Category Archives: Reviews

Duo of Kilchoman Single Casks Caroni Rum Cask Finish (4 Year Old & 5 Year Old) for LMDW Review

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Kilchoman (and Jura) day at Feis Ile 2017 so it’s logical to post 2 posts, one for Kilchoman and one for Jura. However, I’m short of time today so instead I’ve opted to go for a single post on Kilchoman whisky. But we’ll still get two reviews as the post will cover a duo of young Kilchomans, both finished in Caroni Rum Casks, bottled exclusively for LMDW 60th anniversary.

What’s so special about those bottles? Glad you’re asking. First of all, Caroni distillery isn’t your ‘average’ rum. It’s sitting in the opposite direction of Zacapa, Applelton and all those sugary rums. It’s like Islay peated whisky to the gentle speyside whisky.

Or maybe should we say it’s like Port Ellen? because the second special thing here is that Caroni distillery was closed down in the early 2000s. So kudos to Kilchoman for sourcing casks of that closed distillery (and I hope we’ll see more whiskies in Caroni Rum casks).

It’s also interesting to see the arbitrary age rule in action here. The difference between the casks is merely 3 months: the younger one filled into casks on 01.12.2011 and the older one filled exactly 3 months earlier on 01.09.2011 and crossing the 5 year old line by mere 5 days when both casks were bottled on the same day of 05.09.2016.

Kilchoman 2011 4 Year Old Caroni Rum Cask Finish (59.5%, Cask #531)

Nose: Rich and intense, very sweet at first with gentle yet crisp Kilchoman peat and a bit of tar behind the sweetness, ripe banana, a gentle Caroni dirtiness with a touch of petrol and crushed black olives. After it breaths, there’s more peat, coconut, maltiness and perfumed honey. Continue reading →

Wemyss Bowmore 1987-2014 ‘Sweet Peat Posy’ Review

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Another day, another distillery open day and today belongs to Bowmore distillery, the officially oldest active distillery on Islay (although some would disagree).

This is a 1987 vintage Bowmore that was bottled back in 2014 that I had the pleasure of tasting it at Whisky Live Tel-Aviv last year.

Wemyss Bowmore 1987-2014 ‘Sweet Peat Posy’ (46%, 231 bottles)

Nose: Malt, sweet lemonade, then the sweet peat comes through although it’s very lightly smoked, sweet heavy floral notes. After a while some milk chocolate and sea breeze. Very sweet one and very very floral, mind you it’s not FWP but floral.

Palate: Sweet peat, mellow malt and then big-time notes of flowers, hay and grass, tobacco, white pepper, oak wood spices and milk chocolate.

Finish: Long finish with sweet and floral themes. massive floral note on the front, sweet peat and delicate floral smoke follows through.

Thoughts: The flowers are strong with this one. It’s not for everyone nor the casual Bowmore/Islay peated whisky. Nevertheless, it’s a good whisky

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2016 Madeira Cask Review

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It’s my favorite Islay distillery day at Feis Ile – Laphroaig distillery. Despite some recent disappointing (or even bad) releases from Laphroaig, there are still some good official releases. Let’s go back one year and review one of them, the 2016 Cairdeas that was matured in bourbon barrels and then finished in Madeira casks.

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2016 Madeira Cask (51.6%, $79.99)

Nose: At my first tasting of this whisky I thought it wasn’t quite well with disharmony between the peat and the fruitiness of the Madeira cask but a few weeks later it’s better with gentle peat, red grapes and red berries, a bit of zest (orange peels?) and malt. With a few drops of water sharper smoke on the front. Smoke is the star with red berries fruit  at backseat with touch of peat and medicinal notes but the water kind of transform it into a very one dimensional whisky. Continue reading →

SMWS 53.233 Fireman’s Gloves on a Mermaid (19 Year Old Caol Ila) Review

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Today is Caol Ila day at Feis Ile 2017 and let me tell you something: Caol Ila may be the least sexy (or most boring – up for you to decide) distillery on Islay. We’re so familiar with their standard and unchanged lineup expressions and with no new expressions popping out from the distillery, it seems like Caol Ila is a bit forgotten. But let me tell you something: the spirit they produce at Caol Ila? It is underrated.

There are some jolly good whiskies coming out from those copper stills. Old Caol Ila whiskies are amazing and even the younger whiskies can be good.

Want a proof? Today’s whisky is your evidence. Initially I planned a review of te Official Caol Ila 25 yo which is more than decent and is available for purchase for a very decent price, but I ‘slipped’ and drank it all without writing notes. Oops.

So next Caol Ila on the shelf was this 19 year old Caol Ila bottled by SMWS. It’s a clear proof that Caol Ila whisky is good and also my first SMWS review in a long while. Damn I should review more of those!

SMWS 53.233 Fireman’s Gloves on a Mermaid (19 Year Old Caol Ila) (60.5%, 258 bottles)

Nose: Full of brine and salt, pudding-y, gentle peat smoke and bonfire smoke from afar, somewhat medicinal although it’s not laphroaig-esque and juicy. Continue reading →

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC 12 “Oileanach furachail” (and PC7 as a Bonus) Review

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Today’s the second day of Feis Ile 2017, so happy Laddie day y’all!

In honor of Laddie day, I’ve decided to review a two years old whisky which surprisingly can still be found in many web shops – The Port Charlotte PC12 “Oileanach furachail”. The PC12 signaled the start of Adam Hannett hegemony at Bruichladdich and leads a different way from the PC11.

Oh, and while we’re at it, I’ve also thrown in a bonus review of the PC7, always interesting to see how things develops over time.

Bruichladdich Port Charlotte PC 12 “Oileanach furachail”(58.7%, €119,99)

Nose: I think the whisky got oxidized a bit as we’re having a more gentle nose then I recall when I first tasted it. Gentle dried red fruit with heavy dose of red berries and a topping of dry smoke, honey shines through sometinmes. It has smooth edges with nothing too sharp (“blame” or bless the oxidization). With more time in glass, lovely milk chocolate and teaspoon of coffee with dry smoke throughout it all. Continue reading →

Lagavulin 18 Year Old Feis Ile 2016 200th Anniversary Review

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Happy Feis Ile 2017 everybody! Time to get back to the tradition of reviewing a whisky from the corresponding distillery that holds an open day (after a break last year) and we starts with Lagavulin that holds today their open day (and with a new sparkling Lagavulin 16yo double matured in Muscatel wine casks).

I didn’t need much time to ponder on the whisy to review today and went with the classic choice – the Festival bottling from last year when Lagavulin had their 200th anniversary. An 18 years old Lagavulin from European oak ex-bodega Sherry butts and refill American oak hogsheads.

Lagavulin 18 Year Old Feis Ile 2016 200th Anniversary (49.5%)

Photo credit: maltymates.com

Continue reading →

Reviewing a Duo of World Whisky Finished in Peated Cask, Kavalan Peated Cask vs Amrut Peated Cask

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Lately I’ve been doing a few reviews (when I wasn’t too busy with life) of multiple bottles, and while I don’t think it’s gonna be a permanent thing and I do plan to do single whiskies reviews, I do have another duo review today – two world whiskies matured (fully or finished) in peated cask, ex-bourbon only, both from climates which leads to rapid maturing. So they share common traits but there are still some glaring differences: different distilleries in different regions in the world and different climate. Single cask vs vatting of a 2-3 casks. The Amrut was finished in peated cask while the Kavalan is fully matured (or so I assume) in peated casks.

First one up – A cask strength Kavalan bottled for La Maison du Whisky in france for their 60th anniversary. It was filled into casks on 23/04/2007 (R070423071) and bottled on 08/08/2016 (9 years old) yielding 600 bottles.

Kavalan Peated Cask for LMDW 60th Anniversary (52.4%, €159.00)

Nose: Rich and buttery with strong impact from the bourbon cask. fruit perfume and then intertwined smoke, wood glue, vanilla and honey, Not a usual combination but it works real well. And then there’s even some sweet corn! With a few drops of water: more fruit sweetness. Continue reading →

Ledaig 2005 11 Year Old Cask #900161 (The Single Malts of Scotland) Review

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Last week I reviewed three Ledaig matured in bourbon and a friend of mine who read the post asked me if he was correct in his assumption that I didn’t like them too much. My answer was that I just prefer Ledaig in other types of casks.

And my favorite type of cask for Ledaig? That would be first fill sherry casks. Over the last few years we’ve seen a glut of 2004/2005 Ledaigs matured in first fill sherry casks (9001xx cask numbers) and those I’ve tasted were good (here is a review of one that was bottled for Specs in Texas) . but I especially liked the Signatory releases due to the dirtiness and the tiny amount of sulphur there that elevated them to a good and interesting whisky.

So here’s a review of another Ledaig in sherry cask, this time a 2005 vintage from cask 900161 that produced 564 bottles after being bottled in July 2016 by Speciality Drinks Ltd under the Single Malts of Scotland brand.

Ledaig 2005 11 Year Old Cask #900161 (The Single Malts of Scotland) (56.8%, £65)

Nose: Smooth and sweet earthy peat and it does has that dirt note albeit weak. Slowly the red fruit show up, a mix of berries: blue and red berries, and a dry bonfire smoke and charcoal. Continue reading →

Bunnahabhain Moine Oloroso Review

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The Bunnahabhain Moine Oloroso is a recently released limited edition by Bunnahabhain distillery that features their heavily peated spirit, released under the Moine label, matured in Oloroso sherry casks and bottled in cask strength of 60.1%.

From my own experience, peat and sherry works together quite well if they are given enough time to mature and so that magic will happen. However, we don’t know how old is the Moine Oloroso but I think we can assume it’s relatively young. So the question is: did it spent enough time in the casks (and wasn’t rushed out)?

Bunnahabhain Moine Oloroso  (60.1%, £77.65)

Nose: Heavy bonfire smoke at first, pretty clean and dry, gentle and warm sweet dried fruit, think more purple than red, un-burnt charcoal, soaked raisins, figs, really easy going despite the high ABV. Giving it some more time in the glass it opens up a bit. There’s more punch and more dried fruit sweetness  and dark chocolate, some freshness and fresh red fruit. Very good balance for its age (it’s young one, right?). With a few drops of water it’s fresher and there’s less smoke so naturally more dried fruit. Continue reading →

A Trio of Young Bourbon Matured Ledaig Review

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Following yesterday’s duo we’ll go one step further and have a Trio review. Yup! Three whiskies reviewed today.

I’ve decided to go “Ledaig matured in bourbon casks” theme today. Why? Well, the obvious answer is “because I can” but also because I do like Ledaig and last year it became somewhat fashionable (but thankfully prices are still reasonable).

So let’s start. The first one and the youngest of them all is a Ledaig 2008 from Signatory. a vatting of two casks (Casks 700752+700753) that were distilled 13.5.2008 and bottled 8.3.2016. It was diluted to 46% and so we have a nice yield of 691 Bottles.

Ledaig 2008 7 Year Old Signatory (46%)

Nose: Sweet nose with sweet earthy peat but the dilution is somewhat felt, honey, malt and slowly we get some bonfire smoke and lemon peels as well.

Continue reading →