For the complete list of tasting notes, please click here.
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Port Ellen 1979, 27 YO, Old Bothwell, 54%, Cask 7094. Price: Colour: Gold Nose: Meaty, farmy, peaty, smoky, maritime, salty, on seaweed, with some mineral notes. Floral notes quite present at the start. Taste: Very mineral, clean, on cold ashes, dry peat, salty, spices, with some oakiness, dried seaweeds and tar. Complex and intense. The finish is long, peaty, salty, maritime, tarry, on sea shells and liquorice. General Impression: An excellent “old fashioned” Port Ellen, complex, intense and rather mineral. Rating: 18/20
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Port Ellen OMC 1979, 27 YO, Douglas Laing, 50%, B: 2007, 589 bottles, Ref 3887. Price: 
Colour: Straw-gold.
Nose: Quite round and salty, subtle, on sea breeze, old dry peat smoke, and cold ashes. Diluted, it becomes more maritime and mineral.
Taste: Dry, oaky, floral, round, maritime, salty , with some toffee and heather. The finish is medium, dry, quite soft, oaky, on cold ashes, toffee, and liquorice.
General Impression: A soft and mineral Port Ellen, reminding me of its seashore localisation, when some water is added to the whisky.
Rating: 14/20 
FP: D5
Port Ellen 1982 Sherry OMC, 20 YO, Douglas Laing, 50%, B: 2002. 666 bottles. Price:
Colour: Old gold.
Nose: Rather farmy, peaty, maritime, intense and on flintstone,
Taste: Dry, slightly rubbery, maritime, bitter (lavender), peaty , salty, with a touch of toffee. The finish is slightly rubbery, maritime, bitter, with some spices and peat. It becomes more mineral with some water.
General Impression: The influence of the sherry is very discreet in this Port Ellen. Thank you Cezary.
Rating: 16/20 FP: C7
Port Ellen 1982, 25 YO, Gordon & MacPhail, 40%, B: 2007. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Peaty, round, oaky, with some bitter floral (geranium) notes and cold ashes.
Taste: Oaky, farmy, peaty, on resting salted water, seashells, with some cold ashes and sulphur. The finish is medium, bitter (“Alps herbs liquor”), maritime, peaty, smoky and salty.
General Impression: A very good Port Ellen . Rather smooth and maritime.
Rating: 15/20 FP: C7
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Port Ellen 1982 Sherry for Alambique Classique OMC, 19 YO, Douglas Laing, 56%, B: 2001 Price: Colour: Amber. Nose: Spicy (cloves, cinnamon and vegetamine), rubbery, peaty, tarry, with a strong sherry influence, on tannins, leather and orange. Taste: Peaty, very salty and maritime, tarry, on bonfire smoke, spices, high quality rubber and cinnamon. The finish is medium to long, on”Glühwein” (warm spiced wine), soft peat, seaweeds and orange. General Impression: Probably from a first fill sherry cask, this young Port Ellen is most pleasant and should be a “must to have” for the lovers of Port Ellen and sherried whiskies. Rating: 17/20
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Port Ellen 1982, 26 YO, Berry Bros & Rudd, 46%, B: 2008. cask 2030/35. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Fresh, slightly floral, mineral, on cold ashes, seaweeds, with rather discreet peaty notes.
Taste: Dry, very salty, spicy, oaky, peaty, slightly mineral and soapy, on diesel oil. Astringent. The finish is medium, dry, bitter, soapy and very maritime.
General Impression: A rather unusual Port Ellen, too soapy to my taste.
Rating: 12/20 FP: B5
Port Ellen 7th Annual Release 1979, 28 YO, OB, 53.8%, B: 2007, Price:
Colour: Staw.
Nose: Round, peaty, maritime, slightly floral and over time it becomes more mineral. Less peaty and maritime than the signatory.
Taste: Maritime, salty, dry, peaty, with some floral notes. Less intense than the signatory, but maybe more subtle and bitter (toffee and coffee). The finish is medium to long, dry, bitter, on roasted coffee beans, seaweed and peat smoke.
General Impression: A very good Port Ellen, but maybe not as good as the previous edition. Seems a bit tired.
Rating: 16/20
Port Ellen 1976, 43%, Dun Eideann, B: 1998, Price:
Colour: Straw, pale yellow.
Nose: Very nice peatiness, bonfire smoke, charcoal and maritime notes.
Taste: Quite heavily peaty, wood fire ashes, light maritime notes, slightly dry and tannic and clean. Nicely equilibrated, with some light fruity and floral notes. The finish is quite dry, peaty, maritime, with some discreet fruitiness (melon and guava). Clean and mellow.
General Impression: An old Port Ellen matured in a bourbon cask, with a good dose and long development of the peatiness.
General Impression: A very old Port Ellen matured in an ex-bourbon cask, nicely peaty and equilibrated.
Rating: 18/20 
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Port Ellen 1978 Rare Malts, 20 YO, OB, 60.9%, Price: Colour: Gold Nose: Maritime, peaty, mineral, on kelp and seashells, with a hint of cold ashes. Quite round and it is interesting as it seems to be hiding something. Taste: Very salty, maritime, citric, peaty, tarry and oaky, with some floral presence. Intense, robust and nicely balanced. The finish is long, clean, slightly dry, peaty, maritime, nutty (roasted nuts) and flawless. General Impression: It might not be as subtle and complex as some Port Ellen Annual Releases, but it offers an intensity and robustness that I enjoyed very much. Rating: 18/20 |
Port Ellen 1982, 25 YO, Signatory, 60.5%. B: 2007, cask 645, 486 b., Price:
Colour: Straw.
Nose: Round, peaty, very maritime, on salt and seaweed. With time, it becomes more floral and softer.
Taste: Salty, maritime, peaty, smoky, citric and on iodine. Intense. The finish is long, round, peaty, dry, very maritime (iodine, kelp and fish), and slightly mineral.
General Impression: An excellent Port Ellen, peaty and maritime, in the same league as the Annual Releases.
Rating: 17/20
Port Ellen 1979 Cask Selection for Whisky Live Belgium (refill sherry), M&H, B:2006, 150 bottles. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Light and floral (muguet), marine breeze, some peat and diesel. The nose is quite close, clean and young.
Taste: Very dry, peated, very spicy, hemp rope, rubbery, floral (lilac), smoky and tonic water. The finish was dry, peaty, bitter and tarry.
General Impression: Very dry, spicy, bitter and rough. A very special Port Ellen sharing some similarities with Caol Ila. Not flawless.
Rating: 13/20
Port Ellen 1978 Platinum, 30 YO, 54.2%, Douglas Laing, B: 2008, 423 bottles. Price :
Colour : Gold
Nose : Mineral, peaty, maritime, on cold ashes and old bonfire smoke. Harmonious.
Taste: Very salty and maritime, slightly citric, on cold ashes, seaweeds, with some oakiness. Complex and well balance, with some tarry notes coming at the end. The finish is medium to long, peaty, somewhat dry, maritime, on seaweeds, sea breeze and mineral.
General Impression: This is one of the first 30 YO Port Ellen to be bottled. Smooth, with a strong maritime influence and mineral-metallic flavours. The result is most pleasant, but the price tag unfortunately rather high.
Rating: 18/20 FP:C7
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Glenlossie 16 YO, Sestante, 43%, D: 1970, Price: N.A. Colour: Amber. Nose: Quite a lot of orange and tangerine, smoky, with some peat smoke, heather, honey and nice floral notes. Taste: Spicy, quite smoky, dry, oily, slightly humic, on toffee, caramel, bitter orange, cloves and some leather. The finish is very long, dry, smoky, quite peaty, spicy, floral, on bitter orange, Christmas cake and some jelly pudding. General Impression: Surprisingly intense for 43%, well balanced, with a long finish. A very pleasant and old style whisky from a rather unknown distillery. Rating: 16/20 |
Bruichladdich PC6, 6 YO, OB, 61.6%, B: 2007. Price:
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Very peaty, winey, on grilled bread, with some tarry and maritime notes. Diluted, it becomes more on tar and diesel.
Taste: Very peaty, salty, maritime, very spicy, woody, winey, gristy, intense and clean. The finish is dry to very dry, peaty, woody, long and maritime.
General Impression: A very good Port Charlotte, with a quite winey influence (this whisky was Madeira partially matured), and slightly more aggressive than the PC5.
Rating: 15/20 FP: D9
Bruichladdich 15 YO, 43%, B: 1980s, 75 cl. Price: 
Colour: Gold-old gold
Nose: light notes of peat, fruits (lots of pear), fresh and some meat flavours.
Taste:Very light and short bitterness at the start. Light, fruity (melon, apricots and pears), some light but bold peaty and nutty (grilled almonds) notes. Nice round aromas of leather and tobacco leaves. The finish is long, very smooth and on exotic fruits (melon, peach and mango), silky and on juicy malt, slightly peaty.
General Impression: Quite different from the current Bruichladdich, heavier, with a stronger sherry influence and more on exotic fruits. Seems that there is a good proportion of malt older than 15 YO. Thank you Franco.
Rating: 17/20
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Bruichladdich 1966 OMC, 35 YO, Douglas Laing, 40.5%, B: 2001. Price: Colour: Gold Nose: Fruity (mango, melon, guava, papaya), slightly grassy, with a nice oakiness, quite thin. Taste: Thin, woody, bitter, on grapes and tobacco smoke. The finish is medium, dry, tannic, very bitter, on wet dog’s hair. General impression: The nose was quite pleasant, but once it reaches the palate, the years spent in the cask are rather present, with the flavours having joined the angels. Rating: 10/20 |
Bruichladdich The palace Partnership, 15 YO, OB, 53.1%. D: 1989 Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Completely dominated, even after dilution, by vegetamine and balsamic vinegar flavours, with some smooth bourbon notes hidden in the background.
Taste: Very dry, very bitter, spicy, winey, and with a weird mix of floral and undetermined flavours. The finish is of medium length, very winey, with some exotic fruits (mango), malty and on bitter toffee.
General Impression: A very weird flavour profile, that I haven’t much appreciated. The enhancement during 28 weeks in the Marsanne cask was maybe too long.
Rating: 09/20
Bruichladdich 1993 Barolo wood, 14 YO, OB, 46%, B: 2007. Price:
Colour: Gold-pinkish.
Nose: Malty, dry, woody, very winey, on grape juice, grilled bread and green apples. An unusual nose.
Taste: Very oaky-woody and winey, on grape juice, vanilla and berries. The finish is medium, very winey, slightly dry and on grapes tannin.
General Impression: A wine, sorry, a whisky with a dominating winey flavour. The cask took over the spirit and if you don’t whisky mixed with red wine, then you will enjoy it better than me. A matter of taste.
Rating: 09/20
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Bruichladdich 1969, 30 YO, Cadenhead's, 46.5%, B: 2000, 150 b. Price: Colour: Old gold. Nose: Let it breath first, as the nose is so intense. Then the peat smoke separates from the sweet okayness and the tropical fruits (mango, peach). Very nice and quite smoky. Diluted, it becomes more on melon and fudge. Taste: Salty, smoky, oaky, on vanilla, tropical fruits (mango & guyava). Complex and slightly spirity. The finish is medium-long, oily, syrupy, oaky, on juicy malt, smoke and a hint of bitterness. General Impression: An excellent old Bruichladdich to savour. Suprisingly intense and fresh for its age. Thanks Patrick S. Rating: 18/20 |
Bruichladdich 1966, 35 YO, Hart Brothers, 44.5%, B: 2001. Price:
Colour: Old gold.
Nose: Very smooth, on a very nice round peat smok with plenty of ripe exotic fruits. With a delicious oakiness and juicy malt.
Taste: Oaky, slighty woody, salty, with some bitter toffee, old smoke, maple syrup and some Genepi (herbs schnapps). The finish is medium, oily, floral, fragrant, on tropical fruits and relatively alcoholic.
General Impression: A fine Bruichladdich with a captivating nose, but the palate is slightly thin. Thanks Patrick S.
Rating: 17/20
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Bruichladdich 1998 Oloroso, 10 YO, OB, 46%, B: 2008. Price: |
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Bruichladdich 1998 Manzanilla, 10 YO, OB, 46%, B: 2008. Price: |
Breath of Islay 1993, 14 YO, Adelphi, B: 2008, cask 1647, 265 b. Price:
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Peaty, quite oaky, very tarry, rather complex, but young at the same time.
Taste: Very salty and tarry, peaty, maritime, and on liquorice. Diluted, it becomes more tarry, peaty and dryier. The finish is long, peaty, round and maritime and on charcoal.
General Impression: A nice peaty whisky from Kildalton, with a nice woody influence.
Rating: 15/20
MacDuff 1968, 38 YO, Duncan Taylor, 45.4%, cask 8545. Price:
Colour: Gold-old gold.
Nose: Deliciously sweet and fruity (melon, pineapples and mango), with some vanilla and a touch of peat. Diluted, it becomes more on vanilla, floral notes and cream fudge.
Taste: Very juicy and sweet malt, on pineapples, mangos and slightly smoky-peaty and spicy. Very smooth and sweet. The finish is syrupy, winey, on soft old peat, fruits and malt. The finish is rather short.
General Impression: A deliciously sweet and fruity MacDuff. Excellent and often under rated.
Rating: 18/20
Linlithgow (St-Magdalene) 1982 Rarest of the Rare, 23 YO, Duncan Taylor, 61.4%, B: 2005. Price:
Colour: Pale gold
Nose: Earthy, very grassy, floral, on grapes, oak and vanilla. Quite pure, with some vegetal condiment spiciness after a few minutes. A Lowland nose.
Taste: Very smooth, salty, grassy, on pollen, and with a slight touch of smoke. The finish is quite smoky, on smooth malt, on fudge with a bit of bitterness and nutty flavours. The finish is quite short.
General Impresion: Very smooth, with a quite archetypal lowlander profile, lighter than a Speyside or Highland single malt. This single malt will appeal to the ones enjoying light and refreshing whiskies.
Rating: 13/20
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Bowmore 1972 Prestonfield for LMDW, 36 YO, Signatory, B: 2008, 565 bottles. Price: Colour: Old gold. Nose: Nice floral notes (camomile and blossom tea), old round peat smoke, and tangerine. Taste: Peaty, salty, maritime, slightly rubbery and perfumy, on old peat and quite creamy. Diluted, it becomes slightly mineral. The finish is medium, oaky, peaty, slightly rubbery, on chocolate and tangerine. General Impression: A good old Bowmore, mediumly peated, slightly bitter. Tasted for the first time in Whisky-live Paris. Rating: 16/20 |
Bowmore 11 YO European Oak Old train line, JWWW, 52.9%, D: 1996, B: 2007, Price:
Colour: Old gold.
Nose: Heavily peated, meaty, oaky, maritime, on dry kelp and dry fish, and hemp rope. For being a Bowmore, intense and quite floral.
Taste: Heavily peated, dry to very dry, very salty, tarry, on grilled bread, seaweed and lavender. The finish is dry, long, oaky (resinous), very peaty, salty, tarry, maritime and with some liquorice.
General Impression: A surprisingly peaty Bowmore, powerful and oaky. Quite stunning for its age.
Rating: 17/20
Bowmore OMC 1983, 25 YO, Douglas Laing, 50%, B: 2008, 259 bottles, Ref 4189. Price:
Colour: Gold-old gold.
Nose: Perfumy (violet), peaty, maritime and quite round, with some heather.
Taste: Perfumy (Violet and Cologne water) bitter, salty, maritime and on bold peat. The finish is maritime, bitter and very perfumy.
General Impression: A Bowmore with rather strong “cheap perfume” flavours.
Rating: 10/20 FP:C5
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Bowmore 1992 Wine Cask Matured, 16 YO, OB, 53.5%, B: 2008. Price: Colour: Red Nose: Rubbery, smoky, sulphury, winey and on strawberries. Taste: Salty, peaty, sulphury, rubbery, spicy. The finish is medium, sulphury, rubbery and winey. General Impression: Well, the previous 16 YO Limited Edition of Bowmore were considerably better, at least to my taste. For the lovers of whiskies with strong winey influence. Rating: 08/20 |
Bowmore 25 YO, OB, 43%, B: 2005. Price:
Colour: Amber.
Nose: Very smooth, clean, on orange, old leather, beeswax, and some old round peat smoke.
Taste: Salty, maritime, peaty, on orange, old leather, with some mild spiciness and cinnamon powder. The finish is medium, spicy, rubbery, winey, on dry peat, salt, and strawberries.
General Impression: A good Bowmore, which needs to rest a while in the mouth to develop its complexity.
Rating: 15/20
Bomwore 3.132, 10 YO, SWMS, 59.6%, D: 1997, B:2007, 256 bottles. Price:
Colour: Pale yellow
Nose: Sweet, floral, on heather, with some tar, hemp rope and seaweeds.
Taste: Very salty, maritime, quite round, spicy, peaty, smoky, intense, and pungent. The finish is medium, peaty, oaky, on toffee, some chocolate, peat and seaweed.
General Impression: A quite good Bowmore, clean, and rather well balanced.
Rating: 12/20 FP: C5
Bowmore 3.128, 10 YO, SMWS, 57.7%, D: 1997, B: 2007. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Intense, peaty, maritime, round, with some vanilla.
Taste: Very salty, spicy, maritime, tarry, dry, and lots of seaweed. The finish is long, peaty, tarry and bitter.
General Impression: A Bowmore with a strong maritime influence.
Rating: 13/20 FP: C6
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Bruichladdich OCTOMORE Futures 2002, OB, 5 YO, 46%, B: 2008. 9600 bottles Price: N.A. Colour: Pale yellow-straw Nose: Very peaty, of course!, meaty, sweet-sugary (new make-like), some salt, seaweeds and tar, maritime, rather young, with some lavender notes. Taste: Sweet-sugary, tarry, peaty, meaty, waxy-oily, maritime, with some gentian and lavender bitterness. Diluted, it becomes drier. The finish is medium, peaty, tarry, maritime, on liquorice, with some bitterness. A rather dry and peated retro-oflaction.
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General Impression: This first official bottling of Octomore was eagerly expected by the purchaser of the Futures (buyers who paid for the whisky before being distilled/matured). The result is a satisfactory whisky, heavily peated and rather young, with quite pronounced new-makes flavours. Probably because of its relative immaturity (i.e., new-make influence), it appears less to be less peated than an Ardbeg Very young for instance. However, if you pour some drops of Octomore on your hands, then it becomes quite dry and the flavours seems more peated than on the palate. Thank you Lukas!
Rating: 11/20 FP:A10
Bomwore 3.135, 7 YO, SMWS, 58%, D: 2000, B:2008, 256 bottles. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Quite sweet, peaty, slight floral notes, wood smoke and some vanilla.
Taste: Very dry, floral, salty, spicy, peaty, on chocolate and toffee. Diluted, it becomes more floral and perfumy. The finish is medium, dry, very bitter, on chocolate and peat.
General Impression: a rather coarse Bowmore, less peated than the 3.134.
Rating: 09/20 FP:B6
Bomwore 3.134, 7 YO, SMWS, 59.5%, D: 2000, B:2008, 268 bottles. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Very peaty, strongly maritime, on seaweed, rather simple, with some lavender.
Taste: Dry, sugary, peaty, hot (burning), clean, rather simple and with some bubble gum and lavender flavours. The finish is medium, oaky, sweet and peaty, spicy, on toffee, chocolate, and some liquorice root.
General Impression: A rather heavily peated Bowmore, still quite young. With water, it becomes slightly more balanced.
Rating: 12/20 FP: B8
Knockdhu 21 YO, OB, 57.5%, Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Malty, very floral (spring-summer flowers), grassy, smooth, with some round fruitiness and toffee. Diluted, it becomes lighter, very grassy and floral.
Taste: Very malty, spirity, floral, grassy, on toffee, burnt sugar, grapes and some pipe tobacco. Diluted, it becomes more grassy and on hops. The finish is short, bitter, malty, on toffee, gentian and smoke.
General Impression: A good fresh, grassy and slightly earthy whisky.
Rating: 14/20
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Scapa 16 YO, OB, 40%, B: 2008. Price: Colour: Gold -old gold. Nose: Floral, mellow, slightly perfumy, on honey, juicy malt, some peach and apricots, as well as some soft peat smoke. Diluted, it becomes more fruity and sweet. Taste: On juicy malt, with a slight bitterness, as well as some nutty-spicy notes. It has also aromas of peach, apricots and honey. Diluted, it become slightly more smoky. The finish is medium to long, malty, slightly spicy and on honey. General Impression: A mellow, sweet and quite fruity Scapa, more pleasant than the former 14 YO. Rating: 15/20 |
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Port Charlotte PC7 Sin An Doigh Ileach, 7 YO, OB, 61%, B: 2008, 24,000 b. Price: Colour: Old gold-red Nose: Very peaty, meaty, round and on grapes. Taste: Very peaty, spicy, and slightly winey. The finish is long, heavily peated, and on dried raisins. General Impression: Some winey flavours were suggesting of a finish in wine cask, although this one was matured in American oak casks. Compared to the PC6, the additional year of maturation is positively perceived on this heavily peatead and enjoyable PC7. Rating: 16/20 |
Clynelish 1984, 16 YO, The Bottlers, 58.5%, B: 2000. Cask 4016, Price:
Colour: Old gold.
Nose: Meaty, farmy, peaty, with a nice round sherry influence.
Taste: Spicy to very spicy, salty, smoky, peaty, quite intense, on juicy malt, with a nice sherry and tangerine influence. The finish is long, winey, smoky and peaty, spicy, nutty, round, on toffee and slightly tarry.
General Impression: A fine example of sherry-matured Clynelish.
Rating: 16/20
Clynelish 1995, 10 YO, Adelphi, 59.3%, B: 2006, Cask 12787, 698 b., Price:
Colour: Gold-old gold.
Nose: Malty, peaty, smoky, coastal, fresh, on seaweed and grilled bread.
Taste: Rubbery, soapy, malty, peaty, smoky, peppery, salty and on white chocolate. Very rubbery. The finish is short, malty, smoky, coastal and very rubbery.
General Impression: A soapy and rubbery Clynelish, for the ones who like this type of profile.
Rating: 11/20
Longmorn 16 YO, OB, 48%, B: 2007 Price:
Colour: Gold-old gold
Nose: Oaky, floral (heather), on vanilla and coconut. Cleaner and simpler than the former 15 YO.
Taste: Malty, slightly spicy, floral (heather), grassy, on bitter toffee, vanilla and a hint of berries. The finish is medium, malty, oaky, floral, on bitter toffee and vanilla.
General Impression: Not as round or complex as the 15 YO it replaces. It seems that they reduced the proportion of sherry casks and compensated by increasing the proportion of first fill bourbon casks. It is considerably more expensive than the 15 YO, but the packaging has significantly increased and become chic.
Rating: 13/20
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Bruichladdich 1st Growth Cuvee E Chateau d'Yquem, 16 YO, OB, 46%, B:2008 12,000 bottles. Price: Colour: Gold - old gold Nose: Winey, malty, quite rond, and on vegetal condiment. Taste: Very sweet, fruity, sugary, on juicy malt, pear and some guava. The finish is medium to long, very sweet, oaky, sugary and with some grape juice. General Impression: A very smooth and sweet Bruichladdich, but otherwise rather discreet. Rating: 13/20 |
Caperdonich 1972 “From Huntly to Paris” for La Maison du whisky, 34 YO, Duncan Taylor, 53.4%, B: 2007, cask 6707, 210 b. Price:
Colour: Gold-old gold.
Nose: Smooth and juicy malt, oaky, on floral fragrance, vanilla, fudge, passion fruit and pineapple.
Taste: honey smooth, spirity, creamy, slightly salty and spicy, on vanilla, coconut and with a hint of peat. The finish is smooth, creamy, slightly dry-woody, in honey, oak, liquorice and vanilla.
General Impression: A very pleasant and smooth Caperdonich showing some traces of age.
Rating: 16/20
Caperdonich 1995 Small peaty barrels, Best Casks of Scotland, Jean Boyer, 43%, B: 2007. Price:
Colour: Very pale yellow.
Nose: Very peaty, “farmy”, on dry peat and grilled bread. Surprisingly smooth.
Taste: Dry, bitter, oaky, young, floral, on lime blossom tea. The finish is medium-long, dry, peaty, on grilled bread and some pear.
General Impression: Peated Caperdonich are unusual and this one is a quite pleasant. A heavily peaty youngster (for a Caperdonich), without too much aggressivity.
Rating: 14/20
Laphroaig 1993, 12 YO, Signatory, 58.1%, cask 3477. Price:
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Peaty, quite round, strong bonfire smoky flavours, maritime, on seaweeds.
Taste: Very salty, pungent, smoky, hot, round, oaky, peaty and very intense. The finish is long, dry, oaky, peaty and maritime.
General Impression: A good and intense Laphroaig, lacking maybe some balance.
Rating: 14/20 FP:B9
Laphroaig Coepenick Collection 8, Whiskykanzler, 51.6%, D. 1991, B: 2007, 66 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Light, fresh, slightly floral, peaty, smoky and mineral. It needs some time to develop.
Taste: Salty, spicy, citric, on sea water, seaweeds, vanilla, tar, charcoal, and peat. Subtle. The finish is medium, peaty, tarry, citric, and on ashes.
General Impression: This Laphroaig was bottled for a Whisky fair in Berlin. It is not the most intense and peaty Laphroaig, but I appreciated the subtlety and complexity of the flavours present in this whisky. Thank you Stephan.
Rating: 15/20 FP: A7
Special Whisky-Live Paris 2008
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Laphroaig Cairdeas 30 YO, OB, 43%, B: 2008, 1536 bottles. Price: Colour: Old gold Nose: Mineral, tarry, on bold peat, charcoal, old damp seaweeds, BBQ, with some vanilla. Complex. Taste: Salty, very tarry, mineral, on seaweeds, sea shells, peat, liquorice, curry and vanilla. The finish is medium, peaty, mineral, tarry and on seaweeds. General Impression: This Laphroaig has a most pleasant nose, with an attractive tarry and peaty taste, fading however a bit too quickly. The influence of the bourbon finish (the vanilla flavours) is most present in the mouth than in the nose. Don't add water. Very different from the former 30 YO. Rating: 18/20 |
Laphroaig 1988 unchillfiltered, Signatory, 46%, B: 2004, cask 3613. Price:
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Tarry, peaty, fishy, soapy and maritime. A bit immature.
Taste: Peaty, very soapy, salty, on sea water, seaweeds and fish. The finish is short to medium, soapy, salty, clean, with some vanilla, peat and seaweeds.
General Impression: A rather unusual Laphroaig, with a strong fishy and soapy aroma. Was there a problem with the bottle?
Rating: 09/20 FP: A8
Balvenie 30 YO, 47.3%, OB, B: 2008. Price:
Colour: Old gold -amber
Nose: Sweet, malty, on honey, orange and tangerine.
Taste: Sweet and dry at the same time, on tangerine, melon, orange, with some bitterness and tobacco leaves. The finish is medium, smoky, fruity, with some dry and bitter smokiness.
General Impression: A Balvenie with a pleasant sherry influence, mixed with some dry bitterness.
Rating: 16/20 FP: D2
Laphroaig SMWS 29.51, 18 YO, SMWS, D: 1988, 57.1%, 219 bottles. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: Sea kelp, iodine, strong maritime influence, iodine, spearmint and wood smoke. Very rich.
Taste: Peaty, very maritime, strong kelp influence, grilled bread, smoked fish, a nice saltiness and spearmint. Relatively sweet, rich and complex, with some mineral influence. Diluted, gets more peaty, a bit cleaner and more pungent. The finish is nicely peaty, maritime, long and complex, with a pleasant oiliness. Diluted the finish becomes more smoky, peaty and longer.
General Impression: A full and complex Laphroaig, mutli-layered and very enjoyable.
Rating: 17/20
Special Whisky-Live Paris 2008
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Amrut Peated Single Cask, OB, 62.78%, B: 2008. Price: Colour: Old gold. Nose: Young, clean, very peaty, floral, fragrant, on vanilla and some tobacco leaves. Taste: Very peaty and floral, fragrant, spicy, slightly citric and salty, on vanilla and sandalwood. The finish is quite long, light, peaty, very floral and on vanilla. General Impression: For being 4.5 years old, the nose smelled quite young, but the whisky showed a surprising maturity on the palate, with strong floral notes reminding of sandal wood or exotic perfumed. Not bad and worth a try. Rating: 11/20
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Special Whisky-Live Paris 2008
Balvenie 1976, 52.8%, OB, B: 2008, cask 6570, 231 bottles Price:
Colour: Old gold.
Nose: Intense, rich, smoky, on floral notes, some drying barley and honey. Diluted, it becomes sweeter and more fruity.
Taste: Full bodied, grassy, sweet, very spicy and slightly smoky. The finish is long, slightly dry, very spicy, smoky and on toffee.
General Impression: An excellent Balvenie, more intense and spicier than the 1972. Lots of vivacity and most pleasant.
Rating: 18/20 FP: B3
Balvenie Roasted wood, 14 YO, OB, 47.1%, B: 2007. Price:
Colour: Old gold.
Nose: Malty, fresh, floral, on vanilla, with some fruitiness and a hint of grass.
Taste: Oaky, floral, slightly smoky and salty, on fudge, toffee, burnt sugar, vanilla and with some sawdust. The finish is short, on fudge and toffee, with some sawdust.
General Impression: A good Balvenie, but the influence of the roasted cask tends to dominate over the spirit. Special.
Rating: 13/20
Special Whisky-Live Paris 2008
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Balvenie Vintage Cask 1972, OB, 47.3%, D: 27 Nov 1972, B: 10 May 2006, cask: 14813, 162 bottles. Price: Colour: Gold Nose: Deliciously sweet and juicy, grassy, on honey, chestnut and some bold peat smoke. Diluted, some notes of red fruits are released. Taste: Sweet, very grassy, quite light, on hay, honey, orange skin and some bitter smoke. The finish is medium, grassy, smoky, with a nice roundness. General Impression: After 34 years spent in his cask, this Balvenie has kept its lightness and freshness, while gaining some complexity and roundness. Rating: 16/20
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