Whisky Review – Douglas Laing Provenance Glenrothes 9 yo 2004

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The whisky blogosphere is rambling and stormy lately discussing the NAS trend that is hitting every shelf around us in the last two years. Yeah, not every NAS bottling is bad, and not all NAS are strictly young aged whisky. But even at this time and place, young whisky (aged less then 10 yo is good definition I think) can still be good – it’s up the distillation process, spirit and cask.

So today, we’ll focus on a young whisky from Glenrothes distillery, bottled by Douglas Laing. It was distilled in 2004 and bottled in late 2013, matured in a single Sherry butt. It was bottled at cask strength which is unusual for their provenance series.

DLaing-Provenance-9yo-cs

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Whisky Review – Compass Box The Peat Monster

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Monday is here and time for another tasting notes post. This time, another Compass Box whisky – their popular and successful The Peat Monster.

Last year, the Peat Monster celebrated the Tenth Anniversary and a special release was released to celebrate the event, but we shouldn’t forget the original one!

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Whisky Tour – Glengoyne Distillery (and a bonus too)

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Last week, after over 3 months en route, I finally got my final package of whiskies I got myself in Scotland, and it reminded me I didn’t write yet a post on last distillery tour. The last day of trip arrived and we had time for one last distillery visit before going back home – Glengoyne Distillery.

This time we’ve killed 2 birds in one stone – we recruited a designated driver, a blogger who lives not far away but never visited there, so we ‘forced’ him to visit the place for the first time, out own #whiskyfabric cog member, Tom. So we checked out from the hotel, we got picked up by Tom and off we went to the place which is half lowlands, half highlands where Glengoyne distillery resides.

Glengoyne Distillery

Glengoyne Distillery

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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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