Tastes
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Glen Grant 1973 40 Year (Samaroli)
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed April 7, 2018 (edited March 5, 2024)What did you do in 1973? Watergate, oil crisis and the first cell phone call - four decades of history in a glass. Samaroli bottled this 40-year-old Glen Grant from sherry cask #6588 (180 bottles, 45% ABV). The nose is a true delight: fragrant notes of mocha, fermented fruits and old furniture intermingle with hints of cinnamon, laurels and polished wood. On the palate, complex spices, walnuts and juicy berries take over, and the oak influence is just perfect. Dark chocolate, oranges and caramel remain in the restrained but elegant finish. An adorable single malt! RATING: 4.5/5.0 stars ≙ 92 pts → SUPERB488.0 EUR per Bottle -
Kilbeggan Blended Irish Whiskey
Blended — Ireland
Reviewed March 27, 2018 (edited September 8, 2018)For some whiskies, it can be hard to write down a lot of tasting notes because there simply is not much happening. Imagine the exact opposite of a peated Islay malt - that's Kilbeggan. Light, sweet and indistinctly floral, the aroma disintegrates into hints of cereals, vanilla and peach. Tasting thin, bland but less spirity than expected, there are notes of caramel candies, bitter honey and distant oak. There is no real finish, it just fades away. A harmless, mass-produced Irish blend which is light on every aspect, so do not feel guilty to put this into Irish coffee. RATING: 2.5/5.0 stars ≙ 72 pts → SUBPAR15.0 EUR per Bottle -
As one of Scotland's invisible distilleries without a big reputation, Speyburn offers this 10-year-old single malt at a very affordable price. Obviously young, light and typical Speyside, the nose features honey, tinned fruits and mild spices with discreet floral notes in the background. Green apples, malty sweetness and hints of ginger please the palate, interrupted by refill cask bitterness and a little bit of heat in the development. The aromatic and rather short finish is easy and forgettable. Although not overly complex or inspiring, this malt still beats most blends. RATING: 2.9/5.0 stars ≙ 78 pts → AVERAGE [-]25.0 EUR per Bottle
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Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed February 26, 2018 (edited December 6, 2020)Ardbeg - and the hype goes on! Named after a whirlpool north of Jura, Corryvreckan is a NAS core range expression with cracking 57.1% ABV. With its combination of candy floss, orange zest and delicate BBQ peat smoke, the nose starts out promising. On the palate, the dry and spicy arrival is entirely dominated by French oak, followed by a blast of briny peatiness. Unpleasantly bitter herbs and grapefruit creep in, culminating in a peppery-dry finish which is medium at best. Not a complete disaster, but a bit disappointing given the whisky's reputation. RATING: 3.7/5.0 stars ≙ 85 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [+]59.0 EUR per Bottle -
Non-traditional world whiskies are becoming increasingly popular, and Sweden's Mackmyra is among the pioneers. Interestingly, Svensk Rök uses a combination of local peat and juniper twigs to kiln the barley. Bonfire ashes, dried herbs and a variety of green fruits characterize the nose, which almost reminds me of a young Caol Ila. Dry and pungent in the arrival, the taste develops with aromatic peat smoke, wood sap and fruity sweetness before the long and briny finish kicks in. More ash, smoked ham and spices are following. This malt is certainly worth a try! RATING: 3.7/5.0 stars ≙ 85 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [+]33.0 EUR per Bottle
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Timorous Beastie Blended Malt
Blended Malt — Highland, Scotland
Reviewed February 14, 2018 (edited March 5, 2024)Inspired by Robert Burns' poem 'To a Mouse', Timorous Beastie is a Highland blended malt of Blair Athol, Glengoyne, Dalmore and Glen Garioch. A bit off-putting at first, the nose unfolds with butterscotch and intense floral notes before heather honey, citrus fruits and juniper start to emerge. The taste is surprisingly spicy and gingery, featuring mashed berries, creamy vanilla and a touch of eucalyptus. This little fellow is not shy at all! Fading with milky cereals, licorice and hints of sweet malt, the finish turns slightly dry and nutty. Not bad, I would say. RATING: 3.5/5.0 stars ≙ 83 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE37.0 EUR per Bottle -
Highland Park 2001 16 Year Single Cask Series (Vintersolsnu)
Single Malt — Islands, Scotland
Reviewed February 1, 2018 (edited March 5, 2024)Winter solstice in Norway: the perfect time to pop the cork of this 16-year-old Highland Park, distilled in 2001 and matured in sherry butt #651 (58.8% ABV, 588 bottles). What a marvelous color! Is this the blood of Odin? Dried fruits, roasted coffee and whiffs of peat smoke reach the nose, and there are hints of cloves, Jamón serrano and leather. The taste is intense, sweet and mildly peaty with dark chocolate, mint and a dash of salt. Cocoa, licorice and oak spices migrate into the warming and substantial finish. A great single malt for long and cold nights! RATING: 4.4/5.0 stars ≙ 90 pts → SUPERB [-]143.0 EUR per Bottle -
Cooley Distillery revived the historic brand of Tyrconnell in 1988, so let's give this classic Irish single malt a try! Simple presentation, no age statement - but at least it's affordable. The nose is clean and a bit anemic with green apple, citrus fruits and a touch of aniseed. Not as 'green' as I expected. On the palate, you get fresh and fruity notes, porridge and sweet hints of melon. Oddly enough, I detected distant bonfire smoke. Without any obvious cask influence, the finish is malty, sugary and slightly dry. An easy, understated and rather uneventful whiskey. RATING: 2.9/5.0 stars ≙ 78 pts → AVERAGE [-]20.0 EUR per Bottle
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Auchentoshan 1999 17 Year Small Batch (Cadenhead's)
Single Malt — Lowlands, Scotland
Reviewed January 12, 2018 (edited March 5, 2024)Independent bottlings of Cadenhead's rarely disappoint, and this 17-year-old Auchentoshan, distilled in 1999, is certainly no exception (498 bottles, 55.5% ABV). On the nose, you get a complex bouquet of creamy citrus, lemon zest and intense floral notes. With water, the aroma becomes sweeter and gentler. Fresh and zesty in the arrival, there is more lime, grapefruit and strong notes of green tea to be found in the development. The prolonged finish is crisp, very citrusy and with hints of salt and bitter tonic. Boy, what a nice adrenaline shot of a single malt! RATING: 4.0/5.0 stars ≙ 88 pts → FIRST-CLASS79.0 EUR per Bottle -
Caol Ila 2004 Connoisseurs Choice (Gordon & Macphail)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed January 10, 2018 (edited March 5, 2024)The beauty and challenge of independent bottlings is that you get distinct variations of your officially bottled, well-known single malt. On the nose, Gordon & MacPhail's 2004 Caol Ila is very briny, featuring seaweed, oysters and mineral peatiness. Honeydew melon, pickles and a touch of burned rubber lurk in the back. Sweet and sour, lightly peated and punchy aromatic flavors dominate the taste before the medium-length finish fades with over-brewed tea, salted cucumbers and white pepper. A rewarding, charismatic and notably salty experience! RATING: 3.9/5.0 stars ≙ 86 pts → FIRST-CLASS [-]53.0 EUR per Bottle
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