Tastes

I have witness how Jura have fallen. Every year the released expressions are weaker, thiner and the whole reputation of this distillery has crashed. This 12yo is one of those cases where a cheap bottle is falling behind in comparison to any other expression of the same age from any other distillery. Bottled at 40%abv, really beautiful reddish color (i don't know if it is colored, but it seems so). On the nose, a thin cigarrette note. Then red fruits, thick caramel, acid prunes. A nice aroma of home made dulce de leche has appeared after a first sip. On the palate, lt is not the best whisky out there. Sulphur and salt; dim chocolare for a second. A little rough, it actually feels like grain whisky. caramel. Aftertaste is almost non-existent. Sawdust and a little salt for a second. That is it. Very short aftertaste. Overall, this wasn't the best whisky i have had, lol. I don't even feel dissapointed at this point, my feelings about Jura are starting to be more like sadness. They have to improve their game, specially considering that they belong to Whyte & Mackay, who are also owners of the marvelous Dalmore. My score for this whisky is a scary 69 over 100.

I have no information about this whisky. I actually bought it along 5 other strange miniatures. It says "Biggar Connoisseur" as its source, only God knows where this came from. William Wallace is an important historical figure from Scotland, and it is interpreted by Mel Gibson, lol. He was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Bottled at 40%abv, pale straw. On the nose, it is a little rough. Maize, acetone and grain whisky vanilla. Feels super young, wall paint aroma; hints of chocolate and lots of sawdust. On the palate it is surprisingly nice. There is this acid prune with salt note. Not complex. After a first sip, it gave me a nice chocolate note. Aftertaste is simple and young. Salt and sawdust. Very mineral. Overall, i don't know if you are ever going to taste this; yo really don't need to. I'm glad i am not blind, and to be fair, this is far better than some whiskies i have had. Nothing too special, my score for it is 64 over 100.

Highland Park is famous for releasing a ton of single cask expressions, for airports, retail stores, online shops, etc. One of those expressions, is this "Kirkwall", which honours the site where the distillery is located in the Orkney Islands. An 11 year old bottle, at a very high strength, 64.5%abv, it is one of 598 decanters ever made. Copper color. On the nose, straight Gooseberries notes at the beggining. Green and purple prunes. A little bit of it spilled in my hand, and the aroma on my palm is a note of ashes. Very fruity, very soapy. There is a cocoa butter note. It is not powerful as you might expect for a 64.5%abv dram. Black coffee beans. After a first sip, some creamy chocolate has appeared. Coffee and cocoa. Milk powder. The nose is clearly the best part of this single malt. Caramel and toffee. On the palate, it starts too ashy, with a powerful acidity. Is like acid green prunes dipped in ashes. Way too powerful. A second sip gave me a thick, pleasant toffee block; bitterness is pleasant, but then an earthy water flavor appears which wasn't great. The acidity has been tamed on the third sip, it still is very tongue scorching. Aftertaste is all about burnt cigarrettes, burnt tobacco, overload of salt, burnt hay, burnt newspapers, everything burnt. Not unpleasant necessarily, not too enjoyable, but also not unbearable. It is like heaven for people who smoke, which is not my case. It feels exactly as smoking a bitter cigar. A little scorching on the sides of the tongue. Overall, this is an interesting whisky, but nothing too remarkable. I find Highland Park cask strength expressions to be way too raw and sometimes unpleasant. This is not bad at all, but it feels inmature and even if you can feel the HP DNA here, you can aknowledge that it needs more time on the barrel. My score for this dram is an 84 over 100.

When Fable whiskies, the new independent bottler, released the "Ghost of Clanyard Bay" collection, i was interested in only buying samples of each bottle, (which are pretty good looking), to see if they where a good option for future purchases. Actually, i'm quite impressed with both expressions i have already tasted, and the latest one was this Mannochmore "The Hound". I have to fully disclose that this is my first ever Mannochmore, not a small fact considering this is my 898 whisky review. Mannochmore is a Speyside distillery, which is one of Johnnie Walker's (Diageo's) malts. Bottled at 55.4%abv, Pale straw color. On the nose, it starts slow, but then it was incredible. Yellow apples right upfront. It is very soft on the nose for a 55.4%abv, it is like a light apple juice, that you can buy in a gas station. Very perfumed, super floral. Pears. It has a gentle aroma. Not much on the nose. I intentionally swirl the Glencairn in order to wake up some notes, and a powerful, raw, acetone aroma appeared. It is just an apple juice. A nice one. BUT, after the first sip, a very creamy mixture of hazelnut and chocolate has appeared, very appealing; it is exactly the inside cream of a Ferrero Rocher bom bom. Where was this amazing chocolate, cocoa and hazelnut note on the first aroma? It is fantastic. Have you ever had a "Kinder Bueno"? It is exactly that aroma. Letting it breath for a long while will release green gooseberries. On the palate, caramel, chocolate for a second. Hay, green grass. Some tobacco, very herbal. Ginger spice is trying to overpower my mouth. Salt is all over the place. Fruity. The second sip is all about a chocolate and hazelnut cream. Super enjoyable and easy to hold on the palate. The ginger is still there. There is acidity from apples is also present. It is an interesting nice dram. Aftertaste was the lowest score here. Ginger. Lots of new wood. Very bitter and oaky. I have said a lot of times, that "oaky" and "woody" are notes that i try to avoid as much as possible. Wall Paint. Aftertaste feels inmature. Tastes like wall paint, really. Sawdust and cream. Overall, i was very impressed from this Mannochmore, specially because of the chocolate/hazelnut profile. It was soooo good. The aftertaste was very dissapointing and that is where this 12yo dram dropped most of its points. Still, i have grown interest on this distillery that somehow has flown under my whisky radar. My score for this very good single malt, with a dissappointing finish, is a fair 85 over 100.

My third Kavalan Selection, a type of private releases for certain stores, like The Whisky Exchange; certainly my favorite bottlings from this very awarded distillery. This Rum Cask Finish, has been bottled at 57.1%abv. Uncorking aroma: raisins and chocolate. On the nose, creamy chocolate and nutella. Piña colada cocktail, rum and raisins ice cream. Lovely aroma. Fresh pineapple heart. Hazelnut with waffer. The most perfect aroma note of peach halves dipped in their syrup. Apricots. The aromas did not change after a first sip, but they became cleaner. Pretty good stuff. Cherries and other red fruits have appeared after a couple of sips. Everything feels very "syrupy". Vanilla cold cake. On the palate, it starts sweet with caramel and some salt. Then it becomes very powerful, black pepper, some sugar syrup. A second sip gave me peach syrup, the spiciness is powerful and sends you to aftertaste more quickly. Third sip was very sweet, and easier to drink. Cherries and then again this pepper and salt punch. Finish: Sweet aftertaste, with some sulphuric metallic notes. Ginger. Chocolate and pleasant ashes have appeared on the second sip. Definitively some creamy chocolate with a cigarrette. Overall, this is one enjoyable bottle, intended to be sipped every now and then, revisited and enjoyed again. Powerful but full of flavor, it got a perfect score on the nose, which was fantastic. This is a 90 over 100 for me.

Elements of Islay is one of those collections of expressions that often call my attention but i avoid to buy because of the 50cl bottle. If i am going to buy a whole bottle i expect at least a traditional 70cl one. This one is called "Peat", and it is a blended malt, from "a handful of distilleries from the north and south of Islay". Bottled at 59.3%abv, white wine color. Uncorking gave me an aromatic heathery peat as a first aroma. On the nose, It is actually not overpowering. Very aromatic. Citric and fruity. Gooseberries and grapefruit. Spicy.  Wasabi. Tabasco sauce. Chilli. Newspaper ashes. Fresh farm fruits, stinging spices and aromatic smoke. After a first sip, the sugar syrup notes have gone to the nose. Burnt hay, tobacco leaf. A cotton candy infused with lovely peat.  On the palate, it starts with sugar syrup, then chilli, but very pleasant. It is actually very sweet and scorching but in such a nice way. Very "holdable" in your mouth for a 59.3% peaty bomb. Salt rocks. The second sip is a peat caramel. Sweet toffee with salt. This is remarkably good, powerful but super manageable. This is sweet. Very, very sweet. I love it. Finish: Beautiful aftertaste of burning new wood. Very dry. Not too long and fairly oaky.  The second sip gave me a complex more long aftertaste, full with sugar, peat, smoke and incense. Cigarrettes, with sugar. Mint and marvelous other things. Overall, i got to say that i was a little skeptic of this one, because super cask strength peaty whiskies are often too powerful to be drank on any given day. You have to be on the right mood and be prepared for an overload of feelings. This is not the case. This is a sweet, amazingly enjoyable dram, full of flavor, very easy to drink and rewarding. I loved every inch of it. Every sip was better. I believe we have a contender for my list of this year top ten whiskies. My score for this outstanding dram is 100 over 100.

Another nicely aged expression from the lads of "The Whisky Jury". Yet another "Secret Speyside 30yo", but now at a higher strength. 53.2%abv to be exact. As i always tell you, i am not a Speyside fan, i am more into a sherry bomb or a peat overload. Having said that, this might be one of the greatest fruity drams i have had in a couple of years. On the nose, it is a mixture between citric, acid and forest fruits. Gooseberries, lemon peel. Lovely honey. Apricots. A perfumed chocolate note. Peels of different fruits. Mostly citric and juicy. There is a floral profile to it. Red fruits have risen after a couple of minutes. Milk formula and Tiramisu. Peaches and hay. After a first sip the fruitiness becomes more rounded, you can nose the lemon and the peaches and the milk powder all at the same time. It is uncanny how accurate the lemon peel note is. A big, green, fresh lemon. After a couple of sips, this has turned into a Capn' Crunch cereal with milk and sugar; the aroma is very complex, fun and enjoyable. On the palate, i think it did a great effort to impress me. Lemon, lime, gooseberries. It has a spicy, strong chilli. It is very fresh. Second sip started with some sugar syrup; the acidity kicks in after 3 seconds, in a fruity way. The spiciness has been tamed. Sugar syurp and a note that i can only describe as  capn' crunch cereal has appeared. Definitively sugary as more sips reach your palate. Very acid as well. Full of flavor. Is like those acid lollipops. Aftertaste is oaky. Sawdust, very woody in an awesome way, i am not a fan of using "woody" or "oaky" as a tasting note, but here it fits perfectly. It dries out your mouth. It is like licking a paper sheet. Second sip gave me a grassy, hay aftertaste which is very rewarding. It is so dry that you feel all the water in your tongue has ceased to exist. The oakiness has turned into a sweet woody chocolate somehow after a couple of sips. Tobacco. Overall, after having 4 whiskies from this independent bottler, i feel to say that i would blindly recommend anything from them. Even if i haven't tasted one of their expressions, if someone asks me what do i think about "The Whisky Jury", i would say that i just love everything from them. That is the impression i got right now. I hope more whiskies are released, and i hope to get my hands on them. My score for this amazing dram is a 92 over 100.

After i bought this Glenlivet 12yo "Double Oak", i found out it is supposed to be the classic twelve year old, but with a refurbished label and packaging. The phrase "Double Oak" has been added and some pastel colors to the image as well. Bottled at 40%abv, golden color. On the nose; i believe this one is far sweeter and more complex than the old 12 that i remember. Vanilla crest, crushed almonds, chocolate, oranges and lemon. There is a green apple juice that is very appealing. Lots of fresh fruits. On the palate it feels more classic. Orange peel, pepper. Fresh fruits like green apples and jints of sawdust after a couple of seconds. A second sip gave me vanilla and almonds. Aftertaste is a little short. Sawdust. Very dry. Almonds. Hints of a grainy vanilla. Feels like a grain whisky vanilla note. Overall, i am not sure if the formula has changed, but this one did not feel exactly as the old Glenlivet 12yo. This one was far more complex, without been anything too oustanding. If this is going to be left as the quintessencial core range expression, they are in a good track. My score for it is an 80 over 100.

Somehow Bowmore has associated with Aston Martin, and they have released a collection of travel retail expressions, which are basically the same whiskies they already had (10,15 and 18) but repackaged into a fancier, Aston Martin printed label, to appeal fans. This Golden & Elegant Aston Martin 1939 Atom is the same whisky, 43%abv. The car that this whisky commemorates is a concept vehicle, very light for its time, that is why it was named "the atom". On the nose, burnt hay, fondant and Meringue. There is definitively some salt. There is a note that i can describe as an "Aromatic peat with infused lemon". Very appealing grassy peat. Very perfumed. On the palate, it was very enjoyable. A little acid;  Peaty and Earthy. Citric meringue. Vanilla, ints of coconut and a very clean honey note. Aftertaste was very good. A nice smokiness.  Cigarrettes, puffs of smoke. Very enjoyable and easy drinkable. Hay. Stable. Newspaper ashes. Overall, it is always good to try a dram a couple of years later and watch it evolve from its original flavors and aromas, which might feel the same, but actually i believe this 15yo Golden and Elegant has improved with the years. I have also grown a better palate for Bowmore standard expressions. The new packaging is beautiful and it deserves the attention that it is getting. My score for it is 87 over 100.

After Obi-Wan Kenobi passed, his force ghost version appeared to Luke Skywalker in Hoth, when he was about to die, and Kenobi's ghost told Luke to go to the Dagobah system, where he will meet the strongest jedi that have ever lived... Jedi Master Yoda. Now, The Glendronach, one of my all time favorite distilleries, made a special limited whisky for The Profesional Danish Whisky Retailers: a 12yo dram, matured in selected oloroso casks, which box and label had a recognizable color, Lightsaber Green. As you might already know, There are 4 unofficial Starwars expressions of The Glendronach: the 10yo Luke Skywalker; the 9yo Darth Vader; the 25yo Mace Windu and this 12yo Yoda. It was really the whisky enthusiasts who named the expressions that way, since Glendronach have never said one word about the free publicity of this very limited collection. It is widely accepted that the first one, the Luke Skywalker was not ever intended to be compared to his Lightsaber; but after the first unofficial comparison, the rest of the bottles were unequivocally released with a non-so-hidden intention. Bottled at 46%abv, using the power of the force. And if you don't believe it, that is why you fail. Lol. On the nose, a galactic aroma. Dates, figs, red fruits and milk powder. Beautiful cinnamon, plums, caramel and tobacco. Hazelnut with waffer. Almonds and Oloroso sherry. After a few sips, a quince dessert aroma has risen. There is this old Library feeling to it. On the palate, it is as good as you would expect. Chocolate, hazelnut, Red fruits; it is very astringent, grapy and winey. The second sip turned into a creamy chocolate with waffer. Super elegant stuff. Aftertaste is full of "midichlorians", the force is strong here. Winey, grapy, tobacco. This is a Glendronach with hints of smoke and a fancy bitterness. It is just incredible. Overall, don't be afraid to open this bottle if you ever find it. As Yoda once said, "Fear is the path to the dark side". To be absolutely clear on how good this whisky is, this single malt is 5 times better than the standard Glendronach 12 which is way sweeter, with strong notes vanilla cookies; this one is much more winey, grapy and chocolaty. My score for this legendary dram is 96 over 100. May the force be with you.