Tastes
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Craigellachie 23 Year
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed June 16, 2022 (edited June 17, 2022)I was eager to try this 23yo expression of Craigellachie, since it has been praised by some critics, and i have had the 13yo which blew my mind for a Speyside Whisky. What better way to drink something from this distillery, than in the Craigellachie Hotel itself. Bottled at 46%abv a nice yellow golden color. On the nose, the Craigellachie typical honey note is here. Apples, orange peel, super elegant and fancy aroma. Gooseberries and a little burnt hay; very clean hay note. On the palate, honey and lemon is the name of the game. It is like a Cough medicine, but in one of those hard caramels; Cough candy. Aftertaste is sulphuric and elegant, but a little short. Salt, Honey, candy. A little dim. Overall, i believe this is an enjoyable dram, that offers nothing more than the great 13yo. It is actually pretty similar, but goes for 150 dollars more. Craigellachie is the home of Dewars, and you can feel this single malt is the heart of that famous blend. Having said that, this is good, but not my first choice for the price.... i won't be a choice at all. The 13yo is far superior in that way. My score for it is 83 over 100. -
In my recent visit to Scotland, i went to the super famous Craigellachie Hotel, home of one of the world's most famous whisky collections. There i took a wonderful picture with two of the Glenfarclas Pagoda Bottles, ruby and Sapphire, and then something shiny stood up and i saw it... a bottle of HIGHLAND PARK 40 YEARS OLD. Love it or hate it, Highland Park is one epic distillery with super releases. Yes, sometimes marketing strategies have given unrealistic expectations for some of their special bottlings, and yes, they have released a lot of expressions lately. That does not make it a bad whisky, nor a hated one. Matured for 40 long years, this has been bottled at 48.3%abv, matured in refill casks. On the nose, a heather elegance. The aroma is exactly as putting out a cigarrette, very fancy. There is red fruitiniess, cherry ans Hershey's straberry syrup. A second sip gave me coffee and a mix of red fruits. Toffee with milk. On the palate, it is very light and gentle. Red fruits, the peatiness is rising after a couple of seconds.Feels like a cask strength because of a pepper bomb that has appeared out of nowhere. Cigarrettes, prunes. LOTS OF FLAVORS AND LAYERS, sawdust. Perfect score here. Aftertaste is wonderful. Cigarrettes, sawdust, bonfire, but also red fruits and syrup. Sweet and peaty. It is the most complex Highland Park ever. Ginger spice. Overall, there is a reason why you shouldn't mix 40yo whiskies with anything. They have been developing phenols, particles of high alcohols, cresols and Guaiacols for a long time to become super complex. The usage of refill casks was a good idea, since newer casks can impart too much oaky notes in such a long time. I believe this is not the perfect whisky, but it gets very close. The palate was superb, but the wonderful nose and aftertaste couldn't reach that high ceiling that the palate created. My score for it is 97 over 100.
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Glen Scotia Campbeltown Harbour
Single Malt — Campbeltown , Scotland
Reviewed June 14, 2022 (edited June 15, 2022)I find Glen Scotia super interesting, actually i have a great impression of almost everything that is produced in Campbeltown. Having said that, this might be the cheapest in their core range, going for 30 pounds in a scottish supermarket where i bought it. Can it pass the test? Lets see... Bottled at 40%abv. Golden color. On the nose, it starts with Honey, and slight saltiness. Yellow apples and Red fruits. A scond sip gave me cherry syrup. A little dim, not bad. On the palate it follows the nose, in a better, more complex way. Honey, dry apricots, vanilla. Peaches and Salty, very salty. Very honeyed as well. Aftertaste continues the rythm. Salty, Honey, Pepper and maritime overall. More sips revealed salted caramel. In conclusion, i believe this passes the test for a maritime and sweet malt that goes for a cheap price. I believe you can get a cheap Talisker for something near that price and Talisker will always defeat this whisky; but this is not a bad offering. The aroma could be a little better. My score for it is 79 over 100. Not bad though. -
Monkey Shoulder is a blended malt that ia good and cheap. I believe it goes for $30 in any travel duty free retail shop; and it is a blend made from Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Glenkinchie. The Smokey Monkey is the peaty spin-off of the "shoulder". Bottled at 40%abv. On the nose, it is nice. A burnt sawdust; fresh can of Tennis balls. Feels old. A field full of cows. Hay stack. Stinky but attractive peat. On the palate, it is also standard good. Hay, vanilla water. Very salty; tongue scorching for a 40%abv. Mineral and rocky. A second sip gave me vanilla ice cream and Coconut milk. Aftertaste is a barbecue. Lots of salt, is like an overly salted piece of meat. The last sip gave me burnt sawdust and Burnt grass. Overall, i believe this is a good whisky. I am completely sure this one is cheap, and it can be a great entry level for peaty whiskies. Some crazy notes are always good, and for the 40%abv i get a lot of complexity really. This won't change your life, but i won't ruin it either. My score for it is 82 over 100.
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The Glendronach 1971 Single Px Cask, 42yo
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 12, 2022 (edited June 14, 2022)Back in 1971, when Mercedes Benz was inventing the airbag; when Jim Morrison tragically died; back when the NASDAQ was released and "El Chavo del 8" aired on tv for the first time, ... back then, my favorite whisky ever was been distilled. Let me put you in perspective, i was born in 1983, so that means that 12 years before i was ever born, a special "juice" was preparing to be drank 51 years later, by an Ecuadorian, in the distillery where it never left home. The Glendronach 1971 vintage, 42 year old single cask, a PX puncheon #1246, is the name of this fantastic whisky, older than me, distilled on february 1971 and bottled in may 2013. 44.6%abv is the strength of my now favorite whisky ever. On the nose, i could stay only appreciating the aroma for days without even have to drink it. Dark old fruits, red fruits. I get a marvelous note of blueberries, that is a first! Chocolate fudge, Chocolate bars, red berries. After a first sip, it became the most amazing cherry syrup ever. Red fruits syrup, very elegant, best aroma ever. On the palate, i don't believe i will ever taste something so clean and delicious like this. Strawberries, sawdust, impalpable sugar and dates. Increible figs. A second sip gave me prunes and acid fruits, beautiful stuff, gooseberries and an expected sawdust. Aftertaste is heaven. Red berries, impalpable sugar, hazelnut, sugar and sawdust. Powerful eternal aftertaste. It has this feeling of a library; Everything about chocolate and red fruit monster. So thick, so enjoyable, perfect. Overall, i want to tell you something, this is no placebo effect. I am not been impressed by the old age and the price tag of the bottle. I have had older and more rare whiskies, but i have never tasted something like this one. I have always known that my favorite whisky ever was the 26yo Hand Filled Glendronach that i filled back when i was on the distillery in 2019. Now, that whisky, that lies on my house, is the number 2. This 1971 Glendronach is the best whisky i have ever tasted, every single drop was magic. My score for it is one million over 100. Slàinte mhath my friends!!! -
The Glendronach has a collection or diferent wine finishes, with lovely labels with pastel colours, that are very hard to come by. One of those, is their fuchsia label, the 15yo Moscatel finish. I bought a glass of this beauty in Glendronach's distillery bar, after having 5 super whiskies that were included on the distillery tasting. I thought i could use the occasion to try some jewels they have there. This Moscatel finish, has been bottled at 46%abv and has a lovely pink/peach color. On the nose it is SUPER FLORAL. Pollen, heather, flowers. Hazelnut and overall nutty. Ferrero rocher chocolates. Very appealing. On the palate, the floral notes are still there. Super perfumed, roses, oranges and flowers. Amazing. It has a floral finish as well. Roses and cotton candy. Impalpable sugar. Not too long. Overall, this is a rarity. And i got to say that this is the most floral whisky i have ever had, which is not one of my favorite profiles, but here it is very well delivered. A very interesting experience, this is a completely different Glendronach, lighter in body and velvety in the mouth. Elegant dram, my score for it is 94 over 100.
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The Glendronach 1994, 27yo, Hand Filled Oloroso Sherry Cask
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 11, 2022 (edited June 12, 2022)The final whisky, of the 5 marvelous drams that were included on the distillery tour, which was magnificent, was another hand filled cask strength, but this time a 1994 vintage, 27yo, that you can shop and filled yourself for the complete experience. This was a single Oloroso Cask, bottled at 52.6%abv. This will be the last drink i had as part of the official tour, then, i will be reviewing the whiskies i had in the distillery bar, specially the almighty Glendronach 1971. On the nose, starts with a creamy cheesecake, cocoa cream, tiramisu and cookie dough. The palate was very enjoyable but not too special. Vanilla, chocolate, hazelnut and ginger. Aftertaste is not too complex as well. Ginger spice, chocolate and hazelnut. Overall, for a £450 bottle, this did not met my expectations, and actually i did buy the cheaper 11yo PX Hand Filled one, but not this one (also because i am poor, lol) which i found to be better. My score for this single malt is a fair 86 over 100, which is not good for a bottle of that price and also for any Glendronach, one of my favorite distilleries. -
Brace yourselves, this is a perfect whisky. Continuing my series of whisky reviews that i had the opportunity to taste at the Glendronach Distillery, the lads working there really had a surprise for us. Another 27yo single cask, but this time one a 1992 Port Pipe cask matured. Bottled at 48%abv, only 853 were ever drawn from the cask #5897. On the nose, everything is red. Red fruits, red berries, cranberries (not the rock band), cream and Red wine. After a first sip, the aroma changed into an amazing raspberry and Tiramisu dessert. The palate follows the red path. Red wine with impalpable sugar; strawberries, red Berries, Blackberries and raisins. It is a dream dram. Creamy vanilla as well. Aftertaste is the epitome of the whole whisky. Red fruitiness, ginger spice (not Geri Halliwell, lol) Port wine. It is just Amazing i wanna die here and be the ghost that haunts the Glendronach Manor, (which actually happens to be haunted by a spanish red dressed lady, don't believe me, just google it) (we took a picture of the haunted place). This can be described as a hazelnut monster. Overall, this will be in my top ten list of this year, an incredible dram, full of flavor and complexity. The red fruitiness, the sweetness and the spiciness makes this one a true jewel. My score for it is 100 over 100, Glendronach does it again. Slàinte!
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The Glendronach 1993 Single Cask Oloroso Sherry Cask #7276
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 11, 2022Do you ever have this feeling of having waited for a particular movie or tv show to come out for a long time, and when you finally watch it for the first time, it was everything you expected? That is the feeling i got with this 1993 Single Oloroso Cask Glendronach. A 27 year old expression, fully matured in an Oloroso sherry puncheon, drawn from the cask #7276. Almost black in color, this cant go wrong. On the nose, this is a red wine madness. Chocolate and hazelnut, red berries. Holy sh*t this smells incredible. Cocoa cream. Is "beautiful" an aroma note? This is magical. On the palate, it is also perfect. Winey, full of red fruits like strawberries and some dates. Lots of red fruit wines and berries. Aftertaste was very good but not as wonderful as the nose and palate. Astringent, purple plums and slight ginger. Overall, i believe that in the past i would have given this dram a perfect 100 score, but after having more than 950 whisky reviews i have calibrated my score system to be more precise. The aftertaste was the only criteria that did not managed to get a full score. My rate for this out of this world dram is 97 over 100. -
The Glendronach 2010 Hand Filled Single Px Cask #2994
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 11, 2022 (edited June 12, 2022)Well, as i was telling you, i visited the Glendronach Distillery, and the kind workers there gave us enough whisky to fulfill our dreams and go to heaven. The second dram we tasted, was the one of the two single cask malts you could actually hand filled yourself, this time a 11yo, Pedro Ximenez bottled at 59.9%abv, from the cask 2994, 2010 vintage. Pitch black color for this amazing whisky. On the nose, it is exactly a chocolate bar, coffee; Toblerone and Nutty aromas. On the palate, it is exactly what you expect: Chocolate and Raisins, red berries and red wine. Aftertaste was a bit spicy in a very enjoyable way. Hazelnut, Ginger and chocolate were the main notes here. Overall, as most Hand Filled Glendronachs, even the young ones like this, this was very good. Needless to say, i bought one bottle to bring it home to Ecuador and now it rests patiently till one day is drunk fulfilling its reason for existence. My score for this great whisky is a solid 93 over 100.
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