The storm is almost here so we continue with the peat theme but this time a deeper one, something old and dignified. Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome the Ardbeg 1997 review.
Photo credit: whiskybase.com
It’s a gloomy and wintry weather here this week and the forecast for the weekend promise a real cold, rainy and snowy weekend around here. I guess it’s time to prepare with another peated dram, right?
Let’s get back to my favorite distillery and pick a 15 year old bottling by Signatory, bottled as part of their Un-chilfiltered Collection from a refill sherry butt.
Nose: Ahh, love that Laphroaig nose – Peat and soot, engine oil and BBQ coal, a bit of burnt matches, dry warm rubber boots. There’s the sherry impact with nutmeg, soaked raisins, sour berries. Continue reading
While doing the last two posts, I recalled there was one more I wanted to taste. Actually, to re-taste. Back in 2013 I visited Lagavulin and as part of the premium tasting event I tasted the Lagavulin 12 CS (2012 version). You can read all about it here but it was horrible and vile whisky.
I didn’t have time to investigate it on the spot as we were in a hurry to reach another tour, but later I got feedback and remarks that led me to the conclusion it was probably a improper cleaned glass and so I promised myself to revisit it someday, and that day finally arrived now following all those reviews in the last few days.
Thanks to my friend Michael, I got a small sample of this Lagavulin and tasted it again last night. How was it? vile again or a proper Lagavulin?
Nose: Big peat note, not so smokey but there’s a nice layed down burnt down wood smoke. It’s very sweet & fruity with a touch of lemon. Oily and even had a passing by note of rubber and liquorice. Continue reading
From one Special Releases whisky to another Special Release whisky. In the last few iterations of Diageo Special Releases lineups, we learned to expect two affordable whiskies in the lineup: The Lagavulin 12yo cask strength and the the one we review today – the Caol Ila Unpeated.
The 2014 edition is 15 year old version, matured in first-fill ex-bourbon casks, where all previous editions were up to 14 years).
Nose: Starts with a wave of sweet fruits and it’s very dusty (partially due to the high ABV) and heavy, creamy cereal, lemon and despite it being unpeated, I occasionally do smell some sweet peat. With a few drops of water the ABV drops down and the dusty notes turns to mineral notes with salty touch, it becomes more sweet and fruity with tropical fruits like mango and passion-fruits. Continue reading
Until a couple of years ago there were only two standard Lagavulin releases: the staple 16yo and the Distillers edition. Then came all those special releases whiskies. We’ve got a semi-official bottling of the 12yo cask strength (in yearly batches) and a couple of truly special Lagavulins: a 37yo and two 21yo bottlings.
But it all started with the 2007 release of the 21yo. Distilled in in 1985, matured in sherry casks and although it didn’t sell out immediately like similar bottlings are doing nowadays, it became a cult success and very sought-after whisky and I believe this provided the required spark to all those special releases that came after it.
Thanks to a friend I’ve got a small tasting of this legendary 21yo so without further words, lets see if it does stand up to its reputation:
Nose: A very Lagavulin nose at first with sweet and gentle peat & smoke. Then the sherry makes its entrance on stage with gentle and deep yet not too strong sherry sweetness. raisins, berries, prunes and gentle spices. It’s so ingrained and balanced with smoked wood on front, sherry and peat a bit behind. What a WOW combo. Continue reading
In a tasting with some local whisky maniacs, one of them brought this bottle: Glendarroch 1967 41 year old and immediately it piqued my interest. It was clear it comes from a distillery who doesn’t want its name on independent bottlings and so I believe there’s a good chance it’s Genfarclas. It’s a 750ml bottle so its geared toward USA market, bottled in 2009 by Duncan Taylor’s prestigious Lonach range.
This range is tribute to the Lonach Gathering (an annual Clan Gathering held at Strathdon in the Highlands of Scotland). In celebration of the Gathering, the Lonach range of exceptional single malt whiskies represents a collection of some of the finest whiskies from Scotland’s leading malt whisky distilleries. The Lonach range provides a vatting of two casks from one particular distillery, each cask type provides its own particular character to the whisky. Occasionally over- and under-strength casks are vatted together. To commemorate each passing year, Duncan Taylor releases a limited number of bottles, specifically to celebrate the Gathering in August. These are exclusively available at the Lonach Gathering for Clansmen and visitors alike.
Nose: Old, dusty, sweet apples galore with a dash of lemon, honey – very sweet nose but also very flat and not complex. Might be an inactive cask? Continue reading
In the last few years Japanese whisky gained recognition in the western hemisphere and demand is steadily rising. Another trend is the rising prices of whiskies from closed distilleries, fueled by collectors and investors. Now combine both trends and you get the “Karuizawa craze”.
Have you followed what’s happening with new (and old) Karuizawa bottlings? The barrels stock is rapidly dwindling and each new bottling is sought after by thousands of people. According to TWE, there were 6000 registrations to their recent lottery on the new Karuizawa/Hanyu bottles.
Karuizawa prices are on a steep rise. new bottlings are priced at 450 quid and higher and auction prices are in the stratosphere level. Only a year ago, although it does feels like forever in current market condition, there were six new Karuizawa bottlings from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. They seemed to be expensive and overpriced but in hindsight, it was el-cheapo comparing to what’s going on today.
I’ve already reviewed 132.2 here, so lets review the rest of the even numbers in that series – 132.4 and 132.6.
Photo credit: whiskybase.com
Nose: Intense (high ABV or not?), sweet and rich nose. Sherried with lots of forest berries glazed in dark sweet caramel. Nutmeg and cinnamon, wood polish, sulphur. Continue reading
The NAS rage continues as more NAS whiskies are announced. Talisker Skye, Glenlivet Founders Reserve (which actually replaces the Glenlivet 12yo in some markets!) and more. The NAS topic was already discussed in length on Whisky Gospel and on other blogs but there’s one aspect I didn’t see covered – what about Independent bottlers?
As the demand to single malts soar, even in the current market climate, the stock of aged barrels dwindle down. Distilleries have access to their own warehouse and therefor release NAS whiskies so they can have flexible usage of their own stock and use more young casks instead of aged casks. But Independent bottlers don’t have such free access (unless they pay for it) and they too don’t want to overuse their aged casks which they bought when prices weren’t as high as nowadays. The solution? Vatted malt releases – stick with malts, mix different casks from different distilleries and release a new whisky to satisfy the market demands!
We’ve seen many Vatted malt releases over the last 2 years, with three of them coming from Douglas Laing with the latest one being an Islands themed malt named Rock Oyster.
Rock Oyster promise lots of maritime, sweet peat, smoke, honey and pepper. Shall we put it to the test?
Nose: Creamy malt, chimney smoke, peat, sweet lemon cheesecake, sea air. All in all very balanced and cheesy. Continue reading
Laphroaig is my favorite distillery and the next whisky I review here was the first one to utterly disappoint me. When it was released it was following the successful Laphroaig PX Cask (which I love) and so I was eager to try the next installment. When the first reviews trickled in I was really surprised to hear how many were regarding this as a bad Laphroaig and so my urge to buy a bottle was curbed down and I didn’t get to taste it till very recently as I got a sample from a friend.
Laphroaig QA cask is initially matured in bourbon barrels before being finished in charred American white oak casks, so supposedly we should have a tamed down Laphroaig expression, richer in vanilla, honey and spices – does it work well?
Nose: I instantly recognized the Laphroaig profile. There’re the peat and smoke, it’s very sweet and heavy on vanilla and honey. With some time, smokier, brine, but didn’t find much iodine & TCP. It’s rounded and very tamed comparing to previous OB expressions. Continue reading
World whisky captured the best whisky title in both Jim Murray latest whisky bible and the Malt Maniacs Awards. Mr. Murray selected a Japanese whisky, the Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2013 (which prompted my review of the 2009 version) And the Malt Manicas selected a Taiwanese whisky, the Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask.
I was very surprised from Mr. Murray selection and I already discussed this in the Yamazaki Sherry Cask review, but wasn’t too surprise to hear about the Kavalan selection in the MMA. Last year, in Whisky Live Tel-Aviv 2014 I had the honor to participate in a masterclass led by Jim Swan, their master blender and taste many Kavalan whiskies and I was very impressed with the Solists that were featured in the show.
Unfortunately, I lost the notes I wrote back then but I had a 2nd opportunity to taste the Solist Vinho Barrique (which is actually a PX cask) in the Nov 2014 meeting of the MMI whisky club.
Yeah, it’s a different cask but it’s more then adequate for getting the drift of this whisky character.
Nose: Punchy blow on first sniff with a big blow of sweetness. It’s not overdoing it as there’s a sour edge that keeps it in check. berries mix and spices with lots of nutmeg and cinnamon. Continue reading
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