Tastes
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GlenAllachie Single Premier Cru Classe Cask, Cask 1048 exclusive for Germany
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed November 18, 2022 (edited November 19, 2022)The almighty GlenAllachie has a super cask strength special editions, the ones with the grey label, that are specially made for some retailers or countries. I got my hands on a 60.9%abv one, from a single "Premier Cru Classe" Cask, vintage 2009, Cask 1048, 10yo, exclusive for Germany. Bottle 261 of only 304. Quite a rarity. I was very impressed of this peach-like color that this very exclusive cask has delivered to the spirit. On the nose, it is a fruitcake.Oranges, hay, sawdust. Orange caramel and Mint. It is like a fruitcake old books, cotton candy. On the palate, it is an orange jam. Marmalade, cereal. Orange caramel. Cotton and pepper. It has a Fruit salad finish. Powerful astringent aftertaste. Very potent, dry and winey. Overall, this is quite a beautiful whisky, that is so well made that you don't feel any alcohol whatsoever despite the 60.9%abv. This is another proof that GlenAllachie is doing things in a great way. An amazing and very rare dram, my score for it is 92 over 100. -
Kavalan Solist Cask Strength Sherry Cask
Single Malt — Taiwan, Taiwan
Reviewed November 18, 2022 (edited December 2, 2023)Hello. I will release a Spoiler of this whisky review: this might be one of the best sherried whiskies i have ever had. Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask has made a name of its own, winning many awards for this single cask releases. It has the most dark reddish color ever, it is mahogany. Bottled at 58.7%abv, fasten your safety belts, a wonderful sherry bomb is about to explode. On the nose, right from the first second you know this is going to be epic. Maraschino Cherries dipped in Dr. Pepper soda, wraped im sweet figs. Dates, figs and coffee. It is like the most amazing aroma ever. Cocoa, chocolate and oranges. On the palate it is heaven. Chocolate, cherries, red fruits. A little sulphuric, acid prunes and tobacco. Aftertaste is out of this world. Plums and super winey red fruits. Sulphuric and something that i can only describe as a metallic madness. Chewing tobacco. Overall, insert the "perfection" internet meme here. This is so memorable that my only regret is that i own only a 20cl bottle and i already drank half of it. Kavalan is absolutely marvelous and if you have the chance to taste it, do it. My score for it, as you might already guessed it, is 100 over 100. -
Laphroaig 12yo by That Boutique-y Whisky Company
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed November 17, 2022 (edited November 19, 2022)"Take me away I don't mind You better promise me I'll be back in time 🎶🎵" That is the main lyric from Huey Lewis & The News, of their 80s hit "Back in time", a song made specially for the blockbuster film "Back to The Future". And i sing that since i have opened one of my most strange looking bottles, the Laphroaig 12yo, by That Boutique-y Whisky Company. This independent bottler is famous for their drawn labels, which often refer to inside jokes. This particular expression shows two guys in the same clothes and posing as Marty McFly and Doc Brown from Back to the Future. The DeLorean is also shown. Bottled at 52.4%abv it has a pale straw color. On the nose it is super spicy mexican chilli dish. It starts with a note that i can only describe as seaweed. Grapefruit. White wine and a watered ashtray. After a couple of minutesit is tge purest, most powerfull red chilli ever. Super spicy hot. On the palate it is very straightforward but very nice. White chocolate for 3 seconds and then an atomic bomb of salt and pepper. So potent. Aftertaste is all about a peppery madness. It has a nice bite, Gunpowder, chilli. Super, mega, hyper spicy. Overall, if you are a fan of spicy foods, this is definitively for you. I did not find it "Laphroaigish" at all, and i believe that if i were trying this at a blind tasting, i would have guessed wrong, because i would have thought it was a Highland Park. A very nice, not complex but very powerful dram, my score for it is 92 over 100. -
One of the best whiskies i had in 2021 was the breathtaking Ardbeg Scorch Committee release. This time, i have reached a glass of the normal release, at 46%abv strength, the one with the black and red label. On the nose, it has the Ardbeg classic aroma. New socks, cotton, red fruits, grapefruit, gooseberries. There is this maritime and Merthiolate profile. After a first sip, it became very sweet, a very appealing, fancy toffee. On the palate, it is vanilla and plastic in a sip. Black pepper and a scorching saltiness. Strong chilli. Very spicy. On the second sip it gets dimmer. Meat. Aftertaste is not as powerful, but lots of plastic an artificial notes. Not much on the second and third sip. Spicy. Short. Overall, i can see why this expression has suffered a lot of bad critics, since it is a special release and it is an average dram. It is quite inferior to the great Committee release of the same name. Not a bad whisky at all, i believe it could be a little expensive for what it offers. My score for it is 86 over 100.
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Bowmore David Simpson Distillery Exclusive
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed November 13, 2022 (edited November 14, 2022)Bowmore did some noise in 2020 with a distillery exclusive release, called David Simson. This very expensive expression, honours the founder of Islay's oldest distillery still working today. Bottled at 50.7%abv, this one has been matured in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry for at least 20 years. The color is a deep dark copper. Only 6.000 bottles were released. On the nose, it starts with ashes, gooseberries, skin lotion for burns. Very maritime, thick lotion aroma. Some hazelnut and chocolate notes. Povidyn. Horse stables. This is the most "Bowmorish" aroma ever. It smells like a rodeo. Nutella. A creamy vanilla rised after the first sip. On the palate, it is definitively a bowmore. Saltiness, maritime and earthiness at the same time. Black pepper, ashes. The second sip was a little dim. Dark chocolate notes, smoke. Aftertaste is nice. Tasty ashy finish. Puffs of smoke that come and go without ever stopping. A pepper bomb in a pleasant way. The finish is quite sublime. Salty, ashy, with a nice bite. Overall, i really liked this expression, it is quite flavorful on tge aftertaste and it has a good nose. The palate was a little weak, and even if i consider this a very good whisky, it is not worth the amount of money shops are asking for it. The 50.7%abv failed to deliver more complex notes to the palate, and the sherriness is not super present if you were expecting that from an Oloroso and PX maturation. Even with all this things i have pointed out, this expression is still a very enjoyable whisky, and that is why i believe that it deserves a 90 over 100. -
Edradour 1972 Connoisseurs Choice (Gordon & MacPhail)
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed November 10, 2022 (edited November 11, 2022)I have been dying to try this very good looking vintage bottles of Connoisseur's Choice by Gordon & MacPhail, the ones with the brown/yellow old labels. Since i couldn't afford a whole bottle, i managed to obtain some miniatures, and i was super excited to get my hands on some 1970's Edradours. The first miniature i opened, which had suffered already a little evaporation, was a 1972 Edradour. Bottled at 40%abv, i have no more facts about it. On the nose, it starts with this aroma of an old library - old books. Prunes, farm fruits. Acid fruits like green grapes. Welsh's grape juice. I would not guess in a blind tasting that this is an Edradour. Blackberry jam; you have to let it breath for some minutes. Strawberries appeared after some minutes. Definitively red fruits; it has a winey, very fruity profile. Super interesting and evolving aroma. On the palate, it is very oaky, very sour. Sawdust, there is a ghostly acid prune taste, but overall it feels "woody". The flavor feels a little watered down and fails to deliver the complexity of the nose. A nice spiciness has risen, noticeable from a wine cask. A ghostly jam is there somewhere. Aftertaste has a nice ashy, tobacco note. Sulphuric, marlboro finish. It screams cowboy everywhere. Chewing, sour, pleasant aftertaste. The overall feeling of this aftertaste is quite rewarding. Very dry, feels strong and nice. Overall, this was a very interesting experience, which gave me a view of this distillery past, where it wasn't quite the sherry bomb it is nowadays, at least it felt that way. The nose is quite complex and by far is the best part of this dram. The palate barely passed the test and the aftertaste was beautiful. My score for it is 89 over 100. -
San Juan de Modogoñez, whiskey de varios cereales con infusión de miel.
Flavored Whiskey — Imbabura, Ecuador, Ecuador
Reviewed November 4, 2022 (edited November 5, 2022)In Ecuador, where i live, there is this small province called Imbabura. Less than 500.000 people live in the whole province, but guess what, there seems to be a whiskey distillery in there. (I lnow, whiskey with an "e"). I have a lot of problems to called this a Whiskey, and not only because of the "e", but really because on the label it says that it has a honey infusion in it. San Juan de Modogoñez is the name of this blended of cereals that they called whiskey. Bottled at 41.3%abv, golden color. On the nose, this is a honeycomb. Tons of bee honey. Sawdust, recently cut grass and mountainside. Milk and honey. It is a breakfast. Powdery, coffee and milk. Not bad, just very honeyed. On the palate, it is all about acid fruits, like lulo fruit. Sawdust, various cereals and a little watery. Aftertaste is a little below average. Recently polished wood, paper. It gives you this feeling of an old library. Overall, this is not the best spirit in the world, but i don't find it bad at all. It is nothing memorable, but if you ever get to taste this one, you are not going to have an off-putting experience or any of that sort. My score for this dram that fails to follow the whisky laws to be called that, is 77 over 100. -
Three weeks ago i woke up to 6 or 7 whatsapp messages all with the same web link, a Forbes article that said that a Whiskey from Perú, (yes a whiskey with an "e"), had won best whiskey if the world, planet, universe, etc. Of course, my first thought was "here goes another award bought", and of course i was incredibly skeptic about it. The name of this Peruvian whiskey is Black Whiskey. This one has been made using black corn, that grows on the peruvian mountains. I managed to buy one online in a Miami store, even if Perú is our neighbor here in Ecuador, it was easier to find it there. I have seen some youtube videos where the owner, a United States of America citizen who lives in Perú, tells the story of how he had this conversation with a New York guy, who literally said "man you have to win an award to make your whiskey famous". Guess what, the whiskey then won. A little suspicious if you tell me... Bottled at an auspicious 45%abv, it has a dark reddish color. On the nose, it has a wonderful aroma. Cotton candy, it doesn't smell like grain whiskey at all. Maraschino cherries, red fruits and a spongy cake. Blackberries everywhere. With a couple of sips, the aroma became a maple syrup, it resembled a lot as a canadian Crown Royal whisky. Nice. The palate started completely muted for 2 seconds. Then, it releases notes of sweet plums, quince and black pepper. It feels a little rough and young, but not bad. In the second sip i had the same experience of the muted flavors for a couple of seconds. Aftertaste has the most classic bourbon finish ever. If i was blindfolded when tasting this one, out of the aftertaste alone i would have guess this one was Blackened whiskey by Metallica, or a Maker's Mark. Sour mash finish. Overall, as you might already guessed, this is not the best whiskey in the world, despite what the San Francisco Spirits Competition 2022 says about it. But, i have to be honest, this is quite good for a mostly grain whiskey. I am not a fond fan of the "e" in the name, since i am a purist, and whiskey is for Ireland and U.S., but as a "Uisgebeatha" this is quite enjoyable. It feels like a bourbon from the start to the end, and my score for it, due to a not very good palate is an 83 over 100.
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Arran The High Seas
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed November 3, 2022 (edited January 2, 2023)Remember when i told you that i have tasted the Arran Smuggler's series III, "The Exciseman", and i scored it 100 over 100? Well, i have opened their second (and previous) release, Part II of the collection, called "The High Seas", and i expected it to be as good. The High Seas were, without a doubt the most uncontrolled way to smuggle various goods in the past (and nowadays). This is the zone of the sea that doesn't belong to anyone. It was only proper for Arran to name their second expression like this, specially when a parcel of this whisky was matured in caribbean rum casks, as well as peated whisky was also used. Bottled at 55.4%abv, this bottle is hiding in a book of course, for smuggling purposes. On the nose, it starts amazingly tropical: Bananas, solid meringue and peaches. Rum and raisins ice cream and butter. It is a very appealing aroma. On the palate, (insert a bad word here to describe how good this is in a very personal and incredible way). The greatest toffee on cookie dough mixed with some metallic/sulphuric notes with a powerful wasabi. Dulce de leche ice cream, prunes and red fruits. This is out of this world. Intergalactic dram. Aftertaste is powerful, salty, ritz crackers. There is this beautiful knock out punch to your face that is full of red chilli. Fantastic. Overall.... Arran. The name has become a synonym of great whiskies, always. This is the best performance a whisky can ever give you; literally i couldn't ask for any more than this. It makes me feel that if i dare to deduct a point, which would be undeserved, is because i want to be an interesting guy who believes that is superior to this single malt, and i can tell you, i am a flawed man, but this whiskies has no flaws. Out of this galaxy, this is a 100 point score in my books. Slàinte Mhath friends!! -
Glendronach 19 Year Madeira Wood Finish
Single Malt — Scotland
Reviewed November 3, 2022 (edited November 4, 2022)I don't know if you have seen them, but in this planet there is a bunch of special Glendronachs, that were released some years ago, which boxes are white with different colors depending on the cask finish. Those limited releases often offer a great experience for the drinker, specially if you are a hardcore fan of this distillery as i am. I have tasted the Moscatel and the Tawny Port finish from this "collection" and now i have scored a 19yo Madeira wood finish. Bottled at 46%abv, i have high hopes for this one. On the nose it can't score a perfect score because it deserves more than perfection. This might be the best aroma ever. The most ridiculous sweet plum note i have perceived. That plum feels like it is inside a fig. And that fig feels like it is inside a date. And that date feels like it is inside a raisin. I think you get the idea of how it smells; Tiramisu dessert, red fruits, quince and all of a sudden: cocoa. Cocoa butter, Toblerone chocolate, herbal, ginger, and chocolate powder formula. Lavender. On the palate it is fantastic, it has this flavor of a chocolate bar that you left in the fridge and it becomes a little white. Red berries, ginger. It is very herbal in such a beautiful way, that i never had a herbal note like that ever. It tastes like an strawberry with the plants on top and everything. Aftertaste... was a little short. Sawdust, sulphuric, dry and a little oaky. Like licking a wooden table. Not the best finish, not bad or off-putting though. Overall, this could have been perfect, but the short aftertaste didn't allowed it. It still is one incredibly enjoyable single malt. I feel you just can't get wrong with any "Glendro". Their spirit just fits perfectly with fortified wine maturations. My score for this very nice whisky is 93 over 100.
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