Category Archives: Reviews

Whisky Review – Compass Box Great King Street Experimentals (TR-06 & 00-V4)

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Another day, another Compass Box blend. Oh wait, actually TWO Compass Box blends – the Great King Street experimental blends.

Following the very successful release of their Great King Street Artist’s Blend in 2011, Compass Box have been experimenting with two new blends and they decided to let the public decide which one will stay and which is a goner:

  • 00-V4 – a lightly sherried option, made up of 28% Lowland Grain and 72% Malt from the Highlands and Speyside with a small percentage of peated Islay.
  • TR-06 – a smoky version, made up of 33% Lowland Grain and 67% Malt from Islay, Highlands and Speyside, of which half comes from Clynelish.

So if you force me to choose only one of those two, which one?

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Whisky Review – Compass Box Delilah’s Blended Scotch Whisky

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OK, time to start this week with a round of reviews for Compass Box Whisky Company blends. I’ve heard lots of good things of their whiskies and after a long and rough voyage I managed to lay my hands on official samples from them – thanks Chris!

And we’ll kick it off with tasting notes for Delilah. Delilah, a limited Release whisky is a homage to Mike Miller’s legendary Chicago punk rock whisky bar Delilah’s which celebrated its 20th anniversary on 29th August 2013. It’s constructed from a mix of 50% single malt whisky, 50% single grain whisky and was aged in a mix of experimental new American oak barrels and rejuvenated American oak hogsheads.

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Whisky Review – SMWS 5.36 Rubbing White Tiger Balm on your forehead (Auchentoshan)

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Another day, another dram and here’s yet another SMWS dram. As you know I have some affection to their products and I’m always glad to try another SMWS dram.

This time it’s a 14 yo old Auchentoshan that was aged in ex-sauternes cask that my whisky brother Tom was generous enough to send me a sample of.

This SMWS bottling had divided those who tasted it to 2 camps – the larger camp couldn’t stand it and the minority camp liked it a lot. So which camp did I find myself in?

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Whisky Review – Old Pulteney 1990

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Today – The Old Pulteney 1990. This one, just like the ones I posted yesterday and the day before, was the highlight whisky and the main reason for the Tweet Tasting event last November which due to some bad luck I couldn’t participate on time and I managed to taste it only this week.

The 1990 vintage is a limited edition of only 600 cases, matured in American ex-bourbon and Spanish ex-sherry casks which previously held heavily peated whisky. It’s nice to see more (highlands) distilleries experimenting with peated casks. Last year we also saw first peated releases from Tomatin (Cu Bocan) and Balblair (1990 cask), and as peat head all I have to say – don’t stop!

So how is OP 1990?

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Whisky Review – Old Pulteney Navigator

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Today – The Old Pulteney Navigator. This one, just like the one I posted yesterday, was a whisky that I was supposed to be tasted during a Tweet Tasting event last November and some bad luck prevented me from tasting it during the event and I managed to taste it only this week.

The Navigator is a recent release (released in 2013) to mark their sponsoring of a yacht in the Clipper Round the World Race (as befitting their long maritime influence) and is matured in ex American bourbon and ex Spanish Sherry casks.

The name ‘Navigator’ hints at maritime notes, so let’s see if it stand up to that promise.

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Whisky Review – Old Pulteney 12

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Do you know how is it when you look forward to some event and then you enjoy it and you have some great time? In this case it was a full opposite. Last November there was a Tweet Tasting of 3 Old Pulteney whiskies in celebration of the their new 1990 vintage and I was selected to participate in it. From this moment the problems started to mount – firstly the samples didn’t arrive on time for the event. but as I wasn’t the only one plagued with delayed samples shipment up came the idea of having a second Tweet Tasting event for us poor-luck tasters (Yay!), but then, due to crisis at work and a flat tire, I missed the 2nd tasting too! what a real dumper on that evening it was.

So the samples were sitting on my shelf, looking accusingly at me and finally I managed to get to taste them earlier this week and today I bring you the tasting notes of the first one: Old Pulteney 12.

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Whisky Review – Limeburners Whiskies Cask M76, M92 & M61

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The Limeburners whiskies - M92, M61 and M76

The Limeburners whiskies – M92, M61 and M76

If you follow me and read my posts here, you’re probably aware of my affection for world whisky – I’m always curious to see how whisky is developed (and tasted) in other places outside Scotland – different tradition, different processes, casks and weather – always discovering something new.

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Whisky Place – The Bon Accord, Glasgow

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two fantastic days on Islay ended and then we’re back in Glasgow, totally wiped out emotionally and dead tired from a fantastic day and tours.

But the day isn’t over yet. It’s our last evening in Glasgow and Scotland we have to do two more things: Meet Glasgowians I previously met online and visit The Bon Accord, THE whisky place in town, so the logical thing materialized – a meeting at The Bon Accord.

bonaccordbonaccord2

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Whisky Review – SMWS 131.2 Magic Carpet in a Sweetie Shop (Hanyu)

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This is the 2nd post with the tasting notes of The Hanyo SMWS 131.2 Magic Carpet in a Sweetie Shop. I’ve tasted it online in Tweet Tasting event with a group of friends who bought and shared a duo of excellent Japanese whiskies from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. The story behind this one is detailed in the previous post on the SMWS 132.2 dram right here.

Hanyu SMWS 131.2 Magic Carpet in a Sweetie Shop (55.1%, 646 bottles, first fill ex-sherry)

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Whisky Review – SMWS 132.2 Stunning panorama of exotic fruits (Karuizawa)

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It’s good to have friends who shares with you the same whisky passion as you do. A while ago, November 2013, the SMWS released a duo of rare Japanese whiskies from closed distilleries just in time for Christmas shopping rush:

132.2 (Karuizawa) – Stunning Panorama of Exotic Fruits.  22yo refill sherry, 335 bottles, 62.4% (!)

131.2 (Hanyu) – Magic Carpet in a Sweetie Shop.  13yo first fill sherry, 646 bottles, 55.1%

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