthiness. Wow, just wow. Aftertaste is the perfect ending for a perfect dram. Smokey, salty, cigarrettes and ashes. Gunpowder. It can only be described as an epic Lagavulin finish. I wonder how it is so smokey after 37 long years. Overall, you might believe that i can get overwhelmed just by discovering this bottle, and that is why i gave it a perfect score, but that is not true. I had it after just tasting a Talisker 1953 which is even more legendary and this one was superior. This might be the perfect Lagavulin, and that is a powerful statement on its own. My score for it is 100 over 100 and this will definitively be on my 2023's top ten whiskies tasted.
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Talisker 1953 24 Year Connoisseurs Choice (Gordon & MacPhail)
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed June 12, 2023 (edited June 13, 2023)1953 was 70 years ago. That means that the world in where we live today, was completely different. Not only worldwide internet was inexistent, there where no cellphones, not even color TVs where sold to the public. Planet earth was still recovering from the most cruel war it has lived. In 1953, when Dwight Eisenhower was asuming as US president; when Joseph Stalin died; when scientist were publishing the DNA structure; when Rocky Marciano defeated Joe Walcott; when Edmund Percival Hillary climbed the Everest; when Elizabeth II was crowned queen of the UK; when Frank Sinatra was divorcing Ava Gardner; when Hulk Hogan was born; that exact year, TALISKER DISTILLED THIS SINGLE MALT. This iconic old bottling from Gordon & Macphail under their "Connoisseur's Choice" labels, was a 24yo single malt, at 43%abv. On the nose, it starts with cigarrettes mixed with sherry. Maritime notes and BBQ sauce. There is a very special sherriness to it. Fish market aroma with a full sherried experience. Vanilla ice cream. So crazy. On the palate it was absolutely perfect. Sherry and red fruits; Salt. Richly sherried but very maritime as you should expect from this distillery. It feels velvety; if you chew it it will release a lovely puff of smoke. Salty water. After a first sip, it gave me a red fruit jam. Winey and full of red fruits for seconds then the salt kicks in. Aftertaste is beatuiful, very smokey. Ashes and cigarrettes. It is a salt and a smoky bomb. Wonderful flavor; Old books. Super rewarding. Overall, this legendary whisky delivers its promise: a well crafted, velevety maritime and sherried experience. It is always amazing to taste such rarities, specially when it comes from one of my favorite distilleries. When this bottle is finished, the world will miss it. My score for this marvel, is a 97 over 100. Incredible dram. -
Clynelish Distillers Edition
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 11, 2023 (edited June 12, 2023)I was visiting enemy territory, the Johnnie Walker store at Prince Street in Edinburgh, where the staff were giving free whisky of your choice. I have had most of them, but not this Clynelish Distiller's Edition 2020, which actually is a distillery that i haven't tasted too many expressions from. This 2020 release is bottled at 46%abv, with a 14yo age statement, matured in oloroso seco wood. On the nose, it is all about almonds. Nutty, crushed almonds, red apples and pecans. Candle wax and pears. After a couple of sips, it gave me vanilla milk formula. On the palate, it starts with a perfect mixture of red apples and pecans. Very spicy. Almonds and sider. Stewed apples. Aftertaste can only be described as "oaky" and i truly despise using that term. Dry woodiness, almonds, slight pepper. More almomds, nuttiness and pecans. Overall, this is a fairly good whisky. Nothing to special, and it feels like one more proof that most Johnnie Walker malts are average when left alone (not the case of Talisker or Lagavulin). Clynelish has never been a super whisky in my books, and this one proves mi theory once more. My score for it is 85 over 100. -
Edradour Bourbon Cask Matured Natural Cask Strength
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 10, 2023 (edited June 11, 2023)I love Edradour, it is a single malt that i crave for its finests sherry bombs, lovely reddish color and intense aroma. I am used to the "Ibisco" decanter which look a lot like a Milk bottle, but i have never tried their golden color expressions. Golden do you say? Yes. A notoriously different Edradour that you can guess is matured only in bourbon barrels and not sherry. This is a review for a 2012 vintage, 10yo, bottled at 58.9%abv, bourbon cask matured single malt, drawn from the casks No. 223, 224, 225, 227, 228, 229 + 230 as it states in the bottle. On the nose, it is exactly what you expect. Bananas, light rum, stinky vanilla, glazed ham... and maybe slight peat??. It is a vanilla ice cream. On the palate, it has a very well delivered fancy vanilla taste. Brie cheese and lots of different spices. Aftertaste follows the rythm. Peppery, spicy, bananas and coconut. Bronzer. Overall, the powerful 58.9%abv has drawn the most classic notes you can ever get from bourbon casks. The vanilla sweetness, bananas and coconut are simply uncanny. I feel this is a very balanced dram an for a 10 year old is worth trying. My score for it is 88 over 100. -
Lindores Friar John Cor Cask Strength Congregation Chapter I
Single Malt — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 7, 2023 (edited June 8, 2023)In 1495, in the scottish exchequer rolls, there is a written record that reads that 8 bowls of barley were used to make Aquavitæ in 1494. That is, to this date the first written proof of the existence of Scottish whisky, and the guy who wrote it was a Friar called John Cor, who reside at Lindores Abbey. Now you know where this special release got its name, since this is a tribute to that "big bang" moment of creation, the precise moment where Scotch officially came to existence. Lindores is quite a new distillery, and it was to be expected that their first cask strength expressions get the name of John Cor. Bottled at 60.2%abv, and it belongs to The Cask Strength Congregation Chapter I. It has been matured in Bourbon, Monbazillac, STR and Sherry casks. On the nose, it has a trademark note from lowland whiskies: Chocolate. Creamy and spicy. Lemon pie, smores and cookie dough. Oranges and peaches. After a first sip, the aroma was all about pepper and chocolate. On the palate this is pure chocolate. Orange peel, very acid. Scorching and powerful. On the second sip it gave me this argentinian "alfajor". Aftertaste gave me dulce de leche. An scorching ginger spice tea. Powerful nice spiciness. Sprite soda and grated coconut. Cornstarch. Amazing. Overall, this was fantastic. Full of flavor, very sweet as a friar soul. It is a nice expression to commemorate the "father of scotch whisky". Everything is so sweet it can be a little cloying. Amazing expression, my score for it is 91 over 100.
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