For the previous notes, please click here.
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Littlemill 12 YO, OB, 40%, B:2006, Price: Colour: Straw-gold Nose: Very malty, oily, buttery and grassy. With water, it gets more flowery and the caramel flavour gets quite pronounced. Taste: Oily, creamy, smoky and slightly dry, with aromas of hay and some flowers. The finish is dry, smoky and short, with a zest of orange. General impression; A very malty and clean lowlander. |
Longrow 100 proof, OB, 57%, B:2006 Price: 
Colour: Pale yellow
Nose: A very nice and soft fragrant peat smoke, with some mixed fruitiness mixed with salt. With water, the peat smoke is getting lighter and the nose is getting very maritime: iodine, kelp and sea breeze. The fragrant flavours are getting also more intense and perfumy-like.
Taste: Sweet peat after a initial strong salty attack. Sweet malt and bitterness. Diluted, there is a pleasant malty-salty aroma, quite flowery (roses) and smooth. The finish is peaty, with tobacco and liquorice. The finish is dry, long, with some maltiness. Diluted, the finish is more smoky (tobacco).
General Impression: A very nice smooth and peaty longrow. Rich and intense and better than many previous 10 YO releases.
Rating: 15/20 
Longrow 14 YO, OB, 46%, B:2006 Price:
Colour: Gold- old gold
Nose: On smoke, cereals, fruits and flower (mint and heather) with chocolate and some maritime notes. The peat smoke is nice and round, enveloping the flowers and the fruits.
Taste: Lots of honey sweetness, quite smoky (tobacco leaves) and peaty, some oakiness and smooth sherry influence. Nicely balanced.
The finish is long, smoky and peaty with liquorice, toffee and dark chocolate.
General Impression: A nice smooth, round and clean peaty Longrow. Well balanced.
Rating: 14/20
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Ardbeg Young Uigedail “The Oogling”, OB, 59.9%, B:2006 Colour: Old gold Nose: Clean and quite spirity. Punchy and very intense peat flavours striking at your nose, with a pleasant sherry sweetness. Peat is there, but relatively subtle. The nose shows the punch of the Very Young, but more refined and sweeter. Diluted, the nose gets very smoky (tobacco), on dry grilled bread and pear drops. Taste: Woaww. After the first mouthful, a huge oily peat smoke saturates your taste buds after a few seconds. After 1 or 2 minutes, the clean maltiness comes out. The finish is clean, long and very peaty. |
General impression: An impressive whisky, with the sherry removing the hard edges of the Very Young, while keeping a similar peaty level.
Rating: 16/20
Port Ellen Sherry Platinum, 27 YO, 54.8%, Douglas Laing, D:1978, B:2006
Price: 
Colour: Old gold- amber
Nose: Perfumy, spirity, and quite restrained. With some water, it gets fruitier, with flavours of pears, apples and some spring summer flowers. The sherry influence is strong and coming progressively with its rubber notes.
Taste: Very salty, some smoke and then comes very quickly the sherry influence and the tangerine aromas. Smoky and very peaty, but the peat is struggling with the sherry. Somewhat woody. The finish is on dry peat smoke with an almost dominating sherry influence.
General impression: A very good and very peaty Port Ellen, but unfortunately the sherry is dominating a bit too much this old whisky. Most likely peated to more than the usual ppm. Closer to 50 ppm.
Rating: 15/20
Glengoyne Corman Collins 1989, 14 YO, OB, 55.8%, cask 1219, B: 2004, 264 bottles
Price:
Colour: Dark Amber
Nose: Sweet, round and on cereals (green barley). The malty flavours are very pronounced. The sherry notes are well integrated.
Taste: Round, deliciously smooth and round, very malty, leather-rubber aromas and a hint of smoke. The finish is of medium length, round and smooth, with a lot of sherry influence without being dry
General Impression: A good and malty Glengoyne from a first fill sherry cask. The influence of sherry is very strong and I find the leather-rubber aromas dominating too much over the whisky.
Rating: 12/20
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Bowmore Dark Sherry Waldhaus am See, 35 YO, 52.1%, Signatory, D: 1970 B:2005, Price: Colour: Amber-red Nose: Round, smooth, sherried and complex. Surprisingly fresh for its age. Soft peat, tangerine, orange and toffee. Taste: Starts on very intense orange and tangerine aromas. Sweet soft peat and sherry with some peat-wood fire aromas. Complex. Diluted, the peat gets much stronger. The finish is very long, oily and silky, on dry peat, orange and toffee. Diluted, the finish is smokier and slightly dryier. |
Rating: 19/20
Caol Ila unpeated, 8 YO, OB, 59.8%, B:2006 Price:
Colour: pale yellow
Nose: Fresh, clean, spirity and young. Maritime (iodine) and some smoke. Diluted, the nose gets more malty, with more fragrant-floral notes.
Taste: Very sweet (sugary), bitter and smoky (dry tobacco leaves). It is also very salty and with some lemon aromas. Diluted, it gets smoother. The finish is very dry, bitter, smoky and of medium length. Very clean.
General Impression: This is a clean young unpeated Caol Ila showing good perspective for the future. Unfortunately, the first fill bourbon casks used for its maturation have not been able to hide its young age.
Rating: 08/20
Glenfarclas 1991 La Maison du Whisky, 13 YO, OB, 46%, cask 5621, 860 b. Price:
Colour: Dark red
Nose: Fresh, sherried and flowery. The nose is very round and smooth with some slight notes of toffee.
Taste: Light, on citrus, grapes and cereals. It has a nice mouth coating feeling. It is also round and mellow and very well balanced. The finish is of medium length, round and smooth, slightly smoky and rubbery.
General Impression: A very good Glenfarclas. Round and smooth, without being dry and woody. It has matured in a good cask. A sherry all rounder.
Rating: 13/20
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Glenmorangie Speakeasy, OB, 58%, 14 YO, Cask 5449, D: 1991, B: 2005. Price: Colour: Pale yellow. Nose: Spirity, thin and light, malty and fruity. Diluted, the flavours get on additional fruitiness (pineapples) and soap (for dishwasher). Taste: Oily, oaky, very bitter and plastic aromas, sawdust with an unpleasant citric attack. The finish is medium long, dry and smoky. |
Rating: 05/20 
Scapa 14 YO, OB, 40%, B: 2006. Price:
Colour: Gold.
Nose: Some honey and flowers, but thin and restrained.
Taste: Thin in mouth, but oily and malty, with flavours of honey and some sweet fruits. The finish is short and thin, but clean with honey and dried fruits.
General impression: Could be a nice and smooth pleasant whisky, but at 40%, it is really thin. Would need 46%.
Rating: 08/20
Scapa Sherry, OMC, 25 YO, Douglas Laing, 50%, D: 1974, B:2000. 524 bottles. Price:
Colour: Old gold-amber
Nose: Sweet and round, with some oakiness, sherry sweetness and a slight note of toffee. The nose is quite restrained. With water, it gets more on toffee and dark chocolate.
Taste: Oily and creamy on the palate, the whisky is very flowery, complex, well balanced and plays on the bitter-sweet contrast. Quite malty. Diluted, citrus flavours are released and joined by delicate sweet chocolate. The finish is smoky, on wood fire ashes mixed with some peat, very pleasant but short.
General Impression: A very nice Scapa with a charming balance and complexity. If only the nose could match the body and the finish being a tad longer.
Rating: 13/20
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Bruichladdich Queen's Award, 16 YO, OB, 55.7%, D :1989, B :2005, Cask 944, 344 bottles. Price: Colour : Old Gold-amber Nose : Very smooth, fruity, creamy and silky (oily). On dry fruits (apricots), fresh and sweet honey, with a slight touch of vanilla. Diluted, the initial whiff of toffee is followed by more citric, tangerine and lemon fruity flavours. |
General impression : A deliciously smooth, malty Bruichladdich. Flawless. One of the best sherried Bruichladdich I have ever tried.
Rating: 16/20
Note: the price is given in 70 cl equivalent.
Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine, 14 YO, OB, 46%, B:2006 Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Round, smooth, quite winey and slightly perfumy. Flavours of malt and ripped sweet fruits.
Taste: Clean and simple, but very round and pleasant. The body is malty and winey, with aromas of melon and freshly cut grass. The finish is short, simple and clean, with some liquorice.
General impression: A clean and simple Bruichladdich, but quite enjoyable and easy to drink.
Rating: 10/20
Bruichladdich Mhoine Mhor 3D-2, OB, 50%, Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Peat, peat and peat! Dry and massively peaty and smoky nose and with some underlying undefined flavours. When diluted, dry hay and new rubber flavours are released.
Taste: Dry, massively peated, with some aromas of bread dried on a peat fire. Diluted, the new rubber aromas perceived in the nose are also release in the palate.
The finish is long, dry and on peat smoke.
General Impression: A Dry peat monster. Whisky completely dominated by the dry peat smoke. To love or hate.
Rating: 09/20
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Singleton of Dufftown, 12 YO, OB, 40%, B:2006 Colour: Gold Nose: Sweet apples, honey, heather and sherry. Very smooth and round. Taste: Starts on vanilla and coconut. It is quite malty with some oakiness and fruits. The finish is short to very short, quite dry and smoky, slightly nutty with quite a lot of caramel (toffee). |
Rating: 11/20
Brora 1982 Rare Malts, 20 YO, OB, 58.1% B:2003. Price:
Colour: Pale yellow-straw
Nose: The nose is clean, on honey, citrus, some grass and a touch of salt (iodine). Relatively perfumed. Diluted it gets more smoky, on pear drops and citrus. Also, it gets rounder and less pungent.
Taste: Bitter, citrus and honey are the first flavours perceived, then it evolves on peat, honey and lemon peel. Diluted, it gets more smoky and creamy. The body is rich, pungent, on tobacco ashes, liquorice and bitter dark chocolate. The finish is round, short and on tobacco ashes.
General impression: A good lightly peated Brora. In the 1980s, lightly peated barley was used for the production of the Brora’s whisky. This is one of them and the contrast with the pre-1980s Broras is significant.
Rating: 14/20
Tullibardine 1986 2nd Fill sherry, OB, STFC%, Cask 692 Price: N.A.
Colour: Old gold-amber
Nose: Honey, vanilla, cereals and a sweetness coming from grapes and plumps. Quite floral (roses and grass). Very nice round sherry nose. Diluted, the aromas are hay, sweet grapes, toffee and smoke (tobacco leaves)
Taste: Slightly dry and salty at first mouth feel, smoky (tobacco leaves), chocolate and some citrus notes, but quite creamy and round. Nice and pleasant rubber aroma. Diluted, it gets thinner, but dryer and considerably more smoky (tobacco) with some bitter chocolate. The finish is of medium length, winey and malty (porridge) with honey sweetness. Slightly smoky finish.
General impression: Nice and round sherry nose with a pleasant texture in mouth. Nicely balanced whisky.
Rating: 16/20
Brora Annual Release, OB, 30 YO, 56.6%. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Citrus, ripe apples, smoke and some oak. Diluted, it gets more on exotic ripe and sweet fruits, citrus and peat. The nose is well equilibrated.
Taste: Creamy, bitter-sweet (honey), smoke and salt compose the body of this whisky. Diluted, it gets more chewy, creamy, smoky and salty. Nicely balanced. The finish is long, huge and powerful on dry peat bonfire smoke. Diluted, the smoke gets dry tobacco leaves- like.
General impression: A huge powerful and smoky beast, deliciously balanced and complex.
Rating: 19/20
Brora 1975 Rare Malts, OB, 20 YO, 60.75%. Price: *
Colour: Straw
Nose: Very perfumed (lavender), fruity (ripe pears) and smoky. Diluted, it gets very smoky with a touch of toffee. It gets also rounder and honey-like.
Taste: Honey-lemon, some bitter-saltiness, smoky. Balanced and pleasant. Diluted, the peat smoke is getting more intense with additional citrus notes. The finish is rather long, dry, peaty and smoky, with some walnuts flavours.
General impression: Well-balanced, rich, complex and intently peated whisky. The peat smoke of the 1975’s Brora’s is more massive and blunt than the 1970-2 Brora’s.
*70 cl equivalent
Rating: 16/20
Brora 1977 Rare Malts, OB, 21 YO, 59.6%. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Fresh floral and maritime nose with notes of grape and jasmine. Diluted, it gets quite fruity (apples and pears), in honey and heather and peat smoke.
Taste: Salty, very bitter with some honey sweetness, tobacco ashes and some vanilla. Diluted, it gets more creamy, on lemon peel and smoke. The bitterness is then less wild. The finish is long, dry, bitter and smoky. Powerful and salty
General impression: The bitterness combined with the saltiness made my taste buds numb for quite some time. Interesting, but lacks some balance.
Rating: 15/20
Brora 1971, OMC, 29 YO, 50%, 210 bottles. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: Oaky, deep, subtle and complex dominated by citrus notes and deep enveloping smoke. Adding water helps to break the surface tension and lets the smokiness be fully expressed.
Taste: Citrus and sweet fruits with a creamy-chewy , round and smooth maritime body, with smoke surrounding this delicious texture. Rich and spicy. The finish is very long on dry peat smoke with a pleasant smooth and round mouth feel.
General impression: A flawless and powerful, round and heavily peated Brora.
Rating: 18/20
Brora 1972, G&M, 40%, B: 1996, Price:
Colour: Straw-gold
Nose: Dry peat bonfire smoke, round and smooth (honey) with a hint of solvent.
Taste: Very salty, round, smooth, creamy and some bitterness mixed with sweet honey and smoke. The balance between the flavours is always moving, like a boat on the sea. The finish is of medium length, with the honey sweetness fighting with the bitter lemon flavours. The finish is smoky and syrupy.
General impression: A nice round and smooth heavily peated whisky with an unsteady balance. With 40% abv, this Brora has been dompted. For note, Gordon has also bottled several version of the 1972 Brora, including one version bottled in 1995.
Rating: 14/20
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Tullibardine 1993 Sherry finish, OB, B: 2006, 46%. Price: Colour: Gold Nose: Strong sherry-rubbery nose, sweet and malty. Some hints of dry-sweet fruits and toffee. Some notes of Madeira? Taste: Very smooth, but also very dry at the same time. Malty and spicy. The finish is short and with a strong spiciness dominating the maltiness. |
General impression: Similar to the Tullibardine 1993 40%, but with the sherry influence (sweetness) compensated by some additional dryness.
Rating: 10/20
Tullibardine 1993 1st Fill Bourbon, OB, STFC%, Cask 324 Price: N.A.
Colour: Gold
Nose: Nice nutty and oaky flavour, round, with aromas of hand-made cream fudge flavours. Nice uncharacterised floral notes a background taste. Quite some honey. Diluted, honey and toffee flavours are more present, as well as the perfume of roses, before the maltiness is perceived.
Taste: Creamy, sweet-honey, malty with some bitterness and discreet spiciness. Nice lemon and vanilla aromas. This whisky is rich and complex with a superb body. Diluted, it gets more chewy and malty at the start, before some bitterness arrives. Slightly winey. The finish is of medium length, on soft lemon peel, cream, chocolate and tobacco leaves. Round and full.
General impression: Subtle, rich and complex. This whisky has superbly matured. It also shows that you don’t need to wait 20 or 30 years to have a matured whisky. Thank you John for selecting and for letting us sample it!
Rating: 16/20
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Tullibardine 1993 Moscatel Finish, OB, B: 2005, 46%. Price: Colour: Gold Nose: Spicy, bitter and winey, the effect of the Moscatel finish cannot be ignored! Taste: Creamy, chewy, winey and spicy. It is dry to very-dry in the mouth with a good dose of bitterness. The finish is short, round and quite flavourless if you take only a small sip. With larger sips, the finish is on tobacco leaves with some spicyness. |
General impression: The Moscatel finish is better equilibrated than in the Caol Ila Distiller’s edition (Moscatel finish). Moscatel is a wine with a strong personality and in the end, it is a matter of personal taste. If you like the Moscatel, then you will really enjoy this whisky. If not, just chose an another Tullibardine.
Rating: 09/20
Tullibardine 1988, OB, B: 2005, 46%. Price:
Colour: Straw
Nose: The nose is smooth, discreet and very round, with a touch of honey. The floral note is dominated by the rose.
Taste: This Tullibardine is creamy, sweet, malty and slightly spicy and chewy. It is round in the mouth and some aromas of tobacco leaves are also present. This whisky is quite complex and the balance between the sherry and bourbon is flawless. The finish is short, round, creamy and malty, with quite a long toffee-tobacco leaves finish. The texture of the 1988 is quite different from the 1993 series.
General impression: The flavours are more discreet and subtle than the 1993 Tullibardine versions and the whisky is also more complex. The 1988 is a mix of sherry and bourbon casks.
Rating: 13/20
Tullibardine 1993, OB, B: 2005, 40%. Price:
Colour: Gold
Nose: The nose is floral, nutty, sweet, oaky and malty (cereals).
Taste: Sweet, malty and spicy at the start. Some tobacco flavours are also present. The finish is short, dry to very-dry, creamy and with some caramel.
General impression: The Tullibardine 1993 is a clean and malty malt, rather discreet and subtle. Drink it not too cold not after a peated whisky. Would benefit of some extra strength (43-46%). Good introductory malt.
Rating: 11/20
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