Tastes

Sometimes i feel amazed on how i tasted 693 whiskies before some market classics like Passport Scotch. This one is a very affordable blended scotch whisky that has been around for a long time. Bottled at 40%abv, golden color. On the nose it is pretty nice, you almost believe you arr going to get more than what you pay. Fondant, a little almost rancid vanilla, marshmallow, maize. It is a little grainy but not off-putting. It is ok. Mostly vanilla with a very dim almond aroma. On the palate it is way too young and normal. Vanilla and maize. A dim toffee. It has a mild burn. Aftertaste is not off-putting but not great either. Maize and a leaf from a tree. Lots of corn. It is young, it is not bad. Overall this is a good offering for a cheap dram. You wont die from drinking it nor you will hate it. It is actually very regular. My score for it is 66 over 100.

One of the newest scottish distilleries, founded in 2017 is Nc'Nean, a rather unpronounceable name, that comes from "Neachneohain", who was known as the Queen of Spirits in a Gaelic legend. The legend says "she was a huntress, a fierce protector of nature and never afraid to walk her own path". This is why the whole strategy of this distillery is organic barley and renewal energy and resources. It is a 100% environmental friendly. Having said all that, i have had some fair share of organic whiskies before and i wasn't impressed. This one... it did impress me. Bottled at 46%abv, the whisky has this peach juice color. On the nose, it was absolutely surprising. A lot of stewed fruits; stewed apples, sider, malted barley and the most perfectly accurate pineapple pie aroma i have ever nosed, it took me through Memory Lane right to my childhood. Stewed grapefruits and vanilla powder. On the palate, it was not complex nor amazing, but fairly good and there was a new tasting note for me, it was... QUAKER OATMEAL. You should understand something first: in Ecuador where i live, Quaker Oatmeal is super popular as a drink used in lunches and breakfast. Starts pretty sugary, then stewed apples, sider and pepper. It also had this salty popcorn flavor. All this happened in the first sip, since everything that happen after that first sip, was Quaker Oatmeal. Aftertaste did not follow the same rythm and i found it to be a little short, but very well delivered. A nice Hay note, a dim but pleasant smoke puff, a little sulphuric profile. There is some burnt hay and vanilla powder. Overall, i loved this whisky. It was super interesting, specially for a 3yo dram. For a 46%abv whisky, no alcohol was ever felt, this has been beautifully crafted with love. Having said that, it is not complex, it doesn't have a long aftertaste, but the existing notes in this spirit are actually very clean and sympathic. My score for it is a solid 88 over 100, and i will be looking closely for expressions of this distillery in the next years, to study its development. Sláinte!

Macallan, world's fanciest distillery is famous for its hardcore fans, and famous drinkers as James Bond, Harvey Specter, Bobby Axelrod and lately, yours truly, the Karate Kid. Having said all this, if you have read my reviews before; you will know that i am not the fondest fan of Macallan, some of their expression have made into my yearly top ten, and most of them have received mediocre scores. I managed to buy a sample of this rather rare Macallan Chairman's Release, part of the 1700 series, with an incredible decanter and of course, sold at an unpayable price. Bottled in 2001, only 5000 bottles where ever made and it was originally intended for the chinese market. Bottled at 43%abv, chesnut color. On the nose, i honestly believed someone had tricked me, and put lemonade instead of whisky in my glass. Starts Dusty for a second; then a clean lemon amazing note appeared. Its like a perfect lemonade. There is hazelnut and chocolate. Freshly cut pineapple. After a first sip aromas mantained: lemonade, chocolate and hazelnut. Chocolate and Almond Truffle. Aroma is spectacular. After 5 minutes, maraschino cherries with caramel; Almonds are also present. On the palate, it became much more normal, a classic speysider. Red fruits, Caramel, pineapple, Pepper and Sawdust. All of the above at the same time. Very easy to drink, a second sip gave me Strawberry juice. Aftertaste is nice, with a mild smokey profile, but very short. Tobacco short elegant finish; with a little smoke and dim saltiness. Like a very elegant cigar. Hazelnut and some fancy chocolate. It lasts only 3 seconds. Overall, this whisky has the potential to be a lot better. It just fails to match a wonderful aroma with a more complex palate and a longer finish. Even if it feels like a easy drinkable fancy dram, for a bottle that has an average price of 800 dollars you deserve something better. My score is a fair 89 over 100.

On May 31, 2014, for Ardbeg Day; and, commemorating the World Cup in Brazil that started one day later, Ardbeg released a special edition called "Auriverdes" representing of course the "Scratch du oro" (Brazil's football team) but also the bottles of this famous distillery, which are green and their whisky is gold. Right off the bat you feel the aromatic profile of Ardbeg peat, but tamed. Moss, pineapple all over, grapefruit and cigarettes. Smells like a farm pond; the peat comes and goes intertwining with the citrus and tropical aromas. BBQ sauce, bacon, ashtray, lemon and lime. Super complex, if you move the Glencairn it changes. White wine. After the first sip, it gave me 2 totally new tasting notes for me: old stamps and old wet paint, the kind that falls off when the wall is damp. The palate is fruity, currants and grapefruit. Very smooth, feels like the peat is background in a fireplace, but not invasive. Vanilla. Aftertaste follows the same path: cigarettes, tobacco, pepper, grilled grain salt, very sulfuric. Burnt hay, pepper and ashtray. Overall, this is a tremendous whisky, because of the interesting tasting notes, specially on the nose. Being a terrible soccer fan and Brazil 2014 World Cup lover, I was dying to try it. My score for this great single malt is 90 out of 100.

Since i discovered the magic of whisky auctions back in 2020, two things have happened: 1.- i am the poorest man alive, y have spent way more than i can afford; and, 2.- i have been drinking some very good whiskies, way above the average. Having said all that, this review is about the Dalmore Kyndal, a super rare 12yo expression of this distillery, which was given only to their workers on the 15 of october in 2001. Kyndal was a subsidiary company of Whyte & Mackay, who was responsible for Dalmore for a very short period of time. This special edition was never on sale to the public, but you know, i have my ways to get my hands on whisky ;) Bottled at 40%abv, tawny color. On the nose, it is one of the most appealing Dalmores out there, and to say that, is a lot. Super clean notes of raisins, figs, cherries, dehydrated oranges, super sweet and fruity really. Fruitcake, candied fruits and lemon. After a first sip, the aroma went crazy good, releasing maple syrup, coffee, chocolate and home made dulce de leche. On the palate, it is a good dram, but it feels more like a transition to a great aftertaste. Very winey, oranges, very astringent. A second sip gave me caramel, toffee and condensed milk. Aftertaste is amazing. Tobacco, dark chocolate, prunes, suphuric and salty. Really long and salty finish, that is something different on this Dalmore. Acid, dry. Overall this is a great Dalmore expression, my conclusion is that distillery workers drink better than i do, lol. My score for this beauty is 94 over 100.

Smokehead, the misterious single malt from Islay, bottled by Ian Mcleod, comes from one undisclosed Islay distillery. Many people say it is a young Ardbeg, others say a young Lagavulin. The reality is the secret is well kept, and if you ask me, it is Caol Ila. A nice looking bottle, with a skull on its label, that says smokehead and everything about peat makes you think you are going to have an octomore or something, but it really is very easy to drink, super appealing and very sweet. Bottled at 43%abv, burnished gold color. On the nose, it is very complex for what it seems a young whisky. Merthiolate, smoke, vanilla, maritime profile, peat, plastic. A cheap citric note, burning grass, incense, moss and foam. After a second sip gave me fondant, mangrove swamp, metallic as a 1 cent coin, old oranges. On the palate it is very sweet and not peaty nor a skull of a whisky. Chocolate, honeycomb, salt, sulphur, vanilla. Hay and dry grass. Lots of vanilla. Aftertaste is where a mild, pleasant peatiness kicks in. Smoke, pepper, peat, earthy. Long, spicy and sulphuric finish. I believe this is a well crafted, very tasty peaty whisky which happens to be super easy to drink and rather sweet, and that is why it works. For me, this is Caol Ila, because: 1.- Caol Ila is the easiest Islay whisky to buy for independent bottlers, the cask offers are everywhere and they are not expensive. Smokehead is not a expensive bottle. 2.- The cheap citric flavors and aromas are similar to Caol Ila spirits i have had before, specially young independent ones. 3.- the sweetness feels a lot like a Johnnie Walker, and one of their key whiskies for the blend is Caol Ila. 4.- The peat ppm of this dram is too low compared to any Ardbeg Spirit. Any Lagavulin spirit would be too expensive. It could be Bruichladdich, but it doesn't have the soapy profile; it could be Bunnahabhain, but peatiness is not their particular stronghold. Kilchoman is more grapy, and Bowmore is more cigarrette/tobacco. Laphroaig is powerfully medicinal and tennis balls, too different from this one, WHO ACTUALLY RESEMBLES A LOT TO A CAOL ILA. I might be wrong, but that is my analysis on the subject. The whisky is good, i would buy a whole bottle. My score for it is 85 over 100.

My first Glenglassaugh was this Revival expression, which i believe is the first one released after the reopening of the distillery in 2013. This whisky has been matured in red wine casks, sherry casks and ex bourbon. Bottled at 46%abv, pale straw color. On the nose it starts very appealing then after a first sip everything falls terribly. My first nosing lifted me up since i had no expectations on this dram and it was all about grapes. Lots of grapy aromas, white wine, acetone, star anise, champagne. It is definitively young and rough on the edges but the nose is very sympathic, Sugar syrup; Nice barley sweetness. Very sugary. BUT, after a first sip, the nose became too harsh, it lost some of its sweetness, aromas dropped quite heavily. Not a good thing. On the palate, it is fairly enjoyable and it continues the same profile from the first nosing. Rich grapes, Plums, White wine, Pepper and Green apples. A second sip gave me more apples, but it also became a little rougher. Aftertaste was very simple but decent. Dry finish, with a raw rice feeling, some grapes and spices. Overall, this is an everyday dram, easy to drink but even if it intended to deliver nice aroma and tasting notes, it is inconsistent through sips, falling dramatically in its flavor profile. My score for it is a truthful 75 over 100. I need to explore more from this distillery to finally give my overall opinion of their range.

My second Longrow is the almighty, well known and discontinued Longrow CV, the predecessor to today's Longrow Peated (which was absolutely amazing). This one is called "CV" for currívulum Vitae which is Latin for "The Course of Life". This baby has been matured in ex Rum, Ex Bourbon, Ex Sherry and ex Port cask from different ages that goes from 7 to 14 years. Bottled at 46%abv, ambar color. On the nose it is just amazing. Right from the start you get a new pair of socks, citric aromas, wet grass, sown land, bacon, Scotch Tape, orange peel, detergent and a horse stable. You did not read any of those notes wrong. After a first sip, the aroma turned into a farm pond, foam from the sea, and a beautiful lemon pie. Pretty interesting notes. On the palate, it was super enjoyable and fairly fruity. Starts with vanilla and grapefruit; prunes, pepper and a little sulphur. More sips revealed lemon pie, lemon grass and meringue. Aftertaste made me close my eyes in happiness. Maritime feeling, salty, herbal; very pleasant smoke, star anise, sandalwood, palo santo and more salt. Overall this was a fantastic, put of the world dram, it missed just a few points here and there, but it is incredibly interesting and full of flavor. My score for it is a very well deserved 97 over 100. Slàinte!

It has been proven. The new make spirit of Glendronach is the key for their marvelous whiskies. This one is a different expression of what normally Glendronach do, which are sherry matured drams. A bourbon and Tawny port cask maturation is the one used here and it fits perfectly with Glendronach's Profile. Bottled at 46%abv, tawny color, exclusively made for "The Proffesional Danish Whisky Retailers" (the ones with the Star Wars Glendronach Collection). On the nose, perfect score. Chocolate, oranges, hazelnut, milk powder, red fruits. It feels "dusty". Cork, humidity, arabian sweets. After a first sip it gave me wedding cake, chocolate cake, vanilla, grainy powerbars and marzipan. On the palate it is very buttery. Peanut butter, butterscotch, red fruits and red cranberries. Very winey, pecans and fruity flavors. Aftertaste is very complex, changing with each sip. Red fruits, chocolate powder, hazelnuts, hanuta. pepper, dim salt and ginger. Prunes. Dry, medium long finish. Overall, this, as most Glendronachs, is a wonderful whisky. Super enjoyable and full of complexity, it feels older than 10 years old. This is a little hard to find which is always a problem. My score for this beauty is a solid 96 over 100.

The predecessor of today's Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve was this dram, the original cigar malt, discontinued in 2009 because of some bad publicity surrounding the cigar world (it had nothing to do with the actual whisky) and was originally replaced by the Dalmore Gran Reserva; which was also discontinued two years later. So, i was eager to try this one since i believe the Cigar Malt reserve is a superior whisky, better than King Alexander III in my opinion. It is the jewel of the crown in the core range. This whiskies have been made with the intention of pairing with a cuban cigar (they recomend "Hoyo de Monterrey" and/or "Partagas Series D4")(i don't smoke so i have no idea about those). You might have seen this bottle at 40%abv, but mine was actually 43% an even older version of this expression. Deep copper color. On the nose, perfection, complexity and your beloved Dalmore profile. Starts with an aroma of a cigar box. Then the classic Dalmore orange and sherry notes appear. It smells bitter on the nose, i don't know how to explain it. Bread, yeast, candied fruits, jelly beans, red (apple) soda. After the first sip, it revealed coffee, caramelized oranges, bitter cocoa and Tiramisú. After a couple more minutes it released brownies burnt crest, vanilla and fondant. Beautiful stuff. On the palate, it was straightforward, but delicious and very rewarding. As a fat guy, i love when sugar sweet notes appear first, and this one has them. Candied fruits, red fruits, pepper. Caramelized apple and some sulphur. Orange peel. It is so thick, it is chewable. Aftertaste is wonderful. Bitter cocoa, tobacco and the most incredible dark chocolate note. It is very ashy, it has some cigarrette notes. Chocolate and tobacco. Overall, this is the good stuff. Having said that, today's expression is better. It just feels older and more round. I really loved this dram, and i am happy to have a full bottle on the shelf (i managed to score two bottles in an auction). Fully recommended, you have to try this one. My score is 97 over 100. Slàinte!