Tastes

I never imagined it would be this good. This Macallan 21yo Fine oak has destroyed all my previous paradigms about this renowned distillery. An incredible, out of this world dram, that i managed to obtain a sample. Later, i found out the price of the full bottle and immidiately knew i might never drink this jewel again. But i am so glad i have had at least a sample to write this review. Bottled at 43%abv, tawny color. On the nose, the most fruity, elegant and perfumed aroma ever. Starts with blackberry marmalade, sweet plums, gooseberries. A dim, surrounding sawdust; Very fruity. Dehydrated fruits. Berries. Red fruits rise after a minute. The fresh gooseberries have monopolized the aroma. After a first sip it released the most incredible dates notes ever. A thick honey. After two sips, a fancy home-made toffee appeared. Simply amazing. The palate was one of the most enjoyable i have ever found in a whisky. Dulce de leche. Some white chocolate notes. Marvelous red wine; raisins. Typical macallan sawdust. I love the honey and the white chocolate on it. Some dehydrated fruits and dim saltiness. It is very well made. Third sip was incredibly sweet, the toffee here is not your regular whisky caramel, this is a top craft. Some mixed feelings about the aftertaste. Dry woody finish. Oaky. A Paper sheet. Long lasting peppery and ginger spice. Very elegant. For lovers of oaky finishes, this is the most perfect one ever, sadly i am not a very fond fan of overly oaked finishes, but i have to recognize how good this one is. The spiciness is lovely. I have to leave my own preferences aside, this is actually incredible. Overall, this is not only going to be on my top ten this year, it most certainly will be at the podium. I am not a Macallan fan, i am actually a Macallan Skeptic, but this one blew my mind. I don't believe you can achieve this greatness in a whisky for a bottle that costs less than 400, maybe at that price some Glendronachs, Lagavulins, or Taliskers might achieve it. Absolutely breathtaking, my score for it is 100 over 100.

I will start this review saying that this is the best Aberlour i have ever had. An incredibly clean and flavorful whisky that explores fruitiness in a powerful and lovely way. The actual batch i had was the batch No. 2, bottled at 58.7%abv. On the nose, super aroma. The most incredible red apple aroma, cinnamon, a nice spiciness, honey. Super sweet, fancy toffee and maple syrup. On the palate, it follows the same path. Toffee, honey, salt, caramel. It tastes exactly as an apple pie after a couple of sips. Aftertaste is all about dulce de leche, apples and salt. It is a dessert. Overall, this is a simple, straightforward whisky that has been made in the most delicious way possible. Appealing for everyone, forget the 58.7%abv, you don't get a hint of alcohol here. The "Alba" stands for Quercus Alba, which is the american oak, and "nothing is more american than apple pie" they say, well, this is an apple pie. My score for it is 94 over 100. Grab one.

Yet another Highland Park 12 year old expression. This time is the "Ness of Brodgar's Legacy", which honours the archeological site where Brodgar's Ring of Stones is located. When you search for the Orkney Island on Google, you will most likely find the ring of stones (a Stonehenge look-alike) that is part of the Highland Park tradition. This Ring is part of the Neolithic era, and its purpose has not been found yet. Bottled at 46%abv, burnished gold color. On the nose, herbal, fruity and sweet. Oranges, chocolate and herbal notes. Pears, ashy. Stout beer and the most impressive cigarrette aroma note ever. On the palate, it mantains the rythm of the nose. Herbal, chocolate and sulphur. Very smooth, vanilla and cookie dough. Aftertaste is very tasty. "Crunch" chocolate and a salty barbecued greasy (delicious) meat. Overall, i think this one is a good single malt; it brings some sweetness to the typical Highland Park profile. 22 points over 25 in every criteria gives me a total of 88 over 100 which seems fair for a nice dram.

Glendronach is the best distillery still to this date, and i know you are going to say that they have now decided to chill filthered and lower the abv of their new expressions, but since i am still buying the old good stuff, i cannot change my opinion on "Glendro" just yet. This "The Doric" expression, is a 50%abv Taiwan exclusive release, which honpurs the Doric dialect, spoken by the north scotsmen. A beautiful "slang" with tons of particular expressions that basically sounds like you are William Wallace in Braveheart. On the nose, very good stuff. Starts with a prominent grape note, grape juice. Then, after a minute, it changes to hay and chocolate. Coffee with milk, cinnamon, cream, prunes and marshmallows. On the palate, sweet and tropical. Chocolate fudge, chilli. A second sip gave me a nice creamy vanilla and coconut. Oily. It tastes like a good rum. Aftertaste is very rewarding. A sawdust note mixed with red fruits. Chilli and cocoa butter. Spicy and fruity. Thick. Overall, i loved this dram, as most Glendronachs. I have had some mixed experiencies with expressions that are made exclusively for Taiwan, some good and some not that great. This one was fantastic and if you can find it, buy it. The 50%abv gives an extra amount of flavors and aromas, without been too strong for a novice drinker. Excelent whisky, my score for it is 94 over 100.

Dragon Legend tells the story of the dragon FAFNIR (Fafner), from the Volsunga Saga of the Vikings. Fafnir was the son of the dwarf king Hreidmar and brother of Regin and Odder. When Loki killed Odder, Hreidmar was compensated with gold; but between Regin and Fafnir they agreed to kill his father and keep the gold. One day, Fafner stole all of Regin's gold and became a Dragon, which is a symbol of greed. Regin ordered his adopted son, Sigurd, to kill the dragon and when he did, he bathed in his blood becoming immortal. Sigurd then killed his father Regin, as he discovered that Regin was going to murder him to keep the gold. Bottled at 43.1%abv, this whisky has notes of orange candy, peat, glaze from the pork chops, Bbq sauce. Spicy and peppery, it also develops peaches in syrup, incense, moss, honey and new wood on the nose. On the palate it is like an orange juice mixed with vanilla and a bit of pepper. A bit watery, it has notes of coconut. The aftertaste is excellent. Burnt hay, salt, sulfur, ginger. Smoky and tender. Leaves you with a cereal sensation of corn pellets and cinnamon. Overall, this is a very interesting whisky, easy to enjoy and complex enough to score well. The history and good marketing add to the experience. I rate it 86 out of 100.

The Cù Bòcan is a mythical being. A ghost dog, that eats children, buy when he finds none, he mostly eats peat, and that makes the Ghostly beast to breath smoke. That is the scottish legend for this dog that allegedly appears in Tomatin Distillery every generation. With this fantastic story, Tomatin has marketed their lightly peated expression. This 2006 vintage is a special edition, bottled at 50%abv and it comes with a branded glass as a present. On the nose, very chemical and yeasty. Stout beer notes, chilli, sulphur, rubber, yeast, very aromatic peat. Liquorice, coffee smoke, oat. After a first sip i got aroma notes of sweet bread, macadamia nuts, danish cookies and cookie dough. On the palate, it is actually peaty-nice, lol. Peppery, peaty, earthy. Very acid, oranges. Sulphuric, pond water, smoke. Aftertaste is the best part. Aromatic smoke, mint liquor. New wood, detergent and wood polisher. Overall, this whisky manages to deliver its promise. A not so light-peat highland malt, with a good abv amount and very enjoyable flavors and aromas. I liked it. My score for it is 87 over 100.

Compass Box is one brand that always catches my attention. Their lovely labels and very particular blends usually makes me more jugdemental of their expressions. That is why i often say that i like their whiskies but only a few have surpassed my expectations. Having said that, this "Menagerie" blend, was fantastic. A "Menagerie" is the french word for "House of Beasts", which was the Predecessor of the Circus. The Menageries started in the early 1700s in french farms, where people paid to see the animals. Then, as time passed, the business grew, and more exotic animals were shown in mobile cages. Even the Versailles Palace had its own Menagerie of wild beasts. This whisky is a blended malt made from: 17.1% Deanston, 42.7% Mortlach, 16.7% a Custom Highland Blend; 18.1% Glen Elgin, and 5.4% Laphroaig. Bottled at 46%abv, it is suppossed to be a dram that holds many exotic beasts of flavors and aromas. On the nose, peaty and interesting. Mint, permanent marker and a lot of Herbal notes. Moss. The Pineapple is the key note here, it is very tropical. Wet grass. After a first sip, the aroma changed into toffee, mint and orange juice. On the palate, it is a lovely whisky. Vanilla and pineapple. A metallic note that resembles licking a penny. Gooseberries, it is very acid. Feels milky; sugar syrup. Aftertaste is the best part. Chocolate, Silicone, glue, pepper, sulphur and mint. Crazy good stuff. Overall, this one lived to its expectations. A peaty, yet tropical whisky. Fruity and sulphuric but very balanced and pleasant. They truly achieved a house of tamed beasts here. I loved it, fully recommended, my score for it is 93 over 100.

Before tasting this one, i said this phrase "i haven't had a bad Glenrothes to this date". Well... i jinxed it. Glenrothes Peated Cask Reserve is a expression from this very good distillery, which explores certain peatiness. I was really interested in this one, i kept it in my bar for a long time, and i have now tried it. Here are my thoughts about it: Bottled at 40%abv, pale straw color. On the nose, mostly tropical. As soon as you uncork it, you get this remedy note, white wine. Sawdust, old pears and pineapple. Hay. After a sip, it released pineapple from a pizza, the hated, burnt one. Green apples. In the palate, it is way too watery. Sawdust water, a dim vanilla and slight pepper. Very thin and dim. Aftertaste is the best part, but nowhere near of something memorable. A burnt log, pepper, slight sulphuric and salt. New wood, and a piece of grassy meat that has been barbecued. Overall, this whisky is in debt. It destroyed the whole picture i had about this distillery; the palate is NOTHING. The nose is very forgettable. Aftertaste saves the day a little but it doesn't manage to get a good a score. 68 over 100. Move along.

In 2019, Talisker released a special Diageo expression, bottled at a nice 57.3% abv and with some strange looking plants drawed in the label. This is part of the Diageo anual special releases. I was eager to try it, so i managed to get a couple of samples. Lets see how it went: On the nose, Sawdust with smoke. Pineapple. Detergent. Slight coconut. Milk chocolate. Prunes. Wet herbal swamp notes. Almonds. Vanilla in a rainforest. Silicone. Vanilla custard. It is not your typical talisker full of sea profiles, this one is rather "swampy". After a first sip it gave me humid notes, pond; Meringue and Old oranges. Plastic, and artificial citrusness. The palate was nice. Vanilla. Pineapple heart. Boom!! a pepper bomb; Chilli. Wasabi. After the first sip it became maritime: Orange, Pepper. Sawdust and Sea salt. There is this meringue note everywhere. Some sea saltiness at the third sip. Aftertaste was Sweet and spicy. Crazy dips. Its like sugar debris that turn into meringue with ashes. Salt and Pepper. Talisker peat with a hint of hay and chocolate. A third sip gave me a beautiful creamy vanilla mixed with aromatic smoke. This third sip was quite amazing. Sawdust. Overall, this is, as most taliskers, a beautiful dram. You dont even feel the alcohol and it is 57.3%abv. Having said that, it felt different than the normal profile, as i said before, it was more swampy or rainforest like. Nice whisky, cool experience, my score for it is 89 over 100.

What happened here? The Dalmore The Trio is one of three retail expressions, the other two are called The Quartet and The Quintet, and as you can guess, it points how many different cask finishes this single malts have had. The Quintet was out of this world fantastic, and the Quartet was amazing as well, but this Trio one... was not very good. I tasted on a friend's house and i couldn't believe how bad it was (i actually said to myself: "maybe i am not properly focused to rate this whisky"), so, i came back home and i opened my own bottle and... it was even worse than i thought. Bottled at 40%abv, this one has been matured in ex bourbon, tawny port casks and Matusalem Sherry. Deep copper color. On the nose, Coffee and sawdust when uncorking. A little humidity and old library aroma notes. Mostly old very dehydrated fruits, Dehydrated oranges. Red fruits, strawberries. Very winey. Caramel, Granadine and some Citric notes. Figs. After a first sip, it released ginger and a very thick vanilla fondant. Dusty. Powdery. Acid prunes that has gone bad. It felt nice, but dim, not amazing. On the palate, it is very thin. A little watery. It is like a red fruit water. Sawdust. A second sip felt like a vanilla water. Acid Prunes. Boring. Aftertaste gave me sawdust, woody. Ginger; short finish. Everything is so overly oaked that all other notes are muted. Dissapointing. Overall, this is a very thin, weak, simple, overly woody Dalmore. None of the amazing notes from almost every other expression are present here. Totally dissapointing, i am happy that i had the two more expensive expressions first, because if i had tasted this one before, i might not have bought the Quartet and the Quintet. Not good, my score for it is 70 over 100.