GLENDRONACH ALLARDICE 18 years old 46%

Nose:
Inviting buttery notes complement the expected Oloroso. Malt laced with black pepper fleshes out the nosing experience.




Palate:
Dangerously appetizing with the typical raisins befriended by blueberries, cranberries and even som acidulous rowanberry jelly. Supported by a fabulously enchanting smokiness slowly evolving into an outstanding oak-malt-chocolate fusion.




Finish:
Enlivening spices form a bed of nails, deliciously sprinkled with fruit-flavoured hard candy.

Comment:
Very nice indeed! If they are able to develop this into something other than a limited edition it could, considering its lower price, blossom into a true rival of The Macallan of the same age. Bottled July 09 Lot 2. Bottle number 7320/10 000.

Rating: 9/10

THE SPEY CAST 12 years old 40%

Nose:
Freshly baked bread with caraway seeds surrounded by creamy fruit salad and lavender. Earthy yet modest spices join in on the fun.




Palate:
Fat mouthfeel. Soft and chewy fruitiness dominates but the malt is more upfront than the nose would suggest. The latter eventually fuses with liquorice. A bit static in nature.




Finish:
Short-ish. The somewhat distant malt-liquorice plays the lead role amidst faint echoes of mineral spices and some soft grains.


Comment:

Brilliant nose and good tasting to boot. Some points docked due to a rather undynamic mid-palate and the decidedly anonymous finish. I have no idea which malts go into this blend but somehow it made me think of Glenrothes. Just a wild guess, though, and probably wrong.

Rating: 7 3/4 /10

MACALLAN Thirties 40%

Nose:
Seductive creamy texture with light touches of raisins and dying bonfires. Gradually a peat-salt hybrid stamps its mark on the proceedings.




Palate:
More upbeat now with typical Macallan de luxe pralines consisting of equal parts cream toffee and rich raisiny fruit. All this contrasted with a pronounced saltiness and some discreet peat.




Finish:
By now the fruit is almost out of the picture, leaving lots of space to salty liquorice, charcoal and light peat.


Comment:
Slightly more distinctive than the Fifties bottling this is, however, hardly a revelation. Top quality whisky as you might expect from this distillery but bearing in mind the price that it commands, perhaps best suited for the trainspotters of the whisky community.

Rating: 8 1/4 /10

BANFF 21 years old 57,1% Distilled 1982

Nose:
Fresh lemon cough drops embedded in a light creamy texture. Constantly harassed by prickly, aggressive white peppers.

Palate:
Lemon curd fit for a Royal Court. Syrupy texture. Gradually the citrus dies off, allowing an ozone-fresh malt to shine. Oaky spices constantly on the move.




Finish:
In the grip of a tyrefitters hand. Dry and smoky oak envelopes the whole sector of the mouth. A small lemon pocket of resistance hangs on at the roof. Slightly too dry, perhaps.


Comment:
Maybe, just maybe the oak acts in a tad too obtrusive manner but that is still a minor complaint about this whisky from a defunct distillery (demolished 1983). Get some before prices start to sky-rocket. Bottle No. 4320.


Rating: 8 1/4/ 10

BLADNOCH 10 years old Flora & Fauna 43%

Nose:
Wonderfully chewy and fresh apricots with some citrus added for good measure. Forceful and sophisticted malt provides for some much needed masculinity.




Palate:
Marmalade-like fruitiness rules the roost initially. The malt, at first a bit on the shy side, eventually comes into its own in wonderful confident fashion.



Finish:
Almost perfect malt-oak fusion produces hedonistic strands of coffee, chocolate, toffee and liquorice.

Comment:
Truly glorious! All the flavour components of this whisky is in utmost balance. Could be the perfect summer dram for those who prefer the smoothness to be accompanied by something more robust. Not sure how long this one will be available, now that this long-threatened distillery has managed to produce some bottlings of their own. Better not take any risks: get one today.

Rating: 8 3/4 /10

JOHNNIE WALKER Green Label 15 years old 43%

Nose:
Dry anise and sweet malt coalesce perfectly. A dash of peat heightens the nosing experience. Some gingery notes on top, as well.



Palate:
Liquid honey encapsulates charming and sophisticated malt, bordering first on the liquorice-like before eventually metamorphing into chocolate and coffee.





Finish:
Long, almost levitating finish. Dry chocolate followed by bursts of smoky and spicy malt. The chocolate then returns laced with acerbic tea notes.


Comment:
Johnnie Walker is a byword for top quality whisky and this one is no exception. There are curious echoes of the Black Label here, but (of course) without the wall of hard grains. Next time you´re out shopping, try skipping the Highland Parks and Taliskers in favour of this one. You won´t be disappointed.

Rating: 8,5/10

THE ANTIQUARY 21 years old 43%

Nose:
Dried apricots lead the way, flanked by waxed honey and surprisingly fresh malt. Smoky oak holds up this lovely firmament. Restrained yet beautiful.




Palate:
Gentle honey and apricot/orange marmalade secure the soft qualities, counterbalanced by dry malt and some modest grains. The oak more minty now.



Finish:
Small in size but very concentrated and tasty, first with menthol-ish spices, followed by pronounced orange peel before eventually bowing out with some chewy oak.


Comment:
This is a whisky that grows on you. At first I dismissed it as being too non-descript but as you can see, I have changed my mind. Good blends are very much about exquisite balance and this one achieves that in no uncertain terms.

Rating: 81/4 /10

CARSEBRIDGE 25 years old 56,4%

Nose:
Vanilla ice cream with peaches, held together by steadfast oak.





Palate:
Chewy oak supports a river of delicous summer berries. Hints of old-fashioned candy.





Finish:
Dry and spicy at first. Followed by tongue-based waves of soft, fruit-infused charcoal. Very long.


Comment:
A single grain whisky from the dismantled Carsebridge distillery. If you are willing to sacrifice complexity on the altar of hedonism, you´ll find plenty to savour here. Date distilled: 03.1979. Date bottled: 01.2005.

Rating: 8 1/4

SPRINGBANK 18 years old 46%

Nose:
Top quality sherry in raspberry guise, freshly baked bread and trademark Springbank saltiness. The latter becomes more visible when the whisky reaches body temperature.



Palate:
Outer sphere: raisiny and syrupy sherry of top-notch quality. Middle sphere: the expected saltiness. Inner sphere: delicious nutty bread. Intermittent oaky spices add a little robustness to the overall picture.



Finish:
Self-confident sherry lifts off like a rocket from a bed of vanilla bread. Soon joined by cloves and nutmeg. Perhaps a bit dry at the end. An authoritative yet relaxed finish.


Comment:
The Springbank revival continues unabashed. In the wake of the 1997 vintage comes another goodie. As far as my understaning goes, only 3500 bottles made, so hurry up!

Rating: 8 3/4

SPRINGBANK Vintage 1997 55,2%

Nose:
Excellent fruit/malt interplay. Rich fruitcake and powerful potent malt. The longer you warm the glass in your hand, the more obtrusive the malt becomes.



Palate:
A fruit extravagaza served up with a tasteful creamy texture. Aggressive and buzzing malt together with some modest white peppers acts as a good counterbalance.




Finish:
Extremely powerful finish. From a bed of heavy malt, the fruit sends out estery stings on an almost eye-watering level. Stunning.


Comment:
Together with the recently released 18yo, this indicates a genuine return to form for this legendary distillery. All of which must come as a true relief to all those fans who lived through earlier bottlings that haven´t really managed to reach the heights most people crave from this whisky. Outstanding balance between fruit and malt. Top quality sherry casks, to boot. Batch No. 1

Rating: 8,5/10

MACALLAN Fifties 40%

Nose:
Slightly floral at first.Then a modest cranberry fruitiness develops allowing cinnamon and caraway-seeds to break through. A restrained nose.


Palate:
Creamy texture. Sherry more active here, showing off both violet and raisiny qualities, residing around a core of bread and chewy oak. Just the slightest hint of peppers in the background.

Finish:
Sharp raisins all over the place, accompanied by buzzing spices and chewy oak.


Comment:
An attempt to re-create the distillery character of the 1950´s. Not that far removed from the average Macallan, however. Those who yearn for something more exotic might feel a bit let down but this is still a very good whisky. Highly suitable for the incoming summer season.

Rating: 8/10

LAPHROAIG 10 years old cask strength 55,7%

Nose:
A nose that hits you yards away from the glass and yet, at the same time, curiously calm and relaxed. Like a heavyweight champion who knows he´s gonna win and doesn´t need to fool around. Tar in extremis, sweet-ish peat, leathery oak and a sniff of blood oranges. After warming, a pleasant sea-saltiness emerges from the bottom of the spices.


Palate:
Decidedly medicinal in character.Less sweet than the standard 10yo. Heaps of tar. After a while, fat chilli-like waves laced with blood oranges enter the stage. All held together by confident, spicy oak.

Finish:
Dry and complex peat hits you like the paw of a grizzly. Fades out with discreet bursts of salmiac.


Comment:
It´s been quite a while since I last had this one at home. Back then I remember it as extremely powerful and very good. Now it is extremely powerful and extremely good. To describe it as world class would not be an exaggeration.

Rating: 9/10

FAMOUS GROUSE Malt whisky 12 years old 40%

Nose:
Enticing fruitcake eventually fails to conceal a potent biscuity malt.




Palate:
Mouthfilling and well-rounded. Intensive fruitiness battles it out with the malt. Sporadic outbursts of spices. A little gingery.




Finish:
Understated yet potent mixture of malt and minty oak. A faint whisper of chewy fruit sees the whisky off.

Comment:
Forget whatever prejudice you might have when it comes to vatted malts. This is a tasty morsel indeed. The balance between fruit and malt is exceptionally well done.

Rating: 8/10

ARDMORE Vintage 1994 12 years old 46%

Nose:
Modest yet confident peat backed up by a marked oiliness and an almost tobacco-like sweetness. A faint echo of apples.




Palate:
Quite oily as indicated by the nose. Superb peat of a gentle and sweet nature partly counterbalanced by murky and rather mushroom-like malt.




Finish:
Initially more of that sweet peat but eventually the malt gets a bigger say with delicious spices and smoke.

Comment:
Bottled by Speciality Drinks aka The Whisky Exchange. This is an unusually heavily peated Speysider. If you manage to steer clear of the notion of this as a surrogate for your Ardbegs and Laphroaigs (this is nowhere near as powerful), then you will reap a rich harvest here.

Rating: 8/10

DEWAR´S Special Reserve 12 years old 43%

Nose:
Dried fruit with mango-ish traits. Spiciness that almost borders on something burnt. Semi-sharp grains vie for attention at the back.




Palate:
Heavy spices, sweet maltiness and blackberries merges into something quite akin to burnt treacle toffee. Rather nice, actually!Something citrus-ey tries to join the fun but fail and remains in a submissive position.



Finish:
Ozone fresh with light spices. The treacle re-emerges at the back of the throat for the final bye-bye.


Comment:
An individual style for this one. I bumped into another Dewar´s 12 at the Munich airport the other week. That one had a different label and was 700 ml (mine is 750). I actually had the chance to try it for free but instead opted for 12yo Aberfeldy. In retrospect I regret this since it had been interesting to compare it to my bottling.

Rating: 8/10

CAOL ILA 15 years old Flora & Fauna 43%

Nose:
Dry and floral to begin with. After a while an apricot sweetness enters the stage accompanied by trademark oiliness. Peat certainly present but settles for the role of second (or even third) fiddler.



Palate:
As you might guess, very oily. A soft delicate fruitiness embedded in the malt. Counterbalanced by heavy, almost sooty peat. Seemingly uneasy bedfellows but it works wonders.





Finish:
Just waves of delicate peat that travels the roof of the mouth.


Comment:
Won this in an auction. Used to be a huge favourite of mine back in the 90´s. Marvellous juxtaposition of sweetness and aggression. I don´t remember it as being this fruity but memory is a fickle thing.

Rating: 8,5/10

BALLANTINE´S Finest 40%

Nose:
Smoky peat dancing on the edge of a volcano filled with soft grains. Actually at its best if you don´t warm the glass too long.




Palate:
Initial peat and malt dominace. Successive waves of grain get ever more louder albeit in a highly well-behaved manner with delicate vanilla and modest fruit.




Finish:
Puffs of delicate smoke rise up from a bed of light fruity grain and restless peat.


Comment:

Nah, I ain´t suggesting that this would be a worthy replacement for your Ardbegs and Laphroaigs but I still think a lot of people would be surprised if they gave it a try.

Rating: 7,5/10

LONGROW 1994 10 years old 46%

Nose:
Mealy malt and sharp citrus. The latter gradually evolves into sweet lemon. Modest white peppers just around the corner.




Palate:
Other way round compared to the nose. Initally lemon sweetness which progresses (?) into an almost acerbic citrus (unripe oranges?). More of that mealy, almost powdery malt. There is peat somewhere but you´ll have to exhaust the taste buds in order to dig it up.



Finish:
Long, warm and ever expanding. Chewy with soft lemon and more confident peat.


Comment:
Flawless finish apart, this is yet another in a long row of minor disappointments. When this brand was re-introduced at the turn of the Millenium I simply adored it. Then someone thought: "Wouldn´t it be a marvellous idea to add some (Fino?) sherry casks to the mix?" Not really, guys. It rocks the balance completely and it seems to be getting worse for each new vintage. What with the peat becoming ever more elusive, I think this is a brand that should be the subject of a serious re-think.

Rating: 7,5/10

MITCHELL´S 12 years old 43%

Nose:
Modest sea saltiness. Sugar free toffee. Pleasantly oaky.





Palate:
At first, marvellous toffee cake with ice cream tries to remain on even terms with the saltiness. The latter eventually wins out, in the process almost metamorphing into salmiac.




Finish:
Salty liquorice in almost full command. Some prickly spices accompanies it along the way. Surprisingly long for a whisky of this stature.

Comment:
A blend from the folks at Springbank. Containing something like 60% malt, mostly from their own make. Apparently this has recently been discontinued, so you should waste no time in hunting down a bottle. Especially considering the fact that this beats most malts that I´ve tried.

Rating: 8,5/10

CAOL ILA 12 years old 43%

Nose:
Very oily as to be expected. Beneath the thickness of the oil, dwell sweet peat and shades of black pepper.




Palate:
Initially the oil dwarfs everything else. Gradually a complex interplay between malt and peat rises from the fog. All this eventually adds upp to an almost mushroom-like character. Odd.



Finish:
At last, peat that is neither too sweet nor too dry, gets the full rein. Long, complex and life-affirming.


Comment:
For my money this is the best of the current standard peat monsters. That extreme oiliness could deter some, however.

Rating: 8/10