Tastes
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Mortlach 20 Year "Cowie's Blue Seal"
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed January 17, 2020 (edited November 4, 2021) -
Mortlach 16 Year "Distiller's Dram"
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed January 17, 2020 (edited April 14, 2020)Served neat in a Glencairn from a freshly opened full bottle. Nose has quite a bit of alcohol, but also has the Sherry influence, with ginger beer and apple turnover notes, and sulphur lurking in the shadows. Entry is smoother than the nose would suggest, with a medium mouth-feel. Vanilla dominates, although not dialed to Bourbon levels, thankfully. Pallate is leathery and nutty with some restrained butterscotch, and slightly underripe Asian pears. The faint bitterness is somewhere between sulphur, lemon and brine. Finish is long, but the alcohol makes its presence known. Cocoa, This is a bit boring, and not as complex as I would expect for the age and price. I loved the discontinued 18, bit this is a huge letdown. Will not buy another bottle of this, ever. I would accept a free dram, however, as it's not offensive. Therein lies the problem: this is no beast, this is a pussycat, and there are other drams that play this game better, for less money. -
Aberlour 18 Year Double Cask Matured
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed January 15, 2020 (edited July 28, 2020)Served neat in a Glencairn glass, from a freshly opened full bottle. The nose is muted, which is surprising. No alcohol, and just the faintest hint of Sherry. Fruit is one of the better noses, it's just really hard to pick it up. Disappointing. On the pallate, the smoothness continues. No alcohol bite, just sweet Sherry goodness. However, where the A'Bunadh is turned up to "11", this is at. "6". More refined, for sure. But this should really be 46-48% ABV. This most certainly is not "big", in fact it is one of the more subtle Sherried whiskys around. More subtle than the Highland Park 18, even. From what is available, white peaches, plums, overripe apricot, Mandarin oranges, salted caramel latte, and Fiji apple custard. The oak starts to build toward the back of the pallate. The finish is ever so slightly spicy, and a little bitter, like 95% cacoa-covered pepper, with a dash of Washington cherry, and the oak really starts to come through a little stronger. This is unmistakably Aberlour. Heavily sherried, similar to the A'Bunadh, just more polished, with more oak, but less.....well, less of everything else. I don't mind dropping $$$$ on aged whisky, but I think the A'Bunadh is better, price be damned. The glenfarclas I had in a head-to-head had far more character, and of everything, really. Furthermore it did it with the same ABV. It's only downside was the alcohol burn, and it was slightly less complex. There are much better options for the money than the Aberlour 18. Not bad, just not near what it's cracked up to be, especially at the price. -
Glenfarclas 21 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed January 15, 2020 (edited February 3, 2021)Served neat in a Glencairn class, freshly opened new bottle. So sweet and pretty on the nose! Sherry is the star, with apple streusel making an appearance, and some surprisingly floral notes, as well. Sherry is again the dominating note, with dried apricots and green apple bobs taking the mid-pallate. Honey and unlit cigars round out the tasting. Mouth-feel isn't thin, but isn't as luscious as the best. The oak is subdued, but definitely there. The finish is much spicier than I would expect for the age, and the oak isn't nearly as prominent as I expected, again, especially for the age. I would guess the cask was not a first fill, or possibly not European oak. This Sherry bomb could be tops if it were more complex, but for the money, this is one of the best values out there. -
Tasted at a bar, in a flute glass. Bottle level and age unknown. Sherry influence heavy on the nose, with a campfire undertone. Roasted trail mix over a campfire in October, with virgin dried fruit thrown into the mix. The palate is more of the same, with the smoke and sweetness. Sweet, dark fruits dominate the sweet side, while the smokiness never takes on a rubbery character. Mouth-feel is medium, and ABV is low enough to be well-managed. Some oak flavor comes through after 5-10 seconds. The dried fruit and smoke never overpower each other, and ride the long finish together as friends.
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Highland Park 18 Year
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed January 2, 2020 (edited January 18, 2020)Served neat in a Glencairn glass from a new, full bottle. September 2017 batch 17/A211 Dark chocolate truffles and subdued German pastries underly the smoked apple-wood on the nose. Mouth-feel is a little lighter than I normally prefer, but oh-so-silky. The smoke is noticable right off the bat, but it unfolds like a Russian ballet. The smoke is sweet dark chocolate make a comeback, with the chocolate taking on a dark-roast latte characteristic and undertones of BBQ ribs. Honey, tobacco and very subtle iodine all make appearances. After a few seconds, there is tart apple and tangy blood-orange. All the while the smoke is still going. The finish is akin to a campfire several hours after being out out, with a sweet citrus/milk-chocolate truffle note that gently peters out in a dry, yet salivating, elegant fashion. This dram is complex, yet immenently approachable. It is bold, yet sensual. Compared to the Talisker 18 I just opened, it lacks that last bit of refinement. Unfortunately, The Naked Grouse replicates 90% of the profile with only the faintest rough edge, and does so for 1/5 of the price.140.0 USD per Bottle -
Highland Park 18 Year Viking Pride
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed January 2, 2020 (edited March 12, 2022)Served neat in a Glencairn glass from a new, full bottle. September 2017 batch 17/A211 Dark chocolate truffles and subdued German pastries underly the smoked apple-wood on the nose. Mouth-feel is a little lighter than I normally prefer, but oh-so-silky. The smoke is noticable right off the bat, but it unfolds like a Russian ballet. The smoke and sweet dark chocolate make a comeback, with the chocolate taking on a dark-roast latte characteristic and undertones of BBQ ribs. Honey, tobacco and very subtle iodine all make appearances. After a few seconds, there is tart apple and tangy blood-orange. All the while the smoke is still going. The finish is akin to a campfire several hours after being out out, with a sweet citrus/milk-chocolate truffle note that gently peters out in a dry, yet salivating, elegant fashion. This dram is complex, yet immenently approachable. It is bold, yet sensual. Compared to the Talisker 18 I just opened, it lacks that last bit of refinement. Unfortunately, The Naked Grouse replicates 90% of the profile with only the faintest rough edge, and does so for 1/5 of the price.140.0 USD per Bottle -
Tasted neat from a full bottle in a Glencairn glass. Smoked red meats assault the nose, with a tenacity only outmatched by Ardbeg Corryvreckan. However, the smoke is a little different here. It's somehow sweeter than the Ardbeg, with more brine, and a heavy Tawny Port influence. Entry is viscous, smokey, and rich, with a tobacco note that's not offensive, but not exactly sweet/smooth (less cigar and more chewing tobacco). Seaweed (the good kind you'd find in a gourmet Japanese dish) and sweet fruity Port/Sherry come together, with an heavy oak element not in the Ardbegs (This dram really punctuates just how young the Ardbegs probably are). The finish is notably devoid of burn, and the spice is kept to a minimum, but the smoke just keeps on trucking. The fig/prune/blackberry Sherry notes develop for a time, although never strong enough to overtake the smoke, ash, and iodine. Good balance, but Talisker executes restrained peaty elegance so much better. The palate changes when the whisky gets some air, lightening up, and turning much sweeter, more akin to Ardbeg Uigeadail, but unfortunately, inferior in every way. Lots of parallels to my first encounter with the Corryvreckan. I will have to give this a second and third go, even though I'm not overly impressed with it right now. It's....interesting, and challenging. I also wonder if the character will change as much after opening the bottle as the Corryvreckan (and Uigeadail, to a lesser extent) did over just six-eight weeks. I will reserve final judgement until I reach half-bottle, but this is not shaping up to be what I'd hoped it to be. Still solid, and the rating reflects this, I just think there is better for the style and money.95.0 USD per Bottle
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