Tastes
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As one of the more unknown distilleries, Glen Moray is a bit off the radar. However, sometimes there is more than first meets the eye. The shy Speyside nose of this 12-year-old expression offers fresh fruits, orange peel and honey. With water, the fruitiness intensifies with sour plums, apricots and marzipan. On the palate, sweet and malty flavors combine with bitter lemon, cinnamon and a touch of wood spices. Short but pleasant in the finish, the aftertaste fades with hints of chocolate and licorice. A refreshingly honest and reasonably priced single malt! RATING: 3.0/5.0 stars ≙ 80 pts → AVERAGE27.0 EUR per Bottle
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Kilchoman Sanaig (2016 Edition)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed August 21, 2017 (edited March 5, 2024)Named after a rocky inlet in the northwest of Islay, Kilchoman Sanaig is the distillery's second NAS core range bottling beside 'Machir Bay'. What a flattering nose! Cooked fruits, cloves and bonfire smoke harmonize with toffee, marshmallows and hints of salt. After a mouth-watering and warming arrival, the sherry cask influence becomes more prominent. Imagine peaty sweetness, wood tannins, brine and lemon zest, lingering on the palate for endless minutes. Almost reminiscent of Lagavulin DE, this young single malt scores with quality and character. RATING: 3.9/5.0 stars ≙ 86 pts → FIRST-CLASS [-]50.0 EUR per Bottle -
Slyrs Bavarian Single Malt
Single Malt — Bavaria, Germany
Reviewed August 16, 2017 (edited March 5, 2024)Whisky is now produced all over the world, so let's try Slyrs Classic from Germany. Established in 1999, Slyrs distillery uses primarily new American oak casks to mature their single malts. The nose is perfumy and youngish with sweet pastry, vanilla powder and fresh flowers, and there are occasional notes of ginger, apple juice and bubble gum. This malt is not shy! Arriving punchy and aromatic, the taste is quite cask-dominated and slightly spirity with hints of walnuts. Bitter chocolate dominates the simple finish. Oktoberfest with Bavarian whisky? Why not. RATING: 3.2/5.0 stars ≙ 81 pts → AVERAGE [+]45.0 EUR per Bottle -
I am not a huge fan of NAS whiskies. With few notable exceptions, you are simply paying more to get less. After Nikka discontinued all single malts with age statement, I thought this Yoichi would be a big disappointment. Well, I was wrong. Full and fruity with growing hints of smoke, the nose features sour plums, milk chocolate and incense sticks. Rich fruitiness, green tea and a potpourri of sweet, bitter, dry and spicy notes add up to a well-composed palate. The finish falls a bit short and fades rather quickly. Nevertheless, a pleasant surprise. Wabi-sabi! RATING: 3.7/5.0 stars ≙ 85 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [+]65.0 EUR per Bottle
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Port Charlotte Islay Barley
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed August 5, 2017 (edited March 5, 2024)Octomore's little brother Port Charlotte from Bruichladdich distillery is the peated NAS equivalent of 'The Classic Laddie'. Bottled at 50% ABV, the nose is obviously spirity and slightly rough with vegetal peatiness, brine and creamy citrus. With water, you get unripe banana, pickles and black pepper. Crisp and zesty in the arrival, the taste develops dry and mineral with honeydew melon, herbal spiciness and hints of oak. The finish is lasting and delicate with peat smoke and green tea. Although a bit pricey, it's not bad for a relatively young Islay single malt. RATING: 3.5/5.0 stars ≙ 84 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE45.0 EUR per Bottle -
Green Spot Single Pot Still
Single Pot Still — Ireland
Reviewed July 11, 2017 (edited March 6, 2024)Using a combination of malted and unmalted barley, Green Spot is a prime example of traditional, triple distilled Irish single pot still whiskey. Sweet apple pie, freshly cut grass and cereals feature prominently on the nose, and there are hints of pineapple, avocado and burnt cookies. After a light and floral arrival, the taste develops more grainy and yeasty with peach juice, fine spices and a touch of lemongrass. It's a bit thin and watery at times. The finish is moderate but altogether pleasant with mild oak, vanilla and licorice. This stuff is dangerously drinkable! RATING: 3.7/5.0 stars ≙ 85 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [+]37.0 EUR per Bottle -
Glengoyne 15 Year (Discontinued)
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed July 7, 2017 (edited March 5, 2024)Located upon the Highland Line, there have been endless whisky debates as to whether Glengoyne is technically a Lowland distillery. Be that as it may, their 15-year-old single malt has definitely earned your attention. The nose is complex and intense with fresh fruits, grainy toffee and confectionery. Honey, sour apples and lemons intermingle with kiwi, sucrose and hints of white wine. Flavorwise, cinnamon, floral vanilla and walnuts add up to a rich and quite aromatic mouthfeel, followed by an earthy, slightly dry and oak-dominated finish. A lovely dram! RATING: 3.9/5.0 stars ≙ 86 pts → FIRST-CLASS [-]47.0 EUR per Bottle -
Older, independently bottled Glen Grants can be of exceptional quality after having slept in oak barrels for a few decades. This 10-year-old expression, however, is a very simple and undemanding Speyside single malt. The aroma is understated, sweet and fruity with hints of pears, nuts and fresh hay. Spicy, young and spirity in the arrival, there are notes of lemon juice, red currants and honey before dry refill cask bitterness takes over. Wood tannins and faint vanilla characterize the rather short finish. A cheap beginners whisky without any complexity. RATING: 3.0/5.0 stars ≙ 79 pts → AVERAGE24.0 EUR per Bottle
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I never quite understood why Cardhu is so popular in Spain. Maybe it's the warm climate that goes well together with the light and fruity style of this single malt? On the nose, you get juniper berries, sticky honey sweetness and hints of almonds - that's it. Not unpleasant, but fairly simple. The taste is a plain continuation of the aroma with some mild spices, fresh spearmint and dark chocolate in the second row. Be careful with water, as this malt disintegrates quickly. With its swift and undemanding finish, Cardhu 12 is an easy sipper for long summer evenings. RATING: 2.9/5.0 stars ≙ 78 pts → AVERAGE [-]29.0 EUR per Bottle
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Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak Cask
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed June 11, 2017 (edited March 5, 2024)There are many associations when it comes to Macallan, the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of single malts. Natural color and quality sherry casks. Golf clubs and tumblers. Outrageous prices and pioneer of NAS expressions. You get it, I have mixed feelings. Creamy cherry yogurt, chocolaty raisins and mild spices (cloves) compose an elegant but fairly simple nose. On the palate, you get orange marmalade, barley sugar and dried fruits with prominent, zesty wood tannins in the aftertaste. The quality of this 12-year-old classic is still there - but it's diluted and stretched thin. RATING: 3.7/5.0 stars ≙ 85 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [+]80.0 EUR per Bottle
Results 171-180 of 238 Reviews