Tastes

A younger sibling from the Wemyss malt "The Hive 12yo" which actually breaks the myth that "older is always better" since this expression is, for me, more rounded than the 12yo one. Bottled at 46%abv On the nose, it is not good but not bad either. Acetone, vanilla, honey, dry cake, caramel, dulce de leche, sawdust, almonds and hazelnut. On the palate it is a fairly good dram. Pineapple, tropical fruits and very refined honey, the most lovely honey note ever. Very similar to pancakes. Aftertaste, is also nice, maybe too standard. Tobacco, ginger. Medium finish. Overall this is a straightforward dram, but not a bad whisky at all. 84 over 100. For the price, it is good.

My second Tullibardine, this one is a whisky that has been matured using a sauterness finish, to give it an enhanced flavor profile. Bottled at 43%abv On the nose: Pepper right in the nose. Herbal, Aniseed, Azafran. Super spicy on the nose, Reminds me of the turkish bazaar. Honey. Very interesting On the palate: Honey and pepper. Pineapple and Almonds. A little straightforward but not bad. Aftertaste is good. Smoky like a burning cigar, Dry grass. Powerful smoky flavor. Tobacco. Overall this is a nice dram, interesting and can be used to pair it with some exciting dishes but i wouldn't have this as my first option for an everyday dram. 81/100

One great whisky this one is, first matured in american white oak barrels to then have a second maturation in 228 litre capacity barrels which previously held burgundy wine inside of them. The result is a well rounded, very complex dram that draw mi attention. Bottled at 43% very reddish color. On the nose: Pepper, grape, dark Chocolate , Tobacco, Butter, Vanilla. Very complex. Marzipan. On the palate, Chocolate, Grapes, Red fruits, very Winey. Aftertaste is just wonderful. Tobacco. Very Dry feeling. Grapes, Ginger. A Wine profile is everywhere. Overall this is one dram i truly enjoyed and recommend. 93/100.

My first Tullibardine was a very nice dram, an interesting sherry finished whisky which surprised me for its raw Pedro Ximenez flavor. Anyone who has tasted a Pedro Ximenez Sherry and a whisky matured in a PX cask will know that even if they are "kind of cousins" in flavor profile, they are not exactly the same; well... this Tullibardine Sherry Finish delivers a wonderful aftertaste that is the most similar flavor to a sherry wine that i have ever tasted. Bottled at 43%abv, tawny color. On the nose it is a little dim, dry Cake, Dulce de leche, Tobacco, Brown grass, Blackberries and some Herbal notes. On the palate it is wonderful. Honey, Px sherry, Blackberry marmalade, and suddenly a pleasant Spice bomb. Super sweet and spicy. Clove. Aftertaste is superb. It is a Sherry wine. First you feel this bitter tobacco sensation to then explode into the finest of Pedro Ximenez Sherry Wine. Not whisky, but sherry wine. Very well done sir. Overall, i can tell you that this whisky delivers the promise of a "sherry finish" since its definitively a highland malt that you taste and enjoy and suddenly it gets silent for one second and then, boom! A sherry wine ending. 92/100. Great dram.

What a surprising little fellow. Tormore has only two core expressions nowadays, the 14yo one and this great whisky, aged for 16 years. This is not only two years older than its predecessor, but also has a higher abv, 48%, which adds lot of flavor and character to it. On the nose i got Almonds, Peaunts, Figs and ripe fruits. Tobacco. On the palate, chocolate and sherried figs. Very very nice even if it is a little straightforward. Aftertaste feels like eating a snickers chocolate bar. So nutty, so much vanilla sweetness. This is a great dram that i truly recommend. 90 over 100.

One of Scotland's hidden distilleries from Speyside. Tormore is part of Pernod Ricard's portafolio, a great malt. Bottled at 43%abv. On the nose: Almonds, Vanilla, Heather and Chocolate. On the palate, Dark chocolate, Heather, Ashy and Peanuts. Aftertaste is mixture of heather and pepper. Overall this is a very nutty / chocolate dram with a pleasant spiciness to it. My score for it is 84/100.

Tomatin is usually a lovely whisky. This is no exception to that rule. I believe this is a new 12 expression that intends to become the core for that age in this distillery. This whisky has been aged in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks. Bottled at 43%abv. On the nose, coffee, dulce de leche, vanilla, red fruits, Some citrus developing, Sider, Watermelon. After first sip: Chocolate & Toffee. Very very nice aroma. On the palate, Vanilla powder, Green apples, Sider. Very pleasant but maybe too Straightforward. Aftertaste feels like your typical highland malt: Honey, Hay, Vanilla powder, Ginger spice and Tobacco. Overall this is a good dram, specially for the price. 86 over 100.

The story behind Cù Bòcan is beautiful, it is about a HELLHOUND that lurks tomatin village, and if it appears, if you try to touch it, it will become a ghostly smoke. That is why tomatin calls cù bòcan to its peaty dram. Aged for 11 years, bottled at 50%abv, amber color. On the nose is very heavy: Peppery-islay type of aroma at first. Very strong. There is some sweetness behind the first powerful layer. English sauce (typical from peaty whiskies). Is more earthy than smoky. Prunes. Dim blackberry aroma. Quite complex, but that is to be expected from a 50%abv dram, lots of flavors and aromas. After i let it sit for 5 minutes, that peppery/earthy peatyness stands but those sweet dried fruit aromas increase in a very pleasant way. It is still too strong to actually dip your nose into the glencairn. Due to its strenght and difficult to enjoy the sweet aromas, i cant score it really big on the nose even if it is complex. On the palate sweet vanilla oakyness, then a spicy/peppery feeling, not harsh for 50%abv, actually very pleasant. Smoky on the palate, delicious, sweet, spicy, smoky perfectly balanced. A little Toffee can be found too. Aftertaste is also peppery and long; fresh. Pleasant. Really a nice dram. Overall i can score this dram with a 92 over a 100 and i feel i am dishonest with it, it feels like more.

A nice dram; surely it doesn't feel like a 52%abv whisky, smooth and sweet, easy to drink, but i would say it is inferior to the 18yo one. On the nose, hair spray or "gel", Coffee, Hazelnut, Toffee. A little simple but it works. On the palate, starts with brown sugar to develop a pepper bomb, very powerful and oaky too. Finish is short and that is not good news for a 52%abv dram with 21yo. Overall, this is a easy enjoyable dram, 85 over 100 is a fair score for it.

Finally a good Tomatin. I have had a couple before, the cheaper core expressions and they werent anything to die for. This one is great. Bottled at 43%abv, On the nose amontillado sherry (just as glenmorangie tayne) (i know that itbis oloroso sherry but for me, it was amontillado). Orange Jam and chocolate cake. It is just like Glenmorangie The Tayne but without the alcohol note. On the palate, more of the same, Orange, Cake, Tobacco; Bitterness comes and goes. Finish is very long and seems to repeat itself in your palate, almost neverending. Overall i think this is a great dram, for me it is at least a 95 over 100, and if you ever drink Tomatin, be sure you start on this one.